With the exception of a few performances, I didn’t really like this year’s Tony Awards. It felt a bit stale, and only ‘American Idiot’ gave me the desire to fly to New York and see a Broadway show. Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele easily stole the show for me, and used their stage chops to show that they sound just as good live as they do on ‘Glee.’ As an aside, I refuse to believe that Matthew Morrison is straight. I realize he was engaged to a woman, and claims to be a heterosexual, but I’d like to believe that the reason I can’t have him all to myself is because he just doesn’t like women in general. That has to be the reason right? Watch the performance below.
Underrated Actor of the Week: Eion Bailey
I found myself watching the rather enjoyable train wreck that was ‘Center Stage,’ and I thought: “wow, that guy who plays ‘Jim Gordon’ is the only decent actor in this film” – which led to this week’s choice. So I researched further, and I discovered that Eion Bailey actually has a serious line of credits to his name. His most acclaimed role was that of ‘Pvt. Kenyon Webster’ in HBO’s ‘Band of Brothers.’ (I suppose that beats the ballet film.) Bailey won a daytime Emmy for the television movie, ‘Life of the Party,’ and he can be seen next in the upcoming USA series, ‘Covert Affairs.’ Since I’m rather superficial, I’d also like to note that the fact that Bailey is extremely good-looking certainly helped with my selection. Don’t get too excited though ladies – he’s married.
Actor that Must Make Comeback: Val Kilmer
Every so often I will post about an actor that needs a ‘fall-from-grace’ recovery. Per my good friend’s request, I’ve selected Val Kilmer this time. For me, Kilmer’s most memorable role was that of ‘Iceman’ in ‘Top Gun.’ But who can forget ‘Willow’ and ‘Tombstone’? So what happened to his career? Val Kilmer was rumored to have a tyrant-like reputation. While filming ‘Top Gun,’ reports surfaced that Cruise and Kilmer’s mutual hatred for one another turned into a fist-fight. And it doesn’t stop there. On the set of ‘The Island of Dr. Moreau’, it’s alleged that Kilmer deliberately burned a cameraman’s face with his lit cigarette. In fact, the director of that film, John Frankenheimer, said “‘there are two things [he] would never do again in [his] life. [He] will never climb Mount Everest, and [he] will never work with Val Kilmer again.” Yikes! Frankenheimer wasn’t the only director with Kilmer issues. ”Batman Forever’ director, Joel Schumacher, once said that Kilmer was the “most psychologically troubled human being [he’s] ever worked with.” Alright. I don’t think I’m properly pleading my case for a Kilmer comeback. I might have even convinced myself while writing this article that it’s not such a good idea. Perhaps he’s changed and learned his lesson? I thought he was great in ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,’ alongside Robert Downey Jr., though he has to salvage his hotness factor by losing the weight. It’s possible isn’t it? Sigh . . . when I think of another comeback kid I’ll let you know.
Gwyneth Paltrow in Another Friendship Feud – This Time With Madonna?
Gwyneth Paltrow’s loose lips have gotten her into trouble again. She recently released the following cryptic statement in her GOOP newsletter:
“What do you do when you realize that although you many have years of history, and found real value in each other in times past, that you kind of don’t like a friend anymore? That, after time spent with this person, you feel drained, empty, belittled or insulted. My father always used to tell me that, ‘you can’t make new old friends.’ How do you distinguish if someone in your life makes you change for the better of if you are better off without them?”
Speculation ran amok, with many believing that Madonna was the subject of the quote. Though Paltrow’s rep denied a Madonna feud, this wouldn’t the first time that she expressed friendship issues with the press. A few months back, she also used GOOP to write the following angry passage, which many speculated was about Winona Rider:
“Back in the day, I had a “frenemy” who, as it turned out, was pretty hell-bent on taking me down. This person really did what they could to hurt me. I was deeply upset, I was angry, I was all of those things you feel when you find out that someone you thought you liked was venomous and dangerous. I restrained myself from fighting back. I tried to take the high road. But one day I heard that something unfortunate and humiliating had happened to this person. And my reaction was deep relief and happiness.”
I have a few general thoughts about this. First, complaining about your friendships is for your therapist’s consumption, not the public’s. Second, if I were in fact your therapist, I might say something like, “if you find yourself always fighting with your friends, consider the possibility that you are the problem – not your friends.” (Come to think of it, I am way too judgmental to be a therapist.) And lastly, your GOOP newsletter is supposed to be positive, not an online journal for your angry outbursts.
Morgan Freeman Has a Fake Voiceover?!
You know all those commercials where you hear Morgan Freeman? Well, it might not actually be Morgan Freeman after all. Sources tell me that Morgan Freeman is so in-demand for voiceover work, that the actor actually hires a guy that sounds just like him to fill in. I don’t think that it much matters to the advertisers that hire Freeman, given that no one can really tell the difference. I’d really like to meet this guy that sounds just like Freeman. What do you think he tells people his job is at a bar? “Hi there, I’m a voice-over. No, no – not for myself but for Morgan Freeman.” Huh? Anyways, this is just nutty enough to be true.
Jim Carrey’s Gay Scene From ‘I Love You Phillip Morris’ Hits the Internet – BEWARE
More and more information continues to come out about Jim Carrey’s unreleased film, ‘I Love You Phillip Morris.’ The latest, is a rather disturbing gay scene featuring a naked Jim Carrey. Why is it so disturbing? Well, because I’d rather not see Ace Ventura doing another guy in the butt. The film has had a lot of trouble finding a distributor in the United States and, the reason is now apparent. With the exception of Showtime’s ‘Queer As Folk,’ when heterosexual actors play homosexual roles, it’s often very clear they are not enjoying themselves. Even Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger barely made-out in ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ and that film was said to be “groundbreaking.” I guess Carrey got the memo, and decided to go all-out in this new role. He’s been trying to transition into dramatic films for quite some time, but to no avail. I think it’s time to stay with comedy, as there is no shame in sticking to your strongest genre. Remember Julianne Moore’s failed attempt at comedy in ‘The Law of Attraction.’ She’s now back to drama. I would attach the scene in question, but it’s been yanked off the internet (presumably because it has erupted the blogosphere). Take my word for it though, you’re better off without it.
Jay-Z Calls Out Def Jam Records and Motley Crue’s Tom Zutaut?
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Jay-Z reveals some of the many reasons he stepped down as president of Def Jam. Among them is his frustration with “record executives that have been sitting in their office for 20 years because of one act.” He would often hear things like, “but that’s the guy who signed Motley Crue!” “That was fucking 25 years ago,” says Jay-Z. When I read this quote I thought wow, I hope no one publishes the name of the guy that Jay-Z is referring to, because that would cause quite the controversy. About 10 seconds later, I changed course and thought – I have to find out who Jay-Z is referring to – and publish it! So who signed Motley Crue? Luckily, I own a little gem of a book written by the very talented Neil Strauss, called ‘The Dirt.’ In it, it’s revealed that the man in question is Tom Zutaut. So there you have it. Let the controversy begin!
Paramount Confirms a Tom Cruise/Les Grossman Movie – Noooo!
It’s official. Paramount is making a film with Tom Cruise, starring ‘Les Grossman,’ his character from ‘Tropic Thunder.’ Remember my excitement about Cruise’s performance at the Mtv Movie Awards? Perhaps I should have toned it down a bit, because I in no way wanted Cruise to parlay those accolades into an entire movie. It seems like a huge stretch. When I heard Stiller was involved in this project, I thought perhaps it would work, but now that I realize he will only produce the film, I’m not so happy. I think the Mtv awards should have been the last hurrah for this character. Kill it.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt May Play the Riddler in ‘Batman’ – On His Way to Super Stardom
Christopher Nolan is reportedly strongly eyeing Joseph Gordon-Levitt to play the Riddler in the next ‘Batman’ film. With this news, I am going to engage in some good old-fashioned tooting of my own horn. Since seeing the film ‘Brick,’ I’ve been telling everyone that Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the next Brad Pitt. Many of my friends scoff at this comparison, but the attention he garnered from ‘500 Days of Summer’ convinced me that this isn’t so far fetched after all. He is not the “character” actor that many have suggested, and getting the role in ‘Batman’ will solidify his box-office star status. When it turns out that I am right about this, brace yourself because I will surely remind you daily.
Joan Rivers Calls Out Ben Stiller on Howard Stern: “He’s Arrogant”
Joan Rivers appeared on Howard Stern today, and took a big swipe at Ben Stiller, calling him an “arrogant, lucky guy.” Though I love Ben Stiller, I certainly love celebrity trash talking even more (well, if it’s true that is). Rivers claims that Ben Stiller’s fame is owed primarily to his more famous parents, including the very funny Jerry Stiller, who played George Costanza’s father on ‘Seinfeld.’ Since Rivers is friends with Stiller’s parents, she doesn’t appreciate it when she runs into Stiller at red carpet events and he “can’t be bothered to say hello.” Rivers was on Stern to promote her new documentary, ‘A Piece of Work.’ Hopefully we’ll see even more trash talking in it. See the trailer below.