Pregnant Alyssa Milano wants veggies
Alyssa Milano at the "Hall Pass" premiere. (AP)
At the “Hall Pass” premiere, “Extra” caught up with Alyssa Milano, now pregnant and apparently in the mood for some veggies.
“I’m craving broccoli,” Milano revealed. “How weird is that?” The actress said she isn’t sure of the baby’s gender yet, but she’ll “probably” find out.
At the same event, Extra talked to “Hall Pass” star Owen Wilson about his baby, Robert Ford.
“For his first birthday, it will be a Ford Fiesta! See? I’m already using this kid for laughs,” Wilson said.
“Hall Pass” opens in theaters today.
Read more: http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2011/02/alyssa_milano_says_shes_craving_brocoli.php#ixzz1EvppxeY1
Johnny Depp goes family friendly again
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp has starred in over 45 films in a career spanning almost three decades, playing everything from 1950s teen rebel “Cry Baby” Wade Walker and the fantastical creation “Edward Scissorhands,” to the eccentric Willy Wonka in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” and, of course, the famed Captain Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy.
So has Depp, 47, already done it all? Not quite. It turns out that there are few boxes left to check before he turns away from Hollywood once and for all.
“I’m going to have to play (King) Leer or (Don) Quixote or something. It would have to be something like that. And then just walk away,” Depp told FOX411’s Pop Tarts while promoting his upcoming computer-animated comedy, “Rango.” “But there’s still some stuff definitely that I’d like to do out there. There’s certain books that I’ve been in love with for years that I’d love to bring to life – things like Tom Robbins ‘Fierce Invalids Home from Hot Climates,’ that’s a great, great book. We’re in the works now to put ‘The Ginger Man’ by JP Donleavy up, get that on its feet, so that’s a very exciting possibility.”
However, for the time being the A-list actor is busy plugging the family-friendly “Rango,” in which he voices a chameleon aspiring to be a swashbuckling hero – although even he admitted that the filming process made him feel a little… silly. “It was fun, but you couldn’t help feel ridiculous. You know, you’re a middle aged man pretending like you’re dragging this tail around behind you,” Depp explained. “Or like (co-star) Harry Dean Stanton comes up to you and he’s like, ‘hey man, this is kind of a weird gig, isn’t it?’ and you’re thinking, ‘Oh just wait, we just started, Harry.”
But in the days before he entertained the kids as a lovable rebel in family friendly flicks like “Rango” and the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, Depp was a kid himself, playing pretty much the same character.
“When I was a kid, we would play cowboys and Indians, and I wanted to be the Indian. I always did,” he added, “The rebel – it’s built in.”
Source: foxnews.com
Justin Bieber Hits the Set with Rascal Flatts!
Justin Bieber
Following quite the hectic NBA All-Star weekend, Justin Bieber kicked off the work week on the set of his new music video in Los Angeles on Monday (February 21).
The Canadian hitmaker sported retro glasses, a leather jacket and a silver necklace as he joined Rascal Flatts bandmembers to put together the video project for the song “That Should Be Me”.
According to an on-set source, the “Never Say Never” star even received a pep talk from a crew member before making his way onto the set.
Tweeting about the gig, Bieber wrote, “up early doing a video shoot for #ThatShouldBeMe with @RascalFlatts !!”
The 16-year-old also hinted that he may be changing up his look a bit, as he tweeted a short while later, “thinking about getting a haircut….hmmmmmm”
Source: www.celebrity-gossip.net
Shred video starring John Mayer
I just discovered this YouTube guy, “daytimeofthenight,” who is making all these “Shred” videos….He takes real music videos and records his own instruments over the audio. They’re pretty funny.
Richard Simmons Goes Gaga
Richard Simmons
Looking like a bizarro extra from “Black Swan,” eccentric weight loss guru Richard Simmons traded his trademark short-shorts for checkered tights and some frilly Lady Gaga-inspired outfit and accessories. The 62-year-old was not born this way.
Source: www.tmz.com
Britney Spears’ “Hold It Against Me” video to premiere tonight
Britney Spears will premiere her “Hold It Against Me” video Thursday at 8:55 p.m. CST on MTV and MTV.com, followed by “MTV First: Britney Spears’ ‘Hold It Against Me’ Video Premiere,” a live discussion on MTV.com at 11 p.m. about the new clip and what’s next for the pop star.
The hour-long post-premiere conversation will be hosted by MTV News’ Jim Cantiello. Confirmed guests for the show include “Jersey Shore” star Pauly D, “Hold It Against Me”choreographer Brian Friedman, BreatheHeavy.com mastermind Jordan Miller and MTV News writer Jocelyn Vena. More guests will stop by, and we will get to hear what you, the fans, have to say about the video, directed by Jonas Åkerlund.
“Hold It Against Me” is the lead single from Spears’ March 29 release, Femme Fatale. Britney has been teasing fans for nearly two weeks with sneak peeks at the video. On Wednesday, she released an extended 30-second look at the video.
In it, Spears is not only dancing up a storm, but also wears multiple costumes, changing into varying styles — from ultra-glam to ultra-sexy — through sets that veer into a Technicolor, futuristic world. The preview opens with Spears lying on top of another version of herself, sleeping and looking exhausted. That shot jumps to frames of Spears dancing and covered in paint. She soon awakes from her various states of slumber and begins to dance. Next is a shot of only her face, as she looks into the camera, singing, “Would you hold it against me?”
Billy Ray Cyrus: ‘Hannah Montana’ destroyed family
Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus
Billy Ray Cyrus says the Disney TV show “Hannah Montana” destroyed his family, causing his divorce and sending daughter Miley Cyrus spinning out of control.
In a December interview published in the Feb. 22 issue of GQ Magazine, Cyrus said he wished the show that launched his daughter to pop stardom had never happened.
“I hate to say it, but yes, I do. Yeah. I’d take it back in a second,” Cyrus said. “For my family to be here and just be everybody OK, safe and sound and happy and normal, would have been fantastic. Heck, yeah. I’d erase it all in a second if I could.”
Cyrus and his wife, Tish, filed for divorce in October. They have three kids together — Miley is the oldest — and two from Tish’s previous marriage.
Billy Ray Cyrus said when he asked about the rumored video footage of his daughter smoking from a bong at her 18th birthday party in December, he was told it was none of his business. He refused to attend the party, saying it was wrong to have it in a bar.
Cyrus, a native of Flatwoods, Ky., had his own success as a country singer beginning in the early 1990s with his huge hit “Achy Breaky Heart.”
Cyrus says in the interview that he tried too hard to be a friend instead of a parent to his daughter. He said he is scared for Miley and compared her current path to those of other stars whose lives ended tragically, including Kurt Cobain, Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson.
“I should have been a better parent,” Cyrus said. “I should have said, ‘Enough is enough — it’s getting dangerous and somebody’s going to get hurt.’ I should have, but I didn’t. Honestly, I didn’t know the ball was out of bounds until it was way up in the stands somewhere.”
He said his entire family was baptized before leaving Tennessee for Los Angeles to protect themselves from evil, and he believes Satan is attacking his family.
“It’s the way it is,” Cyrus said. “There has always been a battle between good and evil. Always will be. You think, ‘This is a chance to make family entertainment, bring families together …’ and look what it’s turned into.”
Source: The Associated Press
“Born This Way” actually born “Express Yourself”
Lady Gaga begins her "Born This Way" performance in the same egg she was carried in down the Grammy Awards red carpet.
Lady Gaga performs "Born This Way" at the 2011 Grammy Awards.
Lady Gaga’s new single “Born This Way” is getting quite a bit of criticism. Why? Because it sounds almost exactly like Madonna’s “Express Yourself.” Play the song and sing the Madonna tune along — it’s like the ultimate “Glee” mash-up.
During Sunday’s Grammy Awards, Gaga performed “Born This Way” live. Bloggers worldwide ran to their computers to post their similar thoughts on the topic. I kept my blog comment simple, “Sounds quite a bit like Madonna’s “Express Yourself” to me. Same chord progressions…”
George Lang, entertainment writer extraordinaire for The Oklahoman, wasn’t quite so tame on his Staticblog.
“So ‘Born This Way’ sounds a little too much like “Express Yourself.” I think Germanotta owes Ciccone some Lira. Sure, people have been calling Gaga the new Madonna for the past two years, but ‘Born This Way’ is a little too on the nose, and the only thing missing from this Blonde Ambition-like performance was the cone bra.”
Well said, Lang. True, Gaga was missing the cone bra but she and her dancers did have the cone shoulders going on. And Ciccone was never carried down the red carpet in an egg ala “Mork from Ork.” So, she’s got that going for her.
-Heather Warlick Moore
Lady Gaga “Born This Way” sounds like Madonna “Express Yourself”
Just watched Lady Gaga perform “Born This Way” on the Grammy Awards… Sounds quite a bit like Madonna’s “Express Yourself” to me. Same chord progressions…
Ashlee Simpson files for divorce from Pete Wentz
Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz
TMZ just broke the story that Ashlee Simpson has filed for divorce from husband Pete Wentz…
Here’s the MTV story:
On Tuesday, Ashlee Simpson filed for divorce in the Los Angeles Superior Court, ending her marriage of nearly three years to Pete Wentz.
“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to file for divorce,” reads a joint statement from Simpson and Wentz, sent to MTV News. “We remain friends and deeply committed and loving parents to our son, Bronx, whose happiness and well-being remains our number one priority. We ask that everyone honor our privacy as we navigate this next phase of our lives.”
According to documents obtained by TMZ, Simpson cites “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split, and is asking for joint legal custody — and primary physical custody — of their 2-year-old son, Bronx Mowgli.
She also asks the court to restore her name to Ashlee Nicole Simpson. In 2008 — less than a month after marrying Wentz — she announced plans to formally change her name to Ashlee Simpson-Wentz.
According to TMZ, the couple did not sign a prenuptial agreement before marrying.
The couple began dating in late 2006 and wed on May 17, 2008, in a non-denominational, “Alice in Wonderland”-themed ceremony held at the Simpsons’ home in Encino, California. The event was presided over by Simpson’s father, Joe, with sister Jessica serving as bridesmaid.
In the months leading up to the wedding, rumors began circulating that Simpson and Wentz were expecting their first child together. Wentz originally dismissed those rumors as part of a “witch hunt” but later recanted, saying that he was just trying to protect Simpson’s right to privacy. Bronx Mowgli was born in November 2008.
In 2009, amid reports that their marriage was in trouble, Wentz e-mailed MTV News to say, “You shouldn’t believe everything you read on the Internet. It’s nonsense.”
MTV News’ e-mails to reps for Simpson and Wentz were not responded to by press time.
Christie Brinkley to go into ‘Chicago’ on Broadway
Christie Brinkley
NEW YORK (AP) — The Tony Award-winning hit musical “Chicago” is getting a supermodel makeover — Christie Brinkley is joining the Broadway cast.
Brinkley will appear as the jailed killer Roxie Hart for an 11-week engagement from April 4 to June 19 at the Ambassador Theatre on 49th Street.
The 57-year-old model made her acting debut in 1983 opposite Chevy Chase in “National Lampoon’s Vacation” and its 1997 sequel, “Vegas Vacation.”
She also appeared on NBC’s “Mad About You” and hosted Lifetime Television’s InStyle Celebrity Weddings.
Brinkley is the latest to play Roxie in the hit musical, now in its 15th year on Broadway. Others include Brooke Shields, Sandy Duncan, Marilu Henner, Bebe Neuwirth, Ashlee Simpson, Michelle Williams and Melanie Griffith.
Pregnant Pink posts self-portrait of belly on Twitter
Pink's self portrait.
Pregnant Pink isn’t very thrilled with the shots paparazzi have been snapping of her bulging belly. In fact, she’s been tweeting about their absolute lack of photography skills and artistry.
“ALRIGHT…because paparazzi of today have absolutely no photographic skill or artistry whatsoever, and their pictures are hideous….I’m going to post a self-portrait I took yesterday morning for all of you asking to see belly shots. 3 wks of photo classes for me…and I am already a far better photographer than any one of them,” Pink tweeted last week. She’s got a good point. I can’t remember seeing too many paparazzi photos with much artistic or photographic integrity. But, that’s not what they’re paid for.
Pink followed through with her Twitter promise and posted an artistically shot photo of her pregnant belly.
She’s been tweeting about her baby quite a bit lately. She tweeted about her husband, Carey Hart, and child’s Chinese zodiac sign: “My husband is year of the rabbit, and our child will be, too. Two rabbits to one sheep. I’m outnumbered.” She tweets about furnishing her baby’s room, picking out baby clothes, etc. Word in the Blogosphere is that Pink’s doctor says she thinks the baby is a girl.
“OK, I’m not gonna lie. I got completely distracted with baby clothes and Carey came home and built the crib. He cursed a lot,” she tweeted on Jan. 28.
Pink’s baby is due around May, according to Chacha.com.
Christina Aguilera rewrites the lyrics to the National Anthem!
Way to go Christina! When in doubt, just repeat the first verse with a few different words. Painful rendition, girl.
Pretty sure she’s a Russian spy.
Christina Applegate is a mom, and it’s a girl
Congratulations, Christina!
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actress Christina Applegate is a mom.
Her publicist says in a brief news release Tuesday that Sadie Grace LeNoble was born Jan. 27 in Los Angeles, and mother and daughter are doing great. There are no other details.
People.com was first to report the birth.
The 39-year-old “Married . With Children” and “Samantha Who?” star and 41-year-old Dutch musician Martyn LeNoble became engaged last Valentine’s Day. Her pregnancy was announced in July.
Applegate had a double mastectomy in July 2008 and reconstructive surgery months later. She is now cancer-free.
Rep: Halle Berry quits film to fight for custody
Halle Berry
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Halle Berry has pulled out of a film job to prepare for a custody fight over her young daughter.
A spokeswoman for the Oscar-winning actress says Berry backed out of a role in “New Year’s Eve” that was scheduled to shoot in New York this week “due to pending custody litigation involving her daughter.”
Publicist Meredith O’Sullivan did not say where or when the custody case would be heard.
Berry and her ex-boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry, have a daughter, Nahla, who will turn 3 in March.
Attempts to reach Aubry on Monday were unsuccessful.
Elton John, Lady Gaga duet not on ‘Gnomeo’ soundtrack
LOS ANGELES (AP) — If you want to hear Elton John’s duet with Lady Gaga, you’ll apparently have to buy a movie ticket.
The soundtrack version of “Hello Hello,” the slow-tempo pop ditty written by John and Bernie Taupin for the upcoming animated film “Gnomeo & Juliet,” only features the Rocket Man, while the rendition including Lady Gaga is only in the movie. A spokeswoman for Buena Vista Records confirmed the duet is only in the film and wouldn’t be released on radio.
John said in an interview that he asked Gaga to join him for the song last year after she performed at a charity benefit at his home in England. Their collaboration could end up on her upcoming album, “Born This Way,” though it’s unlikely because the duo aren’t labelmates. A spokesman for Interscope, Lady Gaga’s label, declined to comment.
Lady Gaga is expected to perform the title track from “Born This Way” on Feb. 13 at the Grammys, the same awards show where John joined Lady Gaga last year for a mash-up of her “Speechless” and his “Your Song.” John said he’s heard “Born This Way” and called it “the song that will wipe ‘I Will Survive’ off the map.” Lady Gaga released the song’s lyrics on Twitter last week.
“Gnomeo & Juliet” is scheduled to debut Feb. 11. The soundtrack is set for release Feb. 8.
Stevie Wonder to be inducted at NY Apollo Theater
In this Aug. 7, 2007 file photo, Stevie Wonder performs an outdoor concert in Los Angeles. New York City's Apollo Theater has announced that it will induct Wonder into its "Apollo Legends Hall of Fame" at its annual Spring Gala on Monday, June 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File)
In this 1970 file photo, Stevie Wonder plays piano on the stage of the Apollo Theater in New York. The Apollo Theater has announced that it will induct Wonder into its "Apollo Legends Hall of Fame" at its annual Spring Gala on Monday, June 13, 2011. (AP Photo/Jim Wells, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — Isn’t it lovely? The Apollo Theater says singer songwriter Stevie Wonder will be inducted into the New York City institution’s Hall of Fame.
The theater announced Wednesday that the songwriter of hits like “I Just Called to Say I Love You” and “Isn’t She Lovely?” will be inducted into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame on June 13.
Past inductees have included Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald and Aretha Franklin.
Wonder got his start at the Apollo in Harlem in 1962 when he was 12. He was known as “Little Stevie Wonder.” A multi-instrumentalist, he also was called a “wonder child.”
The June gala will include a concert and awards ceremony.
Jennifer Lopez touts most talented ‘Idols’ yet
NEW YORK (AP) — “American Idol” judge Jennif
er Lopez says that despite this season’s focus on the emotional backstories of contestants, the competition is still all about the singing.
“This will be the standout season for talent,” Lopez said Wednesday.
Lopez, who brings her signature superstar glamour to the newly made-over judging panel, said she’s had to fight back the tears when meeting contestants like Chris Medina, whose fiancee suffered traumatic brain injury in a car accident just months before they were to walk down the aisle.
“It’s tough. It’s emotional. But this is the thing about ‘American Idol’ that I love. It’s about people and their dreams and their struggles, and that’s what I think everybody loves about it. You see yourself in these people,” she said backstage after a press conference announcing her new partnership with Gillette Venus.
Other heart-wrenching moments include twin Travis Orlando, who took “Idol” cameras on a tour of the Bronx shelter he once called home, and Nashville’s Lauren Alaina, who sang “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” with judge Steven Tyler, after recounting her cousin’s battle with a brain tumor.
Lopez insisted the personal stories aren’t crowding out the singing.
“I think America — because they’re the ones who vote at the end of the day — you know they go for the talent,” Lopez said. “ … And if it happens to have a story attached to it, it like takes it over the top.”
Fans, again, will be the ones to decide.
After the season premiere, ratings for the Fox singing competition were down 13 percent from last year’s debut. But Nielsen Co. said that a drop off in audience from the first to second week was the show’s smallest in five years.
Medina, Orlando and Alaina will be competing for a spot among the 20 semifinalists during Hollywood week, airing Feb. 16 and 17.
“Bachelor” Alums Jesse Csincsak & Ann Lueders’ Little Noah!
Baby Noah
Little Noah, who weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces, was delivered via emergency C-section after 21 hours of labor.
Ann says, “The labor wasn’t bothering me until the end, and then it was just kind of the uncertainty of what’s going to happen, because the doctor came back in, and was like if [natural delivery] doesn’t work, then you’re going to have to have a C-section. And then within 15 minutes, they have you wheeled off into the operating room, so it was definitely some intense, intense minutes there.”
As for how the new mother felt when she first held Noah, she tells TooFab, “There’s no feeling like it in the world. I was telling my mom this morning it’s just a very surreal feeling, you kind of think like, ‘They’re going to let me take this baby home? Is he really mine?’ and you know, it’s just such a great feeling when you finally have him in your arms. You realize that this is the baby that Jesse and I have been looking forward to for the last nine months.”
As for Jesse’s feelings about having a newborn, he tells TooFab, “I get choked up every time I talk about it, it’s uh, it was an experience of a lifetime to, to bring a life into this world…. Indescribable.”
Source: TooFab
Ashton Kutcher lists his Bachelor-Era home for $2.6 million
Ashton Kutcher's bachelor pad has nice curb appeal but wait 'til you see inside!
He is known simply as @aplusk to his 6.2+ million followers on Twitter — not to mention his 7.7+ million “friends” on Facebook — but to the rest of the world, he is actor Ashton Kutcher, who has harnessed the power of social media and the Internet more than any other A-List celebrity. Once again, Kutcher is using bits and bytes to support a cause near and dear to his heart, this time with an online home listing and designer showcase to benefit the Demi and Ashton Foundation (DNA), a non-profit organization that raises awareness about child sex slavery and helps in the rehabilitation of the victims.
In an exclusive listing to Zillow.com, Kutcher is selling his bachelor-era home in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles for $2.6 million. The home is being listed by Gary Gold of Hilton & Hyland, who will donate a portion of his commission to DNA.
I could definitely fix Ashton a nice home-cooked meal in this kitchen.
Love the sleek architecture and cozy fireplace.
During his rise to fame in his role as Michael Kelso on “That 70s Show,” Kutcher purchased this Beverly Hills-area home in 2004 for $1 million, but then he and his dad, Larry, extensively renovated and remodeled the property from the ground up. The father-son duo hired Duncan McIntosh to design the craftsman contemporary. However, it turned out to be the bachelor-pad-that-never-was because soon after, Kutcher got married.
Hello, hot tub! I'd love to soak in that lovely gem.
“This house is close to my heart, since my dad and I spent a lot of time planning, visualizing and renovating the entire property,” said Kutcher.
The home was originally 2,002 sq ft and was expanded to 3,235 sq ft during its renovation, which is not an ostentatious or overblown footprint by any means — especially by celebrity standards. The modern two-story design utilizes an open-floor plan and contains 4 beds and 4.5 baths. Rich woods used on the floors, stairs, wood beams and trim are made of mahogany, Brazilian cherry and some recycled old redwoods. Conducive to the agreeable California weather, it was built with plenty of outside access points through large glass sliders. Out back is an inviting and private, tiered water escape as water from an infinity-edge spa spills into the infinity-edge pool and lastly, into an infinity-edge waterfall. Beyond the pool and spa is lush, exotic greenery with walkways and stairs throughout the nearly one-acre property. Other fun amenities include a wine tower room, which holds 210 bottles, plus a temperature-controlled wine cooler, and a professional home theater.
Of course, every bachelor pad needs a Man Cave, a.k.a. media room.
Separate from the home sale, Kutcher has also teamed up with Gilt.com to sell tours of the home on Gilt City Los Angeles. The home has been staged by five Los Angeles designers for the tours, and all proceeds from the ticket sales will benefit DNA. Tours go on sale tomorrow at Gilt City. Additionally, items from the decorated rooms will become available for sale on Gilt Home February 12 through the 14, with a portion of these proceeds also benefiting DNA.
Gilt City and Gilt Home are offering exclusive tours of Kutcher’s residence on Gilt City with items from the home available to purchase on Gilt Home following the sale.
Thanks for the tip, Zillow!!!!
Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame to honor female artists
Wanda Jackson performs at the ACM@UCO in Oklahoma City Friday, January 28, 2011. Photo by Bryan Terry, The Oklahoman
CLEVELAND (AP) — The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum says it will open the world’s first exhibit devoted to rock’s most influential female artists.
The show opening May 13 at the museum in Cleveland will feature women ranging from Billie Holiday and Aretha Franklin to Melissa Etheridge and Lady Gaga.
“Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power” will spotlight more than 50 female artists and fill two floors of the hall with artifacts and video telling the story of how women have shaped the history of popular music. Throughout the year, the museum will offer educational programming on the role women have played in rock and roll.
A benefit concert is planned for May 14. Performers will include Cyndi Lauper and Wanda Jackson.
5 Secrets Revealed from the Set of ‘Arthur’
Russell Brand will play the lead role in the upcoming remake of "Arthur."
By Kevin Polowy from his blog, www.nextmovie.com/blog
With dozens of remakes, reboots, re-imaginings, re-whatever-you-want-to-call-its hitting theaters every year, not always to great success, you’d be excused for growing weary of them.
But there’s something genuinely exciting about “Arthur,” the least of which is it’s inspired bit of lead casting, with the hilariously loquacious Brit Russell Brand stepping into the iconic role of the lovestruck playboy first owned by the hilariously theatric Brit Dudley Moore. Brand is even producing the project (says Brand: “Imagine that, me a producer, I’m producing!”)
NextMovie braved a rainy fall night in New York’s Central Park to bring you the scoop on the April 8 release.
1. Don’t expect more Snow.
On the surface, the character Arthur Bach appears distinctly akin to the role that made Brand a stateside fan favorite, as the hedonistic rocker Alduous Snow in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.” But aside from their hard-partying, free-spending ways, Brand insists the two couldn’t be less similar. “Playing two characters that have substance abuse issues is really no more significant than playing two characters that have a hat,” says the actor, who himself is a recovering alcoholic and drug and sex addict. “Arthur is benevolent, whimsical, childlike, innocent prince, and Alduous is a dark, malevolent, twisted, sort of macabre purple brushstroke of contemporary celebrity; Arthur is a fairytale figure.”
2. Even the director distrusts remakes.
The original “Arthur” had a special place in the heart of first-time feature director Jason Winer, whose TV credits include 13 episodes of “Modern Family” on ABC. “For a lot of people my age ‘Arthur’ was the first sort of naughty movie we saw on HBO when our parents weren’t around,” Winer recalls. “It felt like this glimpse of a world I wasn’t quite supposed to see.”
So how did he feel when he caught wind of the new version? “I was like, that’s a terrible idea. I love that movie. Why would you want to remake it? Then I heard it was Russell Brand and thought, well that’s a great idea, because if there’s one person on Earth right now who redefines the part of a new generation that hasn’t seen the movie, it’s him.”
3. Call him Lucky Brand. (Also: How Jennifer Garner’s mouth is like cake.)
Unless you’re playing James Bond, most actors are lucky to get one lovely leading lady to tango with; Brand has two (three if you count Helen Mirren, but more on her later), who he gets to, as he puts it, “touch them on the mouth with my mouth.” There’s Jennifer Garner, who plays Susan, the stuffy gal he starts off with breakout Greta Gerwig, who plays Linda, the more free-spirited woman he rebelliously falls for (on the line, as you might recall from the original: his inheritance).
Brand raves about Gerwig, who broke out opposite Ben Stiller in last year’s “Greenberg,” telling us, “She’s delightful and beautiful and funny and smart and the kind of woman you’d give up a billion dollars for.” His commentary on Garner is a little more, um, colorful: “She’s like a fairy princess. There’s a brand of red-velvet cake, her mouth is made of that. She smashes you in the mouth [in] those kissing scenes. If I was Ben Affleck, man I’d be pissed off.”
4. New York doesn’t necessarily love you back.
Gerwig, who attended Barnard College in New York and still lives in the city, echoes what other actors have said about taking over the metropolis’s bustling streets for a film shoot: Some passerbys make stop and gawk but not everyone’s happy to see you. “When we were shooting at Grand Central there were a number of angry commuters from New York who yelled at us… they don’t care who you are or what you’re doing all they care is that you’re messing up their day.”
The urban dweller appreciated it, though, as “Arthur” shot at dozens of locations around the five boroughs. “I think people love New York for the attitude that New York throws back at them,” the actress says. “I think everyone at a certain level enjoys being put in their place a bit.”
Helen Mirren and Russell Brand
5. Helen Mirren can be a dirty, dirty dame.
Brand is effusive in his praise of Dame Helen Mirren, who in a sly bit of gender-swapping takes over for Sir John Gieglud (in a role that won the venerated thesp his only Oscar, for Best Supporting Actor) as Arthur’s motherly maid. “She’s so exquisitely eloquent and delightful,” Brand says of Mirren, who he also just appeared alongside of in fall’s “The Tempest.”
But when recalling his favorite scene with the 65-year-old, dishes onto her dirty side: “I was in bed with her and she was reading me one of those bedtime stories, one of those sweet charming ‘Frog and Toad’ stories, and she did a dirty version of it. She was like, ‘Toad took Frog and mounted him from behind and amounted him smoothly with a rhythmic pace….’” Go on…
