Salon.com > acting http://www.salon.com Wed, 22 May 2013 00:22:48 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Jason Bateman: “Arrested Development” will be a “choose your own adventure” http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/jason_bateman_says_next_arrested_development_installment_is_not_season_four/ http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/jason_bateman_says_next_arrested_development_installment_is_not_season_four/#comments Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:10:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13248053 The fourth season of "Arrested Development" is not the fourth season of "Arrested Development," Jason Bateman tells GQ, of the show's upcoming Netflix release.  "It got misbranded or mislabeled way, way, way back when and was never corrected for one reason or another," he said. "There are different agendas at work there, but it is not season four."

We already know that producer Ron Howard's vision for the next installment of "Arrested Development" is character-driven, with each episode focused on a specific Bluth character;  it will “look very different,” like a “very, very complex puzzle," according to Howard.

Bateman elaborates on the vision, explaining that they are like acts in a play or a movie:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/jason_bateman_says_next_arrested_development_installment_is_not_season_four/feed/ 0 Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt gets jail time for ties to Mumbai bombing http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/bollywood_actor_sanjay_dutt_gets_jail_time_for_involvement_with_mumbai_bombing/ http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/bollywood_actor_sanjay_dutt_gets_jail_time_for_involvement_with_mumbai_bombing/#comments Thu, 21 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13247752 Despite its reputation for corruption, India's legal system has sentenced one of Bollywood's most famous actors, Sanjay Dutt, for his link to the 1993 terrorist attack that left 257 people dead and 713 wounded. The AP notes that the bombing was the biggest terrorist attack in India's history.

Dutt, who already spent 20 months in jail for buying illegal weapons from the terrorists, has been on bail since 2007, "when he appealed against his original sentence of six years," reports the BBC. "On Thursday, the Supreme Court reduced it to five years."

From the BBC:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/03/21/bollywood_actor_sanjay_dutt_gets_jail_time_for_involvement_with_mumbai_bombing/feed/ 0 Ryan Gosling to take a break from acting http://www.salon.com/2013/03/20/ryan_gosling_to_take_a_break_from_acting/ http://www.salon.com/2013/03/20/ryan_gosling_to_take_a_break_from_acting/#comments Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:26:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13247380 America is going to have to want Ryan Gosling as an internet meme for a while, it seems. The actor recently told AP's Jack Coyle that he's taking a break from acting, saying "I've been doing it too much." He explained:

"I've lost perspective on what I'm doing. I think it's good for me to take a break and reassess why I'm doing it and how I'm doing it. And I think this is probably a good way to learn about that. I need a break from myself as much as I imagine the audience does."

But don't worry, Gosling is weening America off slowly-- he stars in "The Place Beyond the Pines," to be released this spring, will soon begin filming his directorial debut with "How To Catch A Monster," and has two other projects in various stages of production.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/03/20/ryan_gosling_to_take_a_break_from_acting/feed/ 1 Must-see morning clip: Nick Offerman on his cute, mischievious childhood http://www.salon.com/2013/03/13/must_see_morning_clip_nick_offerman_on_his_cute_mischievious_childhood/ http://www.salon.com/2013/03/13/must_see_morning_clip_nick_offerman_on_his_cute_mischievious_childhood/#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2013 13:14:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13227621 "I was cute for quite some time, and then I had to turn to comedy," says "Parks and Recreation" actor Nick Offerman about his childhood. When he discovered acting, "I thought I was amazing," he said. "I said, 'I'm here, I'm your Hamlet!' and they said, 'You are our plumber.' "

"That was quite upsetting," he told Leno.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/03/13/must_see_morning_clip_nick_offerman_on_his_cute_mischievious_childhood/feed/ 1 MTV dubs Will Ferrell a comedic genius http://www.salon.com/2013/02/27/mtv_dubs_will_ferrell_a_comedic_genius/ http://www.salon.com/2013/02/27/mtv_dubs_will_ferrell_a_comedic_genius/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:30:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13213765 "Anchorman" actor, "SNL" alum and Old Milwaukee fand Will Ferrell, who in 2011 was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for Humor, is earning another recognition for his comedic talent.

MTV will grant Ferrell its first-ever Comedic Genius Award, given to an actor who has “transformed the genre” of comedy, at the upcoming MTV Music Awards show. “Will Ferrell epitomizes what it means to be a comedic genius and it’s only fitting that he should be the inaugural recipient of this award,” said MTV’s president Stephen Friedman.“Over the course of his extraordinary, 17-plus-year career, he has entertained audiences across the globe with an impressive array of laugh-out-loud performances on air, online and in films. Simply put, Will Ferrell is ‘kind of a big deal.’”

The 2013 MTV Movie Awards will be held on April 14.

 

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/02/27/mtv_dubs_will_ferrell_a_comedic_genius/feed/ 2 Quvenzhané Wallis to star in upcoming “Annie” remake http://www.salon.com/2013/02/24/quvenzhane_wallis_to_star_in_upcoming_annie_remake/ http://www.salon.com/2013/02/24/quvenzhane_wallis_to_star_in_upcoming_annie_remake/#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2013 20:25:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13210543 NEW YORK (AP) - The young Oscar-nominated star of "Beasts of the Southern Wild" has been cast in the lead role of a new version of "Annie."

Sony Pictures announced Sunday that Quvenzhane (kwuh-VEHN'-juh-nay) Wallis will play Annie in a contemporized adaptation of the Broadway musical and the "Little Orphan Annie" comic strip. It's to be directed by Will Gluck, who loosely based his 2010 film "Easy A" on "The Scarlet Letter."

The 9-year-old Quvenzhane is one of the youngest Oscar-nominated actors ever. She's also shot a small role in Steve McQueen's upcoming film, "Twelve Years a Slave."

"Annie" is planned for release during the 2014 holiday season. Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jay-Z are among the producers. The Smiths' daughter, Willow, had originally been slated to play Annie.

Quvenzhané Wallis: Meet The Youngest Oscar Nominee Ever

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/02/24/quvenzhane_wallis_to_star_in_upcoming_annie_remake/feed/ 0 Connie Britton is the 45-year-old woman you wish you were http://www.salon.com/2013/02/14/connie_britton_is_the_45_year_old_woman_you_wish_you_were/ http://www.salon.com/2013/02/14/connie_britton_is_the_45_year_old_woman_you_wish_you_were/#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2013 18:12:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13201253 Connie Britton, aka "Friday Night Lights'" Tami Taylor, the woman and mother every American woman wanted to be and with hair that is the envy of all, is the subject of an intimate New York Times Magazine profile that takes five pages to explore what makes the current "Nashville" star  so awesome. After transitioning to a darker, sexier role in "American Horror Story," and now as the rising star of "Nashville," at 45, Britton's career is just now hitting its peak — a rarity in Hollywood for women — but  she's doing what she's always done. Here are some of the highlights from the profile, below:

Connie Britton is confident and relaxed

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/02/14/connie_britton_is_the_45_year_old_woman_you_wish_you_were/feed/ 7 “Law & Order: SVU” casts Mike Tyson as a rape victim http://www.salon.com/2013/02/07/law_order_svu_casts_a_mike_tyson_as_a_rape_victim/ http://www.salon.com/2013/02/07/law_order_svu_casts_a_mike_tyson_as_a_rape_victim/#comments Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:46:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13193467 On Wednesday night, "Law & Order: SVU" aired a controversial episode casting world heavyweight champion and convicted rapist Mike Tyson as a rape victim-turned-murderer. [Spoiler alert] Tyson plays Reggie Rhodes, a misunderstood death row inmate who reveals to SVU detectives that he was repeatedly sexually abused and raped, and the man he murdered was one of his abusers. The episode was emotional and gut-wrenching; show producer Dick Wolf called it "one of our strongest episodes in the last five years." Showrunner Warren Leight thanked Tyson for taking on a role "a lot of actors would not be brave enough to play."

But in real life, Tyson was convicted of raping 18-year-old Desiree Washington in 1992, and served three years of a six-year sentence before resuming his boxing career. USA Today's Mike Foss describes the awkward viewing experience, writing, "Watching Tyson's performance, you are asked to feel bad for the character he is playing, whilefully [sic] aware of the real-life actions of the actor whose life detoured into criminal activity." Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker goes one step further, calling the role "creepy":

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/02/07/law_order_svu_casts_a_mike_tyson_as_a_rape_victim/feed/ 10 CBS commissions Robin Williams pilot http://www.salon.com/2013/02/04/cbs_commissions_robin_williams_pilot/ http://www.salon.com/2013/02/04/cbs_commissions_robin_williams_pilot/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:45:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13190754 Robin Williams, who won an Oscar in 1997's "Good Will Hunting," might be moving back to the small screen. THR reports that CBS has commissioned a David E. Kelley pilot starring Williams as an ad exec in a "single-camera comedy" that "revolves around a father-daughter relationship at home." Called "Crazy Ones," the sitcom would star Williams' actual daughter as his character's daughter.

If picked up for a series broadcast, "Crazy Ones" would mark the comedian's first major television project since he starred in ABC's "Mork & Mindy" between 1978 and 1982. He'd also become one of several TV-turned movie stars attempting to boomerang back to their television roots this year, including Michael J. Fox ("Family Ties") and Eddie Murphy ("SNL") -- the latter starring in a pilot remake of "Beverly Hills Cop." (Incidentally, Eddie Murphy is also Hollywood's most overpaid film actors, according to Forbes.)

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/02/04/cbs_commissions_robin_williams_pilot/feed/ 3 “Girls” actor Adam Driver talks Marine Corps, Juilliard on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” http://www.salon.com/2013/01/30/girls_actor_adam_driver_talks_marine_corps_juilliard_on_jimmy_kimmel_live/ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/30/girls_actor_adam_driver_talks_marine_corps_juilliard_on_jimmy_kimmel_live/#comments Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:18:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13185829 Adam Driver, who plays Lena Dunham's (Hannah Horvath's) complicated and obsessive boyfriend, Adam Sackler, on HBO's "Girls" last night talked to Jimmy Kimmel about his unlikely and circuitous route to acting by way of the Marine Corps to Juilliard:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/01/30/girls_actor_adam_driver_talks_marine_corps_juilliard_on_jimmy_kimmel_live/feed/ 0 Brad Pitt to China: “I’m coming” http://www.salon.com/2013/01/07/brad_pitt_to_china_im_coming/ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/07/brad_pitt_to_china_im_coming/#comments Mon, 07 Jan 2013 16:29:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13163634 BEIJING (AP) -- Brad Pitt is now on China's version of Twitter, and his mysterious first tweet has drawn thousands of comments.

The actor's verified Sina Weibo account sent the message Monday: "It is the truth. Yup, I'm coming." That was forwarded more than 31,000 times and netted over 14,000 comments, many expressing surprise. He gathered more than 100,000 followers.

The IMDb.com movie website says Pitt was banned from ever entering China because of his role in the 1997 "Seven Years in Tibet." The government was upset about the film's portrayal of harsh Chinese rule in Tibet. His later film "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" with Angelina Jolie was popular in China.

Former NBA star Stephon Marbury who now plays for China's professional basketball league is prolific on Weibo and has over 779,000 followers.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/01/07/brad_pitt_to_china_im_coming/feed/ 1 Soderbergh’s Liberace biopic deemed “too gay” for theaters http://www.salon.com/2013/01/06/soderberghs_liberace_biopic_deemed_too_gay_for_theaters/ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/06/soderberghs_liberace_biopic_deemed_too_gay_for_theaters/#comments Sun, 06 Jan 2013 17:00:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13163072 "Magic Mike" director Steven Soderbergh's new film, "Behind the Candelabra," is a "beautiful and relatable" film about "a real relationship -- a marriage -- long before there was gay marriage," according to Matt Damon, who plays the entertainer's (Michael Douglas) young lover in the Liberace biopic. But that didn't matter to Hollywood, apparently, who considered an in-depth look at a homosexual relationship too risky for theaters. In a recent interview with the New York Post, the Oscar-winning director said that “Nobody would make it.” “We went to everybody in town," he said. "They all said it was too gay.”

“And this is after ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ by the way, which is not as funny as this movie. I was stunned. It made no sense to any of us," Soderbergh added.

Instead, HBO has picked up the film and will premiere it this spring. “The whole package to them looked ... like a slam dunk. The studios didn’t know how to sell it. They were scared."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/01/06/soderberghs_liberace_biopic_deemed_too_gay_for_theaters/feed/ 29 Allison Williams explains the contentious relationship 20-somethings have with “Girls” http://www.salon.com/2013/01/04/allison_williams_explains_the_contentious_relationship_20_somethings_have_with_girls/ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/04/allison_williams_explains_the_contentious_relationship_20_somethings_have_with_girls/#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2013 23:15:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13162402 Since its inception, literary wunderkind Lena Dunham's HBO show "Girls" has been getting more than its fair share of publicity -- and that, only after one season. Sure, with its entitled, smug characters and reliance on indie pop culture references (Bushwick warehouse and pans of Twitter accounts galore), it's a show that everyone loves to hate on, and the haters have a point. But it's also a staggeringly honest depiction of what life is like for a tiny (albeit privileged) subset of college grads who are wafting through their 20s trying to figure out what's next. In an interview published today by Vanity Fair's Bruce Handy, actress Allison Williams, who plays the especially hard-to-like Marnie Michaels, hits the nail on the head when assessing why 20-somethings feel so drawn to, and yet so ill-at-ease with, the show:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/01/04/allison_williams_explains_the_contentious_relationship_20_somethings_have_with_girls/feed/ 5 Could Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence be TV’s next “Odd Couple”? http://www.salon.com/2013/01/04/could_kelsey_grammer_and_martin_lawrence_be_tvs_next_odd_couple/ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/04/could_kelsey_grammer_and_martin_lawrence_be_tvs_next_odd_couple/#comments Fri, 04 Jan 2013 18:45:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13161935 "Frasier" and "Cheers" star Kelsey Grammer might be teaming up with comedian and "Bad Boys" actor Martin Lawrence, in what would be TV's oddest odd couple yet. And, as Deadline notes, if it happens, "it would be the biggest star pairing on a TV series in a long long time."

The Hollywood news site picked up the rumor after hearing that "the two actors showed great chemistry" in a November meeting with Lionsgate TV. The project appears to be moving forward now, as the studio has been trying to identify potential writers and showrunners to help "pin down a concept for the buddy series which sources say may have an 'odd couple' feel." A source also revealed that the sitcom might follow the production model of Charlie Sheen’s "Anger Management."

OK, so let's review that: a situational comedy starring Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence, based on something by Charlie Sheen. Yes.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/01/04/could_kelsey_grammer_and_martin_lawrence_be_tvs_next_odd_couple/feed/ 3 Golden Globes: Amy Poehler roots for “Avatar” and Tina Fey wants best picture http://www.salon.com/2013/01/03/golden_globes_amy_poehler_roots_for_avatar_and_tina_fey_wants_best_picture/ http://www.salon.com/2013/01/03/golden_globes_amy_poehler_roots_for_avatar_and_tina_fey_wants_best_picture/#comments Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:48:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13161102 If the promos are any indication, you'll want to tune into 70th Annual Golden Globe Awards this year, hosted by comedians Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. In a newly released video, the two speculate on who the big winners will be: Tina Fey and "Avatar." "I, personally, would like to win best picture," says Fey. "Just me, like, as a person, winning best picture, I think would be unprecedented especially because I didn't even really make a movie this year."

And, spoiler alert, but Daniel Day-Lewis might be up for something, too:

Poehler: I haven't been keeping up with pop culture, is it "Avatar" this year?
Fey: Yes, yes.
Poehler: We've been practicing: And the winner for best actor in a drama is ...
Fey: Daniel Day-Lewis.
In unison: For "Avatar."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/01/03/golden_globes_amy_poehler_roots_for_avatar_and_tina_fey_wants_best_picture/feed/ 2 Character actor Charles Durning dies at 89 http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/character_actor_charles_durning_dies_at_89/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/character_actor_charles_durning_dies_at_89/#comments Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:13:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13154757 LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Charles Durning grew up in poverty, lost five of his nine siblings to disease, barely lived through D-Day and was taken prisoner at the Battle of the Bulge.

His hard life and wartime trauma provided the basis for a prolific 50-year career as a consummate Oscar-nominated character actor, playing everyone from a Nazi colonel to the pope to Dustin Hoffman's would-be suitor in "Tootsie."

Durning, who died Monday at age 89 in New York, got his start as an usher at a burlesque theater in Buffalo, N.Y. When one of the comedians showed up too drunk to go on, Durning took his place. He would recall years later that he was hooked as soon as he heard the audience laughing.

He told The Associated Press in 2008 that he had no plans to stop working. "They're going to carry me out, if I go," he said.

Durning's longtime agent and friend, Judith Moss, told The Associated Press that he died of natural causes in his home in the borough of Manhattan.

"Not only was Charlie a World War II hero but he was also a hero to his family. Charlie loved Christmas and if he could have chosen a time to pass, he would have chosen this day," said a statement from his stepdaughter, Anita Gregory, released Tuesday by Ana Martinez, spokeswoman for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/26/character_actor_charles_durning_dies_at_89/feed/ 0 Must-see morning clip http://www.salon.com/2012/12/19/must_see_morning_clip_77/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/19/must_see_morning_clip_77/#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:04:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13149552 On last night's "Jimmy Kimmy Live," actor Samuel L. Jackson described "Django Unchained" as "a cowboy movie that crosses the Mississippi" during the era of slavery. He also seemed confused about why he's "known for cursing":

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/19/must_see_morning_clip_77/feed/ 1 Ali G returns http://www.salon.com/2012/12/13/ali_g_returns/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/13/ali_g_returns/#comments Thu, 13 Dec 2012 21:11:27 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13124249 Although audiences have seen comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen take on supporting roles in dramas (Inspector Gustav in "Hugo" and Thénardier in the upcoming "Les Miserables"), most will forever remember him as Bruno, Ali G and Borat in his hilarious character sketch comedy, "Da Ali G Show."

Ali G made a triumphant return to television at the British Comedy Awards two nights ago, where Ben Kingsley honored Cohen with an outstanding achievement award. Ali G, who hasn't been on TV for 10 years, said he's all "grown up now."

I ain't living in my nan's house anymore," said the wannabe rapper. "I am living in her garage."

Watch the full speech below:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/13/ali_g_returns/feed/ 2 James Franco releases a music video http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/james_franco_releases_a_music_video/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/james_franco_releases_a_music_video/#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:04:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13121388 The world's second best blogger is a singer, too. James Franco's band, Daddy, has released "Can't Say Goodbye," the third video released from their EP, which came out in September. Franco tells MTV that the song is about the death of his father:

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The band's goal is to "push beyond the sonic space of music into the surrounding ecology. Daddy investigates the territories of film/video, installation, and performance while simultaneously exploring the connections that form between them."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/james_franco_releases_a_music_video/feed/ 2 Must-see morning clip http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/must_see_morning_clip_76/ http://www.salon.com/2012/12/11/must_see_morning_clip_76/#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2012 12:46:00 +0000 http://www.origin.railrode.net/?p=13121254 Matt Damon tells Jay Leno what it was like to meet Bill Clinton for the first time at a screening of "Good Will Hunting":

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