Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts
Friday, May 13, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Jackie Cooper, Former Child Star, 'Superman' Actor, Dies at 88
He rose to prominence in the ’30s in movies like “The Champ” and then found a second career as a director.
Jackie Cooper, who went from Oscar-nominated child star to TV executive and director while amassing scores of acting credits — including playing Perry White in the four Christopher Reeve Superman films — has died. He was 88.
Cooper died Tuesday at a convalescent home in Santa Monica. “He just kinda died of old age,” his attorney Roger Licht told Reuters. “He wore out.”
Cooper enjoyed a 60-year acting career. Before Shirley Temple won the world’s hearts, he was the most popular and widely recognized child star of the early 1930s and the first kid to shine in “talkies.” His pug nose, crinkly smile and pouty lip endeared him to a nationwide audience, first as Jackie in Hal Roach’s Our Gang comedies. Cooper was so popular, he was known as “America’s Boy.”
Born John Cooperman Jr. on Sept. 15, 1922, in Los Angeles, he broke in as a bit player in silent films. Cooper acted in 15 Our Gang shorts between 1929 and 1931 before his uncle, director Norman Taurog, cast him in the title role of Skippy, which was based on a comic strip. Cooper earned a best actor Academy Award nomination for the film — the first child actor to do so and still the youngest to receive an Oscar nom for a leading role. A sequel, Sooky, followed that year.
The films launched Cooper to stardom, and he went on to star opposite Wallace Beery in three films: The Champ (1931), playing the son of Beery’s fallen boxer; The Bowery (1933), as Beery’s foe; and Treasure Island (1934), in which he limned Jim Hawkins to Beery’s Long John Silver. Although their onscreen chemistry was magical, Beery resented the child actor and was coarse with him.
Cooper, whose feisty manner won him underdog appreciation, also co-starred in such 1930s films as When a Feller Needs a Friend, Peck’s Bad Boy, The Devil Is a Sissy, Boy of the Streets, Gangster’s Boy and Streets of New York, as well as the serial Scouts to the Rescue.
Like most child stars, Cooper hit a difficult period during adolescence, both professionally and personally. As he entered his teens, other young stars including Roddy McDowall and Freddie Bartholomew took over the tyke roles.
Based on his experiences, Cooper later opposed children growing up as actors. None of his four children went on to perform. The title of his 1981 autobiography, Please Don’t Shoot My Dog, came from Taurog’s threat during the filming of Skippy that he would shoot the boy’s dog because he was not performing adequately.
As a teen, he showed his maturity and acting skills in 1940’s Seventeen and gave an inspiring performance as a trumpeter in Syncopation (1942) before joining the Navy during World War II. During his tour of duty, Cooper attained the rank of captain.
After the war, Cooper found movie roles harder to come by, enduring such low-budget pictures as Stork Bites Man, Kilroy Was Here and French Leave. The experiences soured him, and he left Hollywood, touring in stock companies and performing on Broadway.
He landed his first New York stage role in Magnolia Alley in 1949. While in New York, he worked in live TV, starring in many of the top anthology series of the day. Cooper also produced, directed and starred in two series: The People’s Choice, on which he played a nature lover elected to the city council who had a talking basset hound, and Hennesey, playing a naval medical officer.
For a period during the 1960s, Cooper thrived as a TV executive. He served as vp program development at Columbia Pictures Television. During a five-year stint, he packaged series including Bewitched and sold them to the networks.
He parlayed that experience into another phase of his career: He began to direct episodic TV, and during the ’70s he was active in tackling tricky social issues like runaway teens. Based on his experiences, he couldn’t resist attacking the hypocrisy of show business: After his executive tenure, he returned to acting in the 1971 film The Love Machine, playing an obsequious and smarmy TV programming exec.
He continued to direct for TV throughout the 1970s and ’80s, winning a pair of Emmys for helming M*A*S*H andThe White Shadow. He directed multiple episodes of those shows along with such series as Black Sheep Squadron, Quincy, M.E., Cagney & Lacey and Sledge Hammer! He also helmed two telefilms that centered on show business figures: Rainbow (1978), based on the life of Judy Garland, and Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story in 1982.
Cooper acted in spurts from the 1950s through the ’80s. He guested on dozens of TV series including Suspense, The Twilight Zone, Hawaii Five-O, Kojak, Columbo, The Rockford Files, St. Elsewhere and Murder, She Wrote. He was most recognizable to latter-day audiences for playing Daily Planet editor Perry White in the four Superman films starring Reeve from 1978-87.
He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
Cooper virtually retired from show business in 1989, saying, “I’m 67 and worked 64 years.” He had mostly stayed out of the industry limelight since, forgoing tributes and retrospectives. In recent years, he raised horses in San Diego.
He was divorced twice: from June Horne, with whom he had a child, and Hildy Parks. In 1954, Cooper married Barbara Kraus, and the couple had three children. He is survived by two of this children.
Search Amazon.com for jackie cooper
Jackie Cooper, who went from Oscar-nominated child star to TV executive and director while amassing scores of acting credits — including playing Perry White in the four Christopher Reeve Superman films — has died. He was 88.
Cooper died Tuesday at a convalescent home in Santa Monica. “He just kinda died of old age,” his attorney Roger Licht told Reuters. “He wore out.”
Cooper enjoyed a 60-year acting career. Before Shirley Temple won the world’s hearts, he was the most popular and widely recognized child star of the early 1930s and the first kid to shine in “talkies.” His pug nose, crinkly smile and pouty lip endeared him to a nationwide audience, first as Jackie in Hal Roach’s Our Gang comedies. Cooper was so popular, he was known as “America’s Boy.”
Born John Cooperman Jr. on Sept. 15, 1922, in Los Angeles, he broke in as a bit player in silent films. Cooper acted in 15 Our Gang shorts between 1929 and 1931 before his uncle, director Norman Taurog, cast him in the title role of Skippy, which was based on a comic strip. Cooper earned a best actor Academy Award nomination for the film — the first child actor to do so and still the youngest to receive an Oscar nom for a leading role. A sequel, Sooky, followed that year.
The films launched Cooper to stardom, and he went on to star opposite Wallace Beery in three films: The Champ (1931), playing the son of Beery’s fallen boxer; The Bowery (1933), as Beery’s foe; and Treasure Island (1934), in which he limned Jim Hawkins to Beery’s Long John Silver. Although their onscreen chemistry was magical, Beery resented the child actor and was coarse with him.
Cooper, whose feisty manner won him underdog appreciation, also co-starred in such 1930s films as When a Feller Needs a Friend, Peck’s Bad Boy, The Devil Is a Sissy, Boy of the Streets, Gangster’s Boy and Streets of New York, as well as the serial Scouts to the Rescue.
Like most child stars, Cooper hit a difficult period during adolescence, both professionally and personally. As he entered his teens, other young stars including Roddy McDowall and Freddie Bartholomew took over the tyke roles.
Based on his experiences, Cooper later opposed children growing up as actors. None of his four children went on to perform. The title of his 1981 autobiography, Please Don’t Shoot My Dog, came from Taurog’s threat during the filming of Skippy that he would shoot the boy’s dog because he was not performing adequately.
As a teen, he showed his maturity and acting skills in 1940’s Seventeen and gave an inspiring performance as a trumpeter in Syncopation (1942) before joining the Navy during World War II. During his tour of duty, Cooper attained the rank of captain.
After the war, Cooper found movie roles harder to come by, enduring such low-budget pictures as Stork Bites Man, Kilroy Was Here and French Leave. The experiences soured him, and he left Hollywood, touring in stock companies and performing on Broadway.
He landed his first New York stage role in Magnolia Alley in 1949. While in New York, he worked in live TV, starring in many of the top anthology series of the day. Cooper also produced, directed and starred in two series: The People’s Choice, on which he played a nature lover elected to the city council who had a talking basset hound, and Hennesey, playing a naval medical officer.
For a period during the 1960s, Cooper thrived as a TV executive. He served as vp program development at Columbia Pictures Television. During a five-year stint, he packaged series including Bewitched and sold them to the networks.
He parlayed that experience into another phase of his career: He began to direct episodic TV, and during the ’70s he was active in tackling tricky social issues like runaway teens. Based on his experiences, he couldn’t resist attacking the hypocrisy of show business: After his executive tenure, he returned to acting in the 1971 film The Love Machine, playing an obsequious and smarmy TV programming exec.
He continued to direct for TV throughout the 1970s and ’80s, winning a pair of Emmys for helming M*A*S*H andThe White Shadow. He directed multiple episodes of those shows along with such series as Black Sheep Squadron, Quincy, M.E., Cagney & Lacey and Sledge Hammer! He also helmed two telefilms that centered on show business figures: Rainbow (1978), based on the life of Judy Garland, and Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Story in 1982.
Cooper acted in spurts from the 1950s through the ’80s. He guested on dozens of TV series including Suspense, The Twilight Zone, Hawaii Five-O, Kojak, Columbo, The Rockford Files, St. Elsewhere and Murder, She Wrote. He was most recognizable to latter-day audiences for playing Daily Planet editor Perry White in the four Superman films starring Reeve from 1978-87.
He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
Cooper virtually retired from show business in 1989, saying, “I’m 67 and worked 64 years.” He had mostly stayed out of the industry limelight since, forgoing tributes and retrospectives. In recent years, he raised horses in San Diego.
He was divorced twice: from June Horne, with whom he had a child, and Hildy Parks. In 1954, Cooper married Barbara Kraus, and the couple had three children. He is survived by two of this children.
Search Amazon.com for jackie cooper
Sada Thompson
Thompson died Wednesday of a lung disease at Danbury Hospital, agent David Shaul said Sunday from Los Angeles.
Thompson won wide acclaim during an illustrious career that spanned more than 60 years, during which she gravitated toward quality work that allowed her to plumb her characters' complexities.
"When you start off acting, it does seem very romantic, and the make-believe part of it all seems very exciting," she told the Los Angeles Times in 1991. "It's only later that you begin to realize how fascinating the work is — that it's a bottomless pit, and you never get to the end of it. Human character is just endlessly fascinating."
Even before she graduated in 1949 from Pittsburgh's Carnegie Mellon University, then called the Carnegie Institute of Technology, she was on a trajectory to take on challenging roles drawn from the classics as well as contemporary plays.
A prolific actress, she made her mark in theater and film generally portraying the matriarchs in family dramas.
In her stage debut in 1945, she played Nick's Ma in William Saroyan's "The Time of Your Life." She was Mrs. Higgins in "Pygmalion" (1949), the resentful matriarch determined not to hurt again in "Real Estate" (1987), the embattled Mrs. Fisher in the 1991 comedy "The Show-Off," the slovenly and bitter mother, Beatrice, in the 1965 production of "The Effect Of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds" and Dorine in "Tartuffe" (1965). She collected Obies for the latter two.
By far, her biggest Broadway success was "Twigs," by George Furth, in which she played three sisters — as well as their mother. The play took its title from a line by Alexander Pope: "Just as the twig is bent, the tree's inclined." She won a Tony and the New York Drama Critics Award that season.
The New York Times' Walter Kerr noted that what held the play together was "the peculiar luminosity that moves with Miss Thompson wherever she goes."
Throughout her career, her choices brought recognition from fellow actors more than they made her famous.
"When you're around great actors (like Thompson), they become an ideal or a goal that keeps reminding you of the quality you want your work to be," William Anton, who played Thompson's son in the 1989 San Diego production of "Driving Miss Daisy" and a preferred son-in-law in "The Show-Off," told the Los Angeles Times in 1991.
In the late '70s, she picked up an Emmy for her portrayal of the levelheaded Kate Lawrence in the ABC drama "Family," which ran for five seasons.
Born Sada Carolyn Thompson on Sept. 27, 1929, in Des Moines, Iowa, she got her unusual name from her maternal grandmother, whose name, Sarah, was turned into Sada. Her parents moved to New Jersey when she was 5, and her fascination with the stage began soon thereafter. Her parents would often take her to a summer theater where plays would stop on their way to Broadway or before they began their national tours.
"I saw stars like Helen Hayes, Maurice Evans, Tallulah Bankhead and Cornelia Otis Skinner," she told The Associated Press in 1987. "It was enchanting. I knew that was the world I wanted to be in."
In 1956, she won a Drama Desk Award for Moliere's "The Misanthrope" and for an English girl mourning the death of her half-brother in war in "The River Line" (1957). She was nominated for an Emmy for her portrayal of Carla's mother in the NBC comedy "Cheers" (1991).
Thompson said she loved a good character role.
"There's always something more to be accomplished with a character," she told the AP in 1987. "Theater is a human experience. There's nothing shellacked or finished off about it. I guess that's why it always draws me back."
Thompson met and married a fellow drama student, Donald Stewart, at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1949. Their daughter is a costume designer.
Dana Wynter
Her son, Mark Bautzer, told the Los Angeles Times the actress died Thursday in Ojai of congestive heart failure.
Wynter, who starred in a number of television dramas in the 1960s, was best known for her role as Becky Driscoll in director Don Siegel's paranoid film about townspeople being replaced by emotionless duplicates grown from plant-like pods.
Born in Germany, Wynter grew up in England and studied to be a doctor before turning to acting.
She appeared with Robert Lansing in the ABC series "The Man Who Never Was," and starred in "Wagon Train," "Cannon" and "The Rockford Files."
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Remembering William Campbell
It is our sad duty at StarTrek.com to report the passing of William Campbell. The actor, beloved in Star Trek circles for his roles as Trelane in the TOS episode “The Squire of Gothos” and as the Klingon Koloth in the TOS episode "The Trouble with Tribbles” and the DS9 episode “Blood Oath,” passed away in the early evening of April 28 following a long illness. Campbell died peacefully and, appropriately, in Woodland Hills, California, at the Motion Picture & Television Country Home and Hospital, a facility for which he worked tirelessly as an advocate, volunteer and fundraiser. Campbell was 84.Though hundreds of actors and actresses have guest starred on the various Star Trek shows and in the features over the years, few made as much of a personal connection with fans as Campbell. A big, burly man with a booming voice, charming smile and playful demeanor, Campbell loved Trek fans as much as they loved him. He attended numerous conventions over the years and was a familiar face on Trek cruises, and never was he more thrilled than when he reprised his roles as Trelane in the video game Star Trek: Judgment Rites and Koloth on DS9, as they gave him plenty of fresh stories to share with convention attendees. Though slowed by health problems in the early 2000’s, Campbell found the strength to attend Creation’s 40th anniversary Star Trek convention in 2006, and, as usual, he held the audience spellbound.
It should be noted that Star Trek was not Campbell’s only claim to fame. He sang with Elvis Presley in Love Me Tender; starred in Dementia 13, produced by Roger Corman and directed by a first-timer named Francis Coppola; and co-starred in The High and the Mighty, Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte and Pretty Maids All in a Row, that last one a post-Star Trek feature written and produced by Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. His many television credits include Cannonball, The Millionaire, Perry Mason, O’Hara, U.S. Treasury (with George Takei), Gunsmoke, Quincy, M.E., The Return of the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman, and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues.
Campbell is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Tereza. Funeral services will be private, but Mrs. Campbell asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Motion Picture & Television Country Home and Hospital.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
X-Men: First Class International Trailer
X-Men: First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga, and reveals a secret history of famous global events. Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr took the names Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time. Not archenemies, they were instead at first the closest of friends, working together with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to prevent nuclear Armageddon. In the process, a grave rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X's X-Men.
Search Amazon.com for X-Men: First Class
Friday, April 22, 2011
Sol Saks
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Friends and family say the writer who created the television comedy "Bewitched" has died. Sol Saks was 100.
Saks' wife Sandra says he died Saturday at Sherman Oaks Hospital in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for pneumonia.
Saks wrote the pilot script for "Bewitched," but he never wrote another episode of the ABC series about a witch married to a mortal. The show starring Elizabeth Montgomery ran from 1964 to 1972.
Longtime friend Paul Wayne told the Los Angeles Times that the pilot script earned Saks royalties for life.
Saks is survived by his wife, daughter Mary Spivey, son Daniel Saks, two granddaughters and two great-grandsons.
His wife says no service will be held because Saks considered a lavish 100th birthday party a living memorial.
Saks' wife Sandra says he died Saturday at Sherman Oaks Hospital in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for pneumonia.
Saks wrote the pilot script for "Bewitched," but he never wrote another episode of the ABC series about a witch married to a mortal. The show starring Elizabeth Montgomery ran from 1964 to 1972.
Longtime friend Paul Wayne told the Los Angeles Times that the pilot script earned Saks royalties for life.
Saks is survived by his wife, daughter Mary Spivey, son Daniel Saks, two granddaughters and two great-grandsons.
His wife says no service will be held because Saks considered a lavish 100th birthday party a living memorial.
Madelyn Pugh Davis
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Madelyn Pugh Davis, a screenwriter who co-created the lines and slapstick that Lucille Ball brought to life in TV's classic comedy "I Love Lucy," has died. She was 90.
Davis died Wednesday at her home in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles after a brief illness, her son, Michael Quinn Martin, said Thursday.
Davis and her longtime writing partner, Bob Carroll Jr., crafted all episodes for the hit CBS TV sitcom's first four years before they were joined by two other writers, said Lucie Arnaz, Ball's daughter.
Whenever her mother was complimented on her success, Arnaz recalled, "the first words out of her mouth were, 'I have these wonderful writers,' or, 'I can't do it without my writers.' Most of the time she was referring to Davis and Carroll."
In turn, Davis' son said, his mother would pay tribute to Ball's ability to turn physical gags described in a script into something "much more amazing."
Martin and hi s mom often watched reruns together of the classic sitcom that still airs worldwide.
"She was always kind of flabbergasted that people were still interested in it after all these years," he said. His mother always got a laugh out of the show, sometimes noting she'd "cranked out" so many episodes that she couldn't entirely recall them.
Davis and Carroll had worked on Ball's radio comedy, "My Favorite Husband." When the show moved to TV in 1953 as "I Love Lucy," Ball took Davis and Carroll with her and added real-life husband Desi Arnaz to the cast.
The writing duo remained with the show during its 1951-57 run and then wrote for "The Lucy Show," ''Here's Lucy" and "Life With Lucy." Carroll died in 2007 at age 87.
Ball, who died at 77 in 1989, is the subject of a one-woman show, "An Evening with Lucille Ball," starring Suzanne La Rusch and directed by Lucie Arnaz.
Arnaz recalled Davis as "such a girlie girl, a lady," someone who understood how to wr ite for a woman.
Her nature, along with "her professionalism, wit and inventiveness," made her an essential part of the success of "I Love Lucy," said Tom Gilbert, co-author of "Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz," slated for re-release in a new version in August.
"She softened the edges of the Lucy Ricardo character and made her more likable. I feel certain she was the force behind the marvelous interplay between the Lucy and Ethel characters as well," Gilbert said, referring to co-star Vivian Vance's Ethel Mertz.
The entertainment industry can be tough for women to crack but Davis, an Indiana native, got an unexpected assist, said her son: When she arrived in Los Angeles around 1944, male writers were scarce because so many were serving in World War II.
"On the flip side, if writers would come in to pitch a story they would always look at Bob, the man of the team, and that was a bit frustrating," Martin said. After working with the pair , however, "they realized they were equals."
Besides her son, Davis is survived by stepchildren, grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Services will be private.
Davis died Wednesday at her home in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles after a brief illness, her son, Michael Quinn Martin, said Thursday.
Davis and her longtime writing partner, Bob Carroll Jr., crafted all episodes for the hit CBS TV sitcom's first four years before they were joined by two other writers, said Lucie Arnaz, Ball's daughter.
Whenever her mother was complimented on her success, Arnaz recalled, "the first words out of her mouth were, 'I have these wonderful writers,' or, 'I can't do it without my writers.' Most of the time she was referring to Davis and Carroll."
In turn, Davis' son said, his mother would pay tribute to Ball's ability to turn physical gags described in a script into something "much more amazing."
Martin and hi s mom often watched reruns together of the classic sitcom that still airs worldwide.
"She was always kind of flabbergasted that people were still interested in it after all these years," he said. His mother always got a laugh out of the show, sometimes noting she'd "cranked out" so many episodes that she couldn't entirely recall them.
Davis and Carroll had worked on Ball's radio comedy, "My Favorite Husband." When the show moved to TV in 1953 as "I Love Lucy," Ball took Davis and Carroll with her and added real-life husband Desi Arnaz to the cast.
The writing duo remained with the show during its 1951-57 run and then wrote for "The Lucy Show," ''Here's Lucy" and "Life With Lucy." Carroll died in 2007 at age 87.
Ball, who died at 77 in 1989, is the subject of a one-woman show, "An Evening with Lucille Ball," starring Suzanne La Rusch and directed by Lucie Arnaz.
Arnaz recalled Davis as "such a girlie girl, a lady," someone who understood how to wr ite for a woman.
Her nature, along with "her professionalism, wit and inventiveness," made her an essential part of the success of "I Love Lucy," said Tom Gilbert, co-author of "Desilu: The Story of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz," slated for re-release in a new version in August.
"She softened the edges of the Lucy Ricardo character and made her more likable. I feel certain she was the force behind the marvelous interplay between the Lucy and Ethel characters as well," Gilbert said, referring to co-star Vivian Vance's Ethel Mertz.
The entertainment industry can be tough for women to crack but Davis, an Indiana native, got an unexpected assist, said her son: When she arrived in Los Angeles around 1944, male writers were scarce because so many were serving in World War II.
"On the flip side, if writers would come in to pitch a story they would always look at Bob, the man of the team, and that was a bit frustrating," Martin said. After working with the pair , however, "they realized they were equals."
Besides her son, Davis is survived by stepchildren, grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Services will be private.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Michael Sarrazin
Sarrazin died Sunday in Montreal surrounded by family after a battle with cancer, said Michael Oscars, his agent and friend of 27 years, said Wednesday.
Born Jacques Michel Andre Sarrazin in Quebec City on May 22, 1940, he appeared in such films as "Sometimes a Great Notion," ''They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" and "The Flim-Flam Man," among others.
He also starred in the popular 1973 TV miniseries "Frankenstein: The True Story."
Sarrazin was remembered by his brother Pierre for his "wicked sense of wit," but fans might recall his "soulful eyes."
Major stardom proved elusive. Sarrazin suffered a professional setback in 1969 when he had to give up the role of Joe Buck in "Midnight Cowboy."
The actor was on his way to Texas for a costume fittin g when he found out his studio wouldn't release him from his contract, his brother said. He had to turn down a part that eventually went to Jon Voight.
"It was a very disappointing moment for him because the movie was wonderful," Pierre Sarrazin said. "Jon Voight's always been very gracious in mentioning that Michael had that role."
Sarrazin moved back to Montreal from Los Angeles a few years ago to be closer to his children.
Oscars, his agent, said the actor's daughters, Catherine and Michelle, were at his side when he died.
Search Amazon.com for Michael Sarrazin
Bryan Singer Talks In Detail About X-Men: First Class' Characters, Chronology And Sequels!
In an in depth interview with IGN Movies, the producer of X-Men: First Class and director of X-Men and X2 talked in great detail about the upcoming movie and below are just some of the main highlights. To read the interview in its entirety, click on the link at the bottom of the page to head on over to the site.
On The Choice Of Title And Its Meaning:
It was initially a title I liked. I knew that there was exploration of doing a movie based on the First Class comic book, but I thought that to earn that or to get there, it would be interesting to go back to the origin of the X-Men. The formation of the relationship and the schism between Xavier and Magneto. And yet I still liked the title First Class because it reflected that concept every bit as much as the comic it's based on, so I just decided that I would pursue that story of young Xavier and young Magneto but retain the title First Class as a sort of beginning of the X-Men and they could go from there.
On How He Came Up With The Story:
Oh something I came up with just based on... When I made the first two X-Men films I was conscious of figuring out how to play the relationship between Magneto and Xavier and I was always very conscious of what their past must have been. What their friendship was like. So that back-story was always playing in my head whenever I was discussing scenes with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. So this was a chance to finally go back and explore the history that was always bouncing around in my mind when I was making those other movies.
On Deciding Which Characters To Include In The Movie:
You first freak out because you assume that the good ones have already been picked. Then you just pick up the books and start reviewing and researching. I felt like I was back in the late '90s again, going through all the character histories and biographies and the comic books and graphic novels, and trying not to violate the tableaux but at the same time trying to have mutants that service different aspects of your story. Where their powers move the story forward as opposed to just being there to be cool.
On The Inclusion Of The Hellfire Club:
The Hellfire Club is actually something that [producers] Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg had mentioned to me early on. It's something that we had discussed years ago, to incorporate them into an X-Men film, but we never quite found a way to do so. So Lauren brought it up again and I thought great, because it again plays into the idea of them being underground. Because the whole idea of the Hellfire Club is that they are an underground club, and that's perfect because we're dealing with a time when the world doesn't know that mutants exist. What better villain element than one that exists under the surface of society? And to have the mutants intertwine with the geopolitical events of the time.
On Kevin Bacon As Sebastian Shaw:
Kevin is just a fantastic actor and we've seen him be very charming and funny and we've seen some of his darker side in a couple of pictures, but he hasn't really done this sort of thing yet. He's quite phenomenal - he speaks multiple languages in the film flawlessly, and he's at that age now where his boyish charm can now be transformed into one of those seductive villains. And he plays it quite well - it's fun to watch him on set.
On How The Movie Ties In With The Original Trilogy:
I think the chronology works - there are some liberties, but for the most part, it makes sense. The characters make sense. Which is why Beast and Mystique were the only two I could bring back because you don't really know how old they are.
On Setting A Sequel In The 1970s or 1980s:
Absolutely. That would be a blast.
On Whether He Has A Master Plan For A Trilogy Of Movies:
Just on this one. I think that whenever people claim they have long-range plans for these things... I think what happens is you really have to see how the first one plays, how audiences respond, which characters and points of the story they respond to, and then reassess it and go from there. In my mind, that's the way I think about it.
On What Matthew Vaughn Brings To X-Men: First Class:
He's incredibly good with ensemble casts, which was the most important thing. He can service many characters, each with their own separate characterisations, each driving a common story. And he already had a love of the X-Men universe from when he had been involved in X-Men 3. And he immediately took to the period that it took place. He's a huge fan of the Bond films, and he wanted to use some of that aesthetic in this film, and I thought that was really fantastic. He's a terrific director and he's a strong director, and he's also produced and has his own team. To dive into one of these movies can be very challenging - all these things kind of going against you, and he was at a place where I knew he could take these things on and wouldn't be overwhelmed.
X-Men: First Class is set to be released in the UK on June 1st and in the US on June 2nd.
Search Amazon.com for x men
On The Choice Of Title And Its Meaning:
It was initially a title I liked. I knew that there was exploration of doing a movie based on the First Class comic book, but I thought that to earn that or to get there, it would be interesting to go back to the origin of the X-Men. The formation of the relationship and the schism between Xavier and Magneto. And yet I still liked the title First Class because it reflected that concept every bit as much as the comic it's based on, so I just decided that I would pursue that story of young Xavier and young Magneto but retain the title First Class as a sort of beginning of the X-Men and they could go from there.
On How He Came Up With The Story:
Oh something I came up with just based on... When I made the first two X-Men films I was conscious of figuring out how to play the relationship between Magneto and Xavier and I was always very conscious of what their past must have been. What their friendship was like. So that back-story was always playing in my head whenever I was discussing scenes with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. So this was a chance to finally go back and explore the history that was always bouncing around in my mind when I was making those other movies.
On Deciding Which Characters To Include In The Movie:
You first freak out because you assume that the good ones have already been picked. Then you just pick up the books and start reviewing and researching. I felt like I was back in the late '90s again, going through all the character histories and biographies and the comic books and graphic novels, and trying not to violate the tableaux but at the same time trying to have mutants that service different aspects of your story. Where their powers move the story forward as opposed to just being there to be cool.
On The Inclusion Of The Hellfire Club:
The Hellfire Club is actually something that [producers] Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg had mentioned to me early on. It's something that we had discussed years ago, to incorporate them into an X-Men film, but we never quite found a way to do so. So Lauren brought it up again and I thought great, because it again plays into the idea of them being underground. Because the whole idea of the Hellfire Club is that they are an underground club, and that's perfect because we're dealing with a time when the world doesn't know that mutants exist. What better villain element than one that exists under the surface of society? And to have the mutants intertwine with the geopolitical events of the time.
On Kevin Bacon As Sebastian Shaw:
Kevin is just a fantastic actor and we've seen him be very charming and funny and we've seen some of his darker side in a couple of pictures, but he hasn't really done this sort of thing yet. He's quite phenomenal - he speaks multiple languages in the film flawlessly, and he's at that age now where his boyish charm can now be transformed into one of those seductive villains. And he plays it quite well - it's fun to watch him on set.
On How The Movie Ties In With The Original Trilogy:
I think the chronology works - there are some liberties, but for the most part, it makes sense. The characters make sense. Which is why Beast and Mystique were the only two I could bring back because you don't really know how old they are.
On Setting A Sequel In The 1970s or 1980s:
Absolutely. That would be a blast.
On Whether He Has A Master Plan For A Trilogy Of Movies:
Just on this one. I think that whenever people claim they have long-range plans for these things... I think what happens is you really have to see how the first one plays, how audiences respond, which characters and points of the story they respond to, and then reassess it and go from there. In my mind, that's the way I think about it.
On What Matthew Vaughn Brings To X-Men: First Class:
He's incredibly good with ensemble casts, which was the most important thing. He can service many characters, each with their own separate characterisations, each driving a common story. And he already had a love of the X-Men universe from when he had been involved in X-Men 3. And he immediately took to the period that it took place. He's a huge fan of the Bond films, and he wanted to use some of that aesthetic in this film, and I thought that was really fantastic. He's a terrific director and he's a strong director, and he's also produced and has his own team. To dive into one of these movies can be very challenging - all these things kind of going against you, and he was at a place where I knew he could take these things on and wouldn't be overwhelmed.
X-Men: First Class is set to be released in the UK on June 1st and in the US on June 2nd.
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Interview: Eric Martsolf: Smallville's Man of Gold
You've seen him on Passions, and can still see him on Days of Our Lives (one of the few remaining daytime soaps on the air). Now fans can catch Eric Martsolf in a more heroic role as he takes flight in the CW's Smallville as the greatest hero you've never heard of -- Booster Gold.
We spoke with Eric about his experiences on the Smallville set, and asked him a few questions about the current state of the industry. Read on...
So how did you come by the part of Booster Gold? Were you approached for it?
I was definitely approached for this. The casting department of Smallville had seen me for the Hawkman role, actually, a couple of months before. When Booster Gold came to town, they gave me a call and asked me to come in.
So I came into the room guns-blazing: I had a pair of glasses that were reminescent of the character; I pretty much went in there exactly the way I thought this guy would market himself. And they were sold. They said, "Yep, that's him."
Can you tell us how you went about becoming the character of Booster Gold?
It's funny, when I first started reading the script, he came across to me as sort of a Ron Burgundy from "Anchorman" -- just this ultra-comedic confidence man, and it was very questionable as to whether he had it all together or not. I wasn't sure whether this guy was all style and no substance. But when you dig further into the character, and further into the script, you realize this basically is just a misunderstood man that is the product of a very awful childhood. He had many things that he had to overcome, and he eventually turns to becoming a superhero as a way out.
t's a really wonderful lesson about the human condition. We all are fallible as human beings, and Booster Gold is interesting in that he is completely fallible and has issues. He is definitely not above being wrong and doing immoral things. So he's a complex character that way. There's really not an easy way to put it. [Writer] Geoff [Johns] just does a wonderful job in showing the compexities of this particular superhero.
Regarding Ron Burgundy, Booster does actually get to quote Will Ferrell's character when he tells Clark, "I'm kind of a big deal."
We had a good time with that. I literally was reading down the script and said, "Yep. There it is."
Eric Martsolf is Booster Gold.
Fans always like to know when an actor is brought in to play a superhero whether or not he's familiar with the character prior to taking the role, or whether he's got any experience as a comics reader at all. So here's where I ask that question.
I had heard of Booster Gold, but my knowledge of him was very minimal. He entered the arena of comics around 1986. I was really intrigued when I read the breakdown for the audition, so I put a good couple of hours researching him. I went to a plentitude of sites and just read everything I could on this guy, to the point where my wife came up to me one morning and said, "What are you looking at?" I said, "Oh, this is Booster Gold," and I just started talking to her about this guy, and she said, "I think you have a pretty good handle on this guy -- he sounds a lot like yourself." And I was, "Oh, thanks honey. Goodnight." And I continued my research.
I have twin boys, and they turned five last weekend. They got a Booster Gold action figure as one of their gifts, and it's currently their favorite toy. So that's pretty cool.
Smallville and Days of Our Lives are both soaps of a sort, but Smallville is obviously more reliant on special effects. How different was it working with the special effects -- doing a flying scene, standing across from the Blue Beetle, that kind of thing?
It was wonderful to have the effects team at Smallville -- it's top notch. Tom Welling actually put a lot of thought into the episode, and that was very clear the minute I walked on set. We had a lot of conversations about how we wanted to portray this guy, what his powers are, what his weaknesses are... and I think it really becomes clear through special effects what he can and can't do. Because he does have his limits. His suit is basically the source of his power. Other than that, he's like you and I. The special effects team really went to great lengths to make this look awesome. Geoff Johns' script -- it was essential that his script matched the visuals; that was the tough part, because it was such a rich script full of so much comic wealth, and we wanted to bring that to life. And I think we did.
Soap opera effects, we're used to sticking ketchup packages in our mouth for blood, so it was a treat to have all this CGI and all this technology at our disposal.
Speaking of soaps, with the recent cancellations of One Life to Live and All My Children, is there a sense of nervousness and anxiety in the soap acting community?
Oh, absolutely! There has been for a while. Soaps right now are dropping like flies. The networks are making some very interesting decisions on what they believe to be strong programming and what is weak programming. It's funny, because the episode "Booster" actually has a lot to do with what's going on in the world today as far as shows being promoted -- What has substance, and what has style? In my estimation, soaps have been around a long time for a very good reason -- they have a very strong fan base. It's just a genre in itself, and right now networks seem to be throwing on whatever is cheapest to put on regardless of its quality.
So, sure, the soap world is in flux right now. We're all concerned. But I'm confident... I believe the genre will not be killed, and will definitely maintain some soaps on all the networks. But, you know, these are decisions that happen behind closed doors. Sometimes they make the wrong ones.
On your web page, I noted a number of charity appearances you put in. Are there any in the near future, and is there any specific charity that gets the bulk of your attention for a personal reason?
I just got back from a charity that benefited the American Liver Association this past weekend. I tend to throw myself into charities that are attached to children. That probably has a lot to do with being a fresh father of five-year-old twins -- it just changes your perspective on the world and what's really important. So anything that has to do with children you'll probably find me at, because that's where my heart is at this point in my life, wholeheartedly.
I have so many coming up, I don't even know where to begin. But you can find all my appearances at EricMartsolf.com -- that will absolutely keep people up to date on where I am and what I'm doing.
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Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Urban To Appear In Priest
Priest is the story of a world ravaged by war between humans and vampires.
According to Urban, Priest is more than just a vampire flick. “It’s a post-apocalyptic, futuristic, vampire western,” he said. “It’s about a man who chooses to go against the system, to walk away from his life and everything that he has worked and fought for in order to do what is morally right. That’s the heart of the film.”
Preparation for Priest included plenty of training for Urban. “…it was a massive physical undertaking,” said Urban. “Paul Bettany and I underwent extensive training for the fight and action sequences. Blood was drawn. We were fortunate to work with some extremely talented people whose job it was to make us look good.”
Urban enjoyed working on the movie. “It was fun,” he said. “I had a really great time working with Paul,” he said. “He’s a professional. He’s very charismatic, witty, and a real gentleman. Even when I accidentally crushed his fingers while shooting the epic train fight.”
Priest opens in the U.K. on May 11th and in the U.S. two days later.
Source: mb.com.ph
Doctor Who's Sarah Jane Smith, Dead at 63
LONDON (AP) - Elisabeth Sladen, a star of the "Doctor Who" series and children's show actress has died. She was 63.The BBC says the Liverpool-born Sladen died from cancer on Monday.
Sladen joined the broadcaster in 1973 as Doctor Who's assistant Sarah Jane Smith, opposite Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker.
Sladen went on to star in spin-off "The Sarah Jane Adventures," four series of which were carried on the BBC's children's channel, CBBC.
The BBC said in a statement Tuesday that Sladen was survived by a husband, actor Brian Miller, and a daughter, Sadie.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.
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