SAG Awards: DiCaprio, Larson, Vikander, Elba

Posted on January 31, 2016 at 9:03 am

Leonardo DiCaprio, Brie Larson, Alicia Vikander, and Idris Elba won the Screen Actors Guild awards last night. Elba, who also won for his television series “Luther,” was not nominated for an Oscar (he should have been), but the other three are now likely to be taking home statues on Oscar night.

“Spotlight” won best ensemble, and television awardees included Jeffrey Tambor (“Transparent”), Uzo Aduba (“Orange in the New Black”), Kevin Spacey (“House of Cards”), Viola Davis (“How to Get Away with Murder”), Queen Latifah (“Bessie”), and ensemble awards for “Downton Abbey” and “Orange is the New Black.”

The highlight of the evening, though, was the lifetime achievement award for Carol Burnett, presented by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who said that their mothers got 90% of the credit for who they became, but Burnett got the other 10%.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsaKo99-jmM

Burnett spoke movingly about insisting on being allowed to host a variety show, even though the television executives told her only men could do it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73e8tsHS1pA

Related Tags:

Actors Awards

Behind the Scenes with Kung Fu Panda 3’s Bryan Cranston and Movietickets.com

Posted on January 29, 2016 at 2:00 pm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ8UY4MUCY8

Related Tags:

Actors Behind the Scenes

Tribute: Abe Vigoda

Posted on January 26, 2016 at 3:40 pm

Was Abe Vigoda ever young? It seems hard to imagine. He is so indelibly fixed in our imaginations as the laconic, seen-in-all-and-was-not-impressed-by-it old guy. He has been old as long as most of us can remember. Today, we mourn his loss at the age of 94.

He was in his 50’s when he played Tessio in “The Godfather.” Look how much he brought to this scene, the understanding of what is happening to him, and why, and what has brought him to this moment. He is sad, but not angry. He auditioned for the part at an open call and was selected over 500 other actors. In the last few years, he provided a voice for the “Godfather” video games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d30Y0n1nDH4

His deadpan delivery was one of the highlights of the terrific television series “Barney Miller.” When the series ended, his character had a brief spin-off called “Fish.”

We will miss him. May his memory be a blessing.

Related Tags:

Actors Tribute

Where You’ve Seen Her Before: Dame Maggie Smith (the Early Years)

Posted on January 22, 2016 at 7:00 am

Maggie Smith gives another beautifully complex performance this week as “The Lady in the Van,” based on the real-life story of a mentally ill woman who parked her van “temporarily” in the driveway of writer Alan Bennett and stayed for 15 years. She is best known now as the acerbic Dowager Duchess on “Downton Abbey” and as astringent Professor McGonagall in the “Harry Potter” films. But she is a two-time Oscar winner with a remarkable range of roles and everything she does is worth watching.

I love her as the devoted secretary “Miss Mead,” in the all-star soapy drama about wealthy and powerful people stuck at an airport, “The VIPs.” She was in love with her boss, played by Rod Taylor.

And she appeared with Taylor again in “Young Cassidy.”

She is the flamboyant title character in the madcap road trip caper “Travels with My Aunt.”

She won an Oscar as the headstrong, domineering, and misguided teacher in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmNQVo1qpD8

And another for “California Suite,” where she played an Oscar-nominated British actress married to — and in love with — her gay husband, played by Michael Caine.

She played another aunt in “A Room with a View.”

I was lucky enough to see her twice on stage, in “Private Lives” and “Lettice and Lovage.” She was incandescent.

Related Tags:

Actors Where You’ve Seen Them Before

Seth Rogen, Bradley Cooper, Paul Dano, and Jake Gyllenhaal Audition as Cher in “Clueless”

Posted on January 19, 2016 at 6:49 pm

W asked Seth Rogen, Bradley Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Paul Dano to audition for the part of Cher in “Clueless,” reading her famous speech about the “Hate-ians.” While they make the mistake of pronouncing it correctly, I’d love to see them in some of the other scenes from the film. Or, let’s face it, in pretty much anything.

They’re great, but they will never improve on the original. Keep watching for more stars’ takes on classic scenes from “Dirty Harry” and “Gone With the Wind.”

For more on “Clueless,” read the oral history of the film by Jen Chaney.

Related Tags:

Actors