Actors

Charlotte Rampling on her #OscarsSoWhite drama: ‘I’m anything but racist’

Jun 7, 2016 celebrityabout

In the heat of this year’s Oscars race, the #OscarsSoWhite controversy blew up. For the second year in a row, there were no major nominations for minority actors. The controversy got so bad that the Academy is still undergoing renovations to the voter rolls and trying to bring in some fresh blood and hopefully more diverse membership. The controversy also got so bad that various (white) actors had to answer questions about the all-white party known as the Oscars. One of those actors? Charlotte Rampling. Rampling was asked point-blank about the #OscarsSoWhite controversy and she said: “It is racist to whites. One can never really know, but perhaps the black actors did not deserve to make the final list,” added Rampling. Asked if the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences should introduce quotas, a proposal which no current advocate of increased diversity has mooted, she responded: “Why classify people? These days everyone is more or less accepted … People will always say: ‘Him, he’s less handsome’; ‘Him, he’s too black’; ‘He is too white’ … someone will always be saying ‘You are too’ [this or that] … But do we have to take from this that there should be lots of minorities everywhere?” [From previous story] Within hours, Rampling’s publicist made her issue an apology in which Rampling claimed that her comments had been “misinterpreted” and that she of course believes that “in an ideal world every performance will be given equal opportunities for consideration.” While her clarification left me cold (it was basically “sorry you read the words I actually spoke”), Rampling really didn’t suffer because of it. She didn’t have to answer any other questions about race and her belief that minorities were being racist to white people. Well now, months later, Rampling is talking about it again. Charlotte Rampling has defended her controversial Oscars race row comments insisting her words were simply misunderstood. “I probably think it was misinterpreted at the time. I thought, ‘Oh my god, what have I said’. It was in no way what people thought,” says the 70-year-old, who was nominated for best actress at the 2016 Academy Awards for her performance in British drama 45 Hours. “After I just didn’t listen to anything so I don’t know who said what about it. I can’t really say too much now. I could have easily had a dialogue but I wasn’t going to do that after what I said. I’m anything but racist.” [From Express] “I could have easily had a dialogue but I wasn’t going to do that after what I said. I’m anything but racist.” I have literally no idea what she’s trying to say there. Is she saying that of course she isn’t racist and she could have totally had a dialogue about what she said but she knew everyone would just say that she’s racist and she’s totally not racist, you guys. We know she’s not racist because she says so! And it’s like she wants bonus points because she COULD have had a dialogue about race but she didn’t. I would have been fascinated to hear that dialogue. Photos courtesy of WENN.

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Alden Enrenreich, 26, cast as the ‘young Han Solo’: great choice or meh?

May 6, 2016 marc

Last year, we learned that a huge slate of Star Wars-themed sequels, prequels and spin-offs were in the pipeline at Disney. One of the biggest projects was a combo prequel/spinoff, featuring the story of a pre-New Hope Han Solo. This is not going to be a straight up origin story with Han Solo’s childhood! The focus was always going to be on Han Solo as a 20-something dude, what he was up to before he met Luke Skywalker. The casting call went far and wide, and eventually Disney had the list culled to a who’s who of “really?” The shortlist featured names like Miles Teller, Scott Eastwood, Alden Ehrenreich, Logan Lerman, Emory Cohen and Ansel Elgort. The list was culled even further back in March, and now industry sources say that Disney has finally found their Young Solo: 26-year-old Alden Ehrenreich. After thousands of actors were considered to portray a younger Han Solo for a “Star Wars” spinoff, Alden Ehrenreich has landed the coveted role. Hollywood sources tell us Ehrenreich has signed on to play the iconic role, made famous by Harrison Ford, in the new movie, slated for 2018, which will focus on Solo before he joined the Rebel Alliance. One insider told us of Ehrenreich, 26, who most recently appeared in “Hail, Caesar!”: “Alden really impressed Disney and Lucasfilm execs with his screen tests. The deal is basically done.” Relatively little-known Ehrenreich — who’s also the lead in Warren Beatty’s upcoming, untitled Howard Hughes project with Fox — beat out candidates including “Divergent” stars Miles Teller and Ansel Elgort, Scott Eastwood, “Kingsman” and “Eddie the Eagle” star Taron Egerton, and “Sing Street” star Jack Reynor. The casting of the Han Solo character has been so shrouded in secrecy it was named “Project Red Cup,” in reference to the ubiquitous red plastic Solo cups. The film won’t start shooting until January, but reports are that the early casting is because the new Solo will have a cameo in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which is now shooting. That film is said to be set between “Episode III” and “Episode IV.” Reps for Ehrenreich didn’t get back to us. [From Page Six] I thought Rogue One was already in the can, but maybe not if they’re giving themselves time to film a quickie cameo with the new Solo. As for this choice… I don’t hate it. Alden is probably one of the best choices from the shortlist they had. He’s attractive (very much so), boyish, but with a slight bad-boy vibe that is desperately needed for Han Solo. I wanted to hear his voice, so I looked up some interviews and… this kid is CUTE. He has a really sexy smile. Nice voice too. Photos courtesy of WENN.

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Jennifer Lopez: Dancers are better in bed, ‘musicians are too self-absorbed’

Apr 14, 2016 marc

Jennifer Lopez’s W Magazine profile just gave me the perfect term for why I love her so much: she is “the people’s diva.” Like, the people’s princess, only in multi-hyphenate diva form. Anyway, I sort of hate Jennifer’s W Magazine editorial – you can see the slideshow here. It’s sort of awful, and they made Jennifer wear a terrible blonde mullet wig in half the pics. As for the interview, it’s longer than most W Mag profiles. It reads like a day-in-the-life piece, and Jennifer is really, really busy. You can read the full piece here, and here are some highlights: The people’s diva: “I’ve been in the grind and the game for a long time. At a certain point, people respect you when they see you fall down and get back up. The more you’re in this life, the more they celebrate your triumphs. When it comes to work, I never get tired. But with personal failures, I have thought, This is too hard. When my marriage ended, it was not easy to find forgiveness. It wasn’t the dream that I had hoped for, and it would have been easier to fan the flames of resentment, disappointment, and anger. But Marc is the father of my children [8-year-old twins], and that’s never going away. So, I have to work to make things right. And that is, by far, the hardest work I do.” She’s fine-boned: “When I first came to Los Angeles, someone told me I would be a star because of my tiny ankles and wrists. They said that was the key to it all.” She’s constantly being swarmed by fans: “It’s been like that since Selena. I never thought about fame until then. After that film, I would have panic attacks. I remember walking down the street, and someone yelled, ‘Jennifer!’ and I didn’t know who it was. I ran home. From that point forward, I realized I couldn’t be alone in public. I don’t think I’ve been alone on the street in over 20 years.” Who is better in bed: “Last time I was here, they asked me who is better in bed—dancers, musicians, or actors? I said, ‘Dancers!’ Musicians are too self-absorbed. They are too concerned with themselves to be great in bed.” On Marc Anthony: “I hung in there for seven years. I knew very quickly that it wasn’t the right thing.” On Casper Smart: “We got together and broke up and are now together again. I still think about getting married and having that long life with someone. I love the movie The Notebook. A dream of mine is to grow old with someone.” On being more accessible after her stint on American Idol: “It has been easier. People may now think I’m ‘nice,’ but they still act surprised when I’m smart. It’s a man’s world, and, truly, people in a business setting do not value a woman as much as a man. I feel like I’m constantly having to prove myself. If a man does one thing well, people immediately say he’s a genius. Women have to do something remarkable over and over and over. And, even then, they get questions about their love life. People underestimate me. They always have, and maybe that’s for the best. It’s fun to prove them wrong.” [From W Magazine] I do think J.Lo is smart… in almost every area of her life. She’s dumb in love, but smart everywhere else. And she’s right about people undervaluing her simply because she’s a woman, just as she’s right about constantly being underestimated. I love the bit about her thin ankles and wrists, I love the shade she has for Marc Anthony and I’m absolutely astonished that she hasn’t been alone in public in 20 years. She’s also wrong about dancers being the best lovers – swimmers are obviously the best lovers! Meanwhile, there’s one thing I’d like to mention – last week, there was a controversy about J.Lo’s new single, “Ain’t Your Mama.” The song is awful, full-stop. But it was written by Meghan Trainor, and there were widespread reports that the track had been “produced” by Dr. Luke. Jennifer got a lot of online hate and shade for that. But E! News reported that Trainor had written the song several years back and her version was produced by Dr. Luke back then, before Kesha’s lawsuit. Then Trainor gave the song to J.Lo and J.Lo didn’t know Dr. Luke had ever had his fingerprints on it. Trainor confirmed that version of events this week, calling the backlash against Jennifer “ridiculous” and “not fair on her, not at all.” Photos courtesy of W Magazine.

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Chris Evans isn’t ruling out running for political office: ‘I would never say never’

Apr 11, 2016 marc

Captain America fans be damned, I’ve never really been a huge Chris Evans stan. I don’t have a problem with him, it’s just that he sometimes (SOMETIMES) seems like a neurotic whiner. But he’s not like that in his interview with the new issue of Esquire Middle East. He comes across well and almost sort-of Captain America-like. Before now, I had no idea that his uncle is currently serving in the House of Representatives. His uncle is Rep. Mike Capuano. Do they call him “Cap” too?! Anyway, Chris talks about politics and more. Some highlights: Whether he would run for political office: “I would never say never. I’ve always thought it would be nice one day to think about some sort of political pursuit. I’m so proud of my uncle and of anyone who dedicates themselves to helping the progression of society in exacting change for the betterment of mankind. Ultimately, there’s very few things that I consider to be noble and challenging. I know that Washington is a tough place. I have my opinions and maybe later on in life I might try and actually get up on a soap box.” Directing his first movie, Before We Go: “I’d wanted to direct for a long time. It’s just hard to find someone who’s willing to let you direct. I have no training. I’ve never been to any sort of school, so it’s a gamble. It was a situation where we found a script that felt manageable. This was a simple story; it’s two people. It just felt very contained and, not to sound awful, but I aimed a little low, just because I wanted to get my feet wet. I think there’s no shame in that. I didn’t want to bite off more than I could chew the first time out.” What happened as a director: “There were a lot of things I thought I was prepared for that never became a problem, and things I didn’t think would be an issue that ended up being one. So it was very eye opening. But I loved the experience and I want to do it again. I’m trying to aim a little higher in terms of the story and the scope. I feel a little more comfortable behind the camera, and it’s now just about finding the right script. Because the really great scripts are snatched up by the really great directors. So it’s about digging and trying to find the diamond in the rough.” He’ll take more of a break from acting when he has kids: “I would never stop acting completely, because I do love it, but if I was to get married and have kids, I could see myself wanting to be less of a famous actor. The fame thing is the tricky part, especially when you have children, and there is a nice element to the investment in directing. Even the amount of time and passion required for pre- and post-production; you’re with a project intimately for a year. As an actor you’ve got a few months and then you completely forget about it. So I like that connection, and I like that you can be a little more in the shadows but still be part of a profession that you’re in love with.” On ambition: “My big ambition is to not have a big ambition. I know it’s kind of strange but mu goal in life is to practice trying to be present on a daily basis. I think, as people, our consciousness is spread out. We analyze the past, we worry about the future, and it’s all fueled by fear and pain and all these negative things. Even when its good it’s going to be not good in a minute. Then you’re chasing it again. It’s all rooted in time and I think my big ambition is to really practice the ability to quiet my brain a little and just learn how to enjoy the moment.” [From E! News] I didn’t see Before We Go, but I remember that the reviews weren’t bad or anything. He didn’t embarrass himself and he’ll probably be given another opportunity to direct, because Hollywood loves rewarding white guys. I’m just saying… if a black, Asian or Hispanic actor had made the jump to directing and made so little impact with their first film, would they be given another opportunity? As for what he says about possibly running for political office… I actually like that idea. He doesn’t carry around the kind of personal baggage that many “political” actors have – as in, I know less about Chris’s personal life than George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, etc. And I think it’s cute that he’s already planning ahead for when he’s married and has kids. PS… Chris debuted this new clip from Captain America: Civil War at the MTV Movie Awards. Thanks, @ChrisEvans for debuting this EXCLUSIVE clip from #CaptainAmericaCivilWar at the #MovieAwards! https://t.co/pMOcII0hl6 — MTV (@MTV) April 11, 2016 HD outtake of Chris Evans for Esquire Middle East April 2016 Issue. #ChrisEvans #Chris #Evans #EsquireMagazine #Cevans #TeamCevans A photo posted by Chris Evans (@teamcevans) on Apr 2, 2016 at 4:06pm PDT Photos courtesy of Esquire.

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Jeremy Irons: ‘Abortion harms a woman – it’s a tremendous mental attack’

Mar 25, 2016 marc

I went into Jeremy Irons’ Guardian interview only having read one quote, the quote about abortion. I thought I would just read the piece and pull the abortion-quote-block for context. But I can’t. Because this interview is BONKERS. While I definitely think Jeremy Irons is eccentric in a vastly terrible way – think of his comments on incest and gay marriage several years ago, or his thoughts on sexual harassment – I also sort of have to give him credit for putting it all out there. Most celebrities/actors would have some sense of self-awareness that their thoughts are terrible and should never be spoken out loud, especially to the Guardian. Irons does not have that sense of self-awareness, so at least we can openly discuss his on-the-record comments. You can read his full Guardian interview here. Some highlights: On his six homes & a castle: “I have developed a life which seems to need a relatively high income.” Marriage & Christianity: “Our society is based on a Christian structure. If you take those religious tenets away, then anything goes and it will become terrible – and you usually get into trouble. Adultery might be very nice, but finally it f–ks us up. And it f–ks up the structure of society. We don’t steal – well, some people do – because it makes life intolerable for everybody. Yes, you can be in love and raise a family wonderfully by not being married, but actually marriage does give us a strength, because it’s quite hard to get out of, and so it makes us fight more to keep it together. If divorce becomes dead easy – which it sort of has – then we don’t have that backup. Because, for everybody, relationships are hard.” Abortion harms women: “Take abortion. I believe women should be allowed to make the decision, but I also think the church is right to say it’s a sin. Because sin is actions that harm us. Lying harms us. Abortion harms a woman – it’s a tremendous mental attack, and physical, sometimes. But we seem to get that muddled. In a way, thank God the Catholic church does say we won’t allow it, because otherwise nobody’s saying that it’s a sin.” On Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn: “I think he might be the death knell. I love his idealism, but he’s not what I would call a politician. I think the Labour party is no longer fit for purpose. What we very, very, very strongly need is a not a party that represents the labour movement, but everyone who doesn’t like that we are governed, in effect, by global economics. We have to find an intelligent alternative to the Conservative ethos.” He doesn’t believe in interventionism. “It’s like genetic engineering. Everything is held in balance, whether good or not, by diverse internal forces. Syria deals with the opposition with great cruelty, but there are cruel people, as one sees from Isis, and you’re not going to remove that part of nature from those fanatics at that stage of their civilising development. Yet everybody – especially the Americans – seems to think the only way of life is theirs. Democracy? What the f–k does that mean? Freedom? What the f–k does that mean?” The US election: “[It signals] maybe the end of democracy. If democracy has become a gameshow where you vote for the one who makes you laugh most, or whatever, then we’re not worthy to have the vote”. [From The Guardian] There’s a lot to unpack and I’m not going to go beat by beat with Jeremy Irons. Let me just say that while I appreciate that he identifies as pro-choice, I do not appreciate that he uses the language of anti-choice advocates. If a woman feels psychological or even physical pain because of her abortion, the decision is still HER CHOICE. If a woman wants to say abortion is a sin, that is her choice too. But no man or woman gets to decide for all women what is and is not a “sin.” And let me tell you, the psychological and physical pain would be even more profound if the state forced women to carry unwanted pregnancies to term. Photos courtesy of WENN.

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Alicia Vikander in Erdem at the WIF, Film is GREAT events: cute or cloying?

Feb 27, 2016 videos

There were several big pre-Oscar events in LA last night, and I really hope the low-turnout at these events is indicative of the turnout for the Oscars. The two biggest events were The Film is GREAT reception (which is for British films and British actors nominated this year) and the annual Women In Film pre-Oscar cocktail party. Alicia Vikander wore the same Erdem dress to the WIF event and The Film is GREAT reception. I was set to side-eye Alicia’s presence at a British-film gathering, but then I remembered that The Danish Girl is a British-financed film with a British director and British costars. So… okay. It’s worth noting that her hokey “posh British” accent is really, really distracting in The Danish Girl. Here’s Idris Elba at the Film is GREAT reception, then he went out partying in Hollywood. Idris will be attending the Spirit Awards later today, and…? He’s not on the Oscar presenter list, but maybe he’ll come out for some of the Oscar parties. If he does come out for the parties, he should rethink the hat. Here’s Jennifer Jason Leigh at the Women in Film event. I feel a little bit sad about JJL – in another year, with a different campaign, this might have been her moment to win. I don’t like her ensemble here, it looks cheap. Maria Bello at the WIF event – this ensemble is absolutely tragic. Michelle Monaghan in Erdem at the WIF event… the “sheer dickie” part of this needs to GO. And finally, here’s Cate Blanchett at her own separate event for SK-II #ChangeDestiny Forum. She’s the face of SK-II (a skincare company), so I assume this was just a pre-Oscar event the company set up to promote their product AND Cate. The Antonio Berardi dress is very sexy – I love the little cap sleeve, and the design reminds me a lot of Roland Mouret. Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

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“Are you completely sure about this suit, Christina Hendricks?” links

Feb 26, 2016 marc

Christina Hendricks’ suit at the Hap And Leonard premiere was… um… [Popoholic] Karlie Kloss wore the craziest Alexander McQueen ensemble. [Go Fug Yourself] Elton John isn’t here for Janet Jackson’s lip syncing. [Dlisted] So are Lorde & Diplo happening or what? [LaineyGossip] Charlize Theron is not a “monster mom.” [Pajiba] Donald Trump is a terrible speller, in addition to being a fascist bully. [Jezebel] Love & Hip Hop NOLA is now a thing. [Starcasm] Kourtney Kardashian was out & about with her kids. [Moe Jackson] This Outlander EW cover would be sexier if both actors emoted a bit. [Buzzfeed] I still can’t believe the live-action Archie movie is happening. [OMG Blog] Would you smoke out of a Bernie Sanders bowl? [The Blemish] The best “Leo DiCaprio is thirsty for Oscar” memes. [Mashable] ****Note: We’ll be posting stories and fashion/party coverage Saturday and Sunday for Oscar weekend. We’ll have full coverage of the Independent Spirit Awards (which are held Saturday afternoon in LA) on Sunday. Sunday evening, we’ll also have an Open Post for the Oscars, Sunday evening posts for the big winners, and Celebitchy & I will be live-tweeting the red carpet and show. We’ll have full fashion & party coverage on Monday! You can follow me @KaiseratCB and CB @Celebitchy.