Hollywood Everafter

Natalie Portman Stymied by Celibacy

Why would actress Natalie Portman turn down the chance to be in a film with Oscar winning Meryl Streep?

The answer lies in Portman’s attitude toward Roman Catholic vocations.

“Doubt,” a film adaptation of the successful play by John Patrick Shanley (who, incidentally, directs the movie), tells the story of two nuns (Meryl Streep and Amy Adams) that confront a priest (Philip Seymour Hoffman) whom they suspect of abusing an altar boy. Themes of religion, morality and authority punctuate the dialogue.

Portman reportedly wanted to co-star in the movie but turned down the part for what seems like a fairly flimsy reason, considering that she’s supposed to be a professional.

“We asked Natalie Portman, and Natalie was very interested but kept saying she had a problem. And we finally nailed down as to what the problem was: she basically said she didn’t understand celibacy,” Shanley told the GossipSauce Web site.

If it took so much brainpower to understand celibacy, Portman probably could have benefited from a class in abstinence.

Instead she’s likely to find out that she made a bad career move by ultimately denying herself what actors lust after most, and that is prestige, which in Hollywood comes in the form of a little gold statue.

“Doubt” opens in limited release on December 12, just in time to qualify for Oscar’s attention.

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in Media Psychology, is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University and professor at Trinity Law School.

November 30, 2008 Posted by jimjams | Celebrities, Hollywood, Secret, Showbiz | , , , , | No Comments Yet

Rosie O’Donnell and Barbara Walters Duke It Out

The rumors were true after all.

Rosie O’Donnell will be the executive producer and host of a variety-special pilot for NBC called “Rosie Live.”

Could it be that O’Donnell is craftily promoting her show by picking a fight with former “View” boss Barbara Walters?

If so, Walters has played right into O’Donnell’s hands.

Through her Rosie.com Web site, press statements and appearances, O’Donnell has been pushing her new project hard.

She recently told the press, “I didn’t want to be paid to fight. When I started and took that job it was with the idea of speaking for the millions of mothers whose voices weren’t heard on television.”

She added that after leaving “The View” in 2007, Walters “wanted everyone to believe and think and act” as if everyone on the show got along with one another and were “really good friends. And you know, that’s just not the reality.”

In an apparent attempt to counter Rosie, shortly after the O’Donnell comment Walters took co-hosts Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg to a highly visible dinner at Le Cirque. She also used the opening of “The View” to grumble about “some people who have done this show” and then have disparaged it after they leave.

“I resent it,” Walters said, referring to O’Donnell’s comments. “So if the shoe fits, lady, get on with your life.”

Rosie responded to Barbara with a new video on her blog titled “Lady,” which opens with a photo of O’Donnell posing with Walters. “I do not know what Star Jones and Debbie Matenopoulos did, but oooooh, lady… she is pissed off!” Rosie says in the video post.

O’Donnell went on to appear on “Late Night” with Conan O’Brien where she said that she experienced “post-traumatic stress disorder” from her time co-hosting on “The View.”

The end result of all the fuss has been gobs of free publicity for O’Donnell and her new TV program.

Coincidentally, the debut of her new variety show just happens to be right around the corner.

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A. in Media Psychology, is a media analyst, teacher of mass media and entertainment law at Biola University and professor at Trinity Law School.

November 24, 2008 Posted by jimjams | Celebrities, Hollywood, Showbiz, Television | , , , | No Comments Yet

Elton John Slams Prop 8, Lauds Civil Unions

Elton John and David Furnish may have had a ceremony to solidify their commitment, but John recently let the world know, “We’re not married. Let’s get that right. We have a civil partnership.”

John distanced himself from the protests that are taking place in cities across the U.S. “What is wrong with Proposition 8 is that they went for marriage,” he said.

John and Furnish came to the U.S. for the annual benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

“I don’t want to be married. I’m very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership,” John advised.

“The word ‘marriage,’ I think, puts a lot of people off. You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships,” John added.

The dinner-fundraiser was hosted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who hasn’t yet indicated whether he agrees with the legendary rocker or not.

November 16, 2008 Posted by jimjams | Celebrities, politics | , , , | No Comments Yet

Nyuk Nyuk: The Farrelly Brothers Push ‘Three Stooges’ Remake

The Farrelly brothers, best known for directing “There’s Something About Mary,” have inked a deal with MGM to bring Larry, Moe and Curly AKA “The Three Stooges” to a multiplex near you.

The studio is shooting for a Thanksgiving 2009 release.

Actors names that have been floated include Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe.

When asked whether they would appear in an updated version of the comedy classic the actors reportedly responded, “Cewtainly!”

November 7, 2008 Posted by jimjams | Celebrities, Comedy, Movies | , , | No Comments Yet

Cindy Sheehan Endorsed by Penn, Sheen and Barr

Sean Penn, star of “Milk,” a biopic of the life and assassination of San Francisco supervisor and gay rights leader Harvey Milk, escorted congressional candidate Cindy Sheehan to the film’s San Francisco premiere.

Sheehan is running as an independent candidate against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for California’s 8th District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Penn hosted an October fundraiser for Sheehan at his San Francisco home, which raised more than $5,000.

Martin Sheen and Roseanne Barr have also endorsed Sheehan.

Sheen is best known for playing fictional Democratic President Josiah Bartlet in the NBC liberal fantasy TV series, “The West Wing.”

Comedian, blogger and sometimes radio host Barr is best known for her long-running ABC series, “Roseanne.”

Who could have imagined that Penn, Sheen and Barr would be fantasizing about the same thing as a lot of conservatives-getting rid of Madam Speaker.

November 3, 2008 Posted by jimjams | Celebrities, Entertainment Business, Hollywood, politics | , , , , , | 3 Comments