Q & A: Jane Lynch on Hosting the Emmy Awards, ‘Glee’ and What Would Happen If All the “Hoopla” Went Away

With Jane Lynch hosting the 63 Primetime Emmy Awards, might we see some of her Glee castmates?

“I bet there will be an appearance,” she said in a conference call to promote her upcoming hosting duties. “I’ve pitched a couple of ideas for the Glee cast.”

Lynch, nominated herself for Supporting Actress in a Comedy, said that since she’s the host, “It’s almost a relief not to have to think about having been nominated. My nerves will mostly be focused toward doing the show.”

She also talked about the upcoming season of Glee and if she would do anything different early in her career.

The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Sunday, September 18 at 8 PM ET/5PM PT on Fox.

Last year at the Emmys obviously one of the big hits was the opening number with you and Jimmy Fallon and the whole gang.  At this point, are you able to confirm any sort of follow up to that in your version of the Emmys?

Jane Lynch: Follow up, no.  I mean I think we started it from scratch and we didn’t try to follow up on anything from last year.  But I’m pre-taping something right now for the Emmys, and I don’t want to tell you what it is.  It will spoil the surprise.

And then as far as “Glee,” I was just wondering—back at TCA Kevin Riley said that he sees this season as really going back to basics.  Is that anything that you’ve seen in the early scripts?

Jane Lynch: Yes.  I think what he was talking about is sticking to the story lines of our regular characters, because you know we had a great season last year but we did kind of go all over the place with guest stars and had a lot of fun with that.  And we’re kind of honing in on these stories of these kids, especially in light in the fact that several of them will be graduating at the end of the year.

You know with graduation looming ahead it’s not just about working for regionals, sectionals, then nationals—I think it’s actually sectionals, regionals nationals—it’s kind of about what these kids are going to be doing with their lives.  So it’s pretty interesting, but a lot of fun.  Read more

Interview: Malin Akerman, Lake Bell and Erinn Hayes talk Children’s Hospital

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:12 — 9.1MB)

Here’s the last of the Children’s Hospital interviews I did at this year’s Comic-Con.

I talked with Malin Akerman, Lake Bell and Erinn Hayes and I kept this my last because it was incredibly hard to transcribe! The back and forth banter was quick, funny and writing it down just didn’t capture the spontaneity of the interview.

I’d listen to the audio portion if you want to get the full feel of the interview. There was a lot of things I couldn’t include here because most of it would look ridiculous in print.

From talking about having each other’s children, their outrage at Rob Corddry for not inviting them to go to Brazil to film a 10-second-scene and having their characters die and come back to life, the conversation was definitely a highlight.

Children’s Hospital airs on Adult Swim at midnight on Thursdays. 

For the full interview, click onto the audio link above or download from iTunes.

Children’s Hospital is not the kind of show where you go, “What is my arc?”

Lake Bell: None, there’s no logic.

Is that a challenge as an actor or is it more freeing?

Erinn Hayes: It was awesome.  All you have to do is show up and be like, “what am I going to do today?”  You don’t have to think about it or like do a whole lot of prep other than, like, what’s going to make this the funniest for this particular episode.  Read more

Kelli O’Hara to Star Opposite Matthew Broderick in Broadway’s ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’

Three-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O’Hara (South Pacific, The Pajama Game and The Light in the Piazza) will star opposite two-time Tony Award-winner Matthew Broderick (The Producers, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Brighton Beach Memoirs) in the new musical comedy, Nice Work If You Can Get It. 

Directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes, The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town), the show is scheduled to open on Broadway this April.

The show centers on Billie Bendix (O’Hara), a tough-as-nails bootlegger who meets up with wealthy playboy Jimmy Winter (Broderick) on the weekend of his wedding.  Read more

Chris Pratt Talks About Playing Baseball and Learning from Philip Seymour Hoffman in ‘Moneyball’

Does Parks & Recreation star Chris Pratt strike you as a Major League Baseball home run hitter?  Probably not. 

Neither did the filmmakers behind Moneyball, the upcoming baseball film based on the analytical approach to baseball utilized by Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics since 1998, yet Pratt stars as Scott Hatteberg, one of Beane’s star signings. 

Pratt admits in an interview with Movieline that as much as he wanted the part he almost didn’t get it, explaining “It was definitely something that I wanted, but I was just one of just a giant number of people who wanted the role. I read it and thought that it was incredible. My first audition was with [Moneyball director] Bennett Miller and I thought it went well. I felt like we found some real moments. Then, when I left, my agent called me and said, ‘Chris, they really thought you were good, but they think you’re too fat.’ I was like, ‘Fuck, really? That sucks. OK, well, I can lose weight. Did you tell them I could lose weight?’ ‘Yeah, we told them. They haven’t offered it to anyone else. There’s no guarantee, but…’ I just hung up the phone and from that point on — it was about a seven month process from that moment until the end of filming. It was another three months before I found out I got the role, but in that three months I think I dropped 30 pounds. I was bound and determined to become Scott Hatteberg whether they cast me or not.”   Read more

Andrew Garfield on Spider-Man Hype: “I’m going to do my best to remain me”

Andrew Garfield wowed audiences at this year’s Comic-Con with his sheer enthusiasm with his upcoming role as the titular hero in The Amazing Spider-Man, a role that promises to catapult the once little-known actor into super-stardom. 

Of course, preparing for the role and dealing with the fame fallout might prove to be far more difficult that acting in the movie itself.  In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Garfield opened up about the preparation he underwent before filming and how he plans to come to terms with the significant fame he’ll doubtlessly receive once it appears in theaters.

When asked if he intentionally avoided anything while preparing for the role, Garfield admits he didn’t feel that way, saying, “I didn’t really think about avoiding anything. I just didn’t come at it that way. I wanted him to have fun. I wanted it to feel like Peter Parker could have some fun and wasn’t just trying to save the world. He could have fun even after the responsibility has been thrust upon him and he has to save the city. I really wanted to do something physical that was genuine and authentic and inspired by the different artists over the years. His physicality is something which I’ve been obsessed by and I’ve loved.”   Read more

The Lessons of Resiliency

Written by Rhonda Musak

There are few jobs less stable than those found in the world of showbiz—films wrap, plays close and TV shows end. 

In fact, over the course of a career an actor can spend mind numbing amounts of time interviewing for jobs, i.e. auditioning.  As a professional in the field of acting, I have observed that there is one standout characteristic that allows someone to thrive through what often seems like a raging sea of instability: resiliency.

Searching the thesaurus, I’m astonished to find a realm of expansiveness in the word “resilient”: elastic yet hard-wearing, flexible yet tough, pliant yet durable.  The word paints a striking picture of long-lasting possibility. 

Actors know that they are not going to book every job auditioned for, but they also know that a huge part of the game is showing up—and showing up again, and again, and again… In fact, the pro will rarely take much time to lament what did not happen but will instead pour energy forward into the next set of opportunities.  Read more

Contest: Win a Copy of ‘Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song’ starring Lucy Hale

And we’ve got winners!

Destiny from Omaha, Nebraska and Meaghan from Norwalk, CA

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Win a DVD of Cinderella Story: Once Upon A Song!

Starring Lucy Hale, Freddie Stroma, Megan Park and Titus Makin Jr., the film is Cyrano De Bergerac meets Cinderella.

“Over-worked, harried and terrified of being put back in foster care, 17 year old Katie (Lucy Hale) does her stepmother and step-siblings’ bidding without complaining. Vocally gifted, Katie feels particularly upset when forced to lay down singing tracks so that her untalented stepsister, Bev Van Ravensway, can hopefully win a recording contract from Massive Records – who’s company President, Harvey Morgan, is scouting for new spectacular talent at a talent showcase for the Performing Arts Department at a prestigious private school. Like a true under-appreciated actor, the deeper meaning of the widget is hidden behind the veil of the fun content and is a subtle—perhaps subconscious—message that says anything is possible if you follow your dreams.”

Find out how to enter after the jump!   Read more

Hurricane Irene Hits Broadway Where It Hurt$ Mo$t

Now this will leave some damage.

As everyone knows from the wall-to-wall news coverage, Hurricane Irene swept through the Eastern Seaboard.  Although some places were hit hard, New York City escaped with relatively minor damage.  However, because the actual severity of the hurricane could not be predicted, several safety precautions were taken in Manhattan to limit the potential cost to human life.  One of the most significant moves was the suspension of public transportation, which in part lead to the cancellation of Broadway shows for the weekend.  This is even more significant if you take into account that many shows, like Billy Elliot and the Lion King, have two performances on weekend days (forcing the cancellation of up to four shows over a two-day period).

So it’s no surprise that Broadway took in 36% less money than it did for the same week last year ($11.62 million vs. $18.15 million) with an equally huge drop in attendance (from 204,265 last year to 130,853 this year).  Obviously that is a significant drop that shows just how important summer weekend business is for Broadway productions.   Read more

LA: Interview & Seminar With Guest Mark Measures of Abrams Artists Agency

A NO-PUNCHES PULLED, FACE TO FACE INTERVIEW & SEMINAR

conducted by 

INSPIRATIONAL COACH STUART K ROBINSON 

In this intensive seminar, Stuart K will share strategies for success in commercial acting. Ask the “brass tacks” questions of Special Guest Industry Professionals and open the floor for your most relevant inquiries.

This Month’s Special Guest:  Mark Measures, Abrams Artists Agency  

Monday, September 12, 2011

7:00 – 9:30 pm

$25 in advance, $30 at the door, see address below.

Read more

Adam Riches Takes Home Top Honors at Edinburgh Fringe

Edinburgh Festival Fringe veteran Adam Riches recently won the Scottish art festival’s top honor, taking home the Foster’s Best Comedy Show award.

The 38-year-old English actor won the prize for his performance in Bring Me the Head of Adam Riches, which features his “trademark mix of character comedy, anarchic stagecraft and a fearless level of audience engagement,” according to Edinburgh Fringe officials.

“It is very physical character comedy, very fast paced with a lot of audience interaction as well. They’re embroiled in the story and events, just sort of lively. That was just what I always wanted to do in Edinburgh,” riches explained of his one-man show. “I’m conscious of the weather, conscious of people’s moods, conscious that they have seen six or seven shows that day, so I wanted to devise something that swept them up, shook them up a bit and then booted them back out in to the festival.”   Read more

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