Interview: UK Star Ricky Whittle Tries His Luck in America and Comes Up a Winner

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 24:18 — 16.7MB)

A big star in the UK, Ricky Whittle decided it was time to take a huge gamble with his career.

He had been working steadily back home where he started as a model than transitioned to acting. He nabbed a starring role on the hit soap, Hollyoaks, and was there from 2006-2011. But, as he told me, he soon realized that there was “a plateau.”

“I could have happily have stayed where I was in the U.K.  I was doing very well.  I was working constantly,” he said. “There’s only so far you can go in the U.K.” So, he packed up and moved to Bever-ly. Or, Santa Monica, to be exact.

When he got stateside, he didn’t know anyone. He had a few meetings and by chance, met a manager and that’s when things started rolling. He was quickly cast in the feature Austenland opposite Keri Russell, Jennifer Coolidge and Jane Seymour and soon after, was asked to join the cast of the VH1 series Single Ladies which will premiere this summer. 

I talked to Ricky about what it’s like to come to LA after his years of success back home, the differences in shooting a show in the UK and the States and

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

Follow Ricky on Twitter! Read more

Tug Coker Talks About Playing Larry Bird in Broadway’s ‘Magic/Bird’

After their successful run of Lombardi, a play about the NFL’s most legendary coach, producers Fran Kirmser and Tony Ponturo decided to tackle two icons from another sport in their next play: basketball icons Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, who engaged in one of sport’s most talked-about rivalries during their playing careers. 

The relationship between the two men, both on-the-court and off-the-court, is the basis of the play Magic/Bird, starring Kevin Daniels as Johnson and Tug Coker as Bird.  Coker spoke to the Associate Press about what he brings to the role beyond his size.

For Coker, who grew up a Boston Celtics fan, playing Bird on stage is pretty close to his dream come true.  He says, “I never thought people would pay to come and see me play basketball.”  Read more

Biography: Zac Efron

Zac Efron will next be seen in Lee Daniel‘s thriller The Paperboy, alongside Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Matthew McConaughey and Scott Glenn. He also recently worked alongside Dennis Quaid in Ramin Bahrani‘s latest film and appears in the comedy Liberal Arts, Josh Radnor‘s directorial debut, which premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival.

Previously, Efron starred in Garry Marshall‘s ensemble romantic comedy New Year’s Eve and lent his voice to the animated feature Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax. He also starred in the title roles of the fantasy romance Charlie St. Cloud and the comedy 17 Again, both from director Burr Steers, and as the lovable Link Larkin in 2007′s smash hit musical Hairspray, directed by Adam Shankman. As part of the all-star cast he shared a Critics Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble, the 2007 Hollywood Film Festival Award for Ensemble of the Year, and was honored with a Screen Actors Guild Award® nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture Cast. In addition, he won an MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Performance.

Efron also starred in Richard Linklater‘s Me and Orson Welles, an adaptation of the novel by Robert Kaplow, which premiered to rave reviews at the 2008 Toronto Film Festival. More recently, he starred in Kenny Ortega‘s High School Musical 3: Senior Year, which set a box office record for the highest grossing opening weekend for a musical. Read more

How Can Television Networks Fix the Broken ‘Pilot Season’ Production Schedule?

As anyone working in television can tell you, for every ultra-successful television series like Seinfeld, Friends, CSI, or NYPD Blue there are dozens of shows that don’t make it past their first seasons — and dozens more that never make it past their first pilot episode. 

And while that is the breaks of show business, pilot season — the period between January and March in which scripts for new television series are considered and, in a handful of lucky cases, put into production — is often an intense period of gambling for television actors, who might work on several potential pilots over pilot season and end up with nothing come May, when studio executives decide on which pilots will go forward with a full-season order for a fall debut. 

An insightful article from New York Magazine written by producer Gavin Polone details how stressful the pilot season is for everyone involved, and how networks might go about revamping it to bring higher-quality shows to their channels. Read more

Full Casting Announced for the New Broadway Production of ‘Harvey’

The casting details have been finalized for the Roundabout Theatre Company’s new Broadway production of Harvey.

As has been previously announced, Jim Parsons will star as Elwood P. Dowd alongside Jessica Hecht (Veta Louise Simmons) and Charles Kimbrough (William R. Chumley, M.D.).

New additions are Larry Bryggman (Judge Omar Gaffney), Carol Kane (Betty Chumley), Peter Benson (E.J. Lofgren), Tracee Chimo (Myrtle Mae Simmons), Holley Fain (Ruth Kelly, R.N.), Angela Paton (Mrs. Ethel Chauvenet), Rich Sommer (Duane Wilson) and Morgan Spector (Lyman Sanderson, M.D.).

I played Sommer’s part – Duane Wilson – in my Elementary School’s production of Harvey. I was brilliant! A 12 year old playing the part of a 35-year-old male orderly. Acting! Read more

Biography: Michael Angarano

As one of the most gifted actors of his generation, Michael Angarano is making his mark on Hollywood with diverse roles that have established him as a respected and sought after young actor.

Angarano recently wrapped production on Craig Zisk‘s “The English Teacher,” starring opposite Julianne Moore, Nathan Lane, and Greg Kinnear. Angarano plays a failed playright who returns to to his hometown, and unwittingly upends the life of his former high school English teacher (Moore), who falls for him.

Additionally, he will be seen upcoming in Ramaa Mosley‘s “The Brass Teapot” opposite Juno Temple. The film follows a young married couple (Angarano and Temple) who are trying to break out of poverty when they find a mysterious teapot that will grant them unlimited money in exchange for someone else’s suffering. The film is to be released in 2012.

Recently, Angarano starred opposite Melissa Leo and John Goodman in “Red State,” which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and was released on October 19th, 2011. Additionally, he appeared in Gavin Wiesen’s “The Art of Getting By” opposite Emma Roberts and Freddie Highmore and Max Winkler‘s “Ceremony” opposite Uma Thurman. “Ceremony” follows a young guy (Angarano) who tries to crash the wedding of a thirty-something woman (Thurman) with whom he’s infatuated.  Read more

Biography: Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum is a talented young actor who has captured the attention of fans and critics alike. His breakthrough role came in 2006 when he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination and a Gotham Award nomination for his powerful role in the independent film A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, which won the Special Jury Prize for Best Ensemble Performance at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Written and directed by Dito Montiel, who also won a directing award at Sundance, this powerful coming-of-age drama was based on Montiel’s 2003 memoir of the same title.

The actor was recently seen in the epic Roman adventure The Eagle, directed by Academy Award winner Kevin Macdonald, co-starring Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland; and the romance Dear John, opposite Amanda Seyfried, for director Lasse Hallström. Tatum also starred in the action hit G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, directed by Stephen Sommers and co-starring Sienna Miller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dennis Quaid.

Other film credits include Dito Montiel’s Fighting, opposite Terrence Howard; Kimberly Peirce’s Stop-Loss, with Abbie Cornish; Andy Fickman’s She’s the Man, with Amanda Bynes; and Anne Fletcher’s Step Up.  Read more

Jim Parsons to Star in the New Broadway Production of ‘Harvey’

How cool is this? Jim Parsons will star as Elwood P. Dowd in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of Harvey.

Here’s the synopsis: “Elwood P. Dowd, Charming and kind, Elwood has only one character flaw:  an unwavering friendship with a 6-foot-tall, invisible white rabbit named Harvey.  In order to save the family’s social reputation, Elwood’s sister Veta (Jessica Hecht) takes Elwood to the local sanatorium. But when the doctors mistakenly commit his anxiety-ridden sister, Elwood — and Harvey—slip out of the hospital unbothered, setting off a hilarious whirlwind of confusion and chaos as everyone in town tries to catch a man and his invisible rabbit.”

The show, directed by Scott Ellis, will also star Jessica Hecht and Charles Kimbrough.

I remember when I was in 9th grade, our school did a production of Harvey and I played Wilson. From what I remember, he was some sort of handyman. No word on who is playing this pivotal role.

Performances of will begin on May 18^th, 2012 with the official opening set for June 14^th, 2012.  The limited engagement is scheduled to run through August 5^th, 2012 to accommodate Parsons’ Big Bang Theory schedule.

Harvey was first on Broadway stage in 1944 and was directed by Antoinette Perry – who the Tony Award is named after. The play won the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 1944, and its initial run lasted for four years—1,775 performances.  James Stewart assumed the role of “Elwood” from Frank Fay in the 1944 production and originated the role in the 1970 production as well as the film adaptation in 1950.  Helen Hayes played “Veta” opposite Mr. Stewart in the 1970 production.

The cast and director biographies are below.  Read more

Q & A: Denis O’Hare on ‘American Horror Story’, ‘True Blood’ and His “Addiction” to Theatre

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 14:29 — 10.0MB)

Up until 2 years ago, Denis O’Hare had a terrific career; moving seamlessly from TV (Brothers and Sisters, CSI: Miami), Film (Michael Clayton, Baby Mama, Milk) and Broadway (Cabaret, Assassins, Sweet Charity). But once he was cast in True Blood, his career went to another level.

As Russell Edgington, he made the show 10 times more fun to watch with his portrayal of the Vampire King of Mississippi. From there he went back to Broadway in Elling and now, he’s starring in FX’s American Horror Story. He plays Larry the Burn Guy, a man who was disfigured in a fire started by his wife when he revealed his love for the neighbor, Constance (Jessica Lange).

In this Q&A, Denis talks about the make-up process for the show, how he got the part and how he’s “addicted” to theatre.

Follow Denis on Twitter!

American Horror Story airs on Wednesdays at 10pm on FX

For more American Horror Story, check out our interview with Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton

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

You’re playing such a dark character, and a lot of times actors say that you have to like who you’re playing to be able to play that character convincingly.  Do you like anything about your character, and how do you connect with him?

Denis O’Hare: You know, it’s funny.  I love this character, and I love him because I feel like he is engaged in a sort of timeless epic struggle.  And I see him as kind of a Dante-esque figure.  He’s somebody who is trapped in a circle of hell, and he’s trying to work his way out.  And he’s a human being who’s flawed, and he’s obviously weak, and he’s given into temptation and made bad choices. 

But through that all he’s still got this sort of, I don’t know, passion and dream to achieve something.  And he’s—it’s an odd character.  Like no other character I’ve ever played in my life, I find that I have to reach for a metaphor to describe him.  I have an innate sense of who he is, and when I’m playing him it’s all very instinctual.  But to describe it I find myself running to literature, and so I think it’s sort of like Igor in the Frankenstein mythology, or an amanuensis in some other mythologies, or a psychopomp as they call them sometimes, somebody who traffics between worlds.  And it’s a really odd, beautiful character.  Read more

UK Trailer: ‘The Iron Lady’ starring Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent

The Iron Lady: A look at the life of Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a focus on the price she paid for power. is a surprising and intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), the first and only female Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. One of the 20th century’s most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world.

Director: Phyllida Lloyd

Cast: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Anthony Head, Richard E. Grant

Here is the teaser trailer from July

 In Theaters: December 16th, 2011

Read more

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