Biography: Chris Pine

Chris Pine has emerged as one of Hollywood’s hottest young actors. Chris was most recently seen in the Twentieth Century Fox feature film Unstoppable directed by Tony Scott and costarring Denzel Washington. Chris has completed production on the drama Welcome to People costarring Michelle Pfeiffer, Elizabeth Banks and Olivia Wilde.

In 2009, Pine starred as James T. Kirk in Paramount’s box-office smash-hit feature film Star Trek for director J. J. Abrams. The film chronicles the early days of Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members. He will reprise that role in two upcoming sequels of the franchise.

Pine’s additional feature credits include the Paramount Vantage film Carriers, the educational animated feature Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey, Bottle Shock for writer/director Randall Miller, the independent feature Small Town Saturday Night for writer/director Ryan Craig, Joe Carnahan’s gritty ensemble drama Smokin’ Aces for Working Title Films and Universal Pictures, Blind Dating costarring Eddie Kaye Thomas and Jane Seymour, the Fox/New Regency romantic comedy Just My Luck opposite Lindsay Lohan and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement opposite Anne Hathaway.

On the stage, Pine was most recently seen starring in Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. In Bob Verini’s review for Variety, he called Pine’s performance “spookily, spectacularly good” and went on to remark that “Inishmore audiences are present at the launch of what promises to be a truly remarkable stage career.” In March, 2011 Chris was awarded “Best Lead Performance” by the LA Drama Critics Circle for his performance.

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Forbes List Of Hollywood’s ‘Best Actors for the Buck’

Delivering their annual list of Hollywood’s Best Actors for the Buck, Forbes has revealed who came out on top in Tinseltown this year. 

Based on the performers three major releases in the last five years, the news giant named Twilight actress Kristen Stewart at No. 1.  The twenty-one year old actress, who plays Bella Swan in the Stephenie Meyer vampire adaption, earns $55.83 for every $1 she is paid. 

The Princess Diaries star Anne Hathaway came in at No. 2, she averaged a return of $45.67.

Surprisingly Hathaway beat out Robert Pattinson, the other star of Meyer’s multi-million dollar story.  Pattinson’s additional films outside of the Twilight franchise, as pointed out by Forbes, didn’t fare well at the box office, causing the actor to score only $39.43 for every dollar he was paid.  Read more

Lea Michele on ‘New Year’s Eve’: “I didn’t really intend on doing a film where I sang”

Lea Michele’s extraordinary voice is showcased each week in her starring role on FOX’s Glee but is the songbird ready to trade in her signature solos for non-singing film roles? 

Despite the fact that she sings in the new film, New Year’s Eve, Michele says she is ready to explore other opportunities in Hollywood.  In an interview with E! Online, Michele says, “I just felt that it was a perfect part for me to play for my first film.  To really transition from Glee…And from now on I might start to try to look into other things without singing to give my voice a break.”

The part, a backup singer for Bon Jovi, was written specifically with her in mind.  Michele read the script without the mindset of finding another role to display her vocal talents, and she had no idea the part had been written for her.  She says, “I didn’t really intend on doing a film where I sang.  I sing so much on my show that I sort of felt like maybe I would start looking into things that didn’t involve me singing, but when I read the script, the songs were already in there—they didn’t add them for me.”  Read more

Michelle Williams channels Marilyn Monroe in ‘My Week With Marilyn’

For six seasons, she played the beautiful yet complicated Jen Lindley on Dawson’s Creek. Flash forward t0 2011 and this teenager is now a woman in her thirties with many award nominations, including an Oscar nod for her turn as a lonely, trapped wife in Brokeback Mountain.

Now, after playing these deeply depressing characters, she is beginning to embrace her “new life,” which can only come from growing up and understanding who she is. It doesn’t hurt that she was chosen to play iconic sexpot/actress, Marilyn Monroe in the film My Week With Marilyn. But what hides underneath this willowy, Mia  Farrow-esque actress? “I think Nabokov once said that genius is finding the invisible link between things.  And that’s how I choose to see life. Everything’s connected, and everything has meaning if you look for it.” 

The idea of playing such an iconic figure was daunting. “As soon as I finished the script, I knew that I wanted to do it, and then I spent six months trying to talk myself out of it,” she says. “But I always knew that I never really had a choice. I’ve started to believe that you get the piece of material that you were ready for.”

She’s also intrigued by Monroe’s way of being both an adult and a little girl, a dichotomy hard to genuinely find in this world. “I’ve always thought of her as that woman-child, not an icon, which is probably why I let myself approach the role.”  Read more

Watch: 14 Year-Old Anne Hathaway’s First Commercial

Every actor gets their modest start somewhere. 

For One Day  star Anne Hathaway it was a commercial back in 1997 where she first began perfecting her craft and those teary scenes.  Before becoming a household name somewhere between The Princess Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada, Hathaway appeared in a Real Estate commercial for Better Homes and Gardens. 

In the video clip (that has made its way mysteriously back in rotation) the in demand star is seen overcome with teenage angst, and a style that screams the 90′s.

Pointed out by The Huffington Post, the video’s YouTube description “says the clip was shot in 1997 and according to [Hathaway's] mom on the set, it was the first time she was ever in front of a camera.” 

Watch the video below.  Read more

Stephen Amell talks “Vampire Diaries”, playing Joran Van Der Sloot and almost getting cast as Spartacus

Stephen Amell is one busy actor who is enjoying a vast array of parts on several different projects and showing off his impressive range of acting skills.

On “Vampire Diaries,” Amell plays the evil Brady who temporarily scars Caroline during a creepy and vicious torture scene, and the actor obviously embraced the dark side of his character. While in ”Justice for Natalee Holloway,” the actor’s portrayal of Joran Van Der Sloot it’s less obvious what emotions lay below the surface of the man. Amell delivers a performance that plays up Van Der Sloot’s handsome and charming boyishness but adds a sense of timidness to the mysterious man with the world reknowned reputation clouded in suspicion.  Unlike with his “Vampire Diaries” character, the viewer does not detect any judgement on the actor’s part regarding Van Der Sloot’s guilt or innocence.

Amell explains what it took for him to prepare for this role. “ Well the practical side came first. I had to get the accent and I had to figure out his mannerisms. The next aspect was taken care of with the dialogue. But I have to say, this is the first time I’ve played someone who exists in reality and it was very exciting,” he says. “Honestly, I didn’t think too much about it going in, but we filmed a really big scene off the bat and it took a bit of a toll on me. I wouldn’t say it was emotionally challenging, but if I played him right, by the end of the day I was in a funk. That being said, you don’t want to judge the characters you play, so you’re able to bring the truth, but I was very aware this character is a weak person. So where you normally look for strength, I look for weakness,” the actor said.

Amell’s name was on the short list to take over on “Spartacus“, and though the part went to Liam McIntyre, he says he is okay with the producers decision.” I was in the “Spartacus” casting process for about two months. I had four auditions and a great meeting with Steven DeKnight. Then myself, Aiden Turner and Liam McIntyre were flown to New Zealand and worked for three full days. Fitness assessment, screentest and character work. I think Liam will be spectacular, but it worked out because the Tuesday after I didn’t get “Spartacus,” I got a call to get on the plane to Georgia for “Vampire Diaries.” I had auditioned three times before that. I definitely tried out for Mason Lockwood and Elijah. They liked me but didn’t think I was the right fit for those roles. For Brady, I got on the plane not even knowing the part, but knowing it would be super awesome.”
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James Franco and Anne Hathaway to host the Academy Awards

James Franco and Anne Hathaway have been tapped to host the 83rd Academy Awards.

Looks like the Academy is attempting to go for a younger audience… What do you think?

The Press release is below.

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Ernie Hudson on his worst non-acting job, auditioning and more!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:38 — 19.0MB)

Ernie Hudson is probably best known for his role as Winston Zeddemore in Ghostbusters, the warden in OZ or his role in his current series, The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

But, he’s been on stage and screen for years also appearing in Las Vegas, Law and Order, Desperate Housewives, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle and was on Broadway in last year’s,  Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.

In his new film, Doonby, he plays Leroy, a blues musician who quits his life on the road to settle down with the woman of his dreams.

He’s a truly talented guy and gave a wonderfully candid interview. We talk about how he got his start, the worst non-acting job he’s ever had, if he still has to audition (and when he does, his tech savvy way around it), his new film Doonby and so much more!

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

How did you get your start?

Ernie Hudson: I grew up in Michigan in a small town, Benton Harbor. Then through a series of life changes, ended up at Wayne State University and discovered theatre there and just fell in love with it. Started acting back in 67, somewhere around there, and worked in Detroit. I got a scholarship to Yale after I graduated from Wayne State, went there and came out to Hollywood and did a film with Gordon Parks. I went to University of Minnesota for a while because my wife at the time was working on her degree and then when that marriage ended me and my two sons came out to California. And we just got a little place and did what actors do.

Basically, I had got into college and was really trying hard to find– my grandmother raised me and wanted me to find a good job. And I really tried the good job thing and did a lot of different things and never really felt comfortable until I walked in the theatre one night and saw a play and I just felt at home. And I think it was when I did my first play, I just knew how to do that. I think all the jobs I had, I always felt like ‘they’re going to fire me at any minute and if they don’t they should fire me at any minute.’ Whereas, with this I just felt,  ‘okay I can do this.’

What was the worst real job that you had?

Ernie Hudson: Well, probably the worst job I had actually while I was in high school, I was working at a foundry. My brother got me a job there when I was in my senior year of high school and so I would leave school at noon and I would meet him and we would drive up and I’d work from 3 to midnight. And my job was shoveling dirt in a room that was filled with this black dirt that they would use for the molding machine. They had a conveyor belt that just kept going continuously, so I had to shovel through the dirt for nine hours a day, filling these things up. And you never had the satisfaction of filling anything up because the conveyor belt kept going and you were just shoveling all day.

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Television Shows and Pilots Now Casting

TV SHOWS CASTING NOW
90210
All My Children
Anubis House
Better With You
Big Bang Theory
Big Love
Big Time Rush
Bleep My Dad Says
Blue Bloods
Blue Mountain State
Body of Proof
Bold & The Beautiful, The
Bones
Brothers & Sisters
Cape, The
Castle
Chaos
Chase
Chuck
Closer, The
Community
Cougar Town
Covert Affairs
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
CSI
CSI: MIAMI
CSI: NY
Days of Our Lives
Defenders, The
Detroit 1-8-7
Desperate Housewives
Dexter
Drop Dead Diva
Eagleheart

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LA Television Shows Now Casting

Television Shows Now Casting
90210
All My Children
Being Human
Better Together
Big Bang Theory
Big Love
Big Time Rush
Bleep My Dad Says
Blue Bloods
Blue Mountain State
Body of Proof
Bold & The Beautiful, The
Bones
Brothers & Sisters
Cape, The
Castle
Chase
Chuck
Closer, The
Community
Cougar Town
Covert Affairs
Criminal Minds
CSI
CSI: MIAMI
CSI: NY
Days of Our Lives
Defenders, The
Detroit 1-8-7
Desperate Housewives
Dexter

Read more

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