Showing posts with label INTERVIEW. Show all posts
Showing posts with label INTERVIEW. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 07, 2013

KERRY WASHINGTON'S STUNNING ELLE INTERVIEW

Kerry Washington In ELLE




Introducing ELLE’s June cover girl: Kerry Washington! The Scandal star poses for her first-ever major fashion magazine spread wearing Marc Jacobs. In her interview, the actress opens up to the magazine about her current success, getting red-carpet ready, and the career she always thought she’d pursue (hint: it isn’t acting!) The issue hits newsstands nationwide on May 21st.




On the career Washington thought she’d pursue:



“I imagined I’d be a clinical psychologist, with a focus on how performance shapes identity. I’d figure out ways to use role-playing in the healing of people.”


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

LEONARDO DICAPRIO TALKS TO ESQUIRE MAGAZINE

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THE ESQUIRE INTERVIEW
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Leonardo DiCaprio




Leonardo DiCaprio is the cover subject of the May issue of Esquire, on stands April 23rd. In the interview, he opens up about having thought of himself as the underdog at the start of his career, navigating his success, and his single status.



“I always thought of myself as the underdog, because I didn’t have nice enough clothes or maybe my hair didn’t look good. And so you have to understand – getting your foot in the door is like winning the lottery. It’s literally like winning the lottery if you get to have a career. And I’ve always felt, Okay, now I’ve gotten this shot, and I’m lucky to have gotten this shot, and if I don’t do this to the best of my ability – if I don’t work my ass off and make a life of it – I’ve squandered this incredibly golden opportunity. And that’s always been what has propelled me.”



On navigating his early success, “I really didn’t understand what fame was and I didn’t understand what being in a giant hit was and I didn’t understand what a giant hit Titanic was compared to other giant hits. There was no rule book. There was nobody to navigate me through the experience of being watched all the time and nobody to tell me how to be normal when everybody is acting and looking at me differently.”



On relationships, “Six months of being on location or being off in Morocco or someplace like that is not the best thing for a relationship.”



Thursday, March 28, 2013

MICHAEL J. FOX TALKS TO AARP THE MAGAZINE

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STAR INTERVIEW
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Michael J. Fox




Michael J. Fox is on the April/May cover of AARP The Magazine! The beloved entertainer speaks candidly about his battle with Parkinson’s disease, his new NBC comedy sitcom premiering this fall and his supportive family



Interview Quotes



On writing Parkinson’s into his character roles



“It’s too difficult to hide it. I could manage it for a scene or so, but it would fall apart over time. As long as I play a guy with Parkinson’s, I can do anything.”



On early fame and appreciating success 



“By 21, I was earning six figures a week, and by 23, I had a Ferrari. It was nuts. I never stopped to figure that out.”



“You’re not just a lottery winner. You have to respect the work you do and the work others do and how you got there.”



Saturday, March 16, 2013

NICKI MANAJ OPENS UP ABOUT BEING BULLIED

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ON THE NEWSSTAND
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Nicki Minaj



Nicki Minaj covers the April issue of ELLE magazine, on newsstands nationwide 3/26. She opens up to the magazine about facing childhood bullies, her advice for women in business, and her plans for world domination.



On her dramatic make-under for her ELLE photo shoot:


“When I saw myself with barely any makeup at, it was such a… like, I’m so, so attached to my pink lipstick, it’s hard. I feel that it’s become a part of me. To go in front of the camera, without pink lips or big ol’ crazy lashes- you know, nothing – I felt naked. It was scary! So this photo shoot was a real accomplishment in my eyes.”



On experiencing bullying in school as a child:


“I went through a lot of bullying early on. Girls made my life a living hell. We had come to America from a different country. My brother and I had accents. It was very tough. So I’ve always put up this wall – it was a self-defense mechanism growing up – because I was almost expecting people to attack me. And I still have it. It’s sad.”



Her advice for women on how to command respect:


“My advice to women in general: Even if you’re doing a nine-to-five job, treat yourself like a boss. Not arrogant, but be sure of what you want- and don’t allow people to run anything for you without your knowledge. You want everyone to know, Okay, I can’t play games with her. I have to do right by this woman. That’s what it’s all about.”



On her plans for world domination:


“My goal in the beginning was to buy my mother a house. Now I realize, Okay, if I really focus and become a key player in business, then I can build an empire. I’m thinking of a legacy that I can be proud of and wealth that my grandchildren can use to go to college. So world domination- in terms of providing for my family – is absolutely my goal.”


Friday, March 01, 2013

ANJELICA HUSTON'S IN SATURDAY EVENING POST

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ON THE NEWS STAND
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Anjelica Huston




Born of Hollywood royalty, longtime grist for the tabloid mill, and no stranger to tragedy, at age 61, Oscar-winner Anjelica Huston has found a new inner confidence. Following the sudden death of her husband four years ago, Huston was looking for something to fill the void in her life which she found in NBC’s Smash—her first venture into series television.



In the March/April issue (on newsstands now), Huston opens up to The Saturday Evening Post contributor Jeanne Wolf about her career as “a great observer,” citing that she never “fit in” or had any single type of character that she preferred to play. Outside of the set of Smash, Huston can be found looking for good times – opting to skip the drama of her earlier years – and working on her upcoming memoir. For more information, visit HERE.





On how Anjelica relates to her Smash character Eileen: “I would like to be as scrappy as Eileen. I can certainly wrap my brain around her scrappiness. But sometimes I’m a wimp, and other days I think I can conquer the world. I wish I could plan it out a bit better.”



On her steamy romantic scenes in Smash: “It certainly livens things up—particularly at my age. I remember at the very outset, two years ago, I said to the producers, ‘Please, give me a love interest.’ I think it’s important to see strong women who also have a very vulnerable side and who are allowed to have a sexy side.”



On getting cast as stern women like Eileen in Smash: “Eileen does have a good sense of humor. But it’s true, they like me to be these slightly sinister characters. It’s good to play against type, I guess.”



On her on-off relationship with Jack Nicholson whom she dated for 16 years: “Jack is someone I’ve adored in my life and will continue to love forever. I don’t take him lightly. As it happens, we had a really lovely conversation on the phone yesterday—a conversation that started off a little bumpy and wound up just completely wonderful. That’s a real relationship. Real relationships have continuity, and Jack and I have a deep abiding love and affection for each other. I’m proud that we’ve gotten through some very tough times together.”



On life after the death of her husband four years ago: “It’s funny. When I was getting ready to go out the other night I thought, there’s absolutely nobody in my life to tell me how I should look, how I should act, or what I should say. In fact, I doubt that there’s anyone who cares very much one way or the other what I do! And in a way, that was very liberating.”


Wednesday, February 27, 2013

CONNIE BRITTON'S MORE MAGAZINE INTERVIEW

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MORE WITH CONNIE BRITTON
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Connie Britton




You’ve loved her since Friday Night Lights, now she lights up your living room Wednesday nights on ABC’s Nashville. From her famous hair (she doesn’t have a Twitter account, but her hair does) to what it’s like to grow older, MORE gets Connie’s whole story. Her disappointment and heartbreak and her triumphs and successes make a character anyone can relate to and feel great affection for. Below are selected quotes from her interview. Please let me know if you would like a hi-res image of the cover.



On her study-abroad in Beijing 1986 with Senator Kristen Gillibrand: “You mean my roommate from China? The one I lip-synched a Madonna song with at the American Embassy?”



On her loss of the lead in Jerry Maguire to Renée Zellweger: “For the subsequent 10 years, it was probably the biggest heartbreak of my life.”



On her interview protocol: “I’m always honest in interviews, to a fault, really.”



On what it’s like to grow older: “There’s something really great, once you hit forty, about taking on something that fully flexes new and different muscles, because, man is it scary.”



On her famous hair: “It’s funny because every day people compliment me on it, I don’t have a Twitter feed, but I’m told my hair does. Apparently, there’s a blog – I haven’t seen it – about my hair.”



On where she finds herself today: “I think that I now know the importance of grace and sitting back. I have a deeper understanding of how most people are just trying to do the best they can.”





Thursday, February 14, 2013

ASHTON KUTCHER IN MARCH ESQUIRE MAGAZINE

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THE ASHTON KUTCHER INTERVIEW
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Ashton Kutcher





In the March issue of Esquire, on newsstands February 19th, is an interview with Ashton Kutcher where he opens up about portraying Steve Jobs, the less than stellar movies he’s starred in, and his other career pursuits off the screen.



“I know exactly what films I’ve done that fucking suck donkey,” Kutcher says. “And I know the ones that are good, that people like. And I know it not because of the box office, because the box office is not going to tell you the truth. I know it because I have friends that don’t hold back. They don’t depend on me for money or employment. They’re just friends. Friends tell the truth.” He continues, “My big thing is, Fail fast. If you’re going to fuck up, get it over with.”



“I actually used to be a front for the largest national sports-betting syndicate in America…we were clearing like $750,000 in four weeks of college football. It was pretty fun. Then they caught on. The hypothesis had been that the house would just assume that I was a dumb actor with a lot of money who liked football.”


Wednesday, February 06, 2013

MIKE TYSON VISITS KATIE COURIC FOR A CHAT

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TELEVISION
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Katie Couric And Mike Tyson




Tomorrow on “Katie,” Mike Tyson steps into a new ring when he sits down with Katie Couric for the first time. The boxer-turned actor, who never fails to surprise, leaves no subject uncovered in his conversation with Couric: mistakes he has made – including his marriage to Robin Givens; what led him to violence in his past; the impact the infamous “biting” incident with Evander Holyfield still has on his life today; and why he wants to be judged only on the last five years of his life. Plus, Katie asks him about his controversial role on Law & Order: SVU and what he thinks of those protesting his involvement with the show. Following is an excerpt from tomorrow’s show.



MIKE TYSON ON HIS VIOLENT PAST



KC: “Why do you think you were violent towards women or or tended to be abusive to women?”


MT: “No, no, no, no, no, no, no!”


KC: “In your past!”


MT: “No, listen, I was violent towards everybody. I didn’t give anybody no quarters and they didn’t give me any quarters. I was violent toward everybody, got equal opportunity. “


KC: “Well then, let me ask you…”


MT: “Yes.”


KC: “Why were you violent towards everybody you think? Where, where did that come from?”


MT: “I don’t know, ‘cause I hated myself and I wanted them to feel the pain that I felt at the time and umm, I don’t know. I was, I’m just um, I was um, I was not well. I’m just a guy trying to bridge the gaps between who I am and what I wanna be as I was saying and that’s gonna take a lot of um, that’s gonna take a whole lot of struggling."



Photo Courtesy Of: ABC/Disney


 

Friday, December 14, 2012

PLAYBOY INTERVIEW WITH SCOTT SPEEDMAN

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THE PLAYBOY INTERVIEW
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Scott Speedman




“So if you see a tweet from me—you know it’s fake,” says Canadian former teen star Scott Speedman, on why he despises social media. In his funny and candid interview he covers his stalker, his selective Canadian pride, and the odds that he’ll be starring in a superhero movie. Following are selected quotes from the 20Q (issue on newsstands and i.Playboy.com Tuesday, December 18, with the complete interview available HERE.



On Canadian pride of fellow Canucks, like Steve Nash and Pamela Anderson: “Nash, yes. Pamela Anderson, not so much. Nothing against her, but I’m a huge basketball fan.”


On the thought of a Canadian superhero: “He might not be the best action hero. Captain Canada would be the polite one, so where’s the drama? He’s the superhero who never fights anybody.”


Monday, November 26, 2012

DOLLY PARTON TALKS TO ABC NEWS TONIGHT

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DOLLY PARTON ON NIGHTLINE
 
Story By: Juju Chang For ABC News
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Dolly Parton




Country music titan Dolly Parton is anything but shy. 


In an exclusive interview with "Nightline," Parton dished about her love life (including those rumors that she is secretly gay), losing a drag queen lookalike contest and building an entertainment empire estimated at half a billion dollars. 




In her long reign as a country music legend, Parton, now 66, has done it all. In her new motivational memoir, "Dream More," which will be released on Nov. 27, Parton talks about growing up dirt poor in Sevierville, Tenn., in a cabin with 11 siblings. She said she modeled her signature big, blonde hair and red-lipped, voluptuous-Dolly look after the town tramp. 


"There was this woman, we won't call her names, but she was beautiful," she said. "I had never seen anybody, you know, with the yellow hair all piled up and the red lipstick and the rouge and the high heeled shoes, and I thought, 'This is what I want to look like.'" 


Parton is refreshingly honest about things most entertainers guard ferociously, including rumors about her love life. 



"I've... been accused of being involved with every man I'm ever seen with or worked with," she said. "Maybe I have, maybe I ain't. I never tell if I have. But you know people always saying that."


Parton has also been accused of being secretly gay and romantically involved with one of her oldest childhood friends, Judy Ogle. She denied the rumors said she even bonded with talk show queen Oprah Winfrey over the false tabloid claims. Parton has been married to her husband, Carl Dean, for 46 years. 


"Like Gail, her friend, Judy, my friend, they just think that you just can't be that close to somebody," Parton said. "Judy and I have been best friends since we were like in the third and fourth grade… We still just have a great friendship and relationship and I love her as much as I love anybody in the whole world, but we're not romantically involved." 


As a campy, vampy icon, Parton said she once entered a drag queen look-alike contest -- and lost. The other contestants didn't know they were going up against the real Dolly. 


"They had a bunch of Chers and Dollys that year, so I just over-exaggerated -- made my beauty mark bigger, the eyes bigger, the hair bigger, everything," she said, laughing. "All these beautiful drag queens had worked for weeks and months getting their clothes. So I just got in the line and I just walked across, and they just thought I was some little short gay guy.. but I got the least applause." 


Parton is a proud supporter of LGBT rights and even hosts "Gay Day" at her theme park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Parton said the event caught the attention of the Ku Klux Klan. 


"When it first started there were people giving us threats, I still get threats," Parton said. "But like I said, I'm in business. I just don't feel like I have to explain myself. I love everybody." 


Parton is also not shy about her numerous plastic surgery procedures, and said aging with her breast implants has been just fine. 


"I haven't had to have that done in years, and my girls are going pretty good," she said


Dolly Parton Tells All


Behind that va-va-voom body is a shrewd businesswoman. She starred in several iconic movies such as "9 to 5" and "Steel Magnolias." She has sold 100 million records and had numerous number-one singles. Her 1974 chart-topping hit, "I Will Always Love You," was later immortalized by Whitney Houston in the 1992 blockbuster film, "The Bodyguard." 


"When they played it at her funeral and they lifted her coffin up, man, it was like somebody stabbed me in the heart with a knife," Parton said. "It just overwhelmed me."



Her songs are her legacy, but so too is the Imagination Library, Parton's literary program dedicated to her father who couldn't read or write. 


"We've given out 40 million books since we've started, which is a lot of books for a lot of kids," she said. 


Parton may help a lot of kids, but she and Dean never had children of their own. 


"I often wonder, because he's tall and he's dark and I'm little and blonde and I just always wondered what our kids would have looked like had we had them," she said.


Parton said she doesn't have any regrets about not having children. 


"God didn't let me have kids so everybody's kids could be mine," she said. "I can keep my nieces and nephews and then when I'm sick of them, I can say, 'Hey, come get these kids, they're driving me crazy.' I'm a Great Aunt Granny, is what they call me." 


And Parton has no plans to slow down any time soon. 


"I will never retire unless I have to," she said, laughing. "As long as I'm able to get up in the morning, get that makeup on and my high heels on, and even if I can't wear high heels, I'm going to do like Mae West, I'm going to sit in a wheelchair with my high heels on."


Photo By: RD/Leon/Retna
 

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

BRADLEY COOPER FEATURED ON ESQUIRE COVER

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THE ESQUIRE INTERVIEW
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Bradley Cooper




Bradley Cooper is featured on the cover of the December issue of Esquire magazine on newsstands November 20th. In his interview, the “Silver Linings Playbook” star talks about his admiration for his dad, how he talked his way into Georgetown College (and cried when he learned he got in), and his costar Jennifer Lawrence.


· On getting paid fifteen million for acting: “It afforded me the ability to do the five movies I did between Hangover II and Hangover III. And you can solve people’s problems. To be able to say to someone, “You know what? I’m gonna buy your house for you. You don’t have to worry about the mortgage anymore.”

· On Jennifer Lawrence: “Her truth meter is severe. We would defer to her when we were trying to figure things out and she’d be like: BAM!”



Additionally, writer/director/actress Lena Dunham of the HBO series, Girls, is part of a well-curated list of Esquire’s 2012 list of Americans of the Year, including Bruce Springsteen and entrepreneur Elon Musk.


Thursday, September 27, 2012

BETTE MIDLER "SONGS TELL UNTOLD TRUTHS"

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THE AARP BETTE MIDLER INTERVIEW
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Bette Midler




Legendary stage and film actress and star of the upcoming “Parental Guidance,” Bette Midler, shares her biggest life lessons in the newest October/November issue of AARP The Magazine, giving readers a look into what the inspirational Divine Miss M believes above all else!



“Life Is Not Your Personal Express Lane”



“You've got to figure, "Well, there are 7 billion other people in the world. It doesn't all have to be about me!" It took me about 66 years to come to this conclusion.”



“Songs Tell Untold Truths”



“Twenty-seven people sang "Wind Beneath My Wings" before I got around to it. A lot of people saw the movie that I sang it in, Beaches, and what they came away with was that song. They turned to their loved ones and said, "You know, you are the wind beneath my wings!" The song expressed how they felt in a way a simple "I love you" would not have.”



“Beauty Ain't Pretty”



“You should be very careful about who does your mani-pedi, because you can really screw your toes up. You should stop beating your hair into submission, even if you don't like it. Everyone should exfoliate, every day, even guys.”



“More than two drinks a day will ruin your skin. And if you don't have a full-length mirror, you're going to get fat. Period.”



Wednesday, August 22, 2012

KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN WELCOMES BABY GIRL

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US WEEKLY'S KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN INTERVIEW
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Kourtney Kardashian New Baby




Penelope Scotland Disick made her worldwide debut on the August 20 cover of Us Weekly -- and now Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick's little girl is making her mark on the world wide web!

In a series of exclusive photos taken in Calabasas, Calif. August 2, the proud parents posed in their pajamas with their newborn daughter, 6 weeks, and son Mason Disick, 2. "Nothing could prepare me for how hard I fell in love with her," Kardashian, 33, raved of Penelope. "With Mason, we have such a love affair that I never knew existed. I didn't expect it to happen again. It's such a magical feeling."

Like Mason's birth in December 2009, Kardashian's "delivery was really quick," Disick, 29, recalled. "In the months before she gave birth, we would pray that she'd have a good one, and she did. Kourtney's mother [Kris Jenner, 56] was super supportive. It was cute to see her and hold Kourtney's hand and get her through it."

The couple isn't yet sure if their daughter's birth will be featured on one of the family's many E! reality shows. "We did tape it with our cameras, and Scott was taping some of it on his iPad," Kardashian explained. "I could see cameras from all angles!"

When Mason came to the hospital to meet his younger sibling, "He was so excited," Kardashian said. "He's adjusting to the whole thing so well. He calls her 'sister.' He gets mad if anyone calls her anything else. People will be like, 'What's your sister's name?' And he'll say, 'Sister!'"


PINK TALKS TO BILLBOARD ON HER CAREER

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TIMES SQUARE GOSSIP IN THE PINK
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Pink In Billboard Magazine





It's rare for a pop star with 13 years' worth of success to truly hit her stride in her career's second decade. But then again, most pop stars aren't P!nk. After scoring her second and third No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100 in the last four years ("So What" and "Raise Your Glass," ­respectively), stealing all the buzz from the 2010 Grammy Awards with her suspended performance of "Glitter in the Air" and shattering Australian tour records with her highly successful (and acrobatic) Funhouse tour in 2009, P!nk was at a career high by the time she took a well-deserved break to give birth to her daughter with husband Carey Hart, Willow, born in June 2011.



This week’s issue of Billboard features the outrageous singer in their cover story, where she talks about writing music after Willow, her “drama” with her husband Carey and where her career is heading.




Billboard: The songs talk about all phases of a relationship, but you must be aware that people are going to hear songs like “How Come You’re Not Here” and “The Truth About Love” and assume that you’re having marital problems again.

Pink: It’s funny. I wrote “Family Portrait” when I was 21 and my parents divorced when I was 9, so I tend to hold onto things. I’m still exorcising some of those demons. And look, I’m in a relationship that I’ve been in for 10 years and it’s never going to be perfect. Carey always jokes, “You’re always just mad enough at me to write a song.” “Yep. Thanks, baby, you’re my muse.”



Monday, August 06, 2012

KEITH COLLINS TALKS ABOUT 'MEAT PUPPET'

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THE TIMES SQUARE GOSSIP INTERVIEW
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 Keith Collins



Keith Collins is by far becoming the hardest, working man in show business. Producer, Advocate & Award Winning Actor, Keith is wearing all hats for his latest project “The Meat Puppet”. In this new horror / psychological thriller that is currently filming in New Jersey, Keith plays Andrew Shelton, a handsome playboy with an insatiable appetite for women and meat. He also is the movie’s producer and the premise of the film came from his deep seeded mind.

In a career that has spanned over a decade with way over thirty films under his belt, and many accolades, Collins feels “The Meat Puppet” will be his breakout role. In a recent chat with the veteran actor he revealed why he believes in this movie and what the future holds.

TSG: The Meat Puppet has a very original premise. Where did the idea come from and how did you get the project off the ground?

COLLINS: (laughs) I had this crazy idea in my head for years about a successful guy who seems to have it altogether but has this really dark secret where he is in search for the perfect meal and the only thing that will satisfy him is killing, cooking and eating beautiful women. So I just kept it in the back of my mind for a while I didn’t want to rush anything until I was ready to get the right people on board to do it right. I reached out to Joseph and Billy Pepitone who wrote a hilarious comedy I was in called “Stuck in the Middle”. I really liked their style and how they didn’t shy away from controversy and I thought they would be perfect for this. They turned in a first draft in about a week and I was amazed and loved it. I knew I was on to something.

TSG: Once you had the script, how did you move closer to getting the film made?

COLLINS: I wanted people with the same passion for this project as I had. Joseph and Billy definitely did. I reached out to Joe Valenti (Valenti Vision Films), a director I worked with on a movie called “Echelon 8” and Blaze Kelly Coyle (Silver Phoenix Entertainment), who produced it. That was the best decision I made. Valenti and Coyle jumped head first into this project and it really came together. Valenti added those extra needed elements and came up with some amazing twists in the story. I can’t tell you what an outstanding job he is doing shooting this film. He has a good eye and incredible vision in filmmaking. I always believed that “The Meat Puppet” could be a good horror movie, but working with this team, I believe it is going to not only be a good horror movie, but just a great movie all together, period.

TSG: The cast is very eclectic group. How did you go about casting this movie?

COLLINS: I was able to get a lot of my friends on board really early on in the process. They believed in me and what my vision was and they all loved the script and wanted to be a part of it. Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Guns and Roses), Geri Reischl (The Brady Bunch Variety Hour), Billy Garcia (Survivor), former (New York Yankee) Billy Sample, Erick Chopin who won (The Biggest Loser), Gregg Valentino (TLC’s The Man Whose Arms Exploded), Jason Prager (Beauty and the Geek), Gary Garver formerly from (The Howard Stern Show), Brandon Ruckdashel (CO-Ed Confidential), Theresa Galeani (Cross the Line), Gervase Peterson (Survivor, Season One), John Fields (A-List DJ Unique), Jamie Kovac (American Gladiators), April Hunter (WCW / TNA), Cindy Fox (The Naked Cowgirl), Faith Stanek (Star Trek Phase 2 Web Series), Emilio Masella (Oxygen’s Love Games), Doug Bollinger (Waltzing Anna), and the list goes on and on. We had then searched for a while and casted for two of the lead roles and Daniela Rivera & Chris Wilkes landed them to join our cast. Everyone has been terrific so far and every day of filming has been a pleasure.

TSG: We’ve seen a change in horror films over the last ten years. There seems to be a heavier emphasis on gore and shock. Every film tries to out do the last? Is The Meat Puppet going to try to top other horror movies?

COLLINS: The way “The Meat Puppet” is going to out do other horror films is by having an incredible story. There is a lot in this movie that horror buffs will love but this is also a great psychological thriller that will take your mind on one heck of a ride. People are really going to be totally blown away by the story, by how great this film looks and the acting. I truly can’t wait for people to see this film and for me to see all their reactions. 



Saturday, July 21, 2012

BANDERAS AND GRIFFITH SPEAK TO AARP

 Antonio Banderas And Melanie Griffith



Despite persistent rumors of infidelity and separation, a source recently told People magazine "They seem absolutely fine. Honestly, they seem happy."



Both Banderas and Griffith spoke candidly about their marriage for AARP The Magazine’s November issue.


(Griffith’s quotes are below Banderas’)



On the secret to a successful marriage:


“The secret is that we had failures before. And love at the beginning is a rush. It’s big, full of energy, beautiful. But it doesn’t last like that. Melanie and I talked about that a lot.”



“That thing at the beginning disappeared, but it became something better. We discovered the value and warmth of family and what is home—that we can be stronger together.”



“Even in crisis, we have been patient enough to detect that at the end of the tunnel was a light. We have had as many problems as anybody. We’ve never hidden it. We’ve been open about addictions, in the case of Melanie. She has overcome her problems beautifully. I didn’t know she was so strong. It makes me love her even more, because she has been an unbelievable lion fighting, and she got it. The last [relapse] was three years ago, and it just welded us.”



On avoiding high profile infidelity (like that of Anthony Weiner and Arnold Schwarzenegger):


“It’s all about balance in life. We all need water, obviously, but I’m not going to drink the pool. [Laughs.] I think it’s very important that you know exactly where the limits are.”



“It’s a very, very personal issue how you deal with that. [You have to ask yourself ] if you are willing to damage what you have—your kids, your family, your friends. How do you deal in your sexual life with your wife? How rich can you make it in order to not have to look for something outside your marriage? What other things can you do, in your home? What are the things that you may tell her, or are you going to be always lying?”



On his chemistry with Griffith in 1995’s Two Much:



“I saw this sweet, vulnerable soul, funny, also very smart and generous. I saw her with her kids, and she was so beautiful as a mom.”



“It happens sometimes that you connect with your costar. It’s normal. But at the end of the movie, it’s just ‘delete’—you go home and it’s good-bye. But it didn’t happen. We kept calling each other on the phone all day long. And then one day we had to actually confront it. And we did. It was not easy.”



** Melanie Griffith on her husband, Antonio Banderas **



On how they keep their marriage going:


GRIFFITH: “We’re willing to change with each other, let old things die and new things be born. But it’s a constant endeavor.”



On what first attracted her to Banderas:


GRIFFITH: “Everything, really. His way. He’s very funny. The first thing he asked me was my age. I said, ‘That’s the rudest thing anyone has asked me first. ’But there was something about him. Still is. I just love him.”