Just spotted dashing Mark Ruffalo and his newly-brunette wife Sunrise Coigney in the Village. I got the photo because I was already in the process of "Guydar"ing him.
Speaking of which: Do you miss "Guydar" and "Ends of the World"?
Gabby was visiting the publisher Algonquin and did a dozen or so quick pic-withs.
Aside from the fact that my hair is a travesty (use voice of Vivian Vance), I had some fun at BEA, the big book-publishing convention. Grindr was quiet as a mouse (bookworms...harrumph!), but I was 0 feet away from Gabby Giffords (whose astronaut hubby was a tad overqualified to be our photographer), Tim Conway (who was scolded for not smiling by the random guy who took our shot, even though he did!) and Jim Carrey.
No interaction, but an honor to be in his presence. Got his new book, What's So Funny?, free.
Carrey's was the only real production, including a lengthy line and crazed fanboys and fangirls. One, Eva, wants to marry him and totally deserves to. They'd be cute together! Carrey was doing the quickie/across-the-table pic-withs, so that is always a great way to bring out my double chin. But the lovely girl who took the shot did well by us.
The photogenic editor or publicist photobombed everyone shamelessly.
When I had my 4 seconds to speak to him, I had figured I'd blurt out something about Phillip Morris, but I instead found myself referencing Duck Factory (!) before telling him to please keep giving 'em hell on Twitter, even if hell doesn't exist. "Yeah...it's a crazy world," he offered, perhaps thinking a promo even for a kiddie project wasn't quite the right place to dwell on deeper topics.
An adorable "power reader" (I prefer power bottoms) on line with me features in my video.
The only other celeb I bumped into was James Frey, and I didn't know it was him until after. He was very friendly. He kept eyeing me in a non-sexual way, and I later figured maybe he was wondering what my opinion of him was? Nice, though.
Above, see all the stars as they appeared then...and as they appear now!
At the most recent Hollywood Show, held at the Westin Los Angeles Airport, I was discussing with one of my A-hound (that's "autograph") buddies just how long we could continue coming to these shows, considering so many of the attendees are people we've already met, and other potential guests are dropping like flies.
Not even kidding—this hearse was in front of the hotel as I first drove up!
Don told me, "Oh, I'll be here in 20 years in my Rascal, scooting around for Lindsay Lohan's autograph." He was joking, though. He couldn't care less about LiLo or most modern stars. For him it's Jane Withers through about Dallas, Don and most of the others who attend these shows can't be bothered. When does it end? I guess, as with life, it ends when it ends, so have fun while it lasts.
This was my shortest show. I only spent part of the first day and a few minutes on the second, since I had the GLAAD event and other stuff to do. But I couldn't not come, not with Angie Dickinson, Earl Holliman and Mamie Van Doren in the mix.
Here are my interactions, in order as they occurred:
The new Celebrity Black Book: 2013 Deluxe Edition by Jordan McAuley is out, and it's got current addresses for 67,300 famous folks.
Check it out here, and/or sign up for a free trial at the celebrity-address site ContactAnyCelebrity.com.
Oh, den mother, why aren't you here with me?
The 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards—full list of winners here—were a mish-mash of political activism, back-slapping, genuinely emotional moments largely tied to the venerable org's new push for transgender rights and—oh, yeah!—a Madonna/Anderson Cooper one-two punch that was an instant-classic appearance for Madonna (even if the evening was to honor Coop).
Keep reading for a full report, pictures and videos...
Grey & York were very willkommen-ing
Yesterday was the press day for the Cabaret 40th Anniversary Blu-ray™ Book & DVD (Warner Bros., $27.98), which included round-table interviews with cast members Joel Grey, Michael York and Marisa Berenson, as well as with director Bob Fosse's daughter Nicole, dancer Louise Quick and WB VP of Mastering Ned Price.
We had four nice people are our table, so there were no interruptions and very few awkward waves.
Price was happy to discuss his supervision of the restoration of numerous classics, not least of which the restored Cabaret. As odd as it seems for a film that's only 40 years old, the master print had a devastating tear (from a faulty cleaning in the '80s) that required painstaking reparation. (He confirmed that Warner Bros., thanks to its acquisition of various entities over the years, probably literally does not know every film it possesses; therefore, it's altogether possible they own prints of silent and other old movies that are considered lost! Rin Tin Tin features are on the way.)
Fosse & Quick had encyclopedic knowledge of the film
Fosse and Quick were a giggly pair, though Fosse was quick (did you see what I did there?) to reprimand one questioner for innocently referring to her dad as a "choreographer"—she wanted it made clear that he was a director, and that dance was merely one weapon in his arsenal. She had fascinating memories of growing up the daughter of Fosse and Gwen Verdon, and Quick recalled her director's (not her choreographer's) exacting and yet nurturing nature.
That meant he was respectful of everyone on the ground-breaking production, and yet demanded multiple retakes—leading to dancers hoofing it for eight or 10 hours a day.
For Berenson, acting is 100% about "giving"
Marisa Berenson is still gorgeous and slinky at 65, and yet entirely approachable and free with her memories of working with Fosse. (Keep in mind her first movies were under Fosse, Luchino Visconti and Stanley Kubrick—not bad for a model who, as she said herself, no one was sure could even act at first. (Spoiler alert: She could!)
Quick, Berenson, Robert Osborne, Grey, Fosse & York
The main attraction was getting to speak with Grey and York, who did their interviews together. Like the rest of the cast, they're very comfortable with each other, playfully razzing each other and jarring each other's memories.
Grey told me his character was cemented in the original Broadway production
Grey—who at 80 looks like a 60-year-old version of himself—mischievously told us he has always avoided viewing any other iterations of Cabaret (sorry, Alan Cumming) but gave me the answer I was hoping for when he confirmed that his personal career highlights are this film and his work on the recent (amazing) revival of The Normal Heart.
After, he also whispered into my ear, "What is Boy Culture, anyway?" I told him, "A gay culture blog." He feigned a scandalized look and I joked, "Now you'll never work again." Awkwardly, a fellow reporter blurted out, "No, he has a daughterrrr." Oy.
York's story of being forced to perform "The Money Song" at an appearance = hilarious
York, 70, is hard to recognize these days, but was generous with his extensive memories of making Cabaret. He and Grey agreed they had no qualms about the film's then-shocking bisexual content. He also gamely spoke at length about deciding to do the film Logan's Run in the '70s, one of the day's rare tangents.
I, of course, was the first "journalist" in the room to ask Grey for a pic-with, which he warmly obliged. This led to open season on all of the stars, who were gracious in indulging all of us.
Tonight is the red-carpet premiere of the restored Cabaret, including Ms. Liza Minnelli herself doing the press line. Wish me luck and let me know what I should ask her should I be lucky enough to get in a question or two.
