NEW YORK (AP) " Taylor Swift is getting a special " and new " award from the American Music Awards.Dick Clark productions announced Friday that Swift would receive the Dick Clark Award for Excellence at Sunday's show.Swift is...
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Showing posts sorted by relevance for query award. Sort by date Show all posts
Friday 21 November 2014
Monday 5 August 2013
Looking lippy! Emma Rigby shows off dramatic look as she pouts her way through press for new US TV show
So ensuring she made an impact Emma Rigby got rather lippy as she attended an event as part of the Disney/ABC Summer 2013 TCA Press Tour in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Promoting her new US TV show Once Upon A Time In Wonderland the 23-year-old looked rather puffed up as she pouted away while dressed in a skintight leather dress.
Pucker up: Emma Rigby showed off her lips while promoting her new TV show in LA on Sunday
With her blonde hair and big lips she fitted in with how many consider a typical LA woman to look.
The British star, who has always been known for her big grin, kept her lips natural, allowing their size do the talking, while she accentuated her eyes with heavy black eyeliner.
Leather lady: Emma turned heads wearing a tight deep red leather dress falling just below her knees
Sophisticated: Emma has come along way since her days on Hollyoaks and fits right in in Hollywood
While her make-up was certainly sexy, her dress also helped as the deep maroon number clung to her impressive figure.
Falling just below her knees and with long sleeves it proved to be a chic and sexy number at the same time.
Excited: In between some serious pouting Emma grinned away showing she was happy to be there
On Sunday the star was joined by her co-star Naveen Andrews, Michael Socha and Peter Gadiot to discuss the show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Emma looks set to hit the big time once the show airs due to her role as the murderous Red Queen, which judging by the trailer sees her looking very seductive.
Vampy: Emma plays the Red Queen in the Once Upon A Time In Wonderland
The new ABC series, a spin-off of 2011's Once Upon A Time, will take place in a pre-curse world, and will see Alice tumble back down the rabbit hole for one last time to see if Wonderland truly is real.
Penned by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, the pilot was directed by Ralph Hemecker and shot on location in Vancouver earlier this year.
After a string of UK television appearances, the Liverpool-born actress began filming new movie Plastic alongside Sebastian de Souza and Alfie Allen in Miami, Florida, in January.
Once Upon A Time in Wonderland premieres on October 10th on ABC in the US.
Emotional: Emma won a Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Hannah Ashworth's anorexia struggle in Hollyoaks
Monday 21 July 2014
Where Is The Cast Of 'Happy Days' Now?
Whether it was Sunday, Monday, or another day of the week, "Happy Days" had fans falling in love with a middle class American family living in the 1950s. From comebacks to catchphrases and catchy opening jingles, the show had everything, which is why -- two decades after the final episode aired -- we're still talking about it.
A lot can happen in 20 years, and since the anniversary of the series' finale is coming up soon, we thought we'd find out what really happened to some of our favorite characters from the show. Take a look at what the cast of "Happy Days" is up to now.
Henry Winkler / Arthur Fonzarelli
Then:
Known to fans as simply “The Fonz,” Henry Winkler was the James Dean of "Happy Days." The greaser, who worked at the auto shop, rode a motorcycle, sported that now-famous leather jacket and made “eyyy” the coolest catchphrase ever, was definitely the most beloved by fans.
Now:
Winkler went on to establish his own production company, Fair Dinkum Productions, that spawned shows like "MacGyver" and "Hollywood Squares." He came back to the acting world, starring in a few Adam Sandler movies and made guest appearances on "Arrested Development" and "Parks and Recreation" before nabbing his current role on USA’s "Royal Pains." Winkler is also the author of a series of children’s books that center on a boy with dyslexia, a learning disability the actor suffered with for years before finally being diagnosed later in life. He still stays in touch with his former co-stars and is even the god-father of Ron Howard’s daughter, actress Bryce Dallas Howard. Oh, and if you aren’t following him on Twitter, you’re missing out!
Ron Howard / Richie Cunningham
Then:
Richie was the All-American boy on the show. With his ginger locks, freckled mug and “aww shucks” demeanor, the letterman jacket-wearing high schooler quickly found a place in fans' hearts. While Richie did get into some trouble -– especially when it came to the ladies -– he was the moral center of the sitcom and it wasn’t until he left, first to join the Army and then become a big-time writer in Hollywood, that we realized how much we missed the clean-cut teen.
Now:
Howard got his start as a child star -- he first-played Andy Griffith’s son on "The Andy Griffith Show" -- but during "Happy Days," the redhead was bitten by the directing bug and left to follow other Hollywood pursuits. He’s helmed plenty of award-winning films since then –- he was behind the camera for movies like "Splash," "Apollo 13," "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Da Vinci Code" –- and he even won the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on "A Beautiful Mind" starring Russell Crowe. Currently, Howard’s busy filming a new movie with Chris Hemsworth and it was just announced that he will be directing a Beatles biopic, which aims to follow the band’s early years.
Tom Bosley / Howard Cunningham
Then:
Mr. C was your typical, middle-class working dad with hobbies that included sitting in his comfy recliner, attending meetings at the Leopard Club and staying faithful to his Republican views. While he was a bit rough around the edges and could often be found lecturing Richie and his pals whenever one of their harebrained ideas backfired. Howard Cunningham was secretly a big softie who cared for everyone on the show and believed in family above all.
Now:
Though Tom Bosley is best-known for his time on “Happy Days,” he was already an accomplished stage actor before landing his famous TV gig. Bosley won a Tony for his performance in the critically-acclaimed Broadway musical “Fiorelli!” and appeared in films and on stage years before he took on the role of Mr. Cunningham. After the show ended, Bosley went on to guest star in everything from "Rugrats" and "Walker, Texas Ranger" to "ER," "One Tree Hill" and "That '70s Show." In 2010, Bosely starred in the Jennifer Lopez film "The Back-up Plan." Sadly, that same year, Bosley passed away after fighting a long battle with lung cancer. TV Guide named his character as one of the 50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time.
Erin Moran/Joanie Cunningham
Then:
Fonzie’s “Shortcake” and Richie’s spunky sister, Joanie was the youngest member of the Cunningham crew and the teen had a penchant for falling in love quickly. Her romance with Fonzie’s cousin Chachi in later seasons made for some great musical (and comedic) moments on the show and the two starred in their own spin-off before returning to get married during the final season of “Happy Days.”
Now:
Erin Moran hasn’t been having many happy days recently. The actress, who had a few small roles on shows like "Murder She Wrote" and "The Love Boat," appeared in VH1’s "Celebrity Fit Club" in 2008 before finding herself homeless and in trouble with the law a few years later. The last we heard of the star, she was broke, had been kicked out of her trailer, was living as a recluse in an Indiana hotel room and having marital troubles with her husband of 20 years. There was talk of Moran joining her co-star Henry Winkler on the series "Arrested Development" but the actress never made an appearance on the show.
Marion Ross/Marion Cunningham
Then:
The matriarch of the Cunningham clan, Marion Cunningham, or Mrs. C, was the mother we all wanted. Sweet-tempered, good-natured, loving and smart, she ran the family while letting husband Howard think he was the man in charge. Mrs. C often worried about her family and usually tried to meddle in places she shouldn’t, but hey, that’s what moms do! And that’s why fans of the show loved her.
Now:
After leaving Mrs. C behind, Ross went on to do other TV projects. She starred in the short-lived "Brooklyn Bridge," which won a Golden Globe Award and was also nominated for an Emmy. She’s also guest-starred on shows like “The Gilmore Girls,” “Touched By An Angel” and “Two and A Half Men.”
Scott Baio/Chachi Arcola
Then:
Wa, wa, wa, who didn’t love Chachi? The young heartthrob of the show and Joanie Cunningham’s love interest was first introduced as Fonzie’s younger cousin in 1977. He became a fan-favorite, especially among female viewers and Baio was reported to receive over 5,000 fan-letters per day while filming the show. Eventually, Chachi and Joanie got their own spinoff where the two made a living singing in a family-owned restaurant but the couple returned to “Happy Days” for its final season and were married before the series ended.
Now:
After his turn on “Happy Days,” Baio went on to star in the TV sitcom “Charles in Charge” about a college student working as a live-in nanny. The show lasted five seasons and afterwards, Baio made a couple of TV movies before taking a guest starring stint on "Arrested Development." Baio also starred on a couple of VH1 reality series including "Scott Baio Is 45 … and Single" and "Confessions of a Teen Idol," which followed the actor and another child star as they tried to find their way back into the limelight.
A lot can happen in 20 years, and since the anniversary of the series' finale is coming up soon, we thought we'd find out what really happened to some of our favorite characters from the show. Take a look at what the cast of "Happy Days" is up to now.
Henry Winkler / Arthur Fonzarelli
Then:
Known to fans as simply “The Fonz,” Henry Winkler was the James Dean of "Happy Days." The greaser, who worked at the auto shop, rode a motorcycle, sported that now-famous leather jacket and made “eyyy” the coolest catchphrase ever, was definitely the most beloved by fans.
Now:
Winkler went on to establish his own production company, Fair Dinkum Productions, that spawned shows like "MacGyver" and "Hollywood Squares." He came back to the acting world, starring in a few Adam Sandler movies and made guest appearances on "Arrested Development" and "Parks and Recreation" before nabbing his current role on USA’s "Royal Pains." Winkler is also the author of a series of children’s books that center on a boy with dyslexia, a learning disability the actor suffered with for years before finally being diagnosed later in life. He still stays in touch with his former co-stars and is even the god-father of Ron Howard’s daughter, actress Bryce Dallas Howard. Oh, and if you aren’t following him on Twitter, you’re missing out!
Ron Howard / Richie Cunningham
Then:
Richie was the All-American boy on the show. With his ginger locks, freckled mug and “aww shucks” demeanor, the letterman jacket-wearing high schooler quickly found a place in fans' hearts. While Richie did get into some trouble -– especially when it came to the ladies -– he was the moral center of the sitcom and it wasn’t until he left, first to join the Army and then become a big-time writer in Hollywood, that we realized how much we missed the clean-cut teen.
Now:
Howard got his start as a child star -- he first-played Andy Griffith’s son on "The Andy Griffith Show" -- but during "Happy Days," the redhead was bitten by the directing bug and left to follow other Hollywood pursuits. He’s helmed plenty of award-winning films since then –- he was behind the camera for movies like "Splash," "Apollo 13," "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" and "The Da Vinci Code" –- and he even won the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on "A Beautiful Mind" starring Russell Crowe. Currently, Howard’s busy filming a new movie with Chris Hemsworth and it was just announced that he will be directing a Beatles biopic, which aims to follow the band’s early years.
Tom Bosley / Howard Cunningham
Then:
Mr. C was your typical, middle-class working dad with hobbies that included sitting in his comfy recliner, attending meetings at the Leopard Club and staying faithful to his Republican views. While he was a bit rough around the edges and could often be found lecturing Richie and his pals whenever one of their harebrained ideas backfired. Howard Cunningham was secretly a big softie who cared for everyone on the show and believed in family above all.
Now:
Though Tom Bosley is best-known for his time on “Happy Days,” he was already an accomplished stage actor before landing his famous TV gig. Bosley won a Tony for his performance in the critically-acclaimed Broadway musical “Fiorelli!” and appeared in films and on stage years before he took on the role of Mr. Cunningham. After the show ended, Bosley went on to guest star in everything from "Rugrats" and "Walker, Texas Ranger" to "ER," "One Tree Hill" and "That '70s Show." In 2010, Bosely starred in the Jennifer Lopez film "The Back-up Plan." Sadly, that same year, Bosley passed away after fighting a long battle with lung cancer. TV Guide named his character as one of the 50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time.
Erin Moran/Joanie Cunningham
Then:
Fonzie’s “Shortcake” and Richie’s spunky sister, Joanie was the youngest member of the Cunningham crew and the teen had a penchant for falling in love quickly. Her romance with Fonzie’s cousin Chachi in later seasons made for some great musical (and comedic) moments on the show and the two starred in their own spin-off before returning to get married during the final season of “Happy Days.”
Now:
Erin Moran hasn’t been having many happy days recently. The actress, who had a few small roles on shows like "Murder She Wrote" and "The Love Boat," appeared in VH1’s "Celebrity Fit Club" in 2008 before finding herself homeless and in trouble with the law a few years later. The last we heard of the star, she was broke, had been kicked out of her trailer, was living as a recluse in an Indiana hotel room and having marital troubles with her husband of 20 years. There was talk of Moran joining her co-star Henry Winkler on the series "Arrested Development" but the actress never made an appearance on the show.
Marion Ross/Marion Cunningham
Then:
The matriarch of the Cunningham clan, Marion Cunningham, or Mrs. C, was the mother we all wanted. Sweet-tempered, good-natured, loving and smart, she ran the family while letting husband Howard think he was the man in charge. Mrs. C often worried about her family and usually tried to meddle in places she shouldn’t, but hey, that’s what moms do! And that’s why fans of the show loved her.
Now:
After leaving Mrs. C behind, Ross went on to do other TV projects. She starred in the short-lived "Brooklyn Bridge," which won a Golden Globe Award and was also nominated for an Emmy. She’s also guest-starred on shows like “The Gilmore Girls,” “Touched By An Angel” and “Two and A Half Men.”
Scott Baio/Chachi Arcola
Then:
Wa, wa, wa, who didn’t love Chachi? The young heartthrob of the show and Joanie Cunningham’s love interest was first introduced as Fonzie’s younger cousin in 1977. He became a fan-favorite, especially among female viewers and Baio was reported to receive over 5,000 fan-letters per day while filming the show. Eventually, Chachi and Joanie got their own spinoff where the two made a living singing in a family-owned restaurant but the couple returned to “Happy Days” for its final season and were married before the series ended.
Now:
After his turn on “Happy Days,” Baio went on to star in the TV sitcom “Charles in Charge” about a college student working as a live-in nanny. The show lasted five seasons and afterwards, Baio made a couple of TV movies before taking a guest starring stint on "Arrested Development." Baio also starred on a couple of VH1 reality series including "Scott Baio Is 45 … and Single" and "Confessions of a Teen Idol," which followed the actor and another child star as they tried to find their way back into the limelight.
Saturday 19 July 2014
David Beckham Slimed At The Nickelodeon Kids Choice Sports Awards (VIDEO)
David Beckham received a lot more than a trophy at Nickelodeon's inaugural Kids Choice Sports Award. The former Manchester United and LA Galaxy soccer star took the stage with sons Romeo and Cruz to collect the event's Legend Lifetime Achievement Award, and got a slime-filled shower in the process. Nickelodeon's been sliming celebrities since the '80s (do you feel old yet?), so Becks is joining an illustrious list. Though it's unclear why this one was gold rather than Nick's trademark green.
Wednesday 28 May 2014
EXCLUSIVE:Not gonna be a #Madrdista! Luiz Suarez commits future to Liverpool as striker enrols daughter at Merseyside school
Luis
Suarez has told his Liverpool team-mates he plans to stay at Anfield and
lead next season’s pursuit of the Barclays Premier League title.
Liverpool
on Monday said that manager Brendan Rodgers had signed a new contract
that runs until 2018, and he will be boosted by Suarez’s presence.
Reports
say Real Madrid are poised to table a £100million offer for Suarez, who
signed a lucrative long-term deal at Liverpool in December, when he
promised to stay at the club ‘for a very long time’.
Happy: Luis Suarez wants to stay at Liverpool after scoring 31 goals in 33 Premier League games last season
Stricken: Suarez is fighting a battle against time to make the World Cup after knee surgery on Thursday
National concern: A crowd gathers around Suarez as he leaves hospital in Montevideo
Golden boy: Suarez with his daughter Delfina and
son Benjamin and his Golden Boot award after Liverpool's final match of
the season at Anfield
But sources at the Bernabeu insist there will be no offer for Suarez if Karim Benzema agrees a new deal. The France striker, believed to be a target for Arsenal, is demanding a huge pay rise but the European champions are hopeful of reaching an agreement with the 26-year-old before the World Cup.
Anfield
insiders insist Suarez was committed to staying, with Champions League
football on offer next season as well as another tilt at the title.
Sportsmail understands Suarez and his wife have even enrolled their daughter at a new school in the area.Rodgers has signed a long-term contract after Liverpool’s owners promised every help to win the title.
Passion: Suarez's tears showed how much he cared after Liverpool's 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace
Familiar face: Suarez is still a chance to play against his Liverpool team-mates when Uruguay take on England
Rodgers,
named LMA Manager of the Year after taking Liverpool to within two
points of the crown last season, has been given improved terms to
reflect his outstanding work.
But the crux of the talks with Fenway Sports Group were about boosting the squad rather than wages.
Liverpool have identified a number of
targets, headed by Adam Lallana, who has his heart set on a move to
Anfield. But talks are taking time because Southampton want £30m for the
forward.
Bayern Munich’s Xherdan Shaqiri is an
alternative to Lallana, while Liverpool are working on signing Emre Can,
a £12m-rated Bayer Leverkusen midfielder.
Staying put: Brendan Rodgers has been rewarded with a new deal after an impressive season
Target: Adam Lallana is high on Rodgers' wish list but Southampton want £30m for the England star
Rodgers says FSG’s support is crucial.
‘I
came here because I felt this is one of the biggest clubs in the
world,’ he said. ‘I want to be here as long as I can, hopefully playing a
part in restoring the club to greatness.
‘I want to win and I need to know that if I am going to be here I’m going to have the best possibility to win.
‘I
need to know I can have players that can carry out the instructions
that we want to work to win trophies. The owners have been great.
They’re winners themselves.’
Thursday 17 July 2014
Diego Costa only Premier League player to make short-list for top European playe
Diego Costa is the only Premier League player short-listed for Europe’s top individual award. The former Atletico Madrid striker is one of 10 players short-listed for UEFA Best Player in Europe Award.
Tuesday 7 April 2015
Pop star Pink to receive BMI president's award
NEW YORK (AP) " Pink will be honored with the BMI President's Award next month.Broadcast Music Inc. announced Tuesday that Pink would receive the honor for her songwriting efforts and her impact on pop culture. The 63rd annual BMI...
Tuesday 21 October 2014
Victoria Clark joins the cast of musical 'Gigi'
NEW YORK (AP) Tony Award-winner Victoria Clark has joined the Broadway-bound musical "Gigi" playing a role she lately has been really enjoying a mentor.Clark said Tuesday that she and three-time Tony Award nominee Dee Hoty will...
Monday 9 March 2015
Nicole Scherzinger nominated for Olivier Award for her West End debut in Cats
SHE only made her West End debut back in December, but Nicole Scherzinger has already been nominated for an Olivier Award for her role in Cats.
Monday 14 July 2014
Diego Maradona: Messi didn't deserve Golden Ball
The 1986 World Cup winner felt Fifa made the wrong decision to hand
the award to the Barcelona star and rued Argentina's defeat to Germany
Argentina icon Diego Maradona feels Lionel Messi did not deserve to win the Golden Ball following his performances at the World Cup.
Argentina icon Diego Maradona feels Lionel Messi did not deserve to win the Golden Ball following his performances at the World Cup.The Barcelona star beat the likes of Thomas Muller, Arjen Robben and James Rodriguez to the prestigious individual award after scoring four goals in seven performances at this summer's tournament and guiding his team to the final, yet Maradona feels the 27-year-old only won it for commercial reasons.
Thursday 15 January 2015
List of 87th annual Academy Award nominations
Complete list of 87th annual Academy Award nominations announced Thursday:1.Best picture: "American Sniper"; "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)"; "Boyhood"; "The Grand Budapest Hotel"; "The Imitation Game"; "Selma";...
Monday 9 March 2015
Comedian Jay Leno makes comeback in Israel for award show
JERUSALEM (AP) " Jay Leno is making a comeback " in Israel.The late-night legend says he will return to Israel in June to host the award ceremony for the second annual "Genesis Prize." Leno also hosted the inaugural ceremony last...
Thursday 27 November 2014
Garden Media Guild honours RHS veteran with Lifetime Achievement Award
THE Garden Media Guild has honoured RHS veteran Christopher Brickell CBE with its Lifetime Achievement Award, the most prestigious of the 19 awards handed out at the annual awards lunch at The Savoy, London, this week.
Thursday 15 January 2015
Reactions to the 2015 Academy Award nominations
LOS ANGELES (AP) " Reactions to the 2015 Academy Award nominations, announced Thursday in Beverly Hills, California:" "I don't care how much people tell you, 'It's gonna happen.' When it happens, you're thrilled." " Michael Keaton...
Monday 12 May 2014
Miranda Lambert showcases her TINY waist in tight silver dress andopens up about weight loss and those divorce rumors
Since her first solo album's debut nearly 10 years ago, Miranda Lambert has won dozens of awards for her numerous hit singles, married a hunky country rocker, and recorded a brand new album which premieres in June.
Now, the queen of country music is posing on the cover of Billboard magazine, revealing a new side to 'the girl with a gun who will kick your a** and set your house on fire'.
'With success, I've been able to sort of calm that down and go, "OK, I
don't have to be guns a-blazin" all the time. People are listening, so I
can open up my softer side and show people who the whole Miranda is,' she says.
Cover girl: Award-winning country singer Miranda
Lambert, 30, shows her feminine side, posing for Billboard magazine in a
silver strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline and matching silver
high heels
In the Billboard shoot Lambert expresses her femininity with soft blonde waves falling over her newly slender frame. The glamorous photos show the songstress in a silver strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline.
The dress matches the name and theme of her upcoming album, Platinum, due June 3d.
'Platinum is a lot of things: It's hair, it's diamonds and platinum, it's Bud Light Platinum, it's the color of an Airstream [travel trailer]'.
Blonde ambition: 'I wanted every sound, every
note, every lyric to represent where I'm at now, and where I'm headed',
Lambert says of her upcoming album Platinum due June 3rd
The newly slender country singer wanted her upcoming album to take on a different direction. She says, 'I wanted every sound, every note, every lyric to represent where I'm at now, and where I'm headed'.
So far 2014 has been a year of milestones for Miranda.
For one, the singer of emotional song The House That Built Me has lost over 25 pounds this year.
She says of her much talked about weight loss, 'Have you ever thought I might just be turning 30 and trying to get a little ahead of the game? Isn't that just a normal thing to do?'.
Grown up: 'At 30 years old, having lived and
done a lot of things in my career and my life, I have a different take
than at 20 when I was making Kerosene', Miranda says of her new album's
message
The Automatic songstress has also picked up some new projects while on a break from touring.
When she's not singing her heart out on stage, the Texas native oversees two western clothing stores, a bed and breakfast in
Oklahoma opening later this year, six dogs and her horse - a birthday present
from husband Blake Shelton, 37.
The
singer also went ahead and addressed the recent reports of marital
problems. She claims the divorce rumors have only brought them closer
together.
Miranda adamantly denies that she and her Honey Bee crooning husband are having issues, stating, 'We just laugh about it. I think I've had like five sets of twins in the last two years, and we've been divorced four times'.
Before her 25 pound weight loss: Miranda and
husband Blake Shelton pose at the 2010 CMT Music Awards in Nashville,
Tennessee a month after their engagement
Skipping the pie: With her new svelte figure
Miranda likely isn't having much to do with Blake's new business
partnership with Pizza Hut
Tuesday 9 July 2013
Jennifer Lawrence as Gillian Flynn’s “Cool Girl”
I
love J-Law; you love J-Law; everybody loves J-Law. Or so seems to
be consensus following last week’s Academy Awards, where she tripped up
the stairs, made a self-deprecating speech, performed authenticity and
humility without seeming tri-hardy, reacted amazingly to Jack Nicholson
in the awards press, and gave the best responses to banal post-award
reporter questions in the history of banal post-award reporter
questions. She was, in a word, charismatic. And she differentiated
herself from Anne Hathaway, who seemed, according to whom you ask,
calculated, too happy, ingenuous, too performative, etc. etc.
In the week since the awards, the battle
between these two types of contemporary female stardom have battled it
out in the pop culture opinion blogosphere. Posting these arguments to this blog’s Facebook page,
I was impressed with the reaction, characterized by a recoil at the
idea that both types of stardom, and the negotiation of femininity they
represent, can’t co-exist. TRUTH, READERS, TRUTH. As several of you
pointed out, no one is comparing Daniel Day-Lewis and Christoph Waltz or
Ben Affleck and Ang Lee — there’s room for plenty of men at the top.
But when it comes to women, we’ve got to pit them against one another.
There’s a long tradition of this “women against women” strategy: see,
for example, the crazy, entirely-press-fueled “war” between Garbo and
Dietrich, or, more recently, the enduring attempts to pit Jennifer
Aniston and Angelina Jolie, both powerful women in Hollywood, in a fight
to the death for Brad’s affections.
To be clear, I have zero problem with
articulating one’s dislike or like for a particular star. When we talk
about the stars we like and dislike, we’re associating their images, and
what they represent, with ourselves. The things we like — television
shows, music, stars — are signifiers of our own personality. To like
Jennifer Lawrence, to like Anne Hathaway, is to say volumes about the
type of contemporary femininity you admire and with which you would like
to associate yourself. With that said, I don’t think that lambasting
the person with whom you don’t want to associate yourself is very
productive. Be a fan all you want, and articulate why you don’t like
another star, but don’t be an ass, and don’t frame it in terms of “there
can only be one!” There can be many. The more, the better. Anne
Hathaway’s image is not one to which I do not cotton, but that doesn’t
mean that I think she’s a bitch, worthless, or should retire. In fact,
she’s really f-ing talented. But just like you can admire an argument
and not agree with it, I can admire her and not “like” her.
But I do want to unpack the unadulterated
affection for Lawrence, whose “star” performance has been framed as
wholly natural, authentic, and unperformative. Hathaway molds her
image; Lawrence just is. In truth, Lawrence, with the help of
her publicist and agent (who have been lauded all over the place in the
trades) is just good at appearing to not perform. She shares
this attribute with the most enduring stars of old — Cary Grant, Gary
Cooper, John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, early Tom Cruise and Julia
Roberts. In our current moment of hyper-manipulation, we cling even
more to those who can seem wholly unmanipulated. And I’m not trying to
be a asshole when I suggest that Lawrence understands that what’s she’s
doing, in terms of madcap honesty, will further her career and brand.
She’s smart. She’s savvy. I don’t think she’s a conniving,
manipulative star, but I do think that she is very much cognizant of
what she’s doing.
Lawrence’s particular negotiation of
“naturalness,” skill, emotion, and femininity wouldn’t be popular at any
given moment in time. It’s very specific to our current cultural
moment, in which the “cool girl” fills a specific ideological function,
adhering to a paradoxical understanding of what a woman should and
should not be, a peculiar negotiation of feminism and passivity.
The best articulation of the “cool girl” comes from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. I
have some serious problems with this book (is Flynn a misogynist?
DISCUSS.) but as Mallory Cohn, one of the smart commenters on one of the
Facebook posts about this topic, astutely pointed out, Lawrence is the
embodiment of the “cool girl” persona perfectly described by Flynn’s
heroine. Here’s the passage in full:
Men always say that as the defining compliment, don’t they? She’s
a cool girl. Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny
woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays
video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams
hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s
biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because
Cool Girls are above all hot. Hot and understanding. Cool Girls never
get angry; they only smile in a chagrined, loving manner and let their
men do whatever they want. Go ahead, shit on me, I don’t mind, I’m the
Cool Girl.Men actually think this girl exists. Maybe they’re fooled because so many women are willing to pretend to be this girl. For a long time Cool Girl offended me. I used to see men – friends, coworkers, strangers – giddy over these awful pretender women, and I’d want to sit these men down and calmly say: You are not dating a woman, you are dating a woman who has watched too many movies written by socially awkward men who’d like to believe that this kind of woman exists and might kiss them. I’d want to grab the poor guy by his lapels or messenger bag and say: The bitch doesn’t really love chili dogs that much – no one loves chili dogs that much! And the Cool Girls are even more pathetic: They’re not even pretending to be the woman they want to be, they’re pretending to be the woman a man wants them to be. Oh, and if you’re not a Cool Girl, I beg you not to believe that your man doesn’t want the Cool Girl. It may be a slightly different version – maybe he’s a vegetarian, so Cool Girl loves seitan and is great with dogs; or maybe he’s a hipster artist, so Cool Girl is a tattooed, bespectacled nerd who loves comics. There are variations to the window dressing, but believe me, he wants Cool Girl, who is basically the girl who likes every fucking thing he likes and doesn’t ever complain. (How do you know you’re not Cool Girl? Because he says things like: “I like strong women.” If he says that to you, he will at some point fuck someone else. Because “I like strong women” is code for “I hate strong women.”)”
Again, I’m unsure if Flynn hates women or if this protagonist hates all women, but the outlines of this “cool girl” resonate, do they not? That’s because it’s a product of ideology, and ideology is always super contradictory and falls apart under inspection. The cool girl is a guy’s girl who also loves sex. She’s masculine yet super feminine. She’s all the “good things” (read: amendable to contemporary patriarchy) about girls and none of the “bad things” (read: ball busting, interested in her own destiny, willing to advocate for her own rights). But that’s how the media, and more specifically, stars, work: they provide us with examples of “real people” who are proof positive that images like “cool girl” exist.
Lawrence is a powerful, beautiful woman who also thought that Seth McFarland was “great.” This infuriates me, but it works perfectly with her image: she’s no ball-busting feminist. She’s chill. She can take a joke. She is, as People Magazine recently declared, the woman that all women want to be like and all men love. She’s the effing cool girl. Only time will tell if she has to hew to that image or breaks out of it entirely. For now, however, we need to think about what our adoration of that image represents — and complicate our unadulterated affection. I still love her, but I need to continue to think about why.
Tuesday 7 October 2014
Tony Award-winning actress Marian Seldes dies
NEW YORK (AP) Actress Marian Seldes, the Tony Award-winning star of "A Delicate Balance" who was a teacher of Kevin Kline and Robin Williams, a muse to playwright Edward Albee and a Guinness Book of World Records holder for most...
Thursday 15 January 2015
Reactions to the 2015 Academy Award nominations
LOS ANGELES (AP) " Reactions to the 2015 Academy Award nominations, announced Thursday in Beverly Hills, California:" "I don't care how much people tell you, 'It's gonna happen.' When it happens, you're thrilled." " Michael Keaton...
Monday 15 July 2013
'I struggled to work for two years before Homeland': Claire Danes reveals she nearly gave up acting as she glams up for Vogue with co-star Damian Lewis
But Claire Danes's acting career went on to stall so badly, that she considered giving up.
'It was grim. I was very hurt,' she tells Vogue magazine in a new interview. 'Two years of not working was brutal. And a point came where I thought, "I really like interior design." Someone suggested "Maybe your real success is in your personal life."
Soldier spy: Claire Danes promotes the
forthcoming third season of Homeland by posing in a stunning silver
dress on a bed with on-screen love interest Damian Lewis in the August
issue of Vogue magazine
Luckily, the 34-year-old star was offered the role of bipolar Carrie Mathison on Showtime drama Homeland, which returns for its third season in September in the U.S..
The series has attracted impressive ratings and given Danes a much-needed boost to her career and raised her British co-star Damian Lewis's profile in the U.S.
The actors both recreate their characters in a more glamorous-than-usual setting - for photographer Annie Leibovitz in the new issue of Vogue.
Nights in high fashion: Claire and Damian pose
in character in an interrogation room, with the actress looking stunning
in a teal blue Calvin Klein Collection dress
Claire sports a stunning teal blue Calvin Klein dress in one photograph which recreates the infamous interrogation scene between the co-stars in series two.
Another striking shot features Danes wearing a Narciso Rodriguez silver silk-charmeuse dress and lying on top of a uniformed Lewis on a bed.
On the cover, the actress wears a chic gold belted trench coat while the tagline brands her a 'Comeback Kid.'
However, she admits to instead nearly choosing to play the part of secretary to Leonardo DiCaprio’s J. Edgar Hoover in Clint Eastwood’s 2011 biopic film.
Another striking shot features Danes wearing a Narciso Rodriguez silver silk-charmeuse dress and lying on top of a uniformed Lewis on a bed.
On the cover, the actress wears a chic gold belted trench coat while the tagline brands her a 'Comeback Kid.'
However, she admits to instead nearly choosing to play the part of secretary to Leonardo DiCaprio’s J. Edgar Hoover in Clint Eastwood’s 2011 biopic film.
High fashion spy: Claire looks chic in a gold trench coat on the cover of the August issue of Vogue magazine
Starry night: Danes and husband Hugh Dancy, at January's Golden Globes where she won the Best Actress gong
Homeland has won the actress a series of awards including the Golden Globe gong for Best Actress in a Television Series back in January.
Danes attended the ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel with husband Hugh Dancy while her parents looked after their newborn son Cyrus in a room upstairs.
'I went on the red carpet, went upstairs, fed Cyrus. Went into the ceremony, got the award, went back to feed Cyrus, went out again,' she recalls to the magazine. 'I’m wearing a big Jessica Rabbit dress, and I’d been living in sweat pants for so long. It was strange. It was dreamy, surrounded by my parents and my husband. It was one of the best nights of my life because of this perfect mash-up.'
Having grown up acting - appearing as Angela in cult series My So Called Life aged 15 - Danes reveals she is 'so impressed' with the maturity of young stars Jennifer Lawrence and Carey Mulligan.
'They have this exquisite taste,' she says. 'They are very gifted in their ability to make great choices. I didn’t have that rudder.'
But she looks to older stars like Jodie Foster, Meryl Streep and Susan Sarandon for acting advice learning that: 'You have to ask for money because there’s always more money and they won’t give it to you because you’re a girl!'
Danes returns for the third series of the show in September, and although says she has a 'good chemistry' with her character, admits she had to face a few fears about taking on Carrie again.
'I always have the fear that I won’t be able to do it, because I am convinced that it’s left me and I don’t know how I managed it before,' she admits.
'You just hold out for those rare moments when you feel a real fusion with this imagined person,' she says. 'It’s really like surfing. You get that wave and think, All right, I can be in freezing-cold water at 5am in the hopes that I will get one. And maybe you get three of those a year.'
It's a hit: Danes and Lewis as Mathison and Sgt Brody in Homeland which returns to U.S. screens in September
Monday 9 February 2015
Beyonce wins her first award at 2015 Grammys
Beyonce was an early winner at the Grammys - not for singing, but for producing.Her self-titled album won best surround sound album, an award for an album's surround mastering and mix engineers as well as surround producer."This...
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