85841 items (0 unread) in 24 feeds
Related tags: WGA [+], writers [+], tara [+], screen [+], reading [+], psychic [+], hollywod [+], golden [+], globe [+], awards [+], Reid [+], News [+], Larter [+], Celebrity [+], Ali [+]
Enjoying some quality time with her boyfriend, Tara Reid was spotted leaving a Psychic Reader in Malibu, California yesterday (October 12).
The “American Pie” babe looked to be having a great time with her man, sporting a pink top, black jacket, belted jeans, and sandals.
I always enjoy reading stories about what Hollywood folk did to entertain themselves during the WGA strike. A lot of them worked the picket lines, until that got boring. Many took tropical vacations. A few did some lovely charity work. The creator and producer of NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” did something no one else did – he worked the counter at a fast food restaurant. No he wasn’t strapped for cash – at least that’s not the reason he’s going with. Greg Garcia says that as a producer and writer, he spent so much time cooped up in his office that he had lost touch with his fan base. And that didn’t help him be a good writer. So he spent the month of January working as a cashier and janitor at a local restaurant, which he declines to name.
This stemmed from an idea I got while I was working on ‘Yes, Dear,’ ” Garcia says. “I’ve wanted to do a book about taking different jobs and what it was like to do them. This was the first. It may be a while before I do the second. But it’s just about the fact that we live behind gates and work behind gates, and as a writer you start to lose touch with the audience. You start running out of life experience.”
It likewise was perhaps an opportunity for Garcia to mine story ideas for his NBC comedy series, though he downplays that idea. What he’s enthusiastic to promote is how fulfilling his adventures in minimum wage turned out to be.
“This wound up a really positive thing,” Garcia said. “It didn’t turn me off from fast food. In fact, it was really the opposite. The place was unbelievably clean. The people whom I worked with were great. And the work itself was fun. Really. I worked hard — cashiering, cleaning the bathrooms. A few days in, they liked me so much they asked me to join their management team.”
[From the Hollywood Reporter]
The experience will probably lend itself to more writing ideas than sitting on his ass in Jamaica. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But it’s pretty cool for a big producer and writer to not just be willing, but actually want, to spend his days at a McDonald’s, or some version thereof. Garcia kept his real occupation to himself, with the exception of the managers. At first they were worried he was doing an expose, but once he explained his real purpose, they were on board. When he left, he told his coworkers what he really did for a living. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Garcia had closely befriended one co-worker. Upon his departure, he gave them a check for $10,000.
That’s a pretty cool way to spend your downtime. I’ve actually had several friends who claimed they enjoyed working at fast food restaurants back in the day. Supposedly it’s a good fit if you’re really into teamwork and such. Greg Garcia has a really good point: it’s going to be hard to write accurately for and about the average guy when you spend all day sitting in a fancy office. It’ll be interesting to see how he incorporates his experiences into the plot line of “My Name Is Earl.”
Header of the cast of “My Name Is Earl” at Academy of Television Arts and Sciences October 2006. Below is Greg Garcia and his wife at the Emmys in 2006. Images thanks to PR Photos.
It all began back on November 5th, 2007 when members of the Writer’s Guild of America walked away from their jobs and began a strike. And 100 days later, it’s over.
Yesterday’s vote by 3,775 writers showed that 90% of them were willing to accept the new contract between the WGA and the entertainment industry studios they work for. Reportedly the big issue was income from Internet sources.
The WGA announced that the 100 day old strike is officially over. Now get back to work ASAP because I need my TV shows now!!!
I don’t think I am alone in saying that this writers’ strike is really beginning to suck for those of us who enjoy intelligent, well-written programs. Don’t get me wrong, I understand and appreciate what these writers are picketing for, and I believe they deserve Internet and DVD residuals. However, if I have to hear about the premiere of another stupid reality show, I think I’m going to throw the TV out the window.
While some media outlets are reporting that the nearly three-month-long Writers Guild of America strike is very close to ending, others are saying that it’s not even close to being over. The AP has this to say:
An agreement to end the three-month-old Hollywood writers strike could be ready in time to avoid disrupting the Oscars but studios and the union are still haggling over the precise language, two people familiar with the talks said.
The Writers Guild of America bargaining committee and board of directors received updates on the status of informal talks with studio executives, the pair said Monday. They were not authorized to comment publicly and requested anonymity.
One of the people has said a formal deal is possible by the end of this week.
[From The Associated Press]
Let’s all cross our fingers and hope that’s accurate– although other reports contradict this and say that the strike is still far from over.
Even though most of Hollywood is acting as if the strike is already over, as if the ink just needs to dry on the dotted “i”s and crossed “t”s, the Writers Guild of America’s leadership doesn’t want its membership to exhale just yet.
During today’s upset Giant win, I received this from the WGA’s mailing list:
While fully mindful of the continuing media blackout, we write you to address the rumors and reports that undoubtedly you have been hearing.
The facts: we are still in talks and do not yet have a contract. When and if a tentative agreement is reached, the first thing we will do is alert our membership with an e-mail message. Until then, please disregard rumors about either the existence of an agreement or its terms.
Until we have reached an agreement with the AMPTP, it is essential that we continue to show our resolve, solidarity, and strength.
Picketing will resume on Monday. Our leverage at the bargaining table is directly affected by your commitment to our cause. Please continue to show your support on the line. We are all in this together.
[From Wired Magazine]
The LA Times says that the WGA has been presented with a preliminary contract, but are still waiting for the final version. They also say that not all the members are happy with the contract, including the directors who are WGA members.
However, the directors’ contract sparked heated debate among members of the writers guild.
Last week, one of the guild’s prominent board members, writer-director Phil Alden Robinson (”Field of Dreams”) picked apart several aspects of the directors’ pact.
“It’s my strong conviction that if an unaltered DGA [Directors Guild of America] deal were put before our membership for a vote today, it would fail resoundingly,” Robinson wrote in a blog on the United Hollywood website. “If they insist on trying to shove this deal down our throats without improvements, this strike will not end any time soon.”
Reaction to Robinson’s missive was mixed, with some members supporting his message and others privately blasting him for what they viewed as an inappropriate move for a board member at a crucial juncture in the writers talks.
Right now, the big rush to get a contract approved is to save the Oscars ceremony, scheduled for Feb. 24. I could care less about that– I just want more episodes of “The Office” and “30 Rock.” For all of you out there who are missing shows, let’s hope this agreement can be resolved soon.
Picture note by Celebitchy. Images are of The Writers Guild of America March on Hollywood Boulevard on 11/20/07, thanks to PRPhotos.
I missed have missed a memo stating that Maggie Gyllenhaal is now the go-to girl for sex appeal. First, she’s the spokesmodel for Agent Provocateur Lingerie, and now the “Stranger Than Fiction” star is appearing in a short film urging Hollywood producers to start negotiating an end to the WGA Strike that has Hollywood in a strangle hold. While many other celebs, including Felicity Huffman, Conan O’Brien and Jenna Fischer, have been making videos to support the Writer’s Guild Association, Maggie is taking it a step further with a black-and-white, porn-inspired video that hints at some girl-on-girl-on-girl action:
MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL has taken part in a spoof lesbian orgy, as part of a video campaign supporting the Writer’s Guild Association’s strike.
In the clip, the Secretary star turns up to a hotel room to meet a man only to find two other beauties waiting to see the SAME fella. The man, called AMPiTePa - short for Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers - has stood them all up.
After a period of frustration, Maggie takes a swig from her glass of wine and says: “We don’t need him. We’ve got everything we need right here. Girls - you want to make an interim agreement?”
The other ladies join her on the bed, but, as things start to get interesting, the lights fade and the film ends with a sexy pizza delivery girl entering the bedroom.
[From The Daily Sun]
The clip is actually well written and pretty clever. “Is it too much to ask to be treated fairly? It’s not like we’re asking for anything crazy,” Maggie says to the other girls in the clip. “The last time I went on a date with AMPiTePa, he said he didn’t want to waste his money tipping a waiter 20 percent because he didn’t think the restaurant business was going to pan out.” This, of course, is a shot at the producers’ cutting WGA members out of residuals for Internet viewings.
I doubt the film will do much to kick start negotiations between the two sides at this point. Especially since it refers to the fictional AMPiTePa as “arrogant,” and likens him to a bad tipper. And seriously—who decided Maggie Gyllenhaal was sexy?
Note by Celebitchy: Here’s the video. The drunken “interim agreement” starts at 3:09. I think Maggie Gyllenhaal is definitely hot. The other chicks in the video, not so much.
Header image is from 11/12/07 at the Chopard Boutique opening, thanks to PRPhotos.
Tracy Morgan sure isn’t doing himself any favors lately. The “30 Rock” star has had two DUIs since 2005. His wife of 22 years recently filed for divorce, citing Tracy’s alcoholism. Despite several public claims that he’s completely stopped drinking, Morgan appeared on the “Late Show” on Thursday, and he seemed to have partaken of some substance or other. Letterman started off the interview by asking about Morgan’s recent DUI and how that all went. Tracy cracked a few jokes, and then told a story of having a sake bomb at Benihana’s recently. And just to clarify – though I probably don’t need to – a sake bomb consists of one shot sake rice wine and one glass of beer, which the drinker drinks as quickly as possible. After mentioning this, Dave asks Morgan, “So you’re abstaining, completely?” to which he replies “Huh?” Then there’s a pause and he goes on to talk about how he’s quit drinking completely, at the request of his eldest son.
Later in the interview, Dave asks Jordan how he’s been keeping himself busy during the Writer’s Guild strike. His response was golden.
“I’m just doin’ karate and getting females pregnant…at the same time.”
[From the Late Show]
Culture Bully gives a rundown of the interview’s other highlights.
In between DL asking Tracy about his ankle bracelet and his sobriety Tracy dropped comedy gold on the nation. It’s moments like these that make me wonder if I should start watching TV again.
“It’s in the Smithsonian next to Michael Jackson’s glove, and his nose.” [about his SCRAM bracelet]
“Now if I go near alcohol I turn into a Gremelin.”
“Tie Tony up the night before the game and make his legs like spaghetti.”
“I call him by his government, Phillip.”
“I found the edge a while ago and jumped off, I’m crazier than a box of rocks.”
[From Culture Bully]
Tracy Morgan strikes me as one of those people that should really be kept busy. Free time could be exceptionally dangerous for him. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers should seriously consider negotiating better with the Writers’ Guild to end the strike, if for no other reason than making sure Tracy Morgan goes back to work as soon as possible. Before he really does get females pregnant.
Picture note by Jaybird: Tracy Morgan leaving Letterman’s show. Images thanks to
Among the top names trying to help with the ongoing writer’s strike are Drew Carey and George Clooney. Carey has made sure that writers don’t go hungry while they’re picketing. He made an arrangement with Hollywood diners that he would personally cover the checks of anyone who comes in and shows their WGA cards!
Bighearted Drew Carey’s kept it hush-hush, but he’s secretly buying lunch and dinner for all picketing writers in LA and Hollywood for the duration of the… strike. Drew quietly made arrangements with area diners like Norms, Swingers, Mel’s and Denny’s - so all the writers have to do is flash their WGA cards and get fed!
[From The National Enquirer, print edition, Mike Walker’s column, January 21, 2008]
Drew doesn’t even need writers for his game show “The Price is Right,” so that’s incredible of him to do! Carey is known for his generosity and even took all the crew members and their family from his new show on an all-expenses paid weekend trip to Las Vegas when he first started the job.
George Clooney is also trying to help striking writers. He wants to set up an all-star “mediation panel” to help negotiate a deal between the writers and studios. He plans to be on the panel, and is trying to get director Steven Spielberg and fellow actor Tom Hanks involved:
Hollywood’s Triple-A list actors have started becoming integrally involved in trying to solve the Writers Guild strike against the Hollywood CEOs. I’ve just been told that George Clooney today is volunteering to personally set up a so-called “mediation panel” including himself and with plans to ask Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and John Wells (the executive producer of ER and a controversial ex-WGA president) to be part of it, plus 3 or 4 bigwigs who are siding with the producers.
[From The Huffington Post]
Tom Hanks has also spoken out about the writer’s strike and urged the studios to get back to the bargaining table. At the premiere of Charlie Wilson’s War he said that many people have been affected by the strike and that they need to be considered too:
“There are caterers and carpenters … and electricians and gaffers,” the 51-year-old said. “There are a lot of people out there associated with the industry, for whom the sooner this work stoppage is over the better.
“I just hope that the big guys who make big decisions up high in their corporate boardrooms and what not get down to honest bargaining and everyone can get back to work.”
[From Reuters.com]
Now that the Golden Globes have been canceled there’s a huge concern that the Oscars, scheduled for February 24, won’t go on due to the strike. It’s no wonder that the big stars are stepping up and trying to solve the problem. Hopefully the strike will be resolved soon or we’re looking at a lot less original content and films for the future.
Drew Carey is shown on 9/4/07 in NY, thanks to WENN. George Clooney is shown at the People’s Choice Awards on 1/7/08, thanks to PRPhotos. Here are more pictures of Clooney at the People’s Choice Awards looking slightly goofy.
The writers win and the fans lose as the WGA forced the cancellation of the Golden Globe Awards show according to MediaWeek.
NBC reportedly made a last-ditch effort to salvage at least part of the Golden Globes broadcast, whereby actors could walk down a red carpet of sorts, and then be spirited off to the all-important after parties. NBC had hoped to telecast the red carpet affair, and then announce winners of the awards at a press conference, capturing winners' reactions at the parties.
So the writers claim a victory by canceling the awards show and that they are sticking it to the man. But let's look at this way, the studios still get the awards. So a year from now does it make a difference who accepted the award or the that fact that they won? I go with the latter. Plus they save them all the money it would cost to rent limos, buy dresses, hire babysitters, fly people and so on. So another benefit for the studios. I could be wrong though.
So who really loses? The fans. People who don't understand this strike are not only losing their shows, now that are losing their awards shows. That is why it is telecast, not for the studios but for the fans.
I hate awards shows and even I am bummed that this one and possibly the Oscars too will be scrapped.
As Jimmy Kimmel said (referring to the way the writers were picketing Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien's shows) "sometimes you need to back off!"
To the writers please think of the fans when it comes to the Oscars! Don't cancel them too.
I really hope that both sides get together and start talking and come up with a deal that works for both ASAP!
Oh well I am off to watch Dance War which will now have more viewers since there is no new Heroes or 24 because of the WGA strike.
UPDATE: Here is a statement from the HFPA:
“We are all very disappointed that our traditional awards ceremony will not take place this year and that millions of viewers worldwide will be deprived of seeing many of their favorite stars celebrating 2007’s outstanding achievements in motion pictures and television,” said Jorge Camara, President of The Hollywood Foreign Press Association. “We take some comfort, however, in knowing that this year’s Golden Globe Award recipients will be announced on the date originally scheduled.”
Variety is also reporting that the parties are being cancelled, so people that relied on the money that they would have made that night are SOL. Fashion designers, makeup artists, jewelers, limo drivers, waitresses, bartenders and so on are also losing out financially.
At this year’s Golden Globe Awards, there won’t be any actors to present or accept the awards. How weird!
The show, set to take place January 13th, will be devoid of any Screen Actors Guild members, meaning that all the nominees and most audience members will be staying home.
Jay Leno is in a world of hurt. Apparently he didn’t quite understand the WGA’s rules about writing material for his show. All of the late night acts are going back on the air in the next week or so, with Leno and Letterman back on this past Wednesday. Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants, came to a separate agreement with the Writer’s Guild, essentially agreeing to honor all of their demands in terms of royalties and web payouts. That allowed him (and Craig Ferguson, who’s show is also produced by Letterman’s company) to go back on their air with his usual team of writers. The blogosphere was alive with excitement: lots of people noting that Letterman would finally beat Leno in the ratings. However the general consensus is that Jay Leno did a better job with just himself than Letterman did with his whole team. Ouch.
Technically, Leno’s only option was to perform his monologue spontaneously. That’s a tall order. As a writer and member of the WGA, he was not allowed to pen anything beforehand. Though it’s likely that late-night hosts Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel wrote something before they stepped on stage, Leno openly violated the rules, admitting that he wrote his monologue beforehand.
“Tonight Show” host Jay Leno could face disciplinary action from the Writers Guild of America for writing his monologue while the nearly 2-month-old writers strike continues.
Leno, a member of the guild, met Thursday with WGA West President Patric Verrone to discuss his decision to pen his opening segment. During the meeting, Leno was told that “writing for ‘The Tonight Show’ constitutes a violation of the [WGA] strike rules,’ the WGA said in a statement.“[Leno] was pretty flagrant in saying he wrote his monologue,” said Sherry Goldman, a spokeswoman for WGA East. “The other hosts … found a way around it.” It’s not yet clear what would happen to Leno if he continues to write monologues in the midst of the strike, but he could be brought before the WGA’s disciplinary committee, Goldman said.
[From MarketWatch]
The WGA’s strike contract is notoriously hard to interpret, however most people outside of the WGA (including NBC) agree that anyone outside of prime time is allowed to write their own material.
“The WGA agreement permits Jay Leno to write his own monologue for `The Tonight Show,’” NBC said in a statement Thursday. “The WGA is not permitted to implement rules that conflict with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the studios and the WGA.”
[From the Associated Press]
This strike is getting pretty tiresome. And I say that not as a reflection on the writers, but on the corporations. The WGA is fairly rigid: I’m pretty sure they’d get mad if one of their members wrote so much as a grocery list at this point. Remember that note you jotted down on a Post-it, reminding you to call your aunt? Violation. But they have a point. If they start making a bunch of exceptions, pretty soon the strike won’t stand for anything. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers website has a counter on their website of how much money the writers are losing in the short term by striking. What they don’t have a counter for is how much money the writers would lose in the long term if they didn’t strike. This is pretty much a battle between principles (writers) and egos (the alliance). Get ready for a lot of game shows and reality TV next year.
The writer’s strike is at an impasse, with studios and the union unable to negotiate a fair settlement for Internet airings of television shows and movies. There was a rumor that talks should be resolved by Christmas, but this was an incorrect story and/or an overly positive one, because the talks have stalled and the latest news is that both sides are nowhere near a compromise. This means that the upcoming awards shows like The Oscars and Golden Globes are likely to be scrapped as many high-profile celebrities will refuse to cross picket lines and most everyone else will follow suit.
The Golden Globes are most likely to go if the strike is still on as they’re scheduled for January 13th. If the strike is still not settled by February 24, the air date for the Oscars, the Oscars won’t be happening this year either:
“Golden Globes? Not happening. Oscars? Not happening.”
That’s the word — or the words — from a Writers Guild insider who knows the score concerning the long-running strike against the studios.
The Guild will, without a doubt, picket the Golden Globes on Jan. 13, my source says. This person knows the business. The Guild also will picket the Oscars, the Spirit Awards and, presumably, the Grammys. They’ll also picket shows such as the People’s Choice Awards.
So far, the WGA has been very effective with picket lines — far more so probably than the studios ever expected. Hollywood already is shut down because of picket lines.
Interestingly, Variety — “the bible” of show business — is taking a subtle pro-studio stand on the strike.
Tuesday night, the publication’s story indicating a Golden Globe picket line made it seem like the physical picketers would be so far from the Hilton that no one would care. Alas, a modern picket line is as virtual as anything else in 2008. If the Writers Guild says it’s boycotting the Globes, its members, and members of other guilds, are highly unlikely to attend.
It’s not just that the Guild turned down requests for waivers from the Hollywood Foreign Press (the Globes, Jan. 13) and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscars, Feb. 24). That happened on Monday.
According to this high-level source, the Guild will not negotiate a separate deal with Dick Clark Productions, the company that produces the Globes show for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and NBC.
Instead, the Guild will picket the show. And if the strike is still on when Feb. 24 rolls around, the Guild will picket the Oscars, too.
And this means that millions of dollars in advertising spent by the networks and the movie studios will go down the drain. So far, the Hollywood Foreign Press has pretended as if this weren’t happening. But it is.
Jan. 13 is less than a month away. A picket line around the Beverly Hilton Hotel means that big stars like George Clooney and Steven Spielberg will stay away. It’s that simple. And once they’ve announced their intentions not to cross, the rest will follow.
[From Foxnews.com]
I wonder if they’ll carry on with the shows with whomever will attend or if they’ll be scrapped entirely. From the way this story is worded, it sounds like The Golden Globes will probably not happen at all and that the Oscars are at risk depending on how quickly the strike can be settled. The only reason I watch the shows is to see what the stars are wearing as I find the ceremonies incredibly boring, although last year’s Oscars weren’t bad. I can’t say I’ll miss either of those shows and to me it’s more about the effects of the strike on tv and movies.
I live overseas and unfortunately can’t watch US television until the older episodes are shown over here, but ironically I finally scored an invite to Hulu.com, which offers real streaming current TV shows legally on demand. Hulu is put out by NBC and has lots of current shows from NBC, Fox, Bravo, and FX, among others. 30 second commercials are shown in place of full commercial breaks. This is the type of content that the writers want to be paid for, but the studios are holding their ground.
The FoxNews article points out that the studios want to pay the writers almost nothing for Internet broadcasts of their shows. They also say it would cost $150 million for the studios to settle the strike with the Writer’s Guild, which is the cost of one medium budget flop. Instead of giving writers a fair share, they’re refusing to consider the offer. The result will be much more expensive for them as very little content is created for next year and advertising revenue and viewership goes way, way down.
Talk about awkward. Former cast member Isaiah Washington joined the cast of Grey’s Anatomy on the WGA picket lines on Wednesday. Washington was fired from the show after he “reportedly” referred to gay castmate T.R. Knight as a “f*g.” According to pretty much everyone who was there and has talked about it, Washington was referring to Knight. According to Washington, he was referring to himself and/or Patrick Dempsey (depending on which of his interviews you read) in a derogatory manner. However he definitely repeated the word at the Golden Globes, leading to one of the most awkward cast interviews in history.
The WGA dubbed Wednesday “Diversity Day,” and requested that writers and actors who are gay or a minority show up on the picket line. Washington is currently on NBC’s “Bionic Woman.”
Even without a script, the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy” generated plenty of drama Wednesday when they showed up to support picketing writers outside the fabled Paramount Studios lot. Katherine Heigl, who plays Izzie Stevens, and T.R. Knight, who plays her on-screen love interest George O’Malley, were posing for pictures and giving interviews - when controversial former cast member Isaiah Washington showed up. Washington, who played Dr. Preston Burke, was fired from the show in June amid tension that began when he allegedly used a gay slur to refer to Knight and used the word again during a Golden Globes appearance.
He has since apologized, met with gay leaders and checked into rehab on the advice of his handlers. Grey’s creator and writer Shonda Rhimes [who made the decision to fire Washington], considered one of the most powerful black women in Hollywood, was among those picketing at Paramount. Asked if Washington was with the Grey’s group, Heigl, who had previously publicly criticized Washington told The Daily News, “He’s not with me.”
But Washington denied there were problems with his former co-workers. “They’re former castmates. I’ve been in over 25 movies, I have lots of former castmates.” he said.
[From the Daily News]
Sounds like a pretty awkward reunion to me. And while I’m sure Isaiah Washington has lots of former castmates, to my knowledge he hasn’t referred to any of them with unsavory gay slurs. Frankly if I were in his shoes, I would try to keep a low profile for a few years and do my best to keep getting steady – but not attention-producing – work.
In other WGA strike news, there are some pretty loud rumblings that all of the late night hosts - including Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, David Letterman, Craig Ferguson, and Jimmy Kimmel – will be returning to their shows in mid-to-late January. Though they all stood by their writers and refused to cross picket lines from the beginning, their shows have lost a massive amount of viewership and most of their staff and crew have been fired. No word on how they’ll return. One would assume less or no monologues or sketches, so probably a mostly interview format. Here’s a funny video about the strike starring Saturday Night Live cast member and writer Fred Armisen as fictional studio head/Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers member (they’re the Writer’s Guild’s foes) Roger A. Trevanti.
Roger A. Trevanti Explains The AMPTP’s New Proposal on FunnyOrDie.com
Charisma Carpenter, who is earning residuals from all the replays of Buffy and Angel on TNT, claims that she is broke and wants her ex to pay for her divorce costs according to E!
"At the present time, [Hardy] has the ability to work full time and make more money than I am currently making," Carpenter states. "[He] should be paying my attorneys' fees and costs…The court should uphold the spousal support waiver, but if it does not do so, it should award spousal support to me."
The 2004 Playboy cover girl says that her and Hardy's prenup includes a waiver of spousal support by both sides in the event that their marriage fails to last seven years. Carpenter filed for divorce Aug. 2.
But Hardy, who stated in a declaration filed Nov. 27 that he quit working for awhile to be a stay-at-home dad for their four-year-old son, Donovan Charles Hardy, maintains that he wasn't fully aware of what he was getting into before he agreed to the premarital arrangement.
"I do not recall any discussion regarding the waiver of spousal support, and no one explained to me what rights I was giving up regarding spousal support by signing the premarital agreement," Hardy stated.
He claims that before the couple swapped vows in October 2002 he earned $18,000 a year working as a hotel bellman and supervisor. Meanwhile, Hardy stated, Carpenter is capable of making up to $500,000 a year (what he says she earned in 2004) as an actress.
"I have recently returned to work, but I am making less than $2,000 per month and I cannot afford to go to school at this time," Hardy, a high school graduate, said.
What a b!tch. How could she be broke with all the residuals she has been making off of Buffy and Angel and Playboy? She was also slated to guest on the cancelled Big Shots, but her episodes have yet to air. She blames the strike but if it wasn't for the upcoming strike at the time Big Shots would not have been on the air long enough for her to even have a shot of role.
I watched both Buffy and Angel and it was her looks not her acting that kept her on the shows. I hope her husband who earns $24,000 a year wins out when they are in court on January 9th..
It’s been going on for too long, and the Hollywood writers’ strike is starting to have a deep impact on the entertainment industry.
And celebrities like “Heroes” actress Ali Larter have joined the striking writers, lending support and encouragement (and in some cases pizza and doughnuts) during this time of industry unrest.
That was hysterically brilliant!!! See what we are missing the longer the WGA strike goes on. Let’s hope they settle soon.
Thank Alec!
Recently engaged author and first daughter Jenna Bush is getting some flak from the Writer’s Guild for crossing picket lines to film a promotional appearance with Ellen DeGeneres. Bush Junior junior is still plugging her book “Ana’s Story: A Journey of Hope” about a young woman she met in Latin America who was born with HIV and got pregnant. Touching premise. **Cough cough ghostwriter cough cough** [JayBird looks around nervously]. Remember Jenna is the less-intelligent/harder-partying twin who couldn’t get into Yale even though her dad-the-current-president and her grandfather-the-former-president and twin sister all attended. I know Yale requires the absolute best of the best, but how bad must your grades be if they have to say, “I’m sorry Mr. President, we can only take one twin.” Alright I’m done with the Bush bashing. Jenna’s being called a scab for crossing the picket lines and going on “Ellen” yesterday (airing today). It was ironically pointed out that it’s the President’s job to prevent labor strife. Whoops.
Jenna actually filmed a pretty cute sounding interview. We, the naïve and trusting viewers, are meant to believe that Ellen talks Jenna into an unplanned phone call to her parents, live on the air. It comes off pretty well, which means there’s no way in hell W was surprised. That man can barely string three rudimentary words together with a Speak & Spell; there’s no way he could sound like a semi-normal human being when he’s “surprised” by his daughter calling from a TV show. But let’s play dumb and pretend to think it’s adorable.
Pleasantly prodding the First Daughter during a taping of her show… DeGeneres inquired if Bush could get her high-powered papa on the phone any time she wants. “I usually call him in the evening or in the morning, when I know they’ll both be at home,” said the 26-year-old. “Could you just pick up the phone like right now and call him?” wondered a wide-eyed Ellen. “Sure,” replies Bush. “He’s going to kill me, though.
DeGeneres, meanwhile, says that if Jenna’s parents don’t answer, she’ll get Jenna’s grandfather, former President George Herbert Walker Bush, on the phone, and observes: “We’re not barging in while they’re in their pajamas or something.” Once Bush gets through to First Lady Laura Bush, she says, “Hi, Mom.” Asking how the show is going, Mom says, “I’m not watching you because you’re taping right now.” She also tells her daughter, “I’m just sitting here with Daddy.”
Pipes up Ellen: “I wanted to say hi to Daddy.” And so, the President of the United States comes to the phone, and is told by his offspring, “This is the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Are You Mad?’
“Well, that’s great!” says the surprised Chief Executive, who asks DeGeneres, “How’s my little girl doing?” “Oh, she’s great,” answers the host. “She’s scared she’s going to get in trouble [and] not going to get any Christmas presents.” Pause. “Dad?” asks Jenna. “Yes, baby,” he replies. “Are you mad?” she inquires. “No, not at all,” says President Bush. “I’m excited to talk to you. I’m glad to talk to Ellen.”
[From People]
Yeah it made me feel annoyingly warm and fuzzy too. I’m hoping once it actually airs I’ll find that it’s trite, hackneyed, and cold. Or other negative adjectives. I feel like I’ve been duped, as to read it, it came off as mildly adorable. Now I feel cheap and used. Ahh, now that’s the feeling I’m used to from the Bushes.
via United Hollywood
Is nothing sacred in the WGA strike?
I love the video that the Colbert Report writers put together. Hey wait a second did they write something that went on the internet during the strike? Ooooo they are going to be in trouble for breaking the strike.
Television shows aren’t the only things suffering because of the writer’s strike. Though they’re impacted in a much more immediate sense (the lag time between when a show is written and when we see it on TV is a lot shorter than with a movie) the film industry is also suffering. Not only are scripts not being written, but rewrites can’t be done for movies that are in (or near) the filming process. One movie that’s suffered is the adaptation of the BBC series “State of Play” which was to star Brad Pitt. But Brad has grown so disillusioned with the current script – which can’t be rewritten – that he’s walked out on the film, leaving everyone in the lurch and potentially exposing himself to litigation.
Brad Pitt is facing possible legal action after quitting his new film amid script concerns. Pitt was set to join Dame Helen Mirren, Edward Norton, Robin Wright Penn and Rachel McAdams in a big-screen adaptation of hit BBC series State of Play. In recent weeks, the heartthrob actor had been in a series of meetings with director Kevin MacDonald over the script, which cannot be worked on at the moment due to the current Hollywood writers strike.
Sources say Pitt, 43, was unhappy the movie did not follow his vision and his sudden departure has left the film’s schedule in limbo. Filming was set to begin on November 15. U.S. reports claim Universal Studios are considering their legal options and may even sue the actor. Hollywood trade paper Variety reports Universal would have the option to sue Pitt if they cannot find a suitable replacement.
A statement from Universal reads: “Brad Pitt has left the Universal Pictures production of State of Play. We remain committed to this project and to the filmmakers, cast members, crew and others who are also involved in making the movie. We reserve all rights in this matter.”
[From the Daily Mail]
The script must be really bad for Brad to walk out on his contract like that. Not only could he possibly get sued, but it will certainly sully any future negotiations with Universal. And it doesn’t make him look very professional. Though to be fair, putting out a bad movie wouldn’t help his career, so he probably weighed his options and figured leaving the project was the least damaging route to take. At first I was a little surprised that the script – which one would assume was written by British writers – couldn’t be worked on because of the Hollywood strike. But several other writer’s guilds aren’t working on any projects involving US productions as a show of solidarity. Something tells me no matter what happens, not much could hurt Brad’s career at this point.
Picture note by Celebitchy: Brad Pitt is shown at the Beowulf movie premiere in London on 11/11/07, thanks to PRPhotos.
The writer’s strike – which shows no end in sight – has led to another round of mass firings, this time by NBC. According to the New York Post, nearly the entire staff of Saturday Night Live has been fired by NBC, including longtime employees. The show immediately ceased production when the strike began – most of its actors started as writers on the show and are members of the Writer’s Guild of America. SNL has had a spotty history in terms of ratings, and hasn’t been doing phenomenally in the last few years. Though they’re certainly not doing their worst, either.
The writers and actors of Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock (a lot of whom are SNL alums) got together this weekend and performed their shows live at the Upright Citizens Brigade theater in Manhattan. Tickets quickly sold out last week, and all the proceeds went to the Writers Guild’s strike fund.
In its first dramatic move since the beginning of the Writers Guild strike, NBC has fired “nearly the entire production staff” of its struggling, late-night staple, “Saturday Night Live,” sources told Page Six. One tipster told us, ” ‘SNL’ laid off all their staff until further notice. Their production staff, even long-term employees, were let go.” Another source confirmed that “90 percent of the ‘SNL’ staff was fired.”
And while The Washington Post reported yesterday that NBC might lay staff off at Jay Leno’s “Tonight” show, “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” and “Last Call With Carson Daly” - all of which immediately went into rerun mode on Nov. 5 - those staffers would at least get paid for two more weeks. But an insider confirmed to us that “SNL” staffers got no severance.
Although no official announcement had been made as of last night about firings at any of NBC’s late-night shows, multiple sources confirmed to us that “SNL” staffers learned of their axing yesterday morning. Reps for NBC declined comment.
[From the New York Post]
I wonder what kind of trickle-down effect the strike could have on other industries. Arnold Schwarzenegger is supposedly working quietly on negotiations and has said that the strike could really impact California’s economy. It seems like most of the talent has squarely lined up behind the writers. A lot of the producers have too – even though the writers are striking against the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers – because a lot of them used to be writers too. According to what’s been reported so far, negotiations this weekend failed to produce any result.
Picture note by Celebitchy: Thanks to the NY Times for these pictures of Saturday Night Live performed this weekend live on stage in Chelsea.
The Writer’s Guild strike really is showing no signs of letting up. The WGA has publicly asked the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers to “meet us halfway.” That doesn’t seem to be happening at all. Instead of ceding to the writer’s very reasonable demands, many studios have chosen to exercise the force majeure clause in their actors’ SAG contracts, which lets the studios suspend the actors for half-pay for up to five weeks if production on their shows shuts down. They can also suspend them with full pay or choose to release the actors from their contracts altogether. If the strike isn’t resolved by the end of the five weeks, it’s likely that they’ll eventually fire thousands of employees, instead of meeting the WGA halfway.
UNIVERSAL
The casts of The Office, 30 Rock, Bionic Woman and Battlestar Galactica were informed Thursday that their contracts have been suspended for the next five weeks, now that Universal Media Studios has opted to exercise what’s known as the force majeure clause in their Screen Actors Guild agreements. Regulars from those NBC and Sci-Fi Channel shows will collect half of their usual salaries. Obviously, this will be less financially painful for some, but it won’t be pleasant for anyone.SONY
Has suspended the casts of Fox’s Til Death and CBS’ Rules of Engagement without pay—a decision that has both SAG and the American Federation of TV & Radio Artists up in arms because Sony’s move both cuts the actors’ pay and, because it’s not outright terminating the contracts, prevents them from working for another studio.WARNER BROS.
Joining the worst-case-scenario fray also this week was Warner Bros. TV, which, according to the Hollywood Reporter, circulated a letter to production and facility employees informing them that production on all series will be shutting down within the next six or seven weeks—assuming the WGA strike continues—and that layoffs will probably be necessary. But, labor relations senior VP Hank Lachmund wrote, the studio anticipates that “such layoffs, if they occur, will be temporary and that many employees will be recalled to work at some point after the WGA work stoppage ends.”
[From E! News]
It’s probably looks like I’m very biased towards the writers – which I am to an extent. But more than anything I’m against the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers. They make ridiculous amounts of money off the writers’ talent. They make it off a lot of peoples’ talent. But the writers are the foundation. They generally create the show itself, come up with all the concepts, and decide what’s going to happen with a show. It’s not just about writing dialogue. They provide the building blocks for members of the Alliance to make money. Certainly each needs the other to survive, but I can’t help but root for the comparatively little guy. Let’s hope the strike gets resolved soon so that the paycheck-to-paycheck employees are taken care of.
Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Sarah Silverman picketing at Universal Studios on Wednesday. Header image of Matthew Perry picketing. Images thanks to Splash Photos.
In the wake of NBC’s decision to fire all non-writing employees on its late night schedule, David Letterman has decided to personally look out for his staff members. He will be paying for their salaries through his company, Worldwide Pants. A few other people (like Jon Stewart) have said that they will cover the salaries for their writers, but Letterman is the first to say that he’ll make sure his non-writing staff is taken care of.
Strike or not, employees of the “Late Show With David Letterman” and the “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” will be paid through year’s end. Both are produced by Letterman’s Worldwide Pants banner, which notified employees in New York and Los Angeles that they will be paid regardless of whether the shows return. It would make Worldwide Pants the first known company to guarantee its staff a paycheck during the writers strike.
It doesn’t mean, however, that there will be no work on “Late Show.” Decisions are being made week-to-week on whether the show will return to the air in some form.
[From Reuters]
NBC can make more decisions for “The Tonight Show” than CBS can for the “Late Show” because NBC owns their show. David Letterman owns the “Tonight Show” – CBS pays a licensing fee to Worldwide Pants to air the show. They of course have stopped paying, since the show isn’t in production.
Deadline Hollywood reports: “Dave’s not doing this to get good press, which is why it hasn’t been reported for almost two days,” a source tells me. “This is really significant because, as opposed to all of the other shows, this money comes out of Dave’s own pocket.”
It’s great that big-name stars with equally big paychecks are looking out for their employees. It must be a good way to encourage morale, and make sure that when everyone comes back to work, there won’t be as many hard feelings.
Not surprisingly (and yet still a little shockingly), it turns out NBC wasn’t bluffing when they said they’d start firing the staffs of shows that weren’t filming due to the strike. They originally said they’d fire the non-writing staff of “The Tonight Show” and “Late Night” if Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien didn’t cross the picket lines and return to work. Perhaps to show they mean business, NBC has fired 102 crew members from “The Office” – which shut down filming last week after Steve Carell wouldn’t cross the picket lines. About half the actors on the show are also writers and members of the WGA (along with Carell). I doubt the show could have continued filming since all the writer/actors were striking, but Steve Carell is the one that got all the press, since he’s the lead actor and the biggest name.
Dale Alexander, a key grip on “The Office” wrote an email to the Los Angeles Times explaining what happened and his point of view, which helps balance the writers’ perspective.
“Our show was shut down and we were all laid off this week. I’ve been watching the news since the WGA strike was announced and I have yet to see any coverage dedicated to the effect that this strike will have on the below the line employees.
“I respect the WGA’s position. They probably do deserve a larger percentage of profit participation, but a lengthy strike will affect more than just the writers and studios. On my show we had 14 writers. There were also 2 cameramen, 2 camera assistants, 4 hair stylists, 4 makeup artists, 7 wardrobe people, 4 grips, 4 electricians, 2 craft service, 4 props people, 6 construction, 1 medic, 3 art department, 5 set dressers, 3 sound men, 3 stand-ins, 2 set PAs, 4 assistant directors, 1 DGA trainee, 1 unit manager, 6 production office personnel, 3 casting people, 4 writers assistants, 1 script supervisor, 2 editors, 2 editors assistants, 3 post production personnel, 1 facilities manager, 8 drivers, 2 location managers, 3 accountants, 4 caterers and a producer who’s not a writer. All 102 of us are now out of work.
“I have been in the motion picture business for 33 years and have survived three major strikes. None of which have been by any of the below the line unions. During the 1988 WGA strike many of my friends lost their homes, cars and even spouses. Many actors are publicly backing the writers, some have even said that they would find a way to help pay bills for the striking writers. When the networks run out of new shows and they air repeats the writers will be paid residuals. The lowest paid writer in television makes roughly twice the salary than the below the line crewmember makes. Everyone should be paid their fair share, but does it have to be at the expense of the other 90% of the crewmembers. Nobody ever recoups from a strike, lost wages are just that, lost.
“We all know that the strike will be resolved. Eventually both sides will return to the bargaining table and make a deal. The only uncertainty is how many of our houses, livelihoods, college educations and retirement funds will pay for it.”
[From the Los Angeles Times]
A lot of people (myself included) were fairly critical of Ellen DeGeneres for crossing the picket lines and continuing to film her show. This puts the dilemma in a larger context. I’m not sure that it still excuses crossing the picket lines – especially if you were or are a writer like Ellen is. But it does accurately show how many people are negatively impacted by the strike. Sure a lot of the actors can get out there and picket with the writers, because their livelihoods aren’t going to be so drastically impacted. A lot of the crews make regular – and sometimes very little – money. They’re not raking it in, and they rarely go home to multi-million dollar mansions. It’s a noble cause, but some people who have nothing to gain are losing everything.
I think the fault ultimately lies with NBC – it’s inexcusable to fire crews. You can’t fire striking workers (generally speaking) and they shouldn’t. But to punish these poor people that have nothing to do with it is unconscionable. Especially after just five days of striking. It’s not like we’re talking about months on end (at this point) and the networks are losing so much money they have no choice. They very much have a choice at this point, and they aren’t firing people to save money. They’re doing it to prove a point, and keep as much of their profits for themselves. Talk about hardball.
There are a lot of things I would trust Arnold Schwarzenegger to do, and do well. I would trust him to snap a pencil in half with his thumb. I would trust him to snap a third-grader in half with his thumb. And for some reason, I would trust him to catch a bullet with his teeth, because something tells me he’s awesomely coordinated like that. I would not, however, trust him in the finer points of contract negotiations, anything involving money or numbers in general, and anything getting a ton of press. But Arnold is a little slicker than I thought – not only is he trying to mediate the dispute between the Writer’s Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, but he’s trying to do it quietly behind the scenes. He’s a better politician than I thought.
In talks unbeknown to even his top aides, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken to representatives on both sides in this week’s Writers Guild of America strike against the studios and networks. Schwarzenegger, whose lengthy, successful career in the film business before coming into office in 2003 gives him a certain cachet in the matter, has been speaking with WGA members as well as studio execs heading the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
In addition to his own words of advice, the governor has had staff members reach out to both sides, as well as to the federal mediator trying to get them to hammer out a deal about future residuals and other issues. “We’re interested in helping both sides resolve this issue any way we can,” says a member of Schwarzenegger’s team. With the federal mediator involved, there is not much sway the governor has over actual negotiations, however.
[From Politico.com]
Arnold actually makes a lot of sense as a negotiator, in terms of his history. I wouldn’t exactly call him a skilled politician, but once in a while he’ll do something really impressive and surprise me. I wouldn’t rule him out. There really hasn’t been any good news coming out about negotiations – all we’re really hearing is that more and more people are joining the strike. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is being pretty quiet. Something tells me we’ll be re-watching old episodes of Seinfeld for a good chunk of 2008.
Jay Leno is one of many entertainers who is refusing to cross picket lines while the Writer’s Guild is on strike. NBC has essentially stated that if Leno doesn’t cross the lines and return to work, they will lay off the rest of the “Tonight Show” non-writing staff. NBC making it clear that they’re more than willing to save some money by firing long-time employees that have nothing to do with the strike. It also seems like they’re doing some really dirty dealing and putting completely unethical pressure on Leno to return to work to save his staff’s jobs. The other alternative is for the “Tonight Show” to use guest hosts – certainly there are entertainers out there that are willing to cross the lines. NBC has also said the same thing to Conan O’Brian’s staff.
NBC informed the nonwriting staff of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that it will be laid off at the end of next week in the wake of the show shutting down for the writers’ strike. And with Leno still refusing to cross the picket line, the show is looking at coming back on the air Nov. 19 with guest hosts so that it can save the jobs of the nonwriters. “All sorts of things are being discussed, including guest hosts,” Tonight Show executive producer Debbie Vickers said. “Our preference is that we return to production of The Tonight Show with Jay as host as soon as possible.”
But Vickers also wants to save the jobs of her nonwriting staffers. “We want to protect the staff, who have been loyal to this show for decades, in the same way that Johnny Carson reluctantly returned without his writers in 1988,” she said. Late-night shows have gone into repeats since the strike began Monday as the hosts walked out in solidarity with their writing staffs. With the shows shut down, networks can cut costs by laying off most of the rest of the staff.
And Leno’s chief writer doesn’t expect Leno back anytime soon. “I talk to Jay every day, and he will not be the first [late-night host] to cross the picket line,” said Tonight Show head writer Joe Medeiros, also a strike captain for the Writers Guild of America. “So they are looking at guest hosts as one possibility so all those people don’t have to lose their jobs.”
[From Broadcasting & Cable]
That is really low of NBC. CBS and FOX have both tried to put similar pressure on many of their employees, by telling people that are producers/writers that they still have to honor their producing contracts and go to work each day, despite the strike. Since most of those people started as writers, they have a lot of sympathy for them – and most of them are still members of the Writer’s Guild and can’t work during the strike. So they’re between a rock and a hard place.
I’ve heard a lot about all the things the writers are doing, all the talent that’s lining up behind them, and how long the strike will likely go on. What I haven’t heard much about are the entertainment execs that should be sweating bullets and giving in to their more than reasonable demands.
Will Broadway's stagehands walk out tonight? Maybe! Man, if they strike, and if the writers don't get their asses back to work, we are totally going to be out of entertainment in this city. Except for... the books? [[NYP]]