Post by Niki on Feb 24, 2008 10:02:21 GMT -5
The Emmy pre-noms are in, and they are (from AMC): Outstanding Lead Actress Susan Lucci (Erica) and Bobbie Eakes (Krystal); Outstanding Lead Actor Michael E. Knight (Tad), Thorsten Kaye (Zach) and David Canary (Adam/Stuart); Outstanding Supporting Actress Alicia Minshew (Kendall) and Sabine Singh (ex-Greenlee II); Outstanding Supporting Actor Jacob Young (JR), Jeffrey Carlson (ex-Zarf/Zoe) and Billy J. Miller (Richie); Outstanding Younger Actress Leven Rambin (Lily/Ava), Chrishell Stause (Amanda) and Melissa Claire Egan (Annie); no Outstanding Younger Actor listed. –Emmy Online, Media Center
Funny guy David Rasche (ex-Wes Leonard, Ryan’s Hope) takes on the antagonistic, recurring role of Ray Gardner’s brother Rob, starting February 29. Uncle Rob may make Ray look like a saint in comparison when he gets through with Tad, Jesse and their loved ones. Rasche is a familiar face in acting circles, having done films like The Sentinel, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, United 93, An Unmarried Woman and Flags of our Fathers, and infamously in the 1980s TV show, Sledge Hammer.
Dancing With The Stars’ Maksim Chmerkovskiy may know about professional dancing, but pole-dancing was another animal entirely. Despite appearing on AMC recently (Feb. 26th is his scene) in a stunt-casting plot device to teach the Fusion ladies how to do the pole sexy justice, Chmerkovskiy himself had to learn the art, quick. He said he did the best he could without getting too dirty into the dancing. While complimentary of AMC’s hard-working actors, Chmerkovskiy didn’t sound too impressed with the soapy stories these hard-working actors have had to bring to life: “… soaps are a bit cheesy,” he said. “All the girls were telling me about their crazy storylines. One of them had been in a coma three times. Another one used to be a ghost.” There’s no chance in hell he’s joining any soap cast soon. Acting’s not his bag. Neither is singing. The professional dancer said opportunities to perform outside his comfort zone have flooded in since DWTS, but nah. “People have wanted to put me in a cowboy hat and make me the next Nashville Star. Trust me, that's not where my talent is. I'm like a peacock — beautiful but you don't want to hear it sing.”
Rebecca Budig (Greenlee) was in the pole-dancing scenes with Chmerkovskiy, and she was even more of an expert at it than he was, thanks to her S Factor striptease classes. (An S Factor level three student, Budig’s pole-dancing expertise garnered her a CSI guest-starring gig this past autumn as a pole-dancing stripper.) Too bad he had no idea who she was, despite her constant presence at the last DWTS when Cameron Mathison (Ryan) participated. “Apparently the 'real' Greenlee isn't that memorable!” she quipped.
But the “real” Greenlee could probably take up a second, fallback job as a stripper if the acting thing doesn’t take… this, according to Budig’s mom. Explained the actress, “She said, ‘If you can't get acting jobs, dear, you can always go to work at the local ti--y bar.’” –TVGuide.com Michael Logan blog, February 21, 2008
There’s a lot more to Amanda Baker (Babe II; ex-Jolene, GH: NS) than her relatively new soap start – first on SOAPnet’s GH spinoff NS, then now on AMC taking over for Alexa Havins. The December 22nd, Sumpter, SC-born, Charleston native once sang in a girls’ band called Sold Out, doing 1980s covers. She also took full advantage of whatever filmed on location in the neighboring Wilmington, NC area by trying out as an extra; she did One Tree Hill and The Notebook. After moving to L.A., Baker worked as a kimono-clad sushi waitress while auditioning before landing a promising role as a student nurse on GH: NS. Taking over for the much-beloved Havins on AMC might’ve scared other, less-confident, less-easygoing newbie actresses, but not Baker. She admitted the actual transfer scene involving Havins was “intense” but she also saw it as a “great energy with both of us there.” Now, ensconced in Havins’ dressing room with Havins’ great vibes, she’s feeling more comfortable in the role Havins made memorable, with more of her own flavor. And she’s developed a close rapport all her own with on-screen mom Bobbie Eakes (Krystal). “When I work with her, it feels like the real thing – when we’re bonding, we’re really bonding; when we’re laughing, we’re really laughing,” Baker said. Baker’s a big fan of Eakes from her B&B (ex-Macy) period. –Soap Opera Digest, February 26, 2008
Colin Egglesfield (Josh), like a billion other soap actors not on GH, would kill to be in the same scenes as mobster Sonny Corinthos and enjoy the Maurice Benard experience. He chose the GH mob scene as his choice for a guest cross-over.
While, over at DOOL, Max’s Darin Brooks would come on over to AMC for a short spell to share scenes with the actor who won the part of JR over him, Jacob Young. The chance to live and work in New York also appealed to Brooks.
Billy Miller (Richie) enjoys unique and valued friendships with both Babes. He and the original Babe, Alexa Havins, hit it off right away like long-lost siblings, along with Havins’ husband Justin Bruening (ex-Jamie) and Miller’s L.A.-based girlfriend. The four of them get together whenever they can. Miller and Amanda Baker (Babe II) have a friendly competition going on involving early attendance at rehearsals. Miller – who admired how Baker handled her Babe transition – said that no matter how much he tries, he cannot book it faster than Baker. But he’ll keep trying.
Justin Bruening (ex-Jamie) debuted on the contemporary remake of ‘80s TV hit Knight Rider, taking over for David Hasselhoff (who appears in a cameo at the end of this remake), February 17—to ratings victory for its timeslot on NBC. Knight Rider, revisited, scored 12.7 million viewers for the viewing hour of 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. I viewed the debut on the merits of that Mustang and Bruening’s soap credit alone. Bruening is impressive as a kick-ass hero, but – just as on AMC – he needs to improve his emotive skills when dealing with tragedy, such as when his character’s mother was felled by a bullet. All he could muster was glaring and heavy breathing. Boy bulked up, though. Interestingly enough, this is the second AMC tie that I know of with the hire of Bruening in the lead role. The original Knight Rider series starred Hasselhoff who—at the time—was married to Catherine Hickland (Lindsay, OLTL) who eventually married Michael E. Knight (Tad). Hasselhoff played a character called Michael Knight. And now, Tad’s son Jamie, aka Bruening, is on the series remake as Michael Knight. Weird.
Leven Rambin (Lily/Ava) guest-stars on NBC’s new mid-season drama, Lipstick Jungle, February 28 as Chloe. Chloe’s supposed to be similar in many ways to Ava.
Gossip for the week of 25-Feb-2008
by Carol Banks Weber
Leven Rambin (Lily/Ava) may reprise her wild Chloe character on Lipstick Jungle, now that the writers’ strike is done.
An AMC source tells me that despite what’s out there, Jeff Branson (Jonathan) tried to do right by his character and the stories handed to him, even when they made him uncomfortable. Pairing up with an under-aged, autistic Lily in a love story might’ve made him uncomfortable, but he supposedly went out of his way to be as professional and gentlemanly and positive about it as possible.
Funny guy David Rasche (ex-Wes Leonard, Ryan’s Hope) takes on the antagonistic, recurring role of Ray Gardner’s brother Rob, starting February 29. Uncle Rob may make Ray look like a saint in comparison when he gets through with Tad, Jesse and their loved ones. Rasche is a familiar face in acting circles, having done films like The Sentinel, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, United 93, An Unmarried Woman and Flags of our Fathers, and infamously in the 1980s TV show, Sledge Hammer.
Dancing With The Stars’ Maksim Chmerkovskiy may know about professional dancing, but pole-dancing was another animal entirely. Despite appearing on AMC recently (Feb. 26th is his scene) in a stunt-casting plot device to teach the Fusion ladies how to do the pole sexy justice, Chmerkovskiy himself had to learn the art, quick. He said he did the best he could without getting too dirty into the dancing. While complimentary of AMC’s hard-working actors, Chmerkovskiy didn’t sound too impressed with the soapy stories these hard-working actors have had to bring to life: “… soaps are a bit cheesy,” he said. “All the girls were telling me about their crazy storylines. One of them had been in a coma three times. Another one used to be a ghost.” There’s no chance in hell he’s joining any soap cast soon. Acting’s not his bag. Neither is singing. The professional dancer said opportunities to perform outside his comfort zone have flooded in since DWTS, but nah. “People have wanted to put me in a cowboy hat and make me the next Nashville Star. Trust me, that's not where my talent is. I'm like a peacock — beautiful but you don't want to hear it sing.”
Rebecca Budig (Greenlee) was in the pole-dancing scenes with Chmerkovskiy, and she was even more of an expert at it than he was, thanks to her S Factor striptease classes. (An S Factor level three student, Budig’s pole-dancing expertise garnered her a CSI guest-starring gig this past autumn as a pole-dancing stripper.) Too bad he had no idea who she was, despite her constant presence at the last DWTS when Cameron Mathison (Ryan) participated. “Apparently the 'real' Greenlee isn't that memorable!” she quipped.
But the “real” Greenlee could probably take up a second, fallback job as a stripper if the acting thing doesn’t take… this, according to Budig’s mom. Explained the actress, “She said, ‘If you can't get acting jobs, dear, you can always go to work at the local ti--y bar.’” –TVGuide.com Michael Logan blog, February 21, 2008
There’s a lot more to Amanda Baker (Babe II; ex-Jolene, GH: NS) than her relatively new soap start – first on SOAPnet’s GH spinoff NS, then now on AMC taking over for Alexa Havins. The December 22nd, Sumpter, SC-born, Charleston native once sang in a girls’ band called Sold Out, doing 1980s covers. She also took full advantage of whatever filmed on location in the neighboring Wilmington, NC area by trying out as an extra; she did One Tree Hill and The Notebook. After moving to L.A., Baker worked as a kimono-clad sushi waitress while auditioning before landing a promising role as a student nurse on GH: NS. Taking over for the much-beloved Havins on AMC might’ve scared other, less-confident, less-easygoing newbie actresses, but not Baker. She admitted the actual transfer scene involving Havins was “intense” but she also saw it as a “great energy with both of us there.” Now, ensconced in Havins’ dressing room with Havins’ great vibes, she’s feeling more comfortable in the role Havins made memorable, with more of her own flavor. And she’s developed a close rapport all her own with on-screen mom Bobbie Eakes (Krystal). “When I work with her, it feels like the real thing – when we’re bonding, we’re really bonding; when we’re laughing, we’re really laughing,” Baker said. Baker’s a big fan of Eakes from her B&B (ex-Macy) period. –Soap Opera Digest, February 26, 2008
Colin Egglesfield (Josh), like a billion other soap actors not on GH, would kill to be in the same scenes as mobster Sonny Corinthos and enjoy the Maurice Benard experience. He chose the GH mob scene as his choice for a guest cross-over.
While, over at DOOL, Max’s Darin Brooks would come on over to AMC for a short spell to share scenes with the actor who won the part of JR over him, Jacob Young. The chance to live and work in New York also appealed to Brooks.
Billy Miller (Richie) enjoys unique and valued friendships with both Babes. He and the original Babe, Alexa Havins, hit it off right away like long-lost siblings, along with Havins’ husband Justin Bruening (ex-Jamie) and Miller’s L.A.-based girlfriend. The four of them get together whenever they can. Miller and Amanda Baker (Babe II) have a friendly competition going on involving early attendance at rehearsals. Miller – who admired how Baker handled her Babe transition – said that no matter how much he tries, he cannot book it faster than Baker. But he’ll keep trying.
Justin Bruening (ex-Jamie) debuted on the contemporary remake of ‘80s TV hit Knight Rider, taking over for David Hasselhoff (who appears in a cameo at the end of this remake), February 17—to ratings victory for its timeslot on NBC. Knight Rider, revisited, scored 12.7 million viewers for the viewing hour of 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. I viewed the debut on the merits of that Mustang and Bruening’s soap credit alone. Bruening is impressive as a kick-ass hero, but – just as on AMC – he needs to improve his emotive skills when dealing with tragedy, such as when his character’s mother was felled by a bullet. All he could muster was glaring and heavy breathing. Boy bulked up, though. Interestingly enough, this is the second AMC tie that I know of with the hire of Bruening in the lead role. The original Knight Rider series starred Hasselhoff who—at the time—was married to Catherine Hickland (Lindsay, OLTL) who eventually married Michael E. Knight (Tad). Hasselhoff played a character called Michael Knight. And now, Tad’s son Jamie, aka Bruening, is on the series remake as Michael Knight. Weird.
Leven Rambin (Lily/Ava) guest-stars on NBC’s new mid-season drama, Lipstick Jungle, February 28 as Chloe. Chloe’s supposed to be similar in many ways to Ava.
Gossip for the week of 25-Feb-2008
by Carol Banks Weber
Leven Rambin (Lily/Ava) may reprise her wild Chloe character on Lipstick Jungle, now that the writers’ strike is done.
An AMC source tells me that despite what’s out there, Jeff Branson (Jonathan) tried to do right by his character and the stories handed to him, even when they made him uncomfortable. Pairing up with an under-aged, autistic Lily in a love story might’ve made him uncomfortable, but he supposedly went out of his way to be as professional and gentlemanly and positive about it as possible.