Having a starring role on a successful TV show can be a double-edged sword. While it’s great to be popular (and the steady work can’t hurt), many actors find it hard to escape the long shadow cast by their most famous role. Once the series ends, it can be a slippery slope towards type-casting, and then finally a permanent stay in a town called “Has-Been”.
More like the not-so-SAG-gy awards, amiright? The Screen Actors Guild (and AFTRA, for those of you who are all union savvy) Awards are considerably less flashy than the Globes and the Oscars, but that doesn’t mean some actresses were going for dull and demure on the red carpet tonight. Dowton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery and Glee’s Naya Rivera, for instance were flashing a little something extra. Michelle’s Ralph Rucci was spiced up with a sheer side panel that left us wondering how she was defying gravity so nicely. Naya’s Donna Karan Atelier was heavy on the texture detailing, which didn’t distract from the nice bit of cleavage she had on display. So on this important night when actors congratulate each other on their very important work, we ask you this very important question:
[Photos: Getty Images]
Rejoice, American Downton Abbey fans, the soapiest costume drama in the land returns to TV on Sunday and hopefully you haven’t been so much Internet searching on the goings on of the Crawley family and their employees that you haven’t had the entire season spoiled for you yet. (Seriously, stop searching, because those spoilers will catch up with you!) One of the best things about the show’s return to PBS’ Masterpiece — especially now that it’s at the height of popularity — is seeing the cast in their modern street clothes, laughing and joking like their fictional counterparts never would. We’ve seen Hugh Bonneville (Robert Crawley) tweet from the subway, Robert James-Collier (Thomas) talk sexual politics in Out and those two joined by Jim Carter (Mr. Carson) in a silly Downton/Breaking Bad mash-up on The Colbert Report. Guest star Shirley MacLaine trotted out her paranormal expertise to talk about the ghosts haunting Highclere, the estate where the show is shot. Dan Stevens (Matthew Crawley) has been gracing the New York stage with Jessica Chastain in The Heiress all season, while Joanne Froggatt and Sophie McShera showed that when they put on makeup and get out of those dreadful maids’ uniforms, they’re total knockouts.
Sure, it must be fun to traipse around a fancy English estate for a living, but we get the feeling the cast revels in the chance to show the world what they’re like in real life. See for yourself in the gallery below:
[Photos: Comedy Central, Getty Images, Twitter]
With Jessica Alba, Ed Helms and Megan Fox announcing the nominees for the 2013 Golden Globe Awards, we thought maybe there would be a few more unconventional choices this year. But alas, there was not a single Magic Mike nomination in sight. Instead, historical fare like Lincoln, Argo and Django Unchained led the pack on the movie side, while Game Change and Homeland took over on TV. With Les Miserables and Silver Linings Playbook dominating the comedy/musical categories, we’re kind of leaving it up to the older ladies of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel — and Jack Black — to make this a less serious occasion. Also, apparently we need to check out Salmon Fishing in Yemen, since that little-seen Ewan McGregor/Emily Blunt flick nabbed a few nods (and we’re trying not to hold Beasts of the Southern Wild’s snub against it). But we are happy that New Girl, Girls, Downton Abbey and Nashville are bringing some awesome girl power to the event, which will be appropriately hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey on January 15. Check out the full list of nominees below.
Best Picture, Drama
Argo
Django Unchained
Life of Pi
Lincoln
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Les Miserables
Moonrise Kingdom
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen
Silver Linings Playbook
Best Director
Ben Affleck, Argo
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty
Ang Lee, Life of Pi
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln
Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained
Best Actor, Musical or Comedy
Jack Black, Bernie
Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook
Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables
Ewan MCGregor, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Bill Murray, Hyde Park on Hudson
Best Actress, Musical or Comedy
Emily Blunt, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen
Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook
Maggie Smith, Quartet
Meryl Streep, Hope Springs
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We’re shocked that Summit Entertainment and Stephenie Meyer have yet to announce some kind of detox program to help those of us who’ve spent up to seven years addicted to the Twilight books and movies. Aren’t they worried about the withdrawal we’ll all experience once we’ve seen Breaking Dawn – Part 2 a few times and have no more Edward and Bella to look forward to? Well, not to suggest that there is anything that can replace Forks and the Cullens in your heart, but we have a few new obsessions you might consider taking up. Which you choose all depends on why you became a Twi-crack addict in the first place. Read on and then suggest your own!
If you love Twilight because of …
… its star-crossed lovers plot, you’ll love:
Warm Bodies, the novel by Isaac Marion and upcoming Summit movie starring Nicholas Hoult. Zombie R is a very different kind of undead than Edward, but his doomed love for Julie is just as epic and possibly world-changing. Dive into the book now and then look forward to the flick in February 2013.
The Hush Hush saga, by Becca Fitzpatrick. Nora Grey doesn’t know why she’s drawn to Patch her dangerous new biology lab partner… oh, sound familiar? Don’t worry, this is no knock off. Fitzpatrick has woven a very complex mythology around deadly angels and their offspring that will infuriate you with its addictive quality.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor. Speaking of complex new mythology, don’t even ask us to explain the plot of this trilogy. Let us tell you that book one was one of the most breathtakingly beautiful reads of 2011 — there are angels, beastly creatures, exotic tooth poachers, ballet-dancing puppets and a love story that rivals Romeo and Juliet in its devastating nature.
… its gut-wrenching love triangle, you’ll love: Read more…
Fetch the smelling salts, O’Brien! This quote from Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens in yesterday’s Daily Mail is bound to bring on fainting spells everywhere: “I don’t know if I will be returning to Downton.” NO! Not Matthew Crawley!
But hold on a second. Let’s interpret this statement for a minute. First of all, this is in context of Stevens making his Broadway debut in The Heiress, opposite Jessica Chastain, and clearly falling in love with New York City. “New York for me is going to be one big adventure. I will be taking the whole family out and we will be there for six months.” So he could just be excited about this chapter in his life, and hedging his bets about what Julian Fellowes has in store for his character in the fourth and final season of the hit British series. After all, as we’ve just had spoiled for us, another major character has already croaked in season three.
Or, a more cynical person might point out, Stevens could be acting all Hollywood and stalling to get a better contract for season four, especially now that everyone wants to cast him in everything. (Please, everyone, cast him in everything.) If the powers that be have any sense, they’ll give him what he wants. Just hand over that whole estate — he went to war for you people.
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Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes must have known he’d make fans across the globe froth at the mouth in excitement over his statements at a BAFTA Screenwriters’ Lecture. When the ITV series is over, he wants to write a prequel book. Which, we assume, would become another TV show.
“I do actually have an idea of doing a prequel of the courtship of Robert and Cora, when all those American heiresses were arriving in London,” he said, per the BBC. “They had a slightly troubled courtship, because she was in love with him before they married, as we know, and he married her entirely for her money.”
This sounds beyond fun. And immediately, we started dreaming up who could step into the roles made famous by Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern. According to the very extensive Downton Abbey Wikia, Robert and Cora were about 20 when they got married. Based on that, these photos of Hugh and Elizabeth when they were younger (the earliest one of Hugh we have is from 10 years ago, when he was 39; this pic of Elizabeth is of her at about 25), and just our own personal wishes, we arrived at Matthew Lewis and Alexis Bledel. Since the end of Harry Potter, when everyone realized that Neville Longbottom was suddenly hot, we’ve been hoping to see more of Lewis. Bledel really looks like a young McGovern, and that bit we saw of her on Mad Men last season left us eager for more grown-up Rory Gilmore. What do you think? Share your own casting ideas with us on Twitter @VH1Celebrity! Read more…
I consider myself a veteran Honey Boo Boo Child fan, frantically cutting together this montage the morning after her amazing, hysterical, breakout Toddlers & Tiaras episode. Since then, the Go-Go-Juiced sassafrass [legal, rarely-heard name: Alana Holler], along with her coupon-cutting mamma June and daddy Sugar Bear, have scored their own reality series that infamously garnered more viewers than the RNC and has spawned catchphrases like “You Betta Redneckognize!” In light of the show’s success, Honey Boo Boo’s veering more and more into the mainstream with a recent, hilarious interview on Anderson Live and a sketch featured on SNL‘s Weekend Update, starring Vanessa Bayer and Bobby Moynihan.
Love ‘em or hate ‘em, this family isn’t going anywhere. The only natural step is a featured role for Boo Boo on one of television’s hottest Emmy-nominated shows. Right? No? Whatever, let us dream.
Show: Downton Abbey
Character Summary: Lady Mary enters the Big Sister program and is assigned to Alana, or as she will be known on the show, “Lady Boo Boo.”
Show: Homeland
Character Summary: Alana and her belly become a key element in Carrie Mathison’s case against Brody.
Is it 2013 yet? Vulture brought our attention this morning to a bootleg version of ITV’s trailer for series three of Downton Abbey, and man, does it make January seem like a long way away. A previous bootleg video from TV Land’s tribute to Shirley Maclaine already had us super excited for her character, Martha Levinson, Lady Grantham’s mother, and her priceless interactions with Maggie Smith‘s Dowager Countess. But this is our first peek at what else is going on at the Abbey now that the war is over and Matthew (Dan Stevens) and Mary (Michelle Dockery) are finally together for real. … Or are they?
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When we planned this post, before Scandal’s Kerry Washington and a pajama-wearing Jimmy Kimmel announced the 64th Primetime Emmy nominations, we thought we’d make this list short and sweet. Traditionally, this is an awards show that ignores our faves and gives all the kudos to the shows our parents love. But then we got a very pleasant surprise and discovered we actually care about almost all of the nominees. Maybe the Emmy voters are finally getting younger and hipper. Or maybe really good TV is back in a place where everyone can agree on the shows that CAN’T be ignored.
Our longtime obsession Mad Men and new addiction American Horror Story lead the pack with a whopping 17 nominations apiece. Downton Abbey’s got 16 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and acting nods for Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Brendan Coyle, Jim Carter, Maggie Smith and Joanne Froggatt. Of course, HBO is a dominating force once again, but we can’t complain when that means Game of Thrones has 11 nods and Girls has five nods — for Outstanding Comedy, writing, directing, casting and, naturally, Lead Actress Lena Dunham. Speaking of girls, New Girl’s Zooey Deschanel and Max Greenfield are nominated. As expected, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, 30 Rock and Modern Family also have tons of nominations, but we love them just the same.
After last year’s moving speech, Melissa McCarthy has another shot at Lead Comedy Actress (she’s up against Dunham, Deschanel, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Edie Falco and Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfuss). We’re also excited about another of other favorite ladies: Connie Britton for American Horror Story. Also, Blossom is back! Mayim Bialik‘s role on Big Bang Theory earned her a Supporting Actress nod. Among the leading ladies in drama, Dockery is competing with Julianna Margulies, Claire Danes, Kathy Bates, Elisabeth Moss and Glenn Close.
In the male comedy category, there’s one guy we’re rooting for, for the potential hilarity of his acceptance speech alone: Louis C.K.! He’s got to beat big shots like Larry David, Jon Cryer, Jim Parsons, Alec Baldwin and Don Cheadle first, though. If the Earl of Grantham wants to take home a statuette, he’ll have to defeat the likes of Steve Buscemi, Bryan Cranston, Michael C. Hall, Jon Hamm and Damian Lewis. We confess, our loyalties are completely divided there.
Check out our gallery of favorite nominees above, and a more complete list below. And let us know which shows you’ll be rooting for when the Emmys air on Sunday, September 23.
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