Which TV icons have been cast to play a lesbian couple in the season finale of Glee? Who were the most overpaid actors in Hollywood last year? All this, plus a sneak peek from Fast & Furious 6 in today’s First Dibs.
Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton Joins Our Top 10 Craziest Celeb Escort Scandals
We guess we just never imagined an Olympian would go into sex work. Doesn’t every athlete get sponsored by Wheaties for the rest of their natural lives? We guess not, seeing as how ESPN reported today that three-time Olympic runner Suzy Favor Hamilton has admitted on Twitter that she’s also been working as an escort. Even more intriguingly, Hamilton claims she was “drawn to escorting in large part because it provided many coping mechanisms for me when I was going through a very challenging time with my marriage and my life.” Wow, the things we don’t know about stuff. Of course, we can’t pretend we don’t know a lot about celebs and sex work. Don’t worry, Suzy. You have plenty of interesting company when it comes to celeb escort scandals…
[Photo: Getty Images]
Beverly Hills Cop TV Show Might Really Happen
This might be the thing that makes some of us interested in police shows again. And makes us forget the past two-plus decades in which Eddie Murphy became so depressingly unfunny. According to Vulture, Murphy has teamed up with The Shield creator Shawn Ryan to develop Beverly Hills Cop as a TV series, and they began pitching ideas to the networks yesterday. Murphy actually first talked about the project back in October, when he told Rolling Stone that he’d even like to appear on the show from time to time.
“I’d do the pilot, show up here and there,” he said, explaining that the show would revolve around “Axel Foley’s son, and Axel is the chief of police now in Detroit.”
If you are too young to understand why this is exciting, watch the awesome trailer from the first 1984 movie above. And also don’t ever watch Beverly Hills Cop III. The sad tameness of that third installment makes us wonder if maybe this small-screen version should be made for cable, where it could maintain some of its original raunch and grit — a la The Shield on FX.
Between this and Chris Rock’s talk last week that he was working on a CB4 sequel, we are in nostalgia heaven right now. Just no one discuss a Coming to America sequel/remake. You cannot touch that perfection.
[Photo: Paramount Pictures]
Fred Willard Jokes About Arrest On Fallon, Might Join Lucky Celebs Who Survive Their Scandals
Most of us would have been cast out of society if we’d been caught in a compromising position at an adult movie theater, but not Fred Willard! Despite being fired from PBS, Willard seems to be taking his (seriously gross) scandal in stride, even joking about it on Fallon last night. “The movie you went to see..was it The Firm? Was it Free Willy? Was it Anaconda?” Jimmy Fallon cracked. “No, sadly it was Get Shorty,” Willard joked back. Dang, son! That takes some serious stones. Of course, if Fred rides this out like we think he will, he certainly won’t be the first celeb to survive a scandal. Celebs like…
Celebrate Father’s Day With The 15 Worst Celebrity Dads Of All Time
Some fathers know best, and other fathers know hookers. Some fathers play golf, and others play the field. Some dads mow the lawn, and others mow down mailboxes with their Mercedes while drinking and driving. Some fathers make plans to take their wives out for dinner, while others make plans to “take their wives out.” And then there are some dads who pretend they’re not dads at all! Think we’re kidding? We wish.
It’s safe to say that not all fathers know best. Just look at Michael Lohan, Jon Gosselin, Mel Gibson, and other guys we wouldn’t trust with a pair of scissors, not to mention a kid! So join us this Father’s Day while we count down the 15 worst pops of all, ranked by the standard unit of bad dads: the Michael Lohan. If your face is in the gallery below, you’re probably not getting a tie for Father’s Day this year.
[Photo: Getty Images]
15. Joe Simpson
14. Eddie Murphy
13. Bruce Jenner
12. Jude Law
11. Mel Gibson
10. Ryan O’Neal
9. Tiger Woods
8. Jon Gosselin
7. Arnold Schwarzenegger
6. Mathew Knowles
5. Charlie Sheen
4. Joe Jackson
3. Michael Lohan
2. O.J. Simpson
1. John Phillips
Sorry, Kermie! Billy Crystal Is Our New Oscars Host
According to his recent tweets Billy Crystal is officially our new Oscars host, a not-so-suprising pick we think is just — Miss Piggy, control your judo chops! After Eddie Murphy pulled out of the awards telecast yesterday following Brett Ratner’s Oscar resignation, rumors swirled that the new host could be anyone from the Muppets to, well, Eddie Murphy again. “Am doing the Oscars so the young woman in the pharmacy will stop asking my name when I pick up my prescriptions. Looking forward to the show,” Crystal tweeted this afternoon. Looks like replacement producer Brian Grazer went with a classic; Billy Crystal has hosted the Oscars eight times in total, his last gig airing in 2004. Plus, this doesn’t mean we won’t get a Muppets musical number. Please let it mean we get a Muppets musical number.
Brett Ratner Out, Brian Grazer In As Oscars 2012 Producer
Brian Grazer is the new producer for the Oscars 2012, which just goes to show how quickly things happen in this town. Brett Ratner just resigned the post after his controversial homophobic statement at a Tower Heist Q&A on Sunday. Eddie Murphy also just quit as the host saying, “I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job.”
Grazer is a heavyweight and has co-produced movies with partner Ron Howard, such as A Beautiful Mind, and Apollo 13. He’s also responsible for TV shows like Arrested Development, 24 and Friday Night Lights. And now he’ll be working with producer Don Mischer on the telecast of the awards show. About this new development, Grazer had this to say, “It’s very gratifying to be part of a show that honors excellence in the medium to which I have devoted so much of my career. Don is a legend, and I am excited to work with him.”
Now all the need is a new host. Word is that he’s trying to convince Eddie Murphy to change his mind, so stay tuned.
[Photo: Getty Images]
Related: Eddie Murphy Drops Out As Oscars Host
Brett Ratner Resigns As Academy Awards Producer Post Homophobic Slur
Eddie Murphy Drops Out As Oscars Host
Eddie Murphy, no! One day after Brett Ratner’s Oscar resignation following his public use of a homophobic slur, Murphy has bowed out of the 2012 telecast as well. Everyone and their mother has been fantasizing about all those funny bits and spot-on musical numbers we had to look forward, ever since Eddie Murphy’s Oscar hosting gig was announced at the beginning of September. Unfortunately, looks like the Tower Heist director and star were a package deal when it comes to the Academy Awards. We blame you for this, Brett Ratner! We blame youuuuuuuuuuuu!
Eddie announced his decision in a statement this afternoon, saying that he respected “each party’s decision with regard to a change of producers.” Said Murphy, “I was truly looking forward to being a part of the show that our production team and writers were just starting to develop, but I’m sure that the new production team and host will do an equally great job.” We aren’t going to lie; we were sort of hoping this was the start of a brand-new chapter in Murphy’s career. Now, we don’t know what to think. Do you think Eddie is making a huge mistake?
Related: Brett Ratner Was ‘Too Hard On Himself,’ Russell Simmons Says
Brett Ratner Resigns As Academy Awards Producer Post Homophobic Slur
Eddie Murphy To Host Next Year’s Oscars
UPDATE: It’s official! Eddie Murphy will host the Oscars at next year’s ceremony on February 26, 2012. “Eddie is a comedic genius, one of the greatest and most influential live performers ever,” Oscars producer Brett Ratner announced today. “With his love of movies, history of crafting unforgettable characters and his iconic performances — especially onstage — I know he will bring an excitement, spontaneity and tremendous heart to the show Don and I want to produce in February.”
After living through the sad trumpet sound that was the Anne Hathaway James Franco Oscars ceremony, rumors about Eddie Murphy’s Oscars hosting gig make us so excited, we forgot all about Norbit. Well, we almost forgot all about it, as clearly we were still able to remember to reference…okay, now it’s gone.
Deadline reports that next year’s Oscars producer, director Brett Ratner, is submitting Murphy’s name to the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences today, with the hopes that Eddie, who is allegedly “showing interest,” will officially come onboard as 2012 host. Ratner likely came up with the idea from casting Murphy across from Ben Stiller in his upcoming Tower Heist, where he was reminded how good Murphy can be even when not channeled by a whimsical, kind-hearted CGI donkey.
Eddie Murphy Leaves The Playground In The Tower Heist Trailer
The Adventures of Pluto Nash, Daddy Day Care, Meet Dave, Shrek Forever After: if we said Eddie Murphy has literally spent the last decade making movies for people incapable of tying their own shoes, we would hardly be exaggerating. How can someone make Dreamgirls between Norbit and Shrek 2? He almost won an Oscar for that role!
Luckily if the Tower Heist trailer is any indication, it seems like Murphy is back on top of his hilarious game as a charming ex-con in a (thankfully) adult action-comedy. Directed by Brett Ratner, the movie hints that we might even be seeing some hard-core flirtation with Gabourey Sidibe, which is clearly not for children. The film also co-stars Ben Stiller and Matthew Broderick. Actually, it is nice to see all three of these leading men in a film that doesn’t involve talking museum exhibits or CGI mice or ogres voiced by Mike Myers. Though, okay, if the Klumps stop by and make a brief cameo, we can’t exactly going to complain or anything.
