Friday B.O.: 'Lion' sweeps tonight

'Lion King 3D'None of the weekend's new releases are shaping as much as generate the top place in the box office a few days ago, with "Lion King three dimensional" and "Dolphin Tale" duking it to find the best billing.Disney's stereoscopic toon appears like it'll earn somewhere just north of $15 million because of its third frame, while Warner Bros.' "Dolphin Tale's" forecasts hover around $14 million.Sony's "Moneyball" will probably eat the #3 place with $12.5 million, then "Courageous," that could do $ten million for that weekend according to estimations of the $3 to $5 million Friday gross.Box office experts predict that Summit's "50/50" will be next in a $9 million three-day tally and $3 million Friday take.U's "Dreamhouse" looks to follow along with just north of $3 million for Friday and $8.5 to $9 million for that weekend.twentieth century Fox's "What's Your Number" may slightly dissatisfy, having a projection of $8 million a few days ago, although that number may pop with night time under-25 female auds. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com

Avril Lavigne: I Am Not Pregnant!

La, Calif. -- Avril Lavigne made head lines yesterday after she was spotted putting on a loose-fitting top, but singer states shes not pregnant and shes just a little delay through the gossips! My dear god, which was yesterday! I had been out getting my nails completed with my girlfriend and that i were built with a poncho on, the 27-year-old star told Billy Rose bush and Package Hoover on Fridays Access Hollywood Live. There is an entire factor online which i was pregnant. Avril, who's dating former The Hillsides star Brody Jenner, 28, wasn't very happy to attend the middle of getting pregnant rumor. Im like, ' How insulting! she ongoing. So no, I am not. Clearly! But does Avril, that has been dating her guy for nearly 2 yrs, have intends to begin a family? Not in the near future, the singer-switched-designer added. Together with her new single, Wish You Had Been Here, an excursion and getting just switched 27, the Canadian-born singer has excellent achievements in front of her. Its my golden year, Avril stated. Im thinking about going large all seasons. Copyright 2011 by NBC Universal, Corporation. All privileges reserved.These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

'50/50's' Seth Rogen Reveals 'Most Challenging' Part of Filming (Video)

What was the toughest part about filming cancer comedy 50/50?our editor recommends'50/50:' What the Critics Are Saying About Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's New Movie'50/50': How Joseph Gordon-Levitt Signed on Cancer Comedy at Eleventh Hour (Video) Coming up with the title, admits Seth Rogen and screenwriter Will Reiser in a roundtable interview (that also features co-stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anna Kendrick and Bryce Dallas Howard). Watch below. VIDEO: Watch Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in '50/50' Trailer "The most challenging part was undoubtedly coming up with the title," says Rogen of his film, which opens in theaters Friday. Added Reiser, who wrote the script based on his own spine cancer diagnosis when he was in his 20s, "It was the most stressful aspect of making the movie." PHOTOS: Seth Rogen: Unlikely Superhero Gordon-Levitt also discussed his joining the movie late after James McAvoy dropped out. 50/50: Toronto Film Review "I had to read and decide right away. They were already four days into production," he said. Joked Rogen, "We gave him 90 minutes to read the script. It was in real time!" Related Topics Joseph Gordon-Levitt Seth Rogen 50/50

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Full Movie

Mick Jagger May Grab Lead Role in 'Tabloid'

Not counting an uncredited line-free appearance in 'The Bank Job' in 2008, it has been a decade since Rolling Stones lead singer Mick Jagger has flexed his actorly muscles onscreen in 'The Man From Elysian Fields.' That could change relatively soon, provided the new film 'Tabloid' actually gets off the ground with the singer still attached. Move like Jagger (groan!) to check out some details ahead. Per Deadline, Josh Olson ('A History of Violence,' the upcoming 'One Shot') will write the script for 'Tabloid,' which follows a "global media mogul with dubious morality" and the "young journalist who gets seduced and sucked into [his] immoral world." Jagger would play the young journalist media mogul and also produce. In addition to 'Elysian Fields' and 'The Bank Job,' Jagger's previous credits include 'Freejack,' 'Performance' and 'Ned Kelly.' [via Deadline] Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage Related: 9 Great Singers Who Become Great Actors CherElvis PresleyBarbra StreisandJustin TimberlakeDavid BowieJennifer HudsonMadonnaWill SmithBeyonce See All Moviefone Galleries »

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Cosi fan tutte

Two couples take their fidelity towards the test in L.A. Operas presentation of Mozarts Cosi fan tutte. An L.A. Opera presentation of the opera in 2 functions by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Lorenzo da Ponte. Directed by Ashley Dean. Conductor, James Conlon.Ferrando - Saimir Pirgu Guglielmo - Ildebrando D'Arcangelo Don Alfonso - Lorenzo Regazzo Fiordiligi - Aleksandra Kurzak Dorabella - Ruxandra Donose Despina - Roxana Constantinescumozart's sublime music, James Conlon great performing, along with a solid ensemble of world-class singer-entertainers. Also can an operagoer want? Possibly a brand new undertake a classic warhorse. Mozart might have recognized this production "Cosi fan tutte," and congratulated. For many purists, that's the actual way it ought to be. L.A. Opera is promoting this odd practice of getting in productions from elsewhere that provide novel understanding of rarities, like Rossini's "The Turk in Italia" and Britten's "The Turn from the Screw," and conventional stagings from the classics, for example "Rigoletto" and today "Cosi." Overturn approach would appear to be preferable. In the eighties, Peter Sellars was alternately praised and condemned for his Trump Tower "Marriage of Figaro," his Vietnam-era "Cosi" and the urban ghetto "Don Giovanni." Anybody who saw individuals productions, available these days on DVD, never saw or heard individuals operas in quite exactly the same way again. L.A. Opera's new "Cosi," initially staged by Nicholas Hytner at Glyndebourne, meets anticipation instead of challenges or grows in it. Frankly, this may be known as the Beige "Cosi" with designer Vicki Mortimer's pale marble unit set, that could also function to stage a variety of other Mozart operas. It resembles the balcony section of Lincoln subsequently Center's Avery Fisher Hall. Helmer Ashley Dean, overtaking for Hytner here, continues to be fortunate with game entertainers who look the various components from the embattled enthusiasts that do horrible things, but love one another likewise. Ferrando (Saimir Pirgu) and Guglielmo (Ildebrando D'Arcangelo) trick their particular female friends, Dorabella (Ruxandra Donose) and Fiordiligi (Aleksandra Kurzak), to check their fidelity -- and also the women fail, hence the title "thus all ladies are." Before feminists freak, it is best to consider Mozart's "Figaro" and "Don Giovanni," and it is a secure wager the composer found the males here the larger rats. One factor that's never uncertain -- and this can be a major credit to Dean, Conlon as well as their performers -- is when much these four figures love one another despite all of the chicanery. Don Alfonso (Lorenzo Regazzo) proposes the wager that begins the chicanery, and that he and the accomplice Despina (Roxana Constantinescu) might be the smart realists, however they never reach sing the type of music that does not only delights the ear but moves one's heart. Kurzak's enormous range and skill switched her faithful-like-a-rock aria, "Come scoglio," in to the showstopper it's. Pirgu spins an attractive mezza-voce, making his Ferrando a most supportive cad. Donose is possibly probably the most stylish singer from the bunch, with D'Aracangelo undeniably having probably the most animal drive in the voice. It makes sense pre-bed room vocal fireworks, and my wager is Dorabella and Guglielmo create a go from it following the curtain drops.Sets and costumes, Vicki Mortimer lighting, Andrew May. Opened up Sept. 18, 2011. Examined Sept. 22. Running time: 3 Hrs, 30 MIN. Contact Robert Hofler at bob.hofler@variety.com

Charlie Sheen Calls Ashton Kutcher 'Terrific' in 'Two and a Half Men'

Charlie Sheen has nothing but praise for his Two and a Half Men replacement, Ashton Kutcher.our editor recommends'Two and a Half Men's' Ashton Kutcher vs. Charlie Sheen Ratings: Who's #Winning? Charlie Sheen Roast Delivers 6.4 Million Viewers'Two And a Half Men' Premiere Draws Nearly 28 Million ViewersCharlie Sheen-Less 'Two and a Half Men': What the Critics Are SayingCharlie Sheen Roast: What the Viewers Are SayingRelated Topics•Charlie Sheen The actor -- who was fired from the CBS comedy in March after going on a public rant against his then-bosses -- screened the show's Monday night premiere, which marked Kutcher's first appearance, at his home. (Jeffrey Ross gave The Hollywood Reporter an exclusive account of the event, where Sheen admitted he felt "odd" watching the episode, which featured his character's funeral.) PHOTOS: Charlie Sheen's Colorful Career On Friday, he praised Kutcher in an interview with Access Hollywood at The Way premiere in Los Angeles. (The movie stars his father, Martin Sheen, and was directed by brother Emilio Estevez.) "I thought the show was really good," he said. "I thought [Ashton] was terrific." He also called his former co-star Jon Cryer "a freaking genius." PHOTOS: Ashton Kutcher's Career Through the Years "I think [the show has] got a real shot," he said. "It felt like a pilot. It felt like a really good pilot. It was a little bizarre watching it, but yeah, for the most part I was really impressed with what they did." The episode revealed that Sheen's Charlie Harper had been killed by a subway train in Paris after marrying his obsessed neighbor/stalker Rose (Melanie Lynskey), who may or may not have pushed him in front of the train. PHOTOS: Charlie Sheen Tour The episode was a big one, drawing nearly 28 million viewers. At the same time, Sheen's roast broke ratings records on Comedy Central, averaging 6.4 million viewers. "It was a big night for everybody on Monday night -- for Two and a Half, for us, for me," Sheen said. "I think everybody won." VIDEOS: Charlie Sheen's Wildest TV Interviews Asked what he and Kutcher discussed after were caught talking at the Emmys, Sheen demurred. "Oh, that's between us. You know I can't reveal everything," he said. "We're just a couple of guys just shooting the s---, you know?" Related Topics Ashton Kutcher Charlie Sheen CBS Jon Cryer Two and a Half Men

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'The Human Centipede 2' Poster Crawls Into Public

The poster for Tom Six's An Individuals Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) has indexed out into public. The horror follow-up had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest last evening. Adding a meta twist for the perverse sadism in the first film, the follow-up follows Martin, a lonely security officer which has a poor sexual reliance on the film An Individuals Centipede. This ultimately leads him to check their own experiments... VIDEO: 'Human Centipede 2' and Five More Must-See Films at Fantastic Fest After one observe that poster, I am in. It's a stylish, if apparent, picture of total depravity. Which's simply irresistible. It opens in theaters October 7 through IFC Evening time, then will probably be available if needed October 12. An Individuals Centipede 2

Hudson champions the underdog via philanthropy

With all the hype surrounding the Oscars, which has become a 365-day watercooler topic in Hollywood, if not an obsession, it's easy to overlook what the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does the rest the of the year. But if Dawn Hudson -- the Acad's newly appointed CEO -- has her way, recognition of the 6,000-member organization's other achievements, many of them philanthropic, will not be so taken for granted."It's a better kept secret than it should be," says Hudson, barely three months into the job, about the Acad's ongoing investment in philanthropy, which she considers a key part of its DNA. "We're like a great anonymous donor. We've given out over $20 million in the last 20 years, and that's just in supporting visiting artist programs, animation programs, festivals, communities and job training for talented kids."Key among these initiatives are the Media Literacy Program, which brings to the Acad 800 high school juniors a year from the L.A. Unified School District to help intelligently discern media messages; a Global Outreach Program in which Acad members travel as far as Iran, Vietnam and Kenya to provide artistic guidance and share technical expertise to aspiring filmmakers; and its Visiting Artists Program, which covers colleges, media arts centers and festivals in their efforts to interact with working film professionals.Then there's the Nicholl Fellowships for screenwriting, a competition from which up to five $30,000 fellowships are awarded each year to up-and-coming scribes. Alums include Susannah Grant ("Erin Brockovich"), Ehren Kruger ("The Ring") and Jason Micallef, the 2008 winner whose "Butter" premiered in Toronto this year.There's a certain champion-of-the-underdog mentality that goes into these efforts, and since she cut her teeth as the longtime head of Film Independent, the non-profit org that fosters indie filmmaking and produces the Spirit Awards, Hudson knows what it's like for scrappy cineastes to beat impossible odds and make a living pursuing their passion.Just don't suggest that as a newfound member of the Academy brass she has joined the Establishment. "The Academy is a membership organization of artists," she says. "Their commitment to excellence and making this art form accessible is the thing. Artists are artists whether you are in the studio system or the independent system. It's not the NBA." Contact Steve Chagollan at steve.chagollan@variety.com

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Chris Evans Takes On a New Fight in 'Puncture'

Chris Evans Takes On a New Fight in 'Puncture' By Jessica Gardner September 21, 2011 Photo by Jamie Painter Young Chris Evans Five minutes with Chris Evans and you feel like you've known him your whole life. Considering his charming smile, lingering Boston accent (complete with the occasional curse word), and high-fivesand even a call to Mom to check a factit's easy to forget you're chatting with Captain America and not just an old friend from high school. Asked if he ever read Back Stage, he responds, "I got my first acting gig through Back Stage in NY. It was a short film called 'The Paper Boy.' My first real audition outside of, like, community theater, and I ended up getting it. I was walking to work one morning when I got the phone call from the writer-director, whose name was Eric Ogden. I remember walking down the street with my hand in the air [pumps his fist]. We filmed in upstate NY for two weeks. I still have a copy of it. My first job on a film ever."Community theater was a big part of life in the Evans household while he was growing up. Evans, his two sisters, and his brother, Scott (whom you might remember as Officer Oliver Fish from "One Life to Live"), grew up acting at a community children's theater called the Concord Youth Theatre. "Each of us must have done at least 15 to 20 shows there," Evans says. Their family was so connected to the theater that when Chris was around 18, his mother, Lisa, took over as artistic director, and she's been working there ever since. Seeing his elder sister, Carly, onstage inspired Evans to be an actor. "Her play would end, and she'd get flowers and candy, and it just seemed like such a good time. She was having a ball and hanging out with her acting friendsit just looked awesome," he remembers. "I was like, 'I'll give this a shot.' " He started doing plays at the theater and going to acting camp in the summer. "I fell in love with that, too. I started doing plays year-round. I was always onstage."In his junior year of high school, Evans started thinking he might want to pursue acting professionally. He convinced his parents to let him move to NY City for the summer and take classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. He also wrote casting offices and secured a summer internship with Bonnie Finnegan, who was casting "Spin City" at the time. "We got to go to the tapings every Friday for the show with Michael J. Fox, and I thought that was the coolest thing in the world," he says. At the end of the summer, his plan was to ask the two or three agents he was the most friendly with if he could read for them. "I was like, 'I know you know me as Chris from Bonnie's office, but I'm an actorcan you give me five minutes?' " One of the agencies was willing to let him read, so he did. The agency was interested in signing him, but it was the end of summer, and he had to go home to start senior year. "They said to me, 'You've got to get back [to NY] as soon as possible. Pilot season's in January.' So I went back and doubled up my classes and graduated early, in January. Went back to NY, got my agent, got the same internship with Bonnie, and I even got the same apartment." Down the hall from Finnegan's office was casting director Marcia DeBonis, who one day asked Evans to come in and read for a pilot she was working on called "Get Real." Evans went in and nailed the audition, so the network sent him out to Los Angeles to test for it. "The first person I met in Los Angeles was Anne Hathaway," he remembers. "She was testing for it, too. We were both kidsshe wasn't 'Anne Hathaway' then. I was 17, and she was pretty young, too." Because Evans was the only person there reading for his role, he was convinced he would get it. "I was like, 'I got this in the bag,' " he says. "But I didn't get the show. [Hathaway] did, but I didn't. It was so crushing to be that close that soon. My dad was out there with me, and I was so excited and then just so devastated. But then Warner Bros. said, 'Stick aroundthere's a couple of other shows you might be right for. We'll put you up for the week.' So I stuck around and auditioned, and I ended up getting a different pilot called 'Opposite Sex.' " The Fox show (which also starred Milo Ventimiglia) lasted only one season, but it was Evans' first break, and he stayed in Los Angeles. By age 20, he landed his first leading film role in the comedy spoof "Not Another Teen Movie" and hasn't stopped since.Gone Audition Gone "I'm pretty shitty at auditioning," Evans admits. "Auditioning is such a strange thing. It's like the opposite of acting. It's a strange environment. To act well, you need to be extremely comfortable. You need to be extremely in your skin. Even if you have to play someone nervous, you have to be neutral and let it come to you and listen. I get so nervous in auditions. My heart just pounds."Evans thinks plenty of amazing actors aren't working because they can't audition well. "It's like those races in the Olympics," he says. "You could race 100 times, and the same guy's not going to win every timeit's just who's going to win that day. Everyone here is fast. Everyone here can run well. But who's going to run well today? I used to sit at these auditions and look around, and I know all these actors. I've seen them. Everyone here can act. No one here is a bad actor. But it's just a matter of who's going to act well in the next five minutes. If you're not going to, someone else is. I'm sure I've gotten parts where I wasn't the best man for the job; I just happened to have a really good audition that day. And the guy who was the right man for the job had a bad one. It's that type of uncertainty that makes acting such a crapshoot."The audition-gone-wrong story he recalls as being worst was meeting with Ben Affleck for "Gone Baby Gone." "I don't get starstruck," says Evans. "I'm fine. Especially Benhe's a Boston guy, I should be fine. I walked in and I'm walking down the halls looking for this room, and as I passed a room I heard 'There he is.' In my head I was like, 'That's Ben.' I turned around and it was, and for some reason I instantly was nervous. I went in and shook his hand, and the first thing I said was 'Hey, how ya doingam I gonna be okay where I parked?' And he said, 'Where'd you park?' And I said, 'At one of the meters.' And he said, 'Did you put money in it?' And I said, 'Yeah.' And he said, 'I think you'll be all right.' From that moment, I just wanted to get the f*** out of the room. I just wanted to be anywhere but there. I sat down with my heart beating out of my chest; I was so mortified that I started this meeting off that way. I started giving him one-word answers. They put me in a rocking chair, so I'm just rocking and twisting, just nervous. 'So, what was your last movie like?' 'Good.' 'What was it like to work with Danny Boyle?' 'Good.' I just wanted to get out of there. It was horrible, a complete disaster. So obviously, I did not get that job."Character Choices In Evans' upcoming film "Puncture," a law drama based on a true story, he portrays Mike Weiss, lawyer and drug addict. This was Evans' first experience playing a role based on a real person. He spoke to the deceased Weiss' brother, father, college friends, and colleagues and even read the transcript of what was said at Weiss' funeral. "The problem is, I could tell you 100 stories about someone, but is that going to make you able to embody their speech pattern and posture and nuances?" he says. "It's not like I'm playing JFK, where you can watch videos and get cadence and inflection." Evans decided his best option was to tell Weiss' family and friends he would have to have some artistic license. He told everyone he would do his best, "but don't expect to see the Mike you know." Evans worked hard not to second-guess his character choices or worry about what Weiss' family and friends might think. "If you start second-guessing yourself, you're f***ed," he says. "The family and the friends couldn't have been more accommodating, but it was still pretty nerve-racking." He admits to being similarly nerve-racked when bringing beloved comic book characters Steve Rogers/Captain America and Johnny Storm/Human Torch to the screen. "Most times you make a film and you say, 'I hope it does well.' [With 'Captain America: The First Avenger' and 'Fantastic Four'] I knew people were going to go see them. There would be a response, positive or negative. There's this phenomenal built-in audience. There's going to be a huge opening weekend; there's going to be a shit ton of merchandise. That's intimidating." Evans realized the best way to approach playing a superhero was to try to get in the same headspace as all the fans. "To me, the fans are the most importantif they're not happy, you didn't do your job. So let's try and essentially become a fan. Try and understand what they understand. To see what they're expecting." For "Captain America: The First Avenger," Evans says he and director Joe Johnston read many comic books before coming together to create the film version of the Steve Rogers character."Steve Rogers is a tricky character to play because he doesn't have too much conflict," says Evans. "He's such a selfless person. There's very little that can rattle him. If [your character] doesn't have conflict, it's easy to become boring. It's nice [that in the upcoming film 'The Avengers'] he struggles a little bit. He struggles with being a fish out of water. He's from the '40s; he's from a different mentality. Today the world is text messaging and impersonal and selfishness, and in the '40s there was much more of a human connection and camaraderie among the country. It's an old-fashioned way of thinking. So I think he's struggling with trying to find his place in modern day."The Evans Method Although he studied for a summer at the Lee Strasberg Institute, Evans says he isn't sure that Strasberg is his "cup of tea." He believes that acting is an ever-evolving thing, and if you get stuck in one method or approach, you might get stagnant. He says Keanu Reeves, his co-star in "Street Kings," helped him put his method into words. He asked Reeves what his approach to acting was, and Reeves answered, "It's constantly changing." "I was like, 'That's a good answer,' " Evans says. "It's like art. You want to constantly change your style and find new things to spark your creativity and keep you excited about it." Evans is a fan of asking his fellow actors for their thoughts on acting. His friend Jonathan Tucker gave him his favorite advice: "Don't forget that the audience doesn't know what's coming next. It's very easy to forget when you're acting and you do the scene over and over again. Don't forget this is brand-new for the audience. You can push them in any direction because they don't know what's coming."A favorite acting exercise of Evans', that he recommends all actors do, is to buy scripts of good films, work on a character's scene or monologue until you feel you've nailed the role, and then watch the movie to see how the actor did it. "It's like training with Michael Jordan in basketball," he says. "Go train with De Niro. Make your choices, and then watch Bob show you how to do it right. It's a real eye opener. The thing you'll learn is to not follow the words so closely. The words are not always the indication of the character. A lot of time, actors look at the words as clues as to who the character is and how the line should be said. But it's not always a direct link. If [casting directors] are going to audition 100 people for a role, the majority of the actors are going to use the words as indicators. Be different. Go another route. Take the dance somewhere unique. If nothing else, you'll stick in their mind." Outtakes - Raised in Sudbury, Mass.- Other films include "Cellular," "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," and "The Losers"- In the final stages of auditions for "Not Another Teen Movie," the director brought Evans and co-star Chyler Leigh to Jennifer Coolidge's house to workshop their scenes: "[Coolidge] was so clever, funny, smart, and awesome. I felt so lucky."- On returning to the theater: "The stage, in my opinion, has the best actors. I'd love to get back to the stage, but it's a big commitment. You've got to find something you really want to do everyday for months and months. It's tricky."- Also starring opposite Anna Faris in the comedy "What's Your Number?," opening Sept. 30. Chris Evans Takes On a New Fight in 'Puncture' By Jessica Gardner September 21, 2011 Chris Evans PHOTO CREDIT Jamie Painter Young Five minutes with Chris Evans and you feel like you've known him your whole life. Considering his charming smile, lingering Boston accent (complete with the occasional curse word), and high-fivesand even a call to Mom to check a factit's easy to forget you're chatting with Captain America and not just an old friend from high school. Asked if he ever read Back Stage, he responds, "I got my first acting gig through Back Stage in NY. It was a short film called 'The Paper Boy.' My first real audition outside of, like, community theater, and I ended up getting it. I was walking to work one morning when I got the phone call from the writer-director, whose name was Eric Ogden. I remember walking down the street with my hand in the air [pumps his fist]. We filmed in upstate NY for two weeks. I still have a copy of it. My first job on a film ever."Community theater was a big part of life in the Evans household while he was growing up. Evans, his two sisters, and his brother, Scott (whom you might remember as Officer Oliver Fish from "One Life to Live"), grew up acting at a community children's theater called the Concord Youth Theatre. "Each of us must have done at least 15 to 20 shows there," Evans says. Their family was so connected to the theater that when Chris was around 18, his mother, Lisa, took over as artistic director, and she's been working there ever since. Seeing his elder sister, Carly, onstage inspired Evans to be an actor. "Her play would end, and she'd get flowers and candy, and it just seemed like such a good time. She was having a ball and hanging out with her acting friendsit just looked awesome," he remembers. "I was like, 'I'll give this a shot.' " He started doing plays at the theater and going to acting camp in the summer. "I fell in love with that, too. I started doing plays year-round. I was always onstage."In his junior year of high school, Evans started thinking he might want to pursue acting professionally. He convinced his parents to let him move to NY City for the summer and take classes at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. He also wrote casting offices and secured a summer internship with Bonnie Finnegan, who was casting "Spin City" at the time. "We got to go to the tapings every Friday for the show with Michael J. Fox, and I thought that was the coolest thing in the world," he says. At the end of the summer, his plan was to ask the two or three agents he was the most friendly with if he could read for them. "I was like, 'I know you know me as Chris from Bonnie's office, but I'm an actorcan you give me five minutes?' " One of the agencies was willing to let him read, so he did. The agency was interested in signing him, but it was the end of summer, and he had to go home to start senior year. "They said to me, 'You've got to get back [to NY] as soon as possible. Pilot season's in January.' So I went back and doubled up my classes and graduated early, in January. Went back to NY, got my agent, got the same internship with Bonnie, and I even got the same apartment." Down the hall from Finnegan's office was casting director Marcia DeBonis, who one day asked Evans to come in and read for a pilot she was working on called "Get Real." Evans went in and nailed the audition, so the network sent him out to Los Angeles to test for it. "The first person I met in Los Angeles was Anne Hathaway," he remembers. "She was testing for it, too. We were both kidsshe wasn't 'Anne Hathaway' then. I was 17, and she was pretty young, too." Because Evans was the only person there reading for his role, he was convinced he would get it. "I was like, 'I got this in the bag,' " he says. "But I didn't get the show. [Hathaway] did, but I didn't. It was so crushing to be that close that soon. My dad was out there with me, and I was so excited and then just so devastated. But then Warner Bros. said, 'Stick aroundthere's a couple of other shows you might be right for. We'll put you up for the week.' So I stuck around and auditioned, and I ended up getting a different pilot called 'Opposite Sex.' " The Fox show (which also starred Milo Ventimiglia) lasted only one season, but it was Evans' first break, and he stayed in Los Angeles. By age 20, he landed his first leading film role in the comedy spoof "Not Another Teen Movie" and hasn't stopped since.Gone Audition Gone "I'm pretty shitty at auditioning," Evans admits. "Auditioning is such a strange thing. It's like the opposite of acting. It's a strange environment. To act well, you need to be extremely comfortable. You need to be extremely in your skin. Even if you have to play someone nervous, you have to be neutral and let it come to you and listen. I get so nervous in auditions. My heart just pounds."Evans thinks plenty of amazing actors aren't working because they can't audition well. "It's like those races in the Olympics," he says. "You could race 100 times, and the same guy's not going to win every timeit's just who's going to win that day. Everyone here is fast. Everyone here can run well. But who's going to run well today? I used to sit at these auditions and look around, and I know all these actors. I've seen them. Everyone here can act. No one here is a bad actor. But it's just a matter of who's going to act well in the next five minutes. If you're not going to, someone else is. I'm sure I've gotten parts where I wasn't the best man for the job; I just happened to have a really good audition that day. And the guy who was the right man for the job had a bad one. It's that type of uncertainty that makes acting such a crapshoot."The audition-gone-wrong story he recalls as being worst was meeting with Ben Affleck for "Gone Baby Gone." "I don't get starstruck," says Evans. "I'm fine. Especially Benhe's a Boston guy, I should be fine. I walked in and I'm walking down the halls looking for this room, and as I passed a room I heard 'There he is.' In my head I was like, 'That's Ben.' I turned around and it was, and for some reason I instantly was nervous. I went in and shook his hand, and the first thing I said was 'Hey, how ya doingam I gonna be okay where I parked?' And he said, 'Where'd you park?' And I said, 'At one of the meters.' And he said, 'Did you put money in it?' And I said, 'Yeah.' And he said, 'I think you'll be all right.' From that moment, I just wanted to get the f*** out of the room. I just wanted to be anywhere but there. I sat down with my heart beating out of my chest; I was so mortified that I started this meeting off that way. I started giving him one-word answers. They put me in a rocking chair, so I'm just rocking and twisting, just nervous. 'So, what was your last movie like?' 'Good.' 'What was it like to work with Danny Boyle?' 'Good.' I just wanted to get out of there. It was horrible, a complete disaster. So obviously, I did not get that job."Character Choices In Evans' upcoming film "Puncture," a law drama based on a true story, he portrays Mike Weiss, lawyer and drug addict. This was Evans' first experience playing a role based on a real person. He spoke to the deceased Weiss' brother, father, college friends, and colleagues and even read the transcript of what was said at Weiss' funeral. "The problem is, I could tell you 100 stories about someone, but is that going to make you able to embody their speech pattern and posture and nuances?" he says. "It's not like I'm playing JFK, where you can watch videos and get cadence and inflection." Evans decided his best option was to tell Weiss' family and friends he would have to have some artistic license. He told everyone he would do his best, "but don't expect to see the Mike you know." Evans worked hard not to second-guess his character choices or worry about what Weiss' family and friends might think. "If you start second-guessing yourself, you're f***ed," he says. "The family and the friends couldn't have been more accommodating, but it was still pretty nerve-racking." He admits to being similarly nerve-racked when bringing beloved comic book characters Steve Rogers/Captain America and Johnny Storm/Human Torch to the screen. "Most times you make a film and you say, 'I hope it does well.' [With 'Captain America: The First Avenger' and 'Fantastic Four'] I knew people were going to go see them. There would be a response, positive or negative. There's this phenomenal built-in audience. There's going to be a huge opening weekend; there's going to be a shit ton of merchandise. That's intimidating." Evans realized the best way to approach playing a superhero was to try to get in the same headspace as all the fans. "To me, the fans are the most importantif they're not happy, you didn't do your job. So let's try and essentially become a fan. Try and understand what they understand. To see what they're expecting." For "Captain America: The First Avenger," Evans says he and director Joe Johnston read many comic books before coming together to create the film version of the Steve Rogers character."Steve Rogers is a tricky character to play because he doesn't have too much conflict," says Evans. "He's such a selfless person. There's very little that can rattle him. If [your character] doesn't have conflict, it's easy to become boring. It's nice [that in the upcoming film 'The Avengers'] he struggles a little bit. He struggles with being a fish out of water. He's from the '40s; he's from a different mentality. Today the world is text messaging and impersonal and selfishness, and in the '40s there was much more of a human connection and camaraderie among the country. It's an old-fashioned way of thinking. So I think he's struggling with trying to find his place in modern day."The Evans Method Although he studied for a summer at the Lee Strasberg Institute, Evans says he isn't sure that Strasberg is his "cup of tea." He believes that acting is an ever-evolving thing, and if you get stuck in one method or approach, you might get stagnant. He says Keanu Reeves, his co-star in "Street Kings," helped him put his method into words. He asked Reeves what his approach to acting was, and Reeves answered, "It's constantly changing." "I was like, 'That's a good answer,' " Evans says. "It's like art. You want to constantly change your style and find new things to spark your creativity and keep you excited about it." Evans is a fan of asking his fellow actors for their thoughts on acting. His friend Jonathan Tucker gave him his favorite advice: "Don't forget that the audience doesn't know what's coming next. It's very easy to forget when you're acting and you do the scene over and over again. Don't forget this is brand-new for the audience. You can push them in any direction because they don't know what's coming."A favorite acting exercise of Evans', that he recommends all actors do, is to buy scripts of good films, work on a character's scene or monologue until you feel you've nailed the role, and then watch the movie to see how the actor did it. "It's like training with Michael Jordan in basketball," he says. "Go train with De Niro. Make your choices, and then watch Bob show you how to do it right. It's a real eye opener. The thing you'll learn is to not follow the words so closely. The words are not always the indication of the character. A lot of time, actors look at the words as clues as to who the character is and how the line should be said. But it's not always a direct link. If [casting directors] are going to audition 100 people for a role, the majority of the actors are going to use the words as indicators. Be different. Go another route. Take the dance somewhere unique. If nothing else, you'll stick in their mind." Outtakes - Raised in Sudbury, Mass.- Other films include "Cellular," "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World," and "The Losers"- In the final stages of auditions for "Not Another Teen Movie," the director brought Evans and co-star Chyler Leigh to Jennifer Coolidge's house to workshop their scenes: "[Coolidge] was so clever, funny, smart, and awesome. I felt so lucky."- On returning to the theater: "The stage, in my opinion, has the best actors. I'd love to get back to the stage, but it's a big commitment. You've got to find something you really want to do everyday for months and months. It's tricky."- Also starring opposite Anna Faris in the comedy "What's Your Number?," opening Sept. 30.

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Fox defends edit of phone-hacking joke

As the clock ticks down to the 5 pm start of the Emmycast, Fox execs are doing some behind the scenes damage control regarding the decision to yank a joke about the News Corp. phone hacking scandal by Alec Baldwin in the pre-taped opening skit. Fox emphasized that the decision to delete the line was made because the net didn't want to be seen as taking the scandal lightly. When Baldwin asked that he be deleted from the entire sketch, the net agreed out of courtesy. Net also stressed that the phone-hacking crack wasn't the only edit made in the skit, and that the decision was made by net execs, not at the higher News Corp. corporate level. Emmycast exec producer Mark Burnett has promised that the telecast will have no shortage of surprises. Contact Cynthia Littleton at cynthia.littleton@variety.com

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Plimpton Scores TV Success With 'Raising Hope'

La (AP) Martha Plimpton anxiously waited 28 years after starting her acting career to sign up for any regular sitcom gig and she or he instantly gained an Emmy nomination.The 40-year-old is nominated for lead actress inside a comedy on her focus on Fox's "Raising Hope."Plimpton stated she'd virtually quit on hooking up having a part inside a comedy series when she browse the script for "Hope."The timing was right and also the character "just immediately clicked on for me personally.InchInchAmong the finest to become obvious, I'm a very dark and bitter person, however i think on some level, everything does indeed come when it is designed to come," she stated throughout a current interview. "Things come your way in existence when you are ready for them, when you are ready on their behalf.InchEvidently, Plimpton was prepared to play Virginia Chance and add another Emmy nomination to her assortment of Tony Award nods."Raising Hope" follows the opportunity family, an undesirable but loving lot who suddenly welcome a brand new baby for their home. Plimpton states it is not difficult on her to connect with her character."Being an actress for many of my existence, I'm profoundly acquainted with poverty," she stated. "I had been nominated for my third Tony, that could not have access to been more thrilling for me personally, and never two days later, I needed to request buddies when they needed a sitter because I'd nothing.InchDespite the fact that she was nominated to have an Emmy before (in 2002 on her guest-starring role on "Law & Order: Special Sufferers Unit"), it's even more gratifying this time around around."The 'Law & Order' nomination was for any guest place... I had been playing such as this drug addict, type of crazy person who's transporting around a finger in her own purse," Plimpton stated. "But (this time around), it is extremely different since it is reflective of year and it is my first series normal work, therefore it feels really lovely."The Emmy Honours will be provided Sunday in the Nokia Theatre and broadcast survive Fox.Copyright 2011 Connected Press. All privileges reserved. These components might not be released, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Summer time TV Those who win and Nonwinners

Snooki, George Lopez Just 2 yrs ago, MTV was battling to locate its footing. Network staple TRL had ended, onetime go to the Hillsides was coming out, and rankings were inside a volitile manner. MTV faced its greatest identity crisis yet - then along came Snooki and Co. Now, brought through the crass stars of prime-time phenomenon Jersey Shoreline, MTV may be easily crowned the greatest champion from the summer time of 2011. Jersey Shore's Season 4 premiere averaged 8.8 million audiences, and also the show arrived five from the top seven cable telecasts of summer time. "Thankfully for Jersey Shoreline," states MTV programming mind David Janollari. Individuals rankings translate to large advertising dollars for MTV, notes Horizon Media analyst Kaira Adgate. "I believe within the 30-year good reputation for MTV, it has been the most powerful they have have you been,Inch he states. "For any network that needs to constantly reinvent itself, that's quite an accomplishment." And it's not only The Problem making things ab great at MTV. Other reality franchises, like Teen Mother and 16 and Pregnant, along with the Challenge: Rivals, are powerhouses themselves. And MTV's aggressive entry into scripted programming is having to pay off, via new hit series for example Awkward and Teen Wolf. The network assigned the summer time on August 28 using its most-viewed telecast ever, the 2011 Video Music Honours (12.4 million audiences). Next, MTV is plotting a significant go back to animation, through the heralded revival of Beavis and Butt-mind and new entry Good Vibes. "We are on the roll," Janollari states. "Our goal will be the entertainment place to go for this youthful core audience of ours." Adds Adgate: "They've certainly, a minimum of for the time being, become in to the zeitgeist of teens and teenagers." Listed here are the relaxation from the summer's those who win and nonwinners. Those who win Falling SkiesSteven Spielberg and aliens remain a effective combination. The TNT drama, which stars Noah Wyle like a resistance fighter battling against an invasion of extraterrestrial animals, was cable's top-ranked new scripted series this summer time. Falling Skies averaged nearly 7 million audiences a chapter and added the word "skitters" to sci-fi's alien lexicon. Several coming back scripted series, for example TNT's Rizzoli & Isles and also the Closer, and USA's Royal Pains and Burn Notice, also worked out well. Broadcast's summer time reality veteransBig Brother is watching you - and you're simply watching Your Government. Season 13 of CBS' claustrophobic reality hit, marketed as "The Summer time of Double Trouble," is calculating 7.5 million audiences, up 4 % from this past year. (The show's grown ups 18-49 rankings are up a powerful 12 %.) And also over at NBC, the America's Got Talent gang also is not missing a beat. The most recent edition averaged 12.two million audiences, up 11 percent from this past year. With lots of original competition available this summer time, this is a amazing accomplishment for 2 aging shows. History's reality brandDocuseries like Pawn Stars and Swamp Individuals have ticked off fans of History channel's old programming. However the network's transformation has compensated off in a major way. Pawn Stars was cable's No. 2 reality show, behind Jersey Shoreline, calculating 7.six million audiences. History's American Pickers and Swamp Everyone was much less far behind, together with Storage Wars on sister network A&E. Phineas and FerbIn its first airing, Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb: Over the second Dimension rated because the most-viewed TV movie on cable to date this year. The movie's adventurous tykes still bring in audiences via numerous runs across several systems, as the show's cocreators inked an offer to show Phineas and Ferb right into a full-length feature film. Nonwinners George LopezA year after The best spinner's knocked Lopez Tonight to night time to create room for Conan, low rankings knocked them back the schedule altogether. Daily talk shows are costly, and The best spinner's felt it could not justify keeping it about the air. With Wager also tugging Mo'Nique's talk show, diversity required an enormous blow at the end of evening. New broadcast reality showsTry because they might, the broadcast systems continue to be battling to develop a brand new wave of summer time reality hits. While staples like America's Got Talent succeed, new shows aren't creating a dent with audiences. One of the underperformers: ABC's Expedition Impossible, NBC's Love within the Wild and CBS' Same Title. Males of the Certain Age/HawthoRNe/Eureka/The ProtectorCable giveth and taketh away. Despite fan outcry, TNT drawn the plug on its little-seen Ray Romano dramedy Males of the Certain Age after just two seasons. "They attempted mighty tough to justifiably ensure that it stays,Inch states executive producer Mike Royce. "If only we shipped more about the crowd finish." A couple of days later, additionally, it stated goodbye to Jada Pinkett Smith's HawthoRNe. Inside a bizarre move, Syfy restored, after which canceled, Eureka. And Lifetime never got traction using the rapidly lost The Protector. States Adgate: "Cable is a a bit more aggressive in eliminating implies that aren't producing audiences." Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!

Rhianna, Usher To Complete At Clintons Concert

FIRST Launched: September 13, 2011 3:46 PM EDT La, Calif. -- Rhianna, Usher, The Benefit and Bono will probably be among the artists inside a La concert praising the tenth anniversary of former Leader Bill Clintons foundation. The background music artists works inside a Decade of Difference: A Concert Praising 10 years in the William J. Clinton Foundation on March. 15 within the Hollywood Bowl. Other artists will probably be introduced later. Clinton mentioned in the statement Tuesday that he's proud that many of the modern most influential artists are joining together to enhance awareness in regards to the work of my foundation. The concert will probably be streamed survive Yahoo.com. In the last decade, Clintons foundation has looked for to improve global health, strengthen economic climates worldwide, promote much healthier early many safeguard the climate. Copyright 2011 by Connected Press. All rights reserved.These elements is probably not launched, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

UPDATE: Carries Journals Now Formally At CW With Gossip Girl Producers Aboard

PREVIOUS: CW Eyes Sex & The Town Prequel Series Shepherded By Gossip Girl Producers Last month we reported the Barbara Journals, a TV series project according to Sex and also the City author Candace Bushnells recent book about Barbara Bradshaws senior high school years, is going to the CW. That now has turned into a reality following the project was pitched towards the network on Friday and bought within the room. Underneath the deal, that is being completed, Warner Bros. TV is creating with Gossip Girl executive producers Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage’s studio-based Fake Empire banner. Former Sex and also the City author/producer Amy Harris, who's writing for Gossip Girl this year, is writing the variation and executive creating with Bushnell, Schwartz, Savage and Len Goldstein. Barbara’s Journals is really a youthful-adult novel that stories Carries senior year of high school in a tiny Colonial town. Due to its youthful skew, it had been never considered for Cinemax, which modified Bushnell’s anthology book Sex and also the City in to the greatly popular comedy series produced by Darren Star and starring Sarah Jessica Parker. But Warner Bros. TV, which bought the privileges towards the Barbara Journals book from Bushnell, arrived at to its corporate brother or sister Cinemax. Throughout the series’ 6-year run, Bushnell’s figures developed his or her lives required numerous turns. WBTV’s privileges cope with Cinemax, that is now being nailed lower, allows the authors of the Barbara’s Journals series to include figures, traits and developments introduced about the Sex and also the City series together with the core source material, Bushnell’s book. For Star and Parker, neither of these is connected to the new project, a minimum of not for the time being.