Leonardo DiCaprio on Embodying J. Edgar Hoover

Leonardo DiCaprio on Embodying J. Edgar Hoover By Jenelle Riley November 23, 2011 Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images Leonardo DiCaprio has been a star for so long, it can be easy to forget he is also an actoran amazing one at that. He is an instinctive talent whose first major film role was opposite Robert De Niro in "This Boy's Life" and who earned his first Oscar nomination at 19 for his flawless portrait of Johnny Depp's mentally challenged brother in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Although the 1997 phenomenon "Titanic" turned him into a worldwide celebrity, DiCaprio never took on the kind of easy paychecks that might have tempted others. Even from a young age, he seemed determined to seek roles that challenged him personally and paired him with top filmmakersSteven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Clint Eastwood heading the list. But it often seemed that even though DiCaprio is beloved by the masses, his most solid work has gone unnoticed. He was praised for lending his star power to "Inception," Christopher Nolan's art house film disguised as a big-budget blockbuster. Yet his heartbreaking performance remained largely underrated. Accolades and awards are often lavished on his co-stars, be it Daniel Day-Lewis in "Gangs of NY" or Kate Winslet in "Titanic" and "Revolutionary Road," while DiCaprio has consistently made his job look easy. Instead, DiCaprio is an inherently talented actor who studies and prepares intensely for his roles. His abilities are currently on display as the title character in "J. Edgar," a biopic about FBI head J. Edgar Hoover (18951972), whose contributions to crime fighting might be overshadowed only by his controversial tactics. For that role in the Eastwood-directed film, the actor took a fraction of his $20 million fee and studied every angle of trivia, including assertions that Hoover was gay and a cross-dresser. It's a bravura performance, one that's sure to net him his fourth Academy Award nomination, if not the win. After all, DiCaprio gets the golden trifecta as Hoover: He gets to play gay, age 50 years, and die.Back Stage: You started in commercials at a young age; at what point did you realize acting was a career? Leonardo DiCaprio: I've used this quote before, but I really mean it: I always felt like being an actor was an elite club I never really belonged to. My stepbrother was an actor in commercials and TV shows all throughout my youth, and I loved acting. I loved imitating people I loved drama class; I loved joking around with my parents and creating different characters. I liked doing my own little homemade skits. I always wanted to be an actor, but no agent would accept me for many years. I tried to go to many different agents, and they didn't want to accept me. I think because I was break dancing at the time and had a weird, punkish haircut and dressed like a street kid. Back Stage: When did you finally get a foothold in the business? DiCaprio: I finally got accepted by an agent when I was 12 or 13 years old. If it wasn't for the fact I lived in Hollywood, I don't think I would be an actor. I grew up in the heart of Hollywood, on Hollywood and Western, for the first nine years of my life. It was kind of Prostitution Alley back then. But I got to go to this really wonderful school, which was University Elementary School, UES, which is a magnate program of UCLA. They accepted me on scholarship. So my mom sacrificed her time every day driving from Hollywood to Westwood, stuck in traffic every day. It would be a 45-minute ride there and back every day; she had to pick me up because the bus didn't go there. And when I started to be an actor, she let me go on auditions and would drop me off. If I was born in Ohio and had the dream of being an actor, I don't think I'd be here today. Financially, we couldn't have uprooted and moved here. Back Stage: Well, it might have happened; it just would have taken longer, don't you think? DiCaprio: To be honest, I think that life is a series of being incredibly prepared for that one opportunity. And that one opportunity may have never come along for me, you know? I had that one opportunity with "This Boy's Life," and I was lucky enough to have gotten that role. I was in the right place at the right time.Back Stage: Is it true Robert De Niro handpicked you for the role of his stepson in "This Boy's Life"? DiCaprio: It was the director, Michael Caton-Jones, and De Niro. It was a very coveted role, there were hundreds of kids auditioning for it, and it came down to the wire with myself, Tobey [Maguire], and one or two other kids. I just got lucky that day. We did this final audition with De Niro and Michael, and luckily, they saw something in me. I believe it was De Niro who said they should go with me, but you'd have to ask him that question; I don't know exactly how that went down. And when you ask him, I'd love to hear the answer! [Laughs.]Back Stage: Is there anything that stands out about that audition that might have helped you snag the role? DiCaprio: I remember screaming at De Niro in the audition. We did a scene where he's ramming a mustard jar in my eye and yelling at me, and I remember he was getting really intense with me because, you know, the character is an abusive father. He was getting in my face, and I remember yelling at him. It wasn't in the script; it was improvised. And then there was sort of a chuckle in the room; I remember them laughing and not really understanding why they were laughing. I think it was because he got me really angry, and they liked how I responded. That's what my memory serves, but his could be a completely different interpretation. They could have sat there and said, "Wow, this kid's ridiculous, but let's give him a shot."Back Stage: You were working with icons like De Niro at an early age, which had to be intimidating. By that same token, are you aware of how you might be intimidating to some of your co-stars? DiCaprio: I definitely can see how people in the public eye can make others comfortable or uncomfortable, and I try my best to let things sort of happen naturallyon set and in life, too. I don't think about it that much, because I do consider myself a pretty relatively normal human being, although my life is incredibly bizarre. I sometimes try to figure out how people perceive me, but it's something you can never truly understand. I know how I feel amongst people who are in the public eye, and there's always a little bit of wariness around themit's like there's an elephant in the room. So I try my best not to think about that type of thing, or I could be endlessly trying to figure it out. Back Stage: Because you are a celebrity, do you ever feel you don't get the respect you deserve as an actor? DiCaprio: I think that it's incredibly important to listen to criticism. I consider myself what I consider myself, and that is somebody that's always trying to be better. No matter what anybody thinks about my work, I'm constantly trying to improve, and I really do care about what I do on a very deep level, and it does affect my life on a very deep level. It is my life's passion. I'm very lucky to know this is something I wanted to do ever since I was very young. It's my earliest memory. And I feel fortunate for that. With every role that I've chosen or every movie I've been a part of, I always think about the unbelievable accomplishments of actors and directors in the past and how many great performances have been given, and how many great films there have been in cinema's history. And I have a great amount of respect for that. So I suppose my endless, unattainable goal is to do something that is as good as I see in cinema's past. And I don't know if I will ever, on a personal level, believe that I have accomplished that. I don't know if I'll ever sit here and see a film and say, "This is absolutely everything I ever dreamed of on a personal or cinematic level." But that's what sort of drives me. When I was 15 and I got that part in "This Boy's Life," I sat for a year and just watched every damn movie I possibly could, and I was just awestruck by what's been accomplished. From first seeing Jimmy Cagney in "Public Enemy," all the way to some of the great actors of today, there have been so many great performances. Back Stage: From a young age, you've made interesting choices in your roles. Were you operating on instinct, or did you have a plan for your career? DiCaprio: From the beginning, I considered it an honor, and I still do, just to be able to do what I do professionally. I never forget I came from a group of young actors, and not everyone gets to be so lucky to do what we do. It's a huge honor, and something I don't want to disrespect. I remember my second movie being "Gilbert Grape" I remember having the opportunity to do another type of movie at that timeI think it was "Hocus Pocus"and I was offered more money than I ever dreamed of in my life in one go. But there was something about that role in "Gilbert Grape" that made me say, "You know what? I'm going to pass on this and go for this other role." I don't know quite where that came from as a 16-year-old kid, but seeing all those movies in that time period made me really want to play that Arnie Grape character. And for whatever reason, I was just hooked at that point. Back Stage: Have you ever taken acting classes or worked with a coach? DiCaprio: I took junior high and high school drama class. From a young age, I read a lot of books about the Meisner technique and Stanislavsky. But I never reconnected with it until I got to start working with Larry Moss in my 20s. Larry's class is an amazing one. He takes it from a psychological level of conquering your own fears and fighting your inhibitions and taking chances. We all have these emotions we carry around within us, but to be able to release them as an actor is fundamental. Acting and psychology are two sides of the same coin for him. Back Stage: What was the first film you worked with him on, and do you still work with him? DiCaprio: "The Aviator." And I consult with him all the time. If it's not a series of meetings, I always consult with him before every movie, just to bat around different character ideas and talk about the creation of what kind of decisions I want to make as an actor. It's incredibly beneficial to have that bouncing board and somebody to challenge you artistically like that.Back Stage: What sort of practical advice would you offer actors? DiCaprio: I've had young people come up to me and ask me about acting and how to get into the industry, and I always talk about preparation. Go to acting class; learn the fundamentals. Then go to L.A., where all the auditions are. Those are the first two things. And the third thing is, know your damn lines. Know your lines inside and out, to the point at which they become secondhand. Like everyone else, I'm a big fan of Stanley Kubrick; I really wish I could have worked with him. There was something about the way he worked with his actors, a certain exhaustion all his actors had and a certain naturalness in the way they said their lines. It's because they were doing 50 to 100 takes sometimes. There's no way they didn't know every next word that was coming out of their mouth. There was a certain calm and easeeven when you're insane like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining"there's a certain ease that you have with your dialogue where you can play around. And the ability to play around comes with being prepared and knowing who your character is and what they're going to say. Then you can improv and do other things, because you have the roots and you can create the branches and leaves. But you have to know the fundamentals, and the most important fundamental is: Know what you're going to say.Back Stage: What interested you in playing J. Edgar Hoover? DiCaprio: I'd been involved with another project for a few years, "Public Enemies," where I started to read up on Hoover. I was involved in the development process with Michael Mann, but I forget what happened. I think it was scheduling conflicts, and then Michael started developing it on his own for a while, and it became more of an all-Dillinger story as opposed to a two-hander. So the idea of doing a movie about that era and J. Edgar Hoover was always sort of in my subconscious. When I heard that Dustin Lance Black, who did "Milk," had done a script, I immediately got it and read it. It was one of those screenplays that brought up a million more questions for meabout his personal life, what motivated him, who he was, what he was involved with historically in our country and government. Dustin really captured the essence of him. And who doesn't want to work with Clint Eastwood? I knew it was a character I had to sink my teeth into. I started to research him immediately, even though I didn't necessarily have the role yet. Back Stage: How did you go about getting into the skin of Hoover? DiCaprio: It was incredibly challenging; I put a lot of research and preparation into it. I got to go to Washington, D.C., and retrace Hoover's steps, and go into his old house and see the place where he died in his living room. I got to go to the FBI and stand in his office and see the view and where he ate with Clyde Tolson every day in his corner booth. I got to fly down to North Carolina and meet Deke Deloach, the last man who worked with Hoover who knew him on an intimate level. It really was a lot of fun and really shaped the Hoover I tried to put up onscreen. Back Stage: You've played your share of real-life people; what's the appeal for you? DiCaprio: I do love playing historical figures simply because there's so much incredibly diverse interesting information about a character when you can research their life. A lot of the stuff you'd never be able to make up as a writer. You'd say, that's completely unrealisticHoover would never do that! It's just so interesting to try and embody somebody like that. It's a different process on something like "Inception," where it's more months of sitting down with the director and shaping the character's subplot and making up their history. I enjoy them both, but I must admit I love playing people where a lot of the answers are already out there, because it's shocking to find out what people have really done in the real world.Back Stage: You've also played your share of unreliable narrators; any reason you're drawn to those roles? DiCaprio: Yeah. I like that term, "unreliable narrator." Recently, people have been asking me about the type of decisions I've made, and I think something I'm going to continue to do is not question why I'm drawn to certain types of roles or genres of movies. You feel like you have to be of service to something, and I feel like whatever it is about those characterswhether they're unreliable narrators or some sort of dysfunction, or have some sort of similarity to other charactersthere's a reason I want to play them, and I don't want to question that. Like I said, I feel very honored to be able to pick and choose what I do. So I'm just going to continue not questioning it.Outtakes Received Oscar nominations for "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "The Aviator," and "Blood Diamond" won a Golden Globe Award for "The Aviator"Is shooting "The Great Gatsby" with director Baz Luhrmann, then set to film a role in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained"An active environmentalist, he produced and narrated "The 11th Hour," a documentary about the global environment.His company, Appian Way Productions, has produced such films as "Red Riding Hood," "Orphan," and "The Assassination of Richard Nixon." Leonardo DiCaprio on Embodying J. Edgar Hoover By Jenelle Riley November 23, 2011 PHOTO CREDIT Kevin Winter/Getty Images Leonardo DiCaprio has been a star for so long, it can be easy to forget he is also an actoran amazing one at that. He is an instinctive talent whose first major film role was opposite Robert De Niro in "This Boy's Life" and who earned his first Oscar nomination at 19 for his flawless portrait of Johnny Depp's mentally challenged brother in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Although the 1997 phenomenon "Titanic" turned him into a worldwide celebrity, DiCaprio never took on the kind of easy paychecks that might have tempted others. Even from a young age, he seemed determined to seek roles that challenged him personally and paired him with top filmmakersSteven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, and Clint Eastwood heading the list. But it often seemed that even though DiCaprio is beloved by the masses, his most solid work has gone unnoticed. He was praised for lending his star power to "Inception," Christopher Nolan's art house film disguised as a big-budget blockbuster. Yet his heartbreaking performance remained largely underrated. Accolades and awards are often lavished on his co-stars, be it Daniel Day-Lewis in "Gangs of NY" or Kate Winslet in "Titanic" and "Revolutionary Road," while DiCaprio has consistently made his job look easy. Instead, DiCaprio is an inherently talented actor who studies and prepares intensely for his roles. His abilities are currently on display as the title character in "J. Edgar," a biopic about FBI head J. Edgar Hoover (18951972), whose contributions to crime fighting might be overshadowed only by his controversial tactics. For that role in the Eastwood-directed film, the actor took a fraction of his $20 million fee and studied every angle of trivia, including assertions that Hoover was gay and a cross-dresser. It's a bravura performance, one that's sure to net him his fourth Academy Award nomination, if not the win. After all, DiCaprio gets the golden trifecta as Hoover: He gets to play gay, age 50 years, and die.Back Stage: You started in commercials at a young age; at what point did you realize acting was a career? Leonardo DiCaprio: I've used this quote before, but I really mean it: I always felt like being an actor was an elite club I never really belonged to. My stepbrother was an actor in commercials and TV shows all throughout my youth, and I loved acting. I loved imitating people I loved drama class; I loved joking around with my parents and creating different characters. I liked doing my own little homemade skits. I always wanted to be an actor, but no agent would accept me for many years. I tried to go to many different agents, and they didn't want to accept me. I think because I was break dancing at the time and had a weird, punkish haircut and dressed like a street kid. Back Stage: When did you finally get a foothold in the business? DiCaprio: I finally got accepted by an agent when I was 12 or 13 years old. If it wasn't for the fact I lived in Hollywood, I don't think I would be an actor. I grew up in the heart of Hollywood, on Hollywood and Western, for the first nine years of my life. It was kind of Prostitution Alley back then. But I got to go to this really wonderful school, which was University Elementary School, UES, which is a magnate program of UCLA. They accepted me on scholarship. So my mom sacrificed her time every day driving from Hollywood to Westwood, stuck in traffic every day. It would be a 45-minute ride there and back every day; she had to pick me up because the bus didn't go there. And when I started to be an actor, she let me go on auditions and would drop me off. If I was born in Ohio and had the dream of being an actor, I don't think I'd be here today. Financially, we couldn't have uprooted and moved here. Back Stage: Well, it might have happened; it just would have taken longer, don't you think? DiCaprio: To be honest, I think that life is a series of being incredibly prepared for that one opportunity. And that one opportunity may have never come along for me, you know? I had that one opportunity with "This Boy's Life," and I was lucky enough to have gotten that role. I was in the right place at the right time.Back Stage: Is it true Robert De Niro handpicked you for the role of his stepson in "This Boy's Life"? DiCaprio: It was the director, Michael Caton-Jones, and De Niro. It was a very coveted role, there were hundreds of kids auditioning for it, and it came down to the wire with myself, Tobey [Maguire], and one or two other kids. I just got lucky that day. We did this final audition with De Niro and Michael, and luckily, they saw something in me. I believe it was De Niro who said they should go with me, but you'd have to ask him that question; I don't know exactly how that went down. And when you ask him, I'd love to hear the answer! [Laughs.]Back Stage: Is there anything that stands out about that audition that might have helped you snag the role? DiCaprio: I remember screaming at De Niro in the audition. We did a scene where he's ramming a mustard jar in my eye and yelling at me, and I remember he was getting really intense with me because, you know, the character is an abusive father. He was getting in my face, and I remember yelling at him. It wasn't in the script; it was improvised. And then there was sort of a chuckle in the room; I remember them laughing and not really understanding why they were laughing. I think it was because he got me really angry, and they liked how I responded. That's what my memory serves, but his could be a completely different interpretation. They could have sat there and said, "Wow, this kid's ridiculous, but let's give him a shot."Back Stage: You were working with icons like De Niro at an early age, which had to be intimidating. By that same token, are you aware of how you might be intimidating to some of your co-stars? DiCaprio: I definitely can see how people in the public eye can make others comfortable or uncomfortable, and I try my best to let things sort of happen naturallyon set and in life, too. I don't think about it that much, because I do consider myself a pretty relatively normal human being, although my life is incredibly bizarre. I sometimes try to figure out how people perceive me, but it's something you can never truly understand. I know how I feel amongst people who are in the public eye, and there's always a little bit of wariness around themit's like there's an elephant in the room. So I try my best not to think about that type of thing, or I could be endlessly trying to figure it out. Back Stage: Because you are a celebrity, do you ever feel you don't get the respect you deserve as an actor? DiCaprio: I think that it's incredibly important to listen to criticism. I consider myself what I consider myself, and that is somebody that's always trying to be better. No matter what anybody thinks about my work, I'm constantly trying to improve, and I really do care about what I do on a very deep level, and it does affect my life on a very deep level. It is my life's passion. I'm very lucky to know this is something I wanted to do ever since I was very young. It's my earliest memory. And I feel fortunate for that. With every role that I've chosen or every movie I've been a part of, I always think about the unbelievable accomplishments of actors and directors in the past and how many great performances have been given, and how many great films there have been in cinema's history. And I have a great amount of respect for that. So I suppose my endless, unattainable goal is to do something that is as good as I see in cinema's past. And I don't know if I will ever, on a personal level, believe that I have accomplished that. I don't know if I'll ever sit here and see a film and say, "This is absolutely everything I ever dreamed of on a personal or cinematic level." But that's what sort of drives me. When I was 15 and I got that part in "This Boy's Life," I sat for a year and just watched every damn movie I possibly could, and I was just awestruck by what's been accomplished. From first seeing Jimmy Cagney in "Public Enemy," all the way to some of the great actors of today, there have been so many great performances. Back Stage: From a young age, you've made interesting choices in your roles. Were you operating on instinct, or did you have a plan for your career? DiCaprio: From the beginning, I considered it an honor, and I still do, just to be able to do what I do professionally. I never forget I came from a group of young actors, and not everyone gets to be so lucky to do what we do. It's a huge honor, and something I don't want to disrespect. I remember my second movie being "Gilbert Grape" I remember having the opportunity to do another type of movie at that timeI think it was "Hocus Pocus"and I was offered more money than I ever dreamed of in my life in one go. But there was something about that role in "Gilbert Grape" that made me say, "You know what? I'm going to pass on this and go for this other role." I don't know quite where that came from as a 16-year-old kid, but seeing all those movies in that time period made me really want to play that Arnie Grape character. And for whatever reason, I was just hooked at that point. Back Stage: Have you ever taken acting classes or worked with a coach? DiCaprio: I took junior high and high school drama class. From a young age, I read a lot of books about the Meisner technique and Stanislavsky. But I never reconnected with it until I got to start working with Larry Moss in my 20s. Larry's class is an amazing one. He takes it from a psychological level of conquering your own fears and fighting your inhibitions and taking chances. We all have these emotions we carry around within us, but to be able to release them as an actor is fundamental. Acting and psychology are two sides of the same coin for him. Back Stage: What was the first film you worked with him on, and do you still work with him? DiCaprio: "The Aviator." And I consult with him all the time. If it's not a series of meetings, I always consult with him before every movie, just to bat around different character ideas and talk about the creation of what kind of decisions I want to make as an actor. It's incredibly beneficial to have that bouncing board and somebody to challenge you artistically like that.Back Stage: What sort of practical advice would you offer actors? DiCaprio: I've had young people come up to me and ask me about acting and how to get into the industry, and I always talk about preparation. Go to acting class; learn the fundamentals. Then go to L.A., where all the auditions are. Those are the first two things. And the third thing is, know your damn lines. Know your lines inside and out, to the point at which they become secondhand. Like everyone else, I'm a big fan of Stanley Kubrick; I really wish I could have worked with him. There was something about the way he worked with his actors, a certain exhaustion all his actors had and a certain naturalness in the way they said their lines. It's because they were doing 50 to 100 takes sometimes. There's no way they didn't know every next word that was coming out of their mouth. There was a certain calm and easeeven when you're insane like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining"there's a certain ease that you have with your dialogue where you can play around. And the ability to play around comes with being prepared and knowing who your character is and what they're going to say. Then you can improv and do other things, because you have the roots and you can create the branches and leaves. But you have to know the fundamentals, and the most important fundamental is: Know what you're going to say.Back Stage: What interested you in playing J. Edgar Hoover? DiCaprio: I'd been involved with another project for a few years, "Public Enemies," where I started to read up on Hoover. I was involved in the development process with Michael Mann, but I forget what happened. I think it was scheduling conflicts, and then Michael started developing it on his own for a while, and it became more of an all-Dillinger story as opposed to a two-hander. So the idea of doing a movie about that era and J. Edgar Hoover was always sort of in my subconscious. When I heard that Dustin Lance Black, who did "Milk," had done a script, I immediately got it and read it. It was one of those screenplays that brought up a million more questions for meabout his personal life, what motivated him, who he was, what he was involved with historically in our country and government. Dustin really captured the essence of him. And who doesn't want to work with Clint Eastwood? I knew it was a character I had to sink my teeth into. I started to research him immediately, even though I didn't necessarily have the role yet. Back Stage: How did you go about getting into the skin of Hoover? DiCaprio: It was incredibly challenging; I put a lot of research and preparation into it. I got to go to Washington, D.C., and retrace Hoover's steps, and go into his old house and see the place where he died in his living room. I got to go to the FBI and stand in his office and see the view and where he ate with Clyde Tolson every day in his corner booth. I got to fly down to North Carolina and meet Deke Deloach, the last man who worked with Hoover who knew him on an intimate level. It really was a lot of fun and really shaped the Hoover I tried to put up onscreen. Back Stage: You've played your share of real-life people; what's the appeal for you? DiCaprio: I do love playing historical figures simply because there's so much incredibly diverse interesting information about a character when you can research their life. A lot of the stuff you'd never be able to make up as a writer. You'd say, that's completely unrealisticHoover would never do that! It's just so interesting to try and embody somebody like that. It's a different process on something like "Inception," where it's more months of sitting down with the director and shaping the character's subplot and making up their history. I enjoy them both, but I must admit I love playing people where a lot of the answers are already out there, because it's shocking to find out what people have really done in the real world.Back Stage: You've also played your share of unreliable narrators; any reason you're drawn to those roles? DiCaprio: Yeah. I like that term, "unreliable narrator." Recently, people have been asking me about the type of decisions I've made, and I think something I'm going to continue to do is not question why I'm drawn to certain types of roles or genres of movies. You feel like you have to be of service to something, and I feel like whatever it is about those characterswhether they're unreliable narrators or some sort of dysfunction, or have some sort of similarity to other charactersthere's a reason I want to play them, and I don't want to question that. Like I said, I feel very honored to be able to pick and choose what I do. So I'm just going to continue not questioning it.Outtakes Received Oscar nominations for "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "The Aviator," and "Blood Diamond" won a Golden Globe Award for "The Aviator"Is shooting "The Great Gatsby" with director Baz Luhrmann, then set to film a role in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained"An active environmentalist, he produced and narrated "The 11th Hour," a documentary about the global environment.His company, Appian Way Productions, has produced such films as "Red Riding Hood," "Orphan," and "The Assassination of Richard Nixon."

NBC Issues Apology to Michele Bachmann for Jimmy Fallon's 'Late Night' Song Slam

Aldo RossiClockwise from left: Cari Fletcher, Paige Elizabeth, Dani Knights and Hayley Orrantia X Factor's Simon Cowell says girl group Lakoda Rayne, which he along with fellow judges L.A. Reid, Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger created when it paired bootcamp finalistsDani Knights, Cari Fletcher, Paige Elizabeth and Hayley Orrantia, was voted off the competition for being "too pretty."our editor recommends'X Factor' Double Elimination: Who Went Home for the Holidays?'X Factor' Burning Questions: Is L.A. Reid Out of the Demi Lovato Loop? Will Chris Rene's 'Young Homie' Be Released?'X Factor' Redux: Melanie Amaro Finds Her Spirit and Her Accent (Video) "It's a problem I've had all my life," he joked following Wednesday's elimination show. But in all seriousness, he blamed the group members' looks for their exit. "Girls didn't like them," Cowell said. "Groups are always difficult but I think someone like Drew is very good in that she speaks to teenagers like a teenager -- that's part of her appeal. They're a bit older, but it's the same principle." PHOTOS: 'X Factor' Behind the Scenes As The Top 11 Work Out the Week's Performances As for LeRoy Bell, the unlikely 60-year-old finalist who stole America's heart with his velvety voice and sweet disposition, Cowell doubts ageism was at work. "It was personality-ism," the head judge told the Hollywood Reporter. "You've really got to pop now, you've got to make people want to vote for you when you're competing with people like Drew or Rachel [Crow] or particularly what Melanie [Amaro] did Tuesday night. At this point, you make a statement and I always felt with LeRoy that he was slightly embarrassed that he had to compete with 13 ort 14-year-olds because he's a man and he's got dignity. And I kind of get it, but I felt that he didn't quite let himself go in the way that Josh [Krajcik] lets himself go." Speaking of letting things go, it seems Reid isn't holding a grudge when it comes to Cowell's verbal assault the other night. "L.A. was a little bit frosty at the beginning, particularly when he saw the playback of the show," Cowell cracked. "I don't think he liked that very much, because I had the last word." PHOTOS: Get to Know 'X Factor's' Top 17 Finalists Still, Cowell insists it's mostly for show. "I explained to L.A. before we did the show that we're going to have that kind of relationship," he said. "If you like each other, you can have that kind of banter." But Cowell isn't about to let the Demi Lovato slip go. To recap: Reid criticized Drew for singing the hit "Skyscraper" saying it was music for 40-year-olds. Lovato, who sings the song, is 19. "We haven't stopped talking about it," Cowell said with a chuckle. "I'm having the album delivered to his dressing room." Cowell adds that he was as surprised as anyone that Reid "didn't know the song," but he also saw it as an opportunity. "I loved it because I knew he was going to have a problem with [Drew], that's been going on for a while," Cowell explained. "So when he dropped the ball on Demi, it was like, 'Fine, now I'm going to say what I want to say.'" And did he ever. Cowell called Reid's insights "stupid, inaccurate rubbish" among a slew of other insults, leaving the Epic Records chairman dumbfounded. But no hard feelings -- minutes later, the two were kibitzing outside the X Factor stage door. It is television, after all. Twitter: @shirleyhalperin PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Inside Simon Cowell's 'X Factor' Trailer (Exclusive) PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery 'X Factor' Behind the Scenes: The Top 11 Work Out the Week's Performances Nicole Scherzinger Paula Abdul Simon Cowell Antonio L.A. Reid Lakoda Rayne LeRoy Bell Josh Krajcik Melanie Amaro Drew Ryniewicz The X Factor

'One Life to Live,' 'All My Children' Will Not Move Online

Prospect Park's ambitious plan to move ABC daytime soaps One Life to Live and All My Children from the small screen to the computer screen has been halted indefinitely.our editor recommendsFour More 'One Life to Live' Actors Set for Online Production'One Life to Live' Cast, Head Writer Ink Deals to Join Online ProductionProspect Park Announces Deal for 'One Life to Live' EP to ContinueSusan Lucci Responds to 'All My Children' Delay'All My Children' Launching Online in January The move had proven difficult as Prospect Park and the various guilds associated with transitioning the series to the Web struggle to come to terms. PHOTOS: 'All My Children': Famous Alums of ABC's Daytime Drama "After five months of negotiations with various guilds, hundreds of presentations to potential financial and technology partners, and a hope that we could pioneer a new network for the future, it is with great disappointment that we are suspending our aspirations to revive One Life to Live and All My Children via online distribution," said Prospect Park's Rich Frank and Jeff Kwatinez in a joint statement issued Wednesday. "It is now becoming clear that mounting issues make our ability to meet our deadlines to get OLTL on the air in a reasonable time period following its January 13, 2012 ABC finale impossible," the statement continues. PHOTOS: Daytime Emmy Awards Red Carpet Arrivals Frank and Kwatinez cited the current economic landscape as another reason why their efforts with the guilds proved unsuccessful. "While we narrowed in on a financial infrastructure, the contractual demands of the guilds, which regulate our industry, coupled with the program's inherent economic challenges ultimately led to this final decision," they said. "In the end, the constraints of the current marketplace, including the evolution and impact of new media on our industry simply proved too great a match for even our passion." Frank and Kwatinez remain optimistic that the discussion will remain ongoing with creating original online content. "We hope that our efforts are not lost, and that we somehow created a dialogue and movement on the feasibility of first run, network quality content online," they said. Both the WGA and AFTRA issued statements expressing their disappointment that the endeavor wouldn't be moving forward. "We were disappointed to learn that Prospect Park's financing fell through," the WGA said. "Prior to the end of last week, we were close to a fair deal for the writers." Added AFTRA, the union that represents the actors for both soaps: "Despite initial progress in our negotiations with Prospect Park toward resolving a fair agreement to cover the performers appearing on these programs, we were perplexed and disappointed that for the past month Prospect Park has not responded to our repeated inquiries to resume those discussions. We now conclude from the press reports that Prospect Park faced other challenges unrelated to our negotiations, which prevented continuation of those discussions." Reports surfaced in early November that All My Children's move to the Web would be halted and that efforts would be spent on One Life to Live instead. That prompted All My Children veteran Susan Lucci to address speculation that she was one of the major causes for the delay. "There has been miscommunications as a result of statements in the press that I am one of the reasons that All My Children is not moving forward. This is simply untrue and not the case," wrote Lucci, who was the only regular to remain on the soap for the entirety of its 41-year run, a few days later. The only cast members signed on to the online continuation of All My Children are Cameron Mathison (Ryan) and Lindsay Hartley (Cara). Prospect Park, headed by Frank and Kwatinez, announced in September that it would launch All My Children on The Online Network, a new web-based platform that will include original programming, in January 2012 with One Life to Live to follow. In July, Prospect Park made a licensing deal with ABC that would continue production on the long-running soaps after both series concluded their runs on broadcast television for the Internet. ABC officially canceled the the two soaps in April, launching food and lifestyle series The Chew and the upcoming The Revolution. The news followed a string of daytime cancellations at other networks in recent years, including CBS' long-running The Guiding Light, As the World Turns and NBC's Passions. All My Children aired its final episode on Sept. 23. One Life to Live will broadcast its series finale in Jan. 13, 2012. Related Topics ABC All My Children One Life to Live

'Game Of Thrones' Season Two Preview Teases New Figures

Kids of summer time get ready, because winter is finally coming back, and it will not be pretty the next time around. Cinemax has launched a behind-the-moments featurette in the second season of "Bet on Thrones" that provides the very first glimpse at footage in the long awaited show. All of our favorite figures -- from Tyrion to Jon Snow towards the Hound -- are incorporated, in addition to newer and more effective ones. And when you desired another look at Arya around the lam, then you are fortunate. Season 2 - In Production Showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss narrate the recording and express their excitement for that approaching second season. "A lot of great figures arcs and thus many great figures and plot twists and discloses," Benioff guaranteed. "I believe it will likely be an amazing journey for the audience." The 2 major moments revealed within the trailer is one of Jon and Mike past the Wall talking about the way they are pressing into Wildling territory, and also the aforementioned scene where Arya is disguised because the boy Arry, and it is near to being caught through the Queen's males. But you will find another great shots of Jorah and Daenerys, Joffrey as king and Bran with Maester Luwin which should get fans counting lower the seconds until "Bet on Thrones" premieres in April. Also revealed are the new figures within the show's approaching season. Renly Baratheon's new full Margaery Tyrell -- performed by "The Tudors" star Natalie Dormer -- is proven sitting alongside her king around the battleground. And you will find some quick shots of Carice Van Houten as Melissandre and Liam Cunningham as Davos thrown inside if you are quick enough to trap them. Personally, i can't wait to determine what Gwendoline Christie appears like as Brienne and just how Tom Wlaschiha causes us to be cringe as Jaqen H'ghar, but hopefully individuals is going to be revealed later on promotions. "Among the great challenges using the second months are the planet just broadened enormously and never only did we introduce a lot of new figures, but we are journeying to any or all new locations," Benioff taunted for season two. We can not wait! Did this promo enable you to get excited for season a couple of "Bet on Thrones"? Inform us within the comments section below or on Twitter!

Returns pay well for Steve Wynn

The 15% tax on returns may have unintended effects, which is amazing the amount of CEOs who never loved returns before love them under certain conditions.For example, Casino operator Wynn Resorts has made a decision to take advantage of returns use a vacation gift to traders. On 12 ,. 21, the business pays a distinctive dividend of $5 a share.Stockholders will probably be pleased, and none greater than Wynn affiliates who control greater than 36% in the outstanding shares. Among the large individuals who win are people named Wynn: Chairman and Boss Stephen Wynn has greater than hundreds of countless shares his former wife, director Elaine Wynn, holds 9.8 million shares. They'll collect a combined $99.3 million within the special dividend.Examined yet another way, Wynn Resorts is essentially needing to pay Steve Wynn a $50 million bonus. And because it is an expert dividend, under current rules, it'll be taxed inside a 15% rate. Once the cash happen to be paid out just like a bonus, it might have been taxed at 35%.So Steve Wynn eventually eventually ends up saving roughly $hundreds of countless in taxes as they received a dividend instead of an added bonus.For company affiliates lower round the ladder, the take is still pretty good. Chief financial officer Matt Maddox will uncover a $300,000 payday and general counsel Kimmarie Sinatra could possibly get greater than $200,000. -- Ernest Lisanti Title/titleShares ownedStephen A. Wynn Chairman, Boss, Director10,026,708Elaine P. WynnDirector9,832,370Marc D. Schorr COO, Director250,000Linda ChenPres., Wynn Intl. Marketing, Director210,000John Strzemp Professional V . p ., Chief Administrative Officer195,000Matt MaddoxCFO, Treasurer60,000Kimmarie SinatraGeneral Counsel, Secretary40,887Source: SEC filings Contact Variety Staff at news@variety.com

5 Best Quotes from New York Times Film Critic Manohla Dargis' Positive 'Breaking Dawn' Review

The 'Twilight' franchise has long been a critical punching bag, but is that about to change with the release of 'Breaking Dawn Part 1'? Probably not -- at least judging by the current 21 percent Tomatometer rating on Rotten Tomatoes -- but that doesn't mean there won't be some vocal dissenters. Take venerable NY Times critic Manohla Dargis, who gives what amounts to a rave review of 'Breaking Dawn,' while infusing it with some of the best critical one-liners of the year. Ahead, the five best quotes. 1. "Dawn isn't the only thing that gets broken in 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part I,' the latest and best of the movies about a girl, her vampire and their impossible, ridiculously appealing - yes, I surrendered - love story. Marked by a canny mix of violence and chastity, the franchise has always had plenty of broken heads to go along with its pure thoughts, but here it also features a marital bed reduced to kindling after a rough night." 2. "Poor [Jacob] never stood a chance; vampires aren't just hot (and sometimes scorching, as on the HBO show 'True Blood'), they have, in recent years, also become the favorite go-to romantic male lead, the last, possibly sole defense against the nice-guy tide embodied by the Apatowesque freaks and geeks and their bromantic brethren." 3. "[Bill] Condon handles the little bit of action in 'Breaking Dawn' capably, but it's his work with (and sometimes around) the actors and his ability to translate ideas visually that lifts this movie above the rest. [...] Crucially and as important, Mr. Condon, whose earlier films include 'Dreamgirls' and 'Gods and Monsters,' can also offer up, and without a suggestion of filmmaker embarrassment, the sight of Mr. Lautner ripping off his shirt." 4. "[T]he unavoidable truth [is] that [Taylor] Lautner, whose pumped physique and flat affect bring to mind one of those friendly pizza delivery boys in a pornographic movie, remains a dish best served with as few words and clothes as possible." 5. "Mostly, [Condon] brings Bella toward her happily-ever-after by giving this movie over to her, her dreams and her desires, as in a cosmic montage sequence worthy of 'The Tree of Life,' but, you know, shorter. Edward may finally change Bella, but it's Mr. Condon who resurrects her." If you had 'Breaking Dawn' and 'The Tree of Life' appearing in the same sentence at any point this year, congratulations! Read Manohla Dargis' entire review over at the NY Times. [Photo: Summit Entertainment] 'Breaking Dawn Part 1' Premiere Photos See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Why John C. Reilly Was 'Busted' by Roman Polanski (Q&A)

Ever since his Boogie Nights porn star Reed Rothchild announced, with conviction, "People tell me I kinda look like Han Solo," John C. Reilly has occupied a coveted place in the hearts of cinephiles as the medium's most endearing underdog. Whether he's crooning the sweetly sad "Mr. Cellophane" for his Oscar-nominated role in 2002's Chicago, "shaking and baking" with Will Ferrell in 2006's Talladega Nights or playing the dad of troubled son in this fall's dark drama We Need to Talk About Kevin, the Chicago native manages to always inhabit the space between emotional realism and absurdity.our editor recommendsRoman Polanski's 'Carnage': What the Critics SayJohn C. Reilly in Trailer for Sundance Film 'Terri'Roman Polanski Receives Standing Ovation at Zurich Film FestivalRoman Polanskis 'Carnage' to Open NY Film FestivalKate Winslet, Jodie Foster Shooting Roman Polanski's 'God of Carnage' in ParisVenice 2011: Al Pacino's 'Wilde Salome,' Roman Polanski's 'Carnage' Win AwardsRelated Topics•The Race Here, the actor reveals how he landed his latest coup, a role in director Roman Polanski's four-person farce Carnage, why he's most proud of his three collaborations with director Paul Thomas Anderson, and why he's dying to play a priest. VIDEO: 'Carnage' Trailer The Hollywood Reporter: What has the response been to your performance in Carnage? John C. Reilly: Really good, actually. It's funny. ... You wonder: Are people in Europe going to get this? It's set in Brooklyn; is this movie meant for an American audience? But it got huge laughs in Italy. They were cheering it on like a boxing match! I think people all over the world can relate to its universal story: parents trying to resolve conflict on behalf of their kids. Every character is ridiculous in some way or another. What's most ridiculous is the characters' hypocrisy, and my guy is the first one to say: "There's an elephant in the room! This is ridiculous! What are we doing?" As an audience member, you're waiting for that relatable moment. He breaks the tension by saying: "F-- it. This is who I am." STORY: Feinberg Forecast: 'Carnage' Divides, 'Extremely' Intrigues, 'Moneyball' Grows THR: For those who follow your career, it has been fun to say "John C. Reilly" and "Roman Polanski" in the same sentence. How did this very different role come to you? Reilly: Honestly, it sounds strange, but it landed in my lap. Roman actually requested me. One day this phone call comes that says, "Roman Polanski wants you to come to Paris and shoot a movie." Funny enough, I'd actually been approached about doing the play a few years back -- the part that ultimately went to James Gandolfini -- so I was already very aware of the material. I guess he must have seen something he liked in my work! FILM REVIEW: We Need to Talk About Kevin THR: Likely it was your nailing the semi-coherent TV commentator Dr. Steve Brule on the late-night sketch series Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! I don't know this for sure, but I'm guessing you're the only actor who has appeared in both an Adult Swim program and a Polanski film. Reilly: (Laughs.) Yes, there are probably all kinds of odd facts like that from my career. I've cast a wide net, high and low, to say the least. THR: Were you nervous or hesitant to say yes to Carnage? Reilly: Hesitant? No. I was so honored to be asked. But I was definitely nervous. Being an actor is like constantly being the new kid in school -- you don't know anybody. I literally didn't know anyone in the cast. At least Roman had met these other actors before and knew their personalities. But there I was, sitting in this room, struggling to feel like I belonged there. I tried to embrace it, though. FILM REVIEW: Carnage THR: Did you do anything special to prepare for the role? Reilly: I read the play a few more times, and I didn't really do this for research, but I watched Chinatown again because I was so excited about working with Roman. I wanted to refresh myself. Man, that movie really holds up. The first time I saw it years ago, I hadn't been living in L.A. Now, having been here for a long time, it was like, "Wow, this is an incredible story about this city." THR: What did you learn about filmmaking from Roman? Reilly: It's funny, but when you're listening to a director, you usually you have to translate what they say into a usable note for yourself. I've worked with amazing directors like Martin Scorsese and Robert Altman, but they don't really speak from an actor's point of view sometimes. But with him, it was like having another actor working with you. He has a great sense of accuracy of human behavior; he will tell you if you're doing something false. During rehearsals, I'd have this book in my hand, and I have to set this book down in order to do the next bit of acting, and he would say: "Why would you put the book down? You don't know that you're going to pick up the bottle yet. You're doing that because you know you need your hands free, but that doesn't make sense." God, he busted me. He's totally right! He has such a great eye. THR: Was he as interactive during shooting? Reilly: Actually, hardly at all. He would give long notes to the lighting and sound departments. With the actors, he would make sure you were on your mark, but he wouldn't give you direction. One day, I started feeling: "Am I getting this? Am I doing it right?" and I asked him, "Roman, how is the acting department doing?" and he goes, "You want me to stroke your ego?" and I'm like: "No! I'm just looking for some feedback." And he said, "If there was anything wrong, believe me, I would tell you." A lot of great directors work that way. You pick the right people, make sure you're on the same page and let them do their job. I kind of relaxed after that. I realized that Roman tells stories through composition in the photography. I'm so used to directors trying to tell a story through the script, with a lot of focus on actors. After a few days, I loosened up. THR: You also have the very dark Lynne Ramsay film We Need to Talk About Kevin in the awards conversation this year. Does having appeared in two noncommercial films in a row mark a new chapter in your career? Reilly: Well, Carnage is a comedy, and in some ways, it's pretty playful. But yes, it's not "jokey" like a lot of what I've done. I just think I take what comes my way. It's not like I deliberately went into comedy at a certain point -- that opportunity arose. I think a lot of people look at actors from the outside and think: "Ah, he's chosen to do this! And his master plan is this!" But I think if you talk to any actor who's honest with him- or herself, you're always hitching to other people's wagons, just hoping to ride a momentum that's been created by other people. It's a different art from being a painter who's generating his own direction. Actually, it's more about saying no that influences the direction you're going. But what you can say yes to is more about luck and what the world wants to see at a given time. It's changing a little, but for a while, the only thing people wanted to see were comedies! They couldn't make them fast enough. For me, it was like: "Well, OK, I can be funny if that's what the world wants. That's cool." THR: Are there any roles you're still dying to play? Reilly: I've always wanted to do a Western. I've actually optioned a book that I'm looking for a director to take on. It's called The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick DeWitt. I've also always wanted to play a priest. It's such an interesting theatrical and emphatic character I think I would be suited to play. I'm also interested in stories of survival and exploration; I've read a lot of books about that stuff. But, gosh, that's a tough question to answer. I'm so used to surrendering to the randomness of what comes my way as an actor. I rarely make wish lists. THR: What are you most proud of in your career? Reilly: The movies I made with Paul Thomas Anderson -- Hard Eight, Boogie Nights, Magnolia -- were really personal expressions born out of a true creative collaboration. Those movies also marked the first time I was being asked to do something more than just "job in" as an actor. I was part of the storytelling in a deeper, much more personal way. In fact, the character I played in Magnolia, the cop, was born out of some improv sessions I did with Paul. I am really proud of those movies. But in terms of an overall effort made, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story was one of the biggest endeavors I ever undertook. We recorded 35 original songs over a six-month period before we even started shooting the movie! I've heard it's somewhat of a cult classic among musicians. But is that my favorite film? I don't know. It's like picking your favorite kid -- they each have their merits and mark a specific time in your life. I generally don't spend a lot of time looking back -- it's too strange. Someday I'll maybe have a more retrospective attitude; for now, I'm generally too busy worrying about what I'm going to do next. MY FIRST SAG JOB: "It was my first movie, Brian De Palma's Casualties of War, in 1989. Previously to that I'd been an extra in a beer commercial, but that was AFTRA. So Casualties was my first SAG job. It was a milestone moment for me -- I never dreamed I'd ever be in a movie. I grew up doing plays as a kid. Then suddenly I have this membership card: SCREEN ACTORS GUILD. The coolest thing was having health insurance and being protected in terms of what I could earn. I'm a big believer in unions. They get a bad rap, but I believe they can be a great force for good. SAG has been a godsend for me. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to hustle out there for health care." Related Topics SAG Awards Jodie Foster Kate Winslet Martin Scorsese Will Ferrell Roman Polanski Paul Thomas Anderson Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Boogie Nights We Need to Talk About Kevin John C Reilly Carnage SAG Awards 2012 Awards Season Preview

FEINBERG FORECAST: 'The Help' and 'The Artist' Are Early Frontrunners at Globes

Dale Robinette/DreamworksBridesmaids What follows is my first assessment of the Golden Globe Awards' major categories...our editor recommendsRicky Gervais Returning as Host of Golden Globes'The Help's' Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer to Present at THR's Women in Entertainment BreakfastTHR's Directors Roundtable: How to Fire People, Who to Steal From, and Amy Pascal's Secret Advice'The Artist': The Not-So-Silent Entry BEST PICTURE (DRAMA) Frontrunners The Help (Disney, 8/12, PG-13, trailer) The Descendants (Fox Searchlight, 11/23, R, trailer) War Horse (Disney, 12/25, PG-13, trailer) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (Warner Bros., 12/25, TBA, trailer) The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Sony, 12/21, TBA, trailer) Major Threats The Ides of March (Sony, 10/14, TBA, trailer) Moneyball (Columbia, 9/23, TBA, trailer) Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (Focus Features, 12/9, TBA, trailer) J. Edgar (Warner Bros., 11/11, R, trailer) Margin Call (Roadside Attractions, 10/21, R, trailer) Possibilities The Iron Lady (The Weinstein Company, 12/30, TBA, teaser) Shame (Fox Searchlight, 12/2, NC-17, trailer) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- Part 2 (Warner Bros., 7/15, PG-13, trailer) A Dangerous Method (Sony Pictures Classics, 11/23, R, trailer) Super 8 (Paramount, 6/10, PG-13, trailer) The Tree of Life (Fox Searchlight, 5/27, PG-13, trailer) OPINION: Bravo to the HFPA for Bringing Back Ricky Gervais as Golden Globes Host BEST PICTURE (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) Frontrunners The Artist (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, TBA, trailer) Midnight in Paris (Sony Pictures Classics, 5/20, PG-13, trailer) Bridesmaids (Universal, 5/13, R, trailer) Crazy Stupid Love (Warner Bros., 7/29, PG-13, trailer) Carnage (Sony Pictures Classics, 12/16, R, trailer) Major Threats Beginners (Focus Features, 6/3, R, trailer) 50/50 (Summit, 9/30, R, trailer) Young Adult (Paramount, 12/9, R, trailer) My Week with Marilyn (The Weinstein Company, 11/23, R, trailer) The Rum Diary (FilmDistrict, 10/28, R, trailer) Our Idiot Brother (The Weinstein Company, 8/26, R, trailer) Hugo (Paramount, 11/23, PG, trailer) Possibilities Bad Teacher (Sony, 6/24, R, trailer) Friends with Benefits (Sony, 7/22, R, trailer) We Bought a Zoo (20th Century Fox, 12/23, PG, trailer) The Muppets (Disney, 11/23, PG, trailer) The Hangover Part II (Warner Bros., 5/26, R, trailer) The Adventures of Tintin (Paramount, 12/21, PG, trailer) BEST DIRECTOR Frontrunners Alexander Payne (The Descendants) Steven Spielberg (War Horse) Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris) Tate Taylor (The Help) Major Threats David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) Stephen Daldry (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Clint Eastwood (J. Edgar) George Clooney (The Ides of March) Martin Scorsese (Hugo) Possibilities Steven Spielberg (The Adventures of Tintin) Bennett Miller (Moneyball) Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life) Tomas Alfredson (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) Jason Reitman (Young Adult) Roman Polanski (Carnage) BEST ACTOR (DRAMA) Frontrunners George Clooney (The Descendants) Brad Pitt (Moneyball) Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) Ryan Gosling (The Ides of March) Tom Hanks (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Major Threats Daniel Craig (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) Michael Fassbender (Shame) Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) Paul Giamatti (Win Win) Ryan Gosling (Drive) Zachary Quinto (Margin Call) Possibilities Michael Fassbender (A Dangerous Method) Woody Harrelson (Rampart) Ralph Fiennes (Coriolanus) Michael Shannon (Take Shelter) BEST ACTOR (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) Frontrunners Jean Dujardin (The Artist) Owen Wilson (Midnight in Paris) Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love) Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50) Ewan McGregor (Beginners) Major Threats Johnny Depp (The Rum Diary) Eddie Murphy (Tower Heist) Ben Stiller (Tower Heist) Christoph Waltz (Carnage) John C. Reilly (Carnage) Possibilities Matt Damon (We Bought a Zoo) Paul Rudd (Our Idiot Brother) Bradley Cooper (The Hangover Part II) Russell Brand (Arthur) Jesse Eisenberg (30 Minutes or Less) BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA) Frontrunners Viola Davis (The Help) Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady) Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs) Rooney Mara (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) Sandra Bullock (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Major Threats Keira Knightley (A Dangerous Method) Elizabeth Olsen (Martha Marcy May Marlene) Mia Wasikowska (Jane Eyre) Kirsten Dunst (Melancholia) Possibilities Helen Mirren (The Debt) Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) Michelle Yeoh (The Lady) Felicity Jones (Like Crazy) PHOTOS: Behind the Scenes of THR's Actress Roundtable 2011 BEST ACTRESS (MUSICAL OR COMEDY) Frontrunners Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) Charlize Theron (Young Adult) Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) Cameron Diaz (Bad Teacher) Emma Stone (Crazy Stupid Love) Major Threats Jodie Foster (Carnage) Kate Winslet (Carnage) Julianne Moore (Crazy Stupid Love) Possibilities Mila Kunis (Friends with Benefits) Jennifer Aniston (Horrible Bosses) Scarlett Johansson (We Bought a Zoo) BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Frontrunners Christopher Plummer (Beginners) Albert Brooks (Drive) Kevin Spacey (Margin Call) Jeremy Irons (Margin Call) Colin Firth (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) Major Threats Viggo Mortensen (A Dangerous Method) Stanley Tucci (Margin Call) Jonah Hill (Moneyball) Armie Hammer (J. Edgar) Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn) George Clooney (The Ides of March) Possibilities Brad Pitt (The Tree of Life) Patton Oswalt (Young Adult) John Hawkes (Martha Marcy May Marlene) Nick Nolte (Warrior) Max von Sydow (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) Andy Serkis (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) Jim Broadbent (The Iron Lady) BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Frontrunners Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) Octavia Spencer (The Help) Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) Jessica Chastain (The Help) Berenice Bejo (The Artist) Major Threats Vanessa Redgrave (Coriolanus) Carey Mulligan (Shame) Demi Moore (Margin Call) Judi Dench (J. Edgar) Evan Rachel Wood (The Ides of March) Possibilities Marion Cotillard (Midnight in Paris) Janet McTeer (Albert Nobbs) Amber Heard (The Rum Diary) Elle Fanning (Super 8) Judy Greer (The Descendants) Golden Globes The Artist Bridesmaids The Help Golden Globes 2012

Disney's Newsies Musical Heading to Broadway in 2012

Open the gates and seize the day! Following a successful run at New Jersey’s Paper Mill Playhouse, the Harvey Fierstein-adapted stage musical Newsies — based on the best period musical of all time about turn of the century paperboys fighting Big Business (that also starred Christian Bale) — will open on honest-to-goodness Broadway in March. This gives you bandwagon-jumpers plenty of time to catch up to the rest of us Newsies diehards who’ve known all along that one day, the family-friendly stylings of legions of dancing street urchins just trying to sell some ‘papes would catch on like gangbusters. The world will know …that we’re not crazy! (Right?) [Wall Street Journal]

Doctor Who to Become Feature Franchise With Harry Potter Director David Yates

Internet, please react: A highbrow cult phenomenon is being ramped up for mainstream audiences. This is your time to shine! According to Variety, Harry Potter director David Yates is teaming with the BBC Worldwide to turn Doctor Who, the monumental British science-fiction series, into a big screen franchise. Said Yates of the new project, “We’re looking at writers now. We’re going to spend two to three years to get it right. It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena.” Excited yet? Or nervous in that Absolutely Fabulous-never-ended-up-happening way? In case you didn’t gather it from that quote, Yates’ version of Doctor Who will be something of a departure from the television series. He continued, “Russell T. Davies and then Steven Moffat have done their own transformations, which were fantastic, but we have to put that aside and start from scratch… We want a British sensibility, but having said that, Steve Kloves wrote the Potter films and captured that British sensibility perfectly, so we are looking at American writers too.” I dig the Transatlantic hiring idea, and if I trust anyone to modify a smart sci-fi series into an object of mass consumption, it’s the man who helmed the last four Harry Potter films. On the other hand, I’m not a Doctor Who devotee, and if one of my cherished cult hits — say, Mystery Science Theater 3000 — was rejiggered for less-than-obsessed viewers with Jeff Dunham and a couple of his dummies, maybe I wouldn’t be so keen on it. Is Doctor Who ripe for democratization? Or is it best (and only functional) in its earlier forms? Yates to direct bigscreen ‘Doctor Who’ [Variety]

Kate Winslet Wax Figure: Madame Tussauds Reveals Best Statue Ever? (PHOTO)

Wax figures don't look comparable to their celebrity doppelgangers (just look at this publish on Buzz Feed permanently good examples Jennifer Aniston -- yikes!), and that is why you ought to quit to Madame Tussauds due to its undertake actress Kate Winslet. This Year's week, the 'Carnage' star's wax figure was revealed london, which is resemblance for the actual Oscar champion is eerie. Just see the side-by-side comparison below. Strange, right? As you have seen, the figure is wearing a dress-up costume such as the one Winslet used throughout the 2010 Emmy Honours. You can view Winslet (the primary one that is really human, that's) in their next film, 'Carnage,' out 12 ,. 16. [via People] [Photos: Getty and WireImage] Patrick Swayze Wax Statue Unveiling See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Pepper packs in pic pair

Before he heads off to film "The Lone Ranger" with Johnny Depp, "True Grit" star Barry Pepper will squeeze a pair of pics into his schedule: Thesp has boarded New Regency's "Broken City" and is in final negotiations to join Summit's action thriller "Snitch." Both movies are filming simultaneously in Louisiana -- "Broken City" in New Orleans and "Snitch" in Shreveport. Allen Hughes is directing "Broken City," which stars Mark Wahlberg as a Brooklyn detective hired by a powerful politician (Russell Crowe) to identify his wife's lover, who is subsequently found and killed. Pepper will play a closeted councilman running against Crowe's character. Ric Roman Waugh is directing "Snitch," which stars Dwayne Johnson as a suburban father who's forced to become an informant for the DEA to get his teenage son out of a 10-year jail sentence. Pepper will play a DEA agent who Johnson works under while trying to gather evidence against a drug dealer and his distributor. Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars in "Broken City," while Susan Sarandon co-stars in "Snitch." Written by Brian Tucker, "Broken City" is being fully funded by Emmett/Furla Films. New Regency is producing with Randall Emmett, George Furla, Stephen Levinson and Wahlberg. 20th Century Fox is on board to distribute. "Snitch" is being co-financed by Exclusive Media, Participant Media and Imagenation Abu Dhabi. Exclusive is producing the Justin Haythe-scripted pic with Johnson and his producing partner Dany Garcia, as well as Frontline's David Fanning. Pepper won an Emmy for his portrayal of Bobby Kennedy in ReelzChannel's miniseries "The Kennedys." Thesp, who has co-starred in "Saving Private Ryan," "The Green Mile" and "25th Hour," will soon be seen alongside Javier Bardem as a priest in Terrence Malick's next film. Pepper is repped by The Kohner Agency and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

11-11-11

A Rocket Delivering release presented in colaboration with Epic Pictures Quantity of a Canonigo Films/Capacity Pictures production. Produced by Wayne Allen Grain, Richard Heller, Loris Curci, Christian Molina. Executive producers, Shaked Berenson, Marivi p Villanueva, Carlos Gari, Russell Hollander, Patrick Ewald. Directed, put together by Darren Lynn Bousman.With: Timothy Gibbs, Michael Landes, Denis Rafter, Wendy GlennOne then one (then one then one then one then one) never quite comparable to two in Darren Lynn Bousman's "11-11-11," an very anemic entry inside the spiritual-conjecture horror subgenre. A cutting-edge payoffarrives too far gone in order to save either the pic or perhaps the viewer in the particular kind of perdition, as Bousman tries to straddle the gaping aesthetic chasm between his "Saw" efforts and also the deliberately flamboyant and crazy "Repo! The Genetic Opera." No matter the apparent novelty of the timing, the film's low-tech effects and inadequate tension ensure its title can also be its sell-by date. Due to your competition among horror filmmakers to push the special-effects envelope and Bousman's apparent fluency while using conventions of torture porn, there's a oddly enough lethargic strategy in the office in "11-11-11."The hidden pictures rapidly diminish interest by ongoing to help keep everyone else unsure by what is going on throughout moments of crisis, as well as the stagy effects (including Murnau-era visagesfloating in space, vaporous phantasms turning up on surveillance cameras and shrouded magicians materializing abruptly) bring the overall effect not not even close to camping, without any fun. Ernest Crone (Timothy ) can be a hack author in the Nelson DeMille variety who disparages their very own behave as he tries to handle untimely insufficient his wife and child. Inside a 12-step mourners' meeting, he meets Sadie (Wendy Glenn), who witnesses the initial of several calamitous 11-11-related occasions that will plague Ernest with the movie: Soon after according to him goodbye to Sadie, his vehicle rapidly collides with another and bursts into flames. Joseph's OK, despite the fact that vehicular stunt strains credulity and physics (the whole factor seems to happen within 11 seconds). Although Ernest and Sadie's relationship, unlike that vehicle, seems being getting traction, the author is out of the blue referred to as on Barcelona, where his father (Denis Rafter) is dying. Then, Ernest begins to know the improved frequency the miracle amounts are similar to the tragic occasions within the existence (his boy, for instance, died at 11:11 a.m.), additionally towards the mysterious goings-on within the cultish chapel introduced by his brother, Samuel (Michael Landes). Adding towards the mystery are Samuel's strange housekeeper (Salome Jimenez), a murderous parishioner, the free-roaming gases, cats and dogs sleeping together, plus an imminent sense of the apocalypse. No matter the rather static growth of "11-11-11," through which probably the most expected jump-scare tactics fall flat, the story's denouement reps a bit of the theological surprise it might be well worth reconstituting into another movie, ideally one in which the buildup containsat least some elementary suspense. Not helping matters will be the less-than-convincing performances by and Landes, who obviously don't have plenty of scintillating dialogue to make use of. Glenn, in comparison, brings real presence for the proceedings, but she only bookends the film, disappearing just before the Barcelona sequence and returning for your payback. Tech credits are ho-hum, along with a couple of from the lensing is simply befuddling.Camera (color), Ernest White-colored editor, Martin Hunter music, Ernest Bishara production designer, Mani Martinez costume designer, Toni Martin assistant director, Francesc Prat appear, Jeremie Cuellar, Jordi Cirbian appear designer, G.W. Pope III visual effects supervisor, Ernest J. Lawson stunt organizers, Renato Camargos, Teo Garcia line producer, Octavi Martinez connect producer, Chelsea Shanders. Examined at AMC Empire 25, NY, November. 11, 2011. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 82 MIN. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Stephen King's Rose Madder To Become Shot

And also the Dome TV series includes a writerThere are relatively couple of books by Stephen King not yet been shot, as well as individuals, they have been optioned and therefore are languishing in development hell. Not too Rose Madder, that is so odd that nobody had appeared to wish to visit near it... so far. The brave souls at production company Palomar Pictures have just acquired Rose Madder included in a 3-film* cope with Grosvenor Park.King's fantastical 1995 story is a component domestic saga, part fairytale and part Greek myth. It calls for a lady away from home from her violent husband, who acquires a painting that they can really walk inside. Once with the searching glass she encounters the insane Rose Madder, and undertakes a mission to manage lower a minotaur in the labyrinth. After which it's to the real life, where our heroine finds she might be getting Rose Madder's mental health problems. And there is some business having a miracle tree.The variation has been composed by Naomi Sheridan, whose only previous writing credit appears to stay in America, directed by her father Jim. Dolores Claiborne - a similarly atypical King melodrama - designed for a good two-hander for Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh in the 90s, however with its melding of kitchen-sink and mythical mission, Sheridan will need to strive to prevent Rose Madder from showing up mind-spinningly peculiar oncsreen.Meanwhile on television, Showtime's series according to King's Underneath The Dome has finally nabbed a brand new author, as John K Vaughan. It had been formerly reported that Smallville's Michael Eco-friendly had the gig, but that now appears to not be.Among King's trademark, massive, small-town, multi-character tales, Underneath the Dome involves Maine suburb Chester Mill being all of a sudden separated in the outdoors world by an impermeable invisible barrier. Think The Simpsons Movie, but less yellow. Vaughan is clearly the guy with this job, since he authored 39 instances of Lost. He's additionally a prolific and respected author of comics, most particularly Y: The Final Guy and Ex Machina. And knowing byDeadline's picture, he loves to dress because the Spirit.*Another two are remakes from the 2010 French hesit thriller Frederick And Also The Girl, and also the 2001 Norwegian care-in-the-community comedy Elling.

Demi Lovato Debuts New Red 'Do

Demi Lovato Demi Lovato is going for a new look. The 19-year-old singer has dyed her hair red, sharing photos on Twitter. "Red hurr she don't curr," she wrote over the weekend. She later shared another shot on Monday, writing "Not as orange." Check out the rest of today's news Lovato in January completed a three-month stint in rehab for "physical and emotional issues" and later revealed that she has had a lifelong struggle with an eating disorder and bipolar disorder. Do you like Lovato's new hair?

Asia Off-shore honours to fete Zhang

CHENGDU -- Chinese helmer Zhang Yimou will get the Worldwide Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) award for outstanding achievement in the Asia Off-shore Screen Honours around australia on November. 24. His latest film, "The Flowers of War," which toplines Christian Bale, is China's admission to the foreign-language category in the Oscars. It will likely be distributed in The United States by Wrekin Hill Entertainment and Row 1 Entertainment. For several years, Zhang was the digital rebel of Chinese cinema and exquisite photos for example "Red-colored Sorghum" and "Enhance the Red-colored Lantern" were banned in the home country, but admired around the arthouse fest circuit overseas. In latter years, with government-friendly photos like "Hero," he's mellowed and that he was the creative engine behind the astounding frequent lowering and raising events from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, as well as matched the festivities for that 60th anniversary of China's revolution last year. Throughout his career he's won the Jury Prize in the Cannes Film Festival, Silver and Golden Lions at Venice and Berlin's Silver and Golden Bear. Because the person receiving the FIAPF Award, he'll be awarded with a Asia Off-shore Screen Academy. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Early Reviews of 'J. Edgar' Have Been In

Therefore the comments are in from last night's first public screening of "J. Edgar," and they're by what I was expecting: The film got mixed notices, but everybody concurs Leonardo DiCaprio is terrific within the title role. I am inclined to accept Gregory Ellwood at HitFix, who thinks it is going to come lower to George Clooney versus. Leonardo DiCaprio for that role. For me, Leo has got the advantage. Clooney is very good within an excellent film DiCaprio is great inside a mediocre movie. And that he will get a great deal to search into: because the FBI Director, DiCaprio reaches play gay, deliver speeches composed by Oscar-winning film writer Dustin Lance Black, and die. This is a pretty great trifecta.Browse The FULL STORY Within The Behind The Curtain BLOG

The Assistance Helmer Tate Taylor In Foretells Direct Melissa McCarthy In Tammy

EXCLUSIVE: There's a mad dash to find the next screen slot of Emmy-winning Mike & Molly and Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy. New Lines are helping its chances by beginning talks having a hot director. I’m told the studio is within talks using the Help helmer Tate Taylor to direct Tammy, a comedy that McCarthy authored like a vehicle for herself to experience a lady who will get let go from her fast-food job and finds her husband is cheating, and chucks her existence to consider a journey of self-discovery together with her foul-mouthed diabetic grandmother. It’s a tough R effort, also it would team the director and also the star who have been major components within the two sleepers of last summer time. New Line isn’t the only person arranging projects for McCarthy. Amongst others, Universal continues to be developing ID Thievery, a joining with Jason Bateman, and there's additionally a reteam with Bridesmaids director Paul Feig and Jon Hamm within an untitled comedy. Taylor’s repped by WME.

Supernatural Action Project 'Spectral' Lands at Legendary Pictures (Exclusive)

Legendary Pictures goes ghost-busting, acquiring the supernatural action project Spectral from author Ian Fried. The premise in the project is devoted to some contemporary-day, militaristic and gritty approach to fighting the supernatural. Sources the pitch, which offered for six figures, remains known to love a far more dark plus much more serious to experience a Ghostbusters-like story, getting a plot which is about a distinctive procedures group produced to produce lower evil ghosts that have absorbed Manhattan. Locations and particulars might change throughout the time from the writing, however. PHOTOS: The Scene at Hillcrest Comic Disadvantage Fried upset cure making an exhibit together with a "rip reel," a mash-from moments off their movies that shown the Warner Bros.-based Legendary just what the tone, story beats and visual style might be. Fried is certainly a growing author who formerly written the well-loved script The Ever After Killings, featuring mythic figures Tom Thumb and Rachel Riding considering a killing. That script showed up round the 2010 Black List. This summer season, Gaslight, a Medieval serial killer story featuring Florence Nightingale and Jack the Ripper, made the models but got Fried plenty of conferences. He's repped by WME and Prolific Entertainment. Email: Borys.Package@thr.com Twitter: @Borys_Package

Exclusive: 90210's Big Bash Is Outasight!

AnnaLynne McCord, Outasight 90210 will be partying hard when Outasight performs in a December episode, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. For Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord), there's good and bad news. First, the good: Naomi scores an internship. The bad: Her new boss turns out to be someone close to archnemesis Holly (Megalyn Echikunwoke), who enlists Naomi to plan Holly's birthday bash - where the "Tonight is the Night" singer will be performing. Exclusive: Vampire Diaries' Arielle Kebbel to recur on 90210 The episode in which Outasight is slated to appear also marks the first appearance of Vampire Diaries alum Arielle Kebbel. As TVGuide.com first reported, Kebbel will play Vanessa, a charismatic, edgy and vivacious former bad girl who still enjoys a little risk-taking now and again. Jersey Shore's Vinny, who makes his first appearance in next week's show, will also appear in this episode (for which an exact date isn't set). 90210 airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on The CW.

'Harry Potter' DVD Exclusive: J.K. Rowling And Also The Women Of 'Potter'

It's difficult to argue that certain of the very badass breakout figures in "Harry Potter and also the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" is Professor Minerva McGonagall. And author J.K. Rowling fought against to help keep it this way. Fans who've seen the film (and browse it) know that you have a pretty large showdown between McGonagall and Professor Snape about midway with the story. Based on Rowling, an earlier draft of Steve Kloves' script had Harry Potter facing off against Snape rather than McGonagall. Which was not something she would let it happen. "I do not such as the marginalization of ladies once the fighting breaks out. We obtain to battle too. I truly wanted that," she described within an exclusive MTV News sneak look in a featurette in the "Deathly Hallows Part 2" Blu-ray and DVD, in shops on November 11. "Within the book, Minerva McGonagall is the one that will it as well as for me it had been extremely important that they did that." For Rowling, it was vital that McGonagall got her moment the main attraction. Bonnie Wright, who plays Ginny Weasley within the films, stated that seeing McGonagall showcase her true strength was among her favorite areas of the film. "Instructors happen to be so repressed in the way they see Hogwarts. Clearly from the new kind of ruling, you can observe that they are just itchiness for his or her fight against evil and that i love that. Professor McGonagall, she just completely shows what she's made from,Inch Wright stated. "Deathly Hallows: Part 2" hits DVD and Blu-Ray on November 11. Are you currently glad McGonagall got her large fight scene against Snape? Inform us within the comments section below or on Twitter!

Keck's Exclusives: Jillian Michaels' Greatest Reunion

NBC's The Greatest Loser has had a significant tumble within the rankings this year without popular trainer Jillian Michaels competing against Bob Harper. But on November 17, Bob reunites with Jillian on her behalf new daytime gig, The Doctors, and starts Jillian against co-host Travis Stork inside a Mix Fit competition. "Since I Have left Greatest Loser, I've honestly not heard the finish from it about how exactly much people miss seeing us together," states Jillian, who had been miffed that audiences never reached witness their emotional on-screen goodbyes. "There is a minute within the Season 11 finale where he stated, 'I love her above all else,A and that i did exactly the same. However they work in the show, therefore it was pretty unadventurous. The Doctors platform provides for us a chance to convey what wasn't considered important around the Greatest Loser. It's valued here." Jillian has not updated directly into Loser since she left but is not surprised at the drop in audiences. "I understand if Bob had left and I'd remained, the rankings would explosive device in the same manner.Inch Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!