~ A U G U S T...2 0 1 5~
< last update August 31, 2015 >
8/30
Happy Birthday to Alec Smight
thanks to oct2565 for the cake!
8/29
CSI first look: Gil reunites with Catherine and Sara William Petersen joins Marg Helgenberger and Jorja Foxfor the Sept. 27 movie by Lynette Rice
In an exclusive first look obtained by EW, William Petersen (Gil Grissom), Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows) and Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle) look for clues one last time on the long-running procedural drama. “I’m so glad we were able to do this, to go and be with the crew and the cast again, to be able to say goodbye,” Petersen tells EW
From Lynette Rice - twitter.com/lynetterice "First look at their CSI swan song: the tears are welling, @MargHelgen, Jorja Fox and Billy P!"
Is your hankie handy, CSI fans?
Production has wrapped on the goodbye movie planned for Sept. 27 on CBS. In an exclusive first look obtained by EW, William Petersen (Gil Grissom), Marg Helgenberger (Catherine Willows) and Jorja Fox (Sara Sidle) look for clues one last time on the long-running procedural drama.
“I’m so glad we were able to do this, to go and be with the crew and the cast again, to be able to say goodbye,” Petersen tells EW. “It was really a big to-do for us.”
Most of the original ensemble will reunite for the two-hour flick. Besides Petersen and Helgenberger, Paul Guilfoyle returned to the set to reprise his role as Jim Brass. The rest of the cast includes Ted Danson (D.B. Russell), Jon Wellner (Henry Andrews), David Berman (David Phillips),Wallace Langham (David Hodges), Elisabeth Harnois (Morgan Brody), Robert David Hall (Dr. Al Robbins), Eric Szmanda (Greg Sanders), and Melinda Clarke as Lady Heather. There will be two notable absences: Elisabeth Shue, who played Julie Finlay, and George Eads, aka Nick Stokes.
Longtime faves William Petersen, Marg Helgenberger, Paul Guilfoyle, and Melinda Clarke r returned to the CSI set earlier this month to help wrap 15 seasons and more than 300 episodes of the CBS drama with the two-hour finale (Sept. 27). Newer stars, including Ted Danson and Elisabeth Harnois, team with the vets to investigate a catastrophic event that paralyzes all of Sin City, but the two-parter — titled “Immortality, Parts I and II” — also was one last excuse to reunite old friends. “It’s been one of the most surreal times of my life, but it seemed like the most natural thing,” says Jorja Fox. “It’s been like Groundhog Day.”
The show’s creator, Anthony Zuiker, pennedthe script. To continue reading about the two-hourCSIspecial, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands Friday, or buy it here.
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/27/csi-movie-
first-look-gil-reunites-catherine-and-sara
8/27
TV GUIDE
"Final Investigation"
27 August 2015
After 15 years and countless cases, CSI closes the lab for good with a two-hour send-off.
THE MOST POPULAR, groundbreaking and influential whodunit in TV history has to go out with a bang, right? CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ends its 15-season run with "Immortality," a two-hour episode about an explosive attack on the Eclipse, the posh Las Vegas casino co-owned by former CSI Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger).
This news-making calamity has Catherine, now working for the FBI in Los Angeles, returning to Sin City to lead the forensics investigation. She'll be joined by her old boss, Gil Grissom (William Petersen), who is back to help with the case because he, too, has a personal connection: One of the prime suspects is his former dominatrix love, Lady Heather (Melinda Clarke).
"It's a privilege to be able to bring real closure to this show -- something that rarely happens when a program gets canceled," says creator Anthony Zuiker, who was making eight bucks an hour as a Vegas tram driver when he sold his CSI pilot to CBS. "Our finale is scary and thrilling and entertaining as hell, but it's also a chance to thank the fans for their undying devotion," Zuiker says. "We want them to feel good about what happens to this family of CSI characters when the show is over. To do that, we've pulled out all the stops."
But first Zuiker took to social media to find out exactly what those loyal fans hoped to see resolved before CSI ends. No surprise there: They rapidly want divorcées Gil and Sara (Jorja Fox) to get back together. "Can we please everybody with this finale? Of course not," Zuiker teases. "But will we please most of the people and give them the emotional experience they want? Absolutely."
This last hurrah certainly had Helgenberger in a state. The Emmy-winning actress, who exited CSI in 2012, read the finale script while flying cross-country. "When I got to the last page and saw the words 'End of series,' I burst into tears," she says. "The flight attendant was very concerned about me. I never would have anticipated such a reaction, but, obviously, this show means a great deal to me. I just had to come back and see it through to the end."
CSI stunned us with its crafty crimes and state-of-the-art visuals of slo-mo bullets ripping through organs and chest cavities, but it also shook up the U.S. legal system. Don't believe us? Google "the CSI effect"! The series spawned three spinoffs, too, including CSI: Cyber, which returns this fall. "We made science cool and sexy, and in our heyday, we were pulling nearly 30 million viewers a week," Helgenberger says. "Who does that anymore?"
By: Michael Logan | Credit: TV Guide Magazine
8/27
First Official Promo Picture from CBS
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
In the special two-hour series finale, a catastrophic event paralyzes Las Vegas, and Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows and Jim Brass return to help the team with the investigation. Also, D.B. Russell and Sara Sidle make decisions regarding the future of their crime-fighting careers, and Lady Heather returns, creating maniacal controversy between Grissom and Sidle.
http://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs-fall-previews-2015/photos/1004622/see-the-first-photos-from-the-new-fall-season-on-cbs/90344/csi-crime-scene-investigation/?session=a
8/20
Anthony E. Zuiker Our star, kicking it at the sound area, perfecting his lines. What an amazing pro. God bless, William Petersen.
https://twitter.com/zuiker/status/634614327757045760
8/17
On August 17th, series creator Anthony Zuiker celebrated his 47th birthday and the wizards at CBS presented him with this cake.
8/12
Marg Helgenberger dishes on upcoming 'CSI' finale
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – [Spoiler alert: The following article contains information about the upcoming “CSI” finale.]
After 15 years, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" will wrap up the series next month with a two-hour finale that will see the return of original cast members William Petersen, who played Gil Grissom, and Marg Helgenberger as Catherine Willows.
"What I can share is that it is going to be a crowd pleaser, and the true diehard fans will be satisfied," Helgenberger told FOX411 at the CBS Television Critics Association party on Tuesday. "There's a lot of story that will get wrapped up and a lot of fan favorite characters are brought back. I was satisfied. I think fans will be, too.”
One of the returning characters will be Lady Heather (Melinda Clarke), who transformed throughout the series from a dominatrix to a therapist specializing in sexual counseling. "For the true fans that watch that show, they know that character had a real impact on Grissom and then the whole Sara [Jorja Fox] thing happened," Helgenberger said. "Lady Heather weighs heavily in the story in terms of the crime that is committed and in terms of the Sara/Grissom relationship."
As for the rest of the whodunit, Helenberger is sworn to secrecy. She dished that every time she gets updated script pages there is a note included reminding her not to share the information. But she was able to reveal that Catherine, who left town to take a job with the FBI, is lured back when a federal crime is committed at one of the casinos she inherited from her father, Sam Braun (Scott Wilson). "When Sam died, he had other family members but one of them is in jail, so I was the sole recipient of his legacy of all the casinos," she shared, recalling of how her character came to be a wealthy woman.
Helgenberger said when she left the show to pursue other projects, she didn't miss Catherine at all, but that changed when she put Catherine's suit back on and started reciting her lines. "I thought, 'I love being back in this women's soul.' She was always direct and tough and passionate about what she did, and told it like it was. She loved her daughter and her job and I think she did a good job of balancing the two."
When "CSI" went on the air on Oct. 6, 2000, CBS was lagging in the ratings. But between "CSI” and "Survivor," which premiered May 31, 2000, the network's standing improved for the better. Not to mention, "CSI" created a whole new genre of television, which CBS capitalized on with series such as "NCIS" and "Criminal Minds." "I learned what an impact a television show can have on society," Helgenberger said. "There's the 'CSI' effect on criminal trial juries, but also the amount of young people who were inspired to become criminalists, I never would have imagined that."
"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" concludes with a special, two-hour series finale Sunday, Sept. 27 on CBS.
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2015/08/12/marg-helgenberger-dishes-on-upcoming-csi-finale/
8/12
Marg Helgenberger ✔ @MargHelgen
#OGCSI Great fun today with this gang!
CSI Movie Finale Details
Despite the news of fan-loved characters opting out of the "CSI" movie finale, some of the decade-long series' original characters will still be appearing in the last special episode of the show.
Although CBS announced its decision to end the long-running crime-dramaearlier this year, the network didn't want to leave fans hanging. Preparations for a final reunion film begun right away.
Filming reportedly begun last July 29 and Marg Helgenberger shared a sneak peek of the original team being reunited on set. Helgenberger, who played Catherine Willows for 12 seasons, posted a reunion photo on her Twitterpage. In the picture were William Petersen, who played the original entomologist and department chief, Gil Grism, and Paul Guilfoyle a.k.a. Detective Jim Brass, who left the show on its 14 year.
Also pictured are current cast members, Eric Szmanda (Greg Sanders) and Jorja Fox (Sarah Sidle). The snap seems to be taken from the set of the upcoming made-for-TV movie airing on CBS this fall.
According to Cinemablend, the "CSI" movie finale would be a "big draw, even for fans who haven't tuned in for an episode of the series in quite some time."
With some beloved characters coming back, like Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows and Jim Brass, viewers who aren't updated with the series' latest seasons would hopefully be tuning in for a one and only chance to see the original cast members being in one screen with the current team.
Unfortunately, other favorites like George Eads, who played Nick Stokes from the pilot episode to the last episode in season 15, decided to forgo the reunion. His decision to not reprise his role one last time allegedly caused some major revisions to the script just before filming started a couple of weeks ago. Julie Finlay, played by Elisabeth Shue, won't be coming back as well. Viewers last saw her character in a coma after being brutally attacked by the Gig Harbor killer.
On the other hand, current CSI department chief, D.B. Russell, played by Ted Danson, will be joining the TV movie. "The fans will get to see the people they really grew up with with that series," he reportedly told Zap2Itduring a press tour. "It's really honoring of the cast members who were there from the very beginning. It's cool." Danson would be moving on the "CSI" spinoff, "CSI Cyber," after his stint in the "CSI" movie finale.
No, I can spell. This writer can't.
http://www.franchiseherald.com/articles/35029/20150811/csi-movie-finale.htm
8/10
CBS promises 'satisfying ending' for mothership 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' by The Associated Press
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.
– CBS is promising that the “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” series finale won’t disappoint. “This will be a very satisfying ending for all the ‘CSI’ fans,” CBS Entertainment Chairman Nina Tassler told a TV critics’ meeting Monday. “CSI,” which debuted in 2000, will wrap with a two-hour finale on Sept. 27. Original cast members including William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger are returning for the send-off. Tassler said the reunion was bittersweet. But the franchise lives on with the latest spinoff, “CSI: Cyber,” which returns for its second season with Patricia Arquette and “CSI” star Ted Danson coming aboard.
http://www.1310news.com/2015/08/10/cbs-promises-satisfying-ending-for-mothership-csi-crime-scene-investigation/
8/10
Official Press Release from CBS
SEASON FINALE:The CSI team faced their final struggle with the Gig Harbor killer, whose motive was finally exposed to be killing his long lost sister. Also, Brother Larson (Eric Roberts) turned out to be the Winthrop twins’ father, Greg and Morgan found Finlay clinging to life in the trunk of a car and Stokes decided to accept the director’s job in San Diego.
SERIES FINALE: In the special two-hour series finale, a catastrophic event paralyzes Las Vegas, and Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows and Jim Brass return to help the team with the investigation. Also, D.B. Russell and Sara Sidle make decisions regarding the future of their crime-fighting careers, and Lady Heather returns, creating maniacal controversy between Grissom and Sidle. @CSI_CBS
http://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/
csi-crime-scene-investigation/releases/view?id=43268
8/10
'CSI' Series Finale News: Original Cast Members Reunited! Photos, Spoilers & More Details Here
CSI" is coming to an end and original cast members are reuniting to make the two-hour-long finale the most special episode of the well-loved crime TV series.
E! Newssid that the end of "CSI" as something similar to "the end of an era." After 15 seasons and over 300 episodes, several major players of the show are making a comeback in the special two-hour series finale due on September 27. In an interviewwith TV Line, "Under the Dome" star Marg Helgenberger expressed her excitement at the upcoming reunion with the CSI original cast. "I'm excited... that all of us are going to be back. I think it's going to be a really fun time," she explained during the San Diego Comic-Con. Reuniting in the episode are Eric Szmanda, Jorja Fox, Paul Guilfoyle, William Petersen, and Helgenberger who shared behind-the-scenes photos over her official Twitter account. "#OGCSI Great fun today with this gang!" she captioned a group photowhere she is seen with Fox, who plays Sara Sidle, Szmanda as Greg Sanders, Guilfoyle as Jim Brass, and Petersen. Petersen also posed with Helgenberger, a.k.a Catherine Willows, in another photoshowing a reunited "Grillows." To excite CSI fans further, TVLine compiled a slideshowof more behind-the-scene snaps of the cast and crew during the filming of the final episode that Entertainment Weeklyreported began on July 29 in Los Angeles. A July report from Entertainment Weeklyalso revealed more stars to be featured in CSI's farewell episode including David Berman who plays David Phillips, Wallace Langham as David Hodges, Robert David Hall who portrayed Dr. Al Robbins, Elisabeth Harnois as Morgan Brody, and Melinda Clarke as Lady Heather. The report also said that while most of the original cast will return, Elisabeth Shue, who portrayed Julie Finlay, and George Eads as Nick Stokes would not be making a comeback during the finale. TV Linepreviously revealed that Eads chose not to participate in the show, leaving CSI creator and writer Anthony E. Zuiker to give the finale script a little tweak to remove his character from it. Meanwhile, an Entertainment Weekly reportrevealed that the show's producers were unsure how to handle the absence of Shue's Julie Finlay, who had been in the series since 2012, from the "epic" final episode of CSI. Producing the CSI swan song temporarily entitled "Immortality" are Carol Mendelsohn, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, Ann Donahue, and Petersen.
http://www.latinopost.com/articles/21413/20150804/csi-series-finale-news-original-cast-members-reunited-photos-spoilers-more-details-here.htm
8/10
8/8
‘CSI’ sendoff movie reuniting franchise’s cast: ‘It’s very sweet’
Ted Danson finds “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’s” series finale TV movie“very sweet.”
“Without giving anything away, they bring back the people that make that series great over the years,” he explains to Zap2it while promoting “Fargo” at 2015 TV summer press tour. “The fans will get to see the people they really grew up with with that series. It’s really honoring of the cast members who were there from the very beginning. It’s cool.”
Danson took over on “CSI” in 2011 after longtime star William Petersen left the show. Both Petersen and Marg Helgenberger will return for the series’ two-hour finale, which will air on Sunday, Sept. 27. Though Danson’s time as D.B. Russell is coming to an end on “CSI,” his story will continue on in the spinoff “CSI: Cyber,” which he’s joining as a series regular in Season 2.“Cyber” star Patricia Arquette appeared on two episodes of “CSI” in 2014, and Danson calls his co-star-to-be “a delight. She’s great.” “I love to work. I’m off to do ‘CSI: Cyber’ and I’m really looking forward to it,” Danson says. “I get to work with Patricia and James [Van Der Beek] and Peter [MacNicol], a bunch of really interesting folks.” “CSI: Cyber” will return with Season 1 on Oct. 4 on CBS.
http://zap2it.com/2015/08/csi-finale-movie-ted-danson-franchise-cast/
8/4
8/3
Anthony E. Zuiker
Good night, Roberta Custer. I will miss you more than words can say.
This CSI finale is for you. Day four tomorrow.
source
Verified account @zuiker
Ted Danson finds “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation’s” series finale TV movie“very sweet.”
8/2
Chicago Tribune Tribute to Roberta Custer
There was, of course, the inevitable sorrow that came with the news of the deaths of Roberta Custer (June 8) and Richard Fire (July 8). But then — Isn't the mind a remarkable thing? — came memories of the two of them alive.
One of those memories arrived fresh from a summer night in 1977. Memory is not specific on dates, but the year and the season are correct, and the place was the Leo Lerner Theater in Uptown for the production of the Organic Theater's "Bleacher Bums." Custer and Fire were cast as members of that remarkable theatrical creation. Along with other young actors — Dennis Paoli, Ian Patrick Williams, Josephine Paoletti, Keith Szarabajka. Michael Saad, Joe Mantegna, Dennis Franz and Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, all under the direction of Stuart Gordon — they populated the fictional left field bleachers at Wrigley Field in raucous and delightful and riotous fashion. Mantegna conceived the idea and did most of the writing but always credited the cast with helping shape the show. It was a big hit, a seminal play in the city's theatrical history.
Mantegna lives in California now and stars in the CBS TV series "Criminal Minds." Over the weekend he said: "This has been a difficult year for those of us with the Organic Theater. In just over the past 12 months we have to mourn the passing of (actors) Meshach Taylor and Tom Towles, and now Roberta and Richard. All passed on way too soon, but every one of them left an incredible impact on not just the Chicago theater scene, but on all of us who knew them personally. I feel honored to have walked the stage with all four of these wonderful artists, and the memory of them will live within all of us who knew and loved them forever." Taylor died last June. Towles in April.
"The deaths of Meshach and Tom really hit Roberta hard," said the actor William L. Petersen, a close friend and colleague of Custer's for more than 30 years. Indeed, she died while house-sitting for him while he and his wife and children were away. "I first saw her in 'Bleacher Bums' when I was just a kid," Petersen said. "I later got to know her at the Gaslight (a Halsted Street tavern that served as virtual clubhouse for theaterfolk). She was wild and weird and sweet and always interesting."
There are other memories for anyone who has been watching or been more actively involved in Chicago's theater world over the past four decades. Here's Gary Houston, an actor, director and writer. On Custer, among his many memories: "The memories are of a warm, bright, sophisticated and witty person. Her sense of humor was pointedly perceptive, drenched in wisdom and, at times, in acid. I still see her in the audience leading a standing ovation on the opening night of Organic's "E/R: Emergency Room" in 1982. A few years later in the same space she directed Richard Fire's play about firefighters, 'Heat.' I cannot think of that show without thinking of them both." On Fire, among even more memories: "He could surprise you with his warmth, asking after your well-being and that of your loved ones, and showing care as he listened to your answers. He could be very discerning. Among actors I've known he was arguably the most well-read. One day I would see a novel by Borges at his place in the dressing room, another day I would see one by Czeslaw Milosz, and so on. If he lived, I suspect that he would have turned increasingly to writing fiction and find in it more joy than theater gave him."
Here are a few details of their careers: Fire was an original member of the Organic's ensemble and appeared in many of its productions, including "Warp," the premiere of David Mamet's "Sexual Perversity in Chicago" (with Custer), "Poe" and "Sirens of Titan"; films such as "The Borrower"; and he co-wrote, with the film's director, John McNaughton, the screenplay for 1986's "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer," one of the finest films ever made here. He acted on stages across the country and overseas and taught theater his entire life.
Custer began her career in the late 1960s, appearing in plays around town with the Godzilla Rainbow Troupe and at the Kingston Mines Theater, which she helped found. She directed such Organic shows as "Heat," a 1985 drama that featured a real-life Chicago cop named Dennis Farina. She was an important force in the creation of Remains Theatre in the late 1980s, along with Petersen, Amy Morton, Ted Levine, Gary Cole, Natalie West, D.W. Moffett and others.
For the past couple of decades Custer had been a personal assistant to Petersen. She handled everything from organizing schedules and reading scripts to providing guidance and counsel and, Petersen says, "mostly friendship." In a week, Petersen will start filming the two-hour finale of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," the immensely popular series he starred in during its first decade. "That is going to be tough," he says. "Roberta was almost like a member of the cast. She had thousands of friends, and all of the people involved with 'CSI' are just devastated by her death. She was confidante, confessor. She had this innate ability to get into people's lives. Once you were in her orbit, you were in her heart, and she was in yours."
There was a funeral service for Fire last Monday at a chapel in Ocean Township, N.J., near the town in which he was born and to which he had returned some years ago. He is survived by a wife and son and a brother.
On Aug. 2, friends in Los Angeles will hold a memorial service for Custer, and another is in the works for later in the year here. She is survived by a son.
Fire was 69 and Custer 71 when they died.
But now it is 1998, and they and the other "bums" are recreating their theatrical bleacher triumph as part of WFMT radio's "Chicago Theatres on the Air" series. There is a live audience watching and, at the end of the show, its members stand and clap and cheer.
rkogan@tribpub.com Twitter @rickkogan
8/30
Ted Danson from the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation mothership joins the cast of CSI: Cyber with the show’s Season 2 premiere, which is titled “Why-Fi.”In the episode, airing on October 7, Avery welcomes D.B. Russell to the team as they investigate a burglary/homicide committed by someone who hacked the home’s security system remotely. Also in the premiere, Avery considers moving to a new position within the hierarchy of the FBI, Krumitz is a witness in his sister’s trial, Elijah deals with a delicate family situation and more is revealed about Nelson’s and Raven’s backgrounds.Ted Danson’s D.B. Russell character will become the new Director of Next Generation Forensics, who transfers to Washington, D.C. from Las Vegas.The guest cast for “Why-Fi” includes Landall Goolsby as Harlan, Brian Groh as Lonnie, Angela Trimbur as Francine Krumitz, Ione Butler as Ellen Peters, McKenna Roberts as Rae, Serendipity Lilliana as Harlan’s daughter, Zakary Shawn Risinger as Harlan’s son, Shiloh Nelson as Lindy, Elyse Cole as Young Francine, Shane Francis Smith as Young Krumitz, Molly Burnett as Nina, John Patrick Kelly as Judge, Tiffany C. Adams as Defense Attorney, Greg Cromer as John Fable. Directed by Alec Smight.
http://www.ksitetv.com/csi-cyber/csi-cyber-spoilers-t
ed-danson-joins-the-cast-in-why-fi/74728/
8/30
Pop Tart: Gerald McCullouch brings Hollywood glitz to Montreal World FilmFestival
Television viewers will recognize the familiar mug of veteran American actor Gerald McCullouch, who played the popular recurring character of Bobby Dawson on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation for 10 years. Or they’ve seen McCullouch in House, Bones or Law & Order.
Gay audiences especially remember him from the ongoing film series BearCity, and the handsome Hollywood star – named one of the most compelling people of the year by Out magazine in 2010 – is in Montreal this week for the premiere of his new film Daddy, which tells the intergenerational tale of an older gay male (a “silver fox” played by McCullouch) falling for a younger man (a.k.a. “twinkie”) played by Jaime Cepero, from the NBC show Smash.
McCullouch, who also directed Daddy, based on the hit play by Dan Via (who also co-stars in the film), is in Montreal this week for his film’s premiere at the World Film Festival. Pop Tart sat down with McCullouch for a fun and quick Q&A.
Pop Tart: Why did you feel compelled to make your film Daddy?
Gerald McCullouch: I think compelled is a very good word for the journey.Daddy is a story that came to me about fiveyears ago. It was originally a play that I was cast in written by my co-starDan Via, which had a very successful initial production in New York City. I fell in love with the story the moment my agents sent it to me. It resonated with me the way no other story has. It has such a smart wit and addresses themes that are very important to me as a story teller.It’s such an intriguing journey about friendship and family and getting older with a very unexpected turn of events that I find completely heartbreaking. So all of that added up to me being fairly determined to make the project into a film after the initial production in New York City closed.
You are primo daddy material yourself. How are you able to relate to your character Colin McCormack in Daddy?
Gerald:I think we can all relate to getting older. And each of us can relate to family as it’s the root of who we are. And it’s human nature to have regrets on things not said to friends, or lovers, or family which is a running theme in Dan’s story. It’s filled with incomplete sentences and missed opportunities to speak up. Who can’t relate to that? And plus my last name is McCullouch so anyone named McCormack would’ve sat right by me in home room throughout school so I assume there must be innate shared“McC” roots. Right?
You have starred in several gay-themed productions. How has your being out affected your career in Hollywood?
Gerald:I get asked that question a lot. And I really don’t know how it’s affected my career. I only have the career I have. I’ve never been one to hide who I am or what I think. And I’ve never understood people’s belief that my eye color, or shoe size, or sexual orientation limits my imaginative capacity to pretend to be someone different. Mind you, I’ve also appeared in many non-gay-themed shows like Bones and House and Law & Order and many others where I have a wife and kids and no affinity for dudes at all. And I think the terrain is changing daily of opportunities for out actors and artists. But I’ve been“out” since before it was in fashion. Never really considered being“in.” Not sure what my life would have been. Or my career. Only know the life I have.
BearCity 3 is in pre-production. Why do you think filmgoers love this film series, and how much do you enjoy the BearCity films?
Gerald: What’s not to love about those films? It’s so funny, after 10 seasons on CSI – the Number One show in the world for most of those 10 seasons – I get recognized more for the BearCity franchise than I ever have for CSI. And by so many women too. Who LOVE the franchise. I think it’s the first time we’ve seen such a diverse group of friends portrayed in film – which appears to be something people really relate to and in which people can see themselves portrayed in ways they haven’t previously. And it’s such a great cast of guys. And gals – hello – what’s not to love about Kathy Najimy? So I am very excited to jump back into the world of BearCity and the friendships and heartache and journeys of that story.
Welcome to Montreal. How do you like the city so far?
Gerald: Thank you. I love Montreal. I’ve been here twice before. Both times for film festivals with other projects of mine. And I love being back. I’ve been fairly consumed with my film’s premiere this trip so haven’t yet found the time to let loose and enjoy myself but I’ll be here for a week past my film’s screenings to enjoy the Montreal World Film Festival and all that Montreal offers and am looking forward to it all.
So get ready, Montreal. Here comes trouble!
Daddy screens at Cinema Quartier Latin at the Montreal World Film Festival, on Aug. 30 at 4:10 p.m. and Aug. 31 at 9 p.m. Click here for more info and tickets. More: www.ffm-montreal.org.
http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/pop-tart-gerald-mccullouch-brings-hollywood-glitz-to-montreal-world-film-festival
8/29
'Blunt Talk' Premieres August 29th with Guest Star Elisabeth Shue
The STARZ Original series “Blunt Talk” has added two guest cast members to its roster of actors appearing in the premiere season. Elisabeth Shue (“CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” Chasing Mavericks) and Jason Schwartzman (The Grand Budapest Hotel, “Bored to Death”) will appear in the first season of the half-hour scripted comedy series from MRC and executive produced by Seth MacFarlane, Jonathan Ames (creator and showrunner), Stephanie Davis and Tristram Shapeero.
Shue and Schwartzman will both appear as possible guests for Walter Blunt’s (Patrick Stewart) nightly cable news show “Blunt Talk.” They join previously announced recurring stars Richard Lewis (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Ed Begley Jr. (“Arrested Development,” “St. Elsewhere”) and guest stars that include musician and actor Moby, Sharon Lawrence (“Rizzoli & Isles,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) among others.
Shue has recently wrapped her fourth season on the CBS hit series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Her extensive film career includes an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for her work in Leaving Las Vegas, which also garnered her an Independent Spirit Award win. Other feature credits include Behaving Badly, Hope Springs, The Saint, Soap Dish and Cocktail among others. Shue is represented by Management 360 and Creative Artists Agency.
Schwartzman, most recently seen in the Academy Award nominated film The Grand Budapest Hotel and Listen Up Philip, made his motion picture debut in Rushmore. In 2009, Schwartzman stared in the HBO series “Bored To Death” for three seasons which was created by Jonathan Ames. Other credits include Saving Mr. Banks, The Darjeeling Limited, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Moonrise Kingdom.
Set in Los Angeles, the story follows Walter Blunt, a British import intent on conquering the world of American cable news and the fallout from his well-intentioned, but mostly misguided decision-making, both on and off the air. The series will premiere on STARZ in the summer of 2015.
Through the platform of his nightly cable news show, Blunt is on a mission to impart his wisdom and guidance on how Americans should live, think and behave. Besieged by network bosses, a dysfunctional news staff, numerous ex-wives and children of all ages, Blunt’s only support is the alcoholic manservant he transplanted from the U.K. to join him in Los Angeles. The series is greenlit for a two-season, 20-episode commitment.
The actors join the previously announced cast led by Patrick Stewart (X-Men franchise, Ted) in the role of Walter Blunt, Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) as Rosalie, Blunt’s tough and motherly producer-manager and Adrian Scarborough (The King’s Speech) as Harry, Blunt’s manservant. Dolly Wells (“Doll & Em”) who was cast as Celia, Blunt’s senior producer and head writer, with Timm Sharp (“Enlightened”) who was cast as Jim, Blunt’s head writer round out the cast.
MacFarlane and Fuzzy Door Productions, Inc. serve as executive producer. Ames, who created the series, will also serve as executive producer, showrunner as well as a writer on the project. Tristram Shapeero (“Community”) and Stephanie Davis (“Bored to Death”) will also serve as executive producers with Shapeero also serving as director. Stewart will also serve as producer on the series.
8/28
Gary Dourdan's Latest Project
FLUENCY PRODUCTIONS RELEASES
SCI-FI FEATURE THRILLER, REVERSION
Second Feature Film Based On Sci-Fi Thriller, ISA, In Select Theaters Nationwide, October 9TH
NEW YORK – August 27, 2015 – Fluency Productions today announced the release of its highly anticipated sci-fi thriller, REVERSION, on October 9, 2015 in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, with a wider national release to follow.
Filmmaker, Jose Nestor Marquez, created REVERSION intertwining technology and identity, which began with his 2014 critically acclaimed feature ISA.
REVERSION centers on Sophie Clé (Aja Naomi King), a delighted user of the Oubli, a wisp of high-tech jewelry that wraps behind the ear and uses neuroscience to help its users experience their most joyful memories as if they were happening for the first time. In addition to being the head of marketing for the company that makes this revolutionary memory-enhancing wearable device, she is also the daughter of its inventor, Jack Clé (Colm Feore).
Sophie’s most joyful memory is the last day she saw her mother alive, fifteen years earlier. But on the eve of the Oubli’s worldwide launch, a stranger named Isa (Jeanette Samano) kidnaps Sophie, setting off a chain of events that remind us all, you can’t escape what you can’t forget.
REVERSION is directed and co-written by Jose Nestor Marquez (Ana Maria in Novela Land) and stars Aja Naomi King (How to Get Away With Murder), Colm Feore (Gotham, The Chronicles of Riddick), Gary Dourdan (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Being Mary Jane) and Jeanette Samano (ISA, Speechless).
Read more at http://nukethefridge.com/2015/08/28/reversion-in-select-theaters-october-9/#bqdOMY1S3PMJWD8j.99
http://nukethefridge.com/2015/08/28/reversion-in-select-theaters-october-9/
8/27
Set against the backdrop of the greatest race against time in the history of science — the mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, N.M. — WGN America’s “Manhattan” follows the project’s brilliant but flawed scientists and their families as they attempt to co-exist in a world where secrets and lies infiltrate every aspect of their lives. Billy has joined the cast for its second season. He will play the character of Col Emmett Darrow. FromDeadline
Season 2 Trailer for "Manhattan"
http://billypetersen.com/2015/08/manhattan-
season-2-trailer-3/
8/20
7 Actors Whose Bad Behavior
Changed the Course of a Show
CSI
Source: CBS
George Eads took a leave of absence from CSI’s 14th season
after a heated exchange with one of the show’s writers.
Eads has played Nick Stokes since the series began in 2000.
However, he didn’t appear in several episodes in the fall of 2013
as a result of the fight.
At the time, a representative for Eads released a statement
to The Hollywood Reporter saying the actor would miss“several episodes”due to a “behind-closed-doors
disagreement with a CSI showrunner.”The dispute stemmed from
Eads’unhappiness with the creative direction of his character.
He reached out to a writer to discuss his concerns,
which led to a heated exchange. The exchange got back to
showrunner Carol Mendelsohn, resulting in a meeting between
Mendelsohn and Eads where the actor threatened to quit.
Eads returned to the show in late November after his temporary
reprieve, per Entertainment Weekly.
http://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/personality-
disorders-7-actors-whose-bad-behavior-changed-the-
course-of-a-show.html/?a=viewall
8/12
Unity (2015)
— — - 12 August2015
Featuring an unprecedented cast of 100 celebrity narrators, the timely documentary Unity will be distributed by SpectiCast in select theatres worldwide beginning August 12.Despite the advent of science, literature, technology, philosophy, religion, and so on -- none of these has assuaged humankind from killing one another, the animals, and nature. UNITY is a film about why we can't seem to get along, even after thousands and thousands of years.
Director: Shaun Monson
Writers: Shaun Monson
Stars: Jessica Chastain, Rose Byrne, Zoe Saldana, Lena Headey, Jeff Goldblum, Kristen Wiig, Jennifer Aniston, <a class="external" href="http://csiforeveronline.wikifoundry.comhttp://celebsfeeds.com