No-one is recognised as knowing more about Hollywood and celebrities than David Hartnell MNZM. He’s not only spent a lifetime reporting on Hollywood’s trivia, gossip and scandals, but he counts many celebrities among his personal friends. Every Monday morning David will give you an exclusive weekly update on the gossip, scandals and trivia of Hollywood’s elite.
David is an award winning broadcaster and columnist he’s also the patron of The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc. Her Majesty The Queen, awarded David the Insignia of a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (formerly an MBE) in the Queen’s birthday Honours list 2011. In 2012 he was made an Ambassador St James Saviours, the trust formed to save the iconic Auckland theatre. In 2014 he was made an Ambassador to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand.
Visit David’s Website
Known by some as the ‘Godfather of gossip’, David Hartnell MNZM has amassed a fabulous resource of detail about Hollywood and television movies and stars throughout his long career interviewing celebrities and reporting on trivia, gossip and scandals. His knowledge ranges easily from the 1950s to the present day.
Now David has written this quiz book as a celebration of the rich variety that the movies and television have brought us over many decades, and the personalities who’ve been working in both industries. Presented in an entertaining but informative fashion, the more than 1,700 questions and answers are arranged in rounds of three, with answers close by. There are also specialty feature quizzes with questions related to a single subject, such as Oscar-winning films, Lord of the Rings, Sequels and Remakes, even TV pets. Collected trivia about celebrities and stars also feature as interesting snippets through the book. People love to be an authority on celebrities – the celebrity pages are the most popular pages of any magazine.
Whether it is used for pub quiz nights, parties or even long car trips, David Hartnell’s Celebrity Quiz Book will highlight to a wide audience the important milestones in the development of this most popular of cultures, and test how well you really know the world of entertainment.
This book will appeal to everyone who watches television or film.This is his ninth book.
Available in all good books store’s and on line, published by New Holland $19.99.;
View David Hartnell
‘Written in the stars – David’s triple celebrations‘ in the NZ Woman’s Weekly. View the article here on David’s website.
Be in to win monthly DVDs
…simply answer a question correctly, from this week’s column and you will be entered into the draw.
Question: Name two celebrities from this week’s column. Answer by clicking here.
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Monday 2nd May 2016
I’m not one to gossip but…………When I was in Los Angeles a couple of months ago I called by to see what had happened to my dear friend Phyllis Diller’s house, which I knew was about to be demolished.
Well, I was late by a week, it had been completely demolished. As I stood at the gate looking at an empty lot, I had a feeling of great loss for both Phyllis and the house.
I remembered all the wonderful happy times I had had in Phyllis‘ house over
some 45 years. The stunning dinner parties, the art exhibitions and fundraisers she hosted not to mention the history of old Hollywood who had visited her home.
Phyllis bought the house back in the mid 1960’s; she told me it was the best investment she ever made. She loved every inch of the 9,000 square foot house, which sold for US$12 million after her death.
I recently found out that thirteen of the wonderful century-old crested
leadlight windows of clear glass with painted detail were the only things
salvaged by the new owners. These windows rank right up there with the best.
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Matt Damon steps out on the set of his movie Downsizing in Toronto, Canada.
The 45-year-old actor’s new movie Jason Bourne will be released this US summer and he is opening up about the “brutal” training process.
“For the first Bourne movie I was 29 and I thought that was hard work
getting into shape,” Matt told BBC. “Now I’m 45 and it’s just brutal. We shot this bare-knuckle fighting scene on my 45th birthday and it was a lot of work to get there. I was on a very strict diet and spent a lot of time in the gym just making myself miserable.”
“So maybe for the next one Jason Bourne will be fat and happy and old!” he
jokingly added.
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The upcoming Absolutely Fabulous film has attracted a HUGE cast of celebrity cameos – 60 in fact – which is no surprise seeing that writer Jennifer Saunders is best pals with loads of glamorous types.
From Kate Moss to Alexa Chung there’s hardly going to be a scene without a celeb in it – and the film is going to be one of the most talked about of
the year as a result.
Kate still has it – even covered in Thames water, but Dame Edna doesn’t look impressed. In another photo Kate Moss emerges from the River Thames (and there’s been whispers that she gets killed off in the film). But she still looks as amazing ever, despite all the river water.
And Dame Edna Everage is looking pretty wet, too – up to her shoulders in water as she squints through her trademark glasses.
Alesha Dixon, Dawn French, Graham Norton, Perez Hilton, Stella McCartney and Dame Joan Collins are to name but a few who also make appearances in the film, which is due out on July 1.
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WIN A DOUBLE PASS TO “BLUE MAN GROUP” WELLINGTON FOR TUESDAY 7th JUNE!
Presented by: Lunchbox Productions
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Blue Man Group is comedy, theatre, rock concert and dance party all rolled
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Reconnect with your inner child, re-experience mischievousness and sheer joy, and see what fun three guys can have with 30 litres of paint and 55 mashed-up bananas in the space of an hour and a half!
Don’t miss the show that has captivated 35 million people worldwide.
Blue Man Group – enemy of monotony, remedy for boredom, promoter of over joy and elation. Dare to live in full colour.
Blue Man Group – it’s not just a show, it’s a state of mind.
Email me and tell me how many to date have seen the show worldwide?
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Emmerdale’s Charley Webb and Matthew Wolfenden – better known to soap fans as Debbie Dingle and David Metcalfe – have recently had their second baby together after meeting on the soap.
Baby Bowie is the couple’s second child – they’ve already got Buster, five.
Matt and Charley briefly split up after Buster was born, but now look to be
stronger than ever.
Matt said: “It was never a permanent split; we just needed some time apart.
Sometimes life just gets on top of you. We had a terrible two-year-old at the time and needed time to look at what we had but it was the best thing we could have done.”
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After a sold-out first year, the Magic Moments Family Comedy Magic Show is back! Join some of the top magicians in the country on Saturday the 14th of May for an enchanting show of magic and illusion, comedy and fun for the whole family.
The best value family entertainment in town! Adult tickets just $15 each, children’s tickets $10 each. Family (2A3C) $50, save $10.
The must-see Magic Moments show is on for ONE DAY and two performances only – Saturday 14th of May 2016, 2pm and 7pm. The venue is the lovely Rose Theatre, School Road, Belmont on Auckland’s North Shore. Free parking onsite.
I went last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, it’s a real family show —
PLEASE DON’T MISS IT!
To book call 021 0826 6616 or visit www.MagicMoments.co.nz
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Max Cryer has bought out yet another book on facts and figures, this time it’s all about superstitions and why we have them.
Max explains the superstition origin of many customary things we commonly say and observe, and continue to include in our lives: clinking glasses before drinking a toast; why thirteen is unlucky; saying ‘bless you’ after sneezing; which way to hang a horseshoe; saying ‘the Scottish play’; the bad reputation of opals; the Leap Year proposal; the possible (!) delaying of baldness; and the warning – “beware of that man, be he friend or brother, whose hair is one colour and moustache another.”
How do these have their origin in superstitions? Now you can discover – in a book both witty and informative.
Superstitions will provide many ‘Eureka’ moments and settle many family disputes.
Some people casually say ‘touch wood’ when they speak of something they hope will happen. Others won’t allow peacock feathers into the house. And almost anyone who finds a four-leafed clover will treasure it and keep it.
Why? Some superstitions are so ancient and have been practised for so long that they have come to be regarded as just harmless and widely observed ‘customs’, without people realising they are basically superstitions.
For instance, many people wouldn’t bother tossing spilled salt over their left shoulder or avoid walking under a ladder. But they happily continue to wear a wedding ring and blow out candles on a birthday cake. They don’t know why – ‘it’s just a custom’. But both are actually superstitions. Most of the superstitions throughout the book we already know about, but it’s nice to have the reason behind each of them. It’s an interesting book to dip in and out of.
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Florence Foster Jenkins, the book by Nicholas Martin & Jasper Rees.
Despite having no pitch, no rhythm and no tone, Florence Foster Jenkins became one of America’s best-known sopranos, giving a sell-out concert at Carnegie Hall. Florence Foster adored music and as a girl was a talented pianist, but her wealthy father refused to allow her to study in Europe.
In retaliation she eloped with Dr Frank Jenkins but the marriage soon foundered, not least because the eighteen-year-old bride contracted syphilis on their wedding night. After her father’s death, she inherited a considerable sum and it was then that she vowed to become a great soprano.
Over forty years later, after a lifetime supporting New York’s classical musical societies – and even founding her own – Florence’s greatest dream was finally realised. I really enjoyed this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars a great story which made a fantastic read from cover-to-cover!
Her extraordinary story is now a film, starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, and directed by Stephen Frears.
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Sir Lenny Henry: I still suffer racist abuse!
He’s one of the UK’s best-loved entertainers, has been knighted by the Queen and is to receive a special Bafta award for his outstanding contribution to TV next month, but Sir Lenny Henry is still the victim of racial abuse.
The 57-year-old comedian has disclosed that he was subjected to abuse on the
internet and in person while using public transport in the capital.
‘The day after I made a diversity speech at Bafta, I was racially abused online,’ says Henry, who co-founded Comic Relief. ‘I haven’t been racially abused since school.’
The abuse was even more unpleasant when delivered to his face. ‘It also happened on a train in South London. Literally, this person was saying: “They should all be exterminated. They should go back to Africa.” This was said very loudly on a Tube carriage.’
Did he respond? ‘No,’ he says, trying to see the funny side. ‘I went and sat near a very large black lady, in the hope that she’d protect me if things kicked off!’
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Amy Schumer is red hot while posing for the cover of Vanity Fair’s May 2016 issue!
On rumours circulating her relationship with boyfriend Ben Hanisch: “I feel like right now I’m going to crack down and keep myself more private for that reason. Which feels, you know, kind of counter-intuitive as a comic. But I don’t know-it seems necessary.”
On trying to keep her show Inside Amy Schumer relatable: “Nobody’s like, ‘Tell us more about what it’s like to be a famous person! It’s like my experience now is of a normal woman, who’s 34, who’s in a relationship, and then I’m also still a pretty newly famous person, and that’s what I want to talk about onstage. I want to be honest about what’s going on with me and not be like, ‘I’m still just like you!” I don’t know. I’m trying to
navigate it honestly and figure it out.”
On her hectic schedule: “I love all the things that I’m doing, but that all my time is accounted for? I’m not Joan Rivers, where I’m like, ‘A full calendar is happiness.’ I would love to do nothing, like waking up and not knowing what you’re going to do that day. The other day I was so overwhelmed
I left work an hour early and I just went and watched Labyrinth on my sister’s couch.”
For more from Amy, visit VanityFair.com!
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SOME DVDs TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS MONTH!
ON GOLDEN POND, starring Dame Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. They are starring together for the first time since The Sound of Music.
Ethel and Norman Thayer are an old couple living “On Golden Pond”. Their daughter, Chelsea, is 42 years old, and has never been married. She is dating a 45 year old dentist, and brings him up to Golden Pond to meet her parents. Her boyfriend, Bill, has a 14 year old son named Billy, who comes along. Young Billy has been virtually raised by his mother, who is newly divorced from his father. The troubled child is left with the elderly Thayers for some time, as his father and Chelsea take off for a tour of Europe.
Character-driven story about an elderly man coming to terms with his age, and the nearing of death; a middle-aged woman attempting to enter into a father-daughter relationship with her dad, whom she has never known closely; and a young teenager dealing with parental divorce.
This is a wonderful DVD and I thoroughly recommend it.
Madman
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Doc Martin Complete series seven starring Martin Clunes.
In the Season 7 finale, Martin faces a woman who desperately wants him to save her husband, who has terminal cancer; Ruth and Bert have a proposition for Al regarding whiskey and the B&B; and Louisa fears Martin has left Portwenn for good.
This is a great TV series and a must for an DVD collection.
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GLORIOUS GARDENS FROM ABOVE: Volume 1 – Cornwall to North Wales will appeal to audiences who enjoyed BRITAIN FROM ABOVE, BRITISH GARDENS IN TIME.
EMBARK ON A BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY TO EXPLORE SOME OF BRITAIN’S MOST GLORIOUS GARDENS AND COUNTRYSIDE FROM A STRIKING NEW PERSPECTIVE.
Horticulturalist Christine Walkden takes us up, up and away in a hot air balloon for a bird’s eye view over some of the finest gardens in the world. Her thrilling airborne adventure takes in the glories of the countryside exploring the rich social, horticultural and – most importantly – human history of a treasured garden gem, discovering how it was created, how its maintained and how it’s an inspiration to others.
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PENELOPE KEITH’S HIDDEN VILLAGES: SERIES 1 will appeal to audiences who enjoyed ESCAPE TO THE COUNTRY, TO THE MANOR BORN.
MUCH-LOVED BRITISH ACTRESS PENELOPE KEITH TAKES US ON A JOURNEY THROUGH THE PICTURESQUE VILLAGES OF BRITAIN IN THIS NEW SERIES.
Having lived in the rural village of Milford in Surrey for nearly 40 years, award-winning actress Penelope has a keen sense of what makes villages special. Armed with her beloved Batsford guide book (published in 1932), Penelope journeys from one bucolic bolthole to the next as she uses this vintage text and famous illustrations to answer a question that’s close to her heart: why do we love Britain’s villages so much?
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MARY THE MAKING OF A PRINCESS will appeal to audiences who enjoyed DIANA and THE QUEEN.
Isn’t it every young girls fairytale to grow up and marry a prince? This fairytale actually happened, and this is the
truth of the fairytale.
How does a Tasmanian-born real estate agent make the overwhelming transition from Sydney normality to European royalty?
In September 2000, at the height of Sydney Olympic fever, an attractive 28-year old, Mary Donaldson, is introduced to a spiky-haired 32-year old Dane whose first words are simply Hi, I’m Fred. Otherwise known as Crown Prince Frederik Andre Henrik Christian of Denmark. But, for the first few hours of their acquaintance, Mary knows nothing of such formality or status. The spark between the couple is natural, immediate and genuine….
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The NANNY season one – two and three now available.
Comedienne Fran Drescher stars in her career-defining role as the street-smart Fran Fine, a down-on-her-luck diva with the face of a star and a voice out of Queens, who gets a second chance at life (and love) when she unexpectedly becomes the new nanny for a wealthy Broadway producer’s kids. With a uniformly perfect cast and truly witty dialogue, The Nanny caught the attention of millions of viewers around the world.
Now, you can relive some of television’s most hilarious moments in this charming 3 disc DVD collection, featuring all 24 episodes from the first season of the award-winning series that introduce us to some of them most beloved characters on TV; Fran Drescher as the outspoken Nanny Fran Fine, Charles Shaughnessy as blue-blooded producer and father Maxwell Sheffield, Daniels Davis as the sarcastic butler Niles, Lauren Lane as Maxwell’s conniving business associate C.C. Babcock, and Nicholle Tom, Benjamin Salisbury and Madeline Zima as Maxwell’s children. Funny, charming and always entertaining, The Nanny: The Complete First Season is now available to own and treasure forever!…
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I LOVE LUCY THE COMPLETE COLLECTION – FIRST TIME EVER! THE WHOLE MCGILLICUDDY: ALL 9 SEASONS! ALL 194 EPISODES!
Fall in love again and again with the timeless comedy that entertains generation after generation.
This special 34-disc DVD collection contains every hilarious episode of every classic season of I Love Lucy–from the Lost Pilot to the The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour shows. Join Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel for non-stop laughter as you savour every magical moment of the
greatest sitcom of all time.
This is a MUST for any DVD collection
………………….. Until next week my lis are sealed!
David H. W. Hartnell MNZM copyright 2016
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Monday 25 April
I’m not one to gossip but………… After a sold-out first year, the Magic Moments Family Comedy Magic Show is back!
Join some of the top magicians in the country on Saturday the 14th of May for an enchanting show of magic and illusion, comedy and fun for the whole family.
The best value family entertainment in town! Adult tickets just $15 each,
children’s tickets $10 each. Family (2A3C) $50, save $10.
The must-see Magic Moments show is on for ONE DAY and two performances only – Saturday 14th of May 2016, 2pm and 7pm. The venue is the lovely Rose Theatre, School Road, Belmont on Auckland’s North Shore. Free parking onsite.
I went last year and thoroughly enjoyed it, it’s a real family show – PLEASE DON’T MISS IT!
To book call 021 0826 6616 or visit www.MagicMoments.co.nz
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I had the pleasure of meting Victoria Wood when she visited New Zealand years ago, she was a delight. Here is one of my all time favourites Victoria Wood ditties – Let’s Do It – The Ballad of Barry & Freda – 2009 updated version. RIP Victoria, you were one of a special kind.
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Prince fans have launched a petition calling for the legendary musician to be honoured with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Created by Dylan Stoker, the change.org petition criticises the Hollywood
Chamber of Commerce for recognising presidential candidate Donald Trump but not the late singer.
The petition – which has amassed more than 14,000 signatures – reads: “Prince does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame but Donald Trump does.
“His lack of recognition in one of the most well-known tributes in the world is a travesty of the highest calibre. We implore the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to give Prince a posthumous Star so the world can honour him in the company of legends the way he deserves.”
Those throwing their support behind the campaign described the iconic singer as a “legend” and agreed that a star is “long overdue.”
One supporter wrote: “Prince is one of the greatest performers of all time and he should be treated as such.”
Another posted: “He is a legend!!! He should have had one way before now.”
One fan took matters into their own hands and graffitied the name ‘Prince‘ in gold letters across a blank star on the famous pavement.
Prince – full name Prince Roger Nelson – died at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota after police responded to a medical emergency at 9:43am on Thursday 21st April.
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Did you know that Doris Roberts was originally hired to play Bea Arthur’s next door neighbour Vivian on Maude?
I sure didn’t!
The future five-time Emmy winner was quickly fired because it was felt that she was too similar to the show’s star so she was replaced by Rue McClanahan who had the role for six seasons.
Did you know that Doris was also set to be a regular on a Lily Tomlin variety show but ABC decided to pass on the show in favour of a very short-lived variety series starring Howard Cosell? Big mistake!!
Miss Roberts, who recently died at the age of 90, reflected on her television career for EmmyLegends.org., from her Emmy winning role on St. Elsewhere to her role on Remington Steele to playing the meddling, overbearing mother Marie on the long-running Everybody Loves Raymond.
Watch her interview here.
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He’s still got the coat! It’s certainly a blast from the past to see Phillip
Schofield once again wearing a technicolour dreamcoat on the English stage.
He’s come a long way from fronting a children’s TV show on TVNZ.
And the star’s actually got good reason for dusting off the vibrant jacket, almost two decades after his original stint on Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolour Dreamcoat.
The 54-year-old has proudly announced that he’ll be making a brief return to
the stage in a new touring production.
Before people get ahead of themselves, Phillip sadly won’t be throwing himself into the entire Joseph role. But the silver fox has announced that he’ll be tackling two of the songs when he hosts the four-day Knights Of Music Tour.
Ahead of the tour Phillip has slipped back into the technicolour dreamcoat, which he confesses he kept after his final show in 1997. However the British TV This Morning presenter isn’t sure whether the coat will be making an appearance when he returns to the stage.
“It still does up round the middle, I would even go so far as to say it’s even less snug but I am not even sure we will do a coat, I don’t know where we are with that yet,” he said. He added to Mail Online: “It’s more about the songs.”
Phillip famously took over the iconic role from Jason Donovan back in 1992. He originally played the part from 1992 to 1997.
Shortly afterwards the dad-of-two released a track from the production – Close Every Door – but it only charted at number 27.
Sharing a before and after picture on Instagram, Phillip admitted it must be surprising for people to see him wearing the coat again after all these years.
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Actress Charlize Theron takes the cover of the V Magazine looking stunning.
Here’s what the 40-year-old actress had to share with the mag:
On an embarrassing first audition: “I tried to make it like acting class, where you would try and make it as real as possible. You’d bring in props and things like that. I had to do this scene where I, in the movie, show up at this house where I know James Spader’s character is about to do this hit.
I show up because I’ve just been shot. I need him to get me to the hospital. I’m bleeding from my stomach. It’s basically moments before I die. I came into the auditioning room, and when they said, “Okay, are you ready?” I went out the door and in my bag I had brought this bottle of ketchup. I poured the whole bottle of ketchup on my stomach, then told the receptionist outside, “Look, it’s going to get a little loud.” I warned her because I noticed she was on the phone, like that was my job or something. Then I barged through the door, getting ketchup on all the doors and the furniture. I just didn’t know how not to try and make it as real as possible. I think they were a little more concerned about my own sanity. Eventually they gave me the role. [Director John Herzfeld] said, ‘I knew you’d be up for anything.’”
On her rough relationship with Tobey Maguire in Cider House Rules: “Tobey and I had a bit of a rough time, yeah. I mean, we’re good now. It was a difficult movie. Every day is completely different for a completely different reason. Whether it’s the weather, or the writing isn’t there, or you don’t get along with your castmate, you have to be able to go to
something else that’s just as powerful. Does it make it as enjoyable? Probably not. I mean, there were just a couple of days that Tobey and I had a rough time. The rest of the movie, we actually had a really good time. I love Tobey. I’m kind of glad we had that experience on that movie. It teaches you different things. It taught me that I could fall in love with somebody in my head while looking at someone else. We had some really intimate moments. Tobey and I didn’t feel that way about each other, so I had to figure something else out.”
On women in Hollywood: “It’s brutal when you think of the truth of what we face in society, what it means for a woman versus what it means for a man. What we, especially women, consider to be our strengths and to be our weaknesses. That aging is a weakness that we think of it that way. Yet, it’s when we’re at our wisest. We’ve experienced everything and we should be considering ourselves the richest. We live in a society where women are treated like wilted flowers. They used to be pretty, but now they’re just kind of wilting. The guy is like a fine bottle of wine. He just gets better and better with age. It became very real, the vanity of it all. That we are all animals of our circumstance. If you are raised to believe that your
power is only good for as long as you’re beautiful, then that’s what you’re going to believe.”
For more from Charlize, visit V magazine.
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She plays Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones and Emilia Clarke looks
every inch the stunning Hollywood actress in her latest photo shoot. The 29-year-old appeared sexier than ever as she gazed seductively at the camera
while posing for the new issue of VOGUE Australia.
She showed off her enviable physique in a black and white floral mini dress,
which highlighted her toned pins and impressive cleavage.
She covered her shoulders with a striped blazer jacket and added even more sex appeal with a slick of bright red lipstick and a sleek wavy ‘do. The beauty then finished off her look with some chunky rings.
In the accompanying interview, Emilia opened up about the pressure she felt
playing Khaleesi in the hit HBO series.
She revealed: “For the first couple of years I was plagued by a kind of ‘Oh my god, this is my first role. Don’t f*** it up. Do good, just do good’.
“And there was a kind of personal intensity that went along with it because I was playing a character already loved by so many people who had read the book, and just making sure she was what people were hoping she would be.”
This isn’t the first time Emilia has posed for a saucy shoot, with her recently stripping off for Esquire magazine, as well.
Speaking about the experience on The Ellen Show, she joked she was “photoshopped and drunk” for the seductive shots.
The brunette beauty told the chat show host: “That was a funny shoot. Doing those kind of sex scenes. They just kept giving me vodka, and I would be like, ‘I’m just going to keep the duvet. I’m going to keep the sheet up.’
“They’d be like, ‘3,2,1,go!’ and just yank it down. You’d be like, ‘Oh, no!'”
Admiring a shot of herself on a screen behind them, she said: “That’s me drunk. That’s me Photoshopped and drunk.”
Ellen DeGeneres joked: “You’re the sexiest woman alive. That must be wonderful for everyone in your life, they’re related to the sexiest woman alive.”
Read Emilia’s full interview with Vogue Australia in the May issue.
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Coronation Street star Andy Whyment has taken a second job to earn some
extra cash.
The actor, who makes £100,000 a year playing Weatherfield favourite Kirk
Sutherland, pockets up to £500 a day running market stalls.
And his former on screen boss Steven Arnold – who portrayed Ashley Peacock in the ITV1 soap – has been helping him too; serving up mince, gammon and lamb shoulders.
Andy had a great time working at London’s Smithfield Market However while the pair are enjoying running butchers stalls across the country, their Coronation Street co-stars aren’t exactly impressed. According to The Sun, Ryan Thomas and Catherine Tyldesley – who rake in big bucks from glossy magazine deals and personal appearances at clubs – have
been laughing at the actors’ side jobs.
“Andy gets a bit of stick from the rest of the cast because he is always at some market or other at weekends, but it is a very handy way of boosting his bank account so he’d be a fool to turn down the offers,” a source told the tabloid.
Manchester Evening News
The pair became famous playing Corrie butchers Kirk Sutherland and Ashley Peacock.
“It is horses for courses and good-looking lads like Ryan are always going to be in demand for pub and club appearances. They make a lot of extra money that way and it subsidises their income,” a source told the tabloid.
“Andy’s a really great guy but he might struggle to pack out a club with eager young women. That said, he certainly knows how to get them queuing with their tenners in hand for some meat on a market stall. He and Steve make a great double act and the fact they’ve both done their time in a Weatherfield butchers makes their sales patter even more believable.”
Andy and Steven’s market stall tour has so far taken them to London, Hornsea, Manchester and Doncaster. With all that extra cash, it looks like they’ll be having the last laugh!
The Mirror N. Gius.
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Jennifer Aniston has been named People magazine’s 2016 World’s Most Beautiful Woman!
Not sure I agree on this title, she is certainly beautiful……….but The World’s Most Beautiful Woman – HELLO!
Here’s what the 47-year-old actress had to share with the mag:
On taking care of herself: “It’s funny, it’s a really quick transition from not a care and now all of a sudden, we’ve got to really be mindful of what we put inside our bodies. And how we sleep and take care of ourselves. You can get away with a lot in your 20s.”
On being told she was “too chubby” when she was younger: “I was like, ‘What?!’ But my diet was terrible. Milk shakes and French fries with gravy [laughs]. It was a good thing to start paying attention.”
On her husband Justin Theroux: “He makes me laugh. He’s so interesting and so interested. He’s unbelievably talented in more areas than one and he’s just a good man.”
It really couldn’t have come at a better time. Jennifer’s new film, Mother’s Day, is out next week in the USA so this will
finally give her something to talk about in all those promo interviews she has lined up with other magazines.
And not only will it massively help the studio’s marketing (People readers is their target demographic) it also saves the magazine the hassle of having to pay to set up a photo shoot and interview in order to get her on the front pages the way they normally do.
Looks like Jen wasn’t the only winner!
For more from Jennifer, visit People.com
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Reese Witherspoon is opening up about her children and she says that her
daughter Ava is way cooler than her.
“She’s so much cooler than I am!” the 40-year-old Oscar-winning actress told
US Weekly magazine.. “She’s very cutting-edge, and she knows a lot about fashion, and she has her own sense of style, which is amazing.”
“We try to kind of confer about new styles,” Reese added. “She tells me whether or not I can wear things.”
Ava spent the weekend at the Coachella Music Festival with her friends.
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Patrick Stewart goes in full drag while attending a For Your Consideration
event to promote his Starz series, Blunt Talk, on Monday night (April 18) in
Los Angeles.
The 75-year-old actor went all out with a wrap dress, heels, a gray wig,
makeup, and of course long eyelashes.
Lots of people on social media are comparing Patrick‘s look to Dame Helen Mirren!
“Something is happening in Hollywood tonight,” Patrick wrote on Twitter
earlier in the day along with a photo of himself preparing to surprise in
drag.
DO YOU THINK Patrick Stewart in drag looks like Helen Mirren personally I don’t think so!
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Zachary Quinto is all smiles as he hits the red carpet at the premiere of For The Love Of Spock held during the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival at the SVA Theatre 1 on Monday (April 18) in New York City.
The 38-year-old actor was joined at the event by director Adam Nimoy, who
was the son to the late Star Trek icon Leonard Nimoy.
“I knew that the 50th anniversary of the original series was coming up, and
I wanted to do something with him to celebrate that event,” Adam expressed
at the event (via EW).
“I was overwhelmed by the response and emotion from fans all over the world. It was clear to me at that point that I needed to expand the film to include his life, clearly, and his legacy. And then as I began to delve into that quite a bit, it became increasingly clear that my own perspective on my own story was kind of bound up in that.
“It’s my gift to the fans to celebrate and process the loss of my dad and Spock,” Adam added.
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SOME DVDs TO WATCH OUT FOR!
I’m amazed at how many murders take place in such a small English village, but if you’re like me I can’t get enough of the TV series.
Midsomer Murders: The deadliest county in England
Madman
In the villages of Midsomer there are fresh murders to solve… new clues to
examine… and scores of suspects to suspect as D.C.I. John Barnaby (Neil
Dudgeon) and D.S. Ben Jones (Jason Hughes) investigate the first three cases from Season 15. Their deductive skills are put to the test when the
appearance of a headless horseman foreshadows a number of gruesome deaths; suspicion falls on a convicted murderer when a barrister is killed; and the murder of a journalist has chilling echoes of a 1960s horror film when death imitates art.
Murder and deception are never far away as mayhem shatters the peaceful and picturesque villages of Midsomer in this two disc set, also including a new audio commentary with series star Neil Dudgeon.
Includes 3 cases from Series 15:
1. THE DARK RIDER
Bentham DeQuetteville falls to his death from the roof of Quitewell Hall after seeing a headless horseman, but his aristocratic family seem more concerned about their forthcoming Civil War re-enactment than the tragedy.
Upon investigating the fall, Barnaby finds a priest hole containing a 17th century portrait of headless Cavalier officer Geoffrey DeQuetteville on a grey horse and learns about a family legend if the ghost of Geoffrey points at you it means you will die. There may be several more apparitions before the case is solved.
2. MURDER OF INNOCENCE
When a barrister is killed in Midsomer, suspicion falls on convicted murderer Grady Felton. Grady has just returned to the village where he committed the murder years ago amid much anger from locals. But Grady has a solid alibi. Barnaby suspects he is working with an accomplice – that is until Grady himself is targeted.
3. DEATH AND THE DIVAS
The murder of a journalist has chilling echoes of a 1960s horror film starring Midsummer’s own Stella Harris. When Stella’s more famous sister returns after a 40-year family rift, the killings escalate, each of them reminiscent of a movie plot. Is life and death imitating art? This special homage to the legendary Hammer Films includes cameo appearances by former Hammer stars John Carson and Caroline Munro.
………………….. Until next week my lis are sealed!
David H. W. Hartnell MNZM copyright 2016
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Monday 18th April
I’m not one to gossip but…………If you want an extra special edible cake art, have I got the cake maker for you.
Emily Hung from Auckland makes the most incredible edible art, she is a master of her craft like no other. She’s able to turn clients’ interests and hobbies into unique cupcakes, birthday cakes, wedding cakes and more.
I had a browse through the gallery on her website and couldn’t believe how creative and detailed cakes could be! Everything from sports, animals, cartoon characters, children celebrating birthdays, you name it Emily can work her magic and turn it into a unique piece of edible art that will be the talk of your party or event. Trust me you will NOT be disappointed!
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The Amazing VAC Variety Show Is Back!
Proudly hosted by the iconic Variety Artists Club of NZ, the Amazing VAC Variety Show features performances by some of the top performers in the country!
Music and comedy, magic, dance and more!
The must-see Amazing VAC Variety Show is on for ONE NIGHT ONLY, Friday the 6th of May at the lovely Rose Theatre, 1 School Road Belmont on Auckland’s North Shore. Free parking on site.
Tickets just $25 – the best value in town! Remember last year it SOLD OUT!
To reserve your seats call 09 489 7514 or email : bookings@vac.org.nz
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Hollywood cannot stop talking about the new attraction at Universal Studios – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The new park area took five long years to build and the attention to detail is astonishing. The book’s author JK Rowling was intimately involved in getting everything just right – her approval was necessary. And, according to the Hollywood Reporter, that includes all the food and treats available in restaurants and stores. The chefs at Universal flew to the author’s home in Scotland and had her taste everything from shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, to chocolate frogs and every type of Scottish candy in the sweet shop. With a few alterations, she declared the food exactly right.
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Taylor Swift rocks a bleached blonde look on the cover of Vogue magazine’s May 2016 issue.
Here’s what the 26-year-old entertainer had to share with the mag:
On what she’s going to do with the rest of her life: “I have no idea. This is the first time in ten years that I haven’t known. I just decided that after the past year, with all of the unbelievable things that happened…I decided I was going to live my life a little bit without the pressure on myself to create something.”
On rumours about her: “I’ve had people say really hurtful things about me, and so I’ve kind of learned how to gauge it: ‘This is, like, low-to-medium-level hurtful.’ There are a lot of really easy ways to dispel rumours. If they say you are pregnant, all you have to do is continue to not be pregnant and not have a baby. If the rumour is that you have fake friendships, all you have to do is continue to be there for each other. And when we’re all friends in fifteen years and raising our kids together, maybe somebody will look back and go, ‘That was kind of ridiculous what we said about Taylor and her friends.’”
On Calvin Harris: “I’m just taking things as they come. I’m in a magical relationship right now. And of course I want it to be ours, and low-key…this is the one thing that’s been mine about my personal life.”
For more from Taylor, visit Vogue.com.
FYI: Taylor is wearing a Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane dress and Vetements boots on the cover.
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Jennifer Lopez looks flawless on the cover of W magazine’s May issue.
Here’s what the 46-year-old superstar had to share with the mag:
On her career and personal life: “When it comes to work, I never get tired. But with personal failures, I have thought, This is too hard. When my marriage ended, it was not easy to find forgiveness. It wasn’t the dream that I had hoped for, and it would have been easier to fan the flames of resentment, disappointment, and anger. But Marc is the father of my children, and that’s never going away. So, I have to work to make things right. And that is, by far, the hardest work I do.”
On men vs. women in this world: “People may now think I’m ‘nice,’ but they still act surprised when I’m smart. It’s a man’s world, and truly, people in a business setting do not value a woman as much as a man. I feel like I’m constantly having to prove myself. If a man does one thing well, people immediately say he’s a genius. Women have to do something remarkable over and over and over. People underestimate me. They always have, and maybe that’s for the best. It’s fun to prove them wrong.”
On her boyfriend Casper Smart: “We got together and broke up and are now together again. I still think about getting married and having that long life with someone. I love the movie The Notebook. A dream of mine is to grow old with someone.”
For more from Jennifer, visit Wmagazine.com.
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Robert De Niro will be honoured during the American Gay Media Awards in New York City next month for being ‘a long time supporter of the LGBT community’ and for sharing with the world the story of his gay father.
The two-time Oscar winner movingly recounted his father’s struggled with self-acceptance in the 2014 HBO documentary Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr.
The elder De Niro, who died in 1993, did not live as an openly gay man until the later years of his life.
In the acclaimed documentary, De Niro admitted that he did not have much interest in his dad’s art exhibits when he was younger. He also never spoke to him about being homosexual.
‘Obviously, I realise now that it was hard for him,’ he said on the film. ‘He had a lot of classic conflicts about all of that. … I’m his son, I’m the last person to know.’
Through his father’s paintings and his extensive journals, De Niro has gotten to intimately know his parent posthumously and shared what he had learned in the film.
‘He died on his 71st birthday of prostate cancer. The reason I kept his (art) studio is for my kids, for them to know what their grandfather did. … I realise now how up it is for children to appreciate the things that their parents did if they want to share them with you. Because I regret certain things with my parents, that I didn’t follow through on.
‘I feel it’s my obligation to document what he did – to keep it going.’
The GLAAD Media Awards will take place on May 14 at the Waldorf Astoria New York.
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