Blog Stage - Acting in Film, TV, Theatre - Backstage

James Franco Guest Stars on 'General Hospital'

James Franco is a perplexing character. When producers announced last month that the actor would be joining the long-running soap opera General Hospital for two months in a recurring role, we didn't know if we should be surprised, intrigued, or just accepting. (The fact that Franco approached the show himself and actually asked to work in daytime TV only adds to our confusion.)

In truth, we think this could work. And not just because Franco seems too good to be on daytime TV. In fact, it's because he isn't always. Franco is a likable yet extremely inconsistent actor. Compare his raw and powerful performances in Freaks and Geeks, James Dean, and Milk and a remarkably self-aware comedic performance in Pineapple Express with his largely-ignored starring roles in forgettable films like Tristan & Isolde, Annapolis, and Flyboys. He's starring as beat poet Allen Ginsberg in Howl and returns to comedy in the upcoming films Date Night and Your Highness, but still accepts a paycheck for garbage like Nights in Rodanthe and The Wicker Man. And perhaps most importantly, he plays a central role in the Spider-Man franchise, but portrays Harry Osborn in a way more suited to soap operas than blockbusters anyway.

Watch the new promo for Franco's upcoming stint on GH below to judge for yourself:

Franco also recently filmed an episode of 30 Rock, in which he plays himself. But which version of James Franco is that, really?

Christopher Walken Reads "Poker Face"

Christopher Walken offered a dramatic reading of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" during his appearance on the BBC 1's Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on Friday:

We admittedly love pretty much anything Walken does -- but couldn't he have picked lyrics to a song that fellow actor Jude Law didn't already perform a few weeks ago on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon? Read our related Blog Stage post of a month ago (or just watch video of Law's dramatic interpretation of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" lyrics below:)

Ewoks Crash 'Today'

The “Today” show played with the line between Halloween tricks and sinister meddling when supposedly intoxicated Ewoks wreaked havoc on the Better Homes and Gardens segment.

Dressed as “Star Wars” characters, the hosts charged through finger food recipes while Al Roker (a.k.a Han Solo) attempted to maintain order with no avail. The Ewoks snagged martinis, pelted mini-candy, smashed deviled eggs, and jumped over the boundary of decency by dry humping Mr. Roker’s leg. What a mess. However, the moon walk was fairly impressive. 

Check out the video of NBC’s “Today” show.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

-- Alexis Brown

Lights Go Out On Craig Ferguson

Last night, high winds swept through Los Angeles, disrupting electricity in the city -- including the television studio where comedian Craig Ferguson was busy filming The Late Late Show. The power went out near the end of  Ferguson’s interview with actress Alicia Silverstone, causing the studio to suddenly become pitch black. The lights came back only briefly, allowing Ferguson enough time to make it through one more interview before having to sign off with just his improv skills and a flashlight.

 Watch Ferguson’s sign off below:

-Alexa Trummer

David Spade and the Ghost of Chris Farley Sell DirecTV

You've probably seen this latest DirecTV ad by now: David Spade revisits the hilarious "Fat Guy in a Little Coat" scene from Tommy Boy, supposedly sitting in the same room as his co-star Chris Farley. But while Spade is able to speak directly to the camera and comment on Farley's actions in the scene, Farley plays it straight -- because he died over a decade ago.

DirecTV has made creative use of iconic movie scenes (and old actors reliving the roles of their youth) in their commercials for the past few years (think of Charlie Sheen in Major League, Craig T. Nelson in Poltergeist, etc.). Original material is spliced with new footage of the star telling the viewer about the benefits of DirecTV, usually to cleverly comedic effect. But this one rubs us the wrong way because, well, Farley is dead, and therefore not in on the joke.

"When DirecTV came to me and the Farley family with this idea about Tommy Boy, we talked and thought it would be a cool way to remind people just how funny Chris was," Spade tells Asylum. "It is a clever homage to my friend and a movie that we loved doing."

Fox Hears Viewers Plea

Viewers may get what they asked for as Emmy winner Kristin Chenoweth sets to renew her role as McKinley High's glee alumna April Rhodes in at least one upcoming episode of Fox's "Glee."

Chenoweth first entered the "Glee" scene, when the glee club's director (Matthew Morrison) needed a new star for the group. Knowing Rhodes had dropped out of high school, Morrison recruited his old classmate.

The question for co-creator Ryan Murphy to answer is: Under what premise will April blossom out of this time?

-- Ruthie Fierberg

Neil Patrick Harris Stars in "Mayhem of the Music Meister"

Tonight's episode of the animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold features Neil Patrick Harris as the "Music Meister," a supervillain who has the power to control people with his voice and compels them to dance and sing in elaborate musical numbers. Sounds like a perfect fit for NPH, who has recently displayed his vocal talents hosting the Tony Awards, starring as the title character in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and even in an upcoming musical episode of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

"I have had the great pleasure of working with Neil Patrick Harris many times over the years, and I just adore working with him," Batman: The Brave and the Bold voice-over casting director Andrea Romano told us before the special musical episode premiered at Comic-Con this summer. "He just did a wonderful episode. What was remarkable about that whole episode is that I never ever considered hiring actors for that series that could sing. I never thought about it, because I never thought that we would be doing a singing episode. Coincidentally, everybody I cast in that series could sing. That worked out beautifully."

Watch the hilarious music video for "Drives Us Bats" above, and be sure to catch the new episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold tonight at 7:30 p.m. on Cartoon Network.

-- Daniel Lehman

EW's Michael Ausiello Takes On-Set Acting Lessons

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello visited the set of the high school football drama series Friday Night Lights in Austin, TX last week, where he learned "the difficult job the show’s bleacher babes have pretend-reacting to what they’re being told is happening on the field. Over and over and over again."

In an EW.com exclusive video, Friday Night Lights actor Aimee Teegarden teaches Ausiello how to act in a reaction shot (Sample instructions: "You have to scream really loud, and you have to wave your hands a lot."). Teegarden and Ausiello react to a touchdown, an injury, and a sudden tornado on the field. We can't actually embed the video here, though, so you'll have to visit EW.com to watch and learn.

-- Daniel Lehman

'Reality' Hits Hard For These TV Show Contestants

 
Survivor’s Richard Hatch went to jail for tax evasion, Wife Swap’s Richard Henne allegedly staged the “balloon boy” incident, the VH1 reality series Megan Wants a Millionaire was canceled after contestant Ryan Alexander Jenkins was suspected for murder in the slaying of his ex-wife and later committed suicide, and now another reality star joins the ranks of those whose post-reality show lives have quickly become headline news.

Adam “Baller” Jasinski, 2008 winner of the reality series Big Brother, was involved in a DEA bust last Saturday Oct. 17. Jasinski, after a slight struggle with authorities, was thrown in jail and charged with possession of oxycodone pills with intent to distribute. Officers discovered over 2,000 oxycodone pills on Jasinski during an attempted drug deal. The person allegedly purchasing the pills was actually an undercover officer wearing a wire. After his 2008 win on Big Brother, Jasinski apparently used his $500,000 in winnings to fund a drug dealing business, and had been selling along the East Coast for the past several months, according to the Associated Press. If convicted, Jasinski could face up to $1 million in fines and a max of 20 years behind bars.

Big Apple Comic-Con

Last Sat., Oct. 17, I attended the Big Apple Comic-Con which used to be crowded into one floor of the Penn Plaza Hotel opposite Penn Station on 32nd Street. This year, Wizard Entertainment bought them and they spread out over what seemed like several acres at Pier 94 all the way over on 12th Ave. In addition to thousands of comic books, toys, models, posters, etc., there were literally dozens of celebrities selling their autographs and the opportunity to have a picture taken with them. (If you ever get on a TV show, you might want to consider this potentially lucrative line of income.) Julie Newmar (the original Catwoman), Mickey Dolenz ("The Monkees"), David Hedison ("Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea"), Bruce Weitz ("Hill Street Blues"), Linda Hamilton ("Terminator") and Sean Young ("Star Trek") were just a few of the stars in attendance.