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

Woody Allen? Not helping.

I've steered clear of the current Roman Polanski scandal, because it's a very polarizing topic that I don't feel I'm equipped to speak eloquently on. I think Polanski is a great filmmaker. I think he got a raw deal from the judge in his trial. I appreciate that even his victim believes he should be free. But I was also deeply affected by this excellent editorial from Kate Harding at Salon. She systematically tackles every argument in favor of Polanski--he had a tough life! The girl didn't look 13! The judge screwed him!--and repeats the simple fact that the man broke the law and should not receive special treatment.

Most of you have probably heard of or seen the list of supporters asking for Polanski to be freed. You'll note Woody Allen at the top--probably not the kind of endorsement Polanski was hoping for.

--Jenelle Riley

The Part of Matt LeBlanc Will be Played by ... Matt LeBlanc

Matt LeBlanc has signed on to play himself in a new Showtime series. The actor—best known for the role of lovable lunkhead Joey Tribbiani in the long-running "Friends" and the short-lived "Joey"—will star in a single-camera, show-within-a-show comedy about a British TV series that is adapted into an American vehicle for LeBlanc. The series will be produced by Showtime and the BBC. In a statement, LeBlanc said he took the part because, "seeing someone else play Matt LeBlanc would have been devastating."

Pictured: Matt LeBlanc (Photo: Getty Images)

Read the story at the Hollywood Reporter

Introducing the Previsualization Society

The American Society of Cinematographers, the Art Directors Guild, and the Visual Effects Society have collaborated in the creation of the nonprofit interdisciplinary group, the Previsualization Society. Whereas computer-generated images used to be clumped together with visual effects, the ASC-ADG-VES Joint Technology Subcommittee on Previsualization formed a working definition of previs, a "collaborative process that generates preliminary versions of shots or sequences.”

Read the story at Variety

Internet Ad Spending Passes TV in U.K.

Though many scoffed when the Internet Advertising Bureau predicted that spending on Internet ads would beat out it's television ad competitors by the end of the year, the prophecy seems to hold water (at least in the U.K.). For the first six months of this year, U.K. advertisers spent a whopping $2.8 billion on internet advertisements, while those in television lagged behind, clocking in at $1.64 billion. Despite the figures, media analyst Paul Richards asserted that the TV advertising market has stabilized after a previously catastrophic year.

Read the story at Variety

Miley Cyrus Rumored to Join 'Sex and the City' Sequel

“Sex and the City” filming is in full swing in New York City, and Miley Cyrus is rumored to make a cameo appearance in the sequel. New Line issued a “no comment” when asked by Entertainment Weekly about Cyrus’s possible role in the film, but gossip sites insist the casting is confirmed. “Sex and the City 2” is set to be directed by Michael Patrick King and has an expected spring 2010 release date. 

Pictured: Miley Cyrus (Photo: Getty Images)

Read the story at Entertainment Weekly

Is It Really Possible to Write About Acting?

The Guardian's theater blog asks today: "How do you describe great acting?"

Andrew Haydon finds it curious that theater critics (at least in the U.K.) tend to focus on the play itself -- whether the script, the content, the stage direction, the lighting -- rather than the performances of the actors on stage.

From "How do you describe great acting?":

Something I've been finding fascinating recently is how hard it is to write about acting, to put into words what an actor's performance is like. There just doesn't seem to be an appropriate vocabulary...

There are those old examples of Kenneth Tynan spending 90% of a review describing just one performance – say, Olivier in Shakespeare. If anyone wrote that sort of review now, I suspect they'd prompt a few letters to the editor asking what the rest of the play was like...

I would argue that the reason for this lies in the very nature of our culture and language. We are predisposed to talking about ideas and politics; we have a lot of words for doing so. Acting, on the other hand, is full of intangible qualities. Little wrinkles of the eye, the faint hint of a smile – it's a series of tiny moments that would take an entire newspaper to describe. There are a few shorthands for style: acting, like porcelain, tends to be fine. Sometimes it can be "broad" or "rough", while individual actors may even merit a couple of adjectives for their characterisation.

It's an odd problem, and I don't have any kind of solution. But it is intriguing to think that at the heart of writing about theatre, there is this strange void in language that means we can't ever say what we've seen. 

Who Else But Matt LeBlanc Could Play Matt LeBlanc?

James Hibberd reported earlier today for THR's "The Live Feed" blog that former Friends star Matt LeBlanc will star as himself in Episodes, a Showtime sitcom parody in which a BBC comedy series is turned into a dumbed-down American sitcom (think Coupling or The Office).

"I love it," said Matt LeBlanc. "I am really excited to be working with Showtime and the BBC. And I am so glad I got the part, seeing someone else play Matt LeBlanc would have been devastating."

That must have been awkward when LeBlanc auditioned to play himself. But seriously, who else could pull it off? Daniel Day Lewis? That guy can do pretty much anything. Shia LaBeouf? He seems to be cast in pretty much everything right now. And Megan Fox says in nearly every interview that she thinks she could be a good actress if she ever had to try -- so why not give her a shot at really stretching her range?

We guess Matt LeBlanc is still the best choice to play Matt LeBlanc, but what do you think? Leave a comment below with your casting suggestions.

Hugh Jackman, Daniel Craig Drama Sets Broadway Record

“A Steady Rain,” starring Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig, set the record for the highest weekly ticket sales for a non-musical during the week ending September 20. The show was still in previews and earned $1.17 million at the theater box offices beating out Billy Crystal’s “700 Sundays” with $1.06 million earned in one week. Jackman and Craig play two Chicago policemen haunted by the same occurrence but both tell different accounts of what happened.

Pictured: Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman (Photo: Getty Images)

Read the story at the Washington Post

Alba in Talks to Join 'Parents' Franchise

For the third installment of “Meet the Parents,” Jessica Alba is in talks to play an attractive pharmaceutical rep that causes some trouble for the male characters. The cast, including Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro, and Owen Wilson, will start shooting within the next few months, with a likely release date sometime 2010. Paul Weitz is set to direct. Alba is already scheduled to appear in Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming film “Machete” and Garry Marshall’s “Valentine’s Day.”

Pictured: Jessica Alba (Photo: Getty Images)

Read the story at the Hollywood Reporter

Varla Jean de Havilland

Fans of the veteran cross-dress entertainer Varla Jean Merman (self-proclaimed love child of Ernest Borgnine and Ethel Merman), noted for her operatic voice and guzzling of cans of Cheez-Whiz during her cabaret shows, as well as those who cherish the guilty-pleasure 1964 Bette Davis-Olivia de Havilland film thriller Hush...Hush Sweet Charlotte are in for a treat. The zany spoof Shut Up Sweet Charlotte, written by Varla Jean and Matthew Martin, stars Varla Jean (pictured on right) as the ruthless villaness originally played by de Havilland, and Ricky Graham (left), in the beleagured heroine role, uncharacteristically played by Davis in the cult classic. The show  is currently on tour, playing two weekends in Southern California this month--first in Palm Springs, then in San Diego.