by on April 6, 2019 Leave a Comment

Kevin Dennis: A Broadway Star in the Making

April 6, 2019

Recently completing a starring role in the world premiere of Paradise Square at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in the San Francisco Bay Area, KEVIN DENNIS has been a rising star in Canada since the late 1990s. He has landed leading roles in stage productions by respected theatre companies such as Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown, the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, as well as Toronto’s Canadian Stage Company.

On television he has been seen in recurring roles on CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries and 11.22.63 opposite James Franco on Hulu/Bad Robot, as well as guest appearances on Reign (CW/CBS), Orphan Black (Space/BBC America), Warehouse 13 (Syfy), Flashpoint (CTV/CBS), Mayday! (Discovery), Queer As Folk (Showtime) and Emily of New Moon (CBC).

Kevin Dennis

Beyond his work in front of the camera, Kevin has garnered over one hundred animation credits to date with voice-over roles in cartoons such as Busytown Mysteries (CBC/CBS), Redekai (Cartoon Network), Super Why! (PBS), Cyberchase (PBS) and Tabaulga and Lilli (Sony Pictures Classics).

We sat down with Kevin to talk about his life, his career and his rise to fame.

Hollywood Revealed: When did you first realize you had an interest in the arts?

Kevin Dennis: As a child, I was always drawn to the camera, as well as the stage. My parents put me into community drama classes and theatre at age eight, where I excelled in front of an audience. I started acting in front of the camera at the age of twelve, appearing on successful Canadian TV shows like Ready or Not, Squawk Box and Nikita.

HR: Where was you first appearance in public? High school?

KD: My first role was Augustus Gloop in a community performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Oakville Centre of the Arts. I was nine-years-old. I really enjoyed the adoring audience of parents and grandparents.

HR: Did you decide then and there to be an actor?

KD: That was it! I truly found what would become my life’s work. Plus, who wouldn’t like it when people clap for you at the end of your work day?

HR: How did you get your ACTRA card?

KD: Actually, I joined both Canadian Actors’ Equity (stage union) and ACTRA the same summer, at the age of nineteen. For CAEA membership I was selected out of hundreds of Toronto actors to join the cast of Forever Plaid at the Charlottetown Festival. I had just graduated high school and it was my first full summer away from my parents. I had also become legal-drinking age in Canada. I’ll just say it was one hell of a summer and an amazing gig. While performing in PEI, I was approached by the CBC to audition for a role on Emily of New Moon which was shooting on the island at the time. I managed to book the role and got to play opposite Martha MacIsaac (Superbad, Family Guy) and joined ACTRA as a result.

HR: Sounds amazing. So would you say that was your luckiest break in the entertainment business?

KD: No, I’d say my luckiest break came in front of the camera in 2014. I decided to shift my attention from a highly successful stage career to try and get more focus on film and television. It wasn’t all glory, trust me. I became highly skilled at waiter-ing, interior painting and special event service. But thankfully, the auditions started surfacing regularly for American TV shows being shot in and around Toronto. My biggest break was being cast in the pilot episode of The Strain for the FX Network. The best part of that gig was that I got to spent four days under the direction of Guillermo del Toro, who recently won the Academy Award as Best Director for The Shape of Water.

Kevin Dennis, Adrienne Merrell in “Young Frankenstein”

HR: Nice. Have you managed to stay in touch with him?

KD: Actually, I have. We spoke recently about working together again, so I am grateful for having met him and hopeful it will happen. I also got to work and become acquaintances with Carlton Cuse, the Emmy Award-Winning Executive Producer of the hit TV show Lost.

HR: How much of a role does networking play in an actor’s success?

KD: Like training and auditioning, networking is an integral part of the daily routine of a professional actor. You can`t wait by the phone for roles to come to you. It is essential to put your product out there and make new connections.

HR: What’s been your favorite role to date?

KD: For stage, the leading role of Frederick in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein at Stage West was one of my absolute favorites. While no one can duplicate what Gene Wilder did, it was exhilarating to play these classic comedy scenes in front of a live audience eight times a week. I also got to play the role opposite my lovely and talented wife, Adrienne Merrell which was a dream come true!

HR: Does being married to another performer help or hinder?

KD: Definitely helps. We understand each other. We both realize that we are in it to win it, so we better make it work!

HR: What were the challenges of playing the role of Mike Quinlan in your last show Paradise Square at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre?

KD: It was very exciting to see my role expand into a larger, adversarial one during rehearsals and development of the show. The play digs deep into the roots of American politics, immigration and race-relations, which made it extremely poignant for the acting company and audience. My character went to the Civil War, came home badly injured to discover his job was taken and a Federal Draft had been issued. What better drama could you ask for as an actor? As the story unfolded, my character was given some very radical dialogue. In the second act, after I delivered one of my final lines, I could hear the audience literally gasp while they shifted in their seats. That’s the power of live theatre. That is why I want to continue this pursuit in the United States, the biggest theater market in the world.

Kevin Dennis in “Paradise Square.”

HR: How much of an impact does social media have on an actor’s career in this day and age?

KD: While I love posting videos of me goofing off, or pics of my cat, there is simply no denying the power and reach of social media. Facebook, I keep mainly for the fun stuff. Twitter is strictly professional. Instagram is a hybrid of the two. I enjoy posting about my professional experiences in theatre and on screen and seeing how far it can go. It’s a great tool to get your portfolio exposed to a wider audience. Plus, producers look to see how you represent yourself online and how many engagements your posts create.

HR: So, what’s next?

KD: I’m currently in Toronto re-immersing myself in the film and television scene. I had a great guest spot on Murdoch Mysteries last year, and I’m now looking at some on-screen roles for the spring and summer. Beyond that, Paradise Square has a very solid chance of making it to Broadway in the next few months, and that has always been the biggest dream of my life.

HR: Let’s hope it comes true. Thanks for chatting with us, Kevin.

KD: Thank you.

Filed Under: Celebrity News, Film, Interview, Theater Tagged With: , , , , ,
by on October 20, 2017 Leave a Comment

40 Years with Gonads and Still Going Strong

by Peter Foldy

THE GONADS are a beer-loving, good time seeking street-punk rock band.

Formed in 1977, the band has been gigging regularly since they got back together in 1994. Since then they’ve played France, Germany, Sweden, the USA, all over the UK. They have achieved a smash indie-chart hit with their first E.P. Pure Punk For Row People.

Music success aside, Gonads lead singer, Gal Gonad, is perhaps best known in the UK by his alter ego, GARRY BUSHELL. A hard-hitting TV critic and an award-winning newspaper columnist, Garry was a staff writer for the UK rock weekly Sounds. He has written about bands as diverse as The Specials, The Ruts and Iron Maiden as well as the street-punk phenomenon known as Oi! He has penned a series of hard-boiled pulp fiction novels and has appeared on more than 2,000 TV shows. Garry’s own late night TV show ran for two years on ITV, attaining an audience share high of 68%. Howard Stern once dubbed him “my ambassador in England”.

We caught up with Gal/Garry via skype prior to his band’s triumphant return to Los Angeles.

Hollywood Revealed: How do you feel about doing your 40th year anniversary with the Gonads right here in Hollywood, California?

Garry: I love it! It’s fantastic. Where better than the  dream factory of the Western world to celebrate a living nightmare like the magnificent Gonads?

HR: How many songs are in the new Punk Rock Sob Stories that is coming out this Christmas?

Garry: The first collection had forty songs, and the new one will be at least that many. I’m just trying to whittle them down.

HR: We understand you will be casting for a film about the Gonads while you are in Los Angeles. What is that all about?

Garry: Yes, we are holding a casting session on November 12th at Beach Dancer Films. It’s an open call and the band and I will be looking for actors to play younger versions ourselves for a movie that will start production in 2018.

HR: Besides being the lead singer of the Gonads, you are also a columnist, covering, among other things, music and television.

Garry: Correct.

HR: What is a day in the life of a TV critic like?

Garry: Long and lonely, interrupted only by the comings and goings of take-away curry deliveries. I get up, I watch TV, I make notes…then repeat, with the occasional break to walk the dog to the pub, or to relieve the frustration by playing Rancid or The Interrupters as loud as hell.

HR: How many hours a week do you have to watch TV?

Garry: At least forty, but usually more. I don’t like to miss the shows with the biggest audiences so I even keep an eye on EastEnders, the BBC’s never-ending libel against Londoners.

HR: What are your current favorite shows and what is your favorite show of all time ?

Garry: Line of Duty was excellent again this year. I’m enjoying The Deuce and I’m Dying Up Here. My all time favorite would be The Sopranos, the TV series that reinvented TV and ushered in a new golden age. For US TV, The Sopranos, Seinfeld and the early years of The Simpsons. For Brit TV, Minder, The Sweeney and Porridge. I genuinely love great TV which is why bad or patronizing shows irritate me so much.

HR: What happened with you and Piers Morgan and him printing in the papers your salary from The Gonads? Is that a true story?

Garry: Ha, almost. I had a royalty statement for our most ‘critically misunderstood’ e.p. It was a couple of bucks. Piers managed to steal it from my desk and take a picture of it which he then printed in the Bizarre showbiz column of The Sun. I’d like to apologize right now for the career of Piers Morgan because, to my eternal shame, I gave him his first job, working for me, when I ran Bizarre. He was a pompous git even then.

HR: Have you made people happy with your reviews and vice versa?

Garry: You’d have to ask them. I seem to make readers happy.

HR: Tell us about the BARFTAs?

Garry: They’re the awards I give out every year on my website for things I don’t get paid to write about – generally films, books and music.

HR: Is there a huge difference between a film critic and a TV critic ?

Garry: Absolutely. A film critic can see everything he needs to write about in under a day. Three movies and they’re done. They watch them at screenings in the West End of London in decent surroundings with a free bar…it’s a wonder they’re not transported from cinema to cinema on studio-funded palanquins.

HR: When did you first discover that you have a particular style with words which has shaped your career as a journalist ?

Garry: I used to write comedy sketches for my own amusement when I was 14 or 15 and carried some of that on when I wrote a punk fanzine in 1977. But I guess it was the Sounds years that helped developed my style, especially in the 1980s.

HR: How many books in total have you written?

Garry: Five novels – three of them pulp fiction under my own name – and thirteen other books, most of them music or comedy related.

HR: What was it like doing the autobiography on Ozzy Ozbourne, A Diary of a Mad Man?

Garry: A bit hazy. We spent 13 hours drinking on the first day, which ended with Ozzy shaving my eyebrows off. When I noticed, two days later, I was shocked…but you couldn’t tell. For various reasons I only wrote part of that book. Mick Wall wrote the rest of it.

HR: Do you spend a lot of time with your subjects?

Garry: I spent a lot of time with Iron Maiden when I wrote their authorized biography, including spells on the road with them. Bruce Dickinson nearly killed me in Florida by driving the wrong way up an exit road into four lanes of on-coming traffic. Similarly Jeff Turner’s autobiography, Cockney Reject – we spent months on that.

HR: What are you writing now?

Garry: I’m writing the fourth installment of the Harry Tyler/The Face pulp fiction series, but I’ve just been asked to write the Origins novel to tie in with the We Still Kill The Old Way film franchise, so I’m already thinking about that.

HR: How many people have written songs about you?

Garry: Quite a few – Adam Ant, Crass, The Exploited, The Notsensibles, The Warriors, the Angelic Upstarts… they’re the most well known I’d imagine. Adam Ant’s ‘Press Darlings’ was the B-side of one of his hits so for a while it seemed to be on every jukebox in every pub and every bar I went in.

HR: Where are The Gonads playing after America?

Garry: New Cross in south London for our Christmas show with the Ska legend King Hammond, and then some German dates next year.

HR: In another life who would you choose to be?

Garry: Dick Gregory’s love child.

HR: Thanks for chatting with us, Garry.

Garry: The pleasure was all mine.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Celebrity News, Interview Tagged With: , ,
by on March 31, 2017 Leave a Comment

Mark Ballas To Reprise His Acclaimed Broadway Performance In L.A. Production of “Jersey Boys”

March 31, 2017

Casting has been announced for the Los Angeles engagement of the Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning hit musical “Jersey Boys,” the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, previewing May 16 and 17, opening May 18 and continuing through June 24, 2017, at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre.

Mark Ballas

Mark Ballas will reprise his hit Broadway performance as Frankie Valli for the Los Angeles engagement of the tour. Ballas, known for his Emmy nominated work on “Dancing with the Stars,” made his Broadway debut in the role last fall (October 18, 2016 – January 15, 2017).

Critically acclaimed ‘Frankie veterans’ Aaron De Jesus and Miguel Jarquin-Moreland will play Frankie Valli at certain performances during the week. The cast of “Jersey Boys” will also feature Matthew Dailey (Tommy DeVito), Keith Hines (Nick Massi) and Cory Jeacoma (Bob Gaudio) as The Four Seasons, with Barry Anderson and Thomas Fiscella.

Directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff, “Jersey Boys” is written by Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.

“Jersey Boys” is the behind-the-music story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard – and the radio just couldn’t get enough of it. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story – a story that has made them an international sensation all over again. The show features all their hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Oh What A Night,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “Working My Way Back To You.”

 

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by on December 13, 2016 Leave a Comment

2017 Golden Globe Nominations Announced

Hollywood, CA: December 13, 2016

The 2017 Golden Globe nominations were announced yesterday in Beverly Hills.

Actor Don Cheadle, Laura Dern, and Anna Kendrick were joined by the Miss Golden Globe trio — Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet Stallone as well as Hollywood Foreign Press Association President Lorenzo Soria, and Barry Adelman in revealing the nominees.

The Golden Globes are presented by the HFPA, which consists of journalists who cover American film and television for international outlets. The membership requirements however are not tough. Members are only required to publish four articles per year in almost any publication, meaning that many of the members are not full-time journalists who work for big-name outlets. In fact it has been said that legitimate journalists from major international publications are often denied HFPA membership.

It would seem it’s who you know, not what you know.

Many in Hollywoodlala-land consider the Golden Globes a second-class trophy compared to the Oscars and the Emmys, so why does Hollywood continue to support the ceremony? Because the public doesn’t know the difference and the telecast is a fun, alcohol fueled party with great gift bags for nominees and presenters.

And… as the old saying goes, any publicity is good publicity.

This year the nominations seem to be on track with what’s popular in the mainstream. La La Land, the fresh musical starring,Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone leads with seven.

The well deserved acclaim for the Matt Damon produced, Manchester By The Sea with powerful performances from Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams and Lucas Hedges is also growing and both these films will surely get Oscar nods.

Lion is another heart-tugging film that is gathering traction and is worthy of it’s nomination. The HFPA got these right.

The somewhat overrated Arrival is a surprise on the list, butManchesterbytheSea_Trailer we are happy to see Annett Bening recognized for her honest and believable work in 20th Century Women.

Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon’s fine work in Nocturnal Animals was overlooked by the HFPA but hopefully the SAG and Academy Awards will rectify that.

There are rumblings that Fences did not get a best picture nod. While the performances in the film are exceptional, it feels much like an over the top play that is more suited to the stage, the medium for which it was conceived.

Sully, a basically well made TV movie was left out of the mix, leaving Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood batting zero for the time being. Truthfully, there are many other deserving potential nominees who join Hanks and Eastwood on the sidelines.

In the foreign kills-on-wheels-posterfilm category, the strong Hungarian film, Kills On Wheels was sadly bypassed, perhaps because Son of Saul, also from Hungary, swept last year. This is a unfortunate because Kills On Wheels is a well made, action-packed film with heart and deserves to be seen.

Here’s a full list of nominees for the Golden Globes.

Winners will be announced in a live telecast on January 8, 2017, starting at 5pm PST.

 

 

Best motion picture, drama:
Hell or High Water
Hacksaw Ridge
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Moonlight

Best motion picture, musical or comedy:

20th Century Women
Deadpool
Florence Foster Jenkins
La La Land
Sing Street

Best TV series, drama:

Netflix‘s The Crown
HBO’s Game of Thrones
Netflix’s Stranger Things
NBC’s This Is Us
HBO’s Westworld

Best TV series, comedy:

FX’s Atlanta
ABC’s Black-ish
Amazon‘s Mozart in the Jungle
Amazon’s Transparent
HBO’s Veep

Best TV movie or limited series:
ABC’s American Crime
Starz’s The Dress
AMC‘s The Night Manager
HBO’s The Night Of
FX’s The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Best actor in a motion picture, drama:

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Joel Edgerton, Loving
Andrew Garfield, Hacksaw Ridge
Viggo Mortensen, Captain Fantastic
Denzel Washington, Fences

Best actress in a motion picture, drama:
Amy Adams, Arrival
Jessica Chastain, Miss Sloane
Isabelle Huppert, Elle
Ruth Negga, Loving
Natalie Portman, Jackie

Best actor in a motion picture, musical or comedy:

Colin Farrell, The Lobster
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Hugh Grant, Florence Foster Jenkins
Jonah Hill, War Dogs
Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool

Best actress in a motion picture, musical or comedy:

Annette Bening, 20th Century Women
Lily Collins, Rules Don’t Apply
Hailee Steinfeld, The Edge of Seventeen
Emma Stone, La La Land
Meryl Streep, Florence Foster Jenkins

Best supporting actor in a motion picture:
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water
Simon Helberg, Florence Foster Jenkins
Dev Patel, Lion
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals

Best supporting actress in a motion picture:

Viola Davis, Fences
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Nicole Kidman, Lion
Octavia Spencer, Hidden Figures
Michelle Williams, Manchester by the Sea

Filed Under: Awards, Celebrity Events, Celebrity News, News
by on October 27, 2016 Leave a Comment

“Last Days Of Summer” Seeking First Place This Winter

Los Angeles: October 27, 2016

Festival circuit darling,  “LAST DAYS OF SUMMER” produced by British born OLIVER RIDGE, is going for another win at the upcoming Whistler Film Festival. Having taken the grand prize for best feature at the Rhode Island Film Festival, the acclaimed drama starring WILLIAM FICHTNER next goes into competition at the prestigious Canadian event, which starts Nov. 30th.

Getting great buzzOliverRidgepic (1) ahead of an anticipated theatrical release next year, the film offers the kind of role we’ve never seen before from Fichtner, best known for “ARMAGEDDON” and “PRISON BREAK” and currently starring in CBS sitcom “MOM.” In Last Days of Summer” he  plays a suburban husband whose quiet life is turned upside down when he becomes obsessed with the beautiful young woman who moves in next door.

“It was an honor to work with such a talented and dedicated actor and make art with him” said producer Ridge, whose Last Days team also included director AARON HARVEY.

Ridge made his directorial debut recently and managed to pull of a coup by being able to recruit Academy Award nominee ERIC ROBERTS to star in Ridge’s “BLUEBIRD,” a poetic short film based on one of the works of the late Charles Bukowski.

We caught up with Oliver Ridge to to talk about his experiences in Hollywood.

Hollywood Revealed: How hard has the transition beenlastdaysofsummerposter (1) for you, moving from the UK to L.A? What were some of the challenges you faced?

Ridge: Driving was pretty scary! Away from that I think media has united us recently in western culture, but certainly when you’re moving five thousand miles away from home, it can be daunting. There are so many people in Los Angeles, but I think the biggest challenge was finding like minded people who I could drink whiskey with and talk movies.

Hollywood Revealed: How did you transition from producing to directing?

Ridge: I loved producing Last Days of Summer, but it certainly made me impatient to be in creative control again. I think that desire made my pre-production for Bluebird even more detailed and thorough, so that helped smooth the transition.

Hollywood Revealed: What kind of genres interest you as a producer/director?

Ridge: Can I say all oliverstepsof them? Because they all do. I want my films to have a universal feel and tone that you can see, but I also want them all to have an emotional weight. I like exploring the darker emotions, because I want my audience to feel something. But specific genres? My next film is a revenge thriller, but I’ve also just finished writing a science fiction film and have plans for a western. So I am all over the place!

Hollywood Revealed: Who are some of the directors you look up to? Who has been your biggest influence?

Ridge: David Fincher and Denis Villeneuve are two of my all time favorites, but Nicolas Winding Refn has certainly had the biggest influence on me.

Hollywood Revealed: Thanks for chatting with us, Oliver.

Ridge: It was a pleasure.

 

Filed Under: Celebrity News, Film, Interview Tagged With: , , , , , ,
by on August 8, 2016 Leave a Comment

BAFTA Award Winner, “Marty Goes To Hollywood” to Premier at Marina Del Rey Film Festival

August 7, 2016

MARTY GOES TO HOLLWOOD is a documentary about a Scottish actor, Marty Docherty, who landed a role as Tom Hank’s brother in the feature film, ‘Cloud Atlas.” Unable to afford a trip to the Hollywood premier, his friends team up to help him raise the money and decide to make a documentary about the process. Arriving in California days before the screening, the lads learn that Warner Bros. will not allow Marty to walk the red carpet. In the face of adversity they set out to defy the big studio and crash the premier, finding tremendous support and forging a life-long friendship in the process.

The film will screen at the 2016 Marina Del Rey Film Festival on August 13 at 3pm.

Hollywood Revealed: Hi, Marty.

Marty Docherty: Hello.

HR: I guess we should go back to the beginning. How did you land the role in “Cloud Atlas?”

MD: I auditioned for the part of ‘Eddie Hoggins’ in Glasgow. I thought I was maybe at the wrong audition as all the guys there were much older than me and much bigger (though that isn’t hard as I stand 5 feet 7 inches).Image I was off book for the casting and I thought it went really well. Two weeks later my agent called to say that they loved my tape and that Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski’s wanted to see me in London for a recall. I was pretty nervous but my thoughts were just keep doing what you’ve already done and you have a chance. The recall went very well and the part of Eddie Hoggins was mine. One week later it was confirmed that I was in a huge movie when they called to say that my costume fitting would be in Berlin!

HR: How was the idea for the documentary conceived?

MD: It came about when I returned back to Glasgow from filming. I met my very good friend, Ian Bustard for a pint at our favorite pub of the time, The Griffin Bar. Ian was asking me how the shoot had gone and I was regailing him with tales of Andy and Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Jim Broadbent and Hugo Weaving. It had been such an amazing time for me as “Cloud Atlas” was my first feature film and my first experience marty-docherty-488390471of something so large. Ian thought I was buzzing with the excitement of it all. He then said that I must go to the premiere in L.A. I of course said I’d love to go (and was sure I’d be invited) but there was no way I could afford it. He then said ‘why don’t we make a documentary about you raising the money to go?’ I thought that was a great idea, so Ian called Martyn Robertson, a friend, producer and film maker with his own company, Urbancroft Films. Martyn said it was the best idea he’d heard in seven years. So the concept of Marty Goes to Hollywood was born.

HR: What were your initial thoughts about actually going to Hollywood?

MD: It was a combination of nervousness and excitement. Having never been to the USA I was unsure of what to expect. I wanted to make sure that I make the best of any opportunities that came my way. Before we went we had no idea of what was going to happen so the feelings were more of excitement, of opportunity and possibility. The one thing I did know of L.A. was that there was a business there and thus opportunity. That’s the thing about being an actor… you just never know.

HR: Were you surprised when your home town got behind your plans to go to the premier?

MD: Yes, I was quite surprised at the support we got in Glasgow. The nature of people here is that of community, of wanting to help people if they can, of wanting to see one of they’re own doing well. I’m sure some people thought Radio‘who cares. It’s just some actor who wants to go to Hollywood.’  However the story started to get arms and legs and all of a sudden we were on the radio and in newspapers. Even the Lord Provost of Glasgow got involved, and we got good luck messages from Alex Salmond, Scotland first minister and the leader of the Scottish Labor Party. Glasgow is full of generous people and the bottom line is I wouldn’t have made it to Hollywood without them. Glasgow is by far the best city in the World – apart from L.A.

HR: How were you received by the British community once you arrived in L.A.?

MD: The reception we got from Brits in  L.A. was amazing. They seemed to take our story to heart and backed us all the way. We had been invited to meet them for breakfast at Cecconis, an amazing restaurant, on the Saturday morning and Tuesday morning. Craig Young and Eileen Lee, who run Brits in L.A. couldn’t do enough for us. Craig contacted his manager and arranged a meeting for me. By the time Tuesday  came round we needed help more than ever and I was absolutely bowled over with the support. Again, like so many people on this project, they helped when they didn’t need to. The best parts of human nature Melrosenever ceases to amaze me.

HR: What was the biggest misconception you had about L.A?

MD: I guess I thought it would be smaller and was amazed at the scale of the city. I also thought everyone would be a hippy, doing hot yoga, but when I got there I loved it! What’s not to like? I thought it was a very healthy city full of very beautiful people. Our days were pretty busy it was hard to appreciate certain things. I was impressed by the Roosevelt hotel! What a place!

HR: Are you surprised at all the positive reaction “Marty Goes to Hollywood” has received?

MD: Very surprised. First off I was amazed at the finished product and the great job Ian, Martyn, Chris Kinghorn, the cameraman, Thom Clark, the editor and Scott Twynholm, our music composer did. It must have been hard for those guys finding the best 53 minutes out of over 100 hours of footage.

The bottom line is that people liked our story and what we were trying to accomplish. Nothing we did was set up. That gave an honesty to us and our journey that peopleImage 3 responded to. Our story also became a bit of ‘David vs Goliath,’ and who doesn’t want to root for the underdog? The support and goodwill that came our way seemed to shine through in the film and all the people I met from the business, actors, producers in the main, loved it and loved it for different reasons. The film covers a lot of topics about being an actor and life in general and if anything it’s a film about friendship. I think that’s why people have been so positive about it. This film has been an amazing journey. Memories and friendships forged forever. The most incredible part of an 18 year acting career .

HR: Did you ever dream the the documentary would air on the BBC?

MD: I never really thought the BBC would be interested in our film. I’m not sure they would have had we not been nominated for a Scottish BAFTA New Talent Award, then subsequently winning it. I saw three or four rough cuts of the movie before I actually saw the finished version. Each time it improved as is normal with the grading process, the music etc . The final cut is an excellent film, worthy of a BAFTA nomination, if I do say so myself. Still to get in on the BBC at Christmas was just the icing on the cake. The BAFTA and the TV screening was a testament and a small reward to all those who had contributed their expertise for very little money. bafta4It was also a chance to bring the movie to a wider audience. All of which made me feel very proud and much taller than I actually am. My family and friends were particularly delighted as they had heard so much but hadn’t seen anything. In the week leading up to the TV screening the BBC advertised it about 10 times a day and we couldn’t believe it. A chat in a pub 3 years earlier had led to this?! If someone had said that to me 2 years earlier , I would have said they were a candidate for a lunatic asylum.

HR: Where did you watch it and what was that like?

MD: We went back to the Griffin bar were it had all began. Friends and family joined us. There were around 60 people there. What a buzz ! It was also a bit surreal as the TV announcer said ‘ Now on BBC2 , one man has a dream in ‘Marty Goes To Hollywood’. I thought, that’s me!!! It was like it wasn’t really happening. I looked around at a lot of those people who helped in some way and I was more interested in their reactions. People were laughing. Some were crying. I had a small moment to myself to reflect and thought how brilliant it was that we had a dream, we achieved it, we won a BAFTA 12434706_1843664495779074_1770093464_nand now we were on the BBC. I felt humbled by it all. Dreams really can come true.

HR: You’re probably more of a celebrity now for being in the documentary than for being in “Cloud Atlas.”

MD: That’s possible ! On the night of the screening I got in a taxi to go home. As I climbed in the taxi driver said, ‘Hi Marty how you’? I’d never met the man before in my life! He then said, ‘You were on the telly tonight, eh?’ Incredulously I said ‘Eh , that’s right aye ‘. I’d been on a radio program two weeks before to promote the documentary. The driver then said, ‘I really enjoyed you on the radio a couple of weeks ago’. I was pretty stunned. I guess taxi drivers know everything in Glasgow. My profile has definitely been raised by the documentary. A lot of times people pass me in street and say, ‘Awrite Marty’ (awrite is Glasgow slang for all right ). Other times people in a bar or a cafe will say, ‘ I know you. Where have we met before?’ The truth is we’ve never met but people recognize your face and think they know you. I quite enjoy it. Glasgow people are not backward at coming forward. They won’t be shy at telling you they know you. Certainly for a few months I’ve basked in the glory of my new found minor celebrity status.

HR: What are you working on now?

MD: Right now I’m doing a short film, a modern dayMGTH BAFTA FLYER (Hollywood) adaptation of Tam O ‘ Shanter, a very famous poem by Rabbie Burns with a visual arts company. I had my first day green screen filming last week. I’m very excited about it as they have a distributor in place on the strength of their  previous work. I’ve just finished playing a lawyer in 6 episodes of “River City,” the Scottish soap opera. I’m about to play a part in “Outlander” and I’m currently writing a one man show with the resident writer at the Citizens Theatre which we plan to put on in the Autumn. Exciting times!

HR: Any plans to come back to Hollywood?

MD: At the moment no. Not because I don’t want to. I would have loved to stayed on but the price of getting a work Visa there was just a bit much. However I would love to come back. I can see myself running down to muscle beach at 7am, going over my casting for that day in glorious sunshine. That’s in my dream of course, but as we’ve already proved, dreams really can come true.

HR: Thanks for chatting with us, Marty, and congratulations on all your success.

MD: Thank you.

MARTY GOES TO HOLLYWOOD screens at:

The Marina Del Rey Film Festival
3pm August 13, 2016

Cinemark 18XD
Howard Hughes Promenade
6081 Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90045
MAP

Link to the movie trailer: https://vimeo.com/149141219
Buy tickets: HERE

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Business, Celebrity News, Film Festivals, Interview Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
by on December 9, 2015 Leave a Comment

2015 Screen Actor’s Guild Nominations Annouced

Hollywood, CA: December 9, 2015

“Trumbo,” a film about the Hollywood blacklist, received three SAG nominations at today’s announcement ceremony.  Bryan Cranston got a nod for best actor, Helen Mirren for supporting actress and the entire cast of “Trumbo” were rewarded with an additional best ensemble nomination. Mirren also received a best actress nom for “Woman in Gold.”

Cranston willTrumboBar640 compete with Leonardo DiCaprio for “The Revenant,” Johnny Depp for “Black Mass,” Michael Fassbender for “Steve Jobs” and Eddie Redmayne for “The Danish Girl.” Redmayne won the trophy this year for “The Theory of Everything.”

“Trumbo” will face the ensembles for “Beasts of No Nation,” “Straight Outta Compton” “The Big Short” and “Spotlight.”

Two other high-profile movies opening on Christmas — Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” and Will Smith’s “Concussion” — were shut out along with Fox’s box office hit “The Martian.”

Best actress nominations went to Mirren for “Trumbo,” 000b4a44-630Rooney Mara for “Carol,” Rachel McAdams for “Spotlight,” Alicia Vikander for “The Danish Girl” and Kate Winslet for “Steve Jobs.”

Christian Bale received a supporting actor nod for “The Big Short” and will face Idris Elba for “Beasts of No Nation,” Mark Rylance for “Bridge of Spies,” Michael Shannon for “99 Homes” and Jacob Tremblay for “Room.”

In TV voting, SAG’s nominating committee largely opted for repeat nominees. with nods for  “The Big Bang Theory,” “Modern Family” and “Orange Is the New Black” (the 2015 victor) and HBO’s “Veep.”

“Mad Men” landed a drama ensemble nomination along with a nod for star Jon Hamm after being left out last year. eddie-redmayne-getty-mainThe rest of the nominees in the category matched last year’s with PBS’ “Downton Abbey,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Showtime’s “Homeland” and Netflix’s “House of Cards.”

The winners of the 22nd SAG Awards will be announced Jan. 30 in ceremonies at the Shrine Auditorium with live broadcasts on TNT and TBS.

Here’s a full list of the nominations:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
BRYAN CRANSTON / Dalton Trumbo – “TRUMBO” (Bleecker Street)
JOHNNY DEPP / James “Whitey” Bulger – “BLACK MASS” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / Hugh Glass – “THE REVENANT” (20th Century Fox)
MICHAEL FASSBENDER / Steve Jobs – “STEVE JOBS” (Universal Pictures)
EDDIE REDMAYNE / Einar Wegener/Lili Elbe – “THE DANISH GIRL” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
CATE BLANCHETT / Carol Aird – “CAROL” (The Weinstein Company)
BRIE LARSON / Ma – “ROOM” (A24)
HELEN MIRREN / Maria Altmann – “WOMAN IN GOLD” (The Weinstein Company)
SAOIRSE RONAN / Eilis – “BROOKLYN” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
SARAH SILVERMAN / Laney Brooks – “I SMILE BACK” (Broad Green Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
CHRISTIAN BALE / Michael Burry – “THE BIG SHORT” (Paramount Pictures)
IDRIS ELBA / Commandant – “BEASTS OF NO NATION” (Netflix)
MARK RYLANCE / Abel Rudolph – “BRIDGE OF SPIES” (DreamWorks)
MICHAEL SHANNON / Rick Carver – “99 HOMES” (Broad Green Pictures)
JACOB TREMBLAY / Jack – “ROOM” (A24)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
ROONEY MARA / Therese Belivet – “CAROL” (The Weinstein Company)
RACHEL McADAMS / Sacha Pfeiffer – “SPOTLIGHT” (Open Road Films)
HELEN MIRREN / Hedda Hopper – “TRUMBO” (Bleecker Street)
ALICIA VIKANDER / Gerda Wegener – “THE DANISH GIRL” (Focus Features)
KATE WINSLET / Joanna Hoffman – “STEVE JOBS” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
BEASTS OF NO NATION (Netflix)
ABRAHAM ATTAH / Agu
KURT EGYIAWAN / 2nd I-C
IDRIS ELBA / Commandant

THE BIG SHORT (Paramount Pictures)
CHRISTIAN BALE / Michael Burry
STEVE CARELL / Mark Baum
RYAN GOSLING / Jared Vennett
MELISSA LEO / Georgia Hale
HAMISH LINKLATER / Porter Collins
JOHN MAGARO / Charlie Geller
BRAD PITT / Ben Rickert
RAFE SPALL / Danny Moses
JEREMY STRONG / Vinny Peters
MARISA TOMEI / Cynthia Baum
FINN WITTROCK / Jamie Shipley

SPOTLIGHT (Open Road Films)
BILLY CRUDUP / Eric MacLeish
BRIAN D’ARCY JAMES / Matty Carroll
MICHAEL KEATON / Walter “Robby” Robinson
RACHEL McADAMS / Sacha Pfeiffer
MARK RUFFALO / Michael Rezendes
LIEV SCHREIBER / Marty Baron
JOHN SLATTERY / Ben Bradlee, Jr.
STANLEY TUCCI / Mitchell Garabedian

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (Universal Pictures)
NEIL BROWN JR. / DJ Yella
PAUL GIAMATTI / Jerry Heller
COREY HAWKINS / Dr. Dre
ALDIS HODGE / MC Ren
O’SHEA JACKSON JR. / Ice Cube
JASON MITCHELL / Eazy-E

TRUMBO (Bleecker Street)
ADEWALE AKINNUOYE-AGBAJE / Virgil Brooks
LOUIS C.K. / Arlen Hird
BRYAN CRANSTON / Dalton Trumbo
DAVID JAMES ELLIOTT / John Wayne
ELLE FANNING / Niki Trumbo
JOHN GOODMAN / Frank King
DIANE LANE / Cleo Trumbo
HELEN MIRREN / Hedda Hopper
MICHAEL STUHLBARG / Edward G. Robinson
ALAN TUDYK / Ian McLellan Hunter

TELEVISION PROGRAMS

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
IDRIS ELBA / DCI John Luther – “LUTHER” (BBC America)
BEN KINGSLEY / Grand Vizier Ay – “TUT” (Spike)
RAY LIOTTA / Lorca/Tom Mitchell – “TEXAS RISING” (History)
BILL MURRAY / Himself – “A VERY MURRAY CHRISTMAS” (Netflix)
MARK RYLANCE / Thomas Cromwell – “WOLF HALL” (Masterpiece/PBS)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
NICOLE KIDMAN / Grace – “GRACE OF MONACO” (Lifetime)
QUEEN LATIFAH / Bessie Smith – “BESSIE” (HBO)
CHRISTINA RICCI / Lizzie Borden – “THE LIZZIE BORDEN CHRONICLES” (Lifetime)
SUSAN SARANDON / Gladys Mortenson – “THE SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE” (Lifetime)
KRISTEN WIIG / Delores DeWinter – “THE SPOILS BEFORE DYING” (IFC)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister – “GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
JON HAMM / Don Draper – “MAD MEN” (AMC)
RAMI MALEK / Elliot – “MR. ROBOT” (USA Network)
BOB ODENKIRK / Jimmy McGill – “BETTER CALL SAUL” (AMC)
KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison – “HOMELAND” (Showtime)
VIOLA DAVIS / Annalise Keating – “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER” (ABC)
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Alicia Florrick – “THE GOOD WIFE” (CBS)
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham – “DOWNTON ABBEY” (Masterpiece/PBS)
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy – “MODERN FAMILY” (ABC)
LOUIS C.K. / Louie – “LOUIE” (FX Networks)
WILLIAM H. MACY / Frank – “SHAMELESS” (Showtime)
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper – “THE BIG BANG THEORY” (CBS)
JEFFREY TAMBOR / Maura Pfefferman – “TRANSPARENT” (Amazon)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren – “ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK” (Netflix)
EDIE FALCO / Jackie Peyton – “NURSE JACKIE” (Showtime)
ELLIE KEMPER / Kimmy Schmidt – “UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT” (Netflix)
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS / President Selina Meyer – “VEEP” (HBO)
AMY POEHLER / Leslie Knope – “PARKS AND RECREATION” (NBC)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
DOWNTON ABBEY (Masterpiece/PBS)
HUGH BONNEVILLE / Robert, Earl of Grantham
LAURA CARMICHAEL / Lady Edith Crawley
JIM CARTER / Mr. Carson
RAQUEL CASSIDY / Baxter
BRENDAN COYLE / Mr. Bates
TOM CULLEN / Anthony Gillingham
MICHELLE DOCKERY / Lady Mary Crawley
KEVIN DOYLE / Mr. Molesley
JOANNE FROGGATT / Anna Bates
LILY JAMES / Lady Rose
ROBERT JAMES-COLLIER / Thomas Barrow
ALLEN LEECH / Tom Branson
PHYLLIS LOGAN / Mrs. Hughes
ELIZABETH McGOVERN / Cora, Countess of Grantham
SOPHIE McSHERA / Daisy
LESLEY NICOL / Mrs. Patmore
JULIAN OVENDEN / Charles Blake
DAVID ROBB / Dr. Clarkson
MAGGIE SMITH / Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
PENELOPE WILTON / Isobel Crawley

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
IAN BEATTIE / Ser Meryn Trant
JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne of Tarth
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
MICHAEL CONDRON / Bowen Marsh
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
BEN CROMPTON / Dolorous Edd
LIAM CUNNINGHAM / Ser Davos Seaworth
STEPHEN DILLANE / Stannis Baratheon
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
TARA FITZGERALD / Selyse Baratheon
JEROME FLYNN / Bronn
BRIAN FORTUNE / Othell Yarwyck
JOEL FRY / Hizdahr Zo Loraq
AIDAN GILLEN / Littlefinger Petyr Baelish
IAIN GLEN / Ser Jorah Mormont
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY / Cersei Lannister
MICHIEL HUISMAN / Daario Naharis
HANNAH MURRAY / Gilly
BRENOCK O’CONNOR / Olly
DANIEL PORTMAN / Podrick Payne
IWAN RHEON / Ramsay Snow
OWEN TEALE / Ser Alliser Thorne
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
CARICE VAN HOUTEN / Melisandre
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark
TOM WLASCHIHA / Jaqen H’ghar

HOMELAND (Showtime)
F. MURRAY ABRAHAM / Dar Adal
ATHEER ADEL / Numan
CLAIRE DANES / Carrie Mathison
ALEXANDER FEHLING / Jonas Hollander
RUPERT FRIEND / Peter Quinn
NINA HOSS / Astrid
RENÉ DAVID IFRAH / Bibi
MARK IVANIR / Ivan Krupin
SEBASTIAN KOCH / Otto D?ring
MIRANDA OTTO / Allison Carr
MANDY PATINKIN / Saul Berenson
SARAH SOKOLOVIC / Laura Sutton

HOUSE OF CARDS (Netflix)
MAHERSHALA ALI / Remy Danton
DEREK CECIL / Seth Grayson
NATHAN DARROW / Edward Meechum
MICHAEL KELLY / Doug Stamper
ELIZABETH MARVEL / Heather Dunbar
MOLLY PARKER / Jackie Sharp
JIMMI SIMPSON / Gavin Orsay
KEVIN SPACEY / Francis Underwood
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood

MAD MEN (AMC)
SOLA BAMIS / Shirley
STEPHANIE DRAKE / Meredith
JAY R. FERGUSON / Stan Rizzo
BRUCE GREENWOOD / Richard Burghoff
JON HAMM / Don Draper
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS / Joan Harris
JANUARY JONES / Betty Francis
VINCENT KARTHEISER / Pete Campbell
ELISABETH MOSS / Peggy Olson
KEVIN RAHM / Ted Chaough
KIERNAN SHIPKA / Sally Draper
JOHN SLATTERY / Roger Sterling
RICH SOMMER / Harry Crane
AARON STATON / Ken Cosgrove
MASON VALE COTTON / Bobby Draper

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS)
MAYIM BIALIK / Amy Farrah Fowler
KALEY CUOCO / Penny
JOHNNY GALECKI / Leonard Hofstadter
SIMON HELBERG / Howard Wolowitz
KUNAL NAYYAR / Rajesh Koothrappali
JIM PARSONS / Sheldon Cooper
MELISSA RAUCH / Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz

KEY & PEELE (Comedy Central)
KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY / Various Characters
JORDAN PEELE / Various Characters

MODERN FAMILY (ABC)
JULIE BOWEN / Claire Dunphy
TY BURRELL / Phil Dunphy
AUBREY ANDERSON EMMONS / Lily Tucker-Pritchett
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON / Mitchell Pritchett
NOLAN GOULD / Luke Dunphy
SARAH HYLAND / Haley Dunphy
ED O’NEILL / Jay Pritchett
RICO RODRIGUEZ / Manny Delgado
ERIC STONESTREET / Cameron Tucker
SOFIA VERGARA / Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
ARIEL WINTER / Alex Dunphy

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix)
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren
MIKE BIRBIGLIA / Danny Pearson
MARSHA STEPHANIE BLAKE / Berdie Rogers
DANIELLE BROOKS / Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson
LAVERNE COX / Sophia Burset
JACKIE CRUZ / Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales
CATHERINE CURTIN / Wanda Bell
LEA DELARIA / Carrie “Big Boo” Black
BETH FOWLER / Sister Jane Ingalls
JOEL MARSH GARLAND / Scott O’Neill
KIMIKO GLENN / Brook Soso
ANNIE GOLDEN / Norma Romano
DIANE GUERRERO / Maritza Ramos
MICHAEL J. HARNEY / Sam Healy
VICKY JEUDY / Janae Watson
SELENIS LEYVA / Gloria Mendoza
TARYN MANNING / Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett
ADRIENNE C. MOORE / Black Cindy
KATE MULGREW / Galina “Red” Reznikov
EMMA MYLES / Leanne Taylor
MATT PETERS / Joel Luschek
LORI PETTY / Lolly Whitehill
JESSICA PIMENTEL / Maria Ruiz
DASCHA POLANCO / Dayanara Diaz
LAURA PREPON / Alex Vause
ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ / Aleida Diaz
RUBY ROSE / Stella Carlin
NICK SANDOW / Joe Caputo
ABIGAIL SAVAGE / Gina
TAYLOR SCHILLING / Piper Chapman
CONSTANCE SHULMAN / Yoga Jones
DALE SOULES / Frieda
YAEL STONE / Lorna Morello
SAMIRA WILEY / Poussey Washington

TRANSPARENT (Amazon)
ALEXANDRA BILLINGS / Davina Rejennae
CARRIE BROWNSTEIN / Syd Feldman
JAY DUPLASS / Josh Pfefferman
KATHRYN HAHN / Raquel Fein
GABY HOFFMANN / Ali Pfefferman
CHERRY JONES / Leslie Mackinaw
AMY LANDECKER / Sarah Pfefferman
JUDITH LIGHT / Shelly Pfefferman
HARI NEF / Gittel/Gerson
EMILY ROBINSON / Rose Boymelgreen
JEFFREY TAMBOR / Maura Pfefferman

VEEP (HBO)
DIEDRICH BADER / Bill Ericsson
SUFE BRADSHAW / Sue Wilson
ANNA CHLUMSKY / Amy Brookheimer
GARY COLE / Kent Davidson
KEVIN DUNN / Ben Cafferty
TONY HALE / Gary Walsh
HUGH LAURIE / Tom James
PHIL REEVES / Doyle
SAM RICHARDSON / Richard
REID SCOTT / Dan Egan
TIMOTHY SIMONS / Jonah Ryan
SARAH SUTHERLAND / Catherine
MATT WALSH / Mike McLintock

SAG AWARDS® HONORS FOR STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“EVEREST” (Universal Pictures)
“FURIOUS 7” (Universal Pictures)
“JURASSIC WORLD” (Universal Pictures)
“MAD MAX: FURY ROAD” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
“MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – ROGUE NATION” (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
“THE BLACKLIST” (NBC)
“GAME OF THRONES” (HBO)
“HOMELAND” (Showtime)
“MARVEL’S DAREDEVIL” (Netflix)
“THE WALKING DEAD” (AMC)

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

52nd Annual SAG Life Achievement Award
CAROL BURNETT

Filed Under: Awards, Celebrity News, Events Tagged With: ,
by on August 10, 2015 Leave a Comment

You Tube Icon Freddie Wong To Be Honored By Hollyshorts 2015

Hollywood, CA: August 10, 2015

YouTube icon Freddie Wong, the filmmaker behind the online phenomenon web series Video Game High School, will be honored with the 2015 HollyShorts Trailblazer Award at next Thursday’s HollyShorts Film Festival’s opening night celebration.

The event takes place on August 13 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theater.

Wong will be honored with the Award for his outstanding accomplishments as a filmmaker freddie_wongand YouTube pioneer. Wong and RocketJump’s videos have amassed more than 7.5 million subscribers on YouTube with over 1 billion views of their content. Season 3 of their Video Game High School web series drew over 85 million views. RocketJump is in the process of creating a long-form series for Hulu with Lionsgate.

Wong joins an impressive star-studded evening at HollyShorts opening night, which will feature short movies starring Rose McGowan, Jason Patric, Sharon Lawrence, Rose McIver, Beth Grant, Robert Forster, Jennifer Morrison, Josh Lawson, Portia Doubleday, Carly Chaikin, and many more. HollyShorts is the largest annual gathering of short form movies in Los Angeles with over 15,000 anticipated attendees for the week-long event (August 13-22) and over 400HollyShorts logo 2012 (2) pieces of short form content being showcased in competition. Actress Victoria Summer will be presenting the Award to Wong on Thursday.

Freddie Wong is the co-founder of digital entertainment company RocketJump. He co-created the award-winning web series Video Game High School (VGHS) that aired its third and final season, breaking crowdfunding records for a web series by raising $900K last year. RocketJump has entered into a content partnership deal with Lionsgate and signed a deal to bring RocketJump’s next series to Hulu.

Commented Daniel Sol, co-founder, HollyShorts: “Freddie Wong exemplifies a HollyShorts Trailblazer, what he’s been able to accomplish with VGHS and his shorts is just astounding. Numbers don’t lie, with over 1 billion global views on YouTube, Freddie and RocketJump are this generation’s new storytellers and we are proud to honor them at HollyShorts, this will be an epic night to remember.”

HollyShorts past honorees include The Russo Brothers, David Lynch, Eli Roth, Joe Carnahan, Paul Haggis, Matthew Modine, Bill Plympton among others.

Filed Under: Awards, Celebrity News, Film, News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
by on March 24, 2015 Leave a Comment

From TV To Indie Films, Michael Grant Is Doing It All

by Peter Hughes

Young actor, MICHAEL GRANT  pulls his black Mini Cooper into a parking spot at the same time I am trying to find a place to park myself in a dark garage below a Beverly Hills cafe.

“Hey, Michael,” I call out, never having met the man in person, but having recently seen his acting chops in the fine, new, currently unreleased drama, “Fair Haven,” he looks much like he did in the movie.

We shake hands and head 10659095_520949571370766_6154814187858732891_oupstairs to order breakfast, finding ourselves relegated to an outside table where not even the hot, high octane coffee I am sipping keeps me warm on this unusually brisk morning in March.

My early rapport with Michael also seems just a little bit on the cool side.  He is soft spoken and seemingly introverted, but as we play the get to know you game his sweet side begins to seep through and it doesn’t take long to warm up to this kid.

His backstory is not all that unusual. The son of a doctor in Tennessee, he and his sister Stephanie, along with their mom, Anna, made the move to California five years ago, initially to launch Stephanie into the world of acting.  A classically trained pianist and lifelong musician, then 14-year-old Michael also decided that, since he was in Hollywood,  he too might give acting a try.  He soon landed an agent and his early auditions quickly gave him the confidence that he was looking for.

“It was when I came very close to landing a lead on a Disney show called, “Kickin’ It” that I 10456086_478567745608949_7788342373032352340_nrealized I can do this,” he explains.  Now, five years and many acting workshops later, Michael is on an upward trajectory with strong supporting roles in the features, “Where Hope Grows” in which he plays a cruel bully, and “Still Life,” an indie film dealing with high school kids figuring out their future.  “Where Hope Grows” recently premiered at the Dallas Film Festival and has since been picked up for theatrical distribution by Roadside Attractions.

Perhaps his most valuable credit to date has been as a series regular on seasons 4 and 5 of “The Secret Life of The American Teenager” a show that has not only given him some financial stability, but has also brought him some fans.  He has since guest starred on various other TV shows,  slowly building an impressive resume for a young actor who has only just turned 19.

But the purpose of our meeting today is to talk about “Fair Haven,” a film where Michael gets to do the heavy lifting.  He plays the role of “James,” a musically prodigy who has been sent by his father to ex-gay-conversion therapy where they try to scare the gay out of him and return him to his family full of Jesus.  Stopping in to see his father on his way to study at the prestigious music academy, Berklee, the character discovers that his old man has spent his college fund, virtually trapping the boy in the narrow-minded confines of his small town.  James goes to work for his dad on the farm and begins the charade of dating girls.  Along the way he runs into his best friend and one time boyfriend, “Charlie,” well portrayed 10387167_487170941415296_5077640384864648015_oanother young actor, Josh Green.

So what was it about this project that appealed to him, I ask?

“The story by the film’s director Kerstin Karlhuber and the script by Jack Bryant was so well written that it immediately spoke to me.  After reading it I put myself on tape. I read some scenes and played the piano and sent it off to the casting director.  As luck would have it I landed the role and soon found myself in the town of Victor, New York making this movie.

And how was the shoot?  “Short and fast paced.  I was in most of the scenes.  I had very little down time and when I did I kept mostly to myself.  This was my first lead and I knew the responsibility I was a carrying but truthfully, by the end of the film I was emotionally drained.  I remember calling my sister from my hotel room and telling her I don’t know if I can muster the energy for my remaining scenes, I was that exhausted, but somehow I did and we got it done.”

Having seen a rough cut of this film, I can say that Michael’s portrayal MG (1)of “James” is poignant and vulnerable, a trait that he was now allowing me a glimpse of as our outdoor breakfast chat continued.

We switch gears to talk about his life in L.A.  How does he spend his time?

“I study.  Watch a lot of classic movies.  My parents recently gave me a boxed set of films from the 50s and 60s.  I loved them, especially enjoy foreign films.  Truffaut, Godard, Andrei Tarkovski.  Brilliant directors.”  What about hobbies or pastimes?  “Basketball.  I’m a big NBA fan.”

So what is it about acting that made him put his classical music training on the backburner for now?  “Acting is a craft of the heart,” he tells me.  “It’s my chance for real artistic expression.   Although the television work I’ve done is important, I hope to be able to continue my current momentum as an actor in indie films.  I think features give me a chance to be a part of perhaps more meaningful stories. I’ve definitely grown as a person doing these last three films.  On “Still Life” in particular I made some amazing friends.  People I hope to know for a long time to come.”

So whose career would he likeFairHaven_Poster_03 to emulate?  Which directors would he love to work with?  “Terrence Malick for sure.  I loved “The Tree of Life.”  Wish I could have been in that one.   Chris Nolan, David Fincher, those are probably some other favorites that come to mind.  As far as actors, I really admire Ryan Gosling’s work and the way he has managed his career.  Andrew Garfield is another actor I admire and reaching back a few years, Timothy Hutton who was so brilliant as a high school kid in Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People.”

With the temperature dropping we pay our bill and stand in the parking lot to warm up in the sunshine as we say our goodbyes.  I’ve enjoyed this interview.  Michael’s turned out to be a cool guy who is setting the foundations for a long lasting acting and music career.

I climb in my car and follow him out of the garage.  He zips away in his little Mini Cooper, perhaps to continue chasing the dream.

From where I’m sitting I’m willing to bet he finds it.

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by on February 8, 2015 Leave a Comment

“Birdman” Director, Alejandro Inarritu, Wins Top Prize At Directors Guild Awards

-1Century City, CA:  February 8, 2015

After taking top honors from the Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG) and the producing guilds, “Birdman,” a film about a washed-up Hollywood actor played by Michael Keaton has won the top prize at the Directors Guild Awards in Century City last night.

Alejandro Inarritu, the writer-director of “Birdman,” was honored at Saturday’s ceremony with the prize for outstanding directional achievement for a feature film.  Many had expected Richard Linklater, director of the film, “Boyhood,” to win the top prize at last night’s award and this win by Inarritu just may give “Birdman” an edge at the up-coming  Academy Awards.  59 of the 66 previous DGA winners have gonebanner-birdman-film_page_np on to win the directing Oscar.

The Director’s Guild dispenses awards to directors in TV and movie categories in what’s customarily a final calling for the film that goes on to win the best director trophy and possibly best picture at the Oscars.

Other winners Saturday included Jill Soloway for the TV comedy “Transparent” and Laura Poitras for the documentary “Citizenfour.”

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