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Graham McTavish and Gary Lewis Join ‘Outlander’

Graham McTavish Joins Outlander
Graham McTavish (Photo Courtesy of Starz)

Graham McTavish (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) and Gary Lewis joined the cast of the original series Outlander airing in 2014 on Starz. The series is based on Diana Gabaldon’s bestselling books and will be executive produced by Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation). Moore also handled writing duties on the first two episodes, which John Dahl (Dexter, Breaking Bad) is directing.

Starz says McTavish will be playing Dougal MacKenzie, and Lewis has been confirmed to play Colum MacKenzie. The cast also features Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser and Tobias Menzies as Frank Randall and Jonathan ‘Black Jack’ Randall.

Filming will begin this fall in Scotland.

The Plot:

The Outlander series spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history, and adventure in one epic tale. It follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened.

When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Dougal MacKenzie is the War Chieftain of Clan MacKenzie. His older brother Colum is the ruling Laird but would be nothing without Dougal, his loyal right hand. Dougal is a skilled and experienced warrior. A strong leader, he commands respect in any setting and is feared by many. Unlike his brother, Dougal secretly supports the rebel cause against the British.

Gary Lewis Joins Outlander
Gary Lewis (Photo Courtesy of Starz)

Colum is Jamie’s maternal uncle. He is a man who reigns over a powerful clan, but must rely on Dougal to be the true muscle. Colum suffers from a condition now known as Toulouse-Lautrec Syndrome, a degenerative disease that renders his legs immobile at times, and fills his days with great physical pain. Colum, using wine to dull the pain, is able to rise to the occasion when needed, parading around at clan dinners and gatherings, solidifying his position as clan leader.




‘Kill Your Darlings’ New Trailer with Daniel Radcliffe

The Beat Generation comes to life on the screen in Kill Your Darlings starring Daniel Radcliffe, Ben Foster, Jack Huston, Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall, and Elizabeth Olsen. And Sony Pictures Classics just unveiled this new trailer for the dramatic film directed by John Krokidas and set to hit theaters on October 18, 2013.

The Plot:

Kill Your Darlings is the previously untold story of murder that brought together a young Allen Ginsberg (Radcliffe), Jack Kerouac (Huston) and William Burroughs (Foster) at Columbia University in 1944, providing the spark that would lead to their Beat Revolution. This is the true story of friendship and murder that led to the birth of an entire generation.

Tom Hiddleston Teaches Cookie Monster About Delayed Gratification

This could quite possibly be the best video you’ll see online all day. Why? Because it features Tom Hiddleston smiling, laughing, nibbling on cookies, and hanging out with Cookie Monster. Oh, and there’s even a lesson being taught about self-control.

Dancing with the Stars Season 17 Cast Announced

Dancing with the Stars Cast Season 17
The cast of Season 17 of "Dancing With The Stars" is announced live on "Good Morning America," 9/4/13, airing on the ABC Television Network: KEYSHAWN JOHNSON, NICOLE "SNOOKI" POLIZZI, BILL ENGVALL, VALERIE HARPER, JACK OSBOURNE, CORBIN BLEU, CHRISTINA MILIAN, BILL NYE, ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN, BRANT DAUGHERTY, AMBER RILEY (Photo by Ida Mae Astute © ABC
Season 17 of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars will feature a reality TV celeb, a former NFL player, and Bill Nye the Science Guy. The cast of competitors also includes one of the High School Musical cast members and a Glee actress, with Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet back as the show’s hosts.
 
In addition to announcing this season’s “stars”, ABC also revealed a major change in the way the show will handle the eliminations. The format will be similar to So You Think You Can Dance‘s, with DwtS airing on one night in a two hour block. The competitors will dance and then at the end of each episode, the eliminated dancer will be revealed. Season 17 kicks off on Monday, September 16, 2013 at 8pm and the following week “one couple will be eliminated at the end of the show by combining the judges’ scores from that night with the public votes from the previous week.”

Dancing with the Stars Season 17 Cast

ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN — Elizabeth Berkley Lauren has appeared in a host of successful film, television and stage roles. Her acting career began at age 15 as Jessie in the hit sitcom Saved by the Bell. She played Julia Winston on CSI: MIAMI and appeared in the final season of Showtime’s The L-Word. Her television success led to film roles in First Wives Club, Roger Dodger, Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday, Woody Allen’s Curse of the Jade Scorpion and the cult hit Showgirls. On the London stage Berkley Lauren appeared in Lenny opposite Eddie Izzard. On Broadway she starred with Richard Dreyfuss in the comedy Sly Fox and earned rave reviews for Hurlyburly with Ethan Hawke. For the past several years, due to the syndication of Saved by the Bell, Berkley Lauren has been making life-changing connections with a whole new generation of teen girls with her not-for-profit organization, “Ask Elizabeth.” She facilitates self-esteem workshops and volunteers in both schools and youth organizations, and her website, ask-elizabeth.com, provides constant resources and assistance to girls. This nationwide movement has affected the lives of over 100,000 girls and counting. Berkley Lauren was a featured contributor for Oprah.com, bridging the communication gap between mothers and daughters. She is the author of The New York Times bestselling book Ask Elizabeth. She and her artist/fashion designer husband, Greg Lauren, are the proud new parents to a one-year-old son, Sky Cole Lauren. ELIZABETH BERKLEY LAUREN partners with VALENTIN CHMERKOVSKIY.
 
CORBIN BLEU — Corbin Bleu is best known for his role as Chad in the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel Movie High School Musical, its sequel, High School Musical 2, and the feature film High School Musical 3: Senior Year. He also starred in the hit Disney Channel Movie Jump In, and will be seen this fall starring alongside Stephen Lang in the highly anticipated thriller The Monkey’s Paw. Bleu had his producing debut in 2008 for the movie Free Style, in which he also starred. In 2012 he was seen in Scary or Die. Other television credits include The Good Wife, Flight 29 Down, Hannah Montana, ER, The Amanda Show, Cover Me, Malcolm & Eddie, Franklin and Bash, Blue Bloods and Psych. He can currently be seen playing the role of Jeffrey King on One Life to Live. Bleu starred on Broadway as Jesus in Godspell and as Usnavi in In the Heights. He also starred in the theater sensation Hairspray at the Hollywood Bowl. In 2007 his debut solo album, Another Side, featured the hit single “Push it to the Limit,” and in 2009 he released his second studio album, Speed of Light. Bleu’s first leading film role was in Catch That Kid. Other film credits include Soldier, Galaxy Quest, Mystery Men and Family Tree. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Bleu currently resides in Los Angeles and New York City. CORBIN BLEU partners with KARINA SMIRNOFF.
 
BRANT DAUGHERTY — Brant Daugherty is best known for his role as Noel on ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars, and can currently be seen as Lt. Patrick Clarke on Lifetime’s Army Wives. He was also on the daytime serial Days of Our Lives. Daugherty has a lead role in Hallmark Channel’s upcoming TV movie, The Michaels. In November he will make his film debut in the comedy spoof, The Starving Games, from filmmaking team Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, Daugherty went to Columbia College Chicago and earned a bachelor’s degree in film and video production. BRANT DAUGHERTY partners with PETA MURGATROYD.
 
BILL ENGVALL — Bill Engvall is a Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum selling recording artist and one of the top comedians in the country. Currently Engvall can be heard on the animated comedy series Bounty Hunters, airing on CMT. He previously starred in and executive-produced the TBS sitcom The Bill Engvall Show. Engvall was part of the enormously successful Blue Collar Comedy concert films, which sold over 9 million units and received a Grammy nomination. He also starred on the WB’s hit sketch comedy show, Blue Collar TV, and in several solo specials for Comedy Central. In 2012 he reunited with Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy on the “Them Idiots Whirled Tour,” which aired as a special on CMT. Engvall’s first album, Here’s Your Sign, is certified platinum and held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Comedy Chart for 15 straight weeks. His second album, Dorkfish, also debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Comedy Chart, as have his subsequent comedy albums. He has written several books, including his 2007 autobiography, Bill Engvall – Just a Guy. A native of Galveston, Texas, Engvall moved to Dallas and worked as a disc jockey with plans of becoming a teacher. While in a nightclub one evening, he tried his hand at stand-up comedy and found that making people laugh was truly his forte. Soon after, he moved to Los Angeles and went on to star in the Showtime special, A Pair of Jokers, hosted A&E’s “Evening at the Improv” and appeared on The Tonight Show and Late Show with David Letterman. In 1992 Engvall won the American Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-up Comedian. He appeared in several episodes of Designing Women and co-starred in Delta and The Jeff Foxworthy Show. Engvall resides in Southern California with his family. BILL ENGVALL joins first time professional partner EMMA SLATER.
 
VALERIE HARPER — Valerie Harper is best known to audiences for her role as the beloved Rhoda Morgenstern on the classic TV sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its subsequent spin-off, Rhoda. The popularity of the show was enormous, and the episode of Rhoda’s wedding set ratings records with 52 million viewers. For playing Rhoda, Harper won a total of four Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe. Her extensive television career includes the self titled sitcom, Valerie, and more recently guest roles on such hit shows as Desperate Housewives, Sex and the City, That ‘70s Show, Touched by an Angel and Hot in Cleveland. Notable film credits include Blame It on Rio, Freebie and the Bean, Chapter Two and The Last Married Couple in America. In 2010 Harper was seen on Broadway in Looped and received a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of legendary actress Tallulah Bankhead. In January 2013, Harper published her memoir, I Rhoda. VALERIE HARPER partners with TRISTAN MACMANUS.
 
KEYSHAWN JOHNSON — Keyshawn Johnson is a multi-talented business entrepreneur, media broadcaster, television personality and elite athlete. The CEO and a co-founder of First Picks Management, Johnson is a former NFL Super Bowl champion and All Pro wide receiver. He was drafted No. 1 overall by the New York Jets in 1996 and also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. He joined ESPN in 2007 as an NFL studio analyst the same day he announced his retirement from the NFL. Johnson appears on both Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown, and co-hosts ESPN Radio’s weekly “Football Tonight Special” on Fridays during the NFL season. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a BA in History. He is the founder and chairman of the Keyshawn Johnson Education Foundation, which supported educational scholarships and programs that encourage youth to aspire towards education. Johnson currently lives with his girlfriend, Jennifer, and their four children, Maia, Keyshawn, London and Vance. KEYSHAWN JOHNSON partners with SHARNA BURGESS.
 
CHRISTINA MILIAN — Christina Milian is a multi-talented phenomenon whose resume includes film, television, theater and music. Milian is formally known for her role as the social media correspondent for the hit NBC show The Voice. She was also most recently seen in the television movie The Christmas Cupid, CBS’ A Gifted Man and CSI, and recurs as the voice of Esther on Family Guy. She also starred in the last installment of the popular Bring It On franchise in Bring It On: Fight to the Finish. Most recently Milian signed with Lil Wayne’s Young Money/Cash Money/ Universal label and is currently in the studio recording her fourth album. Her musical career began when she signed to Island/Def Jam/UMG at the age of 18 and was quickly selected to sing the hook on Ja Rule’s No. 1 hit single, “Between Me and You.” The enormous success of the song introduced her to the mainstream music world and brought her commercial success. Milian then co-wrote the Jennifer Lopez hit “Play” and Paula DeAnda’s popular “Walk Away,” and she was one of the co-writers of Justin Bieber’s smash “Baby.” Her self-titled debut, Christina Milian, produced the hit “AM to PM” which marked her break-out into pop culture. Several of her singles charted in the Top 5 in the U.S. and internationally. Milian’s It’s About Time, released on Island/Def Jam/UMG, featured the mega-hit “Dip It Low,” which was twice nominated for Grammy Awards. An entrepreneur in her own right, Milian currently owns an E-Hookah line by the name of Platinum E-Hookah and she is also the brand ambassador and equity owner of Viva Diva Wines. Most recently Milian has graced the covers of Rolling Out, Unleash’d, Denim, Hydrogen and Cielo Magazines. CHRISTINA MILIAN partners with MARK BALLAS.
 
BILL NYE — Bill Nye is a mechanical engineer who wants the world to know and appreciate the passion, beauty and joy (the P, B & J) of science. While working on 747s at Boeing, Nye entered and won a Steve Martin Look-Alike Contest in Seattle, which led to his performing as a stand-up comic. He met a few other comedians and started submitting jokes to “Almost Live,” Seattle’s own comedy show. There Nye came up with the Science Guy® character and quickly realized that he wanted to create a kids’ show about science. Eleven years later Bill Nye the Science Guy had won 18 Emmys. Nye won seven of them as host and head writer. These days he travels around the globe exhorting his audiences to change the world. He also has a day job as the CEO of The Planetary Society, the world’s largest non-governmental space interest organization. The Society was started by Nye’s astronomy professor at Cornell, Carl Sagan, a man who had a tremendous influence on him, deepening his respect for science and what he likes to call “our place in space.” Nye has written six children’s books and is working on a seventh about space exploration. He’s also writing a general interest book about energy. Understand energy, Nye says, and you can change the world. He was awarded the Ralph Coats Roe Medal by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and holds honorary doctorates from Johns Hopkins, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Goucher, Quinnipiac, Willamette and Lehigh Universities. BILL NYE joins first time professional partner TYNE STECKLEIN.
 
JACK OSBOURNE — Already a TV veteran at 27, Jack Osbourne is currently co-anchor and West Coast correspondent for “Fuse News,” a daily live music news show on Fuse, the national music television network of The Madison Square Garden Company. Most recently Osbourne hosted the TV series Haunted Highway on the SyFy channel. The show followed Osbourne and Dana Workman as they investigated claims of paranormal activity along America’s remote back roads. Earlier this year Osbourne’s production company, Schweet Entertainment, produced a 16-episode TV docu-series for National Geographic entitled Alpha Dogs. The show took viewers behind the scenes with a special elite force of K-9s and trainers dedicated to serving our country. In 2011 Osbourne had ambitiously taken on producer and director roles. He produced a documentary about his father, Ozzy Osbourne, entitled God Bless Ozzy Osbourne. The film premiered in 2011 at the Tribeca Film Festival and was the first to tell the story of Ozzy’s tortured and emotionally fraught journey to sobriety. Osbourne has appeared on such television shows as Dawson’s Creek and That ‘70s Show. In addition he had a cameo in the motion picture Austin Powers: Goldmember and a feature role in the film New York Minute. JACK OSBOURNE partners with CHERYL BURKE.
 
NICOLE “SNOOKI” POLIZZI — Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is a proud new mom as well as the New York Times best-selling author of A Shore Thing, Confessions of a Guidette and Gorilla Beach. Famous for her trend-setting pouf hairstyle, small stature and acrobatic moves on the dance floor, Polizzi is the break-out star of MTV’s Jersey Shore, the highest-rated show in the network’s history. The third season of her current show, Snooki & JWoww, will debut in October 2013. She has been parodied on Saturday Night Live and appeared on numerous talk shows, in addition to being featured in The New York Times and on the covers of Rolling Stone, People, US Weekly and In Touch. Her constantly expanding brand includes Snooki by Nicole Polizzi, Snooki Couture, Team Snooki Boxing, Team Snooki Music in addition to an upcoming clothing line for Snooki Couture and her fourth book, Baby Bumps. NICOLE “SNOOKI” POLIZZI joins first time professional partner SASHA FARBER.
 
LEAH REMINI — For nine seasons, Leah Remini starred in the hit comedy series The King of Queens. The show continues to enjoy huge success through daily syndication, airing in over 33 countries. Remini produced and starred in the one of the earliest and most successful comedic web series, “In the Motherhood.” She co-produced a series of webisodes for the Suave/Sprint brands under the “In the Motherhood” banner. The highly successful series drew over 5 million viewers to the site. In her first jump behind the camera, Remini co-produced the Inside Out: Leah Remini wedding and baby specials for VH1. On the big screen she starred in Old School, alongside Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell. In 2010 she helped launch and was co-host of the first season of the daytime talk show, The Talk, and recently starred in the ABC series Family Tools. A fixture on television since the age of 18, Remini has had memorable recurring roles on NYPD Blue, Friends, Saved by the Bell, Who’s the Boss?, Fired Up, Evening Shade and Cheers. She landed her first starring role in the Who’s the Boss? spin-off series, Living Dolls, opposite Halle Berry, and her first appearance on network television was on an episode of ABC’s Head of the Class. She got her start as an actress on HBO’s anthology series Vietnam War Story. Remini finds great joy in her philanthropic work with numerous and diverse military, women’s and children’s charities. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. LEAH REMINI partners with TONY DOVOLANI.
 
AMBER RILEY — Amber Riley, best known for her role as Mercedes Jones on FOX’s Golden Globe, Peabody and SAG Award-winning musical comedy, Glee, got her first big break when Ryan Murphy cast her in the pilot “St. Sass.” Although the pilot was not picked up to series, Riley was able to use that experience to land a role on the television series Cedric the Entertainer Presents. She has performed in numerous theater productions, including Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Into the Woods and Mystery on the Docks with the Los Angeles Opera. In November 2012, Riley made her New York stage debut to rave reviews in New York City Center’s “Duke Ellington’s Cotton Club Parade.” She has received two individual NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy series for her work on Glee. In 2011 she was nominated for a second Teen Choice Award for Choice TV: Female Scene Stealer, and in 2010 received the Most Popular Geek Award at AOL’s 1st Annual Geek Awards. Riley previously served as an Ambassador for VH-1’s Save the Music Foundation and as a member of Seventeen Magazine’s Body Peace Council. She is currently in the studio working on her debut solo album. AMBER RILEY partners with DEREK HOUGH.
 
Source: ABC

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First Look: ‘American Horror Story: Coven’ Poster

American Horror Story Coven Poster

Creepy, isn’t it? This upcoming season of American Horror Story is all about witches, but the American Horror Story: Coven poster is all about a snake. Interesting…

The Plot:

American Horror Story: Coven tells the secret history of witches and witchcraft in America. Over 300 years have passed since the turbulent days of the Salem witch trials and those who managed to escape are now facing extinction. Mysterious attacks have been escalating against their kind and young girls are being sent away to a special school in New Orleans to learn how to protect themselves.

Wrapped up in the turmoil is new arrival, Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), who is harboring a terrifying secret of her own. Alarmed by the recent aggression, Fiona (Jessica Lange), the long-absent Supreme, sweeps back into town, determined to protect the Coven and hell-bent on decimating anyone who gets in her way.

– Also of Interest: Jessica Lange American Horror Story: Coven Interview

New Featurette for 12 Years a Slave Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor

12 Years a Slave Poster
Director Steve McQueen reunites with Michael Fassbender (Shame, Hunger) for 12 Years a Slave also starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Paul Giamatti, Sarah Paulson, Brad Pitt, and Alfre Woodard. The Fox Searchlight film just had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival and will play at the Toronto, New York, and New Orleans film festivals before beginning its theatrical run on October 18, 2013.
 
The Plot:
 
12 Years a Slave is based on an incredible true story of one man’s fight for survival and freedom. In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup (Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty (personified by a malevolent slave owner, portrayed by Fassbender) as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist (Pitt) forever alters his life.
 

 

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Kevin Pollak Set to Direct ‘Misery Loves Comedy’

Kevin Pollak
Kevin Pollak (Photo © Rebecca Murray)

Actor Kevin Pollak is ready to get inside the minds of stand-up comics with the documentary film Misery Loves Comedy. Becky Newhall, Burton Ritchie, and Ben Galecki are producing the film which is set to feature Michael Ian Black, Rob Delaney, Jon Favreau, Paul Feig, Jim Gaffigan, Christopher Guest, Penn Jillette, Richard Kind, Lisa Kudrow, Richard Lewis, Jason Reitman, Andy Richter, Bob Saget, David Wain, and more.

Discussing the project, Pollak stated, “My hope is that we shed all new light on the pain behind the humor, but also uncover more about the minds and hearts of comedians than any of us think we know.”

The documentary will include interviews with comedians, day-in-the-life sequences, archival and historical footage and photos, observations, essays and insights to explore why a person gets on stage in front of a room full of strangers when, in fact, public speaking is all other Americans’ #1 fear, even above death.

HBO Picks Up Dangerous Acts

HBO Acquires Dangerous ActsDangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus will have its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival and before it screens, it’s already been picked up by HBO Documentary Films. HBO acquired U.S. television rights to the film by Madeleine Sackler and is planning on airing it in 2014.
 
Commenting on HBO’s acquistion, producer/director Sackler said, “HBO is the perfect home for Dangerous Acts. After working on this film in secret for the last three years because of the censorship in Belarus, we are very excited to be sharing it with audiences on HBO.”
 
The Plot:
 
Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus highlights the powerful and innovative work of the award-winning Belarus Free Theatre (BFT) group. Founded in March 2005 by Natalia Kaliada, Vladimir Shcherban and acclaimed journalist Nicolai Khalezin – all of whom currently live in exile in London – BFT creates theater that challenges social and political issues in their home country of Belarus and the current regime of Alexander Lukashenko, often called the last dictatorship in Europe. An associate of the Young Vic Theatre in the UK, BFT has performed at venues around the world, including the Public Theater in the U.S., and has a wide range of international support from various individuals, including Sir Tom Stoppard and Jude Law, who are trustees of BFT.
 
Sixteen years after Lukashenko took power, the country’s citizens remain quietly choked by censorship and repression. Featuring smuggled footage and uncensored interviews, Dangerous Acts Starring the Unstable Elements of Belarus is an intimate look at a modern-day revolution, going behind the scenes as the artists create and perform their work, fighting for their art and safety.
 
Source: HBO

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt Talks ‘HitRECord on TV!’ on Pivot

Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt at the ‘Inception’ Premiere (Photo © Richard Chavez)

Pivot is a new network launched by Participant Media and described by the company’s president Evan Shapiro as a network targeting the new generation: Millennials. “Where other people may see navel-gazing, entitled narcissists, we have a hero generation ready to take on the challenges that are present in the world, challenges they didn’t create,” explained Shapiro during the network’s panel at the 2013 summer Television Critics Association event. “We have an innate respect for the optimism and the intelligence of our audience in this generation – I know, a change – and that, in turn, informs every moment of our programming.”

Among the network’s line-up of programs targeting that key demographic is HitRECord on TV! created by actor/filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Gordon-Levitt also directs and hosts the variety show whose title refers to a ‘record’ button, not a record containing music tracks and which will feature a little bit of everything.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt HitRECord on TV! Interview

How do you think people your age want to watch television and how will they watch it in the upcoming years?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: “Well, you know, the 20th-century media was very much a monologue and there was a small clique of an industry that would broadcast what it made and everyone else just had to sit and listen, and that’s not what’s happening anymore. I think that’s really exciting from my point of view just as an artist, someone making movies and things like that.

Taking that progress in technology and applying it to the creative process creates a whole different playground of what you can do with various artistic forms. And so that’s what we’re playing with on HitRECord on TV!. And, certainly, I think Pivot is, probably more than any other TV network I’m aware of, also tapping into the changes that are happening. The media is a completely different thing than it used to be.”

How does this show and your movie Don Jon relate to each other, and where do you want to go with your career?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt:HitRECord is something I’ve been doing for many years in one way or another. I always sort of dreamed that my traditional career in show business would one day meet up and intersect with what I was doing on HitRECord. And right now is the very, very beginning of that intersection really happening, and it’s literally fantastic. It’s like a fantasy for me that this is now happening that we’re getting to do what we’ve been doing for years on HitRECord on such a grand stage and in mainstream media. Just the fact that I’m here talking to all you guys about HitRECord, I’m having a crazy head trip right now just doing it.

As far as Don Jon, I don’t think I would be able to be doing this TV show right now if I hadn’t have had that experience. You know, I grew up on movie sets. But getting to go through the traditional directing process and taking it from beginning to end has been enormously informative for all the challenges that have come forward doing the show.”

Why team up with Pivot?

“It’s just allowing us to do what we’ve always done, and I really take my hat off to Pivot, who’s giving us the creative freedom to do what we’ve always done over the last several years, but do it on a really grand scale.”

Did you have talks with the other networks, and did anyone else make an offer?

“Yes, we had offers from a number of networks, and we decided to go with Pivot because I felt that this was the only place where we would be able to do exactly what I wanted to do and not make any creative compromises. The fact that they’re a new network, I think, is hugely beneficial for us because they are willing to sort of open their mind to doing things different ways. This show from a legal standpoint and from an insurance standpoint and from an intellectual property law standpoint is a nightmare. It’s made collaboratively by artists – thousands and thousands and thousands of artists from all over the world. You say that to a lawyer or to an entertainment insurance person and they start tearing their hair out. If we didn’t have a network that would bat for us and support us in that, we would have had to have made huge creative compromises that I did not want to make.”

It’s described as a variety show. What does that actually mean?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: “It means we’ll have short films and music and live performances and comedy and cartoons and mini-documentaries – a wide variety of things. Each episode evolves around a different theme and I host it so there will be that continuity taking you through.”

What’s something people might learn about you from watching this show that they might not have known before?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt: “This is definitely the most personal project I’ve ever done by a lot. I mean, when I’m in movies I’m playing characters. In Don Jon I play this guy Jon who is very different from me. In Looper I play this other guy, and in Dark Knight Rises I play another guy. They are all different people. HitRECord, I’m hosting it as regular Joe – that’s me. So it’s really kind of the first time I’ve ever done a project where I’m myself.”




Hollywood Film Awards to Honor Producer Michael De Luca

Michael De Luca Producers Award
Michael De Luca (Photo Courtesy of Hollywood Film Awards)

Producer Michael De Luca has one of 2013’s potential awards-worthy films, Captain Phillips with Tom Hanks, heading to theaters on October 11th and the Hollywood Film Awards is getting a jump on the competition by honoring him at the 17th Annual Hollywood Film Awards. De Luca will be recognized with the Hollywood Producer Award at the gala event to be held on October 21, 2013 in Beverly Hills.

“Every year, we are very proud to honor excellence in the art of filmmaking in all its disciplines. Academy Award® nominated producer Michael De Luca is an exemplary representative of that excellence,” stated Carlos de Abreu, founder and executive producer of the Hollywood Film Awards.

In addition to Captain Phillips, De Luca’s producing credits include The Social Network, Moneyball, and the upcoming film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey.

Captain Phillips
Tom Hanks stars in ‘Captain Phillips’ (Photo © 2013 Columbia Pictures)

The Plot of Captain Phillips:

Captain Phillips is director Paul Greengrass’s multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. It is – through Greengrass’ distinctive lens – simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (Hanks), and his Somali counterpart, Muse (Barkhad Abdi).

Set on an incontrovertible collision course off the coast of Somalia, both men will find themselves paying the human toll for economic forces outside of their control.




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