The CW’s going to take a chance on Ringer, the Sarah Michelle Gellar drama that hasn’t exactly been embraced by critics, although it’s doing well with The CW audiences for the most part. Based on the ratings – and Gellar’s goodwill built up over the successful run of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – the network’s decided to see how the show plays out for a full season.
The CW ordered the ‘back 9’ episodes, bringing the total for the first season to 22 episodes. New episodes air on Tuesday nights.
The Plot: Sarah Michelle Gellar stars as a woman who, after witnessing a murder, goes on the run, hiding out by assuming the life of her wealthy identical twin sister – only to learn that her sister’s seemingly idyllic life is just as complicated and dangerous as the one she’s trying to leave behind. Bridget is six months sober and starting to turn her life around when she is the sole witness to a professional hit. Despite the assurances of her FBI protector, Agent Victor Machado, Bridget knows her life is on the line. She flees to New York, telling no one, not even her Narcotics Anonymous sponsor, Malcolm.
In New York, Bridget reunites with her estranged twin, Siobhan. Wealthy, pampered and married to the strikingly handsome Andrew Martin, Siobhan lives what appears to be a fairy tale life – a life where no one knows that Bridget exists. The sisters seem to be mending their frayed relationship, until Siobhan disappears overboard during a boat trip, and Bridget makes the split decision to take on her sister’s identity.
She discovers shocking secrets, not only about her sister and her marriage, but also about Siobhan’s best friend, Gemma, and Gemma’s husband, Henry. And when someone tries to kill Bridget in her sister’s penthouse, she realizes she is no safer as Siobhan than she is as herself.
Syfy announced the second season of Being Human (the American version) will return on January 16th at 9pm ET/PT. The 13-episode season #2 brings back series stars Sam Witwer (the vampire, Aidan), Sam Huntington (the werewolf, Josh), and Meaghan Rath (the witch, Sally), Being Human‘s popular roommates who won over 1.81 million viewers (on average) during its 2010-2011 first season. The show, according to Syfy, was the channel’s “most successful winter season scripted series launch since 2005” as well as the channel’s “most female-skewing scripted series ever.”
The Plot: Being human: nobody ever said it was easy. But when you’re a ghost, a vampire, and a werewolf, it may be completely impossible. The action picks up where last season’s explosive finale left off as Aidan (Witwer), Sally (Rath) and Josh (Huntington) continue to struggle with their supernatural double lives.
Aidan tries to steer a leaderless Boston while resisting his deadlier vampire instincts as he finds himself tempted and tormented by a figure from his past. Sally must face the consequences of missing her door while figuring out how to navigate life on earth as a ghost. Josh searches for a cure for his condition while struggling to maintain his relationship with Nora and, like the rest of his roommates, trying to build a future for himself beyond simply being a monster.
The Emmy-winning, critically-acclaimed dramatic series Boardwalk Empire will be back for a third season. HBO made it official today, with the President of HBO Programming Michael Lombardo stating, “Following a triumphant first season, I was eager to see what Terry Winter, Martin Scorsese and the rest of their stellar team had in store, and they continue to surpass our highest expectations. The response from the media and our viewers has been extremely gratifying.”
There’s no word yet on which cast members are expected back for the third season as the second season won’t wrap up until December 11th, and it’s possible a key cast member might not survive this season.
Renewing the series created by Terence Winter and Martin Scorsese appears to be a no-brainer for the network as Boardwalk Empire ranks among HBO’s most popular shows and averages 10.7 million viewers. [per HBO] The network’s already confirmed the return of True Blood, Game of Thrones, and Treme.
“Are you going to meddle until the day you die?” “And beyond.” That’s Mike Baxter (Tim Allen) answering one of his daughter’s obnoxious questions in the fall 2011 debut of the TV sitcom, Last Man Standing.
Mike is a manly man who’s the marketing director for an outdoor sporting goods store. He loves his job. Being on the road traveling for work, driving his pick up truck, and most importantly not having to get too involved with his three daughters’ – 22-year-old single mom Kristin (Alexandra Krosney), 17-year-old Mandy (Molly Ephraim) and 14-year-old Eve (Kaitlyn Dever) – day-to-day life and troubles. This all changes for Mike quickly when he gets word from his boss, Ed (Hector Elizondo), that all business trips are off and that Mike’s new main responsibility is to rework the store’s website to entice customers to buy online. To make matters worse for Mike, his wife, Vanessa (Nancy Travis), has received a promotion at her work which means she’s going to need him to take a more active, hands-on parenting role at home.
Of course Mike does all the wrong things while trying to be a more ‘involved’ dad, such as taking Kristin’s son, his grandson, out of preschool because he’s afraid it provides a wimpy environment for him. He also grounds Mandy until she can change a flat tire all on her own and gives what might not be the best advice to Eve on how to handle boys on the soccer field as well as socially.
Last Man Standing is a comedy that has unoriginal and obvious humor. The audience can practically say the funny one-liners written for Tim’s character before he does. It’s also completely predictable. The trials and problems Mike faces with his three daughters aren’t anything the television audience hasn’t seen done better somewhere else before.
Tim Allen is a perfect fit for Mike who basically is a slight reworking of his character from Home Improvement. Instead of doing a TV show, he shoots videos for the store’s website with his dated, old-fashioned ideas of what’s important to a man and how young men today have no idea what it takes to be a real man. Instead of three boys, he has three girls.
Nancy Travis is an uncomfortable fit playing Tim’s wife. She has no comedic timing and zero chemistry with any of the other cast members, especially Tim. It also doesn’t make sense why she would be surprised by how badly her husband is at trying to manage their daughters’ life traumas. They have been married for at least 24 years. Is this reaction supposed to indicate she never really knew her husband?!
One big plus in the show is the casting of Hector Elizondo as Ed, Mike’s eccentric and friendly boss. He delivers his lines perfectly, getting the biggest laughs from the studio audience. If only they had been funnier…
Humorous at best, providing just a few chuckles, Last Man Standing is a seen-it before, been-then done-that sitcom that will have viewers remembering how funny and entertaining Home Improvement was and wishing they were watching that instead.
GRADE: C-
Last Man Standing debuted on ABC on October 11, 2011.
More on Carey Mulligan [Courtesy of the Hollywood Film Festival]:
Mulligan can currently be seen in FilmDistrict’s action thriller “Drive,” opposite Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, and Oscar Isaac. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, “Drive,” is based on the James Sallis novel. Mulligan will next been seen in “Shame,” directed by Steve McQueen. The film stars Michael Fassbender, who plays a thirty-something man living in New York who is unable to manage his sex life. Mulligan plays his troubled younger sister. “Shame” will be released in the U.S. by Fox Searchlight in December.
This fall, Mulligan began production on director Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” in Sydney, Australia. The film is based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. Mulligan plays Daisy Buchanan. The film will be released by Warner Brothers in 2012.
In September 2010, Mulligan starred in Fox Searchlight’s “Never Let Me Go,” based on the award winning novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. Also in September 2010, Mulligan appeared in Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” from 20th Century Fox, starring alongside a cast including Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Josh Brolin, Frank Langella, and Susan Sarandon.
Mulligan received an Academy Award nomination, a Golden Globe nomination, a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination and garnered critical acclaim for her starring role in the Sony Classics film “An Education,” written by Nick Hornby and directed by Lone Scherfig. Also, she received the British Independent Film Award for “Best Actress,” was named “Best Actress” by the National Board of Review, and was named “Best Actress” by the Orange British Academy of Film (BAFTA). Additional film credits include “Public Enemies,” “The Greatest,” “Brothers,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “And When Did You Last See Your Father” with Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth.
More on Amber Heard [Courtesy of the Hollywood Film Festival]:
As stunning as she is talented, Amber Heard is making waves with her captivating performances on the big screen. She will next be seen in “The Rum Diary” starring opposite Johnny Depp and Aaron Eckhart. The dramatic adventure film is an adaptation of the Hunter S. Thompson novel and will be released on October 28.
She recently completed production on the independent film “Syrup,” a dark satire also starring Shiloh Fernandez. Heard also starred in John Carpenter’s “The Ward” and the independent film, “And Soon the Darkness,” on which she also served as a co-producer. Some of her other films include “Zombieland,” “The Stepfather,” “The Pineapple Express,” and “North Country.”
More on Berenice Bejo [Courtesy of the Hollywood Film Festival]:
Bejo can currently be seen in Michel Hazanavicius’ silent film, “The Artist,” opposite Jean Dujardin. The film follows a silent movie superstar and a young dancer who become interlinked as the arrival of talking pictures threatens their destinies. In 2001, she entered America’s big screen by performing in “A Knight’s Tale,” and in 2002’s “24 Hours in the Life of a Woman.” Some of her film credits include “What Love Means,” “Prey,” Henri-George Clouzot’s “Inferno,” “Modern Love,” “OSS117: Cairo, Nest of Spies,” “Final Arrangements,” “Le Grand Role,” and Cavalcade.”
More on Elle Fanning [Courtesy of the Hollywood Film Festival]:
Elle was most recently seen last summer starring in the blockbuster film “Super 8” for director J.J. Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg. She made her feature film debut in 2001 at the young age of two when she co-starred as a “Young Lucy” in New Line Cinema’s “I Am Sam.” Since then she has starred in more than 10 films and numerous episodes of television. In 2004, Elle appeared in Focus Films’ “The Door in the Floor” from director Tod Williams.
In 2006, Elle appeared in two movies. The first was Paramount’s “Babel,” directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Next was Touchstone’s “Deja Vu,” directed by Tony Scott and starring Denzel Washington. In 2007, Elle filmed “Reservation Road” where she played “Emma Learner,” the daughter of Joaquin Phoenix, and director John August’s “The Nines.” In 2008, she played the young Cate Blanchett in Paramount’s and director David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” opposite Brad Pitt. Also that year, Elle starred as “Phoebe Lichten” in the independent film “Phoebe in Wonderland” opposite Patricia Clarkson, Felicity Huffman and Bill Pullman, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival with rave reviews for its young star.
In 2010, Elle starred alongside Stephen Dorff in Sofia Coppola’s film “Somewhere,” which won the Golden Lion for Best Picture at the Venice Film Festival. Elle was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award for her performance in the film.
She will next be seen starring in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Twixt,” which had its world premiere at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival, and this December stars opposite Matt Damon and Scarlett Johannson in Fox’s “We Bought a Zoo” for director Cameron Crowe.
More on Jean Dujardin [Courtesy of the Hollywood Film Festival]:
In 1995, Jean Dujardin began his first one-man show, the same year he met Eric Collado, Bruno Salomone, Emmanuel Joucla, and Eric Massot with whom he created the “Nous C Nous.” In 1999, he became “Loulou” in “Un gars, une fille.” This part permitted him to show his talent to a larger public. Since the end of “Un gars, une fille” in 2003, he has appeared in many films.
More on Andrea Riseborough [Courtesy of the Hollywood Film Festival]:
Having spotted Andrea at the National Theatre, Mike Leigh offered her a place in the company of his latest film “Happy Go Lucky.”
Andrea had a number of film releases in 2010 and early 2011. The first was “Made in Dagenham,” a true story directed by Nigel Cole (“Calendar Girls”), in which she plays the role of a woman working in a Ford factory fighting for equal pay. Her role as a waitress in Rowan Joffe’s remake of “Brighton Rock” received rave reviews at last year’s Toronto Film Festival. Following this, Andrea starred in “Never Let Me Go” (January 2010), an adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel.
Andrea can next be seen starring in Madonna’s new film “W.E.” where she plays the role of Wallis Simpson. The film showed at this year’s Venice and Toronto Film Festivals, and will be released this December. She also stars opposite Michael Sheen in “Resistance,” which will be released in London later this year. Andrea most recently finished filming “Welcome to the Punch” with James McAvoy and is currently filming “Disconnect.” Both are set to be released in 2012.
More on Shailene Woodley [Courtesy of the Hollywood Film Festival]:
Shailene Woodley began her career at the age of 5 when an agent recognized her potential and signed her on the spot. She has been working ever since. She started in commercials and then got her first TV role in the 1999 movie of the week “Replacing Dad,” which starred two-time Oscar nominee Mary McDonnell. More recently, she played the title character in the popular Warner Bros. movie “Felicity: An American Girl Adventure,” which was produced by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Julia Roberts.
Her first lead role performance earned this review: “Felicity offers Woodley’s feisty performance; she’s warm and cheeky, and immensely fun to watch.” Woodley’s other television work includes recurring roles on “Crossing Jordan” (as a young Jill Hennessy), “The O.C.,” and “Jack & Bobby” (where she played the daughter of John Slattery). She has also made guest appearances on series like “Cold Case,” “My Name is Earl,” “CSI: NY” (playing an angel-faced killer), and “Close to Home.” She also had a lead role opposite Ann-Margret and Matthew Settle in the television movie “A Place Called Home,” and co-starred with William Mapother and Treat Williams in “Moola.”
More on Anton Yelchin [Courtesy of the Hollywood Film Festival]:
Anton Yelchin is one of Hollywood’s hottest rising stars. With his highly acclaimed performances in “Charlie Bartlett,” “Star Trek,” “The Beaver,” “Fright Night,”“Like Crazy” and a slew of starring roles in major films this year, Yelchin is quickly becoming a household name. “Like Crazy”, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won the coveted Grand Jury Prize, hits theaters October 28, 2011. Yelchin, who is receiving critical raves for his performance as an American college student who falls for a British exchange student and experiences the joy and heartbreak of first love, was just recently honored by the Aspen Film Festival with the “Artist to Watch” award for his performance in the film.
Earlier this year he Yelchin lent his voice to the role of “Clumsy Smurf” in Sony’s summer blockbuster film “The Smurfs.” He starred opposite Toni Collette and Colin Farrell in “Fright Night,” a remake of the 1985 comedy-horror picture about a teenager who discovers his neighbors are vampires. Yelchin recently finished work on the film “Odd Thomas.” In the film Yelchin will play the title character of “Odd Thomas,” a short-order cook with clairvoyant abilities that encounters a mysterious man with a link to dark and threatening forces. In the film Yelchin will star alongside Willem Dafoe, Addison Timlin and Patton Oswalt. “Odd Thomas” is set to be released in 2012.
Yelchin’s past projects include “New York, I Love You,” “Terminator Salvation” opposite Christian Bale, “Middle of Nowhere” opposite Susan Sarandon, “Alpha Dog,” “Hearts of Atlantis” for which he won a Young Artist Award, among many others.
Kanye West and Maroon 5 to Perform on 'The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show' - (PRNewsFoto/Victoria's Secret)A show I don’t watch has just added two acts I’ll be missing… CBS announced Kanye West and Maroon 5 have signed on to perform on The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show airing on November 29th (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT), marking the first time West or Maroon 5 have appeared on the male-skewing TV special. Also appearing on the show will be models Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes, Erin Heatherton, Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Lindsay Ellingson, and other Victoria’s Secret Angels posing – of course – provocatively in lingerie. The angel wings will also be back, in case that’s the only reason you tune in.
CBS would like potential viewers to know that the show will not just feature scantily clad women but will also include “red carpet interviews, model profiles and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the world’s most celebrated fashion show.” In other words, there will be lots of ‘filler’ wedged in between the different ‘Angels’ modeling lingerie on the runway. Oh, and the network’s also reminding everyone the show will feature the “much-anticipated Fantasy Bra.”
More on Kanye West [Courtesy of Victoria’s Secret]:
Kanye West is a musician, producer, artist, author and designer. He has sold over 16 million albums and over 40 million digital tracks worldwide. Over the course of his career, he has had five consecutive #1 albums and seven #1 singles, along with scores of radio hits. West has garnered 36 GRAMMY Award nominations and has won 14 GRAMMY Awards, along with numerous other awards and accolades.
More on Maroon 5 [Courtesy of Victoria’s Secret]:
Capturing their first of three GRAMMY Awards as “Best New Artist” of 2005 and going on to sell more than 15 million albums worldwide, Maroon 5 won over fans and critics alike with their hybrid rock/R&B sound. In 2010, the band released their third studio album “Hands All Over,” which spawned the GRAMMY nominated single “Misery.” The nod marked the group’s seventh nomination overall and 4th in that category. Most recently Maroon 5’s smash hit “Moves Like Jagger” climbed to the #1 spot on the Top 40 and Hot AC charts and also claimed the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. With the single’s success on the Hot 100 chart, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine became the first artist in the chart’s 53-year history to reach #1 as part of a group and enter the Top 10 at the same time as a soloist, as he is also featured on Gym Class Heroes’ “Stereo Heart.” Maroon 5’s releases have gone gold and platinum in over 35 countries around the world, including Hands All Over, which was certified gold by the RIAA in December 2010. In addition, frontman Adam Levine joined the lineup of celebrity coaches on The Voice.
“They remade my baby!,” Kenny Loggins proclaims when shown a poster for the new Footloose, but don’t worry about Kenny Loggins being put out of work by people re-doing his songs. This Funny or Die video shows Kenny and his band Blue Sky Riders are back in the film soundtrack business in a big way, with contributions to all the popular movie soundtracks. Seriously funny, and seriously not safe for work due to language, this Funny or Die video may not win Loggins any acting jobs but it shows he’s got a great sense of humor.
At only 20 years old, Hunter Hayes has already picked up an impressive amount of experience as a performer and writer. Born in Breaux Bridge, La., he was immersed in music by age 2, when he began replicating songs on a toy accordion his grandmother gave him as a birthday present. Hayes was just 4 years old when he joined the house band at a nearby Cajun restaurant as an accordionist; a year later, he was fronting the group as its lead singer. Also at age 4, he sang “Jambalaya” with Hank Williams Jr., a performance that has since been viewed 15 million times on YouTube. Then, at 6, he went through triple rites of passage as he appeared in the film “The Apostle,” began playing the guitar the film’s star Robert Duvall had given him and wrote his first song.
Fourteen years of stage seasoning followed. Empowered by lessons learned in the spotlight, Hayes moved to Nashville in 2009. Advancing quickly, he signed with Universal Music Publishing Group and with Atlantic Records, who will release his self-titled debut album on Oct. 11, 2001.
The 12 tracks on Hunter Hayes, co-produced by Hayes and Dann Huff, are a tour de force even by recording veteran standards. Not only did Hayes co-write 11 songs and write the 12th by himself, he also played every instrument on the record — more than 30 to count. Hayes’ diverse influences permeate the album. A hint of Stevie Wonder is evident in his artfully soulful vocals on several tracks. Blues riffs reminiscent of John Mayer find themselves on a number of tracks from his debut single, “Storm Warning,” written by Hayes, busbee and Gordie Sampson, to the love ballad “Wanted” (Hayes and Troy Verges). Yet the overall feel is Country all the way, with a mix of drama and down-home that marks Hayes as a unique stylist.
In His Own Words:
SONG YOU’D LOVE TO COVER
“‘Another Way to Die,’ the James Bond theme by Jack White and Alicia Keys.”
SONG YOU WISH YOU’D WRITTEN
“‘Heartbreak Warfare,’ by John Mayer.”
LUCKY CHARM
“My necklace with a cross and dog tag.”
FAVORITE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
“I could spend years on a bus just fine.”
TITLE OF YOUR AUTOBIOGRAPHY
“For the Love of Music.”
How do you remake an iconic movie with a classic soundtrack that’s still timeless 27 years later? If you’re Paramount Pictures and the movie is Footloose, the answer is — very carefully. Three years in the making, with multiple cast changes, the film seemed at one point destined to be one of those “great ideas in the works” projects that never materialized.
But patience on the part of those connected with the movie prevailed, and the result is a film heavily laced with music that borrows from the old while showcasing the new. The 1984 pop/rock soundtrack was replete with radio smashes that even today still get airplay. Original Footloose tracks including “Let’s Hear It for the Boy,” “Almost Paradise,” “Holding Out for a Hero” and of course the title cut remain instantly identifiable and linked to the careers of the artists who sang them. So obviously it was crucial to the success of the remake to cast the songs smartly and give them a fresh start while still paying homage to the originals. And with the new Footloose set in the South (Georgia), the movie presented a perfect opportunity to showcase Country acts.
Grammy-winning producer Randy Spendlove, President of Motion Picture Music, Paramount Pictures, has been integrally involved with Footloose from the outset. He believes its soundtrack will boost some already-established careers — Big & Rich, Cee Lo Green, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zac Brown of Zac Brown Band — at the same time that it showcases newer artists including Whitney Duncan, Hunter Hayes and Jana Kramer. Paramount joined forces with Atlantic Records in New York and Warner Music in Nashville to coordinate a vigorous marketing campaign centered on Country radio and Country dance clubs across the U.S. Spendlove couldn’t be more pleased with the final product.
“The music is the backdrop of the entire movie, and a featured backdrop too,” he said. “It’s a movie about what it’s like to grow up in the South and be able to be free and have your time. It’s a real celebration of music and dance in a coming-of-age story. The marketing method will be the movie itself, with the music a huge part of it.”
“When I started working with this film,” he continued, “one of the first things I did was to contact Anastasia Brown (head of Format Entertainment’s Nashville office) and asked her to set me up with a dozen or two up-and-coming artists. I came to Nashville and met with about 20 young artists. Most of them weren’t even signed at the time. I just didn’t want it to be about some guy from L.A. coming in to take all these meetings and then nothing ever comes of it. I’m really proud of the fact that three of the artists from those initial meetings have ended up in the movie. We’ve got some newer artists sitting alongside acts such as Blake Shelton and Cee Lo in the movie and on the soundtrack.”
Shelton got the nod to sing the iconic Footloose anthem, but it was Warner Music Nashville colleagues Big & Rich (John Rich and Big Kenny) who won the honor of releasing the soundtrack’s first single and video, “Fake ID.” Rich co-wrote “Fake ID” several years ago with L.A. hit songwriter John Shanks, thinking it might work for one of Big & Rich’s projects. Rich’s demo of the song caught the attention of Spendlove and Footloose director Craig Brewer, himself a major Big & Rich fan, even before filming began. The more they listened, the more they felt the song deserved a key spot in the film.
“Craig loved the demo with John’s voice and thought the beat and melody worked perfectly for the big Country line dancing scene,” recalled Warner Music Nashville President and CEO John Esposito. “But he felt it would be enhanced even more if we could get it to be a Big & Rich song. So John and Kenny went back in and redid the song with Gretchen Wilson singing harmony.”
“Fake ID” ended up becoming the music cue for the pivotal dance club scene in the film. Big & Rich’s video was shot to resemble the movie scene as closely as possible. As luck would have it, “Fake ID,” the first new music from Big & Rich in more than three years, tied in perfectly and helped add momentum to their summer tour, “Xtreme Muzik: The Tour.”
Rich recalled being curious once he and Big Kenny decided to do the tour. “We were wondering, were the fans still there? Was anybody gonna show up? But all the shows were either sold out or almost sold out. It’s great to feel yourself running out of breath because you’re jumping up and down on the stage so much, and you get to the bus and your clothes are wringing with sweat, and your ears are ringing because the crowd was so loud and you’re so pumped.”
When the original Footloose came out in 1984, the singer was only 10 years old, but like so many people he’s an admittedly ardent fan of the film. “It’s definitely a ‘bus movie,’” he said. “It’s one of the movies you always keep on the bus so you can watch it any time.” He also thinks that the new version completely lives up to its legendary namesake. “If you can improve on a classic — if it’s possible — I think they’ve done it. People are going to be blown away.”
Was having a song on the silver screen always atop Rich’s constantly evolving bucket list? (And has he started thinking about an Oscars acceptance speech?) “No — and no!” Rich insisted, with a laugh. “But I love movies. I’ve never had a song in a movie, so to be able to go sit and watch and then all of a sudden there’s your song, and all your friends are elbowing you and going ‘There it is! There it is!’ and you hear your voice in the background, sure, it’s exciting. It doesn’t rank up there with ‘Hey, I’d like to be a member of the Grand Ole Opry,’ but it is exciting for sure. It gives you a sense that you’re a little piece of pop culture, so it’s really cool.”
Rich relishes his artistic freedom and his ability to experiment freely in new avenues. He sees it as a safeguard against potential career boredom and burnout. He’s also quick to defend his creative multitasking, insisting that prioritizing projects isn’t a problem for him. “I never set out to be a record producer or a TV personality or anything like that,” he explained. “But all the different parts of what I do — whether it be writing a song, recording, performing, producing, finding someone else and developing them — to me, it’s all one thing because it’s all Country Music. People ask me all the time, ‘How do you do all those things at once?’ Well, I don’t do them all at once. I kind of do them in a circle. It’s like a washing machine that figures out how to keep itself balanced. If I ever do too much of any one thing, I feel out of balance.”
So what advice can those associated with the new Footloose offer to other artists and songwriters wishing to expand their own musical horizons into film? They all say there are no hard and fast rules, no guaranteed playbook for success to follow. They insist it comes down to timing, being in the right place at the right time, and staying true to who you are musically.
“Big & Rich were game changers from the minute they launched their career seven years ago,” stated Esposito. “They brought a new spirit to the format. They’ve both made solo records, but there’s something magic about those two voices together, and there’s nothing like a Big & Rich show in terms of colorfulness and entertainment value. You can see it in the ‘Fake ID’ video. I think they help round out our Country format with something nobody else has done or I think could do.”
“John Rich is very selective in the things he wants to be involved with, but once he’s involved, he gives 110 percent,” observed Peter Strickland, Senior VP of Brand Management and Sales, Warner Music Nashville. “He’s one of the most creative and nonstop hard working artists I’ve ever seen. His career is very well rounded.”
Rich goes a step further. “I would say to anyone reading this, keep mastering each level one step at a time. When you find yourself at the next step, challenge yourself to keep going. I never said to myself, ‘Someday I’m gonna be on TV and movies and radio and touring and producing and writing hit songs and running a publishing company.’ There was no way I would ever have even thought that. It’s my reality now, but I think it’s because it happened to me one step at a time and I was open to failure along the way as a part of the process. When I failed at something, I went back to the woodshed and figured out how to not fail at that again.”
He paused before adding, “No matter what, you can’t lose sight of why you’re doing what you do. For me, playing music is where everything else came from. As big as it’s gotten now for me, it wouldn’t have happened at all without a guitar, a microphone and a honky-tonk.”
The Emmy-winning, critically-acclaimed dramatic series 
