New Teaser for SATC2

OMG! OMG! OMG! Oh my SATC! Check out a new teaser poster and photo from Sex and the City 2 … opening in theaters on May 28, 2010! I literally don’t think I can wait that long!

Meet the Biggest Loser

Forty-year-old Danny Cahill has taken the season eight title (and $250,000 prize) of The Biggest Loser. At the beginning of the sehow he weighed 430 pounds. He dropped 239 pounds - an entire person - and now weighs in at a healthy, happy 191 pounds. Congratulations to Cahill and his family!

Sneak Peek at The Lovely Bones

Based on the critically acclaimed best-selling novel by Alice Sebold, and directed by Oscar winner Peter Jackson from a screenplay by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Jackson, The Lovely Bones centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family – and her killer – from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg and Oscar winners Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon star along with Stanley Tucci, Michael Imperioli and Oscarnominee Saoirse Ronan. The Lovely Bones hits theaters on Dec. 11.

See sneak-peek stills from The Lovely Bones on Glam.com.

Sneak Peet at Invictus

From director Clint Eastwood, Invictus tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team, Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon), to help unite their country.

Newly elected President Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's underdog rugby team as they make an unlikely run to the 1995 World Cup Championship match.

See more photos from Invictus HERE.

New Posters for NINE

Have you seen any commercials for the movie Nine? It looks incredible. Kate Hudson! Penelope Cruz! Fergie! Nicole Kidman! A MUSICAL!!! I can't wait! Check out the three new posters just released ... Nine opens nationwide on Dec. 25.

5 Thanksgiving Films We're Thankful For

Thanksgiving is about family, food, fun parades, and fabulous heartwarming films! This holiday, celebrate the season with our five favorite Thanksgiving flicks.

Miracle on 34th Street, 1947
Miracle on 34th Street is a true holiday classic. Beginning with NYC’s famous Thanksgiving Day Parade, the film takes us through an old man’s struggle to make six-year-old Susan Walker believe in the spirit of Christmas. As he plays the role of Macy’s very own Santa Claus, Kris Kringle tries to convince everyone that he is the real deal. Whether you choose the original film or the contemporary version, there’s no doubt that you'll be thankful for this holiday film.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, 1987
In this hysterical comedy, Neal Page (Steve Martin) is desperately trying to get home for Thanksgiving. His only travel companion for the holidays ends up being a blabbermouth slob of a man, Del Griffith (John Candy), who tells bad jokes and is never short of advice. Wishing he could be with his family, we relish watching Page spend the holidays with his new friend. This film just goes to show you should be grateful for all your friends -- new and old!

Home for the Holidays, 1995
Claudia (Holly Hunter) is already having a rough holiday season. She has lost her job, found herself in a compromising situation with her soon-to-be ex-boss, and discovered that her daughter won’t be home for Thanksgiving. Now, on top of everything else, she has to deal with the lunatic antics of her crazy extended family. How will she survive? We love watching this group of misfits come together to celebrate the happiest time of the year. Home for the Holidays also stars Robert Downey Jr., Anne Bancroft, and Claire Danes.

The House of Yes, 1997
Parker Posey stars as Jackie, a mentally unbalanced young woman who wants to be Jackie-O. When her brother comes home from college for Thanksgiving with a new fiancé, Jackie goes into a rage. After disastrous events and unusual comedic antics, we realize that this whole family is off its rocker. Have a laugh with this very indie holiday film, and give thanks that this family does not belong to you!

Pieces of April, 2003
April Burns (Katie Holmes) is hosting Thanksgiving dinner at her New York apartment for her estranged family, which includes her dying mother. She struggles to fit in and give her family a delicious, flawless holiday meal. As they travel from Pennsylvania to April's Lower East Side neighborhood, we learn more about the unique, strained dynamic between black-sheep April shares with her whole family. Desite a broken oven and many comedic errors, this imperfect family bonds during a special holiday evening spent together.

And the Oscar Co-Hosts Are ...

The producers of the Academy Awards have announced that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will serve as co-hosts of the 82nd Academy Awards.

“I am happy to co-host the Oscars with my enemy Alec Baldwin,” said Martin. “I don’t play the banjo but I’m thrilled to be hosting the Oscars – it’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Baldwin.

Martin hosted the 73rd and 75th Academy Awards shows, earning an Emmy nomination for the first stint. He has also served as a presenter on the show several times, most recently at the ceremony in February when he appeared with Tina Fey. He is currently touring with the bluegrass band Steep Canyon Rangers in support of his latest album The Crow: New Songs for the Five String Banjo. In 1977 and 1978 Martin won Grammys for Best Comedy Recording. He earned a third Grammy in 2001 in the Best Country Instrumental Performance category. In 2007 Martin earned a Kennedy Center Honor.

Baldwin was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for his supporting role in The Cooler. That year also marked his most recent appearance as a presenter on the show. Baldwin currently stars as Jack Donaghy on the comedy 30 Rock, a role for which he has won two Emmys (in 2008 and 2009).

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2009 will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live by the ABC .

*Getty Images

Paris and Hayden Love Jimmy Choo and H&M

Last night Hollywood rolled out the red carpet as Paris & Nicky Hilton, Hayden Panettiere, Kate Walsh, Olivia Wilde, Sheryl Crow, Cat Deeley, Angela Lindvall, Maggie Grace, Mini Anden, among others came out to celebrate the collaboration and the launch of the Jimmy Choo for H&M collection. The star-studded party hosted by Tamara Mellon and Jeffrey Katzenberg, in support of The Motion Picture & Television Fund, was held at a private residence high above the famous Sunset Strip in the Hollywood Hills and featured a Grammy-worthy performance by M.I.A. who dazzled the guests in front of the L.A. skyline. Hollywood’s stars were given an exclusive sneak peak at the glamorous collection that will be unveiled in approximately 200 H&M stores globally on November 14th. The collection includes the most coveted shoes and accessories. For the first time Jimmy Choo has also designed women’s clothing to complement the accessories as well as men’s clothing, shoes, bags and accessories.

"I love H&M already but the fact that they are doing Jimmy Choo as well I think is amazing - the purses, everything, the shoes. The clothes are so cute. They have so many fabulous things and I can't wait to get the whole collection,” said Paris Hilton who coveted everything from the highly anticipated collection.

"Tamara is so brilliant and such a wonderful designer. Her shoes are incredible. I do my shopping sprees at H&M. I was recently in Italy and instead of going to other stores, I went to H&M," said Hayden Panettiere. She also wore Jimmy Choo for H&M leather pants to the event. "I am in love with these pants!"

*Getty Images

Halloween Costumes: Get Inspiration From Celebrities

Don't know what to be this Halloween? Get some inspiration from these sassy stars dressed to the nines on previous Halloweens ...

See the full slideshow on Glam.com.

Glee Stars on the Cover of Entertainment Weekly

Check out the new cover of Entertainment Weekly featuring the stars of the hit Fox musical-comedy Glee!

The Box-Office Beat

See what movies made the big bucks this weekend at the box office ...

1 - Where the Wild Things Are: $32.5 M
2 - Law Abiding Citizen: $21.3 M
3 - Paranormal Activity: $20.2 M
4 - Couples Retreat: $17.9 M
5 - The Stepfather: $12.3 M
6 - Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: $8.1 M
7 - Zombieland: $7.8 M
8 - Toy Story: $3.0 M
9 - Surrogates: $1.9 M
10 - The Invention of Lying: $1.9 M

James Franco to Guest-Star on General Hospital

So, okay forgive me … Things have been super-busy lately, so I’ve ignored the whole Letterman scandal, and let you read it elsewhere (even though I've been following it myself like a fiend.) And I haven't dissected all the new Fall TV shows yet ... And I've neglected to chitchat about silly little gossip ... like the fact that Katie Holmes lets Suri Cruise wear heels.

But I can't let this one go... And maybe I’m a couple days late in my response here ... but, WHAT?!?!? James Franco is joining the cast of General Hospital?!?!? Yep, Franco has signed on for a two-month guest role on the highly dramatic ABC soap opera. Am I the only one here who is seriously confused? Last time I checked big stars don’t do soaps. (Small stars are supposed to hope to become big stars by doing gigs on silly soaps!) And Franco is sort of a big star. He’s gotten a lot of acclaim over the last few years for roles in Milk, Pineapple Express ... and a little movie called Spiderman! He’s also set to star in the upcoming movie sure-to-be-huge Eat, Pray, Love. So, yeah ... What?!?!

This is not the first time Franco has done things backwards. In 2008, he enrolled in classes at NYU and Columbia ... which kind of made sense. He wanted to write, act, and hone his craft. But this career choice is just weird.

So what do we think of his new gig? Is it going to ultimately help or hurt his career? As they probably asked in his University acting classes, "James, what's your motivation?"

*Getty Images

The Box-Office Beat

Blood, guts, and flesh ruled at the box office this weekend. The comedic flick Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg, took the top spot. Spaghetti tornadoes, burger blizzards, and 3D meatballs from the sky fell into second place. See what other big-budget flicks made the big bucks on the big screen ...

1 - Zombieland: $25.0 M
2 - Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: $16.7 M
3 - Toy Story/ Toy Story 2 (3D): $12.5 M
4 - The Invention of Lying: $7.4 M
5 - Surrogates: $7.3 M
6 - Capitalism: A Love Story: $4.9 M
7 - Whip It: $4.9 M
8 - Fame: $4.8 M
9 - The Informant!: $3.8 M
10 - Love Hapens: $2.8 M

Peter and Vandy

As anyone who’s ever been in love can tell you, it’s a slippery slope from “We’re head over heels in love!” to “We’re fine.” Peter and Vandy takes us through the relationship of a young New York couple – just not in chronological order. Most movie romances end when the relationship is beginning. Peter and Vandy’s love story goes much further than that. The story shifts back and forth in time, whipping between their romantic beginnings and the inevitable struggles that follow. With star-making performances by Jason Ritter and Jess Weixler, Peter and Vandy is a unique take on the exhilaration and frustrations love can bring – a love story in disorder.

Peter and Vandy opens in New York and Los Angeles on October 9, 2009.

The Primetime Emmy Awards

We love TV. From cop dramas to reality shows to half-hour comedies, we can’t get enough of the boob tube. And that’s why Emmys night gets us so excited. The high-profile red-carpet event honors the most talented television actors and celebrates the best of the small screen. Here we highlight a few of our favorite moments from the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards. We laughed, we cried, and we watched in absolute awe. See who won and what happened HERE.

Also see the Best-Dressed Women at the Emmy Awards

Check Out the Women Who Looked Flawlessly Gorgeous

The Weekend at the Box Office

Tyler Perry's latest film brings in the big bucks ... See what other movies made money at the box office this weekend.

1 - I Can Do Bad All By Myself: $24 M
2 - 9: $10.9 M
3 - Inglorious Basterds: $6.5 M
4 - All About Steve: $5.8 M
5 - The Final Destination: $5.5 M
6 - Sorority Row: $5.3 M
7 - Whiteout: $5.1 M
8 - District 9: $3.6 M
9 - Julie & Julia: $3.3 M
10 - Gamer: $3.2 M

Ellen Joins Idol

It's Ellen! Degeneres announced her new gig yesterday during a taping of her talk show. The funny lady is a long-time fan of American Idol. She'll bring a fresh perspective to the judge's table since she doesn't have a background in the music industry. She's just a everyday music-lover! And she'll bring a consumer's opinion to the show.

*Getty Images

Nicole and Joel Have a Baby Boy

Congrats to Nicole Richie and Joel Madden! Harlow’s mommy and daddy just welcomed a baby boy in to the world, Sparrow James Midnight Madden. He was born in the wee hours of the morning and weighs in at 7 lbs, 14 oz. Can’t wait to see pics!

*Getty Images

Glee Premieres Tonight on Fox

There's been a ton of hype and chatter about Fox's new show, Glee. They boldly previewed an episode back in May and it was a smash success. People are full of glee. I know I am. What's not to love about a show about a show choir of misfits. We've all been there ... Right? Oh, that was just me. Glee premieres tonight at 9 on Fox. Can't wait! Here are a few sneak-peek snaps to get you excited for the season.

*Images via FoxFlash

Sneak-Peek: Nine

Check out the two new production stills for the upcoming musical movie NINE, directed by Rob Marshall and starring Academy Award winners Daniel Day Lewis, Judi Dench, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren along with Kate Hudson and Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson. NINE opens in theaters on November 25, 2009.

Chitchat With Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds has hit it lead recent roles in major big-screen blockbusters like Wolverine and The Proposal. He’s also got a pretty sweet personal life to now that he’s married to actress Scarlett Johansson. In Adventureland, on DVD and Blu-ray Aug. 25, Reynolds plays Mike Connell, a technician at a theme park, who's having an affair with a much younger girl played by Kristen Stewart. Get the inside scoop from Reynolds on amusement parks, dead-end jobs, and more ...

Was it difficult to make such a roguish character so charming?
Why thank you very much. It wasn’t my goal to make him that likeable, so I failed you! Again. Yeah, it was fun. I liked that there is no real villains or heroes in this movie. I fthey eel like it’s a lot like life, you know, people have complexities and have their heroic moments and their villainous moments. I will say that with this cast I've never felt so old. It was a routine of humility. Obviously this guy is having a pretty inappropriate relationship with this very, very young girl, but the spirit on the set, it really felt like where I was eight or nine years ago. It was like a pretty cool place to be each day.

Have you ever had what seemed like a dead-end job?
Yeah, I worked at a restaurant in Vancouver. I shouldn’t even name it! It was a restaurant in Kitsilano and I was a busboy there, but no one ever really ate there. I think I was actually working for Peruvian drug lords. This was my thought. I had like this abusive boss who had a fuse that was absolutely minimal at best, and I worked there all day. And then at night, I would work at a grocery store the graveyard shift, you know, throwing fresh fruit at my co-workers.

And this was when you were a struggling actor?
Yeah. I mean I was a struggling actor, as much as I could be in Vancouver. I mean you can only play so many ex-Falcon Crest stars’ sons in so many ‘movies of the week’ before you just you burn out! So yeah, I was kind of doing that to supplement my happiness, believe it or not.

What did you make of Twilight star Kristen Stewart, your co-star in Adventureland?
Kristen is great. She’s really great. Obviously life has changed for her in a pretty drastic way since then. So it was kind of cool to see her talking about this thing called Twilight she might do.

Adventureland is a very personal film for Greg Mottola and he’s based a lot of the characters on people that he knew. Did he say that you were based on a particular person?
I don’t think so. You know, that probably would have been a smart thing for me to ask him! But I don’t know. He and I had about four different meetings before I jumped in there, because I didn’t have a lot of trust — I didn’t really know Greg that well other than seeing SuperBad, and I just thought, ‘Is this guy going to just be your stereotypical douche or is he going to be a guy that’s actually got some depth to him or another side to him?

And then, when you hang out with Greg a little bit longer, you realize that all these specifics are in the script for a reason, because this is a guy that actually lived this life and that’s what I love about Adventureland. He’s really created a world you know, where there are such specific instances happening and specific characters that you think ‘Wow, there is no way that someone just made this up; this has actually happened’. It was a great experience. Greg has poured his heart and soul into it in every way.

What are the everyday dramas you deal with in dead-end, “unglamorous” jobs?
Oh yeah. I mean you know, you’d be hard pressed to find more drama in Days of Our Lives than you do in an average job each day. I mean co-workers can create a jocular sort of lifestyle that’s going on. Everybody is kind of trying to get ahead or kind of create this job and mould it to their own needs at the same time. My job in the restaurant sucked, but at the same time, the thing that kept me going to work each day and really kind of got me through it were my co-workers. The same people that you have fights with and disagreements with are the same people that you rely on and you count on to stay sane in these crazy jobs.

You mentioned the specifics in the script, what specifics about your character helped you the most?
For me it was just his unabashed fantasy life that my character was leading, this idea that he’s so much more than he actually is. He has this inability to accept where he is in his life, and that’s something that I feel really heartbreaking. I found it touching in a strange way, that this guy is so disappointed with how things turned out for himself that he’s chosen to really try to be the biggest fish in the smallest pond he could possibly find. And that’s what that represented for him. To me, that was reason enough to jump in there and do it.

Is it fun being on an amusement park to make a film, or was it annoying?
It’s annoying because there is all these sound issues. There are a lot of background artists, too. They're at an amusement park, but they're being told to be quiet and stay in one section. So I think that naturally it got a little antsy and some takes get ruined because people are yelling and screaming and talking and all sorts of stuff.

What are the different considerations that go into shooting an ensemble-supporting role, like in Adventureland versus a lead role?
I don’t know. I don’t usually think of it like that. I've always loved character work. When I was younger, I considered myself a character actor, but I didn’t get those parts a lot of the time. When they come along in a movie like Adventureland, I try to jump at them usually, if it’s a good film. That’s just it though, if it’s a good movie, I don’t really care if I’m a big role or a small role.

You were just a kid in the ’80s when this movie is set. Did you have any special like favorite movies or music from the ’80s?
For me, I loved Say Anything. That was a huge movie for me when I was a kid. I think for a lot of guys my age, it was. You always have that moment where you picture yourself with a ghetto blaster over your head and blasting it out for the one you love. In reality, you’d be arrested for doing that. But I love that movie. I was a huge fan of Being There, but I don’t know if that was an ’80s movie or not. It’s such an indelible decade — the ’90s was this vaguely forgettable decade, style wise. It’s more of a hodgepodge of the previous three decades. So the ’80s really had this je ne sais quois unto itself that is always fun to explore.

Are you still auditioning or are people hiring you based on the fact that they want Ryan Reynolds in their film?
Truthfully, I haven't auditioned in a long, long time, but it’s never outside the realm of possibility. I mean if you want a film and they don’t want you, sometimes you have to go fight for it. Sometimes that ends up just being a meeting really, just sitting down with them and just saying here is my vision for it and here is why I really love it. But for the most part, I think filmmakers gravitate towards people that are excited – as excited as they are about the film and as passionate about it. So sometimes going after it isn't so much a function of auditioning as it is just sitting down with the filmmaker.

Do you ever make choices based on wanting to avoid being be typecast?
Not usually, no. I've never had a movie that I was the star of that made a billion dollars at the box office. Maybe things change for people when that happens. Maybe suddenly you're sort of pushed in that direction a lot more, but in a way, I've been lucky because of that. I can do a bunch of different stuff.

Having worked with Sandra Bullock now in The Proposal after knowing for so long, did you learn anything new about her?
She has an ability to compress an enormous amount of emotion and information in a single look. I think that’s the magic of her. I used to think it was because she was the girl next door or she’s America’s sweetheart or any of that crap – but no, it’s the fact that she’s got some sort of weird, bizarre supernatural gift that I’m deeply envious of and would love to have some day. We've been friends for a long time, but we haven't been up in each other’s grill for 15 hours a day for three months. So thankfully, that all worked out well and she didn’t stick her three-legged dogs on me.

Who Has What It Takes to Be the Next Dancing Champ?

These famous girls and guys will be strapping on their dancing shoes to compete in season nine of Dancing With the Stars. Who do you think will win?

Mya, singer
Aaron Carter, singer
Natalie Coughlin, Olympic swimmer
Mark Dacascos, Iron Chef personality
Tom DeLay, former Republican congressman
Macy Gray, singer
Ashley Hamilton, actor-comedian
Melissa Joan Hart, actress
Kathy Ireland, supermodel
Michael Irvin, Dallas Cowboy
Joanna Krupa, model-actress
Chuck Liddell, ultimate fighting champion
Debi Mazar, actress
Kelly Osbourne, reality star
Donny Osmond, singer
Louie Vito, snowboarder

*Getty

Hannah Montana Mania: Interview With Miley Cyrus

What’s Miley Cyrus really like? How does she relax? What’s she obsessed with? And how would she spend the perfect day? We catch up with the Disney cutie to find out…

Describe your perfect day.
At the moment, the perfect day would involve a sleep-in! I’m a night owl who loves to stay up late – but then I find myself with a 6am start time and I’ll end up having only two hours sleep. That’s why my perfect day would involve sleeping in and then hanging out by the pool with my mom.

What’s the best way to chill out?
I love being at home – especially when I’m out by the pool. We have a waterfall in our backyard and it’s beautiful. It’s lovely to sit out there alone. In fact, I like anywhere I can just be alone. I love being alone!Do you enjoy the sunshine? Yeah! There’s nothing better than a day off in the sunshine. It would be lovely to just sit back and relax in the sun…

What else do you like to do in your spare time?
I like to ride my bike and I love reading. I also like to watch movies and stay up late. Staying up late is great because I find it really relaxing. It’s the only time when everyone else is asleep, so I can have some alone time.

Wait a minute… You haven’t mentioned shopping yet! Don’t you enjoy shopping?
I love, love, love to go shopping! What girl doesn’t?! I don’t get to shop as much as I like to, but when I can, I’ll go for it. Where do you keep all your new clothes? I have a great walk-in closet at home. My closet is the best closet you’ve ever seen! It’s huge and it’s filled to the brim because I love clothes.

What else are you obsessed with?
I am completely obsessed with Twitter. I love it. I’m always writing on it and chatting with fans. It’s fun. I like Tweeting.

What about travel? Would you like to take a trip around the world?
Definitely! There are loads of things I want to do. I’d love to take off and go backpacking around Europe, but I think it might be a little difficult.

Did you enjoy traveling to Nashville to shoot the Hannah Montana movie?
That was awesome! I loved going home to Nashville because it’s a wonderful place and it’s where I grew up. I really enjoyed the tranquility of everything there. I loved the peace and the quiet. It was amazing.

So how would you spend your ideal day in Nashville?
Ooh, I like this question! I’d just relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. You know what? I really wish I had more time to spend in Nashville. Filming the movie was the longest I had been back since I left, but I am hoping to move back there at some point.

Does this mean you’re leaving Hollywood?
Not yet! But filming the Hannah Montana movie really made me miss home. When audiences walk away from the film, I hope they feel like they’ve been to my home. I hope they feel like they understand Nashville because Nashville is everything to me. Nashville is who I am.

Let’s get back to your favorite obsessions… What was the last book you read?
I’ve just finished reading a book called Catcher In The Rye. It’s a really great book. If you haven’t heard of it, check it out. It’s by JD Salinger and it’s a bit of a classic.

What makes it such a good book?
It’s a really good story. Plus, when I was reading the book, I thought that I was a little similar to the main character. He over-thinks everything and I’m like that.

What do you over-think?
In the book, this guy is obsessed with a girl called Jane – and I can be exactly like that when it comes to boys. I’ll be thinking, ‘I really hope they like me.’ And I’ll stress and stress and stress about it.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Hopefully I’ll still be working in ten years. I love doing films, so I hope I’m doing them for years to come – but I also hope that I’ve become a bit more settled.

What do you mean by that?
Well, my life is so crazy at the moment, so it would be great to have a more normal life in ten years. I’d love to be doing movies on and off – but I hope I get the chance to spend a lot of time with my family, too. That would be very cool indeed.

Hannah Montana the Movie is available on Disney Blu-ray and DVD on August 18th!

It's a Baby Boy for Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson, 27, gave birth to a 7 lb, 14 oz. baby boy on Monday. “The baby is beautiful and perfect,” confirms Hudson’s publicist. “His parents are ecstatic.” Hudson and her fiance have named the baby David Daniel Otunga. Congrats to the happy couple!

*Getty Images

What to Go See This Weekend at the Movies

This weekend brings one must-see movie, Funny People. The latest flick from Judd Apatow (The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up) takes a turn for the darker and dramatic. Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Leslie Mann star in the bittersweet dramedy about a famous comedian who is diagnosed with cancer. He's forced to reevaluate his world. He becomes the mentor to a young, amateur comedian, and, in turn, learns a lot about life.

Jodi Lyn O'Keefe's Breakout Role

Anyone who regularly watched Prison Break the last two seasons might find it hard to believe that Jodi Lyn O’Keefe considers herself a mild-mannered pacifist.

“I’m really non-confrontational... I don’t even like to argue,” said O’Keefe, who played to perfection the ruthlessly homicidal operative Gretchen Morgan, aka Susan B. Anthony, on the nail-biting serial drama. The blue-eyed beauty regularly doled out punishment as if ice water coursed through her veins -- until Fox cancelled the series after four seasons of surprise and suspense.

It turns out, however, that Prison Break’s death sentence has gotten a very temporary stay of execution. Fans of Michael Scofield and his felonious cohorts will be treated to one last adventure in the form of a direct-to-DVD movie entitled Prison Break: The Final Break. And as fate would have it, the recently incarcerated Gretchen plays a major role in Scofield’s final caper, which, true to formula, involves yet another prison escape.

The movie, comprised of two additional unaired episodes and released as of July 21, will answer any lingering questions surrounding what happened to the characters in the four years between the demise of the insidious “Company” and Michael’s tragic death, which left many grieving viewers angry or in flat-out denial.

Upon learning Michael’s fate, “I kinda had the same reaction as everybody else,” said O’Keefe. “So we think he’s dead, but he’s not really dead and now they’re going to explain how he’s not really dead.” Since the series finale aired this past May, fans have been peppering her with theories on the show’s controversial ending, even proposing that perhaps Michael faked his death for reasons yet to be explained.

While she wouldn’t reveal any plot secrets, O’Keefe understands why some people are inclined to believe that the finale was a fake-out. After all, she recalled, “I cut off Sara’s head and put in a box -- and all of a sudden, I didn’t,” referring to how Gretchen decapitated Michael’s love interest in season three, only to reveal in season four that it was all a ruse and she was very much alive.

Speaking of severed body parts, was there ever a better pairing of TV villains than when Gretchen reluctantly partnered up with vile, one-armed sex offender Theodore “T-Bag” Bagwell? Together, these two baddies could do no right.
“He’s so good at being so bad,” said O’Keefe of Robert Knepper, who returns as T-Bag in the movie. “I was actually nervous for the first couple of scenes we worked together. I was thinking to myself, ‘Can I live up to how creepy he is?’”

Previously best known for playing Chuck Norris’ daughter on Nash Bridges, O’Keefe not only delivered more than her fair share of malevolence, but she also discovered that she was a lot tougher than she thought.

As it turns out, “I’m pretty good at fighting. I did a lot of the stunt work myself,” said O’Keefe, who once allowed herself to be waterboarded in a torture scene because she thought it would look less genuine if her stunt double stepped in. “Then I’m thinking, ‘This is not such a good idea,’ as they put the plastic wrap on my face,” she admitted. “That gave me nightmares for I can’t tell you how long.”

Despite the occasional nightmare, O’Keefe has been living a dream for the last two years. “The most memorable thing about this whole experience is learning that I can actually do this,” she said. “Because I had my doubts in the beginning.”

--Brad Barth

Ed McMahon Passes Away

Ed McMahon died this morning at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 86 years old. McMahon had been hospitalized for pneumonia at the beginning of this year and was also battling cancer. He had a great career as Johnny Carson's sidekick on the The Tonight Show. (Who doesn't remember his famous "Heeeeee're Johnny!") McMahon also hosted the television talent show, Star Search.
Today, we pay tribute to Ed McMahon and remember his legendary career in Hollywood.

*Getty Images

- Aanchal