‘I don’t get to eat the things that I like,’ Cannon says in first on-camera interview since his hospitalization. By Nadeska Alexis Nick Cannon Photo: MTV News On Tuesday (January 17) Nick Cannon returned to the office for his first day back to work after being hospitalized for kidney failure two weeks ago. After an initial diagnosis of kidney stones, doctors determined that Cannon’s kidneys were beginning to fail thanks to an overdose of protein, medication he was taking and a lack of proper sustenance. Sitting at his desk, Cannon told MTV News that his road to recovery includes a new diet, which forces him to cut back on some of his favorite eats. “I’m feeling good, I’m in the office, I’m grinding, the only thing that sucks is that I’m on the renal diet,” Cannon said. “It’s all about healthy living and fueling your system, but I don’t get to eat the things that I like to eat. You’ve got to stay hydrated and [eat] fruits and vegetables for breakfast.” After admitting that a more typical breakfast would usually include Lucky Charms cereal (“I can’t have none of that stuff anymore”), Cannon explained that simple foods like oats are now on the menu. “Not even the good oatmeal,” Cannon said. “Real oats, like horse-feed stuff — but it’s cool. I’ve got to start to love it.” According to Cannon, the diet will be implemented in phases, and as his body slowly recovers, he’ll be able to incorporate Lucky Charms and other banned foods into his regimen once again. “Right now I’m still on the strict diet and I can’t have any sodium, but as a couple of weeks go by and everything gets leveled out, then I can start having low sodium,” he said, revealing that hot sauce has been his solution for adding spice to his diet. “I can still have Tabasco sauce, so I’m excited about that because I love hot sauce. I’ll be putting Tabasco sauce on carrots, like, ‘This tastes delicious!’ ” Dietary restrictions aside, the entertainment mogul and father of two is also reassessing his approach to healthy living. His hesitation to visit doctors, for example, is out the door. “I feel 100 percent right now, but obviously the doctors tell you to take it slow,” he said. “This is definitely the first time anything like this has ever happened to me. I’ve always thought that I was doing the right things, but that’s why I now encourage everybody to get checkups, get physicals, know what’s going on in your system and don’t play around with your body. “I always considered myself as someone who was in great shape, but I was doing too much [to my body] so my immune system got confused and just started attacking my kidneys,” he continued. “You look at my Twitter picture and I look like I’m in shape, but I was putting the wrong stuff into my body, speeding all the time, not sleeping and eating properly — it’s all about taking time and really caring about yourself and how you fuel yourself.” Related Artists Nick Cannon
‘It didn’t hurt that George Lucas spent the last quarter of a decade trying to get this story’ made, actor tells MTV News. By Kevin P. Sullivan Cuba Gooding Jr. in “Red Tails” Photo: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation The upcoming World War II drama “Red Tails” tells many stories. First and foremost, it’s the story of the heroic Tuskegee Airmen, the country’s first African American air regimen. Within that story are tales of social injustice and a historical wartime drama. It’s also a big-budget action movie produced by George Lucas. With so much to accomplish, “Red Tails” has a lot on its plate dramatically speaking. One of the stars of the film, Cuba Gooding Jr., told MTV News recently that the film manages to find the right balance. “I think it strikes it in the subject matter,” Gooding said. “It didn’t hurt that George Lucas spent the last quarter of a decade trying to get this story onto the big screen. “The fact that you have the story of these warriors, whose story has been suppressed up until this date — except for smaller instances — are finally getting their due, educating the audience of what African Americans did in the war effort in World War II … told by George Lucas, Star Wars,” Gooding said. “You’re going to see an amusement park ride.” Gooding concluded that all of those elements came together for a proper telling of the story. “I think that’s how you get the balance,” he added. “You get a filmmaker who is so passionate he’s putting his own dough up to the tune of $100 million-plus. You see it on the screen.” Gooding’s co-star, Nate Parker, tried to chime in with a comment of his own, but the Academy Award-winning actor stopped Parker jokingly. “No, no, no, no. That was enough,” Gooding said. “I’m just kidding. Speak your mind, brother.” For Parker, the answer to the film’s success is simple. “Risk and reward,” he said. “He took a risk, and now I think he’s being rewarded in a major way because I think the film is fantastic.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Red Tails.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Red Tails
Mireille Enos also addresses controversy swirling around upcoming ‘World War Z.’ By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Mireille Enos in “The Killing” Photo: AMC Mireille Enos can’t seem to stay away from controversy these days. Two of her biggest projects, AMC’s “The Killing” and this year’s “World War Z” have recently come under heavy scrutiny from fans, but at Sunday’s Golden Globes , Enos assured MTV News that both projects are headed in the right direction. Fans of Max Brooks’ novel recently lashed out when word came down from the set of “World War Z” that significant changes had been made to the overall structure of the story. In what may be a relief to fans, Enos admitted that liberties were taken but said that the core remains the same. “I definitely found the book very important, just to get into the mind of Max Brooks and the kind of story that he was trying to tell,” she told MTV News’ Josh Horowitz. “Actually, the book is about human nature in the midst of crisis. Even though the context is different in the film, that’s still the heart of it, and I’m so glad that was carried over.” She also expanded on the part she plays, as well as Brad Pitt ‘s role, and how those characters factor into the changes made to the story. “The book is narrated by a character who is now in the film, and I play that character’s wife,” she said. When “The Killing” season finale aired last June, fans cried foul that the show ended without revealing Rosie Larsen’s killer. Enos told us on Sunday that she couldn’t understand the outrage. “I was so baffled, actually, by people not liking the ending. A cliffhanger is such a classic writing device,” she said. “If you’re enjoying the journey, why not want more?” For season two, however, Enos promised a quicker show with much higher stakes. “The pace accelerates. The stakes jump by tenfold. Everything gets more and more personal, and the writing is so exceptional,” she said. “We shot the first three episodes, and our eyes are like this [ makes bulging eye motion ] at the end of every episode. It’s really going to be awesome.” Check out everything we’ve got on “World War Z.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes
Before Nolan finishes with ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ we take a look back at the film that started it all in The Weekly Rising. By Kevin P. Sullivan Christian Bale in “Batman Begins” Photo: Warner Bros. Months and months ago, when we weren’t fortunate enough to have seen the first six minutes of “The Dark Knight Rises” or even a full-length trailer, one of the best pieces of info that we had about the conclusion to Christopher Nolan ‘s Batman trilogy was that the film would circle back — thematically and perhaps story-wise — to “Batman Begins.” Since 2008, “The Dark Knight” and Heath Ledger have dominated most of the conversation around the series. The general feeling was that while “Batman Begins” was great, “The Dark Knight” transcended the superhero genre. That’s why it comes as a surprise that when the trilogy ends, the underappreciated first film will play a big part. With the release of “Rises” looming, there has never been a better excuse to rewatch “Begins,” not only to look for clues of what’s to come, but also to see how the film holds up in a post-“Dark Knight” world. If you haven’t watched “Batman Begins” in a few years, it may surprise you how entertaining it is. For his first Batman movie, Nolan crafted a tight origin story that seems almost quaint in scale compared to “The Dark Knight.” That isn’t to say “Begins” lacks ambition; it immediately jumps into a complicated story structure to tell Batman’s origin, and the central conflict revolves around ninjas using insanity spray to poison Gotham. The scaled-back feeling of “Begins” stems from where its primary focus lies: Batman. “The Dark Knight” was an ensemble piece with the Caped Crusader at its core. With that particular structure, many viewers felt they lost sight of Batman in the process. Though it worked for “Dark Knight” and gave the film a structure more complex than we deserved, the biggest takeaway from watching “Begins” may be that Nolan should give Batman and Christian Bale the time they deserve before the legend truly ends. How “Rises” will return to the topics addressed in “Begins” remains to be seen, but what we can gather from rumors and the prologue is that the League of Shadows will return. If this is a case, I have to give credit to Nolan, David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan for not falling prey to a typical sequel problem. The League of Shadows isn’t the kind of organization that’s going to give up after one go. In “Begins,” Ra’s al Ghul mentions that poisoning Gotham’s water supply was their second attempt at destroying Batman’s hometown. Were they just going to give up after Batman ruined that attempt? Did Ra’s fail to mention that they make a maximum of two attempts to destroy a city’s infrastructure before they call it quits? They don’t, so bringing them back for the finale makes perfect sense. Most importantly, “Begins” makes a great argument that it and “The Dark Knight” are two great, but different Batman movies. Both work perfectly well, just on two different scales. Where “The Dark Knight” tackles a sprawling story with many intriguing key players, the aptly titled “Batman Begins” focuses on Bruce Wayne and his journey to becoming a legend, a smaller story but one worth telling. Random takeaways: -Maggie Gyllenhaal is, by far, the better Rachel Dawes. -Chicago is Nolan’s Gotham. It will be sorely missed. -The lady who introduces Bruce to the fake Ra’s al Ghul must have been really confused after hearing, “This isn’t Ra’s al Ghul. I watched him die.” -Ra’s makes no mention of a daughter, but talks briefly about his wife. Hmmm. -As the train is about the crash, the look on Ra’s’ face intrigued me. -At the end of the movie, Wayne looks like he’s rebuilding the Manor himself. He must have given that up a few weeks later. -The Joker tease at the end is just as cool as it was in 2005. What did you enjoy most about “Batman Begins”? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Trailer: 5 Key Scenes Analyzing Catwoman’s Costume In ‘Dark Knight Rises’
Ratings down a bit from last year’s show. By Gil Kaufman Ricky Gervais at the 2012 Golden Globes Photo: Getty Images Ricky Gervais has said that his third go-round as host of the Golden Globes would be his last. And while his latest Hollywood-tweaking gig on Sunday night didn’t draw the same headlines as last year’s scorched-earth takedown of Tinsel Town pomposity, ratings for the broadcast were steady. According to the Nielsen Co. the 69th annual Globes was seen by 16.8 million viewers, which is just below the 17 million who tuned in last year. And though some critics dented Gervais for being more controlled than he was last year, the Globes has already set the high-water mark for awards programs so far this season, beating out both the American Music Awards and the Emmys. MTV’s Movies team gave Gervais both a thumbs up and down on his performance, praising him for “winning over Hollywood frenemies and delivering a very funny opening monologue.” But there was some bad news as well. “The comedian might have talked a big game heading into the show, but Gervais’ performance was a restrained one after last year’s hullabaloo. What’s great about the comedian is how he coats a witty mean-spiritedness with kindly, winking, you-know-I-still-love-you sugar. When your biggest dig is a fish-in-the-barrel attack on ‘The Tourist,’ you know you’ve caved to the worrywarts in the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.” With big wins for George Clooney for “The Descendants” and a boost for the silent film “The Artist,” both movies solidified their spots as front-runners of the awards season. Check out the 2012 Golden Globes winners , and don’t miss all the fashion from the Golden Globes red carpet! Related Videos 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes Related Photos Golden Globes 2012 Press Room Golden Globes 2012: The Afterparties MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos
Country star says next album is about ‘absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak.’ By Jocelyn Vena Taylor Swift on the February cover of Vogue After much speculation, Taylor Swift has nabbed the February cover of Vogue, donning a big-rimmed, beige hat, hippie-chic clothes and fringy bangs. The singer not only opens up about her love of fashion in the article, but also goes into depth about her plans for the future, including her dreams to star in more movies and just what she has in store for her next album, which — believe it or not — will be about boys. “There’s just been this earth-shattering, not recent, but absolute crash-and-burn heartbreak,” she explained about the highly anticipated follow-up to 2010’s Speak Now. “And that will turn out to be what the next album is about. The only way that I can feel better about myself — pull myself out of that awful pain of losing someone — is writing songs about it to get some sort of clarity.” Swift, who says she’s currently happily single, goes on to say that she’s learned some of the major “red flags” in relationships, which include a guy who falls too fast without actually knowing her (“You can’t be in love with a Google search,” she said), a guy who can’t understand why she needs to have security, a guy who wants to “put her down” and a guy who needs too much privacy. While she’s learning more and more about dating, she’s also still trying to maneuver fame. Right now, she’s at the top of her game, but she knows that that can change at any time. “This is what I’ve wanted to do my whole life. It never freaks me out. Never. Ever,” she says. “But you know what does freak me out? When is the other shoe going to drop? I am so happy right now. So I am always living in fear. This can’t be real, right? This can’t really be my life. “The stakes are really high if you mess up, if you slack off and don’t make a good record, if you make mistakes based on the idea that you are larger than life and you can just coast,” she later says. “If you start thinking you’ve got it down, that’s when you run into trouble — either by getting complacent or becoming mouthy. And nobody likes that.” The article makes mention that Swift has been spending more time in L.A. looking for the right movie role. Currently she’s rumored to be playing Eponine in the A-list-filled big-screen adaptation of “Les Miserables.” “I fret about the future,” she explains. “What my next move should be. What the move after that should be. How I am going to sustain this. How do I evolve.” She let out a big sigh. “I get so ahead of myself. I’m like, ‘What am I going to be doing at 30?’ But there’s no way to know that! So it’s this endless, mind-boggling equation that you’ll never figure out. I overanalyze myself into being a big bag of worries.” Adele is the next rumored pop cover girl for the fashion magazine. The singer appeared on the cover of October’s Vogue U.K. What did you think about the February Vogue cover? Sound off below! Related Artists Taylor Swift
DJ Scream, Future and Verse Simmonds team up with Atlanta MC, who tells Mixtape Daily, ‘I was put here to be great.’ By Rob Markman, with reporting by FLX Rocko Photo: Prince Williams/ Getty Images Mixtape Daily: Main Pick Headliners : Rocko and DJ Scream Representing : Atlanta Mixtape : G.O.G. (Gift of Gab) Real Spit : Rocko got that gift of gab. The “Umma Do Me” rapper first made his name with his 2007 single and then went on to release his major-label debut, Self Made, a year later. There have been some hiccups along the way, but through it all the Atlanta rapper has remained one of his city’s most-beloved figures. The A1 Entertainment CEO has been instrumental in Future ‘s burgeoning career, but is still focused on his music as well. Need proof? Just check his latest, G.O.G. Throughout the mixtape, Rocko crafts bouncy tracks with hit potential, while at the same time sharing his real-life experiences. On “Balance,” Rocko teams with Verse Simmonds, and together they sing and rap about the tightrope walk they conduct when mixing business with their personal lives. The Zaytoven-produced “The Choice is Yours” is equally as enlightening. Rocko raps about moving from an illegal life to the legal music business. Future appears on “Take U Away,” “Squares Out Your Circle” and “Power of That P,” on which he and Rocko employ tons of alliteration, using the letter “p” to speak about the many ways in which power manifest. Over the course of 19 tracks, Rocko provides an even-keeled listen; with no noticeable dips, the DJ Scream-helmed mixtape bangs throughout. Then again, we expected nothing less. Joints to Check For
‘It’s still a very secret character that is very closely safeguarded, and it’s still in the design process,’ Andy Serkis says at Golden Globes. By Kevin P. Sullivan, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Andy Serkis at the 2012 Golden Globes Photo: Getty Images Motion-capture wizard Andy Serkis took some time off from filming “The Hobbit” to hit the red carpet at the 2012 Golden Globes , but it seems like he left all of his precious Middle-earth secrets back in New Zealand. When Serkis took some time to chat with MTV News’ Josh Horowitz, he refused to give any clue what the legendary dragon Smaug might look like on the big screen. “I can’t give any secrets away, none of those trade secrets,” Serkis said. “I can’t say that because actually it’s still under wraps.” In “The Hobbit,” Serkis reprises the role that made him a capture-performance all-star: Gollum. Additionally, he will step behind the camera as the director of the films’ second unit. An iconic character in J.R.R. Tolkien’s mythological world, Smaug is the impetus for all of the action in Peter Jackson’s upcoming “Lord of the Rings” prequel, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” Such a revered character is bound to come with a high level of security. Serkis suggested that there might be more to his own secrecy than just avoiding spoilers. According to the actor, Weta Workshop is still working on the creature’s look. “It’s still a very secret character that is very closely safeguarded, and it’s still in the design process,” he said. The little we do know about Smaug is more than enough to get us excited. Benedict Cumberbatch will voice Smaug in “The Hobbit” before going where no man has gone before as the villain in J.J. Abrams’ next “Star Trek.” Serkis said that with Cumberbatch as Smaug, audiences certainly have something to look forward to. “With an actor like Benedict Cumberbatch playing him, it will be extraordinary,” he said. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes
MTV News reporter spends awards-show night chatting with George Clooney and chasing Lindsay Lohan and Diddy. By Josh Horowitz George Clooney at the 2012 Golden Globes Photo: Getty Images On Sunday, I covered my fourth (fifth? It’s all getting a bit fuzzy in my mid-30s) Golden Globes , and let me tell you, it was wild! I laughed with George Clooney, bro’d out with Michael Fassbender, ogled Michelle Williams’ trophy up close, and capped the night off with Diddy and Lindsay Lohan. I also was in bed eating a piece of cheesecake from room service before midnight. All of these things are true. Such is the bizarre event the Hollywood Foreign Press puts on every year. You’re a sketchy odd bunch, but you throw a hell of a party, guys! Thanks for the memories. I’ve been lucky enough to cover the Oscars and the entire awards-show circuit the past few years at MTV News, and it is a fantastically glamorous and surreal bubble filled with moments that bend the mind (it’s like “Inception” if everyone were pretty. Huh?). It’s also a job — meaning it’s filled with massive frustrations and insults, just as anyone experiences in their 9 to 5. Unfortunately for me, when I start whining about “Glee” star Cory Monteith racing by me at a party, ignoring my request for an interview, most people want to punch me in the face. I get it. I really do. But I can be as miserable as the next person (actually, I think I can be more miserable than the next person), and no one is going to take away my right to bitch about a pushy publicist who gives me an earful about her client I’d be a fool not to talk to. Nobody! I couldn’t bring you all with me to the Globes, unfortunately. Well, come on, where would I have put you? Really, be sensible! But I can give you a peek into some illuminating/ absurd/ just plain odd moments I experiences in my strange gig. George Clooney and I are best friends! George Clooney and I are not best friends. George Clooney doesn’t know my name. George Clooney is not inviting me to Lake Como. My wife and I are not going on a double date with him and his Amazonian girlfriend (seriously, was she in Avatar?). But George Clooney sure is good at seeming like you’re his best friend. I interviewed George a couple days ago at the Critics’ Choice red carpet (most notable for me calling him old and him taking my microphone away). And a few days before that, we talked to him in New York at the National Board of Review red carpet (’tis the season). When the Cloonster (I can call him that: We have an understanding) saw me Sunday night, moments before his Best Actor win, he said he was relieved I was wearing a tie tonight but I still need to do something about the scruff. Dreamy, right? BFFs! Actually, he’d combined me in his memory with a fellow MTV News-er, whom he’d talked to at the NBR in New York without the tie. It’s all good, George. You have a lot on your plate. See you at the Oscars. The night belonged to Fassbender’s member That doesn’t rhyme does it? I’m waiting for my flight home to New York (Al Roker is here!) and it will just have to do. Though Michael Fassbender didn’t win a prize for “Shame” Sunday night (see previous item on the Cloonster), he was a big topic in my red carpet interviews. Before I get to the silly stuff, let me just echo many by saying he delivers an awesome performance in “Shame” that should not be missed. Not good for a date night though. You’ve been warned. Anyway, Fassbender is an all-around cool guy in my experience. Exhibit A: When I sprung an impromptu After Hours on him a month ago wherein he had the task of identifying celebrities based solely on photos of their penises (he did really well!). Last night, he told me friends have been giving him grief for being a “penis expert.” Later in the night, Fassbender’s genitalia came up (so to speak) in my conversations with Ewan McGregor (of course) and Paris Hilton (er, also of course?). Let it be known that Paris has not seen “Shame” yet but seemed quite excited when I told her what she was in for. Lindsay Lohan and Diddy have odd ideas about interviews Where would one run into the likes of Ewan McGregor and the star of “The Hottie and the Nottie”? (I tease: Paris actually couldn’t have been sweeter). Why the Weinstein afterparty! Also Meryl Streep and Kim Kardashian. America really is a melting pot! The Weinstein party (er, the carpet heading into it — I never went in) was a festive one and why not? Harvey’s flicks dominated. Uggie, the dog from “The Artist,” seemed thrilled to be there. As did the whole gang from “My Week with Marilyn,” celebrating Michelle Williams’ win. But it was the random folks that were most fun to talk to. Why look, it’s Chris Tucker! Say, it’s a real housewife! And then there was Diddy swaggering as only he can down the carpet. I practically threw myself in his path so we could talk. He stopped, but he didn’t exactly talk. Instead he had his “spokesman” (Swizz Beatz by his side) answer all my questions. Whatever works, Diddy. And then there was the last interview of the night. Truth be told, it wasn’t much of an interview. Just as we were packing up our troubles, there she was: the one, the only, Lindsay Lohan. “This is it!” I screamed to no one in particular. Lindsay raced by, only to reconsider. I was going to get something good. Cloonster was but an amuse-bouche. This is what it was all about. Tears would be shed. Confessions made. That weird stripper movie of hers would be dissected. “So, I hear you’re playing Elizabeth Taylor soon?” I began. She smiled and grabbed my arm. And without a word, she was gone. Thank you, Hollywood Foreign Press. Thank you. Check out the 2012 Golden Globes winners , and don’t miss all the fashion from the Golden Globes red carpet ! Related Videos 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes Related Photos Golden Globes 2012: The Afterparties Golden Globes 2012 Press Room
