Former Obama ambassador failed to pick up momentum in race. By Gil Kaufman John Huntsman speaks during the 2012 New Hampshire primary Photo: Getty Images After a series of disappointing finishes and a failure to emerge from the pack, former Utah governor Jon Huntsman announced his withdrawal from the 2012 presidential race on Monday (January 16). Huntsman threw his support behind leading candidate Mitt Romney in a bid to unite a Republican party that is sorely divided over which candidate will take on President Obama in November. Huntsman served as ambassador to China in the Obama administration and was the sole voice of moderation amid a pack of White House contenders that have done their utmost to highlight their conservative bona fides. After skipping campaigning in Iowa to focus all his energies on last week’s New Hampshire primary, he came in a distant third to Romney and Ron Paul. And though he put on a brave face and said his #3 finish in New Hampshire was a “ticket to ride” to the next contest in South Carolina on January 21, the reality of his anemic support base appears to have become clear to the man whose bid was launched on the promise of bringing civility back to the process. Almost from the start, Huntsman was unable to win over a Republican voting base that looked at his service in the current Democrat administration with scorn and blanched at his support on some social issues, including civil unions for gay couples. In a campaign that struggled to pull polling numbers out of the single digits for most of the past year, one of the bright spots for Huntsman was the media embrace of his music-loving daughters’ social-networking prowess. Sisters Mary Anne, 26, Abby, 25, and Liddy, 24, helped focus some attention on their dad’s often-overlooked campaign with their irreverent viral videos and tweets. . Speaking to MTV’s Power of 12 last week in New Hampshire, the Huntsman trio said the grueling campaign was a “family affair” that they were really enjoying. “We call it a roller coaster: You never know which way the car is going to go,” said Abby on the eve of the Granite State contest when it looked like her dad’s poll numbers were finally inching up into the solid double digits. “We think [social media] is crucially important for this election cycle, especially for our younger generation, so we’ve kind of run with it,” added Liddy, referring to such now-infamous bits as a YouTube send-up of former candidate Herman Cain’s “smoking” commercial and a Justin Timberlake remake promoting their dad. Despite his pledge to endorse Romney, just last week Huntsman referred to the former Massachusetts governor as “unelectable.” With Huntsman — who, like Romney, was vying to be the nation’s first Mormon president — out of the race, leading candidate Romney is now facing off against Paul, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, former House speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Governor Rick Perry. Stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos New Hampshire Primary Sparks Youth Conversation
‘I sing part of ‘Black [or] White.’ I’m the ‘white’ in ‘Black [or] White,’ ‘ actor reveals on the Golden Globes red carpet. By Amy Wilkinson, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Chris Colfer Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images Fox’s song-and-dance series “Glee” is no stranger to a star-studded cameo or two, with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, John Stamos and Kristin Chenoweth all walking the halls of McKinley High during the past two and a half seasons. And as the show returns from a month-long hiatus, Gleeks aren’t the only ones anticipating a few more famous faces. As star Chris Colfer told MTV News on the Golden Globes red carpet, there’s plenty to look forward to when New Directions warble again January 17. “Well, the Michael Jackson episode …,” Colfer answered when asked about his most-anticipated upcoming episodes. “We have a Spanish episode coming up with Ricky Martin. We have a Valentine’s Day episode coming up, so that’s going to be fun.” Martin is slated to play “the hottest Spanish teacher ever in the history of Ohio,” according to TVLine . The actor/singer recently tweeted a joyful picture from his first day on set. As to how the King of Pop’s prolific songbook will manifest itself in the January 31 tribute episode, Colfer explained, “Well, I sing part of ‘Black [or] White.’ I’m the ‘White’ in ‘Black [or] White,’ and I sing ‘Ben,’ that famous song he wrote for the rat.” The rodent in question is the pet of a young boy named Danny in the 1972 film “Ben.” Jackson sang a version of the theme song that appeared in the movie’s closing credits and was later included on his 1972 album also named Ben . The track “Black or White” was the first single off of Jackson’s 1991 album Dangerous . Stick with MTV News all night for the 2012 Golden Globes winners, and don’t miss all the fashion from the Golden Globes red carpet ! Related Videos On The Red Carpet At The Golden Globes 2012 Golden Globes: Highlights From The Show Related Photos MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos Golden Globes 2012 Press Room Related Artists Michael Jackson
‘The Artist’ and George Clooney were among big winners Sunday night. By Eric Ditzian George Clooney at the 2012 Golden Globes Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images The 2012 Golden Globe Awards took over Hollywood on Sunday evening (January 15) with Ricky Gervais once again at the helm and all of Tinseltown in his joke-slinging sights. A much more staid affair than last year’s show – save for some of the host’s zingers and Seth Rogen’s reference to his penis — the ceremony capped a long week of statuette-accepting and speech-giving ahead of next month’s Oscars. “The Artist” further solidified its spot at the front of the awards-season pack with three wins (including Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical) and “The Descendants” (Best Motion Picture — Drama and Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama) showed that it could play the spoiler come Oscar night. The TV side was a more mixed affair, with no show dominating and high-profile wins going to newcomer “Homeland” (Best Television Series – Drama) and “Modern Family” (Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical). Check out the full list of nominees below, with winners’ names bolded: Best Motion Picture – Drama “The Descendants” “The Help” “Hugo” “The Ides of March” “Moneyball” “War Horse” Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Glenn Close, “Albert Nobbs” Viola Davis, “The Help” Rooney Mara, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” Meryl Streep, “The Iron Lady” Tilda Swinton, “We Need to Talk About Kevin” Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama George Clooney, “The Descendants” Leonardo DiCaprio, “J. Edgar” Michael Fassbender, “Shame Ryan Gosling, “The Ides of March” Brad Pitt, “Moneyball” Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical “50/50” “The Artist” “Bridesmaids” “Midnight in Paris” “My Week With Marilyn” Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Jodie Foster, “Carnage Charlize Theron, “Young Adult” Kristen Wiig, “Bridesmaids” Michelle Williams, “My Week With Marilyn” Kate Winslet, “Carnage” Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical Jean Dujardin, “The Artist Brendan Gleeson, “The Guard” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “50/50” Ryan Gosling, “Crazy, Stupid, Love.” Owen Wilson, “Midnight in Paris” Best Animated Feature Film “The Adventures of Tintin” “Arthur Christmas” “Cars 2” “Puss in Boots” “Rango” Best Foreign Language Film “The Flowers of War” (China) “In the Land of Blood and Honey” (USA) “The Kid With a Bike” (Belgium) “A Separation” (Iran) “The Skin I Live In” (Spain) Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Berenice Bejo, “The Artist” Jessica Chastain, “The Help” Janet McTeer, “Albert Nobbs” Octavia Spencer, “The Help” Shailene Woodley, “The Descendants” Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Kenneth Branagh, “My Week with Marilyn” Albert Brooks, “Drive” Jonah Hill, “Moneyball” Viggo Mortensen, “A Dangerous Method” Christopher Plummer, “Beginners” Best Director – Motion Picture Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris” George Clooney, “The Ides of March” Michel Hazanavicius, “The Artist” Alexander Payne, “The Descendants” Martin Scorsese, “Hugo” Best Screenplay – Motion Picture Woody Allen, “Midnight in Paris” George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon – “The Ides of March” Michel Hazanavicius – “The Artist” Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash – “The Descendants” Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin – “Moneyball” Best Original Score – Motion Picture Ludovic Bource – “The Artist” Abel Korzeniowski – “W.E.” Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross – “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” Howard Shore – “Hugo” John Williams – “War Horse” Best Original Song – Motion Picture “Hello Hello” – “Gnomeo & Juliet,” music by Elton John, lyrics by Bernie Taupin “The Keeper”- “Machine Gun Preacher,” music and lyrics by Chris Cornell “Lay Your Head Down” – “Albert Nobbs,” music by Brian Byrne, lyrics by Glenn Close “The Living Proof” – “The Help”; music by Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr.; lyrics by Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas “Masterpiece” – W.E., music and lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry Best Television Series – Drama “American Horror Story” “Boardwalk Empire” “Boss” “Game of Thrones” “Homeland” Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama Claire Danes, “Homeland” Mireille Enos, “The Killing” Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife” Madeleine Stowe, “Revenge” Callie Thorne, “Necessary Roughness” Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama Steve Buscemi, “Boardwalk Empire” Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” Kelsey Grammer, “Boss” Jeremy Irons, “The Borgias” Damian Lewis, “Homeland” Best Television Series – Comedy or Musical “Enlightened” “Episodes” “Glee” “Modern “Family” “New Girl” Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical Laura Dern, “Enlightened” Zooey Deschanel, “New Girl” Tina Fey, “30 Rock” Laura Linney, “The Big C” Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation” Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy or Musical Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” David Duchovny, “Californication” Johnny Galecki, “The Big Bang Theory” Thomas Jane, “Hung” Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes” Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Movie “Cinema Verite” “Downton Abbey” “The Hour” “Mildred Pierce” “Too Big to Fail” Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Romola Garai, “The Hour” Diane Lane, “Cinema Verite” Elizabeth McGovern, “Downton Abbey” (Masterpiece) Emily Watson, “Appropriate Adult” Kate Winslet, “Mildred Pierce” Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Hugh Bonneville, “Downtown Abbey” (Masterpiece) Idris Elba, “Luther” William Hurt, “Too Big to Fail” Bill Nighy, “Page Eight” (Masterpiece) Dominic West, “The Hour” Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story” Kelly MacDonald, “Boardwalk Empire” Maggie Smith, “Downtown Abbey” (Masterpiece) Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family” Evan Rachel Wood, “Mildred Pierce” Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones” Paul Giamatti, “Too Big to Fail” Guy Pearce, “Mildred Pierce” Tim Robbins, “Cinema Verite” Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family” Stick with MTV News all night for 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 Related Photos Golden Globes 2012 Press Room MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos
‘My Week With Marilyn’ actress takes home same award as Monroe did in 1960. By Jocelyn Vena Michelle Williams at the 2012 Golden Globes Photo: HFPA/ NBC Michelle Williams has come a long way since her “Dawson’s Creek” days. On Sunday night (January 15), the pixie-haired actress took the stage to accept her prize for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical for her chameleon-like turn as silver-screen icon Marilyn Monroe in “My Week With Marilyn.” “I consider myself a mother first and an actress second, and so the person I most want to thank is my daughter, my little girl [Matilda Ledger], whose bravery and exuberance is the example I take with me in my work and in my life. I want to say thank you for sending me off to this job every day with a hug and kiss,” she gushed in her Jason Wu gown. “I couldn’t have done it otherwise. You kept me so excited to come home at night and for suffering through six months of bedtime stories where the princesses were read out loud in a Marilyn Monroe sounding voice. “I could go on and on,” she continued, thanking everyone from producer Harvey Weinstein to her longtime pal and former “Dawson’s” co-star Busy Phillips, adding, “I wish I could go on and on; there’s so many people to thank. Thank you to Hollywood Foreign Press Association for putting in my hands the same award that Marilyn Monroe herself won over fifty years ago. I’m honored.” In 1960, Monroe took home the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actress in Comedy or Musical for her iconic role in “Some Like It Hot.” Williams has been nominated twice before, in 2005 for her work in “Brokeback Mountain” and again in 2010 for her role in “Blue Valentine.” This is her first win. Stick with MTV News all night for 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 Related Photos MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos Golden Globes 2012 Press Room
Song is featured in ‘W.E.,’ which Madge wrote and directed. By Jocelyn Vena Madonna at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards Photo: Steve Granitz/ WireImage Madonna has a huge year ahead of her, and she’s already getting some shine. At the Golden Globes on Sunday night (January 15), the pop star-turned-film director nabbed the Best Original Song prize for “Masterpiece,” which was featured in “W.E.,” which she wrote and directed . Taking the stage in her glittering Reem Acra-designed dress, Madge thanked the many collaborators who helped her write the song featured in her first feature film, which opens in wide release next month. “This is a surprise,” she told the room, clutching her prize. “Thank you so much to the Hollywood Foreign Press for this acknowledgement. I need to thank my co-writers, Jimmy Harry and Julie Frost, my co-producer William Orbit, who’s not here, whom I adore.” As her speech went on, she opened up a bit about the creation of the award-winning track, ignoring her exit music altogether. “I would also like to thank my manager, Guy Oseary, who I spend most of my time beating up on,” she said. “But seriously, he harangued me for the entire time I was filming and editing my movie to write a song. And I said, ‘Please, Guy, I’m trying to focus on being a director and I want people to pay attention to the film and I don’t have time.’ So then I finished the film and I started making my record and somehow magically and miraculously the song emerged, ‘Masterpiece,’ so thank you, Guy Oseary, for being so irritating.” As her speech wrapped up, she thanked her leading lady in the film, Andrea Riseborough, and producer Harvey Weinstein, whom she called the Punisher. This is hardly Madonna’s first Golden Globe. She previously won Best Actress in Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for playing Eva Peron in “Evita.” “Masterpiece” is expected to appear on Madonna’s forthcoming new record, M.D.N.A. Stick with MTV News all night for 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 Related Photos MTV Style | 2012 Golden Globes Red Carpet Photos Golden Globes 2012 Press Room Related Artists Madonna
Funnyman shows no signs of sadness post-breakup when asked about how he’s holding up. By MTV News staff Russell Brand Photo: Getty Images If Russell Brand is feeling down about his split from pop star Katy Perry , he wasn’t showing it to reporters this weekend. Brand was out promoting his upcoming FX TV series, “Strangely Uplifting,” when he was asked how he was holding up after filing for divorce in December. According to People, Brand told them, “Quite well, thank you. Are you asking because of recent events? You are making the mistake of seeing time as linear. The brilliant American author Kurt Vonnegut, he’ll tell you that if you imagine reality as experienced simultaneously, events become redundant.” Brand went even further, replying, “Yes, I am,” when asked if he was happy. “Strangely Uplifting,” which premieres this spring, will be a personal project for Brand, centering on him discussing current events in front of an intimate audience. Promoting projects is sure to keep Brand in the public eye through a solid chunk of 2012. In addition to “Uplifting,” Brand will also throw his support behind “Rock of Ages,” the big-screen version of the Broadway musical, which co-stars Alec Baldwin, Tom Cruise and Julianne Hough and opens June 1. Perry also seemed to be getting on with things, making her first public appearance since the split this week while filming a new Adidas commercial just days after she canceled a scheduled appearance at the People’s Choice Awards. The reasons behind the couple’s split are still only speculative, but sources told TMZ that there was tension due to Perry’s strict religious beliefs while the Daily Mail reported that recovering drug addict Brand was not fond of some of Perry’s friends. Related Artists Katy Perry
We’re keeping an eye on Teresa’s three upcoming projects: ‘Wish You Were Here,’ ‘AWOL’ and ‘Warm Bodies.’ By Kara Warner Teresa Palmer in “Wish You Were Here” Photo: Hopscotch Films Amazingly enough, our week of Ones to Watch in 2012 profiles is coming to an end. Over the past few days, we’ve highlighted a few of the stars who we feel will make the biggest impact in Hollywood this year. They are the rising stars of action, drama and blockbusters, who have the potential to be future award winners. The latest One to Watch is Aussie-born beauty Teresa Palmer, who fits into all of those categories and has not one, but three movies in which audiences can see her this year: the Australian indie and official Sundance Film Festival selection “Wish You Were Here” opposite Joel Edgerton, ’60s-set war drama “AWOL” with fellow Aussie and One to Watch Liam Hemsworth and “Warm Bodies,” a zombie romance based on Isaac Marion’s acclaimed novel. MTV News was lucky enough to catch up with Palmer recently to talk about her expectations for the year and what she loves most about her upcoming films, as well as the status on Six and that “I Am Number Four” sequel. MTV News : With the new year just getting started, do you have any specific goals or expectations for yourself? Teresa Palmer : Every year, I write a very elaborate journal, which I find to be very therapeutic and such a nice tool to have. This year, my New Year’s resolutions and goals, I had eight pages worth of stuff. Mainly it was goals that I’ve set for myself, and I know it’s going to be a busy year. I’m sure it’s going to be full of peaks and valleys, but I tend to do that every year and stick to what those goals are. MTV : We’ve seen you in plenty of films before this year, but how is 2012 different from other years? Palmer : This is the first time I’ve had three films come out in a year. I’m really excited because I’ve balanced between doing a big studio film, which I’ve been doing a lot in the last few years, with a cool independent. I have a cool independent film coming out called “Wish You Were Here” with Joel Edgerton and it’s Australian, which is super exciting for me because I haven’t been back to Australia to work in a few years. And then of course I have “Warm Bodies” coming out in August and then I have a period piece which is a much smaller movie again, set in the 1960s around the Vietnam war, called “AWOL,” and that’s with Liam Hemsworth. They’re just very different characters. I couldn’t really draw any similarities between the three girls that I play, and that’s certainly a draw card for me when I select the project. It’s just exciting, the diversity in the roles this year. It’s great. MTV : We’ve been following “Warm Bodies” for a while now. It’s a very different film from what people think. How do you describe it? Palmer : “Warm Bodies” is a truly unique zombie film. Yes, it has those elements of a zombie movie, and for those who embrace that genre, they’re not going to be disappointed because we have a lot of those typical action sequences in zombie films, but really, at the heart of the story is this relationship between R and Julie, and it’s unlike anything I think you’ve seen on film before. It’s so sweet, and there’s a lot humor. It really is, believe it or not, grounded in a reality. I think people can absolutely relate to R, who plays our lovable zombie. He’s an outsider, and it’s very much an “Edward Scissorhands”-type story and it’s really beautiful how this romance blossoms. It was such a strong script and truly very special, and that’s what drew me to the project in the first place. It’s just exceeded my expectations throughout filming, and the little of what I’ve seen I’m really excited about, I think more so than any other film I’ve been in, which is a great step for me. And I get to see a lot more when we start doing in a few weeks. MTV : How would you describe the look of the film? Palmer : It’s a dark, bleak world. There are 400 humans left in society, so it’s very much that postapocalyptic world. Empty streets, a huge deserted airport, which always makes for an interesting backdrop. There’s a lot of beauty, though, and it surrounds. I think another character in the film really is the music; it’s celebrated in our movie. It’s just a very eclectic film in the way that we have eccentric pieces and really interesting graffiti that maybe not everyone will notice, but so much effort was put into the look of the film, the backdrops and sets and just the feel of it, that I think it’s going to be really interesting on film. We have the production designer who did “Super 8,” among a bunch of other films, and it is really epic. MTV : Is there room for a sequel, or do you feel it’s a standalone film? Palmer : I would love, love to go back and play Julie. I certainly already miss R, and I said to [director] Jonathan Levine just recently “I miss them both so much.” I miss R’s sweetness and how beautiful he is to Julie and how much he takes care of her. He’s struggling so much with being bottled up in a zombie, he doesn’t like his existence in that way, and we sort of help each other to grow. I love that. I would be so excited to do another film. At the moment, it lends itself to the one film, but we all sat around drawing up possible ideas in the air, and Isaac Marion was on set with us, and he said he has a couple of ideas. If anything, there might be a prequel, but right now, it’s a standalone film. I guess it just depends. MTV : Have you had any more discussion on the character of Six and a sequel to “I Am Number Four”? Palmer : I have been poking around asking about that a little bit. I think of all the films I’ve done so far, that’s the character who is most celebrated to me. I meet people who come up to me on the street and say all my lines from “I Am Number Four” and they really loved Six, which is exciting. I’ve been asked that question a lot recently; I really don’t know. I think at the moment, there are no plans to make a sequel, which is a bummer, but you never know. It really depends on how all those sales go, the DVDs and those numbers. It’s a money game, I guess, so we will see, but I would love to play her again. What are you waiting for? Your must-see movie needs your support. It’s time to show character, poise and heart. Vote for your picks now at MTV Movie Brawl 2012 ! For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos 2012 Ones To Watch
‘Gone Till November’ will come out two years after Weezy’s release from Rikers Island. By Rob Markman Lil Wayne Photo: MTV News Lil Wayne has a story to tell. Well, Lil Wayne probably has a bunch of stories to tell, but this fall the multiplatinum rap superstar will release “Gone Till November,” his memoir based on the diaries he kept while he was locked up for eight months on Rikers Island in New York. The book, which will come out in November, two years after Weezy’s release from prison, is being described as an internal monologue, according to the Associated Press . It will be released through Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group. Weezy was freed from Rikers Island on November 4, 2010, after he served eight months of a year-long sentence for an attempted gun possession charge. Police had arrested the rapper in 2007 following his headlining performance at New York’s Beacon Theatre. Wayne eventually pleaded guilty to the charge and turned himself in to authorities in March of 2010. MTV News correspondent Sway Calloway caught up with Wayne in Miami at a welcome-home party just days after his prison release. When asked how his transition from prison was going, Weezy simply responded with a grin. “I forgot about yesterday,” he said after thanking his fans and family for their support. He hasn’t completely forgotten, however, now that Wayne, who has since toured the world and released his double-platinum Tha Carter IV, plans to reminisce a little. Will you be picking up Lil Wayne’s “Gone Till November”? Tell us in the comments Related Videos Welcome Home, Weezy! Related Artists Lil Wayne
