‘Drake went through everything as far as being a new artist and on the same label,’ Twist says of his Young Money comrade. By Rob Markman Lil Twist Photo: MTV News Celebrity Favorites: Lil Twist Putting out a debut album has to be stressful, especially when faced with continual delays, but lucky for Lil Twist he has had the right people in his corner. “I talked to my mom mostly, and then Wayne,” Twist told Mixtape Daily about who he sought advice from each time his Don’t Get It Twisted album got pushed back. “Wayne and [Young Money president] Mack [Maine] are like my brothers, and Drake also. Drake is always a good person to give advice.” Twisted was originally slated for a 2011 release and has already produced a number of notable singles, including “Love Affair” with Lil Wayne and “Turnt Up” with Busta Rhymes. Now, the LP has a March 20 release date, which, to Twist, appears to be rock solid. 2 Chainz and Twist’s buddy Justin Bieber are also expected to appear. “We’re getting ready to drop that record ‘Wherever You Are.’ Y’all will have that real soon,” Twist told MTV News of the high-powered collaboration. “It’s a fun record. Justin killed it. He’s, like, rap-singing on it; another different sound for Justin.” Don’t Get It Twisted has been complete for some time, but Twist simply had to wait things out. “Drake went through everything as far as being a new artist and on the same label, seeing how everything went down,” he said of his Young money labelmate. “So he was just letting me know what was going to go down, how I need to go about it and just how to overcome the stress that I was feeling coming out with this album.” Are you ready for Lil Twist’s Don’t Get It Twisted ? Tell us in the comments! For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines . Related Artists Lil Twist Drake
‘Things like this happen all the time,’ producer Mark Burnett says. By Jocelyn Vena Katy Perry Photo: Getty Images Katy Perry will have to celebrate any People’s Choice Awards wins from afar. On Monday, Perry tweeted that she’d no longer be attending the show, which airs live Wednesday (January 11), following her divorce announcement from Russell Brand. The pop star is up for seven awards, and although it would mark her first public appearance since the New Year’s weekend bombshell , for now it seems fans will have to wait it out to see Perry make her big post-divorce statement. And for PCA executive producer Mark Burnett, that is completely fine. “It’s understandable,” he told E! News about the last-minute shakeup. “Things like this happen all the time.” Burnett went on to say that despite the cancellation, there’s plenty of other stuff in the show to keep fans tuned in, including a performance by Demi Lovato and appearances by the cast of “The Hunger Games” and “Twilight” superstar Robert Pattinson. “The show is so jam-packed you’re thinking how are we going to fit it all in,” he said. Although Perry has been lying low since the divorce announcement, she recently addressed the split on Twitter, saying, “I am so grateful for all the love and support I’ve had from people around the world. You guys have made my heart happy again. Concerning the gossip, I want to be clear that NO ONE speaks for me. Not a blog, magazine, ‘close sources’ or my family.” Perry is scheduled for two concerts later this month, one on January 19 in Jakarta, Indonesia, and another on January 22 in the Philippines, and is up for two awards at the Grammys on February 12. On Tuesday, Brand found himself in the headlines when a months-old video announcement for his November college comedy tour surfaced. In it, Brand slides off his wedding ring and pledges to learn more about college life and sororities. Related Videos MTV News Extended Play: Katy Perry Related Artists Katy Perry
Star-making turns in ‘The Lucky One’ and ‘Argo’ make actress One to Watch in 2012. By Amy Wilkinson Taylor Schilling and Zac Efron in “The Lucky One” Photo: Warner Bros. Ryan Gosling. Rachel McAdams. Liam Hemsworth. To think, you may have never known their names if it weren’t for one of the weepy romances by Nicholas Sparks, the writer behind “The Notebook,” “The Last Song,” “Dear John” and more. And as we ring in a new year of cinema, we find yet another actress toying with the lever on Sparks’ star-making machine: Massachusetts native Taylor Schilling. Fans of NBC’s short-lived medical drama “Mercy” may recognize the 27-year-old as nurse Veronica Flanagan Callahan, though she’s since hung up her scrubs, making the transition from TV to film in earnest this year with roles in the Sparks adaptation “The Lucky One” and Ben Affleck’s “Argo.” We chatted with the actress about her breakout 2012 and whether making out underwater is as hard as it looks. MTV News : Does this year feel like a particularly big one for you? Taylor Schilling : Last year felt like a big year. This year feels just kind of like riding the wave. I did some fun work last year, so I’m excited to see how it shakes down. MTV : Has transitioning from TV to film been an intentional career move for you, or were those simply the roles that were coming your way? Schilling : When I audition, I take the parts that I get that I like. I feel so grateful that those have been these kind of amazing film roles. And I have to say that there is a big difference [between TV and film]. On a film set, for me, there’s so much more time to process what’s going on than there is on a television set. There’s more wiggle room to try things and fail and try again and get to the heart of what’s going on in the scene, which is really fun for me. It’s what I like to do. MTV : First up for you this year is “The Lucky One,” co-starring Zac Efron. Let’s cut to the obvious question: Is kissing Zac as amazing as one might imagine? Schilling : Oh my gosh. I’m not going to let you down. It’s not a bad way to make a paycheck. MTV : My favorite Nicholas Sparks movie motif is the rain-drenched makeout scene. From the trailer, it appears you and Zac share a steamy smooch under a showerhead, which is a bit of a twist. What I’m wondering, technically speaking, is if there’s any special choreography to ensure you don’t drown with all that water falling on you? Schilling : [Laughs] No, there didn’t seem to be a problem. MTV : Well, you’re clearly a talented, well-trained actress. Do you have a favorite Nicholas Sparks movie? Schilling : I love “The Notebook.” I think that’s my favorite one. It really is a classic now. I don’t know if I could say. I haven’t seen all of them yet, to be honest. I think I need to do some research before I can honestly answer that question. They’re just such nice stories. They’re so romantic. You get lost in them. It’s such a beautiful fantasy. It’s not real life. It’s this precious world where things kind of fall into place. MTV : You also have “Argo” coming out this year. What is Ben Affleck like as a director? Schilling : It was one of the easiest experiences I’ve ever had on a set, and it was one of the happiest sets I’ve ever been on. He’s incredibly smart, and he kind of made me as an actor — I never felt left behind. It’s like he knows what it’s like and he’s there with you every step of the way. It’s pretty incredible, that whole experience. MTV : I have to imagine some of that comes from his background as an actor. Schilling : Absolutely. Absolutely. He just really knew how to articulate what he wanted, and then I felt really safe and free because I think that when a director has been an actor, he really understands the vulnerability of sort of being in front of the camera and has the ability to make the set very safe. He completely understands what that process is like. So that’s rare. MTV : What challenges does your character Christine face in “Argo”? Schilling : Christine is holding down the fort while her husband [played by Affleck] is off kind of doing some big adventurous things. She’s doing the best she can to maintain her home and her relationship, to do right by her child. She’s trying to negotiate what the best plan of action is for her as a woman and to take care of her son and where her relationship fits into that. MTV : So you’ve got both Ben Affleck and Zac Efron as leading men this year. How are you going to top that? Is Brad Pitt next? Schilling : I don’t know. I don’t know where it goes from here. Brad Pitt, bring it. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Lucky One” and “Argo.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
Role of drug cartel ‘godmother’ Griselda Blanco is Oscar bait, actor tells ‘Sway in the Morning.’ By Kara Warner, with reporting by Devi Dev Mark Wahlberg Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images Mark Wahlberg always has a lot on his plate, juggling projects as both an actor and producer. One film he’s been talking about for awhile now is “Cocaine Cowboys,” a feature film based on the 2006 documentary directed by Billy Corben. And when Wahlberg stopped by Sway Calloway’s “Sway in the Morning” Sirius radio show on Tuesday (January 10), he hinted at some major news. “We’re waiting on the script. It’s going to be sooner rather than later,” Wahlberg told Sway’s Shade 45 co-host, Devi Dev. “We’re going to shoot that in Miami, hopefully in the summer or the fall.” “Cocaine Cowboys” follows the rise of the cocaine trade and the subsequent crime epidemic and drug war that swept through Miami in the 1970s and ’80s. The documentary featured first-person interviews with journalists, lawyers, former smugglers and gang members, many of whom argue that the criminal operations behind the trade can be traced to one prominent figure: infamous crime family matriarch Griselda Blanco. Wahlberg, who has expressed interest in teaming up with his director buddy David O. Russell on the project, joked that Devi Dev might have a shot at playing “godmother” Griselda Blanco. But the actor/director also said the co-host would have stiff competition from a well-known actress who’s very interested in the part. “It’s one of those characters that will go down in history. Jennifer Lopez is chasing that [role] like crazy,” Wahlberg revealed. “It’s the role — if I could play Griselda, I would. That’s Academy Award [bait] right there.” Wahlberg and Devi also discussed the fact that whoever lands the Blanco role will have to forget about being pretty. Getting into character will require a transformation
‘It’s hard for graduates, not being able to pay their loans and find a job,’ one young voter tells MTV News. By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Sway Calloway A young voter casts his ballot in the New Hampshire primary Photo: T.J. Kirkpatrick/ Getty Images MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — There were no excuses to skip Tuesday’s (January 10) primary in the Granite State. The weather was balmy for this time of year, there was no snow on the ground and the body-slamming back-and-forth between the Republican contenders was worthy of a backyard wrestling ring. But what brought out an expected record 250,000 voters for Tuesday’s contest? MTV’s Power of 12 hit the polls early and late in the day to ask young voters what was on their minds when they stepped up to be counted. Lifeguard and Special Olympics basketball coach (go, Manchester Mustangs!) Keating Tufts, 21, emerged from casting his vote just before dinnertime with college tuition on his mind. “We’re paying more for school every single year, the tuition keeps on going up … I feel like [I should] do my part and vote,” said the Southern New Hampshire University student who was not willing to fall in line and cast his lot with GOP front-runner Mitt Romney, instead opting for unconventional congressman Ron Paul. “He’s got a different view than normal candidates, so I feel like it would be interesting to see what he can do.” As high school English teacher Kelly Ilacqua, 25, emerged from the Carol M. Rines Health Center in Manchester’s Ward 3, she said she went with former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum because of her pro-life beliefs. “He is the author of the legislation that outlawed partial-birth abortion … and he’s also been a big proponent of two legislations that have stopped doctors in abortion clinics from ending the lives of abortion-surviving infants.” Earlier in the day, first-time voter Amelia Dickinson, 18, had several different motivations for voting. “Right now I’d have to say the economy and foreign policy … with [North Korea’s] Kim Jong-Il passing and everyone on edge about what’s going to happen next,” she said. “Obviously with the economy with how there’s so much unemployment, people are worried about inflation with the dollar. I think the next president really needs to have an understanding and know what to do with those two problems and really be willing to compromise with the two parties.” For another first-time voter, 18-year-old high school student Emily Flanders, it was not the economy but social issues including gay rights and abortion, while Andrew Judd, 19, said he was thinking a lot about foreign policy as well as who the eventual candidates are beholden to in getting to the big game. “Intellect in general, how smart the candidates are,” he said. “You want a smart president. Also, how people were financially backed. I don’t want somebody going to Washington with a lot of promises they have to fill.” Danielle Courtemanche, 23, was focused squarely on the same things so many millions of Americans are: unemployment. After meeting former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman several times at her job at the local Hilton Garden Inn hotel, Courtemanche said she felt that he understood her struggles and those of her peers and had the best plan to help them out. “As a graduate of 2011, I feel that it is very important for people my age to go out and vote. I feel like it’s a big problem,” she said of the difficulty new graduates are having finding jobs. “It’s hard for graduates with loans … not being able to pay their loans and to find a job.” Like many of the other voters MTV News has talked to in Iowa and New Hampshire, high school senior David Chester, 19, said the #1 issue is the economy. “[Definitely] the economy, which affects everyone,” he said. “I think one of the huge things that we need to acknowledge is that the financial crisis was due in large part to the financial sector, not the public sector, and a little regulation in Wall Street would not hurt to have a little responsibility there.” What issues are important to you as you get ready to hit the polls for your primary? Let us know in comments below. MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos New Hampshire Primary Sparks Youth Conversation
Actress excited to reunite with ‘Starter for 10′ co-star Cumberbatch, who was recently cast as sequel’s villain. By Kara Warner Alice Eve Photo: Getty Images We have a long wait ahead of us before J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” sequel hits theaters, but in recent weeks, the agony of the film’s 2013 release has been made less so with the news that Benedict Cumberbatch has joined the film as its chief villain. Although Cumberbatch is relatively new to audiences, via “Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy” and “War Horse” this year, he’s a well-known actor in the U.K. and already has legions of fans. One of those fans is “Trek” co-star Alice Eve, who worked with Cumberbatch a few years back in the well-received British comedy “Starter for 10.” MTV News recently caught up with Eve, one of our Ones to Watch in 2012 , and asked her thoughts on reuniting with Cumberbatch for “Trek 2.” “I’m very excited to work with him again. He’s so very funny, Ben,” she said. “I don’t know if you remember his character in ‘Starter for 10,’ but he was so funny. Like King of the Geeks, but he did it so well, and I found a lot of that hard to get through because he was so funny. I like him very much.” Eve went on to say that she’s very much looking forward to getting to work on “Trek 2,” particularly because of the camaraderie among the cast. “It’s similar to ‘Starter for 10,’ from my point of view, in that there is a group of young actors who have a team spirit, which is always so revivifying to be a part of,” she said. “When there’s a group of people who you can spend time with and work with and get to know, a real good experience, it’s kind of like going back to university or something, when everyone has got the same objective. There’s a lot of energy, and it’s a nice thing to be a part of that group. That’s the thing that excites me most about it. Obviously, there is a huge legacy there with ‘Star Trek’ and the fanatics, so hopefully they’ll be satisfied.” The “Raven” and “Men in Black 3” star didn’t reveal any details about her character, only agreeing with us when we mentioned the fact that director J.J. Abrams likes to feature strong women in his films. Eve said she feels fortunate to be a part of the film. “I feel incredibly lucky. I would say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s not once-in-a-lifetime, but it is rare. It’s one of life’s great pleasures to enjoy the group you work with, because we all know what it’s like when you don’t.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Star Trek 2.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Videos Talk Nerdy To Me
‘Twilight’ Tuesday looks forward to all the vampires making their debut in the November 2012 finale. By Kara Warner Dakota Fanning as a Volturi in “New Moon” Photo: Summit Entertainment Looking ahead to November, when we finally get to see the end of the “Twilight” franchise in “Breaking Dawn – Part 2,” there are many things to get excited about. For starters, Bella is now a vampire, Renesmee is growing up and the Volturi are back. But what I am most looking forward to are all the fresh vampires. There are so many new characters, not to mention the fun involved in the adventurous search for allies, getting the group together, bonding over things like eating habits and fighting against the Volturi. Therefore, in the spirit of MTV Movies’ Ones to Watch in 2012 , this “Twilight” Tuesday is dedicated to the ones to watch in “Breaking Dawn – Part 2” — which if you didn’t already know, is also a big part of our MTV Movie Brawl 2012 . Before I get to my favorite new additions, “Twilight” vampire expert and star Peter Facinelli had these kind words to say about a few of his new castmates when MTV News caught up with him: “There’s Maggie Grace; she’s fantastic. Christian Camargo is fantastic and Juilliard-trained. I always wish I went to Juilliard, so when I meet people from Juilliard, I’m always jealous,” he said. “Mia Maestro — there’s so many talented people that were tapped. It’s a much larger cast.” Clearly, Facinelli has a thing for the Denali coven, which we got a glimpse of in “Part 1” during Bella and Edward’s wedding. The Denali clan is another group of vegetarian vamps consisting of Irina (Grace), former Volturi Eleazar (Camargo) and his multilingual mate Carmen (Maestro). The Denalis are, indeed, a nice bunch. My personal favorite new vampire, however, is Garrett, the American nomad played by charming and adorable actor Lee Pace (“Pushing Daisies,” “The Fall”). I remember liking him from the moment Stephenie Meyer introduced him, due to the 6-foot-2 factor, his curiosity and his adventurous nature. His character has a nice arc, which I’ll avoid spoiling fully here, and Pace is the absolute perfect actor to play him. Fellow fan and creator of the Kristen Stewart Hot Bodyguard Facebook page Sarah M. also brought up JD Pardo, who plays the other vamp/human hybrid Nahuel. “He was super nice at the BD1 premiere & ain’t too hard on the eyes either!” she tweeted . What do you think, “Twilight” fans? Who are other ones to watch in “Breaking Dawn – Part 2”? Let us know in the comments or tweet me @karawarner! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos Live From The ‘Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1’ Red Carpet
‘I’m in because he brought the troops home,’ read one poster in the Obama campaign office in Manchester. By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Sway Calloway Obama supporters in New Hampshire Photo: Getty Images MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — “I’m in because we are the change we’ve been waiting for.” “I’m in because I want my grandchildren to know what polar bears are.” “I’m in because the power is in the voice of the youth.” Those are a few of the handwritten signs penned by volunteers for the Obama 2012 re-election as part of a “Why Are You In?” wall aimed at inspiring them to get out the vote during Tuesday’s (January 10) primary. While most of the attention has been focused on the squabbling among the Republican White House hopefuls in the Granite State, as in last week’s Iowa caucus , the Obama team here has been hard at work training volunteers, making calls and reaching out to the state’s legendary independent voters and committed Democrats to remind them to come out on Tuesday. It’s part of an effort to keep the president’s supporters fired up and ready to go for the general election in November, and 19-year-old volunteer Kathieya Odiah said the chance to see how a campaign works has been eye-opening. “The Obama campaign is basically about having volunteers and having a grassroots campaign, so when we have volunteers come in we always have them make posters and notes about why they come here for Obama,” said Odiah, one of a number of Quinnipiac University students who will spend several weeks of their winter break working for Obama 2012. She pointed to one of the signs she wrote, “I’m in because he brought troops home,” explaining that she felt strongly about the president ending the war in Iraq. The Manchester office, the largest of seven such locations around the state, has housed hundreds of volunteers over the past few months, and during a visit from MTV’s Power of 12 team on Tuesday afternoon, young volunteers were sprawled on couches, on the floor and across several rooms as they clutched their call sheets and reached out to remind voters to make it to the polls before they closed at 8 p.m. Her friend and fellow volunteer, Long Island, New York’s Morgan Farra, 20, said she’s in because the president has helped make college affordable for students like her by increasing the number of Pell grant recipients by 3 million so far. “It’s really important to me because if you don’t have an education, you’re missing out on one of the greatest experiences of your life,” she said. Inspired by the unprecedented grassroots campaign run by Obama in 2008, 19-year-old Natalie Deduck said she has been putting in the 10 to 12-hour days at the Manchester office because she knows the importance of starting early and strong in order to rally the troops again. Jameson Cherilus, 22, is typical of the office’s volunteers. He started his day around 8 a.m. outside an elementary school, where he held up signs for the president and reminded primary voters that Obama was on the ballot before hitting the office for a long day of phone calls. “I’m here because President Obama supports small business,” read another sign that shouted out Flanders Fish Market in East Lyme, Connecticut. “It’s been pretty hard getting my … friends involved in the campaign [because] they honestly don’t understand how important it is to start now even though it’s only January,” said Odiah about the challenges she’s faced while making calls in Manchester and speaking to her peers about what she’s doing. “We have to explain to people that we need to start now. [Once] Republicans choose who they’re going to have for their candidate, they’re already going to have half of the votes. … Yeah, [Obama’s] going to win the primary, but this is a dry run. This is our way of knowing this is what it’s going to look like in November. It’s hard.” MTV is on the scene in New Hampshire! Check back here around the clock for up-to-the-minute coverage on the primary caucuses, and stick with PowerOf12.org throughout the presidential election season. Related Videos New Hampshire Primary Sparks Youth Conversation
Comedian jokingly removed band in November announcement for his college tour. By Jocelyn Vena Russell Brand Photo: Colin MacFarlane / Splash News A little over a month before he announced he would be taking off his wedding ring for good, Russell Brand jokingly took off his band when he announced his college tour. The video announcement, which he (and Katy Perry ) posted in mid-November , seems to be getting some attention thanks to Brand’s pre-split jovial nature about removing his ring and learning about what happens in sorority houses. He opens the clip saying, “Hello Americans, this is a time of terrific change and the perfect time for me to go on a tour.” He then rambles on about American college life, adding, “I don’t know nothing about your college culture. This, for me, is going to be an educational experience. “Now in each of these cases I want to meet people from sororities and fraternities,” he continued. “I don’t know what a sorority is except for the things I’ve seen on Nudevista; that they are sort of sex clubs for women. Fraternities, that’s a bit like the film ‘Animal House’ or ‘Social Network.’ These are the only references I have.” Noting that he hoped to create worlds of “decadence” on the road, he further teased, “We are going to change college life forever. First of all, I’m going to understand it, then we’re going to change it, and then we’re gonna try and understand the new version.” As the video ends, Brand slides off his ring, with this message, “This is going to be a week of revolution, a week of occupation, and, more important, I’m going to learn firsthand about sororities. I’m going to place this somewhere very, very safe for the next week,” he said about his ring. At the time, his former wife tweeted her support for the shows. In fact, she was the person who tweeted out the video originally. “My [foul] mouthed Hubby @rustyrockets is playing a few mid-west/east-coast shows starting tonight onwards!” she wrote. “SUPPORT!” The video’s resurgence comes just one day after Perry announced she’d no longer attend Wednesday’s People’s Choice Awards. What do you think of Russell Brand’s video? Sound off below! Related Artists Russell Brand Katy Perry
