Paris reveals best advice Michael gave her. By Gil Kaufman Paris Jackson appears on “Ellen” Photo: Warner Bros Paris Jackson will give her first-ever solo interview on Thursday morning (December 15) when she appears on “The Ellen DeGenres Show” to promote her upcoming acting debut. After a cloistered childhood, Paris, 13, the only daughter of late pop icon Michael Jackson , opened up to Ellen about her formerly sheltered life and how her dad’s music inspired her acting. In excerpts released before the airing, Paris explained that her dad helped her prepare for her upcoming first movie role, in which she’ll play Lundon in “Lundon’s Bridge and the Three Keys,” an adaptation of the fantasy series based on writer Dennis Christen’s novels. “When I was really little my dad was in the movie ‘Moonwalker’ and I knew he could sing really well but I didn’t know he could act,” she said. “I saw that and I said, ‘Wow, I want to be just like him.’ ” She said Michael also gave her at-home acting lessons. “We would do improv together. He would give us little scenarios. He would (say), ‘OK, in this scene you’re going to cry’ and I’d cry on the spot.” In one of the most (literally) revealing moments, Paris explained what it felt like for herself and her siblings, Prince and Blanket, to wear disguises for most of their young lives. “I’m like, ‘This is stupid. Why am I wearing a mask?’ But I kind of realized the older I got like he only tried to protect us and he’d explain that to us too,” she said. The masks, in fact, helped the three kids live as normal a life as they possibly could considering that their dad was one of the most-sought-after paparazzi targets on earth. “I do have like a regular childhood,” she said. “I mean, I’m treated the same. When I came to [my new school] they didn’t know who I was. I was like, ‘Yes, I have a chance to be normal.'” When asked if she realized how big a deal her dad was when she was a child, Paris admitted, “I just thought, ‘He’s got a few songs out,’ but I figured everyone did that.” In the action-animation hybrid “Lundon,” Paris will voice the lead character, a human, in a fantasy adventure in which “sea magic turns a dolphin into a human, a teenage boy into a dragonfly and a loving jellyfish queen into an evil fairy godmother.” Among the other voices in the movie are former CNN personality Larry King and his wife, Shawn, and ex ‘NSYNC member Joey Fatone. Paris told DeGeneres that her dad warned her before his surprise death in June 2009 that he would not be around forever. “He said, ‘If I die tomorrow always remember what I told you.’ I took his advice and I remembered everything he told me,” she said. Related Photos Family & Friends Say Goodbye To Michael Jackson
‘The Artist’ and ‘The Descendants’ lead the way for the January 15th show. By Eric Ditzian George Clooney in “The Descendants” Photo: 20th Century Fox Sofia Vergara, Woody Harrelson, Rashida Jones and Gerard Butler announced the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s nominations for the 69th annual Golden Globes on Thursday morning (December 15), singling out “The Artist” (six nods) and “The Descendants” (five nods) in categories including Best Motion Picture – Drama and Best Director. Miniseries “Downton Abbey” and “Mildred Pierce” led the way on the TV front with four nominations each, followed by the likes of “Boardwalk Empire” and “Modern Family.” Hosted by Ricky Gervais for the third straight time, the Golden Globe Awards will air on Sunday, January 15 on NBC. Here is the full list of nominees: 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 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” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . 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Singer will drop official version of ‘Gimme All Your Luvin’ in late January. By Jocelyn Vena Madonna Photo: Getty Images After rumors hit the Net on Wednesday that Madonna had signed with Interscope , fans waited to see if the ink had really dried on the contract. On Thursday (December 15), a rep for the singer confirmed the industry chatter to MTV News. In addition to signing with the label, Madge will drop her still-untitled album by the end of March. Madonna has already completed work on the LP and her single “Gimme All Your Luvin” will be released by the end of January, according to a press release. A demo version of the song, featuring rappers M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj , leaked back in November. The three ladies recently shot a video for the track and made headlines when Nicki tweeted about a kiss she shared with Madonna on set. The three-album deal with Interscope marks the latest chapter in the Queen of Pop’s career. She’ll now be labelmates with the likes of Lady Gaga and Eminem. She’ll also stay in her 10-year 360 deal, signed back in 2007, with Live Nation for all merchandising and tour-related matters. “We couldn’t be happier to work with [Interscope’s] Jimmy Iovine, [Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group] Lucian Grainge and the entire Interscope team,” Madonna’s longtime manager Guy Oseary said in a statement. “We anticipate a very bright future at our new home.” On Thursday, the newly signed Interscope Records artist became a Golden Globe nominee for her “W.E” track “Masterpiece.” “W.E” is Madonna’s directorial effort, and her tune made the cut for Best Original Song — Motion Picture. Related Artists Madonna
As MTV reveals our picks for 2011’s best artists, we ask breakout stars Mumford & Sons to weigh in on their favorites. By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias Mumford & Sons’ Marcus Mumford Photo: MTV News Mumford & Sons may have stumbled onto Stateside success in 2010 with their debut disc, Sigh No More, but in 2011, they not only grew comfortable with their newfound fame , they ran with it. Sigh was the year’s best-selling rock album (by a mile), and they nabbed four Grammy nominations — including Record and Song of the Year — for their song “The Cave.” So, as 2011 draws to a close, and as MTV reveals our picks for the Artists of the Year , we’re reaching out to a host of acts who not only dominated the past 12 months, but came to define them, for their takes on the year in music. And who better to ask than Mumford, a band that began 2010 as relative unknowns but wrap up 2011 as one of the biggest rock acts in the U.S. … with a hotly anticipated new album due in 2012. We spoke to Marcus Mumford and Ben Lovett about their favorite artists of the year, and in keeping with their breakout status, they chose a thoroughly under-the-radar act … and a rapper who busted through to the big time in 2011. Of course, they could only pronounce one of their picks’ names correctly. “Dawes are a really important band for us,” Mumford said. “You would say ‘Dawes,’ because you can differentiate between ‘Dawes’ and ‘Doors’ — more like ‘Pawn’ and ‘Porn’ — where we can’t, it’s just ‘Porn’ and ‘Porn’ to us, so you never know which one we’re talking about.” “I’ve watched the video for Tyler, the Creator’s ‘Yonkers’ 50 times this year,” Lovett added. “It’s f—ing amazing. Brilliant video.” They didn’t just stop there. They’ve already picked their favorite act of 2012 too, an up-and-coming Harlem rapper who they expect big things from next year. “I just heard an incredible song by Azealia Banks called ‘212,’ ” Lovett said. “[It’s] mind-blowing.” All this week, watch “AMTV” on MTV every day at 8 a.m. ET for our Best of 2011 lists. Then, come to MTVNews.com at 5 p.m. as we reveal our top picks of the year! Related Videos Foster The People, Florence Welch, More Pick Their 2011 Favorites Best Artists Of 2011 Debate Related Photos Best Artists Of 2011 Related Artists Mumford & Sons
‘Dark Knight Rises’ actor barred from visiting quarantined activist. By Jeremy Gordon Christian Bale Photo: ChinaFotoPress Christian Bale intended to raise awareness about the plight of human-rights activist Chen Guangcheng — who has been under a form of house arrest since 2010 — when he invited a CNN camera crew on a trip to China. “The Dark Knight Rises” star was there to visit the quarantined Chen when local guards rebuffed his attempt to enter the Chinese dissident’s village, forcing the entire party off the premises. Chen has been under house arrest along with his family since his release from jail in September 2010. After speaking out against China’s forced abortion policy, he was imprisoned in 2006 on charges of damaging property and disrupting traffic in a protest. Chen’s supporters maintained that the blind, self-taught lawyer was detained on false charges, but he served the full four years of his sentence. A CNN video captured a plainclothes guard pushing Bale around as he and the crew attempted to enter the tiny village in eastern China. Eventually, they were surrounded and corralled back to the main road. As the actor and the camera crew left the area, the guards got in a gray minivan and began to follow them. Inside the CNN car, Bale said, “I don’t feel brave doing this. The local people who stand up to authorities [and] insist on visiting Chen and his family are getting beaten up for it, and to my understanding, getting detained for it. I want to support what they’re doing.” Bale first learned of Chen’s plight while filming “The Flowers of War,” a drama set during the Nanking Massacre. Despite pleas from U.S. officials for Chen’s freedom, China’s state media has given the story little coverage. Chinese security chased Bale and CNN for more than a half hour before giving up, according to the cable news outlet. On the way back to Beijing, Bale speculated to CNN about whether he would be banned from entering the country, even as “The Flowers of War” becomes China’s official entry at the 2012 Academy Awards. “Really, what else can I do to help Chen?” he asked. For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
‘I’ll definitely at least tune in to the first episode that he’s on, just to see … the kinds of critiques he gives,’ one viewer tells MTV News. By Brian Phares, with additional reporting by Uptin Saiidi Howard Stern Photo: FilmMagic NEW YORK — Howard Stern is coming to your TV — but not in the way you might expect. The controversial radio host is replacing Piers Morgan as the newest judge on “America’s Got Talent,” and the news definitely has people talking. “I feel like the families who are watching it are going to be like, ‘What is this guy doing on this show?’ ” Mike Ruffalo told MTV News when we took to the streets to find out what people were thinking about the controversial move. Other fans were not as concerned. “It’s great publicity for ‘America’s Got Talent,’ ” said Carol John. Indeed, the news has definitely drawn a lot of attention to the Nick Cannon-hosted competition show, but will that mean more viewers? “Howard Stern is a funny, crazy dude. I will definitely be in there watching it,” said Gabriel Garcia, proving that, for at least one fan, having Stern on the show is a major draw. John was interested but felt a little more trepidation when she told us, “I’ll definitely at least tune in to the first episode that he’s on, just to see how he approaches the show and the kinds of critiques he gives to the acts that perform.” Regardless of what people think about Howard Stern, the general consensus is that having him on “America’s Got Talent” is a great move for the show. But is it a great move for Howard? “Twenty million dollars could persuade a lot of people to do a lot of things,” Peter Papaemanuel pointed out. Amen, Peter. What do you think of the move? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
‘We’re young, so it’s only right to just do what we wanna do,’ Brown, who’s co-directing the ‘Slight Work’ video, tells MTV News. By Rob Markman, with reporting by Vanessa White Wolf Chris Brown and Big Sean Photo: MTV News “Slight Work,” indeed. After dropping a Maybach Music compilation, a mixtape and sophomore album Ambition over the course of the past 12 months, no one can question Wale’s work ethic. It isn’t all about the grind, however. On the Huntington Park, California, set of his “Slight Work” video , Wale, guest Big Sean and director Chris Brown were just having a good time. “Man, this video is just fun,” Brown told MTV News on Thursday. “I mean, we’re young, so it’s only right to just do what we wanna do.” “This is for the fans,” Wale added. The Diplo-produced club track is easily the most energetic song on Ambition, and it seems its video will be just as upbeat. In one scene, Wale and Big Sean — wearing a fur and multiple gold chains — rap to the camera as scantily clad models dance in a graffiti-laced background. “You don’t understand, man, we were just those young players looking at the OG’s like, ‘Damn, that’s what we’re trying to be,’ ” Big Sean said. Brown, who is co-directing with Godfrey Tabarez, seemed most excited about the collaboration. Yes, he was working the camera, but Breezy was thrilled to be kicking it with his friends too. “They done gave us a budget now,” he laughed about how the trio grew from young aspiring artists to professionals with enough money to carry out their vision. “We can just play around and have fun on set.” Are you anticipating the “Slight Work” video? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Chris Brown Big Sean
‘It’s one of those moments you’re never going to forget as long as you live,’ Steve Angello says about MSG one-night stand. By Adam Stewart, with additional reporting by Akshay Bhansali Axwell and Steve Angello of Swedish House Mafia Photo: MTV News The boys are back in town — and this time they’ve gone big. In fact, it doesn’t get much bigger. Just two years shy of the anniversary of their New York City debut at M2 nightclub, Swedish House Mafia is revved up and ready to rock Madison Square Garden on Friday (December 16) with their high-energy, heart-pounding sight-and-sound spectacular. Group members Steve Angello and Axwell took time out of their jam-packed schedule on Thursday to sit down with MTV News and share their excitement for the night that the dance music world can’t stop talking about. “It’s just pretty unbelievable,” Axwell gushed. “We were obviously scared when we decided to do it because it’s such a big place, it’s such an expensive place to rent and it’s hard to fill. But so many people bought tickets and it sold out in 10 minutes, and just, Wow! you know? It’s really amazing that we have that sort of appreciation this side of the Atlantic.” “[Madison Square Garden] is great. It’s a beautiful place,” said Angello. “Since we were kids, we’ve always seen the hockey and basketball [games]. It’s one of those places — it’s the Garden. It’s everyone in basketball’s favorite place to play, and it’s just magic — it’s New York!” Their presence at one of the world’s most iconic venues is certainly reflective of the exploding EDM scene here in the States as well as one of the world’s most important music cities. The Swedes have been an integral factor in cultivating the sonic palette of cool culture in America. “New York is one of those places where you’re always shocked when you leave a show here because of the energy and the crowd,” Angello said. “I know how I’m going to feel tomorrow after the show. It’s one of those moments you’re never going to forget as long as you live — one of those key moments in your career” This moment has been so massive in the Big Apple that the trio decided to add a second show, in what’s being dubbed an afterparty, just up the street at the Roseland Ballroom. All of the action is paired with the highly anticipated digital release of their latest single, “Antidote,” a collaboration brought forth by Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen of Pendulum, under their dubstep-infused production moniker, Knife Party. “Steve was in the tour in Australia, [he] met up with Knife Party and started out with the idea there,” Axwell said. “[But] we wanted the track to have some sort of identity, we wanted to have the instrumental and all, but it would be nice with some identity, [so] we started working with a guy named Klas
‘Babysitters are going to get, hopefully, a lot of money out of this film,’ Craig says, predicting the mature set will flock to theaters. By Amy Wilkinson Daniel Craig Photo: MTV News Rape, murder, intrigue … the feel-bad movie of Christmas may not leave audiences feeling bright and merry but “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” star Daniel Craig suspects the dark drama will inspire smiles among at least one group. “Look, I’m a David Fincher fan, so it was an easy choice to make when accepting this film,” Craig told MTV News at the film’s New York City premiere. “It’s a great story. It’s an adult movie. The babysitters are going to get, hopefully, a lot of money out of this film. That’s why I wanted to get involved.” The film, based on the novel by late Swedish author Stieg Larsson, follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) as he tries to solve the 30-year-old murder of teen Harriet Vanger, with the help of asocial hacker punk Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). Mara has been earning raves for her performance as the damaged heroine and even netted a Golden Globe nomination on Thursday. Craig said he had no doubts as to the newcomer’s abilities. “We all knew she was good. She’s just committed as an actress, and she made all of the right choices with David’s help and everyone else’s help,” he said. “She’s just blossomed as somebody. As I said, we knew from the beginning that she was good enough — it was everyone else who had the problem.” Best known for her work in Fincher’s “The Social Network,” Mara returned the compliment, expressing gratitude for Craig’s help and guidance on set. “Daniel is an incredible actor, and I don’t think we’ve seen him in a role like this before, and he’s brilliant,” she said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better person to sort of have my coming out. He was very patient and generous with me.” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” opens December 20, a day earlier than its initial release date. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
Hard to describe and hard to forget, the film (and Ryan Gosling’s Driver) oozed cool. By Kevin P. Sullivan Ryan Gosling in “Drive” Photo: FilmDistrict In October, a Michigan woman filed a lawsuit against FilmDistrict for misleading her about the film “Drive.” She claimed the movie’s trailer promised a more action-packed film and “promoted the film ‘Drive’ as very similar to the ‘Fast and Furious,’ or similar, series of movies.” But the suit succeeded in only one respect: It perfectly described why we love “Drive” and why it’s #2 on MTV’s Best Movies of 2011 list. Everything about “Drive” subverts expectations. The main character, played by Ryan Gosling , doesn’t have a name besides “Driver” and rarely speaks. We root for him despite knowing nothing about him or what’s going on behind his stares. All the audience has to go off is his affection for his down-the-hall neighbor Irene, played by Carey Mulligan , and his sudden, violent outbursts, which surprise with horror levels of gore. This is all the more shocking when you consider that for the first 30 minutes of the movie, the story plays out in a slow and quiet way, more like a romantic comedy than a crime thriller. Driver’s relationship with Irene puts the audience so off its guard that when the violence finally erupts, it’s instantly unforgettable. Director Nicolas Winding Refn sets up the film’s opening chase sequence in a way that looks and feels like a “Fast and Furious” movie, but as soon as it starts, it stops — literally. Driver parks the getaway car to remain out of sight. It’s a subtle move that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. And speaking of tone, what other film captured as much attention for its use of music and atmosphere? The synth-laced soundtrack by Cliff Martinez and a collection of electro-pop songs had everyone talking. Out of context, the choice for the music doesn’t make sense, but the second “Nightcall” drops in over the neon-pink title, all the pieces come together. When describing the movie to others, most people struggle until they stumble upon the word “cool.” “Drive” is cool in a way that most action movies with their overly muscular heroes and explosions could only dream of being. Gosling and Refn captured an exact balance of warmth and coldness, emotion and indifference that makes the film’s look, sound, story and characters feel like instant classics. All of these elements would make for a great film, but that would mean ignoring a stellar supporting cast. Albert Brooks oozed menace and dark humor as the villainous pizza parlor owner/low-level mob boss Bernie Rose, and Bryan Cranston continued his streak as the most likable actor working today as Driver’s mentor Shannon. For all its surprises and unexpected turns, “Drive” is our second favorite movie of the year. It took tired movie clich
