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‘Hobbit’ Brings ‘Impending Doom’ To Middle-Earth, Elijah Wood Says

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘There is gravity, but there’s a lot of fun as well,’ actor tells MTV News of Peter Jackson’s latest Tolkien adaptation. By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Elijah Wood Photo: MTV News PARK CITY, Utah — Despite all odds, Frodo Baggins is back in the Shire … or was back, rather. Elijah Wood reprises his iconic role as the ring-bearing Frodo in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” serving as a book-ending character in scenes that bridge the gap between director Peter Jackson’s latest trip to Middle-earth and his previous one in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Wood’s role is a less prominent one in “The Hobbit,” so much so that with 100 days left of filming, his work on the film is finished. “I had my revisitation rights, and now they’ve been revoked,” he joked when MTV News caught up with him at the Sundance Film Festival . Though Wood’s return to the realm of dwarves, elves and men has reached its conclusion, the actor spent enough time on the New Zealand set to get a real sense of what “The Hobbit” is going for. Specifically, he spoke to the fact that Jackson’s latest adaptation stays true to the lighter tone of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel, largely because “the stakes aren’t as high” as they were in “Lord of the Rings.” “It’s more whimsical, magical, and a little bit more comedic,” Wood said. “The dwarves are funny and they’re kind of bumbling and they’re really playing a lot of that aspect up.” But even if the situation in “The Hobbit” isn’t as dangerous as the world-ending scenario posed in “Rings,” Wood said Jackson has managed to weave a sense of “impending doom … into the construct of the piece.” “There is gravity,” he insisted, “but there’s a lot of fun as well.” For his own part, Wood is just grateful that he got a chance to step back into Frodo’s furry feet one last time, an experience he likened to time travel. “It felt like stepping back into time,” he said of reprising Frodo. “We shot some stuff in Hobbiton, and the last time I was in Hobbiton, I was 19 … and I’m 30 now. It was a very bizarre step through a portal into time. But it was beautiful. It was great to be a part of it.” The 2012 Sundance Film Festival is officially under way, and the MTV Movies team is on the ground reporting on the hottest stars and the movies everyone will be talking about in the year to come. Keep it locked with MTV Movies for everything there is to know about Sundance. Related Videos Sundance 2012: Interviews From Park City Related Photos Celebrities Hit The Ground At Sundance 2012 Film Fest Sundance 2012: MTV Celebrity Photo Booth

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Kristin Chenoweth, Jay Sean and Soulja Boy Open Up On ‘When I Was 17’

Posted on September 26, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Comments Off on Kristin Chenoweth, Jay Sean and Soulja Boy Open Up On ‘When I Was 17’

The stars remember pom poms, unibrows and the VMAs in the latest episode. By Mawuse Ziegbe Kristin Chenoweth Photo: MTV News Jay Sean has ruled the U.S. and the U.K. charts with super-smooth hits like “Down” and “Do You Remember.” But back in the day, he was a scruffy teen with a look that would probably scare away many of his current fans. “When I was 17, I thought I was the sh–, even though, I clearly wasn’t,” he said on the latest episode of “When I Was 17,” which also featured Soulja Boy Tell’em and Tony Award-winning actress Kristin Chenoweth. “I looked very different. You could barely see my face because it was covered in hair.” And to hear Jay tell it, his hairy situation was almost out of control. “My hair was long; I could tie a knot under my chin if I wanted,” Jay said. “I had a huge beard. And I had a unibrow. Eyebrows would connect with the hair, which would connect with the beard.” But many teens put together extreme looks in high school. Kristin Chenoweth worked a style that could have landed her a place in the ’80s pop girl group the Go-Go’s. “When I was 17, I looked like Belinda Carlisle,” the former cheerleader said. “I had her exact haircut. I wore big earrings. I wore a lace bow in my hair tied to the side at all times.” Chenoweth may have been kind of obsessed with one of the biggest pop stars of her day, but Soulja Boy kind of was one of the biggest pop stars out when he was 17. In fact, the rapper, who became an online and chart sensation with the smash “Crank That,” got to attend the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas as the guest of Kanye West. “We were up in this huge super-suite with alcohol, everything,” he recalled. “There were girls, all of that. But, they were telling me, since I was 17, I couldn’t go to certain areas of the suite. I had to stay locked off in one part of the suite until the show. So I stayed in this one little room. But it was fresh, though, because they laid it out: They had video games and snacks.” “When I Was 17” airs Saturdays at 11 a.m. on MTV Related Videos When I Was 17 | Ep. 20 | Kristin Chenoweth, Jay Sean, Soulja Boy Related Photos When I Was 17 | Soulja Boy When I Was 17 | Jay Sean When I Was 17 | Kristin Chenoweth When I Was 17 | Ep.20 | Celebrity Photo Flashback

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Big Boi, Rutina Wesley, Joey Lawrence Reminisce On ‘When I Was 17’

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

The stars remember flunking tests and having no underwear on the latest episode. By Mawuse Ziegbe Joey Lawrence on “When I Was 17” Photo: MTV “When I was 17 years old, I went to go [take] my driver’s license test,” Big Boi remembered on the latest episode of “When I Was 17” . Although the young MC was already showing tons of promise and was well on his way to hip-hop stardom with fellow ATLien and Outkast spitter Andre 3000, there was one task that eluded the budding star. “I was so worried about trying to parallel park. I was always trying to slide this way, slide that way. I’m so nervous about that, I get in the car, I’m driving and the man’s like, ‘Well, you did great and everything, you can parallel park, but you didn’t put on your seatbelt, so you failed.’ I was like, ‘Damn.’ ” Like Big Boi, “Blossom” hunk Joey Russo was a talented teen dealing with fame. Unlike the young MC, Russo had to handle a unique professional experience that only comes with the ability to spark teen girl hysteria with a flip of your pretty, pretty hair: having your own doll. “Of course I have a Joey Russo doll … or 30,” Lawrence’s mother Donna quipped. Although the plastic Joey doppelganger was mom-approved, the TV teen idol didn’t think the plastic likeness truly captured his image. “Doesn’t it look a cross between something from “Grease”?” Lawrence said, examining the figure decked out in mid-’90s finery like ripped jeans and a leather jacket. “It’s like Danny Zuko meets me, sort of.” Lawrence did concede that making the Russo doll was a cool process “because you’d go and they had the molds of your head and you had to sign off and say ‘Mmm that nose is nice.’ ” The doll-makers got the noses fine, but they needed some motherly advice when it came to plastic Russo’s too-hot-for-TV-parts. Mama Lawrence insisted the doll be outfitted with some underwear. “I didn’t want there to be any attention on areas that shouldn’t be discussed,” Lawrence’s mom explained. Whoa. “True Blood” starlet Rutina Wesley was still flirting with the idea of fame when she was 17 and of course, what better way to live out starry-eyed dreams than to appear in a production of the musical “Fame.” “What I love about ‘Fame’ is it’s sort of like I was living ‘Fame.’ I was going to a performing-arts high school, [and] I knew the hard work it took to be there. The auditions were brutal for that show, I remember I had to dance, sing and act, and it was really tough,” Wesley recalled. As die-hard fans of “True Blood” know, the actress found her true home was in the spotlight. “The theater at my school was awesome,” she laughed. “It was a 1,400-seat auditorium, so, being in that auditorium at 17, and having, like 1,400 people cheer for you was, like, one of the most amazing feelings that I’ve ever felt, energy-wise. It just felt right.” “When I Was 17” airs Saturdays at 11 a.m. on MTV. Related Videos When I Was 17 | Ep. 19 | Joey Lawrence, Big Boi, Rutina Wesley Related Photos When I Was 17 | Rutina Wesley When I Was 17 | Big Boi When I Was 17 | Joey Lawrence When I Was 17 | Ep.19 | Celebrity Photo Flashback

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‘True Blood’ ‘s Rutina Wesley Recalls Early ‘Fame,’ On ‘When I Was 17’

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

Before she fought vampires, the actress got her start at a performing arts high school. By MTV News Staff Rutina Wesley Photo: MTV News Rutina Wesley is probably best known for her recent work on “True Blood,” where she plays Tara Thornton, the spirited, sass-tacular sidekick of Sookie Stackhouse. But before that, she impressed on the Broadway stage and starred in the 2007 film “How She Move,” both of which showed off her first passion: dance. Wesley grew up in Las Vegas, the daughter of a tap-dancing father and a showgirl mother, and as a teen, she attended the prestigious Las Vegas Academy, a performing arts magnet school, where prospective students must audition to be accepted. Naturally, she danced to get her spot. Once she got into the Academy, she faced a whole new series of challenges, as she reveals on the next episode of MTV’s “When I Was 17.” “The first show I did in high school was ‘Fame,’ Wesley recalled. “What I love about ‘Fame’ is it’s sort of like I was living ‘Fame.’ I was going to a performing arts high school, [and] I knew the hard work it took to be there. The auditions were brutal for that show, I remember I had to dance, sing and act, and it was really tough.” Of course, she landed a role in play, and it was then that she got her first taste of actual fame. From there on out, she knew she was born to be a performer. “The theater at my school was awesome, ” she laughed. “It was a 1,400-seat auditorium, so, being in that auditorium at 17, and having, like 1,400 people cheer for you was, like, one of the most amazing feelings that I’ve ever felt, energy-wise. It just felt right.” To hear more about Wesley’s story — and find out what OutKast’s Big Boi and actor Joey Lawrence were like when they were 17, tune in to the next episode of “When I Was 17,” airing Saturday (September 18) at 11 a.m. on MTV. Related Photos When I Was 17 | Ep.19 | Celebrity Photo Flashback

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Ne-Yo Recalls Annoying His Teacher On ‘When I Was 17’

Posted on September 10, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

In Saturday’s episode, singer remembers drawing mutilated fruit. By Mawuse Ziegbe Ne-Yo Photo: MTV News After notching hits like “Miss Independent” and penning jams for divas like Beyonc

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B.o.B Recalls Hustling Candy On ‘When I Was 17’

Posted on September 9, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I had a bookbag with no books in it — just Kit Kats,’ MC says on Saturday’s episode By Mawuse Ziegbe B.o.B Photo: MTV News B.o.B is one of the most high-profile faces in the Grand Hustle fold, second only to fellow ATL rhyme-slinger T.I. It appears that even before he inked a label deal, the MC always maintained a hustler’s spirit. On the latest episode of “When I Was 17,” which premieres Saturday at 11 a.m., the MTV VMA nominee describes how he pushed sweets to his fellow high-schoolers for extra cash. “I had a hustler mentality. One day, I was looking at the vending machine in my high school cafeteria, and I remember thinking, ‘I can do better than that vending machine,’ ” the lyricist recalls. “So, I went to Sam’s Club and got the industrial-size box. I got what the vending machine didn’t have, or what they always ran out of, and I would go to school [and] sell candy.” The budding rapper did good business, too. Staying stocked with treats for sugar-lovin’ students, Bobby Ray got a hands-on — and lucrative — lesson in applied economics. “You can get 36 candy bars for about $12, and those 36 candy bars would get you anywhere from $18 to $24. So, you just double your profit,” B.o.B remembers of his candy-peddling payoff. “I had a bookbag with no books in it — just Kit Kats.” B.o.B and his buddy Stephen remember that the then-rising MC maintained a broad inventory of snacks that kept his customers coming back. “He sold Starbursts,” Stephen says. “Rice Krispie treats,” B.o.B adds. Stephen: “Pixy Stix.” B.o.B: “Hot Cheetos.” “M&M’s, whether they were peanut or without peanut,” Stephen recalls. Eventually, B.o.B’s customers were trained to think of the teen entrepreneur whenever they needed a sugar fix. “People get used to buying it,” B.o.B explains. “They’re like, ‘Hold on. It’s 12:45 and I don’t have my Kit Kat. What’s going on?’ ” “When I Was 17” — this week featuring B.o.B, Usher and Ne-Yo — premieres Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV. Related Videos Eminem To Open Video Music Awards B.o.B And Ne-Yo Clips From ‘When I Was 17’ Ep. 18 Related Photos When I Was 17 | Ep. 18 | Celebrity Photo Flashback Related Artists B.o.B

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Jordin Sparks Remembers Singing In Class On ‘When I Was 17’

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I loved school but I always wanted to be out singing,’ Sparks says in the episode, which premieres Saturday at 11 a.m. By Mawuse Ziegbe Jordin Sparks at the age of 17 When Jordin Sparks was 17, she was constantly singing — which might explain why she nabbed the “American Idol” crown that same year. The pop star discusses her continuous crooning in the latest episode of “When I Was 17,” which airs Saturday (August 21) at 11 a.m. ET.

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Bun B Hopes To Shoot Trill O.G. Videos With Drake

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘It’s always a good thing when me and the young boy get together,’ he tells MTV News. By Jayson Rodriguez Bun B Photo: MTV News Bun B and Drake are on a hot streak together, from their first collaboration “Uptown” to their most recent tracks “Put It Down” and “It’s Been a Pleasure” The UGK rapper opened for Drake earlier this month as a part of the Toronto star’s OVO Fest , and while he was in town, he tried to rope in his collaborator to shoot a video. The plan didn’t work out due to Drake’s busy schedule, but Bun said he plans to shoot videos for their songs and as many on his album, Trill O.G., as he can. “Definitely look for some visuals for ‘Put It Down’ in the future,” Bun told MTV News. “As well as ‘It’s Been a Pleasure.’ We’re gonna try to put out a visual for as much of Trill O.G. as we can.” A snippet of “Put It Down” leaked onto the Web well ahead of the album’s release, but now that Trill O.G. has arrived, the reaction to the Drake-assisted track has been high. “It’s very hard to live up to the hype the people create for things nowadays; luckily, this song did,” he said. ” ‘Cause a lot of time, people build something up, and it’s almost impossible to match up to that. In this case, it matched up to it. And the fact that the other song, ‘It’s Been a Pleasure,’ is on it, as well, you get two for two. It’s always a good thing when me and the young boy get together. It’s special music. That’s how I feel, and I think that’s how Drizzy feels.” What do you think about Bun B and Drake’s chemistry? Let us know in the comments!

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Kelly Rowland Recalls Wrecking Cars On ‘When I Was 17’

Posted on August 12, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I was a really, really bad driver,’ the ex-Destiny’s Child singer admits. By Mawuse Ziegbe Kelly Rowland Photo: MTV News As part of the “Bootylicious” chart-topping girl group Destiny’s Child, Kelly Rowland was a key member of a bona fide hit factory. But before she was cranking out global R&B and pop smashes, Rowland remembers smashing up cars as a teenager. The singer reminisces about her bumpy ride toward learning how to drive on the latest episode of MTV’s “When I Was 17.” “I was a really, really bad driver,” the singer admits. “As a matter of fact, I wrecked about three cars before I finally got the whole driving thing down.” Rowland, who has steered her solo career toward success by bringing her pipes to the house-music scene and teaming up with French producer David Guetta on the international 2009 hit “When Love Takes Over,” has presumably mastered the art of driving since her teenage years. However, the memories of Rowland’s automotive antics still haunt the singer’s nearest and dearest. On Saturday’s episode — which also features teenage tales from Latin pop star Enrique Iglesias and Stephanie Pratt from MTV’s “The Hills” — Rowland’s friends remember the R&B diva’s less than smooth moves behind the wheel. “Terrible, terrible,” is how Rowland’s homegirl Angie describes the singer’s driving skills. “Did I say terrible? Terrible driver.” Former Destiny’s Child member LeToya Luckett shudders when she thinks back to Rowland’s early days in the driver’s seat. “Tales of Kelly behind the wheel — Lord help us all,” the “Torn” songstress chuckles. “When I Was 17” — this week featuring Rowland, Enrique Iglesias and Stephanie Pratt — premieres Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV. Related Photos When I Was 17 | Ep. 15 | Celebrity Photo Flashback

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Adam Levine, Swizz Beatz, Kathy Griffin Talk Humiliation On ‘When I Was 17’

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Benny Hollywood| Leave a comment

‘I was gross,’ Maroon 5 frontman says of his ‘Reality Bites’ style. By MTV News staff Adam Levine on “When I Was 17” Photo: MTV News This season on MTV’s “When I Was 17,” we’ve heard embarrassing stories of awkwardness, heartbreak and, um — OK, those have been our two big themes, because even celebs like Drake and Kevin Jonas were just dorky kids back in the day. This week’s episode, however, introduced entirely new levels of embarrassment, as Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine , hip-hop luminary Swizz Beatz and comedian Kathy Griffin dished about their less glamorous moments from childhood. “When I was 17, I was gross,” Levine admitted on the show. “My hair was long and really ratty and nappy. [I wore] huge, oversize flannels that didn’t fit [and I had] a goatee. Like a bad version of Ethan Hawke in ‘Reality Bites.’ ” Levine shared something in common with Griffin, who looks back at her high school style with utter mortification. “I was pale, freckly and had Bozo hair!” she laughed. The foul-mouthed jokester was also completely unprepared for certain aspects of teenage social life. “One time, I was fooling around with this one guy. He was like, ‘Hey, Kath, you wanna see a penis?’ ” she said. “I said, ‘OK, but I’m not going to do anything, because I’m a lady.’ And so he unzips his pants, and then this thing comes out. It scared the f— out of me. I thought it was disgusting. I didn’t know that they’re purple. I thought it’d be tan. It had this really perfect shape. When I was 17, I did not shoot anyone, I did not go to jail, I just didn’t know what penises looked like.” Right. We have to admit, we’re at a loss for words. As was Swizz one time when he tried to sneak into a club and ran into an unamused bouncer. See, the future hip-hop star got his start DJing in clubs before he was even legally allowed to drink. Usually he’d sneak in the back. But on one occasion, he showed up late and tried his luck at the front entrance. “So I go through the front, I get to the door and — ‘Show me your ID!’ I’m like, ‘I don’t have no ID. What do you mean, show you my ID? I work here. I’m supposed to be getting the party started.’ ” Swizz said. “I was like, ‘I’m telling you, I work here!’ ” he recalled. “I’m speaking with so much authority. I’m this little skinny guy. He’s looking down on me, like, ‘I don’t care. Step over here.’ ” “When I Was 17” airs Saturday at 11 a.m. on MTV. Related Videos When I Was 17 | Ep. 14 | Adam Levine, Kathy Griffin, Swizz Beatz Related Photos When I Was 17 | Swizz Beatz When I Was 17 | Kathy Griffin When I Was 17 | Adam Levine When I Was 17 | Ep. 14 | Celebrity Photo Flashback

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