‘I’m going to go from the ‘Haywire’ crew to the ‘Fast 6′ crew, so I’m going to get a very broad range of knowledge,’ she tells MTV News. By Kevin P. Sullivan Gina Carano Photo: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images Action fans rejoiced earlier this week when The Hollywood Reporter announced that MMA fighter-turned-actor Gina Carano was in talks to join the sixth “Fast & Furious” movie . It seemed like an inspired choice for the series that saw new life after “Fast Five” impressed last year. MTV News caught up with the breakout star while she was promoting the Blu-ray release of “Haywire,” and she spoke excitedly about the prospects of joining the action series. “We got a call about two weeks ago to do ‘The Fast and the Furious 6,’ ” Carano said. “We’re in negotiations for that, so if that goes through, that will be a really cool opportunity for me to get my feet wet on another big-budget film and be around all these different types of actors.” Carano seemed pleased at the idea of appealing to different bases of fans within the action genre, moving from the art-house appeal of “Haywire” to the mainstream explosions of “Fast & Furious.” “I’m going to go from the ‘Haywire’ crew to the ‘Fast 6’ crew, so I’m going to get a very broad range of knowledge as far as people go,” she said. “It’s like two different high school groups. You’ve got the very artistic, and then you’ve got the action group of athletes, like hard-core. Very different personalities there.” Carano is in negotiations to play a member of Dwayne Johnson’s team in the upcoming sequel directed by “Fast Five” helmer Justin Lin. As for whether Carano has begun sizing up her soon-to-be castmates, she said that’s not something she has to think about. “No, I’m pretty secure. I don’t need to size anybody up. I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about giving a good performance and understanding my character. That’s what I’ll focus on.” The actress wouldn’t say for sure how close she was to signing on, but remained optimistic about her prospects. “It will be really good for me, and I’m completely open to it,” Carano said. “If negotiations go good, we’ll probably start filming that.” Check out everything we’ve got on “Fast & Furious 6.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
Last month we had the opportunity to see an exclusive early screening of the new independent film “Life, Love, Soul” and interview “The Wire” actors Chad Coleman and Jamie Hector who star in the project. Also featuring Tami Roman, Egypt Sherrod and Terri Vaughn “Life, Love, Soul” follows the story of young Roosevelt — forced to live with his estranged father after the tragic death of his mother and little brother. He and his father bump heads at first, but just as they begin to make a breakthrough, Roosevelt is faced with a huge decision of his own. The film hits theaters today but if you need a little more info before copping your tix, check out this interview Bossip did with Coleman and Hector below: Bossip: We’re big fans of “The Wire” so we loved watching you guys in this film. We noticed a lot of themes around African American males role models and providing examples and wanted to see what has inspired you. Chad Coleman: The film is about an African American man, who is estranged from his son. I think the film was able to demonstrate how even though he may have had a broken relationship you can reach out and rebuild bridges where they once were walls, despite the relationship between him and his ex, who unfortunately passed away. I thought it was a great opportunity to show the growth between and father and a son and it’s never too late to for an individual to change, an African American male to change, and accept his responsibility, and demonstrate that this is something he can do, we have so many negative images this is an opportunity to show that we can have those types of relationships. Jamie Hector: Also one of my favorite things in the film is when my character goes to visit Robby’s father, because that shows the audience as well as myself that it takes a community to raise a kid. Chad and I both have organizations, nonprofit organizations… What you see the character doing in the film is very close to what I am doing. We don’t charge people to come, we focus on developing a character while helping them, We support each other in order to serve the community. Bossip: In the film, how did you bridge the gap, what did you see in the script as being able to overcome these situations, the things that you baby mother might have said, that made Roosevelt act the way he was acting? Chad: That was very challenging –the circumstances, the way the things were set up. It breaks down communications in the earlier years with the exes. It’s fundamental, you have to be able to communicate with each other and share the vision where you are going together, if you don’t have that type of communication going on you will have separations. The personal baggage creates a huge difference. I was inspired by the fact I was given a second chance with my son. We couldn’t work it out, but she was still participating which was great. Relationships are very difficult to negotiate, but these things do occur, so what are you going to do? I hope we inspire a lot of people to feel there should be a second chance. If we can inspire a change of heart, to try to come back at it, to come to some kind of common ground, where there is humanity for the child, regardless how much you may have to work. Even if it doesn’t work between me and her, as men we have to do the best we can, have to be willing to take risks. I had to put myself out there, I never gave up on it. Bossip: Would you say your character is abusive? Do you think there was an issue with alcohol for your character? Chad: I don’t think it went to that degree; there was a level of self medication. I thought the film showed an honest way of this man having to come to terms, not through continued alcohol use, but confronting internal pain, finding a place in his loved ones life, that he will be a blessing to his son, through that incredible inner pain, I think its very courageous. Bossip: Do you think enough attention is given to teenage pregnancy and kids staying in school despite these obstacles? As a community what should we do to address this issue? Jamie: One thing that we know is that young folks are going to have sex. We have to educate them and be their support system. For me personally, finishing school is mandatory. I love the way the story expressed that. When you have a child, it’s not just about one person, its about both. They both need to take care of that child. That’s one thing I like about the film — even though the parents got pissed off, Moms she was heated — which I truly understand — afterward you see the support. You know they could have gone to school, gone to work and having to make these decisions, there was no way this could have happened without the support of the father, teacher, the community. When the girl gets pregnant you have to make sure she doesn’t do anything drastic or become depressed. We are human, we have to develop. The film exposes life after a child, you don’t have to put yourself in your own section just because you had a child — you have to educate yourself and those around you. You’re still a kid even though you had a kid. Chad: I would agree, he put everything on the table; there wasn’t a perspective that was not represented, which says within the community there are very distinct voices. Where these kids landed, through all those varying perspectives, there was hope for those children. The key is to not give up, to continue to work on yourself. It’s never over. In reality, there are challenges. Bossip: If you had a daughter and she came to you in that same scenario hw would you react? Jamie: I would do my best as a father. It’s always my job. I have to find that healthy perspective, that is going to inspire to help her grow even dealing with that situation Check out a trailer for the movie below: More On Bossip! Sorry Ye’: 10 Reasons Kim Kardashian Isn’t Even In Beyonce’s League You Can’t Be Serious: Kenya Bell Is Still Talkin’ Yang “I Didn’t Want To Hurt Evelyn On National Television” Freak Out! NFL Baller Jabar Gaffney Goes In On Ex-Wife, Rival Player He Wants To Beat Up And Taking YOUR Chick! What A Banger Looks Like?: Meet Cuban Triple Jumper “Yargelis Savigne” [Video]
ABC show’s leading ladies talk to MTV News about how the actor hilariously sends up his ‘Dawson’s Creek’ alter ego. By Jocelyn Vena Krysten Ritter Photo: MTV News NEW YORK — On Wednesday night (April 11), ABC welcomes the buzzy, dark comedy ” Don’t Trust the B—- in Apt 23 ” to their primetime schedule. MTV News hit the show’s red-carpet premiere on Tuesday and got the scoop from two of the show’s leading ladies: Dreama Walker, who plays sweet June, and Krysten Ritter, who plays bad girl Chloe. The actresses opened up about working with co-star James Van Der Beek, explaining what it’s like to watch him mock his nice-guy “Dawson’s Creek” image. They also joked about what it’s like to make a sex tape with him … for the show, of course. “[Van Der Beek plays a] self-centered, narcissistic version of himself,” Walker explained. “He’s so down-to-earth and very sweet and has a great sense of humor; very smart, well-spoken, just a cool dude, too polite,” she added of the real-life Van Der Beek. “Apt 23” follows two women, con artist Chloe and girl-next-door June, who become roommates after June finds herself suffering several misfortunes in the Big Apple. The rooomies’ relationship takes some hilarious turns as (the somewhat psychotic) Chloe makes every attempt to break June’s optimistic spirit. Of course, it also stars TV’s Dawson Leery, now all grown-up and playing an exaggerated version of himself
Prepare yourselves for tragic news Khloe Kardashian, readers: you will never see her naked body on a billboard ever again. The reality star announced on her blog yesterday that she was disassociating herself from PETA, following the reveal that the woman behind her sister’s flour bombing last Thursday was Christina Cho , a well-known activist from that organization. “I’ve been a vocal supporter of PETA for a long time but I have also been very vocal about anti-bullying, so this was a huge disappointment for me,” Khloe wrote . “I am absolutely disgusted by their behavior. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and opinions – I personally don’t wear fur but that doesn’t mean I am going to force my views on anyone else, ESPECIALLY by violating them. “I am a very proud sister right now, because Kim handled last week’s incident like a champ. She got cleaned up and was back out there in a matter of minutes. Go Kimmie!” Khloe, of course, posted nude for PETA in December 2008. Millions of people agreed to stop wearing fur if she promised never to do so again.
The new season of The Real Housewives of New Jersey premieres on April 22, and it will be filled with calm, rational discussions around the dinner table, each week ending in a group hug and a reminder of just why these women are such close friends. JUST KIDDING! Upcoming episodes will be chock full of drama, fighting and “a lot of hurtful and shocking moments,” says Teresa Giudice. The Real Housewives of New Jersey Season 4 Preview Always at the center of the action, Giudice tells People she’s “still saddened by what transpired,” a lot of which had to do with sister-in-law Melissa Gorga . “Melissa and I are family and we have our ups and downs just like any family. That is life,” says Giudice , who Gorga believes tried to expose her past as a stripper last year, a past Gorga denies. Teresa adds that her feuds with Jacqueline Laurita and Caroline Manzo will reach a boiling point on season four, as those two “change when the cameras are rolling.” How does Giudice explain her own behavior on the show? I live by a strong set of morals and family values and if I am being attacked I will stick up for myself,” she says. “I am a strong woman and it is important for me to defend my character if it is being assassinated. It was a very difficult to go through and especially hurtful when family is involved.”
Miley Cyrus is not engaged to Liam Hemsworth, and she simply can’t believe anyone would think otherwise… even if she did Tweet a photo of a giant ring on her finger over the weekend with no real explanation behind it. “I’m not engaged,” Cyrus Tweeted this morning. “I’ve worn this same ring on this finger since November! People just wanna find something to talk about! It’s a topaz people!” That does pretty much end the speculation, huh? Miley and Liam have been dating now for two years, however, and anonymous source do claim the pair talks about marriage someday. It will be interesting to see if the latter’s new, sky-rocketing, Hunger Games -based fame has any impact on the relationship. [Photo: WENN.com]
When Angelina Jolie signed on for the title role in Disney’s Maleficent , she did so relishing the idea of her kids seeing her as the Sleeping Beaut y villain. “It’s a really great script. I’m having a lot of fun. I’ve already got my horns fitted ,” Jolie told Entertainment Weekly on Friday. “My kids are very happy.” “It’s not anti-princess, but it’s the first time that they’re looking at this epic woman [in a different way],” she says of the new take on the fairytale classic. “You see a woman capable of being many things; just because she protects herself and is aggressive, it doesn’t mean she can’t have other [warmer] qualities,” the leg-thrusting actress adds. “You have to figure out the puzzle of what she is.” Jolie says there are redeeming qualities to her character, despite her ruthlessness. “It sounds really crazy to say that there will be something that’s good for young girls in this, because it sounds like you’re saying they should be a villain,” Jolie says. “[Maleficent] is actually a great person. But she’s not perfect. She’s far from perfect.” The actress has already begun working with the costume department to perfect her look for the film, which begins shooting in June. “We’re experimenting with different things,” Jolie says. “But the horns are the horns – you can’t deny them. You have to have horns.”
I met Abel Ferrara in a café on Mulberry Street. In an hour’s time, he didn’t once take his seat. The filmmaker makes a couple of phone calls, goes to the bathroom twice, shows me the new Web series that he’s developing with Vice TV on, and points me to two different articles about his movies. Unkempt and energetic, the Bronx-born director of such New York notorieties as Ms. 45 , King of New York , Bad Lieutenant , The Funeral and this week’s 4:44 Last Day on Earth is exactly what you’d imagine he’d be like if he were one of his movie’s characters. In a way, he is. 4:44 features Willem Dafoe and Shanyn Leigh as a couple spending their last hours together before the world ends. They’re each in their own separate but related worlds: she paints and listens to Buddhist philosophy while he talks to friends via Skype and decides if he should end two years of sobriety by getting high one last time. The loose nature of 4:44 ’s scenario speaks to the Cassavetes-inspired, improv-oriented nature of Ferrara’s dramas, which are often collaborative processes between actor and filmmaker. This is especially characteristic of Ferrara’s working relationship with Dafoe. “If Willem wasn’t going to play it,” Ferrara told me, “I don’t think I would have wrote the script.” The film marks Ferrara and Dafoe’s third film together, coming after 1998’s New Rose Hotel and the 2007 ensemble piece Go Go Tales (which itself almost became a series on HBO). But more importantly, 4:44 further refines a working relationship that involves Dafoe co-creating not only his character, but also the scenes that, as Ferrara tells it, the actor is “comfortable with, that he believes in, that he understands.” “[We have] confidence with each other that comes from working together,” Ferrara continued. “I wrote the character so that the character I wrote is something he can play. And then, to create a stage for him, a place where he’s going to act, a set, which is a place that’s going to be conducive for him to do his best work. There’s nothing throwing him off…” Paradoxically or not, Ferrara then interrupted himself to perform one of a seemingly Herculean list of multi-tasks. Ultimately, performance is key to Ferrara’s movies because his characters are always performing for each other. They change in almost every scene they’re in, keeping the films that contain them endlessly revelatory, even shocking. Take Bad Lieutenant , which this year celebrates its 20th anniversary of Harvey Keitel’s searing work as a sex-, drug- and gambling-addicted cop seeking both vengeance and kicks as he pursues the men who sexually assaulted a nun. His detour into depravity culminates in an infamous scene where he pulls over two young women, making them simulate giving him oral sex while he masturbates. It’s the type of blunt-force intimacy that has preoccupied Ferrara all the way through 4:44 but arguably reached its flashpoint with the NC-17 Lieutenant . Two decades on, the 60-year-old director looks back on the controversy with similarly matter-of-fact zeal. “It had to be unrated,” he said. “It had to be rated X. It was the opposite: it couldn’t be rated R. We had to be what Hollywood couldn’t be. It was reverse censorship.” Not that he minds the continuing existence of an R-rated version necessitated by such once-powerful video chains as Blockbuster: “That’s just a joke; I’m not counting on anybody watching that.” The editing process is just another way Ferrara fulfills his all-encompassing role as director-cum-emcee. From early conception — “A script is not a piece of literature,” he explained, “it’s a process” — to post-production, Ferrara officiates over his films the way Ray Ruby, Dafoe’s hero from Go Go Tales , presides over his embattled burlesque dominion. He works with regular collaborators like cinematographer Ken Kelsch and production designer Frank DeCurtis to give his actors a proper setting. Then, led by their maestro, they all perform in front of and behind the camera together. But collaboration shouldn’t be mistaken for compromise, that ever-present threat to the natures of complex characters like Keitel’s Lieutenant and Dafoe’s Cisco and even to Ferrara’s singular vision itself. “There’s no such thing as a non-final cut director,” Ferrara said, R-rated Bad Lieutenant notwithstanding. “If you don’t have final cut, you’re not a director. There’s no point making a film. Citizen Kane is a masterpiece, but if I go into the editing room for three hours, I can change Citizen Kane .” Meanwhile, the endlessly moving Ferrara has more important projects than Citizen Kane to worry about: His own, including a planned take on the Dominique Strauss-Kahn case starring Gerard Depardieu — about which the filmmaker wishes to remain tight-lipped. “It takes six months to shoot a film,” he said. “We’re [always] perfecting what we’re doing.” Read Stephanie Zacharek’s review of 4:44 Last Day on Earth here . Simon Abrams is a NY-based freelance film critic whose work has been featured in outlets like The Village Voice, Time Out New York, Vulture and Esquire. Additionally, some people like his writing, which he collects at Extended Cut . [Top photo: Getty Images]
Stylist Linda Flowers tells MTV News that blond wig ‘gives his character a little bit of a push.’ By Amy Wilkinson Woody Harrelson in “The Hunger Games” Photo: Lionsgate Stylist Linda Flowers had run with Vince’s “Entourage,” played with “Angels & Demons” and even primped a “Social Network” tycoon for his profile picture, but the Hollywood veteran took on her hairiest project yet with the eye-popping adaptation of ” The Hunger Games .” As the film’s hair department head, Flowers, in harmony with director Gary Ross’ vision, crafted the iconic, and frequently candy-colored, ‘dos of Effie Trinket and more than 500 Capitol citizens. We hopped on the phone with Flowers to chat about the meticulous mentor’s look, Woody Harrelson’s unconventional Haymitch style and where exactly all that hair went after Ross yelled, “Cut!” MTV News : What was your experience reading “The Hunger Games” for the first time? Did you start formulating looks as you read? Linda Flowers : When I read it, I fell in love with it, and I read all three of them very quickly. It’s such a great story, and it’s gonna appeal to so many different demographics. Anytime you get to read a book with colorful characters and they’ve got pink hair and blue hair, I’m in. My imagination was going crazy. I mean, how often do you get to put pink hair on somebody? MTV : What did you and Gary discuss during your initial conversation? Flowers : Gary’s main concern was with all the colored hair. He wanted people to take the Capitol seriously, and he wanted the looks to be couture. So when you’re talking about orange and aqua and pink and blue hair, the first place people go is very young, and they think it is more a street look or an urban look for kids. But the challenge was to put it on all age groups and make it look couture. MTV : Logistically, this had to be a grand-scale production. Describe a typical day on set. Flowers : When we were at the peak of all of our Capitol people, I had 45 hairdressers working because everyone had to go through hair and makeup. Each person had an individual look. When you do period movies, the hair is already set, the period has already been set, but there was nothing established for the look of this because it’s in the future. Each person that sat down, a look had to be created for them even if they were, like, #500 on the call sheet. So that was a real challenge, and plus, not just the hairdressers to do their hair, but we had to have a clean-up crew come in when we wrapped to take everyone’s hair, wigs and pieces off to reset them and get them ready for the next day. So it was an around-the-clock deal because we have 30 to 40 people doing hair and 10 to 15 to come in when we wrapped and take everyone down so the hairdressers could go home and sleep to get ready for the next day. MTV : Who had the most time-consuming look? Flowers : It was Effie, but the good thing was I could do Effie’s hair when she wasn’t in the trailer. Her hair definitely took the most time. From start to finish it was about 45 minutes, and I’m really fast. I constructed it slowly. She’s one of those people who’s so completely and purposefully put together that her wig would be an accessory just like a purse or a pair of shoes. So she has three wigs in the movie, and we’re going to have more for her in the next movie. She wears three different looks, and they’re all the same shape. I picked a classic shape, which has a ’30s finger-wave bob, and I took that and I really brushed it out, but it kept the finger waves, and I gave it a lot of volume. And then I took really heavily textured hair and put it in between the layers of her finger waves. MTV : It sounds like you’re already planning ahead for “Catching Fire.” Flowers : Yes. I prepped five or six wigs, and she only wore three in the first one, so we do have some for the second one, and I will prep more. I think everyone was afraid; they didn’t want people to be taken out of the movie with it being too over-the-top or too colorful, so that’s why I chose a pastel palette to start her off with in the movie. When you see her in the Capitol, it gets brighter and she gets a little more extreme. MTV : The hairstyle that’s probably raised the most eyebrows is Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch look, which he fashioned after his brother. What did you think when he approached you with the concept? Flowers : Well, he originally wanted it longer. He brought in a photo of his brother, and his brother looks just like him with the wig on. It was really what he wanted, and then, you know, I showed it to Gary, and he looked at it. He goes, “You know, I think that would be a good look for him, we just need to make it a little shorter.” It looks like the period. The District 12 people kind of have a ’30s-period haircut because they’re very poor and they work in the mines. It kinda looked like that but really grown out. The thing, too, when you’re trying to give a character a kind of character look — someone that has hair like he does — you can make it a little dirty and a little disheveled and make it look like you haven’t shampooed it recently, and it gives his character a little bit of a push. When you have no hair, you can’t really give that push. You can’t really see a passage of time; he’s normal, then he’s drunk and he woke up, and he’s hungover. You can articulate that and express that through the hair. With no hair, you really can’t express that. It really helped me help him with his character. MTV : I can only imagine what some random warehouse in North Carolina must look like with hundreds of wigs lying around. Flowers : You gotta remember, we used over 500 wigs in this movie. There is a warehouse full of trunks with wigs and stuff like that. I keep the cast wigs in a more secure — I don’t keep them in a warehouse. They’re actually in a very secure place that Lionsgate has. Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos Live From ‘The Hunger Games’ Red Carpet Premiere MTV Rough Cut: ‘Hunger Games’ Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ World Premiere Red Carpet The Hunger Games
‘It’s amazing, honestly, to watch her effortlessly flip back and forth,’ Josh Hutcherson tells MTV News of castmate’s performance as Katniss. By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Josh Hutcherson Photo: MTV News Although there were a few skeptics out there who questioned the casting of Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games,” most of that chatter died down when Lionsgate started releasing photos and clips of the Oscar nominee in action as Katniss Everdeen. Now, as we inch closer and closer toward the release date of the highly anticipated film, Lawrence’s castmates have been saying how she embodies the spirit of the beloved and critically acclaimed protagonist created by author Suzanne Collins. Lawrence’s co-star and real-life friend Josh Hutcherson recently told MTV News that despite being a very different person from Katniss, the actress’ ability to quickly turn the character on and off was startling. “She is literally 180 degrees different from Katniss,” Hutcherson said. “It’s amazing, honestly, to watch her effortlessly flip back and forth, because she’s very fun, very hilarious, and to watch her on ‘Action!’ go boom, right into the character is kind of impressive, so much so that she’s talking and being Jennifer up until they’re rolling sound and when they say ‘Action!’ boom, [she goes] right into character.” Hutcherson said Lawrence’s abilities are so good they’re unsettling. “That’s what crazy people do. Crazy people change who they are as a person just like that, so she’s a crazy person,” he joked. We asked Hutcherson to clarify that statement, just to be sure that he does indeed think Lawrence is crazy. “100 percent,” he said with a smile, still joking. “I’ve said that for a long time.” Check out everything we’ve got on “The Hunger Games.” For young Hollywood news, fashion and “Twilight” updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: Josh Hutcherson Related Photos ‘Hunger Games’ World Premiere Red Carpet The Hunger Games
