‘She’s an alcoholic psychiatrist, so I hadn’t played that before,’ actress tells MTV News. By John Mitchell Helena Bonham Carter Photo: WireImage We’re still waiting for a teaser trailer for the hottest vampire movie that doesn’t sparkle in the sun. Details about “Dark Shadows” have been scant, but one of the film’s stars is finally talking about her role and what inspired director Tim Burton to take on the project. At this week’s BAFTA Britannia Awards, MTV News spoke to two-time Oscar nominee Helena Bonham Carter about “Shadows,” her role in the film and what made her real-life love Burton want to director the vampire epic, which is set to hit theaters May 11, 2012. “I love ‘Dark Shadows.’ It’s very original. It’s uncategorizable,” Bonham Carter said. “It’s going to be impossible to sell, frankly, because it’s just so … it’s a soap opera but it’s very, very subtle. It’s a ghost story but then it’s an unhappy vampire story. It’s a mixture of so many different things and a real ensemble piece. And hopefully it will be funny.” Bonham Carter plays Dr. Julia Hoffman. In the late-’60s television soap opera on which the movie is based, Hoffman specialized in psychology and rare blood disorders and eventually tried to cure Barnabas Collins (played in the film by Burton regular Johnny Depp ) of his vampirism by injecting him with a vaccine made of healthy plasma to counteract the destruction of his own blood cells by the vampire cells. (Got that?) Whether that’s part of the film’s plot remains to be seen, but Bonham Carter did have a colorful response for MTV News when asked about playing Hoffman. “I did love playing her. I mean, she’s an alcoholic psychiatrist, so I hadn’t played that before,” she said. “And she’s got a secret. They all have secrets.” She also explained that “Shadows” has long been something of a passion project for Burton, with whom she has two children, because the quirky director was a huge fan of the TV show as a child. “This was a thing that he raced home to see when he was about age 10,” she told MTV. “So it was returning to his childhood roots of what he loved watching.” The always outrageous actress was also pretty frank about her own feelings about the campy soap, saying, “It’s actually a really bad, hilariously bad soap opera. And because it’s so bad, [Burton] felt he had to make a hugely expensive movie.” Are you excited to see Helena Bonham Carter bring new life to quirky psychologist Julia Hoffman in the big-screen adaptation of “Dark Shadows”? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me at @JohnMitchell83 with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns! Check out everything we’ve got on “Dark Shadows.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
Parkinson’s disease belongs to a group of conditions called motor system disorders, which are the result of the loss of dopamine-producing brain cells. The four primary symptoms of PD are tremor, or trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face; rigidity, or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; bradykinesia, or slowness of movement; and postural instability, or impaired balance and coordination. As these symptoms become more pronounced, patients may have difficulty walking, talking, or completing other simple tasks. PD usually affects people over the age of 50. Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali Rushed To The Hospital Early symptoms of PD are subtle and occur gradually. In some people the disease progresses more quickly than in others. As the disease progresses, the shaking, or tremor, which affects the majority of PD patients may begin to interfere with daily activities. Other symptoms may include depression and other emotional changes; difficulty in swallowing, chewing, and speaking; urinary problems or constipation; skin problems; and sleep disruptions. There are no blood or laboratory tests available to diagnose PD. For deatils on how to manage Parkinson’s disease visit :www.blackdoctor.org Here is a short video on it.
Thirty years ago, a mysterious illness swept the country. Doctors couldn’t find anything to proscribe for the mystery illness because nobody knew what it was. We soon discovered the silent assassin was called HIV/AIDS. Once given a name, people who had contracted the disease were ostracized by many. The disrespect and lack of compassion for those HIV/AIDS patients caused some people to help in finding a cure. One of those people was a veteran actress of stage and screen, . The Urban Daily caught up with the singer/actress while she was in New York City promoting the “Fight HIV Your Way” contest. During our conversation, Sheryl Lee Ralph shared stories of how she feels about sex education in schools, how the attitude towards HIV/AIDS has changed, and how she approached the sex talk with her children. TUD:December 1st is World AIDS Day. Didn’t you write an open letter about World AIDS Day recently? Sheryl Lee Ralph : Oh my goodness, did you actually read it? Of course! That’s my job. Oh, wow! Thank you. Now I really give you points. Thank you so much for reading. I appreciate that. You know folks don’t read anymore. You send them information and they haven’t got a clue. People come up and they’re supposed to be working with you and they have no idea what you’ve done. I find it really fascinating. So I really rate you for reading. Thank you. Why has AIDS awareness become such a big part of your mission in entertainment? Why choose that cause? It’s so interesting that thirty years ago as an original company member of Dreamgirls on Broadway, I stood witness to what I call “The Ugly Time in America.” I saw my friends literally drop dead. They got sick and they died. There was no dying process, not like the one we’ve become used to. They just got sick and died and it was awful because I saw them die under stigma, shame, and silence. I saw people who could’ve helped turn their backs on AIDS victims and act as if they didn’t know any AIDS victims. I thought, “This is horrible that we, the people who say, ‘We will do unto others as we would have them do unto us,’ found it so easy to ignore our friends and people who suffered.” That’s when I made up my mind to, as a young woman, that we have got to do better. I remember clearly thirty years ago, people told me to shut up. They told me not to talk about it. They said, “People will not like you.” I couldn’t understand this. I said, “How can we just be quiet in a time like this?!” Now, some thirty years later, people are asking, “Why are you suddenly involved in this?” They just don’t realize I’ve been doing this for a long time. It may have fallen on deaf ears over the past thirty years, but I’ve been doing it for a long time. My Divas Simply Singing is the longest consecutive running musical AIDS benefit in the country. Sheryl Lee Ralph At 2009 Divas Simply Sing How do you feel the attitude towards HIV/AIDS has changed within those thirty years? There are still a lot of people who are ignorant about it. To tell you the truth, I’m shocked, as I travel across this country, at how little people know or don’t want to know about HIV/AIDS. There are a lot of people who don’t know that HIV is one thing and AIDS is another. Those people just think it’s one big old alphabet of a disease. Some still want to hold on to the myth that it’s a gay disease of little consequence to the general population. People don’t even want to admit that the number one way to contract HIV/AIDS is through heterosexual sex. I’m even shocked at the number of people who can’t even say the word ‘sex’ out loud. People act as if others don’t have it. They always say, “Young people are not having a lot of sex.” They always say, “Old people aren’t having a lot of sex.” Trust me, they are having sex. Teenagers are having sex as well as old people. Cialis and Viagra changed everything. What are your thoughts on sex education in schools? Do you believe that schools should teach abstinence or safe sex? They should teach everything! It’s school! That is where you give children all of the information. You teach them about safe sex. You teach them about abstinence. There is nothing wrong with having a complete, age appropriate conversation. I cannot believe that my generation may very well have been the last one to have sex education in schools that was truly the complete and total package. I mean what are we doing? Are we in the future, but acting like it’s The Dark Ages? You can’t have lyrics in music where every time you turn on the radio you fee like you’re being sexually abused and turn around and act like people aren’t having sex. Come on! You integrate things about AIDS awareness into a lot of the work you do like Divas Simply Singing, A lot of people know you as Dee from Moesha . How come there was never a blatant spotlight put on AIDS awareness when you were on the show? Yes there was! How’d you miss that episode? We talked about everything on that show. We talked about HIV/AIDS, birth control, smoking weed, and we talked about young boys having stiffys in the middle of the night. You missed it. I must have because the sex episode I remember was when Dee found out about Moesha’s birth control. I’ll have to go watch them again. Anyway, how did you come up with the concept of “Divas Simply Singing” instead of another type of benefit event? I love that question. Thank you for asking it. I figured if we had a subject that was so important, like HIV/AIDS, what could I do to grab people’s attention. I figured you need a woman with big hair and an even bigger attitude. You need a woman who can wear the lipstick and the lashes to get on the stage and belt out a big song. A woman like that could get on the stage and say, “Look at me!” and have people actually look at them and listen to what they were saying. That’s how I came up with the concept; a light, a mic, and a diva simply singing. If your folks want to make a donation, they can go to The Diva Foundation’s website and get their doggone t-shirt. Buy a DVD while you’re there. We need the help, baby. Tell them to come on. At this past Divas Simply Singing, you reunited with Loretta Devine and Jennifer Holiday on stage. Was this the first time you did so since doing Dreamgirls on Broadway? No, that was the second or third time. You know I have a way of bringing people together. We are like sisters. We are dysfunctional, but we love each other. I may pull your wig off, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you. So I’ve gotten us together on several occasions and we just have the greatest time together. We may cry and fight, but we definitely love each other. Aren’t you doing a one woman show called Sometimes I Cry . See that. You really do read! I’ve been performing my one woman show which I perform all around the world. The show happened because ten or twelve years ago, I started hearing so many stories from women surrounding HIV/AIDS. Nobody was telling these stories. It was 2002 and the disease had just taken a turn and I was like, “Whoa!” I remember specifically, in the summer of 2002, the rate of women infected with HIV/AIDS was beginning to match the rate of men and nobody was talking about it. It was as if it was on nobody else’s radar. I had made up my mind to do something about it. I wanted to bring light to these women’s fight and that’s when I sat down and wrote Sometimes I Cry . It’s all about real women’s real stories surrounding the disease. As a parent, how did you approach the topic of sex and HIV/AIDS awareness with your children? I just talked about it. I talked about safe and appropriate sex. I talked about what is the right thing and what is the wrong thing. Don’t let people touch you and you don’t touch anybody else. Your stuff is private and their stuff is private. When the dogs start doing that action, that is how they have puppies. You’ve got to figure out these answers because when kids ask you, you can’t say, “Oh well, we don’t want to have that conversation with you.” Be ready to talk to your children. I spoke so much about it with my son that when he went away to college, he sent me a picture of him with a condom taped to his forehead and he had typed in, “Uh, what is this for again, Mommy? LOL” You got to have these conversations with your kids and you’ve got to be in a place where your kids feel comfortable enough to come talk to you about these things. Do find that parents are more uncomfortable talking about sex than their children are? I know for a fact that mine were. I was a freshman at Rutgers University and I came home and said to my mother, “Why didn’t you talk to me about sex?!” My mother responded in her thick Jamaican accent, “Because I didn’t think you needed to know.” So was I supposed to be pushed out there to learn on my own? You talk to your children first because if you don’t somebody else will and that is not the conversation you want them to have. I noticed you write a blog for The Huffington Post . Do you write a piece for them every year for World AIDS Day? Boy, you really do read. I like you. Every year I do something to raise up the memory of my friends because anybody that can help you with your wig, weave, and wardrobe problems deserve to be remembered. In fact, I’ve got a book coming out in March of 2012 published by Simon & Schuster . It’s called “Redefining Diva.” It’s a memoir which gives the reader lessons I’ve learned through the experiences in my life. I talk about HIV/AIDS awareness in there also. Do you have any suggestions for those who want to become part of HIV/AIDS awareness. How do they mix AIDS education, activism, and the arts? I’m glad you asked me that because I’m involved in a wonderful project called Fight HIV Your Way . This is a project developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb . It’s another way to add the arts into the good fight against AIDS. The way the contest works is people send in photos or essays of how HIV/AIDS has affected their lives. This year, the prize is to come to New York City and watch a performance of the show, Home , choreographed by Rennie Harris . The show was inspired by the submissions to Fight HIV Your Way. So the best way to mix the arts, activism, and AIDS awarness is to take a picture. Maybe next year, they will be here in New York City. Infected or affected, we each have a story to tell surrounding this disease. For more information on Sheryl Lee Ralph’s work and charitable endeavors, visit The Diva Foundation’s website. To find out more about the mission of Fight HIV Your Way, head over to their site . RELATED POSTS: Nicki Minaj & Ricky Martin Team Up With Viva Mac Glam World AIDS Day: Alicia Keys & Bono Discuss The Battle Against AIDS
Kris Humphries has filed to annul his marriage to Kim Kardashian and a source close to the baller makes it very clear why: the NBA player feels played! Citing fraud as the basis for this rarely-used legal procedure, an insider tells TMZ Kris “was just slotted in the plot line of Kim Kardashian’s latest headline and newest business venture.” Seriously, we tried to warn the guy. Humphries believes Kardashian always planned to divorce him after her reality specials and shows were taped because, let’s face it, “she didn’t ned a groom anymore,” this source says. Kris would never have flown his childhood pastor in to officiate if he were in on the scam, this mole insists, while concluding that Humphries plans to use Kim’s own, absolutely idiotic words against her. In THIS STATEMENT , she all but admits that she went through with the wedding because she “got caught up in the hoopla and the filming of the TV show.” So…. what do you think? Did Kris play a knowing role in the quickie divorce proceedings?
Justin Bieber ruled Bing this year, but technological marvels and accused child killers topped the year in Yahoo! searches. The iPhone and Casey Anthony were 1-2! In the 11 years that Yahoo! has compiled its annual list of top searches , PlayStation 2 (2001 and 2002) is the only other device to have captured the top slot. This year, the iPhone led the queries, and against stiff competition – America’s Most Hated, America’s Most Wanted and Kim Kardashian all made the top 10! The iPhone has been around for four years, but this year it expanded beyond AT&T for the first time. Plus, the iPhone 4S and its built-in assistant Siri are kind of the $h!t. It also embodied the vision of Apple co-founder and longtime CEO Steve Jobs, who left his post as the company’s chief in August and passed away on October 5. R.I.P. Casey Anthony had the dubious honor of being the most searched person. Many were outraged by a not guilty verdict that set her free. Others were just fascinated by her. Who came in 3-10 on Yahoo’s list? Follow the jump to find out! The Top 10 Searches of 2011, according to the search engine: iPhone Casey Anthony Kim Kardashian Katy Perry Jennifer Lopez Lindsay Lohan American Idol Jennifer Aniston Japan Earthquake Osama bin Laden Surprised at the results? Did you personally search for any of these things? Did you use Yahoo! even once in 2011? Share your thoughts on the list below.
Sarah Silverman and Nick Cannon also remember late comedian. By James Dinh Patrice O’neal Photo: Tasos Katopodis/ WireImage The death of Patrice O’Neal hit the comedy world hard, prompting fellow stand-ups and actors to share their sadness online following Tuesday’s (November 29) news. Charlie Sheen — who was roasted by O’Neal this past September during “The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen” — posted a short blog post about the news, admitting he’s even shed tears for the comic’s death. “The entertainment world as well as the world at large lost a brilliant man today,” Sheen wrote. “Patrice had that rare ‘light’ around him and inside of him. I only knew him for the few days leading up the Roast. Yet I will forever be inspired by his nobility, his grace and his epic talent. My tears today are for the tremendous loss to his true friends and loving family.” Aziz Ansari kept his response simple, writing , “RIP Patrice O’Neal,” alongside a YouTube link to one of O’Neal’s comedy bits. Click for photos from the life and career of Patrice O’Neal. “RIP Patrice O’Neal. You made us laugh til we cried,” Sarah Silverman wrote on Twitter . A rep for O’Neal confirmed the news to MTV News on Tuesday with this statement: “It is with terrible sadness we must report that Patrice O’Neal has passed away this morning at 7:00am due to the complications of the stroke he suffered on October 19. Many of us have lost a close and loved friend; all of us have lost a true comic genius. His mother, who was also his best friend, was at his side. Patrice is survived by his wife, Vondecarlo, his step daughter Aymilyon, sister Zinder, and his mother Georgia. The family wishes to thank all of the fans and friends who have expressed an outpouring of love and support for Patrice these past weeks. We ask that you please respect the family’s request for privacy at this difficult time.” Fellow comedian/actor Nick Cannon hit Twitter to remember O’Neal. “An amazing comedian and an even better person. RIP Patrice O’Neal,” he wrote. Cannon continued his thoughts on his website : “Patrice was also known for his famous laugh that could be heard coming from dark corners in the back of comedy rooms when he wasn’t performing. The comedy world loved him, we loved him, it is a sad day because it’s a day without Patrice. He will be missed. Patrice was 41.” “Jersey Shore” star Vinny Guadagnino chimed in on as well. “RIP Patrice O’neal..You were one of the best,” he tweeted . Share your memories of Patrice in the comments below. Related Photos Remembering Patrice O’Neal
Queen Latifah was spied having quite a nice time in Miami this weekend with a woman who looked a heck of a lot like her U.S. Open date and rumored girlfriend Eboni Nichols . The ladies grabbed drinks with friends before hitting up the beach. Get it Dana! FamePictures More On Bossip! Galleries: Weezy’s Lil Girl Reginae Carter’s Cinderella Themed 13th Birthday Bash Boxing’s Baddest Bangers: The Most Beautiful Breezys Getting That Golden Glove Lovin’ Eff A Stylist: The Most Attention Sloriest Red Carpet Looks Of All Time One-Time For Yo’ Mind: A Gallery Of The Best Cop Television Shows Of All Time!!
We’re pretty sure this is illegal… Eighteen-year-old Emma Sullivan never thought her tweet about a field trip would be seen by Gov. Sam Brownback. The Shawnee Mission East High School senior went to the Capitol and heard Brownback speak. She didn’t like what she heard. “I don’t agree with a majority of the things that he is trying to pass,” said Sullivan. Sullivan tweeted her thoughts about what she wanted to do during the speech. Sullivan’s tweet stated: “just made mean comments at gov brownback and told him he sucked, in person #heblowsalot.” Sullivan said she ended up in the principal’s office the next day. “He explained to me that someone from Brownback’s office got a hold of it and sent it to someone in charge of the district,” said Sullivan. She said her principal wants her to write an apology to Brownback. “I believe that it is my right to state my opinion,” said Sullivan. VML creative group members are surprised how administrators are handling this case. “She is a legal adult. She has the right to be able to share her opinion,” said Gard Gibson. Her Twitter handle, emmakate988 , had just 60 followers when she sent the tweet, but by Friday afternoon, she had more than 1,400. Sullivan hasn’t decided if she will apologize to the governor. The school’s principal said, “This is not about political views since none were given in the tweet – is about being respectful with a public official whether we agree or disagree with their viewpoints.” What part of democracy is that??? Emma says she has no intention on apologizing because even if she did, she wouldn’t mean it. Source
‘Glee’ actor taking over for ‘Harry Potter’ star in ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.’ By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Daniel Radcliffe Photo: MTV News After a very successful and critically acclaimed run on the Great White Way, Daniel Radcliffe will very soon be ending his run in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” and passing the torch to “Glee” star Darren Criss , who will take over on January 3. When MTV News caught up with Radcliffe — who we named as the actor we’re most thankful for in 2011 — we asked for his thoughts on his successor and whether he had any decision or veto power in Criss being added to the cast. “Oh God, no. I don’t have any power over those things at all, nor should I,” Radcliffe said. “I think it’s fantastic. I’m actually kind of thrilled. He went to the same high school as a couple of the guys in our show did. I think he’s really talented. I’ve not met him yet, but I’m sure he’s very nice. He’s a very, very talented guy, and I’m sure he’ll do a great job.” Radcliffe is bummed for Criss that he only gets to perform the “Succeed” role for three weeks, due to his busy “Glee” work schedule. “I feel slightly sorry for him in a way,” Radcliffe said. “I needed time with it to get it right, and you don’t have that, because obviously he has to go back to ‘Glee.’ I’m sure if it was up to him, he would have liked to do a longer run.” Although the two stars have yet to meet, they share a mutual admiration for each other. “I’ve seen a few episodes [of ‘Glee’],” Radcliffe admitted. “I haven’t seen [Criss] in it, but I’ve seen three or four episodes probably. I liked it. My girlfriend is really into it.” Related Videos Actors We’re Thankful For 2011
Costume designer Colleen Atwood takes MTV News inside the extravagant looks of Depp’s Barnabas Collins. By John Mitchell, with reporting by Amy Wilkinson Johnny Depp Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images Costume designer Colleen Atwood has dressed Johnny Depp for eight films, five of which were directed by Tim Burton. The pair’s collaboration dates all the way back to 1990’s “Edward Scissorhands” and continues to this day with Burton’s latest flick, “Dark Shadows.” In the film, Depp plays centuries-old vampire Barnabas Collins, who is awakened in the late ’60s and tries to forge a relationship with his modern descendents. Atwood recently revealed to MTV News that while Depp is most certainly involved in the costuming process, he’s come to trust her enough to let her work her magic. “Johnny’s very open about what things are in the process, but he really lets people present things to him. He never really pushes at all,” Atwood said. “Sometimes he doesn’t even look in the mirror in his fittings. It’s so funny. It’s pretty amazing. People would be surprised, because I think they have this image of Johnny, because he’s so stylish always, but he really feels his costumes more than looks at them, and the movement and the feeling in them is really important.” For “Shadows,” Depp’s vampire is of the traditional sort. Unlike the sparkling vamps of “Twilight,” Barnabas cannot be exposed to sunlight. His courtship of Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) and his desire to keep his dark secret from her, however, forces him into the daylight. This presented a costuming issue for Atwood, who had to find interesting ways to conceal Depp’s skin from sun. “He plays a vampire who wouldn’t normally go out in the daytime, but we wanted him to be able to have outings, so I did two or three different hat shapes and we tried them once he got his hair and makeup on,” Atwood tells MTV News. “I also found these amazing hundred-year-old sunglasses, but they were too small … so I took them and had them copied. And the color of the sunglasses and the color of the hat and his costume coat, which was a really dark green, is one of our favorite combos we’ve come up with in our work together.” The three-time Oscar winner (for “Alice in Wonderland,” “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Chicago”) admits that Depp’s professionalism has been key to their successful collaboration, saying, “There’s a lot of trust there for both of us, so it’s a nice process, because … if he has an idea, it comes from someplace; it’s not just some wanky fashion idea.” If the early photos are any indication, Atwood has outdone herself yet again. Depp’s Barnabas looks simultaneously terrifying and alluring, and co-stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Moretz and Helena Bonham Carter’s dark, high-style extravagance looks like a perfect fit for the Gothic world Burton has created. Are you loving the look Atwood has created for “Dark Shadows”? Sound off in the comments below and tweet me at @JohnMitchell83 with your thoughts and suggestions for future columns! Check out everything we’ve got on “Dark Shadows.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com .
