You would think that, by this time, Lauren Bacall had seen it all.
But on Monday night at Elle Magazine's Women in Hollywood Tribute, Miss Bacall said she was downright discombobulated after negotiating a frenzied press line with photographers screaming and flashes going off everywhere. Then there were the endless questions about how she felt about being one of the evening's honorees.
"I've never been in the middle of anything like this before. I don't know what it's like [to be honored by Women in Hollywood]. I'll have to let the evening progress and then I will discover it myself...A serious question requires a long answer and using my brain but my brain is now addled because of the screaming."
The great star may be 83 years old, but she remains more interested in continuing to be a busy working actress than dwell on past roles in a career that began with 1944's "To Have and Have Not" opposite future husband Humphrey Bogart and include an Oscar-nominated performance in 1996's "The Mirror Has Two Faces."
"I'm unemployed at the moment," said Bacall, whose most recent film, "The Walker," will be released in December. "["The Walker"] has got Woody Harrelson, Lily Tomlin, Kristen Scott Thomas, and me."

Bacall, just 19 when she became a major star in her very first film, went on to make four films with Bogart in the 50s, including "The Big Sleep" and "Key Largo." Other memorable roles followed in "Young Man With a Horn," "Written in the Wind," "Blood Alley," "How to Marry a Millionaire" and "Designing Woman."
But for Bacall, it has not been easy.
"I'm not like anyone," she says. "My career has not been a smooth career. It's been very up and down in movies."
Broadway beckoned in the 60s and early 70s but she returned to films in 1974's "Murder on the Orient Express" and "The Shootist" - John Wayne's final film, had a juicy role as a Broadway star being stalked in "The Fan," and since 2003, has had roles in "Dogville," "Birth" "Manderlay," and "These Foolish Things."

But even if film roles dry up - as they sometimes have - Bacall has never been one to sit around. She's had the Broadway stage to keep her busy, winning Tony Awards in 1970 and 1981 for the musicals "Applause" and "Woman of the Year." She also won the National Book Award in the late 70s for her autobiography, "By Myself" which she updated a few years ago with new chapters.
"I had a great 20 year period on the stage, I love the theater, that was my first love, and I keep going. I've written three books and I just keep going...Until they catch me."
In some ways, she is emulating her childhood idol, Bette Davis, who was still making movies after her 80th birthday.
"She was a brilliant actress," she says of Davis. "A talent. Talent is what I worship."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:45 PM | Permalink

Halle Berry wants to make the planet a better place for her unborn child. The actress, who only grows more beautiful each day, says she plans to use organic disposable daipers on the infant, due in five more months...This is rich. And so is she. The much-married and divorced Ivanna Trump is getting married for the fourth time and says it "feels right." Unlike the previous three times i guess. But I do give Ivana, 58, a better chance at happiness with her 35-year-old fiancee Rossano Rubicondi. She and the Italian actor have already been together for six years...While we're on the subject of very wealthy women, Madonna today signed a 10-year $120 million recording and touring deal. Will it leave her with enough time to write those children's books?...Kate Walsh says she has no issues about turning 40, which she did on Friday. Could it be because she has a handsome new husband, a new hit show, and looks as gorgeous as ever?...The car crash Orlando Bloom was involved in over the weekend is still being investigated by the LAPD....
and finally, much of the cast of "My Name Is Earl" (Giovanni Ribisi, Jason Lee, Eddie Steeples and Ethan Suplee) showed up Monday night to help their Emmy-winning costar Jaime Pressly celebrate the launch of her spring/summer J'aime Collection during L.A. Fashion Week.
That's some seriously good karma...

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 3:23 PM | Permalink

This pink wig is apparently what Britney Spears wore last night in an attempt to go icognito to turn herself in to be booked for a hit-and-run case.
And so now I'm wondering this: "Is she COMPLETELY bonkers?"

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 2:55 PM | Permalink

It was so terrific to interview some of Hollywood's leading ladies last night at The Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. I chatted up Women In Hollywood honorees Lauren Bacall, Kate Bosworth, Jennifer Connelly, Amy Adams and Diane Lane as they made their way into the event.
"It's nice to have so much energy and excitement for women in Hollywood," Adams told me.
I was curious, how is Adams, largely unknown until her Oscar-nominated performance in "Junebug" a few years ago, handling her new high-profile career which includes starring opposite Meryl Streep in the film adaptation of "Doubt."
"I can't stop and think about it because I have to do it," she said. "For me, it's just about buckling down and doing the work and making good with the opportunities that have been set before me."
Lane, a child star who co-starred with Laurence Olivier in "A Little Romance" and was Oscar-nominated for "Unfaithful," was pleased to be among those honored:"It's the best. What a wonderful thing to be accepted by your peers and to have a slot in the halls of glamour forever."
Bosworth was accompanied by her mother and grandmother to the event and said the biggest key to surviving in Hollywood - especially as a young actress - is to have that kind of strong support system:"I'm surrounded by family and my mom and my grandmother are two very strong women and I have the benefit of having them in my life."
But even their presence weren't enough to calm her jitters over having to take the stage to accept her award: "It's so exciting and very surreal. I'm really nervous. Everyone always thinks that being an actor you like speaking in public but I'm terrified...but it's a warm room, we are in the company of people who are in support of women in Hollywood."
Jennifer Connelly walked the red carpet with her actor husband Paul Bettney who would interject funny remarks during her interviews. She didn't seem to mind one bit, remaining serene and calm despite the chaos around her.
"I'm not nervous but I'm trying to get nervous," she joked.
Connelly had to be back on the set early today to shoot scenes for "He's Just Not That Into You" and also has "Reservation Road" opening in theaters on Friday.
"Most of my scenes so far have been with Ginnifer Goodwin and Jennifer Aniston and they both have been fantastic and I think I work with [fellow honoree] Scarlett [Johansson] tomorrow. I haven't spent any time with her yet so I look forward to that experience."
Bettney was asked what it was like to be at the event, supporting his wife: "I love it actually because I think I'm sort of like the eye candy. As we walk down the red carpet, I know everyone is kind of looking at us thinking, 'How did she snag HIM?"
Screen legend Bacall, still stunning at 83, seemed bored with questions about what she was wearing and what receiving the award meant to her: "I'll have to let the evening progress and then I will discover it myself."
But the actress perked up when asked about Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize: "Gore. Fantastic. I'm so thrilled. As well he should have won. It's time the public stood up and took notice I'll tell you."

I gotta say, me and some of the other print reporters were fortunate to get who we got for interviews since we had to deal with one of the worst red carpet situations I've ever endured. We were in a separate, darkened area away from photographers and TV crews (seriously, NO lights) so when the star emerged from all the flashbulbs, they literally didn't know we were there. And often we didn't know who had emerged until they were practically past us.
Stars like Topher Grace and Emile Hirsch looked at us confused when we tried to call them over and we later figured out why: they thought we were FANS! I then realized we'd have to get aggressive and announce our presence to stars like Ben Foster, Alyson Hannigan, Melissa George, Jennifer Beals, Tracee Ellis Ross and Amber Tamblyn who did stop and chat.
I was complaining to someone about it when one of flaks handling the event whispered to me that he would appreciate it if I didn't complain in front of the client (ELLE editor in chief Robbie Meyers was being interviewed only inches away.)
Sorry pal, I can't do MY job, if you don't do YOUR job.

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:45 PM | Permalink

This is outrageous! You make Ellen DeGeneres cry and you get egg on your face and that is what a dog rescue group has today. Ellen got a dog from the group, the dog upset the entire animal family at the DeGeneres/Portia de Rossi household, so Ellen gave it to someone she loves and trusts to care for.
Animal rescue group shows up to take the dog away.
Is this nuts or WHAT?

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:24 AM | Permalink

Swoosie Kurtz has spent decades alternating between stage and screen, winning two Tony awards and an Emmy along the way. But when she got the script for ABC’s new hit “Pushing Daisies,” she assumed it was for a juicy role in a feature film.
“I always go where the material is,” Swoosie told me recently. "The woman on the page, can I bring her to life? is she someone I played before? Does she scare me? This just leaped out at me, this script. I mean, this was like no other thing I had read. I got to the bottom of page one and thought, ‘Wait. This is a film script. But no, it said ABC television. I couldn’t believe this was going to be on network television. I thought, I don’t care if this gets picked up or not, it’s something I’m going to be proud to say I was a part of. Anything can happen in this story because it’s magical, fantastical and has a spiritual quality about it.”
Kurtz and Ellen Green play eccentric sisters who were once the renowned synchronized swimming duo the Darling Mermaid Darlings but are now racked with social anxieties.
"I love this character, I love where she's going - there's some secrets down the line.
The quirky “Daisies,” which many feared might be a tough sell, is one of the breakout hits of the fall season and gives Swoosie her first real TV hit since the long-running NBC drama "Sisters" in the 90s. She was Emmy nominated, however, for her recurring role on the late Showtime seires "Huff."
Glad to be in a hit Swoosie says she is always prepared for any outcome and looks ahead.
"I've sort of followed ny bliss, followed my heart."

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 10:01 AM | Permalink

Good morning!
Just found out that the great Meryl Streep will be honored in April by the Lincoln Center Film Society which has paid tribute to a major film figure each year since 1972. Streep's body of work. My top five favorite Streep performances, just in case the society wants some advice on film clips, are "Postcards from the Edge," "The Devil Wears Prada," "Out of Africa," "Heartburn," and "Adpatation." ...Congratulations are in order for "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" star Vincent D'Onofrio and his wife who are expecting their second child......Grammy winner Carrie Underwood is reportedly dating Chace Crawford, one of the stars of the hot new show "Gossip Girl" on the CW...While we're on the subject of country singers, Gretchen Wilson apparently did NOT want to put her little dog back in its carrier during a recent flight to Los Angeles and made such a fuss that an incident report was filed...In troubled young star legal news: Lindsay Lohan is counter-suing the restaurant employee who she crashed into back in 2005 saying he caused the accident. He had filed a suit against Lohan earlier this year...On Monday night, Britney Spears reported to a Los Angeles police station to face charges of hit and run and driving without a valid license. She turned herself in around 9 p.m., was fingerprinted and photographed, and left about 45 minutes later. Just another day at the office...and finally, summer may be over, but that doesn't mean Matthew McConaughey's days at the beach are. Here he is over the weekend on the water with his girlfriend in Malibu:

Posted by Greg Hernandez at 12:00 AM | Permalink