Actors/Actresses: September 2007 Archives

Who didn't fall a little in love with James Mardsen when he was on "Ally McBeal'? It was just one season but I just remember feeling: "I want to see more of this guy!"
And we have. Thankfully. James has gone back and forth from major blockbusters like the "X-Men" franchise and "Superman Returns" to indie flicks - including a few ["Heights" "The 24th Day"] where he played gay parts. I talked to him the other day at The Advocate's anniversary party about his musical role in "Hairspray" and some upcoming projects:
Greg: Was 'Hairspray' a way for us to see you different from any way we've seen you before?
James: "I think so. Do you think so?"
Greg: [nods yes]
James: I'd been looking to do something like that for awhile and was excited when "Chicago" and "Moulin Rouge" re-opened the doors for movie musicals. It's something I've enjoyed doing so I pursued it and, luckily, they wanted me to be a part of the movie. The "X-Men" films and the "Superman" films have been very good for my career and I'm very proud of them. But it's also nice to have people see you in a different light, you know? And that happened times 10 in this movie. [laughs]."
Greg: And you have "Enchanted" coming out too.
James: Yeah, and I'm a puffy-sleeved prince in that movie. Not a very subtle year for me.
Greg: Sounds like a great year.
James: Yeah it is. The only problem with it is, 'How do you keep it going? How do you top it next year?' But you just keep working and hope that people keep coming out to see the movies. I'm proud of what I've been doing so I just gotta keep my eye on that and hopefully people will react the way they did to 'Hairspray.'
Greg: What have you done since "Enchanted"?
James: I did a movie called "27 Dresses" with Katherine Heigl, it's a romantic comedy.
Greg: Wow. You made a movie with the new golden girl.
James: I hope I don't take away that gold! [laughs]

Busy actress Jane Lynch, whose many recent film roles include playing Steve Carell's boss in '40 Year Old Virgin,' was at the party for The Advocate this week and it was the first time I've ever met her. She has been a standout in movies like "Virgin," as Will Ferrell's mom in "Talladega Nights," as a Mary Hart-clone in "For Your Consideration" and in various television roles including a sex surrogate on "Boston Legal" and a recurring role on "The L Word."
She's about as terrific as I thought she'd be and to,d me it was a personal and professional high point for her to be on the cover of The Advocate for the first time earlier this year.
Here is some of conversation:
Greg: Do you feel like you're being discovered now in a bigger way?
Jane: "Best In Show" definitely opened the doors for me and tings kind of blew opened and changed the trajectory of my career. So I'm very grateful to Christopher Guest for that."
Greg: Were you always out?
Jane: No,l was never in or out. I just never made the decision to be in or out. I just stayed doing what I do. But I'm glad to be out and I hope it's an inspiration to other actors that you can be out and still play other characters and still still study humankind and be an observer and play all different kinds of roles."
Greg: Like in 'Boston Legal."
Jane: [laughs] "Yes, likke in 'Boston Legal' where I played a sexual surrogate!"

Could this be more perfect?
The hilarious Alec Mapa, the self-proclaimed "America's Gaysian Sweetheart," has been quietly filming episodes of "Ugly Betty" playing the recurring role of fashion writer Suzuki St. Pierre. He told me this last night at the Advocate party and I was so surprised because I hadn't heard anything about it. Well soon, everyone will know because once they see Alec on the screen, they won't forget him. This gig seems to have stemmed from Alec's screamingly funny routine at this year's GLAAD Awards where he had the audience in tears.
I asked him if that night resulted in everyone wanting a piece of him:"Not only did they want a piece of me, they got a piece of me. I was cast in 'Ugly Betty' because of the GLAAD Awards appearance. I'm just there to give Vanessa Williams a hard time."
But that doesn't mean he won't still be showing up on "Desperate Housewives," a pal of Eva Longoria's character, Gabby: "I'm gonna be veering between 'Desperate' and 'Ugly' all year long - desperate and ugly, I always knew it would end this way."

I am digging Brad Pitt more than ever these days. I think it's the father thing and the socially conscious thing. It's very sexy. Then there is the movie star thing. Here is Brad in NYC Tuesday for the premiere of his new film "The Assassination of Jesse James."

I had never interviewed "Heroes" star Masi Oka before but we finally got to talk at the Television Academy's party for Emmy nominees last week and I will say this about him: the guy is a CRACK UP! I asked him what it's like to work with George Takei, the "Star Trek" legend who plays his father on the show:
"George Takai is an icon without a doubt. Working with him is great, it's like having a great mentor. He has great stories and things like that."
Oka then launched into this letter-perfect imitation of Takai - who has a famously melodic baratone - that was so, so funny. Sorry I don't have audio of it but I'll share it and hope the hilarity of it comes across:
Oka as Takai: "Well Masi, when we started working on Paramount lot, we had our ooooown set of heroooooes. One daaaay, we were shooting and, my pants caught on fire and Billy Shatner would come in with a hose and strip down my pants and stomp on it. Next thing you know, his pants were on fire. Haaa. Haaa."
Then he adds, still as Takai: "Well, it's quite fun working with a young taaalent such as Masi Oka, he's quite a fascinating kid."
I tell Oka that he is so good at this that he could fill in for Takai on Howard Stern's show as announcer. He said Takai once said to him (now he shifts back to tha Takai voice and says: "If I ever get sick Masi, you could just go on the show foooor me. I need some rest. I'm going to call in sick."

Related post: My chat w/George Takei about Howard Stern, Heroes, and being out...

What a treat. We get to see the wonderful Judith Light in two movies in the coming months. The first, "Ira & Abby," opens today and if you live in LA, it's at the Laemmle Sunset 5 and The Landmark in West LA, among other spots. Reviews have been strong and I can't wait to see it! It's from the same filmmakers who made "Kissing Jessica Stein" and has a killer cast that also includes Jason Alexander, Frances Conroy, Robert Klein and Fred Willard, among others. Light and Klein play the upscale analyst parents of Ira (Chris Messina) who becomes involved with Abby (Jennifer Westfeltdt).
"It's just this charming, adorable movie about relationships," Judith told me Sunday night at a pre-Emmy party for producers. "It's from the gal [Westfeldt] who wrote 'Kissing Jessica Stein" and she stars in it. It's really moving and it's really funny and it's a great date night movie."
The night before, she had been at the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony where she lost the guest actress in a comedy series Emmy to the legendary Elaine Stritch. But she is blissful with her Emmy-nominated role on "Ugly Betty" which has been upgraded from guest star to series regular.
On shopping for her Emmy gown with Thomas Roberts of "The Insider" [for a segment on the show]: "I loooove him. He is so wonderful. He is such a lovely human being, I think the world of him."
I said to Judith: "I thought you were going to say, 'He's so hot!'" She said: "I think he is!" We both crack up.

On Sunday nights Emmy show: "Of course I'm going, our show's nominated. It's a big, huge event and there's a lot to go for and to be there for. I'm very excited."
The cast is currently filming the seventh episode of the second season and Judith's character, Claire Meade, was last seen busting out of prison.

Light is too savvy to let any plot details slip out but she did tell me this: "I'm not in a prison uniform anymore. I don't have a do-rag on my head anymore. I believe ABC and the producers believed I had looked better at different points in time which is why I won't be in that outfit anymore."

Light's other film is "Save Me" which opened LA's Outfest this summer and in my opinion, she gives an Oscar-worthy performance. I just hope it is widely seen and appreciated. Honestly, she's THAT good in the film about a woman who runs an ex-gay ministry.

I asked Judith, a two-time Emmywinner for "One Life to Live" and star of the long-running sitcom "Who's the Boss?" how she is taking this current wave of success: "I'm living in the moment and I'm living in a lot of gratitude."

Terrifc lady.