FameWired.com

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith were on hand for a Nobel Peace Prize press conference in Oslo today. They’re in the city to host a concert celebrating President Obama’s award, featuring Wyclef Jean and Natasha Bedingfield, that will air in the US in early 2010. Although Will and Jada are used to commanding the attention of a crowd, he says that they’re staving off stage fright by pretending that the star-studded audience is in their own living room at home.

Joined by their adorable kids Jaden and Willow , celeb couple Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith hosted the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway today (December 11).

The 2010 Premieres, Spotlight, New Frontier and Park City at Midnight lineups for Sundance were announced today (and not on the 7th, like I had heard)!

PREMIERES
To showcase the diversity to contemporary independent cinema, the Sundance Film Festival Premieres section offers the latest work from American and international directors as well as world premieres of highly anticipated films. Presented by Entertainment Weekly.

Abel / Mexico, USA (Director: Diego Luna; Screenwriters: Diego Luna and Agusto Mendoza)–A peculiar young boy, blurring reality and fantasy, assumes the responsibilities of a family man in his father’s absence. Cast: Jose Maria Yazpik, Karina Gidi, Carlos Aragon, Christopher Ruiz-Esparza, Gerardo Ruiz-Esparza. World Premiere

Cane Toads: The Conquest / USA (Director and screenwriter: Mark Lewis)–In 3D, Mark Lewis explores one of Australia’s greatest environmental catastrophes as he follows the unstoppable march of the cane toad across the Australian continent. World Premiere

The Company Men / USA (Director and screenwriter: John Wells)–Three company men attempt to survive a round of corporate downsizing while trying to fend off its effects on their families and their identities. Cast: Ben Affleck, Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Rosemarie DeWitt. World Premiere

The Extra Man / USA (Directors: Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini; Screenwriters: Robert Pulcini, Jonathan Ames and Shari Springer Berman)–A down-and-out playwright who escorts wealthy widows in Manhattan’s Upper East Side takes a young aspiring writer under his wing. Cast: Katie Holmes, John C. Reilly, Paul Dano, Kevin Kline, Alicia Goranson. World Premiere

Get Low / USA (Director: Aaron Schneider; Screenwriters: Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell)–A film spun out of equal parts folk tale, fable and real-life legend about a mysterious, 1930s Tennessee hermit who plans his own rollicking funeral party… while still alive. Cast: Robert Duvall, Bill Murray. U.S. Premiere SALT LAKE CITY GALA FILM

Jack Goes Boating / USA (Director: Philip Seymour Hoffman; Screenwriter: Bob Glaudini)–A limo driver’s blind date sparks a tale of love, betrayal, friendship, and grace centered around two working-class New York City couples. Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Ryan, John Ortiz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Tom McCarthy. World Premiere

The Killer Inside Me / USA (Director: Michael Winterbottom; Screenwriter: John Curran)–Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford is a pillar of the community in his small Texan town; patient, polite and well liked, until he starts killing people. Cast: Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Simon Baker, Elias Koteas. World Premiere

Nowhere Boy / United Kingdom (Director: Sam Taylor Wood; Screenwriters: Julia Baird and Matt Greenhalgh)–A teenage John Lennon confronts wrenching family secrets and finds his musical voice in late 1950s Liverpool. Cast: Aaron Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Thomas Sangster, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey. International Premiere

Please Give / USA (Director and screenwriter: Nicole Holofcener)–In New York City, a husband and wife butt heads with the granddaughters of the elderly woman who lives next door. Cast: Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Rebecca Hall, Catherine Keener, Sarah Steele. World Premiere

The Runaways / USA (Director and screenwriter: Floria Sigismondi)–In 1970s LA, a tough teenager named Joan Jett connects with an eccentric producer to form an all-girl band that would launch her career and make rock history. Cast: Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Scout Taylor-Compton, Michael Shannon, Alia Shawkat, Tatum O’Neal. World Premiere

Shock Doctrine / USA (Directors: Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross)–Closely based on the book by award-winning journalist Naomi Klein, Shock Doctrine exposes how shock is used to implement economic policy in vulnerable environments. North American Premiere

Twelve / USA (Director: Joel Schumacher; Screenwriter: Jordan Melamed)–A chronicle of the highs and lows of privileged kids on Manhattan’s Upper East Side involving sex, drugs and murder. Cast: Chace Crawford, Emma Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, 50 Cent, Zoë Kravitz. World Premiere CLOSING NIGHT FILM

Untitled Duplass Brothers Project / USA (Directors and screenwriters: Jay Duplass and Mark Duplass)–A recently divorced guy meets a new lady. Then he meets her son who is, well…interesting. Cast: John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei,Jonah Hill, Catherine Keener. World Premiere

NEXT (<=>)
A new section composed of eight American films selected for their innovative and original work in low- and no-budget filmmaking.

Armless (Director: Habib Azar; Screenwriter: Kyle Jarrow)–In this off-kilter comedy, a woman comes to terms with her husband’s strange secret. Cast: Daniel London, Janel Moloney, Keith Powell, Laurie Kennedy, Matt Walton. World Premiere

Bass Ackwards (Director and screenwriter: Linas Phillips)–After ending a disastrous affair with a married woman, a man embarks on a lyrical, strange and comedic cross-country journey in a modified VW bus. Cast: Linas Philips, Davie-Blue, Jim Fletcher, Paul Lazar. World Premiere

Bilal’s Stand (Director and screenwriter: Sultan Sharrief)–Bilal, a Muslim high school senior in Detroit juggles his dysfunctional family, their taxi stand, and an ice carving contest in his secret attempt to land a college scholarship. Cast: Julian Gant. World Premiere

The Freebie (Director and screenwriter: Katie Aselton)–A young married couple decides to give each other one night with someone else. Cast: Dax Shepard, Katie Aselton. World Premiere

Homewrecker (Director: Todd Barnes and Brad Barnes; Screenwriters: Todd Barnes, Brad Barnes, Sophie Goodhart)–The last romantic in New York City is an ex-con locksmith on work release. Cast: Ana Reeder, Anslem Richardson, Stephen Rannazzisi. World Premiere

New Low (Director: Adam Bowers)–A neurotic twentysomething struggles to figure out which girl he really belongs with: the best one he’s ever known, or the worst. Cast: Adam Bowers, Jayme Ratzer, Toby Turner, Valerie Jones. World Premiere

One Too Many Mornings (Director: Michael Mohan; Screenwriters: Anthony Deptula, Michael Mohan, Stephen Hale)–Two damaged young men recover their high school friendship by awkwardly revealing to each other just how messed up they’ve become. Cast: Anthony Deptula, Stephen Hale, Tina Kapousis. World Premiere

The Taqwacores (Director: Eyad Zahra; Screenwriter: Michael Muhammad Knight)–When a Pakistani-Muslim engineering student moves into a house with punk Muslims of all stripes in Buffalo, New York, his ideologies are challenged to the core. Cast: Noureen DeWulf, Dominic Rains, Rasika Mathur, Tony Yalda, Anne Marie Leighton. World Premiere

SPOTLIGHT
New for 2010, the Spotlight section is a tribute to the cinema we love. Regardless of where these impressive films have played throughout the world, the Sundance Film Festival is thrilled to light a marquee for them.

Narrative films screening in the Festival’s Spotlight are:

Bran Nue Dae / Australia (Director: Rachel Perkins; Screenwriters: Reg Cribb, Rachel Perkins, and Jimmy Chi)–In the summer of 1965, a young man is filled with the life of the idyllic old pearling port Broome – fishing, hanging out with his mates and his girl. Cast: Rocky McKenzie, Jessica Mauboy, Geoffrey Rush, Ernie Dingo. U.S. Premiere

Daddy Longlegs / USA (Directors and Screenwriters: Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie)–A swan song to excuses and responsibilities, to fatherhood and self-created experiences, and to what it’s like to be truly torn between being a child and being an adult. Cast: Ronald Bronstein, Sage Ranaldo, Frey Ranaldo. North American Premiere

Enter the Void / France (Director and Screenwriter: Gaspar Noé)–A drug-dealing teen is killed in Japan, after which he reappears as a ghost to watch over his sister. Cast: Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, Cyril Roy, Emily Alyn Lind, Jesse Kuhn. U.S. Premiere

I Am Love (Io Sono L’amore) / Italy (Director and Screenwriter: Luca Guadagnino)–A tragic love story set at the turn of the millennium in Milan. Cast: Tilda Swinton, Edoardo Gabbriellini, Pippo Delbono, Alba Rohrwacher, Marisa Berenson. U.S. Premiere

Louis C.K.: Hilarious / USA (Director: Louis C.K.)–Sharp-tongued comedian Louis C.K. pulls no punches in this visceral concert experience. World Premiere

Lourdes / Austria, France, Germany (Director and Screenwriter: Jessica Hausner)–A woman in a wheelchair travels to Lourdes in an attempt to escape her isolation. Cast: Sylvie Testud, Léa Seydoux, Bruno Todeschini, Gilette Barbier, Gerhard Liebmann, Irma Wagner. U.S. Premiere

Mother & Child / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Rodrigo García)–The lives of three women – a physical therapist, the daughter she gave up at birth three decades ago, and an African American woman seeking to adopt a child of her own – intersect in surprising ways. Cast: Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Smits, Samuel L. Jackson. U.S. Premiere

New African Cinema / A collection of short films from multiple countries

* Pumzi / South Africa (Director and Screenwriter: Wanuri Kahiu)–A Sci-Fi film about futuristic Africa, 35 years after World War III, “The Water War.” Cast: Kudzani Moswela. North American Premiere

* Saint Louis Blues (Un Transport En Commun) / France, Senegal (Director and Screenwriter: Dyana Gaye)–Along the journey from Dakar to Saint Louis, seven passengers of a taxi meet each other and tell their lives through songs. Cast: Umban Gomez de Kset, Bigué Ndoye, Adja Fall, Yakhoub Ba, Abdoulaye Diakhaté. U.S. Premiere

* The Tunnel / South Africa (Director and Screenwriter: Jenna Bass)–When her father vanishes in 1980s Zimbabwe, young Elizabeth believes he has dug a tunnel to the city. Only by facing reality will she discover the truth behind his disappearance. Cast: Sibulele Mlumbi, Finch Moyo, Patricia Matongo, Anthony Watterson, Pakamisa Zwedala, Vuyisile Pandle. World Premiere

A Prophet (Un Prophète) / France (Director: Jacques Audiard; Screenwriters: Thomas Bidegain and Jacques Audiard)–An engaging examination of a seedy, gangster-driven underworld set in a French prison. Cast: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arestrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda Kateb.

Women Without Men (Zanan-e bedun-e mardan) / Germany, Austria, France (Directors and Screenwriters: Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari)–A dissection of Iranian society at the time of the 1953 CIA-backed coup that overturned the nationalist government of Mohammed Mossadegh and installed the shah in power. Cast: Pegah Ferydoni, Arita Shahrzad, Shabnam Tolouei, Orsi Tóth. U.S. Premiere

Documentary films screening in the Festival’s Spotlight are:

8: The Mormon Proposition / USA (Director: Reed Cowan)–An examination of the relationship between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the promotion and passage of California’s Proposition 8 denying marriage rights for Gay and Lesbian couples. World Premiere

Catfish / USA (Directors: Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman)–When a young New York City photographer is contacted on Facebook by an 8-year-old painting prodigy from rural Michigan, he becomes deeply enmeshed in her life, even falling in love with her older sister–that is, until a crack appears in her story. World Premiere

Climate Refugees / USA (Director: Michael Nash)–An over-consuming, crowded world, with depleting resources and a changing climate is giving birth to 25 million climate refugees resulting in a mass global migration and border conflicts. World Premiere

Countdown to Zero / USA (Director: Lucy Walker)–A fascinating and frightening exploration of the dangers of nuclear weapons, exposing a variety of present day threats and featuring insights from a host of international experts and world leaders who advocate total global disarmament. World Premiere

Life 2.0 / USA (Director: Jason Spingarn-Koff)–More than an examination of new technology, the film is foremost an intimate, character-based drama about people whose lives are dramatically transformed by the virtual world called Second Life. World Premiere

Teenage Paparazzo / USA (Director: Adrian Grenier)–A 13-year-old paparazzi boy snaps a photo of actor Adrian Grenier, leading Grenier to explore the effects of celebrity on culture. World Premiere

To Catch a Dollar: Muhammad Yunus Banks on America / Bangladesh, USA (Director: Gayle Ferraro)–Tapping into the success of Muhammad Yunus after winning the Nobel Peace Prize (2006), Grameen America has opened in Queens, NY replicating the banking model program Yunus first started in Bangladesh. World Premiere

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks / USA (Director: Dan Klores)–Reggie Miller single-handedly crushed the hearts of Knick fans multiple times. But it was the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals that solidified Miller as Public Enemy #1 in New York City. World Premiere

PARK CITY AT MIDNIGHT
Home to horror films and crazy comedies, Black Dynamite, The Blair Witch Project and Saw are among the films that have screened here.

7 Days / Canada (Director: Daniel Grou; Screenwriter: Patrick Senecal)–A doctor seeks revenge by kidnapping, torturing and killing the man who murdered his young daughter. Cast: Rémy Girard, Claude Legault, Fanny Mallette, Martin Dubreuil, Rose-Marie Coallier. World Premiere

Buried / Spain, USA (Director: Rodrigo Cortes; Screenwriter: Chris Sparling)–A U.S. contractor working in Iraq awakes to find he is buried alive inside a coffin. With only a lighter and a cell phone it’s a race against time to escape this claustrophobic death trap. Cast: Ryan Reynolds. World Premiere

Frozen / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Adam Green)–Three skiers are mistakenly stranded on a chairlift, forced to make life-or-death choices that prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death. Cast: Emma Bell, Shawn Ashmore, Kevin Zegers. World Premiere

HIGH school / USA (Director: John Stalberg, Jr.; Screenwriters: Erik Linthorst, John Stalberg, Jr., and Stephen Susco)–A random drug test coincides with a high school valedictorian’s first hit of pot. Cast: Sean Marquette, Matt Bush, Adrien Brody, Michael Chiklis, Colin Hanks, Mykelti Williamson, Andrew Wilson, Yeardley Smith, Michael Vartan, Curtis Armstrong, Erica Phillips, Adhir Kaylan. World Premiere

The Perfect Host / USA (Director: Nick Tomnay; Screenwriters: Nick Tomnay and Krishna Jones)–A criminal on the run cons his way into the wrong dinner party where the host is anything but ordinary. Cast: David Hyde Pierce, Clayne Crawford, Helen Reddy, Nathaniel Parker. World Premiere

Splice / France, Canada (Director: Vincenzo Natali; Screenwriters: Vincenzo Natali, Antoinette Terry Bryant, and Doug Taylor)–Clive and Elsa are young, brilliant, and ambitious. The new animal species they engineered has made them rebel superstars of the scientific world. In secret, they introduce human DNA into the experiment. Cast: Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, Delphine Chaneac, David Hewlett. North American Premiere

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil / Canada (Director: Eli Craig; Screenwriters: Eli Craig and Morgan Jurgenson)–Two West Virginian hillbillies go on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin, but their peaceful trip goes horribly awry. Cast: Tyler Labine, Alan Tudyk, Katrina Bowden, Jesse Moss. World Premiere

The Violent Kind / USA (Directors and screenwriters: The Butcher Brothers) A group of rowdy young bikers party it up at a secluded farmhouse when, tormented by a mysterious force, things take a turn for the worst. Cast: Taylor Cole, Christina Prousalis, Tiffany Shepis, David Fine, Joseph McKelheer. World Premiere.

NEW FRONTIER
This program highlights work that explores the limits of traditional aesthetics and the narrative structures of filmmaking.

All My Friends Are Funeral Singers / USA (Director and screenwriter: Tim Rutili)–A fortune teller lives and works in and old house crowded with ghosts. When a mysterious light appears in the woods, the ghosts realize they are trapped and begin to rebel. Cast: Angela Bettis. World Premiere

Double Take / Germany, Netherlands (Director: Johan Grimonprez)– Alfred Hitchcock is unwittingly caught up in a double take on the cold war period. As television hijacks cinema, and Khrushchev debates Nixon, sexual politics quietly take off and Hitchcock himself blackmails housewives with brands they can’t refuse. Cast: Mark Perry, Ron Burrage. North American Premiere

Memories of Overdevelopment / USA (Director and Screenwriter: Miguel Coyula)–Live action mixes with animation and newsreel footage of historical events to form a collage that emulates the way personal memory works for a misanthropic Cuban intellectual. An adaptation of a novel by Cuban author Edmundo Desnoes. Cast: Ron Blair. World Premiere

ODDSAC / USA (Director: Daniel Perez)–An earthy, psychedelic experimental narrative infused with the band, Animal Collective’s aural and musical sensibilities. World Premiere

Pepperminta / Austria, Switzerland (Director: Pipilotti Rist; Screenwriters: Pipilotti Rist, Chris Niemeyer)– A magical and visually stunning contemporary fantasy about a young woman with an anarchist imagination. Together with Pepperminta’s best friends, colors and strawberries, she sets out to fight for a more humane world. Cast: Ewelina Guzik North American Premiere.

Utopia in Four Movements / USA (Director: Sam Green)–In this “live documentary” Sam Green’s live narration blends with Dave Cerf’s soundtrack to explore the battered state of the utopian impulse at the dawn of the 21st century. World Premiere

SOURCE

All I can say is holy crap, Catherine Keener. And some of these sound so damn good, I can’t wait!

Never let it be said that Ivy League undergrads fail to heed their Teaches. The Harvard Lampoon has decided to induct electro-powered pioneer Peaches as an honorary member, adding her to a distinguished roster that includes James Brown, The Strokes and Aerosmith. We’re jealous. MORE »

Rock stars love to cast models in their videos (and thank god they do!): Whitesnake had Tawny Kitaen, Aerosmith had Alicia Silverstone, and now Alice in Chains have… Project Runway’s Amanda Fields?

In the clip for “Your Decision,” a tune off the band’s reunion release, Black Gives Way to Blue, Fields invites the boys to a classy gala in the Hollywood hills… which turns into a freaky swingers party where the guys have a platter of women to choose from.

Fields, who appeared on season three of Project Runway, wrote about her music video debut on Blogging Project Runway: “The band members, Jerry, Sean, Mike, and William, were fun to work with and the director had such an incredible vision. The stylist, a friend of mine, Cory Savage, really knows how to make a rock video couture! The band members all wore crisp expertly tailored suits and the string quartet wore flowing white dresses with black lace blindfolds! My wig was made out of feathers!”

source
source

A new biography of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt claims the couple’s relationship is so unstable that it will not even last two years.
Celebrity author Ian Halperin is so confident in the assertions in his new book “Brangelina: The Untold Story of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie,” that he told PopEater that he would be [...]

People Magazine has the first official photo from the Will Smith-produced remake/re-imagining of The Karate Kid (and yes, we still wish they would revert back to the old Kung Fu Kid title and leave the Karate Kid title out of this). You might remember when we posted a couple set photos and even official teaser art back in September, but this is the first time Sony has released an official photo from the upcoming film. The article doesn’t reveal much: Jaden Smith trained every day for four months with the film’s fight coordinator Master Wu, and they filmed a scene atop the Great Wall of China.

Jaden Smith plays Dre, a skateboarding video game buff who is forced to move to China after his single mother (Taraji P. Henson) is forced to transfer to the China for work. Of course, unable to speak Chinese, Dre finds it hard to settle in, and gets beat up by the local bully. Jackie Chan plays Mr. Han (the Mr. Miyagi character), a maintenance man who spots Dre’s black-eye and offers to teach him both martial arts and Chinese, so he can defend against the students of Li Quan Ha’s Fighting dragon school of Kung-Fu. Directed by Harald Zwart (The Pink Panther 2) and written by Chris Murphy and Steven Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness). The Karate Kid will hit theaters on June 11th 2010.

www.slashfilm.com

more pictures at the source: www.jackiechan.com

cue people crying about their ruined childhood

People Magazine has the first official photo from the Will Smith-produced remake/re-imagining of The Karate Kid (and yes, we still
wish they would revert back to the old Kung Fu Kid title and leave the Karate Kid title out of this). You might remember when we
posted a couple set photos and even official teaser art back in September, but this is the first time Sony has released an official photo from the upcoming
film….

Read more

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie can be like their warring, married characters in “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” when it comes to presidential politics, sources tell Fox411.
“[Jolie thinks] President Obama is a great communicator but not interested in issues outside the United States,” says a Hollywood insider close to the Oscar-winning actress. “Angelina has worked very [...]

photograph by Craig Mackay

Ontario-born actress Neve Campbell first found fame on Fox’s Party of Five before perfecting her little “girl lost in horror, blood and gore act” in The Craft, playing a teen witch even though she was in her early 20s at the time. Looking perennially younger than she actually is, Neve moved on to even greater fame amongst a new generation of slasher flick fans as Sidney Prescott in the Scream trilogy, the most successful psychological horror genre films of all time. Thrillingly, the four are due to reunite for Scream 4 which is scheduled to start filming in the spring. Campbell has lived, almost secretly, in London for the last five years with her actor husband John Light, a Brit. Indeed: these days the 36 year-old actress is such a fully paid-up Anglophile, even Madonna and Gwyneth would be impressed. Maybe even shown up.

You seem to be very settled living in London these days. Would you consider yourself an Anglophile?
Absolutely! I’ve lived in leafy Islington for five years now. I lived in LA for 13 years, but it just didn’t suit me. I’m from Toronto and I’m really used to a city I can walk around in, I guess. After I saw Crash, I realized: it’s true. People only really meet in LA when they get out of their cars. It’s a very isolating city. I have to be a little careful in London with the attention of the paparazzi. But on the whole, people are very respectful.

Do you ever feel drawn to horror films due to your legacy in them?
I’m very thankful for the Scream movies. They were fantastic for my career. Do I fear being pigeonholed for making this genre of movie? Not really. I’ve had a good ride, career-wise.

So you don’t think you are in any danger of becoming the next Jamie Lee Curtis of the shock-horror world?
Being the next Jamie would be fine! (laughs) In fact, we start shooting Scream 4 in mid-April. I’m so happy that those of us still “alive” from 1, 2 and 3 like David (Arquette) and Courtney (Cox) have already signed up to take part.

Did you all stay in touch after the trilogy had wrapped?
Oh, yes. Completely. I haven’t spoken to them in a while. I’m sure it took a while to convince them to take part [in the picture], especially because they’re now a very happy family ,and of course, it was a long journey for them. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, and a lot like going back to summer camp.

What else can you tell us about Scream 4?
I’m pretty sure at this stage that Wes [Craven] is back on board to direct and Kevin [Willamson] is definitely writing it…so it is going to be great.

So you haven’t been sent a script yet, then?
No. Not yet. They had to wait for us all to sign on. I suppose that’s the way these days!

What’s the key to playing Sidney?
Physically speaking, it’s all about working the bob! And the only way I can achieve that properly every day on set is through Tara Smith hair products. Seriously, if Tara didn’t cut and style my hair in an amazing girly way to re-create the Sidney look, I wouldn’t have a starting point [for the character]. I’m not kidding. Hers are the only products I can use without killing my hair and skin, as they are 100% organic and free of chemicals.

You sound like a big fan!
Honestly, your readers should try them and get the Sidney bob to hold for when the film comes out next year! Once I’ve got the hairstyle, the character of Sidney definitely comes back to me.

Work-wise, what’s next for you before shooting Scream in the Spring?
Well, I’m always trying to find a great new scam to avoid the dark, damp British winters if I can! So, I’ve just signed up to do a movie in Sydney, Australia starting in December.

What’s the movie about?
It’s tells the story of a very brave female composer from the 40s. I have been lent a very modern sounding piano to help me get into the role—well, it actually doesn’t make any sound at all, it’s to learn on.

Sounds…neighbor-friendly?
Yes. Exactly! (laughs) What happens is: I hit the keys and the only sound it makes comes through my headphones! My three little Shizu dogs look at me as if I’m going a bit mad. I’ve never played an instrument in my life, and now I have piano lessons three times a week. At first, I found it a bit overwhelming and daunting, but now I’m really enjoying it.

What else? I heard that you love the London theater scene. You know that it’s now a tradition for all North American actresses who appear on the stage in the West End to appear naked in at least one scene….
Yes. I did know that (laughing). I believe it’s in every contract!

Bearing that in mind, would you consider taking your clothes off every night in the chilly West End?
I don’t know. It would obviously have to depend on the piece I was in. When those scripts come along, you have to give them a lot of thought. If I personally don’t feel that it would help my career or bring any great joy into my life, then I won’t do it.

What’s your most defining characteristic?
I’m a very level-headed Libra! A real pragmatist! (laughs) I’m sure I can be very stubborn, though. I’m very strong willed if I think something should be done a certain way.

How do you indulge yourself? Fast cars?
Well, on the subject of the cars…. I used to drive a Porsche years ago. I wouldn’t drive something like that these days, though. And I’ve spent a good amount on fashion disasters. I’ve never had a great sense of style. I think I’m finally just starting to get it, how I should dress!

Really?
When I look back at a lot of the photos I’ve done over the years, most of them are pretty terrible. I don’t think I ever had strong opinions about what I should wear, so I let a lot of stylists choose clothes for me.

So you’ve never craved the lifestyle of a fashionista, sitting front row at all the fashion shows?
No way! Are you kidding? I’d just be way too intimidated!

Do you ever get mistaken for anyone else in the profession?
Occasionally, people think I’m Jennifer Love Hewitt because we were both on Party Of Five and also because she made Know What You Did Last Summer and I did Scream. But she is still such a beautiful girl, so it’s not such a bad thing!

How often do you get over to the States these days?
Not too often. I get all my scripts sent to me and fortunately, I’m now in a position in which I can afford to do one lucrative movie—like a Scream—and then smaller, more independent projects, usually set in a nice country! I only go to LA about once a year now. Although, that might increase now that I am producing more. I’ve already produced two movies and want to eventually move more into the writing and directing side of things.

What else are you involved with apart from film?
I do a huge amount of work for an orphanage in Africa called Botsha Bello. There are 300 kids there and 30% suffer from HIV. It is really shocking how they have been left behind. I’ve spent quite a lot of time at the orphanage. Now, I want to help them set up some businesses if I can and create a business model for them to move further. Maybe I’ll call him or her Sidney!

Would you consider adopting one of the kids?
Yeah. Absolutely. At some point, we will. I’d love to do that.

Why are most of your US fans surprised to hear that you live in London?
Probably because I didn’t make a big announcement of it. I’ve always been a very private person. I get offered all these reality shows here like I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here (in the Queensland jungle) and Survivor-type stuff, but I tell my agent that I’ll never, ever consider doing it.

What did you think about Wild Things 2?
I didn’t even know they’d made it until I saw it one night on TV. The original was so much fun to make! A great movie, and Matt Dillon and Miami were lots of fun, too! How funny though, to do a sequel without anyone from the original cast, not connected in the slightest to the first movie. Hollywood can be strange like that.

Where will you be at Christmas?
Sydney, I think. Maybe on Bondi Beach? Then, I’m sure we’ll be back in London in time for New Year’s with friends!

Where do you recommend in London?
John and I adore the restaurant at the The Almeida Theatre. It’s just a five minute walk from our house. You can have a beautiful meal there these days. The theater itself is a restored Grade II listed theater, by the way. The Antiques Market in Islington is also a place I love to go to just let my mind wander back in time. It’s located on Camden Passage, but make sure you go on a Wednesday or a Saturday because those are the only days of the week when all of the little shops or stalls are open. It’s not as big as the nearby Camden Market—some three miles away—but is a lot more intimate far, far less crowded.

Also something about being Scottish; with Alan Cumming, Chris Hoy, Sharleen Spiteri, Jack White:

Blackbook Magazine
youtube