Thursday, November 12, 2009

News Round-up: Erika Slezak, James Franco, Urie

INTERVIEW: OLTL's Erika Slezak (Viki)
Asked if she would like to play five different personalities again, Slezak replied: "Of course — it's fun! But, I think I am getting a little long in the tooth to wear those short skirts that Niki wears. [Laughs] They are incredibly fun and a challenge to play. In my life I met one multiple and I really did not know what to say. I felt so sad. It is such a difficult illness to deal with, and it comes from such a horrible place."

On the cancellation rumors: "My feeling is, if they were going to cancel us, they would not spend the money to move us, and even though it’s down the street, it’s still expensive. They are giving us a much bigger studio and it will be much more cost effective. I had a conversation about a different subject with Brian Frons (president, ABC Daytime) and he said, 'No. I have great faith in ONE LIFE and I have great faith in Frank Valentini.' As long as the status quo is maintained and our ratings stay up, I think they have an investment in the show to keep it on the air as long as they can."

The Real Story (and the Mastermind) Behind James Franco's Soap Opera Career Move
Carter, Franco’s frequent artistic collaborator, says: "Tt’s for several different things. It was an idea that I posed to him, and it’s tied to another film that he and I are working on now. It’s not specifically for another project, because I know that he’s really enjoying the challenge of working on a soap — it’s a very taxing job, and an interesting thing for him to be doing — but it does have to do with another film that he and I are working on."

Since the GENERAL HOSPITAL arc is sort of a springboard to this feature, did Carter have input into what James will be doing on the show? "Well, that’s actually stuff that’s really unfolding now, because we’re shooting it. Hmm, what can I say? Again, it’s a fine line between a job that James is doing at General Hospital that’s a very serious thing — something he takes seriously, and it’s not a joke — and at the same time, we’re also trying to get something else out of it for another film. It’s a weird thing to navigate, but we’re still doing it, so I don’t know what I can say about it."

VIDEO: Top Stars Check Into GENERAL HOSPITAL
Popeater takes a look at some of the most famous faces to appear on the soap.

A.V. CLUB: The best TV series of the ’00s
THE SOPRANOS, MAD MEN, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS and BREAKING BAD are included in the list.

A.V. CLUB: The best TV episodes of the decade
The DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES pilot is included.

Michael Urie, Carving Out A Character On UGLY BETTY
"I would go out for parts where the description for the character would be half a page. It would be: 'He's a tough-as-nails cop with a heart of gold, and whenever he gets two drinks in him, blah blah blah.' Now, the odds of me, Michael Urie, fitting what they've already come up with, it's not too high.

"And so whenever a role comes along where it says, 'Marc, Wilhelmina's bitchy gay assistant' — and that's it? — it gives someone like me a chance. Because they don't know what the hell they want. ... So that's the stuff I look for, the stuff they haven't really thought out yet — because if they've thought about it, it's probably not going to be me."

Funeral held for ARCHERS veteran
Family and friends of actor Norman Painting, best known for voicing Phil Archer on BBC Radio 4 drama The Archers, have attended his funeral. In a statement the BBC said: "The service was short, simple and private at the actor's request."

INTERVIEW: ATWT's Peter Parros (Ben)
"I would love to come back, and I would love for there to be a Ben and Jessica story. Tamara [Tunie] is awesome to work with, and what is exciting about daytime is when there is passion and energy. If they could come back and bring back some fire, that's what people want to see. Ben and Jessica could absolutely bring that. You've got to have a little fire, a little flavor, in there! That's kind of my bag with the work, whether it's here or whatever else I'm doing — to bring some passion to it."

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