TV Guide Author: lauren.kane

Sean Patrick's Boogie Nights

The District's Sean Patrick Thomas had tough dancing shoes to fill portraying the "crown prince" of the hip-hop scene in his latest flick, Save the Last Dance (opening Friday). But now, the actor admits he's the king of the clubs. "Before we started this movie... I could count on two fingers the number of times that I actually went out dancing," Thomas tells TV Guide Online. "So, I was very intimidated by the whole process of having to dance and have people watch me dance and the pressure of being the 'crown prince' of the hip-hop club. "Since then, I've been going out to clubs every week," continues Thomas. "It changed my life. I'm a lot more confident with my body. It's been a great experience." He also has nothing but praise for his leading lady, Julia Stiles. "Dancing with Julia is like breathing  it's a pure delight." When he's not on the dance floor, Thomas says he's happy to be fig

Wed, Jan 10, 2001

Food, Folks and Providence

New mama Melina Kanakaredes is counting her blessings this Thanksgiving. Not only does she have a new daughter, but her Providence character, Sydney, has a new boyfriend as well. "She's finally having some kind of a love life," the actress tells the TV Guide Channel. For those coming in late in the game, Syd's new beau, played by Melrose Place alum Rob Estes, is a physical therapist who, as Kanakaredes explains, "end[ed] up giving Syd a little more therapy than just in the medical [sense]." "[He] is kind of the anti-doctor," notes Estes, adding that the romance is a perfect example of opposites attract. "Syd's very cerebral and straight-laced, and she goes from A to B in a straight line. John goes from A to B by, you know, tasting Z and going to D." Kanakaredes says tonight's two-hour Thanksgiving-themed episode (8 pm/ET, NBC) offers some good clean holiday fun. "There's always that perfe

Fri, Nov 24, 2000

Ricky's New Vida Loca

Bon-Bon shaker Ricky Martin declares his days of "Livin' La Vida Loca" are over. The new 28-year-old Ricky, who's sporting a more relaxed look, says his latest album, Sound Loaded, reflects a new man. "I'm not the same Ricky that recorded "Livin' La Vida Loca" two years ago," Martin tells Newsweek. "I've changed because of the people that I've met and the lessons that I've learned. Sound Loaded is where I'm emotionally at today." However, Martin, who launched the Latin music explosion with his show-stopping 1999 Grammy performance, says he's sticking with what he knows. "I definitely want to go back to my roots with this album. I used to work a lot with Anglo influences, because before I started listening to salsa, it was all about rock in my house: Boston, Journey, Cheap Trick and Led Zeppelin. [Finally,] my mother got sick of the electric guitar and said, 'Enough is enough! Do you know salsa or tropical? T

Wed, Nov 8, 2000

Carnie Wilson: Playboy Playmate?

Singer Carnie Wilson says she's ready to show off her svelte new body  possibly in the pages of Playboy! "I'd do it for a half million, but not until I get everything cleaned up and my boobs lifted," a third of the Wilson Phillips trio told US Weekly of her post-intestinal bypass surgery physique. In fact, the former talk show host is ready to go under the knife again. "I have all this loose skin on my tummy and arms and stuff, like five to ten pounds of it, that they're going to remove." Wilson, who is joining forces with Chynna Phillips and sister Wendy to reunite their girl group, says she was devastated when the band broke up in 1992. "I was angry. I felt like, 'Wait a minute, we've just started. It's only been two years!' I felt like it would last forever. And it didn't. I crashed hard, and it hurt. Then I got nervous, like, 'What am I gonna do?'" Focusing her energies on dieting, Wilson decided surgery was her only o

Fri, Nov 3, 2000

Growing Through Thicke and Thin

Growing Pains actress Tracey Gold, who fought a highly publicized battle with anorexia, isn't the show's only star to battle the bulge. According to her TV dad Alan Thicke, the upcoming Growing Pains Movie reunion (Sunday at 7 pm/ET on ABC) has him headed for the gym. "I had to go into donut rehab for a couple of weeks just to make sure I could approximate Jason Seaver again," the actor told the TV Guide Channel about reprising his Pains alter ego. "If you look back to the very beginning of the series, we were all lighter, our hair was darker and our tummies were flatter. "The toughest part of going back to that character was looking at the tapes and seeing that [Jason] was at least five pounds lighter," adds Thicke. His co-star Gold agrees: "It's still hard for me to look back at some of the outfits I wore and hairstyles and things like that. I just cringe." But after eight years, TV's idealistic '80s family is ready to show us their

Wed, Nov 1, 2000

Wopat All Duked Out

Dukes of Hazzard star Tom Wopat says his days of playing Luke Duke are over, especially considering the anemic ratings for last May's reunion pic, Hazzard in Hollywood. "I think we're done with it," the actor tells TV Guide Online. "If they desperately wanted to do another one, and if everybody else did it, I'd do it. You don't want to be a stick in the mud. But I think it's best laid to rest." However, Wopat  who also appeared in the CBS comedy Cybill  is quick to point out that he's not retiring from TV. "It sounds like it's all over when you accuse somebody of being a classic TV actor," he laughs, adding, "TV right now is [very] different from when we did Dukes of Hazzard. That was a whole different situation. If I were going to do TV now, it would have to be a decent dramatic role or a sitcom with somebody that was just amazing." In the meantime, Wopat is getting ready to hit the road for a tour of Annie Get Y

Thu, Oct 26, 2000

98 Degrees' Big Revelation

What happens when you fuse the Latin explosion with the boy band craze? According to singing sensation 98 Degrees, you get a Revelation. The band's new album, in stores Sept. 26, features some Latin flavoring in addition to a few other surprises. "The new record is very diverse," member Drew Lachey tells TV Guide Online. "No two songs on it sound alike, which is definitely something that we set out to accomplish. We also wrote 10 out of the 12 songs on this record, which for us was great to be a part of the creative process in such a large way." Nick Lachey is confident that fans will not be disappointed with Revelation. "[They] can expect the best work from 98 Degrees that we've ever done," he says. "This has taken everything to a new level ? the up tempos, the ballads... everything's better and it's more of a reflection of who we really are as artists and the direction that we really wanted to go." And proof that all the fame and for

Wed, Aug 30, 2000

Sopranos: The Next Generation

Sopranos star Robert Iler may find his alter ego making a pivotal career move this season. Iler, who plays the son of gangster Tony Soprano on the hit HBO series, says he thinks his A.J. character may soon be getting into the family business. "I don't think he would just let [that tradition] die," the young actor tells TV Guide Online, adding, "I think I'd rather play the bad guy because it's just more fun." Whether or not the native New Yorker is on his way to becoming a junior mobster, Iler, who next can be seen playing a big-screen bully in The Tic Code, already is proving quite a hit. As the up-and-comer explains, he can't go anywhere without being recognized as "the Sopranos kid." "It's weird because everybody notices you," he marvels. "When I'm with my dad, people will come up to him and say, 'Hey, that kid you're walking with looks a lot like the kid on The Sopranos,' and he'll be like, 'Yeah, he gets that a lot.'&nbsp;" Sti

Mon, Jul 31, 2000

Patriot Star Avoids Prank

Wondering if well-known prankster Mel Gibson pulled any fast ones on co-star Heath Ledger on the set of The Patriot? "He didn't!," a surprised Ledger tells TV Guide Online. "That was the prank. And I was waiting the whole shoot; I was waiting for somebody to turn over my trailer or my trailer to turn up somewhere, something!" This 4th of July, Aussie native Ledger says he'll be celebrating his independence on a grand scale. "I'm twenty-one years old, I'm on a journey, I left my tribe and I've got my flask and my spear," he says of his pilgrimage to Hollywood. "I said, 'I'm going off on my journey. I'll see you in ten years. I'll come back with goods and life stories and emotions and I'll share them with you.'" The actor, who proved he has what it takes to star opposite Gibson, says he won't let the competitiveness of Tinsletown deter him. "It's a matter of not letting anything, the industry and all the bulls--t and the hype and people blowing smoke

Wed, Jul 5, 2000

Patriot Star Avoids Prank

Wondering if well-known prankster Mel Gibson pulled any fast ones on co-star Heath Ledger on the set of The Patriot? "He didn't!," a surprised Ledger tells TV Guide Online. "That was the prank. And I was waiting the whole shoot; I was waiting for somebody to turn over my trailer or my trailer to turn up somewhere, something!" This 4th of July, Aussie native Ledger says he'll be celebrating his independence on a grand scale. "I'm twenty-one years old, I'm on a journey, I left my tribe and I've got my flask and my spear," he says of his pilgrimage to Hollywood. "I said, 'I'm going off on my journey. I'll see you in ten years. I'll come back with goods and life stories and emotions and I'll share them with you.'" The actor, who proved he has what it takes to star opposite Gibson, says he won't let the competitiveness of Tinsletown deter him. "It's a matter of not letting anything, the industry and all the bulls--t and the hype and people blowing smoke

Tue, Jul 4, 2000

Van Der Beek's Strip Club Etiquette

Dawson's Creek kid James Van Der Beek says he's tired of being known as his alter ego, the sensitive Dawson Leary. He just wants to be himself  especially in a strip club. "When people shout 'Dawson,' I completely ignore them," the actor tells Flaunt. "Dawson's not me  Dawson has a lot of flaws, and I have to play him nine months out of the year. There are days when you're just not in the mood for it. People act like you're obligated. Like I owe them. The kids I don't mind. I just have no patience for rude, pushy adults." Even when I go to a t---y club, all [the strippers] want to do is talk about their innermost problems," Van Der Beek laments. "How can I watch them strip when they're being so vulnerable? It's not hard to feel sorry for them." But Van Der Beek says he's no playboy. "There are a lot of starf----rs. It's amazing the perspective you get when you have no interest in f---ing them. Now I keep all the blood in my head. I'm gra

Mon, Jul 3, 2000

Van Der Beek's Strip Club Etiquette

Dawson's Creek kid James Van Der Beek says he's tired of being known as his alter ego, the sensitive Dawson Leary. He just wants to be himself ? especially in a strip club. "When people shout 'Dawson,' I completely ignore them," the actor tells Flaunt. "Dawson's not me ? Dawson has a lot of flaws, and I have to play him nine months out of the year. There are days when you're just not in the mood for it. People act like you're obligated. Like I owe them. The kids I don't mind. I just have no patience for rude, pushy adults." Even when I go to a t---y club, all [the strippers] want to do is talk about their innermost problems," Van Der Beek laments. "How can I watch them strip when they're being so vulnerable? It's not hard to feel sorry for them." But Van Der Beek says he's no playboy. "There are a lot of starf----rs. It's amazing the perspective you get when you have no interest in f---ing them. Now I keep all the blood in my head. I'm grateful to h

Fri, Jun 30, 2000

DeLorenzo Takes Some Hits

Showtime is really packing a punch with its new series, Resurrection Blvd., says hunky star Michael DeLorenzo. Unfortunately, though, he says he's the one taking all the hits. DeLorenzo, of New York Undercover fame, says he was a little nervous about his role as a boxer in the new family drama. "I worked with real boxers so I have the utmost respect for boxing right now," the actor tells the TV Guide Channel. "Before, I went, 'Aaahh, I could do any of that, shoot!' But the first guy that I fought was Pete Cunningham and he's like a five-time world-champion kickboxer. And I just said to him, 'Please just be gentle with me! I wanna do other things besides this!'&nbsp;" DeLorenzo adds that he's excited to work on the first show to ever center on a Latino family with a primarily Latino cast and crew. "Just crazy Latinos everywhere! It's like, where'd t

Thu, Jun 29, 2000

Meloni's Gay Kiss

A kiss is just a kiss, says Chris Meloni of his on-screen lip action with another man in the gritty HBO prison drama Oz. "There was some trepidation at first," the actor tells Out. "I mean guys have stubble and stuff, and after I was 5 I didn't even want to hold hands with my father or kiss him on the cheek. But finally it was like, f--- it, let's do it." In fact, Meloni says he was happy to relive the tender lip lock when he and Oz co-star Lee Tergesen presented at a GLAAD awards ceremony. "Lee and I made out onstage. The script called for it, and I do what I'm told. I kind of thought we brought the house down ? hopefully not too far down." Meloni also says Oz isn't his first encounter with homosexuality. In college he had a gay admirer. "It was the first time a guy had ever said 'You've got a great body' to me. The next thing you know, he's asking me if I like gladiator movies." Meloni also adds, "I was a bouncer, a bartender

Tue, Jun 27, 2000

Christian Bale Gets the Creeps

He may be an American Psycho but Christian Bale says even he's intimidated by the intensity of Samuel L. Jackson's John Shaft. "I think that I had my work cut out for me appearing like somebody who could be an adversary to Sam," Bale tells TV Guide Online of his role as villain Walter Williams in the hit remake of Shaft. "He's personally a big guy and then he's got this incredible presence; he's quite an imposing guy. It was a real honor to be called 'mother----er" by Sam Jackson." Bale says Jackson's not the only one who can stop traffic with his looks, though. "I am getting more recognition. It's not necessarily always very pleasing to see me, though, after being in American Psycho ? somewhat sort of drop-jaw expressions and a slight [look] of fear in people's eyes." But Bale says he doesn't always want to be known as the bad guy. "I initially, after playing Bateman [in American Psycho], thought to myself, you know, that it's not a s

Fri, Jun 23, 2000

Food for Thought From Freddie Prinze Jr.

Sexy Freddie Prinze Jr. says he's discovered some interesting facts when it comes to the eating habits of boys and girls. After contending previously that most women in Hollywood don't eat, the teen heartthrob and Boys and Girls star got a rude awakening when dining out with new love Sarah Michelle Gellar. "My girl now eats more than me," Prinze tells TV Guide Online. "Her favorite foods are Japanese food, Chinese food and Thai food, and she can actually out-eat me. And I've never met anyone who can do that. I don't know where she puts it. But somehow she can put down 80 pounds of sushi and, [when I'm] at 75, I'm like, 'Dude, what are you doing?'&nbsp;" Other than that tidbit of Sarah/Freddie relationship new

Thu, Jun 22, 2000

Forlani's Lesbian Lip Lock

British beauty Claire Forlani says her kissing scene with Freddie Prinze Jr. in their new teen flick Boys and Girls wasn't half as steamy as the one she and co-star Amanda Detmer shared. "When Freddie and I were rehearsing, we were literally [standing there] with our arms crossed, sort of saying our dialogue going, 'Right, right. And that's where we kiss.' And kind of looking around the room and both quite tense," Forlani tells TV Guide Online. "And then I go into the next round, which is me and Amanda and [we] start rehearsing and she just wallops one on my face. And I just fell on the floor. So I had a lot of action that day." Forlani says her role brought another new experience: the opportunity to be a homecoming queen. "I didn't know who or what homecoming queen was. I thought it was prom or something. Th

Wed, Jun 21, 2000

k.d. lang's Invincible Summer

Wacky singer k.d. lang says she's coming out of the closet again ? and this time she's invincible. "I'm proud that I was one of the first ones out, singing loud and proud," the 38-year-old lesbian tells The Advocate. "My sexuality is an aside, a part of who I am, but the soul of k.d. lang is k.d. lang. Now that the pressure is off of me, I can get back to that. "Over the last three years I really slowed down. It's been more than rejuvenating ? it's almost as if I'm born again," lang says of her absence from the public eye. "I took time off to recharge my batteries. Now, going to Home Depot at 7:30 in the morning to buy lightbulbs is incredibly opening for me." Invincible Summer, lang's new album, is reminiscent of "old-school pop," she says. "The title is drawn from the Albert Camus quote, 'In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible

Fri, Jun 9, 2000

Now and Again's Fans Revolt!

Why in the world is CBS canceling the critically beloved sci-fi drama Now and Again? That's what the fans want to know! On Tuesday, fans of the show sent thousands of letters to CBS protesting the absence of the series from the network's fall lineup. "Many people loved this show," says campaign spokesperson Amanda Ohlin. "We have list members who found as many as 50 people who were interested in writing letters because they enjoyed the show so much. It's unconscionable to cancel a show that has this kind of support." Originally labeled as a hit for CBS, Now and Again won critical acclaim for its unique blend of action, adventure and romance; it also appealed to a younger generation, something the Tiffany Network has been hard-pressed to do. "There's finally something cool for people my age to watch," Heather Matarazzo, the show's 17-year-old co-star, told TV Guide

Fri, Jun 9, 2000

k.d. lang's Invincible Summer

Wacky singer k.d. lang says she's coming out of the closet again ? and this time she's invincible. "I'm proud that I was one of the first ones out, singing loud and proud," the 38-year-old lesbian tells The Advocate. "My sexuality is an aside, a part of who I am, but the soul of k.d. lang is k.d. lang. Now that the pressure is off of me, I can get back to that. "Over the last three years I really slowed down. It's been more than rejuvenating ? it's almost as if I'm born again," lang says of her absence from the public eye. "I took time off to recharge my batteries. Now, going to Home Depot at 7:30 in the morning to buy lightbulbs is incredibly opening for me." Invincible Summer, lang's new album, is reminiscent of "old-school pop," she says. "The title is drawn from the Albert Camus quote, 'In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible

Thu, Jun 8, 2000

Revenge Is a Game on MTV

Looking for a place to seek vengeance on your ex? Well, look no further than MTV's The Blame Game. "I think it's actually like Judge Judy on acid," says Kara McNamara, a counselor on the Gen-X court show. "It's just really trippy and crazy; and we have an insane audience. Also, it's really rich with sarcasm and is kind of mocking ? so it's a little different on that end." McNamara tells the TV Guide Channel that she's heard some pretty wacky stories from the show's participants. "There was one we had from last season that stands out, a guy who ends up getting into bed and sleeping with a girl's sister and said that he was mistaken ? he thought that it was her. We have a lot of cheating, of course. The ways that people cheat are always very interesting to me." Who would want to take their former lover to task on national TV, you ask? "We really don't have to look too far for the contestants. They come flocking to us. There's a hotline they can cal

Thu, Jun 8, 2000

Johnny Mathis Still Gets "Misty"

Music legend Johnny Mathis charms audiences with his latest album, a compilation of Broadway hits, but he still gets "Misty" over his old romantic ballads. "A lot of people have come to me with stories about naming their children after songs that I've sung over the years. Misty, for instance, is a popular name that they've given their children," the beloved performer tells TV Guide Online. "And a lot of people have stories, of course, about romance and my music being there while they were romancing their partners." Yeah, baby! Mathis, who teams up with Nell Carter and Betty Buckley on his new album, Mathis on Broadway, says he's come a long way in his career. "My voice is a little different now than what it was early on,

Thu, May 4, 2000