Nicole Richie: Fourth of July Beach Bliss
Nicole Richie: Fourth of July Beach Bliss
Sometimes a girl just needs time for herself. And yesterday, Nicole Richie left her boyfriend Joel Madden and daughter Harlow Winter behind for an afternoon with some gal pals.
The paparazzi caught up to the former Simple Life cutie enjoying a day of fun in the sun at a beach party in Malibu, California. She wore a short white cleavage-baring dress overtop a pair of denim shorts with a pair of sunglasses.
And it sounds like Britney Spears isn’t the only cameo queen in Hollywood. According to sources, when Nicole filmed her bit part on “Chuck” last week, she was a huge hit. And there’s even talk of her returning for another episode.
An insider revealed, “It was fantastic. She was friendly. Everybody loved her. She has a great fight scene.” Richie plays a high school nemesis of Yvonne Strahovski’s character Sarah.
Six Degrees of the Hellmouth - VIDEO
We’re far enough removed from Buffy’s original run now that there really aren’t any surprises left for most of us. By this point we’ve seen the episodes so many times through DVD, streaming, and syndication that the story has been told. There’s still something to be gained from watching again, though.
A little water under the bridge has given all of those bit-part actors that were once feeling lucky to book a Buffy gig a chance to move on to bigger and better things. I’m still occasionally surprised when I catch an old Buffy and realize just who that is standing in the background. After the jump, nine of my favorite small part players from Buffy that went on to bigger successes.
Carmine Giovinazzo - Boy - “Welcome To The Hellmouth”
We should start the list with the guy that started the show. The very first episode kicks off with two kids breaking into the high school. We would learn plenty about the girl, Darla, as the show moved on, but the future was not as bright for “Boy”. Carmine did alright for himself afterwords though, jumping to UPN for the tragically underrated Shasta McNasty (really, it was good). More recently he’s had a regular gig as Detective Danny Messer on CSI: NY.
Jennifer Sky - Heidi - “The Pack”
“The Pack” never seems to pop up on any of the favorite episode lists for Buffy, but it’s been on mine for a long time. That is for one simple reason: Jennifer Sky. Little did we know when we saw her as a student that was possessed by a demonic spirit that she would go on to give us Cleopatra 2525. Of course, I think I might be in the minority with my appreciation for Cleopatra. She also had nice runs on Fastlane and CSI: Miami in recent years.
Jason Behr - Billy “Ford” Fordham - “Lie To Me”
After a few guest starring stints, Buffy was Behr’s entrance into the WB employment program. His role as Buffy’s vampire worshiping friend Ford led to a guest spot on 7th Heaven. That was soon followed up by a short arc on Dawson’s Creek. And it all culminated in the starring gig as Max Evans on Roswell.
Jordana Spiro - Callie - “Reptile Boy”
It’s been quite a change for Jordana. These days she finds herself surrounded by men on TBS’ My Boys, but back in 1997 she was shackled to a wall with Buffy and Cordelia as an offering to the reptile demon Machida. She also had a short lived series on USA in 2000 called The Huntress, but that never really caught on the way My Boys seems to be.
Christopher Gorham - James Stanley - “I Only Have Eyes For You”
Much like Behr, Gorham’s ghostly turn on Buffy also led to bigger things at the network for him. He followed up his short trip to Sunnydale with a starring role on Popular and managed to work in a short arc on Felicity as well. Later we would see him starring in a trio of unfortunately short-lived shows with Odyssey 5, Jake 2.0, and Out of Practice. Most recently he’s taken up the guise of Henry Grubstick on ABC’s Ugly Betty.
Wentworth Miller - Gage Petronzi - “Go Fish”
Buffy is actually the very first entry in Miller’s IMDb profile. He picked a great place to start. Unfortunately, swim team Gage wasn’t long for Sunnydale, but Wentworth managed OK. He got another good break with the mini-series Dinotopia, which my nieces absolutely love. The big break though, as we all know, was landing the role of Michael Scofield on Prison Break.
Kal Penn - Hunt - “Beer Bad”
Before he was Taj Majal Badalandabad, Kumar Patel, or Dr. Lawrence Kutner on House, Kal Penn was getting his start in a one shot deal on Buffy. It’s not one of the higher rated episodes in the series, but I think it gains points for the appearance of Penn, and for the short scene where Buffy watches a Luscious Jackson video. Penn also popped up again in the Whedonverse with an appearance in Angel’s “That Vision Thing.”
Carlos Jacott - Ken - “Anne”
Carlos was one of those guys for a lot of years. You would see him and recognize him, but never be sure where it was from. That was very much the reaction when I originally saw him as a demon running a group home on Buffy. Just who Carlos was crystallized for me later, when he completed the Whedon hat-trick as one Lawrence Dobson on Firefly. He also had a guest spot on Angel in “The Bachelor Party.” Those roles, and the presence of Kristen Miller, were enough to sell me on his first big starring role on TV, She Spies. More recently he had recurring runs on Studio 60 and Big Love.
Andy Hallett - Student - “Hush”
If we started the list with the first episode, we should end it with the best. I suppose we could debate that one all day, but “Hush” has been my favorite Buffy episode from the time it originally aired. And Andy Hallett is probably the one that got the most out of his brief time on Buffy. That little role as an unnamed student led to him taking on the role of Lorne for Angel. Nice.
Those are nine of my favorites, and it really is just the tip of the iceberg. Actors that spent time on the hellmouth are strewn throughout the television schedule. Feel free to add to the list in the comments. I’m sure someone will come up with one that will have me slapping my forehead.
Saturday Night Live: Tina Fey/Carrie Underwood
(S33E05) Cold Open (CNN Democratic Debate): After seeing all those rumors about adding a new cast member to specifically play Barack Obama, I had resigned myself to seeing a new black guy. Hey, don’t pretend you didn’t think the same thing. In my mind, Fred Armisen never, ever entered into the equation, so imagine my surprise when Armisen popped up on screen next to Amy Poehler’s Hillary Clinton and was immediately identifiable as Obama. It was the ears and the super-serious look of concern, I think.
This sketch was all about the some members of the “unbiased” media’s blatant negligence of Clinton. Yeah, the content was all right, but I spent most of my time trying to figure out if I liked Armisen as Obama. He had the look down, but only part of it. Obama’s frowny face was pretty spot-on, but what about his signature grin? And the voice didn’t work at all. Perhaps this will improve with time, because I don’t think it’s likely that Armisen expected this new role and didn’t have much time to intensely study Obama’s voice and mannerisms before the end of the writers’ strike.
Monologue: Have you all seen footage of Tina Fey from her writer days on SNL? She would occasionally make a writer cameo, playing a bit part, and, I’ve got to say, she was frumpy as hell. Now, look at her… Ten years later and she looks a million times better and younger. It gives hope to all slouchy, geeky girls in the world. This must have been the most surreal thing for Fey as well. After all, she used to work on SNL, then she got a show based on her experiences at SNL, and then, because of that show, she came back to host SNL. Fey has really got it made right now. The monologue touched on the writers’ strike and then somehow managed to work in a cameo by SNL favorite Steve Martin. The whole monologue was okay, but I really loved that bike shorts moment. Just the subtlety in Fey’s reaction showed just how far she’s come since her performing days on SNL, when I totally loathed everything thing she did.
“Annuale”: I absolutely loved this commercial, because birth control ads are already inherently hilarious. The only bad part of it was Fey’s rat’s nest of a wig. “It may turn your baby into a firemonster” was pure gold. We also caught a glimpse of Maya Rudolph’s replacement, new featured player Casey Wilson.
“Rock of Love 2″: Bret Michaels (Jason Sudeikis) had to pick three out of four skanks to keep on his show. One-legged Amber, who we haven’t seen in a while, farted her way off the show. I don’t really care for this particular character, but I suppose the audience will always enjoy one-legged chicks and fart jokes. Also, I think it was around here that I decided the new girl, Wilson, was trying a little too hard.
“DVDs That My Wife Made”: This was the most incredibly random commercial, but I still enjoyed it. Honestly, I’ll watch anything that has Bill Hader and Andy Samberg together (as long as it isn’t Hot Rod). “That phone’s in the movie, Grandpa! It’s not your phone!”
“What’s That Bitch Talking About?”: I’m not sure if it was because Kenan Thompson played host, but I got a weird adult All That vibe from this bizarre game show. It was kind of weak but a little intriguing at the same time. I don’t think I liked the game show part very much, but I did like the home game design. Did I spot Ann Coulter and Queen Elizabeth?
“Weekend Update”: Joke-wise, this was a pretty good WU. I adored the appearance by Governor Mike Huckabee, who has been making the comedy rounds like whoa. First he fuels the whole O’Brien vs. Stewart vs. Colbert feud and now he’s on SNL? Someone make him say, “Sock it to me” next, please. Honestly, I may not agree with that man’s ideas, but I appreciate how he can play along like this. It was so beautifully self-deprecating, I wanted to give Huckabee a pat on the back. Fey also jumped back behind the desk, forming a surprisingly cool WU line-up. Can you see it? Fey, Poehler, and Seth Meyers. It could totally work. Anyway, Fey ranted on some lady-related issues, from mocking Lindsay Lohan to bashing Hillary-haters. That Lohan joke caught me off-guard, by the way. It was a fairly tame jab, but Fey’s whole history with Lohan, including Mean Girls and that weird post-SNL intervention, made it a bit weird. If it was Poehler or Meyers delivering the joke, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it, but the fact that it was Fey made it seem so much more malicious that it really was. No? Yeah? Just me? All right.
“Celebrity Apprentice”: Oh, Darrell Hammond, why are you still here? I bet even Tim Meadows is thinking, “When in the hell is this guy going to let go?” Anyway, this was pretty much just an opportunity for all the cast members to show off some of their weirder celebrity impressions, ones that have little to no relevance in today’s bigger pop culture scene. Seriously, when else was Kristen Wiig going to get to show off her awesome Jennifer Tilley voice? Wilson’s over-excited Rachael Ray was… okay. The girl needs to play it cool, she’s trying way too hard.
“Best Man Speech”: When in doubt or need of filler, do a best man speech. I loved the Mario references and had a good chuckle, though.
“Hot Air Balloon Rides”: What in the hell was this? It was awesome, but I’m still confused. It felt like SNL briefly switched over to Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“I Drink Your Milkshake”: I still have yet to see There Will Be Blood, but that milkshake scene has already reached enough of a quotable status that I could laugh along. Hader’s impression was spot-on, as always, and Poehler’s wide-eyed, silent little Plainview was hilarious. The overall sketch was okay, but the best part was Will Forte’s over-enthusiastic “I Drink Your Milkshake” theme song.
End: The thank yous ended with a big Happy Birthday to announcer Don Pardo, who recently turned 90. Come on! 90! That’s absolutely insane. And Pardo totally owned those birthday candles, putting them out. I would have been winded halfway through, quite honestly.
Carrie Underwood: Didn’t this blonde girl win a contest or something? Anyway, she was pretty.
Next time: Ellen Page and Wilco? Man, this episode is going to get so much street cred with the indie kids. I really hope Page pokes a little fun at Diablo Cody.
Lucy Liu Biography
Having previously appeared in supporting roles in several films and as a regular on the CBS sitcom “Pearl” (1996-97), actress Lucy Liu skyrocketed to popularity in 1998 as the malicious Ling Woo on “Ally McBeal” (Fox, 1997-2002). David E Kelley, who originally auditioned her for the role of Nelle Porter (later played by Portia de Rossi), wrote the popular character for Liu, whose fiery performance in her first episode soon eventually led to a regular role. During her run on the series, Liu’s scene-stealing portrayal earned many fans and a share of the 1998 SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.
Before making her name on “Ally McBeal,†Liu could be seen frequently in guest appearances on television, including a 1991 stint as a waitress on “Beverly Hills, 90210″ (Fox). One of her more memorable turns came with a recurring part in 1995 as a woman whose young son was suffering from complications of AIDS on NBC’s medical drama “ER”. Additionally, Liu portrayed the self-hating girlfriend of Luke Perry’s Los Angeles police officer in “Riot”, a 1997 Showtime movie dramatizing different stories in 1992’s racially charged Los Angeles riots.
Liu’s up and coming film career began with a bit part in the 1996 hit “Jerry Maguire”. The following year, she played an exotic dancer in the Harvey Keitel actioner “City of Industry”. (The dedicated actress prepared for this role by performing for over a month in a Los Angeles strip club.) Had Liu not already come to the public’s attention on “Ally McBeal,” 1999’s “Payback” may have proven to be her breakthrough role. She starred as Pearl, a leather-clad dominatrix who proved so likable that the initial script was rewritten to afford her more screen time. That same year, Liu could be seen in a featured role in “Molly”, starring Elisabeth Shue as an autistic woman who becomes a genius and in “Play It to the Bone.” The following year, Liu portrayed a kidnapped Chinese princess in “Shanghai Noon” and displayed her martial arts expertise as one of “Charlie’s Angels.” The latter film provided a major boost to Liu’s public image, placing her in an on-screen pantheon of A-listers Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz. As famously as she got on with her female co-stars, Liu did have to contend with numerous media reports of serious friction between herself and comedian Bill Murray, who played Bosley in the film.
Following the phenomenal success of “Charlie’s Angels” in 2000, a wealth of exciting film roles fell into Liu’s lap. In addition to immediately signing up for the glitzy sequel to the hit franchise, Liu starred opposite Antonio Banderas in the little-seen sci-fi thriller “Ecks vs. Sever” in 2002. She also nabbed a part in the much anticipated film version of “Chicago” (2002), turning in a juicy if all-too-brief performance as murderess Kitty Baxter; In 2003, Lui reunited with Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore for the action-packed, eye-candy heavy “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.” The feature, again directed by McG, allowed Liu re-emphasized the ass-kicking style of female bonding the Angels trio–by then very close friends off-screen as well as on–demonstrated in the first film and in their media appearances together. Next, Liu got on board Quentin Tarantino’s long-awaited fourth feature “Kill Bill, Vol. 1″ (2003), in a bravura performance as Japanese-Chinese-American O-Ren Ishii, Queen of the Tokyo Underworld and leader of the Crazy 88 Fighters. Liu also enlivened the 2004-2005 first season of the “Friends” spin-off sitcom “Joey” by playing the compulsively clean TV producer Lauren Beck on several episodes.
- Also Credited As:
Lucy Alexis Liu, Tom Jones - Born:
on 12/02/1967 in New York, New York - Job Titles:
Actor, Artist, Aerobics instructor, Caterer
Significant Others
- Companion: Will McCormack.
- Companion: Zach Helm.
- Companion: Nicholas Lea. dated in 1997-98
Education
- New York University, New York, New York
Milestones
- 1989 Began acting career after auditioning for a part in a Univeristy of Michigan production of “Alice in Wonderland” during senior year; won the lead role although she had tried out for a supporting role assuming that as an Asian woman, she would never be cast as Alice (date approximate)
- 1991 Had an early television role on Fox’s “Beverly Hills, 90210″ as a waitress at the Peach Pit
- 1995 Gave a memorable and moving performance as a woman whose son is suffering from complications of AIDS in a recurring role on NBC’s “ER”
- 1996 Feature debut in a small part in “Jerry Maguire”
- 1997 Appeared as an exotic dancer in “City of Industry”, a role for which she prepared by performing for over a month in a Los Angeles strip club
- 1997 Played a racist self-loathing girlfriend to Luke Perry’s L.A. cop in a segment of “Riot”, Showtime’s episodic dramatization of 1992’s Los Angeles riots
- 1997 Was featured in the film “Gridlock’d”
- 1999 Appeared in “Molly”, a story of an autistic woman who becomes a genius through experimental treatments, starring Elisabeth Shue
- 1999 Had a featured role as a dominatrix in “Payback”
- 1999 Had featured role in “Play It to the Bone
- 2000 Portrayed Alex, one of “Charlie’s Angels” alongside Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz in the feature based on the 1970s TV series
- 2000 Portrayed a kidnapped Chinese princess in “Shanghai Noon”, starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson
- 2002 Appeared in small but vital role as murderess Kitty Baxter in “Chicago”
- 2002 Starred opposite Antonio Banderas in “Ecks vs. Sever”
- 2003 Played assassin Cottonmouth in Quentin Tarantino’s film “Kill Bill,” which was released in two Volumes “Kill Bill Vol. 1″ in 2003 and “Kill Bill Vol.2″ in 2004
- 2003 Signed to reprise role in “Charlie’s Angels 2: Full Throttle”
- 2004 Guest-starred in two episodes of “Joey” (NBC) as a tough-talking executive producer
- 2005 Portrayed a psychologist in “Domino” starring Keira Knightley as Domino Harvey, a model turned bounty hunter
- 2006 Played the girl next door opposite Josh Hartnett in the thriller, “Lucky Number Slevin”
- Appeared in TV commercials
- Raised in Queens, New York
- Set to star and executive produce in an updated version of “Charlie Chan,” which centers on the granddaughter of the fictional Chinese-American detective (lensed 2005)
- Was a regular on “Pearl” (CBS), playing college student Amy Li alongside Rhea Pearlman
- Was a regular on the popular Fox legal comedy “Ally McBeal” playing Ling Woo; garnered 1999 Emmy nomination; left show early in the 2001-2002 season (after four episodes) to pursue film career