Rumor Patrol: Rashida Jones in Office Spinoff?
Consider this only a rumor for the time being. However, word has been rippling through the TV biz today that Rashida Jones (aka Karen Filippelli, presently of Utica, N.Y.) may star in the upcoming NBC spinoff of The Office.
Sounds pretty amazing for Office (and Rashida) fans like us, so we did a little digging. Here’s where this stands: While one inside source (who has always been reliable) says “it’s true” that Rashida will be a part of the new series, another source inside Rashida’s camp says, “As far as I know, she has not been approached.” Hmmm…
Get all the details in the Watch With Kristin TV column.
Rumor Patrol: Rashida Jones in Office Spinoff?
Consider this only a rumor for the time being. However, word has been rippling through the TV biz today that Rashida Jones (aka Karen Filippelli, presently of Utica, New York) may star in the upcoming NBC spinoff of The Office.
Sounds pretty amazing to this Office (and Rashida) fan, so I did a little digging, and here’s where this stands: While one inside source (who has always been reliable) says “it’s true” that Rashida will be a part of the new series, another source inside Rashida’s camp says, “As far as I know, she has not been approached.” Hmmm…
Meanwhile, a rep for Universal (which produces The Office) tells me: “Universal Media Studios has a talent holding deal with Rashida. It is premature to speculate about any potential projects she could be involved with.”
So where does that leave us? Right back where we started, with this being—so far—just a fascinating, plausible and wholly unconfirmed rumor. (Hmph.) Still, I know many of you fellow fans are jonesing for a little Office fodder right about now, so I thought I’d share.
And since you asked (What? You didn’t?), I’m definitely rooting for Rashida/Karen to join in on the spinoff fun. And if we can have Phyllis drop by for a makeover from time to time? Well, it’d be so good it almost hurts.
(That’s what she said.)
What say you?
Heroes, Lost, One Tree Hill and More!
Greetings, TVegans! Hope you're having a good Monday. I've officially thawed out from SAG and am ready to rock your Q's (down to Electric Avenue), so let's do it, 'kay?
Ginny in Las Vegas: Any scoop at all on HEROES? The silence is killing me. I want to know if Adrian Pasdar and David Anders will return!
Just scored a little scoop! I'll tell you exactly who's expected to return in the spoiler section below.
Amanda in Boston: Yay! LOST is back this week!
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! There is no point in me answering this question other than to let you all know I'm officially bouncing off the walls. (Boing. Boing. Hear that?) Finally something good to talk about!
Ella in Santa Monica, California: Will you be doing your Lost Redux again this year?
Would I abandon you? I think not. Yes, I'll be doing the Lost Redux again this year, along with our favorite Lost expert, Dr. Anna Graham, so stop by every Friday morning for a wrap-up of what happened and what's ahead. And, you know, a good group cybersqueal from time to time.
Aeryn in Rijswijk, Netherlands: I just heard/read that BLOOD TIES is definitely not gonna be picked up by another network. Can you confirm this?
Not true! Sources tell me everything is still on the table, and negotiations may even begin this week at the NATPE conference, a major TV-biz event in Vegas. Keep your bloody fingers crossed, friends!
Helen in England: You've got to help me, because I'm dying here! The reason? I read the spoiler that Cutthroat Bitch (April) and Wilson are dating on HOUSE! Please tell me this is true, and please tell me this is not just a one-episode thing, pretty please! You are my only hope…
Actually, your only hope is the sweet and lovely and (woo!) tall-like-me Anne Dudek. I ran into her at the SAGs and, of course, asked about her stints on House, BIG LOVE and MAD MEN. (She didn't have such a bad 2007, that one.) I ran this House bidness by her, and she said, "Wait, where did you hear that?…I can't comment on that." But might we see her again on the show? "Um, I think so. I think Cutthroat Bitch is more involved in things than you might think." Sweet. Anne will also be back on Mad Men next season as Francine, and on HBO's Big Love as Albie's lady, whom Anne describes as "the really evil crazy woman with weird fake eyelashes. I have no makeup except giant fake eyelashes, which I think is such a genius choice."
Randall in Austin, Texas: So happy THE OFFICE won last night. It's the best show on television. Any scoop from the Dunder gang?
Just that Rainn Wilson told me I should try growing a beard 'cause I would look distinguished, and Phyllis Smith (Phyllis Lapin-Vance) nearly gave me a freaking heart attack on the red carpet when she—no joke—said, "We go back to work tomorrow"—before getting yanked away for an interview with Extra. I dropped my mike, disconnected my earpiece, ran after her and asked her what she meant. She said, "Oh, no! Must've been my wishful thinking! I meant, I'm going back home tomorrow. To St. Louis." Bubble of hope = popped.
Garret in San Francisco: I'm a huge 30 ROCK fan, and I noticed Toofer was missing from the writers room in a bunch of eps. Is he gone?
Nofer! Keith Powell (Toofer) was partying it up with the rest of the cast at the SAGs, and we talked about how the show just needs 14 million or so new viewers to keep it safe. Keith joked that the 6 mil who do watch at least are the "right 6 million people." Hells yeah. I also chatted up Judah Friedlander (who plays trucker-hatted TGS writer Frank Rossitano), who said of the celebfest: "It's weird, because you see everyone all dolled-up in their fancy, extravagant outfits, but when they get out of their limo, you see the marks on their back from the vinyl seating in the limo, and then you're like, okay, this isn't that glamorous." The man tells it true.
Lori in Queens, New York: U-G-L-Y. You ain't got no alibi, I need UGLY. Uh-huh, I need UGLY. Sorry, I'm a child of the '80s. Any UGLY BETTY scoop?
Just that things are staying complicated for Betty and Henry. I talked to the quite-rakish-in-real-life Christopher Gorham at the SAG Awards, who told me, "Well, I'm such a fan of Betty that I just want her to be happy. I think she's very happy right now, but they have some tough times coming up, because that baby's comin' out, and it's Henry's baby." So, will he be heading back to Arizona to be a dad? "That's the plan. He didn't really have a dad growing up, and so it's really important for him to go do that." Oh, fine, be responsible and decent like that. Jeez.
Nicole in Albany, New York: Are we ever going to see Bradford Meade again on Ugly Betty? He makes a pretty good spirit guide.
According to Alan Dale himself, "I don't think so. I think I'm finished. I think I'm going to go work on the stage now, and I'm going to get into the Guinness Book of World Records as the guy that died of a heart attack most often on television." In addition to recently kicking the bucket via massive coronary on Ugly Betty, you might remember his O.C. character's, Caleb Nichol, fatal heart attack/drowning, plus Jim Robinson, his character on the Australian soap Neighbors, also had a little terminal ticker trouble. Dude, don't ever forget to take your nitroglycerin.
Jason in Chicago: I heard that Evel Dick has been asked back for this next edition of BIG BROTHER! Lovebirds Nick and Daniele, too?
The rumor that Evel Dick has been cast again has not been confirmed, and sources tell me it's untrue. We may see E.D. stop by the BB house this season, but I don't believe he'll be living there. As for Nick and Daniele, they broke up! A friend of mine ran into Ms. Donato at a West Hollywood club last weekend, and she said Nick had packed it up and moved back to good ol' Minnesota. It's over between 'em!
SPOILERS
Holly in New York: Is Nathan really dead on HEROES? And please tell me Kristen Bell and Ali Larter are back in the new season. We need our hot girls!
A well-placed source tells me there appears to be a plan in place for when the show returns, and it involves Kristen Bell, David Anders and…yes, Adrian Pasdar and Ali Larter all back in the mix and most likely as series regulars. Happy news? I'd say so, but you tell me in the Comments section below!
Grace in Miami: Lady, I need some LOST!
You know how the kids are always saying OMGWTFPOLARBEAR about crazy Lost twists? Well, that's totally coming back in style in season four with, yes, another P Bear! Also, in case you haven't seen it yet, the first official review of the Lost season premiere is up at Ugo. Now, do you guys want a spoiler-free review of "The Beginning of the End" here before it airs Thursday, or would you rather hold out to see it for yourselves? Vote in the poll right below and/or post your wishes in the Comments section. Meanwhile, I can tell you that from what I've seen and heard so far, this season is going to kill us all with shocks, revelations, answers we've always been wanting and some craaazy twists.
Fadhila in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia: Regarding Lost's fourth season, is there going to be something between Sayid and Juliet this season? I'm starting to like the idea of them as a couple.
Not that I know of, but we do learn a lot more about Juliet's romantic past, as well as meet one of Sayid's lady friends. The ladies love Sayid, what can I tell you?
Mike in London: Some people claim you can see the parachutist—who was seemingly killed by Locke at the end of season three—alive and well in the trailer. So, did she survive or not?
She's mostly dead. (Think Princess Bride: "It just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead. There is a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive…") But her being mostly dead doesn't mean we're done with her story. There's at least one mystery about Naomi left to solve.
Jane in Los Angeles: I'm dying to know what's in store for Desmond in season four. Do you know anything?
Look for more trouble from Desmond's rotten almost father-in-law. I talked to Alan Dale at the SAGs, and he's back as Charles Widmore in two of the first eight episodes of Lost this season. He told me, "I can tell you that I continue to be an absolute asshole to Desmond. I love that they keep coming up with ways I can do that. But Henry's [Ian Cusick] a lovely guy, and I enjoy doing that show." No matter how much I begged, Alan wouldn't divulge the other ep he's guesting on. Got a good guess? Post it in the Comments!
TV Summer School: How to Be an Actor-Director
If you're a child of the '80s, you'll remember Jerry Levine as Stiles, Michael J. Fox's pal in the movie Teen Wolf…and if you're a child of the '90s, you may have seen him guesting as Joe on Will & Grace. But what you might not know is that Jerry Levine is also one of TV's busiest directors out there—and that he's married to CBS president Nina Tassler! We caught up with Jerry to find out about the life of a TV-biz hyphenate…
You started out as an actor. What was your first directing job?
I had directed a play here in Los Angeles called Big Al, which Showtime saw. Then they asked me to direct it as a movie for Showtime, which I did. And the transition took place as a result of having a piece of film for people to see. It's very hard to get a job as a film director if you don't have any film to show. But when I had film, Michael Pressman—who was the pilot director and show runner of Chicago Hope, a David Kelley series, quite a while ago—saw that I had an ability to work with actors. So, I became a hyphenate, and then opportunities just started to roll in.
Was there any particular moment when you realized you were "in demand" as a director?
Every show that I ever directed on television, I ended up doing multiple episodes of their show—unless the show was canceled—which is a pretty clear indication that you're bringing something to the table. And that happened pretty early on with me.
How did you accumulate the technical knowledge a director needs to do his job?
I've been an actor for 35 years, and I've been in over 100 episodes of television, been a series regular four times, and I've worked with some of the greatest directors out there. But my experience is that you can't learn directing theoretically—you have to stand on a stage and do it. You try to explain the technical aspects of it, where to put the camera, "crossing the line," things like that, but directing is a verb. Acting is a verb. You just have to do it.
In television, what distinguishes the work of a director from the work of a director of photography from the work of an acting coach?
Well, the best acting class I ever had was directing, and the best directing class I ever had was acting. They inform each other. Everybody has an area of expertise, and what I think a really good director does is learn how to inspire those people to step forward and tell the story. There are times when I'm working with an editor where I'll say, cut here and cut there, but I find it's more interesting to say, "Here's what this scene is about…" My approach is not a technical approach—the actor in me approaches everything from the inside out.
What's your working relationship with the writers of the shows you direct?
I have a tone meeting with someone like Ali LeRoi, the show runner on Everybody Hates Chris. I sit down with the piece of material, and ask questions, I'll break the script down in terms of its tone. My questions led to a job as a producing director on Everybody Hates Chris because I was asking the writers things they might not have thought about.
What does a producing director do?
I direct most of the episodes of the show, though not all, but I work with the writers and Ali in terms of breaking down the script. I'll read it through and go, "Well, the net worth of what I am getting at in this particular scene is this—what are we trying to do for here?” Basically I am a dramaturge, in a way, for the scripts for this show.
And when you do go from show to show, where they may have a new director every week—what's the hardest part of moving around like that?
It's a new first date every week. Have you ever been on a first date?
When you do that, what do you need most from the permanent crew members?
They can be kind to you and understand that you are on a first date. They can treat you hospitably and respectfully. It's like inviting someone over: You want to be courteous and make them feel at home.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to be you—who wanted to be a director in 20 years?
Write your own script. If you are trying to get hired onto a movie as a hired gun, you're auditioning to get this movie just like an actor, but if you could control the script and the script is good…As far as breaking into television goes, do something cool on film, and get it seen by executive producing/show running people that can see what you've got, and hopefully someone will give you a shot.