Newsletter Friday, January 06, 2017

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Friday, January 06, 2017 [Intro for January 6, 2017] [Viola Davis is honored with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on January 5, 2017 in Hollywood, California] Dear Gossips, [Viola Davis] received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday. So today I’m linking to the breathtaking [New Yorker profile on her] that you might have missed during the holidays. I’m begging you to read it. Because this is not your regular bullsh-t celebrity magazine feature. This is Viola Davis approaching an interview with the same commitment that she approaches her roles – she leaves nothing on the table. She is raw and vulnerable, she is complicated, she is generous, she is funny, she is damaged, she is so f-cking honest, it’s exhilarating. Obviously this piece is about her approach to her work. But it’s also about how her life (my god her life!) has informed her work. And, as opposed to so many of the men who are often acclaimed in this business, her work is not about the camouflage but about the reveal: “I don’t see acting as hiding. I see it as stepping up buck naked in front of a group of people that you don’t know. Every single time. It’s about exposing. If you’re not doing that, you’re basically not doing anything.” At this time I’d like to re-invoke the furious spirit behind Sarah’s tweet last year: A few words on Jared Leto and Viola Davis. [pic.twitter.com/KVwtFAd4Xv] — Sarah (@Cinesnark) [July 25, 2016] And Johnny Depp. And Christian Bale. And, and, and, and, and. When you are reading about Viola in [The New Yorker] then, think specifically on Sarah’s note about “the option of self-indulgence”, how that applies to Viola. And how her career is a goddamn testament to making do without it. Viola Davis will win a Golden Globe on Sunday. At the end of this month she’ll win a SAG Award. And then, in February, she will win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. There will be a standing ovation. Speaking of the Golden Globes…! It’s AWARD SEASON!!! Duana and I will be live-tweeting during the show [@duanaelise] and [@laineygossip]. As it is every year, it’ll be an all-nighter for us. We’ll start posting around 2am ET and straight through to Monday morning and afternoon until we’ve covered all the dress porn and all the drama. Please join us! And please check in early on Monday and refresh often to get caught up on every article. Have a great weekend! Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 2:27 PM [Ryan Reynolds wants to go to the Oscars] [Ryan Reynolds attends The Contenders Screening and Q&A of DEADPOOL at MOMA on December 19, 2016 in New York City] Did it surprise you how visible [Ryan Reynolds] was in December? It’s not like he was promoting a movie. Wait, no. That’s wrong. It’s not like he was promoting a NEW movie. He was not promoting a new movie. He was promoting a movie that came out… last February. Deadpool, of course. In December, [Ryan was at Critics’ Choice],and won big. Then, of course, you all remember this – he got his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and [he and Blake brought out their daughters]...for the very first time and people lost their minds. And then, a couple of days after that, Ryan was back in New York for a Deadpool screening and Q&A. It’s available on DVD! And on demand! Nobody needs to go to MOMA to see Deadpool! But that wasn’t the point. When these photos of him at that event came out, I emailed Sarah to the effect of, holy sh-t, he is going for it, that Oscar nomination. And the way he’s playing this, he might just get there. You know what happened right after that MOMA Deadpool screening? Somehow it came out what his [youngest daughter’s name is]: Ines. And, as [Duana wrote at the time], it was all about timing. And purpose. This was December 21st! Everyone’s packed up, gone home for the holidays, nobody’s working….but Ryan Reynolds, right down to the wire, is making every moment count. [Ryan covers the current issue of Variety], the current issue during the week of the Golden Globes, when Oscar voters are paying attention. The article is all about his dedication to Deadpool, how it saved him, and what it cost him – both emotionally and financially – to make. [Ryan Reynolds covers Variety] This cover is unfortunate though, non? “Hollywood in Mourning” right over his head? Maybe it’s just me, too superstitious. The point is, Ryan Reynolds wants to take Deadpool to the Oscars. And he’s not pretending that he isn’t. Check what he tweeted yesterday: If by chance this happens, prepare for the world's most ridiculous reaction video. [ — Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) [January 6, 2017] Everybody loved those Deadpool promo videos. And he’s just promised a new one if his movie gets nominated. You really can’t get more obvious. And I can’t say I’m mad at it. Better this than the alternative, like doing all of this and camouflaging it, fronting like there was no effort, like trying is beneath him. Ryan Reynolds is trying. Very hard. And not calling it by any other name. So. Ryan will be at the Globes on Sunday as a nominee and as a presenter. And I can’t see him not going with [Blake Lively]. The way he’s hustling, the way she’s capable of hustling, I can’t see them not showing up together and dazzling the sh-t out of that carpet on their way to the Oscars. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 8:37 PM [Smutty Social Media, January 6, 2016] [Rebel Wilson's Instagram] A Brett Ratner dinner party. I’m going to guess that he served steak with the sides, like creamed spinach and mushrooms and potatoes. Warren doesn’t strike me as a picky eater – [he enjoys the California Pizza Kitchen]. [@HBO hang with The boys from left to right #ChristophWaltz #PeterBogdanovich #WarrenBeatty #CaseyBloys #RichardPlepler @thehilhavenlodge] A photo posted by Brett Ratner (@brettrat) on Jan 5, 2017 at 11:45pm PST The Bellas are back - and is it bad that I don’t remember any of Pitch Perfect 2? I’ll still see #3. [#PP3 #Bellas Day One Pitches x] A photo posted by Rebel Wilson (@rebelwilson) on Jan 5, 2017 at 5:28pm PST It’s Irina Shayk’s birthday and I guess she will be doing the [hide-the-bump dance]. Have she and Bradley ever walked a red carpet together? Maybe she’s saving it for a special occasion. [T LIFE . That's all🌴#2017] A photo posted by irinashayk (@irinashayk) on Jan 3, 2017 at 12:41pm PST I only have three points of reference for Chris Pine: I saw him outside a haunted house once, he cried juicy tears at the Oscars, and he dated Vail from Vanderpump Rules. ["I got my start playing boyfriends, husbands-to-be, and princes." #ChrisPine photographed by @CraigMcDeanStudio, styled by @Edward_Enninful.] A photo posted by W magazine (@wmag) on Jan 6, 2017 at 9:43am PST I’ve heard “Asian” is beautiful this time of year. I am from Asian [ — christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) [January 6, 2017] This is [my Hamilton]. (Just kidding. Kind of.) [rad] A photo posted by @ryanphillippe on Jan 5, 2017 at 6:21pm PST [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 7:37 PM [Ben Affleck’s blonde “date”] [Ben Affleck in Pacific Palisades, California on December 11, 2016] Many of you have emailed today about the new photos of [Ben Affleck] in the Daily Mail. Apparently he was [out yesterday with an unidentified blonde woman] for most of the day. There are some disputes about when this actually happened though because of the date on the sign in a couple of the photos. Some people are saying these shots were actually taken a couple of years ago. Since the Daily Mail has the images on exclusive though, I haven’t seen them in the photo agency database to figure out if this is actually a mislabelled set. But it’s also possible that the store just hasn’t changed the sign? Anyway, whatever, the point is you’re wondering whether or not Ben has a new girlfriend. That’s not the vibe I’m getting, although I think it’s her uniform that’s throwing me off. All she needs is a walkie or a headset. Right? If you’ve ever been on a film or television set, you’ve seen this uniform. This is production coordinator’s uniform: converse, jeans, and a fleece. Like if you told me to caption these photos without knowing anything about them, I’d write, “Ben Affleck walks with a PA on the set of X movie”. Not that that doesn’t mean Ben Affleck wouldn’t sleep with her, or a member of the crew – if she does work in production. But isn’t that just SO interesting, in light of the conversations about the workplace that we’re NOT having about his brother, Casey Affleck? Both Ben and Casey will be at the Globes on Sunday. Ben is presenting an award. Casey is winning an award. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 6:27 PM [JT’s Golden Globe weekend] [Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake attend W Magazine's Best Performances Party at Chateau Marmont on January 5, 2017 in Los Angeles, California] [Justin Timberlake] and [Jessica Biel] at the W Magazine pre-Golden Globe party last night. JT is a Globe nominee for the [Worst Song of the Year], Can’t Stop The Feeling. And he might win. Because it’s the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. And they’re always good for some f-cksh-t. And also because his best friend Jimmy Fallon is hosting. So prepare yourself for a clever-clever acceptance speech. Justin Timberlake thinks he’s good at comedy. Anyway, as you know, while the Globes are fine, the big prize for everyone this weekend is getting to the Oscars. I can’t imagine JT being left off the Oscar ballot. Will he win though? Will he cockblock Lin-Manuel Miranda’s EGOT? Moana was more successful than Trolls. But that f-cking song, Can’t Stop The Feeling, was inescapable. And if JT wins at the Globes, and gets up on stage, what he does there is almost like an audition for the Academy. If you pick me, if you give it to me, this is what I can bring you, this is what I can deliver. Hamilton might be popular, but for mass awareness and ratings? I’m not sure that there are enough people who love Hamilton who equal the mainstream popularity of Justin Timberlake. Please think of Duana on Oscar night. And me too. Because we are sharing a room. And if both Natalie Portman and Justin Timberlake win Oscars, she might never recover. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 5:18 PM [Catface McHornswaggler FLIRTS] [Beauty and the Beast] Disney has started releasing TV spots for Beauty and the Beast, which more and more looks like Belle’s Night at the Museum. (They have also released a clip of [Emma Watson] [singing], to prove she can, I guess. She’s fine. She sounds like a good singer in your high school musical.) In [one] clip you can see Belle throwing a snowball to distract [Catface McHornswaggler] from eating her horse, but the clip I really want to talk about is the one in which ole Catface FLIRTS. “Show me the smile,” Lumiere says, and Catface’s cat face twitches and distorts and his teeth protrude like Charlie Kelly’s [bird with teeth]. This happens in the cartoon, of course, but our brains process visual information differently, depending on the medium. A cartoon is patently false, so we readily accept a monster grinning because it’s happening in a fantasy world. But live action is different, the goal is to be photorealistic, and the more you try to ape reality with computers, the more our minds want to reject it. (See also: Tarkin in Rogue One.) So this is trying to tell us that the Beast is “real” and he’s smiling and if you aren’t instinctively creeped out by this, you might want to visit the nearest priest because you might be a demon. BUT IT GETS WORSE. Because then Catface tries to flirt with Belle, who laughs because the Stockholm Syndrome is setting in and she’s subconsciously seeking to endear herself to her captor. (Consider this your periodic reminder that Belle’s agency is hopelessly compromised and every decision is made under duress.) Again, you know this was all happening in the cartoon but it’s so CREEPY to watch a live-action Beast try to bone Belle. He looks like reanimated taxidermy and Belle’s like, “This is totally fine.” I can’t even imagine what the porn parody of this is going to be like. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 4:43 PM [Tom Hiddleston heads to the Globes] [Tom Hiddleston is all smiles after being allowed to board his flight after cut off time at Heathrow Airport, England, UK on January 6, 2017] Here’s [Tom Hiddleston] at Heathrow today, likely on his way to Los Angeles for the Golden Globes on Sunday where he’s nominated for his work in The Night Manager. It’s doubtful that he’ll win as he’s in the same category as Courtney B Vance in The People v OJ Simpson and Courtney’s won everything this season and everyone’s expecting a sweep for that series. Still, as he confirmed for us so unambiguously last year, Tom is a proper famewhore. And he’s a hustler too. Weekends like this are when half the work is done, often before the first red carpet arrivals. He’s there to talk to the right people, shake the right hands, take the right pictures, and, of course, there’s Kong: Skull Island – a movie to promote, coming out in just 8 weeks, and an official excuse to be as front and centre as much as possible. You know who hasn’t been front and centre? You know who’s been soooooo quiiiiieeetttt? [Taylor Swift]. She just re-emerged, sort of, in the last 24 hours on social media to wish Suki Waterhouse Happy Birthday… [Happy birthday beautiful girl 🦋 @sukiwaterhouse] A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Jan 5, 2017 at 3:29pm PST …and to give her friend Ed Sheeran a boost. [OH MY GOD OKAY ITS HAPPENING EVERYBODY STAY CALM] A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Jan 6, 2017 at 3:55am PST But there was nothing directly from her at Christmas or for New Year’s. And all week I’ve been getting emails from people speculating about why she’s gone off the grid, and whether or not, perhaps wishing, it’s because Swoki still exists, in secret. I mean, it’d be great for gossip, sure. But I’m actually hoping – [and hoping it for a while] – that Taylor has finally figured out that being missed is a good thing, especially when what you’re promising next is supposed to be a big thing. Oh, look at that. I made a post about Tom Hiddleston into a post about Taylor Swift, [as promised]. This is her legacy. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 4:00 PM [C-nt and Lil C-nt] [Julia Roberts and Natalie Portman attend a screening and tastemaker event for Fox Searchlight Pictures 'Jackie' for AMPAS members at the CAA Ray Kurtzman Theater in Los Angeles, California on January 5, 2017] Joanna [wrote in the previous post] about Reese Witherspoon’s support of Natalie Portman. I wrote on Tuesday about [Tom Hanks’s support of Natalie Portman] in Palm Springs and how, well, even though Emma Stone had the early momentum for Best Actress, you can’t mistake the signs now – [Natalie Portman] has probably overtaken Emma for the lead in a race that was thought to be the most competitive in years but…I’m starting to think that she’s already got it locked up. Last night [Julia Roberts] stood up for her. Here’s Julia, with Natalie, at a Jackie screening for AMPAS members in LA on Thursday. To be annoyingly and obviously clear, that’s the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in the presence of two Oscar winners last, both of whom excel at the art of buttering up. More on that in a minute. First, let’s go back to the Julia-Natalie history. They worked together on Closer. And then, in 2007, when Julia was honoured by the American Cinematheque, Natalie spoke at the event and talked about their bond – video below, if you want to skip the introduction, start at 0:55: Not every actress can get up on stage in a roomful of people while the cameras are rolling and drop a “c-nt” and a “lil c-nt” and not only not be criticised by be embraced for it. Only certain actresses, certain women. For Natalie, it’s that “[persistent freaky baby quality]” I keep referring to. It’s why we laugh when a toddler says “f-ck”. Julia too, gets the same do-anything pass in that room, with a slight, ever so slight, tweak. She’s America’s Sweetheart who knows all the right things to say…but who can also be very bad girl at exactly the right time. Both of these women hit the safest fetishes for the kind of men making these kinds of decisions. See also Jennifer Lawrence. Julia, however, doesn’t seem to have warmed to Jennifer the way she clearly has warmed, and adores, Natalie Portman. Is she endorsing Natalie for Oscar AND as her heir? To be discussed on the next episode of our Show Your Work podcast. [Natalie Portman and Julia Roberts at The 22nd Annual American Cinematheque Award at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 12, 2007 in Beverly Hills, California] [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:38 PM [Reese Witherspoon for Natalie Portman] [Reese Witherspoon and Natalie Portman on Instagram] Emma Stone may have Jennifer Lawrence and Eddie Redmayne [showing up to support her work in La La Land], but Reese Witherspoon was photographed a private screening of Jackie alongside Natalie Portman Wednesday night. [@reesewitherspoon and Natalie Portman at a private screening of #JackieFilm ✨] A photo posted by JackieFilm (@jackiefilm) on Jan 4, 2017 at 7:25pm PST [Reese] is a Hollywood power player, and her husband, CAA superagent Jim Toth, is no slouch either. [Natalie]’s repped by CAA, but she and Reese have (secretly?) been friends for years. In 2013, Reese supported Natalie and her husband Benjamin Millepied at an LA ballet event. Lainey wrote about their friendship then – [click here for a refresher]. This isn’t the first Instagram connection between Reese and Natalie. In December, Reese posted a snap on Instagram praising Natalie’s performance. The photo was not a personal photo of the two of them, but rather of a still from the movie. [#MondayMuse - #NataliePortman's timeless performance in #JackieFilm. So beautiful and heartbreaking. Run to see this movie!] A photo posted by Reese Witherspoon (@reesewitherspoon) on Dec 19, 2016 at 9:41am PST Something to note here – Reese goes out of her way to outline her respect for Natalie’s work, by removing the bias of their friendship. Jennifer Lawrence did the same thing when talking about [Emma Stone] back in October, [she called herself a “fan” of hers, not just a friend]. In other words, in the eyes of both Reese and Jennifer, Natalie and Emma’s respective performances transcend their personal bonds. As for Reese, after sharing her love for the movie on Dec. 19, she doubles down on her support by stepping out for Natalie just before the Golden Globes and a couple of weeks before Oscar nominations. Could Natalie be Reese’s Naomi this year? Back in 2012, Reese wrote an open letter praising Naomi Watts’ work in The Impossible in [Entertainment Weekly]. How long will it be until we see a similar letter about Jackie pop up online? Is it more effective when your famous friends stand by your work before or after the New Year? It’s something to think about. A reminder and endorsement rarely hurts, and staying fresh and relevant is always important in the eyes of the Academy, especially on the [night before Oscar ballots are sent out]. On Tuesday, I wrote about how Emma Stone missed out on the Palm Springs Film Festival – the first awards event of 2017 – [due to strep throat]. Lainey elaborated on it further, by analyzing how her fellow Best Actress contender Natalie is gaining ground and momentum, by nabbing the biggest thumbs up of all, one from Tom Hanks. He also spoke La La Land’s praises in [Telluride in September], but that’s an anecdotal story. His six-minute ode to Natalie, her “mystery,” and her stellar career, however? It’s on video, is easier to Google, and took place in front of hundreds of influential VIPs at a more pivotal part of awards season. Natalie Portman says she can retire after the amazing intro Tom Hanks gave her tonight. [#PSFilmFest] [pic.twitter.com/zls4gY8dFo] — Jenelle Riley (@jenelleriley) [January 3, 2017] Natalie’s performance in Jackie was my favourite of the year. I [raved about it at TIFF] and screamed when she won over Emma at the Critics’ Choice last month. And now, she’ll likely win her third career Golden Globe on Sunday. Emma will likely win in the Comedy/Musical category, too. But as far as her Oscar frontrunner status goes, one has to wonder… Did she show her cards too early? JLawa and Eddie had her back in October and November. Who will be by her side in January and February? Also attached – Reese after a skin treatment on Wednesday. She’s a confirmed presenter at the Globes on Sunday. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 3:17 PM [January 6, 2017 – Smutty Shout-Outs] [Leonard Cohen for Scott] Scott! "Happy birthday to the best man I know! I'm proud of all the hard work you've put in these past few months and this is your year to crush it. Can't wait to see where we will go!" By request from Megan, here are Leonard Cohen, Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Alicia Vikander, and Salma Hayek. [Click here for the rest of the photos.] Posted at 2:37 PM [Privacy Policy] - [Unsubscribe]