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Susan Sarandon Plays Marilyn Monroe’s Mother in Lifetime Movie, Still Hot Enough to Play Marilyn

Leah Sydney
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Susan Sarandon Plays Marilyn Monroe’s Mother in Lifetime Movie, Still Hot Enough to Play Marilyn

Susan Sarandon gets to play Marilyn Monroe’s mother Gladys in a new Lifetime movie, “The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe.” But really, she’s hot enough to play Marilyn still. An Oscar winner and multiple nominee, Sarandon in real life is a grandmother, which is hard to believe.

She’s also perpetually outspoken and always clever– but always in New York. The LA premiere of “The Secret Life Of Marilyn Monroe, directed by Laurie Collyer (premieres on May 30 and 31st) brought Susan west. The movie stars her own daughter, Eva Amurri, as the younger version of Gladys.

At the Q and A, when asked by moderator Brooke Anderson (of ET) on how she prepared for the role, Susan answered “Would you believe me if I said I went into an institution for two months? “ The crowd was respectfully quiet to which Susan then quipped, “I didn’t, but it sounds so intense and believable.” She then gave kudos to her co-star Kelli Garner, who is terrific as Marilyn and added, “I didn’t have the pressure of playing someone so well known as Kelli did, so you’ll never know if I did a good job or not.”

Sarandon explained her success. “You just have to do the work. You depend on the wigs and the wardrobe. I had the fear of chewing up the scenery and not grounding it in Gladys’s pain and in her reality. I also took the cue from my daughter Eva, and worked on what she did in my performance. I’ve played the old Eva too, so we switch off.”

Susan gave sage advice to Kelli. “You want to survive in this business? Know your best angles. “ Executive Producer Keri Selig explained that what drew her to make this film — based on best selling author J Randy Taraborrelli’s book. She explained that, “The story that most people don’t know is about her mother outlived her daughter by 22 years. Also, Marilyn was constantly running away from her mother’s mental illness. The truth is that Marilyn was a strong woman, she said no to studio heads, she had her own production company. She was ahead of her time. She left all her husbands, they didn’t leave her. She wasn’t trampled on, she was a smart and intellectual woman.” Writer Stephen Kronish then added, “Marilyn will never get old. It’s kind of a great career move, dying young.”

CSI News: Ted Danson Joining Patricia Arquette Spin-off, Show Creator Asking Fans to Submit Finale Ideas

Roger Friedman
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CSI News: Ted Danson Joining Patricia Arquette Spin-off, Show Creator Asking Fans to Submit Finale Ideas

Ted Danson used to play Sam Malone, the guy who never loses. Now Danson will movie his “CSI” character over to “CSI: Cyber” with Patricia Arquette, a smart move that keeps perennial star Danson on screen on CBS for a time to come.
No word on what happens to Elisabeth Shue, who I think comes out short here. Too bad, because she’s so good.

CBS has also announced that William Pederson and Marg Helgenberger, the original stars of “CSI,” will return for the two hour finale on September 27th. The show’s creator Anthony Zuiker went on line a few minutes ago asking fans for ideas about what storylines they’d like to see on that final show.

Paris Jackson, 17, Returns to Social Media: “As a female, I am reckless and a rebel”

Roger Friedman
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Paris Jackson, 17, Returns to Social Media: “As a female, I am reckless and a rebel”

Paris Jackson is back on Twitter. It will be two years ago on June 4th that Michael Jackson’s then 15 year old daughter posted an ominous message after a series of undetected warnings that her jaunty, prodigious messages were a facade for a troubled teen. There were rumors that she tried to commit suicide. Paris was packed off to private school in Utah.

At the time, her Twitter account had ballooned up to 1.24 million followers. Many of them had joined up two years earlier when Paris led the public movement to find her grandmother and guardian, Katherine Jackson, whom she feared had been “kidnapped” by Michael’s siblings. Paris was precocious so when she posted a sad quote from Paul McCartney’s “Yesterday” no one took notice that something was wrong.

But now Paris is back. She came back on February 11th, with a new unverified account and handle. She’s grown up into a beautiful young woman. She’s smart, and savvy. At the time she was sent to boarding school, Paris had lined up a Hollywood agent and made a deal to voice an animated movie. For age 14, she was a little out of control. Now her Twitter and Facebook accounts indicate that she knows what she’s doing, and taking it slow. She “only” has 300 followers. Smart. She does seem obsessed with her boyfriend, who is older, calling him her “hubby.” Take it slow, Paris.

Here’s what she wrote back on Feb 11th. Cool:

Reveals from Blythe Danner Movie Premiere: Uma Thurman Looks the Same, Phylicia Rashad Talks “Creed”

Roger Friedman
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Reveals from Blythe Danner Movie Premiere: Uma Thurman Looks the Same, Phylicia Rashad Talks “Creed”

I learned a lot at the premiere lunch and dinner on Monday for a lovely film called “I’ll See You in My Dreams” which stars Blythe Danner, Sam Elliot, Rhea Perlman, June Squibb and Mary Kay Place. The movie opens in New York and L.A. on Friday.

First of all: Uma Thurman did not have face altering plastic surgery last winter. She looks the same as ever, gorgeous, and age appropriate for a movie star. I introduced her to “Doctor Zhivago” composer Lucy Simon at the dinner following the evening screening at the Tribeca Grand Hotel. “I’ve known her since she was 18,” I told Simon. “Sixteen!” Uma cried.

Indeed, we go back to the mid 80s when she was spray painted gold for the prototype cover of Fame magazine. She has always been gracious, funny, and endearing. I said, “You look the same. All the tabloids said you had plastic surgery.” Uma laughed. “I’m waiting for my first face lift! I can’t wait!” She added: “That night, it was make up. I let the stylist try something. It photographed that way.”

I sat next to Phylicia Rashad at the screening. I asked her, “Are we still friends?” “Yes,” she insisted. Has she spoken to Bill Cosby lately? “You know we’re not going to go there,” said with a sly smile. We talked about her role she shot in “Creed,” the “Rocky” movie directed by Ryan Coogler about Apollo Creed’s grandson. “I had a great time,” Phylicia advised me. “You’re going to love it.”

She loved “I’ll See You in My Dreams,” as did the audience which included Rhea Perlman and Danny DeVito, Bob and Lynn Balaban, Sam Elliot–the great cowboy actor who rarely comes to New York, the aforementioned Lucy Simon and husband David Levine, Rutanya Alda, and theater producer/former rock journo Lorraine Alterman Boyle (also the widow of the great Peter Boyle).

Earlier in the day  Candice Bergen hosted a lunch for Blythe Danner and Sam Elliot at Le Cirque, no less. Blythe’s director son Jake Paltrow was there with pregnant wife photographer Taryn Simon. You know this was all a big deal because the wonderful and legendary Liz Smith was right at the main table, along with famed book agent and former publisher Joni Evans.

I was disappointed, though: the invite promised Katharine Ross, wife of Sam Elliot for 31 years, my movie crush from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “The Graduate.” The Elliots live in Malibu on the beach, they have a grown daughter, and stay out of the limelight. Where was Katharine? “Our dog is very ill,” Sam said. “Katharine is so attached to him. She loves him, and couldn’t leave him.” He promised to bring her to New York in August when he returns to promote “Grandma” with Lily Tomlin.

Oh wait– I buried the headline. Sam turned down the Craig T. Nelson role in “Grace and Frankie.” What happened? “it was too silly,” he said. “And Craig did it just right. When Jane Fonda saw me in this, she understood.” (When you see Nelson Ambien sleep walk, you’ll see what he means.)

One more thing– you think all celebrities know each other. They don’t! After all this time, Candice Bergen and Blythe Danner are just nodding acquaintances. At lunch, Candy toasted Blythe, who plugged Bergen’s latest book. They may become friends. Peggy Siegal put them together, and they agreed it was a good idea.

Do see “I’ll See You in My Dreams.” It was written and directed by a young guy, Brett Haley, who avoids cliches in this Sundance selection. Danner, Elliot, and all the actors give honest, restrained performances that really resonate and hit home. In other words, you’ll like it, and there are no cartoon characters involved.

NCIS Cliffhanger As Mark Harmon Is Left Bleeding in a Fake Arab Market

Roger Friedman
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NCIS Cliffhanger As Mark Harmon Is Left Bleeding in a Fake Arab Market

Don’t get excited. I enjoy “NCIS” reruns as much as the next guy. The CBS colossus will go on forever, like “Bonanza” or “Dallas.” It’s “Mission: Impossible” for the exhausted. People love it, love it, love it. They’ve already spawned “NCIS: New Orleans” and “Los Angeles.” You know they’re working on Miami, or San Francisco, or Peoria next.

Tonight, “NCIS” classic, so to speak, left us with a cliffhanger. That’s if you believe Mark Harmon’s Gibbs is going to die in an Arab market. A little boy shot him twice. Gibbs is down, and there’s a lot of sand and dust. Don’t worry: Mark Harmon will be making “NCIS” shows well into the next century.

And what about Cote de Pablo? She left and starred in “The Dovekeepers” for CBS, which has now been cancelled. She doesn’t have anything else going right now except for a pretty bad looking thriller called “The 33” coming to theatres this fall. My guess is that Ziva makes a guest appearance or two next fall. Let’s see what happens.

Broadway: “Curious Incident” Wins Outer Critics, Also Wins Audience Award with “Finding Neverland”

Roger Friedman
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Broadway: “Curious Incident” Wins Outer Critics, Also Wins Audience Award with “Finding Neverland”

A lot going on today: “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play. The British import also won the Broadway.com Audience Award along with “Finding Neverland” for Best Musical.

The Outer Critics Prizes are listed below. Alex Sharp wins Best Actor for “Curious Incident.” It’s first ever Broadway show, or any legit show, I think. A year ago he was graduating from theater school at Juilliard. “An American In Paris” won Best Musical. “Hamilton” won a lot of awards in its off Broadway run. Therefore it won’t be eligible next year. Robert Fairchild won Best Actor in a Musical, because of that ballet thing he does so well. My personal choice would have been Brian d’Arcy James in “Something Rotten,” but what can you do?

The OCC is good predictor of Tony Awards. Keep that in mind.

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY

The Audience

*The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Wolf Hall

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL

*An American in Paris

It Shoulda Been You

The Last Ship

Something Rotten!

The Visit

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY

*Between Riverside and Crazy

The City of Conversation

The Nether

Rasheeda Speaking

The Village Bike

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL

A Christmas Memory

Disenchanted

The Fortress of Solitude

*Hamilton

Lonesome Traveler

OUTSTANDING BOOK OF A MUSICAL

(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

*Hamilton

It Shoulda Been You

The Last Ship

Something Rotten!

The Visit

OUTSTANDING NEW SCORE

(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

*Hamilton

It Shoulda Been You

The Last Ship

Something Rotten!

The Visit

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A PLAY

(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

The Elephant Man

Fashions for Men

The Heidi Chronicles

Skylight

*You Can’t Take It With You

OUTSTANDING REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

(Broadway or Off-Broadway)

Into the Woods

*The King and I

On the Town

On the Twentieth Century

Side Show

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A PLAY

Stephen Daldry The Audience

*Marianne Elliott The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Scott Ellis The Elephant Man

Scott Ellis You Can’t Take It With You

Jeremy Herrin Wolf Hall

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

Scott Ellis On the Twentieth Century

Thomas Kail Hamilton

Casey Nicholaw Something Rotten!

David Hyde Pierce It Shoulda Been You

*Christopher Wheeldon An American in Paris

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHER

Joshua Bergasse On the Town

Andy Blankenbuehler Hamilton

Warren Carlyle On the Twentieth Century

Casey Nicholaw Something Rotten!

*Christopher Wheeldon An American in Paris

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN

(Play or Musical)

*Bunny Christie The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Bob Crowley An American in Paris

Scott Pask Something Rotten!

David Rockwell On the Twentieth Century

Michael Yeargan The King and I

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

(Play or Musical)

Gregg Barnes Something Rotten!

Bob Crowley The Audience

William Ivey Long On the Twentieth Century

Christopher Oram Wolf Hall

*Catherine Zuber The King and I

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN

(Play or Musical)
*Paule Constable The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Jeff Croiter Something Rotten!

Rick Fisher The Audience

Natasha Katz An American in Paris

Japhy Weideman The Visit

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A PLAY

Reed Birney I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard

Bradley Cooper The Elephant Man

Stephen McKinley Henderson Between Riverside and Crazy

Ben Miles Wolf Hall

*Alex Sharp The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Greta Gerwig The Village Bike

Jan Maxwell The City of Conversation

*Helen Mirren The Audience

Elisabeth Moss The Heidi Chronicles

Tonya Pinkins Rasheeda Speaking

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Christian Borle Something Rotten!

Brian d’Arcy James Something Rotten!

*Robert Fairchild An American in Paris

Peter Gallagher On the Twentieth Century

Tony Yazbeck On the Town

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

*Kristin Chenoweth On the Twentieth Century

Leanne Cope An American in Paris

Tyne Daly It Shoulda Been You

Kelli O’Hara The King and I

Chita Rivera The Visit

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

Paul Jesson Wolf Hall

*Richard McCabe The Audience

Alessandro Nivola The Elephant Man

Nathaniel Parker Wolf Hall

Bryce Pinkham The Heidi Chronicles

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

*Annaleigh Ashford You Can’t Take It With You

Patricia Clarkson The Elephant Man

Francesca Faridany The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Julie Halston You Can’t Take It With You

Lydia Leonard Wolf Hall

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

John Cariani Something Rotten!

Josh Grisetti It Shoulda Been You

*Andy Karl On the Twentieth Century

Paul Alexander Nolan Doctor Zhivago

Max von Essen An American in Paris

OUTSTANDING FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Heidi Blickenstaff Something Rotten!

Victoria Clark Gigi

Megan Fairchild On the Town

*Ruthie Ann Miles The King and I

Mary Louise Wilson On the Twentieth Century

OUTSTANDING SOLO PERFORMANCE

Joe Assadourian The Bullpen

*Jim Dale Just Jim Dale

Tom Dugan Wiesenthal

Cush Jumbo Josephine and I

Benjamin Scheuer The Lion

JOHN GASSNER AWARD

(Presented for an American play, preferably by a new playwright)

*Ayad Akhtar The Invisible Hand

Halley Feiffer I’m Gonna Pray For You So Hard

Elizabeth Irwin My Mañana Comes

Markus Potter Stalking the Bogeyman

Benjamin Scheuer The Lion

Fox TV: “American Idol” Will End Run Next Spring– Ryan Seacrest Was Biggest Winner

Roger Friedman
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Fox TV: “American Idol” Will End Run Next Spring– Ryan Seacrest Was Biggest Winner

“American Idol” is over. Fox announced this morning that next spring will mark its final season. It’s no surprise. Ratings have been in decline for a long, long time. This fall will be the last round of auditions, which could either be a melancholy event or a frenzy for potential contestants to get onto the show.

So much has happened since “Idol” tilted toward its end. “The Voice” usurped it with lots of bells and whistles. Last week, Clive Davis–who made many “Idol” winners stars including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, as well as Fantasia and most notably Jennifer Hudson–appeared on “The Voice” to introduce his next star, Avery Wilson.

Idol’s biggest winner? Without a doubt, Ryan Seacrest. He’s become a TV mini mogul, and incredibly rich as producer of many other things including “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” on E. He’s also totally embedded with Clear Channel aka I Heart Radio. His next conquest may be NBC if the network picks up Jennifer Lopez’s proposed new TV series.

Mad Men: Shocker in Penultimate Episode: with SPOILERS

Roger Friedman
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Mad Men: Shocker in Penultimate Episode: with SPOILERS

Mad Men’s penultimate episode was actually, I think, the final episode. Don completed a circle, and let a kid that reminded him of himself go free. Pete finally found the pot at the end of the rainbow. Sally came to an understanding of her mother, Betty.

And by doing it this way, I think Matt Weiner signaled us that we saw of Peggy and Joan last week was their ending, too. Joan got her money and married her guy. Peggy came to McCann Erickson swinging for the fences. Roger…well, we know he’s with Megan’s mother, and his life is not about change.

So the shocker is that Betty will die of lung cancer. I don’t think we see her again, either. That Sally read her letter now tells us everything we need to know. And though Betty was an enigma to her kids, the letter left a lump in the throat.

And the other shocker is that Pete, privileged, an asshole, instead of getting a comeuppance, wins. Pete won, kids. Life is very unfair.

If I had to guess, I’d say next week’s finale is a jump forward in time, maybe a reunion in the future. It does seem like Don is going home now. Maybe his story is that he started over and was bigger than ever. But what’s done is done.

Tonight’s episode is a head scratcher. Weiner is not going to wrap the show up with a ribbon, with everyone shaking hands, admitting their failures and finding happiness. Life isn’t like that. There won’t be a big hug a la “Mary Tyler Moore.” The climax of the show– and maybe the true end– was Don taking the kids to see the brothel where he grew up. Everything else has been gravy.

The episode ends with Buddy Holly singing the lightest song of all the episodes: “Everyday.” A signal because of Buddy’s death? Maybe, conspirators. More like a tip of the hat back to the beginning. But I think it could be just a signal that ‘that’s that.’ It’s a simple end to a complicated story.

Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin Give a Master Class in Witty in “Grace and Frankie” on Netflix

Roger Friedman
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Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin Give a Master Class in Witty in “Grace and Frankie” on Netflix

Maybe you’ve already started watching “Grace and Frankie” on Netflix. The first two episodes are rocky, but set up the premise: in wealthy San Diego, Martha Stewart-like cosmetics queen Grace (Jane Fonda) is married to Robert (Martin Sheen). He’s a lawyer, partnered with Sam Waterston’s Sol, who’s married to Frankie (Lily Tomlin). The latter couple are hippy-dippy, compared to society couple Grace and Robert. We find out that after 40 years of marriage, the two men have been in love for the last twenty. They’re divorcing Grace and Frankie, and getting married.

The four principals are wonderful, all award worthy. But since it’s about the women, let’s be clear: Lily Tomlin is a force of nature beyond and above. She’s a Cheshire cat and “ET” all rolled into one. If you could bottle her, the whole world would smell like jasmine and hyacinth and never stop smiling. Jane Fonda, our great American actress before Meryl Streep, is not only impossibly gorgeous and sexy but also brilliant at conveying brittle vulnerability while still being funny or sarcastic. This work is equal to her best on film.

Those first two episodes are clunky because they have to lay a lot out. It isn’t until episode 3, “The Dinner,” and 4, “The Funeral,” that it all comes together. The premise is still there, but the training wheels are off and we’re riding without assistance. The men’s roles are fine, if a little disconcerting: it takes few minutes to accept Jack McCoy from “Law & Order” acting goofy and making out with tough guy Sheen. But they’re sweet together and after a while you accept them.

So the men are set up in their roles. But the show is about Grace and Frankie, who decide to live together in a mutually owned million dollar beach house in La Jolla (the reasoning for this is a speed bump, get over it). All the homes featured are Architectural Digest, by the way. There’s no end of money, so that clears a lot of obstacles. And Frankie’s adopted son Nwabudike “Bud” (Baron Vaughn) is the only black person they all seem to know, and he’s a preppy lawyer at Sol’s firm.

There are four adult children. Frankie and Sol also have Coyote, who’s a jaunt recovering drug addict (the way they are on TV) played by Ethan Embry. Grace and Robert have two daughters played by Brooklyn Decker (who’s better than you’d think) and June Diane Raphael, who’s so good they’re already writing her like she’s leaving for a spin off. All the kids are kind of in an updated version of “thirtysomething” or “Brothers and Sisters” that feels like it’s been added to the main story for demographic purposes.

“Grace and Frankie” is not a sitcom. It’s a dramedy. Netflix has no commercials, and these episodes are 30 minutes long. With commercials, the show would be an hour. So really, it’s an hour long comedy without a laugh track or put downs, paced like a drama in that the actors are really speaking words that must be listened to. And you must listen because the dialogue– particularly among the four elders– is sharp, and layered with nuance. Plus, the delivery of it is demanded by the actors.

So I get back to the actors. Just as with Streep, if you want to see how it’s done, watch Jane Fonda. You won’t be able to figure it out exactly, because she does not share the recipe. It’s in her eyes. In “The Funeral,” she reunites with Sheen’s sister, played by Christine Lahti. Grace is so happy to see her, until she realizes that she is no longer part of her ex’s family. Watch Fonda accept Lahti’s news that even though Aunt Grace is missed by her in laws, she isn’t welcome at family functions anymore. Fonda is like a firefly. The viewer is gutted for Grace, but Fonda doesn’t let Lahti see it. This scene says more about Grace’s downfall than anything else– she’s not only lost her husband, but a family she didn’t realize she liked being attached to.

The characters are peeled back like onions. Rather than front load information, creators Marta Kauffman and Howard Morris drop factoids in that are like cherry bombs. Grace moves on fast, with a rebound boyfriend (Craig T. Nelson). Frankie has a harder time accepting Sol is gone. Tomlin makes the most of this, relaying Frankie’s struggle tenderly, but with a bite.

Is the show funny? Yes, very. Sometimes I laughed out loud, but there’s no rim shot or laugh track so unless you pause the video you have to keep moving along. It’s written (a lot of it by Alexa Junge, although I wonder if Tomlin’s brilliant partner Jane Wagner didn’t help out) like a Nora Ephron or Nancy Meyers movie: smart, snappy, sarcastic, droll. Is “Grace and Frankie” subversive enough for Netflix? Yes, in that as a comedy it eschews all the lazy, easy gimmicks of network sitcoms. By the end of 13 episodes, you just want more and more of these people.

I can’t wait for a second season.

 

Prince Sings in “Baltimore”: “If there ain’t no justice, there ain’t no peace,” warns of Los Angeles next

Roger Friedman
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Prince Sings in “Baltimore”: “If there ain’t no justice, there ain’t no peace,” warns of Los Angeles next

Prince has released his “Baltimore” song and it’s pretty interesting. For one thing, the very catchy refrain is “If there ain’t no justice/there ain’t no peace.” And that’s the piece you’ll be hearing audiences sing as long to. I wouldn’t be surprised if the slogan didn’t make it onto T shirts.

The lyrics reference Freddie Gray and Michael Brown, of course. The music is jaunty, upbeat and recalls Sly and the Family Stone. There’s also a lick driving me crazy. If anyone can figure it out let me know. Sounds like something from Crosby Stills Nash & Young. Prince composed “Baltimore” a la “Ohio” or “Chicago.”

LISTEN to the very end of this track. Prince suggests that Los Angeles will be the next scene of a racial problem. Scary. On the other hand, this is the catchiest Prince song in a long time. I hope it gets played.

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