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Robert DeNiro Gets Lifetime Achievement Award, Gets Bleeped

Roger Friedman
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Robert DeNiro, who doesn’t like to speak in public, had a rough time tonight on the Golden Globes.

DeNiro — a little looser than usual– mocked the Hollywood Foreign Press Association ruthlessly, made some jokes that weren’t too funny and lamented the fact that his clip reel always contains scenes from the same movies. He chided the group for not showing bits of about a dozen movies no one’s seen– or ever wanted to.

DeNiro also made fun of the HFPA for just wanting to take pictures with celebrities. He’s right; that’s what they’re known for.

But the DeNiro canon is safe. He’s got a long list of classics that no one can knock or take away from him. But someone should have taken away his drinks at the dinner table–no matter how nervous he was. NBC at least saved him with a little well placed bleeping.

Laura Linney: Bittersweet Globes Win; Annette Bening Finally!

Roger Friedman
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Golden Globes update:

Laura Linney just won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in “The Big C.” But it’s a bittersweet victory since Linney’s beloved playwright dad, Romulus Linney, died yesterday. Life is full of these ironies. Laura is so good in “The Big C,” she deserves to enjoy her success. Condolences.

Annette Bening, meanwhile, won Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for “The Kids Are All Right,” which is neither a comedy or a musical. Natalie Portman will win Best Actress in a Drama later tonight. Then the two will go head to head in the Oscar race.

So far who looks great: Jane Fonda, spectacular.  Melissa Leo, who rocks.

Odd stuff: so many of the TV nominees, and all the “Glee” winners. HBO has raked in the awards tonight, for Steve Buscemi, “Boardwalk Empire,” and Al Pacino as Jack Kevorkian. If it weren’t for HBO there would be no dramatic TV. The networks should be ashamed of themselves. Strange juxtaposition: Claire Danes and Jennifer Love Hewitt in the same category. Hmmm….

Exclusive: Michael Douglas to Present Best Picture at Globes

Roger Friedman
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Michael Douglas–fresh from his spectacular recovery from throat cancer–is set to present the Best Picture award tonight at the Golden Globes.

This will make for good, emotional live television. Watch for a thunderous standing ovation as Douglas takes the stage at the end of the show.

Douglas may also be on stage at the beginning of the show too. Scarlett Johansson is presenting Best Supporting Actor. And although Christian Bale and Geoffrey Rush–who flew in from Australia–are more likely winners, Douglas could nab the prize for his work on “Wall Street 2.”

Douglas and dad Kirk Douglas have long been Golden Globe favorites. A few years ago, the Hollywood Foreign Press even made a cash donation to the Douglas Family Foundation to ensure their presence for Michael’s lifetime achievement award.

Either way, it will be great to see Michael on stage, victorious and healthy, iwth beautiful Oscar winning wife Catherine Zeta Jones by his side.

Duchess of Windsor Actress from Madonna’s New Film: History is Wrong

Roger Friedman
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In Madonna‘s upcoming film, “W.E.” history is going to take a back seat to fantasy.

According to 29 year old british actress Andrea Riseborough, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor were not Nazi sympathizers–even though they visited the Third Reich, appeared in a newsreel with them, and are well documented historically to have made some horrendous social and political choices. As well, the Duchess of Windsor–Wallis Simpson–did not cheat on the Duke. And the Duke–formerly King Edward VIII–was brilliant.

Riseborough, who plays Wallis in “W.E.,” told me at the all star BAFTA/LA tea party yesterday at the Four Seasons Hotel in West Hollywood that I’ve got it all wrong, and so does everyone else.

“W.E.” in fact will be quite different than “The King’s Speech,” that’s for sure. But as one “Speech” actor said,m gesticulating as if weighing the two options: “Director Madonna? or Director Tom Hooper? Hmmm…”

According to Riseborough, who resembles the Duchess and is quite articulate: “Do you know how many people visited the Nazis? Everyone was enthralled with them.” She told me that the Duke and Duchess were just two of lots of people, and shouldn’ t be thought of badly. Also, the gist of “W.E.”– or least its back story–is going to be that Edward was the brilliant brother, and that Bertie–King George–played so brilliantly by Colin Firth in “The King’s Speech’–was the wanker.

I can just see the headlines now–Madonna Causing a Commotion with Historians! Maybe she should start reading here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/britains-wouldbe-nazi-queen-1312830.html

Riseborough also tells me that in the film, her character–Wallis Simpson–will have some fantastical cross-generational meetings in person with a modern character called Wally, played by Abbe Cornish.

The film, all done and now being edited, will probably be sent to the Cannes Film Festival for possible inclusion.

Nicole Kidman Wows British Academy Tea in Hollywood

Roger Friedman
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Hollywood blissfully partied on last night for the 2011 Golden Globes despite the hovering black cloud of scandal, FCC questions, lawsuits, and questions about whether NBC wants to be burdened with these weird situations.

In brief: the ex publicist for the Globes sued them this week for $2 million and alleged all kinds of payola and fraud. While the publicist probably doesn’t have much of a case, the Hollywood Foreign Press is now imperiled by years of secrets springing forth. It won’t be pretty, as my readers have known for years.

Meantime, Saturday brought the annual BAFTA/LA tea party, a great afternoon at the Four Seasons Hotel sponsored by Bombay Sapphire–and a lot of it was going around while stars like Nicole Kidman, Michelle Williams, Colin Firth and Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Barbara Hershey, Brenda Vaccaro, Jeff Bridges, Ben Affleck, Jackie Bisset, Jeremy Renner, Melissa Leo, composer Alexandre Desplat, Andrew Garfield, and so on.

Of course, in that group, Nicole Kidman got the most attention. She’s headed to an Oscar nomination for  “Rabbit Hole,” a tremendous performance and maybe her best work in years (which is saying something). Kidman produced the movie after she optioned the Broadway play, and made the project come together. She was on her own yesterday, leaving husband Keith Urban home with toddler daughter Sunday Rose.

Some of the guests wound up coming late–Newsweek magazine (still in business, who knew?) convinced a bunch of nominees–Firth, James Franco, Kidman etc–to sit for a roundtable discussion that they also filmed–I don’t know if it’s for the Newsweek website, the Daily Beast, or Harman Kardon.

“Those roundtables are like group therapy,” Nicole said with a laugh.

And BAFTA? Very high on “The King’s Speech,” of course.

“Mad Men” Creator’s Contract Expires Today–No Renewal in Sight

Roger Friedman
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If — or when– “Mad Men” wins a Golden Globe tonight for Best Drama on TV, it may be an uncomfortable moment. Creator and visionary Matthew Weiner’s contract with AMC network expires today, sources confirmed.

Weiner could be taking the stage and possibly remarking that his brilliant show–winner of many awards, and highly regarded–is in peril.

I am told by insiders that life with AMC has been hell.

If you recall, “Mad Men” was passed on by HBO, where Weiner was a major writer on “The Sopranos” for years. Since then HBO has been kicking itself, as have Showtime and all other normal outlets for cable drama.

“For some reason, AMC has just never gotten it,” a source tells me. “They certainly never thought their shows would be hits.”

Weiner has not heard from AMC since “Mad Men” ended its fourth season in November. They recently announced that they renewed the show for a fifth season. But not a word has been uttered about Weiner, without whom the show cannot go on.

Weird.

For fans and viewers, the hard part here is that no scripts have been written–or can be–until Weiner’s deal is done. Last year the new season began on July 15th. That would seem impossible for 2011 even if Weiner signed a deal tomorrow.

Any scoops, I asked my source? Earlier in the week, actor Bobby Morse–who plays Bert Cooper–told me “my lips are sealed.” In fact, until Weiner starts to write, no one knows anything except this–Don Draper’s engagement to his secretary, Megan, will proceed into a wedding and marriage.

“Don was not a happy single guy,” my source said. “He didn’t have a swinging bachelor pad. He had a grim apartment. He’s a guy who has to be married”– even if that means a lot of cheating.

Meanwhile–star Jon Hamm goes off to shoot a new film written and directed by girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt. Thi column announced the film, Friends with Kids, exclusively back in September.

Natalie and Colin Win, Cameron and A-Rod Bat A Thousand As Hollywood Parties Up

Roger Friedman
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What a night for parties after the terrific Critics Choice Awards. Les Moonves, if you’re listening: it’s time to take this legitimate, slickly produced, well written awards show and move it from VH-1 to CBS.

Just about everyone who could show up did. The only exceptions: director David Fincher, who’s gone back to shooting “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” James Franco, who had a class at Yale, and Mark Wahlberg, who also is shooting a film.

Otherwise, all the big stars came, along with legacy stars like Warren Beatty, with nominee wife Annette Bening. And Jane Fonda rocked the house with her Best Picture presentation, stunning in a white gown and funny with her cougar joke.

David Seidler, who won the Best Original Screenplay for “The King’s Speech,” was literally in tears even after winning, and during the commercial break. Christian Bale was grinning from ear to ear; he’s still got a bit of his character’s patois mixed in with his own British accent. I sat with the producers and writers of “The Fighter,” right near “The Social Network” and “Easy A” tables. There was lots of toasting. Eva Mendes and Emma Stone — drinking fizzy water–still had a ball!

The Critics Choices: Colin Firth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Melissa Leo, “The Social Network,” and David Fincher.

The awards started at the Hollywood Palladium at 6pm Pacific Time but the night wasn’t over even at 2am at veteran producer Mike Medavoy’s annual get together at Ron Burkle’s estate. Dancing to disco and dining on Chinese dim sum and desserts were Cameron Diaz with Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nia Vardalos, Darren Aronofsky, Tara Subkoff, Zachary Levi, among others.

The talk, of course, was of Barbra Streisand’s appearance at the party earlier in the evening with husband James Brolin. Vardalos was enthralled. “She knew who I was!” said the writer of Tom Hanks’s next movie, “Larry Crowne.”

Meanwhile, at least two other cool, private soirees were making the parking valets all over town very happy last night. While Creative Artists Agency held an early celebration at Soho House, W Magazine and writer Lynn Hirschberg held forth in the penthouse suites of Chateau Marmont.

The Chateau is where we found Warren and Annette, the night’s Best Actor winner Colin Firth, Quentin Tarantino, Jon Hamm, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Hooper. the great Robert Forster with Oscar doyenne Dani Janssen, Troy Garity and Simone Bent, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (looking very Boris and Natasha), Diane Kruger, Armie Hammer, Paul Giamatti, Danny Huston, Marisa Tomei, and of course, Chateau owner Andre Balazs, who turned the once creepy hotel into Hollywood’s mecca. Did I mention that Dom Perignon sponsored the night? Classy.

PS Great job at the CCMAs from Maroon 5 and Adam Levine. When I saw Adam at the Chateau later, we talked about his solo on the late Gerry Rafferty’s “Stuck in the Middle with You.” His mom was in the audience, he told me, so he was a little nervous.

Don Draper’s Ex-Squeeze Gets 3 Movies, TV Pilot

Roger Friedman
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Don Draper’s Ex-Squeeze Gets 3 Movies, TV Pilot

Remember the teacher who Don Draper abandoned in a car outside his house at the end of season three of “Mad Men”?

Well, charming young actress Abigail Spencer does: she’s gotten meaty roles in three movies and sold a pilot to ABC Family after Don left her Miss Farrell (Sally’s teacher) to fend for herself.

Spencer was originally discovered a decade ago by Kathie Lee Gifford in the audience of “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee.” From there she got a three year contract with “All My Children.” The rest is history.

Last night at the exclusive Bulgari fundraising dinner for Paul Haggis’s Artists for Peace and Justice–held at Ron Burkle’s magnificent Beverly Hills estate–Abigail told me that her “Mad Men” episodes led to lots of great things.

“Jon Favreau told me he loved me from Mad Men,” Spencer said, which helped get her into the upcoming “Cowboys and Aliens.” She’s also snagged roles in “This Means War” with Reese Witherspoon and “The Haunting in Georgia.” She’s also a pilot called “Teach” to ABC Family.

Spencer told me all this while Ricky Martin was on stage blasting out “La Vida Loca” for an all star audience that included Haggis, Josh Brolin, Maria Bello, Gerard Butler, Olivia Wilde, Jason Lewis, Ryan Kavanagh, Chace Crawford, Moby, Kyle Maclachlan, “King’s Speech” director Tom Hooper,  Sebastian Stan, Kevin McKidd, and Sharon Osbourne.

The evening –which honored Haggis and “American Idol” creator Simon Fuller–also benefited Save the Children, which was represented by Bill Haber and two Kennedy cousins–brothers Mark and Anthony Shriver. Fuller, who was toasted by Nigel Lythgoe, told the audience he was thrilled with the upcoming season of “AI”–“just to be in the presence of Jennifer Lopez.”

Exclusive Flashback: Robert Wagner is New Charlie to “Angels”

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive Flashback: Robert Wagner is New Charlie to “Angels”

Hello:

Back on November 29th, I told you that Robert Wagner would be the voice of Charlie in the new TV version of “Charlie’s Angels.”

http://www.showbiz411.com/2010/11/29/exclusive-robert-wagner-to-be-new-charlie-in-charlies-angels-tv-series

Wagner will succeed the late and beloved John Forsythe.

Wagner and his late wife Natalie Wood owned 50% of the original TV series, so it could be that getting the show back on the air and Wagner’s new job are no coincidence. A few years ago, Wagner sued for participation in the “Charlie’s Angels” movies but lost.

Producers on the new series are Nancy Juvonen, aka Mrs. Jimmy Fallon, and Drew Barrymore. They produced the movies. Juvonen knows what she’s doing, so expect the new series to be fun and hip.

Some other outlets reported this week that the series was a go, or that Wagner was Charlie’s voice. I guess they just missed our original column.

Colin Firth Gets Walk of Fame Star in Front of Pig ‘n’ Whistle

Roger Friedman
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Colin Firth Gets Walk of Fame Star in Front of Pig ‘n’ Whistle

You think Hollywood sounds glamorous.

But the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard, where Hollywood dignitaries have been getting bronze stars inlaid in the sidewalks for decades, is pleasantly seedy.

Yesterday, Colin Firth–possible Oscar winner this year for “The King’s Speech–received his star during a traditional ceremony. His star was embedded next to that of fellow Brit Emma Thompson, in the sidewalk in front of the Pig ‘n’ Whistle bar, one door down from Grauman’s Egyptian Theater. It was declared Colin Firth Day in Hollywood.

I thought it was a nice touch that as I walked a block from the parking garage, I stepped over a discarded bra and women’s underthings strewn about on the concrete.

Firth’s fellow “King’s Speech” actor Guy Pearce made the introductory remarks on the platform outside the Pig ‘n’ Whistle before Colin accepted his honors–which included a paper diploma and a loaf of bread from the monastery that sits below the Hollywood sign.

He was very gracious about the whole thing.

Later, a lunch thrown by New York philanthropist Jean Shafiroff at Delphine restaurant–just down the street in the new W Hotel and across Hollywood Boulevard from the Frolic Room–Firth, Pearce, and director Tom Hooper accepted kudos from real Hollywood cogniscenti including another castmate, Claire Bloom, as well as Cloris Leachman, Robert Morse, Robert Loggia, Jon Voight, Jacqueline Bisset, Salome Jens, Peter Mark Richman, Juliette Lewis, Peter Medak, K Callan, George Takei, Tony Shalhoub and Brooke Adams, Stuart Pankin, Dennis Christopher, John Singleton. Roseanna Arquette, Ellen Kuras, Haskell Wexler, Jane Seymour, and Danny Huston, among others.

Wow: I have to say, very cool.

Cloris and Bobby Morse reminisced about a national tour of “South Pacific” from four or five decades ago.

Bisset and Voight discussed a 1975 movie they made in which Donald Sutherland played a corpse.

“He was a very good corpse,” Jackie — a Hollywood great– remarked.

Claire Bloom threatened to leave unless she was seated next to Colin Firth. Several guests mouthed the words “I voted for him” to me, and winked.

And just as it had been declared in front of the Pig ‘n’ Whistle, it really was Colin Firth Day in Hollywood, California.

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