Ale

*Here in the States, television fans know actor Joseph Marcell as the witty, sharp-tongued butler of the popular 90’s television series “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” with Will Smith. But there’s much more to the small screen star. First off, the accent is real. The Londoner is a household name on Britain’s stage and the UK small screen. Secondly, he’s not just a funny side man, particularly in his new film “Fever.” “Fever” is about an English cop on the run in Los Angeles who must find his estranged ex-wife and daughter before a terrorist group releases a deadly virus. With the film currently in production, Marcell took a moment to talk with EUR’s Lee Bailey about the new role and the one that made him famous in the US. Marcell said that he was recruited for the role of Geoffrey the butler while on the stage in London. “I was in a production of August Wilson’s Jill Turner’s ‘Come and Gone” and apparently someone had seen me,” he recalled. “My agent said they’d just got a call from some Americans: 'They want you to put something on tape. Nothing will become of it, but sometimes you have to do these things.' So, I put it on tape and sent it off to Los Angeles. The next day they called and gave me direction, we sent it back and they asked, ‘Can he be in Los Angeles this weekend?’ I could be with them the following weekend and the rest, as they say, is history.” Marcell starred on the hit show for its entire six-year run. However, even with such a memorable role and a place in pop culture, Marcell reminded that his role on the show was hardly his entre into acting. He signed on for “Fresh Prince” at age 40, but he’d been making a living as an actor since he was 22 years old. “So the people that knew me, knew me and the people that didn’t, didn’t,” he said of his rise to fame in the US. “I was simply playing a role and when it was over, I moved on to the next one. I didn’t see it as a way of life. It didn’t occur to me that perhaps people would see me as that and that (the butler) would be the only thing I can do. I can do a hundred million more things than that. I just appreciated it for what it was, and I will be forever grateful for it.” Joseph Marcell and Gary McDonald in 'Fever' Because of his history, Marcell told us the butler role did not typecast him – at least not worldwide. “I don’t know how it has in the American television scene, but it certainly hasn’t in Britain,” he proclaimed. “And it hasn’t in the American theater either because I’ve been working with the American Shakespeare Theater in Washington, DC. I’m about to make a deal with the Lincoln Center (NYC) to do a new play by John Guare. It hasn’t affected me in that way. My credits as a serious actor have never been impaired by ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.’ In fact, it has only enhanced it.” The actor said that his role on “Fresh Prince” helps to showcase his talent. “People can see that I can easily go from one aspect of the medium to another. I can switch from stage to film and I have no problems with the discipline of either,” he said. “It has not impaired my prowess as a stage actor. ‘My God, you’ve done the show and you’re still doing theater?!’” “I haven’t stopped working at all. I have done a variety of things. It has always been that way. When we finished with ‘The Fresh Prince,’ I came back to London to do a series called ‘Brothers and Sisters’ about a bitter pastor of a church. For several years it was successful, and then back to the theater and then back to L.A. to do television when it comes,” he said. “If I stop moving, they’ll catch up with me and find me out so I try to keep moving as much as I can.” With the new project, Marcell is staying busy. He said that he enjoyed the process of working with newcomer writer/director/actor Q. “Our problem with film over here is a thousand times worse than it is for African-Americans. It is very difficult for young filmmakers to get reasonably established people to look at their work. However, I knew Q as a very young actor over the past 20 years and I’ve always admired him and he’s always treated me with the greatest respect,” Marcell said. “He’s a wonderful young man. He has this sense of what it is to be an elder; to be an experienced person. He said, ‘I want you to do this. I know you’re busy, but man, you’ve got to do it.’ I like to read [it] before I do it. I read it and it was marvelous.” The veteran actor said that he was inspired by Q’s creativity and direction. “But most of all, I admired his professionalism,” he said. “And that’s something that we suffer from a lot of here. He was a stickler for the form. Sometimes some people find that boring, but I find it really admirable because time is money. And he treated me like I was a creative artist; like I knew what I was talking about.” Of his “Fever” character, Marcell described it as “completely left field from how the world sees me.” The character in “Fresh Prince” is a cultured Man-Friday, while “Fever” unleashes an innocent, kindly old man who turns out to be the “villain to end all villains.” And of being offered and taking on the polar opposite of the American favorite Geoffrey, Marcell said he was flattered. “I am not tall, dark, and handsome. My kudos comes from the fact that I am very good at what I do. So what I try to do is do as many different things as I can to show how versatile I am. And thanks to the Lord above, people give me the opportunity,” he said. http://eurweb.com/story/eur55475.cfm

Jamaica's Usain Bolt poses beside the indicating board after setting a new Men's 100m World Record in the Men's final at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin on Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) BERLIN — Once the gun sounds, Usain Bolt seems to test the very limits of the race — the human race. The Jamaican sprinting sensation put on another amazing performance at the world championships Sunday, shattering his own world record in the 100 meters by .11 seconds to take it down to an almost inhuman 9.58 seconds. Maybe "inhuman" is a bit too strong, but the man is certainly on another level. Sunday's result was the biggest improvement in the 100-meter record since electronic timing began in 1968. Bolt's not done, either. On Tuesday, he cruised into the semifinals of the 200, and he also figures to lead his nation's 400-meter relay. After that, who knows how low he can go? He's certainly willing to try. "Personally, I think I have more work to do," Bolt said after winning the 100 title at the same Olympic Stadium where Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Games. Several researchers have done studies recently to predict how fast a man can run 100 meters. The latest, from Tilburg University in the Netherlands, predicts that someone will eventually be able break the tape at 9.51 seconds. Bolt, who has set three records at the 100-meter distance with times of 9.72, 9.69 and Sunday's 9.58, is already looking to rip that theory apart. "I said 9.4," Bolt said. "I think the world records will stop at 9.4." British bookmakers are betting that Bolt will get there. As of Monday morning, Ladbrokes is giving 3-1 odds that the 22-year-old Bolt will run under 9.5 seconds by the end of September. "You'd have to think he can't keep getting faster, but we wouldn't put it past him," Ladbrokes spokesman Robin Hutchison said in a statement. Bolt became the premier runner in the world when he ran 9.72 in May 2008 — only 2 1/2 months before the Olympics, where he lowered the mark to 9.69. At the Bird's Nest in Beijing, he outdid himself, easing up at the end of the 100, mugging for the cameras even before he showboated across the finish line — and also setting records in the 200 and 400 relay. "The world's fastest man" is a nickname traditionally given to the 100-meter record holder, and the first such record on the books was set in 1912, when American sprinter Donald Lippincott ran 10.6 seconds. Charles Paddock, Percy Williams, Owens, Willie Williams and Armin Hary all set the record before Jim Hines finally broke the 10-second barrier on June 20, 1968, with a time of 9.9. A few months later, the American set the first electronically timed record of 9.95. But since that day, it's been tougher and tougher to shave significant amounts of time off the world record. It took 23 years after Hines' 9.95 for Carl Lewis to get under 9.9, running 9.86 in 1991. Another eight years came and went before Maurice Greene ran it in 9.79. In this decade, with the record getting lower and exposure of races getting bigger, scientists have decided to weigh in on what they believe are the physical limits of humanity. Some say Bolt's performance — during which he averaged 23.3 mph — can be topped. But not by much. Tilburg University said last month in its study that 9.51 was the "estimated ultimate world record." But Tilburg's Sander Smeets said Bolt's performance on Sunday could push the statistical analysis to 9.50. "He is really getting close now," Smeets said in a telephone interview from the Netherlands. "It surely is happening all very fast." Late last year, Stanford University biology professor Mark Denny concluded in a study that male sprinters could eventually get the 100 record down to 9.48 seconds. "An absolute speed limit is definable, and the current record (9.69 seconds) approaches that predicted maximum," the 57-year-old Denny, an avid marathoner, wrote in his summary. "My results ... tell us that speed has limits, but not what accounts for these limits," Denny wrote. Howard Wainer, a distinguished research scientist at the National Board of Medical Examiners in Philadelphia, said the 100-meter record will get lower and lower as the world's population increases and more and more people take up running. "Even if the human race is not getting any better, because there's more of us, the times will drop," Wainer said. "It's not just that there's more of us. There's more of us who are running." Statistically, however, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly when someone better than Bolt will come along. "It's complicated because training and equipment get better," said Dylan Small, a statistics professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "There may have been somebody sometime who, if they lived today, might have been as fast as (Bolt)." Kenny McDaniel, who has a degree in kinesiology and coaches track at Arizona State, said the key to going faster was simply nutrition and training, and that the better you take care of your body, the faster you'll be able to make it move. "There's no limit. Speed has no limit," McDaniel said Tuesday. "I truly believe that 30 years from now, we'll see a 9.30." While science uses data to produce its findings, Bolt uses his long legs to motor down the track and blow away the competition. And unlike scientists, many sprinters won't even hazard a guess as to what Bolt can do in the future. "I think the sky is the limit," American Allyson Felix said. "He's doing things we've never seen before, so, I don't think you can put a time on it." Bolt is also left wondering just how fast he can go. "You never know," Bolt said. "I'll just keep on working." AP Sports Writer Raf Casert contributed to this report. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jgyuUE7m7COEX0v4Z-AeWT9LaYRgD9A5HCA80 Usain Bolt Berlin 2009 100m World Record in 9.58 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhS3p4YdrI4

Sam Jones talking about Will's house After the show... actor Sam Jones ("Smallville," "ER") says he was impressed by his visit to Will Smith's house. (from The Gregory Mantell Show)

Hancock director offers up sequel spoilers Peter Berg, director of the superhero movie Hancock, has some ideas for a sequel if one ever comes to pass, and he shared his ideas with SCI FI Wire. (Spoilers ahead!) At the end of last year's Hancock, it was revealed that Will Smith's superpowered character was actually an immortal god who became vulnerable only when in the presence of his goddess companion (Charlize Theron). Berg confirmed that a sequel would elaborate on the film's mythology. "There might be another god out there," Berg said in an exclusive interview last month in Pasadena, Calif. "Might be another one." If two gods render each other mortal, imagine what kind of wrench a third would throw into the mix. Also, imagine the casting to match up with Will Smith and Charlize Theron! In the mythology of Hancock, all the gods supposedly died out except for our heroes, so a third deity would tweak the mythos. Berg also confirmed that the subplot of Jason Bateman's publicist character should pick up where it left off in Hancock, where he's starting his charity campaign. Of course, Columbia Pictures would love another Will Smith blockbuster for the earliest possible summer position. Smith and Berg, however, are in no rush. "They like to fast-track it, but Will's busy, I'm pretty busy," Berg continued. "We're excited to do one, but we want the script to be right and the movie to be right. We don't feel a burning imperative to go right back into it." http://scifiwire.com/2009/08/hancock-director-offers-u.php

Michael Jackson To Be Laid to Rest Michael Jackson will be laid to rest at Holly Terrace in the Grand Mausoleum at Glendale Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA on Saturday, August 29, 2009, at 10:00 AM PST, on what would have been his 51st birthday. The private ceremony will be limited to family and close friends. There will be accommodations for the media nearby. The Jackson family once again wishes to express its gratitude to Michael’s fans around the world for their support during these difficult times.

Here’s what Pepa from 'Salt and Pepa' said in a recent interview: "I thought Will was really cute and we would hang out a lot on the road. He liked to take care of me and never let me spend a dime. He was that kind of guy, real generous. I remember when they won their first award, he asked me to go out with him afterward. He was so excited. We were walking along the street getting ready to grab something to eat, and he just gave this homeless guy $100 dollars." "I sometimes kick myself when I think about what could have been. He was so nice to me, but I really wasn't feeling him. I guess I couldn't appreciate a nice guy like Will Smith. He wasn't thug enough. I was attracted to thugs and hoodlums. Will was too nice to me." "I liked people like Louis Burrell (MC Hammer's brother). He was rough, he was street and he didn't pull any punches. He would walk around with a cane and pimp hat. He always referred to women as b**ches." Even with all that, I liked him." Source: http://prograham1-everyman.blogspot.com/2009/08/pepa-regrets-not-dating-will-smith.html

Watch the Season Finale Tomorrow Night, only on TNT http://www.facebook.com/HawthoRNeonTNT?ref=nf#/video/video.php?v=258273345191&ref=mf I can't wait to see this episode!!

Gotta agree

A Message from China The per year average of infants left in cars in America is 37. So far in 2009, 25 have already died. I know the episode last night was rough and I appreciate all of you tuning in and giving your comments. Let's all remember to keep the children we love safe...always. Jada http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=135482717600&ref=mf

Dope pictures!

Manager Asserts No Maybes About Lady Gaga's Female Status That's what her manager's asserting after an up-skirt photo of the pop star sparked rumors that she's a hermaphrodite. The photo, taken from video shot at England's Glastonbury festival, reveals a bulge between Gaga's legs -- a bulge that could have been caused by undergarments, a bad angle, or, as some blogs would have you believe, a penis. Bossip.com alleged that Gaga said this when asked about the subject: "It's not something that I'm ashamed of, just isn't something that I go around telling everyone. Yes. I have both male and female genitalia, but I consider myself a female. It's just a little bit of a penis and really doesn't interfere much with my life. The reason I haven't talked about it is that it's not a big deal to me. Like come on. It's not like we all go around talking about our v***. I think this is a great opportunity to make other multiple gendered people feel more comfortable with their bodies. I'm sexy, I'm hot. I have both a **** and a p*****. Big f******g deal." ABCNews.com asked Gaga's manager if the "Poker Face" singer is a hermaphrodite and if she said the above quote. His reply: "This is completely ridiculous." Gaga's sexuality has been the subject of intense speculation ever since she told Rolling Stone magazine that she considers herself bisexual, though her attraction to women is purely physical. "I think I'm changing what people think is sexy," she told the magazine in May. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=8278249&page=1 ----- I don't even know why I'm posting this :laugh:

Id Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur The sexy Boyz n the Hood and Big Mommas House movie actress Nia Long has joined a long list of sexy and charitable actresses and celebrities (Pamela Anderson, Khloe Kardashian, Eva Mendes, Naomi Campbell, etc.) who have dedicated their time and their celebrity skin for a cause by posing in naked photos in support of the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Nia Long born Nitara Carlynn Long, 38, also known for her movie roles in the films Soul Food, Friday and Are We There Yet? which were both alongside rapper, actor and movie director Ice Cube, and for her television roles in Living Single and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alongside rapper and actor Will Smith, can be seen in the photo posing naked inside of a subway train with her sexy legs wrapped around the subway train pole. In the background of Nias very sexy but strong message ad, the words read on one photo, Heres the rest of your fur coat with a skinless animal next to the words and then on another photo the words read, Fur - A Killer Look Wear Fur, Share The Blame with a man standing over an animal believed to be a seal or a sea lion holding a big stick over top of the animal as if preparing to strike as seen in the video of Nia Long talking about her experience posing naked for PETA. Video Nia Long sits and talk about getting naked for Peta ad campaign http://www.hiphoprx.com/2009/08/12/sexy-actress-nia-long-pictures-for-peta-photos/

Exactly.

They sold a lot of tickets when people heard Schumacher was gonna compete again but now they won't see him :grouphug3:

Oh, I think I know what you're trying to say. You wanna know what's the most important song in Will's career. You wanna know if the 'Men In Black' theme or 'Gettin' Jiggy Wit It' were more successful than 'Summertime', more popular. Well, each of them has been as important as the others for him. But if you want my opinion, I think 'Summertime' would be his most important song. It's a classic old school song, and that's reason enough for me. And yeah, his most successful album was 'Big Willie Style'. My favorite.

Updates.. Front Covers...Big Willy Style! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=296944&id=92304305160 Posters from my films...Enjoy! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=296853&id=92304305160&ref=mf

I still think there's no need to make this sequel. We've already seen it all. It's over.

Michael Schumacher Cancels Comeback Michael Schumacher fans can leave their Dekra hats at home. The former Ferrari driver said that neck pain stemming from a motorcycle accident in February had forced him to call off his Formula One comeback. Unfortunately we did not manage to get a grip on the pain in the neck, which occurred after the private Formula One day in Mugello, even if medically and therapeutically we tried everything possible, he said in a statement. The consequences of the injuries caused by the bike accident in February, fractures in the area of head and neck, unfortunately have turned out to be still too severe. That is why my neck cannot stand the extreme stresses caused by Formula One yet. These are the clear results of the examinations we did on the course of the past two weeks and the final examination yesterday afternoon. As there were no improvements after the day in Mugello, I decided at short notice on Sunday to do that thorough examination already yesterday. Luca Badoer, Ferraris 38-year-old test driver, will step in for the injured Felipe Massa at the European Grand Prix later this month. Massa crashed in qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix two weeks ago, and was released from the hospital last week. For Ferrari fans, this is a bittersweet conclusion to the Schumacher comeback. While Schumacher would have juiced up fans eager to see if the seven-time world champion could still battle the new generation of drivers, like Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, Badoer has always been a Ferrari fan favorite. As the teams primary test driver for the last 10 years (after a racing career in backmarker cars), Badoer has had a hand in developing every car for Ferrari since 1999, including five championship-winning cars for Schumacher. http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/11/michael-schumacher-cancels-comeback/ Pity! :hissyfit:

Michael Jackson Movie Gets a Release Date Sony Pictures has now confirmed that it is joining with Sony Music Entertainment to release a movie featuring behind-the-scenes and rehearsal footage from preparation for Michael Jackson's "This Is It" concert series in London. Sony paid $60 million to concert producer AEG and the singer's estate for rights to turn the footage into a movie. Though the deal was negotiated last month, it was officially approved by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge today. The studio will release the film, also called "This Is It," worldwide on Friday, October 30th. Sony will no doubt be tying the opening into Michael Jackson's Halloween-oriented classic album and video "Thriller." Sony also revealed that some sequences, which were shot for use in the concert, will be in digital 3-D. http://worstpreviews.com/headline.php?id=14627&count=0

Source: http://www.iesb.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7281:scdd-2012-interview-with-roland-emmerich&catid=52:conventions&Itemid=171

TNT orders more 'Hawthorne' Jada Pinkett Smith drama to return for second season TNT has given a second season order to its Jada Pinkett Smith drama "Hawthorne." Cabler has ordered another 10 episodes of the medical drama from Sony Pictures Television. Season two of the series is set to air next summer. "Hawthorne" stars Pinkett Smith as a dedicated chief of nursing at a busy hospital who struggles to balance her demanding job with her role as a single mom of a teenage daughter. Series has been a solid performer for TNT since its June 16 bow, averaging 3.8 million viewers in its Tuesday 9 p.m. slot. "Hawthorne" has added to TNTs heft with a half-dozen original series airing in primetime this summer on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. "Jada Pinkett Smiths performance has been a tremendous draw with viewers," said Michael Wright, exec veep of programming for TNT, TBS and TCM. "Hawthorne" was created by TV drama vet John Masius, who exec produces along with Pinkett Smith, Glen Mazzara and Jamie Tarses. Michael Vartan, Suleka Mathew, David Julian Hirsh, Christina Moore and Hannah Hodson co-star. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007089.html?categoryId=14&cs=1 ---------- Good 4 Jada! :clap:

Will Smith posing with a fan @ Sureno Italian Restaurant, Beijing

Will isn't a Scientologist. Don't believe everything you hear/read ;)

Lol, of course it is! I just posted it because I'd never seen it before on here! :bump2:

Enjoy your day!!! :wave2: