Friday, May 1, 2009
Brrrrr!! I braved the chill of the evening last night (why do I forget a coat when the step and repeat is outside??) decked in a beautiful dress by my friend Abi Ferrin as I made my way to the Beverly Hills Hotel for the Second Annual Television Academy Honors hosted by Dana Delaney of “Desperate Housewives.” The objective of the ceremony is to recognize and honor eight special television programs in 2008 that present an enlightening and educational look at various social issues.
Ross Greenburg, President of HBO Sports,” informed me of his honored documentary, “Breaking the Huddle,” that the purpose was to “delve into the history of American sport” and show how the color barrier in college football was broken down. For the most part, he expressed that HBO Sports documentaries “dig deep into the social consciousness and try to come up with different ways to explain what we have been through as a nation.” He affirmed,”you can always grab a story and inspire people.” Well said. Look for new compelling documentaries on HBO Sports, including a look at the life of Boston Red Sox MVP and Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams, and the tale of basketball legends Larry Bird and Earvin “Magic” Johnson which depicts them and their friendship and rivalry from each one’s high school days through the Magic’s AIDS controversy.
Kate Linder, sporting a golden Cache dress which matched her hair color perfectly, recounted that she has been acting as “Esther” on Young and the Restless” for over 27 years! When she isn’t battling polygamist husbands and a mother that seemingly has risen from the grave on set, she dedicates her time to charitable causes, such as being the celebrity spokesperson for the ALS Association and sitting on the Television Cares Committee.
Semi-frozen now, I spoke next with gifted actor Joe Mantegna (“Criminal Minds”) and presenter to honoree, tearjerker “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” who stated that one of the highlights of his long and impressive career was playing Dean Martin in “The Rat Pack,” for which he received both an Emmy and a Golden Globe nomination. Acting remains fresh for him because he doesn’t have a “wish list of roles” and he “never knows what’s around the corner.” In addition to his home on thriller “Criminal Minds,” keep your eyes open for “Elvis and Anabelle” a movie he stars in alongside Max Minghella and Blake Lively, which has been making its rounds at various film festivals and will hopefully have a release date soon.
Animal rescuer, actress, and founder of Shambala-a sanctuary for large cats-Tippi Hedren was very vocal and demonstrative of her passion for animals and wildlife. She was in attendance to present an award to “Whale Wars” about spotlighting the tragic and cruel issue of whaling. She proclaimed to me, “I want to make sure all of the animals in the world are safe and well respected.” In fact, she will be traveling to Washington D.C. next week to get a bill ready that will be attached to a federal ban on breeding exotic felines for personal possession, that she co-authored. Mind you, she has already had a bill signed by President Bush halting the interstate trafficking of these exotic animals for pets. A true voice for the animals.
Morgan Spurlock, whose program “30 Days” was being honored that evening, totally cracked me up. The purpose of his show was to place him in the life of another person for 1 month to show the differences and create an understanding of one another. Besides working in a coal mine which he said was the hardest job he has ever had to do hands down (try working in a dark, sweltering 4 foot high tunnel bent over carrying 50-100 pounds of material all day long), he also had the chance to go to prison. Not fun! When I asked him what was the craziest thing he experienced while being locked up (no hotel stays here!) he divulged it was when fellow inmate and “tranny Monica would ask him everyday if he needed his back washed in the shower.” Safe to say he had a dirty back! Incidentally, he still keeps in contact with his prison roommate, George, a petty thief that has lived his whole life in an out of jail. Still curious about his “Supersize Me” days, I quizzed him about how long it took him to lose the weight he had gained during that documentary. He responded, “14 months….it was hard to get it off and keep it off-especially the last 5 pounds!” Welcome to a woman’s world Mr. Man! As a matter of fact, his own Mom declared, “Congratulations! Now you know how every woman feels!”
Teeth completely chattering at this point, I did get some juice from host of the evening’s festivities, Dana Delaney about “Desperate Housewives.” She mentioned that her character, Katherine, and Mike (James Denton) “are going to TRY to get married.” Hmmm….sounds like Susan (Terri Hatcher) might have other ideas about this union! Dana is very fond of “Mad Men” and one of its stars, Jon Hamm, but who isn’t? A little birdie (a secret I cannot reveal) from the “Mad Men” set told Dana “people TIVO the show and watch it before going to bed with their husbands and wives because it is such a turn on.” Dana echoed the statement,”There are a couple of those episodes I have watched over and over again-alone!” Any Jon Hamm look a likes out there??
