Archive for the ‘Cast’ Category

Tickets are now on sale for the Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of Mary Chase’s Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy Harvey, starring Jim Parsons. Previews begin on May 18, 2012 at Studio 54, with an official opening set for June 14. The limited engagement will run through August 5.

Directed by Scott Ellis, the production also stars Tony nominees Jessica Hecht (A View From the Bridge) and Charles Kimbrough (The Merchant of Venice). Full cast and creative team will be announced shortly.

Harvey is the story of Elwood P. Dowd (Parsons), a man with an unusual friend: Harvey, an imaginary 6-foot-tall white rabbit. When Elwood’s sister Veta (Hecht) brings him to a sanatorium, anxiety-ridden Veta is committed by mistake. Meanwhile, Elwood and Harvey roam free, setting off a whirlwind of chaos as the entire town goes on a mission to catch the unlikely pair.

Hop to it! Order your tickets to Harvey today.

Kaley Cuoco, Penny, of “The Big Bang Theory” gives an emphatic “absolutely not” when Zap2it asks if she would go on“Dancing With the Stars.”

This interview with Mayim Bialik had nothing to do with TBBT but a very good interview about Mayim & her lifestyle choices…

You practice attachment parenting, and even wrote a book (to be released by Simon & Schuster in March 2012) called “Beyond the Sling.” Can you talk a bit about your parenting style and the book?

Our parenting style relies heavily on intuitive knowledge that all mammals are born with: stay close to your baby as much as possible, sleep near them, breastfeed them as if there is no other option, carry them close to your body, and don’t force them to sleep when you want them to sleep or eat when you want them to eat. We believe in honoring the human body and its ability to birth naturally and produce milk, and we believe in not viewing a baby as a manipulator or a clingy dependent being that needs to be made independent as soon as possible. Healthy dependence leads to healthy independence in time. The book includes introductions to human hormones of attachment, birth, breastfeeding, and early bonding, but it basically opens up our home to readers by showing what these principles look like in action. I don’t sugarcoat anything; it’s exhausting to be any kind of parent, and I don’t presume to know how you should parent; I simply share what works for us and how you can implement even parts of an intuitive style to make your life easier and your kids hopefully confident and secure and loved.

People always seem shocked that your two young children don’t watch television, but the studies appear to be on your side. What kinds of activities do your kids do instead of watching TV and movies?

This is a funny question but a great one! The times that I could most likely see plopping them down in front of a television become times when they play with toys that have longevity: lots of LEGO, trucks and cars, and a fantastic wooden kitchen, washing machine, and fridge, complete with wooden fruits and vegetables and a set of small-sized dishes and silverware. We read books together, and they help us cook sometimes. We like to put on records from my youth and they dance in the living room (sometimes I join in!) or they lead each other (and me and my husband if hard-pressed) in “marches” around the house to music with their collection of instruments. Once you know TV is not an option, you simply find other stuff they play with. And as I said, toys that take a while to play with are best!

You lead a minimalist lifestyle, which I’m sure helps you and your family to leave a small footprint on the planet. What are some of the ways your minimalist philosophies help the environment during day to day life?

Well, eliminating paper towels is something that I never thought I would do but I did it! A few packs of simple cloth washcloths (and cloth diapers that have been sterilized) do all of our cleaning up. It’s a significant reduction in waste. We are vegan, which may not make a huge impact from just us, but the fact that so much of our world’s resources go to housing and feeding animals makes us happy to not be a part of that even in a small way. Elimination Communication (a method of learning a baby’s potty cues, thus reducing the need for diapers!) was a fantastic illustration for me of how much money and landfill space you save by not relying on disposable or cloth diapers! And teaching our boys that we don’t buy every single thing they ask for teaches them (and reminds us!) to simply consume less!!

When and why did you go vegan?

I was vegetarian from age 19 until I got pregnant with my first son in 2005. He was allergic to dairy in my breastmilk so I cut it out. After Fred was born, I read “Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer and it convinced me that it was worth it to go ‘all the way,’ and so I eliminated eggs and all trace dairy (like in baked goods and my beloved candy bars I indulged in from time to time). My love for animals since childhood feels complete now that I am vegan, and it feels really right for every reason: health, ethical, environmental…It is an amazing lifestyle and I find it easy and inexpensive. Our boys eat a variety of foods that many kids have never heard of, and they also get sweets and fun foods in their lives, too. We make it work because it matters to us to do it, even if it’s sometimes challenging.

What’s your favorite vegan meal to eat at home with your family?

Well, it’s a Mexican-style casserole that I can hide a lot of vegetables in…It’s from one of navah Atlas’ cookbooks and it’s got cheese (we use Daiya vegan cheese) and beans and it’s layered and cuts nicely and the kids love it. Don’t tell them, but I put a ton of diced kale in the last batch I made and no one even noticed!

Speaking of all things vegan, your character on The Big Bang Theory, Amy Farrah Fowler, is a neurobiologist who is pro-animal testing. How do you, the vegan neuroscientist, feel about animal testing?

I chose to pursue research as an undergraduate and graduate student that did not use animals in any way. It severely limited my choices, but, again, it’s worth it to me. I know that animal research is considered critical to many scientists, and I guess this is one of the reasons I am happy to now be an actor and not a scientist; it’s not an issue I have to confront in my lab.

From child actor to neuroscientist to mother to writer and to actor again. You seem to have a really balanced life and have been able to follow your many passions. Do you ever struggle giving each passion the time it deserves?

Yes. All the time. Every day. My kids need to be the #1 priority. But sometimes I need to be reminded to get off the computer when I am catching up on emails at home…My social life has suffered the most with all that I do, but something had to give and that’s what sort of fell by the wayside. I have very close friends in our homeschool community and I am grateful we see each other while the kids play. But beyond that, I don’t get as much sleep as I’d like, and I don’t have girls nights out, and I don’t really do stuff for me…that’s my “secret!”

I recently read your blog on W Magazine’s disturbing hyper-sexual images of a model shown as an arrested protester. It seems we are being bombarded with more and more images of sexualized violence towards women in media. As an actress, you have played very strong and smart female characters. Have you found it difficult to navigate through the sometimes troubling ways women are portrayed in the entertainment world?

As a feminist who was educated about feminism from my mother, from Ms. Magazine, and from some amazing professors at UCLA, I am consistently astounded at what our society views as acceptable. I struggle with it personally and am confronted with it all the time. I have learned when to speak up and when to not; you have to pick your battles I guess. By choosing to dress modestly, I feel that is my own kind of statement, so that’s something I think about literally every day. The sexualization of girls and teenagers on TV and in movies should astound us. I’m not a fuddy duddy; I have traditional values, yes; but this is not about traditional values; it’s about how much we allow our young girls and women to be objectified and how early we encourage that to happen. Don’t get me started!!!

Whether it’s helping people, animals or the environment, can you give our Ecorazzi readers one of your favorite ways to make the world a better place?

Wow…Great question. Hands-on charity work. For kids, examples are: teaching them in age-appropriate ways about why some families become homeless, or about runaway teens, or about beach clean-up, and then finding ways for them to work towards helping…collecting clothes or toys and donating them IN PERSON to shelters (we took our son at age 4 to donate old baby things to a teen mom shelter and he helped unload the car, etc), or picking up trash at the beach. It does make a difference.

For teens, make them do something. I worked the kitchen at a senior citizen’s center in my Blossom years every Saturday morning. Talk about humbling. It was fantastic. Teenagers should “have to” do something like this I think. It’s part of their education about the world.

For adults, it’s never too late to start making a small difference in the world. Our money can help small charities start up. And we can lead by example and show that writing checks is not the only way adults make a difference: we too can clean up the beach, donate clothes or office supplies to shelters, and volunteer at senior citizen’s centers. Teach that one person can change the world because it’s true.

Television personality Brooke Mueller has sold the gated Los Feliz home she once shared with her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, for an undisclosed amount.

The buyer is actor Simon Helberg of ”The Big Bang Theory.”

The restored 4,179-square-foot villa has four bedrooms and 41/2 bathrooms. A fountain stands in the tiled front courtyard of the Mediterranean-style home, built in 1927. Inside, the dramatic two-story entry has wood floors and a vaulted ceiling. The step-down living room features a fireplace and wood-beamed ceiling.

An eat-in kitchen, with stone floors and a center island, overlooks courtyards and the backyard, which has a swimming pool. A sweeping staircase leads to the master bedroom wing, the other bedrooms, an upstairs family room and outdoor terraces.

Mueller, 34, co-starred this year in the Paris Hilton reality show “The World According to Paris.” She was on “Entertainment Tonight” in 2008 and 2009.

Sheen, 46, had starred on the sitcom ”Two and a Half Men”since its 2003 launch, earning a reported $1.8 million per episode in 2010. He was fired earlier this year. His television and film credits include “Spin City” (2000-02) and “Wall Street” (1987).

Helberg, who recently sold a home in Los Angeles, is one of the five central characters in the ensemble comedy ”The Big Bang Theory,” which started in 2007. The 30-year-old starred in “Derek and Simon: The Show” (2007).

Public records show the property was purchased for $2.575 million in 2007, before Mueller and Sheen’s 2008 marriage. After the birth of twin sons in 2009, they listed the house at $3.697 million. Weeks or months may pass before sale prices appear in public records.

The classic play “Harvey” by Mary Chase is going to become a Broadway production again. The show was on Broadway in 1944 and was revived in 1970. “The Big Band Theory” star Jim Parsons is reported in negotiation to star in the “Harvey” production.

“Harvey” became a classic when James Stewart starred in a 1950 movie version of the show. Various film versions have been made since. It was rumored Hollywood was looking to remake it again however it looks like Broadway will get the next version of “Harvey.”

Jim Parsons is an award winning actor best known for his television role in “The Big Bang Theory.” On that show he won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. He also won a Television Critics Award for that show. Parsons has also appeared in film and on off Broadway productions.

The actor could add a successful Broadway run if negotiations go well. Mary Chase won the Pulitzer Award in 1945 for “Harvey” and it has enjoyed runs on Broadway, television and movies. “Harvey” could be mew success on Broadway with the popular Jim Parsons in a starring role.

Johnny Galecki goes for laughs every week as resident genius Leonard Hofstadter on The Big Bang Theory. Now, the actor is changing things up with a role in the science fiction thriller, In Time.

Galecki, 36, talked to Parade.com about his new role, bonding with co-star Justin Timberlake, and Big Bang Theory‘s upcoming 100th episode milestone.

On his latest film, In Time.
“I just thought it was so intelligent and clever. I went in to some meetings with [director] Andrew Niccol to talk about the character, and I said, ‘Why don’t you let me read it?’ I’m never really opposed to auditioning; in fact, I’m more comfortable with it. I probably shouldn’t say this because I’ll be kicking myself later, but you don’t hire a guy to paint your house by sitting down and having coffee with him, you want to see what kind of work he does.”

On stretching his dramatic acting chops.
“That was definitely a draw to this role. I love playing Leonard, but if you have an opportunity to do something different, you jump at it. I was actually doing the movie at night and the TV show during the day and sleeping in my dressing room at Warner Bros. for a couple hours in between. I want to mix it up creatively.”

On co-star Justin Timberlake.
“He’s a perfectionist. I was really impressed. He has a great instinct, whether he’s on or off camera. I’ve never seen someone who had such success in another area of entertainment be so willing to work as hard as he does. He doesn’t rest on any of those laurels. He knows that performing at Madison Square Garden doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be a great actor in an action film.”

On breaking the ice with JT.
“The first scene we were going to shoot together was the goodbye scene, so I went to set a couple days before just to kind of pal around with Justin a little bit. I didn’t want to shake his hand and then start a very emotional goodbye scene between us. The bar scene was fun too because we ran off to a nearby shooting gallery on our break. He is a far superior shot than I am. I don’t think the producers were necessarily thrilled about that, but you gotta blow off some steam somehow!”

On his early acting ambitions.
“I started talking about it when I was literally three-years-old. It’s almost creepy. I have no idea how I even knew what the word ‘actor’ meant. My parents tried to dissuade me, but there was a local community theater doing auditions for a production of Fiddler on the Roof that we read about it in the paper. I auditioned and got the role. I was just a kid in the chorus, but that was the beginning.”

On his passion for live sitcoms.
“It’s theater, really. That’s how we approach it. Our goal is to make these 22-minute plays every week. If it wasn’t for that live audience, I wouldn’t be half as happy and creatively satisfied as I am. That’s really the pot of the gold at the end of every workweek. I can be in some foul mood, but I hear that audience come in and I think how lucky I am. I get to go out there and try to make a few hundred people laugh. That’ll make anybody’s day!”

On his love for Leonard.
“Initially, I loved playing his frustration with his life. In the last season, I’m really enjoying his growth and his maturing. It’s happening at a snail’s pace, but that’s fun to mine. We’re approaching our 100th episode, and I’m trying to wrap my head around that. It’s just crazy, but I love working. I’m always happiest when I’m working.”

On being a poster boy for brainiacs. 
“It’s funny, I did not foresee that. These characters are so relatable apparently. I can’t tell you how often I hear, ‘My 12-year-old is just like your character,’ or ‘My great grandfather is just like your character.’ It doesn’t have any boundaries in age or geography. It really is very wide-reaching and that’s just a testament to the writers more than the performances.”

On his takeaway from his years on Roseanne.
“Just how much I learned from each of them. I started during their third season, so the cast bonding had already taken place, but it was really priceless to have those examples. Rose and John Goodman — you couldn’t have asked for a better college.”

Kaley Cuoco of the Emmy-nominated uber-geek comedy “The Big Bang Theory” will host the 2012 People’s Choice Awards, the organization announced Thursday.

Which pretty much means Cuoco is landing more hosting gigs than her “Big Bang” alter-ego is landing hemorrhoid commercials.

“We are thrilled to welcome Kaley as the new host of the People’s Choice Awards,” executive producer Mark Burnett said in a statement. “She’s been making people laugh on top-rated comedy series for the last decade…. I’m looking forward to working with her on a fun-filled, comedy-packed show in January.”

Cuoco hosted the Teen Choice Awards last August, where she competed for the spotlight with teens more interested in flailing their arms in front of the cameras than answering her loaded questions about the debt ceiling. But how else is a girl to prove that teens are smarter than we think? She may be better suited for the slightly older crowd drawn in by the People’s Choice Awards.

She plays funny-girl-next-door Penny on the top-rated CBS comedy, which won the 2010 People’s Choice Award for comedy series. The 25-year-old actress also starred in the final season of syndicated supernatural drama “Charmed” and the now-defunct series “8 Simple Rules,” the favorite new TV comedy award winner in 2003.

She’ll next appear in the independent feature film “The Last Ride” with Jesse James and the Lifetime television movie “Untouchable: The Drew Peterson Story” with Rob Lowe.

The 2012 People’s Choice Awards, in which fans determine the nominees and winners in 41 music, movies and television categories, will air Jan. 11 on CBS.

Simon Helberg, one of the five central characters in the ensemble comedy “The Big Bang Theory,” has listed his Los Angeles home at $849,000.

The restored two-story Craftsman, built in 1910, is entered through a deep-set front porch with a swing. Period features include leaded windows, built-in cabinetry and wood floors and trim. The main house contains a fireplace, a den, five bedrooms and two bathrooms. Guest space above the detached garage has a kitchenette and a bathroom. An additional office with a bathroom sits next to the garage.

The comic actor, 30, plays fashion-challenged and self-deluded “ladies man” Howard Wolowitz on the sitcom, which started in 2007. He starred in “Derek and Simon: The Show” (2007).

Elisa Gil-Osorio of Nourmand & Associates in Beverly Hills is the listing agent.

The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco is engaged! A rep for the actress confirmed the great news toPeople. Kaley is set to wed boyfriend and addiction specialist Josh ‘Lazie’ Resnik.

According to the rep, “The surprise proposal took place during a quiet date night at home. The couple are very excited to begin their wedding planning.”

The couple look like such a great pair and he even resembles Kaley’s past boyfriend and co-star Johnny Galecki. She admitted in 2010 that the two had been dating secretly for two years but the relationship eventually ran its course. At the time she stated, “We were so protective of ourselves and the show and didn’t want anything to ruin that. But that also made it sad, too. That’s not the kind of relationship I want–I don’t want to be hiding.”

Who knows if the two gave it a go again after announcing the split, but its clear Kaley moved on and is ready to settle down with Resnik.

Congrats to the happy couple!

Here are the publicity stills released for Episode 4. Also included are some behind the scenes photos of Jim Parsons at the CBS Watch Magazine Comedy Shoot. Enjoy!

Links:
- 504: THE WIGGLY FINGER CATALYST
- 2011: SESSION 001 (CBS WATCH MAGAZINE) BEHIND THE SCENES