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It’ s not just Conan O’Brien who gets the shaft in NBC’s late-night debacle. It’s his entire staff, too.
For four years the Conan staff knew their jobs in New York would end eventually, and they had to make the decision whether to move to Los Angeles.
They did, selling houses and uprooting kids from schools.
Now they’ll have to decide if they should stay or return. My guess is they will try and exit the West Coast and return to the real world. Hollywood, as usual, has turned out to be a fantasy.
“Conan spent most of last weekend with the families and staff,” an insider told me yesterday. “Reassuring them.”
Indeed, much of the negotiating going on between Team Conan and NBC is what to do about all these people.
The only member of the New York team who didn’t join the new show was bandleader Max Weinberg. He stayed with Bruce Springsteen, who went on tour. You can pretty much guess we’ll never see The Boss on “The Tonight Show” again in this lifetime. But of course, Bruce has always been a better fit on David Letterman.
The whole experience no doubt will put a chill through the staff of ABC’s “All My Children.” They were also forced to decide on a move to Los Angeles this winter. Everyone can learn a lesson from this experience: Never trust a network, despite a guarantee. In Hollywood, contracts mean very little.
We all know Robert De Niro is man of few words. He does not give a lot of public endorsements.
But Thursday night in Hollywood, De Niro made a rare appearance at a party for Tom Ford’s “A Single Man” to support pal Julianne Moore. She’s nominated for best supporting actress at the Critics Choice and Golden Globe awards, and is on her way to an Oscar nomination.
De Niro came over to La Dolce Vita restaurant after a day of shooting “Little Fockers,” accompanied by another pal, Joe Pesci. His proclamation to Moore: “You gave one of the best performances I’ve ever seen. It was wonderful.” Moore, who is already a redhead, blushed a very deep red. De Niro could not stop gushing, which for him was quite a moment.
The “Single Man” party also boasted another famous redhead: Anne Hathaway, who accepted kudos for her own wonderful musical performance on “The Simpsons” on Sunday. Hathaway is poised for a big Broadway career if she wants one.
Some of the other guests at the swellish party included Jacqueline Bisset, Mary Kay Place, Colleen Camp, director George Hickenlooper, and of course, director Ford himself.
Today: More celebrating as the AFI includes “Single Man” in their lunch salute. And “Nine” star Marion Cotillard and director Rob Marshall get a special lunch at Cecconi restaurant. Each guest is getting a gift bag with two new soft drinks called “Sin” (how appropriate for “Nine”) and Serenity!
Not on Our Watch– the charity formed by George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, producer Jerry Weintraub, and David Pressman–has directed $1 million to aid for Haiti.
The money is going to Partners in Health, a group that already has emergency medical efforts underway in Haiti.
PIH is sending 30 surgeons to Haiti, as well as medical supplies.
Not on Our Watch was originally created to help the people of Darfur.
Sources tell me that Conan O’Brien’s deal to exit NBC is “very close” to being signed. “The lawyers are almost finished,” the source says.
The deal would likely allow O’Brien to finish his stint on “The Tonight Show” next Friday. After that, O’Brien will be free to negotiate a deal elsewhere. Although a deal with Fox remains a question mark, another source close to the situation did concede, “Kevin Reilly loves Conan.”
Contrary to fevered reports, no agreements have been signed.
The National Board of Review tried like crazy to get the stars to their annual gala Tuesday night. To do it, they gave Clint Eastwood his annual award and tossed Meryl Streep a bone with a “Best Ensemble” prize for “It’s Complicated.”’They could have given her Best Actress for “Julie & Julia.” But instead that went to Carey Mulligan for “An Education.”
Well, the NBR’s old tricks failed them. Eastwood, maybe wising up to the yucky nature of this group, sent a video message and skipped the proceedings. Meryl backed out at the last minute. With the big guns gone, the NBR was left with George Clooney and company for “Up in the Air.”
Otherwise, the NBR was stuck with a shortage of star power. On the Wire Image website, you can tell what was going on, too: they resorted to including pictures of NBR president Annie Schulhof, who’s desperate to be a celebrity. Well, she got her wish.
According to New York Magazine’s report, the evening was more or less a roast of George Clooney, but not as good as the New York Film Critics Circle awards the night before. The Times report indicated a lackluster response to the whole proceeding. They chose to interview J.J. Abrams but didn’t ask him anything about “Lost.” He’s right, though, when he says that “Star Trek” won’t be a Best Picture nominee.
Maybe this is the beginning of the end for the NBR. Their only real usefulness in the past was being first with awards that the studios could advertise for the holidays. But since the other awards shows have jumped in and are now earlier with their announcements, and more accurate, NBR may finally be on the ropes.
Yes, they host the 10 a.m. hour of “Today.” But Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kodb are good pals off screen, too. Yesterday they held court at lunchtime at Michael’s before heading to a Wednesday matinee of David Mamet’s “Race.”
“I don’t know if we’re going to like it,” Kathie Lee told me. “But we’ve seen everything else!”
Kathie Lee also took a lot of good natured ribbing about how much Sandra Bullock looks like her in “The Blind Side.” “We did a split screen!” Kathie Lee said. “It’s true.”
Meanwhile, around the room Michael’s percolated as it does on a Wednesday. Joe Armstrong had a table with Sharon Hoge, Richard Clurman, and a bunch of friends, all of whom were chatting up Huffington Post blogger Jill Brooke. Barry Diller had the corner table. ABC Nightline’s Cynthia McFadden popped in. Art dealer Barbara Guggenheim had a foursome ‘ her hubby, LA attorney Bert Fields, is in town on a secret mission. Also on the scene: Cosmo’s Kate White, and a full complement of publishing and media types. Recession, what recession?
But the whole room was focused on one thing: Harold Ford, Jr. of Tennesee, working the room, meeting and greeting. The former US congressman from the south wants to be the next senator from New York state– so much so that he would have been kissing babies if Michael’s had had any!
…Meantime, downtown last night the magnificent Bebe Buell rocked the Hiro Ballroom with her band for WornFree (www.wornfree.com) a new line of old rock T shirts. Very cool…Bebe’s album, “Sugar,” is a hit with the gang at 101.9 FM here in New York, especially “Air Kisses for the Masses”…
Teddy Pendergrass, the real superstar of the Gamble-Huff division of R&B, died late last night at age 59.
The amazing Teddy had been wheelchair bound since a car crash in 1982. Nevertheless, he continued his career, made albums and even started a foundation to raise money to help people with spinal cord injuries.
But Teddy is and will always be best remembered for silky soul voice, which has been the soundtrack to many a seduction. In the 1970s, he had hit after hit as the lead singer for Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes on Philadelpha International Records. “Bad Luck,” “The Love I Lost,” “Wake Up Everybody” are just three of the classics that made Teddy a star. He left Melvin and went solo later in the decade, and had more hits including “I Don’t Love You Anymore.” “Close the Door,” “Turn off the Lights,” and “The Whole Town’s Laughing at Me.” It was Teddy who recorded the original version of “Don’t Leave Me This Way” before Thelma Houston had a monster hit with it.
Rest in peace, Teddy. You were one of a kind, a great soul man. You will be missed, but never forgotten!
Here’s a link to a YouTube 1979 live performance of “Close the Door.” Teddy was sex on a stick. The women loved him, and here’s why.
This is exclusive to this column: Actor George Clooney is planning to host a telethon to raise money for the people of Haiti next Friday on all the MTV channels.
George told me last night at a private reception for his movie “Up in the Air” at the Monkey Bar ‘ hosted by Vanity Fair’s Graydon Carter and Paramount’s Brad Grey. Clooney is putting out the call today to all his celebrity friends and performers to participate from both coasts on Friday, January 22nd ‘ and he’s gotten MTV’s Judy McGrath to agree to air the show on MTV, VH-1, etc. That may be one reason McGrath was a guest at last night’s shindig.
Clooney, in a celebratory mood over “Up in the Air,” has gotten producer Joel Gallen, the guy who handled the famous 9-11 telethon on all the networks, to produce the show. At last night’s party he started in by buttonholing Sting ‘ who came to the Monkey Bar with wife Trudie Styler ‘ to participate. Sting merely asked, “Where do I go?” and Clooney was off to the races.
Meanwhile George had more celebrating to do last night. It was his dad’s birthday. George bought Nick ‘ who came into the Monkey Bar late with George’s mom, Nina ‘ a signed first edition of Arthur Miller’s classic “Death of A Salesman.” Just so the gift didn’t seem too ‘heavy,’ George gave his dad a birthday card that he himself illustrated, wishing him a happy 90th. The picture George drew showed an old man on a cane. Nick was not amused, but everyone got a big kick out of it.
And everyone ‘ I mean, everyone ‘ included Michael Douglas, keeping busy while wife Catherine Zeta Jones was doing her nighttime performance of “A little Night Music” on Broadway, plus “Up in the Air” director/writer Jason Reitman, his own dad, Ivan Reitman and’ mom Genevieve, “Up in the Air” co-star Anna Kendrick, Woody Harrelson (in a wide brimmed black hat), Liz Smith, Bob and Lynne Balaban, Albert Maysles, Ronald Perelman, CAA’s Bryan Lourd, Tovah Feldshuh, writer/director Paul Schrader, writer/director Paul Haggis, famed book editor Jerry Howard, and a very tight-lipped Lorne Michaels, who declined very nicely to say a word about the Conan/Jay disaster. Lorraine Bracco, who’s got two pilots cooking for TV, had a reunion with “Sopranos” creator David Chase. We need Dr. Melfi back on the tube!
Spike Lee, who was busy chatting about his upcoming documentary sequel to his “When the Levees Broke,” took Sting aside. “I love that song, Soul Cake,” Lee said, emphasizing the first word. Sting laughed, changing the emphasis. “It’s soul cake,” he said, “not that kind of Soul.” It turns out Spike Lee is a big Sting fan. When he praised Sting’s first solo album, “Dream of the Blue Turtles,” the singer told him he was going to re-release the CD totally remixed. “It’s going to have a lot more punch.” For a while Sting and Vanity Fair writer Christopher Hitchens also discussed God. But that’s another whole story.
Meanwhile, Trudie Styler got very cozy with Maysles, and starting planning a new documentary.
Around the room, there was plenty of talk about some other upcoming Paramount films including Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island.” One exec told me that the postponed film, now set for February release, would simply have been too dark for a Christmas release. “Wait til you see Leonardo DiCaprio,” I was warned. “It’s an Oscar performance.”
Paramount is also gearing up for “Iron Man 2,” “Transformers 3,” with Shia LaBeouf and “Indiana Jones 5,” with Shia LaBeouf, not to mention a J.J. Abrams sequel to “Star Trek.”
But wait ‘ Ivan Reitman, who told this column about a potential “Ghostbusters” film a few weeks ago, is amused by all the subsequent talk, chatter, speculation and blogging. “It just grows and grows,” he laughed. “And nothing new has happened.” Got that?
It’s a grand idea: to supply every American soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan with an MP3 player. The players are pre-loaded with music, but not Beyonce or the Black Eyed Peas. The songs are all by soldiers and vets, running the gamut from patriotic to sardonic, from hip hop to country to pop.
The program is funneled through the USO, so it’s clean as a whistle as the money gets translated into music. The players are attractive, too, coming in camouflage with the USO logo.
And one of the founders of the program, actor Tom Wiggin (well known to fans of “As the World Turns” as Kirk Anderson, schemer) is devoted to bringing in more actors and celebs to help promote the idea. So far he’s got Ann Curry, “Terminator” star Linda Hamilton, Terrell Owens, and LuAnn deLesseps. More are signing up every day. In the meantime, check out Songs for Soldiers on Facebook, where soldiers are posting notices about new music all the time. What a great idea!
Wyclef Jean ‘ who’ has worked tirelessly for the Haitian people ‘ posted this on his website Tuesday. I thought I’d bring it over here to get more exposure:
‘Haiti today faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced.
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake ‘ and several very strong aftershocks ‘ struck only 10 miles from Port-au-Prince.
I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now.
President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands ‘ready to assist’ the Haitian people. The U.S. Military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible. The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible.’
Many people have already reached out to see what they can do right now. We are asking those interested to please do one of two things: Either you can use your cell phone to text ‘Yele’ to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund (it will be charged to your cell phone bill), or you can visit Yele.org and click on DONATE.
Teddy Pendergrass, the real superstar of the Gamble-Huff division of R&B, died late last night at age 59.
This is exclusive to this column: Actor George Clooney is planning to host a telethon to raise money for the people of Haiti