Access Star Sightings: October 16 – 22, 2009

23/10/2009

Saturday, October 17, in Las Vegas: Taylor Swift shopping at Armani Exchange with her mom before lunch at Diablo’s Cantina, before heading to her gig at Justin Timberlake’s charity concert with a reunited TLC, Alicia Keys, Timbaland and Justin himself.

Sunday, October 18, in LA: Pauly Shore picking up a black suitcase at the Burbank Airport… Mark Walhberg stepping out for Starbucks on Mulholland and Beverly Glen… actors Chad Allen of Here TV’s “The Donald Strachey Mysteries” and Luke MacFarlane of ABC’s “Brothers & Sisters” spinning their wheels on a 200 mile charity bike ride to Santa Barbara and back, raising money for the Youth, Mental Health and Addition Recovery services department of the LA Gay & Lesbian Center.

Tuesday, October 20, in LA: Leonardo DiCaprio in downtown LA’s EVO, checking out the property’s eco-friendly penthouses between shooting scenes with Ellen Page and Joseph-Gordon Levitt for Christopher Nolan’s “Inception”… Aziz Ansari waiting in line for indie rockers Grizzly Bear’s Hollywood Palladium concert … and after the show, Michelle Williams, Busy Philipps, Pete Yorn and Devendra Banhart in good spirits at the after party.

Wednesday, October 21, in LA: “The Office” star Angela Kinsey hanging around the UCB Theater with “Hangover” star Rachel Harris.

Thursday, October 22, in NYC: Sienna Miller taking a bow on the opening night of her Broadway play, “After Miss Julie”… Claire Danes spotted exiting the performance.

And in San Francisco: Charlize Theron planting a kiss on a woman during the One X One charity auction – earned for the winning bid of $140,000 which included a two-week trip to South Africa.

Source: Access Hollywood

Interview: Luke Macfarlane

20/10/2009

Luke Macfarlane is quickly establishing himself as a leading man in Hollywood by bringing a winning combination of charm, versatility and intelligence to his roles. He plays Scotty Wandell in the critically-acclaimed drama Brothers & Sisters – and with the season three DVD released this week, we bring you an interview with the actor about his role on the show.

You appeared in the first season of ‘Brothers & Sisters’ as a guest star. Did you know back then that you would become a cast regular by the third season?

It’s funny, but I never imagined I would be a cast regular on Brothers & Sisters – especially by way of marriage. I remember riding bikes over to one of the sets a while ago and asking Matthew Rhys [who plays Luke’s lover on the show], “What do they have in store for us?” And he said, “I think we’re getting married.” It was a total surprise to me.

Were you excited about the prospect of becoming a series regular?

Definitely. It’s always really nice when you come into something and your agents tell you, “There’s a possibility for you to become a series regular here.” However, it was a complete surprise because I had no idea where they were going with the storyline. In fact, I continue to have no idea where they’re going with it.

Was there an immediate chemistry between you and Matthew Rhys?

We always got along very, very well and there was never any awkwardness between us. Matthew was ready to jump into the gay love affair with great aplomb, which was fantastic. I don’t think we’ve ever had any tension between us. It’s always been great.

Do you receive much fan mail on the show?

I’ve had a number of letters from the gay community talking about the lack of role models for gay people on television and how happy they are to see Scotty and Kevin together. I really applaud the show’s creators for depicting a real romance for them. I’m glad they didn’t go for any clichés.

Do you receive more letters from women or men?

I’m always surprised that I get as many letters from girls as I do from boys. In fact, I’m always amazed at the care these people put into some of the letters. Sometimes I get drawings and it’s totally flattering. At the end of the day, we wake up really early in the morning and we go to work to do our thing. We sometimes forget that the show gets beamed out into the universe, so it’s always very touching and flattering to receive mail about it.

How long does it take to shoot an episode?

We usually work on nine-day episodes. Hopefully they give us the script about a week in advance, but as you approach the end of a season, it sometimes arrives about two days before we start on an episode. I think we’re very fortunate because we have such terrific writers and terrific actors – and there is a real sense of collaboration on the show.

Do you have much input into your character?

Sure. After the first table read, which they try to do for every episode, the actors can approach the writers and say, “I think I might want to do this.” I love the way it’s open for us to do that. From my experience on other television shows, I haven’t seen as much collaboration between the actors and the writers. We’re very fortunate on Brothers & Sisters.

Can you change the wording in the script if you’re not satisfied with it?

Well, you can talk about it with the writers and change things. With certain producers you have to say every line as it’s written in the script, but there are other producers who let you do your own thing. That’s not to say we don’t respect the scripts tremendously – but the longer the show goes on, the more the actor owns the part. The writers and producers start to encourage us to say what we want to say.

Your character marries Kevin Walker in the show, but that’s something that most gay couples in California cannot do anymore. How did this storyline come about?

I find this a fascinating story because I think the election happened about a week after the show aired in the States – and then Prop 8 didn’t pass. It was amazing that we’d done this thing that was, without foresight, very provocative.

Did you enjoy filming the wedding scene?

It was wonderful. It kind of felt like we were doing something big – and it was all done with great care. The writers spoke with someone who had officiated gay marriages, so the words were very accurate and in line. It was all really beautiful.

How well does the cast get along?

We all get along extremely well. There’s a great camaraderie on our set and everyone is very professional. We all get on with our work, but we also hang out together when we’re not working. It’s a great show in that respect.

What’s it like to work with Matthew Rhys?

It’s great. Matthew is an incredible actor and an incredible guy. We both come from theatre backgrounds, so our approach to the material is very similar. I couldn’t be happier.

And what’s it like to work with Sally Field?

Sally Field is amazing. She really makes you raise your game when you’re on set. She’s like a leader in some ways. I remember one time specifically when we were filming a dinner scene and there was a lot of chatter among the cast. It was late at night and we’d had a really long day, but she just stood up and said, “Everybody be quiet.” Everyone went quiet. She has that kind of effect.

‘Brothers and Sisters: Season 3′ is available to buy on DVD now.

Source: Entertainment Focus

Out of the closet and on to primetime

12/10/2009

Is it me or has everyone on Brothers And Sisters suddenly turned gay? Last week’s episode of the popular M-Net drama series saw an entire episode focus on every gay character in the series and the storylines that pivoted around them were heightened ten-fold.

Fans of the show already know that there’s a focus on gay relationships to the same extent that there’s a focus on straight relationships, and this is one of the first series to depict gay interaction in a way that it actually reflects real life.

When the Brothers and Sisters first emerged three seasons ago, we were introduced to Kevin Walker (played with such ease by straight Irish actor Matthew Rhys), a lawyer and part of the hugely dysfunctional Walker clan. Kevin was also an openly gay character and, for the first time, it wasn’t a gay character dying of Aids or an uber-camp hairdresser flapping his wrists like he was guiding a Boeing into a parking bay.

With the exception of his sexual orientation, Kevin was exactly the same as the rest of his brothers and sisters – flawed, issued, sometimes irritating, always endearing. And as the character developed, Kevin soon met his life-partner, Scotty Wandell, played by Luke MacFarlane, and they eventually got married at the beginning of the third season, which we’re currently watching on M-Net.

I interviewed MacFarlane in Cape Town earlier this year and because he’s actually gay in real life, a lot of our talk turned to this very subject.

The fact is, America has a huge section of its viewership in what is referred to as the Bible Belt, and ratings from this sector often make or break a show.

Apparently, Dirty Sexy Money folded because these viewers believed it to be too focused on materialism and greed, Eli Stone was not re-commissioned because some Earthly being was playing God and Pushing Daisies wilted for much the same reason. The list goes on.

MacFarlane says this was a concern for the producers when they first mulled over the creation of these characters. But because there’s such a large, on-going conversation about same-sex equality in the US, this attempt to show a gay couple in this way meant a lot to American society in terms of finding real role models.

So the characters, MacFarlane says, have been received very well, just because there is this desire for people to have role models specifically in the gay community.

Another interesting fact is that Kevin and Scotty’s wedding was the first gay marriage in a recurring role on US television, so it was a very big deal. It was also the first man-to-man kiss on primetime television, that wasn’t a comedy, so they were breaking ground on so many other levels too.

MacFarlane, who has, in the past, been dogged with rumours that he’s dating Prison Break’s Wentworth Miller, says he brings a lot of himself into this role of Scotty Wandell. He says he admires Scotty’s sense of right and wrong, and his very strong sense of self.

But the thing he’s most pleased about is the fact that they actually get to show a gay relationship through a long process. He admits that very rarely do viewers get to see this kind of relationship in a show – them meeting for the first time, breaking up for the first time, getting back together for the first time and then getting married.

And MacFarlane feels that’s a very accurate portrait of any relationship out there, never mind a gay one, and that’s the due integrity that should always be given to these characters.

But are they milking the concept a little now?

Saul (played by Ron Rifkin), the brother of Sally Field’s character, Nora, has also come out of the closet. Saul is probably in his early 60s and is, for the first time, searching for the kind of relationship he was never allowed to have because of societal dictates earlier on in his life.

While the twist was unexpected, I think this storyline is becoming more about making a point than being dramatic.

I can’t wait to see who else they pull out of this closet next. A lesbian? A black woman? A back woman who’s Tonight, South Africaa lesbian?

I suppose I can live in hope.

Source: Tonight (South Africa)

Greg’s Celebrity Encounters: Rubbing elbows with Scotty and Kevin from “Brothers & Sisters”

26/09/2009

ABC’s Brothers & Sisters has its fourth season premiere tomorrow night and gay couple Kevin (Matthew Rhys) and Scotty (Luke Macfarlane) and word has it that they are considering becoming parents.

Both are such good actors and seem like good guys. I first met Luke at the 2007 LA Gay and Lesbian Center Gala. He was not yet out publicly but could not have been nicer. We spoke the next year at a TV Academy event shortly after he came out publicly as a gay man in an interview with the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.

He said of coming out: “I’ll say that I decided to do that interview, I decided to answer those questions in an effort to make my life simpler and that’s going to continue to be my motto.”

Scotty Wandell and Kevin Walker had instant chemistry from the minute the financially struggling waiter-turned-chef walked into his law office on a legal matter. He cut through Kevin’s veneer with quirky humor and charm and you knew he had Kevin’s heart when he bit into a red velvet cupcake and smiled at the end of one of their early episodes..

“My whole experience on the show started off as just a few episodes and it’s just become more and more and more and I’m so grateful for that,” Luke told. “…I do know that the fans had a lot to do with Scotty staying around as long as he has so I’m grateful for them.”

I’ve met Matthew om several occasions and it’s always a little surprising to hear him speak in a Welsh accent since Kevin is so Californian.

It just shows what a damned good actor he is!

In one of our interviews, Matthew talked to me about why Scotty and Kevin make such a good couple: “We do have (chemistry). It’s a real joy to work with him, a pleasure. As much as (Kevin and Scotty’s) drama came from their turbulence and the conflict in their relationship, being now in this (committed) relationship opens up a world of drama for them to play out.  … What’s great is they really have picked two very diverse characters, the two of us compliment us very well as characters. Kevin can be a little bit uptight at times whereas Scotty, is a little bit too much of a free-spirit. So when the two meet, it makes for humorous times.”

Source: Greg in Hollywood

Beam Me Up, Scotty

06/07/2009

Beam Me Up, Scotty

What do Luke Macfarlane (Scotty from Brothers & Sisters), the ‘running man’ and a bottle of tequila have in common? Absolutely nothing, really. But if you imagine all three of them together, you’ll have a fairly good idea of how my evening turned out last night.

Luke and his equally adorable co-star Dave Annable (Justin) were in Cape Town this week promoting the show, and COSMO couldn’t miss the opportunity of showing them the city – our way.

We started at Wakame, a popular beach-front restaurant in Mouille Point. The boys had been out the night before and had had a day packed with media interviews, but their stamina showed no signs of fading. They were full of energy as they arrived.

Both guys are the friendliest, warmest, most sincere celebs I’ve had the privilege of meeting. And cute. The ‘it’s-hard-to-breathe-around-them’ kind of cute. We instantly tumbled into conversations about their trip to Cape Town, my recent trip to the US, their new president, our new president, and more. They’re both enthusiastic travellers. Grass-roots travellers at that. They told us they would choose a tent over a plush hotel any day. They asked me which animals are in the Big Five. I couldn’t remember (I am such a city girl!). I rambled off a few animal names, trying to sound knowledgeable about all things bush-related. They didn’t look convinced.

Our meal was fantastic and the champagne was even better. Not ready to call it a night, we suggested they join us at Jade, a drinking spot in Green Point.

Jade was heaving when we arrived. In true Cape Town form, few people made a fuss about the boys (we are too cool for that down here!). But there were a couple of mandatory squeals from enamoured fans catching sight of their favourite TV hotties for the first time. And the guys were gracious and obliging, chatting to the fans who encircled them.

Beers were ordered. Tequila was ordered. Pictures were taken. More beers were ordered. Assurances were made that we would get them to the airport in time to catch a flight to Jo’burg in the morning. Champagne was ordered. More tequila was ordered. I started to regret the assurance I gave them that we would get them to the airport in time to catch a flight to Jo’burg in the morning…

Luke and I informally challenged each other to a dance-off. He came with a shimmer shoulder. I came with the ‘running man’. In heels. No contest – I won. Hours of dancing and singing and high-fiving and partying followed. And then their eagle-eyed publicist suggested it was time to go home. (I’m sort of grateful that at least one of us had the good sense to call it a night…)

The boys did make it to the airport on time. I, however, was a little late for work.

Source: Cosmopolitan South Africa

Actor Luke MacFarlane Comes Out

16/04/2008

Actor Luke MacFarlane came out in an interview with The [Toronto] Globe and Mail today.

Actor Luke MacFarlane Comes Out

Actor Luke MacFarlane came out in an interview with The [Toronto] Globe and Mail today. The native of Canada, though “terrified” about the future of his career, said to the paper, “I don’t know what will happen professionally, but I guess I can’t really be concerned about what will happen, because it’s my truth.”

MacFarlane is best known for his role as Scotty Wandell, the love interest of Kevin Walker (played by Matthew Rhys) on the ABC drama Brothers & Sisters (Note: A future plot spoiler is below). The actor went on to say, “There is this desire in L.A. to wonder who you are, and what’s been blaring for me for the last three years is how can I be most authentic to myself — so this is the first time I am speaking about it in this way.”

He told the paper: “From a standing-outside perspective, and also as someone who is gay, I think that it’s a very exciting time. How exciting that we’re saying ‘This can be part of the cultural fabric, now,’ because it is two series regulars, two people that you invite into your home and you see every week. It’s telling of the beginning of more waves, and I’m very proud of that.” He does, however, note that a certain irony still exists: While a show featuring a same-sex marriage may be an important step toward building tolerance, it’s still an attention-grabber in today’s television world.

The interview took place during the shooting of the season finale of Brothers & Sisters, in which (here’s the spoiler alert) Scotty and Kevin get married. (The Advocate)

Source: The Advocate