2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards Announced

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
PAUL GIAMATTI              John Adams                         "JOHN ADAMS"                  HBO

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries
LAURA LINNEY               Abigail Adams                      "JOHN ADAMS"                  HBO

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
HUGH LAURIE               Gregory House                      "HOUSE"                           FOX

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
SALLY FIELD                 Nora Walker                          "BROTHERS & SISTERS"     ABC

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ALEC BALDWIN             Jack Donaghy                       "30 ROCK"                         NBC

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
TINA FEY                      Liz Lemon                            "30 ROCK"                         NBC

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
"30 ROCK"                 NBC

SCOTT ADSIT               Pete Hornberger
ALEC BALDWIN            Jack Donaghy
KATRINA BOWDEN       Cerie
TINA FEY                     Liz Lemon
JUDAH FRIEDLANDER   Frank Rossitano
JANE KRAKOWSKI        Jenna Maroney
JACK McBRAYER          Kenneth Parcell
TRACY MORGAN          Tracy Jordan
MAULIK PANCHOLY      Jonathan
KEITH POWELL            Toofer

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
"MAD MEN"                              AMC

BRYAN BATT                              Salvatore Romano
ALISON BRIE                             Trudy Campbell
MICHAEL GLADIS                       Paul Kinsey
JON HAMM                                Don Draper
AARON HART                             Bobby Draper
CHRISTINA HENDRICKS             Joan Holloway
JANUARY JONES                        Betty Draper
VINCENT KARTHEISER               Pete Campbell
ROBERT MORSE                         Bertram Cooper
MARK MOSES                            Herman “Duck” Phillips
ELISABETH MOSS                      Peggy Olson
KIERNAN SHIPKA                       Sally Draper
JOHN SLATTERY                         Roger Sterling
RICH SOMMER                           Harry Crane
AARON STATON                         Ken Cosgrove
 

(Amazing – some of my favorites/picks actually won something!  Hooray for Hugh Laurie, Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, Kate Winslet , Heath Ledger, Robert Morse, and Vincent Kartheiser, just to name a few…)

Technorati Tags: Awards, Heath Ledger, Hugh Laurie, SAG, Screen Actors Guild

81st Annual Academy Award Nominees

According to the official website of the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the nominees for this year’s Oscars are as follows: Read more

Technorati Tags: Academy Awards, Angelina Jolie, Australia, Brad Pitt, Heath Ledger, Kate Winslet, Oscars, The Dark Knight, Wall-E

A Little Willow is On The Way

Alyson Hannigan (Willow on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) and her husband, Alexis Denisof (Wesley on ANGEL), are expecting their first child this spring.

They originally met on the set of BUFFY during the 1999-2000.  Hannigan also did some crossover guest appearances on ANGEL.  She later went on to do big screen roles, most notably as band geek Michelle opposite Jason Biggs in the American Pie trilogy, but then went back to do series TV with HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. Read more

Technorati Tags: Alexis Denisof, Alyson Hannigan, Angel, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Wesley, Willow

Danger, Will Robinson, Robot Has Left the Ship

Bob May, the actor who most likely will be forever known as Robot from LOST IN SPACE, has passed away at the age of 69 from congestive heart failure. 

He began his career in Hollywood at the age of 2, when his grandfather, vaudevillian Chic Johnson, had him appear in his comedy show HELLZAPOPPIN.  After trying his own hand at vaudeville for awhile, May decided to go after television roles.

He acted in such TV series as THE TIME TUNNEL, McHALE’S NAVY and THE RED SKELTON SHOW. He also worked as a stuntman on CHEYENNE, SURFSIDE 6, HAWAIIAN EYE, THE ROARING 20S and STAGECOACH in the ’50s and ’60s.
But it wasn’t until 1965, when he was chosen to play Robot in LOST IN SPACE (because he could fit in the suit according to legend) that he became a long-standing cult favorite – unseen, but forever recognizable whenever it uttered the legendary, "Danger, Will Robinson."  (What usually only die-hard fans realize, though, is that  May didn’t provide the robot’s distinctive voice–that was done by announcer Dick Tufeld.)

He enjoyed his role as Robot, once telling people he had come to consider the suit a “home away from home.” 

Technorati Tags: Bob May, Lost in Space, Robot, Will Robinson

“Hare” They Go Again…

In order to put right what once was wrong,  the authorities of theParks and Wildlife Service of Tasmania decided to get rid of all the feral felines from Macquarie Island, part of Australia, in order to preserve the native wildlife, such as Royal penguins and other animals that use the island as a breeding ground.  Seemed like a good idea at the time… Read more

Technorati Tags: Australia, Cats, Elephant Seals, Macquarie Island, Mice, Penguins, Rabbits, Rats, Wildlife Conservation

Lexus Listens – The New HS250h Hybrid

Lexus did some research and found that about 60% of entry-level luxury car buyers would consider purchasing a hybrid vehicle.  With that in mind, they’ve designed what they call " the world’s first and only dedicated luxury hybrid vehicle – an unprecedented blend of advanced technology and sustainable materials unrivaled in any other production vehicle":  the HS250h.

Using the latest-generation Lexus Hybrid Drive tech, the HS250h will be a 4-cylinder gas/electric hybrid that will be the most fuel efficient car in the Lexus line-up.  They say it will have an almost unnoticeable switch off between the gas engine and electric motor, giving it a smooth, yet powerful ride. The actual gas mileage ratings haven’t been announced yet, however the current Lexus Hybrids are rated in the 25MPG range.  [Not that great, but quite a bit better than other vehicles in the "luxury" class, so it's at least a step in the right direction...]

In addition to being more fuel efficient than other cars in the Lexus line, the new Lexus is supposed to be built from more recycled elements than any other production vehicle at the time along with leading-edge ecological plastic.

The new model is due out in US dealerships in Fall 2009 and expected to list in the low $40,000s.

Technorati Tags: ENVIRONMENT, Fuel Efficient, Gas/Electric, Hybrid, Lexus

It’s Official – The 11th Doctor is Who?

The BBC has done an about face in its search and picked an almost virtual unknown to be the 11th Doctor for DOCTOR WHO (Series 5): 

Matt Smith (PARTY ANIMALS, THE SHADOW IN THE NORTH) will take over the reins of the longest running sci fi character on TV  from David Tennant who will be leaving the series after the 2009 season.  Smith, age 26, will be the youngest actor to ever play The Doctor to date. (Peter Davison previously held the record – he was 29 at the time he played the part.)  Read more

Technorati Tags: 11th Doctor, David Tennant, Doctor Who, Matt Smith