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Show DAILY Friday, June 20, 2008 HERALD D3 Jim Broadbent, father figure Eye Spy CELEBRITY NEWS AND NOTES going on all over your neighborhood. "This was something I grew TORONTO When Jim up with," he said, "the idea that plays had to be read, and Broadbent appears later this it was a social thing." that as year Hogwarts' potion At age 3, he was cast in master in "Harry Potter and the Prince," it will "A Doll's House" as one of round out a career in which it Nora's children. Like his dad, may be said that he's yet to be however, he also was good at art, which seemed the more typecast. Broadbent was a jovial stable occupation. So Broadbartender in a watering hole bent was shipped of f to art school. for transvestites in "The Cry"While 1 was there, I realing Game," librettist W.S. ized I wasn't really good at it, Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame) in "Topsy-Turvy,- " and I also realized that I was Boss Tweed in "Gangs of New far more interested in acting," he said. York ," ow ner of t he M oulin His father encouraged him Rouge and the caring husband of an Alzheimer's patient in to attend the London Acad"Iris." The last won him a Best emy of Music and Dramatic Art, Supporting Actor Oscar. "I had been nominated as This summer season finds him in a fatherly mode. As most promising actor of my the dean of the college where year, So he was alive to see me win that. I was in my first Indiana Jones teaches in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom job after drama school when of the Crystal Skull," the lathe died." Broadbent was 22. est sequel in the adventure When jobs seemed scarce, Broadbent joined the Ugly ' franchise, it's up to him to break the news that Jones has Modeling Agency hoping been fired. Broadbent projects that his enormous kindness in this looks might land him jobs scene. He's just the sort you'd in commercials. But no such luck... want around to comfort you at a bad time. "Perhaps I wasn't ugly On Friday, he will be seen enough," he once told an interas the father of Colin Firth in viewer. the touching family drama Broadbent has the face of an imp. His mobile features "When Did You Last See allow him to take on lots of Your Father?," based on a best selling memoir about personas. You could see him in almost any role except a the Morrison clan. This dad is a flirt who needs to be the paid assassin. Somehow you center of attention and thinks wouldn't believe that someone with his bright eyes and smile everybody should step aside for him. His son starts out could commit murder. But he has probably idolizing him and then winds up being embarrassed by him, played one. Broadbent says that if he along with the rest of the fam-ilfinds a good script, "I'll follow that script wherever it goes, Playing the part made if it's in a small theater or a Broadbent think back on his own father, another large theater or television. I e like varying it all anyway." character. Roy Broadbent was an artist, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is at sculptor and craftsman who made furniture. An amateur the opposite end of the specactor, he converted a church trum from "When Did You Last See Your Father?" into a legitimate theater, "It was a gas for me," which was named for him he said of making "Indiana when he died shortly after Jones." "I like doing somecompletion of the project. The similarities between his thing bigger than the last father and Arthur Morrison, thing." Broadbent had the quinteshis character in the movie, sential Hollywood experience drew Broadbent to the project. in 2002, when he heard his name called as Best Support"He was an exact conteming Actor for "Iris." It was porary of my father-- and a highly competitive year in they are both from Yorkthat category. Broadbent was shire," Broadbent, 59, said over morning tea at a hotel up against Ethan Hawke for in Toronto, where his film "Training Day," Jon Voight for "Ali" and fellow Englishpremiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. He's men Ian McKellen for "The a contemporary of the son Lord of the Rings" and Ben Kingsley for "Sexy Beast." played by Firth as well. "So I knew that whole Kingsley and Voight already had Oscars. background. Arthur and "It was such a shock to my father had similar backgrounds and similar interests win," Broadbent said. "But the whole thing leading up to it is fast cars and following motor racjfig. And both had such a strange experience." the quattfy of being quite Being an Academy Award winner didn't change the kind charismatic, but sometimes quite difficult and impatient. of scripts he was offered, but I can remember being embar- did change the number. "I got an awful lot. But, you rassed by my father just like Arthur's son was." know, there are only a few Broadbent knew that his good scripts around at any time anyway." parents had been conscienThe main difference an tious objectors during World Oscar made was that "it War II but craved more information about what mak- relaxed me in my approach to business. I didn't have to ing this choice had meant to them. They were assigned think about what's best to do to work the land in Lincoln, now, or how do"J handle my a historical town. Their actcareer," Broadbent said. "My and thus their career is all right. It will look ing troupe future after itself. I can now just sprang from a choose whichever job feels community of conscientious objectors. right." It's hard to imagine a more Ruthe Stein at idyllic entree into an actor's life than to have play readings rsteinsfchronicle.com. Ruthe Stein SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE .; - Half-Bloo- d ! z MATT SAYLESAssociated Press Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway pose for a portrait in Las Vegas, Nev., in March. mart alecks Carell, Hathaway smarten up as new Max, Agent 99 David Germain seems to fit (glances at Carell and I can't look at you while I'm laughs) saying this ... Carell: I love it when you use my . teve Carell did not necessar whole name. ily see th Maxwell Smart in himself. Everyone else Hathaway: The thing about Steve Anne stepping into Don's shoes that makes did, including sense is Steve's take on comedy. He Hathaway and the studio can do the big, "Get behind the I slightly absurd stuff really well, but he also does Smart," which simply called Carell in and offered him the job, no questions the real subtle moments really well. And the thing about Don Adams, he asked. Carell takes on the title role created never played Maxwell Smart as a fumbling goon. He played him as a very by Don Adams in the 1960s TV show about a brainy but bungling spy, with serious man who didn't know he was in a comedy. And Steve's really good at Hathaway playing his supremely cadoing that. A lot of his characters don't pable partner, Agent 99, a part origiknow that they're funny, and that's nated by Barbara Feldon. what makes him hilarious. Created by Mel Brooks and Buck AP: Now the same question for Anne: Henry as a comic response to James What do you and Barbara Feldon have in Bond and other espionage adventures, common? "Get Smart" has endured in syndication, in follow-u- p movies and a shortHathaway: I appreciate this question now. It's a tough one. I'm so very lived second TV series in the 1990s. different from Agent 99, and the bar Directed by Peter Segal, the new "Get Smart" chronicles Max's rise that Barbara Feldon set and what from crackerjack analyst to field agent Barbara Feldon's 99 meant to people, for U.S. spy outfit Control, paired with I'm never going to be able to touch dubious 99 as they try to foil a plot to that. The world was in a very different place then. We needed Agent 99. distribute nukes to unstable governWhen Barbara Feldon played her, we ments. needed to see a girl who could keep The cast includes Dwayne Johnson as a star Control agent, Alan Arkin as up with the boys, who was smart and the Chief and bad guy Terence Stamp, who was sexy while being smart. She who played Kryptonian supervillain inspired so many women. When you look at the kind of women we aspire to Zod and made Christopher Reeve be today, a lot of them are very similar kneel before him in "Superman II." to Barbara Feldon's 99. There's no way Carell and Hathaway chatted with The Associated Press, fondly recalling I'm going to be able to touch that kind Feldon and the late Adams, discussing of legacy, but I do think I have good so that's the show's longevity and sharing a chemistry with my funny Zod tale. probably what I have in common with AP: People tend to be skeptical about her. j TV adaptations, but when Steve was cast Carell: Anne was the first person to come in and do a screen test. It was as Max, they kind of nodded and said, "Good choice." What do you and Don actually the first time I'd said any of the lines. And after she walked out of the Adams have in common? Carell: There's a bit of a physical room, we all looked at each other and knew it. It was almost as if everyone resemblance that would'be part of the else could have gone home at that point, equation. But aside from that, it's hard frankly. I'd seen a lot of 'Anne's work, talking about him in the same breath but there was a sophistication to her as myself, because I don't aspire to be and a slyness and sort of a coolness and as good as he was. He's iconic and the way he did the character is iconic, and a deadpan. And she is a great improvis-er- , I don't have any pretense of trying to too. I tend to play around, especially live up to that. If anything, I'm just tryduring an audition, just to find different moments and beats, and she was not ing to get an essence of what he did as opposed to any sort of imitation or only there, following, but leading and channeling. sharing it. Hathaway: I always tell people reHathaway: I thought it was perfect garding improvising Steve's an abcasting. He pays me to say this, but stract expressionist and I finger paint. Steve's being very, very humble, I'm a very good finger painter, but it's because his take on Max is just specon a different level. tacular. I think the reason Steve Carell THE ASSOCIATED PRESS . co-st- ar I over-the-to- big-scre- I co-sta- r, Erin Carlson THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK Ricki Lake is firing back at physicians groups that have singled her out for bringing attention to childbirth. The former host is named in a recent statement by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists that says the home is not the safest setting for having a baby. In her film "The Business of Being Born," a document tary about the maternity care system that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, Lake is talk-sho- lr ... - EVAN AGOSTINIAssociated Press attends "Lc Reve: the Dream, Play 4 Indulge Ricki Lake Parkinson's Casino Gala' benefit in New York on April 22. actors are what endured." AP: The movie's more an action comedy than a spy spoof. Were you trying to avoid parodying spy flicks? Carell: When I first started talking to Pete (Segal the director) about just tonally what the movie could potentially look like, I said, "What about a comedic 'Bourne Identity?' " You take the action in that and you make it a legitimate spy movie that's funny, as opposed to taking the cliches of spy movies and turning them on their heads. If the villains are like Terence Stamp, these guys are scary and actually have some threat to them. There's some sense of jeopardy. The comedy laid on top of that might resonate more. Hathaway: There's a great story about Terence. He was switching hotels when we were shooting in Montreal. He just went downstairs and he couldn't find a taxi. He was standing around looking for a taxi and some guy just drove up and went, "Zod?" And he goes, "Yes." And the guy goes, "What are you doing in Montreal?" "I'm making a movie. Can you give me a ride?" And the guy goes, "Absolutely." So the guy drove him to his hotel. AP: I hope the guy didn't make him say, "Kneel before Zod." Carell: I'm sure he's had to say it to like, cash a check. Lake fires back at AMA "V - AP: Why has "Get Smart" endured so well? Hathaway: It's sophisticated family humor. That's what the show had going for it. My parents watched it when they were kids, and then when it was on Nick at Nite in reruns, I would watch it with them when I was a kid. In addition to it just being so funny was the chemistry that Don Adams and Barbara Feldon had. You couldnjf take your eyes off them. It was fun to watch them play. ... Don Adams, people don't remember that he was a fantastic actor. There's this one episode where he has to pretend he's gone bad and he has to convince 99 that he's gone bad, and he plays it so straight. It's a different Max. It's colder and harder and harsher. Don Adams was a really , really good straight actor. Carell: Also, look at who created it. Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. In terms of having longevity, "Young Frankenstein" is still one of my favorite movies. "The Producers," obviously. His stuff just holds up. For the most part, it really does. That's a huge element, the writing staff, if you look at the people involved. Hathaway: Steve, you're such a nice person. I'm like, "It was the actors. The shown giving birth in the bathtub of her Manhattan apartment to her second son Owen, who turns 7 on Wednesday. The ACOG statement, supported in a resolution Tuesday by the American Medical Association, said, "There has been much attention in the media by celebrities having home deliveries," citing a "Today Show" headline that read "Ricki Lake takes on the baby birthing industry: Actress and former talk show host shares her delivery in her Associated Press on Tuesday. "And, you know, I'm all about choice. This is not unlike the e abortion issue. I am when it comes to childbirth and choices in birth. Home birth was around long before hospitals were taking over and I just think women need to know the information so that they can make the best choice for them." The AMA resolves in the statement to support state legislation "that helps ensure safe deliveries and healthy babies new film." by acknowledging that the safest setting" is a hospital, con"It's scary that both the ACOG and the AMA have sort nected birthing center or other of targeted me," Lake told The approved facility. cold-blood- larger-than-lif- , Toby Keith fundraiser brings in $709,000 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NORMAN, Okla. Toby Keith's annual fundraiser for families of children with cancer raised $709,000 this year. The money goes to Ally's House, a charity started after original band member Scott Webb's daughter, Allison, died of kidney cancer in 2003. The charity provides for families' needs, such as prescriptions, rent or mortgage payments, utilities and gasoline and hopes to eventually build a center near an Oklahoma City hospital to provide lodging. Five years of private concerts, auctions and golf tournaments have raised more than $2.3 million. About 750 celebrities and guests attended the private concert, party and auction earlier this month. Two dinners with Keith sold for $35,000 apiece, and a chance to ride on the boat named Northwestern from Discovery J nil EVAN LM--m II AQOSTINIAssoclated m Press at the CMT Music Awards, in Nashville, Tenn., on April 14. Toby Keith arrives Channel's "Deadliest Catch" fetched $27,500. The opportunity to be in one of the music videos brought in a donation of $25,000. singer-songwrite- |