WebProNews

Author: Kimberly Ripley

  • Scott Baio’s TV Dad Shares Happy Days Roots

    Scott Baio’s Nick at Nite series, See Dad Run, is filmed on the same stage where Happy Days was filmed in the 1970s and 1980s. Baio got his start on Happy Days, playing Chachi Arcola. Garry Marshall, the Happy Days creator/actor/producer, will guest star as Baio’s father on See Dad Run on Sunday evening.

    Baio and Marshall’s friendship didn’t end when Happy Days bid fans adieu back in 1984. When the need for a ‘dad’ for Baio’s See Dad Run character arose, Garry Marshall was one of the first names discussed.

    “I went, ‘Wow, I don’t know if he would do it, but I’d love have him on the show,’” Baio said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I called up his office and asked him, and he said OK. And we thought it would be a great idea for his son Scott to direct the episode, and it all worked out.”

    Marshall’s quick reply floored the actor.

    “I have a policy: I answer calls from people who made me a hit,” Marshall says.

    Nostalgia was at an all time high when Marshall and Baio stood together again on that Happy Days stage.

    “It was the same old stage, and so everything was familiar,” he said.

    Scott Baio says he owes everything he has and is to Garry Marshall.

    “I am here because of him,” he says. “He taught me everything I know about television, and I owe him everything, so it’s just one of the most gratifying things I’ve ever done.”

    It will definitely be interesting to see if Garry Marshall’s role as Scott Baio’s TV dad becomes a recurring one. Marshall has done a few acting bits recently, including a role on Two and a Half Men.

    “Suddenly I’m an actor,” he jokes, adding that he’d jump at a chance to reprise his See Dan Run guest role.

    Watch Scott Baio and Garry Marshall together again on See Dad Run, Sunday night, November 10th, at 8PM on Nick at Nite.

    Photo via Wikimedia

  • Thanksgiving Flights: You Can Survive

    Thanksgiving Flights: You Can Survive

    Thanksgiving flights aren’t just more expensive this year–there are tricks up the airline’s sleeves that might make travel even less comfortable, too. Fear not, however. There are some tried and true means of survival in the face of airline snafus that often work.

    An expected 25.1 million people will fly during the 2013 Thanksgiving travel period, with December 1st expected to be the most congested travel day. Thanksgiving Day itself is the slowest of the holiday travel days. Book accordingly, and check out the following tips to ensure a more stress-free flight that will find you arriving at your destination in plenty of time for turkey and pie.

    1. ExpertFlyer.com could become your favorite Thanksgiving travel friend. If seating becomes an issue during a leg of your flight, they will keep you apprised of openings. They can even tell you–via your cell phone–when adjacent seats become available so you and Aunt Edna can sit side by side.

    2. Always take advantage of your airline’s option for early check-in via email. Most airlines will send travelers a link through which they check-in and print their boarding passes at home. If your flight is over sold, you are far less likely to lose your seat if you’ve checked in early.

    3. If there is an issue with your scheduled flight–a delay or a cancellation–don’t simply stand in line with droves of like passengers, hoping that the gate attendants will solve your problem. While standing in that line, dial the airline directly from your cell phone. You may find there is a solution to your problem before you even reach the agent at the desk.

    4. If the airline’s toll-free number is experiencing delays, call the international number. Yes, you will pay for the call, but it may help get you home before Uncle Harry eats that last piece of pumpkin pie.

    5. Weigh your luggage before bringing it to the airport. Most airlines stick by a very strict 50 pound limit for checked bags. Spirit Airlines maxes you out at 40 pounds. You could pay up to $100 extra if your bag goes over these limits. Investing in a $10 luggage scale is well worth your money. If you don’t have one, put it on the good old bathroom scale instead.

    6. Don’t ever check valuables. The same goes for medication or anything you absolutely must have when you reach your destination. Carry an empty nylon or canvas tote bag folded in your carry-on luggage just in case you are told you must check the bag. Transfer valuables, medications, etc. into the tote bag and keep them with you on the plane.

    No, these tips won’t guarantee smooth sailing, but they do provide a few options for not succumbing to the tricks up many airline’s sleeves. If you’re among the 25.1 million travelers taking Thanksgiving flights this year, allow yourself as much extra time as you can to reach the airport, your gate and your destination. Take a deep breath and imagine the effects of that tryptophan that follows the inevitable (even if you’re late and have to eat leftovers!) Thanksgiving feast.

    Image via Facebook

  • Nick Lachey and Wife Vanessa Share Birthday

    NIck Lachey of the 90s boy band 98 Degrees turned 40 on Saturday. He shares the same birthday with wife Vanessa, who turned 33.

    Twitter fans were eager to wish Nick a happy birthday, and some recognized it was Vanessa’s birthday, too.

    Nick’s brother, Drew Lachey, even got in on the Twitter birthday wishes.

    While it’s uncertain exactly what Nick and Vanessa did to celebrate turning 40 and 33, respectively, Nick said a couple of days ago that Vanessa was making secret plans.

    “My wife is planning something. It’s all a big secret to me,” he said. “She’s taken the 40-year-old birthday baton and run with it and I’m sure it’s going to be an amazing night.”

    He also spoke of Vanessa’s selflessness.

    “That’s her kind of a sacrifice to give up a little bit of her birthday because it’s such a milestone birthday to me,” he said.

    It sounds like Nick and Vanessa Lachey have a great relationship. Parents to 1-year-old Camden, the two likely don’t have the kind of free time they once had to lavish one another with time and attention. Yet they seem to understand that when a child is involved, family comes first.

    Vanessa conveyed that sentiment perfectly with a photo and caption she shared on Instagram.

    “Kickin off the birthday weekend with my two favorite guys!!!” she wrote.

    Her photo was of two glasses of red wine, along with a baby bottle.

    Happy birthday to Nick Lachey and his beautiful wife, Vanessa. And kudos to the fact that despite their fame and fortune, they put their marriage and their son first.

    Photo via Wikimedia

  • Mariska Hargitay Follows in Mom’s Footsteps

    Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay followed in famous mom Jayne Mansfield’s footsteps this past week. She received her very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She received the 2,511th star to be awarded.

    Hargitay’s star is next to her late mother’s. Jayne Mansfield received her star more than 50 years ago. Hargitay was just three years old when her mom passed away in a car accident seven years after receiving her star.

    Known for her role as Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: SVU, Hargitay is honored by her star, but her real passion lies elsewhere. It is her work for the Joyful Heart Foundation. The foundation’s stated mission is to ‘heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse.’

    Benson launched the foundation back in 2004. She claims her role as Olivia Benson made her acutely aware of the needs the foundation meets.

    “It all started when I began my work on ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ over a decade ago,” she says in a statement on the Joyful Heart Foundation’s website. “In my research for my role, I encountered statistics that shocked me: One in three women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives. Every two minutes in the United States, someone is sexually assaulted. More than five children die every day in this country as a result of child abuse and neglect, and up to 15 million children witness domestic violence in their homes each year.”

    The work Mariska Hargitay does for the Joyful Heart Foundation is what makes her a real star in the eyes of those who have directly benefitted from her foundation. Her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, next to mom Jayne Mansfield’s, is a bonus.

    Not too many Hollywood actors can say they have taken their role and learned enough from it to start a program that helps lift victims of abuse from their individual trenches. Mariska Hargitay is one-of-a-kind, both on TV and in real life.

    Photo via Facebook

  • Michelle Trachtenberg Talks Playing Marina Oswald

    Michelle Trachtenberg will play the wife of Lee Harvey Oswald, Marina Oswald, in the upcoming made-for-TV movie Killing Kennedy. She spoke recently with the L.A. Times about researching the part, as well as how it feels to portray the only main figure in the Kennedy assassination scenario who is still alive.

    Marina Oswald was a young Russian bride 50 years ago when Kennedy was assassinated. This meant Michelle had to speak almost entirely in Russian while filming. This didn’t come with the kind of difficulty some actresses would have faced since Trachtenberg grew up in a Russian speaking family in Brooklyn. She knew very little about Marina Oswald, however.

    “When something so monumental happens in American history and the killer becomes so villainized, you don’t realize that he may have had a home life, a wife or children. When I read the script I was floored at how dynamic a person Marina was. I had no idea she was Russian, so of course I related to that immediately. And the fact that she was still alive and she has daughters in their 50s was mind-blowing,” she said during her interview.

    Most anyone in their mid-fifties and older clearly remembers when President John F. Kennedy was killed. But for Michelle Trachtenberg, who is just 28, her only recollection of the tragedy came from history books. This meant some serious research was required in order to wholeheartedly fulfill the role.

    “I read this amazing book called “Marina and Lee.” It was the only book that Marina sat down for after that assassination. It’s out of print, but I was able to order it off of Amazon. It was really thick, like 600 pages,” she said. “I really was able to get an insight into her from that. In this day and age you can Google and YouTube, the last interview she did maybe 20 years ago for the 30th anniversary. She was still defending Lee.”

    Michelle opted not to contact Marina Oswald as part of her research. Instead she relied on the various forms of media to gain insight into what it was like to be Lee Harvey Oswald’s wife.

    Killing Kennedy is just one of several upcoming made-for-TV movies and documentaries that will commemorate the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s death. It premieres on Sunday night, November 10th on National Geographic. In addition to Michelle Trachtenberg, the movie also stars Rob Lowe and Ginnifer Goodwin. Hype about the movie is drawing lots of Twitter buzz.

    This role is no doubt one of Michelle Trachtenberg’s more difficult endeavors. It will no doubt serve to raise her from the stereotype of films like Harriet the Spy and TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer into a category with serious actors. Playing Marina Oswald is serious business. Tune in Sunday to see her portrayal.

    Photo via Twitter

  • Oldest Woman Marathon Runner Dies

    Joy Johnson, the oldest woman marathon runner in the NYC Marathon, died just one day after finishing the prestigious race on Sunday. She was 86 years old. Johnson tripped and fell during the marathon, hitting her head on the pavement. Marathon officials wanted to take her to the hospital but she refused–insisting upon finishing the race instead.

    Johnson was at the peak of her marathon running back in the early 1990s, when she used to finish the race in approximately five hours. It took her about eight hours to complete the NYC Marathon on Sunday. Following a visit to The TODAY Show at Rockefeller Plaza, where she chatted with Al Roker–a tradition for her and her 83-year-old sister–the two returned to their hotel room. Johnson laid down for a nap and died in her sleep. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

    “She died the way she wanted,” her friend and fellow marathon runner said. “She was determined to run ‘til she dropped. That gives some comfort, some closure to her family. She did it her way.”

    Followers took to Twitter on Tuesday following word of Joy Johnson’s death.

    In addition to her inspiration, Johnson was known for saying she wanted to ‘die running.’ This was a popular Twitter post as well.

    Sunday’s marathon was the 25th run by Joy Johnson. She held the record as the oldest woman marathon runner since 2011. These are both exceedingly difficult feats to accomplish and Johnson met both with style and grace. A resident of San Jose, California, Johnson was a local legend as well as an international one for her running achievements. Her daughter Diana Boydston said that dying running was exactly how her mother envisioned taking her very last breath.

    “At least she was running, the way she wanted to go,” she said.

    While it’s undeniably sad that NYC Marathon legend Joy Johnson is gone, knowing she likely died as a result of running a marathon is no doubt providing those who knew her best and loved her most with a sense of peace at this most difficult time.

    Image via NYC Marathon