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Tag: cinderella

  • Lily James of Downton Abbey Dishes on Fighting Scenes For ‘Pride & Prejudice & Zombies’

    Forget the fact that Pride & Prejudice & Zombies is the best movie title ever.

    Lily James of Downton Abbey says the fighting scenes in the upcoming zombie flick are worth the price of a ticket to the theater, adding that she had a blast training and starring in the scenes.

    Speaking with Zap2It, the 26-year-old actress opened up about training for all the fight scenes in the upcoming movie.

    “That’s been really fun. I’ve loved that,” she explained. “When I do Downton I become a sort of pudgy little sludgy thing because you don’t really need to exercise, so it’s been good getting back into getting fit. Working with the stunt guys on this has been awesome. I feel like I can sort of get into some fights now and be a little victorious!”

    After starring in a slew of period pieces — Downton, Pride, Cinderella and the upcoming War & Peace — James says she is ready for something different for her next role.

    “I’d love to do different things now,” she said. “I was always drawn to that as a style. Some of the actresses I loved growing up, like Kate Winslet, I remember them and things like Titanic and all that kind of period stuff so that was definitely something I aspired to and I wanted to do myself but now having done it so much I’d quite like to do something where there’s no [boundaries].”

    If you have a better movie title than Lily James‘ film, Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, we’d love to hear your pick!

  • Helena Bonham Carter Fought to Be Given Wings As Fairy Godmother in ‘Cinderella’

    Helena Bonham Carter fought to be given wings to play the Fairy Godmother in the latest live-action version of Cinderella.

    Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Cinderella is the latest remake of the Disney cartoon, which is based on the famed fairy tale. In the original Disney version, the Fairy Godmother was depicted as a little old lady in a cape with a wand but no wings.

    Helena Bonham Carter, 48, said the costume the production planned for the film were sans wings, so she pitched herself a little fairy fit, thinking a fairy without wings was just flat-out wrong.

    “I’ve got lots of opinions, but luckily I’ve got a very good relationship with Ken, so Ken said, You can have a lot of say,” said Bonham Carter.

    “There were no wings, and I thought it was incredibly obvious that she should have wings, but there were no wings when I first came in. She looked like Elizabeth I, a virginal Elizabeth I,” added the famed British actress and former girlfriend of director Tim Burton.

    “And I said ‘wings!’ There was a bit of a tussle. It went to the head, it went to Ken, ‘She wants wings, she wants wings,’ and eventually I got my way,” said Helena Bonham Carter.

    “I said there is no six-year-old girl who is going to believe that I’m a fairy if I don’t have wings.”

    Cinderella was released in cinemas on Friday.

  • Lily James: From ‘Downton Abbey’ to ‘Cinderella,’ and Back Again?

    Lily James–known for her role as Lady Rose on Downton Abbey–now stars on the big screen in Cinderella. Will she return to Downton Abbey when the show resumes production later in 2015, long after her prince has slipped that glass slipper on her delicate foot?

    “I’m really hoping to come back,” Lily James said during a press event for Cinderella earlier in March.

    It was at the end of season 5 that Lady Rose married Atticus (played by Matt Barber) and left the estate to begin a new life as a married woman across the ocean in America. No one said, however, that she will live happily ever after. Maybe she didn’t get the prince like Cinderella.

    “Part of me wants her to like lose her sh–, and come back completely wrecked and a ruined woman, and part of me wants her to keep her happily ever after,” James said.

    “Both their characters have traveled to America to make new lives, but they are members of this family so a visit home may well happen at some time,” Downton Abbey executive producer Gareth Neame said.

    Are you a Downton Abbey fan? Do you expect the character played by Lily James–Lady Rose–will make her way back to the series?

    Will you be checking out Lily James as she stars alongside Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, Richard Madden, and more in Cinderella? It opened at theaters in the U.S. on Friday.

  • Tori Spelling Better Following Hospital Stay, Attends ‘Cinderella’ Screening

    Tori Spelling was hospitalized again recently for migraines, but she’s out of the hospital and feeling much better. The True Tori star was feeling so good, in fact, she dressed her kids up (three of them, anyway) like little fashionistas for a screening of the upcoming film Cinderella. The live-action remake of the classic hits theaters on Friday.

    Noticeably absent from the fun was Dean McDermott. Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott have struggled with more issues than the average marriage can endure, and they played it all out for their fans on True Tori. Dean is still in the picture (figuratively, not literally–as it applies here) because he was the one who rushed Tori Spelling to the hospital just a couple of days before the following photo was taken.

    Posting to her Instagram account, Tori Spelling shared the following photo of her kids, all dressed up for Cinderella.

    “Ready to attend a screening of #Cinderella They were so excited! #fashionella #LitteMavenHats,” she captioned her post.

    Tori Spelling is no doubt happy that Dean McDermott announced he won’t be hosting Chopped Canada any longer–meaning he will likely be home more, and will perhaps take on more of a husband and father role than he has in the past few years.

    McDermott shared word of his resignation on his Instagram account, captioning the photo, “It is with a heavy heart I announce I will no longer be the host of @ChoppedCanada Thank you to a great crew, judges and chefs. Thank you @FoodNetworkCa for the op. Onward and upward.”

    Meanwhile Tori Spelling wants to dispel all rumors that she is suffering from some sort of ‘mystery illness.’

    Tori Spelling has long been known as a wonderful mother, so it’s no surprise to see her dressing her children up and taking them to a film screening. Hopefully now that Dean McDermott will be home a bit more with Tori and the kids, he will take on some of the responsibilities she has long shouldered alone.

  • Raven Symone, Adrienne Bailon: Cheetah Girls Reunion

    Raven Symone and Adrienne Bailon–two of the Cheetah Girls from the Disney Channel’s movies, reunited to tape an episode of The Real that airs on Monday, March 9th. It marks the first time in almost nine years that the two have been together on the same screen.

    E! reports that there was even a bit of dancing involved during the reunion. Raven Symone reportedly broke into an old dance move that had Adrienne Bailon wondering what she’d been thinking way back when.

    “Oh my god,” Bailon screamed before getting up and joining in the dance. “Why did I think this was a hot move?!”

    In addition to Adrienne Bailon–Loni Love, Jeannie Mai, Tamera Mowry, and Tamar Braxton also star in The Real. With Raven Symone as a guest, however, it was as if Adrienne went back–way, way back–in time. In addition to nostalgic conversation, the ladies hosted a ‘Cheetah-licious’ dance battle, too, with Tamar Braxton and Tamera Mowry getting in on the action.

    Raven Symone stars on Empire these days, with Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. It’s certainly a far cry from her days as one of the Cheetah Girls, alongside Bailon, as well as Kiely Williams, and Sabrina Bryan. Prior to The Cheetah Girls, Raven Symone starred as Rudy on The Cosby Show.

    Raven Symone and the rest of the group starred in The Cheetah Girls and The Cheetah Girls 2, and sang the group’s hit songs including ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Girl Power.’

    Fans will no doubt feel a bit nostalgic when tuning in to The Real on Monday when Cheetah Girls stars Raven Symone and Adrienne Bailon come together on stage for the first time in almost nine years.

    Will you be tuning in? The Real airs on Fox at 3:00 PM ET.

  • Anna Kendrick Aimed For a Different Role in ‘Into the Woods’

    Anna Kendrick plays Cinderella in the upcoming Into the Woods film. Twelve-year-old Lilla Crawford plays Little Red Riding Hood. The movie is based on a popular musical theatre piece by Stephen Sondheim and is a theatre fan favorite.

    What non-theatre-goers may not know is that the role of Little Red Riding Hood in the musical is usually played by an adult woman.

    “They told me an actual 12-year-old would play Little Red Riding Hood,” Anna Kendrick told ET recently. “In the show it’s a grown woman, so I was like, ‘Put me in! I can do it!’”

    In fact, when Kendrick told Variety that when she first auditioned for the film, she thought that was the part she was going for.

    “They did a workshop in New York and my agent asked me to put myself on tape. First of all, I thought I would be auditioning for Little Red, because normally, that’s played by a grown woman. When he told me I would be auditioning for Cinderella that was a mental adjustment.”

    Anna said that doing the role of Cinderella also meant she had one of the toughest songs in the show.

    “It’s a register I haven’t sung in before,” she said. “I hope I’m not being biased to say I think it’s one of the most challenging songs in the piece.”

    But she also made the surprising confession that she had never seen Into the Woods live before doing the film, but she was certainly familiar with the live version.

    “I don’t know that I have [seen it live],” she said. “I feel like I’ve seen it live because I grew up watching the Bernadette Peters VHS.”

    Kendrick has now done three musicals in a row: Pitch Perfect, The Last Five Years, and Into the Woods. She hopes to take a rest from the format for a bit and do something else.

    “I think musical theater was the first thing that interested me. I always thought of the two of them going hand in hand… Into The Woods and The Last Five Years are two of the greatest pieces of musical theatre ever,” she said, “so obviously it was a dream come true. I think I would enter into something else cautiously.”

  • Keke Palmer Is Essence’s Cover Girl For January

    Keke Palmer made waves recently when she was cast as Cinderella in the Broadway musical. Palmer is now officially the first African-American woman to take on the iconic role in the musical. For Essence magazine’s January issue, they decided to do a feature on Palmer who also appears on the magazine’s cover. Palmer looks absolutely gorgeous on the cover, with her black and white-patterned party dress and glam-inspired make-up. Essence’s feature on Palmer focuses on her views regarding her new status as “the first African-American Cinderella on Broadway” as well as her love life and career.

    “I know that the role of Cinderella is primarily for a Caucasian girl, but it didn’t stop me from going in and it didn’t stop them from seeing me,” the 21-year-old Palmer tells the magazine. “There is a bit of intimidation. You think about Denzel [Washington], Viola Davis, and you think, ‘Only great people can do Broadway.’ That was the scariest thing about it, but I’m the type who thrives on pressure…”

    Palmer also revealed that she has broken up with someone recently and this gave her a new perspective on her life. “I realized that I’m a lot freer of a spirit. That was the beginning of me standing up for myself,” she says. “I would love to have somebody but this is such a great time in my life, in my career. I really am liking myself.”

    Keke made her debut as Cinderella on September 9. She is joined by Sherri Shepherd and NeNe Leakes who each play Cinderella’s evil stepmother.

    Keke Palmer is a singer and actress who has appeared in films such as Barbershop 2: Back in Business, Madea’s Family Reunion, and Ice Age: Continental Drift among others. She turned heads when she starred in the critically acclaimed film Akeelah and The Bee about an 11-year-old girl who joins the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

  • Keke Palmer Opens Up About Cinderella And Phone Hack

    Keke Palmer said that being Cinderella is a dream come true and a role that she is very honored to play, especially since she is African American.

    Palmer recently talked to Essence about the role and the challenges she has faced while playing it.

    “I know that the role of Cinderella is primarily for a Caucasian girl, but it didn’t stop me from going in and it didn’t stop them from seeing me,” she said.

    She added, “There is a bit of intimidation. You think about Denzel, Viola Davis, and you think, Only great people can do Broadway. That was the scariest thing about it, but I’m the type who thrives on pressure…”

    In the midst of being chosen for the role of Cinderella, Palmer had to deal with a stressful situation that affected many celebrities.

    Her cell phone was one of the many that were hacked and several nude photos of Palmer were leaked on the Internet.

    Palmer said that the people who look at the photos are just as guilty as the people who hacked the phones and leaked them.

    “People think they can just put their hands in everything and it’s like, No, no, no. The fact that so many celebrity pictures were out there and everybody is elating in the fact that they’re a Peeping Tom?” she said.

    She added, “You’re all Peeping Toms. Everybody that’s commenting. In real life, if anybody went to somebody’s house and looked at them naked, they would go to jail…”

    You can read more about Keke Palmer and her role as Cinderella in the January issue of Essence magazine.

  • Lesley Ann Warren to Join Curtain Call Performance With Broadway’s ‘Cinderella’ Cast

    Lesley Ann Warren, who starred in the 1965 television version of Cinderella, will once again take to the stage to sing an encore performance of a song from the classic musical.

    The Victor/Victoria star will attend the Sept. 23 production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella and join the cast on stage during the curtain call to sing Ten Minutes Ago.

    “I’m really looking forward to it,” Warren said. The actress has yet to see the Broadway production but saw a performance on the Tony Award telecast and called it “scrumptious.”

    Julie Andrews originated the part on Broadway eight years before Warren’s beloved television performance, which also starred Walter Pidgeon, Stuart Damon, Ginger Rogers and Celeste Holm.

    A special DVD of the 1965 television performance was released last year in anticipation of the television broadcast’s 50th anniversary next year.

    Warren, 68, said the reality that nearly 50 years have passed since she starred as Cinderella on television “makes me sick. It is crazy because it truly doesn’t feel that way to me. I can’t even wrap my head around it.”

    Warren was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Blake Edwards’ Victor/Victoria and had recurring television roles on Desperate Housewives and In Plain Sight.

    When Warren began rehearsals for next week’s performance of Ten Minutes Ago, she became very emotional as treasured memories resurfaced.

    “It brought me back to that 18-year-old girl that I was creating that role,” she said. “It was such a momentous experience for me.”

    Warren said the beloved television version had a great impact on performers and fans of the production.

    “It changed my life,” she said. “It became a classic so quickly. It affected not only me but it affected so many people who were kind enough to let me know how it impacted their life.”

    Keke Palmer currently plays Cinderella at the Broadway Theatre, alongside Sherri Shepherd, who plays the evil stepmother.

  • Keke Palmer: Broadway Has A New Cinderella…And She’s Black

    Actress Keke Palmer is over the moon as she makes history by becoming the first African-American to play the role of Cinderella on Broadway, in “Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.” She takes the stage on September 9, a prospect that caused her to tweet on August 4, “I’m sooooo excited to be doing broadway for the first time, as Cinderella!! DREAMS DO COME TRUE!!”

    Palmer is excited to explore the nuances of theater, especially since her parents were both professional actors who raised her on acting. “Theater offers so much more than I haven’t been able to access doing film and TV and everything like that. I’m very excited to learn all that it has to offer—that focus and that dedication to perform at a certain level every night,” she said.

    Palmer is a veteran of TV and film, playing the title role in the 2006 film Akeelah And The Bee when she was 13 and in Nickelodeon’s True Jackson, VP in her latter teen years. Throughout her acting career she also pursued a career in singing, releasing several mixtapes and singles over the years, along with “So Uncool” in 2007 and a self-titled EP in 2012. Meanwhile, she starred in films such as Barbershop 2: Back in Business and Joyful Noise, and played the role of Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas in CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story. Palmer is also the youngest person to be given her own talk show, Just Keke, which airs on BET. She is considered one of the most hardworking young actors today.

    Currently, Palmer plays the role of a maid and baby nurse on the critically acclaimed TV series Masters Of Sex. Her character, Coral, is employed by Libby Masters, whose interaction with her shows the odd complexities of the relationship between a black woman and the wealthy white woman for whom she works.

    Image via kekepalmer,  Instagram

  • Keke Palmer is Broadway’s First Black Cinderella

    When pop-star Brandy stepped into Cinderella’s glass slipper in 1997 for the made-for-TV movie, the world took notice; it was the first time a black woman had been cast for the role of Cinderella in the story’s history. Now, Brandy will have company in the record books as Keke Palmer steps into the glass slippers to become the first black woman to portray Cinderella on Broadway.

    Palmer, who is perhaps best known for her role in Akeelah and the Bee, has perhaps the best pedigree to play the role of Cinderella as anyone ever has. Palmer is the daughter of two actors and has been in the acting business for almost her entire life. Besides starring in Akeelah and the Bee, Palmer has acted in a variety of roles, including parts in the Nickelodeon series True Jackson: VP, the Lifetime Emmy-nominated movie The Trip to Bountiful, and most recently as Coral on Showtime’s Masters of Sex.

    Besides acting, though, Palmer is also a successful singer, having released her first album, So Cool, in 2007 and two mixtapes in 2011 and 2012.

    Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Palmer has accomplished all of this at the young age of 20. In fact, Palmer became the youngest talk-show host in television history when her show, Just Keke, debuted on BET earlier this year.

    Palmer credits her want and ability to become Cinderella to the precedence set by Brandy when she portrayed Cinderella on TV in 1997: “I feel like the reason I’m able to do this is definitely because Brandy did it on TV. In me doing this, it shows everybody that everything is possible.”

    “Theater offers so much more than I haven’t been able to access doing film and TV and everything like that. I’m very excited to learn all that it has to offer — that focus and that dedication to perform at a certain level every night,” stated Palmer.

    Palmer steps into the slippers most recently filled by Paige Faure, who received the see-through shoes from none-other than pop-star Carly Rae Jepsen. Palmer’s stage debut comes on September 9, shortly after the actor turns 21.

    Image via Twitter

  • Sara Hyland Is Not Ok With Carly Rae Jepsen’s Role

    Last week, it was revealed that Carly Rae Jepsen would be taking over the role of Cinderella in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella . While Jepsen is ecstatic for her Broadway debut on February 4, 2014, Sarah Hyland doesn’t think that Jepsen is the right choice.

    “Broadway has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl, and I look forward to working with this incredibly talented cast to tell this classic tale. My favorite part of the school year was our trip to New York, where we met Broadway performers and toured the theaters. It’s so hopeful and inspiring. I’ve always been one to believe in the impossible, so I relate to her character completely,” Jepsen said about her newest endeavor.

    For whatever reason, Hyland doesn’t think that Jepsen should have the part, and took to Twitter to voice her opinion. “Today’s a meltdown day. Carly Rae jepsen is going to be cinderella??? On broadway???? NOT OK WITH THIS. Tell me it’s gonna be ok @LauraOsnes,” she tweeted. Laura Osnes previously played the part of Cinderella, and has turned the role over to Jepsen.

    Hyland later tweeted: “Too avoid anyone assuming things? My previous tweets do not mean that I’m not a Carly Rae Jepsen fan. The end.” Hyland has since deleted the tweets.

    Hyland is not the only one that opposes Jepsen portraying Cinderella. Many others have taken to their social media accounts to voice their opinions as well. After seeing all of the messages from the haters, Osnes posted a tweet of her own that read: “Have we learned nothing from Ella about charity, generosity, and kindness? @CinderellaBway.”

    What do you think about Jepsen’s role as Cinderella? Leave your comments below.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Carly Rae Jepsen Will Perform on Broadway

    Dreams really do come true, especially if you just happen to be Carly Rae Jepsen. The Grammy-nominated pop star is set to appear on Broadway as part of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. The “Call Me Maybe” singer recently spoke about her Broadway dreams. “Broadway has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl, and I look forward to working with this incredibly talented cast to tell this classic tale,” she shared with The Hollywood Reporter.

    Tony-nominated performer Laura Osnes is leaving her role in the popular Broadway play, and Jepsen will take over. Playwright Douglas Carter Beane is the mastermind behind the adaptation that was bestowed with the honor of receiving a total of nine Tony nominations this year. Fans can look forward to seeing the talented performer as soon as February 4. Jepsen will be joined by Fran Drescher, who will play Cinderella’s stepmother.

    Twenty-eight-year-old Jepsen sent an email to The New York Times where she explained her reason for being drawn to the performing world. “It was essentially musical theater training with studies in singing, dancing and acting. My favorite part of the school year was our trip to New York, where we met Broadway performers and toured the theaters.” She explained before specifically speaking about the desire to participate in the Broadway musical production of Cinderella. “It’s so hopeful and inspiring. I’ve always been one to believe in the impossible, so I relate to her character completely.”

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons and Courtesy of Georges Biard

  • Carly Rae Jepsen To Make Broadway Debut

    Carly Rae Jepsen To Make Broadway Debut

    Carly Rae Jepsen may be best known for her breakout hit “Call Me Maybe” and her friendship with Justin Bieber, but she’s about to make a name for herself outside of the pop world.

    The 28-year old is set to take on the role of Cinderella in the Rodgers and Hammerstein production starting February 4 and says the story is close to her heart.

    “It’s so hopeful and inspiring,” she said. “I’ve always been one to believe in the impossible, so I relate to her character completely.”

    Jepsen, who attended the Canadian College of Performing Arts after high school, will star with Fran Drescher in the production. She recently spoke a bit about her college days with the New York Times and says school trips to New York City were always a favorite.

    “It was essentially musical theater training with studies in singing, dancing and acting,” she said. “My favorite part of the school year was our trip to New York, where we met Broadway performers and toured the theaters.”

    Jepsen takes over for Laura Osnes, who has played the infamous cinder-girl for the last year.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons