Kathleen Turner plays Eileen Cleary in The Perfect Family

With a career spanning over three decades, encompassing roles in film, theater, and television, Kathleen Turner is a staple in the entertainment industry. In The Perfect Family, a 2011 Tribeca Film Festival official selection, in select theaters now, Turner plays a devoutly Catholic woman attempting to prove she has the perfect family. Below, the actress discusses her new film, her future plans, and the effect technology has had on the entertainment business.

How did you come about the script for The Perfect Family?
KATHLEEN TURNER: I have a reputation for being quite open to reading scripts that come through the proper channels. The script came to me through [director] Anne Renton. I got kind of hooked on the character, in that here is a woman that I think is a good one, a well-meaning woman. I don’t think she’s intolerant or even judgemental. Yet, she has accepted these rules that are so intolerant. How does she expect to make this work in the real world?

Starting with that, I thought the script wasn’t all there. Then I got Anne on the phone and we went over the script in a lot of detail. I got the rewrite back and they were quite thorough and used everything we talked about. Then I said yes, and they went on to cast it. Suddenly, I had this terrific cast.

Tell us about your character, Eileen Cleary. How did you prepare for the role?
KT: A good script has almost everything you need in it. I did go to mass one day; I went to Mother’s Day mass. And I did read about the doctrines of the church, and its positions on all kinds of things. None of which of course actually affected me personally, [but] it gave me some guidelines for Eileen’s behavior.

You’ve had a long career, and, with the advent of technology, things have changed dramatically in the industry. How do you feel about it all?
KT: I think it’s getting much more exciting now. Because of technology, we can make these quality films with so much less money and less crew. We used to have to hire these huge cameras for hundreds of thousands of dollars, which made filmmaking so inaccessible to so many people.

The studios used to have a real lock on distribution, and it’s still pretty tight, but we’re getting around it. Which means fresh stories, new ideas—I’m, so sick of being told they’re remaking another TV show as a film. Who cares? Not me.

Any upcoming plans you’d like to share?
KT: A play about writer Molly Ivins [Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins]. She’s a political humorist [and] columnist, she died a few years ago. She was a tremendous voice for liberalism. I developed a play in Philadelphia about two years ago. This last January and February I did it at the Geffen Theater in Los Angeles. Now, and this is my dream come true, I’m taking it to the arena stage in Washington D.C. in September and October—before the election. I want her voice, in D.C, before the election. It’s going to be fun.

The Perfect Family opened in select theaters on Friday, May 4

In The Hunger Games, the futuristic mind-bender slated to hit screens later this month, Dayo Okeniyi plays Thresh, a strong yet silent character fighting for his life. Here, Okeniyi discusses his move to the States and his thoughts on his career–all while exuding a poised sense of humility.

Tell me about your move from Nigeria to the United States. Any bumps in the transition?
DAYO OKENIYI: I don’t remember anything being too surprising. The media, television, movies, and the internet have taken the globe and made it feel much smaller.

The Hunger Games is being called the new Twilight. How do you feel about the comparison?
DO: I certainly understand why the comparison is being drawn. We are a young, ensemble cast, much like Twilight. I would be lying if I said I would not welcome the success of the 'saga,' but The Hunger Games is different, we have no supernatural powers, we are human—very, very human.

What is the greatest misconception about you?
DO: That I don’t know how lucky I am. That I am somehow unaware that what I have already achieved is experienced by a rare few in my profession of choice, and that I think this is just the way it happens for all actors. Believe me, I know I have been given something very special, very precious, and I plan to hold on with both hands and work my craft to make it last. Humility is not an option, it is a responsibility.

Demián Bichir

“As an actor, you want a role that will stretch your range as much as possible,” said Demián Bichir of his Oscar-nominated turn as the beleaguered immigrant gardener Carlos Galindo in A Better Life. A celebrated Mexican star, Bichir’s emotional portrayal of Galindo, an undocumented worker struggling to provide for his son in East Los Angeles, has him pitted against the likes of George Clooney, Jean Dujardin, Gary Oldman, and Brad Pitt for the best actor in a leading role award.

What attracted you to this role?
DB: Being an Angeleno myself, I know exactly what the script is about. I found a Hollywood story without the Hollywood gimmicks—and so rich in emotion, and a physical challenge as well.

Do you think the film inspires people to think differently about illegal immigration?
DB: You cannot think about Carlos Galindo’s story without thinking about the need for immigration reform for 11 million human beings. You know what I’ve gotten from friends? ‘I didn’t know my status towards immigration could change in two hours.’

You’ve been called the George Clooney of Mexico. How does it now feel to be nominated alongside Clooney?
DB: I’ve read that but I don’t even know who began saying that! I see it as a huge compliment, but I think I may be closer to Homer Simpson. I never thought I’d even be in the same category as George.

Few Latino actors are nominated for Academy Awards. How does it feel to be one of them?
DB: It’s a handful but it should be bigger. It makes me even more grateful to be part of it. I’m the second Mexican actor to be nominated for a leading role, and the other guy is Anthony Quinn. How crazy is that?

What do you like to do when you’re not busy with a film project?
DB: I’m a pretty mellow and quiet person. In my free time I exercise, go see a movie, read a good book, and I love the opera. I try to take it easy.

James Tupper

According to creator Mike Kelly, ABC’s Revenge is a show about a universal emotion that “is as old as humanity—dark, dramatic, and endless.” And, if that’s not enough to endear you, the show is set in the Hamptons and stars the very sexy James Tupper.

Did you expect Revenge to be such a hit?
JAMES TUPPER: The pilot had already been produced with another actor in the role of David Clarke. Something came up that made it impossible for him to continue with the project so I was given the opportunity to take a look. I loved it. It was smart, daring, and it had all the ingredients for good television.

David embodies “revenge.” Are there any similarities between yourself and your character?
JT: I want to be very careful in my answer, as I don’t want anyone to construe that I am some kind of psychopath. But, David lost the love of his life and whether we admit it or not, revenge is a very human response. We can place judgment on it or we can simply admit that, for many, when we are hurt, we secretly want to hurt back. I can understand David’s desire for revenge.

What’s your reaction to being called one of TVs sexiest stars?
JT: I am not 25 anymore, not even close. So if people still consider me ‘sexy,’ well, I would be a fool not to embrace it.

Is it true that you lived on a coffee farm in Africa and learned to speak Swahili?
JT: It is true. I lived with a family in East Africa. I was 19 and I guess I felt I had to walk all over creation only to find that people are people wherever you go. I also fell in love with soccer, but the team wore horrible shorts that left nothing to the imagination.

What is the greatest misconception about you?
JT: Well not to harp on the ‘sexy thing,’ but I am often cast as a leading man. And don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it and I am grateful, but, to be honest, I really feel like a character actor.

Read more from Joshua Estrin at popmuncher.com.

Linda Cardellini and John Slattery in Return

Set to star in her first feature lead role in this month’s Return, Linda Cardellini discusses the timeliness of the movie, working with costars Michael Shannon and John Slattery, and what's still in store for her.

LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL: What made you decide to take on Return and play such an complex character?
LINDA CARDELLINI: After ER, I slowed down and decided that I would wait until I found something I was really moved by to work on next. I was in New York when I got the script for Liza [Johnson, director]’s movie, and I just thought, “Wow! What an amazing role for a woman!” and for anybody, for that matter. There have been stories about people returning from war throughout movie history, but the way she spoke about  the intricacies of this woman coming back and the slow unraveling of her life, and the small details that told the story, rather than a huge catastrophic event that told the story – I just found that would be so interesting and delicate to play .

LAC: How did you prepare for the role? How was the experience of playing a woman coming back from war?
LC: It was very enlightening. I think so many of us hear about the war every day, and know of people who have been over there. But I don’t think that we know quite enough about it as citizens. To me, it was a great responsibility to try to learn as much as I could. I tried to speak to as many women as I could, but I also spoke to men. I really liked how Liza wrote it. Because, even though it is told by a woman, I think that there are certain things that are common thread for any soldier who might have gone over there.

LAC: How was working with Michael Shannon and John Slattery?
LC: They’re fantastic. They are both really funny and warm, and incredible actors. It was so great for me, because I spent so much time on screen alone. It was so great when they showed up because they completely changed the energy and [lent] so much support to my character and so much more life and texture to what she was going through.

LAC: Any future plans you’d like to discuss?
LC: I’m due to produce a child any day now! I’ve [also] been working on writing and have something in development, and, if that happens, it’ll be something I might be interested in starring in, writing, and producing. I’m spreading my wings a little bit.

Return opens in Los Angeles on February 10th.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF RETURN-FILM.COM

Tom Werner and Russell Goldsmith in Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox

	Goldsmith and Werner during their Harvard days

When they met as roommates in their sophomore year at Harvard College, Russell Goldsmith, who hailed from Los Angeles, had the sheen of Hollywood on him and the friendly Tom Werner was looking to make the acquaintance of a particularly pretty classmate. “I was new to Harvard and Tom was very welcoming,” says Goldsmith. “Little did I realize he had an ulterior motive—he wanted to meet this girl I knew, Wendy.” But Werner insists he wasn’t drawn to Goldsmith only because of a girl. “Russell had that sort of Hollywood stardom to him,” he says.

Although things didn’t pan out with Wendy, Werner, now an LA-based television producer and comanaging partner and chairman of the Boston Red Sox, and LA resident Goldsmith—CEO and chairman of California’s City National Bank—have been friends for more than four decades. At their college dorm, Dunster House, they ran a drama-review publication together, and later, in 1971, the two traveled to Israel to film a documentary about the country. “We were both interested in changing the world, of moving [it] forward an inch,” says Werner. “The documentary came from that spirit. Russell was the producer, and I was the director. Russell did some very good interviews, and for each one, he changed into a different color Lacoste shirt.”

That film project turned out to be a harbinger of sorts. Since graduating in 1971, the men’s lives have remained intertwined. Goldsmith was Werner’s personal lawyer during his years as an ABC executive and for Werner’s production company, Carsey-Werner Television. When Goldsmith was the CEO of Republic Pictures, Werner was on the board of directors. They were even co-owners of the San Diego Padres (which they ultimately sold in 1994).

Maybe their success as a team has something to do with how much they admire each other. “Tom and his [former] partner, Marcy Carsey, were working in a small office over a 7-Eleven when they created The Cosby Show and captured the attention of America. He continues to be a creative force in American culture and sports, and he does it with integrity,” says Goldsmith. “If it weren’t for Tom, I never would have owned a baseball team... Even his golf game is admirable.”

Werner speaks just as highly of Goldsmith, praising his kindness, his intelligence, and—of course—his golf game. “He’s not only been our banker and a helpful counselor, but he’s also someone I’ve always turned to for wisdom and advice,” says Werner. “We played golf [not too long ago], and Russell hit every single fairway.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY MELISSA MAHONEY

Matthew Modine

I recently sat down with Matthew Modine to catch up with the actor and to determine how to connect the dots between his provocatively titled short film, Jesus Was a Commie, and his role as Nixon in Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming addition to the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight Rises. Add to that the fact that the exact nature of Modine’s role in The Dark Knight Rises has been kept under lock and key, and this is one mystery man who has a knack for remaining elusive while remaining delightfully engaging.

The scope of your work not only speaks to your talent but also to your tenacity and versatility. Is acting an art or a science?
MATTHEW MODINE: I think it’s both. It is an elegant combination of the two. You have the science of filmmaking and the art of the actors who make the film. It takes a team of dreamers to make the dream come true!

You’ve been in many films, from Full Metal Jacket to And the Band Played On. Do you have a favorite role?
MM: And the Band Played On was one of my favorite and most important roles. It was about life and death. It was about the impact of taking no action and it took the voice of the arts and HBO to tell a story that for far too long no one was willing to tell.

You are an acclaimed author as well as an actor. Do you prefer one to the other?
MM: I think sometimes people forget that even though we may be actors, we are still people. With that being said I have a range of interests, including writing. I also recognize that as an artist, I have unique opportunities to study human behavior and explore diverse places. All of this finds a place in my writing and my writing lets me explore parts of what it takes to create believable characters.

Hollywood is constantly highlighting stories of failed relationships, yet you have been married for more than 30 years. How do you make it work?
MM: Honesty! I “lie” for a living. As an actor, I am paid to not be me. But that’s not reality. In my real life, in my marriage, it is all about the truth.  

The Dark Knight Rises is part of the Batman “thrillogy.” Why do you think fans find Batman so attractive and magnetic?
MM: Unlike other superheroes Batman is human—he has no super powers nor is [he] from a faraway planet. Instead he is a man who hides behind a mask to reveal his true strength and compassion. As a result, I think audiences find him mysterious with an air of familiarity.  

I have been waiting to ask you this question for weeks. What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about you?
MM: Well, I hope the answer doesn’t disappoint you… But most people think I am short. I am 6-feet-4-inches tall and people tell me on a daily basis that they had no idea I was so tall.

Read more from Joshua Estrin at popmuncher.com.

Who: Anna Kendrick

Age: 26

From: Portland, Maine

Best Known for: Her Oscar-nominated role opposite George Clooney in Up in the Air.

Latest Project: 50/50, also starring Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. She plays Katherine, a therapist- in-training and romantic interest to Gordon-Levitt’s character, who is battling cancer.

On Her Dramatic Youth: I started acting in community theater when I was five. Now [acting] is how I learn about myself and other people.

On Katherine's Appeal in 50/50: I really like that she’s vulnerable and unsure of herself and just doing her best. She’s very earnest.

On Her Similarities to Katherine: I’m pretty awkward, so we’re similar in that regard.

On Being on Set With Clooney vs. Rogen: They’re both goofy. I’d say George is more childlike than Seth, but both are encouraging, supportive and they definitely don’t bulls--t you.

On Her Favorite Role So Far: I really loved Ginny Ryerson in Rocket Science—she was pretty badass.

On Life in LA: I completely love what a great film community LA is. I take it for granted and then I visit my hometown [of Portland], and I don’t understand why some Korean slasher movie isn’t playing at the local cinema or there’s no [Ingmar] Bergman retrospective.

On the Actress She Most Admires: I look at someone like Patricia Clarkson and think if I could one day be half as great as she consistently is, it would be my dream.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ASHLEY BARRETT; STYLING BY NEIL RODGERS AT TRACEY MATTINGLY; HAIR BY CRAIG GANGI AT TRACEY MATTINGLY; MAKEUP BY GLORIA NOTO; DRESS, VIVIENNE WESTWOOD ANGLOMANIA; PENDANT, JAMIE WOLF; SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE RESIDENCES AT W HOLLYWOOD

Who: Jim Sturgess

Age: 33

From: London, England

Best Known For: Playing Jude in the Julie Taymor film Across the Universe.

Latest Project: One Day, a film based on the best-selling novel by David Nicholls, also starring Anne Hathaway. It follows the relationship of two best friends—Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley—on the same date over 20 years.

On Why the Womanizing, Self-Centered Character of Dexter Appealed to Him: Here was this film that was a really strong, powerful love story. I thought if I’m ever going to do a romantic film, this is the one I’d like to be involved in. And Dexter is such a rich character to play because he’s so flawed; he’s not your archetypal leading man. He’s almost unlikable at times.

On Whether He Identified With Dexter: I related to both characters, and I thought that was why [the movie] was so cleverly written. I saw a lot of myself in Emma, and I saw a lot of myself in Dexter. Some of the irresponsible stuff he gets into is certainly something I think a lot of people have been through.

On His Band, Tragic Toys, With Girlfriend (and La Roux Keiboardist) Mickey O'Brien: [We’ve] just written a record. The main bit of it is done, and we’ve been sort of recording it in patches and pieces. We really enjoy doing it—it’s something we have together. If something came of it that would be fine, but if it doesn’t, we just like making music.

On His First Major Film Role in the Movie Musical Across the Universe: It felt like everything I had done in my life built up to that one life-changing moment—all the times I’d been in bands and the acting I’d done. It just felt right. It was a nice way to enter my first film, getting to [act and sing] and make a movie based around the music and time period I was interested in growing up.

On Being an Actor vs. a Musician: When I was 15, all I did was play music; I played in pubs all around England. I was really comfortable doing that, but I feel much more comfortable as an actor now. I never used to, but I feel like an actor now.

PHOTOGRAPH BY GIULIANO BEKOR; STYLING BY JENNY RICKER AT THE WALL GROUP; GROOMING BY ROSIE JANE JOHNSTON FOR EXCLUSIVE ARTISTS MANAGEMENT; SUIT, LOUIS VUITTON, 295 N. RODEO DR., BEVERLY HILLS; LOUISVUITTON.COM. SHIRT, NATIVE SON, CONFEDERACY, 4661 HOLLYWOOD BLVD., LA; SHOPCONFEDERACY.COM. TIE, BAND OF OUTSIDERS, OPENING CEREMONY, 451 N. LA CIENEGA BLVD., WEST HOLLYWOOD; OPENINGCEREMONY.US

A Wisconsin native, Kristin Bauer traded life on a farm for a successful acting career as a seductive, bloodthirsty vampire on HBO’s True Blood. Off-screen, Bauer takes on the roles of painter, writer, wife and animal activist.

I knew I wanted to be an actress when... True Blood became a hit. Half kidding! It was actually my first day on my first set.

What I miss most about Wisconsin is... aged cheddar and wide-open spaces.

My perfect LA day involves... a matcha latte with my husband and four animals on the porch, followed by creating, acting, painting or writing.

If I were not an actress, I would be... a painter for sure, and I suspect also a writer.

To get into character, I... eat people. No, seriously, after hair and makeup and wardrobe, I look in the mirror, tap into my most direct, dry, honest self, then say those delicious lines.

Being on camera makes me feel… adrenaline.

If I could work with anyone, it would be... Robert Duvall and Ed Harris. I’d love to do a Western with them.

Working with costar Alexander Skarsgård is... a gift.

My work at the nonprofit The Amanda Foundation, which rescues dogs and cats, is important to me because... saving an innocent being from suffering and returning them to freedom and love is the greatest accomplishment.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ART STREIBER/HBO