Mike Carrasco and Mena Suvari at a black & white dinner hosted by Alice & Olivia. (photo: Amy Graves/WireImage.com)

Roth's Reserve

Actor's journalistic approach to acting

"Emotionally, for me, I'd come in, do my shtick and get the hell out and move on to the next story," Tim Roth says of his role as a detached news photographer in the upcoming miniseries 'Tsunami, the Aftermath.' "That's journalism. You can't afford to let it get to you." It wasn't so easy for his co-stars, he acknowledges. "In a way, I think I got the easiest character to play. I didn't have to deal with loss. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Sophie Okonedo [who play a married couple on vacation whose daughter goes missing]...had a pretty tough time of it."

The British actor has had to develop a thick skin for a couple of emotionally grueling roles lately. He plays the victim of sadistic hostage takers in director Michael Haneke's remake of 'Funny Games' and a professor turned fugitive in Francis Ford Coppola's surreal Romanian drama, 'Youth Without Youth' — both slated for next year. (photo: Amy Graves/WireImage.com)

[TimeOutNY]

And the Golden Girl Goes To....

Andre Royo is honored for his junkie turn

When Andre Royo first landed the role of junkie/snitch Bubbles on 'The Wire' he thought, "How can I make this character not cliché?" He was prepared for the informant part: "I've been snitching for a long time now. The first job I had on 'Law & Order' I was snitching." Plus, he's played the rat on 'Third Watch' and the remake of 'Shaft.' For the addict side of his character, the 38-year-old Bronx native hung out with junkies in New York and Baltimore.

Later, on a set break during the first season, Royo received the only award he (or any actor from the critically-acclaimed series) has received for his work on the show, when a local Baltimore junkie walked up to the still-in-character actor with a bag of heroin. "He said, 'Yo, you need this, man. You look like you need a hit,'" recalls Royo of the day he won his "Street Oscar." "I laughed a little bit and I got emotional. I was like, 'Wow, he thinks I'm a junkie for real.' I felt validated." (photo: Soren McCarty/WireImage.com)

[AP via Canada.com]

Meet the F**kers

Maher, Milch & others defend the f-word

In 'F**K,' the new documentary, TV director Steve Anderson looks at the history of the F-word and its use (and banning). From myths over the word's origin (apparently it's not an acronym for Fornication Under the Consent of the King) to Lenny Bruce's arrest for using it in his act, the Toronto Star reports that the doc settles into a groove looking at the word's role in culture wars. Included among the writers and comedians falling on the pro-f**k side (i.e. free speech) are Bill Maher and David Milch (who's 'Deadwood' probably contains more of the word in an hour than Bruce's entire act). (photo: Matthew Simmons/WireImage.com)

[Toronto Sun via Jam! Showbiz]

Adrian Grenier at Stuff Magazine's Toys for Bigger Boys party. (photo: Mark Von Holden/WireImage.com)

Ze Not-So-Gud German

"Well, it's perfect," proclaimed star George Clooney of the world premiere of 'The Good German' at the legendary Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

But Clooney's German? Well, not so much. "We had this dialect coach on the set who clearly didn't speak a word of German," recalls People's "Sexiest Man Alive," The dialect coach said, `Perfect, yah that was gud.' Then he went away and I recorded the dialogue." Months later, director Steven Soderbergh realized he had a problem. "Steven called me up and said, `Listen, the German doesn't make sense, nobody understands it.'" Luckily 'Angels in America' director Mike Nichols speaks fluent German, "so Mike and Steven and I went into a looping stage and I had to redo all of my German with Mike Nichols as my German coach."

'The Good German' with co-stars Cate Blanchett, Tobey Maguire and Robin Weigert (of 'Deadwood') opens with a limited release December 15, and nationwide December 22. (photo: Barry King/WireImage.com)

[AP via SF Gate]

[PR-Inside]

Sophie's Choice

Okonedo on the roles she's drawn to

She's "skilled in the cinematic translation of grief," says the NY Daily News, which is what drew Sophie Okonedo to do 'Tsunami, The Aftermath' in the first place. "It showed all the different ways that different cultures and different races deal with grief."

The British actress, who had never been to the U.S. before she earned an Oscar nomination for her role in 'Hotel Rwanda,' plays a tourist who survives the tsunami on a scuba boat, only to discover her young daughter is among the missing. "[The miniseries] humanizes the situation. Otherwise, it becomes just a big disaster. It lets people identify with it, and when people identify with it, it brings up a whole well of compassion."

As Okonedo's film career gets bigger (she's attached to a crime noir starring Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis and a Black Panther movie with Mos Def), she's still drawn to the more challenging, less glamorous parts. "...everyone's seen me up close with all my spots. Most of the time people say to me, 'God, you look much nicer off screen!' I'm so blessed in some of the projects I've been involved in, as they really have made a little bit of a difference." (photo: Tomos Brangwyn/WireImage.com)

[Daily News]

Boy Toy Redux

Jason Lewis's new love interest

Former model Jason Lewis managed the impossible task of taming Samantha on 'Sex and the City.' How will he fare as a "potential love interest" for one of the Walker siblings (Kevin, played by Matthew Rhys) on ABC's 'Brothers and Sisters'? Zap2it reports he'll start appearing as a special guest star some time in the new year.

Lewis has been busy since 'Sex,' gracing the small screen in 'Charmed,' 'The Jacket,' and the Lifetime movie 'For One Night'; and next up on the big screen, he'll appear in the spring thriller 'Mr. Brooks' with Kevin Costner and William Hurt. (photo: James Devaney/WireImage.com)

[Zap2it]

Jeanne Tripplehorn and Leland Orser at the Los Angeles premiere of 'The Good German.' (photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/WireImage.com)

What's In a Name?

Sonja Sohn explains

In an interview with Tripmaster Monkey, Sonja Sohn was asked about her unusual name. 'The Wire' star, whose father is African American and mother is Korean, explained, "I never really felt that attached to the name that I walked around with most of my life. I always loved my mother's name, so I took her last name — Sohn." And her first name? "My father wanted to name me Sonja. My mother wanted to name me Soon-Ja, it's a Korean name, and so because it was sort of like Sonja, my father sort of won out, but my mother's intention was Soon-Ja...so I figured let me give her Sohn."

And with her heritage how does the industry see her? "I've never been offered anything Asian American, I'll tell you that. The day that happens, I'll fall out. That would be nice. Something mixed, at least." (photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com)

[TripmasterMonkey.com]

Timothy Takes the Hit

When Timothy Olyphant turns in his badge at 'Deadwood' he'll be heading off to take out more bad guys on the big screen. Ain't It Cool News reports Olyphant has signed on to star in the film version of 'Hitman' based on the videogame of the same name — replacing Vin Diesel who was previously attached. Action movie maker Luc Besson has signed on to co-produce, assuring a certain "standard of kick-assery," says AICN. And don't miss Olyphant's turns as the villain in the next 'Die Hard' or opposite Jennifer Garner in next month's 'Catch and Release.' (photo: Barry King/WireImage.com)

[Ain't It Cool News]

Up With Love

Sarah Paulson, Christmas Bride

On 'Studio 60' her character just landed a movie role and now the actress behind 'Deadwood' 's prim tutor, Sarah Paulson, has landed a part in a holiday film playing a modern bride who scrambles to get home from a business trip to make her nuptials. In Lifetime's upcoming 'A Christmas Wedding,' Paulson is finally ready to embrace marriage...if she can make it to the church on time. (photo: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage.com)

[Indystar.com]

Glenn Close, Larry David and Stanley Tucci at the Deer Valley Celebrity Skifest in Utah. (photo: Ken Levine/WireImage)

Great Dane

He was up against some stiff competition — Johnny Depp, Steve Carell, video phenom YouTube, and his own 'Employee of the Month' co-star Jessica Simpson — but Dane Cook took home the prize for 'Entertainer of the Year' at VH1's Big in 06 awards Sunday night. Citing his sold-out Madison Square Garden concerts and record-breaking comedy album, 'Retaliation,' VH1 commentators said the "part body builder, part rock star" comedian was "on fire."

Cook accepted the award from a car on the set of his new movie, 'Dan in Real Life,' which co-stars Steve Carell. He thanked his fans and "my three new BFFs, Paris, Brittany and Lindsay," before making a crotch-flashing exit en route to celebrate. (photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage.com)

[VH1]

[YouTube]

Funny Ladies

Alumnae behind 'Campus Ladies'

They didn't go to college together, but the stars of Oxygen's comedy 'Campus Ladies,' Christen Sussin and Carrie Aizley, are fellow alumns with their executive producer Cheryl Hines — they met while performing in the Chicago improv group, the Groundlings. The show, based on characters they developed at Groundlings — a couple of housewives who try to recapture their youth by going back to college and acting like, well, a couple of college guys — premieres its second season tonight.

"I will give hats off to Christen and Carrie. They are fearless comedians," Hines told the NY Daily News. "They will do anything, and we don't really see that from women. We'll see Will Ferrell running down the street in his underwear and it's funny. But in a movie, if a woman is running down the street in her underwear, she's a size 2 and it's not funny. So these women are putting it out there, and it's hilarious."

Appearing in the second of two back-to-back episodes tonight is Hines' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' co-star Jeff Garlin, playing the boss of one of the ladies' less-than-fabulous beaus. (photo: Paul Redmond/WireImage.com)

[NY Daily News]

Sibling Revelry

Peter Krause sings Michael C. Hall's praise

They may have butted heads at times as brothers running Fisher & Sons, but Peter Krause has nothing but high praise for Michael C. Hall's latest star turn as 'Dexter,' the serial killer cop on Showtime. "It was a very brave choice for Michael to take on the series because, on the surface, there are some similarities to 'Six Feet Under,' " Krause said according to the NY Post.

Talking about Hall's otherworldly performance, Krause noted, "...I don't want to compare him to Spock on 'Star Trek' necessarily, but there were moments when you could catch an emotional life inside of Spock, just for a second....Michael's finding a way of doing that differently than [Leonard] Nimoy did with Spock, but what I enjoy about [Hall's] performance in ['Dexter'] is you see these moments where there is this little emotional undercurrent where he's not totally devoid of emotion, and that's a really fascinating acting choice on Michael's part that I'm really enjoying about the show." (photo: Maury Phillips/WireImage.com)

[NY Post]

Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore at the GQ Man of the Year Awards. (photo: Lester Cohen/WireImage.com)

Queen to Close

'Life Support,' starring Queen Latifah as a crack-addicted mother who turns her life around to become an AIDS activist, will be the official closing night film at the Sundance film festival. The HBO Films movie is directed by Nelson George and also features Wendell Pierce ( "Bunk" from 'The Wire').

Actor-directors Steve Buscemi and Justin Theroux will also be heading to Park City for the world premieres of their new films ('Interview' and 'Dedication'). (photo: Alexandra Wyman/WireImage.com)

[Indiewire]

Preacher Man

Mark Steven Johnson talks about plans for comic series

He managed to bring both 'Daredevil and 'Ghost Rider' to the big screen when others had failed, and now Mark Steven Johnson is developing what he hopes will be a small-screen serialization of 'Preacher' for HBO. Talking about his dreams for the series, he said " 'Preacher' I have always wanted to do...it's the greatest but it's so difficult. And I love it more than anybody....I want Odin Quincannon having sex with a meat person. If I can do that, I've made my mark on the world.....HBO's got balls, they were like, yeah bring it! Do it!"

Johnson is collorating with Garth Ennis the original writer of the series, and wants to invite guest directors like Kevin Smith and Robert Rodriguez. "I want it to be a prestige thing, you love 'Preacher'? Come do a show."

'Preacher' follows the story of Jesse Custer, a small-town Texas preacher who, possessed by a supernatural creature "Genesis" (the coupling of a demon and angel), becomes a force to be reckoned with. He sets out to reckon with God him (or her) self — who abandoned Heaven when Genesis was born. Custer's joined on his road trip by his ex girlfriend and a hard-drinking vampire. Johnson estimates he's got at least six years worth of material. (photo: Albert L. Ortega/WireImage.com)

[IESB.net]

Changing of the Guard

MD Gov's 'Wire' cameo

Maryland voters might have spotted a familiar face in last night's 'The Wire.' Their outgoing governor, Robert Ehrlich, made a cameo appearance - playing a security guard at the Maryland State House, where Mayor Carcetti went to grovel to the fictional Republican governor for funds to bail out the city's deficit. Knowing that the upstart young Mayor Carcetti will be gunning for his job in two years, the Governor makes him wait until he's fed up. On his way out, Ehrlich's "guard" character stops him: "The Governor will see you now."

The political showdown may seem familiar to Maryland residents. Ehrlich, who's a Republican, recently lost his seat to Baltimore's actual young, upstart mayor, Martin O'Malley, a Democratic reformer known for shaking things up. (photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage.com)

[TV Predictions]

[Time]