Kevin Connolly and artist Louis Carreon attend Carreon's showcase of Hollywood life entitled "For the Love of Honey" at Uncle Buck's Gallery in Hollywood. (photo: Chris Weeks/WireImage.com)

Lesser Burden to Bare

Actors love the freedom offered by HBO's lack of taboos, but when it comes to, say ... sauntering onscreen in a bath towel, a more by-the-book network has its comforts. Callie Thorne, who plays McNulty's ex-wife Elena on 'The Wire,' points to her role on FX's 'Rescue Me' to illustrate: "It's interesting because on FX you can show the sides [of naked torsos] and you can show the backsides of both men and women, but, of course, no frontal nudity," she told TV Guide. "You know you can't show everything, so there's no fear. If we were on HBO and they were asking me to do something else, that's when you get scared." (photo: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com)

[TV Guide]

Griffiths Lightens Up

We knew she was brainy. Playing the troubled Brenda Chenowith on 'Six Feet Under' and now the overwrought working mother, Sarah Whedon, on 'Brothers and Sisters,' takes a woman of a certain intelligence. And in real life, Rachel Griffiths appears to be quite the book worm and film buff. But she's not all Bergman and Shakespeare. The actress who tells Variety she owns thousands of books and counts 'Scenes from a Marriage' as an all-time favorite, admits to indulging in "Decorator porn....particularly the imported hardcore stuff...Italian Vogue Casa." And her her favorite cocktail? "Corona Light." (photo: John Shearer/WireImage.com)

[Variety]

Fan Fiction

Die-hard Cubs fan Jeff Garlin did some pinch hitting for Chicago Tribune baseball columnist Paul Sullivan recently, offering his special insights into his favorite team. Asked whether he thought the Cubs would trade any of its stars (Theriot, Fontenot, Pie, Marmol or Marshall) he said, "Well I think they are all untouchable. I know it. Especially Theriot. At spring training I stroked his hair oh so gently and he kicked the crap out of me." And he wasn't shy about giving up insider secrets he's privy to thanks to his celebrity status when asked about the best thing about Wrigley Field: "The Cubs aren't going to be happy I let this out. But there is a chocolate river that flows underneath the outfield wall that the players both swim in and drink from." (photo: Jesse Grant/WireImage.com)

[Chicago Tribune]

Director Justin Theroux, Mandy Moore, Billy Crudup and Bobby Cannavale at the premiere of 'Dedication' in New York City. (photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com)

Hollywood Courtship

"He's just not that into you" isn't likely something Ginnifer Goodwin hears very often, but come September, she may be getting a lot of tough love advice. The actress is in talks to star in the New Line film 'He's Just Not That Into You,' based on the best-selling relationship book, written by former 'Sex and the City' consultant Greg Behrendt and writer Liz Tuccillo. Goodwin will play a woman who becomes obsessed with a guy (played by another HBO-er, Kevin Connolly) who is just...you get the idea. (photo: Jeff Vespa/WireImage.com)

[Hollywood Reporter]

Look Who's Talking

Jeffrey Blitz suffered through high school with a severe stutter, but as he told the LA Times, overcoming it provided him with the keys to his success as a writer-director (Picturehouse's 'Rocket Science'). "Stuttering was the world's way of telling me that I could not speak in public, and I was so [angry] about that as a kid that I wanted to do the one thing that the world was telling me I could not do," Blitz said. "I think it foreshadows the fact that I would eventually become a director. Filmmakers hate to be told no. We hate it. And we never hear it." (photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com)

[LA Times]

Laura Linney, Donna Murphy and Alicia Keys at a screening of 'The Nanny Diaries' in New York City. (photo: Jason Kempin/FilmMagic.com)

Mother of All Mothers

Mary Kay Place doesn't have any children in real life, but she's enjoying the spate of onscreen mothering she's been doing recently.

On 'The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman,' she plays Jackie's crazy-making mother. "All of our mothers may irritate us, even though we madly and dearly love them," she explained, defending her character. And as Roman Grant's sixth wife, and Nicki's mother on 'Big Love,' she gets to explore a more slyly manipulative and unconventional matriarch. "Like the women of the South, she can only be powerful in a subtle and sort of underground way. They're not overt. That would be threatening to the men in that dynamic. In order to live in that world, she had to suppress a lot of real feelings. If she allowed them to come up, there might be trouble. Big trouble," Place said.

Next up for Place is a different family role: playing Lily Tomlin's sister in the forthcoming HBO comedy '12 Miles of Bad Road.' (photo: Mark Sullivan/WireImage.com)

[Los Angeles Times]

No Sleep Till ... Aukland?

It's a good thing 'Flight of the Conchords' has taken off, otherwise Rhys Darby — who plays the band's manager, Murray — might never be able to return to New Zealand. "In our country, you have to succeed overseas before they'll take you seriously back home," he says. "After my success in the U.K. and now the U.S., my own country should finally open its doors to me. [Working abroad] seems like a step back, but really it's a step home."

[TheApiary.org]

Maestro Harrell at his 'Super Sweet Sixteen' party hosted by So So Def and MTV in Chicago. (photo: Barry Brecheisen/WireImage.com)

Electrifying TV

The HBO Sports series 'Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs' has already logged about 180 hours of footage, acclimating players and coaches to the microphones and lenses penetrating their huddles. According to coach Herm Edwards, however, one fear never quite subsides: "I sure hope we don't get any lightning. I've got enough wires on me that I know I'll get hit.''
(photo: James D. Smith/WireImage.com)

[Topeka Capital-Journal]

Tossing Up Bricks

Tony Soprano hasn't been out of the office for six months, and already they're demolishing the place. The owner of the building that posed as Satriale's Pork Store has decided to level the joint and erect condos, but not before selling the structure's 2,000 bricks to fans at $25 and $50 a pop.

While Tony's world literally crumbles around his ears, 'Sopranos' star James Gandolfini continues to drive forward at HBO. In addition to heading September's war documentary 'Alive Day,' the actor will portray Sonny Vaccaro — the scout who turned shoe endorsements into a multimillion-dollar business by signing Michael Jordan to Nike — in 'ABCD Camp,' an upcoming HBO Films/Picturehouse project. (photo: Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.com)

[Variety.com]

[Asbury Park Press]

Adrian Grenier and Paris Hilton at an '11th Hour' screening at the Harmony Gold Theater in Hollywood. (photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic.com)

More Sex for Mr. Big

Just like Mr. Big's six seasons of on-and-off-again romance with Carrie Bradshaw, it was anybody's guess whether star Chris Noth would be up for another go as Carrie's man about town. Well, 'Sex and the City' fans can finally breathe easy; Noth has agreed to join Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon for the feature film version of HBO's hit series. Set to start shooting in September with writer Michael Patrick King also directing, there's no word yet on the storyline. Sorry... (photo: Maury Phillips/WireImage.com)

[Variety.com]

State of Shock

Jim Norton's comedy — so raunchy he manages to push the limits even on the 'Opie and Anthony Show' — has certainly found an audience. With a just-published book, 'Happy Endings: The Tales of a Meaty-Breasted Zilch,' and an HBO special on the way, Norton shared his humor's black rationale with FHM: "Every comic I know or respect has a dark side. Whether it's gambling or sex or drinking or drugs or all of the above — they all have some kind of mental illness. Look at Richard Jeni. He was a great comic and he shot himself. There's no rhyme or reason, man. Everyone has their own personal hell." (photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com)

[FHM]