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| Ryan Phillippe |
Ryan Phillippe enlists for tour in “‘Stop-Loss’
Kimberly Peirce’s first film since “Boys Don’t Cry,” the Iraq war drama “Stop/Loss,” has been a long time coming, and we’ve previously reported on Peirce and the twists and turns in her attempts to direct a follow-up feature for some time. But now it’s one step closer to finally seeing action on big screens near you.
Actor Ryan Phillippe plans to star as a young soldier who completes his tour of duty and returns home to Texas, only to be called back to duty through the U.S. military’s controversial “stop-loss” policy. When he refuses to return, complications ensue.
Actress Abbie Cornish has signed on to co-star, and Peirce hopes to roll cameras by late summer. The film has a 2007 release date unless it goes AWOL before then, which sometimes happens in Hollywood.
Minghella is “‘Mysteries’ man
The film adaptation of novelist Michael Chabon’s “The Mysteries of Pittsburgh” finally has a male lead in Max Minghella.
Chances are you don’t know his name yet, but the up-and-coming Minghella son of “The English Patient” director Anthony Minghella has already worked with the likes of Richard Gere, Juliette Binoche, and George Clooney in “Bee Season” and “Syriana.” He’s also currently starring in “Art School Confidential.”
For “Mysteries,” Minghella will play Art, a young man coming of age and sexually exploring both women and men in the Pennsylvania city of the title.
After much speculation as to whether or not Pittsburgh would be allowed to play itself, the film is set to begin shooting there soon for a 2007 release, co-starring both Peter Sarsgaard and Sienna Miller.
Brooke gets a “‘Nip/Tuck’
FX’s “Nip/Tuck,” the popular and critically acclaimed series about plastic surgeons from queer creator Ryan Murphy, is lining up a new client list of guest stars for its upcoming season.
Brooke Shields will anger Tom Cruise once again by playing a psychiatrist who sees Dr. Troy (Julian McMahon) as a patient. Also appearing in future episodes will be “Dallas” veteran Larry Hagman as the much older husband of the woman (Sanaa Lathan) who buys the medical practice of Drs. Troy and McNamara (Dylan Walsh).
Meanwhile, Kathleen Turner will show up as what else? a husky-voiced phone-sex operator who appeals to the doctors to rejuvenate her vocal cords.
The new season begins shooting soon and will look much younger than previous seasons when the bandages come off.
“‘The L Word’ catches Shepherd
One would think that after all these years as an actor, Cybill Shepherd would have played gay at least once. But she hasn’t until next season, when Shepherd will return to television to join the cast of Showtime’s lesbian soap, “The L Word.”
Shepherd will play a married mother and president of the college where Bette Porter (Jennifer Beals) attends graduate school who begins to question her sexual orientation. That makes two new cast members Marlee Matlin is also on board for the fourth season circling around Beals’ character.
Will the never-ending web of lesbian connectivity made infamous on the series simply absorb both of the new women, or will one of them stick to Bette for good? Answers arrive early next year, when the new season begins.
Dating with an edge
Lovespring International, a Beverly Hills dating service based in Tarzana, California, advertises itself as the “last dating service you’ll ever use.” Ain’t that the truth judging from this pack of misfits, including openly gay actress Jane Lynch (“The L Word,” “Best in Show”), Jennifer Elise Cox (“The Brady Bunch Movie”) and Jack Plotnick (“Adam & Steve,” “Reno 911”).
Executive produced by Eric McCormack (“Will & Grace”), “Lovespring” follows the mostly inept batch of dating consultants as they desperately try to stay afloat amid the increasing popularity of dating sites like PerfectMatch.com. The show is scheduled Mondays at 10 p.m. on Lifetime.
D List: It’s her life
It’s a sad life, but someone has to live it, and with her gays in tow and a profitable tour throughout the red states in full swing, Kathy Griffin just never tires of poking fun at her life and the sizable paycheck she likely collects in the process.
Watching Kathy stumble and fall time and time again has become quite the guilty pleasure. That she manages to do it with such dignity and poise is what makes My Life on the D List all the more enjoyable. Watch her stumble afresh on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
Babs packs a suitcase
Barbara Streisand is getting ready for her first national concert tour in over a decade. And not a moment too soon. Her last U.S. tour was in 1994.
She’ll play 20 concerts in U.S. cities during October and November.
Barbara’s last album, “Guilty Pleasures,” was released last September. In 2004, she marked her return to the big screen, co-starring in the Ben Stiller comedy, “Meet the Fockers.”
Streisand’s manager, Martin Erlichman, said the 64-year-old singer-actress plans to give designated proceeds from the tour to support several causes, including the environment, education and women’s health.
Dates and locations of the tour will be announ-ced at a later date.
This articleappeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, June 16, 2006.