Return to Transcripts main page

Showbiz Tonight

Hollywood Celebrities Remember John Paul II; Jane Fonda Gives Revealing Interview to `60 Minutes`

Aired April 01, 2005 - 19:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: The world watches, and the media scrambles.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: Tonight, the pope`s failing health and his celebrity followers. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Jane Fonda speaks out like never before. What she`s saying about her troubled first marriage and the most controversial event in her life.

HAMMER: Joan Allen in the "SHOWBIZ Sitdown." Her performance in "The Upside of Anger" already has Oscar buzz. Joan Allen joins us live.

BRYANT: Reality check. An "Idol" contestant`s brush with the law. The show`s response. And just how do reality shows check for checkered pasts?

HAMMER: It`s Friday. Get fired up. Her pizza didn`t quite deliver, so she got delivered the pink slip. The latest "Apprentice" castoff joins us live.

BRYANT: Living in "Sin City."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Audiences are going to be blown away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Tonight we sit down with the director and the stars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSARIO DAWSON, "SIN CITY": Hi. I`m Rosario Dawson. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, and you`re at the top of the show.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. We`re live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

HAMMER: The world waits and watches as Pope John Paul II clings to life.

BRYANT: And today, television provided the window to what is seen as the imminent death of the pope. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here with the latest -- David.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: A.J. and Karyn, as thousands of people stood vigil in St. Peter`s square all day today, millions more stayed glued to their televisions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: CNN`s continuing coverage of pope John Paul II, his failing health...

HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): From the moment it appeared the pope might die, cable news networks went wall to wall with coverage from the Vatican. This morning, the "Today" show hit the ground running. Matt Lauer was in place in Rome.

MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, "TODAY": The situation is grave...

HAFFENREFFER: Around the world, news organizations have been preparing for this moment for a long time, going so far as to rent out apartments and garages near the Vatican for years, all so they could be in position to cover what would be the biggest story of the year. This afternoon, there were conflicting reports about whether the pope had died. At one point, Fox News Channel mistakenly reported the pope had actually died, without attribution to the Italian press.

SHEPARD SMITH, FOX ANCHOR: Facts are facts. Pope John Paul II, it is now our understanding, has died.

HAFFENREFFER: But Fox was wrong. A spokesperson blamed it on a producer who made a mistake, and about 20 minutes later, Fox backtracked on air with an apology.

SMITH: Somebody along the way, and myself included, has apparently gotten ahead of ourselves. And the shutters are open, and the pope is by all accounts now alive.

HAFFENREFFER: There was once a time when the regular TV networks would have interrupted the soaps. That was when they were the only TV news game in town. But all-news cable channels have changed the rules of the game.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

As of this afternoon, the big three networks still had not solidified plans for specials or preemptions over the weekend as they wait for confirmation on the fate of the pope. Back to you.

BRYANT: All right. Well, thank you, David.

The pope`s worldwide appeal has reached well outside the Catholic church. The pope even has close ties with Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson joins us live from Hollywood with more -- Brooke.

BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Karyn, Pope John Paul II was a former playwright, actor and singer. In fact, he told biographers he wanted to be a professional actor. The pope is respected and highly regarded by many performers, including legendary U2 singer Bono.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): From Bono to Bob Dylan to Bob Hope, the pope touched the lives of some of the most prominent entertainers in Hollywood history. In a scene seen around the world, U2`s Bono handed the pope his sunglasses in 1999. The Irish rocker told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about his special moment with the pontiff, one that was humble and humorous.

BONO, U2: He put my glasses on, made a very, very devilish face, and he was funny. We see him as this -- as this great figure fronting his very conservative version of Catholicism. But actually, his great work was done behind the scenes, backstage. I think that`s where he will really be remembered -- what he will really be remembered for.

ANDERSON: And the pope told Hollywood they should remember their influential power. He spoke to a gathering of entertainment and media leaders in 1987, saying, quote, "The world is at your mercy. You are a force for great good or great evil."

FATHER FRANK DESIDERIO, PAULIST PRODUCTIONS: What he meant by that is that the content of the program can either reflect the best of human values or it can reflect a humanity which is, you know, governed by cynicism and - - rather than governed by the values of life.

ANDERSON: The pope supported members of Hollywood who demonstrated unblemished character, awarding papal knighthoods to Hollywood honchos, including Rupert Murdoch, Roy Disney and Ricardo Montalban of "Fantasy Island" fame. At the same time, the pope was a target of Hollywood. Singer Sinead O`Connor infamously ripped up a picture of the pope on "Saturday Night Live" in 1992.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SINEAD O`CONNOR (SINGING): Good over evil!

Fight the real enemy!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The enemy became Sinead O`Connor. Many in Hollywood were outraged.

The pope was no stranger to Hollywood and pop culture. Just last year, he watched the controversial movie "The Passion of the Christ," with star James Caviezel, who portrayed Christ in the film. The pope`s relationship with Hollywood was a familiar one. After all, the pope was a performer, too.

BONO: I met the pope. And you know, you forget he was a performer. I mean, not just is. I mean, the Catholic church is definitely the glam rock of religion.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: The pope has also released a number of albums. Some include "The Rosary" with the pope. They are all mostly spoken word. The pope`s most recent disc is this one, "Abba Pater," from 1999 -- Karyn.

HAMMER: Thank you very much, Brooke.

Well, a betrayal and the biggest mistake of her life. That`s what Jane Fonda is saying about her 1972 visit to a North Vietnam anti-aircraft gun site. The site was used to shoot down U.S. pilots, and photos of her visit led to her nickname, Hanoi Jane. But Fonda`s not just dishing about that. In an interview that`s set to air this Sunday on "60 Minutes," she also opens up about her very first marriage to "Barbarella" director Roger Vadim, who she says pressured her into having threesomes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE FONDA, ACTRESS: I`m competitive. So you know, I was going to keep up with the Joneses. It was the `60s and whatever. It reinforced my feeling that I wasn`t good enough. And one of the reasons that I went along with it was because I felt that if I said no, that he would leave.

LESLEY STAHL, "60 MINUTES": You admit that you didn`t just give in, you went out and solicited the women sometimes.

FONDA: Sometimes. That`s right. That`s right. Hey, if that`s what he wanted, I`d give it to him in spades.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Fonda tells all in her new book, "Jane Fonda: My Life So Far," which comes out later this month. "Monster-in-Law," Fonda`s first movie in 15 years, opens up in May.

BRYANT: Time for "SHOWBIZ Shorts," a look at more stories making news tonight. Neil Young recuperating. We learned today that the rock legend, who appeared at the Rock n` Roll Hall of Fame induction just a few weeks ago, had surgery for a brain aneurysm earlier this week. Doctors say the surgery was a success and Young will make a complete recovery. But he had to cancel a performance planned for this Sunday`s Juneau Awards in Canada.

A surprise at "The View." Drag queen Flotilla DeBarge unveiled a new PETA ad targeting Star Jones Reynolds, as audience members left "The View" studios in New York this morning. The "Fur is a drag" campaign parodies "The View" co-host, who wears fur. And Jones Reynolds threatened to sue, saying the public might think the drag queen was really her.

HAMMER: Well, Reality shows have had some trouble with surprises. The groom from "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" brought some bad publicity, for example. We`re going to look at how shows check out contestants coming up in "SHOWBIZ in Depth."

BRYANT: Also, Joan Allen stops by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. She has two very different movies out right now. Joan Allen live. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was the name of the diner where the "Seinfeld" gang hung out? Was it A, Tom`s Diner, B, Monk`s, C, Harry`s Cafe or D, Sammy`s? We`re coming straight back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was the name of the diner where the "Seinfeld" gang hung out? Was it Tom`s Diner, Monk`s, Harry`s Cafe or Sammy`s? Well, the answer is B, Monk`s. And the famous exterior actually belongs to Tom`s restaurant, which is located right here in Manhattan.

HAMMER: And I`ve eaten there, right down on the Upper West Side.

Well, the Fox network said today it knew all along about the past legal troubles of one of its "American Idol" contestants, but despite his arrest, Fox says, the singer will not be kicked off the show.

Scott Savol of Shaker Heights, Ohio, is one of the nine remaining finalists on "American Idol." As SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reported yesterday, he was arrested and charged back in 2001. Police say he shoved his girlfriend and hit her in the chest with a phone. He was fined $500 and had to take anger management classes. Fox said today, quote, "Scott Savol was forthcoming to the `American Idol` producers and the network regarding his misdemeanor. After reviewing the facts, in which the charges were reduced to disorderly conduct, we felt that, considering Scott`s honesty and his remorse, the situation did not warrant his disqualification."

BRYANT: How reality shows check out potential contestants is our focus tonight in "SHOWBIZ In Depth." "American Idol" is certainly not the first reality show to deal with a contestant`s past. Remember Rick Rockwell, the groom on "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire"? Well, he was red in the face when news broke that an ex-girlfriend had accused Rockwell of beating and threatening her. And there was even a restraining order against him. Rockwell has denied those allegations. And the producers of "Big Brother 2" on CBS reportedly didn`t even know that contestant Justin Sebik had been arrested in the past until after he was ejected for holding a knife to a female contestant`s neck.

So tonight on "SHOWBIZ In Depth," we`re going to see how reality shows look into the backgrounds of their contestants. Joining us are two people who know all about that. We`ve got Chip Arndt joining us live in Miami. He is a past winner of "The Amazing Race." Good to see you, Chip. And live in Los Angeles, Stuart Krasnow, executive producer of the reality shows "Average Joe," "Cold Turkey" and "Manhunt: The Search for America`s Most Gorgeous Male Model." Thanks for joining us, as well, Stuart.

So Chip, I want to start with you. What kind of background check did they do on you before "The Amazing Race"?

CHIP ARNDT, WON "AMAZING RACE": Well, medical included?

BRYANT: Absolutely. Break it down.

ARNDT: Yes, they broke it down. From the very beginning, it was psychological tests, kind of like a lot of people get when they join a big company. It`s called a Briggs-Meyers tests. Then actually, we met with psychologists, who looked over that test and then interviewed us separately -- I mean, interviewed myself, and then interviewed Reichen and brought us in together. And then we actually had blood work done. We had a full drug test. So they really -- they really went into making sure that we were clean, so to speak.

BRYANT: Stuart, what about the psychological exam? How important is that? Because I would imagine there`s a line, you know, crazy enough to be on the show, and then just plain crazy. How do you feel about that?

STUART KRASNOW, REALITY TV PRODUCER: I think it all works together. We look at the psychological, the medical testing, and also, of course, the criminal background check. And we try to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. We talk to our experts that we`ve hired, our doctors, our lawyers. We go through everything.

Nobody can really predict behavior. And certainly, we`re not psychic. So we can`t really know what someone`s going to do in a situation. But if people are going to live together, we want to make sure they`re protected. And really, our background checks, and the extent to which we put a contestant through before they go on a show, is actually much more so than for a drama or a sitcom or any actor would go through. The people you see on a reality show are actually -- have been checked out a lot more than just about anybody else you can see on TV.

BRYANT: Right. Go ahead, Chip. You wanted to pipe in?

ARNDT: Well, no, I think it`s interesting because I think there`s actually -- I mean, I`m not a producer, I was just a contestant, but I would imagine there`s a dual purpose of putting us through these rigorous tests. One, they want to make sure your personality`s not a flat-line personality. I mean, there`s nothing more boring than having somebody who doesn`t potentially might blow up. But at the same time, I think the psychiatrists also want to make sure that you`re not so fragile that -- you know, we were running around the world...

BRYANT: Right.

ARNDT: ... for 29 days and exhausted -- that you know, you don`t break up and crack up. But I also think they probably want people that are going to be a little more interesting and intriguing.

BRYANT: Well, right, Chip. That`s what I wanted to ask about. You know, you`re saying you went through this very long process. I`m sure those Briggs-Meyers tests take a few hours. Potentially, you know, this whole process of becoming a contestant can take weeks, if not months. How did you answer these questions? How did you know which ones you should be totally honest with and which ones you should fudge for that potential excitement factor?

ARNDT: Well, I mean, personally, there`s so many tests you go through, I think that the idea of trying to game it and trying to figure out what they`re looking for isn`t worth it because, at the end of the day -- you know, Scott can answer this, but the producers know what they`re looking for and what type of a dynamic they want to create on a particular show.

BRYANT: OK.

ARNDT: So we just ended up taking so many different tests that you`re not really thinking about, Well, gee, should I answer it this way or that way. You just answer it, you know, honestly. And hopefully, they think that you`re, you know, a great team for -- on "The Amazing Race," for instance.

BRYANT: Now, Stuart, do you find that people are at all resistant to the background checks?

KRASNOW: Well, if they`re resistant, that`s a big red flag for us.

ARNDT: Right.

BRYANT: Hello!

KRASNOW: So we give them -- we ask them to be open and honest, and we give them a lot of time to fill out the paperwork. And really, you know, in the case of this "American Idol" contestant, he was up front, from what I understand. I don`t -- I`m not familiar -- I don`t work on the show. But he was up front and honest with the producers from the start, so they were able to make that evaluation.

And I`d like to point out that our president, George W. Bush, as a young man in college also got arrested...

BRYANT: Right.

KRASNOW: ... for disorderly conduct. And if you really think about it...

ARNDT: Yes, that`s true!

KRASNOW: ... he`s OK to be president of the United States. I think that a contestant on "American Idol" can certainly sing for the country with the same charge on his record.

BRYANT: OK. I find that very funny, that the president, in some cases, may not have passed "The Amazing Race," you know, test, and he may not have passed to be the next "Bachelor."

KRASNOW: Ironically, he would not have made it onto a show where people have to live together, only because he has three arrests on his record, one of them being a DUI. Sometimes we will have someone on who has had a DUI. It depends whether there`s a mug shot or not. It depends what kind of show it is. Like, the modeling show, we don`t want a mug shot out there. It`s dangerous for...

BRYANT: Sure.

KRASNOW: ... for the model agency that`s giving the prize away. But we`ll sometimes let things slip, but the combination of things together can keep somebody off the show. And...

BRYANT: OK.

KRASNOW: ... I think the really important point is that President Bush...

BRYANT: We got to go.

KRASNOW: ... is not a bad person, obviously.

BRYANT: Right. Just has a record.

KRASNOW: So I think if somebody had something bad on their record when they were young and stupid...

BRYANT: Right.

KRASNOW: ... so be it.

BRYANT: So be it.

KRASNOW: You know, it doesn`t make them a bad person.

BRYANT: OK. Well, thank you so much, Stuart Krasnow, for joining us, and Chip Arndt, as well.

ARNDT: Thanks so much.

BRYANT: Congratulations on the million bucks, too.

ARNDT: Hey, thanks...

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: We want to know what you guys think. You can answer our SHOWBIZ question of the day. Reality contestants: OK to have a rap sheet? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you want to tell us more, e- mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later in the show.

HAMMER: Well, a big part at "American Idol" is what goes on at the judges` table, especially when the sparks are flying between Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. And if anyone can get to the bottom of that whole love- hate thing that they have going on, it`s Oprah Winfrey. At a taping for an upcoming "Oprah" episode, she asked Simon about his repeated claims that Paula is attracted to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, HOST: Seriously, Simon.

SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL": Seriously.

OPRAH: Look me in the eye and tell me you think that Paula wants you.

COWELL: She wants me.

(LAUGHTER)

OPRAH: I don`t believe it!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: That episode of "Oprah" is going to air on Monday. And Simon will also be introducing a boy band that he has put together.

BRYANT: The latest "Apprentice" was all about pizza, but Donald Trump said Stephanie just couldn`t deliver the leadership skills. Oh, I love that pun. She got fired last night, but Stephanie joins us live. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, should you curl up with "Beauty Shop" this weekend? Curl up "Beauty Shop" this weekend. We`ve got a preview coming up in "People`s" "Picks and Pans."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Joan Allen finds "The Upside of Anger" and an unconventional love story with co-star Kevin Costner. Joan Allen`s going to join us live coming up in just a bit on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Time for more "SHOWBIZ Shorts." "24" times three. Fox says this Monday`s episode of "24" is so big, it`s going to repeat two times -- next Friday and Sunday. In its fourth season, "24" follows the life of a government counterterrorism agent. Say that a few times fast. Each episode represents one hour in the course of a day.

Well, Jennifer Garner fights bad guys, too, as a CIA agent in "Alias." Today we learned that Garner will step behind the lens and direct an episode of the ABC show. It`s scheduled to air May 11.

We`ll have more "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

HAMMER: It is time now for "People" magazine`s movie "Picks and Pans." Two very different movies to talk about tonight. "Sin City" and "Beauty Shop" are in theaters now. And joining us from "People" magazine, movie critic Leah Rozen.

Leah, I want to get into "Sin City" first. All the guys I know are dying to see it, and of course, Karyn Bryant has been telling me she`s dying to see it. It looks like it`s visually stunning. How does the rest of it hold up?

LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE MOVIE CRITIC: Looks good, less filling.

HAMMER: All right.

ROZEN: I mean, essentially, it`s sort of a videogame on screen. This is based on the graphic novel series by Frank Miller. He co-directed the film with Robert Rodriguez. It`s sort of these hard-boiled urban tales -- lots of violence. Lots of violence! But really cool-looking, big-star ensemble cast, but no one`s playing a real character.

HAMMER: Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba`s in it, Mickey Rourke, but...

ROZEN: Who`s almost unrecognizable!

HAMMER: Based on a comic book, but not for the kids. It`s rated R, correct?

ROZEN: Oh, Yes. Do not take the kids to this one.

HAMMER: All right, let`s move on to "Barber Shop," then. Continuing in the -- "Beauty Shop," rather, continuing in the "Barber Shop" sort of genre. Queen Latifah.

ROZEN: This is "Barber Shop" on estrogen.

HAMMER: OK.

ROZEN: It`s the sort of -- it`s the female version of those movies. Same kind of banter. Queen Latifah, who was in the second "Barber Shop" movie, in this one plays a widow. She`s moved to Atlanta. She opens her own beauty shop and has customer problems, staff problems, money woes. But of course, she`s going to overcome with a lot of comedy in between. It`s kind of like a TV show. It`s sort of fun. You sit back. You know these people. You kind of have fun. But is this a great movie? Not at all.

HAMMER: And a great ensemble cast in this one, as well, though.

ROZEN: Again, a lot of good people, including...

HAMMER: Thanks a lot for stopping by.

ROZEN: You`re welcome.

HAMMER: A lot to see this weekend. And for more "Picks and Pans," you can check out this week`s "People" magazine. It`s available at newsstands everywhere.

BRYANT: It is time to get your laugh on in "Laughter Dark." As we do every night, we bring you the late-night laughs you may have missed. On the "Tonight" show, Jay Leno talked about Prince Charles`s upcoming wedding. Let`s take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST: You know, Prince Charles is getting married. Had his big bachelor party last night. Did you hear about that? Did you see that? That was all the talk of England. Everybody was there. And the entertainment was pretty shocking. Well, show Prince Charles`s bachelor party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Oh, yes. Well, it was audience show-and-tell on "The Late Show" last night, and one audience member literally went head over heels for David Letterman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m going to attempt to walk on my hands about halfway down the aisle here, and I`m going to wrap my legs around a guy and pull up to piggyback.

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: Whoa.

(LAUGHTER)

LETTERMAN: Can I be the guy, or do you have to have a special...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, yes! That I want to see!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ready?

LETTERMAN: I`m ready. Oh, man! Watch -- be careful of my toupee. Whoa. Whoa!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, Anna Nicole Smith is branching out. She has a brand- new job. We`re going to be taking that to the "Buzz Bench" coming up. Plus, we have your round-trip tickets to "Sin City." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sits down with some of the stars of that star-studded cast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

HAMMER: Joan joins us. Joan Allen and Kevin Costner on the big screen together, and she`s with us live.

BRYANT: And pizza panned. Stephanie`s team doesn`t deliver enough dough and she`s tossed in the latest fired "Apprentice" live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE KING: I`m Jamie King, and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: And I`m AJ Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines. Fonda fesses up. Jane Fonda will have a lot to say in her 60 MINUTES interview this Sunday, including calling her 1972 visit to a North Vietnamese anti- aircraft gun site an act of, quote, "betrayal." She also discusses her three-way sex with other women during her first marriage.

BRYANT: And he is not out. Fox says today that AMERICAN IDOL finalist Scott Savol had told the network about his 2001 misdemeanor. The network is standing by him and not kicking him out of the competition. Savol was arrested for allegedly shoving his girlfriend and hitting her in the chest with a phone.

Well, we have been asking you to vote on tonight`s question of the day. Reality contestants, OK to have a rap sheet? You can keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. And send us your e-mails at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say at 55 past the hour.

HAMMER: Well, after weeks in limited release, "The Upside of Anger," starring Kevin Costner and the lovely Joan Allen opens nationwide today. And Allen`s also got another new movie opening this weekend as well called "Off the Map." But Joan right now is on the set joining us live here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in New York City. Thanks for coming down.

JOAN ALLEN, ACTRESS: You`re welcome.

HAMMER: Appreciate you launching the weekend with us.

ALLEN: Oh, sure.

HAMMER: And before we get into it, I want to roll a clip from "Upside of Anger." So let`s take a look at this.

Great.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Are you looking for another notch in your belt? Or I don`t know, whatever it is you super sports heroes call it. Are you looking to get lucky with me, to get me into bed?

KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR: Who`s calling?

ALLEN: Be straight with me, Danny. Be straight. Now, Gray always thought you had an eye for me, and I need you to be really straight with me now.

COSTNER: OK. I do like you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: All right, Joan. That was one of the moments that made me laugh in the movie. I`m not ashamed to say there were at least three, definitely two but possibly three moments in that film where I almost burst into tears.

ALLEN: Yes.

HAMMER: Honestly, I think for my money you gave the performance of your career.

ALLEN: Oh, thank you.

HAMMER: And that wasn`t just like a butt-kissing kind of a thing. Do you feel that way? Do you finish up doing a role like that or do you see it after it`s been completed and feel like I think that was the best thing I`ve ever done?

ALLEN: I got the chance to do a lot of different things with this particular role, and that is always what an actor I think really hopes to be able to do. You know, I got to be angry and drunk and sad and, you know, a jerk at times. You know, I got to be all different kinds of things. And I think when you get to be that well-rounded, you know, it`s a more three-dimensional character.

HAMMER: It really -- it had the depth and that range that while some of your other roles have had certainly depth and range, maybe not to this extent?

ALLEN: I would say not. You know, fortunately, Mike Binder wrote the part for me and he said I wanted to write it so that you could hit every emotional note that I could possibly come up with. And so that`s one of the goals that he sort of set for himself when he was writing the character.

HAMMER: And what a cool cast. I mean, obviously Kevin Costner working with you in the film and a great ensemble, including Erika Christensen, who stopped by here last week and she told me that she as well as her co-actors, the other women who played your daughters in the film, were simply in awe of you and they loved just watching you act and would lose sight of everything else. Do you feel sort of a responsibility to these young actors to sort of show them the way?

ALLEN: Well, I -- that`s really sweet of her to say that. All four of them are so seasoned. Eric and Evan Rachel Wood, Kerry Russell and Alicia Witt. They`ve been acting since they were little girls, most of them. And they were so seasoned. I felt like I was learning from them watching them. So you know, it felt more like we were comrades and we were all working together because they were so, so talented across the board.

HAMMER: But could you sense a little bit of their awe? Did they kind of say Miss Allen, may I sit with you? Or did they ever bring you flowers or bring you food or anything like that?

ALLEN: We were all so happy, it was really casual. You know, we celebrated together. You know, we had a big birthday bash because Erica, Alicia`s and my birthdays were within three days of each other. So we celebrated and it was a lot of fun.

HAMMER: You mentioned of course Mike Binder wrote this part for you. He really wrote the movie for you. And "The Contender," for which you received an Oscar nomination written by Mike Lurie.

ALLEN: Rod Lurie.

HAMMER: Rod Lurie, rather. These movies were written for you. What does that mean? They were written for you. What a great thing to have people do for you.

ALLEN: It`s fantastic. You know, Rod Lurie had been a film critic for many years and he had seen my work, and so he decided to write "The Contender" for me. And then I worked with Mike Binder during "The Contender," and I spoke up to Mike one day and I said if you could think of me for one of your comedies someday I would really appreciate it. So sometimes it works out.

HAMMER: And it got you one of your many Oscar nominations. After you wrap a film like that do you say -- and you may not be into, oh, the awards are not so important, but do you say, wow, I think that was an Oscar-worthy performance?

ALLEN: I don`t know. I guess I don`t really think in those terms. I try to take each experience as it comes and try to enjoy every moment of working. I`ve gotten to work with amazing people throughout my career, and I just take every day as it comes and make the most of it.

HAMMER: Well, what I`ve learned since you got here today and even before we came on for the show, you just -- you`re so down to earth and you don`t seem like a materialistic person at all. But you`ve done well in your career. Hopefully, you`ve earned a little money along the way. Tell me about an indulgence, something maybe that you bought for yourself that you said, you know what, I can afford that, so what the heck? I`m going to buy this for myself I`m going to do this for myself. One thing.

ALLEN: One thing that I do is I`m pretty -- and this is not very extravagant, but I can`t pass a Starbuck`s without stopping for a chai latte. So I treat myself to every (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HAMMER: She`s been Oscar nominated, she`s made the money, and her big indulgence, the chai latte. That`s fantastic. Well, also good luck with your other movie, which of course is "Off the Map," which is opening this weekend as well. We appreciate you stopping by.

ALLEN: Thank you.

HAMMER: Have a lovely weekend and a chai latte.

BRYANT: Well, if you guys are done over there, we`re going to get to some more "showbiz shorts." Malcolm is coming back. Fox announced today that its sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle" will return for a seventh season next year. The show`s creator says that that will probably be the last season.

Elton John still standing strong on Broadway. The pop superstar is developing a new show based on Anne Rice`s novels "Interview with the Vampire" and "The Vampire Lestat." John`s musical is called "Lestat" and it`s scheduled to bow on Broadway in about a year. John`s "Ada" and "The Lion King" are currently on the great white way. More "showbiz shorts" coming up throughout the show.

HAMMER: Well, Anna Nicole`s got herself a new gig. And the fur is flying again. This time it`s Star Jones. Our buzz bench flies into our studio coming up next.

BRYANT: and dough that let to d`oh! Her team`s pizza got her tossed. The latest "Apprentice" to get booted joins us live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA ALBA: Hi. I`m Jessica Alba, and I`m wearing Marc Jacobs because -- and Richard Shaw shoes because I love Marc Jacobs and the first awards show I ever went to was the Golden Globes and I wore Marc Jacobs and it just -- he always makes me feel like a lady.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Time for tonight`s buzz bench, where we focus on what you`re gabbing about. Tonight, an AMERICAN IDOL rap sheet. PETA plays a prank on Star Jones and Anna Nicole adds columnist to her resume.

HAMMER: And joining us on our Friday night buzz bench, "The New York Times" Lola Ogunnaike, CNN pop culture correspondent Toure and comedian and TV personality, Leigh Kessler. Now it looks like an arrest and a plea is not going to cost an AMERICAN IDOL contestant Scott Savol his shot at perhaps becoming the next American idol. He kind of snuck through this one. Leigh, what`s your take?

LEIGH KESSLER, COMEDIAN AND TV PERSONALITY: Well, my take is it depends on if the guy really has talent. It sucks if your 15 minutes of fame are spent defending your criminal record for 13 of them. But if he can make it through and get out there, there are a lot of guys who`ve got a little violent image who`ve done OK with themselves.

LOLA OGUNNAIKE, NEW YORK TIMES: I just think at this point the entire show is criminal. I mean, I watch it and I want to slit my wrists, and I`m just hoping that, you know, Simon and Randy and Paula get charged with attempted murder for my death because...

BRYANT: What do you hate about it so much?

(CROSSTALK)

OGUNNAIKE: One more rendition of an Alicia Keys song, literally I`m going to...

TOURE: Every twist and turn in the show is portrayed as news. Like somebody gets kicked off, that`s news. Somebody had a drug arrest, that`s news...

BRYANT: But Toure, millions of people watch the show. That`s why. I hate to tell you.

TOURE: "CSI" is the same way. Do we report on the comings and goings on "CSI" every week? Let`s talk about "Desperate Housewives." They had a great episode this week.

BRYANT: It was OK.

OGUNNAIKE: A fat bald-headed guy threw a phone at his ex-girlfriend, that`s news?

(CROSSTALK)

KESSLER: He tried to grab an engagement ring. There`s not an engaged guy out there who had not at some time tried to say give me that back. I`m not going to say...

TOURE: No, I never, ever did.

BRYANT: Here`s the thing, though. Everybody knows he`s not really going to win. So I don`t really think that this is a big problem.

HAMMER: Well, one of the questions -- was everybody counting on -- was everybody counting on Mario Vazquez to win and so they sort of let the whole criminal thing slip by but you know --

BRYANT: They say he fessed up to it, it`s not going to keep him from -- you know, at least he was honest about it.

OGUNNAIKE: Everybody on AMERICAN IDOL now seems to have some sort of sordid past. You`ve got Frenchie with the topless photos on the porn site...

BRYANT: There`s always children somewhere.

OGUNNAIKE: You`ve got another guy, domestic violence. I mean, this is becoming standard.

TOURE: But in modern music you have to have some sort of a past now to make it, but on AMERICAN IDOL, they want you to be squeaky clean. Hate that.

BRYANT: But speaking of not squeaky clean, OK, PETA is going after Star Jones Reynolds. Today Flotilla DeBarge, the drag queen, got out -- the best name. As the audience was leaving "The View," hops out, has the new fur is a drag campaign, the white fur coat with the blood splattered on it.

TOURE: Do it.

BRYANT: Not squeaky clean at all. You`re loving this.

TOURE: Love it. Love it. Look, Star Jones is the perfect enemy for PETA. Like with friends like that who needs enemies like -- you want her on the other side. No matter what she does, she looks ridiculous. She looks ridiculous every single day. So if you portray her as wearing fur is ridiculous, Star is wearing fur, you want to be on Star`s side or you want to be on PETA`s side?

OGUNNAIKE: I have to say I never thought I would say this but I actually feel sorry for Star Jones. I do.

HAMMER: Sympathy from Leigh.

OGUNNAIKE: I`ll tell you why I feel sorry...

KESSLER: It was bad enough, it was bad enough when she used to get portrayed by Tracy Morgan on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and that`s when he was fat. You know, I mean, that was bad enough. Now she`s got this and she`s a fur person...

TOURE: She`s ridiculous. She brings this on herself.

KESSLER: She`s a smart, strong woman who should be -- PETA has Pamela Anderson representing them. Is that a better image for them than Star Jones?

OGUNNAIKE: But she`s got this 10,000-pound man running around in faux lashes and fur...

HAMMER: We`ve got to move on because one of Lola`s competitors, Lola of course from the "New York Times," the "National Enquirer" --

OGUNNAIKE: It`s a huge competitor. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we`re worried about.

HAMMER: The "National Enquirer" is relaunching and it looks like Anna Nicole is going to be one of their columnists.

OGUNNAIKE: Well, she`s always been known as one of the brilliant orators of our time and now that she`s moving into writing, I can`t wait to see her prose. I`m sure it`s going to be really economical and brilliant. And the phrases are just going to jump off the page.

TOURE: Do you think that maybe you`ll read one of the columns and burst into tears or something?

HAMMER: Listen, if you`re going to make fun -- it`s a good thing we don`t do background checks on the buzz bench, Toure, you`d be in trouble. All right. We`ve got to go. We`ve got to go.

BRYANT: That`s it.

HAMMER: I don`t take insults from this crew. Leigh, thanks for joining us. Welcome to the buzz bench. Toure and Lola Ogunnaike, we appreciate you all dropping by. Do you think it`s hard to be on the buzz bench or to agree on pizza toppings? Sometimes it is. But the "Apprentice" team managed to agree on some pizza toppings. However, one group was left with heartburn in the boardroom. The latest fired "Apprentice" is coming up live.

BRYANT: And then to "Sin City." It`s a violent movie, but Clive Owen tells us why he`s laughing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Last night`s APPRENTICE was a saucy affair. The task was to design a specialty pie for Domino`s Pizza and then sell, sell, sell. And of course at the end of the episode, one contestant got the order to go. So joining us live now here in New York is the latest castoff, Stephanie Myers. Stephanie, welcome.

STEPHANIE MYERS, FIRED FROM APPRENTICE: Thank you very much.

BRYANT: So you got the boot last night from the Donald. Did you see it coming?

MYERS: Actually, I`m not surprised by anything that happens in the boardroom. Anything can happen. As we`ve seen in previous shows. We`re down to the elite eight. At that point in time anybody could go. So no, I did not see it coming. However, anything`s possible.

BRYANT: But yet isn`t it pretty much true to form if you`re in charge and you lose you`re gone?

MYERS: It is pretty prevalent on the show. A lot of times a project manager has been fired. And some of the people that do survive are usually the ones that maybe don`t have the leadership skills. And by the end of the day it`s the project managers who are on the line.

BRYANT: But do you really feel -- I mean, you were criticized for your leadership skills. Do you really feel that that was your short coming?

MYERS: Not at all. Not at all.

BRYANT: So what was your undoing then?

MYERS: My undoing is I`m not used to a volatile environment in the workforce. I was the only corporate person in the entire suite. I`m used to respect. I`m used to working with people around the world all the time and not having the one-on-one interaction, but yet there`s no violence. No one`s physically threatening another colleague. I thought at this level in this type of competition we are pretty much --

BRYANT: You`re talking about Chris and Alex.

MYERS: Chris and Alex or anybody in the suites.

BRYANT: But particularly you guys were in the mobile Domino`s thing set up, it`s high tension, you`re under the gun. These two started getting at it with each other, and Alex perceived a threat from Chris, basically.

MYERS: Yep. And I`m not used to that. I did not know I had to come here to baby-sit.

BRYANT: But see, you know why you didn`t know because you were gone. You were in Brooklyn for like three days. What happened there? What was that all about?

MYERS: What happened was behind the scenes -- everybody keeps asking me today why did you take the subway? We have rules. We`re given rules before each task. I was not allowed to take the cab, and somebody from the team had to deliver the pizzas. What had happened was, the construction workers that Alex and Chris pre-sold the pizzas to were located directly outside our Domino`s kitchen in Brooklyn.

BRYANT: So why didn`t you as the boss though, say hey, guys, this is not practical. Tomorrow we`re going to be miles from -- we`re going to be in Manhattan. We`re not going to be in Brooklyn, why are we selling to -- why wouldn`t you just tell them that`s impractical?

MYERS: Well, that morning which you didn`t see, they were still trying to pre-sell to construction workers. What Alex`s strategy was that people did not see in the show was let`s pre-sell all these pizzas so we`ll just make them and deliver them the entire next day. But it was Election Day. The union workers had the day off.

BRYANT: So it didn`t work.

MYERS: Basically, I was saving Domino`s reputation. A promise is a promise, a commitment is a commitment. I was going to deliver.

BRYANT: Last quick question, who do you want to win?

MYERS: A woman, I want a woman to win.

BRYANT: Any woman? A woman. I`ve got to take it at that.

MYERS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and if you want to learn more about me, check out my Web site, stephaniemyers.net.

BRYANT: All right. Well, thank you Stephanie Myers. She is on THE APPRENTICE of course and that show airs Thursday nights on NBC.

HAMMER: Well, they`ve been talking all day and we`ve been listening and now as we do every night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the best from today`s talk shows. Bonnie Hunt sat in for Kelly today on LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY. She made sure she looked the part and she had some laughs at the expense of Pam Anderson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REGIS PHILBIN: A few curls in there. It`s nice.

BONNIE HUNT: Well, I showered. For you.

PHILBIN: Well, you know, I`m glad you did because you know who`s coming on the show today, Pamela Anderson.

HUNT: Yes. I thought, you know, that maybe I could look just like her if I walked out on my hands with my dress upside down.

PHILBIN: Isn`t this interesting? Let`s see how they survey each other. Look.

HUNT: What a set of bookends, Rege.

PHILBIN: How are you doing, Pamela? It`s good to see you.

HUNT: It is so sad to see you let yourself go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: All right. There`s still time for you to sound off in the "showbiz showdown" question of the day. Go to the web to do it, and we`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It`s hard to think of a movie that appeals to both fans of violent films and fans of love stories. Not a likely combo, right? Well, you`ll get to see both in "Sin City," which opens today. And the stars of "Sin City" tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the film delivers in both ways.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): "Sin City" was first created in the pages of a comic book by Frank Miller, and while most would agree that comic books are for boys, the movie version of "Sin City" has got a lot of girls and even a little romance. The film stars a bevy of Hollywood beauties including Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Carla Gugino, Jamie King, and Jessica Alba. Alba stars as Nancy, an exotic dancer who falls in love with Hartigan, played by Bruce Willis. She told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she thinks that women will love the film because there are so many female characters that play survivors.

JESSICA ALBA, PLAYS NANCY CALLAHAN: There`s a very romantic love story between Bruce and my character, with the history, you know. And so that could be appealing. He loved her so much that he made enormous sacrifices including spending eight years in prison for her. And then for the other female characters, you know, they`re survivors. Women are ready for a movie like this. And I certainly enjoyed it.

HAMMER: And clearly enjoying his role -- director Robert Rodriguez. He directed the "Spy Kids" franchise. He not only convinced "Sin City"`s creator Frank Miller to let his direct the film, he invited Frank to co- direct it.

ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, SIN CITY DIRECTOR: I wanted him to help me get those performances from the real actors. And he would go and talk to the actors about where the character is and where the character`s going in future episodes and he knows everything about this world because "Sin City," he`s the only person who`s been there. He invented it. I wanted it to be Frank Miller`s "Sin City," not Robert Rodriguez`s "Sin City" but he`d be there as a director.

HAMMER: And in an unusual twist, Rodriguez also invited someone else onto the set who`s familiar with violent filmmaking, director Quentin Tarantino. But for all the violence and weaponry in "Sin City," at least one of the film`s stars didn`t get the least bit squeamish.

CLIVE OWEN, PLAYS DWIGHT: You`re making a big mistake.

HAMMER: Oscar-nominated Clive Owen plays Dwight, a hard-nosed journalist who will stop at nothing to protect his friends. And he admits that the violence is the best part of the movie.

OWEN: That`s the heart of the piece. It is the most successful and wittiest when it`s at its most violent as well. It`s heightened. It`s so stylized. Maybe I`m a bit sick but I chuckle through the entire movie because it`s got a great, great, wicked sense of humor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: "Sin City" is now in theaters nationwide.

BRYANT: Throughout the show, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Reality contestants, OK to have a rap sheet? Well, let`s take a look at how the vote is going. So far a close one. 51 of you say -- 51 percent of you say yes, it`s OK for reality contestants to have a rap sheet, 49 percent of you said no, it`s not OK for reality contestants to have a rap sheet. And you`ve also been sending us e-mails on this question. Kim from Farmland, Indiana says, I think it`s acceptable as long as it`s a minor record. And remember, you can continue to vote on cnn.com/showbiztonight.

HAMMER: Karyn, it is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT next week.

BRYANT: OK. Well, let`s take a look at the showbiz marquee. Marquee guy making a live appearance tonight.

ANNOUNCER: We love our men and women in uniform. And so do Destiny`s Child and Kiss. They`re putting on a special concert for our Marines, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there, Monday. Also Monday, it`s slime time in prime time. It`s the Nickelodeon kids` choice awards. We`ll be on the orange carpet with all of the stars. No kidding. I`m so funny I crack myself up. Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is the marquee guy saying you can do that on TV. Right, AJ and Karyn?

HAMMER: Right, marquee guy. That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We will see you back here on Monday.

BRYANT: Nancy Grace is up next right after the very latest from HEADLINE NEWS.

END


Aired April 1, 2005 - 19:00:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: The world watches, and the media scrambles.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: Tonight, the pope`s failing health and his celebrity followers. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Jane Fonda speaks out like never before. What she`s saying about her troubled first marriage and the most controversial event in her life.

HAMMER: Joan Allen in the "SHOWBIZ Sitdown." Her performance in "The Upside of Anger" already has Oscar buzz. Joan Allen joins us live.

BRYANT: Reality check. An "Idol" contestant`s brush with the law. The show`s response. And just how do reality shows check for checkered pasts?

HAMMER: It`s Friday. Get fired up. Her pizza didn`t quite deliver, so she got delivered the pink slip. The latest "Apprentice" castoff joins us live.

BRYANT: Living in "Sin City."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Audiences are going to be blown away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Tonight we sit down with the director and the stars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSARIO DAWSON, "SIN CITY": Hi. I`m Rosario Dawson. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer, and you`re at the top of the show.

BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. We`re live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.

HAMMER: The world waits and watches as Pope John Paul II clings to life.

BRYANT: And today, television provided the window to what is seen as the imminent death of the pope. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here with the latest -- David.

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: A.J. and Karyn, as thousands of people stood vigil in St. Peter`s square all day today, millions more stayed glued to their televisions.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: CNN`s continuing coverage of pope John Paul II, his failing health...

HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): From the moment it appeared the pope might die, cable news networks went wall to wall with coverage from the Vatican. This morning, the "Today" show hit the ground running. Matt Lauer was in place in Rome.

MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, "TODAY": The situation is grave...

HAFFENREFFER: Around the world, news organizations have been preparing for this moment for a long time, going so far as to rent out apartments and garages near the Vatican for years, all so they could be in position to cover what would be the biggest story of the year. This afternoon, there were conflicting reports about whether the pope had died. At one point, Fox News Channel mistakenly reported the pope had actually died, without attribution to the Italian press.

SHEPARD SMITH, FOX ANCHOR: Facts are facts. Pope John Paul II, it is now our understanding, has died.

HAFFENREFFER: But Fox was wrong. A spokesperson blamed it on a producer who made a mistake, and about 20 minutes later, Fox backtracked on air with an apology.

SMITH: Somebody along the way, and myself included, has apparently gotten ahead of ourselves. And the shutters are open, and the pope is by all accounts now alive.

HAFFENREFFER: There was once a time when the regular TV networks would have interrupted the soaps. That was when they were the only TV news game in town. But all-news cable channels have changed the rules of the game.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

As of this afternoon, the big three networks still had not solidified plans for specials or preemptions over the weekend as they wait for confirmation on the fate of the pope. Back to you.

BRYANT: All right. Well, thank you, David.

The pope`s worldwide appeal has reached well outside the Catholic church. The pope even has close ties with Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson joins us live from Hollywood with more -- Brooke.

BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Karyn, Pope John Paul II was a former playwright, actor and singer. In fact, he told biographers he wanted to be a professional actor. The pope is respected and highly regarded by many performers, including legendary U2 singer Bono.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): From Bono to Bob Dylan to Bob Hope, the pope touched the lives of some of the most prominent entertainers in Hollywood history. In a scene seen around the world, U2`s Bono handed the pope his sunglasses in 1999. The Irish rocker told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about his special moment with the pontiff, one that was humble and humorous.

BONO, U2: He put my glasses on, made a very, very devilish face, and he was funny. We see him as this -- as this great figure fronting his very conservative version of Catholicism. But actually, his great work was done behind the scenes, backstage. I think that`s where he will really be remembered -- what he will really be remembered for.

ANDERSON: And the pope told Hollywood they should remember their influential power. He spoke to a gathering of entertainment and media leaders in 1987, saying, quote, "The world is at your mercy. You are a force for great good or great evil."

FATHER FRANK DESIDERIO, PAULIST PRODUCTIONS: What he meant by that is that the content of the program can either reflect the best of human values or it can reflect a humanity which is, you know, governed by cynicism and - - rather than governed by the values of life.

ANDERSON: The pope supported members of Hollywood who demonstrated unblemished character, awarding papal knighthoods to Hollywood honchos, including Rupert Murdoch, Roy Disney and Ricardo Montalban of "Fantasy Island" fame. At the same time, the pope was a target of Hollywood. Singer Sinead O`Connor infamously ripped up a picture of the pope on "Saturday Night Live" in 1992.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SINEAD O`CONNOR (SINGING): Good over evil!

Fight the real enemy!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The enemy became Sinead O`Connor. Many in Hollywood were outraged.

The pope was no stranger to Hollywood and pop culture. Just last year, he watched the controversial movie "The Passion of the Christ," with star James Caviezel, who portrayed Christ in the film. The pope`s relationship with Hollywood was a familiar one. After all, the pope was a performer, too.

BONO: I met the pope. And you know, you forget he was a performer. I mean, not just is. I mean, the Catholic church is definitely the glam rock of religion.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: The pope has also released a number of albums. Some include "The Rosary" with the pope. They are all mostly spoken word. The pope`s most recent disc is this one, "Abba Pater," from 1999 -- Karyn.

HAMMER: Thank you very much, Brooke.

Well, a betrayal and the biggest mistake of her life. That`s what Jane Fonda is saying about her 1972 visit to a North Vietnam anti-aircraft gun site. The site was used to shoot down U.S. pilots, and photos of her visit led to her nickname, Hanoi Jane. But Fonda`s not just dishing about that. In an interview that`s set to air this Sunday on "60 Minutes," she also opens up about her very first marriage to "Barbarella" director Roger Vadim, who she says pressured her into having threesomes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JANE FONDA, ACTRESS: I`m competitive. So you know, I was going to keep up with the Joneses. It was the `60s and whatever. It reinforced my feeling that I wasn`t good enough. And one of the reasons that I went along with it was because I felt that if I said no, that he would leave.

LESLEY STAHL, "60 MINUTES": You admit that you didn`t just give in, you went out and solicited the women sometimes.

FONDA: Sometimes. That`s right. That`s right. Hey, if that`s what he wanted, I`d give it to him in spades.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Fonda tells all in her new book, "Jane Fonda: My Life So Far," which comes out later this month. "Monster-in-Law," Fonda`s first movie in 15 years, opens up in May.

BRYANT: Time for "SHOWBIZ Shorts," a look at more stories making news tonight. Neil Young recuperating. We learned today that the rock legend, who appeared at the Rock n` Roll Hall of Fame induction just a few weeks ago, had surgery for a brain aneurysm earlier this week. Doctors say the surgery was a success and Young will make a complete recovery. But he had to cancel a performance planned for this Sunday`s Juneau Awards in Canada.

A surprise at "The View." Drag queen Flotilla DeBarge unveiled a new PETA ad targeting Star Jones Reynolds, as audience members left "The View" studios in New York this morning. The "Fur is a drag" campaign parodies "The View" co-host, who wears fur. And Jones Reynolds threatened to sue, saying the public might think the drag queen was really her.

HAMMER: Well, Reality shows have had some trouble with surprises. The groom from "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" brought some bad publicity, for example. We`re going to look at how shows check out contestants coming up in "SHOWBIZ in Depth."

BRYANT: Also, Joan Allen stops by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. She has two very different movies out right now. Joan Allen live. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was the name of the diner where the "Seinfeld" gang hung out? Was it A, Tom`s Diner, B, Monk`s, C, Harry`s Cafe or D, Sammy`s? We`re coming straight back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back. So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was the name of the diner where the "Seinfeld" gang hung out? Was it Tom`s Diner, Monk`s, Harry`s Cafe or Sammy`s? Well, the answer is B, Monk`s. And the famous exterior actually belongs to Tom`s restaurant, which is located right here in Manhattan.

HAMMER: And I`ve eaten there, right down on the Upper West Side.

Well, the Fox network said today it knew all along about the past legal troubles of one of its "American Idol" contestants, but despite his arrest, Fox says, the singer will not be kicked off the show.

Scott Savol of Shaker Heights, Ohio, is one of the nine remaining finalists on "American Idol." As SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reported yesterday, he was arrested and charged back in 2001. Police say he shoved his girlfriend and hit her in the chest with a phone. He was fined $500 and had to take anger management classes. Fox said today, quote, "Scott Savol was forthcoming to the `American Idol` producers and the network regarding his misdemeanor. After reviewing the facts, in which the charges were reduced to disorderly conduct, we felt that, considering Scott`s honesty and his remorse, the situation did not warrant his disqualification."

BRYANT: How reality shows check out potential contestants is our focus tonight in "SHOWBIZ In Depth." "American Idol" is certainly not the first reality show to deal with a contestant`s past. Remember Rick Rockwell, the groom on "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire"? Well, he was red in the face when news broke that an ex-girlfriend had accused Rockwell of beating and threatening her. And there was even a restraining order against him. Rockwell has denied those allegations. And the producers of "Big Brother 2" on CBS reportedly didn`t even know that contestant Justin Sebik had been arrested in the past until after he was ejected for holding a knife to a female contestant`s neck.

So tonight on "SHOWBIZ In Depth," we`re going to see how reality shows look into the backgrounds of their contestants. Joining us are two people who know all about that. We`ve got Chip Arndt joining us live in Miami. He is a past winner of "The Amazing Race." Good to see you, Chip. And live in Los Angeles, Stuart Krasnow, executive producer of the reality shows "Average Joe," "Cold Turkey" and "Manhunt: The Search for America`s Most Gorgeous Male Model." Thanks for joining us, as well, Stuart.

So Chip, I want to start with you. What kind of background check did they do on you before "The Amazing Race"?

CHIP ARNDT, WON "AMAZING RACE": Well, medical included?

BRYANT: Absolutely. Break it down.

ARNDT: Yes, they broke it down. From the very beginning, it was psychological tests, kind of like a lot of people get when they join a big company. It`s called a Briggs-Meyers tests. Then actually, we met with psychologists, who looked over that test and then interviewed us separately -- I mean, interviewed myself, and then interviewed Reichen and brought us in together. And then we actually had blood work done. We had a full drug test. So they really -- they really went into making sure that we were clean, so to speak.

BRYANT: Stuart, what about the psychological exam? How important is that? Because I would imagine there`s a line, you know, crazy enough to be on the show, and then just plain crazy. How do you feel about that?

STUART KRASNOW, REALITY TV PRODUCER: I think it all works together. We look at the psychological, the medical testing, and also, of course, the criminal background check. And we try to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. We talk to our experts that we`ve hired, our doctors, our lawyers. We go through everything.

Nobody can really predict behavior. And certainly, we`re not psychic. So we can`t really know what someone`s going to do in a situation. But if people are going to live together, we want to make sure they`re protected. And really, our background checks, and the extent to which we put a contestant through before they go on a show, is actually much more so than for a drama or a sitcom or any actor would go through. The people you see on a reality show are actually -- have been checked out a lot more than just about anybody else you can see on TV.

BRYANT: Right. Go ahead, Chip. You wanted to pipe in?

ARNDT: Well, no, I think it`s interesting because I think there`s actually -- I mean, I`m not a producer, I was just a contestant, but I would imagine there`s a dual purpose of putting us through these rigorous tests. One, they want to make sure your personality`s not a flat-line personality. I mean, there`s nothing more boring than having somebody who doesn`t potentially might blow up. But at the same time, I think the psychiatrists also want to make sure that you`re not so fragile that -- you know, we were running around the world...

BRYANT: Right.

ARNDT: ... for 29 days and exhausted -- that you know, you don`t break up and crack up. But I also think they probably want people that are going to be a little more interesting and intriguing.

BRYANT: Well, right, Chip. That`s what I wanted to ask about. You know, you`re saying you went through this very long process. I`m sure those Briggs-Meyers tests take a few hours. Potentially, you know, this whole process of becoming a contestant can take weeks, if not months. How did you answer these questions? How did you know which ones you should be totally honest with and which ones you should fudge for that potential excitement factor?

ARNDT: Well, I mean, personally, there`s so many tests you go through, I think that the idea of trying to game it and trying to figure out what they`re looking for isn`t worth it because, at the end of the day -- you know, Scott can answer this, but the producers know what they`re looking for and what type of a dynamic they want to create on a particular show.

BRYANT: OK.

ARNDT: So we just ended up taking so many different tests that you`re not really thinking about, Well, gee, should I answer it this way or that way. You just answer it, you know, honestly. And hopefully, they think that you`re, you know, a great team for -- on "The Amazing Race," for instance.

BRYANT: Now, Stuart, do you find that people are at all resistant to the background checks?

KRASNOW: Well, if they`re resistant, that`s a big red flag for us.

ARNDT: Right.

BRYANT: Hello!

KRASNOW: So we give them -- we ask them to be open and honest, and we give them a lot of time to fill out the paperwork. And really, you know, in the case of this "American Idol" contestant, he was up front, from what I understand. I don`t -- I`m not familiar -- I don`t work on the show. But he was up front and honest with the producers from the start, so they were able to make that evaluation.

And I`d like to point out that our president, George W. Bush, as a young man in college also got arrested...

BRYANT: Right.

KRASNOW: ... for disorderly conduct. And if you really think about it...

ARNDT: Yes, that`s true!

KRASNOW: ... he`s OK to be president of the United States. I think that a contestant on "American Idol" can certainly sing for the country with the same charge on his record.

BRYANT: OK. I find that very funny, that the president, in some cases, may not have passed "The Amazing Race," you know, test, and he may not have passed to be the next "Bachelor."

KRASNOW: Ironically, he would not have made it onto a show where people have to live together, only because he has three arrests on his record, one of them being a DUI. Sometimes we will have someone on who has had a DUI. It depends whether there`s a mug shot or not. It depends what kind of show it is. Like, the modeling show, we don`t want a mug shot out there. It`s dangerous for...

BRYANT: Sure.

KRASNOW: ... for the model agency that`s giving the prize away. But we`ll sometimes let things slip, but the combination of things together can keep somebody off the show. And...

BRYANT: OK.

KRASNOW: ... I think the really important point is that President Bush...

BRYANT: We got to go.

KRASNOW: ... is not a bad person, obviously.

BRYANT: Right. Just has a record.

KRASNOW: So I think if somebody had something bad on their record when they were young and stupid...

BRYANT: Right.

KRASNOW: ... so be it.

BRYANT: So be it.

KRASNOW: You know, it doesn`t make them a bad person.

BRYANT: OK. Well, thank you so much, Stuart Krasnow, for joining us, and Chip Arndt, as well.

ARNDT: Thanks so much.

BRYANT: Congratulations on the million bucks, too.

ARNDT: Hey, thanks...

(CROSSTALK)

BRYANT: We want to know what you guys think. You can answer our SHOWBIZ question of the day. Reality contestants: OK to have a rap sheet? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you want to tell us more, e- mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later in the show.

HAMMER: Well, a big part at "American Idol" is what goes on at the judges` table, especially when the sparks are flying between Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul. And if anyone can get to the bottom of that whole love- hate thing that they have going on, it`s Oprah Winfrey. At a taping for an upcoming "Oprah" episode, she asked Simon about his repeated claims that Paula is attracted to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, HOST: Seriously, Simon.

SIMON COWELL, "AMERICAN IDOL": Seriously.

OPRAH: Look me in the eye and tell me you think that Paula wants you.

COWELL: She wants me.

(LAUGHTER)

OPRAH: I don`t believe it!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: That episode of "Oprah" is going to air on Monday. And Simon will also be introducing a boy band that he has put together.

BRYANT: The latest "Apprentice" was all about pizza, but Donald Trump said Stephanie just couldn`t deliver the leadership skills. Oh, I love that pun. She got fired last night, but Stephanie joins us live. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: Plus, should you curl up with "Beauty Shop" this weekend? Curl up "Beauty Shop" this weekend. We`ve got a preview coming up in "People`s" "Picks and Pans."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Joan Allen finds "The Upside of Anger" and an unconventional love story with co-star Kevin Costner. Joan Allen`s going to join us live coming up in just a bit on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

BRYANT: Time for more "SHOWBIZ Shorts." "24" times three. Fox says this Monday`s episode of "24" is so big, it`s going to repeat two times -- next Friday and Sunday. In its fourth season, "24" follows the life of a government counterterrorism agent. Say that a few times fast. Each episode represents one hour in the course of a day.

Well, Jennifer Garner fights bad guys, too, as a CIA agent in "Alias." Today we learned that Garner will step behind the lens and direct an episode of the ABC show. It`s scheduled to air May 11.

We`ll have more "SHOWBIZ Shorts" coming up throughout the show.

HAMMER: It is time now for "People" magazine`s movie "Picks and Pans." Two very different movies to talk about tonight. "Sin City" and "Beauty Shop" are in theaters now. And joining us from "People" magazine, movie critic Leah Rozen.

Leah, I want to get into "Sin City" first. All the guys I know are dying to see it, and of course, Karyn Bryant has been telling me she`s dying to see it. It looks like it`s visually stunning. How does the rest of it hold up?

LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE MOVIE CRITIC: Looks good, less filling.

HAMMER: All right.

ROZEN: I mean, essentially, it`s sort of a videogame on screen. This is based on the graphic novel series by Frank Miller. He co-directed the film with Robert Rodriguez. It`s sort of these hard-boiled urban tales -- lots of violence. Lots of violence! But really cool-looking, big-star ensemble cast, but no one`s playing a real character.

HAMMER: Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba`s in it, Mickey Rourke, but...

ROZEN: Who`s almost unrecognizable!

HAMMER: Based on a comic book, but not for the kids. It`s rated R, correct?

ROZEN: Oh, Yes. Do not take the kids to this one.

HAMMER: All right, let`s move on to "Barber Shop," then. Continuing in the -- "Beauty Shop," rather, continuing in the "Barber Shop" sort of genre. Queen Latifah.

ROZEN: This is "Barber Shop" on estrogen.

HAMMER: OK.

ROZEN: It`s the sort of -- it`s the female version of those movies. Same kind of banter. Queen Latifah, who was in the second "Barber Shop" movie, in this one plays a widow. She`s moved to Atlanta. She opens her own beauty shop and has customer problems, staff problems, money woes. But of course, she`s going to overcome with a lot of comedy in between. It`s kind of like a TV show. It`s sort of fun. You sit back. You know these people. You kind of have fun. But is this a great movie? Not at all.

HAMMER: And a great ensemble cast in this one, as well, though.

ROZEN: Again, a lot of good people, including...

HAMMER: Thanks a lot for stopping by.

ROZEN: You`re welcome.

HAMMER: A lot to see this weekend. And for more "Picks and Pans," you can check out this week`s "People" magazine. It`s available at newsstands everywhere.

BRYANT: It is time to get your laugh on in "Laughter Dark." As we do every night, we bring you the late-night laughs you may have missed. On the "Tonight" show, Jay Leno talked about Prince Charles`s upcoming wedding. Let`s take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST: You know, Prince Charles is getting married. Had his big bachelor party last night. Did you hear about that? Did you see that? That was all the talk of England. Everybody was there. And the entertainment was pretty shocking. Well, show Prince Charles`s bachelor party.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Oh, yes. Well, it was audience show-and-tell on "The Late Show" last night, and one audience member literally went head over heels for David Letterman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m going to attempt to walk on my hands about halfway down the aisle here, and I`m going to wrap my legs around a guy and pull up to piggyback.

DAVID LETTERMAN, HOST: Whoa.

(LAUGHTER)

LETTERMAN: Can I be the guy, or do you have to have a special...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoa, yes! That I want to see!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ready?

LETTERMAN: I`m ready. Oh, man! Watch -- be careful of my toupee. Whoa. Whoa!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, Anna Nicole Smith is branching out. She has a brand- new job. We`re going to be taking that to the "Buzz Bench" coming up. Plus, we have your round-trip tickets to "Sin City." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sits down with some of the stars of that star-studded cast.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(NEWS BREAK)

HAMMER: Joan joins us. Joan Allen and Kevin Costner on the big screen together, and she`s with us live.

BRYANT: And pizza panned. Stephanie`s team doesn`t deliver enough dough and she`s tossed in the latest fired "Apprentice" live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE KING: I`m Jamie King, and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.

HAMMER: And I`m AJ Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines. Fonda fesses up. Jane Fonda will have a lot to say in her 60 MINUTES interview this Sunday, including calling her 1972 visit to a North Vietnamese anti- aircraft gun site an act of, quote, "betrayal." She also discusses her three-way sex with other women during her first marriage.

BRYANT: And he is not out. Fox says today that AMERICAN IDOL finalist Scott Savol had told the network about his 2001 misdemeanor. The network is standing by him and not kicking him out of the competition. Savol was arrested for allegedly shoving his girlfriend and hitting her in the chest with a phone.

Well, we have been asking you to vote on tonight`s question of the day. Reality contestants, OK to have a rap sheet? You can keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight. And send us your e-mails at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say at 55 past the hour.

HAMMER: Well, after weeks in limited release, "The Upside of Anger," starring Kevin Costner and the lovely Joan Allen opens nationwide today. And Allen`s also got another new movie opening this weekend as well called "Off the Map." But Joan right now is on the set joining us live here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in New York City. Thanks for coming down.

JOAN ALLEN, ACTRESS: You`re welcome.

HAMMER: Appreciate you launching the weekend with us.

ALLEN: Oh, sure.

HAMMER: And before we get into it, I want to roll a clip from "Upside of Anger." So let`s take a look at this.

Great.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALLEN: Are you looking for another notch in your belt? Or I don`t know, whatever it is you super sports heroes call it. Are you looking to get lucky with me, to get me into bed?

KEVIN COSTNER, ACTOR: Who`s calling?

ALLEN: Be straight with me, Danny. Be straight. Now, Gray always thought you had an eye for me, and I need you to be really straight with me now.

COSTNER: OK. I do like you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: All right, Joan. That was one of the moments that made me laugh in the movie. I`m not ashamed to say there were at least three, definitely two but possibly three moments in that film where I almost burst into tears.

ALLEN: Yes.

HAMMER: Honestly, I think for my money you gave the performance of your career.

ALLEN: Oh, thank you.

HAMMER: And that wasn`t just like a butt-kissing kind of a thing. Do you feel that way? Do you finish up doing a role like that or do you see it after it`s been completed and feel like I think that was the best thing I`ve ever done?

ALLEN: I got the chance to do a lot of different things with this particular role, and that is always what an actor I think really hopes to be able to do. You know, I got to be angry and drunk and sad and, you know, a jerk at times. You know, I got to be all different kinds of things. And I think when you get to be that well-rounded, you know, it`s a more three-dimensional character.

HAMMER: It really -- it had the depth and that range that while some of your other roles have had certainly depth and range, maybe not to this extent?

ALLEN: I would say not. You know, fortunately, Mike Binder wrote the part for me and he said I wanted to write it so that you could hit every emotional note that I could possibly come up with. And so that`s one of the goals that he sort of set for himself when he was writing the character.

HAMMER: And what a cool cast. I mean, obviously Kevin Costner working with you in the film and a great ensemble, including Erika Christensen, who stopped by here last week and she told me that she as well as her co-actors, the other women who played your daughters in the film, were simply in awe of you and they loved just watching you act and would lose sight of everything else. Do you feel sort of a responsibility to these young actors to sort of show them the way?

ALLEN: Well, I -- that`s really sweet of her to say that. All four of them are so seasoned. Eric and Evan Rachel Wood, Kerry Russell and Alicia Witt. They`ve been acting since they were little girls, most of them. And they were so seasoned. I felt like I was learning from them watching them. So you know, it felt more like we were comrades and we were all working together because they were so, so talented across the board.

HAMMER: But could you sense a little bit of their awe? Did they kind of say Miss Allen, may I sit with you? Or did they ever bring you flowers or bring you food or anything like that?

ALLEN: We were all so happy, it was really casual. You know, we celebrated together. You know, we had a big birthday bash because Erica, Alicia`s and my birthdays were within three days of each other. So we celebrated and it was a lot of fun.

HAMMER: You mentioned of course Mike Binder wrote this part for you. He really wrote the movie for you. And "The Contender," for which you received an Oscar nomination written by Mike Lurie.

ALLEN: Rod Lurie.

HAMMER: Rod Lurie, rather. These movies were written for you. What does that mean? They were written for you. What a great thing to have people do for you.

ALLEN: It`s fantastic. You know, Rod Lurie had been a film critic for many years and he had seen my work, and so he decided to write "The Contender" for me. And then I worked with Mike Binder during "The Contender," and I spoke up to Mike one day and I said if you could think of me for one of your comedies someday I would really appreciate it. So sometimes it works out.

HAMMER: And it got you one of your many Oscar nominations. After you wrap a film like that do you say -- and you may not be into, oh, the awards are not so important, but do you say, wow, I think that was an Oscar-worthy performance?

ALLEN: I don`t know. I guess I don`t really think in those terms. I try to take each experience as it comes and try to enjoy every moment of working. I`ve gotten to work with amazing people throughout my career, and I just take every day as it comes and make the most of it.

HAMMER: Well, what I`ve learned since you got here today and even before we came on for the show, you just -- you`re so down to earth and you don`t seem like a materialistic person at all. But you`ve done well in your career. Hopefully, you`ve earned a little money along the way. Tell me about an indulgence, something maybe that you bought for yourself that you said, you know what, I can afford that, so what the heck? I`m going to buy this for myself I`m going to do this for myself. One thing.

ALLEN: One thing that I do is I`m pretty -- and this is not very extravagant, but I can`t pass a Starbuck`s without stopping for a chai latte. So I treat myself to every (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

HAMMER: She`s been Oscar nominated, she`s made the money, and her big indulgence, the chai latte. That`s fantastic. Well, also good luck with your other movie, which of course is "Off the Map," which is opening this weekend as well. We appreciate you stopping by.

ALLEN: Thank you.

HAMMER: Have a lovely weekend and a chai latte.

BRYANT: Well, if you guys are done over there, we`re going to get to some more "showbiz shorts." Malcolm is coming back. Fox announced today that its sitcom "Malcolm in the Middle" will return for a seventh season next year. The show`s creator says that that will probably be the last season.

Elton John still standing strong on Broadway. The pop superstar is developing a new show based on Anne Rice`s novels "Interview with the Vampire" and "The Vampire Lestat." John`s musical is called "Lestat" and it`s scheduled to bow on Broadway in about a year. John`s "Ada" and "The Lion King" are currently on the great white way. More "showbiz shorts" coming up throughout the show.

HAMMER: Well, Anna Nicole`s got herself a new gig. And the fur is flying again. This time it`s Star Jones. Our buzz bench flies into our studio coming up next.

BRYANT: and dough that let to d`oh! Her team`s pizza got her tossed. The latest "Apprentice" to get booted joins us live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA ALBA: Hi. I`m Jessica Alba, and I`m wearing Marc Jacobs because -- and Richard Shaw shoes because I love Marc Jacobs and the first awards show I ever went to was the Golden Globes and I wore Marc Jacobs and it just -- he always makes me feel like a lady.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT: Time for tonight`s buzz bench, where we focus on what you`re gabbing about. Tonight, an AMERICAN IDOL rap sheet. PETA plays a prank on Star Jones and Anna Nicole adds columnist to her resume.

HAMMER: And joining us on our Friday night buzz bench, "The New York Times" Lola Ogunnaike, CNN pop culture correspondent Toure and comedian and TV personality, Leigh Kessler. Now it looks like an arrest and a plea is not going to cost an AMERICAN IDOL contestant Scott Savol his shot at perhaps becoming the next American idol. He kind of snuck through this one. Leigh, what`s your take?

LEIGH KESSLER, COMEDIAN AND TV PERSONALITY: Well, my take is it depends on if the guy really has talent. It sucks if your 15 minutes of fame are spent defending your criminal record for 13 of them. But if he can make it through and get out there, there are a lot of guys who`ve got a little violent image who`ve done OK with themselves.

LOLA OGUNNAIKE, NEW YORK TIMES: I just think at this point the entire show is criminal. I mean, I watch it and I want to slit my wrists, and I`m just hoping that, you know, Simon and Randy and Paula get charged with attempted murder for my death because...

BRYANT: What do you hate about it so much?

(CROSSTALK)

OGUNNAIKE: One more rendition of an Alicia Keys song, literally I`m going to...

TOURE: Every twist and turn in the show is portrayed as news. Like somebody gets kicked off, that`s news. Somebody had a drug arrest, that`s news...

BRYANT: But Toure, millions of people watch the show. That`s why. I hate to tell you.

TOURE: "CSI" is the same way. Do we report on the comings and goings on "CSI" every week? Let`s talk about "Desperate Housewives." They had a great episode this week.

BRYANT: It was OK.

OGUNNAIKE: A fat bald-headed guy threw a phone at his ex-girlfriend, that`s news?

(CROSSTALK)

KESSLER: He tried to grab an engagement ring. There`s not an engaged guy out there who had not at some time tried to say give me that back. I`m not going to say...

TOURE: No, I never, ever did.

BRYANT: Here`s the thing, though. Everybody knows he`s not really going to win. So I don`t really think that this is a big problem.

HAMMER: Well, one of the questions -- was everybody counting on -- was everybody counting on Mario Vazquez to win and so they sort of let the whole criminal thing slip by but you know --

BRYANT: They say he fessed up to it, it`s not going to keep him from -- you know, at least he was honest about it.

OGUNNAIKE: Everybody on AMERICAN IDOL now seems to have some sort of sordid past. You`ve got Frenchie with the topless photos on the porn site...

BRYANT: There`s always children somewhere.

OGUNNAIKE: You`ve got another guy, domestic violence. I mean, this is becoming standard.

TOURE: But in modern music you have to have some sort of a past now to make it, but on AMERICAN IDOL, they want you to be squeaky clean. Hate that.

BRYANT: But speaking of not squeaky clean, OK, PETA is going after Star Jones Reynolds. Today Flotilla DeBarge, the drag queen, got out -- the best name. As the audience was leaving "The View," hops out, has the new fur is a drag campaign, the white fur coat with the blood splattered on it.

TOURE: Do it.

BRYANT: Not squeaky clean at all. You`re loving this.

TOURE: Love it. Love it. Look, Star Jones is the perfect enemy for PETA. Like with friends like that who needs enemies like -- you want her on the other side. No matter what she does, she looks ridiculous. She looks ridiculous every single day. So if you portray her as wearing fur is ridiculous, Star is wearing fur, you want to be on Star`s side or you want to be on PETA`s side?

OGUNNAIKE: I have to say I never thought I would say this but I actually feel sorry for Star Jones. I do.

HAMMER: Sympathy from Leigh.

OGUNNAIKE: I`ll tell you why I feel sorry...

KESSLER: It was bad enough, it was bad enough when she used to get portrayed by Tracy Morgan on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and that`s when he was fat. You know, I mean, that was bad enough. Now she`s got this and she`s a fur person...

TOURE: She`s ridiculous. She brings this on herself.

KESSLER: She`s a smart, strong woman who should be -- PETA has Pamela Anderson representing them. Is that a better image for them than Star Jones?

OGUNNAIKE: But she`s got this 10,000-pound man running around in faux lashes and fur...

HAMMER: We`ve got to move on because one of Lola`s competitors, Lola of course from the "New York Times," the "National Enquirer" --

OGUNNAIKE: It`s a huge competitor. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) we`re worried about.

HAMMER: The "National Enquirer" is relaunching and it looks like Anna Nicole is going to be one of their columnists.

OGUNNAIKE: Well, she`s always been known as one of the brilliant orators of our time and now that she`s moving into writing, I can`t wait to see her prose. I`m sure it`s going to be really economical and brilliant. And the phrases are just going to jump off the page.

TOURE: Do you think that maybe you`ll read one of the columns and burst into tears or something?

HAMMER: Listen, if you`re going to make fun -- it`s a good thing we don`t do background checks on the buzz bench, Toure, you`d be in trouble. All right. We`ve got to go. We`ve got to go.

BRYANT: That`s it.

HAMMER: I don`t take insults from this crew. Leigh, thanks for joining us. Welcome to the buzz bench. Toure and Lola Ogunnaike, we appreciate you all dropping by. Do you think it`s hard to be on the buzz bench or to agree on pizza toppings? Sometimes it is. But the "Apprentice" team managed to agree on some pizza toppings. However, one group was left with heartburn in the boardroom. The latest fired "Apprentice" is coming up live.

BRYANT: And then to "Sin City." It`s a violent movie, but Clive Owen tells us why he`s laughing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Last night`s APPRENTICE was a saucy affair. The task was to design a specialty pie for Domino`s Pizza and then sell, sell, sell. And of course at the end of the episode, one contestant got the order to go. So joining us live now here in New York is the latest castoff, Stephanie Myers. Stephanie, welcome.

STEPHANIE MYERS, FIRED FROM APPRENTICE: Thank you very much.

BRYANT: So you got the boot last night from the Donald. Did you see it coming?

MYERS: Actually, I`m not surprised by anything that happens in the boardroom. Anything can happen. As we`ve seen in previous shows. We`re down to the elite eight. At that point in time anybody could go. So no, I did not see it coming. However, anything`s possible.

BRYANT: But yet isn`t it pretty much true to form if you`re in charge and you lose you`re gone?

MYERS: It is pretty prevalent on the show. A lot of times a project manager has been fired. And some of the people that do survive are usually the ones that maybe don`t have the leadership skills. And by the end of the day it`s the project managers who are on the line.

BRYANT: But do you really feel -- I mean, you were criticized for your leadership skills. Do you really feel that that was your short coming?

MYERS: Not at all. Not at all.

BRYANT: So what was your undoing then?

MYERS: My undoing is I`m not used to a volatile environment in the workforce. I was the only corporate person in the entire suite. I`m used to respect. I`m used to working with people around the world all the time and not having the one-on-one interaction, but yet there`s no violence. No one`s physically threatening another colleague. I thought at this level in this type of competition we are pretty much --

BRYANT: You`re talking about Chris and Alex.

MYERS: Chris and Alex or anybody in the suites.

BRYANT: But particularly you guys were in the mobile Domino`s thing set up, it`s high tension, you`re under the gun. These two started getting at it with each other, and Alex perceived a threat from Chris, basically.

MYERS: Yep. And I`m not used to that. I did not know I had to come here to baby-sit.

BRYANT: But see, you know why you didn`t know because you were gone. You were in Brooklyn for like three days. What happened there? What was that all about?

MYERS: What happened was behind the scenes -- everybody keeps asking me today why did you take the subway? We have rules. We`re given rules before each task. I was not allowed to take the cab, and somebody from the team had to deliver the pizzas. What had happened was, the construction workers that Alex and Chris pre-sold the pizzas to were located directly outside our Domino`s kitchen in Brooklyn.

BRYANT: So why didn`t you as the boss though, say hey, guys, this is not practical. Tomorrow we`re going to be miles from -- we`re going to be in Manhattan. We`re not going to be in Brooklyn, why are we selling to -- why wouldn`t you just tell them that`s impractical?

MYERS: Well, that morning which you didn`t see, they were still trying to pre-sell to construction workers. What Alex`s strategy was that people did not see in the show was let`s pre-sell all these pizzas so we`ll just make them and deliver them the entire next day. But it was Election Day. The union workers had the day off.

BRYANT: So it didn`t work.

MYERS: Basically, I was saving Domino`s reputation. A promise is a promise, a commitment is a commitment. I was going to deliver.

BRYANT: Last quick question, who do you want to win?

MYERS: A woman, I want a woman to win.

BRYANT: Any woman? A woman. I`ve got to take it at that.

MYERS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and if you want to learn more about me, check out my Web site, stephaniemyers.net.

BRYANT: All right. Well, thank you Stephanie Myers. She is on THE APPRENTICE of course and that show airs Thursday nights on NBC.

HAMMER: Well, they`ve been talking all day and we`ve been listening and now as we do every night on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the best from today`s talk shows. Bonnie Hunt sat in for Kelly today on LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY. She made sure she looked the part and she had some laughs at the expense of Pam Anderson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REGIS PHILBIN: A few curls in there. It`s nice.

BONNIE HUNT: Well, I showered. For you.

PHILBIN: Well, you know, I`m glad you did because you know who`s coming on the show today, Pamela Anderson.

HUNT: Yes. I thought, you know, that maybe I could look just like her if I walked out on my hands with my dress upside down.

PHILBIN: Isn`t this interesting? Let`s see how they survey each other. Look.

HUNT: What a set of bookends, Rege.

PHILBIN: How are you doing, Pamela? It`s good to see you.

HUNT: It is so sad to see you let yourself go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: All right. There`s still time for you to sound off in the "showbiz showdown" question of the day. Go to the web to do it, and we`ll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: It`s hard to think of a movie that appeals to both fans of violent films and fans of love stories. Not a likely combo, right? Well, you`ll get to see both in "Sin City," which opens today. And the stars of "Sin City" tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the film delivers in both ways.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): "Sin City" was first created in the pages of a comic book by Frank Miller, and while most would agree that comic books are for boys, the movie version of "Sin City" has got a lot of girls and even a little romance. The film stars a bevy of Hollywood beauties including Brittany Murphy, Rosario Dawson, Carla Gugino, Jamie King, and Jessica Alba. Alba stars as Nancy, an exotic dancer who falls in love with Hartigan, played by Bruce Willis. She told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she thinks that women will love the film because there are so many female characters that play survivors.

JESSICA ALBA, PLAYS NANCY CALLAHAN: There`s a very romantic love story between Bruce and my character, with the history, you know. And so that could be appealing. He loved her so much that he made enormous sacrifices including spending eight years in prison for her. And then for the other female characters, you know, they`re survivors. Women are ready for a movie like this. And I certainly enjoyed it.

HAMMER: And clearly enjoying his role -- director Robert Rodriguez. He directed the "Spy Kids" franchise. He not only convinced "Sin City"`s creator Frank Miller to let his direct the film, he invited Frank to co- direct it.

ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, SIN CITY DIRECTOR: I wanted him to help me get those performances from the real actors. And he would go and talk to the actors about where the character is and where the character`s going in future episodes and he knows everything about this world because "Sin City," he`s the only person who`s been there. He invented it. I wanted it to be Frank Miller`s "Sin City," not Robert Rodriguez`s "Sin City" but he`d be there as a director.

HAMMER: And in an unusual twist, Rodriguez also invited someone else onto the set who`s familiar with violent filmmaking, director Quentin Tarantino. But for all the violence and weaponry in "Sin City," at least one of the film`s stars didn`t get the least bit squeamish.

CLIVE OWEN, PLAYS DWIGHT: You`re making a big mistake.

HAMMER: Oscar-nominated Clive Owen plays Dwight, a hard-nosed journalist who will stop at nothing to protect his friends. And he admits that the violence is the best part of the movie.

OWEN: That`s the heart of the piece. It is the most successful and wittiest when it`s at its most violent as well. It`s heightened. It`s so stylized. Maybe I`m a bit sick but I chuckle through the entire movie because it`s got a great, great, wicked sense of humor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: "Sin City" is now in theaters nationwide.

BRYANT: Throughout the show, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Reality contestants, OK to have a rap sheet? Well, let`s take a look at how the vote is going. So far a close one. 51 of you say -- 51 percent of you say yes, it`s OK for reality contestants to have a rap sheet, 49 percent of you said no, it`s not OK for reality contestants to have a rap sheet. And you`ve also been sending us e-mails on this question. Kim from Farmland, Indiana says, I think it`s acceptable as long as it`s a minor record. And remember, you can continue to vote on cnn.com/showbiztonight.

HAMMER: Karyn, it is time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT next week.

BRYANT: OK. Well, let`s take a look at the showbiz marquee. Marquee guy making a live appearance tonight.

ANNOUNCER: We love our men and women in uniform. And so do Destiny`s Child and Kiss. They`re putting on a special concert for our Marines, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there, Monday. Also Monday, it`s slime time in prime time. It`s the Nickelodeon kids` choice awards. We`ll be on the orange carpet with all of the stars. No kidding. I`m so funny I crack myself up. Monday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is the marquee guy saying you can do that on TV. Right, AJ and Karyn?

HAMMER: Right, marquee guy. That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We will see you back here on Monday.

BRYANT: Nancy Grace is up next right after the very latest from HEADLINE NEWS.

END