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Showbiz Tonight
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for May 4, 2005
Aired May 04, 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.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: Tonight`s the night. A "Primetime" "American Idol" showdown.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And a new kingdom for Orlando Bloom. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s a slap in the face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "American Idol" expose. We`ve got a first look tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN QUINONES, "PRIMETIME LIVE": I have no idea what the repercussions might be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And what everyone will be talking about tomorrow.
BRYANT: Frasier falls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELSEY GRAMMER, "FRASIER": Oh, good Lord!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: What happened to Kelsey Grammer? Is he OK?
HAMMER: Plus, the times are a-changin`. The way you plan to go to the movies is about to change, coming soon to a theater near you.
BRYANT: Kingdom come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ORLANDO BLOOM, "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN": It has fallen to us to defend Jerusalem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Orlando Bloom is on a crusade -- a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown."
HAMMER: Hot "Wax." Paris Hilton sees double in her new movie. And you`ll never guess what this hot star`s cold hobby is. She`ll tell us.
BRYANT: And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUDACRIS, "CRASH": Look at us, Dog. Are we dressed like gang- bangers?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: `Cris crashes. Hip-hop star Ludacris, live.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUDACRIS, "CRASH": (INAUDIBLE) This is Ludacris. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant, and you are at the top of the show.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.
BRYANT: Tonight is "American Idol" night, but not just on Fox.
HAMMER: A half-hour after "American Idol" sends one of its contestants packing tonight, ABC`s "Primetime Live" will air an "American Idol" expose that could threaten the credibility of the show and one of its judges. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here with the latest.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: So much hype about all this, Karyn and A.J. Tonight, the Fox network is facing charges of backstage shenanigans at "American Idol," while some are accusing ABC of throwing rotten tomatoes at a rival network`s hit show. Both networks risk fall-out from tonight`s report. This afternoon, I sat down with "Primetime Live`s" John Quinones and talked to him about this potentially explosive story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): John Quinones is not the only one shocked by the attention his story on "American Idol" is getting. The report, airing tonight on ABC`s "Primetime Live," features allegations of behind-the- scenes favoritism and sex on "American Idol," one of America`s most-watched shows.
JOHN QUINONES, "PRIMETIME LIVE": If there are allegations like these that turn out to be true, it really can raise a lot of questions about the fairness of it all.
HAFFENREFFER: Quinones sits down with 2003 "American Idol" contestant Corey Clark. Clark was booted off the show in a flap over a previous arrest he didn`t tell producers about. In the ABC News story, he makes several claims about a relationship with "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul, among them, that she coached him on song selection, that she gave him money for expensive clothes, that their relationship eventually turned sexual, and that she asked him to keep it a secret. In tonight`s report, Quinones discusses the allegations with other former "American Idol" contestants.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes you upset because you see those 12 spots, and we all were fighting for one of those 12 spots. You know, my life will go on. My career will go on. I`ll continue to go forward. But you know, that`s a slap in the face.
HAFFENREFFER: Fox and its parent company are fighting back. In a statement last week, Fox asked the public to, quote, "examine Mr. Clark`s motives, given his apparent desire to exploit his prior involvement with `American Idol` for profit and publicity." Abdul herself says Clark is making up lies to generate interest in a book deal. One expert says ABC could benefit from this high-profile story.
ROBERT J. THOMPSON, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: When you have a juggernaut like "American Idol," any crumbs you can get from the table are going to be valuable. And I think on a business level, ABC is just figuring, if we can put the name "American Idol" onto any of our shows, we can use all that promotional equity that that big hit has been.
HAFFENREFFER: This whole "American Idol" controversy resembles the 1950s scandal depicted in the movie "Quiz Show," where a super-popular game show was rocked by allegations that producers helped a contestant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "QUIZ SHOW")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not like anybody has to know, just us three.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: But Thompson doesn`t think we are looking at a repeat.
THOMPSON: Is this going to hurt "American Idol"? I think, in the long run, probably not. The only thing that could really blow up in "American Idol`s" face is if somebody could find evidence that this was fixed from the get-go.
HAFFENREFFER: While the story may not hurt "American Idol," it could hurt ABC. The Associated Press says Abdul`s attorneys have threatened the network with legal action. But Quinones is at peace about the story.
QUINONES: We`re confident that we`ve done as much as we can to look into this. And in the end, you be the judge.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: Of course, this is not the first time "American Idol" has found itself judged. The criminal pasts of current and former contestants have become publicized. And earlier this season, a phone snafu mixed up the votes for the contestants, angering many viewers. As for the players in this latest drama, Paula Abdul is scheduled to continue her role on "American Idol." As for Corey, he`s appearing on ABC`s "Good Morning America" tomorrow -- A.J.
HAMMER: All right, David. We`ll all be watching tonight and talking about it tomorrow.
Now, you`ll remember, last night, we asked you to weigh in, and thousands of you did, on our question of the day, which was, "American Idol": Do you think it`s fixed? Well, when all was said and done, 67 percent of you said, Yes, we think "American Idol" is fixed; 33 percent of you said, No, we don`t think "American Idol" is fixed.
And this just in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. A big and baffling mystery tonight surrounding Comedy Central`s $50 million-man. Dave Chappelle`s new season is now on hold, and no one is saying why. Just a short time ago, the network said it has suspended production on David Chappelle`s wildly popular sketch comedy show. Last August, Comedy Central signed him to a contract extension worth a reported $50 million. The third season of Chappelle`s show was supposed to kick off on May 31. We called David Chappelle`s people, and they aren`t talking.
BRYANT: Tonight, it`s a magical night in the Magic Kingdom. The stars are out to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson is live in Anaheim, California. Hey, there, Brooke, we heard Kelsey Grammer took a fall. Is he doing OK?
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: He absolutely did take quit a spill, Karyn. He was here last night as master of ceremonies for a kickoff event for this anniversary celebration -- Grammer, of course, the voice of the 50th anniversary commercials. He was on stage and apparently so engrossed in what he was saying that he walked right off, fell right off the stage. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELSEY GRAMMER, "FRASIER": Taking my 400th trip through It`s a Small World, pretending I was a U.N. interpreter -- oh, good Lord! Oh (DELETED). Oh, damn! I think I -- wow! That was really very bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: ...uttered a word that would have made poor Mickey blush. But Kelsey Grammer is OK, just a few bumps and bruises. He got up and finished what he was there to do. And he was actually here earlier today, enjoying the festivities.
Also here today, Steve Martin. He was here to unveil a new historical exhibit highlighting Disneyland`s past five decades. It includes a film that stars Steve Martin, and also a Disney favorite, Donald Duck. Donald Duck was actually here to help Steve Martin do the unveiling. You see him there. And for those of you who don`t know, Steve Martin got his show biz start right here at Disneyland. He worked in the park`s Magic Shop at the tender age of 10, so he got an early start on that show biz career.
Also in Mickey`s house today, Julie Andrews, AKA Mary Poppins. She`s the voice of the fireworks show, as well as the voice at the beginning of the Parade of Dreams. I spoke with her earlier, and she told me she is thrilled to be a part of this celebration.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIE ANDREWS, "MARY POPPINS": Well, you know, I`ve been a cast member of Disney for something like 40 years now. And I`m so glad they asked me because I`m delighted.
ANDERSON: How do you think -- what do you think this world would be like without a Disneyland?
ANDREWS: Well, it`s sort of a -- I was going to say a national treasure, but it`s really an international treasure, if you think about all the other parks and resorts. And I think we`d be a sadder place without it. It`s a place where you can be a child again and indulge your fantasies a little bit, and bring your family. You can be a grandparent or a grandchild, and you`ll still have a great time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Disneyland is calling this event "the happiest homecoming on earth." And I`ll tell you, Oprah Winfrey`s got nothing on Disneyland when it comes to 50th birthday parties. This one`s going to last for the next 18 months. That`s quite a birthday celebration.
A.J., Karyn, I`ll be back in just a little while with something totally different. I`ll take you behind the scenes of "House of Wax" with one of its stars, the one and the only Paris Hilton.
BRYANT: Thank you very much. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson live from Disneyland -- A.J.
HAMMER: All right, Karyn. In our first "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," Orlando Bloom. He is no stranger to playing the hero, whether it be as Will Turner in "Pirates of the Caribbean" or Legolas in "The Lord of the Rings." Well, this time, he`s a knight valiant fighting during the Crusades in the new movie "Kingdom of Heaven."
We`re going to get to Orlando in just a second, but first let`s take a look at "Kingdom of Heaven."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On your knees!
ORLANDO BLOOM, "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN": Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless. That is your oath.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Orlando Bloom, thanks for joining us today.
BLOOM: Thanks for having me on, A.J.
HAMMER: So amid all of these battles that happen in the film and all the violence that`s going on, there`s this really terrific story of virtue and idealism and the pursuit of what is right. And from everything I know about you, it seems that this probably appealed to you on a very personal level.
BLOOM: Yes. In many ways, it did. It was -- for me, it was fantastic to get to play a character who goes on this journey of spiritual discovery, but it is also very much a coming-of-age story. You know, you meet this man who is -- his wife has committed suicide at the loss of their child, and he looks to God to say, What God could allow this to happen? And ultimately, he goes to the Holy Lands to find redemption and peace and a sense of forgiveness for his wife and his own sins.
HAMMER: Big pricetag on this. What was it, like, $140 million or something like that?
BLOOM: Yes, I believe so.
HAMMER: So does that put personal pressure on you? Because now you`re finally the leading man. You essentially are carrying the film.
BLOOM: You know, as an actor, the only experience you really have is the journey of making the film. And when you`re in the hands of somebody like Ridley Scott, you know, he`s -- he`s the man who brought you "Gladiator." He`s the man who knows how to draw an audience into a world, even if it`s a historic world. He makes it feel contemporary. It packs a punch. It`s sort of relevant and important.
HAMMER: Well, something that you get to do in this movie is living out what many children have as -- a boyhood dream of becoming a knight.
BLOOM: Absolutely.
HAMMER: In "Pirates of the Caribbean," you get to live out the boyhood dream of becoming a pirate. Did you ever play act in any of these roles when you were a kid?
BLOOM: You know, I did, actually. I was on school -- I was at school, and I did a -- "Pirates of Penzance" was one of my -- one of my musicals we did at school. So I actually did get to play a pirate. And I used to play, you know, running around with guns, cowboys and Indians, in the garden, like all kids did.
HAMMER: But could you ever have imagined that one day, you`d show up somewhere and thousands of screaming people would come out to see you? Does it ever make you want to run and hide and say, What have I gotten myself into? I know it comes along with the territory, but you know, sometimes, you think you got into it a little too deep and this isn`t really what it`s about?
BLOOM: You know, in a way, you do want to run and hide at times. But I`m working in far-flung corners of the world so often. And you know, they`re really very sweet, the fans. They`re very supportive. And they afford me the ability to do what I love, which is the work.
HAMMER: Do you have to bring a bodyguard with you, though, everywhere you go? I mean, you can`t just go out to the pizza shop and get a slice.
BLOOM: When you`re on a movie, you tend to have -- you know, it was my first experience on "Kingdom," when I got really mobbed in Spain, and we`d never experienced that before. And I -- that was the first time I got, like, a security guard. And so when you`re in a movie, it can be a good idea just because, you know, that`s where people expect to see you.
HAMMER: You got to keep you safe, Orlando Bloom.
BLOOM: Thank you.
HAMMER: Thanks for joining us. I appreciate it.
BLOOM: Thanks very much, man. Thanks for having me on.
HAMMER: All right. "Kingdom of Heaven" rides into theaters this Friday -- Karyn.
BRYANT: Do you hate rushing to the movie theater, then waiting forever through endless ads and trailers before the movie starts? Well, you are not alone. Stay tuned for "The Show`s Biz."
HAMMER: And criss-crossing some paths with some of the big stars in music. Ludacris is going to crash into a theater in a very charged new movie. And he`s going through a name change. Ludacris is live.
BRYANT: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What animal does Bill Murray battle in the 1980 film "Caddyshack"? Was it a groundhog, a gopher, a badger or a rabbit? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Welcome back. So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What animal does Bill Murray battle the 1980 film "Caddyshack"? Is it a groundhog, a gopher, a badger or a rabbit? Well, it was, of course, a pesky groundhog. And Chevy Chase was in "Caddyshack," as well. We`ll be speaking with him a little bit later.
HAMMER: It`s 16 past the hour and time now for "The Show`s Biz." Tonight, movie start times. You ever get frustrated when you go to a movie and you have to wait through endless ads and previews? Well, it`s even got Regis riled up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "REGIS AND KELLY")
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST: You go to the theater, and all of a sudden, you`re sitting there and here comes trailers, coming attractions, commercials. I mean, it just drives you crazy. I`ve complained about it, complained about it. And finally, they`re listening to me!
KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST: Oh!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, Regis, apparently, Loews Cineplex Theaters is listening, starting next week at theaters in Connecticut, will note in listings that movies will begin 10 to 15 minutes after the published showtime. And they may do the same thing across the country very soon.
Well, joining us live now from Hartford, Connecticut for "The Show`s Biz," Andrew Fleischmann. He`s the state representative who sponsored a bill that requires theaters to list movies` real start times. And live in Hollywood, our friend, Paul Dergarabedian, who`s president of the box office tracking company Exhibitor Relations. Gentlemen, thank you both for joining us tonight.
ANDREW M. FLEISCHMANN (D), CONNECTICUT STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Great to be here.
HAMMER: Representative Fleischmann, I want to start with you. What motivated you to introduce this bill? Is this just a personal pet peeve of yours, or are your constituents actually sounding off on the issue?
FLEISCHMANN: It was constituents, A.J. I was sitting in the theater, a movie ended, a constituent approached me and said, Hey, we just sat through over 25 minutes of ads and previews. Isn`t there something you can do? And I realized, of course, there`s something we can do. We have truth in advertising laws for lots of industries. We should have it for movie theater operators.
HAMMER: Now, Paul, is this really a problem on a grand scale? I mean, obviously, we hear people grumbling about it while the previews are going on in the theaters. But really, what`s the national picture on this?
PAUL DERGARABEDIAN, PRES., EXHIBITOR RELATIONS: Well, I think this is really a result of people resenting commercials, you know, things that are essentially television spots being shown before their movie. I think, in the past, we`ve seen that people generally like trailers, you know, which are the previews for the coming attractions because they`re there to see movies. But it`s been -- the movie theater has been sort of a sanctuary, a place where you can get away from, you know, generally television-type advertising, and now I think that`s why moviegoers have really sounded off on this, not so much because of the trailers, I don`t think. I think it`s because of these commercials.
HAMMER: Well, Representative Fleischmann, I`m certainly somebody who is annoyed by this problem, as well. I mean, we all really seem to be. But why a law? I mean, it is a private business, after all. So is it really the government`s place to step in to say, Hey, this is when your movie should start?
FLEISCHMANN: Absolutely. The movie theater industry is about a century old, and there was no movement whatsoever on this issue until I introduced legislation this January. There was absolutely no sensitivity to customers. There was no concern about all of these ads that they were jamming in there to increase their revenues, while people who had come to the theaters in order to escape that kind of commercialism were getting upset. So I think it was a very helpful start of the dialogue that I got the legislation introduced. I`m pleased that Loews Cineplex is hearing what their concerns are from their customers, and I`m hoping that other theater operators will now follow their lead. If all the theater companies follow the lead of Loews...
HAMMER: Right.
FLEISCHMANN: ...then there will be no need for legislation.
HAMMER: The bill will go away. OK.
FLEISCHMANN: But on the other hand, Loews only operates two theaters in my state...
HAMMER: OK.
FLEISCHMANN: ... and there are hundreds of others. So I think there will be a need for legislation...
HAMMER: Well, certainly...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Certainly, it was good news about Loews. Do you think other movie companies -- theater companies will follow suit, Paul?
DERGARABEDIAN: I think they will, in the sense of -- you know, this generates some good will between the patron and the theaters because I think a lot of movie goers are a little disgruntled about it.
HAMMER: Right.
DERGARABEDIAN: And you know, I think people are going to show up whenever they feel like it anyway. This just gives them more information with which to decide when to get to the movie theater.
HAMMER: Exactly.
DERGARABEDIAN: You know, if you have a movie like "Star Wars," you`re not necessarily going to want to wait until that absolute showtime...
HAMMER: Right, because you got to get a good seat.
DERGARABEDIAN: ... because you may not get a good seat.
HAMMER: You got to get a good seat.
DERGARABEDIAN: You got to get a good seat.
HAMMER: And we got to wrap it up there. And of course, check your local listings. We`ll be watching the story unfold. Representative Fleischmann, thanks for joining us...
FLEISCHMANN: Thank you for having me.
HAMMER: ... and Paul Dergarabedian.
DERGARABEDIAN: Thank you.
HAMMER: And now, of course, we would to know what your thoughts are on all of this. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Movie previews and ads: Are there simply too many? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. A look at the voting and your e-mail later on in the show.
BRYANT: Up next: Get ready for "Crash." It stars Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle and Ludacris, who`s in our house live.
And then to a "House of Wax." Paris Hilton gets a scare. "The Simple Life" star joins us for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Tonight, another "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Ludacris. As a rapper, he as sold more than 10 million albums. His latest, "Red Light District," has been on the charts for 20 weeks. And now Ludacris is adding actor to his resume. He is co-starring with Sandra Bullock in a new film opening Friday. It is called "Crash," and it deals openly with race relations in America. Luda`s here with us live. Thanks for joining us.
LUDACRIS, "CRASH": Thanks for having me.
BRYANT: May I call you Luda?
LUDACRIS: You may call me whatever you like.
BRYANT: OK. Well, here`s the thing. I want to start off -- there was a quote from Sam Jackson, basically talking about rappers making movies. He refused to work with 50 Cent. He said, "I refuse to prop some rapper up in some movie. It`s almost like I`m sanctioning the fact that I believe they can do this job."
LUDACRIS: Right.
BRYANT: How do you feel about that?
LUDACRIS: You know, I have to, like, agree and disagree with him for people like myself, who take it very serious, and you know, I never want to play Ludacris in any movie. So I don`t feel like -- I feel like I should be given that opportunity to be taken seriously, you know what I`m saying? And when you see this movie, "Crash," that comes out and other work that I`ve done, you`ll understand that I really do take it serious.
But for those who don`t take it as serious, and they`re just using it because they`re an entertainer and they have, you know, the opportunity just because of who they are, then I do agree with him in that sense. So you know, it just depends on how you look at the situation.
BRYANT: All right. Well, we`re going to look at a clip right now. And in this, you are sort of frustrated and exasperated...
LUDACRIS: Exactly.
BRYANT: ... about being judged by the color of your skin. Let`s check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "CRASH")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, man, come on. Don`t start.
LUDACRIS: Man, look around you, man. You couldn`t find a whiter, safer or better-lit part of this city right now. But yet this white woman sees two black guys who look like UCLA students strolling down the sidewalk, and her reaction is blind fear? I mean, look at us, Dog. Are we dressed like gang-bangers? Huh? No. Do we look threatening? No. In fact, if anybody should be scared around here, it`s us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: So what do you think the state of race relations is today in America?
LUDACRIS: The state of race relations is exactly like what this movie does. It makes you take a look at yourself in the mirror because there are a lot of different preconceived notions and just judgments that all ethnicities have about one another. So you know, I mean, it`s just -- it`s a brutally honest look at how -- and how we talk about one another, you know, in each other`s faces or behind closed doors. And I mean, it is crazy. It`s something that needs to be talked about, and it`s definitely something that needs to be confronted in America today.
BRYANT: The thing is, is that you`re a huge rap star. You`ve sold, like we said, millions of records.
LUDACRIS: Right.
BRYANT: But can you hail a cab? You know what I mean? Is it -- is your success in the rap world translating to where you feel like, in your everyday life, white people will just take you as an equal?
LUDACRIS: Do I feel like -- I mean, it all depends on the person, you know what I`m saying? And I think that, like this movie says, you can`t judge a book by its cover. You have to really understand the person behind who you just see all of a sudden. I mean, with my music, you know, I break all barriers. So I intend to do that with everything that I do. So look - - you know, just look over the braids, you know, and just what this hip-hop culture is all about, and you`ll realize how much of an intelligent individual that I really am and how focused I am on everything that I do, you know?
BRYANT: Fantastic. All right, Luda. Well, thanks for joining us here. The movie is "Crash," and it opens this Friday.
HAMMER: Food for thought. A special edition of the "Buzz Bench" on our menu with celebrity chefs Tyler Florence, Todd English and Rocco DiSpirito. What would they have cooked up for the runaway bride`s meeting?
Plus, we hit the "Holiday Road" and take a environmental vacation at Chevy Chase`s house, on the way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWS BREAK)
HAMMER: Paris Hilton "waxes" poetic. She tells us about her big scene in "House of Wax" and what she has on the horizon, coming up in the showbiz sit down.
BRYANT: Chasing the dream, Chevy Chase is on a mission, and it starts at home. He invites us over for a visit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEWEL: Hi, I`m Jewel and if it happened today it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines. The prosecution rests. Just a short time ago, the prosecution rested in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial in California, after two months of testimony. First thing tomorrow, the judge will hear a defense motion for the acquittal on the grounds that the prosecution didn`t prove its case.
BRYANT: Fallen idol. Former AMERICAN IDOL contestant Corey Clark tells ABC`s PRIMETIME LIVE he had a sexual relationship with IDOL judge Paula Abdul. Fox say Clark is trying to exploit his involvement with the show and he never told the network of any concerns.
HAMMER: Coming soon, coming later, Loews theaters announced today they`re going to start putting a note in their ads, saying that most movies start 10 minutes to 15 minutes later than the time listed. The company says it`s responding to complaints from customers who were sick and tired of all the commercials and previews.
BRYANT: In the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, here`s what we are asking. Movie previews and ads, are there too many? 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, Brooke Shields is getting candid about her terrifying struggle with post-partum depression. In an interview on today`s OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, Shields said that after the birth of her daughter, she sank into a deep depression, thought about suicide and had disturbing visions of her newborn daughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE SHIELDS: It spiraled into this irrational place of thinking that I -- and then I would have visions of her, this little body hitting the wall and sliding down. I wasn`t the one throwing her, but I thought it was like an action movie where I would look this way and she would be smashing against the wall and sliding down and I would look this way and- she would be --
OPRAH WINFREY: These were visions you were having?
SHIELDS: Visions like she would be choking -- You cannot feed them. They`ll just go away. It didn`t occur to me to not continue feeding her, because I didn`t even have the urge to sort of fight anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Brooke says with the help of medication and therapy, she made it through and she wants to have another child. Her book about the ordeal is called "Down Came the Rain" and it is in stores now.
BRYANT: Chevy Chase is chasing a dream to make the planet a better place to live and he`s starting with his own home. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer got a look inside the Chase household and he joins us now with the scoop.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Karyn. From "Caddyshack" to funny farm to then ecofarm, Chevy Chase took me inside his home to give us some tips on how to live an environmentally sound life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): Say the word green to Chevy Chase and it means more than just a place he`d like his next golf shot to go. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Chase and his wife Janey gave us a private tour of their environmentally friendly home. The 12-acre farm in Bedford, New York, gave us a glimpse into their passion, use less and recycle more and always with Chevy`s trademark humor.
CHEVY CHASE: When I want to throw something out around here, there are times when I`ll look under a desk for just, you know, a garbage can or a trash can.
JANEY CHASE: And there are three or four.
HAFFENREFFER: She`s devoted is what you`re saying?
CHASE: She`s extremely devoted. I found a lawyer and I`ll probably divorce her. I`m going bats.
HAFFENREFFER: Janey`s green devotion has led to the use of power generating solar panels on the pool house, washing machines that use less water, light bulbs that use less electricity and even a so-called tankless water heater which we found tucked behind a jolly old fella in the Chase`s basement.
CHASE: Dad? Dad? Come out of it.
HAFFENREFFER: When it comes to getting around, the former SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE actor likes his electric Segway machine, but for longer trips off the compound they choose low emission hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape. It`s a choice they wish more celebrities would make.
JANEY CHASE: Celebrities are trend-setters, so if you`re got someone like Leonardo DiCaprio who`s a very hot item, who`s driving around in a Prius, then I think a lot of other people might say, hey, if he`s going to drive that, I want to drive that.
HAFFENREFFER: Their love for the environment is what`s driving the second annual Chevy Chase earth day auction at charitybuzz.com. Feel like bidding on a VIP tour of the TODAY show with Katie Couric? How about a night out with Dennis Rodman or maybe dinner with Paul Newman?
CHASE: Janey`s basically used me --
JANEY CHASE: It`s true.
CHASE: And every chip I have left in Hollywood.
JANEY CHASE: Yeah.
CHASE: To, you know, to get the right people.
HAFFENREFFER: And she did. They`re all chipping in to help raise money for the Center for Environmental Education, which the Chases started 16 years ago, Chevy says it`s the simple tips that are music to his ears, like turning off the lights when you leave a room. It`s not only good for mother nature, but also your pocketbook.
CHASE: The amount you can save is incredible, by just remembering to do that when you leave a room. It`s also makes for a dingy, depressing way to live.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: Another item you can bit on charitybuzz.com, two VIP tickets and backstage passes believe it or not to AMERICAN IDOL. But you`ll have to place those bids soon. That auction ends May 10 -- Karyn.
BRYANT: David, looks like you guys had a good time.
HAFFENREFFER: It was a fun afternoon.
BRYANT: Very nice, over to you, AJ.
HAMMER: All right, guys. Well, it`s time now for another showbiz sit down, this time with Paris Hilton, Paris is getting lots of attention for one scene in particular in the horror movie "House of Wax." And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson sat down with her. Brooke joins us once again, live from Anaheim, California. Tell us about Paris, Brooke.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: AJ, Paris and I talked about her starring in her first feature film, her falling out with her SIMPLE LIFE co-star Nicole Ritchie, her love life and one of her secret passions. You may be surprised.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: When people talk about this movie, they refer to you, "House of Wax," starring Paris Hilton, the movie Paris Hilton is in. You`re the box office draw. How does it feel?
PARIS HILTON: You know, it`s a lot of pressure, but at the same time, I saw the movie and all that pressure is relieved because it is so scary. I was screaming in my seat, I just can`t wait for everyone to see it, I`m just so proud. This is a great launching pad for my career.
ANDERSON: No secret that your character dies a pretty horrible death, Paris. Were you intimidated about doing this scene or was it something you were intrigued to do?
HILTON: I love my death scene. I think being in a horror film, it`s cool to have a really good death scene and mine is just so creative and so gruesome and scary -- it`s just, I loved it.
ANDERSON: You say this is a launching pad for your career. You`ve got a perfume out. You`ve got the reality show that`s successful, this movie, what is your next big challenge?
HILTON: Well, I`m focusing on the acting, I`m going to release my album soon and starting a Paris Hilton brand empire, it`s a lot of fun.
ANDERSON: Do you feel like you`ve gone from Paris Hilton the heiress to Paris Hilton the actress?
HILTON: Yeah, definitely.
ANDERSON: SIMPLE LIFE still very popular. I have to ask, what is up with you and Nicole?
HILTON: You know, I don`t really want to talk about it, but I just hope that she`s happy and healthy and I`ve done the past three seasons. It`s been great, but for season four, I just want to freshen things up and make it new and it`s going to be very exciting and I`m really happy about it.
ANDERSON: Will Kimberly Stewart be with you on the SIMPLE LIFE 4?
HILTON: You know, I can`t say yet and I`m not sure, but hopefully.
ANDERSON: You`re boyfriend Paris, is it fun going out with somebody with the same name?
HILTON: I love it. It`s a lot of fun. It`s cool that I got to meet someone with my name.
ANDERSON: Where do you see your relationship with him going in the future?
HILTON: Well, we`re very serious. We live together and he`s just the best guy in the world and I couldn`t be happier.
ANDERSON: Many people perceive you as maybe a hard-partying Hollywood girl. Do you think you`re misunderstood?
HILTON: Definitely. You know, when I was 16 years old, I moved to New York City and I was invited to all these clubs and openings and parties and any young girl is going to be like, wow and go. And I did that years ago, so now I`m over it and now I`m just really serious about my relationship and he hates going out, so we just stay at home and I cook and we watch DVDs and go to movies and do normal things.
ANDERSON: So do you have a hobby people would be surprised to hear about?
HILTON: Um, well since tenth grade, I`ve played ice hockey and I still do and I think people really wouldn`t expect that from me, but I`m really good.
ANDERSON: So from high heels to ice hockey gear, interesting.
HILTON: Everyone thinks I`m like this fashionista who never like goes in the dirt, but I`m more like a tomboy. I have ranches. I go fishing. I go hiking. I do normal things like that. It`s fun for me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: "House of Wax" opens in theaters this Friday. AJ, that`s hot.
HAMMER: ... have to say it, I don`t really see Paris out on the ice hip checking people personally, so thank you very much.
ANDERSON: Maybe so. She could be an athlete,
HAMMER: I don`t know. Well we are cooking up something different (INAUDIBLE) for "the buzz bench" tonight -- oh, there I said it, too. Have you heard about this 15-pound hamburger? Well, we have three of the hottest celebrity chefs and we`re going to dish on that and more, coming up.
BRYANT: Plus, it`s a party for a cause. We`ll tell you what brought the stars out in New York last night. Stay tuned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF PROBST, SURVIVOR HOST: I`m Jeff Probst and what I`m listening to right now is the new Rob Thomas and it`s good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Time for more show biz shorts. Start spreading the news, Frank Sinatra`s mob connections. An unauthorized biography says the legendary singer worked as a courier rather for the mafia and once almost got caught carrying $3.5 million in a briefcase through customs in New York. That anecdote is attributed to Jerry Lewis and the book comes out May 16th.
HAMMER: And the nominees are, the MTV movie awards were announced today, "Anchorman, the Legend of Ron Burgundy" and "Mean Girls" have the most nominations with four each. Jimmy Fallon set to host the awards show which will air on June 9.
BRYANT: Time now for a special edition of "the buzz bench." We have gathered three of the country`s hottest celebrity chefs to dish on today`s hottest food topics cooking for the runaway bride, and the 15-pound cheeseburger.
HAMMER: And on that very special buzz bench tonight, Tyler Florence of the Food network and author of - I love this title -- "Eat This Book." Todd English is here from COOKING UNDER FIRE on PBS and Rocco Dispirito, who you know as the host of the radio show FOOD TALK. OK, guys, by now, we`ve all heard about the runaway bride. You know she ditched her 600 wedding guests. Tonight our question for you is what would you actually serve if she ended up having the wedding? And I`m personally thinking it would be, you know, cold pig`s feet or sour grapes. Tyler?
TYLER FLORENCE, CELEBRITY CHEF: I think take-out menus and flossing forks, I think that`s what that girl gets, 600 people she left them. What do they have in the first place? What was on the menu?
TODD ENGLISH, CELEBRITY CHEF: I don`t even know, but I would say have the party anyway.
FLORENCE: I would have the party anyway, but they never even got to that point, but that`s amazing. She ended up in Vegas anyway, right?
ENGLISH: She might have been there.
FLORENCE: Take reservations,
ENGLISH: That`s where the cold feet come in.
BRYANT: Any thoughts?
ROCCO DISPIRITO, CELEBRITY CHEF: Obviously fast food, whatever you do, my guess is that this is a really good endorsement deal for her from Crate & Barrel, because every time you hear this story they mention the places she got registered and Crate & Barrel comes up and Macy`s and all these places.
HAMMER: There`s actually a fair amount of (INAUDIBLE) Greyhound got a lot of mentions.
DISPIRITO: It`s the most brilliant marketing thing ever.
BRYANT: There would certainly be a hefty amount of bus boys at the wedding, right? And you guys must have a great recipe for salsa or something, because obviously she`s down with the Latinos, and you know, she said that she was kidnapped by a Hispanic man, so what would we serve there?
ENGLISH: I think she should marry that man instead of going back to her husband, not abducted by aliens.
BRYANT: No.
ENGLISH: That would have been a good story for a movie plot.
FLORENCE: I think it was like sideways. I think she had her last big hurrah, you know what I`m talking about? I think she had cold feet and a last big hurrah in Vegas and then she (INAUDIBLE).
ENGLISH: The fact that the woman left, usually it`s the guy.
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: A restaurant in Pennsylvania, speaking of big things, is selling a 15-pound hamburger. It sells for $30. It comes with 25 slices of cheese. It`s got a head of lettuce, two onions. The restaurant says it`s the biggest burger anywhere, Rocco, what are your thoughts?
DISPIRITO: As a kid who was really interested in the "Guinness Book of World Records," I used to go to the empire exhibit all the time and check out the "Guinness Book of World Records," read it. I understand the temptation to want to break records.
BRYANT: Right.
DISPIRITO: And so obviously let`s talk about marketing, obviously for a restaurant, making a 15-pound burger is a very smart marketing move.
BRYANT: It`s insane.
HAMMER: They say it serves 10 people.
BRYANT: So it`s just a marketing ploy? Would you ever really serve this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it`s good, why not? If it tastes good.
BRYANT: How long does it take to cook?
FLORENCE: Do you eat that or do you wrestle it? What do you do with a burger that size? It`s unbelievable. It`s 15 pounds.
ENGLISH: That`s the burger that knocked the car over.
BRYANT: And can you super size that? And if so, then what?
ENGLISH: How about this, a 25 pound bowl of pasta,
(CROSSTALK)
ENGLISH: You can just dive in, everybody have a bite.
HAMMER: Now they say this thing has over a cup of mayonnaise and all these other garnishes. Is a cup of mayonnaise too much?
FLORENCE: I don`t think I`d want to sit beside anybody who had a 15 pound hamburger. That`s like 15 pounds of Pepto (INAUDIBLE)
DISPIRITO: I think that would make a great temptation for the biggest loser.
ENGLISH: They have it`s a great place in Texas that has a 72 ounce steak, if they eat it all they pay for it. (INAUDIBLE)
FLORENCE: So again it`s the world`s largest hamburger, right? 15 pounds. That could feed a small village in Fallujah.
HAMMER: I would like them to do a soy version of the burger.
BRYANT: Oh, with the soy AJ, just not the same. Well, thank you guys. This has been great. This has been a very fun special edition. Tyler Florence, Todd English and Rocco Dispirito. Thanks for joining us on the bench.
Things were cooking at an event in New York last night, Jewel, Jane Fonda and a newly blonde Ashlee Simpson were there and we`ll tell you what brought them out. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And there`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day -- movie previews and ads, are there just too many? Vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight or if you got more to say e- mail us what`s on your mind, showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address. Some of your thoughts live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: The stars came out for a cause in New York City last night in the name of preventing teen pregnancy. It was definitely not your high school health class at the Candy`s (ph) Foundation benefit to educate teens about the consequences of sex. Some of Hollywood`s hottest stars are lending their names to the cause and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there to talk sex with some of the honored guests.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEE SIMPSON: I think that it`s incredibly important to say you can be sexy and you can be smart and you can make, you know, good, smart decisions. I think everybody should choose you know what they want and what`s best for, you know, themselves, but at the same time, think before you do.
JEWEL: A lot of people preach abstinence and that`s fine. People should do what they want with their bodies, but if you`re going to have sex, you should use a condom. There`s no other way about it. I don`t care if people have sex but they should have a condom.
ROSIE O`DONNELL: Luckily my oldest is just turning 10, so we haven`t really hit the peak years so to speak, but I look forward to what`s to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, the Candy`s Foundation campaign featured ads with other celebs including Usher, Tara Reid and Fran Drescher just to name a few. It`s a good cause.
BRYANT: I`m laughing because it`s time to get your laugh on in laughter dark. I was thinking ahead. Now as we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed.
HAMMER: On THE DAILY SHOW, good save, on THE DAILY SHOW with Jon Stewart, Louis Black went on one of his usual rants. This time it was all about Cameron Diaz`s new show on MTV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUIS BLACK: If I can find your American tourist attitude to the United States, you can bring it overseas. That`s what Cameron Diaz is doing. Her new MTV show trippin` features the actress and her friends taking eco-friendly journeys across the globe and for a bunch of beautiful people, they sure are some ugly Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I went and took a poo in the woods hunched over like an animal, awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m so jealous right now, I`m going, tomorrow I`m going to the woods tomorrow. Awesome.
BLACK: Now, if there`s a better metaphor for America`s relationship with the world, than a white woman crapping in a native`s backyard, I`d like to know what it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Oh, I love Louis Black. Well, tonight on THE DAILY SHOW, Jon welcomes Martin Short.
HAMMER: Well, we have been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Movie previews and ads, are there too many? Here`s what the vote is saying so far, 81 percent of you say, big surprise yes, too many movie ads and previews, 19 percent of you say no there aren`t. You`ve also been sending us some e-mails on the topic.
We heard from Chris in Birmingham, Alabama who says, I don`t mind watching previews. I actually enjoy them. It`s the commercials that are really annoying. We also heard from Cathy in Lake Sherwood, Missouri, who writes, I pay to watch the movie, not the commercials. If I want commercials, I`ll stay at home. Remember, you can continue to vote, simply by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight.
BRYANT: Time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: Here is a look at our show biz marquee with the marquee guy.
ANNOUNCER: He`s the king of the new KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Here`s what we want to know. How the heck do you make an epic? Well, we`ve got an epic director Ridley Scott, to tell us, live tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow, Hollywood makes for strange bedfellows, indeed, Jiminy Glick is taking la la wood by storm, but wait, is that Jiminiy Glick or is that Martin Short? Well, it`s both, Martin Short joins us live tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is the marquee guy, revealing for the first time on national TV, my alter ego is marqueeity Glick.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m AJ Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN headline news.
(NEWS BREAK)
END
Aired May 4, 2005 - 19:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KARYN BRYANT, CO-HOST: Tonight`s the night. A "Primetime" "American Idol" showdown.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And a new kingdom for Orlando Bloom. I`m A.J. Hammer.
BRYANT: And I`m Karyn Bryant. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s a slap in the face.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "American Idol" expose. We`ve got a first look tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN QUINONES, "PRIMETIME LIVE": I have no idea what the repercussions might be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And what everyone will be talking about tomorrow.
BRYANT: Frasier falls.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELSEY GRAMMER, "FRASIER": Oh, good Lord!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: What happened to Kelsey Grammer? Is he OK?
HAMMER: Plus, the times are a-changin`. The way you plan to go to the movies is about to change, coming soon to a theater near you.
BRYANT: Kingdom come.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ORLANDO BLOOM, "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN": It has fallen to us to defend Jerusalem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Orlando Bloom is on a crusade -- a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown."
HAMMER: Hot "Wax." Paris Hilton sees double in her new movie. And you`ll never guess what this hot star`s cold hobby is. She`ll tell us.
BRYANT: And...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUDACRIS, "CRASH": Look at us, Dog. Are we dressed like gang- bangers?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: `Cris crashes. Hip-hop star Ludacris, live.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUDACRIS, "CRASH": (INAUDIBLE) This is Ludacris. And if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Hello. I`m Karyn Bryant, and you are at the top of the show.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. We are live with you from Headline Prime studios in New York City for the next hour.
BRYANT: Tonight is "American Idol" night, but not just on Fox.
HAMMER: A half-hour after "American Idol" sends one of its contestants packing tonight, ABC`s "Primetime Live" will air an "American Idol" expose that could threaten the credibility of the show and one of its judges. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here with the latest.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: So much hype about all this, Karyn and A.J. Tonight, the Fox network is facing charges of backstage shenanigans at "American Idol," while some are accusing ABC of throwing rotten tomatoes at a rival network`s hit show. Both networks risk fall-out from tonight`s report. This afternoon, I sat down with "Primetime Live`s" John Quinones and talked to him about this potentially explosive story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): John Quinones is not the only one shocked by the attention his story on "American Idol" is getting. The report, airing tonight on ABC`s "Primetime Live," features allegations of behind-the- scenes favoritism and sex on "American Idol," one of America`s most-watched shows.
JOHN QUINONES, "PRIMETIME LIVE": If there are allegations like these that turn out to be true, it really can raise a lot of questions about the fairness of it all.
HAFFENREFFER: Quinones sits down with 2003 "American Idol" contestant Corey Clark. Clark was booted off the show in a flap over a previous arrest he didn`t tell producers about. In the ABC News story, he makes several claims about a relationship with "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul, among them, that she coached him on song selection, that she gave him money for expensive clothes, that their relationship eventually turned sexual, and that she asked him to keep it a secret. In tonight`s report, Quinones discusses the allegations with other former "American Idol" contestants.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It makes you upset because you see those 12 spots, and we all were fighting for one of those 12 spots. You know, my life will go on. My career will go on. I`ll continue to go forward. But you know, that`s a slap in the face.
HAFFENREFFER: Fox and its parent company are fighting back. In a statement last week, Fox asked the public to, quote, "examine Mr. Clark`s motives, given his apparent desire to exploit his prior involvement with `American Idol` for profit and publicity." Abdul herself says Clark is making up lies to generate interest in a book deal. One expert says ABC could benefit from this high-profile story.
ROBERT J. THOMPSON, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: When you have a juggernaut like "American Idol," any crumbs you can get from the table are going to be valuable. And I think on a business level, ABC is just figuring, if we can put the name "American Idol" onto any of our shows, we can use all that promotional equity that that big hit has been.
HAFFENREFFER: This whole "American Idol" controversy resembles the 1950s scandal depicted in the movie "Quiz Show," where a super-popular game show was rocked by allegations that producers helped a contestant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "QUIZ SHOW")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not like anybody has to know, just us three.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: But Thompson doesn`t think we are looking at a repeat.
THOMPSON: Is this going to hurt "American Idol"? I think, in the long run, probably not. The only thing that could really blow up in "American Idol`s" face is if somebody could find evidence that this was fixed from the get-go.
HAFFENREFFER: While the story may not hurt "American Idol," it could hurt ABC. The Associated Press says Abdul`s attorneys have threatened the network with legal action. But Quinones is at peace about the story.
QUINONES: We`re confident that we`ve done as much as we can to look into this. And in the end, you be the judge.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: Of course, this is not the first time "American Idol" has found itself judged. The criminal pasts of current and former contestants have become publicized. And earlier this season, a phone snafu mixed up the votes for the contestants, angering many viewers. As for the players in this latest drama, Paula Abdul is scheduled to continue her role on "American Idol." As for Corey, he`s appearing on ABC`s "Good Morning America" tomorrow -- A.J.
HAMMER: All right, David. We`ll all be watching tonight and talking about it tomorrow.
Now, you`ll remember, last night, we asked you to weigh in, and thousands of you did, on our question of the day, which was, "American Idol": Do you think it`s fixed? Well, when all was said and done, 67 percent of you said, Yes, we think "American Idol" is fixed; 33 percent of you said, No, we don`t think "American Idol" is fixed.
And this just in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. A big and baffling mystery tonight surrounding Comedy Central`s $50 million-man. Dave Chappelle`s new season is now on hold, and no one is saying why. Just a short time ago, the network said it has suspended production on David Chappelle`s wildly popular sketch comedy show. Last August, Comedy Central signed him to a contract extension worth a reported $50 million. The third season of Chappelle`s show was supposed to kick off on May 31. We called David Chappelle`s people, and they aren`t talking.
BRYANT: Tonight, it`s a magical night in the Magic Kingdom. The stars are out to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson is live in Anaheim, California. Hey, there, Brooke, we heard Kelsey Grammer took a fall. Is he doing OK?
BROOKE ANDERSON, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: He absolutely did take quit a spill, Karyn. He was here last night as master of ceremonies for a kickoff event for this anniversary celebration -- Grammer, of course, the voice of the 50th anniversary commercials. He was on stage and apparently so engrossed in what he was saying that he walked right off, fell right off the stage. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELSEY GRAMMER, "FRASIER": Taking my 400th trip through It`s a Small World, pretending I was a U.N. interpreter -- oh, good Lord! Oh (DELETED). Oh, damn! I think I -- wow! That was really very bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: ...uttered a word that would have made poor Mickey blush. But Kelsey Grammer is OK, just a few bumps and bruises. He got up and finished what he was there to do. And he was actually here earlier today, enjoying the festivities.
Also here today, Steve Martin. He was here to unveil a new historical exhibit highlighting Disneyland`s past five decades. It includes a film that stars Steve Martin, and also a Disney favorite, Donald Duck. Donald Duck was actually here to help Steve Martin do the unveiling. You see him there. And for those of you who don`t know, Steve Martin got his show biz start right here at Disneyland. He worked in the park`s Magic Shop at the tender age of 10, so he got an early start on that show biz career.
Also in Mickey`s house today, Julie Andrews, AKA Mary Poppins. She`s the voice of the fireworks show, as well as the voice at the beginning of the Parade of Dreams. I spoke with her earlier, and she told me she is thrilled to be a part of this celebration.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JULIE ANDREWS, "MARY POPPINS": Well, you know, I`ve been a cast member of Disney for something like 40 years now. And I`m so glad they asked me because I`m delighted.
ANDERSON: How do you think -- what do you think this world would be like without a Disneyland?
ANDREWS: Well, it`s sort of a -- I was going to say a national treasure, but it`s really an international treasure, if you think about all the other parks and resorts. And I think we`d be a sadder place without it. It`s a place where you can be a child again and indulge your fantasies a little bit, and bring your family. You can be a grandparent or a grandchild, and you`ll still have a great time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Disneyland is calling this event "the happiest homecoming on earth." And I`ll tell you, Oprah Winfrey`s got nothing on Disneyland when it comes to 50th birthday parties. This one`s going to last for the next 18 months. That`s quite a birthday celebration.
A.J., Karyn, I`ll be back in just a little while with something totally different. I`ll take you behind the scenes of "House of Wax" with one of its stars, the one and the only Paris Hilton.
BRYANT: Thank you very much. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson live from Disneyland -- A.J.
HAMMER: All right, Karyn. In our first "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," Orlando Bloom. He is no stranger to playing the hero, whether it be as Will Turner in "Pirates of the Caribbean" or Legolas in "The Lord of the Rings." Well, this time, he`s a knight valiant fighting during the Crusades in the new movie "Kingdom of Heaven."
We`re going to get to Orlando in just a second, but first let`s take a look at "Kingdom of Heaven."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On your knees!
ORLANDO BLOOM, "KINGDOM OF HEAVEN": Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright that God may love thee. Speak the truth, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless. That is your oath.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Orlando Bloom, thanks for joining us today.
BLOOM: Thanks for having me on, A.J.
HAMMER: So amid all of these battles that happen in the film and all the violence that`s going on, there`s this really terrific story of virtue and idealism and the pursuit of what is right. And from everything I know about you, it seems that this probably appealed to you on a very personal level.
BLOOM: Yes. In many ways, it did. It was -- for me, it was fantastic to get to play a character who goes on this journey of spiritual discovery, but it is also very much a coming-of-age story. You know, you meet this man who is -- his wife has committed suicide at the loss of their child, and he looks to God to say, What God could allow this to happen? And ultimately, he goes to the Holy Lands to find redemption and peace and a sense of forgiveness for his wife and his own sins.
HAMMER: Big pricetag on this. What was it, like, $140 million or something like that?
BLOOM: Yes, I believe so.
HAMMER: So does that put personal pressure on you? Because now you`re finally the leading man. You essentially are carrying the film.
BLOOM: You know, as an actor, the only experience you really have is the journey of making the film. And when you`re in the hands of somebody like Ridley Scott, you know, he`s -- he`s the man who brought you "Gladiator." He`s the man who knows how to draw an audience into a world, even if it`s a historic world. He makes it feel contemporary. It packs a punch. It`s sort of relevant and important.
HAMMER: Well, something that you get to do in this movie is living out what many children have as -- a boyhood dream of becoming a knight.
BLOOM: Absolutely.
HAMMER: In "Pirates of the Caribbean," you get to live out the boyhood dream of becoming a pirate. Did you ever play act in any of these roles when you were a kid?
BLOOM: You know, I did, actually. I was on school -- I was at school, and I did a -- "Pirates of Penzance" was one of my -- one of my musicals we did at school. So I actually did get to play a pirate. And I used to play, you know, running around with guns, cowboys and Indians, in the garden, like all kids did.
HAMMER: But could you ever have imagined that one day, you`d show up somewhere and thousands of screaming people would come out to see you? Does it ever make you want to run and hide and say, What have I gotten myself into? I know it comes along with the territory, but you know, sometimes, you think you got into it a little too deep and this isn`t really what it`s about?
BLOOM: You know, in a way, you do want to run and hide at times. But I`m working in far-flung corners of the world so often. And you know, they`re really very sweet, the fans. They`re very supportive. And they afford me the ability to do what I love, which is the work.
HAMMER: Do you have to bring a bodyguard with you, though, everywhere you go? I mean, you can`t just go out to the pizza shop and get a slice.
BLOOM: When you`re on a movie, you tend to have -- you know, it was my first experience on "Kingdom," when I got really mobbed in Spain, and we`d never experienced that before. And I -- that was the first time I got, like, a security guard. And so when you`re in a movie, it can be a good idea just because, you know, that`s where people expect to see you.
HAMMER: You got to keep you safe, Orlando Bloom.
BLOOM: Thank you.
HAMMER: Thanks for joining us. I appreciate it.
BLOOM: Thanks very much, man. Thanks for having me on.
HAMMER: All right. "Kingdom of Heaven" rides into theaters this Friday -- Karyn.
BRYANT: Do you hate rushing to the movie theater, then waiting forever through endless ads and trailers before the movie starts? Well, you are not alone. Stay tuned for "The Show`s Biz."
HAMMER: And criss-crossing some paths with some of the big stars in music. Ludacris is going to crash into a theater in a very charged new movie. And he`s going through a name change. Ludacris is live.
BRYANT: Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What animal does Bill Murray battle in the 1980 film "Caddyshack"? Was it a groundhog, a gopher, a badger or a rabbit? We`ll be right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Welcome back. So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What animal does Bill Murray battle the 1980 film "Caddyshack"? Is it a groundhog, a gopher, a badger or a rabbit? Well, it was, of course, a pesky groundhog. And Chevy Chase was in "Caddyshack," as well. We`ll be speaking with him a little bit later.
HAMMER: It`s 16 past the hour and time now for "The Show`s Biz." Tonight, movie start times. You ever get frustrated when you go to a movie and you have to wait through endless ads and previews? Well, it`s even got Regis riled up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "REGIS AND KELLY")
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST: You go to the theater, and all of a sudden, you`re sitting there and here comes trailers, coming attractions, commercials. I mean, it just drives you crazy. I`ve complained about it, complained about it. And finally, they`re listening to me!
KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST: Oh!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, Regis, apparently, Loews Cineplex Theaters is listening, starting next week at theaters in Connecticut, will note in listings that movies will begin 10 to 15 minutes after the published showtime. And they may do the same thing across the country very soon.
Well, joining us live now from Hartford, Connecticut for "The Show`s Biz," Andrew Fleischmann. He`s the state representative who sponsored a bill that requires theaters to list movies` real start times. And live in Hollywood, our friend, Paul Dergarabedian, who`s president of the box office tracking company Exhibitor Relations. Gentlemen, thank you both for joining us tonight.
ANDREW M. FLEISCHMANN (D), CONNECTICUT STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Great to be here.
HAMMER: Representative Fleischmann, I want to start with you. What motivated you to introduce this bill? Is this just a personal pet peeve of yours, or are your constituents actually sounding off on the issue?
FLEISCHMANN: It was constituents, A.J. I was sitting in the theater, a movie ended, a constituent approached me and said, Hey, we just sat through over 25 minutes of ads and previews. Isn`t there something you can do? And I realized, of course, there`s something we can do. We have truth in advertising laws for lots of industries. We should have it for movie theater operators.
HAMMER: Now, Paul, is this really a problem on a grand scale? I mean, obviously, we hear people grumbling about it while the previews are going on in the theaters. But really, what`s the national picture on this?
PAUL DERGARABEDIAN, PRES., EXHIBITOR RELATIONS: Well, I think this is really a result of people resenting commercials, you know, things that are essentially television spots being shown before their movie. I think, in the past, we`ve seen that people generally like trailers, you know, which are the previews for the coming attractions because they`re there to see movies. But it`s been -- the movie theater has been sort of a sanctuary, a place where you can get away from, you know, generally television-type advertising, and now I think that`s why moviegoers have really sounded off on this, not so much because of the trailers, I don`t think. I think it`s because of these commercials.
HAMMER: Well, Representative Fleischmann, I`m certainly somebody who is annoyed by this problem, as well. I mean, we all really seem to be. But why a law? I mean, it is a private business, after all. So is it really the government`s place to step in to say, Hey, this is when your movie should start?
FLEISCHMANN: Absolutely. The movie theater industry is about a century old, and there was no movement whatsoever on this issue until I introduced legislation this January. There was absolutely no sensitivity to customers. There was no concern about all of these ads that they were jamming in there to increase their revenues, while people who had come to the theaters in order to escape that kind of commercialism were getting upset. So I think it was a very helpful start of the dialogue that I got the legislation introduced. I`m pleased that Loews Cineplex is hearing what their concerns are from their customers, and I`m hoping that other theater operators will now follow their lead. If all the theater companies follow the lead of Loews...
HAMMER: Right.
FLEISCHMANN: ...then there will be no need for legislation.
HAMMER: The bill will go away. OK.
FLEISCHMANN: But on the other hand, Loews only operates two theaters in my state...
HAMMER: OK.
FLEISCHMANN: ... and there are hundreds of others. So I think there will be a need for legislation...
HAMMER: Well, certainly...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Certainly, it was good news about Loews. Do you think other movie companies -- theater companies will follow suit, Paul?
DERGARABEDIAN: I think they will, in the sense of -- you know, this generates some good will between the patron and the theaters because I think a lot of movie goers are a little disgruntled about it.
HAMMER: Right.
DERGARABEDIAN: And you know, I think people are going to show up whenever they feel like it anyway. This just gives them more information with which to decide when to get to the movie theater.
HAMMER: Exactly.
DERGARABEDIAN: You know, if you have a movie like "Star Wars," you`re not necessarily going to want to wait until that absolute showtime...
HAMMER: Right, because you got to get a good seat.
DERGARABEDIAN: ... because you may not get a good seat.
HAMMER: You got to get a good seat.
DERGARABEDIAN: You got to get a good seat.
HAMMER: And we got to wrap it up there. And of course, check your local listings. We`ll be watching the story unfold. Representative Fleischmann, thanks for joining us...
FLEISCHMANN: Thank you for having me.
HAMMER: ... and Paul Dergarabedian.
DERGARABEDIAN: Thank you.
HAMMER: And now, of course, we would to know what your thoughts are on all of this. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Movie previews and ads: Are there simply too many? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. A look at the voting and your e-mail later on in the show.
BRYANT: Up next: Get ready for "Crash." It stars Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle and Ludacris, who`s in our house live.
And then to a "House of Wax." Paris Hilton gets a scare. "The Simple Life" star joins us for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Tonight, another "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Ludacris. As a rapper, he as sold more than 10 million albums. His latest, "Red Light District," has been on the charts for 20 weeks. And now Ludacris is adding actor to his resume. He is co-starring with Sandra Bullock in a new film opening Friday. It is called "Crash," and it deals openly with race relations in America. Luda`s here with us live. Thanks for joining us.
LUDACRIS, "CRASH": Thanks for having me.
BRYANT: May I call you Luda?
LUDACRIS: You may call me whatever you like.
BRYANT: OK. Well, here`s the thing. I want to start off -- there was a quote from Sam Jackson, basically talking about rappers making movies. He refused to work with 50 Cent. He said, "I refuse to prop some rapper up in some movie. It`s almost like I`m sanctioning the fact that I believe they can do this job."
LUDACRIS: Right.
BRYANT: How do you feel about that?
LUDACRIS: You know, I have to, like, agree and disagree with him for people like myself, who take it very serious, and you know, I never want to play Ludacris in any movie. So I don`t feel like -- I feel like I should be given that opportunity to be taken seriously, you know what I`m saying? And when you see this movie, "Crash," that comes out and other work that I`ve done, you`ll understand that I really do take it serious.
But for those who don`t take it as serious, and they`re just using it because they`re an entertainer and they have, you know, the opportunity just because of who they are, then I do agree with him in that sense. So you know, it just depends on how you look at the situation.
BRYANT: All right. Well, we`re going to look at a clip right now. And in this, you are sort of frustrated and exasperated...
LUDACRIS: Exactly.
BRYANT: ... about being judged by the color of your skin. Let`s check it out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP - "CRASH")
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, man, come on. Don`t start.
LUDACRIS: Man, look around you, man. You couldn`t find a whiter, safer or better-lit part of this city right now. But yet this white woman sees two black guys who look like UCLA students strolling down the sidewalk, and her reaction is blind fear? I mean, look at us, Dog. Are we dressed like gang-bangers? Huh? No. Do we look threatening? No. In fact, if anybody should be scared around here, it`s us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: So what do you think the state of race relations is today in America?
LUDACRIS: The state of race relations is exactly like what this movie does. It makes you take a look at yourself in the mirror because there are a lot of different preconceived notions and just judgments that all ethnicities have about one another. So you know, I mean, it`s just -- it`s a brutally honest look at how -- and how we talk about one another, you know, in each other`s faces or behind closed doors. And I mean, it is crazy. It`s something that needs to be talked about, and it`s definitely something that needs to be confronted in America today.
BRYANT: The thing is, is that you`re a huge rap star. You`ve sold, like we said, millions of records.
LUDACRIS: Right.
BRYANT: But can you hail a cab? You know what I mean? Is it -- is your success in the rap world translating to where you feel like, in your everyday life, white people will just take you as an equal?
LUDACRIS: Do I feel like -- I mean, it all depends on the person, you know what I`m saying? And I think that, like this movie says, you can`t judge a book by its cover. You have to really understand the person behind who you just see all of a sudden. I mean, with my music, you know, I break all barriers. So I intend to do that with everything that I do. So look - - you know, just look over the braids, you know, and just what this hip-hop culture is all about, and you`ll realize how much of an intelligent individual that I really am and how focused I am on everything that I do, you know?
BRYANT: Fantastic. All right, Luda. Well, thanks for joining us here. The movie is "Crash," and it opens this Friday.
HAMMER: Food for thought. A special edition of the "Buzz Bench" on our menu with celebrity chefs Tyler Florence, Todd English and Rocco DiSpirito. What would they have cooked up for the runaway bride`s meeting?
Plus, we hit the "Holiday Road" and take a environmental vacation at Chevy Chase`s house, on the way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWS BREAK)
HAMMER: Paris Hilton "waxes" poetic. She tells us about her big scene in "House of Wax" and what she has on the horizon, coming up in the showbiz sit down.
BRYANT: Chasing the dream, Chevy Chase is on a mission, and it starts at home. He invites us over for a visit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEWEL: Hi, I`m Jewel and if it happened today it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines. The prosecution rests. Just a short time ago, the prosecution rested in the Michael Jackson child molestation trial in California, after two months of testimony. First thing tomorrow, the judge will hear a defense motion for the acquittal on the grounds that the prosecution didn`t prove its case.
BRYANT: Fallen idol. Former AMERICAN IDOL contestant Corey Clark tells ABC`s PRIMETIME LIVE he had a sexual relationship with IDOL judge Paula Abdul. Fox say Clark is trying to exploit his involvement with the show and he never told the network of any concerns.
HAMMER: Coming soon, coming later, Loews theaters announced today they`re going to start putting a note in their ads, saying that most movies start 10 minutes to 15 minutes later than the time listed. The company says it`s responding to complaints from customers who were sick and tired of all the commercials and previews.
BRYANT: In the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, here`s what we are asking. Movie previews and ads, are there too many? 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, Brooke Shields is getting candid about her terrifying struggle with post-partum depression. In an interview on today`s OPRAH WINFREY SHOW, Shields said that after the birth of her daughter, she sank into a deep depression, thought about suicide and had disturbing visions of her newborn daughter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE SHIELDS: It spiraled into this irrational place of thinking that I -- and then I would have visions of her, this little body hitting the wall and sliding down. I wasn`t the one throwing her, but I thought it was like an action movie where I would look this way and she would be smashing against the wall and sliding down and I would look this way and- she would be --
OPRAH WINFREY: These were visions you were having?
SHIELDS: Visions like she would be choking -- You cannot feed them. They`ll just go away. It didn`t occur to me to not continue feeding her, because I didn`t even have the urge to sort of fight anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Brooke says with the help of medication and therapy, she made it through and she wants to have another child. Her book about the ordeal is called "Down Came the Rain" and it is in stores now.
BRYANT: Chevy Chase is chasing a dream to make the planet a better place to live and he`s starting with his own home. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer got a look inside the Chase household and he joins us now with the scoop.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Indeed, Karyn. From "Caddyshack" to funny farm to then ecofarm, Chevy Chase took me inside his home to give us some tips on how to live an environmentally sound life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): Say the word green to Chevy Chase and it means more than just a place he`d like his next golf shot to go. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Chase and his wife Janey gave us a private tour of their environmentally friendly home. The 12-acre farm in Bedford, New York, gave us a glimpse into their passion, use less and recycle more and always with Chevy`s trademark humor.
CHEVY CHASE: When I want to throw something out around here, there are times when I`ll look under a desk for just, you know, a garbage can or a trash can.
JANEY CHASE: And there are three or four.
HAFFENREFFER: She`s devoted is what you`re saying?
CHASE: She`s extremely devoted. I found a lawyer and I`ll probably divorce her. I`m going bats.
HAFFENREFFER: Janey`s green devotion has led to the use of power generating solar panels on the pool house, washing machines that use less water, light bulbs that use less electricity and even a so-called tankless water heater which we found tucked behind a jolly old fella in the Chase`s basement.
CHASE: Dad? Dad? Come out of it.
HAFFENREFFER: When it comes to getting around, the former SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE actor likes his electric Segway machine, but for longer trips off the compound they choose low emission hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape. It`s a choice they wish more celebrities would make.
JANEY CHASE: Celebrities are trend-setters, so if you`re got someone like Leonardo DiCaprio who`s a very hot item, who`s driving around in a Prius, then I think a lot of other people might say, hey, if he`s going to drive that, I want to drive that.
HAFFENREFFER: Their love for the environment is what`s driving the second annual Chevy Chase earth day auction at charitybuzz.com. Feel like bidding on a VIP tour of the TODAY show with Katie Couric? How about a night out with Dennis Rodman or maybe dinner with Paul Newman?
CHASE: Janey`s basically used me --
JANEY CHASE: It`s true.
CHASE: And every chip I have left in Hollywood.
JANEY CHASE: Yeah.
CHASE: To, you know, to get the right people.
HAFFENREFFER: And she did. They`re all chipping in to help raise money for the Center for Environmental Education, which the Chases started 16 years ago, Chevy says it`s the simple tips that are music to his ears, like turning off the lights when you leave a room. It`s not only good for mother nature, but also your pocketbook.
CHASE: The amount you can save is incredible, by just remembering to do that when you leave a room. It`s also makes for a dingy, depressing way to live.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: Another item you can bit on charitybuzz.com, two VIP tickets and backstage passes believe it or not to AMERICAN IDOL. But you`ll have to place those bids soon. That auction ends May 10 -- Karyn.
BRYANT: David, looks like you guys had a good time.
HAFFENREFFER: It was a fun afternoon.
BRYANT: Very nice, over to you, AJ.
HAMMER: All right, guys. Well, it`s time now for another showbiz sit down, this time with Paris Hilton, Paris is getting lots of attention for one scene in particular in the horror movie "House of Wax." And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson sat down with her. Brooke joins us once again, live from Anaheim, California. Tell us about Paris, Brooke.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: AJ, Paris and I talked about her starring in her first feature film, her falling out with her SIMPLE LIFE co-star Nicole Ritchie, her love life and one of her secret passions. You may be surprised.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: When people talk about this movie, they refer to you, "House of Wax," starring Paris Hilton, the movie Paris Hilton is in. You`re the box office draw. How does it feel?
PARIS HILTON: You know, it`s a lot of pressure, but at the same time, I saw the movie and all that pressure is relieved because it is so scary. I was screaming in my seat, I just can`t wait for everyone to see it, I`m just so proud. This is a great launching pad for my career.
ANDERSON: No secret that your character dies a pretty horrible death, Paris. Were you intimidated about doing this scene or was it something you were intrigued to do?
HILTON: I love my death scene. I think being in a horror film, it`s cool to have a really good death scene and mine is just so creative and so gruesome and scary -- it`s just, I loved it.
ANDERSON: You say this is a launching pad for your career. You`ve got a perfume out. You`ve got the reality show that`s successful, this movie, what is your next big challenge?
HILTON: Well, I`m focusing on the acting, I`m going to release my album soon and starting a Paris Hilton brand empire, it`s a lot of fun.
ANDERSON: Do you feel like you`ve gone from Paris Hilton the heiress to Paris Hilton the actress?
HILTON: Yeah, definitely.
ANDERSON: SIMPLE LIFE still very popular. I have to ask, what is up with you and Nicole?
HILTON: You know, I don`t really want to talk about it, but I just hope that she`s happy and healthy and I`ve done the past three seasons. It`s been great, but for season four, I just want to freshen things up and make it new and it`s going to be very exciting and I`m really happy about it.
ANDERSON: Will Kimberly Stewart be with you on the SIMPLE LIFE 4?
HILTON: You know, I can`t say yet and I`m not sure, but hopefully.
ANDERSON: You`re boyfriend Paris, is it fun going out with somebody with the same name?
HILTON: I love it. It`s a lot of fun. It`s cool that I got to meet someone with my name.
ANDERSON: Where do you see your relationship with him going in the future?
HILTON: Well, we`re very serious. We live together and he`s just the best guy in the world and I couldn`t be happier.
ANDERSON: Many people perceive you as maybe a hard-partying Hollywood girl. Do you think you`re misunderstood?
HILTON: Definitely. You know, when I was 16 years old, I moved to New York City and I was invited to all these clubs and openings and parties and any young girl is going to be like, wow and go. And I did that years ago, so now I`m over it and now I`m just really serious about my relationship and he hates going out, so we just stay at home and I cook and we watch DVDs and go to movies and do normal things.
ANDERSON: So do you have a hobby people would be surprised to hear about?
HILTON: Um, well since tenth grade, I`ve played ice hockey and I still do and I think people really wouldn`t expect that from me, but I`m really good.
ANDERSON: So from high heels to ice hockey gear, interesting.
HILTON: Everyone thinks I`m like this fashionista who never like goes in the dirt, but I`m more like a tomboy. I have ranches. I go fishing. I go hiking. I do normal things like that. It`s fun for me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: "House of Wax" opens in theaters this Friday. AJ, that`s hot.
HAMMER: ... have to say it, I don`t really see Paris out on the ice hip checking people personally, so thank you very much.
ANDERSON: Maybe so. She could be an athlete,
HAMMER: I don`t know. Well we are cooking up something different (INAUDIBLE) for "the buzz bench" tonight -- oh, there I said it, too. Have you heard about this 15-pound hamburger? Well, we have three of the hottest celebrity chefs and we`re going to dish on that and more, coming up.
BRYANT: Plus, it`s a party for a cause. We`ll tell you what brought the stars out in New York last night. Stay tuned.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF PROBST, SURVIVOR HOST: I`m Jeff Probst and what I`m listening to right now is the new Rob Thomas and it`s good.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: Time for more show biz shorts. Start spreading the news, Frank Sinatra`s mob connections. An unauthorized biography says the legendary singer worked as a courier rather for the mafia and once almost got caught carrying $3.5 million in a briefcase through customs in New York. That anecdote is attributed to Jerry Lewis and the book comes out May 16th.
HAMMER: And the nominees are, the MTV movie awards were announced today, "Anchorman, the Legend of Ron Burgundy" and "Mean Girls" have the most nominations with four each. Jimmy Fallon set to host the awards show which will air on June 9.
BRYANT: Time now for a special edition of "the buzz bench." We have gathered three of the country`s hottest celebrity chefs to dish on today`s hottest food topics cooking for the runaway bride, and the 15-pound cheeseburger.
HAMMER: And on that very special buzz bench tonight, Tyler Florence of the Food network and author of - I love this title -- "Eat This Book." Todd English is here from COOKING UNDER FIRE on PBS and Rocco Dispirito, who you know as the host of the radio show FOOD TALK. OK, guys, by now, we`ve all heard about the runaway bride. You know she ditched her 600 wedding guests. Tonight our question for you is what would you actually serve if she ended up having the wedding? And I`m personally thinking it would be, you know, cold pig`s feet or sour grapes. Tyler?
TYLER FLORENCE, CELEBRITY CHEF: I think take-out menus and flossing forks, I think that`s what that girl gets, 600 people she left them. What do they have in the first place? What was on the menu?
TODD ENGLISH, CELEBRITY CHEF: I don`t even know, but I would say have the party anyway.
FLORENCE: I would have the party anyway, but they never even got to that point, but that`s amazing. She ended up in Vegas anyway, right?
ENGLISH: She might have been there.
FLORENCE: Take reservations,
ENGLISH: That`s where the cold feet come in.
BRYANT: Any thoughts?
ROCCO DISPIRITO, CELEBRITY CHEF: Obviously fast food, whatever you do, my guess is that this is a really good endorsement deal for her from Crate & Barrel, because every time you hear this story they mention the places she got registered and Crate & Barrel comes up and Macy`s and all these places.
HAMMER: There`s actually a fair amount of (INAUDIBLE) Greyhound got a lot of mentions.
DISPIRITO: It`s the most brilliant marketing thing ever.
BRYANT: There would certainly be a hefty amount of bus boys at the wedding, right? And you guys must have a great recipe for salsa or something, because obviously she`s down with the Latinos, and you know, she said that she was kidnapped by a Hispanic man, so what would we serve there?
ENGLISH: I think she should marry that man instead of going back to her husband, not abducted by aliens.
BRYANT: No.
ENGLISH: That would have been a good story for a movie plot.
FLORENCE: I think it was like sideways. I think she had her last big hurrah, you know what I`m talking about? I think she had cold feet and a last big hurrah in Vegas and then she (INAUDIBLE).
ENGLISH: The fact that the woman left, usually it`s the guy.
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: A restaurant in Pennsylvania, speaking of big things, is selling a 15-pound hamburger. It sells for $30. It comes with 25 slices of cheese. It`s got a head of lettuce, two onions. The restaurant says it`s the biggest burger anywhere, Rocco, what are your thoughts?
DISPIRITO: As a kid who was really interested in the "Guinness Book of World Records," I used to go to the empire exhibit all the time and check out the "Guinness Book of World Records," read it. I understand the temptation to want to break records.
BRYANT: Right.
DISPIRITO: And so obviously let`s talk about marketing, obviously for a restaurant, making a 15-pound burger is a very smart marketing move.
BRYANT: It`s insane.
HAMMER: They say it serves 10 people.
BRYANT: So it`s just a marketing ploy? Would you ever really serve this?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it`s good, why not? If it tastes good.
BRYANT: How long does it take to cook?
FLORENCE: Do you eat that or do you wrestle it? What do you do with a burger that size? It`s unbelievable. It`s 15 pounds.
ENGLISH: That`s the burger that knocked the car over.
BRYANT: And can you super size that? And if so, then what?
ENGLISH: How about this, a 25 pound bowl of pasta,
(CROSSTALK)
ENGLISH: You can just dive in, everybody have a bite.
HAMMER: Now they say this thing has over a cup of mayonnaise and all these other garnishes. Is a cup of mayonnaise too much?
FLORENCE: I don`t think I`d want to sit beside anybody who had a 15 pound hamburger. That`s like 15 pounds of Pepto (INAUDIBLE)
DISPIRITO: I think that would make a great temptation for the biggest loser.
ENGLISH: They have it`s a great place in Texas that has a 72 ounce steak, if they eat it all they pay for it. (INAUDIBLE)
FLORENCE: So again it`s the world`s largest hamburger, right? 15 pounds. That could feed a small village in Fallujah.
HAMMER: I would like them to do a soy version of the burger.
BRYANT: Oh, with the soy AJ, just not the same. Well, thank you guys. This has been great. This has been a very fun special edition. Tyler Florence, Todd English and Rocco Dispirito. Thanks for joining us on the bench.
Things were cooking at an event in New York last night, Jewel, Jane Fonda and a newly blonde Ashlee Simpson were there and we`ll tell you what brought them out. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And there`s still time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day -- movie previews and ads, are there just too many? Vote by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight or if you got more to say e- mail us what`s on your mind, showbiztonight@cnn.com is the address. Some of your thoughts live next.
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HAMMER: The stars came out for a cause in New York City last night in the name of preventing teen pregnancy. It was definitely not your high school health class at the Candy`s (ph) Foundation benefit to educate teens about the consequences of sex. Some of Hollywood`s hottest stars are lending their names to the cause and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there to talk sex with some of the honored guests.
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ASHLEE SIMPSON: I think that it`s incredibly important to say you can be sexy and you can be smart and you can make, you know, good, smart decisions. I think everybody should choose you know what they want and what`s best for, you know, themselves, but at the same time, think before you do.
JEWEL: A lot of people preach abstinence and that`s fine. People should do what they want with their bodies, but if you`re going to have sex, you should use a condom. There`s no other way about it. I don`t care if people have sex but they should have a condom.
ROSIE O`DONNELL: Luckily my oldest is just turning 10, so we haven`t really hit the peak years so to speak, but I look forward to what`s to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, the Candy`s Foundation campaign featured ads with other celebs including Usher, Tara Reid and Fran Drescher just to name a few. It`s a good cause.
BRYANT: I`m laughing because it`s time to get your laugh on in laughter dark. I was thinking ahead. Now as we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed.
HAMMER: On THE DAILY SHOW, good save, on THE DAILY SHOW with Jon Stewart, Louis Black went on one of his usual rants. This time it was all about Cameron Diaz`s new show on MTV.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUIS BLACK: If I can find your American tourist attitude to the United States, you can bring it overseas. That`s what Cameron Diaz is doing. Her new MTV show trippin` features the actress and her friends taking eco-friendly journeys across the globe and for a bunch of beautiful people, they sure are some ugly Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I went and took a poo in the woods hunched over like an animal, awesome.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m so jealous right now, I`m going, tomorrow I`m going to the woods tomorrow. Awesome.
BLACK: Now, if there`s a better metaphor for America`s relationship with the world, than a white woman crapping in a native`s backyard, I`d like to know what it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Oh, I love Louis Black. Well, tonight on THE DAILY SHOW, Jon welcomes Martin Short.
HAMMER: Well, we have been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Movie previews and ads, are there too many? Here`s what the vote is saying so far, 81 percent of you say, big surprise yes, too many movie ads and previews, 19 percent of you say no there aren`t. You`ve also been sending us some e-mails on the topic.
We heard from Chris in Birmingham, Alabama who says, I don`t mind watching previews. I actually enjoy them. It`s the commercials that are really annoying. We also heard from Cathy in Lake Sherwood, Missouri, who writes, I pay to watch the movie, not the commercials. If I want commercials, I`ll stay at home. Remember, you can continue to vote, simply by going to cnn.com/showbiztonight.
BRYANT: Time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: Here is a look at our show biz marquee with the marquee guy.
ANNOUNCER: He`s the king of the new KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. Here`s what we want to know. How the heck do you make an epic? Well, we`ve got an epic director Ridley Scott, to tell us, live tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also tomorrow, Hollywood makes for strange bedfellows, indeed, Jiminy Glick is taking la la wood by storm, but wait, is that Jiminiy Glick or is that Martin Short? Well, it`s both, Martin Short joins us live tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is the marquee guy, revealing for the first time on national TV, my alter ego is marqueeity Glick.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m AJ Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN headline news.
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