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Showbiz Tonight
Cruise Gushes About New Girlfriend; Interview With Ron Rifkin
Aired May 23, 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: Tom Cruise is all smiles, and Kelly Clarkson stops by. I`m Karyn Bryant.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BRYANT: Tonight, he`s so excited and he just can`t hide it. Tom Cruise is jumping out of his seat, and we`re just itching to tell you why.
HAMMER: Plus, "Star Wars" and the war on terror. Is Darth Vader just another Osama? Was the force really with President Bush? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT looks at the reality and the fantasy.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is going to be our last scene.
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BRYANT: And your ticket to TV finales. The season wraps up, and we`re on the sets of the hottest shows.
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DAVID CARUSO, "CSI: MIAMI": I would say that there is an unresolved complication at the end of the show.
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HAMMER: Plus, "Alias`s" Ron Rifkin joins us live.
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TERI HATCHER, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES": Hi. I`m Teri Hatcher. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and you are at the top of the show.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. You are watching TV`s only live nightly entertainment news program.
HAMMER: He swooned. He laughed. He even jumped up on the couch once or twice.
BRYANT: We`re not talking about a rambunctious 2-year-old, just, you know, the biggest movie star in the world. Tom Cruise was on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" today to talk about his new girlfriend, actress Katie Holmes. And one thing we didn`t see from Cruise was control.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM CRUISE: I`m in love!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT (voice-over): The ultra-cool Tom Cruise we all know was nowhere to be seen on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" today. Instead, we got blushing Tom, gushing Tom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUISE: I met her.
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST: You met her?
CRUISE: Yes. She`s extraordinary. She`s truly...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: And the giggly-as-a-schoolboy Tom. And he says it`s all about his new lady, Katie Holmes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUISE: I can`t be cool, you know what I mean? I can`t be laid back. I just -- it`s something that has happened, and I feel I want to celebrate it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: Leave it to Oprah to ask what we`ve all been asking about the newly smitten Tom Cruise.
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WINFREY: What has happened to you?
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HAFFENREFFER: What`s happened is that ever since we got our first glimpses of Tom and Katie traipsing around Rome last month, the usually private Tom has been very publicly showing off his new girlfriend. On today`s "Oprah," he even dragged her out for a curtain call.
SARA BERNARD, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: This is a totally different side of Tom, and the fact that both Tom and Katie have movies coming out this month is not lost on anyone.
HAFFENREFFER: He`s in "War of the Worlds," and she`s in "Batman Begins." Not to be cynical, but from a PR standpoint, having a high- profile relationship while you have a high-profile movie is awfully convenient, too convenient for some people to accept.
BERNARD: There`s definitely something fishy with this relationship. I think what`s been interesting is it`s not so much the age difference that everyone`s focused on. He`s 42, she`s 36. It`s more just the sort of fabricated nature of this whole presentation, the fact that they were so eager to meet the paparazzi in Rome, the fact that their publicist, who`s actually Tom Cruise`s sister, was so open about the details of their relationship.
HAFFENREFFER: How is the Tom/Katie relationship playing out among the public? I hit the streets of New York City to find out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But I don`t usually think celebrities are really in love because it`s all -- you know, they put them together for publicity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most people deserve a life of their own. Everyone should just butt out of their business and -- if he really wants her, he really wants her.
HAFFENREFFER: Well, as we saw on "Oprah," Tom Cruise apparently does want Katie, and he also wants us to know it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer reporting. Now, Oprah, of course, had no problems asking Cruise if he planned to propose to Katie. His answer was, quote, "I`m going to discuss it with her."
Well, now we want to know your thoughts. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: Is their romance a publicity stunt? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later in the show.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, "Star Wars Episode III" has smashed seven -- that`s right, seven -- box office records. "Revenge of the Sith," which blasted into theaters last Thursday, had the biggest opening day ever. So let`s go through the rest of these statistics. The movie also broke gross records for single-day, two-day, three-day, four-day and five-day openings at the box office. It also had the largest midnight show when it opened up last Thursday. The only record that Darth Vader and company did not beat? "Spider-Man`s" three-day opening weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in May of 2002. As of this afternoon, "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" has grossed a total of $158.5 million.
BRYANT: Well, tonight, our "SHOWBIZ In Depth" -- "Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith." Last week, it seemed like everyone was drawing comparisons between creator George Lucas`s galaxy far, far away, the situation in Iraq and President George Bush. Now, after its opening weekend, the country is buzzing about it even more. Is Darth Vader really George Bush in disguise? Is the clone war taking place in Iraq? Is the Jedi Council a mock-up of the United Nations? And if so, where the heck does Yoda fit in?
Well, joining us live to talk about it are Curtis Sliwa, co-host of WABC radio morning show "Curtis And Kuby." We`ve got Neil Rosen, entertainment critic for the cable news station NY1, and Jason Apuzzo, director the Liberty Film Festival. Of course, they have all three seen the movie.
Now, guys, I want to start with one of the quotes in this, of Anakin, who is, of course, the future Darth Vader, says, "If you are not with me, then you are my enemy." And this is this is some people drawing the comparisons to what George Bush said after 9/11, saying, You`re either with us or with the terrorists. Jason, I`m going to go to you first. What`s your take on this?
JASON APUZZO, DIRECTOR, LIBERTY FILM FESTIVAL: Yes. I mean, I don`t think there`s any question that that line isn`t there by coincidence. What a lot of people don`t know about the "Star Wars" series is that about 30 years ago, when George came up with the original idea for the series, he intended it to be actually a parable for America`s involvement in Vietnam, with America as the evil empire and the supposedly primitive Vietnamese, low-tech Vietnamese, as the rebel alliance.
Now, obviously, the series developed into much more than that, and to some extent, got out of his hands. But what he`s doing now I think is sort of returning the series back to its original roots in making the analogy that America, perhaps, is itself becoming the empire.
I personally think it`s a tremendous film. I think most people believe that, but that aspect of the film, to me, is a little troubling and I don`t think is particularly going to go over well with audiences when they dwell on that level of it.
BRYANT: Well, Curtis, what do you think of this? Do you think that, you know, George Lucas has created this, you know, movie just to poke at George Bush?
CURTIS SLIWA, CO-HOST, WABC MORNING SHOW: Well, I got to tell you something. There were people poking at me with their light sabers in the movie theater. I had to duck. When you have adult men fighting in the aisles -- and I think the "Star Wars" cultists are not going to see any political connections. But when the French gave George Lucas a Michael Moore standing ovation, like they gave him for "Fahrenheit 9/11," and saw the direct connection between George Lucas`s film here, "Stars Wars: The Revenge of the Sith," and the Sith look like right-wing religious fundamentalists, who are at war with the United Nations, the Jedi knights, young Skywalker obviously George W. Bush -- and I think, the chancellor, who ultimately becomes emperor, he`s the Dick Cheney-type that nobody`s really talking about. So yes, it`s a shot below the belt at George W. Bush, our war in Iraq, and definitely Vice President Dick Cheney.
BRYANT: All right, Neil, let`s go to you. You`re an entertainment critic. When you watched this movie, were you thinking of Senator Palpatine? Were you comparing his, you know, efforts in the film to George Bush trying to get the Patriot Act passed? I mean, what did you think of all this?
NEIL ROSEN, ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC, NY1 NEWS: Well, that`s a great question, Karyn, because I have to tell you, you know, having sat through now six "Star Wars" films, and specifically the last one, which you asked about, I didn`t think about any of this. I mean, I did hear the line, you know, Who would invade a- you know, a country or -- you know, I heard those lines, but I did not think that there was any political connection whatsoever. I mean, all this talk that I`m hearing now did not even, you know, come across my head once through sitting through this movie.
I mean, these movies -- Darth Vader was -- was written by -- the first movie came out in 1977. The character was created by George Lucas -- you know, was written on the set of "American Graffiti" a number of years before that. So you know, George Bush -- George Bush`s father was not really in the public consciousness. So I think you can read into this anything that you want, but no, to answer your question, this was not on my mind. I didn`t see it as a political movie. I just saw it as a great movie and a great conclusion to the series. After the lousy last two films, finally, George Lucas came through with a good one.
BRYANT: All right, well, let`s have a little fun with this, Jason. If people are making these comparisons, who then would Yoda be in today`s public -- public arena?
APUZZO: Oh, I don`t know. You know, look, I just want to respond to something said a little bit earlier, though. I think it is deluded to think tat there isn`t politics in this film. I mean, when you have Anakin in the climactic moment of the film, and frankly, the prequel trilogy -- he`s going down the path to the dark side, he`s becoming Darth Vader, and he borrows a line from a Bush speech, I mean, I don`t think that`s coincidental.
BRYANT: Well, certainly...
(CROSSTALK)
ROSEN: I think there are a couple of lines, I agree with you, that were thrown in. I was asked if I was thinking of that when I saw the movie, and I was not. But I agree that I think there were some lines that were thrown in. But I don`t think that`s the crux of the movie. I think you`d have to agree with that.
APUZZO: I don`t think -- no...
(CROSSTALK)
ROSEN: ... that George Lucas was making a political statement with this movie.
APUZZO: Yes, I don`t think it`s the crux, either. I think that what is irritating a lot of people, quite frankly, is that -- and myself included because I`m a real admirer of Lucas as a filmmaker -- is that we`re even talking about this with respect to a "Star Wars" film. And it just brings up the larger issue to me of how now, even in fantasy films, Hollywood is essentially imposing politics into an area that previously had been free from that.
ROSEN: Yes, but...
APUZZO: It`s frustrating to a lot of people.
ROSEN: But you...
APUZZO: They want to have an adult -- an unadulterated experience at the movies, where they`re able to enjoy this stuff and not get yanked out of something they`re enjoying in order for someone to make a political statement...
BRYANT: Go ahead...
SLIWA: Well...
APUZZO: ... about the war or what have you.
BRYANT: Go ahead, Curtis.
SLIWA: You asked who is the Yoda figure Well, that`s obviously John McCain because, if you notice, John McCain is liked by Democrats, he`s liked by Republicans. The Samuel Jackson character -- clearly Colin Powell, who never really trusted the Bush administration, although he served it in this capacity...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But doesn`t Palpatine look like Lieberman, though? He looks a lot like Lieberman to me.
BRYANT: Well...
SLIWA: No, no, no. I mean, Lieberman, you know, always sounds a bit constipated. I think the chancellor, in the end, is sort of full of himself, very much like Dick Cheney. But clearly, George Lucas took applause at Cannes and continued his verbal attacks on Bush and the Iraq war. So I have to see...
BRYANT: Guys...
SLIWA: ... see this written into this new "Star Wars" flick.
BRYANT: All right, guys, we`re going to have to wrap it up. Obviously, this is something that`s going to keep going on, I think, as the summer plays out and as the film continues to make more and more money. Thank you, Curtis Sliwa, Neil Rosen and Jason Apuzzo. And there you go, "SHOWBIZ In Depth," A.J.
HAMMER: Well, to be clear, also, George Lucas has made it clear, since all of this came up, that he, indeed, wrote that line before George Bush ever made that speech.
BRYANT: Sure. Sure. Definitely.
HAMMER: I just wanted to point that out.
BRYANT: Thank you.
HAMMER: All right. Well, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Instead of firing people, the Donald is accepting people. We`re going to tell you about Trump`s latest venture and how it could help you learn a thing or two.
BRYANT: Plus, Kelly Clarkson. From "American Idol" to superstar on her own. Kelly opens up about life on top and on the road when she joins us one on one for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown."
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s got your season finale pass. We are on the set of "CSI: Miami" for the big action that`s promising to fool everybody. So stay with us.
Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." In the 1952 film "Singing in the Rain," what was added to the rain to make the water stand out better on the screen during that famous Gene Kelly title number, paste, confetti, milk or coffee? Mix it all together for a tasty treat. We`re coming right back with the answer.
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HAMMER: Welcome back. Tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was added to the rain to make the water stand out better in "Singing in the Rain"; The answer, C, milk.
It`s time now for "The Show`s Biz," a look at the stories that are making news in the business of entertainment. Tonight, fired from "The Apprentice"? No problem. Just sharpen your skills at Trump University. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Trump unveiled his latest venture in New York today. It`s an interactive on-line program geared towards working adults. There are no grades at Trump U, and students referred to as customers. The Donald offers courses in marketing, real estate, entrepreneurship, as well. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has also uncovered that he`ll even teach a class or two himself.
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DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": What`s the number one rule for success? And I say enjoy what you do. If you enjoy what you do -- well, that`s what I am doing. I`m enjoying what I do. I love the concept of starting what I think will be a great university.
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HAMMER: Well, Trump says his virtual university may one day morph into a real institution of higher learning.
BRYANT: That`s Kelly Clarkson performing her number one hit, "Since U Been Gone." It`s from last night`s Zootopia concert. This song is one of her two singles currently in the top 5 on the top 40 chart. Only two other women have ever accomplished that, and now Kelly is adding another leg to her current sold-out tour. Beginning June 29, you can catch the Hazel Eyes tour.
So joining us now is Kelly Clarkson for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown." Kelly, thanks for joining us.
KELLY CLARKSON, "SINCE U BEEN GONE": No, thanks for having me.
BRYANT: Tell us about the Zootopia show and the "Today" show performance because those happened only hours apart, right?
CLARKSON: Yes. I did Zootopia last night (INAUDIBLE) concern. And, like, hours later, I had to be at the "Today" show. So my body was, like, yes, no, you`re not going to sleep. So yes, I haven`t slept. Yes.
BRYANT: You look good, though.
CLARKSON: Well, the people are making me look good, yes.
BRYANT: God bless the make-up people!
CLARKSON: Yes, God bless the make-up and hair...
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: So tell us about this tour because you already completed a big leg of it. It`s sold out. So you said, What the heck, let`s do some more?
CLARKSON: Yes I mean, it sold out, like, the first week, so -- and you know, a lot of the fans I saw in line because I talk to them all, you know, a lot, they were like, Man, I didn`t get tickets because it sold out so quickly, and you need to play bigger venues, and da, da, da, da, da, da. So we got (INAUDIBLE) to sponsor it, and we`re playing bigger venues. They`re helping us bring more people in.
And the whole -- the whole tour is going to be different from this last leg because we have it under our -- you know, our belt, you know, the show and everything. And it`s bigger venues, so we`re going to make the stage go out into the audience to keep the intimacy because I like the smaller venues because it`s -- it`s -- you know, everybody`s right there in your face, and it`s just such a cool feeling, you know, to have everybody singing along in that small, small room, so...
BRYANT: And certainly, though, with the arena tour, I mean, there has to be a little bit more of a (INAUDIBLE) factor, you know what I mean, now that there`s that many more butts in the seats and that many more...
CLARKSON: Not really to me.
BRYANT: No?
CLARKSON: No.
BRYANT: Great.
CLARKSON: I`m weird. I just think it`s cooler, like, I mean, even, like -- oh, I saw U2 at Madison Square Garden the other night...
BRYANT: Right.
CLARKSON: ... and hearing all those people, like, 20,000 people, singing every word (INAUDIBLE) that`s a cool feeling, as well. Like, I mean, I like the intimate feel, but when you got -- when you got that many people jumping up and down and loving what you`re doing, you`re -- you`re doing something right, so...
BRYANT: So do you remember when you were younger, like, summer tours, who you would go see, who you got that excited about seeing?
CLARKSON: Oh, yes. Yes, man, I saw Aerosmith a lot, Toadies, one of my favorite bands. Man, I went to Limp Bizkit (INAUDIBLE) I went to, like, everyone. Like, anybody that came into town, I would try and get tickets to, if I weren`t too broke at the time, so...
BRYANT: Right.
CLARKSON: Yes.
BRYANT: So then what do you do, though, to protect your voice because with yesterday, doing the Zootopia show...
CLARKSON: Yes.
BRYANT: ... turning right around in the morning -- I mean, what steps do you take to protect your investment there?
CLARKSON: I mean, it`s -- it`s really hard for me because I`m a perfectionist. I`m really hard on myself a lot. But I got to accept sometimes that, you know, you`re going to be a little more Steven Tyler, Janis Joplin sometimes than you want to be, you know?
BRYANT: Nothing wrong with a ratchety voice.
CLARKSON: Nothing wrong with a raspy voice, but it`s different from what people are used to hearing, you know, with me. So -- so sometimes it`s going to be a little raspy, and it`s cool. It kind of adds a little rock factor in. But you got to take care of the voice, so it`s hard sometimes. It`s more hard for me because I talk a lot, so -- it`s more the talking than the singing.
BRYANT: OK.
CLARKSON: So...
BRYANT: Well, certainly, a lot of singing going to happen tomorrow night on "American Idol." Obviously, you won. You`re very successful with that. What advice do you have for the final two competing? We`ve got Bo and Carrie...
CLARKSON: Wow, it`s the final two, and it`s tomorrow night?
BRYANT: It`s tomorrow night. And you know, I just want to sort of, if we can, go back in the -- in the Kelly time machine. Take us back...
CLARKSON: Wow.
BRYANT: ... to that day for you, where you performing for the last time.
CLARKSON: Right. Well, our show was very different. They had us run around, like, ragged. Like, we were tired. So our show was pretty different. Justin and I were just kind of, like, Wow, it would be cool if we could end this because I`m really tired. Like, we were exhausted. So I don`t know. Maybe they`re exhausted and maybe they`re just -- you know, it`s -- you got that antsy feeling. You want to get ready. You want to go (INAUDIBLE) record. You -- it`s like any artist wanting to make a record, you know? So you`re really -- you`re wanting to get out there and you`re wanting to get on tour and you`re wanting to do your own thing, so...
BRYANT: But so for that day, though, that actual couple minutes, couple hours...
CLARKSON: I think they`re thinking.
BRYANT: ... before the show, what -- yes, that`s what they`re -- you think they`re past that night already?
CLARKSON: They`re -- yes, I think they`re -- I mean, if they`re not, like, they should be. I mean, you -- the top two, I mean, that`s -- it doesn`t even matter. It`s just you got all that exposure. It doesn`t matter who wins. You get all that exposure. And you know, people dream of that exposure, even people that are already artists and in the industry, you know? So you know, take it and ride with it. And you know, if you`ve got enough drive and if you`re persistent enough, you can make a career out of it, so...
BRYANT: So now that you are on tour, what`s the one thing that you`ve got to either have with you on your bus or back stage to make you feel good?
CLARKSON: This is going to sound so stupid!
BRYANT: Go for it!
CLARKSON: I actually only ask for two things. It`s PB and J, peanut butter and jelly...
BRYANT: Sure.
CLARKSON: ... and wheat bread and water. That`s all.
BRYANT: That`s it?
CLARKSON: Yea, that`s -- I`m so simple because I`m weird, like, with eating certain things on -- on -- when I`m singing. So I`m comfortable with my PB and J, and that`s about it.
BRYANT: Nice. Kelly Clarkson, thanks for joining us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And if you would like to catch Kelly in concert, tickets for her Hazel Eyes tour go on sale June 4.
HAMMER: Well, Kelly was just talking about singing at that Zootopia concert. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your backstage pass to the show, where we find out some of the biggest performers are actually fans themselves. That`s coming up, next.
Plus: Whose side is he really on? "Alias" star Ron Rifkin is here live, just in time for the hit show`s season finale. It`s another "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Imagine a concert with so many big acts, you didn`t know where to turn first. Now imagine it really happened, and they called it Zootopia. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there at the Zootopia show last night, put on by New York City radio station Z-100. Couldn`t make it? Don`t worry, we`ve got you covered.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): It was a powerful night of pop music, featuring the biggest hit makers on the planet, like Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, and even the Backstreet Boys are back.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Simple Plan fired up the show with their hit song, "Addicted." The band also shared a little secret with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Now, fans, pay attention. They always arrive for gigs under cover.
PIERRE BOUVIER, SIMPLE PLAN: We have two buses. We have a decoy bus, a bus with our faces on it. People think we`re in it. We`re not in that one, we`re in the other one.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: The Black Eyed Peas kicked off their set with "Hey Mama."
FERGIE, BLACK EYED PEAS: Man, this is such a great show. They have so many great artists in one show, it`s amazing. We`re sitting there. The boys are distracted right now because J.Lo is on.
HAMMER: The band`s gearing up for their release of their new album, "Monkey Business," and will be opening up for the Rolling Stones when they go on tour in August.
FERGIE: We`re opening for the Rolling Stones!
(CROSSTALK)
FERGIE: Yes, my dad went to go have a beer with his pals when he found that one out.
HAMMER: Rob Thomas is still riding high with his new album, "Something to Be," which debuted at the number one spot on the album chart. But he told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he was just as excited to be a part of the audience as he was to perform.
ROB THOMAS, "SOMETHING TO BE": I think you find, like, the fan in a lot of people at these shows because there`s a lot just, like, kind of walking around by dressing rooms and going, you know, like, Is Gwen Stefani in her dressing room, you know? You`re just trying to kind of -- you know, trying to find that bond with other musicians that you love. So yes, I think it brings out the fan in all of the people that I see here, you know?
HAMMER: Singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw was back in New York City, where he got his start, but told us it`s a little different now that he`s made it.
GAVIN DEGRAW, "CHARIOT": It`s very rewarding. I had no anticipation of any level of success. I mean, at the time I was playing New York, I was, like, basically just playing for dinner. So now that I`m able to actually buy my own dinner, it feels good.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It was quite a show, with all that star power. Frankie J, Akon and Bowling for Soup also performed last night.
BRYANT: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, except when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT comes to visit. We will take you on the set for the big finale of "Las Vegas."
HAMMER: And Warren Beatty has got an earful for "the governator." We`re going to tell you what the actor had to say and whether he wants Arnold`s job. That`s coming up, as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWS BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, we`ve got your TV season finale pass. First ALIAS bad guy turned good turned bad? Ron Rifkin live.
BRYANT: And then we turn two other hot dramas. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there on the sets of "Las Vegas" and "CSI: Miami."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOLLY SIMMS: I`m Molly Simms. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.
Australia song bird Kylie Minoque is recovering from a successful surgery to remove a cancerous lump in her breast. Minoque called off a tour of her home continent and Asia after her diagnosis.
BRYANT: "Star Wars" breaks records. "Revenge of the Sith" had the biggest opening day ever. As of this afternoon the film has grossed $158.5 million.
Well, are they for real? Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes seem to be smitten with each other, but they also have huge summer blockbuster hopefuls due out. Cruise also appeared on - he appeared on Oprah today, jumping all over her furniture with sheer happiness and he brought Holmes out for a curtain call.
BRYANT: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Is their romance a publicity stunt? You can keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight and you can send your e-mails our way at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say at 54 past the hour.
HAMMER: Actor versus actor. Warren Beatty is firing off at California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The outspoken Democrat railed against Republican Schwarzenegger at a commencement speech at UC Berkeley over the weekend. Beatty says his fellow actor should raise taxes for the rich and ditch plans for a special election and that was the nice part.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARREN BEATTY, ACTOR: The government is not a joke and despite what he said, it`s not a movie, but he`s going to have to listen. He`s not stupid. He knows I am a private citizen, just as he was a year ago. I`m an opponent of his muscle bound conservatism with a longer experience in politics than he has and although I don`t want to run for governor, I would do one hell of a lot better job than he`s done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Schwarzenegger`s press secretary spouted back, saying that Beatty is just upset his Social Security will probably get the ax.
BRYANT: You can put away the remote because right now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got your season finale path to see these hottest shows. From "CSI" to "Las Vegas", we`ve got the action, the drama. We`re going to begin with one of the biggest hits this season, "Desperate Housewives". Now the big secret is out and so are the sky-high numbers from last night`s finale. Today we learned than more than 30 million of you tuned in for the wrap up on Wisteria Lane and it was full of shocking moments, including this one when Bree found out her husband is dead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bree, it`s Dr. Craig I`m at the hospital and I`m afraid I have some bad news.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rex passed away about 10 minutes ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: From the grave, narrator Mary Alice dropped a big bomb last night revealing that she killed Deirdre. The show promised to solve the murder mystery before the season wrapped and as for the rest of the cliffhangers, fans will just have to wait desperately for next season.
HAMMER: Now we move on to the season finale of "CSI: Miami". SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has all those behind the scenes details you`ve been waiting for because we were on the set of the hit CBS show the day that they filmed the last episode of the season. That`s the one that you`ll be seeing tonight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas joins us now from Hollywood to fill us in on everything she found out. Let us know, Sibila. What happened?
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, AJ. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got an inside look at what`s in store for viewers tonight on the season finale of the CBS hit show. We were dodging bullets on the set and series star David Caruso was dodging a few questions about the final show of the season.
The season finale of "CSI: Miami" airs tonight with a big bang and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there on the set for all the action.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CARUSO, PLAYS HORATIO CAINE: I have to say the twist and the turns of this hour are extremely inventive and I think just when you think -- specifically here we set something up that is going to fool you completely and I think the end, everybody is fooled.
VARGAS (voice-over): The show has been laying the groundwork for tonight`s finale for the past three seasons. Dean Winters, who plays Raymond Caine promised SHOWBIZ TONIGHT there would be some dramatic revelations.
DEAN WINTERS, PLAYS RAYMOND CAINE: Everyone thought that I was dead and I`ve come back and it`s basically like reuniting with Horatio, David`s character and my son who`s become very attached to Horatio. So, it`s an emotional thing.
VARGAS: Horatio Caine and his brother Ray team up to save a 12- year-old boy.
CARUSO: We a have a whole other complication that involves his son. So what`s neat is, we have these great scenes which are kind of non-scenes where we can`t really talk about what`s going on because we have to attend to this high-stake situation.
VARGAS: We grilled David Caruso point blank for more details, but he wasn`t giving any.
CARUSO: I would say that there is an unresolved complication at the end of the show.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: We asked Dean Winters if he would be back next season in his role as Raymond Caine and all I can report is that he didn`t say no. My guess is we`ll see him again. AJ?
HAMMER: All right. Sibila Vargas live in Hollywood, thank you very much for that report. You can catch of course what actually happens when it all unfolds on the "CSI: Miami" finale tonight on CBS.
BRYANT: And another season finale tonight. NBC`s casino drama "Las Vegas" goes out with a bang, literally. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got a very special star-studded tour of the set as the cast shot the last episode of the season.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s John Elway.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to get an autograph. (INAUDIBLE). Excuse me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I forgot to bring my football.
(CROSSTALK)
JOSH DUHAMEL, PLAYS DANNY MCCOY: Welcome, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You`re on the set of "Las Vegas", what was formerly the casino floor of "Las Vegas". A lot of stuff is going on in this finale is just a lot of questions up in the air. Like who`s coming back. Somebody very close to me dies. The casino is being blown up to rebuild. Pretty much every main character is leaving and we don`t know who`s coming back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was thinking about making a few changes to the casino.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of changes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A complete facelift.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN is a news channel. You have to be able to communicate. What in the hell are they doing with you?
DUHAMEL: It`s like a roast on the set of this show every day. Just hope that you`re not being the one roasted.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hear that you and Bon Jovi are real practical jokers.
DUHAMEL: You can`t believe everything you hear.
VANESSA MARCIL, PLAYS SAM MARQUEZ: Hi, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Vanessa Marcil. We`re on the set of "Las Vegas". I`m sorry I`m in a robe, but I have a quite hookerish dress on. This is going to be our last scene. And everybody is in it, all the girls, all the hot girls are in the scene, and hot Josh Duhamel is in this scene, and bad-ass Jimmy Caan is in this scene. And Jon Bon Jovi is up there on that monitor. He`s in this season finale. John Elway is in this season finale. This is our last day, last day on set, and maybe my last day forever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, John.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My character has turned into a Jon Bon Jovi groovy -- groupie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A groovy groupie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A groovy groupie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The last day of school for us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Last day of school, we turned in our books. We erased all the marks.
Looking good here. This is nice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, everything good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is where we work.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s very clean. You know, there`s no trash bins in the middle of the set.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s glamorous.
See you later.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bye.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m going, I`m going. All right?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Gladys Knight joins Jon bon Jovi, John Elway and Dean Cain in the season finale that airs tonight on NBC.
HAMMER: Your TV season finale pass continues. It`s spy versus spy us versus spy. "Alias`" Arvin Sloane, Ron Rifkin joins us live.
BRYANT: And we are spying on Faith Hill`s new music video, a firm look at it in tonight`s "showbiz showcase."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANESSA MARCIL, "Las Vegas": I watch the "Daily Show," Jon Stewart. I watch Oprah, but my favorite show of all time right now is "Entourage."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, tonight, we`ve been giving you an inside look at this week`s TV season finales and in another showbiz sit down tonight, ALIAS star Ron Rifkin joins us. You know him of course as Arvin Sloane, the head of an ultra-secret section of the CIA. He plays both the boss and the nemesis of Jennifer Garner`s character Sydney Bristow. Ron Rifkin joins us live here on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT set in New York City. We appreciate you dressing up for us.
RON RIFKIN, ACTOR: I know.
HAMMER: You did know you were coming to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and not the Nancy Grace program?
RIFKIN: No, no, I knew exactly what I was doing. That`s why I put my tuxedo on.
HAMMER: Because people sometimes are little more formal for them. You are now officially the most dressed up guest we have ever had on this program.
RIFKIN: Even my socks?
HAMMER: The socks are fantastic. They match the set.
RIFKIN: Actually, I knew I was going to be very nervous, so I thought if I wore both. Do you know I tied this myself?
HAMMER: See, I can`t do that.
RIFKIN: You want to watch me do it without any.
HAMMER: Can you do it while we talk?
RIFKIN: Yes.
HAMMER: Go ahead. Of course, the season finale of ALIAS is happening on Wednesday night. You`re going to give me a nugget.
RIFKIN: You want me to tell you what happens?
HAMMER: Arvin started out good, then bad. Just last week it appears, so it would appear that he`s back on the dark side.
RIFKIN: How am I doing by the way?
HAMMER: It`s perfect.
RIFKIN: No, it`s not ready yet. It`s not finished yet but go on.
HAMMER: OK.
RIFKIN: How`s that? Is it okay?
HAMMER: It`s working out.
RIFKIN: I`ll finish it off later, but, you see, I can do it.
HAMMER: Arvin Sloane, is he a good guy or a bad guy? What do you think?
RIFKIN: Do you think I`m good or bad?
HAMMER: I think you`re good.
RIFKIN: Not Ron Rifkin, Arvin Sloane.
HAMMER: It`s been very deceptive.
RIFKIN: The first two years they thought that I was Jennifer Garner`s father. Then we found out that I had an affair with Lena Olin, I mean the character she plays, and I have this new child. So, does that mean I`m good or bad?
HAMMER: I`m not sure. But last week things would make it seem as though you were back on that dark side.
RIFKIN: Well, that`s what happens when you get around (INAUDILBE).
HAMMER: So what you`re supposed to tell me now is a little nugget of information that`s going to happen on the season finale. You`re going to tell me something. Well, we gave you free cheese back stage.
RIFKIN: All I can tell you is this, there`s water again. There`s water again.
HAMMER: Interesting.
RIFKIN: So if anybody out there knows what I`m talking about, there`s water again. That`s all I can tell you, a lot of water.
HAMMER: The quote to take with you, there`s water again. I know you`re working off Broadway. The show is about to start. You probably don`t have a lot of time to watch television on your own. But are you still caught up in any TV programs? Is there a season finale you`re waiting on?
RIFKIN: No. Truthfully, no, no. I don`t have TiVo.
HAMMER: Maybe it`s time.
RIFKIN: You`re absolutely right. Time is running out for me anyway. I`m the oldest guy on the show. We have to do something about it.
HAMMER: You had an envious career any working actor would love to have. You look at your resume.
RIFKIN: I stopped acting from `84 to `90.
HAMMER: But if you look back at the shows that you`ve been a part of, it`s amazing. I mean modern classics like "ER" and having been on "Law & Order." May I run down a few of the shows you did back in the day that. You were on "Mary Tyler Moore," "Knots Landing," "Hill Street Blues," "Kojak," "Rockford Files," "Bob Newhart," "Gidget," and that`s just to name a few.
RIFKIN: "Gidget" was my first job.
HAMMER: That was the first thing, back in the early `60s.
RIFKIN: I had just gotten married. I got married in 1966 and that`s when I did it, my first job, Sally Field.
HAMMER: Is there anybody from that era, from all those classic shows that I mentioned, who made an impression on you or something that happened back then that has stuck with you to this day?
RIFKIN: I`m sure there are. I can`t think of it now, but one gets the sense. When I started acting I was a member of the Actors Studio, and I had such a drive and a passion to create something that would move people. I think when I was doing television, the kind of parts I was playing really didn`t allow me to go to that place, so it was very frustrating for me. I think being an actor requires a particular kind of personality. Also, the way you look sort of ties you to the characters you play. Because I didn`t fit into any prescribed, you know, idea of -- I wasn`t particularly handsome, but I wasn`t funny looking. I was sort of in the middle.
HAMMER: Not a certain type.
RIFKIN: Yeah. So it was very difficult for me and I did not answer your question because I forgot what it was.
HAMMER: That`s all right. We`ll just move on because I want to talk about the show that you`re doing because this...
RIFKIIN: "The Paris Letter."
HAMMER: "The Paris Letter." This does represent.
RIFKIN: By Jon Robin Baitz.
HAMMER: One of the great playwrights of all time.
RIFKIN: At the Laura Pels theater. It opens June 9th.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: But you were -- people may not know, they see you on television. You`re a Tony-award winning actor and the role that you play here.
RIFKIN: I`m a Tony award winner, and a Drama Desk and a Lucille Lortel and an OBIE.
HAMMER: You got them all. He doesn`t have TiVo, but he has all these awards.
RIFKIN: What are we going to do?
HAMMER: This complicated character that you play. A guy who has been struggling his whole life with an identity crisis. Do you draw upon anything from when you left acting. Do you draw upon experiences like that to envelop a character like this?
RIFKIN: That`s a really good question. I think that we draw on everything, all of our experience. All of us have felt frustrations. All of us have had times in our lives when we did things that we were ashamed of. All of us carry the burden of the past. All of us have secrets. Most of us are able to deal with life with grace and dignity and when we don`t, it worries us and we try to work it out. Here is a man who, because he was born at a particular time, had to hide who he really was and pays the consequences for it. And it`s -- you know, it deals with the kind of life dilemma, human dilemma that we love to watch on stage. It`s like when O`Neill was writing, and Robbie Baitz writes like those guys like Arthur Miller and Eugene O`Neill.
HAMMER: It`s quite a powerful piece of work and we appreciate you stopping by all dressed up here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Ron Rifkin. Nice to see you. And of course, "The Paris Letter" as mentioned earlier in preview now, it will open up at the Laura Pels Theater in New York City on Sunday, June 12th.
BRYANT: We are not done with season finales yet. Lindsay Lohan hosted the final "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed and we call it laughter dark. Now the "SNL" monologue was definitely dark comedy. Lindsay Lohan`s future self paid a visit and gave her some much-needed advice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve come back from the future to tell you got to cool it with the partying, because I`m totally beat.
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: Well, wait a second. You`re me in the future?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did I stutter, bitch?
LOHAN: So what else happens? What movies do I make in the future?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, let me see. We did "Herbie Fully Loaded." Then we did "Mean Girls II." That was a suck bomb. Then we did "National Lampoon`s Jamaican Vacation," and then we did like eight Lifetime movies, and now we host a Cinemax show called "Night Passions."
LOHAN: Wait a minute. That sounds a little shady. Are we doing porn?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, we`re introducing porn. It`s totally different.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: This Saturday on "SNL," you can catch the best of Alec Baldwin.
It`s no secret that Jay Leno has been asked to testify in the Michael Jackson trial this week. The latest word is that it could happen tomorrow. On "The Tonight Show," Jay revealed how he has struggled to pick an outfit for his day on the stand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, HOST, TONIGHT SHOW: I`ve been meeting with wardrobe people and kind of go over things. Do you have the security cameras from the dressing room today. Here`s what we picked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Of course SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be there to greet Jay. And tonight on his show, Jay welcomes "Cinderella Man" director Ron Howard.
HAMMER: If you`ve got to have faith, up next you will. A sneak peek at Faith Hill`s latest music video. That`s in our "showbiz showcase."
BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Is their romance a publicity stunt? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or e- mail us what`s on its mind at showbiztonigh@cnn.com. We`ll read from your e-mails live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: In tonight`s showbiz showcase, Faith Hill`s latest single "Mississippi Girl" hit the charts with career highs for the singer. Hill`s autobiographical song says fame and fortune hasn`t changed this good country girl one bit. Her single makes its video debut this week and here`s a look.
You can catch the debut of "Mississippi Girl" Thursday on Country Music Television.
HAMMER: Well, throughout the show tonight, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, is their romance just a publicity stunt? Here`s how the voting is going so far, 69 percent of you think it is. They say, yes, the romance a publicity stunt, 31 percent of you say no, it isn`t. And we got some e-mails on the question as well, like one from Mike in California who wrote, "of course it`s a publicity stunt. Who wouldn`t want to see such a cute couple together?
And we heard from Matt in Springfield, Mass. who adds, it`s not publicity stunt. No one cares that much about the stars` love lives. And remember, you can continue to vote by going to cnn.com/showbiz tonight.
BRYANT: It`s time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: He`s back for a Monday. Let`s take a look at the showbiz marquee with the marquee guy.
ANNOUNCER: It`s a little bit real and a little bit make believe. First, the real Amber Frey. She`ll tell us about her tell all on the Scott Peterson case and then the actress that plays her on TV, the "West Wing`s" Janel Moloney on her Amber Frey movie. Got it all? Good, live tomorrow.
Then it`s Trump unauthorized. This guy is playing him on TV. Looks like he`s got the look down, hair cut and all. We`ll ask him. What`s it like to be the Donald? Tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is the marquee guy and, guess what? Breaking news. I`m really not an announcer. I just play one on TV.
HAMMER: I think he`s making that up.
BRYANT: Yeah. So, how great is Ron Rifkin.
HAMMER: Love Ron Rifkin.
BRYANT: He should just riff some more. Like, can we have him back to riff some more?
HAMMER: We`re going to have the Ron Rifkin (INAUDIBLE) coming soon to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and that`s a wrap for tonight. I`m AJ Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN HEADLINE NEWS.
END
Aired May 23, 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: Tom Cruise is all smiles, and Kelly Clarkson stops by. I`m Karyn Bryant.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BRYANT: Tonight, he`s so excited and he just can`t hide it. Tom Cruise is jumping out of his seat, and we`re just itching to tell you why.
HAMMER: Plus, "Star Wars" and the war on terror. Is Darth Vader just another Osama? Was the force really with President Bush? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT looks at the reality and the fantasy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is going to be our last scene.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: And your ticket to TV finales. The season wraps up, and we`re on the sets of the hottest shows.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID CARUSO, "CSI: MIAMI": I would say that there is an unresolved complication at the end of the show.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, "Alias`s" Ron Rifkin joins us live.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TERI HATCHER, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES": Hi. I`m Teri Hatcher. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and you are at the top of the show.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. You are watching TV`s only live nightly entertainment news program.
HAMMER: He swooned. He laughed. He even jumped up on the couch once or twice.
BRYANT: We`re not talking about a rambunctious 2-year-old, just, you know, the biggest movie star in the world. Tom Cruise was on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" today to talk about his new girlfriend, actress Katie Holmes. And one thing we didn`t see from Cruise was control.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM CRUISE: I`m in love!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT (voice-over): The ultra-cool Tom Cruise we all know was nowhere to be seen on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" today. Instead, we got blushing Tom, gushing Tom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUISE: I met her.
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST: You met her?
CRUISE: Yes. She`s extraordinary. She`s truly...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: And the giggly-as-a-schoolboy Tom. And he says it`s all about his new lady, Katie Holmes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUISE: I can`t be cool, you know what I mean? I can`t be laid back. I just -- it`s something that has happened, and I feel I want to celebrate it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: Leave it to Oprah to ask what we`ve all been asking about the newly smitten Tom Cruise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: What has happened to you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAFFENREFFER: What`s happened is that ever since we got our first glimpses of Tom and Katie traipsing around Rome last month, the usually private Tom has been very publicly showing off his new girlfriend. On today`s "Oprah," he even dragged her out for a curtain call.
SARA BERNARD, "NEW YORK" MAGAZINE: This is a totally different side of Tom, and the fact that both Tom and Katie have movies coming out this month is not lost on anyone.
HAFFENREFFER: He`s in "War of the Worlds," and she`s in "Batman Begins." Not to be cynical, but from a PR standpoint, having a high- profile relationship while you have a high-profile movie is awfully convenient, too convenient for some people to accept.
BERNARD: There`s definitely something fishy with this relationship. I think what`s been interesting is it`s not so much the age difference that everyone`s focused on. He`s 42, she`s 36. It`s more just the sort of fabricated nature of this whole presentation, the fact that they were so eager to meet the paparazzi in Rome, the fact that their publicist, who`s actually Tom Cruise`s sister, was so open about the details of their relationship.
HAFFENREFFER: How is the Tom/Katie relationship playing out among the public? I hit the streets of New York City to find out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But I don`t usually think celebrities are really in love because it`s all -- you know, they put them together for publicity.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Most people deserve a life of their own. Everyone should just butt out of their business and -- if he really wants her, he really wants her.
HAFFENREFFER: Well, as we saw on "Oprah," Tom Cruise apparently does want Katie, and he also wants us to know it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: That was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer reporting. Now, Oprah, of course, had no problems asking Cruise if he planned to propose to Katie. His answer was, quote, "I`m going to discuss it with her."
Well, now we want to know your thoughts. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes: Is their romance a publicity stunt? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight, or if you want to tell us more, e-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say later in the show.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, "Star Wars Episode III" has smashed seven -- that`s right, seven -- box office records. "Revenge of the Sith," which blasted into theaters last Thursday, had the biggest opening day ever. So let`s go through the rest of these statistics. The movie also broke gross records for single-day, two-day, three-day, four-day and five-day openings at the box office. It also had the largest midnight show when it opened up last Thursday. The only record that Darth Vader and company did not beat? "Spider-Man`s" three-day opening weekend, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in May of 2002. As of this afternoon, "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" has grossed a total of $158.5 million.
BRYANT: Well, tonight, our "SHOWBIZ In Depth" -- "Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith." Last week, it seemed like everyone was drawing comparisons between creator George Lucas`s galaxy far, far away, the situation in Iraq and President George Bush. Now, after its opening weekend, the country is buzzing about it even more. Is Darth Vader really George Bush in disguise? Is the clone war taking place in Iraq? Is the Jedi Council a mock-up of the United Nations? And if so, where the heck does Yoda fit in?
Well, joining us live to talk about it are Curtis Sliwa, co-host of WABC radio morning show "Curtis And Kuby." We`ve got Neil Rosen, entertainment critic for the cable news station NY1, and Jason Apuzzo, director the Liberty Film Festival. Of course, they have all three seen the movie.
Now, guys, I want to start with one of the quotes in this, of Anakin, who is, of course, the future Darth Vader, says, "If you are not with me, then you are my enemy." And this is this is some people drawing the comparisons to what George Bush said after 9/11, saying, You`re either with us or with the terrorists. Jason, I`m going to go to you first. What`s your take on this?
JASON APUZZO, DIRECTOR, LIBERTY FILM FESTIVAL: Yes. I mean, I don`t think there`s any question that that line isn`t there by coincidence. What a lot of people don`t know about the "Star Wars" series is that about 30 years ago, when George came up with the original idea for the series, he intended it to be actually a parable for America`s involvement in Vietnam, with America as the evil empire and the supposedly primitive Vietnamese, low-tech Vietnamese, as the rebel alliance.
Now, obviously, the series developed into much more than that, and to some extent, got out of his hands. But what he`s doing now I think is sort of returning the series back to its original roots in making the analogy that America, perhaps, is itself becoming the empire.
I personally think it`s a tremendous film. I think most people believe that, but that aspect of the film, to me, is a little troubling and I don`t think is particularly going to go over well with audiences when they dwell on that level of it.
BRYANT: Well, Curtis, what do you think of this? Do you think that, you know, George Lucas has created this, you know, movie just to poke at George Bush?
CURTIS SLIWA, CO-HOST, WABC MORNING SHOW: Well, I got to tell you something. There were people poking at me with their light sabers in the movie theater. I had to duck. When you have adult men fighting in the aisles -- and I think the "Star Wars" cultists are not going to see any political connections. But when the French gave George Lucas a Michael Moore standing ovation, like they gave him for "Fahrenheit 9/11," and saw the direct connection between George Lucas`s film here, "Stars Wars: The Revenge of the Sith," and the Sith look like right-wing religious fundamentalists, who are at war with the United Nations, the Jedi knights, young Skywalker obviously George W. Bush -- and I think, the chancellor, who ultimately becomes emperor, he`s the Dick Cheney-type that nobody`s really talking about. So yes, it`s a shot below the belt at George W. Bush, our war in Iraq, and definitely Vice President Dick Cheney.
BRYANT: All right, Neil, let`s go to you. You`re an entertainment critic. When you watched this movie, were you thinking of Senator Palpatine? Were you comparing his, you know, efforts in the film to George Bush trying to get the Patriot Act passed? I mean, what did you think of all this?
NEIL ROSEN, ENTERTAINMENT CRITIC, NY1 NEWS: Well, that`s a great question, Karyn, because I have to tell you, you know, having sat through now six "Star Wars" films, and specifically the last one, which you asked about, I didn`t think about any of this. I mean, I did hear the line, you know, Who would invade a- you know, a country or -- you know, I heard those lines, but I did not think that there was any political connection whatsoever. I mean, all this talk that I`m hearing now did not even, you know, come across my head once through sitting through this movie.
I mean, these movies -- Darth Vader was -- was written by -- the first movie came out in 1977. The character was created by George Lucas -- you know, was written on the set of "American Graffiti" a number of years before that. So you know, George Bush -- George Bush`s father was not really in the public consciousness. So I think you can read into this anything that you want, but no, to answer your question, this was not on my mind. I didn`t see it as a political movie. I just saw it as a great movie and a great conclusion to the series. After the lousy last two films, finally, George Lucas came through with a good one.
BRYANT: All right, well, let`s have a little fun with this, Jason. If people are making these comparisons, who then would Yoda be in today`s public -- public arena?
APUZZO: Oh, I don`t know. You know, look, I just want to respond to something said a little bit earlier, though. I think it is deluded to think tat there isn`t politics in this film. I mean, when you have Anakin in the climactic moment of the film, and frankly, the prequel trilogy -- he`s going down the path to the dark side, he`s becoming Darth Vader, and he borrows a line from a Bush speech, I mean, I don`t think that`s coincidental.
BRYANT: Well, certainly...
(CROSSTALK)
ROSEN: I think there are a couple of lines, I agree with you, that were thrown in. I was asked if I was thinking of that when I saw the movie, and I was not. But I agree that I think there were some lines that were thrown in. But I don`t think that`s the crux of the movie. I think you`d have to agree with that.
APUZZO: I don`t think -- no...
(CROSSTALK)
ROSEN: ... that George Lucas was making a political statement with this movie.
APUZZO: Yes, I don`t think it`s the crux, either. I think that what is irritating a lot of people, quite frankly, is that -- and myself included because I`m a real admirer of Lucas as a filmmaker -- is that we`re even talking about this with respect to a "Star Wars" film. And it just brings up the larger issue to me of how now, even in fantasy films, Hollywood is essentially imposing politics into an area that previously had been free from that.
ROSEN: Yes, but...
APUZZO: It`s frustrating to a lot of people.
ROSEN: But you...
APUZZO: They want to have an adult -- an unadulterated experience at the movies, where they`re able to enjoy this stuff and not get yanked out of something they`re enjoying in order for someone to make a political statement...
BRYANT: Go ahead...
SLIWA: Well...
APUZZO: ... about the war or what have you.
BRYANT: Go ahead, Curtis.
SLIWA: You asked who is the Yoda figure Well, that`s obviously John McCain because, if you notice, John McCain is liked by Democrats, he`s liked by Republicans. The Samuel Jackson character -- clearly Colin Powell, who never really trusted the Bush administration, although he served it in this capacity...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But doesn`t Palpatine look like Lieberman, though? He looks a lot like Lieberman to me.
BRYANT: Well...
SLIWA: No, no, no. I mean, Lieberman, you know, always sounds a bit constipated. I think the chancellor, in the end, is sort of full of himself, very much like Dick Cheney. But clearly, George Lucas took applause at Cannes and continued his verbal attacks on Bush and the Iraq war. So I have to see...
BRYANT: Guys...
SLIWA: ... see this written into this new "Star Wars" flick.
BRYANT: All right, guys, we`re going to have to wrap it up. Obviously, this is something that`s going to keep going on, I think, as the summer plays out and as the film continues to make more and more money. Thank you, Curtis Sliwa, Neil Rosen and Jason Apuzzo. And there you go, "SHOWBIZ In Depth," A.J.
HAMMER: Well, to be clear, also, George Lucas has made it clear, since all of this came up, that he, indeed, wrote that line before George Bush ever made that speech.
BRYANT: Sure. Sure. Definitely.
HAMMER: I just wanted to point that out.
BRYANT: Thank you.
HAMMER: All right. Well, coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: Instead of firing people, the Donald is accepting people. We`re going to tell you about Trump`s latest venture and how it could help you learn a thing or two.
BRYANT: Plus, Kelly Clarkson. From "American Idol" to superstar on her own. Kelly opens up about life on top and on the road when she joins us one on one for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown."
HAMMER: And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s got your season finale pass. We are on the set of "CSI: Miami" for the big action that`s promising to fool everybody. So stay with us.
Now tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." In the 1952 film "Singing in the Rain," what was added to the rain to make the water stand out better on the screen during that famous Gene Kelly title number, paste, confetti, milk or coffee? Mix it all together for a tasty treat. We`re coming right back with the answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back. Tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What was added to the rain to make the water stand out better in "Singing in the Rain"; The answer, C, milk.
It`s time now for "The Show`s Biz," a look at the stories that are making news in the business of entertainment. Tonight, fired from "The Apprentice"? No problem. Just sharpen your skills at Trump University. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Trump unveiled his latest venture in New York today. It`s an interactive on-line program geared towards working adults. There are no grades at Trump U, and students referred to as customers. The Donald offers courses in marketing, real estate, entrepreneurship, as well. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has also uncovered that he`ll even teach a class or two himself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, "THE APPRENTICE": What`s the number one rule for success? And I say enjoy what you do. If you enjoy what you do -- well, that`s what I am doing. I`m enjoying what I do. I love the concept of starting what I think will be a great university.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Trump says his virtual university may one day morph into a real institution of higher learning.
BRYANT: That`s Kelly Clarkson performing her number one hit, "Since U Been Gone." It`s from last night`s Zootopia concert. This song is one of her two singles currently in the top 5 on the top 40 chart. Only two other women have ever accomplished that, and now Kelly is adding another leg to her current sold-out tour. Beginning June 29, you can catch the Hazel Eyes tour.
So joining us now is Kelly Clarkson for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown." Kelly, thanks for joining us.
KELLY CLARKSON, "SINCE U BEEN GONE": No, thanks for having me.
BRYANT: Tell us about the Zootopia show and the "Today" show performance because those happened only hours apart, right?
CLARKSON: Yes. I did Zootopia last night (INAUDIBLE) concern. And, like, hours later, I had to be at the "Today" show. So my body was, like, yes, no, you`re not going to sleep. So yes, I haven`t slept. Yes.
BRYANT: You look good, though.
CLARKSON: Well, the people are making me look good, yes.
BRYANT: God bless the make-up people!
CLARKSON: Yes, God bless the make-up and hair...
(CROSSTALK)
BRYANT: So tell us about this tour because you already completed a big leg of it. It`s sold out. So you said, What the heck, let`s do some more?
CLARKSON: Yes I mean, it sold out, like, the first week, so -- and you know, a lot of the fans I saw in line because I talk to them all, you know, a lot, they were like, Man, I didn`t get tickets because it sold out so quickly, and you need to play bigger venues, and da, da, da, da, da, da. So we got (INAUDIBLE) to sponsor it, and we`re playing bigger venues. They`re helping us bring more people in.
And the whole -- the whole tour is going to be different from this last leg because we have it under our -- you know, our belt, you know, the show and everything. And it`s bigger venues, so we`re going to make the stage go out into the audience to keep the intimacy because I like the smaller venues because it`s -- it`s -- you know, everybody`s right there in your face, and it`s just such a cool feeling, you know, to have everybody singing along in that small, small room, so...
BRYANT: And certainly, though, with the arena tour, I mean, there has to be a little bit more of a (INAUDIBLE) factor, you know what I mean, now that there`s that many more butts in the seats and that many more...
CLARKSON: Not really to me.
BRYANT: No?
CLARKSON: No.
BRYANT: Great.
CLARKSON: I`m weird. I just think it`s cooler, like, I mean, even, like -- oh, I saw U2 at Madison Square Garden the other night...
BRYANT: Right.
CLARKSON: ... and hearing all those people, like, 20,000 people, singing every word (INAUDIBLE) that`s a cool feeling, as well. Like, I mean, I like the intimate feel, but when you got -- when you got that many people jumping up and down and loving what you`re doing, you`re -- you`re doing something right, so...
BRYANT: So do you remember when you were younger, like, summer tours, who you would go see, who you got that excited about seeing?
CLARKSON: Oh, yes. Yes, man, I saw Aerosmith a lot, Toadies, one of my favorite bands. Man, I went to Limp Bizkit (INAUDIBLE) I went to, like, everyone. Like, anybody that came into town, I would try and get tickets to, if I weren`t too broke at the time, so...
BRYANT: Right.
CLARKSON: Yes.
BRYANT: So then what do you do, though, to protect your voice because with yesterday, doing the Zootopia show...
CLARKSON: Yes.
BRYANT: ... turning right around in the morning -- I mean, what steps do you take to protect your investment there?
CLARKSON: I mean, it`s -- it`s really hard for me because I`m a perfectionist. I`m really hard on myself a lot. But I got to accept sometimes that, you know, you`re going to be a little more Steven Tyler, Janis Joplin sometimes than you want to be, you know?
BRYANT: Nothing wrong with a ratchety voice.
CLARKSON: Nothing wrong with a raspy voice, but it`s different from what people are used to hearing, you know, with me. So -- so sometimes it`s going to be a little raspy, and it`s cool. It kind of adds a little rock factor in. But you got to take care of the voice, so it`s hard sometimes. It`s more hard for me because I talk a lot, so -- it`s more the talking than the singing.
BRYANT: OK.
CLARKSON: So...
BRYANT: Well, certainly, a lot of singing going to happen tomorrow night on "American Idol." Obviously, you won. You`re very successful with that. What advice do you have for the final two competing? We`ve got Bo and Carrie...
CLARKSON: Wow, it`s the final two, and it`s tomorrow night?
BRYANT: It`s tomorrow night. And you know, I just want to sort of, if we can, go back in the -- in the Kelly time machine. Take us back...
CLARKSON: Wow.
BRYANT: ... to that day for you, where you performing for the last time.
CLARKSON: Right. Well, our show was very different. They had us run around, like, ragged. Like, we were tired. So our show was pretty different. Justin and I were just kind of, like, Wow, it would be cool if we could end this because I`m really tired. Like, we were exhausted. So I don`t know. Maybe they`re exhausted and maybe they`re just -- you know, it`s -- you got that antsy feeling. You want to get ready. You want to go (INAUDIBLE) record. You -- it`s like any artist wanting to make a record, you know? So you`re really -- you`re wanting to get out there and you`re wanting to get on tour and you`re wanting to do your own thing, so...
BRYANT: But so for that day, though, that actual couple minutes, couple hours...
CLARKSON: I think they`re thinking.
BRYANT: ... before the show, what -- yes, that`s what they`re -- you think they`re past that night already?
CLARKSON: They`re -- yes, I think they`re -- I mean, if they`re not, like, they should be. I mean, you -- the top two, I mean, that`s -- it doesn`t even matter. It`s just you got all that exposure. It doesn`t matter who wins. You get all that exposure. And you know, people dream of that exposure, even people that are already artists and in the industry, you know? So you know, take it and ride with it. And you know, if you`ve got enough drive and if you`re persistent enough, you can make a career out of it, so...
BRYANT: So now that you are on tour, what`s the one thing that you`ve got to either have with you on your bus or back stage to make you feel good?
CLARKSON: This is going to sound so stupid!
BRYANT: Go for it!
CLARKSON: I actually only ask for two things. It`s PB and J, peanut butter and jelly...
BRYANT: Sure.
CLARKSON: ... and wheat bread and water. That`s all.
BRYANT: That`s it?
CLARKSON: Yea, that`s -- I`m so simple because I`m weird, like, with eating certain things on -- on -- when I`m singing. So I`m comfortable with my PB and J, and that`s about it.
BRYANT: Nice. Kelly Clarkson, thanks for joining us here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And if you would like to catch Kelly in concert, tickets for her Hazel Eyes tour go on sale June 4.
HAMMER: Well, Kelly was just talking about singing at that Zootopia concert. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your backstage pass to the show, where we find out some of the biggest performers are actually fans themselves. That`s coming up, next.
Plus: Whose side is he really on? "Alias" star Ron Rifkin is here live, just in time for the hit show`s season finale. It`s another "SHOWBIZ Sitdown," straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Imagine a concert with so many big acts, you didn`t know where to turn first. Now imagine it really happened, and they called it Zootopia. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there at the Zootopia show last night, put on by New York City radio station Z-100. Couldn`t make it? Don`t worry, we`ve got you covered.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): It was a powerful night of pop music, featuring the biggest hit makers on the planet, like Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, and even the Backstreet Boys are back.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Simple Plan fired up the show with their hit song, "Addicted." The band also shared a little secret with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Now, fans, pay attention. They always arrive for gigs under cover.
PIERRE BOUVIER, SIMPLE PLAN: We have two buses. We have a decoy bus, a bus with our faces on it. People think we`re in it. We`re not in that one, we`re in the other one.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: The Black Eyed Peas kicked off their set with "Hey Mama."
FERGIE, BLACK EYED PEAS: Man, this is such a great show. They have so many great artists in one show, it`s amazing. We`re sitting there. The boys are distracted right now because J.Lo is on.
HAMMER: The band`s gearing up for their release of their new album, "Monkey Business," and will be opening up for the Rolling Stones when they go on tour in August.
FERGIE: We`re opening for the Rolling Stones!
(CROSSTALK)
FERGIE: Yes, my dad went to go have a beer with his pals when he found that one out.
HAMMER: Rob Thomas is still riding high with his new album, "Something to Be," which debuted at the number one spot on the album chart. But he told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he was just as excited to be a part of the audience as he was to perform.
ROB THOMAS, "SOMETHING TO BE": I think you find, like, the fan in a lot of people at these shows because there`s a lot just, like, kind of walking around by dressing rooms and going, you know, like, Is Gwen Stefani in her dressing room, you know? You`re just trying to kind of -- you know, trying to find that bond with other musicians that you love. So yes, I think it brings out the fan in all of the people that I see here, you know?
HAMMER: Singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw was back in New York City, where he got his start, but told us it`s a little different now that he`s made it.
GAVIN DEGRAW, "CHARIOT": It`s very rewarding. I had no anticipation of any level of success. I mean, at the time I was playing New York, I was, like, basically just playing for dinner. So now that I`m able to actually buy my own dinner, it feels good.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It was quite a show, with all that star power. Frankie J, Akon and Bowling for Soup also performed last night.
BRYANT: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, except when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT comes to visit. We will take you on the set for the big finale of "Las Vegas."
HAMMER: And Warren Beatty has got an earful for "the governator." We`re going to tell you what the actor had to say and whether he wants Arnold`s job. That`s coming up, as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(NEWS BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, we`ve got your TV season finale pass. First ALIAS bad guy turned good turned bad? Ron Rifkin live.
BRYANT: And then we turn two other hot dramas. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there on the sets of "Las Vegas" and "CSI: Miami."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOLLY SIMMS: I`m Molly Simms. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Karyn Bryant.
HAMMER: I`m AJ Hammer. Here are tonight`s hot headlines.
Australia song bird Kylie Minoque is recovering from a successful surgery to remove a cancerous lump in her breast. Minoque called off a tour of her home continent and Asia after her diagnosis.
BRYANT: "Star Wars" breaks records. "Revenge of the Sith" had the biggest opening day ever. As of this afternoon the film has grossed $158.5 million.
Well, are they for real? Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes seem to be smitten with each other, but they also have huge summer blockbuster hopefuls due out. Cruise also appeared on - he appeared on Oprah today, jumping all over her furniture with sheer happiness and he brought Holmes out for a curtain call.
BRYANT: We`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Is their romance a publicity stunt? You can keep voting at cnn.com/showbiztonight and you can send your e-mails our way at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll share some of what you had to say at 54 past the hour.
HAMMER: Actor versus actor. Warren Beatty is firing off at California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The outspoken Democrat railed against Republican Schwarzenegger at a commencement speech at UC Berkeley over the weekend. Beatty says his fellow actor should raise taxes for the rich and ditch plans for a special election and that was the nice part.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WARREN BEATTY, ACTOR: The government is not a joke and despite what he said, it`s not a movie, but he`s going to have to listen. He`s not stupid. He knows I am a private citizen, just as he was a year ago. I`m an opponent of his muscle bound conservatism with a longer experience in politics than he has and although I don`t want to run for governor, I would do one hell of a lot better job than he`s done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Schwarzenegger`s press secretary spouted back, saying that Beatty is just upset his Social Security will probably get the ax.
BRYANT: You can put away the remote because right now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got your season finale path to see these hottest shows. From "CSI" to "Las Vegas", we`ve got the action, the drama. We`re going to begin with one of the biggest hits this season, "Desperate Housewives". Now the big secret is out and so are the sky-high numbers from last night`s finale. Today we learned than more than 30 million of you tuned in for the wrap up on Wisteria Lane and it was full of shocking moments, including this one when Bree found out her husband is dead.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bree, it`s Dr. Craig I`m at the hospital and I`m afraid I have some bad news.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rex passed away about 10 minutes ago.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: From the grave, narrator Mary Alice dropped a big bomb last night revealing that she killed Deirdre. The show promised to solve the murder mystery before the season wrapped and as for the rest of the cliffhangers, fans will just have to wait desperately for next season.
HAMMER: Now we move on to the season finale of "CSI: Miami". SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has all those behind the scenes details you`ve been waiting for because we were on the set of the hit CBS show the day that they filmed the last episode of the season. That`s the one that you`ll be seeing tonight. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas joins us now from Hollywood to fill us in on everything she found out. Let us know, Sibila. What happened?
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, AJ. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got an inside look at what`s in store for viewers tonight on the season finale of the CBS hit show. We were dodging bullets on the set and series star David Caruso was dodging a few questions about the final show of the season.
The season finale of "CSI: Miami" airs tonight with a big bang and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there on the set for all the action.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CARUSO, PLAYS HORATIO CAINE: I have to say the twist and the turns of this hour are extremely inventive and I think just when you think -- specifically here we set something up that is going to fool you completely and I think the end, everybody is fooled.
VARGAS (voice-over): The show has been laying the groundwork for tonight`s finale for the past three seasons. Dean Winters, who plays Raymond Caine promised SHOWBIZ TONIGHT there would be some dramatic revelations.
DEAN WINTERS, PLAYS RAYMOND CAINE: Everyone thought that I was dead and I`ve come back and it`s basically like reuniting with Horatio, David`s character and my son who`s become very attached to Horatio. So, it`s an emotional thing.
VARGAS: Horatio Caine and his brother Ray team up to save a 12- year-old boy.
CARUSO: We a have a whole other complication that involves his son. So what`s neat is, we have these great scenes which are kind of non-scenes where we can`t really talk about what`s going on because we have to attend to this high-stake situation.
VARGAS: We grilled David Caruso point blank for more details, but he wasn`t giving any.
CARUSO: I would say that there is an unresolved complication at the end of the show.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: We asked Dean Winters if he would be back next season in his role as Raymond Caine and all I can report is that he didn`t say no. My guess is we`ll see him again. AJ?
HAMMER: All right. Sibila Vargas live in Hollywood, thank you very much for that report. You can catch of course what actually happens when it all unfolds on the "CSI: Miami" finale tonight on CBS.
BRYANT: And another season finale tonight. NBC`s casino drama "Las Vegas" goes out with a bang, literally. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got a very special star-studded tour of the set as the cast shot the last episode of the season.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s John Elway.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to get an autograph. (INAUDIBLE). Excuse me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I forgot to bring my football.
(CROSSTALK)
JOSH DUHAMEL, PLAYS DANNY MCCOY: Welcome, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You`re on the set of "Las Vegas", what was formerly the casino floor of "Las Vegas". A lot of stuff is going on in this finale is just a lot of questions up in the air. Like who`s coming back. Somebody very close to me dies. The casino is being blown up to rebuild. Pretty much every main character is leaving and we don`t know who`s coming back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was thinking about making a few changes to the casino.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What kind of changes?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A complete facelift.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: CNN is a news channel. You have to be able to communicate. What in the hell are they doing with you?
DUHAMEL: It`s like a roast on the set of this show every day. Just hope that you`re not being the one roasted.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I hear that you and Bon Jovi are real practical jokers.
DUHAMEL: You can`t believe everything you hear.
VANESSA MARCIL, PLAYS SAM MARQUEZ: Hi, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Vanessa Marcil. We`re on the set of "Las Vegas". I`m sorry I`m in a robe, but I have a quite hookerish dress on. This is going to be our last scene. And everybody is in it, all the girls, all the hot girls are in the scene, and hot Josh Duhamel is in this scene, and bad-ass Jimmy Caan is in this scene. And Jon Bon Jovi is up there on that monitor. He`s in this season finale. John Elway is in this season finale. This is our last day, last day on set, and maybe my last day forever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, John.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My character has turned into a Jon Bon Jovi groovy -- groupie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A groovy groupie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A groovy groupie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The last day of school for us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Last day of school, we turned in our books. We erased all the marks.
Looking good here. This is nice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yeah, everything good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is where we work.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s very clean. You know, there`s no trash bins in the middle of the set.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s glamorous.
See you later.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bye.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m going, I`m going. All right?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRYANT: Gladys Knight joins Jon bon Jovi, John Elway and Dean Cain in the season finale that airs tonight on NBC.
HAMMER: Your TV season finale pass continues. It`s spy versus spy us versus spy. "Alias`" Arvin Sloane, Ron Rifkin joins us live.
BRYANT: And we are spying on Faith Hill`s new music video, a firm look at it in tonight`s "showbiz showcase."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VANESSA MARCIL, "Las Vegas": I watch the "Daily Show," Jon Stewart. I watch Oprah, but my favorite show of all time right now is "Entourage."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, tonight, we`ve been giving you an inside look at this week`s TV season finales and in another showbiz sit down tonight, ALIAS star Ron Rifkin joins us. You know him of course as Arvin Sloane, the head of an ultra-secret section of the CIA. He plays both the boss and the nemesis of Jennifer Garner`s character Sydney Bristow. Ron Rifkin joins us live here on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT set in New York City. We appreciate you dressing up for us.
RON RIFKIN, ACTOR: I know.
HAMMER: You did know you were coming to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and not the Nancy Grace program?
RIFKIN: No, no, I knew exactly what I was doing. That`s why I put my tuxedo on.
HAMMER: Because people sometimes are little more formal for them. You are now officially the most dressed up guest we have ever had on this program.
RIFKIN: Even my socks?
HAMMER: The socks are fantastic. They match the set.
RIFKIN: Actually, I knew I was going to be very nervous, so I thought if I wore both. Do you know I tied this myself?
HAMMER: See, I can`t do that.
RIFKIN: You want to watch me do it without any.
HAMMER: Can you do it while we talk?
RIFKIN: Yes.
HAMMER: Go ahead. Of course, the season finale of ALIAS is happening on Wednesday night. You`re going to give me a nugget.
RIFKIN: You want me to tell you what happens?
HAMMER: Arvin started out good, then bad. Just last week it appears, so it would appear that he`s back on the dark side.
RIFKIN: How am I doing by the way?
HAMMER: It`s perfect.
RIFKIN: No, it`s not ready yet. It`s not finished yet but go on.
HAMMER: OK.
RIFKIN: How`s that? Is it okay?
HAMMER: It`s working out.
RIFKIN: I`ll finish it off later, but, you see, I can do it.
HAMMER: Arvin Sloane, is he a good guy or a bad guy? What do you think?
RIFKIN: Do you think I`m good or bad?
HAMMER: I think you`re good.
RIFKIN: Not Ron Rifkin, Arvin Sloane.
HAMMER: It`s been very deceptive.
RIFKIN: The first two years they thought that I was Jennifer Garner`s father. Then we found out that I had an affair with Lena Olin, I mean the character she plays, and I have this new child. So, does that mean I`m good or bad?
HAMMER: I`m not sure. But last week things would make it seem as though you were back on that dark side.
RIFKIN: Well, that`s what happens when you get around (INAUDILBE).
HAMMER: So what you`re supposed to tell me now is a little nugget of information that`s going to happen on the season finale. You`re going to tell me something. Well, we gave you free cheese back stage.
RIFKIN: All I can tell you is this, there`s water again. There`s water again.
HAMMER: Interesting.
RIFKIN: So if anybody out there knows what I`m talking about, there`s water again. That`s all I can tell you, a lot of water.
HAMMER: The quote to take with you, there`s water again. I know you`re working off Broadway. The show is about to start. You probably don`t have a lot of time to watch television on your own. But are you still caught up in any TV programs? Is there a season finale you`re waiting on?
RIFKIN: No. Truthfully, no, no. I don`t have TiVo.
HAMMER: Maybe it`s time.
RIFKIN: You`re absolutely right. Time is running out for me anyway. I`m the oldest guy on the show. We have to do something about it.
HAMMER: You had an envious career any working actor would love to have. You look at your resume.
RIFKIN: I stopped acting from `84 to `90.
HAMMER: But if you look back at the shows that you`ve been a part of, it`s amazing. I mean modern classics like "ER" and having been on "Law & Order." May I run down a few of the shows you did back in the day that. You were on "Mary Tyler Moore," "Knots Landing," "Hill Street Blues," "Kojak," "Rockford Files," "Bob Newhart," "Gidget," and that`s just to name a few.
RIFKIN: "Gidget" was my first job.
HAMMER: That was the first thing, back in the early `60s.
RIFKIN: I had just gotten married. I got married in 1966 and that`s when I did it, my first job, Sally Field.
HAMMER: Is there anybody from that era, from all those classic shows that I mentioned, who made an impression on you or something that happened back then that has stuck with you to this day?
RIFKIN: I`m sure there are. I can`t think of it now, but one gets the sense. When I started acting I was a member of the Actors Studio, and I had such a drive and a passion to create something that would move people. I think when I was doing television, the kind of parts I was playing really didn`t allow me to go to that place, so it was very frustrating for me. I think being an actor requires a particular kind of personality. Also, the way you look sort of ties you to the characters you play. Because I didn`t fit into any prescribed, you know, idea of -- I wasn`t particularly handsome, but I wasn`t funny looking. I was sort of in the middle.
HAMMER: Not a certain type.
RIFKIN: Yeah. So it was very difficult for me and I did not answer your question because I forgot what it was.
HAMMER: That`s all right. We`ll just move on because I want to talk about the show that you`re doing because this...
RIFKIIN: "The Paris Letter."
HAMMER: "The Paris Letter." This does represent.
RIFKIN: By Jon Robin Baitz.
HAMMER: One of the great playwrights of all time.
RIFKIN: At the Laura Pels theater. It opens June 9th.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: But you were -- people may not know, they see you on television. You`re a Tony-award winning actor and the role that you play here.
RIFKIN: I`m a Tony award winner, and a Drama Desk and a Lucille Lortel and an OBIE.
HAMMER: You got them all. He doesn`t have TiVo, but he has all these awards.
RIFKIN: What are we going to do?
HAMMER: This complicated character that you play. A guy who has been struggling his whole life with an identity crisis. Do you draw upon anything from when you left acting. Do you draw upon experiences like that to envelop a character like this?
RIFKIN: That`s a really good question. I think that we draw on everything, all of our experience. All of us have felt frustrations. All of us have had times in our lives when we did things that we were ashamed of. All of us carry the burden of the past. All of us have secrets. Most of us are able to deal with life with grace and dignity and when we don`t, it worries us and we try to work it out. Here is a man who, because he was born at a particular time, had to hide who he really was and pays the consequences for it. And it`s -- you know, it deals with the kind of life dilemma, human dilemma that we love to watch on stage. It`s like when O`Neill was writing, and Robbie Baitz writes like those guys like Arthur Miller and Eugene O`Neill.
HAMMER: It`s quite a powerful piece of work and we appreciate you stopping by all dressed up here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Ron Rifkin. Nice to see you. And of course, "The Paris Letter" as mentioned earlier in preview now, it will open up at the Laura Pels Theater in New York City on Sunday, June 12th.
BRYANT: We are not done with season finales yet. Lindsay Lohan hosted the final "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. As we do every night, we bring you the late night laughs you may have missed and we call it laughter dark. Now the "SNL" monologue was definitely dark comedy. Lindsay Lohan`s future self paid a visit and gave her some much-needed advice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve come back from the future to tell you got to cool it with the partying, because I`m totally beat.
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: Well, wait a second. You`re me in the future?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did I stutter, bitch?
LOHAN: So what else happens? What movies do I make in the future?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, let me see. We did "Herbie Fully Loaded." Then we did "Mean Girls II." That was a suck bomb. Then we did "National Lampoon`s Jamaican Vacation," and then we did like eight Lifetime movies, and now we host a Cinemax show called "Night Passions."
LOHAN: Wait a minute. That sounds a little shady. Are we doing porn?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, we`re introducing porn. It`s totally different.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: This Saturday on "SNL," you can catch the best of Alec Baldwin.
It`s no secret that Jay Leno has been asked to testify in the Michael Jackson trial this week. The latest word is that it could happen tomorrow. On "The Tonight Show," Jay revealed how he has struggled to pick an outfit for his day on the stand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAY LENO, HOST, TONIGHT SHOW: I`ve been meeting with wardrobe people and kind of go over things. Do you have the security cameras from the dressing room today. Here`s what we picked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRYANT: Of course SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be there to greet Jay. And tonight on his show, Jay welcomes "Cinderella Man" director Ron Howard.
HAMMER: If you`ve got to have faith, up next you will. A sneak peek at Faith Hill`s latest music video. That`s in our "showbiz showcase."
BRYANT: And there`s still time for you to sound off on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Is their romance a publicity stunt? You can vote at cnn.com/showbiztonight or e- mail us what`s on its mind at showbiztonigh@cnn.com. We`ll read from your e-mails live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRYANT: In tonight`s showbiz showcase, Faith Hill`s latest single "Mississippi Girl" hit the charts with career highs for the singer. Hill`s autobiographical song says fame and fortune hasn`t changed this good country girl one bit. Her single makes its video debut this week and here`s a look.
You can catch the debut of "Mississippi Girl" Thursday on Country Music Television.
HAMMER: Well, throughout the show tonight, we`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, is their romance just a publicity stunt? Here`s how the voting is going so far, 69 percent of you think it is. They say, yes, the romance a publicity stunt, 31 percent of you say no, it isn`t. And we got some e-mails on the question as well, like one from Mike in California who wrote, "of course it`s a publicity stunt. Who wouldn`t want to see such a cute couple together?
And we heard from Matt in Springfield, Mass. who adds, it`s not publicity stunt. No one cares that much about the stars` love lives. And remember, you can continue to vote by going to cnn.com/showbiz tonight.
BRYANT: It`s time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: He`s back for a Monday. Let`s take a look at the showbiz marquee with the marquee guy.
ANNOUNCER: It`s a little bit real and a little bit make believe. First, the real Amber Frey. She`ll tell us about her tell all on the Scott Peterson case and then the actress that plays her on TV, the "West Wing`s" Janel Moloney on her Amber Frey movie. Got it all? Good, live tomorrow.
Then it`s Trump unauthorized. This guy is playing him on TV. Looks like he`s got the look down, hair cut and all. We`ll ask him. What`s it like to be the Donald? Tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is the marquee guy and, guess what? Breaking news. I`m really not an announcer. I just play one on TV.
HAMMER: I think he`s making that up.
BRYANT: Yeah. So, how great is Ron Rifkin.
HAMMER: Love Ron Rifkin.
BRYANT: He should just riff some more. Like, can we have him back to riff some more?
HAMMER: We`re going to have the Ron Rifkin (INAUDIBLE) coming soon to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and that`s a wrap for tonight. I`m AJ Hammer.
BRYANT: I`m Karyn Bryant. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN HEADLINE NEWS.
END
