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Showbiz Tonight
Showbiz Tonight for July 20, 2005, CNNHN
Aired July 20, 2005 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And I`m Brooke Anderson. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the supreme showdown. As President Bush makes his choice for the nation`s highest court, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals how Internet bloggers could make or break his choice. Plus, the outrage today on talk radio and how his nominee could impact what you watch on TV.
HAMMER (voice-over): Also, so long, Scott. He was the enterprising engineer, and now he is gone. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the "Star Trek" stars` special goodbye to James Doohan, live.
ANDERSON: Plus, the secrets of stuntwomen. Why do these lovely ladies take the fall for Hollywood`s biggest stars, over and over again? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to bring you the answer in our special series, "Silver Screen Secrets."
ERIC ROBERTS, ACTOR: Hi, I`m Eric Roberts. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson. Karyn Bryant is taking a well deserved vacation.
And tonight the man all America is talking about, and it`s not Brad Pitt. It`s not Colin Farrell. It`s not Jude Law.
HAMMER: No. And his name is John Roberts, nominated, of course, by President Bush to the Supreme Court. Well, tonight the battle lines are being drawn online and on the blogs as both sides duke it out on the dot coms.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer is here to fill us in.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke and A.J., lobbying groups and activist organizations are now in full throttle warfare since the president`s speech last night, some for, some against his nomination. Regardless what side of the political fence they`re on, one thing does unite them: technology.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): America tuned in last night in prime time to hear President Bush`s historic announcement, who he chose to fill Sandra Day O`Connor`s shoes on the Supreme Court, Judge John Roberts.
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Tonight, I`m honored to announce that...
HAFFENREFFER: But perhaps more important than what was being said on the tube is what was being said here, on the Internet. It`s been 11 years since the last Supreme Court justice was nominated. And my, how things have changed.
TOM MATZZIE, MOVEON.ORG: You have to usually wait days or week to organize people through postal mail, but today there`s tens of millions of people on the Internet. And now we have a whole new form of Internet advocacy and Internet organizing.
HAFFENREFFER: Some say Bush`s nomination of John Roberts has instantly sparked the most partisan debate over a nominee since Clarence Thomas. It seems the No. 1 weapon activists are using to wage war and mobilize the troops are e-mails. And MoveOn.org is just one of hundreds of organizations using this technology as instant advocacy.
MATZZIE: Overnight we e-mailed our most active members and asked them to organize petition drives in their community. Later today and tonight, we`re now e-mailing our members and asking them to participate in local petition drives. So literally in eight hours, we were able to organize hundreds of local petition drives using the Internet.
HAFFENREFFER: "USA Today" report reports that the American Center for Law and Justice sent over 900,000 e-mails over night in support of the nomination. And it`s not just e-mails. Organizations are also tapping into cell phones. People for the American Way is focusing on cell phones to mobilize members.
KRISTI HEIM, "SEATTLE TIMES": For example, all the people in the West Coast might be sent a message at a certain time to call their senator to either complain or to express support for that person. And so in that geography, those senators or that one senator will get a powerful message all at once from potentially millions of people through a cell phone.
HAFFENREFFER: And perhaps the most powerful of all technology techniques is blogs. Think of them as a soap box for the average Joe, an online diary where anyone can speak up. It may seem simple, but it`s powerful.
HEIM: It has the power of network effect, so that people can link to each other and amplify the message. Already we see, like a SCOTUS blog and the blog for the nomination process. Full legal opinions and also commentary from liberals and conservatives linked to that blog.
HAFFENREFFER: As for the future of technology and politics, some think it will be evolve even more because of the John Roberts nomination.
MATZZIE: Over the next couple of weeks and months, we`re going to definitely see some firsts in Internet organizing, probably before the nomination hearings and during the hearings. We`re going to be seeing new uses of technology and new ways to organize people because of the Internet.
SMS technology, blogging, these were things that weren`t even a big deal two years ago, and now they`re huge parts of how people use technology on the Internet.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: And President Bush hopes to have Roberts confirmed by October. Until then intense lobbying will continue on Capitol Hill and, of course, the World Wide Web -- Brooke.
ANDERSON: Thank you, David. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer.
Now that we`ve seen how the Web has blown wide open, stay tuned to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`ll take an in-depth look at how the people have responded on talk radio and how the president`s nominee could impact what you watch on TV.
But before you do that we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts Jr.: will the media given him a fair shake? Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight and send us e-mail at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of you thoughts later on in the show.
HAMMER: Well, it`s a line from television history that really has become a classic expression: "Beam me up, Scott."
Scott, of course, was chief engineer Montgomery Scott, played by James Doohan in the original "Star Trek" series and films. Well, today came the sad news that James Doohan died at his home in Redmond, Washington, of Alzheimer`s Disease and pneumonia. He was 85 years old.
Joining us live tonight from Hollywood, two of his co-stars from the original series: Walter Koenig, who played Chekhov, and George Takei, who played Sulu. Thanks for being with us tonight, gentlemen.
GEORGE TAKEI, ACTOR: Well, it`s...
WALTER KOENIG, ACTOR: Unfortunate circumstances, but it`s an opportunity to stand up for Jimmy. That`s why I`m here.
HAMMER: All right. And we`ll do that in just a moment, but first, we want to take a look back at the man who will forever be affectionately remembered as Scott.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): At his last public appearance last year, James Doohan did not speak. Alzheimer`s Disease, on the heels of Parkinson`s, diabetes and other illnesses, had taken their toll. But as he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, several of Doohan`s "Star Trek" crew mates were more than happy to talk about their pal.
KOENIG: The effect that he has had on people all over the world.
NICHELLE NICHOLS, ACTRESS: He`s been a wonderful friend, a beautiful person.
TAKEI: We thank you for your luminous talent. We thank you for the gift that you`ve given us of that unforgettable character.
JAMES DOOHAN, ACTOR: ... the engine a bit. Full power on force fields. Deflect the power down 70 percent!
HAMMER: Doohan will forever be known as Scott, the Enterprise`s ever resourceful chief engineer. His character`s influence traveled far beyond the crew`s original five-year mission. Doohan once received an honorary degree from an engineering school, where half of the students polled said Scott had inspired them to enter the field.
DOOHAN: I can`t change the laws of physics! I`ve got to have 30 minutes.
Scott is 99 percent James Doohan and one percent accent.
HAMMER: The accent was acting. Doohan was born in Canada and lost a finger on D-Day, serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery.
Adept with accents, he tried several at his "Star Trek" tryout before settling on a Scottish brogue. He kept it through the shows TV run and seven movies, emerging with, perhaps, the show`s best known catch phrase...
DOOHAN: Beam me up, Scott.
HAMMER: James Doohan, born to be among the stars.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And now who better to talk about James Doohan than the men he flew with on the Enterprise? Joining us live from Hollywood, George Takei, who of course once again played Sulu on the original series, and live in Hollywood, as well, Walter Koenig, who played Chekhov.
Walter, what was James like on the set during a normal day of work?
KOENIG: Well, to begin with, of course, he was a professional. He was very diligent about his work, very conscientious, always came prepared. He was a charming man.
As you just ran that clip, he was -- the character was 99 percent Jimmy Doohan and 1 percent accent. What you saw is what you got. He was a very sparkling, mercurial personality, quick to embrace you, as well as to criticize if I felt that something wasn`t right.
He was a man that the fans absolutely adored. They adored him without restriction. He was, I think, perhaps, the most popular of all the characters on "Star Trek."
HAMMER: And George, I notice you were chuckling to yourself a little bit while we were playing that clip and James was talking about the accent he used to Scott. Did he turn that on and off during the show? When you guys were filming?
TAKEI: Of course. He spoke normal American English. But that`s the picture of him that I want to remember. He was a guy who embraced the joy of life, and he loved people. He loved eating; he loved drinking, as you can see from his physique.
He was a guy who embraced everything, as well as, as Walter said, he`s a guy who was very forthright. He wore his emotion very close to the surface. And if he was unhappy, you knew about it. And he would be explosive, but he moved on after that.
HAMMER: And another thing that he embraced was his character of Scott. Originally, he was a little concerned about being typecast. But then he learned to love it. Walter, tell me about James` feelings for the character of Scott.
KOENIG: Well, it was a match made in heaven. It was an opportunity to really give of himself to that role. It was a very honest portrayal, because it came from him. It came from his heart and from his emotions and from his mind.
And in fact, he did come to accept and thoroughly enjoy the accolades, the reinforcement that he received from the fans. He was very content, I think, playing that character on the screen and in personal appearances, as well.
HAMMER: And of course, the expression, "Beam me up, Scott," certainly has become a part of the American lexicon. George, back then did you guys view it as a catch phrase when you guys were filming the show and the movies? Or did that just develop later on?
TAKEI: Oh, no, it was already pretty much a part of the lexicon. Although, in fact, that phrase was never used. And so we always thought it was kind of strange that that would be so associated with Jimmy. But Jimmy reveled in it. He accepted it.
Initially, he was a little bit apprehensive about being stereotyped in that. Once he got over that, he used to pass out little refrigerator magnets that said, "Beam me up, Scotty," and he was passing it out like business cards to everybody.
HAMMER: And people will be saying it for years to come. George Takei, Walter Koenig, thank you for sharing some memories tonight. Appreciate it.
Well, another crew member is paying tribute to James Doohan this evening. William Shatner, who played Captain Kirk, of course, released a statement today which says, quote, "A long and storied career is over. I knew Jim when he started out in Canada, and I knew him in his last years in America, so we go way back. My condolences go out to his family."
ANDERSON: He will be missed.
All right. Brad Pitt`s first appearance since being hospitalized, it happened today and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there. Plus, the first picture of Angelina Jolie`s new baby. We`ve got it next.
HAMMER: Also, doubles who keep stars out of trouble. They jump out of buildings. They light themselves on fire. Pretty much all in a day`s work. Tonight the secrets of stunt women. Our "Silver Screen Secrets" series continues.
ANDERSON: And the supreme showdown on the airwaves. The battle for the Supreme Court heads to the radio, and things are rally heating up. The nation`s top talk show hosts tell us what their listeners are saying, live right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Now for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which "Charlie`s Angel`s" star played Terry O`Quinn`s wife in the 1987 thriller, "The Stepfather"? Was it Farrah Fawcett, Shelley Hack, Kate Jackson or Tanya Roberts? We`ll be right back with that answer. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: So again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which "Charlie`s Angel`s" star played Terry O`Quinn`s wife in the 1987 thriller, "The Stepfather"? Farrah Fawcett, Shelley Hack, Kate Jackson or Tanya Roberts? Well, the answer is B, Shelley Hack. She played Kate Jackson`s replacement, Tiffany Wells, from 1979 until 1980.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Tonight, Brad`s back. Brad Pitt today made his very first public appearance since being hospitalized. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the first place to bring you those pictures.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas live in Hollywood now with that story -- Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thanks, A.J.
Now if you remember, just last Tuesday, Brad Pitt checked himself into Cedar Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, complaining of what felt like the flu, but after a battery of tests it turned out to be something more serious: viral meningitis.
Pitt had been in Ethiopia with his "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" co-star, Angelina Jolie, who was there to pick up the actress`s newly adopted baby girl, Zahara Marley Jolie.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there this afternoon as Pitt showed up at the annual installation luncheon for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which runs the Golden Globe Awards.
At the luncheon, donations were presented to Hollywood nonprofit organizations and film schools. Brad snuck past the press, opting to come through the back entrance. Pitt did take the podium to accept a $250,000 check, which he accepted on behalf of the Film Foundation, which restores old movies. However, he did not stay for the luncheon.
And while the golden-locked actor did appear healthy, he`s reportedly still not feeling 100 percent -- A.J.
HAMMER: OK. Sibila Vargas in Hollywood, thank you very much.
And now we have your first look at that baby Angelina adopted. The new "People" magazine has the very first picture of 6-month-old Zahara Marley Jolie. And new details of the frightening and potentially fatal bacterial infection that the baby battled.
Just after Jolie returned from Ethiopia with the adopted orphan earlier this month, the baby was admitted to a New York hospital. Well, "People" has learned Jolie was also sick but did stay by the baby`s side for a week around the clock.
"People" has more on the story in its brand new issue that comes out on Friday.
ANDERSON: Now more of our coverage of President Bush`s nominee to the Supreme Court, John Roberts. It was the buzz of talk radio around the country today, so what are people saying? That`s the topic of tonight`s "SHOWBIZ In-Depth." And joining me live are some of America`s top talkers.
From Detroit, WDTW talk radio host Nancy Skinner; from Washington, D.C., WMAL radio host Michael Graham; and from Los Angeles, KABC radio host Al Rantel. Welcome to all of you.
All right. Now a lot of hot topics surrounding this choice. But I want to kick it off with the fact Roberts would be replacing a woman, therefore leaving only one woman on the Supreme Court.
Nancy, I`ll begin with our one woman on the panel, are your listeners concerned about this? What are they saying?
NANCY SKINNER, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Yes, of course they are. And the one thing was they were fed this line that maybe it will be a woman, that Laura Bush sort of put that out there, that she wanted a woman. "The New York Times" today reported, well, that was part of the strategy to placate people.
As if they can take away our reproductive rights with this justice and somewhere down the line, we`ll say, "But Laura Bush really wanted a woman, so I feel better about that choice."
Of course, they`re upset about it. Seventy-eight percent of Americans in the "USA Today" said they wanted a woman to relation Sandra day O`Connor. And they got a white male.
ANDERSON: Al, I see you shaking your head. How do you respond to this?
AL RANTEL, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Well, I don`t know. How do you respond to that? I think we should all want, and I think our listeners have said we want the best person for the court. And if it happens to be a white male, if it happens to be a woman. You know, the idea that we should pick someone because of their plumbing or their gender preferences really is an outrageous proposition. I`m surprised to hear Nancy go there.
SKINNER: Plumbing?
RANTEL: What do you want to call it, Nancy?
ANDERSON: All right, Michael, jump in there. What do you say? What are your listeners saying?
MICHAEL GRAHAM, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: My listeners are thrilled that it have to be a woman or a minority. It`s great that gender and sex and race didn`t matter. What a refreshing change. PC took it right in the face today.
Our concern about Judge Roberts from WMAL listeners is that is he really a conservative? That`s what we want to find out.
ANDERSON: Well, that`s an interesting point you bring up, because many are saying President Bush could be swaying the Supreme Court to a more conservative majority. Michael, balance of power, what`s the consensus with your listeners?
GRAHAM: The balance of power? What are you talking about? The judge -- the president was elected. He`s supposed to name judges. My poll up on the Web page, two-thirds of my listeners think that he`s not conservative enough. So that`s where my listeners come from. If it was up to me, I wouldn`t have appointed anybody. I`d give Judge Scalia two votes.
ANDERSON: Nancy, Nancy, raising your eyebrow, shaking your head. What`s going on?
SKINNER: Not conservative enough? He wants to overturn Roe v. Wade, put prayer back in schools. And you know, he`s for the flag burn -- protecting the flag. What more do you want? How much more conservative could this guy get? Look, we were promised a mainstream candidate, a consensus candidate, and really, John Roberts is anything but.
Now the most troubling aspect of him is will he abide by the law? And I think my listeners, the one thing that came out is they were really upset to learn in the "Washington Post" today that he was working with Governor Jeb Bush down in Florida during the 2000 elections to see how, if the Supreme Court went and forced the recount, how the state legislature could go out and overturn or declare President Bush victorious. That is not accepting the rule of law, as described by the court. That`s very troubling to people.
ANDERSON: Al, jump in there.
RANTEL: Well, I mean, my listeners are saying they wish that Nancy`s worst nightmares were true.
GRAHAM: Right.
RANTEL: I mean, she`s sitting here worried about all of these things. You know, we`ve had -- we`ve seen justices appointed to the Supreme Court before that people like Nancy were drinking the Kool-Aid, you know, going crazy the world was going to end. And it never happened. In fact, a couple of them turned out to be Nancy`s friend. They turned out to be liberals. So I don`t know what they`re all excited about.
Our listeners agree with Washington listeners. He needed to be more conservative.
ANDERSON: Very quickly, I want to jump in. Nancy mentioned Roe v. Wade. All right, this is a hot issue. People are discussing this. Michael, what are your listeners saying?
GRAHAM: Well, they`re saying that they want to know what his position is, and they hope that he wants to return, go back to the Constitution and dump this horrible ruling of Roe v. Wade. It never made any sense.
ANDERSON: Many -- some say that he`s wavered in his position -- Nancy.
SKINNER: Well, he hasn`t wavered in this, and we don`t know exactly what he`s going to do, because he was an advocate in the Bush administration when he said that.
But his wife is associated with an antiabortion group. And Operation Rescue has given him this glowing endorsement. He weighed in on another case when he didn`t need to for Operation Rescue. So all indicators are this man will get in and he will vote to overturn Roe v. Wade.
(CROSSTALK)
GRAHAM: He weighed in -- he weighed in for freedom of speech. I thought that`s something that liberals believed in. He weighed in for the right to protest. I thought that`s what you believed in. Please.
RANTEL: Yes, and that`s the best scare tactic they can use, you know, Roe v. Wade overturned, which is very unlikely. If it were the only thing that would happen...
SKINNER: Why? Why is it unlikely?
RANTEL: It`s very unlikely, but the only thing that would happen is states would make their own laws, Nancy. And abortion will be legal everywhere, just like it is now.
ANDERSON: Obviously -- obviously, a lot...
RANTEL: So I don`t know. You want to scare the death out of people for no reason.
ANDERSON: ... of different opinions on this choice. But I want to thank you all for being here. Nancy Skinner from WTW in Detroit; Michael graham, WMAL in D.C.; Al Rantel, KABC in L.A. It was fun. Thank you, guys.
HAMMER: And we`ve got more on the supreme showdown coming up. How the battle for the Supreme Court could actually change how you are entertained.
ANDERSON: Plus, new details in the Colin Farrell and Jude Law sex scandals. Jude`s ex-wife speaks out. And will Colin prevent his sex tape from getting on the Internet?
HAMMER: And, actor Michael Clarke Duncan just won big. What`s he going to do next? No, he`s not heading to Disneyworld. But he is taking a thrilling trip. He`ll tell us about it live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And tonight, new developments in shocking celebrity sex scandals surrounding two of Hollywood`s leading men, Colin Farrell and Jude Law.
First, Farrell. A judge has just issued a restraining order, barring the sale of a videotape showing him having sex with former girlfriend Nicole Narain. A California judge has said Narain cannot sell, distribute or display the tape. Farrell is suing her to make sure the video never gets out. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contacted Narain and got a "no comment."
ANDERSON: More new celebrity sex scandal information. Tonight, Jude Law`s ex-wife is speaking out for the first time about his affair with their children`s nanny. Law publicly confessed to the world he cheated on his fiance, Sienna Miller. Now ex-wife Sadie Frost tells "People" magazine she was surprised, saying, "It`s all very sad, really, if it`s true." Frost told "People," quote, "I`m just trying to stay out of it and protect my children the best I can."
"People" has more in the new issue, hitting newsstands this Friday.
HAMMER: Well, "The Green mile`s Michael Clarke Duncan is hanging out in our green room right now. But he is heading to an exotic island. It`s no vacation paradise. What`s the story there? Michael Clarke Duncan with the answer when he sits down with us live right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up.
ANDERSON: Also they might jump an open draw bridge or Tarzan from a vine. They`re the unknown stunt women that make Uma, Halle and more make look so fine. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals the secrets of stunt women in our "Silver Screen Secrets" series.
HAMMER: Thank you for that poster (ph), Brooke.
Plus, could your First Amendment rights be at risk? What this Supreme Court showdown could mean for freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both on and offline. We`ll talk about it coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOPHIA CHOI, CNN HEADLINE NEWS ANCHOR: Hello, I`m Sophia Choi. Here is your "Headline Prime Newsbreak."
Well, we are awaiting word from the space agency at this hour. NASA may announce tonight when it will attempt to get the Space Shuttle Discovery off the ground. The earliest that can happen is Tuesday. The launch has been delayed because of a faulty fuel gauge.
Supporters and critics are preparing for the battle of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Abortion rights groups are calling on senators to examine Roberts` views on the subject. And a group with ties to the White House is unveiling TV ads to rally support for him. The White House says President Bush doesn`t have a litmus test for his court nominee.
Also, the Justice Department is now hosting a National Sex Offender Public Registry. The Web site allows parents and everyone else to search for sex offenders. The address is www.nsopr.gov. There are more than 500,000 registered sex offenders in the nation.
That`s the news for now. I`m Sophia Choi. Now back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the supreme showdown for nominee John Roberts, the president`s pick for Supreme Court, and how it can affect how you are entertained.
ANDERSON: And how`d she do that? The silver screen secrets of Hollywood stuntwomen and the stars they fall for. We`ll show you the fall girls tricks of the trade.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RACHEL HUNTER, ACTRESS: Hi, I`m Rachel Hunter. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only live entertainment news show. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer. Here are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
We learned today that actor James Doohan of "Star Trek" fame has died. The 85-year-old passed away at his home in suburban Seattle suffering from complications of pneumonia and Alzheimer`s. Doohan originate the role of Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott, or Scottie, as we all knew him, on "Star Trek." Doohan`s widow plans to send his ashes into outer space.
ANDERSON: Brad Pitt today made his first public appearance since being diagnosed with viral meningitis. The "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" star took the podium at a luncheon for the Hollywood Foreign Press. That`s the body of voters behind the Golden Globe Awards. He did not speak to the media outside the event.
HAMMER: Controversial videogame "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" got a new restriction today, "For Adults Only." Game makers changed the rating, which used to be "M for Mature," after pressure from politicians and media watchdog groups. The game contains explicit sex scenes.
ANDERSON: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you more secrets of the silver screen, as we continue our special series with the look of the secrets of stuntwomen.
HAMMER: Of course, they take the hits in some of Hollywood`s biggest hits. And we`re going to show you how they do it.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas live in Hollywood right now to get us rolling.
Hey, Sibila.
SIBILA VARGAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They should call it the secrets revealed. Well, if you`re watching a big action scene and you don`t see your favorite actor`s face, chances are you`re looking at the work of a stunt double.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT spent the day with one of those stunt doubles, and we learned that trick and a few others.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS (voice-over): In the movie "Daredevil," even kick-butt "Alias" star Jennifer Garner didn`t do all those stunts by herself. Carrie-Anne Moss needed some help in the "Matrix" movies, too. Even Jennifer Lopez got some stunt assistance in her recent comedy, "Monster-in-Law."
Lucky for those leading ladies, Danielle Burgio did the tough stuff in those films and over 60 other films and TV Shows. And now she`s inviting SHOWBIZ TONIGHT inside her world.
DANIELLE BURGIO, STUNTWOMAN: I`ll get myself in a nice comfortable position. We`ll take some pretty pictures.
VARGAS: We`re dangling along the port of Long Beach, California, shooting publicity shots for Burgio`s new book, "The Stuntwoman`s Workout." The former Broadway dancer fell into the stunt business after moving to L.A. After meeting some stunt doubles, she enrolled in gymnastics and martial arts classes.
The rest is history. Now scenes like this -- well, this is her story.
BURGIO: They`re going to put a safety wire on through this little tiny piece of metal right there. And that`s what`s going to hold me.
VARGAS: There are a lot of tricks to stunting. Wires and safety features can be edited out. Sound effects are added. And the stunt double always looks away from the camera.
But some stunts can`t be faked.
BURGIO: There`s really know way to take a car hit or do a stair fall without getting hurt. There are certain stunts that you -- you know, you just go, all right, grin and bear it. This one`s going to be a thumper.
VARGAS: Burgio`s had her share of gashes, bruises, concussions, even whiplash. She broke her wrist getting thrown through a wall in a "Matrix" movie. Ouch.
And some actresses are saying, "Better her than me." A-list actress Halle Barry told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they`re invaluable.
HALLE BARRY, ACTRESS: I should learn to use them more. I would have maybe spared myself a few injuries.
I think stunt people are very, very necessary, so that we, the actors, stay healthy, because we`re not the trained professionals. And they come, and they do some amazing things that you wouldn`t think humanly possible.
VARGAS: And hears the shocker: Filling in for actress like Halle Barry or Jennifer Garner is often harder work than taking a hit for Arnold or Bruce.
BURGIO: As a woman in the business, we don`t really get to wear a lot of stunt pads, because our wardrobe is usually, you know, a little tight and a little revealing. So muscle is the best pad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VARGAS: Danielle writes about how to get that extra padding in her book, "The Stuntwoman`s Workout." In the guide, she outlines a complete fitness program based on her stunt training regime. You don`t want to mess with her, A.J.
HAMMER: I won`t do it, Sibila. Thanks very much. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Sibila Vargas live in Hollywood.
Well, as Sibila just showed you, Halle Barry may have wanted to do it all, but couldn`t. Her co-star in "Catwoman," Sharon Stone wisely called in stuntwoman Zoe Bell to take her fall. And that`s who`s joining us live from Los Angeles right now.
Zoe, it`s nice to see you. Tell me about one of the secrets, as our series is called "Silver Screen Secrets," one of the secrets of what you do as a stunt woman is the fact that you work very closely with the stars. I don`t think a lot of people realize that.
How important is that relationship?
ZOE BELL, PROFESSIONAL STUNTWOMAN: Yes. Well, it becomes really important, actually, for both parts. I mean, it becomes -- you know, the character ends up being something that you share.
The actress will often come to me and ask me advice. And I definitely ask them how they want me to do stuff. And also, here in America particularly, their safety becomes a little bit more my responsibility.
I`m responsible for giving them pads when they need it, making sure they`re comfortable with the choreography. I`m kind of the go-between between them and the stunt coordinator. I mean, when you`re not working.
HAMMER: So when you`re working overseas with them, not as important that they`re safe?
BELL: No, no, sorry, I didn`t mean that. No, just in New Zealand, the system was a little different. On "Xena," I was -- the coordinator provided all the pads and everything. And I would just help her out with the fight scenes and all that kind of stuff. We spent a lot of time together, but the system has been a little different over here.
HAMMER: And of course, one of your first big gigs was "Xena: Warrior Princess" as you just mentioned. I`ve never been driving down Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood seeing a sign for "Stuntwoman School." So what is the secret to becoming a stuntwoman?
BELL: I`d love to be able to answer that. I mean, I don`t really know.
The way I got into it was I did gymnastics from a really young age and then did martial arts, and met a lot of people through doing that. And a lot of the guys that I was training with were stunt guys.
I mean, I didn`t grow up with the intention of being a stuntman, you know, or stuntwoman, I should say. But I just met people who were doing it, and kind of got myself into it, met a couple of people. And you know, I just sort of -- I hate to say it, but I fell into it.
HAMMER: All right. Well, you`ve done a lot of falling stunts, and a lot of big scary stunts, including a big fall in "Catwoman." Tell me about that stunt.
BELL: I hate to give away the ending of the movie, but basically, our character, Sharon Stone`s character, falls down the side of a building. And I was in a harness doing a cinder fall (ph), they call it. It was 220 feet with two wraps -- I unraveled twice on the way down.
It was pretty big for me. It was sort of -- I`ve never really done a stunt of that magnitude before, in terms of the -- I mean, it was big, you know, it was high. And there`s a lot of precautions and, you know -- it was cool fun, though.
HAMMER: It was great. And were there Academy Awards for -- you know, handed out for stunts, maybe you would have received one for that. They`re not doing those trophies yet, but there is something called the Taurus World Stunt Awards. Tell me quickly about that.
BELL: The Taurus World Stunt Awards are being put on by Red Bull. They`ve been going for five years. They`re really cool. They have eight different categories that you can win, like best fight, best firework, best overall stunt by a stuntwoman or a stuntman.
And it`s sort of a really good way for people to get -- you know, us to get recognition, and also by our own community. You know what I mean? It`s really cool. I`m impressed that they finally got around to doing it.
HAMMER: Well, you guys do a lot of hard work. And you definitely deserve it. Zoe Bell, we appreciate you hanging out with us tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
BELL: Thank you. Not a problem.
HAMMER: And our series, "Silver Screen Secrets," continues tomorrow. We`re going to take a look inside Hollywood and NASCAR.
ANDERSON: Free speech, music downloads. Is the Supreme Court nominee a friend or foe of the entertainment industry?
HAMMER: Plus Conan and the commander in chief. The presidential prank on late-night TV. The lip flap, coming up in "Laughter Dark."
ANDERSON: And from the "Island" to our studios, actor Michael Clarke Duncan leaves the land of the clones to join us live for a "Showbiz Sit- down." Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And more of our coverage of the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court.
Now a look of how everything from indecency on TV to new technology could eventually be affected if Roberts is indeed confirmed. Here to join us live from Los Angeles, "Celebrity Justice`s" Harvey Levin. Harvey is also an attorney.
And we are standing by to get Harvey in just a moment. OK. All right.
Brooke, I`m going to throw it over to you. And we`ll be back with Harvey Levin, hopefully, in just a moment.
ANDERSON: Absolutely, A.J. Thank you so much. Sorry for those technical problems we are having.
But tonight, in another "Showbiz Sit-down," we have Michael Clarke Duncan. He captivated audiences with his Oscar-nominated performance in the "Green Mile." He`s hard to miss with that unmistakable voice and his larger-than-life presence on the screen.
Big Mike back once again, thrilling moviegoers this weekend in the brand-new flick, "The Island," joining us live.
Thank you so much.
MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN, ACTOR: Thank you for having me here.
ANDERSON: All right.
DUNCAN: First of all, I just want to say congratulations.
ANDERSON: Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
DUNCAN: And I want to say that I will definitely sign any petition for those stunt people, because I know a stuntwoman named Faye Baker (ph) in Los Angeles. And she works very hard. And I`m behind the stunt people 1000 percent.
ANDERSON: And they really support the actors in what you do.
DUNCAN: Yes, they do. I have to do that.
ANDERSON: And I called you Big Mike. What`s your favorite nickname? I know you`ve got several.
DUNCAN: You know, I don`t think I`m that big anymore. So I don`t think the moniker quite fits now. But you can call me whatever you want to.
ANDERSON: Well, you still make your presence known. And now, in this movie, "The Island," it takes on a very controversial subject, cloning. You play a clone who lives -- who doesn`t know he`s a clone who lives among other clones. Everybody out there got that?
(LAUGHTER)
OK. Well, let`s take a scene where you find out that you`re leaving this island of clones to go to another island, right.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Starboard-two-delta. Your time has come. You`re moving out to the island.
DUNCAN: Starboard-two-delta (ph) here. And as you know, the biggest dream of my life just came through. I mean, I`ve only been with you guys for like six months, but I won the lottery.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You won the lottery there.
DUNCAN: Yes, I thought I won the lottery. A little tricky.
ANDERSON: Now, let me ask you. If you could clone yourself, would you do it?
DUNCAN: You know what? I was just thinking about back there, thinking about the guy from "Star Trek," Scotty. I send my condolences out to his family.
I would loved to have help him in that way with stem-cell research and things of that nature. And I think, in that sense, it`s perfect. But in another sense, you know, that somebody`s going to is try to bootleg it or do something else with it, in that sense, it`s bad. So it`s hard to say. I don`t think I would clone myself, though. I kind of like...
ANDERSON: Would it be Big Mike or the Mike right now, 90 pounds lighter?
DUNCAN: It would be the big one, because he was slower. I could beat him and outrun him, so he`d have to be the real big one.
ANDERSON: Well, let`s talk about that. You`ve lost 90 pounds this year.
DUNCAN: Ninety pounds, yes.
ANDERSON: Did you do it for a role? And how do you lose that weight?
DUNCAN: No, actually, you know what? I went to the doctor one day. And he was saying, "Your blood pressure is high. Your cholesterols are high." He said, "Really, you need to just start eating a little bit more healthier."
So I stopped eating fried foods and stopped eating bread after 2 o`clock, and started taking up kick-boxing, which is a really good workout. And I did it for me. You know, I feel a lot better now. I can touch my toes. And I can almost do a split. I can almost get a split. Next time I come back...
ANDERSON: Can we see that actually?
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
DUNCAN: I can almost do a split. Watch this. I can get down pretty far.
ANDERSON: Yes?
DUNCAN: I can go all the way.
ANDERSON: Whoa. I`m impressed.
DUNCAN: I`m pretty flexible.
ANDERSON: I`m impressed. You are very flexible.
DUNCAN: I`m pretty flexible. If I didn`t have these pants on, I`d go down further.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: You might hear a split in the pants, right?
DUNCAN: There you go.
ANDERSON: Well, you look great. And let me ask you. As I introduced you, I had, of course, referred to you as an Oscar-nominated actor. Is that legacy difficult to live up to? Is it challenging? Is there a pressure with each and every role?
DUNCAN: I think the pressure you put is all in your mind. You put it on yourself, and I know I do, because when I step on somebody`s lot or somebody`s film, I want them to know that they`re getting the best.
And sometimes you can put so much pressure on yourself that you can sabotage yourself. So I try not to think about that before my name. I just try to go in there and do the best job, because actually that was five years ago. And you know, they don`t remember who won last year or the year before that, so (INAUDIBLE) five years ago.
ANDERSON: What have you done for me lately, right?
DUNCAN: Yes, that`s how it is. That`s just how it is.
ANDERSON: And very quickly, you`ve done action, drama.
DUNCAN: Yes.
ANDERSON: But we`re going to see a little romance coming up, right, first love scene?
DUNCAN: Yes, it was a love scene with Jennifer Esposito in "American Crude." And I was a little nervous. I hope that doesn`t show up. But I think with more love scenes, I`ll get better and better.
ANDERSON: More comfortable.
DUNCAN: Yes, got to practice.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: Well, I`m sure it`s terrific. Michael, thank you so much for being here.
DUNCAN: Thank you. And once again, congratulations.
ANDERSON: Thank you, I appreciate that.
And "The Island," of course, opens in theaters this weekend.
HAMMER: I think I heard Michael Clarke Duncan`s pants splitting. I`m not sure.
(LAUGHTER)
Let`s go back to the story of the day now, though, however, the nomination of John Roberts to the Supreme Court. As we said, his nomination`s going to have an effect on a number of issues in the showbiz world.
So live from Los Angeles to talk about it, "Celebrity Justice`s" Harvey Levin, who is also an attorney.
We got you. There you are, Harvey.
HARVEY LEVIN, "CELEBRITY JUSTICE": Hi, A.J.
HAMMER: Let`s talk right away about indecency. Because since Janet Jackson and this little thing that happened a couple of years, everybody`s been talking about it. How will John Roberts affect the regulation of indecency if he`s appointed?
LEVIN: Well, there`s one really interesting decision, where a court had said that a cable station could -- the city could not regulate a cable station and say, "You can only broadcast the Playboy Channel on certain hours when kids aren`t watching."
And Roberts was just incredulous and said, "How does a court like that call itself conservative when it refuses to limit programs like Playboy?" So I think it`s kind of a window into him that he may be real tough on that.
HAMMER: Which naturally leads us to First Amendment issues, freedom of speech. Would you consider him to be a friend to the entertainment industry?
LEVIN: Well, there`s, again, one interesting comment that he made while he was deputy solicitor general. And he said he had no problem with criminalizing flag-burning as a means of protest. And that`s considered, A.J., a classic First Amendment issue.
So if he`s willing to criminalize that, again a window in, that possibly on these First Amendment issues, he`s going to be very conservative.
HAMMER: And also, we`ll have to look at how he deals with technology issue. Of course, there is the recent decision regarding file sharing and holding companies who create software responsible for any illegal downloads copyright infringement.
How is he with new technology? Does he support it?
LEVIN: Well, you know, it`s really interesting. He worked at a law firm that really represents, for the most part, big businesses, corporations, companies that want to maintain this intellectual property.
So I think the cultural is for him to support and nurture that. On the other hand, he actually went after Microsoft. He was involved in trying to split the company up for violating the anti-trust laws. So that`s a little bit of an anomaly.
And also, there was also another decision where he really represented a copyright infringer before the high court. So he`s not totally predictable.
But what the buzz that I`m hearing about this guy, what everybody is saying is, he is a bedrock conservative. And if he can vote conservative and justify it, he`s going to do it.
HAMMER: OK, Harvey. We have less than 30 seconds. But of course, one of the big stories of the past couple of weeks, "New York Times`" Judith Miller now sitting in jail for not revealing a source. There`s talk of changing the laws that apply to protecting sources.
Any sense on where this guy stands on these issues?
LEVIN: You know, on this one, A.J., I`m guessing. But my guess is, because that`s not something that`s solidly part of the First Amendment, I think he`s not going to favor that kind of protection.
I think this guy is way may towards Scalia, and Rehnquist, and Thomas, who are the really hardcore conservatives. And I think that this is going to change the court, and it`s going to change a lot, ultimately, in the entertainment and the First Amendment areas.
HAMMER: Harvey Levin of "Celebrity Justice," thanks for your insight, as always. Appreciate it.
LEVIN: My pleasure.
HAMMER: We have been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Supreme Court nominee John Roberts: Will the media give him a fair shake? You can keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight. Send us your thoughts, too, at showbiztonight@CNN.com.
We`ll share your e-mails, coming up after the break.
ANDERSON: Has President Bush jumped on board the Harry Potter bandwagon? Last night, Conan O`Brien put the important questions to our nation`s leader with the help of some special effects. That`s in tonight`s "Laughter Dark," next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, it`s time to get your laugh on in "Laughter Dark." As we do every night, we bring you late-night laughs you might have missed. On "Late Night with Conan O`Brien," with the help of stellar special effects, Conan get President Bush to open up about Karl Rove and his nominee to the Supreme Court.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT": Rough weekend, huh? I bet you did. You must have had your hands full trying to pick someone to the Supreme Court and dealing with the whole Karl Rove mess?
GEORGE W. BUSH IMPERSONATOR: No, actually, I spent the entire weekend reading the new Harry Potter book.
(LAUGHTER)
So far, the first three pages are awesome. I tell you what, I tell you what. That Harry Potter, he writes a good book.
O`BRIEN: Yes, yes, he does.
Well, a lot of people think you announced your Supreme Court nominee tonight to distract attention from Karl Rove.
Yes, don`t scoff, sir. That`s right, Karl Rove, who`s emerging as the central figure in the CIA leak scandal.
BUSH IMPERSONATOR: Conan, I`m telling you right now. I`ve known Karl Rove a long time. Karl Rove would never take a leak on a CIA member.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, no comment. OK, you just saw Michael Clarke Duncan live here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Well, he joins Conan O`Brien tonight on "Late Night," along with comedian Carlos Mencia.
HAMMER: Well, throughout the show, we have been asking you to vote on-line on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, Jr.: Will the media give him a fair shake?
Here`s what the votes have gone so far tonight: 33 percent of you say yes, the media will give him a fair shake. So 67 percent say, "Not going to happen."
We`ve got some e-mails on the topic, too. Heard from Phil, who writes, "Roberts will get a fair shake from the media. And in return, the administration will shake down the media."
If you`d like, you can keep voting by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight.
ANDERSON: Keep on voting.
OK, time to see what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.
HAMMER: It is tomorrow. That`s pretty good. Not as good as the Marquee Guy, though.
So take it away, Marquee Guy.
MARQUEE GUY: It`s grease lightning in Hollywood. Tomorrow, how movie studios are on the fast track with NASCAR. Buckle up for more "Silver Screen Secrets," with an inside look at Hollywood`s need for speed.
Also tomorrow, the heat is on, and it`s hairy. We`ve got some hot summer hairstyles from Frederick Fekkai, the a-lift celebrity coifs. I love saying that, coifs. And now you can do the do, too. That`s tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
This is the Marquee Guy, and I never have a bad hair day. Of course, they do tell me I`ve got a great face for radio.
HAMMER: Can we get you to say coifs one more time, Marquee Guy?
ANDERSON: One more time.
MARQUEE GUY: Coifs!
HAMMER: Thank you very much.
Brooke, are you a fan of the NASCAR? Everybody loves NASCAR.
ANDERSON: You know, I have been to a NASCAR race. You feel the need for speed when you go to those things, so it`s fun.
HAMMER: Some secrets tomorrow.
ANDERSON: All right.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
END
