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Showbiz Tonight
Elton John Marries Longtime Companion; Actor Fired from "Desperate Housewives" Gives His Side; Jay Thomas Gets "Sirius" About Politics
Aired December 21, 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.
SIBILA VARGAS, CO-HOST: And I`m Sibila Vargas. TV`s only live entertainment show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, an Elton John joining. The pop star gets married to a man, but as stars celebrate overseas, the controversy heats up here. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, should gay marriage be legal?
Plus, giving terrorists a human touch. Tonight, is Hollywood portraying a softer side of cold-blooded killers in films? Will moviegoers be outraged? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
And Jamie Foxx. Tonight, we go one-on-one with the Oscar winner. He sets the record straight on co-star Colin Farrell`s drug rehab. Plus, does this sly Foxx want to hook up with Oprah?
JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: If I was going to get married, I would get married to Oprah Winfrey.
HAMMER: Jamie Foxx, in the revealing interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
FOXX: What`s up? This is Jamie Foxx. If it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas. We`re live in New York.
Tonight, one small step for gay marriage, one giant step for Elton John.
HAMMER: Yes, it was the celebrity wedding heard round the world, Elton John today marrying his long-time lover. Let`s get right to our David Haffenreffer, who`s live here in New York -- David.
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, A.J.
Elton John and his partner, Canadian born filmmaker David Furnish, have been together for 12 years now. But they weren`t able to make it official until today when a new U.K. law allowing several unions in England and Wales.
For Elton John, who`s used to lavish costumes, classy black tuxedos made it downright low key. It wasn`t a lavish ceremony, but some are calling it a key movement in the gay rights movement in England and around the world.
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HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there as Elton John and David Furnish were are smiles, greeting fans outside Windsor`s town hall. Today, they became one of England`s first legally bound gay couples, giving a thrill to Elton John fans, who turned out for the ceremony, and giving hope to those who hoped to see this scene repeated more times throughout the world.
Lowell Selvin, CEO of gay and lesbian oriented media company Planet Out, says the Elton John wedding sent a huge message.
LOWELL SELVIN, CEO, PLANET OUT: If gay and lesbian people suffer from anything, they suffer most from invisibility, being sort of held down and held in the closet. So when you have someone like Sir Elton John coming out and getting married so loudly and publicly, it`s a very important event.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): How wonderful life is while you`re in the world.
HAFFENREFFER: Elton John fans from around the U.K. were on hand to wish Sir Elton well on the big day.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a very historic day for equality and the rights of gay people in Britain. And a historical day for Windsor as well.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just think it`s really good for gay rights. You know, it`s great. Why shouldn`t they be together?
HAFFENREFFER: Even British leader Tony Blair chimed in with praise for the happy couple.
TONY BLAIR, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: I wish him and David very well. And to all the other people who exercised their rights under the civil partnership law. I think it`s a modern, progressive step for the country in how we did it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I promise to love, honor and respect.
HAFFENREFFER: A new British law that took effect this week allows same sex couples to enter into civil partnerships. It`s not quite marriage, but it gives gay couples in the U.K. many of the same benefits and inheritance rights as married couples.
The day before their nuptials, Furnish told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that he and Elton were making a political statement.
DAVID FURNISH, FILMMAKER: It`s a historical change. I think it`s brilliant that Britain has, you know, made these change to the government legislation to recognize.
HAFFENREFFER: And while Elton`s European union has many supporters, there were some dissenters, as well.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is -- it`s ridiculous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s disgusting.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, man and man, I mean, it`s not natural. It`s not normal. I mean, they`re not going to, but these people can adopt children. I mean, it`s just a sad state of life.
HAFFENREFFER: Nevertheless, the trend in many parts of Europe seems to be moving in a clear direction. The Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain all allow same sex marriages. Germany, France, Switzerland and now the U.K. permit the type of civil partnership that Elton John now enjoys.
And that fellow British singer George Michael says he plans to enjoy it with his partner sometime very soon.
SELVIN: Europe in many ways is leading the entire world.
HAFFENREFFER: The story is different in the U.S., where gay marriages are not nationally recognized. That hasn`t stopped several American celebrities from trying it. Singer Melissa Etheridge says she is married to actress Tammy Lynn Michaels. And Rosie O`Donnell and her girlfriend, Kelly Carpenter, were among the 3,900 same-sex couples in San Francisco married last year before the California Supreme Court declared them invalid.
Gay rights activists like Eddie Gutierrez of Equality California think these celebrities are making an impact.
EDDIE GUTIERREZ, EQUALITY CALIFORNIA: These type of celebrity weddings, these high profile cases, the television, movies, legislative actions, all of this really comes together as one issue, and that is to give gay and lesbian families the opportunity to be equal.
HAFFENREFFER: But with major stars like Elton John tying the knot and with gay relationships being depicted in mainstream movies like "Brokeback Mountain," many gay activists feel that one day, an occasion like Elton John`s same sex union will no longer be a rare event but just another celebrity wedding.
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HAFFENREFFER: Elton John did marry back in 1984, but he and his wife divorced just four years later -- Sibila.
VARGAS: Thanks. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, live in New York.
Now we want to hear from you. It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Elton John gets married: should gay marriage be legal? Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight and send us e-mail at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`ll read some of your thoughts later on the show.
HAMMER: Tonight, Oscar winning actor Jamie Foxx is revealing to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that he spoke to Stanley "Tookie" Williams just an hour before Tookie was executed.
The notorious cofounder of the Crips gang, who was a friend of Foxx`s, was executed last week. Foxx and other celebrities tried to get Tookie`s death sentence commuted to life in prison.
Tookie led an anti-gang crusade, and he was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Foxx got to know Tookie while he was preparing to portray him in the 2004 TV movie "Redemption," and he told me today that they spoke shortly before the execution.
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FOXX: I actually talked to Stanley at 11:15, and they killed him at 12:20. And I was completely ripped up. And he said, you know, "Don`t bow your head." He said, "I know my day has come." He said, "But I`m glad that we got a chance to meet so I could at least make this story known to people" as far as what he did for kids. And that was his only concern. It was his only concern.
Looking at his life, he said, "I make a lot of mistakes in my life." He always claimed his innocence in this situation. But he didn`t let that keep him from doing peaceful things.
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HAMMER: Jamie`s told me he`s going to keep Tookie`s positive message alive. Jamie and I spoke about a lot of things today, including his take on actor Colin Farrell`s stint in drug rehab. They just wrapped up the movie version of "Miami Vice" together. And it`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up a bit later in the show.
And now another interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the actor who was fired by the hit ABC show, "Desperate Housewives." Page Kennedy played the mysterious Caleb who was held captive in the basement of Wisteria Lane`s newcomer Betty Applewhite. Well, tonight, we`ve got the real deal on what happened on Wisteria Lane from the man himself.
Joining us live from Hollywood for our "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview, Page Kennedy.
Page, thanks for being with us tonight.
PAGE KENNEDY, ACTOR: How you doing?
HAMMER: So tell me -- I`m doing well, thank you. Tell me what the reason was that was given to you by the powers that be at the "Desperate Housewives" program that you were fired.
KENNEDY: Well, that they decided to go in a different direction and recast the part.
HAMMER: And do you think that that was in fact what the real reason was or do you think there was something else behind it?
KENNEDY: I have no reason to believe anything but what they told me.
HAMMER: Well, I know you posted on your web site a rap song where you sort of go through all of what you went through, and you rap about sort of this fire storm of media reports that were put out there, different stories going around. One in particular saying that you had exposed yourself to the cast. First of all, that`s simply not true, correct?
KENNEDY: Exactly. Not true at all.
HAMMER: And where do you suppose those stories came from?
KENNEDY: I have no idea where those stories came from. A lot of times, you know, I guess these tabloids, they decide to put these stories out and whether they make sense or not, they just do it. And people want to hear scandal. So I guess that`s what happened in my situation.
Because obviously, there is -- you know, that didn`t happen. In other words, someone would have came out or said something or, you know, there`s been no factual information of any of that stuff. These are all, like, ridiculous things. The drugs, the alcohol, drunk, all that stuff is complete rumors.
HAMMER: All right. So setting the record straight. They were simply changing direction. On the rap song, as well, that`s on your web site, it`s implied that you actually considered suicide as a result of all this. Did it ever actually get that bad for you?
KENNEDY: Well, I would imagine that us as human beings, we all, you know, have come to a point in our life where we feel like, you know, stuff is just unbearable at that time and we are emotional and just think it`s better if we weren`t here.
Now I pretty much did that as an effect. Because obviously, it was a -- it was a thought that crossed by mind, you know. But like I said, you know, human beings go through this all the time.
HAMMER: Sure.
KENNEDY: What I`m saying, you know, it would be better if I wasn`t even here in the first place, you know. So that was more of an effect to get a point across that I am going to be resilient and, you know, I`m going to continue to work and continue to do good work. And keep moving forward.
HAMMER: And new projects. All right, Page. Well, we`re glad you`re still around. And best of luck to you. Page Kennedy, thanks for joining us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
KENNEDY: All right.
VARGAS: Well, is Hollywood showing the softer side of terrorism? Coming up, why some are saying filmmakers are being sympathetic to killer terrorists.
HAMMER: Also, Mel Gibson`s new movie doesn`t open until next summer, but we`ve got your first look tonight. Gibson`s ancient Mayan epic, "Apocalypto," in the "SHOWBIZ Showcase." That`s coming up next.
VARGAS: And, a guy who`s going to have Howard Stern as an office buddy and is helping to rebuild his native city of New Orleans. Jay Thomas, live in the interview you`ll only see on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s coming up next.
HAMMER: First it is time for tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz. On the sitcom "Frasier," what`s the name of the coffee Shop that Frasier and Niles frequent? Cafe Nirvana, Cafe Navidad, Cafe Amarosa or Cafe Nervosa? We are coming straight back with the answer.
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HAMMER: Once again, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz. On the sitcom "Frasier," what was the name of that coffee Shop that Frasier and Niles used to hang out in? Nirvana, Navidad, Ambrosia (sic) or Nervosa? The answer, D, Cafe Nervosa.
VARGAS: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only live entertainment news show. I`m Sibila Vargas in New York.
Tonight, your first look at Mel Gibson`s next big movie. We can tell you, it`s set 600 years ago, before the Spanish conquest of Mexico and Central America, where a man goes on a perilous journey to save his world. It`s called "Apocalypto," and here it is in a "SHOWBIZ Showcase."
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VARGAS: "Apocalypto" hits theaters summer 2006.
And stay tuned. A little later, we have a sizzling sneak at Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx`s Miami Vice.
HAMMER: It is time now for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Jay Thomas. He has appeared on some your favorite TV shows. You know them, over the years: "Cheers," "Mork and Mindy." He`s an Emmy winner for his role of a caustic talk show host on "Murphy Brown." He`s also been a successful talk radio host for years, and he`s never been shy with his opinions.
Now he`s hosting "The Jay Thomas Show" on Sirius Satellite Radio. Jay Thomas joining us live in New York.
JAY THOMAS, HOST, "THE JAY THOMAS SHOW": Thank you.
HAMMER: It`s a pleasure having you here. And I know you hate hearing this, but I grew up listening to you on New York radio.
THOMAS: No, that`s fine.
HAMMER: That`s OK.
THOMAS: As long as you have a boot black in my hair, you know, I`m ageless. So it`s great.
HAMMER: You are ageless to me.
THOMAS: Thank you. Yes.
HAMMER: And you`re back to your roots now. You started in radio. You`re still acting, but you`re in the next wave of radio with Sirius Satellite Radio, of course, getting a lot of attention with Howard Stern`s move. And you`ve been there for about a year now. So this really is happening, isn`t it?
THOMAS: Yes, I didn`t realize he was going to make the deal, because it would have been, I guess, insider trading. But we have the same agent. And he said, "You ought to go to serious. You ought to go to Sirius."
And I went, "Well, OK." So I went in there. I`ve had a great time. And then they announced Howard. And you know, I think I`ve sold nine or 10 radios...
HAMMER: Right.
THOMAS: ... and I have a five-year deal for $5,000.
HAMMER: A little bit more.
THOMAS: So they`re not announcing my deal and how many. But I`m having a great time. And I still get to do some acting. I`m doing "The Santa Clause 3." I play the Easter bunny. I`ve been in the two. I give Santa family advice. Because I have 30,000 offspring, all in private school. So the Easter bunny.
And then I have a wonderful time. I`m on the radio. I get to act. They fly me around. And I broadcast from my home, basically, in California.
HAMMER: Nice.
THOMAS: But I come to New York every now and again. So I`ve been very lucky.
HAMMER: And you have never been, as I mentioned, shy with your opinions on your radio show. It`s comedy. It`s politics. It`s a little bit of everyday.
So you know, you`ve been cast in a lot of roles in your life. Let me cast you in the role for a moment of presidential political advisor. As the person in that role, how would you advise Mr. Bush on how the heck to fix Iraq?
THOMAS: Well, you know, I`m not a big believer in Iraq, and I don`t think we should have spent a half a billion dollars.
HAMMER: The war in Iraq.
THOMAS: Yes, the war in Iraq. The other day, he said the word "dictator." He said, "I`m no dictator." And I looked at that word, and there`s certain words you don`t even say. Somebody must have called him that. There are certain words you don`t even repeat.
HAMMER: Right.
THOMAS: And the first thing I would have said is don`t say that word.
HAMMER: That`s the association now.
THOMAS: Exactly. If I were to say, "Look, I`m not stupid."
As soon as you say it, people go, "He`s stupid, you know, or he wouldn`t have said it."
Or, like, "I`m not an imbecile." Then you`re talking to an imbecile. Every idiot says they`re not an idiot.
He shouldn`t have said, "I`m no dictator." And I thought that was odd. And I think that he`s not a wordsmith like guys like you and I are. And it is -- it is unfortunate, because I`m not a big fan of his, but he does say things that he needs to be corrected on. And I think that was -- that was one of them.
I think it`s a mess. I lived through Vietnam and now I`m living through this. I think it`s a mess for Republicans and Democrats.
HAMMER: I want to move, also, to New Orleans real quickly while we have a few moments.
THOMAS: Sure.
HAMMER: Because I know you`re from there. I know that you still have homes there. How is your family personally affected?
THOMAS: My mom is fine. She has Alzheimer`s, and it`s not the worst Alzheimer`s. You still tell her a man`s coming in the room and she gets excited. We`re from New Orleans. My brother was evacuated. And everybody is OK.
And I just hope we get New Orleans back. I am rebuilding my home. And it`s going to be fine. I believe New Orleans will one day be more like Charleston, South Carolina, or like Galveston. I think there will be some sort of zone around it that protects it. It will be a smaller city.
HAMMER: A little more condensed.
THOMAS: Time to make a decision, though, and make it pretty soon. We have hurricane season is coming in six months.
HAMMER: Yes, it does come around again.
THOMAS: Yes, it does.
HAMMER: Jay Thomas, it`s a pleasure to have you on.
THOMAS: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: And of course, Jay Thomas can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio. It`s the Sirius Search Channel 103.
THOMAS: A lot of subjects in three minutes. That was good.
HAMMER: We do what we can.
THOMAS: That was very good.
VARGAS: Well, a stunning ruling involving David Letterman. A restraining order has been issued against him. We`ll have all the latest details on this amazing story you won`t want to miss, in tonight`s "Legal Lowdown." That`s coming up.
HAMMER: Also, a very revealing "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Jamie Foxx. The Oscar winner sets the record straight about the vices of his "Miami Vice" co-star Colin Farrell. Jamie Foxx interview is the one you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: And, what do two Kates and an Eve have in common? Well, they are all sporting some hot looks as it gets cold out. That`s coming up in tonight`s "InStyle."
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VARGAS: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Sibila Vargas.
Time now for "Who`s InStyle." We caught up with "InStyle" magazine`s fashion director, Hal Rubenstein, for the inside scoop on this month`s best fashions and the celebrities who do it best.
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HAL RUBENSTEIN, "INSTYLE" MAGAZINE: For January, we picked Eve in this really kind of cotton/silk confection by Louis Vuitton. Because not to destroy her credibility, her street cred as a rapper, but when Eve gets dressed up, she kind of always looks adorable.
And she`s picked this dress from Louis Vuitton which I think is very representative of a look that`s coming in for the spring, which is it`s very soft. It`s almost a throw-back to the 19th Century of ruffles and lace. Ribbon.
Florals have been big for a couple of years. And it`s one of these things where prints are now back and prints make people happy. And so we went from little floral prints to big tropical floral prints and now we`ve sort of gone over to the dark side.
Our great example of it is Kate Bosworth in a cream and black shadow dress from Chloe. And it has a kind of sleekness and almost a sophistication that you wouldn`t expect to get from a print.
The idea of this long necklace, but a sleek version of it, a more modern version of it. What I like about it is the great sense of movement that it has. It has a certain swagger to it as you go back and forth. Kate Hudson is wearing this great David Yurman necklace. There`s a kind of come-hither quality about that, I would think.
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VARGAS: And if you want to read more about the month`s best looks, pick up a copy of this month`s "InStyle" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
Well, they`ve been talking all day and we have been listening. It is time now for "Talk of the Day," the best from today`s talk shows. Earlier on "The View," Regis Philbin explains why his former co-host, Kathy Lee Gifford -- you remember her -- why she`s never been invited back to the show.
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JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": Speaking of gossip, I read in the gossip column that Kathy Lee Gifford has never been invited on your show. Why don`t you invite the woman on the show?
MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": That`s right.
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST, ABC`S "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": I don`t do the inviting on the show.
BEHAR: Look how his voice drops. See that?
STAR JONES, CO-HOST, ABC`S "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": Yes, his voice drops. He must have hated her (ph).
See, this is the thing about us on this show. Don`t ever get in the middle of us.
PHILBIN: I am always sitting here, right in the -- right in the crossfire of it all. That`s right. Kathy has said that. I think she`s got a genuine argument. I think she should be on the show.
BEHAR: Can we go on?
PHILBIN: And merry Christmas to all of you.
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HAMMER: I would think that Regis, if he wanted her on the show, could get her on the show. He`s kind of the boss.
Well, coming up, Kenny and Renee officially back on the market. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the just-released papers to prove it. We`ve got that and more coming up in tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
VARGAS: Also, why is Hollywood going out of its way to show the human side of terrorists? Is it justified sympathy or outright outrageousness? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
HAMMER: And, Jamie Foxx and Colin Farrell are teaming up to bust the bad guys, but they`re doing it without those pastel jackets and skinny ties. Your very first look at the big screen version of "Miami Vice" in tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase." That`s coming up.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas. We`re in New York, and you`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.
Well, A.J., you got to see Syriana, right?
HAMMER: I have seen the movie.
VARGAS: It was a good movie, right?
HAMMER: It was a confusing movie, but it`s a powerful movie, for sure.
VARGAS: Certainly. And it shows all these different perspectives, and that`s what I really liked about it. But not everybody is liking the perspective of the terrorists. In this movie, it humanizes terrorists. And some people really have a problem with that. And this is not the only film. Apparently, there`s another film, "Munich," which is coming out that humanizes terrorists. And there`s also "Paradise Now." And people really have a problem with this, because they say it`s very personal, especially with, you know, what`s happened.
HAMMER: Causing quite a stir.
VARGAS: Absolutely.
HAMMER: We`ll deal with that coming up in a few moments, plus my exclusive sitdown with Jamie Foxx. Of course, Jamie has a brand-new CD that was released yesterday. It`s fantastic. We talk about that. And also, his "Miami Vice" costar Colin Farrell, who went into rehab. Rumors were flying around that there was all this partying going on, on the "Miami Vice" set. Jamie Foxx will set the record straight on that, in the interview you`ll see only here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: I can`t wait to see that, A.J. But first, here are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."
Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger are officially single. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just obtained the annulment of their marriage, right here, finalized in Los Angeles Superior Court today. It cost the couple $300 to file. The country singer and actress got married in a hush-hush ceremony in May, but a few months later, Zellweger filed for an annulment, listing, quote, "fraud" as the reason.
Also tonight, there`s not going to be a Michael Jackson wine. According to SmokingGun.com, the company that planned to market a merlot called "Jesus Juice," has dropped its application to trademark the name. "Jesus Juice" was reportedly the term used by Jackson when he allegedly gave minors wine, which came out during the child molestation trial.
And, as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been reporting, our cameras were there as Elton John got hitched. Stars came out to celebrate the same-sex civil union of the pop star and his longtime lover, David Furnish. The duo tied the knot in Britain, taking advantage of a new law allowing gay marriage.
HAMMER: And on that topic, we have been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT ""Question of the Day." Elton John gets married: Should gay marriage be legal? Continue to vote by going to CNN.com/showbiztonight. Got more to say? You can write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`re going to share some of your e-mails in 22 minutes.
VARGAS: Tonight, humanizing the terrorist. From Steven Spielberg to George Clooney, Hollywood a-listers are tackling terror by portraying terrorists as sympathetic characters, but will moviegoers buy it? Our David Haffenreffer is back with us live again in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom -- David?
DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN HEADLINE NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Sibila.
Well, it`s not so clear who the bad guys are in Hollywood movies right now. You can`t count on them to be terrorists like the old days. Some are calling it a Hollywood left-wing political agenda. And we`re wondering if American moviegoers are going to buy it.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re going to blow it all up...
HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): For years, Hollywood has shown terrorists as the bad guys. Take "Die Hard" or "Air Force One." Even in the recent "Flight Plan" that outraged some flight attendants, there was a clear distinction between good and bad. But that is all starting to change.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is on top of a new trend in Hollywood: showing terrorists in a positive light. We get the lowdown from syndicated radio host Michael Medved.
MICHAEL MEDVED, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: What`s so surprising is that now finally, when they`re getting around to actually showing Islamic terrorists, they`re showing those terrorists not just with human dimensions, but very sympathetically. I do think it`s very peculiar that Hollywood has gone through a period of denial about Islamic terrorism and now has replaced that denial with sympathy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`re all gone.
HAFFENREFFER: Steven Spielberg`s "Munich," which opens on Friday, tells the story of the 1972 murder of 11 Israeli Olympic athletes by a Palestinian terror group and the Israeli government`s war of revenge that followed, and does it in a very human way. And it`s not just in "Munich."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Corruption? Corruption is our protection.
HAFFENREFFER: The George Clooney film, "Syriana," which takes on the oil industry, portrays two young suicide bombers in a sympathetic light. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT sat down with Clooney after "Syriana" received four Golden Globe noms.
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR-DIRECTOR: I don`t think I`m trying to make a statement. I think I`m curious as a filmmaker and as a human being and as a citizen of the country, I`m curious. And I`m always interested in the idea of asking questions. I think that that`s what we do really well when we do it well in film, is ask questions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two life-long friends will struggle with an impossible choice...
HAFFENREFFER: One more movie in the trend, the foreign film, "Paradise Now." It`s done well in the small number of theaters it`s in, telling the story of two men who are recruited as suicide bombers and their struggle, even the humor -- yes, humor -- in it all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How does it make you feel, knowing that your old buddy, killing Muslims in a crusader war?
HAFFENREFFER: And on the small screen, too. There`s this month`s 10- hour Showtime miniseries, "Sleeper Cell," about a terror group plotting against L.A. The show`s star, Michael Ealy, came to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to talk about the series.
MICHAEL EALY, ACTOR: You know, they wanted to try and make it as real as possible, so they based all of the guys on real terrorists that exist around the world.
HAFFENREFFER: With this clear trend, I took to the streets to see what Americans thought about this change of course.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And when you make a movie showing the person who did commit the crime, their thought process, how they feel, how they react to their crime, it really brings it to another level of understanding. And you can sometimes sympathize with a person for feeling a certain pressure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m interesting in the political background of the directors and the writers and what the message is they`re trying to put across to people.
HAFFENREFFER: But with these politically charged movies coming out this year, Medved told us one thing worries him.
MEDVED: I don`t think it`s a good thing that that political point of view is always from the left. And it is. If you look at the serious films that are contending for Oscars or serious awards this year, those that have a political agenda are very, very clearly from a left-wing point of view. Hollywood desperately needs more balance.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAFFENREFFER: Medved goes on to tell us that he thinks part of this sympathetic look at terrorists reflects the fact that Europe and Asia are now more important movie markets than North America, and that you will find in many of those markets more sympathy for terrorists than you will find in the United States. So it`s all about the mighty dollar, it could be -- Sibila?
VARGAS: Very provocative stuff. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, live here in New York.
HAMMER: Well, I am not ashamed to tell you that, when it was on the air, "Miami Vice" was my absolute favorite television program. And tonight, in a "Showbiz Showcase," your first look at the film, "Miami Vice." The sizzling new movie, as we`ve been telling you, stars Oscar- winner Jamie Foxx, along with Colin Farrell. Foxx and Farrell are bringing the roles of Detectives Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs, played originally by Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the `80s-era police show, to the big screen, minus the skinny ties and pink shirts, of course. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You understand the meaning of a word "foreboding," as in badness is happening right now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Smooth. That`s how we do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Michael Mann there at the directorial helm. "Miami Vice" is going to heat up movie screens this summer.
Well, coming up, Jamie Foxx is going to reveal secrets from the set of "Miami Vice" and some secrets of his own, including why Oprah would be his number-one choice of a wife. We get the scoop in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
VARGAS: I can`t wait to see that. Plus, the shocking decision involving David Letterman. Tonight, why a late-night host has been slapped with a restraining order. That`s coming up next in the "Legal Lowdown."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
It is time now for a "Showbiz Sitdown" with Oscar-winner Jamie Foxx. Foxx won an Academy Award last year for his portrayal of Ray Charles. But he didn`t stop at playing a musician on the big screen. Foxx has also been making music in real life.
He just released a new album called "Unpredictable." It came out yesterday. We spoke about that, about singing on one of the year`s biggest singles with Kanye West, and about Colin Farrell`s recent troubles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: What a year.
JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR-MUSICIAN: Crazy.
HAMMER: Unbelievable.
FOXX: Crazy.
HAMMER: As we`re winding it down and 2006 is approaching, do you get pretty reflective? Are you starting to...
FOXX: Of course. I mean, you look at the year and you just go, like, "Wow, what a great year. What a fantastic time." All of the things -- you try to think back on all of the different days and the different memories and the different people that you met. It`s just great to have something like this happen, great to have a year like this.
HAMMER: And a lot of people looking in from the outside might say the obvious, that the highlight of Jamie Foxx`s year has to have been getting up on stage and accepting that Academy Award and making that speech.
FOXX: Yes.
HAMMER: Was that truly the highlight?
FOXX: It was incredible, absolutely incredible. It`s like winning the Final Four. It`s like the NBA championship. It`s like the Stanley Cup, all that put together. And to be able to look out in that audience and see people that you have seen in your life watching TV or whatever film and all your life, and Clint Eastwood, Scorsese, there`s Halle, there`s Oprah Winfrey, all these different people. It`s just amazing.
HAMMER: In the liner notes for the CD, "Unpredictable," you, of course, thank Oprah Winfrey, and you say, specifically, "You`re the best of life`s promise."
You want to marry her? I mean, what`s the deal here?
FOXX: You know what? If I was going to get married, if I was going to get married, I would get married to Oprah Winfrey. You know why? When you meet her, it`s a complete ride of energy and also her wanting-to- knowness is incredible, because she will ask you questions outside of questions that she asks, you know, on the couch on her show, but just how she -- her thirst for knowledge and then the knowledge that she does have that she shares with you.
During the Oscars, she took me. And I met a man by the name of Sidney Poitier. She took me so I could meet Quincy Jones, people that are in this business that were, you know, standing with their fingers crossed (INAUDIBLE) the Oscars would happen, and she was very instrumental in that. Just an amazing person. (INAUDIBLE)
HAMMER: Another person who has clearly made an indelible impact on your life, Mr. Ray Charles.
FOXX: Yes. Of course.
HAMMER: What`s the most profound lesson you learned from Ray?
(CROSSTALK)
FOXX: ... is just looking at anybody who cannot see is profound. For anyone who is visually impaired like himself, but still to be able to go on and conquer all of these different things and just spit his music out all over the world, and to inspire all of these people years ago to have us pick it up and then re-inspire a generation, even re-inspired Kanye West and myself to, "She take my money, oh, I got a woman way over" -- I mean, to be able to meet a person like that, to play his life, and to see the way it all played out is incredible.
HAMMER: And to hear you bring it to "Gold Digger" like that...
FOXX: Oh, yeah.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: ... sort of bringing it to the next generation.
FOXX: Because what you`re doing is you`re keeping that alive.
HAMMER: A lot of people are saying your buddy has the best album of 2005.
FOXX: It`s crazy.
HAMMER: How does that make you feel?
FOXX: That album is crazy. (INAUDIBLE) I`m going to tell you, that young man is very talented. And I had to thank him for ushering me back in into the music in an incredible and young way.
HAMMER: And to be clear, for people who may not know your history with music, the Jamie Foxx album is not a vanity product. This is not extending the Jamie Foxx brand.
FOXX: Not, not even close.
HAMMER: You were very serious about it. And people are taking you very seriously.
FOXX: Yes, yes, yes. What I had to do was take my time. The one thing I wanted to do was just have a musical album.
HAMMER: 2006, you have a lot to look forward to, as well.
FOXX: Yes.
HAMMER: The "Miami Vice" movie coming out..
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: ... essence of cool.
FOXX: Oh, man. Incredible. This movie, it already has a trailer out right now. And people are responding to it like it`s going to open up like gangbusters, myself, Colin Farrell, Michael Mann at the helm as a director, this is going to be a wonderful, wonderful ride.
HAMMER: And do you get to drive that Cadillac convertible?
FOXX: Oh, no, no, no...
HAMMER: What`s your ride? What`s your ride?
FOXX: I don`t have a ride in here.
HAMMER: No way.
FOXX: No, no. It`s a different type of flow. It`s going to blow your socks off.
HAMMER: Colin Farrell, of course, plays James Crockett. Colin, unfortunately, been in the news lately, had to go to into a little stint in rehab.
FOXX: That`s what they say, but I don`t -- that`s not...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Have you been in touch with him at all or...
FOXX: But to be honest with you, to dispel some of those rumors, is not -- it wasn`t any...
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: And the rumors you`re speaking of is people were saying there was a lot of partying going on.
(CROSSTALK)
FOXX: Not at all. We didn`t have time.
HAMMER: Wasn`t the deal, huh?
FOXX: We didn`t have time. For one, the hurricanes got us backed up. But it was really none of that. I mean, Colin was there with his two sisters, there with his mom and his father. So there was no time for any of that. And we were working, like, all night. So we didn`t have no time to go out at night. That`s what we were mad about it, like, "Yo, we can`t even get out."
(CROSSTALK)
FOXX: So we would always hear all of these crazy stories, man. And the guy`s great. He`s moving on to another project.
HAMMER: You haven`t spoken with him since all these stories...
(CROSSTALK)
FOXX: Oh, I speak with him all the time. It`s all good.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: I believe we can expect some big chart success from Jamie`s new album, "Unpredictable." It is in stores now. Jamie told me that he`s particularly proud of the song, "Wish U Were Here." He wrote that for his grandmother who passed away right before the Oscars last year.
VARGAS: Well, time now for the "Legal Lowdown," a look at what`s going on in the world of entertainment legal news. On the docket tonight, a startling decision from a judge who`s ordering late-night show host David Letterman to stay away from an obsessed fan.
A woman is claiming Letterman is using code words and gestures on TV to seduce her. Now, Letterman`s lawyers are fighting back.
And it`s her prerogative. And tonight, Britney Spears is using it. The pop star is suing "US Weekly" magazine for $20 million for publishing a story reporting that Britney and her husband made a sex tape.
Joining us live from Glendale, California, is Harvey Levin, managing editor of entertainment news site TMZ.com.
Let`s talk about Britney Spears. What is going on here? What are these reports exactly?
HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: She is ticked off. She says that "US Weekly" maliciously defamed her by saying that she and Kevin Federline made a sex tape last year, and this is before she had the baby, and that she got really worried that a member of her entourage might have gotten hold of this tape, so she allegedly went to an estate planning lawyer that she had and showed him the tape to try and do some kind of damage control.
I mean, what`s kind of interesting about this, Marty Singer, who is great lawyer who is representing Britney Spears and is suing now for $20 million, suing "US Weekly," he says this whole thing -- this whole thing -- was fabricated and that there was never a sex tape, there was never a lawyer, the way this was described. And he said it was a campaign to basically tar and feather Britney Spears. And she has had it.
VARGAS: But "US Weekly," I mean, is standing by this story. So what`s going on here?
LEVIN: Well, you know, they`re standing by the story. And, ultimately, Sibila, a jury is going to have to decide. I mean, the first thing they have to decide is, is there a sex tape? And it`s really "US Weekly`s" job to produce this tape.
If they can`t produce it -- and Britney says it doesn`t exist -- they might have a problem. And then, because she`s a celebrity, Marty Singer, her lawyer, has to prove that "US Weekly" published this and refused to retract it with malicious intent. That`s a pretty high standard.
VARGAS: Now, let`s get to this David Letterman story. I mean, this is a woman who is putting a restraining order against David Letterman. Now, she doesn`t live in his state. Does she have a case?
LEVIN: It is absolutely bizarre to me. And clearly, David Letterman`s lawyers think that he does not have a case here. In fact, they`re arguing that -- they`re going back into court saying that the order is without a merit. They`re asking that the order be quashed.
I mean, frankly, when I first read this earlier today, Sibila, I thought that it was a typo. I thought it had to be that David Letterman is the one who got the restraining order. But...
VARGAS: I felt exactly the same. That`s what I thought, I mean, because, you know, this is sort of something that`s happened to him.
LEVIN: Look, sometimes what happens with restraining orders is somebody goes into court without the other side being there, and the judge kind of takes it on its face to be true, and then holds the hearing later on. So if she went into court and made this wild allegation against David Letterman that went unrebutted, you know, it could have been that a gullible judge bought it hook, line and sinker.
VARGAS: I know. This is incredible. You know, this is his reputation on the line, but this sounds outrageous, for sure.
LEVIN: Well, my money is on Dave, if it`s reputation here.
VARGAS: Well, thank you, Harvey Levin, from TMZ.com, live from Glendale, California. Thank you for shedding some light.
LEVIN: See you, Sibila.
HAMMER: My money`s on Dave, too.
Well, there is still some time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day," which is Elton John gets married: Should gay marriage be legal? Vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. Write to us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of your e-mails live, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Eminem at the top of the brand-new Billboard Top 200 chart. In the weekly list of the best-selling albums just out today, the rapper`s "Curtain Call," a greatest hits collection, holding the number-one spot for the second week in a row. "American Idol" winner Carrie Underwood jumps back into second place with her debut, "Some Hearts." The compilation, "Now! That`s What I Call Music Volume 20" is in third place.
Bo Bice, runner-up to Carrie Underwood, debuts in fourth place with "The Real Things." And Kenny Chesney`s "The Road and the Radio" rounds out the top five.
VARGAS: Well, we`ve been asking you to vote online for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Elton John gets married: Should gay marriages be legal? The vote so far: 62 percent of you say yes; 38 percent of you say no.
Passionate e-mails on the subject. Ari from Kansas writes, "I don`t think same-sex marriages should be legalized because, to me, it`s immoral. Think about how their kids will grow up."
And Jay from Oklahoma writes, "Gay marriages should be legal. After all, they are just the same as everyone else, except for who they love."
Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight.
HAMMER: To find out what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow, we take a look at our "Showbiz Marquee" with the Marquee Guy. Take it away.
MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, he`s jolly, he travels with cute reindeer, and even gives out presents all over the world, but some are actually scared of Santa. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT heads to the North Pole to investigate this crying over Kris Kringle, tomorrow.
And speaking of crying kids, Friday SHOWBIZ TONIGHT examines what bugs you about going to the movies. Plus, the battles that are brewing over new films, from Steven Spielberg to "The Da Vinci Code." We`re calling it "Reel Controversy," Friday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
This is the Marquee Guy, and I really hate those sticky theater floors. Can we get a mop here, please?
HAMMER: A mop, and you need somebody to take the gum up.
VARGAS: Yes, but sticky floors, though?
HAMMER: A big problem to me. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I am A.J. Hammer.
VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.
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