Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Silent No More; Russell Crowe`s Rage; Interview With Actor Michael Clarke Duncan; Hollywood Weight Watch
Aired September 25, 2006 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Another Mel Gibson controversy. And this time, instead of going off on Jews, he`s going off on the war in Iraq.
I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: And Russell Crowe tells me why he`s so angry about a report that he`ll play the late ""Crocodile Hunter"" Steve Irwin in a movie.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, anxiety and depression in Hollywood. Clay Aiken, Brooke Shields, Lorraine Bracco, Hollywood`s biggest stars speaking publicly about a once taboo topic: painful battles with mental illness.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the controversial growing trend of stars talking about their shrinks.
The Hollywood weight watch. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals the personal struggles of stars trying to lose weight and keep the pounds off.
MEGAN MULLALLY, ACTRESS: Who cares? You know? It`s more important who you are on the inside than what you look like on the outside.
HAMMER: Tonight, the emotional and revealing interviews. How the best-known celebs deal with the nonstop pressure to stay thin.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT kicks off a special weeklong series, "The Hollywood Weight Watch."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And look out! Are you ready for Russell`s rage?
In a powerful interview with me today that you have just got to see to believe, Russell Crowe told me that he is absolutely furious over a report that says he is going to be playing his friend, the late ""Crocodile Hunter"," Steve Irwin, in an upcoming movie.
Hear for yourself in just a few minutes.
ANDERSON: But first tonight, A.J., Clay Aiken and the mental health factor. Clay Aiken has revealed he goes through what so many people do, constant battles with anxiety that can be overwhelming. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that mental health is something that some of Hollywood`s biggest stars are now openly talking about.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON (voice over): Stars like Clay Aiken and Rosie O`Donnell are talking about it
ROSIE O`DONNELL, "THE VIEW": So you got a little bit of a panic attack thing, which I have, too, frankly.
ANDERSON: And stars like Tom Cruise are arguing about it on the "Today" show.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: The antidepressant, all it does is mask the problem.
ANDERSON: What they are talking about are mental disorders, such as depression or anxiety, and antidepressants, the kind of thing that at one time affected millions of Americans who had to suffer in silence. Well, now they`re silent no more, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that from Clay Aiken to Brooke Shields to even Tony Soprano...
LORRAINE BRACCO, ACTRESS, "THE SOPRANOS": I find it interesting you would say that.
ANDERSON: ... Hollywood is talking about mental health issue like never before.
COOPER LAWRENCE, DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGIST: We`re really seeing how celebrities are really mirroring what`s going on in society.
ANDERSON: As Clay Aiken promotes his new album, he`s now opening up about his sometimes paralyzing struggle with anxiety. A struggle that seemed to grow along with his blockbuster career that began after "American Idol."
On "The View," Clay got support from Rosie O`Donnell, who says she has also taken antidepressants.
O`DONNELL: I am, too, and there are millions of Americans who do it. And you have to realize, if the car runs out of oil, the engine is going to cease (ph). So you need to get the oil in there to get things moving. So, you know, you never have to apologize for that.
People say to me, "What are you on?" The answer is actually irrelevant. It`s like eyeglass prescriptions. You have to find what is the right one for you by going to a good doctor.
LAWRENCE: It`s very helpful to see a celebrity talking about anything going on in their lives.
ANDERSON: Developmental psychologist Cooper Lawrence tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the openness we`ve seen from Aiken and other celebs can dramatically help fans grappling with those same troubles.
LAWRENCE: There`s growing evidence that celebrity worship is linked to your personal feelings. Well, now they`re going through OCD, they`re going through depression, they`re going through anxiety disorder? So am I. OK, if they`re going through it and they`re seeking help, maybe I`ll go do that, too.
So it desensitizes it. And people that really need the help might be more apt to feel like they can go get the help.
BRACCO, "THE SOPRANOS": You can let go of your pride.
ANDERSON: Lorraine Bracco, who ironically plays a psychiatrist on "The Sopranos," told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about her battle with depression.
BRACCO: I felt that I was constantly in a fighting mode. I mean, I was constantly putting out fires.
ANDERSON: Rick Springfield and Patty Duke have also gone public with their psychological struggles.
But Dr. Lawrence tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that celebrities can give the wrong message.
LAWRENCE: The negative side to it is the fact that people start to diagnosis themselves. They feel like, well, if Clay Aiken has it, I must have it, too, because I can relate to him. So the downside is the fact that you start to personalize what they`re going through when you might not need those drugs at all.
ANDERSON: Brooke Shields is a prime example of how a celebrity can spur public debate about depression. The actress went public with her struggle with postpartum depression. She even spoke to me about it.
BROOKE SHIELDS, ACTRESS: I wrote a book about it, and as well as the postpartum depression. I felt the need to at least just not stand on any kind of a soap box but just say, hey, listen, this is my story. If there`s anything in this that you find familiar, you might find this a good place to start in feeling not alone.
ANDERSON: As we all know, the Tom Cruise bomb dropped.
CRUISE: I`ve never agreed with psychiatry.
ANDERSON: In a now infamous "Today" show interview, Tom Cruise ripped Brooke Shields for taking antidepressants.
CRUISE: I`m saying that drugs aren`t the answer. That these drugs are very dangerous. They`re mind-altering antipsychotic drugs. And there are ways of doing that without that so that we don`t end up in a brave new world.
The thing that I`m saying about Brooke is that there`s misinformation. OK?
ANDERSON: Cruise later apologized to Brooke, but the whole exchange sparked a public discussion about postpartum depression that Dr. Lawrence says wasn`t entirely helpful.
LAWRENCE: The danger part of that was, people that admire him were going, this drug is not good and I might be experiencing this, but I`m not going to use drugs, whereas, that`s not what technology says. And you want to go -- you want to talk to your doctor. You don`t want to listen to Tom Cruise.
ANDERSON: Still, as more stars continue to speak out about their own personal demons, they can provide assurance and inspiration to their fans.
LAWRENCE: It`s just nice to see that it`s not this Hollywood idea that we have to keep a perfect image. Now it`s, we`re just like you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And as we all know, depression is not just a Hollywood problem. An estimated 15 million Americans suffer from it, and doctors write 123 million prescriptions for antidepressants each year.
While as you just heard, Clay Aiken openly talked about his struggles with anxiety, he reacted sometimes angrily when he was questioned about rumors that he is gay. Let me tell you, we were absolutely swamped with e- mails when we asked our "Question of the Day," which was, Clay Aiken, is it wrong to ask him questions about his sexuality?
An overwhelming 79 percent of you said, yes, it is wrong. Only 21 percent of you said no.
We`re going to be reading some of your e-mails a little later on in the show, and it`s worth noting how many of you asked that we reiterate that Clay outright denied being gay in an interview with "Rolling Stone" magazine a few years ago.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Russell Crowe is absolutely furious about reports that say he may play Steve Irwin in a movie about the late "Crocodile Hunter." Crowe was a good friend of his fellow Australian who died earlier this month after being attacked by a stingray while shooting one of his TV specials.
At Irwin`s memorial service in Australia last week, they played an emotional and powerful taped tribute to Irwin from Crowe. Well, to say Crowe is upset about all the movie talk might be an understatement. Listen to what he told me today during an interview to promote his upcoming movie "A Good Year."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUSSELL CROWE, ACTOR: I mean, there`s a story going around at the moment that I`m currently negotiating to do a film on Steve Irwin`s life.
HAMMER: Tell me about it.
CROWE: This is my friend.
HAMMER: Yes.
CROWE: All right? He just died. We`ve dealt with his funeral, we`ve dealt with a memorial to him. You know?
I`m not doing business over the grave of my friend. I find that appalling. But, you know, that`s not just in the tabloid. That`s in "The Guardian," it`s in "The New York Times." Understand? Absolutely disgusting.
HAMMER: I want to ask you about Steve, because obviously we saw you partake in his memorial service, which -- which certainly was extraordinary and...
CROWE: It was a very difficult thing to do.
HAMMER: ... befitting...
CROWE: Thousands of miles away, you know? And I`m filming this thing, you know, to a video camera, and I know it`s being -- going to be watched by his family and by his kids, you know, trying to reach through that camera across those miles and tell his kids that the last possible thing that their dad would have ever wanted was to leave them. You know? And that`s what I would hope that my friends would take -- make the effort to say to my children if that should ever befall me.
You know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Crowe also had something else to get off his mind, what he thinks of the media. It`s now been over a year since he was arrested in New York City for allegedly throwing a phone at a hotel worker. Crowe pleaded guilty and paid a fine.
And I asked Crowe what he thought of how the media has treated him since then.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CROWE: I think that`s the sort of facile end of it. I don`t think that there is such a thing as a fair shake in the media, the way it exists now.
I think -- I think it`s rotten to the core. I think it`s full of a whole bunch of people who write late into the night while drinking themselves into oblivion. And I think it`s a very nasty situation that we`ve got ourselves in the world, where you cannot go to a news source and reliably be told the truth.
And the fact that a lot of people work in the media don`t actually think that that`s part of their job. You know, just turning up and making sure that they file when they`re supposed to file. That`s their job.
HAMMER: So the integrity is shot?
CROWE: Truth, justice, integrity, none of these things are actually co-joined. They`ve all been separated.
HAMMER: And the line gets crossed more often than not?
CROWE: The line gets crossed 99 percent of the time now. You know?
And that`s -- you know, this incident we`re talking about was $160 fine. Have you got...
HAMMER: Blown a little -- blown a little out of proportion.
CROWE: A little out of proportion. You know, quite a few trees died to tell, you know, a larger tale. And it`s a $160 fine. That`s the reality, folks. Yes.
You know, I lost my temper, I apologized for it. You know? We can all move on now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, just a couple of weeks ago Crowe was actually back in that same New York City courtroom where he pleaded guilty a year ago, but this time it was to shoot a scene for a movie "American Gangster," that he`s starring in, along with Denzel Washington.
His latest movie is terrific. It`s called "A Good Year," and it will be in theaters November 10th.
ANDERSON: The ridiculous and, honestly, disgusting way a magazine went about looking for widows whose husbands had died in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Plus, we`ve also got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MULLALLY: Who cares? You know? It`s more important who you are on the inside than what you look like on the outside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "The Hollywood Weight Watch." All this week, stars like Megan Mullally reveal their very personal struggle to shed pounds.
We`re going to kick off this special SHOWBIZ TONIGHT series coming up next with Michael Clarke Duncan and how he lost -- get this -- 90 pounds.
ANDERSON: And Justin Guarini. Remember him? He was the "American Idol" runner up to Kelly Clarkson in the very first season. We found him and we know what he`s up to now. And you will, too, still to come.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. For Monday night, this is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
It`s time now for a story that made us say, "That`s ridiculous!"
Not only is this story ridiculous, it`s actually downright awful. "The Independent," which is a British newspaper, is reporting that a writer for "Glamour" magazine made a shocking request while researching a story about women who had lost their husbands in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Now, this writer supposedly sent a letter to the group Military Families Against the War, looking for widows who were "photogenic." Are you with me on this? The group declined, and British "Glamour," the editor there, has since apologized.
Brooke, really just a terrible premise
ANDERSON: How insensitive. You know that the recipients of that e- mail were just horrified and disgusted, and rightfully so. And part of that e-mail request, A.J., said, you know, "`Glamour` is very looks- conscious. So at the risk of sounding ridiculous, they need to be photogenic."
So that`s why we`re talking about it, because it is ridiculous.
HAMMER: Yes, looking for widows who -- you know, based on their looks, in any case, "That`s ridiculous!"
ANDERSON: Yes. Yes it is.
All right.
All this week on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, we`re bringing you a special series on the personal struggles of stars trying to lose weight and the battle to stay thin. We`re calling it "The Hollywood Weight Watch."
Today on "Oprah," Janet Jackson reveals how she wasn`t too happy with the things people were saying about her while she was bigger and how she actually shed the weight after packing on more than 60 pounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JANET JACKSON, SINGER: It was very uncomfortable for me. I mean, I think -- maybe some people are OK with it, but for me, I`m not very -- I`m only 5`4", you guys, and it was a lot of weight on my joints.
The only time I felt OK is when I was sleeping, because I was lying down. I took supplements. No -- no fat burner. I didn`t -- I`ve done that before, don`t get me wrong. It upsets me sometimes when people say, "Oh, did you do the surgery" or what is it called, the bypass?
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Yes.
JACKSON: Because I really worked hard at it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Janet says she tipped 180 on the scale at one point, the most she`s ever weighed, packing it on for a movie role, which by the way, she had to pull out of due to scheduling issues.
And we`ve got a lot more on "The Hollywood Weight Watch" all this week right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tomorrow, we`ll hear more from Janet Jackson on her battle of the bulge. We go one-on-one with her. And then later this week, Kate Winslet and Jennifer Love Hewitt on their struggles to stay thin and to stay healthy.
It`s a very special series about something many of us can relate to. "The Hollywood Weight Watch," all this week on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Well, Michael Clarke Duncan certainly knows a thing or two about slimming down. That`s because Hollywood`s gentle giant lost a whopping 90 pounds. That`s like an entire Nicole Richie.
In his new movie, "School for Scoundrels," Duncan co-stars with Billy Bob Thornton. Michael Clarke Duncan joining us here in New York.
Welcome back, man
MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN, ACTOR: How you doing, man?
HAMMER: Look at you. Unbelievable.
DUNCAN: Good. I feel good, though. I feel good.
HAMMER: So wait a second. I just said that you lost 90 pounds.
DUNCAN: Yes.
HAMMER: You weighed in around 360, I guess it was just over a year ago.
DUNCAN: Yes.
HAMMER: So it must have been the last time we saw you here in person.
DUNCAN: Yes. Yes.
HAMMER: And you had some kind of an epiphany that caused you to go on the weight-losing thing?
DUNCAN: You know what it was? I went to the doctor. And usually him and I are joking around, having fun, and laughing and stuff.
HAMMER: Sure.
DUNCAN: And he walked in the room after doing a battery of tests on me and he just had this look on his face. And when he sat down he just stared at me. And he said, "Can I be honest with you?" And I said, "No." I said, "You don`t have to say anything."
HAMMER: You didn`t want to hear it.
DUNCAN: I didn`t want to hear it.
HAMMER: Didn`t want to know.
DUNCAN: He just did not look right and I knew what he had to say I would not want to know.
HAMMER: So you decided at that moment...
DUNCAN: I said, "I know exactly what I have to do." And at that moment I changed everything, and I came back a year later. And he said, "You got it." And I said, "Thank you."
HAMMER: And 90 pounds. Getting back to that weight that we first got to know you, I guess, when you were in "The Green Mile"...
DUNCAN: Yes.
HAMMER: ... probably closer to that particular weight.
DUNCAN: Right there.
HAMMER: Now, here`s the thing, Michael. A lot of people when they need to shed the pounds, they will go to the gym. They`ll take classes. But they don`t go out and buy a truck tire. Can you explain this to me? What did you do?
DUNCAN: You know what? It was an unusual thing for me because I have a gym in my home. And it just gets so monotonous going down there and doing this. You`re standing in one position or you`re doing this.
I needed something to stimulate my body. So I thought of this idea. I took this big tractor trailer tire and I bought a 12-pound sledgehammer, and I go out on my basketball court and I would just beat it to death. Like 50 teams to the right, 50 times to the left, and 50 times overhead. Then I`d pick it up with one hand and run the length of the court and back.
HAMMER: How much does this tire weigh?
DUNCAN: It ways well over 100 pounds.
HAMMER: Well, that will help you lose some weight, won`t it?
DUNCAN: Yes, it will, man.
HAMMER: Wow.
DUNCAN: And by the time that 20 minutes is up, you`re running with this tire and everything, you`re exhausted.
HAMMER: Now, I`ve got to say, obviously that`s going to buildup your flexibility as well.
DUNCAN: Yes.
HAMMER: But, you know, when you visited us a year ago you were a pretty flexible guy.
DUNCAN: Was I really?
HAMMER: Yes. Well, take a look at this, Michael.
DUNCAN: Let me see.
HAMMER: We have a little piece of video we want to show you from a year ago on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DUNCAN: I can almost get a split. Next time I come back...
ANDERSON: Can we see that actually?
DUNCAN: I can almost get a split. I can almost do a split.
ANDERSON: Can we see the split?
DUNCAN: Watch this. Watch this. I can get down pretty far.
ANDERSON: Yes?
DUNCAN: Pretty -- I can go all -- all the way.
ANDERSON: Whoa. I`m impressed.
DUNCAN: I`m pretty flexible. I am pretty flexible.
ANDERSON: You are pretty flexible. Well, you look great.
DUNCAN: If I didn`t have these pants on, I`d go down further.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So that -- it was the pants.
DUNCAN: It was the pants.
HAMMER: It was not the flexibility at all.
DUNCAN: No, because, see, if I had on some biker pants...
HAMMER: Yes.
DUNCAN: ... oh, man, I`m like Nadia Comaneci or somebody. You just don`t know. I could be in the Olympics.
HAMMER: Let me ask you this, Michael. Do you ever wear the biker pants? I don`t see that on you.
DUNCAN: At the park when I do my sprints I do wear the biker pants.
HAMMER: OK. Custom made, I imagine.
DUNCAN: I have to -- yes, they are kind of custom made. Not in New York, though. That`s a Hollywood thing.
HAMMER: Well, at least you have a good time.
DUNCAN: Yes.
HAMMER: You guys are clearly having a good time in your new film with Billy Bob Thornton.
DUNCAN: Yes.
HAMMER: "School for Scoundrels." This is your first comedy. It`s so great to see you in this kind of a role.
Billy Bob is playing this professor, basically a class for gaining confidence for guys who are just essentially losers.
DUNCAN: Yes.
HAMMER: And you`re his assistant.
DUNCAN: Yes.
HAMMER: In the movie and in the course of making the movie, I`m guessing that you picked up some good dispensable advice for guys. Let`s say, you know, a guy came up to you and says, "You know, I`m afraid to walk up to a woman in bar. I have no confidence at all."
What`s the best piece of advice you have from your experience making this?
DUNCAN: Be yourself. Be yourself. Women will love a guy that`s just him.
If he`s a nerd, be a nerd. Ask a beautiful model out. You never know. Women like that.
If you go up and you`re trying to be somebody that you`re not, six months down the line you`re going reveal your true self anyway. And she`s probably not going to not like you. So it`s going to be over with anyway.
But if you just be yourself, let a woman know how you feel up front, what your intentions are -- because women ask you, "Well, what do you want to do?" And guys, we get like -- we don`t know what to say.
HAMMER: It`s...
(CROSSTALK)
DUNCAN: You just say, "Well, I`d like to take to you movie and a dinner." And just be honest with the woman. And women love honesty.
But we as guys, we take that from them, because we`re not honest all the time. And that`s deceiving a woman.
HAMMER: I`m guessing, though, you know -- and maybe this is bad, maybe this is stereotyping -- you know, being the big forceful guy that you are, you walk into a room, everybody`s looking at you.
DUNCAN: Right.
HAMMER: You`ve never suffered from a lack of confidence.
DUNCAN: Never. My mother instilled that in me in a young age, to always believe in myself.
All my cars at home I have on the license plates, YCDA. That stands for "You Can Do Anything." My mother taught me that at a young age.
My fifth grade teacher, Ms. Joyce Reynolds (ph), told me, "Michael, you can do anything when you put your mind to it." She said, "But when you don`t want to do something, you just don`t."
And from that moment on I`ve always believed in myself, no matter what the task was.
HAMMER: And look at you now.
DUNCAN: And here I am right here with you.
HAMMER: Michael Clarke Duncan...
DUNCAN: Thank you, man. Thank you.
HAMMER: It`s great to see you. Appreciate it.
"School for Scoundrels" going to be in theaters everywhere this Friday.
ANDERSON: Mel`s mad again. First, Mel Gibson was mad at the Jews. Now he`s furious about the war in Iraq. Wouldn`t it be better if he just kept quiet, though? That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And remember this guy? His name, Justin Guarini. He was the "American Idol" runner-up to Kelly Clarkson in the very first season of the show.
Well, we found him. We know what he`s up to now. And you`ll find out coming up.
We`ve also got this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT DAMON, ACTOR, "THE GOOD SHEPHERD": My orders came through. I`ll be going overseas.
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS, "THE GOOD SHEPHERD": What are you going to do? Are you going to save the world?
DAMON: I`ll do what I can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Angelina Jolie, Matt Damon, Robert De Niro, big names in a big movie about a secret society. It`s no secret, though. We`ve got your first look coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tomorrow, Joy Behar is here. The co-host of "The View" is trying her hand at children`s books, and her first one has a very unusual title. I`m going to give this a shot here... "Sheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog."
That`s the title. We`re going to find out what`s up with that tomorrow.
HAMMER: Yikes.
Well, it seems that Dog Chapman is throwing the Mexican government a bone to avoid being shipped back there to face criminal charges. His lawyer says Dog would apologize, pay a fine and make a contribution to a charity to avoid extradition.
The Dog, star of a hit reality series on A&E, was arrested in Hawaii in connection with rounding up convicted rapist and heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune, Andrew Luster, in Mexico back in 2003. Bounty hunting is a crime south of the border. Luster is now serving 124 years for raping three women.
ANDERSON: Mel`s mad again. First, Mel Gibson went on a rant against Jews. Now he`s furious about the war in Iraq. But wouldn`t it be better if he just kept quiet?
That`s coming up.
HAMMER: And remember this guy, Justin Guarini, "American Idol" runner-up to Kelly Clarkson? Well, we have found him, we know what he`s up to. And he`s going to join us coming up in a bit.
We`ve also got this...
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MULLALLY: Who cares? You know? It`s more important who you are on the inside than what you look like on the outside.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: "The Hollywood Weight Watch." Megan Mullally reveals her very personal struggle to stay thin in Hollywood. It`s part of a week-long SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special series.
That`s coming up next. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: So you may remember, Brooke, last week on the program we had a guy who`s trying to get Oprah Winfrey to run for president of the United States of America. How does Oprah feel about the idea of her running? Find out in her words, coming up in just a few minutes.
ANDERSON: Also, A.J., the stars all this week are opening up about their own personal battles with body images. I recently spoke with Megan Mullally on the set of her new talk show, and she really opened up about her own struggle to stay thin in Hollywood, and how she copes with the pressure. That`s coming up.
HAMMER: Lots to talk about there.
But first tonight, more controversial comments by Mel Gibson, this time about the war in Iraq. While promoting his upcoming movie "Apocalypto" in Austin, Texas, Gibson also took the opportunity to criticize the war in Iraq. Here we go again.
With us tonight - there he is - Harvey Levin, managing editor of the entertainment Web site TMZ.com. Harvey joining us from Glendale, California.
Hello, Harvey.
HARVEY LEVIN, TMZ.COM: Hi, A.J.
HAMMER: All right. Let me start off by reading you this little quote from Mel Gibson out of "The Hollywood Reporter," something he said that once again is stirring the pot.
He says - quote - "the precursors to a civilization that`s going under are the same time and time again."
Mel basically there comparing the Mayan civilization on the brink of collapse and America`s situation today. He goes on to say: "What`s human sacrifice if not sending guys off to Iraq for no reason?"
Harvey, hasn`t Mel Gibson had enough controversy, between "Passion of the Christ," the drunk-driving arrest and all of those anti-Semitic comments he made in that rant?
LEVIN: Well, I think, A.J., that he needs to create a new controversy to take the attention off the old one.
In this case, he had a drunk-driving arrest that is now legendary, especially with the anti-Semitic rants. And he needs to divert attention. And taking a new issue, the Iraq war, less controversial, and maybe could work.
HAMMER: I - I get what you`re saying, Harvey. But wouldn`t it really be better if he just would shut the heck up and - and just promote his movie? Does he really need to get controversial? Give me a break.
LEVIN: Well, that`s the Tom Cruise theory - that Cruise had controversial statement after statement after statement, and it turned people off.
In this case, Gibson needs to do something so that people don`t automatically go to the DUI.
HAMMER: I got to tell you.
LEVIN: And this could be it.
HAMMER: I got to tell you, you know, after the whole drunk-driving arrest, ant-Semitic rant, he lost a lot of support from - you know, let`s say the Hollywood liberal crowd. And when I - when I heard about these comments, I`m thinking - the cynic in me is saying, Oh, maybe he`s trying to win those people back.
LEVIN: Well, that`s a good point. I mean, maybe he is. That`s certainly a friendly issue in Hollywood.
He got a standing ovation by a lot of people when he addressed the crowd there. So Gibson still has support.
HAMMER: All right. Let`s move on to David Hasselhoff, and a story you guys have been covering over there at TMZ. He allegedly called 911 to report that his younger daughter committed suicide, which seems very extreme, particularly given the fact that now his ex-wife is telling TMZ - if I have this correct - that he lied to the cops?
LEVIN: Yes, he had.
HAMMER: What`s going on?
LEVIN: .basically, at least according to his wife - that he had called in and said the daughter attempted suicide. Now the cops tell me that David Hassel - Hasselhoff did indeed make that phone call. He denies it. He says he was real upset. He heard that his daughter had cut herself, and the 911 operator may have misinterpreted it.
But there is a dogfight going on in this divorce right now. There is stuff that I can`t talk about. But I can tell you, this family is just in turmoil right now.
HAMMER: Harvey, you`re not allowed to say "there`s stuff I can`t talk about right now."
LEVIN: I mean, I - what I`m trying to do is - is not mislead in this case.
HAMMEER: OK.
LEVIN: David Hasselhoff has his position; the wife has hers. The truth could lie somewhere in the middle here.
HAMMER: All right. But - but as you said, this has been an ugly, ugly situation, hasn`t it?
LEVIN: It - it`s been about as bad as any celebrity divorce I`ve ever seen.
HAMMER: All right, Harvey. Well, thanks for keeping us up-to-date on it. Harvey Levin from TMZ.com, appreciate it.
LEVIN: Sure.
ANDERSON: Now part of our SHOWBIZ special report: "Hollywood Weight Watch."
The pressure to be thin in Hollywood is extreme. And star after star says it`s a pressure that can lead to trouble.
I was on the set of Megan Mullally`s new talk show, and we got to talking, and it turned out she had plenty to say on the issue.
Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Well I`ve read something really interesting, Megan, in the new issue of "Self" magazine.
MEGAN MULLALLY, TALK SHOW HOST: Oh, yes.
ANDERSON: It was very revealing - a revealing interview. And in it, you say that when you moved.
MULLALLY: (INAUDIBLE)
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: But you say when you moved to L.A., you really struggled with body image for awhile.
MULLALLY: Yes. I wouldn`t say that I struggled with, and I wouldn`t say that I had any more problem with it than any other female that I`ve literally ever known who`s moved out here.
This is - you know, just living in our culture anywhere I think in the United States, and now it`s starting to bleed out to other countries, unfortunately - our healthy influence.
You know, it`s - it`s tough. I mean, men are - men have it now. You know, it`s called manorexia (ph).
ANDERSON: Yes, it is.
MULLALLY: I mean, it`s bad. You know, we laugh about it, but it`s a bummer. Every woman I`ve ever known that`s moved out here - I knew women that were, like, couldn`t have cared less about their hair or their body or anything. But around here, bulimic, or, you know, whatever it is. Thank God I never had any of those things.
But all I`m trying to say is, Who cares, you know? It`s more important who you are on the inside than what you look like on the outside. I`m not saying weight 500 pounds and, you know, put your health at risk. I`m just saying, if you`re not a Size 2 - guess what? It doesn`t mean anything at all.
ANDERSON: Why do you think the pressures are so intense in Hollywood, and - and the message - what do you think about the message that it`s sending to people everywhere, especially young men and women?
MULLALLY: Well, that`s what I mean. I mean, the emphasis - that is the message. The emphasis - the - the message that`s getting sent out is that what really matters is what you look like, rather than who you are on the inside. And it`s - that`s - it`s the opposite.
ANDERSON: Yes. You said you were going to, like, two aerobics classes a day. And then one day, it just clicked, didn`t it?
MULLALLY: Well, yes.
I had been a dancer growing up. So I already had a certain awareness of that. But you know what? When I was a dancer, I was healthy mentally about it. Like, you know, I wanted to be in shape. But it wasn`t based on anything about our culture, any kind of pressure.
But then I think, you know, when I moved out here - Los Angeles is probably the worst city for that. Because everybody is - I mean, even in New York - I`ll go to New York or any other city in the country - I mean, you would think New York would be just as bad. But even in New York, I walk down the street, and I`m like, I`m hot. But here, you know, you just feel - and this - you know, I hear this from all women, you know? You know, I hear it from gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous women who come to Los Angeles and feel like, you know.
ANDERSON: And especially in your business, the pressure is so intense - in television and film and.
MULLALLY: Yes. But see now, it`s spreading from just actresses to actors to secretaries to plumbers. I mean, everybody`s getting it, which is not good.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Megan Mullally and I also talked about plastic surgery. She told me that the Hollywood culture puts pressure on people to look like they`re 10 when they`re 75, and it`s just not possible. She said she doesn`t make any judgments when people get plastic surgery, but she finds it beautiful when people don`t get work done and are powerful and strong.
HAMMER: Well, Paul McCartney says things are going well even though he`s going through a divorce from Heather Mills right now. The former Beatle spoke in London today about his new classical album.
At a news conference, McCartney didn`t address the divorce specifically. But he did say that music helped him keep going over the past few months.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAUL MCCARTNEY, MUSICIAN: Yes, I`m doing fine, thank you. It`s OK. I`m enjoying music, as I said to the last questioner. It`s something I love to do. It`s something that sustains me.
And so I`m enjoying it, yes. I`m enjoying finishing this project up. And I`m on to the next one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Paul McCartney`s new album is called "Ecce Cor Meum" - "behold my heart." It took him eight years to finish, and he says that it contains a lot of his feelings for his first wife, Linda.
ANDERSON: For the first time in 15 years, singer George Michael is on a solo tour, and he is once again stirring up controversy. About 18,000 people showed up to the first night of Michael`s "Live 25" concert tour in Barcelona, Spain. During the performance of the anti-President Bush song "Shoot the Dog," Michael was joined on stage by a 50-foot blow-up doll of the president. Michael sang songs spanning his career, going all the way back to his days in Wham!
HAMMER: Wake me up before you go-go.
We want to remind you that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now on seven nights a week. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show can be seen on your weekends. So join us for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Monday through Friday, and Saturday and Sunday. That`s every night, 11 p.m. Eastern, 8 Pacific.
ANDERSON: So why did the prime minister call a press conference to talk about ducks? It`s a very strange story, and it`s next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Quack.
Plus, Oprah speaks out about the guy who wants her to run for president. And she has a few choice words for her lawyers as well. What she said, coming up.
We`ll also have this:
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT DAMON, ACTOR: If my orders came through, I`d be going overseas.
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: What are you going to do? Are you going to save the world?
DAMON: I`ll do what I can.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie lead a star-studded cast in "The Good Shepherd." We have your very first look coming up in the "SHOWBIZ Showcase."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pre (ph), stand by, A.J. Open his mike, and dissolve 1. Go.
HAMMER: Well, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
It`s time now for another story that made us say - guys?
GROUP: "That`s Ridiculous!"
HAMMER: Now let`s say you`re a beleaguered leader of a crumbling government. You call a press conference. And reporters are expecting an announcement about the future.
Well, that is the situation that Poland`s prime minister found himself in over the weekend. He called a news conference, and he used the opportunity to remind people to feed the ducks. That`s right; he introduced a duck as his campaign mascot. It turns out the Polish word for "duck" is a play on the prime minister`s last name. And he called on all Poles to feed the ducks as winter approaches.
Now Brooke, the truth is, the ducks need to be fed.
ANDERSON: Well, they do. They do. And, you know, hopefully they will be well fed, no matter what else what happens, even if the government, God forbid, crumbled. Who knows? But.
HAMMER: What do you - what do you think of that?
ANDERSON: Very important for him. But everyone was baffled, right?
HAMMER: I guess they were.
But that`s why we have to say, Using your press conference to remind people to feed the ducks - "That`s Ridiculous!" Riduckulous! (ph) (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON: Riduckulous!
OK, moving now to Oprah Winfrey. She says her lawyers jumped the gun in going after the man who wants her to be president. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been telling you about Patrick Crowe`s grassroots campaign to get Oprah to run for president, and that Oprah`s lawyer sent him a letter demanding that he take her picture off his Web site.
In an interview with CNN`s Larry King, Oprah says her lawyers overreacted.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, CNN HOST: Any comment on this movement to make you president?
OPRAH WINFREY, TALK SHOW HOST: Is there a movement?
L. KING: This guy`s got a movement.
WINFREY: I don`t know if that`s a movement or not.
L. KING: He`s got a Web site.
WINFREY: You know what I would say to him? I would say, take your energy and put it in Barack Obama. That`s what I would say.
L. KING: Is that your favorite?
WINFREY: That would be my favorite guy. So I would -- I`m going to call -- I tried to call this guy, Mr. Mann (ph), the other day. Mr. Mann?
GAYLE KING, OPRAH`S BEST FRIEND: Mr. Crowe.
WINFREY: Mr. Crowe, the other day -- in Kansas City, because my -- my attorneys had sent him a letter, and they should not have sent that letter. You know...
L. KING: (INAUDIBLE) You can do whatever you want.
WINFREY: But you know how attorneys are. They just love "cease and desist."
G. KING: Very legalese.
WINFREY: Yes, and I -- I didn`t appreciate that my attorneys did that.
L. KING: Are you .
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Crowe was on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT last week. He told us the legal attention wouldn`t stop him anyway.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PATRICK CROWE, OPRAH FOR PRESIDENT: Well, I - I see no reason in - in the political scheme of things that one isn`t free to ask a person to run for president. Most people that I tell about this think she would be flattered, just like almost anybody would. But further, they go on to say, in the very beginning, most folks who are asked say, Oh, no. It would seem immodest to do this.
But once the groundswell reaches a certain point, we think she`ll have the "ah-ha" moment, and she will run.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He is just so cute!
Other Oprah news today - today "Oprah and Friends" launched on XM Satellite Radio. The channel features stars and experts from the "Oprah" show as hosts, including poet Maya Angelou and designer Nate Birkhead (ph).
HAMMER: Well, in tonight`s "SHOWBIZ Showcase," "The Good Shepherd." It`s got an A-list cast - Matt Damon`s in this thing; Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro as well. And in it, Damon plays a young who`s recruited for a career in a newly founded secret society, the CIA. And as the stress of the Cold War paranoia eats away at him, his dedication to his work begins to threaten everything around him.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAMON: My secrets are bigger than others`.
ROBERT DE NIRO, ACTOR: You understand that whatever we discuss here doesn`t leave this room?
DAMON: Of course.
DE NIRO: The president has asked me to look into creating a foreign intelligence service.
DAMON: If my orders came through, I`ll be going overseas.
JOLIE: What are you going to do? Are you going to save the world?
DAMON: I`ll do what I can.
DE NIRO: Welcome to our little clubhouse. You go in there to learn the English system of intelligence.
DAMON: I`m here (INAUDIBLE). How is the fishing?
DE NIRO: Set the mongoose free.
(MUSIC)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gentleman, the CIA.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the last you`ll see Chris (ph).
DE NIRO: No matter what anyone tells you, there`ll be no one you can really trust.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
DAMON: How do I know if I can even trust you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can take the gloves off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tell me your real name.
DAMON: We don`t have to be gentleman anymore.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What is your name?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are the guys who scare me. You`re the people that make big wars.
DAMON: We make sure the wars are small ones.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: First opportunity live through, you`re going to be (INAUDIBLE) like thieves in the night.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Margo (ph) tell us that you work for the CIA.
DAMON: My wife has a vivid imagination.
You are never to tell anyone what it is that I do.
JOLIE: What you do! I don`t know what you do! You leave at 5, you`re home at 10, seven days a week. I live with a ghost!
I don`t know anything about you.
DE NIRO: Why is it that people like us choose to serve for nickels a day in a profession that makes us continually look over our shoulders for who`s watching us?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It isn`t about dedication and loyalty. It`s about belief in what we do.
DAMON: (INAUDIBLE)
DE NIRO: Did you ever?
JOLIE: (INAUDIBLE) have to be strangers.
DE NIRO: Remember what I said to you about (INAUDIBLE)?
DAMON: (INAUDIBLE)
DE NIRO: I used to know how to sew (ph).
(MUSIC)
ANNOUNCER: "The Good Shepherd."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Yes, just in time for Christmas. "The Good Shepherd" is coming to theaters on December 22.
ANDERSON: All right. Who could forget the very first year of "American Idol"? Kelly Clarkson went on to great fame after beating out runner-up Justin Guarini.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CHEERING)
RYAN SEACREST, "AMERICAN IDOL" Kelly Clarkson.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: But whatever happened to Justin and the other idols from Season 1? The new "American Idol Rewind" takes us back and behind the scenes of how it all started.
And with me tonight here in Hollywood is Justin Guarini.
Justin, great to see you.
JUSTIN GUARINI, ENTERTAINER: Good to be seen. Thanks.
ANDERSON: OK, now - good to be seen. It`s been four years since "American Idol."
GUARINI: Sure.
ANDERSON: Four years later, do you think your life is better for it?
GUARINI: Oh, yes. Without a doubt.
No, I - I`ve been working very steadily, four years in the business that I love, which is music. Been doing a lot of charities, gone and done concerts all over the country and - and in Japan and in South America. So.
ANDERSON: You`ve been all over.
GUARINI: I can`t complain. Yes. Yes. I can`t complain.
ANDERSON: Well, looking back, at the time, did you or did anyone else who was involved think that "American Idol" would become such a world - the worldwide phenomenon that it is today?
GUARINI: No. I mean, we had no clue. No, we had no clue. We were just trying to get through it, and have as much as fun as - as we could in the process.
And, you know, I just - I just feel really fortunate that I was on that first season, and, you know, that I got to the end. Because people still walk up to me now and - and are interested in what I`m doing, which in this business, four years later, especially when you haven`t been out there, is - is pretty amazing. Yes.
ANDERSON: Let`s talk about that. (INAUDIBLE) "American Idol Rewind," shall we?
GUARINI: Yes.
ANDERSON: OK. You were on "American Idol." After the show ended, you toured with the "Idol" finalists.
GUARINI: Sure.
ANDERSON: You made a movie with Kelly Clarkson, "From Justin to Kelly."
GUARINI: Yes. Yes.
ANDERSON: You made your first solo album. But then your record label dropped you.
GUARINI: Mm-hmm.
ANDERSON: ."American Idol" wasn`t as supportive as, you know, you may have thought they would have been.
Why do you think things didn`t turn out the way you may have hoped it would have?
GUARINI: Well, I would say "American Idol" was always really supportive. I think that was where I got the most support.
I think the - the one thing that really started to - to sink the ship, I guess to say, was the fact that that first solo album really wasn`t from my heart. It wasn`t me. And there were a lot of people just making decisions for me.
And, you know, I can`t really point any fingers, because I was too na
And - and even more importantly, doing charity work, you know? I`ve done a lot of work for saving music in our schools, feeding children in Third World countries. And - and that`s kind of been the past four and a half years for me. And - and now I`m ready to - to come back out with another album.
ANDERSON: So it`s turned out well for you.
But hindsight is 20/20.
GUARINI: Yes. Yes.
ANDERSON: I mean, would you have done things differently?
GUARINI: No. No. No. No. I wouldn`t. And it - it kind of - it sounds strange, but, you know what? I wouldn`t be the person that I am today. I wouldn`t have learned a myriad of lessons. And, you know, I wouldn`t have the music that I have today, you know, to put out to people.
ANDERSON: And - and on "American Idol Rewind," it takes us back to Season 1.
GUARINI: Yes.
ANDERSON: We see the auditions.
GUARINI: Yes.
ANDERSON: .including yours. We show how we were introduced to the judges. It takes us back to how it all began, how it all ended.
Do you still keep in touch with the Idols? With Kelly Clarkson?
GUARINI: You know what? Kelly is - is probably the only Idol that I really keep in touch with. And obviously, she`s done amazingly well.
And you know what? I`m actually looking forward to performing tomorrow night at the "Idol Rewind" premiere, because a lot of them are going to be there again. So it`ll be nice to see them.
ANDERSON: You keep in touch with her, but you two don`t have plans for a "From Justin to Kelly" sequel?
(LAUGHTER)
GUARINI: No, but I loved that movie. That was great.
No, but if people want to find out what I do have planned, they can just go to justinguarini.com.
ANDERSON: And that`s where you`re selling your new jazz albums? (INAUDIBLE)
GUARINI: Yes. Yes. Actually, that`s the - yes, that`s the second album that I put out. There`s a new one that I`m working on right now, and that`ll be out on the radio.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Well congratulations for all that you have accomplished.
GUARINI: Thanks.
ANDERSON: Justin Guarini, great to see you again.
GUARINI: Thank you. Thank you.
ANDERSON: And you can catch "American Idol Rewind" starting this Saturday.
HAMMER: I know it`s only Monday, but I want to remind you that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now there for you seven nights a week, on your weekends, as well as Monday through Friday. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show is here for you everyday. So join us, Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday, at 11 p.m. Eastern. That`s 8 Pacific.
On Friday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Here`s our question - it was: "Clay Aiken: Is it wrong to ask him questions about his sexuality?" The votes continue to pour in. Here`s where we`re at so far - really one-sided here: 70 percent of you say "yes"; 30 percent of you say "no."
Here`s some of the e-mails we got.
We heard from Willa in Maryland, who writes: "I don`t believe that any celebrity should be asked about their sexuality. They have a right to privacy."
We also got one from Alice in Texas. Alice writes, "It is rude to ask anyone his sexuality, as it is no one else`s business unless you`re intimately involved with them."
Please continue to vote by getting online at cnn.com/showbiztonight.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote on tonight`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day": "Clay Aiken: Is it wrong to ask him questions about his sexuality?" Keep voting, cnn.com/showbiztonight. Write to us: showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`re going to read some more of your e-mails tomorrow.
HAMMER: Well, let`s find out what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. Here is your "SHOWBIZ Marquee."
And tomorrow on the program, Joy Behar is going to join us. The co- host of "The View" now trying her hand at children`s books. Listen to the title of her first one: "Schitzacacapoopoo (ph): My Kind of Dog." What`s up with that? We`ll ask Joy tomorrow.
Also tomorrow, Ms. Jackson. Janet Jackson is back with a new album and a new figure, and she`s sitting down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to talk about both. Janet joins us tomorrow in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Have a great night, everyone.
Glenn Beck is coming up next. That`s right after the latest headlines from CNN Headline News. Keep it right here.
END
