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Showbiz Tonight
Food Network Star Slammed in NYT Review; Petraeus Speaks Out about Affair; Lindsay Lohan`s Secret Sister; Top Five Showbiz Flashbacks
Aired November 15, 2012 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Tonight, on the SHOWBIZ Countdown, "SHOWBIZ Shockers." Lindsay Lohan`s secret sister. Is a Food Network star`s career cooked after a food critic`s sensational slam goes viral? Tonight, which star stunner will top the SHOWBIZ Countdown?
Hello, and thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer.
We have two big SHOWBIZ Countdowns tonight, including "Amazing Flashbacks," the lost star interviews that we`ve uncovered in the SHOWBIZ vault that I have to tell you are just remarkable, like Brad Pitt before he was really famous, and he was talking about what could be in his future. Man, oh, man, he had no idea.
Plus, Miley Cyrus before she was famous and what she told me way back when. A special edition of the SHOWBIZ Countdown, our top five must-see "Amazing Flashbacks," coming up.
But we begin with our first SHOWBIZ Countdown of the night, three big "SHOWBIZ Shockers" breaking today.
And kicking it off at No. 3, food fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUY FIERI, FOOD NETWORK STAR: Now, the name of the show is "Diners, Drive- Ins and Dives."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And we all know Guy Fieri from his Food Network show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," but tonight it`s Guy who`s being accused of running a dive.
A "New York Times" review of his brand-new high-profile restaurant was so nasty, this thing was so brutal, it actually went viral around the world. Saying that the drinks taste like nuclear waste; French fries that bring new meaning to cold war.
Well, today Guy fired back in the food fight.
With me tonight in New York, Nikki Boyer. She`s the host of "Daytime in No Time" on Yahoo! TV. In Hollywood, the great Hal Sparks. He`s the host of "Politishock with Hal Sparks" on Sirius XM radio.
So guys, this review of Guy Fieri`s restaurant may quite possibly be the nastiest review of anything that I`ve ever read, and I want to read to you now some of the highlights. It`s a series of questions that the reviewer posed to Guy.
"Hey, did you try that blue drink, the one that glows like nuclear waste? The watermelon margarita? Any idea why it tastes like some combination of radiator fluid and formaldehyde?"
Here`s another good one: "Why is one of the few things on your menu that can be eaten without fear or regret called a `Roasted Pork Banh Mi,` when it resembles that item about as much as you resemble Emily Dickinson?"
And this could possibly be the meanest: "Somewhere within the yawning three-level interior of Guy`s American Kitchen and Bar is there a long, refrigerated tunnel that servers have to pass through to make sure that the French fries, already limp and oil-sogged, are also served cold?"
Hal, what do you think? Is this a cheap shot or a clean hit here? I don`t see how it`s clean at all.
HAL SPARKS, HOST, SIRIUS XM`S "POLITISHOCK WITH HAL SPARKS": I think it sounds like a rounding review of a -- of a place that`s supposed to be serving diner crap food from across the country.
I mean, arguably, isn`t this the style of food he`s -- you know, his entire career is based on? It sounds pretty authentic to me. It sounds like a lot of the dumps and diners I`ve had to eat in. It -- maybe it`s the New York part that`s bothering everybody. You don`t go to New York...
HAMMER: To get this kind of food.
I don`t think Guy feels this way about it, though, Hal, because he fired back today and appeared this morning on "The Today Show." Savannah Guthrie asked him how he felt about -- how he felt when he heard about how badly his restaurant had been trashed. And here`s what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE, NBC`S "THE TODAY SHOW": It must have felt like a punch in the gut.
FIERI: Punch in the gut, I just thought it was ridiculous. I mean, I`ve read reviews. There`s good and there`s bad in the restaurant business. But that, to me, went so overboard, it really seemed like there was another agenda.
It`s a great way to make a name for yourself. Go after a celebrity chef that`s not a New Yorker that`s doing a big concept in the second month. Big way to hit it.
GUTHRIE: And if you had -- if you could say anything to this reviewer right now, what would you say?
FIERI: You`re welcome?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, I don`t think Guy is being thin-skinned, Nikki. What about you? I think he`s on the right path here.
NIKKI BOYER, HOST, YAHOO!`S "DAYTIME IN NO TIME": You know, it probably does not feel good, and I think that he is absolutely justified in his reaction. But if you kind of look at his eyes when he`s talking and you see, he`s embarrassed. I don`t think he ever thought that this was going to happen.
HAMMER: No, not to him. He`s the great Guy Fieri.
BOYER: Exactly.
SPARKS: But how can -- how can a guy with, like, frosted tips that extreme that they go, I think, into his actual skull, and Elvis sunglasses be embarrassed by how heavily he`s trashed? Arguably...
BOYER: I think he`s embarrassed.
SPARKS: ... the food he serves is the -- is the culinary version of that review. You know what I mean? There`s nothing subtle either direction.
HAMMER: Or his hair, possibly.
But I want to move to someone else who`s being kicked around a lot more than Guy. He`s also speaking out today. It`s our No. 2 shocker on the SHOWBIZ Countdown, retired General David Petraeus. He has been in hiding since the sex scandal cost him as job as CIA director, and he`s finally breaking his silence to HLN`s own Kyra Phillips.
Kyra`s interviewed Petraeus a whole lot of times in the past as part of her excellent work covering the nation`s military. And she`s been speaking with him since last week when it came out that he was cheating on his wife of 37 years.
Well, this morning Kyra called into HLN`s "MORNING EXPRESS WITH ROBIN MEADE" to reveal what Petraeus told her. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYRA PHILLIPS, HLN ANCHOR (via telephone): In our first conversation, he had told me he had engaged in something dishonorable, and he sought to do the honorable thing in response, and that was to come forward. He was very clear that he screwed up terribly, that it was all his fault, and even that it -- that he felt fortunate to have a wife who is far better than he deserves.
Obviously, he`s taking it really hard. He knows he made a big mistake, and he does want to move forward making things work with his family. He doesn`t want to throw 37 years out the window with his wife.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Nikki, do you think that Petraeus is sorry for the affair or sorry that he got caught?
BOYER: Woo, that`s a good one, A.J.
I really do think he`s sorry for the affair. I don`t think this guy set out to ruin his family. I think that he just got caught up in a situation where he was spending a lot of time far away from his family with a woman who was clearly enamored by him.
I -- first of all, I think it`s hilarious that the book is called "All In."
HAMMER: All right.
BOYER: I`m just going to say that, but I don`t think he -- I don`t think he should have resigned, actually. I think -- I think he should have stuck his -- stuck his ground.
HAMMER: I don`t think there is any way...
SPARKS: No, no. First of all, no. The Army -- both the code of conduct in there and in the CIA, that an illicit affair will end your career in the intelligence community. But for me...
BOYER: Not for Clinton.
SPARKS: Well, he was the president. He didn`t -- his briefings wouldn`t have affected that. He cannot be blackmailed with it.
BOYER: Don`t worry about the president.
SPARKS: No, there`s a difference. There`s a difference, because the president can`t be directly blackmailed that way. That`s why, in the intelligence community, that`s there.
His big problem, and I think over more than the relationship, which I think is between his family and himself -- I don`t have an issue with that personally -- is that he believed that he believed that Gmail was secure, that he could -- that`s the scariest thing. The head of the CIA thought he could send illicit, you know, love texts back -- messages back and forth. That`s more worrisome than the affair itself.
HAMMER: OK. So barely edible food, cheating CIA officials, what could possibly top those stories to be No. 1 on our "SHOWBIZ Shocker" countdown today? Well, it`s this.
Lindsay Lohan has a secret sister. Who knew? Lindsay Lohan`s dad, Michael, who certainly hasn`t won any father of the year awards, just found out he`s got another daughter. She`s 17 years old.
The mother is a woman that Lohan had a fling with back in `95 when he was still married to Dina Lohan. Michael has spent years denying he`s the daddy of this girl, but today a DNA test on Trisha Goddard`s talk show confirmed the truth for everyone to see. Let`s watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRISHA GODDARD, TALK SHOW HOST: Michael is Ashley`s father.
ASHLEY HALL, ILLEGITIMATE DAUGHTER OF MICHAEL LOHAN: Just proof to you.
MICHAEL LOHAN, FATHER OF LINDSAY LOHAN: I believe what you say.
HALL: No, no, no.
M. LOHAN: I just want to hug you.
HALL: This is the first time I`ve met you. I`m sorry, but...
M. LOHAN: It`s OK. It`s OK.
HALL: I`m not sure.
M. LOHAN: Everything in time. Everything will be fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Didn`t look like she was really embracing the embrace there. It looks like she wanted nothing to do with him, actually, kind of like Lindsay.
Nikki, for someone whose skills as a father are so suspect, he sure has a lot of kids, doesn`t he?
BOYER: Yes, he is really good at making them, just not taking care of any of them.
What`s interesting about this to me is that, no matter what Lindsay is doing in the media, her father always finds a way to trump it. She has her "Liz and Dick" Lifetime movie coming out on Monday, and of course, now he`s got to trump it by saying, "Oh, yes, I did have an affair with your mother." Maybe he`s the one who should be fired and resign from being the most annoying father on the face of the planet.
HAMMER: Hal, do you think Lindsay should be reaching out to her new half- sister?
SPARKS: Absolutely. But I think from a distance for a time. You know, that`s always an awkward thing when -- by the way, this kind of thing happens all the time...
HAMMER: Yes.
SPARKS: ... with non-showbiz families. It really does.
HAMMER: Yes.
SPARKS: And so there`s an element of camera scrutiny that adds an extra layer of complexity that I think everybody else should be slightly aware of.
It`s not this girl`s fault that her parents did that a long time ago. And yet, she will be treated as if it is.
HAMMER: And yet, of course -- well, unfortunately, but hopefully, people will have the common sense to realize what you just said.
However, this is a showbiz family, and I have to say, I don`t think there are a lot of people, seeing who`s involved, Michael Lohan, saying that they`re really surprised by any of this.
Hal Sparks, Nikki Boyer, great to see you both. Thank you.
BOYER: Thank you.
HAMMER: So as we move on tonight, when you think of Brad Pitt, of course, you think mega movie star, dad of six, one half of one of the most famous couples on the planet. But tonight, we`re stepping into the time machine. It`s Brad on the verge of fame.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: I have to give credit, too, because you know, I told myself before I got out here that the only way I was going to make it was to remain straight (ph).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Brad certainly more than made it. It`s another can`t-miss SHOWBIZ Countdown tonight, "Amazing SHOWBIZ Flashbacks." But is Brad`s transformation more astounding than the one that Miley Cyrus has been through? I`ve reached into the vault of my very first interview with Miley on SHOWBIZ. But which amazing flashback will top tonight`s countdown?
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM BERGERON, HOST, ABC`S "DANCING WITH THE STARS": The winners and new champions of "Dancing with the Stars" are J.R. and Karina.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, that is certainly a moment J.R. Martinez will never forget. The Iraq war hero inspired millions of people after surviving a horrific attack on his Humvee. And he came back stronger than ever to win "Dancing with the Stars." Still amazing to see that.
Tonight, I`m going one-on-one with the incredible J.R. Martinez. It`s another SHOWBIZ Newsmaker interview.
Now, he was just back on "Dancing with the Stars" for their very special Veterans Day tribute, and J.R. has this incredible brand-new book. It`s all about his triumph over tragedy. It`s called "Full of Heart." No one I have ever met in my life is more full of heart than J.R. J.R. is using this book to teach everyone they can overcome even the toughest challenges.
So it`s, of course, great to see you, as always, and hard to believe, J.R., it has been a year now since you and I co-hosted the live SHOWBIZ TONIGHT red carpet special before "CNN Heroes" last year.
J.R. MARTINEZ, AUTHOR, "FULL OF HEART": I know. I know. It is crazy to think that, man. And did you know that I was really nervous about that, because I mean, you`re really -- you`re an expert at what you do. And when you gave me the mike and said, "You`re going to be my co-host, I was like hopefully, I don`t mess this up."
HAMMER: You know, a dude who has been through what you have been through, it`s hard for me to believe you`d get nervous about anything.
But I found it incredibly inspirational, J.R., seeing you supporting our troops this week on "Dancing with the Stars." I want to share with the audience a bit of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BERGERON: And tonight, for the first round, we`ll pay tribute to Veterans Day with dances that reflect different aspects of military service.
Melissa and Tony. J.R.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s great seeing you back in the ballroom, and so many of your fellow vets were there in the audience. What did that homecoming mean for you?
MARTINEZ: You know, it was really special to see the show and everyone at "Dancing with the Stars," you know, take on this idea.
Last year when I was on during Veterans Day, I had about seven or eight service members in uniform. You know, more because -- just to give people at home the visual and remind them.
But then to see the show essentially surround the whole stage with nothing but service members and their girlfriends or their wives sitting right behind them was really special. So it was nice to see a show that had such a big audience take on something like that to be able to say thank you to our service members.
HAMMER: Yes, there`s no question the show has a lot of heart. It`s always tugging at our heart strings when they do shows like that particular episode.
And you spent a lot of time, obviously, with "Dancing with the Stars" co- host Brooke Burke Charvet on your way to winning the mirror ball trophy. I`ve got to imagine you formed a pretty deep Bond with her. And of course, Brooke just revealed in a candid video that she`s now dealing with thyroid cancer.
So I need to ask you, as a man who has been through countless surgeries for all the injuries that you suffered, and fought hard to make the remarkable recovery that you have, what kind of advice do you have for Brooke right now?
MARTINEZ: You know, the biggest thing is just -- is to -- you know, that she can actually kind of be prepared for it in a sense, you know. Just kind of came out of nowhere. But I think the biggest thing is to kind of just understand exactly what to expect in a sense and just be patient. That`s probably the biggest thing. Be patient and be close to your family and your friends.
And, you know, Brooke is a sweetheart. She`s really positive. She always has been when I was around here. So I believe that positive attitude, she definitely has a no-quit mentality. I think that`s really going to help her kind of be able to fight this and be able to beat it.
And that`s pretty much the biggest thing I said to her. I said, you know, just try to be patient and just continue to pray and just stay as positive as you can and just do everything that you have to do in order to come out on the other side, which I know she will.
And of course, she has her "Dancing with the Stars" family, but I know she has her own support system at home with her own personal family.
HAMMER: And all of that right there in your book about moving through your struggles. And I think she just needs to read perhaps an autographed copy of your book.
J.R., it`s always a pleasure to see you.
MARTINEZ: Absolutely, man. Great to see you, too.
HAMMER: And you can get J.R.`s amazing new book, "Full of Heart." It`s online and at bookstores everywhere. Totally worthwhile.
All right. We move on now to gushing Katie. Before her sudden split, before her new life with Suri in New York City, Katie Holmes -- she couldn`t believe how lucky she was to be the future Mrs. Tom Cruise, and at the time, she didn`t care what anybody thought about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why are there naysayers?
KATIE HOLMES, ACTRESS: Because there`s always going to be, you know? It just -- that happens. But I don`t really care. You know? I`m in love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Pretty amazing to see this. Tonight, it`s the SHOWBIZ Countdown, "Amazing SHOWBIZ Flashbacks." But is Katie before Tom more stunning than Daniel before Bond? He is a household name and a heartthrob now. But did Daniel Craig really think that playing 007 wouldn`t change his life?
Which "SHOWBIZ Flashback" is going to be No. 1 on the SHOWBIZ Countdown?
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Have you ever had one of those days where everything is just going the wrong way? Well, there`s a businessman in England who could be the poster boy for one of those days.
Did you see this? He is drunk, and he`s caught on tape, trying to go down an up escalator. He tries, and he tries, and he tries, and he goes nowhere fast. But the video of the wild moment did take off fast. It has become the most buzzed-about viral video of the week.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Man versus escalator. He wants to go down. The escalator`s going up. You know it`s going to end up on YouTube, thanks to British TV producer, Sam Napper, who pulled out his camera phone.
SAM NAPPER, BRITISH TV PRODUCER (via telephone): It was pretty evident by his disheveled look. He was evidently drunk. He was so determined to go down the wrong way.
MOOS: There he was, lurching like Frankenstein, trying to get down into the London Underground, oblivious to commuters yelling advice.
(on camera) It was 11:30 at night. The Asian businessman didn`t seem to understand English.
(voice-over) No one tried harder to set the businessman straight than this redhead.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is dangerous. We`re going to go this way.
MOOS: She physically grabbed the guy and tried to yank him, but he couldn`t be deterred from his march to nowhere.
Online posters called him the "human hamster." "Hamster man." Though the comparison was apt, even a hamster takes a break sometimes. Not this guy.
The redhead kept trying to come to his rescue.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Excuse me. I can`t, I can`t. I can`t go on there.
MOOS: Must have seemed like an endless commute, stuck on what that old Robert Hazard song called the...
ROBERT HAZARD, SINGER (singing): Escalator of life.
MOOS (on camera): This is hard enough to do sober. If someone hadn`t eventually pushed the stop button, he might still be on that escalator.
(voice-over) They tapped him. Tried to get his attention from the sides. Finally...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Press the stop button.
MOOS: ... a young man did press the stop button and grabbed the businessman.
NAPPER: The weird thing about this chap was the minute that we pressed the stop button, he had an opportunity to walk down the steps. He turned around and walked the other way.
MOOS: The escalator ride of his life was over, and he may never know he took it unless or until he sees this video.
HAZARD (singing): Escalator of life. Up and down.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Yes, I get a pretty good sense that he`ll get to see that video. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
I`m thinking what`s worse: the whopper of a hangover that guy must have had the next day, or the shame of being the butt of the joke in this viral video that the whole world has seen?
All right, well, Brad Pitt`s career has certainly gone up and up and up since he first hit Hollywood. And back in the day, I can tell you that Brad had a simple secret for his success.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PITT: I have to give credit to -- because I told myself, you know, before I got out here, that the only way I was going to make it was to -- keep straight (ph).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Give credit to the ceiling, apparently. We went way back for this one. Brad like we haven`t seen him in ages.
And it`s another show-stopping SHOWBIZ Countdown, "Amazing SHOWBIZ Flashbacks." But will Brad`s flashback top our trip down Memory Lane with Lindsay Lohan at just 19 years old? You`re going to find it hard to believe that the interview we just uncovered, it`s only from seven years ago.
So which "SHOWBIZ Flashback" will top the countdown? The answer is coming up.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight on a special edition of the SHOWBIZ Countdown, "Amazing SHOWBIZ Flashbacks." Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Miley Cyrus, the incredible lost interviews, the stunning transformations. But who will top the SHOWBIZ Countdown of "Amazing Flashbacks"?
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Hello and thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer.
And tonight in the SHOWBIZ Countdown, it`s the top five most remarkable lost interviews that we have uncovered from deep within the SHOWBIZ vaults. Wait until you see what we have in store for you.
We are going to kick things off with a flashback that goes all the way back to 1988 when Brad Pitt was basically "Brad who?"
Coming in at number five, a very young 25-year-old Brad Pitt when he was appearing in small roles in TV shows like Dallas and growing pains and I am talking about a fresh faced slightly awkward Brad opening up about his dreams which included fame and can fortune and lying to his parents about moving from a small town in Missouri to Hollywood. You have to watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Two years ago 22-year-old Brad Pitt left Missouri and told his parents he was heading west.
PITT: I told them I was coming to finish my education.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: What he had in mind was stardom and not school.
PITT: A lot of the attraction before I came out was fame, the lifestyle and what really counts, you know, the people you care for, and now my motivation is more like I want to be good.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: His first job, a regular on" Dallas".
PITT: I am Randy. Nice to meet you, sir.
I was like this. I used to watch these people and I am still star struck to be honest. AND I just watched them. That was six months ago I was sitting in Missouri watching these people on TV.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: And soon, people will be watching him on the big screen in his first starring role in the movie cutting class.
PITT: No, you don`t. I have a lot more to find out about Mr. Brian Woods.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: The actor admits he has gotten a lot quickly, but he says, he is also got a foundation that show business can`t shake.
PITT: I have to give credit to -- because you know I told myself before I got out here that the only way I was going to make it was to -- keep it straight.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Which can be hard sometimes in a town where most heads are in the clouds.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. It is just amazing seeing Brad Pitt so young and apparently so naive.
With me in New York Nikki Boyer who is the host of "Daytime in No Time" on Yahoo! TV. From Hollywood, Hal Sparks. He is the host of "Politishock with Hal Sparks" on Sirius XM. He is also the star of Disney XD`s "Lab Rats".
We just saw Brad pretty bravely admitting he went to Hollywood seeking form and fortune. But you know, once he got there he realized he really wanted to be a good actor.
Nikki, pretty much got all of those things, a lot of fame, fortune, great career, big family with his fiancee Angelina Jolie. So, when you see Brad then compared to the Brad we know now, what goes through your head?
BOYER: The first thing that comes to mind, because I am from Missouri, is bless his sweet little heart. Right? Oh, God, and as much as I want to say that, you know, he put it in motion and he made it happen, sometimes I think it is like playing the lottery and he just got super, super lucky and he had the winning numbers.
HAMMER: Yes. Right place, right time has a lot to do with it. I`m guessing, he never could have imagined he would be paid millions to do a "Chanel No. 5" ad, that he would become a philanthropist, up and rebuilding homes in New Orleans with his make it right foundation. He has become a furniture designer.
Hal, in 1988 in the flashback he talked about how important acting was. But given all he does now, do you see that maybe one day he will just focus on the other stuff and give up the acting?
SPARKS: No, I don`t see that coming. Actually, it is interesting to me that he actually said he came out for fame and then wanting to be a good actor happened later. That`s exactly how it worked out for him ultimately. I think the nicest thing about it is that he still maintains a mullet on occasion which I think is -- talk about not forgetting your roots.
HAMMER: Every now and then he looks it back in to the repertoire.
Got to move onto the next "Amazing SHOWBIZ Flashback" in the countdown tonight. It is another superstar actor -- it`s Bond, James Bond. And of course in this case I am talking about the great Daniel Craig. His third Bond ,film "Skyfall", another smash hit at number four on our "Flashback Countdown".
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT now brings you the lost interview from back in 2004. This was when Craig`s name was just being tossed around to perhaps become the next James Bond to replace Pierce Brosnan. And as you will see, he was neither shaken or stirred at the mere mention of being considered for such an iconic role.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DANIEL CRAIG, ACTOR: It all has hit back home and it is all a bit of news to me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: No one approached you?
CRAIG: There is nothing really to tell. I mean, it is sort of one of those -- there is a lot of names being thrown into the mix and my name happens to be one of them. So, you know, I can`t. It is a privileged position to be in. There is nothing happening at the moment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: What has it been like for you personally having your name brought up in this.
CRAIG: As I said, I have been here. So, it filtered through quickly here. I was on set with people congratulating me and I was perplexed about the whole thing for something that is the first I heard. There are worse things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: People walking up to you saying, "Please say my name is Bond, James Bond thing?"
CRAIG: Yes. They haven`t, no, but I won`t.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Well, let`s talk. International stardom like the kind that would accompany playing such an icon, is that something that would appeal to you?
CRAIG: I think there is a lot of -- there is a lot that goes with playing a part like that. There is obviously a lot of money to be made in playing a part like that, but there is also a lot to lose. So, you have to - I mean, if something like that would come along I would give it careful thought and it hasn`t yet come along. It is all a lot, you know, of British tabloid press has gone for it which is exciting, I suppose, but it is all strange for me really.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: I would imagine so. You have made a career out of, you know, having a very long diverse very well-celebrated filmography and to go from that to being identified with one particular role that would be incongruous with the career.
CRAIG: I supposed it would, but you know, the things like that come along and you have to consider them. Bond is an incredibly iconic figure in film, and there is sort of -- I have always loved the movies. But like I said, there is, you know, there is no decision to be made at the moment. I mean, it is just a lot of noise about it, but that`s it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The decision was made and I love that Craig said there are worst things than being considered as the next Bond.
Hal, when you saw what he said, you know, that was then. This is now. No doubt he is a little more than warmed up to being James Bond.
SPARKS: Oh, no question. I am noticing a trend, though, as a brunette American with cold dark eyes that the blonder and blue-eyed you get, the luckier you seem to get when big parts come along. I am not saying Hollywood completely leads in that direction but I have to say as a Pierce Brosnan-Sean Connery- you know, Roger Moore fan across the board, Craig has done great things with the Bond character and franchise. I think "Skyfall" is the most Bond-like movie of all, the most Sean Connery one anyway, and I think there is, you know, a grumpiness that he brings to it that is I think a lot of people appreciate.
HAMMER: Yes. And it is pretty amazing.
SPARKS: It is good work.
HAMMER: Considering, you know, everybody was making fun of the fact that he had blonde hair back then, and now a lot of people are saying best Bond ever.
So, if a young Brad Pitt and Daniel Craig on the verge of Bond super- stardom aren`t in the top three of our "SHOWBIZ Flashbacks", which star tops our SHOWBIZ Countdown? Well, how about a young Miley Cyrus before she was famous?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You have lived in Tennessee on a ranch. Have you now moved to Los Angeles. Here you are in New York City. What are your impressions of our fair town?
MILEY CYRUS, SINGER: I like it. It is different. It is very different than Nashville but so is L.A. and I`m just keep going. But I love it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It is unbelievable how young she was then and how she transformed into who she is today. How did Miley compare to Katie Holmes before Tom Cruise and after? Who will top the SHOWBIZ Countdown "Amazing SHOWBIZ Flashbacks"? We`re revealing our top three, coming up.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Great. Lilly alert, 18 seconds.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She is your best friend, Miley. Sooner or later you will have to tell her you are Hannah Montana.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get your juice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Got it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good. Three, two --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Good times. That`s a young Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana, of course, the role that launched her into super-stardom. Who knew Miley, I mean really, who knew Miley was on the verge of worldwide fame all those years ago?
Welcome back to the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And tonight, we are here to count down the top five "Amazing Flashbacks", bringing you the lost, incredible things we have uncovered, revealing the most amazing transformation.
For number three on the countdown, it is me with Miley Cyrus all the way back in 2006. This is when she was not famous and we had just heard that she had signed onto this new show nobody knew about called "Hannah Montana", and I had with her one of the first big interviews she had ever done in her life. She came to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with her already famous dad Billy Ray and I have to tell you I never could have imagined when I spoke with her back then what a worldwide phenomenon she would soon become.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: You seem very excited, Miley.
M. CYRUS: I am.
BILLY RAY CYRUS, SINGER, MILEY`S FATHER: Hi, A.J. Great to be with you.
HAMMER: Has she been buzzing all day?
B. CYRUS: She has been working her tail off. I mean, we have been in New York for three days now, and it is just been very exciting. This is her first trip to New York City.
HAMMER: It`s -- your very first time here and you have lived in Tennessee on a ranch and you have moved to Los Angeles, but here are you in New York City. So, what are your impressions?
M. CYRUS: I like it. It is different. It is very different than Nashville, but, so is L.A., and I am just keep going but I love it.
HAMMER: What`s the strangest thing you saw during your stay in New York? There are freaks here, you know.
M. CYRUS: Mostly just all of the buildings. When I see them in movies they look a lot smaller than they do in person.
HAMMER: Pretty big.
M. CYRUS: Yes, they`re really big.
HAMMER: We got you a little gift. You can open up that and a little souvenir to take home from our town. This new show "Hannah Montana", we will talk as you`re opening. Don`t want to take away from gift opening. Show everybody what you got. I love New York. New York love.
B. CYRUS: Great.
M. CYRUS: Thank you.
HAMMER: Enjoy that very much. In the new show as I said, such a cool premise. You`re playing a pop star, but the only one who knows you are the pop star are your two friends because you have certain costumes that allow you to be one of the world`s biggest pop stars, but then you are able to sort to keep your anonymity and your best friends in school know.
Billy Ray, wouldn`t that be nice? Did you ever kind wish, you know, have you seen both sides of it. Did you ever wish you could just walk off the stage and just go about your business and not star all the time?
B. CYRUS: I just always loved making music, you know. And one of the things that`s the funniest about this show is we tape in front of a live audience and so it is the best of both worlds getting to be with that audience and acting at the same time and still getting to make music and I don`t know if you have heard about her singing. She just signed a record deal with Hollywood records.
HAMMER: Congratulations.
M. CYRUS: Thank you.
HAMMER: Not a bad deal.
RAY: She writes her own songs and she is the real deal. She has great music ahead of her, and again it is a lot of fun.
HAMMER: As I said this character you`re playing Hannah Montana, one of the world`s biggest pop stars, is it somebody you`re emulating? Because certainly, the premise is, you know, if Britney Spears were in high school and nobody knew it was Britney Spears, that`s with the deal. So, is there a pop star you looked up to, to prepare for this?
M. CYRUS: I kind thought of Hillary Duff when I was doing this because she actually started doing Disney at the same time as I did. And then she went off to music. So I kind of watched her concerts and saw some of the footage she has done and kind of took some of her style and used it towards Hannah.
HAMMER: Is this your big debut here?
M. CYRUS: It is.
HAMMER: We`re happy to have you, Miley.
M. CYRUS: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: It is a pleasure to meet you. Billy Ray, always good to see you.
B. CYRUS: Thank you, A.J. You do such a great job on the show. Congratulations on your success.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: She was just so adorable six years ago and clearly no clue about what would happen in the years ahead becoming a TV and music superstar.
I want to bring back Nikki Boyer, host of "Daytime in No Time" on Yahoo! TV. Nikki is here in New York along with Hal Sparks, host of "Politishock with Hal Sparks" on Sirius XM radio. Hal is in Hollywood tonight.
Well, Miley has had a few setbacks here and there, Nikki, but nothing like we have seen from so many other child stars. How do you think she was able to pull it off and come through?
BOYER: You know, she is really, really cool, let`s go ahead and say that. I think that she is just what you see is what you get. She is unapologetic. She makes mistakes. She made do things that aren`t super, super bright. But she wears her heart on her sleeve and I think she maintains that connection with her audience always. So, she never has that sort of separate, you know, separate better mentality.
HAMMER: Yes.
BOYER: I really think she is -- I really think she is true to who she is and who she was in the video.
HAMMER: What do you think, Hal?
SPARKS: I think when you have showbiz parents that have been in showbiz, it is a lot easier to make the transition into the public eye. Have you seen the positive and in some cases the negative of her dad being essentially a one-hit wonder as a music artist and how welcoming they can be one day and how much they can shrug you off the next. I think it is a healthy perspective she may have gained whether she learned early enough for everybody else is another question.
But the reality is I think we put far too much pressure on girls her age to kind of act in a mature way that surpasses how most adults are behaving. It is a little silly to pretend a teenager won`t be a teenager.
HAMMER: Absolutely right. And I think her dad being by her side for it as probably only helped her in the long run. Well, by the time that Miley was 19, she was already planning a wedding. Talk about growing up quickly. That is the exact age Lindsay Lohan was when we first talked to her before all of her really big troubles began.
That brings us to number two in our SHOWBIZ Countdown of "Amazing Flashbacks", Lindsay Lohan at 19.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT went one-on-one with Lindsay. It was back in 2005. She was promoting her then the new flick, "Herbie Fully Loaded", and we asked Lindsay how it felt then to be the focus of so much attention and to have the world watching her every move both on and off the screen.
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LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I am flattered. You know it is -- this is everything, this is a blessing what I do. And it comes with a lot of things. Nobody is perfect. Everyone has their ups and downs. Everyone has their own opinion and they`re entitled to it. And you know, you learn from everything and I am 19 years old. It is a learning experience. And I have been surrounding myself with fantastic people and it is great. It is a great time.
I want to be a good role model to my sister and my brother and that`s -- I really can`t ask for more, to ask for anything right now would be kind of - - I am very thankful and I feel very blessed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That was Lindsay back then. But if Lindsay isn`t number one who on earth could be the most amazing "SHOWBIZ Flashback" ever? I`m going to give you the hint: she is the mom of perhaps one of the most famous toddlers on the planet.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
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HAMMER: Welcome back. We are counting down the top five "SHOWBIZ Flashbacks", the most amazing transformation of the biggest Hollywood stars, Brad Pitt, Daniel Craig, Miley Cyrus, and Lindsay Lohan. Just amazing to see how these stars have simply catapulted into great fame.
But of course, there can be only one most amazing flashback on SHOWBIZ Countdown. That takes us to Katie Holmes.
In 2005, a time when her budding romance with Tom Cruise seemed to be a fairy tale on the road to the perfect ending, well, Katie sat down with us while she was on tour promoting her new role in "Batman Begins". And of course, we had to ask her about her new found love with Tom.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: Everyone has been so happy, so happy for us, and it is just been so exciting. I love him.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Are you surprised, though, at the scrutiny that you have experienced?
HOLMES: I don`t really care. I mean, I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. I am happy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Why do you think that there are people out there, why are there anyway Sayers?
HOLMES: Because there is always going to be, you know? It just happens. I don`t really care. I am in love. I am happy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: You know, I know you once said that you dreamed of marrying him and on the show he does talk about not disappointing and he doesn`t want to disappoint you. Have you thought that far ahead?
HOLMES: Yes. I mean, yes. I was a little girl and I did think that. Big dreamer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: You wanted to marry him.
HOLMES: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: You still want to?
HOLMES: Sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Have you spoken to him about that?
HOLMES: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: And?
HOLMES: We`ll see.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: You don`t want to let me know?
HOLMES: No, no. I mean, you know what, he is the most amazing man, and we will talk about that, and it makes me smile to think about.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: He seems very adventurous. How are you keeping up with that? That man has serious energy.
HOLMES: Well, I am very adventurous, too, yes, for sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Who is more adventurous?
HOLMES: Tom is definitely more adventurous.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, that one that they says those days to smile about. Just amazing looking back at Katie, so in love and about to start a fresh chapter in her life and now to see how that star-studded romance obviously came to a very sudden end.
Back with me now, Nikki Boyer and Hals Sparks. So, looking back at that interview, it is amazing. She seemed to be completely mesmerized by Tom Cruise and of course years later seemingly out of nowhere, bam, it is over in an instant, Nikki. What do you think really changed?
BOYER: Well, I think her eyes just opened maybe to the reality of who Tom Cruise is as a man and a partner. And I am not saying he is a bad guy, but when you are, you know, fall in love with somebody and you`re in the honeymoon phase with a movie star you fantasized about as a little girl, come on, anybody in that situation would be as enamored as she was in the video. But it just is so uncomfortable to watch. It is just so creeps me out a little bit.
HAMMER: Yes, if she only knew then what we all know now it would be an entirely different thing. All right.
Nikki Boyer, Hal sparks, thank you so much. Great having you here.
And thank you for watching. I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
Remember, catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Monday through Thursday. We`re on at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
HLN continues right now.
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