Pushing Daisies

As fans of Pushing Daisies very well know, Anna Friel has been working in a movie with Will Ferrell called Land of the Lost, which is a remake. Here is the poster for it. The movie opens in June 2009.

We know now what Anna Friel’s next project is going to be! After Pushing Daisies, she will still be very busy with her movie obligations.

The actress is wrapping up her film with Will Ferrel, Land of the Lost, and up next for her (that is, if a studio buys the movie rights) is this romantic comedy film helmed by Jason Reitman (Juno) called, The Wedding.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, it’s a film that “visits the perils and peccadilloes of young love.”

Anna will star opposite Jesse Eisenberg, who will play the role of a young man who crashes at the weding and becomes infatuated with Friel’s character. Friel is the bride in this movie.

Max Winkler is writing the script.

The project is just waiting for a studio to back it up.

On one hand, I am happy for this news. Anna Friel deserves a happy marital life, sans marriage backed by with legal documents. A new baby is always a blessing for any family.

On the other hand…as a fan of the show, it worries me that they are already planning for what to do with the next chapter of their lives when Pushing Daisies doesn’t continue.

• British actress Anna Friel is planning a second child with long-term boyfriend David Thewlis, and she wants it to be born and raised in America. The pair’s three-year-old daughter Gracie is desperate for a little brother or sister - and 32-year-old Friel admits she is eager to be expanding her brood. She tells Page Six magazine, “I really want to be a mother again.” And the family is so settled in Los Angeles - where Friel shoots TV show Pushing Daisies - she wants to make it their permanent home. The star adds, “You know, I’d always thought we’d go back (to Britain), but David and I had that conversation the other day asking, ‘What happens if Daisies doesn’t continue - would we then go back?’ I think my life has sent me in this direction and that I should be here.”

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Anna Friel was on Craig Ferguson’s late night talky the other night. It’s a reunion of sorts as both stars have worked together before. She talks about the series and farting raccoons among other things.

Thanks to Hannah!

Here’s an interview with Lee Pace and Anna Friel which was printed on a broadsheet daily in the Philippines. The interview took place during Pushing Daisies’ press junket a couple of weeks ago. In addition to discussing the series, the two also gave a few tidbits about their personal lives like first kisses…

Some excerpts to the interview…

• In real life, how much of a touch person are you?
• A: I’m really tactile. I’m very close to my mum and dad. I get my big lovely hugs all the time. It’s not nice to be able to work with someone so gorgeous (as Lee is) and not be able to go “Hi” (and she demonstrated physical contact by locking an arm with Lee’s).
• L: I sometimes have a hard time getting close to people. Anna caught me when we were shooting. Someone had come up to me and touched me. I kind of flinched. Anna said, “That’s Ned.”
• Since you play childhood sweethearts who shared the first kiss, can you tell us about your first kiss in real life?
• L: My first kiss was very awkward. I’ll say the girl’s name if people promise not to print it (laughter). Her name is actually very funny. [He mentioned the name.] I remember walking around the back of the junior high school and holding her hands. Both our hands were all sweaty. We kissed and we didn’t know what to do with our tongues. Then we pulled away and went like, “Was that it? Yeah, I think that’s it (laughter). All right, let’s go home.”
• A: I got taught. I got to practice. I used to go to my godparents every weekend. Their son taught me how to do it (laughter) because I didn’t know how. He showed me on his hand so it wasn’t particularly romantic. I thought, at least when it does get romantic, I’ll know what to do. My girlfriends and I used to lie in bed and we’d practice on our own hands. I don’t know how many girls will ever admit to doing that. You quite don’t know what to do with the tongue bit.
• What kind of comments about the show or your characters do you get from strangers?
• L: I get the “Oh, shake my hand. Oh, I’m dead” bit.

You can read the full interview here.

There’s also an interview with Kristin Chenoweth.

Pretty exciting news from Korbi of Zap2it:

Pushing Daisies premieres on October 1st. And I’ve got a major spoiler: You know Chuck’s dad? The father whom her boyfriend, Ned, accidentally killed back in the day? He’s rising from the dead! That’s right. I don’t know if Ned resurrects him in order to make things right with the love of his life, but I do know he returns to the living for at least three episodes this season. He’ll be the same age as he was when he kicked the bucket (not much older than Chuck is now) and I’m hearing the reunion with his daughter is a happy one.

Chuck is at least getting some closure, a happy reunion. One of the things that really broke my heart in last season’s finale was Chuck realizing she cannot see her dad one last time. Ned wouldn’t allow it because it’s going to hurt Chuck all over again.

I cannot wait for this episode to air.

Lotsa things from our favorite people today, catch up with me!

Kristin celebrated her 40th birthday last July. This site has a photo of her blowing the candles to her enormous birthday cake. Why does her cake say 29? And apparently, the birthday toast was delivered by her boyfriend (former?) Aaron Sorkin.

Anna has a new movie coming up. Well, she’s doing Land of the Lost, but Goal 2 is about to be released in theaters this week (August 29). Although, I’m pretty sure this is one of her old films, way before doing Pushing Daisies. Right?

Lee’s last movie,  The Fall, is coming to DVD in two weeks! (September 9th to be exact). The DVD cover art is as pictured. And I’m not so sure about the special features  but the disc is also available in BluRay release. It should maximize its spectacular visuals on a kick-ass home theater!

I love this interview with David Thewlis, Anna Friel’s significant other.

The actor talked a lot about Anna, the birth of baby Gracie and their lives together. One year or so after many of us have come to know this lovely actress from Pushing Daisies, this is perhaps the first time her significant other has talked about her at length. And you know what? It’s nice to imagine a picture of Anna as a mom and partner, it’s nice to get a glimpse of who she is, as told by the person she is most intimate with.

(more…)

With school starting in a couple of days, I thought it would be great to look at our favorite TV star’s educational background and see how they are as students. Are they geniuses in school? Slackers? Nerds? Popular guys? School bullies? Where did their interest lie and was it originally related to their jobs as actors now?

Kids look up to celebrities for many reasons, but seldom do fans like us take inspiration from these stars when it comes to school work. And why should we not? Maybe after reading this, we’d see these actors in a refreshingly  different light.

Lee Pace actually dropped out of high school for awhile in order to pursue acting at a local theater. But when he did finish his studies, he went on to study at Jilliard with a degree in Fine Arts.

Anna Friel had wanted a career as a barrister (lawyer) when she was younger and went to a local college where she eventually discovered a love for acting. She eventually landed a role on television in the UK and became a household name.

Kristin Chenoweth graduated magna cum laude in Musical Theater and also has an MBA degree in Opera from Oklahoma University. She was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. Her voice is also said to be near perfect pitch.

Chi McBride graduated high school at the age of 16 years old and then pursued music. He didn’t become an actor until he was about 30 years old.

Finally,  a photo from Anna Friel’s movie, Land of the Lost, has surfaced on line.

The movie also stars Will Ferrel and it is based on a television series from the 70’s. It is set for release in the summer of 2009.

Via Reel Movie News and Pushing Daisies Insider

Gold Derby has been keeping tabs of how the panel has been making their Emmy choices. Aside from Pushing Daisies making it to the Top Comedy short list, three of the stars of the series are also in on the Top 10 Actors list. But the Academy failed to recognize Chi McBride and Swoosie Kurtz for their performances.

The shortlist below:

BEST LEAD COMEDY ACTOR Semi Finalist
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (”Rosemary’s Baby”)
Steve Carell, “The Office” (”Goodbye, Toby”)
Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (”The Bat Mitzvah”)
David Duchovny, “Californication” (”The Last Waltz”)
Lee Pace, “Pushing Daisies” (”Pie-lette”)
Tony Shalhoub, “Monk” (”Mr. Monk and the Naked Man”)
Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men” (”Is There a Mrs. Waffles?”)

BEST COMEDY ACTRESS Semi Finalist
Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?” (”The Restraining Order”)
Marcia Cross, “Desperate Housewives” (”Now You Know”)
America Ferrera, “Ugly Betty” (”Odor in the Court”)
Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (”Sandwich Day”)
Anna Friel, “Pushing Daisies” (”Bitter Sweets”)
Felicity Huffman, “Desperate Housewives” (”Now I Know, Don’t Be Scared”)
Eva Longoria Parker, “Desperate Housewives” (”In Buddy’s Eyes”)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “New Adventures of Old Christine” (”One and a Half Men”)
Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds” (”Bill Sussman”)
Sarah Silverman, “The Sarah Silverman Program” (”Bored of the Rings”)

BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS Semi Finalist
Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies” (”Girth”)
Conchata Ferrell, “Two and a Half Men” (”Fish in a Drawer”)
Jenna Fischer, “The Office” (”Fun Run”)
Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock” (”The Collection”)
Judith Light, “Ugly Betty” (”I See Me, ICU”)
Elizabeth Perkins, “Weeds” (”Risk”)
Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live” (”Tina Fey”)
Jean Smart, “Samantha Who? (”The Girlfriend”)
Holland Taylor, “Two and a Half Men” (”Media Room Slash Dungeon”)
Vanessa Williams, “Ugly Betty” (”Bananas for Betty”)

Technorati Tags: Pushing Daisies,Anna Friel,Lee Pace,Kristin Chenoweth,Emmy Awards,Emmy Race,Emmy Top 10

With the release of Pushing Daisies on video last Monday in the UK, Amazon sat down with the show’s female lead to discuss about her TV series…

You must be very excited about the success Pushing Daisies is having both in the US and here:

Anna Friel: I’m really proud of it! We have such a great time making it. I’m loving it.

How do you account for the show’s success?

AF: It’s nice for people to go home at the end of the day and see something uplifting, and yet it is still for the intelligent mind because there’s the procedural to work out.

How would describe your character Chuck?:

AF: Apart from being very funny, she holds on to every wonderful childlike quality there is, particularly now she has a second chance at life. She embraces every single thing in life and appreciates every beautiful sky and sunset and smile. She’s incredibly loving and an old romantic, but she’s also very intelligent because she reads, like, 100 books a day and speaks I don’t know how many languages and plays instruments. That said, she’s lived quite a sheltered life with two mad, eccentric aunts so she’s a mixture of everything. You can never not be surprised by Chuck.

How easy is the American accent for you?:

AF: I stay with the accent all day long when I’m filming. It makes thing much easier. To an English ear my American accent might sound perfect, but on the set I have my dialect coach and I get 10 or 12 notes a day about my pronunciation. Using the accent even between scenes is a discipline, it makes me concentrate that much harder at work – when I’m American I know I’m at work.

Do you have any similarities with Chuck?:

AF: My daughter has. I base quite a lot of it on Gracie. She’s two and a half now and she has that excitement and that glee. I’d like to think I’m similar to Chuck, too, although she’s a lot more positive than me and doesn’t worry. She isn’t as anxious as I am but her spirit has rubbed off on me – I play her 17 hours a day so it can’t help rub off.

The complete interview is here.

With Emmy nomination selections underway, Variety speaks with some of the possible strongest nominees, including Anna Friel. Some excerpts below…

Finding the best way to portray Charlotte “Chuck” Charles would be a challenge for Friel. Inspiration came from her year-old daughter.

“I watched a lot of her mannerisms and the way she looks at things,” Friel says. “Every single thing to her is new and fresh, and (she’s) not judgmental. But how could I do that and not make Chuck ditsy?”

To figure it out, Friel played nearly every scene three different ways. By the time production started on the second episode, she had found the right tone. Also, she continued working with a voice coach to help her mask her British accent and maneuver through the show’s smart, often rapid-fire dialogue rarely seen since “Gilmore Girls” — efforts that earned the actress a Golden Globe nomination.

(snipped)

Favorite scene: “When she’s by the grave (with Ned) and says, ‘Please wake my dad up. I just want to see him for a minute.’ And he says, ‘I can’t.’ There were quite a lot of choices about how to play it because she has to be forgiving of him and also understand why he made that decision.”

What you like most about your character: “She’s the strongest, sweetest person that I’ve ever come across, which is a complete contradiction. How can you be incredibly sweet but you’re also as strong as a rock? I like that contradiction.”

TV guilty pleasure: “I’ve bought ‘The Sopranos’ DVD sets and I’ll watch five (episodes) at a time. “

Anna Friel, Emmy Awards, Pushing Daisies

RadioTimes conducted a survey of which British actors are good or bad at sounding American. There were over 3,000 users polled and the results were contradictory. Anna Friel has the second best accent but the third worst? How is that even possible? Check out the rankings and see what I mean:

BEST

1. Hugh Laurie (House)
2. Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies)
3. Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman)
4. Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers)
5. Minnie Driver (The Riches)
6. Eddie Izzard (The Riches)
7. Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck)
8. Ian McShane (Deadwood)
9. Louise Lombard (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
10. Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace)
11. Lena Headey (Terminator : The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
12. Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica)
13. Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters)
14. Dominic West (The Wire)
15. Lennie James (Jericho)
16. Sean Maguire (The Class)
17. Idris Elba (The Wire)
18. Sophia Myles (Moonlight)
19. Other
20. Kevin McKidd (Journeyman)

WORST

1. Michelle Ryan (Bionic Woman)
2. Eddie Izzard (The Riches)
3. Anna Friel (Pushing Daisies)
4. Hugh Laurie (House)
5. Ian McShane (Deadwood)
6. Sean Maguire (The Class)
7. Minnie Driver (The Riches)
8. Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck)
9. Louise Lombard (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
10. Dominic West (The Wire)
11. Jamie Bamber (Battlestar Galactica)
12. Lena Headey (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
13. Sophia Myles (Moonlight)
14. Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers)
15. Lennie James (Jericho)
16. Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Without a Trace)
17. Matthew Rhys (Brothers and Sisters)
18. Other
19. Kevin McKidd (Journeyman)
20. Idris Elba (The Wire)

Poll results from RadioTimes.

Because we’re avid fans of Pushing Daisies, we’re used to hearing Anna sounding off in an American voice. But have you seen her act and speak in her native tongue? Watch the video below:

Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies, Best and Worst American Accent

A recent poll conducted by the Hallmark Channel in the UK from its viewers has shown that Anna Friel and David Tennant of Doctor Who are top choices for TV’s sexiest.

The survery, which had 1,600 participants, was done in order to see how important sex appeal is in keeping viewers tuned to their TV programs, with classifications like “charisma (38%), looking great (36%) and not playing by the rules (12%).”

The survey revealed that — “one in five respondents felt that actually seeing any sex distracted them from their enjoyment of the plot”.

“Our ongoing research into what makes great gripping drama has revealed that a sexy male or female lead can make a real difference to the success of a new series. If you were creating the ideal on-screen TV couple it would arguably be David and Anna, but you wouldn’t want to see them doing anything that distracts from the plot!”

Other names that came on the list include Eva Longoria and Wentworth Miller.

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