BuzzSugar

Amber Tamblyn Gets Unusual on Her New Show

BuzzSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:45:07 -0700

Tonight, Amber Tamblyn returns to TV for her first series role since Joan of Arcadia. She's playing Detective Casey Shraeger in ABC's The Unusuals, about a group of misfit cops in New York City trying to solve crimes while also battling their own personal neuroses. I'm still a little disappointed that the show isn't about superhero cops, but the crazy personalities in this show - played by Adam Goldberg, Harold Perrineau, and Kai Lennox, among others - make up for that a bit. Last week, I spoke with Tamblyn about her return to TV and why she looks so comfortable holding a gun. Read on for highlights:

Were you specifically looking to come back to television right now?
No, I never look for anything. I think the things you look for as an actor, if you want to do them, are like, "All right, I want to do a period piece! Let's do it! Let's find one!" TV's always there, film's always there, theater's always there, and I think I just look for something that is a very good character role, that you have something that's well-written and has good actors and you're surrounded by people you want to work with. . . . This was something that seemed sort of special to me, and I saw a lot of potential in the idea of this young female cop who's kind of a smartass and tomboyish. She's really smart, she's a really good girl and very honest, and it's a great character.

What was it about Casey that appealed to you specifically?
I think in every episode, when you see her sort of go into an interrogation room and rip the dignity out of some perp, it's really funny to watch. Because she is young, and she's the rookie cop who's coming into this situation, where everybody else is veteran cops but they're still not as good as she is at what they do for their job. It's a really fun concept. I also love that she's not a cliche female character. She's not a stereotype.

What kind of training did you have to go through to realistically play a cop? Did someone have to show you the right way to hold a gun?
I go to the shooting range a lot in Los Angeles, so I've shot guns before. I think what was really intense was seeing pictures of dead bodies, even though you don't see them in our show - and that's one of the great things about it as well, is . . . it's not about [dead bodies], it's about how it affects characters and what it does to them.

More from Tamblyn about what she learned from cops and her favorite police show of all time when you read more.

Did you get any tips from real cops?
One of the things that they said - and I don't know if this is specifically about New York cops or not - but in the first episode Adam [Goldberg] says "Freeze! Police!" and they vetoed that right away. . . . That's a very TV show thing. Nobody says that. So that was good to know.

We learn one secret about Casey in the pilot, but in general, she seems like the least unusual of all the Unusuals.
I think that's the point, too. . . . The audience will relate the most to her and be like, "Oh my God, I've been in that situation." Or "I've got friends who are like that" or "I've worked with somebody who's like that." She's the most relatable, and she's also the one who - because she comes from a very rich background where there were no rules, there were no responsibilities, you just paid your way out of trouble - she's got this work ethic and this idea about the law and about morals and all of those things, and all of those things start to get compromised.

There are and have been a lot of cop shows on TV. What do you think makes this one different?
I think this is an actual cop show, where I think that for the most part the things that are on TV are not cop shows. They're procedurals. A cop show is a show about cops, at least in my understanding of it, and I think we are the only show on TV that takes a dark, sarcastic, sardonic yet dramatic, funny look at cops and how they solve cases and how their problems and what they go through leak out into their lives.

Is it different being one part of an ensemble instead of the lead of your own show?
The hours are the same, the work's the same. It's just great because you're working with more people. As opposed to you being in the schoolyard with just the ball, you're in the schoolyard with 50 kids and the ball.

Are there any other actors you've enjoyed playing off of so far?
I really love working with - and watching the partnership with - Harold Perrineau and Adam Goldberg. They are hilarious, and they're perfect yin and yang for each other. I work a lot with Kai Lennox, who plays Eddie Alvarez, who's sort of the Kramer of the cop world - he talks about himself in third person, and he really thinks he's gonna be the greatest cop ever, and he also does everything by the law and by the book, but he's a real asshole about it. My partner, played by Jeremy Renner, is always pulling pranks on him that are very, very funny.

Have you been a fan of any police shows yourself?
i was obsessed with The Wire. In the sense that there were such great characters on The Wire and they were so well developed, I think [The Unusuals] has some of those aspects. That would be the only one. I've tried to watch a couple of the other ones and I just can't wrap my head around that - I don't really like watching cases get solved. But The Wire was really great.

First Look: Amber Tamblyn, Adam Goldberg in The Unusuals

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:30:34 -0800

ABC's The Unusuals wants to be a different kind of police drama. The show, which will premiere April 8 at 10 p.m., centers around a ragtag bunch of NYPD detectives, each of whom is, well, a little bizarre.

Like how? Well, Adam Goldberg's character, Eric Delahoy, is trying to get himself killed on the job. His partner, Leo Banks (Harold Perrineau), is insanely cautious and won't even take off his bulletproof vest. As for Casey Shraeger (Amber Tamblyn), well, her secrets weren't revealed in the 20 minutes of the show I got to see at TCA, but she does have trouble getting taken seriously when she starts working homicide cases after a couple of years posing as a prostitute in the vice unit.

When I first heard about the concept for the show, I figured the characters would be really unusual - like, say, Law and Order meets Heroes. Instead, they're just regular folks with quirky personalities and odd pasts. I'm hoping the show has a dark humor about it; among other things, that would give Tamblyn a chance to show off that great comic timing I liked so much in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants sequel.

To check out a promo, just read more.

ABC Picks Up Five Shows for Midseason

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 10:37:54 -0700

The Fall TV season hasn't even started yet, and already, at least one network is looking a few months ahead. ABC, which only has one new scripted show (Life on Mars) on its Fall schedule, has picked up three dramas and two comedies for midseason.

Among them: Rob Thomas's Cupid, his remake of his own 1998 show, which now stars Sarah Paulson and Bobby Cannavale (at right). I've been curious about that project for a while now, so I'm glad it's taken the next step toward becoming a series.

The other dramas:

Castle - Starring Nathan Fillion, the show focuses on a horror novelist who helps the NYPD solve crimes.
The Unusuals - Starring Amber Tamblyn, this one's described as an "ensemble dramedy" set in a police precinct.

For descriptions of the comedies, and to see what else ABC has in its pipeline, read more.

ABC's midseason comedies are:

Better Off Ted - Jay Harrington stars as a moral man trying to do the right thing in this office-set show.
Single with Parents - This comedy from How I Met Your Mother producer Kristin Newman stars Alyssa Milano as a woman juggling a dysfunctional family.

ABC Entertainment President Steve McPherson hinted to the Hollywood Reporter that some of ABC's other pilots might be getting the go-ahead later on. The network still has Captain Cook's Extraordinary Atlas starring Janel Moloney and Rob Thomas's other pilot, Good Behavior, as well as the Alicia Silverstone/Alia Shawkat comedy Bad Mother's Handbook, as possibilities.

Source

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2: Maybe Even Better Than the First

BuzzSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 09:33:53 -0700

At one point in the second installment of the stories surrounding girls who have pants and will travel, an exasperated Carmen (America Ferrera) says something like, "Can we just please focus on the pants?!" And yet, that's the thing I find most refreshing about this sequel: there's not really a focus on the pants. The fact that Carmen has to remind her friends to think about the pants is a good sign in this case; the focus should be on these girls and their friendships, not two tubes of faded, magic denim. And as the girls have grown older and more mature, in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 they're centering on the important stuff: their relationships, their goals, finding themselves and supporting each other.

Like the first movie, this one consists of four separate storylines that occasionally intersect. When we are reintroduced to the four friends, they're all in college: Tibby's (Amber Tamblyn) making movies at NYU, Carmen is at Yale and does backstage work at Yale's School of Drama, and Lena (Alexis Bledel) is painting (and cavorting with the insanely hot model Leo, played by Jesse Williams) at Rhode Island School of Design. Bridget (Blake Lively) doesn't yet know her major, but she decides to try her hand at archeology for the time being. After spending the year at their respective schools, Carmen, in particular, is anxious to have some good sisterhood time together over the Summer - only to find out the other three won't be in town at all. So, Carmen decides to do her own thing and goes to work backstage at a theater in Vermont.

For more of my take on the movie, read more.

Each of the girls struggles with various issues: romantic insecurities, feeling left out of or misunderstood by their families, exploring new career paths, learning that they're good at stuff they never knew they could do, etc. The main challenge facing the sisterhood now is that the four are scattered and seem to be growing apart - until they come together on a common mission having to do with Lena's boy troubles. Everything wraps up well, but not in a ridiculously far-fetched fairy-tale way.

Ferrera and Tamblyn completely carry the film, acting-wise, each possessing a strong presence onscreen, clear motivations and fantastic comedic timing. Lively is very pretty and easily pulls off the switching back and forth between Sad Face and perky all-American girl. Bledel is. . . also pretty. Her range is so limited, however, that many of her scenes are simply devoid of anything interesting. Then again, with her storyline we often have either the gorgeous Greek setting or Jesse Williams to stare at.

Of course the movie is heartwarming and sweet, but there's a surprising lack of schmaltz to it, and each of the four stories is solidly written and satisfying to watch. It's not particularly predictable nor is it too tidy. Most refreshing, I think, is the fact that these girls have ambitions and self-reflective moments that extend beyond just catching a guy (in fact, one of the stories doesn't even include a guy at all, which is an awesome change of pace). The storylines make sense for the characters, and the success or failure of their lives is not completely hinging on a guy, unlike many other female-centric movies. In keeping with what I liked about the first movie, the girls are not portrayed as weak, idiotic, or totally lost without a man. There are some real, heavyweight issues going on here, along with some good one-liners and funny deadpanning on Tamblyn's part. This is one sequel that completely works - possibly even better than the original. But even if you don't find that to be true, you're still in for a fun, compelling and totally girl-positive flick.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Buzz News Roundup, 6/9

BuzzSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:32:17 -0700

FX has canceled Courteney Cox's tabloid drama Dirt, TV Guide reports.
The Weinsteins have acquired the rights to adapt Allison Winn Scotch's novel Time of My Life for the big screen, writes ComingSoon.
Meanwhile, Variety has the news that House executive producer Katie Jacobs has nabbed the rights to the New York Times bestseller Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon - And the Journey of a Generation.
Amber Tamblyn has taken the lead in an ABC drama pilot called The Unusuals, about the crazy characters at a New York police precinct, Zap2it reports.
If you want AC/DC's new album, you'll have to go to Wal-Mart to get it, Billboard reports.
Despite declining ratings, TV networks are actually bringing in more money from advertisers after this year's upfronts, writes the Hollywood Reporter.
The Chicago Tribune finally found a premiere date for the final season of The Shield: Sept. 2.
According to Variety, David Schwimmer will head to Chicago to star in a stage production of Our Town.

Photo courtesy of FX

Movie Preview: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

BuzzSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 10:30:45 -0800

Who's ready for more of those magical pants? The trailer for the second installment of the movie franchise based on Ann Brashares's best-selling novel is now online. It's interesting to see the four stars of the film back together now that they are each so accomplished on their own. Blake Lively (Gossip Girl), Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), and Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia) return to the screen to play the four BFFs who, despite their different body types, miraculously fit into the same pair of pants in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2.

While the first film touchingly followed each of the girls' adventures during one emotionally turbulent Summer, this time around the ladies are graduated and more grown-up - but are still wearing the pants and are as close as ever. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is set to open Aug. 8, so to check out the trailer read more.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

The Results Are In: Recast "My So-Called Life"

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 16:14:03 -0700

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

This week's recast challenge for my beloved, though short-lived "My So-Called Life" elicited some really smart recast lists. In particular, I was impressed with how many of you took age into consideration. Even the older actors chosen look quite young, which is appropriate because even the original "My So-Called Life" stars were older than their characters: Jared Leto (Jordan Catalano), for example, was 23 at the time "My So-Called Life" aired, and Wilson Cruz (Rickie) was 21.

Some of my favorite ideas were the ones you all had for Rickie and Brian. I loved chipjimi's pick of Robin de Jesus for Rickie, and CaterpillarGirl's pick of Erik Per Sullivan (Dewey from "Malcolm in the Middle"!) for Brian.

Overall, however, my favorite list this week comes from lifer_refil! To see who she picked, along with a new cast photo, read more

lifer_refil's cast
Angela Chase - Danielle Panabaker (Sky High, Empire Falls)
Rickie - Victor Rasuk (Raising Victor Vargas)
Rayanne Graff - Amber Tamblyn (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
Brian Krakow - Adam Lamberg ("Lizzie McGuire")
Jordan Catalano - Chace Crawford ("Gossip Girl")
Sharon Cherski - Bethany Joy Galeotti ("One Tree Hill")

(I can vouch for Chace Crawford, having seen the pilot for this fall's CW show "Gossip Girl.")

The Results Are In: Recast Heathers

BuzzSugar — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 16:27:45 -0700

Every Wednesday on BuzzSugar, I post a Recast challenge, where I ask you to choose new actors for a classic TV show or movie. The reader who submits the best cast wins a BuzzSugar t-shirt!

When it comes to catty, vicious teenage girls, the Heathers take the cake. In recasting this movie, not only did people have to look like high schoolers, but they had to have that nasty edge that would make for a good Heather.

With so many excellent recast lists submitted this week, it was truly difficult to pick just one. CaterpillarGirl had some fantastic ideas, in particular the pick of Adrianne Palicki (Tyra from "Friday Night Lights") because, as she puts it, "she has that 'lick it up baby' look down pat." I also enjoyed all the picks for Evan Rachel Wood, and I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt could definitely do well with the role of J.D. as both collomtwin and Sascha9000 suggested.

My favorite list overall, however, comes from eaker! To see who eaker picked and a new cast picture, read more

eaker's cast:
Heather Duke: Amber Tamblyn
Heather McNamara: Hilarie Burton
Heather Chandle: Hayden Panettiere
Veronica: Jena Malone
J.D.: Jonathan Tucker