BuzzSugar

Celebrities and Circuses Go Hand in Hand for NBC and ABC

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:30:06 PST

Hey, look! Up in the sky! It's someone vaguely famous on a flying trapeze!

ABC and NBC are both looking to air celebrity circuses this year, with stars performing their own versions of classic big top acts. NBC's Celebrity Circus includes professional circus entertainers who will judge the tiger-training, trapeze-flying stars. ABC, meanwhile, is looking to revive the '80s spectacle Circus of the Stars, which featured a host of celebrities including Scott Baio, Jennie Garth, and even Lucille Ball.

I just watched some clips of the original Circus of the Stars, and it's incredibly bizarre; how did I miss this show the first time around? I never thought I'd see Weird Al Yankovic climb one of those tall poles that wobbles in the air or Rebecca Arthur from Perfect Strangers perform a trapeze act, but, well, now I have. NBC's reality TV director has said the circus shows will hook people "like flypaper," and it does seem addictive in that "what will they do next?" kind of way. So, I suppose it's time to start guessing who will appear on this year's circuses. Danny Bonaduce? Tara Reid?

To watch some clips from the old Circus of the Stars, just

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Nicki Minaj Is Your Pick For Most Outrageous Celebrity Style in 2011!

Hannah Weil — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:03:22 PST

If there was one celebrity that could outdo Gaga in the world of outlandish style, it had to be Nicki Minaj. The pop star emerged as the winner of this year's most outrageous celebrity style, thanks to a year of whimsical fashion, including bubble-gum pink and blue hair, bright color, and circus-like confections. She made headlines for looks from the VMAs red carpet to an appearance at Fashion Week (and a front-row seat next to Anna Wintour). It seems nothing is off-limits when it comes to Nicki's affinity for statement-making fashion - who knows what 2012 will bring for the hip-hop singer's style . . .

The Night Circus Inspires Home Decor Magic

Diana Nguyen — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:00:18 PDT

Halloween is over, but mystery and magic continue to emanate from the pages of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus. Lauded as the next potential Harry Potter or Twilight, Morgenstern takes readers back to the late 1890s to follow the adventures of a mysterious traveling night circus. Unbeknownst to guests and the circus's residents, Le Cirque des Rêves is actually the venue for a magical battle between two skilled magicians turned star-crossed lovers, Marco and Celia.

And, although, the novel was full of creative, detailed writing and story, I was really fascinated by Morgenstern's stylistic choices. The circus itself is a sparkly conduit of all things black and white, with pops of red to represent to the circus's loyal following. Her descriptions of scenes and outfits were so stunning that I thought it would be fun to translate her palette into something a little more tangible. Click along to see how elements of The Night Circus could look in your home.

Source: House Beautiful

Water For Elephants' Donna Scott on Kissing Robert Pattinson's "Luscious Lips," Reese's Circus Skills, and Big Top Burlesque!

Lindsay Miller — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 13:15:00 PDT

Donna Scott has a role millions of women would kill for in Water For Elephants. As bawdy burlesque dancer Barbara, she initiates Robert Pattinson's character into the circus - sexually! We chatted with the mother of two and wife of director Tony Scott this weekend, just before she headed out to the theater to see the movie for the first time. She talked about shooting under the big top with Robert and Reese Witherspoon, how Rob's family helps him handle his unprecedented fame, and filming her slightly awkward sexy scene with him! She also told us about training with a tassel-twirling expert for her risqué role, and what happened when a trio of zebras got loose on set and sent her, Reese, Rob, and Christoph Waltz ducking for cover.

Tell us a little bit about your character, Barbara.
She's a sideshow coochie dancer, a burlesque dancer, definitely targeted to the male audience going to the circus in the 1930s. There was one part [of the circus] that was for the family, and the other was the sideshow.

Was Rob nervous for your kissing scene?
Just a little bit. It’s really funny, because Rob is so...Rob. And even though he’s a huge heartthrob movie star, he’s so genuine. I figured since he was a megastar that he’d be like, 'Yeah, ok,' and I saw that because I’m older and lived a lot more life, I was comfortable being way more forward than he was. So, I definitely was aware that it was genuine, and that when I would move in to kiss him, he’d be like 'Whoa!' He was genuinely shy and it was all fantastic. How we prepared was just stepping into it and doing it. [He played] naïve and deflowered!

How does Rob rate as a leading man and kisser?
Rob, on a scale of one to ten, is a ten. He’s got luscious lips, and he’s so sweet, and he’s a tender person.

Reese told a story about Rob running scared from the zebras on set. Is that true?
After Reese had injured her ankle and when Rosie ran off, we were shooting this scene where it was just Reese, myself, Christoph, and Rob, and there were three zebras staked right near us. They’re very high strung, and they were going crazy and pulling up the stakes. Rob went running away and Reese grabbed Christoph and put him in front of her as a human body shield, and she was like; 'Oh my god, I don’t know what I just did!' And I was behind one of the support poles, and it happened so fast, it was really funny. But Rob was running away because he was supposed to be leaving to do something in the scene, so I think he didn’t want to break character. He felt so bad. He was like, 'Everyone is going to think I ran away because I was scared!'

To read more from Barbara on Reese's circus skills, how Rob's family keeps him grounded, and the way she prepared for her sexy role, just

Did you get to watch Reese perform with the elephant?
Yes. It was amazing, when she was in the center ring we were all there watching, and I got to watch her as she went on top of Tai. What an amazing experience.

Rob actually has to cross-dress for a particularly funny scene in the movie. How did he handle that?
I think he was genuinely really shy about coming out of that trunk. It was pretty funny for him to come crawling out with all of us eating our breakfast. And no one had seen him in his outfit, because his double was in there the whole time they were setting up. So when he came out of the trunk all the response to him was genuine. I think his response was genuine, too. He was really embarrassed!

Was there a lot of fandemonium near the set for Rob?
Every day. It was insane to me, because where we were shooting was so remote. We were an hour and a half outside of LA in these huge orange groves, and we’d be shooting nights, and when I’d leave work 4:00, 5:00, 6:00 in the morning there would be unbelievable amount of women in a ditch across the shooting area waiting for Rob. They didn’t leave. I was blown away. I’ve never seen that level commitment from fans until I saw all that.

How does he deal with that remarkable level of attention?
It’s remarkable how he deals with it. He deals with it immensely well, and I also think he can’t believe what’s going on. I think he stays really grounded, and I think he views it from a point of view of, 'Is this really happening in my life?' And all of the craziness around him and Kristen, I think they navigate it immensely well in how he handles situations. He’s so close to his family and they’re so grounded, his mom and his dad and his sisters, so I think that helps him. And the maturity. He's very well educated and very well read, but it’s lovely that he can be that mature.

How did you prepare for the role?
I’m a level four pole dancer at Sheila Kelley’s S Factor, and then I took burlesque classes. The choreographer, Tracy Phillips, is a dancer, and I had a private tassel-twirling instructor that came to my house to give me tassel-twirling lessons. I took it very seriously!"

Did you get to keep your burlesque gear and tassels from the set?
No, I didn’t, and it didn’t even dawn on me to keep them! The thing is, Penny Star Jr., when she taught me to twirl the tassels, she said there’s a trick to how they need to be built so they swing properly with centrifugal force. Penny Star built two pairs for me and sent them to the costume designer. It's still a secret.

What's next for you now that you're getting back into acting?
It was so fun to do a movie like this, completely removed and on my own. My desire is to really get back into my career because I’ve been raising my children for 11 years. We have twin boys. It was the first time I’ve gone and done a red carpet when it was not affiliated with Tony and it was a different ball of wax.

The Night Circus Author Erin Morgenstern Talks Twilight and Harry Potter Comparisons and Her Casting Wish List

Tara Block — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 04:00:33 PDT

As a huge Harry Potter fan, I must admit my interest was piqued when I heard about a new book last month being compared to the magical series, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. To add fuel to the buzzy fire, the film rights for the book have already been picked up by Twilight's entertainment company Summit. After reading the enchanting, sensory love story (targeted for adults, I should add) about dueling magicians who fall in love while competing in a mysterious circus that runs from nightfall to dawn, I believe it stands on its own. We chatted with Erin, who has a background in theater and studio art, about her first novel and whom she could picture playing protagonists and star-crossed lovers Celia and Marco on the big screen. Read her thoughts below.

TrèsSugar: What do you think of the comparisons being made to Harry Potter and Twilight?

Erin Morgenstern: It has some aspects in common with Harry Potter. I'm still not sure where the Twilight comparisons come from, maybe the fact that Summit is involved with the film rights. There are plenty of books that I think would be a little more apt, like Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke, but not enough people have read that. I hope that it ends up being the kind of book that people don't have to compare it to anything. A lot of people tell me that they have trouble describing it. It's a complicated work because it's about the circus, but it's about the love story, but it's about so much more than that at the same time.

TS: What's your favorite love story in literature? Did it influence Celia and Marco's love story?

EM: I'm not really big on love stories. I'm not that classic romance sort of girl. Although I can't say it's my favorite love story, there's definitely a Romeo and Juliet aspect to it. I do kind of love a star-crossed romance. It makes everything so much more interesting and complicated, and sometimes angsty. I think that makes for a really good story.

TS: You say in your website's "about me" section that you were reading Stephen King at age 12 and J.K. Rowling at age 21. How did that affect you as a writer?

EM: I grew up in that time frame where there wasn't a YA section yet. There was a children's section and an adult's section. So when I hit around 11 or 12, I just started looking through the adult section. And for some reason I just got stuck on Stephen King and read practically the entire Stephen King shelf. And then when I was in college, I took a children's literature class, and we read the first Harry Potter. That influenced my lack of sense of what's an adult book and what's a children's book, because I had a very backwards reading life at certain stages. I like adult books that capture that child-like whimsy and children's books that don't hide the adult side of things. And I think there's more room for overlap between adult books and children's books.

TS: What are you reading right now?

EM: I'm in the middle of Lev Grossman's The Magician King. I finished The Magicians a couple weeks ago, and I have a couple events coming up that I'm doing with Lev Grossman. But I'm enjoying it very much, partially because I've read Harry Potter, I've read the Narnia books, and it has an interesting spin on those tales that I know really well. And before that I just recently finished the new Haruki Murakami book (1Q84) that comes out next week, and it's really just epic and wonderful. It's so, so good. It doesn't feel like it's 1,000 pages when you're reading it. I didn't want it to end.

TS: You've mentioned you could see Geoffrey Rush as Prospero in the film adaption, but who could you see playing Celia and Marco?

EM: I don't really picture actors when I write. Geoffrey Rush was sort of the one exception, because when I was coming up with him as the character he had a Geoffrey Rush vibe in my mind. For Celia and Marco, they look very particular in my head, and I don't have actors who really capture it. Celia was kind of inspired by Clara Bow. I found this old picture of her that wasn't that sort of classic short hair, her hair was all wispy and a little more Victorian-looking. She has very dark eyes, and that's sort of what Celia looks like. If we could find a modern-day Clara Bow type. And the actor who has a little of the Marco feel to me is Lee Pace, but he's going to be too old by the time we get around to the filming, which is unfortunate.

TS: Is there a sequel in the works. How long do we have to wait for the film?

EM: There's no plans for a proper sequel. I don't think it's the kind of story that lends itself well to "this is what happens next." And it was never intended to be a series. I do think at some point I wouldn't be opposed to do something like a collection of short pieces of side stories or people's back stories or a few of those things that happened afterwards.

The film is at least a couple of years away. It's in the stage of negotiations with producers, trying to find someone to head the ship.

TS: What did you learn about relationships as you wrote The Night Circus?

EM: I think that the essential thing I kept coming back to is that a relationship is about more than just two people. There's so many more factors in the equation, whether they're other people or circumstances. Relationships are never simple, there's always so much more going on.

If you read the book and want to find out more insights from Erin on the plot and process of writing, keep reading!

Decorating Inspiration From Water For Elephants

Elka Karl — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:00:40 PDT

Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon play star-crossed lovers Jacob and Marlene in Water For Elephants, out April 22. The movie, which is set in the 1930s, features gorgeous costuming and exotic circus sets. Check out photos from the film and ideas for integrating this vintage '30s-circus look into your home.

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Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon Laugh It Up and Drink Beer on The Graham Norton Show!

Allie Merriam — Wed, 04 May 2011 08:14:14 PDT

Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon brought their UK press tour for Water For Elephants to The Graham Norton Show studios in London last night. The costars chatted about their new circus drama, and also shared space on the stage with fellow guests Shappi Khorsandi and House actor Hugh Laurie. Robert and Reese have been traveling all around Europe for the last few weeks to show off the film with screenings in Berlin, Paris, and Barcelona. Yesterday was their UK premiere of Water For Elephants, which they followed up with an afterparty at the Home House Private Members Club. They're certainly among the hardest-working movie stars - where do Robert and Reese rank on your PopSugar 100 list of all time favorite stars? Robert's real-life leading lady, Kristen Stewart, is also in the running in that category. She's had a busy few days too, staying in NYC to attend the Costume Institute Gala on the arms of Proenza Schouler designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough.

Reese Witherspoon Breaks From Promoting to Shop Paris

Allie Merriam — Mon, 02 May 2011 06:52:00 PDT

Reese Witherspoon had the help of a security guard to keep eager fans at a distance yesterday while the actress shopped around Paris. She stopped in at Carven's store before seeing what other fashion finery the city had to offer. Reese is abroad doing promotional work for her movie Water For Elephants along with her leading men Robert Pattinson and Christoph Waltz - she's been doing her best to show off the film, but is Reese your number one star to see on the big screen? If so, show her some love in our Favorite A-List Actors category in this year's PopSugar 100! Robert was by Reese's side late last week for the Paris premiere of their circus epic, then they went their separate ways to do TV interviews on Friday. She wowed on the red carpet for the screening in a hot one-shouldered dress, while Rob looked like his usual hot self in a chic suit. Robert has been jet-setting around the world for the last few weeks, doing press for the film in NYC, LA, and Europe between a stop in St. Thomas to do a shirtless- and bikini-filled reshoot for Breaking Dawn with Kristen Stewart.

Robert and Reese Smile Big in Barcelona at Water For Elephants

Allie Merriam — Sun, 01 May 2011 22:10:58 PDT

Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon posed for photos together at last night's premiere of Water For Elephants in Barcelona. It was their latest screening in Europe, after Robert and costar Christoph Waltz had a big evening in Berlin and Reese joined the boys to show off their circus drama in Paris. Reese also took advantage of her time in France to engage in some retail therapy, hitting up shops like Christian Louboutin and Carven. Both Robert and Reese are featured all over our brand-new PopSugar 100 - where do they rank on a list of your All-Time Favorite Stars? The trio of Robert, Reese, and Christoph have been all over the world to show off their film, including lots of travel across the US. We caught up with them at the NYC debut of Water For Elephants, though Rob soon switched gears to spend time back on the set of Breaking Dawn.

Robert Pattinson Chats Water For Elephants, Scary Circuses, and Reese on the Today Show!

Allie Merriam — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:00:48 PDT

Robert Pattinson swung by the NYC studios of Today to chat all about his new movie. We snagged a minute with Robert at yesterday's world premiere of Water For Elephants, where he spoke about his costar Reese Witherspoon being the reason he decided to do the film. This morning Rob spoke to Matt Lauer about his own early and very scary experiences with circuses and touched on the humor of playing Reese's love interest in the movie after starring as her son in 2004's Vanity Fair - check it out below!