Morgan Freeman
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BirthDate BirthPlace |
05/31/1937
Memphis, TN |
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Batman Begins Review
June 17, 2005 5:42am ESTFor the first time the tale is centered firmly on the Batman himself or in this case Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) and not on one of his over-the-top enemies. Now the non-comics audiences can witness--and understand--the sequence of events that led an orphaned billionaire to dress up like a bat and scare the bejeezus out of bad guys. Expanding The Batman's world beyond the claustrophobic confines of Gotham the film opens on a tormented and rudderless Wayne abroad in Asia recruited by hypnotic Henri Ducard (Liam Neeson) to join the world-redefining forces of the enigmatic Ra's al Ghul (Ken Watanabe) by way of some serious ninja schooling. All the while Bruce flashes back on his parents' violent murder and his growing sense of impotence against injustice despite the attentions of childhood sweetie and future D.A. Rachel Dawes (Katie Holmes). Unwilling to mete out Ra's extreme form of "justice " Wayne returns to Gotham City to launch his own unique campaign to clean up the city's corrupt and crime-plagued streets with three key allies: his faithful family valet Alfred Pennyworth (Michael Caine); Gotham's only clean cop Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman); and tech-savvy Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) who provides the Batman's wonderful toys from Wayne Enterprises' experimental arsenal. Now trying on two different masks--Batman's crime-hating fury for the back alleys and a foppish playboy façade for the public--Wayne soon finds himself pitted against an inventive doomsday plot instigated by psychologist Dr. Jonathan Crane better known as the sinister Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) who uses fear as a weapon almost as formidably as The Batman himself. We're finally given a noble post-modern Batman who with compelling motivation will not resort to lethal force. Bale leads the all-star cast making the best movie Batman since Michael Keaton's excellently eccentric 1989 performance. Whereas Keaton's slight intensely brilliant Wayne seemed to don the Batsuit to gain an edge of intimidation Bale's Batman is simply a dark emblem expressing the rage and fury roiling underneath the billionaire's surface. His is a ferocious Dark Knight indeed. He's also effective portraying two other sides of the character's persona: the silly randy public face of Bruce Wayne and the tortured real man underneath both guises. Of the potent supporting cast Caine imbues Alfred with the appropriate fatherly warmth and wit while adding a fresh element of authority and capability as well; Neeson's multidimensional Ducard leaves one guessing if he's a hero antihero villain or all of the above; and Freeman is clearly having a ball as Batman's own "Q." Holmes is comely capable and utterly superfluous; Tom Wilkinson tastefully chews the scenery as crime boss Carmine Falcone; and Murphy (once a close contender for the role of Batman himself) is tantalizingly creepy and villainous--the film could have used more of his off-kilter charisma. The only minor speed bump is Oldman's Gordon. His acting is always on the mark but the character so well-developed in the seminal comic book tale Batman: Year One is never utilized to its fullest potential. Along the way every element of the Batman's back story is fleshed out in almost excruciating detail. Here's how he found the Batcave. Here's where he got the Batmobile. Here's why he has little pockets on his utility belt. Yadda yadda yadda. But some clever plot twists from director Christopher Nolan and screenwriter/professional comic book scribe David S. Goyer fuel the story's forward momentum. Nolan and Goyer work hard to inventively crib together a mélange of origin elements and plot points from influential comic book storytellers including original Batman creator Bob Kane unsung early writer Bill Finger Sin City's Frank Miller David Mazzuccelli Dennis O'Neil Neal Adams and others (even bits and pieces from a comic story penned by Ducard's creator Sam Hamm also the screenwriter behind Burton and Keaton's 1989 film). All these patches are effectively sewn into a clever quilt creating a cohesive original tale told with entertaining gusto. However the film does lack a certain knockout visual flair that defines the best comics--great imposing "money shots" of the fearsome Batman are few and far between--and the action sequences are a tad too choppy close-up and over-edited. Plus for a film about a dude dressed as a winged mammal it takes itself so darn seriously. The movie would definitely have benefited from a jolt of loopy outlandishness akin to Burton's undeniably quirky vision. And--despite the reigning notion that the previous films overdid the villains--a crazier more charismatic bad guy would have done wonders to liven up the stately proceedings. There's a reason the audience burst into wild applause in the screening I saw at a third-act allusion to one of Batman's more famous adversaries. Let's hope for a little more inspired lunacy in the sequel.
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Morgan Freeman Warns Movie Industry of Illegal Download Risks
May 20, 2005 12:39pm ESTHollywood actor Morgan Freeman has warned filmmakers internet piracy will hit film studios as dramatically as it has the music industry. The Million Dollar Baby star's production company Revelations Entertainment has teamed up with chip maker Intel Corporation at the Cannes Film Festival to highlight the threat posed by illegal downloading and file sharing. Intel's Kevin Corbett is convinced an electronic key system would protect movies from unauthorized users--a timely and necessary precaution in the fast-moving world of technology, particularly as more internet users are taking advantage of broadband. Freeman says, "One of the things that is terrifying the industry about digital content is that once it gets into the home, what happens to it? "Some government entities say that if it's on the internet and accessible, then how can we call it piracy? This technology can help us to stop the same chaos (as in the music industry). "It is too late when the public is two or three steps ahead of you, and then you are playing catch-up." Article Copyright World Entertainment News Network All Rights Reserved.
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Unleashed Review
May 13, 2005 1:18pm ESTDanny (Li) has lived his life with his "Uncle" Bart (Bob Hoskins) a fiery gangster who has trained Danny to be an enforcer and do his dirty work for him. In truth Bart has basically treated Danny like an animal--a dog to be exact collar and all--not a person. As soon as Danny's job of savagely beating those who had "wronged" his uncle is complete he goes back to his dark dank quarters. One day upon finding a benevolent blind man Sam (Morgan Freeman) playing a piano Danny discovers that he's more than merely a dog. Sam takes Danny into his home and teaches him about the piano and human relationships with the help of his step-daughter (Kerry Condon). All seems to be going well but the collar wrapped around Danny's neck is a link to his former violent life--and of course Bart. Heading down that path of redemption Danny winds up reluctantly going back to his uncle albeit in a different frame of mind. The tension builds as a massive showdown between Danny and Bart becomes imminent. It is only after his collar is taken off that Danny is unleashed. It's usually not Jet Li's job to exude acting chops just execute the karate kind. But while the main thrust of Unleashed is the highly choreographed and entertaining fight sequences that show off his unbelievable skills the actor still tries his hand at keeping it real. Thankfully Unleashed is a decided improvement over most of Li's other nonsensical American movies (Cradle 2 the Grave anyone?) and is tailor-made for his broken English and acting range. Freeman on the other hand lends such an air of authenticity and workmanship to Unleashed that one wonders how the they were able to reel in the venerable actor hot off his Oscar-winning performance in Million Dollar Baby. He is simply perfect as the soft-spoken mild-mannered Sam. Then there is Hoskins. The robust British actor has had his fair share of Freeman-like success and has rightfully earned that same class of respect. But lately he seems to be taking any roles he can get no matter the size (see Son of the Mask. On second thought don't). It's clear playing Bart is a no-brainer for him but he tends to go unnecessarily over the top. Director Louis Leterrier shows a knack for the action suggestive of a veteran filmmaker even though he's only made two movies. His first film 2002's The Transporter was a relative hit and as far as straight action movies and directorial debuts go it was a thing of beauty. The same can more or less be said for Unleashed. Simply put if this movie fails on any front it will not be due to a lack of blood sweat and tears from Leterrier. He captures both the fight sequences and the occasional poignancy with stark eloquence with every little detail in place. And the theatrics of it all--i.e. special effects loud-as-hell sound effects--doesn't hurt either. The Japanese-revenge genre is executed to a tee but he doesn't let it overstep its boundaries and turn the film into a cliché. It's not an easy thing to do and many directors would be unable to solve that conundrum. The only disparity between this project and his last is that he has probably less to work with this time around yet he has much more to lose. It's safe to say he does not crack under the pressure.
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Morgan Freeman Wins Cybersquatting Case
May 11, 2005 10:13am ESTOscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman has won a cybersquatting case in a ruling by an international arbitrator. The Million Dollar Baby star was found to have common law rights to the contested internet domain name, which had been registered by a St Kitts and Nevis-based website operator. The operator, identified as Mighty LLC, misused Freeman's trademark to lure surfers to its website in "bad faith", independent arbitrator peter nitter said in a ruling. The ruling was announced May 10 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a United Nations agency which promotes protection of trademarks and patents, and whose arbitration center resolves disputes over domain names. Freeman joins the ranks of entertainers including Julia Roberts, Spike Lee, Madonna and Eminem who have won their cases under WIPO's procedure. Article Copyright World Entertainment News Network All Rights Reserved.
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House of Wax Review
May 06, 2005 4:39am ESTTwins Carly and Nick Jones (played by Cuthbert and One Tree Hill heartthrob Chad Michael Murray)--with Carly being the pretty goal-oriented "good" twin and Nick the sullen brooding "bad" one-- are road tripping to catch the big college game. Along for the ride are Carly's beau Wade (Gilmore Girls' Jared Padelecki) mini-cam-obsessed Dalton (Jon Abrahams) sports fan Blake (Robert Ri'chard) and his maybe-preggers girlfriend Paige (Paris Hilton in her first major acting role--unless you count certain portions of her infamous sex video). The requisite car trouble ultimately leads them to a requisitely isolated Iowa town where they must seek help from the requisitely creepy locals. Dominating the town is the House of Wax a paraffin-filled museum which doesn't just feature amazing wax likenesses of people and objects: the whole place is made out of wax walls and all. This despite being constructed over a fiery furnace used for…well these films aren't about logic are they? Throw in the requisite twisted menacing blood-lusting boogeyman--but wait! Let's have TWO bad guys! And make them twins! (Did I mention the script was written by Chad and Carey Hayes who happen to be twin brothers?) Cut to the running and the chasing and the cinematic carnage the corpses turned into those impossibly lifelike wax figurines the curvy Cuthbert in a white tank top and the impossibly big drippy finale and call it a day. This is just a messy pile of waxy build-up that'll take an extra-long Q-Tip to clean out of your brain. Despite the jibes she gets for her 24 character's penchant for getting into laughably contrived peril the pert and sexy Cuthbert--who fills up a movie screen even more potently than the tube and lent a genuine vulnerability and pathos to her smoldering turn in The Girl Next Door--is emerging as one of the more interesting actresses of her TV-launched generation. Despite her natural charisma however there's no such opportunity for a multidimensional turn in House of Wax and for her career's sake Cuthbert should make this film her one-stop shopping trip to Horror-dom. She's made for much better things and the sickly sadistic and bloody punishments she endures in this film quite frankly can only distract her admirers from how hot she is. Murray also impresses as a film presence though he too is stuck in this thankless mess as the rebel who really has nothing to rebel against. Padelecki the film's "Hey let's see what's in here!" jackass whose idiotic actions drives every shallow horror plot should stick to his day job. And then there are the splendors of Paris: both she and the filmmakers seem to think that stripping the heiress of accessories like her tiny dog Tinkerbell and her Pepto-pink fashions is all that's necessary to believe Hilton as an entirely different character. Except none of us really want Paris to be an entirely different character. She's really only entertaining--and often equally as stiff and insipid like she is in this film--as herself and we'd all rather see her and Nicole Richie (or Kim Stewart or whatever less attractive less-wealthy and less-ditzy sidekick she's hanging with these days) screaming bloody murder at a real House of Waxing. Let's hope for his sake music video director Jaume Serra didn't burn any bridges at MTV when he got called to the Hollywood ranks because House of Wax effectively demonstrates a lack of invention as a visualist an inability to effectively pace and develop a story--even one as shallow as this one--and an utter incapacity to create tension suspense or any genuine fear. The only scares here are the kind of easy unearned "pop-up-and-say-BOO!" variety that does little more than jolt the audience and cause their popcorn to spill. I'm tempted to give him mini-props for the nearly impressive and gooey finale but the credit probably belongs more to the f/x team than Serra. And it's shocking to learn that the entire film was shot on location in Australia if only because the claustrophobic town in which most of the action takes place seems as artificial and hermetically sealed as the Universal backlot.
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Review
April 29, 2005 7:17am ESTApe descendant Arthur Dent (Martin Freeman) gets yanked from the Earth by best friend and alien Ford Prefect (Mos Def) seconds before a Vogon constructor fleet destroys it to make way for a hyperspace expressway. Next thing he knows Arthur is aboard the Vogon ship reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (voiced by Stephen Fry) and wondering where he might get some tea. But he and Ford are not in the clear: the Vogons (some of whom look like the nightmarish drawings of Ralph Steadman come to life in S&M leather) want to throw them into the vacuum of space right after they read some of the third worst poetry in the known universe. Luckily the spaceship Heart of Gold picks up the stranded hitchhikers in the nick of time. Stolen by the dim but groovy President of the Galaxy Zaphod Beeblebrox (Sam Rockwell) the ship has an Improbability Drive that causes certain mischief turning the stowaways into loveseats and later two missiles into a bowl of petunias and a sperm whale. Also onboard is doe-eyed Earth girl Tricia "Trillian" McMillan (Zooey Deschanel) who previously ditched Arthur at a costume party on Earth to satisfy her wanderlust with Zaphod. The crew then embarks on a quest to find the Ultimate Question to Life the Universe and Everything after supercomputer Deep Thought (voiced by Helen Mirren) found the answer: 42. On the run and without a home Arthur discovers that life's true meaning comes from the answers found within. The slapstick antics and sharp dialogue evoke enough laughs to make one forget that the characters are rather one-note. Rockwell's Zaphod is a riot at first but the cheeky smile and devilish winks soon wear thin. Deschanel has little to work with playing Trillian though it's fun watching her wield a point-of-view gun on Zaphod. Mos Def mumbles some lines but does manage to act like someone from another planet. Freeman does an amiable job playing the fish-out-of-water Earthman but neglects to express the grief and bewilderment of someone who just lost his planet. Even John Malkovich as Humma Kavular--the spiritual leader of a cult awaiting the arrival of the Big Handkerchief--fails to make much of an impression in his brief appearance. Only Alan Rickman as the perpetually glum robot Marvin and Bill Nighy as the stammering planet designer Slartibartfast remain funny without becoming routine--though unfortunately Nighy only appears in the third act. A half-cocked romance between Arthur and Trillian is thrown in for good measure with the couple merely going through the motions. Directed with considerable flair by first-timer Garth Jennings whose frantic visual style blends well with Adams' ironic wit the film looks as good as can be. CGI is used to display Adams' universe in ways never seen before: The massive concrete slabs of the Vogon fleet surrounding Earth the Heart of Gold tricked out in 1960's Formica kitsch the stark bureaucratic world of Vogosphere and the eye-popping factory floor on Magrathea are all vividly brought to life. Although the graphics of the Guide look more like Internet pop-up ads than stellar entries from the best-selling book in the galaxy the exposition from the Guide is clever and amusing though one should brush up on the material prior to viewing. Even with all the stunning visuals however the plot is still thin. Jennings and screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run) have trimmed the story--and witty banter--to its barest essentials leaving out some of the funnier bits to quicken the pace. Memorable exchanges--like the opening battle of wits between Arthur and Mr. Prosser--are reduced to a few meaningless lines while the always hinted-at love affair between Arthur and Trillian gets the full Hollywood treatment. In the past Adams who died of a heart attack in 2001 has allowed the Guide to change and progress with each incarnation so new additions--like the point-of-view gun and the cult of the Big Handkerchief--are welcomed. But the patchwork of wacky vignettes and neutered banter particularly between Arthur and Ford leave one yearning for something more meaningful.
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"Ray" Emerges the Winner at NAACP Awards
March 21, 2005 6:33am ESTBiopic Ray picked up four prizes at the NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles last night, including the Outstanding Actor prize for its star Jamie Foxx. The life story of late R&B musician Ray Charles was also named Outstanding Movie, while Kerry Washington and Regina King won the Outstanding Actress and Supporting Actress awards, respectively, for their roles in the film. Morgan Freeman won the Supporting Actor award for his role in Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People ceremony, which was hosted by Chris Tucker. Elsewhere, singer Alicia Keys' hit "If I Ain't Got You" took home the Outstanding Song and Music Video awards, while Kanye West was named Outstanding New Artist for his debut album College Dropout. Usher picked up the Outstanding Male Artist award for his Confessions disc, and Fantasia was named Outstanding Female Artist for her Free Yourself album. Destiny's Child won the award for Outstanding Duo or Group for their Destiny Fulfilled disc. Music legend Prince received the honorary Vanguard Award, given to those whose work "increases our understanding and awareness of racial and social issues". Article Copyright World Entertainment News Network All Rights Reserved.
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Winners List: The 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
February 07, 2005 6:49am ESTMovies Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Annette Bening, Being Julia Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby WINNER! Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Leading Role Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator Jamie Foxx, Ray WINNER! Paul Giamatti, Sideways Outstanding Performance for a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Cate Blanchett, The Aviator WINNER! Cloris Leachman, Spanglish Laura Linney, Kinsey Virginia Madsen, Sideways Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Thomas Haden Church, Sideways Jamie Foxx, Collateral Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby WINNER! James Garner, The Notebook Freddie Highmore, Finding Neverland Outstanding Performance by a Cast of a Motion Picture The Aviator Finding Neverland Hotel Rwanda Million Dollar Baby Ray Sideways WINNER! Television Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for Television Teri Hatcher, Desperate Housewives WINNER! Patricia Heaton, Everybody Loves Raymond Megan Mullaly, Will & Grace Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City Doris Roberts, Everybody Loves Raymond Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Made for Television Jason Bateman, Arrested Development Sean Hayes, Will & Grace Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond Tony Shalhoub, Monk WINNER! Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Television Arrested Development Desperate Housewives WINNER! Everyone Loves Raymond Sex and the City Will & Grace Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for Television Hank Azaria, Huff James Gandolfini, The Sopranos Anthony LaPaglia, Without a Trace Jerry Orbach, Law & Order WINNER! Kiefer Sutherland, 24 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Television Drea de Matteo, The Sopranos Edie Falco, The Sopranos Jennifer Garner, Alias WINNER! Allison Janney, The West Wing Christine Lahti, Jack & Bobby Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Television 24 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation WINNER! Six Feet Under The Sopranos The West Wing Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Glenn Close, Lion in Winter WINNER! Patricia Heaton, The Goodbye Girl Keke Palmer, The Wool Cap Hilary Swank, Iron Jawed Angels Charlize Theron, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Jamie Foxx, Redemption William H. Macy, The Wool Cap Barry Pepper, The Dale Earnhardt Story Geoffrey Rush, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers WINNER! Jon Voight, The Five People You Meet In Heaven
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77th Annual Academy Award Nominations
January 26, 2005 5:57am ESTBest Picture The Aviator Finding Neverland Million Dollar Baby Ray Sideways Best Actor Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby Jamie Foxx, Ray Best Actress Annette Bening, Being Julia Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby Kate Winslet, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Best Supporting Actor Alan Alda, The Aviator Thomas Haden Church, Sideways Jamie Foxx, Collateral Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby Clive Owen, Closer Best Supporting Actress Cate Blanchett, The Aviator Laura Linney, Kinsey Virginia Madsen, Sideways Sophie Okonedo, Hotel Rwanda Natalie Portman, Closer Best Director Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby Taylor Hackford, Ray Mike Leigh, Vera Drake Alexander Payne, Sideways Martin Scorsese, The Aviator Writing (Original Screenplay) The Aviator Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Hotel Rwanda The Incredibles Vera Drake Writing (Adapted Screenplay) Before Sunset Finding Neverland Million Dollar Baby The Motorcycle Diaries Sideways Animated Feature Film The Incredibles Shark Tale Shrek 2 Foreign Language Film As It is in Heaven (Sweden) The Chorus (France) Downfall (Germany) The Sea Inside (Spain) Yesterday (South Africa) Art Direction The Aviator Finding Neverland Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events The Phantom of the Opera A Very Long Engagement Cinematography The Aviator House of Flying Daggers The Passion of the Christ The Phantom of the Opera A Very Long Engagement Documentary Feature Born Into Brothels The Story of the Weeping Camel Super Size Me Tupac: Resurrection Twist of Faith Visual Effects Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban I, Robot Spider-Man 2 Film Editing The Aviator Collateral Finding Neverland Million Dollar Baby Ray Costume Design The Aviator Finding Neverland Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Ray Troy Makeup Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events The Passion of the Christ The Sea Inside Music (Score) Finding Neverland Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events The Passion of the Christ The Village Music (Song) "Accidentally In Love" from Shrek 2 "Al Otro Lado Del Río" from The Motorcycle Diaries "Believe" from The Polar Express "Learn To Be Lonely" from The Phantom of the Opera "Look To Your Path (Vois Sur Ton Chemin)" from The Chorus Sound Mixing The Aviator The Incredibles The Polar Express Ray Spider-Man 2 Sound Editing The Incredibles The Polar Express Spider-Man 2 Documentary Short Subject Autism is a World The Children of Leningradsky Hardwood Mighty Times: The Children's March Sister Rose's Passion Short Film (Animated) Birthday Boy Gopher Broke Guard Dog Lorenzo Ryan Short Film (Live Action) Everything in This Country Must Little Terrorist 7:35 in the Morning Two Cars, One Night Wasp
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2005 SAG Nominations Announced
January 21, 2005 8:55am ESTActors in Los Angeles may be used to getting up earlier than most mere mortals to make their set call times and hit the makeup chairs and wardrobe trailers. But Desperate Housewives star James Denton's wee-hours rise to announce this year's 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Award nominations on Tuesday came with an extra special reward: not only did he get to reveal that his co-star Teri Hatcher was in the running in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series category, Denton himself was a nominee as well, joining his cast mates in the category of Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. "It's a real honor to be nominated for best ensemble," the wide-awake Denton, who was called to West Hollywood's Pacific Design Center as a last minute fill-in for Dennis Franz (who was stuck up north in Montecito unable drive to waterlogged L.A. because the freeways were shut down), told Hollywood.com. "And I was REAL happy to get to call Teri's name." The actor, who plays the plumber-with-a-secret Mike Delfino on the hit show said it was definitely worth getting up on his day off. "I've got a baby, so I'm at this time of day anyway. Well, maybe I got up a little earlier than normal. But it was no problem at all. I was happy to jump in and fill in for Dennis." Denton was eager to share the news with his co-stars but planned on waiting until a more appropriate hour. "I'll probably call Teri and congratulate her--I'll give her a couple hours. We'll see each other later on today. It'll be really fun to talk about it. Everybody's so thrilled. We're really honored with the People's Choice Award, and the Golden Globes are next weekend and almost all the women are nominated, so we're just really happy that people found us." "I've been around long enough to know we're really fortunate, and take it sort of with a grain of salt in a way, because you don't want to feel like 'Oh, suddenly we've all arrived and we're gonna be rich and famous.'" said Denton of the Housewives" breakthrough season. "It's more a matter of people appreciating what you're doing. It's fun to go to work when you know people are going to see it. Believe me, I've gone to work on TV shows where you knew nobody was going to see it. It's really been a fun ride in that respect." Along with the ensemble nod, Hatcher was the only Housewife to snare a solo nomination, joining familiar SAG staples Patricia Heaton, Doris Roberts, Megan Mullally and Sarah Jessica Parker in the female comedy category. The ensemble will compete against the casts of Arrested Development, Everybody Loves Raymond, Sex and the City and Will & Grace. No Peer Pressure Denton teamed with Alexander actress Rosario Dawson to make the live announcements for nominations, which encompass actors in both film and television. The SAG Awards will be presented and televised live on TNT on Feb. 5 in what is traditionally a star-studded ceremony, as most actors enjoy receiving accolades from their fellow thespians. "As an actor if you're getting nominated you know it's coming from your peers as opposed to a critic," Dawson told Hollywood.com. "It's not just an awards show, or a popularity or critics' contest. "It's really about people who understand the work that goes into acting, who are inspired by it to the point of wanting to do it themselves, and just recognizing that an active actor," Dawson explained. "I'm really looking forward to the awards ceremony themselves. It's supposed to be just a love-fest: film and TV actors get together and just hang around and have a good time." Denton agreed that the SAG Awards have a particular resonance among performers. "The SAG Awards are cool because we know how it works. So many of the other voting boards are kind of nebulous, and you're not really sure who they are. But with the SAG Awards it's people you know and you've worked with. And you get your own ballot so you know exactly how the process works, so it feels a little more real. And it's always interesting to see what actors respond to, That's a lot of fun, because I think we, whether it's right or wrong, tend to respect each others opinions-maybe more so than other people because we have the same attitudes. So it's fun to see what they nominate and what they vote for." Actors' Actors There were some clear favorites among this year's acting nominees. Jamie Foxx led the pack, with nods in the film categories for male lead and the ensemble of Ray as well as supporting male in Collateral and as the male lead for the TV movie Redemption. Hilary Swank also fared well, collecting noms as the female lead and in the ensemble of the feature Million Dollar Baby along with a nod as the female lead in the HBO telepic Iron Jawed Angels. Members of the cast of Sideways were other clear actors' darlings, with film nominations for Paul Giamatti (male lead), Thomas Haden Church (supporting male), Virginia Madsen (supporting female) and the entire ensemble. Among series TV performers, familiar faces ruled: Allison Janney, Ray Romano, Jennifer Garner, Sean Hayes, Edie Falco, Tony Shalhoub, Christine Lahti, Kiefer Sutherland, James Gandolfini, Hank Azaria, Anthony Lapaglia, Heaton, Roberts, Mullally and Parker are among the perennials in various categories. Two and a Half Men's Charlie Sheen scored his first-even nomination as male lead in a comedy, while Drea de Matteo also got a solo nod-for The Sopranos not Joey-after several seasons of ensemble nominations. And nine-times-ensemble-nominated actor Jerry Orbach, the Law & Order veteran who died in December, received his first solo nomination as male actor in a drama series. In addition to sharing their respect for one another's talents, SAG president Melissa Gilbert also congratulated the prominent actors-such as Sandra Bullock, Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Famke Janssen and many others-who have stepped up and shown compassion and financial relief for the victims of the devastating tsunami in South Asia. "The acting community has a long and distinguished history of aiding people in need, particularly in times of crisis, and I'm proud of the many actors who stepped forward this past week to be part of the relief effort," said Gilbert. "Our hearts and a prayers continue to be with those who have been affected." In the tradition of giving and receiving, SAG has loaded up a celebrity gift basket jammed-packed with A-list goodies, many of which will be donated back for auction to benefit the SAG Foundation's community children's literacy and member assistance programs. To check out the SAG swag, visit www.sagawards.org/auction. Here is the complete list of nominees: Television Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series for Television Teri Hatcher, Desperate Housewives Patricia Heaton, Everybody Loves Raymond Megan Mullaly, Will & Grace Sarah Jessica Parker, Sex and the City Doris Roberts, Everybody Loves Raymond Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Made for Television Jason Bateman, Arrested Development Sean Hayes, Will & Grace Ray Romano, Everybody Loves Raymond Tony Shalhoub, Monk Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Television Arrested Development Desperate Housewives Everyone Loves Raymond Sex and The City Will & Grace Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for Television Hank Azaria, Huff James Gandolfini, The Sopranos Anthony LaPaglia, Without A Trace Jerry Orbach, Law & Order Kiefer Sutherland, 24 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Television Drea de Matteo, The Sopranos Edie Falco, The Sopranos Jennifer Garner, Alias Allison Janey, The West Wing Christine Lahti, Jack & Bobby Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Television 24 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Six Feet Under The Sopranos The West Wing Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Glenn Close, Lion in Winter Patrica Heaton, The Goodbye Girl Keke Palmer, The Wool Cap Hilary Swank, Iron Jawed Angels Charlize Theron, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Jamie Foxx, Redemption William H. Macy, The Wool Cap Barry Pepper, The Dale Earnhardt Story Geoffrey Rush, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Jon Voight, The Five People You Meet In Heaven Movies Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Annette Bening, Being Julia Catalina Sandino Moreno, Maria Full of Grace Imelda Staunton, Vera Drake Hilary Swank, Million Dollar Baby Kate Winslet, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Leading Role Don Cheadle, Hotel Rwanda Johnny Depp, Finding Neverland Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator Jamie Foxx, Ray Paul Giamatti, Sideways Outstanding Performance for a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Cate Blanchett, The Aviator Cloris Leachman, Spanglish Laura Linney, Kinsey Virginia Madsen, Sideways Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Thomas Hayden Church, Sideways Jamie Foxx, Collateral Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby James Garner, The Notebook Freddie Highmore, Finding Neverland Outstanding Performance by a Cast of a Motion Picture The Aviator Finding Neverland Hotel Rwanda Million Dollar Baby Ray Sideways
