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SHOWBIZ TONIGHT

Golden Globe Nominees Speak Out

Aired January 2, 2006 - 19:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer.
SIBILA VARGAS, CO-HOST: And I`m Sibila Vargas. A special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): Tonight, on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, let the award season begin. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, one-on-one with Hollywood`s hottest Golden Globe nominees.

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: We`re certainly not telling people want to think. We`re saying let`s just ask questions.

HAMMER: He could be the Golden Globes golden boy. Tonight, George Clooney`s revealing thoughts, his passionate views, in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

And the nominee is: The boys of "Brokeback Mountain."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whoopee!

HAMMER: It`s the gay cowboy movie everybody is talking about. Tonight, "Brokeback" star Heath Ledger gets sensitive in a tell-all interview.

And the nominee is Felicity Huffman like you`ve never seen her, nominated for playing a man. Sort of.

FELICITY HUFFMAN, ACTRESS: After my operation, I will be a woman.

HAMMER: And also for her other gig.

HUFFMAN: Woman of a certain age in a business that values youth above all else. Why should I be nervous?

HAMMER: Tonight, Felicity Huffman reveals how she keeps it all straight, on this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: Hello. I`m Sibila Vargas.

HAMMER: Happy New Year. I`m A.J. Hammer. We`re in New York, and you`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "And the Nominee Is..."

VARGAS: And it`s our inside look at the hottest Golden Globe nominees, just days before the golden statues are handed out. The Globes kick off the awards season and are often considered the very first indicators of who might win Oscar gold.

HAMMER: Well, only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the one-on-one interviews with the biggest stars. And our first nominee is actor George Clooney. He got the nod for not one, but four Golden Globes. One of them is for his supporting role in "Syriana." Clooney plays a veteran CIA agent who is used as a pawn in a scandal involving big oil companies and their influence in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: You were very candid recently about the spinal injury that you had when you were filming "Syriana" during a brutal interrogation scene...

CLOONEY: Sure. Yes.

HAMMER: ... I still feel queasy from. People want to know how you`re feeling.

CLOONEY: Fine. I feel great, actually. Much, much better, and getting better all the time.

HAMMER: You know that`s a really uncomfortable scene. Right?

CLOONEY: I know. Believe me, I know it`s uncomfortable. It was really uncomfortable doing it. If it makes you feel any better, it wasn`t fun to shoot.

HAMMER: Of course, the movie is a work of fiction, but it`s based on real events. And a lot of people are going to walk out of this movie going wow, having no idea that this actually goes on. What do you think the biggest, the most shocking revelation about the oil industry and how this all works will be to people?

CLOONEY: I think that there`s -- it`s so much more complicated, and so much -- there`s so much gray area. There are not things, necessarily, that are good and bad. It`s not that easily marked. It`s more shades of gray, you know. Not so good, not so bad kind of things, so that you understand more clearly our own involvement and sort of our own -- how we`re complicit in all this.

HAMMER: You may be aware of the fact that there are a lot of people who think this whole war in Iraq is not related to weapons of mass destruction but it`s all related to oil. Do you share that notion?

CLOONEY: Well, the truth of the matter is of course. I mean, I don`t think there really is anyone that truly denies the idea that if we were just there for regime change, Mugabe would have been a good place to start. There -- you know, Pinochet wouldn`t have been a bad spot to start.

There were a lot of places that we could have gone if it was just about regime change. There`s no oil in, you know, in Uganda.

You know, so the truth is, is it about oil? Of course, it`s about oil. It`s always been about oil. But you know, having said that, we are all -- we all drive cars and are dependent on it. So we are complicit in all of those arguments. And so it`s not as easy as saying, "Hey, it`s just about oil." The discussion should be about what are our responsibilities? All of ours.

HAMMER: A lot of movies out this fall, and a lot that you, quite frankly, have something to do with, from "Good Night, Good Luck," "Syriana" to "North Country" are movies with a conscience. They really have an awareness or a message. Do you think it`s a coincidence that they`re all happening at this time, or because there is so much unease in the world right now that it`s reflecting that?

CLOONEY: We had about 20 years where there wasn`t much of that in our -- in the land. That`s happened again. There`s a lot of questioning, a lot of people talking about issues. And so films seem to be responding to that.

You know, films are not first responders. It takes two years.

HAMMER: Sure.

CLOONEY: So for us, the idea is right about now is when the things -- when people were telling, you know, I was on the front of a magazine called "The Traitor" because I said we should ask questions before the war.

HAMMER: "The Traitor"? T-R-A-I-T-O-R?

CLOONEY: Yes. You know, literally called "The Traitor." And...

HAMMER: How did you feel about that?

CLOONEY: I wasn`t happy about it. But on the other hand, you can`t demand freedom of speech and then say, "But don`t say bad things about me."

HAMMER: Exactly.

CLOONEY: You`ve got to take the hits. So it`s important now, I think, to have -- the good news for us is that now I think people agree that dissent is not disloyalty, that you`re allowed to have arguments about these issues. And I think that`s good. That`s all.

We`re certainly not telling people what to think. We`re saying, "Let`s just ask questions."

HAMMER: And they`ll walk out of "Syriana," certainly, having those discussions and asking those questions.

CLOONEY: That`s what we hope.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: George Clooney`s other three Golden Globe nods are for best screen play, best director and producer for "Good Night and Good Luck."

VARGAS: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is your place for the most complete coverage of the biggest names nominated for Golden Globes.

And the next nominee is Felicity Huffman. She plays a working mom on "Desperate Housewives," but it`s Felicity`s her starring role in "Transamerica that has earned this "Desperate Housewife" a Golden Globe nomination in the best actress category.

Hoffman plays a man -- that`s right, a man -- who is about to undergo a sex change operation to become a woman. But before she goes under the knife, Hoffman`s character, Bree, learns that she has fathered a son now hustling on the streets of New York.

Hoffman sat down with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny D`Attoma.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNY D`ATTOMA, PRODUCER: What did it feel like going through this transformation?

HUFFMAN: Towards the end of the shoot, I was in wardrobe and makeup and hair. And we took a break from shooting, and I walked to the ladies room and I had a moment of, going, I`m not supposed to be in here. And I walked out, and I went, "No, no, I am supposed to be in here." And I walked in and I went, "No, I`m not."

And it took me actually a moment of standing outside the bathroom and saying, "All right. I actually am a woman and I`m going in."

It was like I was walking cross country with a full glass of water, juggling with the other hand, and on a unicycle. And at any point, I could have blown any of them and fallen on my ass. That`s what it felt like.

D`ATTOMA: Recently you went public with a personal struggle that you had with eating disorders. Why did you choose to come out with that?

HUFFMAN: I didn`t, really. He was -- Will, who was interviewing me was just talking about, you know, I guess women and body issues. And I`m sort of like, sure. That`s a part of my past. And it is a part of my past. So it wasn`t like a big reveal. It was just part of my history.

D`ATTOMA: Now, you`ve already won the Emmy, and people are already talking about Oscar for you. How do you feel when you hear that?

HUFFMAN: It feels completely out of my control, and like pie in the sky. And it`s a small movie. I`m thrilled that people are watching it. So those kinds of things are completely out of my control.

D`ATTOMA: Cherry on the top.

HUFFMAN: Well, no. Pie in the sky. Brass ring.

D`ATTOMA: Everyone loves your character. I would imagine that so many fans come up to you about your character for "Desperate Housewives." Do you get that a lot?

HUFFMAN: I do. I mean, I`m sure all of the women get it. Because it`s kind of a Rorschach test of who do you identify with, or a litmus test. So I get, which I love, the moms. Because I am a mom. And I`m so happy that they feel there`s a voice of motherhood out there that represents some mothers that didn`t have a voice before.

D`ATTOMA: Things are heating up on the set of "Desperate Housewives" this season. We saw Roger Bart`s character, George...

HUFFMAN: Yes.

D`ATTOMA: ... his demise.

HUFFMAN: You did. I didn`t watch it on Sunday. I can`t stay up that late. I`m putting my kids to bed.

D`ATTOMA: So what kind of surprises do you think "Desperate Housewives" fans will see this season unfold?

HUFFMAN: I don`t know if I`m supposed to tell the secret, but Lynette is transgendered. And she is actually the father of Gabrielle`s baby. That`s just entre nous, right, between you and I? Good.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: Felicity Huffman is also a Golden Globe nominee for a television category, best actress in a television series. That`s, of course, for her role on "Desperate Housewives."

HAMMER: But she`s not the only "Desperate Housewife" to get a Globe nomination. As a matter of fact, all of the actresses got their due respect for best actress in a TV comedy. Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, even Eva Longoria, whose shutout last year caused quite the uproar. Well, lucky for her, all that has changed now and she, along with creative writer -- and writer Marc Cherry tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they`re just thrilled.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EVA LONGORIA, ACTRESS: You know, it`s funny. People keep going, "Did you ever think you would ever be nominated?" I`m like, it`s the second year. I mean, it`s -- it hasn`t been that long. I know I`m ecstatic. I`m so happy to be in the company of my cast mates and just to be recognized as a group and as a whole. It`s really fun.

MARC CHERRY, CREATOR/WRITER, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES": You know what? As long as they keep coming, we`re happy. We know that it can`t always last forever. But you know, every year that it comes, we`re just grateful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Only Nicollette Sheridan wasn`t nominated. She would have been up for a different slot than her co-stars, in the best supporting actress category.

VARGAS: The entire cast of "Brokeback Mountain" roped in seven Golden Globe nominations. And we`ve got the interview you won`t want to miss. Heath Ledger tells only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT whether playing a gay cowboy will typecast him. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: Also, someone you just can`t typecast, the incredible King Kong. So incredible, in fact, director Peter Jackson tells us why the movie was harder to make than "Lord of the rings." That`s next.

VARGAS: And the candy man, Willy Wonka himself, Johnny Depp tells Hollywood is a weird, weird place. Find out what he`s talking about just ahead in this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "And the Nominee Is..."

HAMMER: But first, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." What dramatic role has resulted in the most Oscar nominations? Queen Elizabeth I, Henry VIII, Hamlet or the "Godfather`s" Michael Corleone? We`ll be right back with the answer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Once again, here is tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly Great American Pop Culture Quiz." We`re asking what dramatic role has resulted in the most Oscar nominations? A, Queen Elizabeth I; B, Henry VIII; C, Hamlet; or D, the "Godfather`s" Michael Corleone? The role of Henry VIII has been nominated three times, thus the answer is B.

VARGAS: Welcome back to this special edition of with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "And the Nominee Is..." The best of Hollywood awards nominees. I`m Sibila Vargas in New York.

Tonight, yet another nominee is Johnny Depp. Now, he`s no stranger to the awards circuit, and it`s beginning to look a lot like 2006 will be no different. Deep received his sixth Golden Globe nomination for his role as Willy Wonka in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." Now, David Haffenreffer caught up with Depp in the Bahamas and joins us now.

David, tough gig, huh?

DAVID HAFFENREFFER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It certainly was, Sibila. You know, Depp was in the Bahamas filming "The Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels, and he took some time out of his busy shooting schedule to tell me about "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It`s the story of a young boy who wins a tour of his favorite candy factory. Depp plays, of course, the eccentric factory owner, Willy Wonka. And if you`re counting, this film marks Depp`s fifth time teaming up with director Tim Burton.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNNY DEPP, ACTOR: Everything in this room is eatable. Even I`m eatable. But that is called cannibalism, my dear children, and is, in fact, frowned upon in society.

HAFFENREFFER: What was it that attracted you to the role of Willy Wonka?

DEPP: First, it was the opportunity to go back to work with Tim, you know. That was the first thing. And then second, obviously, Roald Dahl`s classic story, you know, "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You found Wonka`s last golden ticket.

DEPP: The combination of those two elements I felt was just perfect. Just magical.

GENE WILDER, ACTOR (singing): If you want a view of paradise.

DEPP: And there was the sort of kid in me that, you know, had been familiar with the Gene Wilder version growing up, you know, from the `70s and loving it. I really thought he was amazing in that film. And then the actor in me going, "That`s a challenge, you know? That could be -- that could be very interesting, you know." To go way, way outside of what Wilder did, to really try and stay far away from that.

You seem confident, and confidence is key.

HAFFENREFFER: Were you approaching the role also, a bit, as a parent?

DEPP: My kids were very excited when they heard that I was Willy Wonka, you know. In fact, the first time they came to the set and saw me decked out as Wonka, it took them two, three minutes just to sort of get used to it. They were just kind of staring at me. They recognized elements of their dad, but there was this other weird thing going on.

It`s important to me that films like "Pirates," "Finding Neverland," also "Wonka," that it`s a film that`s accessible for my kids, my kids can watch it.

HAFFENREFFER: You mentioned some of the other titles of movies that you`d been in, "Edward Scissorhands." Also "Ed Wood." Very eccentric, unusual characters. Are you attracted to those roles and is there a fear that you might get typecast into that type of role?

DEPP: No. I remember early on, you know, when I was first sort of cracking the boards, as it were, there was a fear of being typecast, and I fought that tooth nail, from about 1990 on. I`ve been lucky enough to do exactly what I want, you know, exactly the way I want without -- without too much trouble.

HAFFENREFFER: You seem to show up, do your films, do the publicity for them and then you`re off the map, basically. And that`s a personal choice on your own part. But how do you see yourself fitting into the Hollywood social scene?

DEPP: Because I have chosen to distance myself from the Hollywood social scene, when events come up that you should go to, you have to go to, whatever, and because it`s so foreign to me and so far away from me, I actually kind of enjoy it, you know. Because it`s like -- it`s like sort of going into some weird carnival ride for a little while. And you know, knowing that you`re going to come out the other side and escape immediately.

So I don`t -- I`m not a particularly social animal in the Hollywood sense. I don`t like to do that. But when I do have to go to these events, it`s kind of fun, you know. Because it`s so weird. They`re so weird.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: Depp, who splits his times between Los Angeles and France, plans on attended the Golden Globes, assuming production on the third installment of "Pirates in the Caribbean" does not interfere -- Sibila.

VARGAS: I can`t wait to see that. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, thank you very much.

HAMMER: Well, Johnny Depp is going against some stiff competition come awards night at the Golden Globes. Coming up, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, "The Producers," will tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT why their movie will make it big.

VARGAS: And Broderick`s wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, is also up for a Golden Globe nomination. Coming up, why she was shocked to get the nod.

HAMMER: And Parker is going head to head for the best actress award with Keira Knightley. Find out why Keira demanded an agent when she was just 3. It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and that is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Our special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "And the Nominee Is..." continues. We`re going one-on-one with Hollywood`s hottest stars who are up for a Golden Globe award.

And tonight, another nominee is the musical comedy, "The Producers." It`s up for a Golden Globe for best musical, plus three other big nominations. Our own David Haffenreffer had a chance to sit down with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick. They`re the stars of the movie. And dished about bringing Hollywood -- Broadway, rather, to Hollywood -- David.

HAFFENREFFER: Well, they`re a comical duo, A.J. It`s about two down and out men, of course, who try to make it big on Broadway by producing a flop of a musical. Well, with four Golden Globe nominations and some serious Oscar buzz, this movie is turning out to be anything but a flop.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATTHEW BRODERICK, ACTOR: Let`s assume for a moment that you are a dishonest man.

NATHAN LANE, ACTOR: Assume away.

HAFFENREFFER: When you first heard about the movie was going to be made, did you both immediately know this was something you really wanted to do?

BRODERICK: The movie, yes, sure.

LANE: What else am I doing?

See it, smell it. Touch it. Kiss it. Kiss it. It`s the mother load.

BRODERICK: What is it? You found the flop?

LANE: A flop. That`s putting it mildly. This is a catastrophe.

Who wouldn`t want to do this? They`re great parts. And we had played them before. So it`s rare that, you know, the guy who does it on stage gets to do the movie. So it was all good.

BRODERICK: "Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Eva and Adolf at Berchtesgaden." Oh, my God.

HAFFENREFFER: You guys have been credited with helping to bring Broadway back to life with your portrayals in these roles for this particular play. Do you hope this does the same thing for the not so great box office?

BRODERICK: Yes, I`m hoping to revive the motion picture industry.

HAFFENREFFER: I mean, Harry Potter is doing it to some degree. But we`re still down year over year.

BRODERICK: Really? Well, don`t -- don`t ask me to help that. You know, I hope it`s a good movie. And yes, I would love it if people went to see it. And I hope it`s a good movie. I love the movie, and I hope people like it. And I hope it not only helps the -- the movie industry do better, but I would like the whole economy to be helped by the release of this picture.

HAFFENREFFER: Do you both take an interest in how this does? Will you run out Monday morning to see how the performance is after the opening weekend?

BRODERICK: I`ll hide in terror, and he`ll look at it.

LANE: Yes. And I hope it brings an end to the war in Iraq.

BRODERICK: Yes, that, too.

HAFFENREFFER: I loved seeing Uma Thurman in the role of Ulla.

BRODERICK: Ulla. Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yonsen Tallen-Hallen Svaden Svanson.

LANE: Wow.

BRODERICK: Wowee. I never knew it on stage.

LANE: Wow.

BRODERICK: I had to read it.

We might have a position for you.

LANE: As a matter of fact, we might have several positions for you.

BRODERICK: I got to rehearse with her for weeks on the dances, you know, because some of them that she hadn`t done before had to be taught. And I had to learn them with her. And that was a great pleasure to show up and just work on this dancing with her. She was a total joy to work with.

LANE: I want you to know my dear, that even though we`re sitting down, we`re giving you a standing ovation.

HAFFENREFFER: Who`s the better dancer?

LANE: He is.

BRODERICK: She is.

LANE: She is, he said. She is.

BRODERICK: You could have said that, too. I didn`t mean it like that.

LANE: You said she is.

BRODERICK: You know that joke that we sometimes make?

LANE: Listen to her. I hope this isn`t a blue state.

BRODERICK: He`s a wonderful dancer.

LANE: I`m the lord of the dance. I don`t know if you`ve heard. Michael Flatley is no longer the lord. I`m the lord of the dance.

HAFFENREFFER: But you did a good job. And obviously, you have to get it right for the take that`s used in the film, because it`s going to live on for eternity.

BRODERICK: Yes, and you really wanted to get it right, because there were sometimes 20 dancers behind you. And if I would make a mistake, we`d have to do it again. And then you see all these people doing it perfectly around you. You really want to get it right.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: Not only was "The Producers" nominated for best musical or comedy, Nathan Lane is up for best actor in a musical. Will Ferrell is up for best supporting actor. And they even have one of their songs up for a Globe, as well -- A.J.

HAMMER: I think they`ll do well. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer, thank you very much.

Well, Matthew Broderick`s wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, also up for a Golden Globe. And just ahead, she tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT what she plans on wearing the big night.

VARGAS: And the cowboys of "Brokeback Mountain." They`ve got seven Golden Globe nominations in their saddle. Star Heath ledger tells us what made him take the role of a gay cowboy. That`s coming up next.

HAMMER: Also, King Kong director Peter Jackson. Why he thinks this movie was harder to make than "Lord of the Rings." Kind of hard to believe, but he sets the record straight. We`ve got all that and more coming up on this special awards edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "An the Nominee Is..." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "And the Nominee Is." It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.

VARGAS: And I`m Sibila Vargas. We`re in New York and bringing you one-on-one interviews with some of the hottest stars and Golden Globe nominees. The Golden Globes are just days away and can be the very first predictor of who might win an Oscar. Now let the award season begin.

We`re going to be talking to Heath Ledger. That`s coming up.

HAMMER: That`s right.

VARGAS: You know, he`s already getting lots of Oscar buzz, a Golden Globe nominee. But do you know it had to be -- it couldn`t be easy for him to have picked this role, playing a gay cowboy. I mean, this is a role that could typically typecast somebody.

HAMMER: Sure, in "Brokeback Mountain." And fortunately, Hollywood has moved away from worrying about those types of things.

VARGAS: Right. But we`ll so how he made that decision and how it effects -- it might affect him in his future.

HAMMER: Good.

(CROSSTALK)

HAMMER: Well, Sibila, when I went out to see "Pride and Prejudice" and saw the lovely Keira Knightley in the film, I said, "She has got to get nominated for awards." And, certainly, she is up for best musical or comedy, best actress in that category...

VARGAS: Very charming.

HAMMER: ... for "Pride and Prejudice," up against the lovely Sarah Jessica Parker, nominated for "The Family Stone." We`re going to have our exclusive one-on-ones with each of them coming up in just a few moments.

And right now, the nominee is Peter Jackson. The award-winning director created the new "King Kong." And how he`s up for a Golden Globe for his "King"-sized efforts. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer back once again with more.

Hi, David.

HAFFENREFFER: Hi, A.J. Well, Peter Jackson admits that his boyhood dream of creating a new version of the 1933 classic film had its challenges along the way. No rest for the weary director, Jackson told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he started working on "Kong" while he was wrapping up his final installment of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, "Return of the King."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JACK BLACK, ACTOR: And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty, and beauty stayed his hand. And from that day forward, he was as one dead.

HAFFENREFFER (voice-over): For director Peter Jackson, "King Kong" was a childhood dream come true. Jackson won a whopping 11 Oscars for "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" and launched right into "Kong" even before he collected the golden guys. Jackson tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he and his team of animators were ready for the challenge.

PETER JACKSON, DIRECTOR: During the year of "Return of the King," the post-production, we were already working on the Empire State Building sequence. It was in animation happening, because we knew we were going to do "Kong" next. And I wanted to keep the team together, which was the real reason for it. And so I thought, if there was ever a time to do "Kong," it would now, immediately, no break, just go straight in it.

HAFFENREFFER: And Jackson and his team certainly had their work cut out for them. Jackson tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT creating an authentic Kong had its own set of challenges.

JACKSON: He has this great mane of fur. We wanted the fur to get muddy and dirty. We wanted the mud to be wet, and then we wanted it to dry. And then the dry fur starts to cake and bake and then fall off. We wanted leaves to be tangled in his hair. We wanted all of this detail. We were way beyond anything we`d ever done in "Lord of the Rings."

HAFFENREFFER: Unlike "Lord of the Rings," which was all based in fantasy, Jackson had to turn back the clock and re-create New York City in 1933. He told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he and his team of animators did what they know best. They went high-tech.

JACKSON: We had to build Manhattan in 1933, which we`d never had to do on "Rings." It was all fantasy stuff. And now we were dealing with New York City exactly as it was in 1934. You know, we build a very, very accurate computer copy of Manhattan that we use all the time in the movie.

HAFFENREFFER: Casting the movie proved to be an easier challenge for Jackson. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT his kids were the reason behind his choice of comedian Jack Black for the role of the overly ambitious filmmaker Carl Denham.

JACK BLACK, ACTOR/COMEDIAN: You, short stuff.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Puff Daddy.

BLACK: Wrong. Billy?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lisa Minnelli?

BLACK: What are -- you guys, this project is called Rock Band. I`m talking about bands that rock.

JACKSON: The children had the DVD of "School of Rock," and were like playing it 25 times over Christmas. And we had Jack Black sort of beaten into our subconscious sort of on a daily basis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAFFENREFFER: Jackson is no stranger to winning Golden Globes. He`s already won two of them for director and for best picture for his film, "Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King." Peter Jackson has also been making news on another front, as well, his extreme weight loss, as you may have noticed. He told "Entertainment Weekly" he shed the pounds as a result of putting in 21 hours a day directing and editing "King Kong." He should write a new diet book, perhaps.

HAMMER: That is a busy schedule to keep, indeed. No wonder he lost the weight.

Thanks very much, David. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s David Haffenreffer.

VARGAS: And now, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT interview you don`t want to miss. And the nominee is Heath Ledger. He`s nominated for a Golden Globe for his starring role in "Brokeback Mountain," the movie that`s getting a lot of buzz. It`s a love story between two cowboys set in the `60s. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny D`Attoma sat down with Ledger to talk about his daring role and all the award buzz he`s receiving.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

D`ATTOMA: "Entertainment Weekly" is calling this movie the most daring love story this year. How do you feel about that?

HEATH LEDGER, ACTOR, "BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN": I don`t know. I guess, initially before (INAUDIBLE) were calling, I don`t know, people were calling it, it was -- you know, it was an honor to be a part of such an incredible story and beautiful screenplay. The actual script was hands- down the most beautiful script I`d ever read.

And then there was a seemingly perfect director for it. And so all the elements were there, you know? And it`s just -- it`s very rare to come across a story that hasn`t been told.

LEDGER, AS CHARACTER IN "BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN": We`re around each other, and this thing grabs hold of us again in the wrong place in the wrong time, we`re dead.

D`ATTOMA: Did you ever feel that you were taking a risk with your career?

LEDGER: I never felt like I had a career at stake. You know? It was like, what am I risking? I felt most of the risk or fear surrounding this project was fairly manufactured from, like, other sources, like studios and stuff like that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You boys sure found a way to make the time pass up there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don`t go up there to fish.

LEDGER, AS CHARACTER IN "BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN": You don`t know nothing about it.

D`ATTOMA: What did you draw on for your rage, the rage in your character?

LEDGER: You know, you just feel it. You just -- you know, once you get a thorough understanding of your character and his battle, you kind of try and keep pent, penting something up, storing something up, and, ultimately, you know, acting, well, for me at least, it`s all about harnessing the power of belief, you know? And I think, once you do that, you can take yourself kind of anywhere, really.

D`ATTOMA: Are you prepared for the onslaught of all the Oscar buzz that it`s already receiving?

LEDGER: No, not really. I`m not sure how to.

D`ATTOMA: Are you excited about it?

LEDGER: I`m excited to be in a film that`s getting received well. That`s a big relief.

D`ATTOMA: Is that an ultimate achievement for you, an Oscar, or it`s more about your career path?

LEDGER: You know, I don`t ever really want to feel like I`m peaking or, you know -- I`ve got a lot more I want to do. And I`m always learning my performance. As I, as a person, it`s evolving and maturing, and I just want to continue to do that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And "Brokeback Mountain" has received a total of seven Golden Globe nominations, including best motion picture and another for best director, Ang Lee.

HAMMER: Our special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues in just a moment. Golden Globe nominee Sarah Jessica Parker, she tells only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT why she was so shocked to get the nod. That`s coming up next.

VARGAS: And Keira Knightley is up against Parker for best actress nomination. Tonight, she reveals the most outrageous tabloid story she`s ever read about herself. It`s an interview you`ll only see on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That`s next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY, ACTRESS: I was sitting there in my flat with my agent, trying to work out how to make a lasagna. And I got a call saying I`ve been nominated for a Golden Globe. So that was quite nice.

And, you know, I phoned my mom. And she went, "Oh, oh, you won`t win, but well done." Thanks. Yes, it was very exciting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: What`s nice is that they`re two films that we`re really proud of. And, as you know, they`re not easy sells, these films. They`re tricky. So things like this really are helpful with keeping the film out there and helping it be seen by more people, but that`s the fun of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VARGAS: Welcome back to this special awards edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "And the Nominee Is." I`m Sibila Vargas. Tonight, we`re bringing you the hottest stars to kick off Hollywood`s awards season. The Golden Globes are just around the corner, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT talked to two of the nominees in the best actress for a musical or comedy category. Keira Knightley and Sarah Jessica Parker are going head-to-head in this year`s Golden Globe race.

HAMMER: Of course, Keira Knightley first burst onto the scene playing Juliette in the comedy "Bend it like Beckham." And she charmed audiences playing the heroine Elizabeth Swann, alongside Johnny Depp in "Pirates of the Caribbean."

But for her Golden Globe-nominated role, Keira donned a corset, playing Lizzie, one of the famous five Bennet sisters in an adaptation of Jane Austen`s "Pride and Prejudice." She stopped by SHOWBIZ TONIGHT studios, and I sat down with her to talk about the challenging role.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Typically, I`m not a fan of the period pieces. But that`s just me.

KNIGHTLEY: Really?

HAMMER: This is the kind of a movie -- I went into it, and I`m not ashamed to say it. It feels like it just wraps your arms around you. And I understand, this is a film that you -- or role, certainly, that you originally resisted taking on?

KNIGHTLEY: Yes, I was terrified, completely terrified.

HAMMER: Why is that?

KNIGHTLEY: I thought I wasn`t good enough. I had never done a lead character before. I didn`t think I was ready. And I thought, to take on a character like Elizabeth Bennet, that is so well-loved, I was kind of setting myself up to be shot down. So I begged my agents not to put me up for it. And they told me not to be stupid, and I`m quite glad that they did.

HAMMER: You made the right decision. But a character you were familiar with and a story you were familiar with from the time you were a child?

KNIGHTLEY: Yes, I know. I`ve been obsessed with it since I was about 7. I had it on book tape and used to listen to it all the time. And then the miniseries came out when I was about 10. And then I read the book. And I mean, she is my favorite character in English literature. So yes, I was very lucky.

HAMMER: So life has kind of come around full circle for you?

KNIGHTLEY: It has, yes.

HAMMER: And as far as making the movie and actually being in those fairy tale situations, I mean, the visuals are stunning, the outfits, the balls. Was that a dream come true for you? But what about wearing those corsets?

KNIGHTLEY: Well, the corsets weren`t as bad, because they were awful in "Pirates of the Caribbean," because I was stupid enough to kind of go, "No, make it tighter, make it tighter, make it tighter." Whereas these were kind of, you know, they were all right. They were fine. I had a nice time in my corset this time.

HAMMER: And the stunning locations.

KNIGHTLEY: Yes.

HAMMER: Especially coming from the U.K. I imagine that has to have been a treat.

KNIGHTLEY: No, it was amazing. I`m a London girl, so I`d never really done the whole countryside in the summer in England before. And it is magical in the extreme, so all the locations for "Pride and Prejudice" were actually done on location. They weren`t sets. So we didn`t build anything. They were all actual houses. So it was really great.

HAMMER: Are you kind of sad to have to give it all up? "Oh, this isn`t really my life?"

KNIGHTLEY: Yes, I know, it was awful.

HAMMER: You`ve been at this acting gig, despite your very young age, for a long time. How old were you when you got your first agent?

KNIGHTLEY: I was 6 when I got my first agent, but I was 3 when I first asked for one.

HAMMER: Now what is that about?

KNIGHTLEY: I don`t know.

HAMMER: You said, "Mom, Dad, I want an agent?" You`re 3 years old.

KNIGHTLEY: Yes.

HAMMER: Most kids are asking for, you know, their body...

KNIGHTLEY: Body?

HAMMER: Body? I don`t think that`s what I meant to say.

KNIGHTLEY: Maybe. Something like that.

HAMMER: Their baba.

KNIGHTLEY: Yes, well, I don`t know. I was a precocious brat, really.

HAMMER: No, I don`t believe it for a second.

KNIGHTLEY: And my mom had one and my dad had one and I thought it was unfair that I didn`t have one.

HAMMER: Got to have an agent.

KNIGHTLEY: Got to have an agent, yes.

HAMMER: All right. Well, it`s led you to where you are now. Here in the United States, as you may have noticed when you go through the airports, our tabloids are a bit obsessed with Celebrities. You know, they`re on the covers there. But over there in the U.K., it`s nuts.

KNIGHTLEY: Yes.

HAMMER: It`s out of control, it would seem, and some have said it is.

KNIGHTLEY: Yes.

HAMMER: Do you read any of that stuff yourself?

KNIGHTLEY: No.

HAMMER: Do you avoid it? You`re of the mind let me just not participate in that at all?

KNIGHTLEY: I`d probably say 99 percent of it`s completely false. And I don`t mind fiction when you`re being honest about fiction. But I mind it when you`re being dishonest about it being fictitious.

HAMMER: Strangest thing you`ve ever heard about yourself or read abut yourself?

KNIGHTLEY: I was recently meant to be going out with somebody that I`ve never even met. I had no idea who he was, and apparently we were going through this entire big relationship. I`d never met him. Isn`t that weird?

HAMMER: And maybe it`s someone you would have liked, had you gotten to know them.

KNIGHTLEY: Well, maybe, but I don`t know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: What you see is what you get. She`s just lovely. This marks Keira Knightley`s very first Golden Globe nomination. Keira, just 20 years old.

VARGAS: And vying for that Golden Globe awards against Keira, the nominee is Sarah Jessica Parker. The former "Sex and the City" star is enjoying the spotlight. Her new movie, "The Family Stone," has earned Parker a best actress nomination. Parker plays an uptight girlfriend going to meet his boyfriend`s family. She talked to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT producer Jenny D`Attoma.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

D`ATTOMA: Congratulations on your Golden Globe nomination. How does it feel?

SARAH JESSICA PARKER, ACTRESS: It was stunning. I was unaware they were being announced that morning, so as you can imagine I was completely taken by surprise and really flattered. I wouldn`t have even thought about it. I was shocked. I was shocked. It was amazing.

D`ATTOMA: You are no stranger to so many awards at this point. Is it -- does it feel different now because you`ve left the TV show, "Sex and the City," and you have returned to movies where you started. How does that feel for you? Is it a different feeling?

PARKER: Yes. I mean, it would be hard to pretend that there wasn`t some distinction between the two mediums. And it`s not that one is better than the other. I just think I didn`t expect this to happen. You know, this was -- the movie alone was such a -- such a privilege to be part of, and I think it`s such a beautiful, funny, moving movie.

They hate me. Yes, I`m being myself.

Feels different somehow to have it be, for a movie, it`s hard to articulate but it feels different. It`s amazing.

D`ATTOMA: This character, Meredith, is quite a departure from what your "Sex and the City" fans know from you.

PARKER: Yes.

D`ATTOMA: This is an uptight executive woman. Was that fun for you to do?

PARKER: It was fun, but it was really -- it`s a very hard part to play, because you want to make sure that she`s real and human and not just sort of some archetype of a withholding person. So it was fun, but it was a very hard part.

D`ATTOMA: Were you being offered parts that were similar to Carrie Bradshaw on "Sex and the City"? Was that happening?

PARKER: Oh, yes. I mean, there was, you know, a nice abundance of very familiar, but you know, I felt that I left -- you know, it was a difficult decision to left the show and I left the very best of that and what it was, I felt, important for me to do is something that was very different.

And while the familiar is often the lucrative and the most comfortable, that`s maybe not the best decision. That`s not the best way for an actor to make a decision.

D`ATTOMA: How do you balance that all, being a mom to a -- he`s still a toddler, your son.

PARKER: Yes. He`s just a new 3. I think I`m probably like a lot of, you know, working mothers in this country and probably other countries, as well, that, you know, put their child, you know, first. And then try to make a career work around it.

And, you know, you always feel like you`re not -- like you`re letting somebody down or somebody`s getting the short end but, you know, for me, it`s most important that my son is not that somebody.

D`ATTOMA: What will you wear to the Golden Globes? Are you starting to shop? Or is this, you know, after the holidays?

PARKER: I think I`ve got to, you know I have some work to do. I have to work up until the 21st of this month. And then I really just want to think about my family and Christmas. And I have a new niece that was just born a few days ago, so I think I`ll put that very difficult challenge off until after the new year and hope that I find the right dress.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VARGAS: And you know she`s going to look lovely. Sarah Jessica Parker is certainly no stranger to winning Golden Globes. She`s already won four of them for playing Carrie Bradshaw in "Sex and the City."

HAMMER: You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`re highlighting your favorite nominees, as the Hollywood award season kicks off. Here`s another Golden Globe nominee. Don`t go anywhere.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILL FERRELL, ACTOR: Feels great. Yes, it`s, you know, extremely exciting and, you know, just kind of continuing this kind of fairy tale existence with the movie to begin with, because I was so flattered to even be a part of the film. And to sort of get this recognition is just insane.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You`re watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "And the Nominee Is." This is your one-stop shop for the Hollywood award season and the biggest nominees out there.

All right. Time to grab a pen and paper, because we are sharing the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT planning calendar with you. It is your guide to when all the awards shows are happening.

VARGAS: We`ve been talking about the Golden Globes. They`re up first, January 16th. We`ll find out the Hollywood Foreign Press Association`s picks for the top in film and TV. Top contenders for a Globe, the romantic gay cowboys from "Brokeback Mountain" and George Clooney`s "Good Night, and Good Luck."

HAMMER: And another must-see awards ceremony, the Screen Actors Guild awards on January 5th. "Grey`s Anatomy" star Ellen Pompeo and "E-Ring`s" Benjamin Bratt will announce the nominees. And the winners will be picked on January 29th.

VARGAS: And then there`s the mother of all award shows, the Oscars. Nominees out January 31st. Then, on Sunday, March 5th, the 78th Annual Academy Awards. The big contenders this year, "King Kong," "Brokeback Mountain," "Munich," and "Walk the Line."

Don`t forget, of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be your place for complete live coverage.

HAMMER: Well, right now, it is time to find out what`s playing on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. For that, we take a look at our "Showbiz Marquee" with the Marquee Guy. Take it away.

MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, it`s the Italian stallion, junior. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with your first report from the set of the new "Rocky" film. Straight from the mouth of the actor who`s playing Rocky`s son. And he`ll be here live. So let`s get ready to "rocky and rolly" with secrets from the set, tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, if you`ve had one Philly cheesesteak too many over the holidays, Richard Simmons will get your butt back in gear. Do you know how to sweat to the oldies? Richard Simmons live, tomorrow.

This is the Marquee Guy, feeling a little bit chunky in the butt after the holidays and definitely ready for Simmons slimmin`.

HAMMER: You look lovely. It looks like you didn`t gain a pound over the holidays.

VARGAS: Oh, stop.

HAMMER: Did you have a nice New Years?

VARGAS: I sure did.

HAMMER: Well, happy New Year to you.

VARGAS: And you, too.

HAMMER: And that is it for the very first SHOWBIZ TONIGHT of 2006. I`m A.J. Hammer.

VARGAS: I`m Sibila Vargas. Stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.

END

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