Category: Interviews

Viggo Mortensen: Sensitive side of `Psycho’

Jae-Ha Kim

Viggo Mortensen is relating a tale that involves Vince Vaughn, a butcher knife and the threat of bodily harm. But, oddly enough, the actor isn’t describing the shooting of his latest film, “Psycho.” He’s remembering a country music concert. “Vince and I went to see Buck Owens one night after we had finished that day’s shoot [for “Psycho”],” Mortensen said during a call from his Los Angeles home. “I had gotten one of the `Psycho’ knives to give to Buck as a present ’cause it was his birthday. They wanted us to give it to him on stage that night. “So we bumbled our way through our speech to Buck. He opened the box and saw the knife, and the fiddler started making the “eek eek eek” [noise from the shower scene]. Buck got all excited and started posing as a damsel in distress. Then he began chasing Dwight Yoakam all around the stage with the knife. I don’t think he realized it was real.”

Bill Kurtis — Adult education

Jae-Ha Kim

On a recent episode of the hit TV series “Martial Law,” hero Sammo Law inspected a packet of jewels and said, “There are rumors about this – a new type of high-quality synthetic diamond that can only be made at high pressure, under very cold temperatures.” Impressed, his colleague asked if he had acquired this knowledge in China. “No,” Sammo said. “On the Discovery Channel.”

Seattle Sutton: Healthy meal plan has fast food junkie eating better

Jae-Ha Kim

My mission, if I chose to accept it, was to try Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating program for a month. The goal wasn’t to lose weight, but to see if a fast food junkie such as myself could train herself to eat nutritious meals if they were cooked and delivered to me. It sounded good. Basically, all I had to do was chew, so I happily accepted the challenge.

Cathy Rigby reprises her famous stage role as the title character in “Peter Pan.”

Jae-Ha Kim

Cathy Rigby is a two-time Olympian and a Tony Award nominee.  But ask the former gymnast what frightens her the most and she’ll answer without missing a beat. “The thought of my 16-year-old daughter driving . . . alone,” Rigby said in a phone interview from Los Angeles.  “I’ve been through it before, but you never really get used to it.”

`Boy’ of summer: Brandy, Monica heat up charts with atypical hit

Jae-Ha Kim

What’s wrong with this picture? The reigning single this summer is “The Boy is Mine,” a sultry duet by teen divas Brandy and Monica fighting over a slick, two-timing beau. The tune is catchy enough. But its comparatively moody lyrics and subtle delivery are a far cry from the season’s usual sunny songs.

It’s Gallo’s time: `Buffalo’ ride got bumpy for director

Jae-Ha Kim

Vincent Gallo wrote, directed and starred in “Buffalo ’66.” But ask him which of his talents he’s proudest of and Gallo will answer, “Well, I’ve acted in 18 movies, but I would never call myself an actor. I’m not Steve McQueen. More than anything else, I’m probably best as a stylist.” This is the enfant terrible described by some as a “loose cannon”? “I am a bit vindictive and unforgiving to people who behave inappropriately against me,” Gallo said softly in an interview from his Los Angeles home. “But I’m not really mean to anybody.”

Hanson charms young fans

Jae-Ha Kim

There were three rules for the 250 or so Hanson fans who finagled their way inside Planet Hollywood Friday afternoon for the popular pop trio’s press conference. No screaming. No standing. No flash photography. All three rules were broken quicker than you could say “MMMBop” when 15-year-old Taylor Hanson announced that his secret, unfulfilled fantasy was “to meet every single person here.”