Posts Tagged ‘Alessandro Nivola’

Emily Mortimer’s Cultural Faux Pas

August 3rd, 2008

Despite her prim-and-proper demeanor, Emily Mortimer is no mild-mannered Brit.

“I have always managed to charm Ukrainian taxi drivers in New York by suddenly swearing in Russian in the back of the cab,” the 36-year-old actress, who is married to Alessandro Nivola, tells OK!’s Oliver Coleman.

The mother of one, who stars in Transsiberian, studied Russian in college and spent time in Russia.  

Still, her language skills didn’t go over as well in Lithuania.

“I was so looking forward to it because I would be able to practice my little phrases, and curse in Russian and they’ll all think I’m cool because it is my second language. And it was going down like a cup of cold sick! No one was really psyched or charmed about the fact I was talking Russian to them — they remained sort of poker-faced.”

She continues, “I couldn’t quite work out what was going on until about a week into it someone pointed out that Lithuania had been brutally oppressed and persecuted by the Soviet Union for about seventy years and that the least cool thing I could do in Lithuania is to speak Russian. And I was actually making myself unpopular by doing it. So I thought I was going to be the mediator and I ended up just making things a lot worse for everyone by going around talking Russian.”

Oops!

Stars Celebrate Valentine’s Day

February 14th, 2008

Celebs love to be loved just as much as everyone else.

While Sheryl Crow, Keyshia Cole, Cassie and Christy Turlington will be working, newly engaged KT Tunstall is celebrating the day in Scotland. “We’ll be checking out wedding venues,” she tells me.

 

“I’m gonna…,” George Clooney, who is dating Sarah Larson, jokes.

“This is going to be my first Valentine’s Day in three years on my own,” Jesse McCartney tells me. “It just might be me on my couch this year. And the TV.”

“I’ll be ordering room service,” Rachel Bilson says. “I’ll be in a hotel room here. Hahaha.” As for his plans, her boyfriend Hayden Christensen says “nothing right now.”

Ryan Reynolds, whose movie Definitely, Maybe opens today, says, “My plan is to run out with 150 of my closest friends and see Definitely, Maybe.” Costar Rachel Weisz says she hopes to go out to dinner. “It’s very hard to get the kids together,” she says. “It’s very sad. I might stay in.”

“The best Valentine’s Day – or the ones I always liked – is when my boyfriend would remember it was Valentine’s Day,” Vanessa Carlton tells me. “That was always a plus.”

Cupid’s arrow certainly puts Brody Jenner in a good mood.

“Usually my mom is my Valentine but this year, yes, I’m going to have a girlfriend,” Brody tells me. “Honestly, it’s been a long time since I actually celebrated Valentine’s Day.”

Selma Blair will be single this VDay. “I’m going to sleep,” she laughs. Gossip Girl’s Dreama Walker tells me she has a date with Ben – and Jerry. (Ha ha) “Dublin Mudslide, definitely.”

How did the stars spend their most memorable Valentine’s Days?

 

"Last Valentine’s Day I had a show, but afterwards I hung out with my boyfriend and all my friends and their boyfriends," Colbie Caillat tells me. "We went to dinner." (She has a new boyfriend this year.)

“We went for a balloon ride,” Phil Donahue, who is married to Marlo Thomas, tells me.

Naomi Judd remembers, “We went for a ride in our ’56 T-bird, and it’s got those bucket seats. It doesn’t have bucket seats – it has a bench seat. So we put the top down and rode around the countryside with my arm around him, so we can get up snuggly.”

Half the battle is knowing what interests you – and what doesn’t.

Emily Mortimer and hubby Alessandro Nivola know what they’re not going to do. “Not go out and sit in a restaurant with 25 other couples looking into each other’s eyes,” she tells me. “It’s terribly embarrassing.”

And sometimes it’s about a different kind of love.

Gone Country host and country singer John Rich tells me, “My grandmother’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day, so it’s always cool to celebrate her birthday. My grandmother makes all my stage clothes. She’ll be 77 this year. I wear rhinestone jeans and rhinestone shirts – all these crazy outfits. I’ve had big artists come up to me and say ‘man, where’d you get that?’ I’m like ‘oh, my Granny Rich made that.’ She’s a real part of my career and my imaging. Her birthday’s on Valentine’s Day, so I always load her up with a bunch of flowers. She has a little alteration shop in Tennessee. It’s always cool on Valentine’s Day to take care of Granny Rich.”

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

George Clooney, Jennifer Garner Wow At National Board of Review Awards

January 24th, 2008

George Clooney, with girlfriend Sarah Larson in tow, yuks it up with everyone he can at the National Board of Review Awards, where he is being honored for best actor in Michael Clayton.

He grabs my arm and gives me a knowing wink. Where does he keep his awards? “I have a room,” he says. “I actually have a room. I have one [award].”

How does he feel about the acclaim for his role? “It’s definitely better than feeling terrible about it later,” self-deprecating George says.

What does co-star Tilda Swinton think of the couple? “I love Sarah,” she says. “She’s a beautiful girl, really beautiful. I never knew him before he was with her, but he seems pretty happy to me.”

Here’s the mesmerizing Jennifer Garner. When a Spanish TV presenter from Calle Que Calle asks Mrs. Affleck if he can kiss her hand, she obliges. As she lifts her blinged-out hand, Jennifer coos, “bless your heart.”

Hubby Ben, who wins best directorial debut for Gone Baby Gone, moves through separately. His best supporting actor brother Casey’s lips are sealed about his new baby.

Best actress winner Julie Christie isn’t sure if her jewels are Bvlgari – or if they’re even real — while Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones sail through.

Honoree Javier Bardem is thrilled to see his old buddy from Spain’s Calle Que Calle, who whips out a fake Oscar in case the prestigious awards show doesn’t happen due to the writers’ strike.

Denzel Washington, who accompanies his Great Debaters co-star Jurnee Smollett, says the cast “picked themselves. They stood out. It was a good feeling.”

Meanwhile, Emily Mortimer doesn’t feel badly about leaving her son Sam, 4, with their “fabulous” Serbian au pair. “He’s pleased when we go out because he gets to stay up late and have fun with her,” Mrs. Alessandro Nivola says.

Best director winner Tim Burton has a little one at home, too. How’s the month-old daughter he shares with Helena Bonham Carter? “Good, I think,” he tells me.

Speaking of family, here’s Glenn Close and her 20-year-old daughter Annie. Does she like coming to these events?

“It’s very good,” Annie laughs. “I’m blinded, but it’s great.”

Oh, and here’s Phil Donahue and wife Marlo Thomas. “Our film is titled Body of War,” he tells me. “It’ll be in a theater near you soon, and I hope you’ll come. I’ll park your car.”

What an offer!

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