Posts Tagged ‘marlee matlin’

William Hurt on Dancing with the Stars?

July 16th, 2008 / Author: OK! Staff

William Hurt is playing a new character on the upcoming season of the FX drama Damages, but it’s another show that he’s angling for a spot on. The actor admitted to OK! that he has had thoughts of following in the ballroom footsteps of his Children of a Lesser God co-star, Marlee Matlin, who competed on Dancing with the Stars last season.

When asked if he’d do DWTS himself, William told OK!, "I think about it. I could go to the octenegarians’ episode, maybe. I love to dance!"

The Oscar winner watched Marlee shake and boogy her way to seventh place. He said of the deaf actress, "She’s amazing in every way. She’s always had my vote."

Meanwhile, William is joining his former Big Chill co-star Glenn Close in Damages. His character Daniel will come to Glenn’s character Patti for legal advice, and the 58-year-old is looking forward to sharing the screen with Glenn again.

"We’ve known each other for a long time," he said.

By Carole Glines

Marlee Matlin: How I Lost 18 lbs!

April 25th, 2008

Marlee Matlin has inspired so many people by not letting her hearing disability prevent her from competing on DWTS. Although she can’t hear the music, the Oscar-winner and mother of four decided last November to slim down before joining the dance competition.

 

OK! met up with her at her gym in Pasadena to learn the secrets of her 18-pound weight loss and how she keeps it off.

 

CHECK OUT MARLEE’S OK! PHOTO SHOOT

 

When did you gain the weight?

When I had my kids [Sarah, 12, Brandon, 7, Tyler, 5, and Isabelle, 4]. During one pregnancy I gained close to 60 pounds. It was a combination of bad eating and a lack of exercise.

 

How did you lose the weight?

I started a program to get toned for the holidays. When I combined exercise with the Zone diet, the weight began coming off. NOw I weigh 112 pounds, and at 5 feet 3, that’s about right.

 

Why is dancing such great exercise?

Dancing is like Pilates, jogging, weight training, aerobics and yoga all rolled into one. I love it!

What will you do after DWTS?

Continue to work and show people my stuff. I just hope that after DWTS, there’s certainly no need to think, "Can Marlee do this?" I think I’ve proven I can do anything.

 

For more with Marlee, check out this week’s issue of OK!

 

CHECK OUT MARLEE’S OK! PHOTO SHOOT

 

Marlee Matlin

April 23rd, 2008

DWTS Watch: Marlee Matlin Eliminated

April 23rd, 2008

One of TV’s most inspirational stories came to an end Wednesday night, as Marlee Matlin was eliminated on Dancing with the Stars.

The Oscar-winning deaf actress made her exit from the hit ABC reality show after her mambo performance on Monday failed to impress the judges and audience, earning her and partner Fabian Sanchez a score of just 21 out of 30.

Throughout her stay on DWTS, Marlee managed to prove doubters wrong and touch everyone’s hearts – even bringing stern judge Carrie Ann Inaba to tears — as she showed that her inability to hear the music was not going to keep her from learning how to dance like a pro.

“I came here knowing that America would get to see me do something I had never done before and defy expectations," Marlee told OK! after being eliminated. "And I’m damn proud of what I did.”

And in addition to honing her dancing skills, the 42-year-old managed to lose an incredible 18 pounds during her time on the show! For more on Marlee’s diet and fitness regimen, check out the new OK! — hitting newsstands on Thursday.

The Children of a Lesser God star said that DWTS was “an experience far beyond what I thought. I got to dress in a fantastic wardrobe, dance opposite some unbelievable competition and get into the best shape of my life. It also was probably the hardest job I’ve ever had, but I loved it.”

Marlee was also pleased to do something her four children — Sarah, 12, Brandon, 7, Tyler, 5, and 4-year-old Isabelle — could enjoy. “I did it for my kids so I could be the ‘cool mom.’" she explained. "Most of my work was stuff they couldn’t watch. DWTS is probably the best family entertainment on TV.” Marlee said her husband, police officer Kevin Grandalski, 43, also encouraged her to do the show: “He’s so proud of me.”

She’s made a lifelong friend in her dance partner Fabian, who pulled off the seemingly impossible feat of guiding the deaf actress through her moves. “I am humbled by his knowledge and skill," she told OK!. "And I’m so glad to have had the chance to dance with him. Stars, if you come on the show, you can ask for him, but remember, I had him first!”

After six weeks of intensely hard work, Marlee says she’s now looking forward to spending time with her family. “I plan to pack my kids’ lunches, take them to school, pick them up at the end of the day, read them bedtime stories, give them a bath, be a wife.”

Marlee’s post-DWTS career will include more acting. She told OK! she might briefly return to the show The L Word, in which she played Jennifer Beals’ character’s girlfriend, just to tie up loose ends. Otherwise, she’s, “I’m looking forward to jumping into another series and doing more features. I just hope that after DWTS that people know there’s a lighter, funnier side of me and there’s certainly no need to think ‘well, can Marlee do this?’ I think I’ve proven I can do pretty much anything. You’ve just got to be willing to listen."

By Carole Glines

Shannon & Derek at Risk

April 2nd, 2008 / Author: cwillett

During Tuesday afternoon’s rehearsals, Shannon Elizabeth’s Dancing With the Stars partner Derek Hough injured his neck and ended up in the hospital. And now, the American Pie star tells OK!, their status as a team is still up in the air.

“He hurt his neck in rehearsals for the Kyle Minogue number and went to the hospital,” Shannon told OK! at Tuesday’s results show. “He popped something. He has to be on painkillers. They say he’s going to be okay but it’s going to take some time to heal.”

Derek’s friend and fellow dancer Mark Ballas, who was on hand for the incident along with Derek’s sister (and last season’s pro champ) Julianne Hough, explained to OK! “It’s a move where we throw our heads down and then throw them back and his neck just went out. Luckily, there was no vertebra, disk, or spinal damage. It’s just a sprained muscle in the back.”

Regardless, the unfortunate injury leaves Shannon — who survived elimination with Derek tonight thanks to their high-energy jive routine on Monday — thinking she might need a new dance partner for next week. “It’s ballroom and he can’t turn his head to the left right now at all so I don’t know how he’ll be able to do this. [Derek] says he’s still going to choreograph it but we’ll have to get someone to step in and probably rehearse with me.

“It could be Jonathan [Roberts, who was recently eliminated with partner Monica Seles] or anyone who’s got some free time right now.”

A shaken Shannon added, “My main concern has been that he’s okay. If they told me I’d have to drop out right now, I’d be fine with that just because I want him to be okay because this is his career. This is his whole life. For me, it’s a show and when it’s over I don’t have to keep dancing. He does, so he needs to heal properly.”

Backstage after the results show, in which Steve Guttenberg went home, Derek sported a neck brace — and had to stop doing interviews so he could rest.

Meanwhile, his relieved sister and fellow competitor Julianne, who is teamed with Adam Carolla, told OK! “He’s living, which is good. We were actually really nervous when it first happened. We were kind of freaking out [but] it’s just a sprain.”

By Carole Glines

The Dance Is Over for Steve Guttenberg

April 2nd, 2008

Actor Steve Guttenberg may have been the happiest Dancing With the Stars contestant ever — but the Three Men and a Baby actor’s constant smile and sunny outlook wasn’t enough to keep him in the competition.

Although his tango won praise from the judges on Monday, Steve was sent packing on Tuesday’s live results show. But in typical fashion for the 49-year-old actor, he was able to see the silver lining around this dark cloud.

“I had a great time and a lot of fun and life is good," he tells OK!. "The only thing I’m sad about is I don’t get to dance with [partner] Anna [Trebunskaya] every day."

As for what’s up next for him, Steve tells OK!, “I’m going to be doing some movies and television shows. Things are cooking.” While Anna revealed, “What he really wants to do is a musical on Broadway!”

Meanwhile, fellow contestant Marissa Jaret Winokur, who received the lowest judges’ score this week for her jive, was relieved to have avoided elimination with her partner Tony Dovolani. However, she was sorry to see her pal Steve heading home. “I’m so sad that it’s the Gute! He’s been such a great cheerleader to everybody and so supportive.”

Another DWTS celebrity, Marlee Matlin, told OK! she wants to work with Steve again: “I hope that we could do a movie together sometime.”

Before he knew he was eliminated, Steve performed a hilarious “mango,” a man tango, on the show with Anna’s husband, dancer Jonathan Roberts, for April Fool’s Day. “It was like dancing with a brother,” Steve smiled.

When asked if DWTS should ever allow a same sex couple to actually compete on the show, the actor said yes. “Sure. There are plenty of same sex marriages going on.”

And Hairspray star Marissa laughed to OK! “I say why not! Of course I’d say why not — I’m a Broadway girl!”

By Carole Glines

Marlee Matlin Steals the Show

March 19th, 2008 / Author: cwillett

Marlee Matlin stole the show on Dancing With the Stars women’s night as the Oscar-winning actress proved she has loads of rhythm, despite being hearing impaired.

The L Word star received a standing ovation from the audience after her cha cha and the judges praised gave her a solid score of 22 out of 30.

And when OK! talked to Marlee backstage after the show, she was still reeling from the experience. “I don’t remember a single step I took,” Marlee told OK! through her sign language interpreter. “It’s all a blur. It’s just like when I gave my acceptance speech for the Oscar — I don’t remember what I said. What happened?!

Though Marlee’s lack of hearing is the topic on many DWTS fans’ lips, the actress tells OK!, “It’s funny — I know I’m deaf but I don’t think of myself [that way]. I lived as a deaf person all my life so I wouldn’t know any other way of living. I respect the feeling of awe that people have saying, ‘Oh, my God, there’s a deaf woman dancing.’ I would probably feel the same if I were a hearing person, too. [But] this show brings together people of different backgrounds. We all have our disadvantages of one sort or another.”

Marlee added, “I felt like I was on cloud nine. I felt like, okay, this is what it’s like dancing live in front of millions of people.”

The star gives all the credit to her dance partner, Fabian Sanchez, who guides her in time to the music. “He leads me as any man should lead a woman in a ballroom competition,” Marlee explained to OK!

Meanwhile, ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi got the high score of the night [see her OK! blog for more] and Priscilla Presley, the show’s oldest ever competitor at age 62, also impressed the judges — with her famous daughter Lisa Marie Presley sitting in the audience.

Next week, all the men and women perform one more dance and then there’s a first time ever DWTS double elimination — on next Tuesday night’s show, one guy and gal both must go home.

Marlee Matlin Debuts on “Dancing With the Stars”

March 11th, 2008 / Author: cwillett

There’s been a one-legged dancer on Dancing With the Stars, but never a deaf competitor — until now. Marlee Matlin has signed on to compete in this season’s ballroom dancing competition. Matlin cannot hear music, and will rely on her partner Fabian Sanchez to guide her through performances. She’ll need all the help she can get: this season Matlin competes against Olympic figure skater Kristy Yamaguchi, tennis champion Monica Seles and actor Steve Gutenberg, among others.

Matlin says practicing has become a full-time job, and it’s paying off. “She’s got natural rhythm. She’s on time every single time,” Sanchez told the New York Times.

In fact, he adds, her deafness may be an advantage. "I have somebody who has never danced, who has never heard music, so I can mold her however I want,” he said. ”She’s more sensitive to my lead because she’s not trying to follow the rhythm on her own.”

Marlee Matlin Marriage Secrets

January 7th, 2008 / Author: cwillett

The fifth season of her hit Showtime show The L Word just premiered, but Marlee Matlin has bigger things to celebrate in 2008. In August, the actress will celebrate her 15th wedding anniversary with husband, law enforcement officer Kevin Grandalski.

So when OK! caught up with Marlee over the weekend at the show’s premiere party at The Factory in West Hollywood, we had to know — what’s the secret to wrecking the celebrity marriage curve?

“I have a great husband,” Marlee tells OK!. “He’s my rock. He has so much patience and understanding.”

And because behind every great man is a great woman, the Oscar-winning actress credits Kevin’s mom for keeping them happily together.

“You also have to have a great mother-in-law to make it work too!” Marlee says.

As for her Showtime hit, which she joined last season as co-star Jennifer Beals’ love interest, the 42-year-old couldn’t say enough great things about it.

"I get to be in touch with my feminine side and hang out with a whole bunch of women," she says. "That’s a great experience in itself."

By David Lasky

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