Posts Tagged ‘steve guttenberg’

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

DWTS: Mario Takes the Lead!

March 18th, 2008

Three seasons after Mario Lopez came this-close to taking home the DWTS crown, another super Mario, 21-year-old R&B singer Mario is stepping up to stake his Dancing With the Stars claim. And not only does he have the same name — he’s got the same dance partner in Karina Smirnoff!

And while Mario Lopez’s main rival was eventual champ, football star Emmit Smith, in another case of déjà vu, Mario’s closest competitor amongst the men so far this season looks like football player Jason Taylor.

OK! was backstage tonight after the premiere to get Mario and Karina’s secrets to success. “I’m working hard and I had fun out there!" says Mario. "There was a lot of adrenalin and inspiration.”

Karina, who recently recovered from back surgery, gave Mario her all — even providing him with a home remedy to rub on his body when he suffered a painful groin pull. “I gave him this hot spicy chili to warm the muscles up and I said be careful not to put it on sensitive areas, and somehow it got there and he kept saying ‘great balls of fire!’” she laughed.

The dance pro also gave him a good luck charm: “Karina gave me this bracelet and it’s supposed to keep evil spirits away. I think it works!” Mario said, showing OK! the beaded bracelet around his wrist. “It’s an eye that protects against the evil eye,” Karina revealed.

Mario also says Karina has opened up unknown worlds for him: “I’ve moved my body in ways I’ve never moved it before!”

It’s been no problem juggling Marios for Karina, who has been romantically linked to Mario Lopez since they were partnered in season three. “He’s not jealous,” the other Mario insisted.

Meanwhile, Jason Taylor, with partner Edyta Sliwinska by his side, admitted to OK!, “Mario is pretty darn good. I’ll be thinking about that tonight when I go to bed.” The football star said DWTS has been a physical challenge: “The soreness at the beginning was surprising — the feet, the ankles, the knees, the hips. I’ve gotten over most of that but I have a newfound respect for ballroom dancers.”

At 6’7” tall, comedian and illusionist Penn Jillette was disappointed that the judges took potshots at him for his size: “They don’t like big people. That was clear. They were afraid of Godzilla, the biggest guy that was ever on the show.”

The illusionist said over the past six months before the show, he had lost 50 pounds and has dropped four more while training with partner Kym Johnson. “I thought [the show] was an excuse to lose some weight. I can’t wait ‘til I get thrown off the show and I can try and put on 60 pounds in two weeks — that’s my goal. I just want to pick up my copy of Moby Dick and some ice cream and sit down and read and eat.”

Meanwhile, Chilean actor Cristian de la Fuente, who is teamed with Cheryl Burke, told OK! his pre-show ritual: “I light a candle and leave it in my trailer. Hopefully the trailer is not burning!”

And Steve Guttenberg told OK! he was just happy to dance in tribute to his parents, Ann, 70, and Stanley, 75, on their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple watched Steve on TV because they were “too nervous” to come to the studio.

Steve, who is divorced, admitted he hasn’t yet found that special someone to settle down with himself: “I had a girlfriend last year but we broke up so I’m single now. I’m looking forward to falling in love with someone.” Maybe learning the dance moves will help!

By Carole Glines

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