EURweb |
FILM/TV BITS: Keys on Nick Jr.; Richardson in ‘Legend’; Delano on ‘Mullally’; Tyrese behind ‘12th Man’; ‘SNL’ drops Finesse; Rosie on Oprah & Gayle.
*Alicia Keys can add voiceover work to her resume thanks to a guest appearance on the Nick Jr. series “The Backyardigans.” In an Oct. 9 episode titled “Mission to Mars,” the Grammy winner will voice a green alien who joins the gang in a musical space adventure, reports MTV. The singer’s real life niece, Shakyra Lipscomb, voices baby Martian Boinga. Keys is also tapped to contribute an original song, titled “Almost Everything Is Boinga Here."
*Salli Richardson has been added to the cast of Will Smith’s upcoming film, “I Am Legend,” reports Blackfilm.com. The actress will play Ginny, the wife of Will Smith’s character Robert Neville, who seems to be the only human left on earth following a catastrophic plague. Also joining the cast is Alice Braga, the niece of legendary Brazilian actress Sonia Braga.
*Smooth jazz artist Andre Delano was hired as the saxophone player for the house band at “The Megan Mullally Show,” a new syndicated daytime talker hosted by the “Will & Grace” actress. On Sept. 24, Delano and his band will perform live at the 3rd Annual Riverside Jazz Festival (www.riversidejazzfestival.com) in Riverside, Calif. For more info on Delano, visit www.andredelano.com or www.myspace.com/AndreDelano.
*Tyrese is set to executive produce a new sci-fi thriller called “12th Man,” reports Moviehole.net. The singer/actor will team with writer-producer Rock Shaink (“The Seed”) on the project, which follows a man who wakes up aboard a dying space prison, with no memory of who he is, two hours of oxygen left, and eleven of the universe's deadliest criminals between him and the last escape pod.
*Finesse Mitchell will not be returning to NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” when it debuts its 32nd season next week. The network delivered the news by leaving his name off of a press release touting the new season. Also not included were fellow cast members Chris Parnell and Horatio Sanz. The network denied any bad blood between the dearly departed and producer Lorne Michaels. "I believe there were mutual choices made," NBC rep Marc Liepis told E! Online. “Saturday Night Live” kicks off its new season Sept. 30, with host Dane Cook and musical guest The Killers.
*After heaping praise on Oprah Winfrey’s season premiere Monday, which featured the host and her best friend Gayle King driving across country, Rosie O'Donnell’s “View” co-star Joy Behar brought up the gay rumors that have long surrounded the pair. Rosie told Tuesday’s audience that the celebrity duo might be “a little gay,” further explaining: “You might be a little bit gay, you're just not doin' it.” She then clarified things by stating that everyone could be “a tiny bit gay.”
.jpg)
