Mark Wahlberg Gives Thanks For 'The Fighter,' 'The Other Guys' In 2010

He's also thankful for 'Boardwalk Empire' — and we're thankful for him.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Mark Wahlberg
Photo: MTV News

Next up on our short list of people for whom we're most thankful this year: Mark Wahlberg. Certain generations will always remember him as Marky Mark from his days of "Good Vibrations" and Calvin Klein underwear ads. But in the last decade, Wahlberg has emerged as one of the industry's most savvy and bankable players.

In 2010, we were introduced to a new side of Wahlberg — his comedic timing — which he showcased by way of "Date Night," "The Other Guys" and MTV's own "The Knife Show." Behind the screen, Wahlberg teamed up with heavyweights Martin Scorsese and Terrence Winter ("The Sopranos") to bring "Boardwalk Empire" to HBO. He also produced and stars in "The Fighter." The man has been busy, and we're happy about it.

MTV: You're one of the people we're most thankful for. Has this year been particularly better than others?

Mark Wahlberg: It has. Every year above ground was a special year. Professionally, things couldn't be better. Personally, my kids are healthy — aside from my youngest having a double ear infection. My wife is healthy and happy and everything is good, so really I'm so blessed and so fortunate.

We've had a chance to talk and play around, but I'm not one of these guys who feels, like, entitled to be in this position. I feel so grateful and so humble. I've obviously worked very hard, it's been an amazing journey, but if it ended today, I would be happy because I was on the ride.

MTV: Is there a highlight from this year?

Wahlberg: I would have to say between the movie stuff and the television stuff — with "Boardwalk Empire" premiering, "The Other Guys" did so well. Getting to go do a comedy at the beginning of this year with Seth McFarlane, his directorial debut. I'm so excited, it's off-the-charts funny.

MTV: Tell me about "Teddy Bear," because it sounds absurd and amazing at the same time.

Wahlberg: I don't know how much he wants me to tell, but it's about this kid who gets a bear for Christmas, it's in the '70s, it's one of those Teddy Ruxpin-ish bears where you squeeze it and it says, "I love you!" The kid wishes and dreams that the bear would come alive, and a Christmas wish must be granted and it does. And Seth McFarlane is voicing the bear, but the bear is going to look like a little teddy bear, but it's motion-capture, like "Avatar." It's never been done before. It's insane. What the bear does is just ...

MTV: An R-rated comedy? I assume when Seth McFarlane is involved ...

Wahlberg: Yeah. The bear becomes famous, and then that's my ticket to getting things and living a life of privilege.

MTV: How satisfying was it for you to finally make "The Fighter"?

Wahlberg: Just to be able to get the movie made was such an uphill battle. I was so happy we got it made, and then the fact that we were able to make a great movie and, I think, the best possible version of the movie. There were so many times where I thought I would make the movie just to get it done, but it happened for the right reasons.

MTV: Do you have plans to direct?

Wahlberg: I want to direct, but I don't want to direct myself in a movie, because then it becomes about directing my performance. I don't have the ability to be that kind of multitasker. Producing was tough enough. But in the future, I'd like to take a crack at it.

MTV: What's next? You've talked about "Cocaine Cowboys."

Wahlberg: Yeah, probably right now. And then there's this other thing, "Broken City," that I want to do at the end of next year with Allen Hughes directing, which is on the Black List. [Editor's note: The Black List is a compendium of unproduced screenplays that different studios/readers have given high marks to.] It's one of the best unproduced screenplays, an amazing piece of material that should attract amazing talent. ... Hopefully "Fighter" will make it a little easier to get some of these passion projects off the ground.

MTV: What kind of film is "Broken City"?

Wahlberg: Crime, mystery. It's in the vein of those old classics, "Chinatown," even "L.A. Confidential."

Thanksgiving is a time for taking stock, expressing gratitude and, most importantly, overeating. We at MTV News have been gorging all year at movie theaters, so it's about time we looked back and gave thanks to our favorite actors and filmmakers of 2010. Enjoy exclusive interviews with our winners all week long.

Check out everything we've got on "The Fighter."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Related Videos

• MTV Rough Cut: Mark Wahlberg

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653004/20101123/story.jhtml

Heidi Klum Heidi Montag Hilarie Burton Hilary Duff Hilary Swank Isla Fisher Ivana Bozilovic

'King's Speech' Star Colin Firth Talks Awards-Season Love And 'Dumb Luck'

2010 best actor nominee looks poised for another Oscar nod.
By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Colin Firth in "The King's Speech"
Photo: The Weinstein Company

For the second year in a row, Colin Firth finds himself at the center of awards-season chatter. And after losing out on a best actor Oscar for "A Single Man," the 50-year-old actor has again established himself as one of the frontrunners in that category, thanks to his turn as the stammer-afflicted King George VI on the verge of Britain's entry into World War II in "The King's Speech."

It seems Firth is an actor at the top of his game, but to hear him tell it, it's as much a matter of good fortune as it is great talent.

"It's just dumb luck," he told MTV News at the Toronto film festival in September. "That's all: Just getting a crack at it. Sometimes you just take roles to stay in the game or pay bills and hope the good ones are going to come along.

"I was never in a world of perfect choice, and now I feel like I've had a couple of real plums landing in my hand," he added.

It was at fall film festivals in Toronto and Telluride, Colorado, as critics first began to catch screenings of "King's Speech," that it became clear we'd still be talking about Firth's performance come awards season. He's been faithfully making the publicity rounds ever since, and as he told us when we chatted earlier this month in New York, he's not bored with the experience.

"Funnily enough, I find it easier than many things," he said. "There are so many angles you can approach it from, to do with the way people are reacting to it to the surprises we've had along the way to nuances about the actual history itself. I think this has a lot of mileage in it.

"It's been very gratifying for audiences to have howls of laughter and be open to crying," he continued. "To see that happening in the same film is a triumphant feeling. When you're in Telluride, you can put it down to altitude — one glass of wine amounts to 10. So we had to test it at sea level as well to see if people enjoyed it, and they did."

Did you see Firth's performance as King George VI? Give us your review in the comments below.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653074/20101124/story.jhtml

Malia Jones Malin Akerman Mandy Moore Maria Bello Maria Menounos Maria Sharapova Mariah Carey

Emma Stone Is The Actress We're Most Thankful For In 2010

With winning turn in 'Easy A,' 'Spider-Man' casting and 'SNL' hosting gig, the 22-year-old has had quite a year.
By Eric Ditzian

Emma Stone
Photo: Fotonoticias/Getty Images

As MTV News' Thankful Week draws to a close, we begin to cast our gaze away from the big screen and towards tables soon to be the scene of turkey-crazed feasts. But we have one last honor to bestow: the actress we're most thankful for in 2010.

The winner is none other than Emma Stone, a move that completes a nifty "Spider-Man" double win, as we also honored Andrew Garfield — who's stepping into the role of Peter Parker — as the actor we're most thankful for this year. Stone won the part of Gwen Stacy in October, capping a stellar year for the 22-year-old.

From the top-notch teenage rom-com "Easy A" to her "Saturday Night Live" hosting gig to the opportunity to shoot flicks opposite the likes of Steve Carell ("Crazy, Stupid, Love") and Justin Timberlake ("Friends With Benefits"), Stone was already having a great 2010. Then "Spider-Man" director Marc Webb came calling. Her life is never going to be the same — and she couldn't be more excited.

The always-energetic actress called up MTV News in the midst of "Spider-Man" preproduction to talk about what a surreal year it's been and how she's dealing with the pressures of taking on the iconic Marvel series.

MTV: Thanks for calling up to chat.

Emma Stone: Thank you for having me!

MTV: Well, you're going to be very excited in a second.

Stone: What is it? What's it going to be? You like how I'm excited at the mere mention that I'm going to be excited?

MTV: Uh-oh, I really have to come through now. Look out your window — there's a blimp with your face on it!

Stone: Oh my god, it's so beautiful, I'm looking right now! You wanna know what's really insane about that? I actually pulled back the curtain and looked at the sky.

MTV: I'm sorry to disappoint, but I can tell you that every year we honor various people we're thankful for, and this year you're the woman we're most thankful for.

Stone: Oh my god, shut up! Get out of here! I prepared a 10-minute speech, is that OK?

MTV: I'm afraid we don't have enough time. You know, the man we're most thankful for this year is your "Spider-Man" co-star Andrew Garfield.

Stone: Hey, I know that guy! We've met. He's the worst!

MTV: I won't tell him you said that. It has been quite a year for you. "Easy A" gets a great reaction, you're shooting movies with people like Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling, you host "Saturday Night Live," and then you land "Spider-Man." Does 2010 feel like a landmark year?

Stone: It feels kind of scary saying this because that means it's only downhill, but it's been the best year of my life. Not just with how lucky I've been work-wise, but with my family and friends. I'm totally terrified for 2011. I have such a disaster mentality, it's not even funny.

MTV: Which raises the question, are you ready for something as big as "Spider-Man"? Can you ever be ready for something like that?

Stone: The way I have to approach it, and I think Andrew would agree, is just like any other movie. You're going to put the same amount of focus into this that you would with anything. It just happens to be an exponentially bigger budget. So there's that. It'll probably feel different when we start to do press, but we won't have to deal with that for another year and a half. And there are harnesses I'm going to have to use in this one. That's the only difference: just the harnesses.

MTV: Seriously, though, it's been quite a year for you with onscreen love interests. The women in the office are jealous — Penn Badgley, Timberlake, Gosling, Garfield. You're a lucky woman ...

Stone: What can I say? You cannot compare them. They are so wonderful in their own ways. Again, it's been an amazing year.

MTV: Has there been one surreal point in particular that kind of encapsulates 2010 for you?

Stone: Hosting "Saturday Night Live." That's always been my ultimate dream. That moment before you come out those doors when Don Pardo says your name and you're standing there ... I had never let myself imagine what that would feel like. That moment when you walk through those doors was probably the most surreal moment, not just of this year, but ever.

MTV: So you guys are in rehearsals for "Spider-Man," right? What is that process like at this point?

Stone: Today I went and did hair tests, because I have blonde hair now since Gwen has blonde hair. My natural hair is blonde, so it's kind of nice. I looked in the mirror and said, "Oh my god, it's me again, it's been so long!" We're finalizing the visual stuff. And I think we'll start actually rehearsing, because we start shooting in two weeks. Andrew and I went and learned about science yesterday. Gwen really likes science, so we learned about science. I was homeschooled, so I never went to chemistry class in a traditional setting like Gwen is into. That was really beneficial.

MTV: There seemed to be so much competition for the role of Gwen Stacy. Do you ever think, "Why me?" What do you think won you the part?

Stone: I ask myself that question every day. I have no f---ing idea. It's the most amazing idea, I can't even tell you. I don't think I ever will figure out how it happened. It's been mind-blowing. I know things will eventually change, so I'm just trying to avoid thinking about it and just enjoy it while it's happening. Ugh, what am I even saying? Don't write any of that down!

Thanksgiving is a time for taking stock, expressing gratitude and, most importantly, overeating. We at MTV News have been gorging all year at movie theaters, so it's about time we looked back and gave thanks to our favorite actors and filmmakers of 2010. Enjoy exclusive interviews with our winners all week long.

Check out everything we've got on "Spider-Man."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653058/20101124/story.jhtml

KarolÌna Kurkov· Kasey Chambers Kat Von D Kate Beckinsale Kate Bosworth Kate Groombridge Kate Hudson

The Situation Hopes To Go From 'Jersey Shore' To Big Screen

'I would have to say that I'm looking forward to possibly doing a movie or so,' he hints to MTV News at the American Music Awards.
By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by Tim Kash

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino
Photo: Todd Williamson/ WireImage

He's got his own clothing line, a book, a couple of moneymaking trademark phrases, a hilarious abstinence commercial with Bristol Palin, a hit TV show, a couple mill in the bank and, of course, those abs. But what "Jersey Shore" breakout star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino really wants to do is ... act.

MTV News caught up with the former underwear model on the red carpet at Sunday night's American Music Awards, where the Sitch told us he's got his eye on jumping to the big screen.

"In the upcoming year, I would have to say that I'm looking forward to possibly doing a movie or so," Sorrentino said. Asked what kind or roles he's coveting, the onetime "Dancing With the Stars" contestant teased, "I want to surprise everybody. They might be coming to something soon."

While an action movie would seem to be the way to go for the buff GTL fanatic, Sitch was cagey on that angle, saying it could be a shoot-'em-up situation — or something entirely different. "It could be something in the middle. I don't know. ... Hopefully it works out. Other than that, there could be also some reality in the future as well. I'm right in between, I don't know. I'm like in college right now, about to graduate. I don't know what's going on. Maybe I'll stay another year, maybe I'll graduate, I don't know."

In the meantime, he's focused on hawking his book, "Here's the Situation: A Guide to Creeping on Chicks, Avoiding Grenades, and Getting in Your GTL on the Jersey Shore," and he recently told MTV News that the sky's the limit for him.

"I've realized what I want to do in life in that I just love being in front of the camera," he said. "I love being an entertainer. It's almost been a lifelong journey to find out what I wanted to do. I'm so happy to be here, and everything's been going great."

What kind of movie would you like to see the Situation in? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Related Photos

• 2010 American Music Awards Red Carpet

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652849/20101122/story.jhtml

Fergie Foxy Brown Freida Pinto FSU Cowgirls Gabrielle Union Garcelle Beauvais Genelle Frenoy

'Deathly Hallows' Designer Reveals Scene Secrets

'Harry Potter' production designer Stuart Craig talks to MTV News about helping Harry retrieve Sword of Gryffindor from a frozen lake.
By Kara Warner

Daniel Radcliffe in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1"
Photo: Warner Bros.

In the weeks leading up to the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1," fans were in a frenzy, trying to figure out just how much of the book would make the first film, which scenes would delight and disappoint, and what characters might not return ever again. And trying to get the tight-lipped folks in the Potter camp to discuss those key points was a bit of a struggle. However, now that the film has opened, MTV News has enlisted the expertise of longtime Potter production designer Stuart Craig for a few behind-the-scenes tidbits.

Much has been said of the production moving away from Hogwarts and out on multiple locations, which Craig described as a "movie on the run."

"We made a very different kind of film, which was shot a great deal on location. We traveled quite far, we built sets, and they spend a lot of time in a forest," he explained. "We built forest sets and integrated them into the real forests, so there were challenges there, as you might imagine."

Another one of the production's major challenges — and accomplishments — was shooting the sequence in which Harry retrieves the Sword of Gryffindor at the bottom of a frozen lake.

"There was a really demanding, complicated special-effects requirement there to do the ice," Craig said. "I think that all works remarkably quite well, actually. Harry breaking the ice, diving in and then subsequently strangled by the Horcrux around his neck and is struggling and can't get up quickly because of the ice above him. It's good stuff."

Which begs the question: How did Craig and his team pull off that scene, and what do they use to make the ice look so real?

"As always, well, as nearly always, there's more than one solution. The camera on top, looking from the outside down on it. It's big, thick sheets of Plexiglass with frosty texture on top of that," he revealed.

"When we're underneath, it's actually an area of wax which floats on top of the water. And wax makes very effective ice. They're tried and tested movie techniques; there are a lot. You could write a book one day, a guidebook, to the very movie techniques — frost on window panes with some Epsom salts and brown nails."

One of the great pleasures in chatting with Craig, whose credits outside the world of Harry Potter include "Ghandi," "The English Patient" and "Notting Hill," is the fact that he has such an informed perspective on the inner-workings of the industry; specifically, how advanced film-making technology is now.

"The great thing about movies these days is that you can fix everything," he said. "I have to give a talk at a film festival early next month, and I've just been looking at films that I've done in the past. In particular, 'Ghandi,' years ago in India. The thing then was: If sometimes there was a compromise, it was filmed and it was there, locked. Forever. You look at the movie 20 years later, and there it would be.

"These days, with visual effects able to do so much, you can do face replacement, you can put Dan Radcliffe's head on somebody else's body. There's nothing they can't do, it seems. I mean, at a cost, it's not cheap, so terrible things seem to get fixed, which is very reassuring," he added, chuckling.

What was your favorite scene in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1"? Tell us in the comments below!

Check out everything we've got on "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

Related Photos

• 'Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Part 1'

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1653098/20101124/story.jhtml

Michelle Rodriguez Michelle Trachtenberg Mila Kunis Milla Jovovich Minka Kelly Minki van der Westhuizen Miranda Kerr

Eva and Tony's Thanksgiving Plans

As she's in the midst of her messy marriage split, Eva Longoria will spend her Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends.

According to Radar Online, the ?Desperate Housewives? star ?will be fine at Thanksgiving she will be with her family and friends ? she is doing well right now all things considered.?

Meanwhile, Parker will be traveling to Minnesota for a basketball game today (November 24).

Radar Online also recently reported that the couple is still talking, although noting that their relationship is far from friendly following the bombshell divorce.

Source: http://www.celebrity-gossip.net/eva-longoria/eva-and-tonys-thanksgiving-plans-441989

Molly Sims Monet Mazur Monica Bellucci Monica Keena Monica Potter Monika Kramlik Moon Bloodgood

Angelina Jolie Will NOT Celebrate Thanksgiving!

Millions will delight in Thanksgiving festivities tomorrow. Angelina Jolie is not one of them, electing not to commemorate the genocide of Native Americans.

"Angelina Jolie absolutely hates this holiday and wants no part in rewriting history like so many other Americans," a friend of the actress tells PopEater.

Valid point, but pumpkin pie just tastes so good ...

NO THANKS-GIVING: Angelina Jolie is not a fan!

"To celebrate what the white settlers did to the native Indians, the domination of one culture over another, just isn't her style," the friend says. "[Jolie] doesn't want to teach her multi-cultural family how to celebrate a story of murder."

Not sure how many of us toast to murder at the dinner table on this day, but she prefers to think of herself as a citizen of the world, not just America.

Always extremely sensitive to suffering throughout the world, she's going to great lengths to make sure the Jolie-Pitt brood doesn't honor it here.

"Angelina gets so grossed out by Thanksgiving that she has made sure her family will not be in America this year on Thursday," an insider reports.

While Brad Pitt recently told Extra, "We'll whip up a turkey somewhere," a family friend tells me, "If Brad wants turkey, he'll have to cook it himself."

Well, that would likely be the case whether they observe the day or not. Dude is so annoying when he eats, you know she makes him do the work.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2010/11/angelina-jolie-will-not-celebrate-thanksgiving/

Shania Twain Shanna Moakler Shannon Elizabeth Shannyn Sossamon Shiri Appleby Sienna Guillory Sienna Miller