Lionsgate’s Friedman and Wachsberger, ‘Scandal’s’ Shonda Rhimes, E.T.’s Linda Bell Blue Honored
A sold-out audience of Hollywood publicity and marketing executives, producers, studio and network executives, celebrities and press gathered for the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) 51st Annual ICG Publicists Awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel today, chaired by Henri Bollinger and co-chaired by Tim Menke. Jerry Lewis received the Lifetime Achievement Award from fellow comedian and long-time friend Carol Burnett.
In his opening remarks Guild president Steven Poster, ASC called for a moment of silence in recognition of the tragic accidental death last week of second assistant camerawoman Sarah Jones. He paid tribute to publicists and welcomed IATSE International president Matt Loeb and VP Mike Miller.
Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger, co-chairs of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, were presented the Motion Picture Showmanship Award by Shailene Woodley and Theo James of Divergent, while Shonda Rhimes, creator, writer and producer of Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice and Scandal was handed the Television Showmanship Award by Tony Goldwyn, who portrays the President of the United States in Scandal.
Linda Bell Blue, president of Entertainment Tonight Studios, was the recipient of the President’s Award, presented to her by Poster. Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf in Frozen, presented a plaque commemorating the 90th anniversary of Walt Disney Animation Studios to the studio’s executive vice president Andrew Millstein.
This year’s winner of the Les Mason Award, the highest honor publicists can pay to one of their own went to Michael Singer, presented by Jacqueline Bisset.
JoBeth Williams presented the Press Award to Scott Mantz of Access Hollywood while Phil Berk received the International Media Award from Theo Kingma, president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The Maxwell Weinberg Award for Best Publicity Campaign for a Motion Picture went to the publicists from Warner Bros. who worked on Gravity. They were Jade Alex, Sharon Black, Cecilia Calderon, Mark Capaldi, Deva Cervera, Julie Cole, Melissa Crow, Justine Gamez, Mary Hunter, Kimberly Lerner, Jesse Mesa, Maureen O’Malley, Paulette Osorio, Emily Patt, Orna Pickens, Susan Shapiro, Gina Soliz and Lisa Stone. The Maxwell Weinberg Television Campaign Award went to American Horror Story: Coven from FX. The publicist was Mathew Mitchell. Finola Hughes made both presentations.
Rob Steinberg (12 Years a Slave) presented the Excellence in Still Photography for Motion Pictures Award to Peter Fountain while the Television Still Photography Award went to Michael Yarish.
Sirena Irwin, stage, screen actress and voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, was the voice-over host.
Rom-Com Mainstay Hugh Grant Shifts To The Dark Side and He’s Never Been Happier
After some difficulties connecting to a Zoom, Hugh Grant eventually opts to just phone instead.
"Sorry about that," he apologizes. "Tech hell." Grant is no lover of technology. Smart phones, for example, he calls the "devil's tinderbox."
"I think they're killing us. I hate them," he says. "I go on long holidays from them, three or four days at at time. Marvelous."
Hell, and our proximity to it, is a not unrelated topic to Grant's new film, "Heretic." In it, two young Mormon missionaries (Chloe East, Sophie Thatcher) come knocking on a door they'll soon regret visiting. They're welcomed in by Mr. Reed (Grant), an initially charming man who tests their faith in theological debate, and then, in much worse things.
After decades in romantic comedies, Grant has spent the last few years playing narcissists, weirdos and murders, often to the greatest acclaim of his career. But in "Heretic," a horror thriller from A24, Grant's turn to the dark side reaches a new extreme. The actor who once charmingly stammered in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and who danced to the Pointer Sisters in "Love Actually" is now doing heinous things to young people in a basement.
"It was a challenge," Grant says. "I think human beings need challenges. It makes your beer taste better in the evening if you've climbed a mountain. He was just so wonderfully (expletive)-up."
"Heretic," which opens in theaters Friday, is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, co-writers of "A Quiet Place." In Grant's hands, Mr. Reed is a divinely good baddie — a scholarly creep whose wry monologues pull from a wide range of references, including, fittingly, Radiohead's "Creep."
In an interview, Grant spoke about these and other facets of his character, his journey... Read More