Lori Loughlin Recalls Zac Efron at 14 - A 'Blossom' Reunion for Mayim Bialik

Written April 05, 2010 by Candyman

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Lori Loughlin admits her daughters, ages 10 and 11, have seen episodes of her old "Full House" series, but "They're not big fans." Her current show, the CW's "90210," is more of interest. And then there's "Summerland," the show that Loughlin produced and co-created, which marked the series debut of Zac Efron. So mom had a big part in the rise of Efron's career, and how cool is that?

"Isn't it amazing? When I met Zac, he was just 14 years old, a sweet kid with a gap between his teeth," Loughlin recalls. "I have to say, an old friend of mine, publicist Jeff Ballard, met Zac and immediately said, 'That kid is going to be a huge star.' I said, 'How do you know it?' And he said, 'I just know it.' He's got a really good eye. The only other one he ever said that about was Johnny Depp."
Loughlin says she's thinking about doing more writing and producing. "At first, after 'Summerland' was over, I thought, 'Oh, I'll never do that again.' But after some time has gone by, it seems more possible."
Not that she has any time for it at the moment. Loughlin is already juggling her "90210" duties and promoting her forthcoming "Meet My Mom" Hallmark Channel movie about a single mother whose son's school project -- writing letters to a soldier overseas -- leads to a hunky sergeant showing up at their door. And then there's her family life with her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, and their offspring, Isabella and Olivia.
She's proud that, especially having gotten off to a bumpy start, "90210" was granted an early renewal by the CW. "The show is looking really, really good. I think it's become its own show. It stands on its own. You never know when you take something that familiar and reinvent it how it's going to go," she says. She credits exec producer Rebecca Sinclair for making "90210" go well. "She's done a great job."
SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES: Mayim Bialik may have made a successful transition into adult actor, but she still can't seem to escape her "Blossom" roots. The actress isn't complaining, though. "There will be sort of a 'Blossom' reunion on my episode of ''Til Death' on May 2," reports Bialik, who is busy acting again after taking a long break to attend graduate school and start a family. "People still ask me about 'Blossom' all the time, especially what I think about Joey's (Joey Lawrence) hair, so I think it's very exciting. I wish I could say more, but that is part of the allure."
The Fox show isn't the only project that has reunited Bialik with some of her "Blossom" buddies. She has returned for another season on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." "Brenda Hampton, who created the show, was a writer on 'Blossom,' so she's been writing for me since I was a teenager. It's fun to work with people who know exactly what it's going to sound like coming out of my mouth. When I get a script, I don't even have to ask any questions because I know exactly what they want," she says. "It's a good fit. I like playing quirky characters, and I like being the comedy relief on a show that is otherwise not high comedy."
The actress tells us she's just relieved to have been able to find her place again in the business. "I wasn't sure if the industry would be interested in hiring me as an adult. I do a little bit of teaching on the side so I thought if acting doesn't work out, then I'd just teach more. Luckily, I've been working enough to keep things going."
FUNNY STUFF: With TV Guide having pronounced Jay Leno's return to No. 1 in the ratings for four consecutive weeks, back in his old "Tonight Show" home, as "nothing short of miraculous," perhaps the squawking about Leno taking back the show will quiet down. The fact is that NBC based its decision on ratings, and now it's been proven. He pulled off an instant ratings recuperation -- all the more impressive considering that viewership had fallen by almost 50 percent during Conan O'Brien's tenure. Fans may have noticed, Leno's added a few fresh touches like his "cold opening" -- before the show's introduction -- comedy skits.
Matt Walsh, who co-founded the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York along with Amy Poehler and a few other friends, tells us their branch in Los Angeles is really starting to take off. Having a few famous buddies stop by from time to time certainly doesn't hurt. "There's a lot of talented people in L.A. who are bored when not doing their TV show so we'll have people like Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt and Zach Galifianakis stop by. They keep the shows interesting. And nobody gets paid," he adds. "They do it for the love of it. You can come see a great show for like $5 or $8 so it's gotten a nice following." Walsh notes, "We're really fortunate that there's a real population of people who want to learn how to improvise. There's been a big boom. It's a tribute to a lot of talented people who found us. They're the ones who maintain the theater."
With reports by Emily-Fortune Feimster.

Shenae Grimes: Fabulous at the Four Seasons

Written October 20, 2009 by Candyman

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Always up for a night of fashionable fun, Shenae Grimes attended the 16th Annual Elle Women in Hollywood Tribute at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills on Monday (October 19).

Looking cute in an all-black ensemble with leopard-print booties, the "90210" hottie happily posed for pictures in between mingling with fellow guests including Katie Cassidy and Jenna Dewan.

As for her hit CW show, you can catch Shenae and the "90210" gang in action in an all-new episode airing tonight (October 20) at 8/7C on the CW.

Titled "Unmasked," a synopsis of the new installment per the show's Web site reads: "It's Halloween at the Beverly Hills Beach Club and Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes) channels Marilyn Monroe to help her deal with the end of her relationship with Navid (Michael Steger). Silver (Jessica Stroup) and Kelly (Jennie Garth) continue to have differing opinions about caring for Jackie (Ann Gillespie). Silver is overloaded with school work and caring for her mom, but soon learns that she and Teddy (Teddy Donovan) have more in common than a class project. Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord) continues her relationship with Richard (guest star Jonathon Trent, "CSI: NY"), but when she and Jamie (guest star Travis Van Winkle, "Meet the Spartans") share an intimate conversation, her plans to schmooze with the dean of CU come to a screeching halt. Dixon (Tristan Wilds) realizes he and Sasha (guest star Mekia Cox, "Bones") are in two different places in their life and decides to end their relationship, but she ends up delivering life-changing news. Tensions rise between Debbie (Lori Loughlin) and Harry (Rob Estes) when she walks in on Harry and Kelly in his office. Annie (Shenae Grimes) and Jasper's (guest star Zach Sherman) relationship is put to the test when he attempts to convince her to steal a car while shooting a scene for his student film. Liam (Matt Lanter) butts heads with the newest member of the surf team, Ivy (guest star Gillian Zinser)."

Jessica Stroup Cutens Up the Voice Awards

Written October 15, 2009 by Candyman

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Always looking lovely, Jessica Stroup stepped out for a night on the red carpet at the Paramount Theater on the Paramount Studios lot in Los Angeles on Wednesday evening (October 14).

The CW cutie happened to be on-hand for the 2009 Voice Awards, which find the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) honoring writers and producers who have given a voice to people with mental health problems.

Meanwhile, you can catch Jessica and the "90210" gang when an all-new Halloween episode titled "Unmasked" airs on The CW on Tuesday, October 20 at 8/7C.

A synopsis via the show's Web site tells: "It's Halloween at the Beverly Hills Beach Club and Adrianna (Jessica Lowndes) channels Marilyn Monroe to help her deal with the end of her relationship with Navid (Michael Steger). Silver (Jessica Stroup) and Kelly (Jennie Garth) continue to have differing opinions about caring for Jackie (Ann Gillespie). Silver is overloaded with school work and caring for her mom, but soon learns that she and Teddy (Teddy Donovan) have more in common than a class project. Naomi (AnnaLynne McCord) continues her relationship with Richard (guest star Jonathon Trent), but when she and Jamie (guest star Travis Van Winkle) share an intimate conversation, her plans to schmooze with the dean of CU come to a screeching halt. Dixon (Tristan Wilds) realizes he and Sasha (guest star Mekia Cox) are in two different places in their life and decides to end their relationship, but she ends up delivering life-changing news. Tensions rise between Debbie (Lori Loughlin) and Harry (Rob Estes) when she walks in on Harry and Kelly in his office. Annie (Shenae Grimes) and Jasper's (guest star Zach Sherman) relationship is put to the test when he attempts to convince her to steal a car while shooting a scene for his student film. Liam (Matt Lanter) butts heads with the newest member of the surf team, Ivy (guest star Gillian Zinser)."

Jennie Garth: Daytime Emmy Dame

Written August 31, 2009 by Candyman

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She’s always up for a high-profile industry event, and yesterday Jennie Garth was spotted arriving at the 36th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.

The “Beverly Hills 90210” babe looked lovely as she strolled through the arrivals area outside the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, sporting a floor-length orange gown.

Once inside, Ms. Garth was more than just a spectator - she joined fellow actress Lori Loughlin onstage to present one of the event’s illustrious awards.

And it was a big day for “The Bold and the Beautiful” which took home its first Best Drama Series Daytime Emmy of all time.

Shenae Grimes: DoSomething Damsel

Written August 09, 2009 by Candyman

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Enjoying a night out on the town, Shenae Grimes was among the star-studded guests attending DoSomething.org’s ‘Power of Youth’ event at Madame Tussauds on Saturday night (August 8).

Brightening up the room in a sexy red dress, the "90210" hottie posed on the arrivals carpet before mingling with fellow party attendees such as Corbin Bleu and Abigail Breslin.

Meanwhile, Miss Grimes and her "90210" co-stars are up for six nominations at this year's Teen Choice Awards, including: TV Show: Drama; TV Breakout Show; TV Actor: Dustin Milligan; TV Breakout Star Female: AnnaLynne McCord; TV Breakout Star Male: Tristan Wilds; TV Parental Unit: Rob Estes and Lori Loughlin.

Winners of the 2009 Teen Choice Awards will be announced during a two-hour broadcast on Monday (August 10) at 8PM on FOX.