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The Invention of Lying: Sweet, but Unsteady

BuzzSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:45:37 -0700

In his Hollywood directorial debut, Ricky Gervais takes us to an alternate universe where honesty makes the world go round. It's not just that lie-telling is an impossibility; everyone can't help but speak their minds at all times, no matter how personal, embarrassing, or brutal their innermost thoughts may be. The premise of The Invention of Lying is rife for comedy, but the film is also a commentary on religion and has its sad moments as well.

The film tells the story of Mark Bellison, an average joe who just can't seem to get ahead in a world where his mediocrity is ridiculed day after day. His co-workers can't stand him and women reject him based on his looks alone. When he loses his job as a screenwriter, Mark is ready to give up - until he mysteriously becomes the world's first liar.

To see what else I thought of the film, just read more.

Ricky Gervais stars as Mark, living in a world that's mostly free of flair, frills, and aesthetics. Mark's house and office are plain and boring, complementing his every-day appearance. Those who stand out are the people who are naturally attractive, like the object of Mark's affections, Anna (Jennifer Garner) and his snarky co-worker Brad (Rob Lowe). Anna can't help but show her shallow side on her first date with Mark. She immediately rejects him on the basis that she doesn't want to have "fat, snub-nosed" children someday and must find a "better genetic match." Once Mark starts to stretch his newfound talent though, he decides he can have whatever he wants - and begins a quest to win Anna's affections.

Gervais surprised me with his performance because he finally takes a break from his typical British dry humor. As affable, down-on-his-luck Mark, Gervais proves that he doesn't need his signature sarcasm to be witty. The most important scene of the movie requires a lot of raw emotion from Gervais, and he absolutely nails it, showcasing a sweet side that we rarely see from the actor.

There are two major aspects of the movie that wore me down: the cameos and the product placement. I love a good celebrity appearance, but after Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ed Norton, and Jason Bateman pop in, it starts to feel like Gervais is trying to use his comical buddies to keep the storyline afloat when it starts to lose focus. Seeing a familiar face is always fun, but this isn't a Judd Apatow movie.

The product placement is funny and fitting at first; there's not much room for advertising in a world of stark truth. With only a reputation to rely on, Coke and Pepsi are left with the slogans "It's very famous" and "When they don't have Coke," respectively. The film goes way overboard from there though, and suddenly Mark is surrounded by Budweiser bottles at all times and at the film's climax he's standing in front of a group clutching a pair of cardboard Pizza Hut boxes.

The movie's biggest problem is that it tries to appeal to too many genres. It's packaged as a comedy, but Mark becomes a god-like character once the world gets wind of his lies. His peers literally take everything he says as gospel, and Mark becomes a blatant modern-day Moses (complete with long hair and beard). Just as the audience begins to wonder where it's all going, the movie quickly ditches the religious aspect and finishes up as a love story. The ending is satisfactory, but what's the point of satirizing religion when it doesn't hold much water for the overall message of the movie?

Like I said, the premise is rife for comedy and starts us down a path that's packed with laughs - I just wish Invention of Lying didn't wander off before finding its way back home.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Jen, Rob, and Ricky Laugh and Lie Their Way Down the Carpet

PopSugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:00:32 -0700

Jennifer Garner couldn't stop laughing at last night's LA premiere of The Invention of Lying. She was joined by costars Rob Lowe and Ricky Gervais, who showcased his infamous giggle. Earlier yesterday Jennifer made an appearance on The Jay Leno Show, where she made husband Ben Affleck proud by successfully reciting the starting lineup for the Boston Red Sox. She also endured some jokes about the Sox's rivalry with the Yankees, though Jennifer politely declined to bring Ben home a photo of Derek Jeter - check out the video below.

To see more photos plus the video of Jennifer just read more.

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Ricky Reunites With Extras' Ashley At Lying LA Premiere

PopSugarUK — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:17:00 -0700

Ricky Gervais was all dressed up for the Hollywood premiere of his new movie and silver screen directorial debut The Invention of Lying which took place last night! His costars Rob Lowe and Jennifer Garner posed for the photographers before heading into the screening, with Jennifer towering over Ricky in her high heels! Ugly Betty's Ashley Jensen was one of the guests at the premiere, along with her baby bump, so it was also something of an Extras reunion! Jonah Hill and Matthew Perry were among the other familiar faces at the screening -will you see it when it comes out on October 2?

To see more photos from The Invention of Lying LA Premiere, just read more.

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Stars Shine At The Emmys Show and Behind The Scenes!

PopSugarUK — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:21:00 -0700

The stars arrived looking glam last night, and they were all there to see who would receive the statuettes at the Primetime Emmy Awards! 30 Rock and Mad Men were both big winners last night, taking the top Comedy Series and Drama Series trophies. Kristin Chenoweth was thrilled and tearful as she took to the podium to accept her Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy award for Pushing Daisies while Toni Collette won Best Actress in a Comedy for her amazing turn in The United States Of Tara. Leighton Meester, Blake Lively and Ricky Gervais were among those presenting awards, while Justin Timberlake won for his guest spot on Saturday Night Live. Alec Baldwin jumped for joy over his win in the press room, while Neil Patrick Harris was the fantastic host for the evening!

To see the long list of winners as well as many more photos from the show and press room, just read more.

COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock

DRAMA SERIES
Mad Men

MINISERIES
Little Dorrit

ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Toni Collette, United States of Tara

ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Glenn Close, Damages

MADE FOR TELEVISION MOVIE
Grey Gardens

REALITY HOST
Jeff Probst, Survivor

REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race

ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Brendan Gleeson, Into The Storm

ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Michael Emerson, Lost

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Ken Howard, Grey Gardens

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Cherry Jones, 24

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House Of Saddam

WRITING FOR A COMEDY
30 Rock ("Reunion," Matt Hubbard)

WRITING FOR A DRAMA
Mad Men ("Meditations in an Emergency," Kater Gordon, Matthew Weiner)

WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSICAL OR COMEDY SERIES
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart (Steve Bodow, Jon Stewart, David Javerbaum, Josh Lieb, Rory Albanese, Kevin Bleyer, Jason Ross, Tim Carvell, John Oliver, Sam Means, Rob Kutner, J.R. Havlan, Rich Blomquist, Wyatt Cenac, Elliott Kalan, Rachel Axler)

WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Little Dorrit (Andrew Davies)

DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
The Office ("Stress Relief," Jeff Blitz)

DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Little Dorrit (Dearbhla Walsh)

DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
American Idol ("The Final Three," Bruce Gowers)

ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS
81st Annual Academy Awards" ("Hugh Jackman Opening Number")

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
ER ("And in The End," Rod Holcomb)

LIST OF WINNERS IN THE CREATIVE ARTS CATEGORIES

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Michael J. Fox, Rescue Me ("Sheila")

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live: Presidential Bash 2008

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Ellen Burstyn, Law & Order: SVU ("Swing")

GOVERNORS AWARD
Sheila Nevins, HBO Documentary Films

ANIMATED PROGRAM (FOR PROGRAMMING ONE-HOUR OR MORE)
Destination Imagination (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends)

ANIMATED PROGRAM (FOR PROGRAMMING LESS THAN ONE HOUR)
South Park ("Margaritaville")

ART DIRECTION FOR MULTI-CAMERA SERIES
How I Met Your Mother ("Shelter Island, Not A Father's Day")

ART DIRECTION FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
Pushing Daisies ("Dim Sum Lose Some")

ART DIRECTION FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Grey Gardens and Little Dorrit

ART DIRECTION FOR VARIETY, MUSIC, OR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
American Idol ("Episode 821-822") and 2008 MTV Video Music Awards

CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
30 Rock

CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
True Blood

CASTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL
Little Dorrit

CHOREOGRAPHY
81st Annual Academy Awards ("Musicals Are Back") and So You Think You Can Dance ("Adam and Eve/Silence")

CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A HALF-HOUR SERIES
Californication ("In Utero")

CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A ONE-HOUR SERIES
The Tudors ("Episode 303")

CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Little Dorrit: Part 1

CINEMATOGRAPY FOR NONFICTION
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations ("Laos")

CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR REALITY PROGRAMMING
Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment ("What Did I Sign Up For?")

COMMERCIAL
"Heist," Coca-Cola

COSTUMES FOR A SERIES
Pushing Daisies ("Bzzzzzzzzz!")

COSTUMES FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL
Little Dorrit: Part 3

COSTUMES FOR A VARIETY/MUSIC PROGRAM OR A SPECIAL
So You Think You Can Dance ("Episode 415-416A")

DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL
"Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony" (Bucky Gunts)

DIRECTING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (Marina Zenovich)

MAIN TITLE DESIGN
United States of Tara

MAKEUP FOR A SERIES, MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR A SPECIAL (PROSTHETIC)
Grey Gardens

MAKEUP FOR A SINGLE CAMERA SERIES (NON-PROSTHETIC)
Pushing Daisies ("Dim Sum Lose Some")

MAKEUP FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES OR SPECIAL (NON-PROSTHETIC)
MADtv ("Episode 1405")

MAKEUP FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE (NON-PROSTHETIC)
The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation)

MUSIC DIRECTION
"Streisand: The Concert"

MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A SERIES (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)
Legend of the Seeker ("Prophecy")

MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR A SPECIAL
Into the Storm

ORIGINAL MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC
Great Performances

PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES (SINGLE-CAMERA)
Breaking Bad ("ABQ")

PICTURE EDITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)
30 Rock ("Apollo, Apollo")

PICTURE EDITING FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE (SINGLE-CAMERA)
Taking Chance

PICTURE EDITING (SHORT FORM)
81st Annual Academy Awards and "Stand Up to Cancer"

PICTURE EDITING FOR A SPECIAL (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)
"Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger"

PICTURE EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
This American Life ("John Smith")

PICTURE EDITING FOR REALITY PROGRAMMING
Project Runway ("Finale Part 1")

HAIRSTYLING FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES
Mad Men ("The Gold Violin")

HAIRSTYLING FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES OR SPECIAL
Dancing With the Stars ("Episode 709")

HAIRSTYLING FOR A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Grey Gardens

CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT IN INTERACTIVE MEDIA - NONFICTION
"The Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Digital Experience," nbc.com

CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT IN INTERACTIVE MEDIA - FICTION
"The Dharma Initiative," DharmaWantsYou.com.

LIGHTING DIRECTION (ELECTRONIC, MULTI-CAMERA) FOR VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY PROGRAMMING
American Idol ("Finale")

VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL
"The Kennedy Center Honors"

SPECIAL CLASS PROGRAMS
"Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony"

SPECIAL CLASS - SHORT-FORMAT LIVE-ACTING ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS
"Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog," drhorrible.com.

SPECIAL CLASS - SHORT-FORMAT NONFICTION PROGRAMS
"Writer's Draft"

CHILDREN'S PROGRAM
Wizards of Waverly Place

CHILDREN'S NONFICTION PROGRAM
Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am? With Maria Shriver and Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Coming Home: When Parents Return from War

NONFICTION SPECIAL
"102 Minutes That Changed America"

NONFICTION SERIES
American Masters

REALITY PROGRAM
Intervention

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN NONFICTION FILMMAKING
The Memory Loss Tapes

WRITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

SOUND EDITING FOR A SERIES
Battlestar Galactica ("Daybreak: Part 2")

SOUND EDITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL
Generation Kill: The Cradle of Civilization

SOUND EDITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)
"102 Minutes That Changed America"

SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)
House ("House Divided")

SOUND MIXING FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Generation Kill: The Cradle of Civilization"

SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR AND ANIMATION)
Entourage ("Pie") and Weeds ("Three Coolers")

SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY OR MUSIC SERIES OR A SPECIAL
81st Annual Academy Awards and The 51st Annual Grammy Awards

SOUND MIXING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING (SINGLE OR MULTI-CAMERA)
"102 Minutes That Changed America"

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS FOR A SERIES
Heroes ("The Second Coming/The Butterfly Effect")

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL
Generation Kill: The Cradle of Civilization

STUNT COORDINATION
Chuck ("Chuck Versus the First Date")

TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL FOR A SERIES
American Idol ("Episode 834A")

TECHNICAL DIRECTION, CAMERAWORK, VIDEO CONTROL FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE, OR SPECIAL
"Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony"

VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE
The Simpsons ("Father Knows Worst")

WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SPECIAL
"Chris Rock - Kill The Messenger"

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Images include: Kristin Chenoweth, Justin Timberlake, Leighton Meester, Blake Lively, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, Alec Baldwin, Hayden Panettiere, Toni Collette, Tracy Morgan, Kate Walsh, Brendon Gleeson, Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kiefer Sutherland, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Kaley Cuoco, Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Ricky Gervais, LL Cool J, Chris O'Donnell, David Boreanaz, Michael J Fox, Glenn Close, Bryan Cranston, Elisabeth Moss, January Jones, Jon Hamm, Christina Hendricks, Cat Deeley, Neil Patrick Harris, Alyson Hannigan, Jason Segel, Amy Poehler.

NPH Hosts and Jokes His Way Through Mad Men, 30 Rock's Big Emmy Night!

Molly — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:57:20 -0700

Neil Patrick Harris was the star of the night at yesterday's Primetime Emmy Awards. He hosted the long show and managed to keep things interesting with his constant jokes and hours of preparation looking up the tiniest, most obscure roles on all the presenters' resumes to introduce them with. Check out all the winners here. Blake Lively and Leighton Meester looked gorgeous together as they took the stage to hand out an Emmy, though their show might not ever be up for any. Jessica Lange beat out her costar Drew Barrymore but the close friends looked overjoyed and the night's cutest acceptance speech might just go to a teary Kristin Chenoweth.

Justin Timberlake was all over the awards with his multiple nominations, though he didn't take any home he did win an Emmy last weekend. Heidi Klum and Seal shared a kiss in the audience, which is a lot less stressful than where she was last year up on stage as one of the hosts. Mad Men and 30 Rock took home the awards for best Drama and Comedy series respectively, but Jon Hamm and Tina Fey didn't win Actor or Actress. While the show was up against some tough competition with Sunday Night Football, NPH did a great job keeping the awards fun, funny and livelier than they've been in years.

For lots more photos from the show including Jimmy Fallon's fall, cute Chris O'Donnell and many others just read more.

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Images include: Alec Baldwin, Alyson Hannigan, Jason Segel, Josh Radnor, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Jon Hamm, Toni Collette, Justin Timberlake, Amy Poehler, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Neil Patrick Harris, Jimmy Fallon, Simon Baker, Sigourney Weaver, Chandra Wilson, Kate Walsh, Hayden Panettiere, Jon Cryer, LL Cool J, Chris O'Donnell, Jon Stewart, Kristin Chenoweth, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Patricia Arquette, Jessica Lange, Kiefer Sutherland, Michael J. Fox, Stephen Moyer, David Boreanaz, January Jones, Jennifer Westfeldt, Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Heidi Klum, Seal, Mary-Louise Parker

Ricky, Rob & Jennifer Lie Through Their Teeth In Toronto

PopSugarUK — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:23:00 -0700

Yesterday Ricky Gervais, Jennifer Garner and Rob Lowe were in high spirits as the celebrated the first screening of their new film The Invention Of Lying at the Toronto International Film Festival. Jennifer looked stunning in her green dress, while Ricky looked rather relieved after the event, and quite happy with the wine he was drinking! He's taken the role of director as well as star for the first time on this movie, and the premiere screening seemed to go well, with critics receiving the movie warmly. Sounds like cause for a celebration!

To see more photos of the cast, just read more.

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Jennifer, Rob and Ricky Invent Lies at TIFF

PopSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:00:00 -0700

Jennifer Garner joined her costars Ricky Gervais and Rob Lowe to premiere The Invention of Lying at TIFF yesterday. At the press conference earlier in the day, Jennifer teased Ricky who wrote, directed and acted in the film, for often ruining takes with his loud shrill giggle. Jen also said she's not planning on working with her husband Ben Affleck again, although "life is long" so she's not ruling it out for the future. It sounds like the cast got along great while filming and are still enjoying each other's company as they kick off promotions for one of Buzz's top movie picks for the Fall.

To see more photos of the actors just read more.

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The Invention of Lying - See It or Skip It?

PopSugarUK — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:00:00 -0700

Ricky Gervais stars in The Invention of Lying, the first movie that he's co-directed and co-written. He's put a cast together than includes Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill and Tina Fey to tell the story of a world where everyone tells the truth... that is, until one man discovers how to lie. Check out the trailer and let me know what you think - will you see the film when it comes out in the UK in October?

Michael Phelps Cleans Up at the Star-Studded ESPY Awards

PopSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:00:01 -0700

Many celebs hit the red carpet last night at the ESPY awards in LA to honor the stars of the sports industry. Samuel L. Jackson was the evening's host, and he kept the audience laughing with his jokes about Twitter. Zachary Quinto took the stage looking dapper in his suit, while Miranda Kerr smiled for photos before the scary robbery at Orlando Bloom's house. Demi Moore was also on hand to present Michael Phelps with one of his five awards. It might not have been as snazzy as last year's Justin Timberlake's ESPY hosting gig, but the athletes and stars looked fantastic for the sports-filled night.

Michael wasn't the only one getting trophies - Hollywood's beloved Lakers won Best Team. Other presenters included Rashida Jones and Jeremy Piven, while funny men Andy Samberg and Seth Meyers watched alongside Billy Crudup. The festivities are set to air Sunday evening on ESPN.

To see lots more photos including Kendra Wilkinson, Rob Lowe, Jeremy Piven and others just read more.

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Images include: Andy Samberg, Jaime Pressly, Kendra Wilkenson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Phelps, Rashida Jones, Samuel L. Jackson, Seth Meyers, Wyclef Jean, Shawn Johnson, Miranda Kerr, Billy Crudup, Condoleezza Rice, Zachary Levi, Demi Moore, Zachary Quinto, Jeremy Piven, Marisa Miller, Olivia Wilde, Rob Lowe, Stevie Wonder, Will.i.am

The Stars Come Out to Watch the Lakers Win

PopSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 12:30:00 -0700

Many familiar faces were in the stands yesterday at the Staples Center in LA to see the Lakers beat the Rockets and earn their way to the Western conference finals. Loyal fan Kate Hudson brought Ryder along, joining other celebs like Russell Brand, Nicky Hilton and David Arquette. Adam Levine took a break from romancing Cameron Diaz to sit courtside next to Denzel Washington, who was getting eyed up by Mindy Kaling. Elsewhere, controversial pals Eddie Cibrian and LeAnn Rimes had an awkward run-in at the bar. The Lakers win means more star-studded front rows as they take on the Denver Nuggets.

To see more photos including LeAnn Rimes, Rob Lowe, Val Kilmer and others just read more.

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Images include: Kate Hudson, Dustin Hoffman, Andy Garcia, Adam Levine, Billy Corgan, Russell Brand, Jack Nicholson, David Arquette, George Lopez, LeAnn Rimes, Rob Lowe, Nicky Hilton, David Katzenberg, Val Kilmer, Mindy Kaling, Denzel Washington, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman

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