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Do Tell: What Makes a Successful Relationship?

DearSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:00:00 -0700

I think we can all agree, there’s just no recipe for the perfect relationship - different things work for different people. But sometimes I wonder if the ultimate success of a relationship is based more on the circumstances that befall the couple than their actual compatibility. If a couple seems made for each other, but then fall on hard times, perhaps their eventual breakup has more to do with what they had to deal with then who they were.

Then there are those couples who don’t seem ready to cope with the twists and turns of life but end up lasting because they were never confronted with any serious challenges. I don’t know the answer to this one, so I really need your opinions. Do tell, is the success of a relationship more determined by its circumstances or the couple’s compatibilities? Or is it some combination of both?

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What Are You Thankful For?

SavvySugar — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:00:58 -0800

If there's ever a day to give thanks for the many successes in your life it's Thanksgiving. I'm endlessly thankful for my family, friends, and the fact that I have a career I enjoy and excel at and healthy relationships with my co-workers and boss.

So, most companies didn't dish out giant raises in 2008 or 2009, but we should all be grateful to be employed or on a career path that is rewarding. Or maybe you lost your job but you've had family and friends to help you make it through the hard times. What blessings are you counting today?

Buzz Interview: Eric Stonestreet on Playing Modern Family's New Dad Cam

BuzzSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:30:49 -0800

Freshman comedy Modern Family has filled a void in my life - I find myself laughing out loud each week, and I'm not the only one digging it. A huge part of the show's greatness can be attributed to its amazing cast; one of my favorites is Cameron - one half of a same-sex couple adjusting to life with a new baby. Eric Stonestreet, who plays Cam, sat down with me to talk about the show's crazy success and the real-life experience he used to portray a clown in next week's episode, "Fizbo."

On whether he expected the show to be so successful: No. I had a very, very good idea that based on the writers’ history and their very extensive careers that we had a really, really good shot at being something great. Anybody that tells you in this business they knew it was going to be this well-received is crazy. Actually, being this well-received makes you a little nervous.
On whether the success is a surprise: It’s a bit of a surprise with how outwardly supportive the critics have been, but by the same token, how outwardly supportive and sort of in love with the show fans have been. I think that’s the thing that really feels like lightning in a bottle - when you have both of those things in place. Typically, you have huge fan support and the critics tell you it’s the worst thing they’ve ever seen, or you have critical acclaim and the fans are like, 'what is this show, we don’t get it.' So I think the fact that we have both is rare and exciting.

To hear Eric spilling about upcoming episodes of Modern Family and his clown college rejection, just read more.

On his real-life clown experience: I, as a kid, have early documented pictures of me being very intrigued by clowns. The circus came to town in Kansas City every year around my birthday, so naturally my parents took me for my birthday. Once I saw that clowns were people with makeup and funny wigs and costumes, I was in. By nine, I was getting clown suits made for me by my Grandma Louise, at 11 there were articles written about me in Kansas City about how I wanted to become a one-man show performing for senior citizens and kids forever. You’ll see that article in the episode "Fizbo" that was written about me then. I didn’t want to be an actor; I always wanted to be a clown, and acting sort of found me when I was in college. So to be able to bring back what inspired me to act as a kid to prime time is more than I would have ever imagined possible for myself.
On whether he'd be a clown now if he weren't an actor: No. I auditioned for Barnum and Bailey Clown College and they denied me twice. They did not let me in, those clowns.
On what's next for Cameron, Mitchell, and baby Lily: We have an episode coming up where we’re Ferberizing the baby when she won’t go to sleep, and Mitchell is very much committed to letting her cry it out, and Cameron of course can’t for the life of him imagine why you would let a baby cry it out like that, so there’s drama there. It’s what’s great about the show - yeah, they’re a couple of guys raising a baby, but the focus really on that relationship is the challenges of a relationship, the challenges of parenthood, and just trying to find the happy medium of keeping up a relationship while raising a kid.
On the holiday episode: We have the Christmas episode coming up, where you find out that Cameron had created a choir group, a caroling group, a few years back and he was removed and kicked out of his own caroling group by one of the carolers. That episode is really about forgiveness and the Christmas spirit. It’s a very sweet episode.
On his dream guest stars: I can’t imagine who else they’re going to get. That’s the brilliance and awe-inspiring aspect of this show, that people are watching it and people are enjoying it and willing to participate. I can’t wait to see who they find for Cameron’s parents. I have some ideas of who I want, but I’ll be excited to see who’s coming.

Say What? Nicole Kidman Knows Life's All About Relationships

TresSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:30:03 -0800

“I think that we’re in the world to connect. Because that’s what you’re left with. You’re not left with your house or awards or money, you’re left with the people that you built relationships with.”

- Nicole Kidman tells Ladies' Home Journal that despite all her success, it's the special relationships in her life that are important to her. Right in time for Thanksgiving, this sort of sentiment reminds us to appreciate the things that really matter.

Talking New Moon With Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene

BuzzSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:15:50 -0800

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner may be dominating the promotional circuit right now, but they're not the only cast members with something to say about New Moon. I had the opportunity to chat with costars Kellan Lutz and Ashley Greene, aka Emmett and Alice Cullen, during their recent stopover in SF. They chatted about their characters, the vampire craze, and what it's like to be a "Twilight celebrity." Here are highlights:

On why so many people are crazy for the Twilight Saga:
Ashley: I think this film in particular is highly relatable. There are a lot of situations that people can relate to. The love story - everyone can relate to being in love or being in lust. You add the vampire, and it adds that next level fantasy. Vampires are mysterious and sensual and dangerous and unattainable. And everyone wants what they can't have. I think on another level that this came together at the perfect time. All the elements just fit, the casting was spot on, and we're in a difficult time right now with our economy. That's why you never have a drop in ticket sales because everyone wants an escape, and this movie is very much an escape from reality.
Kellan: It's a good escape but also it deals with so many situations, on so many positive notes. Just looking at it from the vampire coven to the wolf pack. It just deals with everyday issues just on bigger levels, in a way. And you have Bella as the keystone in many situations. You can just all relate from different countries to issues within the United States. It's easily relatable.

To read a lot more about working with three different directors and why they feel so lucky, just read more.

On how their portrayals of the Cullens are similar or different from the books:
Kellan: We got the jobs because we brought something new to it. You can interpret the characters each their own, but I think it's what we did alongside. Just like Kristen said - she's playing Bella but she's putting her Kristen spin on it, just like all of us are. And I think that's what's making it unique. We're still following the cheat sheets that Stephenie created by making the books, and there's Wikipedia. We have a lot of information to go off of. But I hope it's what I did in my audition that set it apart from the other guys trying out.

Ashley: I think it's mannerisms too. People do fall in love with this book, but I think part of it is that they always want more. You can't write out every human mannerism. You can imagine it, but seeing the emotion in someone's eyes and seeing them be affected it - it was kind of easy to give something to it, because we were just being people. We kinda just got lucky.
On how much more of the Cullens we can expect in the remaining movies:
Kellan: Realistically, we stick pretty close to the books. Obviously us Cullens would love to be in the books a lot more, which would mean we'd be in the movies a lot more. Talking New Moon, the scenes that the Cullens - except for Ashley, playing Alice who gets to go to Italy and be a main lead in the movie - us Cullens, we have to stick really close to the books, and the scenes that we're in are really crucial to the story, as you know - the birthday scene, the voting scene. I don't know, it was kind of a tease. Chris Weitz is such an amazing director, and for us, for myself - I only worked about a week on that movie. And it didn't even seem like I really got a taste for what it was.

Ashley: In the third film, you'll see a lot more of the Cullens because it's all of us collaborating and then getting ready to fight this war that's coming up. In the second one, my character got a much larger role because Alice is the Cullen, other than Edward, that really embraces Bella and they end up becoming best friends. In the beginning, you see her throw this huge party for Bella, and then Alice is the one who does, in fact, come back for Bella when everyone else decides to skip town. Alice is responsible for dragging Bella over to Italy, and she and I the whole time are fighting to save my brother's life. And then of course we get held up by the Volturi and stuff like that. My character got to grow a lot, which is really cool. You get to actually see the relationship develop between Bella and Alice, where in the first one you didn't. The first one was very much about the romance and showing the audience why these two people are willing to die for each other.
On working with a different director on each film:
Ashley: Each director is going to be very different. They're artists as well, and I don't think any of them are quite the same. The books, when you read them, all have very, very, different tones. So I think it's highly appropriate that we switch directors each go. The first one is very much a romance and is a very scenic, beautiful film. And Catherine's really, really great at capturing that. She's very high energy and works well in chaos and stuff like that. And it was fantastic because we didn't quite know what we were getting ourselves into, and so it was nice to have her to guide us when we were freaking out a little bit. She was just so high energy, and it was really contagious. We were sad to lose her and move on to the second film, but then we got Chris Weitz and he's the complete opposite! But great as well. He's so giving and caring and collaborative and created this atmosphere that was kind of a safe haven for us. And it was really nice because we didn't know, switching directors, if they were gonna embrace us or if they had a completely different vision than what we created in the first one. It was nice that he was right there on the same page with us. And the second one is a warmer film, even from the color scheme. The first one is very blue tones, and the second one is much richer and warmer and I think he did a great job at capturing that. And we just finished shooting with David Slade, and I think he's highly appropriate as well. He just finished shooting 30 Days of Night and Hard Candy, and they're both very dark, edgy films. And Eclipse is very much that. It's all centered around the anticipation and us getting ready to fight this huge war. We just finished filming, we haven't gotten to see much of it, but I think it's gonna be fantastic. He is, technically, the most advanced director. The angles that he shot and how he knows that tweaking something can affect a whole scene and the lenses. He was really nice to work with.
On coping with the fan effect and being a "Twilight celebrity"
Kellan: That's what blows my mind, 'cause I feel like it's really unearned in a way. The fans are making our careers. Without them, we wouldn't be working and doing the saga. There's so many times that trilogy books become a movie and the first one bombs, and then that's it. And you're always hopeful that you get to do them all. Especially since we're all in love with our characters. I love Emmett Cullen to death, he's my favorite character I've ever played. It's just so cool to have made it this far, and I think we all hope that we get to finish this series and do Breaking Dawn. This is such a blessing, it's every actor's dream to be part of something like this. It's not terribly hard either. We don't shoot halfway around the world; we don't shoot for a year of our lives. I know a lot of us have homes, we have pets, we have family. And it's really nice to shoot on the West Coast, either Portland or Vancouver, and have the chance to fly down if we need to. But it's definitely amazing to be part of something like this. And I don't think any of us knew how crazy it would be and how exhilarating it would turn out to be. Going to the premiere, really just, wow. I don't even remember it because I was really just starstruck by how many fans and signs and cameras. It felt like I was just walking through a strobe light room. It's amazing.

Ashley: I still think we can't really wrap our heads around what's going on and what's happening. We're still in the midst of filming and kept very busy from one film until the next. It's only these brief moments where you sit back and are actually able to take a breath where you go "Whoa. Wow. This is crazy." I mean, the amount of tickets they've already sold for New Moon - I'm pretty sure I can't even get a ticket if I tried to see my film in Jacksonville and it's mind boggling. We're just very lucky. I went into this film thinking "Oh my gosh, I got a job" and the it turned into the biggest break of my life. I think we all feel very blessed to be a part of this.
On how it feels to be part of Twilight fan fiction:
Kellan: It's an escape, in a way. We do live in a trivial time period right now. There's so much depression that it's kinda cool to be a part of something where people use it to be an escape. In a way that's kinda what Stephenie did -she had a dream and just elaborated on it. It became a huge success and it's really encouraging that people are doing the same and just making up this journey.

Ashley: That's why people love it so much I think. You can take it and make what you want of it. Before the demographic was teenage girls, but now it's women of every age and guys are starting to get into it, too. It's because there is that element of fantasy. If you're 8 years old you look at it one way; if you're 80 years old you look at it another. I think it's fantastic that we can draw such a huge crowd. The other thing is - it blows my mind but people are making connections over this film and over this book. there are mothers and daughters and grandmas who can all sit and talk about the same story and all fantasize about it and I think that's a really cool thing. I think it's rare.

To see all of our Twilight and New Moon coverage, check out TwilightSugar!

PopSugarUK Meets The New Moon Cast Part Three: Robert on Music, Immortality and Harry Potter Versus Twilight!

PopSugarUK — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:55:18 -0800

Robert Pattinson is back in Los Angeles ahead of New Moon's premiere tonight, bringing his promotional tour of Europe to a close. I was lucky enough to meet Robert, Kristen and Taylor when they visited London, and Rob looked gorgeous in a white shirt and suit, which he later wore to the UK fan event. I've already brought you Rob and Kristen's response to questions about their relationship, as well as the pair's revelations about their kissing scenes, and now I've got the lowdown on Rob's future music plans, what he thinks about immortality versus ageing, and the differences between working on Harry Potter and Twilight:

On whether he's concerned Twilight will overshadow his music:
"I want to do gigs again, and I guess the only way to do gigs is you have to get an album to silence everyone and then you can play as many gigs as you want. I really miss it. I am really afraid of being overshadowed by it. That's why I haven't done any gigs or released anything for ages. I think it does make you set your standards higher, because you need to overshadow this massive thing, so it's tough. You've got to be winning Grammys before you do another open-mic [laughs]."

There's still lots to come from all three stars, but for now, to find out what Robert had to say about immortality and the differences between Harry Potter and Twilight, read more.

On whether immortality would be a good thing or a bad thing:
"It depends. If I stayed my exact same mental capacity then I would not want to be immortal [laughs]. I don't know. I wouldn't want to be considered young forever. I like the innate wisdom that comes with being old. People just think you know more, and treat you with a little bit more respect. I'd like to be able to just choose however old I am whenever I wanted."
On the differences between working on the Harry Potter and Twilight franchises:
"When I went into Harry Potter it was the fourth one, everybody knew each other. The crew had been working together for 10 years... people had married each other! Everything was so well oiled. Starting Twilight, I don't know if it would be like the first Harry Potter, but it's interesting to see there's so many different warring energies. The studio knew they had a trilogy at the time so it seemed like people think that certain criteria need to met to set up that kind of franchise. Catherine obviously had an Indie background, me and Kristen really had strong people, so it was a very volatile set in a lot of ways. But the success of the first one made everything clear for the second."

Rob's clearly an intelligent and funny guy. Check out video footage of Robert at the UK press conference, and watch his interview with Molly too. Stay tuned for my next installment of cast interviews, where Taylor reveals all about stunt work, hobbies and getting into Bella's mind!

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A-Rod Spends World Series Night Off With Lucky Charm Kate

Molly — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0800

Kate Hudson and Alex Rodriguez were back in Manhattan yesterday after three nights in Philadelphia for the World Series. The Yankees won two on the road, but it wasn't enough so he and his team will be back on their home field tonight. Kate has proved herself a loyal fan, whether or not she's the key to A-Rod's success and she'll certainly be there tonight to cheer him on. Despite their serious relationship, Kate's laughing off engagement rumors and if she doesn't have a beverage in hand while she watches Alex play we know it's her weight loss strategy rather than anything that should spark rumors.

To see more of Kate and Alex just read more.

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London and Rome Host Film Stars Including Honest George

PopSugarUK — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 04:58:33 -0700

Several actors walked the red carpet this weekend at the London Film Festival and Rome Film Festival. Nicholas Hoult, Tom Ford, Colin Firth and Matthew Goode looked handsome in their suits at the premiere for A Single Man in London, and the capital also saw the premiere of Viggo Mortensen's The Road. Helen Mirren was in Rome for the The Last Station, and Terry Gilliam and Lily Cole were also in Italy for The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus premiere. Director Jason Reitman was in London for the premiere of Up in the Air on Sunday, having joined George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis for the Rome premiere the night before! As part of his promotion for his films, George has opened up about his relationships and growing old:

On relationships: "I’ve had some absolutely great relationships and some not so great relationships. I’ve been in some relationships where I’ve felt terribly alone. Just because you’re with someone it doesn’t mean you’re incredibly happy and complete. I’ve had some easy and natural, made-sense breakups as well as some rough ones. I deal with them the same way we all do: I’m successful with some and not so successful with others."
On getting older: "I’m kind of comfortable with getting older because it’s better than the other option, which is being dead. So I’ll take getting older. It’s an interesting thing to be able to watch yourself grow older on screen. I was watching Up In The Air and I thought, ‘Jesus, who’s the old, grey-haired guy?’ And it was me."

George also revealed he played a prank on Matt Damon to make his pal think he was gaining weight, and is working on a prank for his next victim Brad Pitt!

To see more pictures from the weekend, including Ben Kingsley, Rose McGowan, Viggo Mortensen, Jason Reitman, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick, just read more.

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Images include: George Clooney, Elisabetta Canalis, Helen Mirren, Colin Firth, Nicholas Hoult, Matthew Goode, Tom Ford, Ben Kingsley, Rose McGowan, Lily Cole, Terry Gilliam, Jason Reitman, Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Viggo Mortensen

Where the Wild Things Are: A Passionate Ode to Childhood

BuzzSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:30:00 -0700

There's been a bit of a controversy over how to market Spike Jonze's adaptation of Maurice Sendak's classic children's book, Where The Wild Things Are. Is it for kids? Adults? Adult hipsters?

The answer is anyone who wants to feel what it's like to be a child, and not in the fun-loving, no-responsibilities way. As adults, we tend to forget the insecurity and fears we had as kids, which the film's young character Max is in the throes of. There's just enough exposition before the fantasy begins: Max has a single mom (Catherine Keener) and an older sister who has recently outgrown him. His first few acts at home show his innocence and the savage emotions under the surface. He knows it as being "wild."

Where the Wild Things Are isn't a heavy-handed allegory, or an edgy children's movie; it's a loyal tribute to the way kids think and feel. To see what else I thought of the film, just read more.

Max reaches the world of the wild things after throwing a particularly heinous fit, prompting his mother to yell, "You're out of control!" After running away, Max finds himself on a boat that finally brings him to a strange land. This is where the wild things are. The creatures Jonze has created are aesthetic wonders: creepy, hostile, and huggable at once. These aren't Jim Henson's Muppets, but real characters, led by Carol (voiced by James Gandolfini). The rest of the group is comprised of Lauren Ambrose as aloof KW, Catherine O'Hara as prickly Judith, Paul Dano as timid Alexander, Chris Cooper as Douglas, and Forest Whitaker as Ira.

Each creature has a fully realized personality, with flaws and varying temperaments; their faces are so emotive and their dialogue so human that their scenes with Max are as real as those with his mother. This group is not easily classified as friend or foe - they're dysfunctional in their relationships and don't always treat each other well. One of the most successful elements of the movie is the dialogue of the wild things, which is rooted in Max's head.

In many ways, screenwriter Dave Eggers's job was tougher than Spike Jonze's, because it's imperative to remember the way children think. Max's interactions with Carol and his new clan are made up of the kind of things a kid would hear from his parents and peers and then internalize. In fact, in the wild world, Max declares himself king to bring order, and he summons up speeches from the authority figures that he's pulling away from in his real life. Naturally, he's too young to recognize how his subverted position is significant.

Max's relationship with Carol is most telling. As the de facto leader of the group who can't handle sadness, loneliness, or jealousy, he acts out as a mirror of Max while still being his own character. The richness of Carol and the creature cast stays with you; when Max has to say goodbye to his friends, your heart breaks.

Jonze impressed me with his non-conformity; in another movie, Max would have demonstrated the grand lessons he learned from his time on the island, but in this one, he doesn't have to learn anything. He just gets to feel and experience and appreciate his emotionally fragmented new friends. It's devastating as a viewer, especially if you can put yourself back in that childlike place when your feelings were so raw and simple.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros.

Robbie Williams Talks Take That and Drug Trauma in GQ

PopSugarUK — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:34:58 -0700

Robbie Williams is on the cover of November's GQ magazine as well as starring in a nine page feature. He gives a candid interview about his new love Ayda Field, the new Trevor Horn-produced album Reality Killed The Video Star, his most recent trip to rehab, his restored relationship with the Take That boys and what he did with his three years off! Here's a few extracts from Robbie's interview:

On his prescription drug addiction: "If I hadn't gone into rehab I would have died. The left arm was going numb, chest was contracting. That's the sign isn't it, that you're on your way out?"
About meeting with Take That had in 2008: "We all had a massive chat, one of those chats that other bands who split up can't seem to have. It was really healing, if that doesn't sound too nancy. And at the end of it everything had gone and we were in the kitchen and I had my arm round Gary. I just loved him. I think he felt the same way. It was really beautiful... You know what? It was a real laugh, seeing them. They're really really lovely. There's that special something that could only be felt by the five of us. It was bizarre, beautiful, euphoric."

To read his thoughts on rejoining the band and how he felt about their success when he was away from the spotlight, just read more.

On how he felt about the success of Take That: "How did I feel about it? I don't really know to be honest. I like the albums that they put out...I don't feel bitter or jealous... the reason I was so angry was because regardless of what I felt at the end I loved them and I didn't think I was loved back."
Will he ever rejoin the band? "It will happen. But not in the next 18 months, two years. There's contracts to fulfil. And then I can do what I want... then go 'Can I go and play with my mates now?'"

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You can read the rest of the interview in November's GQ magazine, out now!