Emmys 2011: Ed O'Neill Almost Played Football Instead of Becoming An Actor (Q & A)

If the Pittsburgh Steelers hadn't cut the Youngstown State rookie defensive lineman from their training camp roster in 1969, when he was 23, Ed O'Neill's career path might not have led to TV stardom in Married ... With Children, Modern Family (season two of which arrives Sept. 20 on DVD and Blu-ray) and more than 50 other film and TV roles. For his efforts, the first-time Emmy nominee, 65, is being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As he recently drove to a Modern Family table read that has the clan heading to a Western dude ranch in the show's second fall episode, O'Neill spoke to THR about his career.our editor recommendsEmmys 2011: 'Modern Family's' Ty Burrell: '1,000 Actors Deserve' Nom 'More Than I Do'Emmys 2011: 10 Long Shots Worth WatchingEric Stonestreet's Emmy headed to Kansas PHOTOS: Best and Worst TV Dads: 'Modern Family,' 'Shameless,' 'The Simpsons' Was it devastating to be cut from the Steelers? I suppose it was because I didn't know what else I was going to do. I was adrift for a while. I worked as a substitute teacher; I sold cars. Then I saw an ad in the paper forThe Rainmakerat the local playhouse. I had done some acting in high school. I was terrible. Eventually, I got better and started playing lead roles. One thing led to another, and Bill Friedkin saw me inKnockouton Broadway and put me in the [1980 film]Cruisingwith Al Pacino. PHOTOS AND VIDEO: Emmy Roundtable: Comedy Actors Last year, there was much hullabaloo over you not being nominated for an Emmy. Do you feel a bit vindicated? If you had told me, "Every adult member of the cast will be nominated but you," I would have said, "I'll take that bet." When it happened, I found it amusing. This year, when we all got nominated, I was glad because it's less stuff to bother with. If I had been excluded again, I would have been faced with people talking about it a lot. It worked out better this way. STORY: Emmys 2011: The 10 Contests That Matter Was it an intentional strategy to have everyone submit in the supporting actor categories? I don't think so. They asked me what category I wanted to be in, lead or supporting. I said, "We're all doing the same thing; it's a true ensemble." I don't have the balls to say I should be up for best actor and the rest should be up for best supporting. PHOTOS: Fall TV Season 2011: The New Shows Do you think being funny is a learned or innate trait? Honestly, I think it's innate. I do know that when I was a boy, I had very funny uncles. I used to love to hear them tell stories and would emulate them. Early on, I was kind of funny -- not in jokey ways but in storytelling. Are you a joke teller? I was never a joke teller. I don't even like jokes, for the most part. I don't like to hear them, and rarely can I even remember one. Do you consider yourself a comedian? No. I always think of myself as an actor first. If I'm out socially with a bunch of comedians, I don't say two words. I just let them do their bits. STORY: 'Modern Family' Replaces Baby Lily With New Child Actor, Aubrey Anderson-Emmons So you're the straight man. I am, in a sense. The character of Jay Pritchett [on Modern Family] is a guy who lets everything roll and revolve around him. There can be a lot of high jinks going on, and he just tries to keep everything calm. It affords me the real luxury of underplaying a lot, which is my favorite kind of acting. Why? It's just more fun, real and interesting. It feels better to me than big stuff. There's a place for big stuff, but you have to be judicious with it. It can get away from you. Who are your comedy icons? Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis. I always loved that straight-man/funny-guy setup. What do you watch? Curb Your Enthusiasm. Larry David just makes me laugh. I don't watch a lot of the network shows, but I do watch our show. Is it weird to watch yourself on TV? No, I'm used to it. But there are some things that I've done that I have trouble watching. Like what? There's a [1991] movie I did with John Hughes called Dutch. Then there's a [1989] movie I did for Disney called Disorganized Crime. I'm terrible -- the whole thing is over the top. I should have known better, but I went with it and it was horrible. How to you feel about getting the Walk of Fame honor? I was a little taken aback when my manager called me six months ago and said, "Hey, they want to give you a star." I said, "Why?" And he said, "Well, you know, you've been around and you've done things." Walk of Fame Ceremony WHEN: 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 30 WHERE: 7021 Hollywood Blvd. in front of a shoe store (Al Bundy would be proud) GUEST SPEAKERS: Steve Levitan, Katey Sagal, Sofia Vergara Related Topics Emmy Awards ABC Ed O'Neil Modern Family ABC Television Network Emmys 2011

Jim Carrey Makes Bizarre Video Professing His Love for Emma Stone

There was once a time when Twitter, vlogs, and YouTube didn’t exist, and we could dismiss tabloid allegations of celebrity craycray by simply turning away from the register rack at Ralph’s. Sometimes I wish those days weren’t over. Case in point: Jim Carrey just posted a confessional video wherein he dreams of having children with Emma Stone. Oh my gosh. It’s more unnervingly sincere than The Majestic! Here’s a link to the video, as well as a transcript of the Blair Witch Lite confessional: I just wanted to let you know that I think you’re all the way beautiful. Not just pretty, but, you know, smart and kindhearted. And if I were a lot younger, I would marry you, and we would have chubby little freckled faced kids. We’d laugh all day long and go camping and play Yahtzee and tell ghost stories by the fire. And the sex? Everyday for the rest of your life, you would thank God that I was the appropriate age for you. But I’m not. I’m 49. I have lines on my face, sometimes a little grey in my beard, and it takes me a little longer to pee than it used to. Those are the only discernable signs of aging that I can find so far. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know how I felt. You’re pretty special, and I wish you continued success and artistic fulfillment, but most of all, I wish you love and contentment. That’s all. It’s a weird, slightly frightening video, yes, but what’s unfortunate about it is how Emma Stone will be forced to respond. I don’t know, is creepy-public-sphere-leverage the kind of pull Jim Carrey wants as a comic icon? I expect Stone to reply blithely with, “Wish he could go back in time and ‘Eternal Sunshine’ that video!” sometime soon. Jim Carrey To Emma Stone: ‘I Love You’ In Possibly Creepy Video [HuffPost]

That's When Megan Fox Went Swimming With Jason Segel and Chris O'Dowd

Here at Movieline HQ, we’ve been holding out hope that the untitled Judd Apatow continuation/quasi-sequel to Knocked Up (which has been filming with the working title of This Is Forty) will feature a comeback performance from the terminally maligned Megan Fox. No word yet whether that will happen — despite co-star Paul Rudd singing her praises last week — but at least Fox is having fun on the set. Over the weekend she posted a picture of herself and co-stars Jason Segel and Chris O’Dowd mugging for the camera in a swimming pool. Moviemaking! Just like breaking rocks! Click through for the pic. Jason Segel will not play your pucker-up games, Mr. Cameraman. He will just smirk. [Facebook via Us Weekly]

Sugarland Concert Stage Collapse: An Eyewitness Report

Moments before winds believed at 60 to 70 miles per hour knocked within the stage framework and lighting rig in the Indiana Condition Fair, award-winning country duo Sugarland were on the point of perform their headlining set and holding their traditional pre-show prayer circle. These were securely subterranean and conscious of the tornados situation, because of the band's tour manager who, based on a resource, "made the decision to keep everybody back from happening stage for any couple of minutes to determine exactly what the weather would do -- a choice that most likely saved our way of life.Inchour editor recommendsSugarland Concert Stage Collapse Leaves four or five Dead (Video)Sugarland Concert Stage Collapse: Music artists Respond to the TragedyCheap Trick Demands Solutions in Ottawa Stage Collapse Situation (Video)Massive Flaming Lips Set Piece Topples At Okla. Festival (Video) One minute later, the eyewitness describes towards the Hollywood Reporter, "There is a a little rain, along with a horrible noise, the ones came running lower the ramp... only then do we saw a truss fall and so the whole factor went lower and blacked the ramp out." Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Rose bush together with their five band people were securely found in a "concrete bunker" underneath the ground, quite a few their 40 stagehands and technicians were already establishing for that 9:00 p.m. set. "They leaped in to the pit and moved boulders and equipment to help individuals fans in advance,Inch states the observer. "The Sugarland crew and EMTs on-site were heroes." STORY: Sugarland Concert Stage Collapse: Music artists Respond to the Tragedy Four concert participants are reported to possess died and the other 40 come to area hospitals. "It had been an ideal blue sunny day until this, it is simply heartbreaking," states the origin, who adds that watching the recording footage later was "surreal." A Sugarland staffer known towards the band's tweet following a collapse, which read: "We're praying for the fans, and also the people of Indiana. Hopefully you'll come along. They require your strength." An agent for that Indiana Condition Police introduced the fair is going to be closed on Sunday and can reopen Monday having a plan to recognition the deceased. In This summer, a stage in the Ottawa Bluesfest in Canada flattened because of high winds as the band Cheap Trick was playing, and a week ago, Oklahoma band Flaming Lips experienced a toppled rigat a show in Tulsa. Nobody died at either event. Related Subjects Cheap Trick Sugarland

'30 Minutes or Less': 5 Things Been sent about the Red-colored Carpet

The Hollywood Reporter spoke towards the stars from the Columbia Pictures' comedy half an hour or Less at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on Monday, August. 8.our editor recommends'30 Minutes or Less': Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari in New Red-colored-Band Trailer (Video)half an hour or Less: Film Review Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland) directs the comedy film in regards to a difficult duo (Nick Swardson and Danny McBride) who kidnap a pizzaboy (Jesse Eisenberg) and pressure him to take advantage of a bank, or perhaps be inflated. half an hour or Less premieres Friday, August, 12. Nick Swardson found a brand new closest friend Nick Swardson, who plays Travis, stated he'd an immediate bond with co-star Danny McBride. "I did not know Danny from prior to the movie therefore we grew to become almost much like instant close friends," he told THR. "Danny is sort of a brother in my experience now. We have a similar sensibility, we are both filthy and childish, you realize?Inch McBride plays Travis's partner in crime, and also the duo kidnap a pizza boy and pressure him to take advantage of a bank. "We'd you need to be really inappropriate constantly, it had been really fun," stated Swardson of his new friend, McBride. Jesse Eisenberg is this is not on a Facebook binge Jesse Eisenberg, who starred as Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg within the Social Networking, mentions Facebook again within this film, saying his character, Nick, does not come with an account. The actor told THR it's not something he is doing purposely. "I believe like speaking about Facebook inside a movie now's like speaking in regards to a telephone inside a movie fifteen years ago," he stated. "It is simply the way in which individuals are interacting so it wasn't a unique effort to poker fun at another website." Eisenberg doesn't have a Facebook account in tangible existence. REVIEW: half an hour or Less Aziz Ansari's stuntman is Hawaiian Comedian Aziz Ansari, who stars on NBC's Parks and Entertainment, plays the closest friend of Jesse Eisenberg's character Nick. Aziz shared that, while there were not lots of intense stunts within the film, he did possess a stunt double. "[He] was Hawaiian and the title was Neto, which has similar complexion after which he increased a beard, to appear much like me.Inch Ansari also pointed out that there is enough enhancing within the film, such as the song in the finish from the trailer. Flame Tossing 101 was trained for that film half an hour or Less features tanks, explosives and vehicle chases, however it works out flame tossing was probably the most important training for Swardson and McBride. "I needed to have extensive flame thrower training, that is true," Swardson stated. "I needed to talk with these men, I needed to do these classes and get sound advice if something goes completely wrong, yeah it had been pretty intense." Swardson stated he wasn't hurt while understanding how to make use of the flamethower. "They needed to coat my face with such as this liquid ice also it was crazy." Ben Still Favors Pointing Ben Stiller, whose company Red-colored Hour Films created half an hour or Less, has had about the role of actor, producer and director throughout his career. Stiller, who directed Zoolander and Tropic Thunder, states it is the role he favors. "I really really prefer pointing a lot more than other things. And creating or executive creating is excellent because it's not necessary to be about the set everyday, that's really the good thing and you reach appear towards the premiere," he told The Hollywood Reporter. Related Subjects Aziz Ansari Danny McBride Jesse Eisenberg half an hour or Less

'Six Ft Under's Lauren Ambrose Drawn on For Broadway Revival Of 'Funny Girl'

Lauren Ambrose continues to be set to experience Fanny Brice within the first Broadway run of Funny Girl because the musical initially opened up in 1964. The brand new production, with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Bob Merrill and book by Isobel Lennart, is going to be directed by Tony-champion Bartlett Sher. It'll bow at L.A.'s Ahmanson Theatre from The month of january 15-Feb 26 before opening on Broadway next spring. Ambrose has been doing stage turns in Romeo & Juliet in Shakespeare around the block, Broadway runs in Awake and Sing and Hidden Child at London's National Theatre, and also the producers stated she began like a typically trained opera singer. "It is important that individuals avoid seeing this casting process as looking for the following Barbra Streisand," Sher stated. "Rather, I truly needed someone with whom I possibly could explore the initial musical and be prepared for Fanny Brice for any new trend. I realize how difficult this part would be to fill along with the qualities needed to understand more about this in a different way. The field of burlesque, vaudeville and also the Follies is really a unique American invention and just how Fanny Brice emerged for the reason that world is an excellent story, but this show can also be concerning the sacrifices to be a painter and the cost that ladies particularly suffer once they find positive results and also the difficult options that include accomplishment."

Players

McCallany McCallany Micah Hauptman has signed on to Taylor Hackford's noir thriller "Parker." Pic also stars Jason Statham and Jennifer Lopez. He was most recently seen in the A&E skein "The Glades."Holt McCallany is set to star in the indie "White Space." McCallany plays the captain of a deep space fishing vessel that goes on the hunt for a mythic creature in an unexplored region of the galaxy. McCallany was recently added to the cast of "The Gangster Squad."Sean Astin and Elijah Kelley have rounded out the cast of "The Boys of Abu Ghraib." Pic also stars Michael Welch, John Robinson and Sara Paxton. Luke Moran will write and direct the project. Emma Greenwell has booked a recurring role on Showtime's "Shameless." She'll play Mandy Milkovich, the character previously played by Jane Levy, who was cast as the lead in ABC's "Suburgatory." Chloe Bridges has been booked to recur on the CW's "90210." She'll play an aggressive member of the misfit sorority. She recently starred in MTV's "Worst Prom Ever." Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com

How Did 'Midnight in Paris' Become Woody Allen's Top-Grossing Movie?

It's conventional wisdom that Woody Allen's American fan base has all but deserted him over the last 20 years. Between his 1990s personal scandals and a series of hit-or-miss movies that seemed like pale xeroxes of his earlier films, viewers in his own country had pretty much abandoned him to the French. So how, then, can one explain the smash success of his current 'Midnight in Paris,' which has grossed more than any movie Allen has made in his four-decade career? The romantic comedy, which was still in the top 10 at the box office last weekend before falling to number 12 this weekend after more than two months in theaters, has grossed $45.7 million in North America as of July 28. That tops the $40.1 million grossed by Allen's 'Hannah and Her Sisters' a quarter century ago, and it doubles the earnings of such recent modest Allen hits as 2008's 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' and 2005's 'Match Point,' both of which grossed about $23.2 million. Adjusted for inflation, Allen's biggest hit is still 1979's 'Manhattan,' which earned $39.9 million - about $130 million in today's ticket prices. Still, 'Midnight in Paris' has also earned $33.5 million overseas, for a worldwide total of $79.2 million, and it shows little sign of slowing down anytime soon. What's behind the film's windfall? Here are some possible answers: It's Really Good Obvious, perhaps, but still, consensus is nearly universal that Allen hasn't made a movie this good in two decades. It has a 92 percent score among critics at Rotten Tomatoes (and an 85 percent audience score there) and an 81 score at Metacritic. No Allen movie has received scores this high or reviews this glowing since 1994's 'Bullets Over Broadway.' It's Great Summer Escapism Allen's time-travel fantasy is neither the typical thorny art-house movie nor the typical frantic romantic comedy. It's just a lovely daydream in an exotic location. It's a Terrific Travelogue Can't afford to go to the real Paris this summer? You can still visit its top tourist attractions vicariously. They've been lovingly photographed by cinematographer Darius Khondji with the same fond eye that Gordon Willis brought to New York's landmarks in 'Manhattan.' It Doesn't Look Like a Low-Budget Indie Movie Because it's not. While most Allen movies are shot on a shoestring, this one cost $30 million. It displays lavish period detail, from costumes to cars. Plus, for the first time, Allen used the digital intermediate process in post-production, rather than traditional photochemical color timing, to set the colors of the movie and tweak the images. So it looks like an expensive studio film. Owen Wilson Makes a Better Woody Than Woody Lots of Allen's recent movies have featured an Allen surrogate in the lead romantic role, playing the kind of lovelorn intellectual nerd that Allen would have played himself in younger days. (Because who wants to see the septuagenarian Allen as a romantic lead anymore?) Many of them have picked up his vocal rhythms and body language (notably, John Cusack and Kenneth Branagh, and to a lesser extent, Jason Biggs, Will Ferrell and Larry David), which makes them look and sound like poor Woody Allen impersonators. But Owen Wilson does none of that. He manages to convey the Allen attitude without aping Allen's mannerisms, so he seems an original spin on the usual character. Plus, he's Owen Wilson, so he brings a huge reserve of laid-back charm to the role that other stars (including Allen himself) have lacked. It's Clean There have been a lot of successful R-rated comedies this summer, trying to outdo each other in raunchy outrageousness. 'Midnight,' however, is rated PG-13. There's some risqué talk but no on-screen action, and no jokes built around full-frontal nudity or bodily fluids. If you're a grown-up who wants comedy but feels that 'The Hangover Part II,' 'Bridesmaids,' 'Bad Teacher,' or 'Friends With Benefits' are too puerile for you, 'Midnight' is your antidote. 'Midnight in Paris': Trailer No. 1 It's funny Allen fans often complain that he no longer makes broadly hilarious movies like he used to in his heyday. Well, here you go. 'Midnight' is full of all kinds of humor, operating on several different levels. There are big sight gags, snappy one-liners, and sly references to classic works of art, literature, and film. If you catch them all, you can pat yourself on the back for being well-read, but even if you don't, there's always another big laugh right around the corner. It's serious. As much as his fans profess to love his early slapstick comedies, Allen's biggest hit movies have been the ones that have something to say. 'Annie Hall'? Love is painful and doesn't last, but we keep trying because we can't live without it. 'Match Point' and 'Crimes and Misdemeanors'? We live in a random universe with no expectation of justice. 'Hannah and her Sisters'? We can't know if there's life after death, so we might as well enjoy life before death. (The exception may be 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona,' whose point seems to be that Americans just aren't cut out to live lives of grand passion, at least not like Spaniards.) 'Midnight,' too, has a point to make, behind all the comedy. Its Message Is Resonant If 'Midnight' has a theme, it's that nostalgia is a lovely trap. Wilson's character learns that everyone thinks their present-day existence is dull compared to some previous golden age; even the people in that supposed golden age felt that way. Better to look forward instead of backward. (Indeed, for all his fondness for 1920s Jazz Age culture and music, Allen's never been one trapped in the past. At this writing, the 75-year-old is already busy shooting his next movie, making a film set in Rome for the first time in his career.) At a time when the present seems not just dreary but utterly bleak, it's no wonder moviegoers would want to take Allen's easy journey into an exciting, carefree past. 'Midnight' allows viewers to play along with the parlor-game question, "If you could go back in time, which era would you visit?" But after the indulgence of nostalgia, it reassures viewers that the best is yet to come, that the golden age is still ahead of us. Who wouldn't want to spend 90 minutes taking that trip? Follow Gary Susman on Twitter @garysusman.

Voice cast looking for 'Planet Earth'

Brendan Fraser, Nicole Kidman, Jessica Alba, Take advantage of Corddry, James Gandolfini and Craig Robinson happen to be drawn on for that voice cast for animated three dimensional family comedy ''Escape From The World.''The announcement is made Tuesday by Donna Gigliotti, TWC's leader of production, and Catherine Winder, leader of Rainmaker Entertainment. Both Gigliotti and Winder are producers about the film.Cal Brunker is pointing and Rainmaker's Luke Carroll is another producer with TWC Co-Chairmen Bob and Harvey Weinstein professional creating. The film was compiled by Brunker and Bob Barlen with different script by Tony Leech and Cory Edwards.Story's set in the world Baab where respected astronaut Scorch Supernova (voiced by Fraser) is really a national hero towards the blue alien population. When he's informed of the SOS from the infamously harmful planet, he rejects his brother's alerts and bounds off for another exciting mission -- only to discover themself caught inside a fiendish trap.A movie is going to be launched within the U.S. in 2012. Contact Dork McNary at dork.mcnary@variety.com