TV Guide Author: ben.katner

Model Kicks Off "Trippy" Klutz

Cute as Sarah Rhoades is, the underdog sex kitten couldn't walk to save her life, much less keep her in the running toward becoming America's Next Top Model (Wednesdays at 8 pm/ET, on UPN). Perhaps to keep her from bruising her pretty face by taking a spill, the judges handed Sarah a nice, soft seat on an airplane home to Boonville, Mo., which sucks for two reasons: 1) Both hot and warm, she was easily the season's most appealing contestant, and 2) now we'll never know how far her relationship with lesbian buddy Kim would have gone had they continued making out in limos and taking midnight swims together. Before she starts telling tales on today's Tyra Banks Show, I can make myself — and maybe you, too — feel a little bit better by letting you in on the not-at-all-dumb blonde's master plan. TVGuide.com: Journalistic integrity be damned; I want t

Wed, Oct 12, 2005

Two Top Models Just Can't Cut It

What was she thinking? For the last two weeks of America's Next Top Model (Wednesdays at 8 pm/ET, on UPN) that's all I was thinking: What was Cassandra Whitehead thinking? The Texan went on the show well aware that every girl gets an extreme makeover, yet when Tyra Banks ordered her brown mane cut off à la Mia Farrow's 'do in Rosemary's Baby, she wanted to curl up and dye. The pageant perennial finally threw in the towel, quitting Model rather than allow another inch to be trimmed in the name of transformation. (She was followed out the door shortly thereafter by last week's eliminee, Sarah.) So you can guess my first question for Cassandra when I rang he

Wed, Oct 12, 2005

"Twisted" Model Gets Spun Out

Her motto was "Don't get it twisted," but America's Next Top Model contestant Ebony Taylor certainly got her knickers in a knot last week: Although the recent high-school graduate enthusiastically embraced her extreme makeover, during a subsequent shoot in the country she got all tangled up in her new look — braids in her eyes, her mouth, everywhere! As a result, she was given her catwalking papers. Before another wannabe gets shoved off the runway (tonight at 8 pm/ET on UPN), and even before the California girl explains her hair-raising misstep on today's Tyra Banks Show, TVGuide.com rang the kooky teenager to get the scoop. TVGuide.com: It sucks that you got eliminated, but you've got to be excited that you came away from the show with your own catchphrase.Ebony Taylor: I know! I had no idea it would turn i

Wed, Oct 5, 2005

"Pretty Gene" Dooms Model Lovely

In UPN's fifth season premiere of America's Next Top Model, one of the would-be catwalkers stumbled twice during her first runway show, then made out with a fellow contestant during a champagne-fueled free-for-all in the back seat of a limo. Yet it was Ashley Black, a poised boutique buyer from Miami, who got the Ugg boot. Perhaps host Tyra Banks was jealous of the girl's "pretty gene"? In anticipation of tomorrow's new episode (airing at 8 pm/ET), TVGuide.com checked in with the knockout. TVGuide.com: First things first: You've gotta tell me about this pretty gene that runs in your family. Ashley Black: It sounded like I was pretty cocky, but it's actually a little joke that we have. We're humble people. My mom looks just like Ashley Judd

Tue, Sep 27, 2005

Miss Piggy's Dark Confessions

We always thought of Miss Piggy's golden locks as being kind of like the ages of Bart and Lisa Simpson or the recipe for Coca-Cola Classic — perfect and unchanging. Then, the natural-born trendsetter went and dyed her fair hair brown, setting off shock waves that continue to reverberate within the style-conscious entertainment community. Why did she do it, and where will the fallout end? To find out, TVGuide.com questioned the formerly blonde bombshell, and in so doing dared to light her notoriously short fuse.TVGuide.com: After all these years as a golden girl, what inspired you to dye your hair? Or are you a natural brunette?Miss Piggy: Why the change? It was bold. It was different. It was dark, and I couldn't see what I was doing. As for moi's natural hair color, I hear Dan Brown is working on a new book called The Diva Code to get the answer to that one. TVG: Aren't you afraid that now you'll get stopped on the street by people mistaking

Mon, Jun 27, 2005

Stripes Star "Flashes" Back

When late-'70s/early-'80s Hollywood "It" girl P.J. Soles heard that an extended-cut Stripes DVD was being released, she braced herself for what was going to come out with the reinserted footage of her character, military policewoman Stella Hansen: her boobs. "When the original movie [hit theaters] in '81, I was relieved; I went, 'Oh, shoot! They didn't use [every second that I was topless]!'" the Rock 'n' Roll High School and Private Benjamin costar tells TVGuide.com with a laugh. "But obviously, I was there when they shot it, so I knew what was filmed. "Now that I'm older, it's like, 'Oh, good. I'm glad [I let it all hang out on camera],'" the lovely 55-year-old mom adds. "'It's proof, kids! I was once young and hot!' I don't want my nephews in Arizona to see it yet, though."

Thu, Jun 16, 2005

Baywatch Hunk a Space Cadet?

Although David Chokachi calls his 1995-99 stint as bronze-skinned golden-boy Cody Madison on Baywatch the time of his life, he wryly admits to TVGuide.com that there is a down side to being a onetime hunk in trunks — and he isn't referring to the ribbing he takes from his weight-watching buddies, either. "Once I was swimming in South Beach with my manager, and I thought this girl had recognized me from the show," he explains. "She was screaming kind of like she was having trouble in the water, but I was like, 'No way! This is BS!' I was sure she was going to make me swim out to her, then say, 'Ha ha! You idiot! You're from Baywatch!' Well, it turned out she really was in trouble, so I felt like a jerk." Luckily for the 37-year-old alumnus of TNT's Witchblade series, he is less likely to be called upon to reenact the feats of derring-do performed in his latest project: Sci Fi Channel's pre-War of the Worlds outer-space

Fri, Jun 3, 2005

Model Runner-Up Catwalks Over Rival

Ask any America's Next Top Model loyalist, and we'll tell you: One of this UPN guilty pleasure's more innocent delights is watching wallflowers blossom. That said, this season's shrinking violet, 21-year-old Kahlen Rondot, planted herself extra-firmly in our hearts by maintaining her off-duty timidity even as she learned how to be ferocious in front of the camera. In the end, the Oklahoman finished second to picture-perfect Naima Mora, but at least she came out ahead of pushy Keenyah Hill, the snack-happy harpy who literally shoved her out of the way during a go-see competition. Revenge is sweet, but Kahlen — trust us — is even sweeter. Read on and see for yourself.TVGuide.com: You seemed more than a little uncomfortable in your skin, so what on earth drew you to modeling?Kahlen Rondot: My friends and I used to watch the Miss America pageant with my grandm

Tue, May 31, 2005

Will Top Model's Baddie Make Good?

Although we're stoked that soft-spoken Naima Mora won the fourth edition of America's Next Top Model, we have to admit that, week in and week out, it was the mischief made by third-place finisher Keenyah Hill that really amused us. One minute the 19-year-old California girl would be knocking the knockout who'd eventually beat her, the next she'd turn on her constant companion, Brittany Brower. Truly, no one was safe around this sharp-tongued stunner. And bless her heart, the only thing she approached with greater hunger than the competition itself was fresh chow on the dinner table. Join us now as TVGuide.com attempts to serve this diva-in-the-making some food for thought.TVGuide.com: Keenyah, how are you doing? You seemed to take it really hard to have come so close...Keenyah Hill: Yeah, so close! And then to be just flushed down the toilet was very hard. But I got ov

Mon, May 30, 2005

Will Top Model's Baddie Make Good?

Although we're stoked that soft-spoken Naima Mora won the fourth edition of America's Next Top Model, we have to admit that, week in and week out, it was the mischief made by third-place finisher Keenyah Hill that really amused us. One minute the 19-year-old California girl would be knocking the knockout who'd eventually beat her, the next she'd turn on her constant companion, Brittany Brower. Truly, no one was safe around this sharp-tongued stunner. And bless her heart, the only thing she approached with greater hunger than the competition itself was fresh chow on the dinner table. Join us now as TVGuide.com attempts to serve this diva-in-the-making some food for thought.TVGuide.com: Keenyah, how are you doing? You seemed to take it really hard to have come so close...Keenyah Hill: Yeah, so close! And then to be just flushed down the toilet was very hard. But I got ov

Fri, May 27, 2005

Top Model 4 Champ Wins Gracefully

Ordinarily, when TVGuide.com interviews America's Next Top Model mannequins, we want them to quit smiling and bare their fangs already. However, we hoped for just the opposite during our Q&A with Naima Mora shortly after she became the fourth diva to inherit the coveted title. Although the judges dissed her for being, in essence, too good to be true, we fell hard for the multi-culti 20-year-old former waitress' serene demeanor. No, she wasn't in your face like so many of the inarticulate nut jobs she bested. But we'd much prefer to worship a sweetheart who thinks before she speaks than a sour tart who can't do both at the same time. Indeed, for once, Tyra Banks and the judges may have picked a winner in every sense of the word.TVGuide.com: Is it my imagination, or did you seriously sharpen your competitive edge in the homestretch?Naima Mora: I'm a very laid-back, ea

Thu, May 26, 2005

"Porn-y" Top Model Uncensored

Sometimes, folks, it's a struggle for TVGuide.com to come up with questions for the castoffs from America's Next Top Model. ("Um, well, we could ask what it was like to have flesh-eating bacteria...") But when last week turned out to be literally the last week for Brittany Brower, we couldn't wait to get her on the horn in anticipation of tonight's season finale (8 pm/ET on UPN). After all, if there's one thing you're guaranteed to get out of a call to the motormouthed 22-year-old — who was deemed by the judges to be "too porn-y" for the CoverGirl competition — it's a good time. And true to form, she doesn't disappoint. Read on and see for yourself!TVGuide.com: Since you're this season's resident party girl, we have to ask: How many cosmos have you had so far today?Brittany Brower: I've had about 12. [Laughs] I haven't had any! I don't drink every single day! TVG: A lot of girls come off the show and say, "That was

Wed, May 18, 2005

Top Model's Ice Princess Frozen Out

"Bug-eyed" and "frosty." "Passionless" and "forgettable." Yes, over the course of her thwarted campaign to become America's Next Top Model, Christina Murphy was called many things. But until she answered TVGuide.com's call just before this week's episode (tonight at 8 ET on UPN), "frustratingly diplomatic" hadn't been among the adjectives used to describe her. Read on and see if you don't agree with our assessment of the 24-year-old Floridian. We tried — good golly, we tried! — to get her to dish, but the fashion plate simply refused to bite.TVGuide.com: The judges made such a fuss about your "ice princess" demeanor. Do you think employers really give a hoot if the model they hire has a chilly personality?Christina Murphy: I would assume your personality has a little bit to do with it. When I was growing up, people said, "Models don't talk. They just sit there and

Wed, May 11, 2005

"Jurassic Shark" Swims Toward Cineplexes

Here's some good — make that great — news for fin addicts who snickered at Deep Blue Sea and snored through Open Water: After spending years in development hell, Steve Alten's best-selling shark thriller, MEG.: A Novel of Deep Terror, at last is swimming toward the cineplex! In fact, New Line is fast-tracking the project, with Twister director Jan de Bont on deck to call the shots, for a July 4, 2006 premiere. Although casting has yet to begin on the megabucks feature — nicknamed "Jurassic Shark" because of the era from which the toothsome predator is held over — the author already has the utmost faith in the flick's real star. (That would be the shark. Hel-lo!) "Like in the novel, the Megalodon that will be used in the movie will be a ghostly albino, her lack of pigment reflecting her ancestors' existence in the depths of the Mariana Trench," he reveals to TVGuide.com. "She'll

Mon, May 9, 2005

Model Wrestles with Skin and Sex

Ya gotta hand it to 19-year-old wrestler Michelle Deighton: The kid put her blood, sweat and tears (oh, so many tears!) into her bid to become America's Next Top Model. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. After struggling with everything from her complexion to her sexuality — don't even get us started on her posing! — the Indiana native was eliminated by Tyra Banks and Co. Before another skinny Minnie gets blown off the catwalk tonight (8 pm/ET on UPN), TVGuide.com grills Deighton about her downfall.TVGuide.com: Even Miss Tyra seemed to believe you wanted to win more than any of the other girls. Do you think that, ultimately, that desire made you too tense to do your best?Michelle Deighton: I think so, especially in the elimination room. [The judges] were always intimidating! TVG: Janice Dickinson. [Shudder] Enough said. Over the course of the show, you cried an awful lot. Has Kleenex contacted you to do their next ad yet?

Wed, May 4, 2005

Is Veronica Mars the Next Britney?

Is there anything that Kristen Bell can't do? Not only does the 24-year-old Veronica Mars star toss off the sharpest one-liners since Buffy on her UPN cult hit (Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET), but in Showtime's recent musical Reefer Madness, she hit such beautiful high notes that actress-"vocalists" like Lindsay Lohan should've been shamed into unplugging their mics. Unfortunately, the winsome ingenue tells TVGuide.com that she has no burning desire to fire up the pop charts. "If I released an album, it would be a lot different from the choices most girls my age have made," she says. "At this point, I don't have any desire to write my own pop music, so I think I'd probably redo a bunch of Judy Garland songs. I'd be much more of a Michael Bubl&eacute; kind of a singer, doing classics." Furthermore, Bell prefers analyzing characters to interpreting songs. "It's

Tue, May 3, 2005

Buffy's James Marsters: Rock Star?

If your fantasies involve being serenaded by a vampire, you're in luck. James Marsters — beloved as toothsome Spike on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel — has just released his first solo CD, Civilized Man. If only he could have produced the album without leaving a trail of carnage in his wake.... You see, before entering the studio on his own, the actor went on a highly successful tour of Europe with his band, Ghost of the Robot. "I believe it was our third time over there, and we'd gone from playing houses of hundreds of people to playing for thousands of people. Not tens of thousands," he clarifies quickly for TVGuide.com, "but you know, three, four, five." Nonetheless, the lead vocalist saw the blood... er, the writing on the wall. "The chemistry of the band changed," he says. "I think we started taking ourselves too seriously, frankly, and it stopped being fun for me." What's more, he adds, "The songwriting comi

Mon, May 2, 2005

Greed "Buries" Top Model Wannabe

Have you had your irony supplement today? If not, you're about to get a full dose. On last week's America's Next Top Model, Tatiana Dante was eliminated for not coming off nasty enough while portraying Greed during a Seven Deadly Sins photo shoot in a graveyard. But when TVGuide.com caught up with her just before tonight's episode (8 pm/ET on UPN), we found that, ahem, actually, barb-slinging and pot-stirring were second nature to the sassy 18-year-old Hawaiian. Read on and see for yourself.TVGuide.com: Since greed did you in, are you now determined to get rich?Tatiana Dante: [Laughs] No. I'm not a greedy person. TVG: Too bad — you could clean up on a show like Entertainment Tonight. You did a great job interviewing rapper/designer Eve!Tatiana: Thanks! But I don't know why I kicked ass at that. My ultimate goal is to continue pursuing mod

Wed, Apr 27, 2005

Top Model Scarred by Tyra's Tirade?

As the human clothes hangers of America's Next Top Model sashay toward another elimination tonight (8 pm/ET on UPN), you've gotta feel for them. Last week, Miss Tyra got her Victoria's Secret knickers in such a knot that she showed the door to not one, but two perfectly passable posers, overeager Rebecca Epley and defeatist Tiffany Richardson, both 22. The latter hopeful — a single mom from Miami — got the worst of it. Besides her catwalking papers, La Banks angrily served her enough food for thought to give her indigestion. Was she scarred for life by being on the receiving end of the fierce diva's verbal throttling? You know TVGuide.com just had to call Tiff to find out!TVGuide.com: Are your ears still ringing from Miss Tyra yelling at you like that?Tiffany Richardson: [Laughs] Yeah, especially after seeing it, like, all today [on tel

Wed, Apr 20, 2005

Top Model's Stewardess Grounded

Talk about a photo op: When Tyra Banks went all Donald Trump on America's Next Top Model last week, cutting two contestants instead of one, jaws dropped. But while the diva made it clear that she'd had it up to her Harry Winston earrings with eliminee Tiffany Richardson's negativity, her reasons for dropping all-American ex-flight attendant Rebecca Epley were a bit more nebulous. ("Lack of progress"? Please.) Perhaps the 22-year-old Minnesotan mannequin was just a victim of Banks' bad mood. As the remaining waifs prepare to face the Victoria's Secret bra-filler's wrath yet again (tomorrow at 8 pm/ET on UPN), we rang up Rebecca to get her take on things.TVGuide.com: Do you think you got cut because Miss Tyra was feeling cranky?Rebecca Epley: Oh, that never even crossed my mind until you said it just now. TVG: Never? Seriously?Rebecca: No.

Tue, Apr 19, 2005

Is Veronica Mars a Pothead?

Though we can imagine a high time being had by everyone working on Showtime's hip and trippy musical parody, Reefer Madness (premiering Saturday at 8 pm/ET), leading lady Kristen Bell tells TVGuide.com that Method acting was strongly discouraged on the set. "When we first did it [Off-Broadway], Andy [Fickman, who directed both the stage and screen versions] wanted us to check all real drug experiences, if we had them, at the door and actually [approach the material] the way they did in the [original 1936 propaganda] film. "They were essentially B-movie actors who thought they were going to make a movie that would change the views of America; it was meant to be serious," the Veronica Mars star continues. "It wasn't until they saw [the finished product] that they realized it was looking like a spoof." In retrospect, perhaps the new flick's cast should have been allowed a toke for ev

Sun, Apr 17, 2005

Is Veronica Mars a Pothead?

Though we can imagine a high time being had by everyone working on Showtime's hip and trippy musical parody, Reefer Madness (premiering Saturday at 8 pm/ET), leading lady Kristen Bell tells TVGuide.com that Method acting was strongly discouraged on the set. "When we first did it [Off-Broadway], Andy [Fickman, who directed both the stage and screen versions] wanted us to check all real drug experiences, if we had them, at the door and actually [approach the material] the way they did in the [original 1936 propaganda] film. "They were essentially B-movie actors who thought they were going to make a movie that would change the views of America; it was meant to be serious," the Veronica Mars star continues. "It wasn't until they saw [the finished product] that they realized it was looking like a spoof." In retrospect, perhaps the new flick's cast should have been allowed a toke for

Fri, Apr 15, 2005