michael.ausiello

Trista's Ex-Bachelorette Beau Speaks!

Don't feel too sorry for Charlie Maher. The 28-year-old Hermosa Beach, Calif., hottie may have gotten crushed by Trista Rehn on ABC's The Bachelorette last month, but the financial analyst's heart has gone on. "I've been dating a girl for several months now," he tells TV Guide Online. "We're finally able to be out in public, and that's a big relief for both of us." Turns out, that's not the only thing Maher is looking to get off his chest...TV Guide Online: I heard you were approached to be the next Bachelor. True? Charlie Maher: We had had some talks, but it really wasn't for me. I'm not sure I want to put my family through that or expose myself to that again. I'm the type of guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve in matters of the heart, and with the structure of the show, there might be 15 women left and you have to act like you're interested in all of them  when in actuality, I'm probably interested in two or three of them. S

Wed, Mar 5, 2003

Joe Millionaire Babe Dismisses Horse Talk

Joe Millionaire's winning bachelorette Zora Andrich wants to set the record straight about her less-than-shocking split from Evan Marriott. She did not  repeat, not  leave the hunky construction worker for, um, Mr. Ed. In a recent interview, Andrich described what it was like filming the Fox reality phenom at that now-famous French chateau. "Oh, I loved those horses," she told People. "Being with the horse, the one whose name meant 'Sweetie' in French, I was in heaven. That's who has my heart. The horse." Well, a quote is a quote, of course, of course, unless of course... "I said that jokingly," she tells TV Guide Online. "There are people who actually ask me about that, and I'm like, 'Are you kidding?' It's so odd. "That's one [drawback] when I'm doing these interviews," adds the 29-year-old substitute teacher from New Jersey, "things

Mon, Mar 3, 2003

Scoop: Gellar Quits Buffy!

The Chosen One has finally made her decision: Sarah Michelle Gellar will exit Buffy the Vampire Slayer at the end of the season, TV Guide Online has learned. Although UPN and 20th Century Fox declined to comment, sources confirm that the 25-year-old actress  whose Buffy contract expires in May  is leaving the cult-classic series to pursue her film career full time. Talk of Gellar's probable Buffy departure has been gathering steam for months. Adding fuel to the fire: the recent announcement that the Scooby-Doo star will begin shooting the feature Romantic Comedy in August, around the time she would have been returning to work on a new season of Buffy. As one Gellar confidante puts it, "You do the

Wed, Feb 26, 2003

Small Talk with Idol's Ruben

If Simon Cowell is correct, American Idol semifinalist Ruben Studdard has what it takes to be the next Luther Vandross. And after witnessing the 24-year-old's "Superstar" turn last week, we're inclined to agree with Mr. Nasty Pants. But while Studdard may be big on talent, he's a little lacking in the conversation department  as TV Guide Online discovered during a recent interview. Indeed, the 24-year-old is a man of few words, and here, my friends, are all 38 of 'em.TV Guide Online: This has got to be an exciting time for you. How are you feeling? Ruben Studdard: I am excited. Very excited. TVGO: Simon said that this year's contest will be one of talent versus image. Do you worry that being a big guy could cost you the title in the end? Studdard: No, I do not. TVGO: Why? Studdard: Because I feel that people will vote for me because of my talent. TVGO: I love the area code shirt.

Thu, Feb 20, 2003

Frenchie's Idol Partner Speaks!

What's the most disturbing trend of the new American Idol season? Contestants trying to outwit Simon. Case in point: After Kimberley Locke belted out "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" last week, Simon lauded her vocals but docked her points in the personality department. Instead of taking the back-handed compliment and walking away gracefully, the 24-year-old administrative assistant from Nashville got into a verbal tussle with the meanie judge. (Gee, guess who won?) When are these folks gonna learn: They are there to sing; Simon is there to be nasty. Naturally, when we caught up with Locke, we took her to task for taking Simon to task for taking her to task.TV Guide Online: Why did you get into a bickering match with Simon? Kimberley Locke: My initial take on it was that it was kind of personal, the fact that he said I didn't have a personality. It kind of hurt my feelings. But I realize that that's

Wed, Feb 19, 2003

Survivor Loser Defends Himself!

It's rather fitting that the first person ejected on Survivor: The Amazon was Tambaqui's reigning male chauvinist Ryan Aiken, the he-man who claimed the all-female Jaburu tribe was at a disadvantage because, "When it comes down to it, you want people who are going to be useful." Well, not only did Aiken get his butt kicked by the gals at Immunity Challenge Numero Uno, the 23-year-old aspiring actor suffered another ego-bruising defeat at Tribal Council. Talk about karma! Here, Aiken tries to save face with TV Guide Online.TV Guide Online: Dude, you lost to a bunch of girls! What happened? Ryan Aiken: People say I underestimated the girls  I think I overestimated [the guys]. They thought they were the most superior athletes. I don't want to point fingers, but I didn't have a problem with the balance beam. My main concern was getting Dan across the balance beam. That's all I ca

Wed, Feb 19, 2003

Seven Silly Questions for... Mary Hart

Mary Hart. Are there any two words more synonymous with Hollywood glitz, glamour and shameless self-promotion? We think not. For 20 years, the gal with the million-dollar gams has presided over TV's iconic showbiz catch-all Entertainment Tonight, and dammit if we're not a better nation for it! This evening, Hart takes her cheery self to primetime as the host of The Stars First Time on ET (8 pm/ET on CBS), an hourlong special during which celebs recall their inaugural appearances on the well-oiled PR machine. We can only hope that 20 years from now Hart will remember the first time she was asked Seven Silly Questions. TV Guide Online: What percentage of any episode of ET is dedicated to teasing future stories? Mary Hart: Probably 80 percent. TVGO: Who hits on you more often  George Clooney or Colin Farrell? Hart: Neither one of th

Mon, Feb 17, 2003

Seven Silly Questions for... Mary Hart

Fri, Feb 14, 2003

Seven Silly Questions for Jeff Probst

For our money, Survivor's Jeff Probst is one of the least annoying reality hosts around. Of course, considering some of the dunces currently gracing the tube  Joe Millionaire's Alex "Serves No Purpose" McLeod and Bachelorette's Chris "Nails on a Chalkboard" Harrison come to mind  that's not saying much. But dammit if we're not growing fond of the well-tanned fella, who returns tonight to preside over the sixth edition of CBS's still-potent reality franchise, this one set in the Amazon (8 pm/ET). In honor of the occasion, we present Probst with the ultimate challenge: answering our Seven Silly Questions.TV Guide Online: How long do you think Michael Jackson would last on Survivor? Jeff Probst: He's a good snuggler and he likes animals, so, he might actually last longer than you think. There's also the freak factor. You'd want to keep him around because nobody's going to vote for him to win. And as long as

Thu, Feb 13, 2003

Rating the Oscar Reactions

Movie lovers need not wait until an Academy Award presenter says "And the Oscar goes to..." in order to learn who are the winners in this season's gold rush. Heck, no! TV Guide Online can reveal right now which actors have scored  at least in our entirely unofficial survey of the nominees' sound bites and press statements. Taking into consideration the thought that obviously went into the contenders' (and their flaks') remarks, we have come to the conclusion that, by golly, there ought to be a prize for best preacceptance speech. C'mon, why not? If a trophy isn't deserved by celebrities that successfully temper their excitement with what passes for genuine humility, then we don't know when one is due. Consider the justifications and exclamations offered up by 2003's title-seekers:IT'S OUR JUST DESSERTS "Bringing Fosse's mas

Wed, Feb 12, 2003

A Final Farewell for Buffy and Angel

More evidence that this will be the last season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Execs at UPN and the WB have apparently put their stakes down long enough to allow The Chosen One (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and her soulless mate Angel (David Boreanaz) to partake in a farewell crossover. Sources confirm for TV Guide Online that Boreanaz will appear in what will likely be the series finale of Buffy in May. Although Boreanaz  whose WB spinoff series Angel is also bouncing on the renewal bubble  wouldn't confirm that he's headed back to Sunnydale, he did concede in a recent interview with TV Guide Online that "fans would enjoy that. It would be really nice for them." UPN's response?

Tue, Feb 11, 2003

Kiefer's New 24 Mate Speaks!

Fans of 24 may be split when it comes to Jack Bauer's romantic dilemma, but the show's newest heroine certainly isn't. Sarah Wynter, who plays amateur sleuth Kate Warner on Fox's Emmy-winning drama (airing tonight at 9 pm/ET), believes Kiefer Sutherland's widower character has mourned his murdered ex long enough. "I'm pushing for us to get together," she tells TV Guide Online. "I keep nudging him. I'm like, 'Come on Kiefer, hurry up! [Your wife] died a year ago!' Enough time has past for a little looky-looky." Laughing, she adds: "That's looky-looky, not nooky-nooky." Indeed, given 24's real-time premise  the entire season takes

Tue, Feb 11, 2003

Meet 24's New Bad Girl!

Poor Laura Harris. It seems the 24 star was the last to discover that her character, spoiled rich brat Marie Warner, was actually a cold-blooded terrorist. "I found out [the week] before we shot it," she tells TV Guide Online, adding that she suspected something was up when "crew members on the set started calling me evil. I was like, 'Why are they saying that?' And then it became clear, and I was like, 'Oh, they do actually like me! It's okay.'" Viewers learned of the shocking plot twist at the climax of Episode 11 on Jan. 15, when Harris's alter ego shot and killed her fianc&#233 Reza (Phillip Rhys). Was it just us, or did the 26-year-old look mighty comfortable clutching a firearm? "I did gun training to be able to shoot with confidence," she says. "It's really difficult to point a gun at someone's head, I have to say

Fri, Feb 7, 2003

Tool Time for Joe Millionaire

Since Joe Millionaire struck ratings gold, the reality series' star, make-believe moneybags Evan Marriott, has been pondering the $64,000 question. No, not which avaricious vixen he prefers, but how he's going to cash in once his secret at last is revealed! "I think it would be neat to have a TV show, kind of like a Bob Vila show on steroids," he tells TV Guide Online. "[I'd] get away from the house stuff and get on big job sites and big buildings. Wouldn't that be killer? "[Forget this] Bob Vila crap!" he continues, his enthusiasm growing seemingly in direct proportion to his disdain for This Old House. "Who wants to put up crown molding? We're going to put up beams! Real men don't want to put up crown molding, they want to [operate] cranes and move beams and set up girders... stuff like that." Of course we do. And the powers that be know it. "I don't see [Marriott] replacing Paige Davis [as host of The Learni

Thu, Feb 6, 2003

Providence: The Feature Film

Analyze That may have flopped at the box office, but Hollywood isn't saying fughedaboudit when it comes to big-screen comedies involving the mafia. This week, Alec Baldwin and Matthew Broderick begin shooting Providence, a fact-based film about the FBI's failed 1987 attempt to infiltrate the mob by producing a motion picture. "The FBI got it in their head that they could nail mobsters in Rhode Island by making a movie," explains Jeff Nathanson, who penned the script and will make his directorial debut with the pic. "They plucked this struggling writer-director out of Hollywood and took him to New England. They hoped to [broker] deals between mobsters and the teamsters

Tue, Feb 4, 2003

Twenty Nagging Questions About 24

After a two-week-long American Idol-induced hiatus, 24 ticks off this evening with the first of five original episodes. When we last clocked in with Fox's serial thriller, bomb sniffer Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) was closing in on terrorist mastermind Syed Ali (Francesco Quinn), President Palmer's estranged wife Sherry (Penny Johnson Jerald) was revealed to be the mole inside the White House, and whitebread bride-to-be Marie Warner (Laura Harris) shot and killed her fianc&#233, Reza (Phillip Rhys). While we would never welcome time off from 24, the break did give us an opportunity to catch our breath — and ponder some of the show's unsolved mys

Tue, Feb 4, 2003

Scott Foley's Felicity Heartache

Still suffering from Felicity withdrawal? You're not alone. Scott Foley, who spent the better part of the last four years crushing on Keri Russell's angst-ridden alter ego, admits he grieved long and hard following the WB drama's swan song last May. "I'm embarrassed to tell you this, but I'll let the cat out of the bag: I watched that final scene — the montage with the Sarah McLachlan song 'I Will Remember You' — probably 30 times over the course of two weeks," he confesses to TV Guide Online. "It just makes me so sad. I finally had to erase it from my Tivo and I haven't watched an episode since. I had to cut the cord. "Shooting that final scene was one of the hardest days of my life," he adds. "We were all bawling our eyes out. I'

Mon, Feb 3, 2003

Fastlane's Girl-on-Girl Encore

Viewers may have gotten a kick out of Tiffani Thiessen and Jaime Pressly's sapphic hot-tub smooch on the Jan. 17 Fastlane, but filming the same-sex sequence was no picnic for the former Saved by the Bell goody two-shoes. "It was freakin' freezing in the jacuzzi because they didn't heat it," Thiessen tells TV Guide Online. "That was the only thing that was really difficult about it. It was so cold." Well, the ex-90210 hellraiser can warm herself with the knowledge that her suffering was not in vain. The heavily-promoted lip-lock gave the show a considerable ratings bump in its new Fridays-at-8 pm/ET time slot. Not surprisingly, Thiessen though

Fri, Jan 31, 2003

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Rocks On!

How did Seinfeld alum Julia Louis-Dreyfus react upon hearing that Elaine's infamous kick-dance managed to two-step its way onto TV Guide and VH1's recent list of the 100 Music Moments that Rocked TV? "It's extraordinary," she tells TV Guide Online. "It's a little bit humiliating, but it's extraordinary." The funky slide — which Elaine debuted to Jerry and Co. during a classic 1996 episode — ranked No. 54 on the TV Guide-VH1 list. As Louis-Dreyfus recalls, a lot of hard work went into creating the indelible routine. Well, not really. "I stood in front of the mirror and tried to look like the biggest ass---- in town," she laughs. The 42-year-old former Saturday Night Livewire looks forward to poking more fun at herself when Watching Ellie returns to NBC's sche

Wed, Jan 29, 2003

Idol Host Feuding with Kathy Griffin?

American Idol host Ryan Seacrest is setting the record straight about his so-called feud with self-proclaimed D-list comedian Kathy Griffin. The rivalry was allegedly sparked at last month's American Music Awards, when Seacrest — in an unscripted bit — opened Griffin's blouse while the duo presented the Fans' Choice Award. Not missing a beat, Griffin retaliated by implying Seacrest was gay. Although Griffin kept her composure while at the dais, the Celebrity Mole contestant apparently lost her cool later on backstage. "Ryan Seacrest physically assaulted me," she told AP Radio. "Follow me to the precinct, he's going down! Look, maybe I did walk up the freaking stairs like Shania. But Ryan Seacrest took my top off! That would never happen to Shania." Seacrest's response? "It was an unscripted presentation of an awa

Tue, Jan 28, 2003

An Alias Movie? Secret Plot Exposed!

If you thought last night's post-Super Bowl episode of Alias was big, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Exec producer J.J. Abrams confirms to TV Guide Online that there have been some informal discussions about transporting Jennifer Garner's double-agent alter ego onto the big screen in an Alias feature film. "It has come up, and... it's an interesting idea," he says. "My agents have talked to me about it, and I know that they have talked to Disney about it, but it's nothing that is seriously being pursued. "Given the fact that we try every week to do a movie version of the show, it's not clear to me what we would try to do that we aren't already trying to do," adds the former Felicity

Mon, Jan 27, 2003

Joe Millionaire Pitches Fox a Sequel

Fox may not be able to produce a sequel to its reality phenom Joe Millionaire — the secret being out and all — but we still have to wonder: What if the network reversed the genders and next recruited 20 gold-diggin' studs to drool over a well-to-do Princess Charming? Would viewers find a Jane Millionaire as richly rewarding? "No," theorizes Evan Marriott, the 28-year-old construction worker at the center of the $50 million big white lie, in an interview with TV Guide Online. "I don't think women are portrayed as breadwinners in America. I think it's an old-fashioned reality that men are the breadwinners." That said, Marriott believes a female-driven Millionaire would work if producers dangled a different booty in front of her male suitors. "They ought to call it Jane Big Boobs," he suggests with a grin. "They get a woman with big, fake boobs, have all these guys go after her, and then, in the end, she takes them off a

Thu, Jan 23, 2003