Thanks for the pics. I’m not familiar with any of these actors although Lance looks familiar.

Usually Daniels has at least one or two well-known actors to anchor the film so I’m expecting at least one more person to bring this one home. Helen Mirren was a big factor of why I wanted to see Shadowboxer.

Mariah has been looking better than ever and I wonder, was she asked to gain weight for this role like Janet was supposedly asked to?

reasons for Janet's exclusion from the project aren't known yet, but one thing that's for sure is that Krystal's character does not require being overweight, at least not when Mariah joined in (to give Janet the benefit of the doubt).

many rumors had it though that Janet's obesity was resulted off emotional eating.

PricelessHo said:

Yeah, that's what I always believed it was. I also think if she had of confessed that (if that's the actual truth and not that she gained it for a movie role) people who struggle with weight would identify with her more. Gaining weight with stress is common and sometimes evident in some more than others. It's believable, real and understandable. I never believed the movie role excuse.

I'm glad Mariah's able to do the film though. And it worked perfectly with her schedule.
[Edited 2/26/07 6:21am]

JackieBlue said:

damn right it is

Mimi was just attending Oscar's hottest party yesterday.

Article

When it comes to Oscars, there’s only one party that really matters: Dani Janssen’s. It’s the most private, the most star-studded, the most relaxed in town. Only my pal Dani is a bundle of nerves on the phone with me because she just found out her condominium had stripped a lobby wall the day before. So the first thing greeting her VIPs when they arrive is a demolition mess. Trust me, no one will be looking. Not with guests like Jack Nicholson, Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg, Reese Witherspoon, Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn, Harrison Ford, Al Pacino, Owen Wilson, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Oprah attending.

JackieBlue said:

Agreed.I'm not sure I believe Janet's whole story.Why would a person gain all that weight for a movie role and then not do the movie??

Actors who alter their weight for roles are usually serious actors who put acting first. If I already have a weight problem, there is no way in the world I’m going to gain 60 pounds or so and not have my schedule as tight as my 18 hour weave to accommodate the time needed to film this role. My recording or modeling career or whatever else it is that I do will take a back seat for the next several months while I totally commit myself to this project and then kick my own ass to take the weight back off. It just wouldn’t happen.

Even if filming started on time, would I realistically have enough time to lose the weight and promote the album? Possibly, but why go through all the drama? My body has already been through enough putting on the weight, now I have to take it off in record time between laying down vocals for my album?

How big is my role? Who’s in this movie? How many theaters will be carrying it again? Is it really worth me to do this or should I just audition for a part in one of the Madea movies? Pffft, take my body as is and call it a day.

Thanx for the pix, Ho

I wonder why Bernie Mac passed on this,,,I was intrested in his per4mance. Uncle Bernie can pull a serious role if he wants to.

Singer Mariah Carey has been in Nashville shooting a movie and news 2 entertainment video journalist Stephanie Langston tells us there was a close call with her movie crew on lower Broadway.

Singer Mariah Carey has been in Nashville shooting scenes from her latest movie "Tennessee."

On Thursday, Carey was at Second Fiddle on Lower Broadway. An extra in the movie said they were at the honky-tonk for 12 hours, but Carey was only there for two.

The extra said they shot the final scene of the film, where Carey's character goes to a writer's night. In the movie, the Grammy Award singer takes the stage and blows everybody away.

There were about 40 extras at the Second Fiddle on Thursday.

News 2's source said Carey seemed friendly, but the extras were told not to talk to her.

Later Thursday night, things almost took a nasty turn when a crew truck backed into a large double lamp post along Broadway, knocking it down.

The lamp post hit the Second Fiddle's neon sign and tapestry.

The owner of Second Fiddle said the sidewalk was packed when it fell, but everyone scattered out of the way.

Brenda Sanderson said, "We are fortunate there is a little damage to our neon and canopy, but we are just really thankful that no one got hurt."

Insurance is covering the damage.

Additional news report from Steph In The City:
"Mariah dined at the Palm Thursday night and signed a blank spot on the wall. Her caricature will be added later. I am told the Grammy Award winner has now left Nashville."

i wanna see this fucker NOW!!
..

Mariah Carey sang country music in Nashville last week. Don't get excited — it was just for a movie.

She was filming the independent film Tennessee with Lance Reddick, Ethan Peck and Adam Rothenberg. She plays a waitress and aspiring country singer who flees her controlling husband to join two brothers on their journey from New Mexico to Tennessee to find their estranged father.

On Thursday, director Aaron Woodley and crew were at Second Fiddle at 420 Broadway, where Mariah performed "Right to Dream," a song for the movie she co-wrote with Willie Nelson. She was joined by dreamy Mickey Raphael, who plays harmonica for Willie. "People were weeping on the crew when she sang it," Aaron says. "It's very moving, especially in the context of the film and her character."

On Monday, they shot in Dunlap, Tenn., and on Tuesday filmed at Cumberland Caverns in McMinnville. "I always knew Tennessee was lush and picturesque and incredibly cinematic, but on film it is even more than I expected," Aaron says. "The film is called Tennessee, and I hoped that I captured it in all its glory. I hope I did the people of Tennessee proud because I love this state, and I love Nashville."

Midweek, they filmed a railroad scene in downtown Nashville, and even rode boxcars from Nashville to Lebanon a couple of times. "There I am, sitting on the edge of a boxcar with Mariah Carey, breezing through town. We slowed down to go over a bridge, and there were people sitting in cars. I think they did a double-take: 'I swear I just saw Mariah Carey on a boxcar.' "

They had planned to shoot on Lower Broadway Thursday, but swapped with the Second Fiddle because of the rain. So they wrapped the week Friday night on Lower Broad.

"As we've been shooting downtown, I've been constantly wishing I wasn't working because everybody is having a great time," Aaron says. "I love country music and wanted to walk away and listen to some bands and drink some beer."

He got his wish after Friday's shoot wrapped.

Source: Tennessean (All rights reserved)

Willie Nelson teams with Mariah Carey for "I've Got a Right to Dream," a song for the movie Tennessee

Collaborations are old hat for country legend Willie Nelson. In his 40-year career, he's teamed up with everyone from Julio Iglesias to Toby Keith to fellow living legends Ray Price and Merle Haggard (the trio's album, Last of the Breed, is out today). He's even crossed into the pop realm by joining Jessica Simpson for a remake of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin" a couple years back. But one name we never thought we'd see next to Willie's? Mariah Carey.

"She and I hung out and decided to do something together," 74-year-old Nelson told us on his tour bus, following a press conference announcing the launch of his new label, Pedernales Records, and its first signing, the promising jam-band 40 Points, which features his sons Lucas and Micah. "It's a song called 'I've Got a Right to Dream' that's for the movie [Tennessee]. It's [Carey's] complete idea and melody. I threw a few words at her, but she made everything sound great."

According to Nelson, Carey was recording in Nashville as of last week, and shooting for Tennessee is completed, though no release date has been set. But don't expect Carey to ditch her trademark stilettos for cowboy boots just yet. "It's not really [country]," says Wilson. "It's more Mariah." We wouldn't have it any other way.

Actor Jerry Biggs: "Mariah's Sweet, Nice and Down to Earth"

Biggs plays a mean Diner Manager in Tennessee

Mariah fan Jonnathan had a chance to speak with actor Jerry Biggs, one of the supporting cast members for Mariah's new movie, Tennessee. Biggs is staying at the hotel he works at. Below is Jonnathan's recount of his conversation with the actor.

"The man I checked in to my hotel two days ago is Jerry Biggs and he's been acting since the late 70's, mostly supporting roles, and is most famous for his wonderful role as Roy Suggs in the acclaimed mini-series "Lonesome Dove." He was very nice and autographed a picture of him in his younger days. He lives 'out on a ranch' and is very removed from alot of the grapevine so he was very surprised when I mentioned that I knew he was working on Tennessee with Mariah. His eyes lit up and he was quick to lavish praise on Lee Daniels (he said he respects/admires him tremendously and is a genius). I asked him about working with Mariah and he said he plays her manager at a greasy spoon and the scene calls for him to be really mean to her. (The location they shot at was an actual greasy spoon and he said the 'kitchen smelled really bad' so it added to the atmosphere.) Between takes him and Mariah chatted and developed a rapport. He was very happy and surprised to see how professional and nice she was. His words were: "You know when you are working with somebody if you make a connection...you check your egos at the door and get down to business...that's how she was."

When the director said it was a wrap, Mariah went straight to him and gave him a big hug and said "I love working with you!" and gushed how much she enjoyed their scene. He was taken aback and mentioned over and over how sweet, nice and down to earth she was. I tried to explain to him how big this movie was and how much it meant to us fans and assured him that even if it was just Mariah fans, millions of people will watch it and he seemed so shocked, like, this little film? But he understands the impact of having Mariah and Lee Daniels involved.

He said, "when we had breaks and could get away from our characters, we just talked and she was so great." I asked if he saw Krystal's scene when she sings the Willie Nelson song and he was so shocked that I knew her name and so many details about the film, he kept asking "how did you know"? To his credit, he's not anti-media as he referred me to his IMDb page, but he was surprised because the film has barely finished shooting. He said that Lee Daniels' aunt (Aunt Dot) is in the scene too and she is in alot of Daniel's movies. "

Source: Jonnathan

PricelessHo said:

I'm a little bit worried about this song, not so much about Mariah singing country, but the fact that she worked with Willie Nelson on this, especially with his proclivity for smoking weed.