More Reasons to Love the Four Seasons

Touchstone Pictures

Can you believe Wild F--king Hogs made $38 million—John Travolta's biggest opening weekend of his career? Congrats to the Disney crew, that's just incredible. I can't even imagine who pays to go see that movie. I hope nobody reading this right now...

Okay, so I rolled up to the valet at the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills seven times this weekend. Seven. That's just silly. Saturday, I did eight interviews, took some meetings and ate mac & cheese. Can't beat that. The Four Seasons has the best mac & cheese I've ever had in my life. (Shout to the PR peeps at Paramount and Screen Gems—and to my producer Pharel, aka the Number One Stunna, who did an awesome job.)

Paramount Pictures

First up was Michael Peña from Shooter, and he was killing the game in some dope lime green sneakers. Well played, Peña. He was surprisingly funny and told me he wants to be on The Office someday. I could see that. He also had a copy of Lions for Lambs, which he is starring in opposite a few names you maye have heard of: Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Not bad. 

Mark Wahlberg, who couldn't have been a more genuine and chill guy, was next. It's funny, the bigger the star, the more people seem to find their way into the room during the interview. It was like a talk show with a studio audience. All good though, because the dude is a class act and cool as s--t. He told me he saw my Stallone interview and met my mom who was there as well. Unbelievable.

His next film is going to be a boxing flick set in the 1980s in Boston.  Right now, it's just Mark and Matt Damon on board as boxers who are brothers, and one of them has a drug problem. They want it to be raw and Oscar caliber, so who do you think should direct it? Email me and let me know (click the Ask Ben button at left)...

Dan Herrick/ZUMA Press.com

Before Training Day, director Antoine Fuqua did music videos for the likes of Prince, Mariah Carey, Usher, etc. In addition to helming Shooter, he recently produced a documentary called Bastards of the Party, about the history of gang culture in Los Angeles from the 1950's through the end of the century and beyond. 

Danny Glover, who was rocking braces, unfortunately guaranteed me that he would not do another Lethal Weapon.  Weak.

We, of course, saved the best for last. Not only is Kate Mara smoking hot in the film—and,  more importantly, in person—she is also a talented young actress coming into her own. Her next movie is Transsiberian, with Sir Ben Kingsley and Woody Harrelson. She's also currently causing accidents on Beverly Boulevard here in La-La Land, as she adorns a Gap billboard that is about 10 stories tall. I did a U-turn just to check it out a second time.  Well worth it.

Lisa O'Connor/ZUMApress.com

Not only did I chill with the cast of Shooter, but I also met up with Sandy Bullock and the peeps from Premonition. She is by far, hands down, the nicest actress I've spoken with. Julian McMahon from Nip/Tuck thought our room smelled like weed, priceless, and of course interviewing Amber Valetta was very, very, very difficult. It's moments like that when I believe in a higher power.