Jesse Grant/WireImage.comHey all, it's Korbi again with more TCA goodness to share...
You know, I think we all adore HBO, but yesterday I do believe I fell more deeply in love with the pay cabler and its talent. Not only did Larry David turn the Curb Your Enthusiasm panel session into a stand-up routine—except, you know, he was seated the whole time—but I finally, after almost five years in Los Angeles, came face to face with Dylan McKay (also known as Luke Perry of John from Cincinnati).
Oh my, I’m getting giddy just thinking about it. Jen, too, had her own fangirl moment with another member of the Cincinnati cast. Apparently Garret Dillahunt kissed her! Okay, just on the cheek, but still! Dude, there’s just so much to tell, I don’t know where to begin...
First of all, James Gandolfini was here to promote his upcoming HBO documentary Alive Day, in which he interviews 10 Iraq war veterans wounded in the line of duty. Gandolfini refused to answer any Sopranos-related questions, telling a reporter the day wasn’t about him, but he did stick around to hang out with us at the party—where Jen was astute enough to point out that the TV mob boss’ drink of choice is none other than the somewhat emasculating appletini. Yes, he was sipping on 'em all night and still had one in his hand when I exited the bash around midnight.
All Entourage members were in attendance as well. Also observed by Jen? If you shout "Hey, E!" loudly in the vicinity of Kevin Connolly, aka Eric "E" Murphy, he might turn his head and wonder what you want. Just a fun little game you could play if you ever run into him out and about. But Jen opted, instead, to have an actual conversation with him, during which she learned that as bright and ambitious as he may be, don't look for Connolly to direct or write an Entourage ep anytime soon. He claims to not be much of a writer, and while he's directed other projects before, an Entourage clapboard with his name on it isn't in the cards.
By the way, Entourage fans, HBO treated us to an advanced screening of the Medellín trailer, which, as you may have heard, might be getting leaked onto the web this weekend. I have to tell you, it isn’t half bad, and you too will be able to peep it at www.medellinthefilm.com sometime in the next couple days.
All right, now bear with me as I gush to you over my Dylan McKay (aka Luke Perry) encounter. My childhood boyfriend was the first celeb I spotted when I walked into the party and though it took me three drinks before I worked up the cojones to approach him, it was so totally worth the wait.
He was a doll, you guys. First of all, he has no frickin’ clue what the hell John from Cincinnati is all about either. He said David Milch called him on a Friday, asked him to meet for lunch and then said, “Can you be on set Monday?” He accepted without hesitation. Apparently, when David Milch asks you to work with him, you don’t ask questions.
Luke did, however, divulge that he’s “not a believer,” but John is certainly making him think: “Listen, I like to go to work, crash the car, kiss the girl and go home. And that‘s what people like to see me do. But this show is keeping me awake at night.” If he only knew how many of my preadolescent nights he kept me awake...
And FYI, Luke Perry is not one of those actors that gets pissed off when you bring up the project he’s best known for. When I asked him if he was still close to any of his 90210 co-stars, he whipped out his cell phone to show me that the last person he dialed was “JP” (Jason Priestley). Melt.
Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine and Bret also made me a bit weak in the knees. They’re adorable in person, but FYI, Bret’s engaged to be married, so back off ladies (yes, Mel, that includes you). The boys shared quite a bit of hilarity about their rise to fame. Stay tuned for that info in an upcoming FOTC-centered blog item…
Okay, some Curb Your Enthusiasm scoop? John from Cincinnati stars Rebecca De Mornay and Ed O’Neill may appear on Curb this season! Ed O’Neill had a whole conversation about improv with Jen.
Well, actually he insists it’s not exactly improv: “It’s actually ‘lazzi,’ the former Al Bundy said. “I believe the term comes from the commedia dell'arte." You don't say? According to Ed, in lazzi, the situation is provided to the actors in advance, and they play off one another while heading in that general direction; this sets it apart from improv, which is just contained chaos. Huh! Who said HBO parties aren't educational?
More Curb scoop? The upcoming premiere episode is fall-off-your-chair funny. Look forward to learning Larry’s surefire method of getting out of a party you don’t really want to attend. And trust me, it’s way better than Dane Cook’s strategy…
Also, tennis legend John McEnroe will be guesting this season. But perhaps the best news of all is that Larry David is totally open to additional seasons of Curb. Apparently, the word that this year would be the last was just BS: “I say every season is my last. I would never do it if I thought I’d have to come back and do it again...When [last] season ended, I went back to my office and I was sitting at my desk and I thought, ‘Hmmm, I have nothing to do...this is very uncomfortable,’ and so [I decided to do another one]...[A seventh season] is possible. We'll have to see what I‘m thinking when I get back to my desk.”
Mr. David then told one of the reporters he was a schmuck, asked another reporter if he’d sufficiently answered his “stupid question” and made it clear that Curb is not a Jewish show: “I'm not one of these guys who goes, ‘Hey, I’m a Jew, I’m a Jew, I’m a Jew.” Hmmm, good to know...Ahahaha! The man kills me. I heart him.