Forget that blond James Bond. If things turn out as planned, Cedric the Entertainer will wind up being known as Cedric the Cleaner.
The actor/singer/impressionist just wrapped the big-screen spy spoof "The Cleaner" with Lucy Liu and Nicollette Sheridan and says, "It has all the potential of becoming a franchise.
"It's a very strong character in a great fish-out-of-water story. I play a janitor who has some memory loss, and in the process I'm caught up with some government spies looking for a person who has an item they want, and I start to believe I'm The Cleaner, a James Bond/commando type of guy."
Cedric says the film allows him to play the whole gamut from bumbling janitor to debonair secret agent.
"I did a few climbs and falls off buildings, got to play with some weapons, drive some fast, fun cars … Of course, I find myself challenged by the fact I can't really do some of these skills I think I have. But at the same time, I have these two beautiful ladies I'm trying to charm (Liu and Sheridan) helping me out, so I was able to pull my swagger out in a number of different places."
The funnyman's set to host the Nov. 26 "American Music Awards" on ABC -- and, tomorrow night (10/19), he'll host the "Black Movie Awards" on TNT.
"It was extremely awesome being around Hollywood royalty as a black actor," he says of the show that pays tribute to Sidney Poitier, Quincy Jones and the late, great Ossie Davis. "Sidney was the pinnacle, watching him be one of the first guys who put the strong, well-rounded, secure black man on the screen. Just to be in his presence is always an honor. We also had Cicely Tyson there (Davis' widow, veteran actress), Ruby Dee, Morgan Freeman. It was a great night and celebration of all of the African-American actors, writers, directors … all there to be recognized and give ourselves encouragement to maintain in this hard business where there's a lot of struggle getting work."
PARADISE LOST:
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| On 'Lost' Who's Next? |
No one was more surprised about "Lost" star Josh Holloway and his wife getting robbed at gunpoint last week in Hawaii than his co-star Emilie de Ravin, who has "always felt safe in Hawaii. You really don't hear about things like that going on much. It's such a laid-back community," adds de Ravin, who plays Claire on the hit show.
Though original reports had it that the robbery was at random, de Ravin says, "I personally would think it was planned out, that they knew [the Holloways] lived there. Everyone knows that we shoot in Oahu. It's a small island. It would be quite easy to follow someone home." De Ravin admits, "I'm sure it will be on all of our minds so we'll be a little bit more aware of security, I suppose, but I don't think I'll feel unsafe."
The Australian actress was in Los Angeles when she got word of the incident. "I was like, 'God, I should call him,' and then my immediate thought was maybe not because I'm sure he's swamped. I'm just glad he and Yessica are OK." She also says, "I'm sure all will be fine, but still, it's something that no one would want to go through. I just hope it doesn't happen again."
MEANWHILE:
Fans are already speculating about which cast member will be the next to go this season. With de Ravin's character, Claire, having given birth to a baby boy, she believes she'll still be around -- at least for a while. 'We're up to four episodes and the baby is only two or three days old, so I'm sure she won't be running off without it very soon."
GETTING VOCAL:
"That '70s Show's" Wilmer Valderrama has a plethora of projects -- from movies to a clothing line to his MTV "Yo Momma" comedy show -- on the boards in addition to his series, but he's still finding the time to supply the voice of Latino hero Manny Garcia for Playhouse Disney's 2006-premiering "Handy Manny" show, which will help tots learn how to make stuff and repair stuff, with a dose of Spanish culture and bilingualism. In fact, he tells us he expects to do 52 episodes. "It's great, and it's for kids, so it's for my baby brother," says Wilmer. "He's 5 years old. He's a doll. He dresses exactly like me. It's hysterical."
MAKING BOOK:
As if Chuck Norris wasn't busy enough with his TV projects and helping launch the World Combat League of kickboxing, he's also working on "The Texas Justice Riders," the first in what he anticipates will be a series of Western novels. "It's a period piece that takes place after the Civil War," he tells. As for whether he's thinking of his story as movie fodder, "Right now, it's a novel. One day, who knows?"
(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster)
The Beck/Smith syndicated newspaper column includes exclusive in-depth, behind-the-scenes reports on the stars, on the business of television and movie-making, and on the recording, publishing and media beats.
©2005 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
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