Lost's Naveen Andrews: Ten Commandments to Stir up Hornet's Nest

ABC's upcoming miniseries of "The Ten Commandments" promises to push quite a few buttons, reports "Lost" regular Naveen Andrews, who stars in the epic project with Dougray Scott, Omar Sharif, Linus Roache, Mia Maestro and Paul Rhys.
 
Andrews predicts it will stir up a hornet's nest. "What was unusual about the way we did this version of 'The Ten Commandments' was we treated Moses like he was a lunatic. If somebody came and told you today, 'I've just been talking to a burning bush,' you would try and have him put into a hospital, wouldn't you?"
 
And as if that's not enough to convince us this is nothing like the reverent Cecil B. DeMille "Ten Commandments" starring Charleton Heston, Andrews adds, " I think what we've done is question the nature of religious dogma: Who is this vengeful, spiteful, jealous God who urges Moses to commit mass murder at times … And how good is that for mankind?"

Andrews plays the Egyptian prince

Andrews says he plays the Egyptian prince (played by Yul Brynner in the 1956 movie) who grows up with Moses, "and is very close to him and loves him. But he's almost a mouthpiece for that kind of questioning … What kind of God is that that would do these things?'"
 
The British native of Indian descent, adds, "I think it's particularly pertinent at a time when we seem to be the victims of religious fundamentalism in the East and over here. Both sides could use some perspective. If ABC doesn't cut it to shreds, what we intended will be seen."
 
COULDN'T BE HOTTER:

Robert Patrick hasn't had much time to savor the solid reviews he's been getting for his performance as daddy meanest Ray Cash in the upcoming Joaquin Phoenix-Reese Witherspoon "Walk the Line" Johnny Cash biopic -- which drew raves and Oscar nominations predictions at the Toronto Film Festival.  "But I wouldn't want it any other way," the actor's quick to make clear.
 
Right now, not only is Patrick busy with the grueling production schedule of his midseason CBS "The Unit" hour-long series about the special operations commandos known as the Delta Force -- he's also squeezing in a role in "Flags of Our Fathers" for director Clint Eastwood.
 
Eastwood's adaptation of the similarly titled James Bradley book tells the real-life story of the soldiers whose flag-raising on Iwo Jima in World War II became an iconic image. Filming has already taken place off the coast of California, in Chicago and in Iceland, where black sand beaches matching the site of the invasion 60-plus years ago were used. "The battle raged on for a month after the photo was taken," notes Patrick, "and by the time they were going to send the six boys to do a PR tour to raise money for the war effort, three were already dead." Ryan Phillippe, Jesse Bradford and Adam Beach lead the cast of the pic Eastwood's producing with Steven Spielberg.
 
"The Unit" has an impressive pedigree as well. The action-drama boasts a creative team of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet, "The Shield" creator Shawn Ryan, and Eric Haney, one of the founders of the Delta Force.
 
"We keep saying, 'It's not TV. Dammit, it's Mamet!" reports Patrick of the cast that also includes Dennis Haysbert, Scott Foley and Regina Taylor. "Along with the action, you have this really compelling drama and amazing speeches."
 
SMALL IN THE SADDLE:

Elisabeth Shue admits that the Friday (10/21)-opening "Dreamer" family film, in which she stars with Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning, holds a special place in her heart for very personal reasons. The movie centers on the unlikely comeback of an injured racehorse. When she was a child, confesses the Harvard-educated actress and "Leaving Las Vegas" Oscar nominee, "'We didn't have enough money, or horses of our own … I would take an old saddle and put it on a swing every day, pretending I was on a horse. It's still my dream to have a horse one day."
 
HE SAID IT:

Orlando Bloom, who's doing a romantic comedy turn in Cameron Crowe's "Elizabethtown" with Kirsten Dunst, admits that up 'til now, he was living up to his "boyhood dreams" in all his films: "Until this movie I have played a boxer, a cowboy, a knight, a prince, an elf and a pirate. I am so glad to have done all of that already, and am ready for this phase of my career."

(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.