American Gladiators Winner: Laila Ali Dishes on Finals
By Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith
Aug 4, 2008
"American Gladiators" has its two-hour finale tonight (8/4), with the first hour devoted to "determining the final two men and two women who'll be competing in the final hour," says host Laila Ali. And the second hour who will win? "The gladiators are not going to be taking any prisoners!" she declares. "I think it turned out really well. I think people will be satisfied in the end. You never really know what's going to happen. Some competitors come in and you think they're going to be strong, and they're not up to your expectations -- and luck has a little bit to do with it."
American Gladiators Winner: Laila Ali Dishes on Finals (Image: Wenn)
Ali is in her final six weeks of pregnancy. She and her husband, former NFL star Curtis Conway, know they're having a son and have already named him Curtis Muhammad. "I've been blessed to have a really easy pregnancy, but now that it's getting toward the end I'm feeling antsy," she admits, "knowing life is about to change."
HOLD ON, IT'S GOING TO BE BUMPY: As much as the entertainment industry has been experiencing the pain of sweeping change in recent years, just wait, says Gary Cole. The turmoil has just begun. "What we now think of as the television and movie industry? You're not even going to recognize it in 10 years in terms of what is made, how it's made, how people consume it -- that's why there is such an upheaval," says Cole, referring to the stalemate in new contract negotiations between studios and the Screen Actors Guild.
"People are going to consume their entertainment on the Internet. There aren't going to be network programmers. Nobody's going to put a schedule together and decide when you're going to watch something. You're going to decide that," he continues. "Commercials aren't going to get seen either. They're going to have to find another way to get revenue and advertise. It's a revolution, and both sides in town are a little perplexed by it and are trying to look out for what's going to happen, but I don't know if anybody has the answers."
Cole certainly isn't allowing the state of the business to slow him down as he's currently shooting guest spots on "Entourage" and has the movie "Pineapple Express" hitting theaters Friday (8/8). "I've seen parts of it, and it's quite good. They have to maintain their standard, after all," he says of the continued Seth Rogen/Judd Apatow collaboration. "It was the same kind of feel as doing 'Talladega Nights.' Once we do what is scripted, then it opens up quite a bit. 'Cut' is not yelled, so you keep going until you're ad libbing all over yourself. It can be anxiety ridden, but with the right people and the right director it can enhance whatever they've got on paper."
THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Fonzworth Bentley, who rose to fame as P. Diddy's gentlemanly assistant, has found a new home at MTV with the reality series "From G's to Gents." It took a while, but the former manservant says he feels like he is finally getting the chance to make a difference without the help of his former music mogul boss. "I've been offered at least three reality shows a week for the last three years," claims Bentley, "but if I'm going to do a reality show, then I've got to be able to change things, have people learn from it. I could have made a lot of money, but it's not what I wanted to stand for."
With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster.
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