Naomi and Liev Are Done

Talk about a surprising and truly sad Hollywood break-up.

Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts have called it quits after 11 years and two sons together.

The actors confirmed the news to People on Sept. 26, sharing that, after months of consideration, “we’ve come to the conclusion that the best way forward for us as a family is to separate as a couple.” In...not announcing but talking about this life event, the pair acknowledged that people will be curious about the relationship and its end, but asked that the press “be mindful” of their children, Sasha, 8, and 7-year-old Samuel.

It mustn’t be all acrimony for Watts and Schreiber, though.

While the star of Showtime’s Ray Donovan attended the Emmys with one of his sons, he and Watts recently did work the Venice and Toronto film festivals together, on behalf of The Bleeder, the story of heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner, a.k.a. The Real Rocky – and I cannot imagine they won’t get out there together, with smiles on their faces, when the time comes to really push the film as it opens in theaters.

Because, above it all, these two are professionals. You can tell.

Photo: JustJared.com.

A New Valmont Comes

And speaking of Naomi Watts....

The actress’ real-life partner, Tony winner Liev Schreiber, is headed back to Broadway.

The star of Showtime’s Ray Donovan will share the stage with Janet McTeer in a limited-run Great White Way revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. He will take on the role of Le Vicomte de Valmont.

F to the Y to the I: Previews for Les Liaisons Dangereuses are set to kick off on Oct. 8 for an Oct. 30 opening. The show is expected to run through next January.

Photo: People.com.

Gotham Spotlights

I have got to catch Tom McCarthy’s Spotlight, already.

The buzzy film – about the Boston Globe Spotlight Team that in 2001 exposed a decades-long sexual abuse cover-up throughout the Boston Archdiocese – stars Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Bryan D’Archy James, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, and Stanley Tucci, and it just won a Gotham Independent Film Award for Best Feature a couple of days ago.

This one of the musts of the season.

I must get.

Photo: RachelMcAdamsOnline.com.

The Heavyweight Couple That Works Together...

The met shortly before they began working on 2007’s The Painted Veil.

This many years later, Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber are ready to work together again.

Indeed, the real-life couple is set to star in his passion project, The Bleeder, the story of heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner, with her playing his wife, Linda.

You know what that means, right? Potential myriad pre-production shots of Schreiber (who can currently be seen in Pawn Sacrifice) shirtless, sweaty, and in boxing shorts!

Approved.

Photo: SAGAwards.TNTDrama.com.

A Beautiful Mind o’ Chess

Historical sport matches are all the rage in Hollywood these days.

No fewer than two different projects about the Battle of the Sexes are in the works, and here comes Pawn Sacrifice, the new Ed Zwick-directed film about the 1972 Icelandic showdown between American chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, the Russian champ.

Tobey Maguire is playing the former in the long-gestating project, which is finally coming out on Sept. 18, while Liev Schreiber is portraying the latter. Peter Sarsgaard and Lily Rabe (TV’s The Whispers) co-star.

Check out the film’s trailer now.

Photo: EW.com.

Ray Donovan’s New Gal

I hope this means she won’t have to affect a Boston accent.

Oh, good – it don’t.

Katie Holmes has signed on to guest on the upcoming third season of Showtime’s Ray Donovan. The actress will have a season-long arc as the shrewd-and-chic-businesswoman-daughter of Ian McShane’s character, a new client of Ray’s.

Betcha Holmes ends up in bed with Liev Schreiber, the lucky witch with a B....

Photo: Celebzz.com.

Watch What Happens...When Andy Cohen Pulls a Jon Hamm

Hey there, Andy Cohen. Hey.

Look at the Bravo man, pulling a bit of a Scott Disick Liev Schreiber Daniel Craig Henry Cavill Justin Theroux Jon Hamm like he just don’t care while walking his dog in New York City yesterday.

So, again I say.... Hey, Andy. Hey....

Photo: People.com.

Fun, Yet Serious Man

Next time we see Seth MacFarlane’s Ted, there will be a silver fox right beside him.

John Slattery has signed on to join Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis Amanda Seyfried, as well as Liam Neeson and Morgan Freeman, in the in-the-works Ted 2.

No word on who the man will be playing, but you know it will be a handsome one.

Ah, but lest you think it is gonna be all comedy all the time for the Mad Men star, word is he also is set for a role in Spotlight, this Catholic sex abuse film that Tom McCarthy is working on with Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, and Rachel McAdams, among others.

The actor will play an editor of the Boston Globe Spotlight Team that in 2001 exposed a decades-long sexual abuse cover-up throughout the Boston Archdiocese.

Photo: RollingStone.com.

Jeez, Liev!

I think Liev Schreiber likes my kind of attention.

Yeah, right.

But really, let’s get real: He knows I appreciate this look he pulled while on holiday with his family in Australia earlier this week, right?

Right!

I mean, I have had this discussion.

Finally, I must say that, while I cannot suggest the guy is pulling a Jon Hamm, for he is at the beach, I must ask (no, I do not!): To the right, to the right?

Incorrigible.

Photo: People.com.

Hot Chess Man

That DILF-y star of Showtime’s Ray Donovan, Liev Schreiber, is about to get brainy.

The Tony-winning actor is circling the Tobey Maguire-starring now-Ed Zwick-directed biopic of the chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer Pawn Sacrifice.

Schreiber would play the Russian chess champ Boris Spassky, with whom Fischer once went mano a mano.

Peter Sarsgaard is also in talks to join the project, as a priest who counsels Fischer through a crisis.

Photo: MonstersAndCritics.com.

Minus 1 Point, Liev

Oh, Liev Schreiber – you are so handsome.

I wish you didn’t smoke, though. It just doesn’t go with this seemingly healthy lifestyle of yours.

But there you were in New York, on DILF Father’s Day, ciggie in hand.

I’ll still watch your new Showtime show Ray Donovan, premiering on June 30, though.

And I’d still mack on you if it ever came to that.

But I won’t forget you like smoking.

I should spank ya every time I see you with one of those. (Hey, this could work!)

Photo: People.com.

Seriously, Liev Schreiber?

Alright, alright, Liev Schreiber – you’re sexy and you own it.

Why else would the surfing DILF put on such a refreshing display after catching some waves in Malibu yesterday.

I wonder if Naomi Watts would let me clone the guy to my liking....

Photo: People.com.

The Hottest DILF Surfs!

Dayum, Liev Schreiber – you are the hottest DILF in Hollywood.

And you have a strong core, from the looks of it.

Just keep surfin’, just keep surfin’.... And try it shirtless some time.

Naomi Watts is the luckiest witch with a B.

Photo: UsMagazine.com.

The Hottest DILF, Hands Down

I am quite fond of many a Hollywood man, but, dayum, does Liev Schreiber take the cake or what.

Naomi Watts is one lucky witch with a B she gets to call this hunk her baby daddy.

I think what I like the most about the actor’s looks is that he looks like a real fella, y’ know. He’s tall, but he’s not prohibitively imposing. And he looks strong, but he doesn’t strike me as the delicate type that won’t eat carbs. Plus, look at how loving he looks carrying his 31/2-year-old son Kai.

Swoon. I enjoy.

Photo: People.com.

She Spies

Angelina Jolie’s got your number, Tom Cruise.

The actress slinks into a role that was, at one point, tailor-made for the Cruiseter, in Salt, a twisty blockbuster set in the intriguing spy world from Phillip Noyce, a director well-versed in all things thrilling (he did Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger).

The switch of the character’s gender (Edwin is now Evelyn) is an effectively slink, one that Noyce acknowledges may at one point have been considered “outrageous” behind the scenes.

It works, though, because, as Salt, the ever-evolving Jolie brings a little som’in’ som’in of herself to a role that could’ve been pretty one-note (no offense, Tom). She keeps us guessing.

The powers that be worked hard to make Salt their “own new person” and reflect the complexities of a woman confronted with a situation that makes the audience wonder for a long stretch whether she’s good or bad.

That she’s a badass is never in question.

For the most part, they pulled off the conceit of a CIA officer accused of being a Russian sleeper spy – and set up Salt as a potential franchise – quite nicely. Sure, some of the pullings of the rug were a tad predictable, but, y’ know what, I enjoyed them all the same.

The plot is simple (it is summer, after all): Jolie plays this top CIA officer, right, who specializes in all things Russian. The movie opens with a flashback, to a torture scene at a North Korean prison that she endures without breaking cover. She has been disavowed, but eventually, one of her colleagues (Liev Schreiber, intense as always) comes to her rescue – at the behest of her husband who would stop at nothing to get her back.

This is one of a few of increasingly arbitrary flashbacks that reveal a little more about our heroine, betray our confidence in her, and uncover a wild conspiracy to strike at the United States in the worst way.

Two years after this harrowing experience, Salt is about to go home early to celebrate her anniversary when a walk-in defector accuses her of being a sleeper programmed as a child and sent stateside to assassinate the president.

It’s a veritable WTF moment for those around her – she’s been nothing but loyal to her country – and for her (or is it?), so she does the only thing she can do: run. She runs and puts to good use her training to elude capture, protect her family, and stay one step ahead of the agency so she can clear her name.

The problem is by doing so Salt may be proving exactly the charges on her head.

Nothing is what it seems in Salt, and I like that. It’s not the best movie of its kind, but it entertains – as a member of Team Aniston (I know, neither here nor there), I cannot wait to see Jolie reprise this role again soon…which is a bit of a given.

My Rating ***

Photo: Sony Pictures.

Tonys Stay True to Their Own

Hollywood heavies like Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman, may have flocked to the New York stage this past season, but in the end, the American Theatre Wing wasn’t al that impressed…and it showed in the 2010 Tony Awards nominations.

The Drama Desk Awards nominations were announced yesterday, btw, and the A-List was also kind of shut out in favor of seasoned Broadway vets. The awards will be handed out on May 23 in a ceremony hosted by Patti LuPone.

But back to the Tonys.

The musical Fela! and the revival of La Cage Aux Folles, received 11 noms each, while the revival of the play Fences scored 10, including nods for Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.

Leading Actor in a play nominees include Jude Law (Hamlet) and Liev Schreiber (A View from the Bridge). Schreiber’s co-star, Scarlett Johansson, is up for Featured Actress in a Play.

Both Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury were recognized for their work in A Little Night Music, as was Sean Hayes for his turn in Promises, Promises.

The Tonys will air on CBS on June 13.

Photo: BabaJideSalu.wordpress.com (Fela!).

Scarlett and Liev, Sitting on a Stage

As fans of both Broadway and hot girls probably know, Scarlett Johansson is adding her name to the list of A-Listers who are turning and have turned to the Great White Way in the past decade or so.

The actress is making her debut later this month, alongside Broadway vet – and super-sexy man – Liev Schreiber, in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge.

In the 1955 play, which focuses on a tightly knit Italian-American neighborhood in New York City, Tony winner Schreiber plays Eddie Carbone, a longshoreman from Red Hook, Brooklyn, obsessed with his niece, Catherine (Johansson).

“I’ve just been really impressed with her composure,” he said of her. “Broadway is a pressurized situation and we’ve had a really short rehearsal period. It’s really amazing watching her handle it so beautifully. I’m blown away by her.”

Here’s to audiences will be, too.

Photo: EW.com.

2009: The Year in Review

Another year, another end-of-the-year recap.

It feels like it’s been a looong one, hasn’t it?

It’s definitely been the year of the hunk, as you’ll soon see...but that, I’m afraid, is the first thing that pops into my head when I look back on the past 12 months, and it just doesn’t seem right.

There were a great many things, delightful things (like Meryl Streep as Julia Child in Julie & Julia) up on the big screen, but nothing that really, really stood out.

But, nevertheless, here’s a look-see at what I liked most about the year that was. I hope 2009 was everything you wanted it to be and more.

Have great new year, and an even better new decade.

Best Anna Wintour Overshadower: The September Issue’s Grace Coddington.

Best Bodies: The cast of X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, will.i.am, and Liev Schreiber)

Best Cameo: Bill Murray in Zombieland

Best Chemistry: Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal

Best Comeback: Sandra Bullock (The Proposal, The Blind Side)

Best Documentary: Valentino: The Last Emperor

Best Dress: Ali Larter’s little red dress in Obsessed

Best Ensemble: The cast of Star Trek

Best Fight: Beyoncé vs. Ali Larter in Obsessed

Best Hair: Zooey Deschanel in (500) Days of Summer

Best Look: Bradley Cooper halfway through The Hangover

Best Prop: The balloons in Up

Best Quotable: “Are we f---ups?” (Away We Go)

Best Trailer: Where the Wild Things Are

Biggest Scene-stealer: The Hangover’s Zach Galifianakis

Can't Get Enough – Female: Emily Blunt (Sunshine Cleaning, The Young Victoria)

Can't Get Enough – Male: Rupert Friend (Chéri, The Young Victoria)

Can’t Wait to See You Again on the Big Screen – Female: Precious’ Gabourey Sidibe

Can’t Wait to See You Again on the Big Screen – Male: Star Trek’s Chris Pine

Could Have Gotten More: Michelle Pfeiffer (Chéri)

Most Beautiful: Ginnifer Goodwin (He’s Just Not That Into You, A Single Man)

Most Disappointing: Jennifer Aniston, who followed up the success of 2008’s Marley & Me and last winter’s He’s Just Not That Into You with the bombastic Management and Love Happens.

Most Doing the Most Out of a Very Small Role: Chris Hemsworth (Star Trek)

Most Handsome: Up in the Air’s George Clooney

Most OMFG: Brüno

Most Out of This World: Zoë Saldana (Star Trek, Avatar)

Most Overrated: Paranormal Activity

Most Promising: (threeway tie) directors Neill Blomkamp (District 9), (500) Days of Summer’s Marc Webb, and Tom Ford (A Single Man)

Most Romantic: (500) Days of Summer’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Most Underwatched: Observe and Report

Most Welcome to the A-List: Ryan Reynolds

Most Enjoyable: Australian imports such as Hugh Jackman, Sam Worthington, and Chris and Liam Hemsworth.

Least Enjoyable: The Twilight Saga, and pretty much all it entails.

Breakthrough Performance – Female: Maya Rudolph (Away We Go)

Breakthrough Performance – Male: Sam Worthington (Terminator Salvation, Avatar)

Best Supporting Actresses: Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), Mélanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), Julianne Moore (A Single Man), Mo’Nique (Precious)

Best Supporting Actors: Matt Damon (Invictus), Anthonie Mackie (The Hurt Locker), Zachary Quinto (Star Trek), Stanley Tucci (Julie & Julia), Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Actresses: Marion Cotillard (Nine), Emily Blunt (The Young Victoria), Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side), Gabourey Sidibe (Precious), Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia)

Best Actors: George Clooney (Up in the Air), Morgan Freeman (Invictus), Colin Firth (A Single Man), Clive Owen (The Boys Are Back), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker)

Best Directors: Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), James Cameron (Avatar), Pete Docter (Up), Jason Reitman (Up in the Air), Quentin Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds)

Best Animated Film: Up

10 Best Films of the Year (in alphabetical order):

(500) Days of Summer

A Single Man

Avatar

District 9

Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds

Precious

Star Trek

Up

Honorable Mention: Coraline

Photos: 20th Century Fox (X-Men Origins: Wolverine); Guardian.co.uk (Obsessed); Miramax Film (Chéri); The Weinstein Company (A Single Man, Inglourious Basterds); Paramount Pictures (Star Trek).

…Poke a Needle in Their Eye

Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth are headed to Broadway.

The Emmy-winning Will & Grace scene-stealer and the Tony- and Emmy-winning petite powerhouse (Wicked, Pushing Daisies) have put the rumors to rest and signed on to headline the revival of the musical Promises, Promises.

The musical, based on the 1960 Oscar-winning Billy Wilder film The Apartment starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, was written by three superstars – Neil Simon (book), Burt Bacharach (music), and Hal David (lyrics) – and includes songs such as “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” and “Promises, Promises.”

Promises, Promises is set to open on April 25, with previews beginning on March 28.

Photo: Collider.com; AccessHollywood.com.

Update: Also headed to the Great White Way: Scarlett Johansson, who will make her Broadway debut opposite Liev Schreiber in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge.

Performances are set to begin on Dec. 28, with an opening scheduled for Jan. 24. The limited engagement will run for 14 weeks only.

There Once Was a Boy with Claws in His Hands

Summer has officially started with the debut of the blockbuster X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Thank you, Hollywood, but, uh, may I have a word?

The title of this prequel to the successful trilogy about the X-Men promises Wolverine’s (Hugh Jackman), well…origins.

Instead we get a telegraph recounting events that don’t make too much sense – his black-sheep half-brother, Victor Creed, a.k.a. Sabretooth (Liev Schreiber), actually is his brother (even though their mutations are different)? he fought wars (alongside his hot-headed sibling) in spite of the contempt he felt for the human race that rejected him? and, hey, speaking of mutation, why wasn’t that explained a bit more? We’re asked to take young James Logan’s abilities (regeneration, super-strength, gnarly claws that grow out of his hands) the way we do, say, his thick black hair.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine doesn’t concern itself too much with these questions, and that’s a good thing because it smartly, I say, focuses on photographing Jackman & Co. – including Ryan Reynolds, will.i.am, and Taylor Kitsch – in the most homo-erotic light possible, which does bring out the gays and the girls to the movie theater.

Guys, natch, don’t care to notice that kind of thing as long as things go boom.

The movie gives us an information download (mostly over the opening credits) before it quickly rushes to the story it really wants to tell – that of how Wolverine came to be a part of the Weapon X program and how he got his adamantium skeleton.

It’s a pretty fun ride, and a good-looking one at that, you know. Jackman is ripped to shreds, as are his co-stars, so the man candy alone could sustain the somewhat insufficient storyline of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. But there’s more meat to this beloved comic book character – meat that isn’t on his arms – right?

Yes, it’s not a complete wasteland, but is that really the kind of thing you want to see/spend your money on?

Well, yes. It’s summer, at least if you follow the Tinseltown calendar, so enjoy it.

My Rating **1/2

Photo: 20th Century Fox.