Steve Johnson: Angelina Jolie

Showing posts with label Angelina Jolie. Show all posts

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Want to be a celebrity nanny?

Have you ever wondered how Angelina does it all? Shoot a movie in Venice, vacation in France with her hunky husband Brad Pitt, stopover on the way and adopt a child or two to add to her ever-growing brood of children - all this, without a hair out place (and God forbid, her lipstick be faded or her nails chipped!)

Well, the answer is nannies. So, the next time you see the Pitt-Jolie crew strut along in a paparazzi shot, remember not too far behind lurks an entourage of nannies who were carefully left out of the picture.

And a Brangelina nanny can put even Mary Poppins to shame. In a recent ad they put out, the couple listed out the qualities their nanny must possess. She must have a degree in education or child development and speak at least two different languages, as well as the native tongues of their children. Some celebs like their nannies to be professional ballerinas while star kids like Suri Cruise can ask daddy Tom Cruise to procure a nanny who looks just like "Mary Poppins". Tom Cruise actually humoured his daughter by putting in a call to acting agencies.

But all the above nannier fare better compared to what Gwyneth Paltrow expects of her nanny. The lucky woman who will get to take care of Apple and Moses must possess a classical education, including Greek and Latin, be fluent in at least three languages (preferably including Mandarin or Japanese), be musically fluent in two instruments, be passionate about sailing and tennis, and enjoy art history or martial arts.

Did we just call her a lucky woman? Well yes, because these celeb nannies enjoy perks that non celeb nannies couldn't dream of. The "candidate must be prepared to travel the globe with the family," the ad put out by Brangelina states. Add a hefty pay packet to that - $90, 000 and in Gwyneth's case 60,000 pounds - and what you have is hundreds of young women across the globe hankering for the coveted position.
Just type the words, "How to be a celebrity nanny" into any internet search engine and you have millions of nanny agencies turn up that cater to "celebrity clients". There are also numerous suggestions as to how to go about becoming a nanny (move to New York, wait tables at high-profile restaurants that celebs frequent etc)

Nanny-gates
If the ridiculously high salary and the chance to travel around the globe is not enough motivation for an average young woman, well they might also stand a chance to hook up with that-hot-Hollywood-star. Ethan Hawke dumped his gorgeous wife, "Kill Bill" star Uma Therman for Ryan Shawhughes - his nanny. Jude Law also strayed from his marriage to sexy British actress Sienna Miller for a role in the hay with nanny Daisy Wright, though he didn't marry but we can't say the same for Robin Williams, who did marry his son's nanny. Rob Lowe was caught in a bitter scandal where two of his nannies alleged that he had sexually harassed them and exposed himself to them.

Famous nannies
One of the most famous nannies in Hollywood happens to be Marva who has cared for many famous celebrity babies including Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon's son Deacon, Julia Roberts and Danny Moder's twins Phinnaeus and Hazel and David Arquette and Courtney Cox's daughter Coco. In any case, a career as a celebrity nanny is a good investment, since it may make you a reality star or a bestselling author if you choose to dish on the family you served for later. Tori Spelling's nanny Patsy starred in Spellings' reality show and has been eulogized by Tori in several of her blogs. Meanwhile Beckhams' nanny Abbie Gibson accused him constantly cheating on Victoria Beckham and made it to the front pages of most papers in Britain. Madonna's manny (male nanny) almost wrote an entire tell all book on her and ex hubby Guy Ritchie's life.

The N word
Hollywood likes to pretend that the term "nanny" does not exist in its books. Heidi Klum still says in her interviews that she doesn't believe in hiring nannies. Ditto for Kate Hudson and Jennifer Lopez (Both of whom, have been spotted with their nannies several times). Katie Holmes is seen doting over little fashionista Suri, we seldom see the nanny who caters to all her demands (though the fact that the nanny carries around a 2000 dollar Dolce and Gabbana bag is of some consolation). No matter how ridiculous it may seem to see Victoria 'managing' her little boys in six-inch heels and pretending there is no paid help in sight - everybody knows she does.

In fact says Leslie Gornstein, a Los Angeles-based freelance entertainment writer and reporter,"It's not unusual for even minor stars to have at least two to three nannies per child: one for day, one for night, one for weekends and travel."

Kids ask about marriage more and more: Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt, who is raising six children with partner Angelina Jolie, reveals that his choices have changed after becoming a father. Now, before signing on any movie, he thinks about what his kids will see.

"I think that after becoming a father, I am changing in my choices. Today, everything I do, I look at in the context of what my kids are going to see and feel. I think about everything I do now - what my kids are gonna see, how they're gonna feel. But I think they know me as a dad; I hope they would just think I'm a pretty damn good actor," Pitt said in an e-mail interaction with IANS from Los Angeles.

Pitt and Jolie have been together since 2005. They are raising six kids -- adopted children Maddox, 9, Pax, 7, and Zahara, 6, and biological children Shiloh, 5, and two-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne.

The 47-year-old also hinted that there are chances of him marrying his actress girlfriend as they are being pressurised by their children to do so.

"The kids ask about marriage. It's meaning more and more to them. So it's something we've got to look at. If Angie and I feel it's important for the kids, then we'll get married," said Pitt.

Known for hits like Mr and Mrs Smith, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Ocean's Eleven, Pitt had shot for The Mighty Heart in Pune, India.

"While in Pune, I went for a motorbike ride all by myself. I was so fascinated by the chaos, the traffic, different rules we have been having that I wanted to get out on the road. So I bought a helmet and was able to ride around quite peacefully."

He enjoyed being in India but when he comes to Bollywoood movies, Pitt says, "I don't know a lot. I can't sing and dance."

The actor is upbeat about his new film, Tree of Life that released in India Friday (July 29). Directed by Terrence Malick, the film earned rave reviews at the Cannes Film Festival. It received the prestigious 2011 Golden Palm (Palme d'Or) award at film festival.

"For me, the adults that we are are the direct result of the children we were. In this sense The Tree of Life follows the lives of three brothers who move between a loving mother, who represents the purest goodness, and a father, who is a human with his own faults," he said.

The film also stars Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Angelina Jolie 4 pictutes

Angelina Jolie

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Just the two of us: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt leave their brood at home as they head out for a romantic lunch in London

They are in the UK with their six children while Brad Pitt works on his new movie World War Z.

But, after spending some time with their ever-expanding brood, Brad and partner Angelina Jolie decided to leave the kids at their rented London home so they could enjoy a romantic lunch together at London's Dorchester Hotel.

While Brad looked smart in a pair of beige trousers and white shirt, Angelina went for a classic look in her white long-sleeved T-shirt, taupe pencil skirt and beige Lanvin patent espadrille wedges.

Just the two of us: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were spotted enjoying a romantic lunch together without the company of their children at London's Dorchester Hotel

Quick entrance: The pair made a dash into the famous hotel where they enjoyed a meal together

Despite the fact the pair have both been spotted out and about in London separately over the past few weeks, it's the first time they have been seen together since late June.

And while Brad works hard on his new movie, adapted from the novel by Max Brooks, Angelina has certainly been enjoying keeping herself and her brood busy.

This morning, Angelina braved the unseasonably cool morning to take her three-year-old daughter Vivienne to Streets Florist in Richmond.

The 36-year-old sneaked into the shop all in black and hid under her oversized aviator sunglasses as she carried her Louis Vuitton bag and held onto Vivienne’s hand.

Low profile: Earlier in the day, Angelina was spotted trying to go incognito in a florist shop in Richmond in an all black ensemble and oversized sunglasses

But despite trying to blend in and subtly pick out some flowers, the florist shop owner and fellow onlookers were shocked at the famous customer.

Shop owner Mark Nunez told MailOnline: ‘She bought calillies, roses and thistles and altogether bought two bunches of flowers, a gift bag and some gift cards.

'Everyone in the shop was pretty shocked when she walked in but she didn’t say anything about who the flowers were for.’

Shocked onlookers: Local residents in Richmond weren't expecting Hollywood star Angelina Jolie to stroll into the florist

Gift pack: Angelina didn't say who the flowers were for but she bought two bunches and a pack of gift cards from the shop

Cutie pie: Little Vivienne, three, helped her mother pick the flowers

Angelina held one bunch and Vivienne held the other as they soon left Streets and headed back to their car.

The Tourist star is currently in the capital with her brood including Vivienne’s twin brother Knox, Maddox, nine, Pax, seven, Zahara, six, and Shiloh, five.

The day before, she had taken her children to a cinema in Richmond for a private screening of the new Harry Potter film.

She was again wearing a signature black ensemble and shades, alongside her classic Louis Vuitton bag.

The film, which is rated PG-13, is said to contain some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images.

Yet care-free parent Angelina still took the whole family to watch the action-packed film.

As the family left the theatre after watching the movie a small crowd gathered and local police came to their assistance at they piled into a waiting mini-van.

Pax, nine, couldn't help but show his cheeky side, sticking his tongue out at the onlookers while wrestling with his older brother Maddox as they climbed into the car.

Angelina and the children flew into London from Los Angeles airport on Thursday and had previously also flown to Malta while Brad was filming scenes there.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A Film for Foodies: Culinary Creativity at elBulli

For a foodie, the new film about Spain's renowned elBulli restaurant is a bit like an Angelina Jolie movie for a teenage boy.

That boy's never going on a date with Angelina. And sorry, dear foodie, but you're never gonna eat at elBulli.

Well, at least food lovers can now salivate via celluloid. "El Bulli: Cooking in Progress," a meticulous exploration of how this famously avant-garde eatery comes up with its insanely inventive creations, may not be for everyone. But for those passionate about the artistry and indeed the science of cooking, it's dangerously close to porn.

And for some, perhaps close to tragedy, too. Co-owner and chef Ferran Adria announced earlier this year that on July 30 he will close his restaurant, a winner of three Michelin stars and countless other honors. Citing financial struggles and a need to regroup after years of exhausting work, he said elBulli would become a think tank and research facility.

German filmmaker Gereon Wetzel had no inkling of this when he shot his film, training his cameras on elBulli's creative team for 10 hours-plus per day, a week at a time, over 15 months in 2008 and 2009.

FILE- This March 30, 2011 file photo shows... View Full Caption

But the news, which came during editing, didn't change his goal, which was to show the laborious, indeed painful, process of creating art — in this case, edible art, dishes for an ever-changing menu of 30 to 50 courses that can take three, four, maybe five hours to eat, for 50 lucky diners a night. Just a few names give you a sense of their unique nature: A gorgonzola tree. A parmesan crystal. A coconut sponge. Iced peppermint. "Vacuumized" mushrooms.

Or vanishing ravioli — with a pasta envelope, coated in maltodextrin, that literally disappears in front of your eyes.

"What fascinated me was the process," Wetzel said in an interview this week from his home in Munich. "How do they do it? What does it take to get to these ideas?"

And so the 38-year-old director, who by the way professes not to be a foodie, spent most of his shooting time not at the restaurant, which is on the coast a few hours from Barcelona and is open only six months a year, but in its lab in the city. There, a few top chefs spend the other six months creating the next season's menu.

The work Wetzel displays is more than painstaking. Adria's main deputies, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch, labor and philosophize over the consistency of a mushroom. What happens when you "vacuumize" it? (A machine is used.)

And what can we do with a sweet potato that's never been done? What can we extract from it? All this is shown with no narration whatsoever.

"This is very hard work, and I wanted people to see that," says Wetzel. And so he didn't shy away from the difficult moments, including one where chef Adria berates his team for having lost some data on a bad hard drive. The team protests that they still have lists on paper. "I don't want it on paper, I want it on the computer!" Adria retorts. "This is a disaster." At another point, he rejects a dish curtly: "Don't give me anything that's not good."

There are also some unintentionally very funny moments, like when the two chefs go to the local market and ask for five single grapes for their testing — and three beans. "You get away with everything," remarks the merchant.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Angelina-Brad not marrying: France mayor

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's recent marriage speculations have been rubbished off by a local mayor of South of France. The reports suggested that the two stars will tie the knot soon in a South of France chapel, reported People. But mayor Michael Latz, who is a good friend of the actors, says,"There are no plans for them to marry that I know of – and I would know.

"Every year, the rumor resurface. More noise from the American press to sell a few more pounds of paper," he added.

The mayor has been friendly with Jolie, 36, and Pitt, 47, whom he says invited him to their home after they first moved into the Chateau Miraval just outside Correns three years ago.

There is a chapel, part of which dates back to the sixteenth century, on the property, leading to speculation they might opt for a private, in-house religious ceremony.

The couple raise six children together of which three are adopted.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie: Are they really planning a wedding?

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are supposedly planning a secret wedding that will take place in the very near future.

Us Weekly has reported this news, which naturally is shared in much more detail in print since it’s the magazine’s cover story this week. The report says that three sources — none of them named, of course — have confirmed that the couple plans to marry either later this summer or in September, and may do so at their chateau in France. Reps for Pitt and Jolie have not commented on all this; I reached out to one myself and have not received a response yet.

Wedding plans would seem like the natural follow-up to statements Pitt made this summer while doing interviews to promote his film “Tree of Life.” Back then, he told USA Today that marriage is something he and Jolie have “got to look at” because their six kids frequently ask about it.

But it’s worth remembering that the celeb gossip world has been dead wrong about Pitt and Jolie many times before.

Remember when Pitt and Jolie were supposedly planning a Hindu wedding to take place this year in India? Never happened.

Or that time they secretly got married in the Seychelle Islands? Also a fabrication.

Or that other time when they allegedly got married in New Orleans but then everyone realized that was false?

We’ve all walked down this Brangelina-wedding aisle before. So let’s just say I’ll believe the news when I see legitimate wedding photos, a ring on both fingers and actually hear both of them say they are married. And even then, I still might remain skeptical.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Brad Pitt supports gay marriage

Recently New York became the sixth state to legalise gay marriage in the US. On the heels of this development, Hollywood actor Brad Pitt said every American should have the right to marry whoever they want, and supported the new legislation in favour of same-sex marriage.

He even said that he won't wed Angelina Jolie until gay marriage is legal everywhere. "I have love in my life, a soul mate. When someone asked me why Angie and I don't get married, I replied, 'Maybe we'll get married when it's legal for everyone else.' I stand by that, although I took a lot of flak for saying it — hate mail from religious groups. They say gay marriage ruins families and hurts kids. Well, I've had the privilege of seeing my gay friends being parents and watching their kids grow up in a loving environment."

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Hollywood's highest paid actresses

Angelina Jolie and Sarah Jessica Parker were the highest paid actresses of last year.

The Hollywood beauties tied at the top of the list, compiled by Forbes magazine, earning $30 million each.

Angelina Jolie: Angelina's earnings come mainly from her starring roles in two big budget action movies, Salt and The Tourist, the latter of which earned $280 million at the box office.

Sarah Jessica Parker: Meanwhile, SJP made most of her money from the series Sex And The City, both from TV re-runs and the second movie, which took $290 million at the box office.

Jennifer Aniston & Reese Witherspoon: Friends star Jennifer Aniston shared third place with Reese Witherspoon, each earning $ 27 million.

Aniston – who has experienced a string of flop movies, including 2008's Management, which generated less than $1 million – took home high pay cheques from The Bounty Hunter, which made $136 million and Just Go With It, which was the fourth-highest grossing film of her career to date.

Julia Roberts: In fifth place is Julia Roberts with a reported income of $20 million in the last financial year.

Kristen Stewart: Sharing the fifth place with Julia Roberts is Twilight Saga actress Kristen Stewart, also earning $20 million in the last financial year.

Katherine Heigl: Forbes magazine calls her the queen of rom-coms who can still earn $12 million per picture. Katherine Heigl is at number 7 with an income of $19 million last year.

Cameron Diaz: Still ranked among the most-popular actors in Hollywood, Cameron Diaz ranks at number 8 earning $18 million last year.

Sandra Bullock: Sandra was last seen in The Blind Side which won her an Oscar, with no releases last year. Yet she ranks at number 9, earning $15 million last year.

Meryl Streep: The award-winning actor ruled with her performances in Julia and Julia and It's Complicated. She'll return later this year as Margaret Thatcher in the biopic, The Iron Lady. Meryl Streep rounds off the top 10 list earning $10 million last year.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Is Angelina Jolie worth $30 million a year?

Angelina Jolie raked in $30 million last year? Really? Is she worth that, and is she worth more than Jennifer Aniston, who earned $28 million? —Jean V., via the inbox

Well! Someone wants me to keep the whole Homewrecker-vs.-America's Sweetheart feud alive and well, doesn't she? I'll pass, thanks.

But I will tell you exactly why Hollywood deems Angelina Jolie—and Jennifer Aniston, and Reese Witherspoon, and Sarah Jessica Parker, all of whom Forbes just ranked among the industry's highest paid--to be worth every cent. And why those figures may, in fact, be on the low side:

THIS JUST IN: Angelina Jolie Does Something!

And we need look no further than the grosses, the amount of money these women bring in, worldwide, every time they report to a set. Take "The Tourist," that film that was, apparently, supposed to be a thriller. Despite Johnny Depp serving as a costar, critics loathed the film and, as Forbes points out, it "initially looked like it was going to be a flop after a paltry opening weekend box-office haul of $16 million."

But then came the rest of the planet.

"Thanks mostly to the overseas market," Forbes notes, "the film went on to earn $280 million, cementing Jolie's appeal abroad."

So, $30 million may seem like an obscene amount of money to make, until you put it next to $280 million. Then, $30 million seems a tad more reasonable.

According to E. Barry Haldeman, a former Paramount executive and current entertainment lawyer, we're talking only about major A-list stars here, people who can, in old-timey feel-good parlance, "open a picture."

Only those folks can still demand, and receive, say, $20 million per picture against another 20 percent of the gross income.

"These are actors who, the studio perceives, will put butts in seats and bring people in," Haldeman tells me. "When you're putting together a movie, everyone wants to know who you have attached before they go ahead and spend the money. It's really based on audience appeal."

As for Aniston, she's likely earning slightly less because her films are earning less. Last year's tired baby comedy "The Switch" has brought in less than $45 million worldwide; "The Bounty Hunter" earned a more respectable $131 million, but still: That's not $280 million. Sure, the Jolie movie also had Depp, as opposed to Gerard Butler, but less money all around generally means less pay for the principles involved.

As for Sarah Jessica Parker, she appears to be earning money not only from her films (no comment) but also her beauty brand. Per Forbes, her scents Lovely, Covet and NYC, earned $18 million of her $30 million income for 2010.

One last fact: The figures reported by Forbes may be low.

"These stars get a list of perks that would choke a horse," Haldeman tells me. "Think 10 round-trip airfares for them and their entourages, suites or houses on location, personal chefs. So their actual pay may not be $20 million. It may be $21.5 million because the perks cost you a million five."

$1.5 million in perks just because you're Angelina Jolie? Yes.

Then again, that amount isn't $280 million either, is it?