Will Smith's Movie Trailer in New York City

Happy spring, blog buddies. I am posting an ABC News segment from this morning about Will Smith's large trailer parked in New York City's SoHo neighborhood where he is filming Men in Black 3. Some of the areas residents filed complaints about the size of his trailer and the city has decided to make him move it. From this interview, some say it harms the environment in the neighborhood, while others say it adds excitement to the day and is part of life in the city. One man even adds that this is what Smith needs in order to make his movies (in addition to another nearby trailer he uses as a gym).

So, I turn to you, blog readers. What do you think?

Inside the Jackie Robinson Foundation Awards Gala

Audry Quock and Russell Simmons on the red carpet before the awards gala.

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

The Jackie Robinson Foundation held its annual awards gala Monday night at the Waldorf Astoria in Midtown. The group paid tribute to Sean "Diddy" Combs, Ingrid Saunders Jones, and Joseph R. Parella for their humanitarian ideals. Check out the photo gallery I created from the red carpet for NBCNewYork.

Meredith Baxter: "I Would Drink All the Way Home from the Family Ties Studio"

Meredith Baxter photo courtesy of Getty Images.

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Meredith Baxter, best known for her role as Elyse Keaton on the '80s sitcom "Family Ties," revealed Wednesday night that she used to drink at least a tumbler full of wine driving home from the studio every day because of her unhappy marriage.

"I would drink all the way home from the Family Ties studio," Baxter said at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. "I didn't stop drinking until the marriage [to actor David Birney] was over. Drinking had started to serve a purpose for me because I was so unhappy and had no place to put it."

In her new book, "Untied: A Memoir of Family, Fame, and Floundering," Baxter discusses her family life, battles with alcoholism and breast cancer, as well as coming out as a lesbian on the "Today" show in 2009.

"I knew that it was a woman that I would find myself," Baxter said. "I felt a safety and a music in a way that I hadn't before."

Baxter was married three times before coming out and meeting her current partner, Nancy Locke, and compares discovering her true sexual orientation to finding the right religion.

"I can only relate it to people who have been looking for a kind of religion in their life," Baxter said. "They try out Presbyterianism and then they check out the Methodists and they go to a couple temples and they listen to a few rabbis and then they find Buddhism and they say, 'Okay, I like their tenets here ... and this is where I want to be.' That's pretty much how it was for me."

When asked how it compared to beating breast cancer, Baxter said there was no contest.

"Breast cancer was a piece of cake," Baxter said. "I never really was present for the breast cancer because other stuff was going on, but coming out was more important. It was a choice."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Jimmy Fallon Shares His Best Alec Baldwin Memory With Niteside

Jimmy Fallon came to support his SNL friend Alec Baldwin.

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Jimmy Fallon has worked with Alec Baldwin on "Saturday Night Live" and so he was on hand to celebrate the Museum of the Moving Image salute to Baldwin Monday night.

Fallon explained to Niteside why he was instructed to call his family immediately after meeting Baldwin for the first time.

"I remember when I first started on 'Saturday Night Live,' he said, 'What's your name, new guy?' I said, 'It's Jimmy Fallon' and he goes, 'Jimmy Fallon I'm going to say your name more than anyone has ever said your name on television tonight. So tell your parents to watch and all your friends.'"

Fallon added, "I counted six times he said my name that night and I was just freaking out. My parents and everyone was calling the next day. It's a big deal when you're first starting out. I'll never forget that."

There was no question that Fallon appreciates Baldwin, not only as an actor, but also as a friend.

"He's the greatest guy in the world," Fallon said. "He's a gentleman and a great guy."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Actress Amy Ryan Hopes to Return to Broadway

"The Office" star Amy Ryan at Cipriani in Midtown.

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Amy Ryan came out to support her friend and fellow actor Alec Baldwin last night at the Museum of the Moving Image's Salute to Alec Baldwin, where she revealed to Niteside that she would like to return to her acting roots on the stage.

"I would like to do a play again before I forget how," Ryan said on the red carpet at the Cipriani in Midtown. "I want to stay home in New York. I've been traveling a lot so if I could find a job here that would be fantastic."

She was nominated twice in 2000 for the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her role in the Broadway show "Uncle Vanya" and again in 2005 for her role in "A Streetcar Named Desire."

Ryan has a film called "Win Win" due out later this month, which she stars opposite Paul Giamatti. She can now be seen opposite Steve Carell on "The Office" and said she just returned from shooting her final episode on the show.

"I am very sad to leave it," Ryan said. "But all good things must come to an end, I suppose."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Stars Salute Alec Baldwin

Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin share a laugh on the red carpet.

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

The Museum of the Moving Image Salute to Alec Baldwin was held at the Cipriani in midtown Monday night, honoring him for his work in films and television - including his roles in It's Complicated, 30 Rock, Saturday Night Live, and Along Came Polly. Baldwin is the 26th Honoree of this award.

What an evening. I met Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Amy Ryan, Jimmy Fallon, Ben Stiller, Richard Gere, Bob Balaban and many others. Check out the photo gallery I created from the night for NBCNewYork.

Bob Balaban Thinks Alec Baldwin Would Make A Great Philanthropist

Actor Bob Balaban on the red carpet.

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Alec Baldwin has hinted that after his contract expires with "30 Rock," he will be pursuing something new, and actor Bob Balaban told Niteside what he thinks that should be.

"He could just sit back and be a philanthropist," Balaban said Monday night at Cirpriani in Midtown. "He's really interested in his community ... and he puts his heart where his mouth is. He shows up for every good thing that he cares about and supports it."

Balaban added, "I could think he could he could happily make his life by doing something kind of political but really by supporting the causes he cares about because he's very tuned into that."

Balaban worked alongside Baldwin in the 1990 film "Alice" and came to support Baldwin on the night the Museum of the Moving Image honored him with a Salute, which Balaban said is well deserved.

"I love him -- we've done a lot of things together," Balaban said. "The idea that he figured out to be this handsome leading man who did movies where he was so serious you thought you would die or he would kill you or something bad would happen, it turns out to be that he's just the funniest person."

Balaban said that Baldwin's role as Jack Donaghy on the TV series "30 Rock" is very fitting for him.

"He loves being funny," Balaban said. "I think it makes him happy. I think the idea that he spends his time doing comedies now, it's lighting up his whole life."

Whoopi Goldberg Says Working With Barbara Walters is "Amazing"

Whoopi Goldberg and Barbara Walters

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Whoopi Goldberg is known for her standout performances in films like "Ghost," "The Color Purple," and "Sister Act," and now as a television host. She began her current role as co-host and moderator of the daytime talk show "The View" in 2007 and revealed to Niteside last night that, even after all this time on the show, she still gets awe-struck sitting across the table from Barbara Walters.

"I sometimes sit across from her and think, 'Wow, am I really hanging out with you?'" Goldberg said. "The most amazing thing is that, you think back to what she did and you kind of get blown away by it, because she really was the first. You don't get to meet many firsts in your life, so it's kind of amazing."

Goldberg has her own status as one of the rare recipients of all four major performance awards - an Emmy, an Oscar, a Grammy, and a Tony. Her name was recently left off a list of past black Oscar winners published in The New York Times, despite her win in 1991 for her role in "Ghost," and she has not hidden her disgust for this omission.

"Oh no, I don't think you read about me there," Goldberg said, rolling her eyes, at the mention of the article during a talk at the 92nd Street Y in the Upper East Side.

The New York Times released a statement on Monday responding to Goldberg's upset, saying that the "point of the piece was not to name every black actor or actress who has been awarded an Oscar" but instead to compare the number of winners prior to those who have won since.

Goldberg produced "Sister Act: The Musical," which will open on Broadway this March. The show originally began in London in 2008, which forced Goldberg to travel abroad - something she doesn't typically do since she doesn't like to fly.

"I didn't fly for 15 years - I have my bus," Goldberg said. "But Tom [Leonardis] says to me, off the cuff, 'We're going to London next month for the show' and I said, 'We're going to have to get an anesthesiologist."

Now that her fears are somewhat under control, thanks in part to modern medicine, Goldberg announced Thursday that she will be heading back overseas in the coming months for a royal interview.

"I'm being interviewed by Prince Edward at Windsor Castle," Goldberg said. "I know him, so it's a comfortable situation for me, and for him too."

As for if she'll return to England again for the upcoming nuptials between Prince William and Kate Middleton -- don't count on it.

"I'm not going to the wedding," Goldberg said. "I don't want to go -- no hot dogs."

As a well-known activist for equality and gay rights, Goldberg has participated in many LGBT rallies and also helped with the launch of Cyndi Laupers "Give a Damn Campaign," and says she doesn't understand those who oppose any marriage.

"I don't understand this idea that you have to separate it and it can't be called marriage," Goldberg said. "My feeling is, if you don't like gay marriage, don't marry a gay person."

A version of this story also ran on NBCNewYork.com's Niteside.

NiteTalk: Lucie Arnaz Talks About Her Mother, Acting and Joining Cast Party

Photo of Lucie Arnaz courtesy of Getty Images.

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Lucie Arnaz, the daughter of legendary "I Love Lucy" actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, has followed her parent's footsteps into the entertainment industry. She is not only an actress, but a singer and producer as well. She recently sat down with Niteside to give us insight into her exciting life, including her upcoming performance in The Best of Jim Caruso's Cast Party to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, happing at Town Hall this Thursday night. 


I know you have performed at a few Cast Party shows in the past. What made you want to do this show in particular?
I just adore [Jim Caruso]. He's one of the funniest people on the planet and one of the nicest and the smartest. He called and said, "I'm just hoping, hoping, hoping that you're not doing something that day because you just need to be here and to be a part of it." It is like being part of a very exclusive club when Jimmy puts something together that's special. This is a unique Cast Party experience. It's not like the normal Cast Party. I was flattered to be asked and really happy that I wasn't somewhere else. He caught me in between arriving and leaving for something else. It's going to be great fun and it's for such a great cause. There's very rarely a time that I say no to something concerning Broadway Cares.

What do you look forward to the most when you're performing?
Just the fact of doing it. I love what I do. I love getting out there and picking a great story and singing it. They're stories and you go out and you do your little piece and hopefully you transport the audience in one way or another and you get off stage. It's a great feeling. The doing of it is everything - not the response or where it gets you. It doesn't get you essentially anywhere but in the now and the now of doing it is spectacular. You get addicted to the doing.

Do you ever get nervous?
I do. David Freedman used to always remind me, don't confuse excitement with nervousness. That's a great thing to remember because they feel exactly the same. When you get nervous and you start to make up thoughts about it, like 'I don't know what I'm doing, they're not going to like me, or I'm going to screw up,' you have to say, whoa, whoa, whoa - what if you were standing in line, waiting to walk onto the stage to accept your diploma for graduating from college, having accomplished all of that, you'd be feeling the same way but you'd be really excited. It's the same thing. It's just a matter of how you think about it. Now that I know that, what the nerves, the butterflies, the excitement isn't there, I get really concerned. It's like, why are you not connected on that level today? It's an electric charge and you want to plug into it.

You've starred in many movies and Broadway shows. Out of all the roles you've had, what was your favorite? 
I don't think I have one. They are all the best ones when you're doing them. I loved being in "The Jazz Singer" just because it was my first real film and I was working with such amazing people. I loved sitting in the dressing room with Neil Diamond and listening to him create songs.

Is there anyone you'd like to work with in the future?
Jeffery Rush, Colin Firth, George Clooney! (laughs) I wish I had a chance to work with people like Katherine Hepburn. I'd love to do a film with some of those really great female performers - there's so many of them, it's ridiculous - Diane Keaton, Meryl Streep, Susan Sarandon. I have a tremendous admiration for good actors.

Your mother was certainly one of those good actors and you worked with her in "Here's Lucy" and "The Lucy Show." What did you learn acting with her?
Oh my god, that's a book. I could write a book called "What did I learn acting with mom." Someday I'll dedicate a large part of anything I ever write to that question, I'm sure.

In a nutshell, she did not suffer fools easily. She was a consummate professional, always prepared. She taught me show up on time, know your stuff, don't lose heart when things don't come out exactly the way you think they're going to - keep on truckin', don't let the steam out of the seam. Just be the person that the crew likes to work with because things get done faster and there's less stress.

I just automatically behaved like that as a teenager because the people on the set did, like my mother and various co-stars. You watched them and you go to to see the difference between what happens when people behave properly and come prepared and act professional and then it doesn't go so swell when the other people come on with their egos and they aren't prepared, they're rude, they have serious attitude and the whole week just comes to a painful halt. I learned that's not the way to work. And that's something that no matter how many colleges or acting schools you go to, you don't ever get that because you don't know until you're in it and doing it with the real guys. I appreciate having the opportunity having learned from that angle.

You directed and co-wrote a one-woman show with Suzanne LaRusch called "An Evening With Lucille Ball - Thank You for Asking!" about her.
Yes. They always say if you're going to go into something you haven't done before, stick with things you know, write about things you know, film things you know, and that's certainly something I thought I knew. I gave it my best shot and it turned out great. ...[LaRusch] is probably the only person on the planet who can perform the Lucille Ball character as well as do they Lucy Ricardo stuff flawlessly.

Do you think your mom would've liked it?
She would have been floored. She would have loved it. She always said there was nobody who could do me, meaning the Lucille Ball person as opposed to the character Lucy Ricardo. As a matter of fact, in a sense I'm pretty sure she's had a lot to do with this having the success that it's had. It's too hard to pull these things off with a little extra help from the people upstairs. I think if she didn't like it, we'd be having fires.

Do you ever watch the "I Love Lucy" reruns?
I used to be able to turn the TV on any time of day and trip over it and say, "Oh, there they are." And of course, I watch it whenever I can, but it's not on anymore. They've hidden it somewhere and I'm still trying to find it.

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Oscar Predictions at the 92Y

Photo by: Brooke Niemeyer

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
According to New York's film elite, "The King's Speech" is the movie to beat.

A panel including some of the city's top film critics discussed the top Oscar contenders at the 92nd Street Y last night. Guests watched clips of nominated films and panelists predicted the winners.

Panelists included New York Times film critic A.O. Scott, film publicist Amanda Lundberg, Entertainment Weekly contributor Mark Harris, and author and film critic Molly Haskell.

While all the panelists agreed that "The Kings Speech" and "The Social Network" both deserved a nomination for best picture, they all agree the award will go to the former.

"A month ago I would've said 'The Social Network' seemed to have the momentum and al the finger on the pulse of the times," Harris said. "But I find it a little more cautious and a little more usual than 'The Kings Speech.'"

The panel also addressed the fact that comedies never get nominated -- despite the expansion of best picture nominees from five movies to 10.

While comedies like "The Hangover" or "Easy A" don't get Oscar nods, Lundberg said it doesn't mean they aren't filled with good performances.

"What's interesting is that the films are nominated by members of the Academy who are in the business and know how hard it is to make a good comedy," Lundberg said. "Just because they're silly doesn't mean they're not well done."

Coming off her Golden Globe win, Natalie Portman is favored to win the Oscar for best actress for her role in Black Swan -- although not everyone thought she deserves it.

"I did not like [the film] and I did not like her in it," Haskell said. "But I think that it's something to have her up there and pregnant with this divine man she'll be married to. But of course, look at what happened to Sandra Bullock last year. She won the award and she lost her guy."

Panelists pointed to the dreaded Oscar curse: Bullock, Reese Witherspoon, and Halle Berry all split with their husbands after winning the Oscar for best actress.

The Oscars will be held on Feb 27.

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

NiteTalk: Showbiz Boss Jim Caruso Dishes to Niteside

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Showbiz boss Jim Caruso is the host of his own show, Cast Party, the Monday night soiree at Birdland, just steps away from the Broadway lights. But his involvement in the entertainment biz doesn't stop there. He toured with the legendary Liza Minnelli and performed at the President Clinton's first state dinner. He released a new studio album this month, which is currently in the top 100 Vocal Jazz albums on Amazon. Caruso gave a glimpse into his world when he sat down with Niteside this weekend. 

What was your favorite part of creating your latest album, "The Swing Set?"
Having it finished and in my very hands. (laughs) No, the choosing of the music was exciting. I've never done a studio recording before. I've done live CDs, so this was really a whole new experience. I wanted it to certainly have a jazz feel with the great American standards but some quirky songs too because I think that's what people, if they think of me at all, think of me doing. They think of me with kind of unique material and funny things, so we found some of those. ... It's kind of like what we do at Cast Party - it's a lot of friends entertaining each other at the piano and that's kind of the feeling I want on this album.

Let's talk about Cast Party. You've had some legendary guests, but who would you label as your favorite?
There have been some really historic moments there. The lyricist Betty Comden, from Comden and Green, made her last public appearance there I think. She came and she was all in black and diamonds and she still looked fantastic. She motioned to Billy Stritch, who was at the piano that night, and said 'Do you think it would be okay if I sang a song?' And of course we fainted. We got her right up and she sang a song called 'One Hundred Easy Ways to Lose a Man' from a show that she wrote with her partners. She remembered every word and she was hilarious and got every laugh. She died maybe within the next year. That was something I'll never forget. And of course every time Liza comes, it's pandemonium. People freak out and she sings her head off. That's a woman that can stop a room.

Is there anyone you'd like to come perform that hasn't yet?
I do have a short list of people that I'm desperate to get in to Cast Party. I could say that they are my heroes growing up - Dick Van Dyke, Carol Burnett - I just know they'd love it. I have a feeling that Ricky Martin would really be into it. He has show business in his blood. He gets it and loves it. Kathy Griffin is somebody that I know pretty well. She'd never come in but I know she would think it would be hilarious.

Tell me about working with Liza Minnelli.
Oh Liza Minnelli... I could talk about her forever. I was on the road for three years with Liza in the show that became 'Liza's at the Palace,' which won the Tony. Nobody has been kinder and more supportive of me and my career than that lady. She's extraordinary. If you have her as a friend, you've got a friend.

What's next for you?
We are doing a very special Cast Party at Town Hall on February 17. It's going to be a benefit for Broadway Cares. That's going to be crazy great. Billy Stritch and I are also going to do Cast Party in Los Angeles in March and that's one of my favorite things to do. I love taking Cast Party on the road and celebrating local talent, which can be Carol Channing or it can be a songwriter that you've never heard of that blows you away. That's really exciting to me to be able to celebrate fabulous talent and to get to know these shockingly talented people all over the country. It's like my own Ed Sullivan show.

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Kevin Spacey: New "Superman" Will be "Very Dark"

Actor and director Kevin Spacey

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Kevin Spacey, well known for his role as Lex Luther in "Superman Returns," revealed details about the next "Superman" film.

"To my knowledge, there is going to be another 'Superman' movie," Spacey said. "I think they have decided to reboot it and they are going very dark, from what I understand."

While he doesn't expect to play a role in that action film, he does have others in the works. An exclusive audience at the 92nd Street Y in the Upper East Side last night was privy to a screening of Spacey's latest film, "Casino Jack."

The drama is based on the alleged fraud scandal of Washington D.C. lobbyist Jack Abramoff, played by Spacey.

Spacey said that when he went to the prison to meet Abramoff for the first time, he wasn't concerned of being manipulated by the former lobbyist.

"I think he was so bitterly disappointed that Brad Pitt wasn't playing him," Spacey said. "So, seducing me wasn't a priority for him."

With Spacey's film credits ranging from the popular dramas "21" and "American Beauty" to the science-fiction film, "Moon," he says that no matter what role he's playing, he always finds a thrill in developing a character that audiences will become involved with and enjoy watching.

"One of the great pleasures of being an actor is that you're like a detective," Spacey said. "You've got all these clues about who the person is and you try to sift through them and create a film that is entertaining and fun."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

"30 Rock" Star Judah Friedlander: Tina Fey Is Always "Several Steps Ahead"

Judah Friedlander refers to himself as "the world champion."

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Judah Friedlander, who is best known for his role as Frank on the hit NBC series "30 Rock," revealed over the weekend that his favorite part of working on the show is interacting with the other actors and writers -- especially Tina Fey.

"Tina is great, and she she's so smart," Friedlander told Niteside. "She's such a clever writer and is always thinking several steps ahead. It's so nice to work on a project like '30 Rock' where they've thought ahead on just about everything."

Alec Baldwin is also someone Friedlander said he enjoys working with on the show, especially when they joke around on set.

"He's so much fun to hang out with and goof around with on the set," Friedlander said. "He's got great energy and great charisma and when you get to work with him, he brings out the best in you."

Friedlander, who did two stand-up comedy shows at Comix in the Meatpacking District Saturday night, also said that he personally designs all of the iconic trucker hats his character wears on the show.

"Some are jokes I've thought out in advance, others are jokes I've thought of last second and some are inspired by what's going on within the script," Friedlander said. "One to three times per season, [the writers] will write the hat and work it into the storyline and do some jokes with it, but pretty much it's me doing all of these."

He added, "I always try to make it add to the show and not to distract from it."

Friedlander recently released the book "How to Beat Up Anybody," which teaches readers how to fight foes such as ninjas and Bigfoot and even your very own shadow.

He often refers to himself as "The World Champion" and said he has an "extra dark black belt" in karate.

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Robert DeNiro Is "Spiritual Magnet" of Tribeca Film Fest, Says Co-Founder

Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Craig Hatkoff.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Craig Hatkoff said fellow founder Robert DeNiro has unique pull when it comes to the 10-year-old film fest.

"Bob is the spiritual magnet of this project," Hatkoff said Friday at the 92 Street Y in Tribeca. "When Bob is in New York and not shooting a movie, he is at a lot of the events. He likes going and he goes quietly and often won't tell anyone he's coming. He just shows up and supports it."

Hatkoff, wife Jane Rosenthal, and DeNiro created the festival to help revitalize Lower Manhattan in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The idea was conceived when Hatkoff and his wife were having dinner in Little Italy shortly after the attacks, he said.

"We originally projected it would be something small, maybe a couple dozen films," Hatkoff said. "We never imagined to have the 160 films like we did or the 150,000 people show up."

With the integration of "Tribeca Film on Demand" this year, Hatkoff says he is happy they had the opportunity to have the films seen by more people. But nothing can replace the experience of watching films in the theater, he said.

"Nothing will ever replace being in the room when the lights go down," Hatkoff said. "Watching the films at home can be inferior as long as it gets the job [of reaching more people] done."

The 2011 festival will run April 20 through May 1.

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Portia De Rossi: My Secrets Made Me Sick

Portia de Rossi speaks about her book "Unbearable Lightness."

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
Starlet Portia de Rossi said the burden of keeping her emotions bottled up and her eating disorder hidden made her ill.

"It's a classic, stupid thing to say, but the secrets make you sick," de Rossi said. "I had to come out as having eating disorders and only by doing that could I really, truly say that I'm fully recovered."

De Rossi, 37, promoting her memoir at an Upper East Side Barnes and Noble over the weekend, said she battled anorexia from the start of her career as a model at age 12 until the time she played Nell Porter on "Ally McBeal" in 1998.

"I became aware, by the end of the book, that while I was really talking about wasn't my eating disorder and it wasn't my sexuality, it was this struggle for self acceptance and to be able to just feel comfortable in my own skin," de Rossi said of her tome "Unbearable Lightness."

De Rossi, who came out in 2005, has credited wife Ellen DeGeneres with helping her come to terms with her identity and said Friday night she found writing the book to be cathartic.

"It sounds very selfish in a way, but I really wrote this book for myself," de Rossi said. "I wrote it for my teenage self. I wrote it thinking that it was the book I wished I could've had access to when I was suffering so deeply from the disorder and struggling with my sexuality."

She added, "When I first realized that what I was writing was going to be called a memoir, I thought, I'm only 37. It just sounded so grandiose ... Then I thought, I'm not going to write about the event that happened in my life, I'm going to talk about the events that happened in my head."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Famed Playwright Neil LaBute Battles Stage Fright

Playwright Neil LaBute spoke at Powerhouse Arena in Dumbo, Brooklyn.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
"In the Company of Men" playwright Neil LaBute said he felt on edge about the Thursday night debut of his latest show starring David Duchovny and Amanda Peet.

"It is an exciting and horrifying thing," the famed scribe known for his dark and comedic explorations of morality told an intimate crowd at the Powerhouse Arena in Dumbo last night about the debut of his latest work, "The Break of Noon."

LaBute, whose "Reasons to be Pretty" was nominated for a Tony in 2009, read from the new work, which chronicles the life of an employee who claims to see the face of God following the worst office shooting in America. LaBute also read from past work and shared a short story he wrote just that morning for the event.

"I'm happy I still have a pleasure for writing," LaBute said. "I sit down and write things because I like it, not because it's for anything, but because it's a pleasure to do it."

LaBute also revealed why he tends to weave in corporate culture into his work. He said his fascination with business jargon developed when he worked for a software company while studying at NYU.

"I loved the sound of the foreign language that I didn't understand in the offices," LeBute said. "Nobody ever seemed to really be doing anything but would say, 'I have this meeting and I have to file a 507 later today.' I loved the banter and I've put that into the world of the offices I write about."

"The Break of Noon" is debuting at the MCC Theater in Manhattan tonight.

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

Russell Brand: "I Am Excited About Getting Married"

Katy Perry and Russell Brand are expected to wed soon.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER

British comic Russell Brand said he was thrilled about his upcoming nuptials to pop starlet Katy Perry.

"I will say I am excited about getting married," Brand said Wednesday night at Barnes and Noble in Manhattan while promoting his new book "Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal."

"It's a lovely thing to get married. I think it's a peaceful thing and I'm very happy about it."

The couple got engaged last year, but Brand remained mum on the details and did not reveal a specific date or place for the wedding.

In lieu of a traditional reading, Brand interacted with the wall-to-wall crowd -- answering their questions and telling jokes. He humorously informed fans "that man on Facebook is not me."

While Brand's fiance is busy with her concert tour, the "Get Him to the Greek" star started a weekly radio show on the UK station talkSPORT earlier this month, which follows him on his book tour for the next 20 weeks.

Brand also revealed last night that before too long he will have another radio show to tune into -- this time it will be in the states.

"There will soon be a new radio show on Sirius," Brand said. "Look out for that."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

"American Idiot" Co-Stars Take to the Stage as Hip Hop Duo Fran Sancisco

Me with the guys from Fran Sancisco at the D-Lounge.

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER

"American Idiot" co-stars Brian Charles Johnson and Chase Peacock, accustomed to sharing a Broadway stage, made a different kind of debut in New York over the weekend. 

The actors, who met in San Francisco as they were working on the Green Day-inspired rock musical, took to the stage as hip-hop group Fran Sancisco Saturday at the D-Lounge in Manhattan. 

"We liked this hip-hop and R&B vibe, and I had a real hankering for an outlet," Peacock told NiteSide.

The project began as a handful of songs and collection of inside jokes between "American Idiot" cast members. 

"We got this amazing response that we weren't prepared for," Johnson said. 

The duo also received a blessing from "American Idiot" director Michael Mayer, who told the pair, "Hey, you guys do not stop making this music," according to Peacock.

"So that was huge for us," he added. 

Johnson and Peacock, who are now working on their first album, said playing music on stage is far different from performing on the Great White Way.

"On stage [for 'American Idiot'] we have choreography and places to be," said Peacock, "and when we're doing our own thing it's just two guys on stage with microphones."

Johnson said he finds up-and-coming artists like Kid Cudi inspiring, and Peacock said he considers Chris Brown to be one of his role models.

"I got obsessed with Chris Brown and would watch all of his videos and would dance in my mirror to the music videos," said Peacock.

And, of course, both cite Green Day as having been influential in their careers. 

"Knowing Green Day for so long and watching them as a kid and seeing them on TV and now I'm hanging out at their house and they're asking me if I want anything to eat," said Peacock. "It's just an amazing thing." 

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

"30 Rock" Actor Dean Winters: I'm Indebted to Tina Fey

Me and Dean Winters at Lucky Strike Lanes

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
"30 Rock" actor Dean Winters, who had a brush with death after his heart stopped one year ago, said he is indebted to co-star and pal Tina Fey.

"Tina Fey is the most caring woman I've worked with in this business," Winters told NiteSide last night at Lucky Strike Lanes during nightlife kingpin Matt DeMatt's birthday bash.

"When I was going through a really hard time she pulled me out, and I have a debt of gratitude to her I'm not sure I can ever repay."

A bacterial infection caused Winters to collapse and his heart to stop beating for two minutes on June 19 of last year. Fey was instrumental in bringing him back to the set of the NBC show, he told the "New York Post" last year.

The health scare is a terrifying incident the actor, also from "Oz" and "Rescue Me," told NiteSide that he is still struggling to recover from.

"Life was rocking and rolling for me and then it just stopped," Winters said. "So now I'm learning how to press the play button again."

The 45-year-old said he values relationships more than he did before the incident.

"I learned what love is and what friendship is and those are things I think I took for granted for a while," Winters said. "Whatever I went through in this past year, it was worth it."

He also said that his roles on "30 Rock" and "Oz" were dream jobs -- but Winters still has at least one career goal.

"I just would love to rumble with Clint [Eastwood]," he said. "I would like to play his son or his long-lost son or whatever."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.

"Housewives" Star Danielle Staub Dishes on Her New Love

By: BROOKE NIEMEYER
"Real Housewives of New Jersey" reality star Danielle Staub dished on her new love last night: creating music.

"I am excited to start a new adventure," Staub told NiteSide at the birthday celebration for New York City nightclub owner Noel Ashman at Lucky Strike Lanes and Lounge in Midtown on Wednesday night.

"I have realized that I love doing this."

Joining the growing ranks of "Real Housewives" starlets who have produced singles, Staube said she's excited for the mid-July release of her duet single "Real Close" with singer Lori Michaels and that the project happened "simply and organically."

"It was almost by accident really," Staub said. "I was just listening to a demo of hers [Lori Michaels] and humming along to it and then it all went from there."

Staub, 47, said there will also be a music video released.

"It's going to be quite beautiful," she said. "But it's definitely going to be something people won't expect."

This story ran on NBCNewYork.com's NiteSide.