AOLR Weekly Wrap-Up #31

February 20, 2010 By 5 Comments

The latest on The Back-up Plan:

  • Jennifer Lopez performed What is Love at the 60th Sanremo Music Festival in Italy on February 19. This song is reported to be the lead single on The Back-up Plan‘s soundtrack and you can watch her Sanremo performance on YouTube!
  • On February 27 Jennifer has a double booking for Saturday Night Live. She will not only host the show, but also be the musical guest, according to AssociatedContent.com.
  • The gallery has been updated with a Russian version of The Back-up Plan poster.
  • Some release dates have been updated on the international movie site. Germany and Austria are not listed there, but their release date is now May 13!

And from the Hawaii Five-0 front, there’s the following to share:

  • The Hawaii Five-0 pilot is now officially listed among the Hawaii Film Office’s Current Productions!
  • Dean McDermott, who auditioned for the role of Danno, is apparently out of the running according to some tweets. Two other actors who have also auditioned for the role are Michael Shanks and Michael Muhney.
  • Radio station 612 ABC Brisbane’s Scott Mayman reported on his program, the Afternoon Chillout, about Alex O’Loughlin landing the lead role on Hawaii Five-o. You can listen to the audio clip and I’ve also done a transcript:

    • “I’m sure you recognize the tune; we loved the music, we loved the scenery and that opening scene with Jack Lord standing on the verandah of a high rise building in Honolulu. It’s the latest TV show from yesteryear to be brought back to life. CBS in America has commissioned a new version of “Hawaii Five-o”. It involves story creators who brought us the recent “Star Trek” movie, the two “Transformer” movies and the third installment of “Mission: Impossible” and the script is going to be written by Peter Lenkov, the executive producer behind “CSI: New York”. It should be a beauty. Producers have gone on record to say they plan to keep the original show as possible and yes, keep that theme tune as well.

    “Now, if you want to do some star spotting, seen on the coast reportedly is the Aussie actor who will play the lead in the new version of ‘Hawaii Five-0′. Alex O’Loughlin will play Steve McGarrett. It’s yet another example of how Aussies are the flavor of Hollywood right now. Alex has worked in shows like ‘Criminal Minds’ and ‘The Shield’. No word yet on which network or pay TV outlet in Australia will pick up the rights to the new-look ‘Hawaii Five-o’.”

Use local characters in television remake
It’s great that “Hawaii Five-0″ will be resurrected on location here in Hawai’i and we will have Alex O’Loughlin as Steve McGarrett and Daniel Dae Kim as Chin Ho Kelly. I guess that a remake will have to be different, with present-day Hawai’i crime situations and characters. I hope that the governor will be female like Linda Lingle and hopefully for comic relief we could have a Frank DeLima or Andy Bumatai as a cab driver or detective. Perhaps we could have Raiatea Helm as a singer character or Jake Shimabukuro strum the ukelele to “Five-0″ beat. Get the Neighbor Islands involved with interisland cruise-ship crime stories.

When I lived in North Carolina from 1989 to 2007, “Hawaii Five-0″ was a treat for me. Go, “Hawaii Five-0!”

Franklin Kam
Honolulu

Other Alex items:

  • Added to the gallery are images from a 2005 Sydney photoshoot when Alex was promoting Oyster Farmer. And don’t forget to check out the fan art section where new items have been added!
  • Jeff Blair, the trainer who got Alex into such great shape for The Back-up Plan, is now working with Alex to prepare him for Hawaii Five-0. Jeff posted the following on his Facebook wall:

    • Congratulations to my client Alex O’Loughlin for landing the Hawaii Five-O lead. We are in training now for the role. :-)

  • Alex also wrote a testimonial that Jeff posted on his website, JeffBlairFitness.com:

    I strongly recommend Jeff to anyone looking for a superior fitness professional.

    When I met Jeff, I was preparing for a starring movie role, and it was crucial that I be in optimal physical condition.

    Exercise has always been an intergal part of my life but over the years I developed a few physical issues.  I was concerned my intense training days were history.

    I am thrilled to report I was wrong. Jeff and I trained harder than I have since I was a teen-ager.

    Jeff helped me completely overhaul my nutrition which was a key factor in my dramatic body change.

    I was beyond pleased with my results—I was ecstatic.

    Even after the movie ended, Jeff motivated me to continue challenging myself in new ways. If I hit a plateau, he would implement new training ideas which helped me get leaner and stronger.

    I am now in the best shape of my life.

    Jeff’s commitment to fitness doesn’t end when he leaves the gym. Jeff studies the latest research, nutrition and training methods and passes on his knowledge to the students in his graduate exercise science program.

    Just as importantly, Jeff “walks the talk” and is 100% committed to a lifestyle that encompasses strength, health and fitness.

    If you want the best, hire Jeff Blair.

    Alex O’Loughlin
    Actor- West Hollywood CA.

    Jeff’s Comments: Alex is a great pleasure to work with.  He probably trains harder than anyone I have ever worked with.  He definitely has an “extra gear” in both training intensity, mental focus and his commitment to nutrition. Alex saw results very fast-probably faster than anyone I have ever worked with and certainly faster than most people can expect.  One of my thoughts training Alex is if a football team had 11 players with his commitment and intensity level, they might never lose a game!


Thanks to the fabulous fans at TRF for sharing their contributions!

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, steve mcgarrett, hawaii five-0, hawaii five-o, the back-up plan[/tags]

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Alex O’Loughlin’s Year in Review: 2009

January 7, 2010 By 11 Comments

The year 2009 was a hectic one for Alex O’Loughlin and his fans alike! We were treated to a lot of anxiety and excitement, and also had to deal with the cancellation of Three Rivers. Some occasions you may have already forgotten, so here’s a rewind of the past year’s most memorable moments!

January 20 – Moonlight: the Complete Series is released on DVD in North America and makes the #1 position on Billboard’s Top DVD Sales list in the first week of February.

February 5 – After a long absence, the message the fans across the globe have been waiting for appears when Alex O’Loughlin blogs “I’m back!”

February 11 – Michael Ausiello and Matt Mitovich report that Alex is returning to CBS starting with a guest starring role on an episode of Criminal Minds… as a serial killer!

March 6 – A three-month drought comes to an end when the first new photo of Alex appears, taken on the set of Criminal Minds.

March 11 – Moonlight earns a nod from The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films when the nominations are announced for the 35th Annual Saturn Awards. The show is up for an award in the category “Best Television Series Release on DVD”.

March 12 – An article said to have been published by Melbourne’s Herald Sun triggers rumors in the fandom about Alex winning the lead role in the CBS pilot for Three Rivers. The article itself never surfaces on the newspaper’s website and CBS stays mum on the topic the pilot.

March 17 – The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirms that Alex is in negotiations about his role in the Three Rivers pilot.

March 26 – After two long weeks of sitting on pins and needles, fans are relieved and elated when Alex himself confirms his Three Rivers plans.

April 7 – While Alex is in Pittsburgh shooting the Three Rivers pilot, reports surface on the web that he is either in negotiations for or has been cast as the male lead in CBS Films’ feature, The Back-up Plan, opposite Jennifer Lopez.

April  15 – TV Guide Magazine publishes the first quality interview of the year with Alex, who talks about his upcoming projects and more.

April 21 – CBS Films send a message to several fan sites confirming the casting of Alex O’Loughlin in The Back-up Plan and provides us with the official synopsis.

April 25 – TV Guide Magazine shares some hot outtakes and behind the scenes images from Alex’s photoshoot for their “sexiest” May 2008 issue.

April 29 – Criminal Minds episode The Big Wheel with guest star Alex O’Loughlin airs on CBS and his inspired performance receives, ah… killer reviews.

May 2 – Alex shares a quick update on MySpace with his fans.

May 9 - Alex attends the Noche de Niños Gala 2009, an annual charity event benefiting Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. It is his first official public appearance of the year and TV Guide captures him briefly on video.

May 13 – Three months of manic movie madness kick off when The Back-up Plan goes into production! It begins when Alex O’Loughlin and Jennifer Lopez are captured on video leaving a filming location: video 1, video 2.

May 14 – Alex (wearing a T-shirt with the caption “No Pictures”) and Jennifer are shooting at the Elements Kitchen in Pasadena today and paparazzi are the source of photos from the rehearsals, the night shoot and video 1 and video 2.

May 15 – The night shoot continues, but filming moves to the backyard of the Elements Kitchen for a different scene.

May 17 – Alex shows up at the Crustacean Beverly Hills where The Bash is held, a benefit for Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. The Shield stars Walton Goggins and Michael Chiklis are also present.

May 20 – CBS announces Three Rivers‘ pickup at the network’s upfront presentation in New York City. Alex chats with E! Online about playing a (hot) doctor and is snapped by a paparazzo when he leaves his hotel, looking very cute wearing glasses.

May 25 – Enjoying a break on Memorial Day, Alex goes to Culver City to see a man about his bike…

June 3 - Entertainment Tonight airs an interview with Jennifer and Alex on the set of The Back-up Plan.

June 5 – Two unique photos of a bearded Alex taken at Pebble Beach in August 2008 are kindly provided for publishing by Python Racing Australia.

June 9 - The trailer for Australians Hit Hollywood, a documentary by Kalee StClair, is discovered on YouTube. It also features Alex, with footage dating from his Moonlight days. Three more videos with Alex follow later: advice, slang and accents.

June 13 – At the Donate Life Hollywood Film Festival, the Three Rivers pilot is honored with the Inspire Award.

June 16 – Paparazzi are ready to snap pictures and video tape the arrival of Jennifer Lopez on the Elks Lodge set of The Back-up Plan in Pasadena. The Whiteout trailer first surfaces on the web, two years after the movie was shot.

June 17 – Alex attends a screening at LA’s Harmony Gold Theater of The Tender Hook, a movie with fellow Aussie Matt Le Nevez,  a familiar face from Man-Thing and FEED.

June 18 – Alex and Jennifer return to the Elements Kitchen to rehearse and reshoot some scenes. The Aussie speed demon also finds the time to pick up his revamped  bike!

June 19 – Another scene involving spilled wine and an accidental fire is shot in Pasadena.

June 24 - With a press release CBS communicates the premiere dates for the Fall shows. Three Rivers will air on October 4th… a Sunday. In Burbank, California, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films announces that Moonlight has won the Saturn Award in the category “Best Television Series Release on DVD”. Not bad for Alex’s “little show”!

July 5 – The first of 26 non-episodic commercials for Three Rivers is aired.

July 16 – The Back-up Plan production moves to New York City and mere hours after they’re made, the first paparazzi photos of Alex and Jennifer appear on the internet. Many more photos and videos follow while they are in New York.

July 24 – Jennifer Lopez turns 40 and Alex toasts her on the set of The Back-up Plan at midnight. Celebrating is done in style at the Hotel Griffou in Greenwich Village later that evening.

July 25 – The last day of filming takes Alex to Forest Park in Queens. That night he attends An Evening for Lola at the Edison Ballroom in NYC, where Jennifer is treated to a surprise party organized by hubby Marc.

July 30 – Back in LA to start work on Three Rivers, Alex blogs about shooting The Back-up Plan and expresses his gratitude to his fans for their support.

July 31 - Three Rivers kicks off the TCA Summer Press Tour for CBS from the show’s Paramount set.

August 3 – Alex attends CBS’ TCA Summer Tour All-Star Party at Pasadena’s Huntington Library.

August 5 – The first official stills of Alex O’Loughlin are released by CBS Films to AlexO’LoughlinRocks and Stan on a tractor causes quite a stir!

August 16 – Alex returns to Pittsburgh to film more scenes for Three Rivers, including a rugby scene and the local CBS affiliate airs a segment.

August 24 – Alex turns 33 today and celebrates his “best birthday ever”!

August 29 – Two excerpts about Alex from a book written by The Casting Company are found on the web. The authors are full of praise when they write about his “hotness factor” and his James Bond audition in 2005.

September 6 – It’s him again: Alex blogs!

September 7 – After two years, Alex returns to chat with Craig Ferguson on the Late Late Show – check out the video, the parts that weren’t aired and the pictures!

September 8 – The Season 4 DVD set is released of Criminal Minds and “Working the Scene” is a special feature in which Alex O’Loughlin and Simon Mirren talk about The Big Wheel.

September 9 – After its release was postponed several times, Whiteout finally premieres in LA, with pictures galore of a gorgeous and relaxed Alex on the white carpet.

September 15 – With some practice with Dodgers’ trainer Todd Tomczyk under his belt, Alex braves the crowds at Dodger Stadium to throw the ceremonial first pitch for the LA Dodgers versus Pittsburgh Pirates game. CBS Films releases another shirtless still of Alex O’Loughlin, this time to LovelyLopez.net.

September 16 – Alex attends CBS’ New Season Premiere Party at MyHouse Nightclub in Hollywood.

September 19 – Alex is spotted at GBK Productions’ 2009 Emmy Gift Lounge, A Bazaar for the Senses, held at a private estate in Beverly Hills.

September 29 – Alex delights the audience and talk show host Bonnie Hunt when he appears on her show. His account of throwing the ceremonial first pitch for the Dodgers’ game is comical and the guest himself is absolutely charming.

September 30 – To support The Back-up Plan director Alan Poul, who receives a Special Outie Award, Alex is present at the Outfest Legacy Awards at the Directors Guild of America in LA.

October 1 – Alex’s first ever live chat with fans lasts 62 minutes, but the fans are left with memories that will last a lifetime. In a press release, CBS announces its partnership with Donate Life America.

October 2 – The mutual respect between Alex and Dr. Gonzo is apparent when they both appear on The Doctors.

October 4 – Three Rivers premieres on CBS, but the ratings are disheartening.

October 5 – A video message from Alex is shown at an international convention about organ donation in Berlin.

October 12 – Various media outlets report that the 2010 US release date for The Back-up Plan has been pushed back from January 22 to March 12, in favor Harrison Ford’s movie, Extraordinary Measures.

October 16 – Alex blogs about Three Rivers.

October 29 – One of several PSAs that Alex made for Donate Life airs tonight.

November 10 – Alex attends TV Guide Magazine’s Hot List Party at LA’s SLS Hotel. The Aussie hunk is also one of TV Guide’s Sexiest Stars of 2009.

November 11 – Watch aficionado and IWC timepiece owner Alex is part of the group of celebrities attending an exhibition of Michael Muller’s Galapagos Islands photographs. The event is organized by Swiss watch manufacturer IWC Schaffhausen in support of The Charles Darwin Foundation and takes place at Milk Studios’ Hollywood branch.

November 13 – WHO magazine’s annual “Sexiest People” issue hits the newsstands in Australia and Alex is featured with a smoking hot new picture!

November 18 – Shortly after CBS Films announce having signed an international distribution deal with Sony Pictures, the release date for The Back-up Plan is once again changed on the movie’s official site. The film is now set to open on April 16.

November 25 – The first movie poster for The Back-up Plan is spotted, displayed in a mall.

November 30 – THR’s James Hibberd reports that CBS has pulled Three Rivers, effective immediately, but that all episodes of the initial order of 13 will be completed. Episode 8 was the last one aired. According to various sources, CBS says the show is “on hiatus”.  Alex himself, however, blogs that the show is cancelled and that he is beginning his “process of detachment and will be in touch soon”.

December 3 – Looking fit and relaxed just days after the news broke of the cancellation of Three Rivers, Alex enjoys An Intimate Evening with Alex Band, a Donate Life Rocks event benefiting Donate Life at Cafe Was in Hollywood. He has confirmed his intention to continue his relationship with the charity. CBS Films releases the first movie poster for The Back-up Plan online.

December 14 – An HQ version of a second movie poster for The Back-up Plan is released.

December 15 – This marks the last day of production for Alex on Three Rivers, although for many other cast members, December 14 was their final day on the set.

December 16 – The Elephant Project posts a picture of Alex on Twitter. Taken on December 15 at Paramount, Alex’s photo will be auctioned on eBay with the proceeds going to the Alzheimer’s Association.

December 17 – Alex dedicates a Donate Life float Family Circle Rose in memory of Fernando Fernandez Alejandre.

December 18 – Yahoo! Movies has the premiere for the first official trailer for The Back-up Plan in HD.

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AOLR Weekly Wrap-Up #25

January 1, 2010 By 7 Comments

Happy 2010, everyone — I hope the New Year will be an amazing one for you all and that your wildest dreams will come true (yes girls, even that one)!

  • To start the brand new decade off appropriately with some gorgeousness, take a look at the latest gallery additions: I’ve added an Alex O’Loughlin Fan Art section that contains some very cool wallpapers and banners created by the very talented Fever, Lucky and Pinkiepie. For chuckles, check out the contributions from the fandom’s undisputed Queen of Snarks, Gothmyst. She’s often irreverent and always very, very funny! Please credit these ladies appropriately should you use any of their work publicly. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome creations with us — you rock!
  • For some more fun, watch the latest YouTube video by Labormieze. She has the strange symptoms that all Alex O’Loughlin fans have in common and consulted with Andy Yablonski, M.D. about the best treatment. Not sure she’s all that happy about his recommendation, though. Great job, Labor – keep them coming!
  • Matt Mitovich answered a question from a fan about the unaired Three Rivers episodes on his FanCast.com blog:

    I’m still miffed that ‘Three Rivers‘ was canceled. Are we ever going to see the unaired episodes? – Stephanie

    At this time CBS has no plans to burn off those last episodes. But knowing how avid Alex O’Loughlin’s fans can be, I’m actively laboring to get him a new gig. The first show in my crosshairs: NBC’s ‘Chuck.’ “That could be very good,” Yvonne Strahovski concurred when I suggested that her longtime Aussie pal drop by, perhaps as a new dude to make Chuck jealous. “Yeah, that’s a fun idea!” she added. Hey, I’m trying.

  • You may recall a picture of Alex with two little girls that appeared on Twitter late July. It was taken on the last day of shooting The Back-up Plan in NYC (July 25th), but no other information was available at the time about who the girls were. As it turns out, they’re Cailin and Hannah Loesch, 12 year-old twins who appear in the movie as background actors (in all likelihood the playground scene in the park where Stan chats with Anthony Anderson’s character about the joys of fatherhood). Thanks to Bianca for sharing the link!
  • I’ve added large versions of the Spanish and Vietnamese posters to The Back-up Plan gallery as well as a couple of logos.
  • The international release dates for The Back-up Plan have been updated. However, these are not set in stone and some may still change ;-). More will be added as we get closer to April. Many thanks to Nadioz for providing the latest information.
  • The poster contest that Jarett Wieselman mentioned last week has been posted on Facebook. Only US residents are eligible to participate and the sweepstakes end on January 4th at 2:01 a.m. PST.
  • Thanks to all who voted for the Donate Life Rose Parade float today as the Viewers’ Choice. It looks like the Cal Poly Universities’ entry is set to win, but the Donate Life float did win the Theme Award (Excellence in Presenting Parade Theme)! Congratulations!
  • TV Guide posted an interview with The Shield creator Shawn Ryan early December. Although Alex isn’t mentioned, it’s still an interesting read for fans who enjoyed the show.
  • And to close, two posts from last week that you’ve probably seen about the unlikelihood of Moonlight being resurrected. Check out E! Online and BuddyTV!

That’s it for now. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and let’s make 2010 a great year!

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Who Runs the Show?

November 16, 2009 By 3 Comments

tca_09You will undoubtedly have heard Alex O’Loughlin mention that one of the many challenges that Moonlight had to deal with during its all too brief run was the replacement of one showrunner after the other. If you’ve always wondered what a showrunner does, then read on.

According to Rob Owen of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a showrunner is “a program’s chief creative visionary, generally the executive producer/head writer”. So, for Alex’s current show Three Rivers, that would be Carol Barbee.

For a more comprehensive look at the showrunner’s role, Rob refers to an article written by Kurt Sutter, who was a writer and executive producer on The Shield (Shawn Ryan was the showrunner) and who is now the showrunner for Sons of Anarchy. Sutter explains that although it’s logical to him that the person who created a show, is put in charge of the show, this isn’t always how it works in practice:

Sometimes a network will develop a project from a writer and then for one reason or another, hire a more seasoned showrunner to take over the show — the television landscape is littered with those failures. Sometimes a creator will be high-profile and will not want the daily duties of running the show. On “Lost” Damon Lindelof, who co-created with JJ Abrams, brought on Carlton Cuse to help with the running of that show because JJ was pursuing feature work. Carlton is a great showrunner and Damon still carries forth the original vision — clearly that combination is working.

Interesting stuff! For a behind the scenes look at what goes into making a show, read Kurt Sutter’s full article: The Show Must be Run.

[tags]alex o’loughlin, alex o’lachlan, moonlight, three rivers, the shield, showrunner[/tags]

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Down Memory Lane: Alex O’Loughlin & “The Shield”

November 3, 2009 By 2 Comments

The Shield: The Complete Series was released today as a 28-disc set! Series creator Shawn Ryan looks back on the award winning show that lasted seven seasons on cable channel FX and mentions some of its guest stars, including Alex O’Loughlin, in a new interview with MovieWeb. “It’s always fun when we’d find an actor or an actress that no one knew. I mean, we gave Kristen Bell her first job on TV, in the premiere of Season 2 and, obviously, she’s gotten huge. We brought Alex O’Loughlin to American TVs, and he’s had shows on CBS.”

In mid 2006, Alex shot seven episodes for The Shield’s Season 6, that originally aired between April and June 2007.  As Detective Kevin Hiatt, he was not only fresh to the series, but his character was also a recent addition to the Strike Team. On being the new guy adjusting to the fast pace of the show, Alex said in a 2006 interview with IGN, “… this has been kind of good for my character; I mean I felt a little bit like a fish out of water.”

Although The Shield wasn’t Alex’s first appearance in a US production (that distinction goes to a small non-speaking part in The Holiday), it was undeniably a role of great importance to his career. As he explained to a reporter with Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph in May 2006, “This will probably be the thing that gets me recognized. It’s a big deal. The role was highly coveted over here and I’m really happy.”

Alex wouldn’t be Alex if he didn’t prepare to portray the LA detective by doing more than just memorizing his lines. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading and spending a lot of time with the LAPD guys. I’ve been doing that and going out shooting lots of guns and sort of rolling with these cops and just talking to them and just doing as much research stuff as I can.”

Obviously a fan of the show himself, in April 2009 he did some reminiscing of his own: “I couldn’t believe it, I was like, ‘Holy Shit, I’m on THE SHIELD. Oh my god!’”

You can catch Alex O’Loughlin in episodes 6.04-6.10 on DVD!

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