Ellen DeGeneres Has a Bigger, Longer, Wider Show
June 27, 2009 by Chandra
Ultra popular, Emmy-winning actress, comic, and daytime talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres kicks off the second day of TBS’ televised A “Very Funny” Festival: Just for Laughs tonight, June 27, with another one of her always entertaining variety specials. Saturday Night Live alum Martin Short got things started last night with his own special called Let Freedom Hum: An Evening of Comedy Hosted by Martin Short.
The “Very Funny” Festival: Just For Laughs is a comedy event sponsored by TBS in collaboration with Just For Laughs, which has been running comedy festivals for 25 impressive years. The current extravaganza was filmed live in Chicago during the five-day period June 17th to 21st. More than 70 shows held around Chicago included performances by top comedic talent like DeGeneres, Louis CK, Andy Dick, Bill Engvall, Jimmy Fallon, David Alan Grier, Jim Jefferies, Lisa Lampanelli, George Lopez, Bob Odenkirk, and Russell Peters.
Comedy Talk: Jason Segel Bares All for Ellen
April 21, 2008 by Chandra
Well, maybe not exactly all. But, How I Met Your Mother star Jason Segel does tell talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres about his full frontal nudity in the current big-screen romantic comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall (which Segel wrote, by the way), as well as a few details about one of his worst breakups. The last will leave you saying, “Awwwww, poor guy!”
It’s a good thing that Ellen happened to love the movie, and she says so numerous times during the interview that aired this morning. Take a look for yourself after the jump.
Comedy Talk: ‘My Name Is Earl’ Star Jaime Pressly Chats with Ellen
April 10, 2008 by Chandra
NBC’s Karma sitcom My Name Is Earl returned last week with a tragic double episode focused on the aftermath of Earl’s recent coma-inducing car accident.
Emmy-winning actress Jaime Pressly plays Earl’s razor-sharp but loyal ex-wife Joy, of course, and she appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show last week to promote the sitcom’s post-writers strike premiere.
Just follow the jump to see how Pressly’s been doing these days. We already know her acting didn’t suffer during the prolonged, forced hiatus. In fact, you can catch her — or least her voice — as the character Mrs. Quilligan in the current animated movie Horton Hears a Who!
Comedy Talk: Minnie Driver Celebrates St. Paddy’s Day with Ellen
March 18, 2008 by Chandra
Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe nominee Minnie Driver stopped by Ellen DeGeneres‘ show on Monday morning, a fitting time since the English star of The Riches is part Irish and yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day.
Of course, the actress’ recently confirmed pregnancy was a major topic of discussion, along with her black Labrador Buddy, which apparently isn’t too thrilled at the moment about her expanding belly.
The interview actually fit into one commercial-free segment. But, Driver, who freely admits she spends a lot of time upchucking these days, was nice enough to stick around for a game-show type feature afterwards.
Two audience members went head-to-head in a holiday-inspired, charades-style game called Off the Top o’ Me Head, and one won a TiVo while the other received — wait for it — a six-day trip to Dublin, Ireland.
Wow! How about that?! And just like all talk-show audience members, all she paid to get in for the show was nothing. Lucky lady…
Anyway, I’ve included clips of both segments after the jump.
The Riches airs Tuesdays on FX at 10pm EST.
Comedy Talk: Wanda Sykes Times Two
March 17, 2008 by Chandra
Ask anybody who watches The New Adventures of Old Christine and they’ll tell you point blank — one of the best things about the show is comic-actress Wanda Sykes, who plays the dysfunctional, calm, straight-talking yin to Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ character’s dysfunctional, neurotic, blubbering yang. When you get these two women and their polar-opposite personalities together, it’s always funny.
One reason why Sykes rocks her role is because she’s long been recognized by her peers and anybody else with half a brain who’s seen her perform as one of the best standup comics in the business. That’s why when she makes the rounds on the talk shows, like she’s been doing this month, it’s always a good idea to stop and watch the resulting interviews.
I’ve got two ready for sampling right here, right now. They’re daytime and nighttime appearances, sort of like Barb and Old Christine’s contrary dispositions. The first interview is from the March 12th episode of daytime’s The Ellen DeGeneres Show and the second chat is from the March 6th installment of nighttime’s Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.
Since DeGeneres and Ferguson are both comic-actors with tons of sitcom experience themselves, their conversations with Sykes are even more of a treat. See what I’m talking about after the jump.