Here's the Scoop...
Here's something I never thought I'd hear an American Idol contestant say...
Kelly Clarkson says she didn't want to win the debut season of American Idol.
The 35-year-old singer reflected on her experience with the Fox reality competition prior to releasing two new singles from her upcoming album, Meaning of Life.
"I do remember [runner-up] Justin [Guarini] and I having the conversation before, because we found out we had to do a movie," Clarkson recalled in an interview with Entertainment Weekly honoring the 15th anniversary of her win.
"He really wanted to do a movie. And I really didn't want to do a movie," she confessed. "I was like, 'It would be super cool if I got second and you got first, because the winner has to do the movie and the second one doesn't."
Clarkson and Guarini ultimately both starred in the 2003 film From Justin to Kelly, which was critically panned and a box office flop. Clarkson told Time in 2015 that she pretends the movie doesn't exist.
"That's what I do," she said. "I just want it to go away. I want to own all of it. I just want it to not be here."
Clarkson released her debut studio album, Thankful, in 2003, after winning American Idol the previous year. She will release Meaning of Life on Oct. 27, and shared a music video for "Love So Soft" and audio for "Move You" on Thursday.
"Ya'll already know!!! #LOVESOSOFT music video!!" the singer announced in a tweet.
In addition to her new album, Clarkson is gearing up to serve as a judge in Season 14 of The Voice. She told EW she chose The Voice over the American Idol reboot because The Voice schedule worked best for her family.
If I was on American Idol I know I'd want to win! Just for all of the free Ford and Coke products alone!
Be Well,
Steve
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'Veep' to end with seventh season in 2018
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has confirmed via Twitter her White House sitcom Veep will end with its seventh season.
"It's true BUT don't despair cuz we still have a whole season 7 to write and film," the Emmy-winning actress tweeted Wednesday.
"We'll try to do a good job with the last season," her co-star Sam Richardson said in his own Twitter post.
"It became clear that this season should be the last season," Louis-Dreyfus told The Hollywood Reporter about why the show will end in 2018. "We don't want to repeat ourselves or wear out our welcome. The story has a finality to it that feels end-of-series."
Gavin O'Connor to helm 'Suicide Squad' sequel
The Accountant and Jane Got a Gun director Gavin O'Connor has signed on to write and helm Suicide Squad 2 for Warner Bros., but it is unclear exactly when he will shoot the movie.
The Hollywood Reporter said Mel Gibson and Jaume Collet-Serra also had been in the running for the job before the studio decided on O'Connor.
David Ayer directed the 2016 supervillain ensemble picture Suicide Squad -- which starred Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie -- and is now working on Gotham City Sirens with Robbie reprising her role of Harley Quinn.
Variety said Suicide Squad 2 likely won't start filming until at least the fall of 2018 due to the stars' busy schedules.
LOOSE LIPS:
"Maybe being young, you think, 'Well, I know how to do this!' and the older you get, the more you realize that you don't know anything."
--Julianne Moore, on how she prepares for film roles, to InStyle
??? Guess Who ???
Which Operation Dumbo Drop star is the latest actor to join the Kentucky Fried Chicken campaign?
'Celebrity Big Brother' to air on CBS this winter
CBS has announced it will air its first celebrity edition of the reality series Big Brother this winter.
Big Brother host Julie Chen will also preside over the star-studded version of the show, which places numerous people together in a house filled with cameras, challenging them to play games and perform various tasks to get ahead in the competition.
Additional details regarding scheduling and casting will be announced at a later date, the network said.
"Big Brother has been dominating pop culture throughout its 19 seasons, and it is exciting to grow the franchise with the first-ever celebrity edition in the U.S.," executive producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan said in a joint statement Thursday. "Celebrities will be under the watchful eye of the Big Brother cameras, facing the classic game elements, and, of course, new twists in this special winter event."
A celebrity version of Big Brother has been broadcast in the United Kingdom since 2001.
Donald Sutherland to receive an honorary Oscar
Filmmaker Charles Burnett, cinematographer Owen Roizman, actor Donald Sutherland and director Agnès Varda are to receive honorary Oscars in Los Angeles Nov. 11.
The Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted Tuesday night to present the four artists with Oscar statuettes at the academy's 9th annual Governors Awards at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center.
"This year's Governors Awards reflect the breadth of international, independent and mainstream filmmaking, and are tributes to four great artists whose work embodies the diversity of our shared humanity," Academy President John Bailey said in a statement Wednesday.
??? Guess Who ???
Which Operation Dumbo Drop star is the latest actor to join the Kentucky Fried Chicken campaign?
Goodfellas and Shades of Blue star Ray Liotta has signed on to play Colonel Harland Sanders in a Kentucky Fried Chicken campaign.
"Like a house divided on game day, the latest colonel can't decide which authentic southern flavor to root for: sweet and tangy Georgia Gold honey mustard BBQ chicken, or spicy and smoky Nashville Hot chicken," noted a news release announcing the commercials.
Liotta's first spot can be seen now on Twitter. It is expected to begin airing on television Sunday.
Liotta follows Rob Lowe and Darrell Hammond as recent portrayers of the iconic KFC pitchman.