the buzz log

Gabourey Sidibe as Precious Jones

In stepping into the lead role of "Precious," newcomer actor Gabourey Sidibe had to take on some monumental tasks.

• The 26-year-old had to play an abused, obese 16-year-old, convincingly.
• She had to be good enough to satisfy fans of a modern literary classic, the 1996 novel "Push," by Sapphire.
• She needed to hold her own with a stand-out cast that includes mega-stars like Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, and Lenny Kravitz.
• She had to portray a character, Precious Jones, who weighs in at more than 300 pounds in a Hollywood that tends to slim down its leading ladies.

Well, mission very accomplished. The movie became a Sundance Festival favorite, building massive buzz on the Web and off. California and New York audiences talked up the film, directed by Lee Daniels (who produced "Monster's Ball"), and opening weekend searches came from about two-thirds of the nation, led by Southern states.

Monumental Buzz
Turned out Sidibe, a psychology student and receptionist, couldn't have been more perfect for the role. The New York native wasn't unfamiliar with bright lights, hanging out at the performances of her gospel-singer mom. But that hard lifestyle of constantly trying to get gigs was exactly why Sidibe aimed for a steady desk job. Her best friend convinced her to audition, and so Sidibe competed with 1,000 others testing for the part.

As The New York Times puts it, "she blew everyone away." The director fell in love ("with all my soul"). Since then, others have fallen in line. She has already received one prestigious award. Rolling Stones critic Peter Travers calls her "glorious," and her talk-show appearances literally leave people cheering.

Far From Precious
While Brooklyn-born and Harlem-raised, Sidibe's similarities to the character Precious ends there. Sidibe is one of six kids, and her mother Alice Tan Ridley is a loving teacher as well as a gospel singer—known by NYC locals as the godmother of soul of the Times Square subway station. To understand the horribly abused Precious, the college student fell into familiar academic mode and delved into research about abuse. Given all the Oscar talk around her performance, Sidibe's studying more than paid off. 

Level-Headed Grownup
In a Huffington Post interview, Sidibe said she felt "immense responsibility" to do Precious justice, and that her confidence came from age (24, when she auditioned): "I know Precious because I know who I am." Sidibe keeps it real. She also said that a role model doesn't come "because I'm in a movie. My first responsibility is to my family and to myself."

Fame isn't over yet, although Sidibe understands that her background and build, atypical for Hollywood, means people make snap judgments. “I think people look at me and don’t expect much," she told an Indiewire reporter, "even though, I expect a whole lot." In her new career as an actor, Sidibe sees her new life as "an office job...and my office happens to be a red carpet or a room full of interviewers." Now that's a grownup attitude.

Filed under: Movies, Actors, Books

Not quite the autumn doldrums, but the Buzz Multiplex's stoking up only slightly-better-than-mild interest in the weekend's offerings. Urban teen boys are favoring apocalyptic animation, Southern women the latest Madea project, the under-30 crowd the doomed sorority girls, and not that many people into artic terror.

One strange coincidence from these latest releases: An awful lot of women are converging on the screen. "Sorority Row" alone offers up six sisters (and a shotgun-toting Carrie Fisher a la Lillian Gish in "Night of the Hunter"). "Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself" focuses on Oscar-nominated Taraji P. Henson and Perry (in his guise as the popular Madea). Kate Beckinsale, leaving "Underworld" for Antarctica chills, plays a top cop in "Whiteout."

Okay, so except for possibly "I Can Do Bad," these roles may not be worth lighting up a feminist torch but hey, at least these ladies are something to watch. Below, a ranking of which femmes are drawing the most attention in searches on Yahoo!.

Most Searched Actresses in a Movie Opening This Weekend

1. Kate Beckinsale ("Whiteout")
2. Mary J. Blige ("Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself")
3. Tyler Perry (honorary woman in "I Can Do Bad All By Myself")
4. Jamie Chung ("Sorority Row")
5. Taraji P. Henson ("Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself")
6. Rumer Willis ("Sorority Row")
7. Briana Evigan ("Sorority Row")
8. Audrina Patridge ("Sorority Row")
9. Carrie Fisher ("Sorority Row")
10. Leah Pipes ("Sorority Row")

Filed under: Movies, Actors, Women

What with all the brou-ha-ha over the reality trainwreck "Jon and Kate Plus 8" stars announcing plans to divorce, you could easily overlook the birth of just two. Just. "Sex and the City" actress Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick welcomed twin girls, immediately sending Web searches on "sarah jessica parker" soaring.

If you're thinking that you hadn't noticed a baby bump on skinny SJP: You're right. The couple, who made public their challenges in expanding their family (they also have a six-year-old son), had decided to engage a surrogate.

The woman carrying the twins became a subject of unwanted media attention after their decision was made public. The glare of the Paparrazi led to the investigation of two police chiefs for burglarizing her Ohio house in a quest for juicy tidbits to sell to the tabloids. Yikes.

But all's well that end's well. E! Online reports that the babies are named Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick and Tabitha Hodge Broderick—family names from Parker's side—and are "doing beautifully."  

While we're sure the celebu-family would shun a reality TV show, we're thinking the twins might have a series of their own someday. "Second Graders in the City," anyone?

Filed under: Actors