1. TGS with Tracy Jordan (“30 Rock”)

For those who can remember back to the pilot of “30 Rock,” Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) was originally in charge of a not-terribly-great sketch comedy series called “The Girlie Show,” but when GE’s new Head of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming, Jack Donaghy made an executive decision to add the completely unpredictable Tracy Jordan (Tracy Morgan) to the show, the comedian’s ego necessitated a change in the show’s title to feature his name more prominently. 136 episodes later, we’ve scarcely seen a single “TGS” sketch in its entirety, and what bits we have seen have rarely been funny (at least not intentionally), but the shenanigans surrounding the series have been consistently hysterical.

2. The Alan Brady Show (“The Dick Van Dyke Show”)

Dick Van Dyke has discussed on many occasions how many TV writers have come up to him over the years and told him that the biggest reasons they decided to break into the business in the first place was because Rob Petrie and his cronies on Alan Brady’s variety show made it look like one of the most entertaining occupations in the world. Strangely, he hasn’t spoken nearly as much about how many of those writers finished their comments by yelling, “Thanks for nothing, you big liar!” I’m betting it’s about 50/50.

By the way, although “The Alan Brady Show” wasn’t real, the folks at MeTV talked Carl Reiner into doing a promo for the addition of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” to their line-up where he reprised the character. Funny stuff.

3. Invitation to Love (“Twin Peaks”)

If you’re not a David Lynch obsessive, you may not remember this soap opera, but those with keen eyes will recall that it turned up at least once in each of the first seven episodes of “Twin Peaks.” It’s also worth noting that “Invitation to Love” pointedly features identical-twin characters played by the same actress, which – in no way coincidentally – was more or less what Sheryl Lee did as Laura Palmer and Maddy Ferguson.

4. The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (“Spongebob Squarepants”)

The best bit about this cartoon-with-a-cartoon was the fact that the “Spongebob” show runners reunited former “McHale’s Navy” co-stars Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway to prove the characters’ respective voices. It doesn’t get much cooler than that.

5. The Terrence and Phillip Show (“South Park”)

Disproving a longstanding theory that Canadians can’t be funny while cementing the not-really-in-question suspicion that farts are always funny, it need only be said that Terrence and Phillip are a stone-cold gas. Sadly, this clip is from their movie, “Asses of Fire,” rather than their series, but it’s basically the same thing. Y’know, except filthier. Much, much filthier.

Most Bullz-Eye readers will recognize Adrian Grenier as Vincent Chase from HBO’s “Entourage.” But there’s much more to him than that. Grenier has always been passionate about the environment and living a sustainable lifestyle, and eventually that passion led him to co-found a company dedicated to this purpose.

I recently attended Ford’s 2012 Go Further event will several hundred other bloggers, and Grenier was featured on a panel with his SHFT.com co-founder Peter Glatzer to discuss green lifestyle issues along with other experts and activists. Frankly I came away very impressed. So many activists in this area can become very preachy about the subject, and that’s particularly true with celebrities. But Grenier is much more interested in inspiring people to make their lives more sustainable, and that’s the mission of SHFT.com according to their website:

SHFT is a multi-media platform founded by film producer Peter Glatzer and actor-filmmaker Adrian Grenier. Our mission is to convey a more sustainable approach to the way we live through video, design, art and culture.

The website covers a wide variety of topics, including architecture, art, business, conservation, design, energy, fashion, food and home & garden. They’re aiming for an audience looking for innovative ways to change the way they live their lives in order to better take care of our planet.

One effort is called “The Big SHFT” which involves a partnership with Ford Motor Company.

The night before, we heard from Bill Ford who recounted his own commitment to these issues and he candidly discussed how the powers that be at Ford looked at him like he was an alien when he brought up these issues years ago. But he wouldn’t give up, and now Ford has become a leader in this area.

Among the presentations at the Go Further event involved some of the innovations coming out of Ford’s research labs that are changing the materials that go into their cars. One example is Ford’s use of soybean-based foam in seat cushions, backs and head restraints that saves about 5 million pounds of petroleum annually. The next step according to the researchers is making these foams biodegradable.

Ford is also focusing on recycled materials like plastic bottles, denim and old tires. They also working on other initiatives, like retired US currency of all things. With its strong, tensile characteristics, they are looking into shredding these old greenbacks for use in the manufacture of plastic parts like trays and bins. Currently retired currency is simply burned.

The possibilities are endless, as long as we put our minds to it. Ford is one of the many companies pushing for these solutions, and SHFT.com wants to inspire more companies and individuals to look for more innovations. You don’t have to be a multi-national corporation to make a difference.

Check out the SHFT.com website for more cool content in this area. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter. For some the green issue has become very political and polarizing, but it doesn’t have to be that way. All of us can learn more about simple changes we can make for a more sustainable lifestyle, and this bottom-up approach can have a huge impact.

Be sure to check out our interview with the “Casa de mi Padre” cast and crew, including Will Farrell, Diego Luna, Génesis Rodríguez, Nick Offerman, and writer Andrew Steele!

If you’re a regular viewer of Telemundo telenovelas such as “Prisionera,” “Dame Chocolate” and “Doña Bárbara,” it’s a bit odd you’re reading an online men’s magazine. If you have watched them, however, odds are you are already a fan of the beautiful young woman whose full name is Génesis Rodríguez Pérez. A second generation Latin American TV star — her father is Venezuelan legend José Luis Rodríguez, aka “el Puma” — Ms. Rodríguez (“La Pumita”) is Miami born and bred. She is, to say the least, equally loquacious in both Spanish and English and, in the nicest possible way, just a bit wacky in her approach to chatting up the press. So much so, in fact, we expect her to conquer Hollywood shortly.

A seasoned veteran with plenty of onscreen gravitas at the shockingly young age of 24, she makes a entirely credible romantically conflicted leading lady opposite budding Latin American leading man Will Ferrell (pronounced “Wheel Fer-all”) in the over-the-top Spanish language Mexploitation/telenovela spoof, “Casa de mi Padre.” “Casa” however, is not Ms. Rodríguez’s only recent brush with the big time. After a relatively small part as one of Turtle’s bevy of attractive drivers on “Entourage,” she has also appeared in her first really big American movie as Jamie Bell’s girlfriend in the hit thriller, “Man On a Ledge.” The high profile production also gave her a scene with thespian living legend Ed Harris (see a photo from the film below, before question #4). Her next gig is “Hours,” an intense drama set during Hurricane Katrina and co-starring Paul Walker.

Clearly, Génesis Rodríguez is more than holding her own in the world of Yanqui entertainment. She certainly gave much better than she got when it was time for us to ask her five questions.

1. Who’s more intimidating, Ed Harris or Will Ferrell?

Ed Harris, because Will Ferrell’s a teddy bear. Will Ferrell’s the sweetest individual you could ever come across. Ed Harris is very method, so if he plays a villain, good God. You’re going to be scared. You’re going to be very scared.

2. You obviously did just fine in the movie, but since this was your first big, funny movie with some pretty major comedy talent, are we going to see your cracking up all over the “Casa de mi Padre” Blu-ray?

I really tried to keep it together. There were moments. I don’t take myself very seriously, as you can see; I’m kind of a goofball. I kind of get nervous when people are extremely intense. So I tend to crack. I just start laughing for no reason. If someone has an accidental fall or something, and they’re hurt, I can’t help it. It just happens out of nervousness. So, I really had to learn how to keep it together. I didn’t want to be that jerk that Will hired that’s a newbie that can’t hang around the comedy people.

I had to say different, random things in my head, like, “This isn’t funny, Génesis, why don’t you just come on?” “He’s not funny.” “This is not funny, come on.” I would think about my grandmother and what I was going to eat later and just random things to keep my mind occupied — as well as thinking about my acting. It’s a very complicated thing to do!

3. Since this is for an online men’s magazine, I am forced to ask you about “Entourage.” What was the best thing and what was the worst thing about your stint there?

The best thing was just the people who do “Entourage.” They’re so very respectful. They’re a very nice group of guys to hang out with on set.

The worst thing about it is that I was hired to be a driver and I didn’t know how to drive. I had to drive the car and I didn’t know how to do that. They said, “Hey, Gen, this is a $500,000 car. Are you okay with this?”

And I said, “No, see, I don’t know how to drive.” So, they had to get a stunt [person] for my little part in “Entourage,” which I find to be very ridiculous.

4. And what’s the best and the worst thing about being a telenovela superstar?

Telenovelas have a stigma to them but it’s part of our culture. People don’t know how hard it is to be in a telenovela. It’s 18 hour workdays, Monday through Saturday, for eleven to [16] months straight. No breaks. We only had Sunday off. We really became vegetables by the end of it. It was extreme hard work.

The good thing about it was the audience that we got. We were on the air five days a week and we were in prime time. People were watching us when they were cooking, or putting the kids to bed, or eating dinner. You really became a part of their home. When people recognize me, they hug me, they kiss me, and they love you because you’re part of their family.

The same thing. When I see someone from a telenovela that I love, I kind of melt. I kind of melt because I adore them. You don’t even know the person but you feel like you love them. That’s the beauty of a soap opera; it’s a very special fan, a very special audience.

5. Speaking of your telenovela work, Will Ferrell has publicly marveled at your ability to cry on cue. What’s the secret?

This is something you learn doing a soap opera. It’s something that you automatically know that you just have to do. People get scared when they hear that, especially men. They’re like, “Ohhh — this one; she knows how to cry on command. This is kind of scary.” But you kind of can tell when I’m faking it.

You can tell because when I really cry, my face just completely distorts and morphs into another ugly, ugly face. My chin starts trembling and that’s when it really hurts to cry. The tears thing — it’s just technique. It’s just like anything else, for me. Which is a gift, I know. I know, it’s a gift. Do you want me to do it right now?

[We were initially startled, but of course we did!]

You don’t have a camera, but you’ll see.

[At this point, Ms. Rodríguez took a gulp of water. An intense, but not particularly disturbed, look crossed her face as she began the tearing up process. Her voice got noticeably more quiet, but she continued talking.]

It’s coming…You get glassy. You just start getting watery. I’m not thinking about absolutely anything. It’s coming. You see it? You can’t see it yet? It’s going to happen.

[And sure enough, the waterworks flow. Very impressive.]

It’s nothing. I could talk about cupcakes and dogs. I can talk about happy things and rainbows.

Bullz-Eye: So The Game is now officially a game.

Neil Strauss: Yes. In a matter of speaking. [Laughs.]

How weird was that? Was it an idea that you came up with, or did someone else pitch it to you?

Yeah, I don’t think I ever would’ve come up with that on my own. [Laughs.] But now I’m really into it. Now I really love it. There’s two elements. One, it’s really fun – Adam (Kornblum) made a game, and I made it into more of a game that I’d want to play with my friends – and, two, it’s just kind of fun to have a game. It’s kind of a childhood dream. It’s not just Monopoly or Sorry! or Mousetrap or Chutes and Ladders or…there’s this game 221B Baker Street, which is, like, a better Clue. [Laughs.] But all those games…I’d always wanted to do a game, but what I think really motivated me to want to do it was that Adam contacted me, and…I didn’t know him at all, but sometimes in the deluge there’s a compelling email where we sit around and think, “Maybe we should contact this guy.” And he had done a game for Hasbro, so he had some credibility there. He said he had made a game based on the books I’d done already that he’d been, like, taking out to bars and playing there just to meet women. So I thought, okay, this guy’s field-tested his idea, he’s not just writing about an idea that he’s come up with while he’s sitting in front of his email. I guess he’s now engaged, so obviously it worked to some degree. [Laughs.] Anyway, I thought, “Okay, let’s kind of entertain this and take it seriously.” And he sent it over, and I kept just playing it with different friends and then adding tweaks and changing it and adding new types of cards. Like, I really wanted the game to be something that you play in bars but, like, for example, when I’d go out, I’d end up bringing people back to my house and I’d be, like, “Fuck, now what do I do with them?” And the game’s kind of like social lubrication, a way to get to know people and having everybody having fun and laughing and bonding without any awkwardness.

You said Adam got the ball rolling, but when someone’s playing the game of The Game, what’s something that you personally added to the game?

I think a couple of my favorite things are the Neg cards, where, like, whoever has the worst driver’s license picture or the most wrinkled shirt loses points. [Laughs.] It’s, like, I thought, what’s fun is people laughing at themselves and their own foibles in a non-malicious way, where you’re teasing someone like they’re friends might tease them. Another favorite is the Secret cards, which are basically…it’s a secret social mission to pull off over the course of the game. For example, if you make up something conversationally and someone else in the group believes it’s true, you get two points. So all through the game there are these two layers: the game itself, and the social mission. And it’s a fun layer. It’s a fun form of manipulation, because you’re, like, “How can I get everyone to believe this and get my points?” The social dynamics part is something that, as far as I know, hasn’t been seen in a game yet. There are games with fun challenges, tests, points giving and taking, but where you’re actually trying to execute a social mission within the group…? That’s where it becomes unique.

It definitely seems that you don’t have to be single or on the market, as it were, to enjoy the game.

Oh, definitely not. In fact, we had a dinner party a few nights ago, it was about 12 people, and I’d say about eight of them were couples in serious relationships. So, no, it doesn’t matter at all. Either it’s good to get to know someone or it’s just fun to play with friends. But, I mean, my girlfriend and I play it all the time. It’s fun to go to a party and bring your own game. By the way, you only do that at parties with really good friends who are proud of you and can appreciate that you have your own game, and not with casual acquaintances who are, like, “Why is this asshole bringing his game to our party?” [Laughs.]

Having brought up the fact that you have a girlfriend begs a question about the original book: how quickly did you admit to her that you were the guy behind The Game? Or did she know from the get-go?

Uh, yeah, at this point, I think I’m kind of screwed. I kind of have to say it up front, because if I don’t, one of these things happens: they know the book already, their friends are going to tell them, or they’re going to Google me and find out. Better that I be the bearer of the news. [Laughs.] It can definitely make it more difficult as far as getting people to trust anything you’re saying. I think my only recourse is to be as sincere as possible, because everything is tainted with suspicion.

So what was the original impetus for writing The Game? You’d written in the medium of pop culture quite a bit prior to that, certainly, but…

I think the initial impetus was being a rock critic at Rolling Stone and The New York Times and going to all these shows, which are carnivals of flesh and sexuality, really. But that’s rock ‘n’ roll. [Laughs.] And I’m just the lonely guy with the notepad watching everybody else have all the fun, hoping that maybe some girl’s going to come up and talk to me because I’m writing something in my notepad. And then I’d say, “Oh, yeah, I’m going to this show next week and these other shows the following week, if you want to come with me,” and I assumed that was going to be a date, and…I remember once I met this girl at one, and she ended up making out with the guy sitting next to me. And I was, like, “What the fuck…? What’s wrong with me?” So it really came not from a desire to go underground and assume an identity and be an investigative journalist or even to write a book but, rather, to help get over my own problems with women. [Laughs.]

So what’s the status of the movie version of The Game?

It looks like…they’re in casting mode for the movie version, which I think is probably a great leap forward. [Laughs.] I’m always hesitant. Until the day they begin shooting, I don’t believe it’s going to happen. But it’s definitely the closest it’s been.

Is that how you feel about the movie version of The Dirt as well?

No. Unfortunately, I’m a lot less certain about The Dirt. [Laughs.] But, by the way, The Dirt‘s script is fricking incredible. This guy Rich Wilkes wrote it, and…I think it’s the first book of mine that was optioned for a movie, and that was, what, 10 years ago now? I don’t even know how long it’s been anymore. And, literally, people come up to me who’ve read the script for The Dirt that haven’t read the book, and they’re, like, “Great script! I really need to go read the book now!” That never happens. I just hope…they’ve got to make it. They’ve got to. I just don’t when it’s going to happen. But if you haven’t read the script, you really need to. He really captured it well. I read it, and I was, like, “This is why I don’t write the scripts for my own books. I never could’ve done as good a job as he did.”

Of the other books you’ve collaborated on with musicians…well, I’m hard pressed to believe that The Dirt can be topped, but do you have another favorite experience among them?

Well, I’d say the Marilyn Manson book, but all my books were kind of crazy experiences. The Marilyn Manson book was really the first, and it was fun. The fun books are when a band is just getting huge and they’re sort of really enjoying the decadence of that. I remember when I first went out with Marilyn Manson, calling my friend back home and saying, “I think I’m gonna die if I’m on tour with this band.” [Laughs.] And then I did a book with Dave Navarro which was just crazy, because I basically kind of lived with him for a year while he was shooting up cocaine every 15 minutes and heroin every few hours. Doing that book, I thought he was going to die.  I can’t even really explain it. I mean, I got a call from him once, and he said, “Dude, I’m overdosing.” I’m, like, “Fuck, man, what do you want me to do?” “I just want you to make sure you record this and get it in the book.” I’m, like, “Okay, I think you’re going to be fine, if you’re worried about wanting me to record this.” [Laughs.] But, yeah, that was really, really dark, that book.

We had a weird experience with him right when the new Jane’s Addiction album was coming out. We had a chance to interview him – this was actually my buddy David who did the interview – and he’s trying to ask Navarro about the album, and he just has almost nothing to say. Finally, he’s, like, “I thought this was for a guy’s site.” Apparently, he just figured we were going to be asking him about porn stars.

Ah, so he wanted to talk about that stuff and not the music…?

Yep. He had almost nothing to say about the music.

Yeah, it’s funny. I suppose it shows where his mind is at these days, huh? [Laughs.]

Has there been any book that you’ve attempted to write that fell through, either because the person ended up not wanting to give you the go-ahead for all-access that you’d anticipated?

There are definitely books where I’ve met with the person and decided not to write the book, for sure. And there were even, like, very, very famous people whose books would sell well. But they weren’t willing to go to the mat and say everything and were, y’know, too worried about how they were gonna come across or what they looked like, so I didn’t take them.

Did any of them eventually move forward with someone else?

Yeah. But I don’t want to call them out. [Laughs.] And there were a couple of books early on that I kind of started to write but never got past the first chapter. I thought it’d be fun someday just to put out the excerpts from unpublished autobiographies. Some of them were of kind of funny characters. There’s one I’m doing right now, though, that…I can’t say who it is, but it…I mean, the person’s telling me these stories, and I can’t even focus, they’re so intense. And it’s not someone you’d ever guess, but when you hear who it is, you’ll be, like, “Okay, that makes sense.” But it’s not someone you’d ever guess.

Can you say if it’s a musician or an actor?

Someone from the music world. Musicians have better stories, y’know? Actors have to behave to get a job. Musicians don’t. Lindsay Lohan or Charlie Sheen behave a certain way and lose their jobs, but rock stars do it and get raises. [Laughs.] No one would have blinked an eye if a rock star behave the way Charlie Sheen has.

How did you make the jump from writing articles to writing books?

I think the transition was…I started out doing an article on Marilyn Manson for Rolling Stone, and I originally took it because I just didn’t like him. I just thought, “This guy’s a big phony,” and I’d never written a negative article, but I was just going to call this guy out. And then I ended up really liking him and ended up writing a positive article. So his book editor contacted me and said, “Hey, how’d you like to try writing a book?” And I said, “Sure,” but I remember I put it in the contract that if I didn’t like it, I could remove my name from the book itself. I thought, “Hey, this way I get experience writing a book, but I’m not on the hook for it.” [Laughs.] I probably wrote for…I don’t know, but probably for at least ten years before writing a book. And I probably wrote other people’s book for five, six, seven years before I finally had the balls to write my own book. So it’s really been a slow build. But the good news is that by the time I finally wrote my own book, I had so much writing experience that it held together.

With Emergency: This Book Will Save Your Life, the content is a significant jump forward from The Game. I think a lot of people might’ve envisioned you as being a one-trick pony, like, “Oh, the pick-up artist guy,” but that’s a much deeper topic.

Exactly. And, y’know, I think that’s the whole thing. [Exhales loudly.] God, all the topics I want to write about are so deep. My biggest challenge is…I’ve got four books under contract that are non-collaborations, and they all require so much research and immersion like Emergency did. But I think the secret is that you just write what’s interesting to you. You don’t write what you think other people are going to like. That way you’re passionate about it. I remember thinking I could sit there all day trying to figure out what people are going to like and do surveys and things like that, but I think they’ll like anything that you’re really passionate about and connect with and communicate well. I’ve read plenty of books on subjects that I wasn’t interested in that were great books.

I’m sure there were several moments while writing Emergency that would qualify for this, but…was there a particular revelation you discovered about the financial situation in America and the economic downturn that was just heartstopping?

Well, you know what really got me? The fact that people aren’t worried about anything in the world until it affects their wallets and their bankbooks. Do you know what I mean? Like, what gets people more panicked than anything is when gas prices go up. More than terrorists acts, more than natural disasters, more than all these things that are more likely to happen than a complete economic Armageddon. People in various places are experiencing earthquakes or wildfires or tornadoes, yet no one really thinks about themselves until they suddenly go, “Omigod, gas prices went up,” and feel it in their own bankbook. That seems to be the only way to get people to respond. And that was just sort of…worrisome. And disappointing. If you look at the Great Depression, the people who survived that were, like, “You suffer, and it makes you stronger. You survive.” You learn to have community gardens, you learn to economize your resources, and in the end, having to struggle and suffer isn’t so bad. I was surprised and yet not surprised that the big epiphany was that no one takes anything seriously until it hits their own wallet.

You’ve had some pretty high profile pieces in your career, including your piece about Kurt Cobain’s suicide and the Eric Clapton profile you did for The New York Times. Is there an article you’ve written about someone perhaps not as immediately notable that you’re particularly proud of?

Yeah, for me, I think it’s the article about Paul Nelson (“The Man Who Disappeared”). He was a music critic at Rolling Stone, and…basically he gave Bob Dylan these Woody Guthrie albums and said, “Oh, you should check these out!” And Bob Dylan became Bob Dylan. He signed the first punk band – the New York Dolls – to Mercury. And he was just a great rock critic. Unlike the Lester Bangs style, he had a very literary style. And he died alone of starvation in his apartment, just completely neglected and with 10 years of writers block. It was very humbling. You spend all this time, you care about culture and film and music, you sacrifice personal relationships to culture. He couldn’t have personal relationships. He could only have relationships with culture. And in the end he died alone. I mean, you sit there, you write all this copy, and in the end you think, “Well, what am I doing with my life? What is it adding up to? I’m not going out at night because on my deadlines. What am I doing?” It was a very brooding, humbling article to write. It took me so long to write it, just because it struck so close to home. You just don’t want to end up like him, because, y’know, he had an estranged son, an ex-wife, and…he was forgotten about.

Just to wrap up, as a TV critic, I have to ask you about The Product, the series that you, Navarro, and Cliff Dorfman (Entourage) were set to do for FX. It obviously never made it to air, but how far along did it get? Did you make a pilot, or was is strictly a concept?

Yeah, The Product was an actual pilot, it made it over to FX, but they didn’t greenlight it in the end. I’m actually doing a show now that…I guess it hasn’t been announced, but I’m writing a show for HBO. We’ll see what happens with that. But, you know, it seems like a lot of writers…now, I’m not saying I’m the same pantheon here… [Laughs.] But you look at, like, Ayn Rand, William Faulkner, they did some of their worst work in Hollywood. In the end, it just kind of sucked up a lot of their time and kept them from doing the writing they really should’ve been doing.

Bullz-Eye: We met very briefly in person when you were at the TCA tour for the “Californication” panel.

Carla Gugino: Yes! Very good…and a totally different project! [Laughs.]

BE: To say the least. So how did you find your way into “The Mighty Macs”? Was the script pitched directly to you?

CG: Yeah, you know, my wonderful agent – his name’s Mike Nilon – he’s actually from Philly, so he kind of knew the story and said, “There’s this filmmaker, Tim Chambers, who wrote and is gonna direct this, and he’s really interested in meeting with you for the role of Cathy Rush.” And I was doing a play…I was doing “Suddenly Last Summer” off Broadway with Blythe Danner at that time, so Tim came to see the play and took me out to dinner afterwards, and he basically told me the story. And, of course, then I read the script, and we went on from there. But he was so passionate about this story and had done such extensive research and was just really galvanized to tell it. And I think that’s the thing for me: it’s always about looking for a person with a vision at the helm, and a character that I have not gotten to play yet. That sort of scares me in a great way. [Laughs.] And in this particular case, you know, Cathy’s a pretty phenomenal woman – she’s still alive and thriving – so to do justice to her story felt daunting in the most fantastic way.

BE: I know that she had been on the set while you were filming. I know that not everyone necessarily likes to meet the person they’re going to be playing, but did you relish the opportunity to be around her and kind of get a feel for her as a person?

CG: Yeah, you know, I have to say that I…I felt really  blessed to have her there. I think the thing is…it’s probably difficult if you have a real person around you if they’re really holding on to a particular way that they want you to play them or think you’re going to play them. But in terms of research, I think it’s a such a gift to have the real person around. And for me…I mean, it was never going to be about me imitating Cathy very much, just because I feel like when you do an imitation of a real person, that ends up being what people are looking at: how good or not is that imitation? In this particular case, what I really wanted to portray was her essence and the way that she was able to lead these girls into really unknown terrain at that time. So that was sort of the most important thing that I focused on, and I think that was the most important thing to her, too. So we really had a nice place to meet on that.

BE: So what was your background in basketball going into the film?

CG: You know what? Very little. [Laughs.] Just as an enjoyable experience. Like, I love watching it, and I got to sit on the floor of a Lakers game when I shot my first scene in “Entourage.” And that was basically about it for me. And that was also what was really daunting and really exciting. I came out of the movie certainly much more knowledgeable about basketball, because for me, I wanted to understand every play I was drawing out, I wanted to understand the game in a way that I would as a coach. So that was definitely challenging, and also very exciting. But it’s interesting, you know, because I guess in a way – and I don’t even know that I’ve said this before, but I’m realizing it as I’m speaking to you right now – it’s kind of a metaphor for this movie. This movie, bizarrely but in a great way, kind of has something for everybody…but not in that general way of [In a sing-song voice] “Oh, there’s something for everybody!” But, truly, if you love basketball, it’s a really cool and amazing story about how this tiny little Catholic girls college and its coach made it to the nationals and changed the face of women’s sports forever. If you are a religious person, it’s also amazing to see the support of and the state that these nuns at this school ultimately had in championing this team, and the fact that the team always felt that there was a sixth player. Sister Sunday sort of personifies that in this movie. And if you’re just a person who wants to see a really inspiring story right now about the fact that in the midst of…I mean, we live in a tough world, and it’s hard times right now, and I think it’s also important to have a story that’s not only incredibly entertaining but also makes you walk out of the theater making you feel better about your life, yourself, and humanity.

BE: You made a comment a minute ago about how “The Mighty Macs” is a decidedly different sort of project from “Californication.” This definitely wouldn’t be defined as one of your sexiest roles, per se. Do you relish the opportunity to mix it up and show different sides of yourself?

CG: For sure. I mean, for me, it’s always been about that. It’s really about…you know, I’m so thrilled that this is a G-rated family movie that everybody can go to, because that story is so appropriate for that. And I love that “Californication” is made for adults. It’s a totally different kind of humor and a different kind of…yeah, it’s a much sexier show and all those things. And then I’m about to go do an Athol Fugard play on Broadway with Rosemary Harris and Jim Dale, which is a decidedly different thing. So to me, aside from the people that I love, acting really is the love of my wife. I want to be able to play everything and be able to disappear into roles and have people accept and believe me in those. I’m much more interested in that than my image as an actor. So it is thrilling to be able to mix it up, and I’m appreciative that I get to do that.

BE: On the topic of “Californication,” how did you find your way into the series? Did David Duchovny approach you and ask you to be involved?

CG: No, actually, you know, David and I had a lot of mutual friends, but we’d hadn’t met before that. The creator of the show, Tom Kapinos…I just got a call from my agent, saying, “there’s a role that they would really love you to play in that season. Would you sit down and talk to him?” And he kind of pitched me what the character was like, and I…was only able to read the first episode was in, maybe the first two, but I really liked where they were going with it. And he said, “I really want someone really formidable, because he’s going to have kind of a different relationship with her than he has with any other woman besides Natascha McElhone’s character.” And she’s obviously such a strong and beautiful woman that they really needed a great kind of full woman to embody that role. Basically, everything I said that was important to me for the role, he absolutely incorporated it into the part. So it was an amazing experience. I really loved working with all of those guys.

BE: Talking about various projects you’ve done over the years, you actually started in sitcom work, which “Californication” is, at least to a certain extent, an extension of that. Do you have any particular anecdotes from those days that still stick with you that were particularly educational?

CG: Well, it was amazing, you know, to work with Michael J. Fox (on “Spin City”), who’s so brilliant in that medium. So that was, in and of itself, fantastic. You know, I think it’s interesting, because I think sitcoms are such a cool kind of hybrid of television or film meets theater, because you do have a live audience, and you really are working with that comic timing in a very specific way because of that. So I don’t even know that I have any anecdotes, other than that doing “Spin City” was just such an amazing kind of thing, because I met my best friend, Connie Britton, on that show. So that was a huge thing. And then also I was able to, as a very young person, live in New York and film an amazing sitcom there. I never really saw myself in a sitcom, and then I really had such a great time doing it. I find myself in a lot of dramatic fare, which I love, but I also do love doing comedy. So that’s always a great opportunity when I’m able to do that.

BE: Would you say there’s a favorite project over the years that you’ve done that didn’t get the love you thought it deserved?

CG: Oh, gosh, a lot of them. [Laughs.] Let’s see… I mean, honestly, it happens so often, because so often you make movies that sort of go under the radar. I did a movie called “Judas Kiss” quite a number of years back, with Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hal Holbrook, and Simon Baker. That movie did really well around the world, but it just didn’t really get a lot of play in this country. “Miami Rhapsody,” which was David Frankel’s first movie, that’s another one. It was with Sarah Jessica Parker and Antonio Banderas – that’s where Antonio and I met – and Mia Farrow, Paul Mazursky, and Jeremy Piven. That’s also where Jeremy and I first met. That movie could’ve been a huge runaway comedy hit, and it has a real cult following. People who have seen it love that movie, but not that many people have seen it, relatively speaking. So throughout time there’s a lot of that. I think that as an actor you just kind of get used to it. You kind of give your gift, you give whatever you give, and you move forward, because the rest of it’s out of your control.

BE: As far as your TV work that’s kind of underrated, I’m a huge fan of “Threshold,” but I really wish they’d release “Karen Sisco” on DVD.

CG: I know! You know, it’s so funny, “Karen Sisco,” I have to say…well, first of all, thank you for “Threshold,” too, but with “Karen Sisco,” what’s really fun is that, right now, I’m working on “Justified,” and that’s our old “Karen Sisco” team, and it’s also Elmore Leonard, so that’s a really fun world to revisit. I have a really soft spot for “Karen Sisco” as well, and…interestingly enough, if you’re an Elmore Leonard fan, you can get this on iTunes,  but Joseph Gordon Levitt directed a short film which I produced with him that Elmore is also in support of. It’s with Eric Stoltz and myself, it’s called “Sparks,” and it’s based on a short story Elmore wrote called “Sparks.” You can get it on iTunes, and it’s only about 15 or 20 minutes long, but it’s a really cool short film. But, yeah, “Karen Sisco,” we only did 10 episodes, but people still always come up to be about that show. Because of the timing and because of all sorts of networks and studios behind the scenes, it just didn’t have as long a life as it should have. But it was certainly a special show.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that it didn’t have its problems. For starters, I don’t really believe that a woman who was so opposed to the idea of even dating Vince would suddenly agree to go on a date with him and then accept a marriage proposal in the short span of 24 hours. Not only is that incredibly disrespectful to the audience, but it completely undermines who Sofia is as a character and what made Vince fall so head over heels for her in the first place. Nevertheless, Vince and Sophia have decided to tie the knot in Paris, and Drama and Turtle have taken it upon themselves to convince Sloan to be in attendance – although she doesn’t entirely believe their story at first.

But while Sloan is honored to be considered important enough to be there for the big event (how Billy Walsh, or even Scotty Lavin for that matter, was left off the guest list is a mystery), she’s concerned that it’s all just a ploy to get her and Eric in the same room together. I’m sure that was partially the plan, but Vince and the guys were never going to let Eric run off to New York without at least trying to fix things. And though Vince initially made it worse by accidentally dropping the news to Terrence that Sloan was pregnant, he made things right in the end. That speech to Sloan was both sweet and touching, and it’s yet another example of how much Vince has matured since the first episode.

You could say the same thing about Ari, who’s been fighting tooth and nail to win back his wife all season. But while he’s always been able to talk a big game, Ari showed that he could follow through on his words as well by impulsively quitting the talent agency when he realized that it would be the only way to save his marriage and his relationship with his kids. I have to admit that it took me a little by surprise, because while I fully expected for him and Melissa (whose first name reveal was awfully nonchalant considering all the attention it’s been given throughout the years) to get back together, I never thought that he’d give up the only other thing he loved in order to make it work. In hindsight, however, it makes sense that quitting would be the only way that Mrs. Ari would take him back, and I applaud Ellin for allowing Ari to make that kind of sacrifice.

So, to recap: Vince is headed to Paris to marry Sophia; Eric has hopped on a plane with Sloan to work things out; Drama’s star is on the rise; Turtle is a millionaire; and Ari quit his job and moved to Florence with his wife… only to receive a call from the head of Warner Bros. days later offering him the chance to take over as CEO. That was a pretty cheeky move on Ellin’s part, but if a big screen movie really is in the works, then it’s the next natural place to take the story. Because even though they got their happy ending, you’d be crazy to think this is the last we’ve seen of Vincent Chase and his entourage.

1) Vince finally settles down

Obviously, I don’t mean that Vince is going to quit acting, move to Connecticut and start a family, but it definitely seems like he’s ready to start the next chapter of his life. Though trying to win over Sophia’s approval by making a video of interviews from ex-lovers might not sound like the greatest idea, it still had the desired effect – at least when combined with Drama and Turtle’s personal anecdotes. I still don’t buy the idea that Sophia is the first woman that Vince has ever pursued this intensely (a case can be made for both Mandy Moore and Sasha Grey), but he does seem like a new man after leaving rehab, and it’s nice to see him finally focusing on the important things in life.

2) Drama gets his chance to be the star

The one thing that Drama has wanted more than anything else since the show’s first season was to be taken seriously as an actor – something that has eluded him even when he was part of a hit TV series. But this miner movie sounds like it’s finally going to get him the respect he so desperately desires, especially when everyone in Hollywood seems to love Billy Walsh’s script. Of course, a lot of them also think that it’s too good for someone of Drama’s abilities, but Vince is so determined to make the movie with his big brother as the star that he donated $100,000 to Phil’s favorite charity in order to convince him to move ahead with the project. Could an Emmy nomination be far off?

3) Eric wins back Sloan

Out of anyone in the group, Eric seemed the least likely to get his happy ending, if only because he and Sloan haven’t really spoken much since their break-up. It doesn’t help that Eric’s been acting like a world-class douche lately (i.e. sleeping with Melinda and refusing to work with Johnny Galecki), but even when he’s trash-talking Sloan, it’s obvious that he still has feelings for her. And now that he knows that she’s pregnant with his baby, you can be sure that he’s going to do whatever it takes to win back her trust and affection, although I’m not sure he ever lost it. Sloan says that she can’t be with Eric because her family hates him, but she clearly still cares about him or she wouldn’t be trying so hard to push him away. My guess? Eric will leave Hollywood to start a family with Sloan in New York. It’s not like it hasn’t been building towards this over the last few seasons anyway, and it’s the only way that Eric will ever truly be happy.

4) Turtle becomes an entrepreneur

I have to admit that I was never the biggest Turtle fan when I first started watching the show, but over the years, as the character was given more to do and Jerry Ferrara improved as an actor, he’s slowly become my favorite. Which is why I hate to see him always getting the short end of the stick, like in this latest season, which found him forced out of Avion by his partners, dumped by Alex, and then mistreated by the Don Peppe’s reps, who don’t seem to care how much work or money he’s already put into the restaurant because they don’t carry any of the risk. Learning that Avion went public was like kicking the poor guy when he was down, but thanks to Vince’s own belief in him, Turtle will have his day in the sun after all. It’s a little hard to believe that someone who started out as the ultimate celebrity mooch is now a multimillionaire businessman, but that’s the kind of fantasy ending that fans of the show have to come to expect.

5) Ari and his wife get back together (and we finally learn her first name)

When the season began, the sheer suggestion that Ari and his wife might get a divorce seemed preposterous, but as the weeks went on, it looked more and more like it was actually going to happen. As anyone who reads this blog already knows, I’ve never been fond of the idea of splitting those two up, but I’ve learned to accept that it’s a possibility, and was even looking forward to Ari starting over with Dana Gordon. But after that discussion between the two of them tonight where Ari admitted that he’s still in love with his wife, there doesn’t seem to be any other outcome save for Mrs. Ari taking him back.

So, what do you think about my predictions? Will everyone get a happy ending or are some of the guys primed for disappointment? Let me know in the comments section below and then come back next week following the series finale to see how it all ends.

Believe it or not, it was that GQ reporter from last week (as if anyone thought that was the last we were going to see of her), whose interview with Vince pegs him as a bit of a womanizer. You can understand why he would want to do everything in his power to prevent a piece like that from ever running, but I’m a little surprised at his overall reaction. Vince seemed genuinely shocked at her portrayal of him, which makes me think that they either erased his memory “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”-style at the rehab center or he’s even dumber than he looks. Of course, at the rate this season is going, I’m sure that Sophia will eventually fall for Vince’s movie star charm, domesticate his inner wild child, and they’ll go on to live happily ever after.

It might seem crazy to think that Vince could ever adapt to that kind of future, but we’ve certainly seen crazier things happen – like Eric’s recent run of form. In fact, it’s almost as if the two friends have swapped bodies. Eric has been acting completely out of character lately, and after learning that Johnny Galecki might be sleeping with Sloan (isn’t she supposed to be in New York?), he gives Scotty the ultimatum to either dump Galecki as a client or say goodbye to their partnership. I get that Eric is still upset about his break-up with Sloan, but what kind of grown man acts that way? This definitely isn’t Eric’s finest hour, and only the writers are to blame, who have practically ruined one of the show’s most complex characters over the course of only six short episodes.

And while Eric’s business sense has seemingly gone down the drain, Ari has begun planning for the future by meeting with his lawyer about the possible financial ramifications of his impending divorce. Though he was noticeably disturbed by the idea that Mrs. Ari would be entitled to half of his earnings for the rest of his life (she is, after all, the wealthy one in the relationship), he positively balked at the idea that she might get a share of the company if he doesn’t pay back the $11 million that she invested.

Babs is more than willing to give him the money in exchange for a majority stake in the agency, which Ari simply isn’t willing to give up, so he instead decides to talk to Mrs. Ari about it face to face. Fortunately, Ari didn’t have a complete breakdown when he discovered that Bobby Flay was in his house, but he did manage to make Mrs. Ari feel really awful about the situation before leaving, claiming that she had changed for the worse. And though it was only for a fleeting moment, you could see that his comment hit her pretty hard. Who knows? Maybe those crazy kids really will work things out after all.

Other thoughts from the episode:

* The “Johnny’s Bananas” drama is finally over, and although I always expected it to end this way, it was nice to watch Drama stand by his values for once instead of selling out for money and fame. He could have easily given in after Phil threatened to derail production on the TV movie, but he stuck to his guns and proved that he believed in the show so much that he would rather walk away than make something of bad quality.

* Speaking of Phil, William Fichtner has been nothing short of great in the role, and tonight’s scene (especially the parts about replacing Drama in the TV movie with a look-a-like just to spite him) was one of his best.

* Just when it seemed like Turtle’s storyline might finally being going somewhere, the whole subplot turned out to be a bust, as the representatives from Don Peppe’s were more interested about seeing movie stars and receiving the four-star treatment than getting down to business. You have to feel bad for Turtle at this point, but quite frankly, I feel even worse for Jerry Ferrara.

And as one Chase brother attempts to put his career back together, the other is coming dangerously close to tearing his apart. Then again, can you blame him? While Drama has tried to stick it out after Dice’s decision to walk from the show, his new replacement has become insufferable to work with, even going so far as to criticize his performance in the recording booth. Desperate to get Dice back at any cost, Drama makes the unselfish offer to give him the difference in his pay so that they would be making the same amount. Dice graciously declines, however, stating that if anyone’s going to pay him, it’ll be the network, and is confident they’re going to give in to his demands soon.

But Phil doesn’t think that’s the case, letting Drama in on the secret that the network is so pleased with his work that they’re planning to tailor the entire show around him. Granted, I thought that’s what they were doing this whole time by making a cartoon called “Johnny’s Bananas,” but I digress. Drama feels that if the network really believes in him that much, however, that they would be willing to do anything he asks, so he decides to walk from the show in an attempt to convince them that the cartoon will only be successful with Dice’s involvement. That would have been a pretty boneheaded decision a few weeks ago, but now that Drama knows what he does, it’s his best chance of saving the show. It also proves just how much he’s matured over the last eight seasons, because I don’t think a younger Drama would have done the same.

Meanwhile, the chances of Ari getting back together with his wife are looking smaller and smaller each week. After a day at Disneyland with the kids gets cancelled due to work, Mrs. Ari informs him that she’s filing for a divorce – not because of his recent fling with Dana, but because he consistently puts work before family. I think we all knew that this was where things were heading all along, but it’s still strange to watch as it develops, especially because Ari and his wife always seemed like the one (somewhat) healthy relationship on the show. Fortunately, that only opens the door for Ari and Dana to hook up permanently. You may have been able to cut the tension between the two of them with a knife during that earlier meeting, but Dana seems willing to give Ari another chance, and I can’t imagine him messing it up again. The two are perfect for each other, if maybe a little too much.

Other thoughts from the episode:

* The whole subplot revolving around Eric banging Sloan’s ex-stepmother (and then learning that she did it to get revenge on Terrence) was so silly and contrived that, quite honestly, it doesn’t even deserve a mention here. It was likely just included as a way to keep the Eric-Sloan break-up fresh in everyone’s mind for their inevitable reunion.

* With all this talk from Turtle about his plans for Don Peppe’s, we’ve yet to see any actual progress on his part. Why would Vince even bother promoting it if it’s still nothing more than an idea? And with only three more episodes to go, it doesn’t look like that’s going to change any time soon.

* Ari needs to get drunk more often, because tonight’s bender resulted in one of his funniest scenes in a while. “Fuck you, plant. Fuck you, 20 inch screen…” Apparently, the Ari we all know and love has been hiding at the bottom of a bottle all this time.

That’s all fine and well, but it made passing the impending drug test a little trickier. Drama’s suggestion to use home remedies like vinegar to clean out his system didn’t go over too well when Vince could barely hold down a single sip, let alone the gallons necessary, and with only four hours to go until the test, he was forced to call in the big guns. You’d expect Billy Walsh to know quite a bit about cheating drug tests considering his past history, but even he seems too smart to try something as silly as a fake penis. Eric certainly didn’t think it was a very good idea, and rightfully so, because being caught with a contraption designed to cheat a drug test would likely yield a far worse punishment than if marijuana was found in his system. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop Vince from doing it anyway, and you really have to give him kudos for having the balls (no pun intended) to take such a big gamble. Let’s just hope he’s finally learned his lesson, because this subplot wasted an entire episode.

The only other major story development of the night revolved around Ari’s old and new relationships, with his night of fun with Dana Gordon ending on a sour note after he mentions that he’s late for couple’s therapy with his wife. Not exactly the most romantic thing to say to someone that you’ve just had copious amounts of sex with, but Dana didn’t seem as offended as other women might. Like, say, Mrs. Ari, who was so upset over Ari’s late arrival to their session (due to dealing with the whole Vince situation) that she decided to give him a taste of his own medicine by walking out midway through. You’d think that since Vince is considered family she would have understood, so I’ll just chalk that up to how ridiculously out of character she’s been acting all season.

I really don’t understand why she’s being so childish, but it’s only bringing out the worst in Ari, as her refusal to believe that he could possibly be seeing someone else was no doubt the motivation behind his decision to take Dana out to dinner at Bobby Flay’s restaurant. Even Flay knew it was a pretty low-ball move, and when Dana figured out that Ari was using her to get back at his wife, she was understandably a little pissed. Too bad, because they made a fun couple. But now that Dana is seemingly out of the picture, I’m still not entirely convinced that Ari will be getting back with his wife any time soon – at least, not as much as I was at the start of the season. Mrs. Ari really seems to mean business, and with only four episodes left, Ari’s going to have to do a heckuva lot more if he has any hope of winning her back.