Showing posts with label Dance with the Star. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Burke crowned 'Dancing with the Stars' queen

Brooke Burke waltzed away with the mirror ball trophy on the "Dancing with the Stars" finale.

The 37-year-old TV personality and mother of four dominated the seventh season of the popular ABC dancing competition and bested former NFL player Warren Sapp and former 'NSync member Lance Bass during the Tuesday night finale, in which she reprised an emotional Viennese waltz routine that earned her a perfect score from the show's panel of judges.

"Unbelievable," was all Burke could muster after winning amid a flurry a confetti.

From the outset, the slinky former host of E!'s "Wild On" and CBS' "Rock Star" commanded the ballroom this season, coming in first place eight out of 10 times and receiving a 10 -- the judges' top score -- 16 times. Burke was crowned the latest "Dancing with the Stars" champion after the judges' scores -- 88 out of 90 -- were combined with viewers' votes.

"I actually can't believe it," said Derek Hough, Burke's professional partner, who's never won the competition. "I really can't. I honestly can't. The journey's been so long. It's been tough. It's been wonderful. It's been everything I could ever hope for. Wow. I can't believe we actually did it, girl."

Burke maintained an eight point lead over Sapp, the charismatic 35-year-old fan favorite whose technique was consistently criticized by the judges. Sapp still managed to hustle his way into second place with professional partner Kym Johnson, despite receiving one point less from the judges than the third place finisher, 29-year-old singer Bass.

"From the moment you start, you make me smile," head judge Len Goodman told Sapp.

Bass and his professional partner, Lacey Schwimmer, were upbeat about their loss. The pair danced away after their dismissal. And he's not hanging up his dancing shoes just yet. The former boybander will join professional dancers and other former contestants for the 38-city "Dancing with the Stars" tour, which is set to kick off Dec. 17 in San Diego.

"You never took the safe road once," judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Bass during the finale.

Previously dismissed celebrities -- actor Cody Linley; sprinter Maurice Greene; actresses Susan Lucci and Cloris Leachman; chef Rocco DiSpirito; reality TV star Kim Kardashian; actor Ted McGinley; and comedian Jeffrey Ross -- also returned for a last dance. Injured volleyball player Misty May-Treanor and singer Toni Braxton remained off their feet.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Cloris Leachman

With a career that spanned a staggering six decades on stage and screen, actress Cloris Leachman was one of primetime’s funniest comediennes and a favorite player in the classic film satires of Mel Brooks. A former beauty pageant winner who began her career on the Broadway stage, Leachman’s first high profile achievement was her Academy Award-winning performance in Peter Bogdanovich’s stark drama “The Last Picture Show” (1971). From there, the over-40 actress’ career kicked into high gear, with award-winning roles as the hilariously self-important Phyllis Lindstrom on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” (CBS, 1970-77) and the subsequent spin-off, “Phyllis” (CBS, 1975-77). She forever held a place in film comedy history for her tightly wound, strangely accented characters in Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” (1974) and “History of the World, Part 1” (1981) — a strength she introduced to a new generation of fans in the role of grandma Ida on Fox’s quirky “Malcolm in the Middle” (Fox, 2000-06).

Cloris Leachman was born on April 30, 1926, in Des Moines, IA where her father owned a lumber company. A self-admitted perfectionist as a child, Leachman made great strides towards her goal of acting with countless stage roles with the Des Moines Playhouse and appearances on local radio by the time she was a teenager. Her impressive achievements earned her a scholarship to the drama department at Northwestern University, where her classmates included future stars Charlton Heston, Patricia Neal and Charlotte Rae.

While a student, Leachman entered the Miss Chicago beauty pageant and went on to place as a finalist in the 1946 Miss America competition. She bid college goodbye and used her $1,000 prize money to move to New York City, where she was invited by Elia Kazan to join the Actors Studio. Under their auspices, she made her TV debut as a recurring player on the drama series "Actors Studio" (ABC, 1948-49) and went on to appear in numerous live television dramas during the 'Golden Age of Television' in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Leachman also worked continuously on Broadway, playing Nellie Forbush in the original production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s “South Pacific,” sharing the stage with Katherine Hepburn in “As You Like It,” and earning a Drama Desk nomination for “A Story for a Sunday Evening” in 1951.

While her acting career barreled ahead, Leachman married actor George Englund and together the young family headed to Hollywood. Englund launched a career as a film producer and director and Leachman made her film debut as the desperate woman found by the roadside in the opening sequence of Robert Aldrich's landmark film noir "Kiss Me Deadly" (1955). Despite her beauty queen past, the actress was not considered a conventional Tinseltown leading lady, and her sharp features, Midwestern accent and incisive acting skills marked her for offbeat character parts. During the late 1950s, Leachman had a regular TV role playing Timmy’s wholesome, Midwestern mom on the series "Lassie" (CBS, 1954-1973) and was seen in countless guest spots on Westerns and live dramas while occasionally returning to Broadway. After nearly a decade of steady work on all the dramas and comedies of the day, including recurring characters on “Dr. Kildare” (NBC, 1961-66) and “77 Sunset Strip” (ABC, 1958-1964), Leachman made a memorable impression as a jittery lady of the evening in the Best Picture Oscar nominee "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969).

She followed up with big screen performances in a pair of scathing middle-America commentaries, “WUSA” (1970) and “The People Next Door” (1970), before a recurring role on the groundbreaking sitcom “Mary Tyler Moore” turned Leachman into a household name. The character-driven show, which starred Mary Tyler Moore as a 30-something single professional and uniquely independent woman, featured Leachman as Mary’s on-site landlady — a self-absorbed busybody who fancied herself an intellectual and progressive woman. As Phyllis Lindstrom, Leachman unleashed a sparkling, multiple Emmy-nominated comedic talent. The following year, she affirmed her versatility with a heartbreaking turn as a lonely, neglected housewife who begins an affair with a high school senior in Peter Bogdanovich's near-perfect adaptation of Larry McMurtry's "The Last Picture Show.” The flinchingly honest portrayal earned the 45-year-old actress an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She went on to offer a string of award-winning performances on the small screen, beginning with "A Brand New Life" (ABC, 1973), where she played a middle-aged woman facing an unwanted pregnancy, and "The Migrants" (CBS, 1974), where she portrayed the matriarch of a family of fruit pickers.

Another Bogdanovich effort, "Daisy Miller" (1974) proved disappointing, but Leachman rebounded and became a member of Mel Brooks' unofficial stock company with "Young Frankenstein" (1975) and her classic supporting turn as housekeeper Frau Blucher, known for frightening all horses within earshot. She enlivened the early Jonathan Demme mob effort "Crazy Mama" (1975) and finally landed her own TV series, the spin-off "Phyllis" (CBS, 1975-77), which found her now-widowed character moving to San Francisco with her teenage daughter and re-entering the work force. The show was cancelled after two seasons (and one Lead Actress Golden Globe Award) and the same year that “Mary Tyler Moore” left the airwaves. But Leachman remained an in-demand comic player, re-teaming with Brooks’ to play skilled S&M dominatrix Nurse Diesel in the Hitchcock spoof "High Anxiety" (1977). She enjoyed character roles in madcap comedies like “The Muppet Movie” (1979) and “Herbie Goes Bananas” (1980) and joined Brooks a third time to play an innkeeper in “History of the World, Part 1” (1981).

Following starring roles in several made-for-TV movies, Leachman returned to series television in "The Facts of Life" (NBC, 1979-1988) where she took over the “mentor” role vacated by former classmate Charlotte Rae for the show’s final two seasons. Beginning in 1989, Leachman began a decade of touring in a one-woman play written for her in which she portrayed American primitive painter Grandma Moses. On the big screen, she reprised her “Last Picture Show” role in the disappointing Bogdanovich sequel "Texasville" (1990) and seemed to be having fun stepping into Irene Ryan's boots to play Granny Clampett in the feature version of "The Beverly Hillbillies" (1993). Not one to consider retirement, the 70-year-old actress spent nearly three years playing Parthy, the captain's wife, in a touring production of "Show Boat" before returning to series grind as a feisty, lusty oldster in the CBS summer sitcom "Thanks" (1999). The very busy Leachman provided a character voice for the acclaimed animated feature "The Iron Giant" and supported Meryl Streep in "Music of the Heart" (1999).

A whole new generation of sitcom viewers was introduced to Leachman when she was cast as Ellen DeGeneres' mother on the CBS sitcom "The Ellen Show” (2001-02) and began a recurring guest turn as the chain-smoking, tough-talking grandmother Ida on Fox's "Malcolm in the Middle." Her repeat performances throughout the series history earned Leachman annual Emmy nominations and delivered awards in 2002 and 2006, the same year she was also nominated for a supporting role in the HBO original drama movie, “Mrs. Harris” (HBO, 2005). Leachman continued to offer comedic big screen outings, taking on matronly roles in such films as "Alex & Emma" (2003) and "Bad Santa" (2003), where she played the half-dead grandmother of a portly misfit who rises only occasionally to make sandwiches. She received some of the best reviews of her career when she appeared as Tea Leoni's alcoholic mother in writer-director James L. Brooks' "Spanglish" (2004).

After a small role as a school nurse with X-ray vision in the family superhero comedy “Sky High” (2005), Leachman appeared in Peter Segal’s weak remake of the classic 1974 Burt Reynolds film “The Longest Yard” (2005) and delivered a hilarious turn in the popular franchise “Scary Movie 4” (2006). In 2008, Leachman began a national tour of her one-woman autobiographical stage show “Cloris!” and appeared as part of the outstanding ensemble cast of the chick flick “The Women” (2008). She supported her latest efforts by joining the fall season of “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC, 2005- ) where at age 82, she became the oldest contestant in the show’s history.

Born

On April 30, 1926 in Des Moines, Iowa

Job Titles

actress

Education

A, A

AA

A

Family

George Englund (son)
Born c. 1957; father, George Englund; was briefly married to actress Sharon Stone

Significant Others

George Englund
Married from 1953-1979; together they have five children

Another Celebrity gets the boot on Dancing Stars

Cloris Leachman voted off `Dancing with the Stars'

Cloris Leachman's silly antics are over on "Dancing with the Stars." The outspoken actress and her professional partner, Corky Ballas, were eliminated Tuesday from ABC's popular dancing competition.

The pair received the judges' lowest score -- 15 out of 30 -- for their cha-cha routine Monday. After viewer votes were combined with the judges' scores, the competition's oldest -- and most spontaneous -- performer was sent home.

"I'm not leaving," the 82-year-old Oscar-winning actress declared before she was dismissed.

"I'm afraid you are," host Tom Bergeron responded.

In recent weeks, the judges had been gunning for Leachman, who consistently received low scores but remained in the competition thanks to viewer votes. Carrie Ann Inaba told Leachman after her cha-cha Monday that she was sad singer Toni Braxton was eliminated last week instead of Leachman. The funnywoman seemed to let the comment roll off her back.

"I know you didn't mean what you said, and I love you," she told Inaba before she departed.

Julianne Hough was missing from the dance floor Tuesday. The 20-year-old professional dancer and country music singer who's partnered with actor Cody Linley, had surgery Tuesday to remove her appendix. Linley will be paired with professional dancer Edyta Sliwinska, who was previously partnered with comedian Jeffrey Ross, while Hough recuperates.

"Her operation went as planned," Linley said on the show. "She's at home and resting."

Other celebrities remaining in the competition include TV personality Brooke Burke, singer Lance Bass, former NFL star Warren Sapp, Olympian Maurice Greene and actress Susan Lucci

Braxton, Ross, chef Rocco DiSpirito, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and actor Ted McGinley were previously dismissed. Olympian Misty May-Treanor dropped out of the competition after rupturing her tendon during a rehearsal.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Dance with the Star

In this image released by ABC, TV legend Cloris Leachman, right, and her partner Corky Ballas perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday

Olympian Maurice Greene left, and his partner Cheryl Burke perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday.

professional dancer Karina Smirnoff, left, and her partner celebrity chef Rocco Dispirito perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday.

In this image released by ABC, actor Ted McGinley, left, and his partner Inna Brayer perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday.

In this image released by ABC, professional dancer Kym Johnson, left, and her partner former football player Warren Sapp perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday.

volleyball player Misty May-Treanor, left, and her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday.

dancer Julianne Hough, left, and her partner, actor Cody Linley perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday.

Lance Bass, right, and his partner Lacey Schwimmer perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday.

ABC, soap opera star Susan Lucci, left, and her partner Tony Dovolani perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday

singer Toni Braxton and her partner Alec Mazo perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday.

TV personality Brooke Burke, left, and her partner Derek Hough perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday

reality TV personality Kim Kardashian, left, and her partner Mark Ballas perform on the ABC celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 in Los Angeles. Another couple is expected to be eliminated during a broadcast on Wednesday.

Cheryl Burke (L) and Kym Johnson from the television show 'Dancing with the Stars' perform during the taping of the 2008 'NCLR Alma' awards at the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, August 17, 2008.

This photo released by ABC shows Jeffrey Ross, right, and Edyta Sliwinska on the set of Dancing with the Stars on Monday Sept. 22, 2008 in Los Angeles.

The five nominees in the category for outstanding reality/competition host (L-R) Jeff Probst of 'Survivor', Howie Mandel of 'Deal or No Deal', Tom Bergeron of 'Dancing with the Stars', Heidi Klum of 'Project Runway' and Ryan Seacrest of 'American Idol' are shown in this undated publicity photo. In an unprecedented move, all five have been named hosts of the '60th annual Primetime Emmy Awards'.

host and model Brooke Burke is shown in Los Angeles. Burke will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

singer Toni Braxton is shown in Los Angeles. Braxton will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

Cloris Leachman is shown in Los Angeles. Leachman will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

reality TV star Kim Kardashian is shown in Los Angeles. Kardashian will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC

actor Cody Linley is shown in Los Angeles. Linley will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

actor Ted McGinley is shown in Los Angeles. McGinley will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

comedian Jeffrey Ross is shown in Los Angeles. Ross will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC

celebrity chef and author Rocco DiSpirito is shown in Los Angeles. DiSpirito will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

singer Lance Bass is shown in Los Angeles. Bass will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

former NFL football player Warren Sapp is shown in Los Angeles. Sapp will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.

soap opera actress Susan Lucci is shown on June 20, 2008 in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Lucci will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.
(AP Photo/ABC, Adam Larkey)

Olympic gold-medalist Maurice Greene is shown. Greene will compete in the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. EDT on ABC.
(AP Photo/ABC, Craig Sjodin)

In this image released by ABC, Olympic Beach Volleyball gold medalist Misty May-Treanor is shown in a rehearsal studio, Aug. 25, 2008 in Los Angeles. May-Treanor partners with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, for the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering Monday, Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.

In this image released by ABC, Olympic Beach Volleyball gold medalist Misty May-Treanor is shown in a rehearsal studio with her partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Aug. 25, 2008, in Los Angeles. The new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premieres Monday, Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
(AP Photo/ABC, Karen Neal)

Olympic Beach Volleyball gold medalist Misty May-Treanor is shown in Los Angeles. May-Treanor partners with Maksim Chmerkovskiy, for the new season of the celebrity dance competition, 'Dancing With The Stars,' premiering Monday, Sept. 22 at 8:00 p.m. EDT.
(AP Photo/ABC, Craig Sjodin)

The five nominees in the category for outstanding reality/competition host (L-R) Ryan Seacrest of 'American Idol', Heidi Klum of 'Project Runway', Tom Bergeron of 'Dancing with the Stars', Jeff Probst of 'Survivor' and Howie Mandel of 'Deal or No Deal', are shown in this undated publicity photo. In an unprecedented move, all five have been named hosts of the '60th annual Primetime Emmy Awards' which will be held in Los Angeles on September 21

Tom Bergeron poses on the press line at the 'Dancing With The Stars' panel discussion in Los Angeles.
(AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, file)

In this photo released by Showtime on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008, Kym Johnson, center, of
(AP Photo/Showtime, John Filo)

2nd celebrity booted from 'Dancing with the Stars'

LOS ANGELES - Ted McGinley from "Married with Children" has gotten a divorce from "Dancing with the Stars." The actor and his professional partner, Inna Brayer, were eliminated Wednesday from ABC's dancing competition.

The pair received a score of 19 out of 30 from the show's judges Tuesday following their mambo routine. McGinley was sent packing after his score — the third-lowest — was combined with viewer votes.

"It's been a lot of fun," McGinley said after his ouster. "You know, I know there's a lot of guys sitting at home with a beer in their hand having a little chuckle at me. You know what? Thank you for that. I appreciate it. I'm one of the guys. I guess I'll always be one of the guys. Some of us aren't meant to dance, I guess."

Comedian Jeffery Ross and partner Edyta Sliwinska were dismissed Tuesday after the remaining couples performed a new dance.

Model-actress Brooke Burke dominated the dancing competition Tuesday, scoring a 26 for a quick-step routine. The former host of E!'s "Wild On" and dancing partner Derek Hough also claimed the top score during Monday's premiere.

The celebrities remaining in the competition include celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito; former National Football League star Warren Sapp; TV personalities Burke and Kim Kardashian; singers Lance Bass and Toni Braxton; Olympic gold medalists Maurice Greene and Misty May-Treanor; and actresses Cloris Leachman, Cody Linley and Susan Lucci.