Dee Laundry

The original link from May 2006 (http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2006/05/houseapalooza_p.html) seems to be down, so I'm copying this interview into my own journal. TY to my late friend Shoedog for posting this text on the LJ RSL Daily.

PS. Shoedog added: "Someone made a comment about the amount of times rsl said 'I'd kill, shoot, jump out a window...myself' and the interviewer posted this...

Honest, he said that in the most joking way possible. Maybe it doesn't come across here, but RSL was very funny and laughed a lot during the interview. It was honestly one of the most enjoyable interviews I've ever done."

'House'-a-palooza, part 2: Robert Sean Leonard
Here's the text of my interview with "House's" Robert Sean Leonard, who plays Dr. James Wilson. He may be the only actor in Hollywood who doesn't want his role to get bigger. And who wants nothing more than to do Tom Stoppard plays in New York and hang out with his fiance. But anyway, on with the show...

Do you watch the show much?

"I can't watch it. I mean, Hugh doesn't watch it because he's anal and … eight years old. [laughs] And by the way, I don’t buy it, I think he does watch it.

“I watched in the first year. We live in New York and [my fiancé] was in California] and she likes it because I’m on it. But then she left, she had to come back to New York, and what are you going to do? The idea of me watching myself on TV, alone in Santa Monica, was just about.. just short of, like, a bottle of Maker’s Mark and a shotgun away from shooting myself. [much laughter] So I haven’t watched it all season. But when I have watched it, I’ve been mildly confused and Hugh is appropriately grumpy."

( Read more... )

I am watching the new season of Law & Order (original style) because Hugh Dancy is on it.

• I hate his hair. It makes him look ugly.
• His character is named Nolan. Nolan's junior attorney Samantha is going to slug him some day. She is quite obviously smarter and more engaged in life than he is.
• Sam Waterson doesn't seem well? Or maybe the "always dropping in on the way to somewhere else" segments are not his forte, but I'm actually worried for the actor.
• I had forgotten Camryn Manheim existed, but I like her in this role, even though she looks more like an attorney than a cop.
• Detective Frank Cosgrove should go suck a lemon. Some more, I mean. He hasn't earned being that cranky.
• The "someone killed the famous person who raped 30 women" episode is very wish fulfillment but ok.
• They should bring RSL's character from SVU, Kenneth O'Dwyer, into this series so RSL can hang with his idol Mr. Waterman.
• Also, Kenneth and Nolan should be banging. Just 'cause.

I had a House-related dream last night, which was a real treat. ❤

I was at the movies with friends (COVID was not a thing at all) and a preview came on for a movie that had the House cast in it as aliens. Their alien costumes were kind of like the Klingons on Star Trek, in that you could see the actor's real face but the rest of their head was made up to look alien.

After the preview, an announcement was made that the cast was there to say hi to us and would sign autographs. !! Omar Epps came out first and was sort of Hugh's hype-man; it was really cute. Omar, Hugh, and all these other cast members, wearing the alien makeup, signed autographs, and toward the end of the actors was RSL, not wearing makeup, just in regular clothes (and I think he wasn't in the preview?) but he was signing autographs too.

He signed one for me, then I asked him if he'd be back on Broadway any time soon. He gave this very technical, detailed answer as he was signing autographs for other people, and his answer was so long but directed straight at me, that I had to follow him around the entire theater and ended up giving him my email address so he could tell me the rest of it.

~fin~

❤❤❤

Hello, all! I have a recommendation for those who live in New York City or can get there for a day/evening. At Home at the Zoo by Edward Albee is an awesome, thought-provoking play running now through March 18 at The Signature Theatre. Tickets are just $30 each ($40 March 13-18); the theater seats are comfortable; and it's located just a few blocks off Times Square.

Now, it must be admitted that RSL being in the play was why I picked it; however, even if you hate RSL (WHAT WHAT???) I still recommend this to you! Paul Sparks was phenomenal in his role, simply electrifying. Katie Finneran was great as well, and RSL was right in his comfort zone, playing an absent-minded, awkward man who is well-meaning but would really rather be reading.

bironic, who's my default "Please please please go see RSL with me" victim friend, agreed it ranks at the top of the plays I've dragged invited her to.

PS. I am still alive.

Saw Camelot last weekend with bironic, and it was very fun.

The reviews have been uneven to say the least so I was a bit worried going in, but I loved it! Looking back at the reviews, they’re mostly like, This isn’t as elaborate as the three-hour version with Julie Andrews so boo to this.

I’ve never seen the three-hour version to compare it to, so I took this version on its own merits and thought it was quite fun. They did have some occasions when they very blatantly had a symbol stand in for something more elaborate (e.g., covered the floor in red to show that Arthur was standing where a battle had recently taken place) -- that worked for me. They didn’t try to pretend; they very clearly indicated when things were symbols. Another example: rather than close the curtain and move things on the set, they had the actors move things on the set. Generally that was done with a choreographed flourish from the actors, indicating “Ta da! We are doing this transition now!”

The set design in general was one I loved. Use of warm woods, movable set pieces, tall arches placed in foreground, midground and background for a sense of scale. In contrast to say, Prodigal Son, where the minimalist design of the outdoor scenes were too minimal for my taste, the set design in this version of Camelot gave a good sense of place in each scene.

Now why did I choose to see a play at a theater located 300 miles from my home? Robert Sean Leonard, naturally. He played Arthur, and looked good. He was SO MUCH more comfortable showing affection to Guenevere (played by a very good actress named Britney Coleman, who Bironic recognized as having been in A Very Potter Musical on YouTube) than he’s been in anything else ever, so that was nice. It looked like he had grown a tummy on him, but I don’t see how that’s possible in the few weeks since promo pics, so maybe that was the costume.

Singing isn't RSL's greatest strength but he acquitted himself fine (other than dropping the end of some of his words, seriously, RSL, finish what you start). He slid into the Rex Harrison/Robert Preston sing/talk mode (see the 1964 film My Fair Lady and the 1962 film Music Man if you don't know what I mean) and that was fine.

Did you see the promo vid where he was dancing, and it looked kind of dorky and uncoordinated? That scene takes place in Arthur & Guenevere’s bedroom, and they are joking around. So it’s supposed to look a little bit dorky and impromptu. :)

One amazingly fun part that wasn't RSL: Mordred, the villain. Bironic and I agreed immediately that he was very reminiscent of Seth Green ("Scott Evil!" I said) and that we loved the sparkle seen in his thighs and personality, both. (bironic's full write-up, which is better than mine, is here.

The actors didn’t come out afterward, so no autograph or close-up encounter, unfortunately. But all in all, it was a great time and I’m glad I went.

I'm even more glad that I chose to travel the way I did because it meant a lot more time with Bironic, and that was even better than the play. <3 <3 <3

Next up for RSL: back to San Diego to play Richard II in summer 2017.

Next up for me: Going to the UK for work in a few weeks and getting to see my awesome RSL-loving friend daisylily!

Dorky dancing that I was talking about:

"Have you seen the twin turbos on that new Cesna, by chance?"

Said to a male friend while staring creepily at Kristy Swanson. D: D: D: D: D: D: D: D: D:

I've liked RSL's acting in Ground Control -- up until that line. The rest of the movie is kinda eh, but it's fun for the 80s flashback.

The bully from Stand by Me and Lost Boys! The love interest from Top Gun! The dad from Family Ties! The Fonz! (Well, that's 70s but you get the point) Dot matrix printers! Headsets having plugs! Software design being "ones and zeroes, zeroes and ones"! Short-sleeve dress shirts worn with ties! A lot of coffee but none of it is from Starbucks (or equivalent fake brand due to copyright issues)!

He was wearing a Grey's Anatomy cap. More later.

At least sixteen of RSL's former co-stars have ended up with guest roles on House (last four in the list below were ID'd by Muggs on HHOW).

Sasha Alexander ("The Down Low", was Jesse on the TV series "Wasteland" - RSL played the character named "Jesse's ex" in one episode)
Eddie Mills ("Clueless"; in that episode of Wasteland with RSL)
John Laroquette ("Son of a Coma Guy"; in Corsairs with RSL)
Scott Foley ("Sports Medicine"; in a play with RSL)
Cynthia Nixon ("Deception"; in The Manhattan Project (and plays) with RSL)
Kurtwood Smith ("Half-wit"; played RSL's father in Dead Poets Society)
Frank Whaley ("Mirror Mirror"; in Swing Kids, and in plays with RSL)
Piper Perabo ("Resignation"; in The I Inside with RSL)
Kip Pardue ("Forever"; in Driven with RSL)
Brent Briscoe ("Three Stories"; in Driven with RSL)
Mackenzie Astin ("All In"; in Last Days of Disco with RSL)
Geoffrey Lewis ("One Day, One Room"; in A Painted House with RSL)
Dylan Kussman (the father in "Kids"; in Dead Poets Society)
Jack Plotnick (Hal Connor in "Broken"; in Ground Control)
Jonathan Fraser (motorbike salesman in "Autopsy"; in Ground Control)
Stacy Edwards (Lucy Palmeiro in "The Socratic Method"; in Driven)

ETA 4/27/10:
Ann Dowd (Mother Superior in "Damned if You Do"; in the play Candida with RSL)
David Strathairn (POTW in "Lockdown"; RSL's father in In the Gloaming)




Stated another way, over 10% of House episodes have had a former RSL co-star in it. O_O

Anyone know any more? We might've missed out on some who were on the stage with him.

PS. If there are any other guest stars in future episodes, DON'T MENTION them. No spoilers please.

So incongruous it makes me smile.



Found on Flickr. Credit was "Robert S. Leonard, Foto: Bob Frame / Lamoine / Hollandse Hoogte, BF0467-ZZZZZZ"

I have slowed down to a stop. This is not good.

Had a dream last night that Gaby left RSL at the altar, and then a few days later RSL came out as asexual. Someone asked him if that meant he was attracted to Bradley or Happy (his dogs), and he was flabbergasted at the stupidity. Someone else asked him if being asexual was like being bisexual and he said, "Yes, except for the not ever having sex part." Then he threw his mink stole over his shoulder and stalked off the stage. He had been holding a press conference from the stage of the Helen Hayes Theater in New York. The Xanadu set was still up for some reason, but he wasn't wearing roller skates.

THE END