You know, it was actually pretty interesting to meet Mark Wahlberg.  I really had no clue whatsoever on what he was going to be like in person, so when he came in dressed nicer than almost any actor I'd ever seen in a junket - and I don't mean flashy-nice, just wearing a nice suit, no tie, white shirt - I was impressed.  He's quiet, soft-spoken, with a good sense of humor and that tattoo that goes around his neck only barely peeking out from under the shirt.  He was just a genuine guy and I totally respect him. What's that got to do with the movie he's promoting - Rock Star?  Not much, but it's always interesting to see how close people's personalities are to their public persona.

The first question was, what's better - being a rock star or being a famous actor, as Wahlberg would certainly be the one to know.  "Being a rock star," Mark said with a smile.  "But I obviously didn't fit the bill.  But I got one more crack at it, which was nice."  Was that the appeal of doing the movie?  "Yeah.  Yeah, there were a number of things that I liked about the script, but that was certainly one of them."

The question came up about making the transition and Mark joked, "I'm pretending to be an actor and it's been working so far.  When I first mentioned the idea of being an actor, people kind of chuckled, but now, they're saying maybe he can really do it."  But the money's good, right?  "I was thinking about taking it up full time."

One of the other reporters asked about when it came down that he knew he wanted to be an actor full-time.  "Well, I knew I wanted to do it after I made my first movie," Wahlberg admitted (naturally, I wondered if he meant The Substitute or what).  "I felt comfortable moving on.  I worked with two people who were very protective of me and really kind of showed me the ropes and took me under their wings - Penny Marshall and Danny DeVito.  I felt like after that experience, I really didn't want to do anything else.  I certainly didn't want to go back to music because I was being pushed and pulled in all the wrong directions and for all the wrong reasons.  The second film I did was directed by somebody I'd already worked with in my music days, so I felt comfortable after the first go-round, but I also knew that in order to succeed, you've got to be really careful, make the right choices, and surround yourself with really talented people."

Part 2: Let's Talk "Apes"

The time of this junket was just after the big drop-off of Planet Of The Apes and people were starting to talk about it being a letdown.  Naturally, the question of how Wahlberg got involved came up.  "That's not about the commercial success, I mean, it's because A: I got to work with one of the most talented directors of all time and it wasn't like I was like, 'great, this is my opportunity to become an action hero,' it was an opportunity to work with a really interesting filmmaker," Wahlberg replied.  "That's why everybody signed on to do that movie.  It just kind of turned into this other thing." 

But would he do a sequel?  And what about that ending?  "If Tim would direct it, yeah.  I mean, seeing what's happening... sheesh, people can't figure out the ending, I mean, if you go back and see the movie again, you're going to feel like, whoa, I should've gotten that," Wahlberg scoffed good-naturedly.  "You'd be a bit embarrassed that you didn't get the ending.  I mean, it's very simple.  But for me to explain it, I may give away things that are coming in the sequel which wouldn't be cool."

But who's easier to work with - chimps or rock stars?  "Yeah, the chimps are more cooperative and a lot more disciplined," Wahlberg joked.  "Seriously, those chimps are really smart, they know what action's going on, they just give you a hard time so they get exactly what they want.  And then they'll do a little of what you want."

As Donnie Wahlberg is coming up in a movie of his own right now, the Tom Hanks/Steven Spielberg miniseries for HBO, Band Of Brothers, one of the reporters asked if Mark ever gave his older brother acting advice.  "I did," Mark admitted.  "I tried to offer up a little advice, but we were, you know, more concerned with our relationship as brothers.  We had had a professional relationship early on and it really took its toll.  Not only our relationship as brothers, but our whole family.  So, you know, we just kind of went back to basics.  I tried to give him a little bit of advice early on, you know, there had been a couple of bad things that I'd been offered, passed on, that went right to him and I just tried to say, 'I didn't say no because I thought they were great parts, great people.'  He's got a little bit more flexibility.  He's not really trying to take on too much.  So, yeah, he's very talented, it's just again, about making the right choices and working with the right people."

Part 3: So, Do You Even Like Rock?

That's when Mark, who plays a heavy metal singer in the movie, admitted the unthinkable.  "No.  No, I never listened to rock," Mark said, straight-up.  "It's just a complete turn-off to me, which is again, something else that appealed to me because, you know, for me to pull it off and be believable as one of these guys was something that most people wouldn't see right off the bat.  But, I've been listening to it a little bit since.  I kind of listen to something similar to what I'm supposed to be doing.  I was in France for four months making a movie and I had to sing Charles Aznavour songs.  I was supposed to be a big Charles Aznavour fan, so I listened to Charles Aznavour for four months, then through the CDs away the second I was finished.  But I still listen to a little bit of rock, more the classic rock.  Zeppelin, Blue Oyster Cult, The Animals, earlier stuff.  The hard, hard stuff is still a little bit much for me to take.  I had to listen to it." 

Okay, so you don't like rock, but what attracted you to doing this kind of thing then?  "The heart the movie has," Mark replied.  "I think Steve Herek did an incredible job of giving the movie a lot of heart and a lot of real emotion and also be fun and entertaining and pushing the envelope without having to go to extremes.  A lot of people think, 'oh, wow, sex, drugs and rock and roll!'  But it's not hardcore."

Somebody asked if Mark tried to do all the vocal work in the movie, and he replied with a really humble answer.  "Yeah, I thought it would be important for me to try," Mark said.  "We were out there performing for six months, so it's a lot of work.  I had problems with my vocal chords on The Perfect Storm and I had to have an operation, so it was important for me to take care of myself at the same time.  I studied with a vocal coach for six months and ended up doing a lot of the singing."

Part 4: Future Projects And Hair Extensions

That's when somebody asked about the hair extensions Wahlberg had in the movie.  We got a good story out of it.  "Mine was about to there.  (Mark indicates about shoulder length)  Very uncomfortable," Wahlberg replied.  "I couldn't wait to get that hair off my head.  It was so...you know, Steve was like, early on when we were rehearsing, you should get your extensions now and learn to deal with them now.  So, I got them in January and we didn't start shooting until March and we shot until June - second week in June - it was not fun." 
What about everything he said on stage? "I improv'd all that."

And the lovely Jennifer Aniston who you - lucky dog - got to mix it up with throughout the movie.  "She's fantastic," Mark admitted.  "She did a really great job.  She put herself out there a bit.  I like people who take risks."  So, how'd that chemistry work out?  "Well, I just think we clicked together," Wahlberg replied.  "We both felt really strongly about the material and we were both committed 110%.  She went a little crazy in that disco scene.  I was like, 'whoa!'"

We started talking about Wahlberg's career choices to which he replied, interestingly enough, "I've got nine nieces and nephews to answer to and I think at this stage of the game, it would be really tough for me to make a movie like Boogie Nights just because of, like with this movie, there's not too much graphic drug use or stuff like that or real nudity.  For me, it's tough because I do care.  I'm concerned about how I'm perceived, especially in these kids' eyes.  So, it would be tough.  I'd really have to do some thinking.  At that stage of the game, it was easy for me because A: I wasn't considering them and B: I was trying to prove myself as an actor.  But I can push the envelope without having to push it in that direction.  Just do more dramatic stuff.  But it's definitely something I think about."

Finally, what's next?  "I'm doing another thing with Paul Thomas Anderson and then David Russell, the guy who did Three Kings," Mark replied.  Russell?  Anderson?  So, is there a title for either one? "No.  David has a title, but I don't know if he'd want me to share it," Mark admitted.  "Paul doesn't have a title.  And James Gray who I did The Yards with.  I'm kind of getting back to where I feel the most comfortable."

Okay, here's another rock star that Warners unleashed on the press during the junket for Rock Star, in this case - Stephan Jenkins, the lead singer of the rather popular pop-rock group Third Eye Blind. Jenkins plays the lead singer of a rival Steel Dragon cover band who butts serious heads against Mark Wahlberg's Chris Coles character. Though Jenkins isn't exactly in the movie forever, he plays a pivotal and fun role, but more importantly, he gave us a look at the life of a working rock star, so that's always a plus. 

The first question was simple, how'd he get involved in the movie Rock Star and what did he think of the dichotomy of rock star versus actor? "I've never thought about," Stephan said. "Me being in the movie was pretty haphazard. Yeah, it just started - I was doing this tiny little benefit show and Mark and I are friends and I was in town. I was in Los Angeles and I called him, 'what're you doing tonight? Do you want to come over? I'm playing a little set.' So, I was playing acoustically and then he said, 'I'm doing this movie Rock Star' - and it was well in advance - 'you should do it. You should play my friend in the movie.' So he started riffing on it, talking about it. He was going, (affects cockney accent) 'You've got to talk like (this).' So we just started riffing back and forth on it, but I was on tour with my band, Third Eye Blind at the time and I couldn't stop and do a movie. So, instead of playing his friend, I play his enemy. It fit in with the touring schedule." 

Ah, so old friends. Where did you hook up with Mark? "I met him on the set of The Yards." There's more to this, of course, as Stephan Jenkins was dating uber-hottie actress Charlize Theron at the time who was in The Yards as well. 

So back to question - what's better, rock star or actor? "For me?" Jenkins asked. "Better to be a rock star right now. Yeah, I wouldn't trade this for anything." 

Part 2: Yes, Jenkins Hates Hair Metal 

Well, Wahlberg hated the '80s hair metal, what about you? "Oh, I hated that shit. I hated it," Jenkins admitted, no problem. "Hated it. Yeah. There were real camps. I sort of like chose music based on its snob appeal back then. I liked Joy Division and The Clash, stuff like that. So there were real lines drawn. Now I look back and some of that stuff is just so good. Motley Crue was great - just straight-up great. I mean, you think about these bands that were so touted. It's like, really, was there anything better than AC/DC? The intelligentsia would say, 'almost anything,' but they're wrong. It's great." 

There had been an earlier report that Jenkins had once even gotten into a fight with a heavy metal fan who tried to start some stuff with him. True story? "Yeah," Jenkins laughed. "I was defending The Police and he was defending Judas Priest. He had a backpack and he was telling me how the Police suck, so I went, (sarcastically) 'breaking the law, breaking the law.' In high school, that was enough for fisticuffs. We pretty much re-made that fight in Rock Star. I get to have a ball in the movie and that's great. You know, I walk in, tear up all of Mark's flyers, fight in the parking lot, attack Jennifer Aniston, kick him out of the band and I'm on a plane. It was a ball. I loved it. It's just action, all action the whole time." 

Part 3: Real Life Fighting 

As a first-time actor, how did things go? Did they do many takes? "Oh, they move along pretty quickly," Jenkins explained. "Totally for grown-ups. That was my first time on the movie set. It was a night shoot and I had the flu that day, so I went there having to vomit. There was no rehearsal, it's just like, 'here, go.' And we went for it." 

So, that was a real fight you guys were staging? "It was really funny," Jenkins replied. "They had these fight choreographers there - guys who were on The Matrix. 'Oh, yeah. Jet Li? I stand in for him,' you know? They had these people going, 'ah dude, what you're going to do is I'm going to throw this one here and you're going to duck and then double-double-cross like this.' I was just standing there like - I've been in some fights in high school and they all go the same way. Everybody puffs out their chest because they actually don't want to get hit. They just don't want to lose their dignity, but the dignity's about to be lost anyway. It's on the way out. And then, Push-Push-Terrible Awful Glancing Blow that doesn't do anything but damage the hand of the hand that threw it, Death Grip, Ground, and then people upset about their clothing being ripped. Always the way it goes. 'Kicked your ass, dude!' afterwards, you know. Spin control." 

Um...I couldn't help but think, well, if I had a time machine, I'd launch us both back to South Dallas when I was growing up. I don't seem to remember fights at my school being quite so funny, but maybe we were the exception. 

One reporter asked Jenkins about if he's going to keep acting and he replied, "Well, I'm doing a film right now, but...I'd like to be in a good movie." Really? What project? Anything I've heard of? "Um, no," Jenkins said. "I think it's a really good script. It's called Angelic Tuesday and it's kind of an old Hollywood script about these...it's kind of an indictment of the intelligentsia of Los Angeles, kind of the well-dressed, well-spoken class. So, I'm gleeful about ripping into them. To answer your question, there's a rapture to playing music and there's something that is erotic about rock music for me that I wouldn't sacrifice, I wouldn't trade places with anyone. I think that's on. 

Part 4: The Rock And Roll Cliché 

What can you tell us, other than nothing, about the movie Angelic Tuesday? "There's about five people all of whom have agendas and they're all bad agendas," Stephan said. "It's sort of how that type of people are just as morally suspect as everybody else." 

Finally, how would you compare Rock Star to the way things are now. "This is a period film," Stephan explained. "This thing is twenty years old. So to compare it to now, I would say, nothing's changed. Well, this is funny. We got on there and had a really good time just riffing on how absurd it is - the conceit and vanity of rock stars, you know. I still think that's very much in play. I think people walk off stage and keep living it, you know, and wind up in rehab and wrapped up in all that other kind of stuff. I think the film is - in however light a way - deals with how that world can sort of envelop you and can become very seductive and it can be corrupting and it can make you crazy. It certainly made me crazy." 

So, that's rocker Stephan Jenkins talking about Rock Star. Hope you enjoyed the interview and look all week for our coverage of the forthcoming ode to heavy metal in the '80s. 

Rock Star opens September 7th and is rated R. 

Movie buffs hoping to bump into a Hollywood celebrity or two got their chance at Alliance Atlantis Communication's annual Film Festival gala at the ROM.

It was a glitzy, star-studded affair, with the legendary Richard Harris and fellow Brit Miranda Richardson parading down the red carpet, along with silver-screen icons Glenn Close, Gabriel Byrne and Deborah Winger, plus William Macy, Delroy Lindo, Billy Crudup, Pauly Shore, Mark Wahlberg and even Blue Jays captain Carlos Delgado.

Fashion ranged from flamboyant to movie-star casual, with Mulholland Drive's Laura Elena Harring preening in a body-skimming red dress and Picture Claire's Juliette Lewis looking very coquettish in a jaunty grey beret.

Other notables included industry mucky-mucks Don Carmody, Allen Karp, host Michael MacMillan (the CEO of Alliance Atlantis) and wife Cathy Spoel, rising political star Tim Hudak, Ontario culture minister, plus Festival co-founders Dusty Cohl and Bill Marshall. (The third Festival co-founder, Henk van der kolk, who upon being ordered to produce photo I.D. -- along with his VIP ticket -- decided to party elsewhere.) Just as the soiree seemed to be winding down, Harvey Keitel strolled in and kicked the festivities into high gear again.

I am no stranger to genuflecting at the shrine of celebrity. I'm guilty of stepping over White Teeth to get to a profile of Jennifer Aniston, of keeping News at Ten on mute and then hitting the volume button, heart pounding, the second they show pictures of Kate Winslet emerging from her flat to make a statement about her marriage. But that was before. As we start to feel the ripple effects of the events of September 11, there is one consequence of which we can be sure: those who fascinated just weeks ago now look like exactly what they are - jobbing entertainers - and that's stretching it in several instances. When you consider that at the beginning of the month the news was dominated by Victoria Beckham's baby snaps it's enough to make you feel like Glenn Close in Jagged Edge, after she discovers the typewriter with the wonky letter. Which is to say, sick that you allowed yourself to be so easily seduced for so long. 
The reason often given for our celebrity obsession has been the dearth of genuine heroes to whom we can aspire. Previous generations looked to the men who fought in two world wars, the explorers, record breakers and rebels who boldly went where no men had gone before, but by the time we came along it had all been done and the biggest sacrifice required of us was recycling. Still, the need to feel that lump in the throat from witnessing selfless acts of courage is great, so we've learned to fake the moment. Tom Hanks is the hero on a loop that western culture craves: he's been the soldier, the astronaut, the castaway, the hick with the heart, even heroic in the face of terminal illness - when that was the biggest challenge any of us were likely to face. Tom Cruise got young men flocking to enlist as fighter pilots and Martin Sheen, who stars in The West Wing was, until two weeks ago, the president the US would have voted for if they could. 

We like to think we don't fall as hard as the Americans when it comes to attributing the virtues of characters to the actors who play them, but we come close. Judy Dench, having played several monarchs, is treated like an honorary royal, on both sides of the Atlantic, and somewhere circa Merchant Ivory, Anthony Hopkins acquired a grand patrician aura that bears no relation to the man himself. Add to this assumption that entertainers must somehow be extraordinary, the fact that they would be the first to agree, and Shezang! You have a world hanging on the observations of guys with cute bums, and switching off the warnings of those out moded old duffers in the (ho ho ho) intelligence services. 

Still, the message that the game is up is taking time to trickle past the security gates and celebrities themselves are blissfully unaware that the world has woken up to the fact that they are not the real thing. We know this because of the telethon America: A Tribute to Heroes, an event which raised more than £100m but was no less nauseating for that. After the dignity shown by the victims of the tragedy, this was a shocking reminder of the two-dimensional, saccharine-coated world that represents the pinnacle of success in the west, not to mention the poverty of popular culture faced with the task of marking the momentous event. Billy Joel? Tom Petty singing I Won't Back Down? Some idiot crooning a number (chorus: "I can be your hero baby, I can kiss away the pain"), that made the Birdy Song look deep. 

But I digress. It was the actors silhouetted against the candlelight that took the biscuit. The rigid-necked Tom Cruise, priapic with the moment. The cloying "God is Good" Julia Roberts, who chose to play it just a shade younger for added pathos. All this you could have put down to nerves, but not after poor Willie Nelson's rendition of America the Beautiful, when the A list swung together on stage, grinning and embracing, wearing nipple-revealing tanks and skimpy jeans. Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu joshed and giggled in the ranks, Goldie Hawn draped around Kurt Russell in lighters-held-aloft-at-Bon-Jovi-concert mode, and Cindy Crawford jammed with Mariah Carey. They made Live Aid look like the Trooping of the Colour by comparison. 

Only Mark Wahlberg, with his baseball cap clamped over his heart, seemed to have remembered why they were there - to honour the heroes, not to bask in their reflected glory. Hmmm, wonder what the chances are of interviewing him in the next few weeks?

Washington (Sept. 26, 2001) - Acclaimed actor Mark Wahlberg spoke today at a Boys & Girls Clubs of America (B&GCA) Congressional Breakfast celebrating B&GCA's National Youth of the Year competition. A former member of The Colonel Daniel Marr Boys && Girls Club of Dorchester, Mass., Wahlberg announced the establishment of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation to support youth programs like Boys && Girls Clubs.

Both a musician and actor, Wahlberg recently starred in the films The Perfect Storm, Planet of the Apes and Rock Star. He has been involved with Boys && Girls Clubs for 20 years.

Joining Wahlberg was keynote speaker Steve Case, chairman of AOL Time Warner. Case also chairs PowerUP, a consortium of nonprofit organizations, major corporations and government agencies committed to helping young people succeed in the digital age. PowerUP is a partner with B&GCA in providing technology access to underserved youth.

Hosted by Senator Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) and Representative Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the breakfast culminated in the announcement of the winner of the 2001 Youth of the Year competition. The competition recognizes outstanding teenagers for their contributions to family, school, community and Boys && Girls Club, as well as for personal challenges and obstacles overcome.

The event drew the support of prominent members of the United States government, including Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.). For Youth of the Year Finalist Consuela Harris, the most thrilling guest was Thomas E. White, Secretary of the Army. Consuela is now serving as a private in the U.S. Army.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was released today by the White House: 

Each year, the Boys and Girls Club of America selects a Youth of the Year. The award is based on demonstrating good citizenship and leadership and overcoming barriers. 

Every state selects a candidate who competes in one of the five regions throughout the United States. Every regions selects a finalist who are then brought to Washington, D.C. where the Youth 
of the Year is announced at a Congressional breakfast. The five finalists for the past 52 years have met the President. 

Raymond Nunez from Haverhill, Massachusetts is the Boys and Girls Club National Youth of the Year and Youth of the Year for the Northeast Region. Raymond is a 12-year member of the Lawrence, Massachusetts Boys & Girls Club. He is the recipient of the Christian Herter Memorial Scholarship, awarded in recognition of courage and obstacles overcome. Raymond is a freshman at Tufts University where he plans to pursue a degree in Secondary Education. 

Participants: 

-- Roxanne Spillett, President, Boys and Girls Club 
-- Arnold Burns, Chairman, Boys and Girls Club, National Board of Governors 
-- Robbie Callaway, Boys and Girls Club, Senior Vice President 
-- Mark Wahlberg, actor 
-- Raymond Nunez, Youth of the Year 
-- Melissa Vigil, Southwest Regional Youth of the Year 
-- Amy Gley, Midwest Regional Youth of the Year 
-- Consuela Maria Harris, Southeast Regional Youth of the Year 

Copyright 2001, U.S. Newswire 

SYDNEY (Variety) - In a weekend that was neither fast nor furious, ``The Fast and the Furious'' hit top gear in Australia but skidded in Italy and South Korea (news - web sites), while ``Bridget Jones's Diary'' won plenty of admirers in Japan, ``Cats & Dogs'' was a crowd pleaser Down Under and ``Swordfish'' galvanized Taiwan.

It was mixed luck for ``A.I Artificial Intelligence,'' which launched brightly in Spain and Thailand but wasn't as luminous in the U.K.

``The Fast and the Furious'' reigned in Oz, notching $1.7 million, but it entered Italy at a slower No. 6 with $676,000. The Rob Cohen-helmed actioner trapped a fair $363,000 in the Netherlands and a tame $209,000 in Korea, thrashed in the latter market by fellow rookie ``Rush Hour 2'' and the third round of local epic ``The Warrior.'' In the U.K., ``Fast'' has corraled a hot $5.1 million in 10 days.

``Bridget Jones's Diary'' wooed an estimated $3 million in three days in Japan, where data were sketchy due to a public holiday Monday. The Renee Zellweger starrer was reckoned to be No. 2 behind local toon ``Spirited Away,'' which sailed through its 10th weekend. The romantic comedy overshadowed ``Captain Corelli's Mandolin,'' which whistled up a modest $860,000 in two days.

``Bridget's'' estimated foreign total reached $138 million, including Germany's fab $14.4 million, where it ruled in its fifth outing. ``Corelli's'' has earned $18.3 million in eight territories: Factoring out the U.K.'s $13.5 million indicates skimpy results in countries including France, Australia and Belgium.

``Cats & Dogs'' saw its foreign total climb to $63.3 million, spurred by Australia's $1.3 million (eclipsing the bows of ``Chicken Run,'' ``Dr. Dolittle 2'' and ``Mouse Hunt'') and New Zealand's $193,000 (a bit better than ``Stuart Little'').

``Swordfish'' hit $43.3 million overseas, boosted by Taiwan's $877,000 and solid sophomore sessions in Belgium ($587,000 to date) and the Netherlands ($645,000).

Steven Spielberg's ``A.I.'' was the weekend's top earner overseas, minting $8.6 million from 23 markets, hoisting its total to $114.2 million. The sci-fier took top spot in the U.K. with $3.3 million, but was it was hardly in the stratosphere.

The Haley Joel Osment starrer captured $1.9 million in Spain, trailing ``The Others,'' which raked in $2.4 million in its third apparition, according to a service that tracks 80% of the total box office. In Thailand ``A.I.'' unseated local blockbuster ``Suriyothai'' after its five-week reign.

``The Planet of the Apes'' ascended to $165.8 million overseas, helped by India's $429,000 (a Fox record) and Hungary's $187,000 (Fox's No. 2 opening after ``Phantom Menace'').

``Moulin Rouge'' rang up a so-so $199,000 in the Netherlands and $149,000 in Israel; its foreign total is $40.3 million from 20 markets.

``The Princess Diaries'' penned $388,000 in the Philippines (a record for a Disney-branded live-action picture, better than ``George of the Jungle'' and ``Inspector Gadget'') and fell by 33% in Australia, taking an OK $1.3 million in 11 days.

``Atlantis: The Lost Empire'' posted the worst opening of any Disney toon in recent memory in Oz with a meager $119,000, clobbered by those animatronic pets. ``Atlantis'' has earned $22.4 million from Latin America and Asia (excluding Japan, where it bows in December), but its ultimate fate won't be determined until after its Euro premiere in Blighty Oct. 19.