J.R. Martinez Will get Ready For His Gig As Tournament of Roses Parade Grand Marshal

Junior Martinez Want the reality? When Dwts champion J.R. Martinez was requested to become the grand marshal from the 123rd Tournament of Roses Parade - airing The month of january 2 in three dimensional and commercial-free on HGTV (11am/10c) - he did not say yes since it is this type of large recognition. The Iraq War vet told TV Guide Magazine the actual reason he signed on. TV Guide Magazine: Such a prestige gig! Past marshals from the parade include John Wayne, Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, Wally Disney as well as four U.S. Presidents - Hoover, Eisenhower, Nixon and Ford. You are in great company!Martinez: Only I did not realize that once they offered me the chance. [Laughs] I stated yes because I needed tickets to the overall game! I am a huge football fan and so i was, like, 'Hell, yeah!' I recieve to visit the Rose Bowl, guy!" That is what I had been looking forward to. TV Guide Magazine: And today?Martinez: [Laughs] Now I recieve it. However I did not really awaken before the day's the large press announcement. They drove me to Pasadena incognito like I am the leader and covered me when i went in to the building. They required me with the kitchen that we thought would be a mean joke - I am the Hispanic guy so I must feel the kitchen! - and just then did I begin to see the listing of the grand marshals of history. All of a sudden I am like, "This can be a large freakin' deal!" It is extremely awesome along with a tremendous recognition. TV Guide Magazine: Significantly improved you realize the score, any nerves concerning the large day?Martinez: Nah. I am fine. I am mellow. I'd dinner using the leader from the Rose Parade association and people from the committee plus they were saying, "We do not think you actually know how crazy and demanding it will likely be!Inch TV Guide Magazine: Hellooo, try fighting in Iraq.Martinez: [Laughs] Hellooo, try dancing before 20 million people! All I gotta do on The month of january 2 is appear and wave. Waving and smiling and speaking are things i do best! But, seriously, I additionally aspire to help remind people we are still at war in Afghanistan. Individuals are tuning it. They are fed up with listening to it. They have managed to move on. But you will find still 1000's and services information males and ladies who require our support and help. It is likewise important that i can help remind America that despite the fact that the war in Iraq will probably be placed Mission: Complete it won't be complete for that males and ladies who fought against there and therefore are now returning. You are likely to be seeing lots of Post traumatic stress disorder. You are likely to be seeing a lot of mental issues, the interior scars. For the reason that sense, the Iraq war isn't over, and should never be. TV Guide Magazine: What's going on together with your acting career? Are you going to still pursue it since My Children is history?Martinez: I acquired the bug! I have really developed a real love for acting so we'll see what else is available for me personally. I didn't have a real estate agent for AMC. Now I have signed using the William Morris Agency so we'll find out if individuals men will find me some roles. However the greatest factor I wish to pursue is hosting. I located the preshow for CNN Heroes for Showbiz Tonight and extremely loved it. I'd like to do more. But I am fine with no matter what. I possibly could not have imagined all of this. Will still be so surreal, so difficult that i can grasp. It's crazy! The greatest factor I must help remind myself would be to never change. Basically can just stay me through all this incredible stuff that's happening, I'll be okay. Sign up for TV Guide Magazine now!

Survivor: South Pacific Winner Crowned

First Published: December 19, 2011 9:15 AM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption Survivor contestants Benjamin Coach Wade, winner Sophie Clarke and Albert Destrade are seen at the CBS Survivor: South Pacific Finale & Reunion at CBS Televison City in Los Angeles on December 18, 2011 LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Sophie Clarke slayed the competition on Survivor: South Pacific. The brainy 22-year-old medical student from Willsboro, N.Y., overcame 39-year-old Survivor veteran Benjamin Coach Wade of Susanville, Calif., and 26-year-old high school baseball coach Albert Destrade of Plantation, Fla., to win the CBS reality competitions $1 million grand prize Sunday. Clarke earned six votes from the nine-person jury of former players. I think I had my finger on the pulse of the game the whole time, said Clarke after it was announced she won. Clarke secured her place among the final three contestants on the 23rd edition of Survivor by forging a strong alliance from the outset and winning three individual immunity challenges, including the final physical competition, which ousted seasoned 30-year-old Survivor veteran Oscar Ozzy Lusth of Venice, Calif., from the 39-day survival contest. I knew the only one that could beat me at a challenge no offense, guys was Sophie, Lusth said. Wade, who previously competed on the Tocantins and Heroes vs. Villains editions, and Lusth, who was featured on the Cook Islands and Micronesia editions, formed strong alliances with new contestants, though Lusth spent most of the games second half on Redemption Island battling fellow voted-off castaways for a chance to return to the game. At the end of the finale, show host Jeff Probst announced that the 24th season would be titled Survivor: One World and would feature two tribes competing against each other while living together on one island. One World is set to premiere in February. Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

30 Rock Returns! But Liz Returns having a Secret Blerg!

Tina Fey, 30 Rock Finally! Liz Lemon and also the whole 30 Rock gang are returning soon! Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) returns having a secret which start looking video may indicate a solution. First, the details: Liz is pleased, which does not happen frequently. Liz also grabs her breasts within an elevator, that could be simply Liz being crazy, or it might mean she's attempting to keep them contained. She's also speaking to herself frequently, that could mean mood shifts. Browse the relaxation of present day news What exactly performs this all equal to? Liz is completely pregnant, right? It might seem sensible if Fey had any remains of the people bump she bore from her second pregnancy. However, you function as the judge. Discover the shocking truth below striking your comments ought to together with your ideas: 30 Rock returns Thursday, The month of january 12 at 8/7c on NBC.

Ask Matt: Once Upon a Time, Grey's, Fringe, More on Laugh Tracks and More!

Gabrielle Rose and Josh Dallas Send questions to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow me on Twitter!Question: I love Once Upon a Time, but I am worried that the show will turn into another Lost: lots of questions, few answers and a somewhat cop-out ending. Will we see some of the characters regain their happy endings or will the show be six years of waiting for Snow White and the Prince to figure things out? I liked how the Cinderella story was resolved, but also moved the show forward. Can we expect more of this? - TiffMatt Roush: If you're actually enjoying Once Upon a Time, and for the most part I am as well, why spend time worrying about whether and when it will let you down? You're probably setting yourself up for disappointment if you're expecting a happily-ever-after resolution for many of the main characters anytime soon. These are still early days for a show that's obviously going to have a long shelf life, and what I expect (not getting ahead of the show) is that there will be self-contained stories based on the fairy-tale legends, revisionist twists like we saw with the Jiminy Cricket character's backstory or the Cinderella character, but other stories - Snow and the Prince, in particular - will take a long and winding (if not yellow brick) road to get to a resolution. Even so, it's already been established as part of the show's premise that everyone is living under the Evil Queen's curse, so the mysteries and questions aren't initially as confounding as the nature of the island on Lost, and there's little chance this show will go as deep down a rabbit hole (to mix even more metaphors) as Lost did to leave some of its fan base unsatisfied.Want more Matt Roush? Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!Question: Last week it was announced that Grey's Anatomy would be having an alt-reality episode which will feature Derek married to Addison. Understandably the MerDer fans are furious but no one understands us. They're saying, "It's not real, it's a 'what if' episode so it's not like MerDer is breaking up," etc... but MerDer fans feel like it's not fair to us to have an episode featuring a married Derek and Addison. After eight years of ups and downs with MerDer's relationship, they're finally in a pretty good place. Addison has her own show now and the Addison/Derek story is in the past. Why is Shonda Rhimes dragging the whole Derek/Addison/Meredith triangle back to the forefront, even for only one episode? Why should the very large MerDer fanbase have to sit through an episode where Derek and Addison are kissing and acting all couply? Do you agree with MerDer fans' complaint? - BarbaraMatt Roush: In a word: No. With all due respect, this kind of approach to a show is so narrow in focus that it tends to do more harm than good, in this case exacerbated by judging something you haven't even seen yet, which is almost always a no-no in my book. From what I gather about this episode, the triggering "what if" device is more about the impact Ellis Grey (Meredith's mom) would have had on the world of Grey's and Meredith's life if she hadn't had Alzheimer's and died, and the continued marriage of Derek and Addison is just part of that scenario. For all I know, this will turn out to be another wrong-headed heavy-handed experiment like the musical episode, but I always liked Kate Burton's portrayal of Ellis, so I'm intrigued. And focusing on this one element, as if it's a slap in the face to one part of the fan base, isn't much of an argument. I seem to have a reputation as someone who cheerleads the Meredith-Derek relationship, and that's true in that I'm glad the show finally put the two of them together and kept them that way, through all the subsequent ups and downs that happen in any soapy drama. But I'm an even bigger believer in letting show-runners run their show, taking risks that sometimes pay off and other times blow up in their faces. It's their playground and we're just spectators. But judging the game in advance? Rarely a good idea.Question: I am writing in defense of the TV laugh tracks. I felt that the comment in last week's column about how it was used "to show viewers that whatever was said or done was funny enough to laugh at" and that current viewers are "now 'sophisticated' enough to know when to laugh" really showed a poor opinion of the older generation of TV viewers. I always looked at the "filmed before a live studio audience" to be a natural progression from when TV was broadcast live. And, speaking as someone in her 20s, I hardly even notice it. I grew up watching all the great shows you mentioned in your response in syndication, and I honestly notice it more when a show doesn't use one. I don't even mind it on a show like How I Met Your Mother where I know from the commentaries on the DVDs that it is all "canned" laughter because their show would be too difficult to shoot in front of an audience due to the time-shifting nature of the show. Anyway, I read the column every week and I wouldn't have given Once Upon a Time a shot without your recommendation and now I am glad I did, so thanks! - GenevieveMatt Roush: I always enjoy when a topic like this spins off more conversation and debate. My take is that it's way too easy to just declare, "I hate laugh tracks. They're stupid," without considering the long and proud history of the multi-camera comedy, which too often is undervalued these days in favor of the "sophisticated" single-camera filmed shows. There's great and terrible work being done in both formats, and sometimes of course, it just boils down to a matter of taste. Here's another twist on the subject.Question: People continue to complain about multi-camera sitcoms and their laugh tracks, but they never mention the real difference between them and the single-camera competitor: the fact that multi-cam, studio audience shows are stuck on a stereotypical set. Most of them have a major home set (front door-living room-dining room-kitchen-back door), plus at least one bedroom, a patio area, and a workplace set or two). Any time they want to venture somewhere else, they're generally stuck on unrealistically small stages (a school cafeteria with 3 tables, a church with 3 rows of pews, or a supermarket the size of a 7-Eleven). I barely notice the laugh track unless it's overused, but I do notice when every episode is set in the same room, no matter what the activity: the family avoiding discussion of everything until they walk in the front door, or how every party or meeting is always held at this family's house. The single-cam shows can go all over the place and seem realistically set in the real world, instead of on a stage. - BudikavlanMatt Roush: A fair point. The world and look of a multi-camera comedy tends to be more limited, but there can also be something deeply comforting about returning to these confined sets of homes and workplaces - I'm thinking now of The Mary Tyler Moore Show shuttling between the WJM newsroom and Mary's various abodes, and how authentic it all felt to me at the time (I was a teenager, but still) or how I never tired of going back to the bar in Cheers. This is also the difference between the movies and the theater, and both can be equally transporting (or disappointing) depending on the execution. I've seen plays that felt more real to me than a movie shot on location. Go figure.Question: I really appreciate how you turned last week's question about why The Vampire Diaries is underappreciated into a plug for Fringe. Thank goodness it's still getting the critical recognition it deserves, if not the ratings. I understand that networks are never trying to kill a show, but I can't help but notice the extremely bad schedule of airing Fringe episodes this year. We only got seven episodes before the winter break, which seems a bit low, and there were the awkward two-week breaks here and there, with fans not necessarily being aware that it would be on the following week. Additionally, there was the unfortunate pre-empting with the World Series, which resulted in the last episode of the year not being the one that was originally intended to be the mid-season finale. Any insight as to why Fox would air so few episodes this year and so sporadically, or why they wouldn't have let it run an extra week? - AlexMatt Roush: Look on the bright side. At least there's now the likelihood of fewer repeats in the back half of the season, during the winter months when there's a greater likelihood of people actually staying in to watch TV on Friday nights. Not that it's likely to help Fringe much one way or another. Honestly, Fringe is so lucky just to still be on the air, though in retrospect, maybe Fox would have been better advised to delay the season until the new year, running it straight through the way 24 used to be programmed, thus avoiding the World Series disruptions and other pre-emptions (including Thanksgiving weekend, and dropping in one last episode in December wouldn't have made much sense or difference). According to my records, Fox aired four Fringe episodes in a row before post-season baseball kicked in, and then three in a row once the World Series was over, stopping at the Thanksgiving break. Not a great strategy, maybe, but not really abusive either.Question: Allow me to get this off my chest. I love sci-fi. I loved Farscape, Star Trek, Stargate, and have watched pretty much everything else. But I am not on the Fringe bandwagon for one simple reason: It is a parallel universe story. I don't like parallel universe stories and never have. I could barely tolerate them when it would serve as one episode on Farscape, Star Trek, Stargate, etc. Everyone has done them. I don't like them. I don't want to watch a whole series when that is the main hook. I am an original sci-fi fan; I grew up in the Golden Age - the John Campbell age - and have kept up as best I can. I know that I don't like parallel universes no matter how well they are done.And last week's column had some interesting points about pacing. I happen to like the pacing in The Vampire Diaries. I like the way they don't drag out the secrets and for the secrets that do last a little longer - at least I know it won't last that long. Look at Ringer. It is a show I should like but it is playing out so slowly I am ready to give up on it. I have two episodes on my DVR and any time I have some free time... well, I can't bring myself to turn it on. So I get that you don't like the pacing on Vamp Diaries but it works for me. And I can get my soapy fix. - ShelleyMatt Roush: Not sure why you think I don't like the pacing on The Vampire Diaries. I wrote last week that, "I do appreciate its breakneck (often literally) pace and what-next plotting." It's the best thing about the show. Couldn't agree more that it's a lot more fun than the pokey Ringer has turned out to be. You want a show that breaks a ton of outrageous story every week? Try Revenge. Regarding your objection to Fringe and the parallel universe storyline: That's clearly your choice. We all have "deal breakers" when it comes to the kinds of stories we choose to follow, and I'm sure there are many who hate the fact that the new Star Trek movie franchise is proceeding on an "alternate timeline." I try not to set such hard and fast rules, and with Fringe, what I appreciate about the warring worlds is that the parallel universe isn't just a one-off gimmick but leads to a richer exploration of theme and character, especially where Walter and his relationship with Peter is concerned, and Walter's guilt about having caused such a cosmic mess by pursuing his personal agenda.Question: I've been trying to catch up on DVR-ed shows after a couple of busy weeks. The last two Prime Suspect episodes were easily the best of the season. Good character interaction, plus showing Jane has a tender side when needed. Do you know if the show has been officially canceled? Also, what's your take on the show? - MickieMatt Roush: Officially, Prime Suspect hasn't been canceled. Realistically, it's toast. It won't continue in production beyond the initial 13-episode order, but NBC will continue to air the remaining episodes whenever and however it can. But there is a new show (The Firm) ready to take over the time period in January, and even Grimm improved on its ratings (though not by a lot) when it aired in Prime Suspect's slot last Thursday. I agree with you that the show just kept getting better, and NBC did try to make it work, even stripping episodes across an entire week's lineup to get it more exposure. But it never caught on, a case of the right show on the wrong network - it probably would have played just fine on CBS - or more accurately, at the wrong time in this struggling network's history to attract a crowd for almost any show.Question: I'm having trouble with Jai on Covert Affairs. I just don't see the point in his character. He used to make sense, I could kind of see how his role was somewhat important, but now I really don't. They give him these plot lines that they never fully explain, so it leaves me completely confused. Could you please clarify his role these days? - KristinMatt Roush: Actually, I feel that last week's season finale defined Jai's role in the show as an antagonist a little more clearly, as he turned on his father, revealing him to be the CIA mole in hopes of getting out from under his nepotistic shadow, then making his intentions clear to Arthur that he's laying the groundwork to go after Joan's job. This recent interview with the producers may give you even more context, but I'm glad Jai has become more than just another pretty face in one of TV's most telegenic casts.Question: Love reading your "Ask Matt" column every week and I've been meaning to send this one in for some time now. My wife and I both love Parenthood and the way they can keep the stories realistic and relatable without feeling too heavy. It's really one of the few dramas we enjoy. I remember when production started on this show, Maura Tierney was set to play Sarah but had to drop out due to her health concerns at the time (happy to know she has recovered and thought she was an excellent addition to last weeks Office episode) and she was replaced by the always enjoyable Lauren Graham. Did the writers change Sarah's character type or history much to fit the new actress? It's not that I don't think Maura Tierney could play the role, I just think it would've been played a bit differently between the two of them. - JeffMatt Roush: My memory is kind of cloudy regarding the original Parenthood pilot, which featured Maura Tierney before she had to bow out. But while the character didn't really change in specific terms of what Sarah and her kids were up to in the pilot, the tone lightened up considerably with Lauren Graham in the role, and that extended to the show as well, dialing back the angst a bit to bring more humor into the family drama. Tierney tends to be an edgier actor, so while I'm not saying Parenthood became better or worse with this pivotal cast change, it did feel different.Question: What do you think the chances are that Ringer, Hart of Dixie and The Secret Circle will get a renewal? They're pretty good and some of my favorite new shows of the season. - ChrisMatt Roush: It's so hard to gauge what is classified a success on The CW, the ratings bar is set so low. But if it's business as usual heading into the next season, I'd guess Hart and Circle are shoo-ins for renewal, Circle being compatible with (if almost indistinguishable from) The Vampire Diaries and keeping Kevin Williamson busy and happy, and Hart is doing OK on Mondays by The CW's standards. (That show is so cutesy and phony it makes my teeth hurt, but whatever.) Ringer may have to sweat it out until May. It's finally starting to pick up some narrative steam, but if it doesn't start generating some real buzz in the back half of the season, the clock could start ticking.Question: NBC wants me to watch more of their programming, preferably live, but thinks I should tolerate Fear Factor commercials? Kind of optimistic, if you ask me. I really like SVU and Grimm, but I wish the network would quit testing my resolve. P.S.: Zombie apocalypse? Not a problem. Fear Factor? Not so much. - AnnaMatt Roush: So you won't be watching tonight, I presume? Thanks for giving me a laugh to end the column on. Though we may not be laughing when the Fear Factor ratings come in. I remember when the show first premiered in the summer of 2001 and was an instant hit, I chalked it up as the beginning of the end - and it was a harbinger of much more train-wreck TV to come (hello, Jersey Shore, Kardashians, etc.). The show's return is likely to be just sensational enough to give a boost to NBC's numbers, which could hardly get worse. But at what cost?That's all for now. Keep sending your comments and questions to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com, and in the meantime, follow me on Twitter!Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!

Roger Ailes Writing Autobiography In Campaign To Enhance His Legacy: NY Mag

Is Roger Ailes thinking about walking lower from his gig as chief of Fox News?That’s possible NY Magazine states in the report about his expects to create an autobiography while he gets into “a legacy-burnishing phase of his career.” Playboy cites not named sources with “direct understanding” in the situation who say Ailes, 71,could internet funding close to $4M from Rupert Murdoch’s HarperCollins.Ailes continues to be repped byWashington lawyer Bob Barnett, whose posting client list includes Obama, Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bob Woodward, George Will, and Lynne Cheney — additionally to TV personas Christiane Amanpour, Andrea Mitchell, and Neil Cavuto. Fox News contributor Jim Pinkerton, who labored with Ailes on George H.W. Rose rose bush’s 1988 presidential campaign,will probably be co-author. Playboy states that Pinkerson was Bachmann Wanted’s ghost author on her behalf book, Core Of Conviction. This content states it might help Ailes’ effort to melt his image just like a sharp-elbowed politico. It notes he recently told AP he’s weighing different options — he mused about having the Cleveland Indians. It's also seen, this content states, in “Ailes’s recent comments that Fox has already established a ‘course correction,’ putting distance between themselves as well as the Republican circus his network managed it much to market.” Ailes’ contract at Fox expires in summer season 2013. Responding for the article, a Fox News representative states that there are one source with direct knowledge of Rogers plans and thats Roger themselves.” Since Ailes has not spoken for the author want to know ,, Gabriel Sherman, “we remain intrigued with Gabes uncanny capacity to see his mind.

American Horror Story Exclusive Sneak Look: Uncover Just what the House Would Really Like

Sarah Paulson Only two cases of American Horror Story to go to! You are prepared to uncover what Murder House is really after. Billie Dean, who the other day gave Constance the sense that Tate and Vivien's growing bundle of evil might be the Antichrist, senses the home posseses an agenda that belongs to them - additionally towards the desires of all the dead people dwelling within it. American Horror Story's Taissa Farmiga dishes on Violet's fate and what's next "Pressure in this particular house is bigger in comparison to a lot of individual traumas, and consists of essential,In . she states. "It desires to break through." Have a look at TVGuide.com's exclusive sneak look as of this week's new episode, "Birth," to uncover what else the house wants - and which dead spirit Billie doesn't want around! "Birth" airs Wednesday at 10/9c on Foreign exchange. Whatrrrs your opinion Vivien can provide birth to? Why Billie Dean get disturbed by that certain specific spirit but does not have a problem with Crimson? Could Billie Dean be described as a fake? Or could Crimson be trapped diversely in comparison with other house ghosts? Reveal your opinions inside the comments below.

'Young Adult': What the Critics Are Saying

Given the number of impressive women who wield power in film and television -- many of whom are honored in this issue -- surely women are making huge strides toward equality in Hollywood, right?our editor recommends'The Help's' Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer to Present at THR's Women in Entertainment Breakfast Jane Fonda to be Honored at THR's Women in Entertainment BreakfastBethenny Frankel: Women in Entertainment 2011 Jane Fonda, Kirsten Dunst, Amy Pascal Share Laughs, Inspirations at THR's Women in Entertainment BreakfastKathy Griffin, 51 and Proud, Tells Women in Hollywood to 'Cut the S---' and Admit Their AgesRelated Topics•Women in Entertainment PHOTOS: 2011 Women In Entertainment Power 100 Wrong. Women still lag well behind men across the entertainment industry -- and they lag stubbornly. Women are still well behind in terms of guild membership and pay for acting and writing. And those numbers haven't really budged in recent years. One lonely area where the gap has narrowed, according to the Writers Guild of America West, is in the median pay for writing in film. But that's because men's earnings are dropping while women are holding their ground or improving ever-so-slightly. Even so, the guys retain an edge: In 2009, the median annual pay in film was about $76,500 for men, compared with $62,500 for women. (Men did better in television that year, too, though the gap was narrower: $108,000 on average for men, as opposed to $98,600 for women.) "It's nowhere even close to being a level playing field," says Martha Lauzen, executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University. According to her research, women have only 16percent of powerful behind-the-scenes jobs -- writing, directing, editing and other influential positions. That's actually down a point from the peak in 1998, 13 years ago. The entertainment industry is unique in many ways, but it appears (using an admittedly rough yardstick) that women are better represented in many other fields. Using statistics from 2007, the Government Accountability Office found that women comprised an estimated 40percent of managers on average in various industry sectors representing nearly the entire U.S. workforce. (But women seemed to be stuck in that study, too, having inched up a bare percentage point since 2000.) "You're talking about a steady state," says Lauzen. "We are not seeing movement. This really goes against most people's thinking. There's this really strong belief in creeping incrementalism -- that every year, things are getting a little better." COMPLETE LIST: 2011 Women in Entertainment Power 100 It is still just about possible to count the number of women who have run a film studio on one hand: Amy Pascal at Sony; Stacey Snider, formerly at Universal and now a partner at DreamWorks; Donna Langley, co-chair at Universal; and Sherry Lansing, who paved the way at Paramount. And while a few have made it to top jobs at the broadcast and cable networks, there are practically none who don't report to a man (an exception: Abbe Raven, president and CEO of A+E Networks). Perhaps because of their limited power at the top, women seem to run behind in other major industry jobs. Female directors comprise only 13.4 percent of their guild, and a recent study from USC's Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism found that a minuscule 3.6 percent of directors on the top-grossing movies of 2009 were female. PHOTOS: Hollywood's 10 Highest-Paid Actresses Those films included the animated/live-action hybrid Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (directed by Betty Thomas, it grossed $443 million worldwide) and the romantic comedy The Proposal (directed by Anne Fletcher, it pulled in $317 million worldwide). On those top films, 13.5 percent of the writers were women (such as Melissa Rosenberg, whose Twilight Saga installment New Moon was the No. 4 film that year). In front of the camera, men long have dominated in both television and film. The latest Screen Actors Guild figures reveal that an average of 62percent of roles went to men versus 38percent to women. Factor in age, and guess what happens? "Whether you're a man or a woman, there's a sweet spot during your career when you can hope to make a good living," says SAG's Adam Moore. "For a woman, that window is narrower than it is for men. It's not a terribly encouraging picture." On top of that, the list of stars who command top dollar is packed with Y chromosomes. With the exception of Angelina Jolie in an action role or a couple of key players in ensembles (Emma Watson in Harry Potter or Kristen Stewart in Twilight), women cannot touch the salaries that go to top male earners. VIDEO: THR's Awards Season Roundtable 2011: The Actresses Lauzen doesn't tally the percentage of women in executive jobs, but industry veteran Gail Berman -- who has had top jobs in film and television -- doesn't think there is much of a crack in the ceiling. "It's been a male-dominated business since the beginning of time," she says. "It hasn't changed all that much." At a glance, it would appear women might fare better as producers than in other behind-the-camera jobs. Vance Van Petten, Producers Guild of America executive director, estimates that women make up around half its 4,850 members. The organization doesn't break down its membership by level, though, so there is no information on how many women are on the top rung. Van Petten believes that "women are getting up to speed very quickly in a medium that 15 or 20 years ago was dominated by men." If so, then producing is something of a high-end ghetto. Producer Lauren Shuler Donner notes that though she has produced the X-Men series, and the late trailblazer Laura Ziskin produced the Spider-Man films, women generally have been shut out from directing big action movies. And "comedy is run by a few guys," she says. Shuler Donner says even a sleeper hit like Bridesmaids (written by women, but produced and directed by a men) probably won't translate into real change. "Every year there's one breakthrough female movie, and we always hope it will have an impact," she says. The big exception when it comes to directing is Kathryn Bigelow, who became the first woman in the field to win a best director Oscar, claiming the prize for 2009's The Hurt Locker. But Lauzen sees sexism even in that victory: She observes that Bigelow got the award for "a very male-driven vehicle," and that much of what was written about her had to do with "her relationship with Jim Cameron, her looks and her age." While it might appear that women do better in TV than film, those numbers might be deceiving. Television provides more opportunities for women to write and direct simply because of the sheer number of episodes. Some women note that TV is open because it's perceived as lower in status than film (though often higher in profit). Perhaps also significant, says Lauzen, is the fact that the relationship between consumers and advertisers is very direct in television, and women influence 85 percent of consumer choices in that sector. That might help explain why so many women (Bonnie Hammer, Lauren Zalaznick) have top jobs running cable channels, which are usually aimed at niche audiences, while the broadcast networks try to erect a big tent. In the broadcast world, only two women -- Shonda Rhimes and Carol Mendelsohn -- have big overall deals. Still, Gale Anne Hurd, executive producer of the AMC genre hit The Walking Dead, hopes television will become a gateway. "There are a lot more successful women directors in television, and I'm hoping that there's going to be less of a divide between film and TV," she says. "I'd like to think that television is going to be where we find a lot of exciting, talented women." But even in television, Lauzen says the percentage of women in positions of influence is static after years of slow progress. And Kim Myers, director of diversity at WGA West, observes that though women might find jobs more plentiful in TV, "the networks and studios are still male-dominated." When women do get an opportunity in television, she adds, they don't get nearly as much room to fail. "It's such a corporate world now -- people want to buy a brand name," says Myers. "If you're a big, important male showrunner, you can strike out 10 times and still get a deal. How many failed shows does David E. Kelley have? But for a female showrunner it's two strikes, and you're out." Clearly, women still have a lot of catching up to do across the industry. What's particularly discouraging, according to executives like Myers who are concerned with promoting change, is that the industry doesn't seem especially interested in addressing or even recognizing the problem. "There is quite a lot of denial regarding this issue in the business," she says. "I haven't even heard a lot of serious conversation about it." ♦♦♦♦♦ 5 BIG REASONS WHY WOMEN AREN'T CLOSING THE GAP: It's still a man's world, but the guys are not totally at fault 1. Hollywood is still a boys club ... "It's not part of some grand conspiracy," says San Diego State's Martha Lauzen. "People hire other people who are like them. Men are more comfortable with men. ... I don't even think it's conscious." Says producer Lauren Shuler Donner: "It's very subtle. Guys play poker; guys go out, pick up women. ... It's how life works. There are more guys in the business. They're going to be with each other more, and ideas are going to come out." 2. ... Especially the Agencies One prominent female producer stresses that the major agencies are dominated by men. "That's where we get a lot of material," she says. "That's where a lot of the power is -- more power than is ever really written about." Another says that even emerging male writers and filmmakers are likely to get more attention from agents because their earnings potential is greater, hence commissions are sweeter. 3. The studios are all about the teen males The obsession with comic-book heroes and action hasn't been a net positive for gender equality. "Women don't get a lot of shots at those big tentpole films," says producer Gale Anne Hurd. "If you look at the analogy that making a film is like going to war, there still is that perception that you're looking for a general. But when a woman has the skills to take over a set, you get the reputation of being tough and difficult to work with. There is still a double standard." The fixation on tentpoles seems to affect female writers, too. "We see women's share of employment in film declining," says the WGA West's Kim Myers. "That's troubling. It has to do with the fact that fewer films are being made and the types of films being made. If you're talking about action or comic-book adaptations aimed at teen boys, women are not necessarily the go-to people." 4. It's the culture "Women will go to 'guy' movies, but guys won't go to women's movies," says Shuler Donner. Lauzen also found that 70 percent of film writers and critics are men, and they tend to write about films by male directors featuring male protagonists. "If you've got 30 percent written by females, that would translate to fewer articles about female-driven films, so they're lower-profile," she says. 5. Women are to blame "I believe that women in many ways are their own worst enemy," says one of the industry's most seasoned female executives. When women reach a certain level of success with big salaries and nice perks, she says, they start to play it safe. "So many people are wrapped up in the trappings," she continues. "It's totally different for men because there's a culture of maleness that is much more assertive." But women get stuck in middle management, doing the work without wielding the power. This veteran acknowledges that women who take chances and push their opinions may be vilified. "That's not looked at as having guts, often," she says. But that is not the real disincentive, she believes. "Women have a tendency to look for approval," she says. "And if you're looking for love here, you are looking for love in all the wrong places." Hurd sees that need to play it safe as costing women in another way. "I think women are less good at self-promotion," she says. "There are a lot of women who don't do a lot of press. They feel awkward. Since they're not in the spotlight, they don't rise as quickly." Myers says women simply weren't brought up to play that game. "We were taught and trained that we just had to work so hard," she says. "Women think, 'I'm going to make my way because I'm going to be so good,' and that's just one piece of what guys do." But changing that way of thinking is a daunting proposition. "You're talking about social programming that goes back to when we're born," says Lauzen. With such entrenched attitudes, she concludes, there is no magic bullet. PHOTO GALLERY: View Gallery Behind the Scenes at the 15th Annual Hollywood Film Awards Related Topics Harry Potter Twilight Saga The Proposal The Hurt Locker Alvin and the Chipmunks Angelina Jolie Donna Langley Kathryn Bigelow Melissa Rosenberg Shonda Rhimes Anne Fletcher Emma Watson Amy Pascal Kristen Stewart Gail Berman Women in Entertainment Women in Entertainment 2011

An Artist Biopic Confirmed

Bruce Beresford To Create TaliesinOne of America's finest designers, An Artist gets the large-screen treatment in Taliesin, a biopic to become directed by Aussie veteran Bruce Beresford. The film will require in Wright's triumphs - including his gilded career like a designer, author and also the guy whose blueprints lie behind a few of the country's most beloved structures - but Taliesin's title echoes together with his finest tragedy: the fireplace that wiped out his mistress and her children in 1914. Based on the director, Taliesin will illustrate the guy with Aviator-like objectivity - hpv warts and all sorts of. "It's an excellent script," Beresford told The Hollywood Reporter of Nicholas 'Sommersby' Meyer's script. "It does not cover his whole existence, only a small portion of it, also it does not whitewash him into some kind of saint."Beresford continues to be two times nominated for Breaker Morant and Tender Mercies, but is perhaps most widely known for his focus on Driving Miss Daisy. He's presently scouting for locations in Chicago, near by Wright's home condition of Wisconsin, while Top quality Pictures Entertainment and Chicago-based Kartemquin Films place the financing together.