Lindsay Lohan Tells Vanity Fair: “I Want My Career Back”
August 31, 2010
Troubled actress says she's learned from her mistakes.
By Gil Kaufman
Lindsay Lohan on the cover of the October issue of <i>Vanity Fair</i>
Photo: Condé Nast
In the first major interview published since Lindsay Lohan spent time in jail and rehab, the troubled actress told Vanity Fair that she's determined to get her career back on track. She also addressed suggestions that she was on a downward spiral of drug and alcohol addiction and talked about how heartrending it was to see her younger sister Ali in the courtroom during her sentencing earlier this summer.
"I don't care what anyone says. I know that I'm a damn good actress. ... And I know that in my past I was young and irresponsible — but that's what growing up is. You learn from your mistakes," said Lohan, who can be seen next in "Machete" and who is slated to start working on the Linda Lovelace biography "Inferno" in November.
Lohan also spoke candidly about her alleged struggles with illicit substances and alcohol in the interview, which was conducted one week before she spent 13 days of a 90-day sentence in jail.
"If I were the alcoholic everyone says I am, then putting a [SCRAM] bracelet on would have ended me up in detox, in the emergency room, because I would have had to come down from all the things that people say I'm taking and my father says I'm taking — so that says something, because I was fine," Lohan told the magazine about the alcohol-detection bracelet she was required to wear. Her SCRAM bracelet was triggered on the night of the MTV Movie Awards in June; her lawyer said the cause was an accident in which someone spilled a drink on Lohan's ankle. But that incident helped set off the chain of events that landed Lohan in jail for 13 days of a 90-day sentence on a probation violation from her 2007 DUI conviction.
"I think everyone has their own addictions and hopefully learns how to get past them," Lohan explained. "I think my biggest focus for myself is learning how to continue to get through the trauma that my father has caused in my life." Lohan is estranged from father Michael Lohan, but she said watching the reactions from him and her sister Ali when the actress was sentenced to three months in jail was incredibly difficult.
The article describes Lohan, 24, as "visibly upset" when talking about watching her sister cry in the courtroom, but it notes that she was torn by Michael Lohan's presence at the hearing. "The worst part of it is you turn around and you see your dad crying and normally you'd be, like, happy that your father's there," she said. "But then he has to go and do an interview right after."
Though Lohan was reportedly taking a number of prescription medications before reporting to jail, the "Mean Girls" star adamantly denied ever abusing prescription drugs. "I never have — never in my life. I have no desire to," she said. "That's not who I am. I've admitted to the things that I've done — to, you know, dabbling in certain things and trying things 'cause I was young and curious and thought it was like, OK, 'cause other people were doing it and other people put it in front of me. And I see what happened in my life because of it." In addition to serving a short sentence in jail, Lohan was sprung from a 90-day rehab sentence early.
Like a lot of young stars who come to Hollywood, Lohan said she got caught up in the party scene and ended up running with the wrong crowd. She blamed that group for some of her troubles, saying they pretended to care about her for the wrong reasons and were only there for the party. When she first moved to Los Angeles as a teenager, Lohan said the atmosphere was,"very go-go-go and I had a lot of responsibility; and I think just the second I didn't have [structure] anymore — I was 18, 19 — with a ton of money and no one really here to tell me that I couldn't do certain things ... And I see where that's gotten me now, and I don't like it."
And while she denied tipping off the paparazzi to her whereabouts to get more press, Lohan confessed that she often relied on tabloids as her main news source and that she was influenced by the blanket coverage of other bad girls like Britney Spears. "I would look up to those girls," she said. "And I would be like, 'I want to be like that.' "
The interview with Lohan runs in the October issue of Vanity Fair, which hits newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on Thursday (September 2) and nationwide on September 7.
Related Videos Related Photos- Lindsay Lohan's 'Inferno' Photo Shoot
- Lindsay Lohan Goes To Court
- The Highs And Lows Of Lindsay Lohan
Lady Gaga Previews New Song, ‘Living On The Radio’
August 31, 2010
Gaga previewed the piano ballad at a show in St. Paul on Monday night.
By Gil Kaufman
Lady Gaga
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/ Getty Images
Lady Gaga gave her Little Monsters another sneak peek at her upcoming album on Monday night during a show in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she pulled back the cover on the song "Living on the Radio."
The gentle piano ballad has a nostalgic feel. In it, Gaga gives herself a kind of pep talk about fame and fortune, throws a loving shout out to her adoring fans and pats herself on the back for finally realizing her ambition of getting on the radio.
"Baby, you must be free/ Keep living on the radio/ That's your dream," sings Gaga, who at the age of 24 has already charted six #1 hits between her debut, The Fame, and its sequel, The Fame Monster, and has notched 25 million singles downloads and near-ubiquity on the radio over the past 18 months. "Baby, you've got a friend/ And so many little monsters/ Keep living on the radio/ And when there's nowhere to go/ And all your friends are gone/ And you've only got your daddy to call/ You're gonna be all right, honey/ Because your songs are on the radio."
In the classic tradition of the road tune, Gaga laments the loneliness of living out of a suitcase and lonely nights spent away from home. It helps that, in her case, she's traveling on a "road paved in gold," which clearly makes it a bit less of a drag. There are also nods to champagne, caviar and sold-out shows, which presumably make life on a tour bus that much easier to manage.
It's the second song from Gaga's still-untitled album, which the singer has been previewing during her Monster Ball Tour. She has also performed the new song "You and I," which she debuted in late June at Elton John's White Tie and Tiara ball. It's unknown if either song will make the cut on the disc, which Gaga has described as "utter liberation" and frequent Gaga producer RedOne said will be "shocking."
What do you think of Gaga's new song? Tell us in comments below.
Related Photos Related Artists‘Going The Distance’ Stars Share Romantic Gestures Gone Awry
August 31, 2010
Drew Barrymore recalls an ex's unsuccessful love letter, while Justin Long's flower purchase backfires.
By Kara Warner
Justin Long and Drew Barrymore
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
The topic of love and relationships is a loaded one. It's full of drama, angst, joy — basically a smorgasbord of complex emotions that, no matter how serious and life-changing, can also be rife for comedic interpretation.
One such interpretation is Drew Barrymore and Justin Long's R-rated romp "Going the Distance," which opens Friday. In the film, the are-they-or-aren't-they-dating Barrymore and Long play a new couple who try to make a long-distance relationship work. There are expensive plane tickets, romantic gestures, arguments, etc.
Speaking to the romantic gestures, because there are a few in the film, we asked Barrymore and Long if they had ever had one backfire.
"I once got sent an e-mail that was written in a sarcastic tone, but the person buried the lead and didn't say he was joking," Barrymore said of an ex's attempt at a love letter. "So everything in it was as horrible as you can imagine. That wasn't funny. That was a really poorly executed romantic gesture. I remember another boyfriend, he bought me a cameo [silhouette pendant], and he said it reminded him of me. And I thought, 'This old, silhouetted lady reminds you of me? Huh. OK.' "
Long (who was not the giver of the aforementioned cameo) revealed that his good-intentions-gone-bad gesture involved an unfortunate mix-up of an ex's preference in flowers.
"This was actually a Valentine's Day thing," he said. "I went to the florist, and I saw these amazing orchids. There were, like, six orchids. It was tons of money ... but I thought, 'I'm going to do it. These are beautiful, and I'm pretty sure this person loves orchids,' " Long recalled. "I brought them home. She was always so appreciative of just the smallest gestures I did, so I was like, 'Her head's going to explode.' "
Unfortunately for Long, his memory was a little skewed. "She was like [he winces] 'I ... oh ... thank you,' " Long re-enacted. "She had this story that was like a really troubling, traumatic experience that had happened to her that involved orchids that she had told me. I knew there was something with orchids, I just didn't remember that it was an awful association. It was bad. She was molested by a guy named Fred Orchid," he joked.
Have you had any romantic gestures go bad? Share your memories in the comments!
Check out everything we've got on "Going the Distance."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosWaka Flocka Flame’s ‘No Hands’ Video Inspired By ‘Sexy Women’
August 31, 2010
'The concept is just girls,' Atlanta rapper tells MTV News.
By Jayson Rodriguez, with reporting by James "FLX" Alexander
Waka Flocka Flame
Photo: MTV News
Waka Flocka Flame is on a roll with his breakout videos for "O Let's Do It" and "Hard in Da Paint." Now, the upstart ATL rapper is set to premiere his latest clip, "No Hands," featuring Roscoe Dash and Wale.
Waka recently shot the visuals in Atlanta.
"The concept is just girls, sexy women," he told MTV News " 'No Hands,' we in the club, we in our party, we in our zone. It's about the women. She's sexy, she's elegant. We just went from there."
The track is featured on the rapper's forthcoming mixtape, Flockaveli, set to drop October 5. DJ Holiday will helm the effort. The Brick Squad member said "Homies," "Brick Squad Parties" and "For My Dawgs" are other potential hits in waiting.
It's been a good year for the Gucci Mane protégé so far, even scoring a nomination for the title of MTV News' "Hottest Breakthrough MC."
Back in February, Waka explained the method to his madness, saying he doesn't spend much time thinking about his writing.
"I'm not going lyrical, hard in the studio," he said. "It ain't time for me to do that. This ain't no album; this is my mixtapes. Why I gotta go spend 30 hours [writing rhymes] off of a mixtape? Then I got other people dissing me for saying that. You crazy. You giving me that much time out of 24 hours, you not doing your job. That's my word to you."
Are you looking forward to Waka's "No Hands" video? Let us know in the comments!
Related Artists‘Machete’ Director Robert Rodriguez Reveals Trick To Onscreen Nudity
August 31, 2010
He front-loads his movies with nakedness, then 'in your mind, everyone is naked the rest of the movie.'
By Kara Warner
Robert Rodriguez
Photo: MTV News
"Machete" was originally conceived as a fake trailer in "Grindhouse," but fan demand convinced director Robert Rodriguez to make the story into a full-length feature, which opens Friday. The film, which revolves around the titular character and his attempt to clear his sullied name, is full of blood, action, crazy weaponry and beautiful naked and half-naked women.
When we caught up with the "Sin City" and "Spy Kids" filmmaker recently, we asked how he decides when to play the naked card and when to avoid it.
"Ask my sister. She tells me, 'You need to have more hot chicks in this movie!' " Rodriguez said, playfully deferring to his co-editor and co-writer, Alvaro Rodriguez.
"I have a trick," he admitted. "I did this in 'Sin City' too. People say, 'There's so much nudity in "Sin City." ' I say, 'No, if you look close, there's only [some] at the very beginning.' "
Rodriguez said showing a lot of skin from the get-go makes people think they're seeing more than they do. "If you do it at the beginning of the movie, in your mind, everyone is naked the rest of the movie if they're scantily clad — because that's how the comics are drawn," he said. "['Machete'] was the same way."
Rodriguez cited a particular scene at the beginning of the film, in which Machete tries to save a beautiful (and naked) woman, as his prime example. He said the decision to have the actress appear sans clothing throughout the entire scene helps enable extra tricks in the plot that wouldn't work otherwise.
"That was the first scene I wrote. There's got to be a girl that he goes to save and she's naked and he's having to run out with this naked girl over his shoulder, but then you put a twist on it," Rodriguez explained, continuing with a pseudo-spoiler. "She ends up working for the other side and tricking him by being nude. That way he doesn't see it coming. Everything else, he'd be able to see a trick coming," he said, adding that there isn't much more skin in the rest of the film (save for a topless scene in a pool). "It's really just that trick."
"Machete," starring Danny Trejo, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert De Niro and Don Johnson, opens Friday.
What do you think of Rodriguez's trick? Will it affect how you watch the film now? Let us know in the comments!
Check out everything we've got on "Machete."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Is Drake Dropping A New Album This Year?
August 31, 2010
Young Money's Mack Maine says a quick album turnaround 'makes sense' for Drizzy, in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
Drake
Photo: Shareif Ziyadat/ Getty Images
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
It was spring 1998. DMX was the hottest cat in hip-hop and released his SoundScan-murdering debut LP It's Dark and Hell Is Hot. That winter, X came right back with another scorcher, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood.
OK, speed up 12 years. We all know about Drake's popularity. His debut, Thank Me Later, came out this past spring, and believe it or not, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Drizzy could come right back with another album just in time for Christmas.
"Drake's crazy," Young Money president Mack Maine told MTV News last week. "He's doing a mixtape right now. He called me one night, like 2 in the morning. He has the intro done for the new album. We was discussing dates where he should come back. That'll be soon. And this mixtape, he's gonna put that out quick. His formula is crazy. He works fast. I can't give the secret away to the formula. He's a musical genius. The way he and [producer] 40 put things together is crazy."
When we asked Mack if Drake was putting out another LP before next summer, he simply said, "Real possible! What we discussed, definitely, what me and him discussed."
Such a quick turnaround between Thank Me Later and its follow-up is a simple case of supply and demand.
"It makes sense," Mack said. "Like DMX and those guys [at Def Jam]. They dropped two in one year. I think 50 [Cent] did two in one year. If it wasn't a year, it was right around that time. [Drake's] hot like that. Why not? Give them what they want."
When asked if Drizzy would have an album in the marketplace in time for it to be a stocking stuffer around the holidays, Mack Mizzle smiled and advised us to "expect the unexpected."
Regardless of when the new LP comes out, all signs point toward Drake's R&B mixtape, It's Never Enough, to come this year. There has been a smattering of Drake records popping up randomly on the Internet recently, such as "What If I Kissed You."
For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.
Related Videos Related ArtistsJustin Bieber Vs. Jonas Brothers Hair-Off: ‘Camp Rock 2′ Stars Vote
August 31, 2010
'Well, there are three Jonas Brothers versus one Bieber ...,' co-star Chloe Bridges reasons.
By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber
Photo: Robyn Beck/ Getty Images
Demi Lovato told us recently that the littlest Jonas brother, Frankie, has swag like Justin Bieber. And as it turns out, the elder Jonas Brothers, namely Joe, Kevin and Nick, and Justin Bieber are all known for something they have in common, and we're not talking about their bustling careers. We're referring to their incredibly famous and all-important heads of hair. While Bieber is known for his signature swoop, the brothers Jonas are recognized for their curly mops.
This fascinating paralell raised a question: Who has better hair, the Jonas Brothers or Justin Bieber? Their "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" co-stars weighed in on this battle for the ages.
"I'm friends with the Jonas Brothers [and] I do have to see them later on, but I know that Bieber has this whole thingy, the swoop thingy," Jasmine Richards pondered. "I'm gonna have to say Jonas Brothers only 'cause their hair's great. ... But Bieber ... can I be in the middle?"
Nick Jonas' "Camp Rock 2" love interest, Chloe Bridges, compared the decision-making process on this issue to choosing a favorite summer sweet. "Well, there are three Jonas Brothers versus one Bieber. So I don't know," she explained. "They might win, however, they both have good hair. It's hard to say. It's like vanilla versus chocolate — do you like the straight or the wavy? It's like ice cream flavors."
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle seemed to have the decision locked: "Oh, the Jonases, for sure! I mean, they all have different hairstyles, which is awesome," she said. "Justin Bieber has the one hairstyle. For sure, the brothers!"
Who do you think has better hair, Justin Bieber or the Jonas Brothers? Tell us in the comments!
Related Photos Related Artists‘Secretariat’ Puts Audience In The Horse Races, Director Says
August 31, 2010
'I wanted the audience to experience the races as participants, not as spectators,' Randall Wallace tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner
Diane Lane in "Secretariat"
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures
The fall-movie season is shaping up to be chock-full of Oscar bait, and Disney's "Secretariat" is no exception. Based on a true story, the film revolves around Penny Chenery (played by Diane Lane), the woman ultimately responsible for fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years. It's a feel-good film for sure, but it's designed to make audiences weepy.
When we caught up with director Randall Wallace ("We Were Soldiers," "The Man in the Iron Mask") he admitted to being "an emotional critter" and wanting audiences to connect with the characters and feel something when they see the film. Translation: Bring tissues to the theater.
MTV: This is a different type of film for you. Why did the story of Secretariat speak to you?
Randall Wallace: It was funny for me, because I've never worked on something that wasn't an original screenplay for me that I hadn't started in some form or fashion, but everything else I had done involved war. [In addition to the previous two films he directed, Wallace wrote "Braveheart" and "Pearl Harbor."] People ask why I make war stories. I say, "I don't. I make love stories. It's just that war puts love in the context." It shows its depth and extent of the commitment you have to it. With this story, its call to me was that it showed a face and hope and courage as an affirmation that led not just to suffering and pain, but to victory and joy, and that was really compelling for me about this.
MTV: How challenging is it working with horses?
Wallace: It's extremely challenging, particularly because these are animals who could kill you and animals who could hurt themselves if you weren't extremely thoughtful about them. My first job out of college was, I worked with live animals. I would come from seminary at Duke University to working at a place called Opryland in Nashville. My first job, I was a manager of an animal show where barnyard animals were trained to play musical instruments. We had a pig named Pigerace and a duck named Burt Bachquack; that was my first gig. I came full-circle getting to work with thoroughbreds on this. What you find is that they have personalities and instincts of their own, and they're not unlike actors at their best. Diane Lane and John Malkovich are thoroughbreds, and they have enormous capacity. You work with people like that to find that fire and that passion.
MTV: Who in the cast was your "horse whisperer" and really took to the horses?
Wallace: John Malkovich has an amazing affection for horses. John had actually worked with one of the horses that we used — not one of our Secretariats, but one of our background horses. John would actually tell stories about what the horse was thinking and doing, and he would mimic the horse. That not only entertained us all, but it also inspired us. Leadership spreads through a whole organization, and John certainly had it in that way. Diane's commitment to become as fully immersed with those horses as Penny Chenery, the woman she was playing, had been with Secretariat is absolute. You can see it when you see the film. There are moments when she is looking into the eyes of the horse, and it's amazing what you see both in the human eyes and the horse's eyes.
MTV: We've seen movies about horses — specifically racehorses — before. What makes "Secretariat" different?
Wallace: Here's what's different about "Secretariat": The cornerstone of my approach, the first step in directing this movie visually for me, is I wanted the audience to experience the races as participants, not as spectators. Every other horse-racing move I've ever seen was one that celebrated the slow and elegant beauty of horse racing, but not its kinetic excitement, none of its danger and savagery. We had cameras skimming an inch along the ground right at the horses' hooves, with the dirt flying in the faces of the audience like its flying in the faces of the jockeys. We used real jockeys, unlike some other movies. I happen to love "Seabiscuit." I thought it was a wonderful movie. This movie is vastly more kinetic. In "Seabiscuit," you had a great actor whom you were totally prevented from putting on the horse. I hired real jockeys at every point so that the man playing Ronnie Turcotte was on the back of the horse going 38 miles an hour in heavy traffic and risking his life, so that's one big difference.
Another is, let's face it, I'm an emotional critter. I'm looking for the soaring heart of something. I wanted to know what it was like when Penny faced her moment of greatest isolation and uncertainty and how she responded — her moments of sorrow and her moments of greatest joy. And I wanted the audience to participate too, and not just sit back and watch it. That's a problem with our society: It's been all too easy for us to become spectators in life, and I want to be a participant and I want the audience to share that too.
From the saucy Jessica Alba in "Little Fockers" to James Franco's grueling journey in "127 Hours," the MTV Movies team is delving into the hottest flicks of fall 2010. Check back daily for exclusive clips, photos and interviews with the films' biggest stars.
Check out everything we've got on "Secretariat."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosIs Drake Dropping A New Album This Year?
August 31, 2010
Young Money's Mack Maine says a quick album turnaround 'makes sense' for Drizzy, in Mixtape Daily.
By Shaheem Reid
Drake
Photo: Shareif Ziyadat/ Getty Images
The O.D.: A Mixtape Daily Exclusive
It was spring 1998. DMX was the hottest cat in hip-hop and released his SoundScan-murdering debut LP It's Dark and Hell Is Hot. That winter, X came right back with another scorcher, Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood.
OK, speed up 12 years. We all know about Drake's popularity. His debut, Thank Me Later, came out this past spring, and believe it or not, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Drizzy could come right back with another album just in time for Christmas.
"Drake's crazy," Young Money president Mack Maine told MTV News last week. "He's doing a mixtape right now. He called me one night, like 2 in the morning. He has the intro done for the new album. We was discussing dates where he should come back. That'll be soon. And this mixtape, he's gonna put that out quick. His formula is crazy. He works fast. I can't give the secret away to the formula. He's a musical genius. The way he and [producer] 40 put things together is crazy."
When we asked Mack if Drake was putting out another LP before next summer, he simply said, "Real possible! What we discussed, definitely, what me and him discussed."
Such a quick turnaround between Thank Me Later and its follow-up is a simple case of supply and demand.
"It makes sense," Mack said. "Like DMX and those guys [at Def Jam]. They dropped two in one year. I think 50 [Cent] did two in one year. If it wasn't a year, it was right around that time. [Drake's] hot like that. Why not? Give them what they want."
When asked if Drizzy would have an album in the marketplace in time for it to be a stocking stuffer around the holidays, Mack Mizzle smiled and advised us to "expect the unexpected."
Regardless of when the new LP comes out, all signs point toward Drake's R&B mixtape, It's Never Enough, to come this year. There has been a smattering of Drake records popping up randomly on the Internet recently, such as "What If I Kissed You."
For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.
Related VideosJustin Bieber Vs. Jonas Brothers Hair-Off: ‘Camp Rock 2′ Stars Vote
August 31, 2010
'Well, there are three Jonas Brothers versus one Bieber ...,' co-star Chloe Bridges reasons.
By Jocelyn Vena
Justin Bieber
Photo: Robyn Beck/ Getty Images
Demi Lovato told us recently that the littlest Jonas brother, Frankie, has swag like Justin Bieber. And as it turns out, the elder Jonas Brothers, namely Joe, Kevin and Nick, and Justin Bieber are all known for something they have in common, and we're not talking about their bustling careers. We're referring to their incredibly famous and all-important heads of hair. While Bieber is known for his signature swoop, the brothers Jonas are recognized for their curly mops.
This fascinating paralell raised a question: Who has better hair, the Jonas Brothers or Justin Bieber? Their "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" co-stars weighed in on this battle for the ages.
"I'm friends with the Jonas Brothers [and] I do have to see them later on, but I know that Bieber has this whole thingy, the swoop thingy," Jasmine Richards pondered. "I'm gonna have to say Jonas Brothers only 'cause their hair's great. ... But Bieber ... can I be in the middle?"
Nick Jonas' "Camp Rock 2" love interest, Chloe Bridges, compared the decision-making process on this issue to choosing a favorite summer sweet. "Well, there are three Jonas Brothers versus one Bieber. So I don't know," she explained. "They might win, however, they both have good hair. It's hard to say. It's like vanilla versus chocolate — do you like the straight or the wavy? It's like ice cream flavors."
Anna Maria Perez de Tagle seemed to have the decision locked: "Oh, the Jonases, for sure! I mean, they all have different hairstyles, which is awesome," she said. "Justin Bieber has the one hairstyle. For sure, the brothers!"
Who do you think has better hair, Justin Bieber or the Jonas Brothers? Tell us in the comments!
Related Photos
