Next Gen Femmes

These stunning young offspring/siblings of Hollywood's greatest celebrities will likely not be able to deny the call to the spotlight that runs in their blood. Whether they find their way onto the Silver Screen or maybe just into LA's party scene (ala Paris Hilton), these girls are certainly ones to look out for in the next few years:

Riley Keough
daughter of Lisa Marie Presley
grand-daughter of Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley
successful runway model (D&G, Dior, Victoria's Secret)






Lily Collins
daughter of singer Phil Collins
model and teenage host/correspondant









Alanna Masterson
half-sister to "That 70's Show" star Danny Masterson and "Malcolm in the Middle" star Christopher Masterson








Greer Grammer
daughter of Kelsey Grammer, younger sister to "GREEK" star Spencer Grammer, current Miss Teen Malibu 2007








Annie Starke
daughter of Glenn Close and producer John Starke









Zoe Kravitz
daughter of singer Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa Bonet
appeared in No Reservations, The Brave One, and Assasination of a High School President






Lorraine Nicholson
daughter of Jack Nicholson and actress Rebecca Broussard
appeared in Click and Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement







Marine and Chloe Azria
daughters of BCBG Designer Max Azria







Daisy Lowe
daughter of singers Gavin Rossdale of Bush and Pearl Lowe of Powder
successful British Model








Katie Cassidy
daughter of 70's icon David Cassidy and fashion model Sherry Williams
recurred on "7th Heaven" and "Supernatural"
appeared in When A Stranger Calls, Click and Black Christmas
starring in the upcoming Dallas remake alongside John Travolta



Francesca Fisher-Eastwood
daughter of Clint Eastwood and actress Francis Fisher









Lily Costner
daughter of Kevin Costner

Androgyny at Its Best

Okay, this post is absolutely premature as I haven't even seen the movie yet, but holy wow, the BOB DYLAN biopic I'M NOT THERE looks great. And its most interesting element? The fact that my uber-favorite thespian CATE BLANCHETT will be playing the rocker during perhaps his most infamous years. Just from viewing the preview clips, you get a sense that Blanchett's performance is simply SPOT ON. I can't wait. Other actors that will be depicting Dylan in this highly impressionistic and unconventional docudrama are Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Richard Gere, Ben Whishaw, and young African American newcomer Marcus Carl Franklin. A truly innovative look at casting a biopic indeed, I only hope that this fantastical look at the life and works of Bob Dylan still carries with it the same heart and introspection as some of the famed documentaries of the singer, including my personal favorite No Direction Home, directed by Martin Scorsese.

See a sneak peek of Cate Blanchett's soon to be infamous performance as Bob Dylan below:

The Next LEONARDO DICAPRIO...

EMILE HIRSCH

I was utterly floored by Emile Hirsch's performance in Sean Penn's critically acclaimed film Into the Wild. His depiction of real-life determined American adventurer Christopher McCandless is nothing short of amazing. Considering that nearly 80% of the film has little to no dialogue, all eyes are literally on Hirsch throughout the bulk of the film. He manages to switch easily between a sensibility of humor and enlightened reverence, giving the film both a heart-warming and heart-wrenching feel. Certainly inspired by the work of fellow thespian Leonardo DiCaprio, it seemed to me that there were clear glimpses of DiCaprio in Danny Boyle's (Trainspotting) THE BEACH throughout Hirsch's introspective performance. Who knew the cute kid from The Girl Next Door would grow into such a skilled and complex thespian? I should have gotten the hint with his spot on performance in the dark comedy The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys. Anyhow, I have been thoroughly impressed and look forward to his future work, even if his next big movie is based on a cartoon (Speed Racer). Could there be an Oscar nom in Hirsch's future? I definitely don't think its beyond the realm of possibility.

Songs of Praise

SONGS OF PRAISE
These two young performers are just on the cusp of what I imagine to be a lucrative entertainment career. They both got their start in the biz early, and quickly became notable for their ability not just to act, but to carry quite a tune also.

ANNA KENDRICK was the 2nd youngest person ever to be nominated for a Tony Award, which she garnered for her performance in the original "High Society" on Broadway. She continued her work with musical theatre until 2000, when she landed the lead in the feature film Camp. Most recently she was seen in the indie fave Rocket Science as fast-talking Ginny Ryerson. While she was also on the short-lived CBS series "Viva Laughlin," you can catch her in an upcoming film The Marc Pease Experience opposite Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzman.

JIM STURGESS is a British actor whose career spanned many London television shows and movies. Recently, he starred as the troubled artist of Julie Taymor's Across the Universe that was out this year, helping to launch the film's soundtrack to the top of the charts thanks to his Ewan McGreggor-esque voice. Look for him in a series of much-anticipated films due out next year like The Other Boleyn Girl, Crossing Over, and 21 (the story of the MIT students that card-counted their way through Vegas).

I'M BACK!!

Hey guys-- So I'm putting this blog back online. However, updates will focus specifically on actors that inspire me to post, so posting will likely be less consistent. If you wish to keep up with updates and have anything new that I've added sent straight to your inbox, please feel free to subscribe to my blog. Thanks!!

-CastingKat

TEMPORARY HIATUS

Hey Ya'll!! So you've probably noticed that the blogspot here has been slacking a bit lately. Well, I'm officially announcing a temporary hiatus while I launch a new website targetted at a slightly different subject. Please check it out and let me know your thoughts on both. Thanks!!

TALKING 'BOUT MY GENERATION

Love, CastingKat

The Girls of Comedy

Superbad was certainly a summer comedy targeted at a mostly male audience with its leading actors the kinds of goofy oddballs most guys were in their awkwards teen years. And what better way to tell a tale of boys becoming, well, older boys, than with some lovely young women as the objects of their affections. In any case, we have some extremely talented young actresses who are just coming up in the acting world and who are taking on roles in these kinds of comedies. Check them out below.

Emma Stone
Emma (or should I say Emily) got her start on a little known Partridge Family reality show from Sony, where she gained a small following. From there she became bit by the acting bug, and before long she landed a starring role in the FOX series "DRIVE." While the series itself was short-lived, Emma's talents shined through and before long she was starring in Superbad. Be sure to catch her in two movies due out next year: I Know What Boys Like (Anna Faris/Colin Hanks) and The Rocker (Rainn Wilson/Christina Applegate). I told you guys she was someone to know here...

Kat Dennings
While Kat wasn't actually in Superbad, she is no stranger to Judd Apatow comedy, starring as the rebellious teenage daughter in cult fave The 40-Year-Old Virgin. You might also recognize her as 13-going-on-30-year-old Jenny Brier from a memorable episode of "Sex and the City." This girl has certainly got a great comedic flair that has a real sense of heart. She'll appear alongside Emma Stone in the forthcoming I Know What Boys Like.

Martha MacIsaac also stole some hearts as off-beat and sweet Becca in Superbad. She was joined by Aviva, playing the hot and shallow Nicola who Christopher Mintz-Plasse's Fogell wins over in the end, and newcomer Carla Gallo, who makes the movie's most memorable scene as "Period Blood Girl."

What's great about all of these girls is that they're young, fun, quirky, and most importantly, they really look like high school students. Sure, they're no Megan Fox, but they certainly bring their own style and beauty to the screen and its really refreshing to see.

Seacrest Drowns the Emmys

HAHAHA...I told ya so, FOX.

As to be expected, the Seacrest-hosted Emmys tanked in the ratings this year. It was the 2nd least-watched Emmy telecast EVER. Ryan Seacrest just does not appeal to the adult public, so instead of drawing viewers in, it pushed them away with a vengeance. Ratings in the 18-49 demo were down by 17% from last year. Ouch. I hope Seacrest's ego isn't bruised too much...

For some really fun reading, check out the "Ryan Seacrest Awkwardness Meter" here, brought to you by PATRICK HUGUENIN of the New York Daily News.

my muse

Special Shout-Out to SUNNY "like the weather" LEE for inspiring so many of my posts this week!! She keeps me thinking :)

Celebrities: Untouched

It never ceases to amaze me the wonders that photoshop can unfold. In today's image obsessed society, I find it more and more important for people to see the face BEHIND the magazine cover or fashion photo shoot. Dove has done a great job of this with their Dove Real Beauty campaign as seen in the video below. For a closer look at the retouching of some of our favorite celebrities, please visit this site and click on "Portfolio." Scroll through the almost two dozen celebrities and see the real photos and the final printed product. With images like these, its no wonder young girls are starving themselves as young as 8-yrs-old to be beautiful. Beauty of this caliber is a truly unreachable goal. It really does not even exist in the natural world and yet people are still struggling to achieve it. It makes me sad.