News Roundup: GAME OF THRONES’ Gleeson; Rock and Roll Inductees and More

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This writer is just cleaning up some random news bits before getting a fresh start in 2014. Treat these as just some fun news as opposed to important HBO news as we wind down the year.

• Jack Gleeson Might Quit Acting

Irish site The Independent nabbed an interview with GAME OF THRONES actor Jack Glesson recently and he told them that after his stint of King Joffrey Baratheon he is likely to quit the business. Says Gleeson –

“[Acting] was always a recreation beforehand, but when I started doing Game of Thrones perhaps the reality was made too real for me. The lifestyle that comes with being an actor in a successful TV show isn’t something I gravitate towards.”

What he wants to do after his participation in GAME OF THRONES comes to an end is to devote his time to charity work. The actor is already actively involved in an international humanitarian agency dedicated to alleviating the suffering of the poorest of the poor called GOAL. It is a non-denominational, non-governmental and non-political organization out of Dublin, Ireland.

Doing this world of good is quite a contrast from his character for sure. Of King Joffrey he said – 

“I would like to try and defend [Joffrey], but I would have a pretty hard job doing it. I suppose he’s the product of his context and his family. In terms of redeemable qualities, there wouldn’t be many.” 

But it is all good for his cause.

“I’d been looking to use the celebrity I’ve got from the show to bring awareness for causes Goal supports.”

Enjoy hating him because it might be his last acting gig!

 

• The 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees

 The 29^th Annual Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony returns to New York City, NY on 04.10.14 and HBO once again exclusively carries the event to be broadcast in May. Says Joel Peresman, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, “This year’s Hall of Fame Inductees really capture the passion of the fans and we’re thrilled to again be able to have the fans be a part of the show, especially as we bring the ceremony to Barclays Center in New York and partner again with HBO and Playtone.”

And the nominees in the Performer Category are – Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, KISS, Nirvana, Linda Ronstadt and Cat Stevens.

The Ahment Ertegun Awards will go to Brian Epstein and Andrew Loog Oldham and the Award for Musical Excellence is bestowed to The E Street Band.

HBOWatch will have more about the the Inductees, the Ceremony and the Concert this coming spring.

 

• Imperioli Thinks There Is Still Life in THE SOPRANOS

Michael Imperioli, who played the character of Christopher Moltisanti for eight years in THE SOPRANOS, thinks a spinoff series is a doable project. However, we don’t think it a likeable project. Mr. Imperioli, has recently been seen in TV’s Californication and on the big screen in Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake, but he seems to yearn for the good ole’ days. He says –

“I would love it if there was another Sopranos, just to work with the people that I worked with again. Doing that show was like walking out of your house and going to hang out on the corner with your friends. It was like that every day. I wouldn’t be surprised if anything were to happen, like, if David took one of the minor characters and made a movie or a show from that. A character that maybe you wouldn’t have paid any attention to or thought of, and had a show about him – some kind of small town hood in witness protection. That would be in character with David.”

What do you think?

• Leonardo DiCaprio to BOARDWALK EMPIRE?

Another website has had a change to talk to a person associated with HBO. This time it is The Wrap and they had an interesting question for Terence Winter. Mr. Winter, of course, is the creator and executive producer of BOARDWALK EMPIRE starring Steve Bescemi. He is involved in many other projects as well, like The Wolf of Wall Street with Leonardo DeCaprio.

Which finally leads to the question – Any chance Winter would try to lure DeCaprio to his own- Prohibition-era epic; perhaps for a cameo? His response follows:

“That would be awesome. I never even thought to ask him because he’s so unbelievably busy. [The Phohibition-set The Great Gatsby ]was his fourth movie in a row and I believe he was going to take some time off, so that wasn’t even a possibility. But God, if he would ever do it? I obviously would welcome that. We got Martin Scorsese to do it. Why not?”

The Wrap followed up with – would it be wildly irresponsible to link his show and DiCaprio’s name in a headline?

Terence Winter’s response was

”Whatever you could do to get that to happen I would welcome the help.”

I thought HBOWatch, in this small way, could help out as well.

 

• HBO’s THE WIRE Now A College Course

Around here we are aware that THE WIRE is often listed as one of the favorite series of all times. And now it seems that the show is also one worthy of academic study. Rutgers University is now offering a class about the series and uses its depiction of Baltimore, Maryland life as a teaching tool.

 It is a lecture course that discuss a varies range of topics that define masculinity, ethics, sexuality, race, class, gender, and other social, behavioral and political issues that the 60-episode series examined. According to one of the professors, Fran Bartkowski they “devote three weeks to each of the five seasons of ‘The Wire’ and require that students keep up with both a viewing and reading schedule, then come to class prepared to talk about the material.” It is proving a topical and relevant class as the situations of the series can be applied to what is happening today in Newark, says the professor.

That sounds like one interesting class to me.  

 

• ENTOURAGE Movie Starts Filming

Having haggling out contractual agreements for the longest time the ENTOURAGE Movie is finally ready to lens. If you recall a few of the young bucks were whining and crying for more money closer or equivalent to what they were offering Mr. Piven. HBOWatch is not sure what was settled upon, but regardless the movie will now start production in January.

 Filming is starting in Miami, Florida soon as the cast assembles. The NY Post has a complete report on how casting calls for “hot beach bods” have been posted and scenes are being arranged in Miami which will stand-in for the Spanish isle of Ibiza. HBOWatch will keep an eye of how it goes.

 And with those odd little entries this final News Roundup for 2013 concludes.

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