editorial
Almost Famous
Nikki Blonsky isn’t exactly the most famous person we’ve had on the cover of Famous. In fact, I believe she’s the least. But that’s exactly what makes her such a good story.
I had the opportunity to interview 18-year-old Blonsky for “A Good Hair Day,” page 34, and I have to admit, it wasn’t among the hardest articles I’ve ever had to write.
That’s because her story is the kind that practically writes itself. Having never appeared in anything bigger than a high school play, Blonsky was chosen over thousands of hopefuls from around the world to star opposite John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Queen Latifah in what may very well be this summer’s most fun and uplifting movie, Hairspray. The redo of John Waters’ edgy 1988 film about a chunky teen who earns a spot on Baltimore’s hottest dance show takes its cues from the musical spinoff of Waters’ film that hit Broadway five years ago.
So far, most of the movie’s buzz has surrounded Travolta, who dresses in drag and a fat suit to play Blonsky’s mom. But my guess is that Blonsky will be the one getting most of the attention after crowds have had a chance to see the film and hear her voice. I defy you to walk out of the theatre without singing Blonsky’s big number “Good Morning Baltimore.”
It’s been almost two decades in the making, but The Simpsons Movie is finally coming out this month. Producers have been keeping the storyline largely under wraps, in part because they keep changing it, which voice actor Harry Shearer tells us isn’t as hard to do with an animated movie as you may think. Starting on page 20 we give you three pages of Simpsons fun and trivia, including that Shearer interview, “Burns, Baby, Burns.”
Another spinoff in theatres this month is Transformers, the big-screen, big-budget adventures of a bunch of toys. Ah, but they’ve never been just toys to Transformers fans. Star Shia LaBoeuf talks about acting opposite alien robots in “Shia LaBeouf is About to Explode,” page 30.
And on page 26 you’ll find “Putting Things in Order,” our interview with Emma Watson on the eve of her fifth Harry Potter movie, The Order of the Phoenix. You may have heard that Watson is considering leaving the franchise after this film. Could it be true? Read the story for her side of it.
—Marni Weisz