Gawker: defamer, randy quaid

Jumpstart Your Acting Career By Profiting Off The Death Of Tim Russert!

nickm — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:35:00 EDT

What took Hollywood so long? Tim Russert died on June 13th and they're only just now announcing plans to make a movie about his life? On July 2nd? Come on, people, that's 19 days. Used to be a movie like that would get announced under a week after the tragedy. Summer must be making everyone lazy.

In any case, we managed to stumble upon a curious casting call on Craigslist which tipped us off to the Russert biopic. The headline reads: "Casting Older Caucasian Woman for Major TV Network Movie." The ad goes on to explain that a "small independent New York based film company is searching for the role of Maureen Orth, the wife of the late Tim Russert. The film will explore the last 24 hours of Russert's life and Golden Globe winner Randy Quaid is set to play the role of Tim Russert."

Well, we certainly can't argue with the choice of Randy Quaid. The two men look as though they were raised in the same womb. But what aspiring actress will tackle the role of Russert's wife? Here's what the producers want: "We're looking to cast an emotionally versatile actress for the role. Should be thin, 40-55, and able to cry on cue." That narrows it down, but don't forward them your resume just yet, Debra Winger. "The network is only interested in working with an unknown, so we will consider any and all women who look the part." Finally an un-famous middle-aged actress is gonna get a break in this town. And all it took was the death of a great newsman.

Casting Older Caucasian Woman for Major TV Network Movie [Craigslist]

Celebrity Taxpayers Alec Baldwin, Tara Reid Among Dozens Rocked by Alleged IRS Breach

STV — Fri, 30 May 2008 13:45:00 EDT

If you've ever wondered how far below the poverty line Tara Reid is living these days or what kind of child support Alec Baldwin doles out to Kim Basinger, there is a guy in Cincinnati named John Snyder who is living your dream right now. Illegally, of course, and maybe under threat of prison time, but still: Snyder, an IRS tax examiner, is accused of viewing the confidential records of 197 celebrities over the last five years, including Kevin Bacon, Sally Field, Vanna White, John Cleese, Portia De Rossi, Randy Quaid and even "the late Eddie Albert of the classic sitcom Green Acres." Eddie Albert! Has this man no shame? Maybe not, but you can bet he has a lawyer:

Snyder was caught when authorities audited who was accessing personal and tax information stored on a federal database called the Integrated Data Retrieval Systems, according to the affidavit.

Authorities said Snyder had access to the database, but works almost exclusively with business accounts and had no legitimate reason to review individual taxpayer accounts. ... Snyder, 56, faces up to a year in prison and a $250,000 fine at this time if found guilty of improperly accessing IRS data, a misdemeanor.

Come on, now — if learning the closely guarded truth about how much Vanna makes to laugh at Pat Sajak's jokes and stroke huge letters for a few hours a week doesn't constitute a "legitimate reason" to bump around a tax database, we don't know what does.

[Photo Credit: AFP]

Did IRS worker snoop? [Cincinnati Enquirer via TaxProf]

As Glamorous As A Hubcap Necklace

Mark — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:05:34 EST

· Maybe we've just spent too much time watching American Idol cattle-call-tryouts-of-the-damned shows, but we definitely prefer this version of "Glamorous" to the original. Also, we wanted more of the girl doing the toe-tapping thing. And the guy with the spinning hubcap.
· Ben Greenman's blog-musical Death Comes to Britney Spears makes a transition to YouTube.
· What the Heath Ledger situation really needs right now is for the feds to get involved to straighten the whole thing out.
· How did Randy Quaid earn a lifetime ban from Actor's Equity? (Hint: a Nazi plot is involved!)

Randy Quaid And Focus Features Keep Their Love A Secret

Mark — Wed, 03 May 2006 12:56:16 EDT

Variety reported late yesterday afternoon that the ugliness between Brokeback Mountain gay cowboy enabler Randy Quaid and Focus Features, the studio that he felt used his love of independent cinema to trick him into accepting a lower fee to appear in four scenes in the movie, may have finally ended with a "backdoor agreement" (Var's words, not ours, though you know our affection for a good sodomy pun) between the parties. Focus, however, is coyly denying the rekindling of their romance:

But Focus, in a statement, said: "Randy Quaid is a wonderful actor who delivered a beautiful performance in 'Brokeback Mountain.' The circumstances of him dropping the suit are as mysterious as the circumstances under which he filed his claim. Focus Features never negotiated, offered or agreed to any settlement agreement with Mr. Quaid or his attorneys, but we are happy to put this behind us, and do wish Mr. Quaid all the best."

In the interest of respecting the spirit of the film, we are happy to refrain from coughing "bullshit" into a balled fist, and instead look away as Quaid and Focus doff their shirts atop an idyllic hill, embrace in seeming anger, then tumble down its grassy slope in a tangle of giggles and stolen kisses.

God, we miss Brokeback jokes.

Quaid: deal or no deal? [Variety]
Randy Quaid Craves Backend For 'Brokeback' [Defamer]