Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Lainey - Casting Couch

Today a new riddle from Lainey Gossip -

Casting Couch

It was mystifying several years ago why she was hyped the way she was hyped. Just another starlet with no real significant starring vehicles somehow ending up with a prestigious magazine cover proclaiming her as the next It. Well It never happened. And after all this time and a string of failures, she’s been trying to change the course. So she’s gone back to the major player who tried to make it happen for her the first time. There was an arrangement back then – her sexual services for his professional services – and apparently the same arrangement was resurrected recently in the hopes that she’ll finally confirm a juicy role to kickstart a stagnant career.

Never mind that he’s married. His wife benefits handsomely from his generosity and while he may not fulfill her with fidelity, he certainly makes up for it through client exchange. Probably better that way. And given what he looks like, it totally makes sense. But he is a legend in the business both for his accomplishments and for the way he leads these ladies to their accomplishments, counting a couple of award winners and a few box office heavyweights on his resumé…which is why he quickly tired of our poor girl and discarded her.

But not before drying her out. One day late summer, they were joined in a hotel suite by a third gentleman (identity insignificant), both of them enjoying her as she allowed herself to be taken, and, um, decorated appropriately, all for a reward at the end of the session – the privilege of simply looking at a script, no promise, no confirmation…just an advance read. And a suggestion to show up at a premiere for a few introductions. She is so desperate, it’s been so meagre, she submitted to the humiliation although gamely seems to have enjoyed it. An actor after all, obviously able to shut out her husband and child waiting for her back at home.

And then he just cut it off. Told her he could no longer help her. That her body in his bed was no longer required. Which of course only added to her degradation. She tried and tried to offer up more, willing to engage in further depravity, but was only met with rejection. Because he’s moved on. He’s hunting his next target. A young, nubile, blonde babe with a large profile and a perky rack who so far has been able to resist his advances but is trying to graduate from supporting roles in film, as the fact that she’s a headliner on the small screen has not helped with the quality of scripts she’s being offered, or with many of her auditions so far. She’s currently waiting on a big break and he’s trying to make sure it doesn’t happen, so that in her disappointment, she’ll come running to him, ready to wheel and deal.

Note: there are 4 famous names at play – the reject, the replacement, the power player, and his wife.


Update 1/8/10- Lainey has eliminated Kate Beckinsale, Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck, Anna Paquin, Kate Bosworth, Sienna Miller, Nicole Kidman, Evan Rachel Wood, Michelle Pfeiffer, David E Kelley, AnnaLynne McCord, Ali Larter, Monica Potter, Woody Allen, Amanda Peet, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jamie Pressley.

Current top suspects:
reject - Gretchen Mol, Jessica Alba
replacement - Blake Lively
power player - Harvey Weinstein
his wife - Georgina Chapman

68 comments:

blurry vice said...

Megan Fox as the reject? Hayden Panettiere for the replacement? Not sure about the husband and wife team at all.

I'm confused... does the reject have a husband and kid? If so then never mind on the MEgan Fox guess. Not sure...

Anonymous said...

I'm going with Kate Beckinsale,Harvey Weinstein and his Wife, don't know the replacement though.

Anonymous said...

Too easy - for once I get one. lol! Harvey Weinstein, Georgina Chapman his wife, Gretchen Mol, and by all the photos out there, Blake Lively. Gross. Run, Blake, run.

blurry vice said...

Blake Lively... great guess

Anonymous said...

To clarify my last post, Mol had a Vanity Fair cover declaring her the new It Girl before she really did anything. There was lots of backlash. And there are a lot of photos of Lively meeting Weinstein - just google. :-|

Anonymous said...

Gretchen Mol was touted as the "Next Big Thing" after appearing on the cover of the September 1998 of "Vanity Fair". Over a striking picture of a blonde Mol in a sheer white gown, strained by her erect nipples, "Vanity Fair" asked "Is She Hollywood's Next 'It' Girl?" Her most memorable role up to that time was as a mobster's moll in the minor cult classic Donnie Brasco (1997), which was mostly remembered for cinematic turns by Al Pacino, Johnny Depp and Anne Heche, another young, blonde actress just starting to making a name for herself. Nonetheless, her beauty and presence led "Vanity Fair" to hype the blonde beauty, heralding the arrival of a major new star. She seemed poised to move up to featured roles. but the announcement turned out to be premature. Brunette Angelina Jolie proved to be Hollywood's Next 'It' Girl.

Anonymous said...

Also:
http://www.laineygossip.com/Harvey_Weinstein_sets_his_sights_on_Blake_Lively_after_dinner_with_Penn_Badgley_at_the_Waverly.aspx

Anonymous said...

I was guessing Jessica Alba,Weinstein and wife and Blake Lively.

Anonymous said...

eww! Weinstein a p i g and a slob!
Is Gretchen Mol married with child though?

Scarlett Pumpkin said...

Anonymous 11:33 am - That's exactly my guess, too. I immediately thought one of the Jessica's (Biel or Alba). But then when Lainey mentioned the husband and child, I thought it was Jessica Alba. Although maybe it is Gretchen Mol, as she, too, has a husband and a child.

Anonymous said...

Agree with Mol and Lively guesses. Esp since Lainey refers to Blake's chest a lot

Anonymous said...

Gretchen Mol is married, and has one child. In addition to her solo cover on VF touting her as the next IT girl, in 1998 she was also in the Hollywood issue.

Alba's career isn't hot, but it's not as dead as Mol's. Plus, I doubt Lainey would be that obvious. I think it's Mol.

Anonymous said...

oh, and Alba has never been on a prestigious cover touted as the next "it" girl, at least not that I can find.

Anonymous said...

one more point, Gretchen Mol showed up randomly at the Inglorious Basterds premier in NY this summer. Weinstein was producer. Fits this part of the blind "And a suggestion to show up at a premiere for a few introductions."

Anonymous said...

Wow, this one's solved I think -- check out the pics from the NY screening of Inglorious Basterds: Gretchen Mol (and the husband!) and Weinstein were both there!

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm967608576/tt0361748

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm111970560/tt0361748

Scarlett Pumpkin said...

Yeah, I think you're right. All signs point to Mol.

I hope Blake Lively is too smart to fall for all this.

Anonymous said...

it's Gretchen Mol, Harvey Weinstein, his wife Georgina Chapman and Blake Lively. Check out link re: Mol's Vanity Fair cover and how it was the result of Weinstein:
http://www.collider.com/entertainment/archive_detail.asp/aid/2478/tcid/1

Anonymous said...

this is def. Gretchen Mol. The Vanity Fair cover in 1998 predicted that she was the next Hollywood It Girl and she'd only been in a handful of movies. She is married and has one son.

Anonymous said...

this is def. Gretchen Mol. The Vanity Fair cover in 1998 predicted that she was the next Hollywood It Girl and she'd only been in a handful of movies. She is married and has one son.

Anonymous said...

But Lainey has a bunch about Alba and Weinstein on her back stories....

Anonymous said...

Yep, but Alba isn't as big a flop as Mol, nor has she ever been on a cover touted as the next it girl, Mol was twice -- 1998's Hot Hollywood VF cover and her own VF cover asking if she's the next IT girl. Alba's never even made the hot Hollywood issue!

Anonymous said...

http://www.collider.com/entertainment/archive_detail.asp/aid/2478/tcid/1

Sue T. said...

Mol has been cast in the forthcoming HBO series "Boardwalk Empire" -- the pilot is being directed by Martin Scorsese, so it sounds like a pretty big deal.

blurry vice said...

Hmmm..

Here was the article from MArch 2009 about Blake Lively meeting with HArvey Weinstein

"Every couple of years or so, Harvey likes to pick a young actress, turn her into a star. Or try to at least. It happened with my Gwyneth. The Alba Bitch had her chance, Anne Hathaway too, now it looks like Blake Lively has caught Harvey’s eye. A deal with the devil, you could say. Curious to see then if Blake shows up in Marchesa on carpet after carpet. It’s so obvious.

Anyway, boring Blake and her boyfriend Penn Badgley were spotted leaving the Waverly Inn with Weinstein a few nights ago. Last night it was on to Letterman. She arrived casual in a trench, left in a hot pink/purple one shoulder showing off those impossibly long legs. And still… even in a dress like this, Blake Lively puts me to sleep.

She’s no Blair Waldorf. "

Anonymous said...

I like the "or try to" part of that piece -- like he tried with Mol and didn't succeed.

This is from the NY Post:

Poor Gretchen Mol. Despite having 40 credits on her resume, starring alongside Hollywood's biggest stars (Christian Bale, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio just to name a few) and being drop dead gorgeous, almost no one knows who she is - Gretchen's like the female Tom Everett Scott.

Some people blame Vanity Fair - which trumpeted her as "The Next Big Thing" before she ever really deserved the title - while others just blame her for choosing underwhelming projects. Whatever the case, she's just made the smartest move of her career: heading to television.

Gretchen joined the cast of ABC's time-trip drama "Life on Mars" late in the game as detective Annie Cartwright - she replaced Rachelle Lefevre, who one reviewer deemed "the most frustrating thing about the pilot" - and is expected to give the character a little more fire.

But can Gretchen succeed where Tom Everett has repeatedly - "The $treet," "Philly," "Saved" - failed? Time will tell, but the future is bright, I think!

Anonymous said...

I am liking Lainey's BV a lot!
Not too full of twist and turns like we know who at E!

Anonymous said...

I have to say- Gretchen Mol's VF cover was more than TEN YEARS ago and Lainey says she was hyped several years ago... my gut instinct is that the reject is Jessica Alba.

Anonymous said...

I don't doubt Alba's done her bit on the CC. However, the rest of the blind doesn't fit her. She's not as big a flop as Mol, and she was never as touted as Mol was, albeit in 1998. Also, the fact that this summer (shortly after the alleged 3-some), Mol randomly showed at the Inglorious Basterds premier in NYC. WtF? Why?

Sarah said...

I'd say it's for sure partially solved: Harvey Weinstein, Georgina Chapman, and Blake Lively all work for the power player, the wife and the replacement. For the reject I was thinking Jessica Alba or Kate Beckinsdale, esp b.c Kate B was on the Vanity Fair Hollywood issue cover in 2002 http://www.blameitonthevoices.com/2008/02/vanity-fair-celebrities.html and you can see her wearing Marchesa on a very important carpet earlier this year at MET costume gala http://musicfameandfashion.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/celebrities-shines-in-the-2009-met-costume-gala/ But, Gretchen Mol looks like a very strong possibility too given those VF It girl and up and coming covers and her appearance on the Inglorious carpet last summer.

Anonymous said...

juicy!

Kate Beckinsale is too classy and successful. I don't love her, but she's had way too much career to fit this. Sure, she may be becoming a has-been, but she's not a never-was.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I don't think it's Kate Beckinsale either, although she did cross my mind for a mo. She just has bad taste, which is why she wears Marchesa.

Leanne said...

I had no idea who Mol was, but when I Googled her, I was shocked by how much she and Blake look alike! Seems like most of you have the right players in this one.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha, I love that so many people jumped immediately to the same players in this blind ... Lainey does a great job of giving her regular readers plenty to work with. I also immediately thought Weinstein/Chapman and Blake Lively ... my first thought for the reject was *the Alba Bitch*, but the information about Gretchen Mol is very compelling as well. One additional thought - Lainey is kinder to the reject re: her situation than I think she would be about Jessica Alba. Lainey can't stand Alba, and I think her scorn would come out just a bit in the language, even in a blind. Instead, she seems pretty matter-of-fact and even a bit sympathetic to the reject. Just don't think that would be the case for someone she clearly disdains as much as Alba.

Also ... man, I know Hollywood is a different world, but ew. I'm not naive - this isn't a surprise, but it's still sad. How spirit-crushing it must be to be one of the people who never quite make it.

Unknown said...

Yep, here is Blake Lively talking to the pig, while wearing--you guessed it! Marchesa!
http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/90871090.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF878921CC759DF4EBAC47D087F7C921F7054E8FBD0E157438AF32E95BE5D5DCD78D3CEBE30A760B0D811297

Unknown said...

Wow, guess I came late to this one! And I was so proud of myself for guessing Blake, Harvey and Georgina quickly! I thought the 4th was Alba at first, but reading what everyone's wrote about Gretchen Mol, I'm going to go with her.

duffgrl said...

Funny, I mistakenly re-posted this tonight(didn't see it under the vintage BVs) but I immediately picked all 4 of the main guesses: obviously Harvey Weinstein, Georgina Chapman, Blake Lively; and Gretchen Mol popped into my mind immediately w/ the first line of the BI.The only thing is-she is now married w/ a kid; not sure if she would still be sleeping w/ him? I guess so...

Anonymous said...

It is Alba, Weinstein, Chapman and Lively. The Question is, will she do it to make Badgely a star also?
Weinstein demands and they follow. No doubt.

Sarah said...

Lainey just eliminated Kate Beckinsdale in her Dec. 30 intro as the reject, but all of the other guesses made here are still on the table. Here is exactly what she wrote:
"PS. Casting Couch is not about Kate Beckinsale. Also not Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck and Anna Paquin."

Anonymous said...

I'm kinda surprised there's any doubt that this is Gretchen Mol. Alba may not have the hottest career in town, but she has more of a career than Mol ever has. Nor has she ever been touted as an "It Girl".

Here's a CNN article on Carey Mulligan listing some failed "it" girls. Shocker -- Mol's on the list.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/28/it.girl.mulligan/index.html?iref=allsearch

Anonymous said...

What about Woody Allen? He's fugly and a proven perv, on account of how he hooked up with his current wife Soon-Yi Previn. Also, Gretchen Mol had some bit parts in some of his movies. As for replacement. Blake Lively still a pretty good guess. Wonder if Scarlett Johannson ever?? Hope not. Ewwww!

Anonymous said...

Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, owns the Waverly Inn. As you all know, this venue recently hosted Blake and Weinstein "business" meeting. Sure, Gretchen's infamous Vanity Fair "It Girl" cover ran ages ago, but the only other VF cover with that particular phase on it, of the past decade, features Gwenyth Paltrow. And for more reasons than I care to list, GP certainly does not fit the bill.

It makes sense.

Friends do friends favors. Ilk.

Anonymous said...

From Lainey's intro today:

PS. Kate Bosworth isn’t part of this Casting Couch. Also not Sienna Miller. Or Nicole Kidman. Are you kidding? She’s, like, BFFs with Rupert Murdoch. Strike out Evan Rachel Wood too. And Michelle Pfeiffer and David E Kelley and Annalynne McCord. Please. In her dreams.

Anonymous said...

It's not Alba - she has never had that magazine cover nor has anyone ever proclaimed her the It Girl or the next big thing. It's Mol.

The whole thing may be lies lies lies for all anyone knows - but it's about Mol. I remember when her It Girl magazine and young Hollywood cover came out - it was out of nowhere and then, poof, nothing happened to back it up.

Scarlett Pumpkin said...

I don't know...Alba was pretty hot for a while there. And Lainey is constantly talking about her and Biel's failed careers. So it seems plausible at first, but as you read on further, and the more clues come to light, the more obvious Mol seems.

Mharcais said...

I think the GM guess was brilliant. I remember this VF cover and it continues to confound me. All of this from her bio on IMDb:

"Gretchen Mol was touted as the 'Next Big Thing' after appearing on the cover of the September 1998 of Vanity Fair. Over a striking picture of a blonde Mol in a sheer white gown, strained by her erect nipples, Vanity Fair asked 'Is She Hollywood's Next 'It' Girl?' Her most memorable role up to that time was as a mobster's moll in the minor cult classic Donnie Brasco...

"During the seven years that followed the Vanity Fair cover story, Mol continued to appear in films and on the stage...

"Though still on the radar, Gretchen Mol had fallen out of the celebrity limelight that had briefly fallen on her in 1998. ...Mol won the lead in David E. Kelly TV series 'Girls Club.' The series bombed and was canceled after two episodes....

"Mol married film director Tod Williams on June 1, 2004, and they became parents a little over three years later, when a son, Ptolemy John Williams, was born on October 10, 2007. While not yet having achieved a place on the "A-list" of movie stars, she has established her credibility as an actress and character-lead and should have a long and productive career in the industry."

The Adventures of... said...

Great guesses and evidence retrieval from everyone!

I initially went with Mol- but this seems very obvious (the VF cover and universal knowledge she didn't fulfil the hype), and random. Plus, the time frame doesn't add up. Mol was hyped 12/13 years ago- that's FOREVER in PR terms, whereas the BV specifies 'several years ago'.

Given how Lainey aint such a fan of Alba's, I do think she would post this blind about her. Alba may have been in commercially successful movies, but never as a headliner and never with potential for more substantial roles a la Harvey ladies like Paltrow. She's got the hubby and kid, and it isn't as obvious...which makes it really good! Agree with Weinstein, Chapman and Lively for the rest.

Instalment II for this BV will be- Lively becomes a concubine for Weinstein, and gets similarly screwed like 'MiserAlba':-(

Anonymous said...

Casting Couch is not about Ali Larter or Monica Potter (good one) or Woody Allen.

Anonymous said...

This is from Lainey's twitter: Vanity Fair - another goldmine http://bit.ly/8MQsFY

Is Tiger's cover "another" goldmine because of Mol's? Is this a hint?

Hello it's me... said...

Every couple of years or so, Harvey likes to pick a young actress, turn her into a star. Or try to at least. It happened with my Gwyneth. The Alba Bitch had her chance, Anne Hathaway too, now it looks like Blake Lively has caught Harvey’s eye. A deal with the devil, you could say. Curious to see then if Blake shows up in Marchesa on carpet after carpet. It’s so obvious.

Anyway, boring Blake and her boyfriend Penn Badgley were spotted leaving the Waverly Inn with Weinstein a few nights ago. Last night it was on to Letterman. She arrived casual in a trench, left in a hot pink/purple one shoulder showing off those impossibly long legs. And still… even in a dress like this, Blake Lively puts me to sleep.

from lainey gossip

Anonymous said...

From Lainey's twitter:

totally forgot to "not" the Casting Couch today. Not Katie Holmes. Not Woody Allen.

Anonymous said...

I think the reject is Jessica Alba: http://www.laineygossip.com/Jessica_Albas_new_mentor.aspx

Anonymous said...

Gretchen Mol was the reject.
In the new article, Lainey says that Alba is Harvey's next target AFTER Blake.

Anonymous said...

So, does this mean Blake gave in so Harvey stopped cock-blocking her, or that she got the role and got past him?

Blake Lively has nabbed the female lead opposite Ryan Reynolds in Warner Bros.' "Green Lantern."

Lively will play Carol Ferris, who runs her father's aerospace company and hires cocky test pilot Hal Jordan (Reynolds), who later becomes the intergalactic policeman Green Lantern. In the comics, the romance became complicated when an alien race bestowed her the power of a crystal called the Star Sapphire.

The search for the Martin Campbell-directed film's leading lady was almost as intense as the one for its title star. Keri Russell and Jennifer Garner were reportedly among those in the mix for the role.

The role called for a slightly older actress but Lively, who stars in the CW's "Gossip Girl," impressed the studio and filmmakers with her audition. Warners was also impressed with her work in "The Town," its adaptation of the gritty Chuck Hogan novel directed by Ben Affleck now in post-production.

The casting process will next turn its eye to the roles of Dr. Hector Hammond, one of the key villains, and the alien known as Sinestro.

Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti are producing the big-budget sci-fi movie, which is scheduled to shoot in Louisiana in March with an eye towards a June 17, 2011 release.

The script was written by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Michael Green, with Michael Goldenberg currently rewriting.

Lively is repped by CAA and Untitled Entertainment.

Anonymous said...

Reveal today:

"Blake’s breasts get her a job. And an escape? (The Superficial)"

sistah2 said...

I just caught this one. Great posts everyone. I agree with Anon from 12/29, Hollywood is such a disgusting and demeaning place when you have to sleep with H Weinstein for anything..
However, these people deserve what they get.

neva said...

How about Kate Hudson for the nubie? She was spotted in Marchesa at the Golden Globes. Hmmm...

ZOMGROFLCOPTER said...

i REALLY like kate hudson for this as well - but the reject.

apparently went to Harevy Weinstein's after party @ bar 210!

Melanie.Trini said...

Today in Lainey's Blake Lively Met Gala Post:

"Harvey is a powerful producer. And Harvey’s wife designs for Marchesa. And Blake Lively showed up in blue loud Marchesa and orange skin"

blurry vice said...

"Dear Ted:
No names of course, but to your knowledge, have any "casting couch" castings resulted in a Best Actress Oscar win? (Or, to be fair, Best Actor?) I still have a hard time thinking of the most famous and respected actresses out there participate, but as you always say, it is Hollywood.
—Justine

Dear Bingo:
Yes, and a very famous one directly resulted several years ago. Think pink."

Anonymous said...

"Think pink" ....ha!!!! Now I feel better about GooP winning over the vastly more talented Cate Blanchett. I figured (at the time) Weinstein could pull out all stops to buy Oscars. Just did not think about how GooP got the role in the first place.

talia said...

another "shout-out" from lainey today:

"What? Alba would never, ever, ever, ever stoop so low. No, not her.

But she did have the opportunity to catch up with her old friend Harvey Weinstein at the event."

it's in her covering of the baftas...
http://www.laineygossip.com/Jessica_Alba_BAFTAs_2011.aspx?CatID=0&CelID=0

Jolene Jolene said...

You beat me to it, talia!

Jessica Alba plays a part in this, no doubt.

She was in the Weinstein Company's film "Awake."

blurry vice said...

On a related note, Harvey was also a part of a bv from eonline

"Dear Ted:
Does Harvey Weinstein have a Blind Vice? Just saw a picture of him and Emma Watson. Eww.
—smtarchala

Dear Yucky:
Oh, Emma, steer clear, please. Weinstein is a boatfull of corruption. And to answer your query, he's had a supporting role in one.
"

Della Street ™ said...

I would be more apt to lean toward Alba because Lainey leaves hints. You would think that if it was her, Gretchen would appear SOMEWHERE on the site. She doesn't appear to. Also, wouldn't there be more of an emphasis on the kink side of things, given the fact that Gretchen did play Bettie Page? By all accounts of It Girls fizzling out, hell, that hint could point to the original, Clara Bow. Yes, Gretchen had that cover, but the time frame doesn't seem to mesh. I mean, that was damn near 13 years ago. Marriages don't even last that long, in Hollywood, let alone torrid kink sessions outside of marriages. And really? Look at interviews with Gretchen- I don't think the poor girl could say shit if her mouth was full of it, in real life. I can't picture her as this saucy seductress. Sure, the woman's nipples may be able to cut diamonds, but that doesn't mean she likes to wear fresh pearl necklaces to bed.

keelyrae said...

In light of Ted's admission that Olivia Wilde is a BV and photos of her and Harvey W together, I'd say she is the replacement.

Brittney's Daily Talk said...

I am guessing Jessica ALba and the replacement is Michelle Williams. For the Marilyn movie.

Unknown said...

Further evidence it is Gretchen Mol:

From Smutty Tingles Jan. 31, 2012:
"If I actually cared about Gretchen Mol, other than that one sightless time, I’d have called her worst dressed at the SAGs"

"One sightless time" refers to this blind and the fact Lainey never talks about Gretchen Mol.

I know it's a few years after the fact, but since Lainey was threatened by the "upper echelons of HW" to not reveal this blind...it makes sense to me should would be more cautious in the timing of her reveal.

http://www.laineygossip.com/Smutty-Tingles-for-Januaury-31--2012/22547

blurry vice said...

With all of the Harvey Weinstein allegations in the news, this Lainey riddle is still screaming Harvey and Georgina. The starlets could be any of the ones discussed above, or anyone else for that matter. As it turns out, he has assaulted or harassed many women. Thank you Lainey for enlightening us on Harvey's gross ways years ago. Although it seems he was much worse than we thought.

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