SAG Awards after-party: Brad and Angelina dine, 'The Help' shines

The Screen Actors Guild Awards serve as a halftime whistle in Hollywood's busiest season, between January's Golden Globes and February's Oscar gold -- making the SAG after-party something of a halftime show.

A lot of stars were blowing off steam as big winners including "The Help," "Modern Family" and "The Artist" mingled on Sunday evening.

The guild's annual gala, a partnership between People magazine and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, awaited guests from the telecast in a tented space just off the Shrine Expo Hall. An Old Hollywood theme permeated the event, enhanced by thick drapes, velvet booths and a throwback jazz band.

PHOTOS: 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards show

Brad Pitt didn't take home the night's big acting prize -- that went to "The Artist" lead Jean Dujardin -- but he seemed plenty comforted by partner Angelina Jolie. The actress-director picked at salad while chatting up Brad's "Moneyball" costar Jonah Hill.

If quality time with Jolie wasn't enough for Hill, the conversation was interrupted by an enthusiastic Armie Hammer, who like Jonah was nominated for male supporting actor in a drama.

"Well done!" Hammer offered Jonah. Nice to see that Armie's recent herbal issues haven't killed his rosy disposition. 

"The Descendants" cast camped right next to Team Pitt as Judy Greer and Shailene Woodley laughed and people-watched together. (George Clooney and Stacey Keibler made only the briefest party appearance.)

Always a good time, "Modern Family" star Julie Bowen entertained her cast with bawdy jokes a few feet from a mixed bag of "30 Rock" and "Bridesmaids" stars. These combined forces were pleasing to a svelte Jane Krakowski, who snapped tons of pictures with her smartphone. 

Yet no one had a night like the stars of "The Help" had: Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer considered their statuettes in the cast's private booth, while Emma Stone and Allison Janney chatted up director Tate Taylor. 

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Photo:  Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at the SAG Awards in L.A. on Sunday. Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press

Five A-list moments from Palm Springs: Clooney, Pitt and more

Why do we love the Palm Springs International Film Festival?  Think of it as famous fish in a barrel — among them Brad Pitt, George Clooney and more.

Far from the luxury enclaves of Los Angeles, some of the brightest stars come together for the annual awards gala and cozy after-party in the desert oasis. Here are our five A-list moments from Saturday's opening fete:

George Clooney meets the French, well, George Clooney: In keeping with our affinity for handsome males, Jean Dujardin caught our eye (and that of the critical mass) for his turn in the well-received "The Artist." The French actor may be a new face for for the U.S. but is quite often referred to as "the George Clooney of France." So what happened when the domestic met the foreign?

PHOTOS: Stars shine at the 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival

"They met near the talent valet," an onlooker told the Ministry. "They shook hands and complimented one another." In a much more thrilling introduction, Dujardin's "Arist" costar Bérénice Bejo got a kiss from Clooney.

"George gave a kiss to Bérénice, and she lit up! She joked that though she's madly in love with Michel [Hazanavicius, director of "The Artist"], that made it the best night of her life," the witness said.

The potty mouths: The pageantry of these galas can test anyone's boundaries for the appropriate. Thankfully, the Vanguard award winners at PSIFF were the gang from "Young Adult" — far from a warm and cuddly film, the filmmakers gave the night some edge.

Brad and Angelina were 'racing' to see who gets to retire first

This post has been corrected, as indicated below.

Angelina Jolie, the female half of "Brad and Angelina," sat down with silver fox Anderson Cooper this week, opening up about family life and her partner Brad Pitt's much-discussed retirement plans.

Actress and director Jolie is making the rounds in support of "In the Land of Blood and Honey," the Bosnian war romance she wrote and directed, which received a Golden Globe nomination Thursday for the foreign language film category.

Cooper asked Jolie about her and Pitt's wanderlust in the face of raising six kids, and she says the brood loves being on the move.

"If they're in one place for two months they want to know why we're not getting on an airplane," she said.

"Because they're such a big traveling pack, it's not one child moving around the world and missing friends," she added. Angelina also says with pals in every port, the kids aren't hurting for play dates.

The conversation moved from play to work, as Cooper asked Jolie about recent statements Pitt made about retiring at 50.

"We were both racing to see which one of us gets to retire first," Jolie said, noting that Pitt likely wouldn't hang up his acting hat in three years when he hits the big 5-0.

"Whoever is home tends to be the happier one," she said, referring to their only-one-or-the-other-is-working schedules, "because we get to play with the kids while the other one is out earning the money."

The Jolie episode of "Anderson," which also features members of the "Blood and Honey" cast, will air Monday.

[For the record, 3 p.m. Dec. 16: This post originally referred to Brad Pitt as the husband of Angelina Jolie. They are not married.]

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Photo: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie smile prior to the Japanese premiere of his "Moneyball" film in Tokyo on Nov.9. Credit: Junji Kurokawa / AP Photo

Angelina Jolie brings 'Blood and Honey' to L.A. with Brad

For Angelina Jolie, an intimate gathering would seem impossible given that she's one of the most famous women in the world. But somehow, on Thursday in Hollywood, she and partner Brad Pitt managed just that in support of her film "In The Land of Blood and Honey."

On a promotional tour that has seen broadcast sit-downs and a New York opening, Jolie screened her Bosnian love-and-war epic for industry types and friends, and about 200 of her and Pitt's biggest fans (one had a "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" poster waiting to be signed).

Spending an unusual amount of time on the red carpet to hype the project, Jolie rolled with a team but was never far from Pitt, who held the excess fabric of her blue gown as she descended the stairs at the ArcLight Cinemas.

Her father, Jon Voight, showed up to lend support, as did Jolie's girlfriend and fellow mom Gwen Stefani, but the evening's focus was the devastating ethnic cleansing depicted in "Blood and Honey," which features a cameo by Brad Pitt (his appearance is quick and brutal).

That made for a humble after-party at an event space two blocks from the theater, where maroon drapes gave a holiday vibe to well-wishers like Eli Roth, pals with Pitt since "Inglourious Basterds," and Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal.  

Jolie greeted virtually everyone, indulged in conversation and made sure all were fed and watered. Something she's got to be well-versed at at home with her and Pitt's six kids. But Thursday, as intimately as she could achieve, was about work.

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Photo: Brad Pitt, left, and Angelina Jolie, writer and director of the film "In the Land of Blood and Honey," at the premiere in Los Angeles on Thursday. Credit: Danny Moloshok / Associated Press

Angelina Jolie survived her dark times, still Brad Pitt's 'bad girl'

The Angelina Jolie of yesteryear is essentially unrecognizable, thanks to her bounty of children, her humanitarian work and movie-star life partner Brad Pitt. But it doesn't mean she's closed down Memory Lane.

Jolie, who makes her directorial debut next year with "In The Land of Blood and Honey," still recalls her bad girl days.

"I went through heavy, darker times and I survived them. I didn't die young," she says in a sitdown with CBS' "60 Minutes" to air Sunday, "so I am very lucky. There are other artists and people that didn't survive certain things."  

Like what, Angelina? 

"Nothing I want to go into a lot of detail about. I think people can imagine that I did the most dangerous, and I did the worst and for many reasons, I shouldn't be here," she tells correspondent Bob Simon.

A rather dark allusion to her earlier days, no? That would include her edgy marriage to Billy Bob Thornton and PDA with her brother James. But it's all behind her. Any remaining wild oats are Pitt's to sow.

"I'm still a bad girl," she says. "I still have that side of me ... it's just in its place now ... it belongs to Brad. Or ... our adventures."

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Photo: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at the Tokyo premiere of "Moneyball" on Nov. 9. Credit: Junji Kurokawa / Associated Press

Brad Pitt: Not putting 'exact deadline' on retirement from acting

Just like Brad Pitt didn't mean life with Jennifer Aniston wasn't interesting when he said he was living an uninteresting live while he was with Aniston, he apparently didn't mean he would be retiring in three years when he told Australian "60 Minutes" he would be retiring in three years.

"I wasn't putting an exact deadline on my expiration date," Pitt said Tuesday at a news conference in South Korea, where "Moneyball" premiered Tuesday. "But I see it coming. I have other interests."

Here's what Pitt told "60 Minutes," according to the show's transcript:

TARA BROWN: If Brad Pitt wants us to be surprised, then he's left the best, and for his fans, the worst, til last. At the height of his fame and game, he's preparing to turn his back on acting. How much longer would you like to do your business for?

BRAD: Three years.

TARA BROWN: Three years?

BRAD: Yeah.

TARA BROWN: And then what happens after three years?

BRAD: Hell if I know. Hell if I know. I am really enjoying the producing side and development of stories and putting those pieces together. And getting stories to the plate that might have had a tougher time otherwise, so ... You know, I have gotten away with a few things in writing and I have been pissed off about a few things. How's that?

Perhaps Pitt is out of practice with the interviews, as he and Angelina Jolie don't do them much outside of when they're promoting projects?

His explanation for the "uninteresting" Aniston comments to Parade earlier this year were as follows:

"It grieves me that this was interpreted this way. Jen is an incredibly giving, loving and hilarious woman who remains my friend. It is an important relationship I value greatly. The point I was trying to make is not that Jen was dull but that I was becoming dull to myself — and that I am responsible for."

At least this time, the only one he has to get it straight with, other than fans and the media, is himself.

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Photo: Brad Pitt signs autographs for fans on the red carpet in Seoul, South Korea, where "Moneyball" premiered Tuesday. Credit: Lee Jin-man / Associated Press

 

 

 

Brad Pitt says he'll quit acting at 50, but his family might grow

You'd better get some Brad Pitt while he's hot, as the 47-year-old movie star says he plans to call it a day as an actor when he turns 50. 

"Three years," Pitt told Australia's "60 Minutes" of when he'll hang up his marquee letters.

"I am really enjoying the producing side and development of stories and putting those pieces together ... getting stories to the plate that might have had a tougher time otherwise," he said.

And though his days as a leading man might be numbered, his brood of adorable kids -- Maddox, Zahara, Pax, Shiloh and twins Knox and Viv -- could still expand.

"You know, I don't know that we're finished" adopting or conceiving more tots with Angelina Jolie. "Those late nights are so fun when one of them's up or those mornings when they get up and make pancakes or something. That's what it's about."

Pitt is still making the international rounds for his baseball flick "Moneyball," and will next be seen in the zombie epic "World War Z."  

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Photo: Brad Pitt at a press conference in Tokyo in support of "Moneyball." Credit: Toru Hanai / Reuters

Jennifer Aniston steps out with Justin Theroux, stays mum on Pitt

This post has been updated, as indicated below.

Plenty of things to pack into Jennifer Aniston's file on Tuesday: The actress has reached new creative heights, landed herself a new love and ain't touching recent comments made by ex-husband Brad Pitt.

In essence, she's staying classy, evidenced by the subtle show she made in New York City on Monday night for the premiere of "Five," a series of film shorts about breast cancer's effect. Aniston directed one of the vignettes -- her debut behind the camera, in fact.

"Jennifer holds her own, baby!" said Patricia Clarkson, a veteran of directors including Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen who was one of Aniston's actors in the Lifetime TV project.

While Jen was holding her own, beau Justin Theroux was waiting to hold the door. At Skylight Soho, the couple arrived and departed together, hand-in-hand, according to People.

Though the duo posed for some fan photos, Aniston had no intention of broaching comments recently made by her ex-husband. (Pitt, who intimated to Parade that the two had shared an uninteresting marriage, later retracted the comments as being taken completely out of context.)

"Oh, Lord, it's not even worth discussing on a night like this," she reportedly said on the red carpet. 

Alicia Keys and Demi Moore are also counted as directors on "Five," to air Oct. 10 on Lifetime.

[Updated, 4:20 p.m. Sept. 28: Holy cows, there was a naked paparazzo of some sort in the picture that originally accompanied this post. The Ministry is embarrassed that we didn't notice -- you know how we are about the naughty bits -- and currently procuring an appropriate replacement photo. Thanks to Twitterverse for pointing it out!]

[Updated, 4:45 p.m. Sept. 28: Phew. That's the same photo up above now, only with less, um, background action.]

[Updated 5:08 p.m. Sept. 28: But wait, there's more! Turns out some folks on the red carpet at the event -- which was the premiere of a short-film collection about breast cancer -- were aware they'd been flashed on the red carpet by a woman Page Six identified as topless paparazzo Holly Van Voast. "I think it's actually pretty great ...," actress Clarkson said. "You know, I'm kind of sad I put on a dress."]

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Photo: Oh, Jennifer Aniston -- if you only knew what was lurking behind you in the crowd as you arrived at the premiere of Lifetime's "Five" at Skylight Soho on Sept. 26. Credit: Larry Busacca / Getty Images

 

Brad Pitt, 'Moneyball' take Oakland out to the ballgame

Brad Pitt's new movie, "Moneyball," played to a hometown crowd for its U.S. premiere, as the red carpet show — including stars Pitt, Jonah Hill, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and more — came to Oakland to screen the story of A's general manager Billy Beane and his renegade bases-on-a-budget approach to baseball.

"This is a special screening for us," Pitt told the Mercury News on Monday. "The people of Oakland gave us such a great response. They stayed up with us for hours on end to tape the baseball scenes [for the film] and never lost energy."

Photos: "Moneyball" premiere in Oakland

"Moneyball," based on Michael Lewis' book about Beane's system-bucking strategies in the early 2000s, was adapted for the screen by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, the latter of whom made it to the Paramount Theatre of the Arts event, as did Lewis.

Beane — whose GM contract with the A's runs through 2012 — was on hand, the Mercury News said, along with retired catcher-first baseman Scott Hatteberg, portrayed in the film by actor Chris Pratt. Though Angelina Jolie didn't make it, A's designated hitter Hideki Matsui managed to pose for a few shots with Pitt.

Also spotted from the cast were Casey Bond, Stephen Bishop and Art Ortiz, who play A's Chad Bradford, David Justice and Eric Chavez; Reed Thompson, the face of the younger Billy Beane; and Kerris Dorsey, who plays a persuasive guitar as Beane's daughter.

Separate from the premiere, Bishop threw the ceremonial first pitch Tuesday at Oakland's game against the Texas Rangers.

"Moneyball," which had its world premiere Sept. 9 at the Toronto International Film Festival, opens Friday in the U.S.

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Photo: Brad Pitt arrives at the "Moneyball" premiere at the Paramount Theatre of the Arts in Oakland on Sept. 19. Credit: Robert Galbraith / Reuters.  

 

Brad Pitt: Quotes on life with Aniston were misinterpreted [Poll]

Brad Pitt wants people to know that he didn't mean married life with Jennifer Aniston was uninteresting when he told Parade magazine that, for a time, he was living an uninteresting life and that he thought his marriage to her had something to do with it.

"It grieves me that this was interpreted this way," Pitt said Friday in a written statement, referring to Thursday's gossip kerfuffle about the remarks. "Jen is an incredibly giving, loving and hilarious woman who remains my friend. It is an important relationship I value greatly. The point I was trying to make is not that Jen was dull but that I was becoming dull to myself — and that I am responsible for."

Guess the "Brad Pitt is finally 'satisfied' " headline on the piece didn't help much in setting the tone — along with those other highlighted quotes about how happy he is. Now. With Angelina Jolie.

Here's the Pitt quote due in print Sunday, as teased by Parade.

I started to get sick of myself sitting on a couch, holding a joint, hiding out. It started feeling pathetic. It became very clear to me that I was intent on trying to find a movie about an interesting life, but I wasn't living an interesting life myself. I think that my marriage [to Aniston] had something to do with it. Trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't.

So, the decision is yours. If the Ministry knows anything, it's that quotes are taken out of context and misinterpreted all the time. That said, the did-he-mean-it-or-not debate is at least, y'know, fairly interesting.

New Aniston beau Justin Theroux might have a foolproof technique for not being misinterpreted: During an interview, simply pose, look pretty and speak about nothing except your relationship with your own facial hair.

Pitt's new movie, "Moneyball," opens Sept. 23.

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Reuters contributed to this report.

Photo: Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, then husband and wife, at the 57th Cannes Film Festival in 2004. Credit: Eric Gaillard / Reuters.