Motor City Comic Con: Ernest Thomas

Hey - HEY - hey!!! ... No, it's not Dwayne, but it's the guy who kept him in check! Mr. Ernest Thomas of the classic '70s "What's Happening!!" was one of the celeb guests at the Motor City Comic Con in Novi, Michigan, a couple weeks back. BRB of BRBTV was thrilled to talk to him. As Raj on that show he was the voice of reason, the level-headed one of the trio of young guys, but as Ernest Thomas, he's brought a lot of love and light into people's lives over the years. Thomas talks with us about that, about some projects he has coming up, and about the kinds of things that are most important to him.



On Monday, our 10-part Motor City Comic Con interview series continues. We're only halfway through, and next up is someone from our favorite fairytale land!!!!

 

Ernest Thomas and BRB.

Photo by James R. Green Jr.; please do not copy without permission.

Motor City Comic Con: Walter Koenig

What becomes a "Star Trek" legend most? Maybe it's getting the girl, as they say? Well, Mr. Walter Koenig of the original "Trek" series weighed in on that and some other finer points of classic TV stardom in our interview with him from the Motor City Comic Con earlier this month. As the original Pavel Chekov, he's got some great insight. He's also got a goofy interviewer here, as Billie Rae Bates of BRBTV silly-gooses her way through this chat with such a big star from one of her very favorite TV shows!



Tomorrow, we round out the week with .... well, we'll give you a clue in two words ... "What's Happening!!"

Motor City Comic Con: Zoie Palmer

We've got 10 straight business days of celeb interviews from the 2013 Motor City Comic Con, all this week and all next week, and the next one on our hit list is the lovely Zoie Palmer of "Lost Girl."

For this one, longtime Washington, D.C.-area photographer (and frequent BRBTV camera man!) James R. Green Jr. takes a turn with the mike to find out some fun behind-the-scenes from Palmer on not only "Lost Girl" but also some of her other roles, such as Anya on "Nikita."

Tomorrow, our series continues with a "Star Trek" legend!

 

Photo by James R. Green Jr.; please do not copy without permission.

Next up in our Motor City Comic Con coverage: Aaron Ashmore

Nope, he's not the one from the "X-Men" movies, but he does get confused with his twin brother Shawn a whole lot. In fact, by the time we talked to him on Friday evening at this month's Motor City Comic Con, Aaron Ashmore told us he'd been confused with his twin "about 100 times." He'll forgive you, though, because you'll definitely remember and love him as shutterbug Jimmy Olsen on "Smallville," and you might have caught him on the current "Warehouse 13."

As our 10-day video spree from the Motor City show continues, Ashmore shares with us some thoughts about "Smallville," about the con circuit, and even about photography!



Coming up tomorrow as the series continues: One of Ashmore's "Lost Girl" castmates!

Kicking off our Motor City Comic Con 2013 interview series: Curtis Armstrong

Buckle your seat belts, TV fans, because BRBTV is just coming off the 2013 Motor City Comic Con at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan, a week or two back, and we're going to take you on a high-speed chase of great celeb interviews. From the '70s to the '80s to the '90s and even just this month (can you say "Once Upon a Time"? "Lost Girl"?), we've got so many great TV shows and movies covered with these stars, it's pretty mind-blowing. Ten stars in 10 days -- can you believe it!?! We'll give you a little break for the weekend, but otherwise it's full speed ahead and straight on 'til  morning!

First up to kick off this massive 10-day spree is Mr. Curtis Armstrong, whom we knew best as Herbert Viola on "Moonlighting" but a lot of you know from the "Revenge of the Nerd" movies. Armstrong chatted with us on the Saturday morning of the con, reminiscing about "Moonlighting" and talking about his new projects, which includes a little something in the "Nerds" realm, as well as "Supernatural" and "New Girl."



Tomorrow, our series continues with a touch of "Smallville" ...

Catch John Schneider in "The Haves and the Have Nots" on Tuesday

We love the stuff that Tyler Perry produces, because we know where his priorities are. And combine it with Oprah Winfrey and her OWN network, and it makes it even better. But then, throw in one of our "Dukes of Hazzard" stars, and it's golden!!!!

Yes, John ("Bo Duke") Schneider will be featured in the cast of "The Haves and the Have Nots," premiering this Tuesday on OWN. Schneider is the Cryer family patriarch in the series, a "powerful judge whose double life, including tawdry affairs with high-priced escorts, puts his family and political ambitions at risk," the official description says. The action is set in Savannah and explores the relationships between the wealthy Cryer family and its hired help. Get a peek at Schneider in the first look and the Cryer family videos.

You can tune in to the two-hour premiere at 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Next up for Catherine Oxenberg: "11 Seconds"

At the Motor City Comic Con this past weekend, BRBTV got the chance to chat with the handsome Casper Van Dien (more handsome in real life, trust us), who just happens to be married to one of the stars of our beloved "Dynasty," Catherine Oxenberg. We asked Van Dien if he had any more projects with his wife coming up, and he told us about "11 Seconds," a film he just finished shooting. Written and directed by Daniel Lusko, the movie also features Monte Markham of "Dallas." Van Dien couldn't tell us when to expect it, however.

See a photo from the set on Van Dien's Twitter, and a little blurb about the movie at GeekChicElite.

Screenshot from a BRBTV video shot at the event; stay tuned to this blog for some great interviews from the Motor City show!

Bits 'n' pieces: Michael Nader returns to "AMC"; Lane Davies returns to "Comedy of Errors"

The news hit the 'Net this week that Dimitri Marick, known to us "Dynasty" fans as Dex Dexter, and known to perhaps his family and friends as ... oh, I don't know ... Michael Nader (!), is making a return to his role on "All My Children" in early June. Read a little more at RealityTVWorld or Deadline.com (including a photo, wow).

Lane Davies of "Santa Barbara" and "Dallas," meanwhile, will bring his production of Shakespeare's "The Comedy of Errors," which BRBTV was delighted to see a couple years ago, back to the Tennessee Shakespeare Fest in June and July. The festival has moved to the campus of the Baylor School in Chattanooga. See the festival site for more.

Spotted: Sonny Shroyer

Major OMG, was that Sonny Shroyer we spotted in the 1998 John Grisham film "The Gingerbread Man"? Raiding a run-down home of hobo types, looking for the terrorizing dad of a threatened young woman? We thought we heard his voice as we were curled up on the couch watching that scene last night, and sure enough, there he was in the credits. True to form, he was playing a sheriff in Georgia in the movie, also featuring Kenneth Branaugh and Robert Downey Jr.

Shroyer has a couple new projects in the works, filming "Dead End" and attached to "When the Storm God Rides." The former also has his "Dukes" castmate and fellow law enforcer Don Pedro ("Sheriff Little") Colley, and it comes from the agency that reps both actors. The latter is a Western that includes William Katt of "Greatest American Hero" and William Shockley, the hottie with the long hair we just adored on "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."