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In addition to appearing on “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor, I enjoy working as a voice talent for television and radio ads. In this video, I am the voiceover narrator for Vitamin Water’s television commercial: “Steve Nash is the Most Ridiculous Man in the World.” This TV spot has been quite popular on YouTube. This was a voice-over job done through the Vox Talent Agency in LA. Steve Nash is the greatest.
There’s a new Behind the Scenes Featurette on the making of the new Coen Brothers’ movie “A Serious Man.” For some reason, my scene as “Detective #1″ is featured at the 1:52 to 2:08 mark of the 3 minute, 21 second video. I had no idea they were filming it that day, but it’s fun to see the scene from a “behind-the-scenes perspective.” Check it out, but, more importantly, go see this very funny film.
This past weekend Harry Smith of the CBS “Early Morning Show” joined the “Royal Academy Of Radio Acting” for a night. He performed flawlessly in “The Lives of the Cowboys”, even warbling a cowboy tune. He also negotiated through a script replete with tongue twisters and the word Piscacadawadaquadimoggin.
Why would he subject himself to such treatment? It fulfills an opportunity to check off an item on a “Bucket List” of dream jobs he created for the “Early Morning Show”. His adventure will be told on that CBS show Thursday morning, October 29th.
Harry was a great guest and his film crew and producer Eric couldn’t have been nicer.
We started a new season of “A Prairie Home Companion” this Saturday an amazing performance by Garrison Keillor. Just three weeks after suffering a “minor” stroke he was in charge and in control, both for the first show, and the street dance, which traditionally follows the opening show each season at the Fitzgerald Theater.
Sam Bush and his band, newcomer singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz, and singers Andra Suchy and Connie Evingson all performed.
Later Saturday night, I attended the cast and crew screening of “ A Serious Man”, the newest Coen Brothers film opening next weekend. It is terrific, thought provoking, and hysterical at the same time. I predict a Best Picture nomination for the brothers again this year, in spite of my appearance in the film as “Detective#1”. (Watch for me at the :48 second mark in the movie’s trailer).
I introduced my self to Joel Coen and he was most gracious about my participation. Before the 9pm VIP screening I introduced Lucinda Williams, the head of the Minnesota Film and TV Board.
How lucky is it to have survived the cutting room floor in films by Robert Altman and the Coen Brothers?
I had my maiden voyage last weekend with crutches on a flight to Appleton, WI to do “A Prairie Home Companion” at their beautiful Performing Arts Center. My foot responded by swelling like a Johnsonville Brat with 5 fat sausage toes attached. fortunately we stayed at the boutique Copperleaf Hotel. They have a wonderful spa in the building so I had a massage, which did wonders. The 5pm broadcast show was great and Garrison did a second non-broadcast show at 8:30pm. We finished at 11:20pm so the in-room whirlpool tub was a lifesaver the next morning before checkout.
This Friday we start a three week run at The Town Hall in New York City.
Amy Carlson Gustafson, a writer for The St. Paul Pioneer Press was kind enough to note my return to work in her “Hot Dish” column.
WCCO’s Tim Russell back on air
It’s been six weeks since listeners got their entertainment updates from WCCO radio’s Tim Russell. Blame it on the ice. Last month, Russell took a nasty spill on a patch of ice while taking out the garbage. Not only did he dislocate his left foot, but he also broke two (!) bones in his ankle. It was painful just listening to him describe the incident. As if that wasn’t enough, the ankle surgery preceded prostrate surgery that he underwent earlier this month. (You can read more about his various health issues on his blog.) While he was out recovering, the station was sans an entertainment editor and “Prairie Home Companion” had to do three shows without one of its regulars. Well, we’re happy to report that this week Russell is back behind the mic at WCCO and will be at the “PHC” show in Appleton, Wis., this weekend. So how did Russell survive weeks of bed rest? “American Idol,” “Dancing With the Stars” and other television shows helped. “I watched Gordon Ramsay’s ‘The F-Word.’ They run that thing constantly on BBC America and his “Kitchen Nightmares,” too. I had never seen Gordon Ramsay before so it’s a revelation,” Russell joked. Check out this amusing video of Russell navigating the WCCO studios with the aid of his “knee walker.”
Posted by Amy Carlson Gustafson in the Pioneer Press on March 24, 2009
Today was my first day back to work as Entertainment Editor at WCCO Radio. I’m still not comfortable trying to drive, so Judy had to endure the 4 am wake-up to drive me to work. I used my “knee-walker”
Debbie Reynolds
to scoot around since I’m still Non-weight bearing on my broken ankle. I had a few technical issues trying to get back in the groove, but it felt comfortable after about an hour or so.The mail slot was full but it was lovely to see all the get well cards-thanks to all of you who sent those the kind and caring sentiments. More physical therapy this afternoon, then followup visits with the Urologist and Orthopedic surgeon later this week.Tuesday morning I’ll be chatting with Debbie Reynolds, hope you’ll tune in.
Complications
I had a first look at my ankle repair on Monday when they opened up my original splint, it looks like Frankenstein’s neck, neatly stitched on both sides, no bolts sticking out but more screws than I thought., 9 in all, plus the plate on the outside of the ankle.
It felt very weird, but I am starting to move it a little. They outfitted me with an Aircast, a cast that can be removed to wash the foot and ice it down. Next Monday they will take out the sutures and I can get started with Physical therapy.
I was shocked to see the muscle loss on that calf. I’ve got my work cut out for me.
Complicating everything, my surgery has evidently been the trigger point for a urological issue. I have always had an enlarged prostate but the problem of urine retention has now become something that must be addressed surgically. I will have a Laser Prostate Reduction on March 9th, it’s an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia., with a few days recovery time. Wish me well. The interesting part of all this is I had to learn Intermittent Male Self Catheterization, not for the faint of heart.
I had a nasty slip on the ice taking the garbage out before work at my day job ( as Entertainment Editor for “The Morning News with Dave Lee”, 5-9 am on WCCO Radio). I was walking back up the driveway my right leg slipped out from under me and my left foot, was dislocated, breaking both the tibia and the fibula right at the ankle. It felt like a compound fracture and when I looked at my foot after hitting the ground, it was dangling off to the side at a right angle.
Tim's left ankle before surgery.
Screaming ensued, at that point you think of all the things you wanted to do , clean the garage, move furniture for a sale, start the Nordic Track training again, things that you know are out the window for a while. I had my Cell with me so I called my wife, in bed sound asleep ( it was 4:45am), then I called 911. Some of my neighbors heard the screaming and they called 911 and came by to help. We had to salt the driveway so no one else would be hurt. I was there on the icy driveway for about 20 minutes waiting for the ambulance, it seemed like an hour. I like it when they say “which foot is it?”. That would be the one dangling off to the side, I believe! They loaded me up with morphine and took me to Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital. I cursed every one of those Minnesota potholes while calling the boys at WCCO to tell them I wasn’t going to be around for a while. My wife followed armed with a small Kodak Z16 HD pocket video camera to document the proceedings. The sight of my ankle in the ER is perfect for viewing at family gatherings at holidays… like HALLOWEEN! My first holding room was so small that the personnel kept bumping into my foot; it was a “Three Stooges” routine. After some X-Rays, they reset the dislocated foot. This is where in the old Western movies, they would say “Drink a swig of this and bite down on this leather” but today they have these things called drugs, I didn’t feel a thing. I couldn’t eat or drink before surgery, which finally happened at 8pm, it was 1 hour and 40 minutes long, took 8 screws and a plate and the orthopedic surgeon did a great job.
Tim's ankle with all the new titanium.
I stayed in the hospital until Thursday afternoon (2/12), resting; being poked and prodded, learning to handle the crutches and the bathroom.
I needed some grab bars installed at home, so my wife arranged the installation for Friday morning. I moved to a transitional care unit near our house Thursday to have an extra day for Judy to get the house ready.
Valentine’s day I went home to my new bed/office/media center. Judy cleared out the area rugs, had the bars installed, moved the furniture around and had everything just right. Luckily, I had a Valentine present sitting in the back seat of my car for a couple of weeks so I had some small way to thank Judy for all the hard work.
I need to stay in bed until Monday (2/23) when the surgeon will open up the splint and wrap to check and hopefully remove the staples and sutures. She would then put a removable cast on and I’m on a non-weight bearing situation for another 4 weeks. She says it will be another 6 months or so before the ankle will be somewhat normal.
The biggest loss in all of this is missing work for a couple of weeks. I so enjoy the camaraderie and good times on the morning show on WCCO, and the movie preview screenings 4 or 5 times a week. I hope to look into an ISDN installation for voice-overs and WCCO, but losing the chance to be on stage live with Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” is particularly rough.
Fortunately, PHC has a three-week break before a 3/21 show at the State Theater in Minneapolis and by that time I should be hobbling around with skill. I look forward to it.
Oscar
Hats off to the Academy for putting together a very entertaining show last night. Hugh Jackman proved to be a great pick as host, kicking things off at 7:3o with a recession shaped musical tribute to the 2009 nominated movies, and later anchoring an overblown big-time production number created by Baz Luhrman with Astaire like grace.”Slumdog Millionaire” was the night’s big winner with 8 statues and it was a joy to see the entire cast hit the stage to accept, especially the adorable child actors who were flown in from India for the event. I had “Slumdog” as Best Film and Danny Boyle as Best Director but overall my picks were not quite as successful. I was skunked on several peripheral categories, I missed with Mickey Rourke as the best actor, but was impressed with Sean Penn’s acceptance. I had Kate Winslet as Best Actress and even though I thought Amy Adams would win as Best Supporting Actor I was right in saying Penelope Cruz should win, and she did. My pick tabulation: 9 right, 11 wrong, and in four categories I was correct with my “should win” predictions. This is why I stay away from VegasThe attempts at comedy were thankfully more successful than not. Tina Fey and Steve Martin set the bar high with some clever writing, Ben Stiller hot the mark with his parody of a distracted Joaquin Phoenix , and Judd Apatow delivered a clever “Pineapple Express” segment with James Franco and Seth Rogan reprising their stoners in a salute to the Comedies of 2009.I really liked the concept of having past winners deliver their well written tributes to the nominees in each of the major acting categories. The emotions seemed quite heartfelt.The show has it’s legitimate detractors, it’s always too long, but I must say I was very impressed with what seems to be a very successful reworking of the production. Way to go Academy, I’m looking forward to another year of cinema.
These were my picks for the 81st Annual Academy Awards as the Entertainment Editor for WCCO Radio:
1. Best Picture: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Should win: Slumdog Millionaire
Will win: Slumdog Millionaire
2. Actor: Richard Jenkins, “The Visitor”; Frank Langella, “Frost/Nixon”; Sean Penn, “Milk”; Brad Pitt, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Mickey Rourke, “The Wrestler.”
Should win: Mickey Rourke
Will win: Mickey Rourke
3. Actress: Anne Hathaway, “Rachel Getting Married”; Angelina Jolie, “Changeling”; Melissa Leo, “Frozen River”; Meryl Streep, “Doubt”; Kate Winslet, “The Reader.”
Should win: Melissa Leo
Will win : Kate Winslett
4. Supporting Actor: Josh Brolin, “Milk”; Robert Downey Jr., “Tropic Thunder”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “Doubt”; Heath Ledger, “The Dark Knight”; Michael Shannon, “Revolutionary Road.”
Should win: Heath Ledger
Will win: Heath Ledger
5. Supporting Actress: Amy Adams, “Doubt”; Penelope Cruz, “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”; Viola Davis, “Doubt”; Taraji P. Henson, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Marisa Tomei, “The Wrestler.”
Should win: Penelope Cruz
Will win: Amy Adams
6. Director: David Fincher, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; Ron Howard, “Frost/Nixon”; Gus Van Sant, “Milk”; Stephen Daldry, “The Reader”; Danny Boyle, “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Should win: Danny Boyle
Will win: Danny Boyle
7. Foreign Film: “The Baader Meinhof Complex,” Germany; “The Class,” France; “Departures,” Japan; “Revanche,” Austria; “Waltz With Bashir,” Israel.
Should win: “Waltz With Bashir”
Will lwin: “The Class
8. Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth and Robin Swicord, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”; John Patrick Shanley, “Doubt”; Peter Morgan, “Frost/Nixon”; David Hare, “The Reader”; Simon Beaufoy, “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Should win: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Will win: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
9. Original Screenplay: Courtney Hunt, “Frozen River”; Mike Leigh, “Happy-Go-Lucky”; Martin McDonagh, “In Bruges”; Dustin Lance Black, “Milk”; Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon and Pete Docter, “WALL-E.”
Should win: “Frozen River”
Will win: “In Bruges”
10. Animated Feature Film: “Bolt”; “Kung Fu Panda”; “WALL-E.”
Should win: WALL-E
Will win: WALL-E
11. Art Direction: “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Duchess,” “Revolutionary Road.”
Should win: “The Curious case of Benjamin Button”
Will win: “The Curious case of Benjamin Button”
12. Cinematography: “Changeling,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Reader,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Should win: “ Slumdog Millionaire”
Will win: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
13. Sound Mixing: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “WALL-E,” “Wanted.”
Should win: “The Dark Knight”
Will win: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
14. Sound Editing: “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “WALL-E,” “Wanted.”
Should win: ”WALL-E”
Will win: “Slumdog Millioaire”
15. Original Score: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” Alexandre Desplat; “Defiance,” James Newton Howard; “Milk,” Danny Elfman; “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman; “WALL-E,” Thomas Newman.
Should win:” Slumdog Millionaire”
Will win: “Slumdog Millionaire”
16. Original Song: “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E,” Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman; “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Gulzar; “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire,” A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam.
Should win:”Down to Earth”
Will win: “Sown to Earth”
17. Costume: “Australia,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Duchess,” “Milk,” “Revolutionary Road.”
Should win:” The curious Case of Benjamin Button
Will win:” The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
18. Documentary Feature: “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon),” “Encounters at the End of the World,” “The Garden,” “Man on Wire,” “Trouble the Water.”
Should win: “ Man on Wire”
Will win: “ Trouble the Water”
19. Film Editing: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Milk,” “Slumdog Millionaire.”
Should win:”Slumdog Millionaire”
Will Win: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
20. Makeup: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Hellboy II: The Golden Army.”
Should win: “ The Curios Case of Benjamin Button”
Will win: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
21. Visual Effects: “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man.”
Should win:” The Curious Case of Benjamin Button “
Will win:” The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”
Hire nationally recognized voice talent, Tim Russell and Sue Scott, by contacting Amy Oppegaard of Wehmann Models and Talent, Inc. in Minneapolis at 612.333.6393.
LA representation: Contact Wes Stevens of VOX at 323.655.8699.
Listen to
Tim Russell’s voice-over demo.
Listen to
Sue Scott’s voice-over demo.
