French Stewart shrugs off reports that he’s in the much-anticipated new Muppets movie. Never happened.
“Someone put that on IMDB,” he tells us. “You know what? My Wikipedia page once said that I own two zoos in Albuquerque, which I don’t. And by the way, Albuquerque is clearly a one-zoo town.”
Fans of the one-time “3rd Rock From the Sun” actor can hear him this fall in Fox’s new animated series, “Allen Gregory.”
BRICK HOUSE: With Spike Lee, John Ridley, “Entourage” creator Doug Ellin and boxing champ Mike Tyson working together, you just know their planned HBO series is going to be something worth watching — if only out of curiosity alone.
Formerly titled “Da Brick” and now referred to as “untitled,” the series, about a young African-American guy who has to face the realities of the mean streets of Newark, N.J., after getting out of prison, draws from Tyson’s own youth. Casting is under way for the main character — they’re looking for someone who can box — and an assortment of his colorful associates. Those include a “thoughtful, deep,” twenty-something African-American guy from a stable middle-class home, a 19-to-22-year-old hustler, a “thuggish” half-Latino-half-black 26-year-old and a 33-year-old African American girl.
HOW BIZARRE: More off-the-wall casting has been taking place for Ben Affleck’s sci-fi political-satire hostage thriller, “Argo.” We mentioned the other day that casting forces in the George Clooney-produced film had been enlisting colorful sorts — from a little person to a Persian model to sci-fi extras including a “space lord villain.” Now, add to that ’30s- and ’40s-style gangsters and a Rona Barrett type, circa 1979.
No word on whether Ben will be looking for the former TV gossip hen to do one of her “wicked whispers.”
THE BIG SCREEN SCENE: Casting is near completion for a low-budget feature described as “a ridiculous comedy-slasher-horror movie set in a retirement home.” It’s called “Hotel Arthritis.” All in the cast are in their 60s, 70s or 80s. At least it’s giving some senior actors work.