Monday, February 23, 2009

Today's Blind Items - From The Academy Awards - Jackass

This is actually from the day prior to the Academy Awards, but it happened in the theatre so I think that is close enough. So, this actor who is A list all the way but has never been nominated for anything that great had a part in the actual show telecast. Comic actor. Mostly movies. Apparently though on Saturday he decided that it was his role to piss everyone off with his behavior. He yelled at the writers of the show saying their work wasn't good enough for him and made them change his lines three times. Surrounded by people who had been working almost 24 hours straight doing backbreaking work, our actor who spent a grand total of one hour at the theatre started snapping his fingers when it was time for him to rehearse and yelling that he had places to go and didn't have time to sit around waiting. I really hate the whole snapping the fingers thing. He seems to like it though.


105 comments:

  1. I can soo see this being Ben but will say Jack Black just to mix things up

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  2. Ben Stiller for sure.
    I know someone who worked on "Night At The Museum" and Ben would take a golf cart to set, though his trailer was 30 ft from the stage. He REFUSED to walk- fucking diva.

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  3. Ben Stiller? Didn't think of his as a douchebag like that, but don't see it being Jack Black.

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  4. I'm going with Stiller too. He strikes me as this kind of schmuck.

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  5. Eddie Murphy was nominated.

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  6. paris, wow! i didn't know b.s. was such an ass! i'll jump on the benn train...he sure does seem to fit the descript.

    i wonder if press is allowed when they're doing the full run-thru rehearsal...it'd be neat of someone got pics/tape of this...

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  7. Is Ben Stiller A list all the way through? I dont think Jack Black is....

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  8. Anyone who's lived in LA for any length of time knows at least one or two people who have really good "Ben Stiller is a complete asshole" stories. Gotta be him -- this tale fits his mold.

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  9. I was so sad at first because the only person I thought the "Jackass" in the headline was a reference to Jack Black and couldn't think of anyone else it could be. I thought I was going to have to put him on my shit list, which sucks.

    I'm so happy it's actually Ben Stiller because I never really liked him to begin with. Jack Black is definitely not "A List all the way" so it's got to be Stiller. What a prick.

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  10. I'm going with Steve Martin for sure.

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  11. Steve Martin was the first jerk who came to mind.

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  12. I'm voting for Stiller. I know his Joaquin bit was kind of funny but ultimately it was super disrespectful to the nominees in his category. It was another reminder that certain people think the tech awards aren't worth much. :(

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  13. My vote is for Steve Martin.

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  14. This is 100% Ben Stiller-esque assholery.

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  15. i say Ben Stiller...but what about Owen Wilson? do you think he would act that way? i thought i would throw that out there

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  16. i'm going with Stiller for this only becasue he upstaged the whole award he was presenting, including Heath Ledger. I thought it was in very poor taste...and NOT funny.

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  17. Ben Stiller. As for the finger snap, apparently in the Dodgeball DVD, every time Stiller snaps his fingers, if you press enter, an easter egg pops up.

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  18. stiller didn't even have anything to say really. i think it's jack black - much as i hate to think he's like that.

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  19. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  20. steve martin? he did the movie the jerk? is that stretching it too much??? : )

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  21. Ben Stiller because his Joaquin wasn't really respectful and funny!

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  22. Someone said that Eddie Murphy was nominated (this is true) BUT he was also a presenter for Jerry Lewis' award.

    I'm sticking with the Eddie Murphy guess.

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  23. I don't think it's Steve Martin -- Yes, he's done a lot of movies, but he started in TV and has done a lot of TV in his career.

    I also don't think it's Ben Stiller. The blind also says that the actor made the writers change his lines multiple times -- Ben Stiller had like 2 lines.

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  24. What about Will Smith? Jack Black is so nice to people and fans from what I have heard.

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  25. wow, really really sorry for the multiple comments, I just keep thinking of more things...

    Eddie Murphy also voiced the donkey in Shrek.... donkey -- ass?

    might be stretching it, but yeah...

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  26. During Reese's presentation, she name checked him for something. I can't remember though.

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  27. My first thought was actually Steve Martin, so i'm sticking with him.

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  28. Not Will Smith, the blind says he was never nominated for anything that great. Will Smith has a few grammys and has won two oscars

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  29. On another note...Sean Penn is an ass. And my opinion of Robin dropped a lot, too, she's all over him and being supportive and he didn't even thank her. I guess it's the allure of the star, but I'd really like to think I wouldn't put up with that just for the shoes and the money and the fame.

    I think thar's a country song in thar, Minnie Lou.

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  30. I think the Eddie Murphey thing about being nominated was more about the part of the clue where it says the person has never really been nominated for anything good and he has been nominated for an Oscar which is pretty much as good as it gets.

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  31. PLEASE LET IT BE BEN STILLER...WHAT AN A-HOLE

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  32. Yeah, you don't have to dig that far away to see Eddie Murphy was nominated for an Oscar a few years ago (Dreamgirls). And if this is not great, i don't know what is. Not only nominated, but won a few awards for this movie. He has a grammy too.

    So i think is Ben Stiller. I used to like him, but i like this guess better than the Jack Black one. He seems so funny and nice.

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  33. I thought Steve Martin too but no way he only rehearsed for an hour. He and Tina had a lot of face time.

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  34. I don't think Jack Black could ever be called "A-list all the way"; I don't even think Ben Stiller would make that list. I really hope it isn't Steve Martin. Eddie Murphy wouldn't be too much of a surprise.

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  35. Jackass- Eddie Murphy played Donkey in Shreq....

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  36. Long time lurker but finally felt the need to post.

    There is NO WAY this is Jack Black. I was at an free music event at Amoeba Records when I was 7 months pregnant with my son. One of the bandmembers at this event nearly ran me over. I had no idea Jack was standing nearby and he grabbed the band member, whom he knew, and nicely told him to apologize to the 'pretty pregnant woman'. He also made sure I was alright and was just generally so nice.

    I was talking to a friend of mine later, who has a sister that works in the movie business and he said that she always said that if she could marry anyone, it would be Jack, but he was taken, by his now wife. He's just always that kind to everyone I guess.

    Never in a million years would it be Jack!

    I'm really bummed if it's Ben. I've always liked him too, but never met him.

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  37. All of these guesses are good. I might as well go with Stiller. He's an ass and doesn't really hide it well. I read a quote somewhere from owen wilson acknowledging he has a temper.

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  38. you guys tying the word jackass to shrek - you do know that enty uses the term 'jackass' to describe anyone displaying douchebag behavior, don't you? it's not a clue.

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  39. I'm the brains & comic GENIUS behind Tropic Thunder and RDJ gets the nomination? Not fair!!
    It's Ben Stiller. Looked like a midget version of Joaquin Phoenix too. Phoenix would've been happy to come on and punk himself if the shows producers would have bothered to ask him.
    For his 'documentary'...

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  40. I didn't watch the whole show so I don't know exactly who was in it. I have a hard time seeing Ben Stiller acting like this, but I, too, have heard some "Ben Stiller is an asshole" - stories. Never told by someone who met him in person though, I might add.

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  41. Suzanne....pass whatever you're smoking over here...Will Smith has been nominated twice (Ali, Pursuit of Happyness), but has never won an oscar.

    I really really really don't want it to be My Steve--he's fitting the clues, though. MOSTLY movies (he started as a writer and bit-player on the Smothers Brothers, I believe); A-list all the way--check; Comic actor--very few serious type rolls for Steve Martin...check his movies, too--he does a LOT of snapping.

    On the con side, though--"has never been nominated for anything that great"...he does have awards--Emmy, Grammy, was honoured at the Kennedy Center...and, having started off as a writer I'd be shocked and appalled if he treated them like that, not to mention everyone else. I've never heard anything bad about him, but then--I haven't really been listening.

    I want to say Eddie Murphy...the only tv he did was SNL, so he's mostly movies. Plus he had that little tantrum when he lost for Dreamgirls.

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  42. I have no idea who this is as there are too many men to choose from but it would be nice to find out so that I can put them on my Shit List.

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  43. Anonymous2:58 PM

    I hate to say it, but I think it's Steve Martin. He's been nominated for a ton of smaller awards through his career, could be considered "mostly film" because of his start in variety tv, and he's also an extreme perfectionist. I can easily see him stopping rehearsal of the bit with Tina Fey because he thought it wasn't as good as it could be.

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  44. Stiller would fit if the lines he demanded be rewritten were a rap he was to perform.

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  45. Anonymous3:13 PM

    Don't think it's Jack Black. He's a good friend of Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Dave hates assholes/jackasses... remember his comments about Paris Hilton... Ben Stiller would be A list all the way: movies and family, his dad is famous.

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  46. I don't think it's Steve Martin because of the "never been nominated for anything that great" and I happen to think "Parenthood" "All of Me" and "Pennies From Heaven" all of which got Golden Globe nods and got wins from the critic awards were three great films (have you seen him in "Leap of Faith"? Great movie!)

    Plus, he's won Emmys and other awards for his writing. i think if he didn't like their lines, he'd just write his own.

    Don't care for Ben Stiller or Jack Black anyway, so if it's them that's OK with me :-)

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  47. It's got to be Eddie Murphy. Eddie was nominated for Dream Girls. He also played a Donkey (Jackass) in the Shrek movies.

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  48. I vote for Stiller. He's on record as describing his (ahem) past behaviour as terrible. Claims he used to be a huge jerk et cetera, but finally saw the light and smartened up.

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  49. Spike Eddie was nominated for Dream Girls and that was a big deal. The person in this B.I. "has never been nominated for anything that great" which reals out Eddie by default.


    However I do believe Eddie is a jackass just not the answer to this blind. :)

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  50. Dang, some of you folks are young. Not only is BS dad famous, so is his mom. Anne Meara ans Jerry Stiller were a major comedy team back in the day.

    Steve Martin started out as a comedy writer and has been focused on writing novels and plays recently. We all still know him as a comic actor, he has been around for a long time and someone would have heard about this kind of behavior from him by now.

    However, Ben still fits this one best. He has done TV but has mostly done movies. We can all imagine him being an asshole so I'm still on his golf cart.

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  51. This makes me think of Ben Stiller when he was on Friends playing an asshole.

    If he didn't like what the writers had given him, that might explain the whole JP routine - he did his own "funny" stuff.

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  52. off topic - what were the hate signs that dustin lance black referenced? don't tell me the tools from Westboro Baptist Church are at it again.

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  53. re Steve Martin - he's SNL's favorite host and pretty much loved by cast members from the 70s til now. If he were an obnoxious jackass, he wouldn't be welcome.

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  54. Molly - (forgive me)
    I think it's the "God Hates Fags" people. Howard Stern talked about them protesting something. Also they showed up protesting at the memorial service for either a plane crash or some other recent tragedy. jesus.

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  55. I agree with the majority - it's "bs" Ben Stiller (fitting initials). Not only is he known for being a bit prescious, I was suprised that he was allowed to do that routine on an award show. The audience didn't seem that comfortable with it either. It was in really bad taste and pretty cruel when you think about what Joquium is going through.

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  56. I'm going with Ben Stiller, mainly because I can't stand him. UGH! YUCK! Nasty.

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  57. not steve martin. he's known as a nice guy, and has been performing from street to tv, writer, stand-up, both comedy and dramatic movies since he was a very young man. i also imagine the writers would give him free rein if he wanted it, he seldom offends.

    i didn't watch the show, either. i heard jack black (who i also love) pulled some really funny shit on the red carpet, pre-show. and ben stiller was born into show business-- but from what y'all are saying, it sounds like it could have been him. i do like his movies, though.

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  58. It's Ben Stiller. He's a reknowned asshole in Hollywood and this totally fits that it's him.

    Jack Black doesn't have that rep. Stiller does.

    It would NOT be Steve Martin. He barely does film and is known far more for his writings and art these days than anything comedic. And he would NEVER act like that while collaborating with Tina Fey.

    Sorry SM and JB guessers, it's Stiller 100%. Anyone who has ever been on a set with the guy will tell you it's completely him and the douchebag way he treats people.

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  59. Anonymous4:57 PM

    I wish Enty would get more specific about never being "nominated for anything that great". Do Emmys count? What about Golden Globes?

    Because B.S. has won an Emmy and an American Comedy Award.

    Jack Black has been nominated for a Golden Globe and an American Comedy Award.

    Bill Maher has been nominated for 21 Emmys and quite a few WGA awards.

    Based on what has been said, I'm guessing Stiller.

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  60. My immediate reaction was "Ben Stiller", so I'll stick w/that--I admit to being just clueless enough that I didn't realize he was riffing on Joaquin, but it's obvious in retrospect, and I can see him coming up w/his own "routine" if he decided he didn't like what was written for him. Natalie Portman didn't seem to be in on the joke, which I'm assuming she would be had it been scripted, and I got the sense she was growing progressively more annoyed with him as the routine went along--she was being far more professional than he was the whole time. (Maybe it's Napoleon syndrome? IIRC, he's around 5'3"-5'5" or so, and his head was pretty much level w/Natalie, who's around 5'3ish" if memory serves.)

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  61. Anonymous4:59 PM

    I don't even see this as a blind. Ben Stiller all the way. It's obvious that he's a total and complete self-absorbed douche.

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  62. Steve Martin would have written his own lines. In fact, I'm willing to bet he and Tina did just that for their bit.

    Stiller.

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  63. You might want to re-evaluate your ego, Ben, when you can't even appreciate being invited to be on the Oscars!?! Most people, including celebrity off-spring, could only dream of something like that.

    But I aslo think Joaquin is just asking to be made fun of...if he was really going through something dark I imagine his family and handlers wouldn't let him be as public as he's been.

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  64. Ben Stiller immediately popped into my head like some kind of internet esp.

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  65. I agree with Ben... BUT he seriously said like two words...? So... there wouldn't be much change in the script considering he hardly talked... Ferrell was there too tho. Has he been mentioned yet? They def had to rehearse for their little routine. Black may be the winner... BUT I don't think he would probably be an ass in front of the other two (Ferrel and that Chicago dude)... So I am thinking it was someone by themselves... Murphy.

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  66. Molly - the signs that the press was asking Sean Penn about were "Heath is in Hell," referring to the homosexual CHARACTER that Heath played in Broke Back. He must have been very convincing!

    That JP skit was done Saturday at the Spirit Awards. JP and Batman presented - much funnier. A good number of nominees had already seen it - Stiller's act Sunday was a rehash.

    The ass has to be Stiller.

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  67. Okay, I'm going to guess waaay out in left field here--but what about Jerry Lewis? Only because I saw a report that he was screaming at people after the ceremony to get out of his way--sounds like he can be short-tempered when impatient. A-list all the way, but never nominated for anything--his award last night was an honorary lifetime-achievement thing. The only catch is that I don't know if the "writers" would have scripted anything for him if he was just receiving an award.

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  68. Some of the people here really jump to conclusions and others are so ready to jump on the bandwagon.
    The blind say that this person has "never been nominated for anything that great" - Ben Stiller has won an Emmy so it's not him.

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  69. ms snarky and polly, thnx for the additional information.

    jesus, it makes me sick the way people are so unchristian in the name of the lord.

    polly, you're right it was sean penn who made the statement. my bad.

    myrlin, i don't think it could be jerry lewis because nobody wrote any lines for him but himself.

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  70. delurking to comment on this post and the guesses. I have worked on film sets with all the actors listed below.

    Ben Stiller - one of these biggest assholes and divas EVER. My number # 1 choice.

    Eddie Murphy. Absolutely something he would do. My number # 2 choice.

    Steve Martin - Not a nice guy at all, in my experience. He is cold as ice. But also keeps his bitching private. He has his PEOPLE play the heavies.My Number # 3 choice.

    Owen Wilson - typical hollywood ego, but kept in check, and would never pull something like this from what i have observed of him. Not him.

    Jack Black - low key, very polite and concerned with crews, etc. Very human. No way this is him.

    Will Ferrell - he is awesome to work with and would never behave this way in a million years.

    Will Smith - not a chance. A truly great guy.

    Its either stiller or murphy. They are both complete goofs.

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  71. Who typed Jack Black? You all know JB has no where to be and all the time in the world to get there. It's STILLER!

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  72. Oh! "instantkarma"--Welcome, and please keep posting.

    The only thing I know for sure about Ben Stiller is that he is bulemic. Swear to god, VERY reliable source. In fact, I've had completely unrelated people mention this to me as gossip.

    People with eating disorders have issues with control. That's all I'm saying.

    And I agree with the folks who said it was tasteless. Especially because JP was nominated for his AWESOME work in "Walk the Line" just a few years ago. (I wonder how Reese Witherspoon enjoyed Ben's impersonation. )
    If JP is not punking us, he is either mentally ill and/or drug addicted. Not funny at all. Many of us remember his brother River's death like it was yesterday.

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  73. I had to come on here and defend Jack Black, but it looks like no one here really thinks it might be him. Phew! He dated a friend of mine for a statistically significant period of time and always, always behaved impeccably. Whether or not he smokes the ganj, ahem, he tends to react to situations more like a stoner, and doesn't tend to get all aggro and shizz.

    Even with the "never has been nominated for anything that great" clue my guess is Ben Stiller, the fuses in his family are very short. His Joaquin Phoenix bit was funny, but seemed kind of light on content and I could see him being pissed off.

    The only other person it could possibly be is Eddie Murphy, but he was doing straight lines (as opposed to comedy). I doubt he would have thrown a fit over the presentation for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, but anything's possible.

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  74. The Jerry Lewis guess is interesting....but is hes "A list all the way?" Discuss!

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  75. In Night at the Museum, Stiller interviews at an employment agency with Anne Meara. He claims to have invented "the Snapper" which had it's thunder stolen by "the Clapper"

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  76. Too Easy.

    Ben "I'm a Douchebag" Stiller.

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  77. Yep, it's Ben Stiller.

    Steve Martin is a sweetheart!

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  78. Actually Steve Martin used to frequent a restaurant that I worked at and he was always nice but his personality was the opposite of what you'd expect it to be. You'd think he'd be witty & outgoing, but he barely made eye contact. I never thought he was rude though.

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  79. Jack Black seemed a) kinda drunk and b) like he hadn't bothered to stick to the script (hence Jen Aniston's perturbed pinch-face every time he uttered a line that was likely not what was on the teleprompter). That's all I'm sayin'.

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  80. Also Stiller started on TV, so I don't think you can say he's "mostly movies" - although he definitely has been since he made it big.

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  81. It's Steve Martin, the man had to learn how to snap his fingers in the jerk but once he got it he loved it.

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  82. "The only thing I know for sure about Ben Stiller is that he is bulemic."

    HE CAN READ MINDS???

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  83. LOL @ Harriet Hellfire...If he really is bulimic that scene must have been extremely awkward...especially considering it was with his wife who, one could assume, knew of his condition...

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  84. If it's Ben, I'm very disappointed. Short-man's disease strikes again.

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  85. I spelled it wrong, sorry.

    Bulimic. There.
    My friend would be very ashamed of me.

    It's possible his wife didn't/doesn't know. You'd be surprised how many spouses, and especially parents, don't figure it out until the person is hospitalized.

    And many bulimics are normal weight or even heavy. So Ben could possibly do that scene, and be in total denial that his own secret is not doing anything to his health. I mean, he can get his teeth fixed (again), right?

    Look at him closely, he does have a lolly-pop head.

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  86. I have never liked bs, nor his movies. I could never quite explain why, now i can reference this... :)

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  87. I think Ben Stiller, too. His skit was very iffy to begin with and I could see that he would be insecure about pulling it off. As it was, it was in bad taste and totally disrepected the nominees for that category. Awful.

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  88. i also know someone that worked on Night at... with stiller and said that on the 14 hour shoot, the guy was an a-hole the entire 14 hours. not one second was he pleasant to be around... stiller sounds good to me.

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  89. Just discovered this blog...LOVE it!

    Steve Martin was nominated for an Oscar way back in the day for Best Short Film or something. Hey, it's still an Oscar.

    This totally sounds like Stiller. Short-man a-hole. Ugh.

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  90. Steve Martin once signed his book for me at a coffee shop. He was very polite but I would never describe him as a naturally warm person. I think he's reserved but not a jerk at all.
    I wonder how Ben Stiller behaved onset with his wife, Christine ____________? The couple that barfs together...

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  91. It was Ben Stiller. Yes, I was working at this event. Would I ever work on a Ben Stiller project? No.

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  92. You guys (mostly) nailed Ben Stiller. http://defamer.gawker.com/5160692/ben-stiller-ripped-off-that-joaquin-phoenix-impression

    Not a very popular guy in Hollywood.

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  93. http://www.nypost.com/seven/02262009/gossip/pagesix/thinking_alike_156937.htm
    yup ben stiller

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  94. http://www.imdb.com/news/ni0691865/

    Oh, Ben.

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  95. From Page 6 2/26 NY Post

    February 26, 2009 --

    BEN Stiller did it his way. The "Tropic Thunder" star - a presenter at the Oscars with Natalie Portman - had "a meltdown" at rehearsal on Saturday "because he was unhappy with the script and decided he could do better," said an insider. "Ben refused to tell them what he planned until he arrived at the Kodak Theatre, and then he did that Joaquin Phoenix bit." But points were deducted because director Frank Coraci had donned identical sunglasses and beard Saturday at the Independent Spirit Awards.

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  96. Hey I am sure you guys have already seen this but...
    http://www.wwtdd.com/post.phtml?pk=20181

    Ben Stiller is the answer to the Blind Item about the A List comedian at the Oscars that had a meltdown about the jokes that were written for him.
    And WWTDD is also saying he stole the Joaquin Phoenix impersonation idea from Frank Coraci, who also impersonated Joaquin at the independent spirit awards the day before.

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  97. I don't even think Ben Stiller is funny at all...he should have stuck with the script. What a jerk! I am so glad this one wasn't left blind. He really used a golf cart from his trailer to the set of Night at the Museum? Lazy jerk!!!!!

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  98. Oh funny!
    I came here to be the
    "Hey guys look how I made the NY Post connection!"
    Too late, once again.
    Congrats to LRS for nailing it right off!!

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