I can’t think of a harder situation for a guest than being best known primarily as a comedic actor or actress and having to go on a national talk show to sell a drama.  Such was the plight of the always-entertaining Cameron Diaz, as she paid a visit to The Daily Show to promote “My Sister’s Keeper.”
Getting your “message” across in a Daily Show interview is always a risky proposition.  No matter what your agenda, the only guarantee that you will get the right promotion, is the giant poster of your film or book that adorns the back of the set.  Beyond that, any publicist who tells you different simply doesn’t watch the show.  The reality is, Jon goes where Jon wants to go, and that’s usually to the benefit of the show and the guest.  Now I’m not saying that getting your message through is impossible, especially if you are an attractive woman that would have rejected Jon in high school, or is an undeniable Shixa Goddess — credits that both could be attributed to Ms. Diaz.
The problem was, she just wasn’t properly prepared.  If you don’t know, in “My Sister’s Keeper” Cameron Diaz plays the mother of one child who is a leukemia victim and the other who was ostensibly born to be a compatible blood, marrow and organ donor to help keep her other sister alive.  When the second sister begins to resent that role, a legal battle ensues.  For any guest this would be a tough sell knowing that you are competing in the summer theaters with the likes of “Transformers” and “Harry Potter.”  Not that this type of film won’t find an audience as alternative fare, but Ms. Diaz couldn’t keep from harping on the fact that she and everyone who saw it were crying for days.  An admirable compliment for the cast’s performances, but deadly to those who a looking to pay money for a break this summer in the theaters.
Whatever happened to descriptions like “heartwarming,” “beautiful,” “moving,” and “honest?”  And you can never go wrong praising the acting of your fellow actors to fill time – something at least Jon Stewart took the lead on in mentioning Alec Baldwin’s performance.  Although he couldn’t resist commenting that the clip looked like the “saddest episode of ‘30 Rock’ ever.”
All in all some concerted prep was in order here and at the end of the day I can’t blame the performer, I blame the publicist or studio executive who booked her on the show and simply hoped for the best.  They got the worst.

William Shatner may have lost out not getting a part in the most recent Star Trek epic, but he certainly hasn’t lost any warp speed as a talk show guest.  As The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien looks to find its sea legs, beyond the ultra-heavy reliance on often forced pre-taped packages and shtick, TGW was happy to see the C man could take on a veteran of a thousand talk wars.  The combination of what was obviously well rehearsed material from Shatner, and Conan’s fearless use of physical comedic reactions, proved to be a winning combination.
Shatner, no stranger to the “plug machine,” came loaded for bear with the paperback release of his latest autobio “Up Till Now,” a new edition of his comic book series, and the season debut of his BIO Channel interview series “Raw Nerve.”  No moss growing under this stone.  But the plugs were mercifully left to the end of the interview.  That gave Shatner the chance to tell cryptic stories about traveling across country and miming the action of relieving himself near a stopped train and offering his own interpretation of a Vulcan hand gesture.  It all sounds pretty juvenile – which it was – but somehow Conan’s innate midwestern pseudo innocence worked like a charm.  In a final demonstration of just how far Conan will go for the laugh, he ended up with his already towering presence, standing on his desk in feigned disgust.  Leaving the show’s director no doubt challenged to figure out just how far he could widen his shot.
The lesson here is that the plugs and pre-interviewed stories on the “blue cards” sometimes aren’t enough.  A talk show appearance is a performance whether the guest likes it or not, and if their agents or publicists are telling them anything different, they’re selling them short.  The talk success bar is on the rise due to renewed competition in late night and constant format tinkering to insure the success of these historic money machines.
Bottom line.  Find your stories, get comfortable with them and then get some feedback from a regular watcher of these shows and kick it all up a notch if you truly want to be a repeatable guest.  Shatner is once again welcome on any TV couch.

Elizabeth Banks is clearly a personal favorite of Craig Ferguson’s.  In her most recent appearance any doubt of that was quickly dismissed, as he continued to try and find a crack in the 16 plus year relationship she has with her husband and the fact that this is the second time she has been on the show in the past 45 days.  Granted, she is in not one, but three films currently in release, but this appearance other than a clip to remind us that she played Laura Bush in W, had little to do with her roles in that film or her other two (“Role Models” and “Zack & Miri Make a Porno”) films.
Looking strikingly beautiful in a short red dress, Banks started the edgy banter by proclaiming that she was admittedly wearing “come _____ me shoes.”  Even Ferguson seemed flustered and believe me, it takes quite a lot to do that.  She then spiced it up a notch by putting her legs up on the desk, being sure to cover up anything that might haunt her in the future, or at least on TMZ the following night.  Then it was a not so subtle segue into a four-minute “poop” story for which she takes credit as an aficionado.  In this case I will not do it justice, so I advise you to watch the interview with a bottle of Pepto close by.
It all just added up to a curious appearance that while packing a high degree of entertainment/shock value did little for why someone would come on a talk show in the first place.  That being said, if Banks’ mission was to convince prospective producers that she has no problem handling any level of gross material they could throw at her, I guess she was a success.  But for the casual insomniac, I doubt if she won over any new fans or sold any tickets.  Look, I’m not slamming her for bad taste, just that the whole appearance seemed like a waste of time.  Yes, she is clearly a go to guest for Ferguson, but she’s clearly just filling time here and that doesn’t serve anyone.

I’m not really sure what to say about Daniel Craig’s recent visit to Jay Leno’s show. There to promote the new 007 film Quantum Of Solace, Craig was understated, subtle and Bond-like. He was also the antithesis of Bond in his vulnerability, both physical and emotional.  There is a shyness to Craig that probably works better as a vehicle for his charm with women rather than men.

Arriving with his arm in a sling – and not offering much explanation of why other than the six or seven (ask his doctor!) screws in the shoulder – Craig went on to discuss several other injuries he’s suffered of late. Very un-Bond-like.
Craig also talked about his life as an actor and, like almost every other actor out there, his dislike of the audition process, funny story included. Further confirming his less-than-suave real life, Craig talked about getting the phone call that he was the new Bond while shopping, alone, at a Baltimore Whole Foods Market. He immediately went to the liquor department, bought a bottle of vodka and drank it. Not shaken or stirred.

Craig did spend time explaining the title of the new film.  A smart move considering most have been bewildered since first hearing the title.  The whole appearance was a bit like the chicken or the egg dilemma – did Craig get the part because he is the strong, silent type or is he now the strong, silent type because he got the part…and is now doing promotion? Hard to know. But whichever it is, he has proven good for the franchise, reinvigorating and even reinventing the character as a more serious, contemplative James Bond. I believe Ian Fleming would be happy.

As for Craig’s talk show persona, his light humor and stoicism combined well to offer a Bond-like, if not electric appearance. Craig’s power is clearly better demonstrated on the screen not on the couch.

Three, three, three plugs in one. That’s what actor Jeremy Piven offered on a recent edition of Dave Letterman’s show. Dressed in a pin-stripped suit with a too-tight jacket, too-long tie and sporting a five-o’clock shadow, Piven carries a humbleness that belies a layer of cockiness. When asked about winning three Emmys in a row, Piven said “I need more, Dave,” but you got the sneaking suspicion that he really meant it.

I think he was there to promote his new film Rocknrolla, but he also discussed his current Broadway stint in Speed the Plow and, of course, we couldn’t forget his TV show Entourage. Wow!

Piven was enjoyable, although sometimes it felt like he wasn’t completely listening to Dave. At one point, Dave asked an admittedly confusing question and Piven answered with a semi non sequitur that was just about what he wanted to say seeming as if he was getting coaching from a certain VP candidate instead of his publicist?  Dave wrapped the exchange up saying “It’s interesting because I’m not sure I understood my question and clearly you didn’t understand my question…” “I didn’t either,” Piven replied and quickly and cleverly added, “I felt like Sarah Palin. I was confused and I played through.”  To which Dave said “nice job.” And it was a nice job. Not stellar, but nice.

If you didn’t know Mark Wahlberg and saw him for the first time on Jay Leno’s show, you would think he was a nice, respectable young actor. You would have no idea of his history. A history even he joked about. Wahlberg spent much of the interview talking about his childhood, being the youngest of nine kids. He also joked with Jay about having just had his third child, his upcoming wedding and trying to sell his house…to Jay, “come on, Jay, help out a fellow Bostonian!” (He did his homework! Good move.)

Walberg’s low-key persona is quite the opposite of that previously mentioned wild history that inspired the series Entourage, which he produces.  It’s a history which is best described in his own words – when Jay asked about how he would deal with his kids finding out about it – he said “I’m trying to figure out how I can destroy evidence or come up with…I have a few years to figure out a good excuse, but I [will] have a lot of explaining to do. Between my music career, the underwear stuff and Boogie Nights, I don’t know how I’m gonna explain that!”

Wahlberg did talk about his new film Max Payne and did a good job explaining its origins as a video game.  Once again, playing against character, he said he chose the role because after playing a science teacher and an accountant in his last films, he felt the need to “bust some heads.”

From rapper to sex symbol to edgy actor to smooth talk show guest, the adage “you can’t judge a book by its cover” really applies here. Can’t wait to see what’s next.

Harry Connick, Jr was so tough on Conan O’Brien; it makes you wonder if they are actually good friends or Connick just has a wicked sense of humor? I must say I liked seeing Connick cut the usually egocentric O’Brien off and make him squirm. It was one-upsmanship at its finest. Connick was discussing his kids, finally having to come to grips with the fact that he’s a man and realizing that he needed to give up dressing as a woman for many years on Halloween. Conan said “it took them that long to figure it out?” Connick, slowing and deliberately putting his hand on Conan’s knee and caressing it, said “Didn’t take you that long!” A flustered Conan, after a very pregnant pause and several facial contortions, said “that’s not really my leg,” thinking he had ended it. In perfect stride, Connick topped him with “that’s not really my hand.” By this point, both host and audience were in hysterics.
There to promote his Lifetime film Living Proof, Connick showed a serious side when talking about the importance of this true story and although there was no clip to watch (hello Lifetime?), he made the film seem very compelling.
Connick does have a biting essence and dry delivery, which made for a very enjoyable appearance. His different approach of teasing and harassing the host was such a welcome change of pace that I wish more guests had the confidence to be bold and take control or make a statement and ultimately an appearance worth watching. Bravo.

These types of reviews are classically tough for The Guest Whisperer.  I struggle with the ability to separate the person from the performance.  Whatever I think of Sarah Silverman’s well-cultivated brand, this site is dedicated to their talk show performances and that is what we choose to review.

Today Sarah Silverman is in a class by herself – no one can touch her blend of part cute, part smart, part over the top comedy, and firecracker delivery.  For some the over the top part can be hard to take, but she is unquestionably a breakthrough personality.  Sarah Silverman brought it all to Dave Letterman’s show booked to promote the debut of the third season of The Sarah Silverman Program on Comedy Central.

Upon arriving at the guest chair, Silverman stuck a Late Show T-shirt between and around her legs saying that her skirt was too short to sit in the chair. Perhaps she should have thought about that before she came out. If she did it strictly for the “bit,” it set the tone for a successful in-character performance.  Which is the only sticking point I have with the Silverman shtick.  You never really get a fix on the REAL Sarah Silverman; there is never a crack in the armor except for purely comic setup and release.  This can get a little tedious for the casual watcher, but she is in no way obligated to do more than entertain on a show like Letterman where sitting down is really a “stand-up.”

Silverman managed to avoid answering repeated and relentless questioning from Dave about the current state of her relationship with Jimmy Kimmel, even when Dave expressed his desire for them to be “happy together.” She can bob and weave with the best of them.  She did have a good rapport with Dave, even offering him suggestions on how to handle the upcoming appearance of (finally) John McCain. They did talk briefly about the return of her series. Though, she didn’t talk about her website and pro Obama movement, thegreatschlep.com., which in these final weeks of the campaign, I would have thought was one of the reasons for her visit. I guess her appearance was political enough and in the end her job was done.

Much less smug and much more humble than he used to be, Russell Crowe seems to have calmed down a bit these days. At least that’s the impression we got on his recent visit to Dave Letterman’s show. Crowe was down-to-earth while discussing his weight gain (“I was a big boy”) for his new film Body of Lies, his long-time relationship with Leo DiCaprio (their first film was 1993’s The Quick and the Dead) and his family, even quoting his young son in a discussion about cow poo versus horse poo. Just like a regular, doting dad!

Crowe came prepared with good stories from the set, from several sets actually and included the audience while he told them. He had fun with Dave and a prop he brought to illustrate a long-played practical joke on Leo (a small atomizer to simulate a sneeze) and even had Dave asking to have it done to him. “Oh yeah” was his response to the “mist.” And in a perfect example of knowing your host, he related his own experiences owning a rugby team to Dave’s owning a racing team – they both sign a lot of checks and get ignored.
My only criticism, and it’s a small one, is the extensive set-up he felt he needed to explain the clip. It wasn’t really necessary and I started to not only get confused, but also lose interest.  Otherwise he was low-key, funny and entertaining.

It seems family life has tamed the wild beast…at least on talk shows.

It’s fun to see Jon Stewart matched or even bested. And he didn’t even know it himself for a few seconds. The guest was Tim Robbins, a smart, political and extremely quick witted actor/activist. But let me begin at the beginning. The interview started with some brief, humorous chat about Tim being the first person to sit in the chair since Clint Eastwood. Then Stewart asked Robbins how he is and Robbins replied, “I’m doing great other than, you know, the fact that the world is collapsing” referring to the financial world. They furthered the conversation discussing the “talking dog” movie being the top-grossing film of the weekend (“a sign of the apocalypse”) and that, because they have kids, they’ve had to sacrifice and suffer through years of “shitty movies”… “That’s why I did City of Ember, because it’s a really good film, the kind of film an adult can take a child to and actually enjoy the film.” Even Stewart knows brilliance when he sees it, responding “That was maybe the finest segway I’ve ever heard in my life!” They continued to talk about Robbins’ film and its indomitable spirit. An intelligent, well done promotion.

There’s a part of Robbins that still looks and seems18 years old. His spirit is certainly young and his presence is casual and strong. All that plus his awareness of current events and ability to discuss them intelligently lead to a most enjoyable appearance. Kudos to a job well done.