Celebrities | torontolife.com

The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com

All stories relating to celebrities

Oscar, Shmoscar! Ryan Gosling proves he has bigger fish to fry, like recreating Logan’s Run

Ryan Gosling is busy in Thailand preparing to film Only God Forgives, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn—it’s a job that has kept the Goz away from award shows, but not from the hearts of his many fans. He hasn’t received any acting nods from any of the various award giving bodies for his numerous roles, but in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Gosling claims he doesn’t feel snubbed. He’s okay with it. What a guy. In fact, the Almighty Goz has spent two to three hours a day sparring with professional Muay Thai fighters in preparation of his upcoming film, so he doesn’t really have the time to dwell on how the Academy feels about his work. Gosling ultimately seems more interested in pursuing more work with Refn than he is listening to a night of Uma/Oprah, stating that he and Refn been working on an adaption of Logan’s Run. Next stop, carousel.

(Images: Ryan Gosling, Christopher Drost)

The Hype

Leave It to Bieber

January 31, 2012 | 3:52 pm

Comments

Alec Baldwin lets it slip that Justin Bieber will host SNL this year, children seek later bedtimes

Justin Bieber seems to adhere to the Justin Timberlake school of publicity: date cutesy pop stars, and if all else fails, change your hair. So it was basically inevitable that he would try to emulate Timberlake’s Saturday Night Live success. On his latest “Here’s the Thing” podcast, host Alec Baldwin visited the office of SNL creator Lorne Michaels and found a list of upcoming hosts that included Ben Stiller, Katy Perry, Jonah Hill and Stratford’s own patron saint. (Oh, Alec! You’re always stirring up trouble!) The Biebz has already dabbled in sketch comedy, but we’re not sure that his brand of Bambi-eyed charm will bring the LOLs for a full episode. Not that the beliebers care.

(Images: Alec Baldwin, David Shankbone)

The Hype

Almighty Goz

January 26, 2012 | 1:57 pm

1 Comment

Russell Crowe thinks members of the Academy are a bunch of jerks, shows fondness for Ryan Gosling

Russell Crowe—actor, bad musician and sometimes surly New Zealander—has something in common with the rabid Ryan Gosling fan boys and girls: he’s not too happy about Goz’s Oscar snub. At 4 p.m. yesterday, Crowe tweeted, “Ryan Gosling didn’t get an Academy nomination? There’s some bullshit right there.” Not that his calling bullshit will matter to those stodgy types at the Academy, but having won an Oscar himself for Gladiator in 2000, we assume Crowe is somewhat of an expert on the craft. Sure, you could point to his work in L.A. Confidential, A Beautiful Mind, 3:10 to Yuma or any of his other wildly successful films, but we prefer to think of Crowe in decidedly more Canadian terms—as that guy who guest-starred on Republic of Doyle. We wait with bated breath to hear what Erin Karpluk thinks of Gosling’s snub.

(Images: Russell Crowe, screengrab from South Park; Ryan Gosling, Grey Goose Soho House)

The Hype

Almighty Goz

January 24, 2012 | 4:54 pm

3 Comments

Point/Counterpoint: was Ryan Gosling snubbed by the Academy?

This morning we asked Torontolife.com intern Frances McInnis and associate online editor Kevin Naulls to watch the announcement of the Oscar nominations. One thing was clear to both of them: the absence of Ryan Gosling. He didn’t get a nod for best actor or best abs, and Frances is not too pleased—we can only just imagine how those protesters from last year are reacting (crying, obviously). Find out how they both feel (note: it’s hilarious) in their live, up-to-the-minute coverage of what some are likely viewing as the worst possible outcome (Ryan Gosling being snubbed again!) after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Hype

The Fame Monsters

January 20, 2012 | 3:41 pm

6 Comments

Common backpedals and calls Drake “clever” (but we’re not buying it)

In the escalating feud between Drake and rival rapper Common, the latter has thrown out all kinds of foul insults, calling Drizzy “soft,” “amateur” and even “Canada Dry” (horrors!). Now it seems that Common is trying to change his tune, telling Rolling Stone that he respects Drake as an artist, and that Drake “definitely said some real clever things and made some cool songs. I like his music.” The compliment doesn’t seem all that sincere (Common sounds more like a recalcitrant child being forced by his mom publicist to apologize than an honest-to-goodness admirer), but we’re pretty sure Drake won’t shed any tears over it—he has enough devoted fans already.

• Common: ‘I Like Drake’s Music’ [Rolling Stone]

The Hype

The Beat

January 18, 2012 | 4:55 pm

Comments

Paulina Gretzky is Toronto-bound to flaunt her (musical) assets

We thought there was no reason to check Paulina Gretzky’s Twitter feed anymore, since daddy Wayne allegedly put the kibosh on the sexy pics (though, it would seem, not entirely). However, the buxom babe seems to have learned that Twitter can be used to share news, not just vanity shots. Yesterday, she tweeted her plans to be in Toronto in a matter of days. The Toronto Star posited that Gretzky, who has already given modelling and acting a try, will be in town to record an album for Universal Music. That seems plausible, since back in 2006 she did release a pop single that was featured on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County (the Los Angeles fame-seeker version of winning a Grammy). Will the 23-year-old follow the same pop formula for her next musical venture? We scan her Twitter photos for clues in the gallery after jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Hype

The Fame Monsters

January 18, 2012 | 3:13 pm

5 Comments

Mark Wahlberg will never forget 9/11 and Toronto

Mark Wahlberg does not negotiate with terrorists (Image: S Pahkrin)

Remember 9/11? Mark Wahlberg sure does. We’ve heard the actor talking previously about how world history would have been different had he not made the “fortuitous decision to fly to Toronto a week early” (he originally had tickets for Flight 93). Now, in an interview with Men’s Journal, the perpetually shirtless celebrity gets a little more specific: “If I was on that plane with my kids, it wouldn’t have went down like it did… there would have been a lot of blood in that first-class cabin and then me saying, ‘Okay, we’re going to land somewhere safely, don’t worry.’” Things we learned about Mark Wahlberg: he flies first class and wants you to know it, he isn’t put off by the sight of blood and he’s apparently strong enough to stop a terrorist attack. Why can’t he be on all of the planes?

The Hype

Leave It to Bieber

January 18, 2012 | 10:27 am

3 Comments

Justin Bieber becomes a brunette; does this prove that blondes don’t have more fun?

Justin Bieber is now a brunette (Image: screengrab from US Weekly)

Justin Bieber has stayed in the news once again with a bit of hair drama: he’s gone brunette. We know—it is quite a scandal, and we’re not certain we’ll ever recuperate, but as a maturing young lad, he has the right to get a bad tattoo or become a Veronica. Congratulations, Justin.

• PIC: Justin Bieber Becomes a Brunette! [US Weekly]

The Hype

Telling Tales

January 16, 2012 | 4:31 pm

2 Comments

Will Toronto’s Azari and III open for Madonna on her next tour?

Madonna may have added writer and director to her resumé this past year, but she’s still first and foremost a pop star who promotes religion, sex and the old adage that “age ain’t nothin’ but a number.” News of Madge’s 2012 tour leaked earlier this year, and now Toronto group Azari and III are rumoured to be the opening act. While the band’s management can’t confirm or deny rumours about the tour, the Sun newspaper reports Madonna is a big fan of the band’s electronic sound—the quartet is made up of producers Dinamo Azari and Alixander III and singers Starving Yet Full and Fritz Helder (formerly of Fritz Helder and the Phantoms). Find out more about the group that may or may not be opening for Madonna’s new tour after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Hype

Leave It to Bieber

January 10, 2012 | 11:24 am

2 Comments

Justin Bieber gave his bestie a Mustang, but not before he gave it a rim job

Justin Bieber gets his friend a Mustang (Image: Mike Coppola/Getty Images for DCP)

Justin Bieber is a good friend, and he proved it to a Waterloo car dealer when he purchased a 2009 white Mustang with stripes (bitchin’!) for his best friend, Ryan Butler—who is so famous by association that his Twitter account requires verification—over the holidays. The car was expected to arrive in time for Christmas Eve, but not before the Biebz added some specialty rims to make the gift extra special—the dealer reported that the rims were so unusual that a specialty rim installer was required to customize the wheels. There’s no word on how much this all cost in the end, but the Star notes that a similar car on the dealership’s website is listed at $15,997 plus taxes. Add the super-special unique rim job to that and it probably wasn’t cheap. But nothing in Justin Bieber’s life ever really is.

• Justin Bieber buys a Mustang with new rims for his best friend [The Star]

The Hype

TIFF Talk

December 29, 2011 | 12:55 pm

Comments

Year in Review: TIFF 2011, where we saw celebrities everywhere (and even shared a bathroom with one)

TIFF this year was a a non-stop gauntlet of activity, from press conferences to movie screenings (actually), swag lounges and some of the splashiest parties this city has ever seen. We saw Jon Hamm, Madonna, Keira Knightley, the Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Johnny Rotten, Rachel Weisz and hundreds more (seriously, there wasn’t a corner of Yorkville or King West that didn’t have a star sighting—we even shared a bathroom break with Gerard Butler; no big deal). Here, a top 10 list of our favourite TIFF moments

Read the rest of this entry »

The Hype

Pretty Young Things

December 27, 2011 | 1:05 pm

2 Comments

Year in Review: 2011 was a good year for Biebz, Drizzy, Gadon, McAdams and the Almighty Goz

It has the been the year of abs, boyish haircuts, protesting and Maury Povich–style paternity suits for celebrities we love, like Justin Bieber, Ryan Gosling, Sarah Gadon, Drake and Rachel McAdams. In short, it was fun for the whole family (except for those families who were left without Christmas concert tickets because of scalpers). Check out our favourite celebrity moments of 2011 after the jump.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Hype

Almighty Goz

December 21, 2011 | 10:18 am

1 Comment

VIDEO: Ryan Gosling celebrates the holidays drunk and in his P.J.s (so, like many)

Those not familiar with Funnyordie.com’s Drunk History videos have a lot of catching up to do, but a good place to start is the most recent Christmas edition featuring Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Jim Carrey (as Santa). Comedian and writer Allan McLeod retells “A Visit from St. Nicholas” after downing a bottle of whisky (we don’t endorse this behaviour, obviously—have one glass, maybe two), and the Almighty Goz wears a night cap and lies in bed with his is-she-or-isn’t-she girlfriend Mendes. It’s enough to make us laugh (but we understand if the sight of not being Goz’s bed companion makes you a little jealous. It could have been you).

The Hype

Almighty Goz

December 19, 2011 | 2:54 pm

3 Comments

Ryan Gosling hates McDonald’s and asks the company to “stop clowning around”

An undercover video was released in November that documented the cruelty hens face at Sparboe Egg Farms, who, until recently, were the primary egg providers for McDonald’s locations in the United States. Despite efforts by McDonald’s to cut ties with Sparboe, an unhappy group of celebrity chicken advocates—including Ryan Gosling, Emily Deschanel, Alicia Silverstone, Kristin Bauer, Bryan Adams, Zooey Deschanel, Wendie Malick, Maria Menounos, Steve-O, and Ed Begley Jr.—have sent a letter to McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner that highlights how angry they are with the brand’s acceptance of animal cruelty. The letter notes that these farms are a breeding ground for dead and rotting corpses left in cages and how commonplace it is to find baby birds with singed beaks and others trapped and mangled in cage wire. The Almighty Goz protects human beings and chickens. Swoon. Check out the full letter »

(Image: Ryan Gosling, Christopher Drost)

The Hype

Leave It to Bieber

December 19, 2011 | 10:42 am

18 Comments

Justin Bieber’s Massey Hall Christmas concert sells out in 30 minutes (prepare to be gouged by scalpers)

Do you have $1,999 to spare? That’s the highest price we’ve seen for a single front-row ticket on eBay for Justin Bieber’s Christmas concert at Massey Hall on December 21. Tickets for the show went on sale Sunday and sold out in 30 minutes; that means young boys and girls were armed with a parent’s credit card in front of their computers, but not everyone was rewarded for their time with a golden ticket. All proceeds from the concert will be going to the Biebz’s Believe charity, and the concert will be taped live for his upcoming Home for the Holidays TV special. Unfortunately, the $1,999 that a lonely person pays for a single front-row ticket will go toward lining the pockets of some sleazeball. Buyer beware.

Home for the Holidays airs Friday, December 23 at 1 p.m. (CTV), 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. (MuchMusic); Saturday, December 24 at 5:30 p.m. (CTV), 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. (MuchMusic); Saturday, December 25 at 6:30 p.m. (CTV) and 9 p.m. (MuchMusic); Monday, December 26 at 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. (MuchMusic); Tuesday, December 27 at 8 a.m. (MuchMusic); Sunday, January 1 at 8 p.m. (MuchMusic); and Tuesday, January 3 at 4 p.m. (MuchMusic).

All stories relating to celebrities

Contests

Links and Offers

Most shared stories today

The latest from across the St. Joseph Media network