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SHOWBIZ TONIGHT

"Brokeback Mountain" Nabs Eight Oscar Noms; Terrence Howard Surprised by Oscar Nod; Injured ABC Journalists Transferred to U.S. Hospital

Aired January 31, 2006 - 19:00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: I`m A.J. Hammer.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And I`m Brooke Anderson. TV`s only live entertainment news show starts right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT...

MIRA SORVINO, ACTRESS: The best picture nominees for 2005 are...

HAMMER: The Oscar nominations are out, and only SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has your most complete coverage. The nods, the surprises, coast to coast, world-wide, one on-one with the stars just moments after their names are called.

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR/DIRECTOR: I`m one of the sexiest men alive -- former sexiest men alive -- to be nominated.

TERRENCE HOWARD, ACTOR: To me, this award, it means the world.

FELICITY HUFFMAN, ACTRESS: It feels out of body.

HAMMER: Tonight, the Oscar countdown begins right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Also, well wishes for Woodruff. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has America`s overwhelming outpouring of support and concern for ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff. Plus, what does the Iraq bomb attack on him mean for the evening news? Does it dramatically change the way wars are covered forever?

CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST, NBC`S "LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O`BRIEN": And I control the outcome of the Finnish presidential election.

HAMMER: Conan the campaigner. Tonight, how one late-night host might have changed global politics and he says he`s just getting started. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Conan`s quest to have the whole world in his hands.

PATRICIA ARQUETTE, ACTRESS: Hi, I`m Patricia Arquette, and if it happened today, it`s on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Hi, there, I`m Brooke Anderson, live in Hollywood.

HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer, live in New York City.

Brooke, what a day it has been. Of course, the Oscar nominations came out this morning, and there certainly were a lot of surprises.

ANDERSON: You said it, A.J. George Clooney, he`s got to be celebrating big time tonight. Don`t you think?

HAMMER: And Brooke, I do know that you did have a chance to talk with him. I`m sure he is celebrating. You spoke to him after he got his news, one on one.

I happen to have the time to catch up with another nominee, Matt Dillon. We`ll have that a bit later tonight.

ANDERSON: Also, and the interview you`ve got to see, my talk with Terrence Howard, who was also nominated. Our big Oscar nominee interviews are coming up this hour, but first, let`s get everyone up to speed as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT begins the Oscar countdown.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON (voice-over): The boys of "Brokeback" certainly have reason to celebrate. They nabbed eight -- yes, eight -- Oscar nominations today.

SID GANIS, ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES: "Brokeback Mountain."

SORVINO: "Brokeback Mountain."

"Brokeback Mountain."

GANIS: "Brokeback Mountain."

DEVIN GORDON, "NEWSWEEK": It was pretty clear it was going to be the leading -- the leading nominated movie.

ANDERSON: Among those nominations, Heath Ledger got a nod for best actor, Jake Gyllenhaal for best supporting actor. Michelle Williams got a supporting actress nomination, along with nods for best motion picture of the year, best directing and adapted screenplay.

But the "Brokeback" crew aren`t the only ones celebrating.

CLOONEY: We are going with the story.

ANDERSON: George Clooney nabbed three separate nominations today: best supporting actor in "Syriana," and for best director and co-writer in "Good Night and Good Luck." And he also made Oscar history: the first time someone has been nominated in an acting category and a directing category for two different films.

I caught up with him and "Good Night and Good Luck" co-star Grant Heslov today to ask him about it.

(on camera) You`ve made Hollywood history.

CLOONEY: I`m the first -- I`m the first -- no, I can`t do that. I`m one of the sexiest men alive -- former sexiest men alive to be nominated as an actor and a director. So there you go.

ANDERSON: Right. Right. Do you believe that?

CLOONEY: If you get something specific, I can have the...

ANDERSON: First Oscar nominations for you both. Really, how does it feel and what does it mean to you?

CLOONEY: It`s fun. I`ve never been to the Oscars, so it should be a fun night. You know, I`m excited about that.

ANDERSON (voice-over): But it wasn`t all celebration for everyone. A major upset. The Johnny Cash biography, "Walk the Line," was widely thought to be a shoe-in for best motion picture, but that didn`t happen.

GORDON: Best picture, best actor, best actress at the Golden Globes and then basically shut out of the major awards at the Oscars. Not even a nomination for best picture. No nomination for best director. No nomination for screenplay. That`s a big surprise, I think.

ANDERSON: A big surprise, perhaps, but Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix were still each nominated for their roles in the movie. We caught up with Witherspoon in Germany, who was focused on a different kind of nod.

REESE WITHERSPOON, ACTRESS: I nodded off, because I`m jet-lagged, but my pulse was pumping -- screaming. I was having a dream, and I thought it was Ava. I was like, "What is she screaming about. Doesn`t she know I`m asleep?"

ANDERSON (on camera): Another major contender in the Oscar race is Terrence Howard, and he`s joining me now.

Terrence, hi. Congratulations.

HOWARD: Thank you.

ANDERSON: Good to see you.

(voice-over) Terrence Howard had the best actor nomination for his role in "Hustle and Flow." He told me he`s dreamed about this moment since he was a boy.

HOWARD: Man, it means -- it means the world. It means the world. I feel like this is, you know, Djay`s walk. This is -- it`s good.

HUFFMAN: I will be a woman.

ANDERSON: And "Desperate Housewives`" Felicity Huffman also did it. Nominated for her performance as a transsexual in "Transamerica." This on the heels of winning a SAG Award for the same role. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked her what she thinks of all the attention.

HUFFMAN: It feels out of body. It feels like a parallel universe where everything is going fantastic and your dreams come true. Feels like Oz.

ANDERSON: And the 800-pound gorilla in the room this morning, "King Kong," shockingly got only two nominations this morning, for sound editing and visual effects.

GORDON: What happened to "King Kong" was that it just didn`t make enough money. Once the movie opened in theaters and didn`t do as well as people were expecting it to, it disappeared from the Oscar radar. And that`s what goes to show you, when you have a movie that`s based upon big box office and expected to bring home the money, if it doesn`t do that, it`s not going to work out come Oscar time.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: And interestingly, none of the five nominations for best picture were big blockbuster movies. "Brokeback Mountain," "Capote", "Crash," "Munich" and "Good Night and Good Luck" haven`t raked in much money in the whole grand scheme of things. And many of those are independent films.

HAMMER: Well, now we want you to chime in on the Academy Awards. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Oscar nominations: do you agree with them? You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or e-mail us at ShowbizTonight@CNN.com. We`re going to read some of what you have to say later on in the show.

ANDERSON: A.J., as we mentioned a moment ago, Terrence Howard got a best actor nomination. And I can`t begin to tell you how excited and thrilled he was when I caught up with him right after he learned about the nomination.

HAMMER: Well, he gave you a big kiss, so I could tell he was a little.

ANDERSON: He was on cloud nine, A.J., and that nomination was for his role in "Hustle and Flow" as a pimp from Memphis, trying to make it as a rapper. Let`s take a look at that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: I can really feel that this means so much to you.

HOWARD: Man, it means -- it means the world. It means the world. I feel like this is, you know, Djay`s walk. This is -- it`s good.

ANDERSON: Yes. When you saw and heard your name called, what did you do?

HOWARD: I don`t know. I know I was in bed, and I remember my arms being over my head. I was hugging myself. And next thing, I was running around the room, you know, in boxers and socks. It was like a dream.

It`s hard out here for a pimp. Life is real. I like that line. It`s hard out here for a pimp.

This is one of the most incredible moments of my life right now. As an actor, from being a little boy 6 years old saying, you know, "One day I`m going to be an actor." I`ve been watching the Oscars nor 20 years, hoping that one day, somebody might call me. They might say, you know, my name would be mentioned for something. And for it to happen this morning...

ANDERSON: Wow.

HOWARD: ... fly me to the moon.

ANDERSON: Tell me, were you up? Were you...

HOWARD: I was up. I got up early. I got up at 5:19. I thought that it was happening at 5. You know, I didn`t receive any phone calls. I was like all right, well...

ANDERSON: Oh, no.

HOWARD: ... let me -- let me turn on the TV and see who won, so I can call and, you know, congratulate some of my friends. And then I found out it hadn`t even come on yet. So all of a sudden now the panic all begins again.

Because all week, all of your friends call you and your supporters call you and say, even if it doesn`t happen, you still won in my book. You still deserve to be nominated, and it doesn`t say anything bad about what you did. And you love those calls, but they prepare you for, you know, the unfortunate inevitable.

But not to have to receive any of those this morning, not to receive the other call, the congratulations call, to have people that put the film together, that supported you in the walk, you know, to have Will Smith and them, you know, reach out to you and say so proud of you. To have Queen Latifah and Ashanti is going through such a hard time right now, but he was so supportive of me. Just great.

ANDERSON: Were you surprised at all?

HOWARD: I was so surprised because I prepared myself for it not to happen, and...

ANDERSON: As an actor, what does it mean, moving forward?

HOWARD: It means that -- well, I can`t tell what the future brings, but my contribution has not gone unnoticed, you know. As an African- American, I have to -- I`m now representing our entire artistic community. That`s a great feeling.

ANDERSON: Amazing.

HOWARD: It`s a powerful feeling, you know? And I`m so proud of the choices that I have made over these -- over the last 20 years. And you know, the film that I am representing -- that I am representing, you know, of a young man trying to come out of a bad situation, using his own strength and power and believing in himself, again, is something that everybody needs to do.

I feel like every dreamer out there that has lost sight of their dreams. You know, I am living proof that if you pour your heart into it, you can get there.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Congratulations to Terrence. And he admitted to me that he`s getting nervous all over again, even after being nominated. He says he`s got a lot of work to do to make sure everyone knows about his movie, "Hustle and Flow," and the message of hope that it`s sending to audiences.

HAMMER: Well, coming up, Brooke, Oscar nominees will be reacting to the death of Martin Luther King`s widow, Coretta Scott King. We`ll have their emotional thoughts on her enduring legacy. That`s coming up next.

ANDERSON: Plus, A.J., the outpouring of support for Bob Woodruff. And as the ABC News anchor recovers from the serious injuries suffered in an Iraq bomb attack, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks what does this mean for the evening news?

And...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLOONEY: Big, big, big, big (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Also on the way, what else George Clooney thinks his two nominations will do for his career. That`s coming up as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Oscar countdown coverage continues.

HAMMER: But first, tonight`s "`Entertainment Weekly` Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which of these `90s era films did not feature country singer Kris Kristofferson? "Lone Star," "Wag the Dog," "Blade" or "Payback"? We will be right back with your answer. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: So again, tonight`s "`Entertainment Weekly` Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Which of these `90s era films did not feature country singer Kris Kristofferson? "Lone Star," "Wag the Dog," "Blade" or "Payback"? Kris Kristofferson appeared in all of these except "B," "Wag the Dog," which starred Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro.

HAMMER: And was such a good movie. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only live entertainment new show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

Well, tonight the news is getting better for ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt. They`re currently at a U.S. hospital. That`s after a long flight from Germany, where they spent the last day recovering from the injuries they suffered during Sunday`s roadside attack in Iraq.

After a grim 48 hours, as news networks around the world showed the horrific details of the attack, and a graphic description of the injuries, viewers and the men`s families are finally hearing some good news.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER (voice-over): Just moments ago, Bob Woodruff and Doug Vogt landed on U.S. soil, where they will continue their long recovery.

WOLF BLITZER, ANCHOR, "THE SITUATION ROOM": The plane has just landed.

HAMMER: As TV cameras captured every detail, a military critical care air transport team carefully removed the two fallen journalists and wounded military personnel from the transport plane that brought them from Germany.

SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is hearing more about their conditions. Vogt is said to be awake and joking with visitors, while according to ABC News, Woodruff, the more seriously injured of the two, is responding to stimuli.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Speaking to the doctors and the families, they are smiling today.

HAMMER: This morning, on ABC`s "Good Morning America," the sense of relief was noticeable among the journalists covering every detail of their colleagues` injuries.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He looks much better than he looked the day before.

HAMMER: Diane Sawyer interviewed Woodruff`s brother, who was in Germany to accompany his brother and Vogt back to the states. He described in great detail his brother`s condition.

DAVID WOODRUFF, BOB WOODRUFF`S BROTHER: It`s tough to look at. He definitely has some facial wounds but they`re pretty much on one side of his face. It looks like, you know, kind of a burn that you might get from being hit with some sand and that kind of thing. But I think those things, frankly, for us, are minor compared to just making sure that he`s going to return from a -- his injury to his head.

HAMMER: Meanwhile, well wishes for Woodruff and Vogt are pouring in to ABC News sites from all over the country. ABC`s message boards have been overflowing with prayers and words of support for the two. And Woodruff`s brother used his appearance on "Good Morning America" to convey the family`s gratitude.

WOODRUFF: We want to say again thank you to everybody out there who`s written all these e-mails. We went online last night in the hotel and saw some of the postings that are coming into the web site. I mean, and Lee wanted me to tell everybody how much she appreciates the support from everybody.

ANNOUNCER: This is "World News Tonight" with Bob Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas.

HAMMER: It has been only a month since Woodruff and Elizabeth Vargas took over the anchor duties at the newly revamped "ABC World News Tonight." It was billed as a bold and risky two-anchor experiment with one co-anchor in the studio reading the news in a traditional anchor format while the other reports live from the field, wherever news is happening.

But now that one half of that team is presumably out for months, the question is what will ABC News do now?

HOWARD KURTZ, HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES" The easy thing for ABC to do would be to just let Elizabeth Vargas be the sole anchor for the next six months or so while Bob Woodruff recuperates.

But they are committed to this two-anchor approach in which one or the other is constantly on the road in places like Iraq or the Middle East or across the United States. So I believe we will see some temporary substitutes filling in for Woodruff, at least until they find out whether he`s able to return.

HAMMER: Those substitutes could include veteran Charlie Gibson, who filled in often for previous anchor Peter Jennings before he died last summer. But with Woodruff still badly hurt, the question of how he will be replaced is something ABC News isn`t really thinking about right now.

KURTZ: The folks at ABC have been consumed by concern for Bob Woodruff, his cameraman, Doug Vogt and their families, and so they haven`t really spent a lot of time thinking about what everybody else wants to know, which is what are you going to do with the newscast and what -- can Woodruff possibly come back and be on television again.

HAMMER: But now that Woodruff is back in the U.S., it`s safe to say that his colleagues and viewers hope that day will come very, very soon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: It`s good news that they are back in the states. Woodruff and Vogt are being treated at the Bethesda Naval Medical Center, which is outside of Washington. This is a place that usually treats military personnel, the president and some high-ranking government officials.

But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned the military actually suggested that Woodruff and Vogt be treated there, because it is better equipped to deal with battlefield injuries than civilian hospitals are. ABC News says it will pay the full cost of treatment.

ANDERSON: Tonight, Hollywood is mourning the death of Coretta Scott King, the widow of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got the heartfelt, emotional reaction to the news from today`s Oscar nominees.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD: I`m her legacy. I feel like I`m part of Dr. King`s dream, that one day people will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. She stood for her husband. They were one flesh. And her message and her hard work is important to everybody.

HUFFMAN: I was reading a speech of her husband`s, Martin Luther King, four days before he was assassinated. And I think it speaks to several of the movies that have been nominated.

And he said we must all live together as brothers and sisters or we will perish as fools. And I think that speaks to the movies that bring understanding and healing, and that`s a short stop to joy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Pop star Michael Jackson released this statement today, quote, "I am deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Mrs. King is an irreplaceable jewel who will be greatly missed."

Coretta Scott King died Monday at the Hospital Santa Monica in Baja, California, where she was receiving treatment for a stroke and heart attack suffered last August. She was 78.

HAMMER: Coming up, Conan`s quest to take over the world. Tonight, how late night host Conan O`Brien may be trying to change the face of global politics. That`s on the way.

ANDERSON: And we are not kidding when we say Nicole Kidman is one beautiful actress. So how does this A-lister from Down Under keep on top of the hottest fashion trends? Find out in "Tuesday InStyle."

HAMMER: Plus, more on the Oscar nominations. Who was snubbed? And now that the nods are out, who`s got the best shot of winning? We`ve got a live chat with three top film gurus, coming up, as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Oscar countdown coverage continues.

ANDERSON: But first, some Oscar trivia. Did you know that for the first time since 1981, the directing and best picture nominations honor exactly the same five pictures? "Brokeback Mountain", "Capote", "Crash," "Good Night and Good Luck" and "Munich."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: It is time now for "Tuesday InStyle." Well, from her sexy hair to her great body, Oscar winner Nicole Kidman has always been one of the most beautiful and highly sought-after Hollywood actresses. Tonight we take you on a journey of this A-lister`s captivating look throughout her career.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLLY BLITZER, "INSTYLE MAGAZINE": We chose Nicole Kidman for the "Beauty Transformations" in the February issue because she is one of the most beautiful and captivating people in Hollywood. And who better than Nicole to show different looks throughout the years?

When we first saw Nicole in 1983, she had just starred in "BMX Bandit," and she had seemingly endless bushels of red tresses, and it was just a little bit out of control but very apropos for the `80s. Nicole also had a knack for wearing matte red lips, kind of like Lucille Ball, and she has since turned to softer lips in peach or nudes (ph) and beiges.

Throughout the next couple of years, we saw Nicole kind of get settled into her look in the United States. And she also happened to meet a cute little boyfriend, Tom Cruise, on the set of "Days of Thunder".

By 2002, Nicole was a single woman again. She became a blonder bombshell, and she really just wooed crowds on the red carpet with her sleek blond look and her bangs.

It`s 2006, and Nicole looks better than ever. She keeps it simple. She keeps it plain.

Who knows where she`s going to go with her hair and makeup looks in the years to come, but whatever she ends up with, we know that it`s guaranteed to be breathtakingly gorgeous and she`s a woman of change.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: That she is. And to read more about Nicole Kidman`s beauty transformation, pick up a copy of "InStyle" magazine on newsstand now.

HAMMER: It is time now for "Talk of the Day." This is the best from the day`s morning talk show circuit. And this Thursday is "The View`s" 2000th show. Today, the co-hosts looked back at some of their most outrageous moments.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

STAR JONES, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": Jason Sehorn threw a football and knocked me out, literally knocked me out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can`t see Star hit by that football enough.

MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": That`s going to leave a mark.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meredith got in trouble at the World Series.

VIEIRA: Let`s talk bats. Who`s got the biggest wood on the team?

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, ABC`S "THE VIEW": The Janet Jackson Nipplegate at the Super Bowl, that was huge for us. I mean, we got a lot of mileage out of that. And Joy, of course, took it to the next level.

VIEIRA: I was thinking what is that? What is that?

JONES: Joy exposing her breasts, even if they were fake, that was outrageous.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That wasn`t her real breast?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Some fun in the past 2,000 shows.

Well, a first for Britney Spears as one TV show prepares for its last episode. Details, next.

ANDERSON: Plus, Conan O`Brien thinking of the world? Tonight, how a late-night laugh became no laughing matter halfway across the globe. How Conan and a Finnish president actually have a lot in common, coming up.

HAMMER: And our complete Oscar countdown coverage continues. Still to come, our movie gurus and Matt Dillon, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOWARD: Matt, congratulations. You did it, man. You did it. You did it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 31 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And you`re watching TV`s only live entertainment news show.

A.J., coming up, we will get the Oscar low-down from some movie experts, including how one movie really came out of nowhere to get multiple nominations. And I caught up with George Clooney shortly after it was announced he received three separate Oscar nominations. And, A.J., clearly he was excited because he couldn`t be serious about anything. We had a lot of laughs, and that is coming up.

HAMMER: He never really can, though. He never really can, Brooke.

Well, I also had the chance to catch up with nominee Matt Dillon shortly after he found out he is up for his very first Academy Award.

Also coming up in the next half hour, Conan O`Brien getting into politics? At least he`s influencing elections overseas. We`ll explain all that in just a few minutes.

ANDERSON: But first, here are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."

And the hottest headline of the day, "Brokeback Mountain" leads the Oscar nominations this year with eight, including best picture, best director, and best actor for Heath Ledger. The nominations were announced this morning.

Also up for best picture, "Capote," "Crash," "Good Night, and Good Luck," and "Munich." And in just a few moments, we will get some Oscar predictions from our expert panel.

Supermodel Kate Moss has been questioned by London police about her alleged cocaine use. This was the first time Moss was in the country since a British tabloid published pictures of her allegedly snorting cocaine.

She was questioned, but not arrested. After the photos were published, Moss lost modeling contracts with H&M, Burberry and Chanel. Since then, she went to rehab in Arizona.

And Britney Spears is about to make her first sitcom appearance. Today we learned Spears will guest star on "Will and Grace." She`ll play a Christian conservative sidekick to Jack, Sean Hayes` character. The episode airs on April 13th.

And those are tonight`s "Hot Headlines."

HAMMER: Well, now that the Oscar nominees have been named, it is time to break down the big stories that came out of this morning`s nominations. Again, "Brokeback Mountain" leading the pack with eight nominations in all. Felicity Huffman and Reese Witherspoon go head-to-head in the best actress.

George Clooney becomes the first person ever to be nominated for best director and for supporting actor in two different films.

Let`s get right to our expert Oscar panel. Joining me live in New York, Leah Rozen from "People" magazine, Peter Travers from "Rolling Stone" magazine, and out there in Los Angeles, we have Tom O`Neil from TheEnvelope.com, and our own Brooke Anderson hanging out with us, as well.

Let`s get right into this George Clooney thing. How great for George? He goes in as this triple threat, and he comes away with three nominations. Peter, that is pretty impressive, isn`t it?

PETER TRAVERS, "ROLLING STONE": It`s pretty great. And you know, he`s really the hero of this Academy Awards, because he put his money where his mouth is. He really did everything, and you`ve got to be happy for him. He`s like Orson Welles in "Citizen Kane," acting, writing, directing. I told him that. I said, "George, you`re the new Orson Welles." And he patted his stomach and said, "You noticed I haven`t lost that 30 pounds I gained for `Syriana`?"

HAMMER: He`s been having a tough time with that.

TRAVERS: It really is.

LEAH ROZEN, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: But it`s also cool in that it`s two movies, nominated for acting in "Syriana," nominated for directing -- well, for writing "Good Night, and Good Luck."

HAMMER: The screenplay.

ROZEN: And the movie is up for best picture.

TRAVERS: But you know what? The guy is handsome and charming...

ANDERSON: He`s really become a force to be reckoned with, you guys.

TRAVERS: ... and all of those things. Why does he need an Academy Award? He`s got too much already.

ANDERSON: Oh, anybody remember "Facts of Life"? What a transition this guy has made, right?

(LAUGHTER)

TRAVERS: Oh, that was cruel.

ANDERSON: No, he was great in that, as well.

OK, Leah, I want to go to you. When you were here last, you said the SAG Awards were a great indicator for Oscar, but what is up with "Munich"? I mean, it wasn`t getting a lot of recognition prior to the Oscar nominations. And today, it seemed to come out of nowhere.

ROZEN: Well, I think we have two words there: Steven Spielberg. The man gets enormous respect in Hollywood. The fact that "Munich" made it onto the list as best film, the fact that he`s nominated for best director is all just people going, you know, "We are not worthy, we are not worthy," and giving him his props.

TRAVERS: Well, plus you had to pick "Munich." You know why? The other alternative would have been "Walk the Line," and that would have destroyed the five, because one of them would have been entertaining. We don`t want that. We just want it message movies all the time.

HAMMER: So, Tom, let me ask you this: Is it your feeling that "Walk the Line" did not get its slot because of "Munich"? Is that sort of the general consensus today?

TOM O`NEIL, THEENVELOPE.COM: Right. I think it really comes down to the process here. It`s this preferential ballot that they use. And it all comes down to how many number one and two votes you had.

Munich had enough supporters in the Academy to do that. "Walk the Line" was probably number three, four, or five on everybody`s ballot, and that doesn`t count at the Oscars.

HAMMER: Well, "Walk the Line" was certainly acknowledged at the SAG Awards the other day.

ROZEN: Well, (INAUDIBLE) "Walk the Line" is, look, they`ve got a best actor nomination with Joaquin Phoenix. They`ve got a best actress nomination with Reese Witherspoon, who is a likely winner, so it`s not like they have to cry too hard into their guitars

TRAVERS: No, they don`t.

ANDERSON: A lot of recognition there, you guys. And, Peter, I want to talk about Felicity Huffman. I mean, you`ve got to love that she`s winning for her work in television and in film. What a year for Felicity. What do you think?

TRAVERS: Well, win, win, win. And she`s also doing that great thing of playing a man who becomes a woman, which is something the Academy really loves.

The sad thing about that is "Walk the Line" with Reese Witherspoon, her main competitor, has made over $100 million. And I think Felicity`s "Transamerica" is up to like $800,000. So they have to be watching their DVD screeners in order for her to win.

O`NEIL: And let me come in here. Let me just say that that`s going to be the big upset on Oscar night. I think that...

TRAVERS: Uh oh. Prediction.

O`NEIL: Yes, we see these upsets in these little art-house movies because they are the last DVD screeners seen. And Harvey Weinstein has not sent out "Transamerica" to the full Academy yet. It`s going out today. And that means it`s going to be the last seen, and I think she`s going to pull off an upset.

HAMMER: Well, speaking of upsets, the big upset at the SAG Awards the other day was the fact that "Brokeback Mountain" basically got shut out. Now, a couple of people asked me yesterday -- they said, "All right, so the Oscar nominations coming out on Tuesday. Since it got shut out at the SAG Awards, is that indicative of what`s going to happen?"

Obviously, we see them leading the pack with eight, and there`s really no threat of them having any difficulty come Oscar night.

ROZEN: No, but I think what`s happening with Oscars is it`s really spread the wealth, you know? I think it`s going to be one for you, one for you, one for you. I don`t think you`re going to see anything sweep on Oscar night.

HAMMER: No big sweep?

TRAVERS: Well, I mean I had my theory about the win of "Crash" at SAG. I mean, it employed 73 actors. If you were an actor voting for it, who would you have given it to? There are basically five or six "Brokeback Mountain" people. So I think it won because those actors said, "This was the kind of movie I should have been in and could have been in."

ROZEN: But I think the Oscar race is between "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crash." I think both movies have enormous -- the audience has enormous emotional investment. And I think you`re going to see those two sort of duking it out.

HAMMER: Tom, you on board with that?

O`NEIL: Absolutely. And it`s very close, although no movie that has ever had the most nominations, has been a current release, and has won all the precursor awards has never lost in "Brokeback`s" position. But you know, I`m out in here Hollywood now. I hear these Oscar voters say all the time they`re sick of the gay cowboy jokes and they love "Crash." It`s a real possibility.

HAMMER: All right, Brooke, I`m going to start with you on this next thing. We have about 30 seconds here, but I`m going to throw it around the horn. You guys are all going to be back, obviously, with us after the Academy Awards take place, so I`m going to go real quickly to each of you, looking for your best pick for best picture.

We`re right -- Mikey, wake up. We`re writing these down. OK, our stage manager is going to write these down.

Brooke, go ahead. Who`s your pick?

ANDERSON: You want me to go first?

HAMMER: Sure.

ANDERSON: You know, I agree with Leah and Tom. I think it`s going to be a close race here between "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crash." Both really strong pictures with tremendous critical acclaim.

HAMMER: All right, Tom, you have one second to answer.

O`NEIL: "Brokeback."

HAMMER: All right.

And Peter?

TRAVERS: "Brokeback," definitely.

HAMMER: Best picture?

ROZEN: I`ll say "Crash," to be contrarian.

HAMMER: Oh, you just want to be contrarian. We`re going to hold that to you.

TRAVERS: Mark that down.

HAMMER: I`m going to say "Brokeback," as well.

Leah Rozen, Peter Travers, Tom O`Neil, and Brooke Anderson out there in Hollywood, thank you very much for helping us out with our panel tonight.

ANDERSON: And that leads us again to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Oscar nominations: Do you agree with them?

Keep voting at CNN.com/showbiztonight and write us at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Your thoughts are coming up at 55 past the hour.

HAMMER: Well, one thing all of the Academy -- well, not all of the -- enough Academy Awards voters agreed on, I should say, Matt Dillon`s performance in "Crash," it was worthy of an Oscar nomination to them. And I had the chance to sit down with Matt and ask him what happened when he got word of his very first nomination after more than 25 years in the business.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT DILLON, ACTOR, "CRASH": Well, I just thought -- I just thought about that. And of course, I was over the moon that, you know, Paul got recognized and the film got recognized as best picture.

And that that was -- that was fantastic, because that at least that encompasses, you know, the entire ensemble, because the way I look at it is I feel -- I`m proud to be -- sort of represent, you know, the cast in that way.

I had a hard time because of the character, playing this guy, watching it. Like, for example, when I was at the -- when I was at the premiere, I walked -- I had to leave, when there`s a scene where I pull over Terrence Howard and Thandie Newton`s character. And, you know, I basically, you know, abuse her, you know, in that way. I just couldn`t watch. I had a hard time watching it.

HAMMER: While "Crash" certainly is getting a lot of love -- six nominations, including best picture -- you`re the only actor who`s nominated, and people are saying that could very well play in your favor. You`re in really good company here, but still?

DILLON: Well, I don`t know about the speculation, but when you say that I`m the only actor that`s nominated in the film, I`d like to just say that I think there are many actors in that film whose performance could have easily been nominated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: And, Brooke, I should mention he`s nominated in that category with Paul Giamatti, William Hurt, Jake Gyllenhaal, and George Clooney. I asked him which of those guys he`d be able to take in a street fight. He said he`ll get back to me on Oscar night.

ANDERSON: I bet he will.

OK, moving now to dirty little secrets, from everyone from Donald Trump to Jessica Simpson, that`s next, courtesy of the "Tonight Show" in "Laughter Dark."

HAMMER: Plus, Conan O`Brien and Finland`s president separated at birth. We`re going to show you why international politics have become a laughing matter on "Late Night," coming up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR-DIRECTOR: I think that there should be a lot of petals laid at my feet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: George Clooney makes Oscar history. Coming up, George tells me what the nominations mean to him. And trust me, he hasn`t lost his sense of humor.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s only live entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson.

And now my interview with the hilarious George Clooney, who made Oscar history today. This is the first time in Academy history that a nominee in the directing category, George Clooney, for "Good Night, and Good Luck," is also nominated in one of the acting categories for a different film, "Syriana."

It doesn`t stop there. Clooney also got a third nomination -- yes, three -- for co-writing "Good Night, and Good Luck." I caught up with Clooney and his "Good Night" writing partner, Grant Heslov, and it was all laughs as we talked about what the nominations mean to them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRANT HESLOV, SCREENWRITER: It`s unbelievable. You know, we always talk about -- we just sat back in this little room and wrote this movie, so anytime we get a nomination for something, it`s great.

CLOONEY: We were pretty surprised.

ANDERSON: Yes. And you are the first person to ever be nominated in an acting category and a directing category for two different films. Has anyone told you that yet?

CLOONEY: Now, see that`s going very specific.

ANDERSON: You`ve made Hollywood history.

CLOONEY: I`m the first -- I`m the first -- no, I can`t even do that. I`m one of the sexiest men alive, former sexiest men alive, to be nominated as an actor and a director.

ANDERSON: Right.

CLOONEY: See, there you go.

ANDERSON: Can you believe that?

CLOONEY: If you get something specific, I can really have the...

(CROSSTALK)

ANDERSON: First Oscar nominations for you both. Really, how does it feel and what does it mean to you?

CLOONEY: Well, it`s fun. I`ve never been to the Oscars, so it should be a fun night. You know, I`m excited about that.

HESLOV: I`ve never even watched the Oscars, so for me it`s fantastic. No, I have. So it`s great. This is what you dream about. This is really...

ANDERSON: And how is this going to change how you want to be treated on set?

CLOONEY: Well, I`m about to go to a job right now. And I think that there should be a lot of petals laid at my feet. And I think I should be treated a little differently.

ANDERSON: No one can look you in the eye?

CLOONEY: Well, that`s part of the rules already.

ANDERSON: Already?

CLOONEY: Yes, I have that in my -- it`s a little statute that we send out.

ANDERSON: "Mr. Clooney," no "George."

CLOONEY: Mr. Clooney, no George. Don`t look me in the eye. And...

HESLOV: Actually, they can look in the left eye, but not in the right eye.

CLOONEY: Yes, and then I have them pick out all of the M&Ms.

ANDERSON: Yes, right. What color is your favorite?

CLOONEY: Well, I just I like just the licorice ones.

ANDERSON: Well, let me ask you this. What does this mean for the future for you guys making more movies with a political or social message?

CLOONEY: Yes, we`re doing one now that`s about the Sandinistas, with the Three Stooges. And I think it`s important. It`s the Contras. It`s the Sandinistas, but it`s played by Curly and Moe. I think that`s our next...

ANDERSON: Well, at least you have your sense of humor in tact.

CLOONEY: Yea, well, we want to keep that in tact.

ANDERSON: What do Oscar nominations mean for your careers and where you want to take it next?

CLOONEY: I think big, big, big cash.

HESLOV: Yes, also you can get some stuff for free now. And that`s kind of cool.

CLOONEY: That you couldn`t before.

HESLOV: Particularly for me. He`s always had that. But for me, it`s a whole new world.

CLOONEY: I can always get stuff for free; he can`t. Now what it means is I don`t have to give my free stuff to him.

ANDERSON: What were you most surprised about when you heard about the Oscar nominations and knew you got so many? What were you most surprised to hear?

HESLOV: I was surprised to hear that we got so many. I just was -- you know, I`m sort of the more the glass-half-empty guy, so I was -- I was slightly negative, and so -- but that makes the nominations that much more sweet.

CLOONEY: Right, now it does. Later, he`ll be like, "Why did we only get six?"

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: This interview really was all laughs. I think, after talking about such serious subject matter as "Syriana" and "Good Night," clearly talking about them for so long, it was time for some comic relief from our friend, George Clooney. And he also told me he`d be wearing magenta to the Oscars.

A.J., I think he`d look nice.

HAMMER: I think that`s going to be a good look on him. And I`m looking forward to the Three Stooges doing the Sandinistas story.

ANDERSON: Right.

HAMMER: Well, Finland`s president won reelection over the weekend. But because of her uncanny resemblance to a certain late-night talk show host, she has had another role on American television for a few weeks now. Here comes CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is the story of Conan the kingmaker, who`s gotten laughs for weeks simply by showing a picture of the president of Finland.

(LAUGHTER)

Night after night...

(LAUGHTER)

... over and over again.

CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST, "LATE NIGHT": It`s incredible.

(LAUGHTER)

MOOS: Conan O`Brien`s resemblance to the 62-year-old Finnish president is inescapable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, they do.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my gosh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is that his mother?

MOOS (on-screen): Wait a minute. Come back here. You sure you don`t want to run for something?

(voice-over): As the Finnish president ran for reelection, she had Conan in her corner, making campaign commercials for his look-alike that were actually seen in Finland because Conan`s show is rebroadcast on Finnish TV.

Some thin-skinned Fins complained on Web sites that Conan mispronounced their president`s name.

O`BRIEN: Tarja Halonen.

MOOS: Well, actually, real Fins say...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tarja Halonen.

O`BRIEN: I call her Tarja. She claims that her name is Tarja, so we`re going to take it to small-claims court.

MOOS: Conan dredged up real footage of his look-alike, dancing at the Finnish jazz festival with James Brown.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You look just like Conan!

MOOS: The town of Turku invited Conan to visit Finland, sending a video invitation in which residents wore masks and dressed up like Conan. Finnish newspapers showcased his endorsement.

O`BRIEN: Just think: I control the outcome of the Finnish presidential election. Once Finland falls, then meddling in the affairs of Sweden is next.

MOOS: Well, now the election is over, and guess who won? It was a squeaker. Halonen won by a mere three points. Her opponent conceded by kissing her hand. His campaign said Conan had no effect on the election. Hers said he might have helped with the youth vote.

Now, Conan plans to visit in mid-February. He better be prepared for Finnish humor in a country where they joke there`s nothing to do but drink.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know which three most beautiful words in the Finnish language?

MOOS (on-screen): No?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "The bar is open."

MOOS (voice-over): President Tarja and Conan plan to meet during his trip. Maybe he`d like to improve the resemblance.

O`BRIEN: And if I had, like, just a day of hormone therapy -- I mean, don`t have a lot of testosterone as it is.

MOOS (on-screen): I have lipstick, if you want to...

O`BRIEN: You know, I did this, this morning, but it came off.

MOOS (voice-over): Read these lips.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

ANDERSON: In tonight`s "Laughter Dark," the best from late-night TV, "The Tonight Show" inserts celebrities into a popular music video by the All-American Rejects for their song, "Dirty Little Secret."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAY LENO, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": It`s kind of cool. And anyway, apparently some celebrities joined it. Well, take a look.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Who knew that band had such reach?

Well, there`s still some time for you to sound off in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." We`re asking: Oscar nominations: Do you agree with them? Vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can write to us as well at showbiztonight@CNN.com. Your e-mails live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: We`ve been asking you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Oscar nominations: Do you agree with them?

The vote so far: 42 percent of you say yes; 58 percent of you say no.

And some of the e-mails we`ve received, Mark from South Carolina writes, "I can`t believe `Walk the Line` was left out of the best picture and best director categories."

Terry from New Jersey says, "I would love to know why a wonderful series like `Harry Potter` has consistently been passed up for nominations."

HAMMER: This guy has a great gig. It`s our Marquee Guy to fill us in on what`s happening on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow. Take it away, M.G.

MARQUEE GUY: Tomorrow, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tribe has spoken, and they want Jeff. He`s the host with the most on one of the most popular reality shows, like, ever. "Survivor" host Jeff Probst is live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, secrets of the Oscars. The price is right. Price- Waterhouse, that is. You know, the guys with the briefcase? They`re the ones in the know on Oscar night, and they`re live on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tomorrow.

This is the Marquee Guy, and I`d like to thank the Academy for my nomination for best performance by a disembodied voice in an entertainment show, like, ever.

HAMMER: Real quickly, Brooke. Was there anything that surprised you about the nominations this morning?

ANDERSON: I would say maybe "Walk the Line" left out of the best picture category, absolutely.

HAMMER: But I definitely think we`re going to see a win in some other categories. I was a little surprised by that, as well.

Well, we were going to have our interview with Barry Manilow tonight. But because of all of the Oscar news we`ve been bringing you, we`re going to have that interview for you tomorrow.

That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Thanks for watching, everyone. And stay tuned for the latest from CNN Headline News.

END

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