Articles by Lori Acken

You might think it’s no accident that Valerie Bertinelli’s first film appearance after a talk-show-filled spring spent touting her jaw-dropper of an autobiography is called True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet. Turns out, her role in the Lifetime original, which premieres Aug. 9, had little to do with her return to the spotlight and everything to do with a fledgling rock star named Wolfgang who’s just itching to fly the coop. “My son was up in Toronto doing a show with his dad [legendary Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen],” Bertinelli chuckles, “so I thought, ‘Well! Here’s a great way […]

In its first venture into original scripted drama since its big bucks, big bang “Real Life. Drama.” rebirth, A&E sticks tight to the new tagline and the sort of storytelling its audience loves best — expertly blending the grit of the network’s signature reality series Intervention, the soul of its warts-and-all crime-fighter, Dog the Bounty Hunter, and the highly stylized drama of acquired series like CSI: Miami and The Sopranos. “We knew that we had key platforms,” explains Bob DeBitetto, the net’s executive vice president and general manager. “At the same time, we wanted shows that might be a little […]

Denis Leary loves “The Business,” the Big Apple and his family and friends. And that’s about all you need to know to determine how he likes to spend his days. “It’s hard to get me to go to work, in some regards,” the multitalented movie, television and comedy-circuit star chuckles during a phone interview from the set of his F/X hit, Rescue Me. “I produce a lot of my own stuff, and I write and star in this TV show which I do here in New York, and the only movies I’ve done — with very few exceptions — I’ve […]

On a blustery March evening, cast members of Showtime‘s sumptuous ratings hit The Tudors held court in a midtown Manhattan hotel, surrounded by network execs, industry insiders and media critics nursing “Off With Her Head” martinis in a room gilded with portraits of the actors in costume and replicas of the exquisite garb. After everyone had an opportunity to confirm that Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ pout really is that pillowy, Natalie Dormer’s waistline really is that wispy and the show’s legendary new pope Peter O’Toole’s presence really is that papal, the party moved to a nearby theater for a first look […]

Who were you in high school? The athlete? The mathlete? The party kid? The no one? No matter how far removed you are from those formative years, or how much you loved or loathed them, the answer is probably still right there on the tip of your tongue. And the accompanying emotions still fresh enough to tickle … or sting. It was this realization, coupled with the idea that her 13-year-old daughter stood at its brink, that inspired single mom and first-time filmmaker Sharon Liese to grab her camera, seek the blessing of her suburban Kansas school district, and head […]

Oh sure, WrestleMania is the biggest Big Dance for World Wrestling Entertainment’s top talent. But I demand more than just muscle for my ‘Mania money — I want some serious star wattage, too. Or some amusing sorta-star wattage, anyway. Throughout its nearly 25 years, celebrity attendance at the legendary event has pinned down everything from campy comedy, to tux-and-gown glamour, to what-the-heck hodgepodge with equal vigor. Among the more memorable: WrestleMania (1985) — It Floated Like A Butterfly. Twinkled Like A Sequin. But Mostly Just Wanted to Have Fun. What better way to launch your tough-guy, manly-man pro wrestling extravaganza […]

RAW‘s resident bigmouth is a former pickup-driving, beer-drinking country boy from the outskirts of Green Bay, Wis., who saw a big opportunity in a little microphone hanging from an arena ceiling and made sure, from that day on, that every pro-wrestling fan knows his name. Shrugging off a host of untimely injuries and public backlash for speaking out about the company’s recent doping scandal and the shocking downfall of the late Chris Benoit, Misterrrrrrr Kennedy (Kennedy!) remains loud, proud — and oh so popular with the fans — on his way to his second ‘Mania. Yeah, He Really Is Loud. […]

Not so long ago, the man known to pro-wrestling fans as MVP was known to corrections officers at a series of South Florida correctional institutions as Alvin Burke, Jr., just another guy with an aptitude for wrong. Wrong place. Wrong time. Wrong choices. One, Darryl Davis, who moonlighted as a wrestler on the local indie circuit, saw something more: the physique and attitude that could bring Burke success (or at least a better outlet for his aggressions) inside the squared circle. He offered to train Burke for free, if he kept his nose clean on his next parole. Burke took […]