POTP Exclusive (Page 3)

Glee just wouldn't be the same without Mr. Schuester. Will Schuester was the protagonist that we wanted to protect from his psycho wife during season 1; he was the one Rachel Berry, played by Lea Michele, was in love with, and he's the man who may deflower Emma Pilsbury!

For the most part, Matthew Morrison keeps himself out of the tabloids. Luckily I was at the same star-studded party with Mr. Morrison the other weekend and I got some one-on-one time with Glee's squeaky clean teacher! Now if Matt was a jerk, I wouldn't hesitate to say so (stay tuned for what I say about Lea Michele in a few weeks when I post my interview w/ her), but I was impressed by him.  *** Don't forget to return to Pop on the Pop next Tuesday for Part 2 of my exclusive where Matthew talks about Nene Leakes, sports, and his love life!

POTP: What’s going on with your character this season?

Matthew: Well I think Will and Emma fans are gonna be so happy. There’s so much in store for Will and Emma fans. Will’s gonna pop the question. It’s very exciting to have some great adult storylines again.

POTP: But you guys are gonna wait until you get married for... ya know?

Matthew: I don’t know! I haven’t seen the scripts where we do the deed yet, but we’ll see. I don’t know.

POTP: I remember you did an interview where you said there’ll probably be a lot of sanitizer when that goes on [laughs].

Matthew: Yeah [laughs]. There will be a lot of Purell involed!

POTP: Are you going to be doing any more singing this season, and is there an artist that you would love to cover?

Matthew: I am going to be singing and I am going to be doing an artist that I would love to cover, and that artist is Elvis Presley. 

POTP: Nice! Your voice would be perfect for that.

Matthew: Ya. I think it would be good, well suited.

POTP: I know you recorded an album and released that. Have Glee fans supported that effort?

Matthew: I did a big solo tour this summer. It was great. It was so much fun. It was so different, performing live. I miss it. That’s my roots, Broadway and just being on stage so for me it was like oxygen. I need to do that.

POTP: Do you see yourself doing another album?

Matthew: Yes I do.

POTP: Are you a part of the long schedules on the set? I know you guys have long days. Do you have a lighter schedule because you’re teaching and not necessarily dancing?

Matthew: I kind of have it more so in some cases because I’m in every scene with the kids and every scene with the adults as well. I’m in both worlds so I can’t really get out of it.

POTP: How do you keep your energy up?

Matthew: Headstands.

POTP: Are you serious [laughs]?

Matthew: I’m serious. If I’m feeling tired of something, I’ll sit in my trailer and do a headstand and it rushes the blood to my head and it just kind of wakes me up.

POTP: Okay. How many of those? One a day?

Matthew: Just one when I’m tired, I do a headstand.

POTP: So I should do that instead of my energy shot or cup of coffee.

** Matthew suddenly gets a very concerned look across his face!

Matthew: Energy shots, that’s so bad for you!

Yesterday, there I was, sitting on my couch watching Sunday night's episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta when Kandi Burruss and Phaedra Parks just finished a dance workout session. Kandi tells Phaedra, "Now I normally do not like to go on the blogs, but I just so happened to go on today." Kandi was talking about POPONTHEPOP.COM! I immediately paused my TV, told my sibling, and then called POTP writer Lil Payne.

Kandi pulls up Pop on the Pop on her Blackberry to read the story we wrote about Marlo Hampton's multiple arrests. POTP's homepage is not shown on her phone's screen, but POTP's address is in her address bar. Now after 5 years of blogging, I know that if Pop on the Pop's homepage was shown, it wouldn't create a spike in traffic, so that's fine. Naturally, many celebrities must have stumbled across POTP in Google's results for various searches, but to see one of my favorite reality stars pull up my website on one of my favorite reality shows is obviously huge for me. It's so huge that I had to share the news!

Thank you Kandi for giving me one of my biggest career highlights to date!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fast forward until there's 2 minutes left to see when the magic happens! Haha.

Kandi Burruss, Phaedra Parks Read Poponthepop.com

If there's anyone who has swag on Glee, beside Chris Colfer and Naya Rivera, it's Kevin McHale, who plays Artie Abrams. Artie is in a wheelchair but he never throws a pity party for himself. Instead, fans of Glee get to know Artie the person, not Artie the person in a wheelchair.

This season Kevin's character has transitioned from just singing with the Glee club to directing some plays. It's nice to see that he's not only optimistic, but he's also multi-talented and ambitious. Kevin brings the swag episode after episode. At Fox's all-star party in Los Angeles, I asked Kevin about what's in store for Artie, where he gets his swagger, and what he thinks about all those predictable on-set rivalry rumors.

POTP: What’s in store for your character?

Kevin: In the immediate future, some lovin!

POTP: Okay! With who?

Kevin: There may be a little interaction with Becky coming up, which I did not see coming!

POTP: Who’s Becky?

Kevin: Sue’s assistant cheerleader.

POTP: Oh no no no no no NO! Are you serious?

Kevin: Yes.

POTP: So that’s soon?

Kevin: Yes, that's the first episode back. There may be another girl as well.

POTP:  But does it go past one episode with Becky?

Kevin: No, but maybe with the other girl.

POTP: If you could date a character who would that be, or who should hook up?

The movie Napoleon Dynamite became an unlikely blockbuster when it hit theaters back in 2004. In the years since, it's endured as an oft-quoted cult favorite and helped land it's endearingly awkward star, Jon Heder, roles in such big-budget Hollywood comedies as Blades of Glory and School For Scoundrels. Despite his mainstream success, however, Napoleon - the nerd king with the killer dance moves - remains Heder's most beloved role.

After nearly eight years of "Vote For Pedro" t-shirts and llama jokes, the popularity of the original film remains strong, and Fox has decided to lure Dynamite's rabid fanbase to its Sunday night line-up with the Napoleon Dynamite animated series, premiering tonight at 8:30 pm. Jon Heder will, of course, reprise his role as Napoleon. Recently, he spoke to Pop on the Pop about the challenges of revisiting such an iconic character after so many years.

POTP: What is it about the Napoleon Dynamite characters that you think translates well to animation?

Jon Heder: They are all so very different and kind of cover so many aspects of this weird and quirky world that was created for the film. I think it will run well with animation because you have, like, the bully, you have the romantic lead, the best friend...They all seem to have different agendas within this world. It kind of lends itself to opening up lots of different story lines and conflicts within each of their own relationships.

POTP: When the producers approached you with the idea of an animated series, what were your first thoughts?

JH:I was excited. I mean, we had always talked in the beginning about doing something, whether it be a sequel or an animated, or a live action in terms of whatever, but I was excited because I'm finally able to tell fans, like, "Yes, we're making more stuff.' I was just really excited to kind of get back into the character and get back with everyone involved with the film...re-enter that world.

POTP: As an actor, how different is it to re-visit this character in an animated series, rather than a live-action film?

JH: For the lead character in an ongoing animated series, I've had to show way more emotional range in this role than I ever have in anything else I've done. I've had to explore all the different sides to Napoleon that I never knew were there. It's kind of like there have been many times in the recording studio where we're like, "What would Napoleon say here?" or, "How would he react? Well, let's try this. Let's try that." It's been a lot of fun.

On Monday, I attended The X Factor press conference at CBS studios in Los Angeles and it was the nicest press conference that I had ever been to. The press conference itself was held in the same room, same stage and all, that The X Factor is filmed in.

Paula Abdul is just as tiny as she appears to be on television, and Simon Cowell was just as feisty with reporters as he can be with contestants.

When a reporter directed a question to all three contestants - Chris Rene, Josh Krajcik and Melanie Amaro - Chris and Josh answered the question and then another reporter jumped in (asking a new question) before Melanie was able to respond. That upset Simon, and he scolded the reporter, saying that he can't just jump in and not allow Melanie to answer a question. It was nice to see!

Simon himself is clearly a kind person. He has a vested interest in launching talent and he will protect his proteges. You definitely want him on your side.

Paula's Pepsi purse!

At the conference, Simon also said that he realizes that he went into The X Factor being too cocky, but he confessed that "I'm cocky by nature!" He also said that he learned that he is not American, and he changed the song that Melanie sang (yesterday) because he realized that British people would enjoy it more than Americans.

An attention whore girl asked Simon if she could host the show next year, and Simon gave her an impromptu audition on stage! No joke! He's that generous and that interested in helping others come up. Melanie said that she's "interested" in finding out what the media will dig up, as far as fake rumors are concerned; I'm hoping that she has a squeaky clean past... What else? Simon and Nicole really don't like each other and they had a few disagreements. Simon also promised that The X Factor will be much better next year!

The X Factor season finale, Justin Bieber will be performing btw, airs at 8PM tonight on Fox!

Photos via POTP!

Jaime Pressly in person is just as hilarious as the characters that she plays, although that fact is difficult to convey through words on a screen. Kevin Rahm is great too. They were both refreshingly patient, energized, and gracious with everyone at the UFC Velasquez vs. Dos Santos fight last Saturday. POTP met up with the fun co-stars at the UFC fight to talk about their new show on Fox, I Hate My Teenage Daughter!

POTP: How would you describe your new show, I Hate My Teenage Daughter.
Jaime: I thought [My Name is Earl] was going to be the end all be all, but this is topping that. The show itself is edgy and fun and relatable. It’s not a chick flick! Our men on the show are ridiculous, they steal the scenes nine times out of ten. We’re very lucky to be on a show that appeals to everyone. We’re happy to bring back sitcom, especially on Fox.

And who do you play?
Kevin: I’m the uncle.
Jaime: He is my ex-brother-in-law. He is the brother to my baby daddy!

Why is your daughter a bully? I read on IMDb for the show that your daughter’s a bully?
Jaime: I didn’t know that. They’re bullies to their mothers, not bullies to other children. That’s one of the big things that we brush on and we’ll be doing more in the future. How we’re absolutely not gonna put up with [any bullying].

Your accent, I’m not really hearing it very much.
Jaime: I put it on for when I act and need to use it. Also on Earl, I used four different dialects. When she wanted something, it’s from Georgia! When she was pissed off, it was Texas mixed with Arkansas! And we threw a little Tennessee in there, ya know, when she was trying to get her way! The show is based in Austin, Texas.

So you get to use it!
Jaime: I get to use it. I don’t get to use the Joy accent, but I use the Texas.

What about you?
Kevin: I do what I do in real life cause I’m from Louisiana. It comes out in specific moments and I ALWAYS say y’all! That’s where you hear it the most and after a couple of beers.
Jaime: For all of us.

When it comes to Harry Shum Jr., Glee fans had assumed that he could only dance. Up until this season, Harry would only dance. But then season 3 came along, and viewers were in for a surprise. Harry's character, Mike, had his first solo this season and he sounded great. We met up with Harry last Saturday and we couldn't help but ask if he'll be doing more belting it out this season. We talked about Glee, what happens when Harry goes clubbing, and his impressive upper body.

POTP: Will you be singing more on the show?
Harry: Yes, I will be. I will be singing a couple more times and hopefully more after that, so I’m glad that they’re giving me some more stuff.

What artists do you like to dance to?
Harry: It’s very eclectic. You have the dance tracks that are out there in popular music, but I like dancing to jazz and like Jamie Cullum and artists that people don’t usually dance to and just anything instrumental, anything with live instruments. I like that more than the synthesized stuff.

Do people ever make a circle around you at the club?
Harry: Nah. I get really shy. When people start doing that, I kind of go back. I make the outer circle. A circle gets bigger because I keep going outside of it and they keep making the circle and I keep going outside of that.

What characters would you like to see hook up?
Harry: Haven’t they all hooked up already [laughs]? That’s a hard question! I think eventually we’ll all hook up with everybody.

What are some of the differences between you and your character?
Harry: I don’t have overbearing parents. I may be shy but I’m not scared to do different things and I’m very outspoken in that sense when I really want to be outspoken. Obviously there are some similarities. I love dance, but I think Mike just loves dance so much, and I do, but I have other interests outside of that as well.

You look good with your shirt off. How did you get ripped? How long did that take?
Harry: It’s been an ongoing process. When they first told me I had to do a scene on the show with my shirt off and I started working out a lot and I was like ‘I think I’m gonna have to keep this cause after that I’m sure I’m gonna be asked to take my shirt off more often.’ And it has happened, so I just keep doing my pushups and crunches and pull-ups and it’s been working out.

Weren’t you in a magazine recently with your shirt off?
Harry: I was in People magazine.

Are you a junior on Glee?
Harry: I’m a senior.

Will you be around next season?
Harry: I don’t know. They haven’t told me either, or. I think they’re waiting to see how it all pans out.

New Girl is Fox's new comedy about Jess, played by Zooey Deschanel, living with three male roommates. Just as quickly as Jess found a new crib, people caught on to New Girl and it became an instant hit. The show is just like Zooey Deschanel herself. You either love the show or you hate it, and that, IMO, is how you know you're doing something right! I personally love New Girl, which airs tonight at 9PM on FOX. The show is so random and fun, you can't help but root for all of the characters.

Jake Johnson grew up near Chicago and attended NYU before moving to LA in 2004. You may have seen him in No Strings Attached and Paper Heart. His upcoming movies include 21 Jump Street, Ass Backwards, and Safety Not Guaranteed.

Jake plays Jess' roommate, Nick. Both Nick and Jess just got out of serious relationships, so they have that in common, but their similarities don't end there! Nick and Jess seem to be really into each other, and not just in a platonic way. I just had to ask Jake about the heat that's growing between Jess and Nick, so I did just that!

POTP: What are some of the similarities and differences between you and your character Nick?

Jake: I think the similarities between myself and Nick is I don't think either of us love jumping out and doing things before thinking about it. We might stand on the sidelines a little bit too long. I think we're both pretty grounded as people. I think [Nick] cries a lot more than me! He's a bit whinier than I am. The big difference between Nick and I is, as Jake, I have an acting career and Nick has nothing yet. I think Nick would be pretty well off if he found what he likes to do and started doing that.

POTP: As far as you mentioning that Nick stands on the sidelines, do you think that he could even ask Jess out on a date at this point? There definitely is some chemistry there.

Chris D'Elia is a stand-up comedian and actor who plays Whitney Cummings' boyfriend "Alex" on Whitney. Chris has been friends with Whitney for "about 5 or 6 years", and he describes the real-life Whitney as "a great person to know and a great person to be around." This is true. Whitney has been trying to boost Chris' career for years, doing comedy shows with him and getting him two acting gigs including his new role on NBC's Whitney.

Chris says that Whitney wrote the show, which centers around Whitney and Alex's relationship, with him in mind. D'Elia believes that "people can be happy couples and be unmarried. It's about just being happy with the person that you're with." Unlike his character Alex, Chris says that he isn't very romantic at all, although he "can dress up" just fine. Ladies, it's okay though. Chris may be learning.

POTP: Alex confides in his friends whenever there's a problem in the relationship. Whitney does also. Do you agree with Alex's approach of bringing in friends to deal with his issues?

Chris: I think that it's tough because with friends you never know. In my life, I would probably do that more with my family. I'm a big believer in the fact that you don't know about a relationship unless you're actually in it, so I don't know if that's the best thing to do. You definitely need to bounce off your ideas and feelings off somebody. A lot of people's families don't get their situation, but I'm lucky because mine does and I can always talk to them. I feel like it's a good thing to do, but you have to take it with a grain of salt.

POTP: Your one night stand with Whitney becomes a three-year relationship, if I'm not mistaken.

Chris: Yep.

POTP: Do you think that the quick pace contributed to Whitney's insecurities about the relationship, or does Neal and Lily's solid relationship also make her doubtful?

Chris: Um, I don't think she's doubtful in our relationship. The only thing she's doubtful with is if she wants to ever get married. In the beginning of the season, she's just like "Marriage, no way. It doesn't make any sense!" but by the end of the [first] episode, she comes to realize why there are good reasons to get married and she sees the other side of it. Every episode is either her or I either getting closer to that or further away. She knows she wants to be with Alex forever, and Alex knows the same about her, but marriage isn't necessarily the first thing on their mind.

POTP: Do you think that Alex is a good boyfriend?

Chris: I look at Alex and I think 'Man if I could be like that [laughs]. That would definitely be helpful in the relationships in my life!' I think he's a good boyfriend, yeah! He's Whitney's boyfriend. He has to be good.

Whitney airs Thursday nights at 9:30 PM on NBC.

You may recognize Maulik Pancholy from 30 Rock where he plays Jonathan, the energetic assistant of Jack Donaghy, (Alec Baldwin). But a lot can change in a few short months, at least it can on television. Over the summer it seems that Maulik has moved on from Rockefeller Plaza and has gotten himself hitched! On Whitney, Maulik plays Neal, the husband of Lily, played by Zoe Lister-Jones.

Zoe has appeared on several Law and Order episodes and has acted in feature films like The Other Guys, and Salt. She also finds time to write and produce films. Yesterday Maulik and Zoe sat down with Pop on the Pop to talk about what it's like to work on NBC's new hit comedy, Whitney.

POTP: I heard that the show is based on Whitney Cummings' stand-up and her experiences, but she's kind of like a frat boy trapped inside a woman's body. Has it been challenging for her to tame her content and make it primetime friendly?

Maulik Pancholy: Whitney talks about how the character that she's playing on the show is different than who she is during standup. I'm kind of paraphrasing, but the person doing standup was single, and the person on the show is in a relationship. That kind of changes who she is, there's a bit of a difference. As far as toning stuff down, Zoe, what do you think?