Isla Fisher thinking of becoming a rabbi

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The stunning actress converted to Judaism in order to marry her partner Sacha Baron Cohen last year. Isla became engaged to the comedian in 2004, and studied for three years before completing her conversion in early 2007. The 35-year-old star took on the Hebrew name Ayala, the Hebrew word for Doe.

Isla has joked she is so enamoured with the religion that she’s thinking of becoming a rabbi.

“You study, then have a test. In fact, I’m thinking of becoming a mohel. [Pause] If you knew what a mohel was, you’d laugh. It’s a rabbi who circumcises boys,” she told the April edition of Elle.

Isla Fisher ‘pushed’ towards comedy

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Isla Fisher says she became a comic actress because of her husband.

The Wedding Crashers star – who shot to fame in Australian TV drama series Home and Away – insists she has always made her friends laugh.

However, she only thought of it as a direction for her career when spouse Sacha Baron Cohen encouraged her to try out for a comedy role.

“I’ve always been the clown with my friends, but it was Sacha who said, ‘You’re the funniest girl’,” she said.

“He said not many women are willing to make a fool of themselves, so he pushed me in that direction and then my first audition was Wedding Crashers and that was it.”

Fisher – who has a three-year-old daughter Olive and another girl, Elula, aged around eight months, with her spouse – also insisted she is very choosy about the roles she takes on and is happy not to be a workaholic.

“Am I a workaholic? I’m exactly the opposite,” she told Elle magazine.

“I’m pretty choosy about what I do, which probably comes from years of having no choices.”

Isla Fisher: Australians barbeque the best

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Isla Fisher has joked that with so many Australians in Los Angeles the casting couch is a thing of the past – it’s all about the “tenderness” of barbequed food now.

The Australian actress has forged a successful career in the US, notably starring as a psychotic girlfriend in 2005’s Wedding Crashers. The star, who is married to Sacha Baron Cohen, quickly settled into life in America as she has so many friends from her homeland there.

Isla has laughed about the stereotype of Australians loving outdoor cooking, joking it even affects the parts they get. She quipped the infamous casting couch – where stars allegedly swapped sexual favours for roles – is no more, as movies bosses are now only interested in how well actors can barbeque.

“You know, we have a bunch of Koala Mafia over here: a bunch of LA-based Aussies. All my favourite actresses are Australian. They can emote – and throw a good barbie. Instead of the casting couch it’s the tenderness of the shrimp,” she told the April edition of Elle.

Isla began her acting career on Australian soap Home and Away, where she stayed for three years. She isn’t embarrassed by her beginnings, stating her time on the show assisted her eventual move to Hollywood.

“I’m not ashamed of my past. It’s a fact that I was on a soap for so long. And you learn your craft in the most difficult way, because on a feature film there’s more time to prepare and you get a lot more help,” she added.

DreamWorks Animation Sets Release Calendar Through 2014

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DreamWorks Animation has announced its release calendar through 2014, setting dates for seven toons, including How To Train Your Dragon 2 and Mr. Peabody & Sherman.

The big question is whether Paramount and DreamWorks Animation will renew their output deal, which expires in 2012. For now, Paramount is listed as the distributor on all of the titles.

“At DreamWorks Animation, our creative ambition has never been greater and the release schedule we’re unveiling today is designed to give our movies the time and resources they need to realize their full potential so each one can become a true event for our audiences,” company CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said.

DreamWorks Animation’s 2012 slate kicks off on June 8 with Madagascar 3. The threequel returns Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinckett Smith and Sacha Baron Cohen in the title voice roles.

Based on the forthcoming books by William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians will open in theaters Nov. 21, 2012. Voice cast includes Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law.

– Read the full article (nothing further on Isla/Rise of The Guardians) at The Hollywood Reporter

“Rango” Tops Weekend US Box Office

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The Johnny Depp animated comedy “Rango” opened as the No. 1 film in U.S. and Canadian theaters this weekend, generating $38 million in ticket sales for Viacom Inc. (VIA/B)’s Paramount and Nickelodeon divisions.

“The Adjustment Bureau,” starring Matt Damon, opened in second place with $20.9 million for Comcast Corp. (CMCSA)’s Universal Pictures, researcher Hollywood.com Box Office said today in a statement.

“Rango,” featuring Depp as a chameleon who tries to clean up the Wild West town of Dirt, is the third Paramount film to occupy the top weekend spot this year, following “No Strings Attached” and the remake of “True Grit” with Jeff Bridges. Paramount is No. 1 in U.S. box-office sales this year, with $285 million in revenue as of Feb. 27, according to Box Office Mojo.

“Rango” was expected to take in about $36 million, the forecast of Gitesh Pandya, editor of the Box Office Guru website. The film was directed by Gore Verbinski, who also oversaw Walt Disney Co. (DIS)’s successful “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.

The picture cost $135 million to make, according to Sherman Oaks, California-based Box Office Mojo, and also features the voices of Isla Fisher, Ned Beatty and Alfred Molina.

In “The Adjustment Bureau,” Damon plays a politician, David Norris, who gets a glimpse of his future and decides to take another course, instead pursuing his love interest played by Emily Blunt. John Slattery, from TV’s “Mad Men,” is part of the team trying to put Norris’s life back on its intended course. The film is based on a short story by Philip K. Dick.

CBS Corp. (CBS)’s “Beastly,” a retelling of the “Beauty and the Beast” tale, took in $10.1 million in third place. Alex Pettyfer, who is also in theaters in the movie “I Am Number Four,” plays a New York teen who is turned into a monster and must find true love to reverse the curse. Vanessa Hudgens, known for her success in Disney’s “High School Musical,” co-stars as Pettyfer’s love interest and Mary-Kate Olsen is the witch who casts a spell on him.

Is Rango So Good …? (and 25 Other Questions)

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This article isn’t specifically about Isla but I thought it was pretty interesting, funny and accurate, so worth a read…

Is Rango So Good a Grown Man Would Make Love to It? (and 25 Other Questions)

Just when you’d given up on 2011, along comes Rango, an animated feature by the guy who directed the Pirates of the Caribbean series (Gore Verbinski), featuring the voice of the guy who starred in them (Johnny Depp). Is this the shining beacon we’ve been waiting for? As a service, we answer every question you could possibly have about Rango.

Q: Is Rango the movie about the colorful birds?

A: No, that’s Rio.

Q: How many minutes into Rango did it take you to realize it wasn’t Rio?

A: About 15 minutes, at which point I whispered to my girlfriend, “When do the birds show up?”

Q: Is Rango one of the best movies to be released in 2011.

A: By far.

Q: You’re kidding, right? We’re only two months in.

A: The year is young, but Rango is that good—and it didn’t really have to be!

Q: Who is Rango?

A: Rango [Johnny Depp] is a pet lizard who fancies himself a thespian. We first meet Rango acting out a scene in his aquarium when a bump in the road propels him out of the backseat of a moving car and onto the Nevada highway.

Continue reading Is Rango So Good …? (and 25 Other Questions)

Friday Box Office: ‘Rango’ Opens Soft, Damon’s ‘Bureau’ Works It

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Saturday-morning numbers for Paramount’s “Rango” were softer than even Friday’s disappointing preliminary estimates.

According to one rival studio, Paramount’s first CG-animated family film grossed just $9.5 million Friday and is on pace for a weekend gross of about $33 million.

Overall, Depp couldn’t match, well, Depp, with the domestic market down about 38 percent from the same weekend last year — a frame that was led by the the $116 million opening of “Alice in Wonderland.”

Here’s how the top 10 shaped up Friday. TheWrap’s Friday-night report continues below chart:

“Rango” ($9.5m)
“Adjustment Bureau” ($6.7m)
“Beastly” ($3.5m)
“Hall Pass” ($2.7m)
“Just Go With It” ($1.9m)
“Unknown” ($1.7m)
“I Am Number Four” ($1.6m)
“The King’s Speech” ($1.6m)
“Gnomeo & Juliet” ($1.6m)
“Justin Bieber: Never Say Never” ($1.2m)

– TheWrap.com