LeeLoni

Chris is scheduled to appear at NY Comic Con this Saturday to promote "Happy!", his new show on SyFy that premieres on December 6. He will be part of a panel that includes Grant Morrision (the author of the graphic novel on which the show is based) and executive producers Brian Taylor and Patrick MacManus. A world premiere screening of the "Happy!" pilot is also scheduled to take place.

In conjunction with that appearance, a new (longer) trailer for the series has been released:



Any show that references Meloni's penis sounds promising. :D

The "Funny or Die" parody site has a "trailer" for a fake new movie called The Kellyanne Conway Story, and the role of Donald Trump is played by... wait for it... Chris Meloni!



It's pretty awesome! ETA: There are a total of 4 Trump videos. You can check them all out at their website HERE.

In addition, there's been some recent activity in the world of "Happy!", Meloni's new show on SyFy. EW.com has a short story about the show HERE, where a producer describes it as "A Christmas Carol meets Pulp Fiction," LOL. The show is scheduled to premiere in the fall. Here's a new promo still that was included in the article:



In addition, on Saturday, Meloni is going to appear at the San Diego Comic-Con as part of a panel promoting the show (details can be found in the EW story), so there should be even more info about the show coming out from that.

Updated! with links to video of his WWHL and Jim & Sam Show appearances

LOOKIT THIS GORGEOUS MAN



LOOKIT ALL HIS GORGEOUS BODY PARTS

So, for the last two days, Chris has been running the media gauntlet to promote his new film "Snatched," opening this Friday. Here is a handy-dandy reference guide to what he did!

( TONS of links behind the cut... )

A video has been posted of the Q&A portion of the Desert Cathedral screening Lee did last month with the film's writer/director. Thanks to miltil and shabby86 for the link!

On Wednesday night, Lee attended a special showing of his indie film "Desert Cathedral" in NYC. LJ's very own miltil and shabby86 were both there and met Lee, who was (as you'd expect) an absolute sweetheart. Here are a couple of photos of Lee taken by miltil, posted with her permission:




(^^ this one is his superhero pose :D)

By all accounts, the film is great (albeit sad, given its premise), and Lee is wonderful in it, with a lot of screentime. The movie is scheduled to be released on VOD next Tuesday, Sep. 27.

Lee mentioned to them that he will soon be working on the television show "Power," which is a crime drama on the STARZ channel about a NYC drug ring. (Rapper 50 cent is a producer.) He also said that he would be reprising his role on "Outcast" in another appearance. (YESSS)

And, just a reminder, Lee will also appear tonight on HBO's "High Maintenance" at 11:00 pm ET.

ALSO...

(there's been so much Lee news lately, poor Meloni has been neglected!)

Chris Meloni is currently filming Season 2 of "Underground" in Savannah, Georgia. And on October 9, HE is going to be in NYC to visit Lee appear at New York Comic Con! He is scheduled to be part of a panel discussion and audience Q&A session alongside other Underground cast members. Details are HERE. If you're a Melonian living in the NYC area, this is your opportunity to go check out teh ass of life a preview of the show's new season!

Last night, I was doing my usual stalking sleuthing when I discovered this gem of a photo posted to Instagram (via diego.aguirre.actor):



(LOOK AT THAT HAIR)

Upon further investigation, I discovered that Lee had participated in a stage reading Monday night for a new play titled "The Devilman," written by Adam Seidel. The reading was one of series put on by the IATI Theater, whose mission is to "perform and promote our contemporary Latino heritage through full productions in theater, music and dance, as well as staged readings and workshops." Their play readings include "a talkback with the playwright, director, actors and guests that focuses on audience reaction and constructive feedback to bring the new work closer to a fully-realized production."

Actors Aldo Uribe (the guy in the white t-shirt) and Jeffrey Parrillo (on the far right) read two of the other characters in the play. The guy between them is Aldo's friend Diego, who attended the reading and posted the pic.

The play's snynopsis:
Before Henry Wallace can leave the dusty Mexican town he’s been hiding out in, he needs to bury the body of a beautiful young girl. Guided by Felipe, the owner of the town’s general store, Henry embarks on a journey into the desert: a journey of truth and self-discovery, ultimately leading to a chance at redemption.

It stands to reason that Lee read the part of Henry, who sounds like the main character in the play. Outlaw!Lee would be absolutely mesmerizing, I'm sure. :D

In terms of an actual production, all I could find was this reference that indicates it will take place at the Miranda Theatre in NYC in 2017. Which is obviously a long way off, and a lot of things can happen in the meantime. BUT it's something to keep an eye on. (Hmm, a potential LeeFest? I'm gonna go ahead and coin the phrase "DevilFest" right now!)

****
AND, Good News on the "Underground" front! Chris's new show on WGN America was just renewed for a second season! Filming is supposed to commence this summer, with the episodes to air sometime in 2017. I know I've pimped this show before, but it really is incredibly good. It started off strong, and then got even better (unlike a lot of other shows), and Meloni's performance has been great. According to tvline.com, the Season 1 finale airs Wednesday, May 11 at 10 pm ET, preceded by an all-season marathon at 1 pm. Check it out if you can!

ETA: And now, Netflix has announced a second season of the TV version of "Wet Hot American Summer," this one set ten years AFTER the original movie. The announcement does not include the names of the actors who will be returning, but I know Chris has mentioned how much he enjoys working on this, so I'd expect him to be participating in some way.

In addition, "I Am Wrath," the movie with John Travolta that Chris filmed last spring, is now available On Demand (Amazon Video, iTunes, etc.). Apparently, it also has a theatrical release date of May 13, but exactly where isn't clear.

Finally, in other exciting Chris news, he finally shaved that ridiculous beard thing he had going on:

Last night in Los Angeles, Chris attended the premiere party for his new show "Underground," which debuts next Wednesday, March 9, at 10 pm EST on the cable channel WGN America. Here are a few pictures of him from the event:



I love the jacket!
The beard, not so much.



However, the jacket would be even better if it were just *a little bit* shorter. :D



There are many more pictures of him here at Getty Images.

IN ADDITION, Chris is scheduled to appear TONIGHT on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert."

*****
ETA: OMG, even GQ has weighed in on Chris's goatee situation:

As far as the taxonomy of goatees goes, Christopher Meloni is firmly in full-blown bushman territory, a level of overgrowth and burliness that is not recommended for the faint of heart. In fact, a goatee — of any taxonomical kind — is not something that we here at GQ feel is beneficial addition to a man's face in the year 2016. Despite a general nostalgia for all things '90s-related, not advised.

But then there's this. Chris Meloni just earned himself a lifetime pass to any sort of goatee mandates we henceforth proclaim. This monstrous badass of a goatee is not to be f*cked with and adheres to no rules. We'll even turn a blind eye to the paisley blazer (with contrast lapels) and the embroidered placket on the shirt. It's forgiven, Chris! A goatee of this caliber is a panacea for all sartorial ills you can muster. When you've got a goatee this prolific, it trumps all.

Respect the goatee. Honor the goatee. Admire the goatee. Just don't grow one yourself.

Christopher Meloni's Glorious Goatee Will Hypnotize You

So, as you may remember, last summer Lee's indie flick "Desert Cathedral" had a showing at the Lower East Side Film Festival in New York City. (tobyfan attended and later went out to dinner with Lee, which she recapped at her Meeting Lee website.) I just discovered a short interview with Lee that was recorded there and posted to YouTube. (Hey, maybe tobyfan is in the background?) Even though it's a several months old, it's always fun to watch Lee. :)



In more recent news, "Equity," another indie movie that Lee filmed during the summer, has been accepted into the Dramatic Competition at the annual Sundance Film Festival taking place in Utah at the end of the month. Judging by the IMDB credits, Lee's role appears to be a small one, so it's not clear whether he'd be attending.

There has been SO MUCH Meloni in the media these last few days, but also some Lee news and even leeloni stuff, so I'm gonna break it down into separate posts.

Chris did a round of interviews in New York earlier this week to promote his new indie film "Diary of a Teenage Girl," in which he has a small but important role. The movie opened in LA and NYC last Friday, and is scheduled to gradually expand into more theaters across the country. He is also promoting the WHAS prequel AND has just finished filming the new series "Underground," which is scheduled to air on WGN America in early 2016.

So, here are the highlights from his media blitz...

Pics of Chris from Monday before some radio interviews:





( More Meloni pics, vids, and links... )

Last Friday night, Lee attended an interactive theater show based upon the 1991 Keanu Reeves movie "Point Break." Lee played the role of Rosie in the original movie, which was his big break into the business.

A local NYC station did a news report on the show and interviewed Lee as part of their story. You can watch the video and read their report at their website here.

Here are a couple of screencaps of Lee taken from the video: