LeeLoni

First of all.... *SWOOOOOOOON*


(credit: Jim Cox Photograhy; click on the photo to embiggen--it's worth it!)

Last month, Jim Cox (the photographer who took the infamous S6 Oz cast portraits) took pics of Chris and his daughter Sophia, and Cox recently posted them to Instagram. They're gorgeous (no surprise). Here's one of Chris and Sophia together:



In professional news, Chris did an informative interview with Gold Derby where he talked about his Syfy show "Happy" and the plans for its second season:



The most exciting piece of info was that Chris is part of the writing team for S2 and will also be directing at least one episode (in addition to starring in and producing the show). S2 will center around the Easter holiday (similar to how they used a Christmas setting in S1). Presumably, S2 will air next spring. Filming will begin in August, I'm guessing once again in NYC.

On the LeeEEEeee front, he is currently in New Orleans filming his new series "The Purge." Details are sketchy at this point, but I will be diligent in digging up and posting any information that I might find! A few days ago, Lee met up with his former "Red Widow" co-star Suleka Mathew (who is in NOLA filming a different show), and she posted the following to Instagram:



Lee also has a small role in the upcoming film "The Yellow Birds" (playing Jennifer Aniston's husband, LOL), and he makes a brief appearance in the new trailer (at 0:56):







The Yellow Birds will be released on May 17 through Direct TV and on June 15 in select theaters and VOD.

In addition, I recently watched Lee's 2016 indie film "Desert Cathedral" (now available for free to US Amazon Prime members).



Lee was very, very good in this movie, but MAN was it depressing. I'm not even sure I can bring myself to screencap it or do a recap. But Lee's shirtless/nude scenes did bring a smile to my face! So I took several grabs of those (sorry for the poor quality--long story--but you'll get the general idea :D):

( slightly NSFW screencaps )

Also, a PSA! For the last couple of years, the Twitter account associated with LT.com (@LeeLoveNews) has sat dormant, but a few weeks ago fanfromfla graciously agreed to hand over the reins to me. Therefore, if you use Twitter, you might want to consider following that account if you don't already, as I will probably be updating it with info/pics in a more timely manner than here at LJ.

I've been behind on the Meloni updates, but the biggest news is the premiere tonight of his newest show, "Happy!" on SyFy at 10 PM (ET):



This show actually sounds pretty awesome (Meloni plays a character that seems like a mashup of Keller and Stabler), and it's been getting pretty good reviews. HERE is a thorough, informative one from AV Club.

Chris has been making the rounds doing publicity for the show. He was particularly delightful on "The Steve Harvey Show," where he juggled, danced, and did the splits:



In other news, the small indie film he made called "Almost Friends" (previously named "Holding Patterns") is now available for streaming via iTunes, Amazon, etc. It included a scene with this wonderful view, not seen since the days of Oz:



He also appeared in an episode of "At Home with Amy Sedaris" on truTV playing Russell the Forest Ranger. Here's a clip:



If your cable provider carries truTV, you can watch the episode on truTV's website.

And, in sadder news, he confirmed that "Underground" was unable to find a new network after being canceled by WGN America. Boo!

Time for an update!

Season 2 of the sequel to "Wet Hot American Summer" (which has morphed into "WHAS: Ten Years Later") is now available on Netflix! Chris Meloni appears as Gene in 4 of the 8 episodes, and a refrigerator once again plays a role (as does a can of vegetables):


(Screencap credit to Twitter's @marchriska)

( Much more Meloni news here behind the cut! )

Whew! OK, enough about Meloni! On to LeeEEEeee!

In all the excitement of the recent Oziversary Fest, I missed that HBO's website posted a new interview with Lee (and another with Dean Winters) discussing Oz's 20th anniversary. Both interviews are fascinating, Lee's particularly so. Check them out!

Lee Tergesen Sees Horror and Romance in Oz
Dean Winters on the Lessons That Still Ring True

Some of the most notable quotes from Lee's interview:

• The funny thing is, when I was in my early 20s, I used to get drunk and get naked in bars all the time, and now all of a sudden I was going to be paid to get naked -- I was like, alright.


• So many people have said to me that [the B/K] relationship, as twisted and weird as it was, gave them courage to be truthful about who they were. To have that kind of impact on somebody means a lot. Also, I got propositioned. I couldn’t tell you how many people wanted to have sex with me.


• All of a sudden people would have religious beliefs that kept them from showing their penis. Chris Meloni and I were always trying to do the thing that hadn’t been done. There was excitement, like, “I’m the one who gets to bite the d**k off.”


• The scene started and I realize I’m about to get on my knees and blow this guy on screen -- I gotta get out of here now. I start to make my way out and just as I’m getting to the door, I hear the scene play and the crowd goes apes**t.

(LOL at HBO's website feeling the need to censor the words "dick" and "shit")

Also, as a reminder, Lee and Dean are going to perform a stage reading of a new Tom Fontana play ("Screenplay by Stalin") on August 18 at the Williamstown (MA) Theatre Festival. (I previously posted details HERE.) Austin Pendleton (Oz's William Giles) was also recently added to the cast. Myself, tobyfan, miltil,  and shabby86 are all planning to SQUEEeeeEEE be there. We have extra tickets, so if anyone wants to make some last-minute arrangements to join us, that would be OZSOME. The more, the merrier!

As you may remember, Chris made a pilot for Syfy called "Happy!" based on a graphic novel about "a drunken ex-cop, who has an unfortunate run-in with fate, in the form of a cartoon horse named Happy."

Now Syfy has announced that the show has been picked up for series! Yay! Read all about it HERE. Below is a promotional still from the pilot:



Chris also exec-produced the pilot, which was filmed in NYC earlier this year. The show is scheduled to be aired "sometime" during the 2017-18 television season. Chris stated on Twitter that the order is for 8 episodes.

Wouldn't it be nice if he found a role for some other NYC-based actor for an episode or two? ;)

Here is a behind-the-scenes photo that was taken during the pilot's filming:

Well! This is certainly intriguing!

It was announced yesterday on Deadline that Chris Meloni will be starring in a pilot based on the graphic novel "Happy!" for the Syfy channel. He will also serve as one of the pilot's executive producers (alongside his longtime agent-turned-manager Bill Butler). From Deadline:

Underground star Chris Meloni is set as the male lead in Syfy pilot Happy!, based on Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson’s graphic novel.

Meloni will play Nick Sax. Once a rock star detective for a major metropolitan police force, Nick lost it all. Now he’s a broken, down-and-out hired killer who makes just enough money to support a steady diet of booze, drugs and sarcasm by carrying out hits for the mob. After one hit goes wrong, his life is forever changed by a tiny, relentlessly positive, imaginary blue-winged horse. Meloni also will executive produce the pilot.

That's right, people. A flying blue unicorn:



Above graphic from Superhero Hype, which had the following official synopsis of "Happy!":

Meet Nick Sax, a corrupt, intoxicated ex-cop turned hit-man, adrift in a stinking twilight world of casual murder, soulless sex, eczema and betrayal. With a hit gone wrong, a bullet in his side, the cops and the mob on his tail, and a monstrous child killer in a Santa suit on the loose, Nick and his world will be changed forever this Christmas. By a tiny blue horse called Happy.

Oh. My. God. Booze! Drugs! Sarcasm! Murder! Soulless sex! Hallucinogenic fairy tale creatures!


(No, Meloni! When in doubt, leave your pants off!)

I think this is going to be totally awesome. Either awesomely good or awesomely bad, and frankly, I don't really care which one it is.