Question: Sasha, were you approached to be on this program and what made you want to be on it?

Sasha Alexander: Well, what made me want to be on it was reading a really good script and being compelled and attracted to the characters. I really loved Maura Isles who was very fascinating to me. I was very compelled by a woman who would choose this profession and that we will find out came from a very highly educated wealthy background and could have chosen to do a lot of other things but has this kind of uber-feminine modern woman mentality but works this job. There was something just intriguing about it. And I also really loved the friendship between these two women and watching these two very different women working in this environment, on this kind of gritty male environment. That was really the reason that I wanted to be a part of it.

Question: Angie, you’ve obviously played a lot of detective and law people before what made this one stand out and what past experience might be drawn for her?

Angie Harmon: I think the thing that made this stand out the most was just the fact that…there’s a lot more character to these characters. We see their back stories, we see their present situations and I think that to me was a lot more interesting than just the regular procedure. It’s a lot more of a roller coaster ride. It’s definitely got a lot more grit to it. But also, with the caliber of actors that we ended up getting, I mean we’ve got Lorraine Bracco [who] plays my mom, Chazz Palminteri plays my father, Brian Dennehy, Donnie Wahlberg in the first [episode]. We got all kinds of fantastic actors. I think that kind of shows that it’s not just a typical procedural show, that we have these actors because they can come here and actually act and show the different colors of actual you know people. No person is just one color, no person is just who they are at their job 24/7. And that was really you know what I was excited about. (Plus being) on TNT I knew we’d have a lot more creative freedom you know to tell the stories that we wanted to tell.

Question: We see that you have great chemistry together. Was it instant when you guys began working together? Did it take a bit of time for you all to gel?

Sasha Alexander: You know what it was instant. It really was. We never met before and we went in to do this read together and the moment that we read it – we have very different energies in real life and I think that that translates. But the thing that we do have in common is I think it would be respect for each other and we both have the same sense of humor. So we definitely can make each other laugh a lot. You know it’s not easy to find a right person to go with her. So I think that we both have really good qualities that kind of complement each other. We actually, truly, when we do scenes together, I do feel like a certain click and a certain magic that you can’t say always happens.

Angie Harmon: We had such a great time. You know when we were trying to find the woman to play Maura it was kind of like a no-brainer when Sasha came in. We actually played a little joke on her, and she’s a great lady, and we’ve had a really, really fantastic time. You don’t often get what you ask for and I got exactly that. I got a show, it was on cable that I could shoot 5 months a year and go be mommy the rest of the time, and to have a cast and crew that I really, really love and adore and respected, and I got all of that. And it’s just – we just had the most amazing time.

Question: Sasha, have you read any of the Tess Gerritsen books?

Sasha Alexander: Yes, I haven’t read all of them but I have read a couple of them. I did not read them before doing the pilot. And I was going to and then Tess and our executive producer, Janet Tamaro said, “You know what? We’d prefer that you just do your own take and interpretation – like not interpretation but really take this script and make that your own instead of trying to emulate something that’s in the book.”

Question: Angie, what is your interpretation of the character of Rizzoli? What are some of the things that you found out about that character?

Angie Harmon: She’s witty, she’s funny, and a lot of people don’t see me as a funny character because I don’t usually get to play them. I’m usually cast in the more dramatic roles, and it’s been a really, really fun time playing her humor and playing her attitude. And she’s a complete tomboy so I did sort of a really intense study on men and how they relate to each other in the way they walk and the way they hold themselves and the way they sort of position themselves in the hierarchy just in something as simple as a conversation. I think the things that I like the most about you know playing her is she is such a tomboy and that’s very different from me and from how I am and her humor. Those are the two things I love about her the most.

Be sure to tune in to TNT tonight at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) for the series premiere of Rizzoli & Isles following the sixth season premiere of The Closer.

Four years later, we find that those dreams include (but have not yet been limited to) a three-book-deal based loosely on the accounts of filming said reality show, fashion lines and collaborations, TV spots, modeling contracts, auto-tune-driven music “careers”, staged paparazzi shots, life-changing plastic surgery procedures, and the most boring late-night spots known to man. Dream? Sure, monetarily so for the stars of the machine. But in reality (real reality, mind you) it’s been more of a nightmare – at least for viewers.

So yes, the first season of The Hills looked to follow Conrad and Montag on their relative travels across the greater (read: most trendy) area of Los Angeles. Two young nineteen- to twenty-year-old blondes with limitless funds (either at the hands of their parents or show producers) surely will make for good TV anywhere, but what about someone more ethnic, more relatable to audiences? With all lack of coincidence, the girls met Audrina Patridge shortly thereafter – a young woman whose lack of whole sentences, hazelnut eyes, and dark locks quickly made her “the exotic one”. Naturally, they all met and became besties by the pool of their plush $3,000/month apartment complex.

Add another tall blonde, Whitney Port, to the mix as Conrad’s work-mate at Teen Vogue and you’ve got four somewhat complete strangers bent on making life seem interesting to someone in the boonies of North Dakota. Clubs? Check. Eating out? Check. Relationship drama? Double check. Palm trees and sunshine? Aw, yeah. Going for an interview as an intern at Teen Vogue? Check. (Wait… how does an intern make enough to live in a $3,000/month apartment in WEHO?!)

This set-up pretty much defines The Hills in its entirety up until the present day – except that even with this being a “reality show”, the story lines have gotten rather impossible by the episode. Take the following scenarios, for instance:

• How do you simply drop out of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) on what is likely your parents’ dime? (I’m looking at you, Heidi “Ungrateful” Montag – something you prove to be later on down the line.)

• When your girl friend and guy you are very much into (Jen Bunney and Brody Jenner, respectively) leave a birthday party to go hook-up…how do you get mad at your girl friend and not the guy? (Seriously, Lauren! Guys are not just guys. Guys can be gentlemanly as much as they can be cads.)

• Why would you consider dating a guy a second time who not only left you in Las Vegas, but whose name is Justin but wants to be called Bobby? (Audrina! His name isn’t Robert and besides, he dresses like a sleaze!)

• Why would anyone (ahem, Lauren and Audrina) choose to have a showdown about a nasty rumor (that Lauren slept with Justin Bobby) at a restaurant in Beverly Hills? Surely hammering out an extremely private matter at someone’s house is not glamorous enough?

• “Eloping” in Mexico after one too many tequila shots should come with its own Get Out of Jail Free card. No one should ever be roped into marrying either Spencer Pratt or Heidi Montag without some kind of takesies-backsies.

• How does Stacie the bartender – who was suspected of trying to hook up with Spencer – end up being the best friend of the new HBIC, Kristin Cavallari (who replaced Lauren Conrad during the middle of season 5)? Like, really? BS tabloid explanations aside?

• Where the hell are all the Black/Asian/Middle Eastern/Hispanic/etc. people hiding?!

Clearly, I could go on.

Over the years, The Hills has seen its share of supposedly intriguing characters – with Lauren Conrad gone from the cast, Kristin Cavallari – the most popular girl in Laguna – joined the the crew as the lead troublemaker, or rather, misunderstood single gal. (Heidi must have been pissed, we assume fueling the barrage of possibly self-made publicity since.) Whitney has since moved to New York to star in her spin-off, The City (which will be discussed at a later time – or never); Stephanie Pratt, Spencer’s formerly drug-addled sister, has since joined the cast with Lo (Lauren’s friend from Laguna), Holly (Heidi’s sister), and the aforementioned Stacie the bartender in an incestuous cesspool of fame-seeking. It hasn’t been pretty in months. Some would say years. Now in its sixth season, The Hills is alarmingly the worst its ever been – and that’s saying a lot. If anything, even when riding the line of freakish impossibility, the show gifted viewers with a soap opera sensibility and a girlfriend-y Sex & the City vibe, if only with the implication of tangible sexual relationships. Not like I could imagine any of these people having sex to begin with, but I digress. Now the show is just a heaving, bloated repeat of everything that’s been seen before – unsympathetic character types and shiny things – with no novel element to keep viewers hooked. All the guilt but no pleasure.

Every show jumps the shark if given the room to do so, but it must be reasoned that shows like Sex & the City benefited from something that The Hills does not – writers. Every reality show is scripted to a degree, don’t get me wrong, but I’m talking about real writing, not Blair Witch-style suggestions in the forest. (Although that actually worked out phenomenally; again, I digress.) When I say “writers” I mean throwing ideas back and forth across with other show writers, crafting and knowing a character, thereby telling a story of humanity that in whatever format – drama, comedy, or otherwise – would strive to make us think about ourselves and others’ role in society through fixed but endearing character flaws. Writers being much more than, “Oh, I just thought up of this one-liner while Tweeting the other day and I’m going to use it while we’re filming — I’m a genius! Buy my CD! I love Jesus!”

However worthy of slight envy, the “right place, right time” roll of the dice can easily be considered less of an issue if and when actual talent is involved. Sure, I could be horrible and say that beautiful untalented people suck, reality TV and corresponding spin-offs should be abolished, and fame acquired for being famous should hold as much value as Monopoly money – but to do so would be a ignorant jerk move. Everyone should be entitled to their multi-million dollar idea no matter how little it contributes to society. But for how long? Long after viewers are calling bullshit?

Not that we really need to be watching any more television, but if we’re going to, we’re going to need better material. It goes without saying that the quality of programming has plummeted to mind-numbing lows in recent years. It’s almost painful to go into completely. That said, further spin-offs of The Hills are in talks to come, one of them being The Audrina Show – take a wild guess who that’s going to be about – another supposedly about Heidi Montag, Jen Bunney, and their lives as single girls in Malibu – an idea currently being shopped around that should really be shot dead in its tracks. The City – now in its second season – is more than enough, even though it  is admittedly better than The Hills was at its start. It must be the Kelly Cutrone element. But that will only last so long.

Prevailing attitudes being toted around like Birkin bags are indulgent, self-serving, and placid; even worse, they’re being displayed as real, not something to learn from and avoid. There are full-grown men and women brainstorming, drinking way too much coffee and graying at the temples by the day at making this happen. They are the ones making the aforementioned shows what they are, not so much the young, damaged men and women who appear on screen 22 minutes a week. But for what in exchange? The satisfaction of taking home a paycheck as a reality show “writer”? Where is the dignity in being a writer who gets paid? Is it residing at AMC or Showtime?

To think that this is what writing for television has come to – promoting this modern definition of character, encouraging an already fragile public that being a reality show star or “writer” is a viable career – is beyond disturbing. But to be fair, as bad as it is, The Hills is no Rock of Love Bus. And honestly, E!‘s Pretty Wild would love to be The Hills when it grows up. Now that’s saying something. That’s saying a lot.

My head hurts.

Death to the reality show.

McClanahan found her start on the Broadway stage, making her debut in the John Sebastian and Murray Schisgal musical Jimmy Shine. She later briefly starred in soap operas Another World and Where the Heart Is. However, it was her role as the outspoken and sexually savvy Blanche Deveraux on TV’s The Golden Girls in the late eighties/early nineties that tickled the funny bone of fans the world over, winning viewers over with her Southern charms and “dripping with honey” persona that have left an indelible impression and will continue to do so, likely for generations to come.

McClanahan later went on to have a role in the film The Fighting Temptations, and later returned to the stage in the Broadway musical Wicked. She went on to write the memoir My First Five Husbands… And the Ones Who Got Away, a witty self-expose that has been said to read like a chance meeting with Blanche Deveraux herself. Of course, to those who “know” or “knew” her from her onscreen personality, Rue McClanahan was and still is considered to be a legendary presence in pop culture. To many she will be remembered as a feisty sparkplug who – even in her golden years – could not be tamed. Seemingly knowing the power of her celebrity, McClanahan used hers to benefit others, bringing to light the reality of a number of social, moral and ethical issues, including but not limited to gay rights and animal rights. A page has been constructed by her family on social network Facebook in which her requests are expressed:

In lieu of flowers, Rue’s request was for donations to be made in her memory to the follow charities:

• Northeast Animal Shelter, Inc.
• World Wildlife Fund
• People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals
• Alley Animals, Inc.
• Farm Sanctuary, Inc.
• National Wildlife Federation
• Sierra Club Foundation
• Greenpeace International
• Actors and Others for Animals
• Defenders of Wildlife, Inc.
• Animals Legal Defense Fund
• Last Chance for Animals

Fans, friends, and family can share their thoughts, memories, and condolences at the official memorial page here.

Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo and her husband, Chris Ivery, took advantage of the Oakley “Learn to Ride” Audi Sports Car Experience – at least Ivery did, anyway. Pompeo stayed with baby Stella to feed and play with her while husband and father Ivery took to the track in an Audi R8. Afterwards, fresh from having driven at speeds in excess of 100mph, Ivery ran up to Stella and gave her big hug! Then the family stepped out to get a bite to eat the famous French Laundry and grabbing some coffee and pastries at Bouchon Bakery. Lucky for Pompeo and Ivery, the French Laundry’s chef’s wife is a big Grey’s Anatomy fan, so the star and her family were given a private tour of the restaurant. Finally, despite being in town primarily for the Oakley “Learn to Ride” Audi Sports Car Experience, Pompeo enjoyed architecture and style of Yountville since she’s a design and home aficionado.

Parenthood was also represented at Infineon Raceway. Costars Dax Shepard and Mae Whitman took one of the Audi sports cars for a spin, with Shepard behind the wheel and Whitman hanging on for dear life. As a joke, Shepard tried to set Whitman up with the Oakley professional driver who had to decline because of his girlfriend.

Dax Shepard

Aaron Paul and Jacqueline Novak

Realizing that we’re late in the game as far as LOST finale commentary is concerned, we have one defense – we needed to digest all the information. Sure, everyone and their mother by now has said their peace, but after having spent the better part of six hours in front of the television yesterday we were stuck. So much happened, and to have tried to coherently dissect it last night would have been an impossible move.  Now, what’s completely understood is the fact that if you’re not a LOST fan, you probably couldn’t care less about the hubbub. We totally respect that. Call it overrated. Call it sensational. Call it whatever you like, but without a doubt, LOST has got to be one of the smartest shows on network television today. Or rather, yesterday. It’ll be difficult to find the replacement that fits (the question of whether we really need to spend more time in front of the television being a non-issue at this point).

The Time Talks Live LOST Q&A this past Thursday, May 20 – the final hurrah before the final hurrah – allowed viewers to possibly, well, get their questions answered by show creators Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof. Of course they weren’t going to reveal anything; even the scene from the final episode revealed nothing if not Benjamin Linus, The Man in Black/John Locke and Sawyer in somewhat of an altercation. (In fact, in response to a question that – if answered – would spoil more than intended, Lindelof stated something to the effect of  his having talked about the question for 43 seconds without effectively answering it, apologizing, and going on to the next.) No matter – it was the element of thrill involved in the lives of the people viewers have grown attached to in prior years, in that anything could happen.

During the Q&A, Cuse and Lindelof acknowledged their past mistakes and that, in fact, they did listen to the viewers and subsequent reactions throughout the development of LOST. With an overall logic of making sure to satisfy where appropriate while remaining true to their vision, LOST became more than a cult following – it became topic of discussion on a level of involvement that a network television show hasn’t seen for decades. With cast members Jorge Garcia and Michael Emerson joining the panel, the evening proved to be an entirely inspiring, mutual event.

Last night’s final episode likely gave viewers one of three possible reactions: (a) they were either completely blown away or in love/at peace, (b) they were confused but happy that the characters found their ending, or (c) they hated it overall. Thankfully it seems that the majority of viewers take the stance of (a) and (b) reaction, and not so much (c). Cuse and Lindelof were more than aware that they couldn’t please everybody, but they made sure to end LOST on a note with respect to the characters and the viewers. Instead of handing a final answer to viewers on a silver platter, they left an exposed nerve even more so open for interpretation and therefore conclusion.

We have looked at message boards, answered phone calls, scrolled through Twitter feeds. We have looked for answers where there were thought to be none and this is what we found.  (SPOILER ALERT) In the end, the sideways world is the world in which the characters have created to be together and realize the impact they all made on each others’ lives while they were on the island. It was their place to find each other and to subsequently move on. While it appears that everyone dies at that moment, rather, they have died or will die in their respective times, whether on the island or elsewhere. The opening of the church doors represented their transition, and the last scene closed with the end of Jack Shephard’s life (calling it The Jack Show does not offend at this point).

Because this was a character-driven drama, it was about their connections and how their lives were affected and enriched, so ending with them moving on together was fitting of the series. Many will say that the ending provides an appropriate way for viewers to “move on” from the show and characters as well. More importantly, any “loose ends” or questions of “who was special” and “who was not” should be considered less of an issue as far as who these people were to each other. As far as any real-life parallels are concerned, we couldn’t agree more.

Click to See the Image Gallery!

The premiere event hosted some of Hollywood’s best and brightest – sunglasses were required just to read the guest list. Attendees included the Jonas brothers, Ben Stiller, Rumer Willis, Jennie Garth and Adam Shankman to name a few. Upping the ante to the glamorous affair was Kevin Rudolf who took the stage to perform “I Made It” and “Let It Rock”.

Surprisingly absent was Miley Cyrus. The teen sensation would have been right at home at an evening attended by her peers, which also included her current boyfriend, Liam Hemsworth, who costarred with Cyrus in the recent film The Last Song. Hemsworth was honored with the YH Breakthrough Award and thanked both Miley and her father for their constant support. Unfortunately, the only Cyrus in attendance was Trace from Metro Station.

Perhaps it was best that Miley passed on the evening since her ex-boyfriend Nick Jonas was at the event to receive the YH Artist of the Year Award. Nick’s brothers also attended to show their support and discuss their summer plans. Joe was looking forward to spending some time in Cabo where Kevin had just spent his honeymoon a few weeks ago with his wife, Danielle, who accompanied him to the Young Hollywood Awards. Before Nick Jonas left for the evening, he requested a pair of sneakers from Onitsuka Tiger who were sponsoring the event. His female fans may be interested and disappointed in knowing that the size was an 8 and a half – hopefully Nick will be the exception that breaks the stereotype!

Ben Stiller’s appearance at the 12^th Annual Young Hollywood Awards was one of the highlights of the evening. Before he walked out on stage he was dancing in the back to Kevin Rudolf’s live performance of “Let It Rock”. Stiller was invited to present the award of YH Comedian of the Year to Whitney Cummings and he joked that “young Hollywood” is ten years old. Anything after that is middle-aged.

The Twilight crew was also out in full force at the ceremony. Peter Facinelli, who arrived late to the event because he was coaching his daughter’s soccer practice, presented the YH Superstar in the Making Award to Twilight costar Nikki Reed. During the evening, Reed was overheard talking about having rear-ended her mother on Mother’s Day! Representing the wolf pack was Booboo Stewart who presented the Newcomer of the Year Award to Justin Beiber who was unable to attend at the last minute. Stewart graciously accepted the award on Beiber’s behalf.

Jessica Stroup, who received the YH Sparkling Performance Award, walked the red carpet alone even though her boyfriend Dustin Milligan was in attendance. Milligan told guests that it was his girlfriend’s night and that he couldn’t be happier for her. Afterwards, the couple planned to dine at Stroup’s favorite Italian restaurant to take the edge of the overwhelming day.

With new trends and tastes constantly overcoming the entertainment industry, it’s impossible to say which young stars will still be in the limelight in the future. It takes a lot of talent, mental and physical fortitude and fluid versatility to last in this town.  If the honorees at the 12^th Annual Young Hollywood Awards are any indication, however, there’s a strong probability that fans will be seeing these faces for some time to come.

Young Hollywood Award Recipients & Presenters

Liam Hemsworth, YH Breakthrough Award, presented by Adam Shankman

Justin Bieber, YH Newcomer of the Year, presented & accepted by Booboo Stewart

The Vampire Diaries, YH Cast to Watch, presented by the cast of If I Can Dream

Jessica Stroup, YH Sparkling Performance, presented by Jennie Garth

Whitney Cummings, YH Comedian of the Year, presented by Ben Stiller

Ashley Greene, YH Style Icon, presented by Cecilia Cassini & Jessica Stroup

Chad Ochocinco, YH Athlete of the Year, presented by Cheryl Burke

Nina Dobrev, YH Making Their mark., presented by Ashley Greene

Nikki Reed, YH Superstar in the Making, presenter Peter Facinelli

Nick Jonas, YH Artist of the Year, presented by Michael Rapino

He began by offhandedly running through his list of impressive accomplishments, like giving a quick rundown about yesterday’s errands. “I was very fortunate. My first job out of school I was hired as one of the founding editors at the AOL newsroom. Left AOL in 97. Came back to New York. Started a PR firm in 98 called Geek Factory…designed for dot-coms that couldn’t wait two months to get in line at the big, giant firms.” When the crash started in 2001, Shankman sold the company to a larger firm and decided to take a year off, which only lasted about a week before he got bored and started consulting. He spent a lot of time traveling and had one horrible experience after the other with less than desirable passengers in the seats next to him. Then one flight he was sat next to Miss Texas. “I guess it was her turn to have a bad flight,” he laughs. It occurred to him that passengers control everything they do on the airplane except who they sit next to, which was the impetus behind the first social network for business travelers: AirTroductions.com. “The concept was you should be able to choose your seatmate before you get on a plane. Overnight the site became a dating site.”

After selling AirTroductions, Shankman went back to consulting and was interacting with various journalists that would approach him for sources since he had accumulated a vast network of knowledgeable contacts. “I started sending out these requests to all my friends and it took way too long to find these people,” he admits. “I couldn’t get any work done. So I built a Facebook group. [It] capped out overnight. I moved it to the Web and HARO was born.” According to Shankman, Help A Reporter Out features roughly 135000 members who are connected to 50000 journalists every day, three times a day.

Reporters can go to the site, submit a query for something as specific as “a family who almost lost their home due to financial crisis” or “a banker who knows about oil stocks” and if a source can provide the needed information they respond directly to the reporter. It’s a very simple, but effective process. “It’s landed people in everything from Oprah to Entertainment Weekly, Shark Tank, CNN, New York Times and basically every major national media outlet.”

When not completely absorbed with growing HARO, Shankman still finds the time to consult. “NASA actually just appointed me to the NASA civilian advisory council,” he says with pride. “Which is, for a space geek, a lifelong oh-my-god dream. I knew I was never smart enough to be an astronaut, but to actually be on the committee that helps define the policy for how they talk to the public is just exciting as hell.” One of Shankman’s cats is actually named NASA.

Social Media shouldn’t be taken lightly. According to Shankman “Social Media is a much quicker way to screw up to a much larger group of people.” It is, however, something that is unavoidable for any company. “Saying your company needs to get into social media is the same as saying your company needs to get into marketing. Social Media, in essence, is customer service. It’s nothing more than that.” Without naming names, he talked about his personal experiences with how some companies handle Social Media well, while others don’t. “I have a following of 60000 on Twitter,” he points out. Bad Press can spread like wildfire on the Internet – but so can good reviews. “I think we’re moving towards a trust-model society where in the past you chose what to do, where to go, how to vacation based on what you read in the paper – based on what people in positions of media power would tell you.” Now people check online to see what people they know and other ordinary people think.

Peter Shankman

Peter Shankman suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but it doesn’t appear to have slowed him down in the least. He even calls it ADOS (Attention Deficit Ooh, Shiny!). “I understand that I think differently. I understand my brain works in different ways than normal people. It’s one of the reasons why – in the past 14 years – I haven’t had a boss. A lot of people take medication to try to fit into the mainstream. I try to accept that I’m never going to fit into the mainstream and, as such, have been able to very successfully make my own way, doing it my way. You get the fact that not everyone’s like that and you piss some people off, but it works for me.”

Check out HARO at http://helpareporter.com/ and Peter Shankman’s blog at http://shankman.com/.

Lost Planet 2 pits the player against giant enemy alien bugs called the Akrid on the beautiful planet E.D.N. III. The game is played from a third-person perspective and features gigantic weaponry, colossal boss fights and some of the best-looking scenery you’ll find in a video game. A lot of care, however, has been placed in designing the competitive play. There are several modes to choose from, including Elimination, Team Elimination and Capture the Flag. There’s also a Fugutive mode that offers one team of poorly armed fugitives that must elude the well-equipped hunters of the other team. With so many choices for competitive play, Lost Planet 2 was made for tournaments.

Several stars attended the tournament, but not everyone competed and not everyone stayed for very long. In typical Chuck Bass style, Gossip Girl’s Ed Westwick stopped by the Lost Planet 2 launch party to say “hi” to some friends before running off to paint the town red. Step Up 3-D’s Rick Malambri stepped out of his dancing shoes and put on his game face. The break dancer felt right at home in the crowd of gamers and came ready to play. Some celebrities that did compete didn’t last long in the tournament. American Idol alumnus Kimberly Locke traded in her microphone for a video game controller at the launch party, but was knocked out early.

Video games are generally the domain of boys and the Capcom Lost Planet 2 launch party exemplified that reality. Heartthrobs Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad and Robert Buckley of One Tree Hill put their friendship aside to battle it out in a video game tournament. With no hard feelings, the two ended the playful feud with a handshake as they grabbed their games and headed home to practice. Buckley is actually an avid gamer and never misses a video game launch so it was no surprise he was one of the first guests to show up to sample the new game!

As for Aaron Paul, it looks like his love life might be opening up to new company. He was seen getting very cozy with a hot brunette other than his under-the-radar girlfriend, 90210 star Jessica Lowndes. The pair was sitting together in VIP – Paul with his hand on her leg – and then they left together at the end of the night.

It was a family affair for avid video gamer Booboo Stewart of Twilight Eclipse. The newest wolfpack member joined his sister Fivel in all the action. It seemed like he was a little too focused on the game, however, since he missed out on the female attention being showered on him. When he wasn’t playing the game, Stewart hung out in the VIP area with reality star and recording artist Seth “Shifty” Binzer and new TV heartthrob Logan Huffman of V. They relaxed and jammed to beats spun by DJ Cobra. Binzer was pleasantly surprised when Cobra started playing his new single “City of Angles”. Binzer eyed the crowd for their reaction and looked pleased.

Of course it wasn’t a complete sausage-fest. Don’t forget that the gorgeous Olivia Munn hosted the night’s festivities. Munn was the perfect host of the Capcom Celebration of the Launch of Lost Planet 2 video game. In between announcing the different rounds of the tournament and starting an impromptu karaoke session with fans, Munn hopped off the stage to sign autographs and pose for pictures with partygoers. She also had a flock of male admirers, including Greek hottie Gregory Michael, Robert Buckley and Scott Porter, vying for the host’s attention. Although she was flattered and finally single, she carried on as the host of the event and made sure to cheer on the boys as they duked it out. Later, however, the Maxim cover girl was spotted with Brothers and Sisters star Gilles Marini dancing to tunes spun by DJ Cobra.

The other female head-turners of the evening were the Girls Next Door’s Shannon twins who debuted new boys at the Capcom Lost Planet 2 launch party. Karissa Shannon stepped out with boyfriend Sam Jones III and they were seen holding hands all night. Her sister also had a date in tow, but they were a bit more inconspicuous.

Gaming wasn’t the only thing to do that evening, of course. Guests were encouraged to try their hands at skeeball, t-shirt making and taking pictures in the photobooth. Lost Planet 2 is available now on the PC, Playstation 3 and XBOX 360. Grab your copy today and check out the game the stars love to play!

If there’s one thing that celebrities know how to do it’s have a good time and video games are a great way to do that. So it was no surprise that a lot of familiar faces came out to check out Super Street Fighter IV. Robert Buckley, who’s been in North Carolina for 10 months shooting One Tree Hill, was at the party and clearly happy to be back in Hollywood. Surprising, he skipped the after-party at the Tea Room – even though he was sure to be swarmed by more female fans. Instead, he ran home to play his copy of Super Street Fighter IV. What an amazing luxury it must be to be able to turn down women for a video game. Just to give his fans a heads up: Robert Buckley’s birthday is coming up on May 2! Speaking of birthdays, Robbie Amell celebrated his birthday at the Super Street Fighter IV launch party over fireballs and lightning kicks with his close friends, Jonathan Bennett, Gregory Michael and Scott Porter.

Breaking Bad actor Aaron Paul also showed up to check out the game, but kept his presence pretty low-key and just hung out with the guys. Clifton Collins, Jr., on the other hand, was so excited about Super Street Fighter IV that he showed up to the party 30 minutes early and started playing even before the lights dimmed. The avid video gamer walked away with a copy of the game and it’s not hard to imagine what he’ll be up to over the weekend.

Harry Shum, Jr. came straight from the set of Glee to catch the tail end of the launch party. As it turns out, video games are his second passion. He showed off some of his dance moves and Lil C – a judge on So You Think You Can Dance – showed off a few moves of his own. There was no hostility and only mutual respect between the two and their friendly battle continued when they sat down to play Super Street Fighter IV.

The women were also looking stellar at the launch party. Hugh Hefner’s Girls Next Door twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon walked into Trousdale complaining about how the weather messed up their hair. After a quick fix in the restroom, the beautiful duo circled the party, but all of the guys were enthralled by the video game.

Finishing off the evening, Seth “Shifty” Binzer – front man for Crazy Town – commandeered a microphone and gave an impromptu performance of his hits “Starry Eyed Surprise” and ”Butterfly” with K.O. the Legend and DJ Cobra. He also introduced his newest song “City of Angels”. Afterwards, Aaron Paul congratulated Shifty on his comeback.

Outside I ran into actor Robert LaSardo and his beautiful girlfriend and SNL writer Danielle Kasen. They caught me up on their current projects before we walked inside. Throughout the party they mostly kept to themselves, sharing a booth with other partygoers and took in the atmosphere. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that Robert also enjoys video games, focusing mainly on driving games, and even did some voice work on the game Scarface: The World is Yours.

With the night still young I walked around to see how everyone was enjoying the game. I spotted Seth Killian watching a bout and took the opportunity to get a few questions answered about Super Street Fighter IV and his experiences playing it so far. Fans of the original Street Fighter IV will know that the pain-in-the-ass boss character Seth is named after Killian, so the first thing I had to find out was if the in-game Seth was going to be toned down a bit for us mere mortal street fighters. He assured me that the AI was toned down a little, but that since all of the characters were unlocked, players wouldn’t have to deal with Seth as much. In regards to the new fighter Hakan the Turkish oil wrestler who has a bevy of hilarious moves, Killian says that “[Hakan] is the best fighter in the game when he’s oiled up. When he’s not [oiled up] not so much.” Killian isn’t sure if he’ll use Hakan competitively, admitting, “I’ve been getting my ass kicked online by all the guys who pirated the game early.” On the other hand, he hasn’t been playing hardcore for two months, but when he does fight he likes to use grapplers. Throughout the launch party Seth Killian floated around the room, giving pointers to gamers.

When I looked for Super Street Fighter IV game producer Yoshinori Ono I saw him battling it out with Bai Ling. Ono of course took it easy on her, using only light attacks, but still won most of the rounds, causing Bai Ling to yell “Get up!” whenever her fighter was knocked out. It’s hard not to smile watching her play, because she’s all body language and really gets into the game. Whenever Ono executed an ultra combo, Bai Ling would slap his arm and raise her fist to the screen.

Afterwards, the affable Yoshinori Ono entertained a few of my questions about the game. I wanted to confirm what Seth Killian said about the Seth AI and if that fighter would be easier to beat. “No!” Ono said with a laugh. “You need a real technique to win.” If what Ono says is true then single-player fans can look forward to long nights trying to beat Seth once again.

Get your copy of Super Street Fighter IV on April 27.

Giuliana Rancic – wife of Apprentice Bill Rancic – hosted the evening and she floated around the event, mingling with celebrity guests and fans. Rancic was spotted with Kelly Bensimon as they chatted and shared beauty tips. Of course the event wasn’t all rest and relaxation; Giuliana Rancic made sure to work the guests at the TRIA Beauty Blue Lounge as she searched for a “New York Party Guy” who would be the east coast counterpart to E!’s Hollywood Party Girl. Rancic was spotted with a potential recruit and she asked him for his contact information before he left.

Celebrity Sightings Included: Devorah Rose, Nole Marin, Smantha Swetra, Cory Kennedy, Paz de la Huerta, Mia Moretti, Caitlin Moe, Erika Vetrini, David Foote and Sky Nellor.

Unfortunately, Bill Rancic never made it to the event. Additionally, Giuliana Rancic denied being pregnant, but she curiously didn’t have any alcohol either.