Posted by shitty speller...DEAL WITH IT! at 24-205-35-70.gln-eres.charterpipeline.net on March 18, 2004 at 18:46:34:
well kelly ripa. whatever.
NEW YORK (AP) - First it was Ben and J.Lo, but soon it will be Ben and ... R.Phi?
That's what will happen when Ben Affleck co-hosts with Regis Philbin on ``Live With Regis and Kelly.''
Affleck fills in for Kelly Ripa, who's on vacation, during Monday's episode of the syndicated morning talk show.
The co-star of the upcoming film ``Jersey Girl'' is known for his Philbin impersonation. Also appearing on the show, which was taped in advance, is Darrell Hammond of ``Saturday Night Live,'' who will compete with Affleck in a ``Reege-off'' to see who does the best impression of Philbin.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The on again, off again romance between actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez is finally ending in marriage, sort of. But don't expect a happy ending.
For months, American tabloids gushed with headlines that the hunky actor and sultry singer were headed for the altar before their love affair ended in a messy public split.
Now finally the pair are married, albeit for a short-lived 15 minutes on the silver screen that ends with J. Lo's untimely death after childbirth in the movie "Jersey Girl," set for a March 26 release.
"I think professionally and personally -- and being that Jen is in it for just 15 minutes -- it leaves that whole thing on a kind of a positive note," Affleck said in a recent interview about his newest cinematic bow.
The curtains came down on the two movie stars real relationship several months ago. But only after they suffered some of the worst movie reviews ever for their flop "Gigli" -- a movie Hollywood executives had dreamed might propel the romantically-entangled pair to become the new Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
"Jersey Girl" was made before the pair broke up and was originally set to be marketed as another Ben and Jen vehicle. But after the end of their romance and the monumental flop of their last on-screen pairing, their newest offering makes almost no reference to Lopez in its marketing.
'GIGLI' DAMAGE CONTROL
Still, Affleck is hoping that "Jersey Girl" will help repair the damage done to the Oscar winner's reputation after "Gigli," which he called a "gigantic bomb."
After a year Affleck described as both humbling and overwhelming, he is hoping "Jersey Girl" will put him back in the win column.
"The gigantic 'Ishtar' catastrophe is the one everyone remembers -- which is why I think it's nice to have this movie happen now because it serves as a counterweight to that," Affleck said.
"Ishtar," starring Hollywood heavyweights Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman, flopped dramatically in 1987 and is widely regarded as one of Tinseltown's greatest bombs.
The 31-year-old actor has also signed onto a heavy promotional tour that includes an interview with Katie Couric and as guest host on "Saturday Night Live."
While leaving Affleck with "positive memories" of his work with Lopez, making 'Jersey Girl' "was really important for me career wise -- going back to doing the most basic thing I started doing, which was stories of regular people."
Affleck worked in "Mallrats" in 1995 and "Chasing Amy" in 1997 -- both helmed by the writer and director behind "Jersey Girl," Kevin Smith.
He shared an Academy Award with Matt Damon for co-writing the 1997 film "Good Will Hunting" in which the two also starred.
Smith, a long-time friend of Affleck, said he was dismayed by the "Gigli" fallout.
When he signed Ben and Jen for his flick, he thought he was buying into a rock-solid Hollywood pairing that would almost guarantee box office success. Instead, his movie now features two of the more damaged stars in Hollywood.
BUGGED BY 'GIGLI'
"The 'Gigli' thing kind of bugged me," Smith said in an interview. "I had to accept the fact that we will never be a No. 1 film."
"Jersey Girl" is the story of a high-flying Manhattan music publicist, played by Affleck, whose life is transformed after he loses his wife, Lopez, and then realizes he must move back to his more affordable hometown in New Jersey and concentrate on raising his daughter.
After beginning with scenes that include J. Lo's death and Affleck's character raising his newborn daughter with great difficulty, the movie jumps forward to his daughter's grammar school years.
Liv Tyler plays Affleck's love interest.
Marketing material now features Affleck and his nine-year-old co-star Raquel Castro with just snippets of J. Lo in the trailer and no sight of her in the movie's promotional posters.
Reuters/VNU