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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2006 > October > 17
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Fonda heads glitterati turning out for charity
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
During the celebrity-sprinkled launch party for Spanx pantyhose founder Sara Blakely’s charitable foundation Saturday night, we ran through a small barrel of ink while attempting to scribble down all the scoop.
First up, we spotted a luminous Jane Fonda at the Ritz-Carlton downtown pre-dinner cocktail reception with two of her children, Atlanta businesswoman Vanessa Vadim and actor Troy Garity.
Garity’s proud mother told us he had flown in from the Virginia film set of “Lake City” for the weekend. His co-stars? Sissy Spacek, Keith Carradine, Rebecca Romijn and musician Dave Matthews. According to Imdb.com, Garity plays Spacek’s son, “who comes to the aid of his estranged mother after her safety is threatened.” Filming began this month.
Fonda herself recently returned from filming “Georgia Rule” in Hollywood with “Pretty Woman” director Garry Marshall and co-stars Felicity Huffman, Lindsay Lohan, Dermot Mulroney, Cary Elwes and Marshall good-luck charm Hector Elizondo, who is cast in practically every movie the director shoots.
Fonda, the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention founder, told us that chances are excellent the film will serve as the next benefit for the charity.
“But there’s no set date for its release,” she explained. “It could be March, April or even October. Since it’s Morgan Creek’s [studios] first chick film, they’ve got to determine when is the best time to put it out there.”
Earlier this year, prior to the film shoot, we confided to the actress that Marshall is one of our very favorite — and one of the most hilarious — people we’ve ever interviewed for this space.
When we brought up “The Princess Diaries” director and Murphy Brown’s former boss Saturday night, Fonda kissed her fingertips and said, “He was absolutely wonderful. You told me!”
And since we had been generously given an all-access pass to the festivities, we were — sigh — on our best behavior. Consequently, we saved for the film’s 2007 premiere all the Lohan inquiries we were dying to ask Fonda.
Big checks and ‘Barbarella’
Inside the Ritz-Carlton ballroom, Virgin chairman Richard Branson (who donated $750,000 of seed money to start the Sara Blakely Foundation), kept things extremely entertaining as he was interviewed on the dais by Star 94’s Vikki Locke. Of his recent $3 million check donated to combat global warming, Branson joked, “It was actually quite painful when it got down to adding those last few zeroes!”
Branson then told a particularly racy anecdote involving his circumcision (as an adolescent!) and his simultaneous discovery of Jane Fonda’s sexy space spoof “Barbarella.” “I ended up in stitches, literally!” Branson disclosed as Fonda laughed a few tables away. “I once told that story at a function in front of Ted Turner and Jane just after they had gotten married. Jane was actually great about it but Ted acted, well, a bit clumsy over the story!”
Dessert with Jewel
The evening remained intriguing as singer-songwriter Jewel performed a three-song set over dessert. Taking the microphone post-Branson, the singer told the rapt audience, “My publicist was concerned about what I’d say on stage, but after Richard’s comments about sex in space, I think I’m going to be OK.”
Describing an impromptu hitchhiking trip through Mexico as a 16-year-old while learning to write songs, Jewel characterized the risky endeavor as “that spring break trip all parents are dying for their children to take!”
A Supreme Christmas party
A bit later, we ran into Captain Planet Foundation Chairwoman Laura Turner Seydel as the Blakely Foundation launch party migrated across Peachtree Street to the old Macy’s building, which had been transformed into a food-filled nightclub featuring a concert by Collective Soul. She told us that Scherrie Payne and Lynda Laurence, former members of the Supremes, have been booked as the entertainment at the 12th annual Captain Planet Foundation Xmas Party on Dec. 8 at the Tabernacle downtown.
Laura’s father, Ted, along with environmentalist Philippe Cousteau, are the event’s special guests.
An “eco-chic” fashion show with “luxury eco designer” Linda Loudermilk will be featured as well as a VIP cocktail reception held nearby at Ted’s Montana Grill.
“Believe it or not, after 12 years of doing these benefits, it’s gotten easier,” Turner Seydel told Buzz. “We’ve formed a community over the years. We like to say we’re doing God’s work, which makes it easier as well.”
For tickets: 404-522-4270 or www.captainplanetfdn.org.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Tom Poston is 85. Daredevil Evel Knievel is 68. Singer Gary Puckett of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap is 64. Actor Michael McKean (“Laverne and Shirley,” “This Is Spinal Tap”) is 59. Country singer and former Newnan resident Alan Jackson is 48. Reggae singer Ziggy Marley is 38. Singer Chris Kirkpatrick of ‘NSync is 35. Rapper Eminem is 34. Singer Wyclef Jean of the Fugees is 34.
Contributing: news services. If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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