Today we seem to have stumbled onto a Six Degrees of Separation Buzz column. Tyler Perry discusses his new "Madea" live tour and his role in Whitney Houston's funeral. Kevin Bacon is reportedly to star in a new series by the creator of "The Vampire Diaries." And "Vampire Diaries" star Ian Somerhalder is to be honored next month at an awards gala to be held at the Beverly Hilton, where Whitney Houston died. It's a small world sometimes.
Tyler Perry has just finished filming "Madea's Witness Protection" and wrapped "The Marriage Counselor," a non-Madea movie, before that. His drama "Good Deeds," also missing his gun-toting, wise-cracking alter ego, opens Friday. So he must have some time on his hands. Road trip!
"I was coming on this interlink e-mail thangto let y'all know that I'm going on tour," Perry, writing in Madea's unmistakable voice, posted in a note on his web site. The "Madea Gets a Job" live tour kicks off with a March run in Memphis and will play at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta from April 12-15. Tickets are available now on the Fox Theatre's web site, www.foxtheatre.org.
On a more somber note, Perry discussed his role in Houston's funeral this week during an appearance on CBS This Morning. "The family had asked me to do it," Perry said during the discussion with Gayle King and Charlie Rose. "Our entire relationship was private. Nobody knew that I knew her. I would have much rather not have been there, or not even have been at a funeral for her, but since they asked I did."
Perry was among the speakers at Houston’s service on Saturday, quoting Scripture as he eulogized his friend. After her sudden death the day before the Grammy awards, Perry arranged for Houston’s remains to be transported east by private plane.
King asked a follow-up question but Perry kept things close to the vest: "Because as you know I have not said anything about this publicly, I have not talked about this. Our relationship was private and I chose to have it remain that way.”
Buzz in our ear
Kevin Bacon spent a good bit of time in the Atlanta area last year, filming a role in the Billy Bob Thornton movie "Jayne Mansfield's Car." (Right about the time that project was wrapping up, the remake of "Footloose," also shot in Atlanta, was released. Bacon, of course starred in the 1980s original. They don't call him "Mr. Six Degrees of Separation" for nothing.) Anyway, Bacon may be heading back here. Numerous industry reports indicate he'll star in a new pilot aimed for Fox's lineup. Directed by Kevin Williamson, creator of The CW's "The Vampire Diaries," which also is filmed here, the project is billed by TV Guide as a "thriller about the complex relationship between diabolical serial killer and the damaged FBI profiler (played by Bacon), who once took him down." The show doesn't have a title yet.
"Vampire" star honored
Ian Somerhalder, star of the aforementioned filmed-in-Atlanta series "The Vampire Diaries," will receive the Wyler Award at The Humane Society of the United States' upcoming 26th Genesis Awards. The honor, saluting his efforts at raising awareness of animal issues, is to be bestowed during the event on March 24 at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, site of the aforementioned untimely death of Whitney Houston.
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