Misc: The Word XIV

Some bits & pieces from around the web...

INTERVIEW (RADIO)
Rashida also did a radio interview on Elliot In The Morning yesterday. Topics included:
-How Parks and Recreation has evolved since season one
-What the set is like working with such talented comedians
-How she joined the show and was 'on hold' with NBC for months beforehand
-and, sneaking in a personal question, how often she visits her boyfriend in Washington D.C. (meaning Jon Favreau)
Link: MP3 of her answering the questions, or not, is here

EVENT/ ACTIVISM
LA social diary site The Daily Truffle says Rashida hosted a Peace Games fundraising Tea yesterday.

Link: TDT: You're Invited!

OTHER WORKS
Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir, who are collaborating with Rashida on Frenemy of the State, have an official website. [Link: weirdefilippis.com] They have posted a brief note about the series, the Universal and Imagine deal and how they came to work with her at Oni Press.

...Rashida Jones came to Oni with an idea - "what if Paris Hilton was recruited by the CIA?" To be fair, she was describing a Paris Hilton-esque celebrity, not Paris herself.

Oni put us in touch with Rashida and we all talked about her idea, and together we created FRENEMY OF THE STATE. It's launching as a miniseries from Oni in the spring. The mini is the first of what will likely be many miniseries...
Read the rest here.

RUMORS
eonline.com's Ted Casablanca posted another denial of the Rashida and John Mayer story that came out last weekend. It's from a friend of Mayer's, and Casablanca says they have each had their friends and reps deny the rumor so they probably are just friends. He adds that most of John Mayer's fame, at least in celebrity terms, is really based on the famous women he is always being linked to. Sounds like he's not a fan of his.
Link: Blab Blab Blab

INTERVIEW (Parks and Recreation)
Rashida and Chris Pratt did an interview with BuzzSugar about the show and Ann and Andy's relationship.

• Rashida on the possibility of Ann and Andy getting back together: You know, I don't think it's an impossibility. I think there's still love in Ann's heart for Andy. I think so much would have to change for him to be OK with her. But I don't think it's an impossibility.
• Chris on whether Andy will get a job or home: Yeah, the writers have found a nice way for Andy to get out of the pit and get a job and start sort of working his way up into independence.

• Rashida on whether she likes Ann and Andy better together or apart: I think there's a lot of comedy both ways. I mean, I like this particular paradigm; I think it's really funny, because I just think Chris gets to shine a lot here and do something with something that could potentially seem really kind of cartoony and big which is like him, you know — showing up places and pretending to be casual about seeing me and all that. But he manages to make it kind of realistic and really sweet. So I like this dynamic for now.
• Chris on whether Andy will start dating: I think that Andy's undying devotion toward Ann is one of the only things that sort of redeems him, so I hope not. I hope that he just keeps pining after Ann for 10 seasons to come. That would be the best for me.
• Rashida on what Chris wears when he's naked on the show: They have those really unappealing little dance belts that were uncomfortable for Chris Pratt.
• Chris on the nude scenes: Yeah, let's just say there was a dance belt included and it was uncomfortable. They kind of just are these little things that cover up your junk, but it was almost as if I was wearing nothing at all. Yeah.
• Rashida on the show clicking more in the second season: It just takes time. I think for the actors, for the writers, for the audience, you just need some time to settle into what the characters actually are, and what's funny about their dynamics. And I'm super grateful that people gave us a shot to get there but I definitely think it takes about 10 episodes to even know what anything is, you know? I mean, you watch some early Seinfeld, you watch some early Sex and the City, it's nothing like the show turned out to be; the things that people loved about that show did not exist at the beginning of that show, you know.
• Chris on the same: I've noticed that, as a fan of the show, I've seen it get better and better, and working on it I've noticed the scripts coming down the pipes have gotten better, but it kind of goes back to what Rashida said: it takes time for everybody. And I think it's just a matter of finding the sensibilities to all the characters and starting with Amy, you know; I think a lot of people compared Steve Carell to Ricky Gervais from The Office. But he has a different style of comedy, and maybe they were writing for Steve the way they did for Ricky Gervais. And maybe in the beginning, they were writing for Amy the way that they wrote for Steve Carell, but her comedic sensibility is a little different. Maybe it's not that funny to watch her be uncomfortable the way it is with Steve Carell, but it's so goddamned endearing when she smiles. And you see her and when she's enjoying herself, so is the audience. And you see her doing that a lot more now; kind of just becoming comfortable in who she is, and like the episode with the beauty pageant, she's standing up for women's rights. You're seeing more dimensions of her. And maybe it's always been who they've envisioned her to be, or maybe they're figuring it out, but I sure like Leslie a lot more in the second season. I just enjoy watching her more and I think that's starting to happen with all the characters.
  

Link: BuzzSugar

Read more...

Appearances: Courage in Journalism Awards

Rashida at the International Women's Foundation's Courage in Journalism Awards. The ceremony took place on Wednesday, October 28 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

She is wearing a Miu Miu dress, 3.1 Phillip Lim jacket and Christian Louboutin heels.

Interviews: Rashida on the Radio

UPDATE: Nice recap Ro! There's a podcast link up now. The MP3 is the whole show and Rashida is on last.
--Jem, 10:15pm

Hi all,
I live in Chicago and was at work today listening to the radio when Rashida came on. I couldn't see the interview audio online so I'll just describe it.
The interview was mostly about Parks and Recreation. However, she did talk about the John Mayer rumor and said it is "absolutely not true." She was actually having dinner with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel when they saw the stars of Once, the amazing music movie, sitting nearby. That couple joined them for a drink and then John Mayer was also there and joined in as well. All the musicians sang and played. Rashida said something like it was great but "the bummer of Hollywood is someone will invent a tawdry story the next day and everyone will believe it."
So she says it's definitely not true. He played for the group but not that song or any song to her. Then like I said the rest was about the TV show and the Halloween episode that's about to start soon.
Rosie

Radio show homepage: Eric & Kathy on WTMX 101.9fm (Chicago)

The Word: Rashida is NOT dating John Mayer

So yesterday HollyScoop ran an item saying Rashida is dating John Mayer. It was based on a pretty outlandish story, IMHO, about a supposed romantic date at the Chateau Marmont, during which Mayer borrowed some guy's guitar and serenaded her in front of everyone. Everyone including Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, who led all the other diners in wildly cheering them on.

Thankfully, the story is not true and they are not dating.

This morning GossipCop relayed a message from Rashida's rep:
An “exclusive” from the generally good Hollyscoop announced, “John Mayer Dating Actress Rashida Jones,” and went on to note that on Friday night the musician “found himself new prey and he’s going to extremes to impress her.”

According to the blog, Mayer and Jones were “on a romantic date” at the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, and at one point the “No Such Thing” singer “took the guitar from someone who was performing… at the Chateau and performed an impromptu performance for Rashida.”

Well, John Mayer did NOT have a “romantic” (or any type of) date with Rashida Jones. “She was having dinner with friends – totally independent of him,” her rep told Gossip Cop. The rep for the “Parks and Recreation Star” added, “He came over to the table she was at with her friends, said hello to everyone, [and] asked if he could play the guitar that her friends were already playing.” Mayer’s “performance was not directed at anyone,” including Jones, the daughter of music legend Quincy Jones.

I think it's funny that Rashida, who doesn't normally discuss her personal life at all, was so quick to deny dating John Mayer! :D

TV: Parks and Recreation News

In other news, Parks and Recreation has been picked up for a full 22-episode season! :)

Here's a preview image from the upcoming Halloween episode (spoiler alert?)

Ann as Raggedy Ann

'Greg Pikitis' (2.07)
Air date: October 29
Summary: LESLIE IS TORMENTED BY A TEENAGE NEMESIS—SPECIAL HALLOWEEN EPISODE—Leslie (Amy Poehler) enlists the help of Dave (guest star Louis C.K.) and Andy (Chris Pratt) in order to catch a local teen vandal. Meanwhile, Ann (Rashida Jones) struggles to make her Halloween party fun, and gets help from an unlikely source. Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman and Aubrey Plaza also guest star.

Info & image via Knope Knows

Coolness: People's Choice Nominee Voting

Rashida has made the shortlist for "Favorite Breakout Movie Actress" at the 2010 People's Choice Awards. Paul Rudd, Jason Segel and I Love You, Man were also nominated in a couple other categories.

Vote for her here
(registration not required)
Nominee selection voting ends November 10

Appearances: Lucky & Madewell Fall Denim Tour

Rashida at Tuesday night's Lucky magazine and Madewell 2009 Fall Denim Tour event at Bar Marmont.

with Joy Bryant

WWD | Lifestyle: Starlets Made Well
Not every Hollywood party requires dressing up, as proven by the bash Lucky magazine threw last night with Madewell at Bar Marmont. Rachel Bilson, Joy Bryant, Kristen Bell, Rashida Jones, Jessica Capshaw, Anna Faris and Kat Dennings were among the starlets who showed up to sample the wares, make photo flip books and have their fortunes read by Bilson's mom, Janice. "I like to tell people I too am insightful, but I don't know the ways of the tarot cards," said Rachel. The starlet did, however, have fashion wisdom to impart: "I think it's great to mix and match pieces and create your own look," she said of her Madewell top and Myne skirt.

Nearly everyone else followed suit, pairing basics with vintage and designer pieces. "In L.A. you usually can't dress like this for a red carpet," said Jessica Capshaw, in a Madewell mini and ALC jacket.

But there was one place where Faris drew the line. "Don't think I have the guts to wear the boyfriend jean."
Posted Wednesday, October 21

Info & image via Women's Wear Daily

Movies: Frenemy of the State

Rashida and her writing partner Will McCormack have secured another screenwriting deal! They are going to adapt Rashida's comic book series 'Frenemy of the State' into a movie for Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, the majorly successful production company founded by Ron Howard & Brian Grazer.

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Universal and Imagine make 'Frenemy'
Rashida Jones to co-write adventure script
by Michael Fleming, October 13, 2009

Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment have acquired screen rights to "Frenemy of the State," a graphic novel miniseries created by actress Rashida Jones, who will write the script with Will McCormack.

Brian Grazer is producing for Imagine. Eric Gitter will be a producer for Closed on Mondays.

The adventure revolves around a young wealthy heiress who works undercover for the CIA. Jones co-wrote the original comic, published by Oni Press.

Jones currently stars on NBC's "Parks and Recreation." The daughter of composer Quincy Jones and "Mod Squad" star Peggy Lipton, Jones will be writing her second script with McCormack, an actor whose credits include ABC's "Brothers and Sisters" and USA's "In Plain Sight." They previously scripted "Celeste and Jesse Forever," a Jennifer Todd-produced pic set up at Overture to star Jones.

"Frenemy of the State" wasn't conceived by Jones as an acting vehicle for herself, she said.

"It's intended for a girl much younger than me, about age 20, an interesting age for girls as they make that scary jump to adulthood," she said. "She has lived a life of privilege, attended the best schools and learned every language, but her obsession with spying on exes gets her into trouble and she is recruited to be a spy in exchange for not going to prison. There is a comic element to it, this girl who is so conscious of social standing and wearing the right shoes, suddenly becoming responsible for these dangerous, life-threatening missions."

Gitter's Closed on Mondays just completed the Edgar Wright-directed "Scott Pilgrim" and is developing several films at Universal.

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Info & images via Variety

Magazines: Boston Common [update]

Rashida in the Fall Issue of Boston Common.

MQ

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HQ

Images via the digital edition. Thanks again Nat :)

Our original Boston Common post is here: 8/20 (with transcript)

Interviews: TVGuide.com

Rashida Jones: Parks and Recreation Is Not The Office
Rashida Jones wants us to know that Parks and Recreation is not The Office's stepchild. But Jones says that big things are coming this season, both for that desolate pit and for the love lives of both Ann and Leslie (Amy Poehler). Jones, 33, tells TVGuide.com about Fred Armisen's guest stint, a possible crossover with The Office and her memories of family friend Michael Jackson.

TVGuide.com: How is the show different this season?
Jones: I hope that people who watch The Office can now see that it's definitely different, but it's the kind of thing that you would want to watch if you like that show. Hopefully there's enough distance now. It's like becoming friends with an ex once you've had a little time after you broke up. Hopefully we'll be able to be friends now.

TVGuide.com: Ann and Mark (Paul Schneider) have been getting close. How is that going to progress?
Jones: It seems like Ann and Mark are spending more time together. She likes him more than she expected to. She's going to give it a shot. In a way, anything is better than Andy [Chris Pratt].

TVGuide.com: Is that going to affect her relationship with Leslie?
Jones: There's always going to be a tiny bit of that tension, but it is something that they discussed ad nauseum in the first couple of episodes to make sure it was not a big deal. Leslie is definitely going to be moving on in the next couple episodes. They're decidedly more mature than I would ever be about something like that.

TVGuide.com: Do you think there's a chance that Ann and Andy will get back together?
Jones: I do. Andy is having a tough time right now realizing what good care Ann took of him, maybe too good of care. The truth is that they do love each other, but I think there's too much of a son-mother relationship with them right now. If they can somehow shift that, I think there's still love with them. Definitely.

TVGuide.com: What's going on with the pit?
Jones: We definitely get some progression when it comes with the pit. We get a little good news; we get more movement than we expected to get so quickly. We try to be a little proactive about it.

TVGuide.com: That park is never going to be built.
Jones: Maybe, maybe not. Based on the way things really happen, you're probably right.

TVGuide.com: Have they talked about a crossover with The Office?
Jones: No, it would be so weird. It would be like the Twilight Zone with me involved. We've never talked about it. I think [executive producers] Mike Schur and Greg Daniels are so committed to the realistic element that I'm the red herring there. As long as I'm not involved, I feel like they could do a little crossing over.

TVGuide.com: Fred Armisen is guest-starring this season. Who does he play?
Jones: He's one of the funniest people on the planet. He plays the head of a small Venezuelan town's parks department, and he comes to visit. They're like our sister city and we have total misconceptions about him and his department. We think they're small-town-small-minded, and they turn out to be a lot more sophisticated than us.

TVGuide.com: Your dad produced Michael Jackson's Thriller album; did you ever get a chance to meet him?
Jones: I did when I was a kid. He was around a lot. My dad worked with him since he was 18 years old.

TVGuide.com: How did you feel about his passing?
Jones: It was definitely sad. I felt like he had been publicly made into a bit of an animal, which I never really liked and I thought was pretty tragic. He took his own missteps in his own life, but I think as a public we were kind of ungenerous about him and his own isolation. It's been making me sad for 10 years. In a sense, I'm devastated by his loss, but I felt like he was unhappy.

TVGuide.com: At least now he's being celebrated. It's sad that it comes with his death.
Jones: Right, well that's the thing that bums me out so much. Why can't we celebrate our heroes while they're still alive?

Parks and Recreation airs Thursdays at 8:30/7:30c on NBC.

Interview by Natalie Abrams, TVGuide.com (October 7, 2009)

Magazines: InStyle (October 2009)

Rashida in The Look section of October's InStyle. Big thanks to reader Nat for sending us all today's pics!

Appearances: Lacoste Collection Launch, LA

Rashida attended Lacoste's Pink Croc Collection Launch Event on Monday night. The event, which benefited the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, was sponsored by Lacoste and Vogue and hosted by Leslie Mann. Thanks to Vin for the tip!

with Jason Segel, Leslie Mann, Daniela Bocresion & Judd Apatow

Article from the Style File blog at Style.com
Social Intelligence: Rashida Jones Knows Her Next Red-Carpet Look
"I was actually on Style.com today," said Rashida Jones last night at the debut of Lacoste's Pink Croc Collection benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in Los Angeles. "I went on because I have a friend at the shows in Paris and she told me I had to check out Stella McCartney and Lanvin." Well, what a wise pal. Jones was out to support her friend Leslie Mann, who hosted the event to debut the eight-piece collection, which sends a whopping 10 percent of its profits to the cause. Jones stole away from the comedic dream team in attendance (Judd Apatow, Jason Segel, and Michael Cera) to dish on her favorite shows so far. "Stella was amazing; she's just so feminine with those exaggerated ruffles," she said. "And Lanvin was just sickening...my friend said she literally wanted to throw herself on the stage." So, what could we expect to see her in next? "There was this Stella McCartney printed green dress that had a ruffle on the sleeve in the show," said Jones. "It was just perfect."
-Alexis Brunswick
October 6, 2009

More about the event from LA.com: Polos and Totes and Crocs, Oh My!

Images via Jamd