Chuy Bravo might be a little person, but his big heart more than makes up for his lack in height.  Growing up as the youngest of seven siblings, in a small town in Mexico, Bravo didn’t have much time to think about himself or his disability.  His time has always been consumed with worrying about the welfare of others.  Bravo never dreamed that one day Los Angeles would be his home, nor did he think that one day he would be calling the set at E!’s hit show “Chelsea Lately” his office.  But Chuy Bravo will be the first one to tell you, “God works in mysterious ways.”

Chuy Bravo’s road to stardom has been long and arduous.  Bravo landed a couple of small roles in some big blockbusters such as Pirates of the Caribbean 3 and Austin Powers 3 before his big break came in the form of his latest gig.  Chuy Bravo stars as the loveable assistant to Chelsea Handler on the E! Network hit show “Chelsea Lately.”  Chelsea who has been a mentor to Chuy and coined his nickname “Little Nugget” has been instrumental in his fame.  She has even inspired him to pen a book, appropriately named “Little Nuggets of Wisdom,” which is filled with all the witty knowledge he has picked up during his journey to the Hollywood dream.

Bravos dedication and determination to make a difference in the world is admirable and inspiring.  After hearing about a little girl in Mexico who had made straight A’s and had never owned a computer, Bravo decided to take action.  He quickly rallied the “Chelsea Lately” staff to help raise the funds for a laptop donation and put up his own hard earned cash to the cause.  The experience has inspired Bravo to continue to provide much needed computers for good students who lack the necessary resources to enhance their education.  Through support of his friends, family and the “Chelsea Lately” crew, Bravo hopes to make the laptop donation an annual giveaway to dozens of deserving students in the US and in Mexico. Struggling to overcome the side effects of his own disability, Bravo aspires to open a rehab center in Mexico to help heal those in need.  Bravo’s dream is to open a comprehensive health center, catering to lower income people in Mexico who are struggling to overcome disabilities similar to his own.

Chuy getting rubbed by Audrina Patridge

Chuy Bravo continues to persevere and succeed in the entertainment industry.  He has created a massive fan base and many supporters.  You can catch Chuy Bravo on “Chelsea Lately” on E! at 11:30pm eastern time.  Stay tuned, there is surely more to come from everyone’s favorite “Little Nugget”, Chuy Bravo!

 You know him as Eric Yorkie in Twilight and Tony in Nickelodeon’s Just Jordan, but we got to know Justin Chon, the cool, soft spoken dude from OC… with the sweetest smile we’ve ever seen! 

He grew up in Irvine and went to University High School (aka: “Uni”), the same school that Will Ferrell attended.  Apparently acting was not in his list of career goals as a young adult; in fact, he earned an MBA from USC. After a moment of clarity, he decided he was not one for the Monday through Friday 9 to 5 gig, and took some acting classes. The move wasn’t too far-fetched since his father was an well known actor in Korea.

Though my dad was an actor, he was still weary of me following in his footsteps.  He didn’t want me to live as a struggling artist, Chon admits.

Well, no worries there, Papa Chon! Your baby boy hit it BIG with Twilight! Watch as we caught up with Justin during his visit to Laguna Beach Jean Company’s showroom, where he was hooked up head-to-toe in the newest collection.  Nice little early Christmas gift!

A little known fact: He’s quite the business entrepreneur. He owns a popular clothing store in Orange County called the Attic.  Despite the economy, he says he’s been lucky.  Check out the online store, and you’ll see why it does so well.

One thing we forgot to ask was if he was Team Edward or Team Jacob, but we would bet he’s for Jacob!

You’ll be seeing a lot more of Justin once the indie film Crossing Over with Harrison Ford, Ashley Judd and Sean Penn releases (date TBD)… so stay tuned–we can’t wait!

Credit and thanks to:
Kicked Out for providing the music for the video.

Laguna Beach Jeans Company for allowing access to their showroom.

Justin Chon for doing an impromptu interview way too early in the morning!

New York-based actress Ginger Kroll is going to be coming to a big screen near you. With a role in “Notorious,” the story of the life of Christopher Wallace, AKA Biggie Smalls,  Kroll’s best known from roles in A.D. Miles’ “Horrible People,” “The Sopranos” and her recurring role as Tonya Ansel on CBS’ “Guiding Light.”

Now, in Fox Searchlight Picture’s “Notorious,” Kroll stars alongside newcomers Antonique Smith (Faith Evans) and Jamal Woolard (Notorious B.I.G.). She plays sexy groupie, Debbie, who throws a wrench into the couple’s marriage. In return, Antonique Smith’s character throws a couple of punches her way in an extensive fight scene (for which she proudly did all her own stunt work).  The film also includes: Angela Bassett, Anthony Mackie, and Derek Luke and was directed by George Tillman Jr. (“Soul Food,” “Men of Honor”).

In addition to focusing on her budding acting career, Kroll is actively involved in a number of charities. She has supported NAMI, The National Alliance on Mental Illness, since her 23 year-old brother’s passing in 2007. Kroll is also involved in Orphaned Starfish. Founded in 2001, The Orphaned Starfish Foundation is dedicated to working with orphans and disadvantaged children throughout Latin America.

This beauty sat with Hollywire for a little phone chat just before she gets ready for the holidays.

Hollywire: Notorious is going to be the buzz in January. How was it working on a film so important in pop and urban culture?
Ginger Kroll: It was a unique experience. There was so much passion and dedication to making the film as authentic as possible and a real representation of Christopher Wallace’s life. Mrs. Wallace was often on the set showing her support, and letting everyone know how proud she was of the film and of us honoring her son’s name.

HW: Were you a fan of Notorious B.I.G.?
GK: I’m hard pressed to find someone who wasn’t a fan! Although, I was nothing like the fans the film had bused in from Philadelphia for one of our concert scenes. The scene had over 1,000 extras and hundreds of fans from various fan groups worked for free just to enjoy the music and be apart of the Notorious experience.

HW: What is next for you in 2009?
GK: I’ve got a lot of stuff going on in 2009! Currently, I have several projects in the works.  I have a supporting role in the feature film “Made For Each Other,” a comedy starring Danny and Chris Masterson, which is due out in the spring of 2009 and “Spiker,” a film directed by Gerry Lively (“Hellraiser,” “Friday”) is a direct to DVD release due out December 11, 2008 where I star as Nikki McLean, a sassy high school senior who makes the mistake of spending the weekend in the woods with five friends. I will also star in the film “SubHysteria” with G-Train productions and Cantera Films.  I play Hannah, a law student with a hidden past. Due out theatrically March 13, 2009 in Venezuela, the film co-stars Spanish soap stars Osvaldo Benavides and Rebeca Aleman. “Secrets” also signed on with G-Train productions and starts production in March of 2009. I play the role of Carol, a young actress with a dark secret. And it doesn’t stop there! I am also set to star in season two of the web series “Horrible People.” I was handpicked to play Danielle by creators A. D. Miles and Joe Lo Truglio (MTV’s “The State”). “Horrible People” had a successful first run co-starring Mather Zickel (Rachel Getting Married) and Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords). And you can also look out for me in a Bollywood film titled, “New York” with the supporting role of Sarah. The film is directed by one of Bollywood’s top directors, Kabir Kahn and stars the “Johnny Depp” of Bollywood, John Abrams. It is set for theatrical release in March 2009.

HW: Any new year’s resolutions?
GK: 2009 is the year for me to de-clutter my life! I’m going to rid myself of the extra stuff in my life. It’s time to get rid of all that junk I didn’t touch in 2008 but kept around for some odd reason. In doing this I also hope to take some serious strides to lower my carbon footprint!
To learn more about Ginger Kroll, please visit www.gingerkroll.com.

Fresh-faced singer/songwriter/actress Brittany Burton working her way up the Hollywood ladder. Brittany is working with top music producers and acting coaches to launch her music and acting career and currently has a project in the works with a Grammy-award winning producer for an all-girl singing group. She is also working on a priority music project with top music producer Jeff Blue (Macy Gray, Lincoln Park).

More prominently, you may have seen Brittany as the host of Beta Records TV, a new half-hour weekly television program that shows a mix of live performances, music news, interviews and product reviews. A two-year, 52-episode commitment has been made for BETA Records TV, with each 30-minute show providing content that is instructional, educational and entertaining. The show is set to air in over 140 U.S. television markets, including the Top 15.

Even with her busy schedule, Brittany reaches out to the community with a Christian Organization called “Red Eye.” This non-profit organization is dedicated to preserving society’s youth. “We go out into Hollywood and try to make a positive influence on all the lost souls.”

Catch Brittany on Beta Records TV and BetaRecordsTV.com airing nationally November 2008 and stay tuned for news on her budding music career.

Hollywire: How do you like living in LA?
Brittany Burton: I really love living in LA, the weather is perfect and you have the best of all worlds, the beach and mountains close to you! I obviously really miss my family, but other than that living in LA has been a great experience!

HW: What are your plans for the holidays?
BB: I am going home for the Holiday’s!! Which means back to cold Ohio! I will be there through the New Year s I can spend it all with my family and friends back home.

HW: Any news about your music career?
BB: My music career is in the works! I am working with a lot of great producers, and have one project in particular I am really excited about, and as soon as I can fill you in on the details I will, but for now it is hush hush!

HW: What can we expect from your new TV show BETA TV RECORDS when it comes back in 2009?
BB: This year on Beta Records TV we are going to have lots of interesting new interviews with signed and unsigned acts, behind the scene looks at the latest fashions, and some cool new segments!!!!

HW: Do you have a New Year’s Resolution?
BB: My New Year’s Resolution is to take advantage of every day and every opportunity!! To live!

So, we just so happened to run into Michael Copon and his publicist Steve at Katsuya in Hollywood last night.  While we felt a bit rude for interrupting their dinner, how could we possibly have passed up this opportunity?  We HAD to ask him about all the rumors swirling through Hollywood about him portraying Jacob Black in the next Twilight film: New Moon.  Michael was a good sport and he gave us the low-down on all the rumors.  Watch & enjoy!  (Oh, and in case you’re wondering, that’s ‘Albacore with Crispy Onions’ that he’s munching down on–delish!)

Well, there you have it straight from the source.  What do you think?  Is Michael Copon the right man for the role of Jacob Black? Should Summit Entertainment cast him? You know we think he’s a hottie and can pull it off! But it looks like Taylor Lautner is beating out Michael in an online poll started by MTV for the next Jacob. Hurry and vote here, so our boy Michael wins!

So, last Friday morning, I thought I was walking into a “photo opportunity.”  That’s what the media alert said–Carl Reiner; live recording; photo opportunity; blah, blah, blah…  Well, I got my pictures, but I also got so much more…

I got to sit down to do a one-on-one interview with Hollywood legend, Carl Reiner.

Most of you will remember him as ‘the old guy who fakes the heart attack in Ocean’s 11,’ as my friend said, or you might know that he is Rob Reiner’s dad.

Believe me, there’s A LOT more to Carl Reiner than Ocean’s 11, 12, & 13.  He’s been in Hollywood since it’s beginning, so you can imagine he had some amazing stories to tell.

• He saw the transformation of Broadway from being where it’s at to movies taking the star spotlight.  He said no one wanted to do movies at first.  Why would they when you had to wait so long to receive your reviews?  Everyone much preferred the instant gratification of Broadway–live performances and live audiences.

• Carl’s proud to have voted for both Roosevelt and Obama–and couldn’t imagine not taking part in such Historical elections.

• He drove a Hybrid car before Hybrids were hip.  In fact, back in the day, he said he traded in his Lincoln to drive a Honda.  All of Hollywood would laugh at him and ask him why he drives around in that little car and he’d let’em know he was helping to save our air quality.

Anyhow, not only did I get to interview Mr. Reiner, I got to call up my grandmother and brag about it afterward:

‘Guess who I interviewed today?  … Carl Reiner…‘

My grandmother’s reply: “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

So, bragging and pride in impressing my grandmother aside, I did meet Carl Reiner for a reason.

He was recently approached by Michael Viner of Phoenix Books about his bio-novel, Enter Laughing–Viner wanted Carl himself to read Enter Laughing for an audio-book version of his now 51 year old bio-novel.

This comedic, semi-autobiographical novel, based on Carl’s entrance into Hollywood at the age of 17, has had almost as long of a life as it’s author.  The 86 year old award winning actor/producer/director/writer wrote this book in his 30s and he said he never thought he’d be reading it 50 years later!

And what an amazing 50 year run this bio-novel has had!

A few years after it’s publication in the late 50s, it was adapted into a Broadway play and ran for 419 performances (and earned Alan Arkin a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor); in the late 60s it was adapted into a screenplay and became a movie; then it was also used as the basis for a musical; and now in 2008, it’s been adapted into an off-Broadway musical, again, and the New York Times is praising the musical as “hilarious.”

The interesting part about this novel’s huge success is that Carl said it was the first novel he ever wrote.  He was not a writer.  In fact, the only reason the novel came about was because he just wanted to see if he could still type!

He said that he was a teletypist in World War II and he was just curious as to whether he still remembered the skill.  So, he got out his typewriter and typed up a few short stories.  He then showed these stories to a friend.  (I think he said the friend just so happened to be the head of Simon & Schuster. )

Well, the friend thought his stories were pretty good and told him he should write a novel.  He was surprised and said he’d never written a novel before.  The friend said, “Just pick one of these short stories and make it longer.”  Carl told him that he’d need a deadline because he worked better under pressure.  He was given 3 months and wha-la!  Enter Laughing is finished and becomes a huge success!  First novel ever and he writes it in 3 months–amazing.

Pretty inspiring, huh?  Makes you wanna just go out and DO SOMETHING… maybe follow that little inspirational thought in the back of your head because you just never know when little sparks will turn into momentous successes.

Carl’s audio version is set to launch in January of 2009.  If you can’t wait for that, then you can always read the old fashioned way by buying the actual novel. (So 1990s, I know.)  You can also rent the 1960s movie adaptation.  And, also in January of 2009, the musical will be re-debuting.  Myself? I’m hoping for an audio release on iTunes in January!

Award-winning R&B-Soul Solo Artist Jd Webb Releases Hot Christmas Single

Noted as a “prolific songwriter” by both Rolling Stone and CCM Magazine and an esteemed recipient of Billboard Magazine’s “stamp of approval,” Jd Webb has already shown his significance in the music industry. He has been critically-acclaimed with his former group projects, one of which was the popular band Raze. He has performed before tens of thousands at soldout tours in the United States, as well as internationally.

Webb’s music career has been quite a journey and after much tenacity, now, Webb has recorded his debut solo project and as a multi-faceted artist with the ability to cross all generational, cultural and social boundaries through his songs. Jd’s sound is R&B-Soul with a pop sensibility.

Now, after being courted by major labels, Webb has decided to pursue his solo career through the new record label Infinite Music Group. Prior to the release of his self-produced debut solo album, “The Introduction,” set for release February 10, 2009, Webb will be nationally releasing a Christmas single titled, “Everything I Need This Christmas,” to be released November 28, 2008.

Webb says, “I wanted to write a Christmas song because I felt like there weren’t many R&B-Soul songs out there during this time of year. The song is called ‘Everything I Need This Christmas’ and it’s about having the people you love around during the holidays– to me that’s what Christmas is all about, the simple things like loved ones getting together.”

Sounds good to us!

For more information on Jd Webb, please visit www.jdwebbmusic.com, www.myspace.com/jdwebbmusic or his label www.infinitemusicgroup.com.

Interscope American Music Awards Afterparty

Lady Gaga singing

All I have to say is Marlon Singleton and Laura Wright came with it at this Hollywood event… as Laura said to me this afternoon… ’she was trying to bring the east coast vibe here to LA cuz all the events here just seem to all be the same….. ‘They had Lady Gaga perfrom and oh did she kill it!! Can we say HOT HOT HOT! Wow, was I taken by Miss Lady Gaga’s performance at the AMA Interscope afterparty ! There were some celebs that came out to support the night…. JC Chasez , T Pain, Colby Odonis, Enrique Iglesias, Tyrese, Bai Ling, Tila Tequila and show openers “LMFAO” were all there !

Soon after, one of our fav’s Tila Tequila came by…. Guess who she arrived with? For the last couple of months she has been arriving at these events with on and off girlfriend Courtenay Semel.Everyone asked the obvious question…Are you and Courtenay back together? Is she your girlfriend?

Tila’s response: “I don’t know are we? (looking at Courtenay) She’s fabulous. I love my GIRLFRIEND. We hate the media. They always scrutinize us. So F**k the media!”

i heard that Enrique Iglesias was there and saw a pic of him on wireimage though i didnt see him at all… He’s on interscope and has been for years so i’m sure he was there to support his label and those that work at the label.

Lady Gaga closed out the night… i watched it with Wil I AM from the black eyed peas who was loving the show and had all kinds of flirtatous girls all over him.

T Pain and Orlando Brown

Tila Tequila

Tyrese

Michael Copon got a little more than he bargained for at the Celebrity Build-A-Bear event! Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott’s son, Liam McDermott, reached out and “touched” someone while building his Dinosaur. The someone: Michael Copon. Michael was a really good sport; but, really, who wouldn’t be? This kid is adorable.

You can own Michael’s, Tori’s, or other stars bears by bidding on them here!

Here’s a bit of footage of the happy Spelling-McDermott clan at Build-A-Bear:

Dean McDermott gets our vote for cutest dad of the month, because how adorable is he with the baby wipes in his back pocket? 

Want to have a chance at owning one of the celebrity built bears? Click here!

Taylor Atelian

Actress, singer, and dancer Taylor Atelian will be returning to star as “Ruby,” the daughter of Jim Belushi, on the eighth and final season of the successful ABC comedy series “According to Jim.” After seven seasons, the show will begin airing its final season on December 2, 2008. Taylor has essentially grown up in the spotlight, charming audiences for the past eight years of her life on television. At five years old, she landed the role of “Ruby.”

“Being on this show has been the most amazing experience for me,” says Taylor. “I consider this cast to be like my second family, I have grown up with them, and it has been such an honor to work with them for so long. I am sad to say goodbye to everyone and to finish up the series, but I am excited for what is coming up in my career.”

As you may know, “According to Jim” centers around and stars Jim Belushi as “Jim,” the husband who has it all and then some, his gorgeous wife Cheryl (Courtney Thorne-Smith), whom he challenges with his stubborn manliness but contagious charm, his three pre