Posts Tagged ‘David E. Kelley’

Actor Dylan McDermott, best known for his work on the long-running ABC drama, “The Practice,” where he played a tough-talking Boston attorney, has found himself in the midst of his own real-life crime story. Just last week, police in Waterbury, Connecticut, reopened an investigation that has concluded that actor’s mother was killed in 1967 by her now-dead gangster boyfriend.

The investigation into the death of Diane McDermott was reopened last year after Dylan McDermott contacted them with questions. The actor was 5 years old when his mother was shot in February 1967. Her death was originally ruled an accident.

State medical examiner, H. Wayne Carver, reviewed McDermott’s autopsy and determined that the gun found near the body at the time of discovery was too small a caliber to have been the murder weapon. According to the official report, the wound also showed that the gun used had been pressed to the back of her head. This new analysis of the evidence enabled the investigators to draw a new conclusion.

In other news, McDermott was recently cast as a secret service agent in the upcoming action film Olympus Has Fallen, costarring Gerard Butler. The film will be directed by Antoine Fuqua. Variety reports that the story has been described as “Die Hard in the White House.” The film is expected to be released in the summer of 2014.

McDermott starred in the ABC legal drama, “The Practice,” from 1997 to 2004. The show took place in Boston, and was written by David E. Kelley, who was born in Maine, and attended Boston University Law School.

McDermott was born and raised in Waterbury, Connecticut.

On Thursday, July 14, the 2011 Emmy awards were announced, and more than a few New England connections were found, proving once again that Hollywood East has become a powerful force in the entertainment industry.

In the Outstanding Comedy Series category, “Glee” was once again nominated. The musical series was co-created by Newton native Brad Falchuk. The show will compete against the likes of “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” which stars Concord’s Steve Carell and Burlington’s Amy Poehler, respectively. Each were nominated for their own individual awards for Outstanding Actor and Actress in a Comedy. Poehler will compete against Laura Linney from “The Big C”, and series that has been shooting in Connecticut. Carrell will compete against fellow Massachusetts native, Matt LeBlanc, for his role on “Episodes”. The former “Friends” star originally hails from Newton.

On the drama side, Kathy Bates was nominated for Outstanding Actress for her role in the new “Harry’s Law”, yet another lawyer-themed show from the Boston-educated David E. Kelley.

“Glee” star Jane Lynch was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy. The funnywoman got married in Massachusetts in 2010.

Connecticut resident Tom Bergeron was nominated for Outstanding Reality Host in his role “Dancing With the Stars” ringleader.

The controversial Reelz channel miniseries, “The Kennedys” racked up a number of nominations, including Greg Kinnear and Barry Pepper for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie and Tom Wilkinson for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.

Brookline’s Conan O’Brien earned himself a little redemption, getting a nomination for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series for his TBS talk show, “Conan”. The late-night funnyman found himself hoisted from a short stint as host of the “Tonight Show” only to be replaced by its former host, Jay Leno in early 2010, only to reemerge on basic cable this past November. Leno and the “Tonight Show” did not receive any nominations this year.

For a complete list of the nominations, check out the official Emmy website. The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Sunday, September 18th, at 8 p.m. on Fox.

How do you like them apples?

David E. Kelley, the New England native behind such Boston-based shows as “Ally McBeal,” “Boston Legal” and “Boston Public” is back with the new NBC legal comedy-drama, “Harry’s Law.” The show, which premiered in January, stars Kathy Bates as the quick-witted title character who leaves her ho-hum career as a patent lawyer to open a criminal defense lawfirm in a rundown, Cincinnati shoe store.

Although “Harry’s Law” is not set in New England, the cast features Massachusetts native Nate Corddry as young attorney, Adam Branch. Corddry, is from Weymouth and was recently featured in the Improper Bostonian.

“Harry’s Law” creator, writer and executive producer, Kelley can boast deep New England roots. He was born in Waterville, Maine, grew up in Belmont, Massachusetts and his father is legendary Boston University hockey coach, Jack Kelley. He is known for setting many of his shows in Boston.

Kelley recently revealed that he promised himself after “Boston Legal” he would never do another legal show, but was anxious to write a topical show that touched upon the country’s economic recession.

“I felt the economic times had changed so dramatically that I’d like to get a voice in these more desperate times.  That gave rise to the idea of touching on disparity of wealth in this country.”

Next, Kelley is penning and producing NBC’s “Wonder Woman” reboot.  Production has already started on the show starring “Friday Night Light’s” Adrianne Palicki as the superhero and Elizabeth Hurley as villain, Veronica Cale.

It’s hard to believe the summer is almost over, and time for the networks to roll out their new fall shows. The 2010 fall line-ups, once again, will be packed with Hollywood East connections, including some new shows and old favorites.

New on ABC, “Body of Proof”, starring Dana Delaney, was actually filmed in Rhode Island, and follows the story of a medical examiner examiner who finds herself in conflict with the police she works with as she attempts to help solve crimes.  Episodes are still being filmed and extra casting opportunities are being handled by LDI Casting in Rhode Island.

On CBS, the one hour drama series “Blue Bloods”, costars Tom Selleck and Boston’s own Donnie Wahlberg as New York cops who also happen to be family members.

NBC, which ordered 13 episodes of a new David E. Kelley series, called “Kindreds”, has chosen to leave the legal drama off of its fall schedule and save it for a mid season replacement. Kelley, who attended law school in Boston,  is well-known for his string of Boston-based TV shows, including “Boston Legal”, “Boston Public”, “Ally McBeal”, and “The Practice”.

Returning favorites include Fox’s “Glee”, which was co-created by Newton, Massachusetts bred Brad Falchuk, will be returning with much advance hype about its sophomore season, with an episode featuring Britney Spears music already being discussed amidst the fandom.

On ABC, “Grey’s Anatomy”, which stars Everett’s Ellen Pompeo and Maine’s Patrick Dempsey, is entering its 6th season on the network. Word has it this could be the final season for the popular and successful medical drama.

On cable, Hollywood East will be represented significantly on Showtime, as Newton’s Matt LeBlanc will be starring in “Episodes”. The shot-in-Connecticut Laura Linney, series, “The Big C”, will also debut this season, after filming throughout the early part of the summer in southern Connecticut.

Anyone in the Boston area the beginning of this month most assuredly noticed a flurry of activity. The annual convergence of college students meant that close to 250,000 temporary townies of the academic sort moved in to local dorms and apartment complexes, no doubt eager for the school-year to begin. With the almost 50 colleges and universities located within a 10-mile radius of Boston, its not hard to believe that numerous celebrities of television and movies have at one time made a similar trek.

Boston College: The private Jesuit liberal arts school can claim movie actor Chris O’Donnell as an alum, as well as numerous television personalities, among them, Massachusetts natives Leonard Nimoy and Amy Poehler, as well as Rhode Island born Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

The polarizing conservative cohost on “The View”. The Fine Arts major captained the softball team for 2 seasons while also studying industrial design. Her athletic affiliations also aided her dating life; BC is where she met her football-playing husband Tim.

Harvard University: The Ivy League school has seen its fair share of star students. Tommy Lee Jones, Jack Lemmon, John Lithgow, Mira Sorvino, Wallace Shawn, and Conan O’Brien are just some of the super-smart celebrities who have at one time called Cambridge home. Most recently, Ashley Judd enrolled at the Crimson college, perhaps inspired by her Where the Heart Is co-star, Natalie Portman, who graduated in 2003.

Boston University: The fourth-largest private university in the country has more celebrity alumni than any other in the area. Movie stars like Geena Davis, Olympia Dukakis, Faye Dunaway, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Mariel Hemmingway are all on BU’s annual fundraising call-list. TV stars like Jason Alexander, Rosie O’Donnell, and radio shock-jock Howard Stern also walked its hallowed halls.

David E. Kelley, the Maine born and Belmont, MA raised writer and TV producer no doubt used his Juris Doctor from the BU School of Law, in addition to his experiences around Beantown for inspiration for his numerous successful Boston-based shows; “The Practice”, “Ally McBeal”, “Boston Public”, and “Boston Legal”.