The Graduate star is going to give directing a try!
Dustin Hoffman is in negotiations to direct Quartet, a movie about a retirement home for opera singers in England starring Dame Maggie Smith and Albert Finney. The movie is based on a 1999 comedic play of the same name.
Sounds like a bit of a snoozefest to us.
But he is 72 — makes sense he's directing an old people movie!
[Image via Zibi / WENN.]
Another one of Love's loves bites the dust! After publicly fawning over each other for the past year, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy are officially dunzo, confirms...MTV News crew met with WFP's Louis Hamann to see how food donations are being distributed in Haiti.
By Gil Kaufman
Sway and members of the World Food Programme visit a haitian home
Photo: MTV News
Haiti faces untold challenges as the Caribbean island nation tries to dig out and recover from the devastating 7.0 earthquake that leveled thousands of buildings and killed more than 200,000 in January. In addition to medical attention and shelter in advance of the rainy season, one of the most crucial needs continues to be food aid to the millions of Haitians left homeless in the wake of the disaster.
MTV News returned to the island in late February to follow the trail of some of the more than $65 million raised during January's "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon. We dropped in on staffers from the 50-year-old United Nations World Food Programme, which delivers life-saving food to victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters across the globe.
Even before the quake, conditions were desperate in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, with poverty and hunger already rampant. But the destruction of so many homes, businesses and government buildings made conditions even more dire for the chronically hungry and impoverished. MTV's Sway traveled to Haiti to document the work of the WFP, applying stickers to a few 110-pound bags of urgently needed rice to follow their path to hungry Haitians.
Surrounded by bags of food in the port of the nation's devastated capital, Port-au-Prince, WFP's Louis Hamann said the organization has brought in about 25,000 metric tons of food (around 55 million pounds) to date. "It just gives you an idea of how massive this operation is for us here in Haiti," he said, noting that the $58 million grant from "Hope for Haiti Now" has helped the organization buy, ship and distribute the food aid to those most in need, possibly for the next year.
Rice is an obvious first-choice staple to distribute because it is easy to store, cook and share and a little goes a long way. "The reason that it's only rice right now is to make sure that we reach everybody quickly and efficiently [and] calm down the food situation in Port-au-Prince," said Hamann, who added that the plan is to move to a "more traditional basket" of food items featuring staples of the Haitian diet in the next weeks and months.
Sway also visited a massive staging area where trucks were loaded up with bags of rice that were delivered early in the morning to the sea of refugees set up in a temporary tent city inside the Sylvio Cator Soccer Stadium near the island's capital. As the thousands inside the stadium lined up for food aid early in the morning, they were quickly joined by thousands more looking for rice, an example of the more than 3,000 families that line up every day in just one location to haul away the heavy bags.
MTV's crew then followed one of those families as they carried a bag back to their crumpled home, a pile of rubble and twisted metal, where the rice would be cooked over a makeshift carbon stove by widowed mother Myrthile Joseph.
"Thank you to everyone that donated for Haiti from all over the world," said a grateful Joseph. "Thank you for the distribution that is going to the people in need."
Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.
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Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett wants everyone to know that she's OK. She recently went public about her struggle with depression following the birth of her and husband Hank's son, Hank...MTV News crew met with WFP's Louis Hamann to see how food donations are being distributed in Haiti.
By Gil Kaufman
Sway and members of the World Food Programme visit a haitian home
Photo: MTV News
Haiti faces untold challenges as the Caribbean island nation tries to dig out and recover from the devastating 7.0 earthquake that leveled thousands of buildings and killed more than 200,000 in January. In addition to medical attention and shelter in advance of the rainy season, one of the most crucial needs continues to be food aid to the millions of Haitians left homeless in the wake of the disaster.
MTV News returned to the island in late February to follow the trail of some of the more than $65 million raised during January's "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon. We dropped in on staffers from the 50-year-old United Nations World Food Programme, which delivers life-saving food to victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters across the globe.
Even before the quake, conditions were desperate in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, with poverty and hunger already rampant. But the destruction of so many homes, businesses and government buildings made conditions even more dire for the chronically hungry and impoverished. MTV's Sway traveled to Haiti to document the work of the WFP, applying stickers to a few 110-pound bags of urgently needed rice to follow their path to hungry Haitians.
Surrounded by bags of food in the port of the nation's devastated capital, Port-au-Prince, WFP's Louis Hamann said the organization has brought in about 25,000 metric tons of food (around 55 million pounds) to date. "It just gives you an idea of how massive this operation is for us here in Haiti," he said, noting that the $58 million grant from "Hope for Haiti Now" has helped the organization buy, ship and distribute the food aid to those most in need, possibly for the next year.
Rice is an obvious first-choice staple to distribute because it is easy to store, cook and share and a little goes a long way. "The reason that it's only rice right now is to make sure that we reach everybody quickly and efficiently [and] calm down the food situation in Port-au-Prince," said Hamann, who added that the plan is to move to a "more traditional basket" of food items featuring staples of the Haitian diet in the next weeks and months.
Sway also visited a massive staging area where trucks were loaded up with bags of rice that were delivered early in the morning to the sea of refugees set up in a temporary tent city inside the Sylvio Cator Soccer Stadium near the island's capital. As the thousands inside the stadium lined up for food aid early in the morning, they were quickly joined by thousands more looking for rice, an example of the more than 3,000 families that line up every day in just one location to haul away the heavy bags.
MTV's crew then followed one of those families as they carried a bag back to their crumpled home, a pile of rubble and twisted metal, where the rice would be cooked over a makeshift carbon stove by widowed mother Myrthile Joseph.
"Thank you to everyone that donated for Haiti from all over the world," said a grateful Joseph. "Thank you for the distribution that is going to the people in need."
Learn more about what you can do to help with earthquake-relief efforts in Haiti, and for more information, see Think MTV. Visit HopeForHaitiNow.org or call (877) 99-HAITI to make a donation now.
Related VideosAnother one of Love's loves bites the dust! After publicly fawning over each other for the past year, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy are officially dunzo, confirms...Late actor's name was found on a fraudulent prescription obtained through a drug ring, authorities tell the AP.
By MTV News staff
Corey Haim in 2009
Photo: Joey Foley/ Getty Images
Corey Haim may have been involved in a major drug ring that provided him with an illegal prescription for a painkiller, authorities told The Associated Press on Friday (March 12).
During an investigation of the ring, the California attorney general's office found records of the fraudulent prescription in the late actor's name. Law-enforcement officials were investigating the drug ring and whether Haim himself actually filed the prescription or if someone used his name to obtain it.
Haim was found dead Wednesday, but coroner's officials have not yet determined his cause of death. According to the actor's manager, preliminary reports reveal that he died of an enlarged heart with water-filled lungs. The Los Angeles County coroner told Haim's mother that the culprit was pulmonary congestion, manager Mark Heaslip said.
The initial buzz of what might have actually killed Haim came from the 1980s teen icon's decades-long struggle with drug addiction. Longtime friend and frequent co-star Corey Feldman asked Wednesday that people not "jump the gun" to conclude a drug overdose killed Haim.
Heaslip, manager to both Feldman and Haim, said he seemed to be winning his battle against drug abuse in the weeks before his death. Haim was "weaned down to literally zero medications" in the past two weeks by an addiction specialist, Heaslip said Wednesday on CNN's "Issues With Jane Velez-Mitchell."
The doctor "put him on a new line of medications," Feldman said on "Larry King Live" on Wednesday.
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There's no shame in begging—and begging and begging—right? If you happen to be American Idol castoff Todrick Hall, the answer is obviously no. "I'm...'It was just my time to go out with a bang,' she says.
Lilly Scott performs on "American Idol"
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images
Lilly Scott's name was often mentioned in the same breath as Crystal Bowersox's as this year's "American Idol" female powerhouses. Looks like Crystal has that title to herself now.
Scott seemingly had a ticket to the top 12 with her well-received take on Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces" and the coveted final performance slot, but her "Idol" journey came to an end, along with Alex Lambert, Katelyn Epperly and Todrick Hall, during Thursday's shocking results show.
We caught up with Scott on Friday (March 12) to talk about her surprise elimination, what's next and much more.
Q: After you were eliminated, you made it clear that you were frustrated. What was going through your mind?
A: Originally, trying out, I really just wanted to kind of break the mold and just kinda be that offbeat contestant that did exactly what I wanted to do. ... I definitely have no regrets in that department. But just kind of watching certain people make it into the top 12 that have not done so well over the past three weeks and then based on the judges' comments on my three songs the past three weeks, I was just kinda frustrated, just kinda feeling like my fanbase wasn't really there, even though the judges and producers seemed to love me. I was feeling like I had a great run on the show. So I guess my fans weren't there. So I guess that's why I said, "I don't know what America wants to listen to." But then again, my voting demographic is probably more of the underground scene who probably doesn't even own a TV, and if they do, they're probably out riding their bike or doing something more productive than watching TV, let alone "American Idol." I guess they just weren't voting and that definitely was my falter.
Q: Do you think singing the 50-year-old song "I Fall to Pieces" had anything to do with your downfall?
A: I picked that song because I love Patsy Cline. It really describes who I want to be as an artist. But, then again, the "American Idol" voting demographic is probably mostly tweens, and I'm sure they don't know who Patsy Cline is. So that probably affected me. But I'm staying true to my song choices and I'm definitely having no regrets. I just feel like maybe my fanbase and the audience I was playing to, which is the underground market, literally wasn't watching the show and just supporting me in their hearts and not actually voting, and there's the whole deal of maybe people just assumed I was safe and chose not to vote. Obviously, I really have no idea what happened, though.
Q: Did you expect to go home this early?
A: I did and I didn't. In the past years I have watched "American Idol," and it seems like every year, the person that I fall in love with goes home. And if that's because I see true artistry in that contestant or I don't know what it is, but I definitely feel like I got cut early. I knew that I could have done a great job next week with Rolling Stones, and I knew I could of really kicked butt in the top 12, but maybe I was just too off the wall for people or it was just my time to go out with a bang so I can still keep my indie cred [and] kind of do my own thing without having the "American Idol" label over my head.
Q: Do you know how close the vote was on Thursday?
A: No, they really don't let us know any of that stuff. It's actually really unfortunate, because I'm one to think, "Screw the establishment!" But I definitely would love to know the statistics. I don't want to think anything was rigged, but I would also like to know how many votes I really had.
Q: Who would be your dream collaborators?
A: I would love to meet Thom Yorke from Radiohead and people like Björk, just really like the king and queen of the indie world. They're really who I kinda strive to be like as an artist, and their fanbase is so huge, and they're so respected as artists. Just every album they put out, I would love to collaborate with someone like them.
Q: Did you ever consider singing songs by those artists instead of older choices?
A: I definitely considered that, but in a way, the producers swayed me against doing songs like that, because they're almost less well-known than people like Sam Cooke and Patsy Cline. ... I mean, they're 100 percent well-known to me, but I actually did try to do "Nude" by Radiohead — which is their top-charting song, more than "Paranoid Android" or older songs — so that didn't get cleared. I just figured, I love classic rock, and I'm going to try to make that my niche this season, but unfortunately, indie underground music isn't really ready for the big breakthrough, and I think that was kind of reaffirmed last night by me getting voted off, that America may still not be ready to have that kind of music in the mainstream.
Q: What do you see yourself doing in the music business now?
A: I definitely feel like I would fit in the big film and festival circuit doing things like Coachella and Bonnaroo and really just doing some mass touring. I know that I can have a whole entire different kind of audience coming out to shows if I did tour. Recording is definitely on my list of things to do. I know there's a fanbase out there for me that is loving what I'm doing .I just don't necessarily think that would be the "American Idol" voting demographic, so that's kinda what I worried about. Day one of being on the show, I thought I could break the mold, but I guess it's another season of the same old stuff. [Laughs.]
Were you sad to see Lilly go? Will you listen to her post-"Idol" music? Let us know!
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
Related Videos Related PhotosHe also addresses Ellen's metaphors: 'I probably won't be able to look at a banana the same way.'
By Katie Byrne
Alex Lambert performs on "American Idol"
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images
While Alex Lambert's nerves got the best of him during his early "American Idol" performances, the singer seemed to be getting on the right track, choosing perfect-fit songs by Ray LaMontagne and John Legend.
Unfortunately, Lambert fell victim to Thursday's shocking results night and didn't quite make the top 12, along with fellow castoffs Lilly Scott, Katelyn Epperly and Todrick Hall. We caught up with him Friday (March 12) to talk about his surprise elimination, what's next and much more.
Q: After you were eliminated, you said that you had more to show America. What did you mean by that?
A: When I said I want to break out of my shell and show America what I can do, man, honestly, every time I got up there, I couldn't even sing my best because I was so nervous, and I have a whole series of songs that I can sing that sound so much better than singing on the show. I don't regret anything, because it's the beginning of my career. I have never really been onstage before, so I think I did great for not having any experience.
Q: Do you think you'll be able to get past the nerves and have a music career?
A: I feel like I'm already past it. I feel like I just needed a few more weeks of just having a little bit more experience on that stage. ... It wasn't a nerve thing, because I would get up there and be comfortable and it felt right, but I didn't know how to look at the camera. I didn't know how to interact with the audience, because I had never done it before. I mean, definitely, it's something that I'll easily be able to get past.
Q: Did you get a chance to talk to the judges after the show?
A: They talked to me, and they pretty much told me that I need more experience. And it's true, but I felt like, vocally, it was my time. ... I didn't have enough experience on the stage is pretty much what they were telling me. They all know I have a good voice, and they told me I had a lot of future ahead of me.
Q: The judges have made a big deal about the contestants knowing what kind of artist they want to be. Do you know?
A: I know exactly what kind of artist I want to be. I really would like to do a bunch of acoustic stuff and I would also like some R&B tracks — a whole bunch of different stuff. I know my voice and what I can and cannot do, and I know what would sound good on what, and I believe that I could sound good on not only one genre of music; I could put it on anything.
Q: What helped you through the nerves? Did the judges help or your friends or ...
A: I would say it was all me. The only person who was going to help me overcome my nervousness and my stage fright was me, and it was all in my head. I could have gone up there and had a great performance, but in my head, I was thinking to nail the song vocally, and I wasn't really worried about performing, I guess. I never thought that the show was so much of a performing show as a singing competition. I had it in my head so much, like, "I want my vocals to be so much better than everyone else's." And I guess that's all. I lost track of the fact that this is a TV show.
Q: When the show came back from commercial after you were eliminated, things looked pretty emotional. What was going on?
A: A lot of people were talking to me and, yeah, it was emotional, because a lot of people weren't expecting the people that went home to go home. There's people in the top 12 that everyone thought was going home, and then when they found out it was me, that whole day I was nervous, and people were like, "Dude, why are you nervous? You have no reason to be nervous. You're going to be here." And then when I got cut, they were just like, "What?!?" And a lot of people that were upset were like, "I made it and he didn't?"
Q: Do you think if you'd made it to the top 12 you would have been encouraged to cut off your mullet?
A: [Laughs.] The stylists have already asked me if I wanted to cut it. I mean, even if they did tell me to — yeah, they probably would want me to cut it, but I wouldn't let them cut it. I wouldn't ever let them cut my mullet.
Q: What did you think of Ellen's constant banana metaphors?
A: [Laughs.] Well, I mean, I know it's all for entertainment, but it does make sense, I guess. I mean, I probably won't be able to look at a banana the same way.
Were you sad to see Alex go? Will you listen to his post-"Idol" music? Let us know!
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
Related VideosCLICK HERE to catch up on all the celebrity juice you may have missed this week!
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CLICK HERE to catch up on all the celebrity juice you may have missed this week!
CLICK HERE to catch up on all the celebrity juice you may have missed this week!
Mariah Carey sure knows how to stir the pot. The 39-year-old diva sent bloggers into a frenzy when she teased on the Oscars red carpet that she has "something special on the...
If they'd had their way, the prolific Hollywood burglar bunch would have been much more prolific. The six men and women accused of breaking into a slew of celebrity homes to steal...
Corey Haim is going home, and his family is hoping fans help pay for the ride. After being autopsied yesterday, the body of the '80s teen heartthrob has been released to his...'We did it again, Brooklyn,' Jay says in reference to Biggie's Source Awards speeches.
By Shaheem Reid
Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G.
Photo: Roc-A-Fella
Leave it to Jay-Z. On Thursday, Hov was in Brooklyn at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Barclays Center, the future home of the New Jersey Nets, the NBA team he co-owns. When it was Jay's time to speak, not only did he tell the crowd — which included Beyoncé, the Reverend Al Sharpton and the mayor and governor of New York — about the realizations of his own dreams, but Jigga also shouted out the other half of "Brooklyn's Finest."
"What I stand here and represent is hope for Brooklyn, New York City. I'm a son of Brooklyn, I'm from Marcy projects," Jay said. "I think about growing up in Brooklyn in the Marcy projects and shooting jump shots, thinking I can make it to the NBA. Now I stand here as an owner of a team that's coming back to Brooklyn. The pride in that, and bringing that dream so much closer for people, brings me so much pride I get a little nervous about it. But I'm very happy, very excited about this day. And we did it again, Brooklyn — shout-out to [Notorious] B.I.G."
The tail end of Jay's speech hearkened back to the 1995 Source Awards, where Biggie shouted out Brooklyn during his multiple acceptance speeches. After Jodeci presented him with Album of the Year, Big — wearing a white towel on his head — and a horde of others came onstage to address the crowd.
"I wanna give mad love to my daughter, my moms, my manager, Gucci, my wife," he said. "We did it, Brooklyn. We did it. All them sh--. [I won] all of them [awards]. One love to all y'all mutha----as."
The Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down in Los Angeles 13 years ago Tuesday.
Related ArtistsThere's no shame in begging—and begging and begging—right? If you happen to be American Idol castoff Todrick Hall, the answer is obviously no. "I'm...Film that documents the climb airs Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.
By James Montgomery
Justin Timberlake
Photo: MTV News
Justin Timberlake was there when his pal Kenna decided to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. In fact, he encouraged him to do it, and is "bummed" that his schedule didn't allow him to join his friend on the trek.
"Kenna and I, every winter, we find a place to go snowboarding, and we were up on a mountain somewhere, snowboarding," Timberlake told MTV News. "We got onto the lift, and Kenna was talking about how, before, he had tried to climb Kilimanjaro." And there, the idea for "Summit on the Summit" was hatched.
Unfortunately, due to work conflicts — the trek up Africa's highest peak was rescheduled several times and ultimately collided with Timberlake's filming for "The Social Network" — Justin didn't actually get to make the climb with Kenna. Instead, the likes of Lupe Fiasco and Santigold and actors Jessica Biel, Emile Hirsch and Isabel Lucas made the climb up Kilimanjaro, but Timberlake remained close to the action, getting daily updates on the trek.
"I was getting sort of a texting diary from day to day," Timberlake recalled. "And the one thing I heard was ... the hardest part was the last day, obviously, because not only were they climbing from 16,000 to 19,000 feet, but that extra 3,000 was really brutal, because of the altitude. And on top of that, I think they woke up at 2:30 in the morning and had to climb the last 3,000 feet. I heard from all of them that the last 3,000 feet, every breath counted. Every single time you could conserve oxygen, you could feel it. It really counted. ... I'm in awe that they did it. I'm really impressed."
Timberlake did record an introduction to the film that documents the climb — and highlights the global issue of clean water — called "Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro." The 90-minute doc premiered Wednesday night in New York and will air Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. And just because he didn't actually climb the mountain this time around, don't count him out just yet.
"I was bummed that I wasn't able to do it, because I thought it would be a cool thing to do. Maybe one day I will," he laughed. "But it's really an inspiring idea and an inspiring task, and I was very proud of everyone who was involved with it. ... It says a lot about all the people who were involved in the climb, that they were sort of willing to put themselves out there ... to have cameras on them 24/7 and to say, 'Well, if this has any effect on anyone who's watching it, or creates any type of awareness, and gets $10 from one person, well, that's amazing.' "
Tune in to "Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro" Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. And find out what you can do to help solve the global water crisis now at the "Summit on the Summit" Web site.
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STOOPID!!
We reported a few days ago that Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir was not invited to be a part of the Stars On Ice Tour, and he confirmed the news to be TRUE this morning!
Weir says:
“It’s for real. All because I am not family friendly enough. I understand I am a little outrageous but I wish I could perform for the fans. Maybe right now, just artistically and creatively, I’d love to have my own show, with musical acts, like maybe getting Lady Gaga! I don’t like to think there are any boundaries. Anytime you get men in glitter it’s flamboyant!”
Soo ridiculous!!
It's FIGURE SKATING!! It goes hand in hand with gay men!!
It would be like denying RuPaul the hosting position on Drag Race!! They BELONG together!!
Whatevs. We think Johnny should DEFINITELY do his own show!
We hope our GaGaloo gets wind of this!! Those two would look FIERCE together.
[Image via WENN.]
Careful Leonardo DiCaprio, you're diluting the Jewish race! Well, according to Jewish extremists you are.
On behalf of nationalist group Lehava, far-rightist Baruch Marzel wrote a letter to hottie Bar Refaeli urging her not to marry Leo.
Seriously. Marzel wrote to Bar:
"It is not by chance you were born Jewish.
Your grandmother and her grandmother did not dream one of their descendants would remove future generations from the Jewish people.
Assimilation has forever been one of the enemies of the Jewish people."
The representative of the group which seeks to prevent assimilation among Jews, then added that he "has nothing against Mr. DiCaprio, who I have no doubt is a talented actor."
Marzel pleaded again, adding:
"Come to your senses, look forward and back too - and not only the present.
Don't marry Leonardo DiCaprio, don't harm the future generations."
What the hell is he talking about? It'll be up to Leo and Bar if they have children and decide to raise them in the Jewish religion.
And we can bet their children will be gorgeous!
[Image via Ramey Pix.]
'American Idol' top 12 cheat sheet looks at James' strengths and weaknesses.
By Jim Cantiello
Casey James at the "American Idol" top 12 party
Photo: Jesse Grant/ WireImage
On Thursday night, "American Idol" revealed its Top 12 finalists for the ninth season of the hit show. MTV News "Idol" expert Jim Cantiello whipped up a handy cheat sheet for each finalist, breaking down each candidate's journey thus far. He also got the "Idol" hopefuls to weigh in when he caught up with them at Thursday night's Top 12 Party in Hollywood.
Casey James
During his audition, Casey James turned Kara DioGuardi and guest judge Victoria Beckham into slobbering schoolgirls when he happily took off his shirt at their request. And now the poor guy can't seem to get off the casting couch! For three weeks, the conversation around Casey has been more about Kara's crush on him than his viability as a music artist.
Best Performance: Casey showed an appealing vulnerable side when he warbled Bryan Adams' "Heaven," which sent DioGuardi into a disruptive tizzy. To James' credit, he was able to tone out the cougar's giggles and get through the song without incident.
Weakest Performance: Casey's "Idol" inexperience showed when he picked Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Want to Be" because it had been covered on "Idol" so often in the past. (You got that backwards, buddy.) Despite Casey's best efforts to switch up the song with added electric guitar riffs, his performance had the authenticity of a Pat Boone heavy metal album.
Tragic Backstory: When he was 21, Casey was involved in a life-threatening car crash. Doctors told him he'd never play guitar again. But Casey was determined to pick up the ax again, and now he's able to rock out whenever he wants.
Why He Will Win: Never underestimate the power of the cougar vote! And since Kara and "Idol" producers go out of their way to make references to his shirtless audition, expect those middle-aged women to continue dialing like mad.
Why He Will Lose: Casey's been coasting for three weeks. He has to step it up quickly or else Lee Dewyze will start stealing the horny housewife contingent.
What He Should Sing: Simon's already established that he doesn't have enough "grit" to pull off bluesy rock numbers, but we think he has enough soul to make Paul Weller's "You Do Something to Me" his "Idol" moment.
On Being A Sex Symbol: "It's not even a reality for me," he said. "It doesn't come into reality because I'm just the same dude I've always been. Casey James should be sitting at the house with his dogs chilling out right now, or at a gig."
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
Related Videos Related PhotosOur 'American Idol' top 12 cheat sheet looks at Stevens' strengths and weaknesses.
By Jim Cantiello
Katie Stevens at the "American Idol" top 12 party
Photo: Jason Merritt/ Getty Images
On Thursday night, "American Idol" revealed its top 12 finalists for the ninth season of the hit show. MTV News "Idol" expert Jim Cantiello whipped up a handy cheat sheet for each finalist, breaking down each specific "Idol" journey thus far. He also got the "Idol" hopefuls to weigh in when he caught up with them at Thursday night's top 12 party in Hollywood.
Katie Stevens
Katie Stevens is the latest in a long line of teenagers with powerful voices on "American Idol." So far, the Connecticut 17-year-old has struggled balancing her youthful age with her mature voice, but the voting public rewarded her with a spot in the top 12 anyway.
Best Performance: During week one, Katie dared to tackle "Feeling Good" even though Adam Lambert had a "wow" moment with the song last season. She almost succeeded.
Weakest Performance: Katie took a step in the right age direction by choosing a Kelly Clarkson song this week. Unfortunately, her uneven vocals on "Breakaway" exposed her youthful inexperience.
Tragic Backstory: Katie is very close with her ailing grandmother, who is struggling with Alzheimer's disease.
Why She Will Win: "American Idol" has a long history of successful teenagers with mature voices. David Archuleta and Diana DeGarmo made it to the finale, and Jordin Sparks won the whole enchilada.
Why She Will Lose: So far, Katie's performances have been more Lisa Tucker than Jordin Sparks.
What She Should Sing: Katie needs to embrace her youth and sing an uptempo song. "You Belong With Me" by Taylor Swift seems like a good start.
On Her "Older" Song Selections: "Jordin Sparks won and she was my age, and she got the same criticism that I've gotten, which is, 'You need to choose a younger song! Why are you choosing such old songs?' But you know what? I have to stay true to who I am. And I do sing older stuff. I have an older voice, I guess, for my age, so ... I'll young it up, but I gotta stay true to who I am."
What do you think of Katie's chances on "Idol"? Were you happy to see her make it to the top 12? Let us know!
Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' "American Idol" page, where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.
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