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Congratulations, HBO: you just got us to care about football.
HBO’s new football dramedy “Ballers” premieres this Sunday, and, in case you hadn’t noticed, it stars one sexy hunk of a bald man: Dwayne Johnson. While we tirelessly perused promotional images of Dwayne (for work, we swear), it got us thinking about some of Hollywood’s other hot, follically-challenged celebrities.
Here, then, are nine Hollywood hotties who prove that you don’t need hair to be sexy. 
Word ’round the campfire is that Chris Pratt tops the wish list to be the next Indiana Jones – and for good reason.
The crazy-likable actor gets to show off his action hero bona fides in “Jurassic World,” which is all but a demo reel for how ready Pratt is to don the fedora and whip. In honor of his latest franchise hitting theaters this weekend, here are 5 reasons why he should headline another.
1. Fans Love Him
When rumors surfaced earlier this year that Pratt was linked to the role, the internet showed their generous support. Some went so far as to Photoshop Pratt’s face on Indy’s body (see below).
Someone just slap this image on a poster with a release date, please.
2. He Can Handle the Role’s Physical Demands
While Pratt has yet to be provided with a chance to really show off his dramatic range on the big screen, his two franchises -– “Guardians” and now “Jurassic” -– have given him plenty of runway to do what the original Indy, Harrison Ford, called “physical acting.” Namely, “running, jumping and falling down.”
Pratt is one of Hollywood’s most unlikely and welcomed action heroes; his ability to sell the demands of an action scene in a believable way, coupled with his charming on-screen presence, are similar to those Ford used to find great success in the role. As successors go, you could do so much worse.
3. Great Wit and Comedic Timing
Ford’s performance as Indy is just as iconic as the character himself. Among the many successful elements of Ford’s take on the character was his dry sense of humor. Indy doesn’t crack jokes per say, but he does offer humorous remarks or observations when faced with increasingly dangerous stakes. (Ford’s physical comedy is also shown to great effect in both “Temple of Doom” and “Last Crusade.”)
Pratt’s been making us laugh since minute one on “Parks & Rec,” and “Guardians” further proved that the comedic chops he developed there as a supporting character are even more effective in the role of leading man.
4. He’s Already a Member of the Disney Family
When your first attempt at leading man status, requiring you to appear opposite a talking raccoon and sentient tree, mints money at the box office, the studio responsible keeps you in mind for any and all future projects. With Marvel and Lucasfilm under the Disney umbrella, it’s understandable why the Mouse House would want to “keep it in the family” when it comes to casting Indy.
“Guardians” massively expanded the actor’s fanbase; Disney is surely banking on them to see Pratt as Indy like they did to see him as Star-Lord.
5. Spielberg‘s a Big Fan
During press rounds leading up to the release of “Jurassic World,” Steven Spielberg has gone on record praising Pratt for his movie star status. The filmmaker has spent years developing a fourth “Jurassic”; he wouldn’t have signed off on Pratt to be “JW’s” male lead if he didn’t see why audiences like the actor so damn much.
On top of that, according to Deadline, Spielberg would be more than happy to direct Pratt in an Indiana Jones movie – assuming the script meets his approval.
With the guy behind every one of Indy’s four adventures seemingly onboard with having the actor enlist for a fifth, it’s virtually a done deal.
Here’s hoping Pratt will soon get to sign on that dotted line.
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The last time Melissa McCarthy headlined a big-screen comedy it was “Tammy”, and… *rocks back and forth under the shower*
Thankfully, “Spy” marks a return to form for the actor, who reunites with her “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig to deliver a very funny, very inventive spoof on the spy genre.
McCarthy stars as Susan Cooper who, despite being scary-capable as a CIA field operative, spends her time parked at a desk, calling the plays for super agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). He gets all the glory and she gets all the, well, not that. But when Fine is seemingly murdered in cold blood by the big-haired villainess Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne), Cooper — armed with increasingly bad (and hilarious) false identities — is sent out into the field to stop Boyanov and save the world.
Still on the fence? Here are 5 reasons why you need to see “Spy” at least twice this weekend.
1. Jason Statham Steals the Show
The “Furious 7” villain skewers his perfectly-stubbled action hero persona to great effect in the role of Rick Ford, a self-proclaimed badass who rattles off a CV of impossible mission feats (“I once drove a car off a freeway, on top of a train, while I was on fire. Not the car — I was on fire!”) but shows up only to make a mess. Ford’s an average agent at best, who obliviously overcommits to his own manly myth, Statham is so surprisingly good with the character, that the role all but guarantees him a second career playing straight-man in future action comedies.
2. The “Face/Off” Machine Gag
Early on, Ford’s solution to stopping Boyanov/avenging Fine involves the machine last seen in the 1997 Nic Cage and John Travolta guilty pleasure. Ford insists that the CIA has the “Face/Off” Machine somewhere and has been holding out on him and now I can’t stop snorting/laughing.
3. Susan Cooper’s Identities
After a rocky first act, “Spy” really kicks in once Cooper is put in the field. Instead of giving her a super-cool or suave cover story, Feig and co-writer Katie Dippold wisely pile on one ridiculous fake identity after another. McCarthy is at her best when first coming to terms with these IDs, which her character is sometimes forced to change the details of on the fly to accomplish the mission. These moments give McCarthy some of her best scenes, and the filmmakers use them to double-down on their commitment to successfully outdoing what came before.
4. Any Scene With Rose Byrne and McCarthy
To get close to Byrne’s villain, McCarthy must improv an identity of her own, that of a snarky, “don’t give a f!@#” accomplished bodyguard. And the back-half of the film gets the most mileage with their pairing, featuring the two trading snarky insults and furthering a running gag about Byrne’s elaborate mane of hair. Byrne plays it straight and bitchy, and McCarthy gives her no quarter — the only problem with their scenes is that you wish there was more of them.
5. That Ending (SPOILERS!)
Don’t read past this point of you don’t want to know how the movie ends. Seriously.
Still here? Okay, but you’ve been warned.
Cooper discovers that Fine is alive, but once again facing down the barrel of a gun. To his surprise, she confesses her love for the guy to save his life. And not in a cheesy, drawn out way — but with a surprising amount of emotional honesty.
When Cooper saves the day, the movie paves the runway for a big “embrace and kiss” moment when Fine finally confronts Coop about her feelings. Instead, the script wisely subverts that cliche for a much more earned beat. Coop isn’t a character who needs a romance with a man to make her life better as a woman. By the end of the film, she accepts who she is and what she can do — often being much better than her male peers at doing it.
Any R-rated summer comedy that ends on such a refreshing note deserves your box office dollar.
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It seems like every actor working in Hollywood with a few hours to spare appeared on an episode of “Entourage” at some point. The HBO hit had dozens of cameos and guest stars throughout its eight-season run, so if you weren’t cast as a client of Ari Gold’s or a Vincent Chase hook-up, apparently you were nobody in the mid-2000s. The “Entourage” movie hits theaters this week and is set to be chock-full of famous faces. Before the boys are back on the big screen, look back at some memorable (and not so memorable) cameos from “Entourage”s star-studded history.
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Ballers,” this June. Let’s go back and revisit this charismatic entertainer’s Hollywood career in photos for this week’s edition of #TBT. Just look at that smile. (And that sweet vest-with-no-shirt ensemble.) What’s not to love?
