41 Johnny Depp Saves Courtney Love
In 1995, Johnny Depp saved Courtney Love’s life after she overdosed outside The Viper Room nightclub in Los Angeles, performing CPR on her until paramedics arrived. His actions helped revive her at the scene before she was rushed to the hospital for further treatment.
42 Tom Hanks’ Community College Beginning
Tom Hanks is a big fan of community colleges because his poor high school grades and lousy SAT scores sent him to Chabot College, a nearby community college that accepted everyone and was free at the time. Those two years at Chabot gave him an affordable way into higher education and helped launch the career that made him one of Hollywood’s most famous actors.
43 Steve Allen’s Fatal Hidden Injuries
When another driver backed into comedian Steve Allen’s car in a minor accident, he joked, “What some people will do to get my autograph,” and went about his day, even taking a nap at his son’s home. He never woke up, because the crash had broken his ribs and pierced blood vessels, causing fatal internal injuries.
44 Steve McQueen Misses Tate Murders
In 1969, Steve McQueen was supposed to attend the dinner party where the Manson family later murdered Sharon Tate and others. He skipped the gathering after he “ran into a chickie,” and that act of infidelity ended up saving his life.
45 De Niro’s Citizenship Draws Protest
When Robert De Niro was in the process of receiving Italian citizenship, the Italian American group Sons of Italy publicly opposed the move. They argued that his many portrayals of criminals in films had damaged the public image of Italians.
46 Pierce Brosnan’s Tragic Rise Story
Pierce Brosnan grew up poor in Ireland after his father left and his mother moved to London for work, and he was raised by relatives before being sent to a boarding house. He studied painting, joined a circus act as a fire eater, and was first discovered as an actor when playwright Tennessee Williams chose him for a stage role, which launched his career. Both his first wife, Cassandra, and his daughter, Charlotte, died of ovarian cancer, in 1991 and 2013, respectively, leaving him with two devastating family losses.
47 Keanu Reeves Wins Paparazzo Lawsuit
In March 2007, paparazzo Alison Silva slipped while taking Keanu Reeves’ picture outside a clinic in California and later sued the actor for assault, claiming Reeves had hit him with his car. The case took about 18 months to reach a Los Angeles trial in 2008, and the jury deliberated for only about an hour before dismissing the lawsuit and clearing Reeves of liability.
Latest FactRepublic Video:
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
48 Anthony Hopkins Finds Lost Petrovka
In 1971, Anthony Hopkins searched all over London for a copy of “The Girl from Petrovka” after he was cast in the film adaptation and wanted to read the source novel. Unable to find it, he headed home and spotted a manuscript of the book left on a bench, which later turned out to be the author George Feifer’s own copy that had been in a stolen car and dumped by the thief.
49 Jack Black’s Seismic Tribute Performance
In 2011, Jack Black was performing “Tribute” with Tenacious D at a Foo Fighters show in Auckland, New Zealand, when the crowd bounced so hard that the shaking registered on local seismic monitors like a small earthquake. Media reports later noted that the first tremors were picked up during Tenacious D’s support set and grew even stronger once Foo Fighters took the stage.
50 Robin Williams’ Lost Trekkie Role
In the early 1990s, Star Trek: The Next Generation writers created the role of Berlinghoff Rasmussen in the episode “A Matter of Time” specifically for Robin Williams, imagining him as a fast-talking, car-salesman-style time traveler who is really a con man. Williams had to decline the part because he was filming Hook, so another actor ultimately took on the role instead.
RE: Fact #48 (Anthony Hopkins Finds Lost Petrovka) – He came up with a pretty solid cover story for that theft.
You just won’t believe how cool Anthony Hopkins is. Like, if he’s standing over a guy bleeding with a knife and the guy screams “Anthony Hopkins just stabbed me!” I’d still want to hear him talk.
RE: Fact #42 (Tom Hanks’ Community College Beginning) – Thanks for sharing, we really need to stop stigmatizing these schools. I mean, so many people who could totally thrive in community college or trade schools end up getting buried in loans just to go to a 4-year.
Totally agree. I messed up a lot in high school. Community college literally gave me a second chance. I got my associate’s in two years, transferred to a four-year school, finished my CS degree in two years, landed a job in NY, and barely owed any debt. Community college is a hidden gem if you actually take it seriously. The easiest way to finish a four-year degree with way less debt.
I’m taking night classes at a community college using my GI Bill. It’s been 20 years since I last went to school, and the four-year universities near me wouldn’t accept someone like me—had to be right out of high school or transfer from another college. I think they’re just afraid their dropout rates would go up if they let in people who aren’t committed. If you’re a veteran reading this, grab your Post 9/11 GI Bill. You don’t pay a dime. If you take seven credits or more per semester, you get money for books and a housing allowance for an E-5. Wish I’d started sooner. It’s actually easier than it sounds.
Here’s a few things you should know. The textbooks you’ll be using are exactly the same. A lot of the people you’ll meet at a community college go on to big universities. Where I transferred, 95% of the students who transferred finished their undergrad. The difference between a community college and a big university is often just 25 pages of homework instead of 10. A lot of community colleges were started as feeder schools for universities. My point is, if you do well at a CC, don’t be scared of transferring to a university for your undergrad.
RE: Fact #2 (Werner Herzog Saves Joaquin Phoenix) – this guy made a movie about moving a steamboat over a mountain, and that’s exactly what he did – just to make the movie. i’d listen to what he’s got to say
and he put up with kinski’s sh*t for years, so yeah, maybe he is god
herzog knew what he was getting into with kinski, they’d worked together before. and get this – herzog was supposed to be on a flight that crashed, but his team cancelled it. he made a movie about the survivor, juliane koepcke, later on
fitzcarraldo’s one wild movie, and there’s a whole doc about it called burden of dreams. i met the director, les blank, in film class once
i looked up fitzcarraldo and found out the original star got sick, so herzog hired kinski – and they’d already had some major beefs on other movies. the chief of some tribe even asked herzog if they should off kinski for him, but herzog said nope
i think it’s even crazier he was able to work with kinski without losing his mind
some native tribe leader asked herzog to take care of kinski for him, if you know what i mean
RE: Fact #27 (Ian McKellen’s Radio Coming Out) – I actually went to one of his Q&As years back, and he totally announced himself as ‘Gandalf the Gay.’ What a legend, seriously.
RE: Fact #4 (Ben Affleck’s Hidden Slave Ancestor) – Huh, it’s actually pretty common on ‘Finding Your Roots’ to find out one of your ancestors owned slaves. Clearly, Ben hasn’t been watching that show.
It must be a real letdown when that’s the sole interesting detail they can dig up about your family on the program. I’ve watched episodes where one guest has this incredibly fascinating relative and story, but the other guest’s only notable family history is someone owning slaves. I genuinely feel bad for them in that spot.
That makes me think of the movie ‘Defending Your Life,’ where Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks visit a place to watch clips from their past lives. Streep watches a brave knight, while Brooks just sees some dude fleeing a lion. Meryl Streep asks, ‘What are you?’ and Brooks replies, ‘Dinner.’
I’ve only caught a couple of episodes, but I thought it was incredibly funny how they did one on Larry David and Bernie Sanders and discovered they were distantly related. This happened right when David was impersonating Bernie on SNL, too.
For the UK version, the crew handles most of the research up front. Sometimes, they’ve even chosen not to move forward with a segment because the family’s background just wasn’t compelling enough.
My family were landowners back in colonial South Carolina. It actually would have been pretty strange if they hadn’t owned slaves. I really don’t get why anyone would feel ashamed about what their ancestors did a century and a half ago.
Exactly. It’s not as if you personally committed those acts or even think they were a good idea.
My mom always had to be the special one, and I remember how annoyed she got when her family history just kept revealing more and more peasants and poor folks. Seriously, my family tree is like, 100 percent poverty as far back as she could trace. I guess being broke is just in my DNA.
Just a whole dynasty of billionaires who were only briefly out of favor, you know, the true American story.
My grandparents were sharecroppers. Not great-grandparents, I mean just regular grandparents, one generation back. So, welcome to the born-into-poverty club!
I had an aunt researching her family in the U.S. She just kept going further back, getting super excited, sure she’d find Founders in her lineage! And she did, kinda. Her first ancestor here arrived way before the Revolution. She was deported from England as an indentured servant, actually, because she was a thief and a common prostitute.
RE: Fact #13 (Ian McKellen Refuses Dumbledore Role) – can you imagine him playing both gandalf and dumbledore
and let’s not forget magneto the guy just got more badass with age
that’s what they call a neeson
my wife used to call them both gandaldorf i can only imagine how funny it would’ve been if ian mckellen played both roles
RE: Fact #24 (Three Actors Inside The Mandalorian) – This sort of thing is super common, actually. It’s often due to union rules or just crazy busy schedules. They’ll use a body or stunt double for shots where an actor’s face isn’t clearly visible. I can totally imagine that for a lot of Mando scenes, with characters in masks, it’s not the main stars we’re actually watching.
My guess is it’s way simpler to make a no-name double do a ton of takes. They can keep tweaking small body movements. That’s easier than asking a big star like Pascal for the same thing. I do wonder if it ends up cheaper, or how that plays into their pay.
RE: Fact #24 (Three Actors Inside The Mandalorian) – Aha! I totally called it! His a*s was always changing size, from plump one scene to kinda average the next. Turns out a body double isn’t always a booty double!
RE: Fact #31 (Quentin Tarantino Resurrects John Travolta) – Didn’t anyone remember Look Who’s Talking? For me, that was his big comeback!
Yeah, the 1989 film Look Who’s Talking was a surprise hit and a big one. A couple of sequels with John Travolta came after. He got an Oscar nod for Pulp Fiction, and then all those A-list movie roles followed. But honestly, you definitely can’t say his career was over back when Look Who’s Talking was happening.
Yeah does anyone remember Face Off? It was such a terrible movie, but in a way, really fun to watch. lol
RE: Fact #45 (De Niro’s Citizenship Draws Protest) – I don’t know why, but it just reminded me of the Italian-American Civil Rights movement, which was supposed to protest negative stereotypes of Italian-Americans. Run by Joe Colombo, head of the Colombo crime family, and used as a PR stunt to keep omerta going and maybe get his son out of prison.
Isn’t that also part of why Columbus Day is celebrated? It’s more of an Italian-American recognition than about colonization or founding the US.
Fair enough, there was a lot of prejudice against Italians for a long time. And both Italians and the Irish were treated really badly when they first arrived.
RE: Fact #38 (Billy Bob Thornton Actually Drunk) – Fun story, when I was about 9 my uncle wanted to take me to the movies since I was visiting him for Christmas. The movie we wanted to see was sold out, but he managed to get tickets for another one. 9 year old me wasn’t ready for what was coming.
These kinds of stories are what make me excited to be an uncle. Last night I was carrying my nephew up the stairs, swinging him back and forth, and accidentally hit his head on some hard wood. That’s how this uncle thing really starts haha.
My nephew loves when I flip him upside down and throw him over my shoulder. I did that after a big Chinese New Year feast. He threw up on my back.
I’m a grown man and almost gave my niece a header on a seesaw when she was four. Tbf, she did get some serious air.
I took my nephews to a baseball game in Tampa and taught them to Booo A-rod when he came up to bat because he’s a cheater. I guess in my own weird way, I gave them a solid lesson that day.
RE: Fact #48 (Anthony Hopkins Finds Lost Petrovka) – The whole of London would be a big task, depending on how you define it.
RE: Fact #41 (Johnny Depp Saves Courtney Love) – Nope, not another one! *starts doing CPR*
RE: Fact #46 (Pierce Brosnan’s Tragic Rise Story) – Let’s not forget how he was blindsided when he was replaced by Craig.
Wow I actually thought he stepped down because he was tired of the role and/or didn’t want to be typecast.
And before that, he was locked out of being Bond because of his Remington Steele contract. He only had a short window to land the role, but he did a solid job.
Yeah, he was. Way more likable than Craig’s dark vibe. Bronson was sharp and charismatic, Craig just isn’t.
RE: Fact #46 (Pierce Brosnan’s Tragic Rise Story) – His daughter Charlotte was the kid from his first wife, Cassandra. He adopted her and her brother after their dad passed in 1986. Their mom died in 1991 at 43. Charlotte passed away in 2013, she was 41.
And the mom of the wife also died from ovarian cancer. So three generations passed away from the same thing, yeah, pure genetics.
It sounds really bad, but if you can figure out it’s just genetics, then maybe adoption’s the way to go instead of passing those genes on.
RE: Fact #43 (Steve Allen’s Fatal Hidden Injuries) – I didn’t know he died that way. Wow,
He’s still asleep. Shh.
RE: Fact #30 (Dwayne Johnson Abandons FBI Dream) – I think he’s always wanted to be a pro-wrestler or entertainer, like his dad. But The Rock isn’t dumb—he knew he needed a backup plan if wrestling didn’t take off. Fun fact: Johnson’s first acting role outside the ring was playing his own dad in an episode of That 70s Show.
RE: Fact #32 (Woody Harrelson’s Vegan Zombieland Twinkies) – If he actually ate a real Twinkie, his tummy would be in full meltdown. That’s why I munch on sugary stuff every day, no worries about my stomach.
You can definitely eat a lot of sugar and still be vegan. Oreos are vegan too.
But he’s a raw food vegan so he doesn’t eat processed sugary stuff. If he tried eating a lot of oreos, that’d probably mess him up too.
Woody seems like he’s on a clean, vegan diet though.
RE: Fact #32 (Woody Harrelson’s Vegan Zombieland Twinkies) – I used to work as a sous chef at a vegan restaurant in a city that’s big on film shoots… and one day, a total mess showed up. One of the worst celebs I’ve ever cooked for — such a terrible person, lmao. A week later, I don’t know, maybe they were filming something together — Natalie Portman showed up and she was one of the most lovely and gracious celebs we’ve ever cooked for.
RE: Fact #17 (Ryan Reynolds Considered Canadian Bond) – Wow we would’ve got ‘License to Apologize,’ ‘Mooseraker,’ and ‘The Moose Who Loved Me.’ Then there’s ‘Maple Leafs are Forever’ and ‘From Nova Scotia, With Love.’ And how about ‘Maplefinger,’ ‘The Man with the Golden Syrup,’ or ‘On Her Majesty’s Mounted Service’?
RE: Fact #13 (Ian McKellen Refuses Dumbledore Role) – he added he’s already a fu*kng wizard
gandalf is way better than dumbledore
dumbledore is about as powerful as humans get in the harry potter world but gandalf is an angel from another plane of existence so it’s not even a fair fight
RE: Fact #45 (De Niro’s Citizenship Draws Protest) – I bet Italian Americans don’t really have much say in who gets Italian citizenship.
Plus, uh… didn’t the Italian mob already do what they’re saying De Niro did?
Ironically, they’re probably all eligible for citizenship thanks to Italy’s unique patrilineal descent jus sanguinis laws. Basically, anyone who can prove an unbroken patrilineal line of ancestry back to Italy can apply for citizenship based on that. I think that’s actually the same law De Niro used to get his own citizenship.
It only goes back to great grandparents if your great grandpa on your dad’s side was born in Italy — you qualify, I checked. I looked into it because my dad is second gen and I’m third, so I’m the last one eligible. I have a great grandfather still alive right now, 102 years old, but that’s my dad’s mom’s dad. Luckily, my grandpa’s dad was born in Italy too, even though he died in the 50s or 60s, I forget.
RE: Fact #14 (Nicolas Cage’s Stolen Superman Comic) – Seriously, selling an item this particular would be incredibly tough. It’s kept in a graded case with a unique serial number, so it’d be super easy to prove it’s stolen. There are only a handful left, and everyone in that high-end collecting world pretty much knows who owns them. Plus, even if you sell it for just 5% of its worth, you still need a buyer with 100 grand who wants to buy something hot that they can’t ever display or even talk about. That’s just not going to be an easy deal to make.
But hey, what about art thieves? I don’t know all the biggest heists out there, but there was this massive one in Massachusetts in the early 90s. The thieves actually dressed up like police officers. They handcuffed the guards, then went on to steal paintings worth tens of millions, really old vintage stuff. The weird thing is, they bypassed some far more expensive paintings in the gallery for others that were less valuable, though still worth a lot. I can only imagine this stolen art is now sitting in some rich person’s private gallery, never seeing the light of day outside their mansion.
Art crimes generally fall into three types. There are prepaid thefts, where the thieves are stealing specifically for a collector. Then you have impulse thefts, which are when the criminal doesn’t really have any plan in mind. And finally, there are long-hold thefts, where the art just sits hidden for decades. We’ve certainly seen some examples of impulse thieves, like this French guy who was a serial art taker. The person who stole the Mona Lisa is a similar case. For the long-haul individuals, maybe they originally wanted to keep the art for themselves, but then their family eventually sells it off. An example would be that Nazi art curator who stole pieces the Nazis had already taken. His son ended up spending his whole life selling that stuff off.
Could be they already had a buyer lined up specifically for those paintings they took. That would explain why they didn’t bother with some of the even more valuable pieces, right?
Yep, even if you manage to crack it out of its case, the book has already been graded and photographed. So if it had any particular mark or tiny flaw, it would be super simple to identify if it ever turned up. I actually have a video on my Instagram where I’m cracking open a case; I’ve got some other super rare, expensive comics there too.
Seriously, this isn’t difficult people. Just crack open the case. Rip the cover right off. Toss it on the floor and stomp all over it a bunch of times. Spill some coffee on a corner. Roll around on it in your sleep a few nights. Then send it to a grader. They’ll absolutely never find any old flaws or special marks from when it was first graded. Auction it off, and watch the cash just pour in.
RE: Fact #5 (Jason Segel’s Secret Superman Cape) – It’s really tough for me to buy these tales celebs share. It just screams marketing and PR, doesn’t it? Am I alone in feeling this way?
Yeah, this seems like an exaggeration. Does anyone actually believe he wore a Superman cape every day for ages, and his parents let it happen? It was probably just an occasional thing.
RE: Fact #32 (Woody Harrelson’s Vegan Zombieland Twinkies) – Compare this to Dana Hill, who was the daughter in National Lampoon’s European Vacation. There was one scene where she was having a dream and eating all kinds of sweets. She had type 1 diabetes, and to avoid hyperglycemia, the producers just told her not to swallow any of it.
As far as I know, that’s actually pretty common because scenes often get repeated, so they just use spit buckets. Can’t eat a slice of pizza every take.
Travolta and Tarrantino: If I recall correctly, Quinton had John meet him at home. Some less than posh apartment near Hollywood Blvd. Turns out John had lived in the exact apartment when he first got to Hollywood.
RE: Fact #2 (Werner Herzog Saves Joaquin Phoenix) – if i heard werner herzog’s voice after a car crash i’d think i was dead and talking to god or something
that same week herzog got shot with an air rifle during an interview and just brushed it off, kept on talking. no joke
he was on the meat eater podcast, talked about growing up in germany during ww2. his mom took him and his siblings to the mountains to stay safe, but they had to scrape by on basically nothing. the guy’s got a wild perspective on life, and he won’t waste a crumb
now i’ve got herzog’s voice in my head all day, and i’m kinda okay with that
RE: Fact #39 (Daniel Craig Rejects Sony Phone) – For five million quid, I’d still go with a Fisher Price pull-along phone with wiggly eyes and colourful string.
Bond: “Get me Scotland Yard on the line…” Also Bond: “Dammit, Moneypenny, get Q in here — there’s no connection.” Q: “You gotta connect the tail bit to the can on the other end and…” Moneypenny: “…press the nose.” Bond: “Right. … How do I even—”
I’d have gone dressed as a phone.
Apple’s bid was said to be really low.
Man, James Bond in Dial Another Day.
RE: Fact #30 (Dwayne Johnson Abandons FBI Dream) –
This is the grad degree problem. The last thing a fourth-year student with senioritis wants is to go back to school. And you’re definitely not as eager as you think to jump back in after spending time earning a living wage and having a steady routine.
The professor lied. My friend works at the FBI as a special agent and has a bachelor’s in physics.
Yeah I remember checking that up and they said science degrees like CS, EE, or math would be really well received. Criminology probably lands you near the bottom, next to political science or something like that. I did a quick google and it looks like CPAs and JDs are the most common hires, guess what.
RE: Fact #27 (Ian McKellen’s Radio Coming Out) – He mentioned always being out, like, super open about his sexuality. He had partners, they went everywhere in London during the sixties and seventies, and people were fine with it. But he never made a big deal, never even thought about marriage, civil partnerships, or joining the military. Some things were just off-limits, and he kind of just accepted it ’cause he was having fun as an actor. But when the British government enacted an anti-gay law in ’88, he knew he had to be more public. He said anyone who comes out publicly does it mostly for themselves, and their life instantly gets better. That was his experience. He thinks the world also becomes a bit better, too.
RE: Fact #41 (Johnny Depp Saves Courtney Love) – I went to The Viper Room when I was in L.A. a few years back. Way smaller than I thought it would be. A bit rough, honestly. Can’t even imagine how many drugs were done in that bathroom lol.
There’s a wall with a mirror on the back wall of the main room, and it’s a one-way mirror. There’s a little private room behind it, with a row of theater seats that face the club and the stage. I’ve seen shows from that room. It’s pretty cool.
RE: Fact #16 (Patrick Stewart’s Beavis And Butt-Head) – Man, Patrick Stewart is so fu*king cool. And seriously, he wasn’t just great in Star Trek. He was awesome way before that show, too.
From what I get, though, his years on that show really made a big difference for him. Supposedly, behind the scenes, he was known for being pretty uptight and stuffy at first. All the joking around on set really bugged him. That likely came from his theater background, where any messing around during a scene was taken very seriously, and also, I’ve heard, from a tough childhood. But somewhere along the way, while filming, he just started to chill out. Now, people see him as playful and funny. Being with people who were fine having fun with the work and didn’t take it too seriously probably had a huge impact. He mentioned that if he’d known from the beginning how long the show would go on, he might not have taken the part. But I bet his time there was like therapy in many aspects.
Yeah, I heard that same thing! He said his sense of humor really started to come out around season two or three.
He totally said he wouldn’t have taken the job if he’d known at the beginning how massive Star Trek would become. But then he also added it would’ve been the biggest blunder of his entire life. He wasn’t saying he regretted doing it; he just meant his personality when they started filming was totally different from how he was at the end.
RE: Fact #31 (Quentin Tarantino Resurrects John Travolta) – Some of Travolta’s falling off the radar in the 80s actually makes sense if you think about how he went all in on flying. He took his money from Kotter, Grease, SNF, and Carrie and basically became a commercial pilot. He owned his own 707 and Gulfstream. Travolta got an award from Chuck Yeager for his aviation work back in 1984. He had a total electrical failure while flying in IFR conditions into one of the busiest airports on the East Coast and nearly crashed after a bad call from the controller. You don’t get that kind of experience just flying around regional airports on weekends
I’d have thought if he really wanted to be a good pilot, staying on the radar would matter a lot.
RE: Fact #5 (Jason Segel’s Secret Superman Cape) – Looks like my five-year-old son still has some hope. Just yesterday, he wanted me to join his Superman game. Being a large, bald guy, my thought was to play Lex Luthor or General Zod instead. Nope, he absolutely insisted I play Lois Lane. We went on for about half an hour. He was in his Superman outfit, but pretty much acted like Clark Kent. He’d bring me these ‘reports’ he’d ‘typed’ and make me read them. I’d have to invent some news a five-year-old superhero fan would expect from a Metropolis newspaper, reading it all in my best Lois Lane impression. The worst part was when he didn’t like what was in the reports. He’d shout, ‘Nope, that’s not what it says, Lois Lane!’ And I’m like, ‘Listen, Clark, I’m just reading the report you gave me. If you don’t like it, write some better ones!’
Oh, that’s so cute! I can’t wait to give my future kid a hard time about their imaginary reports, playing a balding Lois Lane myself.
I truly hope my son and I have a bond like this, when I become a father.
RE: Fact #19 (Matt Damon Turns Down Avatar) – Everyone remembers Matt Damon from the Bourne movies, right? But try to name the main actor in Avatar. That’s a lot harder for people.
RE: Fact #38 (Billy Bob Thornton Actually Drunk) – Cool that they gave him some Bud Light to help him get sobered up a bit.
RE: Fact #43 (Steve Allen’s Fatal Hidden Injuries) – I was in a bad accident and somehow crawled out with just a sore neck. The EMT asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, and I said no because I was scared it would cost too much. Looking back, that was a stupid move. I’ve read about a bunch of people in my situation who ended up with serious injuries that showed up hours or days later—some even ended up in life-threatening situations. If you’re at all hurt in a car accident, go to the hospital and get checked out. At the very least, you want a record of any injuries so you can claim them on your car insurance. If you end up with problems later, good luck convincing the insurance company that they’re actually connected to the accident.
RE: Fact #42 (Tom Hanks’ Community College Beginning) – The more I find out about Tom Hanks, the more I respect him. He really seems like a good guy, I think.
RE: Fact #6 (Charlie Sheen Drives Affleck Rehab) – Wow, that must sting. You know things are bad when even Charlie Sheen’s telling you to clean up your life.
Is it kinda like John Belushi trying to tell Carrie Fisher she should ease up on the cocaine?
RE: Fact #11 (Matthew McConaughey’s Naked Bongo Arrest) – Seriously, weed isn’t going to get you that high. This dude was truly just having his own wild, free-spirited party.
It’s a good thing they’d finished all the acid before the police showed up.
Wow, that sounds like a really fun time.
RE: Fact #23 (Cushing And Lee Laughed Out) – You gotta love Christopher Lee. He just radiates this unbelievably tough vibe, even while catching some Looney Tunes.
A director was once trying to tell Lee how someone sounds getting stabbed. But Lee, with all his military experience, simply responded, rather bluntly, ‘I know what it sounds like when someone is stabbed in the back.’
He really had such an interesting life. He even saw the very last guillotine execution in France back in 1939.
RE: Fact #11 (Matthew McConaughey’s Naked Bongo Arrest) – That guy sounds super chill. He apparently said he “wasn’t raised to be in jail.” Then he asked, “What’s the big deal about drumming in your birthday suit?” and mentioned he had “no regrets” about getting caught.
RE: Fact #17 (Ryan Reynolds Considered Canadian Bond) – It’d be something like, ‘Sorry, but it’s Bond, James Bond. Sorry.’ Classic!
And then the iconic line, ‘Maple syrup. Shaken, not stirred.’ Love it!
RE: Fact #43 (Steve Allen’s Fatal Hidden Injuries) – A few years ago, my husband got T-boned by a kid who was texting. Our car was totaled but still drivable, so the officer who showed up asked him to move it. He did. The officer also asked if he wanted an ambulance, but he said no, he was fine. The officer tried to talk him into reconsidering, saying adrenaline can make you not feel injuries right away. My husband stuck to his story and said he couldn’t go to the ER because we had to get some papers notarized. After the papers were done, he started feeling bad and had trouble walking back to the car, so I drove him to the ER. Ended up with a concussion, broken ribs, and a pelvis fractured in three places.
I got into a bad wreck on the highway, slammed into the wall and totally destroyed my car. I was fine right after, but two hours later my whole body started hurting and my neck felt like it was broken. I was still okay, but it was kind of like I turned into a superhero from all the adrenaline.
I snapped my tibia playing rugby and kept going for a minute until I realized I shouldn’t be on my feet. It wasn’t until about 20 to 30 minutes later that I felt the awful pain of that broken bone.
RE: Fact #33 (Dan Aykroyd’s Vodka Meets Spielberg) – I was at a surplus store and found crystal skull bottles. The label said the liquor authority wouldn’t let them pass because of bad optics.
Sorry, but can anyone explain what this means? Like, bad optics on a bottle?
That’s the LCBO, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario. Used to be one of the only places you could buy alcohol in Ontario, Canada. They’ve got all these rules about how you market booze, and everything’s been sorted out now. They even sell tiny hotel mini-bar sized crystal skull bottles at the checkouts.
RE: Fact #33 (Dan Aykroyd’s Vodka Meets Spielberg) – It’s filtered through diamonds so you get some kind of magic power, but the only downside is it tastes like regular vodka.
The best part is herkimer diamonds aren’t actually diamonds — they’re just special quartz.
RE: Fact #27 (Ian McKellen’s Radio Coming Out) – Wasn’t he the one who accidentally shared something about Lee Pace in an interview a while back? Feels like he does that sometimes.
RE: Fact #14 (Nicolas Cage’s Stolen Superman Comic) – Wow, that specific Storage Wars episode was totally wild!
RE: Fact #18 (John Malkovich Saves Bleeding Stranger) – This struck me as pretty neat because in the show The New Pope, John Malkovich’s character is just torn up with guilt. His twin brother bled out and died, and it totally could’ve been stopped.
What’s that show like? I tried watching the first part of an episode, but I just couldn’t get into it. It just didn’t grab me at all. Turns out I was thinking of The Young Pope. I usually really like HBO stuff though, so maybe I’ll try it again, especially after hearing what others say. Just finished up The Borgias, so perhaps it’ll make more sense this time around.
RE: Fact #17 (Ryan Reynolds Considered Canadian Bond) – Could you even picture Leslie Nielsen as Q? That would be totally wild.
Picture Gordon Pinsent playing M, or Christopher Plummer might work too. Ryan Gosling could be that disaffected agent gone rogue, turning into a villain. Howie Mandel could totally play a bad guy as well.
Howie Mandel playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld? That would be absolutely amazing!
It would go something like, ‘007, I really must explain some of the special watch’s features.’ Then Bond would ask, ‘What is it?’ And Q would say, ‘It’s a device that tells the time, but that’s not what’s important right now.’
I’m not sure if that line came from a different movie, but it’s totally spot on, absolutely perfect.
RE: Fact #31 (Quentin Tarantino Resurrects John Travolta) – Travolta told this on Inside the Actors Studio. Tarantino originally wanted him for a vampire movie, but John wasn’t interested. He managed to get a meeting at Tarantino’s apartment — the one John used to live in. When Tarantino opened the door, John started listing all the features of the apartment and how he used to live there. That convinced Tarantino, and when the role opened up because Michael Madsen stepped aside, it went to John. Sometimes the planets and stars just line up for some people. Good call, honestly, because some of Travolta’s 90s films are actually really great.
RE: Fact #41 (Johnny Depp Saves Courtney Love) – It’s his club, so having another one right in front of the door is bad for business. But honestly, that’s really good on him.
I’d say the ODs are actually good for business. The only reason I know about this place is because of the OD deaths.
Even better for a business to hear the club owner did CPR and saved someone.
RE: Fact #10 (Christopher Lee Terrifies Italian Villager) – Christopher Lee was a total bad*ss
I’m pretty sure he could change a tire himself, I mean, I can do it and I’m no bad*ss
This was a long time ago, maybe he just didn’t have a spare
Maybe he just needed to borrow some tools or something
People always talk about how he told Peter Jackson what it’s like to get stabbed in the back, but I think what’s even cooler is that he was a metal singer. He released an album when he was 91 and it’s actually pretty good. I mean, I’m into old school metal and he’s got a great voice. Fu*k, he was talented
RE: Fact #6 (Charlie Sheen Drives Affleck Rehab) – A rehab place in Malibu? They probably rake in serious cash.
If I’m thinking of the right one, that’s probably Passages Malibu. They definitely pull in a lot of money, and it even got made fun of in Bojack Horseman as ‘Pastiches Malibu’.
When I lived in Ventura, those Passages Malibu TV commercials were on constantly. They were the first thing that came to mind for me too, which just shows how strong advertising can be.
Malibu’s actually been known for its rehab centers for ages.
RE: Fact #6 (Charlie Sheen Drives Affleck Rehab) – Man, you gotta be totally wasted to let Charlie Sheen drive.
RE: Fact #23 (Cushing And Lee Laughed Out) – It’s just so funny picturing Count Dooku and Grand Moff Tarkin absolutely cracking up at Bugs Bunny.
RE: Fact #34 (Clooney’s Haunted Lake Como Bet) – Fuck that… one bottle of wine is way off.
I agree man, that kind of stuff would fade fast, especially between two people.
I don’t care if he bet them to do it. All I care about is whether they actually did it.
The fact makes it sound like just one bottle of wine per person, the bet was per person, and both Pitt and Cheadle agreed to it. Clooney was about to blow 20k on that bet!
RE: Fact #23 (Cushing And Lee Laughed Out) – Somebody says, ‘You’re scaring the children!’ and the reply is, ‘LIKE HELL I AM!’
RE: Fact #28 (Keanu Reeves Rebrands John Wick) – “Forgotten?” I don’t buy that. I think he just didn’t like the name and figured it didn’t work well for a franchise. Scorn, Scorned, Scornedest Scorn 4 Ever, Scorn on the Cob, Scorn to Be Wild Little Boy Blue, Come Blow Your Scorn, Children of the Scorn, Nobody Puts Baby in the Scorner.
Scorn Scorn 2: Catalytic Shoot-a-few Scorn 300 Blackout 4 Scorn and Seven Tears Ago Scorn 5: Leave No One Alive
Yeah, same thing. Factrepublic fact: Catalytic Shoot-a-few Scorn 300 Blackout 4 Scorn and Seven Tears Ago Scorn 5: Leave No One Alive.
Hate the Fourth of July.
It’s a bad name. And if there’s any big human thing going on in the film, it’s definitely revenge, not scorn.
RE: Fact #44 (Steve McQueen Misses Tate Murders) – After Charles Manson pulled the trigger on five people, including Sharon Tate and Jay Sebring at Tate’s house on August 9, 1969, there was talk McQueen might have been a target too. His first wife said he started carrying a gun everywhere, even to Sebring’s funeral. Two months after the killings, cops found a hit list with McQueen’s name on it — his company had turned down a Manson screenplay. In 2011, it came out that Sebring had actually invited McQueen to the party that night. McQueen said he’d brought a girlfriend, but she ended up suggesting they just stay home for an intimate night — probably saved his life.
So it looks like Manson doesn’t handle criticism too well.
RE: Fact #38 (Billy Bob Thornton Actually Drunk) – Also in Czech, bad Santa is “Santa the pervert”.
RE: Fact #10 (Christopher Lee Terrifies Italian Villager) – This is just one of the many crazy stories from Saruman’s life.
At least this fact happened, unlike some other stuff.
Yeah, Count Dooku had a pretty cool life.
I found out some more stuff about Christopher Lee. His life could be a whole bunch of factrepublic facts. I’ll just share some things about him. So he’s in the Guinness Book of World Records for being in the most movies and tv shows – over 240 at one point. He’s also the tallest leading actor and has been in the most movies with sword fights. His mom was related to some pretty important people, like Charlemagne. He met some of the guys who killed Rasputin when he was a kid. At 17, he saw a public execution in France. During World War II, he was in the Royal Air Force but couldn’t fly because of his eyes, so he did intelligence work instead. He fought in North Africa and did some pretty wild stuff. Later on, he was part of this super secret group that did espionage and sabotage. He never talked about what he did, but he said it was pretty intense. After the war, he helped hunt down war criminals. He started acting when he was 25. He’s been in a ton of movies, including a bunch of villain roles. He was even considered to play James Bond at one point. He’s played Sherlock Holmes and Dracula, and was a huge Tolkien fan. He met Tolkien once and got his blessing to play Gandalf. He was in a bunch of other movies and tv shows, and even released a heavy metal album when he was 88. He was a world champion fencer, an opera singer, and spoke six languages. He got a bunch of awards for his acting and other stuff. Oh, and he’s the most connected actor in the world, according to Guinness.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare – that’s just a nice way of saying they did some pretty violent stuff.
This guy’s the real Most Interesting Man In the World. He’s a total legend and I’m so glad I got to learn more about him.
RE: Fact #34 (Clooney’s Haunted Lake Como Bet) – Picture this: you’re local teens, and one night you just decide to go to this creepy haunted house for fun, to mess with your girlfriends. You all show up, grab flashlights and phones just in case, and head in full blast, running down the halls, making a big deal of it. It’s all supposed to be silly, totally harmless. Then you hear something—like laughter. You start creeping down the hall, everyone behind that big flashlight, and you spot a flicker of light under one of the doors. You inch closer, open it just a crack, and there it is—Drunk Don Cheadle and Brad Pitt turn around at the same time. Everyone just freezes. They instantly recognize them. Brad just says, “hey.” And then, silence. Everyone screams, runs out, and never talks about it again. Years pass, and the story spreads through town like wildfire. Kids still go there every chance they get, hoping to catch a glimpse of the very real, very alive ghosts of Don Chead, and Brad Pitt.
RE: Fact #34 (Clooney’s Haunted Lake Como Bet) – I don’t believe in ghosts, but I totally believe George Clooney has a thing for pranks. I bet he’d set up booby traps or dress up as a ghost and show up unannounced to scare his Hollywood buddies. I’d watch that movie. Call it “Clooney Tunes” and drop it on Netflix.
Probably bought the haunted house and Kevin McAllistered it up to the attic with all the haunted stuff. Him and his wife set up that telescope on their porch on the other side of the lake, watching and laughing their heads off as you go through the house like a minor character in a horror movie. That’s the George Clooney I know.
Or even better, it wasn’t haunted at all—just someone’s house.
I really wanna believe George Clooney is a bedsheet ghost.
One of those pranks: in 1993, after getting divorced, George temporarily moved in with his old friend Richard Kind. Richard had a cat, and its litter box was in the bathroom of the room George was staying in. Every day, George would clean out the cat litter himself. After a few days without seeing any cat turds, Richard got worried the cat was constipated and even took it to the vet. Later, Kind checked the box and found a huge turd. It was Clooney’s.
I know this guy through a friend of a friend who loves to spin this story like it’s his own. He’s kinda obsessed with getting attention. When I found out he stole it from George Clooney, I wasn’t shocked at all.
RE: Fact #13 (Ian McKellen Refuses Dumbledore Role) – this guy said people think he’s michael gambon just because he’s seen all the harry potter movies when richard harris was sick they asked him to replace him but he never heard back before harris died he trashed some actors and this guy’s name was on the list along with kenneth branagh’s
it’s pretty funny that one of his last roles was with branagh what did he have against so many other actors that he had to trash them on his way out
some people just can’t handle others being successful they get all jealous and insecure
richard harris thought some actors were rubbish and this guy’s name was on the list with kenneth branagh’s he thinks it was a bit of a co*k move but at least he’s taking it well
i read somewhere on factrepublic that richard harris was a tough guy who liked to drink and party he didn’t hate nice actors he just thought they were boring take it for what it’s worth
yeah that was a bit of a dick move especially considering his name was richard
RE: Fact #30 (Dwayne Johnson Abandons FBI Dream) – Picture this: you torrent a movie and Dwayne the Rock Johnson just walks into your room and arrests you for piracy.
RE: Fact #44 (Steve McQueen Misses Tate Murders) – I’m pretty sure it more likely just saved the Manson family from Steve McQueen.
RE: Fact #47 (Keanu Reeves Wins Paparazzo Lawsuit) – How the hell did this even get to trial?
The judge was a big Speed fan and wanted to meet Reeves.
Only fans of Speed and people who haven’t seen it.
RE: Fact #25 (Edward Norton Runs For Elephants) – Guess he really went all in for his role in Death to Smoochy. And yeah, be careful with the Parade of Hope, they’re like the toughest charity around.
Man, that film seriously doesn’t get enough credit.
Smoochy… oh man, that just makes me want to run to the toilet.
Funny how those same two actors from Smoochy were also in Rounders, playing Worm and Grama.