Gerard Butler Recalls How He 'Almost Killed' Hilary Swank While Filming 'P.S. I Love You'

"She had to get taken to the hospital," Gerard Butler detailed of an on-set accident that occurred while he and Hilary Swank filmed the 2007 romance.

Gerard Butler is recalling the moment when he "almost killed" Hilary Swank on the set of P.S. I Love You.

While appearing on The Drew Barrymore Show Tuesday, the actor, 53, revealed to host Drew Barrymore that he injured Swank, 48, while the pair were working on a scene in the 2007 film where he danced "like an idiot" in boxer shorts and a pair of suspenders.

Detailing that his character, Gerry Kennedy, was supposed to get hit in the face with the suspender clip while getting undressed during one part of the film, Butler said the piece took off and hit Swank's head instead.

"It gets stuck, it releases [and] flies over my head, hits her in the head — slashes her head," he explained. "I cut her open. You could even see the teeth [of the clip]. She had to get taken to the hospital."Added Butler: "Imagine this studio, and in three seconds, everybody's gone. And I'm just sitting there in my Irish [shamrock] boxer shorts and my boots and a pair of socks, and I just started crying. I scarred Hilary Swank. I almost took her eye out, and I just made a fool of myself for two days."

P.S. I Love You, which was directed by Richard LaGravenese and based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Cecelia Ahern, follows a widow who learns of 10 messages that her late husband left her after his death to help her move on.

Alongside Butler and Swank — who is currently pregnant and expecting twins with husband Philip Schneider — the film also stars Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon, James Marsters, Harry Connick Jr. and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

Butler also explained during his chat with Barrymore, 47, that he went into filming P.S. I Love You with the intention of putting Swank's needs first.

"I remember saying to the director, I'm not going to think about myself in this movie, I'm only going to think about her," he said. "Make sure she's okay, she's cool, because that's kinda who this [character] was, and it made the experience so much more fun."

"When I got out of ... [the] actor, self-obsessed, how am I doing [state of mind], I actually was more like, 'How is she doing?' " Butler continued, then calling Swank "so cool and so great to work with."

Poker Face premiere: Rian Johnson cooks up one hell of a TV show

Jessica Fletcher, Lieutenant Columbo, Veronica Mars, Olivia Benson, Sherlock Holmes.... These are a few of TV’s prominent sleuths whose traits blend together to create Poker Face’s charming lead, Charlie Cale. Peacock’s new mystery drama endeavors to add Charlie to an enviable list of fictional small-screen detectives. The biggest hurdle is how the show and its protagonist can distinguish themselves while (inevitably) being compared to those who came before. Thankfully, Rian Johnson’s triumphant writing, paired with Natasha Lyonne’s enigmatic performance, results in one hell of a TV show. And it’s evident right away with the stellar first two installments.

Poker Face pays homage to hits like Columbo—as witnessed in the opening credits font, too—yet successfully stands out with a fresh, fun perspective on a “howcatchem.” That’s right. PF isn’t a whodunit like Johnson’s recent Knives Out films. It still carries his signature ability to invent gripping narratives and esoteric characters connected through Charlie’s escapades. Johnson and Lyonne craft such a compelling world for Charlie, it doesn’t matter that she’s not in one location too long or solving only a single crime throughout the show. In fact, that’s the most entertaining—if a tad circumstantial—aspect.

Each episode begins with the reveal of who the killer is and exactly how they committed the murder. And it’s entertaining to watch Charlie figure it out after the audience knows using her deducing skills and knack to sniff out liars. Lyonne’s portrayal is effortless. In less capable hands, Poker Face would run the risk of being too slow or structured. Lyonne inhabits Charlie with a brazen vulnerability, whether riffing opposite Adrien Brody and Benjamin Bratt, becoming pals with Hong Chau and Megan Suri, or bonding with an old friend, played by Dascha Polanco. (And all of this happens within a couple of outings alone.)

Poker Face initially doesn’t dwell on Charlie’s larger personal background. We glean that she’s prolific at telling when someone lies; it’s a vibe she flawlessly picks up on. (Honestly, what a talent.) She’s used this in the past to earn big at poker tournaments in cities like Denver and Cheyenne before reaching Las Vegas. She landed a job at Frost Casino because, instead of letting her “misuse” her powers, the owner gives her a job as a hostess.

This feels like an arc with layers that need to unravel at some point: Why did Charlie take the gig instead of continuing her shenanigans and making money? In episode one, “Dead Man’s Hand,” she admits she used to be rich (“It was easier than being broke, harder than doing just fine,” she wisely adds). So what made her stop? Was it just the idea of settling down with a well-paid job? If so, it’s tragic that she has to give it all up now for a life on the road.

“Dead Man’s Hand” opens with Natalie (Polanco), a Frost Casino maid and Charlie’s good friend, who spots something dangerous on a rich man’s computer while cleaning his room. She takes photographic evidence, but instead of running to the cops—who can blame her?—she confides in the casino’s new leader, Sterling Frost Jr. (Brody), and his security aide, Cliff (Bratt). Unfortunately, they would rather kill Natalie and her drunk, abusive husband than turn in a wealthy whale who brings the casino a ton of money. And that’s exactly what they do after falsely lulling her into safety.

Charlie can’t stop herself from investigating because she doesn’t believe how Natalie died. She fixates on tiny clues (a missing gun, a missed call) and breaks into her friend’s devices to correctly figure out the true story. Charlie was meant to team up with Sterling Jr. and Cliff to scheme affluent clients in poker games using her “supernatural infallibility” to pick up who’s lying. Instead, she turns on the duo and gets Frost Casino blackballed, leading Sterling Jr. to jump off the balcony (so long, Adrien Brody). Charlie barely escapes Cliff’s gunshot and goes on the run because the big boss (a.k.a. Sterling Sr., whom we meet via a brief phone call) is after her now.

Poker Face is clearly Charlie’s story, but each episode presents enticing and serious subplots even if we don’t spend sufficient time with them. The premiere’s case deals with a child pornography ring that Frost Casino may or may not benefit from. Since Charlie is our lens into it all, and she’s embarked on a road trip far away from Vegas, it’s all we’ll ever know (for now, at least). But that’s alright because, as established, Charlie’s journey is compellingly told.

Episode two, “Night Shift,” also has meaty ideas on the periphery. The victim, Damian (Brandon Michael Hall), is a war vet struggling with expenses while working at a Subway chain—so much so, he even buys a lottery daily. His killer, Jed (Colton Haynes), has mental health issues, as seen in his obsession with the neighborhood convenience store employee, Sara (Suri). These key details add value to their characters without taking over Poker Face’s main goal: Charlie coincidentally being drawn into their case.

Her car breaks down close to the garage where Jed works with his uncle. She goes in to get it fixed, but she’s told to wait overnight because he’d rather watch Top Chef live over help a customer. (He’s got his priorities straight). It’s sadly the same night Jed decides to kill Damian, not knowing a burgeoning detective is nearby. The crime itself isn’t shocking: Damian finally wins $25,000 and reveals it to Jed while confronting him over his creepy attitude toward Sara. Jed then pushes him off the roof and steals the lottery ticket.

Meanwhile, Charlie finds respite in this small town with Marge (a splendid Hong Chau), a stranger who helps her superglue her wound and gives tips on how to stay hidden (no social media, ATMs, or credit cards—I feel like I could’ve told her all this too). Marge and Charlie bond immediately, but it’s short-lived because Marge is blamed for Damian’s death. First, a friend is killed. Now, another friend is arrested? You bet Charlie will get involved, even if it means getting caught by Cliff.

Channeling her inner Olivia Benson and Veronica Mars (and with a whole lot of original Lyonne-inspired sass), Charlie questions town locals to map out Damian, Jed, and Sara’s daily routines. She inspects Jed’s hangout—the garage rooftop—gains Sara’s trust, and learns about trucking calls in time to solve how and why Jed bludgeoned Damian and dumped his body in Marge’s truck. She doesn’t stick around to see the cops reach the garage lest Cliff finds her. But she’s done her amateur sleuth duty of solving the crime and saving Marge.

Poker Face isn’t hesitant to remind us that, yes, Charlie is a novice at playing detective. In episode one, she takes quite a while to connect the dots that Natalie’s phone password is the same as her locker code, and she openly interrogates killers knowing they’re capable of murder. She didn’t expect to use her powers for this work, but here we are anyway. Poker Face begins with a luxurious pace as Charlie adapts to her surroundings, but it’s a strong start; our patience is well-rewarded in these hourlong episodes.

“Night Shift” ends with Charlie on the road again, barely escaping Cliff after he tracked her down because she withdrew bills from an ATM. Who knows where her adventure will lead her next?

Britney Spears ‘annoyed’ after wellness check over deleted Instagram: report

Britney Spears was reportedly left “annoyed” that a cop was forced to perform a wellness check on her after worried fans dialed 911.

The “Toxic” singer sparked concern Wednesday after she deactivated her Instagram account without warning — prompting diehard fans to call the police.

Sources told TMZ that the singer was vexed at the unexpected visit, dubbing it an “inconvenience.”

I can confirm that we did get calls into our dispatch, and essentially, I can confirm that we don’t believe that Britney Spears is in any kind of harm or any kind of danger,” a spokesperson for the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Page Six on Wednesday. It’s not known how many calls officers received relating to the singer, 41.

The spokesperson added that officers “don’t believe that Britney Spears is in any kind of harm or danger at this point.”

Some worried fans rushed to TikTok this week to share their concerns over the singer’s well-being, with one fan going as far as live streaming his call to the police.

“I was calling because I am worried about the physical safety of a resident in your area,” one of the callers, who identified herself as “Christina,” can be heard saying in the now-deleted video.

When asked for a reason behind the request, the fan can be heard telling the officer that “there’s been suspicious activity online and now her account has been deleted.”

It’s far from the first time Spears has deleted her Instagram in recent years.

A source previously told Page Six exclusively that the mom of two likes to take breaks from social media platforms every so often.

Just days before deleting her Instagram account this week, the “Gimme More” hitmaker shared a lengthy post highlighting some unpleasant challenges.

“Sucks to be me,” she wrote, in part, before adding, “Giving someone I love my everything only gives me the dagger in my heart !!!”

While the reason for the cryptic caption remains unclear, some fans speculated that it could be about her recent quarrel with her husband Sam Asghari after he walked out on the “Piece of Me” singer during a meal as fans were invading their privacy.

However, Asghari was quick to put an end to the rumbles, Writing on his Instagram Story, “Don’t believe what you read online people.”

Page Six has reached out to Spears’ reps for comment.

 

Warriors battle back

as Stephen Curry tossed for throwing mouthpiece

 SAN FRANCISCO -- With Golden State leading Memphis by just two points with 1:14 remaining Wednesday night, Stephen Curry clapped his hands at Jordan Poole after what Curry said he thought was an ill-advised 3-point attempt by his Warriors teammate.

While running back on defense, a frustrated Curry took out his mouthpiece and whipped it through the air. It ricocheted off the court and landed near the courtside seats for an automatic ejection.

It was a crucial time in the game, and the way that our season has gone, questions about a heightened sense of urgency ... when you want something really bad ... I reacted in a way that put myself out of the game and put the team in a tough place," Curry said after the Warriors pulled off a wild 122-120 victory.

This was Curry's third career ejection, including playoffs. All three ejections have involved his mouthpiece. In Game 6 of the 2016 NBA Finals, Curry was tossed for an almost identical incident, when his mouthpiece flew into a fan sitting courtside. In 2017, he was ejected after throwing his mouthguard at a referee in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Because his mouthpiece didn't hit anyone Wednesday, Curry said he thought it should not have been an immediate ejection. But crew chief Sean Wright confirmed the reasoning to a pool reporter: "Stephen Curry takes his mouth piece and throws into the stands with force, as per rule, that is an automatic ejection.''

Curry finished the night with a game-high 43 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, including 4-of-10 from 3. He also hit 10 of his 11 free throws.

With 4:25 left in the game, Curry cut the Warriors' deficit to four points with a 26-foot 3-point jumper over Ja Morant. About two minutes later, with 2:18 to play, he tied the game with a long 2-pointer, also over Morant.

The Warriors got a huge stop on the other end, followed by three Curry free throws. One minute later, Curry was ejected.

Even without their star, the Warriors dug deep enough to pull out the win.

"This is a big win for us for a multitude of reasons," Draymond Green said.

He continued: "I think there is always more focus in this game. I think [the Grizzlies] bring out a different competitive side in us and we do the same for them. Both teams rise up for this game, it's a fun one to play every time."

It wasn't a pretty game, at least for the first half. The Warriors committed 11 fouls and had 14 turnovers in the first half -- the most turnovers they've committed in any half at home this season. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies' offense was cold, shooting just 41.7% from the floor, including 25% from 3 on 4-of-16 shooting.

But near the end of the second quarter, the tide started to turn for both teams. Along with that came some chippiness. As the teams exited the court for halftime, Curry, Klay Thompson and Poole chirped at Memphis players as they walked toward the tunnel. Then in the third quarter, Green and Brandon Clarke picked up technical fouls.

This was the latest chapter in the Warriors' budding rivalry with the Grizzlies. Neither team thinks it has reached full rivalry potential quite yet, but given the playoff series last season, it has all the makings of one.

The Grizzlies tied Wednesday's game with 6.1 seconds left on a dunk by Clarke. On the next play, the Warriors wanted to get the ball to Thompson, who eight seconds earlier had hit a 28-foot 3-pointer. But on this possession, with 6 seconds remaining, he missed the shot. The ball was deflected off the Grizzlies, giving the Warriors possession.

That's when Green thought of a playcall for Golden State.

"I was just trying to think quick and I was thinking that all of our other out-of-bounds underneath plays we've already run," Green said. "I was trying to think of something that No. 1, they hadn't seen, but No. 2, that could give us some space."Donte DiVincenzo held the ball lookingfor somewhere to inbound it. First, Thompson pealed to the left behind a Green screen. Next, Anthony Lamb rotated to the left. Meanwhile, Poole cut into the hoop.

DiVincenzo and Poole made eye contact, and DiVincenzo passed him the ball. Poole finished with a reverse layup to put the Warriors up two with 2.3 seconds to go. It was the first go-ahead field goal in the final 10 seconds of a game in Poole's career.

"[It was] fire," Poole said. "It's the only way to say it. It was pretty dope. ... If anything, to take a positive from this, we know what to do in these crunch games. We're getting a lot of experience with close games in the regular season, and that will definitely help us down the road."

The Warriors have had multiple games decided in clutch time (when the score is within five points in the final five minutes) this season, but they haven't found success in them. Golden State is 12-13 in such games, which ranks 18th in the NBA. This week, the Warriors have given up double-digit leads in the second half of games three times, losing two of them.

The main reason for this, the Warriors say, has been execution, or lack thereof. But against the Grizzlies -- especially after Curry was ejected -- the Warriors managed to execute. And most importantly, execute their out-of-bounds play.

"We needed this win in a desperate way," Curry said. "Not just because it was Memphis and all of the narratives there, but it is just how we are playing. ... To see the guys bounce back the way that they did and finish the job, there were a lot of celebrations in the tunnel."

 

LANCE KERWIN SALEM'S  DEAD AT 62 

Lance Kerwin, an actor best known for his role on the TV miniseries “Salem’s Lot” and other notable series throughout the ’70s, has died, his talent agent John Boitano tells CNN. He was 62.

No information on his cause of death was provided.

Kerwin began his career appearing in a variety of television shows, including “Little House on the Prairie,” “Wonder Woman” and “The Bionic Woman.” He also appeared in several “ABC After School Specials,” an anthology series aimed at kids and teens that counted Jodie Foster among its other alums.

The Southern California native was a thriving teen actor throughout the ’70s and starred as Ramey Holvak in “The Family Holvak,” a TV series about a reverend in the 1930s struggling to support his family. He also starred in the 1977 coming-of-age series “James at 15,” a show notable for its authentic depiction of teen life in a manner that was not often seen on TV at the time.

Kerwin went on to appear in “Salem’s Lot,” the 1979 TV adaptation of Stephen King’s novel, directed by Tobe Hooper. In the miniseries, which aired on CBS, he played the role of young Mark Petrie, who helps defend his town against evil vampires. His work in the cult-favorite miniseries earned him regular invites to horror conventions.

A role in 1995’s “Outbreak” was his last professional credit until the 2022 film “The Wind and the Reckoning,” starring Johnathon Schaech.

Justin Bieber sells rights to ‘Baby,’ rest of music catalog

NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Bieber’s record-breaking pop hits from “Baby” to “Sorry” are no longer his after the superstar sold the rights to all his early career music.

The Canadian-American pop star’s six albums, including his most recent album “Justice,” are part of the massive catalog sale deal with Hipgnosis, a U.K-based music investment company.

Top artists like Sting, Bob Dylan and Shakira have in recent years sold rights to their catalogs for massive sums, but at 28 Bieber is the youngest superstar singer to do so. Hipgnosis acquired Shakira’s catalog in 2018.

Bieber’s publishing copyrights, songwriter’s ownership, master recordings and all rights of his entire catalog of recordings made through 2021 are now owned by Hipgnosis. That covers 290 titles, including hits like “Peaches” “Beauty and the Beat” music that Bieber has been releasing since he was 13.

The deal’s financial details have not been disclosed, but Billboard Magazine reports that the sale was worth an estimated $200 million.

“Justin is truly a once in a generation artist and that is reflected and acknowledged by the magnitude of this deal.” Scooter Braun, Bieber’s longtime manager, said in a statement Tuesday.

All of Bieber’s six official studio albums have been certified platinum or multiplatinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, and he’s recorded 33 singles that have been designated platinum or multi-platinum globally. A song or album that sells more than a million copies receives platinum certification, while works that surpass two million sales become multiplatinum.

 

Amazon Inks Critical Role to Overall TV and First-Look Film Deal, Greenlights ‘Mighty Nein’ Animated Series

Amazon has made a mighty embrace of the Critical Role cinematic universe.

Amazon Studios announced a multiyear exclusive overall TV and first-look film deal with Critical Role, the media company and D&D role-playing group behind Prime Video’s popular adult animation series “The Legend of Vox Machina.”

The first new series to be produced under the agreement is “Mighty Nein,” based on Critical Role’s second campaign, which ran from January 2018 to mid-2021. The Mighty Nein adventuring party — a band of criminals and misfits — are the only ones who can prevent the kingdom from plunging into chaos when an arcane artifact capable of reshaping reality falls into the wrong hands. “Mighty Nein” is set to begin production shortly in partnership with animation studio Titmouse, which has teamed with Critical Role and Amazon Studios for “Vox Machina.” The series will premiere exclusively on Prime Video, but there’s no release date as yet. Critical Role’s first animated series, “The Legend of Vox Machina,” is based on its first D&D campaign, which the group livestreamed from 2015-17. Season 1 premiered in January 2022 on Prime Video (and still holds a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes), and Season Two debuted with the first three episodes on Jan. 20. A third season of “Vox Machina” was officially announced at New York Comic Con and is currently in production.

Under the deal with Amazon Studios, Critical Role will continue to produce under its production banner, Metapigeon, which will develop its own original TV shows, films and content while continuing to “partner with talented creatives on a new slate of projects, both in and outside of the Critical Role universe,” according to the companies.

With the success of our animated series ‘The Legend of Vox Machina,’ we are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Critical Role and expanding its universe with ‘Mighty Nein,’” said Vernon Sanders, head of global TV at Amazon Studios. “Expanding these iconic franchises for our global Prime Video customers continues to be an ambitious and rewarding journey and we are eager to see where this new series takes us.”

Travis Willingham, co-founder and CEO of Critical Role, said, “Critical Role’s livestream campaigns are the spark that lit the flame for our worldwide audience. Seeing the stories and characters from our first campaign come to life in ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ was a dream realized, and we are absolutely buzzing with excitement to do it again with ‘Mighty Nein.’ But with today’s announcement, we’re confident that the stories we tell will keep expanding into realms of entertainment beyond what we can even imagine.”

The forthcoming “Mighty Nein” series will be executive produced by Tasha Huo, Sam Riegel and Willingham alongside Metapigeon and Amazon Studios. From Titmouse, Chris Prynoski (“Legend of Vox Machina”), Shannon Prynoski (“Fairfax”), Antonio Canobbio (“Arlo the Alligator Boy”) and Ben Kalina (“Big Mouth”) will also executive produce.

Amazon Studios first pacted with Critical Role in 2019, securing a two-season order for “Vox Machina” after CR’s record-breaking Kickstarter campaign for their first animation project.

Critical Role started out in 2012 as a private D&D game-night among a group of friends in L.A. who are all voice actors. Since then, Critical Role — whose avid fans are affectionately known as “Critters” — has expanded into multiple lines of business. In addition to “The Legend of Vox Machina” on Prime Video, that has included comic books, graphic novels, fiction and nonfiction books on the New York Times bestsellers list, collectibles, tabletop and role-playing games, podcasts and live events.

Watch Amazon’s announcement video for the “Mighty Nein” series:

Pictured above (l. to .r): Critical Role founders Liam O’Brien, Taliesin Jaffe, Marisha Ray, Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Sam Riegel, Matthew Mercer, Ashley Johnson