Hannigan nabs lead in Damon-Affleck comedy

CEBU, Philippines -  â€œHow I Met Your Mother” star Alyson Hannigan has already lined up her follow-up job after her nine-season run as Lily in the series. The actress, currently filming the final season of the CBS hit, will star in the Ben Affleck-and-Matt Damon-produced half-hour “More Time With Family” pilot.

Hannigan will co-star opposite Tom Papa in the multicamera comedy about a husband and father (Papa) who makes a career change in order to spend more time with his family. The actress will play Cindy Rizzo, Tom’s wife, who is described as an amazing mother who runs the house like a drill sergeant and has endless energy. She’s tasked with trying to teach Tom how to handle the family.

The plot is said to be based on the stand-up of Papa and the experiences of Damon. Affleck and Damon will executive produce the 20th Century Fox Television entry through their Pearl Street Films.

In addition to HIMYM, Hannigan’s credits include her breakout role in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” as well as the “American Pie” franchise and its sequels.

Meanwhile, HIMYM creators are already prepping the spinoff, “How I Met Your Dad” starring Greta Gerwig.

Angel Locsin  in finale of “Minute”

Actress and TV personality Angel Locsin is set to cap off Minute to Win It’s successful run as she conquers the 60-second circle of ABS-CBN’s top-rating game show in its finale this week.

In the special back-to-back episode on Feb. 20 and 21, Angel sends the studio audience roaring when she teases host Luis Manzano that they will officially be back together if she completes a particular challenge.

Amid overwhelming pressure, will Angel be able to finish the said challenge in less than a minute? How will Luis react if Angel succeeds?

Also playing in the finale week of “Minute To Win It” are “The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition Doubles” challenge masters Matteo Guidicelli and Robi Domingo, “Got to Believe” stars Ian Veneracion and Benjie Paras, and basketball superstars Jeron Teng and his father Alvin and boxer Gerry Peñalosa with his son JC. Who among them will win the elusive P1 million jackpot prize?

“Minute To Win It” has recorded consistently high ratings since it started airing on ABS-CBN over a year ago and has made waves all over the country for its highly addictive and nerve-wracking games using everyday items found at home, at school, and at the office. It has also become a hit among adults and kids alike as it launched different editions such as the Junior Challenge, Head to Head Challenge, and Family Challenge, each with their own thrilling set of rules.

Don’t miss the final week of “Minute To Win It,” this Feb. 17 to 21, 11 a.m. on ABS-CBN. (PR)

Oscars: Is it finally Leo’s year?

Could Leonardo DiCaprio win the Oscar for “The Wolf of Wall Street”? Any other year, the answer would be an easy yes.

Many consider Matthew McConaughey the frontrunner and DiCaprio embodies the biggest advantage and disadvantage in Oscar-voters eyes: on the plus side, he shows aspects of his talent in the film we’ve never seen before, and awards voters love that. On the minus side, he’s a movie star.

Laurence Olivier said that by the time an actor is mature enough to understand romantic characters like Romeo, he’s too old to play them. After several strong performances (including his Oscar-nominated supporting turn in the 1993 “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”) he confirmed his abilities in “Titanic”; that’s why audiences got so swoony. And DiCaprio played Romeo shortly before James Cameron’s blockbuster drama.

But he wasn’t Oscar-nominated for “Titanic,” maybe because the film also cemented his status as a Hollywood star. On the other hand, DiCaprio has the surprise factor with “Wolf.” In the past decade, Colin Firth and Jamie Foxx gave terrific performances that seemed extra-special but audiences didn’t realize they were capable of this.

DiCaprio is the subject of this week’s Variety cover story, and he’s making himself accessible to the media and to voters like never before. The film was one of his passion projects, and he has been speaking eloquently about the creative and financial risks involved and the artistic contributions of his collaborators. And, crucially, he has persuasively and with humor addressed criticisms of the film head-on.

From Jack Nicholson to Denzel Washington, the Academy has rewarded some of its favorite actors over the last 20 years. Perhaps it wasn’t their best performance but it was their time. Whether DiCaprio’s time is finally here remains to be seen. One thing, however, is undeniable: the “Wolf” is knocking at Oscar’s door.

Here’s a rundown of this year’s other best actor nominees:

Matthew McConaughey, “Dallas Buyers Club”:

Advantage: He physically transformed himself, and the character changes 180 degrees during the film. As a bonus, McConaughey has had a great year, winning a slew of awards for this performance, and showing up in  HBO’s well-received “True Detective” and two other movie roles — including “Wolf of Wall Street.”

Disadvantage: His trademark phrase “All right, all right, all riiigggght!” and his folksy-spacey acceptance speeches sometimes make him seem more like an insider at Hollywood’s private club than a Serious Actor. Plus: He’ll have more opportunities.

Bruce Dern, “Nebraska”:

Advantage: It’s not a starry turn, but a real film-actor performance: minimal, nuanced and devastating, and he makes it look simple. It’s not. As a bonus, Dern is a well-liked actor who’s shown a big range since his 1960 film debut. Industry vets love him, but if he wins, this wouldn’t be a sentimental reward: The performance is both a culmination of, and a contrast to, 50-plus years of vivid characters.

Disadvantage: His character, Woody, doesn’t have a “big scene,” in which he laughs/cries, breaks furniture and sets his hair on fire; those are cheap tricks, but voters often love that stuff. It’s a tribute to the integrity of the film that Woody doesn’t do that, but will voters go for subtlety?

Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”:

Advantage: He’s in every scene, in a surprisingly complex role. Director Steve McQueen gives Ejiofor several long takes, in which the camera holds on his face. His range of thoughts and emotions are like a Shakespeare monologue, but without words. And though the film never gives a timeline, Ejiofor conveys the passage of the years just with his face and body language, as his character constantly fights to maintain dignity.

Disadvantage: The competition.

Christian Bale, “American Hustle”:

Advantage: It’s a total transformation, physically and vocally. And he’s unrecognizable after many years of varied appearances and characters.

Disadvantage: There is a vague sense that, as good as he is, this just isn’t his year.