Chappelle finally shows his hand
Dave Chappelle says he had several reasons for walking away from his cult-fave “Chappelle’s Show” – and a deal worth more than $50 million.
His decision to leave the Comedy Central series last May led fans and industry executives to question his motives, and his sanity.
But in a 10-page spread in the new Esquire magazine, he says he closed “Chappelle” for reasons cultural, professional and personal:
Culturally: “The bottom line was, white people own everything, and where can a black person go and be himself or say something that’s familiar to him and not have to explain or apologize?”
Professionally: “I felt like I was really pressured to settle for something that I didn’t necessarily feel like I wanted.”
Personally: “The thing about show business is that, in a way, it forces dysfunctional relationships in people.”
‘Medium’ fits Molly
Molly Ringwald, the princess of mid-1980s teen movies, will make her first TV appearance in several years on a May sweeps episode of NBC’s supernatural series “Medium.”
It will be the first TV work for Ringwald since the 2002 movie “The Big Time,” which aired on TNT. The “Breakfast Club” and “Pretty in Pink” star has concentrated on stage work in recent years.
Malcolm in the middle lane
Frankie Muniz is taking a break from acting to be a professional race car driver.
After wrapping up the final episode of Fox’s “Malcolm in the Middle” – which he’s starred in since he was 12 – Muniz, 20, is turning his attention to driving race cars for at least the next two years.
“Truthfully, I think it will be easier for me to leave for a while and come back when I’m 23, 24 and be an adult and start fresh,” he says.
Tome alone
Former child star Macaulay Culkin, who’s released his debut novel, “Junior,” says he’s “just some punk kid who’s writing a book.”
It’s a collection of vignettes written in a stream-of-consciousness style about (what else?) a former child star and his dysfunctional family issues.
“I always thought … people were either really going to love it or really hate it,” he says. “I’m kind of glad that I’ve gotten both reactions.”
Code dread
Now that his copyright-infringement case is over, “The Da Vinci Code” author Dan Brown can get on with his next project: putting up a wrought-iron fence, atop a 2-foot-high stone wall, around his home in Rye, N.H.
Says the city’s police chief: “Whether it’s the paparazzi or someone who wants to pour goat’s blood on the steps or just someone who wants a picture, it’s our job to offer him and his family the same protection we would anyone else in town.”
The birthday bunch
Actor Bradford Dillman (“Falcon Crest”) is 76. Country singer Loretta Lynn is 71. Actress Julie Christie is 66. Actor Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) is 46. Actor Robert Carlyle (“Angela’s Ashes,” “The Full Monty”) is 45. Actor Anthony Michael Hall is 38. Actor Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”) is 33. Rapper Da Brat is 32. Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar is 29.