BILLBOARD & NBC CASTING FAMILIES WHO ASPIRE FOR A DREAM LIFE NEW TV SHOW ON NBC IS HERE TO HELP!

FAMILIES WHO ASPIRE FOR A DREAM LIFE
NEW TV SHOW ON NBC IS HERE TO HELP!

We are searching NATIONWIDE for FAMILIES WHO ASPIRE 
FOR A DREAM  LIFE to be featured on a new television series for NBC!

We're looking for engaging families with the aspiration and drive to create 
the life they've always wanted... with a little help. 

Are you ready to live the life you and your family always dreamed about? 
Wonderful home, good schools, job opportunities, beautiful neighborhood, time 
for your family... Is it time for a fresh start in a new supportive community?

Is there actually a way to HAVE IT ALL? We think there is!

TO SUBMIT:
Be sure to mention you heard about this from BILLBOARDCASTING.com for 
priority consideration, and email ALL the information requested below to:
familydreamcasting@gmail.com
Be sure to include:
1. Your name (first and last)
2. Contact phone number
3. City/State where you live
4. A brief bio about your family, and whiy you'd be great for this show
5. Recent family photo(s) (jpg format please)

Now Casting Divorced Couples For a New Competition Series on NBC

This is a transformative new series from the producers of “The Biggest Loser” and “Extreme Weight Loss”. The series takes a positive approach to bringing divorced couples back together to compete in various physical and mental challenges. Set in a tropical location, the former couples must learn to co-exist and work together again to take on challenges for the one thing they still agree upon – the love of their kids. The prize for the winning couple/divorced parent team is a 6-figure trust fund for their child and/or children. Our goal is that through this experience, these former couples will learn to better communicate with each other, in turn becoming better co-parents and improving their family dynamic. TO SUBMIT - Interested couples should email the below information to DivorcedCoupleCasting@eyeworks.tv 1. Name & Contact info 2. How long you’ve been divorced 3. Photos of you two together, your kids, your new families 4. A paragraph or two about your relationship

James Garner, legendary film and television actor, dies at 86

James Garner, the charming leading man from Oklahoma who made it look easy on NBC's The Rockford Files and in films opposite Doris Day, Julie Andrews and Sally Field during more than a half-century in show business, has died. He was 86.

Garner died Saturday, TMZ reported. Police were dispatched to his Los Angeles home at approximately 8 p.m. No cause of death has been made available. He had a severe stroke in 2008 and rarely was seen in public after that.

The amiable actor was best known for playing the Los Angeles private eye in Rockford, which ran from 1974-80 before knee and back injuries -- many sustained because he did his own stunts -- forced him to quit. "I couldn't take that many beatings any more," he once said. "Every hiatus, I had a knee operation for five straight years, and sometimes for both knees."

Garner was nominated for the Emmy for best actor in a drama series for five consecutive years, winning in 1977. Rockford, produced by Roy Huggins and writer Stephen J. Cannell, racked up three best drama nominations from 1978-80 and took the trophy in 1978.

Garner also toplined the 1957-62 ABC Western-comedy hybrid Maverick, also produced by Huggins, in which he starred as a dapper cardsharp who would just as soon slip out the back door than face down a gunman. "Bravery gets you nothing but hurt," he once said. Both TV series showcased Garner’s sense of humor and expertise in playing the reluctant hero.

The dark-haired star also appeared in dozens of films, including two light romantic comedies from 1963 with Day, The Thrill of It All and Move Over, Darling; two with Andrews (1964’s The Americanization of Emily and 1982’s Victor Victoria); and one with Field, the 1985 romantic comedy Murphy’s Romance, for which he received his lone Oscar nomination.

Whatever his roles, Garner’s acting appeared effortless. Los Angeles Times critic Charles Champlinwrote in 1986 that “James Garner is to the American character what David Niven was to the English character: a lover in preference to a fighter (but capable of heroics), worldly and charming with elements of the vagabond and the debonair rascal, a sort of innocent rogue with an easy way with urbane dialogue.”

Garner was fastidious about the kind of roles and movies in which he performed.

“I don’t want to do movies with a lot of profanity, and I don’t want to take my clothes off,” he once said. “I don’t do horror pictures, or I would take my clothes off. Seriously, I’m simply not an exhibitionist.”

Erin Tomasello Casting Director how to avoid a CASTING SCAM

BREAKING NEWS: President Obama says up to 275 U.S. military troops will deploy to Iraq!

BAGHDAD --

The U.S. is urgently deploying several hundred armed troops in and around Iraq and considering sending an additional contingent of special forces soldiers as Baghdad struggles to repel a rampant insurgency, even as the White House insists anew that America will not be dragged into another war.

President Barack Obama notified Congress Monday that up to 275 troops could be sent to Iraq to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the American Embassy in Baghdad. About 170 of those forces have already arrived and another 100 soldiers be on standby in a nearby country until they are needed, a U.S. official said.

While Obama has vowed to keep U.S. forces out of combat in Iraq, he said in his notification to Congress that the personnel moving into the region are equipped for direct fighting.

And separately, three U.S. officials said the White House was considering sending a contingent of special forces soldiers to Iraq. Their limited mission - which has not yet been approved - would focus on training and advising beleaguered Iraqi troops, many of whom have fled their posts across the nation's north and west as the al-Qaida-inspired insurgency has advanced in the worst threat to the country since American troops left in 2011.

The moves come at the White House wrestles with an array of options for helping Iraq repel a Sunni Muslim insurgency that has captured large swaths of territory collaring Baghdad, the capital of the Shiite-led government. In a rare move, U.S. officials reached out to Iran Monday to discuss ways the long-time foes might help stop the militants known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The conversations took place on the sidelines of separate nuclear negotiations taking place in Vienna, Austria. U.S. officials quickly tamped down speculation that the discussion might include military coordination or consultation, though Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview with Yahoo! News that the U.S. would "not rule out anything that would be constructive."

Kerry stressed that any contacts with Iran would move "step-by-step."

Taken together, the developments suggest a willingness by Obama to send Americans into a collapsing security situation in order to quell the brutal fighting in Iraq before it morphs into outright war.

The White House said the forces authorized for support and security will assist with the temporary relocation of some staff from the Baghdad embassy. The forces are entering Iraq with the consent of that country's government, the White House said.

Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said the troops on standby could "provide airfield management, security, and logistics support, if required." They could work with embassy security teams or operate as a stand-alone force as directed.

Officials would not say where the soldiers would be on standby, but It is likely they would be in Kuwait, which was a major basing ground for U.S. troops during the Iraq war.

If the U.S. were to deploy an additional team of special forces, the mission would almost certainly be small. One U.S. official said it could be up to 100 special forces soldiers. It also could be authorized only as an advising and training mission - meaning the soldiers would work closely with Iraqi forces that are fighting the insurgency but would not officially be considered as combat troops.

It's not clear how quickly the special forces could arrive in Iraq. It's also unknown whether they would remain in Baghdad or be sent to the nation's north, where the Sunni Muslim insurgency has captured large swaths of territory collaring Baghdad, the capital of the Shiite-led government.

The troops would fall under the authority of the U.S. ambassador in Baghdad and would not be authorized to engage in combat, another U.S. official said. Their mission would be "non-operational training" of both regular and counter terrorism units, which the military has in the past interpreted to mean training on military bases, the official said.

However, all U.S. troops are allowed to defend themselves in Iraq if they are under attack. Already, about 100 Marines and Army soldiers have been sent to Baghdad to help with embassy security, according to a U.S. official.

The three U.S. officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the plans by name.

Obama made the end of the war in Iraq one of his signature campaign issues, and has touted the U.S. military withdrawal in December 2011 as one of his top foreign policy successes. But he has been caught over the past week between Iraqi officials pleading for help - as well as Republicans blaming him for the loss of a decade's worth of gains in Iraq - and his anti-war Democratic political base, which is demanding that the U.S. stay out of the fight.

While the White House continues to review its options, Iran's military leaders are starting to step into the beach.

The commander of Iran's elite Quds Force, Gen. Ghasem Soleimani, was in Iraq on Monday and consulting with the government there on how to stave off insurgents' gains. Iraqi security officials said the U.S. government was notified in advance of the visit by Soleimani, whose forces are a secretive branch of Iran's Revolutionary Guard that in the past has organized Shiite militias to target U.S. troops in Iraq and, more recently, was involved in helping Syria's President Bashar Assad in his fight against Sunni rebels.

In the short term, the U.S. and Iran both want the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stabilized and the Sunni-led insurgency stopped. But in the long run, the United States would like to see an inclusive, representative democracy take hold in Iraq, while predominantly Shiite Iran is more focused on protecting Iraq's Shiite population and bolstering its own position as a regional power against powerful Sunni Arab states in the Gulf.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said any discussion with Iran would concern ways that Iran could help press al-Maliki's government to be more inclusive and treat all of Iraq's religious and ethnic groups equally.

Any talks with Iran "would be to discuss the political component here and our interest in encouraging Iraqi leaders to act in a responsible, nonsectarian way," she told reporters. "Certainly a discussion of that is something that we would be open to."

BOBBY'S OSCAR PICKS

The country is in an uproar over who will take home an Academy Award this year. This is the first time I can remember that the Academy did it right with whom they chose to honor. The 86th annual Academy Awards will air at 7 p.m. EST Sunday on ABC. The list of nine Best Picture nominees showcases how impressive the film industry was over the past 12 months. The artistry, subject matter, stories and performances that make up these hopefuls are some of the best ever captured on film. Best Picture nominees include “American Hustle,” “Captain Phillips,” “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Gravity,” “Her,” “Nebraska,” “Philomena,” “12 Years A Slave” and “The Wolf Of Wall Street.” “12 Years A Slave” illustrates the power of the human spirit. My pick would be 12 Years A Slave Up for Best Actress this year with Bullock are Amy Adams (“American Hustle”), Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine”), Judi Dench (“Philomena”) and Meryl Streep (“August: Osage County”). I’m going with Amy Adams for her role in American Hustle, Her body of work could warrant her the win, as Oscar voters tend to look beyond the nominated role when handing out Academy Awards. For Best Actor Matthew McConaughey, Christian Bale (“American Hustle”), Bruce Dern (“Nebraska”), Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Wolf Of Wall Street”) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (“12 Years A Slave”). Matthew McConaughey has Best Actor in the bag for “Dallas Buyers Club. Best Supporting Actress nominees, including Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”), Jennifer Lawrence (“American Hustle”), Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years A Slave”), Julia Roberts (“August: Osage County”) and June Squibb (“Nebraska”). Lupita Nyong’o will win. Supporting Actors are Barkhad Abdi (“Captain Phillips”), Bradley Cooper (“American Hustle”), Michael Fastbender (“12 Years A Slave”), Jonah Hill (“The Wolf Of Wall Street”) and Jared Leto (“Dallas Buyers Club”). Leto was amazing, and will win! WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN?

'Friends' Star Lisa Kudrow Loses $1.6 Million Lawsuit

A verdict has been reached in the civil lawsuit filed against Lisa Kudrow by her former manager, who claims he is owed residuals from her days on "Friends." A 10-2 decision was reached in favor of Scott Howard, who was Kudrow's manager from 1991 to 2007, saying the actress was liable for breach of contract, KABC reports. The jury awarded the plaintiff $1.6 million for past and future economic losses. The legal dispute began in 2008, a year after they parted ways, when Howard, sued Kudrow for refusing to pay him more than $50,000 in fees from her earnings. Howard claimed in court last week that in 1991, the two made an oral agreement that Howard would receive a 10 percent cut of Kudrow's income she obtained or performed while he was her manager.. He added that when he and Kudrow split after 16 years of working together, the actress stopped paying him. He argued that Kudrow owes him a percentage of what she earns on "Friends" reruns and other projects. In a statement, Kudrow’s attorney Gerald Sauer said, "The jury’s verdict is merely one step in the legal process. This case ultimately will be resolved at the appellate level. Ms. Kudrow has faith in the judicial system, and she believes that the eventual outcome of this contractual dispute will be in her favor." In a statement of his own, Scott Howard’s attorney Mark Baute countered, "What generally happens now with unsophisticated actress clients is they overpay for filing a frivolous appeal that has no chance for success. The verdict is rock solid, and we look forward to collecting 10 percent, 16,000 dollars a month, in post-judgment interest while their frivolous appeal is pending. We will collect that interest for two years, which is how long it will take for the Court of Appeal to affirm this jury's righteous verdict." In court documents, Kudrow had claimed she had "no obligation to pay Howard" a commission after the two ended their professional partnership. Attorneys for Kudrow countered that Howard was the actress's manager, not her agent, and thus is not entitled to a commission. Kudrow, 50, starred from 1994 through 2004 as Phoebe on "Friends." She began the show as one of the lowest-paid actresses among the show's six stars – earning $13,500 per episode. Starting in 2004, Kudrow earned over $1 million for each of the show's final 18 episodes. ABC News'

X-Factor BOOTED by FOX

It's official. Fox has decided to cancel The X Factor after three seasons. The network announced it's decision on February 7. Though the original X Factor has been a solid hit in the U.K. for years, the show never quite caught on when Simon Cowell tried to make the jump across the pond. All three seasons saw fairly low ratings, with this most recent season's numbers coming in particularly low. "I've had a fantastic time over the last 12 years, both on The X Factor and American Idol," Simon said in a statement. "And apart from being lucky enough to find some amazing talent on the shows, I have always had an incredible welcome from the American public (most of the time!)." Up next, the music mogul is heading back to his homeland. "Last year, for a number of reasons, I had to make a decision to return to the U.K. version of The X Factor in 2014. So for now, I'm back to the U.K. and I want to thank FOX for being an incredible partner and I also want to thank everybody who has supported my shows. America, I’ll see you soon!