A parking lot paved with stars

How do you turn a parking lot into a party? Pack it with stars.

August 5, 2011 at 2:34PM
Melissa McCarthy
Melissa McCarthy (Associated Press/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

LOS ANGELES - How do you turn a parking lot into a party? Pack it with stars. That's exactly what Viacom did by filling the space with talent from CBS, Showtime and the CW.

Emmy nominee Melissa McCarthy ("Mike and Molly") fondly remembered her breakfast at Hell's Kitchen in Minneapolis while Dave Foley ("Kids in the Hall") waxed on about his favorite band, the Replacements. Jason Segel ("How I Met Your Mother") promised me his upcoming Muppets movie wouldn't disappoint, and William Macy ("Fargo") agreed that people who show up late for dinner parties should go hungry.

Others on hand: Julie Chen, Johnny Galecki, Poppy Montgomery, Lisa Kudrow, Marilu Henner, Joe Mantegna, Rachel Bilson, Claire Danes, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Gary Sinise.

Noticeably absent: Ashton Kutcher. CBS Entertainment prez Nina Tassler said the new "Two and a Half Men" star wasn't available because the sitcom was in production, a story line as lame as one from ... "Two and a Half Men."

about the writer

about the writer

Neal Justin

Critic / Reporter

Neal Justin is the pop-culture critic, covering how Minnesotans spend their entertainment time. He also reviews stand-up comedy. Justin previously served as TV and music critic for the paper. He is the co-founder of JCamp, a non-profit program for high-school journalists, and works on many fronts to further diversity in newsrooms.

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