Mary Hart Opens The 'ET' Vault
"Entertainment Tonight," a television institution for 22 years, comes to prime time on CBS Friday night.
"The Stars First Time...On Entertainment Tonight With Mary Hart" finds many of our favorite stars looking back on their first ET interviews. Hart joined the show as a correspondent on June 24, 1982, and soon became its co-host. She says the idea of having the prime time special was actually her husband's, businessman Burt Sugarman.
"He realized we had this great vault of interviews that was just sitting there and should be used. He said why don't we see if CBS would be interested in packaging a special," she says.
The special will feature original footage of the stars' first interviews as the stars themselves look on and talk about their lives then… and now. The fashions, hairstyles and times of their lives will be highlighted with rare archival footage from the entertainment show that wrote the book on how the entertainment industry is covered.
Highlights include:
- A 20-year-old Jennifer Lopez during her audition for "In Living Color."
- 15-year-old Leonardo DiCaprio joking with young David Arquette on the set of the short-lived television series "Parenthood."
- A very young Drew Barrymore watching her first awards show acceptance speech.
- Ray Romano in 1996, just prior to the premiere of "Everybody Loves Raymond."
- Ted Danson talking about how he was chosen to play Sam Malone in 1983.
- Jon Bon Jovi talking about playing in his first rock band at the tender age of 13.
- George Clooney is seen in 1985 with a big hairdo.
- Denzel Washington on the set of the series "St. Elsewhere," in 1984.
- Jim Carrey, at age 21, as a singing comic doing impressions of Sammy Davis Jr.
- Tom Cruise on the Sunset Strip in 1983 -- when he could still walk down the street without being recognized.
- Julia Roberts making her big-screen debut with her brother, Eric, in the 1986 feature film "Blood Red."
In looking at the vintage footage Hart says she was surprised by "George Clooney and his long hair talking about his new show 'ER,' but it wasn't the hit drama, it was a short lived sitcom. I was surprised that Jennifer Aniston starred in 13 failed sitcoms. I was surprised how Jennifer Lopez talked about how hard she worked back then and I bet she works even harder now."
Currently entering its 22nd season, "Entertainment Tonight" is the number one syndicated entertainment newsmagazine in the world. Hart and Bob Goen are the anchors. Jann Carl and Mark Steines are the substitute anchors and weekend anchors. Leonard Maltin is the film historian/correspondent; Roshumba Williams and Maria Menounos are correspondents. This is the first "Entertainment Tonight" prime time special on CBS.