When Chris Noth exits Law & Order: Criminal Intent, it will be his second L&O series that he's walked away from. Beginning in 1990 and for 111 episodes, Noth fought crime as Det. Mike Logan before taking off in 1995. A film career, perhaps, he was after, but instead he landed a regular gig opposite Sarah Jessica Parker on HBO's Sex and the City. When that wrapped, it was back to L&O, though his 2005 return was to spin-off show Criminal Intent, where he remains. Until he doesn't. Because he's leaving, to be replaced by Jeff Goldblum. In between filming the show, he shot the Sex movie, and it appears he's once again angling for something new. It doesn't hurt his decision to lave that NBC won't pony up a higher salary for the guy; show creator Dick Wolf explains it, "It's just part of his persona. … A lot of actors get frustrated." So how will Noth go out? Nothing too dramatic, like his murder. That's because there might come a time when Noth wants to return to L&O. Which very may well happen, once that umpteenth go at a film career stalls.
The casting of insanely hot Michaela McManus as Law & Order: SVU's new assistant district attorney isn't the franchise's only major casting news. The spin-off Criminal Intent also has a roster change up — and it's a doozy. Having cashed another decent pay day with Sex and the City and not liking the request to take a pay freeze instead of an increase, Chris Noth is ditching the TV show, where he plays Det. Mike Logan and has, since leaving the original Law & Order when it started 18 years ago before returning to CI, split his screen time with Vincent D'Onofrio, who swapped in every other episode. But Criminal Intent, whose ratings had NBC Universal moving the new episodes of the series off NBC proper and on to USA, isn't moving to a standard format with only one set of regular detectives — Noth has a successor. And you might know him from a little movie called Jurassic Park. CONTINUED »
BABY SEASON Chris Noth and GF Tara Wilson had a son over the weekend. Just what this city needs: another man with commitment issues. [People]
…Whether anyone else is less than shocked to hear that Chris Noth and his girlfriend are expecting a child out of wedlock.
• Chris Noth to reprise his role as Mr. Big for the Sex and the City movie. In light of Noth's temporary absence, the part of "Crazy Scraggly Homeless Person And Sometimes-Actor" will be played by his faithful understudy, Jay McCarroll Natasha Lyonne.
• Yes, of course Brad Pitt has jury duty now. Meanwhile, the most attractive person in our jury pool last week was the creepy 85 year-old woman named Madge who's "single, and still looking for Mr. Right." Octogenarian suitors? Start your engines.
• Another huge drop in the stock market today, or, as the NYP would say, "KA-DOW!"
• Boring nature video, or the most amazing 8 minutes of your life?
• Jack Black going where no man (other than Jack Black) has gone before.
• Anna Nicole Smith under fire for exploiting pics of her baby daughter; a defiant TomKat and Brangelina replied, "Well, at least we never had sex with a really, really old guy."
• Britney Spears reaffirmed her commitment to motherhood last weekend, shagging seaman Isaac Cohen in the "Hugh Hefner suite" of The Palms Vegas hotel.
• Donald Trump, evidently a Jossip reader, finds a reason to hate Condi Rice that has absolutely nothing to do with her unwillingness to reproduce.
• Someone other than Paris, Lindsay or Nicole has an eating disorder?? Send in your guesses for the "saccaharine L.A. starlet" so we don't have to speculate for you.
• If Today Show viewers aren't watching Meredith Vieira, and they're not watching Katie Couric, then what are they doing? **shudders** Reading?
As Martin Short gears up to open his "one man" show (read: it comes with an ensemble cast) to Broadway on August 17, he's currently previewing Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me to theatre queen insiders. And it was during Wednesday night's performance that he revived – if only for one night – the career of Chris Noth. In the character of Jiminy Glick, Short brought a seemingly unsuspecting Noth out of the audience and up on stage for a rather lengthy bit filled with improv. It turned out to be one of the best moments of the show — but no worries when Fame opens up to all theatre-goers: there's plenty more funny even without Noth. And maybe Parker Posey's got an evening free to fill in.
It's probably best that Chris Noth didn't invite us to the opening of The Plumm, the snide double-m'ed semi-private club that opens this weekend. (We've got Tribeca parties to go to anyhow, so there.) Last time we ran into Noth, he was blocking the entrance to the bathroom at SoHo House and, after three Ketel One and sodas, we really had to wizz. Unfortch, UrbanDaddy clues us in only on the safety levels on the model dancing-friendly banquettes at Noth's new hideout, but not the ratio of male to female loos or potential obstacles.
The former Nell's space is now an indulgent wood-paneled clubhouse—and for the safety and well-being of bouncing women everywhere, the banquettes have been custom-built with thick, sturdy backrests, covered in a special synthetic fiber to withstand even the most drunken and uncoordinated stiletto movements.
Good thing, because Plumm's celeb-heavy owners know a thing or two about a party—they include Mr. Big himself, Damon Dash, and supermodel Petra Nemcova. Add nightlife mogul Noel Ashman and other oddly matched co-owners like ex-New Kid on the Block Joey McIntyre, and there's really no telling what's going to happen on those banquettes after a few plum-based cocktails.
Chris? Damon? Petra? Noel? Joey? What the fuck is this, Manhattan 10014? Probably will be once Shannen Doherty pops in to announce her comeback.
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