Doing it for his ‘Family’
Shove belly tucks, face-lifts, cheek fillers.
Mark Wahlberg’s getting older and doesn’t care.
In his reel life, in “The Family Plan,” he’s playing a used car salesman by day and a deadly assassin by night.
In between there’s a PG-13 yukfest. So, in his real life — funny means money.
Wahlberg: “Action comedies don’t have as much character as this one. I’m a dad now. Embracing my old age. Got kids. Guys my age in this business say, ‘I don’t want to play that old.’ Me, I look forward to playing a grandfather soon.”
Apple TV+ is streaming this movie that also stars Michelle Monaghan, Ciarán Hinds and Maggie Q.
On that money funny business
America: Ready? This is for real. I needed Christmas money but our longtime long-known bank manager wouldn’t cash my check.
She said they couldn’t. Why? They had no $100 bills — only 50s. OK.
So 15 minutes later the manager called back again with: “We don’t even have 50s. We have absolutely no money. Call later. Maybe then we’ll get some.”
We’re talking holiday gifts — not a house down payment’s major sum. This is a BANK. United States of America. Manhattan. New York City.
No money? Next time I’ll phone Biden’s home in Delaware direct.
Juggling act
HOLIDAY: ’Twas days before Christmas
And all through the house
Not a creature was stirring
Except an NY mouse.
CHRISTMAS: Come: Lincoln Center’s marvelous Big Apple Circus.
CEO Marty LaSalle: “A kid gymnast age 4, my twin brother and I did juggling. With temperature changes, wind drafts, over seven minutes juggling is precise. Difficult to continue if you fall but my partners still went on like all’s good.
“Once we collided onstage and heard all the glasses breaking and our props had to be thrown out. But with that live orchestra the music can somehow recover.”
Clown Devlin Bogino: “Onstage at age 2, I’m seventh-generation circus performer. Communicating with an audience is organic. We live next to the tent like in a little village. Marty’s our mayor.”
Marty: “It’s a circus village — 80 people in trailers. There’s weather-related challenges. We effectively act as their landlord. Our work is demanding. And you’re dependent on the public buying tickets. But I love the excitement of show business. Devlin can be in the ring sometimes three times a day. There’s physical challenges but the lifestyle comes with excitement.
Devlin: “In a circus you meet many different people and cultures. Plus you do what you love.”
Big Apple Circus. Lincoln Center. Terrific acts. Plus popcorn.
Silver belle
Memory: Such chicanery around — DC, NYC, a Jersey senator’s alleged drizzle.
I’m remembering long-ago Hollywood queen Ava Gardner.
Big-time old-time movie star of “Barefoot Contessa,” “Snows of Kilimanjaro,” “Mogambo,” etc., married to Sinatra. Nobody bigger or richer.
She said: “There’s only one person I can trust in the whole world — me.”
Christmas trees began 1,000 years ago. Churches told miracle tales to those who couldn’t read and apple-decorated Paradise Trees rep’d the Garden of Eden.
Latvia’s capital Riga boasts a plaque engraved with “The First New Year’s Tree — Year 1510.”
It was then only in Riga, kids, only in Riga.
This story originally appeared on NYPost
