Report by TV Week on ninemsn.com.au
When Rove McManus told TV WEEK that he and Hugh Jackman would be "strolling down memory lane" during the movie star's appearance on his LA-based talk show, he wasn't kidding.
His audience had an unexpected flashback with footage of Hugh and Rove as they appeared on Foxtel's InFashion program back in 1997, when Hugh and journalist Melissa Hoyer (who was also in the audience for the reunion) were co-hosting and Rove was a fledgling field reporter.
"It was really my first TV gig," 37-year-old Rove reminisces in his dressing room shortly before the show begins taping.
"I was one of the reporters and Hugh was a host, but we didn't actually meet each other until the wrap party. And although we've talked about it over the years, including when he came on my show, we weren't on the same network that owned the footage [until now], so now it's been dug up!"
The three-time TV WEEK Gold Logie-winning host looks surprisingly relaxed in front of a packed live audience at Hollywood's CBS Studios, with less than an hour to go before the cameras roll. Sitting in a small dressing room with an assistant and make-up artist hovering nearby, he points to a piece of paper on his coffee table.
"I've got the entire show from start to finish on this sheet of paper, so it's just like cramming for an exam," explains Rove, who reveals he keeps in touch with his old buddy Hugh via Twitter, with the pair "tweeting replies to each other constantly".
"I've also got a folder with about 16 pages on each guest, so I've got their history — and while we're talking, if a certain subject matter comes up, I'm aware how it relates to each guest, so that's quite a juggling act. Thankfully, as a kid I crammed a lot for exams, so I'm very good at getting a lot of information in my head for a short period of time, but if you ask me about Hugh Jackman a year later, I'll probably say, 'I think he makes movies, doesn't he?'"
Down the hall, with no fanfare or entourage, fellow Aussie Hugh is relaxing in his own dressing room. The 43-year-old star of the X-Men movies has hosted the Academy Awards and the Tony Awards, but still seems genuinely excited about being a guest on Rove's show, and can't wait to see the incriminating 14-year-old evidence!
"I never thought that footage still existed, but if Rove is prepared to out himself, I guess I have to try not to be too terrified about it," Hugh says with a grin. "I'm sure I come off as a really bad host of a fashion show who knows nothing about what he's talking about, and Rove comes off as a comedic guy even then — so it's not as tough on him!
"We're actually really good mates and hang out a lot now. But I do remember back to that show and thinking, 'This kid is really talented.' I'm really happy for him that he has this show in LA."
In fact, Hugh is so eager to catch up with his old mate that he sticks around after the show's taping for a drink with Rove and his wife, Tasma Walton, in the studio's cosy green room — but he does admit it isn't his first drink of the night.
"The producers asked me what I wanted to drink and since it tapes at 7pm, I said vodka!" Hugh chuckles. "Not only did I have vodka in that glass you see on the coffee table, but they topped it up during the commercial breaks, so I think they were trying to get us drunk to see what would come of it!"
SET SECRETS
It's a long day of filming for Rove. "I've been here since 8am this morning," he reveals 12 hours later, once it's wrapped. "I was writing the opening monologue for a few hours, then I was in meetings about how we were going to make all these guests work and our plan for conversation topics to make it flow. I meet with all the guests separately before the show, then we all gather backstage right before we go on. It's a weird moment of awkwardness — I think everybody's afraid they'll ruin the magic if they get a conversation going then [instead of] saving it for the camera!"
Rove says the biggest change in his pre-show ritual is not having the familiar supporting characters that helped carry his previous series. "The pre-show ritual on that show was that we'd have dinner together beforehand — but it's just me on this one, so I have a little cheese platter on my own and study my notes," he says.
Big-name guests to have appeared so far include Lisa Kudrow, Project Runway's Tim Gunn, Entourage's Jerry Ferrara and Kathy Griffin — and Steve Carell will appear on the fifth episode after missing the Hugh Jackman one due to a schedule clash or two.
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