Nicholas Brendon at nickbrendon.com: The official Web site

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Nicholas Brendon
Was: Xander on Buffy
Is: Bad-boy chef in Fox’s Kitchen Confidential, costarring Bradley Cooper

Did I mention Nicholas Brendon and Bradley Cooper? Can you imagine a more delicious pairing? Well, how ’bout the fact that Kitchen Confidential comes from the bestselling book and is helmed by Sex and the City’s Darren Star. Not too shabby.

That said, it’s no surprise this offbeat, single-camera comedy — which centers around a party boy, a playboy chef (Cooper) and the chef’s hot posse, including Brendon as a sous chef — is already getting good buzz as one of the strongest contenders this fall. That’s music to the ears of the cast of Arrested Development, which has been paired with Kitchen on Monday nights but not so much to another Buffy alum.

“Alyson [Hannigan] and I are up against each other,” Nicholas says, referring to her new comedy, How I Met Your Mother, over on CBS. “I remember with Buffy the critics picked Everybody Loves Raymond as the show on Monday night, because we came out at the same time, and Buffy was the second pick. So, if Kitchen Confidential is anything like Raymond, Alyson’s show can be the Buffy!”

Bradley Cooper As for Bradley (a.k.a. Alias‘ Will), Nicholas says they’ve become instant BFFs: “I just talked to Mr. Cooper this morning. We get along so well. He’s kind of like a long-lost cousin, except not blood related, so we can make love…What am I saying?!”

Not sure, but West Hollywood is certainly rejoicing.

Grade: B+
Chances of Survival: 70% (color me skeptical, but Fox was also the home of Wonderfalls)

Unfortunately, Nicholas will be unable to attend the Moonlight Rising convention due to his shooting schedule for Kitchen Confidential.

We can confirm that Nick’s currently in Canada, filming the Sci-Fi channel movie Alien Fire, which is being produced by William Shatner, of Star Trek fame. You can read more about the movie at the following links:

TrekToday.com
Canoe’s Jam Showbiz Movies Web page

Thanks to Saturn Girl for doing the legwork on those links.

The movie isn’t expected to interfere with Nick’s work on Kitchen Confidential, which has been picked up for fall on Fox. Read more about that on the Fox Web site!

The good — as many of you know, Nick has landed a series! He’ll be playing a chef in the Darren Star project Kitchen Confidential, a pilot ordered by Fox.

The not-so-good news? Nick and his twin brother, Kelly Donovan, are no longer on the guest list for the Motor City Buffy Con in Detroit in early June.

They are still scheduled to appear at Moonlight Rising Aug. 12-14 in Pennsylvania.

For those of you who haven’t heard yet, Nick’s in a new movie!

Sam Freeman, writer and producer of Unholy, told NickBrendon.com, “Being such a HUGE Buffy fan, it’s a dream of mine to have Nicholas Brendon in my film.”

Sam’s mom, Jane Freeman, also chatted with NB.com’s Tara and had a few things to say about the movie and Nick:

“As you probably read in the article from the Star Ledger, I had the incredible opportunity to spend the day on the set of Unholy while they were filming in my garage. I’m a long time “Buffy” (Nicholas Brendon) fan — and still watch it in syndication. In fact, I spent the day after the shoot watching “Once More With Feeling”–my favorite song, of course, is “I’ll Never Tell.” When my son (also a fan) wrote Unholy, he had Nicholas in mind for the role of Lucas, and insisted that the casting director pursue him; Sam was delighted when Nicholas indicated that he loved the script and was “on board.”

Anyway, a few impressions about the day I spent, watching the shoot and chatting with Nicholas. … First of all, Nicholas was charming, warm, and funny — sound familiar? A little like Xander? Yes! He was gracious each time I approached him, whether for photos or autographs. In fact, after he took a few pictures with me, I discovered that they didn’t come out — and when I sheepishly asked him to retake them, he agreed readily. As an English teacher, I also loved the fact that in between takes, Nick was always reading! From all accounts, he did a wonderful job in the movie and was a total professional — and was quick to join in the cameraderie of a spirited crew. As far as I’m concerned, his presence on the set ensures the success of a wonderful screenplay!

“About the movie … again, I’m an English teacher so I’m really fussy! Maybe I’m a little biased, but…I love it! It’s not the usual horror movie. While my son was growing up he certainly dragged me to enough horror films — I’ve seen all the gory movies Blockbuster has to offer! This is different–not like anything I’ve seen before. It’s more of a psychological thriller than a horror film. I’m drawn, of course, to the mother-son relationship (relationships are rarely established in movies of this genre). You also never quite have the movie figured out (despite the fact that you may think you do!) … not till the last second. There’s a little bit of “Sixth Sense,” a little bit of “Blair Witch.”

“It’s funny,” she continued. “I’m excited because this is my son’s movie … but I seem to find myself equally excited about Nick’s role in it. He’s a great talent and I’m thrilled to see him returning to the big screen, especially in such a wonderful role.”

Keep checking back for more information about Unholy — Sam has agreed to be interviewed by NB.com!

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