Celebrities and television shows for the most part have the luxury of traveling any- where they want in the world. This year, a handful of celebrities and television shows took plane trips over to the Garden Island. “Lost” star Evangeline
Celebrities and television shows for the most part have the luxury of traveling any- where they want in the world. This year, a handful of celebrities and television shows took plane trips over to the Garden Island.
“Lost” star Evangeline Lilly, actress Amy Smart and model Carolyn Murphy spent some time on the North Shore for an Elle magazine photo shoot. The issue, dubbed the magazine’s first “green” issue, highlighted how these women and other well- known faces feel about the environment.
Fellow “Lost” co-star Michelle Rod-riguez visited Kaua‘i to attend her friend and “Blue Crush” co-star Sanoe Lake’s wedding at the Waimea Plantation Cottages, where she recorded Lake’s nuptials from the comfort of a tree.
Actor Tom Skerrit, whom most can remember from “Top Gun” fame, took a brief vacation, perhaps from filming scenes for the freshman ABC series “Brothers and Sisters,” and was spotted at the popular local spot, Hamura’s Saimin.
He had the special before hopping into a silver Mustang convertible — without having any lilikoi pie. Maybe next time.
Speaking of “Top Gun,” Kelly McGillis, who starred as Charlie, was on-island with Brad Johnson (“Flight of the Intruder”) shooting the made-for-TV sci-fi flick “SuperGator,” about a genetic experiment gone awry.
The film was produced by Roger Martin-Corman, son of famed B-movie producer Roger Corman (“Little Shop of Horrors”). Perhaps he was influenced by his father, who shot two films here back in the ’50s.
Grammy-nominated musician Jack Johnson played a private show for students at St. Catherine Catholic school as part of his Kokua Hawai‘i Cans for Cash program.
The school received a $1,000 check from Reynold’s Recycling.
“I was really surprised at the number of containers the schools were able to bring in,” Johnson told The Garden Island. “This school brought in 18,000 containers.”
Johnson opened the show with “The 3 R’s” from the “Curious George” soundtrack, a song encouraging everyone to reduce, reuse and recycle.
An impromptu drumming session livened up the crowd. For the encore, he played “Bubble Toes” then segued into Bob Marley’s “Stir it Up.”
Marley’s son, Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, dropped by Vidinha Stadium earlier in the year before going on to play on Maui, O‘ahu and the Mainland.
Jasmine Trias of “American Idol” fame flew over for the pre-opening and grand opening of Costco. Trias fired up the karaoke machine and sang for a little demonstration.
Switching over to television, Kaua‘i served as the backdrop for two “Good Morning America” spots. The show filmed a segment in Po‘ipu for the Puka Dogs and another at the Princeville Hotel.
Chris Cuomo shot a segment for “GMA’s 7 New Wonders of the World” project. The spotlight shone on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, but was filmed on the beach at Princeville. In it, Cuomo talked about the islands’ new National Marine Monument status. For fun, he also received a hula lesson.
A crew from the tabloid show “Extra: Mansions and Millionaires” also visited the Princeville Hotel for a special which aired in September, October and November. Host Michael Corbett took viewers around Kaua‘i, spending time at the Princeville Resort and the Sheraton Kauai Resort. Featured were two multi-million dollar homes and visits to the restaurants The Blossoming Lotus and Bar Acuda.
The Style Network took its show “How Do I Look?” outside the studio and onto the Pride of Hawai‘i for a two-hour wedding special. The show, which gives fashion-impaired individuals a head-to-toe-makeover from their close friends and a celebrity stylist, took Bessie Kovoloff and Pablo Markelis and transformed them into a new couple.
It just shows that Kaua‘i can hold its own when it comes to celebrities and entertainment.
• Lanaly Cabalo, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 237) or lcabalo@kauaipubco.com.
