Dan Gross: Stuntman has real-life scare on JFK
A "SAFE" STUNTMAN got a round of applause last night as he got up from a stretcher, after medics pulled him out of a Chevy Tahoe he was driving in a crash scene in the action/thriller being shot along JFK Boulevard between 18th and 19th streets. Onlookers feared for the stuntman after fire trucks and ambulances arrived, but he got up from the stretcher instead of being loaded into an ambulance.
A "SAFE" STUNTMAN got a round of applause last night as he got up from a stretcher, after medics pulled him out of a Chevy Tahoe he was driving in a crash scene in the action/thriller being shot along JFK Boulevard between 18th and 19th streets. Onlookers feared for the stuntman after fire trucks and ambulances arrived, but he got up from the stretcher instead of being loaded into an ambulance.
Actor Jason Statham ("The Expendables," "Transporter") shot, literally, yesterday afternoon at 15th & Moravian, in Center City. Statham, who had his makeup done inside Cafe Loftus (136 S. 15th), shot several people in a scene that filmed in the afternoon. Even with blanks instead of bullets, the shots were "deafening," says our earwitness.
On Thursday and Friday, the movie shot inside Cebu (2nd & Chestnut), and Friday night Statham and producer Lawrence Bender, whose credits include all of Quentin Tarantino's films, were among a party of six at the bar area at Smith & Wollensky in the Rittenhouse Hotel. Statham had a sirloin, Bender a ribsteak, and the gang shared a few appetizers. The Boaz Yakin film will shoot here into December.
A 'Top Chef' reunion
It was a "Top Chef" reunion Friday night when Willingboro's Kevin Sbraga, who just won Season 7, joined Season 6 winner Michael Voltaggio at 10 Arts at the Ritz-Carlton, whose chef Jennifer Carroll appeared with Voltaggio on the Bravo series. Carroll prepared her pals an 11-course meal, main dish being sea urchin over forbidden rice with a passion foam. Carroll will soon be seen on "Top Chef All-Stars." Fans of the show came over to take pictures throughout the evening, which culminated with Carroll joining Sbraga and Voltaggio - who was here for an appearance at the Philadelphia Food and Wine Festival - for dessert in the lounge.
Charitably minded
* District Attorney Seth Williams emcees the Pennsylvania SPCA's Good Dog Gala on Saturday at the Loews Hotel (12th & Market) to benefit the animal-welfare agency. State Sen. Larry Farnese will speak at the event, as will Paul Jolly, executive director of the Petco Foundation. After the Good Dog Gala is the Bad Dog Ball, a young professionals' cocktail party hosted by local matchmaker and VH1 "Tough Love" host Steve Ward. For more info or tickets to either event, visit pspca.org.
* Actor and singer Mandy Patinkin performs Nov. 13 at Evening of Hope to benefit the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Center for Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease. The concert will be held at the newly renovated Baptist Temple at Temple University. Tickets are $60 and available at thebaptisttemple.org.
April takes to the stage
April Walker, whose fans call her the "Dogcatcher," has turned her book "More Than One Way to Skin a Dog" into a play, which she will perform at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Community College of Philadelphia's Bonnell Auditorium (17th & Spring Garden).
The show, directed by playwright Kash Goins, features Walker sharing stories from her book about "dogs," a/k/a cheating men.
The relationship-advice author has said her goal isn't to bash men but to empower women.
Tickets are $23-$30 and available at skinadog.ticketleap.com.
Local faces on 'Ray' today
"Rachael Ray's Philly Fashion Makeover Takeover" airs at 10 a.m. today on 6ABC. On Oct. 20, the talk-show host and fashion stylist Mally Roncal surprised six local women with makeovers and stopped at the Melrose Diner, Independence Hall and Reading Terminal Market to find their contestants.
Fallon likes Atlantic City
Atlantic City's Borgata and White House Sub Shop (2301 Arctic) were two of three things that "Late Night" host Jimmy Fallon loves about New Jersey, he told Gov. Chris Christie on Twitter, after Christie, or whoever tweets for him, called out Fallon for a joke about Jersey he made on his show Thursday night. Christie offered Fallon a tour of Jersey if he would "cross the river on purpose."
Visit PhillyGossip.com for Dan's latest updates or follow PhillyGossip on Twitter. Have a tip? Call 215-854-5963, or e-mail grossd@phillynews.com. For recent columns, visit go.philly.com/dangross.