Milling About

Milling About visits The Samoset Resort in Maine where romance, relaxation and recreation meet at their lovely waterfront property sitting on the edge of Penobscot Bay. Just sit back on a lawn chair and watch the boats go by or play 18 holes of their championship golf course while taking in spectacular views of the ocean. Luxuriate in your renewal journey at The Spa at Samoset after negotiating rocks on the near mile trek on the Breakwater to the Lighthouse. General Manager Connie Russell and Spa Director Julie Slade join host Robin Milling. Connie came to the hospitality business working at his father's motel in his hometown of Orono. Along the property are one and two-bedroom cozy cottages Wind Drift, Spring Tide and Sea Spray, which Connie says are perfect for couples with screened porches and gas fireplaces. The glorious 100 year-old Flume cottage juts out on the rocks boasting an outdoor hot tub on a glass railing deck overlooking Penobsot Bay. Like any historic hotel, The Samoset originally built in 18

One of the most pleasurable reasons to visit St. Simons Island, Georgia is Cap Fendig, affectionately known to all who live there, and if you don't meet Cap you haven't been to St. Simons! Cap joins host Robin Milling at the King & Prince hotel greeting visitors with a clang of the Lighthouse Trolley bell. The Trolley Ghost Tour is a treat through the eerie night. Cap shuts the trolley lights, making his way with boyhood sense memory down St. Simons Park amongst 600 year-old majestic oak trees whose hanging Spanish moss gives you the willies. His tours take you through the nooks and crannies only someone with family generations dating back to the mid 1800s living on the Island would know.There's even Fendig Road named for Cap's family who came from Germany, fell in love with St. Simons and all it's glory and never left. Visit www.lighthousetrolleys.com or www.capfendig.com

Newcomer Jack Reynor joins host Robin Milling at The Tribeca Film Festival for his film What Richard Did. The Colorado born, Ireland raised actor now makes his home in Los Angeles in preparation for Transformers 4 co-starring Mark Wahlberg. Jack tells Robin he is undaunted and well prepared for the brink of the blockbuster which will ultimately give him tremendous accolades in Hollywood. With his baby face good looks he will no doubt grace the cover of many teen magazines. Thanks to advice he received from fellow countryman Michael Fassbender, he is ready. Growing up in the idyllic town of Humphrystown, Co. Wicklow, he was no stranger to the Transformer toys. Recently he visited his childhood home where he discovered a bag of 'bad ass tanks' in his attic which he gifted to his younger brother and sister. Ironically he got the call for the movie a couple of months later. In What Richard Did, Jack shows off his acting talents to the hilt portraying a star athlete in South Dublin who must face the consequences

Thomas Haden Church joins host Robin Milling at the Tribeca Film Festival to talk about his film, Whitewash. Thomas, who spends most of his time in balmy Texas, says it was shocking to endure below freezing cold temperatures in the snowy mountains of Montreal. In fact traveling to locations were so remote only snowmobiles could get there. And if the blizzardy conditions weren't dangerous enough, Thomas tells Robin he got frostbite from pelting ice thrown at him from eight-foot turbine fans at 60 miles an hour! Church even considered camping out in the ice cave his character fashions for shelter but the budgetary requirements for looking after him would have been too steep. Church who now spends most of his time on his ranch in Texas makes movies almost as a side job. His next film is Lucky Them co-starring Toni Collette who is on a quest to search for her long lost rock star boyfriend played by Johnny Depp. Thomas who plays her friend documenting the adventure was courted by Paul Newman for the role.  He tel

Let's Do Lunch! returns to the King & Prince, in St. Simons Island, Georgia celebrating their 78 anniversary with a new executive dining staff. Executive Chef Jason Brumfiel, Chef Baker Sam Hepburn, and Food and Beverage Director Allen Lancaster join host Robin Milling for a weekend filled with superb meals fit for a king or queen, which can only be enhanced by their gorgeous southern hospitality. Chef Jason's love affair with cooking began in Indiana with his dad owning a variety of eateries from 'a little soda shop to an American style pizza place.' Giving up his dream to be a star football player and landscaping job swatting bees and dodging lightning bolts; he made his way to the kitchen as a painter for the Holiday Inn. When the dishwasher was MIA, Chef stepped in and his cooking career began. Since then he's prepared meals for NFL players like Indianapolis Colts kicker Matt Stover which no doubt completed his boyhood fantasies. His southern influences from New Orleans are evident in his Georgia Lo

Host and producer Hank Stampfl joins host Robin Milling to talk about his sexy cabaret show Speakeasy Moderne playing monthly in New York at Stage 72. Hank tells Robin the genesis of the show began at a small bistro which grew into it's current offering featuring sexily clad dancers with bodies to die for, torch song singers, and a nasty innocence that teases in a very tasteful way. It's a mix of the old with the new where you walk into the room and feel like you've been transported back into the 30s, but then there's a voluptuous DJ on stage spinning old school jams from a laptop. Hank is a Broadway baby who found a particular love for Cabaret, featuring the opening number Willkommen, and Mein Heir in the show choreographed by Kim Schafer. The two met in college and their mutual love for live theater bonded them. Hanks tells Robin Speakeasy Moderne is Broadway meets Burlesque featuring such songs as Golden Eye sung sultrily by guest vocalist Dina Fanai with a sexy shadow dancer accompanying her. There's a

Patricia Ward Kelly joins host Robin Milling to share her memories and behind-the-scenes stories of her late husband Gene Kelly who directed Hello Dolly, now out in a beautifully restored Blu-ray from 1969. Patricia who was married to Kelly from 1990-1996 tells Robin she recorded his stories over the course of a decade writing his memoirs, and shares some of his more personal Hello Dolly ditties on the Blu-ray feature, 'Gene Kelly Remembered.' Patricia says the well documented riff between stars Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau was in fact true that Walter didn't want to be there and often thought Barbra was stealing his close-ups. She adds light to the myth that Matthau detested kissing Streisand, chalking it up to 'a chemical reaction that didn't work for him.' Gene also revealed to Patricia that Phantom of the Opera star Michael Crawford almost didn't get to sing It Only Takes A Moment because producers thought his voice was too tiny! Patricia is championing Gene Kelly's centennial year with screenin

Director P.J. Hogan joins host Robin Milling to talk about his new film Mental. It's a story that is so fantastic you can't make it up. P.J. tells Robin everything that happens in the film happened to him at 12, when his philandering father, up for re-election as mayor, picked up a hitchhiker named Shaz, played by Toni Collette to watch over his wild brood while his mom was 'on holiday' in a mental institution.  Telling stories from his life is not new to the Australian filmmaker whose debut film Muriel's Wedding was all about his sister. P.J. says Mental is a comedy because laughter is the best medicine when you come from crazy. He tells Robin, 'As far as mental goes I'm in the trenches with it because my sister is schizophrenic, my brother is bipolar and I'm the father of two autistic children. So I live with it every day and that's why I made the film a comedy.' P.J. hopes that underneath the laughs there is a serious message that will come across about how to deal with mental illness whether or not it's p

Author Gwen Cooper joins host Robin Milling to talk about her new novel, Love Saves The Day which is the story of bridging the gap and cementing the bonds of unconditional love between a mother and daughter, told through the voice of a brown tabby cat they rescue named Prudence. Even if you're not a cat lover, you will relate to this story of how animals can ultimately rescue their humans, which Prudence firmly believes she has done.  Gwen who says she is an equal opportunity animal lover has three cats of her own, all of them adopted or rescued. She tells Robin the feline heroine in the book is based on her cat Scarlett who made her debut in her bestselling memoir Homer's Odyssey, about her blind cat Homer who became a celebrity in his own right especially amongst the rescue community who rallied to the book.  What is most rewarding for Gwen is how Homer's Odyssey inspired many more adoptions of blind, deaf and special needs pets, namely the Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary in North Carolina who have seen a sp

Minnie Driver joins host Robin Milling to talk about her new film, Hunky Dory. Minnie shows off her musical talents, dueting with the students and playing guitar as a drama teacher in Wales who is keen to put together a rock musical of Shakespeare's The Tempest that would make David Bowie proud. Set in the 70s her students perform hit songs from the era, namely Life on Mars? which Minnie says is perfect timing with Bowie's comeback, The Next Day. Minnie says she can't stop listening to the CD especially when Bowie so graciously lent his music to the film for a song. Minnie tells Robin about her involvement with musical educational programs and the importance of music and the arts in schools. Her five year-old son Henry is already showing a penchant for music taking piano lessons. He was on the set of Hunky Dory getting into the jamming sessions. Minnie says it's been in his genes since before he was born getting an earful of her guitar playing while on tour seven months pregnant. This is the year of the music

Jim Sturgess joins host Robin Milling to talk about his new film Upside Down. Jim tells Robin he actually had to practice hanging upside down for the role and got to 20 minutes with the aid of gravity boots; but not before nausea got the best of him! He even has an upside down kissing scene with his co-star Kirsten Dunst who had some previous experience with that in Spider-Man. Jim says he was asked to appear in the Spider-Man musical on Broadway by his Across the Universe director Julie Taymor but opted to help out in the workshop with Bono instead. He prefers playing with a band and writing his own music rather than having back-up dancers behind him on a stage. One band he tells Robin was Saint Faith; a seven-piece outfit he started in Islington which he says never saw the light of day. Music will always be there for Jim, but these days he prefers acting. He talks about working with the Wachowski brothers as an Asian man in the controversial film, Cloud Atlas, and is excited about his upcoming role as rea

It'sWellness Wednesday and host Robin Milling welcomes Linden Schaffer, founder and director of Pravassa, a wellness company combining travel to exotic locales and adventure with aspects of healthy living. How could you resist a trip to Bali for local organic meals and yoga classes, or a mother-daughter spa getaway in Palm Springs, CA for Mother's Day? Linden is a certified wellness expert, living what she preaches every day. Through her travels she discovers more about nutrition, spiritual and mental health. Linden says it was her wedding day which propelled her into the wellness field. She married in Estancia, Buenos Aires on an organic working farm where guests were treated to yoga classes, massage workshops, and cultural tours; which Pravassa came to be. Linden hopes to change people's outlook on life and how they view wellness, and expanding her wellness trips to Africa and Asia. Visit www.pravassa.com    

Tom Wopat joins host Robin Milling to talk about his new CD,I’ve Got Your Number; a cool collection of classic standards, with renditions of artists like Bruce Springsteen (The Meeting Across The River) and James Taylor (Secret of Life); interpreted with his own panache and style. It’s a big band feel with an orchestra that swings; evoking images of the Mad Men era. Growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Tom tells Robin how he pursued his passion for singing in between milking cows, football practice, and rehearsing for the high school musical. Coming to NYC he discovered a shortage of leading men on the Broadway musical stage and quickly took his place.  Who can forget him going toe to toe with Bernadette Peters in Annie Get Your Gun.  These days however, he doesn't see much of a future in musicals. Tom’s not singing the blues with plenty of projects on his plate including a Christmas album collaborating with The Dukes of Hazzards co-star John Schneider, with whom he maintains a brotherly friendship. He

They say you can take the girl out of Brooklyn, but you can't take Brooklyn out of the girl. Let's Do Lunch! guest Susan Collins is testament to that with her one-woman show You Can Take The Girl Outta of Brooklyn (But You Can't Take Brooklyn Outta The Girl), chronicling her East Flatbush upbringing and adventures in the music business through words and music. Susan joins host Robin Milling over lunch at Cornelia Street Cafe, just blocks away from where she got her start, Cafe Wha! in Greenwich Village. She would hitchhike to the club from Brooklyn for open mics, meeting the one and only Jimi Hendrix, who was so taken with the teenaged Collins he asked her sing with his band, Jimmy James & The Blue Flames. Amongst her many claims to fame, Susan penned A Letter To Patty about Patty Hearst for the new show Saturday Night Live, where she became the voice behind Gilda Radner singing Jewess Jeans which is now part of the Jewish Museum. She sang vocals with Todd Rundgren on Hello It's Me, and Odyssey's Native

Johnathon Schaech (pronounced Shek) joins host Robin Milling. Currently starring in Phantom, he tells Robin how his role as the master escape artist in the TV movie Houdini helped him to prepare for the claustrophobia on board the submarine. When they weren't in tight spaces the cast and crew kept themselves entertained playing baseball and Schaech even took Pilates classes, courtesy of co-star David Duchovny. You would think by now he would've changed his last name with all the embarrassing ways it's been mispronounced, namely one that starts with an 's' and rhymes with 'lit!;' but Johnathon says, 'they got Schwarzenegger right.' Actually it was Sparrow director Franco Zeffirelli who christened him 'Jon-a-thon' when his real name is John; so it stuck. An avid supporter of the arts, he talks about being recruited by former Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum to joinAdopt The Arts which led to his successful campaign on Capitol Hill, raising $35 million to keep crayons in the hands of first graders. He is extre

Matthew Goode or Goody as his friends call him, joins host Robin Milling to discuss his career turning role as a creepy psychopath in Stoker. Matthew tells Robin some of the belt strangling scenes got a bit dangerous, causing his co-star Alden Ehrenreich to gasp for air, but says Nicole Kidman was a real trooper insisting he go for it! The Watchmen star is also going for it on the small screen, starring in the upcoming Showtime series The Vatican where he'll be playing the papal secretary Bernd Koch opposite Bruno Ganz' pope. He tells Robin he is nervous to be directed by Ridley Scott who's late brother Tony also produced Stoker. Matthew also hopes to grace the New York stage some day in a production of The Glass Menagerie, a play that is dear to him as he cut his teeth on Tennessee Williams' monologue before starting University in England. For more information on Stoker visit http://www.foxsearchlight.com/stoker

David Duchovny joins host Robin Milling to discuss his new movie Phantom where he portrays an extremist KGB agent aboard a Soviet submarine during the Cold War. David tells Robin no acting was required as far as maneuvering through the tight enclosed spaces as they shot on an actual Russian sub from that era docked in San Diego harbor. Had it been out on the water and submerged, David says he might have felt claustrophobic and panicked. Duchovny, who is actually of Polish and Ukrainian descent jokes that his last name made him the only authentic Russian on board with co-stars Ed Harris and William Fichtner. He tells Robin his father actually dropped the 'h' from their last name because of constant mispronunciations and felt Italian for awhile with the last name 'Ducovny.' The Californication star is due back on set in April for season seven playing the irresistible scoundrel Hank Moody. David reveals Moody's appeal reaches women over 70 who stop him on the New York City street declaring their approval. For

Let's Do Lunch! visits City Winery in New York City, a heavenly haven for wine, music and food in lower Manhattan. Executive Wine Director Stephanie Johnson and Chef Jeff Haskell join host Robin Milling. Stephanie tells Robin how she began her career mastering wines after 13 years in the publishing business, currently studying at Masters of Wine to further her specialty. Chef Jeff shares his humble culinary beginnings starting off as a dishwasher in a New Hampshire inn to becoming an executive chef. He enjoys redesigning the menu to the different seasons, including such yummy additions as octopus pulpo style. At City Winery Stephanie gets people excited about wine. During wine tasting events the music of bands sound checking for their evening performances wafts in the background. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to designing a wine cellar and has done so with City Winery which has 400 plus bottles of wine, some made on the premises and stored in their cavernous private barrel room. Stephanie discu

Host Robin Milling introduces singer/songwriter Maesa Pullman. Maesa started playing piano and writing songs when she was seven. She grew up in an artistic family whose roots go back to her grandfather who also played piano and sang. Her dad is an actor who's family sang folk songs, her mom is a dancer, and her brothers both play music. In fact her brother Louis plays drums with Maesa's band so when things get going in the Pullman household, she describes it as a 'soul jive.' On occasion her older brother Jack who plays banjo joins the family band, which Maesa cleverly christened, The Pull. On her own Maesa's music is haunting with reflective lyrics; a poetic combination of folk, rock and soul steeped in Americana roots. When listening to some of her songs you can just imagine a horse and rider drifting on the plains. She's an old soul singing about the mysteries of life but her youthfulness shines through some of the darker themes. Maesa performs her songs The Fall, Bells co-written with her cousin Rosa, a

Tate Donovan, currently starring in the Oscar nominated Argo, and Deception on the small screen joins host Robin Milling. Some might remember Tate as Joshua, Jennifer Aniston's on and off again boyfriend on Friends, the concerned parent from The O.C., or Glenn Close's loyal law partner on Damages. Deception is the Monday night guilty pleasure which has everyone wondering whether Tate's character murdered his sister. Tate tells Robin how his college days at USC rooming with Grant Heslov, who went on to become production partners with George Clooney, gave him a leg up casting him in Good Night and Good Luck and now Argo. Donovan is rooting for his buddy Grant whose film is sweeping the awards circuit, including director Ben Affleck who Tate says taught him a thing or two about directing. Tate got his break behind the camera with the California based television series The O.C. taking advantage of his free time between takes to shadow the director. Most recently he directed an episode of Deception which brought