Five Questions

The Bachelor Pad Weatherman reveals all: Jonathan Novack spills on his tell-all,his comedy career and Ali

Jonathan Novack in his Bachelor Pad pose.
Photo by Kevin Foley/ABC
Jonathan Novack back in his real weatherman days.
Say it with Novack's latest T-shirt!

Jimmy Kimmel and everyone else may refer to him as "The Weatherman" but we still think of Jonathan Novack as our hometown heartthrob.

He may not have won Ali's heart on The Bachelorette, but he's returning to TV Monday in a hybrid reality competition and dating show called The Bachelor Pad (airing on ABC at 7 p.m.). Novack gave an exclusive interview to CultureMap about Houston, his future, and his thoughts on Ali and Roberto.

CultureMap: This must have been a crazy summer for you. What are you up to now that The Bachelor Pad is wrapped?

Jonathan Novack: I've been out to L.A., where I had some meetings, shot the 'Men Tell All' episode, found a place to live in West Hollywood and did some stand-up at the HaHa Comedy Club.

I also just had a show last week at the Houston Improv with Slade Ham, who was headlining. I did about 10-11 minutes — it was awesome, went really great. Next week, Aug. 12-15, I'm performing at The Laff Spot opening for Jimmie Walker.

Since the show, I started blogging, tweeting, I've been delving into social networking, selling T-shirts that say 'I heart the weatherman' to benefit the ASPCA, trying to figure out some charity-type things I can do, seeing what I can get involved with out in L.A. I've been in Houston for three years and it's hard to leave. I feel rooted here, I'm bummed. I've got a lot of friends here, it's been a really good time in my life.

CM: Have you always wanted to break into the entertainment business?

JN: I've been in the news business on-air for nine years, and I've always wanted to do entertainment-type stuff, whether it was an Antique Roadshow segment on Channel 2 or hosting the local version of The Biggest Loser. I feel like now is the time to see if I can bridge over to entertainment.

If I'm in Houston the challenges are much more difficult. People know me now, I've got my agent, a publicist, and if I want to go I've got to do it now. I'm sticking with TV though, auditioning for hosting gigs and things like that.

CM: What did you think about The Bachelorette finale? Do you think Ali made the right choice with Roberto?

JN: I said it from the beginning, from when I got sent home, people would ask me who I thought Ali would be with or should be with and I said Roberto. He was the most stand-up guy in the house, and they seemed to have a connection. I'm glad it worked out for Ali — I couldn't be happier for them.

CM: Is it different to watch yourself on these shows? Was there anything they didn't air that you would have liked to show?

JN: It's tough to watch, when I see it on TV, to be honest. It's interesting. It's totally different than seeing myself if I'm doing a weather cast. For starters I have no control. Since I've started in the news business I've always been the one to put a story together, and with this I have to kinda sit back and see what gets aired.

As far as what didn't make it to TV, there was a thing that happened between Jesse B. and Craig M. I don't think people realized Craig M. was trying to get into a fight with him and for that reason people thought it was just me and him, but the only reason I said anything to Ali was because the guy was seriously off his rocker and trying to start stuff with everyone. I don't know if they had the time to show a lot of that, though.

CM: How did you come to be on the show?

JN: I was nominated for the show a year and a half ago and they called me up. I never watched it, I didn't know who was on it, but I did a little investigating. I knew Ali and Gia, and was hoping one of them would be Bachelorette, but you don't know who it's going to be, so you go into it as an experience, and maybe it'll work out with whoever they pick, but you have to just say, "Hey, this is a life experience and lets see what happens."

Check out a Pad peek and get more of the shirtless Novack:

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Movie review

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd chase their dreams in music-heavy Power Ballad

Photo by David Cleary for Lionsgate

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd in Power Ballad.

Writer/director John Carney is one of the great purveyors of movies featuring music (as opposed to musicals) in the 21st century. Starting with Once in 2007 (which was turned into a Broadway musical several years later), he has made music-themed stories like Begin Again, Sing Street, Flora and Son, and now Power Ballad.

Rick Power (Paul Rudd) is a former wannabe rock star who is now the lead singer of “Ireland’s #1 Wedding Band,” The Bride & Grooves. While they mostly play smaller weddings, a gig at a country estate leads to an encounter with Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy band member struggling to make it as a solo artist. Rick and Danny wind up bonding in a booze- and pot-filled jam session, sharing various song ideas.

After returning to Los Angeles and desperate for a hit, Danny steals one of Rick’s songs, which miraculously turns into the No. 1 “How to Write a Song (Without You).” Rick, initially overjoyed that something he wrote has become big, is crushed when he finds out Danny didn’t give him credit. His quest to find a way to prove his worth sends him into a spiral, upending the ordinary life he had built.

Co-written by Peter McDonald, the film is a nice exploration of two men trying to hold on to their music dreams. Their individual circumstances could not be more different, but each of them knows the ups and downs of the business as well as the other, as well as the ineffable magic of creating that one great song. While the music scenes are hit-and-miss because of a reliance on lip synching, the scene featuring Rick and Danny trading ideas is electric with creativity.

Oddly, though, the film could have used a bit less music and more of a focus on the two men’s personal lives. Rick wound up living in Ireland after falling in love with his future wife, Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), while on tour with his former American band. He spends a decent amount of time with her and his daughter, Aja (Beth Fallon), but his story needed a few more family scenes to drive the point home. Danny’s personal life is all but nonexistent, giving his arc less impact than it could have had.

Instead of loved ones, Carney and McDonald try to give Rick and Danny more depth through friends and business associates. Rick’s bandmate Sandy (McDonald) is a ride-or-die kind of guy for him, but his presence is only good for a few humorous distractions. Danny’s manager Mac (Jack Reynor) is difficult to parse, as he goes to bat for Danny on multiple occasions, but also seems to keep him at arm’s length.

It’s long been joked that Rudd never ages, and that youthfulness serves him well in this role, in which his character is supposed to be much younger than his actual age of 57. His energy and enthusiasm make his character appealing throughout, even when Rick starts to go off the deep end. Jonas is decent in his role, selling the music side well, but there might be a reason his character doesn’t have many scenes requiring him to show emotions.

While Power Ballad has all the hallmarks of another great Carney music movie, it’s missing a few pieces that could have put it over the top. It’s still a fun film with an insanely catchy song at its center, but it’s not quite as memorable as most of the filmmaker’s previous efforts.

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Power Ballad is now playing in theaters.

movies music film