Talking about health, and big breaks

By Mark Shanahan & Meredith Goldstein  |  June 8, 2009

Sean Ringgold was the keynote speaker at the Whittier Street Health Center's 6th Annual Men's Health Summit at Roxbury Community College on Saturday. The "One Life to Live" actor, who played record exec Suge Knight in the recent P. Diddy-produced Christopher Wallace biopic "Notorious," signed autographs for fans, hung out with local kids, and spoke to spectators about the importance of prioritizing health, no matter what. Ringgold, who's from Queens, told us backstage that he credits a Boston woman for jump-starting his acting career. Ringgold's first job in the entertainment industry was as a bodyguard for clients such as Tom Cruise, Queen Latifah, and Dorchester native Marie Wright, who hosted "106 & Park" on BET. It was Wright who helped Ringgold make connections that landed him roles in music videos and eventually on television and the big screen. Ringgold said he always knew his days as hired help would be temporary. The husky actor said he used to tell himself, you're bigger than what you're doing. No pun intended, of course.

One of the coolest places to be on any given night is in the hotel room of Paul Oakenfold, the internationally-renowned British DJ, who's a Vegas nightlife staple and a close, personal friend of Madonna. That's why we were thrilled when Oakenfold invited us to the Nine Zero Hotel to hang out with him in his room until he went over to the Roxy for his Friday-night gig. When we arrived at about 10:30 p.m., the now 45-year-old DJ was busy listening to an electronic tune that he wrote for Jerry Bruckheimer's new movie "G-Force." "Does this sound like a car chase?" Oakenfold asked us, explaining that the fast beats will accompany a chase scene in the soon-to-be-released animated film. Oakenfold, who has performed with everyone from U2 to the Boston Pops, still DJs all over the world, but has forged a solid second career as a film composer. His first big Hollywood job was writing the soundtrack to the 2001 Halle Berry movie "Swordfish." Since then, Oakenfold has offered up songs and scores for numerous films, including last year's John Leguizamo comedy "Nothing Like the Holidays." Oakenfold told us that when he DJs in Boston, he knows how to play to the crowd. "You can always drop a bit of U2," he said, adding that he enjoys "any good excuse to hang out with the Irish in Boston and have a pint of lager." Some trivia about Oakenfold: Long before he was a DJ, he studied to be a chef. "I like to cook a traditional English roast dinner," he told us. "Slow roast for two-and-a-half hours. You have to sleep after one of my dinners." Next up for Oakenfold is Madonna's European tour, which starts in July.

The Wheelock Family Theatre was taken over by Broadway stars yesterday afternoon for a rehearsal for tonight's "Broadway on the Riverway" performance, an interactive show that will raise money for the theater's ticket subsidy fund. Participating Broadway stars will include Meredith Inglesby, from "The Little Mermaid"; Marty Thomas, of "Wicked"; and Katherine Leigh Doherty of Dover, who was one of three girls to play the part of Jane Banks in "Mary Poppins." For Doherty, 15 and a student at Noble and Greenough, the Wheelock event has been a "Poppins" family reunion. Delaney Moro and Kathryn Faughnan, the two other girls who played Jane Banks, are also in town for tonight's show. The three friends told us that they stayed up talking until about 2 a.m. on Saturday night. "We have a lot of girl talk," Moro explained. "We haven't been together in over a year." For more information about tonight's show, visit www.wheelock.edu/wft.

If you watched Nickelodeon last night, you got to see local gal Amy Poehler offering up her expert opinions about young love. The Burlington-bred "Parks and Recreation" actress, who's married to funny guy Will Arnett, was one of a number of celebs featured on the Linda Ellerbee special "Love Stories: Tales of Middle School Romance," which had folks such as Jimmy Fallon, Brittany Snow, and LL Cool J dishing about whether it's possible to be in love in middle school and what it means to be in a romantic relationship. Poehler's thoughts on the subject of middle-school affection included: "You don't have to do any kissing." Safe advice.

Adam Sandler has posted an amusing video on his website that features the cast of his movie "Grown Ups," which is being filmed in Southborough and on the North Shore, hanging out on the local set. In the video, Sandler and costars David Spade, Maya Rudolph, Salma Hayek, and Chris Rock make fun of everything from Val Kilmer's weight to the changing title of their film (before "Grown Ups," the movie was called "Lake House.") Rock also jokes in the video that he's actually Michael Vick. "I just got out of jail. Feeling good," he says. Always so tasteful, that Rock. You can find the video at www.AdamSandler.com.

Boston College-groomed Patriots draft pick Ron Brace visited the Maria Bay Beach Club over the weekend for VIP treatment. Meanwhile, his Pats teammates Fred Taylor, Jarvis Green, Brandon Meriweather, Vince Wilfork, and Kevin Faulk were spotted at Shrine at the MGM Grand listening to a surprise nightclub performance by Keri Hilson and Bobby Valentino. . . . Also seen around town this weekend was "Real World: Brooklyn" cast member Chet Cannon (above), who snacked on a raspberry-topped frozen yogurt at boYO in Beacon Hill. Cannon is best remembered as the Mormon frat guy who didn't drink. In case you can't make out his T-shirt, it says, "Thugs Not Drugs." Classy.

Read the Names blog at www.boston.com/namesblog. Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.