Super Bowl 2017: Hollywood Chooses Sides in Patriots-Falcons Matchup

Super Bowl LI will see the New England Patriots vying for their fifth championship title and the Atlanta Falcons fighting to win their first at Houston's NRG Stadium on Feb. 5.

Hollywood seems to love a winner: Viacom's Shari Redstone, a Patriots season-ticket holder since 1986, will head to Houston to cheer on her team, which is favored to win by three. "Great leaders, great passion and great energy — it's all about the team!" she tells THR of the Pats' winning formula. Fellow partisan and former Paramount vice chair Rob Moore adds: "They are willing to not follow the book. They are willing to take risks."

The Talk co-host Julie Chen's husband, CBS chairman Leslie Moonves, is trying to persuade her to attend, but she'd rather watch from her couch. "Tom Brady has reached this point in his career where if you love him or hate him, you have to tip your hat to him," says Chen. "Now, we are kind of rooting for the 'old guy.' "

Related Stories

Related Story

Super Bowl 2017: The Complete Guide to Events and Parties

Michael Chiklis, who named his pug after Brady, admires the QB's "dignity in the face of all that hate," he says. "Have you ever heard Tom Brady disparage another player, coach, reporter, person, no matter what they may have said about him? No, you haven't, and you never will."

The Pats also have Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg, Matt Damon, Chris Evans, Elizabeth Banks and, yes, Brady friend President Trump in their corner.

They're up against Falcons die-hards Usher, Glen Powell ("I'll be wearing a Julio Jones jersey and doing dirty bird from the grill all day"), Anna Camp, Samuel L. Jackson and Atlanta native Ludacris, who lauds QB Matt Ryan's focus. "I've built a career off of being the underdog, and I love that everyone is discounting us and underestimating our power," he says. "Adversity defines character."