Sunday, January 31, 2010

David Beckham is Shy About Stripping Down

David Beckham famously posed in his underwear for an Emporio Armani campaign, but he admits it wasn't something that came naturally to him. He told 10 magazine: "I still feel quite shy when I see a poster or campaign like that. It was daunting stripping off in front of a roomful of people. But after a while you get used to it -- although my mum still hasn't."

While the 34-year-old soccer star's mother Sandra may not have been too happy with the shoot, his three children -- ten-year-old Brooklyn, six-year-old Romeo and four-year-old Cruz -- found the advertisements amusing. David said last year: "When they first saw then they were like, 'Daddy, why are you in your underwear so everyone can see?' They don't mind. If they were older they'd be embarrassed, maybe."

David has said in the past that he was delighted to be offered the Armani job because he got to work with his wife Victoria, who modeled the female line for the Italian fashion house. He said: "We never get a chance to work together and when we do, it's amazing. It was great to work with her on the day."

"Ugly Betty" Cast May Not Be Jobless For Long

The news of the cancellation of ABC's "Ugly Betty" had barely hit the Internet on Wednesday when the phones of the representatives of star Eric Mabius started ringing off the hook.

With broadcast casting executives again in the hunt for good-looking thirtysomething leading men for pilots, Mabius' sudden availability made him instantly a hot commodity.

The early cancellation of "Betty" was done mostly to help the show's producers give it a proper ending, but the timing of the announcement also releases into the pilot talent pool a strong cast just as networks are starting to assemble this year's crop of series hopefuls.

"Betty" co-star Becki Newton, also in a sought-after category of beautiful 30-year-old comedic actresses, has additionally been inundated with calls, and Vanessa Williams, Michael Urie and Ana Ortiz also are in demand. It is not clear whether star America Ferrera would be open to another series as she is considering focusing on features full time.

To accommodate the "Betty" cast, which collectively landed two best ensemble SAG nominations, the producers of the show are trying to wrap production before the previously scheduled March 25 date so the actors can do pilots. Broadcast pilots generally film from the beginning of March through the end of April.

The "Betty" cast is among a couple of dozen actors from recently canceled and on-the-fence series that have development executives salivating.

"The networks and casting directors in Hollywood are looking very closely at the casts that have or will become available on shows like 'Dollhouse,' 'Ugly Betty,' 'Nip/Tuck,' 'Three Rivers' and 'Lost' and bubble shows like 'Scrubs' and 'Better Off Ted' to cherry-pick actors," said casting executive Marc Hirschfeld, famed for his work on "Seinfeld."

Networks often cast actors from bubble shows -- those whose future is iffy -- on pilots in second position, betting that those series won't return.

Expected to be in demand in second position are Jay Harrington, Portia de Rossi and Andrea Anders from "Ted," Eliza Coupe from "Scrubs" and Matt Long from "The Deep End."

Meanwhile, Sarah Chalke of the original "Scrubs" cast already is fielding multiple offers, as are three other lead actors from shows that recently wrapped their runs: Michael Chiklis from "The Shield," Christina Applegate from "Samantha Who?" and "Battlestar Galactica" alumna Katee Sackhoff, who is co-starring this season on Fox's "24."

Speaking of "24," the prospect of the real-time drama coming to an end is intriguing to casting execs.

"I'll put Mary Lynn Rajskub in a comedy in a heartbeat," a casting director said of the cult "24" co-star who recently showed off her comedic side on John Oliver's stand-up series on Comedy Central.

Alex O'Loughlin of the now-defunct "Rivers" is already being courted for new shows. But getting actors from ABC's "Lost," which is ending in the spring, could prove problematic. The hit show doesn't wrap production on its final season until April, making actors largely unavailable for pilots to the disappointment of network executives who would love to get Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway or Terry O'Quinn for a project.

Ad: Beyonce's New Fragrance "Heat"

Check out the full ad for Beyonce's new fragrance, "Heat":

Paparazzi!: What a Spectacle

Celine Dion, Smokey Robinson, Jennifer Hudson , Usher and Carrie Underwood take a break from rehearsing their 3-D tribute to Michael Jackson, who will be honored during Sunday's Grammy Awards, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday.

52nd Annual Grammy Awards Predictions

We’re only hours away from the music-industry’s premier awards show, the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, and we would like to share with you our predictions (and who we think should actually win).

Our predictions are noted with an asterisk (*) and who we think should win have a plus (+) sign.

SONG OF THE YEAR
*+ Beyonce, “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”
Kings Of Leon, “Use Somebody”
Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
Maxwell, “Pretty Wings”
Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”

RECORD OF THE YEAR
Beyonce, “Halo”
The Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
Kings Of Leon, “Use Somebody”
+ Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
* Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”


ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Beyonce, I Am… Sasha Fierce
The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.
+ Lady Gaga, The Fame
Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King
* Taylor Swift, Fearless

BEST NEW ARTIST
+ Keri Hilson
* MGMT

Silversun Pickups
The Ting Tings
Zac Brown Band

BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Adele, “Hometown Glory”
+ Beyonce, “Halo”
Katy Perry, “Hot N Cold”
Pink, “Sober”
* Taylor Swift, “You Belong With Me”

BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE

John Legend, “This Time”
Maxwell, “Love You”
* Jason Mraz, “Make It Mine”
+ Seal, “If You Don’t Know Me By Now”

Stevie Wonder, “All About The Love Again”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY POP DUO OR GROUP
*+ The Black Eyed Peas, “I Gotta Feeling”
Bon Jovi, “We Weren’t Born To Follow”
The Fray, “Never Say Never”
Daryl Hall & John Oates, “Sara Smile”
MGMT, “Kids”

BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
*+ The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D.
Colbie Caillat, Breakthrough
Kelly Clarkson, All I Ever Wanted
The Fray, The Fray
Pink, Funhouse

BEST DANCE RECORDING
The Black Eyed Peas, “Boom Boom Pow”
+ David Guetta, & Kelly Rowland, “When Love Takes Over”
Lady Gaga, “Poker Face”
Madonna, “Celebration”
* Britney Spears, “Womanizer”

BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM
The Crystal Method, Divided By Night
+ David Guetta, One Love
*+ Lady Gaga, The Fame

LMFAO, Party Rock
Pet Shop Boys, Yes

BEST ROCK SONG
Pearl Jam, “The Fixer”
U2, “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”
Green Day, “21 Guns”
*+ Kings Of Leon, “Use Somebody”
Bruce Springsteen, “Working On A Dream”

BEST ROCK ALBUM
AC/DC, Black Ice
Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood, Live At Madison Square Garden
* Green Day, 21st Century Breakdown
Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King
+ U2, No Line On The Horizon

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
David Byrne & Brian Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Death Cab For Cutie, The Open Door
*+ Depeche Mode, Sounds Of The Universe
Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, It’s Blitz!

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
+ Beyonce & Kanye West, “Ego”
Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo, “Knock You Down”
* Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West, “Run This Town”
The Lonely Island & T-Pain, “I’m On A Boat”
T.I. & Justin Timberlake, “Dead And Gone”

BEST RAP SONG
Drake, “Best I Ever Had”
Kid Cudi, “Day ‘N’ Nite”
* T.I. & Justin Timberlake, “Dead And Gone”
Jay-Z, “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)”
+ Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West, “Run This Town”

BEST RAP ALBUM
Common, Universal Mind Control
* Eminem, Relapse
+ Flo Rida, R.O.O.T.S.
Mos Def, The Ecstatic
Q-Tip, The Renaissance

BEST COUNTRY SONG
Trace Adkins, “All I Ask For Anymore”
Jamey Johnson, “High Cost Of Living”
+ Lady Antebellum, “I Run To You”
Billy Currington, “People Are Crazy”
* Taylor Swift, “White Horse”

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Zac Brown Band, The Foundation
George Strait, Twang
* Taylor Swift, Fearless
+ Keith Urban, Defying Gravity

Lee Ann Womack, Call Me Crazy

Watch the Grammy Awards tonight (Sunday, January 31st) live on CBS at 8:00 pm (ET) for the results.

Brad & Angelina's Affectionate Night Out

What breakup?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stepped out Saturday night to attend the Directors Guild of America Awards in Los Angeles – and observers say the couple were as happy as can be.

"They looked very giggly," said an onlooker.

Pitt, who was at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza to introduce his Inglourious Basterds director Quentin Tarantino, was an attentive companion to Jolie, a surprise guest, who wore a gray, single-shoulder Elie Saab gown with gold hoop earrings by Ofira Schwartz, Stuart Weitzman shoes and a vintage bag.

Pitt, whose curious beard has been trimmed, pulled Jolie's chair out for her and touched her back throughout the night as they chatted animatedly with Tarantino at a table of colleagues from their film.

"They look like they are having a fun time," says an onlooker of the couple as they worked the room. "It's definitely a date."

Introducting Apple's iPad

Earlier this week, Apple Inc CEO Steve Jobs took the wraps off a sleek tablet that it called the iPad, pitching the new gadget at a surprisingly low price to bridge the gap between smartphones and laptops.

A buoyant Jobs took the stage at a packed theater on Wednesday to show off the 9.7-inch touchscreen tablet, which looks like a large iPhone, and to introduce a new iBook electronic reader service that will compete with Amazon.com Inc's Kindle.

The iPad is Apple's biggest bet on a new product since the iPhone three years ago, and seeks to tap an unproven market for tablets. Analysts, while impressed by the iPad's seamless functionality, also pointed out that consumers already have smartphones and laptops for their mobile computing needs.

Jobs described the iPad as a "third category" of devices, a do-everything media gadget that can surf the Web, and play movies and video games. He also left little doubt that Apple was going after the e-book market that Amazon had popularized.

"If there's going to be a third category of device, it's going to have to be better at these kinds of tasks than a laptop or a smartphone; otherwise it has no reason for being," said Jobs, who still appeared thin following his liver transplant last year.

"Now Amazon's done a great job of pioneering this functionality with their Kindle. And we're going to stand on their shoulders and go a bit further," he said.

Famous for his skills as a pitchman, Jobs, dressed in his trademark blue jeans and black turtleneck, created plenty of drama as he waited until late in the event to discuss the cost of the iPad, which analysts had expected to be up to $1,000.

Apple elected to price it for as little as $499 for 16 gigabytes of storage, starting in late March. An extra $130 is needed to equip the iPad with third-generation (3G) wireless capability. Higher-capacity models will sell for $599 and $699.

"Pricing is very aggressive, so it's pretty positive from a mass adoption perspective," said Brian Marshall, an analyst with Broadpoint Amtech.

Research group IDC said it expects Apple to ship 4 million iPad units in 2010, with about 2 million in the United States.

Shares of Apple rose to as high as $210.58 after the pricing news, up 5.5 percent from their session low. The stock closed up 0.94 percent at $207.88 on Nasdaq, within reach of its all-time high of $215.59 logged on Jan 5.

The half-inch thick, 1.5-pound iPad features Apple's own processor and 10 hours of battery life. It runs a version of the iPhone's operating system and can use virtually all of the 140,000 apps currently available for the smartphone.

"What once occupied half your living room can now be dropped in a bag," said Outsell Inc analyst Ned May. "It's pulling together a variety of needs (in) a universal entertainment device."

Apple announced a data plan deal with AT&T Inc, which appeared to have beaten out Verizon Wireless. AT&T will offer two monthly data plans for the iPad, a limited one for $14.99 and an unlimited one for $29.99.

IPHONE-LIKE ANTICIPATION

Other technology companies, including Microsoft Corp and Toshiba Corp, have launched tablets that failed to take off in recent years.

But analysts said they were impressed with the technology that Apple showed off. The iPad has a near life-size touch keyboard, and comes with all the expected features, including a calendar, an address book and maps.

"One thing Apple has proven is that they can consumerise new concepts, new technologies," said Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies, a consulting firm. "That will probably be their claim to fame again with this."

However, some also mentioned potential cannibalization of other Apple products.

"If it's doing all these things and does it better than a notebook then they'd have to tell me why I'd want a MacBook," said NPD analyst Steve Baker.

Some industry watchers said the iPad, with its multimedia bells and whistles, will be a tough competitor for Amazon's Kindle. The iBooks store will let users buy from publishers including Pearson Plc's Penguin, News Corp's HarperCollins, and Hachette Book Group.

But other analysts noted that the Kindle costs less -- $259 for the cheapest version -- and was more tailored for long-form reading, at least for now.

"This is not an e-reader -- this is a device that can be used to read books," Cowen & Co analyst James Friedland said of the iPad. "This doesn't change the game -- at the same time, Apple is a formidable competitor and our view is that over time, Apple and Amazon will emerge as the two largest players" in e-books.

Shares of Amazon took a brief hit but recovered to end 2.7 percent higher at $122.75 on Nasdaq.

In an online poll on reuters.com before Wednesday's media event, 37 percent of more than 1,000 respondents said they would pay $500-$699 for the tablet. Nearly 30 percent weren't interested, while 20 percent said they would pay $700-$899.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

John Barrowman Set to Play a Bad Guy on Desperate Housewives This Season

British Actor, John Barrowman had tried, without success, to make it in US prime-time television with the mid-90s CBS soap Central Park West then about five years later with NBC’s short-lived Titans. Both were star-studded Dynasty knockoffs that did not click with the public.

Well now news comes that Barrowman, who stuck gold with Torchwood in the UK, is joining an established hit, Desperate Housewives. The show will be all the more delicious for his presence.

The Daily Mail reports that Barrowman will fly to Los Angeles in March to film several episodes. He will be the show’s main villain in the last section of the current season.

No word yet on who his character will be inter-connecting with on the hit show. Hopefully they decided on a juicy storyline with the resident gay couple, Bob (Tuc Watkins) and Lee (Kevin Rahm).

Zachary Quinto: 'I'm Not Leaving Star Trek'

Zachary Quinto has been forced to dismiss rumors he's quit Star Trek, after comments he made in a recent interview about "stepping away" from the movie franchise sent fans into a spin.

The Heroes star plays Spock in J.J. Abrams' 2009 revival of the sci-fi saga, and is expected to return for a series of sequels.

But Star Trek devotees went into a panic this week after the actor's interview with http://www.wired.com/, in which he hints at a hiatus from the franchise, hit the internet.

He said, "I'm stepping away from Star Trek for at least two years - no movies, no conventions, no anything for a while."

But Quinto is adamant his comments were misconstrued.

In a post on his official blog, he writes, "Obviously I will be a part of any upcoming films... reprising my role as Spock. What I meant was that in the meantime I won't be making any public appearances related to the franchise - or doing any more auxiliary projects pertaining to the Trek universe (sic). I will be focusing my efforts on other projects and preparing to shoot the next film - which will be released in June of 2012... two years from now. Hence the no Trek for two years remark. Worry not Trekkers. It was a misunderstanding of context."

Bryan Batt Axed from Mad Men

Openly gay actor Bryan Batt has been axed from hit U.S. TV series Mad Men.

Batt has become known for his role as art director Salvatore Romano on the 1960s-set drama, which premiered in 2007.

He recently raised his concerns about losing his job after his TV character was fired - and his worst fears have come true.

TV bosses have now confirmed he won't be joining the rest of the cast when the show returns for its fourth season, but insist there is no bad blood between the two parties.

Series creator Matthew Weiner explains, "Losing Bryan was a tough moment for the show, but that's where we are.

"I know how people felt about Bryan. I obviously love working with him, and he has been an indelible character since the pilot. But I felt it was an expression of the times that he couldn't work there anymore."

John Edwards's Ex-Aide:
Sex Tape is Somewhere 'Safe'

Andrew Young, the ex-aide to embattled two-time former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, says he has an alleged sex tape depicting the former senator and his then-mistress Rielle Hunter – and that the tape is in a safe-deposit box.

"We were offered millions for that stupid tape," he said in a recent interview. He says he and his wife Cheri found the tape in "a box of trash filled with crinkled paper and tapes" left behind by Hunter. He says they never considered selling it: "We couldn't live with ourselves."

Young, 43, served as an aide to Edwards for more than nine years. Just before the 2008 presidential primaries began, he agreed – at Edwards' behest, he says – to publicly claim paternity for the baby being carried by Hunter, 45. Young details the deception in his new tell-all book, The Politician, out today.

On January 21st, Edwards – who told Peiople Magazine on January 27th that he still "deeply cares" about Elizabeth – admitted that he is the father of Hunter's 2-year-old daughter, Frances Quinn.

We Just Fell on the Floor

Young says that when he and Cheri first watched the sex tape – which was marked "special" – "we just fell on the floor. We were agape." Adds Cheri: "It was disappointing to see the person you had such hopes and dreams for be so careless."

Now Hunter is fighting back. On January 28th, she filed a motion against Young in a North Carolina court. It seeks the return of photos and videos, including one she says she made in 2006 while working for Edwards.

"In or about September 2006, using my video camera, I authored a personal video recording that depicted matters of a very private and personal nature," Hunter wrote in an affidavit filed Thursday. "In 2006, I was also having an intimate relationship with Edwards."

Also in the affidavit, Hunter says the tape was in a "hat box" in her rental home and that it was taken without her consent to "generate publicity."

Another point of confusion: Young said in The Politician that the naked woman depicted in the video was pregnant. Hunter had Quinn in 2008, more than a year after she says her "private" video was made.

Young says he cannot comment on the "ongoing litigation" in regard to Hunter. A court date was set for Monday, the same day Young is scheduled to give his first live television interview.

"We may lose the battle only because we don't have the money or power that John and Elizabeth do," says Young. "We also don't have friends in the judicial system like they do. But we do know the truth and we have the determination to get it out."

For more of the Edwards drama, pick up the latest issue of People Magazine.

Joe "Proud" to Have Michael's Kids at the Grammys

As the Grammy Awards prepare to honor the late King of Pop with a Lifetime Achievement Award, Joe Jackson says he is proud to have his grandchildren accept the award on his son's behalf.

According to reports, Michael Jackson's two eldest children, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael, 12, are scheduled to take the stage at Saturday's Special Merit Awards ceremony at L.A.'s Wilshire Ebell Theater.

"I am very proud that my son, Michael Jackson, is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Grammy," Joe Jackson said in a statement Saturday. "However, there [have] been some recent rumors that I am displeased with the idea that Michael's children are accepting the award on my son's behalf. On the contrary, I am very proud of my grandchildren. Katherine and I are the ones that [have] initiated their participation."

But it remains unclear whether the children will make an appearance, as other reports claim, onstage for the Grammy telecast on Sunday.

The tribute planned for the telecast includes a 3-D film clip the pop sensation made before his death in June and performances by Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Celine Dion and Smokey Robinson.

"I thank the Recording Academy for their honor and know that Michael would have been very pleased to receive such recognition," Joe Jackson continued. "I am very proud of my family and I will continue to seek justice for my son."

Watch the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards tommorrow (Sunday, January 31st) at 8:00 pm (ET), live on CBS.

Bollywood Gay film is India's Brokeback Mountain

Although several gay scenes have featured already in Bollywood productions, an upcoming film is being touted as India's answer to Brokeback Mountain.

Promotional posters for Dunno Y . . . Na Jaane Kyun were released this week showing two topless men embracing.

Few details about the film have been disclosed but it is expected to be a high-profile release. The director is Anil Sharma, who is well-known in India's film industry.

He told The Times of India: "The only thing I was particular about was that this character should not come across as a caricature or just as an object of mockery. I am truly happy with what I have chosen."

The film will be in English with subtitles, something which may help it past censors.

Actor Kapil Sharma will play a would-be gay model who begins a sexual relationship with another man. It is not yet clear whether this will be a romantic relationship, as reports say the central character is forced to "compromise" his morals to further his career.

Bollywood has rarely mentioned homosexuality in the past and even heterosexual kisses are still unusual.

But since the Indian capital Delhi legalised homosexuality last year, homosexuality is very slowly becoming more accepted in culture.

A recent film, Dostana, showed two men pretending to be gay in order to win over a female love interest, but Dunno Y . . . Na Jaane Kyun is the first big release to tackle the issue of homosexuality seriously.

One upcoming small film, I Am, depicts male prostitutes being harassed by homophobic police officers. It is currently being shown at the Rotterdam Film Festival.

Dunno Y . . . Na Jaane Kyun is expected to be released in May.

Paparazzi!: Suited Up!

No wet suit here! A dapper Matthew McConaughey hits the beach in his finest formal wear for a photo shoot in Malibu on Thursday. Though the new dad is hard at work, he recently shared a photo of his baby girl Vida on his website.

Rosie O'Donnell: 'A Family is Forever'

The red carpet is an unusual spot to hang out with your ex – unless you're Rosie O'Donnell. Last week, at the New York City premiere of her documentary A Family Is a Family Is a Family: A Rosie O'Donnell Celebration, the comedian happily posed for photos alongside her four children – and Kelli Carpenter, her partner of 10 years whom O'Donnell only recently revealed she'd separated from in 2007.

"What makes a family is love, and we all love each other," O'Donnell, 47, told People Magazine. "We're gonna stay together and take care of each other as a family unit."

The definition of a family is at the heart of the comedian's documentary, which premieres this Sunday on HBO at 7 pm ET and features interviews with kids who come from all different types of families: ones headed up by a mom and a dad, two moms, two dads, as well as a mother and a grandmother. Adoption and surrogacy are also discussed.

"It's just children telling the truth about how they live and how it is for them," says O'Donnell.

A Family also includes new songs by artists including Ziggy Marley and They Might Be Giants, covering everything from love to in-vitro fertilization.

Adjustments and Challenges

O'Donnell says she was inspired by the popular 1970s album and TV special Free To Be … You and Me, created by Marlo Thomas. "We took that model and just applied it to family instead of equal rights," explains O'Donnell.

The comedian herself appears briefly in the documentary with her daughter Vivienne, 7 (her other kids Parker, 14, Chelsea, 12, and Blake, 10, are seen in video footage), and addresses her split with Carpenter. She also acknowledges how it's "difficult for families to adjust and changes are challenging." (Her next documentary, she reveals, will tackle divorce.)

These days, the exes live near each other in Nyack, N.Y. – Carpenter also has an apartment in New York City – and are raising the kids "equally," says O'Donnell, who hosts "Rosie Radio" on Sirius XM. (She also penned the forward to the upcoming book The Sound of Hope by Lois Kam Heymann, a speech-language pathologist. Heymann has worked with Blake, who has auditory processing disorder, a learning disability.)

Adds O'Donnell, "You have to really look at the four kids and realize that family is forever, which we both believe and it makes it a little bit easier."

Her family may be expanding, too: She says her girlfriend Texas-based artist Tracy Kachtick-Anders, 45, is "hopefully moving to Nyack" with her six children, ages 6 to 18.

"Our group of kids together is like the Brady Bunch on steroids," O'Donnell jokes. "Or the Gay-dy Bunch."

For more on O'Donnell, her family and life with her new girlfriend, pick up the latest issue of People, on newsstands now.

Lost: Six Juicy Secrets from the Set!

Details on the sixth and final season of ABC’s Lost — which premieres (finally!) on February 2nd — have been harder to come by than a smooth landing on Oceanic Airlines. Did Juliet succeed in detonating the hydrogen bomb — and blasting the show’s beloved characters to an island-free existence? If Locke is dead, who’s taken over his body? Can Sayid survive his nasty gunshot wound? Will we ever fully understand what’s really going on with this show?

People Magazine found answers to those pressing questions — plus 4, 8, 15, 16, 23 or 42 more — during a visit to the drama’s top-secret set in Oahu, Hawaii.

1. Under Pressure: “I don’t think ‘panic’ is the right word,” says Damon Lindelof of co-writing the highly anticipated premiere with fellow executive producer Carlton Cuse, “but it was like, ‘How do we do this?’” The producers have said that time traveling through the ’70s is history, as are the show’s traditional flashback/flash-forward narrative structures. “We haven’t [told the story] like this before,” Lindelof says. “It’s like, ‘Are we gonna be able to pull it off?’” Daniel Dae Kim, who plays Jin, believes they have. “I knew it would be something inventive because that’s how this show rolls,” he says. “But we’ve definitely increased our scope.” His three words to describe his reaction to the first episode? “Intrigued. Excited. Curious.”


2. All About Character: For all of Lost’s elaborate and feverishly dissected mythology, the series has always been, at its core, a character drama — and that won’t change. “The final season is really when you’re going to learn what these characters’ destinies are,” says Cuse. Expect man of faith Locke (Terry O’Quinn) — or whoever he is now — to prove a central figure, along with man of science Dr. Jack Shephard. “About midway through [the season], Jack will absolutely know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that his whole life has brought him to this point in time,” Matthew Fox says of his tortured character, “and that he is meant to do something very, very important.”

3. About That Mythology: SPOILER ALERT! In the two-hour premiere, one of Lost’s biggest mysteries — one that’s been rattling around since the pilot no less — is fleshed out. (Got goosebumps yet?) How about this? “We might be seeing Hurley’s guitar case in some way again,” says Jorge Garcia, who plays the lottery winner. What’s more, one character’s first line of dialogue in the season-opener was actually handed to fans way back in July at Comic-Con. Let the theorizing begin!

4. Sun’s Safe House: Lost quickly earned a reputation for a willingness to kill off main characters, including Boone, Charlie, Mr. Eko, and Michael. This season, it doesn’t take long to realize that more names will be added to the list. Yunjin Kim, who plays subservient wife-turned-revenge-seeker Sun, may be the only one who’s not worried. “Back at the end of season two, I said, ‘I bought a condo [in Hawaii] and if I get killed off, you’re going to have to buy it from me,’” Kim says of a conversation with producers. “Carlton was like, ‘Well, we’re never going kill you off.’ I was joking but it didn’t seem like he was.”

5. Lost Stars Are Still Lost: “No actor has been given the full blueprint of what the ending of the show is,” Cuse says. “And no one’s asked us either.” That doesn’t mean the actors don’t have ideas about their character’s fates. Dae Kim hopes his is integral to the show’s final conflict — whatever it may be — while his onscreen wife hopes Sun doesn’t get her happy ending: “I would be really disappointed if we wound up being a happily married couple,” she says. She’s not the only one who thinks love is overrated. After five seasons of love triangle-ing over Kate (Evangeline Lilly), neither Sawyer or Jack seems sold on winding up with the feisty fugitive. “Jack and Kate have always cared deeply for each other but [their] circumstances may be too much for that relationship to ever really have a chance,” says Fox. Josh Holloway is more blunt: “Sawyer and Kate have a love that is undeniable but maybe it must be denied.”

6. She’s Back: That would be Emilie de Ravin, who returns full-time playing baby Aaron’s (dead?) mama Claire after being M.I.A. in season 5. “I didn’t watch the show at all while I was gone,” she says. She has a good excuse: de Ravin was busy shooting last July’s Public Enemies with Johnny Depp and the upcoming Remember Me with Robert Pattinson. But what can she tell us about Claire’s hiatus? “It’s in a very unexpected scenario,” she says, choosing her words carefully, “and she’s not quite the same.” Does that also apply to Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) and Boone (Ian Somerhalder), both of whom return for guest shots? Lips are sealed! But one thing is certain: off-screen, Holloway is a changed man. “I have become quite the lightweight [since becoming Dad to daughter Java Kumala last April],” Holloway reports. “Three beers and I’m, like, gone. It’s ridiculous! But it’s wonderful. Just being with the little one — that makes me feel intoxicated.”

Check back for more secrets from the set of Lost as the final season begins!

Olympic Icon Greg Louganis Wants to Be on Dancing with the Stars

Diving legend Greg Louganis has never backed away from a challenge.

He won four Olympic gold medals despite obstacles including a rough childhood, an abusive relationship, addictions to pills and alcohol and a devastating HIV diagnosis in 1988.

These days Louganis — who turns 50 today — is healthy, happy and ready for another kind of challenge: “I want to be on Dancing with the Stars,” he said. “It would be such a blast.”

Known for his graceful dives (and the horrifying moment when he bashed his head on a diving board at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, requiring stitches), Louganis also danced as a child — and was teased about it by other kids, who also taunted him over his dyslexia and dark skin tone (adopted by Greek-American parents, his birth father is Samoan).

Yet Louganis, who revealed his painful past and talked openly about his sexuality and HIV status in his 1995 memoir Breaking the Surface, has thrived. Living in Malibu, Calif., with partner Daniel McSwiney, 46, his passion for diving has been replaced by his love of his dogs, whom he trains for agility competitions.

Now what Louganis wants most is to dust off his Dancing shoes — and show off some moves of his own.

“I don’t know about the outfits, but I’ve worn worse,” laughs Louganis, who as a child wore “sequins, headbands and poofy sleeves” for jazz routines. “I’ve never done ballroom but I want to try … Dance really captures something you just can’t put into words.” – Alexis Chiu

For more on Louganis — including how he stays healthy, his struggles with addiction, and his devotion to his dogs — check out the issue of PEOPLE on newstands now.

Meet Vida Alves McConaughey!

Introducing Vida Alves McConaughey! Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves share a personal snapshot of their now 3 ½-week-old baby girl on the actor’s Web site. Not pictured is big brother Levi, 18 months.

“Here’s a pic of our latest family member Vida Alves McConaughey,” the caption reads. “Thanks for all your well wishes our way, the future’s lookin bright, just keep livin, Matthew and Camila.”

Catch Camila as the host of the third season of Shear Genius, premiering February 3rd at 10:00 pm (ET) on Bravo.

Cast of Jersey Shore Returns for Season 2

Pump your fists, Jersey Shore fans!

MTV has announced that its hit reality show, Jersey Shore, will return with the original cast for a second season this summer.

Pauly Delvecchio, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, Jenni “J-WOWW” Farley, Sammi “Sweetheart” Giancola, Ronnie Margo and Vinny Guadagnino will all “escape the cold Northeast and find themselves in a new destination” for season 2, MTV said in a statement.

“Our audience has fallen in love with Jersey Shore and its amazing cast who have really grown together as a family. That bond gives the show its heart, and we’re thrilled to reunite these friends to bring fans more of what they love — laughs, love, drama and of course, GTL,” MTV’s President of Programming Tony DiSanto said.

If you can’t wait until summer to see Snooki dance or The Situation work the duck phone, MTV will broadcast the Jersey Bowl February 7th at 9:00 am (ET), a marathon of season 1, leading up to the Super Bowl.

Paparazzi!: Madonna Air Bound

Madonna makes sure to stay bundled up while heading for a flight out of London's Heathrow Airport on Friday.

Friday, January 29, 2010

New Music: Jennifer Lopez is "Everybody's Girl"

Check out the latest song from Jennifer Lopez!

“Everybody’s Girl” premiered earlier today on German radio stations - check it out below! The song is reportedly from her forthcoming album, Love?, due out in April.

It was announced earlier today that J. Lo will be making a guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother in March!



From the sound of this song and "Louboutins," it sounds like JLo has another hit CD, "Love?", that will be loved by many.

Today is Adam Lambert’s 28th birthday!

A year ago, Adam Lambert marked his birthday by competing in the early rounds of American Idol.

Twelve months later, he’s king of the pop world.

Adam, who was runner-up to Kris Allen on Idol, has certainly been a breath of fresh air with his ability to entertain and shock and the best part about it all is he has the talent to back it up.

Did he go a little too far at the American Music Awards with his naughty performance? Of course! But the controversy that followed was as interesting as the performance itself. ABC banning him, fans embracing him and his album For Your Entertainment continuing to sell, sell, sell.

He may not be selling as many CDs as that other famous TV talent show runner up, Susan Boyle, but Adam seems to be here to stay.

Adam paid a visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show this week – Ellen also had a birthday – and gave an amazing performance of Strut which is the video below.



American Idol’s Texas Showdown: Simon Cowell vs. Neil Patrick Harris

Carrie Underwood is guest starring on How I Met Your Mother, so it’s only fair that Neil Patrick Harris joined Randy, Simon and Kara in Dallas, Texas, Wednesday as the American Idol audition tour rolled on.

Joe Jonas sat in for the second day in Dallas but didn’t have much to say. Maybe he’s too cool. But like Katy Perry in Los Angeles, Harris, who’s also pretty cool, squabbled with one of the judges. He and Simon, it seemed, disagreed more than agreed and their row was highlighted when Kimberly Carver walked in the room. She sang a jazzy original song, which Harris thought was “quite great.” But Simon told him, “Under normal circumstances you wouldn’t be interested. If it was Jazz TV, yes.” Luckily for Harris, Kara and Randy were on his side and Kimberly got a golden ticket to Hollywood. Thirty others from Dallas will join her there.

Lloyd Thomas, a dock worker at an airline and dad to two little girls, sang “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder. He turned out to be one of Simon’s favorites.

Erica Rhodes, who once starred on the kids’ show Barney and Friends, came to the auditions in an all-black S&M getup, complete with a whip. Her song of choice was En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind” — and the judges saw past her outfit and sent her through. Maybe they were intimidated?

Tourette’s syndrome didn’t stop Dave Pittman from auditioning — in fact, singing “Bring It on Home to Me” by Sam Cooke momentarily stopped his Tourette’s syndrome. Simon’s verdict: “People are going to like you.”

Todrick Hall, who performed in the musical The Color Purple on Broadway with Idol winner Fantasia, charmed his way to Hollywood with a clever original song about his Idol audition. Randy said it was on of the best he’s seen this season.

A very casually (tank top, jean shorts) dressed Maegan Wright surprised Kara with her version of “To Make You Feel My Love” — “I really liked it,” she said, “I though this was going to be a joke.” Simon liked her dressed-down approach. It made her audition seem effortless.

Those not moving on from the Lone Star State included Julie Kevelighan, who auditioned in Dallas alongside original Idol winner Kelly Clarkson in season 1, but didn’t make it. Despite a sign that said, “This is my year,” her version of “Black Velvet” was a distaster, according to the judges. Simon told her to add a word to her sign so it would say, “This is NOT my year.” Dexter Ward, who was certain he would make it all the way to the finale and win, left in tears after Randy said his audition “looked like it hurt.” (Maybe it did?) And the “super optimistic” Vanessa Johnston, who dressed like a rainbow, sang “At Last.” Simon said her performance was “like what my nightmares look and sound like.” With a smile on her face, she said, “At least you’re dreaming about me.” That is super.

Carrie Underwood Performing at Super Bowl

American Idol winners Jordin Sparks and Kris Allen got the championship games. But when it comes to the national anthem for Super Bowl XLIV, the NFL calls on the singer who has sold more albums in the U.S. than any other Idol winner: Carrie Underwood.

Carrie's the third straight Idol to get the Super Bowl gig: Jordin and Jennifer Hudson have sung it previously. Carrie joins an impressive list of performers who have sung The Star Spangled Banner at the game, including Billy Joel, Diana Ross, Neil Diamond, Whitney Houston, Harry Connick, Jr., Garth Brooks, Natalie Cole, Vanessa Williams, Luther Vandross, Cher, Faith Hill, Mariah Carey, Dixie Chicks and Beyoncé Knowles.

Super Bowl XLIV takes places on Sunday, February 5th at 6:00 pm (ET) in Miami, Florida. It will be televised on CBS.

Grammy Performances Pushing the Envelope

Elton John and Lady Gaga kick off the show. Can they upstage the piano man's memorable Stan duet with Eminem in 2001? Beyoncé's medley is shaping up as a monster production number. Will it measure up to Beyoncé's Proud Mary duet with Tina Turner in 2008? Does this year's Taylor Swift transcend last year's Taylor Swift?

Music's most prestigious awards show is more than a podium for dispensing Grammys in highly competitive races. It's also a distinguished showcase for live performances, and that competition, while friendly, can be fierce.

Sunday's musical marathon promises back-to-back showstoppers (and a sprinkling of statues) as performers angle for a chapter in Grammy's history book.

Intensifying the pressure is TV's growing role as a critical key in promoting artists, says Grammy executive producer Ken Ehrlich, whose patience tends to be tested by demanding and mercurial stars.

"At one point, when I was getting frustrated with a couple acts who will remain nameless, someone reminded me that this is the biggest night of their year, or their careers in some cases. They want to beat past performances by Prince or Beyoncé or Paul McCartney. They feel as much pressure as we do to come through."

They may be hard-pressed to outshine the departed Michael Jackson, who resurfaces in a previously unreleased 3-D version of Earth Song, joined live on the Grammy stage by Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood and Usher. (Viewers can pick up free 3-D glasses at Target through Sunday.) The film was created for Jackson's scrapped This Is It tour.

"It's going to be pretty remarkable," says Ehrlich, who saw Jackson's tour rehearsals the night before his death. "When I was thinking about how to honor him, I didn't want someone doing Beat Itor Billie Jean. This is the proper homage, considering how he felt about this song and the message it sends to fans. And he always wanted to push the envelope."

So does Ehrlich, who produced his first Grammy show 30 years ago, inaugurating a tradition of magical pairings with Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand's duet of You Don't Bring Me Flowers. Over the years, the show expanded from two hours to 3½, from a nightclub to a small auditorium to the 20,000-seat Staples Center.

"We've covered a lot of ground, but I don't feel tired," Ehrlich says.

Ask him again Monday morning. Sunday's partial menu:
Other performances include:
• Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli will join voices on Bridge Over Troubled Water.
• Jeff Bridges will introduce a Les Paul tribute, How High the Moon, with guitar hero Jeff Beck and rockabilly singer Imelda May.
• Maxwell and Roberta Flack reprise her Where Is the Love and his Pretty Wings.
• Eminem and Lil Wayne join Drake on his Forever, with Blink-182's Travis Barker on drums.
• The Black Eyed Peas' I Gotta Feeling will incorporate singalong videos submitted online by fans.
• Green Day does 21 Guns, sharing the stage with the cast of Broadway's upcoming American Idiot, based on the trio's album.
• Bon Jovi will play a song chosen by fans, who can vote at www.cbs.com/grammys for Always, It's My Life or Livin' on a Prayer until the band takes the stage. (Logic suggests Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, a late addition to the Grammy bill, will pop up here for duet Who Says You Can't Go Home.)
• Country pop trio Lady Antebellum performs Need You Now.
• Pink tackles Glitter in the Air.

Watch the Grammys this Sunday, January 31st at 8:00 pm (ET) on CBS.

Samantha Harris Leaving Dancing with the Stars

Samantha Harris has left the ballroom!

The Dancing With the Stars co-host will not return to ABC’s celebrity dance competition when it returns for its tenth season on March 22. Harris, who has co-hosted with Tom Bergeron for the past eight seasons, said Thursday that the decision to leave the show wasn’t easy.

“[DWTS] could not have been more of a dream job,” she says. “I loved every single second of it and I’ve made lifelong friends at the show.”

But Harris, who majored in journalism at Northwestern University, says that she is focusing on other projects like her correspondent duties at The Insider, which she says have expanded in the past year.

“I interned at Entertainment Tonight 15 years ago, the summer after my sophomore year at Northwestern and I dreamed of working in the same space as hosts Mary Hart and Mark Steines and now I’m living that dream,” says Harris.

“Samantha has been a brilliant part of [DWTS] and we wish her the best of luck on The Insider,” Dancing executive producer Conrad Green says, noting that he has begun the search to fill Harris’s slot. “She’s done an incredible job. Some of the most memorable moments on the show have been facilitated by Samantha. I think we’ll all walk away with enormous happy memories of working with one another.”

Bergeron says he is sad to see his co-host move on.

“I’m going to miss Samantha. We had a nice rapport off-camera and on,” he stated. “I could see that her workload was picking up on The Insider. As somebody who’s been known to juggle a few jobs myself, I know that that can pull you in eight different directions.”

Since joining DWTS in 2006, Harris has simultaneously held jobs at E! and The Insider. In 2008 she co-hosted the official Oscar pre-show with Regis Philbin, and in 2009 she guest hosted for Meredith Viera on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. She also made her Broadway debut in July 2009 playing Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago.

Still, if Bergeron has his way, he will try to get Harris to return to the ballroom. “I’ve been known to try to twist arms behind the scenes,” he says. “I’m hoping this frees her up for us to have her as a contestant.”

SoFLa Local: Hollywood Cop Fired for Gay Porn Wants His Job Back

From Steve Rothaus’ Gay South Florida:

Michael Verdugo’s 15 minutes of porn film fame cost him his job as a Hollywood police officer and his budding career as “Mikey V” of HGTV’s Design Star.

Verdugo is fighting to get back his police job and is preparing to sue the police department for discrimination.

Hollywood Police fired Verdugo — and Design Star dumped him — after a 1996 video turned up on the Internet showing the future cop in a 15-minute bondage scene from a gay porn flick called Rope Rituals.

“I don’t regret it,” Verdugo, 35, said of his one-time appearance at age 22 in porn, three years before he became a police officer. “It was a time in my life that I wanted to explore.”

Verdugo — billed as Jeremy Wess in Rope Rituals — said he performed nude in the short scene, but didn’t engage in hardcore sex. “It was all role-playing bondage. I was tied. I used handcuffs later on in my career.”


Just after the video turned up in July 2008, Design Star uninvited Mikey V from a reunion episode. Hollywood Police put Verdugo on administrative leave with pay. An investigation followed and the department fired him in January 2009 for not disclosing on his police application that he had made the porn film. An arbitrator recently upheld the termination.

Now, Verdugo has asked his attorney, Alberto Milian, to file a civil lawsuit against Hollywood Police for wrongful termination and discrimination.

“When you’re a gay cop in a paramilitary organization like law enforcement, a lot of discrimination exists,” said Milian, a Coral Gables criminal defense attorney who also specializes in labor law for police officers and firefighters. “He was a damn good cop. This guy was an asset and there’s no doubt his talents were very useful to the people of Hollywood.”

Greg Louganis Turns 50 Today!

The great diving legend (four Olympic gold medals and one silver medal) is a half century young today. He is such an inspiration and authored one of the most moving memoirs I’ve ever read: Breaking the Surface.

Breaking the Surface is so deeply moving and inspiring due to his honesty about being gay, his abusive boyfriends, a distant father, his low self-esteem despite being the very best in his sport and about living with HIV.

Greg is a true survivor.

Greg has been living with HIV for decades and, thankfully, has remained healthy and productive and handsome. We hope he has a wonderful birthday.

Paparazzi!: Major Baggage

He may star in the highest-grossing movie of all time, but Avatar hunk Sam Worthington doesn't require any special treatment as he lugs his own bags through Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Five Things You Don't Know About Ke$ha

Turn on the radio and you're bound to hear Ke$ha (pronounced Kesha, not Keisha or Casha!) belting out the lyrics to her club anthem "Tik Tok," the No. 1 pop song right now. Sound like your typical 22-year-old party girl? Maybe. But here are a few things about her that may surprise you:

1. Nerd Alert!: Sure, she brags about brushing her teeth with Jack Daniels and hooking up with boys who look like Mick Jagger, but the pop star has an intellectual side too. Before scoring a record deal, "I was going to go to Barnard to be a psychologist," she says. Currently reading A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson ("It's so good," she gushes), Ke$ha adds that as a high school student, she used to crash college classes for fun. "I'd drive down to Belmont [University] and sit in on a cold war history class," she says with a laugh. "I love learning."

2. She Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts: Terrified is more like it. "I just recently moved because [my house] was haunted," she says. In fact, her fear helped inspire the line, "Woke up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy," in "Tik Tok." "I'd always try to convince my friends to spend the night, 'cause I wouldn't get haunted on if they were there," she says. "I woke up one morning, surrounded by all my girlfriends. I woke up feeling like P. Diddy!"

3. Homeward Bound: She may look like a California girl, but make no mistake: Ke$ha is proud of her Nashville roots – so much so that she recently decided to move home. "I really love L.A., [but] it's like a weekend all the time there," she says. "I want to go back home, hang out with the fam – I have a 10-year-old brother who thinks I'm cool so I like hanging out with him – and learn how to play the drums.

4. All the Single Ladies: Guys, listen up: the blonde beauty is single and looking. When asked about her love life, she is emphatic: "It's a disaster. It really takes a strong guy to have a successful girlfriend who's as mouthy as I am. I've yet to find someone who can handle the sass," she says. "I just want somebody who's really cool – a really cool musician with a big beard."

5. Animal Instincts: "I'm super into being an animal – that's why I named my album Animal," she says, adding that one day she hopes to have parrots named Wayne and Garth. "I go [scuba] diving, mountain biking, and camping to see animals. I [even] went to the Amazon to try to see jaguars," she says. "I'm obsessed with watching animal documentaries, [too]. It's the only TV you'll ever catch me watching." She corrects herself: "Or maybe Seinfeld."

Katy Perry & Kara DioGuardi ‘Hot and Cold’ in L.A.

Avril Lavigne and Katy Perry joined the American Idol judges Tuesday in Los Angeles, and the starlets showed sass, saying no to hopeful singers when the judges — even Simon Cowell — said yes. Katy even clashed with Kara DioGuardi, mocking her at times and threatening to throw a Coke in her face when she shot back.

But the real battle was for golden tickets. Jim Ranger, a 27-year-old pastor with three kids, sang his own song, “Drive,” and made it through despite concern from Avril (who wore devil horns) that he wouldn’t be able to handle being a pop star.

Simon said Mary Powers, who sang a Pat Benatar song, was “a little cliché.” But she got unanimous praise for her stylish voice and scored a ride to Hollywood. She then brought her 8-year-old daughter into the audition room to say hello to her favorite judge, Simon. It was a cute moment from the bristly Brit.
Musician Andrew Garcia, who is also a parent, blew the panel away with his soulful performance. Simon said he was “the only person [of the day] who I believe is genuinely good singer.” Katy told him, “You gave me chills,” and he was sent through to the next round.

Tasha Layton, a personal assistant and minister, delivered another crowd-pleaser with her version of Joss Stone’s “Baby Baby Baby.”

And to end the night, Chris Golightly, who grew up in foster care, sang “Stand By Me” with a lot of heart. When Kara said she admired his touching story, Katy told her, “This is not a Lifetime movie, sweetheart … you have to have talent.” Still, he got four yeses — two with “a small y” from Katy and Simon — and made the cut.

As for those who didn’t make it: The worst offenders included data entry tech Neil Goldstein, who bragged about his IQ, forgot his lyrics and got extremely shiny before refusing to leave the room in defeat; Austin Fullmer, who had the Mick Jagger swagger and an Iggy Pop body, according to the judges, but lacked the talent to land a ticket to Hollywood; Jason Greene, who made Katy “feel dirty” with his version of “I Touch Myself” by the Divinyls; and Adam Lambert fan AJ Mendoza, who — despite his alleged approval from the Idol runner-up — got a “very easy no” from all the judges because, they said, he couldn’t open up his mouth when he sang.

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Were 'Out at Dinner' When Split Rumors Broke

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie weren't fretting over recent false reports that they were headed for splitsville. As the rumor mill was spinning out of control, the couple of nearly five years were enjoying some quiet time together, says a source.

"Angie and Brad were actually out to dinner together in Los Angeles when the rumor broke," says the source. "That's how ridiculous [the story] is."

At the time, multiple sources reported the rumor, which originated in a British tabloid, was "totally false."

Currently, the pair are sharing family time in Los Angeles with their kids Maddox, 8, Pax, 6, Zahara, 5, Shiloh, 3, and twins Vivienne and Knox, 18 months.

As for whether Hollywood's golden couple will attend this year's Academy Awards together in March, at the moment their schedule includes filming so they don't have plans to be there, says a source

Tommy Mottola in Talks to Replace Simon Cowell

[This is our 3,000th posting on CharlieCruiser's World. Thanks for letting me keep you entertained. I hope you will stick around for at least my next 3,000 postings. Enjoy! - Carlos aka CharlieCruiser]


The buzz has begun over Simon Cowell’s replacement when the iconic judge steps away from American Idol after this season — and legendary music executive Tommy Mottola is a possibility to fill his spot, a source has stated.

Mottola, a longtime fixture in the music industry and Mariah Carey’s first husband, could also be working with Cowell on X Factor, which he is launching as his next step after Idol.

“Both X Factor and Idol are interested in working with Tommy,” the source said. “Nothing has been decided but they are talking. He’s a shrewd negotiator and a legendary music impresario who has a great ear and instinctively knows talent. He is the perfect person for something like this.”

But a source from Idol said, “No one has been offered a judging [position] on American Idol yet and there are no front-runners either. They have a lot of time to go over their options.”

Mottola, 60, has long been a heavy hitter in the music industry with knack for discovering talent. A former executive head of Sony Music Entertainment, he plucked Carey from relative obscurity (and eventually married her). Mottola is also credited with shaping stars including Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson and Diana Ross. He’s currently married to Mexican pop superstar Thalía.

John Edwards: I Still Care Deeply About Elizabeth

John Edwards spoke out Wednesday in response to a People report he and wife Elizabeth quietly separated before his admission he fathered a love child.

“It is an extraordinarily sad moment, but I love my children more than anything and still care deeply about Elizabeth," the former two-time Democratic presidential candidate says in a statement.

In a cover story on newsstands Friday, People reports that last December, in a mediated visit in a North Carolina hotel, Elizabeth met the 23-month-old baby whom John had fathered with a mistress.

After that, "She said, 'I've had it. I can't do this. I want my life back,' " Elizabeth's sister, Nancy Anania, tells People. The couple now occupy separate residences.

A spokeswoman for Elizabeth has released a statement saying she's "moving on with her life" after a "excruciatingly painful period for her."

ABC Cancels Ugly Betty (Oh..No!)

This is about as ugly as it gets, folks.

Say goodbye to Betty Suarez and the stylish staff of Mode magazine. ABC announced Wednesday that Ugly Betty has been canceled.

“We’ve mutually come to the difficult decision to make this Ugly Betty’s final season, and are announcing now as we want to allow the show ample time to write a satisfying conclusion,” executive producer Silvio Horta and ABC president Steve McPherson said in a joint statement. “We are extremely proud of this groundbreaking series, and felt it was important to give the fans a proper farewell.”

Mark Indelicato, who plays Betty’s nephew, Justin Suarez, called working on the show a learning experience. “It’s been an amazing four years,” Indelicato, 15, tells PEOPLE. “I’ve learned so much from the wonderful actors I have worked with. It’s sad to see this come so unexpectedly but I think that we all recognize the tremendous work that we have done — and am very grateful for that.”

The show, which stars Emmy-winner America Ferrera as the style-challenged fashion magazine staffer, is in its fourth season.

Based on the popular Colombian soap Betty la Fea, which has inspired dozens of versions of the show around the world, the ABC hour-long comedy premiered in September of 2006.

But back to the bad news: Betty is about to hang up her poncho for good.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Jude Law is Tired of Being an 'Adonis'

Jude Law is 37 now, which mean he's almost 40 -- and he says he's reaching the end of his heartthrob screen status. For Jude, this sounds like a blessing in disguise.

He said: “I think it will be interesting to be old. It involves a lot of possibilities. The future doesn't frighten me at all. On the contrary, I am looking forward to it. If I have a look around at the moment I feel great relief because finally others are entering the limelight. Men like Robert Pattinson must now play the Adonis. For me it was always a restraint, a restriction.”

Jude, who has reconciled his romance with one-time fiancée Sienna Miller, insists he never wanted to be known as a hunk and felt the female attention he attracted hampered his career.

The actor said: “My goal was always to be recognized as a good actor but no one was interested in that, simply because society just wants to warm towards your appearance. This is the great blemish of society. When you suddenly appear on the scene and you are the new face, everything centres on you. I experienced this in my mid-20s and I found it rather hard.”

Jude isn’t only looking forward to hitting 40, he is also excited about getting even older. When asked what the best thing about getting older was, he joked to the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper: “That you can take a nap whenever you want and that you can finally say everything you really want to say.”

Paula Abdul on Dancing with the Stars?

Paula Abdul has a million reasons to appear on "Dancing with the Stars."

ABC has offered Abdul a $1,000,000 development deal, with one catch -- she has to appear on "DWTS," sources tell TMZ.

ABC has been going after Paula for a few years now, trying to get her on "DWTS."

According to the proposed deal, ABC would allow Paula to do "The X Factor" with Simon Cowell. We're told Simon and Paula met a week ago to discuss the show, and it looks like it will happen.

Paula has to make a quick decision -- we're told the ABC offer is contingent on Paula doing "DWTS" this season, which starts in March.

A rep for ABC says they don't comment on prospective cast members.

Matt Bomer Heats Up Men’s Health

White Collar’s Matt Bomer lends his famous face to the pages of Men’s Health in the February 2010 issue.

The 32-year-old actor dished about why the character of Neal Caffrey appealed to him, taking fashion cues from his character and what he’s learned growing up.

On why he wanted to play Neal: “His duality appealed to me. You don’t ever want to play a character who’s too polished. Those imperfect, dark sides add texture to a part.”

On taking fashion cues from Neal: “I’ve taken a lot of notes from him. Throw on a tie bar, cuff links and a fedora, and I feel like a different guy.”

On growing up: “For me, a lot of my 20s were about finding out who I wanted to be. When you reach your 30s, you develop a much stronger sense of who you are, an that simplifies everything - from what I wear to who I spend my time with.”

For more from Matt, pick up Men’s Health, on newsstands now.

Lance Bass … as You’ve Never Seen Him Before!

No sillies, it’s not Adam Lambert!

It is Lance Bass who agreed to get made up and pose for photographer Mike Ruiz who is known for his high-impact, surreal brand of celebrity and fashion photography.

Cool stuff!

No More Pirates for Orlando Bloom

Actor Orlando Bloom has confirmed he has quit the Pirates Of The Caribbean film franchise.

The Brit played Will Turner in the first three movies and bosses but he won't be a part of a planned fourth film, which will start shooting this spring in Hawaii.

Movie love interest Keira Knightley announced her "pirating days are over" in 2008, prompting speculation that Bloom would walk the plank behind her.

And now he has revealed he will not be starring alongside Johnny Depp in 2011's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

He says, "I think Will is sort of swimming around with the fish at the bottom of the ocean. I had a great time making those movies. I just really wanted to do different things."

But Bloom can't wait to see the latest Pirates sequel, which will be directed by Nine and Chicago filmmaker Rob Marshall: "I think it's going to be great. Whatever Johnny does, I think it's fantastic.

"I think he's (Marshall) an amazing director. I think it will be a very interesting fit, because Johnny is musical anyway and I'm sure that something really beautiful will come out of it."

Sam Worthington to Play Dracula?

Avatar star Sam Worthington is in talks to bring Dracula back from the dead.

The Aussie hunk is the frontrunner to land the lead in Alex Proyas' Dracula Year Zero.

The project is shrouded in mystery but trade paper Variety reports the film will chronicle the history and mythology of the romantic vampire anti-hero.

Anne Hathaway to Announce Oscar Nominees

Anne Hathaway will soon deliver news that Hollywood has waited all year to hear.

The Rachel Getting Married actress will join Academy President Tom Sherak to announce this year’s Oscar nominations on February 2nd.

Hathaway and Sherak will reveal nominees in 10 of the 24 categories for the most coveted award in film.

The press conference will be held at 8:30 am (ET) at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills and aired live.

Hathaway, 27, plays the White Queen in Tim Burton’s remake of Alice in Wonderland and also stars in Valentine’s Day and Love and Other Drugs.

The 82nd Academy Awards will be broadcast March 7th at 8:00 pm (ET) on ABC from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

Tribute to a Gay Soap Star: James Mitchell … aka Palmer Cortlandt of “All My Children”

While reading the obituary on actor James Mitchell in the LA Times, there were plenty of surprises to his "All My Children" fan.

The man who played the gruff patriarch Palmer Cortlandt for more than three decades on ABC’s All My Children was 89 years old! He also had the lead roles on Broadway musicals including Paint Your Wagon, Billion Dollar Baby, Brigadoon and Bloomer Girl. James also toured with Chita Rivera in The Three Penny Opera. He had many movie roles including The Turning Point, The Band Wagon, Oklahoma and Deep in My Heart.

And the most importantly surprise was that we did not know he was gay!

On the obituary, at the end of the second paragraph, it attributes the information about his death last Friday to his longtime partner Albert Wolsky.

Mitchell’s last All My Children appearance was earlier this month on the show’s 40th anniversary episode which was taped sometime in December. Palmer was gruff on the outside and could be quite a ruthless schemer in days gone by, but at the core of it was a deep love for his family.

All My Children fans may recall when he first came on the show as the over-controlling father of the beautiful Nina. Once she finally got a life of her own, and moved away, he had a lovely remarriage to Daisy (Nina’s mom) then a terrible one to Cynthia and also marriages to Donna and Opal.

May "Palmer Cortlandt" rest in peace.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Simon Cowell's Charity Single for Haiti

Mariah Carey has signed up to join some of the world’s biggest stars and add her vocals to Simon Cowell’s star-studded cover version of the REM ballad "Everybody Hurts." Simon has revealed the 40-year-old singer-and-actress was so keen to help raise relief funds for the Caribbean island following the two devastating earthquakes, she altered her schedule to fit in the recording.

He said: "We're getting there. We have had an incredible amount of support. It's amazing these great singers are clearing their schedules to make this happen. I just found out Mariah has changed her schedule to be able to do this too. It says such a lot that everyone is working so hard to help Haiti. This is something that really matters to us all and I'm so grateful for the support we are getting."

Simon, who hopes the song will be released next Sunday, is thrilled about the extra publicity which will be generated now Mariah has joined the bill. A source added to The Sun newspaper: "Mariah was brilliant, she wanted to help in any way she could. Her name gives the single another great boost.”

Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus has also joined the track’s all-star cast, in addition to Cheryl Cole, Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, James Blunt and Rod Stewart. The individual vocals are being compiled by producer Steve Robson, using advanced technology which means artists do not need to record together.

Glee Star Jane Lynch to Marry Girlfriend

Actress Jane Lynch, who plays cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester in Glee, is to marry her long-term girlfriend.

The star and her partner, psychologist Dr Lara Embry, will reportedly tie the knot in May, after the second series of the hit comedy begins airing in the US. It is not clear where their ceremony will take place.

Lynch, 49, is also known for roles in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Two And A Half Men.

Embry was successfully involved in a high-profile same-sex custody lawsuit in Florida last year, for which she won the National Centre For Lesbian Rights' Justice Award.

Jon Hamm and James Franco Speak Out for Marriage Equality

At a press conference for the Allen Ginsberg biopic Howl at Sundance, E!'s Ted Casablanca and Taryn Rider asked actors Jon Hamm and James Franco about the trial in that film in relation to the courtroom proceedings playing out in California against Proposition 8.

Said Hamm: "There's a line in the movie [that says] 'I think that publicity engendered by this trial is going to bring this poem to a much wider audience than it ever would have had.' I think that argument can certainly be made for the Prop 8 situation, where publicity engendered by all this brings to light the absurdity of ascribing second-class status to an entire group of people. The more people that see that...I just think in a lot of ways the publicity and press surrounding these issues will only serve to help."

Said Franco: "Like I said before when Milk was coming out, I hope we'll get to a time soon where we'll look back and say, 'I can't believe that we were discriminating against this whole group of people and saying, 'You don't have the same rights as everybody else.'' I hope that the time comes very, very soon, when we can all look back and say that was ridiculous."