Hollywood Stars Visit Havana

Hollywood came to Havana on Thursday as Cuban writers and artists gave an award to Benicio del Toro, star of the 2008 movie "Che," in a ceremony attended by fellow actors Bill Murray, Robert Duvall and James Caan.

Murray stole the show when he improvised a version of the song "As Time Goes By," then jokingly passed around a hat, asking for money.

Their presence lent a bit of Hollywood glitz to warming U.S.-Cuba relations, and may have been the precursor for the making of a film in Cuba.

A spokesman for the group said del Toro was in town for the award, but that Murray, Duvall and Caan were working on a "research project.

When asked if he and his pals might make a movie on the communist-led island, del Toro told reporters: "That depends on the governments, on the American government."

Because of the long-standing U.S. trade embargo against Cuba, Americans have been forbidden, with some exceptions, from visiting the island or doing most business there.

Hollywood stars such as Robert Redford, Arnold Schwarzenegger and director Steven Spielberg have come to Cuba in the past but cultural exchanges slowed due to restrictions imposed by former U.S. President George W. Bush.

The group's spokesman said they were traveling under a license granted by the U.S. Treasury Department.

U.S. President Barack Obama offered earlier this year to "recast" relations with Cuba, which have been sour since the 1959 revolution that put Fidel Castro in power.

Obama has lifted travel restrictions for Cuban Americans and restarted immigration talks with Cuba that were suspended under Bush.

Last week, the United States said a Bush-era news ticker on the U.S. Interests Section building in Havana, which the Cuban government viewed as an affront, had been turned off.

Puerto Rican-born del Toro won acclaim here last year for his portrayal of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, an Argentine who fought alongside Castro in the Cuban revolution, in the title role of the two-part biopic "Che," directed by American Steven Soderbergh.

The International Tomas Gutierrez Alea Prize, named for the late Cuban director who made the 1994 film "Strawberry and Chocolate," "makes me feel small and proud at the same time," del Toro said. "It's an honor to win this prize."

Hollywood Pays Tribute to Farrah Fawcett

The angels are in mourning.

"Farrah had courage, she had strength, and she had faith. And now she has peace as she rests with the real angels," said Jaclyn Smith after the death of her friend and Charlie's Angels costar Farrah Fawcett.

Cheryl Ladd, who replaced Fawcett on the wildly popular '70s show, says: "I'm terribly sad about Farrah's passing. She was incredibly brave, and God will be welcoming her with open arms."

"I will miss Farrah every day," says Kate Jackson. "She was a selfless person who loved her family and friends with all her heart, and what a big heart it was. Farrah showed immense courage and grace throughout her illness and was an inspiration to those around her. When I think of Farrah I will remember her kindness, her cutting dry wit and, of course, her beautiful smile."

Added Jackson, "Today when you think of Farrah remember her smiling, because that is exactly how she wanted to be remembered."

Fond Remembrances

From pinup, to TV star, to entertainment icon, to hero: Fawcett is being fondly remembered by both Hollywood and the style community.

Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner called Fawcett, who died of cancer at age 62 Thursday morning, the "Marilyn Monroe of the 1970s" whose famous poster "defined what one thinks of as the All-American girl."

"Men fell in love with her and women wanted to look like her," says Hefner of his magazine's cover model. "She had a magic that never went away. She became a part of the pop culture.

Griffin O'Neal, son of Ryan, said, "I never looked at her as a 'star,' or a 'Charlie's Angel.' I looked at her always as this wonderful Southern Belle, a lady. I was fascinated by her. I loved her. She was the most gracious, wonderful person. I always wondered why she was around this family. 'Why are you here?' She was such a beautiful person. Especially in the latter days."

He went on to say, "It was incredible watching her battling to help [her son] Redmond. She had the patience of a giant. I'm so worried about my brother. What's he going to do without her? Farrah was part of my family. My heart is broken. I will miss her forever and ever. She was so kind and gracious."

Charlie's Angels costar John Forsythe said, "Though I did not know her well, Farrah left an indelible mark on me and the public during her one-year reign on Charlie's Angels. She put up a gallant fight against her unforgiving disease, and I send my deepest sympathy and prayers to her family and friends."

Former Husband Mourns

Fawcett's former husband, Lee Majors, says, "She fought a tremendous battle against a terrible disease. She was an angel on earth and now an angel forever."

Hairstylist Jose Eber, who created Fawcett's famous blonde mane, says, "She was blessed with the most amazing hair anybody could have."

"Her hair had its own personality," he says. "In my business, doing hair for so long now, very rarely do you see a person who has hair with such perfection. And it was all natural."

Although Fawcett was known for her beauty and glamour, Robert Duvall, who starred with her in The Apostle, notes that "Farrah had an outstanding talent, better than most feature-film actresses that I've seen. She was great to work with and will be missed."

David Pinsky, an entertainment marketing executive and a longtime friend, says, "It has been a true pleasure to call Farrah my friend for the past 15 years. While we may have met because of who she was, we became friends because of who she is – a good-hearted, funny and generous soul. I will miss her terribly but her spirit lives on inside her son Redmond."