William Shatner is best known as Captain James Tiberius Cook on Star Trek - but the Canadian actor wants people to know that there is more to him than that.
That's why he has written several memoirs and has a new one out called "Till Now," which is about his rise from a Canadian boy with a modest childhood to his current role, a self-spoofing Priceline.com spokesman.
Shatner spoke to Brian Braiker of Newsweek about the new Star Trek movie and a number of other topics.
He said that he has not been approached by J.J. Abrams, who is doing the bigscreen remake of Star Trek. "I know nothing," he said about the movie. "I had a meeting a couple times with J.J. Abrams, who actually came down one time to where we shoot "Boston Legal" to visit with me—and I don't know what it was about. He never called back, and I'm not in the movie. I'm disappointed."
He added that he is a little disappointed that he won't be in the movie.
"I would have liked to have been in the revival of Star Trek," he said. "More than that I'm fascinated by the business decision of not including that popular character and the actor who has a lot of popularity still, as opposed to anybody else in the cast who's either unknown or not in the public eye particularly."
The entire interview is available here.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
William Shatner talks about Star Trek and his memoir
Cristián de la Fuente has surgery
Dancing with the Stars finalist, actor Cristián de la Fuente, had successful surgery on his injured left arm Saturday, People reported.
"I was able to get a perfect repair of the bicep. Cristian will spend about a week in a splint, then start rehab," his surgeon, Dr. Elattrache, told People. "He will have a full recovery and full strength back" in three weeks.
The actor, who will star on USA Network's new series In Plain Sight, premiering June 1, also made a statement to People: "Thank you to everyone for their concern and well wishes."
On Dancing with the Stars April 21, de la Fuente was unable to dip his professional partner, Cheryl Burke, due to the injury. He was unable to perform their dance and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
According to People, he is recuperating at his Los Angeles home with his wife and daughter.
Parents try to sell baby on eBay
The parents of a 7-month-old baby boy were taken into custody in Germany after they posted an ad on eBay offering to sell their son for $1.60 (one euro).
Peter Hieber, a spokesman for the police, said the baby was placed with youth services in the southwestern Allgaeu, Germany area. He also said that on Saturday the mother said the ad was a joke, but the authorities have still begun an investigation regarding possible child trafficking.
The Internet ad was up for two hours and thirty minutes. No one made an offer, but several people alerted the police about the post, which eBay eventually deleted.
The Today Show recommends summer books
Find out which books The Today Show recommends for the summer:
Today's Celebrity Birthdays 5/24
Tommy Chong - age 70 - Canadian-American actor, comedian and musician best known as Anthony Stoner in the "Cheech & Chong" movies
Bob Dylan - age 67 - Grammy- and Oscar-winning American folk-rock singer-songwriter and musician, author, and artist; inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1982
Patti LaBelle - age 64 - Grammy-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, musician and actress
Priscilla Presley - age 63 - American model, actress and author who recently appeared on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars"
Mike Reid - age 61 - Grammy-winning American country music singer-songwriter and former professional football player
Jim Broadbent - age 58 - Oscar-winning British actor whose films include "Bridget Jones's Diary," "Moulin Rouge" and "Iris"
Alfred Molina - age 55 - British-American actor who was in "Chocolat," "Frida," "Spider-Man 2" and "The Da Vinci Code"
Rosanne Cash - age 53 - Grammy-winning American country and folk-rock singer-songwriter
Doug Jones - age 48 - American actor who was in "Batman Returns," "Adaptation," the "Hellboy" films and "Pan's Labyrinth," among others
Kristin Scott Thomas - age 48 - British actress whose films include "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "The English Patient"
Jimmy Ashhurst - age 45 - American bassist for the hard rock band Buckcherry
Vivian Trimble - age 45 - American keyboardist for the alternative and pop-rock band Luscious Jackson
John C. Reilly - age 43 - American actor who was in "Boogie Nights," "Gangs of New York," "Chicago" and "The Aviator," among others
Eric Close - age 41 - American actor who currently plays FBI Agent Martin Fitzgerald on CBS's "Without A Trace"
Heavy D - age 41 - Jamaican-American hip-hop artist turned actor who fronted the group Heavy D & the Boyz
Rich Robinson - age 39 - American guitarist and founder of the rock band The Black Crowes
Billy Gilman - age 20 - American country music singer-songwriter
Friday, May 23, 2008
Victoria's Secret hits small screen again
CBS has announced that it will air the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show again this fall.
The holiday-themed runway show will reportedly be held at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach resort. The legendary resort has been undergoing a massive, $1 billion renovation, and the show will be part of a grand reopening.
Models confirmed for the show so far are Heidi Klum, Adriana Lima, Marisa Miller and Miranda Kerr. The show will also feature musical performances, although they have yet to be revealed.
Ratings have declined since ABC first aired the controversial show in 2001. CBS has telecast it since 2002, despite FCC complaints about the scantily-clad models.
Lily Allen is mad at the paps
British singer Lily Allen has been photographed in less than flattering poses lately - and she recently wrote a MySpace blog post (coped and pasted verbatim), ranting about the paparazzi's work and invasion of her privacy.
"For the record I was not thrown off anybodys yacht in Cannes , occasionally I drink wine with lunch and yes i swim topless , this in my book is not embarrasing behaviour," she wrote. "I'm 23 years old it's not my fault if photographers follow me everywhere and need a story to print with their pointless pictures ."
" I wish digital cameras hadn't been invented ," she continued. "On the other hand digital pictures are easier to retouch , so i shouln't complain ."
Although Allen does have a point, the paparazzi may not find her as interesting of a subject if she kept her clothes on!
When your acting career is over...
...you can come out with a line of handbags like Mischa Barton!
Brilliant!
Her line of bags will be available in the UK starting July 2nd.
Her line is inspired by vintage things she's discovered during her travels. All the bags will have a hand drawn flower logo done by none other than Barton.
There are no pictures yet because Mischa wants to keep them a secret until they hit the stores. Guess she doesn't want us hating on them just yet
You think she has a saddlebag in the collection?
Bow Wow joins the 'It Boys' of Hollywood
Another musician turned actor!
Rapper and now actor Bow Wow will be joining Vince and the boys on Entourage season five, according to the Hollywood ReporterBow Wow is slated to play Charlie, a new comedian client of E.
Bow Wow tells the Reporter that he is going to focus full time on acting because he wants to be like Will Smith. He said "After 16 years in the music industry and six successful albums, I've decided to shift my energy to something else I'm passionate about, acting. I'm going to try to be the next Will Smith."
Props to Bow Wow!!!!
Victoria Beckham is coming back for more!
She's back!
Victoria Beckham is going back to Ugly Betty for a long term spot, according to U.K. Vogue.
Sources from on the set revealed that the producers are very happy that she is coming back.
So are we!!!!!
Posh did a wonderful job playing herself next to Vanessa Williams, especially because she barely said a word! Ha!
The report didn't say how many episodes she will be in or when the episodes will come on -- but stay tuned and get excited!!!!!
Grey's Anatomy Season Finale
The Grey's Anatomy season finale was last night, and it looked like everyone paired up by the end of the two-hour episode.
Meredith and Derek finally got back together - sort of. McDreamy makes Meredith wait for him while he goes to break things off with Rose, but Mer will probably get cold feet. George and Lexie hook up by the end, and the chief reunites with his estranged wife. Alex learns Rebecca/Ava has a personality disorder, and despite his good intentions, he cannot care for her. Although Alex tries to sleep with Izzie for comfort, he ends up crying in her arms.
And finally, McSteamy backed away from Callie and Erica Hahn's burgeoning relationship, and by the end of the episode, Callie and Erica are passionately kissing.
Brooke Smith, who plays Hahn, said at the beginning of the season, she and creator and showrunner Shonda Rimes decided that her character would not be gay.
"Earlier this season, we felt it was too obvious that a strong, powerful woman would be a lesbian," Smith said. "In fact, Dr. Hahn decided she wasn't going to have a relationship at work, though clearly she came to the wrong hospital."
Also on Grey's Anatomy last night, the chief agrees to let George take the intern exam again, since George told him everyone else has gotten a second chance when they've made mistakes except for him. Bailey realizes she can't do everything, so she gives the clinic to Izzie - kind of a strange move, considering Izzie not only killed a man, but several episodes ago she also made a patient undergo a gazillion unnececssary tests so she could win the most points in a contest all the residents were having.
If you missed the episode, you can watch a stream of it on ABC.com.
Lilo & Sam Ronson get hot and heavy
(Photo from Egotastic. For more, click here)
Lindsay Lohan and her close friend, openly gay DJ Samantha Ronson, were spotted getting intimate in Cannes this week. Rumors that the pair were more than friends had been swirling around for months.
The two were attending Diddy's lavish yacht party when paparazzi snapped the pictures.
"They looked like proper lovebirds," a party guest said. "And they didn't care who saw them draped over each other. If they are together then it's a nice vision of their love."
However, Lohan's mom Dina has publicly denied a romantic relationship.
"Samantha's an amazing girl. They're best friends. They're just friends," she said. "It's so silly. We actually laugh about it now. It really does hurt... but you develop a thick skin. You have to ignore it."
In other Lohan news, the singer/actress reportedly turned down nightclub owner John Englebert's offer to settle the lawsuit against her regarding the fur coat she reportedly stole. Englebert also offered to buy her a mink coat.
Today's Celebrity Birthdays 5/23
Barbara Barrie - age 77 - American actress and children's book author who was in "One Potato, Two Potato," ABC's "Suddenly Susan," ABC's "Barney Miller" and Showtime's "Dead Like Me"
Joan Collins - age 75 - British actress and author who was in ABC's "Batman," CBS's "Mission: Impossible" and ABC's "Dynasty"
Charles Kimbrough - age 72 - American character actor who played Jim Dial on CBS's "Murphy Brown"
General Johnson - age 65 - American singer-songwriter and producer who was the frontman of the R&B and soul group Chairmen of the Board
Lauren Chapin - age 63 - American former child actress who played Kathy Anderson on CBS's "Father Knows Best"
Judy Rodman - 57 - American country music singer-songwriter, musician and producer
Mitch Albom - age 50 - American New York Times best-selling novelist and newspaper columnist
Drew Carey - age 50 - American comedian, actor and game show host known for ABC's "The Drew Carey Show" and ABC's "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"
Shelly West - age 50 - American country music singer
Linden Ashby - age 48 - American actor whose roles include Dr. Brett "Coop" Cooper in Fox's "Melrose Place," Johnny Cage in "Mortal Kombat" and Cameron Kirsten on CBS's "The Young and the Restless"
Karen Duffy - age 47 - American model, actress and television personality who was an MTV VJ
Phil Selway - age 41 - British drummer for the Grammy-winning alternative rock band Radiohead
Matt Flynn - age 38 - American drummer for the Grammy-winning pop-rock band Maroon 5
Brian McComas - age 36 - American country music singer-songwriter
Maxwell - age 35 - American R&B and neo-soul vocalist
Jewel - age 34 - American pop-rock and folk singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet
Kelly Monaco - age 32 - American model and actress who currently plays Samantha McCall on ABC's "General Hospital"; won the second season of "Dancing with the Stars"
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Luke Perry talks westerns and 90210
Several actors who were in 'Beverly Hills, 90210' have expressed interest in appearing in The CW's spin-off, '90210.' E! News caught up with Luke Perry, who played heartthrob Dylan McKay on the original series, and asked him about his upcoming work and the possibility he will appear in the spin-off.
Perry can next be seen on the Hallmark Channel's original western, "A Gunfighter's Pledge," set to premiere July 5. The 41-year-old actor plays a sheriff who is searching for the outlaw who killed his wife and child.
Scarlett Johansson's latest interview
Scarlett Johansson spoke to Candace Jackson from the Wall Street Journal about her new album, "Anywhere I Lay My Head."
In response to why she decided to record an album,Johansson said: "The album came about because I did a track for my friend's [compilation] album, 'Unexpected Dreams,' to benefit an organization called Music Matters. The studio that distributed the album really liked my track and asked if I would be interested in recording a full album."
"I originally started acting as a kid because I wanted to do musical theater," Johansson added. "I always loved to sing and had always taken vocal lessons when I was a kid, and just thought of all of my friends who were struggling musicians would kill for this opportunity, so I couldn't really pass it up."
Johansson also compared filming a movie and recording her album.
"I've been making movies since I was eight, so I'm completely familiar with the industry and the process," she said. "Recording an album was a huge learning experience for me. I didn't know at all what to expect.
I think there's probably more similarities between acting and singing than differences, really," Johansson added. "It's still about drawing from your own personal experience and creating a character. All the artists I love, like Chet Baker or Bob Dylan or Tom Waits, all sort of built these characters, these journeys that you follow as a listener. It's similar to the way you build a character for a film."
You can check out the entire interview, as well as Johansson's responses to questions about Tom Waits and her new engagement to actor Ryan Reynolds.
Amy Winehouse Has a Haunted House
Amy Winehouse, the twenty-four-year-old drug addicted singer, fled her house last night claiming to be attacked by a poltergeist.
The ghost, whom Winehouse has dubbed Henry, is haunting her North London home. She believes that a child died in her spare room, and that its spirit is taking over the entire house.
The Grammy Award Winning artist is terrified of Henry and believes that the poltergeist has been trying to harm her: even claiming that he has been scratching her deep enough to leave marks on her arms. (Maybe she’s so high that she forgot they were track marks?)
Amy has not returned to rehab, but is, instead, temporarily staying at the Chelsea Harbour hotel. She is set to perform on the main stage at the Glastonbury festival June 28th.
David Cook wins American Idol
David Cook was the winner of American Idol this season, despite the judges' support of competitor David Archuleta.
According to Nielsen Media Research, nearly 32 million U.S. television viewers watched last night's results show, up 3 percent from last year's finale.
The two-hour broadcast was the second-most-watched episode of the reality show this season. Cook, 25, a bartender from Blue Springs, Mo., received 12 million more votes than 17-year-old Archuleta.
After the show, Cook said the win came as a surprise to him, as Archuleta seemed like the favorite to win.
"You know, the respect that I have for David Archuleta is very much past a competitor thing. He has more talent at his age than I know what to do with at 25. So, to be able to share the stage with him was an honor for me," Cook said. "And I went into Tuesday just to have fun, and so the fact that I walk out of here as the next American Idol is not a testament to me so much as it's a testament to the other 23 contestants we had this season, and to everybody behind the scenes.
Cook also spoke about his American Idol experience and his upcoming plans.
"I actually walked into this with no expectations and I'm walking out of it with no expectations. This show is a springboard, but it's still a crapshoot," he said. "I could easily walk out of this arena and be just a regular Joe tomorrow. I hope that's not the case. It's kind of up to everybody else."
But don't discount David Archuleta. The second-place finisher said he is relieved the competition is over, and that he is not taking the loss too hard.
"I just can't believe that I made it this far. I didn't even know I'd make it past the first round, for Pete's sake," he said.
Today's Celebrity Birthdays 5/22
Michael Constantine - age 81 - Emmy-winning American actor who was in ABC's "Room 222," "The Hustler" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"
Richard Benjamin - age 70 - American actor and director whose films include "Goodbye, Columbus" and "Westworld"
Frank Converse - age 70 - American actor who starred in CBS's "Coronet Blue," ABC's "N.Y.P.D." and NBC's "Movin' On"
Michael Sarrazin - age 68 - Canadian actor whose films include "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" and "Frankenstein: The True Story"
Barbara Parkins - age 66 - Canadian actress who was Betty Anderson in ABC's "Peyton's Place" and was in "Valley of the Dolls"
Bernie Taupin - age 58 - British lyricist known for his collaborations with British pop-rock singer and pianist Elton John
Morrissey - age 49 - British singer-songwriter and lyricist who was the lead vocalist for the alternative rock band The Smiths
Ann Cusack - age 47 - American actress who was in "A League of Their Own," ABC's "The Jeff Foxworthy Show" and "Accepted"
Dana Williams - age 47 - American bassist and vocalist for the country music band Diamond Rio
Jesse Valenzuela - age 46 - American bassist and vocalist for the alternative rock band Gin Blossoms
Johnny Gill - age 42 - American vocalist and musician who was a member of the R&B and pop sextet New Edition
Dan Roberts - age 41 - Canadian bassist for the folk-rock band Crash Test Dummies
Naomi Campbell - age 38 - British supermodel who has been charged with assault several times
Anna Belknap - age 36 - American actress who plays Det. Lindsay Monroe on CBS's "CSI: NY"
Donell Jones - age 35 - American R&B singer-songwriter and producer
Ginnifer Goodwin - age 30 - American actress best known as Margene on HBO's "Big Love"
Katie Price - age 30 - British centerfold and glamour model, TV personality and businesswoman who also goes by the name Jordan
Maggie Q - age 29 - American actress whose films include "Rush Hour 2," "Naked Weapon," "Mission: Impossible 3" and "Live Free or Die Hard"
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Ashlee & Pete's People Cover
It should come as no surprise that Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz are on the cover of the new issue of People, particularly after the magazine worked out a more than one million dollar deal for exclusive rights to the wedding photos.
The cover features the first picture to be released of the couple at their wedding, plus insets of maid of honor Jessica Simpson and Wentz's bulldog.
Wentz was on KIIS-FM's "On Air With Ryan Seacrest" Tuesday morning, and he revealed the location of the couple's honeymoon - in the basement of their Los Angeles home. He refused to confirm pregnancy rumors, though.
"Ryan, this baby has not been confirmed," he said. "The only thing I'm confirming now is that we're in the basement on our honeymoon with these blow-up palm trees."
Jessica Alba weds in private, secret ceremony
Jessica Alba and Cash Warren reportedly tied the knot in a private ceremony Monday, the actress's rep, Brad Cafarelli confirmed.
A source said the couple wed in the Beverly Hills courthouse. The two applied for a marriage license around 11:30 Monday morning and, after waiting 40 minutes for the paperwork to be processed, made their way to the courthouse's ceremony room.
"She looked happy but nervous," the source said.
There were no guests present, and Alba's own family was surprised by the news.
"Jessica and Cash's ceremony surprised even good friends," a source close to the 27-year-old actress said. "She [used to feel] it would be okay to wait until after the baby was born to get married, but her traditional side must have really kicked in."
The source added that although the actual wedding was a surprise, Alba and Warren had been talking about marriage for over a year.
"Cash is a wonderful guy," the source added. "And she really does love him."
Alba and her 31-year-old new husband are expecting a daughter this summer.
Harrison Ford Waxes His Chest
Harrison Ford, star of the new Indiana Jones movie, waxed his chest today in support of rainforests. The actor went through with the painful procedure which simulated rainforest slashing and burning.
Ford sat in the hot seat while the cameras rolled and the wax poured on. The expression on his face looked the same as the torture scene in Temple of Doom. As the hair was being ripped from his torso he manged to utter a few words about the saving the rainforests.
"When rainforests get slashed and burned, it releases tonnes of carbon into the air we breathe. It changes our climate. It hurts," he says, grimacing as his chest is deforested.
"Every bit of rainforest that gets ripped out over there," he says, "really hurts us over here."
Cannes Film Festival Fashion
Natalie Portman was showing off two very popular trends for summer in her Lanvin dress. Purple and ruffles are making a huge statement this season.
Eva Longoria was glittering in her Ferragamo dress. Open back gowns are also a huge trend in Hollywood this Spring.
