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Celebrity Focus
by Julie Messenger |
|  Richard WrightRichard Wright (65) - one of the founding members of legendary band Pink Floyd – died on September 15, after losing his battle with cancer. The self-taught keyboardist was involved in writing a significant number of the band’s classic albums but his personal feud with Roger Waters began to have a detrimental effect on the band while they were working on The Wall album and Richard was forced out, returning only as a session musician. After Waters left the band, Richard rejoined them and was instrumental in the creating of 1994’s The Division Bell. Pink Floyd split in 1995, but Wright reunited with David Gilmour in 2006 to tour Europe and North America in support of the guitarist’s solo album On An Island. Wright is reported to have been working on a solo album, thought to comprise a series of instrumental pieces at the time of his death. In a post on his website, Gilmour paid tribute to his bandmate, saying: “I’m so sorry to break the sad news that Richard has passed away after a battle with cancer.
I really don’t know what to say other than that he was such a lovely, gentle, genuine man and will be missed terribly by so many who loved him. And that’s a lot of people.” Click here for the full story |  Emma BuntonEmma Bunton has scrapped plans to move to Los Angeles, in favour of opening a restaurant in London. The former Spice Girl had hoped to forge a career as a TV presenter in the U.S. but has opted to open a family business with her chef partner Jade Jones instead. Former “Damage” star Jones – who has been training as a chef since he quit the music industry – says: “Yes, I want to open a restaurant with Emma. We’re not sure when or where yet, but it’s something we’re seriously looking into.” But Emma has been pipped to the post by another Spice Girl, Victoria Beckham, who recently revealed she was setting up a restaurant with Gordon Ramsay in Los Angeles. Click here for the full story |  Joan CollinsVeteran actress Joan Collins says she will never to go under the knife because she doesn’t like the way women look following cosmetic procedures. The 75-year-old former Dynasty star insists she is proud of her imperfections and would never consider turning to surgery to fix them: “I’ve seen many, many women who’ve done it and (they) look absolutely ghastly. They don’t look like themselves. I’m quite happy with the way I look and I really don’t want to change it. “In front of the camera my skin probably isn’t nearly as good as it used to be but, I mean, what the hell, everybody’s got to get older. I think there’s something rather terrifying about people who are in their 50s or 60s trying to look 30 or 40.” Bravo Joan! Click here for the full story |  Dolly PartonDolly Parton says she is sick and tired of hearing reports of her demise. The country singer has been at the centre of a number of tragic stories this year and says the macabre media tales are beginning to upset both her and her family. The most recent story appeared on major US TV news channels while she was asleep at home. Dolly recalls: “I was at the lake house with my husband and it came across Fox News that I had died of a heart attack. My husband comes and wakes me up saying, ‘Wake up! You’re dead! You need to call some people to let them know its not so!’” Parton insists she has no idea where the ‘Dolly’s dead’ stories start, but she’d like the media to get their facts straight the next time. She adds, “I think it’s terrible that people would stoop so low that they’d scare people. “They called my family back home - my brothers and sisters - and everybody was calling, some thinking it was true. There’s some sick people out there.” Click here for the full story |  Rock and Roll hall of fameThe nominees for induction to the 2009 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have been named and include Chic, Jeff Beck, Metallica, Run-DMC, The Stooges and soul legend Bobby Womack. The five artists to be inducted will be selected by ballot voters, with the 24th annual Induction Ceremony taking place in April next year in Cleveland, Ohio, where the Hall of Fame has its home. To be eligible for nomination an act must have released its first single or album at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. This year’s nominees had to release their first single no later than 1983. 2008’s performing inductees were Madonna, John Mellencamp, Leonard Cohen, The Dave Clark Five and The Ventures. Click here for the full story |  DuffySir Paul McCartney has admitted he loves singer Duffy’s charity version of classic song Live And Let Die. The Welsh songstress tackled the James Bond theme for her contribution to the upcoming War Child charity album ‘Heroes’. The album is due for release in November and will include covers by younger artists of classic songs by a legion of musical legends including Bob Dylan, David Bowie, and Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson. McCartney said: “I think Duffy’s version of Live And Let Die is great - I was really impressed. The breadth of talent on this project is amazing; it’s great that so many people gave their time, energy and support to this initiative. I urge everyone to support War Child.”
Click here for the full story |  Jude lawJude law is reportedly to appear opposite Robert Downey Jr. in Guy Ritchie’s new Sherlock Holmes movie. Jude is to play Dr. Watson, the sidekick of the famous detective - alongside Downey Jr’s Holmes. ‘RocknRolla’ star Mark Strong is believed to be up for the role of the antagonist Blackwood. The movie will start shooting in London this month and is scheduled for release in 2010.
Click here for the full story |  Samuel L JacksonSamuel L. Jackson has admitted he loves working with the police and armed forces. The actor once again plays a policeman in his new movie ‘Lakeview Terrace’ and although he insists his many different cop roles have been coincidence, he admits he enjoys the extensive training he has to undertake as a result.
He explained: “I don’t know how many cops I’ve played. If you do enough movies, you’re going to play cops a lot. You play cops and you play bad guys. A lot of stories are about bad guys vs. good guys.
“I’ve been trained by the LAPD, the SWAT team, the Secret Service, FBI, CIA, Navy Seals, the Marines, Army, Navy. So, I have had a lot of gun training and a lot of law enforcement training.” Click here for the full story |  Hari PuttarHollywood studio Warner Bros has lost its case against the makers of a Bollywood film called Hari Puttar after an Indian court rejected its lawsuit. Bosses at Warner Bros took legal action against Indian-based studio Mirchi Movies, which is set to release a film entitled Hari Puttar - A Comedy of Terrors, following the life of a 10-year-old Indian boy who moves to Britain. Warner believes the name is too similar to the title character of hugely popular wizard franchise Harry Potter, and wanted the movie banned worldwide. The film was released across India last month. Click here for the full story |  Owen WilsonOwen Wilson is set to star in and produce new movie ‘Blood Brothers’, a comedy centred around the friendship between a man and a vampire. Owen is reportedly to play the straight man, with his blood-sucking pal yet to be cast. The film is being made by Spyglass Entertainment, the company behind ‘The Sixth Sense’ and ‘Ghost Town’.
It has also been reported that Owen will star in a psychological thriller, ‘Three Stories About Joan’ alongside Bruce Willis and Kieran Culkin. Click here for the full story |  Bond James BondMovie bosses have decided to cut the classic 007 line “Bond, James Bond” from the Quantum of Solace film. The dialogue has been spoken in all of the previous 22 Bond films, but director Marc Forster decided that Daniel Craig would not repeat the introduction for the latest instalment. Forster revealed: “There was a ‘Bond, James Bond’ in the script. There were several places where we shot it as well, but it never worked as we hoped. “I just felt we should cut it out, and the producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson agreed. Daniel Craig agreed too.” Another famous Bond saying, ‘shaken, not stirred’, has also been omitted. Forster added: “It’s nice to be open-minded about the Bond formula. You can always go back to them later on.” Click here for the full story |  Beckham Advises CruiseTom Cruise has reportedly been getting diet advice from superfit footballer, David Beckham. Cruise and his wife, Katie Holmes, became friends with David and Victoria Beckham when the pair moved to Los Angeles. With Beckham’s help, the actor is said to have shed 10 pounds in just six weeks. A source told the Daily Mail: “David has been round at Tom’s house a lot. While Katie and Victoria have been swapping fashion tips on the phone, David has been advising Tom on diet. Tom has been sticking to 1,200 calories a day, mostly grilled chicken and fish with lots of vegetables, salads and fruit. “David put together a work-out regime that included the treadmill, weight training and fencing lessons together.” The source added: He hated it when pictures started appearing of him with a belly and love handles. “He turned 46 this summer and he’s got a 29-year-old wife and a young family so he wanted to get back in shape.”
Click here for the full story |  Bad Press Gone GoodMeg Ryan says she feels fortunate she is no longer one of Hollywood’s leading actresses. The Sleepless in Seattle star had long been considered America’s sweetheart until her 2000 fling with Russell Crowe ended her marriage with Dennis Quaid and made her a regular tabloid figure. Ryan says it was a sobering experience to realise she had fallen from favour - but she now enjoys her relative anonymity because it allows her to travel the world with her children. She told FoxNews.com, “I think it’s great being less famous. I blame the fact I had, shall we say, a meeting with Russell Crowe. “I had never seen or heard such bad press about me here and it’s been great in a funny kind of way and, a good thing too because I now realise the world does not revolve around me.” Click here for the full story |  New Single for Christmas from GeorgeGeorge Michael has announced plans to release a new single this Christmas. The singer also confessed that playing his final two ‘retirement’ shows at London’s Earls Court last month was an emotional experience. He told fans: “It’s great to be home, I have to tell you. “When we were last here I think we were probably on show 20 of this tour and I honestly thought it was going to be a three-month tour and here we are two years later. You are going to be the recipients of 103 shows’ experience!”
During the concerts, George played a mixture new songs as well as greatest hits like ‘Faith’, ‘Fast Love’, ‘Too Funky’, and ‘Freedom’. The singer also treated fans to a cover of Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good’, which he revealed will be available as a free download on Christmas Day. He said the song will be released “along with a new Christmas song that I wrote” dispelling rumours he is set to retire completely from the music business. Click here for the full story |  Iggy PopSome rock stars just never grow up! 61-year-old Iggy Pop injured his leg after falling awkwardly from a speaker stack he was climbing at a gig in London recently. Iggy and his band The Stooges gave an energetic and raucous performance, which included inviting fans on stage during the song ‘No Fun’. He also leapt into the front row of the crowd for ‘I Want to be your Dog’. In a recent interview, Iggy vowed not to hold back during performances despite his advancing years. “Only once has it turned out really badly,” he said. “I was on this dumb tour and was determined to outdo The Bloodhound Gang.
All these little kids were looking at me thinking, ‘Who is this weird old man?’ So I did a predator drone on them - a surprise dive. They moved away and I dislocated my shoulder.” Click here for the full story |  George really is too good to be trueJust when you thought George Clooney couldn’t get any nicer… he goes and splashes out £14,000 on a brand new car for a fan!
The 47-year-old star, who shunted the woman’s Lancia Ypsilon from behind, quickly accepted blame for the accident, which happened in Penabilli, central Italy. When the woman went to collect the car from the repair garage she found a brand new model and a note of apology on the windscreen. The Hollywood star had written: “I’m so sorry. Hope you’ll forgive me. George Clooney.” Last year it was reported that Clooney was involved in an accident while driving his Harley-Davidson with his then-girlfriend Sarah Larson in New Jersey. Clooney suffered a broken rib and Ms Larson broke two toes. Click here for the full story |  Emily BluntEmily Blunt is set to replace Kate Winslet as the voice of Juliet in Sir Elton John’s latest movie ‘Gnomeo and Juliet’. Sir Elton is behind the animated adaptation of the William Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet and is reportedly keen to sign Blunt and Scottish actor James McAvoy in the lead roles. Kate Winslet had to pull out of the project in 2006 because of scheduling conflicts. Click here for the full story |  Woody AllenFilm maker Woody Allen claims he has never seen any of his own movies at the cinema or read a single review about them. He says: “Once the movie’s over and you’ve finished it, there’s not much point. In my case, I never read anything about it. I just keep going and don’t look back. I work very hard on the film when I’m working on it, but once it’s over, it’s over. There’s no point in looking back, because there’s nothing you can do to improve the film. So I just put it out and move on.” Click here for the full story |  Rupert GrintRupert Grint says he is terrified at the prospect of kissing co-star Emma Watson in the final Harry Potter film, because she is like a sister to him. The teenagers have worked together since they were cast in the first Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, in 2001. Now the pair will have to pucker up in the final film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and Grint admits he’s dreading it. He says, “The kiss will be quite uncomfortable. “Emma’s like a sister to me so it’s going to be, like, really, really weird.” I’m sure there are plenty of young men out there who’d love to take your place Rupert! Click here for the full story |  CherPop star Cher is expected to land the role of Catwoman in the next Batman movie. Sources say the actress, 62, is in talks to star alongside Christian Bale in the follow up to ‘The Dark Knight’. A studio insider told the Sunday Mirror: “Cher is (director) Nolan’s first choice to play Catwoman. He wants her to portray her like a vamp in her twilight years. The new Catwoman will be the absolute opposite of Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry’s purring creations.” Angelina Jolie is also rumoured to be in the running for the part, and Johnny Depp has also been rumoured to be joining the cast as The Riddler. Cher’s most recent movie was ‘Stuck on You’ in 2003. Click here for the full story |  Mia Wasikowska Director Tim Burton has picked relatively ‘unknown’ actress Mia Wasikowska to play the lead role in his eagerly awaited adaptation of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. The children’s story follows a young girl who falls down a rabbit hole and finds herself in a fantasy world inhabited by strange creatures. Speaking about the role, the teenager said: “I’m so, so excited. The book really intrigued me when I was little and I’ve always loved the story.” I really love (Burton films) Edward Scissorhands and Big Fish.” Wasikowska, 18, has previously appeared in TV series ‘All Saints’ and ‘In Treatment’. Her film work includes ‘Amelia’, in which she plays opposite Hilary Swank and she also has a part in forthcoming film ‘Defiance’, which stars Daniel Craig. Burton is reportedly keen to cast Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter in the film, which is set for a 2010 release.
Click here for the full story |  Iron Man sequelVariety.com has reported that Marvel is hoping to re-unite Robert Downey Jr with director Jon Favreau for a sequel to Iron Man. Click here for the full story |
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