Courteney Cox Screams again

Courteney Cox Arquette and David Arquette have signed up to star in 'Scream 4'.

The married couple are looking forward to reprising their roles in the horror franchise in which they first met when they starred alongside each other in 1996's 'Scream'.

David - who played Deputy Dewey Riley in the original film - said: "I fell in love with my wife on 'Scream', so the opportunity to bring Dewey back to life and for my wife to play that really b****y character again, it's just going to be really fun. It's just great."

Courteney, 45, played TV reporter Gale Weathers in the original 'Scream'. She and David also appeared in sequels 'Scream 2' and 'Scream 3'.

David, 37, hopes the team behind the original film will reunite for the next instalment.

He added: "Kevin Williamson is writing the script at this moment, and hopefully Wes Craven is going to direct."

Although main star Neve Campbell has reportedly turned down the opportunity to reprise her role, David would love her to change her mind and return.

He said: "I hope Neve does it. I really hope so."

taken from : China Daily

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Janet Jackson wants Michael's kids

Janet Jackson wants custody of Michael Jackson's three children.

The late 'Man in the Mirror' star had reportedly discussed his wishes for his kids - Prince Michael I, 12, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, seven, known as 'Blanket' - in the event of his death and was even planning to draft a new will to amend custody details.

A source said: "There was a lot of rifts in the family, but Janet was the one person he spoke to regularly and he made sure the children kept in touch with her too.

"Ultimately, he wanted Janet to look after the children, with help from his mother Katherine, and was planning to draft a new will to reflect those wishes. He trusted Janet implicitly.

"When he had health concerns, he had a talk with Janet about how much she meant to him and the children, and how if anything happened to him, he wanted her to make sure the children would be loved and cared for in the same way he was raising them. She told him of course she would."

Michael's most recent will, written in 2002, named Katherine as the children's guardian but Janet - who accompanied the children to their family home to retrieve their belongings after the singer's death last month - has the support of her siblings in taking over as primary carer.

The source added to Britain's Grazia magazine: "The family think this could be a great idea - they are supportive of Katherine, but although she is in good health, she is nearly 80 and they are worried she is not up to the task.

"Janet is blossoming into a woman with tremendous untapped maternal instincts. The children automatically turn to her for comfort and direction."

taken from : China Daily

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Jackson's ex-wife denies giving up kids

Michael Jackson and ex-wife Debbie Rowe pose for a wedding photo minutes after their wedding ceremony in California in this November 14, 1996 file photo. [Agencies]

LOS ANGELES- An attorney for Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe on Tuesday angrily denied reports that she had agreed to take millions of dollars to give up parental rights to her two children with the King of Pop.

In a letter to the New York Post, attorney Eric George said that Rowe, who was married to Michael Jackson from 1996 to 1999 and is the mother of his two oldest children, "has not and will not" give up her parental rights.

Nor will Rowe, whose attorneys have been in talks with lawyers for Michael Jackson's parents, Katherine and Joe, take any money beyond the spousal support to which she and the singer agreed upon years ago, George's letter states.

In a 2002 will signed by Michael Jackson, he said he had "intentionally omitted" to provide for Rowe.

The New York Post reported on Tuesday that Rowe had agreed to take about $4 million to give up her parental rights to children Prince Michael Jr, 12, and Paris, 11.

George has asked the newspaper to publish a retraction.

In a statement, New York Post editor in chief Col Allan said, "The Post stands by its story."

Katherine Jackson, 79, was granted temporary guardianship of her son's three children on June 29, only days after the "Thriller" singer died.

George's letter states that no agreement has been reached between Rowe and the Jacksons on custody or visitation.

Jackson, who died on June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest at his rented Los Angeles mansion, was the father of a third child named Prince Michael II, 7, but the boy's surrogate mother has never been identified.

Rowe in 2001 sought to give up parental rights to her children, but she later went to court to contest her waiver of those rights and it never went into effect.

A custody hearing on Jackson's three children is set for this coming Monday.

Also on Tuesday, an official from the LA Coroner's office, which is one of several law enforcement agencies investigating Jackson's death, visited the office of Dr. Arnold Klein, the singer's dermatologist, to obtain medical records.

Craig Harvey, a spokesman for the LA Coroner, said results of an autopsy on Jackson will not be released this week or next, as final work is being completed on the case.

taken from : China Daily

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Nude photos of Robert Pattinson released

Robert Pattinson performed in the movie "Little Ashes". Photo: [sina.com.cn]

Robert Pattinson performed in the movie "Little Ashes". Photo: [sina.com.cn]
Poster of the movie "Little Ashes". Photo: [sina.com.cn]

Robert Pattinson performed in the movie "Little Ashes". Photo: [sina.com.cn]

Charming heart-throb Robert Pattinson performs in the new movie "Little Ashes". Now the nude pics of the movie have released.

The movie starts in 1920s , 18 years old Salvador Dali (Robert Pattinson) becomes a freshman of his favorite university determined to become a great artist. His bizarre blend of shyness and rampant exhibitionism attracts the attention of two of the university's social elite - Federico Garcia Lorca and Luis Bunel.

Salvador is absorbed into their youthfully decadent group and for a time Salvador, Luis and Federico become a formidable trio, the most ultra-modern group in Madrid. However as time passes, Salvador feels and increasingly strong pull towards the charismatic Federico - who is himself oblivious of the attentions he is getting from his beautiful writer friend, Magdalena. In the face of his friends' preoccupations - and Federico's growing renown as a poet - Luis sets off for Paris in search of his own artistic success.

Federico and Salvador spend the holiday in the sea-side town of Cadaques. Both the idyllic surroundings and the warmth of the Dali family sweep Federico off his feet. Salvador and Frederico draw closer, sharing their deepest beliefs, inspirations and secrets, convinced that they have found a kind of friendship not dreamed of by others. It is more that a meeting of the minds; it is a fusion of souls.

taken from : China Daily

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Actress Fan Bingbing to donate compensation to charity

The actress first talked to the public about the "plastic surgery case" she was involved in on a Beijing-based law TV talk show program aired on Monday, July 13. [Photo:Beijing Times]

The actress first talked to the public about the "plastic surgery case" she was involved in on a Beijing-based law TV talk show program aired on Monday, July 13. [Photo:Beijing Times]

Chinese actress Fan Bingbing plans to donate the 100,000 yuan compensation she recently received after winning a court case to the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation charity.

The actress received the money after successfully suing Beijing Modern Women's Hospital in December 2007 for using her name without permission.

Fan Bingbing filed the case in response to a marketing campaign from the hospital offering 'a special summer offer on Fan Bingbing's plastic surgery'. The actress claimed she never authorized the hospital to publish any ads using her name and had never had plastic surgery at the hospital.

In its defense, the hospital said the name in the ads actually referred to a different Fan Bingbing living in Hebei province, however, this argument failed to stand up in court.

taken from : China Daily

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Robert De Niro victim of New York art scam

Actor Robert DeNiro arrives to the premiere of "Baby Mama," the first film of the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival in New York April 23, 2008. [Agencies]

NEW YORK - Several paintings by actor Robert De Niro's late father were sold without the actor's permission as part of an art scam by a New York gallery, the Manhattan District Attorney's office said on Tuesday.

Art dealer Lawrence Salander, 59, was indicted on additional charges for stealing $5 million from several estates on Tuesday after he was arrested in March for orchestrating a sophisticated $88-million art investment scam that also duped former tennis champion John McEnroe and Bank of America.

Salander and other dealers at his New York gallery sold the works by Robert De Niro Sr., an abstract Expressionist painter who died of cancer in 1993 aged 71, and did not pay out the majority of the sales to his estate, according to the charges.

As a result of the scam, De Niro Sr.'s estate lost more than $1 million, the DA's office said.

Other victims relating to the additional charges include the Lachaise Foundation, who consigned the works of French-American sculptor Gaston Lachaise, as well as the estate of Elie Nadelman, an American sculptor who died in 1946.

Robert De Niro has organized exhibitions of his father's works around the world and has said he keeps many of his works at home.

taken from : China Daily

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Lady GaGa charts third No. 1 on Mainstream Top 40

Lady Gaga performs during the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, June 21, 2009.[Agencies]

NEW YORK - Lady GaGa has become the third recording artist in the 16-year history of the Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart to collect three No. 1 songs from a debut album.

"LoveGame" (Interscope) rose from No. 2 to the top spot, marking Lady GaGa's third No. 1, after "Just Dance" (two weeks) and "Poker Face" (five weeks). The three songs appear on her top five Billboard 200 album, "The Fame." The set has sold 1.16 million copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The dance-pop singer-songwriter, born Stefani Germanotta, joins just two prior artists in accomplishing the triumphant triple play.

In 1993-94, Ace of Base reigned consecutively on Mainstream Top 40 with three cuts from its debut set, "The Sign": "All That She Wants," the title cut (No. 1 for a chart-record 14 weeks) and "Don't Turn Around."

In 2002-03, Avril Lavigne repeated the feat with a trio of tracks from her debut release, "Let Go": "Complicated" (eight weeks), "Sk8er Boi" (one week) and "I'm With You" (four weeks).

On the Billboard Hot 100, "Just Dance" spent three weeks at No. 1, and "Poker Face" led for one frame. As of last week, "LoveGame" was bulleted at No. 5 on the Hot 100, its highest ranking to date.
taken from : China Daily

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"Harry Potter" director says finale to be best yet

Director David Yates on the set of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince".[Agencies]

NEW YORK - The sixth "Harry Potter" film opens on Wednesday and is likely to be another hit for the boy wizard series, but with filming started on the finale, British director David Yates says "you haven't seen anything yet."

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," in which romance, magic and comedy collide as teenage hormones rage at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has received rave reviews and already sold out hundreds of theaters for its opening day.

Based on author British author J.K. Rowling's seven novels, which have sold more than 400 million copies, the film franchise has so far raked $4.5 billion worldwide for Warner Bros. studio, which is owned by Time Warner Inc.

The series finale is being split into two movies for which filming began five months ago and is due to finish in about a year. Part one of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is due out in late 2010 and part two is planned for release in 2011.

"People are being very kind about what they're seeing in 'Half-Blood Prince' and I just think you haven't seen anything yet," Yates, who directed "Harry Potter" five and six and is helming the final two, said in a recent interview.

"(Part one) is like a road movie, refugees being chased by all these people who want to kill them. It's quite intense," he said. "Then the final film is like this big opera, big epic, it's got more set pieces than any of the others."

"It's fights and dragons and battles," he said. "It's a real rollercoaster, but with a really oddly uplifting end."

Website Rottentomatoes.com, which collates movies reviews, said 96 percent of critics liked "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Variety magazine said the movie is set to become "one of the year's two or three top-earning films."

ROWLING TO "POP IN" MORE OFTEN

The three key cast members who have played their characters throughout the series -- Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) -- said they were excited about the final films.

"I feel like I'm on this totally different film," Watson, 19, told a news conference. "All of us are now finished with school and we're just totally focused on this finale."

Radcliffe said he didn't want to start contemplating the end of the film yet, which he likened to his "dream coming to an end," while Tom Felton, who plays Potter enemy Draco Malfoy, said he would "cry my eyes out" when it's finished.

Author Rowling has said she was devastated after finishing the final "Harry Potter" book, which was published in July 2007 by Scholastic Corp in the United States and Bloomsbury Publishing elsewhere in the world.

The books, which she spent 17 years working on, have made the mother-of-three one of the world's wealthiest writers.

Rowling has also remained involved throughout the making of the films, reading scripts before shooting begins and offering suggestions, Yates said.

il



"She's really gracious, she's not territorial," he said. "She kind of recognizes the challenges of adapting (a book for a film) and she's really sympathetic to that."

"She said now that the shooting part is coming to an end she might just pop in more often, which we would love," Yates said. "She was so busy with all the other books she couldn't (visit much more than once a year)."

Chris Columbus directed the first two "Harry Potter" films, Alfonso Cuaron took on the third and Mike Newell directed the fourth before Yates took control of the final four movies.

"I wake up in the morning I think Potter, I got to bed I think Potter. By the time I finish I probably will have spent seven years doing Potter," Yates said.

"It's a challenge to bring this huge thing to a conclusion and I couldn't bear letting that go and seeing someone else doing it," he said. "I couldn't let it go, it was too addictive, too compulsive, too much fun."
taken from : China Daily

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Fans gather in London where Jackson was to perform

A tribute to Michael Jackson lies on the ground outside the O2 Arena in London June 26, 2009.[Agencies]

LONDON - Hundreds of Michael Jackson fans gathered outside London's O2 Arena on Monday to pay their respects to the entertainer on the day he was to have opened a run of 50 concerts at the venue.

Jackson died on June 25, just weeks ahead of his eagerly awaited comeback following years of living as a virtual recluse.

The London concerts sold out in record time and some of the 750,000 tickets sold traded hands at hugely inflated prices on the Internet.

Underlining fans' devotion to the "King of Pop", hundreds turned up to the venue anyway, determined to celebrate their favorite musician.

"This was going to be the best summer of my life," said fan Michael. "I was going to go to five shows altogether, it would have been fantastic. I can't believe rather than coming here to see him perform I'm here to mourn ... It's devastating, it really is."

Some fans sat quietly beneath a large screen with a picture of Jackson and the words "Michael Jackson 1958-2009" reflecting on what might have been.

Others, including several Jackson impersonators, led sing-a-longs of his greatest hits.

Will, another fan, said: "We've come here today even if there's no gig tonight. We're making our own gig, our own carnival atmosphere, we're making this what it would have been if Michael had been here."

The man behind chart-topping songs like "Thriller," "Billie Jean" and "Man in the Mirror" has been mourned the world over since his sudden death at the age of 50, and sales of his records have soared.

AEG Live, promoters of Jackson's planned comeback "residency" in London, have offered fans either full refunds for the canceled shows or the option of keeping their commemorative tickets as keepsakes.

Jackson died while rehearsing for the concerts, and AEG has said it hopes to stage a tribute including elements of the This Is It spectacle. Several reports have said organizers are aiming for a date in late August.

(Reporting by Mirja Spernal; writing by Mike Collett-White; Editing by Jill Serjeant)

taken from : China Daily

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Natalie Portman joins the cast of `Thor'

In this May 9, 2009 file photo, Actress Natalie Portman attends the 2009 White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington. [Agencies]

LOS ANGELES – "Star Wars" co-star Natalie Portman is storming back into action films with a role in the comic-book adaptation "Thor."

The 28-year-old Portman has been cast as Jane Foster, who was a nurse and first love of the title character in the Marvel Comics. According to Marvel Studios, the character is being updated for the movie version of "Thor," in which the Norse warrior is cast down to Earth to live among humans.

Chris Hemsworth stars as Thor in the movie, which begins shooting early next year. It is due in theaters May 20, 2011. Kenneth Branagh (BRAN'-nah) is directing "Thor."

The movie is part of an ambitious schedule for Marvel Studios, including "Iron Man 2," "The First Avenger: Captain America" and "The Avengers."

taken from : China Daily

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`Summer' a clever spin on classic boy-meets-girl

In this film publicity still released by Fox Searchlight, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, left, and Zooey Deschanel are shown in a scene from '500 Days of Summer.' [Agencies]

LOS ANGELES – Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy tries to win girl back: It's a tale you've heard a million times before. But it's told in such a relatable, inventive way in "500 Days of Summer," it almost feels like the first time.

It is the first time for director Marc Webb, who puts his music video and commercial background to good use with stylish tactics that are lively — a cheeky dance sequence, perfect song choices, a clever use of split screen — but never feel gratuitous.

And the script from Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber keeps things moving by jumping back and forth in time between Day 500, Day 1 and everywhere in between; the structure also creates a feeling of curiosity throughout, because we know this relationship is doomed, we just don't know how it falls apart.

We watch it all unfold with bemusement and dread through the lovelorn eyes of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Tom Hansen, a would-be architect toiling away at a greeting card company. (So maybe it's a bit convenient that Tom, who has immature, idealistic notions about love, should make his living writing facile platitudes on the subject. Surely an education is in store for him.)

Tom thinks he's found the perfect woman in Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel), his boss' beautiful new assistant who's just arrived in Los Angeles. One look at those big, blue eyes and he's instantly smitten; this is the lovely Deschanel, after all, so who could blame him? Her alluring, mysterious presence is just the right fit here.

"500 Days of Summer" allows Tom to regale us with memories of this life-altering romance — and because they're his memories, told entirely from his perspective, they're more than a little romanticized in both the highs and lows. But that's part of the film's charm: the spot-on observation that everything seems magnified and it matters more when it's happening to us. (Tom's closest friends and sounding boards, played by Geoffrey Arend and Matthew Gray Gubler, aren't particularly helpful — or funny, for that matter.)

Summer has fantastic taste in everything — all the same stuff Tom likes — but there's also a classic femininity to her, with the bows and headbands she wears in her long, dark hair and the girlish frocks in her signature color of pale blue. But again, this is the way Tom remembers her. The downtown L.A. production number he and a bunch of strangers burst into after his first night with Summer — to Hall & Oates' "You Make My Dreams Come True," of all songs — is infectious and inspired. Later, at a dark point, the Smiths' "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" captures his emotions just as precisely.

Why she turns suddenly cold is baffling to him, and to us; she told him at the start that she didn't want anything serious, but it all seemed to be going so well. Then again, she's meant to be an elusive concept. Like the season she's named for, she clearly can't stick around forever.

Through every moment of jubilation and anxiety, Gordon-Levitt makes us feel for him; he's still so appealing even when he's miserable, you almost don't want to see him succeed. You could imagine John Cusack playing this role 20 years ago: Gordon-Levitt, co-star of TV's "3rd Rock From the Sun" and films including "Brick" and "The Lookout," has a similar everyman likability and determination, but he's just as adept at showing a deeper, more vulnerable side.

Unlike the whirlwind romance of "500 Days of Summer," this is a career that's clearly made to last.

"500 Days of Summer," a Fox Searchlight release, is rated PG-13 for sexual material and language. Running time: 96 minutes. Three stars out of four.

taken from : China Daily

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Tony Leung's arm broken during Kung Fu training

Tony Leung practices kung fu on this undated file photo. [Photo: on.cc]

Hong Kong actor Tony Leung broke his arm on Monday while practicing martial arts for his next film, "Grand Master".

Leung, who was cast as Ip Man in director Wong Kar-war's new project was practising a fight scene with several other kung fu practitioners. Both Leung and the others used their full strength to create an actual fight. However, Leung missed a kick from an opponent and his left arm was hit, according to a report on the web portal on.cc.

The "Lust, Caution" star is expected to recover in five to six weeks - the report quotes a doctor as saying.

"Grand Master", or "Yi Dai Zong Shi', is a biopic based on the life of Ip Man, who was internationally known as the master of the late kung fu star Bruce Lee. Filming is set to start in August or September, according to earlier reports. It is not yet known if the schedule will be delayed by the actor's injury.

At the end of last year, "Ip Man', a film with a similar subject featuring Donnie Yen as Ip Man, won both critical and box office success in China.

taken from : China Daily

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Idol champ Sparks at peace with "Battlefield"

Jordin Sparks blows a kiss at photographers as she arrives at the premiere of "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" at El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, California February 24, 2009. [Agencies]

DETROIT- The recording of Jordin Sparks' sophomore album, "Battlefield," was much more peaceable than its title might imply. In fact, the season six "American Idol" champ says the set, due out July 21, was a far less chaotic undertaking than her platinum 2007 debut.

"With the first album, right after we got off the 'American Idol' tour ... they were like, 'OK, they want your music NOW and you have to record it,'" Sparks says. "I literally think I recorded the album in a little over 20 days ... This time I got to take my time, and if I recorded a song and didn't like it, I was able to say, 'OK, don't like this one' or let it grow with me a little bit."

Best of all, Sparks adds, was she was able to write more songs this time out, four of which made the album. "I'm excited for fans to hear my heart and hear what I've been thinking," she says, adding that in the two years since the release of her self-titled first album, "I've grown up a little bit and gone through a couple of things, so I'm excited to see what people think."

Sparks recorded "Battlefield" -- whose title track is No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 -- between January and June. the set includes a cover of Fefe Dobson's "Don't Let It Go to Your Head," which Sparks says "I had on my iPod for the longest time." The album, she says, reflects growth and maturity, as well as a step in a dancier direction on "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)," which samples the Shannon hit. But ultimately, Sparks says, she's "still just the ballad-singer girl from 'American Idol.'"

"That's how people fell in love with me on 'Idol' and how I came up," she added. "That's what's on this album ... I don't talk about things I don't know about; sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll, I don't know about any of those things. I just talk about things that are kind of universal -- love, friendship, things like that. I think the world needs to hear some of that ... something good and something happy."

Sparks is in the midst of touring with the Jonas Brothers and, she says, loves the opportunity to get in front of their audience. "It's been awesome. I've known the boys for two years now; with this tour it's so great to get to know them individually, 'cause I've known them as the group ... And professionally, I'm so blessed and so lucky to be on this tour. I'll be in front of a little over a million people this summer. What more can I ask for?"

taken from : China Daily

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Brad Pitt ready for Big Apple

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are set to move to New York.

The couple - who have previously rented different properties at a cost of around $100,000 a month when working in the Big Apple - have been looking around the Apthorp, a 1908 property in Manhattan currently being converted into lavish homes.

A source said: "The gated courtyard means they can get in and out of their car without being hassled by paparazzi. The building also has several other exits."

The most expensive apartments - which boast up to 13 bedrooms and have 11-foot ceilings and 14-inch wide hallways - cost $15.5 million but Brad and Angelina are considering buying two or three properties to join onto one another to provide plenty of space for the six children they raise.

The source added to the New York Daily News newspaper: "I heard they're ready to spend as much as $25 million."

Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick and Alec Baldwin are also believed to have viewed the building with a view to buying property there.

Brad and Angelina already own homes in Los Angeles and New Orleans.

taken from : China Daily


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Nicole Scherzinger's music priority

Nicole Scherzinger thinks music is more important than sex.

The Pussycat Dolls star - who is currently dating Formula one star Lewis Hamilton - says performing and writing songs is her priority in life.

She said: "Sex is not important to me but making love is... but music is more important. Having my relationship so much in the spotlight definitely makes things interesting."

Nicole also revealed she has become happier over the years by not placing too much pressure on herself.

She told Britain's Observer newspaper: "Yes, I'm happy. It's hard because you always want the next thing; you're always expecting so much of life and of yourself - but I've really learned in the past year how to be happy in the moment."

Although she's happy with life at the moment, Nicole has not ruled out using therapy in the future if things become too much for her.

She said: "I've never had it, but I'd consider it for the future, sure. I would use whatever help was available - I think we all should."
taken from : China Daily

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Difficult wife Sandra Bullock

U.S. actress Sandra Bullock smiles during a photocall to promote her movie "The Proposal" in Madrid June 26, 2009. [Agencies]

Sandra Bullock admits she is "hard to handle".

The 'Proposal' actress is lucky to have her husband Jesse James because he accepts for who she is.

The 44-year-old star - who is stepmother to Jesse's three children - said: "Thankfully, I married someone who loves me just the way I am - and all the nuttiness that goes into to me.

"As long as he has his coffee and reads his newspapers in the morning then he can handle me."

Although she has found someone who loves her just as she is, Sandra admits it hasn't always been that way and says she was ignored by boys at school because she wasn't classically beautiful.

She explained: "I was rejected in school because I didn't look like the big-breasted, beautiful girls. I was awkward and sad. My mother always said, 'Be original!', but I didn't understand until I changed to be like everyone else. Once I did fit in, I was like, 'What have I done?'

"I realised that my friends before were much cooler, with a great sense of humour and a way of looking at the world that was more fun."
taken from : China Daily

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Jessica Simspon's ageing pleasure

Jessica Simpson loves getting older.

The 'With You' singer celebrated her 29th birthday on Friday (10.07.09) and while her planned Barbie party failed to happen, the blonde beauty is enjoying being one step closer to turning 30.

She wrote her Twitter page: "barbie party didn't happen, but i turned 29 and feel like i am on top of the world yelling I LOVE GETTING OLDER (sic)."

Jessica - who is dating American footballer Tony Romo - had wanted a Barbie and Ken themed soiree in honour of the iconic doll and her long-term beau.

She had even messaged Emmy Rossum on Twitter about the bash telling the actress: "can't wait to see your costume on the 10th! birthday evite coming soon:) you are always the best dressed!!! (sic)."

However, the party never happened and Jessica celebrated her birthday with family and friends.

Tony - who has been romancing Jessica since November 2007 - recently revealed their dream date is watching American football.

When asked to describe his perfect date, Tony, who is the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, said: "A little bite to eat and probably watch a football game!"
taken from : China Daily

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Maura Tierney illness delays "Parenthood"

Cast member Maura Tierney arrives for the premiere of the film "Semi-Pro" at the Mann Village Theater in Los Angeles, February 19, 2008. [Agencies]

LOS ANGELES- NBC's new fall drama series "Parenthood" has been pushed to midseason because of an unspecified illness that has befallen Maura Tierney, one of its stars.

The series, a contemporary reimagining of the 1989 feature, had been scheduled to begin filming July 27.

The production start has been postponed for eight weeks to late September "due to medical evaluation that (Tierney) is undergoing," NBC said. "We are unable to release further details and ask that you respect her privacy at this time."

"Parenthood" revolves around four siblings (Peter Krause, Tierney, Erika Christensen, Dax Shepard) and their parents (Bonnie Bedelia, Craig T. Nelson).

The series had been slated to premiere September 23 and run in the 8 p.m. Wednesday hour.

With "Parenthood" pushed, the new drama "Mercy," which was to take over the 8 p.m. Wednesday slot in midseason, will launch in the fall. The cast and crew of the medical drama have been summoned to start work on the series early to have it ready for a September debut.

It was not yet clear whether "Mercy" will air at 8 p.m. Wednesdays as NBC is re-evaluating its fall scheduling plans that now will include the simultaneous launch of two new medical dramas, "Mercy" and "Trauma."

Meanwhile, the delay in production will give "Parenthood" writers more time to work on scripts.

This is the second time filming on "Parenthood" has been put on hold following unfortunate circumstances. In April, production on the pilot was shut down for two days after NBC vp drama Nora O'Brien died unexpectedly on the Berkeley, Calif., set of the show.

Tierney is perhaps best known for her 10-year stint as Dr. Abby Lockhart on "ER," for which she earned an Emmy nomination. She also starred on another NBC series, the comedy "NewsRadio," and has appeared in several features, including "Insomnia" and "Baby Mama."

"Mercy" chronicles the lives of the staff at Mercy Hospital through the eyes of three nurses (Taylor Schilling, Michelle Trachtenberg and Jaime Lee Kirchner).

taken from : China Daily

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John Mayer can't compete with King

John Mayer didn't sing at Michael Jackson's memorial because he isn't as talented as the late 'King of Pop'.

The 'Gravity' musician - who performed an instrumental version of Michael's hit 'Human Nature' at the ceremony at Los Angeles' Staples Center on Tuesday (07.07.09) - decided against tackling the vocals as he didn't want to be compared to Michael.

He said: "The decision not to sing cam from knowing what's best for me. I think it's a mine field to try in any way to replicate vocally what Michael Jackson has done. And in a way, it was sort of respectfully leaving an absence, you know, sort of the presence of his absence."

John, 31, was amazed to be asked to attend the memorial - which also saw performances from Mariah Carey, Usher and Michael's brother Jermaine Jackson - as he had never met the 'Billie Jean' singer.

He explained: "The first thing I said was a question, 'Does this really come from the family?' I think that was essential to me to be able to process the honor. It took me about 48 hours to strike the balance in how I was going to approach being invited to this unbelievable event without actually having the proximity to Michael Jackson, personally. I'd never met him."

Michael died of a suspected cardiac arrest last month aged 50.

taken from : China Daily

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Kissing wizard Rupert Grint

British actor Rupert Grint arrives for the world premiere of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" at Leicester Square in London July 7, 2009. [Agencies]

Rupert Grint is a "great kisser".

The 20-year-old actor spends the first half of 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' swapping saliva with co-star Jessie Cave and the actress couldn't have been happier.

The 22-year-old star told BANG Showbiz: "I play Lavender Brown, who is totally in love with Rupert's character Ron Weasley.

"I can't describe how happy I was when I got the part, but I did have to kiss Rupert - a lot! Luckily, he's a great kisser, excellent even. It was hard not to laugh in the beginning but in the end, I had a great time!"

Bonnie Wright - who plays Harry's love interest Ginny Weasley - didn't enjoy her saucy scenes with Daniel Radcliffe as much.

She said: "It was so awkward! We've all been friends for years and we've grown up together so it was really strange to be kissing Daniel all of a sudden. I was so embarrassed but it was OK. It's a really quick kiss and it's a really romantic scene, so it's quite nice. And he's actually quite a good kisser."

taken from : China Daily

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