When Adam Sandler dressed like a 'princess'

Actor Adam Sandler dresses up as a princess when he reads fairytales to his kids at night.
he 42-year-old star is father to two daughters with his wife Jacqueline -- Sadie Madison, 3, and the 10-month-old Sunny Madeline.

Sandler reveals he entertains his kids by donning the attire of the lead in their bedtime fairytales.

Contactmusic quoted him as saying: "I often slip into costume as the lead character in whatever bedtime story I am reading. My daughters love Disney princesses."

Batman makes producers' shortlist

Batman blockbuster The Dark Knight is among the films up for best picture at the Producers Guild of America awards.

As its nominations often mirror the Oscar line-up, its inclusion could boost its chances of being up for the same prize at the Academy Awards.

Brad Pitt's fantasy The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, Sean Penn biopic Milk and Slumdog Millionaire are also up for the guild's top prize.

Wall-E, Bolt and Kung Fu Panda are all up for best animated feature.

Last year's best picture winner, the Coen brothers' No Country for Old Men, went on to win top prize at the Academy Awards.

The PGA is not always a reliable indicator, however, having recognised Little Miss Sunshine the previous year ahead of Oscar victor The Departed.

Documentary

Man on Wire, about the Frenchman who wire-walked between the Twin Towers in New York, is one of three films up for the best documentary prize.

The Producers Guild also awards television productions, with Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage and the US version of The Office all recognised in the TV comedy category.

Damages, Dexter and Lost are up for the TV drama prize, as are Boston Legal and Mad Men.

Winners will be announced in Los Angeles on 24 January, two days after the Oscar nominations are announced.

The Hollywood awards season continues this weekend with the Golden Globes, one of the key events in the run-up to the Oscars on 22 February.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Directors Guild of America (DGA) will announce their award nominations later this week

Demi Moore's daughter flaunts an enviable figure

Rumer Willis, the daughter of Hollywood superstars Demi Moore and Bruce Willis flaunted her red locks and perfect figure at the opening of the D&G flagship boutique in Los Angeles.

The star studded event included celebrities like Paris and Nicky Hilton, Nicole Richie, The Hills' Lauren Conrad and former star of The OC Rachel Bilson.

The 20-year-old Rumer displayed her freshly dyed red locks on show as she paraded around the red carpet in a backless halter-neck dress which revealed her 'Be present' tattoo, the Daily Mail reported.

Rumer is trying her hand at acting and has so far appeared in the movie Bunny Girl. She has also made a cameo appearance in the US show CSI:NY.

She is scheduled to play the lead role in the film Slightly Single in LA, in which she is an aspiring photographer looking for love.

Father Bruce Willis recently revealed he is nervous about his daughter's foray into the Hollywood scene.

"I worry about her being in show business. It is full of people like me, " the actor said insisting that his daughter's budding career had anything to do with nepotism.

"She has turned out so well. We did not push her into acting. She just sat me and Demi down and said 'Look, I know you both think you're big shots but I don't want any help. I want to do this by myself."

"She went out there and did it by herself and I am sure she can look after herself," Bruce said.

'Baywatch' creators search for next Pamela Anderson

The creators of famous TV show 'Baywatch' are looking for the next Pamela Anderson to star in the new version of the series, which is based in New Zealand.

The pilot episode, which will have local actors, is still untitled. The producers are on the hunt for the next Baywatch babe, according to the New York Post.

Producer Walter Brown, who has partnered with creator Greg Bonnan on the series, said, "Baywatch had all the elements to be extraordinarily successful in its day. Of course every producer hopes for that kind of success and, personally, I think New Zealand has the magic to do it."

Anderson became a international sensation after landing the role of lifeguard C J Parker in the 1990s series.

Angelina Jolie’s journey to fame

Angelina Jolie has her good looks to thank for helping her become amongst the most powerful stars in show business.

The daughter of actor Jon Voight and late actress Marcheline Bertrand was just 14 when she was spotted and signed by Finesse Model Management.

The ‘Changeling’ actress went on to be sought after in the United States and across Europe, mainly in Los Angeles, New York and London, reports the Sun.

Angelina further came into view in various music videos, such as those featuring Meatloaf and The Lemonheads.

The Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency was also rumoured to have been working in a funeral parlour from which she later dropped out once her acting career hit off.

The American celebrity recently became Hollywood's highest paid earning actress earning 10.2 million pounds per film.

Jessica Alba gets airbrushed

Jessica Alba's latest photographs for Campari reveal a more perfect look of the 'Sin City' star just five months after the birth of her first child.

Select photos of the calender shoot, leaked on the Internet, reveal the 27-year-old showing off her hour-glass figure. The before and after images show that even Jessica's perfect curves got some airbrushing to give her the image of a pin-up girl.

Alba is the latest celebrity to have her images 'touched up.' Earlier, 'Titanic' actress Kate Winslet's was slammed for her airbrushed images in 'Vanity Fair' magazine.

The 'Sin City' star is seen posing in a white strapless short suit with a black belt on the limited edition calender, which was shot by celebrity-photographer Mario Testino.

The leaked photographs of the actress have been posted on various Internet blogs showing an original shot of Jessica posing for Campari, in an image which was later airbrushed, the Daily Mail reported.

However, in the picture which is not airbrushed, Jessica has a more softer and natural look. The airbrushed version of the picture seems to have narrowed her chin slightly and added more makeup to give her a pin-up girl look.

Hollywood and Broadway giants take Washington honors

Rock 'n' roll legends, singers and stars of Hollywood and Broadway were saluted on Sunday for their lifetime contributions to American culture with a gala performance attended by President George W. Bush.

Song and screen icon Barbra Streisand, country music legend George Jones, film star Morgan Freeman, choreographer Twyla Tharp and musicians Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of the British rock band "The Who" were honored with performances by friends and contemporaries.

The six artists were awarded Kennedy Center Honors, the top U.S. award for lifetime achievements in popular culture and the arts, at a reception a day earlier.

Biographical video montages and poignant personal tributes recalled their beginnings and celebrated their contributions.

Oscar-winning actor Denzel Washington recounted some advice he got from Morgan Freeman when he suggested improvising a fight during a Shakespeare production in 1979.

"He said 'All right, Denzel. We click the swords three times -- click, click, click. I stab you. You fall down, and you die," Washington said to laughter from the politicians, prominent donors and other guests at the black-tie gala.

First lady Laura Bush said she and her husband were fans of George Jones, whose origins she traced to the honky-tonk bars of East Texas and whose tunes are on the president's iPod.

Bush hugged Streisand warmly in a video of a White House reception earlier in the day, despite her being a prominent critic of his disputed 2000 election and subsequent record in the White House.

Twyla Tharp put her mark on modern dance decades ago with shows like the Beach Boys-inspired "Deuce Coupe" of 1973. She has been celebrated recently for her work on "Movin' Out," which sets modern dance to the music of Billy Joel.

At 67, Tharp is still active. She tried to suppress a smile as Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser described her as a demanding artist who "would never compromise on quality."

The members of The Who, famed for works including the rock opera "Tommy," got a hard-driving serenade by some top rockers or more recent vintage.

Foo Fighters front-man Dave Grohl belted out "Who Are You" and Matchbox Twenty lead singer Robert Thomas sang "Baba O'Riley" as the backdrop of the stage lifted to reveal a choir of New York firefighters and police.

Townshend was visibly moved as he watched the uniformed choir whoop it up in appreciation for his and Daltrey's concert in New York shortly after the September 11 attacks.

Actress Glenn Close praised Streisand, not for her famed voice, but for producing a television movie about a military officer whose career suffers after she is known to be gay.

"That film never would have been made without Barbara Streisand," she said of "Serving in Silence."

Rhythm and Blues artist Beyonce paid tribute to Streisand by singing "The Way We Were."

The gala will be aired on CBS television on December 30.

Hollywood Financier Is Arrested Again

Ryan Kavanaugh, one of Hollywood’s most prominent film financiers, was arrested for drunk driving, speeding and driving with a suspended license in October while still on probation for an earlier conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol.

The new charges, which came to light as a result of court filings made in advance of a hearing to be held next Friday, confront Mr. Kavanaugh with a fight to avoid penalties that could include jail time. That is an unwelcome complication for Relativity Media, of which he is chief executive: the company is embroiled in litigation with Citigroup, a major entertainment industry lender, and is wrestling with a credit crunch that has made it difficult to finance big studio films.

Mr. Kavanaugh, who turned 34 on Thursday, has business ties to nearly every major movie studio. His company’s big deals completed within the last year include a $550 million partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment to be co-financer of the majority of the studio’s mass-market films over five years. Relativity also has single-film projects in the works that involve DreamWorks, Paramount Vantage and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, according to Studio System, an industry database owned by The New York Times Company.

But most of Mr. Kavanaugh’s business involves NBC Universal. Under a $3 billion deal completed in September, Universal Pictures is relying on Relativity to be co-financer of 75 percent of its movie output through 2015. Relativity’s previous financing deals with Universal have allowed the films “Changeling” and “Frost/Nixon” to reach theaters.

NBC Universal is also in the process of finalizing a deal to sell a small production company, Rogue Pictures, to Mr. Kavanaugh for about $150 million. The purchase would allow him to further his ambitions of becoming as significant a producer of films as he is a financier of them.

A Sony spokesman, Jim Kennedy, said the studio’s film financing deal with Relativity is contractually secure. Universal Pictures said in a statement, “We do not anticipate that this will have any impact on our current business.”

A spokeswoman for Mr. Kavanaugh, Mara Buxbaum, said it would be “inappropriate to comment on a pending legal matter.”

A second drunk driving conviction can bring up to a year in jail in California, and violation of probation can also mean detention. But judges have discretion in imposing such penalties and typically consider the severity of the offense and a defendant’s past behavior.

Mr. Kavanaugh was stopped by a California Highway Patrol officer at 12:41 a.m. in the Westwood district of Los Angeles on Oct. 23, according to records in the Beverly Hills branch of the Los Angeles Superior Court.

According to the records, Mr. Kavanaugh was driving a black Audi at about 60 miles per hour in a zone with a posted speed limit of 35. Along with a speeding charge, he was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent.

An additional charge said Mr. Kavanaugh was driving while his license was suspended as a result of a previous drunk driving conviction. He was not booked or detained, though he was arrested by way of a citation, and is scheduled for arraignment and a hearing on probation violation in Beverly Hills at 8:30 a.m. on Friday.

In May Mr. Kavanaugh pleaded no contest to a drunk driving charge in connection with a 2006 incident in Malibu. According to records in that case, he was initially charged with several violations after the car he was driving hit a police cruiser.

Under a plea bargain that disposed of the earlier case, Mr. Kavanaugh was placed on probation for 36 months, during which time he was prohibited from driving with any measurable amount of alcohol in his bloodstream. Mr. Kavanaugh had completed other terms of his sentence in Malibu, and his lawyers may contend that his license was, in fact, restored at the time of the October stop, according to a person who was briefed on the situation but spoke on condition of anonymity to avoid complicating the case.

Angst in West Hollywood over Vanity Fair's Oscar party

Does Vanity Fair's annual Oscar bash feel right during a time of tough economic times? Well, the show must go on — to the relief of some in West Hollywood, who see the annual party as a nice calling card for the city's entertainment venues. But there is still some angst — namely over a new, smaller location. WeHo News has the details:

"Announcing that the party would go on as usual (the 2008 bash got cancelled due to the writers’ strike), although would be 'more intimate' than in years past, said Vanity Fair chief Graydon Carter. Therein lies the anxiety; will there be room for the lower tier A-listers? Morton’s, the longtime spot for the 'A' list crowd’s Oscar soiree, has been vacated by the ownership and the new location — the historic Sunset Tower Hotel — can hold fewer people for an event, meaning entry to the party got that much harder."

Ryan Gierach notes that Vanity Fair is making a nod to the tough times: The magazine will "recycle decor from past years to save expenses."

Credit: Los Angeles Times.

Screen Actors Guild faction urges caution in strike

In a sign of rising tensions within the Screen Actors Guild, the group representing a moderate faction of actors within the union is urging its supporters to think long and hard before casting a ballot for a strike authorization vote.

SAG leaders, citing the need for leverage in negotiations with Hollywood studios, recently said they would seek strike authorization from the union's 120,000 members. Talks have been logjammed for months.

The movie and television industry is bracing for the possibility of a second strike in a year -- this time by Hollywood's largest union -- which would have far-reaching economic consequences.

In an e-mail sent to about 2,000 supporters of Unite for Strength, the group that recently won key seats on SAG's 71-member national board, organizers Amy Aquino and Arye Gross questioned whether the union was moving too hastily toward a showdown with the studios.

"In these historically difficult economic times, every reasonable possibility for making a deal must be explored before considering a job action, and based on the media reports we've seen, we're concerned this hasn't happened," the actors wrote.


Aquino is a former SAG board member and is a supporter of former SAG President Melissa Gilbert.

Current SAG President Alan Rosenberg said the e-mail was ill-considered.

"When the federal mediator declared that the mediation had adjourned, there was very little else to say," Rosenberg said. "We made every effort imaginable to reach a deal with the [studios] and they were as immovable as they have been since the beginning of these negotiations."

Unite for Strength flexed its new clout in October by pushing for the mediation talks, which many predicted were doomed from the start because the sides were so far apart over how actors would be compensated in the digital era.

Tuesday's letter, however, stopped short of specifically recommending how SAG members should vote, reflecting the tightrope the new board members are walking between supporting their union in a time of conflict with the studios and living up to the expectations of those who elected them.

Nonetheless, the letter was interpreted by many of the group's supporters as a signal to oppose the authorization vote.

SAG is expected to send strike referendum ballots to members by mid-December, beginning a three- to four-week voting process. If the strike authorization is approved by 75% of voters, SAG could stage a walkout in early January, potentially disrupting Hollywood's awards season and schedules for movie filming.

The board, however, would have ultimate say before any strike could occur. Backed by high-profile actors, including Tom Hanks and Sally Field, Unite for Strength recently won five seats on the national board, giving moderates in the guild a slight majority over the incumbent group known as Membership First, which has backed the leadership.

Unite for Strength candidates strongly criticized the guild's handling of negotiations, in particular its battle with the smaller actors union the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Indian model is new face Maybelline

Indian model Diana Penty has replaced Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone as the new face of international cosmetics brand Maybelline New York.

With this, she joins the ranks of international supermodels like Adriana Lima and Christy Turlington.

"I feel great to get this opportunity to endorse a brand that is so vibrant and truly multi-ethnic. For me it is not only about whom I am replacing but it's about being on the same platform as international models and get international exposure," Penty said in a statement released here Monday.

Penty is a student of the Elite Model Management and its CEO Sushma Puri was all praise for the young model.

"Diana has a face that is very versatile and appeals to both Indian and international markets and she is also young, beautiful and confident. This makes her the ideal choice for any international brand," Puri said.

Deepika Padukone was named the brand ambassador of Maybelline in June 2007.

Peaches Geldof launches PPQ Collection

Multitalented Peaches Geldof has designed a range for top fashion label PPQ. She has created a 10-piece capsule collection that is thought to be heavily influenced by this season’s gothic trend.
Peaches is already known as an ‘it’ girl about town, as the 19-year-old has a magazine column, a TV show for MTV and DJ’s in her spare time.
Oh and she’s also married too. However, her foray into fashion is a first, despite modelling for PPQ in the past. It’s thought her collection features plenty of lace, chiffon and rich velvet tones; perfect for the oncoming winter chill.
She said, “I’ve always been interested in fashion ever since I was a little girl playing dress-up. The whole collection has a vintage feel to it, as I’m a big vintage buyer.” Peaches has also hinted that she expects the project to span for a few seasons to come, and her spring line is thought to already be in production.

David Beckhams & Tom Cruises bond

The Cruises were among the first to welcome the Beckham clan to America, but for more than five months the two families have not been photographed together.
But any rift between Hollywood’s biggest celebrity families appears to be healed as the couples celebrated Thanksgiving eve.
David and Victoria Beckham and their three sons were pictured with Tom Cruise and his older children Connor and Isabella.
Tom’s wife Katie Holmes and their two-year-old daughter Suri were absent from the gathering. But after meeting Tom in downtown New York, the Beckhams left their sons with a babysitter while they went to watch Katie in her hit Broadway play All My Sons.
Along the way David gallantly stepped in to help up a female photographer who had fallen over while walking backwards to take the couple’s photo. Victoria, stylishly dressed in a close-fitting pencil-skirted dress, waited patiently as her husband assisted the woman.
Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays in the American calendar, traditionally marked by a family celebration, so to be spending it together perhaps marks a resurgence of the close friendship the Beckhams once enjoyed with the Cruises.
After initially being pictured constantly together – be it shopping, eating out or publicly supporting each other’s work - the relationship between the two families apparently soured.
This was rumoured to be because the Beckhams had refused to consider joining the Scientology religion – a subject close to Tom’s heart. There were also reports Katie and Victoria were caught up in a feud over a Vogue front cover. The fashionable friends apparently fell out after the former Dawson’s Creek actress became jealous after Posh was asked to appear on the front cover of the top magazine.

Naomi Campbell to marry?

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has sent the rumour mill into overdrive by sparking rumours that she is engaged. The star flashed a huge sparker on her finger, as she stepped out with her Russian billionaire boyfriend. Property tycoon Vladimir Doronin has, according to a newspaper, given the supermodel an emerald and diamond ring, although it is unclear as to whether it’s an engagement ring or not. Last week, the pair were attending a lavish magazine party in Moscow, when the ring was first spotted on her finger. Naomi met Doronin in May of this year, and has reportedly already been shopping for wedding dresses. However, Campbell’s lawyers have allegedly denied the pair are to settle down and start a family any time soon.

Beyonce in rehab - but only to research her latest film role

She is as renowned for her wholesome image as for the chart-topping hits that have made her one of the highest-paid pop artists in the world.
But Beyonce has revealed that she prepared for her latest movie role by spending hours in rehab with recovering heroin addicts.
In Cadillac Records, which has its New York premiere tomorrow, the 27-year-old superstar plays troubled soul diva Etta James.
Etta was hooked on heroin by the age of 21, posing a problem for Beyonce, who has never experimented with drugs.
The singer asked a New York substance abuse charity to help and it arranged for her to meet six African-American women whose lives had been wrecked by heroin.
They taught her everything from the secrets of ‘the junkie stagger’ to their ‘addled rage’.
Beyonce, who married her rapper boyfriend Jay-Z in April, explained: ‘I said, “I have to do this movie’’ – but I was terrified.
'I never tried drugs in my life so I didn’t know about it all.
'It was hard to go to the rehab. I learned a lot about life and myself.’

The star broke down in tears several times.
Howard Meitiner, the charity’s chief executive who arranged for Beyonce to meet the six women at Phoenix House rehab centre, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It was very intense. Everyone was crying.
'These were women who have lost everything because of drugs – their homes, their families, their jobs.’
Beyonce portrays Etta James in a scene from 'Cadillac Records'
She is as renowned for her wholesome image as for the chart-topping hits that have made her one of the highest-paid pop artists in the world.
But Beyonce has revealed that she prepared for her latest movie role by spending hours in rehab with recovering heroin addicts.
In Cadillac Records, which has its New York premiere tomorrow, the 27-year-old superstar plays troubled soul diva Etta James.
Etta was hooked on heroin by the age of 21, posing a problem for Beyonce, who has never experimented with drugs.
The singer asked a New York substance abuse charity to help and it arranged for her to meet six African-American women whose lives had been wrecked by heroin.
They taught her everything from the secrets of ‘the junkie stagger’ to their ‘addled rage’.
Beyonce, who married her rapper boyfriend Jay-Z in April, explained: ‘I said, “I have to do this movie’’ – but I was terrified.
'I never tried drugs in my life so I didn’t know about it all.
'It was hard to go to the rehab. I learned a lot about life and myself.’

Beyonce stars in the tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in Chicago of the 1950s and 60s
The star broke down in tears several times.
Howard Meitiner, the charity’s chief executive who arranged for Beyonce to meet the six women at Phoenix House rehab centre, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It was very intense. Everyone was crying.
'These were women who have lost everything because of drugs – their homes, their families, their jobs.’
Etta James and Beyonce Knowles at the premier of 'Cadillac Records' in Los Angeles last week

Beyonce as troubled soul star Etta James in her new flick
Beyonce also met Etta James. Now 70 and reformed, the soul legend’s life was out of control by the Seventies.
The movie will be released in the UK next spring.

Oscar tribute for Ledger: James Franco

In a tribute to late Australian star Heath Ledger, actor James Franco said Ledger should get Oscar for his realistic performance as 'The Joker' in 'The Dark Knight'.
'The Spiderman' actor said Ledger's character in the film had real emotional depth. He has expressed his views in Variety's 'Contenders' issue, in which actors single out their fellow professionals for praise ahead of Oscar awards season, the Contactmusicreported.
Unusual for a blockbuster film, 'The Dark Knight' second in all-time box office takings, has been widely tipped for Oscar recognition in 2009.
Having starred in a comic book film himself, as Harry Osborn in the 'Spider-Man' films, Franco admitted that Ledger's work in 'The Dark Knight' was "great".
"With any superhero movie villain, everybody is still contending with the huge shadow that Jack Nicholson cast with the first Batman," Franco said.
"His was such an indelible performance. Heath had to be very conscious of it when he and Christopher Nolan went into their movie.
"And they did such an incredible job of getting away from the Nicholson character while being faithful to the idea of the Joker," he added.
Ledger was found dead in his New York City apartment in January, having suffered an accidental overdose of prescription medication.
"Heath wasn't the funniest of Jokers, but certainly the more grounded of villains.
"At least on an emotional level, you could follow why he was doing this stuff; there was real emotional depth," he added.

Is Madonna Becoming Sticky and Sour?

Poor Madonna. The mistress of spin who has so carefully controlled her image ever since she worked every DJ in New York City in the 1980s when she first burst on the scene, no longer appears to be calling all the shots at age 50.

The pop diva had reportedly planned on announcing that her marriage to director Guy Ritchie was over after her Sticky and Sweet tour wrapped. Instead, the announcement came in the middle, and the tour is growing more sour than sweet as it rolls on.

A few hours after the breakup was made public, Madonna opened her show in Boston with the track "I'm Not Sorry," telling the crowd, "That's right, I'm not sorry."

Later she performed "Miles Away," a song she once said was inspired by her often long-distance relationship with Ritchie.

Introducing it, she told the audience, "This song is for the emotionally retarded. Maybe you know some people who fall into that category. I know I do."

Perhaps Madonna's bitterness stems from losing her grip on all things in her world. At a concert in New York earlier this month, she made the following cryptic announcement to the audience: "In exactly 29 moves, the Queen will dump the King."

At the time, she had 29 dates left on her U.S. tour.

Whether it was Ritchie or Madonna who jumped the gun, it's now clear the couple is headed for what could be a bitter divorce and custody battle over their son, Rocco, 8, and adopted son, David Banda, 3.

Even David's father, Yohane Banda, weighed in on the divorce from his home in Malawi. According to British newspaper The Sun, he wondered if David would be better off back home with him. "I am still a poor farmer with nothing to offer, but maybe he would be better off back with us," he said.

Ritchie's father, John, also jumped into the fray. After hearing about Madonna's "emotionally retarded" comments, he lashed out at the Material Girl in the British press. "She is being beastly," he said. "She is saying, 'Did you ever love me?' It goes back to a time when she fell off her horse and she's blaming him for that. She's calling him an emotional retard. When he's being bashed by her it's horrid."

Source : http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=6079787&page=1