All People News

Veteran Actor Edward Woodward Passes Away

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:11:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > It is with sadness that we report the passing of Edward Woodward, the veteran actor who was best known for his roles in The Wicker Man and The Equalizer.

The 79-year-old had been suffering from various illnesses, including pneumonia, and died in hospital today.

Originally a Shakespearian stage actor, his breakout role was in the 1960s-1970s spy series Callan, which then propelled him into several other prominent roles, including the 1973 film The Wicker Man, the 1980 Australian biographical drama Breaker Morant, and his lead role in the 1980s American tv series The Equalizer. Most recently he returned to the small screen for a brief role in EastEnders, playing a mysterious character from Patrick Trueman's past.

His agent Janet Glass released a statement praising his ''brave spirit and wonderful humour''. It said: ''Universally loved and admired through his unforgettable roles in classic productions such as Breaker Morant, The Wicker Man, Callan, The Equalizer and many more, he was equally fine and courageous in real life, never losing his brave spirit and wonderful humour throughout his illness.

''He was further sustained by the love of his wife, Michele, children, Tim, Peter, Sarah and Emily, his grandchildren and numerous friends. His passing will leave a huge gap in many lives.''

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Monday 16 November 2009

Robert Zemeckis On The Past, Present And Future Of Motion Capture

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 15:13:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > You're working primarily in the field of motion-capture these days, what is it about the process that so interests you?

"What attracts me is that I have more control making a movie than I ever had before with live-action. I'm able to maintain performances by actors, which is where I think the magic comes from, and you get to turn the actors loose without any restrictions. They are completely unencumbered as you don't actually have to photograph them. They can do whatever they want to do and then I can simulate them later with complete control. For me, it's a dream come true."

Did you decide to make A Christmas Carol with mo-cap because it really gave you the chance to authentically recreate Charles Dickens' grotesque characters?

"Usually you'd have to put heavy rubber appliances of actors' faces to get the same effect. If you look at these movies where they have to wear heavy facial prosthesis, the life of the character is taken away. The only thing you can do to a human actor is to put something on top of them and bulk them up. What we were able to do with Scrooge was to give him an incredibly thin neck and bend his body and deform his legs a little bit. We were able to stylise him in a way that Mr Dickens described him in the original book while at the same time as having Jim's [Carrey] performance drive the character."

When did you realise that motion capture would be a viable tool for movie-making?

"Well, motion capture was invented by the medical profession to study the range of human motion and it was then perfected by the golfing industry. It was then adapted by the video-game industry and it's now being used in movies. I realised that, when I was introduced to the process in the lead up to making The Polar Express, that this certainly could be the way to really make the most of digital cinema by working in this digital world."

How do actors generally react to the process?

"At the beginning they're very sceptical because it's very hard to wrap your head around the idea that you're working in this way, there are no cameras, there are no lenses and it's very hard for people to understand. But then after the first 30 minutes of working, they're completely freed up and liberated and every one of them says they love working with the medium because they just get to act all day long."

As shown with A Christmas Carol, there are virtually no limits to what you can do with the technology. Where do you see it going in the future?

"You know, what's really exciting is that I have no idea. What we're doing now is very much in the infancy of this art form and I just know that it's going to become more powerful and it's going to become cheaper and it's going to be boundless. What it's really going to become is a way of writing with images, everything's going to go right back to the core of what storytelling is all about."

A Christmas Carol finds you reuniting with Bob Hoskins, your old mucker from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?. With mo-cap technology now so advanced, will you finally be making the long-mooted sequel?

"You know, we have to see if a good screenplay is developed and if it's going to be something faithful to the original, we really don't know until we see where it goes. The technology of motion capture will really allow us to enhance a lot of things but I wouldn't use it to do the animation. I wouldn't dimensionalise Roger or Jessica... Jessica can't be dimensionalised anyway because she doesn't have a nose!"

Glen Ferris

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Tuesday 3 November 2009

Roman Polanski Taken Into Custody

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:51:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > This morning, the interweb is a-buzz with the news that revered director Roman Polanski has been been taken into custody in Zurich, Switzerland, and is awaiting extradition proceedings on a 32-year-old statutory rape charge.

In what has struck many netheads as something of a tender trap, Polanski was arrested after travelling from France to Zurich to collect a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival. While festival organizers experienced "shock and dismay" at the director's detention, a planned career retrospective is scheduled to go ahead anyway.

Polanski has been living in self-imposed exile in Paris since 1976 after he fled America following a conviction for having sex with a minor, 13-year-old Samantha Gailey.

The French authorities have repeatedly refused to allow Polanski's extradition but it seems that the Swiss authorities don't share the same ideas.

The Oscar-winning director of The Pianist and the genius mind behind such acclaimed classics as Rosemary's Baby, Chinatown and Repulsion is said to be "in good spirits" as he awaits his fate.

The 76-year-old, who has just finished filming The Ghost (a political thriller starring Pierce Brosnan and Ewan McGregor), has repeatedly tried to have the charges against him dismissed and his alleged victim, now called Samantha Geimer, has stated in interviews that she wants this entire incident put behind her, but U.S. prosecutors demanded he surrender for sentencing before any appeal will be heard.

We'll keep you up to date with all the latest developments in this story. In the meantime, leave your comments below...

Glen Ferris

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Monday 28 September 2009

Chris Addison Interview

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:07:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > In The Loop was very well received on its theatrical run, but do you think it stands up to multiple viewings?

"I think they're essential actually because there's so much depth to it. I've seen it a few times now and I found that even by the fourth or fifth time you see things you hadn't noticed before, partly because the jokes come so thick and fast that you're often laughing over them."

Can you clear one thing up? The Thick of It, your character is Oliver Reeder and in In The Loop, you play Toby Wright - are they illegitimate brothers? Or did you have to change the name to protect the feckless?

"They are different characters but it's surprising how many intelligent people can't tell that. If we called him Oliver Reeder but he was different character then you'd have complaints.

"I always think of them as cousins. In fact, whenever I was working at my desk in the film I would always pretend I was writing an email to Olly just for my own amusement.

"In The Thick Of It, Olly works at Social Affairs and Citizenship and Toby is the minister's right-hand man at the Department For International Development. If we made it Olly in the film, it would have implications on future episodes of The Thick Of It, which we couldn't really do, so hence two different characters.

"I have to say that Toby is really a little bit nastier, Olly is really just like a rabbit in the headlights but Toby is a bit of, well, a shit."

One of the things that really struck me about watching it the second time around was the inventive level of swearing going on. Toby didn't have much to add by way of cuss words but were you able to contribute any good profanities to the proceedings yourself?

"Well the profanities are incredibly fine tuned. They're mined in an actual fuck mine and they're smelted and they are made filigree and delicate by a team of incredibly talented profanists! So we don't really need to do any of that, we just turn up and say the swear words.

"There are always little bits that you improvise and add to the film but I didn't really provide any unique swearing - we have brilliant writers for that."

Many of the best jokes struck true - I'm thinking of the Register Of Members' Interests gag here - because they collided with what's going on in British politics right now. Did Armando Ianucci have to constantly rewrite the script to keep it up to date?

"You know, that line was written ages before that scandal. The 'spanking one out over a shark documentary' gag was written long before Jacqui Smith's husband, so when the line went in the film and we heard the story we were all like 'Oh yes!'

"But that does seem to constantly happen with The Thick Of It and In The Loop, it's almost what Armando does actually. He made The Day Today 15 years ago and that's basically what the news looks like now, it's almost like a training video. Every time we try to come up with something absurd for The Thick Of It or In The Loop, it happens.

"In the very first episode of The Thick Of It, there's a bit where the minister and his assistants are in the back of the car and they're on their way to make an announcement but they've got nothing to say so they're making up a policy. A minister said to Armando, 'You know that's me in the back of that car - I've been in that position!'"

So Armando may be some kind of soothsayer?

"He's either that or he's writing our future, in which case he needs to be contained! Or maybe it's just a fact that no matter how ridiculous the world is, it'll always turn out to be more ridiculous than you could possibly imagine."

You're currently working on eight new episodes of The Thick Of It. How's that going?

"It's great, really good fun. We've got a wonderful new minister in the shape of Rebecca Front and it's been a blast. We've just come off our summer break in which we were promoting In The Loop in the States and we're back to work next week. You can expect to see a new minister being ground down by Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) and you can expect, well, many more predictions of the future!"

Will we be seeing another movie version?

"Well, I have literally no idea. There's rich pickings in that world so I would imagine that they could but whether or not Armando would is up to him. He's a busy man with a lot of ideas."

In The Loop is available to buy on DVD now.

Glen Ferris

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Wednesday 26 August 2009

Karl Malden 1912-2009

Thu, 2 Jul 2009 10:35:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > Karl Malden - quite simply one of the greatest character actors in the history of motion pictures - has passed away at the age of 97.

The bulbous nosed actor played the role of Blanche DuBois's suitor Mitch in the original stage production of A Streetcar Named Desire and went on to win a best supporting actor Oscar for reprising the role in Elia Kazan's film alongside Marlon Brando's Stanley Kowalski.

He went on to star in a number of films alongside Brando - most notably as the strongly moralistic priest in On the Waterfront which was again directed by Kazan.

Following a run of acclaimed supporting performances in the 60s, Malden starred in and finally won an Emmy (after five nominations) for his role alongside rookie Michael Douglas in TV series The Streets of San Francisco.

Our most recent memory of him - in fact his last screen performance - was as President Bartlet's priest in a moving episode from the first season of The West Wing (Take This Sabbath Day).

The movies have lost a true legend, what are your memories of him?

SL

Filmography

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 2 July 2009

Moby At The Movies

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:07:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > How did your friendship with David Lynch come about?

David Lynch is one of my favourite American film directors of all time. In addition to loving his movies, I've always appreciated his creative process because there are a lot of conventional vernacular elements in his films, but they're also deeply experimental and very idiosyncratic. We became friends a couple of years ago, and we've worked on a few things, and when it came time to put out the first single for this album, normally for an established artist on a major label, your first single is your most commercial, but as I'm now an independent artist, I wanted my first single to be arguably the least commercial single I've ever put out so I picked the song Shot In The Back of the Head, which is a strange instrumental that can never get played on radio. I sent the music to David and I asked him if he had any footage lying around and five days later he sent me the video, which he had animated himself, and it really did appeal to the old punk-rocker in me - the idea of having a first single that can't get played on radio, and a first video that can not get played on MTV!

Your song Porcelain was is in the Film The Beach, which was scored by David Lynch's collaborator Angelo Badalamenti. Are you a big fan of his work, specifically his work with Lynch, as you have sampled a theme from the TV series Twin Peaks in your song Go?

I only know his work with David and I'm a little embarrassed by my ignorance. I don't know what Angelo has done outside of working with David but the Twin Peaks and Fire Walk With Me soundtracks, and the Julee Cruise album are phenomenal. They're some of my favourite records ever made. It seems like just a remarkable partnership. He clearly understands what David's trying to do because David is a great sound designer, but he doesn't want to be a musician. He loves music, he loves working with musicians but I think he likes the idea of being more of a listener than a musician. My favourite thing that they've ever done is on the Fire Walk With Me soundtrack. It's a song called Pink Room and it's a cello and a drum and some guitar. It has so much space and atmosphere to it.

And Fire Walk With Me is a very idiosyncratic film, following Twin Peaks, which in itself is very unique...

Yes I actually liked Fire Walk With Me more than Twin Peaks because it's a lot darker. When it came out it really disappointed a lot of people, as with Lost Highway, and then Inland Empire is one of the weirdest commercial movies he's ever made. I saw it four times in the theatre because I loved it so much, and so it's almost this inverse thing where the less other people seem to like his movies, the more I invariably end up liking them.

Are you a fan of any other directors, composers, or their work on a particular film score?

I've done music for a lot of different directors: Michael Mann, Oliver Stone... and some are really adventurous with their use of music and do really interesting things. I think Michael Mann really pushes himself to use interesting music sometimes in very unconventional ways. Sometimes in quite conventional ways but him and Oliver Stone are people who are open to anything. The directors that I have no interest in working with are the people who just use very conventional score. At this point, I honestly don't even know why they commission new score because it all sounds the same. In 1973 they should have just recorded five hours of stock score... there's happy score, there's sad score, there's scary score, you know, but every now and then music is used in a film, and it becomes such an integral part of the movie and invariably it's more challenging, like the score for Blade Runner, or even the music for The Godfather. When Francis Ford Coppola was making The Godfather, Paramount, I believe, tried to fire the composer - they thought the music was too ethnic and too dark. I think they also wanted to replace Al Pacino with Robert Redford, but luckily the studio was not able to implement it.

Do you tend to visualise as you compose?

No. I mean I like music, like the music on this album Wait For Me. One of the reason I like this album is because it creates almost a visual tabula rasa; it doesn't seem like it's imposing anything on the listener. It kind of just clears the slate and lets the listener project upon it.
But as far as director, apart from David Lynch, my favourite working director would be Takeshi Kitano, the Japanese director. I love his movies; I just think they're amazing. Danny Boyle is becoming a really interesting filmmaker. Slumdog Millionaire, it's strange... I thought the craft behind it was phenomenal, but I didn't like the film that much. I was just kind of in awe of what an auteur he's become, because when he started out, I got the sense that he was sort of a savant, like he didn't 100% know what he was doing and now he seems like such a confident director. I'm really interested to see what his next project is because now he can do what he wants. There was also the 28 Days/28 Weeks Later franchise, and so he's established himself as someone who can raise a lot of money to make a movie. He's next movie will either be confused and commercial or phenomenal and interesting.

It seems as though the more money one makes for a studio or record company, the more creative license he or she is given on future projects.

It's a trade off. If you make success, it can create a lot of pressure and confusion. There are some people who are really good at dealing with success - people who want success and then when they get it they know what to do with it. For myself, I never expected to have any success, and so when I've had records that have sold well, I've just been confused by it. It's nice having an audience, but when you pursue success you have to compromise, and at this point in my life, it's not that I don't want to compromise, I'm just not good at it. There are some people who are great at artistic compromise; I'm just not one of those people.

You set up the site mobygratis.com for independent filmmakers. Why did you set up a project to help filmmakers as opposed to struggling artists?

There isn't much I can do to help up and coming bands and DJs apart from maybe setting up a volunteer legal service or something, because everyone needs legal advice.
The university I went to is called SUNY Purchase and it's mainly a performing arts school, and they had a huge film programme. I think they're actually the last school in the United States to have a major in experimental film, and so since going there, I've just had a lot of friends in the world of indie film. Their biggest recurring complaint is that licensing music for movies is really difficult, and I've watched my friends making small indie films. Someone sits down to write a book, it's a difficult undertaking but it's basically just him or her with a computer. I sit down to write music, again, it's not an easy undertaking but there's not a huge time and financial investment in it. To make an indie film is the most time intensive, money intensive, artistic undertaking I can think of. My friends make indie films, they mortgage their house, they sell everything they have, they take out ten credit cards, loans and all these things just to make an indie film, so mobygratis.com is my way of trying to make their lives a little bit easy. It's like saying here's one part of the film making process that isn't going to cost anything.

On the big budget side of the industry, your songs have been used in many movie. Could you give us your thoughts on the following collaborations:

Porcelain/The Beach

When the album it was off of, Play, first came out, it was kind of a failure. It didn't sell well, didn't get good reviews and no one really came out to the live concerts. Then a few things happened that brought my music to a bigger audience, and one of the big things was Porcelain and The Beach. The movie didn't do all that well long term, but as far as I know, it was the first big Danny Boyle movie after Trainspotting and the first Leo DiCaprio movie after Titanic, so when it first came out everybody went to see it, and Porcelain was such a centre piece of the movie, and aesthetically it really worked. There's this beautiful shot of the island and then the song plays and it works really well. Selfishly it also helped save that record from obscurity. I got really luck.

James Bond Tomorrow Never Dies remix

If I'm honest, I've never really been a big James Bond fan. I've seen all the James Bond movies but I'm more into Star Trek and science fiction. One of my big disappointments is that J.J. Abrams almost used one of my songs in the new Star Trek movie, and just for pure sci-fi geek status I would've loved that; however, at the last minute they didn't. But the original James Bond theme is perfect. It felt wrong to redo it so I wasn't really happy with my version of the song.

Your video We Are All Made of Stars has you in a space suit against a lot of bleak images from Hollywood. Are you critical of the Hollywood machine?

It's hard for me to generalise because percentage wise, I would say there are just as many good indie films as Hollywood films. I live in New York and within a 10-minute walk from my house there are probably 10 or 11 theatres that play nothing but indie films, so I see a lot of them. A lot are really bad but there are also some amazing ones. The same thing is true of Hollywood so I think the success rate of Hollywood and indie films is about the same. Cleary indie film needs more support and indie filmmakers need to be given more carte blanche to experiment, because I think that when indie film doesn't work is when it's trying to be too conventional. My favourite indie films are the ones where the director really lets himself or herself do something really strange and idiosyncratic.

Like Eraserhead?

Or even one of my favourite movies last year, Let The Right One In. It's an indie film, it's very unconventional but it really works. It's just an amazing film. I think I'm more critical of the institution of fame because it's a waste of time. I mean it's entertaining, it's a great spectator sport, I just think it's sad that so many people aspire to be famous, and so many famous people make themselves miserable trying to remain famous. The only happy famous people I've ever met are dumb famous people. Anyone with a degree of intellect or character who becomes famous is slaughtered by it.

Moby's new album Wait For Me is in stores 29 June 2009

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Tuesday 23 June 2009

Kung Fu Star David Carradine Dies

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 16:02:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > Cult actor David Carradine has been found dead in a hotel room in Bangkok. Police suspect he hanged himself.

According to his personal manager, Chuck Binder, the 72 year-old Kill Bill star had been shooting a film in Thailand when his body was discovered earlier today. The Nation reports that a police investigation showed that he hung himself with a curtain rope.

Binder told the BBC that the news was "shocking", adding: "He was full of life, always wanting to work... a great person."

Besides his role in Quentin Tarantino's two-parter, Carradine was best known for playing half-Chinese monk Caine in the 1970s TV drama "Kung Fu", but made notable appearances in the films Boxcar Bertha, The Serpent's Egg and Bound for Glory, in which he played folksinger Woody Guthrie. He also graced the small-screen on numerous occasions, in series such as "Alias" and "Charmed", and he had most recently appeared in the music video for The Jonas Brothers' "Burning Up", playing a Kung Fu Master, and in Crank 2: High Voltage, portraying a 100 year-old Chinese gangster.

He was the son of noted actor John Carradine, and is survived by his wife, Annie Bierman, and his two children.

SL

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 4 June 2009

Michelle Pfeiffer Talks To Screenrush

Thu, 7 May 2009 11:56:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > In Ch�ri, released this Friday, Michelle Pfeiffer plays a French courtesan entering into middle age but with little intention of giving up her work. Asked by a friend to tutor her young son in the ways of love, she finds herself falling for him, as he does for her. We met up with the actress in London to talk about her 35 years in the acting industry.

Was it refreshing to have the older woman/younger man scenario, given that it's so often the other way round?

Actually, this is my third movie playing �the older woman' recently. But it's always welcome. The older I get, the younger my leading men get, which is interesting because it was always the opposite way round when I was younger. It seems that people don't want to see people of the same age in a movie together.

What was it like working with Stephen Frears again after so many years? It's about 20 years since Dangerous Liaisons.

Yeah, it was funny because he hasn't changed a bit. Maybe I haven't either. Maybe we're both a bit more stubborn and set in our ways. But we just picked up where we left off. I was so, so excited when he called me about this.

So when did the call come?

I was working on a film and sitting in the make up chair when my phone rang � it was Stephen Frears! Out of the blue. He had tracked me down through my hairdresser. Who knows how, but that's typical of him. [in gruff English accent] �Hello! Stephen here!" I was probably never more excited to start a movie than I was for this one.

How did you get on with him initially?

I think I always got him. It's been a long time and I don't ever remember not getting him. I just remember enjoying him tremendously. He has this sort of Detective Columbo thing that he does.

Did you know much about this world before doing the film?

No, I really didn't know anything about the world of the courtesan, so it was very interesting. I wasn't familiar with Collette (the author), so it was a nice introduction. But I loved the novel and I found these women fascinating. It was a nice little pocket of time where women didn't have many choices, if any, and didn't have control of their own destiny or own real estate or really work. These women were emancipated already.

So you see them as liberated?

At a cost. It doesn't come without a price, but I think that's the case for anyone who paves the way for others.

One of the movie's themes is about women ageing in a young people's world. Acting is very much a similar world. What's your take on the pressure to stay young and the increasing surgical lengths some actresses go to maintain youth?

Well, the older you get the harder it is to say never. It's easy to say no when you're 25. I don't object to it. I don't really care one way or the other. It's not interesting to me. It doesn't matter to me. I do think it's upsetting when you see [women] starting to have a kind of distorted look. That I object to. I guess I object to bad plastic surgery, not surgery itself.

You recently took some time out of the industry. How long was it you took off?

Roughly four years. It kind of got harder and harder finding projects that didn't entail me being away for a long time during the school year. I think that when the kids were small I actually worked a lot, because I could take them with me. But once they were enrolled in school I just didn't like the idea of uprooting them or leaving them. Then we moved out of Los Angeles and it was really overwhelming to move to a completely different community. That kept me very busy and occupied and, I guess, distracted from my work. Then once we settled I realised how long it had been and thought it was time to go back.

How easy is it to come back after time away?

It seemed to be [quite easy]. Hairspray was there and then Stardust was there.

Do you think there will ever be a time when you stop working?

I can't imagine that. I've been working since I was 14 and I loved it from the moment I had my first job. I don't think I'll ever retire. I might not do as much as I do now, but I'm a real worker bee. I have a friend and what she always wanted out of life was to meet a really rich guy and then sit around the pool all day drinking bloody marys. I would say to her, �what is fun about that?!' I think different people just want different things.

So what else keeps you interested?

I don't know. I might direct one day. I paint, which I love. I have different ideas for businesses - which I won't share with you!

What movies did you watch growing up?

I used to stay up late and watch those old Bette Davis movies and think �I can do that'. Isn't that an odd thing for a kid to think? That's my earliest memory of wanting to be an actor, or having that feeling that maybe I could do that.

You recently turned 50...

I did?!

Did it feel like a milestone?

Well, it came and it went and it wasn't a really big deal...it's not something I think a lot about, but it is sort of entering your second half and it is a sort of a loss. But it's not something I really spend too much time on.

Professionally, does it feel like it makes a difference?

I started getting asked about how it feels ageing in Hollywood when I was 35! So...I remember one of the reviews for What Lies Beneath called Harrison Ford and I � who was maybe 15 years older than me � �the middle-aged protagonists'. So that's not new to me. I do think that there's a small transitional phase of actresses between 40 and 50 where you can only plat the psychotic mother-in-law or the wife. Most will pick the psychotic mother-in-law because at least it's interesting. I've not played one, but a number have come across my desk. I've read them. A lot of them...But I think it might be true that there are more roles around now and there are some great actresses who have, shall we say, �crossed that threshold'. I'm certainly very happy.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 7 May 2009

Jeffrey Dean Morgan To Return To Grey's Anatomy

Fri, 1 May 2009 11:26:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes has confirmed the rumour that Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be returning to the show, reports USA Today. Fans will remember that Denny Duquette died after an apparently life-saving operation, leaving Izzie bereft and many viewers with a big pile of soggy tissues.

Rhimes told the paper, "We're heading on a journey. Viewers] are in the middle and don't have a map, so they can feel lost. But I know where we're going. For me, it's about looking at the larger picture."

So far, so non-sensical. As for how he can come back, having died tragically at the end of season 2, Rhimes said, "Just a reminder: He's not a ghost, and we should all remember what his appearance means."

So how will Denny come back? Make your predictions below.

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Friday 1 May 2009

David Caruso's Stalker Jailed

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:20:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > David Caruso can rest easier at night. An Austrian woman who sent him a death threat has receieved a custodial sentence.

According to What's On TV, the fortysomething, whom a court-appointed psychiatrist said had a "profound personality disorder," has been sentenced to seven months emprisonment in a secure psychiatric unit.

The prosuction alleged that the woman - identified only as Heidemarie S - threatened the CSI: Miami star's life in 2007 after he refused to respond to over 100 requests by letter for an autograph.

She went on the run, missing two court dates, and was finally arrested in Mexico last month on immigration charges and deported back to Austria for trial. Her lawyer, Andreas Grabenweger, said that his client will appeal the ruling.

Meanwhile, Caruso has a few legal difficulties of his own - his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his two children is suing him! (See our story.)

Sarah O'Reilly

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 16 April 2009

David Caruso Sued By Ex

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:16:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > David Caruso may be the lead in CSI: Miami, but according to his former girlfriend he has far from a sunny disposition.

His ex-partner Liza Marquez, whom he left while she was pregnant with his second child, is far from happy with the star. She sued Caruso yesterday (April 9) for fraud, breach of contract/settlement agreement, domestic abuse and intentional infliction of emotional distress, reports Radar Online.

Marquez claims that he owes her $1 million after promising to provide for her and that he was physically abusive during her pregnancy. She alleges that the jealous Caruso once verbally abused her for four hours about her "cheating", and accused her of wanting to sleep with "Star Wars" actor Billy Dee Williams.

According to Marquez, he once upset her so much that she vomited, and spread rumours that she was mentally ill. She also purports that the star had a huge collection of 1970s porn stashed in his bedroom!

Caruso, naturally, is not taking the accusations lying down. A representitive for Caruso contacted Radar Online with the following rebuttal:

"Last month David became concerned about the welfare of his children and sought court assistance to redefine David's and Liza's custodial schedules," the rep said.

"It now appears that Liza has decided to retaliate by raising false claims against David, which David finds unfortunate since these claims will divert the parties' and the court's attention away from the best interests of the children."

The former couple have a three year old son, Marquez Anthony, and a daughter of 17 months, Paloma Raquel.

Sarah O'Reilly

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Friday 10 April 2009

Natasha Richardson Dies At 45

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:49:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > British actress Natasha Richardson has sadly died at the age of 45 after sustaining serious head injuries in a skiing accident.

Richardson was having a skiing lesson on the nursery slopes of the Mont Tremblant resort in Canada when she fell. Her injuries were not initially thought to be serious, but she later complained of a headache and was taken to a Canadian hospital. She was later flown to New York for further treatment but was taken off life support last night. Her husband, Liam Neeson; mother, Vanessa Redgrave and sister, Joely Richardson, were with her.

Richardson was best known for being a part of the Redgrave acting dynasty and had roles in films as diverse as The Comfort of Strangers, Gothic and The Parent Trap. She was also a well-respected stage actress and won a Tony award for her role as Sally Bowles in Sam Mendes' '90s revival of Cabaret.

Our sympathies go to Richardson's family.

Olly Richards

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 19 March 2009

Twins For Charlie Sheen And Wife

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:41:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > Charlie Sheen now has two little men of his own!

According to Yahoo! News, the Two and a Half Men star and his wife, Brooke Mueller Sheen, became the parents of twin babies Bob and Max on Saturday night.

The couple's publicist reported that Sheen is "ecstatic" and the new mother is "doing great".

Sheen has two young daughters by his previous marriage to Denise Richards, with whom he shares custody, and an older girl with a former girlfriend.

Sarah O'Reilly

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Monday 16 March 2009

Ron Silver Dies

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:27:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > Best known to audiences in the UK for his recurring role as slick campaign strategist Bruno Gianelli in the fourth and seventh series of The West Wing, Ron Silver died yesterday in New York City aged 62. He had been fighting esophageal cancer for two years.

Silver's bursting filmography includes regular appearences in Veronica's Closet and Chicago Hope on television alongside roles in Ali, Enemies : A Love Story and Reversal of Fortune on film, and his Tony award winning turn as Hollywood producer Charlie Fox in David Mamet's 'Speed-the-Plow'.

The actor was also well-known for his political activism following his notorious shift to conservatism and outspoken support of George W. Bush following the 9/11 attacks on Washington D.C. and New York.

He is survived by his children Adam and Alexandra and by his ex-wife Lynne Miller.

SL

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Monday 16 March 2009

Mariska Hargitay Hospitalised

Thu, 5 Mar 2009 12:21:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > From the SVU to A&E, Mariska Hargitay, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star returned to hospital yesterday morning.

The actress checked back in "after experiencing some discomfort relating to her earlier lung condition," said actress' rep Leslie Sloane Zelnik. "She is undergoing routine tests and expects to be feeling better soon."

E! Online tells us that the former Emmy winner returned to her job recently after a brief hospitalisation at the beginning of the year, after suffering pneumothorax (a partially collapsed lung.)

According to reports, Mariska Hargitay was working on the set of her NBC show all day yesterday and waited until filming was complete before being taken to the hospital. Production on the show is not expected to be affected while Hargitay recovers.

Let's hope the actress recovers fast. Any wishes of well-being you'd like to add?

Krysia Kozniewska

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 5 March 2009

Melrose Place And Vampire Diaries Round Out Casts

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 17:12:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > The CW has landed a pair of famous names for two of its forthcoming pilots. You may not recognise their faces, however...

Kate Cassidy, daughter of actor and producer David Cassidy, is the second resident of Melrose Place 2.0 to be announced. Meanwhile Steve McQueen's grandson, Steve R. McQueen, has been cast as Jeremy in the Vampire Diaries.

What do you think of this casting?

Sarah O'Reilly

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Monday 2 March 2009

Wendy Richard Dies

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:56:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > Wendy Richard, who dominated EastEnders for nearly 22 years as fearful Fowler matriarch, Pauline, has died aged 65.

Richard's agent, Keven Francis, confirmed that the much-loved actress, who had been terminally ill with cancer, has passed away.

"She was incredibly brave and retained her sense of humour right to the end," he told the BBC.

He said that the star spent her final moments in the Harley Street clinic in London, with long-term partner John Burns, whom she married last Autumn, by her side.

Richard told the The Sunday Express last year that she discovered the disease had returned at her usual annual check-up. She added that she had already planned her funeral and written her will.

The actress first came to the attention of TV audiences as Joyce Harker in 1960s soap The Newcomers. She went on to appear in Carry On Matron and sitcoms such as Dad's Army, Up Pompeii! and The Likely Lads, before landing one of her best known roles - Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served?

It is as Albert Square's indomitable Pauline Fowler that she will be best remembered, however. One of the original EastEnders cast, she entertained viewers for an incredible 21 years as the misery-guts mother of the Fowler clan. Only Adam Woodyatt, who plays her on-screen nephew Ian Beale, has surpassed her record run.

In Pauline she created one of soap's most iconic characters. Dowdy, determined and dogmatic, the unhappy laundrette worker was one of best battleaxes on the box. She did, however, have a softer side, which came out most clearly in her affection for husband Arthur. Indeed, it was the writers' decision to have the character remarry that prompted Richard's departure from the soap in 2006:

"I left because I wasn't happy," revealed the actress in 2008. "Also, I couldn't believe in what they wanted me to do and unless I can find some truth in what I am doing, I cannot play it.

"Pauline remarrying was wrong. Some women never remarry. My mother never remarried after Daddy died. I always had it in my heart that Arthur was Pauline's husband and that was that."

Like most of the best on-screen meanies, Richard bore little resemblance to her TV persona. "I am not a hard person. I cry very easily and my feelings get hurt," she said of herself.

Her former EastEnders co-star, Shane Ritchie, who played alongside her as Alfie Moon until 2005, said he was, "absolutely devastated" by news of her death.

"I send all my love to John and her immediate family," he added.

Presenter Dale Winton, a long standing acquaintance of the star, said that he was "very saddened to hear the news", describing her as "a real fighter and actually a very kind and funny lady in her own right" He added: "My thoughts are with her family, she will be missed."

Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC, said: "Wendy Richard is going to be incredibly missed by the BBC and by our audiences."

In 2000, Richard was awarded the MBE for services to television and in 2007 she was given a British Soap Award for Lifetime Achievement for her role in EastEnders.

Pauline was one of our all time favourite EastEnders's characters. What's your favourite memory of her time on the Square?

Sarah O'Reilly

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 26 February 2009

Fans Find David Caruso's Stalker

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 12:26:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > Evidently you can pick up a thing or two about policework watching CSI: Miami...

Fans of the detective show took a leaf out of Horatio Crane's book and hunted down David Caruso's stalker - via her laptop's web connection. According to The Sun, they then informed the police who who arrested Heidemarie Schnitzer, 41, in the Mexican resort of Tijuana. Bet she wishes she'd refrained from surfing the internet now!

Austrian native Schnitzer had been on the run since a judge issued an international warrent for her arrest in November (see our story). She is accused of sending the CSI star over 100 letters, and threatening the life of him and his partner when he failed to give her an autograph.

One missive, which bore a Miami postmark, read: "I will locate you and your ugly Latina tramp [girlfriend Liza Marquez] and kill you."

Should Shnitzer be convicted she faces extradition and up to three years in jail in Austria.

We're glad Caruso and Marquez have got to see a more positive side of their fan base. And to note that watching TV is obviously not, as the culture snobs would have it, without educational merit! Have you ever picked up any useful tips from watching the goggle box?

Sarah O'Reilly

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Tuesday 24 February 2009

Who's Earning Less Than His Predecessor?

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 12:41:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > Matt Smith's profile may soon rise as high as David Tennant's, but his bank balance won't.

The youngster will fill Tennant's Doctor Who shoes when he quits the iconic role in 2010. While Tennant is reportedly earning a sweet million per year, however, Smith will get the same amount over five. According to The Sun, he's signed a three year contract, extendable by two, with an annual salary of �200,000.

Apparently the Who producers want Smith to stick around, unlike his predecessors Tennant and Christopher Eccleston, who quit after just three and one series respectively.

"Bosses don't want Matt doing a David and leaving when things are going great," a source told the newspaper.

The BBC declined to comment on Smith's contract, but said: "All new deals are done with the economic climate in mind."

Granted, Smith is a virtual unkown while Tennant was already a popular name when he took on the iconic part. But we can't help wondering if the even the Timelord himself isn't immune to the credit crunch. Perhaps he should hop in the TARDIS and fast forward out of the recession...

Do you think the current Doctor deserves his reputedly steep fee?

Sarah O'Reilly

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Thursday 12 February 2009

Life Star Sarah Shahi Is Pregnant

Wed, 4 Feb 2009 12:46:00 GMT

Actualit�s People > Sarah Shahi, the stunning star of the TV Series Life is four months pregnant, TV Guide reveals, although her reps have yet to confirm the report.

Shahi's happy news, however, spells potentially sad tidings Life fans, as producers will have to reduce her role in order to accomodate the pregnancy. Rumour has it that her on screen character, Dani Reese, will be exiled to an off-screen FBI-LAPD task force, giving the actress some much needed down time.

While we of course extend our congratulations to Shahi, we can't help but fret over how Charlie Crews (Damian Lewis) will cope without his sassy partner! Any suggestions as to who should fill in for Reese in her absence?

Krysia Kozniewska

>> Real the whole article | on Screenrush - Wednesday 4 February 2009