Anna Friel bares all for Breakfast at Tiffany’s role

London, September 20 (ANI): Actress Anna Friel dropped her layers on stage for her role in classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

The Pushing Daisies star was said to have left fans with dropped jaws as she stripped off at the preview at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket.

“The guys in the front row couldn’t believe it, their eyes were on stalks. It looked like they were about to pass out,” News of the World quoted one as saying.

The 33-year-old stars as Holly Golightly, the role made famous by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 Oscar-winning movie.

The play opens on September 29. (ANI)

Penelope Cruz admits she wants kids in future

London, September 13 (ANI): Oscar-winning actress Penelope Cruz has finally revealed her secret “baby desire”.

The star, whose animated Disney film ‘G-Force’ hits the big screen later this month, has admitted that she wants to have children in future.

Her confession comes at a time when she is rumoured to be pregnant with her current beau Javier Bardem’s child.

“Of course I want to have my own kids, as well as adopt some. I love children and I have a tendency to become a mother to everyone around me. I believe in family, love and children and my life wouldn’t be complete without children,” the Daily Express quoted her as saying.

Although unconfirmed, rumours that the happy couple were expecting their first child started in early August, when Cruz was pictured on some red carpets looking tired, and sporting what could be a baby bump.

Cruz refused to comment on the rumour. (ANI)

Jolie’s late mum left hefty inheritance to grandkids

Washington, Aug 25 (ANI): Angelina Jolie’s late mother, Marcheline Bertrand, has left a big chunk of her estate to her three grandchildren children, who were born before she lost her cancer battle in January 2007.

The actress passed away at the age of 56, following a lengthy fight against ovarian cancer.

And Bertrand has left her estate to her Oscar-winning daughter and son, James Haven.

As executors of the estate, Jolie and Haven put the final court papers in to a Los Angeles court earlier this month.

Bertrand had left her beloved grandchildren 100,000 dollars each, but only the ones she had met before her tragic demise.

Jolie and partner Brad Pitt’s adopted kids, Maddox and Zahara, as well as their biological daughter, Shiloh, will receive a large part of their grandmother’s will.

However, adopted Pax and twins Knox and Vivienne will not receive inheritance.

Pax was adopted two months after his grandmother’s death, while the twins were born in July 2008.

Bertrand also left money to her sister, brother, and nephews, reports Contactmusic.

Her estate’s total worth was 661,000 dollars. (ANI)

Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan named Best War Film Of All Time

London, Aug 20 (ANI): Steven Spielberg’s flick Saving Private Ryan, starring Tom Hanks and Matt Damon, has topped the list of all time best war movies.

More than 3,000 members of the online DVD and games rental service, Lovefilm, took part in the poll. The survey was conducted to mark the release of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.

Saving Private Ryan is an Oscar-winning epic about the D-Day landings and it pipped Steve McQueen starrer The Great Escape to land the honour.

The 1998 Spielberg classic received 21 per cent of the fans’ votes.

The Great Escape got 11 percent of votes, and it pipped another Spielberg movie, Schindler’s List, to grab the second spot.

Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now, based on Josef Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness, was ranked fourth with nine per cent of the votes.

The Vietnam War inspired Full Metal Jacket by director Stanley Kubrick and Oliver Stone’s Platoon, came fifth and sixth.

Mel Gibson starrer Braveheart claimed the seventh spot, Back Hawk Down, a tale of American troops in Somalia, came eighth.

Michael Cimino’s haunting The Deer Hunter was positioned at number 10.

Wolfgang Peterson’s German U-Boat drama Das Boot was the only non-English language film to make it in to the top 10 in ninth place.

The Telegraph quoted Darren Bignell, Lovefilm’s communications manager, as saying: “Having polarised opinion at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, Inglourious Basterds marks the comeback of one of modern cinema’s most revered directors.

“Tarantino fans have been chomping at the bit for his latest offering and we’ll soon discover whether it hits the mark with cinema-goers.”

The Top 10 War Films Ever:

1 Saving Private Ryan (1998) 21 percent

2 The Great Escape (1963) 11 percent

3 Schindler’s List (1993) 10 percent

4 Apocalypse Now (1979) 9 percent

5 Full Metal Jacket (1987) 7 percent

6 Platoon (1986) 6 percent

7 Braveheart (1995) 5 percent

8 Black Hawk Down (2001) 4 percent

9 Das Boot (2006) 2 percent

10 The Deer Hunter (2078) 1 percent (others 24 percent) (ANI)

People have seen enough of my bum and boobs, says Kate Winslet

London, July 9 (ANI): Kate Winslet insists that she may not appear naked on-screen anymore because people have seen enough of her.

The Oscar-winning actress, who has appeared naked in a number of films including ‘The Reader’, feels that as the years go by, the pull to appear in the buff may ebb away.

“I’ll be 34 in October. I can’t keep getting away with it,” the Sun quoted her as telling Harpers Bazaar.

“There was so much of it in The Reader because the story required it, but people have seen enough of my bum and my boobs. I have to put them back,” she added.

Known not just for her fabulous figure but also for her glamorous look, Winslet is quick to dismiss the world of Hollywood glitz.

“Our knickers will still go up our a** at the most inappropriate moment,” she said.

“And we’ll still want to flick them out, but you can’t because someone is going to catch you,” she added. (ANI)

‘Slumdog’ child star enters his new home in Mumbai

Mumbai, July 8 (ANI): Azharuddin Ismail, child star of the Oscar-winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire” and his family members looked happy as they stepped into their new house in an upmarket Mumbai suburb.

“I am feeling very happy in my new house,” said Ismail.

Ismail and his family moved into the 250 square foot ground floor flat, which is in a modern building complex, with electricity and running water. It is a short drive away from Juhu.

“It’s a very nice house and we are really happy. It’s nice that now our environment would change. We’ll have all the facilities of water and other necessities. I am really thankful to Danny Sir, director of the film that he provided us with a new house,” said Samina Banu, Ismail’s mother.

Ismail got his new home in an upmarket Mumbai suburb on Saturday.

The Jai Ho Trust, named after the film’s award-winning track and set up by the producers, bought the Rs.21 lakh home on Ismail’s behalf and will give it to him when he turns 18.

Ismail’s earlier dwelling, a tarpaulin and sheet hut, was demolished by the civic authorities in May as it was illegal.

The Jai Ho Trust is looking for a house for Ismail’s co-star Rubina Ali, who still lives in a slum with her family. (ANI)

Kevin Spacey plans film on US hero Capt. Richard Phillips’ ordeal at sea

London, May 29 (ANI): Kevin Spacey is considering making a film on U.S. hero Capt. Richard Phillips’ ordeal at sea.

In April, Somali pirates hijacked Phillips’ cargo ship, and held him for ransom.

His dramatic rescue by Navy SEALs made headlines around the world.

According to the Daily Express, film producers at Columbia Pictures have now optioned the life story rights of the captain of the Maersk Alabama.

A report on the website EW.com suggests that Spacey will be among the producers of the project.

However, it has not been revealed whether or not the double Oscar-winning star would play any role in the film. (ANI)

Lonely Halle Berry made friends online to feel ‘normal’

London, May 27 (ANI): Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry has admitted that she has used the Internet to find friends.

The actress finds fame lonely, and used websites to meet people and have “normal” conversations, away from Hollywood.

“I never went so far as a date. But I’ve gone online and pretended to be someone else, in an attempt to have some anonymity,” the Daily Express quoted her as saying.I’ve tried, many times, to have a normal conversation when celebrity wasn’t a part of it. Sometimes it worked and at others it became a little weird.

“The reason I did it was I wanted to remember what it was like to have a real, honest exchange with someone and to be treated normally,” she added. (ANI).

Funerals are more cheerful than weddings, says Emma Thompson

London, May 25 (ANI): Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, whose forthcoming film ‘Last Chance Harvey’ centres on a riotous wedding day, has more fun attending funerals.

The 50-year-old actress, who married her second husband/actor Greg Wise in 2003, says that weddings are miserable.

“I have never known a wedding where the bride and the groom aren’t sitting there fretting about who’s been invited and who’s not,” the Telegraph quoted her as saying.

“Funerals are not necessarily depressing. I have been to a lot and, generally, they are more cheerful than the weddings I’ve been to. I mean it.

“Funerals can be really fantastic, as people who have not seen each other for a long time come together,” she added. (ANI)

Sean Penn, Robin Wright Penn reconciling again?

New York, May 22 (ANI): Sean Penn has withdrawn his motion for legal separation from wife of 13 years, Robin Wright.

The two-time Oscar-winning actor had filed papers in California’s Marin County Superior Court seeking divorce from his better half.

But the I am Sam star, who shares daughter Dylan Frances, 18, and son Hopper Jack, 15 with Robin, decided to pull back.

“It was an arrogant mistake,” the New York Daily News quoted him as saying.

Friends of the couple think the move to turn to court stemmed from a fit of rage.

A pal said: “They love each other like crazy but they fight like crazy. They may have gotten into a fight where she said she wanted a divorce and he filed just to beat her to the punch, even though he doesn’t want a divorce.

“That doesn’t mean they’re suddenly happy and in love. It’s anyone’s guess where this is going.”

The pair had launched a divorce petition in December 2007 but it was later dismissed at their request. (ANI)

Sir Ben Kingsley returns to India with Teen Patti

London, May 17 (ANI): After almost three decades, ‘Gandhi’ star Sir Ben Kingsley has returned to India – as a Bollywood star.

The Oscar-winning actor, who garnered much appreciation for his role of Mahatma Gandhi, will star alongside India’s superstar Amitabh Bachchan in thriller Teen Patti.

The storyline revolves around a reclusive maths genius who becomes involved in the world of gambling. The name is a reference to a popular game of three-card poker.

The film represents a milestone in the melding of Bollywood with Western cinema. It is also the first Indian movie to feature a Western actor in a lead role.

“Ever since I left India after filming Gandhi, I wanted to participate. I can’t go back to India as a tourist. I can’t do it. I need to be creating or doing or telling a story in India,” The Telegraph quoted Kingsley, as saying.

In Teen Patti he plays Perci Trachtenberg, regarded as the world’s greatest living mathematician, who befriends Bachchan, a shy fellow academic. (ANI)

Kidman sells ‘Darling’ villa at discount

Sydney, May 17 (ANI): Nicole Kidman’s Darling Point villa has been sold almost a year to the day since the actress listed it for sale with price hopes of around 20 million dollars.

Although deal information has been kept under wraps, the sale price is believed to be about 6 million dollars less than its listing price.

Many offers were received by Kidman, 41, regarding the Yarranabbe Road property during the past two weeks, including an offer of about 12 million dollars from Michael Hannan, former owner of the Wentworth Courier newspaper.

Agent Bill Bridges, however, confirmed that Hannan is not the successful buyer of the house, reports The Sydney Morning Herald.

The Oscar-winning actress decided to sell the hillside property because it is not suitable for a small child.

After Sunday Rose’s birth, Kidman’s daughter with country music singer husband Keith Urban, the pair splashed out millions for Bunya Hill, a 45-hectare rural estate at Sutton Forest in the Southern Highlands.

The American-based pair’s main residence in Nashville is on a farm. (ANI)

Slumdog child star back in his bulldozed shanty home

Washington, May 17 (ANI): Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, child star of hit film “Slumdog Millionaire,” and his family have more or less rebuilt their shanty home after officials in Mumbai, India, demolished it.

The ten-year-old and his family moved back into what was left of their home on May 15.

Azharuddin, who played the young Salim in the Oscar-winning film, was asleep when a police officer woke him and ordered him to leave the shack.

“I was asleep when the policemen came. He threatened to beat me,” CBS News quoted Azharuddin as telling the reporters.

The family has claimed they had not been informed about the planned demolition.

Azharuddin’s mother said: “We’ve lived here for at least fifteen years. They didn’t show us any paperwork. They just came and started demolishing our hut.”

City officials said that they bulldozed the illegally built shanty homes to tackle overcrowding and will re-house residents. (ANI)

Mumbai’s civic authorities render ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ kids homeless

Mumbai, May 14 (ANI): Nearly 20 children who acted in the Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire”, including Azharuddin Ismail, got a shock when civic authorities on Thursday demolished the polythene sheet-covered roof which used to house them in Garib Nagar slum area of Mumbai.

Ismail shot to fame after his role as Salim, the young role of the movie’s central character.

Ismail was sleeping when the civic authorities landed with the bulldozers and asked his family to vacate the house.

The actor’s family alleged that the demolition was carried out without any prior notice.

“They did not inform us. No notice was given to us. They suddenly came and ran the bulldozer on our houses and broke everything in the slum area,” said Samina Banu, Azharuddin’s mother.

Ismail Shaikh, father of Azharuddin Ismail, quipped that their life has become similar to a ‘dog’ as the earthmoving machinery of the civic authorities bulldozed the houses of the poor families without any notice.

“Its not about Azhar or me. It’s about all the poor people here. They made a movie ‘Slumdog’ and similarly we are living life of a dog here. Anybody can come here and run a bulldozer over our houses,” Ismail Shaikh said.

Indian authorities had promised new homes for Azharuddin and his co-star Rubina Ali after their return from the Oscars since they had been residing in slums.

But that promise seems to have gone into oblivion and Azharuddin has now been forced to live on streets in contrast to his stint of walking the red carpet at the Oscars in Los Angeles.

The civic authorities razed down 12 other huts in the area during the demolition drive. (ANI)

Martin Scorsese to helm Frank Sinatra biopic

London, May 14 (ANI): Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese will produce and direct a big screen biopic on Frank Sinatra.

The 66-year-old helmer will make the film for Universal and Mandalay Pictures.

Universal and Mandalay announced the project in a joint statement. However, no word was made on which actor would play Sinatra, reports The Telegraph.

After securing the rights to iconic singer and actor’s life, both the companies have been developing the Sinatra project, according to Daily Variety.

Sinatra made his first recording in 1939 and continued recording almost until his death, being responsible for such classics as “Strangers in the Night” and “My Way.”

He married three times and had three children. He died in 1998 of a heart attacked, aged 82. (ANI)

Charlize Theron lending support to gay marriage rally

Washington, May 07 (ANI): Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron is extending support to an upcoming rally for gay marriage in central California.

The actress has joined progressive grassroots organization Courage Campaign to encourage everyone to join her at Meet in the Middle for Equality rally, the event slated for Saturday after the California Supreme Court announces its decision on upholding or overturning the anti-gay marriage measure, Prop. 8.

“We know the people whose lives are on the line-those who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender-will be there,” E! Online quoted Theron as stating in a letter released by Courage Campaign.

“But we need everyone there. Especially straight people.

“While we don’t know when the Supreme Court will rule exactly, we know it will be within the next four weeks.

“Californians need to be prepared to commit right now to go to Fresno on the Saturday after the decision is announced, no matter what that decision may be.

“The battle for equality has to be fought in Middle America-in places like Fresno, California-not just in gay-friendly cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles.

“California’s Central Valley population is far more reflective of national attitudes towards LGBT equality-and until we engage the communities of Middle America, we will not achieve full equality in California,” she added. (ANI)

Slumdog star Rubina Ali shoots Schweppes ad with Nicole Kidman

Melbourne, May 07 (ANI): Rubina Ali Qureshi, the child star of Slumdog Millionaire, has shot an advertisement with Aussie actress Nicole Kidman.

The advertisement, for a soft drinks company Schweppes, was produced by American Gangster director Ridley Scott and directed by Shekhar Kapur in Udaipur recently.

It also features Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Qureshi, nine, was plucked from the slums of Mumbai to star as Latika in Danny Boyle’s Oscar-winning movie.

Previously, a British newspaper had reported that Rubina’s father Rafiq Qureshi tried to sell her for adoption to a family from Middle East for nearly 200,000 pounds to escape the Mumbai slums.

However, Rafiq has denied media reports that he put his daughter ever on sale.

While talking to reporters in Mumbai, Rafiq claimed that all this was nothing but a trap laid out for him. (ANI)

‘Slumdog Millionaire’, ‘Twilight’ lead MTV movie awards nominations

New Delhi, May 05 (ANI): ‘Twilight’ and ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ will lead the charge at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards.

The vampire blockbuster took the lead with seven nominations and the Oscar-winning Indian romance received six, reports the China Daily.

‘Twilight’, based on the book by Stephenie Meyer, will compete for prizes including Best Movie, Best Female Performance for Kristen Stewart, and Breakthrough Performance Male for both Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

‘Slumdog Millionaire’ stars Freida Pinto and Dev Patel are also up for the Breakthrough Performance accolades, while the film will go up against ‘Twilight’, ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘Iron Man’ and ‘High School Musical 3: Senior Year’ in the Best Movie category.

Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway (Bride Wars), Angelina Jolie (Wanted) and Kate Winslet (The Reader) join Stewart in the Best Female Performance line-up, and Zac Efron (High School Musical 3), Shia LaBeouf (Eagle Eye) and Robert Downey, Jr. (Tropic Thunder) will fight it out for the Best Male Performance title.

Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana: The Movie) and Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical 3) will go head-to-head for the Breakthrough Performance Female award, while Cyrus is also nominated for Best Song From a Movie for Hannah Montana.

Mark Burnett, who produces the freewheeling ceremony, said either film has a great chance of winning best picture.

“”Twilight” has “certainly touched a part of America and young girls are totally in love with what the movie stands for and (with) romance,” Burnett said.

“On the other hand, I have to say, all of my kids loved `Slumdog Millionaire.’ There’s just something so uplifting about what that movie stands for,” he added. (ANI)

Kate Winslet poses on girder for Harper’s Bazaar

London, May 03 (ANI): In a daring photoshoot for fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar, Kate Winslet has posed amid the rooftops of New York.

The Oscar-winning actress posed for a series of shots for the magazine, reminiscent of the famous Lunchtime Atop A Skyscraper photograph of grubby Thirties builders eating lunch hundreds of feet above the city streets.

“It was dramatic seeing Kate perched on a girder,” News of the World quoted an onlooker a saying.

“She looked like one of those construction workers in the famous American skyscraper pictures-only a lot sexier in just her underwear and a pin-striped jacket,” the onlooker added. (ANI)

Kate Winslet extends sympathy for young actresses

Washington, May 1 (ANI): Kate Winslet considers herself lucky to have found fame in the 1990s, because she thinks today’s young actresses are at the centre of more intense media attention than she ever was.

The Oscar-winning actress tasted success alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in 1997′s ‘Titanic’, but was heavily criticised about her curvy figure at the same time.

However, the British beauty “bounced back” from the criticisms and learned to love her figure, but has admitted that the unwanted attention was “f**king hard” for her.
And now, the 33-year-old actress pities new girls taking their first steps in Hollywood, because she thinks they face even more judgement about their looks and their personal lives.

“It’s really, really tough. It’s like, ‘She’s fat, she’s thin, she’s married, she’s divorced.’ I had all that and bouncing back is f**king hard,” Contactmusic quoted her as telling Marie Claire magazine.

She added: “I’m really, really happy I’m not a younger actor or actress working now because they have to run before they can walk.” (ANI)