25 October 2013

Scarlett Johansson has revealed being a famous sex symbol has been more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to dating.

The 28-year-old actress – who recently became engaged to French journalist Romain Dauriac – topped Esquire magazine’s sexiest women list for 2013, but told Total Film there was a time when she couldn’t get a date.

Scarlett said: “There was a point I couldn’t get a date. I couldn’t really meet people. I thought, ‘I just wish somebody would ask me out on a regular date’ and then maybe if we do that, we can go out on another.”

The Avengers Assemble star’s latest film role is in Joseph Gordon-Levitt‘s directorial debut Don Jon. Joseph, who also wrote the movie, plays a man who is addicted to porn, and Scarlett plays his girlfriend.

She said: “It was really great to be able to go from Hitchcock – which was a really fun project – to something like this movie. It was playing a character that was vastly different. But one of the great things about it was that I got to work with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who had such a command on the set. And we collaborated from the get-go.”

The full interview is in Total Film magazine, on sale now.

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22 October 2013

British actor Tom Hiddleston was mobbed by fans as he arrived at the world premiere of Thor: The Dark World.

The 32-year-old, who has reprised his role of Thor‘s brother Loki for the third time, received the biggest cheers with crowds chanting his name and holding up Loki banners, as he walked up the red carpet outside London’s Odeon West End cinema alongside co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman.

“I am surprised people like Loki so much. I’ve been asking myself that three times now,” he said.

Hiddleston, who previously portrayed Loki in the first Thor film and Avengers Assemble, said it was “fantastic” returning to his mischievous alter-ego.

“When I first started playing the character, I threw everything I had because I thought it would be the only chance I’m going to get. You never think, ‘I’ll save something for the next time’ and then there’s a second and third time. It was so interesting to evolve and change him.”

Hemsworth, who plays Norse god Thor, said he wanted to find new facets to his character in each film.

“The challenge is to improve on what you’ve already done and we have managed to do something new,” the 30-year-old said.

Portman, who is back as astrophysicist Jane Foster, teamed a black top with a floor-length silver skirt by Dior.

She said: “Jane is such a multi-faceted character. You get to see a real woman – all the different sides in different situations.”

The film’s British stars – Idris Elba, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Christopher Eccleston – joined Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard at the premiere.

Eccleston, who shows off his villainous turn in the Marvel movie as Dark Elf ruler Malekith the Accursed, joked: “Nobody spoke to me on set because I was the bad guy. I was scaring everyone. I think he was misunderstood actually.”

The sequel, set after the events of 2012’s Avengers Assemble, sees estranged brothers Thor and Loki join forces to defend Asgard from Malekith and the Dark Elves.

Thor: The Dark World, which was partly shot in London, opens in cinemas on Wednesday, October 30.

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23 October 2013

James Corden has revealed that the false teeth he wears in One Chance gave him a lisp.

The Gavin And Stacey star needed time to adapt to the clip-on set of gnashers he had to don for his portrayal of Britain’s Got Talent winner Paul Potts in the film.

“I had to work with them for about four or five weeks before we started shooting, because initially when you put those things in, you immediately have a terrible lisp and you sound like Chris Eubank,” he said.

“Then, very slowly, you get used to it and you forget you have them in. You order your lunch in the catering van, and you see some dude going, ‘He really should see a dentist at some point’. But they were fine, they just clip on at the front of your teeth.”

James said Paul approved of his performance in David Frankel’s biopic, based on Paul’s life before he won the ITV talent show.

“He’s given us double thumbs up. He was sat behind me while we were watching it at the movie premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, and he seemed to really enjoy it,” the 35-year-old said.

The stage and screen star admitted he didn’t spend a lot of time with Paul to perfect his portrayal.

“I didn’t spend a huge amount of time with him, because he was touring,” he said.

“Normally, when you’re playing someone who’s alive, it is incredibly difficult, but for me, I don’t think it was. The film stops at the moment he auditions for Britain’s Got Talent and that’s the very moment you and I became aware of him. The person I’m playing isn’t the person that we know now so it was easier.”

One Chance opens in cinemas on October 25.

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23 October 2013

Jake Gyllenhaal has revealed his recent dramatic weight loss was all for his next film role.

The End Of Watch actor was snapped looking gaunt at the Hollywood Film Awards this week and said he shed the pounds for his performance in Nightcrawler, in which he plays a struggling, freelance crime reporter named Lou.

He told E! News he had lost “somewhere around 20 pounds” for the thriller.

Jake, 32, also revealed that he didn’t need to go on any special diet to lose the weight.

“I can only approach things from a mental place,” he said. “Like I’m playing a character who’s hungry, figuratively and literally, who’s driven in ways to do things and succeed at any cost. And I think that defines a generation in a lot of ways, so I wanted to get there mentally and then have it transform me physically, because I am not one to rely on science as much as I am on just sort of instinct. That’s sort of the character.”

And he told Us Weekly that his physical transformation helped him get into character.

“I knew that he was literally and figuratively hungry,” said the star, adding that he got into Lou’s mindset by getting into a “mode where I was always a bit hungry”.

Nightcrawler also stars Bill Paxton and Rene Russo.

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22 October 2013

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is to be axed after Chris Tarrant said he wanted to step down as host, announcing: “It’s time to take a break.”

The 67-year-old said he had reached a point where he wanted to call it a day after being with the show since its inception and ITV has said there will be no further specials beyond the ones which have already been planned.

The groundbreaking programme was the first to offer viewers a chance to win a million pound prize, even if it was rarely ever reached, and became a major hit around the world. It also inspired the Blockbuster movie Slumdog Millionaire.

Announcing his departure in a statement, Chris said: “It’s been a huge part of my life for 15 years and I’ve loved every minute of it, but it is time for me to move on from Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.

“It’s been the most remarkable journey and I consider myself very fortunate to have been associated with Millionaire from its inception. ITV have been fantastic in their support from day one and to see its huge success has been thrilling.”

The show was a major part of ITV’s schedule when it launched in 1998, appearing daily and Chris proved be a master of building tension. In recent years, it has been used more as a platform for fundraising celebrity specials.

Chris went on: ” The calibre of the celebrities like Sir Paul McCartney, George Michael, Sir Alex Ferguson, Simon Cowell, Sir Tim Rice, Sir Terry Wogan, Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall, Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, etc, is just one indication of how much this show has touched a nerve with everybody.

“But of course so much more rewarding for all of us has been, not just the celebrities or even the million-pound winners, but all of the ordinary men and women whose lives have been changed – sometimes forever – by being on the show.

“Thank you all for sitting opposite me. I am privileged to have been a part of it, but do now feel that it is time for me to call it a day. I’ve worked ridiculously hard these last few years and to quote myself, ‘it’s time to take a break’.”

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22 October 2013

Reese Witherspoon has said it’s a great time to be a woman in Hollywood as she was honoured by Elle magazine.

The 20th annual Elle Women in Hollywood celebration saw Reese honoured, along with Melissa McCarthy, Marion Cotillard, Naomie Harris, Shailene Woodley, Eva Marie Saint and director Nancy Meyers at the Four Seasons hotel.

Reese said on the red carpet: “I think it’s a great time to be a woman in Hollywood. I think there’s more opportunities than there have ever been. Watching the Emmys recen tly and watching all these wonderful comedic women, write for themselves and be the stars of their own shows, it’s a really different time. It’s exciting.”

But British actress Naomie said women still had boundaries to break down in Hollywood.

The Bond girl said: ” I’m really proud of all contributions made by women, I just want there to be more. I want women to be allowed more opportunities to have a voice in film. It’s so important both in front and behind the camera, it’s hugely important.”

All the honourees were introduced by admiring colleagues, and each shared how women had helped them succeed. Chelsea Handler said Reese helped her get a movie role.

Melissa was introduced by Kathy Bates, whom she cited as an inspiration. Nancy said studio heads Sherry Lansing and Amy Pascal supported her career, and it’s up to women to everywhere to vote with their wallets to support projects helmed by and starring women.

She also noted there are no Men in Hollywood events.

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22 October 2013

British actor Tom Hiddleston was mobbed by fans as he arrived at the world premiere of Thor: The Dark World.

The 32-year-old, who has reprised his role of Thor‘s brother Loki for the third time, received the biggest cheers with crowds chanting his name and holding up Loki banners, as he walked up the red carpet outside London’s Odeon West End cinema alongside co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman.

“I am surprised people like Loki so much. I’ve been asking myself that three times now,” he said.

Hiddleston, who previously portrayed Loki in the first Thor film and Avengers Assemble, said it was “fantastic” returning to his mischievous alter-ego.

“When I first started playing the character, I threw everything I had because I thought it would be the only chance I’m going to get. You never think, ‘I’ll save something for the next time’ and then there’s a second and third time. It was so interesting to evolve and change him.”

Hemsworth, who plays Norse god Thor, said he wanted to find new facets to his character in each film.

“The challenge is to improve on what you’ve already done and we have managed to do something new,” the 30-year-old said.

Portman, who is back as astrophysicist Jane Foster, teamed a black top with a floor-length silver skirt by Dior.

She said: “Jane is such a multi-faceted character. You get to see a real woman – all the different sides in different situations.”

The film’s British stars – Idris Elba, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Christopher Eccleston – joined Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard at the premiere.

Eccleston, who shows off his villainous turn in the Marvel movie as Dark Elf ruler Malekith the Accursed, joked: “Nobody spoke to me on set because I was the bad guy. I was scaring everyone. I think he was misunderstood actually.”

The sequel, set after the events of 2012’s Avengers Assemble, sees estranged brothers Thor and Loki join forces to defend Asgard from Malekith and the Dark Elves.

Thor: The Dark World, which was partly shot in London, opens in cinemas on Wednesday, October 30.

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