02 October 2013

Zac Efron is happy that he is challenging himself at the moment.

The former High School Musical actor caused widespread shock last month when reports surfaced that he’d been treated for cocaine addiction in rehab.

His latest movie Parkland opens this month and although he hasn’t expressly referred to the speculation, the 25-year-old star has insisted he is in a good place.

“I’m doing what I set out to do,” he told Chicago Sun-Times.

“You have to go for it. You have to try. I want to challenge myself with tough parts. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Parkland follows the aftermath of the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy, who was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas after he was shot and later died at the facility.

The movie focuses on what happened within the treatment facility in the hours after the incident, with Zac portraying a doctor called Jim Carrico.

The actor had little knowledge of the event before the cameras started rolling and was amazed by what he learnt.

“He’s a young resident who suddenly has the most important man in the world thrust in front of him with fatal injuries. He’s called to action in a big way. You can’t ask for more to do as an actor,” he enthused.

“I didn’t know all that much about the details. The film is eye-opening. This was in a time before Twitter and cell phones. People watched this unfold for days on TV.”

The film also stars Paul Giamatti and Billy Bob Thornton, while Zac is also gearing up for the release of his film with Seth Rogen Neighbors which hits screens next year.

It was while shooting the comedy that Zac’s personal problems are said to have worsened, with claims he was late to set as his supposed addiction took hold.

The speculation isn’t something the actor comments on, instead he focuses on the positive aspects of his work.

“As an actor, my goal has always been to continue to challenge myself and learn and grow as an artist. I’ve been very lucky to have the chance to work alongside of great actors and directors. I couldn’t ask for anything better,” he said.

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02 October 2013

Benedict Cumberbatch and Emma Watson have topped Empire’s Sexiest Movie Stars poll.

The British actor and actress topped the publication’s 50 sexiest male and female film stars poll undertaken by over 50,000 fans.

It is the biggest vote of its kind and took place on empireonline.com, collecting a staggering 230,000 votes from all over the world.

Benedict’s top spot was shortly followed by fellow Brit Tom Hiddleston. The pair both starred as war officers in Steven Spielberg‘s 2011 film War Horse.

The UK prevailed in third place as well, with Henry Cavill named. The top five is completed by American heartthrobs Ryan Gosling and Robert Downey Jr.

Rounding out the top ten are Chris Hemsworth, Robert Pattinson, Michael Fassbender, Hugh Jackman and Bradley Cooper.

Emma also beat a host of Hollywood beauties to come out at number one. Her title comes after she appeared for six years running in men’s magazine FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women.

In a close second place is Scarlett Johansson, who has previously topped various polls such as Sexiest Celebrity by Playboy Magazine in 2007.

The top five females are completed by Jennifer Lawrence, Kristen Stewart and Anne Hathaway. Anne changed her appearance drastically after filming hit 2012 feature Les Misérables, which saw her shave off her iconic long brown hair and lose a staggering amount of weight to play prostitute Fantine.

Actresses Emma Stone, Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman, Angelina Jolie and Zoe Saldana take the remaining in the top ten.

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02 October 2013

Tom Hanks says he skips over his own movies.

The movie legend isn’t opposed to watching himself; it’s just that he’s already seen all of his movies.

Yesterday he opened the New York Film Festival with the world premiere of his new movie, Captain Phillips, a hijacking thriller.

“If [one of my movies] comes up on the grid, I try to skip over that bad boy as fast as possible. They never change. I’ve seen them, I’ve seen them once.

“Sometimes I’ve seen them twice and after that there’s nothing new in there. So the only thing I can do is think of: Why did I wear my hair like that?” he laughed to Access Hollywood.

Tom will next week fly to the UK, where his movies are set to dominate the London Film Festival.

As in New York, Captain Phillips will open the annual festival and Saving Mr. Banks, a film based on the true story of how Mary Poppins came to the big screen, will close it.

With a back catalogue that includes two Oscar-winning performances, the 57-year-old actor is hard pressed to pick his favourite movie from his vast archive.

“Oh dear Lord, no [I don’t have a favourite]. There were some that were great adventures, some just a blast to do. A League of Their Own, that was a great summer. Apollo 13 was a fabulous, fabulous thing.

“Castaway was a big adventure because I got to swim every day and I got to have the period where I ate everything. And then, I had the period where I had to get into shape. They all have memories that are attached to them that are one of a kind,” he reminisced.

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30 September 2013

Aaron Paul hosted a finale screening party for Breaking Bad fans, complete with special candy.

The show aired its last episode in the United States on Sunday and the instalment, extended from 60 to 75 minutes, was screened at an event in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

The 34-year-old actor got avid viewers in the zone by partying with candy in the likeness of blue crystal meth and riding around in the RV car made famous on the show.

TMZ reports thousands of fans showed up hours before the last episode was broadcast and some donned full hazmat suits.

Aaron staged a scavenger hunt around Los Angeles on the day giving away 20 more seats to the charity occasion for those who could not get tickets the first time around.

“Scavenger hunt begins in 30 minutes. 20 tickets are hidden around Hollywood. Exact location will be given out very soon. #BreakingBad,” he teased on Twitter.

The twice Emmy Award-winning thespian got another gong last Sunday when the programme scooped the prize for best drama series.

However the smash hit TV series, starring Bryan Cranston, was recently the cause of some recent trouble with Apple.

The technology giant is refunding fans after a mix-up over the number of episodes in the final season.

The confusion meant many people effectively paid twice for the final 16 episodes of the show.

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30 September 2013

Bridget Jones’s Diary fans have been left broken-hearted, after author Helen Fielding killed off her love interest Mark Darcy in the third book in the series, Mad About The Boy.

Mark, who is portrayed by Colin Firth in the big screen versions of the hit book series, meets his tragic end after marrying Bridget and having two children together.

Bridget reveals the news that Darcy died five years ago, as extracts of the new book were published in the Sunday Times Magazine, ahead of its release on October 10.

The widowed singleton, now 51, also discusses her two children Mabel and Billy in her diary, and reveals her meeting with a 30-year-old toyboy called Roxster, who she met through Twitter.

Helen’s first book Bridget Jones’s Diary was initially published as a newspaper column in 1995, before it became a best-selling novel in 1996. The sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason was released three years later.

The first film adaptation, starring Renee, Colin and Hugh Grant as ladies’ man Daniel Cleaver, was released in 2001, and Renee received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

Colin has previously brushed off stories about a third Bridget Jones film, saying: “It might be a bit of a long wait. I wouldn’t say that it’s completely dead in the water, but the way it’s going you might be seeing Bridget Jones’ granddaughter’s story being told by the time we get there.”

He also added: “The story is going in an interesting direction. I just wouldn’t say that the movie is imminent.”

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30 September 2013

Scarlett Johansson dislikes the attention that comes with her fame and describes it as a “drag”.

The American actress made her film debut at just nine years old in the 1994 feature North and has since starred in hit films such as Lost in Translation and Match Point.

While she loves acting Scarlett admits she feels overwhelmed with the attention which comes with her star status and often finds it difficult to relate to others.

“I feel incredibly fortunate at having achieved success and am not going to complain about the fame. I love what I do and my film projects fill me as an artist. Everything else, fame and the invasion of privacy, is a headache,” she told website refinery29.com. “I have many friends who do not have work, that do not get anything on TV, or in ads, or voiceover, so to complain about my loss of anonymity is a little silly. If fame is a nightmare, I know that it is difficult for the public to identify with me because it sounds ridiculous to complain about it. Believe me when I say that fame can be a drag.”

The 28-year-old actress has several films in the pipeline including sci-fi flick Under the Skin. Scarlett plays alien seductress Laura in the movie, who preys upon unsuspecting hitch-hikers in Scotland. As part of the role the blonde beauty bares all for the camera and although she felt insecure at first Scarlett knew the move was for a good cause.

“Yes [it was difficult to shoot], I’m not fond of nudism,” she explained about stripping off during filming. “Like everyone, I am aware of my body and in this film I put aside prejudices to get into the skin of an alien. I had the collaboration of an artist, as director Jonathan Glazer protected me at all times. The nudity in this film is not exploitative.”

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29 September 2013

David Walliams has revealed he has already got in some practice for voicing Pudsey the dog – because he used to do doggy impressions for wife Lara.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge is set to lend his voice to the dancing canine, who won the show in 2012 with trainer Ashleigh Butler, in Pudsey: The Movie.

“I used to put on Pudsey’s voice for fun. I’d do impressions of him for my wife,” he admitted.

“He looks like he can talk, doesn’t he? It’s going to be a great fun movie. It’s lovely to see someone – well, an animal – from a show like Britain’s Got Talent do so well. Voicing him is such a fun thing to do. Jobs like that are a real treat.”

David is also starring as chemistry teacher Keith Church in BBC One sitcom Big School, which he co-wrote with brothers Steve Dawson and Andrew Dawson and their childhood friend Tim Inman.

“We worked very hard on the plot – coming from a sketch show, that was the most difficult thing,” admitted the 42-year-old.

“I had some experience of narrative from writing children’s books, but it’s a real challenge to create a sitcom story that moves forward all the time. It’s not like writing a storyline for a soap. Sitcom has to have a plot that is full of turns and surprises.”

The best-selling children’s author and comedian was inspired by BBC comedy Fawlty Towers.

He continued: “We looked to Fawlty Towers – that’s the ultimate comedy and is very, very plot-heavy. It’s beautifully constructed. But you never notice the mechanics of the plot because you’re on a journey with the characters.”

:: Big School is out on dvd now.

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29 September 2013

Zac Efron was reportedly busy working on a script for a new thriller during a spell in rehab.

It has been alleged the former High School Musical star has sought professional help for a “serious” cocaine problem. Since apparently entering rehab twice earlier this year, Zac is now getting his life back on track and is focused on making movies.

“Not being fit for work was a big wake-up call. Zac doesn’t want stories of his partying to stand in the way of him becoming an even bigger star,” a source told British magazine Heat.

Reports have claimed Zac sometimes didn’t show up to Seth Rogen‘s movie set for Neighbors and it was “common knowledge” the heartthrob was using drugs.

However, the 24-year-old hunk showed a different side during a spell in rehab and apparently spent a lot of time working on the script for a new thriller, Fire.

“Zac’s been beaten for several key roles lately, by the likes of Charlie Hunnam and Channing Tatum, and it’s made him question if he has what it takes to take his career to the next level,” the source added. “Coke made him feel more confident. He liked the way he felt on it… too much.”

The star’s spiral into addiction was seemingly sparked by several factors. TMZ claims Zac was feeling frustrated with his movie career, which has failed to take off despite his success in the High School Musical franchise. He is also said to have been struggling with “girl issues” and had been spending time with “a bad group of friends”, who introduced him to cocaine.

This week it was alleged Zac had also been dabbling in other drugs such as Oxycodone and had to be resuscitated after using the prescription medication in a hotel room.

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28 September 2013

Jason Derülo still gets jealous when he sees his girlfriend Jordin Sparks with another man as part of her job.

The two singers have been dating for well over a year and have already spoken about marriage. Although their relationship is serious and committed, Jason can’t help getting jealous at times.

“When I watched Jordin kissing a guy in Sparkle – Whitney Houston’s last movie – I cringed. She’s shooting her next video soon and I’ll definitely be there when she does!” he laughed to Now magazine.

As the couple are both in show business, they often have to spend time apart. That can be hard on their relationship, but they have found ways to ensure they don’t miss each other too much.

“Jordin and I Skype and Facetime every day – and talk dirty a bit too! I get some shocking messages from fans – it’s crazy. I’m like, ‘Is this a real person? Do they know other people are looking at this message?’ They don’t care that everyone sees it!” he giggled.

Jason and Jordin were friends before they became romantically involved. It wasn’t a case of love at first sight, with Jason admitting it took him a while to realise she was The One.

Now he is adamant they will be together forever and has even penned a song for her.

“The Other Side, with the line, ‘Sparks fly like the Fourth of July,’ is about her. I knew that when we took that step from friends to lovers, there was no turning back – but sometimes you can’t control these things – especially after a couple of drinks!” he said.

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28 September 2013

Cher and Meryl Streep once intervened in a mugging in New York City.

The musical legend is often referred to as a diva and has given some hints that this might be the case. The 67-year-old star has let slip a series of facts about herself that she’d previously kept secret, including the mishap at her Los Angeles home.

“The day I moved out of my home in Holmby Hills, I found a room I never knew existed,” she laughed to Us Weekly.

Cher also opened up about her famous friends, revealing she once got into a “heated” debate with physicist Stephen Hawking. The star had a panic attack before the iconic lunch scene in her 1987 movie The Witches of Eastwick and it was her co-star Jack Nicholson who helped her through it.

However, it is Oscar-winning star Meryl Streep who was involved in the singer’s most vivid memory.

“Meryl and I saved a girl from a large mugger in New York City,” Cher explained.

The eccentric star is known for her wild stage outfits and fashion is something she has a keen interest in. When she isn’t working, she can often be found making beaded jewellery for her friends; perhaps because she hasn’t always had close pals to call on.

“I had two imaginary friends when I was little. They were both lumberjacks,” she explained.

Among the other titbits revealed are that Cher believes talk show host David Letterman is passionately in love with her. She collects elephants, has driven a cab in New York City at 4am and still refuses to listen to her mother when she dishes out advice.

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