Tony-award winning actor and dancer Gregory Hines, who wowed audiences onstage as well as in film and television, died Saturday in Los Angeles of cancer, according to his publicist, Allen Eichorn; Hines was 57. A boisterous performer with seemingly unending energy, who made tap dancing look both elegant and effortless, Hines first gained fame as a child star alongside his brother, fellow dancer Maurice Hines, and their father as part of the tap-dancing act "Hines, Hines and Dad." In the `70s, Hines went on to worldwide acclaim and Broadway stardom, most notably in Eubie!, Comin' Uptown and Sophisticated Ladies, all of which earned him Tony nominations. Hines first film role came almost by accident in Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I, where he was a last-minute replacement for Richard Pryor and stole scenes from old pros Brooks and Madeline Kahn. He went on later that year to co-star in the thriller Wolfen, and then in 1984 danced for the first time onscreen with brother Maurice in The Cotton Club, where the two played characters based on Broadway stars The Nicholas Brothers. Film hits White Nights (opposite Mikhail Baryshnikov) and Running Scared (with Billy Crystal) followed in the `80s, and the actor went on to travel effortlessly between stage, screen and television in the `90s. Hines won a Tony in 1993 for Jelly's Last Jam, appeared in 1995's Waiting to Exhale, starred in sitcom The Gregory Hines Show in 1997, and portrayed Bill "Bojangles" Robinson in the acclaimed 2001 TV movie Bojangles. Most recently he hosted the 2002 Tony Awards broadcast with Bernadette Peters and had a recurring role on TV hit Will and Grace. --Prepared by IMDb staff

Action man Arnold Schwarzenegger is prepared for the mud-slinging that will accompany his race to become California Governor - because he knows he's the best man for the job. The movie star accepts his past will be dragged into the present by current Governor Gray Davis, along with claims he lacks political experience and he's a womanizer - and he's ready for all the nastiness. He says, "We all know that Gray Davis knows how to run a dirty campaign better than anyone but he doesn't know how to run a state. There's a great vision that I have for California. We can turn this around. We can pay off the debt and we can bring businesses back to California. We can make it the shining state, the golden state, again." Arnie insists his vast fortune will help him stay honest should he become Governor. He adds, "No one can pay me off. I have plenty of money, trust me."

Pals of sexy actress Jennifer Garner have confirmed she's secretly dating her Alias co-star Michael Vartan. Garner had been romantically linked to the French hunk since she split from her husband Scott Foley earlier this year. And friends say the pair have gone to great lengths to keep their trysts at Garner's Pacific Palisades, California, home secret. A source says, "Their love is for real, but they don't want anybody to know about it yet. Michael never actually drives over to Jen's house, but instead parks his car about a mile away. Then she drives up and fetches him." The main reason their romance is shrouded in secrecy, pals tell American tabloid the Star, is because Garner doesn't want to further upset her already heartbroken ex Foley. The friend explains, "Scott is so distraught that even dinner invitations from Renee Zellweger and Selma Blair haven't cheered him up. He turned down both women, saying that he's just not ready to date yet." This summer, Vartan followed Garner to New York City, where she filmed her latest romantic comedy 13 Going On 30 - and he reportedly moved into her suite at the Four Seasons Hotel. Another pal adds, "Michael would run errands for Jennifer, and shuttle her to and from the set. He made dinner reservations at her favorite place, The Mercer Kitchen. They took in a few Broadway plays too, but they always arrived and left separately." They returned to Los Angeles on July 27, but sources say they're still keeping their romance quiet.

The expectant mother of Colin Farrell's son is reportedly locked in a bitter battle with the actor over money. American model Kim Bordenave, 33, is preparing for the birth of their child next month, and sources tell American tabloid the Star that her family is urging her to finalize all the financial arrangements for the baby. A source says, "Kim's family is telling her to take Colin to court for more money - and the baby isn't even born yet. Colin gives her $5,000 a month to prepare for the baby. But she used to make more than that modeling. Her family feels Colin should pick up the slack. He's worth millions." On July 30 Kim accompanied 27-year-old Farrell to the Los Angeles premiere of his new movie S.W.A.T but refused to walk the red carpet. A source explains, "She didn't want to be photographed at eight months pregnant. She wants to be known for something other than getting pregnant by Colin Farrell." Her family members are also said to be fuming over Farrell's recent announcement that he won't be at the birth of his first child as he'll be filming his anticipated movie Alexander.

Goldie Hawn and Michelle Pfeiffer are competing to become the latest Hollywood leading ladies to take to the London stage. Both actresses have made a positive response to approaches to appear in a new West End production of Brian McAvera's Picasso's Women - although neither will agree to star unless they approve of the choice of director. McAvera says, "I can say at this stage that it will be either Michelle Or Goldie. Obviously, only one of them will get the part, but each will appear only if certain directors are on board. There's currently a short-list of five acceptable directors, so we are running backwards and forwards to America in negotiations. Both Michelle and Goldie did theater at the start of their careers, but it's been a very long time since either of them appeared on stage, so it would be a major coup if we could pull this off. The idea would be to give the show a West End run before moving it to Broadway (New York)."

Ethan Hawke's spokesman is furiously denying reports of romance with a young model, following suggestions the Training Day star was cheating on wife Uma Thurman with fellow actress Angelina Jolie. The actor and author is filming Taking Lives in Montreal, Canada, and newspapers speculated he was romancing sexy co-star Jolie, following publication of pictures apparently showing the pair kissing in the Tomb Raider star's trailer. But American tabloid The National Enquirer is insisting Ethan has been conducting a relationship with 22-year-old model Jen Perzow. However, Hawke's spokesman Robert Garlock insists Pulp Fiction beauty Thurman - who is also in Canada filming her latest effort Paycheck - is very much still Ethan's lady, and denies all reports of a split. He says, "They've been spending every weekend together, so the idea of another woman sounds ridiculous to me." When pressed for comment by the National Enquirer, Perzow simply said, "I have no comment."

Sharon Osbourne has missed an important appointment to tape test shows with celebrity guests for her troubled chat program The Sharon Osbourne Show. The mother of three was supposed to be at the Los Angeles studio on Monday - but rang in sick from England on Saturday, telling bosses she would not be in all week. Even though guests and audiences had been booked, Sharon decided she would get in on Friday and Saturday. Sharon's show is set to debut on September 15 but has been beset with problems - booking celebrity guests has proved difficult, with Sean 'P Diddy' Combs being the biggest name attracted to the vehicle. An insider says, "Sharon is a smart, tough businesswoman. She thought her experience with Telepictures would be the same as the one she had with MTV, where they let her do whatever she wanted. Things are not going well." However, Telepictures president Jim Paratore insists, "Our relationship with Sharon has been and continues to be terrific. Sharon went to London to see (daughter) Kelly perform, something that had been the plan for a long time. She got an ear infection and the doctors told her not to fly. Because we're in good shape it wasn't a big deal."

Actress Elizabeth Hurley is suffering the humiliation of being attached to another movie flop - which has so far bombed in her native Britain. Double Whammy has pulled a measly $40,000 in its first two weeks in British cinemas, despite a promotional campaign which cost the film's bosses $400,000. Kevin O'Sullivan, movie critic for Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper, says, "I hesitate to use the words 'Liz', 'Hurley' and 'actress' in the same sentence for fear of prosecution under the Trades Description Act." Her latest flop adds to Hurley's long list of box office disasters. The leggy brunette's last film Serving Sara, in which she starred alongside Friends favorite Matthew Perry, went straight to video after critics slammed it.

Troubled basketball star Kobe Bryant's sexual assault allegations have already cost him one of his lucrative endorsement deals. The Los Angeles Lakers ace, 24, will not have his endorsement deal with the maker of Nutella chocolate spread renewed, in part because of the sexual assault charges standing against him. A spokesman for Ferrero says the Italian company has discontinued all promotions involving Bryant. The spokesman says in a press release, "Ferrero USA's contract with Kobe Bryant expires in January 2004. Marketing plans established earlier this year did not contemplate a contract renewal. In keeping with this decision, and considering the recent developments, Kobe's image on Nutella labels and promotional material is being phased out." Bryant is charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman on June 30 at a mountain resort in Edwards, Colorado. Bryant insists he had consensual sex with his accuser. Among Bryant's other endorsement deals are highly lucrative contracts with Nike and Sprite.

Sarah Jessica Parker has admitted actor husband Matthew Broderick would happily take on a cameo role in her show Sex And The City - but only if he can play a janitor. The actor, who shot to fame with Ferris Bueller's Day Off, may be disappointed though - his fashion conscious wife doesn't think the show's producer, Michael Patrick King, will allow it. Sarah explains, "I think it would be really nice for (Matthew) to play a part before it's all over. But he says the only part he wants to play is a janitor. In fact, he's been asking for four years to play a janitor! But Michael Patrick won't let him."