24 January 2006
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'Lost' Stars Get Massive Salary Increase

The original cast members of award-winning hit TV show Lost have been offered a huge pay increase in exchange for extending their contracts by another year. Touchstone Television has promised the likes of Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly and Dominic Monaghan between $20,000 and $40,000 more per episode if they sign for a third series, pushing some salaries into the six figure bracket. Fox, who plays lead character Dr. Jack Sheppard, has reportedly earned a minimum $250,000 bonus on top of the salary hike. The raise puts Lost cast members in line with the stars of Desperate Housewives. Lost, which sees a group of plane crash survivors stranded on a tropical island, has one of the largest casts and production costs of any US drama series.
Barrymore Laughs at Her Golden Globes Breast Gaffe
Drew Barrymore poked fun at her Golden Globe wardrobe malfunction on US TV show Saturday Night Live on Saturday when she appeared unannounced wearing huge fake breasts. The actress didn't wear a bra when she took the stage to present a Golden Globe last Monday, and excited TV viewers could clearly see her breasts through her green top. And when Saturday Night Live regular Tina Fey poked fun at Barrymore on the Weekend Update section of the show, joking that the actress "arrived with two Golden Globes of her own," the Charlie's Angels star had a little fun at her own expense. Wearing a pair of huge, drooping breasts, she stepped out in front of the live studio audience, and quipped, "I can't believe you guys are making fun of me. Don't you guys know it's not cool to make jokes about women's bodies?" Barrymore went on to juggle her fake breasts as she jokingly lectured, "You guys are supposed to be feminists and you're supposed to be all pro-lady. I am totally disappointed in you." The actress raised more laughs as she prodded one of her huge breasts into Weekend Update co-anchor Amy Poehler's face, and hung another over Fey's shoulder. The comedy newswomen then agreed a truce with Barrymore - by shaking Her false breasts. The actress was on the show supporting boyfriend Fabrizio Moretti, who was performing with the program's musical guests, The Strokes.
'Brokeback Mountain' Takes Top PGA Award

Controversial movie Brokeback Mountain was named Best Picture at the 17th annual Producers Guild Of America (Pga) awards Sunday night, keeping it on track for Oscar glory in March. The Ang Lee-directed film's producers, Diana Ossana and James Schamus, collected the award at the event at the Universal Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Previous PGA form now points towards Brokeback Mountain being a likely Best Picture winner at the Academy Awards - 11 out of the 16 films to take the top PGA prize have gone on to win the Oscars equivalent. Producers Claire Jennings and Nick Park picked up the Best Animated Picture award for Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit. The Ellen DeGeneres Show won Best TV Series, while the award for Best Long-Form TV Show went to The Life And Death Of Peter Sellers. Lost picked up Best TV Drama while Entourage picked up Best Comedy TV series. 60 Minutes won Best Nonfiction TV Series. Veteran film-maker Clint Eastwood was presented with the Milestone Award, while producer Grant Heslov took home the Stanley Kramer Award for George Clooney film Good Night, And Good Luck. Legendary B-movie producer Roger Corman collected the Lifetime Achievement Award. He told the audience, "Today, with the new methods of delivering our films on the internet etcetera, we may see the power of the major (studios) diminish a little more and we may see the producers assume their rightful place." Norman Lear won the PGA Achievement Award In Television, and AOL boss Jon Miller took home the Vanguard Award.
Nanny Exposes Cruise and Kidman Family Secrets

Celebrity nanny Suzanne Hansen has called into question Nicole Kidman's mothering skills in her controversial new book. Hansen claims she never saw the Moulin Rouge actress around her adopted kids when she worked in Hollywood for celebrity couples. In tell-all book You'll Never Nanny In This Town Again, Hansen alleges Kidman played only a small part in raising her children Conor and Isabella. Hansen tells PageSix.com, "I never saw her (with her children)." Hansen also alleges Tom Cruise drew up strict confidentiality guidelines for the child minders he hired, so they would never be able to contradict claims he made about his own fathering skills. She adds, "Tom would make his nannies sign confidentiality agreements that were so strict, they couldn't even say for whom they were working. So basically, if (Cruise) went on camera and said how he didn't have any help raising his children, they couldn't say anything."
Kidman and Urban To Marry in March?
Nicole Kidman will wed country music star Keith Urban in March, according to reports. The 37-year-old actress, who ended her ten-year marriage to Tom Cruise in August 2001, is planning a lavish ceremony but will only invite close family and friends. A source tells British newspaper The Sun, "Nicole is getting married in March. She's the happiest she's ever been in her life and she doesn't want a long engagement. Keith proposed at Christmas and she was thrilled. They are happy and in love. Nicole's only inviting close friends and family - she doesn't want a media circus. They are discussing venues and are talking about doing it in Australia." Meanwhile, Cruise and his pregnant fiancee Katie Holmes are planning a summer ceremony, following the birth of their first baby together.
Spears Rescued by Paparazzi During Car Breakdown

Pop star Britney Spears got help from an unlikely source when her car broke down on a Los Angeles freeway on Sunday night - the paparazzi who continually stalk her. The singer and her brother Bryan were driving through Malibu, near Britney's home, when her Ferrari broke down. A pack of photographers trailing the singer helped push the car off the busy highway and over to the side of the road. The paparazzi even stayed with the siblings until police made it to the scene. After the authorities arrived, Britney and her brother got in the back of the police car and were driven home.
Branson Convinces Moss To Publish Autobiography
Kate Moss has signed a $1.8 million deal for the rights to her autobiography, after Virgin mogul Sir Richard Branson convinced her she should set the record straight on her turbulent 2005. The British supermodel began dating drug addicted rocker Pete Doherty at the start of the year, and her world came tumbling down when photographs showing her snorting cocaine were published by a British newspaper in September. Branson's spokesperson says, "Richard and Kate have agreed to bring out her autobiography. It's a chance for her to put across her side of the story." Moss has since managed to salvage her career, but she will still face police questioning over her drug use when she next returns to the UK.
Collette Turns Rocker

Actress Toni Collette will become a fully fledged rocker when she starts her first tour in six month's time, after finishing recording debut album Beautiful Awkward Pictures. The 33-year-old, who recently starred alongside Cameron Diaz in new movie In Her Shoes, will spend most of 2006 touring her native Australia with her rock band The Finish. And Collette credits the support and ingenuity of her musician husband Dave Galafassi with kick-starting her career cross-over. She says, "I know you hear about actors wanting to be rock stars, and it sounds like a nightmare, but I've been singing since I was little. It's been a long time coming, and I don't apologize."
'Italian Job' Memorabilia To Be Auctioned

The Mini Cooper number plates from 1969 movie The Italian Job will be auctioned in the UK later this week. The three plates, which worked within the plot to signify Sir Michael Caine's character's prison number HMP 729G, the robbery gang's flight number LGW 809G and Grand Prix flag number GPF 146G, are expected to raise up to $36,000 at Cheffins Auctioneers in Cambridge, England, on Thursday. A Cheffins spokesman says, "These are certainly a lot for the dedicated Italian Job fan - or maybe Michael Caine himself might be interested." The Minis are most famous for the chase scene in the 1969 movie, where they speed through the narrow streets of Turin, Italy. The Italian Job was remade in 2003.
Painkillers Upset Quinn
Legends Of The Fall star Aidan Quinn has sworn off powerful painkiller Vicodin after taking the drug to prepare for his latest role as a pill-popping priest. The actor, who plays spaced-out Father Daniel Webster in new US drama The Book Of Daniel, was keen to try the painkillers his character is hooked on - but hated the side effects. Quinn says, "I took one extra strength because I wanted to see what it was like. (It was) on a day off when I had no family obligations. For the first 45 minutes, I was watching some atrocity on television and the phone was ringing and the stereo was on and everything seemed cool. After 45 minutes into it I didn't like it at all. I had strange dreams. I didn't like it. It was not for me."
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