A tearful Dame Helen Mirren dedicated her Best Leading Actress BAFTA to her "mentor" actor Ian Richardson, who died on Friday. The pair starred together in 1968 movie A Midsummer Night's Dream - the actress' second ever film role - and Mirren insists Richardson played a huge part in her success story. After lifting the BAFTA for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, Mirren fought back tears to tell the audience at London's Royal Opera House, "Many years ago when I started off as an actress I had the immense good fortune to work with an actor who was so generous in sharing his craft. He became a mentor to me, he helped me believe in myself. Ian Richardson, I'm not too sure I would be here today if it wasn't for you."

Hollywood composer Ennio Morricone is disappointed he will receive an honorary Academy Award later this month, because it was his lifelong ambition to avoid winning an Oscar. Morricone, who has scored music for over 400 films, has been nominated for Best Original Score Academy Awards for Days Of Heaven, The Mission, The Untouchables, Bugsy and Malena in the past, but failed to pick up an Oscar for his efforts. The 70-year-old insists he liked the idea of joining iconic director Stanley Kubrick in missing out on a win - but concedes his Oscar may "fill a hole." He says, "After five nominations I expected nothing, in fact I hoped I'd remain without an Oscar. I would have remained in the company of illustrious non-winners. I see the Oscar as a little bit of a fluke - even if those who win deserve it. That doesn't mean that I'm not happy about it. I have received so many beautiful, incredible prizes, but there was a little hole. Maybe the Oscar fills the hole."

TV host Rosie O'Donnell raised fears about Anna Nicole Smith's health live on air Thursday, just hours before the former Playboy Playmate collapsed and died in a Florida hotel room. Speaking on TV show The View, O'Donnell alleged that Smith was dabbling in drugs and was clearly struggling with the heartbreak of losing her son Daniel last year. She said, "If I have to see Anna Nicole Smith on television one more time... She can hardly speak now. It's a tragedy all around. Her son died. She has this little baby. Obviously some kind of medication or substance involved." Smith was found unconscious in her hotel room at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Thursday afternoon. According to hotel officials, Smith was "unresponsive" and emergency crews performed Cpr at the scene and a breathing apparatus was inserted in her throat. Paramedics were seen pumping her chest as she was taken from the hotel and transported to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. She died at 2:49 pm EST. Smith was 39 years old and is survived by her baby daughter Dannielynn.

British actor Ralph Fiennes is at the centre of an airplane sex scandal after allegedly following a flight attendant into a toilet. The Constant Gardener star was on a long-haul journey from Australia to India late last month when he reportedly "became amorous" with 38-year-old Qantas stewardess Lisa Robertson. Her job is now in jeopardy after colleagues spotted her leaving the same cubicle as the 44-year-old actor. In a statement obtained by British newspaper The Sunday Telegraph, Robertson says, "While conversing with Mr. Fiennes during my break, I expressed a need to go to the toilet. I went to the nearby toilet and entered it, he followed me and entered the same toilet. I explained to him that this was inappropriate and asked him to leave. Mr. Fiennes became amorous towards me and, after a short period of time, I convinced him to leave the toilet, which he did. I left the toilet a short time later." Fiennes split from his long-time partner Francesca Annis last year after he was caught having an affair with Romanian singer Cornelia Crisan.

Robert Downey, Jr. has defended disgraced actor Mel Gibson following his anti-Semitic rant during an arrest for drink-driving last year, arguing nobody's perfect. Downey Jr., who co-starred with Gibson in 1990's Air America, believes the fallen Lethal Weapon star should be forgiven for his drunken outburst. Gibson was stopped on July 28 in Malibu, California for speeding and on suspicion of drink-driving when he launched into an anti-Semitic tirade. However, Downey Jr., whose father is Jewish, believes Gibson intended no real harm and deserves to be forgiven for his outburst, reports PageSix.com. He says, "What occurred, in my estimation, was that somebody was caught in the act of being an imperfect human being." And the former Ally McBeal star also pokes fun at the kind of people living in Los Angeles. He adds, "I really didn't know that we had eight million morally sound people in this town. Wow, I really didn't know that. I guess I've been dining at the Ivy with, like, living saints."

Disney's hit made-for-TV movie High School Musical is to make a leap to the big screen, with a new spin-off feature film in the pipeline. The film giant hopes Haunted High School Musical will emulate the success of the original show, which made profits of $100 million. Gary Marsh, president of Disney Channel Worldwide, says, "High School Musical sky-rocketed to heights never before achieved by a TV movie, so it's only fitting that its next incarnation should be as a major motion picture." A second made-for-TV sequel, High School Musical 2, is currently being produced and will air on the Disney Channel this summer. As yet, no plot details for Haunted High School Musical have been released.

Penelope Cruz has slammed rumors she is dating French actor Olivier Martinez. The pair were spotted last week in an embrace at LA's Chateau Marmont Hotel just 12 hours after his split from pop star Kylie Minogue - but the Volver star insists she was only offering Martinez a shoulder to cry on, as the couple have been firm friends for many years. She says, "Olivier and I have been friends for seven years. We are very close. You can understand it's a difficult time for him right now, so I have been there for him to offer support. And it was lovely seeing him the other day - it has been such a long time. He's a great guy, but no, nothing happened." Minogue and Martinez issued a statement earlier this month announcing their decision to part, claiming it was "amicable and Mutual." The Taking Lives actor sparked rumors of a split with the star in December after he was spotted with Israeli model Sarai Givati and Lost star Michelle Rodriguez.

Clint Eastwood is tipping Martin Scorsese to fulfill his Academy Award ambitions this year and beat him to the Best Director prize. Eastwood is up against Scorsese for the award, two years after his Million Dollar Baby beat Scorsese's The Aviator. The movie hardman thinks Scorsese, nominated for The Departed, leads the race, ahead of Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima - but warns other directors could get in on the act. He says, "He (Scorsese) probably has a good chance, there is a lot of sympathy for him, but I have no control over any of that. I always feel sorry ... for the others, because there are other nominees and they've worked very hard on their projects, too. I don't think any two people should be singled out." Scorsese has been nominated seven times and has yet to win a Best Director Oscar.

Viacom boss Sumner Redstone has offered an olive branch to Mission: Impossible III star Tom Cruise - despite dumping the actor from his Paramount-branded studios six months ago. Cruise was sacked from the company after concerns were raised about his outspoken beliefs and sofa-jumping antics on The Oprah Winfrey Show last year, but Redstone admits he would be willing to work with the star again in the future. He says, "We had to do the best thing for Viacom. The company was disturbed by Tom's then behavior, which has now changed. I would probably work with Tom in the future but not immediately."

Marie Antoinette filmmaker Sofia Coppola will stage her first opera in 2009, after reaching an agreement with France's Montpellier Opera House.. The Oscar-nominated Lost In Translation director's first foray into the operatic world will see her mastermind Puccini romantic tragedy Manon Lescaut during the venue's 2009-2010 season. Controversial tenor Robert Alagna has been lined up to star in the show - he stormed off stage during a performance of Verdi's Aida in Milan, Italy and refused to return.