Top Story
The Screen Actors Guild will present Clint Eastwood with its Lifetime Achievement Award at the SAG Awards on March 9. Eastwood first gained recognition when he starred in a trilogy of popular spaghetti Westerns in the 1960s, including A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. His screen incarnation of “Dirty Harry” Callahan–the cop who found it easier to shoot suspects than interrogate them–in the actioners Dirty Harry and Sudden Impact spawned the immortal line: “Go ahead–make my day.” Eastwood is currently directing his 24th feature film, Mystic River, which also marks his 19th time as producer. SAG president Melissa Gilbert called Eastwood a film icon, adding, “His prolific career as an actor and filmmaker demonstrates a total command of the medium that has rightly earned him the admiration of his peers, the industry and the public.”
Celebs
During preparations for the MTV Europe Awards, rapper Sean “P. Diddy” Combs told Reuters he wished his ex Jennifer Lopez the best of luck in her future with Ben Affleck. He then flashed a huge canary yellow diamond on his finger and said he would lavish his future wife with such jewels. Combs, who is hosting the awards show in Barcelona on Thursday, added, “By Thursday, everyone will be focused on me again.”
Singer Bobby Brown was ordered to stand trial in Georgia later this month on charges dating back to 1996, including driving under the influence of alcohol, Reuters reports. The charge surfaced when the R&B singer and husband of Whitney Houston was arrested last Thursday in Atlanta for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, speeding and having no driver’s license or proof of insurance.
Former talk show host Sally Jessy Raphael filed a libel lawsuit in Manhattan federal court Tuesday against the National Enquirer. According to Reuters, Raphael alleges the tabloid falsely reported in its Oct. 22 issue that she had suffered a mental breakdown after the cancellation of her long-running talk show. She is seeking punitive damages exceeding $100 million.
Movies
The American Film Institute announced plans Tuesday for a new top-100 list that will rank the top screen villains and heroes. According to The Associated Press, the institute is sending ballots to nearly 1,500 directors, actors, studio executives, critics and others involved in the entertainment industry. Voters will be able to choose among 400 nominated characters from American film history.
Warner Bros. Pictures is making a feature film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s novel For Whom the Bell Tolls. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the novel will be adapted and executive produced by screenwriter David Benioff. This is not the first time Bell will make its way to the big screen. Paramount Pictures’ 1943 version, which starred Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman, was nominated for nine Oscars.
Tube
Sopranos stars Drea de Matteo and Michael Imperioli will co-host VH1’s Big in 2002 Awards on Dec. 15, the AP reports. The ceremony pays tribute to “those moments and people that captivated and inspired us in 2002,” the cable channel said. Categories include “Strange but True,” “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” and “Been Caught Scene Stealing.”
Music
Guitarist Carlos Santana, country singer Willie Nelson and teen rock sensation Michelle Branch will headline the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 11. The show will pay tribute to former president Jimmy Carter. Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange will emcee the show.
