Top Story
Pierce Brosnan was named the sexiest man alive by People magazine in its issue released Thursday, Reuters reports. Previous recipients of the title include Brad Pitt, Richard Gere, Harrison Ford and George Clooney. Benjamin Bratt took honors for the sexiest single guy alive and Mexican president Vicente Fox was named sexiest world leader. Brosnan, who starts working on his fourth Bond movie in January, married his long-term girlfriend Keely Shaye Smith in Ireland in August.
Pregnant
Geena Davis is expecting a child in April with husband Reza Jarrahy, Reuters reports. Davis, 45, and Jarrahy, 30, were married in September. This is the actress’s fourth marriage. She was previously married to restaurant manager Richard Emmolo, actor Jeff Goldblum and director Renny Harlin.
Honored
Dudley Moore received his Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) award from the Prince of Wales at London’s Buckingham Palace on Friday, BBC News reports. Moore, who currently lives in New Jersey, flew to London this week to receive his award. The actor suffers from a rare brain condition called progressive supranuclear palsy and attended the ceremony in a wheelchair.
Deaths
Actor Albert Hague died Monday in a hospital near Los Angeles after suffering from cancer, BBC News reports. The 81-year-old actor played the bad-tempered music teacher Mr. Shorofsky in the 1980 film Fame and for five years on the television series.
In Courts
Robert Downey Jr. appeared in court for a progress report on Thursday and thanked a judge for allowing him to continue treatment in a live-in drug rehabilitation program, Reuters reports. Downey, who was sentenced to a year in a drug treatment center after pleading no contest to drug charges in July, tested negative to all drug tests.
Former Baywatch babe Yasmine Bleeth
was charged on Friday with two counts of possession of cocaine (a four-year felony) and one count of operating a vehicle under the influence of narcotics (a misdemeanor) in Romulus, Mich., AP reports. The 33-year-old actress was arrested Sept. 12 after police investigating an accident involving her car found cocaine in her purse. Charges also stem from a subsequent search of Bleeth’s hotel room. Bleeth pleaded innocent and posted a $10,000 bond. A hearing is set for Nov. 30. The actress had no comment.
A stunt double for Robert De Niro was charged Wednesday with two counts of criminal impersonation and released on $100 bail. According to The Associated Press, Joseph Manuella told Vietnam veterans in Port Jervis, N.Y., that he was filming a documentary about the war so they would lend him props. He also received discounts on lodging and filmmaking materials and even acquired a credit card in De Niro‘s name. The former New York City firefighter worked with De Niro in The Fan and Great Expectations.
In General
The plot thickened in the Screen Actors Guild election debacle Thursday after polling administrator Sequoia Voting Systems revealed that there were 260 more ballots counted in New York than deposited at the official post office box by union voters. Sequoia executive Robbin Johnson blamed this new discrepancy on the U.S. Postal Service and denied any stuffing of the ballot box. Johnson already admitted to removing signature lines from 24,800 New York ballots, Variety reports.
Howard Stern‘s production company is developing a first-run syndicated comedy for CBS, Variety reports. Kane will center on a woman who returns to her husband and kids in the Deep South after a long absence. The deal comes as the syndicated Howard Stern Radio Show, which has been in repeats on CBS since August, goes off the air this weekend.
Mick Jagger, whose new album Goddess in the Doorway hits stores next week, performed at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles on Thursday to promote the release, Reuters reports. Concertgoers consisted mostly of young models, who were paid $100 each to surround the small stage and shriek and claw at Jagger‘s legs. Celebrities in attendance included Meg Ryan, Billy Crudup, David Spade and Heath Ledger.
Catherine Zeta-Jones and George Clooney will team up for Joel and Ethan Coen‘s next project for Universal Pictures, Variety reports. Intolerable Cruelty is described as a Howard Hawks-style old-Hollywood glamour picture in which Clooney and Zeta-Jones will play bitter rivals who fall in love.
Barbie maker Mattel, Inc. challenged 20 Hong Kong students to come up with the creative outfits for the 42-year-old doll, Reuters reports. The most eye-catching design unveiled for the media Friday was an off-the-shoulder, backless dinner gown which showcased a stunning dragon tattoo running down Barbie’s back. Mattel has no plans to mass-produce the “Tattoo Barbie” designed by Hong Kong Polytechnic University student Wingo Wong.
Adam Sandler will develop a pilot for NBC starring Jon Lovitz and Norm Macdonald, targeted for fall 2002. According to Variety, Lovitz and Macdonald will play mismatched roommates. The comedy will be written by Tim Herlihy (Big Daddy
