HOLLYWOOD - Luke Perry is putting his "Beverly Hills, 90210" past behind him.
The erstwhile Fox poster boy will be joining HBO's award-winning prison drama "Oz" as a new inmate, The Associated Press says.
In preparation for the role, the 34-year-old Perry, formerly known as "90210's" Dylan McKay, has to grow a big fat beard, which he described to the February issue of Spin magazine as "physically uncomfortable."
Well, guess that's just part of growing up.
GETTING FRIENDLY: It just goes to show that it always helps to have friends in high places.
According to a New York Post report, a London newspaper is saying that Spice Girl Victoria Beckham (that's Posh Spice) and supermodel turned actress Elizabeth Hurley might make a couple of cameo appearances on the NBC sitcom "Friends" later this year, thanks to their friendships with two of the show's stars.
But before you get too excited, the Post also said that a spokesman for the show's producer had denied the report.
BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING: So would the real Big Brother please stand up in court?
In case you forgot (and judging from "Big Brother's" ratings, you probably did), a Chicago man who owns the movie and TV rights to George Orwell's "1984" has filed a lawsuit in August against CBS, Viacom and Orwell Productions for copyright violation, alleging misusage of the name "Big Brother" for the CBS television series, among other things.
Here's the latest: A Chicago court has denied CBS and the other two defendants' motion to dismiss the charges, Daily Variety says.
So in other words, the lawsuit will go on as planned.
"Big Brother" was, of course, the reality series wherein a bunch of people gets locked up in a house for a number of weeks, with their lives and interactions taped every single second of it.
But more importantly might be the fact that the show -- unlike its good twin brother "Survivor" -- tanked big time.