Every week, Hollywood.com lists the 10 coolest celebs, movies and goings-on in the world of entertainment.
1. Alias star Michael Vartan, for so callously crushing the hopes of his loyal legion of fans with a splendidly sensible rebuttal. When Vartan heard fans started an Internet campaign to save his character Michael Vaughn from being killed off, the actor responded: “It’s flattering to know there are people out there that actually care about the character I play, but, come on, it’s a TV show… We’re not curing cancer.”
2. Hollywood studios Universal and 20th Century Fox, for winning the rights to Microsoft Corp.’s popular space-based videogame series Halo, about an alien-fighting marine called Master Chief. The studios have both agreed to pay Microsoft $5 million and 10 percent of ticket sales for the rights to sci-fi series, on a script written by 28 Days Later scribe Alex Garland.
3. Rap mogul Marion ‘Suge’ Knight, for not always being the bad guy. Knight, 40, was shot in the leg during a pre-VMA party in Miami Beach, Florida, but police are investigating the possibility he may have shot himself by accident.
4. ESPN and Washington Post analyst Michael Wilborn, for clever commentary. Serena Williams wore a pair of $40,000 earrings for her match against Taiwanese tennis star Yung-Jan Chan at the US Open on Monday. When one of the diamond gems–on loan from a Los Angeles jewelry designer–fell out during the match, Wilborn commented: “(They cost) almost twice as much as the career earnings of the opponent.”
5. Icelandic singer Bjork, for doing something constructive with that outlandish swan dress she wore to the 2001 Academy Awards ceremony. The swan dress is one of 150 celebrity fashion items to be sold on Internet auction site eBay next month to raise money for Oxfam. Oxfam spokesperson Rose Marsh said, “We don’t know yet how much these items could raise but if people get involved in a bidding war over Bjork‘s dress then it could be quite a substantial amount.”
6. Lost star Naveen Andrews, for rightfully hitting out at British TV’s Indian stereotypes. Andrews, 36, said he hates popular BBC comedy The Kumars, which features a fictional Asian family living in north London who host a chat show from their living room. Andrews believes the show resorts to stereotypes in its depiction of a dull story-telling father and mother who is desperately trying to marry off her unmarried adult son. “What’s that wog show? The Kumars–is that the way people want to see Indians, pretending that they’re nothing?” Andrews said. “I find that incredibly offensive.”
7. Veteran actor Tom Hanks, who has been named the new vice president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars. The Saving Private Ryan star succeeds previous vice president Sid Ganis, who replaced president Frank Pierson‘s four year term in charge of the prestigious academy came to an end Tuesday.
8. Rockers Green Day, for cleaning up at the 2005 MTV’s Video Music Awards in Miami and proving creative talent reigns over manufactured pop.
9. Movie hunk George Clooney, for taking a risk for the sake of art. The Ocean’s Eleven star put his $7 million Hollywood home down as collateral in order to make Good Night & Good Luck because insurance companies refused to back his latest directorial venture while the actor was fighting a severe back injury.
10. Hottie Pamela Anderson, for seeing the positive side of her blood disorder and using her fame for a good cause. “The American Liver Foundation said once I came out and said that I had hepatitis C, four times the amount of people have gotten tested, so I see the positive difference that I can make,” Anderson said. Anderson also donated her $200,000 fee from her recent comedy roast to animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
