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by Kat Giantis
MSN Entertainment
December 15, 2003
Now that Saddam Hussein has been caught, we were curious about the reaction of Bruce Willis, who back in September visited Iraq and told US troops, "If you catch him, just give me four seconds with Saddam Hussein," and offered a $1 million reward to the person who nabbed him.
Bruce's publicist, Paul Bloch, tells us the actor is "very, very pleased" about Saddam's capture, though the mouthpiece couldn't yet say who, if anyone, would get the $1 million since the details of the capture are still emerging.
Back in October, Willis told Bill O'Reilly that rules prevented military personnel from collecting his bounty, but explained, "If it does happen through military sources, I intend to donate the money to either a school or a hospital." We'll keep you posted if and when ground breaks on Bruce Willis Junior High.
And is the yippee-kai-yay-ing "Die Hard" star still hoping for those four seconds with the deposed dictator? His amused rep says it's "impossible at this point to say."
Affleck Phones It In
Ben Affleck has finally put his constant media attention to
good use. On Friday, the face that launched a thousand magazine covers answered
a $10,000 charity challenge issued by Howard Stern to get celebrities he'd
heckled on-air to call in for a 5-minute interview.
The affable Affleck proved himself an extremely good sport by spending 25 minutes on the phone with the King of All Media, answering everything from whether he's still planning to marry Jennifer Lopez ("I certainly hope so, if I'm lucky") to whether he wears a toupee ("It's a knit," he joked).
Much of Ben's time was spent complimenting Lopez (she was coaxed into saying only a breathy "hi"), whom he called "an all-natural beauty," "extraordinary," and "incredible," and denying various tabloid reports, including a National Enquirer story that placed him at Christian Slater's house with a coterie of strippers ("They paid that girl & $200,000 to say that").
Affleck also commented on "Gigli" ("A dog is just a dog"), his mom's rumored dislike of his better half ("My mother loves Jennifer, adores her") and his alleged gambling problem (he denies he has one and says he's never bet $250,000 on a single poker hand).
The $10,000 is earmarked for the actor's favorite cause, the AT Children's Project, dedicated to fighting Ataxia-Telangiectasia, a genetic disease from which one of Affleck's young fans, Joe Kindregan, suffers.
J. Lo Bestowed
Meanwhile, in other J. Lo news,
don't believe those reports that Louis Vuitton dumped the megastar because she
got greedy with the designer's swag after a photo shoot last spring, reportedly
walking off with dresses, shoes, bags, and even socks. "We gave her everything,"
Vuitton artistic director Marc Jacobs insists to the New York Post. "She was no
diva. She was lovely and charming. I mean, really, after we spent a fortune on
those ads, how could we not offer her the clothes? Who wouldn't want Jennifer
Lopez walking around in their designs?"
Gellar's "Grudge" Match
"Buffy" may be behind her,
but Sarah Michelle Gellar is still fighting things that go bump in
the night. The Hollywood trades report that the Emmy-winning actress has inked a
deal to star in "The Grudge," the English-language remake of the Japanese
frightfest "Ju-On."
The plot is best described as "The Ring" meets "28 Days Later," focusing on a homicidal curse that passes victim-to-victim like a virus. Takashi Shimizu, who directed the original and its sequels, will helm the new version (it will combine elements from all the films), with production scheduled to start in Tokyo in January.
And in other, more disappointing, Sarah news, TV Guide reports that Mrs. Freddie Prinze, Jr., soon to be seen in "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleased," won't be resurrecting her butt-kicking Slayer character for a guest-starring stint on the WB's "Angel" this season. Joss Whedon, the genius behind both series, tells the mag, "She feels it's not the right time."
Generous Jackman
Hugh Jackman has really gotten into the spirit of giving this
holiday season. The irresistible "X-Men" hottie, who is currently appearing in "The Boy From Oz"
on Broadway, has helped raise more than $600,000 for the Broadway Cares/Equity
Fights AIDS charity. In fact, Jackman and his castmates have set an all-time
fund-raising record for a show, reports Liz Smith, who says that the
gentlemanly Aussie actor brought in oodles of cash through emotional
curtain-call speeches, the auctioning of his sweaty shirts and towels, and
smooches (worth every penny, we're sure).
Tinseltown Tidbits
Russell Crowe has been taken for a ride -- literally.
Australia's Herald-Sun reports that the Oscar-winning actor was duped into
hiring an unlicensed helicopter pilot to fly him several times between Sydney
and his farm up north. The pilot is up on six counts of fraud after allegedly
exaggerating his connection with Crowe to secure loans and credit cards,
claiming he was his personal flyer. The pilot is on the run, although given
Russell's pugilistic tendencies, we hope, for his sake, the police find him
before the star does.
The American Film Institute has released its picks for the best flicks of the year, giving equal space to big budgets and small, the dramatic and the quirky. The ten winners of the 2003 AFI Awards: "American Splendor," "Finding Nemo," "The Human Stain," "In America," "The Last Samurai," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," "Lost in Translation," "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World," "Monster," and "Mystic River."
AFI also singled out small screen fare, awarding kudos to "Alias," "Angels in America," "Arrested Development, "Everybody Loves Raymond," "Joan of Arcadia," "Nip/Tuck," "Playmakers," "Soldier's Girl," "24," and "The Wire."
Aaron Carter is only 16, but he's ready to go it alone -- sort of. The New York Post reports that the teenybopper, who recently severed ties with his mother over alleged financial mismanagement, is seeking to become legally emancipated from both parents so he can remain with his dad.
Prince Charles isn't doing much to disprove the theory that the royal family is stiff and awkward. The man who would be king reportedly confused Nicole Kidman with Kate Winslet at London's "Cold Mountain" premiere Sunday night. The prince asked Nic whether she had been in "Enigma," which starred Winslet, prompting the confused actress to explain, "No, 'Moulin Rouge.'" Said Charles, "You've done a bit since then." Responded Kidman, "Yes, a few things." Scintillating stuff, Charles.
