WebProNews

Author: Pam Wright

  • Billy Bob Thornton on Why TV is Better Than Films

    Billy Bob Thornton, 58, has been in the movie business for many years as an actor and director, but the Fargo actor says TV is the place to be these days.

    “Television has taken that slot that the movies aren’t doing any more,” said Thornton in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “They’re not doing the mid-range budget studio movies, the $25-30 million adult drama, or even adult comedy, really. And the independent films, they want to give you $3 or $4 million, they want you to put 10 movie stars in it so they can sell off all the foreign territories. And there’s not as much freedom in movies sometimes: you can do movies about heroin smugglers, but you can’t smoke in a movie.

    “Plus, TV now has this cache. Everybody’s dying to get on TV. I was influenced by Southern novelists, and there’s no place for that in a movie theater any more. So if I’m going to do anything [like that] in the future, maybe I can do that on TV. Maybe they’ll start doing more three-part things like [Kevin] Costner did with Hatfields and McCoys. Maybe I could do something like that. So I wasn’t looking to get on a TV series that lasts six or seven years, but they said, ‘Coen brothers, Fargo.’ I read the script, it was amazing, and then they said, ‘After 10 episodes, you’re done.’ I said, ‘Yeah, count me in.’ That was essentially it.”

    Thornton says he loves playing Fargo character Lorne Malvo.

    “I love the fact that he has no conscience at all, and yet he’s got this bizarre sense of humor where he likes to mess with people — when he doesn’t even have to. Because he could just leave [town]. But he doesn’t. Like, if he goes in to rob the clothing store, instead of just taking the money, he says, “You work in a clothing store and you’re wearing that shirt? Why?” For him, that’s his own social life, just messing with his victims.”

    Thornton said he gave little thought to taking on the TV version of the seven-time Academy Award-winning film, including Best Picture.

    “[The script] was so good. The Coen brothers gave it their blessing, and I figured, Why not? It’s like making a 10-hour independent film. And by nature, I think most people, when they love a movie, they wish it could keep going,” said Thornton. “And here you get to. And the other thing — as I get older, one of the things I’ve learned is it doesn’t matter what you do now, you’re going to get sh– for it anyway. So if you do something that just gets [just] some sh–, that’s successful.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Detroit Snow Record: Worst Winter Ever in Motor City

    Enough is enough, right Detroit?

    Much of the United States suffered from a particularly brutal winter this year. But, nothing compares to what the Motor City went through this year … and may still go through.

    Many records were broken in Detroit over the course of the winter months, including the snowiest winter ever, the snowiest month and the most consecutive days with snow cover.

    “Most people alive today have never experienced this,” said Bryan Tilley, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in White Lake Township.

    And although the calendar may indicate it’s spring, Detroit just doesn’t seem to want to have anything to do with what the calendar might say.

    Metro Detroit received 3.1 inches at Metro Airport Tuesday, bringing the seasonal total to 94.8 inches, breaking the 133-year record of 93.6 inches set in 1880-81 – more than double the average snowfall per year.

    If Detroit residents must find a silver lining, then perhaps the fact that it did not break the record for the coldest winter might help a bit.

    Yeah, maybe not.

    The average temperature of 25.8 degrees from November to March was the fourth coldest stretch since the weather service began keeping records in 1874.

    There were 79 days that remained below freezing – the third most days in record.

    The snowiest recorded month in Detroit was in January when 39.1 inches fell, breaking the February 1908 record of 38.4 inches.

    In 1978, the record for consecutive days with snow cover in Detroit was 73 day. This year there were 77 consecutive days of snow cover.

    Hang on Detroit, it’s almost over.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Pierce Brosnan Disses His Performances as James Bond

    Pierce Brosnan doesn’t seem to have a very high opinion of his performances as James Bond.

    Brosnan, 60, played the iconic role in four films from 1995 to 2002, but he told the Telegraph that watching his performances is unbearable.

    “It’s just never good enough,” he said. “It’s a horrible feeling.”

    The Remington Steele actor said his feelings stem from the pressure of following in Roger Moore’s and Sean Connery’s footsteps and the insecurities he harbored about playing the role.

    “I felt I was caught in a time warp between Roger and Sean,” he added. “It was a very hard one to grasp the meaning of, for me. The violence was never real, the brute force of the man was never palpable. It was quite tame, and the characterization didn’t have a follow-through of reality, it was surface. But then that might have had to do with my own insecurities in playing him as well.”

    Brosnan praised Daniel Craig‘s performance as 007.

    “Daniel is James Bond; I was James Bond; I think there’s enough room on the stage to elbow my way in and find some audience,” Brosnan said.

    Brosnan also admitted that his run as Bond ended badly with 2002’s Die Another Day.

    “I was lucky enough to make four Bond films. It finished in rather shambolic fashion, but I have no bitterness, no resentment,” said Brosnan.

    And even though the sexy Irishman may have issues with his performances, he says he is grateful for the opportunity of playing 007 and the perks of being Bond.

    “I hold Bond dear to my heart,” he said. “I’ve traveled the world as an ambassador for that character and I had a bloody great time doing it.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Hilary Swank to be Honored for Animal Advocacy

    Animal-lover Hilary Swank will be honored May 3 for her work in animal rescue and her commitment to animal advocacy at the the Sixth Annual Petco Foundation’s Hope Gala in San Diego.

    The Academy Award-winnng actress will receive the Petco Foundation’s Hope Award which celebrates “the spirit of hope through a life dedicated to promoting the human-animal bond.”

    “It’s an honor to be recognized as an advocate for animals by such a respected organization as the Petco Foundation,” said Swank. “They work tirelessly every single day on behalf of animals and have such a far-reaching impact through their extraordinary efforts. This Hope Award is a reminder that we all need to individually come together in order to collectively bring hope and make a difference for animals, animal welfare and animal rights. For even one person’s vision and efforts today can have a lasting impact that will make a difference in the lives of these souls for many tomorrows.”

    The Hilaroo Foundation – Swank‘s animal-welfare organization uniting neglected youth and abandoned animals in the hopes of a healing bond – will receive a portion of the proceeds generated at the event.

    “It’s always a joy to celebrate the great work being done in animal-welfare by our friends and partners all over the country, particularly our Hope Award recipients,” said Susanne Kogut, Executive Director of the Petco Foundation. “We’re big fans of Hilary’s, not only for her incredible acting talent, but we’re also inspired and impressed by her passion for animal rescue and her determination to make a real difference.”

    Here’s Swank with her own rescued pups.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lunar Eclipse Photos of Blood Moon Dazzle the World

    Lunar Eclipse Photos of Blood Moon Dazzle the World

    Unfortunately for some, dreams of gazing upon Monday night’s Blood Moon were shattered because of the weather.

    However, there was some compensation with the plethora of incredible shots that hit the internet during the event — and in the hours following.

    The moon began to change color at about 1:58 a.m. ET Tuesday as it started to sink into the Earth’s shadow. It didn’t reveal its deep red color until around 3:07 ET, and the celestial show lasted until 4:24 a.m. ET.

    During a so-called Blood Moon, the moon takes on its color – which is dependent on what is in the Earth’s atmosphere — as it passes through the Earth’s shadow, reflecting the planet’s sunrises and sunsets.

    There are generally two lunar eclipses per year, NASA says, although some of them go unnoticed.

    The United States is particularly lucky in 2014-2015. Tuesday’s blood moon was the first in a series of four that will be seen in the coming year. This phenomenon is known by NASA as a tetrad.

    “The most unique thing about the 2014-2015 tetrad is that all of them are visible for all or parts of the USA,” said NASA eclipse expert Fred Espenak.

    Post by Gregg Braden.

    And if you look at centuries past, The U.S. really is extremely lucky.

    There was a 300-year period before the 20th Century when there were no total lunar eclipses, so the likes of Sir Isaac Newton, Mozart, Queen Anne, George Washington, Napoleon and Abraham Lincoln never saw one.

    Here are some celebrity Instagram shots of the Blood Moon:




    For those of you who missed last night’s show — chin up. There will still be a few more opportunities in the next 15 months to see one. Here are the dates of future Blood Moon Lunar Eclipses: October 8, 2014; April 4, 2015, and September 28, 2015.

    Check this out. A guy in Dallas actually proposed during Tuesday’s Blood Moon.

    Image via YouTube

  • Jessica Simpson Stuns After Healthy Weight Loss

    Jessica Simpson has been working hard to lose weight after her second pregnancy and the determination has really paid off.

    The 33-year-old singer flaunted her svelte figure Sunday in a spring-honoring canary yellow dress and white high heels while attending the John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit in West Hollywood.

    The singer began her weight-loss journey by signing an endorsement deal with Weight Watchers in 2012 during her first pregnancy with her daughter, Maxwell.

    She quickly became pregnant with her son, Ace, and had to curtail her weight loss until after the delivery.

    But, once she was given the green light, she was on her way with the help of Weight Watchers.

    After several months of hard work, Simpson showed off a 70-pound weight loss in a Weight Watchers ad.

    “This body made two amazing little human beings. I love this body and what it’s capable of — no matter what size,” she said in the ad. “But this version feels really good.”

    Simpson has been careful with her methods, opting to go slowly and avoid any fad diets or quick-fixes. “I really do feel this need to be the best role model for my children,” she said in a Good Morning America interview in January. “I want [Maxwell] to look up to me and want to be like me…I don’t want to give her any false perception of what is real and what’s important.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Sandra Bullock’s Gravity Take: At Least $70 Million

    Sandra Bullock is poised to make some major bank from her film Gravity.

    The stars seem to have aligned for the savvy actress when she negotiated a pretty sweet deal that could very well lead to earnings of an estimated $70 million, according the The Hollywood Reporter.

    Bullock‘s deal includes $20 million up front plus 15 percent of the film’s first dollar gross – which amounts to 15 percent of studio Warner Bros’s share of the box office, as well as revenue from TV and DVD sales.

    “The theatrical window is going to generate a third of the total revenue a movie will earn; it will get another third on DVD; and then the final third comes from pay and free TV,” says a source .

    Bullock’s deal — an anomaly in Hollywood — is so lucrative because she signed on to the film at the last minute after Angelina Jolie pulled out of the project. Director Alfonso Cuarón knew he needed a strong box-office female actress to replace Jolie and Bullock’s impressive 2009 performance in The Blind Side sold the studio on the actress — and the deal.

    Gravity has earned more than $700 million worldwide and is likely to grow to $750 million. Assuming Warners gets 45 percent of that, Bullock’s take would be more than $50 million, including her initial $20 million.

    Robert Downey Jr had a similar deal for the Iron Man films and is said to have earned at least $50 million for 2012’s The Avengers, the third-highest-grossing film of all time with $1.5 billion.

    And to think she almost said no to Gravity.

    The Twitterverse has had some interesting things to say about Bullock’s windfall.

    Image via YouTube

  • Snowy Owl Sightings Are Nothing to Worry About

    There has been an unusual number of snowy owl sightings in the United States of late, but experts say the sightings are nothing to be alarmed about.

    “The reason we are seeing so many snowy owls this year has everything to do with their food,” said Larry Clarfeld from the North Branch Nature Center. “So in the Arctic breeding ground, snowy owls like to eat lemmings and this past summer of 2013, there were so many lemmings in the Arctic that many young snowy owls were born but once winter came there wasn’t enough food for them to stay in the Arctic so we had them moving south in record numbers.”

    Many birdwatchers have flocked to the Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge just outside Atlantic City, New Jersey to observe the magnificent birds.

    “Oh he was turning his head so you could see his eyes looking right at us,” one woman said.

    “It’s actually pretty special to have snow owls in New Jersey,” said Donald Freiday with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. “We normally in a given winter will have between none and three. This year, the whole state there are as many as 30.

    “It’s certainly a special big year for snowy owls. We think that the reason there are so many snowy owls in New Jersey… is because they had a really good year this year up in the Arctic where they breed. And when that happens, they produce lots of offspring. There’s competition for food among them and they come south as a result.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jennifer Lawrence Wins MTV Best Actress Award

    It’s not a huge surprise that Jennifer Lawrence beat out several other actresses Sunday to win the MTV Award for Best Female Performance for her role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

    It was a good night for The Hunger Games. Lawrence’s co-star Josh Hutcherson also won for best male performance and the film won movie of the year.

    Lawrence won the the coveted golden bowl of popcorn over actresses Sandra Bullock for Gravity, Jennifer Aniston for We’re the Millers, Lupita Nyong’o for 12 Years a Slave, and Amy Adams for American Hustle.

    The 23-year-old Kentucky native has an extremely full plate in the months to come. One project in the works is a remake of the 1955 movie classic East of Eden adapted from John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel of the same name. The original starred James Dean and Julie Harris.

    According to writer-director Gary Ross — who helped launch Lawrence’s career with The Hunger Games and will team with her again in the East of Eden project — the film may be split into two films, which seems to be a trend these days in Hollywood.

    “It may be two films,” he said. “We may break it in half, into one generation and the next. And that’s what we’re talking about now.”

    Ross says the picture — or pictures — is in development with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard of Imagine Entertainment. There is no start date yet for the project as it will ultimately depend on the star’s busy schedule.

    “It’s one of the things that is sort of on my plate, [that] I’m interested in doing,” he said. “I’m not certain if it’s the next movie. Part of that is my schedule. Part of that is Jennifer’s schedule as well. But it’s definitely something that we intend to do.”

    Ross directed the first installment of the Hunger Games movie franchise, but decided to give up the directing reins for the second — saying he felt he wouldn’t do the film justice by taking on too much in the short amount of time allotted between the two films.

    “We got to the end of the process on Hunger Games, and I had literally been only focused on that with the intention of doing it, and then Jennifer’s schedule on X-Men made it very clear to everybody that we were going to have to start the movie in September,” he said. “I write and direct. That’s just my process. So first I write, and then I direct. And that’s a linear process for me. So, that was an eight-month process on the first movie. It was going to have to be a four-month process on the second movie, and I didn’t think there was adequate time to write a script and then prep that movie in what normally takes me the same amount of time to write the script. Now it’s different when you don’t have to write the script and somebody else can be writing while you can be prepping. But those aren’t simultaneous processes for me and I didn’t feel that I would be doing the movie any service in order to do that.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Mila Kunis Wins Best Villain, Shows Off Baby Bump

    Although she didn’t look so villainous at the award ceremony Sunday night, Mila Kunis accepted the award for Best Villain at the MTV Movie Awards.

    The actress won for her role as Theodora, the Wicked Witch Of the West, in Disney’s Oz the Great and Powerful.

    The 30-year-old mamma-to-be said winning the tub of golden popcorn was a dream come true.

    “Listen you guys. You just made my 12-year-old self’s dream come true,” Kunis said.

    “This is by the far the coolest award and I just realized I was the only woman nominated, and I won. So thank you guys.”

    Kunis won the award over Barkhad Abdi for Captain Phillips, Benedict Cumberbatch for Star Trek Into Darkness, Michael Fassbender for 12 Years a Slave and Donald Sutherland for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

    The Jupiter Ascending star looked beautiful in a little black dress, accentuating her growing baby bump.

    Kunis is expecting her first child with fiancé Ashton Kutcher and recently commented on the importance of family and the kind of mom she hopes she will be.

    “I want to be a present mom. When I was growing up both my mom and dad worked full-time. I guess the only thing I can say about that is they worked full-time in one location,” she said. “I’m never in the same place for more than two months. How am I ever going to have a family like that? You have to make compromises. If that means I do one movie a year, if people still want to see me and hire me and I don’t suck by that point, great. But my only source of happiness can’t be dependent on something so fickle. And I find this industry to be incredibly fickle.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jerry Lewis Praises Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett

    Jerry Lewis was full of praise Saturday for fellow comedians Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett while having prints of his hands and feet immortalized in the cement outside the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

    Lewis, 88, hasn’t always been a big proponent of female comedians.

    In fact, there was a time when Lewis said he didn’t like female comedians at all. But after criticism for his remarks, he changed his tune, saying Lucille Ball was “brilliant” and Carol Burnett is “the greatest female entrepreneur of comedy.”

    During the ceremony, Lewis said Ball “went to the lowest level of the barrel, and she was brilliant because of it.”

    Lewis told reporters he likes a funny female comedian like the next guy, but says he draws the line at crudeness and does not like to see a woman demean her femininity by succumbing to crudeness and aggressive humor.

    “Seeing a woman project the kind of aggression that you have to project as a comic just rubs me wrong. And they’re funny — I mean you got some very, very funny people that do beautiful work — but I have a problem with the lady up there that’s going to give birth to a child — which is a miracle,” Lewis said. “But when you have women like Carol Burnett, that’s the greatest female entrepreneur of comedy. I just saw Carol at the Smith Center at home in Vegas, and I was stunned by how brilliant she is and how brilliantly she brings the audience right up to her.”

    Lewis’s wife and daughter were on hand at the cement ceremony and the actor asked his daughter, Danielle Sara Lewis, to take a bow.

    “This is an incredible time for me,” he said. “I have never, ever had an experience like this and had my daughter present. And this is the first time I’ve ever asked her to join me.”

    Lewis was to attend a 50th anniversary screening of one of his most famous films, The Nutty Professor, following the event.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Randy Quaid Sues Indiana Bail Bonds Company

    This sounds like something straight out of a National Lampoon’s Vacation movie.

    According to the Indianapolis Star, Randy Quaid — who played Eddie, Clark Griswold’s downbeat brother in the movie franchise — sued an Indianapolis bond company that bailed the Independence Day actor and his wife out of jail after being arrested for squatting in a guest house in California in 2010.

    Quaid, the brother of Dennis Quaid, filed the suit against American Surety — a bail insurance company based out of Carmel, Ind. — in Hamilton County Court, for posting two $50,000 bonds for the couple without being asked.

    The couple was accused of living in the guest house of a Montecito, Calif. home they once owned and causing $5,000 in damage to the guest house.

    A month after a California judge issued a bench warrant for their arrest on burglary charges, Quaid, 63, and his wife were stopped by immigration in Vancouver while trying to enter Canada.

    A hearing was scheduled for Oct. 18, 2010, but the Quaids were a no-show. They later said they were never notified of the court date.

    On the couple’s behalf, American Surety posted two $50,000 bonds for the couple to release them from jail. However, the Quaids said in an April 10 Indiana court filing that they did not authorize the company to post the bonds.

    “The Quaids believed that criminal charges were no longer being pursued and that their release was not procured via bonds posted, but because the charges were dropped and the issue would proceed instead as a civil matter between Mr. Berman and the Quaids,” attorney Michael Einterz Jr. wrote in an affidavit. “The Quaids did not enter into a written agreement with American or its agent to provide the $50,000 bonds and did not agree to pay any sums to American or its agent in exchange for the bonds.”

    According to court documents, the couple is seeking an unknown amount in damages for lost wages and emotional distress.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Rob Lowe on Rehab, Bieber and Being Hot

    Rob Lowe on Rehab, Bieber and Being Hot

    The forever young Rob Lowe, 50, appeared on Oprah Prime April 6 and shared his thoughts on his time in rehab, Justin Bieber and what it’s really like to be ridiculously good-looking.

    Like many young celebrities, the Brat Pack actor came to a crossroads with addiction and chose to fight against it rather than succumb. Thankfully, Lowe has been sober for nearly 24 years and he credits his stint in rehab for the long-term success in his battle with addiction.

    “I loved it,” said Lowe. “I don’t know what that says about me. I didn’t love the fact that I had to go and it was absolutely painful, but I liked the science. I couldn’t have gotten sober without rehab because I needed the science. I needed to [learn about] addiction and what it does to your body and all of the research and the things like that.”

    Lowe says he is a firm believer in 12-step programs, but says he needed that time in rehab to solidify his sobriety.

    “A lot of people can do it through 12-step programs alone—I wouldn’t have been one of them, although I believe in them. I needed to do the work,” he said.

    Lowe also shared his thoughts on Justin Bieber‘s recent escapades. No stranger to the pressures and temptations of being young, rich and famous, Lowe says he can empathize with Bieber’s troubles.

    “I have tremendous empathy [for Bieber]. He makes really good music, he does, but I think he knows the dark secret, and the dark secret is 80 percent of his audience doesn’t give a s–t about the music. And he knows it. It bums him out,” said the Parks and Recreation actor.

    “They care about lemming-think, and their girlfriends and who’s oohing and aahing and screaming. It has nothing to do with what he’s doing as an artist. He is the guy who is standing in front at a moment that they’re going through a developmental thing. It’s natural, it’s all great, but if it wasn’t him, it would be somebody else, like it was me.”

    And like Bieber, Rowe has had to deal with being super hot. Everyone would love to have Lowe’s looks problems, but he says it’s not always easy to be so good-looking.

    “There’s this unbelievable bias and prejudice against quote-unquote good-looking people, that they can’t be in pain or they can’t have rough lives or be deep or interesting,” Lowe said in a New York Times interview. “They can’t be any of the things that you long to play as an actor. I’m getting to play those parts now and loving it. When I was a teen idol, I was so goddamn pretty I wouldn’t have taken myself seriously.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Julianne Hough: DWTS Fans, Dancers Ticked at Her

    Oops. America’s favorite dancing sweetheart has perhaps tarnished her good name just a bit.

    Julianne Hough has ticked some people off with her critiques on Monday’s episode of Dancing With the Stars.

    Hough warned before the episode that she “wasn’t going to hold back.” Apparently, she is a woman of her word.

    In Monday’s “Switch Up” episode, contestants and professional dancers were made to switch partners — a new twist to this season. The new rules stipulate next week’s elimination will be based on the contestants’ week three performances with their regular partner and their performance on week four with their new one.

    Hough angered fans with her critique of professional dancer Maksim Chmerkovskiy and his new “switch up” partner — actress Danica McKeller — after their performance of a jive routine.

    Some of it can be blamed on an issue with their music being off, but their routine was marked with flaws.

    Even if a proper critique was warranted, Hough shocked the dancers with her unflattering comments.

    “I felt like it was a little bit like this week could get past so that you could be back with Meryl [Davis], and you just had to phone it in [with Kellar] so you could get back with Meryl,” Hough told Chmerkovsky.

    Chmerkovskiy had a few choice words to share after the show.

    “The [expletive] that Julianne made up was nothing but exactly that,” Chmerkovskiy said. “It was an invalid comment that had nothing to do with Danica’s performance, which was brilliant.”

    Valentin Chmerkovskiy — brother to Maksim and McKellar’s usual parner — echoed his brother’s sentiments.

    “Personally, I thought it was very irresponsible of her to make those comments,” Valentin said. “There’s nothing [Maksim] would ever do to jeopardize my success of the show — and Danica’s an extension of me — my partnership and my success, and so…I took it kind of personally.”

    “I felt like it was a little bit inappropriate,” dancer Cheryl Burke echoed. “I felt like [Maksim] was trying his best.”

    Chmerkovskiy will be back with his usual partner, Olympic gold-medal ice dancer Meryl Davis, next week.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Drew Barrymore Gushes on Pregnancy, Motherhood

    As every momma knows, every pregnancy — just like every child — is a different experience.

    Drew Barrymore recently talked to Wonderall about her second pregnancy, juggling work and her experiences as a mom to daughter Olive.

    “They’re terribly different,” she explained at a Safe Kids Day event. “The first time you’re scared because you don’t know what’s happening. The second time is hard because you’re tired because you have a toddler.”

    Barrymore acknowledged the effort it takes to be a good mother is daunting, but says she would’t change it for the world.

    “It’s all so worth it and important,” said the former child actor.

    Juggling motherhood with her career as an actress and owner of her cosmetics line, Flower Beauty, keeps the Never Been Kissed actress on her toes. And like most mothers, she is learning her limitations and the sacrifices needed to be a good mother.

    “I don’t work as much,”said Barrymore. “I know I’m prolific and I take on a lot of diverse different projects, but I spend a lot of time with my kids. I think that’s the most important thing.”

    Barrymore admitted during the Safe Kids Day event to being a relatively fearful momma.

    “I’ve never been so worried in my life about making sure that something I care about more than I’ve ever cared in my life is safe and intact,” she said.

    “I try to have a sense of humor about how [much] you need to learn and tackle, and how to remain fun-loving and not, like, uptight because there’s so much to care about and to learn about.”

    The 39-year-old actress says tips from other mothers help her a great deal — some obvious, some less obvious.

    “It’s all different weird tips about like never take your eyes off your kid when they’re in the bathtub or sleep training advice — all these things I’ve picked up along the way,” she said. “I love learning all of it.”

    And just like every other momma, Barrymore seems to really enjoy experiencing the milestones of her 1-year-old girl.

    “Stairs are a big thing. We’re in constant stair training. I want her to conquer stairs early.”

    Barrymore says she has a baby name picked out for number two, but is keeping it on the down-low.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • John Pinette: ‘Seinfeld’ Actor Found Dead in Hotel

    Comedian John Pinette died Saturday afternoon at the Sheraton Hotel in Pittsburgh, Penn.

    According to a supervisor from the Allegheny County medical examiner’s office, Pinette suffered from liver and heart disease.

    Pinette’s personal doctor signed off on the cause of death so no autopsy was performed. Authorities do not suspect foul play.

    However, in August he delayed performances to seek treatment in a rehabilitation facility for a prescription drug addiction.

    “Thanks to everyone for your concern and well wishes,” he tweeted following treatment. “Want to apologize for having missed shows last weekend, but I hope you understand!”

    The 50-year-old comedian was a native of Boston and a noted impressionist. He was also known for his self-deprecating humor about this weight.

    One of his most famous bits is the one about a Chinese Buffet:

    The comedian appeared in films like Duets, Dear God, The Punisher and Junior.

    He was also a guest-star on the series finale of Seinfeld, playing the victim of a carjacking.

    According to his Facebook page, he was scheduled to perform at Ontario Improv this Thursday.

    His final post on Facebook read, “Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have a GREAT weekend! Don’t forget to catch me at the Ontario Improv Comedy Club next week, April 10-13!”

    Condolences have started to pour in on Twitter:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Misty Copeland: From Homeless to Famed Ballerina

    The beyond beautiful ballet star Misty Copeland defies physics when she dances and is making a name for herself not only in the cut-throat ballet world, but in leading the way for other young African-American ballet dancers.

    Copeland had very little while growing up in the Los Angeles area with her siblings and single mother.

    “We were pretty much homeless and were living in a motel, trying to scrape up enough money to go to the corner store to get [a] cup a noodle soup to eat,” Copeland said. “It was probably the worst time in my childhood when ballet found me.”

    Fate stepped in when she was 13 while visiting a Boys and Girls Club. It was there that she caught the attention of ballet teacher Cindy Bradley who persuaded her to pursue formal ballet training.

    “I had no real direction, no real motivation to become anything,” Copeland said in an ABCNews Interview. “Having someone believe in me is why I think I dove into it,” Copeland said.

    But, it wasn’t an easy world to break into for the young African-American woman.

    “It’s really hard. The classical ballet world is so far behind,” said Copeland. “When it comes to classical ballet, you just don’t see it. People don’t want to break this tradition of what they think is the ideal image of a ballerina.”

    For a decade, Copeland was the only African-American dancer in the prestigious American Ballet Theater.

    In 2007, she became the third African-American female soloist with the dance company.

    And her ultimate dream has yet to be realized — becoming the first African-American principal ballerina there.

    Copeland has not forgotten where she came from and how far she has risen.

    “It’s crazy, Copeland said, “but then I have to remember all the hard work that went into those years to get here. I do often think of that.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Susan Boyle: Asperger’s Diagnosis Changed Her Life

    Back in December when Susan Boyle revealed that she had been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, she never realized how her life would change.

    Throughout most of her life, the 52-year-old Scottish singer — who rose to fame on Britain’s Got Talent in 2009 — was considered “brain damaged” by doctors, was called “Susie Simple” as a child and was bullied for her “different” behavior.

    “It was the wrong diagnosis when I was a kid,” she said in an interview with the Observer. “I was told I had brain damage. I always knew it was an unfair label. Now I have a clearer understanding of what’s wrong and I feel relieved and a bit more relaxed about myself.”

    Boyle said her struggles played a part in her determination to succeed but says some scars linger.

    “You don’t fight without some resentment,” she said.

    Boyle sought a specialist last year because she could no longer function with the unnamed affliction that left her depressed and moody.

    “I went to seek a diagnosis from a Scottish specialist,” she says. “Nobody told me to. I thought I had a more serious illness and couldn’t function properly.”

    Initially Boyle was very nervous about seeing the doctor. But the results provided a sense of relief and she learned that she wasn’t the simple-minded girl she believed herself to be.

    “I was told my IQ was above average,” she said.

    The singer has since learned the best thing she can do for herself is to rely on those around her who will support and help her.

    “I am not strong on my own,” she admits. “When I have the support of people around me I am fine. I have a great team.”

    She doesn’t believe the Asperger’s diagnosis will interfere with her life. Indeed, she feels it may make it much better.

    “It will not make any difference to my life. It’s just a condition that I have to live with and work through,” she said. “I think people will treat me better because they will have a much greater understanding of who I am and why I do the things I do.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lupita Nyong’o: Oscar Winner is New Face of Lancome

    The beautiful Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, 31, is the new face of Lancome, joining Julia Roberts, Penelope Cruz and Kate Winslet in promoting the French company’s beauty products.

    The 12 Years a Slave star is an obvious choice for the gig — she already turns heads wherever she goes with her mesmerizing beauty and style.

    “What appealed to me about Lancome is that they’re not dictating what beauty is,” she told WWD. “What they do supports something that already is — and that was appealing to me, too. It’s what drew me to them. Hopefully it’s a symbiotic relationship — that I benefit from being associated with them, and they benefit from being associated with me, as well. And for the consumer at large, I think Lancome has a range of products for every woman, and I think having me will expand people’s understanding of, hopefully, what Lancome stands for, who Lancome is for.”

    The 31-year-old Kenyan-Mexican actress said in a speech at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon in February that her darker complexion made her feel “unbeautiful” growing up.

    “I put on the TV and only saw pale skin, I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. And my one prayer to God, the miracle worker, was that I would wake up lighter-skinned,” she said.

    She has a much different view of beauty today and embraces her own looks. But, more importantly, she says the light that comes from within is the true marker of beauty.

    “I had to give a speech about beauty right before the Oscars,” she said, “and for me, beauty is a compassion for yourself and those around you. And I think that in focusing on that, the light inside illuminates the beauty outside. The idea that Lancôme now has a few actor ambassadors is significant because actors are not just faces, they are spirits that people enjoy and relate to more than in an aesthetic way. We have the privilege of standing for something other than just looks.”

    Looking at tweets of the actress, it’s easy to see how that beautiful face might inspire the people at Lancome.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Nicole Kidman Dishes on Life With Keith, Film Roles

    Nicole Kidman has been very busy this year with several films in the works, including The Railway Man, Paddington, Grace of Monaco and Before I Go to Sleep.

    In an interview with The Associated Press, Kidman opened up about her roles, life and what truly makes her happy.

    The Australian actress will share the screen with our favorite Mr. Darcy actor Colin Firth in three new films — The Railway Man, Paddington and Before I Go to Sleep. She joins the rest of the world in thinking the man is beyond yummy, but sees other qualities in the actor that she admires as well.

    “I just enjoy him. I really enjoy his brain and his talent, but he has a really great sense of humor. Me and millions of other women in the world go, “Wow! Colin Firth!” My mom adores him. My sister adores him. I’ve just got so many friends who go, “Oh my gosh. Colin Firth.” I now know him in a different way, but I have such respect for him as an actor,” said the 46-year-old actress.

    Kidman told AP playing Grace Kelly was “the chance of a lifetime to play her” and loves the film as a whole.

    “I really admire her, and I think she has such otherworldly qualities,” she said. “I think she has an aura about her. I don’t know if I’m able to capture that, but I was honored to have the chance to. We’ll see. It’s only a six-month period of her life that we depict. It’s a fairytale. It’s not a heavy drama. It’s got beautiful costumes. It’s sumptuous.”

    But what about Nicole’s life with husband Keith Urban? She had plenty to say about the love she has for her family.

    “We have a very simple life but an extraordinary creative life, if that makes sense. I’m lucky that I’ve got a partner that’s totally committed to making it work,” she said. “We have two little girls that we adore, and we’re very blessed, in the sense of having a family. We certainly talk about everything. We make the decisions together.

    “Happiness, that’s obviously different for everybody, but what I call my joy, the thing that makes me feel incredibly satiated, is my family, and then I get to go and play out all of my ideas and feelings through all these different characters. Then, I come back to just being mama.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ebola Virus: Fears Mount as Mob Attacks Aid Workers

    Recent media coverage seems to be focusing on the missing MH370 plane, but reports coming out of Ebola-stricken Guinea are becoming very disconcerting.

    Fear, anger and uncertainty led a mob to attack international aid workers struggling to contain a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus Saturday in Guinea.

    Doctors without Borders — which goes by its French initials MSF (Médecins Sans Frontières) — suspended treatment in the southeastern town of Macenta Friday after crowds attacked one of its centers.

    Sam Taylor, a spokesman for MSF, said no one was seriously injured when rocks were thrown at workers.

    “We understand very well that people are afraid because it is a new disease here,” Taylor said. “But these are not favorable working conditions so we are suspending our activities.”

    Conakry officials said the attack occurred following rumors that the virus was “imported into Guinea or that Ebola fever does not exist in our country.”

    According to reports, 137 suspected or confirmed Ebola cases have been recorded since the beginning of the year leading to 86 deaths so far.

    MSF said the outbreak is an “unprecedented epidemic” and warns that it is struggling to contain the hemorrhagic fever.

    In a statement Saturday, Guinea officials said lawbreakers would be punished and called “for calm and serenity to enable our partners to support us to eradicate this epidemic.”

    “The government has protested against such information and reiterates that only the recognition of the existence of the disease will help in the fight against it,” it said.

    “The contribution of (MSF) and all international organisations that are supporting Guinea in the fight against the pandemic is invaluable and has helped so far to contain the disease,” the government said. “Without these partners, the disease would not be under control today.”

    Several other west African countries have geared up to tackle the epidemic including Mali, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

    The Ebola virus — transmitted to humans from wild animals, and between humans through direct contact with another’s blood, faeces or sweat — leads to hemorrhagic fever, which causes muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in severe cases, organ failure and unstoppable bleeding.

    Image via YouTube