No Jolie news is still big news
If you were one of the 14.6 million people who watched Sunday night’s Golden Globes show, you might have missed Angelina Jolie.
The camera seemed to waft over the glamorous movie star as if she weren’t sitting at the same table as her partner-in-life, Brad Pitt.
Of course, the night was more about Pitt, whose film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was up for several awards, including one for Pitt for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama.
Still, Jolie – up for Best Actress for “Changeling” – makes news even when she has nothing really to say. Case in point: She said she may go back to work soon – but briefly.
“I have had a year off, and I may work for a few months,” the mother of six says. “But if I do, I’m probably going to take another year and a half or two. I’m going to work a lot less.”
No nudes like old nudes
Ian McKellan doesn’t care to bask in the spotlight. Especially when he’s required to do so nude. Which may be why McClellan says he’s fine that the full-frontal nude scene he played on stage as King Lear is missing from an upcoming public TV version.
“Every night, when I’d take my clothes off, you know what I used to do?” the 69-year-old McKellan asked. “Pull in my stomach. That’s pathetic. I was playing an old man. I should have let it all hang out, and I couldn’t do that.”
Singer suffers burka envy
Rihanna will shun skimpy outfits when she performs in Malaysia next month. She’s the latest star affected by the Muslim-majority country’s strict rules that a female performer must be covered from the top of her chest, including her shoulders, to her knees.
Recent concerts by Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne faced protests by conservative Muslim Malaysians over immodest clothes. Stefani eventually made what she called “a major sacrifice” at her show by donning attire that revealed little skin.
The doctor always knows best
Jeremy Piven explained why he dropped out of the Broadway revival “Speed-the-Plow” when he was interviewed by former NFL star Tiki Barber before the Golden Globes show.
“I don’t know if they’ve ever taken you out of a game or if you’ve had to kind of stop a season short, but that’s basically what the doctors did to me,” Piven said. “I could have gone against doctors orders. I didn’t. I’m just grateful to be here to be honest with you.”
Eight really is enough
Actor Tony Shalhoub says eight years portraying the obsessive-compulsive private investigator on “Monk” is enough for him.
“It’s a great job, and I work with great people, and I really enjoy doing the character, but … I think we’ve kind of explored all the avenues we could possibly cover,” he said. “And as much as I like the show and working on it, I really do want to think about moving on to whatever the next chapter might be.”
The birthday bunch
“60 Minutes” commentator Andy Rooney is 90. Blues singer Clarence Carter is 73. Actress Faye Dunaway is 68. Singer-producer T Bone Burnett is 61. Actor Carl Weathers is 61. Actress Emily Watson is 42. Guitarist Zakk Wylde is 42. Rapper LL Cool J is 41. Actor Jason Bateman is 40. Musician Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters is 40.