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SHARON STONE returned to her old school in Pennsylvania last night (07MAR07) to muse about her early years as part of an honours banquet.
The actress was invited to give the keynote address at the eighth annual Frank F. Pogue Honors Scholarship luncheon at Edinboro University.
Stone majored in creative writing and fine arts at Edinboro in the 1970s and attended the university on a writing scholarship.

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Oscar winner REESE WITHERSPOON has abruptly dropped out of the remake of BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING, just weeks before production was set to begin.
The WALK THE LINE star was set to star in the movie and serve as a producer on the project when it filming was due to begin next month (APR07).
Filmmakers are desperately searching for another actress to replace Witherspoon, but sources close to the project says the start date will probably be delayed.
JOE CARNAHAN, who had signed on to direct the remake, is reportedly so furious over the star’s shocking departure he has sacked his manager, EVELYN O’NEILL, who also manages Witherspoon.
The film has been in the works for three years and is based on the 1965 OTTO PREMINGER film about a woman who reports her daughter missing, only to be confronted by charges that she never existed.

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Grumpy CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM star LARRY DAVID has landed a puzzling new role on breezy US kids show HANNAH MONTANA.
The SEINFELD creator will play himself on the smash-hit show, which is fronted by ACHY BREAKY HEART singer BILLY RAY CYRUS’ teenage daughter MILEY.
But there’s method behind the madness - David’s daughters are both huge fans of the show and they’ll appear alongside the funnyman in the upcoming episode.

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ALIEN star SIGOURNEY WEAVER is set for her most revealing role to date after signing on to play burlesque stripper GYPSY ROSE LEE in a new movie.
GYPSY AND ME is based on the memoir MY G-STRING MOTHER: AT HOME AND BACKSTAGE WITH GYPSY ROSE LEE, written by her son ERIC LEE PREMINGER.
Preminger was acting as his mother’s stage manager when he was only 12 years old.
Weaver will also act as executive producer on the film, along with DREAMGIRLS producer LAURENCE MARK.
The film takes place in the late 1950s when Lee was at the tail end of her striptease career.
She decided she was too old to take it all off in front of strangers and decided to reinvent herself as a best-selling author and turned her life story into a musical.
Her son didn’t find out until after her death that his father was Austrian film director OTTO PREMINGER.
Weaver, 57, will shoot the movie before the end of the year (07).

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STAR WARS icon CARRIE FISHER has been hired as a TV film expert for a classic movies series.
The actress and writer will join critic and historian ROBERT OSBORNE as host of THE ESSENTIALS.
Fisher insists her new job shouldn’t surprise film fans - she’s the daughter of silver screen legends EDDIE FISHER and DEBBIE REYNOLDS and she started acting at 18, two years before she portrayed PRINCESS LEIA in the original Star Wars trilogy.
She’s also hooked on the films shown on US TV network Turner Classic Movies (TCM), which will air the new-look Essentials show.
She explains, "I pretty much just watch TCM. I watch news or old movies." But Fisher is still nervous about how film buffs will respond to her new role: "I’ve seen they (TCM) have really good people and (they) seem very, very intelligent talking about these things and analysing the films. I’m just sort of a fan of the movies."

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NICOLE RICHIE and rocker boyfriend JOEL MADDEN are getting serious about their romance - they’ve exchanged rings.
The socialite-turned-reality TV star has taken to wearing her ring on her wedding finger, but friends insist the couple isn’t engaged.
A source says, "They are not engaged but they did exchange rings. It wouldn’t be surprising if they are engaged in six months." Richie was recently engaged to ADAM ‘DJ AM’ GOLDSTEIN, while GOOD CHARLOTTE star Madden ended a long romance with pop star HILARY DUFF last year (06).

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Oscar nominee JAVIER BARDEM is to become WOODY ALLEN’s latest star after signing on to act opposite fellow Spaniard PENELOPE CRUZ in the director’s latest project.
Bardem has confirmed he has landed a leading role in the untitled new film, which will shoot in Barcelona, Spain this summer (07), but he refuses to reveal more.
He tells Spanish newspaper El Pais, "It’s something of a secret. It’s (Allen’s) philosophy and the way he works… I can’t talk about almost any of it, but Woody Allen works via improvisation in many respects." Bardem was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Cuban poet REINALDO ARENAS in 2000 movie BEFORE NIGHT FALLS.

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Actor SHIA LaBEOUF is set to star in STEVEN SPIELBERG’s upcoming INDIANA JONES sequel - as the archaeologist’s son.
HARRISON FORD is reprising his role in the movie, which is set to begin filming in June (07).
The 20-year-old has starred in HOLES and CHARLIE’S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE and will also appear in TRANSFORMERS this summer.
The storyline for the new film, which is being penned by SPIDER-MAN writer DAVID KOEPP, is being kept under wraps. It is not known if SEAN CONNERY will be returning as Ford’s movie father in the third sequel.
The fourth Indiana Jones installment resurrects the lucrative franchise after nearly 20 years. The film is set to be released in May 2008.

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British reality TV guru MARK BURNETT is being sued by a woman who claims he stole her idea for hit US talent show ROCK STAR.
Producer SHARLENE SULLIVAN alleges she registered a show synopsis called Rock Star with the Writers Guild Of America, in which "lead vocalists for rock bands would compete and would be judged by well known musicians/rock stars" in 2002.
Sullivan was then appalled when she learned all about SURVIVOR and THE APPRENTICE creator Burnett’s show of the same name - with the same format.
The producer is now demanding $2 million (£1 million) in damages, claiming Burnett was part of an alleged conspiracy to steal her idea for the reality show, according to TMZ.com.
Burnett’s Rock Star series have so far found frontmen for INXS and TOMMY LEE’s new supergroup SUPERNOVA.

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The owners of the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, where ANNA NICOLE SMITH passed away last month (FEB07), have called in an Indian Shaman to "purify" the suite in which she died.
Smith was found unconscious in the hotel’s Suite 607 on 8 February (07).
The room has been out of commission since the tragic incident and Seminole Indian tribe elders, who own the hotel, are in the process of "purifying" the room.
According to Hollywood gossip columnist JANET CHARLTON, all furniture has been removed and a shaman is "clarifying" the area to get rid of any evil spirits lurking on the premises.
The cause of Smith’s death is still unknown and is expected to be announced when police in Florida finish their official investigation.

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ANNE HECHE’s new boyfriend JAMES TUPPER has confirmed the TV couple are dating, but insists their romance didn’t break-up their respective marriages.
Actor Tupper, who plays Heche’s love interest in US TV show MEN IN TREES, split from his wife KATE last year (06) - just as the series was taking off and Heche and her husband COLEY LAFFOON parted ways at the beginning of 2007.
But Tupper is playing down reports the on-set romance was responsible for the break-ups, stating, "The line was never crossed." And, after a month of speculation, the actor has told America’s People magazine the love affair is for real: "I adore her (Heche) and I’m hopeful for the future.
"There’s something really comforting when you can truly connect with someone and be understood."

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LATEST: PRISON BREAK star LANE GARRISON is to be charged with vehicular manslaughter following a December (06) car crash that resulted in the death of a teenager.
The actor will also be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He escaped being charged with gross vehicular manslaughter.
Garrison will be held on $200,000 (£102,560) bail, which will be paid by family friend JOE SIMPSON, ASHLEE and JESSICA’s manager/father, according to In Touch magazine.
Lane is expected to turn himself in to Beverly Hills authorities this afternoon (08MAR07), when he’ll be arraigned.
Garrison, 26, who plays TWEENER on Prison Break, was driving three teenagers home from a party in his Land Rover Sports Utility Vehicle when he struck a centre median in Beverly Hills and lost control of the car, which ended up hitting a tree late on 2 December (06).
A 17-year-old male passenger was killed in the accident and two 15-year-old girls were injured.

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Rapper MIMS has scored a second week at number one on the US pop chart after shooting up the countdown from 32 to number one last week (01MAR07).
Mims’ THIS IS WHY I’M HOT is holding off a challenge from Senegalese R&B sensation AKON, who scores a second week at number two with DON’T MATTER.
Akon also features on the new number three hit, GWEN STEFANI’s THE SWEET ESCAPE.
Meanwhile, AVRIL LAVIGNE has stunned chart watchers by crashing in at number five with new hit GIRLFRIEND - the week’s highest debut.
The punky pop anthem, which sold a staggering 122,000 downloads in its first week on release, is the Canadian star’s best career debut on the Hot 100.
Meanwhile, FERGIE has learned how important iTunes downloads are to chart success - her new single GLAMOROUS dropped from number nine to number 33 to number 55 after it was removed from iTunes. The track shoots back up to number eight on the new Billboard chart after it was added to the download website store.

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The RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS are asking fans to come up with the concept for their next video - and claim $5,000 (£2,560) for their troubles.
The group has launched a contest on video-sharing website YouTube.com after deciding fans should have a say in what the video for new single CHARLIE looks like.
The winner of the online contest will receive $5,000 and a trip to meet the Red Hot Chili Peppers and see them perform live in Paris, France on 6 July (07).
Frontman ANTHONY KIEDIS says, "Videos are harder than they look. It’s very, very rare and beautiful and monumental when someone makes a truly good video."

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HILARY DUFF is set to lash out at her GOOD CHARLOTTE rocker ex-boyfriend JOEL MADDEN and his girlfriend NICOLE RICHIE on her new album.
The 19-year-old’s upcoming album, DIGNITY, is due out next month (APR07) and appears to touch on her feelings about her failed romance with Madden and his rebound relationship with Richie.
The title track features lyrics including, "Where’s you dignity? I think you lost it in the Hollywood Hills. Can’t buy respect, but you can pick up that bill." The barbed song goes on, "Always with Mr Right, but when you have a fight/Run into your friend’s ex, he’s happy to be your next/Tomorrow’s paper’s coming out so kiss him fast, watch the cameras flash." Other tracks include GYPSY WOMAN and STRANGER, both of which seem to be aimed directly at Richie.
Duff’s spokeswoman has confirmed some of the songs are about Madden and Richie.
She tells RadarOnline.com, "She (Duff) has gone through a lot." Meanwhile, another song on the new album, DREAMER, focuses on Duff’s problems with "a pair of Russian stalkers".

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The wannabe pop star at the centre of AMERICAN IDOL’s latest scandal has been offered a lucrative deal to front an adult video company.
Bosses at SugarDVD.com have offered sexy ANTONELLA BARBA $500,000 (£256,400) to work as their new spokeswoman when her stint on the TV talent contest ends, according to TMZ.com.
Barba, 19, who hit the headlines when saucy photos of her posing for friends hit the internet last month (FEB07), is expected to be voted off the show tonight (08MAR07).
SugarDVD, the largest renter of adult DVDs online, also made headlines recently when bosses offered socialite KIM KARDASHIAN $1 million (£512,800) for the rights to a sex tape she filmed with ex-boyfriend RAY J.

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A Eurovision Song Contest official is attempting to block Israel’s entry to this year’s (07) competition - because he feels the song is inappropriate.
Israeli pop band TEAPACKS has recorded PUSH THE BUTTON in Hebrew, English and French, and hope to wow Eurovision panellists in May (07).
But one of the contest’s Finnish organisers, KJELL EKHOLM, fears the song will be interpreted as a jab at Iran’s hard-line president and his nuclear ambitions - and the official feels that sentiment isn’t one Eurovision bosses will want to embrace.
In the song, Teapacks poke fun at "crazy rulers" who "hide and try to fool us with demonic technological willingness to harm." Ekholm says, "It’s absolutely clear that this kind of message is not appropriate for the competition." It isn’t the first time that Israel’s Eurovision entry has sparked controversy - the country was represented by transsexual pop star DANA INTERNATIONAL in 1998. The singer won that year’s competition with DIVA.

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LATEST: Troubled singer BOBBY BROWN insists executives at a Washington, D.C.
radio station did not bail him out of jail, despite press reports.
The 39-year-old claims his friends raised the funds and bailed him out of prison and accuses radio station bosses of lying about providing the cash.
Brown was arrested in Massachusetts on 25 February (07) for failure to pay child support, and spent three nights behind bars before posting $19,150 (£9,820) bail.
Bosses at local radio station Hot 99.5 claimed they bailed Brown in exchange for a week of on-air appearances.
The DON’T BE CRUEL singer has since called into the TOM JOYNER MORNING SHOW and slammed the radio station, explaining, "That didn’t happen. They didn’t pay it. A bunch of my friends got together and got me out." Brown’s lawyer, PHAEDRA PARKS, told Joyner she had spoken to the radio station about a possible deal, but "they never paid a penny" and that Brown’s brother actually collected the bail money.

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