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Actor JOSH BROLIN has been tapped to join the league of celebrities playing action heroes on the big screen - he’s in negotiations to star in a film version of comic book classic JONAH HEX.
According to Variety, Brolin is in talks to take on the lead role in the movie adaptation of the popular 1970s DC Comic.
The No Country For Old Men star is a favourite for the title role of Hex, a former alcoholic and confederate soldier-turned-bounty hunter.
Brolin will be in good company if he takes on the role - other actors to bring comic book heroes to life include Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr., Batman’s Christian Bale, and Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire.

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Mexican singer/actor PABLO MONTERO skipped a court hearing last week (01Oct08) relating to his summer (08) arrest in Florida - because he was too busy working.
The star, real name Oscar Hernandez, was taken into custody by Miami cops for alleged cocaine possession on 11 August (08).
He tested positive for drugs, in violation of the terms of his probation on driving charges in 2007.
Montero was due in a Miami court last Wednesday (01Oct08) to answer the latest charge - but he failed to appear.
His lawyer claimed the no-show was because Montero didn’t gain his immigration documents in time to enter the U.S. - but the 34-year-old blames his commitments to Spanish TV show Fuego en la Sangre instead.
He says, "I couldn’t leave because I was working. I petitioned to leave, but it didn’t work out."

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Veteran Hollywood star KIRK DOUGLAS and his wife ANNE have been honoured for their charity work at Los Angeles’ High Flying Fundraiser.
The couple was praised for their work with their Anne + Kirk Douglas Playground Award programme, which aims to raise money to improve children’s play areas in L.A.
The organisation recently reached its target of 400 grants, totalling $8 million (£4.32 million) in contributions, according to ETonline.com.
And their work was recognised by The Good News Foundation’s annual fundraising luncheon last week (04Oct08), where the Douglases were awarded the Good News Makers of the Year accolade.
But that’s not the only award the Lust For Life actor, 91, will receive this month - he is also set to be lauded at the Ambassadors for Humanity Gala Dinner on 22 October (08).

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An auctioneer caught up in O.J. SIMPSON’s hotel heist has come to the defence of the former sports star, claiming he didn’t deserve the guilty verdict issued in his kidnapping and armed robbery trial.
Simpson was found guilty of all 12 counts in the trial earlier this month (03Oct08), stemming from a heist he took part in at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last year (Sep07).
The verdict came 13 years to the day since Simpson was acquitted of the double murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
But collectibles dealer Thomas Riccio, who arranged the meeting between Simpson and sports memorabilia collector Bruce Fromong, the trial’s chief witness, is convinced Simpson fell victim to a biased jury, blaming his 1995 acquittal for the murder charges for tarnishing the star’s reputation.
Riccio tells the New York Post, "He’s no personal friend. I hardly know him.
We just did two deals together. And this whole Vegas thing took only 10 hours of my life. What I’m saying isn’t popular… (But) what happened 13 years ago, I don’t know. I wasn’t there. I only know he doesn’t deserve 8,000 years plus double life for this.
"(It’s) not like he actually planned an armed robbery. He was just stupid. I told him up front, ‘Have security next door monitoring what goes down because… who knows…’ And he said, ‘No, I got my own guys with me. It’s okay.’ It’s his guys (who) did him in. They set him up. They even had a video camera on him so they could sell it afterwards. And he covered for them, lied to cops, because these thugs were his friends… Simply saying, ‘No one leaves the room until we get this figured out’ constitutes kidnapping in Nevada. That automatically gets you life…
"The hate for him is such that if Satan came up from hell and sat on your lap, it wouldn’t be as bad as doing business with O.J. Listen, they wanted to get him, so they got him. I’m impartial. I’m only saying this: he didn’t deserve it. But 98 per cent of the people want him put away forever. Everyone hates him. My own mother hates him and says he deserves it." Simpson, 61, and his co-defendant Clarence Stewart, are currently being held in a Las Vegas jail where they face life imprisonment when they are sentenced on 5 December (08).
Simpson’s legal team is reportedly planning to appeal the conviction.

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Underground rap supergroup THE WEATHERMEN have credited the death of bandmate CAMU TAO with shocking them into recording their first album together - 10 years after they formed.
The collective, which now consists of hip-hop stars El-P, Aesop Rock, Cage, Tame One, Yak Ballz and Breeze Brewin, released a mixtape in 2003, but have yet to drop a full-length LP.
But rapper/producer Aesop Rock insists they are in the process of making the long-awaited disc after being inspired by Tao’s passing in May (08), following a two-year battle with lung cancer.
He says, "Camu Tao is another member of The Weathermen, who died earlier this year, so it sort of shook us all up to like ‘Let’s do a record together already, it’s pretty silly that we haven’t’.
"It’s been a pretty weird year because of that. That’s kind of the driving force behind us finally getting it in gear to do this record together as a unit, and try to make it finally happen." The as-yet-untitled disc is set to be released through El-P’s Definitive Jux label.

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RBD singer CHRISTIAN CHAVEZ is laughing off rumours he and his partner have been banned from adopting a baby girl from Canada, branding the reports "stupid".
The gay couple, who wed in Canada in 2005, was alleged to have had their application for the adoption refused - but Chavez insists the tale is made up, because he’s not ready for the responsibility.
Chavez, 25, says, "That was another stupid rumour. I’ve always said, I don’t want to adopt. Can you imagine if I just showed up with a baby? That’d be weird! "We can’t imagine having a kid, because we don’t even have a dog, and we wouldn’t even be able to take care of a dog. So we can’t exactly care for a child."

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Beloved music mogul CLIVE DAVIS has taken back an influential post at Sony BMG Music Group, just months after he was stripped of his title as chairman and CEO of the company.
Davis, 76, became one of the most revered men in music through his tenure at the label - where he was largely responsible for the careers of Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Whitney Houston.
After stepping down, the legendary producer was reportedly installed as the company’s chief creative officer.
But according to the New York Post, the legendary producer’s work with recent breakout stars such as Dreamgirls star Jennifer Hudson and pop sensation Leona Lewis - who became the first British female solo artist in history to debut at number one in the U.S. album charts in April (08) - has prompted label bosses to rethink his staying power.
U.S. label group boss Rob Stringer has since asked Davis to talk with executives at Columbia Records and Epic Records about working on projects for some of the artists on their labels, including Billy Joel and Harry Connick Jr., according to reports.
A source tells the newspaper, "Sony is turning to Clive as a resource because there’s no great artist and repertoire guys there anymore." A spokesman for Columbia Records added: "We’d love to have the opportunity to work with Clive and are discussing various projects."

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Singer ANA TORROJA has been hospitalised with serious injuries after she was involved in a car crash in Spain on Friday (10Oct08).
The Latin Grammy-nominated star, formerly of Spanish pop band Mecano, was one of six people hurt in the accident, which occurred when her car collided head on with another vehicle in Barbate.
Her pal and former Miss Spain Esther Arroyo, who was travelling in the car with Torroja, has also been taken to hospital in Algesiras.
However, a government spokesperson has assured that 48-year-old Torroja’s condition is not life-threatening.

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YES rocker CHRIS SQUIRE has invited sick bandmate JON ANDERSON to return to the group when he’s well again - after replacing the singer for a new tour.
The prog-rock stars initially axed their road trip plans back in June (08) when Anderson was ordered to take six months rest after being hospitalised with acute respiratory failure.
Remaining bandmates Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White and Oliver Wakeman then decided to press ahead with the tour, with tribute band singer Benoit David taking Anderson’s place.
The move came as a shock to Anderson, who wrote of his "disappointment" at the decision on his website, and denounced the gigs, adding, "This is not YES on tour." But Squire has now spoken out about the conflict - and reveals he has left the door open for Anderson’s return.
He tells Billboard, "Unfortunately Jon has had these health problems for the last few years. We’ve had to be very respectful of the fact he’s not been well and he’s been in and out of the hospital having quite a few major procedures.
"If Jon is well again next year, he’ll be back." Yes’ strings of gigs will kick off in Ontario, Canada on 4 November (08).

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Rapper REVEREND RUN has exposed KANYE WEST and 50 CENT’s highly publicised feud as a sham - insisting the pair are "really close".
50 Cent - real name Curtis Jackson - vowed to quit music last year (07) if his album Curtis lost out in the charts to West’s Graduation.
But the fall out between the pair was just a ploy to sell more records, according to the Run DMC star.
He says, "They are not really fighting. They are friends. That was just a publicity thing for their albums. I think they are really close and nice to each other. That was just a first week sales battle."

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BOB DYLAN was inspired to take up songwriting after he read a verse by Scottish poet ROBERT BURNS.
The folk legend was asked to name his greatest influence as part of a campaign to celebrate musical icons by record store HMV.
And he chooses a section of Burns’ classic poem A Red, Red Rose as the biggest inspiration of his career.
The verse includes the lines: "O my luve is like a red, red rose/ That’s newly sprung in June/ O my luve’s like the melodie/ That’s sweetly play’d in tune." Other acts to contribute to the My Inspiration project include Paul McCartney, Elton John, and former The Jam frontman Paul Weller.

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BRITNEY SPEARS’ mother LYNNE is determined to get the singer and sister JAMIE LYNN back on track - after a troubled year for the family.
Toxic hitmaker Britney went into meltdown after losing custody of her two sons Sean Preston, three, and Jayden James, two, last year (07) - and was hospitalised for a mental evaluation in January (08).
And Lynne’s youngest daughter Jamie Lynn fell pregnant at 16, giving birth to Maddie Briann Aldridge in June (08).
But the pair’s mother is adamant that both girls have a bright future ahead of them.
She tells Fox’s The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet, "(I would them to have) something that will really fulfill them and make them grow to their full potential
. I want them to feel really good about themselves." And Lynne isn’t sure whether fame was the right path for her girls, adding: "There are certain things I would do over, of course
. I always hoped that my children would fulfill their dreams and this was their dream
. Certain aspects of their dreams, I would certainly rearrange or change." But she is adamant she isn’t to blame for their personal problems: "People think I was this stage mom, that I was pushing my daughters to do what they did
. I was actually their cheerleader
. I have never been their manager, that’s never been my role
. I was the one that got their coffee in the morning and (got them) out of bed."

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LEONARDO DiCAPRIO has lent his support to another campaign - he is helping to rebuild an American city devastated by tornados.
Residents in Greensburg, Kansas were given just 20 minutes to evacuate their homes and seek shelter after a stark tornado forecast was announced last year (07). The vicious winds ripped through the town, destroying 95 per cent of Greenburg’s infrastructure and killing 10 people.
DiCaprio is backing a campaign, entitled the Greenburg Project, which aims to completely renovate and rebuild the devastated town - bringing hope back to its citizens.
And the Titanic actor admits he has been humbled by his charitable efforts.
He says, "I have the Greensburg project, which is rebuilding an entire city in Kansas. I’m continuing to work with outreach programs.
"The most profound lesson I’ve learned in all of this work is that people don’t want to be told what to do or how to think." DiCaprio is a committed environmentalist and an avid social rights activist, backing campaigns to urge Americans to vote at the forthcoming U.S.
presidential election in November (08).

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British model/actress ELIZABETH HURLEY has topped a poll to find the best red carpet star of all time - for wearing a dress held together by safety pins at a film premiere.
The Austin Powers actress shot to fame when she accompanied her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant to the premiere of 1994 film Four Weddings And A Funeral wearing a barely-there Versace frock.
Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn came second in the survey for her appearance at the 1954 Oscars wearing a white Givenchy dress.
Pretty Woman star Julia Roberts came third for wowing the crowds in Valentino at the 2001 Oscars and Catherine Zeta-Jones grabbed fourth spot for her 1999 Academy Awards appearance.
Rounding out the top five of the poll, by U.K. department store Debenhams, was Jennifer Lopez with a plunging green frock she wore at the Grammy Awards in 2000.

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Actress RUMER WILLIS never thought she would follow in the footsteps of her famous parents - because she dreamed of becoming a doctor.
The 20-year-old - daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis - was keen to go to college to fulfil her ambitions, but realised she could sample the medical world onscreen.
She says, "For a while I thought about studying medicine at school and becoming a doctor because I’ve always been interested in psychology and how people’s minds operate.
"But I’m able to explore some of that as an actor and ultimately I think it seems more interesting."

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HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL actress ASHLEY TISDALE has never fancied co-star ZAC EFRON - because he is more like her brother.
The actress isn’t surprised by the heart-throb’s legions of female fans across the globe, but insists she has never lusted after Efron.
She tells America’s Seventeen magazine, "I’ve never been attracted to Zac, and he’s never been attracted to me - which is even more amazing! Ha! "He always says I look hot, and I’m like, ‘Aw, thanks Zac,’ but really, it’s more like siblings than a flirty relationship - he’s seriously like my brother."

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Hollywood hunk ZAC EFRON is baffled by his pin-up status - because he was such a nerd at school.
The High School Musical heart-throb was swamped by screaming girl fans at the premiere of the film franchise’s third installment in London this week (07Oct08).
And he admits he didn’t think he would turn out to be such a ladies’ man because he was a geek in the classroom.
He says, "Things can get crazy in terms of the publicity. I grew up as a regular person and want to keep it that way. I never used to get much attention from the chicks. I got good grades at school - in fact, you’d have called me a nerd."

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MICKEY ROURKE spilled blood in his latest movie role as a wrestler - by deliberately cutting himself with a blade during a fight scene.
The Angel Heart star taped a razor blade to his wrist and sliced his face as the cameras rolled, to make his part in upcoming film The Wrestler more realistic.
His co-star Wass Stevens tells the New York Daily News that Rourke took the drastic action after hearing how real-life fighters sometimes faked injury - to the delight of fans watching.
Wass says, "So Mickey taped a blade to his forearm, and when the time was right, sliced his forehead."

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