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Actor JAMES MCAVOY had a special insight into his character in THE LAST S= TATION - the man’s diaries.
The Atonement star plays a secretary sent to work for Russian author Le= o Tolstoy in his final days, and he was given Valentin Bulgakov’s journal= s to delve deeper into his mindset.
And McAvoy is convinced the tomes were essential to helping him with hi= s portrayal of Bulgakov.
He says, "I=E2=80=99ve never played a real person before and my charact= er kept diaries from before his time in this film to the day he died so I= could go to the diary and copy what he felt that day. It was the best so= urce of research.=E2=80=9D

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EMILY MORTIMER and her sister ROSIE are celebrating after giving birth ju= st three days apart.
The Pink Panther star welcomed her second child, baby daughter May, on = 15 January (10) - and three days later, the actress’ younger sibling Rosi= e became mum to son John.
Baby John, who was named after the sisters’ late dad, Sir John Mortimer= , arrived a day before the first anniversary of the playwright’s death (1= 6Jan10).
And the sisters’ mother Penelope is glad his legacy will live on throug= h the family’s new additions.
She tells Britain’s Daily Telegraph, "It has been a very exciting few d= ays. Of course, John died this time last year, so it is just rather a won= derful thing. It does help to think there will be two more of his little = grandchildren running around the garden he loved so much. It is really ma= rvellous that life goes on."

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The man charged with conspiring to extort $25 million (=C2=A317.2 million= ) from JOHN TRAVOLTA following the death of the star’s son has appealed f= or help to pay his legal fees - because he has been unable to work since = the case began.
Paramedic Tarino Lightbourne, along with former Bahamas senator Pleasan= t Bridgewater, is said to have demanded the cash from the actor and his w= ife Kelly Preston after their 16-year-old son Jett suffered a fatal seizu= re at the family’s holiday home in January 2009.
The allegations centre around a Refusal of Treatment/Transportation for= m, signed by Travolta, which the suspects allegedly threatened to release= to the media.
In October (09), a mistrial was declared after a jury member reportedly= leaked the verdict to politicians, and a retrial has since been set for = September (10).
Outside of court on Wednesday (27Jan10), Lighthouse revealed he hasn’t = worked since the allegations were made against him.
He made an open appeal for help paying his legal fees, insisting he’s s= truggling to support his family and his home has gone into foreclosure.
He tells TMZ.com, "Financially I haven’t worked for a year now, since t= his case started. Everything has backed up now - my house is in foreclosu= re.
"My kids, it’s hurting everybody and I’m appealing to the general publi= c for some financial assistance to assist me with my attorney fees." (CL/=

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LEONARDO DiCAPRIO’s girlfriend BAR REFAELI took over PARIS HILTON’s forme= r Hollywood home to shoot a new sexy swimwear campaign.
The Israeli Sports Illustrated cover model is the face of Rampage’s new= Spring 2010 marketing campaign and she lounged around Hilton’s old pad f= or the shoot with photographer Gilles Bensimon.
The campaign will debut in March (10) issues of fashion and lifestyle m= agazines such as Elle, Marie Claire and Glamour.

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RUSSELL CROWE has spoken out about SIENNA MILLER’s dismissal from new mov= ie ROBIN HOOD - insisting he had nothing to do with the decision.
Miller was originally signed on to play Maid Marian, but she mysterious= ly left the project last year (09) amid rumours she had been dropped beca= use she was too young to play 45-year-old Crowe’s love interest.
Cate Blanchett, 40, was later drafted in to take her place in the film,= which is due for release later this year (May10).
Now the film’s star Crowe insists he played no part in axing Miller, wh= ile defending Blanchett’s performance in the upcoming film.
He says, "It wasn’t my call, actually, it’s more that I’m too old and f= at! But Cate brings something else. The way we changed the character, we = needed somebody who was going to be resilient. And Cate is superb in this= film. She was excellent to work with and a great partner in crime." (KD/=

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Prankster GEORGE CLOONEY struck again at the recent Golden Globes ceremon= y, sending his UP IN THE AIR writer/director JASON REITMAN into a panic w= hen the filmmaker thought he’d lost his award for Best Screenplay/Motion = Picture.
Clooney is renowned for playing jokes on his movie crew and castmates b= ut decided to behave himself while shooting Reitman’s award-winning drama= , in which he stars as a corporate downsizer.
Reitman admits he was surprised to have escaped the actor’s pranks on s= et - but he soon realised he had become another one of Clooney’s victims = at the 17 January (10) awards show when his Golden Globe went missing.
The director says, "He never pranked anybody during the shoot and we al= l felt a little hurt to be honest, and then the other night at the Golden= Globes, he hid my Golden Globe!" Reitman was awarded the honour alongside his Up In The Air co-writer Sh= eldon Turner.

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Author HOWARD ZINN, who wrote the book which inspired MATT DAMON and MORG= AN FREEMAN’s documentary THE PEOPLE SPEAK, has died.
The historian and social activist passed away on Wednesday (27Jan10) af= ter suffering a heart attack while travelling with his daughter, Myla Kab= at-Zinn, in Santa Monica, California. He was 87.
Zinn is best known for writing A People’s History of the United States,= his 1980 non-fiction book which details the lives of ordinary people who= fought for social change in America.
It was turned into a documentary called The People Speak last year (09)= , featuring stars including Damon, Freeman, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedd= er, Viggo Mortensen and Josh Brolin.
An accompanying soundtrack also featured Bob Dylan, Pink and Lupe Fiasc= o.
Zinn was a shipyard worker and Air Force bombardier in World War II, be= fore he went to college and became famous for leading strikes and anti-wa= r protests.
He is survived by his daughter.

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A film-maker friend of PETE DOHERTY has died of a suspected drug overdose= - after completing a documentary about the troubled rocker.
Robyn Whitehead, a member of the Goldsmith dynasty who championed Brita= in’s political Green Party, was discovered in an east London apartment af= ter an ambulance was called to the property on Sunday night (24Jan10).
The 27 year old, who was rumoured to have dated the troubled rocker in = 2008, had recently directed a film, The Road To Albion, about Doherty’s f= ormer band The Libertines.
Cops are not treating the death as suspicious, but it is understood tha= t drugs paraphernalia was found at the flat. An inquest into Whitehead’s = death was opened and adjourned on Wednesday (28Jan10).
A statement from her family reads, "Robyn had an exceptional capacity f= or compassion and for love both to her family and close friends and to al= l those whom she touched. This was reflected in the depths and passion of= her art. To lose her so young and so far before her life=E2=80=99s work = was done is heartbreaking."

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SUSAN BOYLE’s idol ELAINE PAIGE has branded the Scottish singer "a virus"= , attributing the star’s success to the clip-sharing website YouTube.com.
The I Dreamed A Dream hitmaker became an overnight success last year (0= 9) after a clip of her singing I Dreamed A Dream at an audition on Britai= n’s Got Talent was uploaded to the site.
Boyle gained millions of fans around the world after she was thrust int= o the spotlight, and even fulfilled a lifelong ambition by singing a duet= with her hero Paige last year (09) on U.K. TV.
But Paige isn’t convinced Boyle has what it takes to have a lasting car= eer in the music industry.
She says, "I don’t particularly feel any pride for her - I’m sure she i= s proud of what she has done. It’s all about turning someone into an imme= diate celebrity at the expense of longevity and working hard and experien= ce. Susan Boyle is doing terribly well considering she literally came to = the attention of the world with the advent of YouTube. She was like a vir= us really that spread across the world in a nanosecond. She is a girl wit= h no experience of anything to do with theatrics, the music business, or = art in any way.
"Longevity is gained through knowledge, experience and effort so it wil= l remain to be seen (if she will last). When I started (my career) YouTub= e didn’t exist but even then with 15 years of experience prior to my succ= ess (starring in the musical) Evita it was difficult, so I admire the way= she has handled her sudden success.
"Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor just take a bunch of people from= real life who think they can sing and try and turn them into overnight ‘= stars’ with a couple of songs. It’s not entertainment."

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ASHLEE SIMPSON-WENTZ is planning a career break when she finishes her sti= nt in the Broadway musical CHICAGO - so she can concentrate on looking af= ter her son.
The singer-turned-actress is currently appearing as Roxie Hart in the N= ew York production but she will hang up her dancing shoes next month (Feb= 10) to make way for ex-Destiny’s Child star Michelle Williams.
And Simpson-Wentz is looking forward to her hiatus - so she can spend m= ore time with Bronx Mowgli, her one-year-old son with Fall Out Boy rocker= Pete Wentz.
She tells Access Hollywood, "We’ll see what’s next, but I’m gonna have = some mommy time and take a little break. I’ve had a blast here doing Chic= ago. It’s been wonderful and to be on stage in Broadway, that was always = a dream of mine, so it’s been great. I’ve got two weeks left and I’ve rea= lly enjoyed it and I’m ready to get back home."

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Members of rock bands CREED, GODSMACK and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE have j= oined forces to raise cash to pack a plane full of supplies and medics an= d send it to Haiti.
The plane took off from an airport in Long Beach, California on Wednesd= ay (27Jan10) and was on its way to Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, as WE= NN went to press.
Also involved in the mercy mission, which raised $1 million (=C2=A3625,= 000), were members of New Kids on the Block and rapper Eve.
Creed frontman Scott Stapp is already on the ground in Haiti and will h= elp unload supplies when the plane lands and make sure food, water and me= dical equipment get to the right aid agencies.
A statement from Godsmack star Sully Erna reads, "Since I can’t be ther= e to help in person, I want to make my contribution as a fellow human bei= ng to give what I can while I’m in the fortunate situation that I am to h= elp those that are so unfortunate in this time of tragedy."

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TITO JACKSON is at the centre of a lawsuit filed by a man who alleges the= singer’s documentary about a move to the U.K. was a "distortion of true = facts".
Matt Fiddes, who appeared on the show, claims the series The Jacksons A= re Coming, about the famous family’s search for a home in Devon, England,= contained several staged scenes.
He says, "(The documentary) was from start to finish a gross misreprese= ntation or distortion of the true facts as they occurred." Fiddes also alleges the show, which was first aired in the U.K. in 2008= , falsely implied that he had betrayed Tito by leaking stories to the pre= ss about the Jacksons.
Fiddes, who previously worked as Michael Jackson’s bodyguard, is suing = U.K. TV network Channel 4, production company Studio Lambert and the narr= ator of the programme, Jane Preston.
A spokesperson for Channel 4 says, "We refute the allegations made agai= nst us." The case is due to be heard at London’s High Court on Thursday (28Jan10= ), while a full trial will go ahead later this year (10).

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The BLACK EYED PEAS are facing another plagiarism lawsuit - a musician al= leges the group’s hit BOOM BOOM POW is "virtually identical" to her own s= ong.
Phoenix Phenom, along with associate Manfred Mohr, has filed a copyrigh= t infringement case against the band, alleging the rhythm and lyrics from= her track Boom Dynamite were copied in the Black Eyed Peas’ 2009 global = hit.
Phenom - real name Ebony Latrice Batts - claims she submitted Boom Dyna= mite to executives at Interscope Records, the Black Eyed Peas’ record lab= el, according to gossip blogger Perez Hilton.
An attorney for Phenom and Mohr says, "My clients submitted their copyr= ighted song Boom Dynamite to Interscope Records after Interscope had show= n interest in some of their music, and the Black Eyed Peas later copied t= he song when they wrote Boom Boom Pow.
"A simple listening of the two songs will tell you that the songs are s= ubstantially similar, and that the hooks of the two songs are virtually i= dentical in rhythm and lyrics." Phoenix and Manfred are seeking unspecified damages, disgorgement of pr= ofits and punitive damages.
It’s not the first time the group has been accused of plagiarism - Brit= ish DJ Adam Freeland threatened to take legal action last year (09) after= claiming his track Mancry was the inspiration for the Black Eyed Peas’ s= ong Party All the Time.
The two parties reportedly reached an undisclosed out-of-court settleme= nt over the dispute.

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Latin fans of actress SOFIA VERGARA have been left outraged because her v= oice has been dubbed by someone else for screenings of her hit U.S. comed= y show MODERN FAMILY in her native Colombia.
The new show has quickly become a hit around the world and it is just a= bout to start in Vergara’s homeland.
But locals are annoyed because they know the voice of the actress’ feis= ty character, Gloria Delgado-Pritchet, isn’t that of their TV favourite.
She explains, "It’s about to air in Colombia and they’re having problem= s because they translate the whole show in Spanish and they have somebody= who does my voice.
"They’re like, ‘We know that’s not you! That doesn’t sound like you.’ T= hey’re complaining." Before she became a Hollywood star, Vergara hosted a hit TV stunt show = which aired in South America.

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MACAULAY CULKIN is in talks to begin his 30s as a TV Mormon.
The Home Alone star, who turns 30 this summer (10), has been visiting p= al Chloe Sevigny on the set of her hit drama Big Love, in which she plays= one of a polygamist’s three wives - and now cast and creators want him t= o play a part.
Co-creator Will Scheffer says, "We’re interested in him… We can see h= im (on the show)." And Big Love star Bill Paxton can’t wait: "He’d make a great young evan= gelist."

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Singer MELANIE BROWN can’t wait to see the story of her life with the SPI= CE GIRLS turned into a major musical.
Music mogul Simon Fuller, who managed the band, has confirmed reports h= e’s developing a London stage musical based on the story behind the all-c= onquering girl group, comprising of Brown, Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton,= Geri Halliwell and Melanie Chisholm.
He’s developing the Viva Forever! spectacular with Mamma Mia! producer = Judy Craymer - and Brown hopes she won’t have to wait too long before the= show hits the West End stage.
She explains, "All five of us (girls) are so excited about it, we reall= y are. We’re in the early creative development stages just now, so I can’= t really tell you much. We’ve actually teamed up with Judy Craymer, who d= id Mamma Mia! She’s great. And it was Simon Fuller’s idea, so he’s also a= genius." No date has yet been set for the launch of the production, but Brown is= hopeful they can put it in motion quickly: "I’d love if it was in three = months to be honest."

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ANGELINA JOLIE and BRAD PITT have denied reports they’re about to split, = while friends insist the media have mistaken a pre-nuptial agreement as a= signal they’re separating.
The couple and Jolie’s father Jon Voight have dismissed British tabloid= reports they’re no longer together - rumours that have set the globe’s g= ossip websites alight.
And insiders claim the story couldn’t be further from the truth - the c= ouple have allegedly signed a mega-million equivalent of a pre-nuptial ag= reement, which will cement their relationship.
A source tells Life & Style magazine, "Brad and Angelina had a meeting = with a top law firm in L.A. in December, where they worked out terms of a= legal document similar to a pre-nup.
"The couple signed the document in early January. They agreed to share = their money and assets and custody of their six children, all of whom wou= ld live with Angelina in the event of their parents=E2=80=99 break-up.
"They didn’t talk to the lawyer about splitting, nor was that ever ment= ioned at the meeting. Brad and Angelina aren’t splitting right now." (KL/=

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PEARL JAM star EDDIE VEDDER has released his rendition of BRUCE SPRINGSTE= EN’s MY CITY OF RUINS as a digital download - to raise funds for the Hait= i earthquake relief effort.
The rocker performed the track while honouring Springsteen at the Kenne= dy Center Honors concert in Washington, D.C. last month (Dec09). The tune= was recorded at the event and Vedder felt it apt to release it online to= help raise money for the survivors of the 12 January (10) tremor.
Vedder’s stirring rendition of Springsteen’s tune is the latest celebri= ty track to be released as a digital download to raise cash for Haiti - J= ustin Timberlake’s Hallelujah, and Stranded, Jay-Z’s collaboration with B= ono and Rihanna, have been big hits after recordings of the performances = during Friday’s Hope For Haiti Now concert were released over the weekend= ..

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