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WOODY ALLEN dreads holding auditions because he’s "too shy" to meet Hollywood bombshells - opting instead to cast actresses he has seen in other movies.
The filmmaker admits he hired Rachel McAdams for his latest movie, Midnight In Paris, after admiring her performance in Wedding Crashers.
And when the director does meet up with potential leading ladies, he keeps their meetings short and sweet.
Allen tells W magazine, "Casting is so awkward. I’m too shy to meet them. I have the women come in and I don’t let them sit down. I make up some questions, but I couldn’t care less about chatting. I only see them to make sure that they haven’t gained 200 pounds or had five face jobs. I want to see that the woman I saw on the DVD is still intact…
"I have great adoration and lust and interest in all of the women in my films. It would thrill me to go out with all of them."

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British actor JASON STATHAM is hoping to become the next JAMES BOND, branding the superspy part his "dream" role.
The Expendables star has risen to fame playing tough guy characters in movies including Snatch, The Italian Job and Crank.
But Statham, who is dating beauty Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, is keen to take over from Daniel Craig as the next 007.
He tells Britain’s Daily Mirror, "You’d be lying if you said no. He has all the fanciest gadgetry. He’s in and out of bed with the sexiest, hottest women. And gets to save the world. Come on! It’s everybody’s dream, isn’t it?"

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Actor MIKE CONNORS is taking legal action against bosses behind his classic 1960s series MANNIX over allegations he is owed millions in royalties.
The 85-year-old, who starred in the title role as a private investigator, filed a lawsuit against Paramount and CBS Television Studios bosses in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday (19May11).
In his complaint, Connors included a copy of his 1966 contract stipulating he should earn a percentage of "net profits" and "gross proceeds" from the use of his name and likeness - money he claims he has never received.
The suit states, "Notwithstanding all of the hard work, time and effort put into the series, Mr. Connors has never received any profits on Mannix in the ordinary course of participation accounting. Indeed, even as the series continues to generate revenue to this day from exploitation and DVD sales, it sinks deeper and deeper into debt." Connors is seeking unspecified damages.
A statement from CBS bosses to the Hollywood Reporter reads, "This lawsuit is a mystery worthy of Mannix’s detective skills. Before the case was filed, we had not heard from Mr. Connors or his lawyers, and we had not been made aware of any dispute. We will honor Mr. Connors’ contract and fulfill all of our obligations."

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STAR TREK legend GEORGE TAKEI is taking a stand against a controversial bill which bans teachers in Tennessee from discussing homosexuality in the classroom.
The openly gay star is opposing the new legislation, which would make it illegal for educators to talk with students about any orientation other than heterosexuality.
In a video clip posted online, Takei says, "A bill recently approved by a Tennessee Senate committee would prohibit teachers in that state from discussing homosexuality in the classroom. The so-called Don’t Say Gay law is premised on the misguided belief that by not talking about gay people they can simply make us disappear. I’m here to tell Tennessee and all LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) youth and teachers who would be affected by this law that I am here for you." The actor proceeds to poke fun at the bill by offering up a light-hearted alternative, adding: "I’m lending my name to the cause. Any time you need to say the word ‘gay’ you can simply say ‘Takei’. For example, you could safely proclaim you are in support of Takei marriage. If you’re in a more festive mood, you can march in a Takei pride parade. Even homophobic slurs don’t seem as hurtful if someone says, ‘That is so Takei!’"

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Scottish TV presenter GAIL PORTER has been sectioned under Britain’s Mental Health Act after cops were called to her home.
The host, who was previously married to Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave, was reportedly discovered locked in the bathroom of her London house with cuts on her arms and chest.
Porter, who suffers from alopecia, was taken to a medical facility on Wednesday (18May11) and was kept overnight, before being discharged on Thursday (19May11).
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson tells Britain’s The Sun, "Police were called to an address in Belsize Park at approximately 21.00 hours on Wednesday following concerns for the welfare of a resident. A woman was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to a medical facility." A source adds, "Gail has gone completely off the rails. It’s very sad, but she needs to be in rehab." Porter, who has previously battled substance abuse issues and depression, told the publication at her home, "I’m fine, thank you very much."

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Actor ROSS HAGEN has died at the age of 72.
Hagen, a regular on the 1960s TV adventure show Daktari, passed away on 7 May (11) in Brentwood, California after a battle with prostate cancer.
The actor made appearances on TV Westerns such as The Big Valley and The Virginian in the mid-1960s and also co-starred with Elvis Presley in Speedway.
He is best known for playing hunter Bart Jason in Daktari, about an animal study centre in Africa.
Hagen also went on to write and direct, helming Time Wars and The Media Madman.
He is survived by his partner, Lee Srednick, a son and a daughter, according to Variety.com.

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ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’s animated project THE GOVERNATOR has been cancelled following the announcement the actor is halting his Hollywood career to concentrate on his private life.
The actor stunned fans earlier this week (beg16May11) when he revealed he had fathered a lovechild with a member of his household staff more than a decade ago. The announcement came just days after he and his wife Maria Shriver had announced their split.
Following the revelations, Schwarzenegger announced on Thursday (19May11) he has decided put a hold on his big comeback, which included a new Terminator film.
Hours after the statement, bosses in charge of his planned comic book and TV show The Governator also pulled the plug on the project.
A representative tells TMZ.com, "In light of recent events, A Squared Entertainment, POW, Stan Lee Comics, and Archie Comics, have chosen to not go forward with the Governator project." The comic was due to hit shelves in 2012 and feature Shriver, as well as the pair’s four children.

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Hip-hop star 50 CENT has opened up about his tough upbringing for a new TV show, revealing his grandmother adopted him as a child when his mother died.
The rapper, real name Curtis Jackson, grew up in Queens, New York with his single mum, Sabrina, who gave birth to him when she was just 15.
Sabrina was murdered in 1988, when Jackson was aged 12, and he moved in with his grandparents and eight aunts and uncles - and now he has opened up about his upbringing as part of a documentary.
In 50 Cent: The Origin of Me, Jackson is seen telling a crowd of students in South Carolina, where his grandparents lived, about his adoption, revealing, "It feels good for me to learn more about my actual history.
"A lot of people don’t know but I’m adopted. Yeah, my grandmother adopted me after my mother passed away. So she’s like my legal guardian. My grandparents were from out here so the last time I was out here I was like six years old." The show will air in the U.S. on 23 May (11).

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Pregnant actress JESSICA ALBA is planning a peaceful birth - she’ll be using the HypnoBirthing method.
The Fantastic Four star had so much success with the meditative birthing message when her daughter Honor was born, she’s planning for it again.
She tells U.S. chat show host Ellen DeGeneres, "It’s basically my husband takes me through sort of a meditation. So he’s, like, saying, ‘You’re relaxed and you’re floating on clouds while you’re going through labour and your contractions.’ "He just sort of does a guided mediation. I’m just concentrating on breathing and staying relaxed because it’s when you get tense that makes the whole labour worse and more painful.
"I actually did this with Honor… It is kind of a way to relax and know that the contraction will only last for so long. You just need to concentrate on the breathing and just the sound of his voice… Normally I want to strangle him but at that moment it’s sort of calming and wonderful."

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Hollywood A-listers including JUDE LAW, GWEN STEFANI and SEAN PENN turned out in force at the Cannes Film Festival in France on Thursday (19May11) to attend an AIDS charity event founded by the late DAME ELIZABETH TAYLOR.
Uma Thurman, Naomi Campbell, Courtney Love, Kanye West, Freida Pinto, Brooke Shields, Patrick Dempsey and Rosario Dawson were also among the 800 guests who showed up at the Eden Roc hotel.
Taylor, who passed away in March (11), was remembered at the event as chair of the gala, with film producer Harvey Weinstein telling the crowd, "It was an honour to work beside her and it was an honour to watch her movies." An auction was also held during the gala, with a limited edition 1991 photo of Taylor selling for $150,000 (£93,750), while a 1964 Andy Warhol painting of the actress fetching $400,000 (£250,000).
Resident Evil star Milla Jovovich kicked off the evening by singing I Wanna Be Loved By You, while Boy George performed a couple of tracks for the star-studded crowd, which included Janet Jackson, Robert De Niro, Goldie Hawn and Jane Fonda.
Actress Sharon Stone was slated to preside over the evening, but had to cancel her slot due to work commitments.

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British singer LILY ALLEN is planning a honeymoon with a difference - she’ll spend her first days as a married woman at U.K. music festival Glastonbury, according to the event’s organiser.
The Smile hitmaker is to wed fiance Sam Cooper near their home in the west of England next month (Jun11).
On Thursday (19May11), Allen revealed she is struggling with the stress of the impending big day, writing on Twitter.com, "Tip of the day: don’t ever get married, its a nightmare, and everyone involved (or not as the case may be) turns into a c**t." But now Allen has come up with a plan to unwind after the nuptials - Glastonbury creator Michael Eavis has revealed she will celebrate her marriage at the iconic music event in June (11).
He tells Britain’s The Sun, "Lily’s coming down for her honeymoon. We’ll look after her - she’ll get well treated. I’ve known her since she was tiny. She’s such a star. I’d love to get her out of retirement. I’m really looking forward to her wonderful wedding."

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Rocker BRYAN FERRY’s son MERLIN has escaped a weapons charge after he was caught carrying a Gurkha knife earlier this year (11).
The 20 year old, who is the youngest child of the Roxy Music hitmaker, was arrested in February (11) after officers found the deadly weapon strapped to his leg.
Merlin Ferry was charged with possessing a knife in a public place and elected for trial by jury.
But after claiming the knife was just part of a costume, the charge was dropped on Thursday (19May11) and he walked free from a court in Manchester, England.
Ferry was told to "keep his head down" and was given a 12-month order to keep the peace, but the ruling has been met with outrage from John O’Connor, former Scotland Yard Flying Squad commander.
O’Connor tells Britain’s Daily Express, "It is outrageous that you can walk around with a deadly blade like that and get off scot-free. Knife crime is a serious problem and there is never an excuse to be on the street with a weapon. It makes a mockery of the law. If someone was going to a fancy dress party with a real machine gun they wouldn’t be let off, would they?" Ferry says, "It was silly but I was in fancy dress."

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MUMFORD & SONS star MARCUS MUMFORD dreams of owning and running a pig farm.
The British folk star admits he’s keen to follow in the footsteps of other rockers-turned-farmers.
He tells Spin magazine, "If this (musical career) didn’t work out, I would go back to college and do agriculture.
"In January, I stayed with a friend on a farm in Somerset. I love the life there, and I want to rear pigs and cows and sheep."

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Heavy metal stars AVENGED SEVENFOLD have been forced to cancel a concert in Texas after one of the band members fell ill.
The group was due to perform at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, Dallas on Thursday night (19May11), but the rockers postponed the gig at the last minute.
A statement from the band reads, "We are very sorry to inform you that, due to an illness in the band, the concert tonight is being postponed. We’re planning to reschedule the date right now and will honor all tickets for tonight’s concert on the rescheduled date.
"We are so disappointed to be missing our fans in Dallas tonight and look forward to seeing you really soon." It was not known which member was sick as WENN went to press.

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Rapper B.G. has been indicted on gun and conspiracy charges by a federal grand jury.
The hip-hop star, a former member of Bryan ‘Baby’ Williams’ Hot Boyz group, was arrested in his native New Orleans, Louisiana in November 2009 after he was found with three firearms in his car - two of which had been reported stolen.
Cops have charged him with two counts of felony weapons possession and conspiracy to obstruct justice, while two associates were also booked on illegal gun counts.
The star, real name Christopher Dorsey, pleaded not guilty to the weapons possession charge last year (Feb10).
Dorsey was indicted on the charges on Thursday (19May11). If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 (£156,250) fine on the weapons charge, and up to 20 years behind bars and a $250,000 (£156,250) fine for the conspiracy charge.

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KINGS OF LEON stars NATHAN and JARED FOLLOWILL have paid tribute to American college football star AUSTIN BOX, who died on Thursday (19May11).
The 22-year-old Oklahoma player was taken to the Mercy Hospital in El Reno after a friend called the emergency services and explained Box had taken pain pills and wasn’t responding to him.
He was pronounced dead upon arrival at the medical facility. A police investigation into his death is now underway amid allegations he overdosed.
The Followill brothers, who have ties to the college team, have both issued tributes via Twitter.com.
Nathan writes, "RIP Austin Box. You and you’re (sic) family are in my prayers." Jared adds, "RIP Austin Box. I loved watching you play. You will be missed."

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Actress JENNIFER LAWRENCE has her THE HUNGER GAMES co-star JOSH HUTCHERSON to thank for her acting career - because his story helped convince her parents that showbusiness was a worthy profession.
The young star’s folks reluctantly let her spend a summer in New York when she was 14 auditioning for acting jobs, but when she failed to land her big break, they insisted she come home and concentrate on another career.
Then she found a newspaper article about Hutcherson, promoting his breakthrough role in Little Manhattan.
She tells Entertainment Weekly magazine, "I was like, ‘Look, see? He’s from Kentucky and he made it. I can do it too.’ "And, weirdly, it helped them accept that this is what I wanted to do."

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Actor SHEMAR MOORE has launched a lawsuit against a driver who allegedly crashed into him in 2009.
The Criminal Minds star was rushed to hospital with a broken leg after a vehicle knocked him off his bicycle in Los Angeles two years ago (09).
On Thursday (19May11), Moore filed legal papers at Los Angeles Superior Court claiming driver Phillip Randall drove into him from behind after failing to give way, reports TMZ.com.
The actor is seeking to be reimbursed for medical bills, his smashed up bike, as well as the loss of past and future income as a result of the collision.

Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)