Author: Castina

A star is born? Barbadian hitmaker Rihanna has been cast in her first starring role, Star Magazine snoops spill in the mag’s Feb. 22 issue.

The “Umbrella” star has landed the lead role in About Face, which Star claims will see Ri-Ri as “a fashion designer who has to change her ways to win the heart of the man she loves, similar to the 1975 Diana Ross film, Mahogany….”

While The Bajan Mama is eager to add acting to her resume, Hollywood execs aren’t quite sure the beauty’s got the acting chops to pull off the role without landing a Razzie nod for Worst Actress! One tattle tells the tab: “No one is sure she has any acting skills. She’s a bit stiff and has to learn how to emote more…No one wants another Madonna on their hands — someone who can sing but can’t act.”

Rihanna has been asked to “quietly” enroll in acting classes.

Vin Diesel will star in a third movie in the David Twohy-helmed Riddick franchise, Variety said Friday.

“Vin Diesel is going back to the future to topline and produce a third chapter in the “Chronicles of Riddick” franchise….Plot details are being kept under wraps. But insiders say the third outing will hew closer in tone to the cult hit Pitch Black…” the trade mag writes.

Despite being panned by critics, Lionsgate’s The Chronicles of Riddick grossed over $100 million at the international box office and spawned a popular video game. Diesel recently signed on to reprise his role in the forthcoming fifth Fast & Furious film.

Madonna has signed on to direct her second film, according to Variety.

The Queen of Pop is stepping behind the camera for W.E., a royal drama that follows the true-life story of English monarch King Edward VIII, who abandoned the throne to marry American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. If anyone knows how to handle scandal, it’s Madge! Madonna made her directorial debut in the 2008 comedy Filth and Wisdom.

Is Blake going bare for Playboy?

Gorgeous Gossip Girl star Blake Lively is hoping to heat up her career with a saucy nude pictorial on the pages of Playboy Magazine.Lively — who made a splash on the big screen in The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants I & II — wants to shed her squeaky-clean image by shedding her undies for The House That Hef Built, gossip boxes reveal in the Feb. 22 issue of The National Enquirer.

“Playboy had already been calling her — she figures a Playboy spread now will really give her some heat in her career,” a spywitness squealed to the tab.

We hear the 22-year-old beauty is demanding a whopping $2.5 million to strip down — a move that has divided Blake’s tight-knit family.

“Blake’s mom has been in the business a long time and knows Kim Basinger and other actresses really benefitted from posing for Playboy early in their careers,” The Enquirer’s source explained. “But her dad Ernie is old-school. He says, ‘Over my dead body.’”

Insiders say Blake — who plays NYC fashionista Serena van der Woodsen on The CW’s R-rated teen drama Gossip Girl — considers the potential Playboy deal Step One in her plan to break away from the teen scene and attract more mature roles.

“The show has been hit with teens, but she says she doesn’t want to get lumped in with The Jonas Brothers. Posing nude would certainly distance her from her tween fans and put her in the adult world.”

The leggy stunner was recently cast as Ryan Reynolds love interest, Carol Ferris, in the upcoming superhero blockbuster The Green Lantern.

Leonardo DiCaprio has been a force to be reckoned with on the Hollywood scene for more than 15 years , but the Oscar-nominated hunk celebrates his Hollywood heroes and praises his favorite cinema gems with the March issue of Esquire Magazine.

Leonardo Praises His The Departed Co-Star Jack Nicholson: “Out of any actor, I can’t think of anyone who’s got more memorable moments in cinema than Jack Nicholson,” he told the mag. “Jack never takes a single line straight on. Never takes an emotion written in the script at face value. He brings terror into what you thought was supposed to be a light moment and makes a light moment out of a cutthroat vicious line. He flips everything on its side.”

Leo Gushes Over Meryl Streep, with whom he co-starred in Marvin’s Room: “I was 18 when I got to work with Meryl,” he said. “I remember going over my lines with her off camera, looking at her and thinking to myself, ‘What is going on here? How is this going to look good?’ Then when I sat in the theater, it was, ‘Oh, my God, she’s the only person who looks completely natural.’ Meryl may be the greatest actor in the world.”

River Phoenix Had Been Leo’s Hero: “When I was 18, River Phoenix was far and away my hero….I always wanted to meet him. One night, I was at this Halloween party, and he passed me. He was beyond pale – he looked white. Before I got a chance to say hello, he was gone, driving off to the Viper Room, where he fell over and died. That’s a lesson.”

DiCaprio Holds Spielberg and Scorsese In High Esteem: “The only other person who knows as much about film as Martin Scorsese is Steven Spielberg….I went from working with Marty on Gangs of New York to working with Steven on Catch Me If You Can. I had to publicize both movies at the same time, and people would always ask me, What are the differences between Spielberg and Scorsese? All I could find myself talking about was the similarities.”

Leo also listed his Top 5 Favorite Movies:

1. The Bicycle Thief

2. Taxi Driver

3. 8 & frac12

4. 2001: A Space Odyssey

5. East of Eden

Things get steamy (There are nipples involved…..) when Robert Pattinson covers the March 10th Anniversary issue of Details Mag. He may be the object of affection for millions of screaming teen girls, but Pattz says the best day of his life had nothing to do with his role as lovelorn vamp Edward Cullen in the Twilight movies.

Instead, Robert fondly recalls encountering an elephant while in Los Angeles negotiating for a role in the forthcoming circus film, Water For Elephants.

“So this big female started sniffing my foot — big female elephant, that is…..She sniffed it so hard it came up off the pavement like her trunk was a vacuum cleaner. Then she took my entire body in her mouth. I was holding on to her head, and as I slowly let go she tightened her grip really carefully until I’m just upside down in her mouth and she’s going through my pockets with her trunk, looking for peppermints. It was the best day of my life.”

Robert On His Sexy Details Shoot: “I really hate vaginas. I’m allergic to vaginas. But I can’t say I had no idea, because it was a 12-hour shoot , so you kind of get the picture that these women are going to stay naked after, like, five or six hours…Thank God I was hungover….This shoot, it’s kind of ’80s nakedness, you know?” he said. “If you look at porn in, like, the ’80s, there was something kind of quaint about it, quite sweet – like this little naked community.”

Pattz On His Dream Job Of Political Speech Writing: “It’s fascinating. You’d have two or three minutes to affect someone. Make them hear you,” he said. “I quite enjoyed doing press for the first ‘Twilight,’ because there was a similarity… I felt a responsibility to be fascinating. You’re bargaining with the audience. Is this enough for them? And that affects the way you look at art.”

Robert Explains The Emotional Bond He Shares With His Dog! “The only emotional connection of relevance is with my dog,” Robert explained. “My relationship with my dog, it’s ridiculous….”

You can catch Robert in the romantic drama Remember Me, due in theaters March 12.

When J. Lo Met Barney: Singer/actress/diva Jennifer Lopez has already begun filming her buzzed-about guest spot on How I Met Your Mother. On Friday, HIMYM star Neil Patrick Harris TwitPic’d this flick of the “Louboutins” singer on the set of the CBS comedy.

“……Jennifer Lopez was really great – hot, cool, and funny. And well prepared! She gave me a few pointers. Here’s one….” NPH wrote.

Lopez will play self-help author Anita Appleby. She makes it her project to “break” Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) when she learns about his womanizing ways from Robin (Cobie Smulders). Jennifer is expected to make her How I Met Your Mother debut next month.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is taking a dig at The Duggars.

The controversial animal rights group has launched an advertising campaign poking fun at the stars of TLC’s 19 & Counting.

Arkansas residents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have 19 children, 10 boys and nine girls — the youngest of which was born in December. The conservative family and their lives together is the subject of the popular basic cable docu-series.

The billboards — which went up this week in various cities around the family’s home state — reads “Doggies Multiply Faster Than Duggars. Be Responsible. Always Spay and Neuter.” PETA officials say they hope the ad captures the public’s attention and encourages pet owners to spay and neuter their cats and dogs. It is a problem the group says is causing millions of kittens and puppies to be dumped at animal shelters each year — where they face an uncertain future.

“The Duggar kids will probably never need to worry about having a roof over their heads or food in their mouths, but the millions of unwanted cats and dogs born each year in this country aren’t as lucky,” the group’s Executive Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch told
“>MomLogic.com last month. “The best way to keep cats and dogs out of animal shelters is to spay and neuter all four-legged family members.”

A post on PETA’s Official Blog reads: “The reproduction debate’s heating up as TLC prepares to air the fourth season of its Duggar Family hit, 19 Kids and Counting. This season, the Duggars have upped their clan size from 18 to 19, and it has some arguing yay or nay about the ‘Duggar-style’ approach to reproduction. We say, as long as Jim Bob and Michelle are able to keep a roof over their family’s head and modern-modest clothes on their backs, there’s a far more important reproductive issue at hand. So, we’re offering to run this billboard in the Duggar’s hometown of Tontitown, Arkansas, as well as in nearby Springdale and Fayetteville.”

Two-time divorcee Madonna has been tipped for a guest appearance on the new NBC reality series The Marriage Ref.

The Material Girl, who was previously wed to British lensman Guy Ritchie and actor Sean Penn, will appear on a celebrity panel to judge other people’s domestic issues on the series from creator Jerry Seinfeld, PEOPLE.com said Friday.

The Marriage Ref will debut after the Winter Olympics. Madge is expected to tape her cameo later this month.

A Brooklyn interior designer is suing CNN anchor Anderson Cooper after she was injured in a fall inside an old New York City firehouse Cooper is converting into a new home.

Decorator Killian O’Brien claims she’s “lucky to be alive” after she tumbled 17 feet down a hole in the old fire station — now owned by Anderson — last September. The fire pole had been removed, but the hole remained uncovered, contributing to O’Brien’ fall, the woman alleges in a suit obtained by The Associated Press this week.

The Manhattan firehouse was built in 1906. The building once housed a unit of the Fire Patrol, a private firefighting organization backed by the insurance industry.

O’Brien is also suing the developer of the building.

Fun Idol Fact: Aspiring singer Janell Wheeler — reportedly the former girlfriend of University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow — has reportedly been selected as a one of the semi-finalists on the current ninth season American Idol, Real GM Sports has learned.

“Janell Wheeler, girlfriend of Tim Tebow, is on the list of “Idol” semifinalists whose names were leaked earlier this week on several Web sites,” the site claimed this week.

Janell performed “The House of the Rising Sun” to impress judges at her Idol audition in Orlando last summer and was given one of the coveted Golden Tickets to attend Hollywood Week — where she again wowed the panel with an acoustic version of Estelle and Kanye’s hit “American Boy.”

Wheeler previously won Florida’s Orlando’s Got Talent competition.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking charity single “We Are the World,” original producers Quincy Jones & Lionel Richie have given the song a makeover — with the help of 80 entertainers — to raise money for earthquake survivors in Haiti. You can help relief efforts in the poverty-stricken nation by downloading the contemporary take on this classic at World25.org, on iTunes, or on YouTube.

-In honor of Valentine’s Day, Spinner.com has unveiled it’s Top 10 “Love Sucks” Music Videos. Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me A River” made the cut…..

-Bill O’Reilly’s going to the Land of Lincoln…..

-Tiger Woods has purchased his long-suffering wife a “peace offering” — a boat…..

-Students at a Christian school in Milwaukee are encouraging scholastic achievement with a little help from “Sasha Fierce….”

-Fergie can breathe easy: Josh Duhamel’s jumpoff is not with child…..

-Drake lands his first major endorsement deal….with Sprite. Not bad for a guy who still hasn’t released an album…..

-Many Waffle House locations around the country are offering dinner by candlelight this Valentine’s Day……

-Naomi Campbell talks about using fashion to help Haiti…..

-If you’re a smooth jazz fan, like me, you can’t get enough of Sade. Here’s a couple of links to the singing legend’s live performances on The View and 106 & Park this week. Soldier of Love is expected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week…..

-Here’s a sneak peek at Monday’s episode of Bravo’s Kell on Earth. Have you been watching?

-A new trailer for Hot Tub Time Machine, which opens next month…..

-The creator of the Frisbee has died…

-Holly Robinson Peete “blushed” when she heard John Mayer’s remarks about her being “gorgeous,” but after reading the entire infamous article, she took to her blog to explain her initial reaction……

–Playboy has unveiled the list of stars who made it to their annual sexiest celebrity list. Celebs featured include Bar Refaeli, Beyonce, Megan Fox, Angelina Jolie, Joanna Krupa, Olivia Wilde, Scarlett Johansson, Alicia Keys, and LISA RINNA?!

-What’s next for Barbie? She’s embarking on two new careers; one as a computer engineer and another as a news anchor. Girl Power!

-Katharine McPhee on Good Day New York….

-For some reason, Pauly Shore was on FOX Boston this morning….

–The Biggest Loser’s Jillian Michaels responds to latest weight loss lawsuit…..

-Kate Winslet will star in a HBO miniseries directed by Todd Haynes…..

-TLC has ordered six episodes of new reality show set in a Washington cupcake shop. Cupcake Sisters follows sibling business partners, Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis, as they run DC favorite Georgetown Cupcake. The show is expected to premiere in July…..

-California stripper found guilty of setting rival dancer on fire…..

-Ke$ha’s “Backstabber” provides the soundtrack to a new promo for 90210…..

Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones’ star-studded remake of the charity classic “We Are The World” will be unveiled during tonight’s opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Twenty-five years ago, the iconic recording generated millions of dollars to aid famine relef in Africa. The recently-recorded contemporary version of the song — titled “We Are The World 25 for Haiti” — will be released tonight to aid the survivors of an earthquake that shook the poverty-striken Caribbean nation Jan. 12.

According to a press release from “We Are The World 25″ sponsor Coca-Cola, the track features: Miley Cyrus, Wyclef Jean, Jamie Foxx, Josh Groban, Keri Hilson, Zac Brown Band, Akon, Brandy, Melanie Fiona, Mya, Musiq Soulchild, Katharine McPhee, Trey Songz, Faith Evans, Joel and Benji Madden, members of Sugarland, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Mraz, India.Arie, Mary Mary, Tyrese Gibson, Raphael Saadiq, Rob Thomas, Usher, the Fray’s Isaac Slade, pianist Ethan Bortnick, Enrique Iglesias, Robin Thicke, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, the Jonas Brothers, Nicole Scherzinger, Julianne Hough, Barbra Streisand, Carlos Santana, Natalie Cole, BeBe Winans, Orianthi, Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson, Freda Payne, Harry Connick Jr., Earth, Wind & Fire, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, Tony Bennett, composer A.R. Rahman, “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson, Patti Austin and Gladys Knight. Actors Jeff Bridges, Vince Vaughn and Jimmy Jean-Louis were there, as well as some “WATW” offspring: Nicole Richie (Lionel’s daughter), “Parks and Recreation” star Rashida Jones (Quincy’s daughter) and the members of 3T (the sons of Tito Jackson), Taj, Taryll and TJ Jackson.

Visit www.WORLD25.org to download the song. Downloads will also be available on iTunes. A video accompanying the track — which was recorded at Jim Henson Studios in Los Angeles on Feb. 1 — will also be viewable on the “We Are the World 25″ YouTube Channel.

Sound the sirens and call The Fashion Police: Catherine Zeta-Jones is not a friend to the animals. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has crowned the 40-year-old Welsh-born actress the year’s biggest fashion faux paus on its annual “Worst-Dressed” List.

“With her creepy cow-skin pants, ugly fox coat, and icky alligator bag, Catherine Zeta-Jones looks like she’s working her way through Noah’s ark with a knife,” the animal rights organization said of Catherine — who they refer to as “Fur Hag” — in a statement issued Friday. “Maybe she’s trying to get into character for an upcoming role as a serial killer — or a taxidermist.”

PETA is planning to hold a protest outside the star’s Broadway play, “A Little Night Music,” before Saturday’s matinee. (I may be heading into the city tomorrow. If I see anything juicy, I’ll be sure to take a few snapshots for you. There’s nothing like an old-fashioned PETA protest. Those people are nuts!)

And Catherine’s not the only Hollywood notable getting the shaft from the controversial animal rights organization. Actress Kate Hudson, singer/actress Jessica Simpson, The Real Housewives’ Jill Zarin, and frequent target Jennifer Lopez are also on the receiving end of an ass-razzing for their love of all things fur and clad with alligator skin.

PETA says:

Jennifer Lopez: “She looks like Jenny from the butcher block in her old-school corpse coats….”

Kate Hudson: “Kate, there’s no easier way to lose a guy in 10 days than by wearing a hairball. Maybe your furs are why A-Rod ran for home……”

Goldie Hawn: “Goldie’s old-fashioned fur collection shows that she doesn’t just play dumb, she is dumb. Could her heart, like her face, be frozen in place?”

Jessica Simpson: “Jessica’s jacket, bag, and shoes all resemble her career—dead…..”

The Real Housewives of New York City’s Jill Zarin: “This Real Housewife lives in the Big Apple, and her furry fashion sense is rotten to the core…..”

Rihanna: “You’d think that being a victim of violence would have opened Rihanna’s heart to the suffering of others—like the animals who were beaten, drowned, and electrocuted for her fur coats. Girl, you’ve got beautiful eyes: Use them to see the pain and suffering your wardrobe causes….”

Music lovers in Tennessee can forget about Michael Jackson Day. The King of Pop has joined Memphis native son Justin Timberlake as the latest celeb to fail to meet the Tennessee Senate’s standards for an honoring resolution.

The proposed resolution honoring the late pop superstar received only seven votes in favor and six against. Measures need at least 17 votes to pass the state’s upper chamber. In 2007, the State Senate rejected a petition to honor Timberlake because his lyrics are “too racy.”

Sure he looks good, but now Ryan Reynolds will also smell pretty delish – the actor is the new face of Hugo Boss.

Reynolds — who will appear star in next year’s comic book blockbuster Green Lantern before reprising his role as superhero villain Deadpool in a Wolverine spinoff — has been tipped to represent two upcoming signature scents for the classic Boss brand, Women’s Wear Daily said on Friday.

“Boss is a brand that not only represents classic style and sophistication, but inspires men to work hard, embrace opportunities and strive for success in all aspects of their lives,” Reynolds tells WWD. “I’m honored Boss invited me to be the face of its new men’s fragrance.”

Ryan is married to Dolce & Gabbana spokesmodel Scarlett Johansson.

Spotted@

Danielle Hayes, an American Idol hopeful from Seattle, didn’t make it to Hollywood after all. The single mom from the Emerald City wowed the judges panel — and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham — with a soulful performance of “I’m The Only One” during Idol’s Season 9 Audition Tour stop in Denver. Sadly for Danielle, A.I. remains a family show, and the aspiring crooner, 24, recently had her Golden Ticket revoked after producers learned of her sketchy past.

As it turns out, Ms. Hayes has quite an extensive criminal background. In 2004, she received a seven year deferred sentence for drunk driving, for which she is serving her probation. Danielle also has a collar for marijuana possession on her rap sheet.

I understand Idol’s position, but it’s difficult for people to make positive changes in their lives when they’re not given a chance to……

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

A luger scheduled to compete in this year’s Winter Olympics was killed in a crash just hours before tonight’s opening ceremony in Vancouver, The Associated Press has learned.

Nodar Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old hopeful from the Republic of Georgia, lost control of his sled, went over a track wall, and struck an unpadded steel pole at high-speed during a training run at Whistler Sliding Center
early Friday. The young athlete was taken to hospital with blood pouring from a head wound after trackside emergency treatment, but doctors were unable to save his life. Video that showed Kumaritashvili flying out of his luge and slamming into the pole at nearly 90 mph has been removed from YouTube and is quickly disappearing from other video sharing sites around the Web.

Olympic competition in Men’s Luge is scheduled to begin Saturday, but questions about the track’s safety plague the aspiring medalists.

Love was in the air in Santa Monica on Wednesday as American Idol host Ryan Seacrest and his mom Connie found themselves ambushed by a dancing, kissing flash mob in the middle of their pre-Valentine’s Day luncheon. The “Kiss Mob” was put together by the manufacturers of Scope Outlast, for which Ryan is a spokesman.