Celebrity Gossip

[Abigail]

Work on Heath Ledger's last film, suspended due to his death by accidental overdose in January, has resumed after three Hollywood stars agreed to play his character, director Terry Gilliam said on Monday.

Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell and Jude Law will step in to complete Ledger's unfinished role in the movie "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," portraying various incarnations of his character, but Ledger's presence in the movie will also be maintained.

"Since the format of the story allows for the preservation of his entire performance, at no point will Heath's work be modified or altered through the use of digital technology," the film's producers said in a statement.

"Each of the parts played by Johnny, Colin and Jude is representative of the many aspects of the character that Heath was playing," they added.

Gilliam said filming on the British-Canadian production, due for release next summer, had resumed in Vancouver "with the blessing and support of Heath Ledger's family."

Ledger had just finished shooting scenes for the movie in London before his death. Newspapers have reported that the story involves a magical mirror that takes people into different dimensions, allowing Gilliam to switch between actors.

"I am delighted that Heath's brilliant performance can be shared with the world," Gilliam said. "We are looking forward to finishing the movie and, through the film, with a modicum of humility, being able to touch people's hearts and souls as Heath was able to do."

"The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is described as a modern-day fantasy adventure and has a budget estimated at $30 million.

[Abigail]

Actress Melissa Joan Hart has given birth to her second baby.

The 31-year-old, who starred in US show Sabrina the Teenage Witch, welcomed a son with husband Mark Wilkerson yesterday afternoon.

Braydon Hart Wilkerson was born after a 10-hour labour and weighed in at 7lbs 3oz, reports People magazine.

Hart previously said: "This has been a long but exciting pregnancy, and we along with Mason are excited to add to the Wilkerson clan."

She met her husband, a guitarist for rock band Course of Nature, at a Kentucky Derby event in May 2002 and they married in Italy the following year.

She gave birth to their first son Mason in January 2006.

[Chloe O'brien]

Owen Wilson allegedly charged at a photographer in Miami, reports Page Six.

The actor is reported to have confronted photographer Manny Hernandez after he began to take pictures of the Wedding Crashers star at a party.

A witness is quoted as saying: "There were 150 people who watched Wilson jump across the pool, making a complete ass of himself."

Photographer Hernandez claimed that Wilson charged at him and screamed hysterically, demanding he delete the photos.

"I've been shooting in Miami for 18 years and I have a good reputation. A lot of friends and clients were there, and that looked so bad for me," Hernandez said.

Wilson is rumoured to be dating his Marley and Me co-star Jennifer Aniston.

[Chloe O'brien]

Actress Zoe Lucker is pregnant, reports The Sun.

Lucker, who rose to fame as Tanya Turner on Footballers' Wives, is four months pregnant with fiancé James Herbert. The child will be the couple's first.

"Zoe and James couldn't be happier," a source revealed.

The 33-year-old is currently appearing as Kate Keenan in the BBC's Holby City spinoff HolbyBlue.

The show, created by Tony Jordan (EastEnders, Life On Mars), will return to BBC One on March 20.

[Siobhan]

The science fiction writer Sir Arthur C Clarke - famed for his visionary predictions of the future - has died aged 90. He will be remembered as someone who for more than half a century popularised scientific reality through science fiction, and who lived long enough to see many of his most outlandish predictions become first fact and then history.
In more than 70 books, countless short stories, articles, film scripts and TV shows, Clarke painted his vision of the future that may at times have veered towards the romantically idealistic but was nevertheless always grounded in plausible scientific reality.

[Abigail]

The Telegraph reported today that Dame Maggie Smith (Prof. McGonagall) is fighting a private battle with breast cancer. "She is dealing with it in her typically brave and understated way," says a friend of hers. "She has had a tumour removed and subsequently completed a course of chemotherapy. This was precautionary and the prognosis looks good. The last thing she wants to do is to make a fuss about it."

The article continues, stating that "the 73-year-old Oscar winner insisted on going ahead with filming her role as Minerva McGonagall in the latest installment of the Harry Potter series last month even as she was undergoing radiation therapy."

[Perdita]

The Telegraph reported today that Dame Maggie Smith (Prof. McGonagall) is fighting a private battle with breast cancer. "She is dealing with it in her typically brave and understated way," says a friend of hers. "She has had a tumour removed and subsequently completed a course of chemotherapy. This was precautionary and the prognosis looks good. The last thing she wants to do is to make a fuss about it."

The article continues, stating that "the 73-year-old Oscar winner insisted on going ahead with filming her role as Minerva McGonagall in the latest installment of the Harry Potter series last month even as she was undergoing radiation therapy."

The TV news said that she is refuting these statements, not sure what to believe right now. Whatever, I hope she recovers from any illness she might have.

[Abigail]

The Telegraph reported today that Dame Maggie Smith (Prof. McGonagall) is fighting a private battle with breast cancer. "She is dealing with it in her typically brave and understated way," says a friend of hers. "She has had a tumour removed and subsequently completed a course of chemotherapy. This was precautionary and the prognosis looks good. The last thing she wants to do is to make a fuss about it."

The article continues, stating that "the 73-year-old Oscar winner insisted on going ahead with filming her role as Minerva McGonagall in the latest installment of the Harry Potter series last month even as she was undergoing radiation therapy."

The TV news said that she is refuting these statements, not sure what to believe right now. Whatever, I hope she recovers from any illness she might have.

I got this from mugglenet. I hope its not true.

[Chloe O'brien]

The husband of British soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae has been found dead.

The body of saxophonist Jason Rae, 31, was found in a flat in Leeds on Saturday, said West Yorkshire Police.
A police spokesman said officers arrested a 32-year-old man on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs. He has since been released on police bail.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on the body but the results were inconclusive and police said they were awaiting toxicology reports.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said officers were called to a flat in the Hyde Park area of the city on Saturday afternoon where they found the body of a 31-year-old man.
"As a result of inquiries a 32-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs," the spokesman said.
"He has now been released on police bail pending further inquiries."
'Funk extravaganza'
Jason Rae, a saxophonist in the band The Haggis Horns, had been due to play a gig at the HiFi Club in Leeds on Sunday night.
The club confirmed that the gig had been cancelled.
The Haggis Horns are described on their MySpace page as "an eight-piece live funk extravaganza."
The group had previously performed and recorded with Bailey Rae as well as Amy Winehouse and Mark Ronson.
They released their debut album last September.
Number one
Leeds-born Bailey Rae, 29, met her husband when she worked as a cloakroom attendant in a Leeds jazz club when she was a student in the city.
The pair married in 2001 when she was 22.
Bailey Rae's record label said in a statement on Sunday: "EMI Records would like to offer its sincere condolences to Corinne Bailey Rae and the Rae family at this tragic time.
"We ask that the media respects Corinne's privacy and that of her entire family."
The singer was last month recognised at the Grammy awards for her contribution to the record that won the album of the year, Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters.
She achieved fame with her self-titled debut album which went to number one in the UK charts and sold more than a million copies in the US.
The singer-songwriter was named best newcomer in the Mojo and Q Awards and picked up two Mobos. According to reports, she recently spent a week working on her new album at Warren House Farm studio near Scarborough in north Yorkshire.

[Abigail]

Former Coronation Street star Tina O'Brien is pregnant with her first child.

The actress and her partner Ryan Thomas, better known as Weatherfield builder Jason Grimshaw, celebrated their happy news at a family dinner earlier this week.

A source told The Sun: "The baby wasn't planned, but now the news has sunk in they couldn't be happier."

Tina admitted last year that her part as mum Sarah Platt on the ITV1 soap was making her feel "broody". However, her main focus had been on finding work after filming her final scenes for the show.

A Corrie spokeswoman said: "Ryan and Tina can confirm they are expecting a baby and are absolutely delighted at the happy news."