Race row erupts over casting of Angelina Jolie as Cleopatra
She hasn’t even been officially confirmed for the role, but Angelina Jolie is already receiving criticism over her possible portrayal of the legendary Queen of the Nile.
Jolie, who turned 35 last week, is caught up in a racially charged debate over whether the role should have been played by a black woman. The Egyptian royal was most famously portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor in 1963. The new film’s producer, Scott Rudin, previously told USA Today the role is being developed with Angelina in mind as she has “the perfect look”. But this statement has angered members of the African-American community. An Essence Magazine online story asks: ‘Another White Actress to Play Cleopatra?’ “Honestly, I don’t care how full Angelina Jolie’s lips are, how many African children she adopts, or how bronzed her skin will become for the film, I firmly believe this role should have gone to a black woman.” Jolie adopted her daughter Zahara, five, from Ethiopia and gave birth to Shiloh, 3, in Namibia. She also has three other children with partner, Brad Pitt. “Were Vanessa Williams, Halle Berry and Thandie Newton unavailable for auditions that day?” the writer continued. The film is being directed by Ocean’s 11’s Steven Soderbergh, who originally planned to turn Cleopatra into a $30-million 3-D epic starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Hugh Jackman. The casting of Jolie has been backed by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stacy Schiff, who wrote the book that the film is based on –Cleopatra: A Life. “I think [Jolie] would be perfect for it,” she said. The original film was one of the most infamous films of all time. With several delays lasting months due to illness, crew strikes, a change of director and even deaths on set, the movie became the most expensive film ever made —nearly bankrupting 20th Century Fox.
— Daily Mail
Ugly Betty star America Ferrera set to wed long-term boyfriend Ryan Piers Williams.
The actress revealed her diamond engagement ring at the Edinburgh Film Festival on Wednesday and a spokesperson confirmed the engagement yesterday.
The low-key couple met at the University of Southern California when America agreed to star in one of Ryan’s student film. The aspiring director currently works for Hollywood producer Steven Soderbergh and the happy couple live in LA with their golden retriever called Buddy. Ferrera was in Scotland promoting her new film, The Dry Island, which her new fiancé both wrote and directed. It follows an American soldier returning home from war who struggles to reconcile his experiences with the life and family he left in Texas. The final episode of Ugly Betty aired in April after a three-year run. The finale showed Ferrera’s Betty leave Mode magazine to go to England for a new job.
— Daily Mail
Cristiano Ronaldo takes his shirt off AGAIN for new Nike advert
He’s already managed to wow the ladies with his six pack in a brand new Armani advert.
And now Cristiano Ronaldo is offering another eyeful of his torso by stripping off yet again for a Nike Portugal advertising campaign. The ad shows footage of the 25-year-old Real Madrid player in the locker room as he prepares for a Portugal International match. It also sees him getting treated by staff in the dressing room following the game. Clad in white Nike shorts, the shirtless Ronaldo laughs and jokes with teammates as a bandage is taken off his ankle. The slogan for the advert is Escreve O Futuro, which means ‘Write The Future’ in Portuguese. The footballer is currently with the Portuguese World Cup squad in South Africa where he played in the team’s recent goalless draw with the Ivory Coast.
— Daily Mail