McAvoy's Been Keeping Busy

Another man who's had no time for idleness is Scottish actor James McAvoy. He has four films out this year, two being animated offerings Gnomeo and Juliet and Arthur Christmas, along with The Conspirator, and the the one that's getting the most media attention at the moment, X Men: First Class, due out in June.

A prequel to the original X Men film, First Class charts the beginning of the saga, when the young Magneto and Charles Xavier were still close friends discovering their powers. McAvoy takes on the role of Xavier and has said it was an exciting opportunity to do a completely different take on the character, while also citing Patrick Stewart and being a fan of the comic book series from a young age as reasons for taking the role.
I can't wait to see him in the role, being a fan of the series myself, although nothing he could do will ever top his turn as the charming, well dressed and all round amazing Tom Lefroy in Becoming Jane.

James has hinted at the fact that he may take a break from filming for a while, in order to spend more time with his wife Anne-Marie Duff and their little boy Andrew. Although he does have a couple more projects lined up before then. Hopefully it won't be too long a break, but atleast he's left enough McAvoy action to keep us sated for a while!

Gary Oldman Named Film Icon

Gary Oldman recieved the Film Icon Award at this years Jameson Empire Awards, held exactly a month after the Oscars.
Joking backstage after the event, Oldman said the award proved he was still in the game, going on to say Jonathan Ross had told him it was the 'You're still alive award.'
 Oldman was presented the award by fellow actor Colin Firth, who awas also a winner on the night, taking home the Best Actor award for his role in The Kings Speech.

Other winners included Chloe Moretz for Best Newcomer, Noomi Rapace for Best Actress, Keira Knightley for The Empire Hero Award and Edgar Wright, who had a double win, with Best Director and the Inspiration Award.

Reese Ties the Knot

Reese Witherspoon married agent Jim Toth in a relatively intimate ceremony (by Hollywood standards anyway) at her home in Ojai, California on Saturday.
The couple exchanged vows in front of around 120 friends and family, including Renee Zellweger, Matthew McConaughy, Tobey Maguire and Robert Downey Jr. Reese wore a custom gown by Monique Lhuillier and walked down the aisle to the traditional bridal chorus. Obviously not averse to a bit of wedding cheese, 80 white doves were released into the California sunshine as Tennessee Waltz played, after the couple said their 'I do's'

This is Jom Toth's first marriage and Witherspoons second, having previously been married to Ryan Phillipe, with whom she has two children, Deacon and Ava.

Congratulations Reese and Jim!

James Franco is at it Again

Never one to shy away from self promotion, Mr Franco has been at it again. This time, he's showing off his painting skills. Seen in this short clip painting a self portrait entitled James 'The Thinker' Franco, he shows off not only yet another artisitic talent (that is if he actually painted it himself), but also, hopefully, that he doesn't take himself too seriously. Well, that's how i'm choosing to read it anyway.

Inbetween painting, hosting the Oscars and working on a few advanced degrees, Franco has comedy Your Highness set for release soon, and has just signed on to play an illusionist and con man in the Sam Raimi directed Oz: The Great and Powerful, alongside Mila Kunis.

James Franco on WhoSay

Ed, Where Have You Been?

My friend Clare mentioned recently, on hearing about my blog and the people I'd been writing about that I had missed someone very important out, Edward Norton. It got me thinking that, although he's never been one to grace the pages of Heat magazine like so many other celebs, I haven't seen him in the news much at all recently.
So I started digging around, and sure enough, he's been there, keeping himself busy under the radar.

Focusing more on charity work than films in recent years, most recently Norton has been campaigning to raise funds for those affected by the Japan Earthquake. To find out more visit the website Crowdrise, where Norton, and many others are doing a fantastic job of raising money and awareness, but having fun at the same time. He didn't become the 'Tsar' of charity for nothing you know.

Norton's most recent films, Leaves of Grass, and Stone, with Robert De Niro, have bypassed cinemas completely, heading straight for dvd shelves instead. He's not particularly bothered by this, although will sand behind and support both films, claiming De Niro in Stone is at the best he's been in years.

And what's in the pipeline for Ed besides doing good things for the world? He's signed on for the new Wes Anderson project, Moonrise Kingdom, alongside a host of others, including longtime Anderson collaborator's Jason Schwartzman and Bill Murray, as well as Bruce Willis and Tilda Swinton. Moonrise Kingdom is set for release in 2012.

Jake Friday!

I couldn't possbly let another Friday pass without a Jake Gyllenhaal update. Thankfully, to help me along a little, he's been in the news quite alot recently. My favourite of it all must be his interview on Jimmy Kimmel though. For anyone who wasn't in love with him before, you will be after this. Doing these interviews are often, I imagine, a chore for many actors. They have to do it, as they have films to promote (Jake's being The Source Code, his new Sci-Fi Thriller), but I'm sure they'd much rather be somewhere else.
Gyllenhaal on the other hand, acts as if there's nowhere he'd rather be. Of course, the man has won a BAFTA, so it could all be an ac, but I'd like to think he was enjoying it.

Anyway, watch it, or at least part one, which I'll post at the end of this.
In other news, the gay rumours are back again, because he happens to have a good friend who is male, and a stylist. Just because he played a gay man on tv, doesn't make him one. And gay or not, really, what difference does it make, he's still beautiful.

Probably not helping the gay rumours much is his recent admission that he likes singing along to Whitney whilst playing a spot of tennis on the Wii, with I Will Always Love You, from The Bodyguard being his personal favourite. Now thats a sight I'd like to see!

Fashionably Late until the End

Elizabeth Taylor's funeral was hld yesterday, a day after she passed away at the age of 79.
The world has lost another, and sadly one of only a handful of the great goddesses of the silver screen, but as only she could, Liz went out in style.
Fashionably late style in fact, as Taylor left instructions stating she would like to arrive 15 minutes late for her funeral in Los Angeles. A goddess until the end.