Buzz Briefs: Anderson Cooper, Kutcher
Anderson Cooper Back At Work After Surgery
CNN's Anderson Cooper was back at work Wednesday after minor surgery two days earlier to remove a cancerous mole from underneath his left eye.
There was no indication the skin cancer had spread, spokeswoman Shimrit Sheetrit said.
He blogged about his procedure Wednesday, when he was following Barack Obama, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, for a special edition of Cooper's nightly news show.
"I hadn't planned on mentioning this," said Cooper, 40. "But I still have stitches and you'll no doubt notice them. ... Don't want you to think I got into a fistfight with Charlie Rose."
Ashton Kutcher, Jamie Lynn Spears To Appear On ABC's Sitcom "Miss Guided"
That's the idea behind the new ABC sitcom "Miss Guided." Or as Judy Greer puts it: "If you could do it all over again in high school, would you?"
Greer stars as Becky Freeley, who returns to her alma mater a few years later as a guidance counselor. Her character's return gives her a shot at "doing it better the second time around," she said.
The 32-year-old actress said that like Freeley, she "was sort of a loser in high school."
Greer's screen credits include "27 Dresses," "13 Going on 30" and the upcoming "Traveling," starring Jennifer Aniston. She has appeared on television's "My Name Is Earl" and "Arrested Development."
Greer said she usually plays the best friend or the offbeat character.
Ashton Kutcher, who produces the series, will appear in an upcoming episode as a substitute teacher. Jamie Lynn Spears, who plays a student more interested in studying her boyfriend, will also make a guest appearance.
Britain Welcomes James Bond To Theaters Early
Sony Pictures says "Quantum of Solace," the latest 007 adventure, will be released in Britain on Oct. 31. The film had been due to open Nov. 7, which is still its scheduled release date in North America.
Daniel Craig is returning as the suave British spy, tracking down a shadowy international conspiracy whose leader is played by French actor Mathieu Almaric.
Sequences are being filmed in Panama, Chile, Austria, Italy and at Pinewood Studios near London.
George Clooney Returns To Kentucky For Film Screening
The 46-year-old actor-director will visit the northern Kentucky town Monday night for a special screening of his new movie, "Leatherheads," his father, Nick Clooney, said Tuesday.
"The whole town is abuzz," said Maysville Mayor David Cartmell.
Clooney, who won an Oscar for his role in "Syriana," grew up in the town of Augusta, about 16 miles west of Maysville.
The setting has special significance for the Clooney family. In 1953, "The Stars Are Singing," starring Rosemary Clooney, George Clooney's aunt, premiered in Maysville.
"Leatherheads," which also stars Renee Zellweger, is a romantic comedy set in the world of 1920s professional football. The film will be in theaters April 4.
Robin Williams To Guest On "Law & Order: SVU"
Photos: George Clooney in "Leatherheads"
Williams is playing an "engineer whose life has gone terribly wrong" and who faces serious repercussions, series spokeswoman Pam Golum said Tuesday. The episode, which films later this month, is scheduled to air April 29.
After his breakthrough role on the 1980s sitcom "Mork & Mindy," Williams' career has mostly centered on a mix of movies, including "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Dead Poets Society" and "Patch Adams." He won an Academy Award for 1997's "Good Will Hunting."
The "Special Victims Unit" episode with Williams, titled "Authority," is the show's 200th, Golum said.
ABC News To Air Prostitution Special
Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's call girl scandal prompted ABC News to give the go-ahead to a two-hour prime-time special on prostitution that includes Diane Sawyer's visit to a legal brothel in Nevada.
The "20/20" special, which airs 9 p.m. EDT Friday, has been in the works for two years. It was expected to be on sometime in May or June, but ABC moved it up because Spitzer's resignation last week put the topic in the headlines, said David Sloan, executive producer of ABC's newsmagazines.
"It has taken a lot of time and I think it's going to be very provocative," Sloan said.
The special's lengthy gestation did not indicate any cold feet on the part of ABC about airing it, he said. It will be on during the same week that the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would hear a major case about broadcast indecency.
On "Prostitution in America: Working Girls Speak," Sawyer interviews sex workers in poor neighborhoods outside Philadelphia and in one of Nevada's legal brothels. ABC hurriedly set up interviews with some highly paid prostitutes who work the luxury penthouses in a nod to the Spitzer scandal.
March 18, 2008
Busta Rhymes Gets Probation, Warning From Judge
A judge sentenced Busta Rhymes to three years' probation Tuesday for assaulting his former driver and a fan, and warned the rapper to stay out of trouble.
The 35-year-old Rhymes, whose real name is Trevor Smith, was also ordered to perform 10 days of community service; pay a $1,250 fine, plus court costs; and enroll in a drunken driving program.
Rhymes pleaded guilty in January on the day he was set to go to trial on the assault and driving offenses related to four separate incidents.
At that time, Stephen revoked Rhymes' driver's license for six months and signed an order of protection directing him to stay away from his former driver.
His hits include "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See," "Dangerous" and "Touch It." He also has appeared in movies, including "Shaft" and "Finding Forrester."