Buzz Briefs: Oprah, Angelina
Oprah, Angelina Top Hollywood Reporter Lists
Oprah Winfrey tops The Hollywood Reporter's Power 100 list, an annual ranking of the most influential women in the entertainment industry.
The chairman of Harpo Inc. was selected "based on her dizzying array of Oprah-branded media and her immense cultural influence," editor-in-chief Elizabeth Guider said in a statement Friday.
The Hollywood Reporter also ranks the industry's highest-paid actresses each year. Angelina Jolie is No. 1, commanding more than $15 million a movie, followed by Julia Roberts and last year's top earner, Reese Witherspoon.
Anne Heche Is Pregnant
Anne Heche is having another baby.
Heche's representative, Nicole Caruso, has confirmed that the actress is pregnant. The father is her boyfriend and former "Men in Trees" co-star James Tupper.
Heche has a 6-year-old son, Homer, from her marriage to cameraman Coleman Laffoon. The couple divorced in June after a protracted custody dispute.
The 39-year-old actress — who was romantically linked with Ellen DeGeneres for three years — played a relationship guru who relocated to Alaska in the ABC TV drama.
Her film credits include "Wag the Dog," "John Q" and "Donnie Brasco."
"Potter" Fan Pressing On With "Lexicon"
A "Harry Potter" fan and Web site operator said Friday he's going ahead with publishing an encyclopedia after losing a lawsuit against the author of the massively popular book series.
Steven Vander Ark said at a news conference at a southwestern Michigan bookstore that Muskegon-based RDR Books will publish his "Harry Potter Lexicon" on Jan. 12. It is a 400-page unauthorized guide to the seven novels written by J.K. Rowling, and is a print version of the online encyclopedia Vander Ark launched in 2000.
A federal judge in New York ruled in favor of Rowling in September, permanently blocking publication of the reference guide. He also awarded Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. $6,750 in statutory damages.
Vander Ark, a former school librarian, and his publisher say the revised version meets specifications for such a book laid out in the judge's ruling.
"The L Word" Killing Off Major Character
Dead is the word when "The L Word" returns.
Showtime's drama about a circle of lesbian friends and lovers is going to kill off one of its major characters on the premiere of its sixth - and final - season.
The victim is Jenny Schecter, Showtime has disclosed. Jenny, a would-be writer and accomplished two-timer, has long been embraced by fans as the character they most love to hate.
The episode, which airs January 18, begins with a splash as Jenny's body is discovered in a swimming pool. Accident, or murder -- and whodunit? Viewers will have to wait for those answers.
Meanwhile, she won't be absent from the show: The remainder of the season is heavy with flashbacks of Jenny (played by Mia Kirshner) in the swim with her enemies and pals.
$1 Million Prize Commemorates Swedish Soprano
The late Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson will be commemorated through the establishment of a $1 million classical music prize.
The Birgit Nilsson Foundation said Friday the prize is being created according to the singer's wishes and is the largest in classical musical history.
The first Birgit Nilsson prize winner will be announced in 2009.
Nilsson picked the first winner herself; the name is being kept in a sealed envelope.
Singers and directors in opera and concert, along with specific productions by an opera company, are eligible for the award, which will be handed out every two or three years.
Nilsson died three years ago after having spent almost 40 years on the world's opera stages from New York's Metropolitan Opera to La Scala in Milan.
Actor Who Played "Jeffersons" Neighbor Dies
Paul Benedict, the actor who played the English neighbor Harry Bentley on the sitcom "The Jeffersons," has died. He was 70.
Benedict was found dead Monday on Martha's Vineyard and his brother, Charles, said authorities were still investigating the cause of death.
Benedict began his acting career in the 1960s in the Theatre Company of Boston, alongside such future stars as Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino.
Benedict went on to appear in a number of movies, including a role as the oddball director in "The Goodbye Girl" with Richard Dreyfuss. But he was mainly known for his role as Bentley in "The Jeffersons," which ran on CBS from 1975 to '85.
Italian Fashion Designer Gai Mattiolo Arrested For Fraud
The Italian financial police say they have arrested fashion designer Gai Mattiolo on a charge of fraudulent bankruptcy.
Officer Stefano Catorci says Mattiolo was placed under house arrest in Rome early Friday for allegedly siphoning funds from his fashion house before declaring bankruptcy.
Catorci says another suspect was also arrested on the same charges. He did not give further details because the investigation was continuing. The Rome-based fashion house Gai Mattiolo declined comment.
Mattiolo was seen as a rising star of Italian fashion in the 1990s, when his sexy, over-the-top style, laden with gold and precious beading, wowed the upscale ladies from his native Rome. His fame soon spread to the Milan and Paris runways.