Jim Parsons, the American actor famous for his portrayal of a quirky, self-centered scientist Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, earned a star on Wednesday on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Parsons, 41, was flanked by Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting, Johnny Galecki and the rest of his castmates in the wildly popular series now going into its eighth season. Fans jostled for autographs. "One of the things I know is, the main reason I'm in this career and here today, is because of my family and the support they gave me, and the way I was encouraged to pursue this insane dream of acting, from Texas to here," Parsons said looking at his mother and partner, art director Todd Spiewak. But "the biggest reason is because I had the chance to play this incredible character that I neither created, nor write for, nor put into a series. "That credit goes to Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady and Steve Molaro. And the credit goes to the rest of the cast," said Parsons, an Emmy and Golden Globe-winner. Parsons plays a highly intelligent yet ill-adapted university professor — mad about comic books and video games — whose group of mostly scientist friends help expose him to the real world in seemingly endless, and painful, ways. The show has been a top US TV comedy for years. "You have accomplished something that's beyond imagination. This is just the beginning," Lorre said. "People laugh at your work, and their life is a little bit better. I'm deeply proud of you." – AFP
Monty Python anniversary celebration planned for Tribeca
A 40th anniversary celebration for Monty Python and the Holy Grail is coming in the general direction of the Tribeca Film Festival. The New York festival announced Wednesday that the film's anniversary will be marked with a special screening of the film, attended by the comedy group's five living members. They will attend the April 24 screening at the Beacon Theatre. One Python, Michael Palin, says the group is hoping to meet anyone who can remember why they made the movie. He calls it "a documentary about coconuts that rather lost its way." Another Python, Terry Gilliam, says a "lack of money" saved the film from mediocrity. Says Gilliam: "We couldn't afford real horses." A documentary about the Pythons' 2014 reunion shows in London will also premiere at Tribeca. – AP
Streisand to present Redford 42nd annual Chaplin Award
Robert Redford will receive Lincoln Center's 42nd annual Chaplin Award from his The Way We Were co-star, Barbra Streisand. The Film Society of Lincoln Center announced on Wednesday that Redford will receive the award at an April 27 gala. Joining Streisand as presenters are Jane Fonda, John Turturro and All Is Lost director J C Chandor. Redford also will be celebrated with a seven-film tribute. The Film Society will screen his Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Candidate, Jeremiah Johnson, Ordinary People Quiz Show, Three Days of the Condor and The Way We Were over April 24-27. The award is named after Charlie Chaplin. Previous recipients include Alfred Hitchcock, James Stewart and Meryl Streep. Last year, it was given to Rob Reiner.
Upcoming films for the 78-year-old Redford include the Bill Bryson memoir adaptation A Walk in the Woods and the Dan Rather docudrama Truth. – AP
Celine Dion to return to stage, but when?
A representative for Celine Dion says the singer will return to the Las Vegas stage but offered no dates for future performances. Dion hasn’t performed since her July 29 show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. She has been suffering from inflammation of her throat muscles and caring for her husband who had a cancerous tumour removed in 2013. Aldo Giampaolo said in a statement emailed on Wednesday that he wanted to reassure Dion’s fans. He says the contracts for four of Dion’s band members would not be renewed when they expire this weekend. A Caesars Entertainment spokeswoman says the company and show producer AEG are ready to welcome Dion back to the venue as soon as she is ready but confirmed that there are no performance dates to announce. – AP
Rock band Muse announce new album and tour
British rock band Muse announced the release of a new album called Drones and a tour on Wednesday, keeping up with previous themes of science fiction and political unease. Lead singer Matt Bellamy said the band's seventh studio album will be released on June 8, after months of hinting that new work was on the way. "To me, Drones are metaphorical psychopaths which enable psychopathic behaviour with no recourse. The world is run by Drones utilising Drones to turn us all into Drones," Bellamy said. "This album explores the journey of a human, from their abandonment and loss of hope, to their indoctrination by the system to be a human drone, to their eventual defection from their oppressors." A new track, Psycho, will be released on YouTube on Thursday, followed by the release of the album's first single Dead Inside on March 23. The band is to play a series of live shows across Britain in March, followed by a tour that will pass through countries including Germany, Russia and France. Hailing from Devon in England, the band's signature fusion of genres has found considerable success over a 21-year career, and the group composed the official song of the London Olympics in 2012. Previous hits include anthems Time is Running Out and Supermassive Black Hole, and the band had sold over 20 million albums worldwide. – AFP
Writer, director of Still Alice dies at 63
Richard Glatzer, the co-director and co-writer of Still Alice, for which Julianne Moore won a Best Actress Oscar last month, died Wednesday aged 63 of ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. "I am devastated. Rich was my soul mate, my collaborator, my best friend and my life. Seeing him battle ALS for four years with such grace and courage inspired me and all who knew him," Wash Westmoreland, the film's co-director, said on Twitter. "In this dark time, I take some consolation in the fact that he got to see Still Alice go out into the world. He put his heart and soul into that film and the fact that it touched so many people was a constant joy to him." Moore, 54, who stars as a linguistics professor with early-onset Alzheimer's in Still Alice, won her latest Academy Award on February 22, another high point in her career spanning a quarter-century. ALS is a progressive degenerative nervous system disease that weakens muscles and physical functioning. – AP
