Wednesday, September 5, 2012 CYPRUS MAIL
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Showbiz Scientologists auditioned wives for Cruise PAUL Haggis insists claims that Scientologists auditioned wives for Tom Cruise are true. The October issue of Vanity Fair magazine features an article claiming the controversial church set Tom up with Scientologist and actress Nazanin Boniadi in 2004, before he dumped her and married Katie Holmes and while Tom has denied the report, the Crash director and former member of the religion says it is true. Paul – who left the organisation in 2010 – told Showbiz411: “I was deeply disturbed by how the highest ranking members of a church could so
easily justify using one of their members; how they so callously punished [Boniadi] and then so effectively silenced her when it was done. It wasn’t just the threats; they actually made her feel ashamed, when all she had been was human and trusting.” He also claimed the actress – who is said to have fallen in love with Tom and been devastated when they split - tried to repair her relationship with Scientology before resigning two years ago and said he understood her “shame”. He added: “I’ve met quite a number of people who have been treated shamefully but are afraid to speak
out...Most of the others are just ordinary people...They live in fear of retribution, legal, financial or personal... They fear an incredibly wealthy organisation that boasts that it seeks truth, empowers people, brings families together, encourages independent thought and free speech, and champions human rights. “I would like to say that I don’t know how its members, many of them good and intelligent people, can remain so purposely blind when they are faced with evidence like this every day, but then I am no one to talk. I was happily blind for many years, so I know the shame that Naz feels.”
Green Mile’s ‘John Coffey’ dies at 54 Actor ClarkeDuncan has heart attack MICHAEL Clarke Duncan, the hulking, prolific character actor whose dozens of films included an Oscar-nominated performance as a death row inmate in The Green Mile and such other box office hits as Armageddon, Planet of the Apes and Kung Fu Panda, is dead at the age of 54. Duncan died at CedarsSinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for a heart attack, said his fiancee, reality TV personality Reverend Omarosa Manigault, in a statement released by publicist Joy Fehily. The muscular, 6ft 4in Duncan, a former bodyguard who turned to acting in his 30s, “suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered”, the statement said. “Manigault is grateful for all of your prayers and asks for privacy at this time. Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date.” In the spring of 2012, Duncan had appeared in a video for Peta, the animal rights organisation, in which he spoke of how much better he felt since becoming a vegetarian three years earlier. “I cleared out my refrigerator, about 5,000 US dollars worth of meat,” he said. “I’m a lot healthier than I was when I was eating meat.” Duncan had a handful of minor roles before The Green Mile brought him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. The 1999 film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Tom Hanks as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930s. Duncan played John Coffey, a convicted murderer with a surprisingly gentle demeanour and extraordinary healing powers. Duncan’s perform-
The church set Cruise up with Nazanin Boniadi
The shooting range present BRAD Pitt has splashed out on a £250,000 shooting range as a wedding present for Angelina Jolie. The couple are set to tie the knot at their French estate Miraval later this year and Brad installed the range and an armoury on site as a gift for his bride-to-be. A source told The Sun newspaper: “Brad had a lot to live up with his wedding gift considering Angelina exchanged vials of blood with her ex-husband Billy-Bob Thornton. “But Ange clearly finds shooting an aphrodisiac. When she and Brad were around weapons on the set of 2005’s ‘Mr & Mrs Smith’ they ended up together. “And by letting Angelina de-stress at the range, he’s less likely to get earache indoors. There’s a lot to be said for that when you have six kids.” It’s no surprise Brad is pulling out all the stops as it was recently claimed that Angelina has invited her ex-husbands Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob to the wedding. A source said: “Angelina has remained close to both Jonny and Billy so they’d certainly be invited.” An insider explained: “Brad has been doing most of the wedding planning and has been having a nightmare with refurbishments at the chateau. Angelina has left it pretty much up to him and the kids who are really excited.”
French honour for McCartney
Clarke-Duncan played an innocent inmate on death row with a unusual healing gift ance caught on with critics and moviegoers and he quickly became a favourite in Hollywood, appearing in several films a year. He owed some of his good fortune to Bruce Willis, who recommended Duncan for The Green Mile after the two appeared together in Armageddon. Duncan would work with Willis again in Breakfast of Champions, The Whole Nine Yards and Sin City. His industrial-sized build was suited for everything from superhero films (Daredevil) to comedy (Talledega Nights, School for Scoundrels). His baritone alone was good enough for several animated movies, including, Kung Fu Panda, Delgo and Brother Bear. Among Duncan’s television credits: The Apprentice, The
Finder, Two and a Half Men and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Born in Chicago in 1957, Duncan was raised by a single mother whose resistance to his playing football led to his deciding he wanted to become an actor. But when his mother became ill, he dropped out of college, Alcorn State University, and worked as a ditch digger and bouncer to support her. By his mid-20s, he was in Los Angeles, where he looked for acting parts and became a bodyguard for Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and other stars. The murder of rapper Notorious B.I.G., for whom Duncan had been hired to protect before switching assignments, led him to quit his job and pursue acting full-time. Early film and television credits, when he was usu-
ally cast as a bodyguard or bouncer, included Bulworth, A Night at the Roxbury and The Players Club. Paying tribute to his Green Mile co-star, Hanks said: “I am terribly saddened at the loss of Big Mike. He was the treasure we all discovered on the set of The Green Mile. He was magic. He was a big love of man and his passing leaves us stunned.” Newsroom star Olivia Munn shared her personal memories of the actor, writing: “Michael Clarke Duncan always had a smile on his face & a big bear hug ready for you. My thoughts & prayers are with his family&friends. RIP (sic).” Actor David Boreanaz also took to twitter to remember his friend. He wrote: “R.I.P. my friend MCD. I will miss you.”
SIR PAUL McCartney is to be given a Legion d’honneur award in France. The British singer will receive the medal - France’s highest public distinction - from President Francois Hollande in Paris on Saturday. Stars including Clint Eastwood and Liza Minnelli have previously been gifted the award, created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, which is represented by a red lapel thread. The recipient of the award must pay for their own medal from a licensed jeweller, ranging from $210 to $880. However the award can also be rescinded, as it was recently in the case of disgraced British fashion designer John Galliano after he was sacked from Dior over anti-Semitic comments he made while drunk. Paul recently performed at the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games, for which he was only paid a token gesture. He said: “They
don’t pay you to perform, but what does happen is you get tickets to events, so they asked me what I would ideally like to go to, and so I sent a little list. “I’m a big fan of athletics, when that’s on the TV, I don’t go out, so the Olympic Games are great for that for me.”
Anthony signs up for X Factor MARC Anthony has signed up to be a mentor on the US X Factor. The Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter will be working alongside Simon Cowell on the talent show, helping the music mogul pick his finalists for his category, which is believed to be the groups. This news comes just over a week after it was reveled that pop star Justin Bieber had also been enlisted as a mentor on the show. He was spotted at Simon’s rival judge L.A. Reid’s house helping him select the most talented acts from his category, rumoured to be the over-25s. Justin - who was signed to Island Def Jam by L.A. - wrote on Twitter: “Long day but great day. @LA_Reid @ScooterBraun just like old times! thanks (sic)” New judge Demi Lovato is said to have enlisted the help of Nick Jonas to help her pick the best contestants and fellow new judge Britney Spears will be in charge of the 17 to 24 category. It is not clear yet who will join her during the Judges’ House part of the competition. The X Factor is set to begin on September 12 on Fox.