Fitness guru Jack LaLanne undergoes surgery in LA
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fitness pioneer Jack LaLanne is recovering from heart valve surgery at his home in Morro Bay. LaLanne's publicist, Ariel Hankin, said Tuesday that the 95-year-old underwent the procedure at a Los Angeles hospital on Dec. 8.
`Up in the Air' soars at Globes on recession theme
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — "Up in the Air" landed at just the right time, emerging as a potential Academy Awards favorite with themes of job loss and economic calamity that offer a heartbreaking yet hilarious reflection of these hard times. The film grabbed a leading six Golden Globe nominations Tuesday, including best drama, plus directing and screenplay honors for Jason Reitman. George Clooney earned a best dramatic actor slot as a frequent-flyer junkie traveling the country in first-class seats and premium car rentals as he fires the rank-and-file at downsizing companies.
'Dance' finale expects a well-behaved Lambert
LOS ANGELES (AP) — "So You Think You Can Dance" producer Nigel Lythgoe won't predict which dancer will end up the winner on Wednesday's season finale. But he's confident that guest star Adam Lambert is going to be well-behaved. Lythgoe said he passed the message to Lambert's camp that he doesn't expect any surprises during the live, two-hour episode, airing at 8 p.m. EST on Fox.
Lil Wayne heads to NY jail in February
NEW YORK (AP) — Lil Wayne heads to jail in February in his New York gun case, just days after his next album comes out. The rap star's sentencing date is Feb. 9, set in a Manhattan state court Tuesday. The Grammy winner said nothing during his brief court appearance.
Rick Springfield memoir coming
NEW YORK (AP) — Rick Springfield is getting real. The rock star and "General Hospital" actor is working on an "extremely candid" memoir, publisher Touchstone Fireside announced Tuesday. "Late, Late at Night," which will tell of Springfield's long battle with depression, is scheduled to come out October 2010.
Stars react to Golden Globe nominations
Reactions to nominations for the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards, announced Tuesday in Beverly Hills, Calif: "The biggest effort is figuring out what to wear. If I could go in a lovely pair of black pajamas, I'd be really happy." — Glenn Close, nominated for best dramatic actress for her role in TV's "Damages."
The buddy cop genre lives again on `NCIS' spinoff
LOS ANGELES (AP) — If any series has a shot at single-handedly reviving the buddy cop genre, it's "NCIS: Los Angeles." A spinoff of the durable "NCIS," the newcomer is a hit that ranks as one of the fall season's top-rated shows. Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J, who star as slick federal agents, understand that their on-screen chemistry is a big part of the L.A. version's appeal.
Tiger Inc.'s image crash to make sponsors cautious
Can companies afford the risk of signing multimillion-dollar contracts with celebrity endorsers? The self-destruction of Tiger Inc. has some saying the billion-dollar athlete may be a thing of the past. Celebrity endorsers can help boost both the sale of products and their maker's image. But Woods' hasty and stunning downfall shows how quickly things can sour when a superstar athlete's life choices are exposed in a negative light by today's real-time tabloid news culture.
Sports Illustrated puts Stephen Colbert on cover
NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Colbert has joined the legions of athletes and swimsuit models to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated. The host of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" appears on the front of the magazine's latest issue wearing an Olympic speedskating uniform. The issue is devoted to sports media. It's on newsstands Wednesday.
Grizz Chapman of '30 Rock' needs kidney transplant
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Grizz Chapman of "30 Rock" said Monday he needs a kidney transplant and wants to raise awareness of the dangers of high blood pressure, which led to his condition. Chapman said he is receiving dialysis treatments and will continue to play Grizzwald the NBC sitcom. He and Kevin Brown, as the character Dot Com, appear as the two-man entourage for a hapless comedian played by Tracy Morgan.
