10. Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling
You didn’t think we’d write a list of our favorite movie couples without mentioning these two, did you? Tender, passionate, and deeply romantic, McAdams and Gosling in “The Notebook” simultaneously break our hearts and give us reason to believe in love. We’d be thrilled to see them together again on-screen and in real life.
9. Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal
Sadly, we know this is a coupling we won’t ever get to see again, but since this is a fantasy list after all, we couldn’t pass up the chance to gush about these two together. Watching Heath and Jake roll around in the hay in “Brokeback Mountain” proved to us that guy-on-guy action? So effing hot.
8. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon
They weren’t a romantic couple, but in “Thelma and Louise,” the mother of all chick flicks, Davis and Sarandon reignited Girl Power and proved that sometimes the deepest love is platonic in nature.
7. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes
On their own — or with other people — neither of these two thespians are the most likable on our list, but together, as they were in the 1996 remake of “Romeo and Juliet,” they’re totally captivating. Gone are all signs of the pretensiousness we’ve come to expect from Danes in her more recent movies, and DiCaprio’s over-acting is diluted to tolerable measure with his co-star’s sweet subtlety.
6. Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman
Sure, they played a couple in the middle of a divorce and nasty custody battle in the 1979 film, “Kramer vs. Kramer,” but the tenderness between them — not to mention the amazing Academy Award-winning acting — is something we need more of today. Plus, they’ve both had such impressive careers in the nearly 30 years since, we think there’s a great chance to catch lightning in a jar again if these two were to ever reunite on-screen.
5. Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray
Le sigh! Has there been a more bittersweet love story in recent cinematic history than between these two in “Lost in Translation”? While we love Bill Murray is nearly anything in which he appears, Scarlett Johansson’s luster just isn’t as shiny without him by her side. Together, they have a chemistry that is more kindred spirit than hot passion, a connection we yearn to see more of in this day of gratuitous sex overload.
4. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
So iconic as a couple, they don’t even need last names, but as Mr. and Mrs. Smith in the 2005 movie of the same name, the sexiest couple alive proved to viewers exactly why they belong together. The chemistry between them is palpable, and watching them together, most of us don’t know whom to envy more — her for getting to kiss him, or him for kissing her.
3. Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne
They steamed things up together in the 1993 Tina Turner biography, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”, earning Bassett an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, and Fishburne his first Oscar nomination. Fishburne has stated about Bassett: “An electrifying thing happens when the two of us work together. I haven’t experienced it with anyone else.” We experience it, too, Laurence. And we want more.
2. Winona Ryder and Johnny Depp
Surely there’s enough water under the bridge for these two, who broke their engagement in the early ’90s, to reunite on the big screen again. They were perfectly sweet and enchanting together in the 1990 movie “Edward Scissorhands” and the sight of those big, soulful eyes they both share is enough to elicit a deep sigh from even the most stoic.
1. Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey
Forget Kate and Leo; we want to see Kate and Jim together again. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is one of the few movies we’ve seen Jim Carrey in that hasn’t made us want to claw our eyes out. In fact, Carrey was downright charming, something we’re pretty sure he needs Winslet to pull off. So, what are they waiting for?
One of the most anticipated movies of the upcoming fall season is “Australia,” Baz Luhrmann’s epic mash note to his home country, which stars Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman as Outback lovers.
Kidman, more than anyone, is likely hoping it’s a hit. Despite winning an Oscar for her performance in 2002’s “The Hours,” Kidman has become the most overpaid celebrity in Hollywood.
Forbes looked at each star’s last three films that opened wide before Jan. 1 (in order to give each film time for a DVD release). They didn’t count animated movies, supporting roles or anyone consistently earning under $5 million per movie.
Nicole Kidman
Kidman has an Oscar and earns $15 million paydays, but she’s proved to offer a poor return on investment. Despite bringing in $370 million in worldwide box office, The Golden Compass only grossed $3.36 for every dollar Kidman was paid. The Invasion lost $2.68 for every dollar that went to Kidman. She has a chance for a high-profile comeback with this fall’s epic Australia, which could earn the Aussie her third best actress nomination.
For every dollar she was paid, Nicole Kidman’s movies averaged $1 of gross income.
Jennifer Garner
Garner has stayed fairly under the radar since her 2005 big-budget disaster Elektra, which cost $40 million to make and earned only $56 million worldwide. Unfortunately for Garner her follow-up films didn’t do much better. Both Catch and Release and The Kingdom underperformed at the box office.
For every dollar she was paid, Jennifer Garner’s movies averaged $3.60 of gross income.
Tom Cruise
His recent cameo as a foul-mouthed studio exec in Tropic Thunder is earning raves and might usher in the era of Tom Cruise comedies. In the meantime, Cruise has to deal with the fallout from his recent dramatic blunder, Lions for Lambs. The film’s box office ($63 million worldwide) was bad enough that even without taking any upfront pay Cruise still earned the movie only $1.88 for every dollar he was paid.
For every dollar he was paid, Tom Cruise’s movies averaged $4 of gross income.
Cameron Diaz
The highest paid actress in Hollywood, Diaz pulled in $50 million last year. But her high salary makes it hard for the romantic comedies she stars in to earn a good return. The Holiday brought in $205 million worldwide but Diaz’s high payday meant the film only grossed $3.70 for every dollar Diaz was paid.
For every dollar she was paid, Cameron Diaz’s movies averaged $4 of gross income.
Jennifer Lopez
The singer/actress/designer has struggled at the box office for the past few years, choosing small projects like 2006’s El Cantante, a low-budget musical biopic starring her husband Marc Anthony, which barely registered at the box office. Her last big film was 2005’s Monster-in-Law, which grossed $155 million worldwide returning $6.85 for every dollar Lopez was paid.
For every dollar she was paid, Jennifer Lopez’s movies averaged $4.10 of gross income.
Jim Carrey
Long gone are the days when Carrey could attract crowds with his talking backside. The actor’s latest attempt at a serious film, last year’s The Number 23, flopped at the box office, earning only $77 million worldwide. Carrey has a chance to turn things around with this winter’s Yes Man. Carrey has so much faith in the comedy that he reportedly took no money upfront for his starring performance.
For every dollar he was paid, Jim Carrey’s movies averaged $4.11 of gross income.
Nicolas Cage
2007 was a year of highs and lows for Nicolas Cage. Book of Secrets, the sequel to Cage’s 2004 hit National Treasure, grossed $456 million worldwide. The sci-fi thriller Next, released that spring, brought in only $73 million. The movie lost 50 cents for every dollar Cage was paid.
For every dollar he was paid, Nicolas Cage’s movies averaged $4.16 of gross income.
Drew Barrymore
Barrymore has been unlucky at the box office recently despite the title of her last film: Lucky You. The movie grossed a mere $8 million in worldwide box office, which means it lost 17 cents for every dollar Barrymore was paid. Maybe that’s why she’s taking a bigger role behind the camera. She’s currently directing her first film, Whip It!, about a female roller derby league.
For every dollar she was paid, Drew Barrymore’s movies averaged $4.38 of gross income.
Will Ferrell
The former Saturday Night Live star did well with high-grossing comedies like Blades of Glory. The sports tale grossed $4.95 for every dollar Ferrell was paid. But he stumbled with his more serious turn in 2006’s Stranger Than Fiction, which grossed $53 million in worldwide box office, only $1.63 for every dollar Ferrell was paid.
For every dollar he was paid, Will Ferrell’s movies averaged $4.67 of gross income.
Cate Blanchett
The actress is better known for her acting skills than her box office draw. She has been nominated for five Oscars. But she stumbled in our list with her 2003 movie The Missing, which earned only $38 million in worldwide box office but cost approximately $65 million to produce. For every dollar Blanchett was paid, the film lost $2.94. She did better with Babel, in which she played Brad Pitt’s injured wife. The film grossed $135 million worldwide, $13.20 for every dollar Blanchett earned.
For every dollar she was paid, Cate Blanchett’s movies averaged $4.97 of gross income.
All of them make entirely too much money — it is extremely amusing that both of Ben Affleck’s women made the list.
source: Hollywood’s Most Overpaid Movie Stars [forbes]
Britney Spears made a surprise appearance at a fundraiser for Jenny McCarthy’s autism charity Generation Rescue Saturday in Los Angeles.
As guests like Jim Carrey and Charlie Sheen and wife Brooke Mueller made the rounds, Spears, 26, sipped on red wine. Carrey’s daughter Jane also belted out a few Frank Sinatra and Jackson 5 tunes.
Spears, 26, “definitely looked happy,” said a witness, “She was clapping and smiling a lot.”
It was Spears’ first public outing since reaching a custody agreement with ex Kevin Federline last week.
What others said:
Dlisted says, “Brit Brit might have actually bathed! It probably took six people and plenty of Bubble Yum body wash to scrub the Cheeto crust off of her.”
source: Britney Spears Makes Surprise Appearance at Jenny McCarthy Fundraiser [us magazine]
Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy had a little bit of fun with the paparazzi outside their Malibu home.
Clearly Jim Carrey rocked the suit better, don’t you think? I bet they keep each other in stitches, I can’t even picture Carrey being “serious”.
What others said:
Dlisted says, “First of all, that suit makes his badonkadonk look fat. His chichis could use a little padding AND homegirl didn’t wax her crotch jungle.”
The Beckhams’ Welcome to America party got CRAZY! Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes turned it into the dance floor at Hyde while Jim Carrey pretended to spank Jenny McCarthy and Will Smith did the splits.
And then it got out of control when the DJ played “Old Tim Rock & Roll”, inspiring Tom to reenact the famous scene from Risky Business. While he did get on his back and kick his legs in the air, he kept his pants on. I’m sure guests were quite thankful for that.
Beckham mania continues. After playing 13 minutes with the L.A. Galaxy, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith hosted a welcome party for David and Victoria Beckham Sunday night. The bash went down at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Geffen Contemporary in L.A.
Guests of the star-studded affair included Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, Brooke Shields and husband Chris Henchy, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, Bruce Willis, newlywed Eva Longoria (without Tony Parker), Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Quincy Jones
Katie and Tom flew in from Germany just for the big event, where they hit the dance floor with the Smiths and the Beckhams.
The party appears to be a bigger success than Victoria’s NBC special, about which few people seemed to care.
Richard Jeni, a standup comedian who played to sold-out crowds, was a regular on the “Tonight Show” and appeared in movies, died of a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide, police said Sunday. Police found the 45-year-old comedian alive but gravely injured in a West Hollywood home when they responded to a call Saturday morning from Jeni’s girlfriend, Los Angeles Police Officer Norma Eisenman said. Eisenman said the caller told police: “My boyfriend shot himself in the face.” Jeni died at a nearby hospital. Eisenman said suicide had not been officially confirmed and the investigation was continuing.
Jeni regularly toured the country with a standup act and had starred in several HBO comedy specials, most recently “A Big Steaming Pile of Me” during the 2005-06 season. Another HBO special, “Platypus Man,” won a Cable ACE award for best standup comedy special, and formed the basis for his UPN sitcom of the same name, which ran for one season. Jeni’s movie credits included “The Mask,” in which he played Jim Carrey’s best friend, “The Aristocrats,” “National Lampoon’s Dad’s Week Off,” and “An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn.” He had guest appearances in the TV shows “Everybody Hates Chris,” “Married: With Children,” and updated versions of the game shows “Hollywood Squares” and “Match Game.”
The Brooklyn-born comic first received national attention in 1990 with the Showtime special “Richard Jeni: Boy From New York City.” Two years later, his “Crazy From the Heat” special attracted the highest ratings in Showtime’s history. Jeni became a frequent guest on “The Tonight Show” during Johnny Carson’s reign and continued to appear after Jay Leno took over as host. He also wrote comic material for the 2005 Academy Awards, which was hosted by his friend Chris Rock.
It’s official: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are now husband and wife. The couple exchanged vows Saturday in front of more than 150 guests at the Odescalchi Castle in Lake Bracciano, Italy.
With thousands of fans, photographers and TV cameras watching from afar, Cruise and Holmes were joined by family – Katie’s dad Martin walked her down the aisle – and a slew of celeb pals, including Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy, Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, and Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy, among others.
The sunset ceremony was performed by a Scientology minister, according to a statement from their reps. The wedding party included Cruise’s children, Isabella and Connor, the best man was Cruise’s best friend, David Miscavige – the head of the Church of Scientology – and Katie’s sister Nancy Blaylock served as the matron of honor.
Though initially there were questions about whether Cruise and Holmes’s marriage on Saturday was official – the Mayor of Bracciano, Italy, said the couple needed to have a civil ceremony in town in order to make it legal – Cruise’s reps say Tom and Katie took care of everything beforehand.
“As is customary for couples marrying outside of the United States, Cruise and Holmes officialized their marriage in Los Angeles prior to their departure for Italy,” according to the statement.
Other details released Saturday by the newlyweds:
• The bride: Holmes wore an off-the-shoulder Armani gown with a train in ivory silk cadis adorned in Valenciennes lace and Swarovski beaded crystal embroidery. Holmes also wore an ivory tulle floor-length veil and ivory silk shoes. Armani, which outfitted the entire wedding, also supplied Katie’s bouquet of calla lilies, as well as a champagne evening gown, which she wore at the reception.
• The groom: Cruise wore a navy blue Armani tux.
• The couple’s rings: Their rings were white gold Cartier with diamonds.
• The meal: After cocktails, guests were served Italian hors d’oeuvres, followed by a multi-course meal.
• The cake: Five-tiered white chocolate, decorated with marzipan roses, and studded with white chocolate chips.
• The entertainment: Italian singer Andrea Bocelli.
Saturday’s wedding started on a damp note, with scattered rain throughout the morning. Holmes and 7-month-old daughter Suri were escorted into the castle under a cluster of green umbrellas. A little over an hour later, the groom was escorted from the Hassler hotel in Rome to Lake Bracciano 18 miles away. With the sun going down, candles lit up the perimeter of the 15th-century castle as limousines carrying the guests drove through the gates.
Fans and media were kept at a safe distance from the castle: Police checkpoints prevented anyone unauthorized from getting too close, and journalists were stationed in the nearby town square.
Saturday’s ceremony brought the couple’s 19-month romance full circle: Cruise and Holmes first stepped out as a couple in Rome in April 2005, with Cruise already referring to Holmes as “amore mio” just a few weeks after their first date (sushi, a private plane ride and a motorcycle trip to the beach).
Holmes wasn’t shy about her feelings either. “(I’m) totally in love. He’s amazing, he’s kind, he’s generous. He made me laugh like I’ve never laughed,” she gushed two months later. “I feel like he’s made my life.” source
I honestly don’t understand all of this. Jim Carrey is one of the funniest actors of all-time. I love his movies… when exactly was it, that he became box office poison?
Hollywood star Jim Carrey has ditched the agency which launched his career over ten years ago after a series of big screen let-downs. The Ace Ventura star has parted company with the United Talent Agency following a tough summer; two big-budget films he was connected with - Used Guys and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not - were shut down after exceeding their $100 million-plus budgets.
No longer able to command $20 million per picture, Carrey’s most recent signings have been for low-budget productions. Carrey is not blaming the agency for the split. His publicist Marleah Leslie says, “Mr. Carrey has shared an enormous amount of success with UTA over the years for which he is truly grateful. It was a difficult decision to make, but he felt it was time to move on.” A spokesperson for UTA says, “With the possible exception of today, Jim Carrey is among the true geniuses of our generation. We wish him eternal sunshine.” source
