Issue date: July 18, 1999
After
spring's Oscars, I read that Gwyneth Paltrow, best-actress winner
for Shakespeare in Love, would raise her asking price as much as $6
million a movie. Is that typical?
Michael Budiary Medford,
Mass.
Whether the golden statue translates into bigger paychecks for the star who takes one home "depends on who their agent is," says Hollywood Variety columnist Army Archerd. Paltrow is an example of how Oscar can pay off; she reportedly made $2 million for Shakespeare and now may command $10 million. Helen Hunt negotiated her Oscar for As Good As It Gets into $1 million an episode for that last
Stella McCartney,
designer daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney, seems to be making
her own way without depending on the famous family name. I'm told
she's making waves in Europe.
Celena Barnes, Detroit
Paul and Linda McCartney's second child is making a huge splash in the international fashion world, where her talent - perhaps inherited from her dad, who loved to draw as a boy - generally is well reviewed. But the name helps, and she's not averse to using it. Her spring collection for Chloe, where she's head designer, was set to the Beatles' Hey Jude; among celebs in the audience were Ringo Starr and wife Barbara Bach, along with Dad. Still recovering from
Help me
prove my buddies wrong. I say hoops superstar Michael Jordan makes
more than pop superstar Michael Jackson.
Robert Brown, New York City
You're correct. The latest figures show Jordan, 36, earning $69 million a year; Jackson, 41, about $20 million. Besides cash, Jordan has more power than Jackson: Forbes put the retired Chicago Bull atop its newest power list, the Celebrity 100. Forbes' editors tell us Jackson didn't even qualify. The 100 updates the magazine's other popular earnings lists, Top 40 Athletes and Top 40 Entertainers, and adds a splash of other celebs such as supermodels
I never
miss NPR's Talk of the Nation; host Ray Suarez is so authoritative.
Where was he educated?
Maryann Roylo, Mililani, Hawaii
"New York City public schools," says Suarez, who grew up in Brooklyn but now lives with wife Carole and two kids in D.C. He earned a bachelor's in African history at NYU and a master's in social sciences at the University of Chicago before entering a profession where he keeps learning. Suarez, who has a slew of awards for his work, tells us he doesn't believe in communications degrees. "If they want to go into the news business, I advise young people to study economics, history." History is a passion, and
"Street
magician" David Blaine, already hot enough to merit his own network
specials, really drew attention recently when he was "buried alive"
for seven days. Where did he get his start? Are his abilities for
real?
Phillip Felicetti, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Like all magicians, Blaine, 26, won't reveal his secrets. "I have the ability to bring people to a place where they believe," he once told People. Whether levitating on the street, performing tricks in a Venezuelan forest or being buried in a clear-topped coffin in New York, the enigmatic illusionist dazzles audiences. He claims to come from a clan of gypsies; by age 4, he was turning card tricks. Pals and admirers include Leonardo DiCaprio and Woody Allen. Though he split with
Kevin Kline,
starring with Will Smith in Wild Wild West, married a pretty young
actress a few years ago, but I can't remember who. Do they have
a family?
Grace Richardson, Chicago
It's been 10 years since Kline married Phoebe Cates (Fast Times at Ridgemont High); they have two children, Owen, 6, and Greta, 4. Fatherhood, Kline says, "redefined my whole existence! I can only be a narcissist in name. I don't have the time to put in on myself anymore. There's an imperative greater than self." With Michelle Pfeiffer, Kline starred in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, playing Bottom, the weaver who is turned into a donkey. Many people dislike Shakespeare, Kline says, "because it's taught so miserably,
Contributing: Bart Mills, Jeanne Wright
Go to top
Birthdays
July 18 Steve Forbes, 52; Hunter Thompson, 60; John Glenn,
78
July 19 Anthony Edwards, 36; George McGovern, 77
July 20 Scout LaRue Willis, 8; Perry Moore, 31
July 21 Robin Williams, 47; Kenneth Starr, 53; Janet Reno,
61; Don Knotts, 75
July 22 David Spade, 34; Danny Glover, 52; Bob Dole, 76
July 23 Marlon Wayans, 27; Eriq LaSalle, 37; Woody Harrelson,
38
July 24 Anna Paquin, 17; Jennifer Lopez, 29; Laura Leighton,
31; Kadeem Hardison, 34
|
