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‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas has topped a poll by Forbes.com after making $170 million in the past year, mainly thanks to his production company Lucasfilm – which is behind the sci-fi franchise and numerous other projects.

The movie mogul – who was placed 243rd in 2007 - saw huge success from last year’s film and subsequent TV series ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ and the adventure movie ‘Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull’.

Award-winning director Steven Spielberg came second after he earned an estimated $150 million between June 2008 and June 2009.

His enormous salary came from directing the ‘Indiana Jones’ movie and producing films ‘Eagle Eye’, ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7’ and ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer came third with $100 million.

Other high-earners in the poll include music mogul Simon Cowell – who is behind reality TV shows ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, ‘The X Factor’ and ‘American Idol’, and runs his own record company SyCo – with $75 million and comic actor Jerry Seinfeld who raked in $85 million.

Rocker Bruce Springsteen was named the highest-earning musician after coming joint ninth with DJ Howard Stern. The ‘Philadelphia’ singer secured funds of $70 million over the last 12 months.

The list of producers, actors, writers, musicians and industry leaders was compiled through discussions with managers, agents and other Hollywood insiders to estimate their gross earnings for the year.

Forbes.com’s top 10 Highest-Paid Men in Hollywood:

1 – George Lucas - $170 million

2 - Steven Spielberg - $150 million

3 - Jerry Bruckheimer - $100 million

4 – Jerry Seinfeld - $85 million

5 – Dr. Phil McGraw - $80 million

6 = Tyler Perry - $75 million

6 = Dick Wolf - $75 million

6 = Simon Cowell - $75 million

9 = Bruce Springsteen - $70 million

9 = Howard Stern - $70 million

The US comedy TV series 30 Rock – which stars Alec Bladwin and Tina Fey – is up for three of the most prestigious accolades, Best Comedy, Best Comedy Actor and Best Comedy Actress.

The show will battle ‘Entourage’, ‘Family Guy’, ‘Flight of the Conchords’, ‘How I Met Your Mother, ‘The Office’ and ‘Weeds’ for the Best Comedy trophy.

Alec – who plays TV executive Jack Donaghy in the series – received a Best Comedy Actor nod, and will compete against ‘Flight of the Conchords’ star Jemaine Clement, Charlie Sheen for his role in ‘Two And A Half Men’, Tony Shalhoub for ‘Monk’, ‘The Office’ actor Steve Carell and Jim Parsons for ‘The Big Bang Theory’.

Expressing his shock at his nomination, Jim – who announced the list alongside ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ star Chandra Wilson - said: “No?! This is some sort of trick fest.”

Tina – who plays comedy writer Liz Lemon in ’30 Rock’ – will compete for the Best Comedy Actress accolade along with Christina Applegate for ‘Samantha Who?’, Julia Louis-Dreyfus in ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’, Sarah Silverman for her self-titled show, ‘Weeds’ actress Mary-Louise Parker and Toni Collette for ‘United States of Tara’.

Advertising drama ‘Mad Men’ has picked up 16 nominations, including a nod in the esteemed ‘Best Drama’ category, in which it will compete against ‘Big Love’, ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘Damages’, ‘Dexter’ and ‘House’ and ‘Lost’.

Film actresses Drew Barrymore and Sigourney Weaver are both up for Best Actress in a Mini-series, Drew for her role in ‘Grey Gardens’ – about the eccentric aunt and cousin, both called Edith Bouvier Beale, of US First Lady Jackie Onassis - and Sigourney for ‘Prayers for Bobby’, about a gay rights crusader.

Kiefer Sutherland is nominated in the Best Actor in a Mini-series for his portrayal of tough Jack Bauer in ’24: Redemption’, with Sir Ian McKellen receiving a nod for his part in ‘King Lear’ and Kevin Bacon for ‘Taking Chance’.

The 61st Emmy Awards will be held on Sunday September 20 is Los Angeles. ‘How I Met Your Mother’ actor Neil Patrick Harris is due to host the ceremony.

61st Emmy Awards partial list of nominees:

Outstanding Drama Series:
‘Big Love’
‘Breaking Bad’
‘Damages’
‘Dexter’
‘House’
‘Lost’
‘Mad Men’

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series:
Bryan Cranston – ‘Breaking Bad’
Michael C. Hall – ‘Dexter’
Hugh Laurie – ‘House’
Gabriel Byrne – ‘In Treatment’
‘Mad Men’ - Jon Hamm
Simon Baker – ‘The Mentalist’

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series:
Sally Field – ‘Brothers and Sisters’
Glenn Close – ‘Damages
Mariska Hargitay – ‘Law and Order: Special Victims Unit’
Elisabeth Moss – ‘Mad Men’
Holly Hunter – ‘Saving Grace’
Kyra Sedgwick – ‘The Closer’

Outstanding Comedy Series:
‘30 Rock’
‘Entourage’
‘Family Guy’
‘Flight of the Conchords’
‘How I Met Your Mother’
‘The Office’
‘Weeds’

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series:
Alec Baldwin – ‘30 Rock’
Jermaine Clement – ‘Flight of the Conchords’
Charlie Sheen - ‘Two And A Half Men’
Tony Shalhoub - ‘Monk’
Steve Carell – ‘The Office’
Jim Parsons - ‘The Big Bang Theory’

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series:
Tina Fey – ’30 Rock’
Christina Applegate – ‘Samantha Who?’
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – ‘The New Adventures of Old Christine’
Sarah Silverman – ‘The Sarah Silverman Project’
Toni Collette – ‘United States of Tara’
Mary-Louise Parker – ‘Weeds’

Oustanding Mini-series:
‘Generation Kill’
‘Little Dorrit’

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Mini-series or Movie:
Kiefer Sutherland – ’24: Redemption’
Kevin Kline – ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’
Brendan Gleeson – ‘Into The Storm’
Sir Ian McKellen – ‘King Lear’
Kevin Bacon – ‘Taking Chance’
Kenneth Branagh – ‘Wallander: One Step Behind’

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Mini-series or Movie:
Chandra Wilson – ‘Accidental Friendship’
Shirley MacLaine – ‘Coco Chanel’
Drew Barrymore – ‘Grey Gardens’
Jessica Lange – ‘Grey Gardens’
Sigourney Weaver – ‘Prayers for Bobby’

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series:
Carlton Cuse, Damon Lindelof – ‘Lost’
Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner – ‘Mad Men’
Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton and Matthew Weiner – ‘Mad Men’
Matthew Weiner – ‘Mad Men’
Kater Gordon and Matthew Weiner – ‘Mad Men’

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series:
Matt Hubbard – ’30 Rock’
Robert Carlock – ’30 Rock’
Ron Weiner – ’30 Rock’
Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock – ’30 Rock’
James Bobin, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie – ‘Flight Of The Conchords’

Outstanding Writing for a Mini-series, Movie or a Dramatic Special:
David Simon – ‘Generation Kill’
Michael Sucsy, Patricia Rozema – ‘Grey Gardens’
Hugh Whitemore – ‘Into The Storm’
Andrew Davies – ‘Little Dorrit’
Lt Col Michael R. Strobl, USMC (Ret.) and Ross Katz: ‘Taking Chance’

Apparently Jamie Lynn Spears has realized she is not ready to get married and has called off her engagement with fiance, Casey Aldridge. In Touch Weekly magazine says that the couple are still together, but Jamie has given back the engagament ring Casey gave her on her 17th birthday.

“Casey proposed when Jamie turned 17. He gave her a gold band with numerous diamonds and one larger stone, but now she has given it back to him. Jamie wasn’t ready to get married. It’s been more than enough for her to adjust to new motherhood for now.”

Jamie Lynn Spears and Casey Aldridge were still together as of July 15 when TMZ photogs snapped the couple out for a stroll and pizza in Los Angeles with their daughter Maddie (See above). One disturbing thing I find about the photos: Casey is smoking so close to his daughter!

Casey, don’t expose your child to cigarette smoke like that. Hopefully she doesn’t latch onto that bad habit when she gets older.

Madonna herself has released a compassionate statement about the tragic accident that happened when a crane used in assembling her stage and set for her concert in Marseilles, France, collapsed while workers were assembling it.

“I am devastated to have just received this tragic news. My prayers go out to those who were injured and their families along with my deepest sympathy to all those affected by this heartbreaking news.”

Source: People Magazine

The stage and set was being assembled for Madonna’s upcoming performance in Marseilles when a crane they were using gave way, causing part of it to collapse, crushing one worker and injuring 7 more. The concert was scheduled for Sunday night but has been canceled as a result of the accident.

Frank McCourt is in a New York hospice dying of a sudden case of meningitis, Malachy McCourt has confirmed.

Despite having been diagnosed with melanoma earlier this year, McCourt, 76, has been fairly sprightly, doing book tours and talks he was until stricken by the fast moving illness recently. Malachy said:

“He’s not too good at the moment,” said Malachy, an actor, politician and author in his own right. “He was doing fine, but he got meningitis two weeks ago and it turned the whole thing topsy-turvy.”

In 1996, Frank made his literary debut at the age of 66 with Angela’s Ashes, a funny but harrowing tale of the poverty and difficult circumstances endured by he and his siblings growing up in Brooklyn and Limerick City, Ireland. A New York Times review of Angela’s Ashes described the work.

“Writing in prose that’s pictorial and tactile, lyrical but streetwise, (McCourt) does for the town of Limerick what the young Joyce did for Dublin: he conjures the place for us with such intimacy that we feel we’ve walked its streets and crawled its pubs.”

In typical Irish fashion, his critics back on the auld sod weren’t so kind, deriding the work for being “embarrassing,” over-stated and not an accurate representation of Limerick City or Ireland in general in those days. Irish expats on Long Island even held a book burning to protest perceived inaccuracies in the book.

McCourt is not expected to survive the illness.

[Source: The Star]

Amy Winehouse confessed to cheating on Blake Fielder-Civil in divorce papers. Blake was granted a decree nisi - a preliminary stage of divorce which will then become absolute in six weeks – during a 75-second hearing in the Family Division of London’s High Court on the grounds of Amy’s infidelity today (16.07.09).

Neither Blake, 27, nor Amy, 25, attended the hearing. Court papers show that when Amy was asked if she admitted “the adultery alleged in the petition”, she replied, “Yes.” Blake – who married Amy in May 2007 – filed for divorce from inside prison earlier this year while he was serving a 27-month sentence for perverting the course of justice and grievous bodily harm.

In a question-and-answer session detailed in legal documents submitted to the court, Blake insisted he finds living with Amy “intolerable”. The papers reveal the one-time video production assistant was asked by his lawyer to “state briefly your reasons for saying that the respondent has committed the adultery alleged”, to which Blake answered: “The respondent confessed the adultery to me in April 2008.”

According to the documents, the couple have lived apart since that date – although Blake was remanded in custody six months after they tied the knot in 2007.
Amy and Blake first met in 2005 and had a turbulent on/off relationship, which inspired the pained lyrics on her worldwide hit album ‘Back to Black’.

Their relationship was plagued by drink and drug fuelled bust-ups and Amy’s father Mitch stated on several occasions that he wanted his daughter to walk away from the “self-destructive” romance. Amy is due in court next Thursday (23.07.09) to face an assault charge.

Renee Zellweger is poised to reprise her role as the hapless serial dieter Bridget Jones for the third time. It is believed the latest installment in the hit comedy franchise, which is based on Helen Fielding’s newspaper columns, will focus on Bridget’s desire to have a child.

Renee gained 28lbs to play the curvy reporter for the first two movies, ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ in 2001 and 2004’s ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’.

The 40-year-old Hollywood star has previously admitted that although she loves playing Bridget, the weight gain took a toll on her health. She said: “I had a panic attack with all the specialists talking about how bad this is for you long-term, putting on that much weight in short periods
of time.”

“The health professionals were warning me about not continuing the project any further. It was absolutely horrible losing the weight. The first lap around the track, I felt like I had a small toddler attached to my back.”

It is unknown if Colin Firth and Hugh Grant, who played Bridget’s love interests in the previous films, will reprise their roles. Production on the movie is scheduled to begin late next year.

The 71-year-old actor Robert Redford tied the knot with his 51-year-old partner Sibylle Szaggars in Hamburg, Germany, on Saturday.

The couple married in a simple ceremony at the Louis C. Jacob Hotel in front of 30 friends and family. Robert donned a dark suit for the occasion, while German artist Sibylle chose a champagne-coloured gown. Pastor Frank Engelbrecht presided over the service – which was conducted in German - according to Renate Massfeller of St. Catherine Church, in Hamburg.

The couple – who began dating in 1996 – are set to hold a second ceremony in Mexico this September. Robert announced he was engaged to Sibyelle last year, saying: “We are engaged and very happy with that. She is my fiancee and that says everything, doesn’t it?”

Robert was previously married to Lola Redford – with whom he had four children, Jamie, 46, Shauna, 48, Amy, 38, and Scott who the couple lost to sudden infant death syndrome. The pair divorced in 1985.

The nut cases from the Westboro Baptist Church have moved on from picketing military funerals to American Idol runner up, the very happily gay Adam Lambert.

Members of the church were spotted holding their usual anti-gay signage outside of the HP Pavilion as the Top 10 finalists performed as part of the annual Idols Live Summer Tour. According to reports the nutters specifically targeted Lambert and suggested among other things that he would catch Aids and die.

Idol finalist Michael Sarver said that Lambert wasn’t affected by the demonstrators outside. “Adam is just fine, shakes it off and so should we” Sarver posted to his Twitter account. “We are together in this thing. You mess with one you mess with all ten. We are strong and we are 1. For those outside protesting I say do not judge less ye be judged yourself. Guys don’t mind these people, we are a strong family.”