Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth in bidding war over Heath Ledger photographs at charity auction

Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus at the Australians in Film Awards and Benefit Dinner in California. Source: Getty Images

The Herald Sun reports

Newly-engaged Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth may be blissfully in love, but that didn't stop them going head-to-head in a bidding war in a charity auction.

The couple stepped out together in Hollywood for the first time since Hemsworth's proposal on Wednesday night as The Hunger Games star received the Breakthrough Award at the Australians in Film Awards in California.

But they were at odds later in the evening at a charity auction over a collection of limited edition fine art photographs of Heath Ledger.

The late actor appears with Australian actress Rose Byrne in the series, which is signed and numbered by photographer Rupert Thorpe.

The pictures, taken shortly after Ledger had completed work in Two Hands, were shot during a trip to Las Vegas back in 1999.

After a furious flurry of bids back and forth, Cyrus eventually won the day, pipping her fiance with a massive final bid of $22,000 and declaring: "I win, I'm done."

The series of seven fine art prints are to be donated in Cyrus's name to an upcoming Heath Ledger exhibition at the Western Australia Museum.

Ledger died in 2008 from an accidental overdose of prescription drugs.

He is survived by his daughter Matilda, 6, from his relationship with actress Michelle Williams.

Sir Patrick Stewart arrives in Melbourne for Oz Comic-Con

British actor Patrick Stewart. Source: HWT Image Library

Mikey Cahill, The Herald Sun, reports

What you don’t know about Sir Patrick Stewart, aka Charles Xavier in the X-Men series, Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation, aka Avery Bullock in American Dad, is that he spent his 21st birthday in Australia.

Melbourne, to be precise.

“The only thing I recall about my 21st birthday was my party,” he begins in those gloriously distinguished English tones. “There were five of us sharing a huge flat in Toorak. Vivien Leigh came along and I recently discovered a gold silk handkerchief that Vivien gave me for my birthday and for years and years it still had the smell of perfume on it. The smell has now gone, it’s 50 odd years ago.”

Indeed, Stewart is the ripe young age of 71, the most switched-on septuagenarian you’re ever likely to meet. He is in town for Oz Comic-Con along with Stan Lee (original creator of Spiderman, The Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and Thor) Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones, Stargate: Atlantis), Julie Benz (Dexter), Mitch Peleggi (The X-Files, Sons of Anarchy), Sean Maher (Firefly, Serenity) and plenty more.

Lee, now a whopping 91-years-old, was supposed to be arrive in town today but he was stopped at US customs because of an issue they had with his medication, medication the comic luminary simply can’t fly without.

Stewart couldn’t be happier about the news.

“I get 12 hours to think of ways I can take the piss out of Stan. He is a joker and a dear friend and I can not wait to start making fun of him."

Perhaps Stewart can prime Lee with a tweet? If he was on Twitter, that is.

There is a fake Twitter account @APatrickStewart that responds to every tweet with “Make it so.”

“I am about to enter the world of social networking. I have resisted for years but some influential people in my life have persuaded me,” he says. “My twitter account is not yet active. My FaceBook account is which means the dozen fake accounts have had to go away. It wasn’t until I sat down in my agent’s office and she showed me how many people were claiming to be me that I thought it was time to get on social media.”

Stewart can be forgiven for not jumping on the social media bandwagon, he has worked incredibly hard throughout an esteemed career and must wonder why he needs to add tweeting to his repertoire.

“I worked for 7 years on Star Trek and for eight years on three films (X-Men) and both experiences had a profound effect on me and changed every single aspect of my life. I’ve never worked harder at any job and I once mixed cement for a champion bricklayer … by hand.”

The fans will reward him for his diligence by turning up this weekend, probably armed with an array and weird and weirder gifts.

“The most difficult ones to accept are the artworks. I’m an enthusiastic collector and I have a decent collection including Arthur Boyd oils. Sometimes I get portraits of me in a state of undress,” he says, followed by a dry English laugh.

“I have been handed many letters over the years where people tell me how much Star Trek has effected them in a good way. The people who write the most serious ones never put a return address on them. The ones who one does not want to contact are the ones that say ‘If you want to (contact me) you can!” he says.

When asked which quote people always want to hear, Stewart responds with something unexpected, unless you’re a fan of the episode he did of Extras with Ricky Gervais. “The one that people always ask me to do is “I’ve seen everything”,” he says, making my day.

Lastly, don’t expect Stewart to be signing autographs this weekend with “Sir” in front of his name. “I didn’t adjust my signature when I became Sir…I don’t think that would be coooool.”

Oz Comic-Con, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Sat-Sun 9am-6pm. www.facebook.com/OzComicCon

Underbelly star wins Heath Ledger scholarship

Heath Ledger Scholarship winner Anna McGahan. Source: Getty Images

The Herald Sun reports

Shocked Underbelly star Anna McGahan has won the Heath Ledger Scholarship at the annual Australians in Film Awards in Los Angeles.

Set up in memory of Ledger, the scholarship is a stepping stone to Hollywood for the 24-year-old Queenslander.

Past recipients include Dark Shadows star Bella Heathcote and Packed to the Rafters' Ryan Corr.

"I was completely shocked. I had a minor heart attack," the actor told Who magazine. "I was flown over under the idea that I was on the short list, (it) was mind-blowing to hear the news."

McGahan's award includes $10,000 in prizemoney, an Australia-LA round-trip ticket and a one-year scholarship to LA's Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

Former Rafters star Jessica McNamee and Abbie Cornish attended the event along with Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus.

Hemsworth was honoured with the 2012 Australians in Film Breakthrough Award with Yvonne Strahovski.

Strahovski's recent credits include the TV series Chuck and Melbourne-made film Killer Elite.

Cronulla riots to become a film

‘‘We’ve tried so hard ... and we won’t give up trying’’ ... a quiet morning in Cronulla. Photo: Nick Moir

Scott Ellis and Giles Hardie, The Sydney Morning Herald, report

It has been a roller-coaster week for the people of the Sutherland Shire.

First, there was the news Network Ten had pulled it's ''dramality'' series about the area from its schedule. That was ''a wonderful little victory'' said the Sutherland mayor, Carol Provan, who had feared it would become a Jersey Shore-style shock series. But then there was clarification from the broadcaster that the show would still go on - ''stay tuned'' they said, promising to introduce the stars before the end of the year.

And now there is news that one of the area's blackest moments, something most from the region just want to go away, is to be turned into a film.

In one of its regular funding announcements, Screen Australia quietly revealed yesterday money has been earmarked for a documentary to be produced by Sue Clothier for SBS Online, called 10 Days that Shocked the Nation.

In it, Clothier will tell ''the story of the events that occurred in the lead-up to and consequent Cronulla Riots'' in December 2005.

''Oh really?'' an exasperated Provan said last night. ''I know nothing about that at this stage … that's all we need isn't it?''

Provan is hopeful this production at least will show the ongoing efforts the people of Cronulla, and surrounding areas, have made to repair any damage caused by the events of seven years ago. ''We've tried so hard … and we won't give up trying,'' she said.

Acting with a spring in his step

Eddie Perfect enjoys the break from writing that his role in Offspring affords.

Paul Kalina, The Sydney Morning Herald, reports

Eddie Perfect will make a real man of Offspring's Mick yet.

For Eddie Perfect and his Offspring character Mick Holland, botch-ups have paid healthy dividends.

For his first scene in the pilot of the Melbourne-made dramedy, whose third season concludes on July 11, Mick and his on-again, off-again then girlfriend, now wife, Billie Proudman (Kat Stewart), stole an intimate moment in a stranger's house.

It was meant to be a steamy sex scene, but for the nervousness that the self-confessed novice actor was experiencing.

''I couldn't get her friggin' buttons undone and her accessories got caught on my clothes; it was awkward and we laughed our heads off through the entire scene,'' says Perfect, sipping mint tea in an East Brunswick cafe that could easily be a backdrop for the urbane drama. Indeed, when we leave one hour later, fellow cast member Richard Davies, who plays Billie's airhead brother, Jimmy, pulls up in his car and the two actors amicably hug in what feels like a scene from the show.

''But it turned into a quite comic, awkward moment, and from then on the writers have never attempted to do anything sexy like that for us again, which is great. We managed to shape these characters, who are a contrast to the more brooding doctors-and-nurses thing that's going on with Nina [Asher Keddie] and the others, which is fine with us.''

Three seasons in, Perfect is still making hay from part-time gardener and wannabe musician Mick's imperfections, even stealing scenes from his more experienced colleagues on the show. Mick and Billie continue to weather their share of storms: there's the ghost of Mick's impulsive one-night fling with Billie's sister, Nina; the ongoing problems of Mick's infertility, which in turn catalysed an uneasy reconciliation with his brother, Andrew (Dan Spielman); and Mick's evident attraction to fellow musician Rosanna (Clare Bowditch).

''He's not successful and he's scared,'' says Perfect of Mick. ''He's not ambitious and is unwilling to push himself. I find that an interesting place to be.

''His ambitions are really small. I know lots of people like that and it's complicated, because part of it is trying to draw a circle around your life and minimise the drive and desperation and be happy with what you have creatively. It's about creating a comfort zone that limits your ability to take things further. Mick's scared of success, really. He doesn't like to put himself out there.''

One of the key drivers of the Mick and Billie storyline this season has involved Mick's relationship with Rosanna - or, more specifically, his mishandling of their musical partnership, which threatens Billie to her core.

''A real relationship is measured by how you manage those things … and stay connected to your partner,'' Perfect says.

''There are feelings [for Rosanna] he's denying to protect Billie. He is confident he can handle it and feels he should have the trust and latitude to handle it on his own. That's what I like about the show. It's not black and white; it's not like, because you're attracted to this person you're inevitably going to sleep with them in a Days of our Lives scenario. Most people in a relationship have had to deal with a crush … and you can navigate that and keep your relationship intact.''

A prolific and versatile writer, Perfect says he doesn't harbour secret ambitions to join Offspring's writing team.

''The thing I enjoy about this job over 90 per cent of my other work, which is writing, is I don't have that control - I don't have that creative voice, I'm just an actor who turns up and acts my lines. I love that.''

Though he wonders whether his perspective would be in line with the female sensibility that drives Offspring's storylines, he offers a sharp insight to a key theme that underlines the show: redemption through humiliation.

''If anyone transgresses, a cataclysmic humiliation happens in public. It's like a public shaming that absolves them and they can move forward. It's quite cathartic … and great territory to explore.''

In real life, Perfect and Stewart separately became parents (Perfect for a second time four months ago) while, ironically, their onscreen characters were dealing with the realisation and aftermath of infertility.

The idea of having a baby is one that TV tends to romanticise, Perfect says.

Not on Offspring. In addition to Mick and Billie's inability to conceive, lurking in the margins is the breakdown of Patrick's (Matthew le Nevez) first marriage following the delivery of a stillborn child, the precarious fate of Jimmy and Zara's (Jane Harber) premature baby and, at the conclusion of last night's episode, Nina's anxiety about her late period after a moment of weakness with Patrick.

Conception affects a lot of people, Perfect says.

For Mick and Billie, the discovery they can't conceive a child together has been a lonely journey, which has stabbed at the weak point of their relationship.

''If you're in a relationship and the end point is having kids together and that's taken away, you're kind of free-falling until you can pinpoint what you're living for now, and I think that's where Mick and Billie are at now,'' he says.

His ownership of Mick not only involves standing up for him - ''Mick's a bit of a doormat and I always feel there are moments I need to stick up for him and represent his point of view'' - but ensuring that he isn't a blank canvas for Billie's explosive episodes.

''Both characters need to be in a scene and after something, wanting something. If there's a scene and you're in it so that the other person doesn't look crazy talking to themselves, then it can be a disappointing experience. Those are the moments you chime in.''

Though a fourth season of the show is yet to be confirmed, Offspring's consolidated audience of more than 1 million suggests it will return.

''I think the reason people like the show is because it shows there's a way through conflict, that things can be resolved, the importance of talking and communicating and accepting people's limitations.''

Offspring is on Wednesday at 8.30pm on Channel Ten.

Australian actor Chris Hemsworth holds a bottle of American beer Budweiser for US edition of GQ magazine

Celebrated Australian actor holding a Bud ... Chris Hemsworth in the July "America" issue of GQ magazine. Picture: Paola Kudacki/GQ: Source: Supplied

The Daily Telegraph reports

It’s an image to strike sorrow into the heart of any self-respecting Aussie: Film superstar and former Phillip Island boy Chris Hemsworth posing in GQ magazine with a bottle of American beer. Say it isn't so, Chris.

In defence of the snap, Hemsworth was posing for the magazine's "American" issue despite his home-grown Aussie links.

And judging by his famed physique, we can't imagine too many bottles of Budweiser (or any beer for that matter) pass his lips.

"It's helped me get a job, sure," Hemsworth says of his ripped exterior.

"But you hope it's not the only thing that's helped," added the actor who played Thor, who then appeared in this year's biggest film The Avengers.

Tropfest conquers the Big Apple

Hugh Jackman and Rose Byrne congratulate Josh Leake, winner of Tropfest New York 2012. Photo: Getty Images

The Sydney Morning Herald reports

It all began in a Sydney cafe - now Tropfest has conquered the Big Apple.

In front of a capacity crowd of more than 10,000 people, Tropfest - the world's largest short film festival - has successfully debuted in New York.

The event was held at the city's famed Bryant Park and hosted by Australian actor Hugh Jackman on Saturday, and ended with Josh Leake being named the winner of the inaugural US Tropfest competition.

Leake from Portland, Oregon, claimed the top prize and $US20,000 ($A19,963) for his film about can collectors called Emptys, which was made for a mere $US1300.

He was presented the winner's trophy by Jackman and beat out seven other hopefuls in the competition.

An all-star panel of judges including Aussie actress Rose Byrne, Jennifer Westfeldt, Judah Friedlander, producer Ted Hope and Film Society of Lincoln Center's Scott Foundas deliberated for 15 minutes before rendering their verdict, which Jackman announced shortly before 11pm local time.

The event showcased eight Best of Tropfest films, culled from 20 years of entries from the festival's past in its native Australia. It also featured amazing musical performances by Alexi Murdoch, Doveman and Milagres, as well as DJ sets by DJ Concerned and Yah Supreme who kicked off the evening.

Tropfest was founded by Australian actor and director John Polson 20 years ago. It began with a single $100 short film and an audience of 200 people. Now the festival is attended annually by a live audience of over 150,000 film lovers and hundreds of thousands more watching via its national, live TV broadcast and other platforms.

Tropfest's global expansion has continued with the launch into the US with Tropfest Las Vegas and Tropfest New York. It has also recently started in New Zealand and Arabia, while the launch into other countries such as China and South East Asia are in the planning stages.

Actor Andy Whitfield who starred as Sparticus in Spartacus: Blood and Sand filmed documentary about fight for life

"You only get one life, make it count" ... The late Andy Whitfield in TV show 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand'. Source: The Daily Telegraph

Kathryn Knight, The Daily Mail, reports

He was a big, strong TV star who withered away with cancer.

Andy Whitfield, who attended Screenwise Film and TV School for Actors in Surry Hills, Sydney, and played Spartacus in the show Spartacus: Blood and Sand, died on September 11, 2011.

Whitfield was preparing to shoot the second series when he was diagnosed and filming was put on hold while he fought the disease. It was a battle he chose to document with the help of award-winning documentary maker Lilibet Foster, who captured hours of intimate footage as Andy fought to get well; in turn, defiant, angry, scared and tearful as he confronted his mortality, reported website Mail Online.

"Andy believed that documenting his fight might help others," said his widow Vashti.

Filmmaker Foster said; "Andy wasn’t embarrassed to admit he was terrified, or to cry on camera," says filmmaker Lilibet Foster. "The idea is the film will make you go out there and do everything you’ve ever wanted to do."

It’s a view echoed by Vashti. "Andy felt so strongly that you only get one life, so you should make it count."

The documentary is also a love story. Andy and Vashti, now 39, were in their early 20s when they were introduced by a mutual friend in London. Romance blossomed quickly: within three months they moved to Sydney after Vashti was offered work in a design agency.

They settled there, marrying in 2001. Jesse came along in May 2005 and Indigo two years later. Andy worked as an external engineer - "like a really hot Spider-Man, scaling buildings" smiles Vashti - until, aged 30, he was scouted on the beach by a modelling agency. Work flooded in, followed by TV commercials, inspiring Andy to retrain as an actor.

In 2009, Andy was offered the title role in Spartacus. While it was to prove his breakthrough, the part was gruelling, requiring hours of training to hone his body into that of a warrior. When, towards the end of filming, he began to suffer backache.

By early 2010 the pain was unbearable. "Sometimes he would lie on the floor howling like a woman giving birth," said Vashti.

It was at this point he had a full body scan, revealing he had high-grade B Cell lymphoma - the most common form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to Dr Kirit Ardeshna, consultant haemato-oncologist at University College Hospital.

"Lymphomas are divided into two groups, Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's," he says. "The latter is seven times more common, while the former occurs more in young people and is often more treatable."

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system. Clear fluid called lymph flows through the lymphatic vessels and contains infection-fighting white blood cells known as lymphocytes.

In lymphoma, these lymphocytes start to multiply in an abnormal way and collect in certain parts of the lymphatic system, such as the lymph nodes (glands). The affected lymphocytes lose their infection-fighting properties, increasing vulnerability to infection.

There are, says Dr Ardeshna, no typical risk factors for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma except older age and being male. Initial symptoms are not always easy to spot.

"Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma tends to manifest in a painless lump, a gland swollen by a centimetre or so. Less commonly, there are night sweats, unexplained fevers and weight loss," he says.

Andy’s back pain was the result of a mass of tumours pressing against his spinal column. Without treatment, the oncologist said, Andy had three to six months to live. "He said that, given Andy’s age and fitness, with treatment there was every hope for a full recovery," says Vashti.

"The five-year survival rate after initial chemotherapy is about 60 per cent of patients, with the two-year figure standing around 75 per cent," says Dr Ardeshna.

Andy underwent six sessions of chemotherapy. "In some ways it was a special time," says Vashti. "Andy was able to spend a lot of time with the children. Underlying it all was this feeling it was all going to be OK."

And so it seemed. Six weeks after Andy’s last chemotherapy session, a scan showed the cancer had gone. ‘We thought it was a chapter closed,’ says Vashti.

Yet not for long. In September 2010, Andy had a routine medical ahead of filming the second series of Spartacus. "The scan showed a small inflamed lymph node in his abdominal area," says Vashti.

That night, ahead of further tests, the couple went out for dinner and afterwards got matching tattoos on their arms reading ‘Be Here Now’ - the title of the documentary.

"It was our way of saying that whatever happened, we would live in the moment," says Vashti.

The next day, a biopsy confirmed their worst fears: the cancer was back, and this time the prognosis was much more severe.

"If you relapse early the chance of surviving and responding to further treatment is much lower," says Dr Ardeshna. "Rather like bugs and antibiotics, some cancer cells can become resistant to chemotherapy. The resistant cancer cells are the ones that continue to grow and so you have to try a different type of chemotherapy."

Without treatment Andy had three months to live, while even with further intervention a successful outcome was far less likely.

"We had gone from 'You’re going to get better' to 'You’re going to die'," says Vashti.

The treatment now called for an aggressive form of chemo, followed, if successful, by a stem-cell transplant. Andy remained positive, inviting a documentary team to share his journey.

In early 2011, Andy embarked on his first round of high-level chemotherapy with a new drug regimen. This time the experience was markedly different.

"He was very ill. Some days he could barely drag himself out of bed. He had terrible hallucinogenic nightmares," says Vashti.

After six weeks, a full body scan showed only a mild improvement, which was another blow. "But Andy refused to be bowed," says Vashti.

The second series of sessions left Andy weak and spending more time in hospital - although a scan showed the cancer had reduced by 50 per cent, a major change, yet far from enough.

"On one level we were excited – but it had come at a huge cost," says Vasti.

In May 2011, Andy embarked on his final round of chemo. "This was the worst," says Vashti. "He was in so much pain. The big, strong man I had fallen in love with was now so fragile it was as if he was made out of tissue paper."

A scan showed why: the cancer had not shrunk and Andy now had a mass of tumours pressing on his spinal column. "The oncologist said nothing more could be done with chemotherapy and referred us to a radiotherapist. It was now a case of trying to manage the cancer rather than cure it," says Vasti.

The first session of radiology was ‘hell on earth’. "Andy said it was like a knife being thrust into his nervous system," says Vasti.

Yet, over the next couple of sessions, he rallied sufficiently that, while still in pain, he was able to go out for drinks to celebrate Vashti’s 38th birthday last June.

The hiatus was short-lived. By Andy’s sixth radiotherapy session in July, he was in agony. "He had become so weak he couldn’t climb the stairs to our apartment. He had to stay in a hospice for a week," says Vashti. Three days before his death, drifting in and out of consciousness, Andy returned to the hospice.

"To me, he had already gone. He rallied enough to say goodbye to the children. It took everything he had to sit up and pull them on to his knee then say goodbye. That’s when he spoke of the butterfly.

"Then he turned to me and said, 'That’s all I can do now' and I had to take them away."

He died the following day, in Vashti’s arms.

To find out how you can help fund the making of Be Here Now, the inspiring documentary of Andy Whitfield’s fight for life, follow this link:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/426354716/be-here-now-the-andy-whitfield-story

Christina Ricci no diva as she films her Aussie movie Around The Block

Christina Ricci on the set of her Australian film Around The Block with co-star Damian Walshe-Howling. Source: The Sunday Telegraph

J.Mo, The Sunday Telegraph, reports

Christina Ricci has brought none of the Hollywood diva antics you'd expect of a big name star.

Word from the set of her Australian film, Around The Block, suggests the Mermaids star isn't afraid of getting her hands dirty by working behind the scenes.

Ricci has been spotted assisting production staff by "setting up the shot" and holding a video camera.

"Christina is having a great time on set, she's getting on really well with everyone and is an absolute pleasure," our production spy said. "She's very down to earth and isn't afraid of rolling up her sleeves and doing hard work."

Ricci, 32, who once dated Aussie actor Kick Gurry, arrived in Sydney last weekend to work on the gritty indigenous drama set in Redfern. The film also stars Jack Thompson, Madeleine Madden and Hunter Page-Lochard.

True Blood star Ryan Kwanten chooses low-budget Australian film Mystery Road over big-budget Hollywood roles

Appearing in another indie movie in Australia ... True Blood star Ryan Kwanten is filming Ivan Sen's 'Mystery Road' in Ipswich, Queensland. Source: Getty Images

The Daily Telegraph reports

True Blood star Ryan Kwanten has continued his trend of picking low-budget Aussie flicks over big-budget Hollywood roles.

Sydney-born Kwanten has signed on to play a pig hunter in the indie drama Mystery Road, which began shooting yesterday in Winton, central Queensland.

Kwanten, whose latest Aussie flick Not Suitable For Children is currently in limited release, will star alongside Hugo Weaving in the film by the director of Toomelah, Ivan Sen.

Mystery Road, which is also written by Sen, will also star ex-City Homicide star Aaron Pedersen in the lead role of a detective who returns to his outback home town to solve the murder of a teenage indigenous girl.

The ensemble cast includes Jack Thompson, Tony Barry and Damian Walshe-Howling.

American comedian Wayne Brady who plays Enmore Theatre wants to find Australian for a comedy production

Searching for an Australian for a comedy production ... US comic and TV star Wayne Brady. Source: Supplied

The Daily Telegraph reports

US comedian Wayne Brady is set to enter the local TV market, with plans to scout for talent to star in a new project to be shot in Australia.

The Whose Line Is It Anyway? improv king, who is also the current co-host of the US version of Let's Make A Deal, is set to arrive in Sydney early next month for a series of live shows at the Enmore Theatre. He will also be scouting for candidates to star in an upcoming comedy production.

It's understood 40-year-old Brady wants a single comedian to build a series around, with the Grammy winner (and respected TV producer) planning a tour of local comedy clubs.

"My hope is at some point soon to create a sitcom or even a new improvised sitcom to shoot in Australia, because so many Australian actors, both in film and TV, are just so immensely talented," Brady told arts writer Chris Hook.

"Not just a little bit but talented enough to come across the water and get American roles and do it better than Americans and I think that's amazing. Also, comedically, you have the strongest guys so I'd like to find the next person (to break through) and come up with a vehicle to cast them.

"I might pop up in an improv club - so don't worry if you see me at the back of the club laughing."

An acclaimed stand-up comedian, Brady is considered one of the most versatile performers in Hollywood, having won a Grammy in 2008 for his cover of Sam Cooke's A Change Gon' Come.

He has also had recurring roles in sitcoms How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock, Everybody Hates Chris and voice roles in American Dad and Robot Chicken.

Great Scott

Down to earth ... Denise Scott. Photo: Simon Schluter

The Age reports

The Winners & Losers star tells Debi Enker she had to iron out a few issues before she mastered acting.

Trained as a teacher, Denise Scott decided in her 30s to pursue a career in comedy and subsequently spent decades on the stand-up circuit, performing solo and in group shows. In recent years she has been a regular guest on the ABC's Spicks and Specks, a radio host, a writer, has appeared on Agony Aunts talking about sex, romance and marriage, and this week features on Channel Seven's Pictures of You.

But perhaps the biggest leap came last year when she landed an ongoing role in Seven's drama series Winners & Losers. With her customarily self-deprecating humour, Scott says that the prospect of playing devoted, down-to-earth mum Trish Gross came as a surprise. ''I was 56. I have not had any work done - I know, hard to believe; I keep making a joke about that. But, you know, imperfect teeth, wrinkles, sun-damaged skin, not much acting experience. So to get a role on a commercial TV series was really fantastic.''

Scott credits the show's founding producer, Maryanne Carroll, with suggesting her for the part. She had met Carroll through the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and, given the kind of autobiographical material that she has made her own in her shows - wry, candid surveys of suburban life, sometimes performed wearing a terry-towelling bathrobe - it's not hard to see why she was thought to be a good fit for Trish.

The wife of Brian (Francis Greenslade) and mother of Jenny (Melissa Bergland), Patrick (Jack Pearson) and Bridget (Sarah Grace), Trish is the sort of welcoming woman who's always ready with a cuppa and a slice of homespun wisdom. Scott reckons the Grosses were conceived as ''a light-relief point of the show and to be a salt-of-the-earth loving family'', an adjunct to the central story of four female friends and their romantic and professional trials.

But it took an emergency call to Alan Brough, the director of Scott's stage shows, for a crash course in acting and four callbacks before she secured the part. She recalls that, initially on set, ''I felt like a goose. I had no idea what I was doing, even with simple things. I kept telling myself, 'Just look as though you care about this family,' and I did, so it wasn't like it was a big leap. But there were things, like ironing Jenny's shirt, where I'd want to go, 'No! I would never do this for my 27-year-old daughter,' and I'd have to think, 'Hang on, it's not actually my story. This is the story of another family.'''

Beyond possible creative differences regarding domestic issues there were the challenges of the craft. ''The first time a director came over and said, 'Can we have some tears?' my stomach just knotted,'' Scott says. ''It was the day that I'd dreaded. Maryanne told me when I got the gig that there would be a serious storyline and I'd said, 'Will I have to cry? Because I know that I cannot do that'. With all the other girls, you click your fingers and they can bawl; the guys too. It's amazing to watch, really humbling, actually. I'm gobsmacked at the art of acting.

''I'm definitely Method,'' she adds jokingly. ''So I was trying to think back to the last time I grieved and it was hopeless. I just panicked and then this lovely make-up artist said, 'I'll get you the tears stick', which I'd never heard of. She waved this thing under my eyes and whoosh! But it's shameful to call for the tears stick.''

Now, with the second season of the show safely under her belt, Scott says she's right into it. ''Working with Annie Phelan … was just awesome. There were scenes where she would bring me to tears and I was lovin' myself. Whoa, look at me, I'm an actress!''

However, the ironing does remain an issue. In a notable departure from Trish, Scott reckons she'd have a few choice words for adult kids who expect mum to iron their shirts: ''Wear it creased; get over it.''

Winners & Losers
Seven, Tuesdays, 8.30pm

Oy vey! Gibson and Sheen to share silver screen

With Mel Gibson and Charlie Sheen set to star in the same film, it'll be a miracle if it even gets off the ground. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Hollywood hotheads Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson will be on the same movie set in Robert Rodriguez's movie Machete Kills.

Sheen was just cast to play the US president in the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Rodriguez announced Sheen's casting on Twitter, saying, "I just cast Charlie Sheen in #machetekills as the President of the United States! Who better? More soon..."

The ensemble movie, already filming in Austin, Texas, also co-stars one of Hollywood's other most legendarily unpredictable actors, Gibson, as well as sexy stars including Jessica Alba, Amber Heard, Sofia Vergara and Zoe Saldana.

It's unclear what role Gibson is taking on in the sequel to the pulpy 2010 movie Machete.

The move to cast Sheen adds to the actor's career rehabilitation after a very public meltdown last year which saw his exit from the hit show Two and a Half Men. Sheen said in a Playboy interview recently that the episode was a "psychotic break."

"I started to unravel," Sheen said. "I finally just said things I had always been thinking. But in the middle of a psychotic break."

He's making a comeback with a new comedy, F/X's Anger Management.

Melissa Bergland's a winner as show finally sees light

Melissa Bergland from Winners and Loosers. Picture: Rob Leeson Source: Herald Sun

Luke Dennehy, The Sunday Herald Sun, reports

The second series of Winners & Losers was all wrapped up in April and the cast of the show is relieved the series is finally going to air.

The show has been a launching pad for Melissa Bergland, who has her own sense of style and is a real star on the rise.

She went into the audition with her signature red hair after being platinum blonde and producers loved it so much they kept her look as part of her character, Jenny.

Bergland said the cast was a pleasure to work with, especially her three co-stars, Virginia Gay, Zoe Tuckwell-Smith and Melanie Vallejo.

"It's gotten to the point now we can drop the polite act and we are genuine friends now," she said.

"I see them all separately on a fortnightly basis."

Kylie sells Madonna down the Rivers

Madonna's 53-year-old cheerleader didn't impress Kylie Minogue. Pictures: AP / E! Source: Supplied

The Herald Sun reports

Kylie Minogue may have ended the public lovefest between herself and Madonna.

Minogue slated the 53-year-old's cheerleader costume after being egged on by US television host Joan Rivers.

She was a guest on Rivers' Fashion Police in LA last week, which aired here on E! on Saturday.

When shown a photo of Madonna in concert, Rivers asked Minogue - who has also been caned for dressing young - for her opinion.

"No. Just no," Minogue said.

That was nothing compared with Rivers, who said of Madonna's new look: "Madonna, stop it already, you're 108 ... Madonna as a cheerleader - what school does she go to? Our Lady of Osteoporosis? She looks like she flunked 10th grade 48 times."

Minogue was also asked about Madonna flashing her nipple on stage in Rome.

"Was she caught up in the moment, was it premeditated, who knows?" Minogue said. "I think it's got people more perplexed than excited by it."

Rivers also asked Minogue about the constant comparisons and competition between herself and Madonna, describing them as "the two great pop divas".

"Is that because we're the two oldest ones?," Minogue joked.

"Competition, I don't know. But I grew up such a fan of her. I don't even care how we're in the same sentence, it's quite good for me."

Rivers left Minogue speechless when she referred to the pop star's ex, Olivier Martinez, now dating film star Halle Berry.

The TV show at least ended the feud between the Osbourne family and the Minogue sisters. Kelly Osbourne fawned over Kylie on the show - she's previously slated Kylie's sister Dannii.

Chris Hemsworth had to fight nothing

Had to fight nothing ... Chris Hemsworth in a scene in Snow White and the Huntsman battles computer generated trolls. Supplied by Universal Source: AP

Caris Bizzaca, The Daily Telegraph, reports

With Thor, The Avengers and Snow White and the Huntsman under his belt, he’s approaching being an action movie veteran.

As the Huntsman in Snow White and the Huntsman, Australian Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth has to go up against a computer-generated (CG) troll, which meant he was literally fighting thin air in the shoot.

"Obviously (the CG troll) didn't exist when we were there and I was running around in the river, kind of swinging at nothing,'' he says.

"That's when you feel ridiculous.

"It's like ``oh, woah'' (pretends to fight) and there's nothing there.''

It was entertaining for his co-star, Twilight's Kristen Stewart, though.

"We got to respond to very real things the whole time and then that one day, he was flailing around at nothing. It was very funny,'' she says.

Snow White and the Huntsman is a dark and visually stunning new take on the classic fairytale and Hemsworth says the troll scene was one of many highlights for them watching it for the first time.

He says a lot of people made a big deal about this being Rupert Sanders' first feature film, but he was never concerned, having seen Sanders' award-winning work in commercials for campaigns like Halo 3.

''(From the) commercial work I'd seen I thought, ok he's a talented visual director, but what I noticed in all of it was he knew how to tell a story, with some real heart and truth and characters,'' he says.

''(We) knew he was going to do something pretty special.''

Sanders says it was about three years ago that he actively starting looking for a feature film to tackle.

"Then this came along and ... I got really excited about the opportunity to make a big historical epic, with very modern characters, and a very modern retelling of it really,'' he says.

The result is a Snow White film that has the apple, the dwarfs and the evil queen, but also trolls, fairies, armies and a Snow White who wears chain mail and leads a rebellion.

Stewart says she appreciated that even with the differences, she could still recognise Snow White in it.

"It wasn't so intentionally trying to be this like, I don't know how to say it, like gruff, like action movie,'' she says.

"It was so rooted in a world that I completely believed in and I think that she became a really awesome representation of a strong woman and not like some weird imitation of a guy.''

The filmmakers were originally looking for an unknown to play Snow White, until Sanders met with Stewart in New Orleans, where she was filming the last Twilight movie.

Sanders, who hadn't seen the Twilight movies when he met Stewart, felt like something clicked.

"There's something so spirited about her and she's really got the weight of the world on her shoulders and she carries it very, very well for someone so young,'' he says.

"And I think all of those elements to me are what this contemporary version of Snow White should have.''

Sanders says he sees Snow White as almost like a female Luke Skywalker.

"She's the rise of a hero and I think, you know the Skywalker story is taken from fairytales, and this is the fairytale taking the fairytale back in a way,'' he says.

Channel Ten's I Will Survive talent quest in Port Augusta

On talent quest ... Jason Donovan,Toni Collette ,Stephan Elliott and Hugh Sheridan for Network Ten's I Will Survive. Picture: Network Ten Source: Supplied

The Daily Telegraph reports

Toni Collette is the latest guest judge on Network Ten's new talent quest, I Will Survive.

Collette has joined Jason Donovan and Stephan Elliott as the show travelled to Port Augusta in South Australia in the show's quest to find what's known in showbiz as a ``triple threat'' - someone who can dance, sing and act.

The other female guest judges casting a critical eye over the show's 12 contestants were Rachael Taylor, Magda Szubanski and Asher Keddie.

Collette is no stranger to the small screen, having earned an Emmy for her performance as a woman with multiple personalities in United States of Tara.

Cate Blanchett tipped to star in Barbra Streisand's first film as director in 16 years Skinny And Cat with Colin Firth

Returning to movies as a director ... Singer and actress Barbra Streisand, now 70. Picture: AFP/Robyn Beck Source: AFP

The Daily Telegraph reports

Cate Blanchett is tipped to play the female lead in a movie to be directed by Barbra Streisand.

Streisand, 70, who hasn't directed a film since the romantic comedy The Mirror Has Two Faces 16 years ago, is in the process of raising funds for the film Skinny And Cat.

Colin Firth has been linked to the other lead role in the movie about author Erskine Caldwell and his late photographer wife Margaret Bourke-White. Despite a relatively short marriage, they collaborated on a number of books.

Streisand is reportedly yet to raise the $US20 million needed before the film can get underway.

Olivia Newton-John crowns cancer victory

Olivia Newton-John celebrates the completion of the Cancer and Wellness Centre at the Austin Hospital. Picture: Alex Coppel Source: Herald Sun

Lucie van den Berg, The Herald Sun, reports

Olivia Newton-John wept as she revealed how her mother's words of encouragement inspired her to help Victorians battling cancer.

On the day she celebrates the opening of her Cancer and Wellness Centre at the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg, she expressed her hope that cancer, which claimed the life of her father, Brinley, will be eliminated in her lifetime.

The singer paid tribute to Demons legend Jim Stynes, who touched her heart with his unwavering support for the $189 million centre.

His wife, Sam, will be its new ambassador.

Mrs Stynes said the new wellness centre captured her late husband's positive approach to fighting cancer.

"He knew deep down that he was going to die, but he never talked about it on a surface level because he didn't want to waste time bringing everything down," she said.

"It was really important for him to stay positive."

She accepted the role because she wanted it to be easier for other families to use therapies on top of their traditional medical treatment.

"Getting diagnosed with cancer was baffling enough without having to seek out all those services on your own," Mrs Stynes said.

Newton-John cried as she recalled how her late mother, Irene Born, told her to take on the project, even though she felt hesitant about putting her name to it.

"She said if it helps people you should do it - those words were my inspiration," Newton-John said.

The palliative care wing will be named in her honour.

Like Stynes, the singer found comfort in complementary therapies during her treatment for breast cancer, including acupuncture, massage, yoga, meditation, a macrobiotic diet and homeopathy.

It spurred her to push for a wellness centre to cater for patients' spiritual and emotional wellbeing and help ease the stress and side effects of cancer treatment.

"It's not about science, it's about how you feel," she said.

Today's opening comes on the 20th anniversary of Newton-John's breast cancer diagnosis, and she sent a heartfelt thanks to more than 40,000 private donors plus state and federal governments.

"From one of the worst times in my life to one of the best times in my life," she said.

"It's taken nine years, but that feels like a snap now."

Three levels of the centre, including day and radiation oncology, will open on July 2 with the remaining services to launch in 2013.


What's in the Olivia Newton-John cancer and wellness centre

* The $189m centre is in the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg

* It will house all the Hospital's cancer services - including oncology, radiotherapy and cancer clinics, now in 11 buildings across two sites

* It will include a palliative care ward and the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research

* It will offer meditation, relaxation, music and arts therapy

* First services open July 2, fully open in end 2013