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WILLISTON, Vt. (AP) — The ship captain being played by Tom Hanks in a Hollywood movie said on Tuesday before a benefit screening near his home that he never felt empathy for the Somali pirates who hijacked his vessel and took him captive four years ago. "That never entered my mind," Richard Phillips said in an interview. "We were always adversaries. I thought it was important to make sure we both knew we were adversaries in that. I thought that was important for me and my survival. There was no Stockholm syndrome."

California may have solved its fiscal crisis, but at a painful cost: Rob Schneider has renounced his Democratic allegiances. In a video, the noted thespian blames Democrats for a hostile business climate whose impact is hampering his own film career: "The last time I made a movie in California was seven years ago," says Schneider, "and that’s because we’re not being competitive." It's also possible other, nonpolitical reasons are at work

A new study suggests the proliferation of gay and transgender characters in films and television shows has not prevented gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender actors from experiencing discrimination in Hollywood. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists commissioned the survey, released Friday. It found that more than half of the actors who identify as gay, bisexual and transgender think directors and producers are biased against them. …

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Unless it's all entirely made up to promote Justin 'I don't laugh at the homeless' Timberlake's new movie like this skit cooked up by JT and TODAY host Matt Lauer. The sketch began with the pair heading to the hotel elevator as Matt lampooned the 32-year-old singer and actor's outfit after a montage of the two preparing for their big night.

EXCLUSIVE: The CW is taking on a controversial subject with ZE, a drama project centering on a transgender teenager. Written by Brooklyn-based writer-playwright Kyle Jarrow and executive produced by Michael London (Milk), ZE is described as a raw, quirky family drama about a FTM (female-to-male) teen and his family. A personal choice takes on controversial public significance when a Texas teenager announces she is transgender and will be living life as a boy. As his dysfunctional family spirals into identity crises of their own, he discovers that he might be the most well-adjusted of them all.  CBS TV Studios is...

ALICE [Falling]: How curious. I never realized that rabbit holes were so dark . . . and so long . . . and so empty. I believe I have been falling for five minutes, and I still can't see the bottom! Hey Reg - race you to the bottom! If there is one. Meanwhile, further down the rabbit hole: After opening to tepid reviews in this country, the White House announced Friday that Big Guy was cancelling a fund-raiser in Hollywood in order to launch an emergency media blitz to sell his new movie – coming soon to a...

The nation will soon know whether or not President Obama will authorize a strike on Syrian military forces. What he will tell us on Tuesday evening, few can factually predict. But if the outcome of his deliberative process does not pose his favored verdict, no one would be surprised if he just did as he originally wished to begin with. But even that is truly a mystery. After all, chemical weapons attacks have been occurring in Syria since March, and it’s only now that we must make some sort of demonstrable stand so that future rogues don't think we're sissies...

Radical-left actor Ed Asner was blunt with Paul Bond of The Hollywood Reporter about how celebrities won’t be mobilizing against military actions launched by Barack Obama: "A lot of people don't want to feel anti-black by being opposed to Obama," he said.

... "I don't want anything bad to happen to the United States," Chappelle said ... "but if North Korea ever drops a nuclear bomb on this country, I swear to God I hope it lands in Hartford, Connecticut." ...

Four Ronald Reagan historians have slammed the portrayal of former President Reagan in the movie "The Butler," saying that the 40th president's "attitudes toward race" as shown in the movie are inaccurate. They begin the article, "What 'The Butler' gets wrong about Ronald Reagan and race," published in The Washington Post, by recounting instances in Reagan's life when he decried racism and took a stand for the African-American community. While serving as president of the Screen Actors Guild, for example, "Ronald Reagan called upon the entertainment industry to provide greater employment for black actors." That position was controversial at the...

A host of Israeli celebrities are taking part in a unique project that is meant to raise awareness to the string of strict anti-gay laws that have recently become a reality in Russia. The project, led by David and Jonathan Marketing, consists of a series of images showing celebrities dressed as Soviet soldiers, with blood running from their mouths. This is a play on the iconic Pierre et Gilles photograph depicting a soldier with a tear streaming down his cheek. Titled RED FLAG, the project is a response to the seeming anti-gay crusade Putin has been spearheading in Russia. …

We may be seeing more prominent gay and lesbian characters on TV shows, but the movie industry lags well behind the small screen, an advocacy group reports. In its first study of LGBT roles in major studio releases, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation found that compared with TV, where there has been a significant shift over the past decade, “Major studios appear reluctant to include LGBT characters in significant roles or franchises.” In its report released Wednesday, GLAAD found that of the 101 releases from Hollywood’s six major studios in 2012, just 14 included characters identified as lesbian,...

Lisa Robin Kelly, who rose to fame as Laurie Forman on “That ’70s Show” died on Wednesday night, her manager told FOX411. She was 43. … “Unfortunately, Lisa Robin Kelly passed away last evening. Lisa had voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility early this week where she was battling the addiction problems that have plagued her these past few years,” her manager Craig Wycoff said. “I spoke to her on Monday and she was hopeful and confident, looking forward to putting this part of her life behind her. Last night, she lost the battle.” …

Thanks to the power of Photoshop and the skill of artist Danny Evans, we get to see what some famous celebrities would look like if they didn't take the Hollywood career path. Starting off, we have Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Continue reading to see Rihanna, Britney Spears, Johnny Depp, and more.> "It was a reaction to the insanely over-retouched photos of celebrities that are everywhere," says the artist. The series started back in 2006: reacting to a crazy over-exposure of Paris Hilton, Danny photoshopped some images by putting her face on random pictures. Eventually it evolved into visualisations of...

President Obama's dispute with Russian President Vladimir Putin has been getting the headlines, but now he's in a new beef with Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner, and this one could get really nasty.The President recently said that the public's fascination with the Kardashian and other high-profile celebs was changing the American Dream, in an interview on Amazon's Kindle Singles site. Where children once aimed for a good home, a good job and the possibility of higher education, he said, today's youngsters are exposed to such wealth in the form of celebrities' lifestyles that everything seems smaller by comparison. "Kids weren't monitoring...

The entertainment industry is giving full voice to their criticism of the Russian anti-gay statute. They've singled out Russia because the 2014 Winter Olympics are going to be held in the city of Sochi and gay fans of the games don't want to be arrested simply for exhibiting what in Russia is politically incorrect behavior. The International Olympic Committee wants assurances from the Russian government but Moscow is standing firm, saying that the law must be respected. Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko insisted Thursday that Olympic athletes would have to respect the laws of the country during the Sochi Games....

The Hollywood Reporter calls it a “politically charged flight of speculative fiction.” Newsmax refers to it “sci-fi socialism” and “political propaganda.” Variety said its one of the “more openly socialist political agendas of any Hollywood movie in memory, beating the drum loudly not just for universal healthcare, but for open borders, unconditional amnesty and the abolition of class distinctions as well.” [snip] Blomkamp, who rose to fame with the Oscar-nominated sci-fi hit “District 9” in 2009, said his highly-anticipated film has no agenda whatsoever, and claims he isn’t a political filmmaker. “’Elysium’ doesn’t have a message,” Blomkamp told Wired Magazine,...

Hot or Not? Rihanna Instagrams her gold AK-47 grill In a recent Instagram post, controversial pop-star, Rihanna, shows off her new, golden AK-47 grill. Her fan reviews are mixed. Some seem to love the new dental bling while others cast it off as just another attempt to maintain her “bad girl” image. What do you think?

And the next host of the Academy Awards is … Ellen DeGeneres. It will be DeGeneres’ second tour of duty as Oscar host, having previously emceed the 79th annual Academy Awards in 2007 and earning an Emmy nomination. The popular syndicated talkshow host also fronted the Emmys in 2001 and 2005 (co-hosting them in 2003). “I am so excited to be hosting the Oscars for the second time,” DeGeneres said, joking that “you know what they say – the third time’s the charm.”

It doesn’t debut until next month, but the Fox sitcom “Dads” is already taking heat in early reviews for being crass, sexist and exploiting racial stereotypes. Facing reporters Thursday, its stars and producers defended the show as focusing on human frailties for the sake of laughs and enlightenment. They vowed to refine it, as needed, as the season unfolds, and asked its audience not to rush to judgment. … “Dads” centers on two friends, played by Seth Green and Giovanni Ribisi, whose politically incorrect fathers re-enter their lives and disrupt them. The raucous, loose-lipped dads are played by Martin Mull...