FILM/ HALLE BERRY MAY PLAY ARETHA: Having won a Golden Globe for her turn as Dorothy Dandridge, Halle Berry isn't a stranger to stepping into another person's life. And according to Aretha Franklin, the actress is willing to do it again. While recovering from her recent health scare, the legendary singer called into the Wendy Williams show and discussed plans for an upcoming film about her life titled "Aretha: From These Roots". "For the last 4 years, we've been talking about that and I have had a number of offers but unfortunately, they were not good offers," she said. "Now, we have something on the table. They have all of the financing on one project and the second project, he's in the process of writing things for me to approve on the tele-film." When asked who would be playing her, Frankin responded: "Halle Berry is my pick for the older Aretha. There's a young Aretha that has yet to be named". Berry was joined by Denzel Washington as Franklin's father and Terrence Howard as Smokey Robinson. It is not known if any of the actors have actually signed on to the film.
On the last day of shooting "Water for Elephants," Reese Witherspoon was so upset that she broke down in tears. She hadn't been that saddened by a movie wrapping in years, the actress said in an interview today, but she had become particularly attached to one costar: an 8800 pound elephant named Tai. "The day I had to say goodbye to her, I wept all day," Witherspoon said. "It was one of the most extraordinary filmmaking experiences of my life. You work with actors and directors, but to have this nonverbal complete relationship with an animal that we were all very connected to was very magical". Based on a bestselling historical novel released in 2006, the film, due out April 22, centers on a former veterinary school student named Jacob ( Robert Pattinson), who falls for circus performer Marlena (Witherspoon). Because of the characters' shared affinity for the big top, both actors had to be comfortable interacting with a variety of animals: horses, camels, and, of course, elephants. Before production began, director Francis Lawrence planned a meeting with the stars and Tai at the 10 acre California elephant ranch where she lives. "I'll be honest. I did use a trip down to see the elephants as a bit of bait for the actors," Lawrence said It worked. Witherspoon felt so at ease with Tai, both pictured with Pattinson, hat she quickly attempted an elaborate mount, in which the elephant lifted the actress with only its trunk. "They had her pick me up, and I just screamed," she said. "She could crush you, but she knows the exact amount of pressure to put on you".
British actress Susannah York has died at the age of 72 after suffering from cancer. She appeared in film, TV and theatre during a career which began in the 1960s. She was nominated for a best supporting actress Oscar for her role in the 1969 film "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" and won a Bafta for the same role. York graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 1958, winning the Ronson Award for most promising student. Directed by Sydney Pollack, "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" followed the contestants in a gruelling dance marathon and also starred Jane Fonda. According to media reports at the time, York was apparently angry at having been nominated for the Oscar without being asked, but did attend the ceremony. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as Alice in the film. UK film magazine Empire said York "came to fame" in "Tom Jones," opposite Albert Finney, in 1963, and was "amazing" in "The Killing of Sister George" in 1968. York also starred in "A Man For All Seasons," "X, Y, and Zee" and was featured as Superman's mother in 3 "Superman" films. More recently, she appeared in the BBC TV dramas "Holby City" and "Casualty". York is survived by her family.
Della Reese said today in an interview that she, Roma Downey and John Dye were very much "a family unit" during CBS' long-running series "Touched by an Angel". But that family suffered a heavy loss with Dye's death at age 47 this week. "Roma, John and I were a family unit. We worked together every day for seven years," Reese told THR. "We acted like a family. We lived like a family. I felt what he felt. He was my Angel Boy, that's what I called him". The actor died from a heart attack Monday at his home in San Francisco. Reese says she spoke to Dye's parents to comfort them in this difficult time. In 2002, Reese's own 42-year-old daughter, Deloreese Daniels Owens, died. "You're not supposed to bury your children, your children are supposed to bury you," she said. "My daughter made her transition. I told them you don't get over it, you adjust to live with it. This is not a time when anyone can help you". Despite the loss, Reese believes Dye is in "a place where whatever was not right for him is now right for him." "I am disappointed greatly that he didn't have a chance to finish a marvelous life," said Reese. "He certainly deserved it".
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