'Idlewild' 's Susie Castillo at SELF Magazine's Benefit to Support Breast Cancer Awareness. (photo: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com)

Capo-a-Capo

At the after-party for the premiere of Martin Scorsese's 'The Departed,' the legendary director met fellow mafia auteur David Chase for the first time, and told the 'Sopranos' creator about a book in which a psychiatrist theorizes that the mobsters they've both created "secretly want to be women."

That's news to Jack Nicholson, who plays a legendary Boston gangster in Scorsese's film, one with an affinity for his penis — or a prosthetic enhancement to it. But as the Daily News' Rush & Molloy point out, Nicholson's character "gives off a gay vibe" in the film. And in real life, Boston gangster Whitey Bulger, the inspiration for his character, was said to have had a three-way with a bookie and actor Sal Mineo. "I made a point to do no research," Nicholson told the paper. "But it's amazing the things you find out later."

Of course, Nicholson himself seems intent on sticking with the female sex, the younger the better. He showed up at the Ziegfield with Paz de la Huerta, an actress 47 years his junior. (photo: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com)

[NY Daily News]

Rosario 'Triple-Threat' Dawson

"I've always been into comics," says 'Sin City' and 'Clerks 2' star Rosario Dawson. A passion, the New Zealand Herald tells us, she inherited from her comic book artist uncle, Gus Vasquez. Now her own comic book series, 'O.C.T.: Occult Crimes Taskforce' — which she co-created and whose protagonist is an animated version of the NY beauty from Alphabet City — has been acquired by Dimension Films. Attached as producer and leading lady, Dawson plays a detective who joins a covert police squad with skills in the art of dark magic to battle soul-sucking ghouls in Gotham. And, on her penchant for playing empowered women she says, "I've avoided playing klutzy sweet girls. I like a woman to strut around and be powerful, and if you have the nerve to talk to her maybe you'll get lucky and she'll give you her number." (photo: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com)

[The New Zealand Herald]

[Dark Horizons]

Making Book

According to the Reuters review, " 'Curb Your Enthusiasm: The Book' is just the thing for those who admire the show, a buff-friendly scrapbook of stills, stretches of dialogue, and facts and factoids." Written by former New York Observer TV columnist Deirdre Dolan, the book provides insights into how the largely improvised show is crafted. (David writes an outline of what happens in each episode and gives his cast information on a need-to-know basis.) It may come as a surprise that the famous curmudgeon has trouble keeping a straight face with his scene partners, often breaking into laughter. Says Susie Essman, "I start yelling at him and he starts laughing immediately. . . . He starts to laugh before I even begin to speak." The book officially goes on sale October 19th. (photo: Theo Wargo/WireImage.com )

[Reuters]

[Amazon.com]

Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo Di Caprio and Matt Damon at the NY premiere of 'The Departed.' (photo: Shawn Ehlers/WireImage.com)

Jim True-Frost Plays
Chi-Town

This fall, 'The Wire' 's Jim True-Frost is back home in Chicago. A member of the Windy City's renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Company, he's starring in Martin McDonagh's macabre 'The Pillowman.' The dark tale takes place in an unnamed totalitarian society where True-Frost's character is interrogated and tortured by two malevolent cops. His character's extremely disturbing but unpublished children's stories bare striking similarities to a series of gruesome child murders the police are trying to crack. A huge Broadway success in 2004-05, Playbill calls the play a fairy tale about art, loyalty, totalitarianism and storytelling. Steppenwolf's production of 'The Pillowman' runs through November 12. (photo: Spellman/WireImage.com)

[Chicago Tribune]

[Playbill]

Big's New Woman

The sixth time's a charm. Chris Noth has teamed up with yet another new 'Law&Order' partner, actress Julianne Nicholson, who'll play Detective Logan's hot new sidekick, Det. Wheeler. The team will split their caseload with Eames (Kathryn Erbe) and Goren (Vincent D'Onofrio), alternating episodes. "It's the humane thing to do," Noth tells NBC affiliate First Coast News. "We're in every scene," and the workload can be too much. Besides, this way, "You get to compare how they do it and how we do it."

Noth says this season's show is "much more muscular and sexier" than previous seasons. As to the never-ending question about a 'Sex and the City' movie. "I would've loved to have [played Mr. Big in a movie], but it's never gonna happen." (photo: D. Arnault/WireImage.com)

[First Coast News]

Hall's Past

On the eve of the debut of his new series, 'Dexter,' in which Michael C. Hall plays a serial killer, the actor talked to McClatchy-Tribune News Service about how his past shaped him personally and professionally. A shy, only-child, Hall moved a lot as a young boy due to his father's job as an IBM exec. Stricken with cancer, his father died when Hall was 11, leaving Hall and his mother to face the world as "survivors" not "victims," he explains. "I think I had a shyness about me," he says. "I think I discovered acting as a way to break out of that and as a way of belonging, a sense of being special."

He credits his role in 'Cabaret,' replacing Alan Cummings, not only as a big break, but as a learning experience that would inform his career. "I had to step on that stage and believe that that club was mine and that audience loved me and I loved them. I came to realize playing that part and being forced to cultivate that sense of the audience that, up to that point, I'd had a sort of adversarial relationship to the audience and thought they maybe had their arms folded or were waiting for a reason not to like me. So I think that was really good. And that in turn helped me develop a better relationship with the camera." (photo: Charbonneau/WireImage.com)

[McClatchy-Tribune News Service via Popnews]

Sarah Paulson arrives for an Evening with 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip' at The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (photo: Mark Sullivan/WireImage.com)

Whoopi Gets A Piece Of The Rock

Comic superstar Whoopi Goldberg has joined the cast of Chris Rock's 'Everybody Hates Chris.' Having heard that Goldberg was a fan of the show, co-creator Ali LeRoi told the Associated Press, the role of Louise (the overly-protective grandmother of a cute girl Chris falls for) was created "so it wouldn't be a necessity for her to be here every week, just in case she's busy." A good-humored Goldberg responded "That's what you all think. There I am praying for roles, and you all think, 'Oh, yes, she's got a lot of work!' "

Meanwhile, proving we all need more Whoopi, the award-winning star — one of only four actresses to win an Oscar®, a Tony, an Emmy® and a Grammy® — will reunite with Billy Crystal and Robin Williams for Comic Relief™ 2006, the live all-star comedy event to help families in the rebirth of New Orleans, Saturday, November 18. (photo: Theo Wargo/WireImage.com)

[The Associated Press via The Globe and Mail]

[IMDb.com]

[Comic Relief™ 2006]

Gay Pride

Michael Williams' Omar Little busts stereotypes

Michael K. Williams, who plays stick-up artist Omar Little on 'The Wire.' has gotten used to being a lightning rod. When he kissed his boyfriend in season two, MTV's DJ Sway told him the scene was repulsive and "morally outrageous" on radio station Hot 97. But Williams welcomes the storm. "It is my job to get emotion and controversy, you know, possibly a little change. So the fact that I got him thinking and talking and judging, whatever the hell you want to call it, I did my job..."

Many others have thanked him for breaking stereotypes about gay people. "It has had a very positive aspect on me, knowing that someone who is really in the lifestyle, telling me thank you — that meant...a lot to me." Among the fans who've praised his work, the actor says some have been actual gangsters and drug dealers. "I have gotten a few, 'I really love Omar!'" says Williams. "I am like, 'OK, what are you really trying to tell me?' " (photo: Arnold Turner/WireImage.com)

[AfterElton.com]

Imperioli's Big Break

Dying for Martin Scorcese nearly killed Michael Imperioli. In an interview with the YES network, the actor talked about his big break playing Spider in 'Goodfellas,' and getting blown away by Joe Pesci. While shooting his death scene, the actor decided not to use his stunt double, and shattered the glass he was holding when he fell backwards, slicing open a couple fingers. He managed not to scream as he was playing dead, but he had to be taken to the E.R., where the doctors saw three (fake) bullet holes in his chest and a whole lot of blood. They rushed him onto a gurney and ignored his hand — convinced he was too delirious to know what he was talking about. When they finally opened his shirt, they saw the fake blood wires and, realizing he was just an actor with a finger injury, made him wait in the corner for 45 minutes. The good news? Scorcese used the take. (photo: Bennett Raglin/WireImage.com)

[YESnetwork.com]

Watch the scene: [YouTube]

Shooter Jennings and Drea de Matteo at the World Premiere of 'Jackass: Number Two.' (photo: Eric Charbonneau/WireImage.com)

Afterglow

Cynthia Nixon talks about her life post-'Sex in the City'

After her fame from 'Sex and the City' and a tabloid-worthy split from the father of her children for another woman, Cynthia Nixon has managed to return to her normal life. She talks to New York Magazine about the benefits of sending her children to public school, her upcoming turn in 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' (in previews now), and how to ditch the celebrity spotlight. "I feel like there was an enormous temperature spike, where I was on the front page of two daily papers, there was paparazzi outside my house....They almost put me on the cover of People magazine. And then it died. Because there wasn't really anything to say. I can't remember in what context they tell people this, but if someone is chasing you, stop running. And then they'll stop chasing you." (photo: Jemal Countess/WireImage.com)

[New York Magazine]

Sigler's Tips for the Single Girl

Jamie-Lynn Sigler showed up on her friend Alyssa Shelasky's Glamour magazine dating blog recently, talking about how she got over her split from husband AJ DiScala. It wasn't easy, she reports, but she's learned some valuable lessons about what a good relationships needs: a healthy sense of self-worth. "When I was married, I wasn't nearly as self-aware or as confident as I am now. I see this with women all the time — we're always wondering what the guy is thinking, what will make him happy, what he wants. We ask: Why did he do this? Why didn't he do that? What does he mean? I used to obsess over those things too. But I've learned that in relationships, putting yourself first is NOT a bad thing." (photo: Mychal Watts/WireImage.com)

[Glamour]

Ball Bounces

Heading home to the Big Apple

After 11 years in Tinsletown, Alan Ball has decided he needs to get back to his roots. "I sold myself to television and moved out here, I mean — I love L.A., but I miss New York terribly." So the creator of 'Six Feet Under' has bought an apartment in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. Ball got his start in the city that never sleeps and now his busy career brings him back. With shooting for his adaptation of Alicia Erian's novel 'Towelhead' to begin this fall and his new play 'All That I Will Ever Be' opening at the New York Theatre Workshop in January, Ball reasoned, "Rather than stay in a hotel for five months, why not get a place?" (photo: Jean-Paul Aussenard/WireImage.com)

[New York Observer]

Zelda Williams and Daveigh Chase at the Teen Vogue Young Hollywood Party. (photo: John Shearer/WireImage.com)

Rock Mobster

Steven Van Zandt Fights for CBGB

With New York City's rock mecca CBGB set to close its doors, music icon Steven Van Zandt has been on a mission to try to save the legendary concert venue. The Asbury Park Press caught up with Little Steven's Underground Garage tour in Atlantic City, and asked the sideman to Bruce Springsteen if the club could be saved by his other boss Tony Soprano?

"Tony could get things done in five minutes. Too bad that's fiction and not reality." But Van Zandt added, "I'm going to fight until the end. It just doesn't look good."

CBGB has slated veteran rocker Patti Smith for its final NY performance date October 15 — and then the club will relocate to Las Vegas. (photo: Jim Spellman/WireImage.com)

[Asbury Park Press]

[Contactmusic.com]

Girl Talk

Kim Cattrall's advice book for teen girls

With visions of Samantha's screaming orgasms in their heads, parents might be a bit alarmed about Kim Cattrall dishing advice to their teenage girls. But the actress-cum-author parts ways with her character in 'Being a Girl: Navigating the Ups and Downs of Teen Life,' her new book out next month. Covering everything from self-esteem to skin care to sex and relationships, the wisdom in the book is "as age-appropriate tame as Samantha Jones is no-holds-barred wild," says the NY Daily News. "Kim is not Samantha," the publisher notes. "Teens will find her answers are firmly grounded in reality."

"Samantha is a character who seems to know everything," Cattrall explains, "so teens of all ages ask my advice — about dating, shopping, losing weight, makeup, friendship, what's hot." Yet unlike Sam, Cattrall advises not rushing headlong into things — even sex. "Whether you broke it off with him or he broke off with you, give yourself time to grieve. A big part of your life is gone." (photo: George Pimentel/WireImage.com)

[NY Daily News]

[BN.com]

Gilty Pleasures

Ricky Gervais on the burden of wealth

He has a sprawling new home in Hampstead, North West London, which comes with its own pool, and in one of his first corporate appearances, "I made more money in 40 minutes than my dad earned in a year."

But the weight of so much sudden wealth weighs on Ricky Gervais. "I do feel embarrassed and guilty. I don't really know what to do with all my money." And with the U.S. version of his hit 'The Office' taking off here, he's poised to make a whole lot more. At the Emmys a few weeks back, he told reporters, "I can't wait for it to be syndicated — even though after taxes we'll be lucky to clear $100 million." "I was only joking. They thought I was serious!" (photo: Mike Marsland/WireImage.com)

[The Sun]