Lynn Collins and designer Alberta Ferretti attend the C.H.I.P.S spring luncheon and fall fashion show in Beverly Hills. (photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic.com)

True Blood on the Tracks

From his very first protest songs to his switch to an electric guitar at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, Bob Dylan has never been predictable. Now fans of America's poet-songwriter may be surprised to hear freewheelin' Bob's new cut "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" (the first track off his new album) accompanying sultry images of vampires and other shape-shifters for promotional videos for 'True Blood' season 2. "When I heard the song, I knew it would be a perfect fit for our characters and storylines," said the show's creator Alan Ball. (photo: Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic.com)

[prnewswire.com]

[See the video]

Carla Gugino attends 'The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion' Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. (photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com)

Can't Place the Accent

Fans of 'The Wire' were often surprised to learn that Detective McNulty, aka Dominic West, hailed from England not Baltimore. You'd think that when the actor returned to his homeland to do a film, he might get to speak in his native lilt, but West has been cast as the lead in the BBC's 'Breaking the Mould,' playing Australian scientist Howard Florey who pioneered the use of penicillin. (photo: Albert L. Ortega/WireImage.com)

[guardian.co.uk]

Jennifer Hudson performs at The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. (photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage.com)

Tao of Bill

In comedy, as in life, it's important to find a proper balance. So where is a provocateur such as Bill Maher to look for guidance? ''Carlin to me is the great Mount Rushmore comedian," Maher says, "because he did what I aspire to do — and maybe now that I'm over 50, I'm doing it finally — which is really put on a show that makes people belly laugh for an hour and a half, but that's also challenging and brutally honest about everything. Carlin was, in my view, the most courageous while remaining extremely funny,'' he says. "You want to remain extremely funny when you're doing stand-up comedy, especially in a recession and people are spending their hard-earned money to see you. It's a comedy show, not a rally.'' (photo: Kristian Dowling/WireImage.com)

[Denver Post via Miami Herald]

Jeanne Tripplehorn and husband Leland Orser arrive at Women In Film's 2009 MaxMara 'Face of the Future' Cocktail Party in West Hollywood. (photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.com)

An Officer and a Gentleman

Kevin Bacon may not be the first guy you think of when you think "Marine," but the actor played two real-life Devil Dogs back to back recently in 'Frost/Nixon' (out now on DVD) and 'Taking Chance.' Bacon met both of the men he was playing, not to mimic them, but get what he describes as "their essence." "I had to meet with Jack [Brennan, Nixon's post-Presidency Chief-of-Staff] almost right after I met with Mike Strobl [the protagonist in 'Taking Chance']," Bacon explains. "I have a hard time describing what it is, exactly, but there is something that's kind of different about Marines."

While Bacon takes his roles seriously, he's quick to lighten up when it comes to himself. He admits he was put off at first by the 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,' game because he thought the message was: "Isn't it hilarious that this jackass would be linked to some of the great actors in history?" But he came around: "I just said, you know, 'F**k it, I'll try to do something cool with it!'" So he started a charity site that encourages people to give to connect others to their favorite causes. "Now, I'm thrilled to be connected to it. It doesn't cause me any kind of grief at all." (photo: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images)

[Venice Magazine via The Hollywood Interview]

[SixDegrees.org]