Paltrow Adds Cookbook to Off-Camera Plate

(NEWSER) - John Forsythe, a versatile actor who gained lasting fame as Blake Carrington on the pioneering prime-time soap Dynasty and as the voice of the mysterious Charlie on Charlie's Angels, died yesterday in California. He was 92. Best known at the time as the affable star of Bachelor Father, Forsythe played a villainous judge in the 1979 Al Pacino vehicle And Justice for All, demonstrating he had the chops to channel the scheming Blake Carrington. More»

Activist celebs are annoying, but effective and necessary: Firth

(NEWSER) - Actor Colin Firth doesn’t like it when his fellow actors get on the soapbox for humanitarian causes. He’s also tired of doing it himself, and sick of the endless tedium of fundraisers, speeches, and photo ops. But that’s too bad, because the only way anything is going to change for the better is for those capable of capturing media attention to start talking a lot more—and louder, he writes in the Guardian. More»

Appeared in Apocalypse Now , Outlaw Josey Wales

(NEWSER) - Actor Sam Bottoms, who appeared in Apocalypse Now and some 30 other films, died at his LA home this week of brain cancer at age 53, the Los Angeles Times reports. Bottoms began his film career at age 15 in The Last Picture Show and was cast as surfer Lance Johnson, a sailor who travels alongside Martin Sheen in 1979's Apocalypse. More»

Standup comic moved on to film, TV

(NEWSER) - Comedian and actor Bernie Mac has died at 50 of pneumonia after a week’s hospitalization in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reports. Mac suffered from sarcoidosis, an unusual autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in the lungs. Born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, the comedian was a late bloomer, achieving fame in his 30s for his fast-talking, brash brand of humor on HBO specials, in films, and eventually in his own TV show. More»

You'll spoil it for others—and yourself: Daniel Carlson

(NEWSER) - If you've ever had a television show spoiled by live-tweeters, you'll probably appreciate Daniel Carlson's directive: "Step away from the keyboard," he begs viewers, because "live-tweeting ruins everything." Yes, he's annoyed at plot spoilers—but more importantly, he points out on Pajiba , tweeting while watching the show "negatively affects the way you experience the story." He doesn't even check Twitter while watching Breaking Bad, he points out—not to avoid spoilers, but simply because he's engrossed in the show. More»