James Dean Lives—at Least in New TV Ad

Actor Paul Marcarelli breaks his silence

(NEWSER) - Verizon's iconic "Test Man" ad character is being dropped after nearly a decade—and after being silent for much of that time, actor Paul Marcarelli is finally talking. Marcarelli, who said "Can you hear me now?" in hundreds of ads, says the company let him know last fall that they plan to take their advertising in a different direction. His original five-year contract with the company had banned him from taking other commercial work or discussing any aspect of the ad campaign, he tells the Atlantic . Now, he is still under contract, but eager to promote an upcoming project. More»

Kal Penn leaves Obama administration to resume acting

(NEWSER) - Kal Penn is done with politics: The actor will resign as President Obama's associate director of public engagement to return to show business, starting with a new Harold & Kumar movie that begins shooting in June. The film will see the two buddies reunited at Christmastime under the direction of Todd Schulson, and may be shot in 3-D, reports Entertainment Weekly . Expect to see a lot of freaked-out stoners in theaters come holiday 2011. More»

(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»

Black actors left off UK poster—but is US version any better?

(NEWSER) - Audiences in Britain are crying foul over a Couples Retreat poster that omits two black actors who were featured on the US version. A film rep tells the Mail that the change was meant “to simplify the poster to actors who are most recognizable in international markets”—but filmgoers and critics alike aren't buying. Still, as Adrian Chen points out for Gawker , the original poster—with the black couple in the deep background—wasn’t much better. More»

Roger Corman, Gordon Willis, John Calley share the spotlight

(NEWSER) - A mere 65 years after her unforgettable screen debut, Lauren Bacall has won an Academy Award. The honorary Oscar was a high point of a ceremony last night in Los Angeles that also celebrated the careers of filmmaker Roger Corman, cinematographer Gordon Willis, and producer John Calley. "I can't believe it, a man at last!" the 85-year-old Bacall joked as she hoisted her new hardware. More»