Who's in
Chan to pick apprentices with talent show
Jackie Chan is looking to pick 10 apprentices from all over the world through a TV talent show to be held from April to October. The final winners will not only receive training in acting and the martial arts, but also star in three Chan-supervised action movies before the 2008 Olympics. Outstanding ones will get to learn filmmaking from Chan.
Any Chinese aged between 18 and 28 can apply by going to http://long.btv.com.cn. Those who have learned martial arts or related skills such as dancing, a sport or acrobatics will be preferred.
Chan has designed the logo of the show and is composing the theme song. It will be aired by Beijing TV. The final contest will kick off at the Great Wall on October 1, the National Day 2007.
Bollywood beauty spices up Big Brother
Glamorous Indian film star Shilpa Shetty is among the favorites to win Britain's Celebrity Big Brother reality television show, a symbol of Bollywood's advance into Western culture.
Despite being largely unknown in Britain, viewers have warmed to the 31-year-old, one of Bollywood's hottest actresses.
Shetty has been locked in the Big Brother house since January 2 with a motley assortment of other celebrities, under the unforgiving 24-hour scrutiny of television cameras.
Big Brother producers sought out the actress and reportedly paid her more than the others up to 350,000 pounds ($675,000) to inject some Bollywood spice and shore up ethnic South Asian viewers.
Now Shetty is certain to become the best-known Bollywood star in Britain.
Diana Ross plans to tour with new album
Diana Ross says she is a busy woman these days. So busy, in fact, she has not had time to see the hit film Dreamgirls, which is loosely based on her life as a Motown starlet.
The singer said yesterday she is going to be a mentor on Fox's American Idol and is planning a world tour in March to promote her new album, I Love You.
Ross said she did not see the musical version of Dreamgirls, either.
When asked if she was curious about the film, Ross joked: "Yes, I've heard a lot about it. I'm going to see it with my lawyers."
The film, which won a Golden Globe for best musical or comedy on Monday, tells the story of a Motown trio similar to the Supremes and their rise to fame.
"What I would like to do is to be able to see it," Ross said. "I like to inspire the talent that it is out there today."
China Daily-Agencies
(China Daily 01/18/2007 page18)
