Cruise wows fans in Kidman's hometown

Cruise wows fansin Kidman's hometown
SYDNEY, Australia -- Tom Cruise, once dubbed Australia's favorite son-in-law, sailed through his first public appearance in ex-wife Nicole Kidman's hometown of Sydney since their divorce, reports ABCNEWS.com. Cruise, 39, signed autographs and shook hands with fans for about two hours Wednesday at the Down Under premiere of his latest film "Vanilla Sky" -- posing for cameras and holding hands with co-star and girlfriend Penelope Cruz, 27.
"I really love Australia and I really appreciate the warm welcome," a relaxed Cruise told throngs of fans, who cheered loudly.
Cruise became the man the Australian press and public loved to hate when he shocked Hollywood by filing for divorce in February from Kidman after 10 years of marriage.
Newspapers drummed up talk of a Sydney showdown with Kidman and radio programs devoted big blocks of time to callers criticizing him for divorcing her and starting a new relationship with Latin lover Cruz. But Cruise's appearance was conflict-free.
Cruise -- who has repeatedly insisted his romance with Cruz blossomed after, not during, the filming of "Vanilla Sky" -- said he would spend a few days in Sydney and was expected to meet up with his children there. Meanwhile, Kidman's not doing half-bad. The 34-year-old star was named the E! channel's Entertainer of the Year, and her roles in "Moulin Rouge" and "The Others" have been generating Oscar talk.
Barrymore-Green split:Who knows for sure?
LOS ANGELES -- After all Drew Barrymore and Tom Green's hoax weddings in the year before they married for real in July, it's only natural that some are taking the news of their divorce with a grain of salt, reports Entertainment Weekly.
In the divorce papers Green reportedly filed Monday, he said the couple had been separated since Dec. 11. But a day after that, in an interview with "Access Hollywood," Barrymore said, "I am so lucky, it's sickening. I want to puke all over myself," adding that she and Green had watched one of her old movies together ("E.T.") the previous night.
A few days later, London's The Mail newspaper ran an interview in which Barrymore said, "With Tom, I feel totally relaxed, which is such a relief. Tom is one of the first people to be in my life who believes in permanence. When I saw he wanted to believe in it with me, I was willing to take a risk."
Barrymore was still wearing her wedding ring Monday night, hours after Green's filing, at a benefit for World Trade Center victims in New Jersey. Tuesday, however, Barrymore finally issued a statement saying, "Yes, it's true we have decided to part. I love Tom very much. He has always been a great friend, and that won't change."
Joyride ends in jail
LOS ANGELES -- A towing-firm employee in Richmond, Va., was jailed on charges he took an unauthorized spin in rapper Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott's $311,000 Lamborghini Diablo and wrecked it.
Joseph Thomas Johnson's alleged joyride Oct. 9 ended three miles from the headquarters of Century Inc., where he worked as a dispatcher. The company was hired to transport the plum-colored 2001 Lamborghini from California to Elliott's Virginia Beach home.
Today's birthdays
Kurt Waldheim is 83. Ventriloquist Paul Winchell is 79. Country singer Freddie Hart is 75. Actor Ed Nelson is 73. Talk show host Phil Donahue is 66. Movie director John Avildsen is 66. Jane Fonda is 64. Actor Larry Bryggman is 63. Singer Carla Thomas is 59. Musician Albert Lee is 58. Conductor Michael Tilson Thomas is 57. Actor Samuel L. Jackson is 53. Singer Betty Wright is 48. Tennis star Chris Evert is 47. Actress Jane Kaczmarek is 46. Country singer Lee Roy Parnell is 45. Entertainer Jim Rose is 45. Actor-comedian Ray Romano is 44. Country singer Christy Forester (The Forester Sisters) is 39. Actor-comedian Andy Dick is 36. Rock musician Gabrielle Glaser (Luscious Jackson) is 36. Actor Kiefer Sutherland is 35. Actress Karri Turner ("JAG") is 35. Actress Khrystyne Haje is 33. Country singer Brad Warren (The Warren Brothers) is 33. Actress Julie Delpy is 32. Singer-musician Brett Scallions (Fuel) is 30.
Lee is tired of hearingabout 'Dracula' role
LONDON -- Don't mention "Dracula" to veteran film star Christopher Lee or he might just bite your head off.
The 79-year-old British actor may be best remembered for his classic portrayal of the blood-sucking count but he really wishes people would stop talking about it, reports Reuters.
"Why do we keep going back to 'Dracula?' There is no point," Lee said wearily Wednesday at London's world release of his latest film, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring."
"That was a part of my career that at the time -- 43 years ago -- was very important, but that was a long time ago. I have not done a horror movie since 1975 so I just don't see the point in talking about it."
Although Lee may have cast off his horror film roots long ago, he hasn't entirely left the dark side behind, playing the fallen wizard Saruman the White in Peter Jackson's epic $270 million adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
Maybe his role in "Rings" will help Lee shake off his image as a screen monster. But he still gets irritating questions. "Someone asked me yesterday if Dracula met Saruman and there was a fight, who would win. I just looked at this man. What an idiotic thing to say. I mean, really, it was half-witted."