'Sopranos' will wrap up, but a movie is possible

'Sopranos' will wrap up,but a movie is possible
NEW YORK -- "The Sopranos" will definitely be taken out next year, the show's creator said, though he can't say it won't hit the big screen at some point. "It may be that in two or three or four years I could be sitting around and get an idea for a really great 'Sopranos' movie," David Chase told The New York Times in a joint interview with James Gandolfini, star of the HBO series. "I don't think that will happen. But if one morning somebody woke up and said this would make a really good, concise, contained 'Sopranos' story, I wouldn't rule that out." Chase, also the series' executive producer, and Gandolfini reflected on the show and the trajectory of its central character, mobster Tony Soprano, in an article appearing in Sunday's editions. Gandolfini's character never crossed the line into killing family members, except to spare a cousin a worse death by enemies.
Gere fears for India
NEW YORK -- Richard Gere fears that Asia will be "lost" if the AIDS epidemic hits India hard. The actor and AIDS activist is traveling to the subcontinent this week along with President Bush. Gere may not agree with Bush on everything, but he "certainly can praise him" for bringing attention to AIDS in India, the actor said on ABC News' "This Week" on Sunday. "The president of the United States coming there in a world where he's seemingly obsessed with terrorism, clearly obsessed with it, and talking about HIV/AIDS in the same breath, in the same paragraph, extremely important," Gere said.
Amnesty International, Chile honor Bono, U2
SANTIAGO, Chile -- President Ricardo Lagos gave U2 frontman Bono the country's highest award for the arts Sunday and told him he should learn to play the traditional Andean instrument known as the & quot;charango. & quot; The arts medal is named after late Chilean Nobel Prize laureate Pablo Neruda, a poet Bono said he greatly admired. During the ceremony at the La Moneda presidential palace, Lagos also presented Bono with a charango, a small lute-like Andean folk instrument. It was not the only distinction for Bono during U2's stop in Chile for a concert Sunday night before a crowd of nearly 80,000 people expected in Santiago's main soccer stadium. Shortly before the concert, Bono received Amnesty International's & quot;Ambassador of Conscience & quot; award for 2005, which was also granted to the other members of U2 -- Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., Adam Clayton and manager Paul McGuinness.
Political career is over
LONDON -- Best-selling novelist and former Conservative Party official Jeffrey Archer acknowledged Sunday that his political career was over after he served a two-year jail sentence for perjury. Archer, former deputy chairman of the main opposition Conservative Party, confirmed in a television interview that he had rejoined a local branch of the party since leaving prison. But he said it was unlikely he would take his place in the House of Lords, Britain's unelected upper chamber. "I'm not taking any interest in politics. I'm not involved in politics in any way. My life is in writing now," Archer told British Broadcasting Corp. television. Archer left prison in 2003 after serving two years for perjury and obstructing justice. He was convicted of lying during his successful 1987 libel action against Britain's Daily Star newspaper, which contended he had hired a prostitute.
Notable deaths
LOS ANGELES -- Darren McGavin was painting a movie set in 1945 when he learned of an opening for a small role in the show, climbed off his ladder, and returned through Columbia's front gates to land the part. The husky, tough-talking performer went on to become one of the busiest actors in television and film, starring in five TV series, including "Mike Hammer," and endearing holiday audiences with his role as the grouchy dad in the 1983 comedy classic "A Christmas Story." McGavin, 83, died Saturday of natural causes at a Los Angeles-area hospital with his family at his side, said his son Bogart McGavin. McGavin also had leading roles in TV's "Riverboat" and cult favorite "Kolchak: The Night Stalker." Among his memorable portrayals was Gen. George Patton in the 1979 TV biography "Ike." Despite his busy career in television, McGavin was awarded only one Emmy: in 1990 for an appearance as Candice Bergen's opinionated father in an episode of "Murphy Brown."
Rickie Layne, a ventriloquist who frequently appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" with his Yiddish-accented dummy Velvel, has died at 81. Layne died Feb. 11 of heart failure at Tarzana Hospital, family members said. Singer Nat "King" Cole discovered Layne in 1955 at Ciro's nightclub on the Sunset Strip and urged Sullivan to put the act on his popular Sunday night variety show. Layne made his Sullivan debut on Jan. 1, 1956.
Today's birthdays
Actress Joanne Woodward is 76. Actress Elizabeth Taylor is 74. Consumer advocate Ralph Nader is 72. Actress Barbara Babcock is 69. Actor Howard Hesseman is 66. Actress Debra Monk is 57. Rock singer-musician Neal Schon (Journey) is 52. Rock musician Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden) is 49. Actor Timothy Spall is 49. Rock musician Paul Humphreys (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) is 46. Country singer Johnny Van Zant (Van Zant) is 46. Basketball Hall-of-Famer James Worthy is 45. Actor Adam Baldwin is 44. Actor Grant Show is 44. Rock musician Mike Cross (Sponge) is 41. Actor Donal Logue is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Chilli (TLC) is 35. Rock musician Jeremy Dean (Nine Days) is 34. Rhythm-and-blues singer Roderick Clark is 33. Chelsea Clinton is 26. Rhythm-and-blues singer Bobby Valentino (formerly Bobby Wilson) is 26. Singer Josh Groban is 25.