Magazine names Rowling as entertainer of year

Magazine names Rowling
as entertainer of year

NEW YORK — J.K. Rowling’s magical, Midas touch has landed her on the cover of Entertainment Weekly as the magazine’s entertainer of the year. The magazine said the “Harry Potter” author, who has sold nearly 400 million copies of her boy-wizard series that’s been adapted into a megasuccessful movie franchise, deserved props for getting “people to tote around her big, old-fashioned printed-on-paper books as if they were the hottest new entertainment devices on the planet.” Rowling was in a class by herself on the magazine’s list of the year’s top entertainers, which was separated by editors into five other categories that evoke school cliques: prodigies, class clowns, most popular, most buzzed-about and valedictorians. The magazine named George Clooney — actor, director, activist — a valedictorian because he has “deftly balanced box-office viability with personal responsibility.” Will Smith, Angelina Jolie and the cast of “The Sopranos” also made the grade, among others. Matt Damon made the list of most popular, as did Carrie Underwood, Katherine Heigl, Johnny Depp and Kanye West. The prodigies: Zac Efron, Shia LaBeouf, Rihanna and Miley Cyrus. Tina Fey, creator and co-star of “30 Rock,” was recognized as a class clown for her hilariously cringe-inducing portrayal of comedy-show producer Liz Lemon on the NBC sitcom.

Brad Pitt pulls out
of ‘State of Play’

LOS ANGELES — Brad Pitt has backed out of a Universal Pictures movie set to begin filming this year, a newspaper reported. “State of Play” was to star Pitt as a political consultant-turned-journalist who helps investigate the death of a congressman’s mistress. The actor left the production Wednesday, Hollywood trade paper Daily Variety reported on its Web site. “Brad Pitt has left the Universal Pictures production of ’State of Play,”’ the studio said in a statement. “We remain committed to this project and to the filmmakers, cast members, crew and others who are also involved in making the movie. We reserve all rights in this matter.”

Bill Nye seeks order
to keep his ex away

LOS ANGELES — Bill Nye wants his ex-fiancee out of his life and it’s not just because of some bad chemistry. Nye, who hosted the educational PBS series “Bill Nye, the Science Guy,” is seeking a permanent restraining order against Blair Tindall, alleging she tried to poison his vegetable garden, according to court records. He said Tindall came to his Studio City home late Sept. 3 dressed in black and carrying “two plastic bottles filled with some sort of solvent,” according to court papers filed last week in Superior Court. The bottles “may have been emptied on my garden from which I get food produce,” he said in the filing. Nye is seeking to keep Tindall away from his home and from contacting him. Nye, 51, identified Tindall as his ex-fiancee, even though the two announced in February 2006 that they were married by the Rev. Rick Warren, pastor and author of “The Purpose-Driven Life.”

Today’s birthdays

Columnist William F. Buckley is 82. Rock-and-roll drummer Pete Best is 66. Rock musician Donald “Duck” Dunn (Booker T. & the MG’s) is 66. Former White House news secretary Marlin Fitzwater is 65. Motion Picture Association of America President Dan Glickman is 63. Actor Dwight Schultz is 60. Actor Stanley Livingston is 57. Actress Denise Crosby is 50. Rock musician Gary Stonadge (Big Audio) is 45. Rock musician Chad Taylor (Live) is 37. Actress Lola Glaudini is 36. Actor Colin Hanks is 30. Actress Katherine Heigl (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 29.