Whoopi credits Swayze for her ‘Ghost’ Oscar

Whoopi credits Swayze
for her ‘Ghost’ Oscar

NEW YORK — Whoopi Goldberg says her friend Patrick Swayze — who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer — is the reason why she won an Oscar for “Ghost.” “When I won my Academy Award, the only person I really thanked was Patrick,” Goldberg recalled Thursday on ABC daytime talk show “The View.” Goldberg, who starred alongside Swayze in the 1990 film, earned a best supporting actress trophy for her portrayal of psychic Oda Mae Brown, who helps slain businessman Sam Wheat (Swayze) communicate with his grieving fiancee and solve the mystery of his murder. The 52-year-old actress-comedian said Swayze persuaded director Jerry Zucker to cast her in the film amid “some resistance.” According to Goldberg, Swayze said, “I’m not making this movie unless you put Whoopi Goldberg in there.” Swayze, 55, has been undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer, his representative Annett Wolf said Wednesday. In a statement released by Wolf, Swayze’s physician Dr. George Fisher said he was “optimistic” about the “Dirty Dancing” actor’s prognosis for battling the disease: “Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far.”

‘Girls Gone Wild’ mogul
loses bid for jail release

RENO, Nev. — “Girls Gone Wild” mogul Joe Francis has lost his bid to be released from a Nevada jail without fear of being extradited to Florida. The 34-year-old video empire founder is facing trial in Nevada for tax evasion. He’s wanted in Florida on charges related to filming underage girls on spring break. Francis has been jailed for nearly a year while caught in a tug-of-war between the two states. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Brian Sandoval denied arguments by Francis’ lawyers that would have freed Francis, but kept Florida prosecutors from jailing him. Francis has made millions selling videos of often inebriated women exposing themselves.

Actress enters plea
in shoplifting case

LOS ANGELES — Bai Ling has copped a plea in her shoplifting case. The actress was charged earlier this week with petty theft for trying to take a pack of batteries and two Star magazines worth $16.22 from a store at Los Angeles International Airport. In the plea deal requested by her attorney, she agreed Wednesday to plead guilty to disturbing the peace and to pay a fine and penalties totaling $700, city attorney spokesman Frank Mateljan said. The misdemeanor infraction “carries the same penalty as petty theft,” Mateljan said. In a message posted on her blog, the actress proclaimed “I am innocent” below a photo of herself with her thumb up. “Theft dismissed! Yes! This is it! All the darkness went away,” she wrote. The actress, who has appeared in such films as “The Crow” and “Anna and the King,” was arrested Feb. 13 after she was detained by a store employee who summoned police. She later told E! News that she was having an “emotionally crazy” day because she and her boyfriend broke up right before Valentine’s Day.

Another Arquette
guest stars on ‘Medium’

NEW YORK — It’s a family affair on NBC’s “Medium.” Rosanna Arquette will guest star on sister Patricia’s spooky show this spring, making her the third Arquette sibling to make a mark on the drama, NBC and show producer CBS Paramount Network announced Wednesday. The episode, scheduled to air April 7, features the 48-year-old Arquette as “a beautiful, calculating ‘cougar’ who enjoys the challenges of bedding younger men” and pops up in the dreams of crime-fighting psychic Allison Dubois “when her sexual escapades turn deadly,” the networks said. “I have to say I have been calling in a lot of favors and I’m really excited about this particular part they wrote for her because Rosanna is a very strong comedic and dramatic actress and this role requires both elements,” said Patricia Arquette, 39, who portrays Dubois. “Of course, every time one of my siblings comes on set, the crew realizes that I have yet another sibling nicer than me,” she said, before praising her sister’s “great legs.” The Arquette acting family also includes David Arquette, Richmond Arquette and Alexis Arquette. David recently directed two episodes of “Medium,” and Richmond guest starred on the show two years ago.

Today’s birthdays

Comedian Alan Sues is 82. TV personality Willard Scott is 74. Actor Daniel J. Travanti is 68. Former Walt Disney Co. chief executive officer Michael Eisner is 66. Rock musician Chris White (The Zombies) is 65. Rock singer Peter Wolf is 62. Football Hall of Famer Franco Harris is 58. Football Hall of Famer Lynn Swann is 56. Rhythm-and-blues singer-musician Ernie Isley (The Isley Brothers) is 56. Tennis Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl is 48. Comedian Wanda Sykes is 44. Singer-actress Taylor Dayne is 43. Actor Peter Sarsgaard is 37. Actress Rachel Weisz is 37. Rock singer Hugo Ferreira (Tantric) is 34. Actress Jenna Fischer is 34.