Gary Busey apologizes for embracing Garner

March 19, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

LOS ANGELES — Gary Busey has apologized for embracing Jennifer Garner on the red carpet at the Oscars last month. During a live E! pre-show broadcast, Busey repeatedly interrupted while Ryan Seacrest was interviewing Garner and Laura Linney. At one point, Busey embraced Garner, who looked annoyed. “I meant no disrespect to Ms. Jennifer Garner when I met her at the Oscars and apologize if I made her uncomfortable,” the 63-year-old actor said in a statement e-mailed Monday by a publicist for his attorney, Vicki Roberts. By the time he realized Garner and Linney were being interviewed, Busey said he tried to step back but “suddenly Ryan introduced her to me.” “I simply greeted both actresses with joy and open arms, which is the way I would greet anyone I’m happy to meet,” Busey said. “Everyone has experienced a handshake or hug which has turned awkward, and this was no different.” Busey, an Oscar nominee for his role in 1978’s “The Buddy Holly Story,” has parodied his eccentric reputation on the HBO comedy “Entourage.”

Miley Cyrus will soon be her real name

LOS ANGELES — Hannah Montana is leaving destiny behind. Miley Cyrus, whose given name is Destiny Hope Cyrus, has filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court to change her full legal name to Miley Ray Cyrus. The 15-year-old singer and TV star is the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, who filed the papers last Friday with wife Leticia. Her father writes in the filing that the request was “to make her commonly used name the same as her legal name.” The name-change request was first reported by the celebrity Web site TMZ.com. Miley Cyrus has said her father gave her the nickname “Smiley Miley” as a baby because of her sunny disposition. On the Disney Channel tween hit “Hannah Montana,” she plays a teen who hides her singing stardom.

Jackie Chan, Jet Li will team up again

HONG KONG — Jackie Chan and Jet Li say they had so much fun making their first movie together they are planning a second one. Kung fu cinema’s two biggest stars expressed admiration for each other at a Hong Kong news conference Tuesday to promote their first collaboration, the $75 million Hollywood production, “The Forbidden Kingdom.” “The first day we started filming, it felt like we had worked together for many years,” Chan said, adding, “after filming this movie, we didn’t have enough fun.”

“In four months [of filming], we went from friends to becoming brothers,” Li said. Chan said their fight sequences went so smoothly that cinematographer Peter Pau told them to slow down. He said “The Forbidden Kingdom” is not the movie he wanted to make his first collaboration with Li, but he signed on when the project came along. Chan and Li said they want to shoot another movie together based on a script they started working on 15 years ago, but both stars refused to give details. Both actors were lukewarm in earlier comments about the “The Forbidden Kingdom,” which was shot in China but targets U.S. audiences. The English-language movie follows an American teenager’s fantasy journey to ancient China, where he meets characters from Chinese mythology such as the Drunken Immortal, played by Chan, and the Silent Monk, played by Li. It will be released in the U.S. on April 18.

Today’s birthdays

Former White House national security adviser Brent Scowcroft is 83. Jazz musician Ornette Coleman is 78. Author Philip Roth is 75. Actress Renee Taylor is 75. Actress-singer Phyllis Newman is 75. Actress Ursula Andress is 72. Singer Ruth Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) is 62. Actress Glenn Close is 61. Film producer Harvey Weinstein is 56. Actor Bruce Willis is 53. Rock musician Zach Lind (Jimmy Eat World) is 32. Actress Abby Brammell is 29. Actor Craig Lamar Traylor is 19. Actor Philip Bolden is 13.