– Actor Vince Vaughn and friends popped into Buddy Guy’s Legends blues club late Thursday, checking out the blues man’s live performance from the VIP section. Vaughn is in town through next week shooting scenes for the film “Fred Claus,” which also stars Paul Giamatti.
– Mel Gibson will travel to Mexico next week for the Mexican premiere of his new movie “Apocalypto,” about ancient Mayans, his publicist said. “Apocalypto” tells the story of the Mayan people–who built a civilization in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras–and is in a Mayan language. Gibson employed indigenous people and non-actors for the film, but some Mayan descendants in Mexico and Guatemala say the portrayal is derogatory, showing them as being savage.
– Bravo says it’s making a TV series about the life of Paula Abdul. “Hey Paula,” set to debut sometime later this year, will follow Abdul, 44, as she films a new season of Fox’s “American Idol,” works on “Bratz: The Movie” and develops her own perfume and cosmetics line.
– Fiction collections by authors Mary Gordon, Rick Bass and George Saunders have been named finalists for the third annual Story Prize, given to the year’s outstanding book of short fiction. Bass was nominated for “The Lives of Rocks,” Gordon for “The Stories of Mary Gordon” and Saunders for “In Persuasion Nation.” The winner, to be announced, Feb. 28, receives $20,000. Finalists will each be given $5,000. Last year’s winner was Patrick O’Keeffe for “The Hill Road.”
– Country music legend Stonewall Jackson, 74, is claiming that age discrimination by the Grand Ole Opry’s general manager has kept him off the stage. Jackson filed a $10 million suit Thursday in federal court against the general manager, Pete Fisher, and the Opry’s owner, Gaylord Entertainment Co. Jackson, whose No. 1 songs include “Waterloo” and “B.J. the D.J.,” has been a member of the show since 1956. The Personals page was compiled by Alan Leo from Tribune news services and staff reports.
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The Personals page was compiled by Alan Leo from Tribune news services and staff reports.
