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Peter Graves, the tall, stalwart actor likely best known for his portrayal of Jim Phelps, leader of a gang of special agents who battled evil conspirators in the long-running television series “Mission: Impossible,” died Sunday.

Graves died of an apparent heart attack outside his Los Angeles home, publicist Sandy Brokaw said. He would have been 84 this week.

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LOS ANGELES – If you ask former “American Idol” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, there’s only one candidate who can replace Simon Cowell after the longtime judge’s departure – Elton John.

“He’s absolutely it,” Nigel told The Hollywood Reporter’s Showbiz 411 blog of the legendary British rock pianist.

Nigel left “Idol” prior to Season 8. The show is now in the midst of its ninth season, with Simon due to leave the show upon its conclusion and his replacement still up in the air.

Now a days money troubles have hit every one. But everyone just keep spending to get into trouble and now everyone is paying for it. It is to bad they have to close the studio.
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The Walt Disney Co plans to close director Robert Zemeckis’ ImageMovers Digital facility in Northern California, laying off 450 workers there, or more than 5 percent of its movie studio division.

Disney will shut down IMD and lay off those workers as it wraps up production on “Mars Needs Moms,” an animated film that will hit theaters a year from now.

The plan to close IMD comes as Rich Ross, recently appointed chairman of Walt Disney Studios, shakes up the company’s movie division to focus on films that can be leveraged across other platforms, including toys and video games.

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Simon Cowell went from bachelor to betrothed before most people knew he was even dating his fiancee, Mezhgan Hussainy. Just how did this happen? According to recording artist Sinitta, one of Cowell’s friends, Hussainy patiently waited for the “American Idol” judge to come around.

“I met (Hussainy) quite a few years ago when she was first his makeup artist on ‘American Idol,’ ” Sinitta told Life & Style. “He was with Terri Seymour then. Mezhgan has been quietly waiting.

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) — Former 1980s teen movie actor and heartthrob Corey Haim died early Wednesday, authorities said.

Haim, 38, was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, where he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. PT (5:15 a.m. ET), Los Angeles County Deputy Coroner Ed Winter said. The hospital is a mile from Haim’s apartment.

Corey Feldman, Haim’s longtime friend and frequent co-star, said Haim was “a wonderful, beautiful, tormented soul.”

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LAS VEGAS – Marie Osmond told a Las Vegas Strip audience as she returned to the stage less than two weeks after her son’s apparent suicide that she has relied on her spirituality to cope with his death

“Little did I know I would be relying on my faith, especially as much as I did this past week,” Osmond said before dedicating a song to her 18-year-old son, Michael Bryan, whom she called “my angel.”

Wrapped in a robe with white feathers that resembled an angel’s wings, Osmond genuflected and reached out her right hand as she sang the song amid a starry backdrop.

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Betty White fans, your prayers have been answered. The former Golden Girl will appear on “Saturday Night Live” in the near future, she confirmed to PEOPLE at Elton John’s annual Oscars viewing party on Sunday night.

Fans have been clamoring for White, 88, to do “SNL” — an idea she called “ridiculous” just a few weeks ago — ever since her comic turn in a Snickers ad during the Super Bowl. One Facebook page devoted to the cause has attracted half a million fans.

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LOS ANGELES – “The Hurt Locker” won the top two prizes at Sunday’s Academy Awards, taking home the best picture trophy and the best director honor for Kathryn Bigelow.

Bigelow is the first woman in the 82-year history of the Oscars to earn Hollywood’s top prize for filmmakers.

“There’s no other way to describe it. It’s the moment of a lifetime,” Bigelow said. “It’s so extraordinary to be in the company of my fellow nominees, such powerful filmmakers, who have inspired me and I have admired, some of them for decades.”

Full Story at CNN.com

(CNN) — Even before Ellen DeGeneres took her seat on “American Idol,” the roar began.

Cries of “What does she know about music” and “Bring back Paula Abdul” lit up blogs and message boards. Then the next shoe dropped — anchor judge Simon Cowell announced that the ninth season would be his last.

Fans had barely adjusted to the addition of a fourth judge, Kara DioGuardi, the season before. Once it was announced that DeGeneres was coming onboard, the naysayers were even more perturbed.

Full Story at CNN.com

(CNN) — Tim Burton goes through the looking glass: This is what CGI was invented for, surely?

Over the last decade, digital effects have developed so fast, the most outlandish visual trickery can be integrated seamlessly with live action. Actors — living, breathing human beings — can coexist with the kind of fantastical environment that once was the realm of the animator, and with results that seem, if not perfectly natural, then perfectly supernatural.

You can observe the same phenomenon in “Avatar.” But where the technocrat James Cameron gives us fantasy science, a utopia you can practically reach out and touch, the dreamer Tim Burton shows us a head-trip to a place — “Underland” — where nothing seems like what it is.