The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a long history of awarding actors who portray real people. For example: Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles (Ray),

Hollywood icon Meryl Streep made sure she didn't stuff up her acting dreams - by padding out her bra in a bid to land roles.

This year's Oscar race isn't very deep with talent, and at this point there are probably only eight films with a legitimate shot at getting a nod for Best Picture.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Academy Award-winning director Sydney Pollack, a Hollywood mainstay who achieved commercial success and critical acclaim

Hollywood actress Meryl Streep did not think she was sexy enough for her role in Out Of Africa - so displayed her cleavage in an attempt to win over director Sydney Pollack. Streep feared her acting abilities were not enough to land the role of author Karen Blixon the 1985 film, so resorted to a padded bra and low-cut top to help boost her chances.

Oscar winner Sydney Pollack has slammed cinemagoers - insisting today's audiences are desperate for instant on-screen gratification and don't appreciate complex plots.

NEW YORK (AP) - Will ''The Sopranos'' end with a whack or a whimper? The HBO series on Sunday night concludes its eight years of mob maneuvering, metaphor-laden dream sequences and mad exclamations of ''Marone!''

Meryl Streep regrets not hoarding all the costumes she has worn in movies after realizing her daughter has taken all her favorite gowns. The actress never realized that she could have had it written in her contract that all the clothes she wears on a film set automatically become hers after the film has wrapped - and now she's distraught that she has hardly any keepsakes left.

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has the ultimate line-up in February for a month-long tribute to movies nominated for Academy Awards. This year, TCM's annual salute to the movies nominated for or awarded Hollywood's most prestigious prize borrows its theme from the game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon."

Sydney Pollack will receive the 2006 American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Board of Governors Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has made significant and enduring contributions to advancing the art of filmmaking. He will be feted during the 20th Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards ceremony on February 26, 2006, at the Century Plaza Hotel.