Actor Paul Giamatti is returning to his alma mater to tackle William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

The Sideways star graduated in English at prestigious Yale University in 1989 and went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School of Drama.

Now, he's preparing to head back to the Connecticut arts school next year to take to the stage as the Danish prince in The Bard's famous tragedy.

Giamatti is no stranger to Shakespeare's works - he recently completed filming on a big screen remake of Romeo and Juliet, in which he plays Friar Lawrence.

Sideways star Paul Giamatti has dismissed reports he was a member of Yale University's sinister Skull & Bones secret society.

The actor has been dogged by links to the traditional peer society ever since his career took off, but he insists he was never elected to the Skull & Bones and was never a member.

He tells WENN, "I'm not actually a member of that organization... It's unfortunately an incorrect fact about me and it's all over the place."

Giamatti graduated from Yale in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in English. He went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Yale School ...

Every year, the Oscar nominations seem all sewn up. There are so many predictors – winners of critics’ awards, Golden Globe nominees and winners, BAFTA nominees and the SAG nominees. Yet somehow, almost every year, a nominee slips in out of nowhere, and pundits shake their heads asking, “Where did that come from?”

This year’s Oscar nominees will be announced next week, Jan. 25. We won’t speculate yet, but there are bound to be some surprise nominees, even to the pundits.

Let’s take a look back at the last 10 years and look at what was particularly surprising among the major Oscar nomin...

Actor Thomas Haden Church has quit surfing after developing a "pigeon chest" from his years of paddling out to the waves.

The "Sideways" and "Spider-Man 3" star, 49, spent his youth chasing big waves around the globe but health concerns have forced him to hang up his board.

He says, "I gave it up (because) I became pigeon-chested from it! It means your breast bone changes because when you're paddling, the muscle pushes back... and my sternum really started to come out."

It's not the only hobby the actor has been forced to give up for health reasons - he has given up his dream of learning...

M.C. Gainey has made a career out of being the tough guy that you don't want to mess with. His voice is unmistakable, and his face tends to scream danger. You may know him for playing Tom (Mr. Friendly) on Lost or as the crazed naked man who chased after Paul Giamatti's character Miles in Sideways.

We recently sat down with M.C. and talked about his roles in the new film All About Steve, Lost, Sideways and his upcoming series Happy Town - due out mid-season on ABC.

Eric Stromsvold: I'd like to talk to you about the new film "All About Steve." I heard that you're playing a trucker...

Jim Carrey has walked away from Peter and Bobby Farrelly's upcoming remake of The Three Stooges, according to a new report.

The funnyman was expected to take on the role of silver screen clown Curly in the long-awaited film, after entering negotiations in April. Carrey had even begun to master his comedy voice and started to pile on the pounds to play the chubby character, with his girlfriend Jenny McCarthy admitting fans would be impressed with his performance.

She said, "He's definitely practicing the role of Curly... He's basically enjoying his desserts... He's going to gain 50 p...

Actress Nia Vardalos has fired off at Hollywood executives who green light film romances featuring "fat" Russell Crowe and Seth Rogen and then poke fun at her for finding love with hunks on the big screen.

The My Big Fat Greek Wedding star is tired of Tinseltown's double standards when it comes to pairing up stars for movie love stories - because older women can't get away with dating hunks, while ageing actors regularly romance hotties. And she's had enough of the questions about her own onscreen match-ups with the likes of John Corbett and My Life in Ruins co-star Alexis Georgoulis.
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Since the dawn of the American cinematic blockbuster in the late 1970s and early 1980s, moviegoers have eagerly waited for May - the unofficial beginning of summertime. This summer is no different. Films, and most popular media, are social mirrors, and this summer season supports that. The large box office contenders all deal with very similar themes: escapism and the support of the lone, outlaw hero figure (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Star Trek, Terminator Salvation, Up, Transformers 2, Public Enemies, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, Inglourious Basterds, et...

Pour out the laughs and brim over with American spirit as the incredible true story that put Napa on the map of fine wines is uncorked with Bottle Shock, debuting onto DVD February 3rd from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (TCFHE). Premiering at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, Bottle Shock has won the hearts of critics and audiences alike. Praised as "Rocky for wine aficionados" (The Hollywood Reporter), Bottle Shock follows novice vintner Jim Barrett who, against all odds and expectations, defeated the heavily favored French varietals at the 1976 blind taste challenge called "The ...

Actor Paul Giamatti's favorite movie experience was on the set of a little-known British film about a kid who couldn't stop farting. The Oscar nominated star of Sideways has gone on to become one of Hollywood's most respected actors, but he fears his best work came on 2002 film Thunderpants, which featured Ned Beatty, Stephen Fry and Harry Potter star Rupert Grint.

Giamatti says, "Thunderpants is a fine motion picture that I made in England a long time ago about a kid who farts uncontrollably. This came across my desk and I had to be a part of it... I play a guy from NASA who kidnaps h...

Many filmmakers are taking on the challenge of turning classic novels into feature films. It's a challenge because many people have fallen in love with the books and don't want directors messing with them. There are many books that were translated poorly on the big screen, but there are films that are just as good as the book, if not better.

In no particular order, here is a look at some of the best and worst films that are based off books:

THE BEST

Atonement

Joe Wright directed the 2007 film "Atonement," which is based off of Ian McEwan's critically acclaimed novel. James...

(HollywoodChicago.com) – I’m flummoxed. I know “Smart People” was supposed to be comedic drama with a splash of romance. Instead, I have been misled. It’s not a comedy. It’s not a tragedy. It’s not even a tragicomedy.

“Smart People” is a blandly scripted “poor me” with an attempt at a plot and some glitzy Hollywood names thrown in for good box-office measure.

While I know this was no “Juno,” I couldn’t help cursing first-time writer Mark Poirier for not taking a much-needed page – or a full-fledged course of mentoring – from Oscar-winning “Juno” inker Diablo Cody.

“Smart Peo...

Thomas Haden Church has developed a reputation for flashing his genitals to male co-stars on the sets of his films. The actor admits he did it for laughs on the Sideways set and ruined Dennis Quaid's composure on the set of new film Smart People.

Church reveals he uses nude scenes to surprise his co-stars. In "Smart People," he's supposed to be lying naked on his belly but he rolled over for one hilarious take.

He says, "I did one that was frontally nude to Dennis. Dennis and the cameraman enjoyed that... Dennis whirled in disgust and left the set. I did the same thing in Sidewa...

Brace yourself for explosive action that starts with a bang and never slows down as Shoot 'Em Up arrives on DVD from New Line Home Entertainment on January 1, 2008.

This sexy, action-packed thriller stars Clive Owen (Sin City, Children of Men) as a mysterious loner who joins forces with an unlikely partner (Monica Bellucci; The Matrix films, The Passion of the Christ) to protect a rescued newborn baby from an evil, ruthless criminal (Paul Giamatti; Sideways, The Illusionist).

-Enter here for your chance to win one of five copies of 'Shoot 'Em Up' on DVD!

-Check out this Fantast...

In The Nanny Diaries, Golden Globe® Scarlett Johansson (The Island, Lost In Translation) stars as Annie, a recent college grad who goes to work for an uber-wealthy family and finds herself juggling their dysfunction, a new romance and the spoiled brat in her charge.

Strolling its way onto DVD December 4, 2007 from Genius Products and The Weinstein Company, the film co-stars MTV Movie and Teen Choice Award® nominee Chris Evans (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Sunshine) as the gorgeous, sexy man who catches Annie's eye. The film also stars Academy Award® nominees Laura Linn...

Actress Sandra Oh and Sideways filmmaker Alexander Payne have finalized their divorce, two years after they split. The former couple has taken two years to settle their finances - Oh was seeking spousal support, which Payne was unhappy with.

Their marriage officially ended on December 22, 2006, and court documents obtained by website People.com show Oh and Payne finally settled all outstanding issues on Thursday.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

Happy Birthday to: "Jurassic Park" actress Ariana Richards (1979), Chimaira drummer Andols Herrick (1979), singer/songwriter Ben Lee (1978), Coldplay guitarist Jon Buckland (1977), rapper/actor Ludacris (1977), Jamaican dancehall musician Elephant Man (1976), British singer Richard Ashcroft (1971), Letters to Cleo singer Kay Hanley (1968), New Orleans singer Harry Connick, Jr. (1967), techno icon Moby (1965), bassist Victor Wooten (1964), actress Kristy McNichol (1962), actress Elizabeth Daily (1962), "Sideways" actress Virginia Madsen (1961), "Gilmore Girls" actor Scott Patterson (1958), "...

Sideways star Paul Giamatti struggled to keep a straight face while shooting new action film Shoot 'Em Up - because scenes which feature his character molesting a dead woman were ridiculous in the extreme.

The indie film giant couldn't resist signing up to play the villain in the new Clive Owen film because he knew the filming would be a laugh-a-minute riot.

He chuckles, "They gave me the script and my agent was like, 'There's some thing with a lactating whore and you're with a dead body in the back of a car. Do you really want to read this?' It was just crazy and it just kept get...

Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman will host AFI'S "100 Years ... 100 Movies — 10th Anniversary Edition," a new entertainment special counting down the greatest movies of all time, to be broadcast Wednesday, June 20 (8:00–11:00 PM, ET/PT) on CBS. During the broadcast, the confidential list of the 100 greatest American films of all time will be revealed by some of Hollywood's biggest stars.

Those scheduled to be included in the special are Tim Allen, Halle Berry, Peter Bogdanovich, Jeff Bridges, Laurence Fishburne, Peter Fonda, Harrison Ford, William Friedkin, Dennis Hopper, Norman Je...

Teen pop icon Hilary Duff is set to test her accent skills after signing on to play a New Zealand tourist in a new movie. The So Yesterday singer has been picked to star in The Emancipation Of Jonny opposite rising young actor Liam Aiken.

The film is based on the true-life of 16-year-old director Jonathan Nguyen and surrounds the struggles of a teenager trying to break free from his strict parents.

Duff will portray Piki Little, an 18-year-old New Zealander who helps Aiken's character escape. Grey's Anatomy and Sideways star Sandra Oh is also tipped for a role in the film, accordi...

Acting comeback Queen Virginia Madsen has based her career resurgence on a quirky positive thinking game - the Law of Cupcakes. The actress' career was floundering until her critically acclaimed performance in 2004's Sideways, and is now starring in Jim Carrey film The Number 23 - and she owes it all to cupcakes.

She explains, "I did this thing called the law of cupcakes. I decided I would only think of cupcakes and then I wrote the word 'cupcake'. Lo and behold, they began to appear everywhere. I got out of a cab and there was a grand opening of a cupcake place. I turned on CNN and t...

The psychological thriller The Number 23 stars Jim Carrey as a man whose life unravels after he comes into contact with an obscure book titled The Number 23. As he reads the book, he becomes increasingly convinced that it is based on his own life. His obsession with the number 23 starts to consume him, and he begins to realize the book forecasts far graver consequences for his life than he could have ever imagined.

Directed by Joel Schumacher (Phone Booth), the film co-stars Virginia Madsen (Sideways), Danny Huston (The Constant Gardner, The Aviator), Logan Lerman and Rhona Mitra. The ...

Happy Birthday to child actresses Makenzie Vega (1994) and Emma Roberts (1991), reggaeton singer Don Omar (1978), WWE Diva Victoria (1971), American actress Laura Dern (1967), late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton (1962; d. 1986), "Sideways" director Alexander Payne (1961), Aussie golfer Greg Norman (1955), Olympic swimming legend Mark Spitz (1950), R&B singer Roberta Flack (1939), "Hart to Hart" actor Robert Wagner (1930), American composer Jerry Goldsmith (1929; d. 2004), actor Lon Chaney Jr. (1906; d. 1973), film director John Farrow (1904; d. 1963), and American singer/comedian/actor Jim...

"They can't play, but they play better than anybody you ever heard." Bono on his musical heroes The Clash.

"She had a ranch in the 50s... out near where I live. Now I'm obsessed with trying to find it... It's out in Chatsworth somewhere." X-Men star Rebecca Romijn is hunting for her comedy heroine Lucille Ball's lost ranch.

"I didn't think my top could get any smaller; honestly." Sexy actress Jennifer Love Hewitt reveals why she turned down the opportunity to star in the third I Know What You Did Last Summer film.

"Angelina Jolie is in it, and a whole bunch of people. It took...

Sideways writer-director Alexander Payne has filed a response to ex-wife Sandra Oh's divorce claim and is asking the court to deny the star any spousal support. Oh, who plays Dr. Cristina Yang on hit TV series Grey's Anatomy, had requested spousal support when she initially filed for divorce in April 2005.

Their status as a married couple was officially terminated in December 2006, but they have yet to settle their finances. The pair was married in January 2003 and announced their separation in March 2005. Both parties cited irreconcilable differences as the cause for the split.

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Grey's Anatomy actress Sandra Oh's four year marriage to Sideways director Alexander Payne is officially over. The couple, who has been separated for 21 months, was granted a dissolution of marriage on December 22.

The pair is yet to resolve the financial issues of their divorce - in Oh's divorce application, she stipulated she was seeking spousal support.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)

The trailer you’ve been waiting for is almost here! On May 4, 2007 Spider-Man returns in a much darker, deeper chapter of director Sam Raimi's third tale in the Spider-Man saga. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst reprise their roles as the masked web-slinger and would-be girlfriend Mary Jane Watson while Sideways star Thomas Haden Church and In Good Company's Topher Grace join the cast as new villains Sandman and Venom.

Log on Thursday, November 9 at 10pm EST to watch the trailer exclusively at IFilm.

And for now, watch the Spider-Man 3 teaser trailer here on Starpulse!

Happy Birthday to: "Jurassic Park" actress Ariana Richards (1979), Chimaira drummer Andols Herrick (1979), singer/songwriter Ben Lee (1978), Coldplay guitarist Jon Buckland (1977), rapper/actor Ludacris (1977), Jamaican dancehall musician Elephant Man (1976), British singer Richard Ashcroft (1971), Letters to Cleo singer Kay Hanley (1968), New Orleans singer Harry Connick, Jr. (1967), techno icon Moby (1965), bassist Victor Wooten (1964), actress Kristy McNichol (1962), actress Elizabeth Daily (1962), "Sideways" actress Virginia Madsen (1961), "Gilmore Girls" actor Scott Patterson (1958), "...

Movie buffs have been given a first look at Spider-Man 3. The cast of the superhero blockbuster - which is due for release in 2007 - also turned up to talk to thousands of fans at Comic-Con, in San Diego, on Saturday - the largest comic book convention in America.

Before taking questions from the crowd, director Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, who plays the web-slinging hero, Kirsten Dunst, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallace Howard and Thomas Haden Church showed the crowd some never-before-seen and unfinished footage of the highly anticipated movie.

Fans were blown away by the clips - which bl...

Thomas Haden Church was shocked when producers of Spider-Man III insisted he work out intensely for over a year to prepare for a part in the film. The 45-year-old plays the villain Sandman and found it a shocking change after having to gain weight for his role in Sideways.

He explains, "When I met with the (Spider-Man 3) producers and director last year they said, 'We probably need you to get in a specific physical shape for the movie. Do you mind taking off your shirt?' I took off my shirt and the director Sam Raimi said, 'We're going to need you to gain about 100 pounds of muscle. Y...