Bob Newhart to appear on NBC's 'ER'
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Comedian and sitcom star Bob Newhart will appear in three episodes of NBC's drama "ER" as a Chicago architect losing his eyesight.
"Whatever I know about acting I've learned from being a stand-up comedian and from observing people," Newhart said. "When I read the script I knew who this guy was and knew what he was feeling -- that's kind of the criteria I use in accepting roles -- if I know the person and know I can portray him. If I'm not familiar with the emotion that person is going through, I'd probably pass."
In the "ER" episode, beginning Oct. 30, Newhart's character's lose of eyesight due to macular degeneration makes him question whether he wants to keep living, Zap2it.com reported.
"I kind of knew the frustration this guy had," Newhart said. "Everything he did was with his hands and the coordination with his hands and eyes, and now to be losing one of those senses, what that must be like."
The 74-year-old star of the "The Bob Newhart Show" and "Newhart" is healthy, which he attributes to good genes and the fact that he married the right woman, but he said he's familiar with losing an ability he could once do easily.
Armstrong denies Bullock romance
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong is denying rumors that he and actress Sandra Bullock have a romantic interest.
"We're friends, that's about it," Armstrong said. "There's nothing else to it. We have had dinner before, but it's always been with big groups of people and totally innocent."
Both Armstrong and Bullock have homes in Austin, Texas, but the rumors were prompted two weeks ago when they were in New York City and showed up at a party hosted by Men's Journal magazine, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
Armstrong battled cancer and then returned to win the Tour de France. He announced in September that he and his wife, Kristin, were divorcing after five years of marriage.
Cedric to star as amnesiac janitor
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Cedric the Entertainer is in talks to play a janitor in the action comedy "Traces," slated to be produced by New Line Cinema and Rat Entertainment.
The plot of the Robert Adetuyi script centers on a software custodian who wakes up after a car accident with amnesia. He's in a race to remember his identity and who wants to kill him, said the Hollywood Reporter.
"Cedric and I go way back," said Brett Ratner of Rat Entertainment. "I first saw him years ago on 'Def Comedy Jam,' and I have loved him ever since. I'm thrilled to be doing this movie with him."
The actor will also serve as producer along with Eric Rhone. Rat Entertainment's Ratner, Jay Stern and John Cheng also are producing, while New Line production executives Mark Kaufman, Matt Moore and Luke Ryan are overseeing for the studio, the Reporter said.
Cedric's recent projects include: "Barbershop 2," "Johnson Family Vacation" and "Intolerable Cruelty."
Lion's Gate to buy Artisan Entertainment
LOS ANGLES, Calif., Oct. 28 (UPI) -- Independent film distributor Artisan Entertainment, best known for "The Blair Witch Project," is being sold for $160 million in cash to Lions Gate.
Santa Monica-based Artisan's investors, led by controlling shareholder Audax Group of Boston, had been trying hard to sell the company, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"The board felt it was time to focus on maximizing shareholder value," Artisan Chief Executive Amir Malin said.
Lions Gate, based in Marina del Rey, Calif., and Vancouver, British Columbia, was one of three finalists, along with Boston investment company Echo Bridge and a group led by veteran producer Stanley Jaffe and independent film executive Scott Greenstein, the Times said.
Lions Gate, which carries about $250 million in debt, will assume Artisan's $57 million in debt, but that number could go down to $45 million if projects including "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights" and "The Punisher" do well at the box office.
