Report: Sheen pact worth about $125M
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- The settlement U.S. actor Charlie Sheen reached with Warner Bros. regarding his firing will be worth more than $125 million over the next decade, TMZ said.
Sheen is expected to get a one-time $25 million payment in about two weeks, then about $100 million in syndication profits over the next seven to 10 years for the 180 episodes of the show he taped, the entertainment news Web site said.
The actor was fired this year from the Warner Bros. sitcom "Two and a Half Men" after eight seasons because of his erratic behavior and substance abuse, as well as for disparaging remarks he made about series creator Chuck Lorre, his co-stars and the show itself.
He later announced he is planning to star in a comedy series inspired by the film "Anger Management," however, it is unclear exactly when or where the show might air. He was roasted last weekend during a program broadcast on Comedy Central Monday, the same night as the Season 9 premiere of "Two and a Half Men," which received generally good reviews.
In recent interviews, Sheen has said he is sober and looking forward to the future.
He also wished his former "Two and a Half Men" stars well when he presented an award at the Emmys ceremony Sunday night.
eBay seller: Nicolas Cage is a vampire
SEATTLE, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A Seattle-based eBay seller is asking $1 million for a Civil War-era photo he claims is evidence actor Nicolas Cage is a "vampire."
The seller, who goes by the name Jack Mord, said the photo depicts a man nearly identical to the Oscar-winning actor, the New York Daily News reported Monday.
"Personally, I believe it's him and that he is some sort of walking undead/vampire, etcetera, who quickens/reinvents himself once every 75 years or so," the online seller wrote on the eBay posting. "150 years from now, he might be a politician, the leader of a cult or a talk show host.
"My theory is that he allows himself to age to a certain point, maybe 70, 80 or so, then the actor 'Nicolas Cage' will 'die' ... but in reality, the undead vampire 'Nicolas Cage' will have rejuvenated himself and appeared in some other part of the world, young again, and ready to start all over."
Mord said he will allow potential buyers to verify the authenticity of the photo, which was taken by Civil War-era photographer Professor G.B. Smith.
"Any serious potential buyer will be allowed to have a photo expert of their choice examine the original photograph before any money changes hands," he wrote.
Barry Manilow urges atrial fib. awareness
NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Las Vegas singer Barry Manilow says he has joined with the drug firm Sanofi in a campaign to raise awareness about the heart condition atrial fibrillation.
"Get Back in Rhythm" is a national education campaign to raise awareness about atrial fibrillation and to encourage people to learn more about the risks of AFib and the importance of keeping the heart in rhythm.
"When I first experienced AFib more than 15 years ago, it was really scary -- it felt like a fish flopping around in my chest," Manilow said in a statement.
"I thought I knew about all the risks, but it turns out I didn't, so I was really lucky I had such great doctors helping me manage it from the start."
About 2.5 million U.S. adults have atrial fibrillation -- a serious heart disease that causes the heart to race and beat out of rhythm and can lead to permanent heart damage, heart attack, heart failure, stroke and death.
"At first, I kept my AFib private because I didn't want to acknowledge there was something wrong with my heart," Manilow admitted. "But now I realize a lot of my fans and so many others could be affected, so I want to do all I can to help them take it seriously, understand all the risks of AFib and seek the best care.
"The bottom line is AFib needs more awareness. Patients need more education."
Many may not recognize the symptoms or the health risks associated with it atrial fibrillation and Manilow encourages those affected to visit www.GetBackInRhythm.com.
'Mamma Mia!' sing-along planned in N.Y.
NEW YORK, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- A sing-along screening of the film "Mamma Mia!" is being planned to celebrate the 10 years the stage musical on which it is based has spent on Broadway.
The special showing of the 2008 blockbuster movie, starring Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth, is to take place Tuesday night at Manhattan's Ziegfeld Theatre.
"'Mamma Mia!' fans will have the chance to join the celebration and sing along to their favorite ABBA hits at this exclusive screening, receive special commemorative merchandise, and enter for a chance to win tickets to the Broadway 10th anniversary performance and party on Oct. 18," representatives for the show said in a news release.
"Mamma Mia!" opened at Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre Oct. 18, 2001. Various productions of the show staged around the world have been seen by more than 50 million people. The feature film adaptation of "Mamma Mia!," produced by Judy Craymer and Gary Goetzman, is the most successful movie musical of all time, grossing $600 million worldwide.
