Someone Made Him An Offer He Couldn’t Refuse

Francis Ford Coppola makes no apologies for his flop “Jack.”

“I think I directed that movie with a lot of heart and imagination,” the director said of the quickly forgotten 1996 comedy starring Robin Williams. “I can’t believe how angry people got at me. I had to work. It was a job.”

Hollywood’s expectations have changed over the years, the five-time Academy Award-winning director of “The Godfather” told The Orange County Register.

He said only one director - Woody Allen - is still virtually independent.

“The rest of us are all in the same boat. We are holding our breath wondering if we’ll ever work again,” said Coppola, who wrote and directed “The Rainmaker,” a John Grisham novel adapted for the screen. It opens Friday.

Loose talk

Actor George Clooney’s reaction to being named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive”: “It’s embarrassing. … They’re saying a very nice thing about you, but the connotation is always that you’re an idiot or you’re untalented.”

UB40 band member finally comes of age

Jim Brown turns 40 today.

Those who fear new millennium are right, after all

David Hasselhoff has inked a three-year pact to continue starring in and executive-producing “Baywatch” until 2001.

Hasselhoff, the man behind the boob tube’s No. 1 show, has helped launch the careers of many a red swimsuit, Pamela Anderson Lee and Yasmine Bleeth among them.

“Beyond its entertainment value,” Hasselhoff observed on the occasion, “‘Baywatch’ has enriched and, in many cases, helped save lives. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to continue with a project which has had such significance for so many.”

No, it’s not a movie, and there’s no popcorn

Chuck Norris recently borrowed a page from “Walker, Texas Ranger” and played the real-life role of a drug cop.

The star of the CBS-TV drama, a two-year reserve officer for the Terrell (Texas) Police Department, took part in a raid of three cocaine distribution rings. In all, 67 people were arrested earlier this week and charged with distributing crack cocaine.

Reportedly one of the suspects appeared confused as Norris read him his rights. He asked, “Is this a movie?”

Jr.’s new tack: Shoot first, ask questions later

After being chased by photographers for years, John F. Kennedy Jr. is finally losing his patience with paparazzi who stake out his apartment.

His weapon of choice: a video camera.

“Hey, guy with the green jacket!” he was quoted as yelling at a photographer Sunday as Kennedy’s camcorder rolled. “You’re here every weekend. You’re looking for a harassment lawsuit.”

Remarked one sympathetic photog: “Kennedy doesn’t mind if you shoot him, as long as you stay out of his face. There are one or two guys who ruin it for everybody. He’s right to be mad.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by staff writer Michael Guilfoil