People: Live long and be proscribed
The original Capt. Kirk is disheartened he won’t get to boldly go anywhere with his old pal Spock in the new “Star Trek” movie.
While Leonard Nimoy is reprising his role as the pointy-eared Vulcan in next year’s science-fiction flick, William Shatner is not on board as Kirk.
“I couldn’t believe it. I’m not in the movie at all,” says Shatner, 76. “I thought, what a decision to make, since it obviously is a decision not to make use of the popularity I have to ensure the movie has good box office. It didn’t seem to be a wise business decision.”
Director J.J. Abrams announced last summer that Nimoy would reprise the role he originated opposite Shatner in the 1960s television series.
Abrams said Shatner probably would have a part in the film, but Shatner said while he had a couple of meetings with the director, nothing came of it.
The new film, whose plot is being kept under wraps by distributor Paramount, recounts an early adventure for the crew of the starship Enterprise, with Chris Pines as the young Kirk and Zachary Quinto as the young Spock.
Kid puts on the gloves
Kid Rock says he was provoked into last weekend’s fight at a Waffle House restaurant in Atlanta that landed him in jail overnight.
“This one kid just started talking. … And then one thing led to another, windows were breaking, cussing and fussing … the mud, the blood and the beer,” says Rock, who also scuffled with fellow rocker Tommy Lee at last month’s MTV Music Video Awards.
“He said, ‘I hope you get mad, I’ll sue the hell out of you.’ I’m like, ‘Take a number.’ “
Paris in the springtime?
Rwanda will wait for Paris Hilton‘s help.
The 26-year-old socialite was supposed to visit schools and health-care clinics in the African country next month, but the Playing for Good Foundation has postponed the trip.
Hilton pledged to use her celebrity status to promote good causes after serving a 23-day jail sentence for violating probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case.
Eschewing the fat
Miss England Georgia Horsley says she was “a little bit shocked” after being asked to gain weight for the Miss World competition.
“I’ve just got quite more of an athletic, boyish-type figure rather than the hourglass figure that some women have,” says the 5-foot-8, size-4 Horsley. “And they’re just seeing if, you know, I could maybe put a bit of weight on and it might give me those curves.”
She adds: “I probably would have been more hurt if they told me to lose weight, I think.”
Quoteworthy
Plus-size rapper-actress Queen Latifah, on changing beauty standards: “It used to be just me. Now with Jennifer Hudson‘s success and America Ferrera, I got some successors to take the reins on this whole bodylicious thing.”
The birthday bunch
Actress Nanette Fabray is 87. Actress Ruby Dee is 83. Actor-comedian John Cleese (Monty Python) is 68. Singer Lee Greenwood is 65. Actor-director Roberto Benigni (“Life Is Beautiful”) is 55. Singer Scott Weiland (Velvet Revolver) is 40. Actress Sheeri Rappaport (“CSI”) is 30. Singer Kelly Osbourne is 23.