Fallon possible host of Oscars, sources say
Comedian Jimmy Fallon is in talks to host the Oscars in February, with “Saturday Night Live” veteran Lorne Michaels producing, three people with knowledge of the discussions said.
ABC has raised objections to having the late-night star from rival NBC play emcee on its Oscar broadcast, these people said, but the network has no authority to veto the choice of host. The show is put on by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and Tom Sherak initiated the discussions before his term as academy president ended on Tuesday, according to the source.
A spokeswoman for the academy denied that talks with Fallon were taking place.
OWN to air ‘Life with La Toya’
Oprah Winfrey has tapped La Toya Jackson to star in her own reality show. “Life with La Toya” is described as a “candid look” inside Jackson’s life as she juggles family, friends and business. It will air next year on Winfrey’s TV network, OWN.
La Toya is one of Katherine and Joe Jackson’s nine children and was Michael Jackson’s sister.
She isn’t the first Jackson to get a reality show. “The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty” aired for six episodes on A&E. It followed Jermaine, Jackie, Marlon and Tito Jackson. La Toya also competed on “Celebrity Apprentice” last year.
Foster may turn to cable TV
Jodie Foster is looking to cable TV as a future site for her Oscar-winning talent, joining other big-screen stars who are finding pay TV can pay off. The 49-year-old actress and director says she is “developing a few things” likely destined for cable, calling the format “a good outlet for what I do.”
“I think I may spend some time on cable,” Foster said at July’s Comic-Con, where she was promoting her next big-screen role: Starring opposite Matt Damon in “Elysium,” writer-director Neill Blomkamp’s follow-up to his hit, “District 9.”
Foster said she intends to direct again, but hasn’t found her next project.
“It’s a long process,” she said. “Because I do make personal films, they’re hard to get off the ground, especially nowadays.”
That’s why cable might be her next stop, as it has been for big-screen staples such as Nicole Kidman, Kevin Costner and Julianne Moore.
The birthday bunch
Singer Tony Bennett is 86. Actor Martin Sheen is 72. Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is 71. Movie director John Landis is 62. Actor John C. McGinley is 53. Rock singer James Hetfield (Metallica) is 49. Hip-hop artist Spinderella (Salt-N-Pepa) is 41. Actress Evangeline Lilly is 33.