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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Patinkin promotes peace on Israeli TV

From Wire Reports

“Homeland” star Mandy Patinkin has made a small push for peace while filming episodes of the hit TV show in Israel.

Israel’s Channel 10 Sunday showed footage of the cast filming near Jaffa and actress Claire Danes leaving a restaurant.

Patinkin is a supporter of the Israeli left that advocates a two state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict and an end to settlement building in the West Bank.

Patinkin said he wants his grandchildren “to be able to have hummus with their neighbors in Hebron,” a West Bank town.

“Homeland” is based on an Israeli drama, “Prisoners of War.” It tells the story of an American soldier freed from captivity in Iraq and a CIA officer who suspects him of being an al-Qaida turncoat.

Spacey debuts South African short

U.S. actor and director Kevin Spacey said he sees opportunity for expanding film making in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Spacey spoke about his international outlook during a brief visit Saturday to South Africa for the premiere of a local short film he helped produce and in which he stars.

With backing from a whiskey company, Spacey ran a contest to find talent from the United States, Russia and South Africa.

A script from each country was chosen, and Spacey starred in and helped produce the three films, including South African Alan Shelley’s “A Spirit of a Denture,” which was given a red-carpet premiere in Johannesburg.

The 26-year-old Cape Town writer-director’s movie is about a workaholic dentist who gets a visit from a pirate.

“There is no doubt that as you start to look around the world, you start to look at the Asia-Pacific region, you start to look at what’s happening here, you look at what’s happening in European cinema, there’s a lot going on,” Spacey said in Johannesburg.

Spacey, who is artistic director at London’s Old Vic Theatre, added: “I like the idea of going to as many places as possible and (having) as many experiences as you can.”

The birthday bunch

Singer-bassist Jack Bruce (Cream) is 69. Movie producer George Lucas is 68. Director Robert Zemeckis is 61. Musician David Byrne (Talking Heads) is 60. Actor Tim Roth is 51. Singer Ian Astbury (The Cult) is 50. Musician Fabrice Morvan (Milli Vanilli) is 46. Bassist Mike Inez (Alice in Chains) is 46. Actress Cate Blanchett is 43. Singer Danny Wood (New Kids on the Block) is 43. Director Sofia Coppola (“Lost in Translation”) is 41. Singer Shanice is 39. Guitarist Henry Garza (Los Lonely Boys) is 34. Bassist Mike Retondo (Plain White T’s) is 31. Actress Amber Tamblyn (“Joan of Arcadia”) is 29. Actress Miranda Cosgrove (“iCarly”) is 19.