A raven-haired Miss Japan, Riyo Mori, was crowned Miss Universe 2007 on Monday in a contest marked by protests, a banned dress and the withdrawal of one beauty queen on the ground the pageant degrades women.
Mori, 20, the 56th winner of the title, was given her $250,000 diamond-and-pearl crown by last year’s winner, Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico, watched by a live audience of 10,000 and some 600 million television viewers worldwide.
A lifelong ballet dancer from a village near Mount Fuji, Mori wore a striking black gown with colored lapels for the final. Winning surpassed the ambition of her grandmother, who told her as a child she wanted her to be Miss Japan one day.
“My mind went blank,” she said of the winning moment.
Two of the most well-known American TV personalities, Vanessa Minnillo and Mario Lopez, have been announced as the hosts of the annual international beauty contest Miss Universe 2007. The duo will take the stage at the National Auditorium in Mexico City on May 28 when 77 beauty queens from all over the world walk down the competition aisle.
Vanessa Joy Minnillo, the former Miss Teen USA (1999), is well-known as the host of MTV’s Total Request Live as well as the current New York-based correspondent for Entertainment Tonight.
Nine eminent on- and off-screen personalities will make the celebrity judge list including star of NBC’s Golden Globe nominated hit drama Heroes, James Kyson Lee.
Following the successful traveling world sales tour of Spider Man 3, Johnny Depp, Chow Yun-fat and Orlando Bloom all attended the Asia premiere of Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End on Wednesday in Tokyo, Japan.
Captain Jack Sparrow and company have been mobbed by adoring fans and an ocean of flashes from digital camera wielding fans wherever they’ve gone. POTC 3 opens up stateside on Thursday in time for the Memorial Day weekend.
Heroes star Masi Oka attends the world premiere of Walt Disney’s Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End held at Disneyland on Saturday in Anaheim, California along with Hong Kong star Chow Yun-fat.
Proceeds from the world premiere of the Disney megahit benefited the Make-A-Wish International and its Foundation of America. The film will hit theaters in the US this Friday, May 25.
Devon Aoki showed up in France for the 60th Cannes Film Festival Opening Ceremony for Wong Kar-wai’s Blueberry Nights as well as a posh Chopard and Valentino Party.
Some pics of Masi Oka, Sendhil Ramamurthy and some of the other Heroes gang at the NBC Upfronts and later reaping the benefits of stardom by getting lots of free stuff from Lucky brand. Lindsay Price, one of the stars of Lipstick Jungle, posing for the photogs.
Ken Watanabe was so stirred playing a 50-year-old man diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, he plans to dedicate a portion of his salary to Japan’s Alzheimer’s Association.
The actor read author Hiroshi Ogiwara’s book Memories of Tomorrow while he was making Memoirs of a Geisha and was so touched by the story he asked the writer to let him have the film rights.
The plight of Watanabe’s tragic, memory-losing character made the actor want to do more for those trapped inside their bodies. Read the rest of this entry »
Ahoy There, Matie! DaDump is on the verge of a meltdown with 101 things to do but because you’re special, my guiding light, the wind beneath my wings, I make that extra effort to feed you these entertainment dumplings.
Today you get some pics of Devon Aoki at the Escada Flagship Store Opening in Beverly Hills. And because DaDump is feeling a bit naughty, I’ve included some intended runway wardrobe malfunctions for you after the jump. If you’re easily offended by breastages, or in Devon’s case, just nipplage, move on to the other posts; otherwise, you know where to go….
Heroes star Masi Oka and Nate Torrence are set to reprise their characters for a direct-to-DVD spinoff of the upcoming Steve Carell theatrical version of Get Smart.
Get Smarter: Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control is being positioned as parallel content to the feature film, and will be released domestically 10 days after Get Smart.
The story will at times cross over with the feature film and the direct-to-DVD movie might even recycle scenes from the feature. Oka will play Bruce, a techie at spy agency CONTROL, while Torrence is Lloyd, a geeky analyst.
Oka also has booked a role as a realtor on writer/director Steve Conrad’s feature Quebec, underscoring how in-demand the breakout star from NBC’s Heroes has become on his hiatus.
Japanese pop idol Ayumi Hamasaki held a press conference to publicize her concert in Shanghai. This marks the last stop on Ayumi Hamasaki’s Asia Tour, as well as the only performance on the Chinese mainland.
The pop queen performed at the Hong Kong Coliseum earlier this month.
1 Comment »
