Times Square Gossip

Dalai Lama Forest Whitaker His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama spoke about wisdom, love, and compassion on the 4th of July. The Peak Mind Summit event was a celebration of a lifetime devoted to spreading the message of the value of peace, kindness and universal compassion throughout the world. Other attendees included: Michelle Phan, Kelly Slater, Keith Mitchell, Chris Cornell, Linda Perry, Sara Gilbert, Tim Fain, Lewis Howes, Joy Williams, Jesse Carmichael (Maroon 5) and more. Oscar­ winning actor, social activist and UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, Forest Whitaker introduced His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Mr. Whitaker stated “You must always ask yourself if you are standing up for what is right and treating others with kindness and compassion. These questions are your moral compass.” Additionally, Grammy-nominee Aloe Blacc paid a special tribute to the 14th Dalai Lama with a musical performance. He said, “Compassion can change a lot of things, in...

**** UPCOMING NEW YORK CITY EVENTS **** Forest Whitaker Honorary co-hosts Susan Sarandon and Forest Whitaker celebrate the contributions that actress advocate Mary-Louise Parker has given to Hope North at their inaugural gala to take place this September 18th, at City Winery, New York City. The first annual gala hopes to raise funds and awareness for the organization. Today, organizers Cause Effect Agency are excited to announce that Rufus Wainwright and TONY Nominee, Sahr "Fela!" Ngaujah, are slated to attend with both artists performing an exclusive and intimate set for guests. The host committee will also include Whoopi Goldberg, Mariska Hargitay, Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Amy Birnbaum, ELEW, Tari and Eric Ervin, Adrian Grenier, Taraji P Henson, Eva Amurri Martino and Kyle Martino, Bette Midler, James McAvoy, Hunter Parrish, Di Quon, Franck Raharinosy, Dawn Reinholtz, Anjali Saigal, Ritu Sangwon, Justin Stiver, Trudie Styler, Ch...

  **** THE GLORIOUS CORNER By: G. H. Harding **** Forest Whitaker THE BUTLER WOWS --- I had mixed feelings going into The Butler, or, Lee Daniels’ The Butler … but, I simply loved it. Sure, the Forest Gump-ish moments (glimpsing Reagan, Nixon, John and Kennedy, not to mention footage of Carter and Obama) were perhaps somewhat formulaic … but, the performances by Forest Whitaker, as The Butler, Cecil Gaines, and, Oprah Winfrey, as his wife Gloria … are just plain sensational. The film opens with Gaines as a child living with his family working on a cotton plantation; his father is killed before his eyes forming his desire to do better and make better for his life. The matron of the plantation, an amazing performance by Vanessa Redgrave, takes him into the mansion where he becomes a servant, learning his craft amazingly well. Soon, he departs and in frustration breaks into a hotel where one of the servants (an exacting Clarence Williams III) takes him ...

**** OUR FAMILY WEDDING PREMIERE **** Phillip Bloch Kangol Kid Charlie Murphy Beverly Johnson Joumana Kidd Malcolm Spellman Carlos Mencia Diana Maria Riva Beth Shak Gretchen Rossi Lupe Ontiveros Eric Mabius Steve Guttenberg Steven Wolfe Michelle Ribeiro Susan Yeh And Nick Yeh Atiya Baldwin With Jason Batts Regina King Rick Famuyiwa With Family Anjelah Johnson Lance Gross Eva Marcille Mark Indelicato Ana Ortiz Sherri Shepherd Forest And Keisha Whitaker America Ferrera America Ferrera along with Forest And Keisha Whitaker, Phillip Bloch, Beverly Johnson, Eric Mabius , Steven Wolfe, Michelle Ribeiro, Regina King, Rick Famuyiwa With Family, Lupe Ontiveros, Anjelah Johnson, Eva Marcille, Sherri Shepherd and many other stars attended the premiere of "Our Family Wedding" at the Loews Lincoln Square in New York City. Photos By: RD / Roe / Retna Digital

Forest Whitaker And Sid Ganis Announce Nominations Sexy Brad Pitt's The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is the film to beat at the 2009 Academy Awards after winning an 13 Oscar nominations. The Hollywood superstar is nominated in the Best Actor category for his portrayal of a man who ages backwards in time. The film also received nods for Best Picture, Best Director for David Fincher, and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Taraji P. Henson. It iwas an impressive haul of nominations for the movie - only 1997 blockbuster Titanic and Bette Davis’ 1950 classic All About Eve have achieved more, with 14 nods each. Other actors competing with Pitt for the Best Actor prize include Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Sean Penn (Milk), Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler) and Richard Jenkins (The Visitor).Kate Winslet picked up her sixth Oscar nomination, recognised in the Best Actress category for The Reader, and will battle against Pitt’s partner Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Anne Hathaway (Rachel Get...

Keisha And Forest Whitaker Forest Whitaker and his beautiful Wife Keisha Whitaker hold hands after a visit to the Medical Centre Buildings yesterday in Beverly Hills, California. Forest and Keisha looked very lovely as they walked down the street to the car park to get their car from the Valet after visiting the medical buildings and perhaps their doctor. Forest wore a purple sweater with black jeans while his wife Keisha wore black jeans and a thin shirt with a scarf. This is one really happy couple ! Photo By: Roberto Roque/BuzzFoto

Oscar Host Ellen Degeneres Dame Helen Mirren and Forest Whitaker were crowned queen and king of the Oscars last night. The stars of 'The Queen' and 'The Last King of Scotland' won Best Actress and Best Actor respectively, while Martin Scorsese won Best Director for 'The Departed' - his first win out of six nominations in the category and 31 years since his first nomination. As she accepted her award, Helen, struggling to hold the statuette, said: "I've got my purse in one hand, my earring in the other. Thank you, Academy.You know, my sister told me that all kids love to get gold stars, and this is the biggest and the best gold star that I have ever had in my life."An emotional Forest said: "Thank you. I wrote something down, because I thought if it would happen that I would be a little over whelmed and I am."When I was a kid, the only way that I saw movies was from the backseat of my family's car - at the drive-in. It wasn't my ...

BY: BETTINA CIRONE Forest Whitaker at the Walter Reade Theatre preceding a screening of The Last King of Scotland. “Playing Idi Amin changed me tremendously as an actor. I went to places I had never been before – externally and internally. The vibrations I encountered in my psyche to play that role brought through me were truly life changing when you go to a space with the character and believe in the space of the character. “As an actor, you get to live a new life, and there is a piece of it that sticks with you. It is a tough process letting go of your characters. You get away from the big part of the character, but hopefully you won’t let it get into your essential self. I do have a process where I take a shower and try to get rid of the character like he is washing away from me. “I gave myself over to that character completely. I committed myself entirely. I gave everything I had. You do bear a big responsibility when you do characters like that. I worked really, really hard. I kn...