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Rob Lowe is quitting his role as White House Deputy Communications Director Sam Seaborn on the political series The West Wing, which just wrapped its third season on NBC. According to Variety, money is at the heart of the issue: Lowe is the only regular cast member whose salary hasn't been increased since the first season. Martin Sheen's salary tripled to $300,000 per episode, while the rest of the cast--Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, John Spencer and Bradley Whitford--had their salaries doubled. West Wing producers, however, were unwilling to discuss raising Lowe's per-show salary of $75,000. West Wing sources pointed out to Variety that all of the stars on the show are nominated for an Emmy this year, except for Lowe, who petitioned in the lead actor category--one of TV's toughest tickets. Lowe's character will be phased out in an episode set to air next March.
Celebs
Mike Myers was honored Wednesday morning with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Myers, whose films include Wayne's World, So I Married an Axe Murderer, 54 and the popular Austin Powers franchise, debuted as a feature performer/writer on Saturday Night Live in 1989. His star will be in front of the International Love Boutique on Hollywood Blvd.Movies
Australian director Baz Luhrmann, who helmed last year's musical Moulin Rouge, is teaming up with Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis to make a biopic of Alexander the Great, Variety reports, a project that may be one of the most expensive pictures ever made. Movie fan Mohammed VI, the 39-year-old king of Morocco, will reportedly contribute about 1,500 members of his army for the film's production. Luhrmann and De Laurentiis have a green light from Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox and hope to start shooting in January.Wesley Snipes is in negotiations to star as a hit man who discovers he has leukemia and puts a contract out on himself in the feature film Godforsaken. Rupert Wainwright (Stigmata) is in talks to direct the project, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Tube
It's eerily official: Liza Minnelli and her husband, producer David Gest, will debut their reality show, Liza and David, on cable TV's VH1 in late 2002, Reuters reports. VH1 is expected to hold a news conference Thursday to announce full details in what is being called the first "weekly musical reality series" for the network.NBC Entertainment President Jeff Zucker said Tuesday the network is planning a movie chronicling the life of domesticity empress Martha Stewart. According to the AP, the film will include the latest chapter in her story--allegations that she had inside information when she dumped shares of the biotech company ImClone a day before the Food and Drug Administration announced it would not consider ImClone's experimental anti-cancer drug. The project could be ready for the upcoming television season.Zucker also hinted that NBC's top-rated show Friends might remain on the air for a 10th season, although the chances are slim. "I wouldn't 100 percent put the nails on the coffin this year," he told the AP, but adding that it's "most likely the final season."Conan O'Brien will be hosting the 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. O'Brien--who has been nominated six times for his late-night talk show--has never won an Emmy. The Primetime Emmy Awards will be held Sept. 22 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and will be televised on NBC. HBO's funeral home drama Six Feet Under leads the way with 23 nominations.