Television history was made last week. For possibly the first time in a British soap, two Jews kissed — and not just any kind of kissing. We’re talking full-on, passionate snogging. The earth-shattering moment took place last Friday in EastEnders when millions of viewers saw barmaid Roxy Mitchell and Albert Square bad boy Sean Slater share an intimate moment in the cellar of the Queen Vic. There’s nothing kosher about the two characters, but they are played by two Jewish actors — Rita Simons and Robert Kazinsky. Anyone hoping that the embrace will ultimately lead to an old-fashioned East End wedding should not hold their breath. If past form is anything to go by, the relationship will end with Roxy bludgeoning Sean to death in the saloon bar. Can’t wait.
David Schwimmer has admitted the difficulties he used to have in getting cast for roles — because he’s Jewish. The Friends star-turned-director says: “When I first came out to LA after college, I felt like I was getting a lot of feedback in auditions: ‘He’s really good, but he’s a little too ethnic.’ I’d be like: ‘You mean Jewish. What are you talking about? You’re saying I’m a Jew, so I can’t play the lead?’ I kept thinking, well, dammit, Dustin Hoffman has a pretty great career. Elliot Gould had a pretty magnificent career. Well, screw it. I’ll find the right role some day.” And there are many others in Hollywood it hasn’t done any harm to either.
Uber-producer Mark Ronson has managed to upset two of Hollywood’s leading ladies, Lindsay Lohan and Charlize Theron. He snubbed Theron when DJ-ing at a recent party, ignoring her requests at a recent party for him to play some reggae, insisting it would spoil the mood he had managed to create. “It had taken a while to get everyone on the dancefloor. I finally did it, and then this guy runs up to me and says: ‘Charlize Theron wants you to play some disco reggae’. I didn’t even know what that was meant to be, so I ignored it. Then 20 minutes later the same guy says: ‘Charlize wants you to play some dancehall reggae’. I knew if I played that it would clear the dancefloor. Then Charlize came up to me herself and asked why I wasn’t playing it.” Meanwhile, Ronson has apparently turned down an offer to produce Lohan’s new album as he prefers “to work with real musicians”.
One person who is happy to work alongside Lohan is funny man Jack Black. They are starring together in the medieval comedy Ye Olde Times, which is currently in production.
Adam Sandler’s movie co-star and long-time pal Allen Covert ended up being arrested on the set of Bedtime Stories, their latest movie, accused of attacking a photographer. It’s been reported that Covert spat on the pap and tried to knock the camera out of his hand, claiming they were trying to get pics of him and his child. Covert, also a writer, and Sandler have co-starred in a host of films together including The Wedding Singer, Anger Management and 50 First Dates.
Nigella Lawson’s hubby, advertising tycoon Charles Saatchi, isn’t the only one to be shedding the pounds. The famously curvy Nigella has reportedly hired a personal trainer and is switching to a more veggie diet.
Woody Allen has filed legal papers accusing clothing company American Apparel of using his image without permission. The company’s street-hoarding and online advertisements featured an image taken from the Oscar-winning 1977 movie Annie Hall of Allen dressed as a Chassidic Jew. The veteran film director is seeking damages of more than $10 million.
Lara Lewington is Five News showbusiness and weather presenter