WATERVILLE, Maine — Six-time Oscar nominated actress Glenn Close has been honored by the Maine International Film Festival.
Close called the Mid-Life Achievement Award — a moose statuette— she received Sunday night in Waterville "the best award I've ever received."
The ceremony followed a showing of "Albert Nobbs," a 2011 film Close starred in and co-produced about a woman in 19th-century Ireland who dresses as a man in order to be able to work.
The Morning Sentinel reports that the 67-year-old Close, who has a home in Scarborough, Maine, also spent about an hour with film enthusiasts answering questions about her career.
The 17th annual film festival runs until July 20.
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Previous winners of the award include Malcolm McDowell, John Turturro and Sissy Spacek.
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Simon Cowell on a business, personal roll
LOS ANGELES — Life is good these days for Simon Cowell.
"America's Got Talent," which he created and produces, reigns as summer's top-rated program and was renewed Sunday for a 10th season by NBC. It's part of a "Got Talent" franchise seen in 62 countries which, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, makes it the most successful reality show yet.
Three weeks ago, he placed a good-sized bet on Germany to win the World Cup. And, to top it all off, he's reveling in first-time fatherhood with his infant son with his girlfriend, socialite Lauren Silverman.
"He's amazing. We're in the Hamptons (in New York) at the moment, taking a break. He's 5 months old, learning to swim," Cowell said.
Family life hasn't derailed attending to business for the British TV host and producer who's also the music executive behind such hit acts as One Direction.
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He's pleased, if unsurprised, that NBC renewed "America's Got Talent," which features Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel as judges and Nick Cannon as host. The series, a big-tent talent show for every sort of performer, has thrived while singing shows like "American Idol" and "The Voice" have suffered ratings erosion.
"There's so many music shows on at the moment, there was always going to be this problem of dilution. The whole reason we devised 'Talent' is it was supposed to be different," Cowell said.
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Katherine Heigl returns to TV with new NBC series
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Katherine Heigl is returning to television, with her mother in tow.
She stars on the new fall series "State of Affairs," playing a CIA attache who informs the president on high-level incidents around the world. It's the first TV series for Heigl since she left her Emmy-winning role on "Grey's Anatomy" in 2010 after six seasons.
Heigl's mother, Nancy, is serving as an executive producer on the NBC series debuting in November. She manages her 35-year-old daughter's career and has had similar credits on "One for the Money," ''Life as We Know It" and "The Ugly Truth," all starring Heigl.
The notion that Heigl and her mother are difficult on set has followed the actress since "Grey's Anatomy."
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"I certainly don't see myself as being difficult. I would never intend to be difficult," she said. "I don't think my mother sees herself as being difficult. I think it's important to everybody to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully and kindly. If I've ever disappointed somebody, it was never intentional."
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Wynette's home town excited she's on US stamp list
TREMONT, Miss. — Folks in Tammy Wynette's home town are excited that she's been approved as a subject for a U.S. stamp. They want a ceremony to mark its debut in Tremont, a town of 460 near the farm where Wynette grew up.
The Itawamba County Times reports there's already a committee to plan events for whenever the stamp is issued.
Committee chairwoman Holly Ford says a recent meeting went well.
A list of future stamps in the Music Icons series was released in January. It said Wynette had been approved as a subject, but the design process had not begun.
Approval by the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee does not guarantee that the U.S. Postal Service will release such a stamp. And not every stamp gets a first-day-of-issue ceremony.
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But Ford's optimistic.
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