Dame Helen Mirren was shocked when she was asked to promote a fitness video game - because she is "so lazy" when it comes to exercise!
The 65-year-old Academy Award-winning actress can currently be seen jogging and practising yoga moves in TV ads for Nintendo's Wii Fit, which allows users to workout at home, but admits she nearly snubbed the offer because she doesn't consider herself an exercise expert. Now I'm stunned. I thought the object of the Wii Fit was to encourage couch potatoes to get up and get active?
She tells ITV1's Daybreak show:
"I'm so lazy about exercise, like most people I guess, and I absolutely resisted (the offer initially) so it was interesting that I would be asked to do exercise on an ad. But I did genuinely love it - it was great."
'The Queen' star is proud of her attachment to the games after learning they are used to help patients suffering with the neurological condition Parkinson's disease.
She adds:
"The most amazing thing which I've only just recently become aware of is (that) this technology is really useful for people with Parkinson's. It's made me very interested in the whole issue of Parkinson's and the way people with Parkinson's are so frightened to go out because people don't understand about Parkinson's. The great thing about this technology which was developed for a game - it's been of immense help for people with Parkinson's because it is all about balance and posture.
"Exercise is good for all of us, no matter who we are, but it's really, really interesting that something like 83 per cent of people with Parkinson's who have tried this said it was of positive value to them. Now they're doing research to find out exactly how and why this is helping people with Parkinson's."
I've yet to invest in a Wii Fit, but I think I might just do so next year. Or...if I've been really good...I might find it amongst my Christmas pressies this year :)
Ailing soul legend Aretha Franklin has thanked fans who took part in a community prayer vigil in Detroit, Michigan yesterday (01December 2010) following reports she is preparing for a "medical procedure".
The I Say A Little Prayer hitmaker was ordered by doctors to cancel all concert dates and personal appearances scheduled between now and May 2011, including a Christmas concert in her adopted hometown of Detroit on 9 December 2010.
Her most devoted followers joined city council official JoAnn Watson to organise a community meeting in the city to pray for Franklin's health following reports she is set to return to hospital for an unknown procedure today (02 December 2010).
After hearing of the vigil, Franklin released a statement, saying, "All prayers are good."
As yet there are no further details of Franklin's condition at the time of going to press, but I hope she makes a speedy recovery.
Interesting developments taking place in Hollywood, as Deadline Hollywood is leading with a story that reveals Frank 'Shawshank' Darabont has sacked the whole writing staff for the already commissioned second season of 'The Walking Dead' based on Robert Kirkman’s black and white comic book!
The helmer apparently favours the “freelancer” option, and this isn't going to please the unions over in Tinseltown.
Is this a safe gamble? Having already secured a second season, maybe Darabont is being extra careful to keep up the momentum.
Whatever the decisions...I'm looking forward to the next and final episode, and to the next season.
Now that Christopher Nolan is scrambling to get the script for 'The Dark Knight Rises' ready, it appears that he can no longer creatively supervise on the upcoming 'Superman' reboot - Hitfix reports.
Nolan's wife and producing partner Emma Thomas (pictured with Nolan above) explained how Nolan prefers to concentrate on one project at a time, and with Zac Snyder in the director's chair on the 'Superman' reboot, Thomas confirms:
"...we are handing it off to him".
Thomas added that Nolan and David Goyer just had an idea they couldn't believe wasn't being explored by Warner Bros. so "they brought it to an appropriate screenplay and it's now Snyder's picture".
Does this mean that the picture looks set to trump 'Superman Returns'? Time will tell!
