Stay in 'School' and earn

Zac Efron's seemingly cocky look on this page is perhaps not surprising -- given the young actor is on the fastest of fast tracks Hollywood can provide.

Pinkett Smith enjoys feel of director's chair
Bill Zwecker: Jada Pinkett Smith, like her superstar husband Will Smith, has found major fame thanks to an acting career, but the diminutive entertainer said Tuesday, ''For me, I always considered acting a steppingstone to doing other things -- like directing.''

Clashing points of 'View'

It probably comes as no surprise that the tension backstage at "The View" is getting even more tightly wound.

Jennifer's greatest champion
Bill Zwecker: I only met Jennifer Hudson's late mother Darnell Donerson on two occasions -- the night Hudson won her Oscar, and a few weeks later, when the newly minted Academy Award winner was honored in Chicago. At the Governors Ball in Hollywood, Mrs. Donerson told me, ''I have to keep pinching myself."

Tom Wolfe well suited for honors

Though author Tom Wolfe was in Chicago recently for a serious reason -- to accept the annual Carl Sandburg Award from the Chicago Public Library Foundation -- he didn't mind getting frivolous a bit and chatting about those white suits he always wears.

Mr. Palin not happy about his wife's public allure
The Alaska governor is greatly amused by the funny Web sites (with the exception of the X-rated ones) and loves seeing all the Joe the Plumber-type supporters at rallies sporting various versions of ''Sarah Palin is HOT!'' T-shirts.

Sick of Cloris' shtick

While there's been lots of buzz about Cloris Leachman generated by Sun-Times colleague Miriam DiNunzio's ''Dancing With the Stars'' posts on the TV blog on our Web site, I can tell you first-hand there's even more controversy behind-the-scenes on the Hollywood set of the hit ABC show.

Jen's pregnant pause?

Update: Stephen Huvane, Jennifer Aniston’s publicist, has sent me an e-mail this morning stating, simply, “Jennifer is not pregnant.”

Meet Marley's human
Bill Zwecker: Even today, despite having found that proverbial pot of gold at the end of the publishing world's rainbow, author John Grogan still wakes up some mornings ''not really believing it's all happened.'' Despite having sold some five million copies of his runaway bestseller Marley & Me and making enough money to quit his job as a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Grogan still genuinely sounds humbled by his relatively new-found wealth and fame.

Duchovny's racquet teacher not denying relationship

Is David Duchovny's tennis instructor backing down from an interview with a British tabloid -- strongly hinting she had an affair with the actor?

Hearing Bernie sum up his life

LOS ANGELES -- Could Bernie Mac have had a premonition about his premature death? At the end of ''Soul Men'' (opening Nov. 7), there are touching tributes to both the actor and comedian who died Aug. 9 and music legend Isaac Hayes, who passed away a day later. Hayes has a small part playing himself in the movie.

Breaking up is easy to do for Madonna

Now that it's official, a number of interesting tidbits are surfacing about the Madonna-Guy Ritchie breakup.

Jen's friends cringe

That John Mayer sure must have something. We all can likely guess what that something is, and it's sure working on Jennifer Aniston.

Director fanning flames of criticism towards Dakota
Bill Zwecker: After years of being one of the young darlings of the entertainment biz, a few cracks have begun to appear in the facade of Dakota Fanning's image. The latest zinger comes from Australian director Rowan Woods, who helmed the 14-year-old star in ''Winged Creatures,'' set for release early next year. Speaking at the Australian Directors Guild conference in Sydney last weekend, Woods said he loved working with everyone on the movie except Fanning, whom he called a diva.

J. Lo, Marc renew vows
Seems the always media-savvy Jennifer Lopez had a special reason for ''spontaneously'' renewing her wedding vows with husband Marc Anthony in Las Vegas early Sunday.

Latest Presley hit: twin girls

Lisa Marie Presley and fourth husband and music producer Michael Lockwood aren't saying much about their newborn twin daughters -- Elvis' third and fourth grandchildren. This is what we know so far:

Following the herd never was Eartha Kitt's style
Bill Zwecker: Ask entertainment legend Eartha Kitt the worst advice anyone ever gave her and she doesn't hesitate. ''To follow the herd. To go with the tide. You're out of style. Don't stick to what you're doing. ... I never felt doing that would make me a 'belonger.' I just wanted to belong to myself and be able to share me with you.''

Griffin wants Bravo to ante up for 'D-List'
Bill Zwecker: West suburban native Kathy Griffin may have just won her second primetime Emmy, but the comedian denies reports she has inked a new deal for a fifth season for her show, "The D-List." "You'd think that having won a second freakin' Emmy would entitle me to a few more bucks. ... Hey, I'm just looking for tens more dollars from Bravo," zinged Griffin on the phone earlier this week. But she claims that has yet to happen.

Kidman is bewitched, unbothered
Bill Zwecker: In my past interviews with Nicole Kidman, she's always been unfailingly polite, professional and charming. But during the years she was married to Tom Cruise, the actress was guarded, parsed her answers carefully and, well, never seemed quite at ease. In Los Angeles on Tuesday, I found a very changed woman.

Reese, Jake going strong

The romance between Reese Witherspoon and Jake Gyllenhaal is taking the usual roller coaster ride in the celebrity press. First it was all hush-hush. Then the stars were photographed holding hands, then joined by Witherspoon's kids, and finally looking romantic in various spots around the globe. Now comes the supposed ''rift'' in the relationship being trumpeted all over the Internet and the supermarket checkout counters.

Take that, Tina: Palin wants to spoof her spoofer
Bill Zwecker: It's looking more and more likely that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will appear on ''Saturday Night Live'' -- to have some fun with Tina Fey.

Greg Kinnear's 'Genius' offers a clearer view of justice
Getting ''Flash of Genius'' on screen wasn't as prolonged as its subject's quest for justice, but director Marc Abraham says ''it still took a long, long time until we had both the right script and the right artist to render that man's character for an audience.''

Britney as new Fonda?

Ready to feel the burn, Jane Fonda? Britney Spears wants to follow in your footsteps and release a series of workout videos.

'Beverly Hills Chihuahua' turns out to be a real dog

Although the trailers for this movie seem lame, there was the chance the actual film would be better. Unfortunately, the so-so ads we've seen for ''Beverly Hills Chihuahua'' pretty much reflect its true nature.

'Sharon dearest' cringes

A judge's decision in the bitter Sharon Stone custody battle with her ex-husband Phil Bronstein has Hollywood buzzing.

First rings ... then bells for Simpson, Romo?
Bill Zwecker: I'm all about romance today -- at least for starters: One of my best Dallas snoops just happened to be in the original Neiman Marcus in Big D, shortly after Jessica Simpson and main man and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo were in the store checking out big sparklers -- the kind women wear on their left-hand ring finger.

Heather's pills and spills
Bill Zwecker: Even as questions arose Monday about the California Highway Patrol's handling of Heather Locklear's arrest on impaired driving charges, friends and associates of the actress expressed concerns about her psychological well-being and heavy use of anti-anxiety drugs.