Emmy Still Laughing at Jenna, Vanessa, But Jaime’s Name Is Mud

Jaime Pressly

This is shaping up to be not much of a year for Emmy repeats (unless James Spader runs away with it again).

My Name Is Earl star Jaime Pressly, who was named Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy in 2007, has been left off the shortlist of female laugh-inducers who stand a chance of hearing their names announced July 17, when the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences reveals all the nominees for the 59th Prime-Time Emmy Awards.

Meanwhile, the competition Pressly beat out last year has made the cut, according to another top-secret list obtained by the L.A. Times’ Gold Derby blog.

But Pressly’s in good company. Also in no danger of repeating last year’s glory is Lost’s Terry O’Quinn, Grey’s Anatomy’s Katherine Heigl and Extras’ Ricky Gervais, who apparently can’t stand to do more than two seasons of a critically acclaimed series.

Whether the writers’ strike left Pressly without a golden moment this season is a valid question, but Emmy voters obviously found enough to like in scenes belonging to 10 other actressesall of whom (minus Weeds’ Elizabeth Perkins), it should be noted, honed their craft on broadcast networks, while all of the other major acting categories have ventured almost equally into the nether regions of cable.

Returning to the list are Perkins, Two and a Half Men’s Conchata Ferrell and Holland Taylor, Ugly Betty’s Vanessa Williams and The Office’s Jenna Fischer.

Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies

Other familiar faces being considered include 30 Rock’s Jane Krakowski (who seemingly had a lot less to do in season two, but whatever), Ugly Betty’s Judith Light and Saturday Night Live’s Amy Poehler (sketch show performers have been moved form the variety/musical mix to the sitcom crowd).

Pushing Daisies’ Kristin Chenoweth and Samantha Who?’s Jean Smart round out the list.

Meaning, no Emmy love (again) for Desperate Housewives’ Nicollette Sheridan or (surprisingly) her new neighbor, Dana Delany; no change of fortune for Ugly Betty’s Ashley Jensen (who at least should have been nominated for Extras last year); no extra recognition for Pushing Daisies’ eccentric, aquatic aunts, Swoosie Kurtz and Ellen Greene; and another thankless season for Monk’s girl Friday Traylor Howard.

Speaking of dipping into the cable pot, check out this list of contenders for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama:

Catherine Zeta-Jones is on “The Rebound”

Catherine Zeta-Jones is on “The Rebound”

On location in New York City as of late, Catherine Zeta Jones was spotted keeping herself busy on the set of her new movie “The Rebound”.

The Welsh born actress’ latest work tells the story of a single mom who captivates her new neighbor - and he just so happens to be a much younger man.

Expected to be released in 2009, “The Rebound” is being directed by Bart Freundlich, co-starring National Treasure actor Justin Bartha.

And once she finishes up work on “The Rebound”, Catherine has three more new roles lined up, as she plans on starring in Law Abiding Citizen, Racing the Monsoon and Stompanato.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Two Lovers”

Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Two Lovers”

Gracing the red carpet with her dazzling self, Gwyneth Paltrow attended the Cannes Film Festival in southern France on Monday (May 19) for the screening of her new movie, Two Lovers.

Not alone on the red carpet, Miss Paltrow was joined by director James Gray, Italian designer Valentino, Israeli actor Moni Moshonov and US actress Vinessa Shaw.

Wearing a black satin Chanel dress, some eye-catching dangling earrings, and a simple-but-elegant updo, Gwyneth looked radiant as ever as she showed off her pearly whites for the camera.

The 35-year-old actress’s new movie “Two Lovers” is a Brooklyn-set romantic drama about a bachelor (Joaquin Phoenix) torn between the family friend his parents wish he would marry and his beautiful but volatile new neighbor (Paltrow).

Aishwarya Rai Biography

Aishwarya Rai.jpg

Aishwarya Rai was born November 1, 1973 in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. Born in a traditional south Indian family, Aishwarya started modelling at a young age. This green-blue eyed beauty stole ads for many prestigious firms, the ones which brought her into the limelight were the garden sari and the pepsi ad.

Aishwarya Rai is one of the highest-paid actresses in India’s prolific movie industry, the Julia Roberts of the Asian subcontinent. She began modeling at 14, came to fame as the gorgeous new neighbor in Indian Pepsi commercials, and won the Miss World beauty pageant in 1994.

In more than two dozen movies, Rai has never been kissed on screen. It simply isn’t done in Bollywood. Instead, when an on-screen scene reaches that moment, characters typically burst into song-and-dance sequences intended as metaphors for steamy passion. Rai has, however, attempted to broaden her fame by appearing in the English film Bride and Prejudice with Martin Henderson, a comedic singing-and-dancing adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. She has signed to co-star in Singularity with Brendan Fraser in 2005.

So at some point soon, a script may require a smooch instead of a song. “It would definitely be a topic of discussion [in India],” she says. “They’re going to enjoy (the controversy)… In our society, you don’t really see people around the street corner kissing or being extremely or overtly physically demonstrative.”

Rai is no stranger to controversy, having dated movie star Salman Khan — he is Muslim, she is Hindu. When Rai appeared at an Indian awards ceremony sporting a black eye, there were rumors that Khan had beaten her, but Rai explained otherwise. “For some perverse reason, no one wants to believe me, that I fell down the stairs. First the media calls me the woman of the millennium, a woman of substance. Then how can the same media make me out to be such a doormat? I’m a self-respecting woman, I don’t take nonsense from anyone. No one tries caveman tactics on me. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger can fall and get hurt, so why should I be any different?”

After they eventually broke up, there were reports that Khan stalked her, and Rai admitted that there “were times when Salman got physical with me.” Her family filed a police complaint against Khan, when he showed up drunk and started pounding on her door and screaming late one night.

Rai made her film debut in 1991′s forgettable Mamagaru . Her other early films included bombs like Iruvar and Aur Pyaar Ho Gaya , and even the Tamil-Telugu hit Jeans which was disastrously received by India’s Hindi audiences. By 1998, critics were carping about Rai’s lack of talent and “three stock wooden expressions.”

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam , of course, changed everything, and Rai’s spirited performance as the emotionally complex Nandini made her a star instead of a joke. Her other triumphs include Mohabbatein , Chokher Bali , and the epic Devdas.

In 2003, Rai was injured on the set of Khakhi when a driver lost control of his Jeep and ran into Rai, who landed on a cactus.