A Mission For Jolie

Billy Bob Thorton's lady Angelina Jolie is officially being named a United Nations goodwill ambassador this week according to the U.N. refugee agency. The actress known recently for her work as video game action queen Lara Croft in Tomb Raider and seductress opposite Antonio Banderas in Original Sin already has a reputation for visiting refugee camps in Sierra Leone and Cambodia, where some of the Tomb Raider scenes were shot. Kris Janowski on behalf of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said "(Jolie) has a genuine interest in refugee issues and is fantastically popular".

The first goodwill ambassador was the late comedian Danny Kaye, appointed in 1954. Current ambassadors include actor Michael Douglas, pop star Geri Halliwell and footballer Zinedine Zidane.

Catch Steve If You Can

Director Steven Spielberg is fixing to take over the DreamWorks project Catch Me If You Can, which will star Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio will play a scamming counterfeit expert in the crime caper, based on a true story about the youngest man ever to be put on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

Spielberg has just wrapped up his eagerly anticipated sci-fi thriller Minority Report which stars Tom Cruise. Spielberg has two other projects in development, a film called Big Fish and a long-awaited film adaptation of Memoirs of a Geisha. Production on Catch Me If You Can is expected to get underway early next year.

Woeful Winona

A bad stomach flu has forced Winona Ryder to drop out of Lily and the Secret Planting in mid-production. Ryder was hit hard while shooting in London and was forced into hospitalization over the weekend. Although expected to fully recover, the 29-year-old actress is dropping out of her lead role in the indie film.

Producers for the low-budget flick said they have temporarily halted production for recasting Ryder's role. Tabloids are making claims that producers are already eyeing Kate Winslet for the part.

Heart Probs For Carey

Comedian/actor Drew Carey found himself in a rather unfunny situation himself last weekend. Carey headed to a Los Angeles hospital during the taping of his television show, because he started suffering from chest pain. Doctors discovered Carey had a blocked coronary artery, forcing the popular actor to undergo emergency angioplasty.

The routine procedure went smoothly, and Carey is resting easier now, according to his publicist Christina Papadopoulos. He's expected to return to work sometime next week.

Bubble Boy Offends Kids

Disney is hoping their comedy Bubble Boy will get big laughs this summer, but the film about a lovesick teenager in a plastic bubble is getting some serious complaints from children who suffer chronic immune disorders. Jake Gyllenhaal (October Sky) plays the immuno-compromised teen.

According to Reuters, 10-year-old Scott McGuire, wrote in a letter this week to Disney Chairman Michael Eisner explaining how sad it is to make make jokes about serious diseases. A news conference and formal protest is planned by various disease foundations next week before the film opens.

Berry Gets Gigli

Halle Berry (Swordfish) is in negotiations to star opposite Ben Affleck in Gigli, a Revolution Studios picture set to begin production this fall. The crime romance will be directed by Martin Brest (Meet Joe Black).

The story is about a free-spirited female gunslinger, sent to watch over a hit man (Affleck) who has kidnapped the mentally challenged brother of a well-known district attorney. Berry would play the gunslinger.

Mystery Date for Prinze and Gellar

Freddie Prinze Jr. told reporters at the taping for Fox's Teen Choice Awards on Sunday that he refused to share the date for his upcoming wedding to Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Sarah Michelle Gellar with the public.

According to ABC NEWS, the pair will keep their professional lives very public, teaming up in the upcoming Scooby Doo movie, but plan on keeping their nuptials a private affair.

Cusack For President

Actor John Cusack has hit the Presidential campaign trail, only he doesn't know it yet. A group of Democrats has launched a lighthearted Net-based effort to put Cusack in the White House, based on characters he has played in past films. The unpredictable icon from the 80s is still as popular as ever, with such recent hits as America's Sweethearts and High Fidelity.

Organizers of the Cusack Presidential Campaign told Associated Press that they have yet to hear from candidate Cusack and don't plan on contacting him about his run for the Oval Office, until they get a level of grass-roots support, which would mean 10,000 or more supporters.

Stalker Found Dead

Comedian Jerry Lewis should be able to breath a sigh of relief, but at whose doing? A convicted stalker accused of repeatedly threatening the comedian was found dead Saturday in his jail cell. Gary Randolph Benson was released last year after serving six years for stalking Lewis, but was back in custody on charges of violating the protective order.

Benson was being held at the Clark County Detention Center awaiting his trial in November when he appears to have somehow died in his sleep. The coroner is still investigating the cause of death.

Special Day Out For Downey

Robert Downey Jr. took a step towards recovery on the outside this week. At the request of Sir Elton John, Downey spent the day lip-synching to John's latest single I Want Love for the Rocket Man's soon-to-be-released album Songs From the West Coast. The video was shot at the Greystone Manor in Beverly Hills.

Downey is currently a patient at Malibu's Wavelengths rehab facility, serving a sentence of three years' probation and a year in rehab. Fans will likely be able to see him at the Emmy Awards on September 16, as he is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his work on Ally McBeal.

Affleck Enters Rehab

Ben Affleck has joined the ranks of celebs on the wagon. The Oscar winner checked himself into the same rehab clinic in Malibu that Paula Poundstone and Robert Downey Jr. have frequented. 29 year old Affleck tells reporters he is seeking professional help with his alcohol problem.

Ironically, Affleck played a recovering alcoholic in last year's Bounce, and co-stars in the upcoming Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, which opens August 24th.