Monday, Feb. 10, 2003

People

By Lev Grossman

OSCAR? I HARDLY KNOW HER

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced two weeks ago that it would bestow an honorary Oscar on venerable Irish actor PETER O'TOOLE at this year's ceremony. But last week O'Toole declined the offer. O'Toole, 70, has been nominated for Best Actor seven times but has never won. In a note to the Academy, he wrote that since he is "still in the game and might win the lovely bugger outright, would the Academy please defer the honor until I am 80?" The Academy is sticking to its choice, so far: the award is O'Toole's, whether he likes it or not.

Double Duchess

In 1936, in one of the great romantic gestures of the century, KING EDWARD VIII gave up his throne to wed American socialite WALLIS SIMPSON, despite the fact that she was a commoner and that her name was Wallis. But according to files released last week by British police, Simpson was two-timing the King during their courtship with car salesman GUY TRUNDLE, right--"a very charming adventurer, good looking, well bred and an excellent dancer." Those British police, they know from dancing.

OOPS, HE DID IT AGAIN

She's a pop star--actress on the rebound, he's an actor-libertine on the prowl. It's a wonder it took BRITNEY SPEARS and COLIN FARRELL this long to hook up. They arrived together at last week's premiere of The Recruit, in which Farrell stars with Al Pacino. "She's just a mate," said Farrell. "Seriously, we just met a week ago." Why take a mate on a date? Perhaps because nothing draws attention to your movie like a new companion. And stars don't mate for life.

The Ties That Bind

If you're still capable of being shocked by revelations about reality-show contestants, prepare yourself. According to the Smoking Gun website, winsome Joe Millionaire finalist SARAH KOZER has appeared in dozens of soft-core bondage and foot-fetish films, including such classics as Novices in Knots and Dirty Soled Dolls, which features (according to the site that sells it) 15 "fantastic foot-maidens" who "bare their filthy soles." Kozer, whose official show biography lists her occupation as sales and design, stresses that her roles involved ropes and duct tape but no nudity, and she claims she did the films to help pay off student loans. Who would have guessed Kozer would be willing to humiliate herself on film for money?