And the Academy Award winning actor and director apparently sees something he likes in former Godfather’s Pizza executive, Herman Cain.

Cain rose out of nowhere to become a frontrunner in the primary race after Texas Governor Rick Perry’s shooting star exploded after several awkward – at best – gaffes that were broadcast worldwide. But just as quickly as he emerged as a front-runner, Cain started having his own problems – namely several women accusing him of inappropriate behavior during his pizza days and several of his own misstatements regarding foreign policy. And then there is the now (in)famous YouTube campaign advertisement featuring his smoking (and we don’t mean hot) campaign manager.

Cain has had some high profile celebrities come out against him – most notably heavyweights Morgan Freeman and Harry Belafonte. Even so, Cain is still gathering some support from the likes of comedian Dennis Miller, real estate mogul Donald Trump, and country music singers Trace Adkins and Lee Greenwood. Even Sarah Palin recently dismissed Cain’s candidacy, calling him “the flavor of the week.”

But Eastwood is more engaged politically than most on that list. The Libertarian former mayor of Carmel, California, who always votes Republican, favors free-market capitalism and is an advocate for cutting the budget without stimulus dollars to stimulate the economy. The director of the J. Edgar Hoover biopic “J. Edgar” seems unbothered by the speed bumps Cain is currently navigating.

“I love Cain’s story,” Eastwood recently told the L.A. Times, in an interview. “He’s a guy who came from nowhere and did well, obviously against heavy odds. He’s a doer and a straight-talker, which I don’t see enough of from either party.”

Strong words for sure. But we haven’t seen Eastwood sporting t shirt or showing up at any fundraising events, so it’s hard to say how deep the movie maverick’s support goes for Cain. Even so, the L.A. Times story should help Cain get some public polling traction nonetheless.

So who made the list? Here are some of them.

Oliver Stone
He’s cemented his outsider status with a rebellious nature and a penchant for high-minded, controversial films. His work has provocatively depicted American culture, politics and business with Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July and Natural Born Killers. But his latest film, W, grossed just $10 million during its opening weekend.

Michael Moore
He’s turned controversy into commerce, with documentaries that have explored American health care, the Iraq war, President Bush and gun ownership. But when his 2004 film Fahrenheit 9/11 grossed over $200 million worldwide–though it had a production cost of $6 million–that’s when he became a Hollywood darling. He’ll earn a reported $20 million to do the sequel.

Mel Gibson
Besides being outspoken, they’re adept at manipulating publicity–both positive and negative–to boost their fame, allowing them to work on their own terms. “Celebrities are selling their own brands because it affords them more freedom and they can drive the machine,” Says Levine.

That last description was actually referring not only to Mel Gibson but to other personalities such as Madonna and Kanye West as well. We all know where these people are right now and I think that being mavericks is one big reason that they reached where they are.

If I asked you right now who the most powerful women in Hollywood are, what would your answer be? When faced with this question earlier (my friend and I were talking about the very same topic), I named Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres. According to The Hollywood Reporter – which is definitely a more reliable source than I am – I got one correctly.

They recently honored the most influential women in Hollywood and Oprah was right there at the top. AP has a write up on the recent event:

The chairwoman of Harpo Inc. tops the trade paper’s 17th annual Power 100 list “based on her dizzying array of Oprah-branded media and her immense cultural influence,” Guider said.

Honorees are chosen by a panel of reporters and editors who consider each woman’s corporate position, control of purse strings and power to greenlight content.

During the same Q-&-A session, Disney’s co-chairwoman, Anne Sweeney, who was second on the list, said she uses chocolate as a salve, while No. 3, Sony Chairwoman Amy Pascal, opts to hide under the covers when failure strikes. The list was published Friday.

Who else made the list? I only really recognized Oprah in the top 10. Angelina Jolie made it to number 24, Tyra Banks is at 36, Tina Fey at 56, Rachael Ray at 65, and Miley Cyrus at 100. I don’t know about you but I was a bit surprised at number 100. Then again, the Hannah Montana phenomenon is indeed quite remarkable. For the complete list, visit The Hollywood Reporter.

To be honest, he was not the first person to come to mind. He is Leonardo di Caprio. Of Titanic fame, this guy has done a lot to bring environmental awareness to his part of the world. Even in private ways, he has been consistent in living a green life. Even international news agencies have taken notice. The Times Online (UK) ran a feature on him some time ago and noted that he has not always been this conscious of the environment:

The actor wasn’t always so planet-conscious: his first car, bought when he was 16, was a 1969 Ford Mustang, one of the original muscle cars. “It broke down on the freeway three times,” he says. “I nearly died [of embarrassment].”

So what made him change? He says that his role in the movie The Beach helped him become aware of our duty to conserve nature. His first act when he returned home after filming? He bought a Prius.

Seems to me we can learn something here.

So in that vein, here are some of the worst things said by Hollywood’s finest. Kinda scary, especially when you think of how these people are idolised….

Angelina Jolie

“I am so in love with my brother right now!”

“On furnishing her new house: I saw these plastic horses – we’ll have them instead of chairs. People will climb in the saddle to sit.”

“Honestly, I like everything. Boyish girls, girlish boys, the thick, the thin. Which is a problem when I’m walking down the street. “

Paris Hilton

“Every woman should have four pets in her life. A mink in her closet, a jaguar in her garage, a tiger in her bed, and a jackass who pays for everything.”

“All British people have plain names, and that works pretty well over there. [Hmm... tell us about 'work' Paris]“

Britney Spears

?The cool thing about being famous is traveling. I have always wanted to travel across seas, like to Canada and stuff.?

Try the Byron Williams Hair Salon. This is the favorite salon of style icons likeLindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, and Mischa Barton. (Here she is posing with him). “I trust Byron and he listens to what I want.”

The salon address:
Byron Williams Salon
9294 Civic Center Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Fred Allen

?A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.?

Lucy Liu

?I try to believe like I believed when I was five… when your heart tells you everything you need to know.?

Jennifer Aniston

“The best smell in the world is that man that you love.?

Madonna

?Listen, everyone is entitled to my opinion.?

“I wouldn’t have turned out the way I was if I didn’t have all those old-fashioned values to rebel against.?

?Everyone probably thinks that I’m a raving nymphomaniac, that I have an insatiable sexual appetite, when the truth is I’d rather read a book.?

Elvis Presley

?Look guys, if you’re just going to stare at me, I’m going to bed!?

Dennis Hopper’s career was full of ups and downs – much like many other personalities out there. One big difference is how this man handled the stuff that life threw at him. Despite all the discouragement he had met in his career, he was able to achieve a lot of things, including two Oscar nominations, his own Hollywood star (which he got this year, by the way), and a reputation for being one of the best bad boys in Hollywood.

He is probably best known for Easy Rider, which changed a lot of things for him and movies in general. Indeed, his co-star Peter Fonda says that they “rode the highways of America and changed the way movies were made in Hollywood.” In tribute to Hopper, he continues to say that he “was blessed by his passion and friendship.”

More than being an actor, Dennis Hopper was also an accomplished director. In fact, the last several years of his life could be described as nothing but frenetic. This is a guy who was filled with passion for his life and work, and for that, we cannot do anything but admire him.

So long, Dennis Hopper!

The news is that the casting was done in favor of white actors. Obviously, many of the characters in the movie are supposed to be of Asian or Middle Eastern descent. However, as we all know, many of the actors taking on the lead roles are not exactly from that part of the world.

Let’s take a look at hunky Jake Gyllenhaal who plays the lead role. He’s definitely not Middle Eastern – he’s American with Swedish and Jewish blood in him. (At least there’s a bit of Asian in him.)

Then there’s his leading lady, the princess, who is played by Gemma Arterton. She’s a full blooded Brit. No Asian blood in her.

It’s really not a surprise that critics are up in arms about the way the cast members – the leading cast members most especially – were chosen. Of course, there must be some reasoning behind the choices. There may be things that the general public – and the critics even – may not be aware of.

Then again, independent filmmaker Jehanzeb Dar might just be right. He said something like choosing white people to play the roles of other races is an insult to everyone involved. What do you think? Have you seen the movie?

It was held at the Hollywood Boulevard and of course, many other stars were present. Bruce Willis – a star in his own right –was among the people who witnessed the honor being given to Sir Ben Kingsley. So what did the 2,410th recipient of a Hollywood star have to say about the accolade?

“Standing here today amongst you is one of the many things I thought growing up in England that would never happen to me. It was a privilege to be an enduring part of the architecture of this extraordinary city.”

Indeed, having your own star is akin to being immortalized. Not that Sir Ben Kingsley had not been immortalized in other ways prior to his being awarded a star. He has starred in countless films that have touched the lives of so many people – and they are certain to make an impact in the lives of future film-loving generations. Think Schindler’s List, Gandhi, and Oliver Twist.

Here’s to Sir Ben Kingsley and his most recent accolade!