Big Ben and girlfriend Missy Peregrym

Actress Missy Peregrym, getting set for the start of season 2 of "Reaper" on Tuesday, March 3, talked to People magazine about the show and her boyfriend, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Asked what it was like seeing Ben win the Super Bowl, Missy told People's Paul Chi, "It was the happiest, most emotional weekdn of my life. It felt like I was playing -- and I didn't want to lose!"

In "Reaper," Peregrym plays Andi, the girl among guys and the love interest of Sam (Bret Harrison), who has been forced into working as the Devil's bounty hunter and who may be the Evil One's son.

(The image shows Missy and Ben on the red carpet at the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night in March  2007.)

Where there's 'Hope,' there's hope that this painting is a Haring

As intriguing as whether a 7-foot painting is a Keith Haring original is the story behind it's sale tonight.

The Associated Press reports that the work in title "Hope," in the style of the late pop artist, goes on sale on eBay Friday night. Opening bid: 99 cents.

The seller is a Pennsylvania man, Ed Oswald, who believes the painting to be an original Haring. But his cousin, Kermit Oswald, one of the world's leading authorities on Haring's work, says it's a knockoff.

Ed Oswald (picture below, AP) has maintained that "Hope" is an authentic Haring, and said Kermit Oswald is biased because the two had a falling-out years ago. Kermit Oswald said the only thing influencing his judgment is his decades of professional experience.

"The fact is these people were trying to sell something that was absolutely worthless," Kermit said.

As a result, the eBay listing does not claim "Hope" is the genuine article. Instead, the description says buyers are bidding on "an original painting ... from the 1980s in a remarkable likeness and style of a Keith Haring, with a very interesting story & provenance."

Haring grew up in Kutztown in Pennsylvania Dutch country. The Andy Warhol Museum exhibits works by Haring, and he mounted shows worldwide before his 1990 death from AIDS at age 31.

Brady and Bundchen tie the knot

Gossip alert: Calling New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady "the region's most eligible bachelor," the Boston Herald then announced that he was off the market after marrying his long-time love, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, "in a romantic twilight wedding in California."

Hollyscoop.com and US Weekly also reported the nuptials as an intimate gathering that included Tom's son 2-year-old son Jack, with actress Bridget Moynahan.

The 28-year-old bride wore a form-fitting strapless ivory lace gown by Dolce & Gabbana, US Weekly reported.

The couple purchased an $11.7 million piece of property in a gated community in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles late last year and are building a house there.

Braddock mayor vs. Stephen Colbert

Mayor John Fetterman of Braddock was the guest on "The Colbert Report" last night, and while host Stephen Colbert invited him on because of something about the town being open to "urban experiments," Mayor Fetterman made his case for revitalizing his town, devestated by the death of the steel industry and with housing values at around $6,200, and kept his cool while Colbert tried to make big jokes about what a big guy he is.

Frankly, I expected laughs when Mayor Fetterman said his first hope for his town was a Subway franchise, but in this economy, the audience perhaps was more sympathetic to the plight of a town that's fallen on such hard times.

In the end, Colbert pointed out to the audience that the mayor tattoos the dates of murder victims in his town and urged Republicans who say they'll turn down money from the stimulus plan to send their share to Braddock.

I'm sure that had nothing to do with Mayor Fetterman offering up his town as a site for the Stephen Colbert Museum and Gift Shop.

Ming Na joins 'Stargate Universe'

"Stargate Universe," the second spinoff of Sci Fi Channel's "Stargate: SG-1," will send a native Pittsburgher into space: Ming Na, an "ER" regular in 2004, joins the cast which includes Robert Carlyle, Lou Diamond Phillips, Alaina Huffman, Justin Louis, David Blue, Jamil Walker Smith and Brian J. Smith. 

Another new crew member will be "Smallville's" Elyse Levesque, who will play Chloe Armstrong, "the wild and immature daughter of a U.S. Senator." Ming-Na's character, Camille Wray, will be an HR bigwig and the highest-ranking survivor.

Production on the new series began last week in Vancouver.

Liz Smith dropped by N.Y. Post

In the new gossip world of TMZ and Page Six, Liz Smith was among the last beacons of gossip columnists who broke news and whose voice meant something to Hollywood and high society.

That voice will no longer be in print after Thursday, Feb. 26:  The Associated Press reports that in to save money, the New York Post has decided not to renew Smith's $125,000 per year contract. The 86-year-old Smith's final column for the paper will run Feb. 26.

"I'm very sorry that that has come to an end, and that I wasn't valuable enough for them to keep me on," Smith told AP.

Col Allan, the editor-in-chief of the Post, said in a statement, "The Post is grateful to have been able to publish Liz Smith's legendary column for so many years. We wish her the very best for the future."

Smith's column is featured in 70 papers around the country, although after Thursday, no New York paper will currently carry her column. Smith's work is also published in Parade and Daily Variety.

The AP story said she's not thinking about retiring: "I'm busy ... I'm OK. I'm OK for a person who's been let go."

Jonas Brothers dropping in on fans

"OMG! Is that ... the Jonas Brothers??!!"

If you're at a theater this weekend for "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience," that might just be Kevin, Joe and Nick popping in to say hi.

The Jonas Brothers announced yesterday that they will be thanking some of their fans in person over the opening weekend of their new film. Starting Friday, the band of brothers will take off on their "Surprise Theater Invasion" tour, a cross-country, multi-city trip to surprise fans in theaters nationwide. No one's saying where the private jet carrying Kevin, Joe and Nick may land, only that they'll be moving from city to city, enabling them to reach fans in several cities in just a few days.

The film blends excerpts from the Brothers' "Burning Up" concert tour, including guest performances from Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift, with behind-the-scenes footage and includes the premiere of the song "Love Is On Its Way."

Fandango, the online ticket-seller, reports that dozens of show times for "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" are already sold out across the country, even though the movie doesn't open until Thursday night at midnight. According to an ongoing Fandango survey of nearly 5,000 moviegoers planning to see the film (as of this morning):

• 96% plan to see Jonas 3D this weekend;
• 57% of those "opening weekenders" plan to attend a midnight screening on Thursday night;
• 45% plan to take off time from school or work on Friday, Feb. 27, because of the movie;
• 72% are planning a get-together before or after the movie;
• 58% have previously seen the Jonas Brothers live in concert;
• 65% have previously seen High School Musical 3 on the big screen; 58% saw Hannah Montana 3D  and 53% saw Twilight on the big screen;
• 96% of respondents are female;
• 76% of respondents are 17 or younger;
• 54% said Nick Jonas was the brother they'd most like to date.

Moviegoers buying advance tickets to Jonas 3D on Fandango are receiving a free download of the Jonas music video, "Tonight" (details of the promotion can be found at www.fandango.com/promo/jonasbrothers). 

Bye Bye O'Brien . . . L.A. awaits

All you need to know about Conan O'Brien's place in the late-night galaxy of hosts is that his band leader is a member of the E Street Band and that he chose The White Stripes as his "Late Show's" final musical guests.

Well, maybe that's not all you need to know . ... One of his final declarations as host of the "The Late Show With Conan O'Brien," before he moves on to that earlier gig as host of "The Tonight Show" out in L.A., was that he wasn't going to take the suggestions of many people who have said that for his new job, he needs to grow up. Don't worry, not gonna happen.

Phew. O'Brien's goofiness skews young and fresh alongside David Letterman's flair for the ironic and Jay Leno's polished stand-up. Wouldn't want it any other way.

For the last show early, early Saturday morning, Will Ferrell was the "surprise" guest in his President Bush mode (he's doing a one-man show as Bush in New York) and then ripped off his suit to do what he's done on the show in the past, what Will Ferrell loves to do, show too much skin, in this case as Leprechaun Stripper. That's about the level Conan's show works, teetering on that thin line between cerebral and insane, but leaning toward the latter.

The weeklong goodbye for "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" as the show departs New York has been a real hoot, with surprise guests and film-clip reminiscences of 16 years in the late, late 12:35 a.m. time slot following "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."

O'Brien is uprooting for Hollywood and taking the Max Weinberg band with him, heading to one of the most sought-after positions in late night television: "The Tonight Show," the scene of Leno's head-to-head success against David Letterman.

It kind of stinks that O'Brien has been thrown the wrench of still having to follow Leno, the newly anointed prime-time savior for ratings-poor NBC.

Three months from now, after a break to decide what comes with him from NYC and what new and wacky stunts to bring to California, O'Brien will be back on the air, after your local 11 p.m. newscast, after Leno at 10, while competing head-to-head with Letterman. That can't be good for attracting top guests.

But unlike NBC, we've come to praise Conan, not to bury him.

It's hard not to like the self-deprecating goofball. I like him because he's so high-energy, often unpredictable and he engages his guests with playfulness and decency - unless there's a really good laugh to be had. 

There have been priceless moments this week as the show winds down its New York run: Stephen Colbert stealing "the invisible string" used by O'Brien in his string dance - a routine where he pretends to tug at his long legs and hips with an invisible string - and Colbert then showing up on stage during O'Brien's monologue for a dance-off. Nathan Lane, accompanied by Marc Shaiman ("Hairspray") and singing Shaiman-penned lyrics to "You Did it Your Way." John Mayer's filmed send-off song: "L.A. Will Eat You Alive." O'Brien wielding an ax and sledgehammer and finally using a mini-vehicle to pull apart his studio set and give pieces of it to the audience. (When he tore up La Bamba's music stand and cracked the stage floor, he looked genuinely concerned, as did his producer.)

And if you've never seen O'Brien's trip to Finland to meet his look-alike, Finnish President Tarja Halonen, in 2006, well, the folks there were just wild about Conan.

In his final humble thank yous, O'Brien mentioned Lorne Michaels as the man who had made his career and his predecessors in late night, Leno and Letterman.

After Letterman jumped ship for CBS, O'Brien walked into Letterman's spot as a mostly unknown comedy writer for "The Simpsons" and "SNL." The gangly O'Brien, with his big-wave red hair, came in as a critical whipping boy and has had the last laugh, with 16 years as a host and now the "Late Night" NBC throne that was once Johnny Carson's.

So bye-bye funny guy and best of luck on the Left Coast.

I just hope you leave the masturbating bear to run wild with Abe Vigoda in New York. 

Now that M.I.A.'s a mom, what about those outfits?

Strutting around the stage at the Grammys, M.I.A. looked like a polka-dot killer bee from "SNL" -- a queen bee, that is, who was about to give birth. Which she did, going into labor shortly after the show.

On Valentine's Day, the new mom -- real name Mathangi Arulpragasam, dad is her musician-boyfriend Benjamin Bronfman -- posted this message on her Web site:

SUNDAY NITE I CA M E HOME FROM THE GRAMMY'S STILL IN THE MOOD TO PARTY , I COUDA EASILY GONE OUT BUT I WENT HOME INSEAD , LUCKY I DID!! COZ MY EARLY STAGE LABOUR KICKED IN AROUND 2 AM .

MY BABY WAS BORN WEDNESDAY , HE IS HEALTHY , FINE , BEAUTIFUL AND THE MOST AMZING THING EVER ON THIS PLANET, OF COURSE IM HIS MUM!!!

ME AND BABY ARE PUTTING OUR TOUR DATES FOR 2010 TOGETHER
AND MAKING MIX TAPES
AND FIGURING OUT A WAY TO BREAK OUT OF THE HOSPITAL !

HOPEFULLY THE WORLD IS BEEN TICKING ALONG AND I AINT MISSED MUCH!

C U SOON ,

AND MY BABY BOY SAYZ HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(For more on M.I.A.'s outrageously fun maternity wear, visit http://www.zimbio.com/Maternity+Fashion/articles/7/Maternity+Wear+Not+Everyone.) 

Transported by films' realism and 'Lies'

I thought I had seen a doubleheader of blood and bullets and travelogue this weekend when I went to see "The International" and watched the DVD of "Body of Lies." Turns out, some of the beautiful landscapes, like the maimed, bloodied bodies and bullet-riddled buildings were illusions. I can't decide whether that's a good or a bad thing, though.

In the just-released "International," Clive Owen gets hit by a car in the opening scene and suffers a few gashes in a gun battle set at the Guggenheim Museum in New York and on a replica set in spectacular fashion. So many bullets are fired and so much property is destroyed that it was laughable that anyone survived. But of course, our hero did. Sure, Owen's character, Lou, will have some nasty scars on his cheek and ear to show for the machine-gun battle in which a bunch of bad guys all were targeting him, but he should have been riddled with bullets head to toe. Owen plays a former Scotland Yard-er who now works for Interpol and tries to bring down a very big, very bad bank that can't possibly be stopped by one man.

In "Body of Lies," poor Leonardo DiCaprio is a CIA operative in the Middle East who's constantly being put in harm's way by a handler (Russell Crowe as a caricature of an ugly American) who manipulates situations seemingly for maximum damage -- a lot of it to Leo -- from his perch far from the fray. DiCaprio's heroic agent is blown up, shot at, bludgeoned . . . and like Owen's character, miraculously keeps on ticking. But the war on terror can't possibly be stopped by one man.

Both these men try to maintain moral standards amid greed, violence and hate, and the situation doesn't necessarily improve despite all of their efforts.

At least, I though during both movies, I get to be transported to other places, other cultures. "The International" hops from the streets of New York to Germany and to Italy and finally to Turkey, all on location. Owen's grizzled Lou stands out amid not just well-dressed, well-groomed characters but against the backdrop of sharp, pristine architecture and landscapes and cityscapes that glitter in the background.

I thought the same thing when I was watching "Body of Lies" -- that I was being taken on location to Dubai and Jordan and the Netherlands and grittier sites in the Middle East. But that was just director Ridley Scott pulling off some movie magic. Just as he pulled off re-creating the Coliseum in Rome in "Gladiator," he mixed a few stock images with a film shoot in Morocco, D.C. and Maryland, according to imdb.com, and the illusion of country hopping was created.

I don't know whether I should feel cheated or if I should have taken the title "Body of Lies" more to heart or if I should stop looking things up and just enjoy the movie magic when it works.