Honoring the Auteurs January
31, 2005 "Extra" found Jamie Foxx,
Leonardo DiCaprio and other huge stars from the big
and small screens this weekend, and they were all waiting
to see who would be named Best Behind the Movie Camera.
And the night belonged to the one and only Clint Eastwood
for "Million Dollar Baby," who beat out sentimental
favorite "Aviator" director Martin Scorsese
for the award that almost always predicts who will win
the Best Director Oscar.
"Million Dollar Baby" stars Eastwood and Oscar
nominees Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman. "This
particular film, I wanted to make it," Eastwood
said. "I was going to make it if I had to sell
the house."
"I just prayed not to ruin this one," Hilary
admitted. "That's how good it was."
And to prepare for her role as a boxer, Swank revealed
she trained, "Four-and-a-half hours, six days a
week for three months."
Meanwhile, director Alexander Payne's "Sideways"
stars Virginia Madsen and Thomas Haden Church continued
to soak up support for their wine-tasting adventure
film. Thomas told us how we can all get in on the fun,
saying, "I know they put together a 'Sideways'
map book, and you can re-trace the steps of the idiots
in the movie."
And Virginia revealed some career news to "Extra:"
"I'm doing a movie with Harrison Ford, 'The Wrong
Element.'"
In TV news, "Desperate Housewife" and DGA
presenter Teri Hatcher recently recovered from a broken
toe, just in time to suffer another desperately dangerous
injury while jumping over a couch. "I smashed my
leg into the couch and it's all black and blue,"
she admitted.
But on a night that was all about smash entertainment,
we got a sneak peek at what the Oscars may soon have
to offer, including Halle Berry. The Best Actress winner
from 2002 will be a presenter at this year's show, which
airs on ABC February 27th.

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