Showbiz411

I told you some time ago — exclusively–that Michael Fassbender, hot as a pistol, had to choose between roles in the new “X Men” and “Spider Man.” I am told he has made his choice, and will appear in “X Men: First Class.” James McAvoy and Benjamin Walker are also cast in Matthew Vaughn‘s upcoming blockbuster. All this news makes me want to see this movie before it’s even made!…

….Jake Paltrow, blue eyed younger brother of Gwyneth, has a secret. Shhhh. Paltrow, an accomplished director, is making a hush hush secret documentary with “Fantastic Mr. Fox” writer-director Noah Baumbach. They’re shooting in Los Angeles this week, after having shot in New York. Paltrow was spotted by yours truly this week at LAX touting a camera tripod off the baggage carousel. He won’t say what the film is about, or even if it’s got a script or a narrator. And what about big Sis, since I know you wanted me to ask? Sad for the tabloids, lovely Gwyneth is still married, living in London, raising her kids. She is not working this summer. That’s all I got! I tried!…Hey–rent Noah’s film, “Mr. Jealousy.” It’s a little gem…

…Bruce Springsteen is a closet Liza Minnelli fan. Well, he knows good showmanship and a set of pipes. So and the family stopped in backstage at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park last week to wish Liza well on her forthcoming album, “Confessions.” and her national tour…

“As the World Turns” wraps 54 golden years this week as the Cadillac of soaps. This means after over five decades, Procter & Gamble has at last exited the world of daytime dramas. What a pity: P&G never respected its shows, and in the 1990s determined to get out of the business altogether. Many generations grew up on “As the World Turns,” “Edge of Night,” “Search for Tomorrow,” “Another World,” “Guiding Light,” and “The Secret Storm.” The shows ranged from the ridiculous to the sublime, and often represented the best acting, directing, and writing in New York. The word is that “World Turns” will air its last week of shows in September with a whimper. I hope this is not true. Everyone deserves better.

Roger Friedman

Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News. Friedman previously wrote the Intelligencer column at New York Magazine, He writes for Parade magazine and has written for Details, Vogue, the New York Times, Post, and Daily News and many other publications. He is the writer and co-producer of a film about R&B Music called “Only the Strong Survive,” which was released by Miramax in 2003 and was a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals.