Hilary Swank is facing some tough questions about her latest movie role as an inspirational high school teacher — because the Academy Award-winning actress was a high-school dropout.
The star of “Freedom Writers” addressed the potential controversy while promoting the flick, which is based on a true story.
“I’m not proud to say I’m a high-school dropout,” admitted Swank. “I’m not proud that that’s something that happened, but it happened. I think school is really, really important and we have an education problem in this country and it’s a shame. It’s a shame for any kid to feel hopeless about their future.”
Swank says that unlike the inner city kids depicted in “Freedom Writers,” she never felt hopeless about her future because her mother was always supportive. Her biggest problem with school was all the rules — and that she talked too much.
“It was kind of the relentless, ‘Stop talking, Hilary. You’ve got to stop talking,’” the actress said. “On the report cards it said, ‘Hilary will not stop talking. She’s a jabbermouth.’ That kind of thing.”
Bettie Page is a tough criticBettie Page says that Gretchen Mol — the actress who played her in the 2005 movie “The Notorious Bettie Page” was “real pretty” but her figure wasn’t so hot.
“I thought she was real pretty, with those big eyes,” the reclusive 1950s pin-up tells the upcoming issue of Playboy magazine. “She was good-looking, but the way she would screw up her face and all, I never did that. I didn’t think her figure was too good. She was too tall, but she had a pretty face.”
Page also shared her theory that Marilyn Monroe was murdered: “I don’t think she killed herself at all,” Page told the mag. “I think it was some of the henchmen of old Kennedy.”
Notes from all overR&B sensation Ciara says she no longer wants to be compared to her one-time idol Janet Jackson, whose stock has fallen since the infamous wardrobe malfunction. “I grew up loving and watching Janet, but because of all the comparisons to her, I don’t want to emulate anything she’s done,” Ciara tells the new issue of Vibe magazine. “If anything, I’d love to have the same amount of success. ... But I don’t want to be like her — I wanna be my own.” . . Professional bettors are placing odds on Britney Spears’ teetering career. BetUs.com is saying that there’s a 2/1 chance her label Jive Records will drop the “Oops I Did It Again” crooner; a 5/1 chance that her album will tank and sell less than 500,000 copies, a 2/1 chance that she’ll get a DUI, and a 50/1 chance that she’ll go back to school. . . . Meanwhile, Spears’ ex, Kevin Federline, still has at least one fan: camp king John Waters. “You don’t see him out there getting out of limousines and flashing his shaved crotch,” the director of “Hairspray” told the Canadian Press. “He’s been the gentleman since they split up.” Waters is such a Federline fan that he made his assistant buy the rapper’s CD for him. “She was so mad, she almost quit,” Waters said. “She kept saying: ‘I’m not doing it. Please don’t make me buy it.’ But she finally did. I consider it a prized possession; I haven’t even taken it out of the wrapper.”
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