Rachel Weisz has claimed that director Alejandro Amenabar rejected her idea to show the “deviancy” of her character in Agora. The Constant Gardner actress plays real-life fourth-century Egyptian philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria in the Spanish historical drama. Weisz told The Sunday Times: “There’s a style of acting that can come with period films where everybody just freezes up. “But they were drinking and f**king and doing maths or whatever else they were doing. They were just people.” She added: “I actually told Alejandro they should shoot a scene where she was looking at the stars and masturbating. “I suggested a PG version, where her hand just went out of frame, and you’re watching her come, looking at the stars. “He wouldn’t go for it. I begged him. I wanted to know about that stuff. What’s up? What’s her sexuality? Where’s her deviancy?”

Source: Digital Spy

Kate Winslet is reportedly angry that Sam Mendes is in touch with his ex-girlfriend Rachel Weisz. Winslet and Mendes announced their split earlier this year. However, the Daily Mail claims that Mendes, who is thought to be lined up to direct the next James Bond movie, has contacted Weisz to ask if she wants a role in the film. “As soon as Kate and Sam split, he was on the phone asking Rachel if she was interested in doing the movie,” a source said. “Rachel has always been persona non grata in the Winslet-Mendes household and Kate went ballistic when she heard that Sam wanted to hire her. “Sam has wanted to work with Rachel for ages, but Kate would not allow it. Although they ran in the same Hollywood circles, they avoided each other.” Weisz recently admitted that she would love a role in the new James Bond film.

Rachel Weisz was so pleased with her recent return to the London stage she’s vowed to “do a play every year” from now on. The British actress returned to her theatre roots with a starring role in a recent production of A Streetcar Named Desire, which won her a coveted Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress on March 21. And Weisz, who kickstarted her career in a student theatre group during her time at England’s Cambridge University, is adamant she will now try to leave time between movie roles to indulge her love of the stage. She says, “I’m greedy – I’d like to do film and theatre. It was eight years since I’d last been on stage and it was just too long a gap. I hope to do a play every couple of years – actually no: maybe every year. It’s the greatest feeling in the world being on stage and doing a live performance. It’s very wild and risky.”

The Mummy star Rachel Weisz was among the big winners at the Laurence Olivier Awards in Britain on March 21, picking up the Best Actress trophy at the coveted theatre event. The star was honoured for her performance in A Streetcar Named Desire. Mark Rylance was awarded Best Actor at the Grosvenor House ceremony in London for his performance in Jerusalem. Other winners included Rupert Goold, who picked up Best Director for Enron, and Weisz’s co-star Ruth Wilson, who was named Best Supporting Actress. Musical Wicked won the Audience Award, while Spring Awakening claimed four prizes, including Best New Musical and Best Sound Design.

Winners of the 34th annual Laurence Olivier Awards, London’s equivalent of the Tonys and the UK’s most prestigious stage awards, are announced this Sunday evening, March 21, 2010. From 5pm on the night, Whatsonstage.com will be reporting and tweeting live from the event, with details of winners across all 26 categories. This year’s star-studded Oliviers ceremony is hosted by Anthony Head at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, with nominees, guest presenters and other VIPs confirmed to attend including: Gillian Anderson, Rowan Atkinson, Imelda Staunton, Rachel Weisz, Jude Law, Kim Cattrall, Rosamund Pike, James Earl Jones, Larry Lamb and Barbara Windsor. The evening’s entertainment will comprise performances from many of this year’s nominees and nominated productions, including Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Sister Act (Patina Miller), Spice Girl turned Blood Brothers star Melanie C, and, marking its 25th anniversary, casts of two Les Miserables companies performing together for the first time.
Source: WhatsOnStage.com

Sharon Osbourne has revealed she can’t bring herself to watch The X Factor – because she misses it too much. The TV judge stepped down from the ITV competition in 2008 and was replaced by Cheryl Cole. “I miss X Factor terribly – I still can’t watch it,” she told the Daily Mirror. Sharon admitted she decided to leave the show because she had enough, hinting her relationship with Dannii Minogue prompted her to leave. “I walked from X Factor because I couldn’t stand the b******t any more. Simon Cowell wanted me to stay but my pride wouldn’t let me sit alongside Dannii Minogue. I couldn’t stand her,” she said. “It’ll do fantastically well in America but I won’t be a part of it. Done it, been there, seen what it tastes like.” Sharon – who now sits on the panel for America’s Got Talent with David Hasselhoff and Piers Morgan – admitted she doesn’t plan to be a TV judge forever. “I don’t want to be a judge much longer. It’s nice to be liked, but hard work trying to maintain that profile,” she said. Sharon also told how she would like to be played by 39-year-old Rachel Weisz in a film version of her 61-year-old husband Ozzy’s autobiography because “she’s beautiful”.