News of May 2003
25/05/03
Bono says Robbie Williams is a
board games fanatic. The U2 frontman said Williams would rather get the games
out than make music when he pops round to his mansion. Bono said: "You know what,
Robbie's very good at the old checkers. He's mad for it. "He comes round my
house and and he doesn't want to play a tune, although we occasionally do. His
whole thing is draughts. He loves playing draughts and he always wins.
"I beat him at the bingo but he always beats me at the draughts." A spokeswoman
for Robbie said: "Robbie is really into his board games. Heloves playing Uno and
he's a big fan of chess."
25/05/03
FROM THE MIRROR:
Robbie Williams may not have conquered
America musically, but he's certainly making up for it with the US women. The
singer has been wooing the recently single Hollywood golden girl Cameron Diaz.
Los Angeles-based Mr Williams and 30-year-old Ms Diaz were spied canoodling on
the beach in Santa Monica this week. And very intimate they looked as they
strolled along the sand, holding hands and sharing kisses. Later, the besotted
pair could be found lunching at a restaurant overlooking the beach at the
exclusive Shutters on the Beach hotel. My spy tells me: "They looked like an
item to me. They were laughing and messing around and seemed to having great fun
together.
"At the restaurant, they were flirting outrageously together and attracting
loads of attention - well, Cameron was. It looked like the start of something
serious to me and Robbie certainly seemed very keen on the whole thing Typically,
Robbie, 29, has been playing games, insisting in a TV interview he's got a
massive crush on the Something About Mary star.
"I don't know if I can say this on TV but I have got a crush on Cameron Diaz -
quite badly really," he told US entertainment show Access Hollywood with a smirk,
in another bid to conquer the States.
The time for romance is right for the Robster, who has been single since dumping
Rachel Hunter in the New Year. And Cameron is single and fancy-free since ending
her four-year romance with actor Jared Leto two months ago. But Robbie had
better keep his wits about him as he has competition for Cameron from another
American actor, Vince Vaughn. She and Vince have enjoyed dates since meeting him
recently while filming pre-recorded segments for the MTV Movie Awards next month.
The Robster has proved rather popular with American females. He famously
ensnared Nicole Kidman (OK, she's originally Aussie) after recording a duet of
Something Stupid with Tom Cruise's ex-wife. Then he managed to charm leggy film
star Daryl Hannah into appearing in his video for Feel after meeting her in a
bar.
12/05/03
Robbie Williams has begged
Americans to support him in his bid to crack the lucrative US market. The former
Take That star asked 15,000 fans at a New York concert to phone local radio
stations to urge them to play his latest single. "Even if you don't like it, can
you ask for it?" he pleaded with the crowd. The singer received a muted
reception as he took to the stage as one of several support acts for record
breaking Grammy Award winner Norah Jones at the open-air event in downtown
Manhattan. The free concert was part of Robert De Niro's Tribeca film festival
and will be broadcast on MTV in the US. The singer repeatedly told the crowd -
some of whom admitted before the show they had never heard of him - "my name is
Robbie Williams." By the end of a raunchy 30 minute set he had at least a few
girls in the audience chanting his name. The 29-year-old singer also joked about
his previous failures to succeed in America as he performed his single Angels. "This
song was released here a few years ago and guess what? It wasn't a hit," he said.
"But I'm not bitter. It made me a star everywhere in the world but here."
Williams has sold 28 million albums across the globe during his solo career, but
remains a relative unknown in the US. Bosses at struggling record company EMI
have put their hopes of a revival on turning the performer into a household name
in America. They offered him a the most lucrative record deal in UK pop history
last year, worth at least £50 million.
07/05/03
Robbie Williams has landed a role in a TV movie - playing a lion. The singer - who has a lion tattooed on his upper right arm - will be the voice of a character in the BBC film Pride. Other stars include Kate Winslet, Sean Bean and Helen Mirren for the film in which a drama will be built around real-life footage of lions. Williams is in demand for his voice-overs and last year recorded his role as Dougal in a movie version of The Magic Roundabout. He also appeared in animated hit Hooves Of Fire, although he was dropped from a revamped US version because he was not a big enough name. Williams has built up a strong relationship with the BBC, appearing in TV specials to launch his two most recent albums; Swing When You're Winning and Escapology. BBC director of television Jana Bennett announced his casting during a speech to the Broadcasting Press Guild. Natural history film maker John Downer - who made the acclaimed Lions: Spy In The Den - is to direct the film, which will be written by Men Behaving Badly creator Simon Nye. Williams will voice the part of Linus, who is Suki's (Kate Winslet) brother. He begins the film as a wimp but as he grows he builds up his courage and power.
02/05/03
FROM THE SUN:
Robbie Williams has been described as looking like a dog's dinner - but I've
never actually heard of him trying to have a dog for dinner. The singer looks
like he's taking a bite out of a wolf on the cover of the Japanese issue of two
million-selling album Escapology. Don't worry though, he's only giving the
friendly animal a cuddle. Robbie had to come up with a different cover because
he is not instantly recognisable in Japan. So the UK image of him hanging from a
building was ditched for a new set of pictures showing Robbie in typically
cheeky mood. Cult Japanese photographer Kazuaki Kiriya decided to use a wolf to
reflect the star's wild personality. Meanwhile, Robbie is to have his biggest go
yet at cracking the US market. He is sharing the bill with multi-Grammy winner
Norah Jones in front of 10,000 people at New York's arty Tribeca Film Festival
on May 9. Robbie will perform a 30-minute set to a packed audience in downtown
Manhattan. He will also appear on two huge American TV chat shows
- JAY LENO and the Late Late Show.
