ALL ABOUT AMY
Sony Picture’s Amy Pascal played a starring role at the Fulfillment Fund’s Stars 2004 gala. One thousand of Amy’s closest friends and fans packed the Beverly Hilton Hotel for the bustling industry-heavy bash. The Sony exec has presided over a string of blockbusters, including “Spiderman,” “Spiderman 2” and “Something’s Gotta Give.” She joins an impressive roster of past honorees, including entertainment honchos Sumner Redstone, Peter Chernin, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Rupert Murdoch and Aaron Spelling.
The evening kicked off with a lively champagne reception. Guests sipped bubbly as they placed their bids on auction items that included out-of-this-world adventures, glittering mega-bling and must-have sports memorabilia.
In addition to the opportunity to tee off with four PGA players or snag some gigantic gems from Harry Winston, you could treat yourself to a 45-minute ride in a Military L-39 MiG Fighter plane piloted by Top Gun pilot Dave Riggs. Talk about jet setting!
Adam Sandler, Howard Stringer and Michael Lynton chaired the evening, which opened with a few snappy tunes courtesy of teen songbird Elana Loper.
Man in Black Will Smith presented Pascal with her golden FF trophy. Funnyman Sinbad played master of ceremonies, dishing out a few zingers before introducing Fulfillment Fund Founder Dr. Gary Gitnick.
Gitneck was happy to report that his organization was making great strides and improving young lives.
The Fulfillment Fund gives thousands of economically disadvantaged students the resources they need to graduate from high school and obtain an advanced education through one-on-one mentoring, classroom-based outreach, college counseling, college scholarships, internships, career counseling and a parent education component.
Who knows? Perhaps one of them could be the next Amy Pascal.
LIGHT ON LUMET
Sidney Lumet will step into the limelight at this year’s Academy Awards ceremony. The legendary director will be presented with an honorary Oscar in recognition of his lifetime of cinematic achievements. Lumet is the man behind a string of legendary films, including “12 Angry Men,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Network,” “The Verdict,” “Equus” and “Serpico.” He is a four-time Oscar nominee, but has never won the coveted prize.
CHARLIE’S ANGELS
Congrats for actor Charlie Sheen and wife Denise Richards. They’re expecting their second child in record time. Just ten months ago, Richards gave birth to their daughter, Sam. Their next bundle of joy is set to make his or her debut in June.