Stars head to cottage country

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Marcia Gay Harden

This past Sunday night, Marcia Gay Harden was spotted dining with a friend at Cin Cin Ristorante & Bar. Harden is in town — along with veteran actors Peter O’Toole and Edward Asner — to shoot The Christmas Cottage, a drama that looks at the inspiration behind Thomas Kinkade’s painting The Christmas Cottage, and how the artist was motivated to begin his career after discovering his mother was in danger of losing the family home. Supernatural star Jared Padalecki plays the titular role of Kinkade.

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Anne Heche

MEN IN TREES STAR A BAD MOM? Poor Anne Heche. First it was the whole sexual orientation thing. Now, the star of the B.C.-shot ABC series Men In Trees is being practically drawn and quartered by her divorcing husband. Coley Laffoon wants at least $33,000 US a month in support and joint custody of the couple’s five-year-old son, alleging the actress is a bad mother and “delusional.” Laffoon, a former freelance videographer who made $6,000 a year, contends he didn’t work during the marriage, and that the couple agreed he would be a stay-at-home father because of his experience as a former nanny and summer camp counsellor.

Earlier this year, Heche was linked with her Men In Trees co-star, James Tupper, but refused to confirm they were dating. No word on if or how the divorce proceedings will affect the series. ABC recently renewed Men In Trees for a second season, with production still scheduled to ramp up here in July.

BOLL IS BACK … CRITICS BE WARNED: Boxer/director Uwe Boll begins filming his latest video game adaptation, Far Cry, in a few weeks and we’ve learned that the auteur has officially cast his lead, German actor Til Schweiger. Many will remember Schweiger from King Arthur and The Bourne Identity. This time, he plays a boat captain hired to investigate a mysterious island in the South Pacific. All you film critics out there ready to heave early pejoratives — be prepared to lace up your gloves.

robert.falconer@metronews.ca