PATRICIA CLARKSON - CLARKSON RECEIVES LOUISIANA HONOUR

Actress PATRICIA CLARKSON received the ultimate gift from her native Louisiana last week (ends14JAN05), when the mayor designated a day in her honour.

When Clarkson returned to the state to play a governor's advisor in a remake of the movie ALL THE KING'S MEN, mayor RAY NAGIN - who went to high school with Clarkson - declared 13 January (05) Patricia Clarkson Day and held a written proclamation referring to the actress as "the Queen of Hollywood South". Clarkson, 45, beams, "It is truly a dream. I'm shooting an incredibly beautiful film in my beautiful hometown and it's quite overwhelming.

"Who would have thought, many, many, many years ago, as I was performing on the O Perry Walker High School stage... that I would be here today - with a day?"