Julie Christie

Omar Sharif, the Egyptian-born actor who rose to global fame following his role in Lawrence of Arabia, has died in Cairo at the age of 83. 

Omar Sharif conquered the movie world in the 1960s 

David Lean's 1962 epic was Sharif's first English-language film. His role as Sherif Ali won him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor (he lost out to Ed Begley for Sweet Bird of Youth).

Continue reading: Screen Legend Omar Sharif Dies Aged 83

Robert Redford appears to be back on track. Some five years after his disappointing drama 'Lions For Lambs', the Oscar winning director has returned to similar territory with 'The Company You Keep,' a slick looking drama starring an all-star cast. And when we say all-star cast, we really do mean it.

Redford stars and directs in the story of Jim Grant, a public interest lawyer and single father living in New York. Shia LaBeouf plays a scruffy intrepid journalist who exposes Grant as a man wanted for a murder he allegedly committed in his days as an anti-war radical. When another member of the Weather Underground - played by Susan Sarandon - is arrested, LaBeouf's Ben Shepard smells an opportunity to make a name for himself with a national story. The superb Stanley Tucci plays his prickly finger-pointing editor (is it us, or was he born to play a prickly finger-pointing editor?) while the excellent Anna Kendrick plays a vulnerable FBI agent. Elsewhere, there's a gruff looking Nick Nolte, the old-hand Richard Jenkins and legendary western actor Sam Elliott. Oh, and there's Brendan Gleeson. And Terrence Howard. And Julie Christie.

Continue reading: 'The Company You Keep' Has Hallmarks Of An Oscar Contender (Trailer & Pictures)

British actors Julie Christie and Daniel Day-Lewis have won the top acting prizes at the Screen Actors' Guild (SAG) awards.

While Christie took the best actress gong for her acclaimed portrayal of a woman facing dementia in Sarah Polley's Away From Her, Day-Lewis was rewarded for his stunning role as an amoral oil prospector in Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood.

Though the awards season has been jeopardised by the ongoing industrial action by the Writers' Guild of America (WGA), the SAG awards were held without a hitch after an interim agreement was signed between the two unions, allowing acting talent to attend the ceremony without having to cross picket lines.

Christie - who is nominated for the best actress Academy award for her part in Away From Her - paid tribute to the SAG, adding to The Associated Press: "It's lovely to receive an award from your own union, especially at a time when we're being so forcefully reminded how important unions are."

And Day-Lewis dedicated his award to the late Heath Ledger, who was tragically found dead in his New York apartment last week.

"In Brokeback Mountain he was unique, he was perfect," Day-Lewis said while accepting his trophy.

"That scene in the trailer at the end of the film is as moving as anything I think I've ever seen."

The 50-year-old added backstage that he had never met Ledger but had been profoundly affected by the actor's death.

"I thought he was beautiful. I just had a very strong feeling I would have liked him very much as a man," he said. "I admired him very much. I'm absolutely certain he would have done many wonderful things in his life."

Javier Bardem took the best supporting actor prize for his role as psychotic killer Anton Chigurh in the Coen Brothers' No Country For Old Men, which also won the award for outstanding cast in a motion picture.

With The Sopranos finally coming to an end, leads James Gandolfini and Edie Falco claimed the best actor and best actress prizes for TV dramas, while Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey, the stars of NBC's 30 Rock, took the comedy equivalents.

And another NBC series, The Office - an adaptation of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's Golden Globe-winning sitcom - won the award for best cast in a comedy programme.

Continue reading: Brits Julie Christie And Daniel Day-lewis Take Sag Awards