Alda gets emergency appendectomy in Chile

LA SERENA, Chile -- Alan Alda was recovering Monday from an emergency appendectomy, a hospital official said.

The spokeswoman at the Regional Hospital in this city 300 miles north of the Chilean capital of Santiago, who identified herself only as Lillian, said the actor underwent surgery Sunday.

She said the "M.A.S.H." TV star was rushed to the hospital where doctors quickly decided to perform the appendectomy.

Alda was at a large observatory in nearby Tololo Hill working on a television documentary.

The hospital official told the AP by telephone that Alda, 67, probably would be released today.

Rodman slapped with DUI for strip club stunts

LAS VEGAS -- Dennis Rodman was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after he crashed a motorcycle while doing stunts outside a strip club, police said.

The former NBA star, who was treated Sunday for cuts on his legs, was not jailed on the misdemeanor charge. He was issued a summons to appear in court for an arraignment in three to five weeks, police said.

"He borrowed an employee's motorcycle and was attempting to pop wheelies when he hit a pole," police spokesman Jose Montoya said Monday.

Last month, the 42-year-old former rebounding champion was charged with being drunk in public in Newport Beach, Calif., where police say they have answered scores of complaints about noise at his home.

Rodman is a regular visitor to Las Vegas, where he reached a settlement this year with the last of four women who accused him of fondling them at a hotel-casino in 1998.

He last played in the NBA in 2000 with the Dallas Mavericks.

Tony Curtis promoting Hungary for travel

BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Tony Curtis began preparing Monday for a new leading role -- helping promote tourism in Hungary, the country of his forefathers.

The 78-year-old actor said he wanted to put some merriment into ads aimed at attracting tourists, to show how welcoming the country is to visitors.

"The commercials will be loaded with humor, and I'm going to be chasing lots of girls around," Curtis told journalists before filming begins later this week.

Curtis said he volunteered to do the television ads for free because he wanted to honor his parents.

Both his father and mother were Hungarian Jews who emigrated to the United States. His father, Emanuel, came from Hungary and his mother, Helen, from what is now Slovakia.

"My father worked as a tailor to pay for me to grow up and I'll never forget that," said Curtis, whose real name is Bernard Schwartz. "He was a really good guy."

Cuba Gooding Jr. screens new movie for charity

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Cuba Gooding Jr. helped a charity raise nearly $80,000 -- donating $10,000 himself.

"He's fabulous," said Dena Pinsker, executive director of Variety, the Children's Charity of Eastern Tennessee.

Gooding, who won an Oscar for his work in "Jerry Maguire," flew into Knoxville on Saturday and visited with fans at a reception for his new movie, "Radio," which opens this week. He also learned about Variety, which since 1982 has provided medical assistance to children throughout the world.

The 35-year-old actor had the last laugh on Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe, who introduced him as "Goodly." Gooding quickly extended his thanks to "Mayor Ashley."

"Radio" was filmed in South Carolina last year and is based on the story of James Robert "Radio" Kennedy, a mentally impaired man who found a place in the hearts of Anderson, S.C., residents after coaches at local schools befriended him.

Regina Key of Powell brought her two children and two of their friends to the screening. She was impressed by Gooding in her brief meeting with him.

"He's friendly, outgoing and energetic," she said.

Underwear model had second thoughts about TVBOSTON -- Travis Fimmel says at first, he didn't want the lead role in the WB's "Tarzan."

"My first thought was, 'I don't want to be Tarzan.' I didn't want to do TV," the former Calvin Klein underwear model said.

But Fimmel, whose friends called him Tarzan while growing up in Australia because he was "dirty, grubby and never wore shoes," eventually changed his mind.

"This will make me a better actor," he told The Boston Globe for a story published Sunday.

The lead role in the "Tarzan" TV series is the 23-year-old's first acting role, and the show's debut drew 5.5 million viewers. His lines mostly consist of such phrases as "What are you called?" and "Are you hurt?"

"It's a good challenge as an actor to express feelings without saying too many words," Fimmel said.

Robbins drew on childhood memories for new role

NEW YORK -- Tim Robbins says he drew inspiration from growing up in New York for his latest role in Clint Eastwood's movie "Mystic River."

Robbins was raised in New York City's Little Italy and Greenwich Village, playing with children from working class families.

"We'd play hockey in the streets after school. Working class families," Robbins said in an article for Sunday's edition of Newsday.

"Mystic River" tells the story of three childhood friends from a blue-collar Boston neighborhood -- his co-stars are Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon -- who are reunited by murder.

Robbins plays Dave Boyle, who was abducted and sexually abused as a boy. No one ever talked about it afterward.

In Dennis Lehane's book, which inspired the movie, Robbins said there's a great scene "about Dave's mother and father pretending that nothing ever happened -- as if by pretending it didn't happen it would all go away."

Said Robbins: "And it says something about being a man, too, and working class, that you don't admit emotion. You don't cry. You can't be beaten. And it's such a strong ethic in those kinds of neighborhoods."

-- From wire reports