George Lucas awarded by British film academy

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- George Lucas was presented the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award for Excellence in Film by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts-Los Angeles.

Lucas, the creator of "Star Wars" and the co-creator of the Indiana Jones trilogy, was honored at the 11th annual Britannia Awards ceremony Friday night at the Beverly Hilton.

In announcing the award earlier, Gary Dartnall, chairman of BAFTA/LA, noted that Lucas made several movies in the United Kingdom.

"He has contributed immensely to our industry as an innovative filmmaker, changing the way movies are made, seen and heard," Dartnall said.

Tom Arnold gives advice on show business

LOS ANGELES -- Tom Arnold's advice on how to make it in show business: Stay away from drugs and alcohol, follow your dreams and don't become famous by marrying someone who was famous first.

Arnold, who didn't always follow his own advice as he is the ex-husband of former TV star Roseanne Barr, also told students at Birmingham High School that being famous isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be.

"I thought if I was on TV, everyone would like me," the gregarious actor and former meatpacking plant worker said Thursday. "Turns out, that's not necessarily true. ... You have to learn to enjoy the struggle. Even the big stars like Jennifer Lopez and Tom Cruise deal with rejection."

Jane Fonda dedicates home for unwed moms

DALTON, Ga. -- Jane Fonda helped dedicate a home for unwed mothers she had lobbied the state to pay for.

"It's a too common misconception that when girls get pregnant too early that it's their fault," Fonda said Friday at Oak Haven home in Dalton.

Young girls face a number of pressures, and they need a safe place to break the cycle of despair, said the actress, who lives in Atlanta.

Oak Haven has room for six mothers and their children; there's a waiting list of seven more.

John Hurt takes stage for Irish play premiere

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- John Hurt will take the stage at this year's Spoleto Festival U.S.A., appearing in the American premiere of "Afterplay" by Irish playwright Brian Friel.

"Afterplay," produced by Dublin's Gate Theater, will be performed in conjunction with Friel's new version of Anton Chekhov's one-act comedy "The Bear" during the festival, which opens next month.

"Afterplay" will run for 17 performances at Charleston's historic Dock Street Theater.

Hurt's films include "Midnight Express," "The Elephant Man" and "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

This year's Spoleto, which runs May 24 through June 9, will feature more than 120 performances.

Marvin Gaye's daughter takes Aaliyah's place

LOS ANGELES -- Actress and singer Nona Gaye, daughter of R&B icon Marvin Gaye, will replace the late Aaliyah in two sequels to the sci-fi hit "The Matrix."

Gaye was selected to play the mysterious character "Zee" in the Warner Bros. films "The Matrix: Reloaded" and "The Matrix: Revolutions," the trade newspapers Variety and The Hollywood Reporter reported Thursday.

Aaliyah, 22, died in a plane crash last summer.

The singer and actress had filmed some special-effects shots for the films, which were being produced simultaneously, but not enough of the scenes had been filmed to preserve her performance.

Ali Center costs $41 million to construct

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The design for the proposed Muhammad Ali Center includes towering images of the boxing great and an enormous metallic "torch" to symbolize his life and ideals.

Plans for the $41 million center were made public Thursday. The six-story center is to have 93,000 square feet of exhibit space, galleries, classrooms, a library, theater and cafe. Surrounding it will be a plaza with an amphitheater.

Ali proclaimed, "I'm here," as he entered the news conference at City Hall.

--From wire reports