Naomi Watts opens up about loss of Ledger

Courtney Hazlett The Scoop

Naomi Watts is interviewed in the Feb. 1 edition of Parade magazine, and the actress opens up about the death of her ex-boyfriend, Heath Ledger.

The two met in 2002, when they were making the Australian film “Ned Kelly.” Watts remembers, “When I got to the set and did that first scene with him, I was like, ‘Wow! This guy is alive.’ It was just something deep in his eyes. You could look into them, and they would tell a thousand stories in one glance. There was a wonderful mixture of power and fragility at work in everything he did, which just pulls you in. His strength didn’t scare you. It intrigued you. And his fragility touched you.”

They broke up in 2004 but remained friends. Watts tells Parade, “It’s still incredibly difficult.”

Watts is now in a relationship with Liev Schreiber. The couple has two sons together, but Watts doesn’t divulge whether plans to marry are in the cards.

“He and I have a family," Watts said. "We’re very much together. We just don’t have that certificate, and that’s okay with both of us. He gave me a beautiful ring, although I’m not wearing it right now.”

Wood says Rourke’s 'too old'
Given Evan Rachel Wood’s proclivity toward the non-traditional boyfriend (Marilyn Manson), it didn’t seem too far out of the realm of possibility that she might be dating Mickey Rourke after rumors of a lip-lock surfaced Jan. 25.

Wood cleared things up, however, telling Rollingstone.com, "I’m upset because I feel disrespected by the press and by Mr. Rourke," she said. "Just because I’m single doesn’t mean that you can take advantage of me. It’s unfair that the performances (in ‘The Wrestler’) might suffer because of all of these distractions."

And regarding her alleged affair with Rourke, Wood said, "I'm not attracted to him, he's too old for me. Nothing ever happened and nothing ever will."

Dead Denny gets a job

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Are you following the “Grey’s Anatomy” mystery of how long will Denny Duquette go on haunting Izzie?

Here’s a clue that maybe it won’t be that much longer.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays Denny, has signed on to star opposite Hilary Swank in the upcoming suspense thriller “The Resident” for Hammer Films.

The two have worked together before, in 2007’s “P.S. I Love You.” Production begins this May.

Weekend box office
Super Bowl weekend is generally not the strongest film-going weekend of the year, but the weekend could still be a good one overall at the box office, thanks to three wide releases.

“New In Town” starring Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick Jr. is clearly trying to take advantage of women who want to see something other than football. But even though Connick Jr. has a strong niche following, Zellweger hasn’t been opening movies that well, even with major co-stars. (“Leatherheads” anyone?)

“The Uninvited,” with Elizabeth Banks, is at a disadvantage mostly because it’s the third horror film to come out in as many weeks and audiences do tire of the genre.

So all that said, I think Liam Neeson's “Taken,” which Fox is opening in more than 3,000 theaters, will be number one.

More on Heath Ledger | Naomi Watts

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