People news 7/5/03

'Terminator 3' star visits U.S troops

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Arnold Schwarzenegger joined U.S. troops in a former Saddam Hussein palace at Baghdad International Airport on Friday for the screening of his latest movie, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."

"It is really wild driving around here," he said. "I mean the poverty, and you see there is no money, it is disastrous financially and there is the leadership vacuum, pretty much like in California right now."

Schwarzenegger, 55, has indicated he may run for California governor as a Republican if residents there vote to recall the Gov. Gray Davis.

"I play terminator, but you guys are the true terminators," he told the soldiers.

CBS execs change their mind on 'Becker'

NEW YORK -- Ted Danson and the cast of "Becker" will be heading back to work sooner than expected.

Less than two months ago, CBS announced that it had canceled the comedy after five seasons. Then, the network had second thoughts and said "Becker" would come back as a midseason replacement series.

On Wednesday, CBS changed its mind yet again: "Becker" will be on the schedule in the fall, on a new night: Wednesday at 8:30 p.m.

CBS will temporarily shelve "The Stones," a comedy starring Robert Klein and Judith Light as divorcing parents whose adult children move back home. That series will instead begin sometime in the winter.

Guitar-bashing wasn't scripted, director says

NEW YORK -- Director John Landis says one of John Belushi's more memorable scenes in the 1978 frat-house comedy, "Animal House," wasn't scripted.

On HBO's "On the Record" with Bob Costas, Landis describes the scene in which Belushi destroys the guitar of folk singer Stephen Bishop in midsong during a Delta House toga party, and then sheepishly apologizes.

"That's a good scene. That's not in the script, we just made that up. But that's key to Belushi's character -- Bluto is sweet. That's the thing John was capable of doing," Landis says in excerpts released in advance by the cable channel.

"I told him he was like Harpo and the Cookie Monster, and both Harpo Marx and the Cookie Monster are about appetites and what's unique about Cookie and Harpo is they're both totally destructive and completely sweet."

Belushi, an original cast member of NBC"s "Saturday Night Live," died of a drug overdose in 1982 at age 33.

Carson Daly's friends will take shots during roast

NEW YORK -- Carson Daly usually puts celebrities on the spot on MTV and on his NBC late-night talk show. Now, Daly's celebrity pals are returning the favor by roasting him.

"MTV Bash" features Madonna, Britney Spears, Nelly, Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Love Hewitt, one of Daly's ex-girlfriends.

Comedians Jimmy Kimmel, Andy Dick, Sarah Silverman and Adam Carolla also take aim. Jeffrey Ross, who has experience skewering celebrities at the New York Friars Club roasts, is the host.

The show, taped last month at the Hollywood Palladium, is scheduled to air 8 p.m. July 13 on MTV.

Daly, 30, hosts MTV's "Total Request Live" and NBC's "Last Call With Carson Daly."

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NEW YORK -- Director John Landis says one of John Belushi's more memorable scenes in the 1978 frat-house comedy, "Animal House," wasn't scripted.

On HBO's "On the Record" with Bob Costas, which airs Friday (11:30 p.m. ET), Landis describes the scene in which Belushi destroys the guitar of folk singer Stephen Bishop in midsong during a Delta House toga party, and then sheepishly apologizes.

"That's a good scene. That's not in the script, we just made that up. But that's key to Belushi's character -- Bluto is sweet. That's the thing John was capable of doing," Landis says in excerpts released in advance by the cable channel.

"I told him he was like Harpo and the Cookie Monster, and both Harpo Marx and the Cookie Monster are about appetites and what's unique about Cookie and Harpo is they're both totally destructive and completely sweet."

Belushi, an original cast member of NBC"s "Saturday Night Live," died of a drug overdose in 1982 at age 33.