Nurse Carol off the ward

Julianna Margulies won't be doing a guest shot in this, the final season of NBC's ER.

Margulies says she was invited to reprise her role as nurse Carol Hathaway, but declined. She said she felt like she left Carol Hathaway "in the best scenario possible."

Lohan on PETA's hit list

U.S. actress Lindsay Lohan was pelted with a flour bomb on arrival at a Paris nightclub wearing a fur stole.

Animal rights activists showered the 22-year-old actress with flour when she went to the VIP Room Theatre this past weekend with her friend, disc jockey Samantha Ronson.

The owner of the nightclub helped Lohan dust off her blue sequined dress and black stole before she posed on the red carpet.

Ronson went on to spin tracks for a crowd that included reggae rapper Shaggy and Katy Perry.

Hudson thanks her fans

Jennifer Hudson is using her MySpace page to thank her fans for their support while she grieves over the murders of her mother, brother and nephew.

Hudson writes that she wants to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers during a difficult time.

She says she and her sister take great comfort and strength from the love and concern shown by others.

Meanwhile, The Gap considered removing smiling portraits of Hudson from its new holiday ads after the recent tragic deaths of her mother, brother and nephew, but decided to keep the images after the grieving star said she wanted to go ahead with the campaign.

Hudson's photos were taken in July in advance of what was expected to be a busy winter season for Hudson, who released her self-titled debut CD.

FANS FALLING FOR A VAMPIRE

Twilight stars overwhelmed

reception in Toronto

Hundreds of young fans swooned and shrieked as they greeted the arrival in Toronto of the cast of the teen vampire movie Twilight.

Despite a constant downpour Saturday night, hundreds of young fans -- mostly teenage girls -- staked out the stars' appearance at MuchMusic studios to promote their upcoming flick.

Many chanted the name of 22-year-old heartthrob Robert Pattinson, who plays the irresistible vampire Edward Cullen.

Twilight, based on the bestselling book series by Stephenie Meyer, chronicles the forbidden love affair of a 17-year-old girl, played by Kristen Stewart, and a century-old vampire in a 17-year-old boy's body, played by Pattinson.

The 18-year-old Stewart says the cast all knew the books had a fanatical fan base. But she says they've been overwhelmed by the kind of reception they've received in Toronto and elsewhere in appearances in the U.S.

Twilight hits the theatres Nov. 21.

Don't call me a bad boy

Joe Jonas is tired of hearing about how he's a bad boyfriend -- and now he's trying to defend himself.

The 19-year-old is part of dreamy teen band the Jonas Brothers with his two siblings.

He has had an avalanche of negative publicity after former girlfriend and fellow multi- platinum singer Taylor Swift dished about their recent breakup, which she says came in a 27- second phone call.

She also was quoted as saying that he dumped her after meeting actress Camilla Belle.

The revelations have been hot topics on the blogs and have muddied his reputation as a clean-cut, upstanding heartthrob.

So in a posting on the MySpace.com celebrity blog page, Jonas sought to give his side of the split, though he didn't mention the 18-year-old country star by name.

Heartthrob Smith sings sweet tunes

With his handsome features, Canadian actor Douglas Smith has heartthrob written all over him.

But his fan mail isn't just of the superficial variety that gushes over his looks.

The Toronto-born rising star, who plays the teenage son of a polygamist on the HBO series Big Love, has also heard heartfelt tales from male viewers.

The 23-year-old says numerous men have told him that they, like his TV character, have struggled to uphold their Mormon faith while having a girlfriend.

They say the show has helped them realize they're not alone.

Costner's untold truth

He has played Wyatt Earp, Robin Hood and Eliot Ness in movies, but Kevin Costner says his most natural gig is playing music with his band.

He says it's as close to his personality as he ever gets.

Costner says when he's making a movie he's playing a character. But his true personality comes out on stage when he plays live.

The actor and his band, Modern West, released their debut CD, Untold Truths, last week.

Life of activist singer celebrated

As a trumpet wailed and poetry soared, South Africans remembered Miriam Makeba Saturday, for her music and her commitment to human rights.

The memorial service after Makeba's death at the age of 76 followed two days of national mourning.

Makeba's celebrity and grace made her a powerful voice against apartheid and she later championed women's and children's rights and other causes.

She died after collapsing during a concert in Italy in honour of six immigrants from Ghana who were shot dead in September in an attack blamed on organized crime.

Mourners began arriving on Friday, hours before the public memorial service began at a Johannesburg stadium.

The service drew a South African mosaic -- young and old, white and black.

Compiled by Florence Sicoli from Hamilton Spectator news services