Celebrity News

‘Town’ to town, a mobile actor

Chris Cooper. Last time we spoke, the Oscar winner said: “May all interviewers stop asking that same question, ‘Has winning the Academy Award changed your life?’ Geez!” The answer’s No. He still owns no cellphone. “Won’t use one,” he told me. “It’s insanity. We get along fine with landlines. No need for such an invasion.”

Three years later, Chris, changed a little, is into such modern new far-out invention things as: “Would you believe I’m now doing a complete departure from what I usually do? I’m making a Muppet movie. A script was presented, which Disney took three years to get ready.”

Chris Cooper, who lives in Massachusetts, far from the madding crowd, whose pals are carpenters and teachers: “I’m right now in Los Angeles playing a real human with the Muppets. The choreographer is Mickey Rooney‘s son Michael, and I’m actually doing a hip-hop number with four cute Vegas showgirls.”

Thrilled with this information, I turned to his movie “The Town,” directed by and starring Ben Affleck, in which Chris plays a bad dude.

“My role is a mean guy,” he said. “The picture had delays. Actually shot in Boston in ’09, it premiered at Sundance and didn’t come out until September. My character’s doing a life sentence at Walpole Prison. I have one tough really good scene. ’09 was a busy year for me, but I know Ben, who approached me for this one.

“I did not want to make my character heroic. He was not a cocky guy. Prison broke him. And truth is, I was nervous going into that prison. Everyone behaved. Kept their distance. Prisoners were ordered to march past hugging the wall. The place is color-coded. Five grades of color. Different uniforms for different crimes. The most serious offenders wear red.

“Guards took me to their boards, which show the inmates’ photos in groups — skinheads, rapists. I freaked out afterward for hours. I’m out in sunny California, and those guys are still there. We had one day to shoot in jail. I went for a day’s visit a month beforehand to meet the guards and warden. I spent five hours soaking up the atmosphere with Jeremy Renner. With no division between us and the prisoners, we got a real close look.

“I liked Affleck as a director. Once they cast right, they leave the actor to bring up the character they have in mind. If it doesn’t work or he has a different idea, then I’ll make the adjustment. Ben gave us free rein.”

And what’s it like filming in Boston?

“Same as all actors in California. You just get in your car and go to work.”

‘CHARLIE’s Angels” will fly again. A new juiced version set in Miami. Drew Barrymore, star of the films, co-produces . . . More antiques: A movie taking place in the ’60s of TV’s 1980s series “Dynasty” . . . More antiques: Those recently auctioned Marilyn Monroe photos? Realtor type Barbara Corcoran knew MM sewed tiny pearl buttons outside her snug sweaters to look like she was going au naturel.

GOLDEN Globes: How about how witty De Niro was? And those who recently dissed Harvey Weinstein, back in the running with Best Actor contender Colin Firth and could be Best Picture “The King’s Speech,” may be eating their DVDs. Oddly, like last year, he and that other major force, “The Social Network” producer Scott Rudin with his team of Best Everything, are again head to head.

KEN Starr. Mini Ponzi piglet who scammed maxi celebs like Scorsese and Stallone and faces a decade in the can — give or take a few months. Devious, smooth, adroit he was. Dumb I was. Told this longlong ago, told of victimized VIPs whose names have not surfaced, my position was, “Oh, couldn’t be. These multimillionaire victims are too smart. Too important. Too powerful.” And I did nothing. I feel guilty.

LISTEN, try 2-month-old Park Avenue Tavern, owned by four related Irish guys, at 39th and Park. Food’s good, and beer pours from your own tap at your own table. I was there Thursday 7 p.m. The bar was six-deep . . . Leading men are now producers. Coming up is producer George Clooney‘s “The Monster of Florence.” He also stars. He must be the monster. Sure can’t be Florence . . . Hip-deep in Bikram yoga, Jennifer Aniston says it strengthened her legs or lengthened her legs. Whatever, it definitely did something to her legs.

VALENTINE’s Day is coming up. Let it be known on the market is a new aphrodisiac made with Champagne and Viagra. It’s called “Cham-poon.”

SO this event planner exchanged a pair of boots at Ugg on Columbus Ave nue. A price differential was 90 cents in her favor. They wouldn’t give her that in cash. They gave her a 90-cent gift card.

Only in New York, kids, only in New York.