Lilit Marcus: November 2007 Archives

The phrase "cult of celebrity" didn't come out of nowhere. It's not uncommon for people to worship celebrities they way they worship deities. One such celebrity is megastar actor Harrison Ford, who has starred in films like "American Graffiti," "Air Force One," and the "Indiana Jones" trilogy.

But it's Ford's most iconic role, Han Solo in the first three "Star Wars" movies, that has him at the center of a celeb-worship story. "Star Wars" devotees who claim to practice Jedi-ism (based on, and named for, the group at the heart of the films' mythology) consider Ford their real-life leader.

Salma Hayek is one of the most beautiful women in the world. The Mexican-born actress has showed off her famous curves in movies like "Bandidas" and "From Dusk Til Dawn". But is her fantastic figure the result of genes? Or of hours spent working out in the gym? Turns out it is neither one. In a recent interview, Hayek said God himself was personally responsible for her body. She reflected on her insecurity as a teenager, and said, "My mom and I stopped at a church during a road trip we were making from our home in Mexico. "When we went inside, I prayed for the miracle I wanted to happen. I put my hands in holy water and said: 'Please God, give me some breasts'. And he gave me them! Within a few months, I developed a growing spurt, as teenagers do, and I was very pleased with the way I grew outwards."

Funny. All this time I've been asking God to make me look like Salma Hayek, but it hasn't happened yet.

"Dancing with the Stars" has had a pretty rough season. Contestant Jane Seymour's mother passed away, then Seymour came down with food poisoning. Scheduled singing guests Jennifer Lopez and Gloria Estefan had to reschedule their performances because of deaths in their families. Then the show was affected by both the Malibu fires and the Writers Guild strike.

Marie Osmond may have had the worst luck of all, though: she fainted on live TV after a particularly athletic dance number, her teenage son recently entered rehab, and her father passed away. Marie, a veteran performer, insisted on staying on the show, following the old adage that the show must go on. Just before her father had died, she'd performed a jive number on the show where she and professional dance partner Jonathan Roberts dressed in '40s gear as a tribute to Marie's parents, who met after World War II.

Check out this list of the top Latter-Day Saints in Hollywood today.

10. Derek and Julianne Hough
These siblings are both pro dancers on ABC's hit show "Dancing with the Stars." Julianne debuted last year and won with her partner, speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno. This year, brother Derek joined the show. Both Houghs stand a good chance of making it to the finals, Julianne with Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, and Derek with actress Jennie Garth.

9. Ryan Gosling
Although Gosling was raised Mormon, he no longer practices the faith. However, he won't deny the impact the religion had on his life growing up. In a Beliefnet interview this year, he said "[Being Mormon] socialized me at a young age. You have to pray in public, shake a lot of hands, talk in public, sing in church, stuff like that. It has definitely stayed with me."

The AP broke news today that musician Rosanne Cash will be undergoing brain surgery. Rosanne, daughter of Johnny Cash and stepdaughter of June Carter Cash, is a great singer and songwriter in her own right and has spent the past year touring in support of her album "Black Cadillac," which deals with June and Johnny's deaths.

Although Rosanne's surgery is elective and not life-threatening, we know how difficult it can be to go through and recover from surgery. To send your prayers to her, click here.