For a recent Esquire profile, a journalist accompanied Ryan Gosling on an all night trip in New York city and to Coney Island. A lot of young people recognized Gosling as a movie star, but no one he encountered knew he name. He was called Paul Bettany and Ryan Reynolds, and some kids knew him as that guy from The Notebook.

A new video has surfaced on YouTube of two women talking and laughing inappropriately while they film a street brawl in New York. They see a buff guy approach the people fighting to separate them, and then they realize he’s famous and get all excited about it. They don’t know Gosling’s name and just realize he was in The Notebook. It’s amusing just for the way they identify him.

US Weekly has the background on the fight, which involved a guy stealing a painting from a street artist, who confronted him. Gosling played peacemaker and eventually paid the artist $20 for the painting.

Ryan Gosling to the rescue!

The 30-year-old actor saved the day Saturday. As captured in a video taken by Valeria Alvea, The Notebook star broke up a fight near New York City’s Astor Place.

“There is a man who sells paintings [that] he makes on that corner,” a witness Us Weekly. “This older man ran by him and tried to grab and run away with one of his paintings. The painter was able to stop him before he took off with him and tackled him to the ground.”

The two men got up and started arguing. “Before it got too violent a stranger appeared to separate them,” adds the source. “[The stranger] was Ryan Gosling! He was trying to understand the situation while keeping them from hurting each other.”

Gosling took the two men “to the corner of the street, like a chaperone,” says the witness. He had them explain the story, but things began to escalate again quickly. “Ryan put a stop to it, then he asked, ‘How much is the painting?’”

The painter told Gosling it was $10. “Ryan gave him a $20 and said, ‘Does this cover what the man owes you?’ The painter thanked him and said yes,” says the witness. “Ryan said good, and continued on his way.”

[From US Weekly]

Gosling wasn’t the only person watching the fight, but you can see in the video that he’s the person who is most involved in trying to break it up. I will admit that I first though that he was the guy in the jaunty jacket and scarf carrying a dapper umbrella. We’re so used to seeing him dressed up in a tailored suit. He’s really the guy in the striped tank top with one of his pants legs rolled up like he was just riding a bicycle. His arms are insane. I love that he got involved like this and that someone caught it on tape, as annoying as their commentary is. Now I get what he was saying in Esquire about how it’s weird when he gets recognized everywhere. He was gracious about it though.

Ryan is shown on 7/13/11 outside the Late Show. Credit: Fame. He is also shown in a still from Esquire

Ryan Kwanten, the gorgeous 34 year-old underrated Aussie actor who plays Jason Stackhouse on HBO hit True Blood, may be a true hero. Just Jared is reporting that Ryan rushed to the aid of an unknown man lying bloodied in the street in LA. Ryan is even said to have waited with the victim until paramedics got to the scene. It’s unknown how the man was hurt or what his current status is, but if this is true we know that Ryan is an exceptional citizen along with being exceptionally buff (I could go on):

Ryan Kwanten drew a crowd on Friday night (April 1) at a busy intersection in Hollywood – but he wasn’t the center of attention.

“There was a bloody guy lying in the middle of the street at Hollywood and Highland and no one was doing anything. Ryan pulled up, saw the man down, jumped out of his car, and raced over to see if he could help,” a witness on the scene exclusively tells JustJared.com.

Our source says the 34-year-old True Blood star screamed they had to get the injured man off the street immediately, so with help from a few other guys, he carried the man off to the sidewalk.

“He stayed there watching him until paramedics arrived,” adds the source. “There was a crowd gathering and people recognized Ryan but he was just focused on making sure this guy was okay.”

[From Just Jared]

This could be true, although US Weekly asked Ryan’s rep for comment and basically got a shrug. I love Kwanten and I want to believe this vague anonymously sourced hero story, but it also comes right around the same time that HBO announced the premiere date for True Blood – June 26! – still too long but at least a concrete date, along with a spoiler-filled teaser video that just happens to star Kwanten. So I’m skeptical, but I want to believe. Oh and here’s another teaser for True Blood starring Pam, Tara and Lafayette. Still two and a half more months before the new season premieres, damnit.

I hate to say this because normally I love some facial hair, but that weird billy goat patch that Ryan has on his chin has got to go.

Ryan Kwanten is shown on 3/5, 2/27 and 1/22/11. Credit: WENN.com

You’ve surely heard about Steven Slater, the Jet Blue airline attendant who told a passenger off over the in-flight intercom, resigned, grabbed a couple of beers and then activated the emergency exit to slide out of his career in style. People are heralding Slater as a kind of anti-hero in one of the most frustrating industries. Others are saying his actions were dangerous and could have killed someone.

Slater maintains that he was provoked by an abusive passenger who deliberately hit him in the head with the door from the overhead luggage compartment, gashing his head. Jet Blue wants their workers to realize how out of line the guy was and how his actions could have killed people working around the plane, which was in the process of unloading passengers at JFK airport at the time. They issued a letter to employees reminding them of the seriousness of the situation and asking them to avoid speaking to the media.

Slater was arrested at home in Queens about a half an hour after his memorable resignation. He was sent to jail for a few hours and was released last night after making bail. He spoke to media outside, and allegedly called himself a “hero”. It’s hard to tell in the video that Radar posts, and it sounds like he’s responding to other people bringing up the “hero” label first.

Fired-up flight attendant Steven Slater was walking on air as he emerged from jail Tuesday night as a folk hero.

“I knew there was a brouhaha about this, but while I was on the inside I didn’t realize how much attention it got,” said Slater, wearing the same T-shirt and plaid shorts he had on when arrested a day earlier.

“I think something about this resonated with people. The outpouring of support is very appreciated. I’m overwhelmed, very thankful,” Slater said after being released from the Vernon C. Bain Center in Hunts Point, the Bronx, after posting $2,500 bail.

Slater, 38, was transformed into a folk hero after he cursed out a nasty passenger over a plane intercom, grabbed some beer and fled down an emergency slide at Kennedy Airport Sunday.

“It’s been a good time,” a beaming Slater said, as employees leaving the lockup shouted, “You’re a hero” and “You’re a celebrity.”

Relishing in his cult status, Slater even joked about his short stay in the slammer. “I feel tired, I feel about how I did when that suitcase fell on me.”Then he pointed to cuts and bruises on his forehead that he called “aviation-related.”

But Slater’s flight to freedom hit a little turbulence. Freaked out by the media horde following his livery car, Slater’s driver returned him to the jail after a 10-minute ride.

“The food was just too good,” Slater deadpanned about why he returned.

A lot of people agree that Slater didn’t commit a crime, and that includes his mother, his lawyer – and about half the world.

“I can understand why he snapped. I would have snapped, too,” Diane Slater said Tuesday after her son pleaded not guilty to criminal charges.

“I think he just had a very small meltdown, and I think he deserved to be able to have that meltdown.”

And she isn’t the only one.

“I lost patience after a female passenger had an argument with another passenger and then opened the bin door, hitting me on the head without apologizing,” Slater told cops.

In his announcement to passengers on the flight out of Pittsburgh, Slater referred to the woman as “the f—–g a–hole that told me to f–k off.”

He then declared, “I’ve had it. That’s it,” witnesses said.

Slater’s Legal Aid lawyer, Howard Turman, said his client was trying to defuse a testy situation when the passenger, who has not been identified, started giving him hell after the plane landed.

“He was trying to do his best in providing safety and you have rudeness and lack of courtesy among the traveling public,” Turman said.

“The woman was outraged and cursed him out a great deal. At that point, I think, he just wanted to avoid conflict with her.”

Through his lawyer, Slater pleaded not guilty to criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and trespassing charges.

Authorities said Slater endangered jetBlue employees under the aircraft when he activated the emergency slide, which costs more than $25,000 to replace.

[From The NY Daily News]

Slater faces up to seven years in prison after this stunt. It’s not likely he’ll face large legal fees alone. He has many facebook fan pages including a “legal defense fund” (that may or may not be legit) and fellow flight attendants are trying to raise money for him. You may wonder what’s next for him after he deals with criminal charges. Given the way the public has embraced him I’m sure he can spin this into some kind of media or endorsement career. Hell I’d much rather see a reality show with this guy than with with Levi Johnston.

Actor Michael J. Fox continues to be a class act and a study in positive thinking. With the upcoming release of his new memoir, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future,” Fox shares his point of view on how the diagnosis of Parkinsons’ disease actually made him a better husband, father and overall human being. The cover of the book is a wry take on his “Back to the Future” movies – an image of an overturned skateboard and two sneakered feet stretched out on the ground – an homage to his skateboarding Marty McFly character.

Michael J. Fox says that being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease was the best thing that ever happened to him.

That’s the stunning admission the beloved actor makes in his upcoming book, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future…” according to a publishing source. The book is being released by Hyperion this month.

Before being stricken with Parkinson’s in 1991, Michael says he was a “schmuck” who drank too much and cruised through life in the fast lane.

The dreaded Parkinson’s diagnosis shortly after his father’s death sent him into a downward spiral of depression, he reveals in the book.

For a while, Michael drank and took his medications at the same time, trying to mask his pain. But eventually, the boozing isolated him from his wife Tracy and their four children, leaving him feeling even more hopeless.

He drank so much, he started experiencing toxic side effects, he reveals.

After hitting rock bottom, Michael realized he wasn’t going to die soon. He says he was forced to be a better person, and credits the disease with turning his life around.

In the book, Michael, 48, points out that he’s not the eternal optimist people often believe him to be.

He views himself as a realist, saying that while life delivered him a catastrophe, the disease brought him a richer life.

[From The National Enquirer print version, April 19, 2010]

Wow, I had no idea that Michael J. Fox was a big drinker. He sure did a good job hiding it. Suddenly, his performance in “Bright Lights, Big City” makes a lot more sense to me now. I am looking forward to reading this book, because I’m a huge fan, and also because I think his story is very inspiring. Anyone who has been dealt a tough break in life can look at him as an example of someone who is trying to make the most of it.

Search and rescue dogs are all too often the unsung heroes of natural disasters, man-made disasters and warfare. Dogs are serving with honor and distinction with our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, and every major police force in America as a canine unit. So it comes as no shock that there were many amazing search and rescue dogs working at Ground Zero after the World Trade Center attack on September 11th. One of these dogs (and his owner, James Symington) was Canadian – a German shepherd named Trakr (which I suppose is pronounced “tracker”). Symington volunteered to work with Trakr in the wake of the attacks, and Trakr ended up finding the last survivor in the rubble.

Trakr passed away in April, but Symington had already entered and won an essay contest. The prize was … a dog cloning. Symington just took possession of five German shepherd puppies that are exact clones of Trakr. Symington plans to train the puppies to be search and rescue dogs like Trakr:

James Symington is about to find out whether you can clone heroism.

The retired Canadian police officer – who took part in the rescue operation after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York City – is scheduled to take possession Wednesday of five puppies cloned using DNA from his beloved late German shepherd Trakr, the rescue dog credited with finding the last survivor in the smoking rubble of Ground Zero.

Symington, who won the opportunity to have Trakr cloned in an essay contest last year, first met his new pups in an emotional encounter on June 14.

“They’re identical – down to the smallest detail,” Symington said in a statement released by BioArts International, the California company that arranged the intricate cloning procedure. “Few dogs are born with exceptional abilities – Trakr was one of those dogs.” Symington said that if the puppies have the same abilities as Trakr, he intends to put them to work as search and rescue dogs.

Trakr died in April at the age of 16. The actual cloning using his DNA took place at the Sooam Biotech Research Foundation in South Korea and was led by Dr. Hwang Woo-Suk, who produced the world’s first canine clone in 2005. The goal was to create one clone, CBS News reported, but five genetically identical puppies resulted from surrogate pregnancies. The first of the pups was born on Dec. 8 of last year and the last arrived April 4.

[From People]

I have mixed feelings about this. I think, in general, whatever people want to do with their money and their time, as long as they’re not hurting anyone, who really cares? It’s not as if Symington spent his life’s savings having his dog cloned – it was a service provided to him because he won a contest. But for me, as an animal lover, the joy of loving a pet is seeing their individual personality and how it grows and develops. I realize that Trakr might have had some really special, amazing qualities, but so would other German shepherds. Still, I’m happy for this guy, and he’s going to have his hands full with five identical puppies. Good luck with that, seriously.

The Mentalist’s Simon Baker is a hero. And no, I’m not talking about the heroic nature of those beautiful dimples or the courage of those golden locks. No, I’m speaking of this report from the National Enquirer, which claims that Simon Baker is such a hero/saint/lovely man that he sort of rescued a pregnant woman who thought she was going into labor. To be fair to the woman, Simon might have been the reason the woman started having contractions.

CB wants me to point out that this comes from Mike Walker’s gossip column in the Enquirer, and that Walker has a habit of running unverifiable hero stories about stars. CB thinks it’s filler, and ordinarily I might agree, but this Simon Baker story has the whiff of plausibility. I’m biased, though. I adore Simon, he’s lovely. And I also think that if I was in a similar situation as this woman (pregnant, in a confined space with those dimples), I would have a major freak-out too:

He plays “The Mentalist” on TV, but Simon Baker never got any psychic foreboding that he’d affect a woman’s womb when he boarded an elevator in a BevHills office building – and a pregnant woman flipped when she spotted the stufly Aussie, gushing: “Ohmigod, I know you. You’re that beautiful man on my favorite show!”

Simon smiled and thanked her, and the woman – who was headed for her OB-GYN’s office – literally started jumping up and down as the elevator rose, and asked if he’d pose for a pic.

Simon agreed and stepped out to take the shot when the elevator stopped at her doc’s floor – but the woman suddenly grabbed her tummy and shrieked: “I think my baby’s coming!”

Turning white as a sheet, Simon helped the woman into the doc’s office, then split quick when told mommy-to-be was just having a false alarm.

[From The National Enquirer, print edition, May 25, 2009]

Whiff of plausibility? Yes! It’s not as if the story is about how Simon Baker single-handedly delivered a baby on an elevator. He just walked the woman to her doctor’s office, which was probably a distance of twenty feet. It was a nice thing to do, and Simon has always seemed like a nice guy. What do you think the chances are that this woman was just faking labor to spend a little more time with Simon?

Simon Baker is shown on 4/17/09 and 3/23/09. Credit: WENN.com

Kevin Bacon is on promotional duties for Taking Chance, an HBO film based on a true story of a military escort officer bringing a fallen soldier home. Casting Kevin Bacon was a smart choice – he’s played military characters several times before, and the role offers the kind of profound drama that a great, under-rated actor like Bacon will do well with. In this OK!intervew, Kevin also talks about his love of his wife Kyra and their 20-year marriage:

On the latest Bacon Brothers CD, New Year’s Day, Kevin Bacon sings the praises of his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, 43.

“I took the inspirational things she’s said to me that are her life’s mottos and wrote them into song,” the father of two, 50, told OK! at the Feb. 24 Musicians On Call event in NYC. The result was “Kikko’s Song.”

The couple, who have been happily married for 20 years (amazing by Hollywood’s standards) tells OK! that the secret to their wedded bliss is “We like each other’s company,” Kevin says.

Meanwhile, Bacon has taken on a new role in HBO’s Taking Chance. Based on real-life events, the actor plays Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, a volunteer military escort officer who accompanies the body of 19-year old Marine Chance Phelps back to his home. It’s something the actor recently says hit home.

“You know, I’ve got a son of my own and it’s – it’s almost kind of unthinkable (to deal with that kind of loss), and yet they have a certain, a real strength and a grace and kind of elegance about them that’s really inspirational,” he says.

From OK! Magazine

I saw the original “version” of Taking Chance when it was part of the PBS documentary series America at a Crossroads: Operation Homecoming, Writing the Wartime Experience. In its original form it was a short (under 20 minutes, if I remember correctly) vignette written by Lt. Col. Strobl. Taking Chance was one of the most beautiful and moving stories in a excellent group of real stories, poetry and short films of the war and home front, as told by the soldiers. Lt. Col. Strobl told of delivering the body of Chance Phelps to the small town of Riverton, Wyoming. Strobl’s description of the quiet dignity of the town, the grief of the family, and the effect of one fallen soldier’s funeral in one community is devastating. I’ve linked to the PBS transcripts, and if you need a good cry, read any or all of the stories.

Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon are shown on 3/8/09. Credit: PRPhotos

Hayden Panettiere skyrocketed to fame as the center of the TV show Heroes’ enigmatic tagline “Save the cheerleader, save the world.” Her long blonde hair and blue eyes personified the perfect American girl-next-door – except her character Claire can’t be injured.

Some TV stars have contracts that forbid them from cutting their hair (think David Krumholtz of Numb3rs). Hayden apparently doesn’t have such a contract. Earlier this year, she showed off a new short haircut that accentuates her perfect cheekbones, but is also costing the producers of Heroes a lot of money, according to In Touch.

The 19-year-old debuted a cropped bob back in June, but it clashed with what’s happening on-screen. “They need her to have long hair for her character,” an insider on the set tells In Touch, adding that for continuity, the show has had to dish out lots of cash for hairpieces. “They’re made of real hair so they’re costing at least $6,000 for every fitting.”

[From In Touch, print edition, December 1, 2008]

Heroes’ debut season was phenomenal, but since then the show has been losing viewers due to the addition of too many characters and convoluted plotlines. Two of the show’s producers were recently fired due to “creative differences.”

On the personal front, Hayden and costar Milo Ventimiglia are moving in together, according to Star.

Hayden recently plunked down $2.6 million for a three-bedroom, three-bath house high in the Hollywood Hills and has asked her 12-year-older Heroes costar Milo to be her roomie! “She’s very much in love with him and wants him around all the time,” says an insider. “This way, they can even carpool to the set together.” Even Hayden’s mom, Lesley, has come around to the idea. “She lives down the street from Hayden, so she can keep an eye on her,” adds the insider. “Hayden’s a good kid. She’s not going to do anything wild.”

[From Star, print edition, December 1, 2008]

Hayden seems to be the rare teen star who isn’t always in the tabloids for drugs, partying and dating a new guy every other week. Maybe that maturity will help “Halo” stay a couple, despite the age difference. But I’m cynical, especially when Heroes goes off the air and she remains the more famous of the two. Hollywood is notoriously hard on star couples, even ones angelically nicknamed “Halo.”

Hayden Panettiere is shown premiering her new clutch bag for Dooney & Burke at the Venetian hotel and casino in Las Vegas on 11/22/08. Credit: WENN

Jack Osbourne, youngest child of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, was shopping London’s Marylebone High Street on Saturday when he saw a man snatch a woman’s purse.  Before you could say “Perfect PR Op” the recently slimmed down Osbourne instantly put his workouts into action and took off after the mugger.  Osbourne caught the man, pinned him on the ground, and with the help of a couple other people, held him there until the police arrived.

The 14-stone fitness fanatic and martial arts fan told the News of the World: “I could see the girl was in trouble, it just felt like the natural thing to do. I’m glad it turned out okay.”

A source said of the host of ITV2’s Adrenaline Junkie: “He was amazing. He ran after the mugger like a man possessed—a real hero.

“It happened so quickly. But Jack spotted it, easily beat him in the race over 20 metres and pushed him to the ground. Whatever technique he used meant the robber couldn’t escape.

“The girl was very grateful, but Jack was very modest.”

[From News of the World]

It would appear Jack could be turning into a pretty decent guy.  He’s working hard on Adrenaline Junkie, staying out of trouble, getting healthy and fit and now, rescuing damsels in distress in the streets of London.  I’m glad to see it because I always thought he was worse than Kelly on The Osbournes.  His general attitude seemed more entitled while Kelly’s was rebellious, kind of like the difference between Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie the first season of The Simple Life.

Jack must have taken his reality stint on Armed and Famous alot more seriously than one would have thought.  Osbourne went through police training alongside Eric Estrada, LaToya Jackson, WWE’s Trish Stratus and Wee Man of Jackass in the flop reality show.  The show was a disaster and didn’t even last a season, but now they can say something good came of it.  Now if LaToya would just contribute to society it might all be worth it.

Jack Osbourne is shown leaving Nobu restaurant in London on 9/23/08. Credit: WENN

Hugh Jackman is buff and hot and witty, and, according to Mike Walker in the National Enquirer, acted like a real-life superhero while promoting his superhero alter-ego Wolverine at Comic-Con in San Diego recently.

Enquirer reports that Hugh saw two female fans in the parking lot dressed as X-Men characters Magma and Storm. To his surprise, the woman playing Magma then set her arm on fire. The stunt went awry because “Storm” wasn’t able to douse the flames fast enough, and “Magma’s” hair caught on fire.

Moving like a real superhero, Jackman swiftly yanked her costume’s cape over her head, smothering the flames as he yelled for security.

[From National Enquirer, print edition, August 18, 2008]

Medics treated the woman, who luckily only received superficial scalp and head wounds.

Unless I see video or phone-cam pictures or at least a fan’s blog report on this, it sounds like fiction, but it’s still better than the plot of X-Men 3.

Not that I doubt Hugh could pull this off. Anyone capable of believably portraying both Wolverine and Peter Allen can certainly put out a flaming fan-girl in his down time.

Hugh Jackman’s next film role is in Australia, opposite new mom Nicole Kidman. X-Men Origins: Wolverine opens May 1, 2009.

Note by Celebitchy: Since this is alleged to have taken place at Comic-con, which I would venture to guess is filled with tech-savvy people who would be eager to spread the news of such a fantastic story, I doubt it’s true. Mike Walker’s column in the Enquirer is the only place I’ve seen this news at all and google searches turn up nothing. Here’s a video of Jackman on stage at Comic-con and when they pan to the audience about every third person is taping with a video recorder or their cell phone. This is alleged to have taken place in the parking lot, but wouldn’t we have heard of it already?

Either way, Jackman is a hero to me. Watching that video of him speaking to the audience at Comic-con, he is super grateful to his fans. Plus he has that cute accent.

Hugh Jackman is shown filming Australia on 8/11/08. Credit: ICON/Fame Pictures