I knew I would regret not yet seeing Rounders. Tobey Maguire has been sued by a victim of a ponzi scheme artist who embezzled investor funds to run extremely high stakes underground poker games with celebrity rollers like Tobey, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ben Affleck. Tobey was one of the major winners of the games, which were held biweekly at suites in luxury hotels. He’s being sued along with other winning participants in an attempt to recoup investor money. Maguire is estimated to have made up to tens of millions of dollars from these poker games, funded illegally by unwitting investors. The lawsuit has him winning over $300k, but a source estimates it at around $1 million a month for nearly three years. And I thought Ben Affleck was the big gambler. Affleck, Damon and DiCaprio also took part in the games, according to a named source, but they didn’t win much and are not being named in a lawsuit. This is a story about to break in Star Magazine, and Radar has the details. They make the games sound so underground and high security, I can hear Oceans 11 music playing in the background. (Actually I’m listening to this song now, so it fits.) I can see Damon and Affleck sauntering jokingly into the low-lit rooms in slow mo while Tobey sits there after a 14 hour bender, seething and determined to win back his money and them some. DiCaprio probably bailed after he lost a few times.

Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire is among more than a dozen high-profile Hollywood people being sued in connection with a mega-millions illegal gambling ring that ran high-stakes underground poker games, Star magazine is reporting exclusively.

An FBI investigation into Brad Ruderman, the CEO of Ruderman Capital Partners, uncovered how he lost $25 million of investor money in clandestine poker games held on a twice weekly basis in suites at the luxury Beverly Hills hotel, Four Seasons, and the Viper Room on Sunset Boulevard.

Tinsel town A-listers Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon also played in the no-limit Texas Hold ‘em games which had a buy-in of $100,000, multiple members of the ring told Star. DiCaprio, Affleck and Damon are not being sued.

Others who were part of the secret society and are facing hefty lawsuits include billionaire businessman Alex Gores, The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes, Welcome Back, Kotter star Gabe Kaplan, Paris Hilton’s infamous sex tape partner, Rick Salomon, record label owner Cody Leibel and Las Vegas nightlife entrepreneur and real-estate developer Andrew Sasson, among others.

Now, as Ruderman sits in a Texas jail until 2018, convicted on two counts of wire fraud and two counts of investment adviser fraud, lawyers for the clients whose funds he embezzled are filing a series of civil suits against those who won big in the illegal poker dens, in the hope of recouping some of their lost savings.

The games were “exclusive events, by invitation only, and that there was a regular roster of players consisting of wealthy celebrities, entrepreneurs, attorneys and businessmen,” according to the lawsuit filed against Maguire in the United States Bankruptcy Court, in Los Angeles.

Ruderman lost $311,300 to Maguire, including one losing hand of $110,000, on July 30, 2007, it’s claimed.

The Ponzi mastermind used clients’ money to “pay for gambling losses at clandestine, high stakes poker games that were operated without any licenses or permits,” the suit said.

“As part of the scheme, funds invested in (Ruderman) were transferred to persons such as Defendant (Maguire), who received the funds on account of Ruderman’s gambling losses and on account of Defendant’s gambling winnings.”

In their attempt to win back Ruderman’s losses, the trustee has claimed Maguire is “not entitled to receive the transfers from the Debtor, which transfers were compromised of improperly-diverted investor funds.”

In a deposition of the alleged ringleader of the operation, which took in tens of millions of dollars beginning in 2006 through 2009, Maguire is described as a “very, very frequent player,” in the games, which ended in 2009.

Maguire won as much as $1 million a month over a period of three years, one source told Star, which is on newsstands Wednesday.

“That means he could have made up to $30 to $40 million from these games,” the whistle-blowing card shark predicted.

Under California law, it’s illegal to play for money at underground poker clubs, although it is a crime rarely prosecuted. None of the participants are under criminal investigation, Star has been told.

Indeed, it’s understood Maguire has hired an attorney to strenuously defend the allegations against him, who will argue the games were not illegal.

In a world exclusive investigation, Star detailed how the A-list aces used secret passwords to play in the covert games that were so intense, the door was manned by armed guards in bulletproof vests.

Inside the rooms, tucked away in different locations around Los Angeles, high-rollers laid down wads of cash on felt-top tables presided over by professional dealers who were part of the operation’s hierarchy.

One of the participants, Dan Bilzerian, told Star that he regularly played against DiCaprio, Affleck and Maguire.

Damon, according to Bilzerian, played irregularly.

While Affleck, who won an Academy Award for his screenplay Good Will Hunting, impressed players with his poker skills, both DiCaprio and Damon did not fair as well, Star reported.

“Matt never won,’’ another whistle-blowing player told the magazine.

“In truth, Leo is a tight ass. When he lost $50,000 the look in his eyes was obvious he was crazy.”

[From Radar]

So does this partially explain why Tobey is the new reluctant face of Prada? The dude is running scared, afraid he’ll be forced to open up his bank account to pay back some of his ill gotten gains. If this article is accurate, he may have made nearly as much money playing poker as he did from playing Spiderman. It sounds like he worked longer and harder at it too.

As bad as it sounds, this story made me think “well at least these dudes were just gambling illegally and weren’t off hiring hookers.” That’s not to say those two things are in any way mutually exclusive. They go together like cookies and milk.

Tobey is shown in November and December, 2010 with his wife, Jennifer Meyer and their two daughters. Credit: WENN.com and Fame. Ben and Matt are shown playing poker in a charity tournament in 2009.

These are some photos of Tobey MaGuire for Prada menswear looking like he’s a convicted investment banker biding his time until his house arrest is over. He looks trapped and annoyed, and like he’s staring off into the distance, wishing for a career that has passed him by. We haven’t heard much about Tobey since Spiderman ended (and is subsequently being rebooted without him) but I never expected him to represent a luxury label – or any label for that matter. This is a guy who is notoriously careful with his money, who grew up being raised by relatives, and who has admitted that he’s budget-conscious. He doesn’t seem like he would actually buy Prada, nonetheless model for them. It’s a strange choice for Tobey, but it makes sense for Prada. Tobey is famous, he’s relatively elusive, and he’s A list. He just seems so listless in these ads.

Despite the fact that he basically fell off the cultural radar when the “Spider-Man” trilogy ended, and also considering he has never exactly been considered a heartthrob, Tobey Maguire is nevertheless the face of the new campaign for Prada’s menswear.

Describing this unexpected, unconventional choice, Miuccia Prada is quoted in The Hollywood Reporter as saying: “his mood is transfixed and pensive, full of vibrant intensity and mystery.”

Meanwhile, for his part, model Maguire is (also unexpectedly) a big fan of the Prada head:

“Miuccia Prada has inspired a culture of creativity that is woven through every aspect of her company, from her collections, her campaigns, to every design detail in her stores,” the actor said in the THR story, adding: “I have such admiration for her artistry and I’m thrilled to be a part of Prada’s fall campaign.”

We… really don’t know what to say. He looks pensive? Confused? Forlorn? Pallid? Going out on a limb here, but somehow we don’t see teen girls across the country ripping these ads out to paste on their walls.

[From OMG.yahoo.com]

This is not the same guy who said that he was “very conservative with my money,” or that he would do fine without it. “If you stripped away everything I’ve got – the money, the fame, the possessions, everything – I know that I’d find a way to get along, because, basically, that’s what I’ve had to do all my life.” Guys who talk like that don’t drop thousands on designer outfits, but maybe they’re willing to wear them and pose for some pictures when their film careers have slowed considerably. Tobey has three movies coming out next year. This year, he had a film that premiered at Sundance and he was the voice in a video game. Before that he was in 2009′s Brothers.

Photos via Hollywood Reporter and Ad Week.

Spiderman 4 was pushing for a potential summer 2011 release when director Sam Rami dropped out due to creative differences and time constraints. Star Tobey Maguire soon followed, and the studio is going to move forward with the tried and true “reboot” concept and an entirely new cast. Why pay huge star salaries when all you need is some attractive, relatively unknown faces and a concept that appeals to 14 year-old boys? It makes no difference if the film is decent or not as long as stuff gets blown up. Just look at the Transformers movies.

A few days after script issues pushed it off the May 2011 calendar, Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios announced today that Spider-Man 4 ain’t gonna happen at all, and that the franchise will eventually reboot featuring Peter Parker as a teenager.

Meaning original principals Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, as well as Spider-Man 1-3 director Sam Raimi, are out.

“We’re very excited about the creative possibilities that come from returning to Peter’s roots and we look forward to working once again with Marvel Studios, [producers] Avi Arad and Laura Ziskin on this new beginning,” said Sony Pictures cochair Amy Pascal.

“Working on the Spider-Man movies was the experience of a lifetime for me,” added Raimi. “While we were looking forward to doing a fourth one together, the studio and Marvel have a unique opportunity to take the franchise in a new direction, and I know they will do a terrific job.”

Maguire had told E! News in November that he expected to start shooting his fourth Spidey film in February or March.

There’s no official word as to how exactly the project came unspun, but Raimi had reportedly been unsatisfied about the current state of the screenplay by Alvin Sargent, the third writer brought on by Sony to tackle the storyline.

The Spider-Man saga is currently slated to begin again in summer 2012.

[From E! Online]

The good news is that we won’t have to see Kirsten Dunst reprise her role as the unlikely love interest. There was news that Anne Hathaway might replace her, but it’s doubtful that the studio will go with such a big name. The bad news is that sexy villain James Franco won’t be back. He has a lot of films coming out, including Eat, Pray, Love with Julia Roberts so it’s not like he’s going to fade from view and have to rely on his soap opera career as a backup. Tobey Maguire has three films coming out and a whopping 13 films listed in development. Ten to one he’s relieved that he’ll no longer have to play Peter Parker. It’s a boatload of money, but the guy would surely rather be doing something else.

Spiderman Spoilers Below
I wanted to title this story “Will Anne Hathaway replace Kirstin Dunst in Spiderman?” but that’s too spoiler-filled and would kind of give away this potential plot change, as revealed by Star Magazine. Again, this is in Star so it’s possibly made up, but they make it sound legitimate so we’re not above repeating it. According to an “insider” quoted by Star, Kirstin Dunst’s redheaded neighbor character and Peter Parker’s love interest, Mary Jane, will appear in Spiderman 4 and then be written out. She’ll meet some kind of final fate and Anne Hathaway will step in to play the female lead for the rest of the film and then in Spiderman 5 and 6.

“Kirsten is going to be in Spiderman 4, but the plan is for her character, Mary Jane, to be written out, probably by dying,” says an insider. “Anne will take over as Peter Parker’s new love interest for this project and for Spiderman 5 and 6, which are being written now.” Anne and Tobey Maguire… are pals, according to the insider.

[From Star Magazine, print edition, January 4, 2009]

I understand that they’re going to play this franchise out as long as possible and it’s well done as far as comic book movies go, but please spare us a fifth and sixth sequel! I’m not in the young movie-going market, though, and there are always a crop of new teenagers who will go see these action films.

Over the holidays I was watching poorly dubbed 90s kids movies on German TV with my five year old son. Our favorite was the super-cheesy heart-tugging Beethoven. We had to turn off a too scary film called Small Soldiers featuring army toys that come to life. The 1998 film starred Kirsten Dunst and she was so young and cute that I almost didn’t recognize her at first. (Here’s a link to the part I saw with Kirsten. She comes in at 7:30 in that linked video.)

I get the feeling that Kirsten has kind of outgrown her status as a love interest. It’s not her age, she’s only 27, it’s just that she might not be as believable in that role as another actress. There’s something very surly about her and that tends to translate on screen. A lot of people just don’t like her. I don’t think that she can’t act, just that she’s not as good as other actresses. Cinematical has a pretty good editorial in defense of Dunst. They note that Dunst is often derided and “always shoots to the top of the ‘Yuck, I So Hate Her’ list.” Maybe that kind of strong reaction by fans helped prompt her re-casting. We’ll have to wait and see though if this report in Star has any merit.

Photos below are from 2007′s Spiderman 3, thanks to Allmoviephoto.

Tobey Maguire has a new interview in Parade, and he just seems like such a serious, grown up guy. He touches on a lot of issues that parents are familiar with, like balancing home and family life, trying to prioritize your time, and just being present for your children. The part that made me laugh is where he admits that he often gets mistaken for other actors, like Jake Gyllenhaal and Elijah Wood, and that he’ll just say “thank you” and sign the other person’s name. Maguire also mused about the responsibilities that come with fame and the fact that he doesn’t want to be a celebrity. Maybe that’s why he’s often mistaken for other actors – he’s been in some blockbusters but he’s in no way overexposed or even covered much in the celebrity press.

Re-editing his own life.
“It’s just all a time issue. Recently, I’ve been putting my life down on paper, listing what I spend my time doing because I’m trying to edit some things out in order to make more time for the things that are important to me. It’s kind of a process of self-reflection on how I’m living and spending time with my wife and children, which is a number one priority. But, I love my work as well, so that’s very important too.”

Searching for quality time.
“A lot of times I’ll work out of home. But, it can get in the way of being a dad. The kids pop in and I’m in the middle of things so I stop, but I’m not as present as I want to be. Now, I’m thinking I’ve got to put everything away, the computers, phones, BlackBerrys, people bothering you about whatever, and just be like, ‘OK, I’m just a daddy right now. I’m going to eat breakfast with my children, I’m going to play with blocks or toys whatever and just totally be with them.’”

Analyzing his success.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to be a pretty successful person, but I’ve realized that it doesn’t bring fulfillment. Success, of course, has a lot of fun stuff about it, but ultimately, if you’re the kind of person who lives in desire and constantly wants more, you’ll never be satisfied. So I’ve had a certain amount of success and I’m reaching for more and I have ambition, but I go, ‘Wait a second, this doesn’t make me happy, this isn’t really what fulfillment is.’”

Keeping his celebrity in perspective.
“I think I have about the right idea of how cool I am. I’m not trying to be a celebrity. Some people who get famous make bad choices — it depends on what you want out of life and who you want to be as a person. I like feeling good about myself as a human being, so if I make a choice that doesn’t support that, I stop pretty quickly. It’s really self-correcting.”

Getting older, but maybe not wiser.
“I’m always amazed at how, like when I was a kid, I definitely thought I was fairly intelligent about things and then you get a few years out and you look back and I’m always amazed at how little I knew. You go, ‘Wow, I had no clue.’ Now, it’s finally caught up to me, the point where I realize I just don’t know much at all, period.”

He was not in Brokeback Mountain.
“I’ve been mistaken for so many different actors, it’s just wild. I’ve gotten Jake Gyllenhaal a few times like, ‘Loved you in Brokeback Mountain.’ I’ve had that. I can’t remember all of them, but Wes Bentley, tons of times, and Elijah Wood. When people ask me for my autograph and say, ‘Oh, you were so great in such and such,’ which I wasn’t in, then I usually just sign the other actor’s name and say, ‘Thank you very much.’”

[From Parade]

Tobey can be a real sourpuss with fans and with paparazzi, but he seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I did a quick review of our archives on him as I remembered that he had a rough childhood but I couldn’t recall the details. I found this older interview with Parade he did in 2007 in which he talked about the fact that his parents split when he was three and that he was shuffled around to different family members. He said “I realized at a young age that I was responsible for myself… I had plenty of difficult, emotional and scary times as a kid, but I don’t dwell on it.” Tobey went on to explain that his difficult upbring influenced his decision to do well in life “Growing up the way I did, I had a very serious ambition to make some money, to have some security and comfort in my life.”

Tobey is promoting Brothers, out tomorrow in the US and also starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Natalie Portman. There were some stories of minor diva antics on set between Jake and Tobey, particularly the two insisting on having their own personal makeup artists while the studio wanted to save money by having them share. I bet they got along fine.

Spiderman 4 is coming out in 2011, and may have been slightly delayed by Maguire’s insistence on having nights and mornings off to play with his kids. He has daughter Ruby Sweetheart, 3, and son Otis Tobias, 7 months, with wife Jennifer Meyer.

Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer are shown at the Brothers NY premiere on 11/22/09 and out with their kids on 11/8/09. Credit: WENN.com

Toby Maguire with son Otis Tobias. Photo credit: Fame.

Fatherhood seems to fit “Spiderman” star Tobey Maguire very well. He always looks so relaxed and at ease with his children – who happen to be completely adorable. Maguire and his family – wife Jennifer Meyer and daughter, Ruby Sweetheart, were out and about over the weekend with their newest addition, baby boy Otis, born in May. Maguire is notoriously quiet on the subject of his family, and waited a few months before releasing his son’s name to the press. It’s obvious that his wife and kids are pretty much the center of his universe, which is more than a little awesome.

I love being a dad and I love my daughter. It’s amazing. It’s like everybody says. All the cliché’s are true. It’s indescribable and you just have to be there to understand it. You don’t really get it until you’re there.

[From MoviesOnline, Spiderman 3 interview]

If you’re wondering why you haven’t seen Tobey in a movie recently, don’t worry: according to IMDB.com, the actor has about 11 films in various stages of production, including Spiderman 4, currently in pre-production. A lot of people didn’t think this film was going to happen, including Maguire. He had said several times that the only way he’d suit up for Spidey again was if Sam Raimi was back as the director; Raimi had gone on record saying that he would only be directing the next installment of the franchise if the script was right. Looks like the script was right – because the movie is happening, and Spiderman 5 is reportedly in development, too. But for now, it looks like Tobey can just have fun being a dad to his two cute kids until the Spiderman whirlwind kicks in again.

Tobey and wife Jennifer Meyer take Ruby and Otis for a Sunday outing in Los Angeles. Photo credits: Fame.

Did anyone know that Tobey Maguire had a fifteen-year-old brother? The kid’s name is Weston, and he lives with their mom, Wendy Maguire. Wendy and Weston just got themselves a new reality show called “Growing Up Maguire”, that will feature Wendy being a stage mom, and her efforts to push Weston into some kind of stardom. But from the sound of it, I don’t think Weston is an actor, I think he’s an athlete. Page Six describes him as a kid who “rides motocross, skateboards and snowboards.” So who knows?

CB is positive that Tobey isn’t going to like this one bit. She describes Tobey as “always surly-looking when the paparazzi are around and you can tell he likes his privacy.” I agree. I think Tobey has some issues with his famously dysfunctional childhood and with fame in general. I don’t really think Tobey has some massive chip on his shoulder or anything, I just think this whole idea of his younger brother and his mother getting a reality show to showcase Weston’s start to stardom will most likely rub Tobey the wrong way:

WENDY Maguire, mother of “Spider-Man” Tobey Maguire, is about to become a reality TV star — along with Tobey’s younger brother, Weston, 15 — in “Growing Up Maguire.”

Bob DeBrino — who produced “Find Me Guilty,” directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Vin Diesel — plans to show how Wendy, a single mother, sacrifices to shield her children from the downside of the entertainment industry.

Weston — who rides motocross, skateboards and snowboards — will provide plenty of action.

[From Page Six]

In a past interview, Tobey described his parents as “a couple of kids” and admitted that he learned to fend for himself at a young age. He told Parade: “I realized at a young age that I was responsible for myself. My feelings of love or security or happiness – they were all in my own hands. I had plenty of difficult, emotional and scary times as a kid, but I don’t dwell on it.”

Tobey is also famously tight-fisted with his money. Last year, his grandfather gave an interview talking about how Tobey sent him $100 gifts three or four times a year, and that’s all. His grandpa wasn’t mad about it, he just said it matter-of-factly. It makes me wonder if Tobey gives any financial support to his mother and his brother, or if he expects them to fend for themselves, like he had to. If they’re hurting for money, that could be one reason they agreed to a reality show.

Here’s Wendy, Weston, and brother JoPaul (oldest) at a portrait session at their home and at Will Rogers State Beach in Los Angeles in August 2006. Images thanks to WENN.com .

Actor Tobey Maguire and jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer welcomed their second child on Friday, May 8. Jennifer gave birth to a baby boy, and though their representatives haven’t confirmed it, the rumor is that they’ve named the boy Jacob. Their son joins big sister Ruby Sweetheart, age 2 years old.

Tobey is obviously a big, famous actor, but I only recently put it together that his wife Jennifer is the Jennifer Meyer, famous Hollywood jeweler. Nearly every major film and television actress wears Meyer’s casual pieces, from Julia Roberts to Jennifer Garner. She’s not just some retro studio bride who got her studio-president daddy (Ron Meyer, president of Universal Studios) to marry her off to a movie star – she’s actually got her own career and her own money, which is interesting.

Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire and his wife, Jennifer Meyer, welcomed their second child today, his rep confirms to Usmagazine.com.

“I can confirm the Maguires had a baby boy today and the family is healthy and happy,” the rep adds.

No name was released.

Maguire, 33, and Meyer, a jewelry designer, 32, are also parents to Ruby Sweetheart, 2.

In November, a source told Us the couple was “thrilled” to be expecting a second child. “They can’t wait to expand their family with another little one.”

They met in 2003 while Maguire was shooting the movie Seabiscuit, and wed in Hawaii in September 2007.

“It’s perfect…just perfect!” Meyer told Us of married life.

[From US Weekly]

Jennifer and Tobey live a pretty low-key life, and the only time they really come up in the tabloids or gossip shows is when some paparazzi get in their faces or actually endanger them or other people. Those times, Tobey seems to have one hell of a temper, but who could blame him? In any case, they’ve always seemed genuinely happy to me. I’m sure both are thrilled with their family’s newest addition. Congratulations, Tobey, Jennifer and Ruby Sweetheart!

Tobey, Jennifer and Ruby are shown out on 2/14/09. Credit: WENN.com. The happy couple is also shown at an inaugural ball on 1/20/09. Credit: Fame Pictures

Tobey and Jennifer on 3/4/08, WENN
In Touch has an exclusive story that Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer are expecting their second child. Maguire and Meyer have 17 month-old daughter, Ruby, and they tied the knot in a ceremony in Hawaii in September of last year.

This article isn’t well sourced, but it could be true considering that it’s about Maguire and Meyer and you don’t hear much gossip about those two. When something does pop up it seems more likely to be accurate since it’s not like they’re in the tabloids every week.

In a world exclusive, In Touch can reveal that Tobey Maguire and his wife, Jennifer Meyer, are expecting their second child later this year — and they’re hoping it’s a boy. Jen is approaching her second trimester and she’s due in early October. “Jen and Tobey are over-the-moon happy,” a friend of the couple reveals. “Since they already have a daughter, they would love a little boy, but of course they would be just as thrilled with another daughter.” The insider says that Jen and Tobey always planned to have another child within two years of the birth of their daughter, Ruby, who is 17 months old. “Jen’s doing great,” her friend reveals. “She had an easy pregnancy last time around, so this time it should also be a breeze.” The couple is in the process of building their dream home for their expanding family on a recently purchased lot in Brentwood that cost nearly $10 million!

In photos of Meyer taken at the beginning of this month she hardly looks pregnant, but if she’s only three months along as In Touch states she might not be showing yet. Still, this is In Touch we’re talking about, so they might just have seen a picture where her shirt is billowing out and decided to run with this pregnancy story.

Update: US Weekly is reporting that Meyer isn’t pregnant, according to a source, but it’s not like an official rep denial or anything and has about the same level of legitimacy as the original report.

Photo below is of the maybe-expectant parents at the park on April 1, thanks to Splash News.

Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal are co-starring in the drama Brothers together, which is currently filming. There have been several stories about how they’re not exactly fighting, but not exactly getting along on set either. These two are said to be competing for resources in an alpha-dog type situation while they work together.

Star Magazine had them fighting over their makeup artists last month, with each holding out for their own person, and producers trying to cut costs by getting them to share, but they weren’t having it.

“[Tobey and Jake] each want their own retoucher, but the producers don’t think it’s necessary and don’t see why they can’t share,” a source tells Star. “Tobey is holding out for his own person, while Jake said he needs his artist so badly he’ll let her stay with him during the shoot.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, December 10, 2007]

And this week’s edition has some more insider news from on set. Tobey and Jake are said to be making everyone they work with uncomfortable with their competition, but at least cast and crew are benefiting from it. They each gave expensive gifts to cast members and sound like they were trying to outdo each other. It doesn’t sound like there’s much harm in that:

“[Tobey and Jake] are competing over who gets along better with castmates and crew!” an insider tells Star. The actors are also showering them with gifts! While Tobey gave crewmembers new 8GB iPod Nanos, Jake gave out gift certificates to tony Koi restaurant! Adds the source, “It’s getting uncomfortable.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, January 14, 2008]

They’re undoubtedly spinning it to make it out to be much worse than it is, but something must be going on to prompt Maguire to give out expensive gifts like that. He’s notoriously tight-fisted and careful with his money, having come from humble beginnings. Maybe his wife Jennifer Meyer is influencing him to change his ways.

You can imagine Maguire and Gyllenhaal quietly trying to outdo each other, each acting overly gracious while trying to be more professional than the other. That would make a great comedy – two actors treating each other with quiet disdain with one changing his normally grumpy and self-important personality with great effort, the other naturally nice but just a bit goofy. Did I just violate the writer’s strike by coming up with that concept?

Tobey and Jake ran into each other accidentally in Brentwood this weekend when they were both out. Jake was seen smiling and chatting with Tobey, his wife, and Tobey’s father in law, the head of Universal studios. The story is that Jake saw Tobey with his family outside and pulled his car over for a chat. Does this encounter reveal that their competition on who can act the friendliest extends even to each other? Were they straining themselves trying to act nice or does this show that there’s no bad blood between them?

Tobey Maguire is shown looking grumpy out at Mr. Chow on 12/20. Jake Gyllenhaal is shown out at lunch on 1/4. Thanks to Splash News.