'Friends' stars agree to new deal

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 15, 2000

The six stars of Friends -- Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox Arquette, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer -- reached a last-minute deal Sunday to keep the hit NBC sitcom on the air for two more years.

Although they were reportedly seeking a raise to $1-million per episode (up from the current $125,000), the actors actually settled for less. Early reports indicate that each star will get $750,000 a show for the 22-installment season. Making the deal even sweeter, they also will get a larger cut of the very handsome syndication sales.

If a deal hadn't been made when it was, Friends might not have made the fall schedule and would have ended this season without a formal series finale.

This is not the first time the sextet joined together to fight for more money. In 1996, the cast successfully negotiated deals that increased their salaries from $40,000 to $125,000 per show over the course of their then-five-year contracts.

As it wraps up its sixth season, Friends remains one of NBC's biggest hits, currently ranking sixth in the Nielsens with more than 20.3-million viewers a week.

Wyclef, others to honor slain African immigrant

A special benefit concert featuring Grammy winner Wyclef Jean will be held June 19 to remember slain African immigrant Amadou Diallo. The event, to be held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, will also feature appearances by actors Glenn Close and Rosie Perez

To Amadou With Love: A Night Of Healing will benefit the Amadou Diallo Educational, Humanitarian & Charity Foundation. Diallo, a native of Guinea, West Africa, was slain last February at the age of 22. Four New York City police officers were accused and later acquitted in the killing.

Conan's hilarious sidekick begins his last stand

After seven years of silliness, the countdown to sadness has begun: Andy Richter's final night as Conan O'Brien's lovable sidekick will be May 26.

Richter, who announced last year that he would be leaving NBC's late-night show, is looking at a variety of projects.

Richter, a Chicago native, appeared in The Real Live Brady Bunch and trained at Second City before landing the sidekick gig seven years ago. Though no specific plans are set, Richter told New York's Daily News, "I'm looking at being a character actor."

Actor desires nothing more than souvenirs of being Vader

The man who will be Vader says he would have been happy with just the souvenirs from the audition process for the next two installments of the Star Wars series.

"I got to meet George Lucas, hang out at Skywalker Ranch, and I got a couple of new hats," Hayden Christensen says in the new issue of Time magazine.

Christensen, a 19-year-old from Toronto, was selected to portray Anakin Skywalker, picking up the part from Jake Lloyd, who starred in Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

"It's awesome to portray a character who becomes Vader," he says. "I'm getting ready to go to the dark side."

Doubts aside, Mr. Rogers gets warm neighborhood welcome

Mr. Rogers is welcome in his old neighborhood any time.

Two weeks after some students at Old Dominion University questioned whether the children's television icon was an appropriate speaker for college graduates, Fred Rogers received a standing ovation Saturday at Saint Vincent College in his native Latrobe, Pa.

The host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood told the graduates he felt complete when he realized he could combine his loves for music, language and human development to help children.

At Old Dominion, some students complained that Mr. Rogers catered to too young an audience. But there were no such objections at Saint Vincent.

"He seemed to have their rapt attention," said university spokesman Don Orlando.

-- Compiled from Times wires.