ENTERTAINMENT

ENTERTAINMENT: JUNE 2004

"Jokes? I thought I was being suave," Pitt responds. And how did Pitt handle spending the day on set wearing nothing but a "modesty patch"? A bit nervous? "Ummm, no. As I shift in my chair," he answers. "No, not really because you are trying to think about what the scene is trying to say and what we are trying to convey in that scene. "You know the deal. There's 30 sweaty guys in the crew standing around." Troy, set almost 3000 years ago during the Trojan War, is one of the most expensive films ever made, costing a reported $US200 million ($A274.4 million). Byrne likes to play down her role of Briseis, a beautiful acolyte, but it's one of the meatiest parts in the film. Australian actor Eric Bana, has second billing behind Pitt and also is a dominant player in the movie. Bana plays Briseis' cousin, Prince Hector of Troy and the arch-nemesis of Achilles. The 24-year-old Byrne is well known in Australia for her TV and film roles, including the critical hit movie Two Hands with Heath Ledger, but in Hollywood she is still relatively unknown. That will change when Troy is released in the US on May 14 (in Australia on May 13) and her other Hollywood film, the thriller Wicker Park, with Josh Hartnett, opens later this year. The bouquets for Byrne are already flowing in. Wicker Park director Paul McGuigan described her as the best actress he has worked with and seven-time Oscar nominee, Peter O'Toole, was also full of praise. O'Toole plays King Priam of Troy, and shared numerous scenes with Byrne. "She is a beautiful, uncomplicated, simple, pure actress and a very nice girl," O'Toole, whose movie career spans more than 40 years including Lawrence of Arabia, said. "I've seen a lot of people who call themselves actresses. She's the real thing. "It's lucid. It's pure."

Jerry Springer - The Opera has booked its place on Broadway.

The award-winning West End musical opens in New York in October 2005. Now the search is on to fill the starring role - with Harvey Keitel, Kevin Kline and Springer himself all being mooted to play the chat show king. The production will first open in San Francisco for a six-week run beginning next spring, before transferring to New York. The show will continue to play in the West End where former Dempsey And Makepeace star Michael Brandon is in the title role. A source said: "It is possible that Michael will switch between the two productions but we have had a lot of interest from big Hollywood stars so our options are open. "Harvey Keitel and Kevin Kline have both been to see the show and loved it and either one would make a great Jerry Springer. "Jerry himself has said in the past he would be interested in the part but he has his chat show commitments and political aspirations to juggle too, so it may not be possible. "It is a great role so we are not surprised by the level of interest." Jerry Springer - The Opera premiered at London's National Theatre in April 2003 and transferred to the Cambridge Theatre in November. It has been named best musical at the Olivier Awards, the Critics' Circle Awards, the Evening Standard Awards and the What's On Stage Awards - the first West End show ever to do so. Producer Jon Thoday admitted that taking the show - which features blasphemy, bad language and a grown man in a nappy - to the US was a gamble. "Either it will be the most enormous hit or audiences will walk out in horror," Thoday said. "We are not compromising the production one iota - the content and lyrics will remain the same. "Americans who come over to see the show in London absolutely love it so we are hoping it will get the same response over there. "TV shows like South Park have been a hit in the States and that gives us heart because we occupy the same kind of territory." The musical is based on Springer's lurid talk show, which brought viewers episodes such as Pregnant By A Transsexual and I Married A Horse. Writer Richard Thomas said of the show: "It's got tragedy. It's got violence. There are people screaming at each other and you can't understand what they're saying. It's perfect for opera."