By day, Chris still lives at home with his parents and spends his days repairing copy machines and fighting with his brother. But when Chris takes the stage, all of that disappears. When he's fronting Blood Pollution, Pennsylvania's premiere Steel Dragon tribute band, Chris Cole is Bobby Beers, mesmerizing audiences with his perfect imitation of Beers' electrifying vocals and sexy snarl.

The night his bandmates boot him out of the group he founded, Chris is devastated. That is, until an unexpected phone call changes his life forever, tapping him to replace Bobby Beers as the lead singer of Steel Dragon. In an instant, Chris puts his wanna-be dreams behind him and rockets to the dizzying heights of sudden stardom, rising from devotee to rock icon. 

Rock Star is set in 1985, at the height of a period of unparalleled excess in the rock world -- in the theatricality of the concerts as well as the off-stage antics of musicians, groupies and fans. Former hip-hop artist turned highly marketable actor Mark Wahlberg recognized the challenge in playing a rock star, since he never really listened to any rock or metal music growing up That is what attracted him to the role.

"I had no interest in metal growing up, which was why it was so exciting to play the part, to see if I could pull it off," he confesses. "I thought, 'Well, there aren't too many people that could,' and I knew a couple of these guys from early on in my music days and spent a lot of time around them."

Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins, who portrays Bradley, the lead singer for rival Steel Dragon tribute band Black Babylon, was never a metal fan either. "I was into Joy Division, The Police and The Clash," he says. "But I look back now and think, 'How can you front on Motley Crue?' 'Shout at the Devil' is a groove that's so deep down solid. And is there a better rock record than Back in Black? No. There are things that I missed."

Unlike many of the women who appear in the film, Friends star Jennifer Aniston says she was never a rock groupie. 
 
"Although, I did have one of those bad moments in my life where I slept out in front of a hotel with a friend," she says. "We were waiting for a band member of Duran Duran, and they weren't even at that hotel. That was the first and last time."

Originally intended for actor Brad Pitt, Wahlberg became attached to the role of the fan-turned-rock star when Pitt and Warner Bros. couldn't agree on a director they both wanted to helm the project. "George [Clooney] was attached as a producer, but Brad Pitt was attached as a producer," Wahlberg says. "That gave Brad every opportunity to find a director that he was comfortable with, but I finally got the part."

Even though the film's writer, John Stockwell (best known for his direction for the Kirsten Dunst film crazy/beautiful), spent time researching the role with Pitt, he feels that Wahlberg was the perfect guy for the role. "One thing that you always get nervous about when you write the role of a guy who has to stand up there in front of 20,000 people and know how to command a stage, is that it's a really different talent than staying small and contained for the camera," Stockwell says. "Mark, because of his background with Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, had been onstage in front of fans who were rabid and insane, and he knows how to work a crowd into a frenzy."

"A large reason I wanted to do the movie was because of Mark," reveals the film's director Stephen Herek. "I wanted to work with Mark because he's one of the most exciting actors on screen. I had no idea that Brad Pitt was ever involved with it until I came on and then I found out the history."

Along with Jenkins, many of the musicians that have roles in Rock Star are musicians in real life. Bass guitarist Jeff Pilson, best known for his work in the rock bands Dokken and Dio, says he came to his role in a round about way. "I was called to play bass for the soundtrack," he says. "They were thinking of getting an actor to play the bass player in the movie and they needed somebody to play the tracks. I came in and started rehearsing with the band and then it led to a music director position and as we started rehearsing, we built up a good camaraderie and Steven came in and watched the rehearsals, liked what he saw and offered me the part."

Jenkins came to the project when his friend, Wahlberg, asked him to be in it. "He came to a benefit I was doing," recounts Jenkins, "and we were hanging out and he said, 'I'm going to do this movie Rock Star and you should come and play my friend.' That was a bigger role, but I was on tour and didn't have time and wasn't going to let any film stuff get in the way of music, so instead I played his enemy, which was way more fun."

Having had no acting experience prior to this, Jenkins said he just tried to have fun, even though he was ill when he started the production. "It was hilarious," Jenkins says. "We were laughing the whole time. I had the flu and it was my first time ever on a film set. That day, I was like, 'Okay, vomit, now I'm ready,' but we got there and I just stepped right into it. As soon as we got started and as soon as we got rolling, we started getting into what was funny about being there and what was sort of ridiculous. What was cool about working with Mark was that he had no interest in projecting an image at all or maintaining his dignity and neither did I. We wanted to just really throw that right out and just get into how ridiculous this is, and I had a good time."

Now that he's had the opportunity to try his hand at acting, Jenkins has moved on to the lead role in an independent feature called Angelic Tuesday. "I play this young designer whose wife is a few years older than him," he says. "It's about the well-dressed, well-spoken class in Los Angeles and how they're as morally corrupt as everybody else. It's about these five people who all have agendas and they're all bad. It's really interesting to do, but it's interesting from an intellectual perspective -- breaking down a text, how you move it forward, those kinds of things. With that said, I like being a rock star . . . There's always been a rapture to being inside a good song. 

I get my piece of God through it. I'm in my favorite band and I want to go make another record and that's what we're going to do. That's where I'm at with it."

The extensive musical performances required by the script called for the implementation of a music boot camp, allowing the actors and musicians to work together on the music and choreography for a solid month before the start of principal photography. "It was a tough movie to make," adds Wahlberg. "Being onstage was not like my experience in the music world where you go out and do a show. We were filming these concerts and so it was take after take, 14 or 15 hour days with the vocal lessons and the guitar lessons and everything else."

When Chris Cole is chosen as Steel Dragon's lead singer, he is transformed from a small-town nobody into an instant icon. In order to be convincing as a rock star, the cast researched their characters by checking out legendary Sunset Strip clubs like the Rainbow and the Roxy, or attending performances of various tribute bands.

"I just took a crash course," says Wahlberg. "I went and hung out with all of these guys. I was researching the part pretty early. Actually, it was in the middle of shooting The Perfect Storm. I just went to as many concerts as I could and hung out with these guys and I've stayed in contact with a lot of them."

Even with all the research he did for the role, Wahlberg explained that hanging out backstage at a  concert is much different from portraying that lifestyle onscreen. "Unless you get an actor behind closed doors and out of the public, you don't know what they're really like," he says. "Rock stars get away with murder, just about. They do whatever they want, and actors are so busy lying and trying to portray some image and the littlest things becomes such a big deal. With musicians, it's expected, so they push it to the limit, like the Bobby Beers character."

Jenkins wasn't afraid to verify that the lifestyle portrayed in Rock Star really isn't too far off from the real thing. "It's funny how it does remain as a constant," he says, talking about female groupies. "I think that there's something erotic about that live exchange. 
 
Young people, when they get together, are going to try to have sex as much as possible. They always will."

"I thought [this film] was incredibly accurate," adds Pilson. "It has a comic spin to it but, overall, it really gave me the sensation of what it was like, even the dark edge to it and the 'Ew, I did that?,' kind of thing. It did the best possible job in two hours that showed what I took 20 years to do."

Since Wahlberg had achieved a respectable amount of success as a hip-hop artist, the actor also had his own experiences to draw on when approaching the role. "I tried to make my backstage life like that," he says, laughing. "I had it going a little bit, but not like these guys. With my shows, it was either 15-year-old girls, 35- or 40-year-old women, or 35- and 40-year-old guys, and I was 19 to 21."

Even though he has a history in the music business, Wahlberg had vocal training for the singing he does in the film. "I studied with a vocal coach for about six months," he admits, "even though we also had someone else who had originally sung the songs. Whenever we performed, we performed live."

When asked if making the film inspired him to go back into the recording studio, Wahlberg responds, "I wouldn't rule it out in the future for a movie, but for me to go and make a record and be on MTV with the Backstreet Boys and everybody, it just doesn't make that much sense to me. It seems like a lifetime ago, and it's not that I have anything against that, but it's not what kids are listening to."

One of the most memorable scenes in Rock Star is when Emily (Aniston) pierces her boyfriend Chris' nipple. "It was a stand-in nipple," says Aniston, laughing. "He lent us his nipple with the hole already pre-pierced. [Mark and I] were actually a little mortified. That was at the beginning of shooting when we really didn't know each other. We had been shooting for maybe two weeks at that point and I was still going back and forth doing Friends, so I wasn't there all the time. It was two strangers in a room with a needle and fake whiskey and the ice cubes and the director, and we were all sitting there trying to be comfortable and it was almost impossible."

Having recently received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Rachel on the long-running ensemble hit NBC television series Friends, Aniston is looking forward to the season ahead. "There is a lot going on," she reveals. "She's going to be dealing with the issue of [being pregnant] a lot and raising the baby on her own. She's going to be grasping with what it means to be a single mother and the struggle of it as opposed to the fantasy and the ideal."

Having done the series for a number of years now, it would be natural to assume that it's difficult to keep things fresh year after year. "It's not hard, I have to say," shrugs Aniston. "The writers are really good and they keep it interesting and everyone is still so present. We have so much fun and we make each other laugh and it's the writing, ultimately. If you have something interesting to play, it's not hard to stay focused and still care about it." 

That being said, it's understandable that Aniston would get emotional when discussing how she feels about this being the last year for the successful sitcom. "It's heartbreaking, actually," she says, teary-eyed. "If I think about it, it chokes me up to realize that this will be over. It's been a pretty intense eight years for this group of people. We've experienced a lot together and it's a major crossroads in our lives that we're at together, so it's very, very sad."

Though never having appeared in a television series like Aniston's Friends, multi-talented Wahlberg has already made 13 films in his short career, first launching into the public consciousness with his breakout performance in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights. Besides being internationally known for the ground-breaking Calvin Klein advertising campaign, the 30-year-old actor has made a name for himself with roles in such films as Planet of the Apes, The Perfect Storm, Three Kings and Fear. After having worked practically non-stop since the start of his acting career, Wahlberg is ready for some rest and relaxation.

"On the day that this movie comes out, I'm taking a break," he says. "I'm done for a little while. I'm doing three projects within the next year, but they're all kind of small movies that will only take eight to 10 weeks at the most to shoot, whereas Planet of the Apes was seven months and this was six months, counting the two months of preparation."

Wahlberg revealed that his favorite aspect of making Rock Star was being a part of all the energy on and around the set. "Stephen Herek is a good guy," he continues. "He's a good director, but he's a really good guy as well and he just kept everything loose and fun and we were able to really collaborate, and so it was nice just being on the set. The hardest part was that it was 80 degrees and I was wearing all that leather."

NEW YORK (AP) - Appeals by Hollywood actors and musicians during an unprecedented telethon last week generated more than $150 million in pledges to benefit families of the World Trade Center and Pentagon (news - web sites) attack victims. 

The money will be distributed through the United Way with no administrative costs deducted, organizers said on Monday. 

The pledges were made through 7 a.m. Monday to a Web site or to telephone numbers staffed by more than 38,000 volunteers and automated operators in the United States and Canada. 

``America: A Tribute to Heroes'' was shown on 35 separate broadcast and cable networks simultaneously on Friday and was seen by just under 60 million viewers. It featured actors like Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts making pitches, and musical performances from Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Stevie Wonder and many others. 

By contrast, the Live Aid concerts and Band Aid all-star Christmas recording during the 1980s raised a reported $110 million in relief for African famine victims. 

Organizers are also considering releasing a compact disc with some of the telethon's musical performances. 

Such an all-star album would probably generate much more income. Performances included an unrecorded song by Springsteen, ``My City in Ruins,'' Neil Young singing John Lennon's ``Imagine,'' Wyclef Jean doing Bob Marley's ``Redemption Song'' and Tom Petty singing ``I Won't Back Down.'' 

The night ended with two patriotic numbers: Canadian Celine Dion singing ``God Bless America'' and Willie Nelson leading an all-star version of ``America the Beautiful.'' 

ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox are paying production costs for the event, staged for security reasons without an audience in New York, Los Angeles and London. 

Pledges are still being accepted at the Web site www.tributetoheroes.org. 

HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The flicker of candles, in many other cases an overused prop, was an apt backdrop for Friday's somber and reflective collection of musical performances and readings, the flames a gentle reminder of our own precariousness.

Throughout the country, there has been a call for a return to normalcy, and via ``America: A Tribute to Heroes,'' the Big Four networks and talents from the highest ranks of acting and music created a bridge for Americans back into everyday life. Show was a seamless melody, though hastily assembled and broadcast from three locations. It's a sign, make that a beacon, of harmony not just among Americans and entertainers but within the executive offices of network television -- one that for this generation, should be remembered as TV's finest moment.

The show aired on more than 200 networks worldwide and was heard in more than 150 countries on radio, according to event organizers. Preliminary figures on donations from by phone and Internet pledges (http://www.tributetoheroes.org) will be known Monday.

Disturbing at times, uplifting in others, the parade of musicians hailed from rock, R&B and country, from elder statesmen such as Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Paul Simon to recent hitmakers such as Faith Hill, Enrique Iglesias and Alicia Keys.

Collectively, however, they demonstrated that they are cut from the same cloth: Deep down, they believe music has a healing power like no other art form and hearing a special song in a time of need helps lift some of that weight off the heart.

Readings and video clips personalized bravery, friendship, love and dedication; there were stories of how police officers, office workers and total strangers put a life or several in front of their own.

The promise of the title was fulfilled, starting with Tom Hanks, always brilliant when it comes to being understated and powerfully direct, who introduced the participants as ``merely artists and entertainers'' who joined to ``ensure that (victims') families are supported.''

Talent, assembled by MTV Video Music Awards producer Joel Gallen in four days, appeared for one song or reading each. None were introduced, no songs mentioned, no Chyron spelled out the name of performers. The focus stayed squarely on the intent of the evening, and at the best moments, the music served as an emotional coda to a particularly touching anecdote.

The words ``it was losing a saint,'' spoken by a man who has not yet found his wife, hung in the air as Neil Young gently coaxed out the introduction of John Lennon's ``Imagine,'' a marvelous choice enhanced by Young's tender delivery that turned inward its accusatory segment and made it a statement about his own lack of comprehension. He wasn't alone in choosing another musician's work to perform, and quite mysteriously, those that did provided the evening's most poignant moments. Wyclef Jean, wearing an American flag jacket, delivered an intoxicating version of Bob Marley's masterpiece ``Redemption Song''; Limp Bizkit and the Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik acoustically dove into Pink Floyd's ``Wish You Were Here''; Alicia Keys, alone at the piano, was an uplifting force on Donny Hathaway's ``Someday We'll All Be Free''; and Celine Dion kept focused her singing on Irving Berlin's ``God Bless America.''

Others opened up their own songs to new meaning, none better than Bruce Springsteen, who started the creditless show with ``My City of Ruin,'' a song he wrote about Asbury Park, N.J., that contains the powerful line of ``come on, rise up.'' It gave the two hours a sense of recovery and not just remembrance.

U2 performed from London, as did Sting, and the Irish band extended Springsteen's sentiment with ``Walk On.'' Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora turned the '80s arena classic ``Living on a Prayer'' into an intimate statement of helplessness.

Willie Nelson closed the night with ``America the Beautiful,'' bringing onstage many of the celebrities who had staffed the phones: Andy Garcia, Cuba Gooding Jr., Jack Nicholson, Whoopi Goldberg, Al Pacino, Sylvester Stallone, James Woods, Benicio Del Toro, Ben Stiller, Meg Ryan, Sally Field, Danny DeVito, Mark Wahlberg and others.

For once, star power ran on low wattage just fine.

Broadcast live from New York, Los Angeles and London. Producer, Joel Gallen.

Performers: Bruce Springsteen, Tom Hanks, Stevie Wonder, George Clooney, U2, Will Smith, Muhammad Ali, Faith Hill, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Enrique Iglesias, Jim Carrey, Neil Young, Cameron Diaz, Alicia Keys, Robin Williams, Limp Bizkit, John Rzeznik, Dennis Franz, Jimmy Smits, Billy Joel, Dixie Chicks, Dave Matthews, Conan O'Brien, Sarah Jessica Parker, Wyclef Jean, Amy Brenneman, Mariah Carey, Ray Romano, Bon Jovi, Lucy Liu, Sheryl Crow, Sela Ward, Jane Kaczmarek, Sting, Julia Roberts, Eddie Vedder, Chris Rock, Paul Simon, Robert De Niro, Celine Dion, Clint Eastwood, Willie Nelson.

JACK Nicholson answered the telephone while Celine Dion captured the mood of a nation singing "God Bless America" in a national telethon that initially raised $230 million in the wake of the September 11 terrorist strikes.

Film, music and television stars put aside their celebrity and, without introduction, sang songs, told stories about ordinary people performing heroic deeds, or manned the phones during the 90-minute broadcast.

Organised in Los Angeles in just four days, the telethon, "A Tribute to Heroes", was the entertainment industry's biggest fund-raiser since Live Aid in 1985.

In a TV studio adorned with hundreds of candles and little else, Bruce Springsteen set the mood for the telecast by intoning the TV audience to, "Come on, rise up".

Then dual Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks put the evening in perspective.

"Those of us here tonight are not heroes," he said.

"We are merely artists, entertainers, here to raise spirits and, we hope, a great deal of money."

Other stars who took part included George Clooney, Cameron Diaz, Calista Flockhart, Al Pacino and Robin Williams.

George Clooney made the first real appeal for money 15 minutes into "Tribute" but not before telling the story of John Perry, a New York policeman who was in Manhattan only to file his retirement papers and died after he rushed to the World Trade Centre.

The only time actors such as Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Robin Williams, Jennifer Aniston, Calista Flockhart and Tom Cruise spoke was to tell stories of ordinary people caught up in the tragedy.

In between, musicians such as U2 live from London, Stevie Wonder, Faith Hill and Paul Simon performed songs relevant to the tragedy.Neil Young covered John Lennon's Imagine, Billy Joel sang New York State of Mind, Paul Simon reprised Bridge Over Troubled Waters and Tom Petty sang Won't Back Down. Occasionally there were shots of Benezio Del Toro, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Whoopi Goldberg and Mark Wahlberg answering telephones. One of the most poignant moments was when boxing legend Muhammad Ali spoke.

"I'm a Muslim. I've been a Muslim for 20 years," he said.

"I wouldn't be here to represent Islam if it were the way the terrorists made it look. Islam is for peace. If I could do something about this I would." All the major American networks suspended normal programming to participate in the telethon.

Two hours after the telecast finished on the country's east coast, it had unofficially raised $US116 million ($230 million).

NEW YORK (AP) - Nearly 60 million people in the United States watched Hollywood's finest pay tribute to real-life heroes during an unprecedented benefit for victims of the terrorist attacks. 

The telethon was shown Friday night on more than 30 networks, including the six biggest broadcasters - ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN and the WB. It was seen in an estimated 210 countries. 

The 59.3 million people who watched on a Friday - normally one of the least-watched nights of the week - compares to the 80 million or so who watched the Super Bowl or news coverage the night of the attacks on Sept. 11, Nielsen Media Research said Saturday. 

It topped, for example, the 51 million people who watched the final ``Survivor'' in the summer of 2000. 

Nielsen estimated that about 89 million people watched at least a little of the benefit. The 59.3 million figure is Nielsen's estimate of who was watching during an average minute of the two-hour show. 

Organizers said Saturday they won't know until at least Monday how much money was raised to help the World Trade Center and Pentagon (news - web sites) attack victims. The telethon logged 300,000 calls in the first 15 minutes of the live telecast. It was seen on tape on the West Coast. 

From Tom Hanks to Julia Roberts, actors made understated appeals for donations, telling stories of innocent people killed and heroic acts. They alternated short speeches with singers such as Willie Nelson and Wyclef Jean, who performed on sets decorated with hundreds of burning candles. 

``We are not healers,'' Hanks said. ``We are not protectors of this great nation. We are merely artists, entertainers, here to raise spirits and, we hope, a great deal of money.'' 

Nelson led an all-star version of ``America the Beautiful'' with Stevie Wonder on harmonica and Mariah Carey, in one of her first public appearances since her breakdown, on backup vocals. Canadian singer Celine Dion's version of ``God Bless America.'' 

``America: A Tribute to Heroes'' was reminiscent of the Live Aid concerts for famine relief in 1985, but that wasn't available across such a wide spectrum of networks. 

The star power was intense, and the production complex. Within the first 15 minutes, Bruce Springsteen, Wonder and the rock band U2 performed on stages in New York, Los Angeles and London. For security reasons, there was no audience. 

``This is a prayer for our fallen brothers and sisters,'' Springsteen said before singing one of his newer songs, ``My City of Ruins.'' 

Neil Young performed the late John Lennon's hit, ``Imagine.'' Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played their defiant ``I Won't Back Down.'' Jean, dressed in stars and stripes, sang Bob Marley's ``Redemption Song.'' 

With such stars as Tom Cruise, Roberts and Jim Carrey and a two-hour limit, it was hard to fit in everybody. Meg Ryan, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone and other celebrities were relegated to the phone bank, answering contributors' calls. 

Actor Will Smith appeared with the boxer he's portraying in an upcoming movie, Muhammad Ali, to remind viewers not to target all Muslims in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. 

``I wouldn't be here representing Islam if it were terrorist,'' Ali said. ``I think all people should know the truth, come to recognize the truth. Islam is peace.'' 

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Tonight, in breathtaking show of support, actors, musicians, artists and athletes joined together for ``America: A Tribute to Heroes,'' an emotional, uplifting and unprecedented fundraising effort to benefit the survivors and the families of those victimized by the terrorist attacks on America.

Bruce Springsteen opened the live two-hour, commercial-free, simulcast program with ``My City In Ruins,'' a poignant acoustic ballad he wrote to honor the memory of those lost in the September 11 tragedy. Springsteen was followed by Tom Hanks, who offered a reminder to the families of the victims that they are supported by the larger American family. ``We are not healers,'' Hanks said. ``We are not protectors of this great nation. We are merely artists, entertainers, here to raise spirits and, we hope, a great deal of money.''

Other highlights from the broadcast, which united participants on both American coasts as well as in the U.K., included a joint appearance by Will Smith and Muhammad Ali, who denounced the destructive acts of hatred and urged people to stand together; an appeal for kindness, love and unity from Julia Roberts; moving tributes to the courageous and the fallen by Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, George Clooney, Robin Williams and Chris Rock - who reminded us all that ``Heroes don't give up'' -- and Clint Eastwood, who asserted that ``The terrorists who wanted 300 million victims will instead get 300 million heroes.''

In addition to spoken words of remembrance and inspiration, musicians provided some of the evening's most memorable moments. Following Tom Petty's searing rendition of his defiant anthem ``I Won't Back Down'' were stirring musical performances from Mariah Carey, Wyclef Jean, Sting, U2, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young and Celine Dion, who delivered an inspired, choir-backed version of ``God Bless America,'' and Willie Nelson, who closed the show with a heartfelt rendition of ``America the Beautiful'' accompanied by all of the celebrities from the Los Angeles portion of the telecast.

In addition to performers who appeared on camera, a number of celebrities volunteered their time to man a phone bank, taking caller donations from around the nation and Canada.

All funds raised from this extraordinary event will go to the September 11 Telethon Fund, administered by the United Way working with an oversight committee appointed to best determine the fund's allocation. If you would like to continue to participate in this historic fundraising effort, donations can be made at www.tributetoheroes.org or AOL keyword: Tribute, or via U.S. Mail at P.O. Box 203103, Houston, TX 77216-3103.

Those members of the entertainment industry who generously donated their time and talents to ``America: A Tribute to Heroes'' include (in alphabetical order): Muhammad Ali, Jon Bon Jovi, Amy Brenneman, Mariah Carey, Jim Carrey, George Clooney, Sheryl Crow, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Celine Dion, Dixie Chicks, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, Calista Flockhart, Dennis Franz, Kelsey Grammer, Tom Hanks, Faith Hill, Enrique Iglesias, Wyclef Jean, Billy Joel, Jane Kaczmarek, Alicia Keys, Limp Bizkit, Lucy Liu, Dave Matthews, Willie Nelson, Conan O'Brien, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tom Petty, Julia Roberts, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Richie Sambora, Paul Simon, Will Smith, Jimmy Smits, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, U2, Eddie Vedder, Sela Ward, Robin Williams, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young.

Among those celebrities who manned the phones and took caller donations during the live, two-hour telecast were: Halle Berry, Cindy Crawford, Penelope Cruz, John Cusack, Benicio Del Toro, Danny DeVito, Sally Field, Andy Garcia, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr., Goldie Hawn, Salma Hayek, Michael Keaton, Reba McEntire, Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino, Rhea Perlman, Brad Pitt, Kurt Russell, Meg Ryan, Adam Sandler, Sylvester Stallone, Ben Stiller, Mark Wahlberg, James Woods.

Over 35 network and cable outlets simultaneously broadcast ``America: A Tribute to Heroes,'' including: ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, A&E, BET, CMT: Country Music Television, Comedy Central, Court TV, Discovery, E!, Fox Family, Fox Sports Net, FX, Galavision, Hallmark Channel, HBO, Lifetime, MTV, Oxygen, PAX, PBS, Sci-Fi, SHOWTIME, Sundance Channel, Telemundo, TLC, TNN, TNT, The WB, Turner South, Univision, UPN, USA Network, VH1.

``America: A Tribute to Heroes'' was simulcast on the Internet at www.tributetoheroes.org, tribute.yahoo.com, and at AOL Keyword: Tribute, as well as on more than 8,000 radio outlets around the country, including Westwood One, Clear Channel Communications and ABC Radio affiliates in major markets.

Internationally, ``America: A Tribute to Heroes'' has been distributed to broadcasters and cablecasters in more than 210 countries around the world. Further, AFN, the American Forces Network carried the program live on radio and television to American soldiers, sailors, airman and marines in over 175 countries around the world. 

SOURCE: America: A Tribute to Heroes Press Office 

LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Sept. 18, 2001--On Friday, Sept. 21 (9 p.m. - 11 p.m.), the entertainment industry will come together in a historic fashion to raise funds and raise the spirits of all who have been touched by the horrific tragedy that has struck America. 

In an unprecedented cooperative and collaborative effort, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC will present ``America: A Tribute to Heroes,'' a live two-hour, commercial-free simulcast bringing the American family together to salute the American spirit, and raising funds for a long-term relief effort for the thousands and thousands of Americans who have directly suffered from this heinous assault on humanity. 

From New York and Los Angeles, celebrities from television, feature films, music, sports and news will take part in an unforgettable and uplifting evening filled with music, memories, hope and inspiration. 

Participating at press time, in alphabetical order, are: Bon Jovi, Amy Brennenman, Jim Carrey, George Clooney, Sheryl Crow, Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, The Dixie Chicks, Robert De Niro, Clint Eastwood, Calista Flockhart, Dennis Franz, Kelsey Grammer, Tom Hanks, Faith Hill, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Conan O'Brien, Tom Petty, Ray Romano, Julia Roberts, Paul Simon, Will Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Sela Ward, Robin Williams, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young. More to follow. 

All funds raised from this program will go to the relief effort. All costs will be underwritten by the networks, and everyone involved will be donating his or her time and resources. 

``America: A Tribute to Heroes'' will seek to unite a shaken world with words and music while paying tribute to the indomitable spirit, unfaltering fortitude and courage that truly makes America ``the land of the free and the home of the brave.'' 

``America: A Tribute to Heroes'' will be broadcast live in the Eastern and Central time zones and tape-delayed in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. ``America: A Tribute to Heroes'' will also be videostreamed on the Internet. All of the other broadcast networks, cable networks and radio networks are being invited to carry the feed. 

Editor's note: Announcements regarding additional celebrity participation and further carriage will be posted at abcmedianet.com, cbspressexpress.com, foxflash.com and nbcmv.com, as well as disseminated via traditional means. Please direct your readers/viewers to the consumer Web sites: abc.com, cbs.com, fox.com, nbci.com, AOL and Yahoo! 

Means and methods for donation will be announced on the program. 
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Contact: 

     "America: A Tribute to Heroes"
     Press Office, 818/954-7667

LOS ANGELES (The Hollywood Reporter) --- Moviegoing in North America held up relatively well during the first weekend following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.

Receipts generated by the 103 features tracked by The Hollywood Reporter totaled $66.2 million, 23% higher than the comparable period in 2000, which was one of the weakest sessions of last year. Sales slipped 13% from last weekend.

Paramount's "Hardball" opened in first place with $9.3 million, a performance that met prerelease expectations. The story of a gambler (Keanu Reeves) who finds personal redemption in coaching a team of economically disadvantaged Little Leaguers succeeded by playing to a broad audience base.

The expected family following showed up: Females predominated over males, and 50% of the crowd was under age 25, according to surveys conducted by CinemaScore.com on Friday night, suggesting a mothers-with-children turnout. That 20% of the audience came from the 18- to 24-year-old camp indicates that young adults without children attended as well.

Going forward, "Hardball" can be expected to benefit from favorable word-of-mouth as 92% of the survey sample reacted positively. That only one new feature -- Fox's Mariah Carey musical drama "Glitter" -- debuts nationally Friday represents another positive as it will play largely outside "Hardball's" crowd. 

Warner Bros.' "Training Day" starring Denzel Washington and Buena Vista's Tim Allen vehicle "Big Trouble" were pulled from Friday's schedule because of story line concerns related to the terrorist situation.

Sony's "The Glass House," which also opened in wide release Friday, placed second at $5.7 million, a performance that likewise was in line with prerelease projections. The thriller about two teenagers (Leelee Sobieski and Trevor Morgan) who take parental rebellion to new heights garnered a good 83% favorable audience rating while playing to a primarily mature market. 

Universal's "The Musketeer," the top feature the previous weekend, was cut nearly in half in its sophomore session to $5.5 million. The period swashbuckler starring Justin Chambers stands at $17.8 million after 10 days.

Sony's romantic comedy "Two Can Play That Game" placed fourth with $4.8 million, a slide of 40% in its second soiree. Sales for the Vivica A. Fox-Morris Chestnut outing sit at $13.3 million.

Dimension's "The Others" continued to draw crowds in its sixth weekend, easing a modest 20% to $4.6 million. The horror-thriller featuring Nicole Kidman has generated $73.4 million.

New Line's "Rush Hour 2" was next at $4.1 million, off a mild 29% in its seventh stanza. The Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker sequel has done $211.1 million.

MGM's "Jeepers Creepers" eased 38% in its third term to $3.8 million. The teen-oriented horror item has claimed $29.7 million.

Universal's "American Pie 2" earned $3.6 million in its sixth contest, down only 24%. Revenues total $135.9 million.

Paramount's "Rat Race" finished ninth at $3.55 million, a decline of only 20% in its fifth foray. The comedy has amassed $47.7 million.

Warners' "Rock Star" rounded out the top 10, falling 44% in its second weekend to $3.4 million. The drama toplining Mark Wahlberg has raised $11 million.

In limited-release action, Sony Classics' "Haiku Tunnel" generated $35,386 in eight locales in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Josh Kornbluth co-wrote, directed and stars in the comedy.

Artisan's "Soul Survivors" got slammed in its second weekend, losing 49% of opening-weekend sales to $587,269 in 604 situations.

SYDNEY (Variety) - While many folks overseas stayed riveted to their TV screens last weekend following the attacks in the United States, ``Planet of the Apes,'' and the Nicole Kidman pair of ``The Others'' and ``Moulin Rouge'' provided compelling box office diversions, and the attrition in some markets was no worse than normal for this time of year.

With hindsight, last week may not have been the best time to launch the terrorist-themed ``Swordfish,'' yet the John Travolta/Hugh Jackman starrer took the top spot in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, albeit with unexceptional numbers.

But ``A.I. Artificial Intelligence'' probably did not suit the prevailing mood, resulting in mediocre premieres in Australia, New Zealand and German-speaking markets.

The ``Apes'' remake was the weekend's top earner, commanding $8.6 million from 36 markets, including a $1.9 million first-place bow in Italy, hoisting its foreign total to $156.3 million. Stellar totals include Japan's $34 million, the U.K.'s $23 million, France's $16.6 million, and, through their third laps, Germany's $11 million and Spain's $10.1 million.

``The Others'' scared up a neat $1 million in Italy (trailing ``Apes'') and reigned in its sophomore session in director Alejandro Amenabar's native Spain, snaring a superb $3 million, down just 9%. The 10-day tally is $8.6 million.

``Moulin Rouge'' ruled in the U.K., ringing up $2.7 million in its second stanza (off 15%), bringing the market total to $8.3 million. Fox's tuner whistled up an OK $252,000 in Hong Kong, behind fellow rookie ``Scary Movie 2'' and local picture ``Horror Hotline: Big Head Monster.'' ``Moulin's'' foreign total hit $34.9 million.

``The Fast and the Furious'' entered Blighty, its second major territory after Mexico, clocking a solid $2.4 million.

``Swordfish'' stole $1.6 million in France, $337,000 in Holland, $318,000 in Belgium and a so-so $164,000 in Sweden. The foreign total is $39.1 million, with a bunch of markets including Germany, Japan and Taiwan still ahead.

``A.I.'' materialized in Germany at No. 2 with $1.9 million, fractionally up on ``Eyes Wide Shut'' but no match for the fourth outing of ``Bridget Jones's Diary'' (whose market total is a fab $11.9 million).

Steven Spielberg's dark sci-fier ranked first in a soft weekend in Oz with $831,000 and in New Zealand and German-speaking Switzerland; it took the second spot in Austria. The foreign total reached $104.2 million -- the 16th title to cross $100 million this year -- helped by Brazil's $2.3 million and Argentina's $867,000, both in its second turn.

``The Princess Diaries'' fetched an encouraging $712,000 Down Under, positioned to capitalize on the school vacation that begins in two states this weekend. Disney's picture has taken a fair $425,000 in Taiwan.

``A Knight's Tale'' led the field in Mexico (where the box office was flattened by Independence Day celebrations) with $919,000 and entered the Philippines and South Africa at No. 1, but the picture was a lowly fifth in Belgium. The medieval romp eased by 23% in Germany, scoring a solid $4 million in 11 days, and by 23% in Spain, for $2.4 million in 10 days.

The Japanese-produced ``Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'' launched in its home market with a moderate $2 million in two days, augmenting its $40.3 million gross from the rest of the world outside North America.