PEOPLE

COMPILED BY RAYMOND A. EDEL
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
03-22-2000
PEOPLE
COMPILED BY RAYMOND A. EDEL
Date: 03-22-2000, Wednesday
Section: NEWS
Edition: All Editions -- Four Star B, Three Star B, Two Star P, One Star B
Column: PEOPLE

RABBIT HOPS AGAIN

A decade after he was presumed dead and gone, one of literature's
most celebrated characters will return -- sort of -- this fall: John
Updike's Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom.

"I thought somebody might be curious what happened to the people who
knew him," said Updike, winner of Pulitzer Prizes for two of his four
"Rabbit" novels. "There were a lot of unresolved issues."

A prolific author who often publishes at least once a year, Updike
will include the novella "Rabbit Remembered" in his upcoming collection
"Licks of Love." The story takes place at the turn of the millennium and
includes reflections by Rabbit's wife, Janice; his son, Nelson, and
various friends and acquaintances.

"No, I haven't brought Rabbit back," Updike said with a laugh. "But
he's kind of a ghostly presence because everybody is talking about
him."

SILENT NO MORE

Anthony Hopkins will reprise his Oscar-winning role as Hannibal "The
Cannibal" Lecter in the sequel to "The Silence of the Lambs" and
Julianne Moore will star as FBI Agent Clarice Starling.

In confirming the cast, Universal Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
said Ridley Scott ("Thelma and Louise," "Alien," "Blade Runner") will
direct the thriller. Jonathan Demme directed the original, which also
won the Oscar for best picture of 1991. Jodie Foster played Starling.

The two studios are co-financing the sequel, which begins production
in May in Italy. A release date has not yet been set.

TROUBLE'S IDENTITY

Actor Jerry Orbach tried to take law and order into his own hands
when he filed a lawsuit blaming an Internet auction site for letting his
Social Security number spill into cyberspace and thieves' hands.

Orbach, the "Law & Order" television star, said in a lawsuit filed
in U.S. District Court in Manhattan that eBay has advertised on its Web
site since last Wednesday that it was selling two of his 1958 contracts.

The ad, he said, featured a digital image of three documents, one of
which included his Social Security number.

As a result, Orbach, 64, has suffered "identity theft" and credit
card fraud that has damaged his credit rating and hurt his personal and
professional life as well as his reputation, the lawsuit alleged.

An eBay spokesman said the items were removed from the Web site last
Wednesday or Thursday, as soon as the company got a telephone call
alerting it that the items might have been improperly placed there by
one of eBay's users.

SINGING `SOUTH PARK'

The rumors are true: A very hairy funnyman will be taking a crack at
"Blame Canada" at the Oscars on Sunday. That's right, Robin Williams
will be belting out the now-famous cut from "South Park: Bigger, Longer
& Uncut."

"I have witnessed a rehearsal," said Lili Fini Zanuck, who will
produce Oscarcast 2000 with husband Richard. "It's funny, big, and
interesting. I don't want to say anything more. I want to keep America
on the edge of its seat."

Will Williams be singing those four-letter words come Sunday night?
"It's a surprise, but I'm not worried," said Lili.

A tip for TV viewers who need to get up early the next day: The
song is expected to be performed within the first 90 minutes of the
telecast.

BATTLING CANCER

A week after removal of a cancerous testicle, MTV shock-comic Tom
Green was back in surgery Tuesday to make certain all the cancerous
cells were successfully removed.

Green, 28, was "in excellent spirits and is expected to make a full
recovery soon," said his publicist, Marleah Leslie.

The comic, known for playing lewd practical jokes on his parents and
friends, announced his cancer battle during an interview on
"Entertainment Tonight."

Illustrations/Photos: 3 PHOTOS 1 - JOHN UPDIKE. 2 - JULIANNE MOORE. 3 - ROBIN
WILLIAMS.

Copyright 2000 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.