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Exercise has countless benefits during pregnancy: It can increase your energy, brighten your mood, and help relieve backaches. But as your pregnancy progresses, your regular exercise plan may no longer [...]

The article looks at new celebrity moms. These first-time moms have brought home their newborns and survived--happily--the ensuing sleepless nights. True, for celebs domestic help usually adds to their domestic bliss, but now the real labor begins as they get back in shape, learn to juggle jobs and kids, and start a new life where parenthood suddenly takes center stage. Gwyneth Paltrow and Apple Blythe Alison, 4 months: Forget the first smile (though they are heart-melting). The real milestones in a new mother's life are: (1) Getting back into skinny jeans; and (2) Leaving the kid with a sitter for the first time.By returning to her yoga mat--which she had used throughout the pregnancy, alongside supportive husband Chris Martin--Paltrow, 31, turned up scarcely a month after Apple's May 14 birth in a pair of slender Seven jeans. Brooke Shields and Rowan Frances, 16 months: "I know every mother says the same thing," says Shields, 39, apologetically. "But I think she's the most beautiful baby in the world. Sometimes I look at her and I'm not sure I bargained to love that much. Did I really need to feel this much love?" Though she and her TV writer husband, Chris Henchy, 40, doted on Rowan after her May 15 arrival last year, Shields felt another thing she hadn't counted on: postpartum depression. Since confronting the problem, the actress is writing a book, to be published next year, called "Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression".

Celebrities may not be superhuman, but they often look that way. Mere mortals face a constant struggle with those extra 5 or 10 lbs., but actresses and pop stars always manage to show up on red carpets looking svelte and perfect. Even when they do gain a few pounds, they're somehow able to drop the weight with amazing speed, and in no time they're back at a premiere, reed thin and smiling for the camera. And the camera adds 5 lbs.! How do they do it?Some stars do it the old-fashioned way, with hard work. Drew Barrymore and Beyonce are both runners; Queen Latifah and Sophie Dahl diet and have hired trainers. But others desperate to stay skinny opt for more extreme measures--and in most cases refuse to talk to about it. Human growth hormone, approved for treatment of hormone deficiencies, including those that cause dwarfism, is now "very fashionable" as a weight-loss aid, says one doctor. Mesotherapy, or multiple injections of herbs and drugs believed to dissolve fat, is growing in popularity despite lacking specific FDA approval. Extreme dieters have embraced a cabinet full of appetite suppressants and other medications designed to help shed pounds.Other ways the stars try to keep slim which are questionable. INSETS: Prescriptions for Trouble?;COLONICS BY THE CABANA.

New mom Kate Hudson appreciates all the well-intentioned parenting advice she's been receiving, but by now she has something she'd like to say in return: Back off. She's doing just fine with help from new grandma "Gogo"--a.k.a. Hudson's mom, mentor and best friend, Goldie Hawn, who's now embracing her inner granny. Says Hudson: "She's very happy to take on that role." They share an incredible relationship. But perhaps it is baby Ryder--whose middle name is a nod to Hawn's longtime partner, Kurt Russell, 53 (whom Hudson calls Pa)--who has most cemented the bond between mother and daughter. In 2002 Hawn and Russell purchased a $2.2 million Tudor-style home in rainy Vancouver so that their son Wyatt, 17, could pursueb his pro-hockey dreams. While Hawn and Russell are camped out north of the border, Hudson and Robinson have finally settled into their first home--not coincidentally, the very same house in Pacific Palisades that Hawn bought when she was pregnant with Kate. Goldie, Kate, Oliver and Kurt have joined forces to create a family-run production company, Cosmic Entertainment. INSETS: BAND OF BROTHERS;MY MOTHER, MY SELF.

Discusses how actor Johnny Depp was given the title for the sexiest man alive in 2003 by 'People' magazine. His role in the motion picture 'Pirates of the Caribbean'; Consideration of his relationship with girlfriend Vanessa Paradis; How Depp has been known to criticize the United States; Popularity of the nightclub, ManRay, owned by Depp in Paris; Dedication to his children Lily-Rose and Jack. INSETS: Deconstructing DeppThe bits and pieces add up to a true...;His True Love...;Women of His Past.

After struggling to rebuild her marriage, Halle Berry leaves her cheating husband, Eric Benet--the latest in a line of men who've failed her. So why can't one of the world's most beautiful women find a half-decent guy? Halle Berry wanted to make the August evening special for Eric Benet. After all, she and her musician husband were celebrating an important anniversary--not one honoring their nearly three-year marriage but a single year of his living clean from his so-called sex addiction, which had first made tabloid headlines in April 2002, when the news broke that he had had an affair with an old lover and admitted to having made "terrible mistakes." Through it all Berry stood by him, citing her commitment to their marriage and to his 11-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, India, to whom Berry had become extremely close. On that summer evening, she offered more proof of her support for Benet: She had collected personal notes from several family members--including India--and taken them to the posh West Hollywood paper shop Soolip to be rewritten by their calligrapher onto vintage paper. Six weeks later, the Oscar-winning actress has had a change of heart. On Oct. 1 Berry, 37, announced that she and Benet, also 37, were separating. "Eric and I have had marital problems for some time now and have tried to work things out," she said in a statement released through her publicist. "However, at this point, I feel we need time apart to reevaluate our union.".

The article details how celebrities prepare for the Emmy Awards. Seamstresses begin reworking Poppy Montgomery's Richard Tyler gown after its zipper broke the previous evening. Will & Grace's Shelley Morrison lights a soy candle for Debra Messing, hoping her castmate will finally win an Emmy. Kristin Davis is stuck on the red carpet and doesn't make it inside the Shrine Auditorium in time for the first award. After holding court with Courteney Cox Arquette, David Arquette, Rob Lowe and Mike Myers at the HBO party for two hours, Jennifer Aniston heads for the exit arm in arm with Lowe and pals.

What's it really like to be a star during Oscars week? To find out, America Online asked a few to document their doings; the resulting photographs are posted online through March 31, 2003. (For each shot used, AOL is making a donation to U2 singer Bono's charity DATA, which fights poverty and AIDS in Africa.) Meryl Streep captured herself mugging with Oscar joke writer Bruce Vilanch, Diane Lane shot her Best Documentary Feature presenter's speech, Adrien Brody posed with just about everyone. But Colin Farrell, living up to his reputation as Hollywood's hardest partyer, got the liveliest shots.

Presents the reflections of a number of celebrities on the Academy Awards ceremony. Thoughts of Randy Newman on winning an award for the song "If I Didn't Have You," from the film "Monsters, Inc." in 2002; Memory of Isaac Mizrahi of a dress worn by Faye Dunaway at the Oscars; Thoughts of Gil Cates on producing the Oscar show; Patty Fox, a style consultant on the program who has tried to create interest in what the celebrities wear to the event; Thoughts of film critic Richard Roeper on the Oscars.

Presents record-setting milestone moments from the Academy Awards. Way that Jack Nicholson has been nominated 12 times for an Oscar, including for the film "About Schmidt"; Meryl Streep, the actress who has been nominated the most times for an Oscar; Number of Oscars won by Walt Disney; Length of the thank-you speech given by Cuba Gooding, Jr. when he received an award; Way that Trey Parker and Matt stone wore gowns to the ceremony in 2000.

Presents confessions of celebrities on how they cope with sore feet, tight gowns, missing buttons, and broken jewelry during the Academy Awards ceremony. Way that Susan Sarandon went without jewelry in 1996, because her earrings broke; Heather Graham, whose Versace gown kept getting stepped on; Situation in which Goldie Hawn's gown fell off because a button broke; Thoughts of Kate Winslet on how her shoes are always too tight.

Two winners stayed home, another was booed, and a certain Iraqi dictator got cut from the act. If you missed all this, here's our Q&A guide to a most intriguing telecast of the Academy Awards. Why didn't Renée Zellweger sing the Chicago number? In the movie, Best Song nominee "I Move On" is performed by Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Yet Zellweger decided weeks before the ceremony that she wasn't going to perform on the telecast. During Nicole Kidman's emotional Best Actress acceptance speech, she tearfully praised her mother, Janelle, and daughter Isabella, 10, but left out her dad, Antony, who was sitting with the family. Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Tatum O'Neal all were accompanied by their little girls, while Kidman, Adrien Brody and Queen Latifah brought their proud parents as dates.

In a town where understatement is a foreign language, dressing for the Academy Awards triggered a flurry of second thoughts. When the traditional long red-carpet stroll was canceled,Hollywood collected backup outfits in muted tones and shuddered over the prospect of pant suits. Most stars chose the luscious gowns and the luxurious gems, but when in doubt, they downsized. Presenter Diane Lane attends rehearsal at the Kodak Theatre. Just three hours until showtime, and Jennifer Lopez still hasn't decided what she'll wear. Stopping short of full-on glamor, Renee Zellweger wore just one vintage Neil Lane ruby ring with her embroidered silk chiffon Carolina Herrera dress.

Discusses how pregnant celebrity moms use the help of nutritionists and private Pilates instructors to lose extra weight. Custom weight-training workouts and yoga are popular amoung celebrities. Cindy Crawford lost weight with the help of exercise videos and weight lifting. She adhered to a diet of fruits and vegetables. Julianne More used yoga and enlisted the help of New York City personal trainer Kacy Duke.

The Golden Globes telecast lasted just 180 minutes, but between prepping and partying, the day was a marathon for stars. At 8:00 a.m. Nia Vardalos goes for a run. At 11:34 a.m. Sarah Jessica Parker stockpiles some freebies at HBO's Peninsula suite--including Leslie Greene diamond bracelets, a $650 Maurice La-croix watch and a bushelful of beauty products. At 9:33 p.m. at the Paramount party at the Hilton's Stardust Room, Harrison Ford signs autographs while Calista Flockhart chows down on shrimp. At 1:00 a.m., Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and Nicole Kidman are among celebs still partying the night away at Creative Artists Agency's after-afterparty at Chaya Brasserie.

Sure, Mom and Dad are pretty famous. But to Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas, the real star of the household is their son Dylan. Zeta-Jones's sizzling turn in the movie version of the musical 'Chicago' has critics thoroughly lathered -- by her singing and dancing chops as well as her flashes of well-toned thigh. Already nominated for a Golden Globe, Zeta-Jones may get a chance at an Oscar to match her husband's two. While she and Douglas have apartments in Los Angeles and New York City as well as lavish getaways in Mallorca and Aspen, they recently decided to make Bermuda their home base. Douglas's mother's family goes back 300 years on the island, where the two just finished renovating an 1821 estate, and Dylan started at a nearby nursery school this month. The family mingled with dozens of Douglas's local kin during a whirlwind holiday season highlighted by the Dec. 28 wedding of Douglas's mother, Diana Darrid, 79, to Donald Albert Webster, 72, a former U.S. Treasury official, in a candlelit island church. INSET: Life in Bermuda: Sun, Sand and Play Dates.

Last Aug. 13 the cast of 'Friends' assembled in a nondescript conference room at Warner Bros.' Burbank studio to read the script for Episode 195--the first of 25 that would mark the sitcom's ninth and final season. Ever since the show's six stars hitched up last winter for one last season at $1 million an episode, 'Friends' has been dangled before the viewing public as Must-See-or-You-Will-Regret-It-for-the-Rest-of-Your-Life TV. "Cherish every episode," urge the NBC promos, as if offering the last drops of a vintage Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Signals from New York City to Los Angeles increasingly suggest 'Friends'will be back for one more season because the cast members still like it--and NBC still needs it. No deal has yet been struck, and all sides--the stars, NBC and Warner Bros. After all, when it was announced last winter that there would be no 'Friends' beyond 2003, the cast sensed the time probably had come to move on. This fall's Emmy wins--Aniston's for best actress and the show for best comedy--seemed to put the right bow on the package. That can't have escaped the attention of Cox, wed since 1999 to David Arquette, or Aniston, wed since 2000 to Brad Pitt. She earned marvelous reviews in this summer's film 'The Good Girl' and shot a comedy, 'Bruce Almighty,' with Jim Carrey.

At 65, Jack Nicholson still savors great roles and the good life. More than 30 years after stumbling onto fame in the film 'Easy Rider,' the 65-year-old actor still appears ready to head out on life's highway looking for adventure. Devoted to his children, the Los Angeles Lakers and the single life, he shows no sign of slowing--or settling--down. By contrast, his character in the dark comedy 'About Schmidt' is a Winnebago-driving retiree wrestling with issues of mortality and--for once--a love interest close to his own age, played by Kathy Bates. Many critics predict the performance will earn him a fourth Oscar, which would tie the record held by Katharine Hepburn.

These Americans have courage and resourcefulness in common. Adrift in a boat after their uncle falls overboard, two levelheaded kids pluck him from the sea. "It was kind of scary," says Alex Walsh, a third-grader at James Marlowe Elementary School. A cool-headed Alex maneuvered to his uncle, put the boat into neutral and tossed a line that Craig Ferguson used to haul himself aboard. As a fire engulfed the rented Sacramento home of Sofia Monteiro, she led two of her children by the hand through dense smoke, thinking that the other two were right behind her, but Romanian immigrant Gabriel Gherle helped rescue her twins. Megan Van Cleave was walking home from school in Clarkston, Wash., when she was forced at gunpoint into the back of an automobile. Kim Heimgartner followed the vehicle and alerted police on her cell phone. Millionaire Jack Roush could have celebrated April 19, his 60th birthday, any way he wanted--but crashing a light plane into a lake wasn't quite what he had in mind. Thanks to game warden and retired Marine sergeant major Larry Hicks, however, the NASCAR mogul went home to Michigan with a gift even he couldn't buy: his life. Randy Lehfeldt had no idea that anything was wrong when he took off in his ultralight plane. But minutes later a man ran into the office of tiny Redlands (Calif.) Municipal Airport, screaming that one of the plane's wheels had fallen off as Lehfeldt left the ground. How aviation buff Dustin Baker, 12 helped him land safely. What clinched a Phoenix Police certificate for Melinda Haggan was that she's a one-legged paraplegic confined to a wheelchair who chased down a purse snatcher. Mary Whitehead, a homeless mother, and Bob Hughes, 46, a local TV news photographer who'd heard about an accident on his police scanner, pull Doris Householder from a truck and use a fast-food bag as a tourniquet (surgeons later reattached the severed foot).

Focuses on the rumored relationship between Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. How Lopez is in the middle of divorce proceedings from her second husband, dancer Cris Judd; Efforts the two have made to keep their relationship secret; Projects both are working on. INSET: What's next for J.Lo's ex?.

Focuses on the romance between actor Harrison Ford and actress Calista Flockhart. Demise of Ford's marriage to Melissa Mathison; Comments on the seriousness of their relationship.

Profiles actress Nicole Kidman, who is considered by this magazine to be the most beautiful person in 2002. Impact of her divorce from Tom Cruise; Highlights of her career; Self-perceptions; Mention of her role in the movie 'Moulin Rouge'; Idea that she is very easy to relate to.

Focuses on the celebration of actors and actresses following the presentation of awards at the 2002 Oscars show in Hollywood, California. Description of the post-ceremony party called the Board of Governors Ball; Mention of various celebrities, including Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant; Other parties, including one at the restaurant Mortons in Los Angeles.

Reports on the 74th Annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, California. Win of a Best Actress Oscar by Halle Berry; Details of the clothing worn by various actors and actresses, including Denzel Washington, Nicole Kidman, and Jennifer Lopez.

Profiles actress Julia Roberts and discusses her romantic relationships. Outlook for her relationship with cameraman Danny Moder; Her parting with actor Benjamin Bratt; Speculation of a relationship with actor George Clooney; Question of whether Roberts will ever settle down.

Profiles actress Laura Dern, who plays the role of a foster mother in the drama film 'I Am Sam.' Highlights of her career, including her roles in 'Focus,' Novocaine,' and 'Jurassic Park'; Details of her family and love life, including her marriage to Ben Harper.

Reports on the attire and behavior of celebrities at the 2002 Annual Golden Globe Awards. Ewan McGregor; Sarah Jessica Parker; Nicole Kidman; Rachel Griffiths; Others.

Focuses on the celebrity marriage of Brat Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Analysis of the couple's friends concerning the marriage; Plans for children; Aniston's relationship with her mother; Hobbies and California homes of the couple.

Reports on the finalization of divorce proceedings between Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise, including how the couple divided up their property.

Focuses on actors in the television program 'Fame,' and offers information on their careers after the show, including Debbie Allen and Gene Anthony Ray.

Focuses on the wedding of Jennifer Lopez and Cris Judd.

Focuses on actresses who have money and fame, yet have not been able to find love, including Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Meg Ryan.

Presents actresses who are aged 30, 40, 50, and 60, including Jada Pinkett Smith, Heather Locklear, and Martha Stewart, and how they have maintained their youthful looks.

This is an article that focuses on the release of actress Mary-Kate Olsen from the Cirque Lodge in Utah after being treated for an eating disorder. After six weeks of treatment for an eating disorder, Mary-Kate Olsen enjoys a quiet homecoming and prepares for her next big move: college. Mary-Kate Olsen's departure from a Sundance, Utah, treatment center on July 24 was something of a stealth operation.Yes, Mary-Kate has an appetite now, as she demonstrated Monday night when she, Ashley and two girlfriends dropped in to one of their favorite haunts, Hamasaku, a sushi restaurant in West L.A., and dined on yellowtail and spicy tuna handrolls. Just a month after her treatment, Mary-Kate and sister Ashley will relocate to Manhattan for freshman orientation at New York University in late August. Soon after Mary-Kate's eating disorder was revealed in June, the Milk Processor Education Program scrapped the sisters' "milk moustache" ad that had begun running a month earlier.

This article discusses the relationship and marriage of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and the lead singer from the band Coldplay Chris Martin. Gwyneth Paltrow seemed unusually excited to be a guest on The Tonight Show Dec. 4. The following day, according to a source close to Paltrow, the actress married the father of her child, Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin. The surprise nuptials--no family members, including Paltrow's mom, Blythe Danner, attended the ceremony--capped a whirlwind week for the pair, who had looked "very intimate" while dining Nov. 29 at New York City's Da Silvano restaurant, says general manager Alessandro Bandini. When Paltrow taped an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Dec. 4, the comedian surprised her with baby gifts, including a $3,000 Silver Cross Balmoral navy blue handmade pram (a British baby carriage). Though Paltrow and Martin--who divide their time between London and Manhattan--have been spotted house-hunting in the Belsize Park area of north London, they had been cagey whenever reporters inquired about an engagement.

Profiles actress Carmen Electra and her role as a judge on the television show 'Dance Fever.' Her divorce to basketball player Dennis Rodman; Role of Electra in the motion picture 'Starsky and Hutch'; Her plans for marriage with guitarist Dave Navarro; Consideration of her acting career on the television show 'Baywatch.' INSET: Dance Fever's Deney Terrio: Where Is He Now?.

Profiles actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Possibility that he may run for governor of California; How Schwarzenegger got in shape for the film "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines"; How he reacted when a small explosive accidentally detonated in his hand during the filming of "Terminator 3"; Open-heart surgery he underwent in 1997; Biographical information, including his marriage to Maria Shriver. INSET: California's Next Governor?.

Profiles actor Keanu Reeves and his role in the motion picture 'The Matrix Reloaded.' How 'Reloaded' is the second installment of the science fiction trilogy; Career highlights for Reeves; Consideration of the relationship between Reeves and his wife Jennifer Syme; Success of his band 'Dogstar.'

So much attention was focused on whether the Oscar ceremony would actually take place that some stars weren't sure what to do when it ended. As 1,650 guests streamed into the black-and-white ballroom, Josh Brolin tried in vain to coax girlfriend Diane Lane onto the dance floor ("I know you want to," he said, laughing). Meanwhile Jon Voight chased down Cuba Gooding Jr. to share a few stories about playing flag football with his neighbor Mark Wahlberg. Stars filled their plates at the In-N-Out Burger mobile kitchen, and Julianne Moore downed Heineken straight from the bottle. Queen Latifah had to charm Vanity Fair organizers into admitting her two Harry Winston-assigned security guards, who were protecting Latifah's $3.5 million worth of Winston diamonds.

Profiles actress Salma Hayek and her film 'Frida.' How she produced and starred in the film; Portrayal of the Mexican painter Frida Kahlo; Views from Hayek on being famous; Her relationship with director Robert Rodriguez.

Profiles actress Reese Witherspoon. Release of the film 'Sweet Home Alabama'; Other movies that she has starred in; Salary that she earns for movies; Comparison of Witherspoon with other actresses in romantic comedies, including Julia Roberts; Her marriage to actor Ryan Phillippe; Personal qualities; Her preparation for 'Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde'; Relationship with daughter Ava; Biographical information; Marriage therapy that Witherspoon attends with her husband.

Focuses on celebrities and their finest physical attributes. Arms of Tom Cruise and Jennifer Garner; Abdominals of Geri Halliwell and Usher; Legs of Patrick Rafter and Nicole Kidman; Others.

Profiles Kiefer Sutherland, son of actor Donald Sutherland, including his family life and performance in the television series '24.' Thoughts on the character Jack Bauer, whom Sutherland plays in '24'; His divorces and former engagement to Julia Roberts; His activities, including playing hockey with other celebrities.

Focuses on actress Gwyneth Paltrow, including how she is looking for less attention and a tidier life.

Focuses on actors in the television program 'Saved By the Bell,' and offers information on their careers after the show.

The article profiles actress twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as they begin their freshman year at New York University. One breakup, one new friend: Twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen shop, bop and adjust their social lives before hitting the books at NYU. Among the lessons learned by Mary-Kate Olsen during her first week as a college student: Sometimes, long-distance romances don't work. NYU freshman Olsen, 18, split with her boyfriend David Katzenberg, 21, a Boston University man some 200 miles to the north. It's reasonable for her to start school fresh. Meanwhile her twin sister (and fellow coed) Ashley found a handsome new man-restaurateur Scott Sartiano, 29, a Columbia grad who once dated actress Anne Hathaway, 21-to show her around the streets of Manhattan and its summer alter ego, the Hamptons. Though both parties insist they are just friends, introduced by mutual acquaintance John Stamos, others say there's a spark. Ashley's first class took place Sept. 7, Mary-Kate's the following day.

The article discusses "The Young and the Restless's" Victoria Rowell who helps foster kids reach for their dreams. The abuse she suffered as a foster child still haunts Victoria Rowell. "There was a violent individual, who will remain nameless, who would beat my sister Sheree and me mercilessly," recalls the "Young and the Restless" star. Yet in the same foster home, Rowell, 45, says she was nurtured by her foster mother Agatha Armstead. Her experiences in foster care-good and bad-have transformed the actress into an activist. The Rowell Foster Children's Positive Plan (RFCPP), a nonprofit foundation she started in 1990, gives away 18 to 20 scholarships each year to enable foster youths to take after-school and summer classes in the arts. To help raise funds for RFCPP (more than $1 million so far), Rowell calls on friends like Bruce Willis, Jamie Foxx, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Cedric the Entertainer and Samuel L. Jackson. After graduating high school, Rowell won a full scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre, and at age 19 she began teaching classical ballet to inner-city youth in Boston. Rowell won her first film role in 1987's Leonard Part 6 and followed it up with steady work in such TV series as "Diagnosis Murder".

The article describes the role of actor Matt Damon in the motion picture The Bourne Supremacy. Damon is back in the spotlight after spending more than a year in Europe, where he worked on The Bourne Supremacy as well as this winter's Ocean's Twelve and next year's The Brothers Grimm. While Damon relished his anonymity abroad, walking the streets of Europe largely unnoticed, being away from home had its downside. In contrast, making Ocean's Twelve has been a sun-dappled delight. Damon spent the past three months reuniting with Clooney, Brad Pitt and the Ocean's Eleven cast. Besides a jaunt to the south of France, where they took in the Monaco Grand Prix and went diving off a yacht, the stars made a weeklong visit to Clooney's Lake Como villa in Italy. Also on hand was his girlfriend, Miami Beach part-time bartender Luciana Barroso, whom a source says he met last year while filming Stuck on You. The Argentine-born Barroso, a 28-year-old mom with a 6-year-old daughter, was at Damon's side throughout the European shoot of Ocean's Twelve. But their big relationship test came over the July 4 weekend, when Damon brought Barroso home to meet his family and friends in Boston. With Barroso at his side, Damon is planning another ambitious schedule, including two more films and a third season of Project Greenlight, his moviemaking reality series with Affleck.

With Penélope and the kids at his side, Tom Cruise sharpens his skills--and his sword--for a new film. Like any good politician, Tom Cruise wants to keep his constituents happy. A full two decades after "Risky Business", Cruise, 41, remains focused on keeping audiences happy. His latest movie, "The Last Samurai", offers him another meaty opportunity to do so yet again. The famously hard-working star plays a jaded Civil War vet who is hired to westernize the Japanese army but is captured by the samurai and warms to their code of honor, Bushido, "the way of the warrior." The ambitious role could net him his fourth Oscar nomination (he already has nods for "Born on the Fourth of July", "Jerry Maguire" and "Magnolia"). Both Cruise and Kidman say that they've become friendly since their divorce, and he has said that he's happy for her now that she's dating musician Lenny Kravitz. Having kids Isabella, 10, and Connor, 8, on the film's New Zealand set certainly helped keep his spirits up. "He has a very easy way with them," says Zwick. "His kids are funny and warm." "They help me realize how much good there is in my life," said Cruise. So does Penelope Cruz, 29, whose two-year relationship with Cruise is still going strong.

This article profiles actor Robert Downey Jr. and his efforts to stop drinking and using drugs. Success he is getting for his role in the motion picture "The Singing Detective." Difficulty Downey faces in remaining sober due to the pressures of acting.