Kingsley, Redgrave honored by Queen Elizabeth

Olympian news services

Originally published Wednesday, March 20, 2002

LONDON -- Ben Kingsley was knighted on Tuesday, an honor that he told Queen Elizabeth II was far greater than receiving an Academy Award.

"I told the queen that winning an Oscar pales into insignificance. This is insurmountable," Kingsley said after the ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

The 58-year-old won a best-actor Oscar for starring in the 1982 movie "Gandhi" and is up for best supporting actor in the gangster thriller "Sexy Beast."

"I've been nominated for an Academy Award, but I will be sitting there, in Los Angeles, thinking I'm a knight bachelor," he said. The Oscar ceremony is on Sunday.

Lynn Redgrave, who first gained fame with the title role in "Georgy Girl" in 1966 and earned a 1998 Academy Award nomination for "Gods and Monsters," was invested Tuesday as an Officer of the Order of British Empire, or OBE.

"I've lived in LA for over 20 years, but I still feel very British. I don't think you can ever take the Brit out of a Brit," the 59-year-old actress said.

"I like my Englishness and loose-leaf tea and tea pots."

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The crew of the international space station joined Steven Spielberg and Universal Studios Florida on Tuesday in celebrating the 20th anniversary of the film "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial."

One of the 28 school children gathered at Universal Studios Florida's E.T. Adventure attraction in Orlando asked the astronauts how long it would take to get to E.T.'s home.

"As far as we understand it, the green planet is 3 million light-years away," astronaut Daniel Bursch replied. "Using the engines, technology, that we have today, it will only take about 75 billion years to get there. But hopefully, we'll be going a little bit faster soon."

Spielberg, joining them in a phone call from Los Angeles, said there will never be a sequel to "E.T." But the director noted that allowing movie fans to ride the E.T. Adventure and to talk with orbiting astronauts "is absolutely an incredible sequel or follow-up to any film."

"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" was released on June 11, 1982. It's being rereleased Friday with never-before-seen footage and computer enhancements.

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. -- Lucille Ball's remains could be moved to her hometown once plans to restructure and expand a museum there are complete, her daughter said.

"I think it would be a nice finishing touch," Lucie Arnaz said while in town to tour possible sites for a new Luci-Desi Museum. The museum will continue to operate while the expansion is under way.

Arnaz said her mother wanted to be buried with her mother, "Dee Dee" Evelyn Hunt. The cremated remains of both women would be moved to Jamestown, about 60 miles south of Buffalo, and interred in the Lake View Cemetery with other family members.

Ball died in 1989 at age 77.

"They are together in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. I don't live near there. My brother is really not very close to there either. There's nobody there to visit them, so I thought it might be a good idea to bring her home."

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Style is important at the Oscars -- but Kate Winslet is also looking for comfort.

"I just hope for the best, hope I'm going to find a dress that is comfortable and shoes that don't make me scream after half an hour," Winslet said at the recent Oscar nominees luncheon. Winslet is nominated for best supporting actress for her role in "Iris."

The Academy Awards will be presented Sunday at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. The ceremony will air at 5 p.m. on ABC.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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