Oscar-winning actor George Clooney is painfully absent (so far) from the 2007 Awards Season in Hollywood. 

But he's already winning the popular vote for Best Commercial Actor in France for his starring role in a coffee TV ad. 

The commercial, shot in Los Angeles by acclaimed French director Michel (“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”) Gondry, features our George, wearing a black turtleneck and sportscoat, looking tres haute, in a coffee shop.

As he prepares his coffee, he smiles as he overhears two pretty girls describing someone or something as “mysterious, subtle, great body, balanced, rich.” 

As he passes by them, he stops and asks, “You’re talking about Nespresso, right?” and they both say yes. Then he replies, “Yeah, what else?” and walks away.

Yeah, I know. Doesn’t sound like much. But trust me, it’s all in the delivery. And the Parisian ladies are going crazee for George's performance.

As Carolyn Pfaff, the elegant wife of award-winning Paris-based author/columnist Bill Pfaff explains, “Everytime I hear that Nespresso commercial come on, I run in and watch it again just to see him say, “What else?”

But don’t take my word for it. Check it out here.

What else? There's a flagship Nespresso boutique opening on the Champs-Elysees in 2007. And George's posing in a full-page Nespresso print ad in the European edition of Time's person of the year issue. That's what else.

Photo Credits: Oh, George, say it again, s'il vous plait. "What else?" Oh, mon Dieu, zat ees so sexee!
James Devaney/WireImage

First, Angelina Jolie. Then Madonna. Now Paris Hilton? Seen here at the Australian Royal North Shore Children’s Hospital on Dec 30th, “The Simple Life” star eyes a possible new 2007 fashion accessory. Be forewarned, Paris. Those things get a lot bigger than your old canine carry-on, Tinkerbell.

Photo Credits: The perennial Party Girl polishes up her Image before the biggest bash of the year by posing with an unidentified infant while wearing a maternity top. I don't know about you, but I'm not buying this one bit.
John Stanton/wireImage

She’s baaack. And she’s officially available.

Sandra Oh, who won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her portrayal of the emotionally stunted, overly ambitious surgeon in ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,”  will announce the 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild nominations on January 4.

And this will mark her first big 2007 Awards Season appearance as a legally single woman, after a not-quite-wrapped-up-pretty-with-a-bow divorce from her hubby Alexander Payne, who directed her in "Sideways."

The couple got married in 2003. Oh filed for divorce in April 2005.

But according to Oh's official divorce decree entered last week and cited on TMZ, there are still a few - like six - financial strings to be tied up. Something about who gets what from retirement accounts and pension funds and the like.

Jeepers, guys. You were only married for two years. 

It's not like you were as financially entangled as Britney and Kevin, Paul and Heather or even Pamela and Tommy Lee and/or Kid Rock. Time to wrap it up and get on with single life.

Photo Credits: Gosh, they sure looked happy at the Indie Spirits Awards in 2005, just two months before Sandra filed for divorce. But on second glance, those smiles are a bit gritted teeth, aren't they?
George Pimental/WireImage

Kate Winslet should be feeling pretty darn confident. Or at the very least, optimistic.

The “Little Children” star has already booked Dior’s macquillage expert Patti Dubroff to do her face for the Broadcast Critics Awards on Jan 12, the Golden Globes on Jan 15, and the Oscars on Feb 25. 

She’s nominated for the first two awards and that makes it fairly likely that she’ll get a Little Gold Man nod (announcements will be made on Jan 23).

Frankly, it’s about Oscar time. She’s already gotten four nods for playing an idealistic Englishwoman in "Sense and Sensibility," a bored/spoiled socialite in "Titanic," the young Iris Murdoch in "Iris" and a charmingly nuts free-spirit in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

Now the big question is will she do some John Galliano Dior gowns as well? Stay tuned.

Photo Credits: C'mon, give the British babe an Oscar nomination.
John Shearer/WireImage

What will Beyonce wear to the Oscars, assuming – duh – “Dreamgirls" gets an Oscar nomination?

Perhaps her regs Versace or Cavalli?

Been there, done that. How about another designer Miss B has worn and loved? Jenny Packham.

There’s a lot of buzz around Packham, who just won Hollywood Life's Hollywood Style Designer of the Year. Her fashion-forward fans already include Beyonce, Kate Moss, Nicole Kidman, Brittany Murphy, Mena Suvari, Keira Knightley, Alicia Keyes, Scarlet Johansson -- you get the picture.

Now Packham is working with top trendmeister Patricia Field (He-llo? “Sex and the City” and “The Devil Wears Prada”) who will be styling the designer's Autumn/Winter 07/08 Milan runway show in February.

Field is definitely going to be busy next year. There's a “Sex and the City” movie on the horizon. And she’s styling a new Darren Star TV series called “Diaries Of A Manhattan Call Girl.”  Her new shop on the Bowery, NYC is also going great guns.

The two met during the “City” heyday when Field would frequently use her feminine, flirty fashions on the show. Since she’s never styled a fashion show before, Field says she was excited by the challenge, “I hope my added twist will enhance the presentation and please all.”

I know what would please all. Field opening a boutique in Hollywood.

Photo Credits: Teri Hatcher and Jenny Packham met at the Hollywood Style awards. Will Teri pick a Packham for the Globes?
John Shearer/WireImage

Hold your blow dryers! In the Breaking Hair News Department, Selma Blair shows off a new short, shorn asymmetrical haircut at the "Pan's Labyrinth" premiere at the Egyptian in Hollywood.

Blair was on hand to congratulate "Hellboy" director Guillermo del Toro on "Pan's Labyrinth," his dark and scary new film fable which is Mexico's official entry in the Oscar foreign film category. Seems Blair is also reprising her role (Liz Sherman) in del Toro's sequel called "Hellboy 2: The Golden Army." 

But if you think "Hellboy" was scary, you ain't seen nothing. Before "Labyrinth" began, del Toro warned the audience: "This is an incredibly brutal fable and those of you expecting "Harry Potter" are going to have an aneurysm. For anyone seeking a gentler type of film, there’s still time to catch "Eragon" a theatre down the street."

No one left and everyone at the post-party held at Cafe des Artistes congratulated the filmmakers and stars Maribel Verdu, Ariadna Gil, Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez and Doug Jones who played both the manipulative faun and the evil underworld lord.

"Labyrinth" is definitely violent and creepy but it's also strangely sweet and uplifting. However, if you really really want to be scared, check out the other side of Selma's frightening new do....

Tara Reid got even last night. She got into Hyde, the hipper-than-thou nightclub that denied her entrance a few months ago. Back then, bouncers refused to let poor Tara in and made her stand outside while they let Paris Hilton and her posse breeze by. Ouch. See her agonizing public humiliation captured for all eternity on TMZ.

According to TMZ, the holiday horror flick “Black Christmas,” a film definitely not on anyone’s Oscar short list, there was some kind of post party there. And since Tara attended the premiere and posed on the red carpet, she got in without a hitch. Whatever the reason, I say congrats are in order.

To make her return to the red carpet, Tara has chosen well; an elegant crystal nude strapless gown by Kevan Hall. To top it off,  she’s also copying Lindsay Lohan’s favorite red carpet pose, the faux smack n’ blow to photographers. Keep practicing, Tara. You're not quite there.

Photo Credits: Mmmmmmwwwaaah! Tara puckers up for the photographers at the "Black Christmas" premiere in a Kevan Hall gown.
Eric Charbonneau/WireImage

First babies, now dogs?

Popped Princess Britney Spears, loudly cricitized for her poor parenting skills all year, has now ruffled the fur of dog lovers. A three month online poll of the readers of The New York Dog and The Hollywood Dog magazines picked Britney as the "overwhelming choice," as Worst Celebrity Dog Owner, something to do with her picking KFed over her  Chihuahuas. Kinda funny that Kevin's now the one in the doghouse.

Last year's Poor Pooch Parent pick?  None other than pantyless Britney's new party pal, Paris Hilton. I'd say something like "birds of a feather flock together" but that would be a cheap shot, wouldn't it? Perhaps they'll both show up at a Grammy party with their previous pocket pooches, Tinkerbell and Lucy. if they can even find the poor things. Now, where did I put that darn Chihuahua...

Photo Credits: Never mind the babies. Who's taking care of Britney's pooches?
John Sciulli/WireImage

Ed Norton, who co-stars with Naomi Watts in “The Painted Veil,” one of the best films of 2006 (and the most pathetically promoted by Warner Independent), has some choice words in New York magazine about Hollywood’s Swag Hags.

Like “disgusting and shameful.”

Norton is thrilled with the Academy’s decision to stop the presenter goody bags after the IRS brouhaha last year. And he’s gonna be even happier that the Golden Globes are also stopping the Freeby Fest.

“No presenter boxes will be given out this year,” says Philip Berk, president of the HFPA. “We made a settlement for 2004 and 2005 with the IRS and in October the board decided to follow the Academy’s lead. Presenter Gift Boxes are a thing of the past.”

But the hotly anticipated goody bags given to guests attending the Globes are still on the table. According to Berk, “Those will contain less than $600 worth of gifts which, according to my understanding, means there are no tax implications.”

But for those who want to pick out - and pay taxs on -presents, there will be a non-HFPA gifting suite open during the rehearsal weekend inside the Beverly Hilton. “We do not have anything to do with it other than to give them the presenters names and their rehearsal times,” says Berk. “I do not even know who is being considered for the gifting lounge."

Well, I do.

Jim Carrey is no Grinch.

Rather than steal Christmas, the actor simply recreated it; a fantasy North Pole for his big holiday party on the Paramount Studios lot last weekend. Stage 6 was filled with faux snow, icicle-dripping trees, acrobats, gymnasts, carolers, a glass ornament blower, video games and video screens showing live party footage.Then there was Frosty the Snowman, half a dozen face-painting elves, five Emperor penguins, live reindeer, two hundred live pine trees and a life-size Gingerbread House with a ball pit, slide and fireman’s pole.

Olympic silver medalist Sasha Cohen, Peter Tchernyshev and Naomi Lang performed on an Olympic-sized ice skating rink. Despite faking a fall for photos, Carrey, who stars in the upcoming psychological  thriller "The Number 23," and girlfriend Jenny McCarthy were in fine form skating with his daughter Jane and her son Evan. Even the couple's new BFF (best famous friend) Tom Cruise - back on the lot for probably the first time since Sumner Redstone kicked him off, seemed to have the need for speed, amazing onlookers with his ice prowess.  But he did slow down to skate with Brooke Shields, his two adopted children and was reportedly seen " making out" with new bride Katie Holmes.