Report: Madonna Set to Win Right to Adopt [People]
Slumdog Millionaire Star Gets New Home [Us]
First Look: Rourke Gets Whiplash in Iron Man 2 [E!]
Demi Lovato Calls Working With John Mayer ‘A Dream Come True’ [MTV]
Kristen and Dakota Are Like Night and Day [PopSugar]
Exclusive: ‘American Idol’ Alum Allison Iraheta Officially Signed [EW]

By Alisha, InstantCast assistant editor

This week we’re all about stars who made it big – all on their own. Did you know that Demi Moore once lived in a trailer park? Or that Transfomers star Shia LaBeouf landed and agent and broke into acting by pretending to be his own manager – at just 10 years old!

These stars and more hit the big time based on their sheer determination… and you can too! Start now by entering these Fantasy Casting contests:

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No Doubt Makes Acting Debut on Gossip Girl [People]
VIDEO: Watch Sneak Peek of Audrey Tautou in New Chanel No. 5 Commercial [Us]
‘Twilight,’ ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Lead MTV Movie Awards Nominees [MTV]
Is Trek Star Quinto Leaving Heroes for Good? [E!]
The Costume Gala Delivers the Glitz and Glamour! [PopSugar]

By Alisha, InstantCast assistant editor

Want one-on-one advice from Casting Director Renee Godbout? Click here to get your own Personal Casting Consultation today!

When you hear the song “Unchained Melody” you can’t help but think of Ghost.

Whitney Houston’s classic ballad “I Will Always Love You” will forever be connected to her movie The Bodyguard. And just months after its release, recent Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire is just as memorable for its amazing music as it is for the storyline and the superior acting.

This past week was “movies week” on Fox’s hit show American Idol. There’s a reason why the two subjects of movies and music are so intertwined and it’s because movies are sometimes rely on music to help tell the story.

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Slumdog Producers Donate $740,000 to Indian Kids [People]
EXCLUSIVE: Mel Gibson’s 24-Year-Old Lover Confirms Their “Union” [Us]
Eight Great Recent TV Engagements [BuzzSugar]
Justin Wants You To Answer ‘The Phone’ [MTV]
American Idol Makes History, Simon Secedes From the Union [E!]

By Alisha, InstantCast assistant editor

INDIE (or INDEPENDENT) FILM - A film that is traditionally produced outside of the “Big Six” Hollywood studios. The “Big Six” includes Warner Bros., Paramount, Columbia, Universal, 20th Century Fox, and Walt Disney Pictures. However, because indie films have risen in popularity in the last two decades, most of the major studios have also created divisions specifically for financing indie films. For example, Fox Searchlight has backed many indie hits including Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, and Slumdog Millionaire!

By Alisha, InstantCast assistant editor

Slumdog Child Stars to Receive New Homes [People]
Melrose Place Pilot Gets Green Light [Star]
Britney Spears to Be Sawed in Half on Tour! [US]
Jonas Brothers To Surprise Audiences At Movie Theaters [MTV]
Freida Pinto Lands Role in Woody Allen Film [Showbiz Spy]

By Alisha, InstantCast assistant editor

GROSS OUT - A film, often comic, which aims to shock the audience with controversial material such as toilet humor or nudity. The MTV show Jackass is one of the pioneers of gross out television, and hit shows like South Park brought the genre to small screen animation. But gross out humor isn’t always lowbrow or lighthearted – the critically acclaimed movie Trainspotting, directed by Academy Award winner Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire), is considered a gross out film too.

By Alisha, InstantCast assistant editor

Pussycat Dolls Get Claws into Slumdog Song [People]
Sam Lufti Denies Threatening Violence Against Britney Spears [US]
Heath Ledger’s Family Accepts Oscar for Matilda [Star]
Ashley Greene Says ‘New Moon’ Script Tops ‘Twilight’ [MTV]
Jonas Brothers ‘Will Never Split’ [Showbiz Spy]

By Alisha, InstantCast assistant editor

Slumdog Millionaire Sweeps Oscar Awards [People]
Heath Ledger’s Family: “We Feel Wonderful” He Won an Oscar [US]
Best & Worst of 2009 Oscar Awards [Star]
‘Slumdog Millionaire’ Stars Marvel At Their ‘Unbelievable’ Oscar Journey [MTV]
Winslet: ‘I Feel Like an Unlikely Hero’ [Showbiz Spy]

By Alisha, InstantCast assistant editor

SAG Awards: The Night’s Best Dressed Stars! [People]
30 Rock, Slumdog Top SAG Awards [Star]
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt Gush About Each Other on SAG Red Carpet [US]
SAG Awards: Best and Worst Moments [EW]
Winslet Continues Award Show Victory [Showbiz Spy]

By Alisha, InstantCast assistant editor