Ledger Pop Journal - Celebrity News & Sports

"He knows I'm looking for him. He knows I want to talk. If he's really a humanitarian and an honest, good human being, as people say, I expect him to get a hold of me," says actress Maria Conchita Alonso, speaking of Danny Glover. Alonso is appalled by Glover's teaming up with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to make movies about freedom fighters Simon Bolivar, Toussaint Louverture, and, according to her, Francisco de Miranda.

Maria Conchita Alonso Calls Out Danny Glover for Hugo Chavez Deals

"Chavez is financing these movies about persons who have fought for democracy and freedom, while it is exactly the opposite of what he is doing. Hundreds of thousands of people have already marched against his closure of Radio Caracas Television," she says, referring to Chavez's refusal to renew the channel's license, a move denounced by Human Rights Watch, among others. "He wants to make Venezuela another Cuba."

As far as Glover, "I think he was fooled by Chavez, but he's not the only one or the first one … He's working in Caracas right now," says Alonso, who is in constant touch with family, friends and journalists in the country where she was raised after her parents fled Fidel Castro's communist regime in Cuba.

"My parents, cousins, uncles -- they've been down this road before," she declares, comparing longtime allies Chavez and Castro. "I grew up hearing about it. That's why I want to speak out now and tell the world Chavez is a liar."

Alonso, currently seen on the MyNetwork series "Saints & Sinners," has her own movie project in the works -- "Two Minutes of Hate," a story about the violence that erupted on April 11, 2002, when some 100,000 to 200,000 marchers demonstrating against the Chavez government clashed with pro-Chavez demonstrators, leaving 20 people dead and about 100 wounded. "The script is done, and we are now meeting with investors, talking to directors, moving ahead fantastically," she says.

WELL-DESERVED: Shirley Jones heads to her hometown this week to accept the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera's annual Richard Rodgers Award Saturday (6/2) night, then begin rehearsals to costar in the CLO's June 19-July 1 production of "Oklahoma!" As anyone who knows Rodgers & Hammerstein knows, the beloved actress rose to fame in the ingénue role of Laurey in the classic American musical. Now she's playing feisty, butter-churnin' Aunt Eller.

"I've finally graduated into character parts," notes the "Elmer Gantry" Oscar winner, who has the mixed blessing of an indelible image as an elegant lady. "I remember when I did 'The Partridge Family,' my agents said, 'If you do a series, you'll be that character forever and it will kill your career. At the time, TV was looked down on. I did the show and I loved it, and it was a chance to stay home and raise my kids -- but they were right, that it took a long time to move on," says Jones, who was Emmy nominated last year for her Hallmark movie "Hidden Places."

As far as the Rodgers award, "It's a big deal, and I'm really thrilled about it. Mary Rodgers is presenting it," reports Shirley, referring to the late composer's daughter. "It's going to be a beautiful evening."

FOUND: ABC's "Lost" seemed to have stumbled earlier in the season when fans were inundated with a number of unanswered questions, but star Michael Emerson, who plays Ben, the leader of the Others, believes they're back on track after the recent finale that won critical kudos.

"I would say that 'Lost' is a stronger show right now than it's ever been. I think it's more gripping, it's certainly more grown up, it's a really dark story now, and it has a lot of layers," he claims. "I think the more casual viewers from the first season may have fallen away, but I think the core audience, which may be fewer in number, is much greater in passion. I would be hard pressed to name a show that has a more avid following than 'Lost.'"

Of course, living up to a lot of hype is never easy. "I think the show was much heralded when it opened, and part of that was the novelty of something new, and it's inevitable that that fades away a little bit, because there's always some new candy each season to distract us."

With things looking up for season four, Emerson says he's just enjoying being back home in New York for a brief hiatus. "My wife [Carrie Preston] is a fairly busy actress, and she's got herself booked up to the neck for the summer. I think what I might do is follow her around and hold her coat. It would be a chance for us to spend some time together."

INSIDE ASIDE: Shondrella Avery has gone on to roles in TV and films, including "Domino" and "Déjà vu" since gaining public attention as unforgettable Internet date LaFawnduh Lucas in "Napoleon Dynamite," but she admits she's still nervous about her work winding up on the cutting room floor. "I'm superstitious, so until something is completely done, I don't say anything. I don't like to blow myself up," claims Avery. She says she's had friends tell her, "'Oh, you gotta go see my movie!'" -- then wind up embarrassed when it turned out their scenes had been chopped to the point they wound up looking like extras. Not that there's anything wrong with being an extra. "I started off as an extra," she says.

(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster)