Romano nervous about first film

New York City — Everybody may love Raymond now, but in crossing over to the big screen, Ray Romano fears the love may not stretch that far.

With his silver screen debut, “Welcome to Mooseport,” due in theaters on Friday, Romano is worried that his career beyond television may rest entirely on this movie’s success.

“What if it just does abysmally?” Romano told Time magazine for the Feb. 23 issue. “What if people not only don’t go — what if they protest?”

Not that he means the movie isn’t good, but maybe it’s not what his audience might expect from the star of the long-running, top-rated CBS sitcom “Everybody Loves Raymond.”

“It’s a good movie, but it’s not knockdown funny,” he said. “It wound up being more of a sweet movie.”

Losing not so bad

Los Angeles — Kirk Douglas says actors should take great satisfaction in just being nominated for an Academy Award and not worry so much about winning.

“The first place gets an Oscar. The four others are declared losers,” Douglas wrote in a column Monday in the Los Angeles Times. “Why? To be voted one of five in any category should make you a winner.”

Douglas, 87, has appeared in 86 films and was nominated for Oscars in 1949 for “Champion,” 1952 for “The Bad and the Beautiful,” and 1956 for “Lust for Life.” He was edged out every time.

Douglas was given a lifetime achievement Oscar in 1996.

“So, I say to all the nominees in every category: Whatever happens, you are all winners,” he wrote. “Keep that in mind as you sit in the audience with a weak smile, applauding someone else who has won your Oscar.”

Ellen doesn’t want to talk politics

New York City — Ellen DeGeneres’ daytime talk show is a hit despite what she admits is a lack of personal interest in Topic A for some other TV comedians: the Democratic presidential primary.

“I haven’t even been paying attention. I’m not a political person. … I don’t know enough about what’s going on to say anything,” DeGeneres tells Time magazine in the Feb. 23 issue.

DeGeneres said it was “probably fair” to say she would support the Democrat chosen to challenge President Bush, “but that being said, I really don’t know who it will be.”

Ben was bumped

Daytona, Beach, Fla. — Ben Affleck received the loudest ovation among the celebrities who attended the Daytona 500, but he also got some bad news.

“They told me I was going to be bumped, and I was like ‘bumped? What are you talking about bumped? Who’s bumping me?”‘ said Affleck, who drove the pace car. “‘The President of the United States.’ ‘OK, terrific. Guess I’m bumped, then.”‘

Affleck served as the grand marshal, but some of his duties were given to President Bush.