David surrenders Prius for environmental contest

Los Angeles – Larry David of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Seinfeld” fame put his Prius where his mouth is by giving away the hybrid car in a contest aimed at increasing awareness of global warming.

David and his wife, Laurie, an environmental activist, surprised a class Wednesday at the University of California, Los Angeles, to award the car to medical student Erick Tarula.

Tarula, 24, of Azusa, registered for the yearlong Virtual March to Stop Global Warming, an online petition organized by Stop Global Warming. The group was co-founded by Laurie David to spur politicians to act on the issue.

Tarula “jumped up, he was all excited” when Larry David announced his name, Laurie David said Wednesday. The student told the class he drives a “gas-guzzling” truck and was eager to switch to the Prius, she said.

David’s Toyota Prius was used in his HBO comedy series, “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” David co-created the NBC comedy “Seinfeld.”

It figures: George Lucas gets Storm Trooper tribute

Los Angeles – Not that long ago, in a nearby galaxy, George Lucas joined forces with the dark side. The “Star Wars” creator has become a Storm Trooper.

Hasbro, maker of “Star Wars” toys, is paying plastic tribute to Lucas, interpreting him as a limited-edition action figure in Storm Trooper attire.

The head of the toy maker’s “Star Wars” division called Lucas “the greatest character in the universe.”

“We took a cue from when Han Solo and Luke disguised themselves as Storm Troopers,” said Derryl DePriest, marketing director and acknowledged lifelong “Star Wars” fan. “We placed George in his own universe that he created.”

The new toy is only available to participants in Hasbro’s “Ultimate Galactic Hunt.” Fans must show proof of purchase of five vintage “Star Wars” action figures to get the George Lucas Storm Trooper figurine.

‘Prairie Home Companion’ enjoys red-carpet treatment

St. Paul, Minn. – Hollywood came to Lake Wobegon as Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan and other stars gathered for the world premiere of “A Prairie Home Companion,” the movie version of Garrison Keillor’s folksy radio show.

Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday along the red carpet outside the historic Fitzgerald Theater as the stars arrived by horse-drawn carriage.

The film, directed by Robert Altman, is set on the last night of the radio show before the station’s new corporate owners shut it down.

Keillor, who plays a radio-show announcer, praised Lohan’s acting. The 19-year-old actress plays the moody daughter of Streep’s character.

“Lindsay wanted to be in the movie,” he said. “And she turned out to be just a terrific pro. She was there, she was on time, she knew her marks and she knew her lines. She’s a very classic actress.”

Richie admits she’s ‘too thin’

New York – Nicole Richie, whose drastic weight loss spawned speculation that she has an eating disorder, acknowledges she is “too thin” and is getting treatment to add pounds, in an interview in Vanity Fair.

“I know I’m too thin right now, so I wouldn’t want any young girl looking at me and saying, ‘That’s what I want to look like,'” the 24-year-old “Simple Life” star tells the magazine in its June issue, on newsstands Tuesday.

“I do know that they will, which is another reason I really do need to do something about it,” she says. “I’m not happy with the way I look right now.”

Stress causes her to lose her appetite, she says, and her split in December from ex-fiance Adam Goldstein, a professional club DJ who goes by the name DJ AM, didn’t help matters.