Radcliffe says first on-screen kiss wasn’t so magical

Tokyo – First kisses can be tricky. Even for Harry Potter.

Daniel Radcliffe – the star of the Harry Potter series – said Friday while in Tokyo for the premiere of the latest installment that it took a few takes to get over the nerves of getting the young wizard through his first on-screen kiss.

And even then, he didn’t really feel the magic.

“When we started it, we were both a bit nervous,” Radcliffe said at a news conference. “But after the first few takes, it was sort of like any other scene, which is never really what people want to hear. It doesn’t really feel any different, because you are still acting.”

In “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” the latest in the megahit series based on J.K. Rowling’s books, Harry comes of age and has his first on-screen kiss, with longtime crush Cho Chang, played by Katie Leung.

It was a big moment for Harry – if not for Radcliffe.

Producer David Heyman said director David Yates cleared the set to create more intimacy for the scene and the crew crowded around a monitor to watch.

“Order of the Phoenix,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release, opens in the United States on July 11 and in Britain the next day.

‘Good Morning America’ movie critic Joel Siegel dies

New York – Joel Siegel, a longtime movie critic for “Good Morning America” who was famous for his weekly, often humorous reviews, died Friday, ABC officials said. He was 63.

Siegel, who got his start at the network by working for New York affiliate WABC-TV, had battled colon cancer, the station said.

Siegel was known for his sense of humor, movie acumen and sharp judgment. He never let an actor off the hook if the performance was lackluster.

Born in Los Angeles on July 7, 1943, Siegel graduated cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles. After college, he started writing for The Los Angeles Times, where he reviewed books.

He landed in New York City in 1972 and worked as a reporter for WCBS-TV. He also hosted “Joel Siegel’s New York” on WCBS Radio. Four years later he jumped to WABC, cementing his reputation as a film critic over the next three decades.

In 1981, he joined “Good Morning America” and became a regular as the network’s entertainment editor, easily recognizable by his thick mustache and glasses.

Survivors include his son, Dylan, and wife, Ena Swansea.

Ex-‘Anatomy’ star Washington says racism a factor in firing

Los Angeles – “Grey’s Anatomy” star Isaiah Washington said racism was a factor in his firing from the hit ABC series after he twice used an anti-gay slur.

Washington, who initially used the epithet during an onset clash with a co-star, told Newsweek magazine that “someone heard the booming voice of a black man and got really scared and that was the beginning of the end for me.”

He tried to make amends by expressing remorse and volunteering to enter a counseling program to understand how the confrontation got out of hand, he told Newsweek.

“My mistake was believing that I would get the support from my network and all of my cast mates across the board. My mistake was believing I could correct a wrong with honesty and sincerity,” he said in the interview posted online Thursday.

“My mistake was thinking black people get second chances. I was wrong on all fronts,” he said.

His unwillingness to act like a submissive black at work was part of the problem, Washington said.

ABC declined comment Thursday.

Washington, who used the slur against co-star T.R. Knight during a confrontation with Patrick Dempsey, repeated the word backstage at the Golden Globes in January in denying the first incident.

Report: Fox called officer racist during traffic stop

Los Angeles – Vivica A. Fox called a state patrol officer a “racist white cop” during her drunken driving arrest and repeatedly failed sobriety tests, according to an official report.

The 42-year-old actress, who is black, was pulled over in March after passing a California Highway Patrol officer who said her Cadillac was doing 80 mph and weaving in its lane on the Hollywood Freeway.

The officer noticed that Fox’s eyes were red and watery and that she had a “strong odor” of alcohol, according to the report. After she failed sobriety tests, he arrested Fox for investigation of driving under the influence.

“The report stands on its own, and we can’t comment further because it’s a case pending before the courts,” said Fran Clader, patrol spokeswoman.

Fox eventually was cited and released.