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r B . 1 FACES TO WATCH IN 2008: Dear Readers: It’s time to meet a few celebrities you'll hear about in the new year and reacquaint yourself with favorites who will make news again. May your 2008 be great. yt I*l t _ RONAN Lovely Bones, due in March 2009, and she stars in City of Ember, due next October, with Bill Murray. ►► Another name to know next year and beyond: Ben Bames. The young Brit. 26, snagged the title role in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (May 16) and report edly will do two sequels. ►► Also, remember Carice van Houten, 31. The B Dutch beauty, who is a star at home, is in up- H coming movies opposite leading men. She’s MB with Tom Cruise in Valkyrie, Leonardo Di- BS Caprio in Body of Lies and Jude Law in Re- fl possession Mamho. # m irtfS 2 USA WEEKEND • Dec 28-30,2007 By LORRIE LYNCH Learn to pro nounce this name: Saoirse (SEER-sha) Ronan. She’s the ac tress, 13, w-ho shows such great depth and range in Atonement. But don’t just take / my word for it. * Know- that Oscar winning director Pe- ter Jackson already has cast the Irish lass in The BARNES DO NOT MISS: ► Mike Myers as Pitka in The Love Guru. You’ve heard him as Shrek, but it has been four years since Myers, 44, has appeared in a movie. Pitka is his new character, a love guru and philosopher of Eastern religion. ► Scully and Mulder redux. Rumor has it i Gillian Anderson, 39, and David Duchovny, i 47, take their ' partnership to new territory in summer's To ask a question, e-mail whosnews@usaweekend.com or click on “Contact Columnists" at our website. Include name, city, state. . 'S. "yg Gay will go for the gold in Beijing. m I ►► More Olympians: Logan Tom, mm 26, a volleyball legend, gets that m people think she’s attractive but m tells us “there is more to me than W my looks.” She grew-up in Salt Lake V City and is a Stanford student who will finish her degree “when things slow down.” She’s balancing pro ball in HF Europe with favorite pas- W times like cooking. She , r says she likes to “bake for my teammates treats and things they like to eat.” ►► Gymnast Shawn Johnson, 15 and only 4-foot-8, is the new Mary Lou (as in Retton); she’s a pint-sized power- _ house from lowa. mS The X-Files movie. Unfortunately, no one is leaking specific spoilers yet because the cast and crew members just arrived on the set this month. DUCHOVNY ► Heath Ledgeras the Joker in the newest Batman, The Dark Knight. Ledger, 28, got so into playing Jack Nicholson's old role that he kept a diary filled with images, thoughts and a list of things For daily behind-the-scenes tidbits, check out Lome’s new Who’s News Blog at @ blogs.usaweekend.com Sprinter Tyson Gay, named World Athlete of the Year in November, is 25, handsome and tech sawy. His website is a multimedia experience, L and he blogs from competitions across ■ the world, although ■.m he jokes that “1 |7 don’t write as fast as I run.” He revs up V for races by listening ■ to mellow or spiritual Y tunes on his iPod. He runs the 100-meter dash in 9.84 seconds. Johnson c jumps for V joy and more. v * Jr ►► that the Joker would find funny. ► Pierce Brosnan, 54, singing. ABBA songs, no less, opposite Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia!, the movie. "What a kick in the pants to be able to go spend some time with Meryl on some Greek island, singing ABBA songs," the actor told Variety. ► Winona Ryder, 36, playing Spock's mother in the current Star Trek movie. n. H« ' ■ Ford Built tough, as Indy ►► Indiana Jones, I mean Har rison Ford, returns in May after 19 years. Yes, he has been gone too long, but let’s just embrace the fact that he’s back, even if he’s a bit craggier or more taciturn. Ford, 65, once told me that he never aspired to direct or to be one of those multiple-movies-a year guys. He just likes making them. And we like watching them. ►► I think Serena Ryder, 24, sounds like Alanis Morissette. My daughter, Alicia, says she’s more Joan Baez. Either way, Ryder, from Canada, is an im portant fixture on the music m scene there. She will be here, as well, when her U.S. debut CD drops in the spring. Three hitmakers are turning into country' girls. Jewel, 33, made five of her six albums in Nashville and says she’s always wanted to make a country CD, but her label was afraid. She will put one out in j the spring with the aid of John Rich, of: k. the duo Big & Rich. Jessica Simpson, 27, : g-v. m* Jewel will become a country force. fH ■ THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS 1230.07 Tiger Woods 32 Tracey Ullman 48 MattLauer 50 1231.07 JoeyMdntyre 35 Li Gong 42 Val Kilmer 48 1.14)8 Frank Langella 68 13.08 Kate Bosworth 25 Taye Diggs 36 Christy Turlington 39 Cuba Gooding Jr. 40 13.08 Danica McKellar 33 Mel Gibson 53 1/4.08 Julia Ormond 43 Michael Stipe 48 Patty Loveless 51 134)8 Diane Keaton 62 Robert Duvall 77 ■Hpt ™ 31 Hi w Wmm RYDER reportedly work ing with Rich, as well, also wants n to go country Pf And pop star Kelly Clarkson, 25, will be managed W by country superstar Reba r McEntire’s husband, Narvel Blackstock. □ Contributing: Jon Tollestrup , GfTTY.MYIRS GfO» HMYCHYK. PARAMOUNT PCTUKS. DUCHOVNY: MCHATI COWAN*. 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