As an early Christmas present for hubby David Beckham, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has bought a pair of mini pot-bellied Gloucester Old Spot cross-breed pigs. The fact that pot-bellied pigs are not good with children apparently did not stop the fashion-forward Victoria from adding them to the family; let’s hope we do not see reports of any of her three cute kids being harmed by these territorial little creatures!

Victoria Caroline Adams was raised in Goffs Oak, Hertfordshire, in the U.K. where she attended school at St. Mary’s High School in Chestnut. An outcast because of her family’s wealth, Victoria soon decided she wanted to become famous after seeing the musical Fame. Her parents agreed to enroll her at the Jason Theatre School, which she attended until she transferred to Laine Theatre Arts College in Epson, Surrey, to study dance and modeling.

Victoria belonged to a band called Persuasion, but it was her role in the all-girl band called the Spice Girls that rocketed her to stardom. Dubbed “Posh Spice” by the media, she soon became known as a fashion icon more than as a singer. Once the band split up to pursue their own solo careers, Victoria released her debut album titled Victoria Beckham, but never quite reached the level of fame she enjoyed with the Spice Girls.

Victoria has written two autobiographies and shot five reality documentaries, including Victoria Beckham: Coming to America, but concentrates her efforts on her three cute kids with her soccer-star husband and the next fashion trend she’s sure to set.

Who was your favorite Spice Girl?

Keanu Reeves was recently cleared of claims that he’s not the father to a Canadian woman’s four adult children. The topic of fatherhood is a tender one for Keanu, but he’s continued to focus on his career even through the sticky times in his personal life.

Keanu Reeves was born in Beirut, Lebanon, moving from place to place but growing up primarily in Toronto, Canada. As a teenager, he attended four different high schools, including Etobicoke School of the Arts, De La Salle College (aka as “Oaklands”), and Avondale Alternative.

He started acting at age nine, appearing on stage in Damn Yankees and later in Romeo and Juliet. The TV show Hangin’ In marked his television debut, followed by appearances in TV commercials, short films, and TV series.

After making his movie debut in Youngblood, Keanu traveled to Los Angeles to further pursue his acting career. With manager and agent Erwin Stoff at his side, he landed a few minor roles which lead to a part in River’s Edge. Now with his foot in Hollywood’s door, he is most notably remembered for his roles in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Speed, and The Matrix.

Both Keanu’s career and personal life have been filled with ups and downs, yet fans still root for his success. Let’s hope this latest state of affairs wraps up quickly and in his favor!

How much is an actor’s success attributed to his or her acting ability vs. a really good manager/agent?

[photo: Caroline Bonarde Ucci]

Tom Cruise has been calling Boston “home” during the filming of his latest movie, “Knight & Day,” with his family in tow. With the close-to-normal life the family has been able to lead, the Boston Red Sox may just find themselves with a new set of hometown fans.

However, Tom Cruise is not exactly known for flying under the radar. This New York-born actor and producer may be forever remembered for the Oprah Winfrey Show couch-jumping incident, but perhaps he’s just rubbing his success in the faces of all the bullies he had to deal with in the 15 schools he attended in 12 years! He attended such schools as Robert Hopkins Public School, Henry Munro Middle School in Ottawa, Ontario (where he first became involved in drama), and Glen Ridge High School in New Jersey from which he graduated.

Tom’s mother must have seen the star in her boy, because she founded the Gloucester Players for her son and his classmates. He landed his first film role soon after high school with Endless Love. Movies such as The Outsiders, Legend, and Top Gun all proved successful for Tom, but it was his underwear-serenading scene in Risky Business that marked Tom for Hollywood hotness.

With many successful films under his belt, Tom and his former talent agent Paula Wagner formed Cruise/Wagner Productions. They proceeded to take over United Artists film studio and, although Wagner has since stepped down from her role in the company, Tom still produces for the company.

Do you think celebs can ever successfully “blend into” a community outside of Tinseltown?

Sandra Bullock is Hollywood’s sweetheart. Even being married to rough and tough Monster Garage star Jesse James hasn’t changed this brunette beauty’s image. It might not be a surprise to find out she was a cheerleader in high school as well. But, first, let’s start at the beginning.

Sandra Bullock was born in Arlington, Virginia, but lived in Nuremberg, Germany, until she was 12 years old. During her time in Germany, she traveled with her opera singer mother (taking small parts in her mother’s opera productions), sang in the opera’s children’s choir at the Staatstheater Nurnberg, and studied ballet and vocal arts.

As a teen, Sandra attended Washington and Lee High School where she was a cheerleader and an active participant in her school’s theater productions. She then attended East Carolina University but left to pursue an acting career (she’s since earned her bachelor’s degree).

Sandra’s next move was to Manhattan for acting auditions and she is known to have held a variety of jobs (including bartender and coat checker). She also attended Neighborhood Playhouse for acting classes, appearing in several student films. Landing an off-Broadway play, No Time Flat, led director Alan J. Levi to offer her a part in the made-for-TV movie Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. Sandra chose to stay in Los Angeles once the movie was wrapped.

Sandra appeared in independent films and a TV series called Working Girl, leading to her big screen debut with the movie Love Potion No. 9. Although she held many roles, her break-through performance came in the movie Speed, leading to many successful films such as While You Were Sleeping, Miss Congeniality, and Crash.

Sandra isn’t only an actress. She owns her own production company called Fortis Films. She’s the executive producer of the sitcom The George Lopez Show, and continues to gain praise anywhere you look in Hollywood.

What’s your favorite Sandra Bullock film?

[Photo: Angela George]