People: Aug. 3, 1998

WHAT’S RUSSIAN FOR “SOAP OPERA”?

It’s so comforting to know that American sports stars aren’t the only ones who go wiggy with fame. Russians PASHA GRISHUK and EVGENY PLATOV, right, the only ice dancers ever to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals, have always been as odd a match off the ice as they were perfect on it. Pasha is, well, flamboyant. She models herself after Marilyn Monroe, went through the torturous process of changing her name from Oksana to Pasha–Russian for passion–and has made no secret of her Hollywood dreams. Now, apparently, Evgeny has decided her virtuosity on the ice is not enough compensation for her tempestuousness off it. On July 19, at the end of an America-wide tour, he told Pasha that he had decided to skate with a rival, MAIA USOVA, left. At least he tried to. Pasha disappeared. He has tried calling since, and she has hung up on him. She claims he hasn’t called. Maybe it hurts most because Pasha had a very public affair with Maia’s husband and broke up her rival’s marriage. “There is sadness because we are great skaters together,” says Evgeny. “But there is relief because I will have another life that I deserve. I’m expecting a new, happy life with no stress.” Sounds like Pasha may have found her screenplay. –Reported by Alice Park

HOOP DREAMING WITH THE BULLS?

And now for the latest installment of As the Basketball Turns, the continuing saga of that winning but tortured team, the Chicago Bulls. In this episode, the two Jerrys–Krause and Reinsdorf, vice president and chairman of the team–present TIM FLOYD, a college coach and fishing buddy of Krause’s with no NBA experience, not as the new coach but as the director of basketball operations. This means that Phil Jackson could theoretically come back and perform his Zen magic on the Bulls. If he comes back, so will Michael Jordan, who has vowed never to work for “Pink,” as he calls Floyd. If Jordan comes back, Scottie Pippen might too. However, Jackson has made it pretty clear that he won’t come back. Maybe the Jerrys just want Jordan to know they really, really tried. Jordan has that nice little vacation known as a lockout to help him think it over. And as always, nobody ever knows what Dennis Rodman is doing. Tune in next week…

ON THE HORNS OF A DIL-EMMY

As usual, the Emmy nominations raised more questions than answers. Such as…

1. If Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the supporting actress on Seinfeld, who’s the lead actress?

2. Will Garry Shandling, nominated for the 19th time, finally get an award now that he’s off the air?

3. David E. Kelley was nominated as a writer for both comedy and drama series, and he’s married to Michelle Pfeiffer. Is there a luckier man in America?

4. Is there a more blatant excuse to reel in movie stars, such as Emma Thompson and Mel Brooks (and therefore attract an audience), than the category of Outstanding Guest Actor?

6. Excuse us, but Jane Seymour is an Outstanding Lead Actress?

7. Martin Short is nominated against George C. Scott, Hume Cronyn, Gregory Peck and, posthumously, J.T. Walsh. Is Short even going to show up?

8. In nominating newbie ANGELINA JOLIE twice, are the TV folks sucking up to her dad, Jon Voight?

9. Or is it those lips?

AH, PARIS AND THE FALL

The Emperor’s new clothes were on display in Paris last week. But although none of the attendees of the fall couture shows were prepared to say the outfits were ridiculous–as usual–some were prepared to say the women were nearly naked. Nipples were one of the biggest accessories, and definitely the least expensive. The mad lads from Britain–Alexander McQueen for Givenchy, far left, and John Galliano for Christian Dior, middle left–were up to their usual high jinks, but they were usurped in wackiness by even newer kids with scissors–Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, middle right. The Dutch duo, whose label is known as Viktor & Rolf, got to thinking about the millennium and showed an apocalyptic-appropriate silhouette shaped like a mushroom cloud. Moreover, they put the show together on a shoestring budget–so ’90s! There were a few sublime moments, however, such as the Jean-Louis Scherrer cape, near left, and the appearance in Thierry Mugler’s show of CYD CHARISSE, all 77 years of her, looking as va-va-voom as anyone.

THE MANY LOVES OF JEREMY IRONS

Lolita has finally landed. This weekend Showtime, trying to carve out a niche for itself as the edgy cable channel, will show the movie that no studio wanted to distribute. One of the best reasons to watch–apart from the alluring glimpses of the retainer that DOMINIQUE SWAIN’s Lolita wears–is to see JEREMY IRONS do his favorite “I’m in love with the wrong person” act. He has loved so many of the wrong people in his films, he could be a regular guest on Jerry Springer. A glimpse at his past film amours:

Movie Irons’ Role

Stealing Beauty A dying man who’d like to sleep with the 19- year-old virgin visiting him

M. Butterfly A French diplomat who has an affair with an opera singer, not knowing he’s a spy and a guy

Damage A politician who has an affair with his son’s fiance

Dead Ringers Twin gynecologists who share lovers without the women’s knowledge

Swann in Love A French aristocrat obsessed with a scandalous, lower-class woman

Betrayal A literary agent having an affair with his best friend’s wife

The French A gentleman having an affair with a tainted Lieutenant’s Woman woman

FOSTER BABY

In retrospect, there were signs that JODIE FOSTER was feeling a little clucky a long time ago. First there was her company’s name, Egg Pictures, then her directorial debut, Little Man Tate, about raising a genius. Most recently there was the Showtime film for which she was executive producer, The Baby Dance. Now she has her own little man, Charles, who arrived last week, all 7.5 lbs. and 20.5 in. of him. Foster has steadfastly refused to name the father and intends to bring up the child alone, or as alone as movie stars ever are. But she has a good example of single motherhood to follow: her mother Brandy raised Foster and her three siblings on her own. And Jodie turned out O.K. “Anybody who has a child is fearful of not measuring up,” she told the New York Daily News. “But I hope I’ll have some of [my mother’s] passion.”