James Jones

James Earl Jones may be tempted, but he's been warned by his wife not to make fun of the lifetime achievement award he'll be receiving from the Screen Actors Guild during its 15th annual award ceremony on Jan. 25. After all, he says, he still has a vibrant career and projects he hopes will add to his lengthy line of distinguished films, including his breakthrough "The Great White Hope," "Field of Dreams" and "Patriot Games."

James L. Jones, former national security advisor to President Obama, was long gone from the White House when U.S. Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2. But Jones well remembers when he first heard about a promising lead on Bin Laden's whereabouts. The retired Marine Corps general, speaking at the National Press Club on Monday, told reporters that a "small group" of White House officials was briefed last year about the compound where Bin Laden was later found.

By the time Bruce Jennings finished a cross-country bicycle trip in 1976, the Fullerton man was something of a local hero. It wasn't just that Jennings had been a high-school track star and football player. He had made the 3,000-mile trek with just one leg. The local press trumpeted Jennings' success. Then-New York City Mayor Abraham D. Beame issued a certificate of appreciation to the 24-year-old, who had lost his right leg years earlier, the result of a motorcycle accident.

James Earl Jones, Oprah Winfrey and pioneering makeup artist Dick Smith will be honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in November with Governors Awards. Jones and Smith will receive Honorary Awards, while Winfrey will be presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The Honorary Award is presented for "extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the academy.

In the latest White House staff shakeup, President Obama announced Friday that Gen. James L. Jones was stepping down as national security advisor at the end of the month and will be replaced by his deputy, Tom Donilon. The change at the top of the National Security Council comes as Obama presides over an escalation of the war in Afghanistan and peace negotiations in the Middle East. By July, the administration is expected to decide how quickly to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, and Donilon has stressed internally the importance of meeting the deadline.

Tom Kane hates the ads for Mercedes-Benz. It's not the car. It's Jon Hamm. Mercedes uses the "Mad Men" star as the voice of its television and radio commercials. "Even if it is a terrific spot - which it isn't - people don't have a clue who that is," grumbled Kane, a professional voice actor who's done animation, movie trailers and commercials for two decades. QUIZ: Who's that voice? As brand-name advertisers fight for attention in a cluttered media landscape, they are turning increasingly to celebrities such as Robert Downey Jr. (Nissan)

The multifaceted James Franco will soon add another credit to his résumé: The actor-director-artist-poet is heading to the Great White Way. "We're going to do 'Of Mice and Men' on Broadway. I'm going to play George," the star of "Oz the Great and Powerful” revealed on "The Colbert Report.” This would be Franco's Broadway debut, though not for want of trying. The one-time Oscar host was slated to star opposite Nicole Kidman in a 2011 revival of “Sweet Bird of Youth,” although the production never materialized.

The Mexican government has approved the proposed nomination of James Jones, former head of the American Stock Exchange, as U.S. ambassador to Mexico, a Foreign Ministry source said Friday.

President Clinton is expected to name Massachusetts Gov. William F. Weld as ambassador to Mexico, an administration official said Friday. Weld, a moderate Republican touted as a potential Republican presidential nominee in 2000, would replace former American Stock Exchange President James Jones.

Don DeVoe, former Tennessee basketball coach, an Ohio State alumnus twice passed over for the Buckeyes' head coaching job, says he has contacted the school about replacing Gary Williams. Williams resigned Tuesday to take the job at Maryland. DeVoe, 47, said he telephoned Ohio State athletic director James Jones recently to express his interest in the job.