Kumar Pallana

Possessing perhaps the greatest deadpan expression since Buster Keaton, Indian-born Kumar Pallana stole every scene in which he appeared in the 2001 comedy "The Royal Tenenbaums" as Gene Hackman's loyal, albeit eccentric, valet. And he even manages to upstage Oscar winner Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg's comedy "The Terminal" as Gupta, an airport janitor with a deep, dark secret and a mistrust of everyone. Though Pallana's movie career spans only the past decade, the energetic 85-year-old has been performing most of his life, making money for his family by traveling in India, Kenya and South Africa to perform feats of balance and yoga.

Possessing perhaps the greatest deadpan expression since Buster Keaton, Indian-born Kumar Pallana stole every scene in which he appeared in the 2001 comedy "The Royal Tenenbaums" as Gene Hackman's loyal, albeit eccentric, valet. And he even manages to upstage Oscar winner Tom Hanks in Steven Spielberg's comedy "The Terminal" as Gupta, an airport janitor with a deep, dark secret and a mistrust of everyone. Though Pallana's movie career spans only the past decade, the energetic 85-year-old has been performing most of his life, making money for his family by traveling in India, Kenya and South Africa to perform feats of balance and yoga.

For someone who is -- as back-to-back best actor Oscars and the AFI Life Achievement Award attest -- arguably the most beloved of modern American actors, Tom Hanks has spent a lot of time recently hiding from himself. Intent on putting some distance between his image and his most recent screen roles, Hanks' latest performances include an emotionless killer in "Road to Perdition" and an over-the-top con man in the Coen brothers' "The Ladykillers."

Morgan Freeman's new film, "10 Items or Less," is scheduled to arrive in theaters in December. But you'll be able to download a pristine copy of the movie over the Internet just days after it rolls into the multiplex. And Freeman -- along with everybody else who worked on the film -- couldn't be happier.

Friday After Freedom Drama Vitagraph With: Mic Tomasi, Greg Satamian, Sophie Chahinian The idea: Cultural tug of war set in Glendale as a young Armenian American is torn between his tightknit community and finding his own way. Writer-director: Vahe Babaian * So?