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| It is one of the biggest and most ambitious movies ever made. "Troy" features huge special effects, two of the world's sexiest men and a beautiful newcomer who will take your breath away. And now, only "Extra" reveals the top secrets from one of Hollywood's most top-secret sets. "Troy" is based on Homer’s "Iliad," a story of love, betrayal and war. Brad Pitt got a lot of love on the set, when his wife Jennifer Aniston paid him a visit on the island of Malta. The couple took in the local beauty on his days off. But the leading man also experienced the agony of war, reportedly tearing his left achilles tendon while shooting an action scene, which is ironic considering that he plays a character named Achilles. Heartthrob Orlando Bloom revealed that his only regret from the set is not having enough scenes with Pitt. "It’s a great ensemble, and I feel lucky to be part of that," Bloom said. "Unfortunately, I didn’t get to do a lot with Brad Pitt. But I did a little bit. He’s a super cool guy." So who’s the very lucky girl starring with the hot pair? Diane Kruger, a former top fashion model, sizzles as Helen of Troy. "Extra" caught up with her on the set of "National Security," where she revealed she was in awe of the cast. "It was a little intimidating at first," Kruger admitted. "You come to work and see all these people and you're like, 'Ahh.'" "Troy" was shot in Malta, London and was supposed to shoot in Morocco, but because of the looming Iraqi war, the site was scratched in favor of Mexico. But trouble followed when hurricane Marty hit and destroyed part of the set. Shooting quickly resumed, and soon the whole world will be able to watch an incredible cast perform a timeless tale in this one-of-a-kind epic. |
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| Sigaf, an award-winning Andalusian stallion purchased earlier this year by Stephanie Parisi, founder of ´Horse of the Sun Ranch´, will now highlight the Spanish Classical training there for which his breed is known. The ranch is an exclusive equestrian training and boarding facility forty five minutes east of San Diego in Pine Valley, CA. "I first saw him at a show in Del Mar and was quite taken with his performance and his temperament. He is unique in being the combination of such a powerful yet gentle horse," says Stephanie Parisi. "We feel fortunate to have found locally a horse with such a blend of excellent conformation, attitude and training…he truly seems to enjoy his work!" He was purchased for a very special reason other than his impressive show record. He will be the primary ambassador for the many projects for which the ranch is known including a unique children´s equine care program currently underway for the Phoenix House, a nationally known organization which treats kids for chemical dependency. A portion of his breeding contract fees will be donated to support these various Horse of the Sun community programs especially those for kids. This extraordinary stallion has close ties to Hollywood! Most recently, he was part of the equine training team on the movie set of "Troy" helping prepare the actors, including Brad Pitt, Eric Bana and Orlando Bloom, for their riding parts and was the mount of Orlando Bloom in that movie. The Andalusian horse (Pure Spanish Horse) has historical roots dating to the pre-Roman era in what is today known as the Andalucia region of Spain and has long been associated with royalty. It is said that this magnificent breed is one of the outstanding gifts to the world from the Spanish monarchy. In the United States, all purebred Andalusians are directly traceable to their original European line. As the Americas were settled, the Spanish horse was brought here and therefore has ties to the current Mustang breed in the Southwest region as well. Since arriving at Horse of the Sun ranch, Sigaf has represented his Spanish heritage magnificently. He has garnered many awards. At a recent Regional Championship Show in Los Angeles, he brought home several championships and reserve championships which qualified him to compete in the National competition in Fort Worth, Texas this past October where he was equally impressive. There he won several top five awards, two Reserve Championships and a National Championship. He was also invited by the show committee to demonstrate to the audience the classic Spanish High School style of riding. He was ridden by his prior owner and trainer, Martin Juarez. Now home again, Sigaf will continue to be shown in competition and exhibition and will also continue his impressive career as a breeding stallion. Comfortably settled into his unique two stall horse condo creek side at the Horse of the Sun facility, he is truly the new ´star´ at the ranch! (More information about Sigaf and Stephanie Parisi is available at www.horseofthesun.com) |
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| Finally, Orlando Bloom was cast as Paris. "It was a ferociously good-looking set," says Benioff. "A good way to crush your ego is to walk into a restaurant with Orlando Bloom." |