Месяц: Ноябрь 2013

Even though Jeffrey Wright has won a Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe, and appeared in more than 35 films as one of the most versatile actors of his generation, he's far from a household name.

But he could care less.

Portraying painter Jean-Michel Basquiat in Julian Schnabel's 1996 biopic set the stage for other distinct performances for the 47-year-old Wright, like playing Colin Powell in "W," Muddy Waters in "Cadillac Records" and operative Felix Leiter in "Casino Royale."

And his varied dramatic skills prompted the makers of HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" to cast the Washington, D.C. native in the role of sinister Dr. Valentin Narcisse this season.

With his latest film, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," setting box office records worldwide, Wright examined his career choices in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

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AP: How was it joining the established "Hunger Games" cast?

Wright: It's easier for me because I didn't have to take the risk on the first one. I didn't have to do the hard work of winning over this intensely passionate fan base. I got a chance to come in and surf their success. But that is a little concerning too because you want to come into a situation and add to the recipe. You don't want to be the guy who puts too much salt in this really wonderful dish.

AP: Some feel you are underrated and underexposed. What's your response?

Wright: I don't mind that I am not necessarily a household name because I think my characters have outshined me. That was by design. And I'm not wanting for appreciation. But for the past 10 years or so I kind of pumped the breaks on acting and have been intentionally doing smaller roles that didn't take me away from home for three months because I wanted to be with my son and daughter (Elijah, 12, and TK, 8, with wife Carmen Ejogo). Over the last couple of years I've started to go away and work a bit more.

AP: Do you feel people are re-discovering you through your character on "Boardwalk Empire?"

Wright: Yeah. They started writing one of the most interesting stories for me that I've ever been a part of. Then they started tailoring this madman to suit what I could bring to it. It's awesome, and we shoot most of it about five blocks away from my house in Brooklyn.

AP: What struggles do you face as an African-American man in Hollywood?

Wright: I don't really consider myself a black man in Hollywood. I live in Brooklyn ... and on purpose. At the most base level, what an actor represents to the film industry is an investment. Depending on the risk profile, an investor needs 1,000 reasons to commit and one reason not to. That means you've got to do more work on your own and that the machine is not going to necessarily do the blocking for you. The machine rarely accepted my code. That can be frustrating, but you just have to be aware.

AP: Out of all of the characters you've played, which is most like you?

Wright: I would probably say, although I am older now and I hope this doesn't sound pretentious, but Basquiat because I was that wild child in the city at one point who was trying to tell my story too.

AP: The bright orange socks you're wearing show you've still got edge.

Wright: I try to keep it lively! I consider Basquiat a kindred spirit, which is part of the reason I wanted to share some part of his story with a larger audience ... even though Jay-Z likes to say that he is the new Jean-Michel, we were telling that story 20 years ago. But I'm glad that he and folks who might not otherwise have taken a look at his work are now doing it.

When it comes to luck at the card table, 29-year-old David Hayes has it, hands down.

By day, he's a jewelry maker in Columbus, Ohio, earning a modest salary. By night, he's Fortune's favored son.

Watch the full story on "20/20: Got Luck?" TONIGHT at 10 p.m. ET.

His game: blackjack. His winning percentage: freakishly good. When he goes to casinos, he wins thousands.

"We're talking five, six figures generally when I play," Hayes said in an interview with "20/20" correspondent Deborah Roberts. "I walk out with ten or twenty [thousand]."

Even more frustrating for the casinos, he never cheats or counts cards, he said.

"It's just pure luck," he said.

"20/20" tested Hayes' luck during a recent trip to New York.

After half an hour playing a mock blackjack game, Roberts was bust and Hayes was up $5,000.

In another quick test of his luck, Hayes bought two scratch-off lotto tickets. He won $10 on a $5 ticket.

Last October, Hayes visited Hollywood Casino Columbus with Nick, his gambling buddy (who asked that his last name not be used).

After a five-hour run of luck, Hayes was riding high.

"People were all around me cheering, seeing me bet their whole month's salary in one thirty-second move," Hayes said. "I had stacks of thousand-dollar chips.... I didn't realize how much I had actually won until I cashed out."

He'd won $35,800. Then his luck turned.

Hayes said that when he went to the cashier's cage to claim his winnings, the cashier wouldn't give him a check, which is customary for large winnings.

"That's when I knew that something quite wasn't right," Hayes said. "I asked her three times about getting a check. ... I was forced to take cash."

The cashier put 358 hundred-dollar bills into a manila envelope, stapled it up the sides and wrote "EMPLOYEE FILE" on it, Hayes said.

Then something else struck him as odd.

"The management asked me, 'Do you feel comfortable taking this much money home?'" Hayes said. Security video exclusively obtained by "20/20" shows a security guard approach and speak to him. "I said, No, but -- I [didn't] have a choice. But my brother's home, and I'm sure he's got his gun, so I'm not really worried."

A security guard escorted Hayes to his car, and Hayes drove home nervously.

By 6 a.m., Hayes was home. His brother was not there.

"I took the money out, you know, just holding it, thinking, That's my year's salary right there."

As he dozed off, three men entered the house through an unlocked back door and headed up the stairs.

"The next thing I know, I see people," Hayes said. "All fully masked, [dressed] in black. Ski masks, gloves, everything. The only thing I could really see was around the eyes. One was a thinner white gentleman, one was kind of a well-built black gentleman, and he was the one with the gun."

"It took a good three to four seconds to realize this isn't a joke," he continued. "I immediately saw the revolver, he took his other hand and pushed me back into the bed, put the gun to my head. And that's when he started asking me about my brother, and that's when I realized this is real."

After ransacking the room, they took the brick of cash from the nightstand.

"I actually had to point it out to them, because they were getting pretty insistent on where the money was. I think they were actually looking for the envelope, 'cause they had probably seen me with the envelope."

"They ran out, or at least I thought they did," Hayes went on. "And then about maybe 15 to 20 seconds later ... I feel the gun pressed up against my head again. He goes, 'I'm still here.'"

A Florida psychic has put a nasty new spin on the phrase "gambling with fate."

Stephanie Thompson, 23, of Lighthouse Point, Fla., was arrested after she was accused of taking $115,000 from a woman to remove a "curse" -- but instead gambled away some of the money, police said.

Thompson was taken into custody Tuesday and charged with grand theft and organized fraud, more than a year after police first questioned her for swindling a Boca Raton, Fla., woman's money.

The 30-year-old victim told Boca Raton police in September 2012 that Thompson, who has also used the name Stephanie Lee, convinced her to hand over $115,000, of which she would return $90,000, so that she could take a "curse" off of the victim and also off the money. The victim said Thompson told her she had to give her the money, which she had received from her mother, "so she could clean it," according to police.

The victim told police that from May to August last year, she would go with Thompson to various bank branches to withdraw the cash in small amounts, so as not to raise suspicion, police said. Thompson allegedly told the victim that if she told anyone about the scheme, all of Thompson's work would be "erased," according to police.

"Thompson told her that she could get the same cancer that her mother had if she did not go through with this and [the victim] stated she believed her," Officer Karl Leonard wrote in a Boca Raton police report.

As the victim was telling a police officer her story last year, she received a call from a woman who said she was Thompson, according to the report. The two agreed to meet, and the officer came along, where he confronted Thompson, the report said.

In a CVS parking lot, Thompson told the officer she had gambled away some of the money at a casino, according to the report. In all, the victim said she lost $109,700, police said.

Thompson's attorney, Alison Gilman, told police after an October 2012 meeting with them that "she was unable to resolve this issue," the report states. A warrant was then put out for Thompson's arrest, Officer Sandra Boonenberg, of the Boca Raton Police Department, told ABC News.

Thompson posted $40,000 bond early Wednesday morning, authorities said. A date for her next court hearing had not yet been set, Kathy Burstein, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Clerk and Controller's Office, told ABC News.

Attempts to reach Thompson were unsuccessful. Gilman did not return a message seeking comment.

A message left at a number listed for The Psychic Tea Room, where police said Thompson met the victim, was not returned. The victim did not return a call seeking comment.

"We've had some other reported incidents with psychics and stuff like this, but we don't have any other cases against this particular defendant," Boonenberg said. "I don't believe we have any other psychic-related cases at this point."

Russia's Evgeny Gradovich retained the IBF featherweight title when Australia's Billy Dib quit in the ninth round Sunday at The Venetian casino in Macau.

In a rematch of their March bout, Gradovich put Dib down in the sixth round and staggered him with a left hook in the eighth. Further punishment in the ninth prompted Dib's corner to ask the referee to stop the fight on the undercard of the bout between Brandon Rios and Manny Pacquiao.

Mexican heavyweight Andy Ruiz Jr. extended his unbeaten record when American opponent Tor Hamer quit after three rounds despite leading on two of the three judges' scorecards. Ruiz retained his WBO intercontinental heavyweight belt and added the NABF title.

Zou Shiming, China's two-time Olympic gold medalist, improved his professional record to 3-0-0 with a unanimous points decision in his six-round flyweight bout against Mexico's Juan Toscano.

After an even opening couple of rounds, Zou poured on the pressure in the third, opening a cut under the Mexican's right eye, and sustained his dominance from then on to claim an impressive victory.

Highly touted lightweight Felix Verdejo of Puerto Rico improved to 8-0-0 with a unanimous points decision over Petchsamuthr Duanaaymukdahan, exhibiting too much hand speed and movement for the resilient Thai.

The other bouts included Filipino lightweight Harmonito Dela Torre knocking out Indonesia's Jason Butar Butar in the third round; China's Ik Yang taking a split decision over Indonesia's Hero Tito; local Macao fighter Kuok Kun Ng taking a unanimous decision over China's Zeng YouJie; Hong Kong's Rex Tso stopping Thailand's Susu Sithjadaeng in the first round; and Filipino Dan Nazareno Jr. beating Liam Vaughan when the Englishman's corner stopped the fight in the second round.

Love to party when you travel? Whether you’re planning a raucous getaway with friends or simply want to indulge in a boozy night out on your next business trip, take note. We’ve scouted out the hottest hotels in some of the country’s most hopping party destinations — New York City, LA, Las Vegas, and Miami – where the revelry takes place on right on-site. No need to deal with cabs or public transport in the wee hours of the morning; at these hotels, stumbling to bed is as easy as riding the elevator.

1 Wynn Las Vegas

The Wynn is home to the uber-popular Tryst, a 12,000-square-foot club with a 90-foot waterfall, go-go dancers on tables, waitresses with prepared shots (tequila and lemon drops), a very danceable club mix, and plenty of scantily clad twenty-somethings. The lounge, where there are sitting areas for bottle service, looks out on the surreal Lake of Dreams. Next door, the Encore hotel has another esteemed nightclub, XS.

2 SLS Miami

Since its star-studded opening party in November 2012, the SLS South Beach has become one of Miami’s hottest hotels. The 140-room property features direct beach access, sexy rooms, high-profile restaurants, hip bars, two large pools, and a great address on swank Collins Avenue. So far, the SLS has attracted celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Derek Jeter, Rumer Willis (who performed with her band during the opening party), and Lenny Kravitz, who designed two of the penthouses.

3 The Standard, High Line Hotel, New York City

The Standard vies with the Dream Downtown for status as the reigning queen bee of the New York City party scene. It has bars to fit any taste: the casual Biergarten; The Standard Plaza; and Top of the Standard on the 18th floor, a hot spot rooftop lounge featuring famous DJs, stunning views, and celebrity guests (such as Madonna and Lindsay Lohan). Top of the Standard has also been known as the Boom Boom Room — keeping up with all the names is almost as exhausting as waiting in line to get in. (If you’re not on the guest list, arrive early — or expect to wait all night.)

4 The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas

Marquee at the Cosmopolitan is arguably the hottest nightclub on the Las Vegas Strip, offering 62,000 square feet of space and some of the world’s best house music DJs. The Dayclub (open seasonally) has elaborate cabanas with individual infinity pools. And that’s just the beginning – The Chelsea offers concerts from top-tier performers, and there are a handful of swanky bars such as The Chandelier and Bond.

5 Dream Downtown, New York City

Dream Downtown’s bi-level penthouse nightclub, Ph-D, offers stunning skyline views – but it’s the views of famous faces inside that have made it such a hot spot. Diddy, Robert Pattinson, and Cameron Diaz are just a few of the celebs to party here. The Beach, open seasonally, is also swanky, with imported sand and views of the lobby through the partially translucent pool bottom.

6 Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles

The Hollywood Roosevelt is home to some of the most popular celebrity haunts in L.A., an impressive accomplishment in a town that has its fair share of celebrity haunts. They include: The Spare Room, a cocktail lounge with two bowling lanes; Teddys, a nightclub with plush leather seating and VIP booths (where partygoers have included Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, Jay-Z, and Penelope Cruz); and Tropicana Bar, centered around the chic pool area.

7 Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC

The Gansevoort has long been a staple of the New York City party scene, drawing jet-setting Europeans and stylish New Yorkers to its sleek rooftop bar and lounge, Plunge, and its exclusive nightclub, Provacatuer. A trendy restaurant and lobby bar round out the picture. Close proximity to the city’s other hottest nightclubs doesn’t hurt matters, either.

8 Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles

Chateau Marmont, a notorious movie star hideaway since it opened in 1929, attracts celebrities to its popular Bar Marmont, its see-and-be-seen restaurant, and its private guest bungalows. The founder of Columbia Pictured famously remarked that “if you’re going to get in trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont,” and plenty of celebrities have followed that advice over the years (for example, Led Zeppelin rode a motorcycle through the lobby). The VIPs who have partied here (and still do) are too numerous to count.

9 Delano Hotel, Miami

The Delano is one of the coolest and most popular spots on South Beach, drawing a wide range of clientele. Crowds of partiers can be found around the pool, in the lobby’s red-lit Rose Bar, and underground at FDR nightclub. There are live DJs, pricey mojitos, and tight security at this well-known, see-and-be-seen party scene.

10 Hard Rock, Las Vegas

The swank Hard Rock is off the Strip, but it knows how to throw a party — Rehab, Vegas’ best pool party (offered in the warmer months); go-go dancers in the casino; live music at The Joint; partying at Body English nightclub; stylish cuisine at Nobu.

MACAU – Manny Pacquiao defeated Brandon Rios by unanimous decision on Sunday, returning to his winning ways after consecutive losses.

Back in the ring for the first time in almost a year, Pacquiao wore Rios down with his trademark combination punching and won 120-108, 119-109 and 118-110 on the scorecards at The Venetian casino in Macau.

It was an emotional victory for Pacquiao after a devastating typhoon swept through his home nation of the Philippines this month, killing thousands.

"This is not about my comeback," Pacquiao said in the ring. "My victory is a symbol of my people's comeback from a natural disaster and a natural tragedy."

Pacquiao, who grabbed the WBO international welterweight title with the victory, got the better of the opening two rounds, sending Rios to the canvas in the opening frame, although the referee contentiously ruled it as a slip rather than a knockdown.

The American asserted himself in the third, landing some crisp blows that raised hopes of a genuine contest before Pacquiao — spurred on by a capacity crowd at the 13,000-seat Cotai Arena, including many Filipino fans — dominated the remainder of the contest.

Rios was game, continually walking forward to challenge Pacquiao, but was unable to land any telling blows.

After seven rounds, Rios was getting attention to cuts under both eyebrows, and with the scores going against him, needed something special.

Cautioned by the memory of his previous fight when he walked into a savage Juan Manuel Marquez punch that knocked him out, Pacquiao was on guard throughout the closing rounds but a tiring Rios offered little threat over the final four rounds.

"Recovering from the knockout and giving a good show was what I wanted to prove to myself and everyone," Pacquiao said.

Pacquiao will now eye a potential rematch against Marquez.