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While many SAG-AFTRA members appreciate George Clooney’s $50 million suggestion that he and other A-listers cover the union dues of lower-earning actors as a way to resolve the actors’ strike, some felt it was irrelevant at best and, at worst, “a bit of union-busting.” They said he could make a much bigger impact by showing up at a picket line.

“I think that the idea of raising the caps for that level of entertainer is an incredible idea. I totally agree with it,” said “Two Broke Girls” actress Alexandra Ryan on the picket line at Paramount Studios on Monday.

However, she added, “I think that it’s a sidestep to what we’re trying to do right now. And I also think that there’s a bit of inadvertent union-busting to the proposal. I don’t agree with that piece of it.”

Critics of Clooney’s suggestion argue that it...

Robert Duvall has been cast in Hemingway & Gellhorn, joining Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman in the HBO Films release. Duvall will apparently have a small role in the film as a Russian general. Also in the cast of the pic which has begun filming in San Francisco, are David Strathairn, Molly Parker, Rodrigo Santoro, Parker Posey, Lars Ulrich, Santiago Cabrera, Saverio Guerra, Peter Coyote, Diane Baker and Tony Shalhoub. James Gandolfini is serving as an executive producer for Hemingway & Gelhorn which follows Ernest Hemingway's volatile relationship with Martha Gellhorn, a rising war correspondent., during as well as after the Spanish Civil War. Peter Kaufman directs from the writing by Jerry Stahl and Barbara Turner. Also executive producing are Alexandra Ryan, Trish Hofmann, Turner and Kaufman.

James Gandolfini has come aboard to star in and produce Sexual Healing, a biopic about singer Marvin Gaye.

Jesse L. Martin already is set to play Gaye in the film, which will be directed by Lauren Goodman.

The film focuses on the last years of Gaye's life. Gandolfini will play Gaye's manager, Freddy Cousaert, the promoter who guided the singer through the recording of his biggest-selling album, Midnight Love. Goodman wrote the script loosely based on Steven Turner's book Trouble Man.

Gandolfini will produce via his Attaboy shingle with his partner Alexandra Ryan. Also producing are Ayo Davis, Efuru Flowers and Roger Haber.

Gary Hamilton's Arclight Films will executive produce and handle international sales for the $15 million production. Principal photography is scheduled to begin April 15 on locations in Massachusetts, Ostend, Belgium, and Los Angeles.

Victor Syrmis is executive producer with Hamilton.

Arclight Films is handling sales at Berlin's European Film Market next week.

Gandolfini, repped by Endeavor, won the SAG Award on Sunday night for outstanding performance by a male actor in a drama series for The Sopranos.