It’s Not Unusual to Want Smaller Home
Pop star Tom Jones, who sang Randy Newman’s “You Can Leave Your Hat On” in the Oscar-nominated movie “The Full Monty,” and his wife, Melinda, have purchased a home in a gated Beverly Hills-area community for about $2.7 million, sources say.
The Welsh superstar, who became a sensation in 1964 with his recording of “It’s Not Unusual,” made his movie debut in the Tim Burton-directed sci-fi comedy “Mars Attacks!” in 1996. Jones, in his 50s, often performs in Las Vegas and on tour, playing 200 dates a year.
He and his wife recently sold their larger, longtime home in Bel-Air. They wanted a smaller place in the L.A. area because they have two large houses in Britain, sources say.
The house they just purchased is newly built and has five bedrooms, a family room, formal dining room, library and master suite with his and hers baths, all in about 8,000 square feet. The home also has high ceilings, a pool and city views.
Cecelia Waeschle and Joyce Rey of Coldwell Banker-Jon Douglas Co., Beverly Hills, represented the buyers, and Joe Babajian and Judy Cycon of Fred Sands Estates, Beverly Hills, shared the listing with Heidi Tabib of Coldwell Banker-Jon Douglas Co., other sources said.
Tom Sizemore, who plays crime boss John Gotti in the upcoming NBC miniseries “Witness to the Mob,” and his actress wife, Maeve Quinlan, a former pro tennis player, have bought a gated home in the Beverly Hills area for close to its $1.35-million asking price, sources say.
Sizemore, in his early 30s, co-stars with Tom Hanks and Matt Damon in the upcoming movie “Saving Private Ryan,” directed by Steven Spielberg. The World War II-period movie is due out July 24.
The NBC miniseries, produced by Robert De Niro, is scheduled to air May 10 and 11. Sizemore played a detective in “Natural Born Killers” (1994) and one of De Niro’s partners in crime in “Heat” (1995).
Quinlan plays Megan in the daytime soap “The Bold and the Beautiful.” She and Sizemore also just finished filming “The Florentine,” with James Belushi, Luke Perry and Mary Stuart Masterson.
Their new home has three bedrooms, and a gym off of the master suite. Built in the 1950s, the 2,800-square-foot house was remodeled about two years ago, sources said.
Marci Merliss of Coldwell Banker-Jon Douglas Co., Beverly Hills, had the listing, and Randy Haessig of Nourmand & Associates, Beverly Hills, represented the buyers.
Joe Roth, chairman of Walt Disney Motion Pictures, and his wife, Donna, a film producer, have purchased a beachfront Malibu home for about $7 million, sources say.
Roth, in his 40s, has produced such movies as “While You Were Sleeping” (1995) and “Before and After” (1996). He was chairman of Fox Film Corp. in 1990 when he oversaw “Home Alone” and “Edward Scissorhands.” He replaced Jeffrey Katzenberg as Disney chairman in 1994.
Donna Roth and her partner, Susan Arnold, produced the movies “Benny & Joon” (1993) and Diane Keaton’s “Unstrung Heroes” (1995).
The Roths purchased a five-bedroom, six-bath home with a media room, fireplace, decks, pool and tennis court. The 6,000-square-foot-plus home, behind gates, was built in the 1930s but was recently remodeled. The home also has gardens, lawns and 60 feet of beach frontage.
Michele Hall and Bobette Halverson, both of Coldwell Banker-Jon Douglas Co., Malibu, had the listing, and Bridget Martens of Sothebys, Beverly Hills, represented the Roths, other sources said.
Detroit Pistons center Brian Williams has listed his Santa Monica canyon home for sale at close to $1.7 million.
Williams, 28, attended high school in Santa Monica before he went to the University of Arizona and was drafted by the Orlando Magic. He then played for the Denver Nuggets, the L.A. Clippers and the Chicago Bulls.
The seven-year NBA veteran was a free agent when he recently secured his five-year, $25-million contract with the Pistons, sources say.
In his leisure time, Williams is a pilot who owns a four-seat plane, and he is a jazz aficionado. His father, Gene Williams, is a former member of the Platters; his grandfather, Calhoun Williams, played piano with Duke Ellington.
The Santa Monica canyon house has four bedrooms and a guest house with a loft. Williams has owned the home since November 1995.
Built in 1991, the house has an open floor plan, marble floors, fiber-optic lighting and views of the ocean, which is within walking distance.
William Kennedy of Coldwell Banker-Jon Douglas Co., Santa Monica, has the listing.
Hollywood newcomer Donald Hoffman, cast as the lead in a miniseries after being discovered recently on the Internet, has purchased a three-bedroom, Spanish-style house in the Hollywood Hills for $625,000, sources say.
Hoffman, 67, was living in North Dakota when he got the role to star in the four-hour “Orson Welles, the Later Years,” due to start shooting in late fall.
The 317-pound Welles look-alike, a longtime stage actor who has a master’s degree in music from Harvard University, had sent his photo to a Web site for actors. Within weeks of seeing Hoffman’s picture, Gene Corman, producer of the miniseries, had the actor fly to L.A. to read for the part.
It’s one of the first times that a leading role has been cast through the Internet, a spokesman for Corman said.
The actor plans to split his time between Hollywood and Bismarck, where he also owns a house. Hoffman is a bachelor now but has been married eight times, sources say.
