Halle Berry Photo by: AJ SOKALNER / ACE Pictures
Halle Berry By the Book | Halle Berry
Halle Berry played hostess this week in the moonlit garden of her Hollywood Hills home to fete famed acting teacher Ivana Chubbuck's book The Power of the Actor. Berry, looking slim and cool in a handkerchief hem dress, said she credits Chubbuck's help in nailing her Monster's Ball role, which won her a Best Actress Oscar: "She gave the courage to take that on." Party guest Eva Mendes called Chubbuck "my safety net," and Garry Shandling, who drove over directly from a Tonight Show appearance, called her the "woman I can't act without." Also milling about in Berry's garden: Orlando Bloom, Kate Bosworth, Jessica Biel, Pink, Eriq LaSalle and Craig Kilborn. "It's a nice night – all of us together to honor this great nurturer," said Mendes. "She's helped every one of us. Now we can read all her wisdom in a book." True, since the goody bag everyone took home contained an autographed copy.

Birthday Boy
Speaking of celebrity parties, Janet Jackson invited the likes of Usher, Naomi Campbell, Bow Wow, Shaquille O'Neal, Ludacris, Quincy Jones, L.A. Reid, Kanye West and Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis to the bash she threw for beau Jermaine Dupri's birthday at new South Beach hotspot Onda Lounge. How does Dupri feel about turning 32? "The worst thing (about birthdays) is that you keep getting older. I'm getting old," he tells us. "The best thing is that your friends and family come out and celebrate." As for his relationship with Jackson, Dupri says there are wedding bells in their future. "Eventually," he says. "I don't know when, but that's got to happen. I'm getting old. Birthdays make you think. When you get old, you get old, and I'm getting old." Any thoughts on the fine slapped on CBS for his ladylove's "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl? "I don't know nothing about that," says Dupri. "I could care less about all that. I just want to see the Redskins go to the Super Bowl (this year)."

Tattoo Who?
Before taking the stage to accept AOL's first "Chief Everything Officer" award this week for juggling her roles as journalist, best-selling author, mother, daughter and First Lady of California, Maria Shriver confessed she was still trying to scrub off a spray-on tattoo from the Sponge Bob-themed birthday party she had just thrown for her 7-year-old son, Christopher, the day before. "I have a tattoo all down my arm," she told us. "It has stars and ponies. I can't get it off." Luckily it was discreetly hidden under an elegant lavender Michael Kors suit.

Free Association
We asked rapper Method Man – whose likeness appears in the new video game Def Jam Fight for NY – for his quick takes on a few hot topics.
• Beyonce's clothing line, House of Dereon: "Really?"
• Jennifer Lopez's perfume vs. Britney's perfume: "Size does matter."
• Britney's cover of Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative": "Booooo. I hate remakes. Because they're never as good as the original."
• Jamie Foxx playing Ray Charles: "Phenomical." (The combination of "phenomenal" and "comical." He hasn't seen the movie.)
• A fashion trend I love: "Doo- rags."
• A fashion trend I hate: "Ugg boots."
• My favorite reality-TV show: "I hate them all."
• My favorite expression: "You lyin'."

• By MAUREEN HARRINGTON, JON WARECH, SHARON COTLIAR and ANNE MARIE CRUZ

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