People: Jul. 24, 2006

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A SOPRANO REACHES HIGH C AND SIZE 12

We told you it wasn't over until she sang. After London's Royal Opera House fired soprano DEBORAH VOIGT for being too portly for her signature role, Ariadne, in Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos in 2004, opera fans feared that the last refuge of the plus-size artist was gone. Two years later, Voigt has had gastric-bypass surgery and lost 135 lbs. (the equivalent, roughly, of one Mariah Carey) and the Royal Opera has rehired her for the 2007-08 season. Maybe the Royal Ballet will hire her next?

THE JOLIE WIDOW

Mrs. Smith is going to the Middle East. ANGELINA JOLIE'S humanitarian and mom credentials made her a good fit to play Mariane Pearl, widow of reporter Daniel Pearl, in A Mighty Heart, an adaptation of Mariane's book about his abduction and beheading in Pakistan in 2002. A producer, one Brad Pitt, told PEOPLE, "We hope the film can increase understanding between people of all faiths." If anything can unite us, it's that hot chick from Tomb Raider.

Q&A KEVIN SMITH

Kevin Smith wrote, directed and acts in Clerks II, which catches up with the seminal slacker film's characters 10 years later.

You originally called this film The Passion of the Clerks. Why did you change it? Fans and those who weren't fans agreed it was a terrible title, a one-note joke. I was happy with Clerks II. There's no bait and switch with a II in the title.

You worked on an early script for Superman several years ago. What do you think of the new film? I'm just glad there's any Superman movie. My version had a lot more parameters: the producer wanted to never show him in the suit, never show him flying and have him fight a giant spider in the third act.

Your last movie, Jersey Girl, starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, flopped. Did it suffer from the Bennifer whirlwind? To a degree. No matter how much we tried, the marketing seemed to say, "Remember the movie [Gigli] with those two people you can't stand anymore that came out a few months ago? Here's even more!"

Affleck is with Jennifer Garner now. How does the New Bennifer differ? Old Bennifer was great practice for New Bennifer. I don't think they're giving each other Rolls-Royces this time.

You're nearly 40. How do you think you've matured? I'm getting more bald. From the front, you can't pick it up. But when I turn around it's like I'm wearing a skin yarmulke.

Who is the audience for your films? They tend to look like me--boys and girls. We're all very sedentary and we like Twinkies. [This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine.] Woody's Latest Type Scarlett Johansson's roles in Woody Allen's London-set films share striking similarities.  And not just in handbags: