Mark Wahlberg Finishing High School Online

Indigo/Getty Images(BOSTON) -- He's got a successful film career as an actor and producer that includes two Oscar nominations, but Mark Wahlberg doesn't have a high school diploma. That, however, is about to change.

After reading that 41-year-old Wahlberg regretted dropping out of high school his freshman year, Kerry Tondorf, the headmaster of Boston's Snowden International High School in Copley Square, wrote to Wahlberg, telling him of a program the school offers to allow students to complete their high school educations online.

Says Tondorf, "He called me the next day, and he seemed very excited and serious about the opportunity," reports the Boston Globe.

Snowden International High School in Copley Square was known as Copley Square High School when Wahlberg dropped out to give showbiz a try.  Over 25 years later, he's already enrolled in the online program to complete his high school education and has even signed up for his first class.

The program allows students to study and complete classes at their own pace, just as long as they log in at least once a week.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

Susan Lucci Rejects Offer to Star in Online Version of 'All My Children'

Angela Weiss/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) -- It appears that Susan Lucci will not extend her run on All My Children when it moves to the Internet.

Deadline.com reports the veteran soap star, who has played Erica Kane on All My Children for more than four decades, sought a pay increase, a lighter work schedule and a commitment for a primetime series.  Prospect Park, which is licensing All My Children and One Life to Live from ABC and will distribute both shows online when they conclude their network runs, had offered Lucci a similar salary to what she is making now.

News of Lucci's rejection of Prospect Park's offer comes amid a report that she criticizes the head of ABC daytime programming in the paperback edition of her memoir for canceling her series.

Given the breakdown in negotiations, Deadline speculates that Prospect Park could focus more attention on One Life to Live than All My Children going forward.

All My Children leaves ABC later this month, while One Life to Live signs off from the network in January.

Deadline notes that Prospect Park has reached deals with four One Life to Live cast members: Michael Easton, Ted King, Kassie DePaiva and Erika Slezak.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Popular Soap Operas Leave TV for Online

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Staff/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- The soon-to-be retired daytime entertainment shows One Life to Live, launched in 1968, and All My Children, launched two years later, will migrate to the web.

After a near 40 year run in broadcast, the two popular long-running soaps are scheduled to go off the air in September after Disney’s ABC sold the online rights to the TV, film and music company Prospect Park, according to a statement from the network.

Prospect Park, founded in 2008, is headed by executives Rich Frank, a former Disney Studios boss, and Jeff Kwatinetz. Both are executive producers of USA Network's hit show, Royal Pains.

The daily shows will resume their notoriously dramatic storylines online where they left off on TV, on a new yet-to-be-named TV focused online network.

The company will feature the same cast, crew and talent, maintaining continuity by keeping up with the villainous character Erica Kane, as played by soap star Susan Lucci.

Prospect Park is finalizing its current round of funding for its Hulu-style venture in the next month to 45 days, the Post confirms. Other unnamed financial backers are involved.

The site will feature a host of brand-name TV shows, with the soaps first to kick off the new online venture.

ABC announced in April that the broadcast network was dropping the soaps -- much to the dismay of avid fans -- for much less expensive unscripted programs, The Chew and Revolution.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Elizabeth Taylor's Friends, Fans Remember Her Online

ABC, Inc.(LOS ANGELES) -- Moments after news broke that Elizabeth Taylor died of congestive heart failure Wednesday, the Internet leapt to memorialize the iconic actress. Taylor's friends and colleagues in the entertainment industry tweeted their sympathies:

@MarleeMatlin, actress: "So VERY shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Dame Elizabeth Taylor. A true Hollywood legend and humanitarian and friend. RIP."

@KirstieAlley, actress: "Elizabeth...thank u for the lessons u taught me about life..suffering and Joy....you are the BRIGHTEST STAR in the universe..Eternal love."

@JaneFonda: "I knew elizabeth Taylor and I can tell you she was kind, brave, generous and loyal. I am sad."

@SteveMartinToGo: "I met Elizabeth Taylor several times. She was witty and self-deprecating, which I found surprising and delightful. She loved to laugh."

@JoanRivers, comedian: "Sad to hear of Elizabeth Taylor's death. She was the 1st major celebrity to join me in the fight against AIDS when it wasn't a popular cause."

@KylieMinogue, singer: "RIP Dame Elizabeth Taylor.....Like a pure white diamond you'll shine on and on and on."

@KimKardashian, reality TV star and the last person to interview Taylor: "I am so saddened about the passing of Elizabeth Taylor! She will always be my idol!"

@BoyGeorge, singer: "R.I.P the amazing Liz Taylor, goddess, actress, aids activist and one of the world's true beauties!"

@petertravers, Rolling Stone movie critic: "Elizabeth Taylor takes final bow. Never more beautiful than as Maggie the cat. Never more actor impressive than as Martha in Virginia Woolf."

Some stars went the more traditional route and released statements through their publicists, including Elton John, Taylor's close friend: "We have just lost a Hollywood giant; more importantly, we have lost an incredible human being."

Barbara Streisand released a statement through her publicist: "It's the end of an era. It wasn't just her beauty or her stardom. It was her humanitarianism. She put a face on HIV/AIDS. She was funny. She was generous. She made her life count."

Martin Landau, who co-starred with Taylor in Cleopatra, did the same: "It's a terrible loss. A unique talent and a singularly spectacular individual."

Carrie Fisher, whose father Eddie Fisher was Taylor's fourth husband, said this in a statement:

"If my father had to divorce my mother for anyone -- I'm so grateful that it was Elizabeth. This was a remarkable woman who led her life to the fullest rather than complacently following one around. She will be missed but never forgotten."

Meanwhile, online tributes to Taylor are gaining momentum. This morning, BuzzFeed.com posted a photo-filled story entitled "100 Beautiful Pictures of Elizabeth Taylor," noting that all the photos were originally published before Photoshop existed. As of noon ET, it had garnered hundreds of Facebook "likes."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio 

Nude Chris Brown Pictures Now Online

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- It's not known whether or not he had anything to do with them, but nude photos of Chris Brown are currently floating around online. 

The pictures, which were taken recently -- we know because Chris' hair is bleached blond -- show the singer naked in front of a mirror, taking a snapshot of himself, and, well, you can see everything.  The pictures surfaced on Friday night.  According to MTV, Chris tweeted, "WTF!!! Here we go!!!" and then removed the post.

This is the second embarrassing Chris Brown-related photo to leak online.  On Feb. 24, previously unseen photos of a bruised and beaten Rihanna, taken after her altercation with Chris in 2009, surfaced.   Chris, whose new album F.A.M.E. is due out March 22, tweeted, "It's ironic how 'somebody' put this out right around my album time!"  He's also deleted that posting.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio 

Charlie Sheen Live! Thousands Tune In to Watch Sheen on UStream

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) -- As if going before every TV camera that would have him and becoming an overnight Twitter star weren’t enough, actor Charlie Sheen took his "winning" message to a live web audience Saturday night.

Dressed in a T-shirt emblazoned with a giant green dollar sign and a black fedora, the actor addressed his fans in a Ustream show called "Sheen's Korner." At its peak, the show attracted about 150,000 viewers, but the viewer count appeared to fall as the show continued.

The program -- promoted with the tagline "You're either in Sheen's corner or with the trolls" -- featured Sheen, as well as his "sidekick" Rick Calamaro, "goddess" girlfriend Natalie Kenly, a dedicated sound engineer and a handful of other pals.

Since his very public feud with CBS began and the network canceled the rest of the season of his hit sitcom, Two and a Half Men, Sheen has seemingly been everywhere, including an extensive interview he gave ABC's Andrea Canning.

After thanking his "sponsors," Sheen pulled a bandage off his wrist to reveal that he had tattooed himself with his favorite phrase, "winning." He said "Sheen's Korner" would be "an experiment of sorts," airing on Ustream daily, weekly or with whatever frequency his fans indicated they desired.

Sheen and his friends also introduced a series of so-called "segments," including "Winning News," "Gnarls Gnarlingest," "Wish They Were Me Forever" and "Kinda wish I were them for 10 minutes." He also gave viewers an opportunity to write in and request, via Twitter, some of their favorite Sheen quotes.

"There's been a lot of wordsmithing that has fallen gracefully from this beautiful hole," he said. "It has caught on like an absolute global wildfire."

The online show lasted for nearly an hour and, at the end, Sheen thanked his viewers for tuning in to his "maiden madcap experiment."

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio