Photo GalleryTom Cruise is preaching Scientology once again.

The actor claims his religion's teachings helped him overcome childhood dyslexia, reported Spanish magazine XL Semanal.

Cruise told the magazine he was diagnosed with the learning disability when he was 7. He said he was often anxious, frustrated and bored as a youth and couldn't concentrate in class and was functionally illiterate when he graduated from school in 1980.

But, he says, he learned to read perfectly as an adult through Scientology technology.

XL Semanal said the interview was conducted in Los Angeles -- but it did not say when. A transcript of the interview was posted on its website, though Cruise's original comments in English were not available.

Photo GalleryIt only makes sense.

Taylor Swift had the best-selling album of 2008; now she's starting the year as Saturday Night Live's first musical guest, on this weekend's show hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.

How do we know?She announced it on her personal MySpace blog.

And, boy, is this one excited teen: “I just found out that I get to play on SNL!!" Swit writes. ”January 10th! It’s my mom’s birthday, and I don’t think either of us would’ve believed you if you would’ve told us a few years ago that we’d get to spend her birthday in New York City — at Saturday Night Live! Wow. It’s pretty unreal.”

She ended her journal entry with this: "P.S. I may or may not be shooting the video for "Whit

Photo GalleryAn animated film has won National Society of Film Critics 2009 Awards.

No, not Wall-E.

The critics' association chose Waltz With Bashir as the year's best film in a surprise move. The film details Israeli director Ari Folman's years as a soldier during the 1982 war with Lebanon. It previously won the Los Angeles Film Critics‘ best animated film award and is Israel’s entry for the 2009 best foreign-language film Oscar. It's also one of the semi-finalists in the best animated feature category

Here's the complete list of the critics' awards:

Best Actor: Sean Penn
Best Actress: Sally Hawkins
Best Director: Mike Leigh
Best Supporting Actor: Eddie Marsan
Best Supporting Actress: Hann

Photo GalleryLongtime character actor Pat Hingle, best known for playing Commissioner James Gordon in the first four Batman films, has died. He was 84.

Hingle died Saturday night of myelodysplasia, a type of blood cancer, at his home in Carolina Beach, N.C.

His career began on Broadway, where he starred in more than 30 plays before he moved on to TV and the big screen. His TV credits include Twilight Zone, Route 66 and The Fugitive. He also appeared in such films as Hang ‘Em High, Sudden Impact and The Gauntlet.

He is survived by his wife Julia, five children and 11 grandchildren.

MORE NEWS: Critics Waltz With 'Bashir'