Angelina Jolie wins Kids Choice Award, own kids freak out

TATTLE interviewed Angelina Jolie a few years ago when she was promoting the movie "Salt," and we were surprised by how normal she was - friendly, engaged, humble, interesting - when not

being hounded by paparazzi.

Granted, she's an actress, so she could have been merely acting all those things (which is still preferable to the behavior of some of her contemporaries), but for someone who's had so much drama reported about her life (not including her legitimate health-scare drama), she didn't seem like the weirdo she's often painted as.

We got another unguarded look at Jolie on Saturday when she was named favorite villain for "Maleficent" at Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards.

Her own kids Shiloh and Zahara were there with her and were so happy and excited when her name was called they couldn't stop hugging her.

Wow, they're like real children.

Angelina, quite giddy herself, took to the stage and gave her audience a message of empowerment.

When she was young, she said, "I was told I was different. And I felt out of place: too loud, too full of fire, never good at sitting still, never good at fitting in.

"When someone tells you that you are different, smile and hold your head up and be proud," she said, then added with a wink, "Cause a little trouble. It's good for you."

* In other awards news, Michelle Obama mixed her message of education for girls with one of empowerment for black women, declaring "Black girls rock!" at the annual awards show of the same name in Newark, N.J.

The fifth annual event, held Saturday night, honored Jada Pinkett Smith, Erykah Badu, Cicely Tyson, Ava DuVernay, Nadia Lopez and Helene Gayle.

Obama told the audience, which included many young black girls, to ignore voices that suggested that they were "not good enough."

TMZ.com reports that Mariah Carey helped new boyfriend Brett Ratner celebrate his birthday Saturday aboard a super-fancy yacht owned by one of Brett's billionaire buddies.

Shouldn't we all have billionaire buddies for our birthday parties?

TMZ said that the pair, who've known each other for at least 15 years, since Brett directed Mariah music vids, were in "full-blown couple mode."

Aceshowbiz.com, meanwhile, reports that "Mariah Carey is not dating Brett Ratner despite rumor to the contrary."

A Ratner rep said that they've been friends for a very long time and their relationship is strictly platonic.

The animated alien adventure "Home" beat out the Will Ferrell-Kevin Hart comedy "Get Hard" with a debut of $54 million, according to studio estimates yesterday.

Although the two films had been expected to vie for the top spot, "Home," lead-voiced by Rihanna, came in well-above expectations. Though a distant second, "Get Hard" also opened strongly, with an estimated $34.6 million.

Last week's top film, the young-adult sequel "The Divergent Series: Insurgent," slid to third with $22.1 million. "Cinderella" finished fourth with $17.5 million, but was the No. 1 movie overseas, amassing $38.7 million more.

"It Follows," which finished fifth, expanded to 1,218 theaters after drawing packed theaters in limited release. The film did well enough to postpone a video-on-demand release, and "It" pulled in $4 million over the weekend.

* When Larry David gives up his starring role in his Broadway play, "Fish in the Dark," on June 9, the actor taking over will be his former "Seinfeld" pal Jason Alexander.

The cranky apple does not fall far from the cranky tree.

* "Clinton the Musical," the brainchild of two Australian brothers (Michael and Paul Hodge), will make its off-Broadway debut in April with a cast of characters that includes Bill and Hillary Clinton, Dick Morris, Newt Gingrich, Monica Lewinsky and former Clinton special prosecutor Kenneth Starr, who sings "A Starr Is Born" and "Sexual Relations." There's a dancing press corps and music that takes you back to Celine Dion, Hanson and the Spice Girls.

"It really does its job of taking down America and uplifting it at the same time, in a weird sort of way," said Dan Knechtges, the Tony-nominated director and choreographer. "Nothing is sacred."

Two men will play the 42nd president - one a wholesome, intelligent Clinton, and another a randy, rogue one (Tom Galantich and Duke Lafoon share the task). Only Hillary, to be played by Tony-nominee Kerry Butler, can see both.

Will equal-time laws demand similar musicals on Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush?

- Daily News wire services

contributed to this report.