Julia Roberts, Mel Gibson win People's Choice Awards
Sunday, January 07, 2001. Reuters

PASADENA, Calif., Jan 7 - Julia Roberts and Mel Gibson won People's Choice Awards on Sunday as favorite film actors, and John Goodman was named best performer in a new TV show -- even though his low-rated sitcom was just dumped.

Roberts, one of Hollywood's most bankable stars and a possible Oscar contender for the blockbuster ``Erin Brockovich,'' was picked as favorite female motion picture actress.

Gibson, another perennial film fan favorite who starred in last year's Revolutionary War drama ``The Patriot'' along with the comedy ``What Women Want,'' won the corresponding award for male motion picture actor.

The awards show was televised live on CBS from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

Former ``Roseanne'' hubby Goodman was picked as favorite male performer in a new TV series even though that show, ``Normal, Ohio,'' was pulled from the Fox schedule in December after six episodes because of dismal ratings.

The People's Choice Awards are chosen by a nationwide Gallup telephone poll, which uses a random sampling of 1,200 individuals. Fans are given no suggestions or nominees and can vote for any person or program they choose for each category.

Polling too place between Nov. 1, 1999 and Oct. 31, 2000, so Gibson was chosen before ``Women'' was released. Fans also made their choices without considering some of this year's hottest films, including ``Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas'' and ``Cast Away,'' which were released during the last two months of 2000.

In fact, a 1999 movie -- the supernatural Stephen King death row tale ``The Green Mile'' which received four Oscar nominations last year -- was chosen for both favorite motion picture and favorite motion picture drama.

Jim Carrey, who starred last year in ``Grinch'' and ``Me, Myself and Irene,'' was chosen for favorite motion picture star in a comedy.

Drew Carey, who stars on a self-titled ABC hit sitcom and hosts the improvisational comedy show ``Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' on the same network, was chosen as favorite male television performer. Jennifer Aniston, co-star of the NBC megahit ``Friends,'' was chosen for most popular female.

``Friends,'' which debuted in 1994, was chosen as favorite television comedy and NBC hospital show ``ER,'' was picked for favorite dramatic series -- its eighth consecutive People's Choice Award win.

The People's Choice award for male and female musical performers both went this year to country stars -- Garth Brooks and Faith Hill, and pop group 'N Sync (news - web sites) was picked as favorite musical group or band.