Today's news you might've missed:

• Britney Spears, like most with a sense of humor, is a fan of "Modern Family." After revealing this news on Twitter, Sofia Vergara tossed out the idea of a Spears cameo on the acclaimed ABC comedy. Brit herself said she'd "love" to do it, but what do you think? #GetBritneyonModernFamily? Discuss. [Billboard]
• Can you picture Russell Crowe as the Biblical figure Noah? Rumor has it that if director Darren Aronofsky gets his way, Crowe will helm the ark in the reported adaptation of the Old Testament story in "Noah." [Deadline]
• Those curious on what Sarah Jessica Parker would look like as Gloria Steinem in "Lovelace," now that she's taken over the role since Demi Moore dropped out, check the link. [TMZ]
• If a Gosling-O-Gram just won't cut it, Time Warner Cable is offering subscribers something even more visual: The company is offering Digital TV subscribers all the Gosling they can handle by making his movies available on demand for the month of February. [NYDN]
• The latest to join the Grammys performance lineup? None other than Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band!

An incident report obtained by CNN Thursday from the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office indicates that Leslie Carter, the deceased sister of singers Nick and Aaron Carter, suffered an apparent overdose and was taking medication for depression.

Carter, an aspiring singer, died Tuesday in upstate New York at the age of 25. The incident report notes that three prescription drugs were found near Carter: Olanzapine, used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder; Cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxant; and Alprazolam, used to treat anxiety or panic disorders, also known as Xanax.

Carter's step-mother, Ginger, and father, Robert, told police that the 25-year-old mom had a "long history of mental illness and was on medication for her depression."

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Following the loss of his father, "Soul Train" founder Don Cornelius, on Wednesday, Tony Cornelius is speaking out.

“The family is saddened as we mourn the loss of Don Cornelius," he says in a statement to CNN. "At this time, we respectfully ask that you allow our family and friends the privacy necessary to get through this difficult time."

On Wednesday, Cornelius, an entertainment legend who broke new ground with his long-running program, died of a gunshot wound.

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Given how much money the "Harry Potter" franchise made, we'd get it if Daniel Radcliffe decided he didn't really have to "try" anymore.

But the 22-year-old actor, despite his success playing the titular boy wizard in the series, says he's more than willing to put in just as much work to land roles as an unknown would.

"A lot of people need convincing, because they’ve only seen me do one thing," Radcliffe explained of how he's overcoming any lingering "Potter" bias. "The first thing I say when I go into any meeting with a director is, 'I want to read for this.' Because, apparently, [of] the number of actors that don’t read and won’t audition for things."

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The five remaining chefs on “Top Chef: Texas” entered the kitchen in last night’s episode to a comical number of yard-high pancake stacks –  and the Incredible Aging Pee-wee Herman riding his bike.

It was all part of the "pancakes for Pee-wee" (sounds like a youth football fundraiser) Quickfire. Three of the chefs cooked fairly straightforward flapjacks, but Paul and Ed’s were notable.

Paul made rolled pancakes with black pepper and champagne dippin’ dots (the bubbly of the future?). Meanwhile, Ed made crispy pancake bits with bacon and berries, which Pee-wee decreed worthy of the $5,000 prize.

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With three decades on late night under his belt, David Letterman opted to celebrate the occasion by bringing on an old friend: Howard Stern.

The New York Times noted ahead of Wednesday's show that the host was going to keep it casual. After a few jokes in his opening monologue - what keeps him going night after night is "Lipitor and vodka," it turns out - his staff took the opportunity to roast the veteran host during the Top 10.

(Among the top things his staff wanted to say to Letterman on his 30th anniversary included, "You're incompetent," and, "I stopped watching in 1992.")

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There's a prequel in the works for Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown," but it's not from the acclaimed filmmaker.

Variety reports that writer-director Dan Schechter is working on an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel "The Switch," the predecessor to the novel "Jackie Brown" is based on, "Rum Punch."

According to the industry trade, John Hawkes - who gave a lauded performance in Sundance fave "The Surrogate" - and Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) are attached to star.

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If a purported email is true, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will be living on multiple prayers when his team takes on the Giants come Super Bowl Sunday.

The New York Post reports that it has obtained an email supposedly from Brady's wife Gisele Bundchen that calls out for spiritual support.

The message, "filled with a touchy-feely request for 'positive thinking' that one might expect from a Brazilian catwalk stunner" the Post says, begins by addressing friends and family.

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