The daily gossip: Mark Wahlberg set to star in Transformer 4, and more

1. Mark Wahlberg set to star in Transformers 4

Step aside, Shia LaBeouf. Director Michael Bay has found a new leading man in Mark Wahlberg, who will square off against a (presumably funky) bunch of robots in the next Transformers movie. MTV.com reports that the casting news is being interpreted as a sign that Bay "is ready to get a little more adult and more mature with this material," because there's nothing that says "mature" and "adult" better than the third sequel to a film based on an '80s toy line.

2. Ashley Judd might run for Senate in Kentucky

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What do you do when your ABC drama gets canceled after a single season? Make like a Schwarzenegger and detour into politics. Actress and liberal activist Ashley Judd has not ruled out a future Senate run in her home state of Kentucky, says Fox News. Just to be safe, Judd should probably start preparing for tricky debate questions now — like "Why did you agree to star in Twisted?"

3. Lindsay Lohan drops out of Barbara Walters interview after learning she'll be asked real questions

Upon realizing that Barbara Walters might want to ask her some actual questions, Lindsay Lohan has dropped out of a scheduled 20/20 interview intended to promote Liz & Dick, her upcoming Lifetime movie based on the life of Elizabeth Taylor. TMZ reports that Lohan's new PR firm was concerned she might accidentally say something that could prejudice an ongoing legal case against her — which, given the stream-of-consciousness masterpiece that is Lohan's Twitter feed, is probably not unwarranted.

4. Kenneth Branagh has been knighted

How many times does an actor have to play a distinguished aristocrat before he gets to be one? Shakespearean thespian Kenneth Branagh found out on Friday when Queen Elizabeth II knighted him, reports The Wrap. Sir Kenneth joins a host of legendary British artists in the Order of Knights, including Laurence Olivier, Elton John, and Charlie Chaplin. Russell Brand's knighthood, however, remains elusive.

5. Daniel Day-Lewis parodies Clint Eastwood's chair routine

President Obama had his hands full this week, but his invisible doppelganger — made famous in Clint Eastwood's RNC speech — somehow crossed the pond to join Daniel Day-Lewis on stage while he accepted the Stanley Kubrick Britannia Award, reports BuzzFeed. Day-Lewis thanked an empty chair for making time in its busy schedule, though it's possible that Day-Lewis, a noted Method actor, had convinced himself Obama was actually there.