Issue date: December 3, 2000
Debra Messing's comic talent
reminds me of the legendary Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy. But has
anyone else noticed the Will & Grace beauty is the spitting
image of another classic comedienne, Myrna Loy?
Marcey Goldstein, Greenfield, Mass.
"One of the first people to tell me I look like Myrna Loy was Anthony
Quinn, while working together on A Walk in the Clouds," says Messing,
32. "It was my first film, and I didn't know who she was; he pointed out
her picture to me in a book called Leading Ladies. I was surprised
because I actually did see a resemblance." As for Lucy, Messing tells
us that "although our hair color might be similar, as far as I'm concerned,
she's untouchable." Messing is influenced by many women today, among them,
"Holly Hunter and Frances McDormand."
I know ex-presidents and
their families get Secret Service protection, but is there a limit to
how many residences they are allowed protection for?
Nancy Deluisi, Little Falls, N.Y.
No. The Secret Service does whatever it takes to keep former presidents and their families safe, no matter how many places they live in or travel to. However, Bill Clinton and his family are the last entitled to lifetime protection (and yes, that includes Mrs. Clinton, the new senator from New York, too). Congress decided to limit the number of years ex-presidents get the Secret Service staff. So it drops to just 10 years after the newly elected president's term ends.
Has Jay Leno's handsome
bandleader, Kevin Eubanks, ever dated anyone seriously? What about marriage?
Susan Smith, Springfield, Mo.
He has never been married; he ended a three-year relationship with actress Tammy Townsend earlier this year. He's not dating anyone seriously now, and though he's too modest to say so, the native Philadelphian, 43, has to be one of L.A.'s most eligible bachelors.
Why did Jack Ford, who
used to anchor NBC's Weekend Today, switch to ABC?
Pearl Bingham McConnelsville, Ohio
He made the move last year for more opportunity: He is considered most likely
to succeed Charlie Gibson on Good Morning America. Just when Gibson
will move on -- he and Diane Sawyer soon will mark the second anniversary
of a "temporary" teaming -- is the question. But Ford, 50, a lawyer who
began his television career as a legal commentator, is earning his stripes,
regularly subbing for Gibson. My husband and I greatly
admire Gene Hackman's movies. How many has he made? And please tell us
about his other interests.
Jane Wagner, Green Valley, Ariz.
Hackman is something of a Renaissance man. He used to build lightweight
airplanes with his son, he's an accomplished painter, he and wife Betsy
are avid underwater divers, and he's a successful author. With his Santa
Fe neighbor, underwater archaeologist Daniel Lenihan, Hackman, 70, wrote
Wake of the Perdido Star, a suspense novel now in paperback. He
might write another, but the movies keep calling. He's in Europe now,
filming Behind Enemy Lines, then goes straight into work on Wes
Anderson's follow-up to Rushmore. Once those are done, Hackman's
résumé will include about 83 movies.
How do I become an actor's
personal assistant?
Mindy Ambrose, Rockford, Ill.
"Stay 10 steps ahead, 10 steps behind and smile," says Linda Rothschild, president of Cross It Off Your List, a New York company that finds assistants for stars including Naomi Campbell and Ethan Hawke. A Palm with more numbers than the Yellow Pages and a thick skin may qualify you, but your job description is up to the boss, who could have you making moving arrangements one day, hunting Christmas gifts the next. "You cannot go to school for this," Rothschild says, and "it's not as glamorous as it sounds."
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THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS
December 3: Brendan Fraser, 32; Julianne Moore, 40; Ozzy Osbourne,
52
December 4: Tyra Banks, 27; Marisa Tomei, 36; Jeff Bridges, 51
December 5: Frankie Muniz, 15; Johnny Rzeznik, 35
December 6: Lindsay Price, 24
December 7: C. Thomas Howell, 34; Larry Bird, 44; Ellen Burstyn,
68
December 8: Sinead O'Connor, 34; Teri Hatcher, 36; Kim Basinger,
47
December 9: Donny Osmond, 43; John Malkovich, 47; Beau Bridges,
59
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