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Issue date: April 1, 2001
I
was happy to learn from your column that Antonio Banderas
will star in a "Phantom of the Opera" movie. I think
the role of Christine should go to Welsh singer Charlotte
Church. How old is she? What school does she go to? Does she
have a boyfriend?
Ronald Sandrich Paradise, Calif.
The classical prodigy is 15, with no particular beau, and
wants to add acting to her mix of talents. In a new autobiography,
"Voice of an Angel: My Life (So Far)", she says
she caught the bug after playing a character based on herself
on CBS' "Touched by an Angel". "What I do know is
I can act, which means I know I can do better if I try hard
enough and have lessons." As for school, Church missed 104
days last year but travels with two tutors. She says she hasn't
ruled out attending college when the time comes.
Is there any truth to the rumor that actor Alec Baldwin
plans to move out of the United States now that George W.
Bush is president?
Eric Haney, Kalamazoo, Mich.
No. Baldwin, a big Democratic supporter, claims that wife
Kim Basinger, from whom he's now separated, made such a statement
to a European magazine but that her words were taken out of
context. And his press reps are so fed up with questions about
it they'll barely address where he's going to dinner. Of course,
Baldwin, 43 this Tuesday, has more on his mind than who's
president. Basinger, 47, filed for divorce in January, citing
irreconcilable differences. She moved with their daughter,
Ireland, 5, to the couple's L.A. home; he's in New York.
Raspy-voiced Brad Garrett, Ray Romano's police officer
brother on "Everybody Loves Raymond", is absolutely
my favorite actor. What other roles has he had?
Gerald Newton, Manahawkin, N.J.
He toured as a stand-up for 16 years, working with Frank Sinatra
and Diana Ross, before quitting in 1994 to act. He landed
parts in "Roseanne", "Seinfeld" (as Jerry's
mechanic) and finally "Raymond" five years ago.
Garrett, who lives in L.A. with wife Jill and their kids,
2 and 1, tells us he likes movies but there are few parts
for 6-foot-8 giants. "I have trouble getting into our home
movies! My wife says, 'You seem like a good dad, but we're
looking for someone different.' " Co-star Patricia Heaton
tells us he's "a real homebody," to which he responds: "Patty
has a secret crush on me. During lunch, she and I figure out
how to get rid of Ray."
Where is Janine Turner, who was so terrific in TV's "Northern
Exposure?"
Gene Sobeck, Vershire, Vt.
Turner
is just back on the set of her Lifetime series, "Strong
Medicine", after a break on which she spent time riding
horses with her 3-year-old daughter on their 300-acre Texas
ranch. But don't be surprised if Turner, 37, turns up working
with the Bush administration. She flew to Washington for inaugural
activities and tells us she went to all the balls: "I loved
it. I'm a Texan and a Republican. I met with President Bush,
when he was governor, about children's issues. I'm hoping
I can be of service." For now, she works six months a year
and is done each day at 6 p.m. At home, it's just Mom and
daughter. "There's no man in my life," Turner says. "I'd much
rather be with my daughter on a Friday night."
Where has NBC White House reporter Claire Shipman been?
Tell me about her off-air life.
John Gaylor, Cocoa, Fla.
Shipman, 38, got a better offer from ABC; she starts May 1.
A no-compete clause in her NBC contract keeps her off the
air until then, but she tells us her leave-taking is genial.
A Russian- studies scholar who first fell into journalism
with CNN in Moscow, she's been a White House reporter for
much of her career and married Time's White House scribe Jay
Carney (she proposed). Though ABC reportedly offered Shipman
$600,000, double her NBC salary, her emotions about leaving
her beat are mixed: "In some ways, it's the most exciting
job in journalism -- you are at the center of power, watching
everything unfold. That said, it can be a confining job."
At ABC, she expects, "I'll still do a lot of politics, but
I want to broaden my portfolio. I'd love to do some international
stories and go abroad." A look at who's who in the West Wing
press room now:
ABC: Terry Moran, who impressed network execs with
coverage of the 2000 election
CBS: John Roberts, senior White House reporter and
Sunday news anchor; news veterans Mark Knoller and Bill
Plante
NBC: David Gregory and Campbell Brown, correspondents
since 1995 and '98
Senior correspondent John King,
CNN: Kelly Wallace and Major Garrett
FOX NEWS: Jim Angle, senior correspondent, and Wendell
Goler
Go to top
THIS WEEK'S; BIRTHDAYS
April 1: Brad Meltzer, 31; Ali MacGraw, 63; Debbie
Reynolds, 69
April 2: Leon Russell, 60
April 3: Eddie Murphy, 40; David Hyde Pierce, 42; Wayne
Newton, 59; Marlon Brando, 77
April 4: Robert Downey Jr., 36; David E. Kelley, 45;
Christine Lahti, 51; Maya Angelou, 73
April 5: Paula Cole, 33; Colin Powell, 64
April 6: Billy Dee Williams, 64
April 7: Russell Crowe, 37; Jackie Chan, 47; Francis
Ford Coppola, 62
Contributing: Frappa Stout, Evelyn Poitevent
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