Issue Date: December 2, 2001
New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been such an impressive leader since the Sept. 11 attacks. Has he ever mentioned running for president?
Tricia Marrapodi, Tucson, Ariz.
Not loudly. Some political observers thought Giuliani had the presidency in mind when he first toyed with running for the Senate against Hillary Clinton. But he'd have to run against George W. Bush, his own party's president, in the 2004 primaries. He could consider the VP spot if Dick Cheney forgoes a second term, but Giuliani, 57, has dismissed that notion. "There are lots of other people that can fulfill that and do an absolutely great job," he told "Hardball"'s Chris Matthews. With his mayoral term ending soon, Giuliani may have to be content with the honorary knighthood bestowed on him by Queen Elizabeth.
What new movies does the talented Mekhi Phifer, who starred in the fall film "O", have coming? How old is he?
Jeni Reed, Canton, Ohio
Mekhi (Muh-KYE) Phifer is just 25, but he has the depth of a seasoned actor. See him at 7 p.m. ET Sunday as the Chicago Bears' Gale Sayers in "Brian's Song", ABC's well-done remake of its 1971 film about Sayers' friendship with his terminally ill teammate Brian Piccolo. Phifer played his own football scenes, until he strained a tendon in his knee. "I'm athletic, and I like to watch as much as the next guy. But I'm not a sports fanatic," says the 5-foot-11 actor, who played the basketball scenes in "O" with the help of lowered rims. The Harlem native also stars in "Impostor", a sci-fi thriller with Gary Sinise, due Christmas Day.
I noticed that a few episodes of HBO's new "Six Feet Under" were directed by Kathy Bates. Is she no longer acting?
Deb Baker, Lakewood, Colo.
Bates, who won an Oscar for the movie version of Stephen King's "Misery", is acting as well as directing. Look for her with Philip Seymour Hoffman in the drama Love Liza, written by Hoffman's older brother Gordy, due later this winter. But Bates, 53, is expected to direct more episodes of "Six Feet Under" after March. That's when the dark comedy about a dysfunctional family of L.A. undertakers will be back on the air. Although it started slowly, the show ended up winning over critics and matching the network's "Sex and the City" in season-finale viewership.
My husband is a huge college football fan, so I watch, too, but ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit makes it much more enjoyable. Is he married?
Kim Covey, Jackson, Miss.
The former Ohio State quarterback and his ex-cheerleader wife, Allison, are raising 18-month-old twin boys who may have a future in football. "Jake has a fullback or linebacker mentality," Herbstreit says. "Tye is more of a running back or defensive back." Herbstreit, 32, is probably the main reason that "College GameDay"'s female fan base has grown in the six years he has been on the show. During the season, he's on the road five days a week, and men constantly thank him for getting their wives into the game. Boyish good looks notwithstanding, Herbstreit undoubtedly ticks off some viewers with his pregame picks.
I'm wild about Owen Wilson, who sculpts such endearing characters in movies like "Zoolander" and "Shanghai Noon". Is he still dating rocker Sheryl Crow?
Margaret Pitmon, Minneapolis
No. Wilson, 33, who does have a quirky appeal, is available. His pal and filmmaking partner, Wes Anderson, who directed him in next week's "The Royal Tenenbaums", tells me Wilson is "not like anybody else you're going to meet." The Dallas native, who got kicked out of high school and sent to military school, began his film career in '94 when he and Anderson wrote "Bottle Rocket". Now they're collaborators who seem to be building an ensemble that includes Wilson's brothers, Luke and Andrew, as well as Bill Murray and Gwyneth Paltrow (who is dating Luke).
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I have to hand it to Star Jones, one-fifth of ABC's View team. Not every woman can turn fame into even more fortune by hosting a show about shopping. Yet that's exactly what this fashion maven has done, and, considering she'd pick a perfect pair of pumps over sex or chocolate (her comparison, not mine), she just may have her dream job. It's All About You With Star Jones, now airing Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET on ShopNBC, is really more about Jones. The set is "inspired" by her apartment; the show features clothes (soon to include her own line), jewelry, home décor and more. "I've personally picked every item," Jones, 39, tells us; all are things she finds in her travels or would wear herself, and "anything [to] make a woman's life easier." Although the former prosecutor can easily afford to pay full price, "the 11th commandment is 'Thou shalt not pay retail.' " Favorite haunts? Saks Fifth Avenue and Lane Bryant for lingerie. An admitted shoe fanatic who had been partial to Manolo Blahnik, Jones' new favorite designer is equally pricey Giuseppe Zanotti. Says Jones: "Loving yourself is No. 1. Shopping is a close second."
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BIRTHDAYS
December 2: Britney Spears, 20; Lucy Liu, 34
December 3: Brendan Fraser, 33; Julianne Moore, 41
December 4: Jay-Z, 31; Marisa Tomei, 37; Jeff Bridges, 52
December 5: Frankie Muniz, 16
December 6: Janine Turner, 39
December 7: Ellen Burstyn, 69
December 8: Kim Basinger, 48
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