Issue Date: October 20, 2002
Besides being a brilliant writer, Sebastian Junger, who penned "The Perfect Storm", is a courageous journalist -- I saw the "National Geographic" special on his reporting in Afghanistan. What can you tell us about him?
Patti Kerr, Flemington, N.J.
First, he wasn't always so brave. Growing up in Boston, he was "a totally fearful kid. I was afraid of spiders, heights and being left alone." A star long-distance runner in high school, he studied cultural anthropology in college and played harmonica in blues bands. Now 40, he lives alone (but has a girlfriend) in New York. He was in Afghanistan to profile rebel leader Ahmed Shah Massoud just months before terrorists struck on Sept. 11 (two days after Massoud was killed by al-Qaeda). Junger, whose latest book, "Fire", is now in paperback, says he made it his mission to inform America: "What you try to say in your articles is, 'Pay attention; this stuff affects you.' "
How did Shannyn Sossamon, so good in the 2001 movie "A Knight's Tale", get her start in show business?
Kelsey Meier, Littleton, Colo.
She was helping a friend DJ at Gwyneth Paltrow's 27th birthday party when she was "discovered" by a casting agent in attendance. That was just the beginning of her good fortune. Within six months she had her "Knight's Tale" role opposite handsome Heath Ledger; soon after, she was working with Josh Hartnett in last spring's "40 Days and 40 Nights". You can find Sossamon, 24, onscreen this month in "The Rules of Attraction", based on the Bret Easton Ellis book about life in the '80s at a small New England college.
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NBC's "Crossing Jordan" is pulling out all the stops to beat the competition this season, and Jerry O'Connell is one of them. He plays Det. Woody Hoyt, who helps Jill Hennessy's Jordan solve crimes while adding sexual tension to her life. O'Connell, 28, tells me his mom has been dubious about some of his roles, but not this one. "I went home to New York, and now [she's] introducing me like, 'This is my son; he's a detective.' " Ah, but will she be so proud of his next part? He's a hairdresser who chases a runaway kangaroo for the mob in "Kangaroo Jack", due early next year. Offscreen, O'Connell is seeing swim star Janet Evans, which can be a bit intimidating when it comes to athletics. "Anyone who is an Olympic athlete is pretty much better than me at any sport."
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Bruce Cassidy, new head coach of the Washington Capitals, may not have arrived in D.C. with all the hoopla of the Wizards' Michael Jordan, but hockey fans are watching him closely. At 37, Cassidy is the NHL's second-youngest coach. He's not lacking in experience, though. Last season, with the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Griffins, he was American Hockey League coach of the year, and he chased his dream across two continents, playing for more than a dozen years, before coaching. Confident and candid, Cassidy says he'll earn players' respect. How? "Knowledge of the game, preparation, things like that."
Whose voice delivers the "In the criminal justice system ..." opening for all the "Law & Order" shows?
Nancy Simons, Livonia, Mich.
Steve Zirnkilton, 44, recorded the opening in 1989 before the original "L&O" aired. The same clip is used today. Zirnkilton credits the legal drama with jump-starting his voiceover career, which has included narrating TLC shows, promos for the "Today" show, "Rugrats: The Movie" and many commercials. His voice is deep, but it's not from cigarettes. "If you smoke, you eventually lose control of your breathing," he says. "Shortness of breath can mess up your reads."
Like many other fans, I would like to send good wishes to Sharon Osbourne as she battles colon cancer. Where can I send a note to be sure she'll see it?
Jean Dole, Elk Grove, Calif.
Sharon's been receiving tons of mail from well-wishers since she went public with her diagnosis in July, and her publicist tells us she loves to hear from fans. So send snail mail to Sharon Osbourne, P.O. Box 5249, Beverly Hills, Calif. 90209, or e-mail sharon@studiofanmail.com.
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BIRTHDAYS
October 20: Snoop Dogg, 31; Viggo Mortensen, 44; Tom Petty, 52
October 21: Carrie Fisher, 46
October 22: Jeff Goldblum, 50; Christopher Lloyd, 64
October 23: Doug Flutie, 40; Sam Raimi, 43; "Weird Al" Yankovic, 43; Dwight Yoakam, 46; Johnny Carson, 77
October 24: Kevin Kline, 55
October 25: Marion Ross, 74
October 26: Natalie Merchant, 39; Hillary Clinton, 55; Jaclyn Smith, 55; Pat Sajak, 56
With: Frappa Stout. Contributing: David Andrukonis, Tameka Hicks, Evelyn Poitevent.
 Ask Lorrie Lynch a question about a celeb!
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