Issue Date: October 29, 2006
I've read that two stars of ABC's drama "Lost," Dominic Monaghan and Evangeline Lilly, are engaged. Is it true?
Dorothy Wass, Smithtown, N.Y.
They make an adorable couple, but they don't admit to dating, let alone engagement. All we could get out of their separate PR people is the standard "We don't comment on our client's personal life" line. Of course, they have been spotted getting cozy around Hawaii, where "Lost" is shot, and they had fun on vacation in Spain, while on break from the show in July.
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Danica McKellar, aka young Winnie Cooper of "The Wonder Years," plays a crime-solving suburban mom in Lifetime's multimedia series, "Inspector Mom," beginning Nov. 18 and followed by 10 episodes on the Web. "It's a big experiment," says McKellar, 31. "It's fun to be part of something new." A UCLA grad who took a break from acting to get a degree in math, McKellar is writing "Math Doesn't Suck," a book for girls Winnie Cooper's age. "My goal is to make math more accessible," says McKellar, who also teamed with her mom on a yoga/meditation DVD collection, "Daily Dose of Dharma," which came out last month.
James Patterson's books often include another writer's name. What's the story?
Darlene Lovas, Greenfield, Wis.
Patterson has more ideas than he can write, so he hires help to churn them out. Co-authors say they learn from the master. "I took a postgrad degree in thriller and business application," says Andrew Gross, who worked on five Patterson books and now has a deal of his own.
What's the latest Skeet Ulrich project? I loved him in TNT's Into the West and Hallmark Channel's "The Magic of Ordinary Days."
Anita Carpenter, Cincinnati
You can catch him now on "Jericho," a CBS nuclear holocaust drama, which has been improving its ratings each week despite early mixed reviews. Ulrich, 36, is the mysterious hero and main character. He's up to the job.
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Comedian D.L. Hughley has had a couple of TV shows of his own. Still, he found venturing into NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" "a little bit intimidating." It has been a smooth transition, he tells us, thanks to some easygoing colleagues. "Matt [Perry] will just blurt stuff out," Hughley, 42, tattles. "I guess being from Canada has warped his mind, but he's hilarious." Hughley plays "Studio 60" veteran Simon Stiles. "Simon comes from South Central L.A. and grew up in a gang, like myself," he says. "He's just grateful for the opportunity because he feels like comedy saved his life, much like me. So I can relate to him in many ways."
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Jill Clayburgh's newest movie, "Running with Scissors," is full of big names. But most of her scenes, she tells me, are with "a wonderful young actor whom I'm sure will be highly acclaimed: Joe Cross." It's like Clayburgh, 62, to generously tout a fellow actor. And she knows about young actors; daughter Lily is now in "Heartbreak House" on Broadway. Clayburgh admits she worries, "but she loves it, so I'm thrilled."
I thought Jenna Elfman was married to Danny Elfman, the composer, but you wrote that her husband is Bodhi Elfman. Are these Elfmans related?
Toni Halbreich, Riverdale, N.Y.
Yes. Bodhi, 37, is Danny Elfman's nephew. Danny, 53, is married to actress Bridget Fonda, 42. Danny, whose first concert work, "Serenada Schizophrana," is just out on CD, tells us that he was not much interested in music as a child, but son Oliver, 1, already prefers certain works of his dad's. A favorite? "Wonka's Welcome Song" from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
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"A Nightmare on Elm Street," out in time for Halloween as a digitally remastered DVD, changed Robert Englund's life. Promoting films internationally, "I got addicted to travel," says Englund, 59, who couldn't be more genial. He still travels all around Europe. "I know all the secret beaches and favorite mountain lodges," he tells me. And probably some scary castles, too.
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BIRTHDAYS
October 29: Winona Ryder, 35
October 30: Nia Long, 36; Gavin Rossdale, 39; Harry Hamlin, 55; Henry Winkler, 61
October 31: Piper Perabo, 29; Jane Pauley, 56
November 01: Bo Bice, 31; Jenny McCarthy, 34
November 02: David, Schwimmer, 40
November 03: Gemma Ward, 19; Roseanne Barr 54
November 04: Sean Combs, 37; Matthew McConaughey, 37
Contributing: Gayle Jo Carter, Nancy Mills, Jon Tollestrup
 Ask Lorrie Lynch a question about a celeb!
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