Issue Date: April 22, 2007
Jami Gertz was spunky and fun to watch on the former CBS sitcom "Still Standing." What is she doing now?
Frankie Dagosto, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Gertz is shooting a Lifetime movie with "Nip/Tuck's" Dylan Walsh. It's tentatively titled "Christmas Miracle." Gertz and Walsh play an estranged Idaho couple who get trapped in a blizzard during a snowmobile ride gone awry. When she is not working, the 41-year-old Gertz has her hands very full in Los Angeles as mother to three boys, Oliver, 14, Nick, 12, and Theo, 8.
I know Nicole Richie was adopted by Lionel Richie and his first wife, Brenda. Were Nicole's biological parents members of Lionel's band?
Jocelyn F. Thomas, Galveston, Texas
Yes. The troubled actress, 25, was born Nicole Camille Escovedo in 1981. Her biological father is Peter Michael Escovedo, who was a member of Richie's band. Her birth mom has been described as a backstage assistant. When Nicole was 3, she moved in with Lionel and his then-wife, Brenda. Nicole's biological parents reportedly had financial problems and wanted their child to have a more stable home. Six years later, the Richies officially adopted Nicole, who stars in "The Simple Life" with her friend Paris Hilton.
When I see brothers Luke and Owen Wilson, I can't help but think that they're related to Dennis Hopper. Hopper and Owen Wilson even have the same manner of speaking.
Michelle Feddeler, Orland Park, Ill.
Now that you point it out, Michelle, I see what you mean. They're not related, but, like everyone in Hollywood, they are linked together by just a few degrees of separation. In 1969's "Easy Rider," Hopper, 70, rode alongside Jack Nicholson, who stole Anjelica Huston's heart in 1985's "Prizzi's Honor" (and, for that matter, in real life). Huston later played Mom to Luke, 35, in 2001's "The Royal Tenenbaums," which also starred Owen, 38, as the drug-addled friend. We can only advise the three actors to combine their troublemaker charm and do a movie together. Now that would be fun for everyone to see.
I am a huge fan of the Fox drama "Bones." What book is it based on? I'd like to read it. And who is the real "Bones"?
William C. Bell, East China, Mich.
You will definitely want to read Kathy Reichs' crime novels. She invented Dr. Temperance Brennan, the character played by the fabulous Emily Deschanel on "Bones." Like her character, Reichs is a forensic anthropologist. There are nine Brennan novels; the most recent one, "Break No Bones," was published last summer.
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Penn Jillette, the taller, talkative half of Penn & Teller, might need some magic to manage his schedule. The father of two is back at Showtime for the fifth year of the counter-news show "Bulls**t!" Topics on tap this season include "a hardcore, pro-Wal-Mart show" and obesity. "It's a pro-science show and also a libertarian show," says Jillette, 52. "We expected more than half of the feedback we got would be negative, but the majority of the correspondence is positive." Jillette also hosts NBC's "Identity," a game show in which contestants try to figure out the occupations of strangers based on their appearance. Is the solo gig indicative of a break with Teller? "Absolutely not," Jillette tells us. "We're signed to the Rio (in Las Vegas) through 2010."
Are there any plans to make the Broadway hit "Jersey Boys," about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, into a movie?
Lorraine Loye, Foster City, Calif.
There are plenty of rumors -- some have Harvey Weinstein, Steven Spielberg or Tom Hanks eyeing the project -- but no deals yet. Of course, if the show, which won a Tony in 2006 for Best Musical, is made into a movie, the lead role will be plum. John Lloyd Young, who won a Tony for best actor in a musical and created the role for Broadway, should be first in line.
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BIRTHDAYS
April 22: Jack Nicholson, 70
April 23: Melina Kanakaredes, 40
April 24: Kelly Clarkson 25; Barbra Streisand, 65
April 25: Renee Zellweger, 38; Al Pacino, 67
April 26: Tom Welling, 30; Jet Li, 44; Carol Burnett, 74
April 27: Sheena Easton, 48; Jessica Lange, 58
April 28: Jessica Alba, 26; Penelope Cruz, 33
 Ask Lorrie Lynch a question about a celeb!
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