Issue Date: May 6, 2007
Will Alexa Ray Joel, daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley, have a CD out soon?
Jeanine Cirillo, Marshalls Creek, Pa.
She's working on one and tells us, "I'm anxious to give it to [fans] because most of the songs I perform in my shows now aren't even on 'Sketches,'" last year's EP. Joel, who turns 21 on Sunday, has evolved her sound to inject more edge. "I've been really influenced by the Outfield and Journey [and] recently Ella Fitzgerald, Roberta Flack and Etta James. I'm a fan of trying to mix it up."
Read more of the Alexa interview.
I looked for Allison Janney on Aaron Sorkin's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" because she was part of the success of Sorkin's "The West Wing." Did she fall off the planet? What's the former C.J. Cregg up to these days?
Sharon Peterson, Neenah, Wis.
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Keep watching "Studio 60," Sharon. You will see Janney this month playing a host of "Studio 60," the show within the show. Janney, 46, is plenty busy with movies and theater, too. She is in "Hairspray" (July 20) as bossy Prudy Pingleton, plus a trio of small films: "Margaret," "Pretty Ugly People" and "Juno." She'll be onstage in "The Autumn Garden" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts, Aug. 15-26.
I haven't seen Richard Gere since "Shall We Dance?" and became an avid fan when I saw him (three times) in Chicago.
Grace Newman, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
I hope you have seen Gere, 57, in his current movie, "The Hoax," about Clifford Irving's fake biography of Howard Hughes. But you'll be happy to know he has three more movies this year. In "The Flock," opposite Claire Danes, he portrays a hyper-vigilant federal agent; in "I'm Not There," he plays Bob Dylan -- well, an aspect of Bob Dylan. In "Spring Break in Bosnia," he plays a news reporter on an unauthorized mission. Also, he is soon to start filming "Nights in Rodanthe" with "Unfaithful" co-star Diane Lane.
Eduardo Xol (pronounced Zall) has had a number of careers -- musician and Mexican soap star among them -- but author and home designer may be the ones that stick. Xol, 40, a favorite on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," has a new book, "Home Sense," that will help designer wannabes put personal style into their dwellings. Xol tells me the most common mistake is designing a space to look good without considering its use: "We want to use all the space we have, but in a way that's beautiful and practical."
Is the Brooklyn accent that Carmine Giovinazzo uses on "CSI: NY" for real? I've wondered about his off-screen life.
Rhonda McCarthy, Hospers, Iowa
The accent's from Staten Island, where Giovinazzo, 32, grew up and used to hang out at the ballpark; he wanted to be a pro baseball player. After a back injury, he found acting. When not analyzing evidence, he likes to play guitar and paint. His artwork even was featured in Episode 11 of the first season.
How ironic is this? Molly Shannon stars opposite 15 dogs in "Year of the Dog," in theaters this month, and yet, she says, "I'm allergic to dogs. Luckily, the scenes with me and the dogs were shot quickly." Shannon's "Saturday Night Live" fans may not recognize the armpit-sniffing Mary Katherine Gallagher in this story of how a lonely secretary deals with the death of her beloved dog. Her friend Mike White wrote the part for Shannon, 42. "I loved that I could be more straight and serious. The comedy here is very subtle." Not true for her next film, "Evan Almighty," with Steve Carell. It's to open June 22.
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I love the Goo Goo Dolls because their music is amazing. Tell me, is lead singer Johnny Rzeznik now single?
Gina Bohl, Cincinnati
Rzeznik's people are so tight-lipped about his love life, you'd think that he was dating Britney Spears. They refused to confirm it, but it appears that he has a girlfriend, whom he met three years ago at a record-signing in New York. "I tried to run away from her every possible way I could," the 41-year-old Rzeznik once told "People" magazine.
Contributing: Nancy Mills, Jon Tollestrup
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BIRTHDAYS
May 6: George Clooney, 46; Tony Blair, 54; Bob Seger, 62
May 7: Tim Russert, 57
May 8 Enrique Iglesias, 32; Melissa Gilbert, 43
May 9 Rosario Dawson, 28; Billy Joel, 58; Candice Bergen, 61
May 10 Linda Evangelista, 42; Bono, 47
May 11 Natasha Richardson, 44
May 12 Kim Fields, 38; Tony Hawk, 39
 Ask Lorrie Lynch a question about a celeb!
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