Exposito explores relationships in The Wish List. / ANDREW H. WALKER, GETTY IMAGES, FOR WHITNEY MUSEUM
Birthday buzz
September 5: Raquel Welch, 70; Bob Newhart, 81
September 6: Rosie Perez, 46
September 7: Sen. Daniel Inouye. 86
September 8: Brooke Burke, 39
September 9: Hugh Grant, 50
September 10: Jose Feliciano, 65
September 11: Harry Connick Jr., 43
Macfarlane is the voice of many of his characters. / JORDAN STRAUSS, WIREIMAGE
Seigenthaler's new schedule gives him more time to be with his family.
More
When Jeanine Pirro was the district attorney in Westchester, N.Y., her then-5-year-old son, Alex, told her what he wanted to be when he grew up. "He said, 'I'm thinking Ninja Turtle, Power Ranger,' " recalls Pirro, 59. "Then he gets a perplexed look on his face and says, "I want to be a district attorney. But Mom, can boys be district attorneys?' " Then Pirro, who was the first female DA in Westchester, said to herself, "Jeanine, you did good." The third season of Pirro's syndicated courtroom series, Judge Pirro, starts Monday.
"I never bought into the fairy tale that you get married and live happily ever after," says Jennifer Esposito, 37. "I don't like that image. But somehow the idea is ingrained in your psyche that if you're alone, you've failed. I think that's why people, including myself, get into wrong relationships." Esposito married The Hangover star Bradley Cooper in December 2006 but filed for divorce after four months. And she recently ended her engagement to Australian tennis star Mark Philippoussis. So when Esposito was offered the chance to explore the topic of finding the perfect mate in the Hallmark Channel's The Wish List, she couldn't resist. "A relationship is a nice thing to have in your life," she says, "but it's OK to be alone."
What happened to Soleil Moon Frye, who played the little girl in Punky Brewster?
Maria Mercado, Lawndale, Calif.
The actress-turned-"momtrepreneur" has a children's eco-friendly apparel company, The Little Seed. "I started it as a mom looking for amazing products for my baby," she tells us. Frye, 34, has teamed up with Target and launched the Little Seed for Target (in stores through October and on Target.com). "The colors of the line are superspunky, so I think there's a little bit of Punky inspiration." Frye also expects to release a book next summer.
Who provides the voice of the alien on Fox's American Dad? It sounds like Paul Lynde, but it couldn't be since he died years ago.
Richard Welch, Vestal, N.Y.
You nailed it! The show creator himself 'that would be Seth MacFarlane' lends his voice to Roger and has said he based it on Paul Lynde. MacFarlane also is the voice of the show's title character, Stan Smith, a CIA agent who is harboring Roger, an escaped alien from Area 51. MacFarlane, 36, has had much success with animated series: In addition to American Dad, he is responsible for The Cleveland Show and Family Guy.
What happened to John Seigenthaler, who used to do the weekend news on NBC?
Andrea McCoy, Phoenix
Seigenthaler's last turn as anchor of the weekend edition of NBC Nightly News was on April 1, 2007, after NBC let him go to cut costs. He has been working as CEO of Seigenthaler Public Relations/New York since July 2008. He lives in Weston, Conn., with his wife, Kerry, and 13-year-old son, Jack. Seigenthaler, 54, is still a news junkie, but he isn't complaining: "Now I pretty much determine my own schedule, and that allows me a lot of freedom to be with my family."
Contributing: George Artsitas, Gayle Jo Carter, Cindy Clark, Nancy Mills
POWERED BY USA WEEKEND Magazine & more than 