Issue Date: July 5, 2009
I think "Twilight" star Robert Pattinson is a phenomenal musician. Does he have any plans to make a record?
Annie Scanlon, Reno
Not now. He once told the "Los Angeles Times" that music is his backup plan, something he would do only if acting fails, and that certainly isn't happening. However, you can listen to two of Pattinson's songs, "Never Think" and "Let Me Sign," on the "Twilight" original soundtrack available on iTunes. The "Twilight" sequel, "New Moon," is set for release Nov. 20, and Pattinson, 23, has two more movies in the works. Pattinson has musical talent, but acting is his priority.Pattinson: George Pimentel, WireImage
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How long do U.S. presidents keep their Secret Service protection after leaving office? And what is the cost involved with providing years of protection?
Lowell Reeves, Dickson, Tenn.
Before Congress scaled back presidential perks in 1997, presidents and first ladies were entitled to protection for life. George W. Bush, the first ex-president affected by the change, will have his protection limited to 10 years after he leaves office. The cost of providing security is undisclosed, but the National Taxpayers Union estimates that the yearly tab is about $4 million per first family.
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The TNT drama "Leverage" was British actress Gina Bellman's first step into American TV, so she wanted to impress -- and nail all the accents that her con-artist character, Sophie Devereaux, would use in the first season last year. "I just wanted to be this fantastic, consummate professional and was having dialect lessons and had a coach come to the set and work with me at lunchtime," says Bellman, who particularly liked learning to speak like a Southern belle. But in the second season (starting July 15), Bellman, who turns 43 this week, says she'll concentrate on the con. "I think that maybe makes it a little more interesting, if some of my accents are not perfect. She's not schizophrenic."
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Laura Saltman, 37, doesn't just cover entertainment for "Access Hollywood" -- she's a fan. Even as a child, Saltman says, "I didn't want to be a star; I wanted to interview them." We asked her to dish.
On what viewers want: "The D's -- divorce, death, drugs, derangement, dysfunction."
Her best interviews: "Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman and Dwayne Johnson."
Top of her wish list: "Barbra Streisand. I'm fascinated. Why is she such a recluse? Why doesn't she talk to anybody?"
The line she won't cross: "To just directly ask someone if they had sex with someone. [I think,] do I know them personally? If I never met someone, what would I feel comfortable asking them?"
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Please tell me that Katherine Heigl is not leaving "Grey's Anatomy." I love her Izzie character. If she goes, so shall I.
Nancy Gomez, Hinesburg, Vt.
Heigl, 30, has a contract through the end of the 2009-10 season and says she'll honor it. But head honcho Shonda Rhimes refuses to say whether she will give Heigl screen time. You'll just have to check in on the first episode of the new season: A rumored resolution will happen then. Because you're such a big Heigl fan, you'll enjoy her new romantic comedy, "The Ugly Truth," opening July 24.
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I love Ray Romano, but I only see him now in reruns of his old CBS show, "Everybody Loves Raymond." Does he have a new TV series?
Lenore Lewis, Tarzana, Calif.
Yes. In December he'll be back on TV in a new male-bonding series, "Men of a Certain Age." Like "Leverage," mentioned above, it's on TNT, and Romano, 51, joked with advertisers at the network's spring preview presentation that "I wanted to make sure I made about 95% less money, and TNT went above and beyond that." Created by Romano and his "Raymond" producer Mike Royce, the new show explores how three college buddies (Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula) face middle age. You also can hear Romano again as Manny the mammoth in "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," now in theaters.
Contributing: Gayle Jo Carter, Reyhaneh Fathieh, Steve Thompson, Brian Truitt
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BIRTHDAYS
July 5: Huey Lewis, 59
July 6: 50 Cent, 34; Sylvester Stallone, 63
July 7: Michelle Kwan, 29; Ringo Starr, 69
July 8: Beck, 39; Kevin Bacon, 51
July 9: Courtney Love, 45; Tom Hanks, 53
July 10: Jessica Simpson, 29
July 11: Lil' Kim, 34; Richie Sambora, 50
 Ask Lorrie Lynch a question about a celeb!
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