Issue Date: June 29, 2008
Mary McCormack has a new series on USA Network, "In Plain Sight," and is in Broadway's "Boeing-Boeing" nightly. Add in a family to manage and it's no wonder she oversleeps for our phone date. We connect a few minutes late and start with "In Plain Sight;" she stars as a U.S. marshal who is "a little bit odd." McCormack says she couldn't talk with real marshals because their work is secretive. "That's the reason the system works. But it's so bizarre. There are witnesses everywhere." McCormack, 39, and her husband, a producer on Brothers & Sisters, are spending the summer with their children, 1 and 3, on the East Coast while she is in "Boeing" with her old West Wing pal Bradley Whitford.
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I loved Jimmy Smits in the CBS series Cane. Is there any hope of resurrection?
Beth Ann Lyons, Glade Spring, Va.
Not a prayer. But Smits, 52, will be in Showtime's series "Dexter" come fall, and look for him on PBS July 4 hosting "A Capitol Fourth" in Washington, D.C. He says nothing compares to the fireworks display with "the national monuments glistening in the background." He's been part of such concerts before and tells me Memorial Day is moving, but July 4 is "joyous."
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Could you tell usmore about Brit actor Joseph Fiennes? I saw him in "Shakespeare in Love" and a straight-to-DVD film, "The Very Thought of You."
R.E. Park, Prospect Park, Pa.
If that's all you've seen of Fiennes, you'll be happy to know that he has a new movie, "The Escapist," which was seen at Sundance, and a few more in the works. Plus, he made a TV pilot for FX, "Pretty Handsome," that I hope gets picked up and turned into a series. I think he should be seen in more big movies, like "Shakespeare," but Fiennes "chooses the films that speak to him," his manager tells us.
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Because pets are considered very therapeutic in rehabilitation, I wonder if the pets of celebrities such as Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan help them in recovery.
Jeff Eagan, Bethesda, Md.
Our pets columnist, Steve Dale, says it depends on whether the owner cares about the animal. Dogs that are treated as accessories, or as disposable, aren't going to be of any value to owners going through rehab. "Can (a dog) solve personality issues? No dog can do that," Dale says. "But pets are non-judgmental. They do what they do regardless of whether you're driving around in a limo or living on social welfare."
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It's the 75th anniversary of the Screen Actors Guild, and president Alan Rosenberg is a little nostalgic. The guild began because of some of the same concerns members have today. Actors including Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart gathered in secret to discuss issues like pay and work hours. "It's poignant to stand here at this point in history and see what our founders gave us," Rosenberg says. SAG has been negotiating a new contract, but this summer is a time to celebrate the 120,000-member union.
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I liked the NBC drama "Chuck" and ABC's "Ugly Betty," but I've heard nothing about their continuance. What's up?
S. Stahl, Eloy, Ariz.
Both shows return in the fall. "Betty's" news is that it's moving to NYC, where the series is set. Stars like America Ferrera and Eric Mabius will move or do a bicoastal commute. Mabius says they'll miss their L.A. crew: "They are the most talented, passionate, fun group of people I have ever worked with."
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BIRTHDAYS
June 29: Sharon Lawrence, 47; Gary Busey, 64
June 30: Mike Tyson, 42; Vincent D'Onofrio, 49
July 1: Liv Tyler, 31; Dan Aykroyd, 56; Deborah Harry, 63
July 2: Lindsay Lohan, 22; Richard Petty, 71
July 3: Tom Cruise, 46; Montel Williams, 52
July 4: Geraldo Rivera, 65; Neil Simon, 81
July 5: Edie Falco, 45; Huey Lewis, 58
Contributing: Gayle Jo Carter, Brenda Duran
 Ask Lorrie Lynch a question about a celeb!
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