Beck/Smith Hollywood

Piers Morgan

DEAR STACY:  I’ve seen Piers Morgan on “America’s Got Talent” and also “Britain’s Got Talent,” but I don’t know anything about him.  Is he a record producer, musical performer, or show business executive?  He seems to know his stuff. – April M., Brooklyn, NY

DEAR APRIL:  The man who will be Larry King’s talk show replacement rose to notoriety as a writer-reporter and/or editor at the London tabloids The Sun, News of the World and The Daily Mirror.  His career has been chockablock with controversy, feuding and complaints by celebrities over what’s been called his invasive style.  Morgan was fired from his editor post at the Mirror in 2004 after the paper ran photographs showing British soldiers mistreating Iraqi prisoners – photos that were proven to be fakes.  Still, he has a strong TV presence, as his 2003 “The Importance of Being Famous” three-part TV special for the BBC showed.  Simon Cowell selected him to be his own replacement when his “American Idol” contract prevented him from serving as a judge on “America’s Got Talent” in 2006.  In 2008, he won “The Celebrity Apprentice,” on which he’d been seen hotly disagreeing with Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth.  Morgan is married to The Daily Telegraph gossip columnist Celia Walden, daughter of a former Conservative Member of Parliament.  He has three sons from his previous marriage.

DEAR STACY:  What is Patty Duke doing these days?  She’s a long-time favorite of mine.  Haven’t seen her in a while. – Jan F., Allentown, PA

DEAR JAN:  According to her son, Sean Astin, “She’s doing great.  Still living in Idaho.  Hungry to work.  She did 14 months on ‘Wicked,’” he notes, referring to Patty’s stand in the role of Madame Morrible in the San Francisco production of the musical.  That wrapped up earlier this year.  “Now she’s anxious to get into something new.”

DEAR STACY:  Whatever happened to the gal who played the original Daisy Duke on “Dukes of Hazzard”? – Phil I., Pensacola, FL

DEAR PHIL:  Catherine Bach has mostly remained out of the spotlight – except for “Dukes of Hazzard” conventions — since her days as Daisy Duke.  Once the show ended, she appeared in a few B-movies, but hasn’t done much acting since her role in the TV series “African Skies” in the early 1990’s.  She was married to Angela Lansbury’s son, David Shaw, from 1976-1981.  She wed entertainment attorney Peter Lopez in 1990 and they had two daughters.  Sadly, Lopez died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound this past April.

DEAR STACY:  Can you please give some information about Missy Peregrym, who plays Andy on “Rookie Blue”?  I know I’ve seen her on other shows before. – Tim S., Montebello, CA

DEAR TIM:  Yes, you may know the Montreal-born beauty from her two years playing as another Andi – Andi Prendergast – on “Reaper.”  She also had a recurring role on “Heroes” in 2007, another on “Smallville” in 2006, and she played Jackie Bradford on the series “Life as We Know It” in 2004-2005.  One of three daughters of a minister, she grew up in Surrey, British Columbia, and launched her modeling career at 18.  Her commercials included Mercedes Benz and Sprint Canada. After moving to Los Angeles, she landed the lead role in the short-lived WB series “Black Sash.”  Other credits include the 2006 big screen gymnastics dramedy, “Stick It,” “The Chris Isaak Show” and the telefilm “Call Me:  The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss.”  Peregrym, who used to date the NFL’s Ben Roethlisberger, now lives in Toronto, where “Rookie Blue” was shot.

DEAR STACY:  Can you tell me whether Adam Baldwin is one of the acting family that includes Alec Baldwin?  Our group of friends had a disagreement about this. – M.R., Canton, OH

DEAR M.R.:  Chicago-born, 48-year-old Adam Baldwin of “Full Metal Jacket,” “Angel,” “Serenity” and “Chuck” fame is not related to the famous acting clan that includes brothers Alec, Daniel, William and Stephen.

John Anderson, John Henson ABC photo

DEAR STACY:  I read in your column where John Henson said that there would be a mini version of the “Wipeout” obstacle course touring the country this summer.  When will it be in this area? – Nick G., Moreno Valley, CA

DEAR NICK:  Sorry, but the tour finished up mid-June, after the “Wipeout” course replica opened at Orlando, New York, Atlanta, Nashville and other Eastern and Southern locations.  Maybe with enough demand, they’ll bring it to other parts of the country.

DEAR STACY:  Is Bob Harper of “The Biggest Loser” gay? – M.K., Dearborn Hgts. MI

DEAR M.K.:  The hard-charging, hugely popular, unmarried trainer has not stated his sexuality.  Many have taken note that he was one of the stars of a video called “Queer Abs,” but that hardly counts as definitive.  The hilarious “Queer Abs” commercial spot is a You Tube favorite.  As one user noted, “gay or straight…I don’t care…beautiful piece of man!”

DEAR STACY:  Whatever happened to Garrett Morris of “Saturday Night Live”? – Penny D., Canton, OH

DEAR PENNY:  The Broadway and TV veteran, whose long list of credits also includes his stints on “Martin” and “The Jamie Foxx Show,” keeps working.  He has done commercials for Miller Lite and Nintendo DS over the last year or so.  He was in the 2008 Ice Cube feature “The Longshots.”  Morris is owner of The Downtown Comedy Club in L.A.

DEAR STACY:  Susan Powter used to be one of the top fitness gurus, then she just disappeared.  What happened to her? – Leslie C., New York

DEAR LESLIE:  The Australia-born health and fitness advocate and self-described “radical feminist lesbian woman” took a decade away from the limelight to raise her third son, according to her susanpowteronline.com web site.  Since then, she’s dispensed advice, blogged and put out an e-zine, but simply hasn’t recaptured the audience she had in the 90s.

DEAR STACY:  Is it true that there’s going to be a sequel to “The Goonies”? – Mason J., Chattanooga, TN

DEAR MASON: Although rumors have flown in conjunction with the Steven Spielberg movie’s 25^th anniversary this year, star Josh Brolin told Extra TV that although Spielberg has a sequel script, but there are no plans to make it.

Ask Stacy

Dianna Agron

DEAR STACY:  I enjoy watching “Glee” very much.  I read that Dianna Agron, who plays pregnant cheerleader Quinn Fabray, was a semi-regular on “Veronica Mars.”  I don’t remember her in that show.  What part did she play? – M.N., St. Clair Shores, MI

DEAR M.N.:  Agron appeared in three episodes in the 2006-2007 season only, in the role of rich girl Jenny Budosh, who masterminded the framing of an ex-convict working at Hearst College for a fraud actually perpetrated by herself and her friends

DEAR STACY:  I noticed on “The Bachelorette,” the name of the producer is Mike Fleiss.  My roommate says that is Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss’ brother.  Is that true? – Brandi S., Brooklyn, NY

DERA BRANDI:  No, the reality show producer is a second cousin of the notorious Heidi.

DEAR STACY:  Can you please tell me if it’s true that Danny Trejo was in prison?  What were the circumstances?  I think he is a very good actor. – David F., Hawthorne, CA

DEAR DAVID:  The actor who has appeared in many of the films directed by Robert Rodriguez, a second cousin of his, did indeed do time, for armed robbery and various drug offenses.  In fact, he was in and out of jail for 11 years, as he struggled with addiction from childhood on.  While in San Quentin, he became a champion boxer and completed a successful 12-step program.  Once he was out, he counseled others, and his efforts led him to the set of 1985’s “Runaway Train” with Eric Roberts.  He was offered a job as an extra to play a convict and since the movie’s theme was boxing, he began giving Roberts tips.  After the director noticed, Trejo was cast opposite Roberts and has worked in Hollywood since.

DEAR STACY:  Whatever happened to Audra Lindley, who was so funny in “Three’s Company”?  — Terry G., Springfield, MA

DEAR TERRY:  The Broadway and television actress passed away in 1997 due to complications from leukemia. She was 79, and still doing recurring roles on two series (“Cybill” and “Nothing Sacred”) the same year she died.

End it

DEAR STACY:  Whatever happened to the plans for Janet Jackson to do a movie playing Lena Horne? – Terry B., Cedar Rapids, IA

DEAR TERRY:  Apparently you missed the stormy weather when Horne, now 92, made it clear she wanted no part of Jackson’s portrayal after Janet’s breast-baring Super Bowl moment back in 2004.  She and her daughter asked ABC not to allow Janet to portray her, and even though the network resisted, Janet willingly backed out.  Then producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan left the project in solidarity with Janet.  It’s too bad.  With a dramatic life story that spans the heyday of Harlem’s Cotton Club, Golden Era Hollywood, blacklisting, the Civil Rights Movement and on, the sensual singer-actress certainly warrants a bio-pic.  A stage musical about her, “Stormy Weather,” was mounted at the Pasadena Playhouse last year.   (The brilliant, iconic performer passed away the day of this posting, leaving an amazing legacy.)

DEAR STACY:  You see Ryan Seacrest everywhere, but I haven’t seen much about him personally.  I’m curious.  What is his background? – John M., Chattanooga, TN

DEAR JOHN:   The ubiquitous “American Idol” emcee/radio host/budding TV mogul (“Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” etc.), was born the day before Christmas in 1974.  He hails from Atlanta, GA, son of an attorney and a full-time mom.  There, he landed a job at radio station WSTR while still in high school – and continued with his on-air gig while attending the University of Georgia.  He landed his first TV show hosting job – ESPN’s “Radical Outdoor Challenge” – while still in college.  Aspiring toward a Merv Griffin-like career of hosting and producing television shows, Seacrest moved to L.A. in 1995.  He was hosting NBC’s “Saturday Night at the Movies” by 2000.  “American Idol” came along in ’02, and, of course, last year he signed a renewal on his “AI” deal for $45 million.  While there’s been much speculation about his romantic life and sexual orientation, Seacrest has said he simply doesn’t have time for relationships, and that when a past girlfriend and he split up after three and a half years, he just worked harder.

DEAR STACY:  How old is Mary Hart?  Have enjoyed watching her all these years.  Does she have any plans to retire? –  Angie S., Canton, OH

DEAR ANGIE:   The “Entertainment Tonight” anchor, 59, says she’s entertained the idea of stepping away from the microphone, but has realized over the last couple of years, “I’m not ready to call it quits.  I’m still having so much fun.  I love running into Leonardo Di Caprio, George Clooney, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.  When you know people through the years, there’s a comfort level in your interactions and that’s fun.  In a sense, we’ve matured together.  And I enjoy the working with the people I see on a daily basis.”

DEAR STACY:  Can you tell me if and when “Burn Notice” is coming back? – Pat K., Woodland Hills, CA

DEAR PAT:  The popular Jeffrey Donovan-Gabrielle Anwar series returns June 3 on USA.

DEAR STACY:  What did they finally determine was the cause of Brittany Murphy’s death?  A friend of mine said it was a drug overdose. – M.L., Spokane, WA

DEAR M.L.:  The L.A. county coroner’s office found that the 32-year-old actress died last December primarily of pneumonia.  However, she was also found to have been suffering anemia and multiple drug intoxication from an assortment of over-the-counter and prescription medications used to treat colds and respiratory infections.  All the medications were legal.  Noted the coroner’s report, “The possible adverse physiological effects of elevated levels of these medications cannot be discounted, especially in her weakened state.”

DEAR STACY:  We are so upset that “Without a Trace” was cancelled.  We faithfully watched the show and loved the cast, especially Anthony La Paglia.  Please tell us about him.  We know he is married to an actress, but we don’t know her name or whether she was ever on the show or any other.  Will he go back to Australia?  — The Jolly Girls of B’klyn

Anthony LaPaglia CBS photo

DEAR GIRLS: Adelaide-born LaPaglia and Sydney-born wife Gia Carides have a home in Santa Monica, CA, where they reside with their daughter Bridget, but spend a considerable amount of time in New York and Australia.  Carides (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me”) met LaPaglia while making the 1994 Australian movie “Lucky Break.” She played the mother of a missing teen in an April 2005 episode of “Without a Trace.”  LaPaglia’s post-“Murder One” projects include the Australian film “Balibo,” a political thriller about five TV journalists killed by Indonesian troops in East Timor in 1975.   He also has the comedy/romance “Overnight” in the can.

DEAR STACY:  Are they making another season of “Secret Life of a Call Girl”? If so, when will it be on? – Pat K., Spokane, WA

Billie Piper Showtime photo

DEAR PAT:  The British import starring Billie Piper as the title upscale prostitute began shooting its third season back at the beginning of the year – with Piper back in shooting shape following the October, 2008 birth of her son, Winston, with actor husband Laurence Fox (son of James Fox).  Showtime has already picked it up for airing sometime next year, but no specific debut date has been set.

DEAR STACY: Is Kimberly Estrada of “Easy Money” the daughter of Erik Estrada? – Kelly F., Dearborn Hgts., MI

DEAR KELLY: No, the one-time “CHiPs” star’s daughter is Francesca and she’s just nine years old.  (He also has two grown sons).  Kimberly Estrada, 37, is Eurasian – father Spanish, mother Chinese.  She was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Maryland

DEAR STACY: Is Stone Cold Steve Austin going to make any more movies? – Roger W., Bronx, NY

The Expendables

DEAR ROGER:  Yes, although the retired wrestler met with disappointment when his starring film vehicle, “The Condemned” failed to live up to expectations at the box office, he’s gone on to star in the upcoming “Damage” – which has to do with the underground fight scene – and play as part of the ensemble Sylvester Stallone’s “The Expendables.”  The latter, shot in New Orleans, Los Angeles and Brazil, is about a group of mercenaries and has a supercharged cast including Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Terry Crews and Davdi Zayas, with cameo appearances including Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger.  Both movies are due in 2010.

DEAR STACY: Whatever became of the tiny, beautiful and talented Pia Zadora? – Mario G., West Haven, CT

DEAR MARIO: Zadora, 55, retired and living in L.A., turns up every so often – as in a not-so-flattering paparazzi photo snapped when she was out dining last year, posted on TMZ.com.  She sold Pickfair a few years ago for a reported $17, 650,000 to a Korean businessman.  You may recall the flap back when she and her first husband, Meshulam Riklis, bought the landmark Beverly Hills property formerly owned by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks and had the mansion demolished.   She and second husband Jonathan Kaufer, divorced in 2001 after six years of marriage.  Her son and daughter by Riklis are now grown.  Her son by Kaufer is 12.

DEAR STACY: Whatever became of Juliet Prowse?  Nobody danced like that leggy lady. – Phil G., Cedar Rapids, IA

DEAR PHIL:   The beauty whose dancing was once labeled “immoral” by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev – and who appeared in numerous TV shows and films including “Can-Can” and “G.I. Blues” — died of pancreatic cancer at age 59, in 1996.

Eugene Cussons Animal Planet Photo

DEAR STACY:  Can you tell me something about Eugene Cussons of Animal Planet’s “Escape to Chimp Eden”?  It’s an amazing show. – Curt B., Bloomfield, N.J.

DEAR CURT: A native of the Mpumalanga region of South Africa, Cussons grew up in a family with a passion for conservation, who own a game reserve.  He studied economics and business management at the University of Pretoria and went on to a successful corporate career as a developer of financial trading software, etc.  Then he decided that, as he put it, he wanted to be part of something bigger than himself – and acted on his knowledge that the world’s dwindling chimpanzee population needs help.  He established his Chimpanzee Eden – where he lives with wife Natasha and baby daughter Haley – in 2006, in collaboration with the Jane Goodall Institute, for which he serves as Rescue Director.  The rugged outdoorsman, born in 1979, is a sky diver, a scuba diver, and off-road driver — and certainly courageous.  He’s ventured into dangerous places including war-torn Sudan and Angola to save chimps.  More show information is available at the Animal Planet website, at http://animal.discovery.com/tv/chimp-eden/about/about.html.

Do you have a question?  Use the Leave a Reply box below and your query will be forwarded for Ask Stacy consideration.

Sam Page in his 'Shark' days

DEAR STACY: Please give some background on Sam Page, who was so effective in the role of Dr. Greg Harris on “Mad Men.” I’d like to see more of him. – Grace R., NY, NY

DEAR GRACE: If things had gone a little differently, handsome, single, 32-year-old Page could have been an environmental scientist, for he holds a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from Princeton.  His senior thesis, about the mating habits of the female mosquitofish, was published in a scientific journal.  He also played baseball for Princeton, in addition to playing football, ice hockey, golf and tennis in his school years.  The acting bug took hold in his senior year, and once he graduated, the Wisconsin-born Page was off to Hollywood.  His career was launched via filmmaker David DeCoteau, who cast Page in the movies “Micro Mini Kids,” “Prison of the Dead,” and “The Brotherhood.” On the TV side, Page amassed credits on such shows as “7th Heaven” and “Popular.” He had a recurring role on “American Dreams,” a stint on daytime’s “All My Children,” and regular roles on Fox’s supernatural drama, “Point Pleasant,” and CBS’s James Woods legal series “Shark.” He has a horror movie called “Slave” due out on DVD this summer.

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DEAR STACY: Could you please tell me if Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Christopher Cuomo from “Good Morning America” are cousins through marriage? – Mrs. Lillian S., Smithtown, NY

DEAR LILLIAN:  No.  Christopher’s older brother Andrew used to be married to Mary Kerry Kennedy, one of Robert F. Kennedy’s daughters, and a cousin of Maria Shriver (daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver), who is married to Schwarzenegger.

DEAR STACY: What is Michael Beach up to lately? I always enjoy him in the movies and on TV, but I haven’t seen him since he was on “Brothers and Sisters.” – Karla T., Bronx, NY

DEAR KARLA: The one-time “Third Watch” star was seen this past March in the Hallmark Channel’s “Relative Stranger” movie alongside his former Julliard classmate and “ER” alumnus Eriq LaSalle. He’s in the upcoming Chris Klein comedy movie “Play Dead,” and the forthcoming big screen indie, “Pastor Brown.” Rockmond Dunbar directed and costars in that family drama about a woman (Salli Richardson) asked by her dying father to take over as pastor of his large Atlanta congregation.

DEAR STACY: Please give an update on Danielle Fishel, who used to play Topanga on “Boy Meets World.” – Sandy D., Dobbs Ferry, NY

DEAR SANDY: Fishel has recently been balancing her cable TV gigs — hosting the weekly “The Dish” program on the Style network, a counterpart to “The Soup” on its sister E! Entertainment network, as well as Fuse TV’s ‘The Fuse 20” — with studying psychology. She envisions having a marriage and family therapy practice one day, specializing in helping children of divorce. “I really wanted to get my degree,” says Danielle, now 27 and enrolled in college classes in Orange County, CA. She admits that returning to school “was scary for me….I was afraid I’d be the oldest student in all my classes.”

DEAR STACY: I’ve never before seen Annie Wersching, currently playing an FBI agent on “24.”  Can you tell me about her?  I think she’s terrific, and would hope to see more of her. – Ben S., Bayville, NY

DEAR BEN: Wersching knew she wanted to be a performer at an early age.  As her website puts it, “she crawled around as a Jellicle cat in ‘Cats’ in fourth grade and never looked back.’  She also competed in Irish step dance.  She has a degree in musical theater from Millikin University.  After college she moved to Chicago for a spell, and toured with several shows before relocating to Los Angeles, where she began landing guest roles on episodic series including “Star Trek: Enterprise,” “Charmed” and “Supernatural.”  She did a recurring gig on “General Hospital” in 2007.  The 32-year-old actress lists among her special abilities: face contortionist, tin whistle and burp on cue.