Beck/Smith Hollywood

Gregg Sulkin

Eighteen-year-old heartthrob Gregg Sulkin gets credit for true grit.  The London-born actor had an attack of acute appendicitis on the set of “The Wizards of Waverly Place” two weeks ago, had his appendix out and “by the next Thursday I was back working,” he reports.  As he still wasn’t feeling 100 per cent, he allows that he might have gone back a little too fast, but “I’m doing all right.”

There are just three more episodes — ever — to shoot of the popular Disney Channel series on which Sulkin plays Selena Gomez’ werewolf love interest.  “Everyone has been putting their minds toward making the last episodes of the show as great as we can make them.  When we do the last live audience shows, that will be when it will get emotional, I’m guessing.  That’s when the tears will start flowing.”

Sulkin has other irons in the fire, however, including the April 30 installment of “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour.”   “It’s like ‘Twilight Zone,’ but for kids,” he says of the Hub series.  His episode of the anthology has him playing one of two brothers in a family in which not everyone quite as they appear to be.

The actor, who starred last year in the television movie of “Avalon High,” also has the big screen adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s “Camilla Dickinson.”

“It’s a period piece set in the 1940s, about two kids finding themselves and helping each other grow into adulthood.  My character’s parents are alcoholics.”  Sulkin doesn’t know what’s happening as far as the film’s release.  He does know, “It’s the proudest I’ve ever been of my work.”

Selena Gomez, David DeLuise Disney Channel photo

Selena Gomez won’t be going down that road to wreckage and ruin traveled by other young female pop star/actresses – not according to her “Wizards of Waverly Place” father, David DeLuise, anyway.

Last month, he notes, “I was driving downtown and there were 10 helicopters surrounding the area because Lindsay Lohan was going into jail again.  Well, I’m not blaming her parents because I don’t know.  But I do know that Selena has Mandy and Brian, who are very concerned about her well-being – not only her career, but her well-being,” he stresses.  “They’re great parents.”

DeLuise, who has 17 and 12-year-old daughters of his own, has come to know Selena’s mom and step-dad fairly well through the run of the show.  “We hang out, go over to their house or they come to my house.  We watch movies, go to barbeques.  Obviously, that’s slowed down because Selena has become so busy.  On weekends, she goes on mini tours.  Yes, they do mature very quickly,” he adds with a smile.  “Selena was this little adorable girl and now she’s like a grownup woman wearing high heels.  It’s so weird and so great.  I just heard her on the radio. They played Justin Bieber, and then Selena – on some list of teen singing sensations.  I’m very happy for her.  She’s very talented.”

DeLuise acknowledges that with Gomez and her series brothers – David Henrie and Jake T. Austin — maturing so fast, the cast shouldn’t be idle long after the completion of the series’ final season.  They’ll need to go into production on the next “Wizards of Waverly Place” movie pretty fast.

“I have not seen a script for the film, but.it’s going to be one of two things.  It will be a wrap-up on the show” – including the long-awaited answer as to which of the three “Waverly Place” siblings will become a full-fledged wizard – “or a movie about what happens to the family when only one kid is doing the magic.”

He adds, “They chose to do it as another TV movie.  I do not mind saying I feel that was a mistake.  I feel a feature film would have done great. But for some reason, they chose to make it a Disney Channel Movie, and I’m very happy to participate.  As I sometimes tell the kids, ‘This is what we have to do, and trust they have their reasons.”

“Wizards of Waverly Place” papa David DeLuise finished Season 3 with the series family about to walk home through the desert.  He started Season 4 with his character entering his house, saying, “Wow, that was a long walk.  I feel like I’ve lost 35 pounds.”

The thing is, DeLuise HAS lost 35 – make it 37 – pounds in recent months.  He says he was “just sitting with a buddy of mine, saying ‘I’m happy with every aspect of my life except this’” – meaning his weight.  And he decided to do something about it.  He started hiking, spinning and “I just made it happen,” he tells us.  Coincidentally, he ran into series son David Henrie and his real-life dad on a hiking trail between seasons, “and he said, ‘Oh, my God!  Half of your face is gone!’”

DeLuise, youngest son of late comedy legend Dom, has acknowledged in the past that his dad’s weight was probably an issue that hastened his demise.

“You get healthy and it’s such a positive thing,” he acknowledges.  “You exercise, you get all your aggressions out.  You get all the endorphins.  My daughters like that I’m exercising.  And living a healthier lifestyle, you come across people who are happy, who are positive, because they, too, are trying to do something good for themselves.”

DeLuise says he’d like to lose another pound or two, but now, “What I would like, ultimately, to do is get more cut – get a little more muscle.  So I look more like what the women want,” he says with a laugh.

With 17 episodes left to shoot of “WOWP,” he’s focusing on directing as well as acting on the show.  He’s now helmed three episodes, and says, “I’m going to do two more.  The next one I’m doing is in November.  Of course my hope is that I get a shot at doing a show that is not mine, so that I can navigate my directing position from the beginning.”

David Henrie, Jake T. Austin, Jennifer Stone, Selena Gomez, David DeLuise, Maria Canals Barerra

Selena Gomez just got her driver’s license last week, joining “Wizards of Waverly Place” cast mates David Henrie and Jennifer Stone as legal behind the wheel of a car.  Her TV younger brother Jake T. Austin, meanwhile, has applied for his learner’s permit – and has undergone a dramatic growth spurt since last season.

That’s the word from “Wizards” creator-producer Todd J. Greenwald, who is back into production of the popular Disney Channel series — for what will be its fourth and final season.  “It’s definitely bittersweet,” admits Greenwald.  He says he’s set up the number-being-served sign on the show’s deli set so that “it’s counting down the episodes we have left to shoot.  When we get down to zero, it’s going to be pretty emotional.”

On the sweet side, both the series and its 2009 telepic spinoff are up for Emmy honors.  Last year, “Wizards of Waverly Place” was named Outstanding Children’s Program.  The awards will be a family affair for Greenwald, whose mom is coming from New York to be on hand – and whose real-life son and daughter, Jordan and Julia, served as the models for Henrie’s and Gomez’ characters on the show.

As “Wizards” fans are well aware, the series is moving toward a day of reckoning when one of the three siblings will become a full-fledged wizard and the other two will go on to lives as mere mortals.

“Alex is going to have a wave of not wanting to be a wizard and then really wanting to be a wizard.  Max is definitely getting a little wiser, beginning to look like someone who could win.  And Justin, who has graduated from high school, is becoming more prominent in the wizarding world,” he notes of Gomez’, Austin’s and Henrie’s characters, respectively.  “With their maturity, anyone could win competition.  What I’m really looking forward is doing that episode.  It’s where we’ll go for broke.  We’re getting so many ideas, from classic games shows to shows like ‘Survivor,’ to high tech productions like ‘Avatar.’”

As for the already-greenlit next “Wizards” TV movie, he says, “I think it’s a great idea to explore what the family is like after one of the kids becomes a wizard – what happens after the big event.”

Selena Gomez, David Henrie "Wizards of Waverly Place" Disney Channel Photo

Disney Channel star David Henrie tells us he’s moved on from the Universal CityWalk altercation involving himself, his brother and some strangers that saw him wind up in post-midnight custody at a police station last month. ‘That’s all done with. There are no ramifications. It was an intense night. I’m not going to go into detail, but I’m good, I’m good,’ says the 20-year-old ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ hottie.

Indeed, David is back to focusing on his burgeoning career, especially the May 21 episode of his show, which he wrote. ‘I’m so excited to finally get something done,’ says the actor. Early on in ‘Wizards,’ he asked the series’ writers if he could ‘just come in the room and see how they work.’ He also wrote a ‘Two and a Half Men’ script on spec, and from that, the ‘Wizards’ team ‘could see that I could capture character voices, create a story structure, tell a joke.

‘Once they thought I was on my own two feet, I got to do this storyline. It was a dream come true for me,’ adds Henrie, who has designs on directing as well. His series father, David DeLuise, helmed the episode that has Henrie and series sister Selena Gomez squabbling over her getting a citizenship award on dubious grounds.

He says that he and DeLuise got into joking arguments over who was at fault if a piece of business didn’t fly right. ‘I’d say it was bad blocking by the director, he’d say it was bad writing. It was a lot of fun.’

While the series is on hiatus, ‘I’m trying to close in on a movie here, have a couple of other things working on the side there. When the show starts back up, hopefully I’ll get to direct. I really love being a part of the show creatively and learning as much as I can.’

CASTING CORNER: They’re picking up the pieces on ‘A Detour in Life,’ the indie feature that was to have been the late Corey Haim’s directorial debut. A casting notice has gone out for ‘a very recognizable actor to, sadly, replace Corey Haim.’ The story has to do with a man who goes off on an alcoholic bender after his wife is killed in a horse accident — though his young teenage daughter needs his help.

With the Brad Pitt baseball flick ‘Moneyball’ due to start shooting in July, casting forces have been on the lookout for a young teen who can match Pitt to play his character in early days. Yes and we already know of some girls who want to meet this guy as soon as he is found.

Corbin Bleu Samuel Goldwyn photo

Twenty-year-old “High School Musical” cutie Corbin Bleu is more than glad that his character’s family in his new “Free Style” movie is biracial, just like his own family.  He made a point of seeing to it that casting was done that way.  

He tells us that, with himself and his father two of the producers on the feature, opening tomorrow (10/9), “It was one thing we definitely wanted to play to.  So many times in films, you’ll have interracial kids, but they’ll still have two black parents.  At this time, right now, where we are now, you’re seeing many more interracial families.  So many people are mixing and it’s wonderful and that needs to be portrayed more in our films.”

Corbin notes that, being a producer, “This is the first time I got to take hold of some of the reins and I’d like to do more.  I was involved in locations and casting and wardrobe and all that.” 

He has other projects in development, including “a cool horror flick we’re working on.  It’s going to be fun.  You have to expand yourself out as much as you can. You can’t be stifled in any genre, any one thing.”

Hence, “Free Style,” in which he plays a gung-ho motocross racer.  For Corbin, it meant lots of training in motorcycle riding, which he’s come to love.  “Luckily, it was my dad who came out with me the first day on the course and not my mom, ‘cause if it was my mom, the first fall it would have been, ‘This movie’s not happening,’” he says with a laugh.

He also gets a romance with the “stunning” (his word) Sandra Echeverria.  He got to “have the chance to cast my leading lady and it was great,” he says, beaming.  And the presence of the Latina actress, “ended up bringing in another whole thing culturally.” 

SIBLING REVELRY:  Laura Silverman, the real life sister of comedienne Sarah Silverman, also plays her sister on the Comedy Central series “The Sarah Silverman Program.”  While Sarah is certainly the more known of the two, Laura tells us they couldn’t be more encouraging of each other in life and on the show.  “At first I was very hesitant during the first season.  I was very conscious of not trying to upstage Sarah in any way – to try to be completely supportive of her being the funny one.  It turns out we are equally supportive and we both have our moments to be funny on the show.  We are always in such awe of each other.  We watch each other at work with big smiles on our faces.  Unless she’s faking it, she seems to like what I do,” adds Laura with a smile. 

Laura Silverman

 While Sarah plays a chaotic, out there, fictionalized version of herself, Laura plays the responsible younger sister, which lends itself to a different kind of humor.  “I studied at first how to be the ‘straight’ person.  It’s something that has actually always interested me,” she tells us.  “There’s a little bit of theory behind it. You are responsible for setting the baseline of what’s normal in that world so that the main character can exist being the way she is instead of looking like she’s crazy or just a total a-hole.  The way I react to her allows her to exist in that way.  It’s been really fun exploring that world with Sarah and the rest of the cast.”  

MAGICALLY SPEAKING : When it comes to adolescent stars, “Wizards of Waverly Place” creator Todd J. Greenwald is an expert – having such shows as “Saved by the Bell” and “Hannah Montana” on his credit sheet.  So when he says he’s confident the “Wizards” teen trio won’t be ruined by the perils of fame, it’s worth asking why.  “It all starts with family, and everyone’s family from our cast is solid,” he says. “I love what I’m seeing with them.”  For instance, of Selena Gomez, he says, “She went to Africa as a speaker for UNICEF this past summer.  She’s really taking responsibility and trying to give a good example and I’m so proud of her for that.”

All this month – “Wiztober” – the Disney Channel series is featuring episodes that tie into Halloween themes.  The Oct. 16 show has family eldest brother Justin (David Henrie) bringing a real ghost into a neighborhood spooky house.  Now, there’s a prank. 

Peter Murietta, David Henrie, Maria Canals Barrera, Selena Gomez, Jennifer Stone, Jake T. Austin, Todd J. Greenwald

Greenwald tells us he’s savoring the moments with “Wizards,” which garnered Emmy honors last month.  They’re in production on their 35-episode third season, and, given that the cast is growing up fast, ‘Season 4 could be the last season.  It goes so quickly,” he notes.  “You’re doing a show and then suddenly it’s a memory.” 

Like “Saved By the Bell.”  Greenwald is still friendly with “Saved” cast members.  “I just saw Mario Lopez and Elizabeth Berkley a couple of months ago,” he notes.  “That show was like a sitcom camp, and a bunch of them have gone on to do great things, like Mark Paul” – Gosselaar, that is.

WHO SAYS TV IS OUT OF IDEAS?:  Casting forces have been interviewing actors to reenact real-life drama for a forthcoming show called “Injured and Pregnant” – from the makers of “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant.”  Honestly!  It’s for Discovery Health. 

With reports by Emily-Fortune Feimster

Gladys Knight © Verve Photo credit: Kwaku Alston

Gladys Knight is backtracking a bit from the Farewell in her Midnight Train to Love — Farewell Tour.  “I should have re-titled that.  Instead of ‘farewell,’ I should have been saying ‘see you later,’” says the gracious Motown legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.  “I’m not saying I’m never going to see you again.  But you know, you can’t take time for granted.  I don’t get back to Europe for seven, eight years – so we don’t know if there’ll be another time when I’ll get there, and I want to say my goodbyes now and let everyone know how much I appreciate them.”

 Knight has a two-night stand at California’s Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (Sept. 25, 26), then heads to the U.K..  Tito Jackson’s opening for her, and plans to include a Michael Jackson tribute in his performance.  Other Jacksons will be turning up as well, she says.  And as far as the Jackson connection continuing when she returns to the States, “There’s a very good possibility.  It’s going to be fun, really big time.”

 That’s exactly how Gladys feels about her experience acting in Tyler Perry’s “I Can Do Bad All by Myself,” which opens today (9/11).  She’s delighted to have played a character – a churchgoing woman who wants to turn Taraji. P. Henson’s hard-drinking nightclub chanteuse character around.  She tells us Perry helped her forget her nervousness over lines by having her improv.  Will she be doing more acting as a result of this movie?  “I sure hope so.  I would love to.”  Movies, TV, a series?  “I’d be open to any ideas,” she says.  “I wouldn’t mind a recurring part on a TV show.  I love playing a character, someone who isn’t me.  I’ve done so many cameos as myself, it’s been-there-done-that.”

Adam Rodriguez CBS photo

MEANWHILE:  Adam Rodriguez starts shooting a seven-episode arc on “Ugly Betty” today (9/11), glad to be back in his home town of New York City.  He has a big week behind him, including the “I Can Do Bad” premiere and promotion work.  The “CSI: Miami” actor is on his way out of that show, in case you haven’t heard, with a commitment to finish out his Eric Delko character in 10 more episodes of the crime drama.  He says he found himself at a crossroads, and that he and the network made a mutual decision about his future. 

 “I’m going to miss ‘CSI,’ it’s been a great eight seasons and everybody there is like a family member.  Still, it felt like my time to move forward.  This was a great way to start out – this movie,” he says.  “I’m really, really happy about the way it turned out.”

 The actor plays a Colombian immigrant who starts working for Henson’s character, and then romantic sparks ignite.  “It’s a simple family movie,” Adam attests, “the message is clear and at the end you walk out feeling good, feeling inspired maybe, to make changes in your own life.”

GOING FOR THE GOLDEN LADY:  “Wizards of Waverly Place” creator Todd J. Greenwald is hoping that he and the rest of the show’s creative team and cast head into their big D-23 Expo Appearance Sunday (9/13) “coming off a high at the Emmys the day before as opposed to a low.” 

 The Disney Channel show starring Selena Gomez, David Henrie and Jake T. Austin is up for Outstanding Children’s Program honors, being presented at tomorrow’s (9/12) Creative Arts Emmy Awards.  “Up until this year, they tied together the fictional and non-fictional shows in this category, and Linda Ellerbee and Maria Shriver won, and deservedly so,” Greenwald notes.  “This year is the first time they’ve had a category for purely fictional shows.” 

 Win or lose, on Sunday, the “Wizards’ group expects to be communing with a crowd of some 5,000 fans at the Anaheim Convention Center, in a setting that emulates the living room seen on the show. 

 “We’re going to have some special guests from the show as well,” he notes.  And the band Honor Society is performing.

“King of the Hill” fans hoped Fox execs would change their minds about canceling the animated series, but star

Kathy Najimy, (Photo from Kathy Najimy offical website)

Kathy Najimy, who provided the voice of Peggy Hill, says it’s definitely over.

“Isn’t that terrible?  It’s the worst thing in the world. That was the best job I ever had,” says Najimy of the cancellation.  “I wasn’t surprised because they canceled us before and then they brought us back.  This time when they canceled us, I thought they might bring us back” – but it didn’t happen.  Still, “There’s always a chance they could sell it to another network,” she adds.

The final episode airs Sept. 13.

The actress-playwright-director-activist has plenty of other things on her plate as she’s currently penning a one-woman show and has a guest starring stint on Lifetime’s hit dramedy “Drop Dead Diva” Sunday (8/23).  “Margaret Cho emailed me and said, ‘Come do my TV show in Atlanta.’  She’s a person who, when she says come, I come.  I don’t even ask what it is.  I show up, get in a costume, and do what she says because she’s so brilliant,” gushes Najimy.  “At some point after you’re 20, you start caring about the quality of your experience.  The last thing I want to do is be involved with egos or stress. There was no drama there except in the script.”

The show hit a strong chord with the actress, who has always been an advocate for women’s issues.  “This show is great for Lifetime.  I think people want to support anything that sort of levels the field of all the craziness that’s going on with women and their bodies.  Brooke [Elliot] herself is such a surprise,” she adds.  “We’re not used to somebody coming from Broadway that we don’t know in TV land, and she has such a charming, easy way about her.  The truth is, it’s terribly difficult to play a model who has died and comes back in the body of a normal-sized lawyer.  She does it with such ease that we don’t question it.  I’m a big fan of hers and from what I’ve read from the reviews, America has really responded to her as well.”

FULLY DEVELOPED: It’s a different Jennie Garth than we’ve seen before on Candace Bushnell’s Sept. 10-debuting web series, “The Broadroom.” “I play a woman executive.  That was a fun thing for me – to step into my maturity a little bit and play someone my age.”

Jennie, who’s 37, could easily get away with playing years younger, but she’s not trying to.  She points out that her and husband Peter Facinelli’s daughters are now ages 12, six and two.

The couple have been juggling parental duty with their various assignments – she also has an as-yet-undetermined number of “90210” episodes to shoot this season, while he’s busy making the third film in the “Twilight” series, “Eclipse,” and will go into “Nurse Jackie” shooting as soon as he’s finished.

They have to make their schedules work, Jennie tells us.  “We have three little people depending on us.  You know, when he’s working I take it all on, because I’m not going to leave them with someone else.  That’s our job.”

LIFE IS TWEET: A funny thing happened during intermission at one of the Jonas Brothers’ recent L.A. concerts – when suddenly there was an outbreak of audience members spontaneously flapping their hands at the Staples Center.  Turns out it was the work of “Wizards of Waverly Place” star David Henrie, who was there taking in the show (so were teen faves Aly & A.J.) and communicating with his Twitter followers.  The 20-year-old actor instructed his fans who were on hand: “If ur on Twitter scream and wave ur hands like ur on fire.”  He then shot a photo of the audience from his seat and posted it, then Tweeted, “Wave ur hands and scream if ur in this pic.”  Others could only wonder what kind of mass insanity was taking hold.

“The Biggest Loser” host and “Days of Our Lives” actress Alison Sweeney is a frequent Tweeter.  She tells us, “It’s so much fun for interacting with the fans, sharing stories, taking photos at awards, I love it.  I get to see their reactions, or watch shows together, or even just talk about Shark Week or whatever.”  Naturally, her soap followers are a strong presence.  “Obviously there are fan groups who have different kinds of conflicting opinions about the show and my character’s love life.  It’s great to get that kind of feedback.”

With reports by Emily-Fortune Feimster

Antonio Sabàto, Jr. tells us he knew it’d be hard finding love on television with his VH1 reality show “My Antonio” — but he never expected his ex-wife to be in the running.

Antonio in a reality show "My Antonio" (from The Oxygen Channel)

“I was shocked because I didn’t know she was going to be a part of the show,” says Sabàto of Alicia Tully Jensen, whom he divorced in 1993.  “I hadn’t seen this person in a very long time.  I’m a whole different person since we were together.  It put me on the edge for a little bit because I wasn’t ready to see this person,” he tells us.  “I was very much in love with this girl for a long time.  She was the only person I was married to.  I was speechless.  All the girls were blown away too. I think the viewers are going to be just as shocked.”

The hunky actor of “General Hospital,” “Melrose Place” and Calvin Klein underwear ad fame asked for it, though!  “I told them they could bring surprises – that I’d be ready for anything so every show there’s something different.”  Even his mother Yvonne is in on the action.  “She’s not the usual Italian mom that’s in the kitchen all the time.  She’s a very sophisticated, smart woman that I’m close to.  It’s interesting to see people in the show have conversations with her to see if they can keep up.”  In fact, she ends up stealing a few scenes or two.  “I think my mom could definitely have a turning point in her life from a mother to an entertainer.  We have stuff in the works that could possibly involve things coming her way.”

“My Antonio” premieres Aug. 16 and Sabàto says he just hopes people enjoy his journey of finding love.  “This is going to be a very fun show to watch – very compelling.  It’s a lot different from any other reality TV.  I hope I can be a role model for other people who want to have relationships, especially at 37 years old.”

David Henrie in Wizards of Waverly Place (from Disney Channel)

LOVE BITES:  Disney Channel hottie David Henrie is taking his current “Wizards of Waverly Place” romance in stride – although the series girlfriend that’s been bestowed upon him happens to be a vampire.  “Justin’s had some pretty crazy girlfriends in the past,” notes the affable 20-year-old, speaking of his character.  “This is actually more of a normal storyline.  It’s a fun arc that goes on for awhile.  It shows a different side of my character, Justin, and how he handles love.  He’s growing up.  I’m playing him more mature than in the first season.”

And while he wasn’t in on the selection of his young leading lady, he’s happy with Bridgit Mendler.  “She’s a great actress and we have good chemistry,” he notes.

MEANWHILE:  The wizards vs. vampires storyline will climax Aug. 14 with a zombie prom that sounds a lot like it was inspired by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”  But “Wizards of Waverly Place” Executive Producer Peter Murrieta lets us know there wasn’t – couldn’t have been – any intention of capitalizing on the surge of interest in all things King of Pop.  “We shot that in January or February.  It was definitely inspired by the same things that inspired ‘Thriller’ – the great old Universal zombie horror movies,” he says.  “It was definitely fun.  We had the choreographer working with [the cast] for two weeks prior to the shoot.”

Murrieta also notes, “I think that there’s no secret that vampires are front and center in the pop culture right now – with ‘True Blood,’ ‘Twilight,’ ‘The Vampire Diaries.’  We’re a comedy, so we look for our comedic take.  What’s the most interesting thing?  A boy-girl vampire relationship.  A cool girl who has all these powers.  It’s a little bit ‘West Side Story,’ ‘Romeo & Juliet.’

Of course, the dangerous parts of vampires could be a tad too chilling for the Disney Channel audience.  “There are parts of the lore we have to deal with in a very gentle way,” Murrieta allows.  “Some we can go straight ahead with: They’re able to stay up all night.  They can only go out in the world if it’s overcast.  But we would never, on the Disney Channel, have someone bitten and drained of their life.”

Whew!

REJUVENATION STATION:  Move over “Dr. 90210″!  There’s a new plastic surgery show in town and the show’s star Dianne York-Goldman, who combined her spa with a plastic surgery practice, tells us people are going to see what it’s really like to be in the business of beauty.

“People will definitely learn something on each episode about plastic surgery and cosmetic fillers.  They will see how it changes people’s lives,” says York-Goldman of the upcoming Oxygen series “Addicted to Beauty,” premiering Aug. 4.  “They will witness patients before and after, and then they will see behind the scenes of what it really takes to run a medical spa.  It’s not as tranquil as it appears on the outside.  There’s a lot of chaos.”

It certainly doesn’t make it any easier when you’re combining two different businesses into one.  “It was definitely very challenging because we’re all set in our own ways and think we’re all right.  In the end, though, they all have a common goal to make the client look and feel better about themselves,” she says – and that means both inside and out.

With reports by Emilly-Fortune Feimster

David DeLuise and Maria Canals Barrera – a.k.a. Dad and Mom on the Disney Channel’s “The Wizards of Waverly Place” – were both taken by surprise by last week’s Emmy nominations announcements, in which their series received a Best Children’s Show nod. 

“I didn’t even know they were doing the announcements – or that we were in contention,” David says.  And Maria notes, “I have two little kids, so your mind is in a lot of places early in the morning.  It was a complete, wonderful surprise.  Everybody is really excited.  We all want to go together,” she adds, referring to their series children, Selena Gomez, David Henrie and Jake T. Austin as well as cast mate Jennifer Stone.

The duo are busy working on the third season of their series, and they have the Aug. 28 “Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie” Disney Channel Original in the can.  Come September, Maria will be doing double duty, simultaneously shooting “Wizards” and “Camp Rock 2: The Final Showdown” – in which she reprises her role as the mother of Demi Lovato’s aspiring performer character.  The first “Camp Rock,” with Demi and the Jonas Bros., scored a megahit for the network, with ratings second only to “High School Musical 2.”

“The script is fantastic,” she says of “Camp Rock 2,” which has all the young stars back, and now pitted against each other in rival camps.  Of traveling back and forth between the series set and movie location, she says, “I’m thrilled to be doing it.”  And of her five and three-year-olds, “I’m bringing them with me!  They’re too little to be without mama and dada.  My husband is going to be coming with us.”

 AND:  DeLuise also is doubling up his jobs, but in his case, it’s all on “Wizards” as he is set to direct two episodes of the show this season.  “You have to be on your toes and be on top of everything that’s going on,” notes the youngest son of the late Dom DeLuise.  “I’ve done several episodes now, and I definitely enjoy behind the cameras.  As far as the future, what the world gives me, I go with.  If the directing continues, great.  I hope it does.  It’s very satisfying.”

 HIGH STEPPING:  Nigel Lythgoe, who created “So You Think You Can Dance” and serves as one of the show’s judges, tells us he couldn’t be happier with how much the world and, in particular, the dance community has begun to respect the level of talent coming from their show.  “There’s an integrity now in it and the dancers are being recognized by their names and so are the choreographers,” notes the British TV mogul.  “Before we started, choreographers were just choreographers and a lot of people didn’t even know what they did.  Now people are like, ‘I love Mia Michaels!‘”