Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Despite the rapidly diminishing number of 50-or-older contestants on this season's "The Biggest Loser," trainer Dolvett Quince is sticking to the company line that age doesn't matter in this, the show's Battle of the Ages competition.

"I know it sounds cliché-ish to say 'age is just a number,' but the show has had success with older contestants. One of the oldest was a winner," he points out. "Personally, I've been training people going up into their late 60s and early 70s for years. Granted, they probably won't get the six-pack they might hope for, but you can get in shape whatever age group you're in."

The Atlanta-based trainer-to-the-stars, whose client roster ranges from Justin Bieber to Baltimore Ravens tight end Daniel Wilcox, is the lesser-known of the two newcomers who've joined Bob Harper on the NBC staple this year. The other, beautiful tennis ace Anna Kournikova, has a warm and likable TV personality — but she got stuck with the not-so-great group of over-50s, who've been making a very poor showing so far. (Hello, casting? Could you have done better by this age group?) Quince and his under-30s are looking like contenders, along with Harper's mighty group of 30- to 50-year-olds.

"Being the new guy has its perks and also challenges. You have to set a tone, a statement about who you are. My immediate job is building trust with the people I train, in order to transform them," says Quince. "I felt good going in; I would have felt good with any of the groups."

As far as being nervous about replacing the vastly popular Jillian Michaels — or dropped-after-one-season trainers Brett Hoebel and Cara Castronuova — Quince says he doesn't think like that. "I'm pretty confident with my brand, with my skill set. I didn't have any distractions about the previous season or the previous trainers," he responds. "I was focused on people losing weight, every day." According to him, he and Harper and Kournikova enjoy harmonious working relationships. "Everyone gets along great. The trainers, the support staff, the nutritionist — we all have that kind of camaraderie. Obesity is such a big problem, and we're all focused on doing something about it."

The self-assured Quince also says: "I think every trainer would want to be on this show. When I got the call, I can't tell you how enthusiastic I was. It was amazing for me to get this chance for this exposure, to show what I've been doing." The best part: "To see my team smile and celebrate as they go through these transformations. It's extremely moving."

Tonight's (10/4) "Biggest Loser" brings in current and former NFL stars Drew Brees, Eric Dickerson, Clay Matthews, Tony Gonzalez, Shawne Merriman and Tim Tebow.

HIS KIND OF TOWN: Chicago native son Dennis Farina couldn't be happier that his "The Last Rites of Joe May" will be opening this year's Chicago International Film Festival on Thursday (10/6).

It's a huge personal payoff for the veteran actor, who took a gamble on auteur moviemaker Joe Maggio and his tale of an aging con artist who gets one final shot at redemption.

"It feels wonderful. I hate to say it, but I was right; Joe Maggio is a good filmmaker," declares the one-time Chi-Town police officer, indulging in a little rightful gloating. Farina says he took to Maggio's script right away. "My only concern was I wanted to shoot it in Chicago," he says. "Joe came to Chicago and adapted everything for the city."

That led to the toughest aspect of making the movie — shooting in Chicago in December. "It was so cold! But we always said the weather should be a character in the picture itself," Farina says. "The weather obliged. When we needed snow, it would snow. It is sort of the winter of Joe May's life. If we shot in the spring, it would have been a different kind of movie. The locations meant so much."

He'll go with "Joe May" to warmer country, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., later in the month to screen the film and be feted with "lifetime achievement" honors. "I was very surprised by that, delighted that they wanted to give me this honor," he says. He also will be doing tub-thumping in support of the film in New York this month. According to Farina, "Tribeca Film bought 'Joe May.' They are working on a release. We're going to different festivals. Then it will open in New York and probably LA."

NEW STEPS: "Swift Justice" Judge Jackie Glass says she's glad to have reinvented herself as a television personality at this point in her life — after years of practicing law and meting out judgments from the bench. The judge known as she who sent O.J. up the river is well aware of how her "Swift Justice" predecessor has reinvented herself this season. Asked how she'd feel about following Nancy Grace into "Dancing With the Stars," her honor laughs and says, "If they asked, I'd have to consider it, but I'm not a very good dancer."

SINKING THEIR TEETH INTO IT: A November production start in Puerto Rico has been set for "Bait," which has a plotline about a loner who gets beaten up and humiliated in front of a girl and then is able to wreak vengeance on the perpetrators when they go off on a yacht with their friends — and cruise into a school of sharks. The picture is notable because of the A-list talent involved in it, "Taxi Driver" writer Paul Schrader and "American Psycho" novelist Bret Easton Ellis. Schrader directs the shark-infested psychological chiller.

To find out more about Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith and read their past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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