Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Star on the rise Emma Roberts doesn't know when — or if — she'll return to playing teen sleuth Nancy Drew. The follow-up to the unenthusiastically received first installment of what was intended as a feature franchise "is on hold for the moment," says Emma. "I don't really know about that. I'm doing so much other stuff."

The 16-year-old daughter of Eric and niece of Julia has "The Best Trip Ever" coming up on Nickelodeon Dec. 16. The telepic has her bubbly "Unfabulous" series character Addie Singer taking her entire eighth-grade graduating class on a cruise — with not-so-smooth sailing.

She's in the midst of shooting "Hotel for Dogs" with Lisa Kudrow, Matt Dillon and Don Cheadle. "My character is an orphan, a foster kid, and Lisa and Matt play my foster parents — crazy people who think they're rock stars. It's basically her journey. She and her brother (Jake T. Austin) have this dog, and they start rescuing more and more dogs. It's fun, it's cool," she says. "We have a bunch of different dogs on the set. It's definitely a little bit difficult doing your lines while the trainers are yelling things."

Emma spent the summer making the spring '08 release "Wild Child" in London. The girl she plays, a spoiled Malibu brat who gets sent to a British boarding school, was "totally like this girl that I know" discloses the Malibu-raised teen, whose mother, Kelly Cunningham, accompanied her for the duration of production. "I had a lot of fun making that. I actually love London."

She says of the two roles, "They're two very different, definite characters. That's what's fun about them." "Hotel for Dogs" won't be finished 'til the end of January, by which time Emma will, in all likelihood, have committed to one of several other projects she's thinking about.

CONFIDENCE GAME: It Girl Keke Palmer says she was blown away by her own performance in the Dec. 14-opening dramatic thriller "Cleaner" with Samuel L. Jackson.

The 14-year-old of "Akeelah and the Bee" and "Jump In!" fame is widely considered a bright star on the horizon and obviously, she's pretty impressed by her talent, too. "I saw myself in this one scene, and I was just like, 'Oh my God! What are you doing?' I couldn't believe it. Sometimes when you do something good, you're like, 'How did I do that?' or 'Why did I do that?' You just don't know," she candidly declares.

"Cleaner," with Ed Harris and Eva Mendes, has Jackson as a crime-scene cleaner who gets caught in a murder cover-up. "I play Mr. Jackson's daughter," says Keke. "He's trying to figure out who set him up. Then my character wants to figure out what's going on with him — and how her mother passed because she was murdered when my character was 6. A lot of things come up from the past that are overwhelming. It's very suspenseful and has a lot of intensity."

HIGH VALUE: Alfre Woodard tells us the fact that she's wanted to work with Sissy Spacek for 25 years definitely figured into her eagerness to take on this Sunday's (Dec. 2) CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, "Pictures of Hollis Woods." Alfre plays the social worker who places foster-child Hollis (Jodelle Ferland) with the loving, joie de vivre-filled former art teacher who seems to be her ideal maternal match (Spacek) — until she starts showing the effects of Alzheimer's disease. Directed by Tony Bill, from the Newbery Award-winning novel by Patricia Reilly Giff, it's a first-class, poignantly beautiful piece that also stars James Tupper of "Men In Trees."

Notes Alfre, "I was definitely familiar with the book — and with the people involved, it was just such a good combination all the way around." She adds that having the opportunity to spotlight a social worker's world was an extra attraction. "Because I do a lot of social action work, I've talked with social workers, and I'm very aware of the fact they're the ones out in the trenches, being the protectors, the advocates, the angels in action — actually having the day-to-day relationships with young people like Jodelle's character."

KEEPING HER PERSPECTIVE: Amy Smart has been keeping busy with three movies on the way — including the forthcoming "Mirrors" horror flick with Keifer Sutherland — but the actress tells us one of her main concerns continues to be helping the environment. "I work a lot with environmental groups. I've been involved with Heal the Bay for over 10 years. It's a nonprofit group dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters safe and healthy for people and marine life," notes the Topanga, Calif., native. "I plan on always doing volunteer work. I think it's important for everyone to get involved."

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Fortune Feimster.

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.

COPYRIGHT 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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