Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

DEAR STACY: I rented "Galaxy Quest" the other night, and it was the first time I'd seen it since it first came out. I was blown away when I saw that the little boy who plays Daryl Mitchell's character as a youngster was the now superhot Corbin Bleu. Was that his acting debut? — Ambrose C., Cleveland, Ohio

DEAR AMBROSE: You could say that by the time the "High School Musical" star appeared in the 1999 sci-fi spoof "Galaxy Quest" with Tim Allen, Tony Shalhoub and Sigourney Weaver, he was already a seasoned trouper. Born in 1989, Blue began appearing in TV commercials at age 2 and was a model for the Ford Modeling Agency by 4. He debuted on Broadway in "Tiny Tim is Dead" at age 6. Prior to "Galaxy Quest," he appeard on "ER" in 1996, followed by a recurring role on the TV show "High Incident."

DEAR STACY: Jeffrey Jones was hilarious as the principal in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and the husband in "Beetlejuice." What has he been up to lately? — David D., Naugatuck, Conn.

DEAR DAVID: Jones's public image took a serious hit with the 2003 case in which he pled no contest to felony charges of employing a 14-year-old boy to pose for pornographic pictures. He was given five years probation and required by the court to register as a sex offender and undergo counseling. Nevertheless, the 61-year-old, Buffalo, N.Y.-born actor has continued to work. He played A.W. Merrick in "Deadwood" from 2004 to 2006 and last year was seen in the big-screen comedy "Who's Your Caddy?"

DEAR STACY: After watching "Band of Brothers," I've noticed a lot of the actors in other movies and TV shows, but I haven't seen Damian Lewis, who played Major Richard Winters. What an honor to play a person such as Maj. Winters. Can you tell me more about Damian Lewis? — David A., Canton, Ohio

DEAR DAVID: The 36-year-old actor, who hails from St. John's Wood, London, heads the cast of NBC's well-received "Life" drama series about a police detective who is back on the force after 12 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, his exoneration and his financial settlement. Lewis honed his craft at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and then went on to join the Royal Shakespeare Company and trodding the boards in classical works by the Bard and Ibsen.

He performed in a British TV production of "The Forsythe Saga," shown as a "Masterpiece Theater" presentation in the United States, and came to these shores to star in Steven King's "Dreamcatcher" — doing a character who has an American accent but is possessed by an evil alien who has an English accent. He has a big-screen thriller called "The Escapist" with Joseph Fiennes that was shown at the Sundance Festival earlier this month, and he has most recently been making the dramatic feature adventure "Love and Virtue" with a cast including John Malkovich, Peter O'Toole and Daryl Hannah. Lewis and his wife, actress Helen McCrory, have a daughter who'll turn 2 in September and a 2-month-old son, and they live in London.

DEAR STACY: I know Mary-Kate Olsen was on "Weeds," but what about her twin, Ashley? Is she acting anymore? Do they ever plan to work together again? — Jennifer P., Brooklyn, N.Y.

DEAR JENNIFER: Ashley has the independent ensemble drama "The Informers," drawn from Bret Easton Ellis's short stories, on the way (no release date set as yet) with a cast including Winona Ryder, Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke and Billy Bob Thornton. The 21-year-old twins don't have any joint acting projects in the works at this time. They've made it clear they want to establish their individual identities but aren't closing the door on acting together at some future date.

DEAR STACY: Can you tell me whether terrific TV host Art Linkletter is still with us? If so, he must be very old. I always enjoyed his shows. — Donna H., Austin, Texas

DEAR DONNA: Indeed, the 95-year-old, who was a staple of television for the better part of the last century, remains a member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. He was given a lifetime achievement Daytime Emmy in 2003. Linkletter and his wife, Lois, have been married 72 years so far.

DEAR STACY: What has actress Darlene Vogel been doing lately? — H.B., Garden City Park, N.Y.

DEAR V.W.: The beautiful blond "Pacific Blue" and "One Life to Live" actress made the Fox network's medical series pilot "The Cure" last year, but it wasn't picked up. She has taken time away from career in recent years to devote herself to motherhood. She and husband Mark Howard have a son, Owen, who was born in May 2003.

DEAR STACY: Whatever became of Cathryn Damon, who was so terrific on "Soap"? — Jamie Z., New York City

DEAR JAMIE: The accomplished actress of TV, film and Broadway fame died of cancer in 1987 at age 56.

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 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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