Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Bernie Mac's last movie will be his best. That's the word from his funny "Soul Men" co-star Jennifer Coolidge, who tells us she still can't believe he's dead.

"I think this is one of the best things he's done. He was hilarious," claims Coolidge, who plays Mac's love interest in the feature that hits screens in November. "It will certainly show how much he will be missed just based on the performance he gave."

Many members of the Hollywood community have been grieving the loss of the comedian, who passed away last month due to complications of pneumonia. "There are just certain people you meet that you just don't think they're ever going to leave," she says. "I was in a complete state of shock to get that phone call. It was really incredibly unexpected."

Meanwhile, Coolidge has been eagerly awaiting the release of her next project, the animated film "Igor," which hits theaters today (9/19). The movie boasts a top-shelf list of talent including John Cusack, Sean Hayes, Eddie Izzard and John Cleese. "Everybody wants to do these animated jobs because they're more fun. Also, people involved in animation are the smartest bunch because it's more of a nerd that is attracted to animation, and the people are nicer," Jennifer opines. "You're treated incredibly well."

She believes the film will be a big hit with audiences. "The animation in this story is just unbelievable. I think it looks different because of the French animation. There are very bright colors. It's almost like watching high-fashion animation, if there is such a thing. It's a really cute story, too," she adds. "It's in the world of the evil scientist and the big scary castle. When I was growing up I always liked things like 'Casper.' This is not a dark film, but it's in that dark world, which I'm fascinated with."

FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT: Anne Archer may or may not have a future as Jennifer Love Hewitt's mother on CBS's "Ghost Whisperer" — now that the acclaimed actress is busy playing the billionaire owner of a cosmetics empire on the CW's "Privileged" series. She notes, "It kind of depends on my schedule and how much I'm working whether I can participate in 'Ghost Whisperer.' They wanted me for one, and I couldn't do it."

Meanwhile, she feels privileged to be on "Privileged," which stars JoAnna Garcia as the Yale grad-turned-tutor for two impossibly spoiled ultra-rich girls — Archer's character's twin granddaughters (Ashley Newbrough and Lucy Hale).

"I think our show has a kind of healthy backbone to it in that Megan (Garcia) is on solid ground. Even though she plays flighty, her values are the moral thread that goes through the show," Archer notes. And when the grandmother's "decisions about the girls are poor, Megan sees the right thing to do. And she learns lessons through her failures. All really good film and television has something to say, but can entertain at the same time," adds the Oscar-nominated ("Fatal Attraction") actress. "The audience has to root for the good in people. If you're only giving them bad, only giving them sensation, I think in the long run that's not very healthy. It makes you care less about people. I'm not saying this is a big message show. It's a comedy; it's light."

Archer's also enjoying her schedule, "because it's really an ensemble piece. I don't carry the show. JoAnna Garcia, an amazing gal, seems to be able to do that very well, so it's not killing me, even though, being an hour-long single camera show, it gets intense at times."

INSIDE ASIDE: "60 Minutes'" correspondent Bob Simon says he's interviewed so many notables during his 41-year-long career with the network that it's hard for him to remember those he liked best. But he does recall the interview that was his worst, with the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve under Richard Nixon. "He was Nixon's man, and he stonewalled everything I asked. I was very young and inexperienced and took the situation personally," says Simon. As for the one interview he'd really, really like to get, he says, "That would be the Pope. But that's almost a joke. It would be an impossible get.'"

TALK ABOUT AN ORIGINAL: Despite the fact that designer Todd Oldham mentors the contestants on Bravo's "Top Design" show, viewers don't see a lot of Oldham products on the reality series. In fact, Oldham doesn't put his products on the show. "It didn't feel as neutral as I liked," he tells us. As far as product placement and self promotion, "I know there are a lot of different points of view about that, but I felt it was really important for me to be there as an actual, authentic person."

With reports by Emily 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 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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