Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

What's it like for an elegant French Oscar-winning actress to work with a couple of knucklehead American comedy stars? In the case of the recently wrapped "Dan in Real Life" with Juliette Binoche, Steve Carell and Dane Cook, "It was great fun, and it was a lot of work — as much work as any film. It's not easy to make a comedy," notes Juliette.

She tells us the story of two brothers in love with the same woman "is very American." And to prep for her part, "I learned American football, aerobics, crosswords — all your games. I'm a very good pancake maker now."

Binoche made "Dan" on the heels of the drama "Breaking and Entering" with Jude Law and Robin Wright Penn. That film — which reunited her with her "The English Patient" director, Anthony Minghella — has a Feb. 9 release.

For her role as an impoverished Bosnian Muslim refugee in London — who has an impassioned affair with Law's architect character — "I went to Bosnia and I videotaped different people. I asked women to read, so I'd have some frame of reference for the accent. I worked with a coach on the sounds." She also spent time reading the history of Yugoslavia and watching documentaries, "trying to understand what are the remains of this trauma after 10 years."

Binoche says her changeup from drama to comedy wasn't deliberate, "It just happened, but I love to do different things." She also has "The Red Balloon" from Taiwanese filmmaker Hsiao-hsien Hou in the can, and several films ahead. "I took a year off last year. It was good, I needed that," she says. "I did things that I normally would not have done, traveling to Argentina, Iran and Budapest."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: With the future of "Reba" up in the air — officially speaking — unofficially, it appears the Reba McEntire sitcom is coming to a close. As in cancelled. "I think it is," says Melissa Peterman, who plays Barbra Jean. Though it doesn't come as a surprise considering the CW didn't begin airing the sixth season until November, the show's ratings have been the highest for any of the CW's sitcoms, she says. "It's one of those things that doesn't really make sense. We're doing so well for the CW that we can't quite figure it out. It's kind of sad," notes Peterman. "We still have new episodes that are coming up, and there is always the possibility that next year could happen, but right now it seems like it's not going to happen."

For now, Peterman is branching out into other projects including hosting CMT's stand-up comedy series "CMT Comedy Stage," premiering Friday (2/2).

"I was laughing so hard backstage that I was crying. I think it far exceeded even CMT's expectations," says Peterman of the show, which features an array of rising stand-up stars like Jon Reep, Etta May, Gary Mule Deer, and Killer Beaz. Having been an improv performer before "Reba," Peterman tells us her training definitely came in handy. "Some of the most fun hosting was the off-the-cuff stuff with the audience and being able to improvise with them. After all, improv is much better with an audience. Even though I try it at home, I don't get as many laughs as I want."

RISING TO THE OCCASION: Former "Good Morning Miami" regular Ashley Williams says if she comes across as a real cowgirl in Lifetime's Feb. 5 "Nora Roberts' Montana Sky" telepic — it's all due to the magic of television. "They offered me the role, then two hours later asked me if I could ride a horse," says Williams with a laugh. "The answer to that was 'I've been on a horse at camp when I was 11.' But they were kind enough to set me up with lessons with a great horse wrangler when we got there."

Williams stars with John Corbett and Charlotte Ross in the film, based on Nora Roberts' best-selling novel about three half-sisters who meet after being left a multi-million dollar ranch by their late father — on the condition they live together on the ranch for a year. The first day of shooting, Williams says, "I discovered that I'm allergic to cows and horses. I showed up for my first rehearsal and I had tears — but not from emotion, from congestion." Williams plans to watch the film with friends when it airs in February. "We're going to play some kind of drinking game," she quips. "Every time you notice a difference in Ashley's accent, take a drink. Every time my eyes well up with tears, take a drink. Every time it looks like I'm about to fall off the horse — take a drink."

But for heaven's sake, have a designated viewer.

FLEXIBLE HOURS: If all goes according to plan, they're shooting a scene on "Desperate Housewives" today in which Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) is having a very interesting date with a dancer — a role that, according to casting sources, required an actress able to lift her leg up to her ear. Um-hm.

(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and 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 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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