Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

It's that time of the year — the run up to the networks' announcements of new season lineups — when television stars are awaiting word on what their lives are going to be like in coming months. Christine Baranski, for example, could wind up as either a high-powered Chicago attorney on CBS, or as an insanely wealthy Manhattan socialite on ABC.

Baranski has wrapped her May 14 and May 21 guesting on "Ugly Betty" — playing the very rich, disapproving mother of Betty's (America Ferrera) love interest, Matt (Daniel Eric Gold).

"It was utterly delightful," she says. As far as her future in the role? "I would venture to say the writers have no idea where it's going at this point." However, "This is a character who could come back and be a big integral part of the story if the writers so chose. They've created a plotline that's very complicated and rich."

On the other hand, there's "The Good Wife," the legal drama with Julianna Margulies, produced by Ridley and Tony Scott. They're awaiting word on whether it makes the CBS schedule. "I could be playing the head of a very tony law firm — a very interesting, very different role. It's a marvelous cast. Chris Noth is also in it."

In fact, says Baranski, "I could swing back and forth between shows and be quite a busy girl."

The Emmy and Tony award-winning actress has been quite busy all year, having recently come off a nine-month stint on Broadway in "Mamma Mia." Christine didn't want to tackle the intense commitment of a play while her daughters were growing up, but she says now that they are on their own, "It was fun to be a theater actress again."

She's filled with pride over their achievements, noting, "They've both worked very hard and are really good kids who want to contribute to society and do something meaningful." Elder daughter Lily, a writer, works with Urban Harvest and Recipe For Success. "She's very committed to the cause of local agriculture." Younger daughter Isabelle "just handed in her thesis at Princeton. She spent two years in Mozambique by herself to do a film thesis … She filmed people who ware part of Christian churches in Mozambique with the idea of showing how they have replaced the tribal community ravaged by war." She recently wound up on the front of Princeton's newspaper.

THE BIG SCREEN SCENE: Handsome Henry Cavill of "The Tudors" tells us that although "the script is being rewritten and rewritten again," it's a probable June production start for "War of the Gods" — the film he's making for "The Cell" and "The Fall" director Tarsem Singh.

Cavill stars as Theseus in Singh's effects-laden rethink of the ancient Greek tale.

"He's a great director.

The British actor has achieved notoriety for all the huge roles for which he's been in serious consideration, but for a variety of reasons hasn't landed. They include Edward Cullen in "Twilight" (which went to Robert Pattinson), James Bond (he lost out to Daniel Craig), Batman (Christian Bale), and Superman (Brandon Routh). Empire magazine called him the "most unlucky man in Hollywood."

Maybe the Theseus saga involving gods, demons, war and a quest will do it for him. Singh has described his approach as something like Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" — taking a classic "and half-contemporizing it."

Cavill notes of Theseus, "I would have to say he's quite an angry young man — angry at the world for the hand he's been dealt. He doesn't control his passion. He cares deeply for his mother. He feels he's been treated unfairly … " Lots to work with.

THE INSIDE TRACK: "iCarly" supporting actress Jennette McCurdy reveals that a forthcoming episode of that Nickelodeon show is going to follow up on the much-talked-about episode in which her character, Sam, and Nathan Kress' Freddie, shared a kiss. "We have an episode about that. One thing I like about our show is that they don't neglect to address things that have happened between the characters. The episodes are all intertwined," she says. She also notes that, "we have three different two-parters coming up. Those are always a blast to shoot. The plotlines are more meaty."

With her "So Close" single out now, the adorable 16-year-old is wrapping up work on her June 30 release album. Going the independent route rather than a Nickelodeon release "was a hard decision. But I really wanted to be involved in the songwriting process, and I wanted to go in a sort of country pop direction," notes McCurdy. "I think you have to do whatever your heart is telling you," she adds.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: With a July start date and plans to film in Florida and Georgia, LeVar Burton is getting ready to direct "Ruby McCollum," about the 1952 murder trial that exposed the fact that "paramour rights" — a white man's entitlement to take a black woman as a concubine — was still alive in parts of the country. McCollum shot physician and state senator-elect, Dr. C. Leroy Adams, with whom she had a daughter — and was convicted and sentenced to death despite her assertion that the sexual relationship was forced upon her. Even after the conviction was overturned by the state supreme court, she wound up being committed to a facility for the insane for 20 years. Of course, putting African-American history on film is nothing new to Burton, who played Kunta Kinte in "Roots."

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 2009 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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