Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Tim Daly is after his "Private Practice" bosses to give him time off to attend both the Democratic and Republican conventions — from start to finish.

Daly is convention co-chair, with actress Terry Washington, for The Creative Coalition, a charity organized by prominent figures in the creative community so that those in the arts will have a clearing house to get out messages of social import, "using the power of celebrity for good, rather than having them run off half cocked," says Daly.

He notes that, "There clearly has been a lot of backlash against celebrities speaking out — especially when they don't know what they're talking about. "People in the public eye will always speak out," he says. "It's their right. That's why one of the missions of our organization is to educate people in our craft so they speak from a place of knowledge."

His pet subject is arts in education and he will speaking on the importance of such at each convention.

"Kids involved in the arts stay in school longer," he points out, and "are more apt to go to college. Our country's dropout rate of 30 per cent is a disgrace." He admits that statements coming from celebrities about public issues are often looked at askance, but he stresses, "I think of a celebrity not as someone who's an accomplished artist in a field, but someone who's covered in tabloid magazines. Say 'celebrity' and a think of a poor little girl melting down in public."

The veteran of "Wings," "The Nine" and "The Fugitive" plus numerous movies and TV shows, stresses, "I don't think of myself as a celebrity. I don't know what that means. I wouldn't want to be lumped in with kids who are going off the deep end."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: "So You Think You Can Dance" is quickly heading towards its Aug. 7 finale and judge Mary Murphy says it's anyone's game. "In years past, we've seen some people run from the pack. Benji [Schwimmer] was a runaway train on the show, so it was no surprise when he won. I couldn't tell you who's going to win right now," the ballroom expert tells us. "I was shocked when Kherington [Payne] was voted off because that was my first impression of someone I thought was going to be in the finale. I have no clue how America is going to vote."

As the finale nears, Murphy says she and the other judges will only be getting pickier. "Our expectations get higher and higher every year, so I have a feeling next year we're really going to be tough on those poor kids," she notes. "As for now, everyone is dancing at a really high level.

When someone has a bad night, it doesn't necessarily mean they were that bad, it just means everyone else was really, really good." Luckily she does show some compassion. "I feel for them because I know when I was a dancer, any move that I would do incorrectly, as dancers we agonize over those small details. Sometimes I don't even want to beat them up because I know they'll do it to themselves."

It certainly makes Murphy very glad to be on the other end of the coin. "If I was really young and didn't know any better then I would have loved to have been part of something like this. Now that I'm older and know better, I don't think I would do it in a million years," she admits, following her infamous big laugh. "What they're doing is really incredibly difficult, but they make it look so easy."

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: "Sordid Lives: The Series" regular Lorna Scott is hoping Logo's small screen adaptation of Del Shores' gay-themed play and subsequent 1999 film will find the same crossover audience. "I'm hoping it will open up people's hearts and minds in the same way 'All in the Family' did by making them laugh at themselves and see how hysterically absurd prejudices can be," says Scott, who co-stars with Olivia Newton-John, Rue McClanahan and Bonnie Bedelia in the saga of a wacky Texas family. "A good neighbor's a good neighbor having nothing to do with sexual preference, race or religion. It's about the person's soul. Maybe this'll give us a little push toward that understanding. You can heal a lot of pain with laughter."

Scott — who's currently on the big-screen as James McAvoy's boss from hell in the big-screen thriller "Wanted" with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman — has come full circle with 'Sordid Lives' writer/producer Shores. "I was in the first play over 10 years ago," recalls Scott, who was originally cast as Noleta (played by Caroline Rhea in the series). "Del created the part of Vera for me in the film and the series. Vera's a pistol. She's the best friend of Sissy (Beth Grant), works at the Corner Stop, is very religious and very sweet, but she's always stirring the pot a little."

WOMAN ON THE GO: New York shock radio personality Wendy Williams, who's in the midst of a 30-episode TV chat show test run on Fox stations in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit and Dallas, says she's handling the double load thanks to "a supportive team and a lot of lists. I get my sleep, take my vitamins, get up and do it."

She adds, "I've been doing radio now for 22 years and dabbled in television. I've been doing my series of specials for VH1 and things for 'Entertainment Tonight.' This is the natural progression in my radio career — to go to TV." The colorful and energetic Williams adds, "I'm definitely not an actress, but I'm good at being Wendy. I've been honing myself for many years to be a cottage industry."

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 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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