Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

"Las Vegas" star Josh Duhamel and his lady love, Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, head out to — well, he'd rather not say — for some year-end vacationing this week, happy together but not getting married.

"There's no wedding. We're not engaged. I don't know why that keeps getting reported. There's no truth to it," says Josh, who's also spending holiday time in Las Vegas with a bunch of family members — after trekking to his father's place on Pelican Lake in Minnesota.

The actor is going at such a fast clip these days, professionally as well as personally, there's not much room for wedding plans, in any case. Besides his series load and his recently released "Turistas" horror flick, he's completed Michael Bay's "Transformers." The Paramount feature, inspired by the popular toys, is due next July 4. It's so hotly anticipated, shots of artwork from the production that made it onto the Internet recently were met with excitement by fans. "There's definitely already a big built-in audience for it," notes Josh, who spent four months on the project. Now he's looking at movie prospects for next hiatus.

With it all, he hasn't rested much of late. "No, but this is what you dream about, getting into this position," he says. "I appreciate every minute of it."

THE PLAY'S THE THING: "The Unit" regular Regina Taylor reports she's juggling her duties as Dennis Haysbert's wife on the hit CBS drama with a new play she's writing. "It's called 'Magnolia' and takes place in Atlanta in 1963," says the actress/writer who is an artistic associate at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago and a Playwright in Residence at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. Her credits as a playwright include "The Dreams of Sarah Breedlove," which opened in June at Chicago's Goodman Theater; the critically acclaimed "Crowns," which has become the most performed musical in the country; and "Oo-Bla-Dee," for she won the American Critics' Association new play award. She says "Magnolia" will "explore the relationships between blacks and whites in Atlanta during that time of the beginning of the civil rights movement.

It was the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. and we can look at his legacy today and see that it still has its power. But we still have our issues, our questions, and we're still dealing with things."

Meanwhile on "The Unit," Taylor says, "there's a wonderful chemistry between myself and Dennis Haysbert that comes through both in the lines and between the lines." And, she adds, "What I like about being involved in this show is that it is where we are right now. So many people have been affected by this war. Many of us know people whose loved ones are engaged in battle, whether they be sons, daughters, brothers, neighbors … We've all been touched by it."

CLASSMATES WHO MADE GOOD: Country music star Deana Carter, who went to high school with "Desperate Housewives" hunk James Denton, says she's still not used to seeing her good friend on television. "It's weird. I know him so differently and personally," notes the Tennessee native. She is glad, though, to have Denton around when she's in Los Angeles. "When I see him at an event, I feel comfortable and happy. I get all giddy like, 'Yay, James is here!' I love him with my whole heart."

Lately Carter has been on the road with the GAC Country Christmas Tour. "There are five of us out here on the same bus," she noted of her fellow performers including Julie Roberts and "American Idol's" Bucky Covington. Carter says she's happy to be a part of group that is bringing some new flair to country music. "I don't think change is bad. It's good to have tradition, but also progression. I think there's room for everybody."

ANYTHING FOR THE PART: Now it can be told: Sacha Baron Cohen's 300-pound "Borat" co-star, Ken Davitian, tells us he got the job by making the producers think he was crazy. "I went in there in character, and according to them, I fooled them — that's how I got the job. They really thought I was some crazy old man," says Davitian with a laugh. When asked if things have changed much since the movie came out, he responds, "More people recognize me when I'm naked!"

(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 2006 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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