Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Get ready for a very funny Edward Norton in the upcoming "Leaves of Grass" feature, to hear costar Keri Russell tell it: "I had a hard time not cracking up in some scenes. I couldn't control myself."

"Leaves of Grass" is the comedy from Tim Blake Nelson that has Norton playing twins — one an Ivy League classics professor, the other a career criminal with a fondness for pot. Speaking of Norton, Keri notes, "You expect him to be good, smart and cerebral, but he's also so much fun in this. Mostly I did scenes with the professor guy, but I did witness both of them. The other guy is so likeable, crazy and wacky — this white trash, backwoods guy who sings songs. He's so great."

Another factor that Keri found appealing about "Leaves of Grass" was, "I wasn't the main character. I got to be in and out of production, which, for a mom, is nice," says the actress, whose son River is a year and a half old.

River has made scheduling an extremely important issue for Keri, who is currently being opposite Adam Sandler in the Disney hit "Bedtime Stories." She says she feels lucky in that regard. "I've had some nice opportunities. The great thing about film versus an hour television show is that you work really hard for four months, and then you get to be a mom for four months."

HIS LIFE HAS UPS AND DOWNS: Mick Foley may be a world-renowned wrestler, but he's become just as known for his love of roller coasters. So far the retired wrestler, who recently joined the TNA wrestling association as a host, has been on 169 roller coasters across the United States. We caught up with Foley, who tells us how his passion first began.

"I loved roller coasters when I was younger but didn't get back into it until my 20s," he recalls. "Being on the road wrestling was much easier to face if I had a roller coaster to look forward to. I came to see the world as my own personal theme park," says Foley, who counts El Toro at Six Flags as one of his favorites.

However, as much as the large wrestler loves to get on the rides, sometimes safety laws stand in the way, which was the case when he recently visited New England.

"I went to Six Flags New England, and I was distraught that I didn't fit on 'Superman: Ride of Steel.' I was too wide. The lap belt wouldn't fit, which was weird," he adds. "Somebody told me the Massachusetts laws are more prohibitive than any other state in the country when it comes to park safety. It may be that they don't want people over a certain size on the coaster to begin with."

It certainly didn't keep his family members from enjoying the ride. "I made the questionable decision to let my 7-year-old go on it, and I don't think he'll ever be the same," says Foley with a laugh. "It's been given the golden ticket for the top steel roller coaster in the world, so he definitely looked a little different upon returning."

ON A COMEDIC NOTE: Tommy Smothers reports that he and his brother Dick will be playing three days at the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra in mid-February. "It's pretty exciting to us," he says. "We play with symphony orchestras usually two or three times a year. David Carroll did all these arrangements for us with a symphony — 'Poor Wandering One,' 'Impossible Dream,' 'The Yo-Yo Man,' folk songs. When we repeat the tricks for the orchestra, they laugh, and it's more fun. In a symphony hall, the laughs come easier. I think it's kind of like when you're in a classroom or a court room; the setting is so formal that when you say something funny, the contrast is just wonderful." The Smothers Brothers can't help but hold out hopes that "we may even meet the president."

THE PLANE TRUTH: Some might be surprised to know "Last Comic Standing 3" winner Alonzo Bodden used to work on airplanes for a living. He tells us whatever smarts he has have come in handy just as much for comedy as they did for engineering. "I used to fix airplanes, and then they started drug testing so I had to let that go," says Bodden with a laugh. "I think most, if not all, comedians are smart. Their minds work in a different way. All comedians have to be quick," he points out. "I'm more of a quick response, topical, what's-going-on kind of comic. If you're dumb, you can be fun to watch, but you may not be funny."

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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