Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

The theatrical family-of-sorts left behind by legendary playwright ?and? screenwriter Horton Foote, who died this month at 92, is out to make ?sure that Foote receives all the accolades due him. That includes? recognition for "Dividing the Estate," which had its Broadway revival ?last year — and is being mounted again for a late May debut in? Hartford, Conn.? "Michael Wilson, the director, wants to remind the Tony Awards ?committee we were on Broadway," reports Gerald McRaney, who starred? along with Elizabeth Ashley, Penny Fuller and Hallie Foote, among ?others, in the drama about a Southern family dealing with death and ?dishonesty, greed and inheritance taxes. "He wanted to get a ?nomination for Best Play. Everybody will be back to do this ... When we ?lost Horton Foote, we lost one of the last great American playwrights," ?he notes of the Pulitzer Prize and two-time Oscar-winner.? Through the play, McRaney wound up befriending Robert Duvall, whose ?association with Foote went all the way back to the 1962 "To Kill a? Mockingbird," and included the 1983 "Tender Mercies," for which Duvall? and Foote each won Oscars. Duvall came to see "Dividing the Estate"? and insisted McRaney be cast as the reverend in his "Get Low" feature.? McRaney just wrapped the movie in which Duvall plays real-life character Felix "Bush" Breazeale, a Tennessee recluse who orchestrated his own funeral extravaganza in 1938, while he was alive,? so he could enjoy it. "It's been one of the most wonderful experiences of my life to be? working with Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Lucas Black and Bill Murray, who is? terrific" — playing a funeral director in the story. "The role was not? written for him, but once you see what he does with it, it's hard to ?imagine anyone else doing it. Sissy is just as sweet as can be." ?

LIVING THE HIGH LIFE: Comedian Doug Benson, from "Last Comic? Standing" and VH1's "Best Week Ever," is excited to announce he's? bringing his movie "Super High Me" to the G4 network — and on April 20 ?of all days. "They're going to do a whole night of programming around ?the concept of 4:20," he says of the term used to reference smoking ?cannabis. "They'll show movies like 'Half Baked,' and we're going to? shoot some stuff specifically for that night, too. However, I imagine? people might overdo it and pass out before my movie is even over."? In the film, Benson uses the "Super Size Me" formula by not smoking ?pot for 30 days, and then smoking pot continuously for the 30 days ?following.

"I thought I would really miss the pot when I quit it, but I didn't miss it as much as I ?thought I would. In my case it wasn't so addictive that I went through ?any physical withdrawal. I was just a little frustrated that I ?couldn't have it," he recalls. "Then for the 30 days of smoking ?constantly I thought I'd be sick of it by the time it was over, but? quite strangely I didn't have any interest in giving it up. I even? smoked the next day, and I'm still smoking to this day."? Benson says he hopes the movie will show people the less harmful ?side of pot — though no doubt those who've witnessed marijuana withdrawal,? or seen friends or family members turn into lethargic losers thanks to? smoking too much dope, would strongly dispute his views. He adds, "It ?really does show how pot is not as dangerous as it's made out to be. A? lot less horrible things would probably happen if more people were high ?instead of drunk." ?'Course, even fewer would happen if they were neither.?

IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD: Alexandra Wentworth's "Head Case" gets its ?second season premiere tomorrow night (3/20) on Starz, and the funny? lady tells us that two moments to look out for are: "I show Hugh Hefner? my breast, and I get Jerry Seinfeld to talk about sex" — in her guise ?as shrink to the stars Dr. Elizabeth Goode. The good doctor flashes? Hefner "trying to convince him to put me in his magazine. It's shot? from the back, and I duct taped myself. It's very self-deprecating," ?she adds. ?Her improvisational faux therapy sessions this year will also ?include? Janeane Garofalo, Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, Kevin Nealon, Greg ?Grunberg, Tiffani Thiessen, Andy Dick, "Survivor" host Jeff Probst, TV ?reality stars Tori Spelling and hubby Dean McDermott, songstress Macy? Gray, Sandra Bernhard and chef Mario Batali. ?Wentworth — whose other claims to fame include ?performing on "In Living Color" and being married to ABC News' George ?Stephanopoulos — says she doesn't even discuss specifics of the therapy? sessions with guest stars before shooting. "Basically, we meet and? greet them with coffee and tea, and we tell them that 'If at any point? you feel uncomfortable, yell 'cut.' If you're comfortable, then we can? create fun entertainment. People usually come in nervous. We want? them to know the important thing is that we'll be having fun." She? says that no one has ever called "Cut!" — but "Jerry Seinfeld and I ?started laughing so hard we had to take three minutes to pull ourselves ?together."

MOVING ON: Kate Moennig had a successful run on "The L Word," but now that it's over, she's still contemplating what's next.  "I don't know. I haven't had room to breathe yet," she notes. "I don't have any predestined idea.  It's just a matter of having that right project come at the right time."

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 2009 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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