Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Michael Flatley's re-emergence on the entertainment scene started with his hosting of NBC's current "Superstars of Dance" competition show — and there's more to come. The Irish-American dance great says he's training hard these days and feeling "close to 100 percent" back from the mysterious whole-body infection that landed him in the hospital and caused him to cancel a string of shows in 2006, a condition he now calls "a little bit of a health scare that set me back for awhile."

At the top of Flatley's list of prospects: "I want to do an updated remake of 'Yankee Doodle Dandy.' It's a perfect time. We have a new president; it's a new day. I love that number and love James Cagney, and certainly always admired George M. Cohan," says the Chicago-born-and-bred dancer, who lives with his wife, dancer Niamh O'Brien, and their baby son in Castle Hyde in County Cork, Ireland — when they're not in residence at their London, Chicago, France or Barbados homes. He adds, "America needs a real patriotic shot in the arm right now, and I think that would be priceless. I've got my eye on a composer and a costar."

And, tips Flatley, viewers who keep their eye on "Superstars of Dance" will get a taste of what he has in mind before the show is over.

Flatley says he's already been in preliminary talks on the project, and expects to produce it himself. "I like to produce and direct my own things."

Right now, he's in Barbados, where "you get good vitamins from the sun, which always gives you a bit of a boost. It's good for the heart and soul. I feel good now, ready for new challenges."

Flatley, whose Lord of the Dance troupes continue to perform across the United States and Europe, adds that he's also looking at other new ideas. "I'm Irish. We'll try anything once," he declares.

STILL BLOSSOMING: "Blossom" star Mayim Bialik disappeared into the world of academia after her popular sitcom came to an end, but we caught up with the now mother of two who tells us she's ready to pursue acting full time again. "I think a lot of people would have liked to see me in something else, but, at the time, sitcom actresses weren't getting parts in movies or dramas, and I didn't feel like doing another sitcom," recalls Bialik, who went on to earn a B.S.

in neuroscience and Hebrew and Jewish studies, and then got a Ph.D. "I was not a classically trained actress. If I had gone to the theatre department at UCLA, they would have chewed me up and spit me out. I decided to pursue what was interesting to me, and that was science. I was very glad to finish my graduate work and to get my degree, but I just had my second child, and in terms of lifestyle, I'm not able to pursue a career in academia. And I miss acting," she adds. "Hopefully people will be happy to hear that I'm auditioning now and would like to see if the acting industry would still like to see me now that I'm an adult. I just don't have knee-high leather boots, which every other actress seems to have, so we'll see."

In the meantime, Bialik is looking forward to the Jan. 27 DVD release of the first two seasons of "Blossom." "We're pretty excited. It's been a long time coming. It's the question I'm asked most often besides, 'How's Joey?' So, here it is!" she says. "The special features are great. We do some commentary on there, and I think it's especially cool to see all of us grown up. There are also some incredible guest stars who have gone on to have very successful acting careers. It's funny to watch an episode and see someone like Tobey Maguire or David Schwimmer in a scene."

PATERNALLY SPEAKING: Doting dad Hulk Hogan says it doesn't matter that his daughter, Brooke, is now 20 years old and living on her own, he's always going to be protective of her. "I try to back off a little bit, but I'm the worrywart, so I'm going to stick my nose in her business even when she's 50 years old," claims the retired pro-wrestler. "They're always going to be your kids no matter what. I probably won't back off until one of her boyfriends woops my butt."

AND: Coolio, who has had a resurgence in his career with an Oxygen reality show and a new album, says he's expecting his son, Artis, to do big things in hip-hop one day. "My son was born into it. He is so much more advanced than I was," claims Coolio. "He's 19. The level he's at rapping, I wasn't at that level till I was about 24. Of course he has had me as an example, so that helps," adds the rapper with a laugh.

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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