Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Academy Award winner Holly Hunter disputes those who've described her cop character in TNT's new "Saving Grace" series as being chock full of masculinity. As far as she is concerned, the cynical, hard-livin', butt-kickin', sexually predatory detective Grace Hanadarko, is "ultimately extremely female."

Hunter's character is told she's just about run out of chances to change her wicked ways by a tobacco-chewing guardian angel named Earl (Leon Rippy) in tonight's (6/18) series premiere. But she's not going gracefully (pun intended) into the night.

"Grace has her own code of living that is true to her desires," says Hunter. "She can adopt some male behaviors. She is not married for a reason. She does not have children for a reason. She hasn't encumbered her life with the traditional responsibilities, so she can live impetuously and spontaneously. But ultimately she's all woman and her ability to create and to destroy are very much in the realm of female."

Hunter says she was hooked on the show by Page 2 when she read the pilot script the first time. She believes it's because "Saving Grace" writer and exec producer Nancy Miller ("The Closer," "Profiler") "is writing this character at the right time in her life. She understands this woman without censorship, without editing, without judgment."

HILLS ARE ALIVE: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt of MTV's hit "The Hills" won't confirm their engagement, with Montag saying, "What engagement ring? Watch 'The Hills.'"

They're more than chatty, however, when it comes to her upcoming album. "I'm doing it with David Foster," says Montag of working with the award-winning, prolific music producer. "It's going to be very pop — sort of like Britney Spears and Pussycat Dolls. It's very sexy, but young and fresh."

Pratt tells us he's been busy acting as a music manager of sorts for his girlfriend/possible fiancee. "I'm working with her and David Foster on the album and just focusing on the release. She's written half of all the songs so far, but who knows what they will use. It's going to be unbelievable, though. Heidi was born to be a pop star."

FILMLAND FLAIR: The stars are lining up to take part in the tribute to Placido Domingo and Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Founding Director John Mauceri at Friday night's (6/22) gala seasonal opening of the legendary Bowl.

Kirk Douglas, Joe Mantegna and Carol Lawrence are among those who will be joining the all-star lineup that'll include Kristin Chenoweth, Jack Black and Jason Alexander, the latter who'll perform selections from classic shows ranging from "Carousel" and "Show Boat" to "The Music Man" and "The Sound of Music." It should be a night to remember, with the big treat of the night expected to be the performances by Domingo and Mauceri, who'll perform after being inducted into the prestigious venue's Hall of Fame.

HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE: Dennis Farina has done a string of movies with overlapping production schedules and widely varied characters since taking off his badge as "Law & Order" detective Joe Fontana last year — including playing a supermarket manager in the forthcoming "National Lampoon's Bag Boy," which has those notorious Farrelly Brothers as executive producers.

"I don't know how it's going to turn out, but I had a ball doing that movie," says Farina. "It's so unlikely … I had no idea there was a bag boy competition in Las Vegas. The more I read the script, the funnier it was. It's realistically outrageous — not so over the top that you can't believe it."

He's also in the Friday (6/22) limited release "You Kill Me" with Ben Kingsley and Tea Leoni, playing a hit man and the widow of one of his victims, respectively. The new Farina movies also include Ed Burns' "Purple Violets" and Zak Penn's "The Grand" poker tourney mockumentary with Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines, Ray Romano and Jason Alexander. He plays "an old-time gambler" in the latter picture, which won raves at the Tribeca Film Festival. "I had fun with the costume. I got to wear a cowboy hat, which is probably the closest I'll come to playing a cowboy — though I love cowboys," he says.

"If I could — if I had my choice — I would probably just keep making movies like these. Everybody loves a payday, and I want to get one, one of these days. These are all small-budget movies, but they have good stories and good people."

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 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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