Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Jerry O'Connell Says He Owes Rebecca Romijn Jewelry, Trip for Twin Wrangling/Emmy-Winner Kyra Sedgwick's Set No Family Affair This Year

Jerry O'Connell tells us he's glad that he and Jim Belushi are able to "split the duties" on their Sept. 22-debuting "The Defenders" CBS series.

"That sort of helps it," he says, speaking of his hectic, chaotic work and family life.

O'Connell and wife Rebecca Romijn's twin daughters, Dolly and Charlie, who turn 2 at year's end, "really are cute, but they're such a handful. They're at that age where they wander off, and you just always have to watch them. We're looking into getting those leashes for them. Seriously," he says. "They're starting to fight with each other.

"My wife is great. My wife is with them all the time. I owe her a trip or a piece of jewelry," adds the actor, who did Mr. Mom duty last year when Romijn was in production with her short-lived "Eastwick" series. Helpfully, Charlie and Dolly "are going to sleep pretty early these days."

It sounds like O'Connell and Belushi have already bonded on the show in which they play a rowdy pair of Las Vegas attorneys who are well acquainted with the seedy side of life. "I'm learning a tremendous amount from Jim. He's got those Second City improv roots, you know, and 10 years with 'The World According to Jim' (sic). He's such a creative guy; he bring so much to every scene, every day — really dramatic, funny and vulnerable," O'Connell says.

O'Connell brings real-life knowledge of the law to the show. Not that it helps. He enrolled in L.A.'s Southwestern Law School for real last year, you may recall, and says, "I had to do a closing argument in mock court for a class. A judge assesses your performance and you go up against someone else. The judge said I was overacting — swear to God! One thing I've never been accused of is overacting."

O'Connell also says Romijn "came down to see, and she only gave me two-and-a-half out of four stars."

But it wasn't all bad. "About two weeks later, I had to do my first big courtroom scene for 'The Defenders.' When people watch the pilot, they say, 'Interesting way you really underplayed that.'"

EMMY AFTERMATH: Kyra Sedgwick, savoring her Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for "The Closer," had husband Kevin Bacon close by her side throughout the evening, even standing off-stage, sipping champagne as he watched her field questions in the press room.

The couple isn't getting togetherness time on her series set this year, however. Bacon isn't directing any episodes of "The Closer's" Season 6 because he's busy with his own projects, according to Sedgwick. And their daughter, Sosie, 18, isn't coming back to the show in her role as Sedgwick's niece — she's too busy with her freshman year of college getting under way. Son Travis, 21, also flew the nest awhile ago. So this year, unlike the past five years of her "The Closer" duty, Sedgwick isn't facing mixed emotions about leaving the family in New York to shoot her series in L.A.

Now that she finally has her Emmy, what honor could come next? The actress has heard there's "talk of a wax museum figure. That's a little strong, I think."

Seriously, she's happy focusing on the show and her now-iconic character, deputy police chief Brenda Leigh Johnson. "I'm always pushing for the personal stories. As an actor, that's why I'm doing the job," she observes. "I was offered procedurals in the past. The personal aspect is what got me on board our show. I think that's the key to success."

That and its truly outstanding star.

AND: It's nice to see Aaron Paul acknowledged with an Emmy for his first-rate supporting work on "Breaking Bad" — particularly knowing what a grinder the role of drug-selling Jesse has been for the actor. Playing Bryan Cranston's hapless partner in crime, Paul's been roughed up, knocked down, thrown through a screen door that didn't quite go the way the stunt was planned and generally left bruised and scraped more times than he could probably count by now.

INDUSTRY BITS: Olympia Dukakis is getting ready to put her talents to work in an indie film called "Birds of a Feather" — about three actors who put on a musical version of Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull."

More casting for Sony's "Moneyball" — with forces on the Brad Pitt film talking to talent to play his parents. Attractive people only, please. "They should look like they could be his parents," per casting notices.

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 2010 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM