Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Jewel has joined forces in philanthropy with flamboyant British billionaire Virgin Group chieftain Sir Richard Branson. Tonight (7/2) she performs at the Rock the Casbah gala at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, benefiting Virgin Unite's charitable projects in Morocco, which are being spearheaded by Richard's mother, Eve Branson. Once homeless herself, Jewel also recently spoke at a U.S. Congressional hearing as part of her work on behalf of Virgin Unite's Youth Homelessness Campaign.

She used to keep her charitable activities quiet. "I was really suspicious of celebrities who used charity to get publicity," explains Jewel, whose Project Clear Water organization, which she's funded privately, has put clean water wheels into impoverished areas since 1997. However, she came to the conclusion that getting the most work done possible was a higher priority than keeping a low profile. "Recently, talking to Richard, I realized I could be doing a lot more."

As far as the work in Morocco, again, clean water is a central issue. "A lot of clean water around the world is getting bought up privately; it costs more than oil," notes Jewel of the ever-more-threatening situation.

Jewel has a full calendar in her professional life, including her first country album ("It's almost finished. I'm just looking for a couple more songs"), her two-part PBS "Soundstage" special July 19 and 26, and her ongoing "Nashville Star" hosting chores. But she says she doesn't feel pressed by the time she puts into causes. "I just do things where I can."

TALK ABOUT VINTAGE: Trust celebs like Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg and Meg Ryan to find the one place in town that might have something for the rich and famous — who already have everything. DiCaprio recently purchased an ancient Egyptian ring from Wonders of the World, the Santa Monica, Calif., shop that features one-of-a-kind gifts from around and out of this world. Among them: a tiny raptor dinosaur skeleton, a Tyrannosaurus Rex head, a Saber-toothed Tiger skull, giant 100-million-year-old rainbow ammonite fossils, asteroid rocks, meteorites, Roman/Egyptian relics and precious natural gemstones of all shapes, sizes and colors.

We're told Meg Ryan shops for lots of crystals there.

Spielberg, who's always popping in with his son Sawyer, recently bought some crystals and a flying fish fossil. Kurt Russell stopped by to gather up a few precious emeralds, rubies and sapphires for his lady love, Goldie Hawn; and Dermot Mulroney drops by regularly just to let his kid, Clyde, get a gander at the amazing collection of worldly and other-wordly treasures at Wonders of the World. Fortunately, owner Henry Runge doesn't only cater to the rich, offering items from as low as 25 cents to $500,000.

ART IMITATING ART: "My Boys" star Jordana Spiro tips that the hit TBS comedy will take a swipe at People's annual Sexiest Man Alive tradition in the second season of the show returning July 30. "One arc that lasts several episodes is Brendan (Reid Scott) gets selected one of the 50 Sexiest Bachelors in Chicago, and it really goes to his head," says Spiro, who plays sports reporter PJ Franklin, the center round which her gang of poker buddies revolves. "He becomes a real d——-ebag, so we end up having to put him in his place."

Working 13-14 hour days on "My Boys" hasn't allowed Spiro time for many outside projects, so she's thrilled she got to shoot Jimmy Fallon's upcoming "Rockett" last February. "They just finished editing it, and I think it's going to be a really great movie," she says. "It has a great cast, Sharon Stone, Lucy Liu and Tony Hale, and I was just really happy to be among that group." In "Rockett," Fallon plays Christopher Rockett who's "from a small town he ran away from, now living a sophisticated New York life. Then his father has a stroke and he revisits the small town at the wish of his father. I play his high school crush."

2 X MD: "House" is getting ready to shoot an episode in which our Dr. House will be dealing with a pair of young twin female doctors — which conjures up all kinds of possible situations for the bitingly witty medical man.

(With reports by Stephanie DuBois and 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 2007 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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