Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Having already proven himself in multiple areas of the music world, five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter-musician-producer John Legend is now preparing to add the word actor to his resume.

"I'm working with a coach, and I think I have a natural knack for it. I think I could be good," he discloses to this column. In fact, Legend says he's talking about various ideas to whet his chops as a thespian, and "We're looking at different projects" that are already coming his way.

Legend won't be able to dive into an acting role for a while. He's continuing his spring concert trek over the next month, and has a range of recording projects vying for his attention at home. With it all, the focused life of being on the road "is restful for me," he says. "I have to watch wear and tear on my voice because I'm performing 90 minutes a night, but every other aspect of the lifestyle is more relaxing. I take care of my body, do vocal exercises. No alcohol. I sleep well."

SOMETHING DIFFERENT: Former "Saturday Night Live" star Molly Shannon is looking to delve more deeply into non-comedic parts, now that she's opened the way with her role in Mike White's new "Year of the Dog."

The performer, who is known for her outrageous characters, notes, "I would love to do more dramatic stuff. After all, I approach comedy and drama in similar ways. I just try to play the truth of the character."

Shannon says she's actually much calmer than her TV persona might lead people to believe. "I joke around a lot, but I'm kind of serious in real life," she says.

As far as "Year of the Dog," which is due to widen its release this weekend and next, "Mike describes it as a comedy that's not all that funny, which is a funny way to describe it, but it's original, and I'm really proud of it. It's a little more dramatic. There were a lot of very emotional scenes, so I had to cry," she points out. "It's more subtle, quiet, and introverted, but I loved it. I know I do the broad stuff, but I liked the small stuff. It's just you and the camera."

SECRET FANTASIES: During last week's episode of "Boston Legal," the irrepressible Denny Crane (William Shatner) practiced the power of "The Secret" — as in the video seminar about getting what you want via the power of attraction that's become the rage — to conjure up Raquel Welch.

Somewhere his wires got crossed, and in the end, he channeled Phyllis Diller instead. As it happens, Raquel is a big fan of Shatner. She let us know that she saw the episode. "What a hoot! It would have been a kick to walk through the door at Crane, Poole & Schmidt, but I was shooting the pilot for 'The Captain' over at CBS." Maybe Denny will try again next season. It sounds like "The Secret" could be working for him after all.

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Rockmond Dunbar reports he was brought in so last minute on TNT's "Heartland" series, "I'm still trying to pull it together."

The actor, who'll juggle his role as C-Note Franklin on "Prison Break" with the heart surgeon he's playing on the June 11-debuting "Heartland" Treat Williams starrer, says he's found almost no time to research his role. "I'm going to go to my girlfriend's dad's office. He's a gynecologist, and I'm going to follow him around a little bit. And my mother was an R.N., so I had a lot of questions for her. But that's the only type of preparation I've been able to do in such a short period of time. From one week to the next I went to a totally different show."

Dunbar says the only thing his "Heartland" character has in common with C-Note on "Prison Break" is that "you think he's one thing, but then there's something else. He's a heart surgeon, Stanford grad and all that, but he has his demons on the other side."

PARDON ME?: With Peter Morgan's acclaimed play "Frost/Nixon," starring Michael Sheen and Frank Langella, now in previews at Broadway's Jacobs Theater for an April 22 opening, preproduction work on the Hollywood movie version is already underway. A mid-August production start has been targeted. Casting forces on the Ron Howard feature adaptation of the play have their work cut out for them, with a passel of parts to fill of famous folk from the late 1970s. Those include the two principle actors who'll play U.K. broadcaster David Frost and disgraced U.S. President Richard Nixon, with whom Frost scored the much-sought-after coup of a string of post-resignation interviews, plus figures from Former First Lady Pat Nixon to young Nixon White House staffer Diane Sawyer. Yep, that Diane Sawyer.

(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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