Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who is getting ready to go back into production on "The New Adventures of Old Christine" next week, is keeping a practical outlook about the series' demotion to mid-season replacement status with a half-season order.

"I would be lying if I said I'm happy about it. I definitely wish we were on the fall schedule," says the funny lady, who won Emmy honors as Lead Actress in a Comedy last year for her portrayal of the divorced single mom — and is Emmy nominated again this year. "Having said that, I'm really happy to have this job, honestly. I'm happy to be back. Thirteen is a nice number, and who knows what's going to happen."

It's possible "Christine" could be summoned back onto the schedule earlier than January. "There's a big question mark about that," she says. "A lot hangs in the balance."

There's no question about the fact that the former "Seinfeld" foil is excited about her latest TV Academy nod. With nine Emmy nominations, including two wins in the past, is the rigmarole getting old? "No! Not even remotely old," she says. "I'm just so relieved and grateful."

Julia relished the family time she had during her series break with husband Brad Hall and their two sons, who all got away for a three-week vacation in Europe. "That's the beauty of doing a half-hour TV series — the hiatus and the schedule," she notes. That's especially true of her show, which "is run by working mothers, so our schedule is such that it's very kid-friendly. It totally can be done. Kari Lizer, the creator of our show, has three kids … We're all trying to do the juggling act. The way to make it happen is by supporting each other," she says. For instance, instead of starting tapings at 7 p.m., "we make our time about five o'clock."

LOVELY TO LOOK AT: Speaking of Emmys, "My Name is Earl" nominee Jamie Pressley, who memorably plays Earl's (Jason Lee) ex-wife, Joy, on the NBC comedy, is happy to have dieted and exercised her way back to within three pounds of her prime red carpet shape for the big event. She gave birth to her and fiancé DJ Eric Calvo's son in May. "I'm so excited. Last year felt like a fluke, being nominated first season off. I was up against Megan Mullally. Even I voted for Megan Mullally! But when I was nominated again this year, I thought, 'Maybe it wasn't a fluke.' I'm also thinking babies bring good luck," she says.

The gorgeous Internet and men's mag favorite recalls, "We finished the show for the season March 6, and I had the baby May 11.

Eric and I planned this. If I hadn't gotten pregnant at this time, we would have waited 'til next season. It gave me enough time to stay at home with him for three months."

As for a wedding? "We haven't planned anything. We're focused on the baby. One day, yeah, we'll definitely do it, but right now it doesn't feel necessary. We live together, have a child together. We are married pretty much in every respect except for a piece of paper."

FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT: "Princess Diaries" actress Heather Matarazzo revealed in 2004 that she is a lesbian, and now in 2007, her career is still going strong. "It's been very, very positive. I've been very warmly received within the community, which is always nice," notes Heather. "If there have been any negative consequences, it's been shielded from my eyes. It's certainly had a lot more benefits than it has downfalls. It's enabled me to really break into the community in a way that I hadn't before."

As far as being gay and in the entertainment industry, Heather says, "I think that progress has been made, which is amazing. I don't think if I had come out 20 years ago, I would have a career now. But I definitely still think that there's a lot of work that needs to be done. We're always working toward improvement."

She stresses, however, that she prefers not to base her characters on their sexuality. "For me, playing a role is playing a role. It doesn't matter if I'm playing gay or straight. I never want to go into a role having it be politicized. The work that I do in the gay community is completely different than the work I do onscreen." Heather will next be traveling to Mississippi in September to film the psychological thriller "Digger."

IF IT'S THURSDAY, IT MUST BE TANZANIA: "Two and a Half Men" actress Marin Hinkle was born in Tanzania, where her parents met as Peace Corps volunteers. She tells us she hasn't been back to that land since babyhood, "but I have this dream to go back there. My son is now 4 years old, and I think we should go back when he is of an age where he can truly appreciate Africa. My parents were there for six years. We look at pictures, we look at all the animals, at people who my family had known that we also reconnected with." Marin must talk about Tanzania quite a bit, seeing that her son "has nicknamed me Tanzania. His favorite day of the week is Thursday, so I call him Thursday, and he calls me Tanzania."

(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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