Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Miranda Cosgrove plays a hot mess of a young star in the Nov. 16 episode of "The Good Wife," a character who "ends up getting into a car accident one night when she's drunk and can't remember what happened," reports the 17-year-old real-life star of Nickelodeon's "iCarly." "She thinks it's just going to be a DUI, but it ends up being attempted murder."

Cosgrove answers carefully when asked whether the problem girl was modeled after anyone we know. "I didn't play her thinking of any one person," she says. "Of course, I've heard stories and stuff. I really just read the script."

Cosgrove's foray into network drama comes just before her Nov. 19 special double episode of "iCarly" — "iStart A Fan War" — in which her "School of Rock" cast mate Jack Black comes aboard as a guest star. In the Comic-Con-inspired episode, Cosgrove's series brother, Jerry Trainor, and Black's character are arch rival gamers.

"Everybody was really excited to get to work with him," she says. "Jerry Trainor reminds me of Jack Black — they're both so funny — and it was really cool to see them work together. I loved seeing them sing a song in the episode. They both dress up as their favorite characters in this 'World of Warlords' game."

Meanwhile, "In this episode, Carly is as crazy as everyone else. Usually, she's the grounded one in the middle of a crazy mess," reports Cosgrove. She'll also be seen with her new love interest — but as for whether the boyfriend will continue into next season, "That's up in the air."

Cosgrove famously signed a deal for 26 more episodes of the popular series in March (reportedly, she makes $180,000 per episode). As far as growing weary of doing the show, she's far from it, she says.

"I think I'm really lucky that I've been on 'iCarly' since I was 13. We have the same writers, the same crew from the beginning. It makes me feel really good to know they're writing it, and they're writing the character a little bit older."

Besides, she's branching out, even as she continues on "iCarly." Not only does she have "The Good Wife" episode, she's also looking forward to doing more voice work in "Despicable Me 2" — and the multi-talented young woman just embarked on a holiday concert tour.

BAD MAMA: Daphne Zuniga's been having a blast on "One Tree Hill" of late, what with her character, the notorious Victoria Davis, incarcerated over her dirty business dealings and her recent disowning of her daughter, Brooke (Sophia Bush), over her decision to sell the family company.

"I love the drama they're bringing, but the possible dissolution of the company is, you know, kind of a big deal. I'm not sure what they have in mind for us," Zuniga says. She enjoys the fact the writers "are always surprising me. I love that they write for Victoria."

However, she admits, "It's hard for me to do these scenes where I scream at Sophia. It's hard to say these awful things to her face. We're good friends."

In fact, the one-time "Melrose Place" actress credits Bush and cast mate Austin Nichols with being more open and mature than she was at their age. She enjoys their company and, in fact, credits them with helping her get into the Twitter universe.

"I had someone post things for me for an environmental auction I had, but sitting around the set one day, I said, 'I don't even know how to tweet myself. I don't even know my password.'" Bush and Nichols helped her out, and now, she says, she tweets them to stay in touch.

Zuniga shows a whole different side — make that two — in her delightful Hallmark Channel movie, "A Family Thanksgiving" that premiered over the weekend and has repeat airings coming up Nov. 12, 13 and 25. The fantasy romantic comedy, also starring Faye Dunaway, has Zuniga as a high-powered attorney with a walk-in closet full of designer clothes — who gets the chance to see what her life would have been like had she become an everyday suburban wife and mother.

THE BIG-SCREEN SCENE: Forget those reserved and respectful presidential flicks and get ready for "FDR: American Badass." Yes, casting is now under way for a film billed as an action comedy in which the leader of the free world from the Great Depression through World War II will be depicted, according to casting notices, as "a hip, foul-mouthed badass in a customized wheelchair." Famous and infamous names from the 1940s — including Eleanor Roosevelt, Mussolini, Hitler, McArthur, Churchill and Eisenhower — are part of the action, along with "a hot nurse." However, in this case, FDR is intent upon thwarting "a dastardly plan to take over the world via polio-infected werewolves." Well, at least you can say one thing for it: This is not a plot you've heard before.

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.

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