Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Patricia Wettig certainly didn't need to take on Lifetime's Sept. 13 movie, "The 19th Wife." After all, she's plenty busy enough with her role on "Brothers & Sisters." She's also completed writing a new play, "F to M," that was unveiled this summer at New York Stage and Film's Readings Festival. But Wettig tells us she found her role in the telefilm irresistibly compelling — for personal reasons. Her portrayal turned out to be a tribute of sorts to one of the women she loved most in her life.

She explains: "When I grew up, my closest relationship, until I was 9, was to my great-grandma. She was married to a Methodist minister. She was a very strict, very stern, very religious person — except with me. She just adored me. I had a special connection with her. On the outside, she could be so tough. But she really was so warm. I honestly loved her more than anyone in the world.

"When I read this character, she had that tough religious exterior, but such a softness with her son. She holds on to all this stuff so tight, yet there's a soulfulness underneath, only seen in the connection with her son."

"The 19th Wife" is drawn from David Ebershoff's best-selling mystery thriller that takes place inside a rogue Mormon sect that still promotes marriage to multiple wives. Wettig plays the woman accused of killing her husband in the movie that also stars Chyler Leigh. Matt Czuchry plays her son.

Wettig's character, complete with bonnet and ankle-length dress, couldn't be further from her series part. "I think people are going to think, 'What's going on here?' It is fun as an actress to play something so different," she says. "I wondered, 'Am I going to be able to relate to this speech pattern?' But when I started to speak the words, I was almost surprised by how easily it came to me. It didn't feel like hard work."

As for her appearance? "Oh, the hair!" she laments. "I look like my great-grandma."

BLESS THE BEASTS: What is it with Nicollette Sheridan's exes doing "Dancing With the Stars"? First, it was Harry Hamlin, now Michael Bolton.

"Curious, isn't it? I wish him luck," says the former "Desperate Housewives" star.

Would she ever want to be on "Dancing With the Stars'?

"No," she says, laughing.

Right now, Sheridan has lots of other things on her mind, including starting a yet-to-be-announced romantic comedy movie within the next few weeks.

"I can't say anything about it yet," she says.

Is it contemporary? "It is contemporary." What's her character like? "She's a very smart, benevolent human being — the antithesis of my character on 'Desperate Housewives.' It's a feel-good movie. But I can't say more."

Sheridan, in fact, is here to talk guide dogs, and her latest role — as spokesperson for the guide dog fundraiser being put on by Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods, PETCO and other pet stores. When pet owners purchase a bag of dog food with her picture on it, a dollar goes to help guide dog organizations across the country.

Sure, she's done TV, films, red carpets and magazine covers, but now she is part of a really elite group — celebrities whose pictures appear on bags of dog food. She laughs at the idea, but she's sincerely happy to be doing her part. This month is National Guide Dog Month, after all, in case you weren't aware.

How did she get involved?

"The Van Pattens have been family friends for many years, and they told me what they were doing with National Guide Dog Month. I was so moved, I couldn't wait to jump in and see what I could do to help raise awareness," she says. According to the actress, it takes two years and roughly $40,000 to train a guide dog, "and so many people can't afford that. To help this work continue, to help people have these companions and guides — it can make such a huge difference in people's lives."

Sheridan's own dog, 5-year-old Oliver, is a golden retriever, a breed often used for guide dogs. "He's the love of my life," she says. "I don't go anywhere without him."

And you're not going to find him turning up on "Dancing With the Stars."

BIG AND BIGGER: With plus-sized leads Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy and a story line involving Overeaters Anonymous, CBS's forthcoming "Mike & Molly" has already sparked debate between the big-is-beautiful and lose-that-weight camps. Co-star Swoosie Kurtz's view: "I think people love to turn things into something political. That's just human. Certainly, weight is a hot-button issue, but I don't see the show that way. I look for things that touch my heart, that move me in some way. I'm not so interested in the dry polemics — I love that there's fire and heat and passion behind this show," she says. "I've had friends come to the tapings, and they've cried, it's so touching. That's what gets me excited. You're rooting for these people. They're so sweet and vulnerable."

Kurtz, who is enviably slim and trim herself, also likes the fact that her onscreen daughter and daughter's love interest don't look like everyone else on TV. All that physical perfection, she says, "has gotten so bland and so cookie-cutter."

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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