Hollywood Exclusive by Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

"If there weren't the 'Gigli'-type stigma, we'd do it more often," says Rebecca Romijn — referring to working on camera with her real-life mate, Jerry O'Connell. The two have already mixed it up on her series, "Ugly Betty," and tonight (Nov. 6), they'll be seen playing contentious exes on his show, "Carpoolers."

"Jerry and I hang out on each other's sets a lot. They knew he'd be the perfect person to play this bad guy on 'Ugly Betty,'" says the ravishing Romijn, who plays transsexual Alexis on ABC's hit America Ferrera serial. And over on "Carpoolers," creator Bruce McCulloch (The Kids in the Hall) and his fellow writer-producers "had a handle on my sense of humor and knew I'd be the perfect person to play Jerry's ex-wife, Joannifer. He's a total cad on the show — and I'm just as much of a cad as he is."

Beginning with a timeslot after the unfortunate "Cavemen," "Carpoolers" has been struggling. Rebecca feels "it's a really special, outside-of-the-box, new kind of comedy. It needs enough time for audiences to find it." Of course, she acknowledges, the strike situation adds another huge element to questions about the series' future.

"Both our shows have enough to go a few weeks into January. We've all been working so hard," she says, referring to efforts by series companies to get ahead. "Now we're wondering, 'Is this Friday our last day? Next Friday?' We just don't know. It's crazy."

BEE-UTIFUL: With his "The Singing Bee" hosting work, upcoming "Mad TV" and "Hannah Montana" guest stints, and sundry promotional and other activities, nice-guy entertainer Joey Fatone barely knows whether he's coming or going of late.

"I'm just taking it a day at a time. We've been in a crunch, but now we're reaching the point we're able to take a little more time," says Fatone, whose popular Tuesday-night NBC "Bee" was rushed onto the air last summer to get a jump on Fox's similar "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" "It's nice getting into a rhythm, seeing what works."

The one-time 'N Sync baritone tells us that coming up, there'll be a TV Theme Song edition — with appearances by familiar faces such as Alfonso Ribeiro of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air."

Fatone also treks Down Under to host the Australian version of the show.

"It's really cool to see the different cultures. Of course, they had some Australian songs that I had no clue what they were." How do the Aussie contestants stack up? "They're funnier. They really make stuff up if they don't know the lyrics."

Joey, who's looking forward to a holiday break with wife Kelly and their 6-year-old daughter, Briahna, says, "I'm not really the solo artist type, but something may be in the works" as far as his own singing career. "We're talking about a fun possibility." 

Meanwhile, he has a list of events he'll be covering as red-carpet preshow host for the TV Guide Network next year. He also wants to do more acting. Having done Broadway ("Little Shop of Horrors," "Rent") and film ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "The Cooler") and come in second on "Dancing With the Stars," he knows of what he speaks when he says, "I love all aspects of entertainment. I love doing it all — and I want to do well enough where I don't suck." So far, that hasn't happened.

HE HAD THE NERVE: "Prison Break" viewers know Wade Williams as the bad, bad, corrupt prison-guard-turned-bounty-hunter-turned-prisoner Brad Bellick, a guy who's been known to torture inmates and who viewers enjoy seeing get his just desserts from time to time. (Currently, Bellick is being made to clean toilets while wearing nothing but his underwear on the show.) That's why it's surprising he got recognized doing the Halloween trick-or-treat rounds last week with his 5-year-old daughter, who was dressed up as Dorothy of "The Wizard of Oz," his wife, dressed as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Williams himself as … ready? The Cowardly Lion. "I had the mane, whiskers, nose — but I did get recognized," says Williams. Several candy-givers had a response he demonstrates as, "'Hey, don't I know you … ? Oh, no.'" 

HUGS NOT DRUGS: Rising talent Sirena Irwin, the funny lady known to "SpongeBob Squarepants'" fans as the voice of the yellow fellow's mommy, is cracking up audiences as part of "Sucker-Punch Hug-a-Lug." The sketch comedy show that's as far out funny as its name is being performed by the Gas Money comedy troupe with three more shows tonight (Nov. 6), Nov. 13 and Nov. 20 at Hollywood's Theatre Asylum @ Elephant Stageworks. Gas Money (of which our own Emily Fortune Feimster is a part) also just performed at the Los Angeles Comedy Festival.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Fortune 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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