DEAR STACY: Whatever happened to Ben Curtis, the infamous former Dell Dude who ended up being arrested for marijuana? — Mel G., Cleveland, OH

DEAR MEL: Curtis started working as a waiter at New York's Tortilla Flats restaurant in the middle of 2006. He told New York magazine last November that he'd been frequently recognized and "It's really difficult, but it's a humbling experience. There were times when I made boatloads of money as an actor, but here I can be myself." He's done various other acting gigs, including the off-Broadway play "Joy," the upcoming independent movie, "Spy" and playing a killer on a "Law & Order" episode. He also fronts a rock band called Samvara.

DEAR STACY: My friends and I watched the rerun of Christian Siriano's win on "Project Runway" and we just think he's adorably fierce. Please let us know, what is his height? — Irene D., Canton, Ohio

DEAR IRENE: Several sources list the elfin 22-year-old designer as 5 feet 4 inches tall.

DEAR STACY: Joe Penny used to be so big. Haven't seen him in years. What has he been up to? — Dave D., N. Patchogue, N.Y.

DEAR DAVE: The one-time "Jake and the Fatman" and "Riptide" star continues working, but evidently not where you're watching. He appeared for two weeks on the daytime soap "Days of Our Lives" this past May. He shows up as a guest star on such series as "CSI" every so often. And he co-starred with Lea Thompson in nine "Jane Doe" mystery movies on the Hallmark Channel.

DEAR STACY: Who was the female singer performing "I've Got You Under My Skin" on the Chevy Malibu commercial that was on in the spring, where the artist is sculpting the car? I thought it was Diana Krall, but I was wrong. — Keith A., Sunnyside, N.Y.

DEAR KEITH: That was the remarkable songstress Melody Gardot, whose doctor suggested music as a form of therapy to help her back from a brain injury sustained in a debilitating accident. She was struck by a car while riding her bicycle in November 2003, which left her with pelvic fractures, an autonomic nervous system dysfunction that causes her hypersensitivity to noise and sound, and ongoing pain. She must wear dark glasses and she walks with a cane. And yet she proved to have a great gift for singing and songwriting. Her sultry jazz vocals have gained the Philadelphia native attention nationally and internationally, and her live performances (though she calls them "masochistic") are in high demand. Her first full-length album, "Worrisome Heart," was released by Verve earlier this year. As for the car spot, she noted on her Web site, "I don't actually own a television OR a car, which makes the whole thing terribly ironic."

DEAR STACY: Who is Josh Brolin's mother? I remember James Brolin was married to the gal from "WKRP in Cincinnati" before Barbra Streisand, but I don't believe they had children. — P.R., Cleveland, Ohio

DEAR P.R.: Casting director Jane Cameron Agee, whose 18-year union with James Brolin began in '64 and ended in divorce, was the mother of Josh and Jesse Brolin. She died in a 1995 automobile accident. James Brolin and his second wife, Jan Smithers, did have a child as well — daughter Molly, born in 1987.

DEAR STACY: Robert Urich made a movie for TV called "Fighting Back: The Rocky Bleier Story." Is there any way I can purchase this movie? I've tried to find it, but no one can help me. — Edith W., N. Merrick, N.Y.

DEAR EDITH: The 1980 saga of Pittsburgh Steelers football player Rocky Bleier, who was drafted into the Vietnam War after his rookie year — and fought his way back onto the team's starting lineup after sustaining a combat injury — was released on VHS in 1998, but copies are very hard to find. A highly edited version has been shown on ESPN. Fans of the ABC TV movie, which was produced by MTM, are hoping for a DVD release. With enough demand, maybe it will happen.

DEAR STACY: What happened to Alex Trebek's right hand? I noticed it was bandaged for some time earlier this year. — Tom N., Brentwood, N.Y.

DEAR TOM: Trebek had surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome.

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 2008 MARILYN BECK AND STACY JENEL SMITH

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