Amy Smart Gets Into Shape for 'Showgirl' Role

Rising star Amy Smart reports she's already working out with a trainer for her role -- as a sophisticated criminal who also happens to be a showgirl -- in John Wells' fall-debuting CBS "Smith" series, in which she's to team with Ray Liotta, Simon Baker and Virginia Madsen.

Amy Set for Showgirl Role

Not that she'll definitely be seen sporting skimpy showgirl attire on stage.  "That's just one of many things she does," says Smart. "I just want to be ready for this girl, whatever."
 
With the kind of big-screen action she's been having in her career, Smart admits the idea of doing a TV series gave her pause. "Television is such a bigger commitment. For me, I wanted to make sure it was something with a character I really loved and actors I really wanted to be on set with every day," she says. "John Wells is so talented at creating interesting, complex characters," she adds of the creative force behind "E.R." and "The West Wing." How is her character? "Dangerous," replies Smart with a smile.
 
Smart, who already has such big-screen fare as "Just Friends" behind her -- and the Jason Statham thriller "Crank" due in September -- has "Peaceful Warrior" opening in limited release Friday (6/2). She plays the enchanting, elusive Joy in the Lionsgate adaptation of Dan Millman's beloved spiritual saga, with Scott Mechlowicz as the champion gymnast who relearns life and Nick Nolte as his service station-based guru, Socrates. "I had been a fan of the book since I read it about 10 years ago. It immediately changed my perspective and gave me more awareness of life," notes Amy. She adds, "Initially, I wanted to meet Joy and talk to her about her story, but I heard she was a pretty private person. Then Dan Millman said, 'Make it your own.'" And she did.
 
THE INSIDE TRACK:

"It's going to be a lovefest," declares Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott of Wednesday (5/31) night's VH-1 "Rock Honors," on which Rock legends KISS, Queen, Judas Priest and Def Leppard are all being recognized. "The younger generation bands are honorin' us," says the UK native. "The Foo Fighters are doing Queen, Godsmack is doing Judas Priest, Tommy Lee, Slash, Scott Ian and Rob Zombie are doing KISS, and All American Rejects is doin' Def Leppard." He adds, "All American Rejects is doin' our song 'Photograph.' Well, good luck to 'em I say. We've been doin' it for 20 years, and it's a tough one."
 
Of course, he says, the ORGs (Original Rock Gods) will also get to strut their stuff. "We're playin' two of our songs from like the classic period, and we are doin' a track of the new album," says Elliott. "YEAH," the latest CD from the band (Elliott, guitarists Vivian Campbell and Phil Collen, bassist Rick "Sav" Savage and drummer Rick Allen ) that's sold more than 65-million albums, is a tribute to their musical heroes of the late 60s and 70s such as the Kinks, Badfinger, T. Rex, David Bowie and Thin Lizzy.
 
Def Leppard heads to Europe for a two-week tour June 3rd, then the band wings back to the States to kick off its co-headlining tour with Journey on June 23rd in Camden, N.J. They've sold out major arenas already well into August. "It's been amazing," says Elliott. "The tour's already been extended into the fall, and it looks like it may go on even further."
 
HE SAID:

Vincent D'Onofrio, who is currently on hiatus from "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," happily reports of his show, "We're coming back next season, and there will be a new captain. We'll try to make it as interesting as we can and go a couple of more seasons or more, just depending on how much the audience likes it." Come Friday (6/2) he can be seen in "The Break-Up" as one of Vince Vaughn's brothers. Says D'Onofrio, "My character is not very good socially, and actually, in real life I'm not very good socially, either." 
 
FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT:

Handsome Matt Dallas, the star of ABC Family Channel's June 26-debuting "Kyle XY," says coming in last turned out to be good thing for him. "My manager had tried to get me in a few times and they didn't see me, didn't see me, didn't see me," says the young actor who plays the mysterious teenage savant who appears from the woods with no past and the naivete of a baby. Kyle's also missing instinctive human behavior -- and, oh yes, a belly button. "Then in the last round of auditions I was one of the last people they saw. It was all very quick from then on. I went to the audition, later that night went to the callback, two days later I was testing for network, then all of the sudden, two weeks later I was in Vancouver shooting the pilot." Dallas -- most recently featured with "The O.C.'s" Misha Barton in the James Blunt video "Goodbye My Lover" -- says they've shot seven episodes of "Kyle XY" thus far. He adds, "This role is something new, something different, something I can sink my teeth into and not necessarily just play the cute boy at school."
 
He can say that again.

Copyright © 2006 Creators Syndicate, Inc