Ask Stacy: What's Become of Michael Vartan of 'Alias?'

DEAR STACY: What's become of Michael Vartan of "Alias"? Any new shows or movies? -- Jodie G., Cleveland

What's Become of Michael Vartan?

DEAR JODIE: Vartan completed the $20 million horror thriller "Rogue" -- about a travel writer in serious jeopardy from a giant crocodile -- in February. It's expected to be released in the first quarter of '07.

 DEAR STACY: Could you tell me what Jeremy Sumpter is doing lately? Please tell me he hasn't given up acting since "Clubhouse" was canceled. -- Pat Y., Greenville, Ohio
 
DEAR PAT: Not at all. Jeremy, 17, recently completed "An American Crime," an independent film based on a true story from the 1960s about a teenage girl imprisoned in a basement. Last year, he starred in the cable movie "Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life," and made the comedy feature "The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang," which is due for limited release in September.
 
DEAR STACY: I liked Ana Gasteyer on "Saturday Night Live." What is she doing lately? -- Jennifer B., Torrance, Calif.
 
DEAR JENNIFER: In recent years, Gasteyer has been busy with stage work and motherhood. She and her husband, graphic designer Charlie McKittrick, have a daughter, Frances, born in 2002.  She finished a successful run in "Threepenny Opera" on Broadway in June. Before that, she played the Wicked Witch of the West in a Chicago production of "Wicked." She was also seen in the 2004 Showtime version of "Reefer Madness."
 
DEAR STACY: How about some background on Cote de Pablo of "NCIS." Is she married? She's one hot tomato. -- Steve W., New York
 
DEAR STEVE: She's single, Chilean -- born in Santiago in 1979, raised in Miami -- and, as admiring costar Michael Weatherly points out, "she sings, dances, acts and can throw a dagger." While studying theater arts at Carnegie Mellon University, Cote appeared in such musicals as "The Fantasticks" and "A Little Night Music." She graduated in 2000.  In 2001, she appeared in a New York City Public Theater production of "Measure for Measure," and then went on to daytime's "All My Children." De Pablo, who says she has little time for her personal life these days, also counts episodes of "The Education of Max Bickford" and "The Jury" among her credits.
 
DEAR STACY: Whatever happened to Larry Wilcox, who used to be on "CHiPs"? -- Robin G., Long Island, N.Y.
 
DEAR ROBIN: Wilcox has had more success behind the cameras than in front of them since leaving the series in 1982. His production company's credits include the five-year-long series "Ray Bradbury Theater" and the TV movie "Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story," starring Jamie Lee Curtis. He also made "The Little CHP," a kids' video in which he plays his old Jon Baker role. Other business ventures for Wilcox include his own software company. Still, he's made it clear he'd like to do more acting. Wilcox married Marlene Harmon, a member of the 1980 Olympic Heptathalon Team, in 1986. They have two children and live on a ranch in the San Fernando Valley. He also has three children from his prior two marriages.
 
DEAR STACY: What is Topher Grace up to? -- L. S., Newark, N.J.
 
DEAR L.S.: The former "That '70s Show" star plays Venom in "Spider-Man 3," which is due next year, and also has been tapped to star alongside Terrence Howard in "The Crusaders," which has Howard playing the late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall during Marshall's days as a crusading civil-rights attorney. He's set to star in "Kids in America," a feature about one night in the lives of a group of recent college grads -- including Grace's character, an aimless guy pursuing his dream girl. Grace and producing partner Gordon Kaywin pitched the picture, which they will executive produce, to Imagine Entertainment.
 
DEAR STACY: What's up with Jonathan Silverman -- an appealing actor I haven't seen in years. -- Cindy C., Brooklyn, NY
 
DEAR CINDY: The "Weekend at Bernie's" star, who spent recent years toiling in occasional episodes of such series as "Related" and "CSI: Miami," now seems to be back on a roll. He stars with David Arquette, Greg Germann, Kelly Hu and Lori Loughlin in Jon Favreau's "In Case of Emergency" series, coming up midseason for ABC -- about a group of former high-school friends whose lives have gone drastically awry in various ways. He also has the independent feature drama "Jam" upcoming with William Forsythe and Jeffrey Dean Morgan -- and the romantic indie film "Laura Smiles," which is due in September. In his own real-life romantic story, he is engaged to Jennifer Finnigan of "Close to Home." On top of all that, he scored two home runs and was named MVP of the annual Hollywood Stars charity game at L.A.'s Dodger Stadium last month.
 
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS to Stacy Jenel Smith at Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Due to the large volume of mail, personal replies cannot be given.