Ledger Pop Journal - Celebrity News & Sports

Craig Ferguson is squeezing in a stand-up gig at The Orleans in Las Vegas from Oct. 26 through Oct. 28 despite the ongoing rigors of his CBS 'Late Late Show.' "I'm an immigrant; we do more than one job," deadpans the Scottish comic. "I do it because I've always done stand-up. Because it keeps the tubes clear. It's a bit like crack, but not really, because they have rehab for crack, and with stand-up, you're stuck with it. You have to go out and do it."

Craig Ferguson Saves His Wildest Stuff for Live Shows

Ferguson notes that the stand-up he does live is different from his on-air monologues. "When I do a show on TV, the basic deal is that I'm a guest in your house. When I do a stand-up show, the rules are slightly different. You're kind of a guest in my house. I don't have to metaphorically worry about putting my feet on the furniture, offending the sensibilities of the censors, the network, the advertisers, so it gets pretty wild."

He hasn't taped any of his nightclub shows for DVD release, "but I totally should. Right now I'm just happy to go and do them."

One has to wonder how wild they get, considering his show drew headlines last week, for instance, when James Woods came in for a guesting and regaled the audience with his story about O.J. and the late Nicole Simpson inviting him for a three-way sexual encounter. Ferguson says, "I don't think that it's going to be news to anyone that Jimmy's a little crazy. He doesn't really edit himself for any demographic. He's kind of fearless. That makes him a great talk show guest." Ferguson says that with stars eager to plug their new shows, new seasons and fall movies, "the schedule is kind of tight, but we certainly fit in our friends. Jimmy is our friend. He came in and did the show back when we were out looking for guests" -- rather than having guests clamoring to get into the "Late Late" action.

THE INSIDE TRACK: Gospel superstar Kirk Franklin reports "The Fight of My Life," the follow-up to his double-Grammy-winning 2005 "Hero" album, will hit record stores sometime around February. "I started the album this past March. I'm finished, and I'm just now mixing it," says Franklin. "I've got some new young talent I'm showcasing on this album that I'm really excited about." The artist, who was raised by his aunt after being abandoned by his parents, says, "I've got this incredible song with this boy who's 11 years old, talking about the effects of not having a father and what that does to us when we don't have those types of images. There's a song called 'Little Boy' that's challenging parents and pastors on what type of life are we living in front of kids." Franklin says he'll delay touring for a while. "My desire is to go out the end of '08, beginning of '09, just to let the album marinate. That's what I'd love to do."

Meanwhile, he's been taking time out from the album to host BET's new "Sunday Best," a reality show a la "American Idol," seeking America's untapped gospel sensations. "At first I didn't want to do it," admits Franklin of the show debuting Oct. 2 with gospel superstars Bebe Winans, singing duo Mary Mary and Tina and Erica Atkins as the judges.

"I was very concerned it was going to look like a throwback. Sometimes things done with gospel music can look a little antiquated, but BET really convinced me they were going to put their best foot forward, and it's obvious they have. The production is as strong as any other show of this type, and it's going to be a great show. It's fun. It's entertaining, and I'm really honored and thankful the Lord gave me this opportunity."

A LITTLE TOO PERSONAL: Funnyman Bill Engvall says he gets so much material from his own family that it's hard not to use their stories in his stand-up or on his TBS sitcom. "There are touches of them, but there are certain things that I won't cross over with," notes Engvall of his wife, Gail, and his children, Emily and Travis. "You'll see little things here and there, and I have to give credit to my family because they put up with it." However, he admits they aren't always happy about having their dirty laundry aired on television -- literally. "My daughter came home from school and said, 'That's enough!' She was walking down the hall at school, and some kid said, 'I heard your dad was talking about your underwear.'"

MULTI-MEDIA MAN: "As an actor, if the role is good, I don't think it matters whether it's television, film or theater," says Tom Cavanagh, who is certainly one of the more underappreciated actors in the business. He's gone from TV's "Ed" and "Love Monkey" to film's recent "Sublime" -- not to mention his stage work in "Grease," "Cabaret" and "Urinetown." "I'll go wherever they'll have me. It's dangerous to limit yourself to a specific medium."