April 25, 2002
More than Malcolm's Dad
Though he starred in his first commercial at the age of 8, his acting career didn't take off until he graduated from college. Bryan Cranston is a veteran of both film and television, but is currently seen each week playing Hal, the accident prone father on the FOX network hit show Malcolm in the Middle.

"The hardest part about being an actor is having to do the auditions to find work," says Cranston. "Ask any actor and they'll tell you that the dream is to find a steady gig."

Bryan has found more than a steady gig, he's found a very successful steady gig. One that he really enjoys working on. "It's a kick in the head," says Cranston. "I wake up every morning and get to go try and make people laugh, and get well paid to do it." So well paid that Bryan jokes about buying Studio City. "Well, I don't actually own it... the bank does. I am making my payments though."

The reason he gets paid so well is that Malcolm in the Middle has become one of the highest rated shows on FOX. Bryan credits the show's writing with a lot of their success. "The scripts are pretty much set in stone. There isn't much improv there."

Though Hal is a comedic character, many of Cranston's roles are more on the dramatic side. He was in the movie Saving Private Ryan, and you may have seen him playing astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the HBO Emmy award winning series From the Earth to the Moon. He isn't a stranger to comedy however, on Seinfeld he portrayed Jerry's dentist, the one who converted to Judaism just so he could tell the jew jokes.

Aside from Malcolm, Brian will be directing a "sexual comedy romp," in the next few months and another of his directed indie films Last Chance, will be released soon.

April 24, 2002
And Then There Were Two
For over a month, Alex, from ABC's The Bachelor, has done nothing but date 25 beautiful women, and decide which one of them he would possibly consider marrying. Each week, he had to narrow the field down by handing out roses to the ones he wanted to keep. Finally, after all of his dream dates, he has it narrowed down to two.

Trista is one of the finalist in the competition to land TV's most eligible bachelor. She's not surprised at who she's up against. "From the beginning, I had an idea of who would last and who wouldn't, so I'm not surprised that Amanda is still around."

From the beginning of the show, Tommy G. predicted that Trista would win it all... and Chick McGee has gone on record saying that he would like to sleep with her. But no matter what happens, Trista is happy she took the chance and went on the show.

"I saw the ad on TV, and decided that I would apply. I am a busy woman, and it's hard to find a man. So I figured I would let the network find the guy for me," says Trista. "I've had a blast. I got to go on great dates, go to Hawaii, and live in a mansion in Malibu."

The final episode of The Bachelor airs in a special 2-hour format. The first hour is dedicated to the 23 women who didn't make it to the finals. They will all sit around and give their perspective on Alex, the two finalists, and the game itself. Trista says she is interested to see what the other ladies have to say because each week she is learning more and more about what really went on around her. Including, what Alex did with the other girls on their dates. Find out if Trista gets chosen as the first winner of The Bachelor, Thursday night on ABC.

FACTOID - The name Trista means "sad eyes until she smiles"

Ben hangs out
with Paul McCartney
back in 1976.

April 24, 2002
Hey Hey Good Morning
He was a fan of radio from an early age, and even majored in radio and television broadcasting in college. Though Ben Fong-Torres ended up being a successful book and magazine writer, he never lost his love of radio, which led to his authoring of The Hits Just Keep on Coming: The History of Top 40 Radio."

The book is a look back on the classic DJ's who spun the hits for fans across the country, including Casey Kasem, Gary Owens, and Rick Dees. Those legendary radio voices tell Torres behind the scenes stories and what working in the industry has been like over the years. .

"What's hard to believe about thegreat Boss jocks is that many people have heard of them, but not many people actually heard them on the air," says Torres. "Radio is overwhelmingly a local thing. DJ's back in the day became local celebrities." The book also includes a CD that has old air checks from all the greatest DJ's of the time.

Fong himself enjoyed jobs in radio broadcasting over the years, including being a DJ, and hosting many different shows over the years. But Ben's real claim to fame has been as a writer. He has written for Rolling Stone, Playboy, Sports Illustrated, GQ, and Esquire magazines, and is also the author of many books.

It was his time at Rolling Stone Magazine that earned him a character in the movie Almost Famous. "According to people that knew me, that role is nothing like the real me," says Torres. "Aside from the name, not much else was the same. I never just sat around barking orders at writers. But I realize my role in the film was just to help move along the story, so I am OK with it."

No, he didn't just sit around at Rolling Stone, he was a head interviewer and got to sit down with many classic rockers like  Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Elton John and the Jackson 5. "If you look at that picture of me with Paul McCartney, I look so bored," says Torres. "That was not the case at all, we had just been spending a lot of time together."

FACTOID - Ben Fong-Torres was a contestant on Wheel of Fortune and ended up walking away after three days with over $99,000 along with fabulous prizes.