Ask American Profile

The Brian Setzer Orchestra is my favorite band. Please tell me more about them.
—Larry B., Illinois

The story behind the Brian Setzer Orchestra (BSO) is all in the name. The pompadoured Brian Setzer, 42, came on the scene as guitarist and frontman of the rockabilly band, the Stray Cats, in the early ’80s. In the early ’90s, the New York City-born artist set out for new territory and created BSO. At its heart is a 16-piece band that backs Setzer’s rockin’ guitar with Big Band swing music. The hybrid style exploded on their third album, 1998’s The Dirty Boogie, thanks to their monster hit Jump Jive an’ Wail. Their latest album, Vavoom!, was released in August 2000 and earned Setzer his third Grammy. Due to the high costs associated with a large band, touring is minimal. But last year, Setzer toured in his latest incarnation—Brian Sezter ’68 Comeback Special—which features two members of BSO, to support the June debut, Ignition! Setzer says BSO will keep jumping, jiving, and wailing.

I saw an old great action film titled Major Dundee, starring Charlton Heston and Richard Harris. A beautiful actress named Senta Berger caught my eye. Is she still alive? What else did she appear in?
—Alan S., Pennsylvania

Berger, 60, lives in Munich, Germany, with her husband Michael Verhoeven, a German film director and writer. The Vienna, Austria, native worked in Hollywood for about five years before returning to Europe. Berger met Verhoeven in the mid-60s when they were both cast in the movie Jack and Jenny. Berger wanted to be a dancer when she was younger, but her ballet teacher discouraged her, saying she didn’t have a ballerina’s build. She went on to study drama at the Reinhardt Seminar in Vienna. Berger’s other credits include Cast a Giant Shadow, The Ambushers, and numerous foreign films.

In the movie What’s the Worst That Could Happen?, William Fichtner’s performance is priceless. What’s up next for him?
—Barbara L., New York

You can see Fichtner (pronounced Fic-ner) in his newest film, Black Hawk Down, which was released in early winter. His credits include The Perfect Storm and Armageddon. Born at Mitchell Air Force Base in East Meadow, N.Y., Fichtner, 45, studied criminal justice at the State University of New York. But a career in law enforcement wasn’t in his future. A college class in improvisation sparked his interest in acting, and he decided to pursue it. He moved to New York City after graduation, enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and gained stage experience with the Circle Rep company. Fichtner had a part on the soap opera As the World Turns but left to pursue other projects. He also had a regular role as the shy, bumbling, and adorable boyfriend on the sitcom Grace Under Fire in the early 1990s. He lives in New York City with his wife, Kymberly.

What can you tell me about Leah Lail, the actress who plays the secretary on VIP? I think she’s cute.
—Gene L., North Carolina

Kay Simmons, the character Lail plays, is the communications expert who controls all the moves of those elite bodyguards on VIP. And the actress is as intelligent as the character she plays. Lail, 35, was born and raised on a horse farm in Lexington, Ky., and attended boarding school where she studied political science and learned fluent German. That led to a college scholarship to study in Bonn, Germany. A political career wasn’t in her future, though. Lail also loved the theater and transferred to the University of Southern California, where she graduated summa cum laude with degrees in German and theater and a minor in political science. Her credits include ER and Seinfeld. She also had a small part in the Adam Sandler film Little Nicky. She lives in Los Angeles.

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