Ask American Profile 4/13/2008

Q Now that Miley Cyrus has hit the big time, who’s the next young Disney star to watch?
—Frank Frayne, Ada, Okla.

Keep an eye on Selena Gomez, the star of the new Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place, about a group of kids with magical powers. “Every week we learn a new spell,” she says, “like making love potions, freezing time or flying carpets.” The Dallas native, 15, got her start at age 7 on Barney and Friends, and appeared as a guest on Disney’s Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack and Cody before getting her own show. She’s also a singer—like Hannah Montana breakout star Miley Cyrus—who wants to front her own band.

Q I saw Ruta Lee the other night in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Whatever happened to her?
—Margaret Townsend, Albuquerque, N.M.

Born Ruta Kilmonis in Canada, Lee today lives with her husband of 31 years in Los Angeles, where in 2006 she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame directly in front of what used to be Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, where she had her first job—as a cashier. She went on to captivate audiences as Tyrone Power’s love interest in Witness for the Prosecution, opposite Frank Sinatra in Sergeants 3 and in a memorable Twilight Zone episode titled “A Short Drink From a Certain Fountain.” Lee, 71, acted most recently in a couple of 2007 TV Christmas movies. “There is no such word as retirement for me,” she says.

Q Many years ago I watched a Saturday morning show called Hot Wheels. Did any notable actors provide the voices?
—Daniel Coghlan, Porterville, Calif.

Hot Wheels was a short-lived 1969 cartoon series based on the popular Mattel toy cars of the same name. The show marked the TV debut of Albert Brooks, who provided one of the driver’s voices and went on to fame as a Hollywood writer, actor and director. Radio DJ Casey Kasem also was among the cast, as was Bob Arbogast, whose familiar voice also was heard on The Jetsons, Scooby Doo, Roger Ramjet and Sesame Street.

Q Which individuals have won all four major entertainment awards—Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy?
—Kenneth Lawson, Brooksville, Fla.

Only nine people have been honored with trophies in competitive categories of all four major organizations, which recognize achievement for movies (Oscar), television (Emmy), music (Grammy) and theater (Tony). They are directors Mel Brooks and Mike Nichols; actor Sir John Gielgud; actresses Helen Hayes, Audrey Hepburn and Rita Moreno; and composers Marvin Hamlisch, Richard Rogers and Jonathan Tunick. You can add comedian Whoopi Goldberg to the list if you include the Daytime Emmy Awards, and Barbra Streisand and Liza Minnelli if you consider noncompetitive, special-achievement Tony and Grammy honors.

Q Is Christopher Rich from the Reba show married, and how old is he?
—Marilyn Wilson, Taylorville, Ill.

Dallas-born Rich, 54, best known for his TV roles as dim-bulb anchorman Miller Redfield on Murphy Brown and Reba McEntire’s TV husband, Brock Hart, on Reba, is married to Eva Halina, a former Miss Poland and Olympic gymnast. They have twin 3-year-old daughters, and he also has a teenage daughter from his first marriage.

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