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Singer Gary Morris is such a versatile entertainer. Is he still performing?
—Cheryl R., Kentucky

The multi-talented singer still hits the road to perform, but he also spends time in the producer’s chair, working with his son, Matthew. Morris, 54, has three other sons, Sam, Hunter, and Garon. When not performing, Morris can be found at his fly-fishing lodge in southern Colorado. Music has always been a part of Morris’ life. Born in Fort Worth, Texas, into a musical family, he used to sing with his twin sister, Carey, and appeared on Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour while in high school. A Nashville, Tenn., music producer heard him perform at President Jimmy Carter’s inauguration and started him on a country music career. It didn’t take long for Morris to get a record deal, rack up some hit records, and win a few industry awards. He showed another side of his talent on Broadway, starring with Linda Ronstadt in La Boheme and becoming the first American to take the lead role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. Morris has guest-starred on a few series, including CBS’s Designing Women and Mike Hammer. His concert at the Tretyakov Gallery in Russia was made into a PBS special.

Please settle a long-standing argument for me. My friend insists that Jessica Alba of the television show Dark Angel also starred in a movie called Dish Dogs a few years ago. I say otherwise. Who is right?
—Melissa C., Texas

You win. Shannon Elizabeth was the female lead in the 1998 movie Dish Dogs, starring Sean Astin and Matthew Lillard. But it’s easy to see why your friend was confused since the dark-haired beauties resemble each other. Jessica Alba’s show, Dark Angel, was canceled after two seasons on FOX. But the 21-year-old is already at work on other projects. The Sleeping Dictionary is scheduled for release sometime this year, and she’s slated to star in a film titled Honey. Alba is a native of Pomona, Calif., and is of French-Danish, Mexican-Indian, and Spanish heritage. Elizabeth, a Houston native, is the daughter of a Syrian and Lebanese
father and a mother of Cherokee heritage. Her credits include Scary Movie, American
Pie, and American Pie 2.

Rick Schroder always has been a favorite. What’s he been doing since NYPD Blue, and why did he leave the series?
—Kay S., California

After spending most of his life in front of the camera, Rick Schroder decided it was time to devote more time to his wife of 10 years, Andrea, and their children. They live on a 15,000-acre working ranch in Grand Junction, Colo., that the one-time child actor bought in 1990, after falling in love with the West while working on Lonesome Dove. A native of Staten Island, N.Y., Schroder started appearing in commercials when he was 3 months old. At just 9 years old, he won a Golden Globe award for his searing performance opposite Jon Voight in The Champ and went on to a successful NBC series, Silver Spoons, which ran for five seasons. He worked steadily while growing up. He decided he wanted to work on a series again and was chosen to replace the void left by Jimmy Smits on NYPD Blue. Schroder surprised everyone who still thought of him as a child actor, nailing the role and fitting right in with the gritty ABC cop show. After three seasons, with his wife pregnant with their fourth child, Schroder felt he was spending too much time away from his family and left the series.

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