Ask American Profile 9/7/2008

Q I really enjoyed Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt going to work together again?
—William Myers, Mount Olive, N.C.

The buzz in Hollywood is that Jolie, 33, recently on the big screen in Wanted, and husband Pitt, 44, are being considered to star in the movie Atlas Shrugged, which is scheduled to begin filming later this year. But the most important project for the couple right now is caring for their newborn twins, Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, born July 12.

Q: Who was the so-called “Duke of Paducah”?
—Chuck Sanders, Englewood, Fla.

Country comedian Benjamin Francis “Whitey” Ford, a native of Desoto, Mo., was dubbed “The Duke of Paducah” while appearing on a radio show in the 1930s. With a career that spanned three decades, he was a member of The Grand Ole Opry, hosted his own television show and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1986, just a few months after his death. His vast collection of American humor was purchased in the 1970s by the producers of the TV series Hee Haw, where many of his jokes were recycled for a new generation.

Q: Who was the so-called “Duke of Paducah”?
—Chuck Sanders, Englewood, Fla.

Country comedian Benjamin Francis “Whitey” Ford, a native of Desoto, Mo., was dubbed “The Duke of Paducah” while appearing on a radio show in the 1930s. With a career that spanned three decades, he was a member of The Grand Ole Opry, hosted his own television show and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1986, just a few months after his death. His vast collection of American humor was purchased in the 1970s by the producers of the TV series Hee Haw, where many of his jokes were recycled for a new generation.

Q Who plays Titan on American Gladiators? Is it the same actor who was Zack on Saved by the Bell? They look alike.
—Doris Goetz, Manns Choice, Pa.

Mike O’Hearn, 39, the holder of four Mr. Universe titles and a cover model for Topaz romance novels, is now known as Titan on American Gladiators. Mark-Paul Gosselaar, who played Zack Morris on Saved by the Bell in the early 1990s, bleached his hair blond for the part, which might explain why you see a resemblance. These days, Gosselaar, 34, is back to his natural brown locks, as you’ll see on the upcoming TNT series Raising the Bar.

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