Ask American Profile 9/6/2009

Gilles Marini, Joshua Morrow, William Boyd, Jessi Alexander

Q I miss watching Gilles Marini, who was paired with Cheryl Burke on Dancing With the Stars last season. He became such a good dancer. What is next for Gilles? Does he plan to continue dancing?
—Maryann Reilly, Live Oak, Fla.

"Yes, I plan to continue dancing," Marini says. "Right now, I can't because of a shoulder injury, but I will be back very soon. I love to dance." As far as what's next, Marini, 33, will be joining the cast of the ABC-TV series Brothers & Sisters as the love interest of Rachel Griffiths' character. "It is very exciting and challenging. There is so much talent in the cast, and I can't wait to be on set." And watch for him in a guest appearance on the upcoming season of FX's Nip/Tuck as Vanessa Redgrave's husband.


Q Is Joshua Morrow, who plays Nick Newman on The Young and the Restless, any relation to actor Vic Morrow, who used to star in the 1960s series Combat? Josh has the same killer smile as Vic.
—Connie Sprouse, Water Valley, Miss.

The Alaska-born Joshua Morrow, 35, who joined the cast of Y&R in 1994, is no relation to the late Vic Morrow. Vic, however, did have two daughters who followed him into the business, Carrie Ann Morrow and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Josh has been married for eight years and has three sons.


Q How did cowboy star William Boyd, famous as Hopalong Cassidy, die?
—Minnie M. Lee, Union Bridge, Md.

Boyd, who was born in Hendrysburg, Ohio, and grew up in Tulsa, Okla., died in 1972 at the age of 77 from complications of Parkinson's disease and heart failure. A silver-haired good guy who dressed in black and rode a white horse named Topper, Boyd transitioned from movies to TV in the 1950s. Since 1991, the Friends of Hoppy Fan Club has celebrated his life and career with a Hopalong Cassidy Festival in Cambridge, Ohio, near Boyd's birthplace.


Q I really like the Miley Cyrus song, "The Climb." Did she write it?
—Beth Rogers, Colorado Springs, Colo.

"The Climb," featured on the soundtrack of Hannah Montana: The Movie and voted best song from a movie at the 2009 MTV Music Awards, was written by Jon Mabe and Jessi Alexander. The tune was inspired by Alexander's own climb to find her way in the music industry. "The melody came to me as I was driving to write with Jon Mabe that day, and I instantly knew it was special," said Alexander, 32, a native of Jackson, Tenn. "When it came time to add lyrics, I just poured my heart and soul into it by channeling my own personal struggles and frustrations in the music business."

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