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John Michael Montgomery, Mariska Hargitay, Wally Brown, Charles Durning

John Michael Montgomery’s Letters from Home just kills me. What can you tell me about the song?
—Brent B., California

Tony Lane and David Lee wrote the song, which focuses on the personal story of one soldier’s reactions to love and war. "I think it brings a more human element to the soldiers," Montgomery says. "We don’t just have an army in Iraq, we have people there and they aren’t just name tags. That’s what I really liked about the song." A native of Danville, Ky. (pop. 15,477), Montgomery, 39, is known for hits such as I Swear and I Can Love You Like That. He and his wife, Crystal, live outside of Lexington, Ky., with their two children.

Could you give me some information on Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Is she related to Mickey Hargitay?
—Anita C., Florida

Mariska Hargitay is indeed the daughter of movie icon Jayne Mansfield and bodybuilder-turned-actor Mickey Hargitay, who appeared in an episode of his daughter’s TV series last year. The Los Angeles-born Mariska survived the 1967 car crash that killed Mansfield. Just 3 years old at the time, she has only vague memories of her famous mother. She’s remained close to her dad, who took her around the world, including to his native Hungary, when she was growing up. "He was so not Hollywood. Yeah, he was an actor, but he took jobs in spaghetti Westerns just so we could spend summers in Italy," she says. Hargitay recently married Peter Hermann, who plays Trevor Langan on Law & Order: SVU.

My mother’s cousin, Wally Brown, was a comic and actor many years ago. Can you list some of his old movies? I would like to view them.
—William M., New Hampshire

You’ll need a long nap if you watch them all! Brown, sometimes credited as Wallace Brown, was born in Malden, Mass. (pop. 56,340), on Oct. 8, 1904, and died in 1961 after making 44 movies. Among his most famous: The Absent Minded Professor, The Left Handed Gun, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious. Brown also enjoyed at least 20 notable appearances in television series, including Perry Mason, Make Room for Daddy, I Married Joan and Wanted: Dead or Alive, in which he served up drinks behind the bar. Some film buffs may remember him as half of the comedy team Brown and Carney.

Here Comes Santa Claus

Playing Santa has become familiar territory for actor Charles Durning, who dons the red suit for the fourth time in A Boyfriend for Christmas, which airs at 9 p.m. ET Nov. 27 on the Hallmark Channel. "He's every child's dream, including my own, and he's what happiness is at that time of the year," Durning, 81, says. He also was Santa in the movies It Nearly Wasn't Christmas, Mrs. Santa Claus, Elmo Saves Christmas and Mr. St. Nick. "Sometimes it's a much deeper beard," he says. "You could hide a squirrel in there." The father of three lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Mary Ann. He was raised in Highland Falls, N.Y. (pop. 3,678), near the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. "We had all the benefits of West Point," he says. "The coaches would train you in running and track." Before World War II, Durning taught ballroom dancing and sang with big bands. During the war, the highly decorated Army ranger took part in the 1944 invasion of Normandy and was injured in the Battle of the Bulge in Malmady, France. His next movie, Forget About It, also stars Burt Reynolds and Ann-Margret. "It's very funny," he says.

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