By Cindy Elavsky
Q: I am a huge fan of the “Monty Python” actors. I was wondering what they have been up to lately? — Paulie H., via e-mail
A: The “Monty Python” gang recently reunited (except for the deceased Graham Chapman, who was represented in cardboard-cutout form) in New York City to celebrate their 40th anniversary and the release of their new documentary airing on IFC called “Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer’s Cut).” The gang reminisced about the old days and even credited the U.S. with saving the “Flying Circus.” Terry Jones explained: “There were no VCRs, no DVDs in those days. The BBC nearly wiped all of ’Monty Python’s Flying Circus’. We got a call one day from our video editor saying they were about to erase all the shows — the BBC had put them onto Phillips cassettes, the only thing we had at the time. In fact, the BBC would have wiped all the ’Python’ TV shows if they hadn’t suddenly sold them to the United States – so, thank you, the United States!”
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Q: Is actress Marla Sokoloff married? Does she have any kids? I really loved watching her on “The Practice.” — Dottie M., Portland, Maine
A: Marla just married longtime boyfriend, musician Alec Puro. She got plenty of practice in planning the wedding: She just filmed the Hallmark Channel original movie, “Flower Girl,” about a florist who provides all of the flowers and floral arrangements for weddings, among other occasions. The movie premieres Nov. 14, exactly one week after the actress marries in real life. Bu they almost didn’t have a lavish wedding, as Marla told me: “We almost eloped about six months ago, but we decided not to. I thought, I’m my mom’s only daughter and she really wants to be there, so we ended up not doing it. But it has gone through my mind many, many times.”
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Q: My sister said she heard that Jennifer Aniston has plans to return to television as a talk-show host. I think that’s preposterous — she’s doing great as a film actress and I don’t think she’d give that up for a talk show. Who’s correct? — Jessie K., Timonium, Md.
A: It would appear that you are correct. According to Jennifer’s representative, the actress has no plans to host a weekly talk show for Oprah Winfrey’s new cable channel, OWN (which stands for the Oprah Winfrey Network). The rep says these claims are “absolutely false.”
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Q: I think Brit comedian Ricky Gervais is absolutely hilarious. What does he have in the works? — Bobby H., via e-mail
A: Aside from having a few movies in production (“Flanimals” and “Cemetery Junction”), the thing I am most excited about was just announced. Ricky will be hosting the 67th annual Golden Globes awards on Jan. 17, 2010. We will finally have an awards ceremony that is guaranteed not to bore!
Have a question for Cindy? E-mail her at [email protected], or write to her in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. For more news, gossip and interviews, visit her Web site at www.celebrityextraonline.com. twitter.com/Celebrity_Extra
© 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.