By Cindy Elavsky
Q: I was watching “Friday Night Lights” a few weeks ago, and could have sworn that one of the co-stars was Detective Larry Zito from “Miami Vice” back in the ’80s. Was it him? What has he been up to since leaving “Miami Vice”? — Tommy D., via e-mail
A: John Diehl, 60, has been working VERY steadily since leaving the trendsetting police drama back in 1987. Most recently he portrayed Richard Sherman on “FNL.” He also has starred/guest-starred on: “L.A. Law,” “The John Larroquette Show,” “Nash Bridges,” “JAG,” “The West Wing,” “Cold Case” and “Point Pleasant.” He also just wrapped two feature films, “Road to Nowhere” and “Natural Selection.”
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Q: I know Alicia Witt of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” also was in the movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” Was she also the little girl in “Dune”? — Cate S., via e-mail
A: This beautiful film and TV star did indeed get her break in showbiz in the 1984 David Lynch sci-fi fantasy, “Dune,” with Kyle MacLachlan and Sting. The 34-year-old actress also has appeared in “Vanilla Sky,” “The Upside of Anger,” “88 Minutes” and “Friday Night Lights,” to name a few.
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Q: I have been a lifelong fan of the Osmonds. I know that two of the brothers, Virl and Tom, are deaf. My mom told me Merrill’s son is deaf as well. Can you tell me about him? — Paula F., Harrisburg, Pa.
A: Justin Osmond, Merrill’s son, was born with severe hearing loss, but can now hear with the help of hearing aids. Justin is the public-relations coordinator/spokesman for the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which has provided more than 440,000 hearing aids to underprivileged children in the U.S. and other parts of the world.
Justin told me about an instance of providing the gift of hearing to a young child that has stuck with him: “I remember one little girl in particular who changed my life forever. She was just absolutely filled with joy when she realized she could hear. Her mother told me with all the sincerity in her heart: ’I love my daughter so much. And now she can hear me tell her that I love her.’
“And then she said something that I’ll never forget: ’Justin, I hope you never measure your life by the days you have lived but by the smiles you have left behind.’” For information on how you can help, go to starkeyhearingfoundation.org.
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Q: I watched a movie on SyFy a while back called “Brave New World” with Leonard Nimoy. I can’t find it anywhere and would love to see it again. — Robyn D. in Florida
A: I found a few out-of-print VHS copies of the 1998 remake of the classic book by Adolph Huxley on amazon.com, as well as a PAL DVD version on eBay. There are a few out there, but you’ll have to pay a pretty penny to get your hands on one. Good luck!
Write to Cindy at King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475; or e-mail her at [email protected]. For more news and extended interviews, visit www.celebrityextraonline.com and twitter.com/Celebrity_Extra.
© 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.