CelebSpice

While dozens of series stars and producers are lamenting dwindling audience numbers in these time of fragmenting viewership, Mark Harmon's "NCIS" has managed the seemingly impossible feat of increasing its audience numbers -- by more than 10 million from its first season to its current seventh season to date -- to become the most-watched scripted show on broadcast TV. Harmon is duly appreciative -- and quick to spread the credit around.
He feels the growth in the show's popularity is due in large part to the camaraderie shared by those who bring it to the tube, and says he's never seen a group who gets along so well with one another. Also, he says, there are a lot of laughs.
"You've got to have a thick skin to work here. This is a group who likes to have fun."
And work hard. There was a time, he says, when the series necessitated his putting in workdays of up to 19 hours. Eventually, he helped get those hours lowered. He says with a laugh that his wife (Pam Dawber) teased him, "My husband is the only actor who gets excited about now putting in 14-hour work days."
Far from tiring of "NCIS" after putting in more than six years, the nice-guy actor tells us he even enjoys making his daily trek out to the set. "With other jobs, I didn't look forward to the drive to work," he says, "but now I just want to get there and spend time with a production I like so much and a crew I am so fond of."
ON THE PERSONAL SIDE: Sexy 25-year-old Katharine McPhee admits the intensity of her career isn't always easy on her 21-month-old marriage to actor-producer Nick Cokas -- aka the man who got her to try out for "American Idol." But then, "Marriage is definitely not easy. I've never met anyone who said marriage was easy.
"He actually travels with me," adds the singer, who's been on a radio promo tour for her "Had it All" and "Say Goodbye" singles and upcoming "Unbroken" album. "I actually like him as well as love him; he's my best friend so it's great to have him around." As far as whether her hubby, who's nearly two decades older than she, ever gets jealous of all the male attention coming her way, the singer answers in the negative. "He's the most non-jealous type I've ever met. I say, 'OK, you can get a little jealous,' but he doesn't."
A stunning brunette, McPhee now looks amazing as a blond, and hot indeed in her "Had It All" video. "I'm having a blast," she says of experimenting with her look. "As a kid, I always loved trying out different things with my makeup and hair. I haven't been very daring on the hair side before. I never dyed it. I wanted to do something like this now before I'm too old and it's too late."
McPhee's album, on Verve Forecast, is due in January, and she will be going out on tour in support of it. Once she wraps her current radio rounds, she says she and Cokas (not hard on the eyes himself) will be spending comparatively quiet holiday time together. "Since next year looks like it's going to be busy, I'll try to get as much rest as possible."
WHEN ONE DOOR CLOSES...: Kim Raver says she didn't have to think twice about coming aboard "Grey's Anatomy" as heart surgeon Dr. Teddy Altman -- not only because she's a fan of the show, but also because she'd worked with creator Shonda Rhimes before and "I trusted her completely." Their prior collaboration was on a pilot called "Inside the Box," about Washington, D.C.-based broadcasters. "I played an on-camera journalist, really a great character -- a smart go-getter. I really thought it was a terrific pilot, seeing behind the scenes in this newsroom, following these stories and how they get them on the air," she says. "It's hard, sometimes; you try not to get attached, but you do. The cast, the writers -- everyone's giving it 100 percent of their best effort and then some. And then, when it doesn't get the go-ahead, you can't help feeling disappointed."
The former "24" and "Lipstick Jungle" actress has found she loves Teddy (a possible threat to the relationship of Sandra Oh's and Kevin McKidd's characters) at least as much, however. And the "Grey's" team. "My first day, people on the set kept talking about how cold it was and I said, 'Cold? I can't help sweating.' They all understood how I felt, though, and they were welcoming, which really helped my nerves," she says. "Sandra -- I think she is such a generous actress, and she's so funny. I'm lucky to be with her and Kevin and the show gang."
BEWITCHING: With a production start slated for later this month, casting of subsidiary roles is being completed for the Ashley Tisdale-Meg Ryan "Sleepless Beauty" Warner Bros. movie. It has "High School Musical" cutie Tisdale as a gal about to suffer the cruel fate of a really nasty insomnia spell cast to take effect on her 18th birthday by a bad femme named Katrinka. That's Ryan's role, the Wicked Witch of the West Side, this tale being told in contemporary New York. But shooting is set to start in Grand Rapids, Mich. No word yet on a handsome prince or facsimile thereof.
With reports by Emily-Fortune Feimster.

She’s always looking to use her fame for the benefit of others, and last night (September 29) Katharine McPhee was spotted at the Rock a Little Feed a Lot Benefit Concert in Los Angeles.

The “American Idol” alum looked absolutely fabulous as she arrived at the event, sporting a black zip-up vest overtop a grey blouse with skin-tight black trousers and black heels.

In related news, Katharine recently teamed up with fellow celebs Alyson Hannigan, Emily Deschanel, Minka Kelly, and Jaime King to spread the word about breast cancer checkups.

The fivesome of hotties filmed a humorous video for the Funny or Die website in which the paparazzi catch shots of them giving themselves breast exams at a sleepover.

Making the most of her time in the Big Apple, Katharine McPhee was a regular at the Mercedes-Benz IMG New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010 shows over the past few days.

Spotted out last night (September 17), the newly blonde beauty smiled for paparazzi as she attended both the Anna Taylor and Tommy Hilfiger runway shows.

As for her recently dyed blonde hairdo, Miss McPhee spoke with People magazine to explain the decision to lighten her locks.

“I have a record coming out in January called Unbroken,” she tells, “and I’ve been working on it for the last year and it’s been a big artistic development. It sort of felt like I was shedding skin, so I was literally shedding layers of hair.”

Showing off her new blonde hairdo, Katharine McPhee was spotted arriving at Hollywood's Rossevelt Hotel with her two tiny pooches on Wednesday (September 2).

The "American Idol" alum made the dramatic change of image just ahead of the upcoming release of her latest album, "Unbroken".

According to press reports, Miss McPhee "traveled between Los Angeles, Nashville and Boston to write and record "Unbroken," which was produced by John Alagia (John Mayer, Jason Mraz)."

Giving fans a taste of the new disc, Katharine's first single is titled "Had It All," which is described as "an upbeat and infectious song reflective of Katharine's evolving sound."

Making the most of some mild spring weather, Mena Suvari was spotted out and about in Los Angeles, California last night (June 15).

The “American Pie” hottie looked stylish as she strolled past the paparazzi, sporting a black blazer with a white shirt, dark trousers and black flats.

As for her film career, Ms. Suvari has been keeping herself plenty busy with a new project written and directed by Rob Hedden called “You May Not Kiss the Bride.”

And Mena has a fun cast to work with, as Vinnie Jones, Rob Schneider, Tia Carrere, and Katharine McPhee are all on board as well.

Katie Holmes spent her bank holiday Memorial Day honoring America's war veterans in Washington DC. The actress took part in the 20th annual PBS National Memorial Day Concert, where she and her All My Sons costar Dianne Wiest paid tribute to José Pequeño.

Pequeño, a US Staff Sergeant, was severely injured during a tour of duty in Iraq, and the actresses shared his story and that of his mother Nellie Bagley and his sister Elizabeth.

Sporting black capris, ballet flats, and a billowy black and blue blouse, a very stylish Holmes - without husband Tom Cruise and daughter Suri - was spotted on Saturday afternoon on the Capitol grounds rehearsing for the big event.
Holmes, portrayed Staff Sergeant Pequeño's sister Elizabeth opposite Wiest, who portrayed his mother Nellie, appeared emotional during her solemn reading but managed to smile brightly before leaving the stage - even giving one gentleman onstage a high-five. Other celebrities on hand for the star-studded concert included actors Laurence Fishburne, co-hosts Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna, and singer Katharine McPhee.

Continuing to pursue her acting career, Katharine McPhee was spotted filming her new flick “You May Not Kiss the Bride” on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu yesterday (March 16).

The American Idol alum looked to be having a great time with one particular scene in which her costar David Annable loses his board shorts and she waves them over her head to tease him.

In related news, Katharine is also looking forward to her appearance in an upcoming episode of “CSI: NY” airing this April.

She previously played herself on a 2007 episode of “Ugly Betty,” so her “CSI” gig will mark the first time she plays an actual character on TV.

Having convincingly cut up rough in Quantum Of Solace – and earned herself a Jameson Empire Awards Best Actress nomination – Olga Kurylenko is playing another vengeance-fuelled femme fatale, this time in Neil Marshall’s Centurion.

According to the script her character, Etain, is “a savage-looking Pict warrior woman” and you can judge the accuracy of the description yourself, by taking a gander at Empire’s exclusive picture of the erstwhile Bond girl in action.

Marshall dealt with military mayhem in Dog Soldiers, women forced to violence in The Descent and Scotland-set carnage in Doomsday and is combining all three in his fourth feature, a relentless action-adventure set in AD 117 (63 years before the events of Gladiator).

“Etain is kind of revenge incarnate,” says the writer/director, speaking to Empire exclusively on set. “Her family were butchered by the Romans, she had her tongue cut out by the Romans, she’s had a hell of a time and she’s out for Roman blood.”

“She’s quite furious,” agrees Kurylenko. “Because one sense is not there – she can’t speak – all the others are more developed. She sees very well and hears very well: she is an animal!”

Kurylenko stars alongside Hunger’s Michael Fassbender, who plays the title character, stranded behind enemy lines, and a superb roster of established and up’n’coming talent, including Dominic West, Noel Clarke, David Morrisey, JJ Feild and Riz Ahmed (soon to be seen in the rather excellent Brit-grit thriller Shifty, out April 24).

Centurion is being produced by Slumdog Millionaire Oscar-snaffler Christian Colson and Robert Jones (Run Fatboy Run) and Empire has visited its sets in both Scotland and Surrey and witnessed the action and intensity up close, so expect regular updates online and in the magazine, in the build up to its release (likely to be later this year).