CELEBRITY ROLL CALL: Guess Who’s Coming To ‘Dancing!’

Your Daily Dispatch of Celebrity Shenanigans by Tommy Vergason

May 2, 2007

THIS BUTTERFLY GETS READY TO STING: Laila Ali has emerged as a major competitior on “Dancing With the Stars,” having wowed the judges the past two weeks with her graceful moves on the dance floor. While she is seemingly neck-and-neck with fellow contestant Joey Fatone as the front-runner at this point, she may have something up her sleeve to help her tip the scales: a visit to the show from her world famous father. A source close to Ali indicates to Access Hollywood that boxing legend Muhammad Ali will be on hand Monday night to cheer his daughter on for the next round of performances. According to the source, Laila is hoping that a visit from her dad will help to raise her profile among voters, getting her one step closer to the win, which she is said to want very badly. Laila spoke to Access of her father a couple weeks ago, saying, “He’s definitely watching. He watches every week and he’s like, ‘you make me proud, I didn’t know you could dance like that, I didn’t know you could move like that.’” And now he’ll get the chance to see his daughter “move” in person.

More Celebrity Scoop After the Video!

ONE ‘UGLIER’ SENSATION : While Laila Ali is dancing, another ABC personality looks to be dancing and singing. E! ONLINE’s MARC MALKIN reports that America Ferrera and the rest of her “Ugly Betty” cast are preparing to do a musical episode of the quirky hit show. “We’ve been begging for a musical episode since episode one,” Ferrera reportedly said at last night’s “Ugly Betty” panel discussion at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in Hollywood. Executive producer Marco Pennette indicated that Ferrera would be granted her wish, reportedly saying, “Yes, we’re working on it.”

ROSEANNE’S VIEW CHANGING? : As ACCESS HOLLYWOOD reported last Wednesday, Roseanne Barr has been rumored to be a potential replacement for Rosie O’Donnell as co-host of “The View.” While she had said on “Larry King Live” that she was “not looking for the job,” it seems she may have changed her tune a bit. PEOPLE reports on an interview Roseanne did on KVVU-TV in Las Vegas on Monday, in which the outspoken comedian and actress reportedly said, “I’d love it. Yeah, definitely. I think I would do a real good job,” adding that she’d “stir up some real good controversy” if she were to assume the position. She reportedly reiterated, however, that she has not been approached by the show’s producers.

LUCY’S NOMADIC LIFE: “Charlie’s Angels” and “Kill Bill” star Lucy Liu returns to the big screen this week in the romantic comedy “Watching the Detectives,” but she reportedly tells THE NY POST’s CINDY ADAMS that her personal life is not all that romantic. Liu reportedly says that her life is dedicated solely to work these days: “I just press on and keep focused. A picket fence is not in the picture right now. For now, I live on both coasts or wherever the work is. I don’t even have a wardrobe — I live in shirts and jeans. All my fancy clothes are on loan. I take them off, and very soon somebody takes them away. My life today? It’s carrying my bag and putting it down on some set.” Liuappeared recently on an episode of “Ugly Betty.”

FROM ‘BAYWATCH’ TO THE BALLET: Pamela Anderson is filled to the brim with romance, according to THE NY DAILY NEWS’ BEN WIDDICOMBE. Pam has reportedly been taking in the sights of Russia with her boyfriend, David Binn, of the San Diego Chargers. The pair reportedly visited the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and attended the ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre. “He’s exactly how I wanted my man to be,” Pam reportedly told OK! magazine on her trip. “He’s very strong and very calm. I am such a crazy person, and with Dave, I can relax.” Pamela, the mother of two, reportedly adds, “David loves kids.”

‘SPIDER-MAN’ SPINS AN INTERNATIONAL WEB: As Pamela is traipsing through Russia, Spider-Man is storming the rest of Asia. VARIETY reports that “Spider-Man 3” has already broken records in all eight of the Asian territories it has premiered in, including Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The film also drew the biggest ever opening day of any film in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. With over 70 more international territories launching the movie this week, on top of its domestic launch on 4,253 theaters (the widest North American opening of all time) on Friday, “Spider-Man 3” is poised to kick the summer movie season into high gear.

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