Some Celebs Shouldn't Quit Their Day Jobs

In the golden era of Hollywood, the most sought-after stars were the ones who could act, sing and, hopefully, dance. A triple threat, they were called. And with most actors making their silver screen debuts after cutting their teeth on Broadway, being multitalented wasn't an issue.

But somewhere down the line, showbiz became more compartmentalized. Actors just needed to look good and portray characters well, and singers stuck to the recording studios and concert stages.

Having an extra talent became obsolete, and after a while, was frowned upon. Just look at how skeptical Americans are of the chart-topping success of "BayWatch's" David Hasslehoff and critics continue to snicker every time Madonna goes in front of a camera.

Now, however, things are coming full circle. Despite mediocre reviews, actress Jennifer Lopez' debut album is still topping the charts after a month in release. And artists like Brandy and Will Smith continue to dominate in both their acting and musical endeavors.

But expecting the public to accept the cross-over aspirations of certain stars can be a difficult order to fill. Take, for example, the little-known music career of action movie star Steven Seagal. The tough guy lent his supposed vocal talents to a Michael Jackson-sponsored benefit concert for needy children in Seoul South Korea this week.

The actor, who has already performed with Vince Gill, is reportedly in the finishing stages of his debut album. Just to help him out, here are some suggested titles: "Hard To Hear," "Excruciating Decision," "This Will Hurt Me More Than It Hurts You," and "Buy My CD, Or I'll Break Your Face."

Speaking of face-breaking, prize-winning boxer Oscar de la Hoya has parlayed a lyrical showing on a talk show into a record deal. Variety reports record labels have been courting the WBC welterweight champion since he belted a tune on Spanish-language show "Christina" last year.

EMI Latin is hoping the fighter's millions of fans worldwide will stay loyal through his multimillion-dollar, multi-year recording contract.

Movers And Shake-Ups

Maybe she just needed to relax after a grueling second season of "Ally McBeal," or maybe she's eaten enough sidewalk hot dogs and pretzels during her stint in New York to bolster her courage. Whatever the reason, GistTV said Calista Flockhart has agreed to appear on the "The Late Show With David Letterman" just months after she canceled a round of talk show appearances, presumably because she didn't want to answer questions about her rumored bout with anorexia. The waif-like actress is scheduled to be on the CBS gabfest July 1.

In case anyone was looking for a reason to go to war with Canada, a new study shows the U.S. lost $10.3 billion in potential revenue from U.S.-developed film and television productions that went abroad. Most of these "runaway" productions went to Canada. According to Variety, more than 20,000 full-time equivalent jobs were lost in 1998 because of this.

TV's Mary Richards and Rhoda Morgenstern are teaming up again for a reunion of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Variety reports a two-hour ABC movie will have Moore and Valerie Harper reprising their roles from the hit 1970-77 sitcom. The story, expected to air in spring, 2000, will pick up with the two friends 20 years later.

Where were you on May 4, 1964? That's the day "Another World" premiered on NBC and the citizens of the fictitious Bay City, Mich., came to life. After 35 years and 8,891 episodes, the daytime drama ended Friday to make room for the new soap "Passions."