people and celebrities

It takes a certain kind of actor to look right on a motorcycle. Over the years, the majority of TV and movie stars have looked as if they don't know what they're doing when they straddle a bike -- and some actors who became famous playing a motorcycle-riding character always looked out of place.

Award-winning actress Chandra Wilson, 39, of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," trades in her stethoscope as Dr. Miranda Bailey for life on the streets as a homeless woman in Hallmark Channel's original movie "An Accidental Friendship," which airs 9 p.m. EST Saturday. The film is based on a true story about a policewoman who befriends a homeless woman.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- "Life on Mars" star Jason O'Mara's time has come.After either playing short-term roles in prime-time shows or being the lead in series with no future, O'Mara has landed one of the plum parts of the fall: playing time-displaced cop Sam Tyler in ABC's version of the British hit series.

Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi is the chairwoman for the American Lung Association's Christmas Seals campaign to prevent lung disease and promote lung health. She is currently doing public service announcements about the serious health risks of getting the flu and the importance of flu shots.

Turns out, "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau made the right call.All the newspapers that accepted Trudeau's cartoons for this week depicting Barack Obama winning the presidency -- delivered a week before the election results would actually be known -- get to look like visionaries for publishing an artist ahead of the curve.

Stopping in Phoenix recently to promote "Role Models," Seann William Scott was in a contemplative mood.In a phone interview, he said he's more relaxed now after years of straining to avoid being typecast."I've made really calculated decisions and decided that I'm not that effective in certain movies," Scott said.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is ravenous. He had flown into Toronto the day before from London, where he's directing a play. The tricky task at hand is to chat up "Synecdoche, New York," Charlie Kaufman's new movie, which is as difficult to understand as it is to pronounce.

Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong burned a niche in American culture before their comedy team went up in smoke in 1985.They first worked together in a Vancouver, British Columbia, nightclub in 1968 and forged a counterculture union that resonated with anti-establishment audiences.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- "House" co-star Kal Penn is finding TV work to be a bit of a mystery."The challenge seems to be that you don't know anything about the character as you play them," the 31-year-old Penn says."That's the exact opposite from working on a film, where you have the entire script to tell you about who you're playing."

Actress Paula Marshall figures she's giving ex-wives a good name on the new comedy "Gary Unmarried" (8:30 p.m. EST Wednesdays, CBS)."Ex-wives are going to love me," says the 44-year-old star, an ex-wife herself. "I'm not going to play her as the snotty, obnoxious, bitter ex-wife."