It was a trial, but Orbach stayed in working order
IN HIS FINAL DAYS, Jerry Orbach refused to let cancer stop him from portraying Detective Lennie Briscoe on NBC’s new “Law & Order: Trial by Jury.” Orbach, who died of prostate cancer in December, continued to work even while getting chemotherapy every two weeks.
Executive producer Walon Green told TV Guide he needed to make some changes for Orbach’s final scene because the actor had weakened to the point where he could not speak in his normal voice.
“He was down to a whisper,” Green said. “So we had everybody else in the scene whisper.”
Green said the 69-year-old Orbach refused to be written out of scenes to lighten his workload.
“He was like the Energizer bunny,” Green said. “He wanted to keep going.”
“Law & Order: Trial by Jury” previews tonight at 10 before moving to its regular time slot on Friday at 10 p.m.
New old blood for ‘Housewives’
Bob Newhart will begin a multi-episode stint on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives” starting in April.
The 75-year-old actor-comedian will play the estranged boyfriend of Lesley Ann Warren, who’ll be guest starring as the mother of Teri Hatcher‘s character.
“I’m looking forward to being involved with one of the hottest shows on TV,” Newhart said Wednesday.
The highly rated series, which is on temporary hiatus, is scheduled to return March 27.
Remember Queen, queen?
Queen Elizabeth II met four of Britain’s most famous guitarists this week, asking them: “And what do you do?”
Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Queen’s Brian May all were guests at a Buckingham Palace party Tuesday to honor the British music industry.
“It’s great to meet her and it doesn’t matter at all that she did not know who we are or what we do,” Clapton said. “I wouldn’t expect her to.”
Coming soon: ‘Newlyweds: Charles & Camilla’
Speaking of British rockers and royals, Ozzy Osbourne has sent his congratulations to Prince Charles on his upcoming marriage to Camilla Parker Bowles.
In Sydney to host the first MTV Australia Video Music Awards, the former Black Sabbath lead singer turned reality show star called Charles a “mate” and said he should be allowed to marry Parker Bowles in peace.
“It’s his business, you know,” Osbourne said. “His first wife got killed so what’s he expected to do, be single for the rest of his life? If he likes her and she likes him or whatever, good luck on them.”
All that’s left is the remains
Meanwhile, the marriage between Rebecca Romijn and John Stamos is officially over, nearly a year after the couple announced they were separating following five years of wedded, um, whatever.
The ex-couple are keeping plenty busy: Romijn, 32, is filming “Man About Town” with Ben Affleck, while former “Full House” star Stamos, 41, has a new TV comedy coming later this month, “Jake in Progress.”
The birthday bunch
Actor James Doohan (“Star Trek”) is 85. Actress Hattie Winston (“Becker”, “The Electric Company”) is 60. Singer Jennifer Warnes is 58. Actor-director Tim Kazurinksy is 55. Singer-guitarist Robyn Hitchcock is 52. Actress Miranda Richardson is 47. Rapper Tone-Loc is 39. Country singer Brett Warren (The Warren Brothers) is 34. Actor David Faustino (“Married … With Children”) is 31. Actress Jessica Biel (“7th Heaven”) is 23.