Danny Gokey finished in the Top 3 at American Idol in May. He wrapped the Idol tour in September, and moved to Nashville the next day! Now, he’s hard at work on his first album, to be released next year. I caught up with him at Sony’s Nashville headquarters today. Gokey has a gospel background but decided to pursue country when Idol guest mentor Randy Travis told him, “I think you’d be great in the genre. The fans would love you.” So far, the feeling is mutual. Gokey says he loves Nashville because, “It’s like one big family here.” A year ago, he lived in Wisconsin and worked as a church musical director. Now he’s attending tonight’s CMA awards and says he’s not quite used to the spotlight. He says he still gets nervous at big red carpet events, but “I think that’s a good thing, it keeps me on my game.” Tonight I’ll be on my game, working the CMA red carpet and keeping an eye out for Gokey, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift and all of country’s biggest stars!

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Sesame Street celebrates its 40th anniversary Tuesday. FOX News visited every kid’s favorite neighborhood to chat with Elmo, Grover and Abby Cadabby. It was great to get a behind-the-scenes look at the people who bring these furry friends to life. Our cameraman had to be very careful not to show too much – we didn’t want to ruin the Elmo mystique for any young fans! Speaking of young fans, I prepared for the interview by getting question suggestions from my nieces and nephews. And of course, I couldn’t help but mention my “research team” to Abby Cadabby, Grover and Elmo:

The characters all told me that they love to learn. Abby Cadabby told me, “”The thing about learning, it happens all the time in every single moment.” Grover proudly told me he can count to 20. And Elmo said, “Elmo loves to learn. It’s really cool!” Sesame Street Executive Producer Carol-Lynn Parente says education has been the top priority since the start, but, “The methods we’ve used to teach the curriculum, the ABCs and 123s, that’s changed a lot over the years.”

Sesame Street also focuses on current concerns, such as obesity, with segments on healthy eating. The show has had its criticisms through the years, from this recent report, all the way back to its inception. Parente tells FOX, “If you look at those early years of Sesame Street, there was lots of concern that we were creating short attention spans in kids because the show was so fast-paced, because it was modeled after commercials and advertising. But if you watch those shows now, they look so slow-paced.” Parente also tells me that since the show has been around for so long, some of its original viewers are now parents and even grandparents, who can enjoy Sesame Street again with the little ones in their lives. The best part of our visit — I now have the answer to the age-old question, “Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?”.

Reporting from Sesame Street: FOX News Crew Jill, Ravelle, Brian & Rich

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The rollout of horror film “Paranormal Activity” has been called the “marketing story of the year” by The New York Times. The ultra-low-budget film cost about $15,000 to make. Early studio estimates show it raked in about 7 million dollars over the weekend.

“Paranormal Activity” has been marketed more as an “experience” than anything else, with the trailer mainly showing terrified moviegoers reacting to scenes, rather than the scenes themselves.
Ad Age credits part of the success with “letting consumers play distribution chief,” rather than studio executives.

It originally played in college towns with midnight shows only. But the film’s website added a feature to allow fans to request the movie be shown in their area. Demand grew for the “Paranormal Activity,” leading it to open nationwide Friday. The online buzz also included chatter about the film on social networking sites such as Twitter.

“Paranormal Activity” is being compared to another small budget film with huge box office returns, “The Blair Witch Project.” That film was made for about $25,000 in 1999. Since then, it has banked more than 140 million dollars.

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There are several celebrity scandals breaking this week, and I’ve got the latest for you on Fox News Radio and right here on the web!

Kate Gosselin of "Kate Plus Eight"

My daily radio entertainment wrap-up, “The Daily Dobson,” is focused today on TLC network’s top-rated show, “Jon and Kate Plus Eight.”

The network announced today that the show will drop Jon Gosselin from the title.  The reality show will now be known simply as “Kate Plus Eight,” and will mainly feature Kate Gosselin and the couple’s twins and sextuplets, with occasional appearances from Jon.

Roman Polanski’s recent arrest in Switzerland on a 1977 statutory rape case – and his battle against extradition to the US – is another story we’re covering on Fox News Radio.  This topic also led to heated discussions on the Strategy Room Entertainment Hour.

Jill Zarin of the “Real Housewives of New York” joined the panel and debated all the hot topics with us today.  She also dished on meeting Kate Gosselin recently and called Kate “cold as ice.”  Celeb feud alert!

Jill Zarin of "Real Housewives of New York"

Tune into the Strategy Room Entertainment Hour LIVE weekdays 12-1et and stay tuned to Fox News Radio for all the latest news from Hollywood and beyond.  And, as always, we want to hear from you.

Click “comments” below and share your thoughts on Polanski, Jon and Kate, The Real Housewives and more!

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The Emmys are known as “TV’s Biggest Night,” but the red carpet also makes for one of fashion’s biggest nights. As your favorite TV stars walk the red carpet, fashion stylist Hitha Prabhakar takes notes.

Heidi Klum

BEST DRESSED

Prabhakar tells me the very pregnant reality host nominee Heidi Klum is “a winner” in her Marchesa gown. Us Weekly’s Fashion Director Sasha Charnin Morrison adds Klum is “having her 4th child and she looks that good. What a pro!”

Blake Lively

Morrison calls presenter Blake Lively “sexy, hot, fierce” in Versace. And Noelle Watters of FNC Imag loves Olivia Wilde of “House,” also in Marchesa.

Olivia Wilde

WORST DRESSED

Melora Hardin

Watters gives “The Office” actress Melora Hardin worst-dressed honors for “looking like a lemon meringue.” Both Watters and Morrison put Tina Fey in the worst-dressed category. Morrison calls Fey’s black gown “a downer.”

Tina Fey

And Prabhakar gives the worst-dressed award to reality host nominee Padma Lakshmi of “Top Chef.” Prabhakar didn’t think the dress was right for Emmy night – especially if Lakshmi had won. “She could’ve potentially gone on stage with that atrocity,” says Prabhakar. (That possible sartorial crisis was averted, though, when Jeff Probst of “Survivor” won the Emmy for reality competition host.)

Padma Lakshmi

For all your style and celebrity scoop, catch the Strategy Room Entertainment Hour weekdays at 12-1et.  And, as always, we want to hear from you. Click “comments” and tell us whether you agree with our fashionistas!

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Season 5 of the comedy “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” hits F/X tonight. To celebrate, the Paddy’s Pub crew thrilled fans of the show last night at New York’s Beacon Theater with a performance of last season’s memorable musical episode, “The Nightman Cometh.”

Photo courtesy Patrick McElhenney

Cast member Danny DeVito says this season, the show will tackle the recession and the Bernie Madoff headlines. DeVito’s character, Frank, is the father figure to the rest of the gang. When economic woes hit Paddy’s Pub, his character helps out. “So I dig into my secret capital,” says DeVito, “And I keep them afloat. But I got hit hard by a Ponzi scheme guy. So it affects everybody.”

The gang also gets into WWE-style wrestling – for a good cause. The characters aim to entertain the troops, but something tells me their USO tour won’t go smoothly. Star Glenn Howerton, who plays egocentric Dennis, gives me the scoop: 

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” premieres on F/X tonight at 10pm.

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Kanye West has apologized for interrupting Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards.  Click here for more on West’s outburst.

Despite West’s apology, some music fans don’t seem ready to forgive him just yet.  Many are speaking out on social networking sites this morning.  In fact, each of the top ten trending topics on Twitter is related to West’s outburst.  In my search of the comments on Twitter and Facebook, it appeared the vast majority are outraged.

On Facebook, Jenny Smith-Davids writes, “Kanye needs to take a step back. When he wins a VMA then he can have the stage. Taylor Swift is incredibly gifted (as is Kanye) but this time the VMA was awarded to Taylor and he showed no respect. Booo Kanye – you just lost a fan.”

On Twitter, a user with the handle GOPMommy writes: “Another classless Kanye move.”

And a Twitter user known as Floobernino says, “What Kanye did was inappropriate but he has a history of this type of behavior so none of us should be surprised by this.”

What do YOU think about the incident?  Did 19-year-old Taylor Swift handle it well?  What do you think motivated Kanye West to take the mic from Swift?  Is this just part of the craziness that always surrounds the VMAs? Click “comments” below and share your thoughts.

We’ll also discuss this topic today on Strategy Room – tune in online 12-1et at http://bit.ly/fxfxfx and join the conversation!

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“Revolution” is one of 45 songs on “The Beatles: Rock Band” game hitting stores today.  Many in the gaming industry are hoping the Beatles will revolutionize how video games are played!  Creators hope game-loving teens and Beatles-loving parents will strum along to the Fab Four songs together.

Getting parents to pick up the game is key, since the biggest gamers — teenage boys — might not know much about the biggest band of the British Invasion.  Remember American Idol contestant David Archuleta during Lenon-McCartney week last year?  The then-17 year old failed to wow the judges with his rendition of “We Can Work it Out.”  He explained that he wasn’t too familiar with the Beatles, but did know the Stevie Wonder version of the song!  Of course, shows like American Idol are introducing Beatles song to a new generation of potential fans … which game distributor Electronic Arts is probably very happy about.

The Fab Four tell us “All You Need is Love.” But to play this game, you also need a console, microphone, a plastic guitar and drum set!   The console can sell for up to $300 dollars — it’s another $250 for a package with the game and instruments.  If fans actually shell out for all that, it could mean a boost to the video game industry.  Total sales for hardware and software are down about 30% from last year.

We want to hear from you.  Click “comments” below and tell us:

• Are you a Beatles fan?
• Do you play many video games?
• Will you pick up this game?
• And, if you don’t mind … are you closer in age to Paul McCartney or David Archuleta?

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I sat down with Renée Zellweger this week to talk about her role as a 1950s-era mother in “My One and Only.”  In the film, her character embarks on a cross-country road trip with her two sons, Robbie and George.  The story is loosely based on the life of actor George Hamilton.  Hamilton says he actually cried when he saw Zellweger’s portrayal of this mother on the bigscreen.  “I felt like I was there,” he told me, “With my mother.”

Zellweger told me she loved “everything” about working on the period piece.  “It was so much fun. The clothes, the styling, the houses, the car.  Oh, the car.”  Zellweger had much more to say about the Cadillac in the film (and not all of it positive)!  Watch the clip below to hear for yourself:

As you can see on the clip, Zellweger was very cheerful and full of laughs.  She was a joy to interview from the moment I arrived.  In fact, here’s a behind-the-scenes moment that you won’t see on TV:  She kept complimenting me on my black wrap dress, and asked if it was Diane von Furstenberg.  I couldn’t remember the designer, and she kept asking, so finally I turned around so she could peek at the tag.   Once that was settled, we started the interview.  After we finished discussing the movie, I thanked her and left the room.  Just as I walked out the door, I heard her say to her stylist, “White House/Black Market, we have to go there.  I liked that dress.”  I never, ever thought an Oscar winner would be taking fashion notes from me.  She probably knew I was within earshot and was just being nice, but it still made for a memorable moment.  Thanks, Renee!

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Liam Neeson talks to Jill Dobson and shooter Paul Alvarez

Neeson spoke to the press about his new film, “Five Minutes of Heaven.” The film was shot in his native Northern Ireland. He told me he left Ireland about 30 years ago, and said returning there to shoot this film, “was very emotional for me, on a lot of levels.”

The film focuses on violence between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland during the 1980s. A heavy topic, but Neeson brightened up a bit when I asked whether we might soon see him star in a sequel to his recent blockbuster “Taken.” Watch the clip to see his response, and to hear more about his other projects:

Neeson has been a widower since March, when Richardson died following a skiing accident. The couple have two sons. When an AP reporter asked Neeson’s idea of “Five Minutes of Heaven,” he said being with his sons and said he’s “kind of living it at the moment.”

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America’s highest-rated show must go on—without Paula Abdul.  Abdul says she’s sad to leave and will miss “nurturing all the new talent.”  Idol executives issued a statement noting, “She’s a tremendous talent and we wish her the best.” 

 Today, fans are reacting to the news.  On Twitter, one American Idol fan says “I hope she will change her mind.”  Another says, “I’ll miss her but it won’t be as devastating as losing Simon for example, he’s more crucial.”

 Alex Ben Block, a contributing editor to The Hollywood Reporter, tells me, “Paula is the sympathetic face of the show, a good balance to Simon.”  But Block expects Idol to remain the highest-rated show on television, even without Abdul.  He says he believes people tune in for two things: the competition and to hear what judge Simon Cowell will say.

 What do YOU think of Paula Abdul’s decision to leave American Idol?  Click “comments” and share your thoughts.  For more on Abdul’s departure, check out the video clip below.

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Meryl Streep in "Julie and Julia"

Meryl Streep channels ‘The French Chef’ Julia Child on the bigscreen this weekend in “Julie and Julia.”  The two-time Academy Award winner (and 15-time nominee!) tells me she loves a good meal with good company.  Streep also says she doesn’t understand the appeal of cooking competition shows.

 “I just think that sports basically has ruined everything,” says Streep, “Certainly movies.  And now cooking. So everything’s a competition to get to the finish line or to achieve some numerical score. I can’t think of anything less quantifiable than a wonderful meal with friends.”

Even more delicious, to co-stars Amy Adams and Chris Messina, is Streep’s transformation into the towering TV chef with the trilling voice.

“We did this table read,” says Messina, “And she came the first day with the wig and these high heels that make her taller. She had the accent, the voice, and she was Julia from the first day.”

 Adams adds, “She was able to bring the essence of Julia, the voice of Julia, without ever feeling like it was an impersonation.”

Watch the clip for yourself to see Meryl as Julia – and hear what the Oscar winner says about marriage, her inspirations and more.

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Camera 1: Guests Brooke Hogan, Mattie Roberts. Camera 2: Host Jill Dobson

Brooke Hogan joined Strategy Room today to talk about her new album, “Redemption,” her famous father, Hulk Hogan, and her feud with her mother Linda.

The singer and star of Vh1 reality show “Brooke Knows Best” told us her mother called her a liar and bashed Brooke’s music career.  In response, Brooke wrote the scathing song “Dear Mom.”  In it, Brooke addresses Linda with lines like, “selfish… you mistreated your own kids.”  Brooke also told us she’s still very close with her father, and shared some funny stories about the Hulk’s overprotectiveness.

Brooke visited the Strategy Room Entertainment Hour on our first day on a new set.  I’m including a photo of the set, just as the show was starting, as well as a photo of the monitor in the new control room.  I don’t know why it says “prompter” on the screen (above) – I guarantee you there’s no prompter or script of any kind on Strategy Room!  Any of our regular viewers will back me up – it’s a very loose format!

Producer Joshua Belsky welcomes Brooke Hogan

Check out Strategy Room LIVE weekdays 9am-5pmET online here. Every hour brings a different host and panel of guests – and the noon eastern hour is all about entertainment.  Click on soon and join the fun!

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Emma Watson and Rupert Grint on the press line

Famous fans, screaming onlookers and the incredibly polite cast of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” all converged at the Ziegfeld theatre tonight for the film’s North American premiere.  Daniel Radcliffe (also known as Harry Potter) arrived early, signed autographs and gave thoughtful interviews to all the TV crews.  Cast members including Emma Watson (Hermione), Rupert Grint (Ron), Bonnie Wright (Ginny) and Tom Felton (Draco) all told us they had lots of laughs working together on the set.  Several cast members described how weird it is to have romantic scenes with each other in this film!  Diane Sawyer told me she loves Harry Potter because we all want a bit of magic in our lives.  We captured a great moment on tape when I interviewed Kelsey Grammer.  The crew next to me was interviewing Daniel Radcliffe, but when Radcliffe noticed Grammer, he starting telling Grammer repeatedly, “I’m such a fan.”  Radcliffe then greeted Grammer’s young daughter, who looked so happy she could cry.  Very sweet.  

Marcia Gay Harden and two young wizards

Marcia Gay Harden, recent Tony award winner for her role in the Broadway play “God of Carnage,” brought her daughter and a friend — dressed as wizards — to the premiere.  Then Harden had to hurry to the theater for tonight’s performance of “God of Carnage” — the show must go on!  

Daniel Radcliffe works the red carpet

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I hit the social networking sites to ask people if they’ll be watching the Michael Jackson memorial. On Facebook, Tenzin writes:

he’s a pop god i would surely have attended the concert if i could … but i can only watch it on tv …

The memorial is on TV today, including LIVE coverage on FOX News hosted by Shepard Smith. But for those who aren’t near a TV today, we’re also streaming live right here on FoxNews.com. I’ll be covering the memorial itself and the lead-up to it from 12-2pmET on Strategy Room. Reporters Anita Vogel and Adam Housley are covering the expected family funeral and the public memorial in Los Angeles for Fox News, and may also be joining us with live reports on Strategy Room. At 2pm, I’ll head over to FOX News Radio, where I’ll join host Todd Starnes to discuss the performances, the attendees, and more. We’ll be sure to discuss the cost of today’s events, which has some fans very concerned. On Twitter, Jeff writes:

Label me a fan, but this thing about taxpayers paying for the funeral security is off the wall.

And others say they aren’t fans of Jackson at all, but will still check out today’s memorial. On Facebook, Jeffry writes:

I may watch it out of curiosity because it’s demanding so much attention. If I were out there and if I had a ticket I might attend because it’s an historic event not because I’m a Michael Jackson fan.

Will you be watching today’s coverage? If so, is it because it’s become such a huge news story, because you’re a fan, or for another reason? We want to hear from you. Click “comments” below and share your thoughts.

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Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon in 1989

Fans and fellow celebrities are celebrating the life of legendary television personality Ed McMahon, who passed away early this morning.

He may have been best known for his resounding introduction of Johnny Carson on the “Tonight Show.” When I interviewed him at a film premiere in July 2007, he worked MY name into his famous catchphrase, saying “Herrrrrrre’s Jillly!” into the microphone. What an honor! He was friendly and generous throughout our interview, and I truly enjoyed meeting him.

Those who knew him much better than me are sharing their memories today. Doc Severinsen, “Tonight Show” bandleader during the Carson era, said in a statement today, “He was one of the greats in show business, but most of all he was a gentleman.”

McMahon’s publicist, Howard Bragman, tells Fox News Channel that fans should remember the highlights of McMahon’s “wonderful life.” Among them, working as an announcer on the Jerry Lewis telethon, hosting “Star Search,” and laughing along with Dick Clark on “TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes.”

In addition to his long list of career accomplishments, McMahon will be remembered for his upbeat spirit. As he told Fox in an interview last October, “The best thing I say is to try to look to a brighter sunrise. Tomorrow’s going to be a better day. Feel that way, live that way, and do your job that way.”

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NKOTB's Joey McIntyre with Jill Dobson

I’m backstage with Joey McIntyre and the rest of The New Kids on the Block!  They were the Jonas Brothers of their day… beloved by throngs of screaming preteens in the late 80s and early 90s.  These days, the fans are more composed (and all grown up)… but they tell me they are just as excited as ever to catch the group on their Full Service Summer Tour.

Twenty-two-year-old Jesse McCartney is opening for the group, after previous tours with FloRida, Fergie and Jordin Sparks.  He tells me this is a different audience than he’s used to. “It’s a nostalgic crowd, really,” says McCartney.  “There are a lot of women in their 30s.”  Come backstage with Danny, Donnie, Jordan, Jonathan and Joey!  Click here:

The New Kids on the Block will bring “The Right Stuff” to another 18 cities nationwide before their tour wraps next month.

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Demonstrators protest David Letterman

As fans of David Letterman’s “Late Show” lined up for tonight’s taping, protesters gathered across the street chanting “Fire Dave!  Fire Dave!”  One audience member from Detroit told me he’d seen the Letterman-Palin feud on the news.  He told me, “At first I was concerned, but Letterman apologized, it’s over now.”  Others say Letterman’s joke that Gov. Sarah Palin’s daughter was “knocked up by Alex Rodriguez” is unforgivable.  Some said he should be fired, others called for suspension, and many said they hoped corporations would stop advertising on Letterman’s show.

 The protest may have been small — I’d estimate 35-50 demonstrators attended — but it was chaotic as passersby stopped to check out the scene, tourists took photos, and the NYPD tried to keep the sidewalks clear enough for pedestrians to walk by.  Also, a few people turned out to protest the protest!  A handful of people held up anti-Palin signs.  They had their own fenced-off area to stand, separate from the larger protest.  Meanwhile, some passersby were offended that we were covering this story at all. One man told us we should be covering Iran.  He walked off before I could tell him that my Fox News Channel co-workers are doing a great job of providing in-depth Iran coverage around the clock.  Overall, plenty of passionate people sharing their viewpoints — and another interesting day on the job as Fox Entertainment Correspondent.

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Jill Dobson reporting LIVE among the Times Square crowd

I’m reporting LIVE from New York City’s Times Square today, sharing some long-awaited positive economic news. The Broadway League has released its gross box office income for the past 12 months, and it was a record-breaking year. Broadway shows raked in approximately $943 million dollars, despite a 1% drop in attendance.

For all the facts and figures, click here.

In the meantime, I’ll be standing out here in the always-crowded Times Square. During my first Fox News live shot today, a producer, audio tech, cameraman and even an intern stood in a wide circle around me to try to keep passersby from accidentally (or purposely!) walking through my live shot. I think one still got through right at the end, but that’s OK – it probably gave people at home a very accurate picture of just how crowded Manhattan is!

One of the people we met up with today was the Broadway League’s Executive Director, Charlotte St. Martin. She tells Fox News that other industries could learn some money-making tips from Broadway. “Broadways touches its live audiences every night,” says St. Martin, “So it stays in touch with what the consumer really wants. And I think businesses that don’t stay in touch with their consumer perhaps are ones that aren’t as strong as Broadway is.”

Our next reports are at 2:45pm et and 7:25pm et– tune in to Fox News Channel for the positive economic news – and the hectic Times Square scene!

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Minutes after winning American Idol, Kris Allen told me, “I never expected my name to be called.” He and runner-up Adam Lambert joined me again this morning, on Strategy Room, and both said they plan to record an album right away. When I asked if they would race each other to be first to release an album, they said, “It’s not a competition!” Folks, the competition phase of American Idol is over, at least for these two! However, the feud between the contestant known as “Bikini Girl,” Katrina Darrell, and judge Kara DioGuardi might still be heating up.  DioGuardi stole the spotlight Wednesday during Darrell’s performance of “Vision of Love.”  I caught up with Darrell after Wednesday’s Idol and she said she was absolutely not in on the joke. “I had three full rehearsals,” Darrell told me.  ”When she came up behind me I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood there smiling.”  But Darrell wasn’t smiling when we talked – she was clearly upset over being upstaged. It looks like that might have been Darrell’s last duet for a while. When a fellow FOX reporter asked Allen and Lambert if they’d record a song with Darrell, the two both started laughing and then changed the subject.

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The American Idol season 8 finale is tonight. Former contestants are weighing in on the big showdown between Adam Lambert and Kris Allen.  

Bo Bice joined me LIVE on Strategy Room to share how he felt about the final song “No Boundaries,” as well as the final song when he competed in the Season 4 finals against eventual winner Carrie Underwood. He says the 2004 final song was better suited to Underwood, and that “No Boundaries” was a challenge for both Lambert and Allen.

Season 5’s Ace Young joined me LIVE on Fox News Channel to tell me how nerve-wracking is it for contestants on elimination nights. His fellow Season 5 alum, Mandisa, weighed in on the possible last man standing. “Who I want to win and who I think will win are different,” she says. “I think Adam will win, but I want Kris to win.”

I’ll be reporting LIVE from the Nokia theater with the results – we’ll soon see if Madisa got it right!  Tune in to Fox News around the clock, and to Strategy Room starting at 9et Thursday morning for our interviews with the winner.

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The final night of competition for American Idol Season 8 is here! We’re talking to those who know just how Adam Lambert and Kris Allen feel. Season 2 runner-up Diana DeGarmo says the time between performing and Wednesday’s elimination show is “the longest 24 hours of your life.”

Sayesha Mercado was 3rd place last year. She says she’s cheering for Kris Allen. She also says Idol has had a huge impact on her career and will likely do the same for Allen and Lambert.

Season 7’s Carly Smithson is from Adam Lambert’s hometown of San Diego. She tells me she’ll be back on Idol Wednesday night, reporting LIVE from a San Diego party in Lambert’s honor. And yes, she’s nervous!

Carly Smithson talks to Jill Dobson

As the final two prepare for their last night of competition, DeGarmo has advice for them. “Enjoy this,” she says, “Take a moment to let it all sink in.”

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Jennifer Aniston hits the big screen with a small film this weekend. “Management” opens in limited release, co-starring Steve Zahn. Interviewing the two of them was quite an experience. Zahn was cracking up Aniston with his stories about once working at fast food chain Hardee’s. At one point, Aniston stopped the interview to tell me that she was physically exhausted from laughing at his jokes all day. After all the fun, she asked me “What part of this will you actually use?” Well, Ms. Aniston, your answer is in the clip below – watch and see!

And for more Aniston, watch The O’Reilly Factor tonight. I’ll join Bill around 8:45-9pm to discuss the success (or, in some cases, struggles) of the “Friends” cast. And since Bill and I are known to have different views on Hollywood types, expect some fireworks!

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Elisabeth & Tim Hasselbeck

Happy Mother’s Day! FOX News caught up with several well-known moms, from Elisabeth Hasselbeck to Marge Simpson (kind of!) to get a sneak-peek at their Mother’s Day plans. Hasselbeck has two young children (and a third on the way). She says her 4-year-old daughter has made no secret of the Mother’s Day surprises in store for Hasselbeck. Sounds like hubby (and football analyst) Tim Hasselbeck took the kids with him to the florist!

We also talked to Judd Apatow, the man behind hit comedy films from “Knocked Up” to “The 40-Year Old Virgin.” Apatow says his wife, actress Leslie Mann, will have a very musical Mother’s Day. (We hope he’s kidding about the mariachi band!). For more from Apatow, Hasselbeck and many other stars (including ”The Simpsons” creator Matt Groening), check out the clip below.

Happy Mother’s Day! Share your well-wishes for your mom, in the “comments” section below!

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Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro is not known for being chatty. Jimmy Fallon famously booked him for the first night of his “Late Night” show, and then struggled to get more than the briefest of answers from the legendary actor.

So I was surprised that he had plenty to say when I sat down with him to discuss this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.  I’m still not sure whether it’s because he’s so proud of the festival, or because his publicist Stan Rosenfield broke the ice by telling a funny story just as I was being introduced.  Regardless, De Niro told me the festival ranks highly on his list of achievements.  He founded the festival along with Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff in New York City in the wake of the September 11^th attacks, and says keeping it going is a team effort.  “It’s a lot of hard work but it’s Jane and everybody… all the thousands of volunteers that we have every year.  So it’s a great thing and people so excited about it.  It makes me excited.”

He also says that while he’s very involved in the festival, he doesn’t choose the films.  “Someone might call me and say ‘Look, can I get this movie in?’  I’ll steer you to Jane’s office and I’ll look at the movie but that’s all I can do. And then I try to look at as many of the movies that are in the festival as I can.”

Watch the clip below to hear from Rosenthal and De Niro about the festival and much more:

The 2009 Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 22^nd – May 3^rd.

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