Guest Stars News (Page 6)

Mary-Louise Parker and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the co-stars of Weeds, have called it quits, months after reports that the couple was on shaky ground.

"We're not together anymore," Morgan told People at Monday's Kabluey premiere at the L.A. Film Festival in Westwood. "Everything's fine, but it just didn't work out. Wrong time in both our lives."

Morgan, 41, who won the hearts of millions of fans as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, portrays the husband of Parker the Showtime series.

Parker has won widespread acclaim as Nancy Botwin, a housewife who starts selling drugs after Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character (Judah) dies.

In his personal life, Morgan, who at one point was rumored to be dating Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice star Kate Walsh, says he has moved on, though he has not found a new girlfriend yet.

"I am a single guy," he says. "I look for somebody with a sense of humor, someone that laughs at my bad jokes, and wants to have fun in life. That's kind of the key."

On Grey's Anatomy, Morgan was one of the major focal points of Season 2 as the ailing heart patient who eventually fell in love with, and became engaged to, Izzie Stevens (Katherine Heigl). Denny later returned in Season 3 - in the afterlife - as Meredith nearly drowned.

Morgan and Parker were first seen together at a party in New York last December. On March 22 they attended opening night of the Broadway musical Curtains as a couple along with Parker's 3-year-old son (with her ex, Billy Crudup), William.

Even though Morgan and Parker are no longer dating, he may still appear opposite Parker on Weeds in more flashback scenes.

"That could always pop up, you never know," JDM says. "We'll see."

The cast of the Grey's Anatomy spin-off starring Kate Walsh and Taye Diggs is really clicking, Diggs tells People.

"They're great. We have really great chemistry," said Diggs of his fellow cast members Thursday at the opening of the new club Runway, in New York City.

The initial two-hour episode of Greys Anatomy, which is expected to start the spin-off series and is titled "The Other Side of This Life" (Parts I & II), has just finished filming, according to Diggs.

"We're hoping people dig it," Diggs said.

ABC plans to test out the show with a "back-door pilot," an expanded two-hour episode of Grey's Anatomy, USA Today reported in February.

The air date for the episode has not been set by ABC, officially, although sources tell us it will be May 3.

Taye Diggs, who said he plays a "general practitioner" on the show (rumored to be called Private Practice), was expectedly coy when asked if he could reveal any key plot details of the spin-off.

"Plot what? Secrets?" he said. "I can't tell you! It's a secret."

Grey's Anatomy creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes is writing the first episode, which, according to several accounts, will feature Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), mulling an out-of-town job offer.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan is staying almost as busy in death as he was in life in the Grey's Anatomy universe. The actor is returning on April 12 to headline the show's latest recap special.

During a telephone chat last week, Morgan explained to TV Guide's Michael Ausiello that this won't be your standard clip show. He also says Grey's didn't jump the shark when Meredith went to heaven, and sets the record straight about the status of his rumored-to-be-dead Shonda Rhimes show...

TV Guide: How will this clip show be different?
Jeffrey Dean Morgan: They're going to use me as an on-camera host. They've never done anything like that before. Usually it's all voice-over. That'll be interesting. I haven't seen a script yet, so I'm kind of on pins and needles myself.

TV Guide: Rumor has it the Grey's Anatomy spin-off killed your forthcoming war-correspondents drama. True?
Jeffrey Dean Morgan: I got a phone call from [Shonda Rhimes] the day before the Grey's Anatomy spin-off (starring Kate Walsh) was announced, telling me it does not affect my show whatsoever. As far as I know, we're going into production this summer for a mid-season replacement next year. The idea would be to do six or 13 episodes. I know everybody's saying it's on the back burner or dying a slow, painful death, but I don't think that's the case. Until I hear differently, we're moving forward with it. I haven't heard differently, and believe me, I've checked. I make sure that no one's forgetting about me over here.

TV Guide: Looking back, how do you think Denny's February-sweeps return turned out?
Jeffrey Dean Morgan: Shonda called me and said, "Would you be willing to come back?" And I, of course, said, "Yeah," hung up the phone and "How?" became an immediate question. And I don't think even she knew exactly how that was going to play itself out. I got the script about a week before I went out there to shoot it, and even then I was like, "Is this going to work?" It's kind of a big jump from what they normally do, but I thought it was pulled off beautifully. I was really excited to do Denny again. I thought we put him to bed last year, so any chance I get to play him I'm a happy guy.

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Sources confirm that Alias' Merrin Dungey and Judging Amy's Amy Brenneman (pictured) have joined the cast of the Grey's Anatomy spin-off (or the potential spin-off, as it's being called, beginning with a special two-hour episode of Grey's scheduled for this spring).

Based on recent reports from Michael Ausiello of TV Guide, Dungey may be playing a psychiatrist, and Brenneman a fertility specialist or the other way around. It's all speculation at this point, but nonetheless fun to consider.

The hiring of this duo puts to rest speculation that Kate Walsh would find herself surrounded by a mostly-male ensemble - buzz that only intensified with the recent casting of stars Tim Daly and Taye Diggs.

We've also confirmed that Paul Adelstein (Prison Break) and Chris Lowell (Veronica Mars) have been added to the cast.

With Shonda Rhimes at the controls and a cast loaded with experienced, successful actors, it seems to us this thing has a pretty good chance of being picked up as a full series. What do you think?

First there was McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey).

Then along came McSteamy (Eric Dane).

Now, the women of Grey's Anatomy may have to come up with a brand-new nickname now that actor Tim Daly is on his way to Seattle Grace Hospital.

Daly, 51, best known for his role on Wings, will appear on a special two-hour episode of the ABC drama that could serve as a springboard for the much-touted spinoff series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The spinoff would star the character Addison Montgomery (played by the lovely Kate Walsh), ABC reps confirmed to People in February.

Actor Taye Diggs has also signed on to appear in the expanded episode, which is scheduled to air later this spring.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daly's character is described in a production breakdown as "handsome, sincere, like a McDreamy."

Paul Adelstein, who plays the double-crossing Secret Service agent, Paul Kellerman on FOX's Prison Break (and who was also considered for the role of Dr. Burke, which went to Isaiah Washington) has also been cast, though it's unclear what role he will play.

Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes is writing the special, two-hour episode, the details of which are being kept under wraps. USA Today reports, however, that the basic gist will feature Addison mulling a new job offer.

Should the episode be warmly received and the network decide that the spinoff will go forward, Addison will most likely accept the offer.

Daly most recently starred in ABC's critically lauded drama The Nine.

Actor Kyle Chandler sure knows how to make an entrance.

On the riveting Febuary 15 episode of Grey's Anatomy, "Drowing On Dry Land," Dr. Meredith Grey woke up in what appeared to be the afterlife.

She immediately spotted two of Seattle Grace Hospital's most famous former patients: Izzie's dead fiancé, Denny (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Dylan (Kyle Chandler), the bomb-squad captain who a year ago exploded into "pink mist."

An hour or two before the highly rated February 22 episode of Grey's Anatomy ("Some Kind of Miracle") finished off its surprising Denny-Dylan story line, a helmeted figure roared up to the set of the new NBC drama Friday Night Lights on a motorcycle.

Tucked into the biker's black leather jacket was an adorable white-and-tan terrier. Even before the motorcycle guy took off his helmet, he had already scored major coolness points.

It was Kyle Chandler, arriving for a night shoot outside Austin, Texas, for the show, on which he stars as Coach Eric Taylor.

Taylor and Friday Night Lights may be the darling of the TV press these days - the Chicago Tribune, from which this story is taken, calls it one of the best network dramas.

But Chandler said in an interview the next day that despite his great love for Friday Night Lights ("It's the best experience of my life by far in television," the actor said), the handsome, brave Dylan Young is still is the character that garners him the most recognition.

"That show's got so many viewers - it was interesting, even after the first episode [on February 15], where I just said, 'Hey' at the very end of it, I had more people coming up to me, going `You're back, you're back'" he said.

Or, according to the actor, they'd just say, as Dylan did, "Hey."

Before that episode aired, news leaked that Denny would be back on Grey's Anatomy in some capacity. But Kyle Chandler's appearance on the show took viewers by surprise - you could almost hear the collective gasp when he reappeared in the closing moments of the hit medical drama.

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Academy Award-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo will guest star on Grey's Anatomy on its next new episode, entitled "Scars and Souvenirs," which is scheduled to air Thursday, March 15.

The beautiful, talented 54-year-old will portray patient Helen Crawford.

Aghdashloo, who recently appeared in the films The Nativity Story, X-Men: The Last Stand and The Lake House, first gained international recognition for her extraordinary work in House of Sand and Fog.

She not only garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress in that role, but won Supporting Actress honors at the Independent Spirit Awards, the New York Film Critics Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

Having left her native Iran during the 1978 Islamic revolution, she is believed to be the first actress from that nation to cross over into mainstream Hollywood cinema. We're certainly looking forward to seeing what she brings to the set of Grey's Anatomy in just over two weeks.

Entertainment Weekly reports that actor Taye Diggs has been tapped to star in the Grey's Anatomy spin-off currently in the works.

No details are available on his character. Grey's Anatomy will set the stage for the spinoff, which will focus on Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh), via an expanded two-hour episode scheduled for May.

In the pilot, the former Dr. Shepherd will consider her exit from Seattle Grace.

Grey's Anatomy executive producer and creator Shonda Rhimes is writing the episode, and is expected to write the potential spin-off as well.

Meanwhile, Rhimes' other ABC pilot, in which Jeffrey Dean Morgan reportedly stars in a new series about a group of female journalists, has not been canceled, but rather has been pushed to a later summer production start. Shonda is going to be busy!

Diggs' casting in the controversial Grey's Anatomy spinoff stems from a new deal he signed with ABC TV Studio, where Grey's Anatomy is based.

Diggs, 36, has already starred in two drama series for the studio, Kevin Hill for UPN and Day Break for ABC.

It's hard to believe, but the faces in the photo on the right and the image below both belong to Elizabeth Reaser.

The 31-year-old actress has been introduced on Grey's Anatomy simply as Jane Doe, an unidentified victim of the ferry disaster that sent Seattle Grace surgeons scrambling to salvage survivors.

Heroic Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) pulled the pregnant woman's crushed, nearly dead body out from under a pylon.

"Her face has been smashed â€" like every bone in her face â€" and there are issues with her chest," Reaser tells USA Today.

"There's a lot of work to be done to put her back together."

Actor pal Justin Kirk, who stars opposite Reaser in the new romantic comedy Puccini for Beginners (and who has been linked romantically to Kate Walsh) has been calling her "Elephant Reaser," a reference to the disfigured lead character in The Elephant Man.

Michael McMillian, Reaser's co-star in last year's short-lived TNT medical drama, Saved, suggested she'd be perfect for the lead role in The Mask 2.

"Some of the jokes are funny," she says, "and some of it's not."

The three-hour makeup process includes prosthetics that have remained on her face for as long as 12 hours.

"You feel claustrophobic, and the chemicals sting my sensitive skin," Reaser said.

The costume also places further restrictions on her vegan diet, allowing only for smoothies or small helpings of soft foods. Reaser says Kate Walsh "has been very sweet, coming up to me asking, 'Do you need water?' "

The actress realizes, however, that any discomfort she is experiencing cannot possibly compare to the horror her character must be facing.

She says she suspects that "it's a very heightened situation, to be all alone like that in a hospital."

But this Jane Doe is hardly alone.

Her character's multiple medical traumas have the potential to expose her to the hospital's full rotation of docs. We have already seen doom in the eyes of obstetrician Addison, and soon there will be involvement by plastic surgeon Mark Sloan (Eric Dane, above).

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Last week, we talked about the glorious and perplexing news, courtesy of Michael Ausiello at TV Guide, that Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be reprising his role of Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy.

Now, Kristin Veitch of E! Online has more on how Denny Duquette comes back to Grey's, and shares with us a few juicy details of his return.

Inside sources reveal the following pieces of information, which should put to rest some speculation while fueling even more:

1. Denny does not appear in a flashback.
2. Denny does not appear in a dream.
3. It is Denny and not something kooky like his twin.
4. Denny is not the only one we see.
5. And for the record, the scene in which Denny appears will completely blow your mind.

Wow. That's a lot to take in.

Needless to say, cancel any plans you might have for the next few Thursdays and make sure you check out what happens with our friends at Seattle Grace. Because everyone will be talking about the next few episodes of Grey's Anatomy. Apparently, "Walk On Water" was only the beginning.