Amesbury actor gets noticed

"Dude," says actor Jeffrey Donovan, reached yesterday on the set of his new TV series. "I'm in Miami. . . . My office for the next few months is the Atlantic Ocean." For a guy who grew up in Amesbury, shooting on South Beach with gorgeous actress Gabrielle Anwar is almost too good to be true. "Burn Notice," premiering June 28 on USA, is about a handsome spy whose sudden blacklisting triggers an action-packed search for answers. In Los Angeles and New York, the show's being hyped with 40-foot billboards featuring Donovan's face. "My mother would be so proud," he joked. "Unfortunately, Amesbury isn't exactly a media mecca, so she can't see the billboards." The actor, who starred opposite Ashley Judd in last year's well-received indie film "Come Early Morning," describes the new show as " 'MacGyver' meets 'Alias.' " Hmm. Does that make him Richard Dean Anderson or Jennifer Garner?

It isn't difficult to predict what Walden Media might turn into a movie. "The easiest way to know is to go to the Barnes & Noble in August and see what's on the summer reading table," Micheal Flaherty, the Boston-based company's cofounder, told us. "We're kings of the nerds and proud of it." The latest example, announced this week, is "The City of Ember," an adaptation of Jeanne DuPrau's young adult novel. The movie, starring Bill Murray, begins shooting soon in Northern Ireland. "Like most projects, that came to us from librarians," said Flaherty. The six-year-old company has been behind, among others, "Charlotte's Web" and "Bridge to Terabithia." It has offices in LA, nine films in production, and another 16 in development. "It's been kind of dizzying," Flaherty said. "Good, but dizzying."

Chef Joanne Chang and her fiance, restaurateur Christopher Myers, are finally going to open that Asian eatery in the South End they've been talking about. Look for it at the corner of East Berkeley and Washington this fall. But the duo (she's the power behind Flour; he co-owns Radius, Via Matta, and Great Bay) say they still don't have a name. This much they do know: the chef will be Alison Hearn, who previously worked at Ten Tables and Barbara Lynch's B&G Oysters.

Dutiful dad Matt Damon took the day off Monday from promoting "Ocean's Thirteen" to celebrate his daughter Isabella's first birthday with a private party in New York City.

Channel 7 investigative reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan hosted two book signings yesterday for her debut novel, "Prime Time," one at Borders in Back Bay and another at the Ralph Lauren store on Newbury Street. It took Ryan two years to write the Harlequin Next mystery, which (conveniently enough) is about an investigative reporter. "Ever since I read my first 'Nancy Drew' book, I wanted to be a mystery writer," said Ryan, who's already completed a sequel, "Face Time," to be released in October.

CBS Corp. chief executive Leslie Moonves shot back at former CBS News anchor Dan Rather yesterday, saying his characterization of the network "tarting" up its newscast with anchor Katie Couric was "sexist." Rather responded by saying Moonves "doesn't know about news." Speaking by phone on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program with Joe Scarborough Monday, Rather said CBS had made the mistake of taking the evening news broadcast and "dumbing it down, tarting it up," and playing up topics such as celebrities over war coverage. The comments subsequently appeared in blogs and in the New York Daily News and the New York Post. Moonves, at an appearance in New York, called the remarks sexist and said he was surprised at the amount of negative coverage Couric was receiving. "She's been on the air for nine months," Moonves said. "Let's give her a break." Rather said yesterday he didn't regret making his earlier remarks, but insisted he was referring to CBS's management of the newscast, not to Couric personally. "It doesn't have to do with Katie, it doesn't have to do with gender," Rather said. (AP)

He didn't watch the "The Sopranos" finale, but, like the rest of us, Joe Pantoliano has seen or read an embarrassing number of reaction pieces. "A lot of people didn't get the ending, but I got the ending," said Joey Pants, who played Ralphie on the show. "The ending is this: Tony, for the rest of his life, has to look over his shoulder because every stranger is a threat." Considering how he feels about Ralphie, it's no surprise that Pants didn't watch the show. "I really despise that character," he said. "I don't watch stuff I wouldn't want my kids to watch." He will let them see his new movie "Canvas," which is in competition this weekend at the Nantucket Film Festival. It costars Marcia Gay Harden as a mother slipping into psychosis. Asked if he'll ever play a reprobate like Ralphie again, the actor was unsure: "Depends how much money I have in the bank."

If the trailer is any indication, "The Kingdom" will not be Jennifer Garner's big-screen breakout. Ben Affleck's better half utters exactly zero words in the 2 1/2 -minute clip for Peter Berg's Mideast terrorist thriller , out in September .

Dodgers devotee Alyssa Milano isn't surprised by the subpar performances of Sox players J.D. Drew and Julio Lugo . On the blog she's writing this season for Major League Baseball, the actress has this to say about the former Dodgers: "The Red Sox look pretty great this year, even with J.D. Drew (he's on the DL . . . Shocking, I know) and Julio Lugo. The fans are as frustrated with both of those guys as we were. . . . Some things never change, huh?" She doesn't have her facts right -- Drew is not on the DL.

A celebrity fashion designer already accused of raping or sexually assaulting 12 women and girls who came to him as aspiring models was charged yesterday with attacks on six additional victims. Los Angeles prosecutors have now charged Anand Jon Alexander , an Indian-born designer who has appeared on the popular television show "America's Next Top Model," with a total of 46 counts involving 18 victims, all with ties to the fashion industry and between the ages of 14 and 27. Jon, 33, who is free on $1.3 million bail in the Los Angeles case, was also being sought by authorities in Dallas in connection with three sexual assaults there. (REUTERS)

Paris Hilton will have to find a new agent when she gets out of jail. The Endeavor talent agency has dropped the reality show star, said Michael Donkis , a spokesman for the company. "She is no longer a client," he said, declining to comment further. Hilton has been represented by the Beverly Hills-based agency since 2005. The 26-year-old star of "The Simple Life" launched a pop-music career in August. She also has a namesake perfume and handbag collection. She is behind bars at LA's Twin Towers Correctional Facility , where she is serving time for violating her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case. (AP)

Ana Ortiz , who plays the older sister of the title character in ABC's "Ugly Betty," married musician Noah Lebenzon in a weekend ceremony in Puerto Rico. Ortiz, 36, wore a white lace gown at Saturday's ceremony. Among the 80 guests were Ortiz's cast members from "Ugly Betty," including star America Ferrera . Lebenzon, 37, is a guitarist for the rock group Everything Is Energy . (AP)

Dermot Mulroney has filed for divorce, seeking to end his nearly 17-year marriage to Catherine Keener. The 43-year-old actor cited irreconcilable differences and asked for joint custody of their 7-year-old son, Clyde, according to documents filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The couple, who appeared in the 2001 film "Lovely & Amazing," were married in November 1990 and separated in May 2005, the documents said. (AP)

'I have no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting, or adding to what is there.' "Sopranos" creator David Chase, who did explain that the ending to the series was not intended to set up a movie.

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