A break in the action

In town filming "Real Men Cry," actors Mark Ruffalo and Ethan Hawke were snapped having a smoke outside Williams Tavern on A Street in South Boston the other night.

David Strathairn's got the Midas touch when it comes to leading men. George Clooney, his costar in "Good Night, and Good Luck," was People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" last year, and Matt Damon, his costar in "The Bourne Ultimatum," was "Sexiest Man Alive" this year. Does that mean Martin Short, Strathairn's costar in "The Spiderwick Chronicles," due out next year, will be "Sexiest Man Alive" in '08? "I don't know about that," Strathairn said, laughing. "He might be the sexiest underworld gremlin creature." A Williams grad whose impressive resume includes several John Sayles films, Strathairn (inset) said it was a big treat to work with Damon in "The Bourne Ultimatum." "Matt embodies something I haven't heard articulated overtly," Strathairn told us. "He was able to imbue the Bourne character with an amazing amount of integrity because, really, that's something that emanates from him."

For years, says Kristian Alfonso, she's been getting e-mails from fans asking where she gets her jewelry. "They loved what I was wearing, and they wanted to buy it," says the Brockton-bred actress who plays Hope Brady on "Days of Our Lives." "So my sister and I put our heads together and thought, 'Why don't we give them what they want?' " Since Alfonso designs much of her own jewelry, she decided to start her own line - "Hope, Faith, Miracles" - which includes many of the same distinctive earrings, bracelets, and necklaces Hope wears on the show. (Alfonso's castmates Julie Pinson, who plays Billie, and Alison Sweeney, who plays Sami, also wear her pieces.) The actress, who comes back to Boston to see her parents at least a half-dozen times a year, says she designs her stuff with ordinary women in mind. "I know I used to save my jewelry for special occasions," said Alfonso, who also starred on "Falcon Crest." "Not anymore. You can wear it to the market. . . It makes you feel good."

Luminous screen legend Faye Dunaway was in town Thursday night, and dropped by actress Christy Scott Cashman's crib in the Back Bay. Dunaway, who won an Oscar for "Network" and was married to singer Peter Wolf, talked about a few of her upcoming projects, including a production of Terrence McNally's play "Master Class." Listening in were House Speaker Sal DiMasi and his wife, Debbie, Massachusetts Film Bureau boss Nick Paleologos and Mary Chiochios, "Stiffs" producer Sandy Missakian, "Pink Panther 2" assistant director Marty Eli Schwartz, Comedy Connection kahuna Bill Blumenreich, and Boston Casting's Angela Peri.

Without warning, Washington Senator Maria Cantwell canceled her appearance yesterday at the Kennedy School of Government, though it apparently has nothing to do with the sex scandal involving one of her aides. "We're being told it's due to the floods in the Pacific Northwest," said Kennedy School spokesman Esten Perez. "She has to deal with issues involving the floods." In recent days, Cantwell has been dealing with issues involving James Michael McHaney, her scheduler who was arrested by FBI agents for allegedly trying to set up a meeting with a teenage boy. McHaney, who previously worked on John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, was immediately fired by Cantwell. She was to give a talk yesterday titled "$100 Oil, Climate Change, and Bipartisan Gridlock - What's Next?"

We're not sure why everyone is making such a fuss about Ted Kennedy's memoir. After all, the senior senator's been talking about writing it forever. In 1986, we're told, he had three meetings with would-be collaborator Peggy Noonan, a Republican presidential speechwriter. Noonan decided not to participate, but she recalls that Kennedy wanted to write a book about his childhood in London, where his father was US ambassador, and his early relationships with his brothers. Hmmm. Grand Central Publishing gave him $8 million for that?

Presidential wannabe Rudy Giuliani has learned his lesson. The former New York City mayor, who was ridiculed during the World Series for saying he was rooting for the Red Sox, isn't making the same mistake with football. Asked this week by radio host Don Imus when he'll "get on the Patriots bandwagon," Giuliani just laughed. Mitt Romney's rival said he's a committed New York Giants fan, and will be rooting for Big Blue to beat the Pats in the last game of the season. Good luck with that.

Celts captain Paul Pierce bowled a few strings at Kings the other night. While there, The Truth said hello to the staff, including waitresses Laura Signori and Nicole Santispago.

Names can be reached at names@globe.com or at 617-929-8253.