Auditions

Judy Greer knows she's played the “best friend role” in what feels like countless romantic comedies. But she's not going to swear them off. “I see actors making decisions like, 'I don't want to do that anymore.' Like, 'I don't want to be on a television show anymore. I want to be a movie star,'” says Greer, whose new film, “The Descendants,” opens Nov. 18. “Then it's like they never do anything again, and you see them back on television.” Fortunately, the Michigan-raised DePaul grad - who has appeared in many films, including “27 Dresses” and “The Wedding Planner,” but is probably best known for her role as Kitty Sanchez in “Arrested Development” - sometimes gets to stretch.

Drew Roy can't complain about playing teen-turned-alien fighter Hal Mason in "Falling Skies. " Despite a constant alien threat, Hal seems to find time for romance. "I'll agree with you there," Roy said, laughing. "You know, being Hal, they throw a new girl at you about every other week. It's great. " The 26-year-old Alabama native was exaggerating just a bit, but during our phone interview before the TNT hit's second season began Roy explained that fans of Hal's relationship with his fellow scout, Maggie (Sarah Carter)

Victoria Justice recognized the demographic jump she'd be making from her hit Nickelodeon show “Victorious” to the PG-13 rated film “Fun Size.”   “I was like, 'Don't really know if this is going to fly,'” says Justice of wariness toward using the not-so-kid-friendly language her “Fun Size” character, Wren. “That was toned down a little bit. She's definitely still a very relatable teenage girl, but she's not quite as mouthy.”   The Friday release, written by “The Colbert Report” writer Max Werner and directed by Josh Schwartz of “The O.C.” and “Gossip Girl," focuses on Wren's effort to attend a huge Halloween bash while not losing sight of the kid brother she's assigned to babysit, still has reason to attract older viewers.

For the record, Francois Arnaud did not fall off his horse while filming “The Borgias” for Showtime. ( Note from Curt: I've updated this interview with videos and more Q&A about Season 2 below the main story. ) “I never fell off my horse!” he told me this week, disputing a recent interview claiming the opposite. “I never fell once. … I don't know what I said to make them print that. … Maybe I said it to make myself interesting. I have no idea.”  Arnaud definitely doesn't have to work at being interesting.

As Connor Jessup explains it, he didn't see much action in the first season of TNT's alien invasion drama "Falling Skies. " Not that the 17-year-old is complaining. "I was more than happy last season," said Jessup, whose character Ben Mason spent half of the season in a "zombie haze" after being captured by alien "skitters. " "I know it kind of sounds trite, but I was really just happy to be in the company of my coworkers ... And I was more than exhilarated just to go back and do the exact same thing this season.

When "Doctor Who" next steps out of his time- and space-traveling police box, the TARDIS, he'll meet his new companion, Clara Oswald. He's not going to know what to think of her. That's because Clara, or 26-year-old Jenna-Louise Coleman actually, has appeared in the series twice before. In last fall's "The Asylum of the Daleks" episode, she was the futuristic, souffle-making Oswin, who was transformed into a Dalek. In the "Doctor Who" Christmas special, "The Snowmen," she was 18th century governess Clara Oswin Oswald, who the Doctor couldn't save from death.

After six episodes of the Starz' series “Camelot,” I'm still having a hard time believing Guinevere would throw over her hubby, the knight Leontes, for young King Arthur. Leontes is brave, dashing, honorable, and Philip Winchester plays him. “Well, I appreciate that, mate,” Winchester responded with a laugh when I suggested Guinevere was crazy. Leontes also is head-over-heels in love with his wife (Tamsin Egerton) and loyal to his king (Jamie Campbell Bower). He doesn't know about their past affair, or that they struggle against reigniting the spark, which is apparent in the episode “Three Journeys,” debuting at 9 p.m. May 6. While Leontes goes on a mission for the king, Arthur accompanies Guinevere on a trip to see her ailing father.

Jessy Schram laughs when I suggest she's the hardest working gal on TV these days, but she shouldn't. In the past two years, she's had plum roles in three high-profile series. The Skokie native and former Buffalo Grove resident currently can be seen at 7 p.m. Thursdays in ABC's "Last Resort" as Christine Kendal, the wife of Scott Speedman's rogue Navy officer Sam Kendal. She also stars as human-turned-alien Karen Nadler in TNT's summer hit, "Falling Skies," and played the dual role of Ashley Boyd/Cinderella in the first season of ABC's "Once Upon a Time.