Dule Hill Goes From Great White Way to White House
MORET: Drew Carey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus told no lies at the Hollywood premiere of "Geppetto" last night, at least not according to their noses. Carey, who plays Geppetto, was playing around with his Pinocchio pal while co-stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and usher arrived. The new ABC version of that classic tale gives it a musical twist.</s>JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS, ACTRESS: It was really fun. I had a wonderful time doing it. It was very exhilarating. It was fun to sing new music and it's fun to do something that the kids can watch.</s>DREW CAREY, ACTOR: I like to take chances and I don't want to look like an idiot. But you can't take chances unless you look like an idiot every once in a while. So, in this case, I took a chance, I didn't look like an idiot, so it all worked out.</s>SYDNEY: Good advice. Dule Hill isn't really a presidential aide; he just plays one on TV. The actor who tapped his way from the Broadway stages to "The West Wing" is riding high with his role on the hit TV show. Michael Okwu reports that Dule Hill is a SHOWBIZ TODAY "Star of Tomorrow."</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE WEST WING") MARTIN SHEEN, ACTOR: Charlie, you a good poker player?</s>DULE HILL, ACTOR: No, sir.</s>SHEEN: Excellent. Get your money out and take a seat.</s>MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the White House drama "The West Wing," he's at the president's side almost all the time. Meet Charlie, aka Dule Hill, the personal aide to President Bartlett, played by veteran actor Martin Sheen. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE WEST WING") HILL: The president would prefer a sandwich. He says he wants beef, pastrami, sliced steak.</s>OKWU: Although the show's pilot originally had no African- American characters, Hill was a late addition to the cast. He's since seen his character rise from a low-level job applicant to the president's close aide. A current story line has Charlie romancing the president's daughter. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE WEST WING") HILL: Let's go.</s>UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: No, why don't you go, all right?</s>HILL: Come on guys, you don't know who this is, you don't want any trouble, be cool.</s>HILL: Being a young actor, being a black actor, and being able to get good writing, good scripts to enact, it's a lovely thing. (</s>BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE WEST WING") HILL: My name is Charlie Young, jack *ss. And if that bulge in your pocket is an eight ball of blow, you'll spend your spring break in a federal prison.</s>OKWU: The actor says he's learned a lot about the nature of Charlie's job after meeting with one of President Clinton's staffers.</s>HILL: Well, the person's name is Chris Ensco (ph). He's the real personal aide to the president. When I met him, I realized how important the job was and how powerful it is.</s>OKWU: As it turns out, "The West Wingers" have plenty of fans in the West Wing.</s>HILL: The staffers are really big fans of the show. I don't think Mr. Clinton has had a chance to really watch the show. I would hope that he didn't have the time to, but the staffers are pretty much -- they're really big fans of it. They watch the show all the time.</s>OKWU: The son of Jamaican parents, Hill was raised in New Jersey, where he trained as a tap dancer. He was the understudy for Savion Glover in "The Tap Dance Kid," and reteamed with Glover as cast mates in the off-Broadway production "Bring in Da Noise, Bring in Da Funk."</s>HILL: There's nothing like tap dancing. It's such a soulful thing.</s>OKWU: President Bartlett's right-hand man seems to have gotten a leg up on this acting thing as well. Michael Okwu, CNN Entertainment News, New York.</s>SYDNEY: Musical birthday wishes today to Four Seasons lead singer Frankie Valli who is 63. Engelbert Humperdinck -- did you know his real name is Jerry Dorsey -- and he is 64. And we feel good about James Brown turning 67.