Names and faces

— Ryan Seacrest can tell you a lot about the evolutionof American Idol ove r the past 12 seasons, but the host is a bit more reluctant to discuss the evolution of his relationship with actress Julianne Hough. When asked if there were a wedding date in his future, Seacrest casually responded: “Are you getting married?” Seacrest and Hough have been together since the spring of 2010. After a few playful rounds of “Are you?” banter on the subject, he decided to call it a day. Seacrest made the comments Friday in New York while promoting Idol Across America, a relay of the American Idol microphone across the country, taking a page from the Olympic torch relay. As for the prospect of the microphone making it in one piece, Seacrest says if not, “I’m sure there’s one in a holster standing by if it breaks.”

From week to week fans simply never know which characters will survive the relentless zombie attacks on AMC’s hit series The Wa l k i n g Dead. That unpredictability keeps viewers on the edge of their seats and the show’s stars in a constant state of alertness. “You see series and they last a long time and sometimes the writing gets lazy or the acting gets lazy. Because we’re in a zombie apocalypse and anyone can go at any time, it sort of keeps us fresh and on our toes,” Norman Reedus said Friday. Fans lined up around the block to watch a panel discussion with Reedus and his co-stars at Paleyfest, the annual Southern California TV celebration. Many in the crowd showed their support for Reedus’ crossbow-wielding character, Daryl Dixon, with their “If Daryl dies we riot!” T-shirts. The 44-yearold actor says his vocal fan base is responsible for his character’s impressive longevity in a series that seems to have no qualms in axing its most popular characters. “Hell yes. Oh my god, yes,”he said. “[They’re] keeping me on the show.” The Walking Dead focuses on a ragtag band of surviving refugees, including unruly brothers Daryl and Merle Dixon, who were not part of the series’ comic book origins.

Front Section, Pages 2 on 03/03/2013

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