Celebrity crush: Kate Mara (updated)

Here's another revised entry -- look for a revisions tomorrow Thursday and for a new entry Monday. That may become the regular schedule for a bit here.

Name: Kate Mara
Hometown: Bedford, N.Y., according to her Wikipedia entry.
Best Known For: Mara's biggest screen credits have been a co-starring role in the Mark Wahlberg sniper film Shooter and a small role in the film Brokeback Mountain (playing a daughter of Heath Leader's character), but she's been working for a decade.

Her long list of television appearances includes an episode of Greg Berlanti's Everwood that was the single most nuanced, thought-provoking and intelligent discussion of abortion issues that Ye Olde Podcaster has ever seen on television and a multi-episode run on the prematurely canceled WB drama Jack & Bobby -- a later Berlanti production, one that is sadly not yet available on DVD.

She's also had multi-episode runs on Entourage and 24 and played Bethany Cabe in the movie Iron Man 2.
Humble Beginnings: She caught the acting bug after seeing Les Mis when she was a kid and grew up idolizing Judy Garland. Her first TV or film audition was for Homicide: Life on the Street -- which she didn't get, but it indicates she had good taste even at age 14.
Family Ties: When the American films based on Stieg Larsson's "Millennium Trilogy" arrive, she may well become better known as "the older of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." Her younger sister, Rooney Mara -- with whom she's pictured at right -- secured the most coveted role in Hollywood, playing anti-social hacker Lisbeth Salander in the trilogy. (The sisters have apparently told the press they don't compete, though. Let's hope that stays true.)

Both sisters come from a rich Irish-Italian family (formerly O'Mara) that owns the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers. Kate sang the national anthem at the 2006 NFL season opener, the "Manning Bowl" that pitted the Giants against the Indianapolis Colts.
Not Quite a Weeds Tie-In: Mara co-starred in a movie called The Californians that Ye Olde Podcaster has never heard of, and she sang several songs that are on its soundtrack, including a cover of Malvina Reynolds' 1962 folk song "Little Boxes," which was performed by scads of different people as the theme song for the first few seasons of Weeds.

Obligatory Edgy Stuff: On the first season of the (in Ye Olde Podcaster's not-so-humble opinion, seriously over-rated) FX series Nip/Tuck, she played a cheerleader who had a ménage à trois with one doctor's son and a fellow cheerleader played by Sophia Bush of One Tree Hill (aka, the show that unjustly survived the WB-UPN merger, while Everwood was canceled before its time, though I'll admit Bush is a strikingly beautiful woman in her own right).

She also got naked (without showing any R-rated parts) in the pages of Esquire and Jane and didn't wear much more when introduced to the audience in the movie Shooter. (Note: Not a complaint.)
Why Ye Olde Podcaster Likes Her: In addition to being smoking hot, she's no slouch in the acting department. Her work on Jack & Bobby, in particular, revealed her skill at playing a multifaceted character -- the semi-bad girl with more heart than she cared to let on. Part of that could be that she smiles like the Cheshire Cat -- well, not exactly, but she always looks like she's up to something, in on some secret you're not. (Or perhaps that's my own neurosis.)

Film and soundtrack credits: Ironclad (Amazon | iTunes) * 127 Hours (Amazon | iTunes) * Peep World (Amazon | iTunes) * Iron Man 2 (Amazon | iTunes) * Happythankyoumoreplease (Amazon | iTunes) * Peoples (Amazon | iTunes) * The Open Road (Amazon | iTunes) * Big Guy (Amazon | iTunes) * Stone of Destiny (Amazon | iTunes) * Transsiberian (Amazon | iTunes) * Shooter (Amazon | iTunes) * Full of It (Amazon | iTunes) * We Are Marshall (Amazon | iTunes) * Fireflies (Amazon | iTunes) * Zoom: Academy for Superheroes (Amazon | iTunes) * The Californians (Amazon | iTunes) * The Californians soundtrack (Amazon | iTunes) * Brokeback Mountain (Amazon | iTunes) * Urban Legends: Bloody Mary (Amazon | iTunes) * Time Well Spent (Amazon | iTunes) * Prodigies (Amazon | iTunes) * Tadpole (Amazon | iTunes)
TV credits: Entourage, season 6 (Amazon | iTunes) * 24, season 5 (Amazon | iTunes) * Jack and Bobby, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * CSI, season 5: "Formalities" (Amazon | iTunes) * CSI: Miami, season 3: "Murder in a Flash" (Amazon | iTunes) * Boston Public, season 4: "Chapter Seventy-Five" (Amazon | iTunes) * Cold Case, season 1: "Look Again (pilot)" (Amazon | iTunes) * Nip/Tuck, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * Everwood, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes)

Celebrity crush: Sarah Drew

Here's this week's new entry, featuring an actress who is now a full-time cast member on Grey's Anatomy and has also appeared on Everwood and Mad Men, among other things. Amazon and iTunes links are at the bottom; any affiliate payments earned from your purchase or rental will help pay the hosting fees for my podcasts, so please consider clicking.

(As with some others, if a show is heavily serialized -- such as Glee or Mad Men -- I'm going to include a link to buy the whole season, not just individual episodes, because one episode seen by itself might leave you lost.)

Name: Sarah Drew
Hometown: Born in Virginia and raised on New York's Long Island, according to her Wikipedia profile. Her dad's a Presbyterian minister in New York City, her mom a science teacher with a Ph.D.
Best Known For: Drew's best known for playing Dr. April Kepner on Grey's Anatomy, in a recurring role in season six and as a regular starting with this year's season seven; her character's best friend was played by fellow celebrity crush Nora Zehetner. She was a regular in the latter two seasons of Everwood (as the best friend of the character played by fellow celebrity crush Emily VanCamp) and appeared in a handful of Mad Men episodes as the childhood friend and wife of closeted gay ad man Sal Romano.

She also played Suzy Pepper, the glee club teacher's former student and stalker, in a couple of episodes of Glee season one and appeared in the movie Radio with Cuba Gooding Jr. In fact, looking at her TV credits below, as she approaches 30 she has a record that shows her to be one of the hardest-working "It's that girl" talents in Hollywood.

Humble Beginnings: Drew got a bachelor's degree in drama from the University of Virginia before heading to Los Angeles. But she was already acting in high school, doing voice work for the animated series Daria and related TV movies (which are included below among the TV seasons), and she's performed on stage on Broadway and in London.

She's also appeared in tons of TV shows, usually in one- or two-episode guest spots. Her work on Private Practice as a patient who appeared in multiple episodes no doubt helped ease her into Grey's Anatomy.

Obligatory Edgy Stuff (Or Lack Thereof): The fact she's a minister's daughter and tends to play relatively clean-cut characters who usually stay fully dressed is kinda unusual in and of itself.
Family Ties: Her cousin Benjamin Mackenzie starred on The O.C. before going on to the police drama Southland. I don't know of any time they've worked together, but it's a neat bit of trivia.
Why Ye Olde Podcaster Likes Her: She plays the good girl (and occasionally the good girl despite herself) quite well, but she's also played characters a little more devious in some of her appearances on crime dramas. Plus, she's got the whole girl-you-wish-lived-next-door look going for her.

And while Everwood was often a very emotionally wrought show, her character of Hannah (whose background was as tragic as anyone else's) still occasionally provided some of the show's funniest moments. Given her character's inappropriate crush on the married McDreamy on Grey's Anatomy, she may continue to do so this fall.

TV credits: Grey's Anatomy, season 7 (Amazon | iTunes) * Miami Medical, season 1: "What Lies Beneath" (Amazon | iTunes) * Supernatural, season 5: "Swap Meat" (Amazon | iTunes) * Grey's Anatomy, season 6 (Amazon | iTunes) * Glee, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * Mad Men, season 3 (Amazon | iTunes) * In Plain Sight, season 2: "Aguna Matatala" (Amazon | iTunes) * Numb3rs, season 5: "Angels and Devils" (Amazon | iTunes) * Castle, season 1: "Nanny McDead" (Amazon | iTunes) * Private Practice, season 2 (Amazon | iTunes) * Mad Men, season 2 (Amazon | iTunes) * Privileged, season 1: "All About Insecurities" (Amazon | iTunes) * Medium, season 4 (Amazon | iTunes) * Law and Order: SVU, season 8: "Responsible" (Amazon | iTunes) * Cold Case, season 4: "Static" (Amazon | iTunes) * Everwood, season 4 (Amazon | iTunes) * Everwood, season 3 (Amazon | iTunes) * Wonderfalls, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * Daria, season 5 (Amazon | iTunes) * Daria, season 4 (Amazon | iTunes) * Daria, season 3 (Amazon | iTunes) * Daria, season 2 (Amazon | iTunes) * Daria, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes)
Film credits: Tug (Amazon | iTunes) * Inside the Box (Amazon | iTunes) * Hallmark Hall of Fame: Front of the Class (Amazon | iTunes) * Wieners (Amazon | iTunes) * The Violin (Amazon | iTunes) * American Pastime (Amazon | iTunes) * Reinventing the Wheelers (Amazon | iTunes) * Locked Upstairs (Amazon | iTunes) * The Baxter (Amazon | iTunes) * Radio (Amazon | iTunes)

Monday Morning Mess 6: Nu Shooz Orchestra

New to the show -- and new to my ears, I think -- the duo called Nu Shooz have been playing funky jazz (with Tarzan and '60s spy movies listed as influences) for more than 20 years. "I Can't Wait" is their signature hit, a single that hit #3 on the Billboard charts, and we'll hear their reinterpretation of it in today's show.

Here's what you'll hear today (right-click to download MP3 or to stream in a new tab or window):

1. "The Return of Point of No Return"
2. "Right Before My Eyes"
3. "I Can't Wait: 20th Anniversary Edition"

(Total play time: 14:40)

All the music in today's show comes from the Nu Shooz Orchestra album Pandora's Box (Amazon | iTunes) and was provided by the good folks at Ariel Publicity.

Other works: "I Can't Wait (Powermix)" single (Amazon | iTunes) * I Can't Wait Unplugged (Amazon | iTunes) * Told U So (Amazon | iTunes) * Tha's Right (Amazon | iTunes) * Poolside (Amazon | iTunes)

Celebrity crush: Nora Zehetner (updated)

Here's another revised entry from the early days.

Name: Nora Zehetner
Hometown: Her Wikipedia entry lists a number of Texas towns, but we'll forgive her -- not her fault. She escaped; that's the important thing. :)
Best Known For: Zehetner had a recurring role in the 2009-10 season of the hospital soap Grey's Anatomy, easily her most high-profile role, and she's been seen a few times in Mad Men season 4 as Phoebe, a nurse who seems impervious to neighbor Don Draper's charms. Previous work includes extended stays on Everwood (where I first saw her, as the best friend to the character played by fellow celebrity Emily VanCamp) and Heroes (as the mind controller Eden in the first season).

(Interestingly enough, VanCamp's character later became best friends with a character played by actress and probable future celebrity crush profilee Sarah Drew -- who played the best friend of Zehetner's character on Grey's Anatomy. Their characters never met on Everwood, nor does there seem any reason Zehetner's character would meet the character Sarah Drew played on Mad Men, namely the wife of closeted gay ad man Sal.)

If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out: Her role as a femme fatale in the high school noir movie Brick also showcased Zehetner's poetic delivery skills -- offering a musical reading of "The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze" from the opera The Mikado. (You only hear her perform a fragment of the song in the movie, but the soundtrack contains the entire piece as performed by her.)
Humble Beginnings: Bit parts include American Pie 2 (as "Girl at Party") and an episode of Gilmore Girls (as "Girl in Hallway").
Obligatory Edgy Stuff: She's not a huge enough celebrity for a lot of scandalous information to be out there about her, so I'll just mention that she has a brief nude scene in the movie Conversations With Other Women.
Why Ye Olde Podcaster Likes Her: To be honest, Zehetner is a dark horse for Ye Olde Podcaster's list of celebrity crushes. True, she's a brunette like most of the others, but if she were just a model, Ye Olde Podcaster would write her off as too skinny.

As stated in Mental Nomad Podcast 143, which started the whole celebrity crushes series here ... there's some hard-to-define quality that draws my attention. Her role of Eden on Heroes -- a young woman who could get people to do anything she told them to -- was a bit of casting that sums it up. There's just something about her that demands attention. So though she's small and physically not at all imposing, I found her plausible as a femme fatale in the Raymond Chandler pastiche-via-high school that was Brick. (And actually, her appearance on Mad Men solved the mystery -- there's an air of Audrey Hepburn about her.)

TV credits: Mad Men, season 4 (Amazon | iTunes) * Grey's Anatomy, season 6 (Amazon | iTunes) * Southland, season 2: "Butch and Sundance" (Amazon | iTunes) * Heroes, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * Everwood, season 2 (Amazon | iTunes) * Everwood, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * Off Centre, season 2: "The Deflower Half-Hour" (Amazon | iTunes) * She Spies, season 1: "Daddy's Girl" (Amazon | iTunes) * Septuplets (Amazon | iTunes) * Going to California, season 1: "Taking Care of Biscuits" (Amazon | iTunes) * Gilmore Girls, season 1: "Rory's Birthday Parties" (Amazon | iTunes)
Movie and soundtrack credits: Spooner (Amazon | iTunes) * The Brothers Bloom (Amazon | iTunes) * Princess: A Modern Fairytale (Amazon | iTunes) * Remarkable Power (Amazon | iTunes) * Beneath (Amazon | iTunes) * Fifty Pills (Amazon | iTunes) * The Adventures of Big Handsome Guy and His Little Friend (Amazon | iTunes) * Conversations with Other Women (Amazon | iTunes) * Brick (Amazon | iTunes) * Brick soundtrack (Amazon | iTunes) * The Burning Land (Amazon | iTunes) * Point of Origin (Amazon | iTunes) * R.S.V.P. (Amazon | iTunes) * May (Amazon | iTunes) * An American Town (Amazon | iTunes) * American Pie 2 (Amazon | iTunes) * Tart (Amazon | iTunes)

Celebrity crush: Larisa Oleynik

And here's a new entry, as I've decided not to ONLY do reposts in the next several weeks. (This also helps get an entry under the "O" column at the alphabetical index.)

Any affiliate payments earned from your purchase or rental will help pay the hosting fees for my podcasts, so please consider clicking.

Name: Larisa Oleynik
Hometown: Santa Clara County, Calif., according to her Wikipedia entry. With a name like Larisa Romanovna Oleynik, you might guess her family has Eastern European ancestry, and you'd be right: Her dad's family was of Russian descent, though the last name Oleynik is Ukrainian, Wikipedia notes. She even grew up in the Russian Orthodox Church.
Best Known For: Oleynik was a teen idol, based largely on her starring role in the science fiction series The Secret World of Alex Mack -- which I remember watching with my nephew when babysitting him because there wasn't any other science fiction on TV at the time, and it was one of the few kids' programs that didn't make me want to jump out a window -- plus guest-starring on Boy Meets World and appearing in a Baby-Sitters Club film.

Her adult career began with her playing Julia Stiles' sister in the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern-day telling of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, and she followed that up with a recurring role on Third Rock from the Sun playing the love interest of the alien played by her 10 Things co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

After college, she returned in independent films and signed on with The WB's TV series Pepper Dennis -- but it was canceled as part of the merger with UPN that created The CW. She had an appearance on Psych as the goth-clad Wiccan sister of a guy convinced he was a werewolf had me hoping she'd recur as a love interest for Dule Hill, but alas, it hasn't turned out that way.
Humble Beginnings: Her career seems to have sort of run backward -- big stardom as a kid, smaller roles in her adulthood. She appeared in the independent films A Time for Dancing (alongside fellow celebrity crush Shiri Appleby) and 100 Girls (alongside Appleby's Roswell co-star Katherine Heigl), guest-starred on Malcolm in the Middle and Aliens in America, and even appeared in the final season of Without a Trace.

Obligatory Edgy Stuff: Her willingness to play gay parts isn't particularly edgy, but when paired with her willingness to appear almost unrecognizably under goth makeup on Psych, you have to give her credit for not playing it safe by limiting herself to "recovering teeny-bopper" roles.
Dream Casting: She needs to play the older sister to a character played by Friday Night Lights' Aimee Teegarden in something. I don't care what, though I'd probably prefer it to be a drama. Just ... something. (I also think actors Jon Hamm and Peter Krause need to play brothers, but that doesn't have to be the same project.)
Why Ye Olde Podcaster Likes Her: It's her work as an adult that earns her a spot here, obviously -- particularly A Time for Dancing, 100 Girls, American Rhapsody and her turns on Psych and Without a Trace. (Though, really, 10 Things I Hate About You had a lot of great talents in it -- including Heath Ledger, whom we've now lost.) Oleynik is a good actress who did the smart thing, attending college after high school, and I hope she eventually lands regular series work again if that's what she wants.
TV credits: Hawaii Five-O (2010), season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * Mad Men, season 4: "Chinese Wall" (Amazon | iTunes) * Psych, season 4: "Let's Get Hairy" (Amazon | iTunes) * Without a Trace, season 7: "Voir Dire" (Amazon | iTunes) * Aliens in America, season 1: "Community Theatre" (Amazon | iTunes) * Pepper Dennis, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * Malcolm in the Middle, season 7: "Army Buddy" (Amazon | iTunes) * Third Rock from the Sun, season 6 (Amazon | iTunes) * Third Rock from the Sun, season 5 (Amazon | iTunes) * Third Rock from the Sun, season 4 (Amazon | iTunes)
Film credits: Backyard Wedding (Amazon | iTunes) * I Have It (Amazon | iTunes) * Together Again for the First Time (Amazon | iTunes) * Broken Windows (Amazon | iTunes) * Relative Obscurity (Amazon | iTunes) * Pope Dreams (Amazon | iTunes) * Bringing Rain (Amazon | iTunes) * An American Rhapsody (Amazon | iTunes) * 100 Girls (Amazon | iTunes) * A Time for Dancing (Amazon | iTunes) * 10 Things I Hate About You (Amazon | iTunes)

Bizarro Files: 25 August 2010

I didn't see any holidays worth a mention for today.

Notable people born on this date include Russia's Ivan IV of Russia (1530-1584); Scottish-American spy turned private detective and union-busting asshole Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884); American cartoonist Walt Kelly (1913-1973); Cuban-American actor, film producer and director Mel Ferrer (1917-2008); American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990); Scottish actor and sexist pig Sean Connery (born in 1930); American actor Tom Skerritt (born in 1933); English novelist Martin Amis (born in 1949); English musician Elvis Costello (born in 1954); American director Tim Burton (born in 1958); actress Ashley Crow (born in 1960); actor Blair Underwood (born in 1964); Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy (born in 1967); German supermodel Claudia Schiffer (born in 1970); Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård (of True Blood and Generation Kill, born in 1976); American actor Jonathan Togo (of CSI Miami, born in 1977); actress and probable future celebrity crush profilee Rachel Bilson (formerly of The O.C., born in 1981); and American actress and possible future celebrity crush profilee Blake Lively (born in 1987).

Among the prominent people who died on this date are Scottish philosopher and historian David Hume (1711-1776); German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900); American research biologist and sexologist Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956); author Truman Capote (1924-1984); comic book artist Carl Barks (1901-2000); singer and actress Aaliyah (1979-2001); and U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (1932-2009), a rich man who spent his life trying to secure opportunities for people born in less fortunate circumstances.

Things that happened along the way, and the soundtrack:

Astronomer Galileo Galilei showed his first telescope to lawmakers in Venice this day in 1609.

Shibasaburo Kitasato isolated the cause of the bubonic plague this day in 1894. After he published his research in The Lancet, some dumbass ancestor of Jenny McCarthy no doubt railed against any treatments.

America's National Park Service was established this day in 1916.

Among the songs topping the U.S. singles chart on this date were "To Each His Own" (Amazon | iTunes) by Freddy Martin (1946); "Hound Dog" (Amazon | iTunes) backed with "Don't Be Cruel" (Amazon | iTunes) by Elvis Presley (1956); "It's Now or Never" (Amazon | iTunes) by Elvis Presley (1960); "War" (Amazon | iTunes) by Edwin Starr (1970); "Brother Louie" (Amazon | iTunes) by Stories (1973); "Get Down Tonight" (Amazon | iTunes) by K.C. and the Sunshine Band (1975); "Grease" (Amazon | iTunes) by Frankie Valli (1978); and "My Sharona" (Amazon | iTunes) by The Knack (1979).

A couple of The Beatles' female fans hired a helicopter to fly them over a mansion the Fab Four had rented in Beverly Hills, Calif., this day in 1965. The ladies jumped out of the bird and into the swimming pool.

Bobby Darin gave his final concert in Las Vegas this day in 1973; he would die in December from complications of heart surgery at age 37.

Other singles to hit No. 1 in the U.S. included "Sailing" (Amazon | iTunes) by Christopher Cross (1980); "The Power of Love" (Amazon | iTunes) by Huey Lewis and the News (1985); "Higher Love" (Amazon | iTunes) by Steve Winwood (1986); "La Bamba" (Amazon | iTunes) by Los Lobos (1987); "Monkey" (Amazon | iTunes) by George Michael (1988); "I'll Make Love to You" (Amazon | iTunes) by Boyz II Men (1994); "Kiss From a Rose" (Amazon | iTunes) by Seal (1995); and "London Bridge" (Amazon | iTunes) by Fergie (2006).

Sources: Wikipedia, Josh Hosler's site, This Day in Music, thoughts and good instincts intercepted on their way to Sarah Palin and other vacuous Republican figures. Human decency's loss is your cheap laughter quota's gain.

Celebrity crush: Jenna Fischer (updated)

Here's another revised celebrity crush entry, because Ye Olde Podcaster happened to notice the pass for the upcoming season of The Office is now in the iTunes store.

Name: Jenna Fischer
Hometown: Born in Fort Wayne, Ind., but raised in St. Louis, according to her Wikipedia entry
Best Known For: She's best known for her role as Pam, the secretary-turned-saleswoman on NBC's sitcom The Office (inspired by the British show of the same name, except it's run much longer than the original at this point). She also wrote, directed and starred (along with her then-husband, screenwriter James Gunn) in an indie comedy called Lollilove -- where she played an actress named Jenna Fischer who was married to a screenwriter named James Gunn.

Additionally, she's played love interests in the comedies Blades of Glory and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
Humble Beginnings: She had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo in The 40-Year Old Virgin, which of course starred her boss on The Office, Steve Carrell. But her most memorable pre-Office gig was likely on Six Feet Under -- playing a woman who briefly dated Freddie Rodriguez's character, Franco, while he and his wife were separated. (It ... didn't end well. But it did end amusingly. Unless you were Franco.)

Career Opportunities: At the time Ye Olde Podcaster was in school, he would have advised a prospective actor to have a fall-back career in mind. Fischer graduated from Truman State University with a bachelor's in theatre, a minor in journalism (after having enrolled as a pre-law student, according to Wikipedia). Ye Olde Podcaster would have asked, had they been classmates, "Don't you think that should maybe be the other way around?"

(This is assuming Ye Olde Podcaster were able to open his mouth and produce sounds around her, which is not a given. I mean, look at her.)

Needless to say, it's worked out well for her, while Ye Olde Podcaster barely makes it from payday to payday. So not only is she gorgeous, she's much smarter than he is -- as risky as acting is, it beats the hell out of trying to be a journalist.
Obligatory Edgy Stuff: She got naked for the cover of Wired magazine (albeit behind a giant whiteboard) and showed her perfect, perfect butt in a Jane photoshoot. ... Urm, what was I talking about again?

She also wrote a risque piece on 10 Things You Don't Know About Women for Esquire once, which then got read by cast and crew from The Office and put on YouTube.
Keeping It Fake: Once upon a time, there was a social networking site called MySpace. Actually, it's still around, but Ye Olde Podcaster barely uses it anymore.

Point is, Fischer is -- or at least used to be -- an active MySpace user, maintaining a profile for her character from The Office, Pam Beesley (now Halpert). Though over time, Pam started posting things that made it seem she thought she was an actress named Jenna Fischer who was on a TV comedy. (Very confusing.)

Why Ye Olde Podcaster Likes Her: Cute can be sexy, and Fischer scores high on both charts. Plus, she's really gifted as a comic actress, with a perfect sense of timing and delivery. Look up "adorable" in the dictionary, and you'll find her.
TV credits: The Office, season 7 (Amazon | iTunes) * The Office, season 6 (Amazon | iTunes) * The Office, season 5 (Amazon | iTunes) * The Office, season 4 (Amazon | iTunes) * The Office, season 3 (Amazon | iTunes) * The Office, season 2 (Amazon | iTunes) * The Office, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * Six Feet Under, season 5 (Amazon | iTunes) * That 70s Show, season 7: "Don't Lie to Me" (Amazon | iTunes) * Cold Case, season 2: "Factory Girls" (Amazon | iTunes) * Miss Match, season 1: "Kate in Ex-tasy" (Amazon | iTunes) * Strong Medicine, season 4: "Maternal Mirrors" (Amazon | iTunes) * What I Like About You, season 1: "Copy That" (Amazon | iTunes) * Off Centre, season 1: "The Backup" (Amazon | iTunes) * Undeclared, season 1 (Amazon | iTunes) * Spin City, season 5: "A Shot in the Dark, Part 2" (Amazon | iTunes)
Film credits: Hall Pass (Amazon | iTunes) * A Little Help (Amazon | iTunes) * Solitary Man (Amazon | iTunes) * Official Rejection (Amazon | iTunes) * The Promotion (Amazon | iTunes) * Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Amazon | iTunes) * The Brothers Solomon (Amazon | iTunes) * Blades of Glory (Amazon | iTunes) * Slither (Amazon | iTunes) * The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Amazon | iTunes) * Lucky 13 (Amazon | iTunes) * Lollilove (Amazon | iTunes) * The Women (Amazon | iTunes) * Employee of the Month (Amazon | iTunes) * Melvin Goes to Dinner (Amazon | iTunes) * Rubbing Charlie (Amazon | iTunes) * Les Superficiales (Amazon | iTunes) * Picking Up Chicks with Harland Williams (Amazon | iTunes) * The Specials (Amazon | iTunes) * Born Champion (Amazon | iTunes) * Channel 493 (Amazon | iTunes)