People

By Rebecca Winters Keegan

WILL LEO'S FILM BREAK THE ICE? Leonardo Dicaprio is giving gem execs the jitters. He plays a diamond smuggler in The Blood Diamond, a Sierra Leone--set drama that depicts how gem sales funded African civil wars in the '90s. De Beers says it will spend $15 million to counter publicity its execs believe will hurt sales around the film's winter release. In other words, they're finally spending their profits from J. Lo's engagement rings.

LADIES, PREPARE TO LOSE YOUR HEAD First Look Jonathan Rhys Meyers has already played a king with a thing for velvet and young girls, in CBS's 2005 Elvis movie. But for the Irish actor's next swaggering royal role, in Showtime's 2007 series The Tudors, he has to learn some new skills. As Henry VIII, Rhys Meyers will tackle "jousting, lute and a minimum of six languages," alongside Sam Neill as Cardinal Wolsey. Even draped in jewels befitting the portly, much married monarch, "I look nothing like Henry," the lean Match Point star admits. "I have to make him my own." Funny, that's just how Anne Boleyn felt.

Q&A AMY SEDARIS Amy Sedaris is "boozer, user and loser" Jerri Blank in Strangers with Candy, the film version of her Comedy Central show.

Where did Jerri come from? Paul [Dinello], Steve [Colbert] and I had an idea to do a show based on after-school specials. Paul found this old documentary about a 46-year-old woman who was an ex-prostitute ex-con who delivered antidrug messages at schools. I told the wardrobe woman I wanted to look like someone who owned a snake.

You're pretty, but you prefer to play ugly? Everything is about pretty people. The audience for Strangers is outcasts. I like playing characters who find themselves attractive even though they may not be.

Sarah Jessica Parker. Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was a surprise to see name actors in this movie. We just asked them. We'll pick you up. A hot lunch. It's two or three hours.

You're coming out with a hospitality book this fall. Any tips? Entertaining old people--that's about the music not being loud, the lighting being bright and the food tasting like it's already been tasted.

Don't you sell your baked goods? My cupcakes. I like making cash. I did a play with Sarah Jessica. And I said, "Each week why don't you put $100 into this jar, and I'll match it?" I said we'd do something with it. I still have it behind my bed. I think I have $1,200 in it. I doubt she remembers it.