#Middlebury
Q: Whatever happened to Debbie Matenopoulos since she was on “The View” all those years ago? Did she stay in the news and entertainment industry? – R.B.
A: The juicy new tell-all book “Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of ‘The View’” has brought a lot of attention past and present co-hosts of the hit talk show. It’s hard to believe the all-female talk show debuted way back in 1997. It seems like just yesterday when the original panel of Barbara Walters, Meredith Viera, Joy Behar, Star Jones and a 22-year-old Debbie Matenopoulos sat down at their shared table.
Debbie Matenopoulos (Hallmark Channel photo)
Matenopoulos was thrust into the spotlight, as this was her first on-air job. She did attend New York University’s journalism school, so she wasn’t completely green. However, finding herself on live television, sitting across from the legendary Walters, would test her mettle more than the most demanding professor ever would.
Matenopoulos has actually worked steadily in front of the camera since she was ousted from “The View” in 1999. She’s been a correspondent and host for “E! Live From the Red Carpet” and “Fashion Police,” and co-cost of Hallmark’s talk show “Home & Family” with Cameron Mathis (ex-Ryan, “All My Children”). She’s even been invited back to “The View” several times. In her private life, she’s married to photographer Jon Falcone, and they have one child.
Q: Is there going to be another season of “The Umbrella Academy” on Netflix? I finally caught up on it and finished the series, and now I want more! – S.T.
A: Yes, Netflix has given the greenlight to start filming a second season of 10 episodes. “The Umbrella Academy” stars Ellen Page (“Inception”) and is based on the comic book series by singer Gerard Way. It’s about a group of children who were born with special powers and adopted by a billionaire. They reunite years later to solve the mystery surrounding the death of their father. The show will begin filming again this summer in Toronto.
Q: I read about actress Marcia Cross having cancer. Is she OK now? Will she be doing anymore television soon? I loved her on both “Melrose Place” and “Desperate Housewives.” – Y.M.
A: Marcia Cross received some good news about her health. After undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for anal cancer, she has been declared cancer-free. She started giving interviews lately, telling People magazine: “I want to help put a dent in the stigma around anal cancer. I’ve read a lot of cancer-survivor stories, and many people, women especially, were too embarrassed to say what kind of cancer they had. There is a lot of shame about it. I want that to stop.” Cross credits her gynecologist for doing a rectal exam that saved her life. You can read more about the disease on the website analcancerfoundation.org.
As for her acting career, she’s right back at work on a new project, filming the pilot episode of “Jane the Novela,” a spinoff of “Jane the Virgin,” for the CW network.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com!
© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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