Tomorrow is Becki Newton’s birthday – born on the fourth of July!  The Ugly Betty star turns 31.

She gets a fireworks show every year on her birthday, that’s got to be awesome.  To have the figure she does, she probably doesn’t pig out on BBQ every year, though. 

Newton was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and raised in Guilford, Connecticut.  She graduated with a BA in European History from the University of Pennsylvania.  (I had forgotten this – I would imagine it would make her recent trip to the UK more meaningful).

On Ugly Betty, Newton has played Amanda Tanen (Sommers), Fey Sommers, and Ruthie (in 1.12 – Sophia’s Choice), a role she absolutely shined in.

She also was in the great movie August Rush.

Becki graced the July cover of Lucky Magazine (beautifully).  She told them at the time of the shoot, “I get excited around summer clothes—it’s the one season when you can put together a whole outfit without spending tons of money.”

Happy Birthday Becki!  I hope your hubby Chris Chris Diamantopoulos gives you the Queen for a Day treatment, then you get to enjoy some fireworks!

Image: SplashNewsOnline.com

Ugly Betty’s Vanessa Williams spent time yesterday helping a very worthy cause, Dress For Success.  Here is an on-the-scene report.

Williams was at Grand Central Station yesterday, encouraging women  to donate their clothes to Dress For Success, an organization that donates clothes and gives advice to women to help them succeed in the workforce.

Vanessa said, "I am representative of working women, of women that want to look their best, who want to look and express their success in the way that we can and we want to help women that are in need and give them a start to look their best too. "

Sponsors of yesterday’s event committed $250,000 to the nonprofit organization.

Way to go, Vanessa!

Upon further review, it seems that Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle will NOT be appearing on Ugly Betty.

A representative of ABC has told EW that the rumors are not true.  EW blames Perez Hilton for the false report, but my source was British tabloid The Sun.  I should have known better, and for that I am truly sorry.  I had actually gotten some credible info from The Sun before, but they are no longer a source for this blog, as of now.

Anyway, it would have been nice and interesting if Boyle had appeared on the show - she would have been a refreshing change from the usual high fashion, glamorous guest stars (not that there’s anything wrong with that).

Keep in mind, also, that we’ve seen this kind of back and forth (it’s on!  it’s off!) when negotiations were ongoing with Lindsay Lohan to appear on Ugly Betty.  She eventually appeared on the show at the end of season 2 and beginning of season 3, but there were many reports that she was definitely NOT going to appear.

Anyway, dear readers, I apologize again for trusting The Sun.

Image: Newscom

A spokesperson for Ugly Betty star Ana Ortiz says she and her husband Noah Lebenzon welcomed their baby girl on Saturday.

They named the girl Paloma Louise (what a beautiful name!).  They waited till the birth to choose the name.  She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces.  The spokesperson says Ortiz has left the hospital and is now Back home in Broooklyn.

Ana recently told OK magazine that the first thing she’ll have to do with Paloma is introduce her to the family pets.  "I have to get the dog and the baby to know one another so that will be interesting," she explained.  

I can tell you from experience, that sometimes is easier said than done. 

About Paloma’s room:  “The nursery is beautiful and it’s all eco-friendly," explains Ana. "It was designed by a woman named Amanda Moore and she did an amazing job. It’s like this light blue wall and the accent colors are golden and orange and wood. It’s just fantastic.”

Ana thinks she’ll have no problem with work/home balance. 

“I’m excited. I’ve gotten so much support from the cast and so much support from the producers and my mother’s going to come with me to set and help out," she explains. "I couldn’t ask for a better husband, he’s willing to do whatever needs to be done. Everyone’s so excited to have the baby on set that if I even see the baby while I’m working I’ll be surprised.”

In fact, the crew has already set up an on-set nursery for the baby girl in Ana’s dressing room. "There’s a basinet in there and a rocker. It’s hooked up. I’m so lucky!”

Congratulations Ana and Noah!

Image: Bauer Griffin

Michael Urie isn’t the only Ugly Betty cast member starring in a stage production this summer.  Judith Light, who plays the show’s matriarch Claire, is currently starring in A.R. Gurney’s “Children, and the Boston Globe has a very enlightening article about it.

Apparently, in the late 90’s, Light had fallen into a kind of rut, pretty much only working TV pilots and movies of the week.  She had turned down part in a play that she felt she wasn’t a right fit for, and her longtime manager, Herb Hamsher, challenged her about it and accused her of running scared from a challenge.

“I took that in and realized, oh wow, he’s absolutely right. I was getting into habits that were not serving me in terms of my work. I knew that unless I went back to the theater, I was going to keep digging myself in even further,’’ Light tells the Globe.

Being a gay rights activist, “I realized: I’m not living my life like the people who inspired me in the first place. I’m talking the talk, but I’m not walking the walk,’’ she recalls. “I had lost my courage, and I had to do something about it because I didn’t like the way I was operating.’’

She then decided to take the role of a cancer-stricken poetry scholar in “Wit” in 1999.  Light had to keep her head shaved and appear naked onstage.  All this while playing a character who was slowly dying.

The part turned out to be transformative.  The play went on a national tour to rave reviews.  Critics commented that Light had been missing from the stage for far too long. 

“That period stands as sort of the transition point in my life - one that was extremely empowering,’’ she says. “It was incredibly exhilarating and gave me a basis with which to move forward in my life and in my work.’’

The Globe story tells all about Light’s current role, and it’s well worth the read.  I did not know that Judith’s own mother had died in April, causing a conflict for the actress.  She almost didn’t take the part in “Children”, because during that time she was flying back and forth to Florida to take care of her ailing mother.

“I knew my mother wouldn’t want me to not do the play because of her,’’ says Light. “Because she had been so supportive of my career all of my life.’’

As far a her character on Ugly Betty, I’m glad she’s been brought into the fold as a more regular and important character.  Her interactions with Betty have been some of the nicest scenes of the year, and it’s obvious that she’s going to be involved in a major story line in season 4.

Image: Splashnewsonline.com

It seems that Ugly Betty’s Becki Newton has the same idea I’ve been touting on Twitter:  Amanda needs a love interest.  Interestingly, she has a strange suggestion for who might play the role:

Hmmm.  Simon Cowell?  I mean, I can see the personality compatibility, but it couldn’t last.  (Although I’d REALLY love to see Cowell’s very frank reaction to Betty’s wardrobe!)

Of course, she’s kidding, but on a serious note, I think I’m not alone in saying that Amanda most definitely needs a love interest.  Every other character (except Justin) on the show has had a go at a serious relationship - but Amanda is stuck in one night stand mode.  I guess you could count Tavares, the closet straight designer, but that was more of a fling.

I would suggest Matt, but I don’t think I can duck fast enough.  The pairing just doesn’t have any zing, although I could totally see Amanda going after the Sugar Daddy.  It would be interesting to see Amanda totally infatuated or even in love - her season 1 fling with Daniel showed a side we haven’t seen since.

Am I hawking this idea because I secretly wish to see more scantily-dressed Amanda bedroom scenes?  Well, that’s a pleasant side effect.  But really, although I’ve enjoyed Newton as the wacky sidekick, her character hasn’t had much to do in a while, and in a show with soap opera touches, falling in love is something to do.

Newton seems to be enjoying her European summer; I had never heard of “T4″ until I saw this video.

So, Ugly Betty writers, we’re reaching a consensus at UBN: Betty’s romantic entanglements are getting old - give us Amanda in love!

Ausiello has some casting news about Ugly Betty, and it’s big enough to give it top billing in this week’s Ask Ausiello column.

Question: Will Daniel Eric Gold, who plays Betty ex-BF/boss Matt, be returning to Ugly Betty next season? –Janeen
Ausiello: Not only is he returning, but sources confirm to me exclusively that he’s been promoted to a full-fledged series regular! But don’t take that to mean Matt and Betty will reunite and live happily ever after. In fact, I hear Betty producers are already cooking up a fresh obstacle for the pair, and rumor has it they want him to be lovable and blue collarish. (Think Seth Rogen only much cheaper.)

So, Daniel Eric Gold has been promoted to series regular.  (Mr Gold, pick up your phone…it’s Christopher Gorham.). 

Actually, this isn’t too surprising; Silvio Horta had kind of hinted at it at the end of season 3, and with all the "I love you, I hate you" story lines that are possible between Matt and Betty, the writers have a really good foundation for story lines in season 4.

Now, this "obstacle" (ie, another possible Betty love interest, if I’m understanding Ausiello) - made me roll my eyes.  He kind of sounds like Gio, although Gio was turned very quickly from working class sandwich guy to struggling entreprenuer.

We’ll watch the casting notices, but I like the idea of a Seth Rogen type (especially if they use pre-weight loss Rogen as the prototype).  Now that Betty’s an editor, maybe this young man is going to be her assistant?

Come to think of it, that might be the role of the beautiful African American woman the show is casting.  (Another idea is that she’s replacing Christina - SOMEBODY has to work in The Closet).

I love this time of year - the speculation is wide open!

Image: SplashNewsOnline

Ugly Betty’s Ana Ortiz is primed and ready for when she goes into labor.  Her baby, a girl, is due tomorrow.

Ortiz tells OK Magazine, “The bag is packed – mostly.  I need to get some toothbrushes.”

If she’s down to toothbrushes, I’d say Ana is just about ready.  Ortiz also talks about why she’s looking so buff, even at 9 months pregnant:

“Because they didn’t write [my pregnancy] into the show, it was kind of important to me to try to stay as much in shape as possible. It’s the first time I ever worked with a trainer because I didn’t know how far to push everything.”

Wow - like I’ve said before, Ana is made of stout stuff.  Pregnant, in the summer, and she’s working out with a trainer?  I don’t know about how it’s been in New York, but where I live it’s been one of the hottest summers I can remember.  I just can’t imagine being almost about to deliver and still working out daily with a trainer.

Apparently, the pregnancy interrupted Ortiz’s summer plans.  “I was actually gonna audition for [Broadway's' Chicago] and then I got pregnant,” she admitted, adding that she will “definitely” try out for the parts of Roxie or Thelma after she delivers.

Ana can REALLY sing - check this out - a song Ortiz recorded with Kyle Puccia a while back.

If there are any - er - developments, I’ll pass the news along (probably first on Twitter).

She could easily be Roxie or Thelma, if Ugly Betty and her new baby allow her time.

Good luck and blessings to Ana and husband Noah Lebenzon.

Image: SplashNewsOnline.com

Ugly Betty’s Michael Urie tells us that he’s rejoining the strange, wonderful world of Celebrity Autobiography on Friday, June 26.  For those of you who aren’t familiar with Celebrity Autobiography, it is just as it sounds: comedians read, word for word, from autobiographies of celebrities.

Nightline did a story about it last year, and Urie was one of the people featured:

Hi-larious.  It’s kind of a funny push-back from our “tell and show everyone everything all the time” reality society.  I believe I remember where Urie once read from Miley Cyrus‘ book, which would have been so funny you couldn’t see straight.

Joining Urie at The Gramercy Theatre, 127 East 23rd Street (at Lexington) are B.D. Wong, Kristen Johnson, Jackie Hoffman, Rachel Dratch, Frank DeCaro, Eugene Pack, Dayle Reyfel, and they’ll be reading from fellow celebrities like Madonna, Miley Cyrus, Diana Ross, Elizabeth Taylor, Ivana Trump, Star Jones, Burt and Loni, Tommy and Pamela, Zsa Zsa and more.

The show starts at 9:30 pm, and you can get Orchestra cabaret table seating for just $25 (normally $40).  See Urie’s blog for more details.

Here is video of Ugly Betty’s Vanessa Williams performing at her CD celebration at Greenhouse in NYC (hat tip: vivalariviera.com)

I absolutely LOVE the title track from Vanessa’s CD (The Real Thing).  The more I hear it, the more I want to hear.  She also performs Just Friends, which is also a nice groove.

The feedback trouble at the beginning of Just Friends was unfortunate, but it happens to the best of sound techs in smaller rooms.

Ana Ortiz can bee seen in the crowd shots thoroughly enjoying herself.  Michael Urie, seen briefly, also seems to be enjoying the music.

It occurred to me listening to Vanessa sing that she wouldn’t make it past the first round on American Idol, which is a shame.  Not that Williams can’t sing (far from it), but Idol encourages a certain style of over-singing that leaves no room for Vanessa’s subtle smoothness.  That’s a shame - we may never find the next Vanessa Williams because every young singer is out there practicing vocal acrobatics and full-throttle volume singing.

But, before you remind me that this isn’t a music blog, let me just say that Vanessa looks fabulous, and I like her in her “singing” hair (she pulls it back when she’s in singing mode).

I’m so jealous of those of you who were there!