“I would be spinning if I told you I wasn’t smarting from that,” admits Jimmy Smits, speaking of the untimely demise of his first-class “Cane” drama series.  The CBS show, about a wealthy rum-producing dynasty in South Florida, drew initial raves, but was struggling to pick up ratings momentum when dealt a death blow by the industry shutdown.

“It’s collateral damage to the writers’ strike in some ways,” he says.  “But we got a nice up at bat and the network did provide us with a nice launch, and I learned a lot.”

And the esteemed Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor is not one to stay down.  It’s just been announced that he’s joining the cast of “Dexter” in its third season, for 10 out of 12 episodes, playing a powerful and charismatic assistant DA who’s after a murderer that also has Dexter’s (Michael C. Hall) attention.

Come July 4, Jimmy will host the annual “A Capitol Fourth” festivities seen on PBS from the mall in Washington, DC.  He’s presiding over a bill that includes Brian Stokes Mitchell, Jerry Lee Lewis, Huey Lewis & the News and more.

This week he’s in Mexico City after a week off, working on a Carlos Carrera independent film.  “I’m the only American actor in the cast,” notes Jimmy, who took on his role partly because he “just wanted to keep the old violin in tune,” as he puts it.  “It’s a very small film, from the director who did ‘Crimes of the Father’ that Gael Garcia Bernal was in.”

They’ve finished the leg of the production schedule that had them near the border, in an area known as a major drug artery, and Jimmy’s not sorry it’s completed.  “Juarez is hot — and darlin’ I’m not talking about the temperature, either,” he says.  “It’s a little dangerous, a little dicey over there.  We had a couple of hotel lockdowns and a lot of security.”

SAD GOODBYES: Emotions are high on the set of “Battlestar Galactica” as the troupe wraps up the last few episodes for this final season, reports Rekha Sharma.

“One of the writers came up to me on the last day of one of the episodes and started saying goodbye and it was like a shot to my stomach,” says the actress, who plays the aide/advisor to President Roslyn (Mary McConnell) on the show that’s garnered an Emmy and Peabody Award during its five year run. “I said ‘Stop please. Save it for the end because I can’t take it. I was about to bubble up into tears. It’s been such an awesome ride. It’s wonderful to work on a show that’s going to end with such integrity. There are shows that started off good, then petered out but that won’t be the case with this one.”

She says “I just read the ending and its so #$%ing beautiful…at one point my heart was racing for about ten pages, then for ten pages I was crying. I was on the plane and the person next to me probably thought I was in sane. It’s intense. It’s a kind of resolution to all the storylines, but at the same time it’s like life, life does go on.”

THE BIG SCREEN SCENE: Taryn Manning has wrapped up work on Shem Bitterman’s “The Job” in Detroit – playing a gal who “starts out seeming like a sweet girl-next-door type” — but turns out to be quite different.  “It’s acting within acting.  The character is part of a gang of con artists who prey on this desperate person who is sort of a lost soul.  It’s hard to explain the movie without giving it away,” says the 29-year-old beauty, who stars with Patrick Flueger, Ron Perlman and Joe Pantoliano in the adaptation of the award-winning play.

It’s the latest in a string of diverse movies the “8 Mile” actress has shot in succession of late, including Taylor Hackford’s “Love Ranch” – “based on the story of the couple who started the first legal brothel in Nevada, the Mustang Ranch, in the 1970s, with Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci”– in which she plays a prostitute.  And including “The Perfect Age of Rock and Roll.”  That one is “about a rock ‘n’ roll band on tour, their trials and tribulations.”  Despite Taryn’s own musical abilities –she’s the vocalist for the duo Boomkat – this time around “I play the tour manager.  I’m not in the band.  I’m like the boss,” she says.

PLAYTIME: “Ugly Betty’s” Ana Ortiz went from production of the ABC serial to the TV movie “Little Girl Lost” with Judy Reyes last month – and isn’t sure whether or not she’ll take on more work before her “Ugly” hiatus is through.  “I like to work as much as possible,” she says.  She is, however, already looking forward to a holiday break:  “America (Ferrera) and her man and my husband and I are trying to plan a trip together at Christmas.”

With the luster of Lindsay Lohan’s stardom dimmed – a lot – due to her record of hard partying, legal woes, drug trouble and flops, Lohan watchers are speculating over her chances of post-rehab redemption via her “Ugly Betty” arc that starts Thursday night (5/22).

She won’t be sitting idly by wondering, that’s for sure.  In fact, the whirl that is Lindsay’s world is spinning as fast as ever.  She’s currently prepping for “Labor Pains,” which has been set for a June 2 start date — the day after she’s to present at the MTV MovieAwards.   That’s the big-screen comedy in which she’ll play a girl so desperate not to get fired from her job, she falsely claims to be pregnant – then finds herself getting special treatment and sympathy.

On the heels of wrapping “Labor Pains,” Lindsay – who turns 22 on July 2 – is due to head to New York, barring an actors’ strike, for the start of next season’s “Ugly Betty,” in which she’s to appear in five episodes as a mean girl from high school who resurfaces in Betty’s (America Ferrera) life.

She’s also readying her much-discussed third album to debut in early fall.

Meanwhile, a casting notice has gone out for the role of Nancy Pitman in Matthew Bright’s “The Manson Girls,” the film detailing the murderous Charles Manson cult story through the eyes of his female followers — to which Lohan was attached. Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood recently reported that Lindsay had been dropped from the project because other actors didn’t want to work with her – to which Lindsay’s rep quickly responded that her departure was due to scheduling conflicts.

Whatever —  the fact that producers are still hiring Lindsay brings to mind an observation made by comedic icon Bob Newhart years ago, that oftentimes, those who survive in this business are those whose talent exceeds their need to self destruct.

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Supermodel Beverly Johnson, who is making a television comeback, is comparing herself to Paula Abdul.  Given the sometimes-bizarre antics of Abdul, you certainly don’t hear that said too often, but Johnson is referring to her use of positive comments when it comes to judging contestants.  Johnson herself is a judge on the new original series, “She’s Got the Look,” premiering June 4 on TV Land.   “I was trying to call myself the Paula Abdul because I love her.  I love her as a person, and I consider myself a real nice person.  However, I don’t know if I was so nice,” admits Johnson of her behavior on the show, which sets out to discover a woman 35 or older to become the next great supermodel-of-a-certain-age.  ”I hope I didn’t come off too mean.  I think I was fair.  I was honest and I wanted to move them along to their dreams, but criticism, no matter how you give it, stings.”

Johnson, who was the first African-American model to appear on the cover of American Vogue, tells us she certainly had plenty to say.  ”I don’t know if I was supposed to or not, but I interjected whenever I got the chance.  I knew what it was like to leave your kids when you have to go away to work.  Plus, there was a sense of urgency because at this age they want to put this career in forward motion.”

As for Johnson’s career, she says she’s put in the long hours and now she’s focusing more of her attention on golf.  ”I built my dream home on a golf course.  This was all before I knew I was going back into show business.  I recently played in the LPGA Pro-Am tournament.  I missed the cup by one, but I was so excited to be on ESPN.”

CORONATION EQUATION: Derek Luke says working with one of his icons, Spike Lee, on the upcoming “Miracle at St. Anna’s” constituted a high mark in his career.  “In New York, Spike has this group of people that he always works with and now I can say I was amongst that group. It’s almost like being crowned being part of that.  I went in with no type of thought of what it should be, but I left with a proudness, you know what I’m saying?  It was a blessing to work with Spike.”  He notes, “I was always a fan. He had to be one of the first influences on my life as a filmmaker. His films really touched me.”  Luke co-stars with Laz Alonso, Michael Ealy and John Turturro in the film about four African-American GIs stuck behind enemy lines in Italy during WW II.

FREE LOVE AND HARD RAIN: Quite a casting job for the forces working on Ang Lee’s planned “Taking Woodstock” feature – it has 54 roles.  The adaptation of Elliot Tiber’s “Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life” details how Tiber, described as a lonely gay Jewish man who managed a Catskills mountains hotel, wound up becoming a pivotal player in the making of the legendary 1969 Woodstock music festival.

Are America Ferrera and long-time boyfriend Ryan Piers Williams engaged to be married, as recent reports would have it?
“I make a point of not talking about my personal life,” declares the “Ugly Betty” star. “”But Ryan and I are still together. No, we’re not engaged. We’ve never been engaged — though there have been at least 100 reports this past year that I was engaged to Ryan.”

As her fame has soared, so, too, has the misinformation being spread about all aspects of her life. “You have to ignore some of the things that are said about you,” she says, “Laugh at others — and just shake your head over the fact that there are people who can’t find anything better to do with their time then literally create quotes out of thin air. Some of the things are awful. One magazine, for instance, quoted me as saying that when I was younger, I used to cry at my reflection. I never said such a thiing!”

America, who’ll be before the “Ugly Betty” cameras until May 9, then prepare for a movie shoot — and she has the big-screen “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2″ upcoming — doesn’t feel that the invasion of her private life is the price she should have to pay for fame.

“I don’t think I should have to sacrifice self-respect,” she declares. “People should have respect for others and not chase personalities in their cars or show up in front of their homes. That said, I do enjoy it when fans come up to me and say they love my series and like my work. But there’s a time and place for everything. Having strangers approach you when you’re out having an intimate dinner or, for instance, when you’re on the cell phone, well that can get pretty obnoxious.”

MEANWHILE: America Ferrera alerts fans of “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” to prepare for major changes in the sequel to the 2005 hit. The “Ugly Betty” star, who reprises her “Traveling Pants” role in the August 8 release, says the new flick “is very different in feel from the original.” It takes place three years later, and finds the four girls “grown up and trying to deal with friendship after their lives have taken them in different directions, with experiences the other haven’t shared.”

FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT: Scott Baio tells us his VH1 reality show will probably be coming back for a third season. According to him, “Professional-wise I get a lot of good heat from the show because it’s sort of a different-looking reality show. At network meetings I spend the first 15 minutes talking about the show because they want to know how we do it. They’re like, ‘We don’t know what this show is. Is it real or not?’ I’m like, ‘It’s whatever you want it to be.’ I can’t tell you what’s real and not real because everything is produced – everything. But it is my life and my baby and my wife and my house, but within that we play. We know where the story is. I know sort of where I want to take my life and I try to get it there.”

While Baio is happy to have buzz surrounding “Scot Baio is…” the actor admits it hasn’t necessarily helped in getting the big roles. Nevertheless, he’s just happy to work. His latest project is the Spike TV movie “Finish Line” where he says he enjoyed playing the bad guy. The action flick about a stock car driver whose need for money leads him to unknowingly work for an arms dealer premieres tonight (4/21) in HD. “Very few people have the luxury of saying, ‘I want to do this.’ You do what comes along and you make the best of it. There is only one Clint Eastwood or one Tom Cruise. They’re the type of guys who can pick and choose exactly what they want. Guys like us, we just sort of take what we can get and hopefully it’s good stuff. This was a fun little movie. I wish I could get deeper about it, but I’m not that guy.”

THE BIG SCREEN SCENE: Tom Lennon confirms that he and his cohorts hope to bring “Reno 911” back to the big screen. “We have script for a movie called ‘Reno S.O.S.,’ which is basically like ‘Lord of the Flies’ and ‘Lost’ where we crash on an island. I don’t know that they’ll necessarily green light the movie just yet, but they might.”

HAVE SCRIPT, WILL TRAVEL: Having done a string of six films over the past couple years including “Mad Money” and “Superhero Movie,” Christopher McDonald now expects to take a little time off to be with his family. However, he knows the show business rule: “If you want to work, book a very expensive vacation. If you do – and I’m going to take my kids to France – that’s the time when that gem of a role you can’t pass up comes your way.”

Nothing against the 818, says the star of TV’s “Ugly Betty,” who grew up in Woodland Hills and attended El Camino Real High School, but she had plans.

“The Valley reminds me of my childhood,” says Ferrera, who appears in the just-released film “Under the Same Moon.”

“I had a really rough time through high school. I don’t think I liked myself very much. High school is a very hard place to like yourself. It’s easier for some people, but it wasn’t very easy for me.”

Ferrera chalks up her troublesome high-school years, in part, to a rare single-mindedness of purpose about who she was and what she wanted to do.

Simply put, long before she entered her teens, Ferrera knew she wanted to go to college and she wanted to act, not necessarily in that order. When people asked about her backup plans, Ferrera would shake her head.

“I’m very much in awe of how young children have such bravery to dream so big. They just don’t question it,” she says. “I never questioned it. I used to lie in bed and say, `I don’t know how I’m going to get there. I just know I’m going to.’ I was, like, 10 and thinking, `What is taking so long? Why has my life not started?’ ”

Times have indeed changed. The woman who utters these words from the terrace of a Beverly Hills hotel is a USC graduate with a degree in international relations. She’s also an Emmy, Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe Award winner. In its two seasons, the telenovela-inspired sitcom “Ugly Betty” has become something of an international phenomenon.

Ferrera turns 24 in April, and she’s still asking questions. The last two years have been prosperous and fulfilling, and they have also made the actress look inward.

“There is no possible way someone standing on the outside could know what I’ve been through in my life,” says Ferrera. “Sure, it looks like a Cinderella ball. It’s an amazing show, and the fame and the awards and recognition, but those are just the side effects of what, for me, is truly fulfilling. I work really hard for something I’m really proud of.

“There’s kind of a calm about it for me,” she continues. “There are so many ways to become frightened of your own success. It’s a big learning lesson in questioning why do I do this and what is it for? And what do I want out of it?”

She is equally even-keeled when the topic of being a role model is broached. “Ugly Betty” has been embraced by the gay community and Latinos alike. Women - and their young daughters - have lauded the notion of a TV heroine who isn’t a size 0 and who doesn’t have the snappiest taste in fashion.

Ferrera, though, has stopped reading message boards and blog notices. She’s grateful and gracious to fans who embrace underdog Betty’s struggle as their own, but there’s a limit to how much of a crusader Ferrera is willing to be.

“I don’t make every decision in my life based on, `Am I doing what’s right for the Latino community? Am I doing what’s right for young women everywhere? Am I doing what’s right for curvy girls in Hollywood?’ I don’t want to be responsible for that,” she says. “I want to do what’s right for me, and I think that’s what everyone should do.”

Outside of “Betty,” Ferrera has kept plenty busy. In addition to “Under the Same Moon,” she appears in the just released Spanish-language hostage drama “Toward the Darkness,” which she also produced and which began as a friend’s short film while Ferrera was at USC.

Last summer, she filmed the sequel to “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” based on the Ann Brashares novels, with fellow “Pants” alums Alexis Bledel, Amber Tamblyn and Blake Lively. She also spent part of the summer campaigning for Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid.

No, she doesn’t expect voters will blindly follow Betty Suarez to the polls, but as Ferrera notes, “I’m lucky enough that when I talk, maybe a few cameras will follow me.”

“I’ve done the work and educated myself, and I’ve been very active in this election because I think everyone should be,” she says. “If cameras weren’t following me, I’d probably still be involved in this election. Nobody would care, but I would still be trying to do what I could to bring attention to the candidate I believe in.”

She recently went back to the set of “Ugly Betty,” which returns to ABC on April 24. In the first original episode since the conclusion of the Writers Guild of America strike, misfit fashion magazine secretary Betty Suarez will celebrate a birthday.

“I don’t really know what else is going on in Betty’s life,” Ferrera says. “That’s one of the reasons I’m anxious to get back.”

Ferrera basically has a cameo in “Under the Same Moon,” playing a non-Spanish-speaking American who tries to earn money for her brother’s college tuition by smuggling Mexican babies over the U.S. border. Ferrera’s character, Marta, ends up transporting 9-year-old Carlitos (played by Adrian Alonso), whose quest to track down his mother in Los Angeles is at the heart of the film.

Ferrera received the script when it was titled “Immigrant Boy.” Put off by the title, she tried - unsuccessfully - to use the script as a sleep aid.

“I thought I’d be asleep by page 4. It usually works,” she recalls. “Of course, at 2 a.m., I’m on the last page, crying. I just really connected to it on a very human level. I just thought it was a perfect way to get a human connection to what immigration is all about.

“Yes, it’s deemed a crime and it’s illegal,” she adds, “but to call this 9-year-old boy who wants to be with his mother a criminal, something about that seems not complete.”

She filmed her part in May 2006, shortly after the premiere of the “Ugly Betty” pilot. Ferrera was far less well-known then, although “Same Moon” director Patricia Riggen knew the actress’ work from her 2002 debut film, “Real Women Have Curves.”

“Basically, I felt that she was the only one I could have who would represent that generation of Latinos,” says Riggen.

“In the movie, the characters show us that the struggle doesn’t end for Latinos when they get a passport. (Ferrera’s) character was doing something not good for a good reason, which makes her very human.”

Riggen sees Ferrera as “one of those actors that are going to always do challenging stuff and not stay with easy or sweet roles.”

Ferrera agrees.

“There is so much growth in my work that needs to be done,” she says. “I need to live more so I have more to bring to my life.”