Celebrity Parade With Jeanne Wolf

Aug.1, 2008 — -- KEVIN COSTNER

Kevin Costner is Bud, a good ole boy from Texico, New Mexico in "Swing Vote." He doesn't put much stock in the political process until suddenly his vote will decide the presidential election. Costner hopes that the timely comedy will make us laugh and also make us think about the role we play when we go into that voting booth.He told me,:

"You know when you do the math, you think "I don't matter". But, that's when we're thinking selfishly. But when you start to think of yourself as a whole, as a part of the fabric of America, that's when you realize your vote does matter. And when America moves together we do matter. Clearly, "Swing Vote" is not a public service announcement, but I think it might be better than that -- you can ask yourself that fundamental question -- "Am I Bud? Or am I a participant?"

Now Kevin is hoping audiences will participate to make "Swing Vote" a hit. He mortgaged his house to help finance it.

BRENDAN FRASER

Brendan Fraser has gone from the center of the earth to taking on the undead again in "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor." This time Brendan faces a really bad mummy in China. And the body count mounts as he tries to save the world. I found out that Brendan doesn't care if his own children are too young to watch him on the big screen. He says,:

"Hey, as much time as you can spend with your kids is essential to what goes into the best part of parenting. And to be honest, I'd rather have them reading books and kicking soccer balls around than going to too many movies or watching too much TV. They're very young at the moment, so they don't really understand what Dad does for a living. I'll show them a picture of me on a three-wheeled motorcycle or something like that. And they'll be like, "Cool. Anyway, where's Sponge Bob?"

That's what I'd call tough competition. Anyway, Brendan will be back in action next year playing an iconic doll. He's the star of "G.I. Joe."

KELSEY GRAMMAR

Kelsey Grammer finally made it to the highest office in the land in "Swing Vote." He's the outgoing president who's doing his best to get his party's candidate elected to replace him. The problem? A voting snafu has given the final decision to a redneck played by Kevin Costner. Grammer loved going for laughs, but he hopes the comedy will also remind people that being president isn't easy.Kelsey told me,:

"Government will never adequately represent every person in the country. It can't. It's not possible. Abraham Lincoln said it best -- You'll never fool all the people all the time. And I think it's maybe a symptom of the political process in America - you say what people want to hear and there are so many different people now, you say so many different things to enlist their support and get their vote. The film is just a reduction of that problem...or that disease, I guess."

Meanwhile, you can see Kelsey going for more laughs in "An American Carol," the upcoming wacky comedy from those crazy Zucker brothers.FOR MORE ON FAMOUS FACES, GO TO PARADE.COM