the idea of a living variety star who 1) people might know, and 2) doesn't cost a million per appearance, is simply unheard of.

mind you, part of that is the whole "variety star", which hollywood has tried to drive to extinction as rapidly as possible. the few that survive and are encouraged all, oddly enough, live in New York and not Hollywood (i.e., the cast of Scrubs, or many of the past and present cast of Law and Order).

I wrote earlier once, the phrase "multi-talented" is simply not one ever uttered anymore. damn shame, that.