Actor Robert Wagner and his family spent Thanksgiving at the Kahala Resort; wife Jill Ireland and daughters Natasha and Kate and their families were among the visiting clan. New granddaughter Clover, daughter of Natasha, was the center of attention.
Manu Bentley, the island hula dancer, and her husband, Lon Bentley, the Hollywood makeup artist (Tom Selleck‘s makeup guy for years), dined with the Wagners one night at the Kahala and at the Outrigger Canoe Club on another.
Wagner, a matinee idol in his younger years, made one of his first visits to Hawaii with his not-then-wife Natalie Wood, who tragically died in a boating accident in 1981.
Nowadays folks know Wagner best as Anthony DiNozzo Sr., the irascible father of agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly) on CBS’ No. 1 procedural show, "NCIS."
"He told us that he finished another episode before coming here," said Bentley. It has yet to air. …
ZOMBIE MANIA: Sarah Wayne Callies, who stars as Lori Grimes in AMC’s "The Walking Dead," will discuss "Chekov and Zombies: A Match Made in Heaven," at 7 p.m. Saturday at Kennedy Theatre. The free event (tickets will be distributed from 5 p.m. at the box office) caps zombie mania linked to UH’s recent production of "Uncle Vanya and the Zombies." Information: 955-7655.
Callies, who played Sara Tancredi on Fox’s "Prison Break," is the daughter of two University of Hawaii professors: David E. Callies (law) and Valerie Wayne (English). …
TALK ABOUT PEOPLE: Friston Ho‘okano, makeup and hair designer at Diamond Head Theatre, is featured in a six-page spread in a just-out book, "Steampunk Fashion." Ho‘okano is one of the steampunk community’s inventive designers who combines modernity with classic Victorian influences, expressed in jewelry and accessories, all with a funky, fun vibe. …
Kit Samson is assembling his seven-member Sound Advice group to perform at the Honolulu Museum of Art’s Kama‘aina Christmas gala, from 9 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the museum. …
JINGLE ALL THE WAY: When he’s not entertaining at Hy’s Steak House, singer-composer-guitarist Audy Kimura creates and produces commercial jingles. His latest, for Droste’s jewelry shops (diamonds are a speciality) in Evansville, Ind., is mostly instrumental — but with a quick vocal tag line featuring Kimura’s voice."I learned that mostly men buy jewelry, so they advertise heavily during sporting events as well as on mainstream TV, so the jingle had to be appealing to both men and music," he said. …
AROUND TOWN: Keali‘i Reichel has been commuting regularly from Maui to Honolulu, working on a long-overdue CD. Jim Linkner, Reichel’s producer, said it could be a summer release but noted, "It’s not done … till it’s done." …
Great holiday listening:Ho‘okena‘s "Huliau" CD, the group’s first as a trio (Horace Dudoit, Chris Kamaka and Glen Smith), is a mix of Christmas and Hawaiian tunes, including a remix of "The Prayer" with vocalist Maila Gibson. A genuine party for your ears. …
And "Hilo for the Holidays," a solo CD from Na Palapalai‘s Kuana Torres Kahele, boasts stunning originals and hearty Hawaiian retooling of old favorites. It’s a comforting feast for the soul. …
PARADISE FOUND: Jeff Fahey will guest-star on "Hawaii Five-0" with Daniel Dae Kim, meaning a "Lost" reunion since Kim now is anchoredhere as Chin Ho Kelly on the CBS series. Fahey recently guested on NBC’s "Revolution." …
Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, will appear as Sabrina, a potential love interest for Masi Oka, on Monday’s "Five-0," which also features Victoria’s Secret model Behati Prinsloo and C. Thomas Howell.
Cast and crew of "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" are filming on the North Shore. Online photo postings feature Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Sam Claflin in and out of the ocean; Lawrence also had a restful Maui visit, with time for the sun and beach. …
And that’s "Show Biz." …
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his Show and Tell Hawaii blog at www.staradvertiser.com.
