Toronto Sun: In the Stratus-sphere
In the past five months Trish Stratus retired from wrestling, got married, settled into a new house and signed on for a seven-episode reality show that is airing in primetime on CBS. "So I spent my honeymoon in Muncie, Ind., without my husband," the WWE legend and native of Richmond Hill said with a laugh.
Stratus felt the sacrifice was worth it to be part of Armed And Famous, in which five celebrites -- Stratus, La Toya Jackson, Jack Osbourne, Erik Estrada and Jason (Wee Man) Acuna -- become police officers and go on real-life calls in crime- and crack-infested Muncie.
"They wouldn't tell me who the other celebrities were until I signed on," Stratus recalled. "They were sworn to secrecy, but they did say, 'There's one guy who played a cop on TV.' And I was like, 'That's totally Erik Estrada.'
"When they first said 'reality show,' I wondered if it was for me. But then they said CBS, and who knows where that can lead?"
Stratus finished filming Armed And Famous in mid-January, and the program is in the middle of its on-air run. Stratus -- who in last week's episode did everything from going undercover as a prostitute to checking up on an elderly man only to find him dead in his apartment -- has emerged with a newfound respect for the police.
"They have to wear so many hats," Stratus said.
Of course, no conversation with Stratus could take place without asking her for the inside scoop on her fellow celebrity police officers. Here's what Stratus had to say:
La Toya Jackson (a.k.a. Michael's sister) -- "She is a 50-year-old woman who has been pampered her whole life. So when she first comes in, people are carrying her bags, she isn't opening her own doors, and I was like, 'Okay, here we go, diva.' And oh my God, did she ever prove everyone wrong. The second day we did physical testing, and she couldn't do a pushup. But she came to me and said, 'Can you help me do this?' So we really bonded. She made a full 180-degree turn. Even her tone of voice changed. She left a stronger, bolder woman, and she really was a source of inspiration."
Jack Osbourne (a.k.a. Ozzy's son) -- "He is the most grounded, down-to-earth, mature kid you ever could meet. Obviously it was a big thing when he went through rehab, and he lost 70 pounds. We were expecting him to be the spoiled little brat from The Osbournes. But he has grown up so much since then."
Erik Estrada (a.k.a. Mr. CHiPs) -- "He has been in show business for so long, he is an absolute pro. Of course, on our very first day, when we were learning how to pull over a car, he had the strut, he had the walk. And I was like, 'That's not fair!' He ended up being Uncle Erik, the mother hen of us all."
Jason (Wee Man) Acuna (a.k.a. the little dude from MTV's Jackass) -- "We expected this jackass, basically. But he knew that going in, he took it to heart, and he really was an un-jackass. That's not a word, but it is now."
Stratus said she hasn't had a chance to miss wrestling yet, but honestly, she doesn't think she will.
"I'm done," Stratus said. "I could never do that touring schedule again.
"Wrestling is in my blood. I love it, so if there were an opportunity to do something again in the ring, maybe. But going on the road? No -- I've moved on."
Armed And Famous airs Wednesdays (8 p.m.) on CBS.
by bill harris
source: http://torontosun.com/Entertainment/Television/2007/01/27/3459868-sun.html
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