Vanessa you-can-hardly-ever-get- any-better-looking Williams. She’s everywhere. On TV in “Ugly Betty.” Doing Broadway next spring in “Sondheim on Sondheim.” Got four kids. Got a house in Chappaqua, an apartment in the city, a place in LA. And now is a paid spokeslady for Botox.
“I rent in LA and, until the show moved here, I commuted back every weekend,” she said. “I’m so glad my kids are now on the same coast with me that I don’t even mind the 45-minute, twice-a-day commute with the odd hours we shoot. However, now that I’ll be singing, doing eight shows a week on Broadway, I’m getting this place in the city.”
To the Botox. Get to the Botox.
“Its manufacturer Allergan is sponsoring a Dress for Success campaign, where we dress those who can’t afford it for a life in business. At the same time, they get an opportunity to ask the dermatologist with us questions about Botox. It develops awareness for the product.
“Allergan found out about me because I use it. Look, I turned 40 and on high-definition TV it takes more to maintain. High-def shows everything. You can’t have glimmer or shimmer.”
About today’s supersuccess compared with that terrible period a lifetime ago when she was booted off a beauty pageant, Vanessa said: “In those old days, when I was 22, I auditioned for ‘My One and Only’ with Tommy Tune. Mike Nichols was behind me. And the producers said: ‘Over my dead body.’ That’s 25 years ago. I guess by now the dust has settled.”
Seems she has everything nowadays. How about a guy?
“No guy. My ex lives next door, and he’ll bring over something for Thanksgiving because I’m cooking. Besides the traditional stuff, I’ll add mac and cheese, string beans, mashed potatoes. And then . . . crash. When I can I stay at home — and crash. Or do crossword puzzles when I take my daughter to swim meets. My mom lives next door, and I’ve known our nanny since high school. And when I’m not in front of the cameras or the public — I’m not.”
The Natural History Museum’s annual black-tie gala, which raised $2 mil lion had major high-class VIPs like Tom Brokaw who hosted, Dave Matthews who entertained, Eliot and Silda Spitzer who showed, Lorne Michaels of “Saturday Night Live” and his whole crew who co-hosted, Caroline Kennedy who did something or other, Jamie Niven of Sotheby’s who auctioned a private paleontology tour, a chance to hang out with live tortoises and coffee with Brian Williams (not necessarily in that order). Somewhere near the skeleton of a dinosaur stood a young kid who didn’t know me from borscht. I also didn’t know who the hell he was. Jimmy Fallon introduced him — Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the star who co-hosted “SNL” last week. Jimmy then told this creature who I was. Gordon-Levitt then looked about as excited as the dinosaur.
‘Oleanna” goes dark Jan. 3, but its stars twinkle on. Director Roland Emmerich‘s “Independence Day” sequel may start where its 1996 film left off — with Bill Pullman as president of the USA. And Julia Stiles is up for the Black Cat role in “Spiderman 4” . . . The NETS Seniors and Kids dance teams will perform together at the Macy’s Parade. The 14 seniors are aged 60 to 75. The kids, 8 to14 . . . Should anyone crave caviar and lobster risotto with your turkey, let it be known Le Cirque is open Thanksgiving Day . . . Dec. 1, World Aids Day, 6 to 7 p.m., Washington Square Park, an outdoor ceremony with AmFAR chairman Kenneth Cole, UN Sec’y General Ban Ki-moon and Goodwill Ambassador Naomi Watts. The Square’s lights will turn off, and the Empire State Building’s floods will go on . . . Anyone know that NYC’s getting its very first Math Museum? From simple arithmetic to sending a rocket to the moon. Being organized as we speak.
PAY attention to samesky.com. The or ganization begun by Francine Lef rak is giving Rwanda’s disenfran chised women who have suffered starvation and rape a hand-up not a handout. It’s teaching them to crochet stunning, fashionable multicolor, multistone bracelets that sell for about $100 each. Alicia Keys, Meryl Streep, Halle Berry, Queen Latifah, Chelsea Clinton, Goldie Hawn already have them. Great Christmas gifts.
The opening gala was at 57th Street’s Ana Tzarev Gallery and in the crowd? Carla Katz, the New Jersey labor leader who was involved with its soon-to-be-ex governor Jon Corzine and who he dumped and who then lost her entire career over it. Smiled Carla: “I just passed the bar. I’m now an official lawyer. And guess what? I made sure to get sworn in Election Day — the very day he got booted out of office!” Hell hath no fury like a sexy, good-looking labor leader scorned.
Thursday lunch. Michael’s. This blonde, with fire in her eye, starts to ward a familiar face with glasses and gray hair. “I’m going to tell off that Keith Olbermann,” she says. We said, “Sharon, that’s not Keith Olbermann. It’s Ted Danson.” She said: “How long has Ted Danson had silver hair?” We said: “Let’s just say we know how long he’s been Ted Danson — all his life.” So this is to tell Olbermann — look out — and to tell Danson — you owe us, pal.
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.