Cindy Adams

Cindy Adams

Celebrity News

Illeana Douglas gives inside scoop on ‘Welcome to Sweden’

Illeana Douglas is in NBC’s Thursday night sitcom “Welcome to Sweden” concocted by Amy Poehler’s brother Greg.

“I never thought I’d be in a Swedish show,” she says. “It came because I did an Ikea Web site with Swedish actors who had a Swedish agent. I met Greg over Twitter, and we conversed back and forth. I play his mother, and I’m not much older than he is.

“We filmed four weeks in Stockholm. Such cultural differences. Like, they don’t know about dating. Don’t know what dating is. Haven’t a word for it. If they like someone, they have sex. They think going out five-six times to determine a relationship is ridiculous. With them — if he likes you, well, let’s have romance. Let’s get on with sex.

“And everybody’s partying for everything. They’re taught everyone helps everyone. One night a no-reason party for Patrick Duffy, whom I play opposite. And the drinking’s incredible. Each night a different house big with Swedish vodka. We shot in someone’s lake house, then all went swimming.

“I learned you can forget American craft services catering cold coffee on the set. Their day started with fresh yeast buns, hot and sweet right from the bakery. Also, their supermarkets have one whole aisle strictly for licorice.”

The cast of “Welcome to Sweden.”NBC

What about working with subtitles?

“Script was in Swedish, but you knew the stage directions and understood the comedy situation. Everyone spoke English. Like in one scene Lena Olin, picking mushrooms, is speaking Swedish. I’m talking American. She doesn’t understand what I’m saying, but the director let the camera run because we’d do improv.”

Whatever. . . it’s on Thursday nights.

Pay attention

Seth Meyers practicing at Eighth Avenue’s Midtown Tennis Club. . .

Slavering to squeeze juice from people, People mag is run by people who shun p.r. Jess Cagle, editor, nixes doing an interview. Ditto what’shisname who runs the show, sips drinks, pretends hysterical laughter at whatever his TMZ troop says. Won’t do an interview. . .

All these TV channels doing cop shows? How about they send a gaggle of their guys to try surviving in our subways?

What I’m hearing

Demonstrating “A show of support” UJA is booking paid passengers for a three-day trip this week to Israel. . .

Lawsuits, headlines, nothing dims Martha Stewart being a golden girl. With rollers on her head, a Hamptons hairdresser asked what’s happening specially. Martha: “I’m inviting a party of 100 tonight.”. . .

Galerie St. Etienne exhibiting recent acquisitions from Gustav Klimt and Grandma Moses.

‘Magic’ of another time

Woody Allen on setting “Magic in the Moonlight” in the ’20s: “It’s about magic. Spiritualism and séances were big then. With photos of dead relatives, people — but not magicians, who knew how things are done — fooled the public. Houdini was famous for debunking spiritualists. Can’t be done now. We’re too technologically sophisticated.”

Odds & ends

March 15, American Airlines Theatre, it’s Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher. . .

“Priscilla: Queen of the Desert’s” Simon Phillips to direct B’way’s coming “First Wives Club.” Script is by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. . .

Saturday, another Linda — Lavin — doing a concert at the Ice Palace, Cherry Grove. . .

Salma Hayek: “I never found in the Bible where it says you can’t do movies if you kiss the guy and take your clothes off.”

Out of mouths

Fran Drescher, who played Broadway’s wicked evil ratty “Cinderella” stepmother, might return to it and reprise her famous cackle for the holidays. . .

David Duchovny: “Everybody that works for me wears the same underwear. That’s something I demand. When they quit they turn in their underwear.” OK? I did not make this up. He once said it to Us magazine.

And that line’s enough for Only in America, kids, only in America.