TV Guide Online: Let's start with the most ridiculous incident in your time on the show. Please tell me you've recovered from Simon Cowell's bizarre remark about your "resemblance" to Jay Leno.
Amy Adams: (Laughs) You know what? It wasn't even really a recovery thing that I had to go through. It was just something that I had to clarify. I was wondering, "Does he think I look like a man in drag?" It wasn't that wicked [a comment] to me.

TVGO: Still, it was like he plucked Jay Leno's name out of a hat.
Adams: Plucked is right. Simon never really knew what to say to me. He'd either smile or say, "I don't know what to say" — until the random comment about Jay Leno!

TVGO: Which I'm sure made you miss the days when he couldn't think of anything to say!
Adams: (Laughs) Yeah, exactly! What about those days? But after I was eliminated, The Tonight Show called and asked me to do a sketch with Jay. It was very charming.

TVGO: Leno comes on past my bedtime. What was the bit?
Adams: He wrote [for me to say], "It's been kind of a tough week, but there is something I wanted everyone to know, and it's... I love you, Daddy!" Then he was like, "Go sing that song you sang at Thanksgiving with Uncle Kevin [Eubanks, the Tonight Show bandleader]." It was very, very cool.

TVGO: I don't want to try to make you diss your friends or anything, but...
Adams: I won't; that's not my style, so you're okay there.

TVGO: Drat. Anyway, given that there were a few pretty horrendous performances, were you surprised that you wound up not only in the bottom three, but in last place?
Adams: Well, people were sort of stunned by the fact that [the competitors in the bottom three spots] were who we were and had given the performances that we had the night before. But it was obviously showing how unpredictable America is. I didn't assume [I was safe], though. Someone has to go every week; it just depends on which week is going to be yours. And I'm not mad. I don't look at it as, like, a closed-door thing. I really look at it as a set platform, and from here on out, [my future is] all in what I choose to do with the exposure that I was granted.

TVGO: In hindsight, do you regret keeping your hair pink? After all, pastel locks didn't work so well for Idol 2 contestant Vanessa Olivarez, either.
Adams: No, I really don't regret it. People have called it the "pink-haired curse," but I don't [feel like it jinxed me]. In the time that I was granted, short as it was, I established a wonderful fan base. Also, there's been great controversy over the fact that I did go as soon as I did. I think that's the greatest part about that whole situation — I'm not going to fade into the Idol background [the way I might have if I'd been eliminated] sixth or seventh, kind of when everybody starts getting amazingly good. Going so soon, people are going to remember, "Oh my gosh, that was the girl who was robbed!" That's the word that they always use — "robbed." And they're going to remember that when I come out with my album in the future. They're going to say, "Oh my gosh, that's the girl who was robbed on Season 3!" — even when [the CD photo] doesn't have my dead giveaway of looking like Jay Leno! (Laughs)

TVGO: What if that doesn't happen for you? Could you still be happy if you don't get to guest star on Boston Public or headline a big movie like From Matt Rogers to Amy Adams?
Adams: (Laughs hysterically) Oh my gosh, that is so funny! Me and Matt would make that happen no matter what, because we'd just have to. Even if it was just our videos. People would be really freaked out, but we don't care — that's what would make it sell! (Calms down) Of course I could be happy. I was happy before. This was an honor, not something that was going to make me or break me mentally or emotionally. The thing with me is, I'm really going to make [my career] happen. I'm really going to make Boston Public want to call me and...

TVGO: You know I was kidding, right? Boston Public got canceled.
Adams: You know what I'm saying! (Sarcastic) Thanks a lot. Click. (Laughs) That would be funny if I just hung up, huh?

TVGO: Why, yes. Now I'm going to have to write that you did.
Adams: Great. "Yeah, she's got a really bad attitude."

TVGO: Don't worry. I have a feeling nobody will believe it.

Celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito is cooking up more TV drama. By now, we've all heard he's embroiled in a lawsuit with business partner Jeffery Chodorow, his Manhattan bistro's financial backer. That means his litigious strife will dominate Season 2 of NBC's The Restaurant, which starts April 19. Rocco's grumpy about it, but his distress is nothing compared to the hand-wringing of the show's Italian matriarch, Nicolina "Mama" DiSpirito.

"The stress of the litigation has definitely affected Mama," he says. "One of the benefits of opening this restaurant — and having her be involved — was that I got to see her more and work with her. One of the disadvantages of that is now she knows more about the business of doing all this stuff. People sue each other; it happens all the time. But for her, it's a monumental event.

"She thinks Jeffery's going to take our house away and put us in the street," DiSpirito continues with a chuckle. "She thinks he has this kind of power. Mama would probably love to give him a good smack in the face. She doesn't really get how it works, but other than that, she's great."

Aside from Rocco's 22nd Street staff, who else in the embattled restaurateur's life is affected by the legal tussle? "My girlfriend, Yvonne, does appear on the show and you'll see a lot of her," he says. "She was briefly [on in the first season]. She's a confidante. She's not necessarily experiencing it at the level that I am, because I kind of keep it from her. I tried not to share so much of it with her."

Before producer Mark Burnett decided this squabble would take over The Restaurant, what was Season 2 supposed to be about? DiSpirito sighs. "Well, I was in several production meetings. Some ideas went around and none of them included covering the legal battles," he gripes. "There was Mark the bartender who was supposed to be the cute guy falling in love with somebody. Mama was gonna develop into more of a business partner, someone I could confide in more everyday. This [lawsuit] was never mentioned. I did not think it was going to be part of the second season, and I'm still shocked that it is."

With litigation ongoing, will the drama be resolved during the course of six episodes or will viewers be left hanging? "I don't think I'm at liberty to say how it ends," DiSpirito says. "NBC can do whatever they want to do. I'm essentially powerless in this whole thing."

Elisha Cuthbert knows the question before it's even asked. "No, I didn't watch any porn films to prepare for the role," laughs the 24 starlet and frequent Maxim pinup. No, she's not referring to a Very Special Episode of 24 where her catastrophe-prone character Kim Bauer, goes undercover to infiltrate L.A.'s adult-film industry. She's talking about her part in the romantic comedy The Girl Next Door, which opens in theaters today.

Cuthbert plays Danielle, a seemingly normal girl who becomes involved with her next-door neighbor, a nerdy high-school senior named Matthew (played by Emile Hirsch). The unlikely romance goes swimmingly until Matthew receives some unwelcome news: His new girlfriend is an ex-porn star. "The script had everything I was looking for as far as character goes," says Cuthbert. "I wanted to prove that I have the skills to transform this girl from the girl next door to and adult-film star and make it all blend together."

In place of Debbie Does Dallas, the actress studied up for her role by watching such films as Risky Business, True Romance and Fight Club. Why the last one? "It's one of my favorite films," explains Cuthbert. "Also, Danielle has to influence and kind of overpower Matthew, and I thought Brad Pitt did a wonderful job of that with Ed Norton."

If she's concerned about being typecast because of the role, she doesn't show it. "I'm all over the map. I don't ever want to be categorized by a genre, it's about characters for me. My next film may be completely different." The one rule she swears she'll always follow — sorry guys — is no nudity. "I don't feel it's necessary. I'm not comfortable with it and I think you can be a leading lady and not be naked."

For her next big-screen role, Cuthbert will be jetting off to Australia to appear in the horror remake House of Wax opposite Chad Michael Murray and Paris Hilton. Before she hops on a plane though, she has to finish work on the final two episodes of 24. "I can't give too much away, but Kim is finally going to be breaking out," she says cryptically. "And I have a great scene with Keifer Sutherland coming up soon. I'm really excited to see it. I don't often watch the show, but I'm planning to watch that episode."

Also, look for the dormant romance between Kim and Chase to reappear before the season ends. "We need to let audiences know what's going on with that. It was set aside because of the duties that had to be done, but we'll bring it back when we have some breathing room." Any hints about the final episode? "It's an interesting ending, not like any other 24 season," she teases. "And I feel very confident that the show will be back next year. I had a conversation with one of the producers and he's already working on an idea for next season. The only thing I'm not sure of yet is if I'm a part of it. If they ask me, I'll be there. If not, I'll go off and do movies."