After months of waiting and waiting, the anticipation is finally over. Now that the “panda” is out of the bag, I guess I can let you in on some privileged information.

So, what is this big secret, you might ask.

Why, The Secrets Of The Furious Five, of course!

If you didn’t already know, Kung-Fu Panda was one of the biggest movies of the year. Today it was released on DVD. It includes a bonus disc that is loaded with awesome extra features. One of which is the new animated short film entitled The Secrets Of The Furious Five. And I’m in it.

My friend, Jack Black, returns as Po, the legendary kung-fu panda. In this installment, he faces one of his most difficult challenges; teaching a group of rambunctious young bunnies the “secrets” that made the Furious Five martial arts legends. Through a series of flashbacks, the students learn that kung-fu is more than just punching and kicking. They learn valuable lessons like patience, control and courage.

I play the part of Shy Bunny. (She’s the cute one with the orange belt.) With the help of Po, Tigress and the rest of the Furious Five, my character learns an important lesson in confidence. For a short film, it packs a big message. And even though I may have a small part, the experience has been huge.

I saw the film today for the first time at the premiere in Hollywood at the world famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. That place is awesome. Maybe one day I’ll be putting my hand prints in that cement. Besides all the food and entertainment, I also got to walk the red carpet which is always fun. I love posing for the cameras and saying hi to the fans.

But the highlight of the day, besides seeing my work on the big screen, was meeting up with my co-stars Jack Black and Angelina Jolie. We didn’t actually get to work together on our scenes. We recorded our parts separately and at different times. Then the editors put it all together. (and they did a great job I might add) But today I got to sit down with Angelina and talk “tigress style” while Jack and I worked on our “kung-fu” moves. Very cool indeed!

I also want to take this opportunity to thank producer Karen Foster and my director Raman Hui for believing in me and making me a part of the Dreamworks family.

So don’t forget to check out The Secrets Of The Furious Five. I hope you all enjoy it.

And as my friend Po would say…

SKADOOSH!

I would like to be the first to congratulate David Cook, season 7 winner & the new American Idol! All your hard work and dedication paid off and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.

I’ll admit, when the season first started, I didn’t pay much attention to him. I was riding a different David’s bandwagon. And to be honest, I never really left. I still think that David Archuleta is a fantastic singer and deserved to to be right along side David Cook on the Nokia stage. America could not have picked 2 better artists to be in the finals. But sorry to say, only one could win.

Remembering back… It was week #6, the Top 10. The theme of the week was “Pick a Song From the Year You Were Born.” David Cook, born Dec. 20, 1982, chose “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. Now this song was way before my time but I actually knew it very well because it was one of the first songs I learned to play on my guitar. The judges always talk about song choice and my first thought was, “I don’t know about this one. What is he thinking? ”Well, 2 minutes later, I’m rushing to my computer, going to itunes and downloading it to my ipod. I think Randy Jackson took the words right out of my mouth when he said “that was blazin’ molten hot!”

From then on, as far as I was concerned, I knew it was going to be a David vs. David showdown in the finals. And week after week, they both got better and better. But I think David Cook’s star began to shine even brighter, not only vocally but also his stage presence and personality. And off stage, he is one of the nicest “idols” I have ever met. And I’ve met quite a few. We only got to chat for a short time but it was time well spent.

My favorite David Cook line is, when he told everyone he was going to pursue a music career, he said “I’m going to give myself until I’m 26 years old…” Since he will be turning 26 in seven short months, I’d say his timing couldn’t be better.

Congratulations again David. You Rock!

For more on David Cook, check out www.americanidol.com

Click here to see David’s American Idol Audition.

Click here to see David’s performance of “Billie Jean.”

Have you ever wished the Tooth Fairy would leave you some pixie dust under your pillow next time she pays you a visit? I know I have!

Did you ever dream you could fly?

Well, the other day, my dad took me on an adventure and I experienced what flying is really like. I’m not talking about going up in a plane or a helicopter but actually floating in the air like a bird.

Skydiving is probably the closest you can come to real flying but since the law in California states that you have to be at least 18 years old to jump out of an airplane, I had to go for the next best thing; Flying in a wind tunnel.

So, what is a wind tunnel? Well, it’s a circular room, maybe about 15 feet in diameter, but vertically, it goes up about 95 feet. At the top are 5 gigantic fans that push the air through the tunnel at speeds up to 150 miles per hour. It’s meant to feel exactly the way it would feel if you were to jump out of an airplane.

And just like actual skydiving, you don’t just suit up and jump. You have to go through some training so you know what you are doing. After all, one little mistake could spell S-P-L-A-T.

In the training class, you are taught everything from safety and use of hand signals to proper body positioning. Any little movement of your arms or legs will cause you to turn or send you flying off in different directions. Actually it’s a bit of a challenge to maintain the proper position when you’re being bounced around by hurricane force winds. The best position for stability in flight is lying on your stomach with your chin up and your arms and legs slightly bent with your back arched. Thank goodness for all the yoga training I’ve done with my mom.

For my first time out, I managed to do pretty good as you will see in the video below. Yes, that’s me in action.  I’m sure my next flight will be even better. Oh yes, there will be a next time…

Click here to take a Virtual Tour of the Wind Tunnel.    

Whiffle and Fuzz, my newest animated short series is now playing on Playhouse Disney. The good news is that it will air everyday, maybe even twice a day. The bad news is, because each episode is only a couple minutes, it doesn’t have a set time slot. That means, without a specific schedule, you never know when it’s going to be on. It could be anytime during Playhouse Disney’s programming, which runs from 6:00 am to noon. So, it’s kind of like a surprise party. Just when you least expect it… SURPRISE!!

I’m the voice of Whiffle, the cute, fluffy red circle. Fuzz, the silly blue square is played by Jack Taylor. It was so much fun working with him. He was always making me laugh.

The show is geared towards the very young preschool audience.  Whiffle and Fuzz help the viewers to learn various shapes and different colors. As they play a game called Sneak-a-Peek, the audience is given clues to guess the mystery animal hidden behind the curtain. When the animal is revealed, Whiffle and Fuzz break into song.

I’ll warn you now. It’s a catchy little tune that’s going to stick in your head all day. You just might find yourself singing it while you’re stuck in traffic during rush hour. Or humming that infectious melody to yourself while you are waiting in line to get your morning coffee.  I know little kids all over the country will be singing it non stop. You’re so smart. You’re so clever…

I recently paid a visit to my friends at The Disney Channel. ( Thanks again Michele…for everything! ) I got to see some episodes of Whiffle & Fuzz before they actually aired; and they were great! I’m not just saying that because I’m in them either. They really are fun to watch. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed making them.

Follow this link to the Official Whiffle & Fuzz website, and Sneak-a-Peek at me in action.

Now, before you get all scared and start locking your doors and windows, let me explain. I’m talking about a short film I did about 2 years ago. The film is called The Killer.

It was written & directed by David Nelson and stars, 4 time emmy winner, Michael Learned and veteran character actor Miguel Sandoval.

I guess it would fall into the scary movie category but I like to think of it more as a thriller with a twist. Parents might want to check it out before they let the kids watch it just to make sure it’s appropriate. There’s really not anything inappropriate but the subject matter is definitely NOT Playhouse Disney. I’d tell you what it’s about but I don’t want to spoil the fun. Let’s just say, it’s 8 minutes you’ll never forget.

Well, anyway, after a very successful run, making the rounds at all the major film festivals, The Killer has found a home on Fearnet. Just click on this link and you’ll be taken right to the quaint little town of Bremen Falls. 

So please, make yourself comfortable, sit back and check it out. Feel free to rate the film on Fearnet. Then post a comment here and let me know what you thought of it.

Enjoy!

New episodes of Lou & Lou: Safety Patrol are now airing on Playhouse Disney along with all your past favorites. The show can be seen on Playhouse Disney everyday at 8:25 am and twice a day on the weekends at 8:55 am and 11:25 am. So tell your friends. Set your alarms. Program your VCR’s. And enjoy!

For those of you that might be new to Safety Patrol, let me give you the 4-1-1. Lou & Lou: Safety Patrol is an animated short series and I am the voice of Louise. The show follows the brother and sister team of Lou & Lou (”That’s Louise!”) and their faithful dog Louie as they patrol their neighborhood making sure their friends and family stay safe. When they come across an unsafe situation, the Safety Patrol jumps into action, points out the safety violation and saves the day.

Geared to the preschool audience, the show gives kids and parents tips on staying safe in a variety of situations. Last year, Lou & Lou: Safety Patrol received an official recommendation from The Parents Choice Foundation, whose purpose is to search out and recommend products that help kids grow - imaginatively, physically, morally and mentally.

Congratulations to Michele and all my friends at Disney for putting together such a great little show. I’m proud to be a part of it!

Congratulations also to the gang at Oddbot for bringing it to life and thanks for making me look so good!

“Well Lou, it looks like our work here is done. We’re the Safety Patrol…and we’re here to keep people safe!”

For more Safety Patrol fun & activities, follow this link to the official Lou & Lou website.