Celebrity Extra: Jaime Ray Newman
By Dana Jackson
Q: Who is the actress who plays Callie on "The Hunting Wives"? Was she ever on a daytime soap? I know I've seen her somewhere. -- A.K.
A: That's Jaime Ray Newman playing the sheriff's wife, Callie, in the hit Netflix series "The Hunting Wives," which is about a group of East Texas socialites with deadly secrets. She's known to daytime soap audiences for her role as Kristina Cassadine, whom she played from 2001-2003 on "General Hospital."
Jaime Ray Newman ("The Hunting Wives"). Photo Credit: Courtesy of NBC
She's gone on to land one primetime role after another whether it's in a recurring capacity or a contract player; she starred in "Veronica Mars" in 2006, followed by short-lived series like "Eastwick" and "Eureka."
She played Vanessa Hemmings, one of Grayson's love interests, for two seasons on "Drop Dead Diva," one of the Sacklers in "Dopesick," and widow Sarah Lieberman in "The Punisher." And this is just a small sample of her credits, but if "The Hunting Wives" remains a hit, it'll be the series that makes Jaime Ray Newman a household name.
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Q: I saw a commercial for a new "9-1-1" show that is set in Nashville. It looked like singer LeAnn Rimes is in it. Is she part of the permanent cast? -- B.I.
A: "9-1-1: Nashville" is the third series in the "9-1-1" franchise of shows, and it premiered on Oct. 9 on ABC. Just like its predecessors "9-1-1" and "9-1-1: Lone Star," it follows a team of firefighters, paramedics and police officers who respond to emergency calls while also navigating the drama of their personal lives. The newest chapter stars a very familiar face to network TV audiences, Chris O'Donnell, who starred in the huge hit "NCIS: Los Angeles" for 14 seasons.
Joining O'Donnell on location in Nashville and the surrounding areas is Jessica Capshaw ("Grey's Anatomy") and Grammy-Award-winning artist LeAnn Rimes. Both are full-time cast members. While she's known more for her beautiful singing voice, Rimes has several acting credits. In fact, Rimes met her husband, actor Eddie Cibrian, on the set of their Lifetime movie "Northern Lights" about 15 years ago.
"9-1-1: Nashville" could be the hit Rimes needs to catapult herself into a full-time acting career. It's not a sure bet, however. "9-1-1: Lone Star" with Rob Lowe was canceled after just five seasons because of budget reasons, but the original "9-1-1" starring Angela Bassett is still going strong with its ninth season, which premiered on Oct. 9.
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Q: When do the Winter Olympics start, and which networks will it be on? I don't want to miss it. -- D.E.
A: The 2026 Olympic Winter Games will be held from Feb. 6-22, 2026, in Milan and Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy. NBC will be the main network to once again host the games and its numerous events, which are also streaming on Peacock.
The "Today" show's Savannah Guthrie and NBC Sports' commentator Terry Gannon will host the Opening Ceremony on Feb. 6. They'll also be joined by three-time Gold-Medal-winning snowboarder Shaun White in the booth. Be sure to visit NBC.com for further details as it gets closer to February.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com.
(c) 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.