Any word on when and how ...

Question: Any word on when and how often Steven Culp will reprise the role of House Speaker Jeff Haffley on The West Wing? Now that Rex is dearly departed on DH, I need my fix of Culp-ability!

Answer: I asked Culp that very question at one of the several pre-Emmy parties I crashed (formal invites are so overrated in this town) and, well, your guess is as good as his. Although WW producers have expressed interest in having him back at some point this season, nothing specific has been nailed down. It's worth noting that Culp was very pleasant and chatty, which is surprising considering our conversation started out with him saying, "I've read your stuff, and I've lived to tell the tale. You're not a Desperate Housewives fan, eh?" I was tempted to play the, "You must have me confused with the other Michael Ausiello at TV Guide," but instead I sucked it up and simply said, "Are you kidding? I love Desperate Housewives! Best. Show. Ever." OK, not even I'm that good an actor. I confirmed my love/hate relationship with Housewives, and he was very cool about it. He even admitted to being a bit of an AA fan. Now that takes guts.