Kristin Chenoweth to Juggle Wicked and Role in "Pink Panther"

By Andrew Gans
22 Apr 2004

Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Photo by (c) 2000 Paramount Pictures

Wicked co-star Kristin Chenoweth seems to be quite "Popular" indeed.

Not only is the Tony Award-winning actress-singer scheduled to make her solo Carnegie Hall concert debut (Sept. 10) and her silver-screen musical debut ("Asphalt Beach"), but she is close to a deal for her first studio acting gig. Hollywood Reporter says that the actress, who will leave her role in Wicked July 18, looks likely to co-star in the upcoming "Pink Panther" film for MGM.

Shooting for the film — starring Kevin Kline, Steve Martin, Beyonce Knowles and Jean Reno — will begin in New York next month. The industry paper says that Chenoweth will be doing double-duty during the filming: shooting her film scenes by day and appearing in the hit Stephen Schwartz musical at the Gershwin by night. Chenoweth will portray a "sexy French public relations executive for [a] soccer team."

According to the Reporter, the upcoming "Pink Panther" motion picture follows the story of "Chief Inspector Dreyfus (Kline), who needs an idiot to take over the investigation of the missing legendary 'Pink Panther' diamond ring, which was stolen from the manager of a French soccer team. The person he needs is a fool who will divert public attention that in turn will make him look better when he solves the case himself. He then turns to Inspector Clouseau (Martin)."