BY MARILYN BECK and STACY JENEL SMITH

“Heroes” regular Greg Grunberg, “House” star Hugh Laurie,” “Desperate Housewives” James Denton and the other members of the Band from TV will be rockin’ the house on Fox’s second “American Idol Gives Back” special April 9, reveals Grunberg. “It’s sort of a top secret thing, which I just blew,” says the actor, who plays drums in the band that includes Chris Kelley, Bob Guiney, David Anders, Bonnie Somerville, Brad Savage, Jesse Spencer, Rich Winer and Barry Sarna.

“We’re pre-taping it on April 6 and I’m so incredibly nervous to play at the Kodak Theater in front of all these people.” For sure. The lineup for “Idol Gives Back” also includes the likes of Bono, Brad Pitt, Miley Cyrus, Fergie, the Super Bowl-winning brother quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning and “Idol” alums Chris Daughtry and Carrie Underwood. Grunberg says Denton’s “DH” co-star “Teri Hatcher is actually singing with us on that, then we’re playing this big event called ‘Comedy for a Cure’ that same night at the Avalon.”

Grunberg says the Band from TV also “has a DVD coming out. It’s called ‘Hoggin’ All the Covers’ and we just play cover songs. Everybody has different charities to support and mine is the Epilepsy Foundation of America. My oldest son, Jake, has epilepsy and I’m a tremendous advocate for finding a cure for it.” On March 29 he’ll be in Washington, D.C. for the 2008 National Walk for Epilepsy (www.walkforepilepsy.org). “I’m chairing the event and we’ll have like 7000 people on the National Mall in DC walking and saying ‘I can have can epilepsy, I can have seizures and lead a normal life.’”


MEANWHILE: Grunberg is promoting the new “Heroes” soundtrack set to be released today (3/18) featuring such artists as Bob Dylan, Panic! At the Disco, Iggy Pop, Brighton Port Authority, Nada Surf, David Bowie, Death Cab for Cutie, “Heroes” theme composers Wendy & Lisa and the first new studio recording from The Jesus & Mary Chain in over 10 years.” “It’s unbelievable,” he says. “Apparently a lot of these musicians are huge fans of the show so it wasn’t that hard to get them.”

FROM THE INSIDE LOOKING OUT: Dennis Farina has been asked about returning to episodic series work, but nothing has grabbed his interest enough to pull him away from the eclectic mix of film fare with which he’s been involved since leaving “:Law & Order” in 2006. “I never say never in this business, but I’ve been very fortunate in doing different movies,” notes the veteran actor and one-time Chicago police officer. He plays a Stetson-sporting card player in the Friday (3/21)-opening “The Grand” poker tourney improv comedy with Woody Harrelson, Cheryl Hines and Ray Romano.

In December, Farina wrapped the forthcoming “What Happens in Vegas” with Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz, playing Cameron’s boss, “a guy who owns one of those brokerage firms. I was very impressed with her not only as an actor but also as a genuinely nice person who got involved with the crew. What a pro – she came on set every day knowing exactly what she was going to do.”

And he has “Bottle Shock,” which was shown at the Sundance Festival, in which French and Californian wine makers square off in a tasting competition. “A lot of good people are in it…Chris Pine is just really good,” says Farina, referring to the 27-year-old actor who plays Kirk in J.J. Abrams’ forthcoming “Star Trek” feature. “He’s got it all – young and good-looking and everything I hate about him.”

THE VIDEOLAND VIEW: Speaking of cops-turned-actors, former New York City policeman David Zayas tells this column he’s glad to finally be getting the chance to play a good guy, “Dexter’s” Det. Angel Batista.

“For some reason, I always seem to play a kind of violent guy. It’s always some kind of corrupt cop or convict or something. What I like most about Angel Batista is that he’s not a tough guy. He’s not a super cop. He’s just a normal guy that’s more sensitive than most characters I’ve played in the past. Also, he doesn’t have any ulterior motives other than to do his job and live his life. I like the normalcy of him.”

Of course, Michael C. Hall’s title character – a forensics expert who kills serial killers in his spare time – is abnormal enough for the entire cast. Zayas says that the actors on the Showtime show, now airing on CBS, have been just as taken back by the storylines as anyone else.

“The circumstances of the show are always surprising so it keeps us on our toes. That’s not comfortable,” says Zayas, “and I hope it stays it way where we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

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With reports by Stephanie DuBois and Emily Feimster.

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