Abdul keeps defying odds

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Jan 3rd, 2005

Paula Abdul is taking a couple days of spa time, getting herself physically and mentally prepared for the giant work and promotional push she's about to make with the new season of "American Idol" kicking off Jan. 18 on Fox, her "Video Hits" DVD going into release Jan. 11, and the expansion of her Wal-Mart clothing line.

She's also taped a guesting on ABC's "Less Than Perfect" for airing during February sweeps, playing Eric Roberts' girlfriend, an art dealer. "She wants to show Owen Kronsky's fabulous pictures of deli sandwiches," reports Paula, referring to Andy Dick's character with a laugh. "It's about as ridiculous as it gets."

Paula's character was supposed to be a pretentious snob, but "me and snotty don't go together, no matter how you slice and dice it," acknowledges the multitalent known as "Idol's'" nice judge. "People don't buy me that way. They just don't like it. So I said, 'What if I'm ridiculously over-the-top snotty? Then people will know it's not Paula."

"'American Idol' has so defined me as a human being," she adds. "That's great. That lasts a lifetime, and I'm glad people got to know me that way. What's hard is now, when I want to move into acting, there's another hurdle."

Paula's game for the challenge, however. "It's always been this way, crossing over into different media," she observes. "I remember people saying, 'The Lakers cheerleader? How in the world would she be taken seriously as a choreographer?' And then it was, 'The choreographer is going to make an album? Oh, give me a break!' People always forget the last thing I did."

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