Dear Ken: I saw where country music star Taylor Swift was the voice of Audrey in “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.” Has she acted in any films? Who were some of the other actors who voiced characters in “The Lorax”?

Swift, 22, a native of Reading, Pa., was in a 2009 episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and portrayed Felicia in the 2010 movie “Valentine’s Day.” Danny De Vito does the Lorax, while Zac Efron speaks for Ted and Betty White is Norma. Swift gave actor Efron guitar lessons, as he told the “Los Angeles Times,” “She’s a great teacher. In the past, everyone who has tried to teach me guitar starts with music theory and stuff like that. I tend to just doze off after a little while. She went straight into songs. She taught me, like, four chords, and I’m already playing all the good campfire songs.”

Dear Ken: What happened to Buck Taylor, who played Newly O’Brien. the gunsmith on “Gunsmoke”?

Taylor, 74, the son of character actor great Dub Taylor, has turned into quite the watercolor artist as a painter of Western scenes and characters. While his art work can be found in numerous museums and private collections, he is the official artist for several rodeos and state fairs. His paintings are sold through his website, private art shows and festivals and at exclusive galleries. The actor once described his West Texas ranch as his “church” and his artwork as his attempt to honor his creator for the blessing He has bestowed upon his children, his wife Goldie, and the land. Taylor was inducted as a trustee in the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum for his role as Newly on “Gunsmoke” in 1981. For more info, go to his official web site at bucktaylor.com.

Dear Ken: Who is playing Abraham Lincoln in the upcoming “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer”?

The film, set to open June 22, stars 6-foot-3 comedian-actor Benjamin Walker, who will be 30 on June 21. The plot follows Lincoln as he goes after vampires intent on taking over the United States. Mary Elizabeth Winstead will play Mary Todd Lincoln. Walker starred as Harlon Block in the movie “Flags of Our Fathers” and turned down the role Hank McCoy/Beast in “X-Men: First Class” to play Andrew Jackson in the Broadway rock musical “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.”

Dear Ken: How old is Hank Williams Jr.? Where was he born and where does he live?

Williams, 63, was born in Shreveport, La., and hangs his hat near the community of Buchanan, which is near Paris in Henry County, Tenn. And on March 27, Curb Records will release a retrospective collection of the iconic superstar’s signature hits. Among the 22 songs on “Best of Hank Williams” are “Family Tradition,” “All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin’ Over,” “Are You Ready for Some Football” and “A Country Boy Can Survive.”

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it