Dear Ken: What can you tell us about Henry Cavill, who will be the next Superman on film?

Cavill, who turns 29 May 5, will play Clark Kent/Superman in “Man of Steel,” set for release in June 2013. He is one of five sons born to a secretary and stockbroker on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands between England and France. He starred as Charles Brandon on the TV series “The Tudors” from 2007 to 2010 and made his film debut in 2002’s “The Count of Monte Cristo.” Other movie credits include “Red Riding Hood,” “Hellraiser: Hellworld,” “Tristan & Isolde,” “Blood Creek,” “Immortals” and he will be in “The Cold Light of Day” this fall. Cavill was dubbed “the most unlucky man in Hollywood” after he supposedly lost the roles of Batman, an earlier Superman project, James Bond and the part of Edward in “Twilight,” plus his fans pushed him heavily for the role of Cedric Diggory in one of the “Harry Potter” films. For a fellow with such near-misses, he appears to be doing fine. He is engaged to British equestrian show jumper Ellen Whitaker.

Dear Ken: Is rubbery-faced comedian Buddy Hackett still living?

The funny man, a native of Brooklyn and WWII veteran, died in 2003 at 78 after dealing with diabetes for several years. The nightclub entertainer and star of TV and film had his own TV series, “Stanley,” in 1956, and was in the movies, “God’s Little Acre,” “The Music Man,” “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” “The Love Bug” and “Scrooged.” Plus, he supplied the voice of Scuttle, the daft seagull, in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.” In his later years, Hackett and his wife created a non-profit animal refuge, Buddy Hackett’s Singita, for unwanted dogs and cats.

Dear Ken: What has Kate Winslet, who starred as Rose opposite Leonardo DiCaprio  in “Titanic,” up to these days?

The English actress starred in the 2011 miniseries “Mildred Pierce” and reteamed with DiCaprio in “Revolutionary Road“ in 2008. In 2011, she also appeared in the films “Contagion” and “Carnage.” She will also be in an untitled comedy set for release early next year. Regarding physical changes since 1997’s “Titanic,” she recently told the British press. “We do look very different, we’re older. Leo’s 37, I’m 36. We were 21 and 22 when we made that film. You know, he’s fatter now – I’m thinner. It’s true though!”

Dear Ken: Tell us a bit about the late, great Dick Clark. Where was he born, married, children?

The host of “American Bandstand” from 1957 to 1987, who died April 18 of a heart attack at 82, was born Richard Wagstaff Clark in Bronxville, N.Y. He grew up in nearby Mt. Vernon, N.Y., and his only brother, Bradley, died serving in WWII. He earned a degree in advertising and a minor in radio at Syracuse University. Clark began his career in the mailroom at WRUN-AM in Rome, N.Y., at a station owned by his uncle and managed by his father in Rome, soon became the weatherman and then an announcer. And he began his TV career at WKTV in Utica, N.Y., as host of a country music radio show, “Cactus Dick and the Santa Fe Riders.” Married three times, he had three children. Among other TV shows he hosted were “Where the Action Is,” “The New Hollywood Squares” and “The $10,000 Pyramid .”

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