"It did give me a lot of time to work on my lines and really get to know my character, so that was good. I got some much-needed peace of mind and was able to get away from everything."

As an Italian-American, DeCarlo said he is mindful of portrayals of such characters in television and film. "A lousy actor can turn an Italian-American into a caricature rather than a character."

So he took his cues from HBO's mob-themed drama "The Sopranos." "I have such a great appreciation for what the cast of that show does. They're absolutely amazing."

DeCarlo currently hosts the Travel Channel's "Taste of America," and shooting the film required him to take a five-week break from his hosting duties. "That could have turned out badly, but everyone could see this was something I really wanted to do."

He also continues to provide a voice for the "Jimmy Neutron" cartoon series, as the title character's father, and did a voice for "Ant Bully," an animated theatrical comedy starring the voices of Nicolas Cage and Julia Roberts. "Evidently I'm better heard than seen," he joked.

In the meantime, "Taste of America" has been renewed for a second season. Upcoming episodes of the program were shot in New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss., and other areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.

"I can't even imagine what the people down there are going through," DeCarlo said. "I'm just sick to death about the whole thing. It's hard to think of a silly movie and television series while something like that is going on."

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com