***If you use ANY of these articles on other sites, you MUST credit this site***
Interviews
EXCLUSIVE here on dianeneal.hostbus.com - An Interview with Diane Neal & Richard Belzer - If you use this video on your own site, all I ask is that you credit our site, since we went thru the work of recording the video. KCRA-3 TV Video from 2005.
Diane Neal on FM99 WNOR date unknown Clip 1 | Clip 2
FM99 WNOR
What a mix-up today. As Tommy and Rick waited on a call from Nanny Deb star of the FOX Show “Nanny 911”, Diane Neal of “Law and Order SUV” called in. Not realizing they were speaking with Diane not Nanny Deb, Tommy and Rick began asking Nanny questions. Diane not knowing what was happening opted to answer the Nanny questions. Eventually, Diane was wondering if Tommy or Rick had any interest in Law and Order SVU that's when the guys finally realized they had been speaking with the wrong scheduled guest.
In all fairness, it was Diane’s fault she called in when Nanny Deb was supposed to. After the delightful conversation with Diane the fellas finally spoke with Nanny Deb (pictured to the left) who was also confused about who she was speaking with and wanted to thank Tommy and Rick for the opportunity to speak with everyone in Chicago.
FAR HILLS -- Diane Neal portrays tough prosecutor Casey Novak on NBC's "Law & Order: SVU," but on Sunday, April 27, she showed her soft side when she spoke to two teens whose lives have been positively impacted through the care they received at the Valerie Fund Children's Center at Goryeb Children's Hospital at Morristown Memorial Hospital.
The meeting took place at the Froh Heim Estate, the site of this year's Mansion in May. Neal interviewed Amanda Manganiello, a 19-year-old Hodgkin's lymphoma survivor and Mel Wolfe, a 15-year-old living with neutropenia, about the importance of the Center's oncology and hematology services in their lives.
Neal and the teens chatted about their experiences and took a preview tour of the Mansion's rooms and gardens.
This is the Women's Association of Morristown Memorial Hospital's 14th Mansion in May Designer Showhouse and Gardens tour, showcasing the talents of prominent area designers in the setting of a historic mansion. This year's estate location is Froh Heim, located in Far Hills.
Neal agreed to serve as spokesperson this year because of her passion for pediatric oncology causes. Friendly and comfortable with the teenagers, Neal told them how her older sister was diagnosed with leukemia as a child.
"The hospital used to be very cold and sterile back then." She said. "Now you have doctors, nurses, and social workers all in the same place, and it's nice that everything there is cozy and warm."
Amanda explained, "The Valerie Children's Center doesn't feel like a hospital because you know everyone, and everyone knows you. It's an inviting place with comfortable surroundings."
Her Hodgkin's lymphoma is curable because of an early diagnosis last year. "I go for follow-up visits about once a month, and the doctors and nurses call and keep in touch." Amanda told Neal that she plans to pursue early childhood education when she returns to Kean College next fall.
At 18 months old, Mel Wolfe was diagnosed with chronic neutropenia, a blood disease that leaves him prone to life-threatening bacterial infections. He's been a frequent visitor to Morristown Memorial Hospital -- and to the Valerie Fund Children's Center -- for the past 10 years.
"The staff at the Valerie Center is like my second family," said Mel. "They make sure that I get the best care when I'm there, and they suggest new therapies that keep me out of the hospital and help me be a normal kid."
Neal took time out of her schedule to visit the Mansion on Sunday because she has been busy taping multiple episodes of "Law & Order: SVU" during the week. Last week she announced that this will be her final season with the show, and she is still formulating her plans for the future.
"I would love to come back (to Froh Heim) again with my husband and tour the entire estate before it closes in May," she said.
The Mansion in May Designer Showhouse and Gardens tour in Far Hills is open every day through May 31. There are tours of the mansion and gardens at Froh Heim as well as a program of entertaining free Special Events through the end of the month. The mansion is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sundays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tickets are available at the door for $25 and $22 for seniors. Parking is located at the corner of Route 202 and Liberty Corner Road in Far Hills, with a free shuttle to the mansion from the parking lot. For more information, visit www.MansioninMay.com or call (973) 971-8800.
Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Biel, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Laurie, Mariska Hargitay Among Nominees for 11th Annual PRISM Awards
March 13th 2007
Nominees for the 11th Annual PRISM Awards reflect the entertainment industry's commitment to accurate depiction of health and social issues, according to Melissa Rivers, Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) Board Director. The PRISM Awards are for productions and performances featuring the accurate depiction of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction, as well as mental health. Rivers joined EIC President & CEO Brian Dyak in announcing the nominations. Recipients will be announced at a ceremony to be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on April 24th.
Performance in a Drama Series Episode
Mischa Barton, The O.C.
Miguel Ferrer, Crossing Jordan
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Diane Neal, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Maura Tierney, ER
Bipolar Disorder Award
Crazy for Life
General Hospital: Sonny's Bipolar Disorder
Jelly Smoke
Law and Order - "Heart of Darkness"
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit - "Influence"
for the rest of the article and Nominees click this link
This is an Article from Newsday which mentions the Play Modern Missionary that Diane is producing (Thanks SO much to Cal from the diane_neal_casey_novak egroup for finding this article)
http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/stage/ny-
ffthe4830310jul30,0,3114829.story?coll=ny-entertainment-bigpix
"The Fringe on top
FringeNYC, the largest multi-arts festival in North America, is back
and kinkier than ever
BY ROBERT KAHN
Newsday Staff Writer
July 30, 2006
Ten years ago, two small-scale producers staged "Americana
Absurdum," a black comedy about a family-run funeral parlor battling
a corporate takeover. "Americana" was a big enough downtown hit that
fans urged them to enter the play in the Edinburgh International
Fringe Festival - the mother ship of the world's alternative-theater
attractions, which last year sold more than 1.3 million tickets.
John Clancy and Elena K. Holy cobbled together a budget, and what
with international airfares and hotel costs, they realized it would
take five times as much to stage the show in Scotland as in New York.
"We said, 'Why even take it to Edinburgh?'" Holy recalled earlier
this week. So they started a Fringe Festival here.
The New York International Fringe Festival has kept an eye on the
pocketbook, with tickets only $15 for any of this year's 216 entries
from 20 states and 11 other countries. "FringeNYC" has evolved into
the largest multi-arts festival in North America, drawing 70,000
ticket holders in 2005. Its roster of shows, running Aug. 11-27,
takes place at 21 small venues (all air-conditioned).
In its first decade, FringeNYC produced a handful of hits that went
on to glory - Broadway, in the case of "Urinetown," and a Los
Angeles run in the case of the gender-bending "Matt & Ben." It's
also provided some of the least marquee-friendly titles in recent
memory, including last year's "Sex With Jake Gyllenhaal and Other
Fables of the Northeast Corridor."
"Kinky" promise
The Fringe isn't heavily sponsored. Individual artists or troupes
pay a participation fee, and that money goes toward renting stages,
doing publicity, administration and such. This year's theater,
dance, puppetry and spoken-word productions were winnowed down from
900 applicants during an eight-week judging period. Organizers have
pledged to keep the festival "kinky" and "weird," and relatively
uncommercial - not "a vehicle for fame or a future on Broadway."
Not that a little celebrity lineage is necessarily a bad thing. The
question of artistic merit aside, the latest FringeNYC has a handful
of shows that will attract attention because of their creative
connections.
Katharine McPhee, runner-up in the most recent season of
Fox's "American Idol," is co-producing "Red Herring" at the Connelly
Theatre. Set on Death Row, where two men are separated by a wall,
the play, according to press notes, seeks to answer the
question: "Can an unlikely friendship defy limitations while also
exploring levels of forgiveness, fear and compassion?" Try that on
for size, Taylor Hicks.
"The Modern Missionary," about a woman's peace-making experiences in
Africa, will go live at the Classic Stage Company. The show is
produced by actress Diane Neal, star of "Law & Order: SVU."
And curiously, the latest festival includes work by two nieces of
the late playwright Wendy Wasserstein - working independently of
each other. Melissa Levis, a Fringe alumna ("The Joys of Sex"),
offers up "It's a Hit," a "killer new musical about a conniving
producer, aging diva, coked-up producer" and so on, all "dying for a
hit," at the Village Theatre. Her sister, Tajlei Levis, is one of
the writers of "A Time to Be Born," a 1940s-style musical based on
Dawn Powell's 1942 novel inspired by Clare Boothe Luce, being staged
at the Lucille Lortel.
"Here's the truth," said Melissa Levis, explaining the family
foothold. "When you grow up in Vermont, pre-VCRs, pre-Internet ...
there's not much to do except sing songs and perform in front of the
fireplace."
Best bets
Those handicapping this year's action point to a parcel of other new
shows as best bets - if not necessarily for critical acclaim, at
least for a guffaw or two.
In "The Penguin Tango," a community of gay penguins is turned upside-
down by sex and stereotypes. You might guess that this was inspired
by actual events at the Bremerhaven Zoo in Bremen, Germany, as well
as penguin pairings at the Brooklyn and Central Park zoos. Among the
reality-based characters is Silo, whose dream is to headline at Sea
World.
The Small Appliance Puppet Theater from Austin, Texas,
offers "Puppet Government," a comedy featuring an electric can
opener, a rice cooker, a toaster and various household appliances as
the leaders of our country. President Bush is a can opener. Condi is
a rice cooker. And Rummy? A fruit juicer.
"Danny Boy," an urban romantic comedy, is the story of a 30-
something New Yorker who seeks romance, but finds it complicated by
his 4-foot stature.
"Only a Lad" is billed as a "jukebox musical comedy" based on the
songs of Danny Elfman, the Oingo Boingo vocalist who has created
movie themes for "Batman," "Mission: Impossible" and "Men in Black."
Healthy buzz also surrounds "Reservoir Bitches," an all-female
parody of the Quentin Tarantino classic "Reservoir
Dogs"; "Walmartopia: The Musical," which features the singing head
of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton; and "Girl Scouts of America," a
comedy from Andrea Berloff, the writer of Oliver Stone's "World
Trade Center." Also worth noting: the award-winning Rude Mechanicals
Theatre Company offers up Dennis Trainor Jr.'s "I Coulda Been a
Kennedy," set in Montauk.
A selection of productions from earlier Fringe Festivals, among
them "Americana Absurdum," are being brought back for encores.
Chosen because festival organizers thought they had
been "overlooked" during their initial runs, these works include:
Daniel MacIvor's "Never Swim Alone" (with MacIvor directing); the
Canadian hits "Pith!" and "Tuesdays & Sunday"; the musical
comedy "The Bicycle Men"; and the sideshow-infused "Todd Robbins'
Carnival Knowledge."
Two of the shows not being brought back as part of the 10th
anniversary are "Urinetown" and "Matt & Ben." According to co-
founder Holy, "They didn't need the help."
TV Guide April 28th 2008 Issue
About Diane Neal leaving Law & Order SVU
Star Magazine - April 7th, 2008
Star Sightings
Diane Neal on Wheel Of Fortune 11/12/07
in Entertainment Weekly November 9th 2007
**Thanks to socalgrobanite @ lj.com for letting us know!!**
NYC Smile Design Newsletter Winter 2007
Diane Neal in Social Affairs Magazine April/May 2007
Click on thumbnails to get HQ scans
Want Diane's Hairstyle from the Emmy's? Click on the thumbnails to find out how to do it!
Diane Neal's past.
Diane Neal is the actress who plays the young ADA (Assistant of
the District Attorney [sic]) who appears in the series "New York
Police: Special Victims Section" (Hexagonal French for "Law&Order: SVU.")
This beautiful red-heard has succeeded in making herself a place
in the sun, thanks to the success of the series. But, to pay her
bills in before she rose to fame [literally "during the time of the
skinny cows", she modeled for sentimental [romantic] novels, somewhat
like the celebrated Fabio."
Monte Carlo Article
Thanks to Cal from the DNCN Yahoo Group
Monte-Carlo Unité Spéciale
Ecrit par AlloCine le 29/06/2006 - 16h21 - Catégorie : Billet du
jour
Ce matin nous avons fait notre première incursion dans l'univers de
Dick Wolf avec la rencontre de Diane Neal, qui interprète Casey
Novak dans New York Unité Spéciale. Rencontre avec une jeune femme
drôle et truculente, bien loin de son personnage de la série.
Quelques extraits en avant-première…
(This morning, we made our first incursion in the universe of Dick
Wolf with a meeting with Diane Neal, who plays Casey Novak in Law
and Order Special Victims Unit. A meeting with a funny and
truculent young lady, far removed from her character on the show.
Here are some extracts from before the premiere)
Votre personnage est arrivé dans New York Unité Spéciale au début de
la saison 5. Faire sa place au sein d'une équipe bien huilée a-t-il
été difficile ?
(Your character arrived in SVU at the beginning of Season 5. Was it
difficult to make your place in a well-oiled team?)
Diane Neal : Un peu. Quand vous commencez une nouvelle série, toute
l'équipe débute ensemble, tout le monde est excité et personne ne
sait ce qui va se passer. Là, tout était déjà en place et le
personnage d'Alexandra Cabot (ndlr : jouée par Stephanie March), que
je remplaçais, était très appréciée. Mais après les six premiers
mois, je faisais définitivement partie de cette grosse machine !
(Diane Neal: "A little. When you begin a new show, the whole team
begins together, everyone is excited and no one knows what is going
to happen. There [in SVU] everything was already in place and the
character of Alexandra Cabot (editor's note: played by Stephanie
March) which I was replacing, was very appreciated. But after the
first six months, I was definitely a part of this big machine!)
Comment se passe la collaboration avec Dick Wolf ?
(What is it like to work with Dick Wolf?)
C'est le meilleur chef dont on puisse rêver. Non seulement il
s'intéresse à chacun des acteurs mais il supervise toutes ses séries
et les épisodes. Parfois, on voit des gros noms rattachés à une
production mais leur implication est parfois trompeuse. Ce n'est pas
son cas. C'est aussi la raison pour laquelle ses séries ont du
succès. Parce que Dick Wolf est personnellement impliqué.
(He is the best boss that you can dream of. Not only is he
interested in each and every one of his actors, but he supervises
all his shows and the episodes. Sometimes, you see big names
attached to a production, but their actual involvement is sometimes
misleading. That is not his [Dick Wolf's] case. That is also the
reason why his series are successful. Because Dick Wolf is
personally involved.)
Quelles sont vos séries préférées ?
(What are your favourite TV shows?)
Les Simpson, Prison Break ! Si je ne travaille pas pendant les jours
de diffusion de Prison Break, mes amis et mes voisins viennent à la
maison et on décroche le téléphone ! Et si je travaille, tout le
monde vient dans ma loge pour la regarder. Je pense aussi à Lost. Je
suis vraiment obsédée par cette série
(The Simpsons, Prison Break! If I am not working on the days that
Prison Break is on, my friends and my neighbours comme over to my
house and we take the phone of the hook! And if I'm working,
everyone comes to my dressing room to watch it. I am also thinking
of Lost. I am really obssessed by that show.)
Spotlight: Law & Order: SVU's Diane Neal
After odd jobs as a short-order cook and a dishwasher, Neal says "you really, really appreciate every day that you're making what to normal people is a ludicrous amount of money to say things that aren't true."
Rap sheet: A figure skater in high school, Neal started modeling at 18 for Shiseido and Pond's skin-care ads ('People like pasty,' she says). In '99 she quit and went to study biblical archeology in Egypt and Israel 'because I wanted to be Indiana Jones really badly.' Back in New York three weeks later, she took a six-week acting course on a whim. 'My older sister has all her degrees in theater, and I couldn't stand the theater geeks!' she says. But 'it turned out to be the most fun I'd ever had.'
Prior conviction: In '01, in one of her first roles, Neal played a woman who raped a male stripper on SVU. 'My parents [Chris, a federal attorney, and Colleen, a math teacher] said 'We're so proud of you, sweetheart.' It could have been worse, lile 'Look, I'm gonna play a rapist and murderer, and I booked a tampon commercial!'
Copping a plea: Before she moved to New Jersey with her fiancé, Irish model Marcus Fitzgerald, 31, she lived in a crumbling 300-sq-ft. Manhattan studio. Once, when a cop came to arrest a neighbor, "he was like, 'You're on SVU. I'm like 'Yeah' And he's like, 'Well, you're not very nice to the cops.' I'm like, 'Oh, that's changing. Don't worry.' There was a little inkling of 'Hey. You're on our side.'"
SVU Looker's Legal Tussle
As Law and Order: SVU's ADA Casey Novak, Diane Neal has spent nearly a year throwing the book at bad guys. Sometimes this TV legal eagle's so carried away with herself, she feels like she is an attorney. A real judge recently had to give her a reality check.
"I was in court testifying about a woman who lives in my building," she chuckles. "At one point, the judge actually yelled, 'Ms. Neal, just because you play a lawyer on TV does not mean you have license to speak whenever you feel like it in my courtroom!' It was a humbling experience."
In tonight's episode (10 pm/ET), the pretend prosecutor goes up against one tough adversary -- a corrupt judge who threatens to sabotage her. "I'm asking him to recuse himself," explains the actress, who often runs plot lines by her father, a real-life federal attorney. "When I told my dad, he's like, 'Oh, you're screwed. You never ask the judge to leave a case unless it's unbelievably clear he's never going to rule in your favor.'"
Neal's task wasn't made any easier by her preconceived notions of character actor Tom Skerritt, who guest stars as the jerk on the bench. "I was really hoping he'd be evil because he was in all those movies I watched when I was a kid, like SpaceCamp. He was the mean guy who wouldn't let them go into space," she reminisces. "And here he is, the nicest guy ever."
Skerritt's devious performance may be an act, but the rest of SVU is based on meticulous research. "Everything is about as accurate as you can get, even where the chairs are placed," Neal insists. "The only thing that's inaccurate is that in a real courtroom, you wouldn't have glasses and glass pitchers on the table, just in case someone decides to throw them."
Bridal Guide Jan/Feb 2007
Thanks to Leslie for this article
Click to enlarge article
US Magazine 2004
Thanks to Monse for this article
(Click for larger article)
InTouch Magazine August 28, 2006
DIane & Marcus' Beach Wedding ranked #6 out of 10 Most Romantic Beach Weddings
Click on the picture to read the entire article
Various Magazines
Diane in OK Magazine July 2006
US Weekly 5/8/2006
(Click on the picture for the High Quality Scan)
TV Guide Unknown Date
(Click on the picture for the High Quality Scan)
TV Guide 3/27/2006
(Click on the pictures of the High Quality Scan)
.jpg)
OK! Magazine June 19th 2006
Click on the picture to take you to the full HIGH Quality photo and article
US Weekly Magazine June 5, 2006 pg 97
Click on the picture to take you to the full HIGH Quality photo & article
NJ SAVVY LIVING October 2005
(Click picture for FULL HIGH quality pictures)
*click on photo to get the article*
To get the large HIGH Quality Photo, please visit our Photo Gallery
Rachael Ray - Everyday With Rachael Ray June/July 2006
Please click on the thumbnails to view large pictures.
InStyle Weddings January 2006
Diane's wedding was a story featured in this magazine. The scan. however, isn't big enough to read the print the pictures are great.
People Magazine 2005
There is a very brief article on Diane and Marcus' wedding that took place in the Dominican Republic.
Cosmopolitan Magazine May 2005
"Fun Fearless Female"
Diane was featured as a Fun Fearless Female in this May issue of Cosmo.
People Magazine
Click on the pic above to see the full article
In Touch Magazine 2005
Soap Style Magazine March 2006
Diane Neal Anti-Smoking 2005
Diane Neal Throws Baby shower for Mariska
____________________________________
From US Weekly
"Diane Neal's Bridal Registry Order in the Courtship!
Us tags along with the Law & Order: SVU star and her new fiance on their quest for the best wedding booty
Onscreen, Diane Neal, 27, is SVU's toughest-talking assistant district attorney Casey Novak. Offscreen, the redhead raised no objections when her beau of more than seven years, engineer and former model Marcus Fitzgerald, 31, popped the question on April 23 with a ring that belonged to Neal's grandmother and a T-shirt emblazoned FINALLY! The betrothed couple brought Us along on June 4 when they registered at New York City's Restoration Hardware and Tiffany & Co. First on the docket? Furnishing the historic pad they recently bought in Jersey City, New Jersey. Case closed!"
___________________________________
Neal Takes 'SVU' DA Duties
Sunday, June 22, 2003
10:00 PM PT
Diane Neal will enter the DA's office on Dick Wolf's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." The actress has signed on for multiple episodes of the NBC drama with an option to become a regular.
Neal will be filling Stephanie March's shoes. The actress left at the end of last season, having spent three years as Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cabot.
Neal, who made an unrelated guest starring appearance on "SVU" in 2001, will play a ADA new to the sex crimes unit.
"Diane is the newest in a long line of extremely gifted actresses who have played assistant DAs on the franchise," Wolf tells The Hollywood Reporter. "Stephanie March will be sorely missed, but as always, we look forward to the challenge of introducing an exciting new talent to our viewers."
Wolf's three-pronged "Law & Order" juggernaut is no stranger to casting, recasting and casting again. The transition will come several episodes into next season, as the first four episodes have already been shot (and include March). Neal's arrival, then, will likely occur in November.
In addition to her guest appearance on "SVU," Neal has appeared in episodes of "Ed," "The American Embassy" and "Hack." Her film work includes "Dracula 2: Ascension."
____________________________________________
Quitting Smoking Is Harder for Women
CAROL ANN CAMPBELL
Newhouse News Service
Diane Neal gets through the winter now without bouts of bronchitis. She can run up the stairs to her fifth-floor walk-up. She actually can taste her food.
After eight years as a two-pack-a-day smoker, Neal, a model and actress who lives in Jersey City, N.J., finally said goodbye to her cigarettes and now is spokeswoman for the American Legacy Foundation's Circle of Friends, a self-guided Web program to help women quit smoking by surrounding themselves with friends and supporters.
Her efforts come as scientists are learning more about the gender differences in cigarette addiction. Quitting can be more difficult for women than for men. Women, surveys and research have shown, expect more from their cigarettes than men do.
They expect their cigarettes to cheer them up, calm then down and keep them slim. Women are more likely to become addicted to the psychological habits of smoking, not just the physical addiction to nicotine. Researchers have said that women, more than men, need the ritual of lighting up, the movement of the cigarette from hand to mouth, the savoring of their cigarette in a special chair.
"There are differences in what you get addicted to," said Sherry Marts, vice president for scientific affairs of the Society for Women's Health Research, an independent advocacy group in Washington.
For women, quitting is difficult but by no means impossible. Researchers are discovering the best methods to help them quit.
Neal, even now, two years after quitting, occasionally craves a cigarette.
"I loved smoking, but I don't want to do it anymore," said the 28-year-old, who plays assistant district attorney Casey Novak on TV's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit."
"I watched my Great Aunt Jesse die of lung cancer. It's a disgusting death to watch; 178,000 American women will die from smoking, and I don't want to be one of them," she said.
Neal said it feels good to be free from her addiction.
"I'm enjoying what it's like not to be burdened down by constantly wanting a cigarette," she said.
Experts said anyone who wants to quit should have a plan and not just get up one day and decide to stop smoking. Some may pick a child's first birthday or some other milestone.
"It's a myth that `cold turkey' is the way to go," said Ella Watson-Stryker, a researcher for the American Legacy Foundation, an anti-smoking organization created by the 1999 settlement between American tobacco companies and state attorneys general.
The foundation's Circle of Friends Web site (www.join-the-circle.org) gives tips on gathering support from friends and family. The site sells a sunburst necklace for friends, or perhaps colleagues at work, to wear as a show of support.
"Men may find this too mushy, but women like the idea of a circle of people supporting them," said Watson-Stryker. This support can improve women's success rates by 50 percent, she said.
Experts said anyone trying to quit should consider taking over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies, such as gum, or seeing a doctor for prescription medications. There is a prescription nasal spray. Anti-depressants, such as Zyban and Wellbutrin, can help women who are quitting. Some people may need one, or even a combination of medications, for several months, perhaps longer.
Research shows that quitting can be more difficult for women. A Texas A&M study last year found that equal numbers of men and women quit with nicotine replacement, but in the long term women were more likely to return to smoking.
One reason that women are less successful is that they fear gaining weight. Women who quit may gain up to 10 pounds because nicotine is a stimulant that affects metabolism. In addition, women who cannot smoke may instead turn to sweets and fats. Plus, their food may suddenly taste better and they will enjoy food more than before.
Bess Marcus, an addiction researcher at the Brown University Center for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, said she urges women who quit to adopt an overall healthful lifestyle.
"We don't just talk about quitting," Marcus said. "We talk about adding fruits and vegetables to the diet and hard candy instead of chocolate donuts," she said. Exercise is key. Marcus studied 281 healthy but sedentary smokers and found that women who exercised vigorously were twice as likely to quit and gained half as much weight as women who did not exercise. After 12 weeks, nearly 20 percent of the women who exercised were able to quit, while 10 percent of the control group quit. Of the women who exercised the most, nearly 47 percent quit.
For Neal, nicotine replacement gum was key. She choose the day after Thanksgiving, two years ago, to quit. Encouragement by friends, especially her health-conscious husband, Irish model Marcus Fitzgerald, helped her enormously, Neal said.
She felt better very soon after quitting.
"My sense of smell returned. I remember thinking, `Wow, I can smell that!' I could taste my food," she recalled. She said she felt happier, noting that nicotine has been linked to depression.
"I became an exercise freak once my lungs started recuperating," she said.
Neal began smoking as an 18-year-old model working in Japan. The only breaks the models were allowed were cigarette breaks, so she started smoking.
"It seemed the cool thing to do," she said.
Recently, she ran in the Circle of Friends 10K run through Central Park.
Women often decide to quit because they worry about the people around them, such as their children or grandchildren. Neal said her friends never nagged.
"They reminded me how much they cared for me," she said. Her husband did not nag, either, she said. "He just told me how much he loved me and how much he wanted me around to see our kids grow up."
(Carol Ann Campbell covers medicine for The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. She can be contacted at ccampbell@ starledger.com)
________________________________________
Law & Order’s Diane Neal Named Celebrity Ambassador to American Legacy Foundation® Circle of Friends® Program
Former Smoker Supports Women’s Efforts to Quit Smoking
5/10/2005
Washington, DC April 2005 -- The American Legacy Foundation® today named Diane Neal, star of NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as a celebrity ambassador to its Circle of Friends®: Uniting to Be Smoke-Free program. As an ambassador, Neal will advocate for healthy lifestyle choices by sharing her own story of nicotine addiction and encouraging support for women who are trying to quit smoking.
The American Legacy Foundation’s Circle of Friends program is a national grassroots movement dedicated to educating women about the dangers of tobacco-related diseases and addiction, and highlighting the importance of supporting smokers who want to quit. Each year in the U.S., 178,000 women die from tobacco-related diseases, including heart disease, cancers, emphysema, and stroke. In fact, lung cancer, which is primarily caused by smoking, is the leading cancer killer of women.
In her ambassador role, Neal will be attending SELF Magazine’s 12th Annual Workout in the Park event on May 7, 2005 in New York’s Central Park. This event is an outdoor health and fitness festival for women to help bring SELF’s healthy living and wellness philosophies to life. The Circle of Friends program is an official beneficiary of this year’s SELF event. During her appearance, Neal will encourage women who smoke to quit as a key element of a comprehensive fitness and healthy lifestyle plan. Neal will be back in Central Park on Saturday, June 11, 2005 for the Circle of Friends New York Mini10k Race. The annual event highlights the importance of providing support to women who want to quit smoking, and to raises funds for tools and programs to help them succeed.
Neal, a former two pack-a-day smoker who quit two years ago after smoking for eight years, understands the struggles that women face when trying to quit smoking. "Quitting smoking is my greatest personal accomplishment. It would be great if we could make it everyone else’s biggest accomplishment," said Neal. "That’s why I am joining with the Circle of Friends program and helping them in this critical campaign."
Dr. Cheryl G. Healton, president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation said, "We are honored to have Diane Neal as a celebrity ambassador. She is a great example of a woman who has overcome tobacco addiction and dependence. By telling her story, she lends support and encouragement to other women who are going through the same struggle.
Neal, who was raised in Colorado but now makes the New York City area her home, plays assistant district attorney Casey Novak on the popular NBC series. In her own struggle to quit smoking, she was helped by having support from her family and friends, and using pharmacotherapy aids. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 70 percent of American smokers say they want to quit, yet only five percent succeed each year. But research shows that smokers are 50 percent more likely to quit when friends and family are there to help.
Neal will also serve as a member of the Circle of Friends Advisory Council -- a group of prominent women from the corporate, public health, nonprofit, entertainment and media spheres who are helping to grow the Circle of Friends movement.
Quitting smoking is one of the most difficult things a person can do -- most smokers make 8-11 attempts before quitting successfully. By creating networks of support among families, friends and co-workers who are struggling to break their addictions to tobacco, the Circle of Friends program aims to:
*Help smokers who want to quit succeed
*Empower friends and families of smokers to support them when they choose to quit
*Offer information and practical tools to encourage women to become smoke free
Women can learn more about Circle of Friends by visiting www.join-the-circle.org. To learn more about the Circle of Friends New York Mini10k, visit www.mini10k.org.
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Diane Neal Weds in the Dominican Republic
July 2005--Congratulations go out to "Law & Order: SVU" cast member Diane Neal, who received a wedding band on July 9, 2005 from beau Marcus Fitzgerald which will accompany an antique engagement ring passed down from the groom's grandmother.
The couple made their seven year courtship official with a ceremony held on a beach in the Dominican Republic.
Once back from their honeymoon, the actress will be sending thank you notes to family and friends who ordered presents from the couple's gift registries at Tiffany & Co., where the bride and groom requested such merchandise as Windham cutlery and Hampton champagne flutes, and at Restoration Hardware, where the couple picked out cozy items for the home, including a pair of dog bookends and an eight-piece gardener's tool set.
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DIANE NEAL
Actress Diane Neal is best known for her current role as Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak on Wolf Films/NBC Universal Television’s top rated drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. The Brooks Group utilized its strong press print and broadcast media relationships to create awareness for Diane and secure media coverage, with a special focus on consumer magazines. As a result of consistent pitching, the Brooks Group secured placements in People, US Weekly, Life & Style Weekly and a cover story in NJ Savvy Living, an upscale New Jersey magazine, where Diane currently resides.
The Brooks Group also planned a strategic public relations effort to support Diane’s debut in an ad campaign for The American Legacy Foundation’s Circle of Friends: Uniting To Be Smoke-Free Program, for which she served as a Celebrity Ambassador. In addition, Diane’s destination wedding was featured in a multi-page story in In Style Weddings and she will also appear on the accompanying In Style Weddings TV special. Through “special connections,” The Brooks Group also secured a feature for Diane in an upcoming issue of Every Day With Rachael Ray.
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Close Up: SVU's Model, Actress, Comic and Traveler
Feb 13, 2006,
14 WFIE News
Reporter: Ann Komis
Diane Neal is far from Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak. Neal plays Novak on the NBC hit drama "Law and Order: SVU."
Although her father was once a federal attorney in Colorado, Diane was on her way to becoming a medical doctor. But fate, and a boyfriend, landed her in New York City.
She's beautiful, once a model for Lexus, Dove and even Miller Lite. And she's funny.
If Diane could pick a favorite movie, TV or theater role, it would be one many may not choose.
Diane replies, "I'd like to be Indiana Jones - not going to happen."
Plus, she's very smart. Diane's hobby is ancient history.
"I really enjoy the Roman Empire and everything about the Renaissance. I really dig that," Diane says.
And she loves to travel, to see where it all happened with her husband of seven months, Marcus Fitzgerald.
Diane says, "Marcus is like, 'I was thinking of a beach somewhere. We can mix both.' Baby come on!"
She joined the cast of "Law and Order: SVU" after Stephanie March left. But Diane wasn't planning on even becoming a actor.
Diane says, "Actually, I really didn't plan on being an actress. It just happened accidentally, which is great. It's like the best accident in the history of the world."
She was premed in college. And then followed her boyfriend, now husband, to New York City.
Diane, explaining her first job, says "One of my first jobs ever was right after I graduated. And I played a murderer and rapist right here on "SVU." Yeah, it was exciting. Yeah, funny you should ask. I was right here. It was really fun. I got to go to the other side of the witness stand."
It wasn't long before she landed the role of Assistant D.A. Casey Novak.
"You get a lot of people on all legal shows, not just the "Law and Orders," which are very interesting. You getting promotions and looking good in the eye of the bosses, and Novak is all about justice."
Suddenly, a bell announced the next scene - Diane's! The producer stopped the interview between Diane and Ann, not as a joke, but to get Diane to reshoot a scene.
One last note about Diane, her dream vacation spot - Antarctica.
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Mackie, Meloni, Morrison, et al. to Bartend at Stockings With Care Benefit
November 8th 2005
By: Brian Scott Lipton
Anthony Mackie, Christopher Meloni, and Matthew Morrison will be among the celebrities tending bar on Wednesday, November 9 at Frank's Restaurant (401 West 16th Street) as part of the Stockings With Care Celebrity Bartending Fundraiser.
Other stars scheduled to participate in the 7pm-11pm event include television favorites Martha Byrne, Michael Cassidy, Cameron Mathison, Ted McGinley, Diane Neal, and cast members from the TV series Rescue Me.
Patrons are asked to make a $10 donation at the door and to tip the celebrity bartenders. All of the proceeds will be used to buy gifts for children whose families live in homeless shelters or who are in jeopardy of becoming homeless. In addition, there will be a silent auction and a raffle of Broadway show tickets, couture items, and various gift certificates to raise additional funds.
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amfAR
Tue 15-Jun-2004
Media Contact: Bennah Serfaty (212) 806-1607
Rebecca Budig, Carson Kressley, Kyan Douglas and Miss Universe 2004 Join in Supporting amfAR Rocks
New York, June 15, 2004 - More than 1,300 young New Yorkers packed Tavern on the Green in Central Park on Monday night for the 13th annual amfAR Rocks event, which raised nearly $250,000 for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). The event was sponsored by New York Magazine, MAC Viva Glam, Pfizer, Bearing Point, Barclay Investments, Inc., EOS Fund Services LLC, Finkelstein Newman LLP, Ciroc Snap Frost Vodka, No. Ten by Tanqueray, and Bud Light.
Personalities who came out in support of the fight against AIDS included Carson Kressley, Kyan Douglas, Rebecca Budig, Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins, Peter Cincotti, Dhani Jones of the Philadelphia Eagles, Oksana Baiul, Ron Artest of the Indiana Pacers, Lady Bunny, Cara Buono, Miss Teen USA Tami Farrell, Jaime Gleicher, Sakina Jaffrey, Diane Neal, Miss Universe 2002 Justine Pasek, Alek Wek, and John Zimmerman.
A silent auction featuring celebrity kiss imprints was the highlight of the event, with kisses contributed by some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Britney Spears, Scarlett Johansson, Kelly Ripa, Liv Tyler, Matt Dillon, Anne Hathaway, Jamie-Lynn Discala, Drea de Matteo, Candice Bergen, Kristin Chenoweth, Cara Buono, Steven Cojocaru, Diane Neal and Kirsten Dunst. Actress Cara Buono’s kiss sold for $1,000, Kristin Chenoweth’s went for $500, and Britney Spears’ sold for $325. The silent auction, which included vacation packages and luxury items, raised $43,000.
The American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) is one of the world’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to the support of AIDS research, AIDS prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy. Since 1985, amfAR has invested nearly $220 million in support for its programs and awarded grants to over 2,000 research teams worldwide.
The American Foundation for AIDS Research recognizes American Airlines for its commitment to the fight against AIDS and generous support of amfAR’s mission.
