"I was a big fan of Daisy Duke. Growing up as a kid I never missed an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard." former Cincinnatian Nick Lachey said Tuesday. "We watched it every Friday night. It's going to be cool to kind of live it all over again as she goes and does this movie."

Lachey said Simpson really wanted the role and lobbied hard for the job.

Meanwhile, Lachey said he's been doing some episodes of Charmed on the WB, and the couple are filming another ABC variety special that will air at Christmastime.

"Between the two of us, we're doing some acting stuff now, between Charmed and Dukes of Hazzard. I did something for Bewitched, so it's an exciting time in our house to be a thespian," Lachey said.

Seann William Scott will star as Bo Duke and Johnny Knoxville will play Luke Duke in the movie.

The TV series aired from 1979-1985. Tom Wopat played Luke and John Schneider was Bo. Catherine Bach, who wore the short-shorts that became her character's trademark, was Daisy.

Since the release of Irresistible, jessica simpson's been working on her acting résumé. In addition to her recurring role on "That 70's Show," jessica simpson can be seen in an episode of UPN's "The Twilight Zone." Meanwhile, jessica simpson and new husband Nick Lachey will share their lives with fans in an upcoming reality TV series on MTV.

But music remained one of jessica simpson's truest loves and, when it came time to make In This Skin, she was ready for this vital next stage in her career. "I knew the sort of songs I wanted to sing and write," she says. "Songs that are uplifting and real."

With her new album, Jessica Simpson comes into her own as a woman and refines her ever-evolving voice as an artist. Collaborating with a crop of up-and-coming writers and producers, jessica simpson has created an album that sounds fresh and rings absolutely true. Her message? "It's about love and confidence and loving where I am in my life."

It's in Dallas, Texas, that Jessica Ann Simpson was born on July 10th, 1980. Growing up in the small town of Richardson, her life was textbook happy. Her father Joe was a psychologist who also served as youth minister in the local Baptist church.

With this background, it was only normal for young jessica simpson to participate in church activities and so she sang in the choir. Such was her gift that at the age of 12, she auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club.

When she reached the finals, she froze, choking completely. Unfortunately, she didn't get the job; Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera were luckier. Nevertheless, this experience served as an important life lesson for jessica simpson.

She returned to Richardson and bit into the Christian music she had been brought up with. Before long, small label Proclaim Records noticed her voice and offered to record an album. She recorded a number of gospel songs but just as they were angling for a release date, the label went bankrupt.

Not about to give up in the face of adversity, Joe (now her manager) took his daughter on the road, where they worked the Christian Youth Concert circuit. jessica simpson sang and then sold her home-recorded album after performances. This was a winning formula and while she was still in junior high, jessica simpson was performing with famous gospel acts like Kirk Franklin and Ce Ce Winans.

Word spread about Simpson and her record sold like hotcakes. More importantly, it wasn't only Christian music fans who got into her music; pop lovers everywhere were being charmed by her voice. This was just the encouragement jessica simpson needed to pursue a middle-of-the-road pop music career.

Sure enough, news of jessica simpson's success reached important people in the industry. Tommy Mottola of Columbia Records/Sony Music was one of them and he was stunned by Simpson's voice and skills.

Mottola believed she had the talent to reach mainstream audiences. Still, jessica simpson made it clear that she would only be onboard if she could maintain her identity. Luckily, Mottola understood what she believed in and supported her decision.

After signing up with the music giant, her debut album Sweet Kisses was released in 1999, giving way to the singles "I Wanna Love You Forever" and "I Think I'm In Love With You." She then hit the road and showed audiences worldwide what the Jessica Simpson craze was all about.

She joined boy band 98 Degrees for the tour and it didn't take long for her to fall in love with one of its members, Nick Lachey. Their budding romance only helped the release of their duet, "Where You Are," off Sweet Kisses.

In June 2001, her sophomore album Irresistible was released. The title track was a smash hit and it went as high as #3 on the Top 40 mainstream chart. After some remixes, her third record In This Skin was released in August 2003. However, Jessica Simpson's life was about to take a drastic turn.

After a short breakup, jessica simpson and Nick finally got married in October 2002 (which meant that they could finally consummate their union...) and the celebrity marriage had rejoiced gossip columnists everywhere. As a result, MTV offered the couple a reality show based on their everyday life as a couple, much like The Osbournes.

The deal was struck and August 2003 marked the debut of Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica. Although the show overshadowed Simpson's new album, it became an incredible hit and it was picked up for a second season.

Since the world can't seem to get enough of their goofy antics, the couple was offered a TV variety special reminiscent of The Sonny and Cher Show. They don't plan on making it a series but we'll see what happens...

jessica simpson is boldly traveling down several fresh new musical avenues. In addition to offering more of the lush, passionate ballads that have become her signature, she has effectively expanded her creative styles. This includes ebullient rhythm pop and sultry R&B and is a collection of funk-fortified songs and sophisticated contemporary ballads. jessica simpson has the finesse and confidence of a well seasoned performer.

jessica simpson says she is part of a positive new breed of teenager and youths who welcome responsibility and propriety. In school, jessica simpson hung with a crowd that was popular and respected, and she was elected Homecoming Queen two years in a row at J.J. Pierce High School.

jessica simpson's relationship with her fans is of tremendous importance to her. "They keep me going. They inspire me. I do all I can to keep in close touch with the fans who support my music, whether it be via my shows or on the Internet. The energy I get from them is extraordinary."

jessica simpson states, "That's what I really wanted to come across on these songs, confidence". jessica simpson notes, "I wanted to show that with that inner strength and inner light, nothing is impossible." That said, jessica simpson admits that she does occasionally enjoy flexing a little external heat... even if it's completely innocent. "There's a cut on the album, 'Hot Like Fire', that I think will take people by surprise", she says of the self-assured hip-hop-flavored cut produced by Cory Rooney. "It's a hard-core 'attitude' song. You might not even recognize my voice at first. It's totally raw and intense. It's a shake-your-hips kind of song. I love it."

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