Being ‘Julia’

Meryl Streep walked away from her role as Julia Child in the upcoming “Julie & Julia” movie with more than fine-tuned cooking skills.

“I gained 15 pounds, I’m still trying to lose it,” Streep, 60, says in the August issue of Ladies’ Home Journal. “It was worth it.” The magazine will be on newsstands Tuesday. The movie, directed by Nora Ephron, weaves together the memoirs of Julia Child during the years she lived with her husband in Paris after World War II, just about to discover the passion for French cooking that would make her famous. The “Julie” of the title is Julie Powell, a writer in New York City in 2002 who challenges herself to cook all 524 recipes in Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” “Enchanted” actress Amy Adams plays that role in the movie.

Adams tells Ladies’ Home Journal she didn’t gain any weight during filming but did gain a fiance. She got engaged to actor Darren le Gallo the day before she finished shooting.

Streep’s favorite among Child’s dishes: “Tarragon roast chicken is a foolproof recipe and also something that everybody loves,” she says. Adams’ favorite? “The Brussels sprouts with butter and cheese.”

Madam guilty

Former “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss has pleaded guilty to felony drug charges in Nevada, but she will avoid a trip to prison.

Nye County District Attorney Bob Beckett says Fleiss faces up to five years of probation after pleading guilty to unlawful use of methamphetamine and possession of the painkiller hydrocodone without a prescription.

Fleiss declined comment to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 15.

The charges stem from a February 2008 traffic stop in rural Pahrump, 60 miles west of Las Vegas.

Beckett says if the 43-year-old Fleiss successfully completes probation, the two felony convictions will be erased from her record.

Fleiss moved to Nevada after serving prison time in California for running a prostitution ring.

Opry star ailing

A Grand Ole Opry spokeswoman says Opry performer MelMcDaniel is in the hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Spokeswoman Darlene Bieber said Wednesday that McDaniel had a heart attack last month. No other details were immediately available.

The 66-year-old singer had a run of hits in the 1980s that included “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On,” “Stand Up” and “Louisiana Saturday Night.”

A native of Checotah, Okla., Mc-Daniel sang for oil field workers in Alaska in the 1970s before becoming successful in Nashville.

Besides his solo hits, he’s also written songs recorded by Kenny Rogers, Conway Twitty and Earl Scruggs.

HBO standup

Robin Williams is bringing his standup act back to HBO.

The cable network says a special of Williams performing in Washington will air in December. The show is part of the 57-year-old actor-comedian’s “Weapons of Self-Destruction” tour.

Williams has done four solo specials on HBO. The most recent, which aired in 2002, received five Emmy nominations. His relationship with HBO dates back to his appearance on a “Young Comedians” show in 1977.

Williams co-stars with John Travolta in the upcoming Disney comedy “Old Dogs.”