VANITIES

Marc Blucas AGE: 29. OCCUPATION: Actor. PROVENANCE: Girard, Pennsylvania (population: 5,133). LIFE IMITATES ART: "My upbringing was the movie Hoosiers. My high-school team went to the state championships, and I got a basketball scholarship to Wake Forest. Then I played pro ball for a year overseas." BASKETBALL TO ACTING ISN'T EXACTLY A NORMAL PROGRESSION: "When I moved back from playing overseas, set to go to law school, I joined a theater and realized I was passionate about acting. This is a love for me." YOUR PARENTS MUST HAVE BEEN THRILLED: "They said, 'That's fantastic! Go have a great time. Just don't call for money.'" BUFFY, CLASS OF 2000: After landing a role in 1998's Pleasantville, Blucas spent two seasons on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Riley, Buffy's love interest. GWYNETH AWAITS: In the coming year, Blucas stars opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in View from the Top, alongside Mel Gibson in We Were Soldiers, and in John Sayles's next film, Sunshine State: "I've never seen such a team atmosphere on a movie set." IMMEDIATELY VIEWABLE IN: Summer Catch, with Freddie Prinze Jr., and Kevin Smith's Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.WHY HE*S PROBABLY NOT A LAKERS FAN: A Wake Forest teammate of Blucas's was San Antonio Spur and Shaq rival Tim Duncan. "We got to be great friends in college, and we've remained really good friends."

KRISTA SMITH