Newly engaged Katharine McPhee and Vanessa Hudgens mug for the cameras at TNT’s “Christmas in Washington 2007″ event.

Katharine McPhee, 23, is reportedly engaged to her boyfriend of a year, 42-year-old actor Nick Cokas.

Man, this guy sure hit the fucking jackpot.

“Katharine is bubbling over with excitement for her upcoming wedding,” a source says. “She is all smiles when she talks about the planning. It sounds like everything is going very smoothly.”

The two met in 2005 when they performed in a Los Angeles theater production of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Their relationship began as a friendship.

“He took me up to my San Francisco (Idol) audition,” McPhee said. That’s when they started fucking. “We totally fell in love,” she said.

Dayum.

There ya go, old guys. You wanna date a 21-year-old? Drive her to an American Idol audition.

Or, you know, just be James Woods.

Nope, it’s just a prosthetic she’s wearing for the character she plays in her new film, House Bunny, which is currently filming in LA. Since when is Kat McPhee an actress?

Also, I need to find out where I can get one of these things. I totally want it for the next time I go home to visit my parents.

Photo credit: Buzz Foto

To this:

(Katharine) McPhee starring in indie feature

I say “why not?” Although I am wary of the “indie” tag, because that means I may be filming it with the extra $20 I got from selling a crack rock today, I see no reason to automatically disqualify McPhee from the ranks of J-Hudness.

Conversely, in the industry, it’s pretty much the prevailing opinion that J-Hud will never be heard from again on the acting front. Her role in Dreamgirls was too perfect for her and featured tons of singing; clearly this is her strength. There aren’t enough musicals to sustain her and now she’s put herself in the singing corner. However, it looks as though Kat won’t be making that mistake:

McPhee will make her feature film debut as the star of indie dark romantic comedy The Last Caller. The coming-of-age story is about a self-obsessed woman (McPhee) who searches for love, hope, and meaning during random events with other urban seekers. The role does not involve singing.

So, while McPhee won’t be winning an Oscar for this she may be setting herself up for future success. Hopefully that will help her get over that whole American Idol finale snub.

Despite selling more albums than Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee was excluded from the celeb-studded Idol finale. While other folks from her season — Elliot Yamin, Taylor Hicks, Chris Daughtry and BFF Kellie Pickler — were asked to perform on the finale, Katharine was not.

“Katharine called them herself, trying to get on the [finale],” says a source. “She’s really hurt.”

I can’t imagine why Kat was excluded. Her album’s debuted at #2 on the charts. She’s signed with 19 Entertainment. She was on People’s 50 Most Beautiful list. Why on earth wouldn’t they want her. Thoughts?

Uh-oh. Looks like Nicole Richie’s going to jail for this latest DUI. And just when Joel Madden was getting laid for the first time in three years… [TMZ]

Britney’s new boyfriend can’t get into Hyde. Also, if you’d like to dress up as a douchebag next Halloween, you can pretty much just use the outfit he wore to The Ivy this week. Everyone will totally be like “Oh, I get it. You’re a douchebag.” [Celebitchy]

Katharine McPhee in OK magazine. I don’t know why I love her so much, but I do. [Pop on the Pop]

Jude Law plans to take his children to a South African orphanage for Christmas, to demonstrate that it is better to have a daddy who leaves your mother for a 22-year-old who he then cheats on with the nanny than it is to have no daddy at all. [Junkiness]

It is possible that Paris Hilton does cocaine. And by “possible” I of course mean “more of a sure thing than Tara Reid on St. Patrick’s Day.” [Celebrity Smack]

Finally! Someone moves away from character assassination and just plain attempts to assassinate Janice Dickinson. My money’s on a former Top Model contestant. [Hollyscoop]

Britney Spears and her new extensions score with the Vegas casinos and possibly Mario Lopez. Some other bloggers may refer to Lopez as a star of Saved by the Bell and, more recently, Dancing with the Stars. I will, now and always, refer to him as the jackass who married the Doritos girl and then cheated on her three days after the wedding. Come on, Brit. You can do better. [Faded Youth]

Kimberley Stewart denies having a liver disease, agrees with me that her father crossed the line by a good solid mile. “I love my dad but sometimes he has a big mouth, and not just when he’s singing. I don’t have a liver disease.” [Celebrity Smack]

Why bother getting raped when you can just pay to have sex with Mike Tyson? Heidi Fleiss says she has hired the boxer as an “employee” of her planned Nevada brothel for female clientele. [Tabloid Whore]

I know I give her a hard time, but I’ll be honest: Katharine McPhee looks killer in these recent photo shoots. [Pop on the Pop]

Okay, it’s over. I have been putting off saying this for a really long time — even though I saw it coming — because it’s saddening to me, and it feels like the end of a truly glorious era. But it’s happened, and there’s no more denying it: Pamela Anderson looks old. [Teddy and Moo]