It's the Hollywood equivalent of a papal dispensation -- getting permission to do a feature film while shooting a hit TV show.

That's the early Christmas gift Beau Mirchoff, 20, got from the producers of Desperate Housewives almost halfway through the ABC dramedy's sixth season. The Mount Douglas grad who plays Danny, the intense, sullen son of Wisteria Lane's new residents, Angie and Nick Bolen (Drea De Matteo and Jeffrey Nordling), got the green light to make a movie on his time off.

When not doing Desperate Housewives, Mirchoff has been facing the cameras in a starring role for The Secret Lives of Dorks, a coming-of-age comedy. Although details are being kept under wraps, we know it was produced by Steven J. Wolfe (Miss March, 500 Days of Summer) and features Gaelan Connell (Bandslam) and another ex-Victorian -- Jennifer Tilly.

"It's a really substantial role -- the biggest one Beau's had to date," says his mother Kelley Mirchoff, who couldn't be happier for another reason. "His character really has a heart, and he's so funny -- so much closer to Beau himself."

Mirchoff could use some lightening up. His troubled Desperate Housewives character has been under so much pressure to keep his creepy family's dark secrets -- including that his mom's a murderer -- he tried to kill himself by overdosing on pills.

He's also heartbroken after being romantically rejected by his tutor Julie Mayer, who had an affair with Danny's dad.

Although anything can happen in such potboilers, Mirchoff himself doesn't know if Danny will make it to season seven.

"I kinda hope to go out with a bang," he told the New York Post. "Like get gunned down by the police, go down in a hail of bullets!"

HHH

HOSTAGE DRAMA: One of Victoria's best-kept dining secrets should be in the limelight next month or shortly thereafter when filming gets under way on Hostage Diner, Los Angeles writer-director Jerome E. Scott's low-budget thriller.

Local producer Beverley Dondale has confirmed the homegrown shoot will take place at Spoons, the fabulously funky diner in the Super 8 Hotel on Douglas Street, formerly home to Floyd's 2.

It was a perfect fit, says Dondale, because of the diner's spaciousness, staff flexibility and because it closes daily at 3 p.m., allowing for setups and overnight filming.

The film, which sounds like a hybrid of Desperate Hours and Clue, focuses on three bank robbers with $3 million in stolen cash who hold customers of a small-town diner hostage. The plot thickens when the hostages get the upper hand, kill the captors and decide to keep the cash for themselves, unbeknownst to the cops surrounding the place.

Owner Dani Trueman said she was thrilled the filmmakers had selected her eatery known for its home-cooked meals and local flavour reflected in titles such as the Blue Bridge Wrap and the Gorge (ous).

The bustling diner seems ideal, with its wide array of booths, serving counters with swivelling stools, and posters for movies such as Gone With the Wind, Easy Rider and Creature From the Black Lagoon adorning its well-scribbled walls.

"I think it's great, especially at this time of year," Trueman said. "It's going to give us a lot of jobs."

While casting is still under way, some familiar faces are already on board. They include former CHEK personality Jenny Matechuk as a kindly waitress who dreams of a better life, Jonathon Ellis as a rookie cop, Brian Van Wyk as a cigar-chomping hostage negotiator, Stephanie Watkins as the sexy and manipulative new waitress, Michelle Lieffertz as a ditzy prostitute, Allen Agopsowicz as a scruffy career criminal and Rob Jennings as a dooughnut-loving cop.

An open casting call is also being posted this week on Dondale's website. For details visit alphaselectmovies.com.

The director of photography is Oktay Ortabasi, who also lensed Anderson's Cross, Scott's semi-autobiographical drama co-starring Joanna Cassidy. Victoria cameraman Dave Malysheff has also been hired for B-camera duties.

"It's going to be a crazy shoot," Dondale admitted. "It's only eight days, so we have to have two cameras going at all times."

Meanwhile, local graphic artist Mike Monroe, also the film's production designer, has designed a cool poster.

mreid@tc.canwest.com