Jackie Tohn, on her new record, 'Beguiling,' and life after 'Idol'

Jackie Tohn has been an actor since she was 9 and a musician since she was 20. But all that time in the limelight didn't do her any favors on this season of "American Idol." In fact, it might have even hurt her. After making the Top 36, Jackie was soon eliminated -- a fact she attributes, at least in part, to her Hollywood pedigree.

It's counterintuitive, but Jackie says having a few credits to your name can actually work against you on "Idol." Thanks to her impressive resume, when Jackie first appeared on the show, many in the blogosphere wrote her off as a plant. The fact that she had appeared in a Fox series -- "On the Lot" -- only fueled rumors. But during a phone interview Tuesday, Jackie insisted, "I didn't know anybody directly at 19 or directly at 'Idol,' ... I waited in line just like everybody else." 

She sees her professional experience as a "double-edged sword." Even though by Hollywood standards Jackie considers herself "definitely not by any means an A, B, or C-list actor," by "Idol" standards, she has already made it. And that's not a good thing. "The show loves to kind of build you from the ground up," explained Jackie.

But even though Jackie did not last long on the series, it was still a great boon to her career. "My MySpace kind of has doubled and my Facebook and all that stuff," she acknowledged. And although Jackie is not an A-lister yet, she does have some A-list fans. "Nicole Richie Twittered that she saw me in Starbucks!" exclaimed a starstruck Jackie. And Ashton Kutcher is also a fan. Jackie's growing fan base will be happy to know her new album, "Beguiling," is now available on iTunes.

As she gushed about the album, Jackie began to spell out the word "beguiling" for me, but then stopped herself with that infectious laugh. "Oh, you're a reporter. You probably know how to spell that. But most of America doesn't," she pointed out, before confessing, "I didn't before I did the album!"

'American Idol' winner scores VH1 reality show

Finally one of the "American Idol" kids has scored a reality show, and believe it or not, it isn't "Idol's most lovable ditz, Kellie Pickler.

Beginning in early 2010, Season 3 "American Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino will star in a new VH1 series, which as yet is untitled. And as a single mother and nine-time Grammy nominee, Barrino certainly has an interesting enough life to sustain a series.

This is not Barrino's first foray onto the small screen. Her bestselling autobiography, "Life Is Not a Fairy Tale," was turned into a Lifetime movie in 2006, and Barrino played herself. She has also taken on parts that were bigger stretches; the R&B singer starred as Celie in "The Color Purple" on Broadway.

"Fantasia's life has been an open book, but at 24 years old, her story has just begun," executive producer Randy Barbato told the Hollywood Reporter.

Will you watch Fantasia Barrino's new reality show?

-- Stephanie Lysaght

Related:

Lil Rounds compared to Fantastia Barrino

Photo credit: Wireimage

The Contenders: Meet Lil Rounds

Lil Rounds, the "American Idol" Season 8 contestant and customer service representative auditioned in Kansas City with Stevie Wonder's "All I Do", which got her named "one of the best" by Kara DioGuardi. Randy said she was like a mixture of Fantasia Barrino (of "American Idol" Season 3) and Mary J. Blige.

The 23-year-old married mom of three hails from Memphis, where sadly her Briar Club apartment was destroyed by a tornado in February. Lil Rounds was definitely a judge favorite (even Simon) in Kansas City, made it to Hollywood and impressed again with "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston. Even US Magazine has posted the video. Additionally, she already has quite a following and several fan sites.

Can't wait to see what Lil Rounds has in store for us (and the judges) next!

--Leslie Anne Wiggins