'Dancing With The Stars' Season 14 Cast: And The Mirror Ball Shall Go To...?
by Sean ComerAmerica, meet your 14th-season "Dancing with the Stars" cast. And might we say, they're comparatively a pretty tame-looking bunch.
At the very least, they're "tame" by the standards of the ridiculous fits thrown over transgender male author and activist Chaz Bono competing last season and World Cup-veteran soccer goalie Hope Solo looking ready to throw down with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy on a weekly basis. Hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke Charvet introduced the famous steppers this morning on ABC's "Good Morning America," along with each contestant's professional partner.
For starters, let's take bets on how long we end up waiting before we're once more all "doing the Urkel": actor Jaleel White, most famous for playing America's favorite nerd Steve Urkel on ABC's "Family Matters," returns to the network that made him famous. In real life, White is notoriously somewhat of a smoother operator himself, and he'll be dancing alongside the lovely Kym Johnson.
Singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw, who's rocketed up the pop charts with love songs like "Not Over You" and "In Love With A Girl," is the lucky fellow who drew Season 13-winning pro Karina Smirnoff. Smirnoff won her first Mirror Ball Trophy last season alongside soap star and Army veteran J.R. Martinez.
Speaking of soap stars, "The Bold And The Beautiful" cast member and former Heather Locklear flame Jack Wagner will be dancing alongside Anna Trebunskaya.
Cuban-American telenovela star William Levy will have a tough act to follow, bringing the Latin flavor that had Martinez dueling for the Leader Board crown every week last season. He'll be guided by Cheryl Burke.
If "DWTS" history says anything, Donald Driver should be an early favorite. The Green Bay Packers wide receiver probably knows full well that previous season winners have included Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice and former Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl hero Hines Ward, more recently. He'll be teamed up with Peta Murgatroyd.
Opera singer Katherine Jenkins knows the "DWTS" Ballroom well enough by now - she sang there last season. This season, the Welsh mezzo-soprano and Mark Ballas will try proving that she's at least a double threat.
"The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd will be all over ABC once the next season premieres, both in daytime and primetime. She'll be competing along with milder brother Val Chmerkovskiy.
Actor Melissa Gilbert has had a long and varied career, but she's always going to be Half Pint from "Little House On The Prarie." And this season, she'll be dancing for the Mirror Ball with famously hot-headed pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
Roshon Fegan will be one of the lesser-known "Stars" this season, except to those very familiar with family-friendly entertainment. He's made his name so far starring on The Disney Channel's "Shake It Up." This season, he goes prime-time alongside pro Chelsie Hightower.
"Extra" correspondent Mario Menounos should damn sure know her way around "stars" by now. This season, she'll be getting up close with them like never before, when she dances along with partner Derek Hough. Remember that Hough last season guided Ricki Lake through some astonishing performances last season, and all the way into third place on the season.
Another professional athlete could give Driver some serious competition: tennis great Martina Navratilova will be looking to add a Mirror Ball Trophy to her cadre of titles won when she dances with Tony Dovolani.
Rounding out the cast, soul great Gladys Knight will dance alongside Tristan MacManus, who made pundit Nancy Grace look great last season.
It all kicks off March 19 with a two-hour premiere event starting at 8 PM ET/PT.