QUINN COULD USE A FEW WHISPERED WORDS OF WISDOM.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Aidan Quinn, in Toronto preparing to play Paul McCartney in the VH1 movie, ``The Two of Us,'' describes the situation as ``a panic station.''

He explains, ``I've never played a legend before - and I don't look or sound anything like him. He's a baritone, I'm a tenor. I can do John Lennon, who had a similar timbre to mine - but Jared Harris is playing Lennon,'' he notes, speaking of Richard Harris' middle son. He adds, ``A dialogue coach is on her way here, and I expect there to be quite a battle for her services.''

How does he think McCartney feels about his stepping into his shoes?

``I'm told he has a laissez-faire attitude about things of this sort. He won't support it, but he won't go out of his way to fight it, unless it defames his character - and this happens to ennoble Paul McCartney.''

He notes, `` `The Two of Us' tells what would have happened if these two men had gotten together in 1996, trying to re-establish a very deep friendship after their relationship had been fractured so badly.''

Quinn is hoping that once shooting gets under way, he'll be able to get home to his wife and two daughters in Manhattan on weekends. The fact that he shot ``Music of the Heart'' in New York was one of his great joys of making the Miramax film - besides his delight in working with Meryl Streep, whom he calls ``the greatest.''

He explains, ``In my 18-year career, I've only been able to make a few films in New York. And working in that city, which has been my home for 15 years, is very important to me. My oldest daughter is 10. My youngest is only 1, and I'm determined not to miss her first five years.''

To accomplish that feat, he says, ``I've set down a rule: I will try to be home six months a year, and if that means missing out on some opportunities, well, so be it.''

Taking stock

Jason Priestley will take a whirl in the world of low-ethics penny-stock Wall Streeters in a big-screen indie called ``The Pitch,'' with Chris Penn and Paul Sorvino. The former ``Beverly Hills, 90210'' star will play a young man of privileged background who's seduced by quick money success - which comes at the expense of devastated clients and his relationship with his own family - and who winds up under investigation for a stock dealing that involved the mob.

`VIP' treatment

Also taking a walk on the unsavory side is Sandra Bernhard, who'll be portraying a sleazy corporate CEO on Pamela Anderson Lee's ``VIP'' series. Sandra's character is so nasty, in fact, that Pam and her team of bodyguards feel reluctant to protect her! Among other things, she's out to get some animal-rights activists who've been questioning her business practices. Sounds like a story line animal-rights boosters Pam and Sandra can really get their claws into.

Keep on talking

And speaking of vile things, Studios USA - the folks who bring us Jerry Springer, among others - is planning ``Raw Talk.'' It's being described as a daily ``provocative'' talk show, for which they want a smart, funny, controversial host with a Howard Stern-ish/Morton Downey-esque edge. News of the day will be discussed by a blend of celebrities and everyday folks. It might be politically incorrect to mention, but it sounds like Bill Maher's show.

Team player

``Sports Night'' co-star Joshua Malina lets us know his show is not suffering by having to share creator Aaron Sorkin with ``The West Wing.''

``I don't see him around the set nearly as much, but other than that, the scripts have been great - for me, it's no problem. Maybe it is for him, if he's sleeping three hours a night trying to do everything, but we can't tell.''

And the ``Sports Night'' team members are ``enthusiastic `West Wing' supporters. We have a major Sorkin Mafia going, and a lot of the actors know each other and have worked together, so it's like we're the same family.''

Actually, Malina met his brother-in-law Tim Busfield when doing Sorkin's ``A Few Good Men'' on stage in New York, and through Tim met his wife - Tim's sister. Malina spent all of his five-month hiatus being a doting dad to their 20-month-old daughter.

What a setup

Lifetime Television is getting ready to offer up ``The Love Squad,'' a series in which good friends get together and select a date for another friend. Good way to lose good friends.

With reports by Stephanie DuBois.

The Celebrities column appears Monday through Friday.

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4 Photos

PHOTO (1) QUINN

(2) PRIESTLEY

(3) BERNHARD

(4) MALINA