U OUGHT TO KNOW KEVIN WEISMAN.

Byline: - Sandra Barrera

Age: 33

Profession: Plays drums for Trainwreck, a self-described ``chicken fried'' rock band, when he isn't in a supporting role on ABC's ``Alias,'' now in its fourth season.

Why U ought to know him: ``All actors are frustrated musicians, or is it the other way around? I don't know, something like that.''

That's Kevin Weisman who, long before becoming an actor, used to dream of rock stardom. At age 13, this kid from Encino - who was hooked on the Rolling Stones' ``Tattoo You'' album - begged his parents for a drum set.

``I think my mother was a little reluctant, but my father, you know, wanting to take care of his boy, he went out and got me a set,'' Weisman says from his home in Hollywood.

After his fair share of bands during high school, Weisman enrolled in UCLA's School of Theatre, Film and Television, where he juggled drama and played with the soft rock band Christopher Robin, whose name was taken from the ``Winnie the Pooh'' character.

But he saw more possibilities in the world of acting. ``The girls were cuter, too,'' he says, ``and they paid me more attention.''

Weisman went on to co-found the Buffalo Nights Theatre Company at UCLA and study at New York's renowned Circle in the Square Theatre. After landing the role of Agent Marshall Flinkman on ``Alias,'' he got to know Kyle Gass of Tenacious D fame.

Gass needed a drummer for a side project, and Weisman was willing. Plus, he had a house where they could rehearse thanks to a regular paycheck from ``Alias.''

And so, in 2002, Trainwreck was born.

The band - whose lineup includes J.R. Reed, John Konesky, John Spiker, Chris Darienzo, Gass and Weisman - is now in the process of recording its full-length debut.

For Weisman, the band is also a vehicle for raising awareness and money about Duchenne muscular dystrophy (www.dmdfund.org), a degenerative disease that affects his young cousin. An all-star fund-raiser is planned this winter with the cast of ``Alias'' at Snow Summit.

Theatrical rock: ``We play these alter egos. We're kind of like trailer-living guys who grew up in the South. I play Kenny Bob Thornton, no relation to the Academy Award-winning actor. I think he might be a distant cousin, but nobody's proven that yet.''

But seriously: ``We pride ourselves on actually giving a kick-ass show. We bring a bunch of originals, but we also do really fun covers. Like, we do a bad-ass version of 'Footloose' ... that's Kenny Loggins - he's a Trainwreck idol.''

U never know who U'll see at a Trainwreck show: ``We actually get some guests when they're in town ... like Jack (Black) ... and also John C. Reilly, an actor friend. He does a character named Jerry McCracken who's a trucker out of Bakersfield, and when he's in town, he's usually hopped up on Dexedrine (but not in reality).''

On Duchenne muscular dystrophy: ``My little cousin has a rare form of muscular dystrophy called Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It affects only boys, and it's a degenerative disease. Basically, the kids die,'' he pauses, ``you know, generally before their 21st birthday. They slowly lose all muscular functioning. But they're making strides, you know. They've discovered the missing gene, and now they're trying to figure out how to implement that gene in the kids that don't have it.''

Don't even get him started on stem cell research: ``When I hear George Bush saying he's opposed to stem cell research, I'm looking at my cousin, thinking, 'Well, this is one of the only things that's going to help him' ... it's not like you're killing a baby. I mean, it's just a very closed- minded way of looking at it, but hopefully that will all change in November.''

Lost in 'The Terminal': ``It was an honor to work with Steven Spielberg. He was a fan of 'Alias,' (and) came out to the set one day ... and I got a call a few months later that he wanted me to work on his film. I had some great scenes with Tom Hanks ... but yeah, I got cut.''

His TV 'Alias': ``You watch TV, and it's kind of like a lot of stock, good-looking characters that don't really have much depth to them. And my character is somebody that people can relate to on a real level, somebody that has a lot of vulnerability but is also really good at his job. Comic relief.''

U slay me: ``I actually worked on 'Buffy.' I did four episodes. I played a troll minion to Glory, yeah. I had 4 1/2 hours of makeup, so if you didn't recognize me, I understand.''

And now for the burning question: ``What's Jennifer Garner like? I don't know who that is - no, she's great. Everybody's always like, 'Oh, she's so beautiful, she's sexy, she kicks ass.' Yeah, she is all those things, but I think why people relate to her is because she's actually really good. And sweet. And smart. And professional. She's amazing. I really think she's a robot because she gets up, she works out, she comes to work. It's like, I have a problem with getting there by 8 o'clock, and she's already been up for three hours. She really sets the bar.''

What's in store for him on 'Alias': ``This year I'm going to be a lot more involved in the show from a mission standpoint. ... It's a whole new concept, which I can't really get into too much, but it's going back to a little bit more of the energy and the fun of the first two seasons. A lot more missions, a lot more costumes for Jennifer, a lot more action. Still with the story line and the relationship with her father but ... a lot more things for me to do than just introduce the gadgets every week.''

Where U can see him: Weisman and his band, Trainwreck, appear in concert Wednesday at the Viper Room, 8852 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. Tickets are $10. Call [phone] or www.viperroom.com.

If U want more information: www.kevinweisman.com or www.twreck.tk.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- 2) no caption (Kevin Weisman and Trainwreck)