Lahti, Love And Laughter

Christine Lahti stars in the new Showtime movie "Women Vs. Men," a comedy about the withering of romance that explores the roller-coaster changes in intimacy and commitment that occur in a long-term marriage.

Lahti visited The Early Show to discuss the movie, featuring stories that take place over a 24-hour period, and her character Dana.

Lahti character, whose husband, Michael (played by Joe Mantegna), seeks what Lahti calls the "false intimacy" of a strip club as a tonic after a quarrel at home. Paul Reiser and Glenne Headly play another couple also affected by philandering.

Lahti, 52, has been married for nearly two decades to director Thomas Schlamme, an Emmy winner for his work on several series, including "The West Wing."

The actress is also a film director. Her film "My First Mister," starring Albert Brooks and Leelee Sobieski, was chosen as the opening night presentation at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2001.

Lahti had previously directed a short film for Showtime entitled "Leiberman in Love," which won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 1996.

"Women Vs. Men" was filmed in California, but Lahti traveled to Lithuania earlier this year to play the lead role in another Showtime movie to air next year. that film is about Gisella Perl, a doctor forced to work in Nazi concentration camps.

FAST FACTS ABOUT CHRISTINE LAHTI

• Christine Lahti was born in Birmingham, Michigan on April 4, 1949.
• She attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Lahti majored in speech and drama and graduated in 1972.
• Lahti attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida to obtain a graduate degree in fine arts but left school in 1973.
• The aspiring actress moved to New York City in 1973. She supported herself as a waitress by day and performed off-off Broadway by night; even worked as a mime for a while in Central Park. She was able to get some commercials jobs for rug shampoo Spray 'n Vac, then eight other products including Sominex and Joy dishwashing liquid.
• Lahti made her television debut as Tania Reston in live-action, comic book adventure(movie-series pilot) "Dr Scorpion."
• Had regular role as Harvey Korman's daughter in short-lived ABC sitcom "The Harvey Korman Show"
• Lahti made her feature film acting debut in "... And Justice For All" with Al Pacino.