Reilly to Tour as Dewey Cox

Columbia Pictures is sending John C. Reilly, the star of its upcoming Judd Apatow-produced comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, on a tour of the U.S. in character as Cox, a fictional rock 'n' roll icon whose music influenced the country. The actor will perform live with his band, the Hard Walkers, for the ''Cox Across America Tour,'' which kicks off Wednesday (Dec. 5) at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It will then head to Chicago, Austin, Nashville, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. To promote its comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Columbia had Will Ferrell make the rounds on the NASCAR circuit as Bobby. The Jake Kasdan-directed Cox, which opens Dec. 21, also stars Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, and Kristen Wiig. (Variety)