The Tony Rewards

Anthony LaPaglia should be happy. He's got a new TV show (CBS' missing-persons mystery ''Without a Trace''), two new films opening this month (''Analyze That'' and the 9/11 drama ''The Guys''), and a baby on the way with wife Gia Carides (''My Big Fat Greek Wedding'''s Cousin Nikki). So why isn't he smiling? Jokes the 43-year-old Aussie, ''The only thing more miserable than an unemployed actor is an employed actor.'' EW let him vent.

So far we don't know much about FBI agent Jack Malone on ''Trace.'' Are you satisfied with your character's development?
No, but I'm hard to satisfy. [The producers] feel the show is more procedural. I'm not sure what kind of lifespan there is in that. Just a tad more soap opera makes it more interesting.

Could you get bored playing the same character every week?
Yeah, by no means am I convinced I'm going to be a happy camper in five years. It depends if the quality of the writing stays up.

You recently won a best-guest-star Emmy for playing Daphne's drunk brother on ''Frasier.'' Were you surprised to win for a comedy?
I was just surprised to win one in general. I've never really distinguished between comedy and drama. I've always prided myself on the idea that I could do both.

In ''Analyze That,'' you play an Australian actor who stars as an Italian-American mobster on a ''Sopranos''-type TV series. Were you ever considered for the role of Tony Soprano?
Very early on, I was one of the people approached. But it correctly went the way it went. You can't imagine anyone other than James Gandolfini doing it.

Bill Murray originated the role of the fire captain in ''The Guys'' Off Broadway. How did you land the movie?
When the opportunity came up, I was shocked because I thought Bill would have done it. But when he decided not to, I jumped on it.

You said you wanted to retire after your award-winning work in last year's Australian indie ''Lantana.'' What changed your mind?
It was financial. My accountant called up and said ''It's time to go back to work.''