Great Day America
Harry and Friends

Visiting Orson Bean and Alley Mills in their Venice, California canal compound for the second time was something to look forward to. They are both charming and successful actors with an appetite for great food and good wine.

Orson’s daughter and granddaughters, who, like Orson and Alley, speak fluent French, were joining us for dinner. They live in the fourth consecutive home that Orson and Alley have added to their row along the canal. The original cottage is now the bedroom wing.

The second cottage, joined by an atrium, is the kitchen, dining and living room while the third cottage is a detached guesthouse. The most recently acquired fourth cottage, next to the guesthouse, houses the precious kids.

"When the fourth home came on the market, I knew I had to have it!" said Alley. "At the time we bought it, the kids were still living in France. But, as luck would have it, careers changed and here they are. We were glad to have a home close by for them! It is a joy to have the granddaughters around. What a luxury!" she explained further.

That is what Orson and Alley are all about. In spite of their enduring and still hectic careers (he finished "Being John Malcovich" and went on to "Ally McBeal" while she just finished shooting her role in the new Beach Boys movie), they have built their lives around loving family life, wonderful food, and a charming and creative environment. ©2000 Alton Entertainment

Orson and Alley live in a picturesque estate on a canal in Venice, CA

A framed version of a movie poster for Orson's film "Being John Malkovich" hangs in the home.
The director, Spike Jonze, signed it.