Lovely in Los Feliz
Ashley Jensen, who plays wardrobe mistress-seamstress Christina McKinney in the ABC sitcom “Ugly Betty,” and her husband, actor Terence Beesley, have sewn up a deal to buy a house in Los Feliz for close to $1.7 million.
The British couple, who met in London while appearing in a production of “King Lear,” were married in Big Sur in January in a ceremony attended only by a minister and their dog, Barney, who served as ring bearer.
They purchased a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in a gated neighborhood.
The mid-century, 2,400-square-foot house is on a promontory and has city-to-ocean views. The half-acre property has parking for four cars and a 30-foot-long RV. The modern-style house, with beamed ceilings, also has an entertainment deck.
Jensen, 37, was born in Scotland and had a run in the popular BBC soap “EastEnders.” She later was cast in “Extras,” the series on which she won British Comedy Awards, including best newcomer.
Beesley, in his 40s, was doing some writing in the Los Angeles quarters he and Jensen rented before buying, but now that they have purchased a home, he plans to do some acting here as well. His TV and film acting credits in Britain are extensive.
Darren Winston of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, Sunset Boulevard office, represented the buyers.
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L.A. Graceland for ‘French Elvis’
French rock star Johnny Hallyday and his model wife, Laetitia, have leased a house in the Sunset Strip area while he records a new album.
The pair paid $45,000 for a month, including a butler, a maid and a house manager.
The owner is New York socialite Alex Hitz, originally from Atlanta, who is in his 30s. His stepfather was Robert Shaw, leader of the Robert Shaw Chorale and music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
The Sunset Strip house, built in 2005, has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms in nearly 5,700 square feet. There are pool, city and/or canyon views from almost every room.
The three-story house has an elevator and is fully appointed with art and furniture. There is an outdoor terrace and a separate guesthouse with a kitchen.
The rock star, frequently called the French Elvis, is 64. He has released more than 900 songs, including 42 gold and 20 platinum discs. In 2006, Hallyday vowed to spend at least six months of the year in Switzerland, in protest of France’s high taxes.
Brent Watson of Deasy Penner & Partners, Beverly Hills, had the listing.
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Entrance to a Door’s history
A Bel-Air home built in 1971 for guitarist Robby Krieger of the Doors and recently owned by rocker Fred Durst is on the market at $7.9 million.
There is a wood etching of the Doors over the living-room fireplace.
The home has four bedrooms in 6,600 square feet and sits on slightly more than an acre, behind gates. It is also on a knoll with city and mountain views.
Krieger, 61, was with the Doors from 1965 to 1973. He wrote some of the band’s best-known hits, including “Light My Fire” (1966).
Joseph Babajian and Kyle Grasso of Prudential California Realty, Beverly Hills, have the listing.
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Weighing anchor at a 1936 home
TV anchorman David Ono has listed his Toluca Lake home at close to $3.5 million. The ABC Channel 7 newsman bought the newly renovated home in 2005 for $2.2 million.
The 1936 Southern Colonial-style home has five bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms in 5,300 square feet, including a master-bedroom suite with a private terrace. There is a suite that has a separate entrance. There is also a pool and lush landscaping.
Designer Gary Gibson redid the interiors.
Ono, 44, joined the “Eyewitness News” team in 1996 and has won multiple L.A.-area Emmy Awards.
Rick Chimienti, estates director of Worldwide Inc., has the listing in the real estate firm’s Beverly Hills office.
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To see previous columns on celebrity realty transactions, see latimes.com/hotproperty.
