"Without a Trace" star Eric Close

"Without a Trace" star Eric Close and other Hollywood actors stay fit by competing

The 80th annual Academy Awards are slated for Feb. 24, and we wouldn't dare predict the Oscar winners.

But at Masters Athlete, we can guess who the winners might be if a football game broke out during the ceremony at the Kodak Theatre. Hollywood actors and actresses are a surprisingly athletic bunch. Combine the natural competitiveness of the industry and an actor's need to stay in shape with a lot of free time and money, and sports are a natural outlet.
 
Whether it's mountain biking or running or skiing, not to mention the old standbys like football, basketball and tennis, celebrities participate -- scratch that, compete -- in almost any sport.

"Most of them are required to stay in shape, but when they have goals like a triathlon or another sport, it gives them something else to work for besides just looking good for their TV show," said Rich Guzmán, a trainer who has worked with Sheryl Crow, Joaquin Phoenix and Hilary Swank.

One star who doesn't need much motivation is Eric Close, who appears on "Without a Trace." If they ever hold a Hollywood decathlon, Close, 40, would be a heavy favorite. He bikes, runs, surfs, rock climbs, plays golf and tennis, skis and fly-fishes.

"I grew up doing a lot of different sports in San Diego, where people are very active," Close said. "My parents introduced me to a number of sports. But I've never really been into sports to compete against other people. For me, it's always been kind of competition with myself."

Actually, there is a kind of Hollywood decathlon already. It's the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, held every September at Zuma Beach and consisting of a half-mile swim, 18-mile ride and 4-mile run. "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman and her actor-husband, William H. Macy, competed in it recently.

"I can't get Gary Sinise to do it because he's worried about getting hurt," said Guzmán, who fields a team of celebrities every year. "A lot of my clients won't do the ocean swim. That scares the crap out of them. They can't see what's beneath them. They think they're going to get eaten by a shark during the race."

Close finished sixth in his first attempt last year with a time of 1:50:20, ahead of veterans like Jon Cryer from "Two and a Half Men" and David Duchovny. "The guy to beat was David Duchovny, and I beat him," said Close, who trained with Guzmán.

For Close the triathlon started with a shock. "The ocean was cold," he said. "It had dropped 10 degrees in one week. When I jumped in the water, it knocked the wind out of me, and I had a wetsuit on. And then the helicopter's flying above you, so water is spraying everywhere, people kicking all around you."

Three-peat champ (2003-05) Tate Donovan didn't participate the past two years due to work conflicts, but the former costar of "The O.C." is the one to beat. "He's the most competitive guy I've ever seen do that race who wasn't a pro," Guzmán said. "He screams at everybody to get out of the way. He takes it very seriously. Most of them are stopping for a photo op or to get a drink or put their socks on, and he's just ripping through every transition."

Donovan, 44, currently co-stars with Glenn Close in "Damages." He explains his approach to a triathlon: "It brings out a competitive spirit in me where I want to do my best, but when you're on your bike and you see a guy who's 10 or 20 years older -- everyone's age is written on their calves -- and he's ripping by you, you're like, 'Good for him. Man, I would love to be in that kind of shape.' … And if you blow by some young, 25-year-old whippersnapper, you feel pretty good about yourself."

In 2005, Donovan ran the New York City Marathon, finishing in 3:28, despite picking up a bad habit prior to the race. George Clooney had cast him in "Good Night and Good Luck." The role required Donovan to smoke. "We played journalists, and seven out of the nine guys died of lung cancer or emphysema," he said. "I tried faking it, but you could tell, so I went ahead and smoked. I told George, 'I'm going to name my first tumor after you.' "

Clooney's game of choice is basketball. Recently, while filming "Leatherheads," Clooney's cocky, 27-year-old costar, John Krasinski, thought he could take him and reportedly bet him $1,000. The trash-talking continued through production until the final day of shooting when they took to the court. Clooney, 46, nipped him, 11-8. "I was on cloud nine," Clooney told Entertainment Weekly. "I was wiping my forehead with $100 bills going, 'Whooo, is it hot in here?' "

The NBA Entertainment League attracts stars like Taye Diggs, Ice Cube and Will Ferrell for organized celebrity hoops. More proof that teams sports thrive in Hollywood: Veteran actor Michael Mahon, who has appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, organizes a regular touch football game that has attracted a lot of industry people, including fellow actors Alec Baldwin, David Arquette and William Mapother.

"For myself as an actor, and I suspect the same is true for the writers, I welcome the camaraderie, because our careers are necessarily solitary," said Mapother, 42, who co-stars on "Lost." "When we do get around others, it's often at an audition and it's a competitive environment. Even when you socialize out here, it's often competitive, checking each other's status."

It's competitive on the football field but in a good way. "We limit the competition because we change teams every weekend," he said. "We sometimes change teams in the middle of a Saturday if the teams are lopsided. That helps limit the competition, and we get rid of the guys who were too competitive."

Baldwin used to play whenever he was in town. "He's a competitor who loves to win," said Mahon, 48, a former high school quarterback. "But he knew it was a gentlemen's game and about getting our fat asses in shape. One time we were short guys, and I asked some guys we didn't know to play, and they went a little nuts when the recognized Alec. They were like, 'Hey, you're, you're, you're that guy!' Alec just smiled, shook their hands and couldn't have been kinder."

Golf is another popular sport in town. "If you like activity, you just try to think about something you can do for the rest of your life," said Michael Douglas, who belongs to so many clubs around the world that he has lost count. "Jack Nicholson and I got together about 14 years ago and said we've got to take up this sport, because we can play it for the rest of your life."

Elisabeth Shue prefers tennis. "The great thing about tennis is it's the one sport that if you work really hard at it you can beat guys," said the 44-year-old actress, who produced and costarred in a soccer movie last year called "Gracie," which was based on her own life. "It's a level playing field. I love to compete, so I love to beat guys."

Bring her on, says Jamie Bamber, 34, who costars on "Battlestar Galactica." He grew up playing tennis in London. He also runs, plays golf and skis.

"The whole reason for sports existing is to challenge yourself and hopefully learn a little bit about yourself," he said. "They're life lessons distilled in neat, pop-able pills, like in a tennis match when your opponent has match point and you have to hit a second serve. That's pressure. I get a similar thrill out of watching sports, seeing golfers having to make six-foot putts to win or lose the Ryder Cup. It's people responding to scripts that haven't been written. Sport is drama."

If anyone knows drama, it's Hollywood.