Heart Strings

JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT: “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner. It reminds me of hair bands and being 7.

WILMER VALDERRAMA: “Take My Breath Away,” the [Berlin] song from Top Gun.

ANNETTE BENING: “Wichita Lineman” by Glen Campbell.

PAULA ABDUL: “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack. It’s haunting. Hearing her voice, you know that feeling when you see someone for the first time.

ANDY DICK: I like the ones where the singer is lying to himself, like [John Waite’s lyric] “I ain’t missing you at all” or 10cc’s “I’m Not in Love.”

DEBORAH GIBSON: Even though it’s been remade to death in the last few years, “At Last” by Etta James. It’s soulful and passionate.

WENTWORTH MILLER (Prison Break): I’m a sucker for old-school Lionel Richie. This is going to make me sound like a sap, but in sixth grade our school chorus had to sing our rendition of “Hello,” and I kind of dug it.

CHRIS EVANS (Fantastic Four): “Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera, from The Karate Kid Part II. I grew up on it, and I wanted to be Ralph Macchio for a while.

JENNA ELFMAN: 10,000 Maniacs’ “These Are Days.” My husband introduced me to it. I bawl when I hear it.

DAVID CARUSO: There’s a very slow version of Coldplay’s “Yellow.” It was kind of the theme of the relationship [between me and my wife].

ROSIE O’DONNELL: “Vienna” by Linda Eder. She’s phenomenal.

PAUL BETTANY: “Don’t Let Me Down” by the Beatles. [It’s] about the second after you fall in love, when you turn all neurotic and you worry that they will let you down.

RICARDO CHAVIRA (Desperate Housewives): The Isley Brothers’ “For the Love of You.” That’s straight-up hot.

CHERYL HINES (Curb Your Enthusiasm): “Fly Me to the Moon.” That’s my song with my husband. It was [playing] the first time we’d ever danced together.

DONALD FAISON (Scrubs): “The Sweetest Thing” by Lauryn Hill because that’s a real love song. All things come to an end, and you always remember the one time when you felt like this is it, but it isn’t.

“I Will Always Love You” does it for me, the Dolly Parton version. I like it in the context of the festive whorehouse.

—CYNTHIA NIXON

“You’re My Best Friend” by Queen.

—MARK McGRATH

“Ribbon in the Sky” [by Stevie Wonder]. A beautiful song, it makes you think of marriage and partnership.

—EVE

“Little Girl Blue.” Janis Joplin covered it.

—BRITTANY MURPHY