(For the most current news go here)

‘Hacks’ Season 3 Premiere Date & Trailer: See Jean Smart & Hannah Einbinder Discuss “Problematic Material”

A year after parting, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is riding high off the success of her standup special while Ava (Hannah Einbinder) pursues new opportunities back in Los Angeles. The season concludes on May 30.

Also returning to the comedy this season is Paul W. Downs, Megan Stalter, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Kaitlin Olson, Christopher McDonald, Mark Indelicato, Rose Abdoo, and Lorenza Izzo. Previously announced guest stars include Helen Hunt, Christina Hendricks, Christopher Lloyd, Dan Bucatinsky, George Wallace, and Tony Goldwyn.

Hacks is created and showrun by Emmy winners Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky. It is executive produced by Downs and Aniello via their Paulilu banner, Statsky via First Thought Productions, as well as Emmy winners Michael Schur via Fremulon, David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment and Morgan Sackett.

The studio is Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Talk Show Appearance

Monday, March 4: Guests include Julianne Moore, Lindsay Lohan

Billy Porter Lists New York Home After Complaining About SAG Strike

Sources familiar with the sale tell TMZ ... the "Pose" star listed his 4-bedroom, 4.5-bath house -- which is located 70 miles outside NYC in the beach town of Bellport Village in Long Island -- on Tuesday ... asking for a cool $2.5 million for the over one-acre property.

While it may sound like a pretty penny to some ... it's worth every cent. The house comes with a gorgeous outside patio, a heated lap pool, a home gym, and its very own tree house. The property also offers over 4,500 square feet of living space on well-kept grounds.

Now if you're wondering why Billy would part ways with such an ideal investment ... he actually shared back in August he was hurting financially, as a result of the SAG strike, and telegraphed this sort of move might happen down the line.

At the time, he said both a movie and a TV show he was working on got scrapped due to the protests ... which lasted a whopping 118 days.

There's also this ... BP and his ex-husband Adam Smith announced their split last year -- and they wouldn't be the first celebrity couple to sell their home amid a division of assets.

It looks like Billy will have a fresh start when the ink dries on his house sale.

Loretta Drew of Old Purchase Properties holds the listing.

Morning Show Appearance

AIRING Feb 25, 2024

actor Billy Dee Williams

Julia Stiles Wraps On Directorial Debut ‘Wish You Were Here’; Isabelle Fuhrman, Mena Massoud, Jennifer Grey, Kelsey Grammer & More Star

Adapted for the screen by Stiles, the film tells the story of Charlotte, a woman who finds herself in a rut, searching for a spark that seems just out of reach. After she has a whirlwind night of romance and imagining a future with a man named Adam, he ghosts her. But when Charlotte finally discovers that Adam is terminally ill, she helps him spend his last days living life to the fullest.

In a statement to Deadline, Stiles shared that she’s “been looking for years for the right story to tell” as director, “and finally found it here. Wish You Were Here is a love story that explores what it means to be human, all the laughter and tears that remind us we are alive.”

Fuhrman shared that she watched Julia pen the script while the pair were at work on horror sequel Orphan: First Kill in 2020. “When she called me to be her lead I was so grateful,” the actress said. “Watching her create her own romance film- a genre she knows better than anyone else- has really inspired me.”

In addition to Phiphen’s founder, award-winning producer Molly Conners (Birdman, Frozen River), producers on the film include Amanda Bowers (Phiphen), Kono, Rick Dugdale (Enderby), Jane Sinisi (Phiphen), Siena Oberman (Artemis), and Gary Leff (Southland Securities) as exec producer.

Rising to prominence in the late ’90s and early ‘2000s as the star of films like 10 Things I Hate About You, Stiles’ most recent projects in front of the camera include the rom-com Chosen Family with Heather Graham, Prime Video dramedy The Lake, Orphan: First Kill, and indie The God Committee opposite Grammer. Previously, she’s also been seen in the Bourne franchise led by Matt Damon, as well as such acclaimed titles as Hustlers, Silver Linings Playbook, Hamlet and more.

Stiles’ lead, Fuhrman, is best known for starring in the Orphan films, as well as the rowing drama The Novice, which won her the prize for Best Actress at the Tribeca Festival. Also previously seen in Showtime’s Masters of Sex and The Hunger Games, her next big project coming to theaters is Kevin Costner’s two-partner Horizon: An American Saga.

Fuhrman is represented by UTA, Luber Roklin Entertainment, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Massoud by Gersh, Link Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; Fails by Anonymous Content and Yorn, Levine, Barnes; Kono by Untitled Entertainment and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; Grey by UTA and Untitled Entertainment; Grammer by UTA and Vault Entertainment; and Stiles by Gersh, Untitled Entertainment and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.d

Talk Show Appearance

Friday, March 1

Actor William H. Macy

‘Frasier’ Scores Season 2 Renewal At Paramount+

The series follows Frasier Crane (Grammer)—a character that originated in NBC’s Cheers— in the next chapter of his life after he returns to Boston to face new challenges, forge new relationships, and – with hope – finally fulfill an old dream or two.

Frasier also stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Freddy, Frasier’s son; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan, Frasier’s old college buddy turned university professor; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Eve, Freddy’s roommate; and Anders Keith as David, Frasier’s nephew. Season one featured guest appearances from original series cast, including Bebe Neuwirth and Peri Gilpin.

“Fraiser is a love story, and I am very happy we will be allowed to continue it. I’m delighted that our partners at CBS Studios and Paramount+ are on board for another season, and I can’t wait for the fans to see what we have in store!” said Grammer in a statement.

Although Cheers co-creator James Burrows has confirmed the legendary bar from the mothership series is retired for good, Grammer has ideas on how to bring back an additional two prior castmates: Ted Danson as Sam Malone and Shelley Long as Diane Chambers.

“The relationship with Diane is something that still gnaws at [Frasier] a little bit because he felt like he failed at it,” Grammer told Deadline on the red carpet at the Emmy Awards in January. “It would be nice if they acknowledge one another… ‘I’m glad you did ok.’”

He added, “It would only happen if it’s important to Frasier’s development as a human being.”

Similarly, he addressed what it would take for a reunion with Danson in this universe.

“If Sam Malone is still alive and has a vital connection of making Frasier move to another place,” Grammer teased.

Although fans of the original Frasier would love to see David Hyde Pierce back as Frasier’s brother Niles, that return seems more impossible. In December, Pierce revealed he has moved on and enjoying his time working on stage and other new projects. However, the Crane legacy continues via his son Freddy Crane, portrayed by Jack Cutmore-Scott.

Frasier for Paramount+ hails from writers Chris Harris and Joe Cristalli, who executive produce with Kelsey Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Grammer’s Grammnet NH Productions. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of the Paramount+ markets.n

Lindsay Lohan’s Irish Rom-Com Trailer

The premise: When the love of her life gets engaged to her best-friend, Maddie (played by Lohan) puts her feelings aside to be a bridesmaid at their wedding in Ireland — until a spontaneous “wish for true love” causes her to wake up as the bride-to-be!

Jean Smart To Star In End-Of-Life Limited Series In Works At Her SmartAngel Entertainment

Inspired by Kevin Hershey’s New York Times article “Love Letter: When My Grandmother Stopped Eating“, the project hails from Smart and her producing partner, Angeliki Giannakopoulos, and their SmartAngel Entertainment. Dennis Erdman and Clark Peterson acquired Hershey’s life rights and will executive produce the potential series along with Smart and Giannakopoulos.

The poignant — and funny — story centers around a grandmother, played by Smart, at the end of her life and her 20-something gay grandson who reluctantly becomes her caretaker. He moves into her Catholic senior living facility, where she lives alongside a mix of traditional and hippie nuns.

The team is currently out to writers to pen the script.

Smart is a five-time Emmy award winner, including back-to-back Lead Actress in a Comedy Series trophies for her role as Deborah Vance on Max’s Hacks, which is finishing its upcoming third season. On the film side, Smart was most recently seen in drama Wildflower, alongside Kiernan Shipka, Alexandra Daddario and Dash Mihok, and in Damien Chazelle’s Babylon. She is repped by WME and Untitled Entertainment.

Orgies, open marriage and Diana Ross: Inside Billy Dee Williams’ wild love life

“The Empire Strikes Back” star’s colorful new memoir “What Have We Here?” is brimming with stories about his seven-decade career — but also more than a few salacious tales about orgies and open marriages.

But the one woman Williams couldn’t get close to was Diana Ross, his movie co-star in both “Lady Sings the Blues” and “Mahogany.”

“Diana was a gorgeous woman and I enjoyed kissing her. I loved kissing, period. Sometimes kissing could be even better than sex,” the actor writes. “The only person who had a problem with our kissing was Berry [Gordy].”

Gordy, the founder of Motown Records and producer of “Mahogany,” was Ross’ longtime secret lover and the father of her daughter Rhonda.

“During rehearsals, [Gordy] always found a reason to step in and stop us just before we got to the point where we kissed,” Williams, now 86, writes. “That’s good, that’s enough, you got it, and then you kiss.”

Once cameras were rolling, “it was Berry and not … the director, who would say, ‘Cut!'”

But Williams romanced plenty of other women. The Manhattan-raised actor, 87, shares that he lost his virginity at age 17 to a neighbor in his Harlem building.

“A woman in our building who was raising several children lured me into her apartment one day and seduced me,” he writes. “It didn’t take much effort … once she got me inside her place, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. I was at that age where all I knew was that I was having sex. I didn’t know how or why, only that it was happening.”

Williams won a scholarship to the National Academy of Fine Arts and Design and snagged a job as an extra for the Metropolitan Opera through a friend named Joey.

“He was gay, and so it seemed were most of the other extras, except for me,” he recalls. “Every night we partied in the Met’s basement, transforming this bastion of culture into one of the city’s hottest underground clubs … What an extraordinary time!”

The actor got his break on Broadway and was cast opposite Joan Plowright in the play “A Taste of Honey” in 1960.

Williams, then 23, writes that he loved working with “Joanie” and that he “flirted with constantly and unabashedly” with her — albeit in an odd way.

“She liked onions and I liked garlic. Onstage, we breathed all over each other and we got a kick out of quietly finding out what the other had eaten for lunch or dinner. I flirted with her constantly and unabashedly.”

But the actress’ much older fiancé, Sir Laurence Olivier, was starring in a play at the theater next door. One day, the Shakespearean legend came to visit and “caught me hitting on her. He feigned shock and anger and then let loose an infectious cackle,” Williams writes.

He had married actress Audrey Sellers in 1959 and, after that union ended in 1963, Williams began dating a woman named Yvonne, whom he had known since he was a teen.

The actor recalls coming home one day from the theater to find Yvonne hosting an orgy.

“There were women and men, and a lot of nakedness,” he writes. “The craziness was more than I was prepared to deal with after work.” So he decided to go take a shower and “invited a young woman who was already undressed to join me. Why not?”

As revenge, Yvonne insisted that Williams watch her have sex with another man — a scene he found hilarious.

Annoyed, Yvonne then grabbed a pair of scissors and cut up Williams’ “beautiful alpaca sweaters … that hurt almost more than if she’d cut me. It was the excuse I needed to get away from Yvonne.”

Williams and Richard Pryor starred in four movies together, including “Lady Sings the Blues,” “Hit” and “Carter’s Army.” They were even both in one of Williams’ favorite films of his career, “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings,” about the Negro Baseball League.

The two actors were “good friends” for a while — but that “unraveled when I witnessed him abuse his girlfriend Patricia [Price], verbally and physically.

“It wasn’t a one-time incident either. Teruko [Nakagami, Williams’ third wife] and I saw him strike her with a still smoldering log he took out of the fireplace and that ended our friendship.”

Later, Williams, writes, Patricia “told me about other examples, including one time when he hit her with a Courvoisier bottle.”

Witnessing the abuse ended the actors’ friendship.

“I couldn’t be around someone that behaved that way,” Williams writes of Pryor. “He knew that, and it made working together on ‘Bingo’ tense.”

Years later, Williams — who had an open marriage with Teruko — embarked on his own decades-long affair with Pryor’s ex.

“The intense passion of our trysts was something we both craved. I was totally, thoroughly caught up in the romance of each one of our assignations,” he writes. “But Patricia was truly, madly obsessed. She once spray-painted a message on the guardrails along Mulholland Drive: I love Billy Dee.”

It ended when Patricia accused Williams of assault, but she later recanted her story and the charges were eventually expunged.

He eventually separated from Nakagami but they never officially divorced — realizing it was financially easier to stay married.

As for those Colt 45 commercials, which cast Williams as a smooth-talking ladies’ man, he writes: “They made me a lot of money. That was a big part of my motivation for doing them. … But I was also expanding my brand in the way I always imagined. I was a romantic leading man.”

The idea, he says, is “They were scripted like mini romances. I impressed a beautiful woman by pouring an icy cold can into a glass, then walked away with her and intoned, ‘Works every time.'”

He took his best-known role — playing Lando Calrissian in 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back” — because he loved the idea of the character wearing a cape.

“Amazing! It was old-school….I saw him in my head. He wasn’t written Black or White. He was beyond that. Bigger than that. He was straight out of [Alexandre] Dumas via ‘Flash Gordon.’ He was a star.”

In his ninth decade, Williams is still working and says he always tells people: “Don’t worry so much…Enjoy life. It’s a gift, an astonishing, mysterious, beautiful, absurd gift.”erm

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of "Greg" & "Jenny" with Laurence Lau

Laurence began his television career with appearances on such primetime classics as Happy Days, Eight is Enough and The Waltons. More recently, he’s appeared on Blue Bloods, Elementary, Law & Order, JAG and Frasier to name a few.

He made his debut as Greg Nelson in 1981 and remained in Pine Valley until 1986. In addition to his role as Greg, Laurence played Jamie Frame on Another World, Sam Rappaport on One Life to Live and Brian Wheatley on As the World Turns.

Laurence just finished writing a book, called Running Naked. He is also in post-production on a short film he wrote and produced called the Long Walk Home.

Don’t miss the chance to catch up with Laurence as we look back on the 40th wedding anniversary of Greg & Jenny on Friday, February 16th.

Talk Show Appearance

AIRING Feb 13, 2024

Actor Billy Dee Williams.

Talk Show Appearance

AIRING Feb 16, 2024

Billy Dee Williams

Brad Pitt Roasts Pal Bradley Cooper Over Oscar Directing Snub: “He’s Used To It. He’s a Philadelphia Eagles Fan”

First, he poked fun at the Academy’s seeming scattershot nominations this year for Cooper and Maestro.

“Bradley’s nominated for three [Oscars] for producer, writer, actor,” Pitt observed before quipping of Cooper’s directing effort on the film, “apparently the movie directed itself.”

Cooper, it should be noted, was very magnanimous when he spoke with Deadline’s Pete Hammond lasy month about his Oscar nominations.

Pitt then continued on and hit Cooper where it hurts.

“If it’s not [his year to win],” said Pitt, “Bradley’s ok. He’s Fine. He’s used to it. He’s a Philadelphia Eagles fan.”

The midwest-raised Pitt then pumped his fist and mouthed “Go Chiefs!”

The bit got big laughs from the audience and a joking rejoinder from Cooper offstage.

“Man, that’s f*cked up!” he shouted.

This isn’t the first time the duo has helped one another out on the awards circuit — or in much more important matters, it turns out.

In 2020, when Pitt was campaigning for what would become his first acting Oscar for Once Upon a Time in America, Cooper stepped up to introduce his pal at the National Board of Review ceremony.

“Thank you, Bradley. Bradley just put his daughter to bed and then rushed over to do this,” an appreciative Pitt said as he took the stage after Cooper’s introduction. He then revealed a deeper bond between them.

“I got sober because of this guy and every day has been happier since.”

Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie Divorce May Be Wrapping Up ... Major Step Takes Place

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, both Pitt and Jolie are serving their final financial disclosures on the other party ... which is noteworthy considering there hasn't been much movement on their divorce case for at least a couple years now.

The final terms of any overall settlement of the divorce haven't been filed yet ... but Thursday's filings indicate that one of the most legendary marriages and acrimonious divorces in recent Hollywood history is finally coming to an end.

Whenever dueling parties in a divorce submit financial docs ... it means the end is near.

Remember ... Brad and Angelina first met on the set of "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" back in 2004 while BP was still married to Jennifer Aniston. The onscreen couple remained just friends through shooting though Brad separated from Jennifer about a year later.

Brad and Angelina quickly shacked up together after his separation was announced, and they built a big family over the next few years -- with six children in their brood.

Brangelina got engaged in 2012 and married in 2014 ... but Angelina filed for divorce just two years later in 2016, citing irreconcilable differences.

In the same year, Pitt was accused of physically abusing at least one of his children -- even though he was cleared by authorities after an investigation ... and he denied the claims too.

The divorce proceedings continued to stretch out well after that ... and a judge eventually ruled Brad and Angelina were legally single back in 2019. Other elements of the divorce have been playing out behind the scenes since then ... and now, in '24, the finish line approaches.

Matters have gotten more complicated between Brand and Angie -- remember, in 2021, Angelina sold her portion of a winery she owned with Pitt ... a move that eventually led to Pitt suing her for allegedly not getting his signoff before selling to a Russian oligarch's company. That lawsuit is still ongoing ... and separate from their divorce case.

While other legal battles may still be lingering ... it seems like the divorce is nearly a done deal -- and now, it's just a matter of time before it becomes official.

Stay tuned ...

Giancarlo Esposito Takes On Andre Braugher’s Role In Netflix’s ‘The Residence’; Al Franken Playing Senator Among Other Cast Additions

Production on The Residence, which had been paused due to the writers strike, has resumed, with former U.S. Sen. Al Franken set to play one on TV: Aaron Filkins, the senior senator from Washington state. Also joining the cast of the series, headlined by Uzo Aduba, are Andrew Friedman (Better Call Saul) as Irv Samuelson, director of the National Park Police, and Julian McMahon (Another World) as Stephen Roos, the prime minister of Australia.

Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul alum Esposito is taking over the role of White House Chief Usher A.B. Wynter, a lead opposite Adubo that previously was played by Braugher. Two and a half decades ago, Esposito succeeded Braugher on Homicide: Life on the Street, joining the NBC drama as a series regular for its final season, following Braugher’s exit. The duo then starred together in the 2000 follow-up TV movie.

“I couldn’t be prouder and more honored to be stepping into Shondaland’s The Residence for someone that I loved and respected and cherished in Andre Braugher,” Esposito said. “To be afforded the opportunity to create in his honor with this incredible team extends the depth and breadth of his legacy through all of us who loved him so dearly.”

The casting will not interfere with Esposito’s starring role on AMC’s new series Parish, should the drama get a second season.

The Residence, from executive producer/showrunner Paul William Davies and executive producers Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers, shot four episodes of its eight-episode order before suspending filming during the early days of the writers strike in May.

The series had been slated to return to production January 2. In light of Braugher’s December 12 death, the restart of filming was postponed to give the cast and crew more time to mourn while Netflix and the producers charted a course to continue without the actor. Braugher’s scenes will be reshot with Esposito.

Using Kate Andersen Brower’s book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House as a jumping-off point, the Netflix series is described as a screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world’s most famous mansion.

After a dead body is found, one wildly eccentric detective (Aduba) comes in to investigate 157 suspects attending a state dinner.

The cast also includes Edwina Findley, Molly Griggs, Jason Lee, Ken Marino, Al Mitchell, Dan Perrault, Bronson Pinchot, Susan Kelechi Watson, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Mary Wiseman, Randall Park, Kylie Minogue, Jane Curtin, James Babson, Eliza Coupe, Izzy Diaz, Paul Fitzgerald, Ros Gentle, Chris Grace, Juliette Jeffers, Sumalee Montano, Nathan Lovejoy, E. L. Losada, Julieth Restrepo, Mel Rodriguez, Brett Tucker and Rebecca Field.

Esposito has earned five Emmy nominations, three for his signature role as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and prequel Better Call Saul and two for playing Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian. He is repped by Josh Kesselman of Sugar23, CAA, Jackoway Austen Tyerman and imPRint.

Bryan Greenberg & Henry Simmons Among 5 Joining MGM+’s ‘Emperor of Ocean Park’

From John Wells and Sherman Payne, Emperor of Ocean Park is set in the worlds of politics, Ivy League academia and the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard. It follows Talcott Garland (Coleman), an esteemed law professor whose quiet life is shattered when his father, Judge Oliver Garland (Whitaker), dies of an apparent heart attack. The nature of the judge’s death is questioned by Tal’s sister, Mariah (Tiffany Mack), a former journalist and inveterate conspiracy theorist, who believes that the judge, a failed Black nominee to the Supreme Court, met with foul play.

Greenberg plays Howard Denton; Simmons plays Addison Garland; Jones plays Claire Garland; Batchelor plays Maxine; Hanson plays Jack Ziegler.

Emperor of Ocean Park is produced by JWP in association with Warner Bros. Television, where JWP is under an overall deal. Damian Marcano is set to direct multiple episodes. John Wells, Sherman Payne, Damian Marcano, Shukree Tilghman and JWP’s Erin Jontow will serve as executive producers. Payne, who also serves as showrunner, wrote the first episode, which will be directed by Marcano.

Simmons most recently starred in Season 2 of the OWN and Ava DuVernay’s anthology drama series Cherish the Day, from WBTV. Previously, he starred in six seasons of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for ABC and in the final six seasons of the landmark ABC drama NYPD Blue, created by Steven Bochco and David Milch. He was also a series regular on the CBS legal drama Shark and ABC comedy Man Up. He is repped by Emery Entertainment, Independent Artist Group and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka, et al.

Greenberg is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Jake Jagielski in the CW’s One Tree Hill. He also starred in the HBO series How To Make It In America from the creative team behind Entourage, as well as Friends With Benefits for Screen Gems, opposite Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. Additionally, Greenberg starred in the fifth and sixth seasons of Mindy Kaling’s The Mindy Project for Hulu. He is repped by Gersh and Jackoway Austen Tyerman, et al.

Hanson has had guest, recurring and co-starring roles in Fargo, The Exorcist, Shining Girls, Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, South Side, Empire, Crisis, Cheers and Wings. He played Jack Hyde in Jordan Peele’s remake of Candyman. He’s performed in over 160 theater productions, most recently at Steppenwolf, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare and Writer’s Theaters in Chicago. He is represented by Gray Talent Group.

Jones’ Broadway roles include Madame de Volanges in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the Booth, and Mrs. Phelps in Matilda the Musical, both at the Shubert and in the first national tour. She has worked at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater; the Goodman Theatre; Rivendell Theatre; Timeline Theatre; Writers Theatre and About Face Theatre. She is an ensemble member of the Internationally acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre. TV appearances include Somebody, Somewhere (HBO), Chicago Fire (NBC), Betrayal (ABC) and 61st Street (AMC/CW). She is repped by Innovative Artists.

Batchelor is coming off a season as Detective Churlish on Law & Order: SVU. Other TV credits include New Amsterdam, NCIS: New Orleans and The Good Fight. For her work as the lead in The Surrogate, she was nominated for a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Actor. She appeared in Journal for Jordan, directed by Denzel Washington, and has two new films coming up, Three Birthdays and I’ll Be There. She has appeared at Lincoln Center Theatre, The Public Theatre, Playwrights Realm, Theatre for a New Audience and Manhattan Theatre Club. Batchelor is repped by Liberman Zerman Management.

Items from 'Bonanza,' 'All My Children' actor David Canary's Wilton estate up for auction

Canary was best known for his roles as foreman Candy Canaday on NBC's "Bonanza" and as Adam Chandler on "All My Children," a performance which netted him five Daytime Emmy awards. Canary lived in the Wilton house until his death in 2015.

The Wilton house hit the market last October with a pricetag of $1.985 million. The house was sold on Jan. 11 for $1.61 million, town property records show.

An auction of items from Canary's estate, which is being conducted by Danbury's Provenance Auctions, runs through Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. The sale includes traditional fare such as books, furniture, jewelry and art, but also includes a number of unique items such as a painting of the actor dressed as a clown, a commemorative deed to Tiger Stadium in Detroit and a poster from a production of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" that featured Canary.

As of Monday, Feb. 5, the item fetching the most in the auction is a Native American Silver Squash Blossom necklace and earrings set, which is bidding at $682 with 33 bids.

Pickup for items won in the auction will take place on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Provenance Auctions' warehouse on the Danbury-Ridgefield border. Smaller items can also be shipped for an additional shipping cost. Curbside delivery is available in Westchester and Fairfield County for a premium.

Winners At the 2024 Saturn Awards

BEST FEATURED GUEST STAR IN A TELEVISION SERIES: Paul Wesley (Strange Trek: Strange New Worlds)

Morgan Freeman Accepts Auburn Player’s Apology For Laying Of Hands

Broome tried to save a ball from going out of bounds in the second half of Auburn’s game against Ole Miss when someone in the front row grabbed his jersey.

Thinking it was an Ole Miss fan trying to rattle him, Broome brushed the person’s arm away.

Broome turned and quickly realized it was Freeman, the Academy Award-winning actor who is a big Mississippi fan and attends many Rebels games.

“I kind of got his hand off,” Broome later told reporters. “I saw who it was and I’m a big movie guy. I probably watched one of his movies on the plane coming here.

“But I realized it was him and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m a big fan. I’m sorry.’ He said, ‘Just keep playing.’”

Broome went back over to Freeman during the game.

“I’m just like, ‘I’m sorry, again,’” Broome said. “He said, ‘You all good. Just keep playing.’ He’s a very good guy. Love him.”

Auburn won the game. Broome won absolution.

Brad Pitt Reuniting With Quentin Tarantino In Final Film ‘The Movie Critic’: The Dish

Tarantino has been circumspect on the last movie, but he opened up a bit to Deadline’s Baz Bamigboye at Cannes in May, when the filmmaker presided over a screening of Rolling Thunder. He said at the time the movie was set in California the year of that film’s release, which was 1977, and that it “is based on a guy who really lived but was never really famous, and he used to write movie reviews for a porno rag.”

The inspiration goes back to a job Tarantino had as a teen, loading porn magazines into a vending machine and emptying quarters out of the cash dispenser. “All the other stuff was too skanky to read, but then there was this porno rag that had a really interesting movie page,” he told Bamigboye. There was one critic in particular Tarantino liked, who wrote snarky and smart as the second-string critic.

I’d heard Tarantino did quite a bit of rewriting since then, so we’ll see. I read his Once Upon a Time in Hollywood novelization, and it fleshed out the story of Pitt’s character Cliff Booth, who, it turned out, was as much a cinema fan as he was a stone killer when the stuntman work dried up. If Booth went from stuntman to film critic, that would make a lot of hardcore fans happy; like many of Tarantino’s screen creations, he’s too good a character to let go of.

The pieces are still falling in place on the film, including where it will be distributed. But after the bang-up job Sony did on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, including forgoing distribution in China and supporting Tarantino’s refusal to excise the Bruce Lee bout with Cliff Booth, it isn’t too much to imagine Tarantino stays in the fold. Stay tuned.

Pitt is repped by CAA and Brillstein.

Kevin Bacon & Kyra Sedgwick To Star Alongside Each Other In A Movie For First Time In 20 Years

Principal photography kicked off this week on the movie from Victoria Hill and Greg Clark‘s Fibonacci Films, with Bacon and Sedgwick playing the leads, joined by White Lotus star Brittany O’Grady and Oscar-nominated The Fabelmans actor Judd Hirsch.

Bacon plays Stan Olszewski, a sharp, funny, but chronically underachieving security guard, who breaks up an attempted robbery at the home of Cynthia Rand (Sedgwick), a successful urologist married to brilliant former Watergate prosecutor Warren Rand (Judd Hirsch). From this chance encounter grows a charged and dynamic friendship – first as late-night text sessions filled with humor and intimate revelations, growing into something that shakes the foundation of both their lives.

Bacon and Sedgwick, who married in 1988 and have two children including actor Sosie Bacon, haven’t acted together since 2004, during which they starred in both Cavedweller and The Woodsman. Bacon has since directed Sedgwick in Loverboy and Sedgwick directed Bacon in Space Oddity, while the pair have scooped numerous gongs for roles in the likes of The Closer and Taking Chance.

Sedgwick and Bacon said: “We are so excited to work together on screen again for the first time in 20 years in such a funny, moving and original script.”

Hill added: “We are thrilled and excited to bring this timely, entertaining and moving story to life with such a stellar cast.”

Across a plus-40-year career, Weithorn has mainly directed small screen projects such as CBS’ The King of Queens, which ran for nine seasons and more than 200 episodes. Other credits include The Goldbergs, Weird Loners and Schooled.

Filming on Connescence will continue for 22 days in and around Brooklyn. Hill is producing with Sedgwick, Bacon and Andrew Mann. Laura D’Augello is co-producer. Director of photography is Andrew Wonder, production designer is Michael Fitzgerald with costume designer Gina Ruiz, and casting directors are Jen Euston and and Allison Jones.

Brad Pitt at Rolex 24 to film scenes for Formula One movie

The actor is not at Daytona International Speedway as a fan though. He’s actually on track filming scenes for his yet-to-be-titled Formula One movie, and the storyline contains an arc in which Pitt, an aging driver, has returned to sports car racing.

His presence has been a bit of a headache to many of the other drivers in the field, mainly because of the heavy security at the driver motorhome lot, where Pitt has a spot for his downtime during filming. IndyCar driver Scott McLaughlin complained he was denied access to his motorhome because he wasn’t carrying his credential for entry — an unusual rejection for an athlete clearly in uniform coming directly from the racecar.

NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, a regular in the Daytona infield lot, said he’s been bumped to an overflow lot, same for many of the top drivers in the race. Among them? Former F1 champion Jenson Button and IndyCar driver Colton Herta, who wondered if he should ask Pitt for advice on how to make it into F1.

They’ve all complained that the filming scenes have kept them awake at night as shooting begins long after the track has been cleared of the actual Rolex 24 practices. A filming session requires at least six cars on track at a time.

Among them are three identically prepared Porsche 911 GT3’s painted as the actual movie car. The cars are also identical to the Wright Motorsports entry that will actually race in the twice-round-the-clock event that begins Saturday.

The other cars on track are a Mercedes and a BMW that have been described as “non-descript cars looking like they are racing,” as well as a 1999 Lola V8 that is the official “camera vehicle” and rumbles loud enough to sound like a stock car and keep the drivers awake.

Herta and Button both complained the filming has woken them up this week. Button had a practical view about the disruptions.

“This race is going to be super cool and the lack of sleep is the only issue, but I’m in the cheap seats,” Button said. “I think we’re doing OK. We’ve got a big race coming up and Brad Pitt is playing a part in the event.”

Jerry Bruckheimer, who also produced “Days of Thunder,” is producing this F1 movie. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton is both a producer and technical adviser, and the director is Joseph Kosinski, who directed “Top Gun: Maverick.”

It is due for release in summer 2025.

31st Annual Movieguide Faith & Values Award Nominees

GRACE PRIZE FOR MOVIE PERFORMANCE

BIG GEORGE FOREMAN
Khris Davis
Forest Whitaker

JESUS REVOLUTION
Kelsey Grammer
Joel Courtney
Anna Grace Barlow

JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM
Fiona Palomo
Joel Smallbone

ON A WING AND A PRAYER
Dennis Quaid

GRACE PRIZE FOR TELEVISION PERFORMANCE

A THOUSAND TOMORROWS: Episode 1.1-1.3
Rose Reid

DIVINE INFLUENCER
Jason Burkey

A CHRISTMAS BLESSING
Lori Loughlin
Jesse Hutch

Lindsay Lohan & Kristin Chenoweth To Star In Netflix Holiday Pic ‘Our Little Secret’

Pic is the second in Lohan’s two-picture creative partnership with the streamer, entered into in March 2022, on the heels of the forthcoming rom-com Irish Wish.

Additional cast set for it includes Ian Harding (Long Slow Exhale), Jon Rudnitsky (At Midnight), Chris Parnell (Senior Year), Tim Meadows (Mean Girls), Dan Bucatinsky (Scandal), Henry Czerny (Scream VI), Katie Baker (The Mosquito Coast), Ash Santos (Mayor of Kingstown), Jake Brennan (Palmer) and Brian Unger (Yellowstone).

Currently in production, the film written by Hailey DeDominicis centers on two resentful exes who are forced to spend Christmas under the same roof after discovering that their current partners are siblings. Mike Elliott and Lisa Gooding are producing, with Joseph P. Genier serving as executive producer.

Prior to the signing of her two-picture deal, Lohan was in business with Netflix on Falling for Christmas, a holiday rom-com also starring Chord Overstreet. Most recently, the actress was seen making a cameo in Paramount’s adaptation of the Mean Girls musical, before that starring in the British dark comedy series Sick Note, horror thriller Among the Shadows, and more.

Recent projects for Emmy and Tony Award winner Chenoweth include Apple TV+’s acclaimed musical comedy series Schmigadoon!, Nicholas Stoller’s gay rom-com Bros, and Ric Roman Waugh’s sports drama National Champions.

Lohan is repped by IAG and Brecheen Feldman Breimer; Chenoweth by CAA, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Schreck Rose Dapello; Harding by Gersh, Authentic, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes; Rudnitsky by CAA, Entertainment 360, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Parnell by A3 Artists Agency and Rise Management; Meadows by Reliant Talent and Brillstein Entertainment Partners; Bucatinsky by A3, Principal Entertainment LA, and Myman Greenspan Fox; Czerny by Innovative Artists and OAZ; Baker by SMS Talent and Art/Work Entertainment; Santos by A3, M88, and Myman Greenspan Fox; Brennan by Coast to Coast Talent and Untitled Entertainment; Unger by A3; and Herek by Gersh and Howard Entertainment.

‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Stars Reunite At Emmys In Tribute To Series

Ellen Pompeo was joined onstage in a makeshift hospital room by Katherine Heigl, James Pickens, Chandra Wilson and Justin Chambers. Each actor then shared a moment from the show’s long history.

“When the first episode aired in March 2005, Shonda was not sure she knew she created a show that had a lasting imprint,” Pompeo began.

“Over 400 episodes and counting!” continued Chambers, who left the show in 2020. “It’s a tribute to everyone who’s been a part of our family.”

Heigl, who left the show in 2010, had the fun line. “Oh yes there have been some changes over the years, but one thing that has remained a constant is the wonderful fan base.”

Wilson then had the chance to remind everyone “we are officially the longest running primetime medical drama.”

“And it would not be possible without you,” Pickens said.

Producers manufactured several mini-reunion’s at tonight’s ceremony to help celebrate the Emmys’ 75th Anniversary. Other reunions included Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli from The Sopranos and Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold and Anthony Payne III from Martin.

‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘Sopranos’ & More TV Cast Reunions Planned For 75th Emmy Awards

Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson will present during the ceremony. And they’re not the only ones.

Some of the actors from Sopranos, Ally McBeal, Martin and more will take the stage on Monday night. Here are all the reunions set for the show:

Sopranos: Lorraine Bracco and Michael Imperioli (also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series)
Martin: Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II and Tichina Arnold
Ally McBeal: Calista Flockhart, Greg Germann, Peter MacNicol and Gil Bellows
SNL Weekend Update: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler (also nominated for Outstanding Host, Reality or Competition Program)
American Horror Story: Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott
Grey’s Anatomy: Ellen Pompeo, Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson

The TV Academy also teased tributes to All In The Family, Cheers, I Love Lucy.

Additionally, Charlie Puth will perform with husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty for this year’s “In Memoriam.” Blink-182’s Travis Barker is set to open the show with a performance alongside host Anthony Anderson.

2024 SAG Awards Nominations

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

AMERICAN FICTION
ERIKA ALEXANDER / Coraline
ADAM BRODY / Wiley Valdespino
STERLING K. BROWN / Clifford Ellison
KEITH DAVID / Willy the Wonker
JOHN ORTIZ / Arthur
ISSA RAE / Sintara Golden
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS / Lisa Ellison
LESLIE UGGAMS / Agnes Ellison
JEFFREY WRIGHT / Thelonious “Monk” Ellison

BARBIE
MICHAEL CERA / Allan
WILL FERRELL / Mattel CEO
AMERICA FERRERA / Gloria
RYAN GOSLING / Ken
ARIANA GREENBLATT / Sasha
KATE MCKINNON / Barbie
HELEN MIRREN / Narrator
RHEA PERLMAN / Ruth
ISSA RAE / Barbie
MARGOT ROBBIE / Barbie

THE COLOR PURPLE
HALLE BAILEY / Young Nettie
FANTASIA BARRINO / Celie
JON BATISTE / Grady
DANIELLE BROOKS / Sofia
CIARA / Nettie
COLMAN DOMINGO / Mister
AUNJANUE ELLIS-TAYLOR / Mama
LOUIS GOSSETT, JR. / Ol’ Mister
COREY HAWKINS / Harpo
TARAJI P. HENSON / Shug Avery
PHYLICIA PEARL MPASI / Young Celie
GABRIELLA WILSON “H.E.R.” / Squeak

KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON
TANTOO CARDINAL / Lizzie Q
ROBERT DE NIRO / William Hale
LEONARDO DICAPRIO / Ernest Burkhart
BRENDAN FRASER / W.S. Hamilton
LILY GLADSTONE / Mollie Burkhart
JOHN LITHGOW / Prosecutor Peter Leaward
JESSE PLEMONS / Tom White

OPPENHEIMER
CASEY AFFLECK / Boris Pash
EMILY BLUNT / Kitty Oppenheimer
KENNETH BRANAGH / Niels Bohr
MATT DAMON / Leslie Groves
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. / Lewis Strauss
JOSH HARTNETT / Ernest Lawrence
RAMI MALEK / David Hill
CILLIAN MURPHY / J. Robert Oppenheimer
FLORENCE PUGH / Jean Tatlock

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
MATT BOMER / Hawkins “Hawk” Fuller – “FELLOW TRAVELERS”
JON HAMM / Roy Tillman – “FARGO”
DAVID OYELOWO / Bass Reeves – “LAWMEN: BASS REEVES”
TONY SHALHOUB / Adrian Monk – “MR. MONK’S LAST CASE: A MONK MOVIE”
STEVEN YEUN / Danny Cho – “BEEF”

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

THE CROWN
KHALID ABDALLA / Dodi Fayed
SEBASTIAN BLUNT / Prince Edward
BERTIE CARVEL / Tony Blair
SALIM DAW / Mohamed Al Fayed
ELIZABETH DEBICKI / Princess Diana
LUTHER FORD / Prince Harry
CLAUDIA HARRISON / Princess Anne
LESLEY MANVILLE / Princess Margaret
ED MCVEY / Prince William
JAMES MURRAY / Prince Andrew
JONATHAN PRYCE / Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
IMELDA STAUNTON / Queen Elizabeth II
MARCIA WARREN / Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
DOMINIC WEST / Prince Charles
OLIVIA WILLIAMS / Camilla Parker Bowles

THE GILDED AGE
BEN AHLERS / Jack
ASHLIE ATKINSON / Mamie Fish
CHRISTINE BARANSKI / Agnes van Rhijn
DENÉE BENTON / Peggy Scott
NICOLE BRYDON BLOOM / Maud Beaton
MICHAEL CERVERIS / Watson
CARRIE COON / Bertha Russell
KELLEY CURRAN / Mrs. Winterton
TAISSA FARMIGA / Gladys Russell
DAVID FURR / Dashiell Montgomery
JACK GILPIN / Church
WARD HORTON / Charles Fane
LOUISA JACOBSON / Marian Brook
SIMON JONES / Bannister
SULLIVAN JONES / T. Thomas Fortune
CELIA KEENAN-BOLGER / Mrs. Bruce
NATHAN LANE / Ward McAllister
MATILDA LAWLER / Frances Montgomery
ROBERT SEAN LEONARD / Luke Forte
AUDRA MCDONALD / Dorothy Scott
DEBRA MONK / Armstrong
DONNA MURPHY / Mrs. Astor
KRISTINE NIELSEN / Mrs. Bauer
CYNTHIA NIXON / Ada Brook
KELLI O’HARA / Aurora Fane
PATRICK PAGE / Richard Clay
HARRY RICHARDSON / Larry Russell
TAYLOR RICHARDSON / Bridget
BLAKE RITSON / Oscar van Rhijn
JEREMY SHAMOS / Mr. Gilbert
DOUGLAS SILLS / Borden
MORGAN SPECTOR / George Russell
JOHN DOUGLAS THOMPSON / Arthur Scott
ERIN WILHELMI / Adelheid

THE LAST OF US
PEDRO PASCAL / Joel
BELLA RAMSEY / Ellie

THE MORNING SHOW
JENNIFER ANISTON / Alex Levy
NICOLE BEHARIE / Christina Hunter
SHARI BELAFONTE / Julia
NESTOR CARBONELL / Yanko Flores
BILLY CRUDUP / Cory Ellison
MARK DUPLASS / Chip Black
JON HAMM / Paul Marks
THEO IYER / Kyle
HANNAH LEDER / Isabella
GRETA LEE / Stella Bak
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Laura Peterson
TIG NOTARO / Amanda Robinson
KAREN PITTMAN / Mia Jordan
REESE WITHERSPOON / Bradley Jackson

SUCCESSION
NICHOLAS BRAUN / Greg Hirsch
JULIANA CANFIELD / Jess Jordan
BRIAN COX / Logan Roy
KIERAN CULKIN / Roman Roy
DAGMARA DOMINCZYK / Karolina Novotney
PETER FRIEDMAN / Frank Vernon
JUSTINE LUPE / Willa
MATTHEW MACFADYEN / Tom Wambsgans
ARIAN MOAYED / Stewy Hosseini
SCOTT NICHOLSON / Colin Stiles
DAVID RASCHE / Karl Muller
ALAN RUCK / Connor Roy
ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD / Lukas Matsson
J. SMITH-CAMERON / Gerri Kellman
SARAH SNOOK / Shiv Roy
FISHER STEVENS / Hugo Baker
JEREMY STRONG / Kendall Roy
ZOË WINTERS / Kerry Castellabate

‘Clone High’ Revival Rounds Out Season 2 Guest Cast

They include Jermaine Fowler as Toussaint Louverture, Paul F. Tompkins as Professor Hirsute, Stephen Root as Schneider Snorkelle, Jackee Harry as Jackee the Ripper, Hannah Simone as Lady Godiva, D’Arcy Carden as Mary, Randall Park as Frida’s Adopted Dad, Jameela Jamil as Mrs. C, Renee Elise Goldsberry as Sandra Sandria and Richard Kind as Nostradamus

They join returning cast members Will Forte reprising his role as Abe; Nicole Sullivan as Joan; Lord as Scudworth; Chris Miller as JFK and Mr. B; Christa Miller voicing a new character, Candide Sampson; Donald Faison back as George Washington Carver; and Judah Miller as Scangrade.

Dubbed a “modern refresh” of the 2002 animated series, the followup from MTV Entertainment Studios is set at a high school for clones of historical figures. After a high school that was secretly being run as an elaborate military experiment to clone the greatest minds in history was put on ice, the clones have been thawed out 20 years later to resume the experiment with new clone classmates – all while navigating a new set of cultural norms and overly dramatic teen relationships.

The series is executive produced by Lord, Miller and Lawrence. From MTV Entertainment Studios, Clone High is executive produced by Lord, Miller, Lawrence, Erica Rivinoja, and Erik Durbin. Judah Miller, ShadowMachine’s Corey Campodonico and Alex Bulkley, and Jeff Ingold also executive produce.

Talk Show Appearance

AIRING Jan 11, 2024

singer Billy Porter (movie "Our Son")

Lifetime Movie Net Releases Q1 Movie Slate

The Wrong Life Coach will premiere on January 11, and is executive produced by Vivica A. Fox, who stars alongside Eric Roberts, Tracy Nelson, Michael Paré, Jackée Harry, Morgan Bradley and Allison McAtee. Roberts, Paré, Harry and Nelson also star in the Valentine’s themed Tall Dark and Dangerous, set for February 8th, with Matthew Pohlkamp and Vanderpump Rules‘ Tom Sandoval.

Here’s a breakdown of the films:

Dying For Fame (January 4 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Dylan Raine, Amelie Anstett. A career-driven tabloid reporter Anna (Raine) is assigned to write a profile about popular influencer Juliet (Anstett). During their time together, Anna discovers that many of Juliet’s fans aren’t real. After she is confronted, Juliet reveals a different story about a stalker who has been tormenting her for months but Anna ultimately decides to proceed with the fake fans story.

The Wrong Life Coach (January 11 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Vivica A. Fox, Morgan Bradley, Allison McAtee, Michael Paré, Tracy Nelson, Eric Roberts, Jackeé. Harry When Jordan (Bradley) gets a new boss, Tara (Fox), the job becomes more than she bargained for. Jordan enlists the help of a life coach named Liz (McAtee), but unfortunately, Liz has some sinister plans of her own including sabotaging Jordan’s new job with Mr. Gordon (Roberts). Hybrid produced.

A Party to Die For (January 18 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Jonetta Kaiser, Kara Royster, Jermaine Rivers. Sadie (Kaiser) works in a luxury boutique store but is ready for a change in her life when she meets socialite Jessica (Kara Royster). They become fast friends but when they attend an after party at a new friend’s house, the night goes terribly wrong, and someone ends up dead. Tubi co-prod.

Crowdsource Murder (January 25 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Nicole Weber, James Hyde, Francesca Barker McCormick, Clark Moore, Lexi Minetree. After her daughter Shannon (Minetree) is injured in an accident, her mother Monica (Weber) is encouraged by her friend Rebecca (McCormick) to start a crowdsource fund to pay for the hospital bills. But when a handsome stranger, Noah (Hyde), donates more and more money to the fund, she begins to question his motives.

Sabotaging the Squad (February 1 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Meyon Jacobs, Lauren Mayo, Olivia Buckle, Brittany Goodwin. Missy (Jacobs) is ready to take over as head coach of daughter Arielle’s (Mayo) cheer squad but unfortunately, the other cheer moms are resistant to a change in regime, especially Darlene (Buckle), who has been vying for the top job ever since becoming interim coach. With the help of her friend and assistant coach, Gemma (Brittany Goodwin), Missy focuses on getting her cheerleaders ready for competition. But as strange things begin to happen that sabotage all her efforts and one mom ends up dead, Missy fights to clear her name while keeping her squad competition ready before anyone else dies.

Tall, Dark and Dangerous (February 8 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Jamie Bernadette, Matthew Pohlkamp, Michael Paré, Tracy Nelson, Tom Sandoval, Eric Roberts and Jackeé Harry. As Valentine’s Day approaches, Alice (Bernadette), a successful real estate attorney, decides to try out the dating app Be My Valentine where she finds her seemingly perfect match, Chris (Pohlkamp). But Alice soon realizes that her “Valentine” is an imposter who stole the identity of his former roommate Jason (Sandoval) in order to insert himself into her life, fooling her boss Ed (Roberts) and even her parents.

She’s Obsessed with My Husband (February 15 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Alissa Filoramo, Matthew Pohlkamp, Aryè Campos, Taylor Castro. Violet (Filoramo) has carried a torch for Garrett (Pohlkamp), the love of her life, ever since they dated in high school. Now twenty years later, Violet has moved in next door to Garrett and is determined to destroy his marriage and take her “rightful” place as his wife.

The Ex-Obsession (February 22 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Chaley Rose, B. J. Britt, Anthony Dalton II. Happily married to her husband, John (Britt), Kim (Rose) is shocked to learn John’s new co-worker is her ex-boyfriend Grant (Dalton II). Unwilling to spoil John’s excitement, Kim and Grant decide to keep their history a secret. But when John sees Kim and Grant out together one day, he becomes consumed by jealousy and confronts Kim. Co-prod with Tubi.

Lonely Crime Fanatic (February 29 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Brenna Skalski, Ian Reier Michaels, Alexandra Ponce, David Alan Hurt. Romance sparks when a true crime fan meets her favorite podcast host, but things soon turn strange as his fascination with her turns into obsession.

Danger on Party Island (March 20 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Lindsey Dresbach, Adam Harper, James Bobo, Kate Dailey. After the death of her sister, Mel (Dresbach) travels to an infamous party island to collect her estranged sister’s body. With the reluctant help from local bar owner Jever (Bobo), Mel begins to unravel the circumstances of her sister’s accident and starts to believe she could be next.

My Father’s Murder in Greece (March 21 at 8pm ET/PT). Starring Cass Huckabay, Maeve Quinlan. When Allie’s (Cass Huckabay) father George takes her on a celebratory trip to Greece to uncover her family’s roots, she never expected her father would be murdered. Allie must uncover long-kept family secrets if she’s going to bring the killer to justice.a

‘The Gilded Age’ Renewed For Season 3 By HBO

The renewal comes just days after the Dec. 17 finale and follows solid ratings for Season 2 of the period drama. Total premiere-night viewing for the season grew for six consecutive weeks, culminating in a series high for the Dec. 17 Season 2 finale, according to HBO.

“We’re so proud of what Julian Fellowes and The Gilded Age family have achieved, said Francesca Orsi, EVP, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films. “From the costumes to the production design and performances, the show has captivated so many week after week. Along with our partners at Universal Television, we are thrilled to continue this grand tale for a third season.”

With its strong performance and a Production Design Emmy win for its first season, The Gilded Age passed a stiff test to earn a renewal.

In May Orsi told Deadline that the network was “having conversations regarding viewership relative to budget” while “assessing” several series, including sophomores Perry Mason, Winning Time, and The Gilded Age. “Each show has a job to do, given the price tag that we give to it, and there’s a viewership. component, and there’s a critical response element to it and, of course, the buzz nature of a show,” she said at the time. “It’s those elements that we are always keeping in mind and discussing relative to whether or not a show will continue.”

Perry Mason and Winning Time were subsequently canceled after two seasons each. The Gilded Age outdrew significantly both of them in viewership and ranks among the most watched HBO series.

Season two of The Gilded Age begins on Easter morning 1883, with the news that Bertha Russell’s bid for a box at the Academy of Music has been rejected. Through the eight episodes of the season, we watch as Bertha challenges Mrs. Astor and the old system and works to not only gain a foothold in Society, but to potentially take a leading role in it. George Russell takes on his own battle with a growing union at his steel plant in Pittsburgh. In the Brook House, Marian continues her journey to find her way in the world secretly teaching at a girls school while much to everyone’s surprise Ada begins a new courtship. Of course, Agnes approves of none of it. In Brooklyn, the Scott family begins to heal from a shocking discovery, and Peggy taps into her activist spirit through her work with T. Thomas Fortune at the NY Globe.

Season 2 cast includes Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Ben Ahlers, Michael Cerveris, Kelley Curran, Taissa Farmiga, Jack Gilpin, Simon Jones, Sullivan Jones, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, Kristine Nielsen, Kelli O’Hara, Patrick Page, Harry Richardson, Taylor Richardson, Blake Ritson, Douglas Sills, Erin Wilhelmi, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, John Douglas Thompson, Ashlie Atkinson, Laura Benanti, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Christopher Denham, David Furr, Ward Horton, Matilda Lawler and Robert Sean Leonard.

Fellowes serves as creator, writer and executive producer. Gareth Neame executive produces with David Crockett, who directs. Michael Engler, Bob Greenblatt and Salli Richardson-Whitfield executive produce. Sonja Warfield serves as writer/executive producer. The Gilded Age is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

“There is much more story to tell with The Gilded Age. We’re delighted that HBO is giving fans another season of Julian Fellowes’ incredible storytelling,” said Erin Underhill, President, Universal Television. “The cast and crew put so much of their heart and soul into the last two seasons, and we’re so proud that all this hard work is paying off with another season…you won’t want to miss what’s next!”i

‘Nine Perfect Strangers’: Annie Murphy & Christine Baranski Among Season 2 Cast Additions

They join previously unveiled cast members Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus, The Last Of Us), Dolly de Leon (Triangle of Sadness), Maisie Richardson-Sellers (Undeclared War) and Aras Aydin.

The octet would play members of the new group of titular strangers opposite series’ executive producer Nicole Kidman, whose acting involvement is still being negotiated, I hear.

Based on Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty’s book, Nine Perfect Strangers hails from David E. Kelley, Bruna Papandrea’s Made Up Stories, Kidman’s Blossom Films and Fifth Season.

Season 2 is said to be following the general formula of the first installment in a new location, the Swiss Alps. Nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living with a 10-day star at a boutique wellness resort run by the resort’s director Masha (Kidman), a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine “perfect” strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.

Bartlett will play Brian, Baranski is Victoria, Murphy will portray Imogen, de Leon will play Agnes, Richardson-Sellers is Wolfie, King Princess will portray Tina, Aydin will play Matteo and Englander is Martin.

Nine Perfect Strangers, which started off as a limited series, debuted in September 2021 as Hulu’s most-watched Hulu original ever — drama, comedy, limited series or unscripted — on premiere day as well as after five days on the service, according to the streamer.

Season 1 was co-written by Kelley, John Henry Butterworth and Samantha Strauss and co-showrun by Kelley and Butterworth. It also starred Melissa McCarthy. Michael Shannon, Luke Evans, Bobby Cannavale, Regina Hall, Samara Weaving, Melvin Gregg, Asher Keddie, Grace Van Patten, Tiffany Boone and Manny Jacinto.

Murphy is repped by CAA and Mosaic; Bartlett with Anonymous Content and WME; de Leon is repped by Gersh, Fusion Entertainment and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Richardson-Sellers is repped by Gersh, Denton-Brierly, Luber Roklin and Schreck, Rose, Dapello & Adams; King Princess is repped by WME and Adam Herzog of Something Special Management; Aydin is with Ozlem Durak of Artistanbul; Englander is repped by Sam Turnbull of Curtis Brown (UK), Jochen Döll of Lastrada Doells (Germany), Laura Meerson of Adequat (France) and Baranski is repped by UTA and Viking Entertainment.

Saturn Award Nominations

Best Guest Star in a Television Series
Gael Garcia Bernal, Marvel’s Werewolf by Night (Marvel/Disney+)
Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian (Lucasfilm/Disney+)
Nick Offerman, The Last of Us (HBO/Max)
Amanda Plummer, Star Trek: Picard (Paramount+/CBS)
Andy Serkis, Andor (Lucasfilm/Disney+)
Paul Wesley, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+/CBS)
Catherine Zeta-Jones, Wednesday (Netflix)

Talk Show Appearance

Wednesday, Dec. 6

Actor Kelsey Grammer (Paramount+’s FRASIER)

Frances Sternhagen Dies: Tony-Winning Broadway Actress, Cliff’s Mom On ‘Cheers’ Was 93

Her death was announced by her son, the actor John Carlin, on Instagram.

“Frannie. Mom. Frances Sternhagen. On Monday night, Nov 27, she died peacefully at her home, a month and a half shy of her 94th birthday,” Carlin wrote today, ending the tribute with “Fly on, Frannie. The curtain goes down on a life so richly, passionately, humbly and generously lived.

Sternhagen, one of the New York stage’s most celebrated and beloved stars, gave indelible performances in productions including the 1972 production of The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, Equus in 1975, Angel in 1978, On Golden Pond in 1979 and, in 2002, Morning’s at Seven. She earned Tony nominations for all five of those shows.

Her Tony wins — for Best Featured Actress/Play — came in 1974 and 1995 for, respectively, Neil Simon’s The Good Doctor and Augustus Goetz’s The Heiress.

While she did not reprise two of her most noted stage performances for subsequent film adaptations – Joan Plowright was cast as Equus‘ Dora Strang and Katharine Hepburn famously played Ethel Thayer in the starry movie On Golden Pond – Sternhagen made memorable, often scene-stealing, appearances in such films as Up the Down Staircase (1967), Paddy Chayefsky’s The Hospital (1971), Billy Wilder’s Fedora (1978) and, in 1988, Bright Lights, Big City, in which she played the stern boss of the magazine fact-checker portrayed by Michael J. Fox.

While TV viewers might best remember Sternhagen for her recurring, twice-Emmy nominated (1991 and 1992) role on Cheers (opposite John Ratzenberger’s Cliff), she played pivotal characters – often domineering, though loving, matriarch types – on ER (as Millicent Carter, grandmother of Noah Wyle’s Dr. John Carter); Sex and the City (scoring a third Emmy nomination in 2002 as Bunny MacDougal, stuffy mom of Kyle MacLachlan’s Trey and mother-in-law of Kristin Davis’ Charlotte); and The Closer, where she recurred as Willie Rae Johnson, mother of Kyra Sedgwick’s Brenda Leigh Johnson.

Other TV credits stretching from the 1950s through 2012 include Westinghouse Studio One, The Defenders, Spencer, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, Law & Order, Tales From The Crypt, The Laramie Project, The Simpsons, Becker, and Parenthood. She was a familiar presence on daytime TV as well, appearing on soaps Another World, The Secret Storm, Love of Life, The Doctors and One Life to Live.

Born January 13, 1930, in Washington D.C., Sternhagen attended Vassar College and, for graduate studies, the Catholic University of America. She studied acting at the Perry Mansfield School of the Theatre and New York City’s Neighborhood Playhouse.

Sternhagen made her Broadway debut as Miss T. Muse in 1955’s The Skin of Our Teeth, and appeared regularly on stage throughout the decades until her final major performance in 2005 as Nancy in a revival of Edward Albee’s Seascape. She played Clairee in 2005’s Steel Magnolias revival, Mary Tyrone in 1998’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and Nora in a 1967 production of A Doll’s House.

Sternhagen is survived by six children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren (her husband, the actor Thomas A. Carlin, died in 1991). A celebration of her career and life will be planned for mid-January.

Celebrity Family Feud: Rosie O’Donnell vs. Billy Porter (12/13)

8:00-9:00 p.m. EST – Celebrity Family Feud: “Rosie O’Donnell vs. Billy Porter” (910)

Logline: Hosted by Steve Harvey, this special holiday episode filled with surprises and cheer, features teams led by Rosie O’Donnell and Billy Porter as they battle it out to see who will win the grand prize for their selected charities.

Talk Show Appearance

Thursday, Nov. 30

Kelsey Grammer – FRASIER (Paramount+)

Jack Kilmer, Paris Jackson & Eric Roberts Set For Indie Horror Thriller ‘Open Wounds’

Written by Ryan Leeder, Joshua Courtade, and Krauss, the film centers around a fading indie horror studio, its owner Jefferson (Roberts), and his nephew Caleb (Kilmer), a young horror movie obsessive and aspiring makeup f/x artist, who finally gets his “little break” when Jefferson assigns him to work on a B-list movie about a vampire (Notni). There, he encounters another makeup artist, Ginni (Jackson), with whom he feels he can share his vulnerabilities, as well as an unsupportive rival, Todd (Houston).

Caleb, insecure of his talent, and desperate to win Jefferson’s approval, struggles with the assignment, until he accidentally witnesses a murder, and seeing that realism is the missing element in his work, bases an effect on what he has witnessed. Suddenly winning approval from Jefferson and praise on the set, Caleb begins prepping his effects by committing his own murders, in the process losing his moral compass and descending into madness. As Caleb’s crimes become more grotesque, his relationship with Ginny develops into an unconventional quest for love.

Hailing from Day 28 Films and Bald Eagle Entertainment, pic’s producers are Krauss and Ira Houston. Chung Dick and Thomas Carroll are exec producing, with Haweni Keskessa and Marvin Cheng co-producing.

Best known for turns in such acclaimed indies as Palo Alto and Lords of Chaos, Kilmer most recently signed on to star opposite Bella Thorne in the fantastical drama The Tower, shot under an interim agreement. He also narrated the documentary Val, spotlighting the remarkable life and career of his father, Val Kilmer.

An actress and musician previously seen on the shows Swarm, American Horror Stories, Scream: The TV Series and Star, Jackson’s feature credits include the romantic dramedy Sex Appeal, the Kelsey Grammer-led The Space Between, and Nash Edgerton’s Gringo starring Joel Edgerton, Charlize Theron, and David Oyelowo.

An Oscar nom most recently set to star in Spyder Dobrofsky’s psychological horror Down Below, Roberts was part of the cast of Damien Chazelle’s Old Hollywood epic Babylon for Paramount Pictures, which scored three Oscar nominations earlier this year. Other feature credits for the actor include Hard Luck Love Song, Head Full of Honey, Inherent Vice, The Expendables, and The Dark Knight, to name just a few.

Krauss’s most recent feature, the indie drama Gimme Shelter starring Vanessa Hudgens, James Earl Jones, Rosario Dawson and more, was released by Roadside Attractions in 2014.

Kilmer is repped by Gersh, Authentic Talent & Literary Management, and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum; Jackson by CAA and Untitled Entertainment; and Roberts by Sovereign Talent Group.y

The $100,000 Pyramid: Jackée Harry vs Bobby Berk and Jason Alexander vs Rosie O’Donnell (11/29)

‘The Garfield Movie’ Trailer: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson Voice Father-Son Cat Tale

Directed by Mark Dindal from a screenplay by Paul A. Kaplan & Mark Torgove and David Reynolds, The Garfield Movie stars Chris Pratt, voicing the title character, and Samuel L. Jackson voicing his long-lost father, a streetwise feline named Vic.

The official synopsis: Garfield, the world-famous, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving indoor cat, is about to have a wild outdoor adventure. After an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father – scruffy street cat Vi – Garfield and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered life into joining Vic in a hilarious, high-stakes heist.

Also in the cast are Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein and Bowen Yang. Producing are John Cohen, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Steven P. Wegner, Craig Sost, Namit Malhotra and Crosby Clyse. Exec producing are Jim Davis, Bridget McMeel, David Reynolds, Scott Parish, Carl Rogers, Simon Hedges, Chris Pflug, Louis Koo, Steve Sarowitz, Justin Baldoni and Peter Luo.

Alcon Entertainment acquired the rights from the creator of the Garfield comic series and brand, Jim Davis, who is among the executive producers. DNEG Animation animated the film, with Alcon Entertainment, DNEG, One Cool Group and Wayfarer Studios financing it and Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures distributing globally (excluding China).

The Garfield Movie will arrive in theaters May 24, 2024.

Check out the trailer above.

‘The Bay’ To Release 18 New Episodes Starting This Month

The series is an independent multi-camera drama and is produced under a non-struck SAG-AFTRA contract which has allowed the series to continue production and self distribute new content.

The final four new episodes of season 7 will air Popstar! TV starting November 14 at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT with encore presentations at 9 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. PT. Replays of Season 7 will follow in its entirety every weekday up to the debut of 14 all-new episodes of season 8, beginning Monday, December 11, and will include The Bay’s 100th episode special on, December 14.

Previously on The Bay, several chore characters found their lives hanging in the balance after being kidnapped and brought to a non-disclosed location in Puerto Rico by the nefarious Adam Kenway (Daytime Emmy-winner Kristos Andrews). With help in Bay City from the Police Commissioner Lex Martin and former Police Detective Nardo Ramos (Daytime Emmy-winners Tristan Rogers and A Martinez), vigilantes Pete Garrett (also played by Andrews), Caleb McKinnon (Daytime Emmy-winner Mike Manning), and R.J. Garrett-Foster (Najee DeTiege) set out to a remote island to find and rescue their abducted family members Vivian Johnson-Garrett (Daytime Emmy-winner Karrueche Tran), Daniel Garrett (Daytime Emmy-winner Eric Nelsen), and Tamara Garrett (Celeste Fianna). But will they arrive in time?

Back in Bay City, psychic medium and southern belle Sofia Madison (played by the late Jacklyn Zeman, in her Emmy nominated role) taps into socialite and town matriarch Sara Garrett’s (Daytime Emmy-winner Mary Beth Evans) coma to discover she’s being visited by the spirit of her deceased husband, Lee Nelson (Joe Lando) and haunted by the ghost of her late grandfather, the corrupt Senator Red Garrett (Golden Globe-winner and Oscar-nominated special guest star Bruce Davison), whose spirit is said to have cursed the town after his drowning in the bay 30 years prior.

In December, the series will introduce billionaire Sir Thomas Kenway (played by special guest star Maxwell Caulfield), the father of Adam Kenway. Returning series regulars include Brandon Beemer, Alicia Leigh Willis, Matthew Ashford, Taylor Stanley, Carlo Mendez, Kiara Liz Ortega, and Dante Aleksander.

The Bay received three Daytime Emmy nominations this year for Outstanding Daytime Drama Series, Outstanding Writing and for Outstanding Directing. It is written and produced by Daytime Emmy-winners Gregori J Martin and Wendy Riche and is owned by the independent production company LANY Entertainment, in association with She Mogul Media.

Filmed at ATI Studios in Burbank, a segment of season 7 of The Bay was shot on location in Puerto Rico. Ninety-two episodes of THE BAY are currently available on Tubi, Prime Video, and Popstar! TV, with several episodes also available for streaming on Peacock and The Roku Channel.

Fans can also #BingeTheBay on demand on multiple streaming platforms in early 2024.

‘Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’: Trailer, Poster And Film Stills Revealed For Newest Entry In Saga

Directed by Wes Ball (the Maze Runner trilogy), the script hails from by Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds), Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Avatar: The Way of Water) and Patrick Aison (Prey), based on characters created by Jaffa & Silver. The film stars stars Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon and William H. Macy.

Set several generations in the future, the film follows Caesar’s reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.

Producers include Ball, Joe Hartwick Jr, Jaffa, Silver and Jason Reed, with Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping serving as executive producers. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes will open exclusively in theaters nationwide May 24, 2024.

Check out the poster and image stills: Poster, Photo1, Photo2, Photo3, Photo4, Photo5, Photo6, Photo7.

‘Mean Girls’ Trio Reunite For Walmart’s “Fetch” Black Friday Ad

The spot, which dropped today, featured the trio as adult versions of the high schoolers they played in the 2004 movie directed by Mark Waters and written by Tina Fey.

In the spot, Chabert’s Gretchen is still trying to make “Fetch” happen except this time as a mom of a high schooler (spoiler: they’re still not buying it), while Seyfried’s Karen Smith is a news reporter still trying to nail down the facts. Lohan’s Cady, who narrates the ad like she did in the movie, is now a high school guidance counselor.

No sign of Rachel McAdams, who played the mean girls’ leader Regina in the movie, in the ad, which runs about 2 minutes.

The movie earned Fey a WGA Award nom for adapting Rosiland Wiseman’s nonfiction book Queen Bees and Wannabees: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World.

The IP was later turned into a musical that debuted on Broadway in 2018. It scored 12 Tony nominations and ran for more than 800 performances, and now has a national tour.

Watch the Walmart ad above.

Soap Opera Digest Is Ending Its Weekly Print Edition

Staffers were informed of the decision Friday, according to sources. A spokesperson for a360Media, the company that owns the brand, confirmed that the weekly edition is being discontinued. The company plans to continue publishing special print issues of Soap Opera Digest four times per year.

“Soap Opera Digest, like many other brands, is adjusting its print frequency and shifting more resources to digital to better accommodate its audience,” the a360Media rep said in a statement to Variety.

Soap Opera Digest was first launched in 1975. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp bought the publication in 1989 for $70 million before selling it two years later, per the New York Times, and it has had a succession of different owners ever since.

In its heyday, the magazine had a circulation of 1.5 million in 1991, according to the Times. But the reach of its print edition, as with many magazines, has sharply fallen off in the decades since.

According to its website, Soap Opera Digest is “the leading magazine reporting on the soap opera industry for over 40 years,” serving up “behind-the-scenes scoops and breaking news to passionate soap fans every week.” The mag also has included special editorial features on beauty, fashion, parenting, and health and fitness.

Soap Opera Digest has been available in print and digital subscription plans, priced at $45.97 for six months (26 issues at $1.77 apiece) or $69.97 for one year (52 issues at $1.34 apiece).

A360media houses a media portfolio of celebrity, entertainment and women’s lifestyle brands including Us Weekly, Star, InTouch and Life & Style. The company claims that it is the largest print publisher in the U.S., both in retail sales and units sold, with its titles representing about one-third of all magazines sold at retail.

A360media was formerly known as American Media Inc., which had been the owner of the National Enquirer (involved in the “catch and kill” scandal involving Donald Trump and which Jeff Bezos accused of an extortion attempt). In 2020, AMI was acquired by Atlanta-based logistics firm accelerate360, which sold off the National Enquirer, Globe and National Examiner tabloids earlier this year.

William H. Macy, John Corbett, Joel Courtney & Others Set For Sean McNamara Pic ‘On Fire’ Based On True Story Of Severe Burn Survivor John O’Leary

News of the project comes following McNamara’s recent commitment to direct the indie One Man’s Castle, penned by producer John Zaring, for Zaring/Cioffi Entertainment, Virtuosity Media, and his own banner Brookwell McNamara Entertainment. Rounding out the cast of today’s film, based on the bestseller by inspirational speaker John O’Leary, are Masey McLain (I Am Not Ashamed), Natalie Buck (Marry Me), and James McCracken (Christmas Again).

Believed to be the first feature to take advantage of Missouri’s new production tax credit, On Fire was adapted for the screen by Gregory Poirier (Knox Goes Away, The Spy Next Door). The film picks up with a nine-year-old O’Leary as he’s given virtually no chance of survival, after being burned in a harrowing accident over 100% of his body. In his fight to live and show us what’s possible, he winds up leaning on his family, faith, and the entire city of St. Louis, including legendary St. Louis Cardinals announcer Jack Buck.

Producers on the film include J. Todd Harris and Margaret French Isaac, as well as McNamara and partner David Brookwell. Exec producers include Linda Huntington, Terry Schnuck, and O’Leary. Amy Powers co-produces. Joey Paul Jensen and Niner Parikh are overseeing casting.

O’Leary says that “On Fire weaves together tragedy, redemption, baseball and a love story. At a time of so much divisiveness, cynicism, and negativity, On Fire celebrates what happens when a community comes together, when personal imperfections are embraced and when we allow the fear of who we wish we were to finally give way to the gift of all we already are.”

McNamara calls the author “the kind of person that makes us remember how lucky we are to be alive, and that all that happens to us can be a blessing. In these troubled times we need to live an “inspired life.” I can’t wait for the world to join us and discover who John O’Leary is and how we can all live “On Fire.””

After starring on Showtime’s Shameless for 11 seasons — in a role that brought him six Emmy nominations, among other honors — Macy has been seen starring in Hulu’s The Dropout and Michael Jacobs’ starry rom-com Maybe I Do for Vertical. Upcoming projects include Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Amazon MGM Studios’ comedy Ricky Stanicky.

An Emmy nom known for films like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Serendipity, Corbett has been seen of late in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 and all installments of Netflix’s film series To All the Boys, as well as the shows And Just Like That…., XO, Kitty and How I Met Your Father.

Courtney starred in Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company’s faith-based hit Jesus Revolution and has also starred in recent years in the Kissing Booth YA film franchise for Netflix. Upcoming projects include the thriller Pursued with Molly Ringwald, Trish Sie’s Players for Netflix, and Half Baked 2.

Also known for his work as a producer on titles like Flamin’ Hot and The Star, Franklin’s acting resume includes the films Jesus Revolution, God’s Grace: The Sheila Johnson Story, Canal Street and Woodlawn.

One of the stars of ABC’s A Million Little Things, which wrapped its fifth and final season over the summer, Szostak has additionally been seen of late on shows like Younger and Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce. Film credits include Gimme Shelter, Iron Man 3, and We Bought a Zoo, to name just a few.

McNamara currently has two titles coming up for release: the historical drama Reagan, which stars Dennis Quaid as the 40th U.S. President, and the holocaust drama Bau, Artist at War, starring Emile Hirsch and Inbar Lavi. Other notable titles from the filmmaker include the family drama Soul Surfer and the recent fantasy pic The King’s Daughter with Pierce Brosnan.

Macy is represented by IAG and Atlas Artists; Corbett by Gersh; Courtney by Gersh, Authentic and Myman Greenspan Fox; Franklin by WME and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; Szostak by UTA, Lasher Group and Hansen, Jacobson; McNamara by IAG and Felker Toczek Suddleson; and Poirier by Verve, Sugar 23 and Hansen, Jacobson.

‘Dancing With the Stars’ Wants To Dance With Somebody To Celebrate ‘Whitney Houston Night’ on Nov. 14

“The estate of Whitney E. Houston and her family are honored that ‘Dancing with the Stars’ is dedicating an episode of her signature songs for the show,” said Pat Houston, executor of the estate of Whitney E. Houston. “Whitney was a fan of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ and she would be proud of this recognition.”

Fans will be able to vote during the live simulcast of the show in the EST/CST time zones. During this time, online voting will be available to fans in any time zone in the U.S., its territories and Canada via dwtsvote.abc.com, and fans with a participating U.S. wireless carrier can also vote via SMS/text (fans in Canada cannot vote via SMS/text). Live viewer votes will be combined with the judges’ scores each episode to determine which couples may be in jeopardy of elimination.

The couples (along with their dance styles and songs) will be announced at a later date.

“Dancing with the Stars” is the hit series co-hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro and Julianne Hough in which celebrities are paired with trained ballroom dancers to compete in themed choreographed dance routines that are judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts, including Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli and Derek Hough.

Talk Show Appearance

AIRING Oct 25, 2023

Actor Morgan Freeman.

Morning Show Appearance

AIRING Oct 26, 2023

actor Morgan Freeman.

Dishing with Digest - 10/20/23 - Rena Sofer

Talk Show Appearance

LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS - NBC

Thursday, October 26: Guests Morgan Freeman (Life on Our Planet)

‘Anyone But You’ Teaser: Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell Fake It In New Rom-Com

With a classic rom-com set-up — they hate each other, they love each other — Anyone but You stars Euphoria‘s Sydney Sweeney as Bea and Hit Man‘s Glen Powell as Ben, two very good-looking people who pretend to be a couple while attending a destination wedding in Australia. Why? Take a look at the teaser, set to WizTheMc’s new track “Death of Me,” above.

“There’s no way we can convince anyone we actually like each other,” Powell’s Ben insists.

“Trust me,” responds Sweeney’s Bea. “We’re at a wedding, a million miles away from home. Who knows what could happen?”

If you’re thinking one of the things that could happen is romance, or maybe a punch to the groin, well, yeah.

Directed by Will Gluck (Easy A) from a story by Ilana Wolpert and screenplay by Wolpert and Gluck, Anyone but You looks to be the standout screwball comedy option for the Christmas holidays. The trailer debuted earlier this month during the studio’s presentation at CinemaCon.

Produced by Gluck, Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum, Anyone but You exec producers are Alyssa Altman, Jacqueline Monetta, Catherine Bishop, Natalie Sellers, Charlie Corwin, Sidney Kimmel, Mark O’Connor, Sydney Sweeney and Jonathan Davino.

The romantic comedy also stars Alexandra Shipp, GaTa, Hadley Robinson, Michelle Hurd, Dermot Mulroney, Darren Barnet and Rachel Griffiths.

Anyone but You hits theaters December 22.

Susan Sullivan Reveals Lung Cancer Diagnosis: ‘Falcon Crest,’ ‘Castle’ & ‘Dharma & Greg’ Alum Undergoes Surgery

The actress shared a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, a photo in the hospital with tanks of oxygen.

“Life‘s surprising little turns try to be ready for them with humor and hope. On we go,” she captioned the post.

A day later, Sullivan gave her followers an update on her health sharing she had undergone surgery and said it was a “successful” operation.

“Thanks for all the lovely comments and concerns. I had lung cancer. The surgery was successful. The healing process is a struggle, Thanks glad you’re out there!” she posted.

Sullivan has had a prolific career in television starring in the ABC daytime soap A World Apart in 1970 with the role of Nancy Condon. She would continue in daytime with NBC’s Another World in 1971 where she played Lenore Moor Curtin Delaney for more than 220 episodes.

Following her daytime work, Sullivan would go on with roles on shows like S.W.A.T., McMillan & Wife, Petrocelli, Barnaby Jones and Kojak. In 1977 she landed another series regular role playing Maggie Porter in Richa Man, Poor Man Book II.

The following year, Sullivan would get nominated for the Primetime Emmys in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category for her role as Dr. Julie Farr from Julie Farr, M.D.

Sullivan would then star in It’s a Living in 1980 for ABC, followed by a recurring role in The George Carlin Show in 1994 and The Monroes in 1995.

In 1997 she was part of the cast of Dharma & Greg playing the role of Kitty Montgomery. Sullivan would go on to be a series regular on Castle as Martha Rodgers and more recently have a recurring role in The Kominsky Method and Last Man Standing.

Joanna Merlin Dies: Original ‘Fiddler On The Roof’ Tzeitel, Longtime Judge On ‘Law & Order: SVU’ Was 92

Her death was announced on the Instagram page of the New York University Tisch Graduate Acting Program, where Merlin had been on the faculty since 1998.

“Joanna was an actress, master Chekhov teacher, and former casting director for Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Bernardo Bertolucci, and James Ivory,” the NYU message said. “Joanna will be deeply missed at Grad Acting, by the Chekhov community, and by the many people she touched through her artistry.”

As a casting director, Merlin was involved in numerous landmark Broadway productions written by Stephen Sondheim. She was, for many years, Harold Prince’s go-to casting director.

A cause of death was not immediately available.

Born Joann Ratner on July 15, 1931, in Chicago, she would change her name for a show business career that soon would find her performing on Broadway in three notable productions including the original 1960 staging of Becket starring Laurence Olivier and Anthony Quinn and the original 1961 production of A Far Country starring Kim Stanley.

But her breakthrough stage role came in 1964, when she was cast as the eldest daughter of milkman Tevye is what would become a major hit musical. In Fiddler, Merlin played Tzeitel, who, despite her father’s concerns, wishes to marry the poor tailor Motel (originally played by Austin Pendleton). As Tzeitel, Merlin got to sing — along with the actors playing her sisters Hodel and Chava — one of the most well-known and beloved of the show’s musical numbers, “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.”

After her performance in Fiddler, Merlin segued, at least on Broadway, away from performance and to casting. Merlin cast many of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest musicals including Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, Sweeney Todd, Merrily We Roll Along and Into the Woods. She also cast Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita and the Betty Comden-Adolph Green-Cy Coleman musical On the Twentieth Century. The majority of Broadway shows cast by Merlin were directed by Prince.

On the screen, Merlin got her start when she was cast as Jethro’s Daughter in Cecil B. DeMille’s epic film The Ten Commandments (1956). Other, usually small, roles in both television and film would come in the 1960s and ’70s (TV’s Naked City, the indie film Hester Street and Bob Fosse’s 1979 All That Jazz.

The following year would bring a more significant role when she memorably played the demanding ballet teacher Miss Olive Berg in Alan Parker’s 1980 film Fame.

She stayed busy both as an actor and casting director in television and film throughout the 1980s, ’90s and well into the new century. Some examples: She was casting director on Year of the Dragon, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Emperor, Jefferson in Paris and Mr. and Mrs. Bridge.

As an actor, Merlin had guest or small roles in such films as The Killing Fields, Mr. Wonderful and The Wackness, among many others, and on television in Northern Exposure, New York Undercover, All My Children, The Good Wife and Homeland.

But her most widely recognizable role came with the Law & Order franchise. Although she appeared on the original Law & Order series several times in the mid-1990s, it was her role as the tough, no-nonsense Judge Lena Petrovsky in more than 40 episodes of Law & Order: SVU throughout 2000-11 that gave her a late-career signature role.

Merlin began teaching graduate acting at New York University in 1998 and the following founded the Michael Chekhov Association, where she taught acting workshops.

She was preceded in death by husband David Dretzin and is survived by two daughters, the actor Julie Dretzin and documentary film director and producer Rachel Dretzin.

One of Merlin’s students, Broadway’s Julie Benko, who played Fanny Brice in the recent hit Funny Girl on Lea Michele’s days off, posted a tribute to her mentor on Instagram.

“She was beyond kind, supporting me both while in school @nyugradacting and continuing to send warm messages after I’d graduated,” Benko wrote in the message beside a photo of herself and Merlin under the Funny Girl marquee. “Here we were after she came to @funnygirlbwy. I will not forget the breakthrough I had in her class. I will miss her beautiful presence. I am so honored to have been a small part of her life.”f

Holiday Movies with Soap Stars on Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix and Others

SWORN JUSTICE: TAKEN BEFORE CHRISTMAS - BET+
Release Date: Thursday, Nov. 16
Cast: Mishael Morgan, Leland B. Martin, Vivica A. Fox , Melyssa Ford and Preacher Lawson
Premise: On Christmas Eve, a hardened detective and her DA boyfriend are both informed that each other has been kidnapped. As the world closes for the holiday, they are locked out of their computers and phones and must follow the demands of the menacing voice giving them orders. This leads to a snowy night of cat-and-mouse thrills as the two fight for their survival.

SO FLY CHRISTMAS - BET+
Release Date: Thursday, Nov. 23
Cast: Tichina Arnold, Tami Roman, Robert Christopher Riley, Laurissa Romain, Jackee Harry, Tommy Davidson and Michael Colyar
Premise: After being stood up at the altar on Christmas Eve, Wyvetta loses her love on her favorite holiday. To show solidarity, Wyvetta’s best friend, Dione, suggests that the two of them renounce love. Things become complicated when Dione falls for a mild-mannered record store owner and tries to keep it under wraps.

CHRISTMAS RESCUE - BET+
Release Date: Thursday, Dec. 14
Cast: Robin Givens, Raven Goodwin, Donny Carrington, Catfish Jean, Mario Van Peebles, Cameron Bailey and Samantha Neyland Trumbo
Premise: A man abducts the love of his life from her holiday-themed wedding in a desperate last attempt to win her back.

‘TWAS THE TEXT BEFORE CHRISTMAS - Great American Family
Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 21 at 8 pm
Cast: Merritt Patterson and Trevor Donovan
Premise: An unexpected text message sent to the wrong number sets into motion a Christmas tradition with a new family over three separate years.

A CHRISTMAS BLESSING - Great American Family
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 12 at 8 pm
Cast: Lori Loughlin, James Tupper and Jesse Hutch
Premise: A TV chef is divinely inspired to take over her late aunt’s charity with help from a new friend and handsome business associate next door.

A PARIS CHRISTMAS WALTZ - Great American Family
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 19 at 8 pm
Cast: Jen Lilley and Matthew Morrison
Premise: In this sequel, a novice dancer pairs with a professional to enter a renowned dance competition… in Paris!

A ROYAL CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY - Great American Family
Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 23 at 8 pm
Cast: Brittany Underwood and Jonathan Stoddard
Premise: In search of her big break, a reporter arranges a Christmas interview with a European Prince visiting the States. Will the reporter’s big story become her love story?

CHECKIN’ IT TWICE - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Friday, Oct. 20 at 8 pm
Cast: Kim Matula and Kevin McGarry
Premise: A journeyman hockey player falls for a real estate agent in a career crisis when he’s traded to her hometown, then moves into the cottage in her hockey-loving family’s backyard.

WHERE ARE YOU, CHRISTMAS? - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 21 at 8 pm
Cast: Lyndsy Fonseca, Michael Rady, Jim O’Heir and Julie Warner
Premise: When Addy wishes for a year without Christmas, she wakes up in a world of black and white. She must work together with the town mechanic to restore Christmas.

UNDER THE CHRISTMAS SKY - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 22 at 8 pm
Cast: Jessica Parker Kennedy and Ryan Paevey
Premise: Kat is an esteemed astrophysicist, who is scheduled for her first trip into space next year until an accident grounds her. While on leave, coming to terms with the reality that her dream of being an astronaut is over, she volunteers at the local planetarium. There, she is paired up with by-the-book David to work on an exhibit opening right before Christmas. Will the stars align to bring these two together at the holidays?

MYSTIC CHRISTMAS - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Saturday, Oct. 28 at 8 pm
Cast: Jessy Schram, Chandler Massey, Patti Murin and William R. Moses
Premise: Juniper travels to Mystic, Conn., during the holidays to work at the rehabilitation center and aquarium. She reconnects with Sawyer, the owner of the pizza shop.

JOYEUX NOEL - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Sunday, Oct. 29 at 8 pm
Cast: Jaicy Elliot and Brant Daugherty
Premise: When a romantic painting of a Christmas market captures the imagination of copy editor Lea, she is sent to France with pragmatic reporter Mark to uncover the mystery behind the artist.

THE SANTA SUMMIT - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 5 at 8 pm
Cast: Hunter King and Benjamin Hollingsworth
Premise: It’s time for the annual Santa Summit, in which revelers put on Santa suits and hop around designated locations in town to eat, drink and be merry. Three best friends decide to go together: Jordin, a recently dumped art teacher looking to cut loose; Ava, a shy woman hoping to run into her crush; and Stella, a Christmas cynic with no interest in the Santa Summit whatsoever. At the start of the night, Jordin meets and bonds with Liam, but doesn’t get his name before getting separated and lost in a sea of Santas. As the night progresses and hijinks ensue, amidst the chaos, celebration, and a sea of Santas, they all find what they’re looking for: Christmas spirit, potential romance, and a strengthened bond of friendship.

A MERRY SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 18 at 8 pm
Cast: Lacey Chabert and Scott Wolf
Premise: When estranged siblings Lindsay and Brad Morgan travel to Scotland at Christmas to reunite with their mother Jo, a big family secret is revealed.

HAUL OUT THE HOLLY: LIT UP - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Saturday, Nov. 25 at 8 pm
Cast: Lacey Chabert, Wes Brown, Stephen Tobolowsky, Melissa Peterman, Ellen Travolta, Seth Morris and Jennifer Aspen
Premise: As the holidays approach, Emily and Jared are looking forward to celebrating the holidays together again — this time as a couple. Emily, now embracing Evergreen Lane’s uniquely festive spirit, is ready to work with Jared, Ned, Mary Louise and Pamela to make this year’s Christmas celebrations the best yet… even if being the HOA president’s girlfriend doesn’t stop those dreaded decorating citations. When a house on the block goes up for sale, it causes quite a stir with residents. When the soon-to-be neighbors turn out to be holiday royalty, it looks like this year’s competition is about to heat up. As the welcoming committee prepares for the new arrivals, only one thing is certain – this Christmas, Evergreen Lane is going to sleigh!

A BLITMORE CHRISTMAS - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Sunday, Nov. 26 at 8 pm
Cast: Bethany Joy Lenz, Kristoffer Polaha, Jonathan Frakes and Robert Picardo
Premise: Lucy Hardgrove is a screenwriter who lands the job of a lifetime when she’s hired to pen the script for a remake of the beloved, holiday movie classic, His Merry Wife!, which was filmed in 1947 at beautiful, historic Biltmore House. When the head of the studio isn’t satisfied with the ending Lucy wrote because it deviates from the original’s feel-good conclusion, he sends Lucy to Biltmore Estate for research and inspiration. While there, she unwittingly discovers the ability to travel to the 1947 set of His Merry Wife! through the help of an hourglass. While on set, she and Jack Huston, one of the film’s stars, spend time together and become close. But her sudden appearance has set off a chain of events that put the production in jeopardy. Before she can return to the present, Lucy must make things right or threaten to alter the future forever.

CHRISTMAS WITH A KISS - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 3 at 8 pm
Cast: Mishael Morgan, Ronnie Rowe Jr. and Jaime M. Callica
Premise: A woman returns home to help with her family’s Christmas Carnival and romance ignites. A photo journalist curates a surprise reunion.

CHRISTMAS ON CHERRY LANE - Hallmark Channel
Premiere Date: Saturday, Dec. 9 at 8 pm
Cast: Catherine Bell, James Denton, Jonathan Bennett, John Brotherton, Erin Cahill and Vincent Rodriguez III
Premise: A young couple preparing to welcome their first child; an empty-nester and her fiancé ready to start a new chapter; and a couple who unexpectedly have the chance to expand their family on Christmas Eve celebrate the holiday as they navigate these turning points in their lives.

MYSTERY ON MISTLETOE LANE - Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 9 at 8 pm
Cast: Erica Cerra and Victor Webster
Premise: New to town, Heidi Wicks and her kids discover a Christmas mystery in their historic home. Local handyman and historian David helps along the way, finding his own surprising connection.

A WORLD RECORD CHRISTMAS - Hallmark Movies & Mysteries
Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 16 at 8 pm
Cast: Nikki DeLoach, Lucas Bryant and Aias Dalman
Premise: Charlie is an autistic boy determined to set a Guinness World Record by stacking 1400 Jenga blocks. His mother Marissa and stepfather Eric encourage him to reach for his dream and they all celebrate when he gets the good news that he’ll have get his chance on Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the holiday, they organize a fundraiser giving the townspeople an opportunity to donate and decorate a Jenga block, with the proceeds going to benefit kids with autism. Charlie’s journey to setting the Jenga world record gives them all the chance to learn more not just about themselves, but about what family really means.

HEAVEN DOWN HERE
Premiere Date: Thursday, Dec. 14 at 8 pm
Cast: Krystal Joy Brown, Tina Lifford, Juan Riedinger, Richard Harmon and Phylicia Rashad
Premise: Inspired by Mickey Guyton’s song of the same name, Heaven Down Here tells the story of four disparate people who find themselves stranded in a local diner on Christmas Eve when a snowstorm hits the town. Imami is a widowed mother of two who’s having trouble making ends meet and reluctantly agrees to work the Christmas Eve shift, where she clashes with her boss Dan, who doesn’t exactly embody the Christmas spirit. Felix is a local pastor desperately trying to secure food for parishioners while his faith is challenged by his alienation by his son. Clara is a hospice nurse with an obstinate patient and whose daughter is moving away, causing her to question her place in this world. Throughout the evening, these four bicker, bond and unwittingly provide each other with the answer to their respective prayers.

A CHRISTMAS FREQUENCY - Hulu
Premiere Date: Wednesday, Nov. 1
Cast: Denise Richards, James Hyde, Ansley Gordon and Jonathan Stoddard
Premise: Richards stars as morning radio show host Brooke Walkins, who is not only secretly separating from her husband Todd but hemorrhaging ratings on her show. When she finds out the show is being axed, Brooke’s producer Kenzie Parker has the bright idea of setting up the host with a series of blind dates live on air to help Brooke find someone to take to the company’s Christmas party. But things take an unexpected turn when Kenzie finds out Ben, a guy she’s interested in, has applied to date Brooke. As Ben proves a hit with listeners, Kenzie finds herself having to choose between her heart and her job.

LADIES OF THE ’80S: A DIVAS CHRISTMAS - Lifetime
Premiere Date: TBA
Cast: Loni Anderson, Morgan Fairchild, Linda Gray, Donna Mills and Nicollette Sheridan
Premise: The movie follows five soap opera divas readying for a reunion show who take on playing cupid during Christmas to bring together their director and producer as they all learn the meaning of true Christmas spirit.

BEST. CHRISTMAS. EVER! - Netfilx
Premiere Date: Thursday, Nov. 16
Cast: Heather Graham, Brandy Norwood and Jason Biggs
Premise: Every Christmas, Jackie sends a boastful holiday newsletter that makes her old college friend Charlotte feel like a lump of coal. When a twist of fate lands Charlotte and her family on Jackie’s snowy doorstep just days before Christmas, she seizes the opportunity to prove her old friend’s life can’t possibly be that perfect.

HOW TO FALL IN LOVE BY CHRISTMAS - Roku
Premiere Date: Friday, Nov. 3
Cast: Teri Hatcher
Premise: A beloved writer-turned-CEO must save her company by writing a column on her falling in love by the holidays – which is complicated by the handsome photographer who has been assigned to the piece.

YULETIDE THE KNOT - Uptv
Premiere Date: Sunday, Dec. 3 at 7 pm
Cast: Mary Antonini, Peter Porte, Kelley Jakle, Kelsey Scott and Melissa Peterman
Premise: When small town wedding planner Rachel is faced with planning her biggest Christmas wedding yet for an out-of-town influencer couple, she is thrown an unexpected surprise when the bride’s manager turns out to be Logan, her first love and high school sweetheart. He reminds her what it is to love, and through rediscovering the magic of Christmas, she rediscovers a part of her heart she closed off long ago.

Rena Sofer returns to ‘General Hospital’ as fan favorite Lois after more than 25 years

“She said, ‘Happy birthday, Mrs. Ned Ashton, from me, the other Mrs. Ned Ashton!’ And then she turns and she goes, ‘Help me out, boys,’” Sofer recalled in a recent interview.

The scene was memorable (and even parodied in the 1996 movie “ The Great White Hype ”), but Sofer’s portrayal of Lois Cerullo — a fast-talking Brooklyn girl, with long nails and a thick accent, who wears her heart on her sleeve — made her a fan favorite. Sofer reprises the role for a limited run on Wednesday. The episode was originally slated to air Tuesday.

“My husband and I are planning a move to the East Coast and, you know, I just thought, when I moved here, one of my first big jobs was ‘General Hospital,’ and it just felt very full circle for one of my last jobs in Los Angeles while I live here to be ‘General Hospital’ and doing this character that I love so much.”

Sofer recognizes how special it is for an actor’s work to resonate with people.

“I played Lois for just under three years and I still have people walking up to me saying, ‘Lois is my favorite.’ I’m proud of who she is. I’m proud to have played her. I just love Lois,” she said of the character she began playing in 1993. “If Lois were a real human being, I would hope she’d want to be my friend.”

Returning to set after more than 25 years away was “really weird,” an odd mix of familiarity with essentially being new.

“Just walking around the halls, I’m looking at the names on the dressing rooms and so many I remembered and so many I had no idea. I felt like a fish out of water. But it was also the same building. So it was a little discomforting, but it was also a little deja vu,” she recounted.

One name she obviously is very familiar with is Wally Kurth, who still plays Ned on the show. Sofer and Kurth were married for a short time after meeting on “General Hospital.”

There was this moment of, ‘Is it going to be OK? Am I treading on his space?’ Because this is his home. This is not my home. I’m being allowed to be here as a guest,” Sofer said.

“But, you know, Wally is so open-hearted and so kind and decent and I think he’s so excited to have Lois be part of his storyline in the same way that I’m so excited to be part of the show again,” she added.

Their daughter Rosabel even wants to come home from college to see her parents on set together (as of last week, Sofer was still filming).

“Any children of divorce who get to see their parents actually enjoy being in the same space with each other, I think it’s like a celebration, you know?” Sofer said. “I’m like, ‘If that’s what it takes for you to come home — because she never comes home — then we are both in for it. We will both pay for your flight to come home.’”

All it took to slip into the character was to pick out Lois’ signature nails: “I put the nails on, I was done. The nails are such a part of who she is.”

Executive producer Frank Valentini brought in a nail artist to work with Sofer to create nail designs to match Lois’ outfits.

“We sat for like three-and-a-half hours and we designed nails and it was a blast. And then you put on the outfit with the matching nails and it was like, ‘Oh my God, here she is,’” Sofer said. “It was perfect.”

‘The Gilded Age’: HBO Drops Official Trailer For Second Season Of Julian Fellowes Period Drama

Season two begins on Easter morning 1883, with the news that Bertha Russell’s bid for a box at the Academy of Music has been rejected. Through the eight episodes of the season, we watch as Bertha challenges Mrs. Astor and the old system and works to not only gain a foothold in Society, but to potentially take a leading role in it. George Russell takes on his own battle with a growing union at his steel plant in Pittsburgh. In the Brook House, Marian continues her journey to find her way in the world secretly teaching at a girls school while much to everyone’s surprise Ada begins a new courtship. Of course, Agnes approves of none of it. In Brooklyn, the Scott family begins to heal from a shocking discovery, and Peggy taps into her activist spirit through her work with T. Thomas Fortune at the NY Globe.

The cast includes Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Ben Ahlers, Michael Cerveris, Kelley Curran, Taissa Farmiga, Jack Gilpin, Simon Jones, Sullivan Jones, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, Kristine Nielsen, Kelli O’Hara, Patrick Page, Harry Richardson, Taylor Richardson, Blake Ritson, Douglas Sills, Erin Wilhelmi, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, John Douglas Thompson, Ashlie Atkinson, Laura Benanti, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Christopher Denham, David Furr, Ward Horton, Matilda Lawler and Robert Sean Leonard.

Julian Fellowes serves as the period drama’s creator/writer/executive producer. Bob Greenblatt, Gareth Neame, Salli Richardson-Whitfield and David Crockett also EP alongside director, Michael Engler; writer Sonja Warfield. The Gilded Age is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

‘Frasier’: Key Art For Paramount+ Sequel Pays Homage To Original Series’ Title Card

In one of the images, Frasier is surrounded by luggage, moving boxes and furniture as he is standing in front of the Boston skyline — a nod to the original series’ famous title card that features the Seattle skyline.

In the other, Frasier Crane, never too modest about his own intellectual abilities, has surrounded himself with the busts of several great intellectuals in different areas of art and sciences: Benjamin Franklin, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.

In both, Frasier is sporting a business casual look we have rarely seen on the original series. You can see the key art below.

Filmed in front of a live studio audience at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, the new series follows Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill.

In addition to Grammer, the new series stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Frasier’s son Freddy; Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasier’s old college buddy turned university professor Alan; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Freddy’s roommate Eve; and Anders Keith as Frasier’s nephew David.

From writers Chris Harris and Joe Cristalli, who executive produce with Kelsey Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon, Frasier is produced by CBS Studios, in association with Grammer’s Grammnet NH Productions. The first two episodes of the new series are directed by James Burrows, who is best known for his work as co-creator, executive producer and director of Cheers, as well as director/executive producer of its spinoff, Frasier and Will & Grace.

Morning Show Appearance

AIRING Oct 5, 2023

actor Kelsey Grammer

Anne Heche Gives Final TV Performance in This Week’s All Rise

The actress has recurred on the CBS-turned-OWN legal drama since Season 2, appearing in six episodes as lawyer Corrine Cuthbert, who has a contentious professional relationship with Simone Missick’s Judge Lola Carmichael. Heche’s character returns in this week’s installment (aka Episode 313, airing at 9/8c) as part of a trial case. The hour concludes with the following dedication:

“In Memory of Anne Heche
Our Friend and Wonderful Artist
You Are Missed”

Heche’s final Season 3 episode was filmed back in June 2022, but is only just now airing after the show’s year-long scheduling hiatus. Following All Rise’s midseason finale in August 2022, the series took a lengthy break before returning for its final run of episodes on Sept. 16, 2023.

Heche died from injuries sustained in a car crash on Aug. 5, 2022. Shortly after the accident, Heche’s rep confirmed that the actress fell into a coma due to a “significant pulmonary injury requiring medical ventilation and burns that require[d] surgical intervention.” Days later, on Aug. 11, her rep shared that the actress had suffered a “severe anoxic brain injury” from the crash and was unfortunately “not expected to survive” her critical condition. The actress was declared “brain dead” on Aug. 12, according to her reps, before being “peacefully taken off life support.”

“Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” Heche’s rep said in a statement at the time.

“Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy,” the statement continued. “Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”

In addition to this week’s All Rise, Heche will also posthumously star in the indie movie Wildfire: The Legend of the Cherokee Ghost Horse, which is slated to be released on Nov. 2, 2023.

Emmy Award-winning Writer Lisa Seidman Interview

Lisa has written for some of the hottest shows on primetime TV starting with Cagney & Lacey in 1984. She went on to write for Dallas, Falcon Crest, Knots Landing and Knots Landing: Back To The Cul-De-Sac to name a few. Lisa also spent five years in Russia writing nighttime soaps and won the equivalent of an Emmy for best show.

In daytime, she has written for Another World, Days of Our Lives, Guiding Light, One Life to Live, Sunset Beach and The Young and the Restless. Lisa has been nominated multiple times for a Daytime Emmy and has won the award for her work on DOOL and Y&R.

Lisa has also taught writing at USC and UCLA.

Rose Gregorio, Tony Nominee for ‘The Shadow Box’ and Actress on ‘ER,’ Dies at 97

Gregorio died Aug. 17 of natural causes in her Greenwich Village home, her nephew Robert Grosbard told The Hollywood Reporter.

Gregorio was married to Belgium-born stage and film director Ulu Grosbard from 1965 until his death in 2012, and she appeared for him as the ex-wife of Dustin Hoffman’s character in Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me? (1971); as a local madam in True Confessions (1981); and as the mother of Treat Williams’ character in The Deep End of the Ocean (1999).

On television, she had a recurring role on NBC’s ER as Nurse Carol Hathaway’s (Julianna Margulies) mom from 1996-99.

Gregorio also landed a Drama Desk nom and a Clarence Derwent prize in 1977 for her portrayal of Agnes in Michael Cristofer’s The Shadow Box, winner of the Tony for best play. In his review for The New York Times, Clive Barnes took note of her “eyes dully lit with the pain of the rejected and the martyrdom of the brave.”

The family drama also starred Mandy Patinkin and Laurence Luckinbill.

Born in Chicago to Italian immigrants on Oct. 17, 1925, Gregorio attended Steinmetz High School in her hometown, the School of Speech at Northwestern and the School of Drama at Yale University, where she earned a master’s degree and first met Grosbard.

She moved to New York and appeared in the early ‘60s on such TV shows as Naked City, East Side/West Side and Route 66 and played the title character opposite Robert Duvall in the off-Broadway drama The Days and Nights of Beebee Fenstermaker, directed by Grosbard.

On Broadway, Gregorio served as a standby for Diana Sands in the original 1964-65 production of The Owl and the Pussycat, as an understudy in 1966’s The Investigation (also directed by Grosbard) and as standby again in 1967’s Daphne in Cottage D.

She acted alongside Raul Julia, Rip Torn and Conrad Bain in The Cuban Thing, which closed on opening night in 1968, then worked with Hoffman and Cleavon Little in Jimmy Shine, which lasted four months through April 1969.

Also in 1968, she made her movie debut as an annoyed woman at a public pool in Frank Perry’s The Swimmer, starring Burt Lancaster.

Gregorio’s big-screen résumé included Desperate Characters (1971), Mr. Ricco (1975), Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), Five Corners (1987), John Sayles’ City of Hope (1991), Tarantella (1995), Maze (2000) and Good Time (2017).

She had a regular gig on the NBC soap opera The Doctors in 1972 and showed up on episodes of The Bob Newhart Show, The Rookies, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, The Rockford Files, Falcon Crest, Doogie Howser, M.D., Murder, She Wrote and The Practice.

She returned to Broadway as Beatrice in a revival of A View From the Bridge in 1983 and as Helga in the original production of M. Butterfly in 1988.

She and Grosbard had no children. Her survivors include another nephew, John, and a niece, Lisa.r

Kelsey Grammer Settles Into New Boston Bar In ‘Frasier’ Trailer

Grammer returns as the titular character in the first two episodes premiering October 12 followed by new episodes every Thursday.

The series follows Frasier as he returns to Boston to embark on a new chapter of life back at his old stomping grounds with new challenges, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to fulfill finally. His main goal, however, is to reconnect with his estranged son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott) who is all grown up and a firefighter now living his own life which is now interrupted by his father’s return.

The 10-episode series also stars Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasier’s old college buddy-turned-university professor Alan; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Freddy’s roommate Eve; and Anders Keith as Frasier’s nephew David.

Bebe Neuwirth will reprise the role of Lilith, ex-wife of Frasier and mother of Freddy, which originated in the hit NBC series Cheers. Peri Gilpin, who played Roz in the original Frasier, is also returning.

Additionally, a special titled Frasier: Inside the Series will air on October 7 via CBS, giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at how the new series came together. The half-hour special will be available to stream a day later via Paramount+ and simultaneously be available via the service’s official YouTube and Facebook pages, Pluto TV and Mixible.

‘Big Mouth’ Gets Season 7 Premiere Date, Teaser; Megan Thee Stallion, Chloe Fineman, Billy Porter Among Guest Stars

Inspired by Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg’s childhood, Big Mouth is about the glorious nightmare that is puberty. It follows a group of friends and their hormone monsters as they navigate adolescence, human sexuality and coming of age.

As we reported exclusively in April, Big Mouth was renewed for an eighth and final season. With the pickup of Season 8, Big Mouth becomes the longest-running scripted original series in Netflix history, outside of Kids & Family programming. It surpasses Grace and Frankie, which ran for seven seasons.

The upcoming Season 7 follows the now teenage students of Bridgeton middle school as they make their way to high school. Change is the only constant as our characters are faced with a new school, new friends, new adversaries, and new Hormone Monsters.

Kroll, Goldberg, Mark Levin and Jennifer Flackett are creators and executive producers of Big Mouth, which is produced by Netflix. Kroll leads Big Mouth‘s voice cast, which also includes John Mulaney, Maya Rudolph, Jason Mantzoukas, Jordan Peele, Fred Armisen and Jenny Slate.

Check out the teaser above.

Rena Sofer Returning to 'General Hospital' as Lois Cerullo After Leaving Soap 26-Years Ago

Rena Sofer — the 54-year-old actress who won an Daytime Emmy for playing Lois Cerullo, the effervescent, fast-talking, long fingernail wearing, Italian bella donna with the thick Brooklyn accent — is returning to the beloved ABC soap opera after a 26 year absence, the network has confirmed exclusively to PEOPLE.

It's a big treat for viewers, who will remember Lois as one-half of one of the soap world's most popular supercouples of the '90s, alongside Wally Kurth's Ned Ashton. The character was played by Daytime Emmy winner Lesli Kay from 2005 to 2005.

Sofer, who taped her first scenes this week, will be on-air come October.

Lois' reappearance comes at a time when Ned, her ex-husband, is suffering from amnesia — which is nothing but bad news for his current wife, Olivia (Lisa LoCicero), especially since he thinks he's Eddie Maine, Ned's alter ego who was a leather-loving rock star (literally) 30 years ago. Back in 1993, Lois immediately took a liking to Eddie after seeing him perform with his band, The Idle Rich. She went on to work as his manager, not knowing at the time that Eddie was actually the wealthy Ned Ashton by day and Eddie by night.

The two eventually fell in love and got married. But being a soap opera and all, the happily ever after was just a blip on the screen because he was also forced to wed Katherine Bell (Mary Beth Evans), who was blackmailing Ned's family, the Quartermaines.

After finding out that her Eddie was a bigamist, Lois popped out of Katherine's giant birthday cake and greeted her with "Happy Birthday to Mrs. Ned Ashton, from the other Mrs. Ned Ashton!" And that was the end of Lois and Ned's marriage, at least for a little while.

Ned did everything in his power to win Lois back, and he eventually succeeded. He proposed, she said yes, and they got married. But they hit a rough patch when she gave him an ultimatum — their marriage or his loyalty to his family and its business, ELQ — and he chose the family business.

Lois left town in 1997with a broken heart and headed back to her hometown of Bensonhurst, New York, where she gave birth to their daughter, Brook Lynn (currently played by Amanda Setton).

Fast forwarding to show's recent storyline, Ned — who now goes by the surname Quartermaine — is married to Olivia but that marriage isn't doing well because of Ned's amnesia. Although they have agreed that they're better off as friends, Olivia is truly falling in love with him.

Needless to say, this is the perfect time for Lois to pop into the picture.

Soap fans began to speculate — or maybe it was just wishful thinking — that Sofer would return to GH when she left her role as Quinn Fuller on The Bold and the Beautiful after nine years. The actress — who off-camera, shares a daughter with Kurth, whom she was married to from 1995 to 1997 — has also had memorable roles on Melrose Place, Seinfeld and Two and a Half Men.

Lois' presence could turn both Olivia and the Quatermaine family's worlds upside-down depending on how Ned/Eddie reacts when he sees her.

Will Lois just pop into town to check on her daughter and then pop right out? Or is there more to her stay? Will the amnesiac Ned think that he is still married to — and therefore, still in love with — Lois, leaving Olivia outta luck? ABC is remaining tight-lipped about the upcoming storyline.

Sofer's return isn't the only big news coming out of General Hospital. John J. York (Mac), 64, announced Wednesday in a video posted to his social media accounts that he is in treatment for two blood and bone marrow disorders, which he was diagnosed with in December 2022.

“Over the past many months, I’ve had three bone marrow biopsies, many chemo treatments, I have another one coming up in a couple of weeks, and I’m closing in on a blood stem cell transplant,” York said.

He added that he will be out at GH for at least three or four months as treatment continues.

Disney Entertainment TV Studios Suspend Deals With Producers, Including Yara Shahidi, Justin Hartley & Billy Porter, Will Pay Assistants Amid Strikes

I hear the bulk of the pacts with non-writing producers across Disney TV Entertainment divisions are impacted, including deals at Disney Television Studios’ 20th Television and ABC Signature, FX Productions and Disney Branded Television. The move involves producers who are not performing services due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

According to sources, Disney will pay for the suspended term deals to provide salaries for their assistants through the end of 2023 and for their development executives through the first week of October.

I hear the list of suspensions include deals with Not Dead Yet star Gina Rodriguez and ThIs Is Us alums Justin Hartley, Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore at 20th Television, Yara Shahidi (grown-ish) and director-producer Marc Webb (Rebel) at ABC Signature as well as The Bear executive producer Hiro Murai, Pose alum Billy Porter and Stacey Sher at FX Productions. Producers are still being notified; we will update the list if more names surface. Reps for Disney declined comment.

The expansive overall agreement of one of Disney TV Studios’ highest-profile non-writing producers, Warren Littlefield, remains ongoing for the time being as he is still working on the upcoming fifth season of FX’s Fargo, I hear.

Disney joins Warner Bros. Television, NBCUniversal Studio Group and CBS Studios, which all implemented rounds of deal suspensions over the past week.

WBTV’s list of suspensions included marquee names such as Greg Berlanti, Bill Lawrence and Mindy Kaling. The NBCUniversal studios — both film and TV — suspended the pacts for all non-writing producers who no longer can render services as a result of the ongoing strikes, including Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video and Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks Prods. CBS Studios put on pause several deals with with non-writing producers, including Phil McGraw and his production company Stage 29 and DeVon Franklin and his Franklin Entertainment. The studio also will continue to pay salaries to assistants associated with the suspended term deals through the end of 2023.

TV studios initiated the first wave of suspending overall and first-look deals –- primarily with writers — in early May, just days into the WGA strike. There have been more rolling suspensions over the past couple of months as more producers wrapped work on shows amid an industry production shutdown.

The new wave comes as the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes are stretching into the fall and no time table has been set for the studios and the writers to resume negotiations. In a departure from the 2007-08 writers strike, there have been no deal terminations yet.

Nancy Frangione Dies: ‘Another World’, ‘All My Children’ Actor Was 70

Born in Barnstable, Frangione first appeared in the role of Tara Martin on ABC’s All My Children, which she portrayed from 1977-79. She went from there to her best known role as Cecile on Another World, from 1981-84, winning Soap Opera Digest‘s Outstanding Villainess award for her performance. She went on to reprise the role several times over a 10-year period, from 1986 to 1996.

In 1985, she filled in for Andrea Evans as Tina Lord on ABC’s One Life to Live. Her primetime television credits include include her portrayal of Fran Fine’s cousin Marsha on CBS’ The Nanny and guest-starring roles on Highway To Heaven, Matlock and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. She also appeared in the role of Bonnie in TV movies Sharing Richard in 1988, and as Maggie in 1990’s In the Line of Duty: A Cop Killing.

Here’s a clip of the Blaine/Sandy/Cecile Triangle in Another World: Video.

Nancy Frangione, Soap Opera Actor in ‘Another World’ and ‘All My Children,’ Dies at 70

Frangione began her role as Tara Martin in “All My Children” in 1977, and portrayed that character until 1979. She was best known for playing Cecile DePoulignac in the soap opera “Another World,” a role she reprised many times in the years from 1986 to 1996. Cecile was known as a scheming antagonist in the show and was involved in a love triangle with the characters Blaine and Sandy. After their affair, the Sandy and Cecile characters married and had a daughter, Maggie, and the marriage later split up. As Cecile, Frangione earned Soap Opera Digest’s Outstanding Villainess award.

Additionally, Frangione filled in for Andrea Evans as the character Tina Lord on the soap opera “One Life to Live.” She also played Fran Fine’s cousin Marsha on the sitcom “The Nanny” and guest starred in “Highway to Heaven,” “Matlock,” and “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.” She also played the role of Bonnie in the television film “Sharing Richard” (1988) and the role of Maggie in the television film “In the Line of Duty: A Cop Killing” (1990).

On Broadway, she performed in “Equus” in 1974.

Frangione is survived by her daughter, whom she shared with her ex-husband Christopher Rich, who co-starred alongside her in “Another World.”t

‘The Gilded Age’ Gets Season 2 Premiere Date At HBO; Trailer & First-Look Photos Unveiled

The series is set during the titular Gilden Age in America, a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand new systems and of huge fortunes made and lost.

Season 2 of The Gilded Age begins on Easter morning 1883, with the news that Bertha Russell’s (Carrie Coon) bid for a box at the Academy of Music has been rejected. Throughout the season, Bertha challenges Mrs. Astor (Donna Murphy) and the old system and works to not only gain a foothold in Society but to potentially take a leading role in it.

George Russell (Morgan Spector) takes on his own battle with a growing union at his steel plant in Pittsburgh. In the Brook House, Marian (Louisa Jacobson) continues her journey to find her way in the world secretly teaching at a girls’ school while much to everyone’s surprise Ada (Cynthia Nixon) begins a new courtship. Of course, Agnes (Christine Baranski) approves of none of it.

In Brooklyn, the Scott family begins to heal from a shocking discovery, and Peggy (Denée Benton) taps into her activist spirit through her work with T. Thomas Fortune at the NY Globe.

Julian Fellowes serves as the period drama’s creator/writer/executive producer. Bob Greenblatt, Gareth Neame, Salli Richardson-Whitfield and David Crockett also EP alongside director, Michael Engler; writer Sonja Warfield. The Gilded Age is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Billy Porter Says He’s Been Forced To Sell House Due To Strikes

The Frasier sequel series from Paramount+ is set to premiere on October 12 with two episodes followed by a weekly drop of new episodes every Thursday. Internationally, Frasier premieres a day later with new episodes available on Fridays.

Additionally, CBS will air first two episodes will be broadcast on October 17.

Kelsey Grammer returns to portray the titular character who has returned to Boston, where everybody knows your name, as his grown son Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott) is a firefighter. Frasier is also embarking on a new chapter of his life back in his old stomping grounds with new challenges, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to fulfill finally.

The 10-episode series also stars Nicholas Lyndhurst as Frasier’s old college buddy-turned-university professor Alan; Toks Olagundoye as Olivia, Alan’s colleague and head of the university’s psychology department; Jess Salgueiro as Freddy’s roommate Eve; and Anders Keith as Frasier’s nephew David.

Bebe Neuwirth will reprise the role of Lilith, ex-wife of Frasier and mother of Freddy, which originated in the hit NBC series Cheers. Peri Gilpin, who played Roz in the original Frasier, is also returning.

Frasier hails from writers Chris Harris and Joe Cristalli, who executive produce with Kelsey Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. The series is produced by CBS Studios, in association with Grammer’s Grammnet NH Productions.

The first two episodes of the new series are directed by director and television creator James Burrows, who is best known for his work as co-creator, executive producer and director of the critically acclaimed series Cheers, as well as the original series Frasier, Will & Grace and Dear John. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution outside of the Paramount+ markets.

Listen to the new version of the theme song Tossed Salads & Scrambled Egg in the video above.

Billy Porter Says He’s Been Forced To Sell House Due To Strikes

“I have to sell my house… Because we’re on strike. And I don’t know when we’re gonna go back [to work],” said Porter in an interview with Evening Standard, in support of his music career. “The life of an artist, until you make f**k-you money — which I haven’t made yet — is still cheque-to-cheque. I was supposed to be in a new movie and on a new television show starting in September. None of that is happening.”

Continued Porter, with reference to a July Deadline article quoting an anonymous exec on the WGA strike, “So to the person who said, ‘We’re going to starve them out until they have to sell their apartments’ — you’ve already starved me out.”

The actor’s comments come just under 100 days into the writers guild’s strike against studios and streamers, which wouldn’t agree to the terms of the new film and TV contract it has been pursuing. The thesps are themselves 26 days into their own labor dispute.

Porter highlighted his personal situation in part to dispute a notion of the actors strike among “some lay people” — that it’s simply about “a bunch of millionaires trying to get more millions,” rather than about cementing the financial security of the many in the working class.

The actor lamented that while the industry once arranged its deals to “allow for” its performers to make a decent living, that same prospect has become impossible following the streaming boom. “There’s no contract for [streaming]…And they don’t have to be transparent with the numbers — it’s not Nielsen ratings anymore,” he explained. “The streaming companies are notoriously opaque with their viewership figures. The business has evolved. So the contract has to evolve and change, period.”

Porter also took aim in the piece at the July 13th comments of Disney CEO Bob Iger, who while at the Sun Valley Conference, called the WGA and SAG-AFTRA unrealistic in their demands, expressing the belief that their steadfast commitment to their deal points has been “very disruptive” to an industry already weakened by Covid.

“To hear Bob Iger say that our demands for a living wage are unrealistic? While he makes $78,000 a day? I don’t have any words for it, but: f**k you,” said Porter. “That’s not useful, so I’ve kept my mouth shut. I haven’t engaged because I’m so enraged… When I go back [to the states from London] I will join the picket lines.”

Best known for making history at the Emmys, as the first openly gay Black man to win Drama Lead Actor with Pose, Porter will next be seen starring opposite Luke Evans in the custody battle drama Our Son, which world premiered at this year’s Tribeca Festival. Also coming up for him is a James Baldwin biopic he’ll co-write and star in for Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group Motion Pictures, which was announced back in April.o

Chris Noth breaks silence on abuse allegations: 'I'm not going to lay down and just say it's over'

Though he’d like people to believe that and to resume his career, Noth knows ugly allegations about him linger.

"I strayed on my wife, and it's devastating to her and not a very pretty picture," he says. "What it isn't is a crime."

The story about two women’s sexual assault accusations against the actor surfaced in December 2021, a week after the premiere of Max's "And Just Like That," the sequel to "Sex and the City," in which his character, Carrie Bradshaw's husband John "Mr. Big" Preston, dies of a heart attack. Another three women came forward, saying he also assaulted them. Stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon issued a statement saying they supported and commended the women for coming forward.

Noth lost a $12 million deal for his tequila brand, was fired from CBS drama "The Equalizer," was dropped from a Peloton ad, was cut from the season finale of "And Just Like That" and was shunned by the industry.

Chris Noth played Mr. Big on "Sex and the City" from 1998 to 2004.

As of today, the actor, 68, has a new venture. He’s the face of Samuelsohn, a bespoke suit company launching a campaign to raise awareness about men’s mental health. This interview stems from his role in the campaign, for which he is being paid in clothes, not cash. Samuelsohn has pledged donations to men's mental health. More than 6 million men in the U.S. suffer from depression, according to Mental Health America.

Noth stands by his initial statement that any sexual encounters he was involved in were consensual and says the worst thing he did was commit adultery.

"You give yourself the same excuses that many men do; it's just a little side dance, and it's fun," he says. "You're not hurting anybody. No one's going to know about this, you know, and sex is just enjoyable. And suddenly, a lot of people want to have sex with you. It's like, 'Well, I'm not going to get this chance again.'"

No criminal charges have been filed. That’s hardly an anomaly: The National Sexual Violence Resource Center estimates that 63% of rapes are not reported to police. Gloria Allred, the lawyer representing some of the women, declined to comment for this story.

Still, this isn’t going away. Noth acknowledges that civil lawsuits remain a distinct possibility.

"That's a money train for a lot of people," he says.

Although Noth initially didn't want to comment beyond repeating his original statement, he elaborates for the first time on the scandal and its effects. The allegations from women in Los Angeles and New York date back to 2004.

"There's nothing I can say to change anyone's mind when you have that kind of a tidal wave," Noth says. "It sounds defensive. I'm not. There's no criminal court. There's no criminal trial. There's nothing for me to get on the stand about and get my story out, get witnesses. And there's even more absurd add-ons that are completely ridiculous, that have absolutely no basis in fact. And I don't like talking about it because as soon as I do, you'll get the Daily Mail or someone grabbing a part of it and doing it, and I don't want my kids seeing that."

Over Zoom from Toronto, Samuelsohn CEO Stephen Granovsky explains the concept behind the mental health campaign and choosing Noth.

"When we embarked on how to celebrate our hundredth birthday, we wanted to do it with purpose," Granovsky says. "We really believe in our people feeling good about what they're doing and our customers feeling good about what they're wearing. And frankly, when it comes to us, it's really about how it fits and making you feel comfortable in your own skin, and that goes a long way to giving you the confidence to do so much."

As for the actor, "there just isn't another character in modern times that looks better, feels better, is more proud to wear a suit than Chris was in 'Sex and the City,'" Granovsky says. "Today, many years later, he looks every bit as good. He wears it with such confidence and such pride that I'm proud to have him wear the suit."

Noth, wearing a blue Samuelsohn suit at a SoHo hotel restaurant this summer, says he has laid low because he's intent on protecting his sons and wife. The 3-year-old is too young to understand what has happened, which Noth describes as "being slimed." He has had heart-to-heart talks with his 15-year-old. Since the allegations and fallout, Noth says, he has tended to his mental health by spending time with his family, hiking and meditating.

Before playing Carrie Bradshaw's Mr. Big and Alicia Florrick's philandering husband on CBS drama "The Good Wife," Noth was Mike Logan, the hard-boiled detective on NBC's "Law & Order." He also appeared on several other shows produced by Dick Wolf, another person Noth says he hasn't heard from since the accusations surfaced.

A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Noth has acted in many plays, including two on Broadway. He's now directing and performing in Ionesco’s "Rhinoceros" at a theater in Massachusetts' Berkshire mountains area.

"I'm not going to lay down and just say it's over," he says. "It's a salacious story, but it's just not a true one. And I can't just say 'Well, OK, that's it for me' because of that. I'm an actor. I have other things that I want to do creatively. And I have children to support. I can't just rest on my laurels. So yeah, I have enough to let a year drift, but I don't know how to gauge or judge getting back into the club, the business, because corporations are frightened.

"People are afraid of all this. Fear is the overriding operative word when it comes to whether they believe it or not. ... I have to just continue on. It's rough, because people are scared, and their fear leads them. And I have to just persevere because I still have a creative life."

Billy Porter Joins Producing Team Of Broadway-Aimed Billy Strayhorn Bio-Musical Starring Darius De Haas

Porter, a Pittsburgh native, will serve as a producer of the musical, which runs from September 19 to October 8 at the O’Reilly.

Starring as the great jazz composer, lyricist and arranger (“Take the ‘A’ Train,” “Lush Life,” among many others) will be Darius de Haas, whose Broadway credits include Shuffle Along, Rent and Carousel, and most recently provided the vocals for the Shy Baldwin character on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. J.D. Mollison (Les Miserables) will portray Strayhorn’s frequent collaborator Duke Ellington.

“People don’t know or appreciate who Billy Strayhorn was,” said Porter in a statement. “He was an accomplished musical genius and an openly gay Black man back in the day. His story needs to be told, and Darius de Haas is the perfect person to bring Strayhorn to life. This new musical, under the inspired direction of Kent Gash, deserves to have its world premiere in Pittsburgh where Strayhorn first discovered his love of music. I am proud to be a producer on this thrilling musical that finally tells his personal story.”

Porter’s involvement in the jazz musical was announced today by Pittsburgh Public Theater. Porter is an Emmy, Tony, and Grammy award-winning actor, singer, director, producer, composer, and playwright. He won a Tony Award as a producer of A Strange Loop.

The Strayhorn musical is co-written by Rob Zellers and Kent Gash, with Gash (Paradise Blue, City Theatre) directing. The production features music and lyrics by Strayhorn and a nine-piece jazz band led by Matthew Whitaker.

Strayhorn’s body of work includes such standards as “Take the ‘A’ Train,” “Something to Live For,” “Day Dream” and “Lush Life,” and his body of work spanned Broadway, film music, international jazz festivals and venues as varied as Carnegie Hall and Canada’s Stratford Theatre Festival. After growing up in Pittsburgh, he settled in Harlem and joined the Duke Ellington orchestra, beginning a 30-year collaboration with Ellington that was one of the most prolific and greatest in jazz music. Strayhorn was a strong supporter of the civil rights movement and a personal friend of Martin Luther King, Jr. His life was cut short when he died in 1967 at the age of 51.

Lindsay Lohan reveals Jamie Lee Curtis’ gift for newborn baby boy Luai

Just a few weeks after Lindsay Lohan and husband Bader Shammas welcomed their son Luai, the “Mean Girls” star revealed that Curtis sent her nearly a dozen different children’s books.

“Thank you so much Jamie!” Lohan shared on her Instagram Story, showing a bag full of books and a few already laid out on the couch.

The “Halloween” actress also seemingly gifted the new mother a gray blanket, while the note on the bag of books read, “A warm welcome to your Luai — I can’t wait to meet him! XO J.”

Curtis included a few of her own books in the package, such as “My Mommy Hung The Moon” and “Where Do Balloons Go?”

Lohan, 36, and Curtis, 64, have remained close ever since playing mother and daughter in 2003’s “Freaky Friday.”

In fact, Curtis was one of the first celebrities to congratulate Lohan following the birth of her first son last month.

“MAGIC MONDAY! My movie daughter just made me a movie grandmother,” the Oscar winner wrote on Instagram at the time. “Blessings to Lindsay and Bader for the birth of Luai! @lindsaylohan.”

Prior to the little one’s arrival, the “Everything Everywhere All At Once” star gushed about how excited she was to watch her friend become a mother.

“My friend and film daughter @lindsaylohan is growing up! So thrilled for her. What a mama she will be,” Curtis wrote on Instagram in April alongside photos from Lohan’s baby shower.

And it turns out Curtis wasn’t the only one overjoyed by the former teen star’s new chapter.

Lindsay’s mother, Dina Lohan, told People last month that she was “overwhelmed with love and joy” about the baby news.

Meanwhile, the actress’ sister, Aliana Lohan, had also gushed to the outlet about the “Parent Trap” star’s pregnancy weeks before she officially became a mother.

“My sister is an actual angel on earth. She’s one of the most caring, kind, humble, brilliant, stunningly beautiful, talented people,” Aliana told People.

“I’m not just saying that because she’s my sister. She’s incredible, and she’s a born mama. I love her so much, and I really look up to her so much.”

Lindsay’s other siblings include brothers Dakota and Michael Jr., who has a 2-year-old daughter named Isabel..

Brad Pitt Hits Brakes On F1 Film Production In Support Of Strike

The Oscar winner is currently in Europe filming Apex, but a source has told UK media that production has been cancelled.

The Sun reports that:

“Brad agreed that they would finish shoots booked in but has postponed planned production over the next two months.

“The cast and crew of Apex have been filming in Budapest (Hungary, central Europe) but Brad has called for the future dates to be put back, in solidarity with everyone striking.

“Postponing the production was a massive call, especially financially, but Brad has listened to the concerns of the people he works with and wants to show his support.”

Another source has told Deadline that the crew were scheduled to film at the The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps frequently referred to as Spa, in Belgium this weekend – with the country’s real-life Grand Prix taking place on Sunday – but this won’t now be happening.

The next planned dates for shooting are Las Vegas in November, by which time everyone involved is hoping for a resolution to the current impasse between writers, actors and studios.

Pitt is starring in the film as well as producing, the latter alongside former world champion Lewis Hamilton. The team recently joined real-life Grand Prix teams at the British race at Silverstone in England, where Pitt joined the F1 drivers’ race briefing and later took to the track himself, reaching speeds of a reported 150mph.

Actor and Fitness Trainer Jeff Phillips Live

Jeff left acting behind to run Jeff Phillip Fitness where he trains exclusive clientele where together they address short and long-term goals. Jeff specializes in whole body wellness.

Pamela Blair Dies: ‘A Chorus Line’ Star, ‘All My Children’ Daytime Emmy Nominee Was 73

Her death was reported by friends on social media, including her A Chorus Line co-star Baayork Lee. “I am very sad to say my Sagittarian sister Pam Blair has gone to play with her [A Chorus Line] colleagues among the clouds,” wrote Lee in a Facebook post. Sharing a Dec. 5 birthday, the two actors “always wrote to one another no matter where we were on that day,” Lee said, recalling how Blair ” brought the house down every night” with the showstopping performance of “Dance: Ten, Looks: Three.”

“You are free now Pammie so dance, dance, dance among the stars,” Lee wrote.

Blair’s signature song, a paean to the show-biz benefits of plastic surgery, is perhaps more commonly known as “T&A,” due to its repeated reference to the body parts – explicitly stated – so enhanced.

The actual title of the comic song referred to the scores given to the Val character by a Broadway casting director after an audition. “I was ugly, homely, skinny, unattractive and flat as a pancake,” Blair-as-Val said in the song’s introduction. “Get the picture?” The character was loosely based on Blair’s own story, minus the plastic surgery.

She “was a part of the musical from the very first workshop,” tweeted the official account of the late Chorus Line composer Marvin Hamlisch. “Our thoughts are with her loved ones and fans.”

Blair had already appeared on Broadway in Promises, Promises, Wild and Wonderful, Sugar and Seesaw when she was cast as “Curly’s Wife” in an Of Mice and Men revival starring James Earl Jones. Michael Bennett, who had choreographed Promises, Promises, then invited Blair to participate in the creation of A Chorus Line.

Following that show’s success, Blair went on to originate the stage role of “Amber/Angel” in 1978’s The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. She later appeared on Broadway in King of Hearts, The Nerd and A Few Good Men, directed by her then-husband Don Scardino.

On television, Blair appeared in, among other shows, Ryan’s Hope, Loving, Another World, Sabrina The Teenage Witch and, in a guest role that earned her a 1987 Daytime Emmy nomination, All My Children. Film credits include Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite, Annie, and 21 Grams.

Lindsay Lohan Gives Birth to Baby Boy

A rep for Lindsay tells us the actress and her husband, Bader Shammas, welcomed Luai Shammas -- which means "shield or protector" in Arabic -- after Lohan delivered the baby boy in Dubai ... where she and Bader call home. The rep adds, "The family is over the moon in love."

A source close to Lindsay tells us she gave birth Monday, and some members of her family are soon to be on their way to Dubai to meet Luai.

Remember, Lindsay revealed she was pregnant back in March ... which, of course, came with an outpouring of support from her famous friends and family.

TMZ was first to report Lindsay was going to be giving birth to a boy.

As we told you, Lindsay and Bader spent some QT time with her fam in the Big Apple in April, before flying home to Dubai to prepare to give birth. It was the first time her parents, Dina and Michael, her brothers Cody and Michael Jr., and her sister, Aliana had been together in at least 7 years.

Since announcing the news, the actress has been beaming with excitement ... showing off her baby bump and telling us... "We are very excited for our new family member to arrive and we are looking forward to this next chapter of our lives!"

As we reported, Lindsay and Bader tied the knot last summer ... an announcement that came on her birthday. The two started dating just before the pandemic shut down the world, and in November 2021 she announced their engagement.

And now, they have started growing their own little family.

Congrats to the new fam!!!

Dishing with Digest 7/14/23 - Walt Willey

Ray Liotta Lands Posthumous Best Supporting Emmy Nom For Apple TV+ Miniseries ‘Black Bird’

Liotta played Big Jim Keene, the former police officer who is devastated when his football hero son Jimmy (Taron Egerton) is sentenced to a decade in prison for drug dealing. Big Jim encourages his son to accept an FBI offer to go from a minimum security to maximum security prison so that he can bond with Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), who is suspected to be a serial killer who may have murdered 18 girls. Hall leads investigators just short of an acknowledgment of the crime and whereabout of the bodies, and young Keene is tasked with discovering the whereabouts of those bodies, or determining that Hall is a serial confessor rather than a murderer.

Liotta’s daughter, actress Karsen Liotta, thanked the Academy in a statement provided to Deadline.

“I am so grateful to the members of the Television Academy for honoring my Dad with this nomination. He was so incredibly proud of his performance in “Black Bird,” and it would mean the world to him to be nominated alongside Taron and Paul.”

Liotta, best known for his work in films that include Goodfellas, Something Wild, Field of Dreams and Cop Land, died in his sleep of heart and respiratory ailments while shooting Dangerous Waters in the Dominican Republic. But his work lives on.

Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations - Soap Stars

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

Welcome To Chippendales • Hulu • 20th Television
Murray Bartlett as Nick De Noia

Black Bird • Apple TV+ • Apple Studios
Paul Walter Hauser as Larry Hall

Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story • Netflix • Ryan Murphy Productions for Netflix
Richard Jenkins as Lionel Dahmer

Beef • Netflix • A Netflix Series / An A24 Production
Joseph Lee as George Nakai

Black Bird • Apple TV+ • Apple StudiosRay Liotta as Big Jim Keene

Beef • Netflix • A Netflix Series / An A24 Production
Young Mazino as Paul Cho

Love & Death • HBO Max • HBO Max in association with David E. Kelley Productions, Blossom Films, Whatever Lola Wants Productions, and LionsgateJesse Plemons as Allan Gore

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

The Last Of Us • Long, Long Time • HBO Max • HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog
Murray Bartlett as Frank

Succession • Church And State • HBO Max • HBO in association with Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions and Hot Seat Productions
James Cromwell as Ewan Roy

The Last Of Us • Endure And Survive • HBO Max • HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog
Lamar Johnson as Henry Burrell

Succession • Honeymoon States • HBO Max • HBO in association with Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions and Hot Seat Productions
Arian Moayed as Stewy Hosseini

The Last Of Us • Long, Long Time • HBO Max • HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog
Nick Offerman as Bill

The Last Of Us • Endure And Survive • HBO Max • HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog
Keivonn Montreal Woodard as Sam Burrell

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

Ted Lasso • Mom City • Apple TV+ • Apple presents a Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Becky Ann Baker as Dottie Lasso

Saturday Night Live • Host: Quinta Brunson • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Quinta Brunson as Host

Abbott Elementary • Mom • ABC • Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television
Taraji P. Henson as Vanetta

Poker Face • Time Of The Monkey • Peacock • T-Street, MRC Television, Animal Pictures
Judith Light as Irene Smothers

Ted Lasso • Smells Like Mean Spirit • Apple TV+ • Apple presents a Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Sarah Niles as Dr. Sharon Fieldstone

Ted Lasso • So Long, Farewell • Apple TV+ • Apple presents a Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television
Harriet Walter as Deborah

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series

Succession • Honeymoon States • HBO Max • HBO in association with Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions and Hot Seat Productions
Hiam Abbass as Marcia

Succession • The Munsters • HBO Max • HBO in association with Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions and Hot Seat Productions
Cherry Jones as Nan Pierce

The Last Of Us • Endure And Survive • HBO Max • HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog
Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen

The Last Of Us • Left Behind • HBO Max • HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog
Storm Reid as Riley Abel

The Last Of Us • Infected • HBO Max • HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog
Anna Torv as Theresa “Tess” Servopoulos

Succession • Church And State • HBO Max • HBO in association with Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions and Hot Seat Productions
Harriet Walter as Lady Caroline Collingwood

Angelina Jolie mercilessly mocks Brad Pitt’s ‘ludicrous’ winemaker affectations

Ex-wife Angelina Jolie filed court papers Monday that merciless mock the “Ad Astra” star for his claims to have “built” their French wine business, painting him as a Hollywood dilettante who — despite his claims — has at most “visited the vineyards to admire the work of the French laborers who actually made the business.”

The superstar has styled himself as something of a gentleman farmer in recent years, more concerned with the terroir of their Château Miraval estate than the foibles of Tinsel Town.

“I’m a farmer now,” Pitt, 59, told Wine Spectator back in 2014, “I love learning about the land and which field is most suitable for which grape, the drama of September and October: Are we picking today? Where are the sugar levels? How is the acidity? Is it going to rain? It’s been a schooling for me.”

He added that in the off-months after the harvest, “I enjoy cleaning the forest and walking the land.”

But on Friday, attorneys for Jolie, 48, lodged a cross-complaint in the endless legal battle over the winery, which they bought together in 2011.

The papers lay into claims, previously made by Pitt’s attorneys, that Jolie’s decision to sell off her share in the business has threatened to ruin the project that Pitt has poured so much of himself into, calling the idea that Pitt “built” the business “ludicrous.”

“Pitt is an actor, not a winemaker,” it scoffs. “He deals in illusions, not dirt and grapes.”

It goes on: “During the years that he allegedly ‘built’ the business, he filmed and appeared in dozens of movies, not to mention making countless promotional appearances, jetting-setting [sic] around the world for movie premieres, and attending Hollywood parties.”

It somewhat savagely added: “While he no doubt visited the vineyards to admire the work of the French laborers who actually made the business successful, Pitt is no vigneron.”

As the French say: Ouch.

The complaint claims that Pitt “looted” the business, spending millions of dollars in profits on frivolous projects, including renovating a recording studio.

Jolie’s attorneys says Pitt’s business owes her own holding company $350 million.

He has accused her of selling off her share in the company, contrary to an agreement they made while married, to spite him after their marriage collapsed.

The pair separated in 2016.

A rep for Pitt didn’t respond to our request for comment..

‘Ageless’ Brad Pitt suits up to film Formula 1 movie at British Grand Prix

Brad Pitt was having the “time of [his] life” filming the upcoming Formula 1 movie alongside the professional drivers at the British Grand Prix.

The actor, 59, lined up alongside world champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen before the race Sunday, while filming scenes with his co-star Damson Idris.

The pair, who play drivers Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce in the Joe Kosinski-directed flick, wore custom black and white race suits for the fictional team “APXGP.”

“Brad Pitt is ageless,” one fan tweeted when the actor was shown on the broadcast, while hundreds of others said they were looking forward to the movie’s release.

The Oscar winner told Sky Sports he was feeling “a little giddy” before walking out on the starting grid.

“I’ve got to say, it’s great to be here. Having such a laugh, time of my life,” he said.

Pitt also divulged some plot details about the untitled Apple film, which is being produced by “Top Gun: Maverick” heavyweight Jerry Bruckheimer.

“I would be a guy who raced in the ’90s. He has a horrible crash, kind of craps out and disappears, and then is racing in other disciplines,” he explained.

“And then his friend, played by Javier Bardem, is a team owner. They’re a last place team, they’re 21 or 22 on the grid, they’ve never scored a point. And they have a young phenom, played by Damson Idris, and he brings me in as kind of a hail mary. And hijinks ensue.”

The movie’s fictional team had a high-profile presence in the paddock and pitlane at the British Grand Prix, with “APXGP” even getting its own garage area between Mercedes and Ferrari.

Pitt, along with two stunt drivers, were also seen driving the film’s modified Formula 2 cars around the Silverstone circuit throughout the weekend.

“I’ll tell you what’s amazing about it. You see the cameras mounted all over the car. You’ve never seen speed, you’ve never seen G-force like this. It’s really, really exciting,” the actor said.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton, who is also a producer on the film, revealed Pitt and Kosinski joined the pre-race driver’s meeting and calling the moment “probably the best drivers’ briefing we’ve ever had.”

However, Pitt wasn’t the only celebrity spotted at the track.

Cara Delevigne, Florence Pugh, Liam Payne and Hamilton’s rumored flame Shakira were all on hand to watch Verstappen clinch his eighth victory of the 2023 season.

“Having such a laugh, time of my life,” Pitt said.

Brad Pitt Attends British Grand Prix To Film Scenes For Apple Formula One Film

The Oscar winner met fans and posed for photographs in the paddock at the Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire, England.

Pitt is working with former F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton on the film for Apple Original Films, and F1 is collaborating on the project, which means access all areas for the all-star cast and crew. CNN reports that Pitt and his co-stars will even film their own pitstop beside the famous track.

Formula 1 drivers revealed they enjoyed having Brad Pitt in their official pre-race meeting at Silverstone on Friday, with Lewis Hamilton calling it “probably the best drivers’ briefing we’ve ever had.”

And Pitt also took to the track where he was reported to have reached speeds of 150mph.

Pitt will star as a former driver returning to the sport with a fictional F1 team, alongside actor Damson Idris (Snowfall) as his teammate.

Interest in Formula One has mushroomed in recent years with much credit going to Netflix behind-the-scenes documentary series Drive to Survive. Max Verstappen is currently leading the real-life drivers’ championship.

Trailer for Praise Petey

Brad Pitt in Silverstone pit lane as F1 gears up for Hollywood action

The actor was turning laps around the circuit as part of filming for a movie about F1. His adviser and driving coach was seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton, who is co-producer of the project, said he wasn’t able to judge much when he watched Pitt practice two weeks ago but he has already been impressed by the Hollywood star's driving skills.

“I mean, he was just coming by flat out,” Hamilton said with a laugh on Thursday. “But we did do a day together at a track in L.A., and for someone that hasn’t raced he’s definitely already got a keen eye.

“He loves watching MotoGP (motorcycling), and so he’s always been a racing enthusiast. And he had already a knack for the lines, and he was fully, fully on it. Just good to see.”

Fans at Silverstone will get to see the car on the track themselves during specific filming slots. and the fictional Apex team has been given a garage in the pit lane, between Mercedes and Ferrari.

The driver boards bear the unfamiliar names of Sonny Hayes and Joshua Pearce — also known as Pitt and British actor Damson Idris.

The film is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Joseph Kosinski, who both worked on “Top Gun: Maverick.”

“Joe is an incredible director and you already saw what he’s done with fighter jets, what he did with Maverick,” Hamilton said. “So if you just think about what he’s done with that in terms of the dogfights you saw on those jets, was pretty epic.

“And bringing that in, that technology and that viewpoint into our world, I think it’s going to be amazing.”

F1 is looking to build on the success of the behind-the-scenes “Drive to Survive” docudrama — the Netflix show that helped to finally capture the elusive American audience.

And to that end the series’ organizers have been supportive of the Hollywood project.

“I’ve been really incredibly grateful to them,” Hamilton said. “I don’t know if this would have been possible 10-plus years ago when the old management was in place. They wouldn’t have perhaps seen this as an important step in terms of the sport’s growth.

“But we’ve already seen the great work and impact of the Netflix show, and I think this will take it to new heights beyond that.”

According to details already divulged, Pitt stars as a racing driver who comes out of retirement to compete alongside an up-and-coming rookie against the titans of the series.

That helps solve one problem in how the 59-year-old Pitt can convincingly portray an F1 driver, with the average age a lot younger in the high-intensity series.

“Well, firstly, Brad looks like he’s aging backwards,” Hamilton said. “I mean, he looks great for his age and … he’s super fit, he’s been training and at the end of the day it’s a movie, so there will be a Hollywood element to it, that will make it believable.

“And Brad is such an iconic actor. He has always done such an incredible job, so I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Brad Pitt in the Formula One movie. I mean, it’s incredible. So I think he’s going to do a great job.”

Billy Porter Breaking Up with Husband

The "Pose" star and Smith "have made the sad decision to end their marriage," according to Billy's rep, Simon Halls ... who told People the split was a mutual decision made after a lot of consideration.

He added the exes will "continue to love and support each other as they embark on this next chapter." It's unclear if either party has filed legal docs for separation or divorce.

Billy and Adam met in 2009 and briefly dated, breaking up the following year ... only to rekindle their relationship in 2015.

They tied the knot in 2017 -- only 16 days after Billy proposed in the U.K. during a double date dinner. Adam claimed Billy wanted to make it official while President Obama was still in office.

Getting married was huge for Billy ... saying the idea of getting hitched as a gay man just wasn't a reality growing up -- so marrying Adam was something that took his breath away.

Television Critics Association Award Nominations

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Christine Baranski, The Good Fight – Paramount+
Kieran Culkin, Succession – HBO | Max
Dominique Fishback, Swarm – Prime Video
Betty Gilpin, Mrs. Davis – Peacock
Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us – HBO | Max
Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us – HBO | Max
Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul – AMC
Sarah Snook, Succession – HBO | Max
Jeremy Strong, Succession – HBO | Max.

Nicolas Coster, Santa Barbara‘s Lionel Lockridge, Dead at 89

“There is great sadness in my heart this evening, my father actor Nicolas Coster has passed on in Florida at 9:01 pm in the hospital,” Coster’s daughter, Dinneen Coster, shared on Facebook. “Please be inspired by his artistic achievements and know he was a real actor’s actor! I will remember him as always doing his best and being a great father. Rest In Peace.”

Coster’s daytime career included stints on the now-defunct soaps Young Doctor Malone, The Secret Storm, Somerset, Another World, As the World Turns, One Life to Live and All My Children.

But it was his turn as the heavily monied Lockridge family patriarch Lionel on Santa Barbara that Coster will be most remembered for. He played the character on and off throughout the beloved series’ 1984-1993 run, earning four Daytime Emmy nominations in the process. He would ultimately pick up his first Daytime Emmy in 2017 for his role as Mayor Jack Madison in the digital soap The Bay.

Coster also guest-starred in dozens of primetime shows, including Wonder Woman, Charlie’s Angels, Buck Rogers, Magnum P.I., T.J. Hooker and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He notably recurred on The Facts of Life as the father of Lisa Whelchel’s Blair Warner.

Coster’s film work included a supporting role in 1976’s All the President’s Men.

“It was an honor to work in a company with him, and I’ll always hold his friendship and his sterling strengths as a professional close to heart,” wrote Coster’s longtime Santa Barbara costar A Martinez on Facebook early Tuesday. “Unsolicited one day, he gave me this profoundly useful advice: ‘What you choose to do with a scene doesn’t have to be the probable thing. You can choose any course imaginable –– no matter how unlikely –– as long as it’s possible.'”

Nicolas Coster Dies: ‘Santa Barbara’, ‘All My Children’, ‘All The President’s Men’ Actor Was 89

His death was announced by his daughter Dinneen Coster on social media. “There is great sadness in my heart this evening, my father actor Nicolas Coster has passed on in Florida at 9:01 pm in the hospital,” Dinneen Coster wrote on Facebook. “Please be inspired by his artistic achievements and know he was a real actor’s actor!”

A cause of death was not given.

A prolific actor whose career spanned decades on television and encompassed both leading and character roles, was born in London to a British mother and a New Zealand father. Raised mostly in California, Coster returned to England to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art then studied acting with Lee Strasberg in New York.

After a few early credited TV roles were in 1950s, Coster landed frequent, if small, roles throughout the ’60s on such series as No Time For Sergeants, Felony Squad, The Green Hornet and N.Y.P.D. In the ’70s he had roles in feature films such as All the President’s Men (1976) and 1776 (1972) but mostly focused on television, with guest roles on The Blue Knight, Charlie’s Angels, Little House on the Prairie, Baretta, Family, The Rockford Files, One Day at a Time, Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk and Dallas.

His ’80s work included feature films Stir Crazy and Reds, and TV series Hart to Hart, Police Squad!, Simon & Simon, Knight Rider, L.A. Law, Thirtysomething, Matlock and many others.

His most recent credits included a 2021 episode of American Crime Story and the 2020 feature The Last Exorcist.

But Coster will likely be best remembered for his memorable performances, both long term and short term, on a raft of daytime soaps: Coster had regular or recurring roles on such series Another World, All My Children, As the World Turns, One Life to Live, Another World, and, perhaps most notably, Santa Barbara, in which he played the wealthy patriarch Lionel Lockridge on and off from 1984 to 1993, accumulating four Daytime Emmy nominations.

In 2017, he won his first Daytime Emmy in the Outstanding Supporting or Guest Actor category for his performance in The Bay.

Complete information on survivors was not immediately available.

Morgan Freeman, Gloria Reuben & Utkarsh Ambudkar Board Veteran Dramedy ‘My Dead Friend Zoe’

The film delving into the lives of military veterans, to highlight both their triumphs and challenges upon returning home, will have the trio starring alongside the previously announced Ed Harris, Sonequa Martin-Green and Natalie Morales.

Written by Hausmann-Stokes and A.J. Bermudez, My Dead Friend Zoe is based on Merit x Zoe, a short that Hausmann-Stokes co-wrote and directed last year, which draws on his personal experience during and after the military, as a Bronze Star combat veteran. The film tells the story of a female veteran (Martin-Green) engaged in a mysterious but comfortable friendship with her wise-cracking (and dead) best friend from the Army (Morales). When the vet is summoned to the remote lake house of her estranged Vietnam vet grandfather (Harris), she is tasked with providing the one thing he refuses…help.

Producers on the project include Paul Scanlan and Terri Lubaroff of Legion M, as well as Richard Silverman of ReCre8 Entertainment, Ray Maiello and Mike Field of Radiant Media Studios, and Robert Paschall Jr. Legion M’s Jeff Annison, David Baxter and Brandi Plants are exec producing alongside Jordan Dykstra, Chris Boshuizen, and Nancy and Joseph Masterson. Co-producers on the pic, cast by Jamie Castro, include Liz Manashil, Maury Sterling, Martin Masterson, Steve Rodosky, Rao Meka and Chris Marvin.

“It’s rare that one of us (veterans) gets the opportunity to tell our own story. Morgan is a fellow vet (Air Force) and I’m honored, humbled for him to join our amazing cast and help us tell this important story,” said Hausmann-Stokes. “Adding Gloria Reuben’s depth and versatility and Utkarsh Ambudkar’s vibrant energy and comedic chops perfectly aligns with my goal to make a more universal and accessible kind of film about the military and veterans; one with as much levity and humor as heart and gravity.”

“The caliber of this all-star cast is a reflection of the quality of the script and the story. We’re thrilled with this gifted team coming together and we’re moved by their profound engagement to the story and purpose,” added Legion M Co-Founder and CEO, Scanlan. “This project, imbued with universal themes, strikes a chord in everyone. We’re also energized by the enthusiastic support from our Legion M community, and reinforced by the embrace of the underserved veteran community – both audiences longing for authentic, relatable narratives told in a compelling way.”

An Academy Award winner known for turns in classic films like The Shawshank Redemption and Million Dollar Baby, Freeman most recently starred opposite Florence Pugh in Zach Braff’s drama A Good Person, released by MGM in March. Among the actor’s other upcoming projects is the spy thriller series Special Ops: Lioness from Taylor Sheridan, which has him starring opposite Zoe Saldana and is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ July 23.

Reuben is known for roles on such series as City on a Hill, Mr. Robot, Cloak & Dagger, Saints & Sinners and ER, among others. The Golden Globe and two-time Emmy nominee has most recently been seen on the film side in titles like Firestarter, The Jesus Rolls and Who We Are Now.

Currently starring opposite Rose McIver on the hit CBS comedy series Ghosts, Ambudkar has previously been seen in notable roles on shows like Never Have I Ever and The Mindy Project. He’ll appear in Netflix’s live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and has been seen on the film side in the Jennifer Lopez starrer Marry Me, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s tick, tick… BOOM!, Ryan Reynolds starrer Free Guy, Sundance darling Brittany Runs a Marathon and more.

Freeman is repped by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Reuben by TalentWorks, Echo Lake Entertainment and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; and Ambudkar by Gersh, 3 Arts Entertainment and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

Eric Roberts Joins Psychological Horror Pic ‘Down Below’ From Filmmaker Spyder Dobrofsky

The plot of Down Below centers around a young sheriff and a criminal suspect who find their lives intertwined when both become haunted by a sinister force on Christmas Eve. Roberts portrays a highly intelligent police psychologist, who’s having a tough time with his current patient, a cop who was recently suspended for an act of violence on a civilian. Pic’s being produced by High Stake Entertainment.

Roberts was most recently seen playing Robert, the father of Margot Robbie’s Nellie LaRoy, in Damien Chazelle’s Old Hollywood epic Babylon for Paramount Pictures, which scored three Oscar noms earlier this year. The always-busy actor is also known for turns in films like Hard Luck Love Song, Head Full of Honey, Inherent Vice, The Expendables and The Dark Knight, among many others. Recent TV credits for him include The Rookie: Feds, Keeping Up with the Joneses, The Righteous Gemstones, Kidding and Suits.

Roberts is repped by Sovereign Talent Group and Scott Carlson Entertainment; Dobrofsky by DB Management.

Lindsay Lohan Having A Baby Boy

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Lindsay and her husband, Bader Shammas, are expecting the little dude, and pretty soon -- we're told she's very close to giving birth.

As we first reported, Lindsay's mother, Dina, will actually be by her side in Dubai for the birth ... and some of Lindsay's siblings will also be overseas around the same time as the birth to meet their new nephew.

Remember, the "Freaky Friday" star made the expecting announcement back in March ... with a swarm of support from fans and friends online.

Lindsay and Bader spent some time with her family in April -- marking the first time she had been with her mom and other members of her fam all together in at least 7 years.

As for the happy couple, they got married last year after sparking a romance just before the pandemic ... and now the 2 have something very exciting to look forward to very soon.

We've reached out to Lindsay's family, but there was no comment.

2024 Hollywood Walk Of Fame Honorees

In the category of Television: Ken Jeong, Eugene Levy, Mario Lopez, Jim Nantz, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Michael Schur, Kerry Washington and Raúl De Molina and Lili Estefan, co-hosts of the television show "El Gordo y La Flaca" (double ceremony)

In the category of Recording: Glen Ballard, Toni Braxton, DEF LEPPARD, Charles Fox, Sammy Hagar, Brandy Norwood, Darius Rucker, Gwen Stefani and Andre "Dr. Dre" Young

In the category of Live Theatre/Live Performance: Jane Krakowski and Otis Redding (posthumous)

In the category of Radio: Angie Martinez

In the category of Sports Entertainment: Billie Jean King and Carl Weathers

Dates have not been scheduled for these star ceremonies.

Recipients have two years to schedule star ceremonies from the date of selection before they expire.

Upcoming star ceremonies are usually announced ten days prior to dedication on the official web site www.walkoffame.com.

Maya Hawke & William H. Macy Among Cast Of New Scripted Podcast ‘Supreme: The Battle For Roe’

Supreme: The Battle for Roe is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will be available on the iHeartRadio app and all major podcast listening platforms beginning June 28 with new episodes available weekly on Wednesdays.

The series follows the journey of Sarah Weddington (Hawke), who at 26, is the youngest woman ever to argue a case in the Supreme Court. Macy will play Justice Harry Blackmun.

Rachel Winter directs and also produces alongside Ben Spector, Aaron Tracy and Eva Longoria.

“Before Roe V. Wade, Sarah Weddington had never worked on a contested case or even been inside a courtroom. Harry Blackmun had never authored a major opinion. They were both new, untested and the least likely vehicles for the abortion controversy you can imagine,” said Tracy. “But their collision at the Supreme Court ended up defining their entire lives and changed the course of history. The moment I stumbled onto the story, I was desperate to write it. I’m thrilled it’s now come to life with such brilliant collaborators and I can’t wait for people to hear this incredible story on iHeart.”

In addition to Hawke and Macy, the series also stars Abigail Breslin (Linda Coffee), Andrea Savage (Deb Margulies), Felicity Huffman (Dottie Blackmun), Laura Benanti (Bea Cuttriss), Garrett Hedlund (Ron Weddington), Josh Hamilton (Reverend Herbert Ragle), Luke Kirby (Roy Lucas) and William Fichtner (Chief Justice Warren Burger).

“I am honored to be a part of this project, alongside such a talented cast and creative team, to share Sarah Weddington’s story of remarkable courage and determination,” said Hawke in a statement. “This podcast will shed light on an important, but largely unknown figure in history, and bring her inspiring legacy to life for a new generation.”

Interview with Grant Aleksander, Judi Evans, Michael O'Leary and Krista Tesreau Strauss - The Four Musketeers

Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Special Ops: Lioness’ Paramount+ Series Gets Premiere Date, First Trailer

Starring Zoe Saldaña, Laysla De Oliveira, Michael Kelly, Morgan Freeman and Nicole Kidman, Special Ops: Lioness is inspired by an actual US Military program. It follows the life of Joe (Saldaña) while she attempts to balance her personal and professional life as the tip of the CIA’s spear in the war on terror. The Lioness Program, overseen by Kaitlyn Meade (Kidman) and Donald Westfield (Kelly), enlists an aggressive Marine Raider named Cruz (De Oliveira) to operate undercover alongside Joe among the power brokers of State terrorism in the CIA’s efforts to thwart the next 9/11.

Series also stars Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur and Hannah Love Lanier.

The series is executive produced by Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Saldaña, Kidman, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Jill Wagner, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Malone and John Hillcoat. Special Ops: Lioness is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios for Paramount+.

Check out the trailer above.

Walt Willey Heads to General Hospital — as All My Children's Jackson!

Daytime-TV vet Walt Willey is heading to ABC’s General Hospital, Soap Opera Digest reports, reprising no less than his role of All My Children‘s Jackson Montgomery.

Willy’s GH arc is expected to kick off in mid-July.

Willey originated the role of Jackson, an attorney, on AMC back in 1987, and stuck with the Pine Valley, USA-based sudser until the September 2011 end of its run on ABC.

Of note, he previously crossed Jackson over to another ABC soap, The City, for a handful of 1996 episodes.

Willey’s soap career began in 1983 with a gig on The Edge of Night, after which he booked a run on Another World run as Jim LaRusso. His credits also include Ryan’s Hope (as that ABC serial’s fourth Joe Novak), As the World Turns and, most recently, the role of actor Gregory Ashford on the YouTube sudser Tainted Dreams.

Angelina Jolie’s camp blasts latest Brad Pitt court filing, claim he tried to silence her regarding alleged child abuse

Brad Pitt filed new court papers yesterday wining that Angelina Jolie refused to sell her half of their French vineyard, Chateau Miraval, to him because she was feeling “vindictive” because a custody ruling didn’t go her way.

But a source close to the actress claims to Page Six that she didn’t call off the deal because she had a bee in her bonnet — but because Pitt tried to stop her from speaking out about his abuse of their children.

Pitt, of course, was accused of “choking and striking” one of their kids during an infamous cross-country private flight in 2016, as well as “pouring beer” on Jolie.

Pointing to court papers filed in 2022, a pal of Jolie’s told us, “The reality is that [he] refused to complete the Miraval sale with Jolie unless she agreed to being silenced about the abuse… He demanded that $8.5 million dollars be held back [from his payment to her for the winery] to force her to keep quiet.” (The idea was that if she blabbed, Pitt would keep some or all of the $8.5 mil).

The insider added that, whatever legal maneuvering the “Seven” star attempts, “He cannot escape from the fact that he verbally and physically assaulted Ms. Jolie and their children—even choking one of the children and striking another.”

(A source close to Pitt told us the pal’s claim is “misleading.” The Pitt insider said that Pitt only ever asked her to sign a standard business NDA related to the winery purchase, which anyone selling a valuable asset would have to sign. “It wasn’t about the family matters,” they said, “It’s standard to have a NDA that stops someone from selling something, then disparaging it and diminishing its value.”)

According to legal documents filed on Thursday and obtained by Page Six, Pitt claims that he and Jolie agreed not to sell their shares in the $30 million winery in Provence — which they bought in 2008 — without the other’s approval.

When they got divorced in 2019, Jolie decided to sell her stake to Pitt, 59.

Then in 2021, Pitt claims he found out in press release that his “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” co-star had sold her stake to Yuri Shefler, the owner of vodka brand the Stoli Group.

The new filings claim that Jolie “no longer wanted to sell to Pitt” in the “wake of the adverse custody ruling,” in which he was granted joint custody of their six children. (The decision was later overturned.)

A rep for Pitt declined to comment.

Dishing with Digest - 6/2/23 - Jill Larson

Brad Pitt claims ‘vindictive’ Angelina Jolie ‘secretly’ sold off winery stakes as payback for nasty custody battle

According to legal documents obtained by Page Six, the “Bullet Train” star claims that he and Jolie agreed they would never sell their share in the $30 million property — which they bought in 2008 — without the other’s approval.

Yet when they got divorced in 2019, Jolie decided she wanted out and started to negotiate a buy-out option with Pitt, 59.

The 47-year-old allegedly even agreed to divide the business up 68 percent to 38 percent in Pitt’s favor because he had invested more money and time into the project.

Yet in the summer of 2021, Pitt found out via press release that the “Maleficent” actress had sold her 50 percent stake to a “Russian oligarch,” whom Pitt had previously turned down.

Pitt claims his “vindictive” ex-wife “collaborated in secret” with Yuri Shefler, who also owns Stoli Group, to ensure he would be “kept in the dark.”

The new filings claim that Jolie “no longer wanted to sell to Pitt” in the “wake of the adverse custody ruling,” in which he was granted joint custody of their six children. (The decision was later overturned.)

“Her decision to terminate negotiations with Pitt was intentional and pretextual,” the document filed in LA Superior Court states. “As will be demonstrated at trial, Jolie’s actions were unlawful, severely and intentionally damaging Pitt and unjustly enriching herself.”

Not only that, but Pitt believes his ex-wife specifically chose Shefler because she knew it would be bad for business given his ties to Vladimir Putin — specifically his “invasion of Ukraine and homophobic legislative agenda.”

“Stoli and Jolie have sought to force Pitt into a partnership with a stranger, and worse yet, a stranger with poisonous associations and intentions,” the document alleges.

Now that half of the property has been sold to a third party, Pitt says it defeats the purpose of buying Miraval as a “loving home for their six children” in the first place.

The latest filings come nine months after Jolie filed a $250 million counter-suit against the “Fight Club” actor for trying to “seize control” of the French winery to “ensure… [she] would never see a dime” of its vast profits.

The suit — which Jolie’s company, Nouvel, brought — also claimed that Pitt tried to force Jolie to sign a “hush-clause” that would silence her from discussing the circumstances of their divorce.

It adds, “In retaliation for the divorce and custody proceedings, Pitt embarked on a multi-faceted, years-long campaign to seize control of Chateau Miraval and appropriate the company’s assets for his benefit and that of his own companies and friends.

“Appointing himself the rightful owner of Chateau Miraval, his twin objectives were to usurp the value of Jolie’s company, Nouvel, and to obtain sole ownership of Chateau Miraval.”

Pitt filed his original lawsuit against Jolie in February 2022, claiming that she deprived him “of his right to enjoy his private home and to oversee the business he developed from scratch.”

The Miraval estate is located in the village of Correns in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region in southeastern France.

The 35-room mansion is surrounded by lush gardens with a moat, fountains, aqueducts, a pond, a chapel and a vineyard. The pair even married at Chateau Miraval in 2014 during an intimate ceremony..

“Dark Shadows” Legends Kathryn Leigh Scott, David Selby and Susan Sullivan To Appear In New Play “In Your Corner”

Life-long friends Bevi, Ruth and Max share their broken hearts over the loss of Harry when they too recognize their own ticking clock which comes with some startling trepidations and discoveries. Written by Susan Sullivan and directed by Asaad Kaleda, the play stars Susan Sullivan, Kathryn Leigh Scott and David Selby, “In Your Corner” will pull your heartstrings while challenging you to reach out and hug those you call family, no matter the distance.

Watch the play June 11th at 8PM EST (5PM PST) on the Smartphone Theatre YouTube page: www.YouTube.com/SmartphoneTheatre. An alternate is: www.SmartphoneTheatre.com

Todd Felderstein started SMARTPHONE THEATRE during the Pandemic and it’s proven to be a fabulous platform for showcasing works by actors and playwrights. Asaad Kaleda is a well-known stage and television director.

Kathryn Leigh Scott is an author and actress. She played four roles, including Maggie Evans and Josette DuPres, in the original Gothic series, “Dark Shadows” and “House of Dark Shadows” (1970). She wrote “Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood” and “Dark Shadows Movie Book,” among other books about the hit series. Her recent feature films include, “The Eleventh Green” with Campbell Scott, “Three Christs” with Richard Gere and Juliana Margulies and Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York.” She recently appeared in “The Blacklist,” Hallmark Channel’s “Broadcasting Christmas,” Lifetime’s “A Wedding to Die For,” and has a recurring role as George Segal’s girlfriend Miriam in “The Goldbergs.” She has written the novels “September Girl,” “Jinxed,” “Down and Out in Beverly Heels” and “Dark Passages.” Nonfiction includes the Lobby Card books on film art, “Last Dance at the Savoy,” “The Bunny Years” and a trilogy of books on caregiving: “Now With You, Now Without,” “The Happy Hours” and “A Welcome Respite.” She resides in New York and Los Angeles.

Susan Sullivan is best known for her roles as Lenore Curtin Delaney on the NBC daytime soap opera “Another World” (1971–76), as Lois Adams on the ABC sitcom “It’s a Living” (1980–81), as Maggie Gioberti Channing on the CBS primetime soap opera “Falcon Crest” (1981–90), as Kitty Montgomery on the ABC sitcom “Dharma & Greg” (1997–2002), and as Martha Rodgers on “Castle” (2009–2016). She was nominated for an Emmy for Lead Actress for the role of Julie Farr in the 1978 series “Julie Farr, M.D”. and a Golden Globe nomination for Supporting Actress for her role in “Dharma & Greg.”

David Selby, an American film, television, and stage actor, is best known for playing Quentin Collins on the daytime gothic soap opera “Dark Shadows” (1968–71) and Richard Channing on the prime-time soap “Falcon Crest” (1982–90). Selby also had prominent roles in the television series “Flamingo Road” (1981–82) and the feature films “Night of Dark Shadows” (1971) and “Raise the Titanic” (1980). As a published writer, Selby has written several books, including novels, memoirs, and collections of poetry.

One-on-One with Anna Holbrook 6/7/23

In addition to her role on Another World, Anna had a recurring role on One Life to Life. She has also appeared in numerous prime-time hit series including Law & Order: SVU, The Equalizer, The Blacklist, Homeland, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and so many more.

Anne Heche Laid to Rest on Mother's Day

A rep for Anne tells TMZ … Heche was given her final resting place Sunday afternoon at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery - Cathedral Mausoleum, a location reserved for some of the biggest names in showbiz.

The rep says, "She loved everyone so passionately and deeply and her children, her legacy, thank everyone for their support and love through this difficult time and are grateful to be able to honor their mother, [Sunday] on Mother’s Day."

AH was cremated, and our sources say her crypt is across from Chris Cornell and Johnny Ramone and it is next to Mickey Rooney -- a spot with a beautiful view of the lake located within the cemetery's Garden of Legends.

As we reported, Anne died last August after she was involved in a horrendous car crash. You'll recall, her car slammed into an L.A. home and caught the house on fire.

The last time we talked to Anne's son, Homer, he told us he was super proud his mom would be getting a spot on one of the mausoleum walls at HF and among her Hollywood peers.

Interview with Bronson Picket

After leaving Oakdale, Bronson spent some time in Bay City on Another World as the malevolent Scott Guthrie. He also spent four years playing Joe Lozano on Any Day Now with Annie Potts and Lorraine Toussaint. In addition to guest starring roles on several other series and films, Bronson was cast as of the leads in the Lifetime series, Wild Card with Joely Fisher and Rae Dawn Chong.

Bronson opted to retire from show business to remain in NYC with his wife and two kids. He started what would be the first of several companies in the telecommunications and technology space.

He made appearances on Hostages and The Mysteries of Laura after his retirement and promised his manager if something small popped up in New York that wouldn’t take him away from his family, he would consider other roles here and there.

Jane Seymour Set For Alicia Coppola’s Short ‘And You Are?’

The most unlikely of buddy films, And You Are? tells the story of Lynn (Seymor), a grandmother suffering from dementia who only has the past to prove she exists, and her transgender grandson Max (Zach Barack), who desperately wants to erase his past as it never proved his true existence. Starring alongside Seymour and Barack as Lynn’s caregiver, Sherry, is Diana Lu.

Sherry Thomas (Barry) handled the film’s casting and is producing, with Nancy Kirhoffer (The Trial of the Chicago 7) serving as exec producer. Seymour is repped by Innovative Artists and attorney Paul Mayersohn; Coppola by Leslie Allan-Rice Management, A3 Artists Agency and attorney Derek Kroeger; Barack by The Park Noack Agency; and Lu by A3 Artists Agency and Vanguard Management Group.

‘Freaky Friday’ Sequel In The Works At Disney With Jamie Lee Curtis And Lindsay Lohan Expected To Reprise Roles

Lohan and Curtis starred in the 2003 pic as mother and daughter who wake up one Friday having swapped bodies.

That film was based on Mary Rodgers’s 1972 novel, and grossed $160 million globally. Rumors a potential sequel began percolating earlier this year as Curtis hit the awards circuit for her Oscar-winning work in Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, where she often said how she would like to reprise role and that their had been talks with Disney to do so.

The news was first reported by the New York Times in a 20th anniversary piece profiling the films release in 2003.

Ray Liotta’s Cause Of Death Revealed

Liotta died in his sleep last May in the Dominican Republic, where he was shooting the film Dangerous Waters. He was 67.

Specific causes of death, according to officials in the Dominican Republic in documents cited by TMZ, list pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), respiratory insufficiency and acute heart failure, as well as atherosclerosis, a buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on the artery walls, as an underlying issue.

Liotta had recently co-starred as twin brothers “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti and Salvatore “Sally” Moltisanti in Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark and appeared in the ensemble cast of Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Move. He had finished the Elizabeth Banks-directed Cocaine Bear and was due to star in the Working Title film The Substance opposite Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Other career highlights include his portrayal of the second lawyer of Adam Driver’s character in Netflix’s Marriage Story, which scored six Oscar nominations including Best Picture.

Richard Burgi Opens up About His Divorce

“A friend of mine informed me that I am still listed as married on IMDb and Wikipedia, etc,” Burgi revealed. “It has been a very trying year and a half. After losing a great job for something that had nothing to do with my work as an artist, and then, with much difficulty, my second marriage ended.”

The veteran actor joined the cast of Y&R as the villainous Ashland Locke back in March 2021, but he was let go in January 2022 because he unwittingly violated the soap’s COVID protocols. The role was recast with GUIDING LIGHT veteran Robert Newman, who continued telling Ashland’s story until the character met a violent end.

Burgi married his first wife, Lori Kahn, in 1995, and they have two sons, Jack and Samuel. After their divorce, he married Liliana Lopez in February 2012. But now that union has also sadly come to an end.

“Divorce is painful and devastating but the good Lord has a way of leading you to things you need and away from things that you don’t,” Burgi declared thoughtfully. “The loss of a job, relationship, or any other important thing is like a death and takes time, good friends, and family or nurturing people and places to get through.”

He then suggested to anyone going through the same kinds of experiences a couple of places that helped him to recenter his life and move past the darkness. “Oniya in Montana is one of those places,” Burgi said. “The staff, the facility, the natural elements, as well as the horses are truly a transformational experience.

“Also check out LeahKalish.com,” he added. “She and her husband, Bruce, offer another amazing life-affirming experience for those looking for growth, healing, and change. With these and more, I am in a great place and grateful for this beautiful life… Onward!”

Lindsay Lohan Check Out My Baby Bump!!!

The actress just posted a photo dump on her Instagram page, with several images of her growing belly.

Lindsay's surrounded by friends and family in most of the photos, and she says ... "So grateful for all of the wonderful people in my life!"

It appears the photos are from Lindsay's recent stop in New York ... as we first reported, LL and her husband reunited with her family in the Big Apple earlier this month before flying to Dubai, where she lives, to get situated for her imminent birth.

Lindsay's parents, Dina and Michael, are in the photos ... as well as her brothers, Cody and Michael Jr., and her sister, Aliana. It's the first time they've been together as one in at least 7 years ... and everyone looks happy.

Remember ... Lindsay and her hubby, Bader Shammas, revealed in March she was pregnant with her first child ... an announcement that was met with tons of support from her famous friends.

Lindsay's due date is unclear, but it looks like she's pretty far along.

“African-American” And “Black History Month” Are Insulting Terms, Says Morgan Freeman

Speaking to The Times in London on the eve of his new film A Good Person, Freeman said:

“Black History Month is an insult. You’re going to relegate my history to a month?”

And he added:

“Also ‘African-American’ is an insult. I don’t subscribe to that title. Black people have had different titles all the way back to then-word and I do not know how these things get such a grip, but everyone uses ‘African-American’. What does it really mean? Most black people in this part of the world are mongrels. And you say Africa as if it’s a country when it’s a continent, like Europe.”

Freeman told The Times that he had been inspired growing up by seeing Sidney Poitier on screen, only years later to talk to the veteran actor in person. Freeman revealed: “I spoke with Sidney way back. He said, ‘I wanted to be like you.’”

For Freeman, the man he would have liked to be is his friend Denzel Washington. “I am so very envious of Denzel’s career, because he’s doing what I wanted to do.”

He added: “Generationally, though, I do think we’re moving ahead in leaps and bounds… LGBTQ, Asians, black, white, interracial marriages, interracial relationships. All represented. You see them all on screen now and that is a huge jump.”

It is a few years now from the glory days of Freeman’s career, including The Shawshank Redemption, Unforgiven, Glory, Invictus, Driving Miss Daisy, Seven and Million Dollar Baby, which brought him his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2004.

By contrast, the actor, now 85, played down the success of his career in recent years, reflecting:

I’ve done much in the last ten years that was much different. Driving Miss Daisy and Glory were different. Now? It’s just . . . me. The character will adapt itself to you rather than the other way round, so I do what piques my interest. Sometimes it’s just the money alone.”

Talk Show Appearance

Thursday, April 20

Billy Porter; Lisa Kudrow; musical performance by Billy Porter (n)

Billy Porter To Star In, Co-Write James Baldwin Biopic For Byron Allen’s Allen Media Group Motion Pictures

The film will be based on the 1994 book James Baldwin: A Biography by David Leeming, an emeritus professor of English at the University of Connecticut who was a friend of Baldwin’s for 25 years, as well as his assistant.

A gay, African American writer and civil rights activist born in Harlem who wrote critically acclaimed and influential essays, novels, plays and poems, Baldwin’s best-known works include Go Tell It on the Mountain, Notes of a Native Son, Another Country, The Fire Next Time, Giovanni’s Room and If Beale Street Could Talk. Lemming’s biography of Baldwin creates an intimate portrait of a complex, troubled, driven and brilliant man, plumbing every aspect of his life, including his gift for compassion and love, the public pressures that overwhelmed his quest for happiness, and his passionate battle for Black identity and racial justice.

Other recent projects demonstrating Baldwin’s enduring cultural relevance include the Academy Award-nominated documentary I Am Not Your Negro from Raoul Peck, taking the author and his unfinished novel Remember This House as its subjects, and Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of his novel If Beale Street Could Talk, which won one Oscar from three nominations, among numerous other accolades.

Porter and D.J. Gugenheim will produce the new Baldwin project for Incognegro Productions, with AMGMP’s Allen, Carolyn Folks, Jennifer Lucas, Matthew Signer and Chris Charalambous to serve as exec producers.

“We at Allen Media Group Motion Pictures are extremely passionate about sharing James Baldwin’s phenomenal story with the world,” said Allen Media Group’s Founder, Chairman and CEO, Allen. “Billy Porter and Dan McCabe’s talent and commitment to amplifying James Baldwin’s legacy and contributions are invaluable and unmatched for this unique and epic story.”

“As a Black queer man on this planet with relative consciousness I find myself, like James Baldwin said, ‘in a rage all the time.’ I am because James was,” added Porter. “I stand on James Baldwin’s shoulders, and I intend to expand his legacy for generations to come.”

Porter is an actor, singer, director, composer and playwright who broke out on screen with his 3x Golden Globe-nominated role as Ball scene emcee Pray Tell on FX’s Pose, with which he in 2019 became the first openly gay Black man to be nominated for and win an Emmy in a lead acting category. He prior to that originated the role of Lola in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, landing Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards for his performance, as well as a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. Porter most recently appeared in the Paramount/Fifth Season hit 80 for Brady and has also been seen in films like Cinderella, along with series like Gossip Girl, The Twilight Zone and American Horror Story. Coming up next for the actor named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People for 2020, who also won a Tony as producer of Best Musical A Strange Loop, is Bill Oliver’s custody-battle drama Our Son, in which he stars opposite Luke Evans.

McCabe is a New York-based writer and playwright behind the Porter-directed play The Purists, which won 2020’s Elizabeth Osborn Award for Best New Play and the and the Elliot Norton Award for Best Production, along with such stage titles as Christina Martinez and Blame the Parents. The Juilliard grad teamed with Porter to sell the original TV idea Fruits of Thy Labor to Peacock, with Greg Berlanti and Warner Bros Television Studios coming aboard to produce. McCabe’s feature The Home, co-written with playwright Christopher Shinn, is currently in development at Paramount.

Allen Media Group Motion Pictures has previously released the successful shark thrillers 47 Meters Down and 47 Meters Down: Uncaged from Johannes Roberts, and in February reteamed with the filmmaker on a new film in the genre titled The Red Triangle, as we told you first. Other notable titles from from Allen’s full-service, theatrical motion picture distribution company include the historical thriller Chappaquiddick and the Scott Cooper-helmed Western Hostiles, starring Christian Bale.

Porter is represented by CAA, Industry Entertainment and Felker Toczek Suddleson; McCabe by CAA, Underground and Schreck Rose Dapello.ia

William H. Macy sued for $600,000 after allegedly cutting down his neighbor’s trees

The “Shameless” star allegedly damaged next-door neighbor Pierce Brown’s property after instructing his landscapers to chop down trees past his property line, according to court documents obtained by People on Thursday.

The project, which occurred in December 2021, reportedly “destroyed” or “seriously damaged several healthy, decades-old mature pine trees and other vegetation from the Brown Property.”

“The pine trees and other vegetation were located well inside of the Brown Property line,” the complaint, which was filed last week, continued. “In accessing the Brown Property, Macy’s workers damaged the gate that connected the two properties.”

Although Brown was on vacation at the time, he claims Macy, 73, came over the following month and “acknowledged” that his workers went over to the Brown Property without permission and damaged numerous areas — including the hillside.

Brown is now seeking $600,000 in return, citing “loss of property value, loss of use and enjoyment of his property, a loss of privacy, an increase in noise, as well as emotional distress, irritation, annoyance, and discomfort.”

The lawsuit is just the latest legal drama for Macy and his wife, Felicity Huffman, who was involved in the 2019 college admissions scandal.

Huffman, 60, was sentenced to just 14 days in jail after pleading guilty to paying $15,000 to improve her daughter’s SAT scores. However, Macy was not charged.

The former “Desperate Housewives” star was also ordered to pay a $30,000 fine, complete 250 hours of community and serve one year of supervised release.

Brad Pitt let 105-year-old neighbor live rent-free on his former LA estate

Brad Pitt allegedly let a widowed man live on his former sprawling LA estate rent-free.

According to “Elvira” actress Cassandra Peterson – who Pitt bought the 1.9-acre Los Feliz, Calif., property from in 1994 – the actor allowed the man to take up residence until his death at 105 years old.

“He was very, very kind to the husband,” Peterson said of the “Fight Club” star in a new interview with People.

“[This man’s] wife passed away and the husband, John, lived there. I know that Brad allowed him to live there without paying anything until he died.”

Peterson said the unlikely arrangement came about after Pitt — who lived in the home with ex-wife Angelina Jolie and their six children — slowly began buying up neighboring properties when they hit the market.

“I think there were like 22 houses that were contiguous to the edge of the property,” the actress, 71, shared. “And every time they came up, he bought one.”

One of the properties eyed by Pitt, 59, was originally owned by the elderly man when he was in his early nineties.

Once the house hit the market, the actor allegedly struck a deal to let the widower continue to live in the home – rent-free – upon Pitt making the purchase.

Noting the man’s triple-digit lifespan, Peterson joked that it felt like he “just kept living forever.”

“I imagine Brad was thinking, ‘Well, you know, he can live there till he dies, which might be any minute now.’”

Page Six has reached out to Pitt’s rep for comment.

The Post reported in March that Pitt sold the aforementioned Los Angeles lair for $39 million — a jump from the “Bullet Train” star’s buying price in the 90s.

Pitt’s lavish add-ons to the original Los Feliz property included a skating rink, a tennis court, a swimming pool, a Koi pond, a skate park, a motorcycle garage, a ballroom and a movie theater.

"Soap Night" at White Girl In Danger

Alan I will sit down with two of the stars from the musical, Eric William Morris who played Matt O’Connor on As the World Turns, and Molly Hager on Monday, April 10th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST. Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning writer Michael R. Jackson will sit down for an interview as well as join appear on the red carpet for interviews with cast members from Another World and Guiding Light.

Don’t miss this special on location episode to see some of your favorite Bay City, Llaneview, Oakdale and Springfield residents on Monday, April 10th. White Girl in Danger is currently playing at The Keiser Theater in New York City.

MTV Movie & TV Awards: 2023 Nominations

Fans can begin voting today for their favorites at vote.mtv.com through April 17 at 6 PM ET.

BEST PERFORMANCE IN A MOVIE
• Austin Butler — Elvis
• Florence Pugh — Don’t Worry Darling
• KeKe Palmer — Nope
• Michael B. Jordan — Creed III
• Tom Cruise — Top Gun: Maverick

BEST FIGHT
• Brad Pitt (Ladybug) vs. Bad Bunny (The Wolf) – Bullet Train
• Courteney Cox (Gale Weathers) vs. Ghostface – Scream VI
• Jamie Campbell Bower (Vecna) vs. Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) – Stranger Things
• Keanu Reeves (John Wick) vs. Everyone – John Wick 4
• Escape from Narkina 5- Andor

Talk Show Appearance

Tu 4/4: Jane Krakowski

One-on-One with David Andrew Macdonald 4/5/23

David originated the role of Edmund Winslow in June of 1999 and played the role through 2005. He returned to the canvas in October of 2007 and remained with the show until 2009. In addition to his role on Guiding Light, David played Father Matchet on ABC’s Loving and Jordan Stark on NBC’s Another World.

In addition to his roles in daytime, David has appeared on Broadway in Skylight, Rocky, Mamma Mia!, Coram Boy, and Two Shakespearean Actors. On primetime, he has been seen in numerous hit series including, The Deuce, Elementary, Person of Interest, The Blacklist and The Big C to name a few.

David is currently training to be a volunteer firefighter.

Brad Pitt Sells Incredible Hollywood Hills Compound for $39 Million

Real estate sources tell TMZ ... Brad sold the property for $39 million ... pretty impressive since he bought it from Elvira (aka Cassandra Peterson) back in 1994 for $1.7M.

The California craftsman estate was built in 1910 by an oil baron. It has a lot of history ... it's also the place where Jimi Hendrix wrote "May This Be Love."

Brad lived in the house for many years ... he and Angelina Jolie, along with their 6 kids, called the place home until they split in 2016.

Brad scooped up several lots adjacent to the estate over the years and was heavily involved in designing and building new structures and remodeling old ones.

The main house is 6,700 square feet. There's also a skate park, a ballroom, a movie theatre, a motorcycle garage, a stone house and a huge Koi pond. The property is surrounded by lush landscaping, making it entirely private. It's also in a gated, Hollywood Hills community.

Brad listed the house in back January for $45 million. We've learned he sold the estate because he's moving to Carmel in Northern Cali.

Ving Rhames, Alfred Molina And Ron Perlman Join Apple’s ‘The Instigators’

The film follows two thieves who go on the run with the help of one of their therapists after a robbery goes awry. The script was penned by Chuck MacLean and Casey Affleck and was developed by Robinov, Graham and Casey Affleck.

Damon and Ben Affleck are producing through their newly announced banner Artists Equity, along with Jeff Robinov and John Graham through Studio 8 and Kevin Walsh through his The Walsh Company.

Rhames next can be seen reprising his role of Luther in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 and Part 2. Other recent credits include the new Garfield pic and Sinking Spring.

Molina is coming off reprising role as Doc Ock in Spider-Man: No Way Home and also was seen in the most recent season of FX’s Feud. Perlman can be seen next in Thug and recently appeared in the first season of Poker Face as well as Nightmare Alley.

Rhames is repped by Kramer Management, Molina is repped by Anonymous Content and Lou Coulson Associates, and Perlman is repped by Gersh Agency and Link Entertainment.

Eric Roberts joins Guardians

The drama currently in production, with Rick Walker at the helm, follows two women (Cherish Rodriguez, Mackenzie McIntyre) facing life-threatening situations until one of them reluctantly finds her way to Reverend Willis’ (Roberts) church and the transformation begins. Roberts’ character is described as a charismatic preacher who can teleport members of his congregation back into the biblical time on which his sermon is based. Armstrong plays Dr. Renee Kennedy, whose path crosses with the two girls one night after a horrible incident lands them in the ER at her hospital.

Walker penned the script and is producing alongside Kennady Ritter and Chad Lunsford, with Noble McIntyre serving as executive producer. Roberts is repped by Sovereign Talent Group, Imperial Artists Agency, Miles Anthony Associates, Empire Agency and Scott Carlson Entertainment.

Lindsay Lohan, Jake Paul, Lil Yachty Among Celebrities Charged In SEC Crypto Case

The commission today charged crypto asset entrepreneur Justin Sun and three of his wholly owned companies for the unregistered offer and sale of crypto asset securities Tronix (TRX) and BitTorrent (BTT). Charges also included fraudulently manipulating the secondary market for TRX through “wash trading” and for orchestrating a scheme to pay celebrities to tout TRX and BTT without disclosing their compensation.

Lohan, Paul, DeAndre Cortez Way (Soulja Boy), Austin Mahone, Michele Mason (Kendra Lust), Miles Parks McCollum (Lil Yachty), Shaffer Smith (Ne-Yo) and Aliaune Thiam (Akon) were charged for “illegally touting TRX and/or BTT without disclosing that they were compensated for doing so and the amount of their compensation,” the SEC said.

The commission said that all but Soulja Boy and Mahone agreed to pay a total of more than $400,000 in disgorgement, interest and penalties to settle the charges, without admitting or denying the findings of the probe.

After a boom period, crypto has been in retrenchment, especially with the collapse last year of one of the sector’s most dominant firms, FTX. The co-founder and CEO of FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, has been hit with a range of criminal charges for fraud and other alleged crimes connected with the meltdown of the company. Several well-known crypto pitchmen, among them Larry David, Tom Brady and Steph Curry, were named as defendants in a class-action lawsuit last November, alleging they misled investors by touting crypto exchanges.

The Sun case “demonstrates again the high risk investors face when crypto asset securities are offered and sold without proper disclosure,” SEC chair Gary Gensler said. “As alleged, Sun and his companies not only targeted U.S. investors in their unregistered offers and sales, generating millions in illegal proceeds at the expense of investors, but they also coordinated wash trading on an unregistered trading platform to create the misleading appearance of active trading in TRX. Sun further induced investors to purchase TRX and BTT by orchestrating a promotional campaign in which he and his celebrity promoters hid the fact that the celebrities were paid for their tweets.”

The SEC’s complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and detailed the alleged unregistered offers and sales, saying Sun and his companies (Tron Foundation Limited, BitTorrent Foundation Ltd., and Rainberry Inc.) offered and sold TRX and BTT as investments through multiple unregistered “bounty programs,” which “directed interested parties to promote the tokens on social media, join and recruit others to Tron-affiliated Telegram and Discord channels, and create BitTorrent accounts in exchange for TRX and BTT distributions.” The SEC also alleges that Sun, his BitTorrent Foundation and Rainberry “offered and sold BTT in unregistered monthly airdrops to investors, including in the United States, who purchased and held TRX in Tron wallets or on participating crypto asset trading platforms.”

The actions violated Section 5 of the Securities Act, the SEC said.

The SEC said “wash trading” in this case involved Sun allegedly “orchestrating a scheme to artificially inflate the apparent trading volume of TRX in the secondary market,” saying he directed his employees to engage in more than 600,000 wash trades of TRX between two crypto asset trading platform accounts he controlled, with between 4.5 million-7.4 million TRX wash traded daily.

“This scheme required a significant supply of TRX, which Sun allegedly provided. As alleged, Sun also sold TRX into the secondary market, generating proceeds of $31 million from illegal, unregistered offers and sales of the token,” the complaint said.

“While we’re neutral about the technologies at issue, we’re anything but neutral when it comes to investor protection,” said Gurbir S. Grewal, Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. “As alleged in the complaint, Sun and others used an age-old playbook to mislead and harm investors by first offering securities without complying with registration and disclosure requirements and then manipulating the market for those very securities. At the same time, Sun paid celebrities with millions of social media followers to tout the unregistered offerings, while specifically directing that they not disclose their compensation. This is the very conduct that the federal securities laws were designed to protect against regardless of the labels Sun and others used.” d

Lindsay Lohan: I'm Pregnant!

Lindsay tells TMZ ... "We are very excited for our new family member to arrive and we are looking forward to this next chapter of our lives!"

This baby will be the first for Lindsay ... so this is a huge life milestone for the 36-year-old.

Lindsay was last photographed a little over a month ago, and she was wearing loose fitting clothes covering her belly.

Remember ... Lindsay and Bader tied the knot last year, with the announcement coming on her birthday. The expecting parents started dating just before the pandemic shut down the world, and in November 2021 she announced their engagement.

Lindsay's been through all sorts of ups and downs over her three-decade career in Hollywood, and now she's going to be a mother.

Walt Willey - One on One 3/16/23

After numerous Off-Broadway productions, including Dust Off with Dan Lauria, Walt earned stints on NBC’s Another World as James La Russo and Joe Novak on ABC’s Ryan’s Hope.

Walt joined the cast of ABC’s All My Children in 1987 originating the role of lawyer Jackson Montgomery, a role he played for 24 years until the show went off the air.

Walt attended Southern Illinois University, where he majored in Fine Art. He is a published satirist and cartoonist, whose work was previously featured in Soap Opera Update and Soap Opera Weekly. His lithograph, “Soaperman,” hangs in Chicago’s Underground Comics Hall of Fame.

Talk Show Appearance

Tu 3/14: Billy Porter

Muhammad Ali Event Series From Kevin Willmott, Regé-Jean Page & Morgan Freeman In Works At Peacock

The project hails from Oscar-winning BlackKklansman co-writer Kevin Willmott, Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment, Bridgerton alum Regé-Jean Page and Emily Brown. Page is executive producing, but there currently is no deal in place for him to star as Ali. CBS Studios and UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, serve as the studios. Eig is producing.

Written by Willmott, the series chronicles eight distinct and defining moments in Ali’s iconic life. Each episode will be framed by one of his fights, but the essence of the episode, what it’s really about, is the internal fight – the drama outside the ring. It will explore the struggle going on in the heart and mind of one of the most consequential and controversial figures of the 20th century.

Willmott executive produces with Freeman and McCreary for Revelations Entertainment, Page and Brown. Eig serves as producer.

This has been a longtime passion project for Revelations and a priority for CBS Studios, where the company is based. They teamed to acquire Eig’s book shortly after it was published in October 2017 and set out to develop it as an event series. A different version of the project with writer Dan Kay landed at CBS All Access in a competitive situation in the spring of 2018.

The pitch since has been revamped, with Willmott joining as a writer/executive producer and Bridgerton and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves star Page as executive producer.

Willmott is an Academy Award-winning film director and screenwriter and professor of film at the University of Kansas. He is known for work focusing on the Black experience in such projects as BlackKklansman, Da 5 Bloods, The 24th, Chi-Raq and Jayhawkers. He’s repped by Gersh.l

Ving Rhames To Star In BET+ Original Series ‘Legacy’

Rhames will star as Guy Simmons, a notorious mobster and patriarch of the Simmons family, the ruling crime family in the southern underworld. Simmons owns the streets, but as he fights for his life, a sibling rivalry ignites that could jeopardize his legacy and criminal enterprise.

Simmons has created a legacy he wants to pass on to his two sons, Kevin and Tysean. However, his womanizing ways have spilled over and jeopardizes all he’s worked for. The mothers of his sons hate each other. Like mother like son. Guy’s shooting has ignited a new brotherly beef; a beef that could have deadly repercussions, especially when you have a family where the enemy may lie within.

AJ Johnson, Lisa Raye and Clifton Powell also star.

Legacy is created by Manny Halley and written and executive produced by Manny Halley and Yolanda Halley, who also serve as producers along with Rodney Turner and Denee Busby Howard.

The series will begin streaming March 2, exclusively on BET+.

Rhames is an Emmy nominee known for his work in Pulp Fiction and the Mission: Impossible franchise who will next be seen in films including Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and the thriller The Locksmith. He also recently voiced Buffalo Belzer in Henry Selick’s Netflix animated feature, Wendell and Wild. Rhame is repped by Kramer Management.

Jean Smart Misses SAG Award Win Following Heart Procedure; Christopher McDonald Reads Her Speech

Smart thanked her Hacks co-stars, series guest stars, and her fellow nominees —”You all rock,” she said in the speech read by McDonald.

Smart revealed Thursday she had recently undergone a successful heart procedure via her official Instagram. The date of her announcement coincides with American Heart Month, which kicked off February 1.

“February is American Heart Month – a time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent successful heart procedure,” she posted on social media. “I am fortunate to have excellent care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate. Please listen to your body and talk to your doctor – I’m very glad I did!”

Smart did not specify the type of heart procedure she underwent.

Production on Season 3 of HBO Max/Universal TV hit Hacks, which started shortly after Thanksgiving and resumed after the holiday break in January, has been paused as Smart heals. It is expected to resume on or around March 13.

Ray Liotta’s daughter pays tribute to ‘one-of-a-kind’ actor at Walk of Fame ceremony

“I’m so touched to be accepting this honor on behalf of my dad. I couldn’t be more proud of him,” the 24-year-old said during the ceremony on Friday in Los Angeles. “He was a one-of-a-kind actor and the best friend, brother and father anyone could have asked for. I lucked out with you.”

The “Shade of Blue” alum continued, “If you have a Ray in your life, you’re lucky. I love you so much. Thank you for your work and the imprint you left on me and all of those who love you.

“Everyone deserves a Ray in their life.”

Also in attendance for the ceremony was Ray’s fiancée, Jacy Nittolo, to whom he proposed in 2020.

The honor came nearly nine months after Ray died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic. where he was filming an upcoming movie titled “Dangerous Waters.” He was 67.

Following the “Goodfellas” star’s death, Nittolo shared a series of touching photos of herself with Ray as she reflected on the time they spent together.

“My life these past couple of years have been nothing but truly magical,” she wrote on Instagram last May.

“Ray and I share a deep love that I will cherish in my heart forever. We laughed daily and we were inseparable. The chemistry was wild in the best way. He was everything in the world to me and we couldn’t get enough of each other. The kind of real love that one dreams of.”

Nittolo, 48, continued, “He was the most beautiful person inside and out that I’ve ever known…and even that is an understatement.”

The former hairstylist and Karsen have worked hard to keep Ray’s legacy alive.

Last June, the women attended the premiere of his Apple TV+ series “Black Bird,” which was the last television project he worked on before his death. And on Tuesday, Nittolo and the “Prettyface” actress attended the premiere of “Cocaine Bear,” which was Ray’s last completed film.

Jean Smart Recovering From “Recent Successful Heart Procedure”; Production On Season 3 Of ‘Hacks’ Paused

Production on Season 3 of HBO Max/Universal TV hit Hacks, which started shortly after Thanksgiving and resumed after the holiday break in January, has been paused as Smart is healing. It is expected to resume on or around March 13.

“February is American Heart Month – a time when the nation spotlights heart health, so it feels important to share with all of you that I am recovering from a recent successful heart procedure,” she wrote on instagram. “I am fortunate to have excellent care and support from family and friends while I continue to recuperate. Please listen to your body and talk to your doctor – I’m very glad I did!”

Smart did not specify the type of heart procedure she underwent. No additional information has been provided.

“We are so happy that our beloved Jean Smart’s heart procedure was successful and she’s on the mend. HBO Max and UTV send their well wishes,” the streamer and studio said in a joint statement.

Smart stars as Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance in the critically acclaimed HBO Max comedy series Hacks.

The series, which was created by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, who serve as showrunners, also stars Hannah Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Jane Adams as well as Christopher McDonald, Kaitlin Olson, Paul W. Downs, Poppy Liu, Rose Abdoo, Mark Indelicato, Meg Stalter, Angela E. Gibbs, Luenell, Johnny Sibilly, Joe Mande, Ally Maki and Lorenza Izzo.

Hacks is produced by Universal Television. It is exec produced by Downs and Aniello via their Paulilu banner, Statsky via First Thought Productions, Michael Schur via Fremulon, David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment and Morgan Sackett.

Nominations For The Critics Choice Super Awards

BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIENicolas Cage – The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
Ram Charan – RRR
Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick
Brad Pitt – Bullet Train
N.T. Rama Rao Jr. – RRR

‘Mean Girls’ stars may not return for new movie over ‘disrespectful’ money offer: source

Actresses Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert all agreed to return for the new “Mean Girls” movie — but talks have stalled over Paramount’s “disrespectful” money offer, Page Six is told.

The stars of the original 2004 classic have remained friends throughout the years and were willing to return for the new film, which is bringing the Broadway musical version of “Mean Girls” to streamer Paramount +.

“Paramount Pictures doesn’t want to pay the girls what they are worth,” said a highly placed production source. “All four girls were willing to come back, but Paramount has not been respectful of what they are worth.”

We’re told that McAdams, 44, who played queen bee Regina George, was initially offered a larger part to play than the other three, but the deal has not been signed off.

“As of now, the negotiations are stalled.” said the source.

Tina Fey, who wrote both the movie and musical, is reprising her role as math teacher Ms. Norbury. She reportedly has a seven-figure deal for her acting role — she’s also writing and producing the movie — while Lohan & Co. were said to be offered a “fraction” of that.

Page Six has reached out to Paramount Pictures, as well as reps Lohan, Seyfried, Chabert and McAdams, for comment. A rep for Fey declined to comment.

Lohan, 36, has recently made a return to Hollywood, with the top-rated Netflix holiday movie, “Falling For Christmas”, while Seyfried recently scooped a Golden Globe and an Emmy for her role as disgraced tech CEO Elizabeth Holmes in the Hulu miniseries “The Dropout.” She’s also up for a SAG award this weekend for the role.

Chabert, meanwhile, has been dubbed the Queen of Hallmark for her frequent movie roles on the channel, and McAdams has appeared in a string of box office hits and, most recently, in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.

The foursome would not play their original characters, nor is it known what parts they would play, but another Hollywood insider said: “Whether they appear in a cameo appearance or they have six pages of script, it doesn’t matter — [the money offered] is disrespectful.”

Last week, Fey, 52, told Seth Meyers that both she and Tim Meadows, who played Principal Duvall in the original movie, were returning.

“I do want to give you credit, you and Tim had parts in the original film that you couldn’t age out of,” Meyers said on Thursday night’s show.

“Teachers work forever,” Fey joked.

Reneé Rapp from HBO Max show “The Sex Lives of College Girls” is cast as Regina George on screen after already playing the preening blonde on Broadway, while Angourie Rice takes over from Lohan as Cady Heron. The role of Janis Ian, Cady’s best friend, will be played by Auli?i Cravalho of “Moana” fame, while Jaquel Spivey will play Damien. Chris Briney, from the Amazon Prime hit “The Summer I Turned Pretty,” co-stars as Cady’s boyfriend, Aaron Samuels.

Fey told Meyers that production will begin on March 6.

Brad Pitt reportedly sent Valentine’s Day flowers to Ines de Ramon

Despite being on opposite sides of the country, Brad Pitt made sure that Ines de Ramon’s Valentine’s Day was a special one.

The “Bullet Train” actor, 59, reportedly sent a bouquet of pink peonies and a baguette to the jewelry company executive at her office in Los Angeles, according to the Daily Mail.

De Ramon was later seen flashing a smile as she carried her gifts out of the office and into her car.

A source confirmed to People that Pitt — who is in New York City filming “Wolves” — was indeed the one who sent the flowers and French bread to Ramon.

Page Six has reached out to Pitt’s rep for comment but did not immediately hear back.

De Ramon and Pitt first sparked dating rumors in November when they were spotted attending a Bono concert together in LA.

According to photos obtained by Page Six at the time, the duo arrived at the venue together, meeting up with Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber and Sean Penn. De Ramon and the “Fight Club” star hugged and held hands as they made their way inside to see the show.

The following month, a source told Us Weekly that Pitt was completely “smitten” with De Ramon, but said they “aren’t officially dating.”

However, De Ramon and Pitt continued to fuel dating rumors when they were spotted celebrating his 59th birthday last December in Hollywood.

De Ramon was previously married to “Vampire Diaries” actor Paul Wesley. However, the pair announced their split in September after three years of marriage.

Pitt, for his part, shares six kids with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, from whom he was declared single in 2019. He was most recently linked to Emily Ratajkowski.

Paul Wesley officially files for divorce from Ines de Ramon

The “Vampire Diaries” star filed for divorce from his estranged wife on Friday after five years of marriage, according to documents obtained by Us Weekly.

Wesley, 40, cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for their split but noted the division of their assets will be decided later on.

The former couple, who started dating in 2018, announced their separation in September 2022 — but actually called it quits five months prior.

However, neither Wesley nor the jewelry dealer, 30, seem too heartbroken.

Wesley was first linked to model Natalie Kuckenburg in August 2022 after they were photographed holding hands in New York City.

Things seem to be going strong for the “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” star and Kuckenburg, who is 18 years his junior, as they even spent the holidays together this year.

Prior to his relationships with Kuckenburg and de Ramon, Wesley was previously married to “Vampire Diaries” co-star Torrey DeVitto from 2011 to 2013.

Meanwhile, de Ramon has been dating Brad Pitt since November and the pair have been making the most of their long-distance relationship.

In fact, the A-list actor made sure de Ramon’s Valentine’s Day was one to remember.

The 59-year-old sent a bouquet of pink peonies and a baguette to his leading lady at her office in Los Angeles on Tuesday — despite being across the country to film in New York.

Similarly to her soon-to-be ex-husband, de Ramon also spent the holidays with her new flame.

Pitt and de Ramon enjoyed a relaxing — and very scantily clad — New Year’s Eve day while lounging by the pool in Cabo.

The couple left little to the imagination while sunbathing, with Pitt showing off his chiseled physique in swim trunks and the jewelry executive deciding to forgo her bikini top altogether.

Talk Show Appearance

Kelsey Grammer Is Telling Rachael About His New Movie, the \"Frasier\" Revival and What He's Got Going On Next!

Kelsey Grammer ("Frasier"); a big surprise for a social media sensation who helps strangers when they need it most; Rachael has a one-pot chicken dinner.

Michelle Hurd, Bryan Brown, Darren Barnet & Hadley Robinson Board Sony Rom-Com From Will Gluck

Details as to the plot of the R-rated comedy are under wraps. But it’s based on a script by Ilana Wolpert that Gluck is re-writing. Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum, and Gluck are producing, with Sweeney exec producing for Fifty-Fifty Films, alongside Natalie Sellers and Alyssa Altman for RK Films, and Jacqueline Monetta for Olive Bridge.

Perhaps best known for starring opposite Patrick Stewart on Paramount+’s Star Trek: Picard, Hurd has also been seen on series including Blindspot, Lethal Weapon, Ash vs. Evil Dead, Daredevil, Jessica Jones and The Glades, to name a few. Notable film credits include Bad Hair, Being Frank opposite Jim Gaffigan, We Don’t Belong Here alongside Catherine Keener and Maya Rudolph, and Girl Most Likely with Kristen Wiig. The actress has recently wrapped production on the film Kemba for BET, as well as the indie drama Somewhere in Montana opposite Outlander’s Graham McTavish, and the rom-com The Plus One alongside Cedric the Entertainer.

Brown is an Australian actor best known for performances in films like Breaker Morant and series like A Town Like Alice who has also been seen in features including Gorillas in the Mist, Newsfront, Cocktail, Two Hands opposite Heath Ledger, Along Came Polly and Baz Luhrmann’s Australia. Recent feature credits include The Light Between Oceans, Warwick Thornton’s Sweet Country, and Rachel Ward’s dramedy, Palm Beach, which he also produced.

Barnet recently wrapped production on Sony and PlayStation Productions’ film Gran Turismo based on the hit racing game of the same name, which hits theaters on August 11. He first garnered international attention with a role on Mindy Kaling’s Netflix series Never Have I Ever, and has also previously appeared in the streamer’s chart-topping rom-com Love Hard. Other upcoming projects include Doug Liman’s Road House remake for Amazon and the indie horror-thriller Apophenia, which is currently in post-production.

Robinson currently stars in Adam McKay’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which just wrapped production on its second season. She’s best know on the film side for turns in Amy Poehler’s Netflix hit Moxie, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women, Charlie Kaufman’s I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, and Scott Cooper’s The Pale Blue Eye opposite Christian Bale, and will next be seen in the SXSW-bound Appendage from 20th/Hulu, as well as the George Clooney-directed MGM film The Boys in the Boat with Joel Edgerton and Callum Turner.

Hurd is represented by APA and TMT Entertainment Group; Brown by CAA, Australia’s Shanahan Management, and Himber Entertainment; Barnet by Paradigm, 111 Media, and Felker Toczek Suddleson; and Robinson by UTA, Linden Entertainment, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

Billy Porter Joins Micheal Rice Doc ‘Black As U R’ As Exec Producer

The emotionally charged documentary has won multiple Best Feature accolades and special awards on the festival circuit along with crowd pleasing Q&As with director, Micheal Rice, and subjects from the film.Porter spotted the film as a standout among many films screening at LGBTQ+ film festivals and reached out to director Micheal Rice.

“Black As U R aligns with our production philosophy to focus on Black and LGBTQIA joy and realism to shine a light on these stories. We are grateful to be part of this team and excited to share Micheal’s vision with even more audiences” said Porter and Gugenheim.

“This is the type of lift I could only dream about. What Billy represents and his accomplishments are the aspirations of not only subjects in my film, but our entire community,” states Rice.

The doc is Rice’s second documentary following his debut, parTy boi: black diamonds in ice castles. The film continues Rice’s deep dive into the often over-looked and misrepresented narratives of the LGBTQIA experience.

The pic unveils the stark homophobia characterizing many Black spaces, both contemporary and autobiographical, via a look into the director’s own upbringing in the southern United States. The film brings to the forefront the all-too-often silenced conversation within the Black community for generations — Black queerness and transgender identity.

Besides Rice, the pic is exec produced by Gerald Oxford with Edward Radford producing. Director of Photograph is, Holly Fischer with George Gordon serving as editor and Photographer Yinka Paris also on board.

Rice is represented by Crystal Ship Artists Agency. Porter is represented by CAA, Bill Butler at Industry Entertainment, Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson McGinnis Ryan.

‘Sinking Spring’: Ving Rhames, Dustin Nguyen, Nesta Cooper, 3 Others Round Out Cast Of Apple’s Crime Drama Series

The actors join an ensemble led by 2023 Academy Award nom Brian Tyree Henry (of the Apple drama Causeway) which also includes Michael Mando, Marin Ireland, Kate Mulgrew and Amir Arison, as previously announced.

The eight-episode series created by Top Gun: Maverick scribe Peter Craig, entering production this week in Philadelphia, adapts the 2009 book Dope Thief by Dennis Tafoya. Its protagonists are long-time Philly friends and delinquents, Ray (Henry) and Manny (Mando), who pose as DEA agents to rob an unknown house in the countryside, only to have their small-time grift become a life-and-death enterprise, as they unwittingly reveal and unravel the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern seaboard.

Rhames is set for the role of Ray’s father Bart, who after years in prison, returns to his son’s life with explosive results. Nguyen will play Ray’s friend, Ho Dinh, with Cooper as Michelle, a lawyer hired to represent both Ray and his de facto mother, Teresa (Mulgrew). Debrand portrays a younger Ray, with Liz Caribel as Manny’s girlfriend Sherry, and Pullen as junior DEA agent, Marchetti.

Sinking Spring hails from Apple Studios and is being produced by Scott Free Productions, which has a first-look deal with Apple TV+. Craig wrote all eight episodes, and will helm one, in his directorial debut. He’ll also exec produce alongside Ridley Scott for Scott Free, as well as David W. Zucker, Jordan Sheehan, Clayton Krueger and Henry, with Tafoya serving as consulting producer.

Rhames is known for his work in the Mission: Impossible franchise (including its next installment Dead Reckoning – Part One), as well as such iconic films as Dawn of the Dead, Bringing Out the Dead, Out of Sight, Con Air, Pulp Fiction and Jacob’s Ladder. His best-known work on the TV side is the HBO TV movie Don King: Only in America, which had him portraying the famed boxing promoter and manager of the same name. He landed a Golden Globe and an Emmy nom for that performance and will also soon feature in Columbia Pictures’ animated adaptation of Garfield from Alcon Entertainment.

Nguyen stars in Sing J. Lee’s acclaimed thriller The Accidental Getaway Driver, which recently world premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He’s otherwise best known for his role as big bad Zing on the crime drama series Warrior, which aired its first two seasons on Cinemax and moves to HBO Max for its third, airing this year. The actor launched his career with roles on classic ’80s series including 21 Jump Street and Magnum, P.I. He’s also been seen starring in Universal 1440 Entertainment’s 47 Ronin sequel Blade of the 47 Ronin, which is currently streaming on Netflix, among other films.

Cooper is best known for starring alongside Jason Momoa in Apple TV+’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama See, which wrapped its third and final season last October. Other recent TV credits include Netflix’s Travelers and The CW’s Supergirl. The actress starred alongside Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek Pinault in Prime Video’s sci-fi romance Bliss and has also been seen in features like The Miracle Season and The Edge of Seventeen.

Debrand currently stars in Jason Katims’ Apple TV+ series Dear Edward, based on the same-name novel by Ann Napolitano. He previously recurred opposite Richard Gere in the Starz & BBC Two drama series MotherFatherSon, and in Informer opposite Paddy Considine for Prime Video & BBC1. Feature credits include E.E. Hegarty’s musical comedy Kat and the Band.

Liz Caribel made her feature debut in Daniel Antebi’s comedy God’s Time, which earned her a Special Jury Mention for Best Performance at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival. That film will hit select theaters and VOD on February 24, before arriving for streaming on AMC+ later this spring. Other upcoming projects for the actress include the HBO series The Idol from A24 Television and Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut Pussy Island for Warner Bros.

Pullen appears alongside Jane Levy and David Strathairn in Angus MacLachlan’s drama A Little Prayer, which was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics after world premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Additional film credits include Apple TV+’s Causeway and Greyhound, the Sandra Bullock-led Netflix drama The Unforgivable, and the fraternity drama Goat with Nick Jonas, which world premiered at Sundance 2016. The actor has also been seen on series like Apple’ss Dickinson and FX’s The Americans, and in Broadway productions of To Kill a Mockingbird and Sweat.

Rhames is represented by Kramer Management; Nguyen by Buchwald and JDS; Cooper by UTA, Industry Entertainment and Lauren Levitt & Associates; Debrand by Alan Siegel Entertainment, the UK’s United Agents and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; Liz Caribel by Grandview; and Pullen by UTA and Anonymous Content.

Morning Show Appearance

Wednesday, February 15

(10-11 a.m.) Kelsey Grammer on Jesus Revolution

Talk Show Appearance

Wednesday, Feb. 15 – Kelly and Ryan catch up with actor KELSEY GRAMMER.

‘Ricky Stanicky’ Rounds Out Cast With William H. Macy, Anja Savcic, Andrew Santino & Lex Scott Davis

Principal photography is currently underway in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

In Ricky Stanicky, three friends invent a character to use to get out of tricky predicaments, but they have to hire an actor to portray their fictional friend when their significant others become suspicious.

Deadline exclusively confirmed the film was in the works with Peter Farrelly looking at Efron and Cena to lead. We also revealed Amazon secured global rights earlier this month, as well as confirmed both actors were officially onboard.

Producers include Paul Currie via Footloose Productions, and Thorsten Schumacher via Rocket Science, in association with John Jacobs via Smart Entertainment. The recent draft is written by Farrelly, Brian Jarvis, and James L. Freeman. The original spec is by Jeff Bushell. Steve Oedekerk did a rewrite some years later.

Emmy winner Macy most recently starred in the Hulu mini-series The Dropout. Previously, he led the charge in the Showtime series Shameless in the role of Frank Gallagher which earned him two nominations for the Best Actor Emmy Award. Macy’s other credits include Seabiscuit, Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Jurassic Park III, Fargo, and Room. He previously made his feature directorial debut with Rudderless. Macy is represented by Atlas Artists and APA.

Savcic starred in the comedy series Loudermilk and was a series regular on ABC’s Big Sky. She is represented by Play Management, Authentic Talent and Literary Management, and A3 Artists Agency.

Most recently, Santino’s standup comedy special Andrew Santino: Cheeseburger premiered on Netflix, marking his first with the streamer, and he currently stars in FX’s most-watched comedy series, Dave, alongside Lil’ Dicky. In audio, Santino co-hosts the popular podcast Bad Friends with comedian Bobby Lee, and he also has his own solo podcast, Whiskey Ginger. He is represented by UTA and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.

Davis is known for starring in Universal’s The First Purge, the prequel feature for the Purge franchise. On the small screen, she was last seen opposite Katey Sagal in ABC’s Rebel. Davis can be seen in the Mo McRae-directed A Lot of Nothing, in theaters now, and up next in the Netflix series, Florida Man. Davis is represented by Entertainment 360, CAA, and Jackoway Austen.

Talk Show Appearance

Monday, February 13: Kelsey Grammer

Charles Kimbrough Dies: Tony And Emmy Nominated Actor And Anchorman On ‘Murphy Brown’ Was 86

Kimbrough received a Tony Award nomination in 1971 for best featured actor in a musical for playing Harry in the original production of Stephen Sondheim’s Company. He later appeared in the Sondheim musical Sunday in the Park With George. He later received a supporting comedy actor Emmy nomination in 1990 for his work on Murphy Brown.

A Minnesota native, Kimbrough was also the voice of gargoyle Victor in the 1996 animated version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, in its 2002 sequel, and for several video-game iterations.

His most widely-viewed role came as he appeared in every episode of the original run of Murphy Brown during its ten-season run ending in 1998. He played the co-anchor to Murphy Brown (played by Candice Bergen), and was often flummoxed by her antics.

Kimbrough also made appearances in several episodes of the Murphy Brown reboot in Sept. 2018.

Survivors include his son, John Kimbrough. No memorial plans have been revealed.

Talk Show Appearance

AIRING Feb 16, 2023

Jackée Harry ("Days of our Lives")

'That’s My Jam' Sets Season 2 Return

The new season kicks off Tuesday, March 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT after night two of the season premiere of “The Voice,” with episodes available to stream next day on Peacock. Season two is jam-packed with 40 celebrity guests, expanding to 10 all-new episodes, plus a one-hour special of the series’ greatest hits.

The new season is bringing more laughs, music and a stellar lineup of Grammy-, Tony- and Emmy-winning celebrity guests, including Chloe & Halle Bailey, Kelsea Ballerini, Jabari Banks, Alexa Bliss, Big Boi, Quinta Brunson, Chance The Rapper, Darren Criss, Jason DeRulo, Jenna Dewan, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Nikki Glaser, Taraji P. Henson, Sarah Hyland, Kesha, Patti LaBelle, Adam Lambert, Simu Liu, Joel McHale, Julia Michaels, French Montana, Keke Palmer, Jay Pharoah, Billy Porter, Diallo Riddle, Craig Robinson, Bashir Salahuddin, Nicole Scherzinger, JoJo Siwa, John Stamos, Kenan Thompson, Mike “The Miz”, Quavo, Will.I.Am and Saweetie.

Celebrity all-star teams will go head-to-head to battle it out in music, dance, and trivia-based games, as well as musical performances, all while playing for a charity of their choice. The premiere episode features celebrity guests Kelsea Ballerini, Julia Michaels, Jason DeRulo and Nicole Scherzinger putting their music skills to the test as they compete to win the coveted golden boom box.

New games will be incorporated, including Turn the Beat Around, a musical charades-style game where celebs dance out clues on a giant spinning turn table while their partner guesses the name of a song; Don’t Fear the Speaker, a team game where celebs alternate singing songs using only ridiculous words for their partners to identify; Drawing a Blank, a virtual reality-based game where celebs attempt to draw out music-based clues for their partners to guess; More Than a Feeling, a musical take on the popular “Tonight Show” game Can You Feel It?; and Bop Quiz, “That’s My Jam’s” music-based retro trivia game. There will also be elevated additions to Wheel of Impossible Karaoke, including Baby Got Back-Up, One Song Many Genres and Megamix – alongside returning fan favorites such as Perfect Mashup, Vinyl Countdown, Air Guitar, Disco Charades, Get Outta My Face, Don’t Drop the Beat, Undercover Covers, Launch the Mic and Random Instrument Challenge.

“That’s My Jam” is an hour-long music and comedy variety game show that draws inspiration from popular “Tonight Show” games. Each episode features two teams of two celebrities competing for a charity of their choice in a series of music, dance, and trivia-based games and musical performances.

“That’s My Jam’s” premiere episode, which aired in November 2021, is now up to 2.5 in the 18-49 demo and 8.8 million viewers across all platforms.

Is Justin Chambers Returning to Grey's Anatomy? We Have the Answer

The actor appeared to tease a potential comeback on Instagram Tuesday, sharing a photo of a Grey’s-adorned coffee mug above the caption, “A fresh cup of Grey’s.”

But a Grey’s insider maintains that Alex is not checking back in to Grey Sloan Memorial. “There’s no truth to the rumor,” the source insists.

Save for a small role in Paramount+’s limited series The Offer, Chambers has maintained a fairly low profile since departing Grey’s amid controversy. The actor’s last episode aired in November 2019, but viewers were not aware it was his swan song until his exit was announced publicly two months later. Chambers later returned, but only in a voiceover capacity, for his send-off installment in March 2020, which revealed that Alex had left his wife Jo and reunited with ex Izzie, who’d had his children.

“There’s no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that’s defined so much of my life for the past 15 years,” Chambers said back then in a statement. “For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time. As I move on from Grey’s Anatomy, I want to thank the ABC family, Shonda Rhimes, original cast members Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, and the rest of the amazing cast and crew, both past and present, and, of course, the fans for an extraordinary ride.”

Tubi Picks Up ‘Generation’ After HBO Max Removal

Created by Zelda Barnza and Daniel Barnz, Generation centers on a diverse group of high school students whose fearless exploration of identity and sexuality challenges the antiquated social norms embedded in their conservative community. As they navigate the intricacies of growing up with the help (and hindrance) of their ever-present devices and social media, they lean on one another to cultivate unique voices and stamp their individuality on the world around them.

Generation was short-lived on the Warner Bros. Discovery streamer and although it was full of rich characters with plenty to explore for a second season, it was canceled after its first season. The show was recently removed from HBO Max as WBD explores new strategies and strikes deals with FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) providers.

The ensemble cast of the dramedy includes Nathanya Alexander, Chloe East, Nava Mau, Lukita Maxwell, Haley Sanchez, Uly Schlesinger, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Chase Sui Wonders with Justice Smith and Martha Plimpton. Recurring guest stars include J. August Richards, Mary Birdsong, Alicia Coppola, Patricia De Leon, Diego Josef, Anthony Kevyan, Sydney Mae Diaz, John Ross Bowie, Marwan Salama, Marisela Zumbado and Sam Trammell.

Generation is Executive produced by Daniel Barnz, Ben Barnz and Zelda Barnz for We’re Not Brothers Productions, Lena Dunham for Good Thing Going Productions, Sharr White and John Melfi; Co-executive produced by Sono Patel and Fernanda Coppel; Produced by Marissa Díaz and Michael Cohen for Good Thing Going Productions. Writers include Zelda Barnz, Daniel Barnz, Lena Dunham, Sharr White, Max Saltarelli, Eli Wilson Pelton and Christina Nieves. Directors include Daniel Barnz, Channing Godfrey Peoples, Chioke Nassor, Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, Anu Valia and Andrew Ahn.

‘CAROL BURNETT: 90 YEARS OF LAUGHTER + LOVE’

The star-studded event will feature an A-list lineup of musical performances and special guests who will come together to share their love for one of the most cherished comediennes in television history.

The evening will include musical performances from Bernadette Peters, Billy Porter, Jane Lynch, Katy Perry, Kristin Chenoweth and more. The musical tributes will pay homage to Carol’s renowned career performances, including: “Old Friends,” dedicated to Carol’s 60-year friendship with Julie Andrews; “Only an Octave Apart,” which Carol sang alongside Beverly Sills in the 1976 television special “Sills and Burnett at the Met”; Carol’s memorable songs from the hit film “Annie”; and a tribute to her classic theme song, “I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together” from “The Carol Burnett Show.”

Special guests attending this once-in-a-lifetime party include Aileen Quinn, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Bob Mackie, Cher, Ellen DeGeneres, Julie Andrews, Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Lily Tomlin, Marisa Tomei, Sofia Vergara, Steve Carell, Susan Lucci, Tracee Ellis Ross, Vicki Lawrence, and many more.

“I’m so excited NBC decided to throw me a birthday party and invited all of my closest friends,” Burnett said. “I can’t wait to look back at so many wonderful moments throughout my career, I feel so lucky to share this night with everyone.”

“It’s hard to imagine anyone in television more beloved than Carol Burnett,” said, Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events and Specials, NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “To throw this wonderful birthday celebration is clearly our honor, and we can’t wait to share the love that we all have for her with all her adoring fans.”

“This special is going to be the best party ever,” said Mark Bracco, executive producer and president of Silent House Productions. “It will be an evening of music, comedy and dozens of big stars paying tribute to the one and only Carol Burnett. We look forward to everyone at home celebrating right along with us.”

The special will share some of the funniest and most memorable moments of Burnett’s legendary career. From her Broadway debut in “Once Upon a Mattress,” her early appearances on “The Garry Moore Show,” her hit films “The Four Seasons,” “A Wedding,” “Pete ‘n’ Tillie,” her iconic role as Miss Hannigan in “Annie,” to her acclaimed sketch comedy series “The Carol Burnett Show,” which ran for 11 seasons on CBS and played an instrumental role in the evolution of comedy. Burnett’s variety show co-star Vicki Lawrence will be in attendance, along with costume designer Bob Mackie. “The Carol Burnett Show” continues to make people laugh more than 40 years later with its incredibly funny sketches, including, most notably, the hysterical “Gone with the Wind” satire. Many publications have listed “The Carol Burnett Show” as one of the greatest TV series of all time.

“Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love” is executive produced by Carol Burnett, Brian Miller, Steve Sauer, Paul Miller and Baz Halpin, Mark Bracco & Linda Gierahn of Silent House Productions.

Anne Heche’s 13-year-old son, Atlas, breaks silence 5 months after mom’s death

Anne Heche’s son Atlas is mourning his late mother in his first statement since the actress’ death.

The 13-year-old called Heche the “brightest person [he’s] ever known” while breaking his silence in a statement to Los Angeles Inquisitor magazine Tuesday.

“She always knew how to solve a problem or help a friend,” Atlas gushed. “She always knew the right thing to do.

“I cannot put into words how grateful I am or how much I miss her,” he continued.

Heche shared Atlas with her ex James Tupper.

The “Big Little Lies” alum, 57, also spoke to the outlet about the “love and energy” that Atlas brought into his and Heche’s relationship.

“Anne and I were together for more than a decade; we have a beautiful son together, and in that time, he was the very definition of light in our lives, always bringing fun,” Tupper said.

The actor, who dated Heche from 2007 to 2018, concluded, “She will always be remembered in our hearts and minds.”

The Emmy winner was also the mother of son Homer, 20, with her ex-husband, Coleman Laffoon.

Since Heche died in August 2022 at age 53 after a fiery car crash and ensuing coma, Tupper has been battling with his ex’s eldest son over her estate.

In October, Tupper claimed in court documents obtained by Page Six that Homer had been “hostile” toward Atlas.

The “Men in Trees” alum accused his former stepchild of breaking “several promises” to his son, claiming Homer failed to provide an “inventory list and pictures of [Heche’s] tangible personal property.”

However, Homer was granted control over his mom’s estate two months later.

Heche is buried at the Hollywood Forever cemetery, with Homer telling Page Six in an August 2022 statement that her resting place is “a living place, where people attend movies and concerts and other events.”

He added, “We are convinced our Mom would love the site we have chosen for her; it’s beautiful, serene and she will be among her Hollywood peers.”

Talk Show Appearance

Tuesday, Jan. 24

Billy Porter

Critics Choice Award Winner Jean Smart Misses Ceremony After Testing Positive For Covid

Critics Choice was the first major awards event of 2023 to require a Covid test. The move sidelined a number of nominees and presenters who had planned to attend, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Michelle Pfeiffer.

In Hacks, which has been renewed for a third season, Smart plays Deborah Vance, a legendary — and caustic — comedian who is fighting to stay relevant as she ages. In Season 2, Vance left Las Vegas to take her stand-up act on the road, along with her young writer Ava, played by Hannah Einbinder.

Jean, who attended the Golden Globes on Tuesday, has also won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for Hacks.

Critics Choice Award Winners

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Amanda Seyfried – The Dropout (Hulu)

‘Lioness’: Morgan Freeman Joins Taylor Sheridan’s Series For Paramount+

Freeman will play Edwin Mullins, the United States Secretary of State in the show, from Taylor Sheridan, MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios.

Lioness is based on a real-life CIA program and follows Cruz Manuelos (De Oliveira), a rough-around-the-edges but passionate young Marine recruited to join the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team to help bring down a terrorist organization from within. Saldaña will play Joe, the station chief of the Lioness program tasked with training, managing and leading her female undercover operatives.

Lioness‘ series regular cast also includes Dave Annable, Jill Wagner, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Austin Hébert, Jonah Wharton, Stephanie Nur and Hannah Love Lanier. The series is executive produced by Sheridan, David C. Glasser, Saldaña, Kidman, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Jill Wagner, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Malone and John Hillcoat.

Freeman was recently seen in his Emmy-nominated guest star role on The Kominsky Method, the sci-fi anthology series Solos and movies Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, Paradise Highway and The Minute You Wake Up Dead. He also recently hosted and produced a nonfiction series Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman.

NAACP Image Awards Nominations

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)
Billy Porter – The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney+)
Cedric the Entertainer – The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney+)
Chris Bridges – Karma’s World (Netflix)
Cree Summer – Rugrats (Nickelodeon)
Kyla Pratt – The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney+)

Wendie Malick guests on Young Sheldon 2/2/23

GUEST CAST: Wallace Shawn (Dr. Sturgis), Ed Begley Jr. (Dr. Linkletter), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer).

William H. Macy Rounds Out ‘Kingdom Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Cast For 20th Century

It is unknown who Macy will be playing in the pic.

Planet of the Apes is one of 20th Century Studios’ most popular and enduring franchises, amassing more than $1.7 billion in worldwide box office. Based on a novel by Pierre Boulle, the first film in the series was released by then-20th Century Fox in 1968 and went on to become one of the year’s biggest hits, winning a special Academy Award. It was followed by four theatrical sequels and two TV series. A remake, Planet of the Apes, directed by Tim Burton, was released in 2001, and the 2011 reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes was followed by two sequels, 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes.

Macy is coming off his Emmy-nominated work in the Showtime series Shameless. Following the end of the series’ 11-season run, he was most recently seen in Hulu’s Emmy-winning limited series The Dropout. He is repped by Atlas Artists and APA.

Ben Masters Dies: ‘Passions’ Soap Star Was 75

Masters battled dementia for several years and succumbed to Covid.

His biggest role was also his last — portraying the rich and powerful Julian from 1999 to 2008 on the NBC sudser.

Born on May 6, 1947, in Corvallis, OR, Masters graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. degree in theater in 1969. He moved to New York City, where he starred in on and off-Broadway productions such as Captain Brassbound’s Conversion with Ingrid Bergman, The Cherry Orchard with Meryl Streep, and Boys in the Band.

Masters segued into film, starring in Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz with Roy Schneider, Key Exchange with Brooke Adams and Danny Aiello, Making Mr. Right with John Malkovich, and Dream Lover with Kristy McNichol. Throughout the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, Masters starred in miniseries like Noble House with Pierce Brosnan, Celebrity with Ned Beatty and Tess Harper, and guest starred in numerous television series, including Kojak, Petrocelli, Touched by an Angel, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Barnaby Jones, Murder She Wrote, Heartbeat, Walker: Texas Ranger, Diagnosis Murder, Sisters, and Pensacola Wings of Gold.

Masters is survived by his sister Cheryl Lerner and nieces Hannah and Clea Lerner of Los Angeles. At his request, there will be no memorial service or funeral.

SAG Awards Nominations

MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

BABYLON
Jovan Adepo / Sidney Palmer
P.J. Byrne / Max (Ruth’s Asst. Director)
Diego Calva / Manny Torres
Lukas Haas / George Munn
Olivia Hamilton / Ruth Adler
Li Jun Li / Lady Fay Zhu
Tobey Maguire / James McKay
Max Minghella / Irving Thalberg
Brad Pitt / Jack Conrad
Margot Robbie / Nellie LaRoy
Rory Scovel / The Count
Jean Smart / Elinor St. John
Katherine Waterston / Estelle

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
Kerry Condon / Siobhán Súilleabháin
Colin Farrell / Pádraic Súilleabháin
Brendan Gleeson / Colm Doherty
Barry Keoghan / Dominic Kearney

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Jamie Lee Curtis / Deirdre Beaubeirdra
James Hong / Gong Gong
Stephanie Hsu / Joy Wang/Jobu Tupaki
Ke Huy Quan / Waymond Wang
Harry Shum Jr. / Chad
Jenny Slate / Big Nose
Michelle Yeoh / Evelyn Wang

THE FABELMANS
Jeannie Berlin / Hadassah Fabelman
Paul Dano / Burt Fabelman
Judd Hirsch / Uncle Boris
Gabriel LaBelle / Sammy Fabelman
David Lynch / John Ford
Seth Rogen / Bennie Loewy
Michelle Williams / Mitzi Fabelman

WOMEN TALKING
Jessie Buckley / Mariche
Claire Foy / Salome
Kate Hallett / Autje
Judith Ivey / Agata
Rooney Mara / Ona
Sheila McCarthy / Greta
Frances McDormand / Scarface Janz
Michelle McLeod / Mejal
Liv McNeil / Neitje
Ben Whishaw / August
August Winter / Melvin

TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

BETTER CALL SAUL
Jonathan Banks / Mike Ehrmantraut
Ed Begley Jr. / Clifford Main
Tony Dalton / Lalo Salamanca
Giancarlo Esposito / Gus Fring
Patrick Fabian / Howard Hamlin
Bob Odenkirk / Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman
Rhea Seehorn / Kim Wexler

THE CROWN
Elizabeth Debicki / Princess Diana
Claudia Harrison / Princess Anne
Andrew Havill / Robert Fellowes
Lesley Manville / Princess Margaret
Jonny Lee Miller / John Major
Flora Montgomery / Norma Major
James Murray / Prince Andrew
Jonathan Pryce / Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Ed Sayer / Equerry
Imelda Staunton / Queen Elizabeth II
Marcia Warren / Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
Dominic West / Prince Charles
Olivia Williams / Camilla Parker Bowles

OZARK
Jason Bateman / Marty Byrde
Nelson Bonilla / Nelson
Jessica Frances Dukes / Special Agent Maya Miller
Lisa Emery / Darlene Snell
Skylar Gaertner / Jonah Byrde
Julia Garner / Ruth Langmore
Alfonso Herrera / Javi Elizonndro
Sofia Hublitz / Charlotte Byrde
Kevin L. Johnson / Sam Dermody
Katrina Lenk / Clare Shaw
Laura Linney / Wendy Byrde
Adam Rothenberg / Mel Sattem
Felix SolIs / Omar Navarro
Charlie Tahan / Wyatt Langmore
Richard Thomas / Nathan Davis
Damian Young / Jim Rattelsdorf

SEVERANCE
Patricia Arquette / Harmony Cobel
Michael Chernus / Ricken Hale
Zach Cherry / Dylan George
Michael Cumpsty / Mr. Graner
Dichen Lachman / Ms. Casey
Britt Lower / Helly Riggs
Adam Scott / Mark Scout
Tramell Tillman / Seth Milchick
Jen Tullock / Devon Hale
John Turturro / Irving Bailiff
Christopher Walken / Burt Goodman

THE WHITE LOTUS
F. Murray Abraham / Bert Di Grasso
Paolo Camilli / Hugo
Jennifer Coolidge / Tanya McQuoid-Hunt
Adam DiMarco / Albie Di Grasso
Meghann Fahy / Daphne Sullivan
Federico Ferrante / Rocco
Bruno Gouery / Didier
Beatrice Grannò / Mia
Jon Gries / Greg Hunt
Tom Hollander / Quentin
Sabrina Impacciatore / Valentina
Michael Imperioli / Dominic Di Grasso
Theo James / Cameron Sullivan
Aubrey Plaza / Harper Spiller
Haley Lu Richardson / Portia
Eleonora Romandini / Isabella
Federico Scribani / Giuseppe
Will Sharpe / Ethan Spiller
Simona Tabasco / Lucia
Leo Woodall / Jack
Francesco Zecca / Matteo

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

ABBOTT ELEMENTARY
Quinta Brunson / Janine Teagues
William Stanford Davis / Mr. Johnson
Janelle James / Ava Coleman
Chris Perfetti / Jacob Hill
Sheryl Lee Ralph / Barbara Howard
Lisa Ann Walter / Melissa Schemmenti
Tyler James Williams / Gregory Eddie

BARRY
Sarah Burns / Det. Mae Dunn
D’Arcy Carden / Natalie
Anthony Carrigan / Noho Hank
Turhan Troy Caylak / Akhmal
Sarah Goldberg / Sally Reed
Nick Gracer / Yandar
Bill Hader / Barry
Jessy Hodges / Lindsay
Michael Irby / Cristobal
Gary Kraus / Police Chief Krauss
Stephen Root / Monroe Fuches
Henry Winkler / Gene Cousineau

THE BEAR
Lionel Boyce / Marcus
Liza Colón-Zayas / Tina
Ayo Edebiri / Sydney Adamu
Abby Elliott / Natalie “Sugar” Berzatto
Edwin Lee Gibson / Ebraheim
Corey Hendrix / Sweeps
Matty Matheson / Neil Fak
Ebon Moss-Bachrach / Richard “Richie” Jerimovich
Jeremy Allen White / Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto

HACKS
Carl Clemons-Hopkins / Marcus Vaughan
Paul W. Downs / Jimmy LuSaque Jr.
Hannah Einbinder / Ava Daniels
Mark Indelicato / Damien
Jean Smart / Deborah Vance
Megan Stalter / Kayla Schaeffer

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING
Michael Cyril Creighton / Howard Morris
Cara Delevingne / Alice Banks
Selena Gomez / Mabel Mora
Jayne Houdyshell / Bunny
Steve Martin / Charles-Haden Savage
Martin Short / Oliver Putnam
Adina Verson / Poppy White

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

CHRISTINA APPLEGATE / Jen Harding
Dead to Me

RACHEL BROSNAHAN / Miriam “Midge” Maisel
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

QUINTA BRUNSON / Janine Teagues
Abbott Elementary

JENNA ORTEGA / Wednesday Addams
Wednesday

JEAN SMART / Deborah Vance
Hacks

Brad Pitt could step back from Hollywood business after company sale

Brad Pitt — who was seen recently lounging topless by a pool in Mexico with new gal pal Ines de Ramon — sold off a majority stake in his storied Hollywood production company, Plan B, last month, and sources have been telling Page Six it’s all part of a plan for Pitt to take a step back from Hollywood.

Once source told us that in light of the Plan B pact, in which he sold 60% of the company he founded with his ex, Jennifer Aniston, to a French media conglomerate, “Brad has decided that he wants to live a peaceful life going forward and is deciding what ‘semi-retirement’ looks like for him.”

The source added, “One thing he’s decided is that he will likely continue acting,” but that he is staying away from other business ventures.

“While Brad has put a lot of time into the various [businesses based out of the French estate, Chateau Miraval, he bought with Angelina Jolie], and his other interests like architecture, he is absolutely committed to his film career,” said the insider.

The Chateau Miraval is the winery has also been at the center of their ongoing divorce battle.

But the Pitt source also insisted, “He is not leaving Hollywood.”

Pitt has been gearing up to star in his next project, a Formula 1 racing film being produced by car racing champ Lewis Hamilton.

A rep did not comment.

Pitt has also been known as an avid art collector and architecture fan who has gotten some good notices for his own sculptures.

Talk Show Appearance

Tuesday, Jan. 10 – Kelly and Ryan talk with actress JANE KRAKOWSKI

Golden Globes First Round Of Presenters Includes Ana De Armas, Billy Porter, Colman Domingo, Jamie Lee Curtis, Quentin Tarantino & More

De Armas is nominated at the Globes for Best Actress Feature Drama for her turn in Blonde, Curtis is up for Supporting Actress Feature for Everything Everywhere All at Once, while Nash-Betts is nominated for Supporting Actress TV Limited Series/Movie for Dahmer -Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

Of those nominees who aren’t planning on attending are The Whale star Brendan Fraser who is up for Best Actor Feature Drama. Fraser said in a GQ interview that he won’t be going to the Globes as “It’s because of the history that I have with them…And my mother didn’t raise a hypocrite. You can call me a lot of things, but not that.”

Fraser previously accused former HFPA president and member Philip Berk of groping him at a 2003 luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Berk denied the accusations and the HFPA didn’t take any action against him.

While Top Gun: Maverick is up for two Golden Globe noms, including Best Picture Drama, don’t expect that pic’s star and producer Tom Cruise at the Beverly Hilton on Jan. 10 for the ceremony as the actor returned three of his trophies to the HFPA in protest over their lack of diversity as Deadline first reported.

Jerrod Carmichael will host the ceremony airing live coast-to-coast on Jan. 10 from 5-8 p.m. PT/8-11 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock. Previously announced Golden Globe Award winner and six-time nominee Eddie Murphy will be the recipient of the 2023 Cecil B. DeMille Award. Five-time Golden Globe Award winner and sixteen-time nominee Ryan Murphy will receive the Carol Burnett Award.

Also participating on the telecast is Sony Music Masterworks recording artist, composer, producer, and activist, Chloe Flower, who will release a new song, “Golden Hour” inspired by her upcoming appearance. Flower is an in-demand pianist for artists such as Meek Mill and Cardi B, and a fierce advocate for women of color in the music industry. Most recently, Chloe performed at this year’s Kennedy Center Honors on behalf of honoree Tania Leon.

Produced by dick clark productions and Jesse Collins Entertainment in association with the HFPA, the Golden Globe Awards are viewed in more than 210 territories worldwide. Helen Hoehne is president of the HFPA. Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon will serve as executive producers.

Phideaux Xavier Interview - Celebrating 25 Years Directing Daytime Television

Phideaux began his career on Guiding Light (under his original name of Scott Riggs) as a Student Intern and then worked as a PA, Associate Director, Writer and Director. In NYC, Phideaux spent time directing on Another World, One Life To Live, As The World Turns and All My Children before relocating to Los Angeles to direct Sunset Beach, MTV's Spyder Games, Passions, Days Of Our Lives, The Young And The Restless and ultimately General Hospital where he currently resides.

Phideaux has also written two songs for General Hospital's “Nurses Ball” which were performed on the show by Eden McCoy. He also made an on-camera appearance singing an original song on General Hospital.

Courtney Love Says Brad Pitt Got Her Fired From ‘Fight Club’ After She Rejected His Bid To Play Kurt Cobain

The actress and Grammy-nominated musician has asserted that she was set for the David Fincher film’s key role of Marla Singer — eventually to be played by Helena Bonham Carter — before Pitt intervened and got her “fired.” Love says that this happened because she “wouldn’t let Brad play” her late husband, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, after he pitched her on the idea.

Love explained that when Pitt first brought up the idea of playing Cobain — who committed suicide, aged 27, in 1994 — she “went nuclear.” And that all these years later, she wishes she’d instead embraced “the shark instinct” — letting Pitt think she’d go along with the idea of him portraying Cobain, until she was able to get through production on Fight Club. Love added that while she was dating Pitt’s Fight Club co-star Edward Norton at the time of her alleged firing, Norton told her he didn’t “have the power” to get her re-hired.

Love’s remarks came during an interview on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast published Monday, which had her go on to call Fight Club‘s Carter “a genius” and admit that she’s still “never seen” the film.

While Pitt’s reps haven’t returned request for comment, a source close to the film tells us: “Nearly twenty-five years ago, Courtney Love auditioned for a role in Fight Club , a role she was never offered at any point. You cannot be fired for a job you didn’t get. It’s common knowledge that roles are not decided by other actors but by the director.”

Love claimed in conversation with comedian Marc Maron on his popular pod WTF that Pitt has been talking about making a Cobain-centric film since around 1996 — and approached her about producing a film on Cobain through his company Plan B as recently as 2020. Again, she was disinclined to hear Pitt out. “I did a Zoom with him and I stuck up for myself. I said, ‘Listen, man. I don’t know that I trust you, and I don’t know that your movies are for profit,'” she shared. “‘They’re really good social justice movies, but…if you don’t get me, you kind of don’t get Kurt, and I don’t feel like you do, Brad.'”

Love went on to say that she’s not opposed to making a Cobain biopic with the right people — like Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy at Warner Bros., perhaps. “Because they know how to make a f***ing movie."

Fincher’s film Fight Club, based on the same-name novel by Chuck Palahniuk, was released by 20th Century Fox in 1999. The anarchic piece watches as an unnamed, insomniac office worker (Norton) and the devil-may-care soap maker Tyler Durden (Pitt) form an underground fight club that evolves into much more. Love’s would-be character Marla is Fight Club‘s female lead — a sometime-love interest of Durden’s.

While the film had a mixed reception with critics and underperformed in its initial box office bow, it would ultimately become profitable and develop a reputation as a beloved cult classic upon its release on home video.

‘Babylon’ “Naughty” & “Nice” Trailers: Margot Robbie & Brad Pitt In Damien Chazelle’s Old-Hollywood Epic

‘A Good Person’ Trailer: Florence Pugh And Morgan Freeman Star In Zach Braff Family Drama

The film will follow Allison (Pugh), whose life falls apart following her involvement in a fatal accident. In the following years, it is the unlikely relationship she forms with her would-be father-in-law (Freeman) that helps her live a life worth living.

Braff writes and directs A Good Person which reunites him with Freeman, who starred in Braff’s last film Going In Style. The Warner Bros movie remake took $85M at the global box office in 2017. Braff most recently directed on Apple hit Ted Lasso. Se7en and Million Dollar Baby star Freeman is in post on action-comedy The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

Freeman is represented by CAA. Pugh is represented by CAA, manager George Freeman, Curtis Brown Group in the UK, and attorney Greg Slewett at Ziffren Brittenham. Braff is represented by CAA and Management 360 and attorney Ken Richman at Hansen Jacobson.

Nominations For Australia’s AACTA International Awards

Best Supporting Actor:
Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin
Woody Harrelson, Triangle Of Sadness
Sean Harris, The Stranger
Brad Pitt, Babylon
Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Supporting Actress:
Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Olivia DeJonge, Elvis
Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Jean Smart, Babylon

Best Actress in a Series:
Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus: Sicily
Elizabeth Debecki, The Crown
Laura Linney, Ozark
Jean Smart, Hacks
Zendaya, Euphoria

A year later, Chris Noth still not charged or sued in alleged sex assaults

It was December 9, 2021, when Noth and wife Tara Wilson attended the glitzy premiere of “And Just Like That” — the hotly anticipated HBO Max sequel to “Sex and The City” — in which he reprised his most famous role as Mr. Big.

A week after that, everything changed when two women accused him of sexual assault in a bombshell story in The Hollywood Reporter. Both alleged that seeing Noth on the promotional tour for the new show had triggered distressing memories.

A total of five women would eventually come forward with claims the 68-year-old star had assaulted them.

In a Rolling Stone story from January 2022, many women, including former NYU students, claimed Noth was notorious for hanging around bars and attempting to grope women.

Noth was edited out of “And Just Like That” and dropped by his management company. He lost his gig on CBS’ “The Equalizer,” and a Peloton commercial starring Noth was yanked.

But there have been no criminal charges filed against the actor, nor any civil legal action pursued, according to sources. Page Six is told that police have never contacted Noth.

“At this point I have not filed any civil case against Chis Noth,” lawyer Gloria Allred told Page Six. She represents singer Lisa Gentile, who alleged that the actor violently laid hands on her in early 2002 at her New York City apartment.

“Chris lost every job he was given, but he has never been served with a lawsuit and there has never been a criminal complaint filed. There have been no claims settled,” a Hollywood insider said.

“If one of the women had gone to the police, [authorities] would have had an obligation to investigate regardless of the fact that the statute of limitations may have passed. But there was nothing.”

She added, “In general, the absence of a police report or civil lawsuit is not proof that accusations are false. There are many reasons that accusers do not file lawsuits, and do not wish to file a police report.

“In addition, under the recent law passed in New York, the ‘Adult Survivors Act,’ some accusers may decide to file a lawsuit in the future. No accuser is legally required to contact the police or file a lawsuit.”

In 1995, model Beverly Johnson did file a restraining order against Noth while they were dating, claiming he threatened to kill her. The actor has denied all allegations against him.

Noth and his wife were said to struggle amid the scandal as friends worried for him. Wilson, 40, was seen without her wedding ring, but the pair are still together, Page Six can confirm.

As for work, Noth has a few upcoming roles in a couple of Indie films, an industry source said, but nothing that is as big as Mr. Big.

Noth said in a statement to Page Six last year: “The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false … The encounters were consensual.”

Golden Globe Nominations

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE

Brendan Gleeson
The Banshees of Inisherin

Barry Keoghan
The Banshees of Inisherin

Brad Pitt
Babylon

Ke Huy Quan
Everything Everywhere All at Once

Eddie Redmayne
The Good Nurse

BEST ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Quinta Brunson
Abbott Elementary

Kaley Cuoco
The Flight Attendant

Selena Gomez
Only Murders in the Building

Jenna Ortega
Wednesday

Jean Smart
Hacks

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES, OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Jessica Chastain
George & Tammy

Julia Garner
Inventing Anna

Lily James
Pam & Tommy

Julia Roberts
Gaslit

Amanda Seyfried
The Dropout

Brad Pitt Selling Majority Stake In Plan B To France’s Mediawan

The statement indicates that the parties “have entered into a definitive agreement for Mediawan to buy a significant stake in Plan B.”

It touts the opportunity for the French company to expand “beyond its core European markets into the U.S.” by leveraging Plan B’s connections to “cultivate a greater number of immensely talented creators and premium projects for a global viewership.”

Pierre-Antoine Capton, CEO and Co-Founder of Mediawan, said in the statement, “This partnership will allow us to create a unique artistic link between Europe and the United States through which we and Plan B will develop premium independent content, providing a global platform on which the world’s greatest talent can continue to thrive. We would like to thank Brad, Dede, and Jeremy for their trust and recognition of the world-class content emanating from our work in Europe.”

Plan B partners Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner, added collectively: “We have loved working together for nearly two-decades and are incredibly excited about our future. As we enter the next chapter in our evolution, we are excited at the possibilities this partnership affords as we maximize our reach toward an increasingly global audience with a broad range of films and television series across all platforms, genres, and mediums. For our current partner studios, along with those we look forward to working with in the future, we pledge to continue producing new content for audiences everywhere. With the innovative, artistic and producer-centric platform Mediawan has built, we open a window to an even greater number of storytellers, both established masters and the emerging voices that have always excited us.”

PREVIOUSLY at 10:12 a.m. : Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment is selling a majority stake to Paris-based Mediawan, Deadline has confirmed, following news several months ago that the company was seeking a buyer.

There are no financial details on the transaction, which could be announced as early as this weekend.

The company, run by president Dede Gardner and co-president Jeremy Kleiner, recently produced She Said and its credits include The Departed, Moonlight and 12 Years a Slave.

Plan B had hired investment bank Moelis & Co. to explore options.

Mediawan owns a fleet of European production operations such as Lagardère Studios, Makever and the French TV division of EuropaCorp and has a majority of the UK’s Drama Republic through a deal struck through its Mediawan & Leonine Studios venture. It is best known as the company behind the producers of the original Call My Agent (Pour Dix Cent), although it doesn’t sell the rights internationally.

Its Mediawan Rights division recently launched a unique metaverse platform for buyers to access new catalog releases and connect with sales execs.

The current deal will be the latest in a string of high-profile production companies cashing in on the boom in content.

Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs’ Blackstone-backed Candle Media kicked off a stream of deals, buying Hello Sunshine, Moonbug and Fauda producers Faraway Productions and a stake in Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith’s media company, Westbrook. Others include LeBron James’s SpringHill Company selling a big minority stake to a group of investors led by RedBird Capital.

Critics Choice TV Nominations

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christine Baranski – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Sharon Horgan – Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
Laura Linney – Ozark (Netflix)
Mandy Moore – This Is Us (NBC)
Kelly Reilly – Yellowstone (Paramount Network)
Zendaya – Euphoria (HBO)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate – Dead to Me (Netflix)
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Kaley Cuoco – The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
Renée Elise Goldsberry – Girls5eva (Peacock)
Devery Jacobs – Reservation Dogs (FX)
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Julia Garner – Inventing Anna (Netflix)
Lily James – Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
Amber Midthunder – Prey (Hulu)
Julia Roberts – Gaslit (Starz)
Michelle Pfeiffer – The First Lady (Showtime)
Amanda Seyfried – The Dropout (Hulu)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Murray Bartlett – Welcome to Chippendales (Hulu)
Domhnall Gleeson – The Patient (FX)
Matthew Goode – The Offer (Paramount+)
Paul Walter Hauser – Black Bird (Apple TV+)
Ray Liotta – Black Bird (Apple TV+)
Shea Whigham – Gaslit (Starz).

Anne Heche autopsy reveals ‘no evidence of impairment’ by illicit drugs in crash

According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner’s report — which was obtained Tuesday by Page Six — the actress tested positive for benzoylecgonine, cocaine, fentanyl and cannabinoids. However, she was not high at the time of the accident.

The medical examiner explained to Page Six that benzoylecgonine is an inactive metabolite of cocaine, which indicates that she had used it in the past but not on the day of her accident. The same was said for the presence of cannabinoids (marijuana) found in her system.

As for the fentanyl that was detected, the report states that the narcotic was administered to Heche to help alleviate her pain after she had already been admitted to the hospital.

The medical examiner ruled that Heche’s death was accidental and caused by inhalation and thermal injuries, with a fracture to her sternum caused by blunt force trauma also contributing.

Sternal fractures are often the result of a driver’s chest striking the steering wheel. Per the report, that type of injury made it “painful while breathing when she was in her vehicle.”

The medical examiner also estimated that Heche was trapped in her car for about 30 minutes before first responders were able to extricate her.

During that time, the actress’ car was charred and her clothes were almost entirely burned off as she suffered second-degree burns on 12 percent of her body, including to her the right side of her face/neck, right shoulder, left upper chest and her upper extremities.

On the afternoon of Aug. 5, the Emmy winner crashed her blue Mini Cooper into an LA home in the Mar Vista neighborhood, igniting a blaze.

According to eyewitnesses on the scene, Heche first slammed into the garage of a nearby apartment complex before backing up and speeding off.

She hit another vehicle before bulldozing into the house that caught fire.

Photos from the scene captured the actress being put on a stretcher and showed serious injuries to her back. Aerial shots documented smoke billowing out of the residence as well as numerous fire trucks surrounding the area.

Heche’s rep told Page Six at the time that she had suffered a severe anoxic brain injury, a significant pulmonary injury that required mechanical ventilation and burns that required surgical intervention. The actress slipped into a coma and never regained consciousness.

While law enforcement officials were investigating the accident as a potential felony DUI, reports surfaced claiming Heche was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the crash. That has now been dispelled.

The mother of two was declared brain dead on Aug. 12 and taken off life support on Aug. 15 after matching with an organ donor recipient. She was 53.

Heche, who had a high-profile romance with Ellen DeGeneres in the ’90s, used to speak openly about her battles with addiction and substance abuse.

“I drank. I smoked. I did drugs. I had sex with people. I did anything I could to get the shame out of my life,” she told ABC News in 2001, explaining that her choices were a result of a painful childhood marked by sexual abuse.

‘Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2023’ Announces Performers in Disneyland Resort, Los Angeles and New Orleans

Performers at Disneyland Resort (pre-taped) include the following:

GRAMMY® award-winning singer and songwriter and Disneyland co-host Ciara will take the stage to perform a medley of “Better Thangs” and “Jump.”

American indie pop band Fitz and The Tantrums will perform their hit single “Sway” off of their latest album, “Let Yourself Free,” as well as their multiplatinum smash “HandClap.”

Multiplatinum country music duo Maddie & Tae will get viewers moving with uplifting track “Bathroom Floor” and strike a chord with a touching performance of “Every Night Every Morning.”

Reggae/dancehall icon Shaggy will sing his classic hits “Boombastic” and “Angel,” for which fellow Jamaican artist Olaf Blackwood will join.

Tony® Award, GRAMMY and Emmy® winner Ben Platt will perform his 2021 song “Imagine” and be joined by beloved indie sister duo Aly & AJ for a rendition of power ballad “Go Your Own Way.”

Five-time GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter and the star of Disney’s live-action film “The Little Mermaid” Halle Bailey will sing her sentimental hit “Cool People” and a spirited cover of Janet Jackson’s “Together Again.”

South Korean boy band TOMORROW X TOGETHER, known as TXT, will present the power of K-Pop with “Good Boy Gone Bad” and “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” featuring Seori.

Platinum-selling breakout artist Bailey Zimmerman will sing his No. 1 debut single, “Fall In Love,” and fan-favorite track “Rock And A Hard Place.”

Vancouver Island singer-songwriter Lauren Spencer Smith will showcase her powerful vocals with “Fingers Crossed” and “Flowers.”

Performers at the L.A. Party include the following:

Multiplatinum-selling, GRAMMY- and Golden Globe®-nominated recording artist Wiz Khalifa will celebrate the New Year on the L.A. stage with performances of his 2022 highlight single “Memory Lane” and fan-favorite song “Black & Yellow.”

Academy and multi-GRAMMY award-winning singer-songwriter FINNEAS will perform his tender hit “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night” and “Only a Lifetime” off his debut album, “Optimist.”

Billboard’s August 2022 R&B/Hip Hop Rookie of the Month and Def Jam recording artist Armani White will perform his viral sensation hit record “Billie Eilish” and upcoming single “Goated.”

Australian singer-songwriter Betty Who will perform her feel good track “Blow Out My Candle,” the lead single off her most recent release, “BIG!,” via BMG, and an entrancing rendition of Kate Bush’s 1985 song-turned-2022 viral sensation, “Running Up That Hill.”

Singer-songwriter, actress and AMAs New Artist of the Year winner Dove Cameron will cap off her year of accomplishments with performances of “Boyfriend” and “Bad Idea.”

Pop singer-songwriter Nicky Youre will rock the stage with his smash hit single “Sunroof” and newly released “Eyes On You.”

Emmy, GRAMMY and Tony Award winner and co-host Billy Porter will perform a medley of his hits in New Orleans, where he will be co-hosting “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” Festivities.

‘The Bay’ Announces Season 7 Premiere Date; Milestone 100th Episode To Air In 2023

The sudser recently completed its milestone 100th episode, which will be released in early 2023. Viewers can watch the daytime drama series weekdays at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on Popstar! TV.

“Growing up watching American daytime dramas in a Latino household where telenovelas were also a big part of our upbringing, I’ve always wanted to combine these two worlds and feel our creative team really helped accomplish that in these latest episodes,” said Gregori J. Martin, series creator, director, and showrunner.

“The huge success of The Bay is attributed to Gregori’s inspired vision, his genuine love of the soap opera genre and his inherent understanding of serialized storytelling. The Bay always delivers intimate dramatic stories, romance and mystery while exploring the complexity of the human condition. I’m always excited to dive into writing with Gregori because of his fearless and bold approach to traditional soap storytelling,” added co-writer and executive producer Wendy Riche (General Hospital, Port Charles).

The multi-camera serial drama is recorded at Associated Television International Studios in Burbank and on location throughout Southern California. The series also shot in Puerto Rico this season. The soap takes place in a town cursed by the spirit of a murdered Senator (Golden Globe winner and Special Guest Star Bruce Davison). The residents of Bay City struggle after a shocking cataclysmic event leaves everyone wondering who lives and who dies.

Season 7 stars Daytime Emmy winners Kristos Andrews (Survive the Game) and Karrueche Tran (Claws, Bel-Air) as super couple Pete and Vivian Garrett; Daytime Emmy-winners Mary Beth Evans (Days of Our Lives) as Sara Garrett; Tristan Rogers (General Hospital) as Commissioner Lex Martin; A Martinez (Longmire, Santa Barbara) as Nardo Ramos; Eric Nelsen (1883, All My Children) as Daniel Garrett; and Mike Manning (This is Us, Days of our Lives) as Caleb McKinnon. Andrews will be doing double duty as Pete Garrett’s diabolical twin brother Adam Kenway, a role that garnered him a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Drama Series in 2021.

Other returning series regulars are Jackie Zeman and Alicia Leigh Willis (General Hospital), Brandon Beemer and Matthew Ashford (Days of Our Lives), Celeste Fianna (The Raven), Najee De-Tiege (Power Rangers: Samurai), Taylor Stanley (Another World), Dante Aleksander (yA), Carlo Mendez (Parks and Recreation, 90210) and this seasons newcomer Kiara Liz Ortega (Panama).

Guest stars include Bianca D’Ambrosio (Call Jane) and Chiara D’Ambrosio (Bandit), Réal Andrews, Cari Shane and Alexia Robinson (General Hospital), Daniel Covin (All My Children), Ciara Hanna (The Bold and the Beautiful), Txunamy Ortiz (Riverdale), Joe Lando (Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman), Stephen Schnetzer (Another World), John Aprea (The Godfather II & III) and multiple Latin Grammy winner Draco Rosa.

The Bay is produced by the independent film and television production company LANY Entertainment in association with SheMogal Media and is distributed exclusively internationally by GRB Entertainment. Since its inception, the serialized crime romance has garnered 23 Daytime Emmy wins out of 56 nominations from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Popstar! TV also will air encores of The Bay at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on Popstar! TV.

PERFORMER AND PRESENTERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2022 ‘PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARDS’ ON TUESDAY, DEC. 6 AT 9 P.M. ET/PT

Stars who will present include:

Amy Poehler (“Baking It”)
Ana Gasteyer (Actress, “American Auto”)
Billy Porter
Colin Hanks (Actor, “A Friend of the Family”)
David Spade (Comedian, “David Spade: Nothing Personal”)
Dwyane Wade (NBA Champion/Entrepreneur)
George Lopez (Actor, “Lopez vs. Lopez”)
Heidi Klum (Host, “America’s Got Talent: All Stars”)
Laverne Cox (Host, “If We’re Being Honest with Laverne Cox”)
Lil Rel Howery (Actor/Comedian, “Get Out,” “Free Guy” and “Lil Rel Howery: I Said It, Y'all Thinking It”)
Mayan Lopez (Actress, “Lopez vs. Lopez”)
McKenna Grace (Actress, “A Friend of the Family”)
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Actress/Musician)
Niecy Nash-Betts (Actress, “The Rookie Feds” and “Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”)
Nikki Glaser (Comedian, “Nikki Glaser: ‘Good Clean Filth’” and Host, “FBOY Island”)
Sarah Hyland (Actress, “Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin”)
Sarah Michelle Gellar (Actress/Executive Producer, “Wolf Pack”)
The Miz & Maryse (WWE Superstars)

As previously announced, this year NBC and E! will honor award-winning actor, producer, screenwriter, and entrepreneur Ryan Reynolds with the People’s Icon Award, Emmy and Grammy award-winning performer Lizzo with the People’s Champion Award, and five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Shania Twain with the Music Icon Award.

Hosted by Kenan Thompson, the 2022 “People’s Choice Awards'' will air on NBC and E! on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 9 p.m. ET/PT from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. “Live from E!: The 2022 People’s Choice Awards'' will kick off the night with a red carpet special at 7 p.m. ET/PT on E!. The 2022 People’s Choice Awards” and “Live from E!: The 2022 People’s Choice Awards” are both produced by Den of Thieves with Executive Producers Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski.

Anne Heche’s son Homer Laffoon granted control over late mother’s estate

The 20-year-old was given control over Heche’s belongings Wednesday — marking the end of a bitter back-and-forth between him and Heche’s ex James Tupper.

The actress died on Aug. 12 death following a fiery car crash at the age of 53. Her death sparked a legal battle between Laffoon and Tupper over the estate’s ownership.

Laffoon was granted permission to “take possession of all the personal property of the estate of the decedent and preserve it from damage, waste, and injury,” according to court docs via People.

Judge Lee Bogdanoff’s ruling ultimately dismissed Tupper’s claim that Laffoon is “not suitable” to run the estate because of his age, the fact that he’s unemployed, and that he was not in contact with his mother at the time of her death.

“I find no malfeasance by Mr. Laffoon,” Judge Bogdanoff added. The judge also denied Tupper’s request for a hearing to investigate the claim that Heche’s $200,000 jewelry collection has gone missing.

Tupper’s attorney told the judge that Heche “had approximately $200,000 worth of jewelry and none remains and that was four years ago.”

After the ruling, Laffoon’s attorney Bryan Phipps told People in a statement, “We believe the court reached the correct result this morning, both legally and equitably, and are glad to have this phase of the process behind us.

“With Mr. Tupper’s allegations and objections now resolved, we are hopeful the administration of the Estate can proceed without unnecessary complication.”

In October, Tupper — who was with Heche from 2007 until 2018 — claimed that Laffoon was “hostile” to his younger half-brother Atlas Tupper, whom he shared with the late actress.

James claimed that Laffoon has “broken several promises” to his half-brother by not providing him with an “inventory list and pictures of the tangible personal property” the 20-year-old told the court is still inside Heche’s apartment.

Moreover, he alleged that Laffoon “has acted in a hostile manner towards Atlas” since probate proceedings began “and has refused to communicate with him or his representatives at all.”

He insisted his son “has no confidence in Laffoon’s ability to meet his fiduciary obligations to Atlas,” pointing out that Laffoon recently asked the court for certain powers that his title as special administrator apparently already affords him.

‘Babylon’ Trailer: Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt & Diego Calva Lead Damien Chazelle’s Old Hollywood Epic

Read more about the film below; watch the trailer above.

Kelsey Grammer Shares Secrets of the 'Frasier' Revival — and Why David Hyde Pierce Isn't Returning

In a new interview with PEOPLE, Kelsey Grammer opens up about the upcoming revival of the beloved show Frasier, which ran on NBC from 1993-2004. (The show was originally a spin-off of Cheers, where Grammer also played Frasier Crane from 1984-1993.)

"We start rehearsals in February," Grammer, 67, confirms of the Paramount+ show. "We've been working on it honestly for about six or seven years."

"It's been on the slow burner," he continues. "We were like, this is not a bad idea. Maybe this is a good idea!"

Still, he says he and the producers involved went back and forth on the plot — as well as who might come back.

"For a while we were going to try to bring back the whole cast, the whole legacy cast," Grammer says, referring the show's main stars which included David Hyde Pierce, Peri Gilpin, Jane Leeves, and John Mahoney, who died in 2018.

However, after Hyde Pierce bowed out, Grammer says they had to rethink things.

"David basically decided he wasn't really interested in repeating the performance of Niles," Grammer says of his onscreen brother. (After Frasier, Hyde Pierce went on to have a thriving theater career and recently starred as Julia Childs' husband Paul in the HBO Max series Julia.)

Grammer says the casting development actually ended up working out. "In a very funny way, it just took us to a new place, which was what we originally wanted to do anyway, which was a Fraser third act," he explains. "It's an entirely new life for him."

In the original series, which won a total of 37 Emmys throughout it's 11-season run, Grammer played Frasier, a radio psychiatrist and an uptight intellectual living in Seattle with his equally fussy brother and their blue collar father. The actor won four Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role.

In the revival, fans will see Frasier living in an entirely new city alone.

"He's our brave little soldier that continues on in life, finding new challenges and a new love and new people and a new city and stuff like that," Grammer says. "I'm really very excited about it, and we'll certainly always honor the past. We have to honor the fact that John Mahoney died and that Martin is no longer with us. We'll be dealing with that for sure."

He adds that they'll also explain the absence of the other people from his past, including Niles, Roz and Daphne.

"We'll certainly be responsive about the fact that there was a brother and such," says Grammer. "But the new world for Frasier is one of new friendships — and some new twists and turns he didn't know were still in there."

Last summer, Grammer — who is currently starring in the Lifetime holiday movie The 12 Days of Christmas Eve with his daughter Spencer Grammer (out Nov. 26) — opened up about reading the first script for the brand new Frasier, and he said he absolutely loved it.

"I've had a couple runs through it, and I cried," he said at the time. "So you know, I'm happy."

'THE KEY IS ME': Kelsey Grammer teases 'Frasier' reboot

The 67-year-old actor played Frasier Crane in the hit sitcom – which ran for 11 seasons, between 1993 and 2004 – and Kelsey has now teased some details of the long-awaited reboot.

He told E! News: “There’s surely going to be some return visits from a lot of the peripheral characters in Frasier’s life. Some of them will show up. Some are not coming as regulars, but may make an appearance later on.”

‘Fraiser’ was created as a spin-off of the sitcom ‘Cheers’, and the hit TV show starred the likes of David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves and John Mahoney, who died in February 2018, aged 77.

The reboot was officially picked up by Paramount in October, after Kelsey revealed earlier in the year that he was in “the final stages” of developing the series.

He said at the time: “There’s been some conversation about maybe [shooting in] October, maybe a little later. I don’t know. There are a couple other things coming up. We’ve developed a couple other projects that look like they’re going to shoot first.

“But we’re in the final stages of the final script for the first episode of ‘Frasier’, the reboot. And it looks pretty good. I’ve had a couple of runs through it, and I cried, so you know, I’m happy.”

Kelsey also joked about his own importance to the project.

The actor – who starred in ‘Cheers’ between 1984 and 1993 – said: “The key ingredient for the ‘Frasier’ reboot is actually Frasier honestly. It was always called [Frasier], so it’s me, the key is me.”

Prior to that, Kelsey revealed he was keen to reunite the old cast and described the reboot as a “third act.”

He said: “We have a story to tell – that can actually be told with or without them, honestly – but I want them back because that’s what I always dreamed of. I thought we should explore all their lives in their third act, and so that is my hope.”

‘13 Reasons Why’ Duo Devin Druid & Amy Hargreaves Among Cast For Slasher Pic ‘Founders Day’

Following Mainframe’s She Came from the Woods, the summer camp horror which premiered earlier this year at FrightFest, Founders Day is a contemporary murder mystery set in the midst of a heated mayoral election on the eve of a quaint New England town’s tricentennial.

Starring are Devin Druid (13 Reasons Why), Emilia McCarthy (SkyMed), Amy Hargreaves (13 Reasons Why), Catherine Curtin (Stranger Things), William Russ (Boy Meets World), Naomi Grace (NCIS), Olivia Nikkanen (The Society), Jayce Bartok (When They See Us), Andrew Stewart Jones (Gotham), Tyler James White (The Villains of Valley View), Erik Bloomquist (Weekenders), Adam Weppler (Long Lost), Kate Edmonds (The Third Saturday in October), Dylan Slade, and Arun Cameron Storrs. Casting is by Nick Peciaro, CSA.

Pic is produced by Erik Bloomquist, Carson Bloomquist, and Adam Weppler for Mainframe, with co-producers Amy Hargreaves and William Russ. Mike Chapman and Fatima Hayward serve as executive producers on behalf of Blue Finch Films, alongside William Kay and Frank Roessler. Blue Finch Films is handling worldwide sales.

Directed by Erik Bloomquist, the film was co-penned with Carson Bloomquist and is aiming for a festival premiere in 2023.

“With whodunnit slashers serving as our entry point into the genre, we are elated to bring our own mischief-laden, blood-soaked mystery to life,” said the Bloomquist brothers. “Founders Day is a slasher for the world we are living in right now, and we can’t wait for the speculation on who’s behind the mask to begin…”

Morgan Freeman appears at World Cup opening ceremony with a message of inclusion

It wasn’t the biggest moment of Sunday’s seven-act World Cup opening ceremony ahead of the match between host country Qatar and Ecuador. The largest cheers were reserved for the Mideast and African leaders watching from their luxury suites in Bedouin-tent inspired Al Bayt Stadium.

In fact, it was Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani who drew a thunderous applause in a short speech delivered in Arabic from the suite. He was seated between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who secured the World Cup for the tiny gulf nation 12 years ago.

“How beautiful it is for people to put aside what divides them in order to celebrate their diversity and what brings them together at the same time,” Sheikh Tamim said, his words translated into English on a video screen inside the stadium.

“I wish all the participating teams a magnificent football performance, high sportsmanship, and a time full of joy, excitement and delight for you all,” he continued. “And let there be days that are inspiring with goodness and hope.”

He then said, “I welcome you and good luck to all,” in his only words spoken in English.

Sheikh Hamad, viewed as the modernizer of Qatar during his 18 years as ruler, further delighted the crowd by autographing an official World Cup shirt handed to him by his son. He then held the shirt up to the crowd.

Qatar, home to 3 million people, most of them migrant workers, has spent more than $200 billion on preparation for the World Cup. Seven new stadiums were built, including the 60,000-seat Al Bayt Stadium north of Doha.

The opening ceremony was meant to introduce Qatar to the world through its culture with a theme of “bridging distances.” Creative director Ahmad Al Baker wanted the ceremony to signify “a gathering for all mankind, an invitation to come together as one, bridging all differences with humanity, respect and inclusion.”

It hit the mark when Sheikh Tamim was joined in the stadium suite by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, two leaders who had boycotted Qatar for years. Not present were the leaders of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, the two other nations involved in the boycott.

There were no major Western leaders in attendance, as Qatar is under intense scrutiny for its treatment of the migrant workers who prepped the nation for the World Cup, as well as the LGBTQ community. Gay and lesbian sex is criminalized in Qatar.

But among those who did attend the opening match were UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Senegalese President Macky Sall, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

Kuwait’s crown prince came, along with the director-general of the World Health Organization and Djibouti’s president. Also present was Jordan’s King Abdullah II.

They listened as BTS’ Jung Kook, while Qatari singer and producer Fahad Al Kubaisi debuted the single “Dreamers,” produced specifically for the World Cup.

Then came remarks from Infantino, who spoke in Arabic, Spanish and finally English to officially open the tournament.

“Dear friends, welcome, welcome, to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” Infantino said in English. “Welcome to celebrate football because football unites the world. And now let’s welcome the teams and let the show begin.”

As “The Business” by Tiesto blasted over the speakers, Qatar and Ecuador took to the field and the World Cup officially began.

Wendie Malick guests on Young Sheldon 12/8/22

GUEST CAST includes: Ed Begley Jr. (Dr. Linkletter), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer), Matt Hobby (Pastor Jeff).

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2023

Disneyland will become this year’s inaugural host destination and home to an additional “Rockin’ Eve” celebration with veteran hostess and award-winning multiplatinum-selling artist Ciara overseeing festivities at the Happiest Place on Earth. The Disneyland segments will be pre-taped prior to the New Year’s holiday. This year’s broadcast event will also kick off Disney 100 Years of Wonder Celebration, which will celebrate the global impact of Disney’s storytelling, experiences, and fans and set the stage for the next 100 years of Disney magic. Beginning Jan. 27, 2023, Disneyland Resort will be the place “where wonder comes to life,” with special limited-time offerings taking place throughout the year, plus two all-new nighttime spectaculars.

Returning for his fourth year, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, and Tony® Award winner Billy Porter will be back in New Orleans as co-host to head up the Central Standard Time zone countdown. Porter co-hosted from New Orleans in 2019 and 2021, and Times Square in 2020. After serving as the official LA Party DJ at last year’s show, iconic DJ, producer/rapper and philanthropist D-Nice will return as this year’s LA co-host.

“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” America’s go-to annual New Year’s tradition that celebrates the year’s very best in music, sets the stage to ring in the new year with more than 5½ hours of dynamic performances airing until 2:00 a.m. EST and gives viewers a look at New Year’s celebrations from around the globe. Additional details around performers will be announced closer to show night.

“Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve 2022,” the No. 1 New Year’s Eve programming special each year, won all six half-hours of New Year’s Eve primetime and beat the combined deliveries of its broadcast competitors by 2.0 million total viewers and by 138% among adults 18-49. Continuing to hold the title as most watched year over year, last year’s late-night telecast attracted 9.4 million total viewers.

Anne Heche Estate Sued Over Fiery Car Crash ... My House is Destroyed!!!

The late actress' estate is being sued over her August car wreck by the woman who lived in the home where Anne crashed her Mini Cooper and ignited a huge blaze.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Lynne Mishele says she was minding her business at home with her pets when suddenly Anne's car came barreling inside, allegedly stopping just a few feet away from the woman, her dogs and her tortoise.

Lynne claims she is still traumatized by the incident -- she says she's startled by loud noises, plagued by nightmares and flashbacks of the crash, terrified of walking outside ... and has no place to live.

In the suit, she claims the house and all of her possessions were completely burned and destroyed as a result of Anne's crash.

She notes Anne was driving erratically before crashing into her home ... remember, Anne also crashed into another home nearby, and also notes a blood analysis showed Anne had cocaine and fentanyl in her system at the time of the crash.

As we reported ... Anne was stuck in her burning car for at least 45 minutes after the crash, and she was transported to a hospital where she later died from smoke inhalation and burn injuries.

Lynne is going after Anne's estate for at least $2 million in damages.

We reached out to the estate ... so far no word back.

Talk Show Appearance

Tu 11/15: Lindsay Lohan

Kevin Conroy Dies: Longtime Voice Of Animated Batman Was 66

His death was announced by his rep Gary Miereanu and Warner Bros. A cause was not disclosed, but he reportedly had been battling cancer.

In a statement, Warner Bros. Animation said it “is saddened by the loss of our dear friend Kevin Conroy. His iconic performance of Batman will forever stand among the greatest portrayals of the Dark Knight in any medium. We send our warmest thoughts to his loved ones and join fans around the world in honoring his legacy.”

An actor with credits on stage, television and film, Conroy became a premier voice actor as the title character of Batman: The Animated Series (1992-96). He’d eventually give voice to the Dark Knight in nearly 60 different productions, including 15 films and more than 15 animated series spanning nearly 400 episodes and more than 100 hours of television.

Conroy also voiced Batman in dozens of video games and was featured as a live-action Bruce Wayne in the Arrowverse’s 2019-20 “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event.

“Kevin was perfection,” said Mark Hamill, who voiced the Joker opposite Conroy’s Batman. “He was one of my favorite people on the planet, and I loved him like a brother. He truly cared for the people around him – his decency shone through everything he did. Every time I saw him or spoke with him, my spirits were elevated.”

In recent years, Conroy was a fixture on the convention circuit.

“Kevin was far more than an actor whom I had the pleasure of casting and directing – he was a dear friend for 30+ years whose kindness and generous spirit knew no boundaries,” said casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano. “Kevin’s warm heart, delightfully deep laugh and pure love of life will be with me forever.”

Born on November 30, 1955, in Westbury, NY, and raised in Westport, CT, Conroy attended The Juilliard School and, under the tutelage of John Houseman, studied alongside Christopher Reeve and Frances Conroy. He was, at one point, a roommate of Robin Williams.

Conroy began his stage career following in both New York and at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, playing Hamlet at the 1984 New York Shakespeare Festival.

On TV, he had recurring roles in Dynasty, Tour of Duty and Ohara and appeared on the soaps Search for Tomorrow and Another World. He had guest roles on Cheers, Murphy Brown, Spenser: For Hire and Matlock.

His voice acting career took off with Batman: The Animated Series, which debuted on September 5, 1992. Conroy’s association with the Dark Knight would continue with Batman Beyond and Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, Batman: the Killing Joke, Batman: Gotham Knight, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman.

“Kevin was a brilliant actor,” Hamill said in his statement. “For several generations, he has been the definitive Batman. It was one of those perfect scenarios where they got the exact right guy for the exact right part, and the world was better for it. His rhythms and subtleties, tones and delivery – that all also helped inform my performance. He was the ideal partner – it was such a complementary, creative experience. I couldn’t have done it without him. He will always be my Batman.”

Conroy is survived by his husband Vaughn C. Williams, sister Trisha Conroy, and brother Tom Conroy. Memorial services are pending.

Kelsey Grammer admits to ‘some failings’ in parenting his 7 children

“Kids are a big part of [my life] now,” the 67-year-old actor, who has seven children combined, told People in an interview published Friday.

Grammer explained that he’s currently dealing with “some failings” as he navigates relationships with his older children.

The “Frasier” alum shares Faith, 9, Kelsey, 7, and Auden, 5, with wife Kayte Walsh; Mason, 21, and Jude, 18, with ex-wife Camille Grammer; actress Greer Grammer, 30, with ex Barrie Buckner; and Spencer, 39, with ex Doreen Alderman.

“I’m trying to iron it out now. Trying to sort them out,” he told the outlet of the dynamic with his adult children, though he didn’t specify which.

"Kids are a big part of [my life] now," the actor said in a new interview.

Grammer added that he remembers his older kids being “great people” their entire lives.

“They’re beautiful too. I remember them when they were little and I know they were great people. So whatever they’re going through now, can’t tarnish that. They’re still in there,” he elaborated. “The good persons in there.”

Though there is work to be done in Grammer’s relationships with his older children, he said that fatherhood has “never been better.”

He gushed, “It’s the greatest experience in the world, the joy every day of being with my kids.”

Grammer’s daughter Greer reflected on growing up with a famous dad in a 2014 interview with Nylon.

“I remember going to tapings of ‘Frasier’ when I was around 4,” she told the magazine of her childhood. “I knew I was at my dad’s work, but I didn’t get that he was acting for TV. It wasn’t until the second grade that it really hit me.”

Greer went on to score impressive acting credits of her own but is best known for playing Lisa in MTV’s “Awkward” from 2011 until 2016.

She has previously said that Grammer is “super proud” of her success in the industry.

Morning Show Appearance

Tuesday, Nov. 8 — Actress Lindsay Lohan (“Falling for Christmas”)

Morning Show Appearance

Friday, November 11 (9-10 a.m.)

Kelsey Grammer and Spencer Grammer on The 12 Days of Christmas Eve.

‘Kemba’ Castings

The upcoming film follows Kemba (Cooper) as a young college student who falls in love with a man, only to learn he is a drug kingpin who leads her down a path of abuse and manipulation, placing her in the middle of the government’s “war on drugs,” and ultimately landing her in federal prison. Hurd and Thomas will play Kemba’s loving parents Odessa and Gus, with Saunderson as Kemba’s college boyfriend and drug kingpin, Khalif, and Carryl as Elaine, an NAACP Legal Defense Fund lawyer that takes up Kemba’s fight.

Stacey Parks, Lana Link, and Rob Pfaltzgraff will produce for MPI, with Smith, MPI’s Nick Reid, and BET’s Maureen Guthman and Connie Orlando exec producing. BET’s Jon Marc Sandifer and Lorisa Bates will co-executive produce, with MPI’s Hannah Ruth Earl and BET’s John Baldasare serving as consulting producers.

The film will have its television premiere on BET, with additional launch and distribution plans to be announced at a later date. Hurd is repped by APA and TMT Entertainment Group; Thomas by Innovative Artists and AFA Prime Talent Media; Saunderson by Innovative Artists, M88 and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; and Carryl by O’Neill Talent Group and NOVA Talent Group.

Talk Show Appearance

Friday, Nov. 11 – Actor JUSTIN HARTLEY , and actress LINDSAY LOHAN

Talk Show Appearance

Thursday, November 10: Lindsay Lohan

Talk Show Appearance

AIRING Nov 4, 2022

Billy Porter (memoir "Unprotected")

Vertical Entertainment Acquires Multi-Generational Rom-Com ‘Maybe I Do’ Starring Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey & William H. Macy From Fifth Season

The first feature written and directed by Oscar nominee Michael Jacobs (Quiz Show) will be released exclusively in theaters nationwide on January 27, 2023.

Maybe I Do follows Michelle (Roberts) and Allen (Bracey), who have reached the point in their relationship where they are considering the next steps and decide to invite their parents to finally meet. The parents already know each other well – really well – leading to distinct and defining opinions about the value of marriage.

Maybe I Do was financed and produced by Fifth Season and marks the latest in a line of successful collaborations between the studio and Vertical, including Joe Bell starring Mark Wahlberg and Connie Britton, and Shadow in the Cloud starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Nick Robinson. Jacobs, Vincent Newman and Scott Mednick produced, with Keaton, Stephanie Heaton-Harris, Jennifer Semler, Jonathan Montepare, Skyler Mednick and Jason Pinardo serving as executive producers. WME Independent is repping international rights on behalf of Fifth Season.

“Michael’s funny, sad and wise take on marriage is fully realized by a dream cast and with the never-ending support from the entire Fifth Season family. We are thrilled to be in partnership with the excellent team at Vertical and to have Maybe I Do experienced theatrically,” said producer Vincent Newman. “The spirit on set and authentic moments delivered by these incredible actors made this film a joy for Michael, Scott, and me to produce. We look forward to audiences resonating with these moments of chaos that come in even the best of relationships, which these certainly aren’t.”?

“We have an exciting 2023 lined up for the company and are thrilled to kick-off the New Year with Maybe I Do,” added Vertical Partner Peter Jarowey. “Michael Jacobs’ impressive track record continues as he steps behind the camera directing his first feature film with an ensemble of amazing actors bringing his words to life. We can’t wait for audiences to say, ‘I Do’ and see it in theaters this January.”

Vertical Entertainment is an indie distributor which was founded in 2012. Other current and upcoming releases from the company include Hans Canosa’s The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, based on Gabrielle Zevin’s New York Times bestselling novel; Darren Le Gallo’s Sam & Kate, starring Dustin Hoffman and Sissy Spacek; the 2022 SXSW thriller Gone in the Night, directed by Eli Horowitz and starring Winona Ryder and John Gallagher Jr.; John Patton Ford’s 2022 Sundance pic Emily the Criminal, starring Aubrey Plaza, who is nominated for a 2022 Gotham Award for Outstanding Lead Performance; Krystin Ver Linden’s Alice, which also premiered at Sundance 2022 and stars Keke Palmer, Common, Gaius Charles and Jonny Lee Miller; and John Michael McDonagh’s The Forgiven starring Ralph Fiennes, Jessica Chastain and Matt Smith, which premiered at Tribeca 2022.

Vertical’s Jarowey and SVP of Acquisitions Tony Piantedosi negotiated the Maybe I Do deal with Fifth Season.

Dishing with Digest - 10/28/22 - James Hyde

Wendie Malick guests on Young Sheldon 11/10/22

GUEST CAST includes: Ed Begley Jr. (Dr. Linkletter), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer), Steve Burns (Nathan).

Dorothy Lyman guests on Blue Bloods 11/4/22

GUEST CAST: Derek Gaines (Bugs), Robert Stanton (Connor Kelly), Dorothy Lyman (Elizabeth).

People’s Choice Award Nominees

Voting for the 2022 People’s Choice Awards runs today (Oct 26) through Wednesday, November 9 at 11:59 pm ET. Fans can either vote online at http://www.votepca.com or on Twitter.

Male Movie Star of 2022
Brad Pitt – Bullet Train
Chris Hemsworth – Thor: Love and Thunder
Chris Pratt – Jurassic World Dominion
Daniel Kaluuya – Nope
Dwayne Johnson – Black Adam
Miles Teller – Top Gun: Maverick
Ryan Reynolds – The Adam Project
Tom Cruise – Top Gun: Maverick

Daytime Talk Show of 2022
Good Morning America
Live with Kelly and Ryan
The Drew Barrymore Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Jennifer Hudson Show
The Kelly Clarkson Show
The View
Today with Hoda and Jenna

Reality TV Star of 2022
Chrishell Stause – Selling Sunset
Garcelle Beauvais – The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Kandi Burruss – The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Kenya Moore – The Real Housewives of Atlanta
Khloé Kardashian – The Kardashians
Kim Kardashian – The Kardashians
Kyle Richards – The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino – Jersey Shore: Family Vacation.

Talk Show Appearance

Friday, Nov. 4: The multitalented and inspirational BILLY PORTER joins Tamron to talk about life since the release of his powerful memoir, “Unprotected.”

James Tupper claims Anne Heche’s son Homer has been ‘hostile’ to younger brother

According to court documents obtained Monday by Page Six, James — who shared 13-year-old son Atlas Tupper with the late actress — formally opposed Laffoon’s recent request to “expand his authority” as special administrator of Heche’s estate.

James claimed that Laffoon has “broken several promises” to his half-brother by not providing him with an “inventory list and pictures of the tangible personal property” the 20-year-old claims is still inside Heche’s apartment.

Moreover, James, 57, alleged Laffoon “has acted in a hostile manner towards Atlas” since probate proceedings began “and has refused to communicate with him or his representatives at all.”

James insisted his son “has no confidence in Laffoon’s ability to meet his fiduciary obligations to Atlas,” pointing out that Laffoon recently asked the court for certain powers that his title as special administrator apparently already affords him.

James further argued that the aforementioned request “underscores [Laffoon’s] lack of competence and inability to preserve estate assets,” and he accused Laffoon of “wasteful and needless litigation.”

James asked the court to force Laffoon to give Atlas the requested inventory list before expanding his authority “so it can be determined whether Laffoon actually safeguards all of [Heche’s] personal property in the future and conflict can be minimized.”

Additionally, James requested that the bond be set at $2 million instead of the $800,000 Laffoon had asked for because “no evidence of such information has been provided to the court, James or Atlas as to what justifies” the latter amount.

James and Homer — whom Heche shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon — have been in a legal battle for control of her estate as well as for the title of guardian ad litem for Atlas since her Aug. 12 death following a fiery car crash at the age of 53.

James was denied guardianship of his own son earlier this month.

Homer Laffoon requests to ‘expand his authority’ over late mom Anne Heche’s estate

According to court documents obtained Friday by Page Six, Laffoon filed an application to “expand his authority” as special administrator of his mother’s estate to be able to “take possession of money or other property of the estate.”

The 20-year-old argued that the “powers are necessary prior to the next court hearing” because “tangible personal property” belonging to the estate is still “located in [Heche’s] apartment.”

Laffoon claimed that the aforementioned personal property “needs to be moved out of the apartment as soon as possible in order to avoid additional fees, costs and possible loss to the estate.”

He recently alleged that his mother died with $400,000 to her name.

Additionally, Laffoon told the court that he “is aware of numerous checks made payable to [Heche] that need to be negotiated, endorsed and deposited into a bank account in the name of the estate in a timely manner so that the checks are not voided.”

According to Laffoon, expanding his authority would allow him to “take possession of all of the real and personal property” of his mother’s estate and preserve it from “damage, waste and injury.”

It would also allow him to “collect all claims, rents and other income belonging to the estate;” “commence and maintain or defend suits and other legal proceedings;” and “request and receive copies of [the estate’s] financial records.”

Furthermore, Laffoon argued that the requested powers would let him “manage, perform and enforce the rights and interests” pertaining to Heche’s forthcoming book, “Call Me Anne.”

He is also asking for a bond of $800,000.

Homer, whom Heche shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon, has been in a legal battle with the actress’ ex-boyfriend, James Tupper, since her Aug. 12 death following a fiery car crash.

Homer and James, who co-parented 13-year-old son Atlas Tupper with Heche, have been fighting for control of the estate as well as for the title of guardian ad litem for Atlas.

James was denied guardianship earlier this month.

‘Jesus Revolution’ Trailer: Joel Courtney, Jonathan Roumie & Kelsey Grammer Lead Faith-Based Drama From Lionsgate, Kindom Story Company

The film directed by Jon Erwin (I Can Only Imagine, American Underdog) and Brent McCorkle (Unconditional) tells the true story of a divided moment in time when people came together by checking their preconceptions at the door – and formed a movement by listening to each other, looking beyond their own beliefs.

In the 1970s, young Greg Laurie (Courtney) is searching for all the right things in all the wrong places – until he meets Lonnie Frisbee (Roumie), a charismatic hippie-street-preacher. Together with Pastor Chuck Smith (Grammer), they open the doors of Smith’s languishing church to an unexpected revival of radical and newfound love, leading to what Time magazine dubbed a “Jesus Revolution.”

The film written by Erwin and Jon Gunn also stars Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Anna Grace Barlow, DeVon Franklin, Ally Ioannides, Julia Campbell, Nic Bishop and Jolie Jenkins. Kevin Downes (I Can Only Imagine, American Underdog) and Jon and Andrew Erwin produced it alongside Josh Walsh (The Jesus Music) and Daryl Lefever (Woodlawn).

Jesus Revolution will open against the Elizabeth Banks-directed Universal thriller Cocaine Bear and Sony’s thriller Searching 2. Check the new film’s trailer out by clicking above.

Talk Show Appearance

Tuesday, Oct. 25

Billy Porter

THE SEARCH FOR SECRET SANTA (Ion) 12/4/22

THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS EVE 11/26/22

FALLING FOR CHRISTMAS 11/10/22

CHRISTMAS AT THE GREENBRIER (Fox Nation) 11/24/22

William H. Macy is headed to The Conners.

An airdate has not yet been announced.

Macy becomes the fourth Shameless star to appear on the Roseanne spinoff. In addition to Kenney, who plays Darlene and David’s daughter Harris, the ABC comedy previously enlisted Noel Fisher to recur as Dan’s half-brother Ed Jr. in Season 2, and more recently cast Ethan Cutkosky to play Louise and Neville’s nephew Caleb in Season 5. (Louise, we should point out, is played by Katey Sagal, who recurred throughout Shameless Season 9 as Dr. Ingrid Jones.)

As previously reported, The Conners this fall will see the “oh s–t!” return of a Roseanne character not seen since the series’ original 1988-1997 run — a surprise guest star the executive producers refuse to spoil ahead of air. It was also confirmed that Season 5 has been extended from 20 to 22 episodes, marking the veteran comedy’s longest season to date. The increase will bring the offshoot to 93 episodes — which, coupled with Roseanne Season 10, brings the revival’s total haul to an impressive 102 episodes.

Kelsey Grammer Shares How ‘Frasier’ Will Address John Mahoney’s Absence

“His loss is and was devastating and must be given the proper attention in honor of the extraordinary man he was and the contribution he made to the show and to the acting profession,” Grammer told Fox News Digital. “We will most certainly be honoring him according to his merit. A man of merit he remains to this day.”

Mahoney died in 2018 and played patriarch Martin Crane in the comedy series.

Grammer added, “John was a kind man, and the world cannot afford to lose a kind man at any time.”

The sitcom star also made it clear that the new Frasier series “is not a reboot.”

“Frasier, in his third or fourth act, is not a reboot, but a new show centered around the character in a new set of circumstances and a new city,” Grammer said.

The sequel series comes from writers Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Joe Cristalli (Life In Pieces), who executive produce with Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. Frasier will be produced by CBS Studios in association with Grammer’s Grammnet NH Productions.

Frasier ran for 11 seasons on NBC between 1993 and 2004 with the show being created by David Angell, Peter Casey and David Lee. The premise of the show centers around psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Grammer) returning to his hometown of Seattle, Washington, following the end of his marriage and life in Boston, as it was seen in Cheers.

Anna Holbrook guests on The Equalizer 10/23/22

GUEST CAST includes: Charles Brice (Louis “T Bone” Bennett), Big Daddy Kane (Buffalo Joe), Anna Holbrook (Bettie Bass).

Brad Pitt’s Plan B Exploring Options, Including Sale

Deadline has confirmed that global independent investment bank Moelis & Co. was hired by Plan B six months ago to shop for possible investors. We’ve heard that Plan B received numerous offers, but it’s all exploratory.

Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment is run by President Dede Gardner and Co-President Jeremy Kleiner.

Plan B was launched in late 2001 between Pitt and former spouse/actress Jennifer Aniston. When the duo divorced, Pitt took over the label in 2005.

Plan B has been behind several notable movies including Ad Astra, Vice, The Big Short, World War Z and If Beale Street Could Talk.

On the TV side, the company won a Primetime Emmy Award for HBO’s limited series The Normal Heart and landed Emmy nominations for Feud: Bette and Joan, documentary Big Men and TV movie Nightingale.

Several boutique production companies have nabbed big investors of late, i.e. Kevin Mayer and Tom Stagss’ Candle Media, which picked up Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine for $100 million shy of $ 1 billion, A24 getting a $225 million investment with Stripes as the led investor. Parasite Oscar winner NEON recently tapped Merchant Bank Raine in exploring a possible sale.

James Tupper denied guardianship of Atlas amid estate battle with Anne Heche’s son Homer

According to documents obtained by Page Six, the court found that not enough evidence had been provided by Tupper — who shares Atlas with Anne Heche — to stop Homer Laffoon from becoming his half-brother’s legal guardian.

Following the ruling, Laffoon’s lawyer, Bryan L. Phipps, told Page Six in a written statement, “We are pleased — but not surprised— with the court’s ruling this morning denying James’ petition to appoint himself guardian ad litem for Atlas. We look forward to the court resolving Homer’s petition at the next hearing and, in the meantime, Homer will continue to diligently administer the Estate pursuant to his authority as Special Administrator.”

The next court hearing will take place on Nov. 30, 2022.

On Aug. 31, Homer — Heche’s oldest son with Coleman Laffoon — filed a petition to be named executor of his mother’s estate, claiming that he is “the person with the highest priority of appointment” and is “legally entitled to appointment as administrator.”

The 20-year-old requested that he and his brother be listed as their late actress’ sole heirs before asking the court to name him as Atlas’ guardian.

Immediately after, Tupper tried to stop Homer, claiming that “as a minor, Atlas has no ability to hire legal representation to represent his interests in these proceedings.”

He also added that he is Atlas’ sole living parent, they live together and he loves his son “very much.”

Tupper continued in his petition, “In order to preserve family harmony and a healthy, brotherly relationship between Atlas and Homer, and given the complexity this estate will foreseeably involve … a bonded, neutral, private professional fiduciary would be a more appropriate administrator.”

On top of asking the court to name him as his son’s legal guardian, Tupper also claimed he was the executor of Heche’s estate, according to an email she had sent him back in 2011.

“My wishes are that all of my assets go to the control of Mr. James Tupper to be used to raise my children and then given to the children,” he claimed she wrote in the alleged will.

However, Homer fired back and claimed the alleged will wasn’t valid because it “was not signed by [Heche] and does not have two witnesses who signed the document during [her] lifetime.”

The “Six Days Seven Nights” actress died on Aug. 12 after an Aug. 5 car crash that left her in a coma. She was 53.

Anne Heche’s son reveals how much money actress allegedly had at time of death

According to Homer Laffooon, Heche allegedly died with approximately $400,000 to her name, per court documents obtained Tuesday by the Daily Mail.

Laffoon reportedly said in his filing that his “best estimate on the value of all [Heche’s] personal property is $400,000.”

He also reportedly expects to receive that same amount annually from royalties and residuals, claiming that “the probable value of the annual income from all the estate’s property is approximately $400,000.”

Additionally, Laffoon, 20, reportedly revealed that his mother lived in an apartment and did not own a home, alleging in the paperwork that she “did not have any interest in real property at the time of her death.”

Laffoon also provided the court with a list of what the actress allegedly owned at the time of her death, which included a few modest bank accounts, royalty payments and other income, an LLC membership interest related to her podcast, and his mother’s interest in future profits from her memoir, “Call Me Anne,” which was set to be published next year — among other things.

Laffoon, whom Heche shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon, has been battling Heche’s ex-boyfriend, James Tupper, for control of the actress’ estate since her death on Aug. 12 at the age of 53.

Homer first filed a petition to be named executor of the estate, claiming that he is “the person with the highest priority of appointment” and is “legally entitled to appointment as administrator.”

He requested that he and his younger half-brother — Heche and James’ 13-year-old son, Atlas Tupper — be listed as their mother’s sole heirs and also asked the court to appoint him as the teenager’s guardian.

James, 57, has opposed all of the above, claiming that Heche sent him an email in January 2011 that read, “My wishes are that all of my assets go to the control of Mr. James Tupper to be used to raise my children and then given to the children.”

Additionally, he requested to be named his son’s guardian, arguing that he is Atlas’ “father and only living parent.” He insisted that he “loves both Homer and Atlas as a father and wants the best for them both.”

Homer has since called into question the validity of the email as well as James’ motives.

Heche died after an Aug. 5 car crash that left her in a coma with severe burns and critical injuries.

Kelsey Grammer To Star In ‘The 12 Days Of Christmas Eve’ With Daughter Spencer For Lifetime

The 12 Days of Christmas Eve is the story of Brian Conway (Grammer), a successful businessman whose relationships with those around him have really suffered. While this Christmas season has been the most successful for his business, he’s divorced, his relationship with his daughter Michelle (Spencer Grammer) is strained and he doesn’t have a meaningful connection with his only granddaughter. After Brian gets into a car accident on Christmas Eve, Santa gives him twelve chances to re-do the day and repair the relationships in his life to find the true meaning of Christmas. For Brian, these twelve days are a journey of self-realization about life, love and happiness as he attempts to right the wrongs of his life in pursuit of the Christmas spirit.

Grammer most recently starred in the network’s limited series event Flowers in the Attic: The Origin, which became cable’s No. 1 new scripted series in ad-supported cable in key demos.

“I cannot say enough about how gifted my daughter is and working with her is long overdue. I am very much looking forward to it,” said Grammer. “On top of that, there is nothing I like more than a good Christmas movie. With Lifetime, Spencer and the rest, that is exactly what we’re making.”

“Kelsey and Spencer joining It’s a Wonderful Lifetime for this new movie really makes it a real family affair and is a great reminder of what the holidays are all about.,” added Tanya Lopez, EVP Scripted Content for Lifetime.

The concept for The 12 Days of Christmas Eve originated from Grammer’s production company, Grammnet NH Productions, and was developed in house by Lifetime. Grammnet NH Productions produced the movie alongside Johnson Production Group. Grammer, as well as Tom Russo (Frasier, Light as a Feather, The Game) and Jordan McMahon (Frasier, The Game) are executive producers. The script was written by Eirene Tran Donahue (A Sugar & Spice Holiday) and directed by Dustin Rikert (Two Tickets to Paradise).

Grammer is represented by UTA and Vault Entertainment.

Earlier this week, Deadline reported exclusively that Paramount+ gave a series greenlight to reboot of Frasier, which will be executive produced by Grammer. He will reprise his signature character, the psychiatrist-turned-radio host Frasier Crane.

Lindsay Lohan ‘Falling For Christmas’ Trailer: Netflix Brings Out The Jolly

When she awakens, without a clue as to her identity, she finds herself in the “care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner (Chord Overstreet) and his precocious daughter in the days leading up to Christmas.”

As Logan herself sings “Jingle Bell Rock” during the trailer, viewers can only wonder if she’ll regain her memory, stay in Christmas town with the hunky local or return to her pampered life with a wealthy boyfriend that we can almost be sure is pretty snobby.

What the clip lacks in originality it makes up for in Lohan’s at-last-returned comedic charms. “I’m like unclaimed luggage,” she says after realizing that no one from her old life has come looking.

Falling For Christmas marks the first film in Lohan’s deal with Netflix. Next up is romantic comedy Irish Wish, with Ed Speleers of Outlander. Both Irish Wish and Falling For Christmas are directed by Janeen Damian.

Falling For Christmas premieres on Netflix on Nov. 10. Check out the trailer above.

Wendie Malick guests on Young Sheldon 10/27/22

GUEST CAST: Craig T. Nelson (Dale), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer), Todd Giebenhain (Dennis).

Brad Pitt calls Angelina Jolie’s plane allegations ‘completely untrue’

The “Fight Club” star’s rep told CNN on Wednesday that the claims made in a new countersuit filed on Oct. 4 are “completely untrue.”

Jolie, 47, alleged in the court documents previously obtained by Page Six that Pitt, 58, “choked one of the children and struck another in the face” during a dispute that took place as the family was traveling from France to California.

The “Maleficent” star also claimed in the lawsuit that her then-husband “grabbed” her “by the head and shook her.”

The FBI investigated Pitt for alleged child abuse in 2016.

Jolie gave the federal authorities photos of the bruises she claimed she got as a result of the “Fury” star’s alleged attack.

Images appeared to show injuries on the “Salt” star’s hand, back and elbow.

However, authorities concluded that there was no need to pursue criminal charges against Pitt due to “several factors,” according to court records obtained by Page Six.

Jolie argued in the new countersuit, however, that the FBI agent who investigated the allegations had “probable cause to charge Pitt with a federal crime for his conduct that day.”

Meanwhile, Pitt has attempted to turn his life around by getting sober in 2019.

Sources close to the “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” star told TMZ on Wednesday that Jolie’s “rehashed” allegations are an attempt to alienate her six kids from their father.

The former couple — who wed in August 2014 — share Maddox, 21, Pax, 18, Zahara, 17, Shiloh, 16, Vivienne, 14, and Knox, 14.

The insiders also told the outlet that Jolie recounted the abuse allegations in “great detail” in her countersuit — even though it has “zero” to do with the actual suit.

The filing was made in response to a separate lawsuit Pitt filed against Jolie months earlier over the sale of her stake in their French château.

The “Tomb Raider” star claimed in the documents that Pitt tried to get her to sign a non-disclosure agreement to silence her over the alleged “physical and emotional abuse of her and their children” as a condition for an agreement they had about the sale of Château Miraval and its profitable vineyard, but she declined.

Sources told TMZ that Jolie has allegedly “poisoned” their children against their dad and, as a result, he has little to no relationship with them.

Reps for Jolie and Pitt did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.

James Hyde Joins Y&R

James Tupper tries to stop Anne Heche’s oldest son from becoming brother’s guardian

According to court documents obtained by Page Six, Tupper filed a petition on Monday to be named the guardian ad litem of his 13-year-old son, Atlas Tupper, whom he shared with the late actress.

A guardian ad litem is appointed by the court to watch after someone during a case. In this case, James does not want Heche’s 20-year-old son, Homer Laffoon — whom she shared with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon — to have control over Atlas’ portion of her estate.

“As a minor, Atlas has no ability to hire legal representation to represent his interests in these proceedings,” James argued in the paperwork, which states that the two currently live together.

James further noted that he is Atlas’ “father and only living parent,” adding that he “loves both Homer and Atlas as a father and wants the best for them both.”

Last month, Homer filed a petition to be named executor of Heche’s estate. He requested that he and Atlas be listed as their mother’s sole heirs and also asked the court to appoint him as Atlas’ guardian.

James argued in Monday’s paperwork, “In order to preserve family harmony and a healthy, brotherly relationship between Atlas and Homer, and given the complexity this estate will foreseeably involve … a bonded, neutral, private professional fiduciary would be a more appropriate administrator.”

James previously filed his own petition in response to Homer’s, in which he claimed that Heche sent him an email in January 2011 that read, “FYI in case I die tomorrow and anyone asks. My wishes are that all of my assets go to the control of Mr. James Tupper to be used to raise my children and then given to the children.”

But Homer fired back, claiming that the email “fails to satisfy the legal requirements for a valid formal witnessed will” because it “was not signed by [Heche] and does not have two witnesses who signed the document during [her] lifetime.”

Heche died on Aug. 12 after an Aug. 5 car crash that left her in a coma with severe burns and critical injuries.

‘Frasier’ Sequel Starring Kelsey Grammer Picked Up To Series At Paramount+

As Deadline reported exclusively, Grammer in 2018 started fielding interest for a new Frasier series that would feature the title character in a new city and has been the driving force behind the efforts ever since. The project was eventually set up at Paramount+ and was announced as being in development at the streamer’s February 2021 launch event. It has now been formally picked up to series. The number of episodes has not been confirmed, I hear it will likely be 10.

Details about the new series are also not being revealed beyond the fact that it is focused on Frasier Crane’s (Grammer) next chapter in a different city. He will be surrounded by new characters, with original Frasier cast members not expected to be series regulars but could make guest appearances.

That is the same storytelling technique used to set up Frasier. The psychiatrist (Grammer), introduced on the Boston-set NBC hit Cheers, moved back to his hometown of Seattle for the spinoff series where he was joined by new characters while Cheers alums did occasional guest stints.

The new incarnation of Frasier comes from writers Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Joe Cristalli (Life In Pieces), who exec produce with Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. The series will be produced by CBS Studios in association with Grammer’s Grammnet NH Productions.

In July, Grammer confirmed in an interview that they were “in the final stages of the final script for the first episode” of the followup series, adding, “I’ve had a couple of runs through it, and I cried, so I’m happy.”

Frasier ran for 11 seasons between 1993 and 2004 on NBC. Created by the late David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee and produced by Grammer’s Grammnet Prods. and CBS Studios’ predecessor Paramount Network Television, Frasier starred Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin, and the late John Mahoney.

One of the most celebrated comedy series of the 1990s and 2000s, Frasier set a record for the most Emmy Awards won by a scripted series at the time, 37, including five consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Grammer, four-time Emmy winner for his starring role on Frasier, is repped by UTA and Vault Entertainment.

Angelina Jolie More Claims of Brad Pitt's Alleged Abuse on Jet ... He Says It's Made Up

As we have reported, Angelina claimed Brad got physical with one of their kids and her on a private jet back in 2016 ... something she says triggered their divorce. She repeated the allegations recently when she filed a lawsuit against the FBI to release the file on the plane incident.

Angelina now claims she was forced to sell her interest in the Chateau Miraval winery they own because of the divorce. They are currently in a legal dispute over whether she had a right to sell her interest to a third party without Brad's approval.

As for why she's bringing up the plane incident again in the winery dispute ... it's simply unclear, except for the fact that it relates to the divorce that made her want to sell her interest in the winery.

Fact is ... whatever happened on the plane will almost certainly have no impact on the legal claims she's making in the winery lawsuit.

As for those claims, however, Angelina details again what she says happened on the jet, but this time she says Brad got physical with two of their children, not just one. She says Brad choked one of the kids and struck another in the face. Brad has denied the claim.

She also says Brad poured beer on her, and beer and red wine on the kids.

And there's more ... she says by 2019, she did not want to be in an alcohol-related business with Brad given his past alcohol problem.

Update: 1:53 PM PT -- We've spoken with sources close to Brad Pitt who are adamant, he never choked any of their children, and deny claims he lunged at any of the kids as well. The source says Brad took responsibility for his actions years ago, but did not commit the newly surfaced allegations.

Our Brad sources say it's sad Angelina Jolie continues to rehash the same claims over and over again ... "adding inaccurate information for attention, it hurts the family."

What's more, as we've reported before -- multiple law enforcement agencies investigating the plane incident decided not to press charges against Pitt -- and he was awarded 50/50 custody of the kids in trial.

Alicia Coppola & Richard Gant guest on NCIS: Los Angeles 10/23/22

GUEST CAST includes: Alicia Coppola (FBI Senior Special Agent Lisa Rand), JD Cullum (FBI Forensic Psychologist Mark Collins), Richard Gant (Raymond Hanna).

Battle between Anne Heche’s son, ex James Tupper over her estate rages on

Heche’s oldest son, Homer Laffoon, filed new court documents this week opposing the validity of a 2011 email his mother allegedly sent ex-boyfriend James Tupper appointing him executor of her estate.

The 20-year-old insists that the email “fails to satisfy the legal requirements for a valid formal witnessed will” because it “was not signed by [Heche] and does not have two witnesses who signed the document during [her] lifetime.”

“Mr. Tupper repeatedly refers to the email … as a ‘will.’ However — as a matter of law — the email does not qualify as either a holographic will or formal witnessed will,” he wrote in his filing, which was obtained by Page Six.

Therefore, Laffoon claims he is “the person with the highest priority of appointment” and is “legally entitled to appointment as administrator.”

Additionally, he alleges that it “was not uncommon” for his mother “to send emails such as the one attached … when she was faced with uncertainty. In fact, [Heche] sent a similar email to her bookkeeper on April 7, 2020, after [she] contracted COVID-19.”

“This document, which fails to qualify as a will on the same basis as the email … makes no reference whatsoever to Mr. Tupper, which is not surprising given their acrimonious breakup in 2018,” Laffoon argues.

Following Heche’s death on Aug. 12, Laffoon filed a petition to be named executor of her estate and requested that he and his half-brother, Atlas Tupper, be listed as their mother’s sole heirs.

However, Tupper — who fathered 13-year-old Atlas with Heche — filed his own documents in which he claimed that the late star sent him an email in January 2011 that read, “FYI in case I die tomorrow and anyone asks. My wishes are that all of my assets go to the control of Mr. James Tupper to be used to raise my children and then given to the children.”

In his filing, Tupper, 57, further argued that Laffoon “is not suitable” to run Heche’s estate, pointing out his young age, lack of employment and estranged relationship with his mother when she died.

The actor also alleged that Laffoon changed the locks on Heche’s apartment, which she shared with Atlas, and has prevented the teen from gaining access to his belongings inside.

Tupper also claimed that the half-brothers have not had any contact since Heche’s death on Aug. 12.

In his new filing, Laffoon refers to Tupper’s allegations as “unfounded personal attacks” and “frivolous legal claims.”

Heche — who shared Laffoon with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon — died at age 53 after an Aug. 5 car crash that left her in a coma with severe burns and critical injuries. She was later removed from life support, and her organs were donated.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner listed sternal fracture due to blunt trauma as a contributing factor to her death, which was ruled accidental.

Kevin Costner & Morgan Freeman Team To Produce Civil War Spy Series ‘The Gray House’ For Paramount

Both actors’ production shingles are partnering with Big Dreams Entertainment’s founder Leslie Greif, to tell the story of the three women General Ulysses S. Grant credited as helping the North win the Civil War. Costner is revisiting the Civil War era with his New Line ensemble western Horizon which he is currently shooting. Costner’s 7x Oscar winning movie, Dances With Wolves, was set during the Civil War frame, that pic earning the multihyphenate Best Picture and Best Director trophies.

Much like the women in the 2017 film Hidden Figures, in which Costner co-starred, The Gray House focuses on the unsung women who turned the tide of the American Civil War in favor of the North. A Richmond Socialite and her daughter, a formerly enslaved African-American, and a courtesan build the first successful female spy ring, operating right under the noses of the Confederate High Command. They risk life and liberty to help win the war and preserve American Democracy.

The Gray House is based on an original script by Greif and Darrell Fetty (The Offer, Texas Rising) and Oscar-nominated John Sayles (Lonestar, 8 Men Out). Oscar-nominated Roland Joffe (The Killing Fields, The Mission, Texas Rising) is set to direct the series which will shoot in the spring.

Costner will serve as EP, with Rod Lake and Howard Kaplan producing for Territory Pictures. Alex Kerr produces for Big Dreams Entertainment. The limited series will be distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Said Costner, “The Gray House is an untold true story of three amazingly brave abolitionist heroes of the Civil War, who just happened to be women. Having a passion for history, it’s always personally fulfilling to share richly layered stories about America’s unsung heroes. I’m delighted to join forces with my friends Leslie Greif and Morgan Freeman with whom I’ve had great success to produce this important, epic saga.”

“I’m thrilled to be able to partner with our friends and industry legends Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman,” said Dan Cohen, Chief Content Licensing Officer, Paramount Global. “Their taste in material is second to none. Couple that with a chance to once again work with Leslie Greif, who Developed and Executive-Produced the Paramount+ series hit The Offer, and this is a project we are very much looking forward to bringing to a worldwide audience.”

Freeman and his Revelations Entertainment Partner Lori McCreary said, “Morgan and I are thrilled to bring to life the story of Mary Bowser, who volunteered to be placed in the ‘Confederate White House’ (aka The Gray House), posing as an enslaved person. She was thought by everyone to be illiterate and so they spoke freely in front of her, and with her photographic memory, she was able to send battle and secret information to the Union Army and help turn the tide of the Civil War. Revelations is all about revealing truth and this is a truth that needs to be revealed!”

Greif said, “I’ve found tremendous success in exploring subjects that audiences have heard of, but maybe don’t know the whole story as with The Offer, The Hatfields & The McCoys and Sun Records. The Gray House fits that mold – everyone knows the Civil War, but don’t know the impact that many women had on the outcome. I’m so thrilled and fortunate that Kevin Costner, Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary have put their passion, clout and heart into getting this miniseries greenlit. In addition, having the power and reach that Paramount put into launching The Offer ensures The Gray House is in stellar hands.”

Joffe said, “I’m exhilarated as a director to bring these women of historical consequence to the screen. They are women of fire and courage; decision-makers and fighters who faced incredible obstacles and dared to change the world. It’s rare to find material with such richly complicated, layered characters. I can’t wait to bring these 4 diverse ladies to life for today’s audience.”

Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment filmography includes CBS’ Madam Secretary TV series, and the movie productions Invictus, 5 Flights Up and the documentary film about cancer, The C Word. Recent accolades include an Emmy nomination for The Story of God With Morgan Freeman, three Emmy award nominations for Through the Wormhole With Morgan Freeman, a Peabody Award for the ESPN 30 for 30 episode “The 16th Man”. Freeman won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby.

Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary, and Revelations are represented by Fred Specktor of CAA and Jason Sloane of Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern and Schuyler M. Moore of Greenberg Glusker.

Most recently, Greif and Big Dreams developed, co-wrote and executive produced the 10-hour event series The Offer for Paramount+. Greif and Big Dreams produced the two-part event documentary Kisstory for A&E, which premiered opening night of the Tribeca Film Festival. As a follow up to 2019’s Egypt Live special, which aired in 95 countries, Big Dreams is once again partnering with Discovery for a two-hour special on the 100th anniversary of Howard Carter’s King Tut find. Greif previously produced under his Thinkfactory label, the Costner award-winning limited series Hatfields & McCoys.

Betty White's belongings being auctioned for the public to take home

Taking place both online and in-person, the auction at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills from Sept. 23 to Sept. 25 also includes her dining room table, a blue ceramic horse, and her leather baby shoes. The list goes on.

More personalized items include White’s oil painting of herself as a young woman, monogrammed towels, and some handwritten personal notes from famous names like Lily Tomlin and Alex Trebek.

White’s diamond wedding band and the wedding band her third and last husband, Allen Ludden, wore are standout items. Ludden was noted for having worn the band around his neck with a chain for three months to remind White about his many wedding proposals to her, and it worked. They were married until he died in 1981.

White died in December 2021 at 99 after a remarkable television career that lasted over seven decades, with beloved roles on “The Golden Girls,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and many more.

Not all her belongings will be sold. Many items were donated to the National Comedy Center in September and are on show at its museum in Jamestown, New York. Visiting fans can see White’s five Emmy statuettes, including one for “The Golden Girls” in 1986 and another for “Saturday Night Live” in 2010.

Visitors can also see on display her tracksuit from “Hot in Cleveland,” her sweater from “The Golden Girls,” and hand-annotated scripts.

Global Citizen Festival: Take Action Now

ABC News Live will air the event starting SATURDAY, SEPT. 24 (4:00 p.m. EDT). Hulu subscribers can stream the event through the ABC News Live feed. FX will air a compilation special SUNDAY, SEPT. 25 (5:00-7:00 p.m. EDT).

Hosted by international advocacy organization Global Citizen, the global event is calling on world leaders, corporations and philanthropic foundations to End Extreme Poverty NOW. Global Citizen Festival: Accra will feature performances by Usher, SZA, Stormzy, Gyakie, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, TEMS and Uncle Waffles, and be hosted by award-winning actor, playwright and activist Danai Gurira. Presenters will include Berla Mundi, Joselyn Dumas, Michaela Coel, Nomzamo Mbatha and Sabrina Dhowre Elba. Global Citizen Festival: NYC will feature performances by Metallica, Charlie Puth, Jonas Brothers, MÅNESKIN, Mariah Carey, Mickey Guyton and Rosalía with special guest performances by Angélique Kidjo and Billy Porter, and be hosted by actor, producer, author and Global Citizen Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas. Presenters will include Amber Ruffin, Antoni Porowski, Bill Nye, Chris Redd, Connie Britton, Folake Olowofoyeku, Jay Shetty, Katie Couric, Katie Holmes, Misty Copeland, Rachel Brosnahan, Scott Evans, Sofia Carson, Tamron Hall and Van Jones.

The 2022 Global Citizen Festival and the End Extreme Poverty NOW campaign are supported by a coalition of the world’s leading brands and companies including Global Partners, Accenture, Cisco, Citi, Delta Air Lines, Harith General Partners, P&G, Verizon and YouTube. World Wide Technology, Campaign Partner for Global Citizen Festival: NYC, Live Nation and Tshepo Mahloele, founder and executive of Harith General Partners, is Patron of Global Citizen’s work in Africa. Co-chairs of Global Citizen and of this campaign include Julie Sweet, chair and CEO of Accenture; Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco; Jane Fraser, CEO of Citi; Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines; Lorraine Twohill, CMO of Google; Marc Pritchard, CBO of P&G; and Hans Vestberg, chairman and CEO of Verizon. Global Citizen’s co-chairs are private sector leaders making commitments in support of the UN’s Global Goals. They support Global Citizen’s campaigns while helping to drive deeper engagement within the private sector.

For more information about the 2022 Global Citizen Festival, visit www.globalcitizen.org and follow @glblctzn on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.

Brad Pitt Reveals The Movie With Sandra Bullock That Was Never Made About Divorced QVC Hosts

“I wouldn’t know how to do that, unless it was a comedy,” Pitt told British Vogue in an interview. “Actually, Sandy [Sandra Bullock] and I did once try to develop a whole idea of a husband and wife team, who were QVC’s most successful salespeople, but we’re getting a divorce, we hate each other, and we’re taking it out on air as we sell things… That’s as far as we got.”

Unfortunately for fans of the Hollywood stars, the QVC-centered rom-com never happened but Pitt and Bullock have worked on other films together. In 2022 alone, Pitt and Bullock starred in two films released this year: The Lost City and Bullet Train.

In The Lost City, Bullock portrayed the character of Loretta Sage, a successful yet depressed best-selling romance author. Her co-star in the action comedy was Channing Tatum. Pitt played the role of Jack Trainer, a human tracker and action man.

In the Pitt-starring Bullet Train, the actor portrayed Ladybug, a seasoned but unlucky mercenary. Bullock’s character was Maria Bettle who was Ladybug’s contact and handler.

18th Annual Stars And Strikes Event To Honor Jerry verDorn

Paul Wesley and wife Ines de Ramon separate after 3 years of marriage

“The Vampire Diaries” star Paul Wesley and his wife, Ines de Ramon, have separated after three years of marriage and are living apart, according to People.

“The decision to separate is mutual and occurred five months ago,” a rep for the couple told the outlet. “They request privacy at this time.”

Wesley was first linked to the jewelry dealer in 2018 when they were seen holding hands during a romantic date night.

They made their relationship Instagram-official one month later while attending a wedding in Montauk, NY.

The “Fallen” actor, 40 and de Ramon, 29, tied the knot in 2019 during a low-profile wedding surrounded by family and friends. News of their nuptials didn’t come out until they were spotted wearing wedding bands months later.

Their relationship status was also confirmed when Wesley’s “Vampire Diaries” co-star Nina Dobrev referred to de Ramon as the actor’s “wife” while on Candice King and Kayla Ewell’s “Directionally Challenged” podcast.

De Ramon — who has since gone private on social media — gave fans a glimpse into the former couple’s special day on their anniversary when she posted photos from the big day on Instagram.

In the photos, de Ramon stunned in a feathered white wedding dress while Wesley pulled her in for a kiss on the beach.

Rumors of the pair’s split started swirling last month when Wesley was spotted hanging out with model Natalie Kuckenburg in New York — without his ring.

Page Six has reached out to reps for Wesley and Ramon and has yet to hear back.

The actor was previously married to “Vampire Diaries” co-star Torrey DeVitto from 2011 to 2013.

Anne Heche memoir 'Call Me Anne' scheduled for January

“I was labelled ‘outrageous’ because I fell in love with a woman. I had never been with a woman before I dated Ellen,” Heche wrote in “Call Me Anne,” which Start Publishing has scheduled for January. Heche, whose films included “Donnie Brasco” and “Wag the Dog,” died Aug. 14 at age 53 after a car crash in Los Angeles.

In her lifetime, Heche said that Hollywood effectively blacklisted her because of her being with DeGeneres, who around the same time made television history by having her character in the sitcom “Ellen” come out as gay.

“I did not, personally, identify as a lesbian. I simply fell in love! It was, to be clear, as odd to me as anyone else. There were no words to describe how I felt,” Heche wrote in her book, a sequel to the memoir “Call Me Crazy,” published in 2001. “Gay didn’t feel right, and neither did straight. Alien might be the best fit, I sometimes thought. What, why, and how I fell in love with a person instead of their gender, I would have loved to have answered if anyone had asked, but as I said earlier, no one ever did. I am happy that I was able to tell you in this book – once and for all.”

Start, an independent publisher based in Hoboken, New Jersey, shared the excerpt this week with The Associated Press. The book’s publisher, Jarred Weisfeld, says that he signed a deal with Heche in May and that she had turned in a manuscript shortly before she died. She will also write about having Harrison Ford as a mentor, along with stories about Alec Baldwin, Ivan Reitman and Oliver Stone, among others.

The book’s release was first announced by Publishers Weekly. Heche had mentioned writing a memoir during a podcast earlier this year, in which she promised that “some of the truths” about her and DeGeneres would be included.

Anne Heche Family Fight Over Estate Heats Up

Here's the deal ... Anne, who had 2 sons with 2 different men, died without a will and her oldest son, 20-year-old Homer Laffoon, wants to run the estate. He also wants his younger half-brother, 13-year-old Atlas Heche Tupper, and himself listed as Anne's sole heirs.

That would've been clean and simple, but enter James Tupper -- Anne's former "Men In Trees" co-star and Atlas' father says Anne wanted him to be in charge of her estate.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, James claims Anne emailed him and 2 other people a copy of her will back in 2011, when they were still dating. James says in the email Anne stated she nominated him as the executor of her will so he could carry out her financial wishes.

Meanwhile, Homer's recently doubled down on allegations James is trying to manipulate him ... with Homer claiming he can't get in touch with his half-brother because James is controlling Atlas' phone.

James is firing back in this latest legal filing ... claiming Homer "is not suitable" to run the estate, claiming he's only 20, is unemployed, dropped out of school and was estranged from Anne at the time of her death.

What's more, James claims he's trying to meet up with Homer, but says he's being ghosted ... and James also accuses Homer of locking him and Atlas out of Anne's house as soon as she died.

UPDATE: 6:30 PM PT -- An attorney for Anne's older son, Homer, tells TMZ ... "We prefer to see the estate administration play out in court and not in the media, as our legal documents speak for themselves."

Homer's lawyer, Bryan Phipps, adds ... "The court appointing Homer special administrator today supports that decision."

Jackée Harry honors Sheryl Lee Ralph’s ‘full circle’ Emmys win: ‘I’m so excited’

Jackée Harry — who won the 1987 Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in “227” — celebrated Sheryl Lee Ralph’s win in the same category at the 2022 Emmys.

“Winning my Emmy was a career highlight, but it was also a lonely experience,” Harry, 66, tweeted moments after Ralph’s win Monday night.

“For 35 years I’ve been the only Black woman to win Outstanding Supporting Actresses (sic) in a Comedy Series. But that all changes tonight…and it’s come full circle! #Emmys”

The “Sister, Sister” actress noted that NBC, the network behind “227,” had originally wanted Ralph to play the role of Sandra. However, Harry “got the part and won an Emmy for it.”

She continued in a separate tweet, “Now, Sheryl joins me as the 2nd Black woman in this category and deservedly so! I’m so excited for her #Emmys win!”

Harry dubbed the “Moesha” star, 65, as “one of the nicest people in Hollywood” and said her “Abbott Elementary” no-nonsense character, Barbara Howard, is “another fabulous character we’ve been fortunate to watch her breathe life into.”

Ralph was up against her “Abbott Elementary” co-star Janelle James, as well as Juno Temple, Sarah Niles and Hannah Waddingham, who were all nominated for their roles in “Ted Lasso.”

Additionally, “Hacks” star Hannah Einbinder, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” actress Alex Borstein and “Saturday Night Live’s” Kate McKinnon were all up for the award.

Ralph thrilled the Emmy audience when she got on stage and began powerfully singing during her acceptance speech, “I am an endangered species, but I sing no victim’s song. I am a woman, I am an artist. And I know where my voice belongs.”

“To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t come true. I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like this,” she concluded.

Michael Keaton, who won Best Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for his role in Hulu’s “Dopesick,” also surprised audiences during his own speech, which was partially censored.

“Over the years we’ve all been through a lot of tough times. There have been some doubters. I’ve had some doubters. You know what? We’re cool. But I also had those people for all these years when times were rough who were true believers. I f–king love you,” he expressed as the audio cut off during the last sentence.

Jean Smart Wins Second Consecutive Emmy For Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

“Thank you for a second time honoring this show,” Smart said during her on-stage acceptance speech. “I have to tell you, I’m so blown away by our writers who not only matched season 1 but surpassed it, and as we all know, season 2 of a show is kind of a litmus test. This has just been a thrill. She went on to thank our crew and ad because we were on location almost every single day this season “who went above, above, above and beyond and supporting actors who added so much to our show. She went on to thank her fellow cast members Hannah Einbender, who was nomininated in the supporting actreess in a comed series category, and Kaitlin Olson, who plays her daughter, among others.

She also gave a humorous shout-out to her fellow nominee, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Rachel Brosnahan, who sent this box of “unbelievable designer cookies, they were like five pounds each and I thought that was so classy, then I realized she was hoping I wouldn’t fit into a single dress in Hollywood.”

She concluded with a quick story, “I didn’t realize the breadth of the appeal our show,” she said recalling how they were shooting in a mall and three young boys, around the ages of 10 or 11, approached her, and said ‘Hey, that’s Deborah Vance”, to whom she replied, Hi! You should not be watching this show!”

Smart is now a five-time Emmy award winner out of 12 nominations, including back-to-back wins for guest turns on Frasier as Lana Gardner, as well as a supporting actress win on the ABC sitcom Samantha Who? on which she played Regina Newley, the overbearing mother. She also received back-to-back Emmy nods for her portrayal of Martha Logan, the mentally unstable First Lady of the United States, on the action drama series 24.

Smart’s Deborah Vance is a sassy, caustic, aging comedian who is fighting to stay relevant. In Season 2, Vance left the casinos of Las Vegas to take her stand-up act on the road, along with her young, entitled writer Ava, played by Hannah Einbinder, who also was Emmy-nominated in the supporting actress category.

Hacks received 17 2022 Emmy nominations including outstanding comedy series.

Smart’s fellow nominees in the outstanding lead actress in a comedy series category included Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Issa Rae (Insecure), Elle Fanning (The Great), Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant) and Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary).

‘Babylon’ First Look: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie & Diego Calva Lead Damien Chazelle’s Old Hollywood Epic For Paramount

The film led by Brad Pitt (Bullet Train), Margot Robbie (Amsterdam) and Diego Calva (Narcos: Mexico) is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles, as Tinseltown makes the transition from silent films to talkies. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

For Chazelle, Babylon comes on the heels of the studio features First Man, La La Land and Whiplash. The filmmaker earned his first Oscar nom for Best Adapted Screenplay with his work on the latter title, with La La Land landing a Best Original Screenplay nom and becoming the youngest winner of the Best Director prize.

Chazelle directed his latest from his own script. Its star-studded cast also includes Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Jean Smart, P.J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Tobey Maguire, Max Minghella, Rory Scovel, Katherine Waterston, Flea, Jeff Garlin, Eric Roberts, Ethan Suplee, Samara Weaving and Olivia Wilde.

Babylon is a Marc Platt / Wild Chickens / Organism Pictures Production. Marc Platt, Matthew Plouffe and Hamilton produced, with Michael Beugg, Maguire, Wyck Godfrey, Helen Estabrook and Adam Siegel serving as exec producers. Check out the first stills from Babylon below.

Margot Robbie in 'Babylon'
Li Jun Li in 'Babylon'
Tobey Maguire in 'Babylon'
Brad Pitt in 'Babylon'
Lukas Haas and Diego Calva in 'Babylon'
Diego Calva and Jean Smart in 'Babylon'
Jovan Adepo in 'Babylon'
Margot Robbie in 'Babylon'
Brad Pitt, Diego Calva in 'Babylon'.

Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner’s memoir confirms Angelina Jolie behind famous Brad Pitt pics

The new couple, who had worked together on the movie “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” had generated plenty of rumors that they were also an off-screen couple, but nothing had been confirmed.

But the photographer was told not only where the pair were staying but also given details about the time of their daily walk, along with a suggestion of where they could be “secretly” photographed.

“We got the photo, we got the proof,” Wenner writes, “we had the worldwide scoop, the debut of Brangelina.

“The tipster was Angelina.”

Emmy Presenters: Ariana DeBose, ‘Squid Game’ Stars, Jean Smart, Jimmy Kimmel, Selena Gomez & More

Here is the list, in alphabetical order: Will Arnett, Angela Bassett, Vanessa Bayer, Kelly Clarkson, Ariana DeBose, Taye Diggs, Hannah Einbinder, Selena Gomez, Mariska Hargitay, Squid Game’s Jung Ho-yeon & Lee Jung-jae, Jimmy Kimmel, Diego Luna, Christopher Meloni, Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Jean Smart, Kerry Washington and Natalie Zea.

More presenters will be announced as we get closer to TV’s Biggest Night, which will be hosted by SNL stalwart Kenan Thompson from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles. The ceremony will air live on NBC starting at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET.

‘The Bay’ Heading To Peacock; Upcoming Season Featuring Maxwell Caulfield, Stephen Schnetzer, Joe Lando & More

The multi-camera serial drama is currently in production on 20 all-new episodes that will be released later this year, marking the completion of its 100th episode. Today, the cast and crew will commemorate the milestone while on location in Sun Valley, CA.

Filmed on location in Puerto Rico and Los Angeles, the new episodes star Daytime Emmy winners Kristos Andrews (Survive the Game) and Karrueche Tran (Claws, Bel-Air) as super couple Pete and Vivian Garrett, as well as Daytime Emmy winners Mary Beth Evans (Days of Our Lives) as Sara Garrett, Tristan Rogers (General Hospital) as Commissioner Lex Martin, Eric Nelsen (1883) as Daniel Garrett, and Mike Manning (This is Us) as Caleb McKinnon. Andrews will be doing double duty as Pete Garrett’s diabolical twin brother Adam Kenway, a role that garnered him a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Drama Series in 2020.

Returning series regulars for the upcoming installments include Najee De-Tiege (Power Rangers: Samurai), Celeste Fianna (Bandit), Jackie Zeman (General Hospital), Alicia Leigh Willis (The L Word), Matthew Ashford and Brandon Beemer (Days of Our Lives). Daytime Emmy winner A Martinez (Longmire), as well as newcomer Kiara Liz Ortega and Carlo Mendez (Parks and Recreation) are also series regulars this season.

Special guest stars appearing this season include Maxwell Caulfield (Dynasty), Stephen Schnetzer (Another World), and the returns of Joe Lando (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman), John Aprea (The Godfather II & III), and Bruce Davison (Ozark).

Also, guest starring is Latin Grammy Winner Draco Rosa, Ciara Hanna (Power Rangers: Megaforce), Alexia Robinson, Real Andrews (General Hospital), McKenzie Westmore (Passions), Precious V. Mayes (The Magic), Breana Raquel (Purple Hearts), Txunamy Ortiz (Class of 1970), Mariann Aalda (The Blacklist), Dante Aleksander (The Raven), Bianca D’Ambrosio (Call Jane), and Daytime Emmy winner Chiara D’Ambrosio (Slapface).

Created and directed by Daytime Emmy winning producer and director Gregori J. Martin, The Bay is produced by the independent film and television production company LANY Entertainment in association with SheMogul Media. The series is written by Martin and multiple Daytime Emmy winner Wendy Riche (General Hospital), who also serves as Executive Producer.

With a total of 23 Daytime Emmy wins and 56 nominations, The Bay is also available on PopStar! TV, Amazon Prime Video, Tubi in the US, Channel 10 and Ten Play in Australia, SABC in South Africa, and others. The series is distributed internationally by GRB Entertainment.

Suit: Brad Pitt took winery from Angelina Jolie ‘in retaliation’ for divorce

A company founded by Jolie has filed a jaw-dropping $250 million lawsuit against her ex-husband claiming that he and a gang of cronies launched a devious campaign to “seize control” of the French winery that they bought as a couple “in retaliation for the divorce and custody proceedings” and to “ensure… Jolie would never see a dime” of its vast profits.

The suit also claims that Pitt tried to use Jolie’s large financial stake in the winery to force her to sign a “hush-clause” that would silence her from discussing the circumstances that led to their divorce and that Pitt squandered millions of the company’s money on “vanity projects,” including more than a million dollars on a swimming pool.

The court papers filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles claimed that after the pair bought the 1,300-acre estate in the South of France in 2008, they jointly invested tens of millions of dollars to improve it.

The suit says that that Jolie and Pitt each owned 50% via a complicated web of holding companies, and that “much of Jolie’s personal wealth” was tied up in the winery.

It says the pair had an agreement that the “Malificent” actress would oversee their humanitarian projects, including the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, while “oversight of the couple’s investment in Chateau Miraval was left in the hands of Pitt.”

Stingingly, the papers claim that while the winery won prizes and became an extremely valuable asset under their ownership “all was not well,” adding, “Pitt developed a publicly acknowledged alcohol abuse problem.”

It also dredges up the infamous fight on a private flight in 2016, saying that “after a serious and internationally publicized incident between Pitt, Jolie, and the couple’s children, Jolie filed for divorce.”

The lawsuit was brought by Nouvel, the company that Jolie founded to retain her stake in the winery, which she recently sold to liquor giant Stoli.

It adds, “In retaliation for the divorce and custody proceedings, Pitt embarked on a multi-faceted, years-long campaign to seize control of Chateau Miraval and appropriate the company’s assets for his benefit and that of his own companies and friends. Appointing himself the rightful owner of Chateau Miraval, his twin objectives were to usurp the value of Jolie’s company, Nouvel, and to obtain sole ownership of Chateau Miraval.”

The papers claim that after the divorce filing, Pitt simply operated the winery without consulting Jolie, that when she tried to get information and more control, he “rebuffed” her, and that he improperly tried to “block Jolie and Nouvel from obtaining information about or managing Chateau Miraval.”

It also claims he “hatched and executed a plan to secretly move assets from Chateau Miraval… to companies owned by him and his friends, thereby devaluing Jolie’s interest.”

The suit also alleges that since the divorce, Pitt and Chateau Miraval’s directors have “squandered tens of millions of Chateau Miraval’s money on vanity projects that have little, if any, business justification” including more than a million dollars on a swimming pool, and that, “at Pitt’s direction, Chateau Miraval also commissioned a single staircase at the chateau to be built and rebuilt a total of four times after he was unhappy with the first three attempts.”

It claims Pitt also “caused Chateau Miraval to spend [several million dollars] on reconstructing stone walls using stone masons from Croatia.

“These funds were spent over Jolie’s and Nouvel’s objection,” it says.

The suit claims Pitt was aided in the alleged chicanery “by his allies, including Chateau Miraval directors Gary Bradbury, Roland Venturini, and Warren Grant, and his business partners, Marc Perrin, Familles Perrin and Miraval Provence.” Nouvel is also suing them.

“Although Jolie was not obligated to sell [her stake] to Pitt, she nevertheless offered to sell her interest to him and negotiated with him for months. Nearing a deal,” the suit claims, “Pitt’s hubris got the better of him: he made an eleventh-hour demand for onerous and irrelevant conditions, including a provision designed to prohibit Jolie from publicly speaking about the events that had led to the breakdown of their marriage. Pitt knew that much of Jolie’s wealth and liquidity were tied up in [her stake in the winery] and used that fact to try to force Jolie to agree to his unreasonable terms.”

The papers say that in October 2021 “after Pitt ignored Jolie’s final offer to sell her interest in the winery on the same terms Pitt had proposed but without the hush-clause” she sold it to Stoli instead.

The suit says that Stoli was ready to put its experience and distribution network to work for Chateau Miraval, but that “unwilling to share control, Pitt refused to work with [Stoli] as an equal partner.”

The pair have been locked in various legal skirmishes over the property for months. This latest filing is a countersuit against papers filed by Pitt’s attorneys.

The couple bought the estate three years after they began dating. They got married in a chapel on it grounds in 2014.

Anne Heche died without a will, son files to control estate

Homer Laffoon, Heche’s son with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon, filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday requesting that he be allowed to administer his mother’s estate.

The petition lists Homer Laffoon and 13-year-old Atlas Tupper, Heche’s son with former partner James Tupper, as her only heirs.

The document says the value of Heche’s estate is unknown. That is often the case on such initial filings, before anyone has the legal authority to assess the dead person’s assets.

Homer Laffoon also filed a petition asking that someone be appointed to represent his brother’s interests in court.

An email to a Heche representative seeking comment was not immediately returned.

On Aug. 5, a car Heche was driving jumped a curb, smashed into a Los Angeles home and burst into flames. She was declared brain dead on Aug. 11, and was kept alive on life support for three more days so her organs could be donated.

Heche, 53, was among the biggest film stars of the late 1990s, starring opposite actors including Johnny Depp and Harrison Ford, and had worked consistently in movies and television for more than three decades.

She was married to Coleman Laffoon, a television camera operator, from 2001 to 2009, and was in a relationship with James Tupper, an actor, from 2007 to 2018. She had a son with each.

Lindsay Lohan Making ‘Irish Wish’ At Netflix

Lohan will be reteaming with filmmaker Janeen Damian, who she previously worked with on the Netflix movie Falling for Christmas which drops on the OTT service on Nov. 10.

Irish Wish follows Maddie. When the love of her life gets engaged to her best-friend, she puts her feelings aside to be a bridesmaid at their wedding in Ireland. Days before the pair are set to marry, Maddie makes a spontaneous wish for true love, only to wake up as the bride-to-be. With her dream seeming to come true, Maddie soon realizes that her real soulmate is someone else entirely.

Kirsten Hansen, Ron Oliver, Janeen Damian and Michael Damian wrote the screenplay. MPCA’s Brad Krevoy; Riviera Films’ Michael Damian are producing. EPs are Amanda Phillips, Kirsten Hansen, Jimmy Townsend, and Vince Balzano.

MPCA has produced a number of Netflix films including Lohan’s Falling for Christmas, A Christmas Prince films, The Princess Switch films, and Operation Christmas Drop.

Lohan was the narrator on the Prime Video Series, Lovestruck High and starred on the Netflix series Sick Note. She also starred and executive produced the MTV reality series Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club. Her other career feature credits include Freaky Friday, Georgia Rule, Bobby, the Robert Rodriguez co-directed Machete, and Robert Altman’s final movie, A Prairie Home Companion.

Lohan is repped by APA, Vision PR, and Brecheen, Feldman, Breimer, Silver & Thompson.

Christine Baranski: 'I Was Stunned' to Learn The Good Fight Was Ending

“I had finished a marvelous workday with John Slattery and Gary Cole — I didn’t know what was coming,” the actress behind Diane Lockhart recalls to TVLine. “By the time I got home, [series co-creators] Robert and Michelle [King] called me and told me it’s going to be the end… I was stunned. My heart dropped… I tried to be sanguine and understand the reasoning for it, but it was a loss of so many things: the consistency of the work; the marvelous group of people that constitute the show; the marvelous writing.

“I don’t think I ever took for granted just how lucky I was to be on such a quality show,” Baranski adds. “I started enjoying the work more than ever in my final few seasons.”

The Emmy winner says the Kings proceeded to explain that there were “several reasons” behind the decision to conclude the show with Season 6 (which premieres Sept. 8 on Paramount+). “Robert and Michelle wanted to end it while they could still control the narrative, and [there was a sense] that… perhaps, Paramount[+] did not want our [show], which was left over from CBS [All Access]. And Robert and Michelle didn’t want to learn that the show was being pulled without having the narrative control to bring it to an end. Which can often happen. You finish a season and then you find out it’s been cancelled and the characters are left dangling without that proper push toward a solid narrative conclusion. My concern was that we didn’t have enough narrative real estate to actually do a proper ending, because the decision to end the show was made halfway through [shooting Season 6].” (Reps for Paramount+ and CBS Studios declined to comment for this story.)

Another factor that set the end date news in motion involved fear of repetition (an issue the Kings raised back in May). “It’s a hard show to write because it’s about what’s going on in the world, and I think Robert… didn’t want to risk repeating himself,” Baranski shares. “And I certainly never wanted to risk repeating myself, playing over and over that I was angry or exasperated. It’s possible we had taken Diane’s psychology about being maxed out about what was going on and her inability to cope with it as far as it could go.”

Recalling the final day of shooting, a choked up Baranski shares, “The hardest part was hearing, ‘That’s a series wrap on Christine Baranski,’ and then everyone gathering around and me addressing everybody with whom I had worked… It was very emotional. What I said to everybody was, ‘I haven’t processed this… ‘ And I hadn’t, because it happened rather abruptly. I was also shooting Gilded Age [simultaneously] and my head was full of [dialogue from both shows]. So it wasn’t like I had a lot of time to take long walks and think about it and ruminate. But I’m sure at some point that will happen.

“I’m already tearing up,” she continues, before adding with a chuckle, “I think there’s a lot of feeling there that has to be processed.”

After all, as Baranski points out, she was walking away from a character she had embodied for more than a decade. “It was 13 years,” she marvels of her time on both The Good Wife and The Good Fight. “A lot of life happens to you in those 13 years. My daughter got married. I now have three grandsons. My husband passed away… You don’t get that very often in show business. You usually jump from one job to another. So if you get a long run like this you’re unbelievably lucky.”

Asked if she envisions ever playing Diane again, Baranski muses, “I suppose so. At the moment I’m going to finish up on Gilded Age. And then I’m going to take a vacation. But never say never.”

‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Adds Kyra Sedgwick & Elsie Fisher For Season 2

The Jenny Han series, based on her novel of the same name, is a multigenerational drama that hinges on a love triangle between one girl and two brothers, the ever-evolving relationship between mothers and their children, and the enduring power of strong female friendships. It is a coming-of-age story about first love, first heartbreak, and the magic of that one perfect summer.

Series stars include Lola Tung, Jackie Chung, Christopher Briney, Gavin Casalegno, Alfredo Narciso, Rachel Blanchard and Tom Everett Scott, among others.

Season 1 of The Season I Turned Pretty became the No. 1 show on Prime Video during its premiere weekend. Its sophomore season is currently in production.

Season 2 is led by showrunners Han and Sarah Kucserka. Han, Kucserka, Karen Rosenfelt and Gabrielle Stanton serve as executive producers along with Hope Hartman, Mads Hansen, and Paul Lee for Wiip.

Sedgwick is an award-winning actress, producer, and director. She’s best known for her Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama The Closer, and most recently starred in the ABC comedy Call Your Mother.

She recently directed the feature film Space Oddity, which stars Kyle Allen and Alexandra Shipp and premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival.

She is repped by CAA, MGMT Entertainment and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.

Fisher recently wrapped the feature film Memory, with Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard. She was the lead role in the upcoming film Lucky Man, opposite Stephen Lang, as well as the independent feature Family Squares opposite Henry Winkler, Margo Martindale and June Squibb.

She is the lead in both the Prime Video feature My Best Friend’s Exorcism, which will drop at the end of September, and in the Netflix feature Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

FIsher is repped by Innovative Artists.

Talk Show Appearance

Tuesday, September 6: Christine Baranski (The Good Fight)

Netflix Fall & Holiday Film Slate with Former Soap Stars

Luckiest Girl Alive (10/7, theaters 9/30)
Luckiest Girl Alive centers on Ani FaNelli, a sharp-tongued New Yorker who appears to have it all: a sought-after position at a glossy magazine, a killer wardrobe, and a dream Nantucket wedding on the horizon. But when the director of a crime documentary invites her to tell her side of the shocking incident that took place when she was a teenager at the prestigious Brentley School, Ani is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted life. Based on the book Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll.
DIRECTOR: Mike Barker
WRITER: Jessica Knoll
PRODUCERS: Bruna Papandrea, Jeanne Snow, Erik Feig, Lucy Kitada, Mila Kunis
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Jessica Knoll, Lisa Sterbakov, Shayne Fiske Goldner, Steve Hutensky, Mike Barker
CAST: Mila Kunis, Finn Wittrock, Chiara Aurelia, Scoot McNairy, Thomas Barbusca, Justine Lupe, Dalmar Abuzeid, Alex Barone, Carson MacCormac with Jennifer Beals and Connie Britton

The School For Good And Evil (10/19)
Best friends Sophie and Agatha find themselves on opposing sides of a modern fairy tale when they’re swept away into an enchanted school where young heroes and villains are trained to protect the balance of good and evil. Based on the bestselling book series by Soman Chainani
DIRECTOR: Paul Feig
WRITERS: David Magee, Laura Solon, Paul Feig
PRODUCERS: Joe Roth, Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Jane Startz, Paul Feig, Laura Fischer
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Stephen Jones, Zack Roth, Patricia Riggen, Soman Chainani
CAST: Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Yeoh, Sofia Wylie, Sophie Anne Caruso, Jamie Flatters, Kit Young, Sir Ben Kingsley, Patti LuPone, Rachel Bloom, Peter Serafinowicz, Rob Delaney and Mark Heap

Falling For Christmas (11/10)
A newly engaged, spoiled hotel heiress gets into a skiing accident, suffers from total amnesia and finds herself in the care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner and his precocious daughter in the days leading up to Christmas.
DIRECTOR: Janeen Damian
WRITERS: Jeff Bonnett, Ron Oliver, Janeen Damian and Michael Damian
PRODUCERS: Brad Krevoy, Michael Damian
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Amanda Phillips, Eric Jarboe, David Wulf
CAST: Lindsay Lohan, Chord Overstreet, George Young, Jack Wagner, Olivia Perez

The Noel Diary (11/24)
When best-selling author Jacob Turner (Justin Hartley) returns home at Christmas to settle his estranged mother’s estate, he discovers a diary that may hold secrets to his own past and that of Rachel (Barrett Doss) – a beautiful young woman on a mysterious journey of her own. Together, they embark on an adventure to confront their pasts and discover a future that’s totally unexpected. Based on the book The Noel Diary by Richard Paul Evans
DIRECTOR: Charles Shyer
WRITERS: Charles Shyer, Rebecca Connor, David Golden
PRODUCERS: Timothy O. Johnson, Stephanie Slack, Margret H. Huddleston
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Justin Hartley, Norman Stephens, Andrew Gernhard
CAST: Justin Hartley, Barrett Doss, Bonnie Bedelia, James Remar, Essence Atkins

East New York Premieres 10/2/22 with soap alums Ruben Santiago-Hudson & Elizabeth Rodriguez

REGULAR CAST:
Amanda Warren (Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood)
Jimmy Smits (Chief John Suarez)
Ruben Santiago-Hudson (Officer Marvin Sandeford)
Kevin Rankin (Detective Tommy Killian)
Richard Kind (Captain Stan Yenko)
Elizabeth Rodriguez (Detective Crystal Morales)
Olivia Luccardi (Officer Brandy Quinlan)
Lavel Schley (Officer Andre Bentley).

Bob LuPone Dies: Off-Broadway MCC Theatre Founder Was 76

“The MCC Theater community mourns the loss of our much loved and uniquely inspiring partner, colleague, and dear friend, Bob LuPone, who lived fearlessly and with great curiosity, good humor, a boundless passion for connection, and a whole lot of heart. We will miss him deeply and always,” read a statement from MCC.

LuPone was born on July 29th, 1946 in Brooklyn, New York to Angela Louise (known as Pat), a housewife, and Orlando Joseph LuPone, a school principal.

His passion for the arts began at an early age. In the sixth grade at his North Port, Long Island elementary school, he saw his younger sister Patti dance at a PTA Dance Concert in a colorful hula skirt. After he told his mother how badly he wanted to wear the skirt, she told him that if that’s what he wanted then he’d have to enroll in dance class, which he did the following year. He started by taking tap lessons after school before enrolling in the Martha Graham Studio, where he studied under Antony Tudor, José Limon and Graham herself, from ages 15 to 18.

LuPone got accepted to Juilliard after a friend suggested he audition, an audition that he improvised. He would graduate with a BFA in Dance in 1968.

In 1966, he landed his first job as part of the ensemble of The Pajama Game starring Liza Minnelli. His Broadway debut would happen in 1968 in Noel Coward’s Sweet Potato and would later on appear in Minnie’s Boys, The Rothschilds, and The Magic Show.

LuPone was cast as Al in A Chorus Line but when one of the actors departed the production, he asked to audition for the part of Zach, which he would land. This role led LuPone to score a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. A Chorus Line opened at the Public Theater, before swiftly transferring to Broadway. The production was nominated for 12 Tony Awards at the 1976 ceremony.

While teaching an acting class at New York University, one of his students was Bernie Telsey, who together would form the Manhattan Class Company — known today as MCC Theatre.

LuPone, Telsey and Will Cantler successfully led MCC for nearly 40 years producing shows like Frozen, Hand to God, School Girls; or the African Mean Girls Play and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Wit.

While serving as a co-artistic director of MCC Theater, LuPone continued acting appearing in Broadway productions like A View from the Bridge, True West, and A Thousand Clowns. He was also in the Chicago premiere of Sam Shepard’s The Tooth of Crime and made television appearances on shows like The Sopranos, Sex & the City, Guiding Light, Ryan's Hope, Search For Tomorrow, Another world, Loving and All My Children, for which he received a Daytime Emmy nomination.

LuPone is survived by his wife Virginia, his son Orlando, sister Patti, brother William.

Dishing with Digest - 8/26/22 - Rena Sofer

Anne Heche’s son reveals significance of actress’ final resting place

Homer Laffoon, 20, detailed in a statement shared with Page Six the reason he and his brother, Atlas Tupper, 13, chose the Hollywood Forever Cemetery as Heche’s last resting place.

“My brother Atlas and I want to thank Tyler, Noelle and all the amazing people at Hollywood Forever for their kindness, compassion and generosity of spirit,” the statement read.

“We are convinced our Mom would love the site we have chosen for her; it’s beautiful, serene and she will be among her Hollywood peers.”

The statement further added that they mainly chose Hollywood Forever because it’s “a living place, where people attend movies and concerts and other events.”

Laffon, who is Heche’s oldest son, continued in the statement, “She was our Mom, but the kindness and the outpouring of the past few days reminded us that she also belongs to her fans, to the entertainment community, and now, to the ages.”

Heche shared Laffon with ex-husband Coleman “Coley” Laffoon and co-parented Atlas with ex-boyfriend and “Men in Trees” costar James Tupper.

The Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which was founded in 1899, is the burial site of a who’s who of Hollywood including Judy Garland, Rudolph Valentino, Mickey Rooney, Valerie Harper, Anton Yelchin and Chris Cornell. It also regularly hosts a series of cultural events including concerts and outdoor film screenings.

Earlier this month the “Six Days, Seven Nights” star drove her Mini Cooper car into a Los Angeles home.

The actress — who famously dated Ellen DeGeneres in the ’90s — suffered catastrophic injuries including an anoxic brain injury and severe burns. She slipped into a coma and never regained consciousness.

On Aug. 12, Heche was pronounced brain dead but remained on life support to allow time for possible organ recipients. Her rep released a statement mourning Heche’s passing.

“Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” read the statement.

“Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”

According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner, Heche died from smoke inhalation and thermal injuries. Investigators were reportedly able to determine that she was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the crash.

The actress was 53 years old.

Anne Heche’s final resting place has been revealed

The “Men in Trees” star’s body was cremated on Aug. 18, and her remains will be buried at the famous site, according to the death certificate obtained by E! News.

Judy Garland, Mel Blanc, Mickey Rooney, Marion Davies and Cecil B. DeMille are just some of big names who are also buried there.

A spokesperson for Heche did not immediately return our request for comment.

Earlier this month, the 53-year-old actress slammed her Mini Cooper into a home in Los Angeles which then went up in flames.

Her rep told Page Six that the “Six Days, Seven Nights” star suffered a severe anoxic brain injury, a pulmonary injury that required mechanical ventilation and severe burns that required surgical intervention. She slipped into a coma and never regained consciousness.

Investigators were reportedly able to determine that she was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the crash.

A week later, on Aug. 12, the “Donnie Brasco” star was declared brain dead, but remained on life support to allow time for an organ registry to find recipients.

That same day, Heche’s rep released a statement on her passing.

“Today we lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” read the statement. “Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”

According to the Los Angeles County medical examiner-coroner, the actress — who famously dated Ellen DeGeneres in the ’90s — died from smoke inhalation and the thermal injuries.

They also listed sternal fracture due to blunt trauma as a contributing factor to her death, which was ruled accidental.

Heche is survived by 20-year-old son Homer Laffoon, whom she co-parented with ex-husband Coleman “Coley” Laffoon, and 13-year-old son Atlas Heche Tupper, whom she shared with ex-boyfriend James Tupper.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE Writer Michael Malone Dead at 80

Soap fans will remember Malone well as the award-winning headwriter of ONE LIFE TO LIVE, a position he held from 1991-96. During his tenure on the ABC soap, Malone wrote the classic storyline where Father Andrew defended gay teen Billy Douglas, created the infamous character of Todd Manning and penned the gang rape of Marty Saybrooke and the subsequent trial. He earned multiple Daytime Emmy Award nominations for his work, and took home the Outstanding Writing trophy in 1994. Malone also earned numerous Writers Guild Award nominations and took home that prize in 1993.

In 1997, Malone moved over to NBC to become the headwriter of ANOTHER WORLD, though that run lasted only until December of that year. In 2003, he returned to OLTL to co-headwrite the soap along with Josh Griffith. During this time, he wrote a novel called The Killing Club, which was tied into the soap as Llanview resident Marcie Walsh penned the book.

In addition to his work in daytime, Malone also penned multiple novels during his extensive writing career, including titles like Handling Sin, Time’s Witness, First Lady, The Last Noel, and The Four Corners of the Sky.

Malone is survived by his wife, Maureen Quilligan, his sister Sheila Waller, his brother David Malone, his half-sister Kareen Malone, his half-brother Stephen Malone, his daughter Maggie, and son-in-law Matt, as well as nieces, nephews, and grandchildren.

Our thoughts are will all of Malone’s friends and family during this difficult time.

Brad Pitt Says He's Grateful Foundation Reached Settlement Over Katrina Homes

Our sources tell us the "Bullet Train" star coordinated with Global Green, an environmental non-profit, convincing GG to pony up the cash to settle a lawsuit the org was not even named in.

Brad tells TMZ ... "I am incredibly grateful for Global Green’s willingness to step up and provide this important support for the Lower Ninth families. We collaborated in the early days post-Katrina and we are very fortunate to have Global Green's generous continuing commitment to help address the challenges around these homes and others in need.

Remember ... Brad formed the Make It Right housing foundation back in 2007 to help New Orleans residents in areas hit hardest by Hurricane Katrina find new homes. He had stepped away from the org, but when the issues began, he got back involved to find a solution.

The charity built over 100 futuristic-looking homes in NOLA's Lower Ninth Ward, but the folks who moved in claimed the homes were poorly built and were plagued by a host of issues, including mold and structural damage ... and in 2018 they sued Make It Right and Brad.

Brad promised to follow up and address the issues with the homes that came up over the years ... and under the settlement reached Tuesday, the program's 107 homeowners will be eligible to get $25k as reimbursement for prior repairs.

A judge still needs to sign off on the settlement, and the remaining funds will be divided among the homeowners ... depending on the condition of their homes.

Brad tells us ... "Hopefully this agreement will allow everyone to look ahead to other opportunities to continue to strengthen this proud community in the future.?"

Anne Heche’s Cause Of Death Revealed By Coroner – Report

The report cited a “sternal fracture due to blunt trauma” as another “significant condition” contributing to her passing. Heche sustained the injuries when her car jumped a curb and careened into a house in West L.A. last week, whereupon it burst into flames. She was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.

After Heche was pronounced brain dead, her family on Thursday made the difficult decision to take her off life support after any viable organs could be donated. Her heart stopped beating Sunday evening.

The coroner’s office listed her date of death as August 11, the day she was declared brain dead at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center. It was unclear exactly what organ or organs were donated.

Her family and friends released the following statement:

“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend. Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”

Even the woman whose house Heche fatally crashed into shared her sorrow on social media.

Lynne Mishele, who was in the back yard on the other side of the house at the time of the crash, said in part, “The news of Anne Heche passing is devastating. Her family and her friends and her children, especially, really have suffered a great loss, and my heart goes out for them.”

“This entire situation is just tragic and there really are just no words. I’m sending love to everyone involved.”

A fund, set up to assist Mishele in her financial struggles arising from the accident had by Sunday raised $150,000.

Law enforcement officials had been looking into the accident after blood tests showed the presence of “narcotics” in Heche’s system. They were trying to determine, among other things, if the drug or drugs were introduced into her system at the hospital, as part of pain management, or before. The test results also showed Heche was not under the influence of alcohol. On Sunday officials announced the investigation had been closed.

“As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement shared by People. “Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case. When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”

‘Garfield’: Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Hannah Waddingham & Cecily Strong Board Animated Feature From Alcon Entertainment

The film from director Mark Dindal (Chicken Little, Emperor’s New Groove) is based on Jim Davis’ iconic cartoon strip of the same name, which follows a cynical and lazy orange cat of the same name and his interactions with his owner, Jon Arbuckle, along with his fellow pet, Odie. Details as to the roles the newest additions to the cast will play have not been disclosed.

But David Reynolds (Finding Nemo) adapted the screenplay, with DNEG Animation animating and producing the film alongside Alcon Entertainment. John Cohen (Despicable Me, Angry Birds) and Steven P. Wegner are producing alongside Alcon co-founders and co-CEOs Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove, as well as DNEG CEO Namit Malhotra and President Tom Jacomb, with Davis, Andrews McMeel Entertainment’s Bridget McMeel and Craig Sost exec producing. Sony Pictures will distribute the film globally in all major territories apart from China on February 16, 2024.

Rhames is an Emmy nominee known for his work in Pulp Fiction and the Mission: Impossible franchise who will next be seen in films including Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One and the thriller The Locksmith, also lending his voice to Henry Selick’s Netflix animated feature, Wendell and Wild.

Hoult recently notched his first Emmy nomination for his performance in Hulu’s The Great and will next star in Searchlight’s The Menu alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes, and in Universal’s Renfield alongside Nicholas Cage and Awkwafina.

Waddingham is an Emmy winner and 2022 nominee best known for her role as Rebecca Welton on Apple TV+’s hit series, Ted Lasso. Other notable credits include HBO’s Game of Thrones and Netflix’s Sex Education.

Strong has been a cast member on SNL for the last 10 years, earning two Emmy noms for her work on the long-running sketch series. Additional credits include Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon, Sony’s Ghostbusters and Universal’s The Boss.

Rhames is represented by Kramer Management; Hoult by UTA, 42 in the UK and Felker Toczek; Waddingham by CAA, Creative Artists Management in the UK and Atlas Artists; and Strong by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

Rena Sofer Leaves B&B

Dorian TV Awards Winners: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics

Why the FBI did not charge Brad Pitt in Angelina Jolie jet incident that led to their split

The actress is believed to have filed suit against the bureau in April — anonymously, as Jane Doe — requesting documents related to an investigation concerning Pitt, reportedly in a bid to find out why no criminal charges were brought against her ex following the 2016 flight that led her to file for divorce.

The report, seen by Page Six, has now been released, and shows that the Assistant United States Attorney and the Assistant United States Chief of the Criminal Division discussed the case in November 2017 before a decision was reached not to proceed with charges against Pitt.

In the initial FBI report, Jolie told officials that she believed Pitt was “mad” from the time they boarded the private jet from Nice, France, to the US, with their six kids: Maddox, now 21; Pax, 18; Zahara, 17; Shiloh, 16; and twins Vivienne and Knox, 14.

During the Sept. 14, 2016, flight, Jolie said that her then-husband, who had been drinking, took her to the restroom where he “grabbed her by the head, shaking her,” and also shook her by the shoulders as they argued over one of their children.

She alleged that he punched the ceiling of the plane four times after telling her “You’re f—ing up this family.”‘ When the kids asked, “Are you OK, Mommy?” Pitt allegedly replied: “No, she’s not OK, she’s ruining this family, she’s crazy.”

At this point, one of the kids — whose name was redacted from the report — yelled: “It’s not her, it’s you, you p—k!” according to the report. Pitt then allegedly ran toward the child but Jolie held him back, suffering injuries to her back and elbow in the process.

She submitted photos of her alleged injuries to the FBI for the report and also journals from the kids.

At another point during the flight, according to the initial FBI report, Jolie said that Pitt poured beer on her as she tried to sleep.

At the end of the flight, Jolie claimed that Pitt held the family back from de-planing for about 20 minutes after she told him she was taking the kids to a hotel in California to rest. She said he yelled, “You’re not taking my f–king kids’ and that he pushed her.

Following the flight, Jolie filed for divorce six days later. Although she and Pitt are now legally divorced, the exes are still warring over the custody of their minor children. As Page Six revealed earlier this month, the pair have been embroiled in another legal battle after a complaint was made to the California Attorney General about Stan Katz, the child psychologist who spoke to their minor kids after the incident, earlier this year.

The newly released FBI documents added: “This author provided both AUSAs copies of a probable cause statement related to this incident. After reviewing the document, representative of the United States Attorney’s Office discussed the merits of this investigation with the case agent. It was agreed by all parties that criminal charges in this case would not be pursued due to several factors.”

In 2017, Pitt told GQ he had stopped drinking, adding: “I stopped everything except boozing when I started my family … I was boozing too much. It’s just become a problem. And I’m really happy it’s been half a year now, which is bittersweet, but I’ve got my feelings in my fingertips again. I had to step away for a minute. And truthfully I could drink a Russian under the table with his own vodka. I was a professional. I was good.”

A source close to Pitt insisted that all parties had been sent copies of all reports pertaining to the incident, adding: “Angelina and her team have been desperately trying to find something. This is all for show. This is all information that she already had five and half years ago. There is nothing new here.”

Reps for Jolie were unavailable for comment, while a rep for Pitt declined comment.

James Tupper thanks Emily Bergl for denying Anne Heche was ‘crazy’

The 57-year-old actor, who shares son Atlas, 13, with the “Another World” alum, called Bergl’s Friday Instagram post “completely accurate and true.”

He wrote, “Oh god thank you for writing this. … love you e.”

In her lengthy post, Bergl wrote that Heche, who died on Friday at age 53, was a “genius.”

“Anne was … one of the most astoundingly focused and prepared actors I’ve ever worked with,” the “Shameless” alum, 47, told her followers of working with the Daytime Emmy winner from 2006 to 2008. “I don’t think I ever saw her miss her mark.

“Her strength seemed super human,” Bergl continued, noting that Heche never “phone[d] it in” on set.

“She would work for twelve hours, invite everyone to the bar, drink a couple of doubles and be back at work at four AM.”

Heche was “always on time” and “luminous without a lick of makeup,” the “Southland” alum added. “Scene after scene, her work would be flawless, and yet always remained spontaneous.”

At the time of Bergl’s post, Heche was declared brain dead and “not expected to survive” after crashing her blue Mini Cooper into a Los Angeles home and causing a fire one week prior.

The Tony nominee was removed from life support on Sunday, with her rep telling Page Six, “We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother and a loyal friend.”

While Bergl and Tupper have yet to post via social media since Heche’s passing, the late “Call Me Crazy” author’s eldest son, Homer, 20, told us that he hopes she is “free of pain” now.

“After six days of almost unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness,” Homer said over the weekend. “Hopefully my mom is … beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom.”

Heche gave birth to Homer in 2002 while married to Coleman “Coley” Laffoon. After the couple split in 2007, she moved on with Tupper.

The former couple welcomed Atlas in 2009, calling it quits in 2018. Following Heche’s car crash, the “Big Little Lies” alum wrote via Instagram that he will “love [her] forever.”

As for Laffoon’s tribute, the 48-year-old real estate broker told his Instagram followers Friday that Homer is “strong” and “going to be OK.”

He gushed, “She came in hot and she had a lot to say and she was brave and fearless, loved really hard and was never afraid to let us know what she thinks and what she believed in.”

Actress Anne Heche ‘peacefully taken off life support’ nine days after car crash

A representative for the 53-year-old star confirmed her death to the PA news agency on Sunday night.

Heche had been in hospital since she was severely injured in the crash in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles on August 5.

The actress, who rose to fame in the late 90s, suffered burns and a brain injury when she crashed her car into a house.

Heche had been classified as “legally dead according to California law” after the crash but kept on life support in case her organs could be donated.

The assessment took nine days.

Earlier on Sunday, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said they had concluded their investigation into Heche’s serious car crash.

“As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case,” police said in a statement.

“Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case. When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”

The department previously confirmed to the PA news agency that the crash was being investigated as a felony driving-under-the-influence (DUI) traffic collision after preliminary blood tests revealed the presence of drugs in Heche’s system.

However, additional testing was required to rule out substances administered in the hospital.

Heche’s family earlier shared a statement with PA saying she was “not expected to survive” her injuries and that she was being temporarily kept on life support – presumably while the assessment for organ donation took place.

The statement added: “We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for Anne’s recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses that cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Centre at West Hills hospital.

“Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne Heche suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition. She is not expected to survive.

“It has long been her choice to donate her organs and she is being kept on life support to determine if any are viable.

“Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit.

“More than her extraordinary talent, she saw spreading kindness and joy as her life’s work – especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love.

“She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light.”

Pictures and video footage obtained by US media outlet TMZ following the incident showed Heche driving a blue Mini Cooper, which was later pictured severely damaged at the scene.

The vehicle struck a two-storey home and “erupted in heavy fire” according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD).

Fifty-nine firefighters took 65 minutes to access, confine and fully extinguish the flames within the heavily damaged structure, according to an LAFD report.

Heche sustained a “significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation” and “burns that require surgical intervention”.

The actress earned recognition portraying twins Vicky Hudson and Marley Love on the US soap opera Another World from 1985 to 1991 which won her a Daytime Emmy Award.

She rose to prominence in the late 1990s with roles in the crime drama film Donnie Brasco, alongside Johnny Depp and Al Pacino, the slasher movie I Know What You Did Last Summer and action comedy film Six Days, Seven Nights among others.

She also starred in the 1998 remake of Psycho.

She is the former partner of US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres – the pair began dating in 1997 before separating in 2000.

Heche later suggested their public relationship had led to her being blacklisted professionally, describing herself as “patient zero in cancel culture”.

As well as film roles, Heche appeared in multiple US television series including Men In Trees, Save Me and military drama television series The Brave.

More recently she was a contestant in the 29th season of Dancing With The Stars – the US version of Strictly Come Dancing – in 2020, but was eliminated in the third round.

Soap Star Robyn Griggs Dead at 49

A native of Pennsylvania, Griggs was a child actor who appeared as Molly in the Broadway production of Annie, and later played the orphaned title character in off-Broadway shows when she was just 13 years old. She made her daytime debut on ONE LIFE TO LIVE as Stephanie Hobarton in 1991 but is best remembered for her 1993-’95 run as ANOTHER WORLD’s Maggie Cory. During her time on soaps, Griggs earned a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actress in a Daytime Series for her work on OLTL and was an Outstanding Scene Stealer contender at the 1994 Soap Opera Digest Awards for her performances on AW.

Married to golf pro Mark Wiley since 2013, Griggs was diagnosed in the fall of 2020 with stage four endocervical adeno, a type of cervical cancer that is usually terminal, after a routine pap smear. After undergoing surgery to remove the cancer, Griggs spent the following year doing interviews and making personal appearances to tell her story and raise awareness. Unfortunately, Griggs shared just last month that recent tests had found four new tumors and she was again beginning chemotherapy treatments. Sadly, Griggs lost her battle but fought it with determination and grace.

“I will never forget how open she was to telling her story and accepting of me helping her tell it,” Rodrigo continued. “She wanted to help people and spread the word of her story to do it. I was honored to do so. RIP my friend, I love you and smile when I think of you.”

Please join us in sending our condolences to Griggs’ husband as well as the rest of her family and friends during this difficult time.

Anne Heche’s Car Crash Is No Longer Being Investigated By Police

“As of today, there will be no further investigative efforts made in this case,” the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement shared by People. “Any information or records that have been requested prior to this turn of events will still be collected as they arrive as a matter of formalities and included in the overall case. When a person suspected of a crime expires, we do not present for filing consideration.”

On August 5, Heche was driving a blue Mini Cooper that crashed into an LA residence that caught fire. The Six Days Seven Nights actor was hospitalized after suffering burns. On Friday, August 12, her family released a statement after doctors said she was brain dead.

“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” the statement says. “Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”

Anne Heche: Her Family Says “We Have Lost A Bright Light”

“While Anne is legally dead according to California law, her heart is still beating, and she has not been taken off life support so that One Legacy can see if she is a match for organ donation,” a rep for Heche said.

According to sources, Heche will be taken off the ventilator in the next 24 or so hours. But to all who knew her, she is already gone. The sentiment was reflected in a statement released by a rep on behalf of Heche’s family and friends.

“We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend,” the statement says. “Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact.”

Heche’s older son, Homer Laffoon, also issued a statement Friday, mourning the mom he shared with his younger brother Atlas.

“Today my brother Atlas and I lost our Mom,” Laffoon said. “After six days of unbelievable emotional swings, I am left with a deep, wordless sadness. Hopefully my mom is free from pain and beginning to explore what I like to imagine as her eternal freedom. Over those six days, thousands of friends, family and fans made their hearts known to me. I am grateful for their love, as I am for the support of my Dad, Coley, and my step-mom Alexi, who continue to be my rocks during this time. Rest In Peace Mom, I love you, Homer.”

Anne Heche Dead at 53

The rep adds life support machines are keeping Anne's heart beating for the purpose of preserving her organs for donations, however, the rep made it clear ... Anne has no brain function.

The actress died Friday at an L.A.-area hospital ... she was rushed there in a coma, in critical condition and never regained consciousness. We're told she suffered a severe anoxic brain injury -- complete oxygen deprivation to the brain.

A rep for Anne's family tells TMZ ... "We have lost a bright light, a kind and most joyful soul, a loving mother, and a loyal friend. Anne will be deeply missed but she lives on through her beautiful sons, her iconic body of work, and her passionate advocacy. Her bravery for always standing in her truth, spreading her message of love and acceptance, will continue to have a lasting impact."

Anne had a long and successful career in Hollywood, getting her start playing Vicky Hudson and Marley Love in the soap, "Another World," winning a Daytime Emmy.

When Anne moved over to the big screen, she landed roles in some huge movies ... including "Donnie Brasco," "Volcano," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Six Days Seven Nights," "Return to Paradise," the "Psycho" remake and "Wag the Dog."

Anne also starred in a number of TV shows, like "Men in Trees," "Hung," "Aftermath" and "The Brave" ... and she also did voice work for the animated TV series "The Legend of Korra."

During the first year of the pandemic, Anne was a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."

Anne famously dated Ellen DeGeneres back in the day ... starting in 1997 until their highly-publicized split in August 2000 ... she ended up marrying cameraman Coleman Laffoon, whom she met on Ellen's stand-up comedy tour.

Heche had a child with Laffoon, but their marriage ended in divorce. Her next relationship was with her "Men in Trees" costar, James Tupper, with whom she had her second child. They split in 2018 after 10 years together.

TMZ broke the story ... LAPD sources say Anne was under the influence of cocaine and possibly fentanyl on Aug. 5 when she committed at least 2 hit-and-runs before crashing through a home and causing a fire.

Anne sustained significant injuries in the crash, including severe burns and lung damage.

Anne was 53.

Update On Soap Alum Battling Cancer

Anne Heche “Not Expected To Survive” After Severe Brain Injury, Will Be Taken Off Life Support

“We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for Anne’s recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses that cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital,” a rep for Heche’s family and friends told Deadline.

“Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne Heche suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma, in critical condition. She is not expected to survive.

“It has long been her choice to donate her organs and she is being kept on life support to determine if any are viable.

“Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit. More than her extraordinary talent, she saw spreading kindness and joy as her life’s work — especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love. She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light.”

There are plans for Heche to get Honor Walk, a hero’s goodbye donor patients receive by hospital staff as they are wheeled into the operating room in their final journey.

Heche had been hospitalized since Friday, Aug. 5, when she crashed her car into a Mar Vista house and ignited it. (The house’s owner and her pet were able to evacuate.)

Fifty-nine firefighters battled the blaze, which had engulfed both Heche’s car and the house, for 65 minutes until she could be safely pulled out of the wreckage. Heche was reportedly able to communicate at the time of her rescue but lost consciousness shortly thereafter and never regained it. She has been in a coma ever since.

On Monday, Aug. 8, Heche’s was described as being in “extreme critical condition.”

“She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” a rep for the actor said at the time.

There had been a lot of speculation about Heche’s condition before the crash as she was filmed driving erratically and speeding in the minutes prior to the accident, including getting into another, minor car accident, blocks from the crash site. A blood test was performed after Heche was taken to the hospital.

“Based on the blood work, it revealed the presence of narcotics,” Officer Lizeth Lomeli of the LAPD told Deadline on Wednesday, Aug. 11.

Heche had recently wrapped filming Lifetime movie Girl In Room 13, which explores the dark underworld of the $150-billion-dollar human trafficking industry. Amy Winter, executive VP and head of programming for Lifetime Networks addressed Heche’s accident Thursday during a panel for the film at the Television Critics Association virtual press tour. Winter said the film was still scheduled to premiere in September as planned.

“This project is important to Anne, along with each and every one of us,” Winter said.” We all sought to make a film that would bring attention to this appalling issue of human sex trafficking. We hope that this film reached you and that you are just as inspired as Anne was to help us with our mission to stop violence against women.”

Anne Heche Under Influence of Cocaine At Time of Car Crash

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... the department has tested the blood they drew after Anne was admitted to the hospital, and in addition to cocaine, they also found fentanyl. However, our sources say fentanyl is sometimes used as a pain med in hospitals, so they need to do more testing and investigation to determine if the fentanyl was in her system at the time of the crash.

We are also told Anne's condition is dire ... it has not improved since she was admitted to the hospital. As we reported, Anne has been fighting for her life and is in critical condition.

As we reported, Anne was driving her Mini Cooper at an extremely high rate of speed last Friday in a residential area of L.A. when she crashed into a car, a garage and then a house, igniting a fire that severely burned her.

Anne Heche Lifetime Movie ‘Girl In Room 13’ Still On Track Following Car Crash

Amy Winter, executive VP and head of programming, addressed the issue at the top of the panel, and asked reporters to refrain from asking questions about the actor’s health status.

“As many of you know, Anne remains in critical condition and all of us here at Lifetime are deeply concerned for her and everyone affected,” Winter said. “We hope that her friends and family stay strong during this difficult time. You know, just as much as we do, that we ask that you kindly refrain from inquiring about her health status. This project is important to Anne, along with each and every one of us. We all sought to make a film that would bring attention to this appalling issue of human sex trafficking. We hope that this film reached you and that you are just as inspired as Anne was to help us with our mission to stop violence against women. Thank you for your support and your questions about the film.”

Director Elisabeth Rohm confirmed during the panel that filming on the movie had been completed and it will air in September as scheduled.

“We’re all so dedicated to the cause, stopping violence against women and I again thank Lifetime’s so much for creating this platform. All of us, especially Larissa who played this victim, are committed to that cause,” Rohm said. “We talked about it — every single one of us — that this was our mission. And although [Anne] is deeply missed, right now, I will say the film is finished and she did a phenomenal performance — a tour de force much like Larissa.”

Heche has been hospitalized since Friday when a car she was driving crashed and caught fire in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles.

On Monday, her representative released an update: “At this time Anne is in extreme critical condition. She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention. She is in a coma and has not regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.”

Heche stars along with Larissa Dias, Max Montesi and Matt Hamilton in Room in Girl 13, which explores the dark underworld of the $150-billion-dollar human trafficking industry.

Girl in Room 13 is produced by Motel Productions Inc for Lifetime. Tim Johnson, Stacy Mandelberg and Yvonne Chotzen serve as executive producers. The film is written by Maria Nation (The Gabby Douglas Story) and directed by Rohm.

Anne Heche Under Investigation for Felony DUI After Fiery Crash into House

LAPD sources tell TMZ ... they've now upped the investigation to a felony because the woman inside the home Anne barreled through with her Mini Cooper claims she was injured -- suffering cuts requiring medical treatment.

Cops believe Anne was driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol ... because she was driving erratically and recklessly, hitting a garage and a parked car before slamming into the home.

Cops also took note of a photo of Anne in the car just before the crash, with what appeared to be a bottle of alcohol in a cup holder.

Anne's rep says the actress is still fighting for her life ... she lost consciousness shortly after the crash, and has been in a coma ever since.

TMZ broke the story, Anne almost struck a woman before hitting another vehicle and crashing into a garage in the moments leading up to the fiery explosion.

Heche was pulled from her car as it burned and loaded onto a stretcher by paramedics. The vehicle was left a smoldering pile of metal.

Anne Heche's son advocating for her

The 53-year-old actress is in a coma following a fiery smash in Los Angeles late last week, and 20-year-old Homer – who she has with ex-husband Coley Laffoon – has been taking the lead in ensuring she receives the “best care.”

A source told Entertainment Tonight: “Her family is on pins and needles, just praying.

“(Homer is) being as strong as he can be. Her family is ready to surround her, and be there if she wakes up. Everyone is waiting for that to happen.”

The update comes a day after Anne’s spokesperson confirmed the actress – who also has 13-year-old son Atlas with former partner James Tupper – has sustained a “significant pulmonary injury.”

Her representative said:”She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention.

“She is in a coma and has not regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.”

Earlier this week, the Volcano star was said to be in a “stable condition” in hospital after crashing into a house in the neighbourhood of Mar Vista at high speed on Friday.

Local residents have been sharing their accounts of what happened, and one has recalled Anne told passers-by she “wasn’t doing real well” following the collision.

Lynne Bernstein, who lives in nearby Venice with wife Natalie, told how he and neighbours Dave and Gabriel were able to talk to the Volcano star after she drove “almost all the way through” a house and her car “almost immediately” caught fire.

Dave was able to get into the back of the car to speak with the driver.

Lynne said: “She responded that she wasn’t doing real well.

“He actually talked to her briefly. Yeah, he asked her to raise her hand or something … if she was OK and she said she couldn’t.”

The group tried their best to free Anne from her vehicle and Lynne thinks if they had been able to do so before the fire brigade arrives “maybe she wouldn’t be suffering the way she is now.”

Noting that Gabriel tried to put out the fire while Dave tried to get Anne out, Lynne said: “We were having a hard time seeing and breathing.

“(Dave was) overcome by the smoke. So, he went to the back of the house to see if there was an alternative route, maybe we could get to her from the front of the vehicle. But the smoke, even on the backyard was pretty darn intense.”

Anne Heche In “Extremely Critical Condition,” Remains In A Coma Following Fiery Car Crash

“At this time Anne is in extreme critical condition. She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” the rep said in a statement. “She is in a coma and has not regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.”

The new statement comes two days after Heche’s publicist released an encouraging statement Saturday listing her as being “in stable condition.” Still, Heche’s family at the time asked for “thoughts and prayers.”

Heche has been in the hospital since Friday when a car she was driving crashed and caught fire in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles.

Fifty-nine firefighters battled the blaze, which had engulfed both Heche’s car and the house she crashed into, for 65 minutes until she could be safely pulled out of the wreckage. She was reportedly able to communicate at the time but lost consciousness shortly thereafter.

There has been a lot of speculation about Heche’s condition before the crash as she was filmed driving erratically and speeding in the minutes prior to the accident, including getting into another, minor car accident, blocks from the crash site. A podcast featuring Heche, in which she is heard slurring her speech, was released Friday, and has been linked to the crash online. That podcast was recorded Tuesday, sources told Deadline.

Earlier Monday, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Annie Hernandez told City News Service that investigators obtained a warrant for a blood draw from the actress following the Friday crash that left her car fully inside the Mar Vista home, which caught fire and was largely destroyed.

Neighbors of the woman whose home was destroyed in the crash, Lynne Mishele, have started a GoFundMe page to assist her, raising more than $75,000 as of Monday afternoon. According to the page, Mishele “very narrowly escaped physical harm” in the crash, but the home was destroyed and she lost “her entire lifetime of possessions.”

Anne Heche In Stable Condition As Her Family Asks For Prayers After Fiery Car Crash

Actress Anne Heche severely burned in fiery car crash

The “Vanished” actress, 53, was reportedly driving her blue Mini Cooper down a suburban street in Los Angeles around noon when she crashed into the garage of an apartment complex.

The actress’ burned back was visible as she sat up on the stretcher.

According to the outlet, bystanders tried to help Heche exit the vehicle, but she allegedly backed up and drove off before crashing into another home where her car became “engulfed” in flames.

It appears that Heche may have been under the influence of alcohol, as bottle with a red cap was seen in the car’s cup holder shortly before the accident. However, the Los Angeles Police Department could not immediately be reached.

Aerial shots of video from the accident obtained by Fox11 show smoke billowing out of the home in which she crashed into.

Sources told TMZ that Heche is currently intubated in the hospital, but “expected to live.”

“Her condition prevents doctors from performing any tests to determine if she was driving under the influence of alcohol,” the outlet also reported.

Heche, known for her high-profile romance with Ellen DeGeneres in the ’90s, has spoken openly about her previous battle with substance abuse.

“I drank. I smoked. I did drugs. I had sex with people. I did anything I could to get the shame out of my life,” she told ABC News in 2001, adding that her choices were a result of her painful childhood that stemmed from being sexually abused by her father, Donald Heche.

“I’m not crazy,” the “Six Days Seven Nights” star also said at the time. “But it’s a crazy life. I was raised in a crazy family and it took 31 years to get the crazy out of me.”

Reps for Heche could not immediately be reached.

Talk Show Appearance

Thursday, Aug. 4 – Actors Brad Pitt, Joey King, Brian Tyree Henry, Aaron Taylor Johnson and Hiroyuki Sanada (“Bullet Train”)

‘Kung Fu’: Ben Levin & Kim Rhodes Join Season 3 Of CW Series As Recurring

Levin will play Bo, a barista/vigilante who lives across the Bay in Oakland. He’s cool, smart, and strong with a jack-of-all-trades fighting style. His extracurricular crime fighting leads to a collision with Nicky (Olivia Liang) and her siblings. New in town and far from home, Bo’s eager to pitch in with the Shen family’s adventures, and to fight by Nicky’s side.

Rhodes will portray Carrie, a blunt, funny professional who works as a representative for a large restaurant investment group. When Carrie’s company takes an interest in Harmony Dumplings, Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) is quick to decline their overtures, but when an unexpected friendship blooms between her and Carrie, Mei-Li opens herself up to a possible alliance.

Season 2 of the show left off with Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman) sacrificing herself to defeat the crime lord Russell Tan (Kee Chan), someone resembling Nicky’s shifu (mentor), Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai), appearing in the final seconds of the finale, and Nicky and Henry (Eddie Liu) breaking up.

Christina M. Kim serves as executive producer/co-showrunner with Robert Berens. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Martin Gero and David Madden also serve as executive producers. Kung Fu is produced by Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House in association with Warner Bros. Television and is inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman.

Levin is coming off his role of Jed Tien in CW’s Legacies. Levin recurred the first two seasons and was promoted to series regular for the final two seasons. He’s repped by SMS Talent and Link Entertainment.

Rhodes is known for her role as Sheriff Jody Mills on Supernatural. She also previously recurred on Criminal Minds and Colony, among others. She is repped by Richard Kerner of Kerner Management Associates.

Angelia Jolie’s lawyers tried to subpoena Brad Pitt at SAG Awards

Lawyers for Angelina Jolie were so desperate to serve Brad Pitt with a subpoena as part of the bitter tangle of lawsuits over the exes’ French winery that they stationed process servers at the glitziest events in Hollywood in hopes of catching him off guard, Page Six has learned.

We’re told they even sent a guy to confront the “Fight Club” star with the documents at the 2022 SAG Awards in February, and insiders say they likely would have tried again at the Oscars but Pitt’s lawyers called off the chase before Hollywood’s biggest night rolled around.

Sources say that servers had been having a hard time trying to hand Pitt the papers — which makes it a legal requirement for someone to respond to a court — and were hoping he would show up at the SAG Awards as a previous winner (for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” in 2020) even though he was not nominated this year.

Sadly for them, he did not.

It seems to be something of a trendy tactic right now. Olivia Wilde was memorably served with papers relating to her custody battle with Jason Sudeikis in April while giving a speech on stage during a CinemaCon event.

Jolie’s lawyers were trying to subpoena Pitt to hand over records and correspondence related to the Château Miraval winery.

The former couple, who broke up in September 2016, are locked in a complex battle over ownership of the business after Jolie, 47, sold her shares in it to a subsidiary of the massive liquor firm Stoli.

Pitt, 58, has claimed that Jolie was not entitled to sell her shares without offering him the right of refusal, and now they are battling over whether she can demand the paperwork that she has asked for.

As Page Six first reported Friday, a judge ruled that Pitt and his business partners must turn over the papers, but his camp may still appeal.

The former couple, who have six children, married at the chateau in August 2014 after a decade together.

Reps didn’t get back to us.

Morning Show Appearance

director Billy Porter.

Talk Show Appearance

Friday, July 29 – Billy Porter (“Anything’s Possible”)

Morning Show Appearance

Thursday, July 28 – Actor Brad Pitt (“Bullet Train”)

Angelina Jolie wins battle against Brad Pitt in nasty war over French winery

The pair took control of the renowned rosé company in 2008 when they moved into the chateau that sits on its Provençal vineyard and Pitt has been toiling over the breathtaking buildings and grounds ever since.

But Jolie sold her stake to liquor giant Stoli — setting in motion a Byzantine web of lawsuits in the US, France and Luxembourg between Pitt, Jolie, their respective businesses and various business partners.

In the latest skirmish, Jolie’s team subpoenaed documents from Pitt, his business manager and his company, Mondo Bongo.

Pitt’s camp has fought tooth and nail to have a court deny Jolie’s request for the papers and correspondence.

But on Friday, a judge in LA said that Pitt and his partners must fork them over to the opposing lawyers — and said that they can’t even hold off until they appeal the decision.

Sources close to the “Maleficent” star’s business operation told Page Six that Pitt’s letting his anger over their vicious split get in the way of common business sense.

“Any rational human being would be happy for Stoli to [be a partner in their business. They have top-notch marketing and distribution,” they said, explaining that the firm offer huge opportunities to grow the business. “He just can’t see past his hatred of Jolie.”

But a source close to Pitt told us that not only is the Stoli deal not a no-brainer, Pitt had turned down an offer to sell it to Stoli while he and Jolie were still married.

They said that the idea of selling a chunk of the business for better distribution is counter to his long-held plan for the project, which is to plow profits back into the company.

Plus, they said, “The best way to retain value for [their kids] is for the parents to retain full ownership of this increasingly valuable and expanding asset.

The couple, who have six children, split in 2016. They’d been together since 2005.

Reps declined to comment.

2022 Emmy Nominations: Soap Alums

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel • Prime Video • Amazon Studios
Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam ‘Midge’ Maisel

Abbott Elementary • ABC • Delicious Non-Sequitur Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television and 20th Television
Quinta Brunson as Janine Teagues

The Flight Attendant • HBO/HBO Max • HBO Max in association with Berlanti Productions, Yes, Norman Productions, and Warner Bros. Television
Kaley Cuoco as Cassie Bowden

The Great • Hulu • Hulu, Civic Center Media, MRC
Elle Fanning as Catherine The Great

Insecure • HBO/HBO Max • HBO in association with Hoorae, A Penny For Your Thoughts Entertainment and 3 Arts Entertainment
Issa Rae as Issa

Hacks • HBO/HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Jean Smart as Deborah Vance

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

The Staircase • HBO/HBO Max • A HBO Max and Annapurna Television co-production in association with EMI Pop and What’s Up Films
Toni Collette as Kathleen

Inventing Anna • Netflix • A Netflix Series in association with shondalandmedia
Julia Garner as Anna Delvey

Pam & Tommy • Hulu • Hulu, Annapurna Television, Point Grey Pictures
Lily James as Pamela Anderson

Impeachment: American Crime Story • FX • 20th Television and FX Productions
Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp

Maid • Netflix • John Wells Productions, LuckyChap Entertainment, Warner Bros. Television for Netflix
Margaret Qualley as Alex

The Dropout • Hulu • Searchlight Television, 20th Television
Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie

The White Lotus • HBO/HBO Max • HBO in association with Rip Cord, The District and Hallogram Inc.
Murray Bartlett as Armond

The White Lotus • HBO/HBO Max • HBO in association with Rip Cord, The District and Hallogram Inc.
Jake Lacy as Shane Patton

Dopesick • Hulu • 20th Television, Danny Strong Productions, John Goldwyn Productions, The Littlefield Company
Will Poulter as Billy Cutler

Pam & Tommy • Hulu • Hulu, Annapurna Television, Point Grey Pictures
Seth Rogen as Rand Gauthier

Dopesick • Hulu • 20th Television, Danny Strong Productions, John Goldwyn Productions, The Littlefield Company
Peter Sarsgaard as Rick Mountcastle

Dopesick • Hulu • 20th Television, Danny Strong Productions, John Goldwyn Productions, The Littlefield Company
Michael Stuhlbarg as Richard Sackler

The White Lotus • HBO/HBO Max • HBO in association with Rip Cord, The District and Hallogram Inc.
Steve Zahn as Mark Mossbacher

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

Succession • Lion In The Meadow • HBO/HBO Max
HBO in association with Project Zeus, HyperObject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions
Adrien Brody as Josh Aaronson

Succession • Retired Janitors Of Idaho • HBO/HBO Max
HBO in association with Project Zeus, HyperObject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions
James Cromwell as Ewan Roy

Euphoria • Ruminations: Big And Little Bullys • HBO/HBO Max
HBO in association with ADD Content Agency | HOT | TCDY Productions, Dreamcrew, Tiny Goat, A24 and The Reasonable Bunch
Colman Domingo as Ali

Succession • Retired Janitors Of Idaho • HBO/HBO Max
HBO in association with Project Zeus, HyperObject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions
Arian Moayed as Stewy Hosseini

Ozark • You’re The Boss • Netflix
MRC for Netflix
Tom Pelphrey as Ben Davis

Succession • All The Bells Say • HBO/HBO Max
HBO in association with Project Zeus, HyperObject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions
Alexander Skarsgård as Lukas Matsson

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance

Moon Knight • The Friendly Type • Disney+
Marvel Studios
F. Murray Abraham as Khonshu

Bridgerton • Capital R Rake • Netflix
A Netflix Original Series in association with shondalandmedia
Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown

What If…? • What If… T’Challa Became A Star-Lord? • Disney+
Marvel Studios
Chadwick Boseman as Star Lord T’Challa

Big Mouth • A Very Big Mouth Christmas • Netflix
Netflix
Maya Rudolph as Connie The Hormone Monstress

Central Park • Central Dark • Apple TV+
20th Television Animation
Stanley Tucci as Bitsy

Archer • London Time • FX
FX Productions
Jessica Walter as Malory Archer

What If…? • What If… Ultron Won? • Disney+
Marvel Studios
Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher

Brad Pitt Suffers from Face Blindness Says People Hate Him for It

Brad has talked about this struggle in the past ... he just can't recognize people by looking at their faces -- even family members.

The condition is called prosopagnosia ... in lay terms, face blindness. About 2 and a half percent of the population suffers from it in varying degrees. Some researchers have theorized the condition is brought on by underdevelopment in the womb.

Brad has said over the years he's taken a lot of heat by people who felt he was aloof and self-absorbed ... because he didn't care enough about other people to remember them. Brad tells GQ, "Nobody believes me!"

The 58-year-old actor says he's never gone for an official diagnosis, but he's confident he has the condition.

As for how people with the affliction deal ... they use other markers to ID friends, family and associates ... it could be the way they walk, their voice, etc.

Brad told Esquire back in 2013, "So many people hate me because they think I'm disrespecting them."

Brad was brutally honest about lots of things in the interview, including the heartache he felt after the collapse of his marriage to Angelina Jolie and the bitter divorce that followed. He said, "I think all our hearts are broken ... I always felt very alone in my life, alone growing up as a kid, alone even out here, and it's really not till recently that I have had a greater embrace of my friends and family."

Brad is clean and sober, having spent 18 months in AA. He's also cut out cigarettes.

Clearly, his struggle is real.

Lindsay Lohan marries Dubai-based financier Bader Shammas

The 36-year-old actress has taken to social media to announce that she’s tied the knot with the Dubai-based financier.

Alongside a photo of herself and Bader, Lindsay wrote on Instagram: “I am the luckiest woman in the world. Not because I need a man, but because he found me and knew that I wanted to find happiness and grace, all at the same time. I am stunned that this is my husband. My life and my everything. [heart emoji] every woman should feel like this everyday [heart and prayer emoji] (sic)”

A rep for the actress subsequently confirmed to ‘Entertainment Tonight’ that the loved-up couple are now legally married.

Lohan and Shammas announced their engagement in November, when the ‘Mean Girls’ star shared the news with her social media followers.

Alongside a photo of her sparkling engagement ring, Lindsay said at the time: “My love. My life. My family. My future. @bader.shammas #love [ring emoji] (sic)”

Lohan, who shot to fame as a child and has spent time in rehab due to alcoholism, previously revealed what she was looking for in a man.

The Hollywood star explained in 2019 that she was seeking someone who didn’t crave the spotlight and was successful in their own right.

She said: “[I want] someone who hates the spotlight. No, seriously, someone who doesn’t have Instagram. [And] a smart businessman.

“I haven’t met anyone that’s hit those [marks].”

Lohan also insisted she wouldn’t turn to dating apps in her bid to find love.

The actress explained at the time: “It’s great for people that it works for and that love it but, no, it’s not for me, personally.”

Kelsey Grammer says Frasier reboot 'is in the final stages'

The 67-year-old actor played Frasier Crane in the hit sitcom between 1993 and 2004, and he’s currently working on a long-awaited reboot.

In a preview of his upcoming appearance on ‘The Talk’, Grammer explains: “There’s been some conversation about maybe [shooting in] October, maybe a little later. I don’t know. There are a couple other things coming up. We’ve developed a couple other projects that look like they’re going to shoot first.

“But we’re in the final stages of the final script for the first episode of ‘Frasier’, the reboot. And it looks pretty good. I’ve had a couple of runs through it, and I cried, so you know, I’m happy.”

Grammer also joked about his own importance to the project.

The actor, who played the part of Fraiser in ‘Cheers’ before he joined the hit spin-off series, quipped: “The key ingredient for the ‘Frasier’ reboot is actually Frasier honestly. It was always called [Frasier], so it’s me, the key is me.”

Grammer previously revealed that he was keen to reunite the old cast and described the reboot as a “third act”.

Grammer starred alongside the likes of David Hyde Pierce and Jane Leeves in the show’s original run.

“We think we’re going to get most of the actors back, I’m certainly hopeful that we will, and I’m fairly confident that they’ll come back,” said in an interview last year.

“We have a story to tell – that can actually be told with or without them, honestly – but I want them back because that’s what I always dreamed of. I thought we should explore all their lives in their third act, and so that is my hope.”

Bass Reeves Series ‘Twin Territories’ From Morgan Freeman’s Revelations & ‘Hand Of God’ Creator Ben Watkins In Works At Amazon

The Revelations and The 51-produced series in development at the streamer is based on a novel by preeminent Reeves scholar Art T. Burton. While most people have heard of The Lone Ranger, few know the true story of the man behind the legend, who in his time was arguably the greatest lawman west of the Mississippi. As the first Black Deputy U.S. Marshal, Reeves all but tamed The Wild West single-handedly, bringing well over 3,000 dangerous criminals to justice in his 32 years as a federal peace officer under “Hanging” Judge Parker.

Twin Territories will follow America’s #1 lawman as he and the brash Irishman Chauncey Lee are faced with the almost impossible task of imposing the rule of law in the most dangerous place on earth, contending with outlaw bandits so bold they post their own wanted posters; thriving native cultures pushed to the brink; and hordes of illegal settlers with nothing to lose, in a titanic battle for the future of a state, and a nation. The show will examine the methods Reeves used to bring justice to the Indian Territories, and the pivotal role he played in birthing the state of Oklahoma.

Freeman began exploring the possibility of a Bass Reeves project around 30 years ago, alongside Academy Award winner Neil Travis. After digging into research on the historic figure at the University of Oklahoma, he would explore multiple iterations of the project with assorted writers, before connecting with Hand of God creator Ben Watkins and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s Malcolm Spellman. Watkins explains that he and his longtime friend began exploring their own iteration of the Bass Reeves story around 2010 and, like Freeman and producing partner McCreary, became fascinated with not just the story of the lawman, but “the whole story of America redefining itself at that time.” By 2017, he says, “divine intervention” had kicked in, with the two teams of creatives joining forces.

Amazon bought Twin Territories in 2019. The streamer commenced a mini-room off the strength of a pilot script written by Watkins and Josef Sawyer, ordering two backup scripts and a series format. Spellman, who developed the initial take on the story with Watkins, has joined the show’s writers’ room, with Watkins and Leonard Chang (Snowfall, Justified) to serve as showrunners. Executive producers on the series will include Freeman, McCreary, Watkins, Spellman, James Pickens Jr. (Grey’s Anatomy) and Scott Frank (Godless).

When Freeman notes that he was going to portray Reeves if he’d been able to get the show off the ground back in the ’90s, Watkins offers assurance that a new and equally rich Twin Territories role has been created for the actor. “We haven’t told him all the details of this role, so some of this is a surprise for him,” says the co-showrunner, “but we’ve created a great role for him that is sort of a connection between the pre-Civil War and post-Civil War. He’s a mentor figure for whoever plays Bass Reeves.”

Freeman says he views Twin Territories as having the potential to be “a game-changer for movies, for history,” given the little-known true events that it will bring to light and the errors it will make up for, as far as the depiction of historical events on screen. “I grew up in the movies watching everything, particularly Westerns, and one of the things that really busted me up was the fact that if you were Black in one of these Westerns, you’d better be a comedian. You’d better be funny,” he says. “There were no [Black] heroes, and that’s not American history at all, so here’s a chance to redo that, to straighten out some of the kinks in history.”

“I think if you grow up Black in America and you start doing any little bit of your own research, you start coming face to face with a really unfortunate realization that Black Americans have been misportrayed or completely left out of American history in many cases,” remarks Watkins. “So, when you come across a story like Bass Reeves’ where you’re talking about an iconic Black American whose story has never been properly told, who really should be a folk hero, whose name is known by every little kid growing up in America—and in this case, who I had never even heard of when I was 40 years old—then you can understand why it becomes more than just a passion project. It becomes a mission to tell that story, and tell it the right way.”

Interestingly, Watkins and Freemans’ isn’t the only Bass Reeves project in the works at the moment. Just last week, we broke the news of the six-part limited series 1883: Bass Reeves starring David Oyelowo, for which Yellowstone‘s Taylor Sheridan will direct the pilot. But ultimately, Watkins says, news of this project is of no concern to the team behind Twin Territories. “I think we all agree Bass Reeves was a hero who deserves all the stories to be told. There should be a hundred versions of Bass Reeves out already, and we’ve never looked at the fact that there are other projects out there as a bad thing,” he says. “We think he is a historical figure that deserves that type of recognition across the board, but we also know that our particular way of telling it is going to be very authentic and very rooted in the Black American experience. So, we feel like it holds a special place.”

Freeman is represented by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern; McCreary by CAA; Watkins by WME and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum; Spellman by CAA, Industry Entertainment and Del Shaw Moonves; Sawyer by UTA, Industry Entertainment and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Chang by Brant Rose Agency; Pickens by Artists & Representatives, Wright Entertainment and Meyer & Downs; and Frank by CAA and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole.

Celebrity Family Feud: SEASON PREMIERE - Abbott Elementary vs. Hacks and Kal Penn vs. Erika Christensen (7/10)

The celebrity teams trying to guess what the “survey said” are the following:

Team “Abbott Elementary,” playing for DonorsChoose:

Quinta Brunson
Lisa Ann Walter
Sheryl Lee Ralph
Ms. Joyce Abbott
Tyler James Williams

VERSUS

Team “Hacks,” playing for Feeding America:

Jean Smart
Christopher McDonald
Poppy Liu
Mark Indelicato
Rose Abdoo

GAME 2

Team Kal Penn, playing for Baby2Baby:

Kal Penn
Brandy Wright – sister-in-law
John Nicholas Wright – brother-in-law
Kripa Bhagat – cousin
Christina Freeman Modi – sister-in-law

VERSUS

Team Erika Christensen, playing for The Cameron Heyward Foundation:

Erika Christensen
Cole Maness – husband
Kim Hendricks – aunt
Dane Christensen – brother
Monet Hendricks – cousin.

Freestyle Acquires WWII Doc ‘Syndrome K’ Narrated By Ray Liotta

Another Love Story tells the story of Miriam Ramos (Isadora Ortega), a budding author living in the U.S., who falls deeply in love with the man of her dreams. Until it quickly turns into the tragic nightmare that not even her closest friends could see coming. Ortega and Morson wrote the film and produced it alongside Carole Copeland. Its cast also includes Kenneth Wayne and Dorcas Tejada.

Syndrome K shines a light on the story of three Roman Catholic doctors who invented a highly contagious, fake disease during the Nazi Occupation of Rome to save Roman Jews in a Vatican-affiliated hospital from deportation to Auschwitz during World War II. Stephen Edwards directed and produced the pic from Gregory Ballard’s script, which was based on his own story. Lannette Turicchi, Patrick Olson and James Duda exec produced it, with Christopher Lovasz, Peter J. D’Arruda and Maisy-Kay Kendrick serving as associate producers.

Freestyle Digital Media negotiated the deal to acquire Another Love Story with Ortega of Black Diamond Productions, negotiating the deal for Syndrome K with Edwards of Insanely Practical Productions.

Brad Pitt Says He’s On The “Last Leg” Of His Career & Asking Himself, “How Do I Wanna Design That?”

“I consider myself on my last leg,” the Academy Award winner says in the piece, “this last semester or trimester. What is this section gonna be? And how do I wanna design that?”

Pitt, 58, has long been thoughtful about the arc of his career — he called his production banner Plan B, after all. His plan B would have made a good plan A for most in the business, with the shingle earning billions at the box office as well as winning three Best Picture Oscars in the past 20 years.

So it means something when Pitt tells GQ that the upcoming Women Talking, “It’s as profound a film as anything made this decade.” The film, directed by Sarah Polley and set for release December 2, is an adaptation of Miriam Toews’ novel about a group of Mennonite women who struggle to reconcile their faith with a series of sexual assaults committed by the men in their isolated religious colony.

As for what Pitt’s plan C might look like, his frequent collaborator Quentin Tarantino tells GQ he sees some precedents.

“He’s one of the last remaining big-screen movie stars,” the director says while comparing Pitt to Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Steve McQueen. “It’s just a different breed of man. And frankly, I don’t think you can describe exactly what that is because it’s like describing starshine. I noticed it when we were doing Inglourious Basterds. When Brad was in the shot, I didn’t feel like I was looking through the viewfinder of the camera. I felt like I was watching a movie. Just his presence in the four walls of the frame created that impression.”

Billy Porter Signs First-Look Deal With FX Productions

“Billy Porter was an incredibly accomplished artist before joining FX’s Pose to deliver the iconic, breakout, award-winning performance that helped define the series as one of the most memorable and groundbreaking in recent TV history,” FX President of Original Programming Nick Grad said in a statement. “Billy has excelled as a writer, director and so much more — and we are excited to help him produce bold new stories that reflect his vision and unmatched style.”

“I’m so glad I’ve been blessed to live long enough to see this day. The day where my queerness was my liability, to now where it grounds my work in personal authenticity and power. This is where we change the conversation. This is where they have the guts to tell the stories that resonate on the deepest level,” added Porter. “Whether it’s about famous artists who you don’t fully understand or people from communities you don’t fully know or biting comedy you’ve thought about but never fully explored, this is such a wonderful home to tell the stories I’ve been talking about my whole life. The FX team is FEARLESS and I can’t wait to break new grounds together.”

Porter won an Emmy for Lead Actor for FX’s Pose, and most recently received a third Emmy nomination for the role. Recently, Porter appeared in Amazon’s Cinderella, the second season of CBS All Access’ The Twilight Zone, American Horror Story: Apocalypse, and narrated HBO Max’s Equal. He’s set to star in Our Son alongside Luke Evans and will direct a queer teen comedy from Gabrielle Union’s I’ll Have Another Productions, titled To Be Real. He’s also been tapped to direct an episode of Fox’s anthology series Accused.

His directorial debut Anything’s Possible, a coming-of age film written by Ximena García Lecuona, will drop July 22 on Amazon Prime Video.

Porter is represented by CAA, Industry Entertainment, and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson McGinnis Ryan.

‘Hacks’ Renewed For Season 3 At HBO Max

The move comes less than two weeks after the critically acclaimed comedy series ended its second season on the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streamer.

Jean Smart’s Vance, a Las Vegas comedian who takes a new routing on the road in season two, [SPOILER] leaves Hannah Einbinder’s Daniels at the end of the sophomore run by firing her as her co-writer, following a successful stand-up special that she backed herself and initially sold via QVC, so that her young protégé could strike out on her own.

The series, which was created by Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky, who serve as showrunners, also stars Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Jane Adams as well as Christopher McDonald, Kaitlin Olson, Paul W. Downs, Poppy Liu, Rose Abdoo, Mark Indelicato, Meg Stalter, Angela E. Gibbs, Luenell, Johnny Sibilly, Joe Mande, Ally Maki and Lorenza Izzo.

Laurie Metcalf, Martha Kelly, Ming-Na Wen and Susie Essman as well as Margaret Cho and Devon Sawa also featured in season two.

The second season saw a big rise on season one; the streamer said that its season two opener was 125% above its season one debut last year.

Hacks is produced by Universal Television. It is exec produced by Downs and Aniello via their Paulilu banner, Statsky via First Thought Productions, Michael Schur via Fremulon, David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment and Morgan Sackett.

Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max said, “We congratulate Hacks’ extraordinarily gifted executive producers and cast, and our partners at Universal Television. We are overjoyed at the audience and press response to the new season, and glad to give viewers more of this gorgeous, hilarious, moving show.”

Erin Underhill, President, Universal Television, added, “The first two seasons of Hacks — expertly crafted by Lucia, Paul and Jen —gave us beloved, complex characters who make us laugh and feel deeply. We’re thrilled that our HBO Max partners have renewed this standout series for a third season, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for Deborah, Ava and the rest of our outstanding ensemble.”

TCA Award Nominees

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Lee Jung-jae, “Squid Game” – Netflix
Michael Keaton, “Dopesick” – Hulu
Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets” – Showtime
Mandy Moore, “This Is Us” – NBC
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul” – AMC
Margaret Qualley, “Maid” – Netflix
Adam Scott, “Severance” – Apple TV+
Rhea Seehorn, “Better Call Saul” – AMC
Amanda Seyfried, “The Dropout” – Hulu
Jeremy Strong, “Succession” – HBO

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Pamela Adlon, “Better Things” – FX
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary” – ABC
Bridget Everett, “Somebody Somewhere” – HBO
Bill Hader, “Barry” – HBO
Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary” – ABC
Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building” – Hulu
Jean Smart, “Hacks” – HBO Max (2021 Winner in Category)
Jason Sudeikis – “Ted Lasso” – Apple TV+

Anne Heche To Star In Lifetime’s ‘Girl In Room 13’ Movie, Elisabeth Rohm To Direct

Heche stars as Janie, and Dias as her daughter, Grace, who is abducted by Richie (Montesi) for human trafficking.

Inspired by actual events, Girl in Room 13 examines the story of Grace (Dias), who was addicted to opioids after her doctor prescribed them for a sports injury at a very young age and after three stints in rehab, she is finally ready to turn her life around. Under the watchful eye of her mother, Janie (Heche), Grace takes on a job at her family’s restaurant. But her past will not let her go and when her friend coerces her into meeting her former love interest and drug dealer, Richie (Montesi), she finds herself imprisoned in a hotel room with no way out. Held captive, Richie repeatedly violates Grace, forces her to consume drugs and alcohol, and starves her — all to break her down so that she becomes compliant and can be sold into human trafficking. Refusing to give up on her daughter even when her husband and the local police believe Grace has returned to a life of using, Janie starts an all-out hunt to find Grace. Stopping at nothing, Janie discovers the dark world of human trafficking and the shocking statistics about its widespread victims and its unexpected accomplices.

Girl in Room 13 is produced by Motel Productions Inc for Lifetime. Tim Johnson, Stacy Mandelberg and Yvonne Chotzen serve as executive producers. The film is written by Maria Nation (The Gabby Douglas Story) and directed by Rohm.

In 2020 reporter Carmen Neithammer reported in Forbes that global statistics on human trafficking are on the rise and the International Labor Organization estimates that there are currently 25 million victims worldwide, including men, women and children. The $150 billion dollar business of human trafficking knows no bounds and traffickers use banks, transportation, hotels rooms and social media to lure in their victims, often involving legitimate services and companies.

Heche returns to Lifetime having previously starred in 2004’s Gracie’s Choice with Kristen Bell, 2006’s Fatal Desire with Eric Roberts and 2011’s Girl Fight with James Tupper. She most recently starred in the Peter Facinelli-directed psychological thriller The Vanished for Netflix, as well as Quiver’s tornado thriller 13 Minutes. She will also soon be seen recurring in All Rise on OWN and Sam Levinson’s upcoming HBO series, The Idol, opposite The Weeknd. Heche is repped by APA and Zero Gravity Management

Dias also previously starred in Family Pictures in 2019, reuniting her with Rohm who also starred in the movie. She most recently appeared in Supernatural Academy and When Calls The Heart. Dias is repped by Luber Roklin Entertainment and Carrier Talent Management.

Montesi’s recent television credits include The 100 and Sacred Lies, among others.

Rohm is repped by Buchwald, Luber Roklin Entertainment and Felker Toczek.

Girl in Room 13 is the latest movie in Lifetime’s successful “Girl In” franchise which included Girl in the Basement, Girl in the Shed, Girl in the Box and Girl in the Bunker, among others.

2022 Outfest L.A. To Open With World Premiere Of Billy Porter’s ‘Anything’s Possible’

The 11-day festival will kick off at downtown L.A.’s Orpheum Theatre with the world premiere of Grammy-, Emmy- and Tony Award-winning artist Billy Porter’s directorial debut, Anything’s Possible. The Prime Video Original is an uplifting teenage romance about an unflappable trans girl and a charming cis boy navigating a senior year relationship. Porter will be present at the event to receive the 2022 Outfest Annual Achievement Award.

The festival will close at The Theater at the Ace Hotel on July 24 with the world premiere of Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan’s directorial debut, They/Them. The Blumhouse Production, to be released by Peacock, is a horror film set at an LGBTQIA+ conversion camp, in which the young residents band together against their counselors as an unidentified killer begins claiming victims.

“What better way to celebrate our 40th year of Outfest L.A. than to honor Billy Porter at our Opening Night with his incredible directorial debut,” said Outfest Executive Director Damien S. Navarro. “We’re excited to host audiences and fans across the city to celebrate just how far queer cinema and entertainment have come. The body of work we have curated from nearly every continent increasingly represents adventurous styles and genres – from vibrant romantic comedies, where the trans lead gets the boy, to horror films that balance the scares and the sexy.”

The Platinum section of the festival, which showcases the bold innovators and cutting edge creators of experimental LGBTQ media and performance and celebrates the adventurous renegades of queer culture, will present two inaugural awards. The Platinum Maverick Award will be presented to Clive Barker while bounce artist and filmmaker Big Freedia will be presented with the Platinum Alchemy Maverick Award. The honors acknowledge their artistry and social justice work through their filmmaking.

OPENING NIGHT GALA
Anything’s Possible
dir. Billy Porter
Porter, producer Christine Vachon and castmembers Eva Reign, Abubakr Ali, Simone Joy Jones, Kelly Lamor Wilson and Broadway legend Rene?e Elise Goldsberry will be on hand.

CLOSING NIGHT GALA
They/Them
dir. John Logan
Logan and castmembers Kevin Bacon, Theo Germaine, Quei Tann, Carrie Preston, Anna Chlumsky and Austin Crute will attend.

LEGACY CENTERPIECE
Far From Heaven
dir. Todd Haynes
Haynes, producer Christine Vachon and star Julianne Moore will be on hand for a Q&A

U.S. CENTERPIECE
Unidentified Objects
dir. Juan Felipe Zuleta
Zuleta, actors Matthew Jeffers and Sarah Hay to appear in person

DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE
Mama Bears
dir. Daresha Kyi
Kyi and the leadership of the Mama Bears organization to attend

PLATINUM CENTERPIECE
HeBGB TV
dirs. Jake McClellan, Adam Lenhart, Eric Griffin
The screening will feature a spooky, live-action immersive experience.

The full Outfest Los Angeles 2022 LGBTQ+ Film Festival lineup will be released in the coming weeks. For more information or tickets, visit OutfestLA.org

Outfest Los Angeles 2022 is presented by Warner Bros. Discovery and IMDb; premiere and day sponsors include AARP, Amazon Studios, Ammo Creative, CAA, Comcast NBCUniversal, Gilead, and The Fight Magazine; and media sponsors include ABC7 Los Angeles, Clear Channel Outdoor, Edge Media, KCET/PBS SoCal, Pride Media, Queerty, Rainbow Media, The Los Angeles Blade, Autostraddle and Variety.

Angelina Jolie says truth about Brad Pitt is yet to come out

The 47-year-old actress owned the Château Miraval winery in the South of France with ex-husband Brad Pitt, 58, but sold her half amid their ongoing divorce battle back October 2021 and while he sued her with claims that it was an “unlawful” move designed to “inflict harm” on him, she has now claimed that the truth is yet to come out.

A representative for Angelina said: “Mr. Pitt’s lawsuit against Ms. Jolie is an extension of a false narrative, and the truth of the situation has still not been made public. After the events that led to Ms. Jolie filing for divorce and her years devoted to caring for their children, Ms. Jolie and the children have not been able to return to the property, and she made the difficult decision to sell her stake in the business.

“After making multiple offers to her ex-husband, and knowing the business will be inherited by their children, she found a business partner with experience in the alcohol industry.”

The representative went on to insist that Angelina – who was married to her fellow Hollywood star from 2014 until 2019 and has children Maddox, 20, Pax, 18, Zahara, 17, Shiloh, 16 as well and 13-year-old twins Knox Léon and Vivienne with him – exited the business in a “legal” fashion and it is “unfortunate” that she is now being faced with multiple lawsuits.

The rep told PEOPLE: “It’s unfortunate that after she properly and legally exited the business, Mr. Pitt is entangling her in multiple lawsuits.”

‘Angelina’s response comes just days after The ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ star alleged that she tried to “damage” him by selling her share to the firm that produces flagship Russian vodka Stoli.

Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and claim “the Stoli brand is now a massive international liability”.

Papers filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court said: “The US Treasury

Department designated Shefler as an ‘oligarch in the Russian Federation’ in an unclassified report to Congress made pursuant to the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act of 2017.”

‘Black Bird’ Trailer: First Look At Ray Liotta’s Final TV Role In Dennis Lehane’s Apple Limited Series

Taron Egerton, Paul Walter Hauser, Greg Kinnear, Sepideh Moafi and Ray Liotta star in the Apple Studios-produced series, which was adapted from the true crime memoir In With the Devil: A Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption by James Keene and Hillel Levin.

The series represents the last TV work of Liotta, the Goodfellas and Field of Dreams star who died May 26 at age 67. Lehane, the true crime author behind the likes of Mystic River and Live By Night and who developed, wrote and EPs Black Bird, penned a moving tribute to Liotta after the actor died in his sleep while shooting a film on location in the Dominican Republic. The author called Liotta “the most electric American actor of his generation” and said he wrote the series’ role of decorated policeman Big Jim Keene specifically for the Emmy-winning actor, describing his performance as a “master class.”

Liotta is briefly glimpsed in the trailer that dropped today, though his character handles some voice-over duties.

Here it is: Video.

The Black Bird story, based on actual events, follows high school football hero and Big Jim Keene’s son Jimmy Keene (Egerton), who is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison. He is given a choice: enter a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Hauser), or stay where he is and serve his full sentence with no possibility of parole. Keene’s is only way out is to elicit a confession and find out where the bodies of several young girls are buried before Hall’s appeal goes through. But is this suspected killer telling the truth?

The first three episodes are directed by Michaël R. Roskam, who serves as executive producer with Lehane; Egerton; Richard Plepler through Plepler’s Eden Productions; Bradley Thomas, Dan Friedkin and Ryan Friedkin via Imperative Entertainment; Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert through EMJAG Productions; Kary Antholis; and the book’s author Keene. Jim McKay and Joe Chappelle also direct.

‘Bullet Train’ Trailer: Bad-Luck Brad Pitt Rides The Bloody Rails In Sony Action Pic

Pitt is on one bloody mission in Bullet Train. Sony Pictures has released the second trailer for the David Leitch-helmed action pic, which also stars Sandra Bullock, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Hiroyuki Sanada, Zazie Michael Shannon, Andrew Koji and Benito A Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny). Check it out above.

It’s clearly not an easy first day back at work for Pitt, an experienced assassin who finds himself among several other professional killers with a similar mission on the titular train.

“Everything that’s ever happened to you has led you here. Fate,” one character tells Pitt’s character in the trailer set to a Japanese-language cover of “Stayin’ Alive.” “Well that’s a sh*t deal,” he replies.

Deadpool 2‘s Leitch directs from a screenplay by Zak Olkewicz based on the Japanese novel Maria Beetle by bestselling author Kotaro Isaka.

Kelly McCormick produces through 87North along with Leitch and Antoine Fuqua. Kat Samick is exec producing with Brent O’Connor, Ryosuke Saegusa and Yuma Terada. Brittany Morrissey is the executive overseeing the project for Sony Pictures.

Columbia’s Bullet Train hits theaters on August 15, having moved from July 15 and then from July 29.

Former Soap Stars To Appear On The Tony Awards

The evening will commemorate Tony Awards history and celebrate 75 years of Broadway excellence. The talented lineup of stars includes Utkarsh Ambudkar, Skylar Astin, Zach Braff, Danielle Brooks, Danny Burstein, Len Cariou, RuPaul Charles, Jessica Chastain, Lilli Cooper, Bryan Cranston, Wilson Cruz, Colman Domingo, Anthony Edwards, Cynthia Erivo, Raúl Esparza, Laurence Fishburne, Andrew Garfield, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Tony Goldwyn, David Alan Grier, Vanessa Hudgens, Jennifer Hudson, Paris Jackson, Prince Jackson, Samuel L Jackson, Nathan Lane, Telly Leung, Judith Light, Josh Lucas, Gaten Matarazzo, Ruthie Ann Miles, Patina Miller, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelli O’Hara, Sarah Paulson, Bernadette Peters, Jeremy Pope, Billy Porter, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Chita Rivera, Tony Shalhoub, Phillipa Soo, Sarah Silverman, George Takei, Aaron Tveit, Adrienne Warren, Patrick Wilson and Bowen Yang.

Emmy Award winners Darren Criss and Julianne Hough will co-host THE TONY AWARDS: ACT ONE, an hour of exclusive content streaming live only on Paramount+*, Sunday, June 12 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/4:00-5:00 PM, PT), prior to the live broadcast of the Tony Awards on CBS. Criss and Hough will kick off the evening celebrating the 2022 Tony Awards, which includes exciting performances and bestowing multiple honors throughout the hour.

Immediately following, Academy Award winner and Tony nominee Ariana DeBose will host THE 75TH ANNUAL TONY AWARDS, airing live coast-to-coast (8:00-11:00 PM, LIVE ET/5:00-8:00 PM, LIVE PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*.

Charles Siebert Dies: ‘Trapper John, M.D.’ Actor Was 84

His death was confirmed in a statement on the website of the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa, California, where Siebert appeared frequently.

Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Siebert made his Broadway debut in a 1967 production of Brecht’s Galileo and would return to the Broadway stage five more times through the following decade. He began his TV career in the late 1960s on the soap opera Search for Tomorrow. By the mid-1970s he had appeared in such series as Hawk, N.Y.P.D., Another World, The Adams Chronicles, Kojak, Police Woman and The Rockford Files.

In 1977 he recurred on the Norman Lear soap parody Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, later guesting on other Lear series including All in the Family, Good Times, Maude and One Day at a Time.

In 1979 he landed what would become his signature role in the M*A*S*H spinoff Trapper John, M.D., playing opposite stars Pernell Roberts (in the title role) and Gregory Harrison. Siebert’s character served as the persnickety, stuffy but talented foil to the more laid-back doctors played by Roberts and Harrison, following in the M*A*S*H tradition of Larry Linville’s Dr. Frank Burns and David Ogden Stiers’ Dr. Charles Emerson Winchester III.

The show was a hit in its 10 p.m. Sunday slot, where it aired for the first six-plus seasons, consistently ranking in the full-season Top 20 in the three-network universe. Siebert remained with the series throughout its entire 1979-86 run.

He would return to television throughout the 1980s and ’90s, appearing in The Love Boat, The New Mike Hammer, Hotel, Mancuso FBI, Murder, She Wrote and Xena: Warrior Princess.

During his tenure on Trapper John, M.D., Siebert began a directing career that would include seven episodes of that series and, later, episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Silk Stalkings, Pacific Blue, Knots Landing, The Pretender and others.

On the big screen, Siebert appeared in, among others, The Other Side of Midnight (1977), Coma (1978), All Night Long (1981), and White Water Summer (1987). In 1979, he played an assistant district attorney in Norman Jewison’s legal satire … And Justice for All, starring Al Pacino.

On Broadway, Siebert appeared in 1968’s Jimmy Shine opposite Dustin Hoffman; David Rabe’s Sticks and Bones (1972); The Changing Room (1973); and the 1974 revival of Tennessee Williams‘ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Elizabeth Ashley, Fred Gwynne and Keir Dullea.

Siebert would return to the stage throughout his career, often at the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa, California, where he played Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, the artist Mark Rothko in the play Red, Big Daddy in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman.

In the tribute posted on the theater’s website by artistic director Jared Sakren and former artistic director Craig A. Miller, Siebert was remembered as “generous to his castmates,” with “an engaging sense of humor, a wealth of experience and pure, unadulterated talent capable of delivering towering, unforgettable performances.”

“Anyone who had the honor and pleasure of sharing the stage with him knows that simply watching him work was a Masterclass in itself: pure heart, fiery passion, terrifying truth, and fearlessness – all on display, every moment he was out there,” the statement continues. “He was not only a consummate artist, he was a mentor to those who worked with him.”

Siebert is survived by wife Kristine Leroux Siebert, daughter Gillian Bozanic, son Christopher, stepdaughter Kristina Harvey, stepsons Max Leroux and Jeremy Leroux, and other extended family. He was predeceased by his first wife, Catherine, and son Charlie Jr., a popular Bay Area musician who died in 2020.

Betty White L.A. Home Sells Goes for More Than Asking

The 5-bedroom, 6-bathroom Brentwood property was listed at $10.575 million and sold for $10.678 million. The backyard comes complete with a swimming pool and beautiful views of The Getty Museum.

Sources connected to the sale tell us there were several offers on the home, and while it's not yet clear who the buyer was, we're told it's not another celebrity.

As we reported, those interested in the home first had to be prequalified, and were not allowed inside ... so almost safe to say it could be torn down for a new build.

Betty spent most of her life there, first moving in in 1968 -- and living there until her death on New Year's Eve 2021.

The home was full of history, and it was said Betty and her late husband, Allen Ludden, spent many nights in the guest house playing charades with friends like Jimmy and Gloria Stewart, and Dinah Shore.

Juneteenth concert at the Hollywood Bowl

Billy Porter & Luke Evans To Star In Custody-Battle Drama ‘Our Son’ For Director Bill Oliver

The film written by Oliver and Peter Nickowitz will follow a divorcing couple fighting for custody of their 8-year-old son. Fernando Loureiro (Frances Ha) and Guilherme Coelho (Oprhans of Eldorado) will produce via their company, Tigresa, along with Eric Binns (Lansky). CAA Media Finance and ICM Partners are co-representing the film’s distribution rights.

Porter is an actor, singer, director, composer and playwright best known for his Emmy-winning turn as Ball scene emcee Pray Tell on FX’s Pose. The actor also recently appeared in Amazon’s live-action remake of Cinderella, CBS All Access’ The Twilight Zone and American Horror Story: Apocalypse, also narrating HBO Max’s docuseries, Equal. His theatre credits include the role of Lola in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, which he originated in 2013—landing Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards, as well as the Grammy for Best Musical-Theatre Album. Porter is making his directorial debut with the high school coming-of-age film, Anything’s Possible, written by Alvaro García Lecuona. He’s also set to direct a queer teen comedy from Gabrielle Union’s I’ll Have Another Productions, titled To Be Real. Porter released his first literary project, Unprotected, via Abrams Press in October. As a recording artist, he most recently released his single “Children” under his new record deal with Island Records (UK) and Republic Records (U.S.).

Evans will this year star in Apple’s action-thriller drama series, Echo 3, also appearing in Robert Zemeckis’ live-action retelling of Pinocchio for Disney+, and going into production on the film 5lbs of Pressure. On the small screen, Evans most recently starred in Hulu’s most-watched original series, Nine Perfect Strangers, TNT’s Emmy-nominated The Alienist, and ITV’s The Pembroke?shire Murders. The actor has also been seen in Disney’s 2017 live-action Beauty and the Beast film and the Fast & Furious franchise, as well as such films as Professor Marston & the Wonder Women, Clash of the Titans, The Hobbit and Dracula Untold. He began his career on the West End and released his debut studio album At Last in 2019, as a continuation of his passion for music.

Porter is represented by CAA and Industry Entertainment; Evans by CAA, United Agents in the UK and Anonymous Content. Oliver and Nickowitz are with ICM Partners and Grandview.

‘Anything’s Possible’ Trailer: First Look At Billy Porter’s Feature Directorial Debut

The film written by Ximena García Lecuona is a modern Gen Z coming-of-age story that follows Kelsa (Eva Reign), a confident high school girl who is trans, as she navigates through senior year. When her classmate Khal (Abubakr Ali) gets a crush on her, he musters up the courage to ask her out, despite the drama he knows it could cause. What transpires is a romance that showcases the joy, tenderness and pain of young love.

Renée Elise Goldsberry also stars in the pic from Orion Pictures, Andrew Lauren Productions and Killer Films. Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa, Andrew Lauren and D.J. Gugenheim produced it, with Lecuona, Porter and Allison Rose Carter serving as EPs.

Porter is an actor, singer, director, composer and playwright best known for his Emmy-winning turn as Ball scene emcee Pray Tell on FX’s Pose. He also recently appeared in Amazon’s live-action remake of Cinderella, CBS All Access’ The Twilight Zone and American Horror Story: Apocalypse, also narrating HBO Max’s docuseries, Equal. His theatre credits include the role of Lola in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, which he originated in 2013—landing Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle Awards, as well as the Grammy for Best Musical-Theatre Album.

The multi-hyphenate is also set to direct a queer teen comedy from Gabrielle Union’s I’ll Have Another Productions, titled To Be Real. Just yesterday it was announced that he will star alongside Luke Evans in the custody-battle drama Our Son, from director Bill Oliver.

Check out the trailer for Porter’s first feature as a director by clicking above.

Ray Liotta Leaves Behind Apple’s ‘Black Bird’, Creator Dennis Lehane Remembers “Electric” Series Star

The upcoming limited series, set for premiere July 8 on Apple TV+, marked Liotta’s return to series television as a lead opposite Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser. An adaptation of James Keene and Hillel Levin’s true-crime memoir, In With The Devil: A Fallen Hero, A Serial Killer, and A Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, the six-episode psychological thriller is developed and produced by Lehane.

Liotta’s Big Jim Keene is a popular former ranking officer in the Kankakee police and fire departments who had influential friends in the highest reaches of state and local government.

The logline: Inspired by actual events, when high school football hero, decorated policeman’s son, and convicted drug dealer Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton) is sentenced to 10 years in a minimum security prison, he is given the choice of a lifetime — enter a maximum-security prison for the criminally insane and befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), or stay where he is and serve his full sentence with no possibility of parole. Keene quickly realizes his only way out is to elicit a confession and find out where the bodies of several young girls are buried before Hall’s appeal goes through. But is this suspected killer telling the truth? Or is it just another tale from a serial liar? This dramatic and captivating story subverts the crime genre by enlisting the help of the very people put behind bars to solve its mysteries.

Sepideh Moafi and Greg Kinnear also star.

Black Bird is developed and executive produced by Lehane. The first three episodes are directed by Michaël R. Roskam, who also serves as executive producer. Lehane, Egerton and Roskam executive produce alongside Richard Plepler through his Eden Productions; Bradley Thomas, Dan Friedkin and Ryan Friedkin executive produce through Imperative Entertainment; Alexandra Milchan and Scott Lambert executive produce through Emjag Productions; and Kary Antholis also executive produces, along with the book’s author James Keene. Jim McKay and Joe Chappelle also direct. The limited series is produced for Apple TV+ by Apple Studios.

Lehane’s tribute:

“It was, quite literally, the culmination of a lifelong dream to work with Ray Liotta. From the moment I saw him blow out the screen, his co-stars, and the back of the theater in SOMETHING WILD, I found him the most electric American actor of his generation. At the heart of a Ray Liotta performance was a duality that he couldn’t quite control; I suspect it wasn’t conscious. It felt, instead, like something that was locked in his DNA. When his character was threatening and dangerous, he still couldn’t fully hide the sweet little boy inside. When the character was charming, even loving, you could still feel something volatile roiling underneath.

I wrote the part of Big Jim Keene in BLACK BIRD for Ray. I had no other actor in mind and was floored—humbled, honored, fist-pump elated—when he leapt at playing the part less than 24 hours after we sent him the scripts. And the performance he gave? It was a master class. He wholly embodied a man who realizes that his lifetime of cutting corners and flitting along the edges of corruption have hung an albatross of very bleak options around the neck of his own son. But as deeply flawed and compromised as the character is, Ray found the nobility in a man who would run into a burning building for that same son and never break his stride. It was that duality I counted on to carry the emotional heart of our show from beginning to end.

Ray came to set to work. He expected those he worked with to be prepared, professional, and to take their work as seriously as he did. I loved that about him. One day, we’re shooting a diner scene where Big Jim has a stroke. And the scene is taking a while to light and set up and several other conditions are in play that are less than ideal. And Ray’s getting more and more pissed off.

Eventually, I get a call from my assistant: “Ray needs you NOW.”

I get over there and Ray’s standing in the doorway of the diner, agitated. He steps up close to me—the whole crew is holding its breath by this time, everyone on eggshells—and Ray says, “What does ruefully mean?”

I say, “What?”

He says, “In the script. It says I smile ruefully.”

I give it a thought and say, “It means with `ironic or mild regret.’”

And Ray quotes Webster’s to me. “No, no. The definition of ruefully is `pitiable, mournful, regretful.’ There’s nothing MILD about that, Dennis.”

I say, “You’re right.”

And he says, “So why did you write it?”

150 people have stopped working to hear my answer.

So, I say, “I don’t know, Ray, it was like nine months ago. Forget ruefully. How do you feel in the scene?”

He says, “I feel slightly irritated.”

I say, “Okay then. Play that.”

He says, “Thank you.” Starts to walk off.

Everyone’s still staring at me. So, I call after Ray, “I tell you one thing, Ray—I rue the day I wrote that fucking line.” The whole crew looks like they all swallowed a puppy at the same time.

Ray looks back over his shoulder at me with pure menace. And then…

He laughs. Big loud, Ray Liotta guffaw. And everyone breathes again. And laughs with him. And then we all go back to work.

I’ll cherish that memory for the rest of my life. And I will always rue the day he left us.”

Ray Liotta Dies: ‘Goodfellas’ Star & ‘Field Of Dreams’ Actor Was 67

Deadline hears that Liotta died in his sleep in the Dominican Republic, where he was shooting the film Dangerous Waters. We will have more details when they become available.

Liotta leaves behind a daughter, Karsen. He was engaged to be married to Jacy Nittolo.

Liotta was on a big resurgence. Recent turns included The Many Saints of Newark, Marriage Story — for which he shared a 2020 ensemble Indie Spirit Award — and Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Move. He finished the Elizabeth Banks-directed Cocaine Bear and was due to star in the Working Title film The Substance opposite Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley.

‘Sopranos’ Boss David Chase On His ‘Many Saints Of Newark’ Star Ray Liotta: “We All Felt We Lucked Out Having Him On That Movie”

He also recently was set to executive produce the A&E docuseries Five Families, about the dramatic rise and fall of the New York’s mafia’s Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo and Lucchese families.

While better known for his big-screen roles, Liotta also starred with Taron Egerton in the Apple TV+ series Black Bird, recurred on Prime Video’s Hanna, fronted the 2006 CBS crime drama Smith and starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in the 2016-18 NBC police drama Shades of Blue.

Liotta won a Primetime Emmy in 2005 for his guest stint on ER and was a two-time SAG Award nominee for the 2015 miniseries Texas Rising and 1998 telefilm The Rat Pack, in which he starred as Frank Sinatra opposite Don Cheadle, Joe Mantegna and Angus Macfayden.

Among his earliest screen roles playing nice guy Joey Perrini on the popular NBC soap Another World from 1978-81.

He had his “Who’s thar?” turn in the Jonathan Demme-directed Something Wild (1987), scoring a Golden Globe nomination, and then played banned Chicago White Sox superstar Shoeless Joe Jackson opposite Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones in 1989’s Field of Dreams. Liotta then quickly followed playing gangster Henry Hill in Scorsese’s Goodfellas, opposite Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in what was to be the defining role of his career.

The ruggedly handsome, blue-eyed Liotta was a perfect Henry Hill, narrating a tale of his growth into the organized-crime gang that pulled off the famous Lufthansa heist at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1978, making off with more than $5 million in cash and jewels stored in the German airline’s air cargo building. The film, which Nicholas Pileggi adapted with Scorsese from his book, was nominated for six Oscars, with Pesci getting its lone win.

Born on December 18, 1954, in Newark, NJ, Liotta studied acting at the University of Miami before landing his Another World role. He had bit parts in telefilms and guested on St. Elsewhere in 1983 before co-starring in Casablanca, a short-lived 1983 NBC prequel series to the classic movie. David Soul starred as Rick.

Liotta went on to play a cop in the mid-’80s ABC drama Our Family Honor before landing his first big movie role as Ray Sinclair in the romantic comedy Something Wild, starring Melanie Griffith and Jeff Daniels. He then starred as Eugene with Tom Hulce as Dominick in the 1988 drama Dominick and Eugene, also starring Jamie Lee Curtis.

That led to his two most famous roles.

Liotta played a ghostly version of Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams, widely considered among Hollywood’s greatest baseball movies. His character was banned from baseball for life after the 1919 “Black Sox” scandal and gets a chance to play again when Ray Kinsella (Costner) is guided by voices to build a stadium in an Iowa cornfield. Directed by Phil Alden Robinson and co-starring Jones, Amy Madigan and Burt Lancaster in his final big-screen role, the film earned three Oscar nominations including Best Picture.

Then Scorsese came calling.

Coming off 1988’s The Last Temptation of Christ, the filmmaker pivoted to the mob genre with Goodfellas and cast Liotta to star as Henry Hill. The pic was a critical and commercial success, landing six Oscar noms including Best Picture, with Pesci winning for Supporting Actor and Scorsese getting his third nomination for Best Director.

That signature role led to Liotta becoming a big-screen regular during the ’90s, when he would star in such films as Unlawful Entry, No Escape, Unforgettable, Turbulence, Operation Dumbo Drop, Cop Land and Corrina, Corrina.

He continued to be busy in the 2000s with roles in Ridley Scott’s Hannibal, the Silence of the Lambs sequel starring Anthony Hopkins; Ted Demme’s Blow, with Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz; Narc, opposite Jason Patric; Nick Cassavetes’ John Q., starring Denzel Washington; James Mangold’s Identity, with John Cusack and Amanda Peet; and Joe Carnahan’s Smokin’ Aces, with Jeremy Piven and Ryan Reynolds; and as himself in Jerry Seinfeld’s animated Bee Movie; among other pics.

His more recent silver-screen credits include Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines, starring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper; The Iceman, with Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder and Chris Evans; Killing Them Softly, opposite Brad Pitt, which premiered at Cannes; Judd Apatow’s Wanderlust; Shawn Levy’s Steve Carell-Tina Fey crime comedy Date Night; Observe and Report, opposite Seth Rogen; and the Frank Miller-Robert Rodriguez sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.

Liotta also guested on such popular TV series as The Simpsons, SpongeBob SquarePants, Family Guy, Hannah Montana, Just Shoot Me! and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and narrated 2015 docuseries The Making of the Mob.

More recent career highlights for Liotta were playing the second lawyer of Adam Driver’s character in Netflix’s Marriage Story, which scored six Oscar nominations including Best Picture, and Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark, co-starring as twin brothers “Hollywood Dick” Moltisanti and Salvatore “Sally” Moltisanti.

PBS’ National Memorial Day Concert Returns With Tributes To Colin Powell, Gold Star Families

The 90-minute broadcast once again will be hosted by Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise and will once again feature a lineup of musical performances along with tribute segments. It will air on PBS and stream on YouTube starting at 8 PM ET.

Dennis Haysbert will be featured in the tribute to Powell, who had regularly spoken at previous concerts. Powell, the former Secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, died last year.

Gil Birmingham will appear in Generations of Service, a tribute to the 58,000 lives lost in the Vietnam war and those who served during that era. Among the stories to be featured is that of Francis Whitebird, who served two tours in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart. Whitebird’s Lakota family has generations of military service, including an uncle who fought in World War I, his father who was a Lakota code talker in World War Ii and two sons who served in the Iraq war.

Jean Smart and Mantegna will honor Gold Star families, with the story of Ret. Maj. General Mark Graham and his wife Carol, who lost two of their sons in the span of eight months. Second Lt. Jeff Graham was killed in Iraq by an IED blast and Senior ROTC Cadet Kevin Graham lost his battle with depression.

In addition, Mary McCormack will appear in a segment honoring women in World War II, and Sinise will be featured in a tribute to Medal of Honor recipients. Sinise also will appear in a segment to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln Memorial, which was dedicated a century ago this month.

The concert will return to its live format, having relied on taped performances in the past two years because of the Covid pandemic.

The concert also will feature performances by Lea Salonga, Norm Lewis, Craig Morgan, Rhiannon Giddens, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Pia Toscano and the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jack Everly. Also appearing will be members from The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, The U.S. Army Chorus, The Soldiers’ Chorus of the U.S. Army Field Band, The U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, The U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants, the Armed Forces Color Guard and Service Color Teams provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C. The program is a co-production of Michael Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA-TV in Washington, D.C.

Blood & Treasure Season 2 Finally Has a Premiere Date, Moves to Paramount+

TVLine has learned exclusively that the globe-trotting action-adventure drama will debut its 13-episode sophomore season Sunday, July 17 on Paramount+ (with two episodes), to be followed by weekly Sunday releases.

Created by created by Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia, Blood & Treasure follows a brilliant antiquities expert (played by Matt Barr) and a cunning art thief (Sofia Pernas) who in Season 1 teamed up to track a ruthless terrorist who funded his attacks through stolen treasure. As the duo crisscrossed the world hunting their target in Season 1, they unexpectedly found themselves at the center of a 2,000-year-old battle for the cradle of civilization.

The cast also includes Michael James Shaw (The Walking Dead), Katia Winter (Sleepy Hollow), James Callis (Battlestar Galactica), Oded Fehr (Covert Affairs), Alicia Coppola (Shameless) and Mark Gagliardi.

Federman and Scaia serve as executive producers alongside Taylor Elmore, Ben Silverman, Marc Webb, Mark Vlasic and Howard T. Owens.

Blood & Treasure premiered in May 2019 on CBS, with its finale airing that August. Season 2 was ordered midway through Season 1, in June 2019, following some initial solid-for-summer ratings.

COVID pandemic-related production shutdowns delayed filming on Season 2, which didn’t wrap until mid-December 2020. When CBS first announced its schedule for the current TV season, Blood & Treasure was among the shows said to be “returning” at some point. As of February, post-production on the sophomore season was complete.

Of note, Barr now has a lead role on The CW’s Walker prequel spinoff, Walker: Independence.

ABC New Series Teaser Trailers: ‘Alaska’, ‘The Rookie: Feds’, ‘Not Dead Yet’

ALASKA, Drama (Video)

Produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios. From writer-director-executive producer Tom McCarthy and executive producers Hilary Swank, Melissa Wells, Bert Salke, Kyle Hopkins and Ryan Binkley.

THE ROOKIE: FEDS, Drama (Video)

Produced by eOne and ABC Signature. From writer-executive producer Alexi Hawley and executive producers Mark Gordon, Niecy Nash-Betts, Mark Gordon, Nathan Fillion, Michelle Chapman, Bill Norcross, Corey Miller.

NOT DEAD YET, Comedy (Video)

Produced by A+E Studios and 20th Television. From writer-executive producer David E. Kelley, executive producer and showrunner Dana Calvo and executive producers Michael Connelly, Ross Fineman, Barry Jossen, Tana Jamieson.

Performers, Special Guests Finalized For Naomi Judd Memorial Service Airing Live & Commercial Free Sunday On CMT

Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts is hosting the event, titled Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration, which will take place at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. CMT will exclusively televise the memorial as a commercial-free special tomorrow at 6 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. CT.

Previously announced musicians set to perform include Ashley McBride, Brandi Carlile, the duo of Emmylou Harris & Allison Russell, Gaither Vocal Band and Little Big Town. Bono, Morgan Freeman, Oprah Winfrey and Salma Hayek will also deliver special messages, with additional speakers to include Naomi’s daughters Ashley and Wynonna Judd, and singer-songwriter Martina McBride.

Naomi Judd died last week, aged 76. More information on her upcoming memorial service can be found below.

PREVIOUSLY, MAY 11: A public memorial service for 5-time Grammy winner and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Naomi Judd, who died last week at 76, will air live on CMT this weekend.

The event is being called Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration after the Judds’ fifth studio album and its song of the same name. It will take place Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and is meant to “to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of country music icon Naomi Judd.”

Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration is being produced by CMT and Sandbox Live in partnership with the Judd family. CMT will exclusively televise the public memorial service as a commercial-free special on Sunday, May 15th at 6 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. CT.

“We are sincerely privileged to work alongside Wynonna, Ashley and Larry to present this live celebration of life for their mother and wife Naomi. While we all continue to deeply mourn the loss of such a legendary artist, we are honored to commemorate her legacy alongside the country community, her friends, family and legions of fans across the world at the perfect venue: The Mother Church of Country Music. This special will celebrate her timeless voice, unforgettable spirit and the immense impact she left on our genre through the best form of healing we have – music,” said CMT in a statement.

Additional details on the public memorial service, performers and special appearances to be announced in the coming days.

Naomi Judd: A River of Time Celebration is a co-production from CMT and Sandbox Live; Margaret Comeaux (CMT), Leslie Fram (CMT), Jason Owen (Sandbox) and Patrizia DiMaria (Ladypants Productions) are Executive Producers.

Anne Heche, Dermot Mulroney & McKaley Miller To Topline Horror-Thriller ‘Full Ride’ For Quiver Distribution

The film centers on the straight-edge Eden (Miller), who after being waitlisted at Yale, attends a coveted ‘Heaven and Hell’ party, in the hopes of receiving a letter of recommendation from the wealthy parents of her well-connected classmate. But things aren’t what they seem and the party quickly turns into a fight for her life.

Joshua Russell, Kevin Greene, Seth Ingram, Michael Dunaway, Mark Goldberg and Gerald T. Olson are producing Full Ride. Quiver Co-Presidents Berry Meyerowitz and Jeff Sackman exec producing alongside Larry Greenberg.

“Full Ride is a chilling critique of the politics surrounding college admissions while simultaneously providing plenty of suspense,” said Meyerowitz and Sackman in a joint statement. “Anchored by knockout performances from McKaley, Anne, and Dermot and led by an impressive filmmaking duo, we’re thrilled to be able to take audiences on this exhilarating ride.”

Heche’s prodigious career launched with her iconic roles in such films as Six Days Seven Nights, Donnie Brasco, Volcano, I Know What You Did Last Summer and Psycho. The actress most recently starred in the Peter Facinelli-directed psychological thriller The Vanished for Netflix, as well as Quiver’s tornado thriller 13 Minutes. She will also soon be seen recurring on OWN’s All Rise and Sam Levinson’s upcoming HBO series, The Idol, opposite The Weeknd. Heche can also be heard weekly on her podcast Better Together with Anne & Heather, which she hosts with Heather Duffy.

Mulroney’s career spans over 70 films, including My Best Friend’s Wedding, The Family Stone, August: Osage County and Young Guns. His best-known television roles include Sean Pierce in Showtime’s comedy-drama series Shameless and Bobby Sheridan in the anthology series The Purge. His recent work includes a recurring role in HBO Max’s comedy The Righteous Gemstones, the role of John Carmichael in Amazon Prime’s Hanna, and the horror film Umma with Sandra Oh. Miller is best known for her roles in The CW’s Hart of Dixie, Fox’s Scream Queens and FX’s Partners, having also starred in The Iceman with Winona Ryder, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans and Ray Liotta. She recently appeared in Tate Taylor’s Blumhouse horror-thriller Ma alongside Octavia Spencer, Diana Silvers and Corey Fogelmanis, and can next be seen in Chris Dowling’s Roll with It, which is currently in post-production.

Quiver Distribution is a film production, acquisition and distribution company operating in the U.S., Canada and international markets focused on developing and distributing high-quality, talent-driven films. The company recently produced and will release Walter Hill’s Western Dead for a Dollar, with Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe and Rachel Brosnahan, and Neil LaBute’s Out of the Blue, with Diane Kruger, Ray Nicholson, Hank Azaria and Chase Sui Wonders. Its most recent theatrical release is Mayim Bialik’s directorial debut As They Made Us, starring Dianna Agron, Simon Helberg, Dustin Hoffman and Candice Bergen.

Heche is represented by APA and Zero Gravity Management; Mulroney by Paradigm and Luber Roklin Entertainment; Miller by Gersh and Felker Toczek Suddleson; and Lauder by Citizen Skull Productions.

2022 Tony Award Nominations

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Simon Russell Beale, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Adam Godley, “The Lehman Trilogy”
Adrian Lester, “The Lehman Trilogy”
David Morse, “How I Learned to Drive”
Sam Rockwell, “American Buffalo”
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, “Lackawanna Blues”
David Threlfall, “Hangmen”

Flashback: Chicago writer Irna Phillips and the birth of the soap opera

IRENE: I tell you, Sue, it won’t work. I’ve never worn that shade of orchid in my life. I’d look like a perfect washout. Besides that’s your very best special occasion dress. I wouldn’t think of taking it.

SUE: Don’t be silly. A wedding is a special occasion, isn’t it? And as long as I won’t need to wear it, you might just as well. If you are a bridesmaid, you’ve got to look the part, kid.”

The audience had no inkling of what Wicker or Phillips looked like. They were elsewhere, sitting in front of radio sets and listening to the 25th episode of “Painted Dreams.” Phillips’ brainchild was broadcast from the Drake Hotel on Michigan Avenue by WGN, the Chicago Tribune’s radio station.

The previous year, Phillips had been assigned to write the prototype of a dramatic series. In fact, she created brand-new theatrical form that would become the soap opera.

The name was derived from advertisers of laundry products eager to reach housewives taking a break from their chores. ‘Painted Dreams” was sponsored by Lever Brothers, the makers of Super Suds.

The show’s plot lines reflected an advertising executive’s understanding of women’s issues. “Painted Dreams” revolved around Mother Moynihan, a widow who dispenses old-fashioned wisdom to the two young women who live with her:

“Irene is her daughter, frivolous and thoughtless, a cigar counter clerk who has ambitions for a career upon the stage or in radio, and Sue Morton, an orphan, whom life has given some hard knocks,” the Tribune explained on Oct. 4, 1931, the show’s first anniversary.

“What started out as a dialogue between two working girls has become in a year a sketch with seven distinct character parts, and as many more persons who, although they have never entered the story as speaking characters, have become such a vital part of it that listeners regard them as real persons.”

All of the characters were played by Wicker and Phillips, who also created the sound effects. Later in life, Phillips set down her soap-opera philosophy in an unpublished memoir preserved in the Library of Congress.

“The critics say, ‘But why then do soap operas convey such a sense of overwhelming tragedy, of lives gone wrong?’ ” she wrote. “I can only point out that unrelenting bliss can be (in dramatic terms) as tedious as unrelenting misery.”

Like her character Irene, Phillips was raised by a widowed mother. Her writing career began, as it would end, on a melodramatic note.

Upon the initial success of her soap opera, Phillips wanted to take it to a national network, but WGN’s management balked. She sued claiming she owned the rights to “Painted Dreams” and lost a long, bitterly fought courtroom battle.

“The courts have found that she was a salaried employee of WGN and that the idea of the script was conceived by the station manager,” the Tribune reported after the Illinois Supreme Court denied her appeal in 1941. “After a sponsor was found, however, she copyrighted the first 10 scripts without advising her employer.”

She had long since sold a new soap opera to WGN’s rival, WMAQ. The show’s sponsor offered a guide to “Today’s Children.” Thousands of fans sent in a label from Pillsbury Flour to get one.

By the 1940s, Phillips had five shows running simultaneously on various stations. She earned more than $250,000 a year, enabling her to live at 1335 Astor St., in Chicago’s posh Gold Coast neighborhood. Yet Phillips couldn’t type so many scripts.

“Like Scheherazade, I work best before a live audience,” she explained, invoking the putative narrator of the “Arabian Nights,” who told a sultan a tale every night. “And so I dictate to a secretary”

Part of her workday was devoted to keeping tabs on the rivals her success created.

“I often listen to other soap operas, not to imitate but to avoid imitation,” she noted. “In many cases, I have shuffled entire synopses because other programs anticipated a plot line that I was considering.”

Phillips was born in 1901, one of 10 children in a German-Jewish family. Her father died when she was 8 years old, and she grew up wearing hand-me-down clothing. Lonely, she dreamed up stories and enacted them with her dolls, which became the origin of her compositional technique.

“When I dictate, I in fact act out the entire episode,” Phillips recalled. “People who have watched me have commented that when dictating I change my voice to fit each character, that I use certain gestures when speaking the lines intended for this character or that.”

After high school, she enrolled in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She wanted to be an actress, but was discouraged by teachers saying she wasn’t pretty enough for Hollywood or Broadway. So she went on to the University of Wisconsin, where she got a master’s degree in journalism.

For seven years, she taught drama and English at an Ohio teachers college and a Missouri junior college before being hired as a writer on a WGN talk show. Then came the assignment to write a drama, and being among the first to do so for radio, she pioneered the tricks of the trade, such as: an organ to echo a character’s emotion or indicate a change of scene the audience couldn’t see; ending an episode with a cliffhanger, an unresolved twist of plot that entices listeners to tune in the following day; or the use of plot twists such as characters with amnesia.

In her memoir, Phillips specified the essential ingredient of a soap-opera script: “There must be that element of universality in everything — that something that causes the listener to say, ‘Yes, I have felt that way, ' or ‘I have known someone very much like that.’ ”

Her characters were often modeled on people she’d known.

Dr. John Rutledge, the nonjudgmental pastor of “Guiding Light,” resembled Dr. Preston Bradley the nondogmatic Chicago minister in whose radio broadcasts Phillips found comfort when troubled.

Yet Phillips was harshly judgmental of the actors who appeared in her soap operas. When Jane House did a nude scene in the Broadway play “Lenny” in the early 1970s, Phillips tried to kill off her character on “As the World Turns.”

In one instance, Phillips’ art imitated life. “Today’s Children” was the story of a widowed mother trying to keep her family afloat. Upon the death of her own mother, who had similarly struggled, Phillips closed the curtain on “Today’s Children.”

When television leapfrogged over radio she easily made the transition to telling a story with moving images. Her successes continued until 1973, when she drew on a painful chapter of her life for an episode of “As The World Turns.”

At 19, she’d been head over heels in love with an English doctor. When she got pregnant, he turned his back on her and she miscarried. Never married, she adopted two boys.

In the soap opera version, she drew up a character who seduces her brother-in-law and becomes pregnant.

Proctor and Gamble didn’t want their soap associated with a dismal tale of adultery. Phillips stood her ground and was fired. A few months later, she died. The doctor said she had a heart attack.

If soap opera writer were to tell the tale, the script would instruct an organist to play somber chords as a fitting endnote for fans who’d be convinced that Phillips died of a broken heart.

Odeya Rush, Eric Dane, Saffron Burrows & Ray Liotta To Star In ‘Dangerous Waters’

The story, which is based on a script by Mark Jackson and a story by Barr, follows a sailing holiday which spirals out of control when a teenage daughter (Rush) uncovers the dark past of her mother’s new boyfriend.

The film is currently shooting in the Dominican Republic. It’s produced by Rio Luna Films’ Suza Horvat and Signature Films’ Marc Goldberg. Exec producers include Capstone Global’s Christian Mercuri and Signature’s Sarah Gabriel and Gareth Williams, as well as co-producers Brianna Johnson and Ben Jacques.

Capstone Global are handling worldwide sales and launching the project to buyers at Cannes this month.

The project is the second feature from Barr, who previously directed Blood And Money with Tom Berenger. The director was a cinematographer on projects including This Teacher, Once Upon A Time In Queens and American Bully.

Rush is represented by CAA, MGMT Entertainment and Goodman, Genow, Shenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Dane is repped by CAA, Management 360 and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Burrows is repped by ICM, Berwick & Kovacik, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich & Gellman. Liotta is repped by The Gersh Agency, Authentic Talent and Literary Management and Viewpoint. Barr is repped by Zero Gravity Management.

‘Confessions’ Drama Starring Paul Wesley In Works At Netflix From Kapital; Julie Plec To Co-Write In ‘TVD’ Reunion

Confessions, produced by Universal Television, stems from the production partnership Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment forged with Wesley and his company Citizen Media in 2019, following Wesley’s starring turn on Kapital’s CBS All Access series Tell Me a Story (created by the other TVD co-developer/EP, Kevin Williamson.).

This has been a passion project for Wesley for years. The Confessions adaptation was one of the first pieces of development he took on when he launched Citizen Media in 2016 with a deal at Warner Bros TV. Smith’s article chronicles his two-year stint teaching public high school in northern California. Despite teaching while anesthetized by a heavy dose of prescription narcotics, Jason finds that his brokenness from addiction begins attracting broken students, and in a town obsessed with high school football, he’s not alone in his obsession to escape from himself.

During the project’s development with Kapital, Wesley reached out to his former TVD showrunner Plec, who came on board, along with Universal Television, where Plec’s My So-Called Company is based.

Wesley is executive producing with his former producing partner Bob Levy, Kapital’s Kaplan and Brian Morewitz as well as My So-Called Company’s Plec and Emily Cummins. Jessie Abbott is the creative executive at Kapital.

Wesley recently joined the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, taking on the iconic role of James T. Kirk in the second season of the Paramount+ series. He can also be seen in Shudder feature History of Evil alongside Stephanie Beatriz. Wesley starred on The Vampire Diaries for eight seasons, directed multiple episodes throughout the series’ run, and served as a producer for the eighth and final season. He has also directed episodes of Roswell, New Mexico, Shadowhunters and Legacies. Wesley is repped by ICM Partners, Anonymous Content and attorney Marcy Morris.

Under her Uni TV deal, Plec has new series Vampire Academy for Peacock and has been executive producing freshman NBC series The Endgame. Additionally, she has series The Girls on the Bus at HBO Max and Legacies and Roswell, New Mexico on the CW. She is with Management 360 and Felker Toczek Suddleson.

Paul’s writing-producing credits include Heels, Animal Kingdom and Lodge 49. He is repped by UTA and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka.

Wendie Malick recurs on Young Sheldon 5/19/22

RECURRING CAST includes: Ed Begley, Jr. (Dr. Linkletter), Melissa Peterman (Brenda), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer)

Betty White L.A. House Up For Sale

Betty's 3,029 square foot home in Brentwood, CA is listed for $10.575M. It has some great views of the famed Getty Museum ... with a massive backyard outfitted with the obligatory SoCal swimming pool.

Betty spent many years here -- she moved there in 1968. She lived there with husband Allen Ludden because it was central to a bunch of studios on the Westside of L.A. Betty stayed put after Allen died in 1981 ... in fact, she lived there until she died in the home last New Year's Eve.

There's also a guest house, where Betty and Allen enjoyed playing charades with friends like Jimmy and Gloria Stewart, Dinah Shore and Burt Reynolds.

If you're a lookie-loo, don't bother ... the only people who can tour the home are prequalified buyers and will be given no interior access to the home.

As we reported, a buyer has already laid claim to Betty's home in Carmel, CA, where Betty also spent lots of time. That house is incredible, with views of the famed Monterey Peninsula. It was listed at $7.9 mil, and a bidding war hiked the final price to $10.7 mil.

Betty wanted to live out her final days in the Carmel home, but had to live in the L.A. house for medical reasons.

Marlene Okulick of Sotheby’s International Realty – Pacific Palisades Brokerage -- has the listing on the Brentwood property.

Hacks Trailer: Deborah and Ava Make the Most of Life on the Road in Season 2

In a newly released trailer for the HBO Max comedy’s second season, Jean Smart’s veteran comedienne heads out on tour, giving her and writer Ava (played by Hannah Einbinder) a chance to workshop Deborah’s latest material. “I know I bombed at my show,” Deborah begins in the video above. “On this tour, it’s all about back to basics.”

The trailer also introduces us to some new Season 2 faces, including The Conners‘ Laurie Metcalf as tour manager Weed. (It’s a nickname Pete Wentz gave her!) Ming-Na Wen (The Book of Boba Fett) and Martha Kelly (Euphoria) also briefly appear, though it’s not yet clear who they’re playing in the sophomore run.

And what of that email Ava sent at the end of Season 1, which didn’t exactly paint Deborah in the most flattering light? “She will kill you if she finds out,” Deborah’s manager Jimmy reminds Ava — and we believe him, based on Deborah’s aptitude with a chainsaw.

Hacks returns on Thursday, May 12, with two episodes. Two more installments will drop every week thereafter, concluding with the finale on June 2.

Wendie Malick guests on Young Sheldon 5/12/22

RECURRING CAST includes: Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer), Emily Osment (Mandy), Griffin McIntyre (Danny).

Frankie Faison guests on The Rookie 5/1/22

Guest starring is Niecy Nash as Simone Clark, Felix Solis as Matthew Garza, Kat Foster as Casey Fox and Frankie Faison as Christopher “Cutty” Clark.

Angelina Jolie allegedly ‘trying to hurt’ Brad Pitt with FBI suit

The FBI opened an investigation into Pitt in 2016 over claims that during a family flight home from Europe in 2016, he allegedly got into an altercation with a then 15-year-old son Maddox.

An anonymous call was made to the authorities, which triggered the FBI investigation, which closed on Nov. 22, 2016, with no charges of wrongdoing. Days later, Jolie, filed for divorce.

Now a woman identified as Jane Doe — strongly suspected to be Jolie — is suing the FBI for information regarding their investigation into an incident of alleged domestic violence on a private jet years ago that matches the description of the incident that led to Jolie’s split from Pitt.

The suit, filed under the Freedom of Information Act, is seeking information “about the agency’s investigation of an incident of domestic violence that occurred several years ago involving plaintiff and her minor children as victims and witnesses.”

“Several years ago, while plaintiff, her then-husband, and their children, who were all minors at the time, were traveling via private aircraft, the husband allegedly physically and verbally assaulted plaintiff and the children,” Doe claims in the lawsuit.

Doe explains that the FBI investigated but “publicly announced it was closing its investigation of the incident without further action.”

Her lawsuit states that the FOIA request is to “better understand the FBI’s investigation and obtain information necessary for her children to receive medical care and trauma counseling” following the incident.

Doe adds in the suit that she has “public status” and wants to remain anonymous, adding that the other party, the husband, also has public status.

Legal insiders say there is “an extremely strong possibility” that the suit was allegedly filed by Jolie, because all the facts line up.

We reached out to reps for both Jolie and Pitt, who didn’t comment.

A source claimed Jolie is allegedly trying to find damaging information against Pitt as the custody battle over their six children continues.

The legal source said, “There is little precedent for the FBI sharing information about an investigation that was closed with no charges.

“Angelina is likely looking for a morsel of information, something else to use against Brad, to hurt him.

“This is a desperate fishing expedition trying to find something that likely doesn’t exist in FBI notes and make it public.”

The source added that both Jolie and Pitt were given information about the investigation when the FBI closed the case five and a half years ago.

Amanda Kramer, the attorney who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Jane Doe, said, “I am unable to comment on the identity of Jane Doe, who has sought to preserve the family’s privacy.

“Our position is that victims and survivors should be able to access federal agency records of crimes they experienced or reported, as is common at the state level, so they can advocate for health and trauma care and legal protections for their children and themselves.”

A spokesperson for the FBI stated that agency policy “prohibits comment on pending litigation.”

The Gilded Age’ Sets Season 2 Cast With 13 Recurring Upped To Series Regulars; Thomas Cocquerel Exits

They join returning 11 returning series regulars: Christine Baranski as Agnes Van Rhijn, Cynthia Nixon as Ada Brook, Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook, Blake Ritson as Oscar Van Rhijn, Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell, Morgan Spector as George Russell, Taissa Farmiga as Gladys Russell, Harry Richardson as Larry Russell, Denée Benton as Peggy Scott, Simon Jones as Van Rhijns’ butler Bannister, and Jack Gilpin as Russels’ butler Church.

As foreshadowed in the season finale (read our post-mortem and Q&A here), not returning is Season 1 series regular Thomas Cocquerel who played Tom Raikes, the opportunistic young lawyer and Marian’s love interest last season.

Returning in their recurring roles for Season 2 are Audra McDonald as Peggy’s mom Dorothy Scott, Nathan Lane as social powerhouse Ward McAllister, John Douglas Thompson as Peggy’s dad Arthur Scott, Ashlie Atkinson as socialite Mamie Fish, Claybourne Elder as Oscar’s secret lover John Adams, and Ward Horton as Aurora’s husband Charles Fane.

With the promotions, The Gilded Age more closely resembles Fellowes’ mega-hit Downton Abbey, having a more even distribution between rich characters and servants in the main cast. Only two out of 12 series regulars in Season 1 played servants; in Season 2, the ratio is 11 out of 24. This was a natural evolution as the downstairs stories — and characters — grew and developed as Season 1 progressed.

The promotions also hint at some potential Season 2 storylines. As fans of the show have suspected, Curran’s Turner is not done scheming after her dismissal by the Russells and could become a formidable foe as she seeks to exact revenge.

There have been sparks between publisher T. Thomas Fortune and Peggy that could develop into a relationship. Also a possibility is a friendship between former adversaries Bertha and Mrs. Astor as predicted by Bertha at the end in the season finale. And Watson’s secret may finally be revealed.

Season 1 recurring actors who are not listed as recurring for Season 2 include some familiar characters: Jeanne Tripplehorn as Sylvia Chamberlain, Katie Finneran as Anne Morris, Amy Forsyth as Carrie Astor, John Sanders as architect Stanford White, and Linda Emond as Clara Barton.

The Gilded Age, a co-production between HBO and Universal Television, is an epic drama that follows the millionaire titans of New York City in the 1880s.

Here is the Season 2 official description: The Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of huge fortunes made and lost, and of fierce rivalry between old money and new. Nowhere is that rivalry more apparent than on East 61st Street, where Marian Brook and her thoroughly old money aunts, Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook, live opposite the stupendously rich George and Bertha Russell. The Russells are both fiercely ambitious, he financially, she socially, and they are determined to reach the highest echelons of New York. Meanwhile in Brooklyn, Marian’s friend and confidant Peggy Scott forges her own path in the world of the Black elite. In this glittering world on the brink of the modern age, will the established rules of society prevail, or will the game change entirely?

The Gilded Age is created, written and exec produced by Fellowes with Gareth Neame and David Crockett also exec producing. Michael Engler directs and executive produces with Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Bob Greenblatt. Sonja Warfield is a writer and co-executive producer and Erica Dunbar serves as historical consultant and co-executive producer.

‘Hacks’ Gets Season 2 Premiere Date On HBO Max; First Trailer

In season 2, the dark mentorship between legendary Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance (Smart) and her young, entitled writer Ava (Einbinder) continues to evolve as the two travel across the country workshopping Deborah’s new stand-up act.

Hacks is created and showrun by Emmy winners Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky.

Smart won an Emmy, SAG and Critics Choice Award for her performance in season one. Einbinder, Carl Clemons-Hopkins and Jane Adams also received Emmy nominations for their performances in the first season. Returning cast members Christopher McDonald, Kaitlin Olson, Paul W. Downs, Poppy Liu, Rose Abdoo, Mark Indelicato, Meg Stalter, Angela E. Gibbs, Luenell, Johnny Sibilly, Joe Mande, Ally Maki and Lorenza Izzo also star. New recurring guest stars Laurie Metcalf, Martha Kelly, Ming-Na Wen and Susie Essman, and guest stars Margaret Cho and Devon Sawa join in the new season.

Hacks is executive produced by Downs and Aniello via their Paulilu banner, Statsky via First Thought Productions, as well as Emmy winners Michael Schur via Fremulon, David Miner for 3 Arts Entertainment and Morgan Sackett. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.

Frankie Faison guests on The Rookie 4/24/22

Guest starring is Niecy Nash as Simone Clark, Felix Solis as Matthew Garza, Kat Foster as Casey Fox and Frankie Faison as Christopher “Cutty” Clark.

“Simone” was written by Alexi Hawley, Terence Paul Winter and directed by Liz Friedlander.

Betty White Memorabilia Up For Auction Over 1,500 Unique Items!!!

The items are going on the block in September, courtesy of Julien's Auctions in Bev Hills, and the treasure trove includes signed scripts, wedding bands and her popular outfits.

The collection will be displayed in various countries around the world before ending up at Julien's ... countries like Chile and Ireland. The collection will also make its way aboard the Queen Mary 2's Transatlantic Voyage.

The auction house says, "We are honored to work with her Estate in this exclusive presentation of these precious artifacts and personal mementos from her storied life and career which will be offered for the first time at auction to the public, museum curators and her legions of fans worldwide."

As you know, Betty was about to celebrate her 100th birthday when she died of a stroke on New Year's Eve 2021 at home in LA. After her passing, Betty's team released a pre-recorded video of the actress thanking her fans for all the money raised for animals through the #BettyWhiteChallenge.

Eric Roberts Starring In Action-Comedy ‘Heroes & Villains’ For Concourse

Starring will be Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Daniel Caltagirone (Original Gangster), and MMA fighter Georges St-Pierre (The Falcon and Winter Soldier). The project is now shooting in London.

The film follows Michael Hero, a powerful CEO seeking vengeance for the murder of his grandson by offering a $1M bounty for the assassination of his grandson’s killers, which attracts the world’s leading assassins to the fierce opportunity.

Producers are Steve Lee Jones (You Don’t Know Jack) under his Bee Holder Productions banner and John Pavlakos for Saints & Savages. The companies are also now in post-production on The Abomination with writer-director Savvas, which stars Tom Arnold (True Lies), Jack Parr (Peaky Blinders) and Illeana Douglass (Unleashed).

Concourse Media is representing worldwide rights on both films and will be presenting them to domestic and international distributors in May.

Chris Bruno Interview 4/7/22

Chris is well known to daytime television audiences for his role as Dennis Wheeler on Another World and for his groundbreaking story on All My Children as Michael Delaney, a gay schoolteacher who loses his job to social prejudice. The All My Children writing team won the Emmy-Award for Outstanding Writing Team for telling this groundbreaking story.

Chris relocated to the West Coast where he was discovered doing stand-up comedy by a Warner Bros. exec and he subsequently was cast in Suddenly Susan, The Nanny, Jesse and had a recurring role on Alan Ball’s series, The War at Home: Oh Grow Up. In 1998, Chris and his brother, Dylan Bruno, were cast in Lorenzo Carcaterra’s New York cop show, The Force for the WB. He was cast as Walt Bannerman in Stephen King’s The Dead Zone in 2002 which ran for six seasons. In 2004, he produced and starred in the feature film Last of the Romantics, again working alongside his brother. He also appeared in the feature film, The World’s Fastest Indian opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Chris has had guest-starring and recurring roles on several prime-time series including Numb3rs, Prison Break, Castle, Southland, NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles, ABC’s Family Tools, MTV’s Awkward and ABC Family’s The Fosters. Chris teamed up with his cousin, Vohn Regensburger, to produce and star in the feature film, A Remarkable Life (2016), in which he and Dylan played actual brothers for the first time. On December 8, 2017, Chris made his professional debut as an MMA fighter.

‘Accused’ Anthology on Fox Taps Billy Porter To Direct Episode

The Emmy winner (Pose) will helm an episode that focuses on a fierce drag queen and a affair that leads to devastating consequences.

Accused opens in a courtroom on the accused, with viewers knowing nothing about their crime or how they ended up on trial. Told from the defendant’s point of view through flashbacks. Since it’s an anthology, each episode features a different cast. Fox and Sony Pictures TV previously announced that Michael Chiklis and Whitney Cummings will each star in episodes and Oscar winner Marlee Matlin (CODA) will make her directorial debut.

Accused is executive-produced and developed by Howard Gordon and executive produced by Alex Gansa, David Shore, Glenn Geller, Erin Gunn, All3Media America’s Jacob Cohen-Holmes, and Jimmy McGovern, Sita Williams, Roxy Spencer and Louise Pedersen for All3Media International. Frank Siracusa and John Weber also serve as executive producers.

Created by Jimmy McGovern, the original series debuted in 2010 on BBC One.

Porter is represented by CAA, Industry Entertainment and Slate PR.

Kelsey Grammer-Narrated Series Joins Fox Business Network’s Primetime Slate

Other new shows include My Dream Car! hosted by Danielle Trotta, and Billion Dollar Idea, with Ben Weiss.

Returning to the schedule will be How America Works with Mike Rowe, American Built hosted by Stuart Varney, Mansion Global with Kacie McDonnell and American Dream Home hosted by Cheryl Casone.

My Dream Car follows families “finding, buying, restoring, and surprising their parents with the car they once owned and loved,” according to Fox Business. Billion Dollar Idea is a competition series featuring Weiss, the founder of beverage brands Bai and Crook & Marker. The 15 contestants will test their ideas with the winner getting an investment of up to $1 million.

The Grammer-narrated show will examine stories related to the founding of the United States, as well as the Wild West and the Civil War.

Kennedy will lead the lineup at 7 PM ET from Mondays to Thursdays.

The rest of the schedule:

Monday: How America Works with Mike Rowe (8 PM ET); My Dream Car (9 PM ET)

Tuesday: American Built with Stuart Varney (8 PM); American Built with Stuart Varney (8:30); Billion Dollar Idea (9 PM).

Wednesday: Mansion Global with Kacie McDonnell (8 PM); Mansion Global with Kacie McDonnell (8:30); American Dream Home with Cheryl Casone (9 PM); American Dream Home with Cheryl Casone (9:30 PM).

Thursday: Legends & Lies (8 PM); Legends & Lies (9 PM).

Betty White’s beloved California home she built with husband asks $8M

Her beloved Carmel, Calif., home that she built with her husband more than four decades ago has hit the market for $7.95 million.

This seaside spread was where she hoped to live her final days — but instead, she passed away in her Los Angeles home.

“She never wanted to leave her home in Carmel, but was forced to for at-home care,” a source previously told The Post. “Los Angeles was more accessible.”

“If she had it her way, Betty would’ve lived and died in that home [in Carmel]. It’s the home she shared with her husband, it’s where she felt more comfortable.”

White, who passed away in December — one month shy of her 100th birthday — purchased the plot of land with her husband Allen Ludden for $170,000 in 1978 (roughly $772,000 in today’s dollars), to build out their dream oceanfront home.

Standing on a cliff, they designed a three-story, four-bedroom wood and glass home of more than 3,600 square feet. They completed it in 1981.

As fate would have it, Ludden died after a battle with stomach cancer, spending only a few nights in the newly finished home.

Located in the upscale and relaxed seaside community of Carmel-by-the-Sea, each room features panoramic ocean views of the Point Lobos Nature Reserve, Ribera Beach, and Monastery Beach.

Nicole Truskowski and Zak Freedman of Truszkowski Freedman & Associates of Sotheby’s International Realty have the listing.

“As revered as Betty White’s public image was in real life, she was a private person. Betty’s home in Carmel was her special sanctuary and it was one of her favorite places to recharge and rejuvenate,” Truszkowski told The Post.

“Spending time in Carmel was one of Betty’s favorite things to do,” Truszkowski added. “She enjoyed many treasured moments with her family and close friends. The home embodies the spirit of Betty and Allen, it was eloquently understated with the focus on nature and the natural beauty surrounding the home.”

Designed by architect Richard Hicks, the home comes with several outdoor decks and walking trails.

Features include wall-to-wall carpets and wood panels throughout. On the lower level is a full-floor primary suite with a fireplace and a sitting room.

“Here, paradise is yours,” the listing states.

Eric Roberts Joins ‘Alone Today’

The film tells the story of a woman (Elizabeth) in an abusive relationship with a dirty detective (Roberts) who is helping move sex trafficked girls coming over the Mexican Border. When attempting to save just one truckload before “disappearing forever,” everything goes horribly wrong and she decides to take a different path.

The project hails from Different Duck Films founder Rob Margolies (Bobcat Moretti), who will produce alongside Errol Sack and Julia Verdin. Production is underway in Los Angeles. Roberts is repped by Sovereign Talent Group, Imperial Artists Agency and Miles Anthony Associates in London, manager Eliza Roberts, Empire Agency in Germany and Scott Carlson Entertainment in Canada.

‘East New York’: Ruben Santiago Hudson & Richard Kind Among Four Cast Additions To CBS Pilot

In East New York, co-written by William Finkelstein and Mike Flynn, Regina Haywood (Warren) is the newly promoted deputy inspector of East New York, an impoverished, working-class neighborhood at the eastern edge of Brooklyn. She leads a diverse group of officers and detectives, some of whom are reluctant to deploy her creative methods of serving and protecting during the midst of social upheaval and the early seeds of gentrification.

Hudson will play Marvin Sandeford who could have become a boss or a detective, but he never wanted to be anything but a street cop. He’s very opinionated and given to quick, intractable judgments, but not without compassion. No one knows as much about East New York as he does.

Kind plays Capt. Stan Yenko, a captain who hides his loneliness and insecurity behind a gregarious demeanor and quest for camaraderie with everyone around him.

Schley portrays Andre Bentley, a patrol of?cer trainee from an upper middle-class background in Westchester. He was never supposed to become a cop, which was half the reason he became one.

Luccardi has been cast as Brandy Quinlan, a patrol officer who had a working class upbringing until she ran away from an abusive home and lived on the street. She’s a go-getter and driven to prove herself.

Finkelstein and Flynn executive produce with Mike Robin of Skyemac Productions, Christine Holder and Mark Holder of Wonder Street. Andrew Maher of Skyemac is co-executive producing. Warner Bros. Television is the studio.

Hudson, a two-time Tony Award winner and star/writer/director of Lackawanna Blues on Broadway and writer of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, is repped by Gersh. Kind is repped by Innovative and Foster Entertainment. Schley is repped by Innovative and Power Entertainment Group.

Luccardi can currently be seen in the 2022 NBC miniseries The Thing About Pam opposite Renee Zellweger and Josh Duhamel. She was a series regular in David Simon’s HBO series The Deuce. In features, Luccardi stars in the Beth de Araujo-helmed Soft & Quiet, which premiered at SXSW. She is repped by ICM, One Entertainment and Myman Greenspan Fox.

‘Stars In The House’ 10-Hour Ukraine Telethon To Feature Big-Name Line-Up Of Hollywood, Broadway & Volodymyr Zelensky’s ‘Servant Of The People’ Co-Star

The telethon was announced today by Stars in the House hosts and co-founders Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley. Donations raised from the event will benefit the International Rescue Committee and their humanitarian efforts for those affected by the war in Ukraine.

The show will air live on Saturday, March 26 from 12 pm to 10pm ET, and will be viewable on starsinthehouse.com and the Stars In The House YouTube channel. Listeners can tune in to SiriusXM Stars109.

The planned line-up so far: Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy and Andrea Martin, Steve Martin, Annette Bening, Billy Porter, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Laurie Metcalf, Tituss Burgess, Kristin Chenoweth, David Hyde Pierce, Kelli O’Hara, Robin de Jesús, Donna Murphy, Annaleigh Ashford, Jessie Mueller, Josh Groban, Judith Light, John Stamos, Lindsay Mendez, Laura Benanti, Norman Lear, Betty Buckley, Rosie Perez, Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, Rachel Bloom, Patrick Wilson, Shoshana Bean, James Monroe Iglehart, Brittney Johnson, Miranda Sings, Debra Monk, Bonnie Milligan, Alli Mauzey, Adam Pascal, Donna Lynne Champlin, Javier Muñoz, Norbert Leo Butz, Rick Lyon, Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Katie Finneran, Ruthie Ann Miles, Andy Karl, Morena Baccarin, Christine Pedi, Colin Donnell, Dagmara Doiminczyk, Santino Fontana, Judy Kuhn, Kevin Chamberlin, Anika Larsen, Jenn Gambatese, Sepideh Moafi, Danielle de Niese, Orfeh, Patti Murin, Susan Kelechi Watson, Yuriy Saradov, Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Dr. Jon LaPook, with more to be announced.

In addition to the celebrity guests singing and reading donations, the event will also feature Ukrainian citizens who will be speaking and performing, including Ukrainian actor Oleg Karpenko, the Ukrainian theater and film actor who co-starred with Volodymyr Zelensky in Servant of The People (currently available on Netflix).

“For almost 90 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has been responding to the world’s worst humanitarian crises. In Ukraine and Poland, IRC mobilized quickly to assist the vulnerable and displaced by war that privileges impunity and autocracy over accountability and self-determination,” said David Miliband, President and CEO of IRC, in a statement. “We are grateful to James, Seth, and everyone who will be joining this special 10-hour Stars in the House marathon to draw attention to the needs of those affected by the war in Ukraine, and to give audiences around the world a way to help.”

Rudetsky and Wesley started the Stars in the House livestreaming show at the start of the Covid pandemic two years ago to raise money and awareness for those hit by the Broadway shutdown. To date, the show has raised more than $1.1 Million for the Actors Fund’s Covid Relief program, and hundreds of thousands for other non-profits including the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and the Waterkeeper Alliance.

Brad Pitt Actioner ‘Bullet Train’ Pulls Into ‘Black Adam’s Former July Slot

The move gives Bullet Train a little breathing room behind Disney’s MCU threequel Thor: Love and Thunder, which hits theaters July 8. In its new July 29 slot, Bullet Train will battle two other wide openers: Focus Features’ horror thriller Vengeance and Paramount’s toon Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.

Pitt stars in Bullet Train as an experienced assassin whose first day back at work isn’t as easy as planned as he finds himself among several other professional killers with a similar mission on said train. Sandra Bullock, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Hiroyuki Sanada, Zazie Michael Shannon, Andrew Koji and Benito A Martínez Ocasio (aka Bad Bunny) also star.

The studio also today that 3000 Pictures’ Where the Crawdads Sing is moving ahead by a week, from July 22 to Bullet Train’s former July 15 spot. It now will open against the STX horror pic Bedrest and Focus’ drama Mrs Harris Goes to Paris.

Director Olivia Newman’s crime thriller set in the mid-20th century South follows Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young woman who raises herself in the marshes outside of her small town, after being abandoned by her family. When Kya’s former boyfriend is found dead, she is thrust into the spotlight, and is immediately assumed by local townspeople and law enforcement to have been behind the murder. Harris Dickinson, David Strathairn, Garret Dillahunt co-star.

AARP Movies For Grownups Award Winners

Best Actress: Jean Smart (Hacks)

Brad Pitt, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Lulu Wang & Micheal Ward Among 900 New BAFTA Members

Among the new membership are Brad Pitt, Vanessa Kirby, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fiona Shaw, Kate Herron, Michael Ward, Sope Dirisu, and Waad Al-Kateab, all of whom join as full voting members.

The awards body is today, March 17, launching BAFTA Connect, a new tier of membership targeted at people in the early stages of their careers.

Connect is the latest endeavor from BAFTA to improve the diversity of its membership, a key target for Chair Krishnendu Majumdar.

Since September 2020, BAFTA has invited more than 500 people from underrepresented groups across film, games and television to join its membership and is on target to invite 1,000 in two years.

“BAFTA continues to be committed to driving more inclusive industries and promoting unheard voices in the screen arts. Members are at the heart of everything we do and we’re always looking for talented people to join our global membership, whether they’re in the earlier stages of their careers or have more experience. I encourage anyone who shares our values to apply,” said Majumdar.

Brian Krause guests on S.W.A.T. 3/20/22

GUEST CAST includes: Cathy Cahlin Ryan (Dr. Wendy), Norma Kuhling (Fowler), Brian Krause (Josip)

‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Finds Its James T. Kirk With Paul Wesley

Wesley is starring in the iconic role of James T. Kirk in the second season of the Paramount+ drama series. The role is best known for starring William Shatner.

The casting comes ahead of the launch of season one, which premieres in May. A second season of the show was renewed in January.

Strange New Worlds follows Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), Science Officer Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn/Una Chin-Riley) as they explore new worlds around the galaxy. Their adventures predate Captain Kirk’s ever stepping foot aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.

The cast also includes Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel, Christina Chong as La’an Noonien-Singh, Celia Rose Gooding as Cadet Nyota Uhura, Melissa Navia as Lt. Erica Ortegas, and Babs Olusanmokun as Dr. M’Benga.

Wesley was previously one of the leads of The Vampire Diaries and also starred in Tell Me A Story for Paramount+ predecessor CBS All Access. He can also be seen in Shudder feature History of Evil alongside Stephanie Beatriz.

He has also directed episodes of Roswell, New Mexico, Shadowhunters and Legacies.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is showrun by Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers with the pair exec producing alongside Jenny Lumet, Heather Kadin, Frank Siracusa, John Weber, Rod Roddenberry, Trevor Roth, and Aaron Baiers.

The series is produced by CBS Studios, Secret Hideout, and Roddenberry Entertainment.

“Paul is an accomplished actor, an astonishing presence and a welcome key addition to the show. Like all of us, he is a life-long Star Trek fan and we are excited by his interpretation of this iconic role,” said Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers.

Critics Choice Award Winners

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Murray Bartlett – The White Lotus (HBO)

SAG Award Winners

JEAN SMART / Deborah Vance
HACKS

‘Bullet Train’ Trailer: Brad Pitt Is On A Bloody Wild Ride In Sony Action Pic

It’s clearly not an easy first day back at work for Pitt, an experienced assassin who finds himself among several other professional killers with a similar mission on the titular train.

“Everything that’s ever happened to you has led you here. Fate,” one character tells Pitt’s character in the trailer set to a Japanese-language cover of “Stayin’ Alive.” “Well that’s a sh*t deal,” he replies. Zak Olkewicz wrote the screenplay based on the Japanese novel Maria Beetle by bestselling author Kotaro Isaka.

Kelly McCormick produces through 87North along with Leitch and Antoine Fuqua. Kat Samick is exec producing with Brent O’Connor, Ryosuke Saegusa and Yuma Terada. Brittany Morrissey is the executive overseeing the project for Sony Pictures.

Columbia’s Bullet Train hits theaters on July 15.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Ray Liotta, Peyton Manning, Robin Roberts & Pierce Brosnan Set Docuseries At History Channel

The A+E Networks cable network has ordered six series from Leonardo DiCaprio, Ray Liotta, Pierce Brosnan, Peyton Manning and Robin Roberts ahead of its latest Upfront ad event.

DiCaprio, who has previously worked with the network on miniseries Grant, is behind docuseries Sitting Bull, Good Morning America’s Roberts is behind WWI series Harlem Hellfighters, NFL legend Manning is behind The Einstein Challenge and History’s Greatest of All-Time with Peyton Manning and Liotta is behind Five Families. Four-part series Sitting Bull traces the life of the legendary Hunkpapa Lakota chief, a fierce warrior, loving father, and holy man. It will detail seminal moments and key figures in Native American history including the Battle of Little Big Horn, Washita Massacre, Crazy Horse, Battle of Cedar Creek and the Wounded Knee Massacre.

The Lakota community will be involved with Larry Pourier, an Oglala Lakota consultant with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry advising on Native American TV and film projects and IllumiNative, a Native woman-led non-profit organization focused on increasing Native representation in media in front of and behind the camera, serving as consultants and advisors.

It will be produced by Stephen David Entertainment, Appian Way Productions and IllumiNative. Exec producers include Stephen David, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson, Phillip Watson, Crystal Echo Hawk, Larry Pourier, Mary E. Donahue and Zachary Behr.

Ray Liotta is exec producing Five Families, about the dramatic rise and fall of the New York’s mafia’s five families – Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo and Lucchese.

For decades these five families ruled New York and built the American Mafia into an underworld empire. The series will follow the Mob from its explosive and violent growth in Prohibition, its golden age of domination in the 1970s and 1980s, up through its heated war with law enforcement – a feud they ultimately lost.

The eight-part series is based on Selwyn Raab’s book Five Families: The Rise, Decline and Resurgence of America’s Most Powerful Mafia Empires.

It is produced by Propagate with Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens and Michael Stiller exec producing alongside Liotta.

Peyton Manning and his company Omaha Productions are producing two series – History’s Greatest of All-Time with Peyton Manning and competition series The Einstein Challenge.

Eight-part series History’s Greatest of All-Time, which is produced by Omaha and Six West MediaTM group, will see the football star count down the greatest of all-time in a single category, from the greatest General to the greatest inventor or President. Manning, Steve Ascher, Mary E. Donahue and Brooke Townsend exec produce.

Half-hour series The Einstein Challenge is being produced by Omaha and Citizen Jones and will see two world-class experts will compete to see who can best explain seriously complicated concepts – such as how does an airplane fly or how bad was the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius – to a panel of kids. Manning, Jonah Bekhor, Jonas Bell Pasht, Mike Stiller and Amy Savitsky exec produce.

Pierce Brosnan is hosting History’s Greatest Heists, going inside the most unbelievable, elaborate real-life heists that have taken place throughout history – from the Wilcox train robbery of 1899 to Boston’s Great Brink robbery in 1950.

The eight-part series comes from Big Fish Entertainment and Anchor Entertainment and will feature “stylized” cinematic recreations and VFX. Dan Cesareo, Lucilla D’Agostino, Jordana Starr, Ethan Goldman, Mary E. Donahue and Jennifer Wagman exec produce.

Finally, Robin Roberts is exec producing Harlem Hellfighters. The four-part series will tell the story of the Hellfighters through the eyes of three men: band leader James Europe and Privates Henry Johnson and Horace Pippin.

A century ago, after intensive lobbying by civic leaders, an all-black regiment was formed in New York as the U.S. geared up to enter World War I. The group, which began as New York’s 15th infantry with most members from Harlem, faced intense racism at home as they trained and later confronted shocking discrimination in the field during the war. They were assigned to fight the Germans not alongside U.S. troops, but as part of the French Army; their own countrymen refused to fight with them. Even so, the men fought ferociously in the war’s horror filled trenches. They displayed extraordinary courage in battle after battle, earning the name Harlem Hellfighters and France’s highest military honor, the Croix de Guerre. The Hellfighters spent an unprecedented 191 days in combat, longer than any other American unit in the war.

The four-part series is produced by Rock’n RobinProductions and RadicalMedia. Roberts, who previously exec produced Tuskegee Airman: Legacy of Courage for the History Channel, exec produces alongside Reni Calister, Dave Sirulnick, Jon Kamen, Meredith Bennett and Mary E. Donahue.

Goop: Billy Porter - Claiming Your Story

Lindsay Lohan Strikes Two-Picture Deal With Netflix

Lohan’s deal comes following her attachment to Falling for Christmas, a holiday rom-com that is slated to debut on Netflix later this year. In it, she plays a newly engaged, spoiled hotel heiress who gets into a skiing accident, suffers from total amnesia and finds herself in the care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner (Chord Overstreet) and his precocious daughter in the days leading up to Christmas.

Netflix previously released the series Sick Note, in which Lohan featured, in concert with Sky One, and is also currently home to Scary Movie V, in which she co-starred.

“We’re so happy with our collaboration with Lindsay to date, and we’re thrilled to continue our partnership with her,” said Netflix’s Director of Independent Film, Christina Rogers. “We look forward to bringing more of her films to our members around the world.”

Lohan is a Critics’ Choice and SAG Award nominee also known for turns in films including Machete, Bobby, A Prairie Home Companion, Herbie Fully Loaded, Mean Girls, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Freaky Friday and The Parent Trap. The actress has also featured in such series as 2 Broke Girls, Eastbound & Down, Anger Management, Glee, Ugly Betty and That ’70s Show, and exec produced and starred in the reality series Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club for MTV.

She is represented by APA and Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson.

SAG Awards Winners

Wendie Malick recurs on Young Sheldon 3/10/22

RECURRING CAST: Craig T. Nelson (Dale), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer), Doc Farrow (Coach Wilkins).

Kelsey Grammer Joins Lionsgate’s ‘Jesus Revolution’

In the 1970s, young Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) sets out to redefine truth through all means of liberation, and instead, meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie street preacher. Laurie and Frisbee, along with Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), open the doors of Smith’s languishing church to an unexpected revival by way of rock and roll, newfound love, and a twist of faith leading to a Jesus Revolution that changed the world. Laurie went on to start Harvest Christian Fellowship, one of the largest congregations in America, with over 15,000 regular members. Over the years, six million people have attended Harvest Christian Fellowship.

Modern-day cause-related crusades and rallies for change are everywhere. Jesus Revolution is the story of one such movement that not only set a model for changemakers thereafter, but that sparked a revival with ripple effects that still matter today.

Grammer will play Chuck Smith, the real-life pastor of Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, who served as a mentor to Greg Laurie. Chuck famously opened his church to a generation of hippies and seekers, helping to launch the last great spiritual revival in America.

Written by Jon Erwin and Jon Gunn, the film will be directed by Jon Erwin (I Can Only Imagine, American Underdog) and Brent McCorkle (Unconditional) and produced by Kevin Downes and Jon and Andrew Erwin, along with Josh Walsh and Daryl Lefever.

“The movie is set in a very specific time and place, but the theme of finding a deeper meaning to life, in the midst of a fractured and broken world, is timeless,” said Erwin.. “In his iconic performances, Kelsey has a proven ability to connect with audiences in a real, vulnerable way, which will make him a tremendous presence in this film.”

Grammer added, “Jesus has been a profound influence in my life. I am proud to be a part of this film.”

Brad Pitt stopped ‘volatile’ fight between Shia LaBeouf and Scott Eastwood

Scott Eastwood has confirmed for the first time that he and his co-star Shia LaBeouf got into a fight so “volatile” while filming 2014’s “Fury” that Brad Pitt had to break it up.

“[LaBeouf] got mad at me and it turned into a volatile moment that Brad Pitt ultimately got in the middle of,” Clint Eastwood’s son told Insider in an interview published Friday.

“You’ve got to put things in perspective. This is make-believe, it’s fun, and at times it’s serious and you’re doing emotional work and you give people space to do that in, but everything has to have its parameters.”

Pitt, 58, previously discussed the contentious on-set environment of the World War II flick in his GQ 2014 cover story, telling the mag that there had been sparring “every day.”

The incident between LaBeouf and Eastwood, both now 35, apparently began because the latter was chewing tobacco and spitting it into the titular tank the film centers around.

Pitt said he himself started to get “pissed off” over the behavior.

“I’m starting to get hot, because this is our home, he’s disrespecting our home, you know?” the “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” star told GQ. “So I said, in the scene with the cameras rolling, ‘You’re going to clean that s–t up.'”

He said LaBeouf had the “same reaction,” which resulted in the “Transformers” star having “some words” with Eastwood, which “got out of hand.”

However, Pitt said he and LaBeouf were ultimately at fault, calling them “the knobs in the end,” because Eastwood’s tobacco — and spitting — habit was in the film’s script.

Eastwood told Insider that, in retrospect, though, an actor’s process “should never hinder how people are treated on set.”

He said, “It should always enhance the production, not take away and put people in a situation where it’s a s—ty work environment or you’re rude or people have to be in an uncomfortable situation.”

Reports of LaBeouf’s behavior during the making of “Fury” threatened to eclipse the film: He refused to shower, had a tooth pulled for the role, and repeatedly cut his own face with a knife to give himself the character’s wounds.

Brad Pitt Sues Angelina Jolie ... You Secretly Sold Winery to Russian Oligarch!!!

Brad's legal docs, obtained by TMZ, are part of their never-ending divorce war. The 2 bought Chateau Miraval in Correns, France back in 2008. Brad says he invested a ton of money and time in the winery over the years, although he acknowledges Angelina plunked down 40% of the $28.4 million purchase price.

Brad says he alone made the winery successful because by 2013 she wasn't doing much in that department. He claims they always had an understanding ... neither of them could sell off their interest without the other's consent.

Fast forward to 2016 ... Angelina filed for divorce and it became super contentious.

Last July Angelina went to court and told the judge she had reached an agreement to sell her interest to an unnamed person. Pitt says in September he agreed to allow Angelina to pursue the sale but made it clear ... he was not consenting to the sale, but rather would give thumbs up or down to the proposed buyer.

Brad says in October he was shocked to learn a company called Tenute del Mondo -- a subsidiary of Stoli Group (the vodka co.) -- controlled by Russian oligarch, Yuri Shefler, bought her interest in the winey.

He says Angelina never sought his consent and intentionally kept the terms of the deal from him.

Brad says Shefler has wreaked havoc on his ability to run the winery.

A source close to BP tells us, "Unfortunately, this is another example of the same person disregarding her legal and ethical obligations. In doing so, she has violated the rights of the only person who poured money and sweat equity into the success of the business by purporting to sell both the business and family home to a third-party competitor."

They continue, "She is seeking a return on an investment she did not make and profits she did not earn.”

Brad now wants the judge to undo the deal. He also wants damages.

We reached out to a rep for Angelina ... so far, no word back.

‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Star Stephanie Beatriz & ‘Vampire Diaries’ Star Paul Wesley Set For Horror ‘History Of Evil’

AMC’s genre streamer Shudder has boarded the film for North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand and will release it as a Shudder Original.

Written and directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Bo Mirhosseni, the film is being produced by genre specialists XYZ Films, Under the Shadow outfit Two & Two Pictures and Jake Siegel. Beatriz and Wesley will serve as executive producers.

In the film, a family on the run from a corrupt state takes refuge in a safe house with an evil past — a terrifying last stop on a near-future Underground Railroad. Filming is being lined up for spring 2022.

The movie is the first project under a pact between XYZ Films and Two & Two Pictures to make films from first- and second-time genre directors from under-represented demographics. The pact is set to produce two to three pictures a year initially and was hatched as a result of XYZ Films partnering with Two & Two on Babak Anvari’s Under the Shadow, which went on to win a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut. The companies most recently collaborated on Anvari’s third feature film, I Came By, which is currently in post-production for Netflix.

Beatriz is best known for leading voice cast on hit animation Encanto, rom-com musical In the Heights, and comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She’s just finishing up starring in London’s West End play 2:22: A Ghost Story.

Wesley is known for roles in The Vampire Diaries, Before I Disappear, Peaceful Warrior and Tell Me a Story. He is also directing and producing under his production banner Citizen Media.

“We are thrilled to be working with XYZ and Two & Two Pictures as we continue to spotlight new and emerging storytellers within this genre, and Bo’s thrilling film debut is no exception,” said Emily Gotto, VP Global Acquisitions and Co-Productions at Shudder. “We are excited to have such talents as Stephanie and Paul on board to bring these dynamic characters to life and look forward to sharing the film with Shudder members.”

Anvari and Lucan Toh of Two & Two Pictures commented: “We are delighted to be working with Bo, Stephanie and Paul on this deeply terrifying and unique horror film, and honored to have found a home at Shudder, whose cutting-edge platform has continues to push genre films forward. Everyone on this team has demonstrated a commitment to bringing timely and entertaining stories to the world, and we couldn’t be more excited to work with them.”

Beatriz is repped by ICM Partners, Authentic Talent and Literary Management and attorney Mitch Smelkinson. Wesley is repped by ICM Partners, Anonymous Content and attorney Marcy Morris.

Ray Liotta Joins Demi Moore & Margaret Qualley In Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance’

Details about The Substance are being kept under wraps, but it is said to be Fargeat’s explosive feminist take on body horror.

Liotta is best known for his portrayal of mobster Henry Hill in Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, and playing Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams, along with numerous other great performances. Aside from Many Saints of Newark, his recent credits include Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story and Steven Soderbergh’s No Sudden Move. He’ll next star opposite Taron Egerton in Apple’s In With the Devil and Universal’s Elizabeth Banks-directed Cocaine Bear. Liotta can currently be seen on Amazon’s Hanna.

Universal Pictures’ Senior EVP Production Development Erik Baiers will oversee The Substance for the studio. Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan will produce on behalf of Working Title. along with Fargeat. Alexandra Loewy and Nicholas Royer will be executive producers.

The film is slated to begin production in Paris this May.

Liotta is represented by Gersh, and Authentic Talent and Literary Management.

‘The Gilded Age’ Renewed For Season 2 By HBO

The series’ January 24 premiere was HBO’s best Monday night debut since Chernobyl.

The nine-episode drama series stars an ensemble cast of Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Louisa Jacobson, Denée Benton, Taissa Farmiga, Blake Ritson, Simon Jones, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, Jack Gilpin, with Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski. The season one finale will air March 21.

The show, which is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television, is an epic drama that follows the millionaire titans of New York City in the 1880s.

The series begins in 1882 with young Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) moving from rural Pennsylvania to New York City after the death of her father to live with her thoroughly old money aunts Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon). Accompanied by Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), an aspiring writer seeking a fresh start, Marian inadvertently becomes enmeshed in a social war between one of her aunts, a scion of the old money set, and her stupendously rich neighbors, a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife, George (Morgan Spector) and Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon). Exposed to a world on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path?

Additional cast includes Ben Ahlers, Michael Cerveris, Kelley Curran, Claybourne Elder, Linda Emond, Katie Finneran, Amy Forsyth, Michel Gill, Ward Horton, Bill Irwin, Sullivan Jones, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Nathan Lane, Audra McDonald, Debra Monk, Donna Murphy, Kristine Nielsen, Kelli O’Hara, Patrick Page, Taylor Richardson, Douglas Sills, John Douglas Thompson, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Erin Wilhelmi

“Julian Fellowes and the entire Gilded Age family have thoroughly captivated us with their tale of late 19th century New York City extravagance,” said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming. “Along with our partners at Universal Television, we couldn’t be prouder to embark on a season two journey with this extraordinarily talented team.”

Erin Underhill, President, Universal Television said: “The first season of The Gilded Age is the beginning of an epic story that introduced a fascinating world full of intriguing characters. The scope of Julian’s vision is ambitious, and we’re thrilled to continue to explore the depths of this fascinating era with HBO.”

The Gilded Age was created, written and exec produced by Fellowes with Gareth Neame and David Crockett also exec producing. Michael Engler and Salli Richardson-Whitfield are directors and exec producers with Sonja Warfield as writer and co-exec producer.

Katrina victims who bought Brad Pitt’s homes ‘believed dream he sold them’

He added, “Unfortunately, what they got is a bunch of broken promises.”

In 2006, Pitt and his Make It Right Foundation set out to build affordable homes for residents of New Orleans’s Lower Ninth Ward who lost everything the previous year in Hurricane Katrina.

But the experimental, environmentally friendly homes turned out to be defective, leaving the residents with mold-infested homes.

Attorney Ron Austin filed a lawsuit on behalf of residents in 2018 and they are still seeking answers from Pitt and his organization.

“They believed in Brad Pitt. They believed in the dream he sold them … Unfortunately, what they got is a bunch of broken promises… living in rotten houses that should be torn down to the ground and started over,” Austin told Newsnation’s Ashleigh Banfield on Thursday.

Pitt helped raise millions of dollars to construct the homes that they sold for around $150,000 each.

Sources told us in 2018 that Pitt forked over millions out of his own pocket to help fix the homes, which weren’t built to withstand New Orleans tropical climate, according to the suit and broadcast.

“Some houses didn’t have things like waterproof paint or rain gutters. Some had flat roofs or were so tightly insulated that once moisture got in, it wasn’t getting out,” Banfield said.

The result: termites and toxic mold that even reportedly killed one resident.

“Unfortunately, there’s nowhere to turn. Brad Pitt and the foundation have closed their offices,” Austin said.

Still, Austin said they will be “fighting every day in court attempting to get them to come into court and answer some questions about what went wrong and how they are planning to make it right.”

Pitt’s lawyers have attempted to distance the actor from the charity since 2018 and even filed to have the actor’s name taken off of the lawsuit by claiming he wasn’t responsible for the construction.

A source close to Pitt told Banfield his “attorneys have made it clear that he has no legal liability for the decisions made by others, but Brad remains personally committed to doing whatever he can to help resolve the ongoing litigation. It was always something that was important to him from the beginning and he very much wants to help facilitate this getting to a much more positive end.”

A rep for the actor did not comment when contacted.

Morning Show Appearance

Monday, Feb. 14— Actress Susan Lucci; actor Billy Porter (“The Proud Family”);

Morgan Freeman & Josh Hutcherson Starring In Sci-Fi Thriller ‘57 Seconds’

Rusty Cundieff (Tales from the Hood) is directing, the screenplay was written by Macon Blair (I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore), based on the story by British author E.C. Tubbs.

The film follows a tech blogger (Hutcherson) who lands a career-defining interview with a visionary technology guru (Freeman). After thwarting an attack against the celebrated technophile, the blogger picks up a mysterious ring that allows its possessor to travel 57 seconds into the past.

Principal photography is set to start in April on location in Louisiana.

A Curmudgeon Films and Revelations Entertainment production, 57 Seconds is produced by Griff Furst (Where All Light Tends to Go), Lori McCreary (Invictus), Gary Lucchesi (Million Dollar Baby) and Thomas P. Vitale (Slasher). The film is executive produced by Ford Corbett, Som Kohanzadeh, Yoram Kohanzadeh and Miguel Sandoval.

57 Seconds is co-financed by Highland Film Group, which is representing international rights to the film and will launch sales at the upcoming European Film Market. CAA Media Finance is representing domestic rights.

Lindsay Lohan I've Gone from DUI to DIY!!! Hilarious Super Bowl Ad

It's an ad for Planet Fitness, and the theme is that the gym has turned Lindsay's life around from train wreck to the picture of mental and physical health.

The voiceover is hilarious ... Lindsay has gone from DUI to DIY. She's so mentally acute she destroyed on "Jeopardy!" And the turnaround has left the paparazzi in tears!!!

There's a pretty amazing supporting cast in the 30-second ad -- William Shatner, Dennis Rodman, Buzzy Cohen and Danny Trejo ... all touting the virtues of exercise and fitness.

BTW ... NBC said Thursday all the Super Bowl ad slots have been filled, and it ran companies that advertised between $5.8 million and $7 million for 30 seconds of airtime.

Lindsay's been under the radar for a few years now, so the ad is actually more effective because of it. It's kind of like a reveal on "Extreme Makeover" ... except a lot more cerebral. It's actually a great P.R. move for her, because it's believable ... somewhat.

Good job, LL!!!

The Lewis Family - Rebecca Hollen, Robert Newman and Krista Tesreau 2/11/22

Rebecca made her daytime television debut on As the World Turns in the role of Tina Cornell in 1978 before joining Guiding Light in 1981. She played the role of Trish until November of 1985 and returned to the show a few times over the years. In addition to Tina and Trish, she played the part of Peggy Lazarus on Another World. Before working in daytime, Rebecca made a living working on stage and in commercials for Nabisco and Hallmark to name a few.

Robert Newman played Joshua Lewis on and off the canvas for 28 years. Since Guiding Light left the air, he has appeared on stage, in primetime and on film in several high-profile roles. Some of those roles include The Amazing Spider Man 2, Homeland, House of Cards, Criminal Minds and Law and Order: SVU to name a few. He just took over the role of Ashland Locke on CBS' The Young and the Restless and the fans can't wait to see what trouble Robert stirs up in Genoa City. Robert's first airdate on Y&R is February 9th.

Krista Tesreau Strauss played Melinda Sue Lewis for six years before departing Springfield for good in 1989. Fans were always happy to see her return over the years and were thrilled when she came back to the show at the end of the series to bring the "Four Musketeers" together one last time. Krista also returned to daytime television as Andi Klein on Santa Barbara. She assumed the role of the tantalizing Tina Roberts on One Life to Live in 1994, and played that role for three years. In addition to her daytime roles, Krista has appeared in several hit prime-time series.

Wendie Malick recurs & Ming-Na Wen guests on Young Sheldon 2/24/22

RECURRING CAST: Wallace Shawn (Dr. Sturgis), Ed Begley, Jr. (Dr. Linkletter), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer), Rex Linn (Principal Petersen).

GUEST CAST: Ming-Na Wen (Dr. Lee), Derrick L. McMillon (Hal).

Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser & Jaimie Alexander Set For Thriller ‘The Minute You Wake Up Dead’

Milestone Studios is producing the film, which follows a stockbroker (Hauser) in a small southern town who gets embroiled in an insurance scam with a next-door neighbor (Alexander) that leads to multiple murders when a host of other people want in on the plot. Sheriff Thurmond Fowler (Freeman), the by-the-book town sheriff for over four decades, works earnestly to try and unravel the town’s mystery and winds up getting more than he bargained for.

Pic is an original screenplay by Timothy Holland, directed by Michael Mailer (Heart Of Champions) and produced by Hollywood vet Andrew Stevens (The Whole Nine Yards). Dawn Bursteen and Alan B. Bursteen of Milestone Studios are executive producers.

Freeman is in post on Lionsgate’s Paradise Highway with Juliette Binoche, Frank Grillo and Cameron Monaghan, and MGM’s A Good Person with Florence Pugh, Celeste O’Connor, and Molly Shannon.

Hauser’s ratings hit Yellowstone was recently SAG nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series. Alexander recently wrapped filming Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love And Thunder with Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Matt Damon, Christian Bale, and Russell Crowe, and she also is post on action thriller Chase opposite Gerard Butler.

Milestone’s Dawn Bursteen and Alan B. Bursteen said jointly: “We couldn’t be more excited to have such a stellar cast with unique talents on board. Morgan Freeman is one of the most acclaimed and respected actors globally, paired with the terrifically versatile and talented Cole Hauser and the wonderfully gifted actress Jaimie Alexander is an extraordinary and ideal cast for the film. In addition, we are thrilled to be working with visionary director Michael Mailer and veteran producer, Andrew Stevens on this clever suspense thriller.”

Freeman is represented by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern, Hauser by APA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Yorn, Levine, Barnes, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner, Endlich & Gellman, and Alexander by Atlas Artists, United Talent Agency and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.

Donald May Dies: ‘The Edge Of Night’, ‘Falcon Crest’ Actor Was 92

His death was announced by his family on a Facebook page devoted to The Edge of Night.

From 1967 to 1977, May played the good-guy attorney Adam Drake, first making his mark on the soap in a notable 1968 episode during which May delivered the episode’s only dialogue: a 22-minute trial summation in which he argued for the innocence of his client, a singer accused of murder. The jury found the client guilty and sentence her to be hanged, but Drake went into detective mode to find the real killer, saving the singer at the last minute.

May joined The Edge of Night following a steady TV career that began in 1956 with a starring role in the short-lived drama series West Point. Guest appearances in episodic TV followed, including roles on Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, Sugarfoot, Colt .45, Surfside 6, Combat, The FBI and others.

Following his 10-year tenure at Edge of Night, May returned to guesting on episodic TV in the late ’70s (Fantasy Island, Barnaby Jones, The Facts of Life, eventually landing a regular role on the early ’80s NBC daytime soap Texas. During his 1981-82 Texas stint, May co-starred with wife Carla Borelli. The two would also appear together on the programs Falcon Crest and O.C. and Stiggs.

In addition to other soap appearances (As the World Turns, All My Children and One Life to Live), May appeared in various stage productions in both New York and Los Angeles over the years.

In addition to Borelli, May is survived by sons Douglas and Christopher, an actor whose credits include The Afterparty, American Crime Story, General Hospital and Selena: The Series.

Dishing with Digest - 1/28/22 - William Christian

SPECIAL GUESTS AND STARS UNVEILED FOR NBC’S ‘CELEBRATING BETTY WHITE: AMERICA’S GOLDEN GIRL’

The special airs Monday, Jan. 31 at 10 p.m. and will be available the next day on Peacock.

Co-stars, friends, admirers and those who shared special moments with White recount their favorite memories and reveal untold stories to commemorate the life and legacy of the trailblazing television star. The telecast will include clips and never-before-seen footage that best capture White’s irreverent tone, spirit and impeccable comedic timing that are a hallmark of her decades-long career.

White was an Emmy, Grammy and SAG Award winner as well as being a tireless advocate for animals. With breakout performances in “Mary Tyler Moore” and “The Golden Girls,” she starred in two of the most popular comedies of all time and had hundreds of TV credits.

“Celebrating Betty White: America’s Golden Girl” is from Emmy-Award winning Brad Lachman Productions and is executive produced by Brad Lachman and Bill Bracken, and produced by Matt Lachman.

Julian McMahon To Depart ‘FBI: Most Wanted’: “I Am Grateful To Have Had The Opportunity To Play Jess”

According to sources, McMahon approached the FBI: Most Wanted executive producers, including Dick Wolf and Peter Jankowski, about leaving the series early in the season.

“Over the past few months, the producers of FBI: Most Wanted and I have had discussions about my departure from the show in favor of additional creative pursuits and the transition of my character Jess LaCroix,” McMahon said in a statement to Deadline. “These ongoing conversations have given us an opportunity to orchestrate a seamless and productive way for me to leave the show.”

McMahon also reflected on his time on FBI: Most Wanted and playing Jess LaCroix.

“I would like to express the gratitude and admiration I have had working with Dick Wolf and Peter Jankowski,” he said. “I’m extremely proud of the work we have done together and put the development of this show, and my character Jess, at the top of my professional experience list. I wish the show, and its cast & crew, the greatest success in the future. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to play Jess; he is a good man.”

It is unclear yet how McMahon’s character would be written off. LaCroix is now going through a major personal transition, with his daughter Tali, who has been his rock, leaving for a boarding school in Canada.

“We are saddened to see Julian leave,” Wolf said in a statement to Deadline. “His portrayal of agent Jess LaCroix has been a key factor in the success of FBI: Most Wanted. We will miss him and we wish him the best in his next chapter.”

McMahon made his debut as LaCroix in an April episode of the mothership FBI series, which served as a backdoor pilot for FBI: Most Wanted. The spinoff got off to a strong start in January 2020 and is now part of an FBI Tuesday lineup on CBS alongside the original FBI and newest addition FBI: International.

FBI: Most Wanted is executive produced by Wolf, Jankowski, David Hudgins, Todd Arnow and Arthur W. Forney. The series comes from Wolf Entertainment, Universal Television and CBS Studios.

Prior to FBI: Most Wanted, McMahon, known for his starring role in Nip/Tuck, had roles in Hulu’s Marvel series Runaways, BBC America’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, the miniseries adaptation of Childhood’s End as well as Charmed.

Betty White’s Final Message Thanks Fans For Support Of Her Animal Welfare Challenge

White died at age 99 on Dec. 31, 2021, but fans apparently have honored her final wish to support animal welfare.

“Good morning! As we continue to see number coming in from all over the world — it’s just absolutely amazing how much money all of you raised for the animals through #thebettywhitechallenge. She could never have imagined such an outpouring of love and would have be so grateful to everyone. When we recorded her special message to fans who attended the movie, we also recorded one that we had planned to put on social media on her birthday. She was using the occasion of her 100th birthday to celebrate YOU – her fans. She knew how lucky she was; she felt the love, and she never took it for granted. I think it’s appropriate to post today as a thank from Betty and the animals.”

GLAAD Media Awards Nominations

Outstanding Print Article

“Billy Porter Breaks a 14-Year Silence: ‘This Is What HIV-Positive Looks Like Now’” by Billy Porter, as told by Lacey Rose (The Hollywood Reporter)

“Books Probed by a Texas Lawmaker by Women, People of Color, LGBTQ Writers. They’re Asking: ‘Really?'” by Talia Richman & Corbett Smith (The Dallas Morning News)

“Bowen Yang is Defining Funny for a New Generation” by David Canfield (Entertainment Weekly)

“Diary of an ICE Detainee” by Yariel Valdes Gonzalez (Washington Blade)

“Elliot Page is Ready for This Moment” by Katy Steinmetz (TIME)

“The Hearts of Venezuela” by Taylor Hirschberg (Out)

“Inside the Sparkling, Rainbow-Filled World of JoJo Siwa” by Jason Sheeler (People)

“Keeping Trans Kids From Medicine Doesn’t Make Them Disappear” by Jennifer Finney Boylan (The New York Times)

“Lawmakers Can’t Cite Local Examples of Trans Girls in Sports” by David Crary & Lindsay Whitehurst (The Associated Press)

“The Year of the Black Queer Revolution” by Ernest Owens (Rolling Stone)

NAACP Image Awards Nominations

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)
Deon Cole – `black-ish (ABC)
Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Kendrick Sampson – Insecure (HBO)
Laurence Fishburne – `black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

Billy Porter – Pose (FX Network)
Damson Idris – Snowfall (FX Network)
Forest Whitaker – Godfather of Harlem (EPIX)
Kofi Siriboe – Queen Sugar (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Sterling K. Brown – This is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)

Angela Bassett – Malika: The Lion Queen (FOX)
Billy Porter – Fairfax (Amazon Studios)
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges – Karma’s World (Netflix)
Cree Summer – Rugrats (Nickelodeon)
Keke Palmer – Big Mouth (Netflix)

BETTY WHITE HONORED AND REMEMBERED BY STARS IN NEW NBC HOURLONG PRIMETIME SPECIAL

“Celebrating Betty White: America’s Golden Girl” airs Monday, Jan. 31 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and will be available to stream on Peacock the following day.

Friends and stars will pay tribute to America’s comedy sweetheart in the special. The hour will include clips that best capture White’s irreverent tone, spirit and impeccable comedic timing that are a hallmark of her decades-long career.

White was an Emmy, Grammy and SAG Award winner as well as being a tireless advocate for animals. With breakout performances in “Mary Tyler Moore” and “The Golden Girls,” she starred in two of the most popular comedies of all time and had hundreds of TV credits.

“Celebrating Betty White: America’s Golden Girl” is a Brad Lachman Production and is executive produced by Brad Lachman and Bill Bracken.

Talk Show Appearance

Wednesday, Jan. 19

Christine Baranski

B&B Dedication To Betty White

Wendie Malick recurs on Young Sheldon 1/20/22

“A Pink Cadillac and a Glorious Tribal Dance” – Sheldon attends his first comic book convention. Also, Mary tries selling make-up, on the CBS Original series YOUNG SHELDON, Thursday, Jan. 20 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+*.

SAG Awards Nominations

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

BELFAST
CAITRÍONA BALFE / Ma
JUDI DENCH / Granny
JAMIE DORNAN / Pa
JUDE HILL / Buddy
CIARÁN HINDS / Pop
COLIN MORGAN / Billy Clanton

CODA
EUGENIO DERBEZ / Bernardo Villalobos
DANIEL DURANT / Leo Rossi
EMILIA JONES / Ruby Rossi
TROY KOTSUR / Frank Rossi
MARLEE MATLIN / Jackie Rossi
FERDIA WALSH-PEELO / Miles

DON’T LOOK UP
CATE BLANCHETT / Brie Evantee
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / Yule
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / Dr. Randall Mindy
ARIANA GRANDE / Riley Bina
JONAH HILL / Jason Orlean
JENNIFER LAWRENCE / Kate Dibiasky
MELANIE LYNSKEY / June Mindy
SCOTT MESCUDI / DJ Chello
ROB MORGAN / Dr. Teddy Oglethorpe
HIMESH PATEL / Phillip
RON PERLMAN / Benedict Drask
TYLER PERRY / Jack Bremmer
MARK RYLANCE / Peter Isherwell
MERYL STREEP / President Orlean

HOUSE OF GUCCI
ADAM DRIVER / Maurizio Gucci
LADY GAGA / Patrizia Reggiani
SALMA HAYEK / Pina Auriemma
JACK HUSTON / Domenico De Sole
JEREMY IRONS / Rodolfo Gucci
JARED LETO / Paolo Gucci
AL PACINO / Aldo Gucci

KING RICHARD
JON BERNTHAL / Rick Macci
AUNJANUE ELLIS / Oracene “Brandi” Williams
TONY GOLDWYN / Paul Cohen
SANIYYA SIDNEY / Venus Williams
DEMI SINGLETON / Serena Williams
WILL SMITH / Richard Williams

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

THE HANDMAID’S TALE
ALEXIS BLEDEL / Emily Malek
MADELINE BREWER / Janine Lindo
AMANDA BRUGEL / Rita Blue
ANN DOWD / Aunt Lydia Clements
O-T FAGBENLE / Luke Bankole
JOSEPH FIENNES / Commander Fred Waterford
SAM JAEGER / Mark Tuello
MAX MINGHELLA / Commander Nick Blaine
ELISABETH MOSS / June Osborne/Offred
YVONNE STRAHOVSKI / Serena Joy Waterford
BRADLEY WHITFORD / Commander Joseph Lawrence
SAMIRA WILEY / Moira Strand

THE MORNING SHOW
JENNIFER ANISTON / Alex Levy
SHARI BELAFONTE / Julia
ELI BILDNER / Joel Rapkin
NESTOR CARBONELL / Yanko Flores
STEVE CARELL / Mitch Kessler
BILLY CRUDUP / Cory Ellison
MARK DUPLASS / Charlie “Chip” Black
AMBER FRIENDLY / Layla Bell
JANINA GAVANKAR / Alison Namazi
VALERIA GOLINO / Paola Lambruschini
TARA KARSIAN / Gayle Berman
HANNAH LEDER / Isabella
GRETA LEE / Stella Bak
JULIANNA MARGULIES / Laura Peterson
JOE MARINELLI / Donny Spagnoli
MICHELLE MEREDITH / Lindsey Sherman
RUAIRI O’CONNOR / Ty Fitzgerald
JOE PACHECO / Bart Daley
KAREN PITTMAN / Mia Jordan
VICTORIA TATE / Rena Robinson
DESEAN K. TERRY / Daniel Henderson
REESE WITHERSPOON / Bradley Jackson

SQUID GAME
HEO SUNG-TAE / Deok-su
JUN YOUNG-SOO / Game Operator Voice
JUNG HO-YEON / Kang Sae-byeok
KIM JOO-RYOUNG / Mi-nyeo
LEE BYUNG-HUN / Front Man
LEE JUNG-JAE / Seong Gi-hun
OH YOUNG-SOO / Oh Il-nam
PARK HAE-SOO / Cho Sang-woo
ANUPAM TRIPATHI / Ali
WI HA-JUN / Hwang Jun-ho

SUCCESSION
NICHOLAS BRAUN / Greg Hirsch
JULIANA CANFIELD / Jess Jordan
BRIAN COX / Logan Roy
KIERAN CULKIN / Roman Roy
DAGMARA DOMINCZYK / Karolina Novotney
PETER FRIEDMAN / Frank Vernon
JIHAE / Berry Schneider
JUSTINE LUPE / Willa
MATTHEW MACFADYEN / Tom Wambsgans
DASHA NEKRASOVA / Comfrey Pellits
SCOTT NICHOLSON / Colin
DAVID RASCHE / Karl Muller
ALAN RUCK / Connor Roy
J. SMITH-CAMERON / Gerri Kellman
SARAH SNOOK / Shiv Roy
FISHER STEVENS / Hugo Baker
JEREMY STRONG / Kendall Roy
ZOË WINTERS / Kerry Castellabate

YELLOWSTONE
KELSEY ASBILLE / Monica Dutton
WES BENTLEY / Jamie Dutton
RYAN BINGHAM / Walker
GIL BIRMINGHAM / Thomas Rainwater
IAN BOHEN / Ryan
EDEN BROLIN / Mia
KEVIN COSTNER / John Dutton
HUGH DILLON / Sheriff Donnie Haskell
LUKE GRIMES / Kayce Dutton
HASSIE HARRISON / Laramie
COLE HAUSER / Rip Wheeler
JEN LANDON / Teeter
FINN LITTLE / Carter
BRECKEN MERRILL / Tate Dutton
WILL PATTON / Garrett Randle
PIPER PERABO / Summer Higgins
KELLY REILLY / Beth Dutton
DENIM RICHARDS / Colby
TAYLOR SHERIDAN / Travis
FORRIE J. SMITH / Lloyd
JEFFERSON WHITE / Jimmy Hurdstrom

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

THE GREAT
JULIAN BARRATT / Dr. Vinodel
BELINDA BROMILOW / Aunt Elizabeth
SACHA DHAWAN / Orlo
ELLE FANNING / Catherine
PHOEBE FOX / Marial
BAYO GBADAMOSI / Arkady
ADAM GODLEY / Archbishop
DOUGLAS HODGE / Velementov
NICHOLAS HOULT / Peter
FLORENCE KEITH-ROACH / Tatyana
GWILYM LEE / Grigor Dymov
CHARITY WAKEFIELD / Georgina

HACKS
ROSE ABDOO / Josefina
CARL CLEMONS-HOPKINS / Marcus Vaughan
PAUL W. DOWNS / Jimmy Lusaque, Jr.
HANNAH EINBINDER / Ava Daniels
MARK INDELICATO / Damien
POPPY LIU / Kiki
CHRIS McDONALD / Marty Ghilain
JEAN SMART / Deborah Vance
MEGAN STALTER / Kayla Schaeffer

THE KOMINSKY METHOD
JENNA LYNG ADAMS / Darshani
SARAH BAKER / Mindy Kominsky
CASEY THOMAS BROWN / Lane
MICHAEL DOUGLAS / Sandy Kominsky
LISA EDELSTEIN / Phoebe
ASHLEIGH LaTHROP / Breana
EMILY OSMENT / Theresa
HALEY JOEL OSMENT / Robbie
PAUL REISER / Martin
GRAHAM ROGERS / Jude
MELISSA TANG / Margaret
KATHLEEN TURNER / Roz

ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING
AARON DOMINGUEZ / Oscar
SELENA GOMEZ / Mabel Mora
JACKIE HOFFMAN / Uma Heller
JAYNE HOUDYSHELL / Bunny
STEVE MARTIN / Charles-Haden Savage
AMY RYAN / Jan
MARTIN SHORT / Oliver Putnam

TED LASSO
ANNETTE BADLAND / Mae
KOLA BOKINNI / Isaac McAdoo
PHIL DUNSTER / Jamie Tartt
CRISTO FERNÁNDEZ / Dani Rojas
BRETT GOLDSTEIN / Roy Kent
BRENDAN HUNT / Coach Beard
TOHEEB JIMOH / Sam Obisanya
NICK MOHAMMED / Nathan Shelley
SARAH NILES / Dr. Sharon Fieldstone
JASON SUDEIKIS / Ted Lasso
JEREMY SWIFT / Leslie Higgins
JUNO TEMPLE / Keeley Jones
HANNAH WADDINGHAM / Rebecca Welton

Joe Barbara guests on Blue Bloods 1/28/22

GUEST CAST includes: Kara Jackson (Sarah O'neill), Derek Gaines (Bugs), Joe Barbara (Chris Kelly)

AARP The Magazine Movies For Grownups Award Nominees

Betty White Died Of Stroke Suffered Six Days Before Her Death

The certificate, posted by TMZ, showed that White’s cause of death was a “cerebrovascular accident,” also known as a stroke, caused by blot clots and broken blood vessels that result in loss of blood flow to part of the brain, which in turn damages brain tissue. The risk is increased by several factors including older age.

TMZ cited sources saying that White had been “alert and coherent” following the stroke. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, symptoms could include dizziness, confusion, disorientation, memory loss, abnormal or slurred speech, and loss of balance and coordination.

White, who most famously starred in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls, died peacefully at her home in Brentwood on New Year’s Eve. Tributes poured in from all corners of the entertainment industry and beyond including from President Joe Biden and Michelle Obama.

All the major news networks covered her passing on New Year’s Eve day, and NBC News broke into regular programming for a special report.

White, a multiple Emmy Award winner in a career that spanned eight decades, died 17 days from her 100th birthday, which was to be marked by a one-night-only nationwide Fathom Events screening of a feature documentary celebrating her career. Organizers have changed the name from Betty White: 100 Years Young to Betty White: A Celebration and will move forward with the event.

2022 Golden Globe Winners

Jean Smart - Hacks

Soap Opera Directors Interview - Bruce Barry, Sonia Blangiardo, Scott McKinsey, Phideaux Xavier

These four talented directors have brought to life some of your favorite stories, characters and moments in daytime television history over the last few decades. The shows they have worked on include All My Children, Another World, As the World Turns, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, Guiding Light, Love of Life, Passions, Search for Tomorrow, Sunset Beach, Texas and The Young and the Restless to name a few.

Betty White will have private funeral, star didn’t want ‘fuss over her’

Jeff Witjas, the star’s longtime rep and friend, told People Wednesday, “The arrangements are being handled privately and that was Betty’s wish.”

It is unknown when the ceremony will take place, and whether any of “The Golden Girls” alum’s celebrity pals will be in attendance.

White died on Dec. 31 at age 99 of natural causes at her home in Brentwood, Calif. — just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday on Jan. 17.

“Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” Witjas said in a statement last week.

“I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband, Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.”

Witjas also told People that any fans who wish to honor the trailblazing TV star could do so by donating to some of her favorite organizations.

They include: The Los Angeles Zoo, Tree People, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Wildlife Learning Center, Actors and Animals for Others, The Aquarium of the Pacific and Guide Dogs For the Blind.

“If someone has a desire to do something in her honor, you can support or donate to one or more of her favorite charities or even donate to a local animal charity of your choice,” Witjas said.

In 2012, White revealed the advice she learned from her animals on how to live a rich, full life in an interview with Katie Couric.

“I’m not preaching, but I think maybe I learned it from my animal friends,” the “Hot in Cleveland” star said at the time. “Kindness and consideration of somebody besides yourself, I think that keeps you feeling young. I really do.”

Although White was passionate about animals, her true love was always her late husband, Ludden.

The Hollywood icon’s friend and “Mama’s Family” co-star Vicki Lawrence told Page Six this week that she was told the “very last word out of her mouth was ‘Allen.’”

Witjas did not immediately return Page Six’s request for further comment.

Betty White Hometown Honors Her with Own Day ... On Her Birthday

"Betty White Day" will be recognized in Betty's hometown on January 17, which would have been her 100th birthday.

The president of the Village of Oak Park, Vicki Scaman, tells TMZ ... despite moving to California as an infant, OP residents have been grateful that over the course of her life Betty spoke very highly of Oak Park. She continued to visit relatives there years after heading west.

We're told that since she passed away, folks in Oak Park have been vocal about wanting to honor Betty, and that surely will be happening now. A few days before Betty's birthday, Village Prez Scaman will read a proclamation for "Betty White Day" during a memorial for community members in Oak Park.

For Betty's special day, the Oak Park small business community is banding together to offer discounts to customers and "Betty White specials." For example, Mickey's Restaurant will be offering a special consisting of a hotdog, fries, and diet coke -- one of Betty's favorite meals, and Turano Bakery is planning to make a giant birthday cake. Scaman tells us cutouts of Betty will cover walls in the downtown area.

The celebration will continue with a Betty White mural contest, in which the winning mural will be painted downtown. And, there's a bonus ... most everyone in town will already be off from work as BWD happens to fall on a national holiday -- MLK Jr. Day -- this year.

Betty died on New Year's Eve at 99, apparently of natural causes. And now, her legacy will live on in Oak Park, which plans to make BWD an annual event.

Betty White’s cause of death revealed, agent denies she got booster days before

“Betty died peacefully in her sleep at her home,” the agent, Jeff Witjas, who was also White’s close friend, said in a statement to People.

Witjas also shot down a debunked report that claimed White had just gotten a COVID-19 booster shot on Dec. 28.

“People are saying her death was related to getting a booster shot three days earlier, but that is not true. She died of natural causes,” he told the magazine. “Her death should not be politicized — that is not the life she lived.”

The cultural icon was a Hollywood fixture for more than eight decades and became a household name thanks to her roles in “The Golden Girls” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

News of the 99-year-old’s death on Dec. 31 broke after LAPD officers responded to a 9:30 a.m. call at her home in Brentwood, Calif.

Witjas later confirmed that his beloved client had died, telling People on New Year’s Eve, “Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever.

“I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband, Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.”

The eight-time Emmy winner’s death came shortly after she spoke to People for an issue celebrating what would have been her 100th birthday.

White told the outlet that she was “in such good health,” later quipping, “I try to avoid anything green. I think it’s working.”

Fans and friends alike paid tribute to the late entertainer, who held the record for the longest TV career in Hollywood.

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden also expressed sadness over White’s passing, with the POTUS calling her “a lovely lady.”

“That’s a shame,” he told reporters. “Ninety-nine years old. As my mother would say, God love her.”

“Who didn’t love Betty White?” the first lady chimed in. “We’re so sad.”

Vicki Lawrence reveals co-star Betty White’s ‘sweet’ last word before death

Vicki Lawrence – who worked with White on “Mama’s Family” – exclusively told Page Six that she contacted co-star and pal Carol Burnett as soon as she heard the tragic news.

“I texted Carol and said, ‘This just sucks. I hate this. It’s just horrible to see the people you love so much go away,’” Lawrence, 72, recalled.

“Carol wrote back and said, ‘I know, I know. I spoke to Betty’s assistant, who was with her when she passed, and she said the very last word out of her mouth was ‘Allen.’”

Lawrence continued, “How sweet is that? I said, ‘That is so sweet. God, I hope that’s true. For all of us, I really hope it’s true, a lovely thought.’”

White died on New Year’s Eve from natural causes, just weeks away from what would have been her 100th birthday on Jan. 17. She was married to Ludden from 1963 until his death in 1981 at the age of 72 from stomach cancer.

Recalling what it was like to work with White, Lawrence told Page Six it was always a joy.

“Well, you didn’t really work with her, you just had a good time. Carol called it ‘playing in the sandbox,’ and I think that’s exactly what it was,” she shared. “Betty was just the perfect playmate. And I have to say this, she was incredibly professional. I don’t remember her ever not being prepared or ever messing up her lines.”

However, Lawrence does remember one specific time when the always punctual White was an hour late to set.

“This was before cell phones, and everybody was beside themselves because Betty was never late,” she remembered. “And she walks in, in a dither, and says, ‘I’m so sorry, but I was driving here and these two golden retrievers come running out into the intersection and they’re obviously lost. I had to pull over and get them.’”

Lawrence said that White got the golden retrievers and returned them to their home “because that’s what Betty would do.”

Lawrence also told Page Six that White was a rare breed in the entertainment industry.

“Show business can be so disappointing when you meet people, but Betty was such a lovely lady, and I loved hearing her talk about early, early Hollywood,” she explained.

“I was reading the other day, when she first started on television, there were only a thousand people in LA that had a TV. Like, holy s–t, that’s just insane! I feel like our number one television historian has just left us, you know? For her to reach that many generations, and be just as adored every generation, [is incredible].”

On top of her incredible talents and work ethic, Lawrence said White was also wickedly funny off-camera.

“Oh God, she was so bawdy! She was such a naughty girl,” she exclaimed. “She had such a raunchy sense of humor.”

Despite Lawrence confessing to Page Six that she knew White’s death “was coming,” she said she’s still devastated by the loss of her former co-star and close friend.

“I saw that notification [about White’s death] on my phone and I thought, ‘Well, this is just the f–king exclamation point at the end of the worst year,’” she recalled. “It was like, ’And furthermore, Betty’s gone. That’s just goddamn perfect.”

Page Six has reached out to White’s rep for comment.

‘Saturday Night Live’: NBC To Air 2010 Episode With Betty White Tonight In Tribute

White became the oldest person to host the late night comedy show at 88, when she hosted in 2010. She appeared in every skit, with the episode drawing over 12 million viewers.

White hosted the late-night variety comedy series after a huge Facebook campaign urged NBC to invite her to headline the show.

It was David Matthews, of San Antonio, TX who launched the Facebook page “Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!” after the comedy legend appeared in a popular Snickers Super Bowl ad. Less than two months later, several hundred thousand fans of White had signed the petition, and it was announced that she would be hosting a special Mother’s Day episode on May 8, 2010.

The special episode brought back former cast members Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch.

The encore telecast will air tonight at 11:30 pm ET/PT following a vintage SNL episode at 10 PM.

White died Friday at her Los Angeles home, just a few weeks before her 100th birthday.

Betty White Documentary Screening To Salute 100th Birthday Will Go On As Planned

“Our hearts mourn today with the passing of Betty White,” producers Steve Boettcher and Mike Trinklein said in a statement on the Fathom Events page promoting the screening, which was to include the showing of the doc and live footage of what would have been White’s 100th birthday party.

“During the many years we worked with her, we developed a great love and admiration for Betty as a person, and as an accomplished entertainer,” they added. “We are thankful for the many decades of delight she brought to everyone. Betty always said she was the ‘luckiest broad on two feet’ to have had a career as long as she did. And honestly, we were the lucky ones to have had her for so long.

“We will go forward with our plans to show the film on January 17 in hopes our film will provide a way for all who loved her to celebrate her life—and experience what made her such a national treasure.”

The documentary includes highlights from White’s unprecedented TV career, her telling inside stories about her life, and clips of the funniest moments from such shows as The Golden Girls, SNL, Hot in Cleveland, The Proposal and The Mary Tyler Moore Show among others.

Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel, Valerie Bertinelli, James Corden, Wendy Malick and Jennifer Love Hewitt are among those featured to talk about White’s iconic career.

Here’s the trailer, and check the Fathom site for tickets participating theaters: Video.

Betty White, a TV Fixture for Seven Decades, Is Dead at 99

Her death was confirmed by Jeff Witjas, her longtime friend and agent.

Ms. White won five Primetime Emmys and one competitive Daytime Emmy — as well as a lifetime achievement Daytime Emmy in 2015 and a Los Angeles regional Emmy in 1952 — in a television career that spanned seven decades, and that the 2014 edition of “Guinness World Records” certified as the longest ever for a female entertainer. But her breakthrough came relatively late in life, with her work on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” from 1973 to 1977, for which she won two of her Emmys.

As Sue Ann, the host of a household-hints show on the television station where Ms. Moore’s character worked, the bedimpled Ms. White was annoyingly positive and upbeat, but also manipulative and bawdy — the sexpot next door, who would have you believe she slept with entire Army brigades during World War II.

Mary Tyler Moore and Betty White in a scene from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in 1975.

Once, when someone asked her how she was feeling, Sue Ann replied cheerfully: “I didn’t sleep a wink all night. I feel wonderful.”

She won another Emmy in 1986 for an entirely different kind of character: the naïve, scatterbrained Rose on “The Golden Girls,” which revolved around the lives of four older women sharing a house in Miami. Whereas Sue Ann knew everything there was to know about getting a man into bed, Rose got to the same place innocently, and by being just a wee bit off center.

Ms. White was the last surviving member of the show’s four stars. Estelle Getty died in 2008, Bea Arthur in 2009 and Rue McClanahan in 2010.

Ms. White won her final Emmy in 2010 as outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for hosting the Mother’s Day episode of “S.N.L.” She followed that appearance with a regular role on yet another sitcom, “Hot in Cleveland,” and then with a book contract and her own reality show. She was bigger than she had been in decades. But she didn’t see her resurgence as a comeback.

“I’ve been working steady for 63 years,” she said in an interview for the ABC News program “Nightline” in 2010. “But everybody says, ‘Oh, it’s such a renaissance.’ Maybe I went away and didn’t know it.”

Ms. White was over 50 and already a television veteran when she first appeared on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” but her work there elevated her career to a new level.

A comedy about a young, single television news producer in Minneapolis, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was one of the most popular sitcoms of its day or any other, thanks to smart writing, Ms. Moore’s charismatic presence and a high-caliber supporting cast. Even in the company of scene-stealing actors like Ms. Moore, Edward Asner and Valerie Harper, Ms. White’s Sue Ann stood out.

The character, introduced in the show’s fourth season, was conceived as cloying, calculating and predatory, her deviousness always accompanied by a charming smile. The producers wanted a “Betty White type” to play the role, but they did not immediately ask Ms. White because she and Ms. Moore were close friends and the producers were afraid there would be damage to the friendship if she didn’t get the role, or didn’t want it.

“They went through about 12 people and couldn’t find anybody sickening enough,” Ms. White told Modern Maturity magazine in 1998, “so they called me.”

Betty Marion White was born on Jan. 17, 1922, in Oak Park, Ill., the only child of Horace and Tess (Cachikis) White. Her father was an electrical engineer, her mother a homemaker. When Betty was a toddler, the family moved to Los Angeles, where she grew up.

At Beverly Hills High School, from which she graduated in 1939, she appeared in several student productions and even wrote her class’s graduation play, in which she had the lead role. During World War II she served in the American Women’s Voluntary Services and drove a “PX truck” delivering soap, toothpaste and candy to soldiers manning the gun emplacements the government had established in the hills of Santa Monica and Hollywood.

She also met and married a P-38 pilot, Dick Barker. That marriage lasted less than a year; when Ms. White wrote an autobiography, “Here We Go Again,” in 1995, she mentioned the marriage but did not mention his name.

Toward the end of the war she became involved in the Bliss-Hayden Little Theater, run by two Hollywood character actors, Lela Bliss and Harry Hayden, and designed to give young people a chance to perform in front of an audience. Her first performance there was in “Dear Ruth,” a comedy about a girl who pretends to be her older sister. It was seen by Lane Allen, an actor turned agent, who encouraged Ms. White to pursue an acting career. She and Mr. Allen were later married, but that union also ended in divorce.

Ms. White began her radio career by saying one word on the popular comedy “The Great Gildersleeve.” The word was “Parkay,” the name of the margarine sponsoring the show. That led to bit parts in 1940s radio staples like “Blondie” and “This Is Your F.B.I.”

She broke into television in 1949 on a local talk show called “Al Jarvis’s Hollywood on Television.” When Mr. Jarvis left the show, she succeeded him as host.

She had a few television shows of her own in the 1950s, including two sitcoms and a variety show (which she produced herself, and on which she drew both praise and criticism for featuring a Black tap dancer, Arthur Duncan, as a regular, a highly unusual move for the time). But none of those shows stayed on the air for long, and by the early 1960s she was best known as a very busy freelance guest. Game shows were her specialty: She appeared on “To Tell the Truth,” “I’ve Got a Secret,” “The Match Game,” “What’s My Line?” and, most notably, “Password,” whose host, Allen Ludden, she married in 1963.

Ms. White and Mr. Ludden remained married until his death in 1981. They had no children together, but she helped him raise his three children by a previous marriage, David, Martha and Sarah.

Information on survivors was not immediately available.

After “The Golden Girls” ended its seven-year run in 1992, Ms. White remained a familiar and welcome presence on television. She reprised the role of Rose Nylund on a short-lived spinoff, “The Golden Palace,” and made guest appearances on “Ally McBeal,” “That ’70s Show,” “Boston Legal,” “Community” and many other series. From 2006 to 2009 she had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Ms. White, who was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1995, continued acting on television well into her 90s.

She occasionally showed up on the big screen as well, most recently in “The Proposal” (2009) and “You Again” (2010). She was given a lifetime achievement award by the Screen Actors Guild in 2010.

In 2018 she was the subject of a PBS documentary, “Betty White: First Lady of Television.” The title, she joked, might have meant that she was the first woman ever on television.

But the most surprising, and high-profile, role she played in her later years was host of “Saturday Night Live” in May 2010, a booking that came about largely because of a spirited social-media campaign. Ms. White’s appearance — in which she gleefully participated in sketches suffused with the show’s trademark irreverent, often off-color humor — gave “S.N.L.” its highest ratings in a year and a half.

That same year she also returned to prime-time series television as one of the stars of the TV Land sitcom “Hot in Cleveland.” Her performance on that show as a feisty caretaker earned her yet another Emmy nomination. (She lost to Julie Bowen of “Modern Family.”) “Hot in Cleveland” ran for five seasons.

In 2012 “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers,” a hidden-camera show in which older people play pranks on younger people, made its debut on NBC. In addition to being the host, Ms. White was an executive producer.

In 2011, she published two books. The first, “If You Ask Me (and of Course You Won’t),” was a collection of essays and anecdotes about her life and career. The second, “Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo,” was about her love of animals and her long association with the Los Angeles Zoo.

Ms. White had a longstanding interest in animal welfare. In the early 1970s she produced and starred in a syndicated talk show, “The Pet Set,” in which celebrities talked about their pets. She also devoted time and money to organizations like the American Humane Association and the Fund for Animals. In 2006 she was honored by the Los Angeles Zoo, which named her “ambassador to the animals” and unveiled a plaque in her honor.

“Being remembered for Rose and Sue Ann and the others would be wonderful,” Ms. White told The Chicago Sun-Times in 1990. “But I also want to be remembered as a lady who helped the animals.”

As late as 2019, Ms. White was still doing voice-over work, most notably as a toy tiger named Bitey White in the animated film “Toy Story 4.” One of her last in-person appearances was on the 2018 Emmy Awards telecast. She had been planning to celebrate her 100th birthday, on Jan. 17, with a one-night-only film to be shown in select movie theaters.And she had just given an interview to People magazine in which she talked about her life as she turned 100.

“It’s incredible that you can stay in a career this long and still have people put up with you,” she told the assembled TV luminaries, who gave her a prolonged standing ovation. “I wish they did that at home.”

Betty White Dies: Legendary ‘Golden Girls’ Star and Multiple Emmy Award Winner Was 99

“Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” Witjas said in a statement. “I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.”

Although White is most notably known for playing sweet and naive Rose in The Golden Girls from 1985-1992, her career began more than four decades prior in her adopted home of Los Angeles. But the road to becoming a star would be paved with challenges for Betty Marion White Ludden, the only child of Christine Tess White and Horace Logan White, born in Illinois in 1922."

White seriously explored an acting and modeling career after high school before putting it all on hold to serve in the American Women’s Voluntary Services stateside during World War II. Not only did she drive supplies to a temporary camp in a PX truck up to the Hollywood Hills, but she also shared her talents as an entertainer by cutting a rug at dances with military enlistees ahead of their deployment.

When the war ended in 1945, White married U.S. Army Air Force pilot Dick Barker whom she met while volunteering. She moved to rural Ohio (population 800) where she and Barker lived with his parents on a chicken farm. The marriage ended after 8 months, according to Newsweek.

Amid the booming Golden Age of Hollywood, White returned to Southern California and set her sights on becoming a film actress before pivoting to radio after she was rejected multiple times for not being photogenic enough. No job was too big or small for White, who played bit parts on hit shows like Blondie (based on the comic strip) and This Is Your FBI, including reading commercials (her first spoken line on the air was an ad for Parkay), singing, and creating sound effects for little to no pay.

White tied the knot a second time in 1947, but her marriage to theatrical agent Lane Allen ended in divorce after two years. She knew she’d made a mistake when Allen asked her to leave show business.

She made the right choice for herself and her big break came in 1949. White joined the variety series Hollywood on Television opposite host Al Jarvis which earned her a Best Actress Emmy nomination in 1951. She stayed with the show after Jarvis and his replacement Eddie Albert departed, becoming one of the first women to host a TV show solo.

Simultaneously she produced (under her Bandy Productions banner) and starred in the comedy series Life With Elizabeth, which also boasted a female director, Betty Turbiville, a rarity at the time. White portrayed the titular character, a married suburbanite settling into life with her husband Alvin (Del Moore) that ran for 65 episodes from 1953-1955.

Her work both in front of and behind cameras helped paved the way for other women who followed and cemented her legacy as an industry pioneer. And she also used her power to make Hollywood more inclusive by hiring Arthur Duncan, an African American performer, as a regular on her NBC variety show The Betty White Show in 1954 though the decision brought much controversy.

When viewers demanded Duncan be removed, White was steadfast. “I said, ‘I’m sorry. Live with it,’” she recalled of the incident in the PBS documentary, Betty White: First Lady of Television. Due to her refusal to replace Duncan and multiple time slot changes, the show was canceled by the end of that year.

White met the love of her life, TV show host Allen Ludden, in 1961 on his game show Password when she was a guest. Feeling like a failure because she was a divorcee twice over, she turned down Ludden’s two proposals before finally saying “I Do” two years later. The two were married until his death from stomach cancer in 1981 and never remarried.

After appearing on a multitude of talks shows and more game shows, White made her big-screen debut in the 1962 political drama Advise & Consent in the role of Senator Bessie Adams of Kansas. It would take two decades for her to do another film though reviews of her performance were positive.

In later years she appeared in Lake Placid, The Story of Us, Bringing Down the House, The Proposal, and as a voice actor in The Lorax and Toy Story 4.

But it was on TV where White shined the brightest. In 1973, she joined her good friend Mary Tyler Moore in The Mary Tyler Moore Show playing perky Sue Ann Nivens for 46 episodes.

“Sue Ann was a huge career mood change,” White says of the character she lovingly refers to as the “neighborhood nymphomaniac” in her 2011 book If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t). “The Mary Tyler Moore Show aired for seven years altogether. I came on in the fourth season, in what was to have been a one-shot appearance. The most episodes I ever did during one season was 12 of 22—the other seasons, I did only 5 or 6 episodes. But people still remember Sue Ann. She was such a mess!”

She won her second and third Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Sue Ann and a Grammy Award in 2011 for Best Spoken Word Recording for the audio version of the bestselling book. Across her eight decades-long career, White was honored with a total of 8 Emmy Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

The Golden Girls came knocking in 1985 landing the role of sex-crazed Blanche Devereaux in a comedy series that followed four widows sharing their lives and a home with an obscene amount of wicker in sunny Miami. White would go on to play Rose, the role originally offered to Maude’s Rue McClanahan. The pair swapped at the suggestion of the pilot’s director Jay Sandrich—and the rest is history.

White played Rose from 1985 to 1992 when the show ended after Bea Arthur, who played Dorothy Zbornak, announced her departure. Rose reappeared in The Golden Girls short-lived spin-off series The Golden Palace alongside McClanahan and Estelle Getty.

Guest appearances in various other popular shows followed including The Practice, The John Laroquette Show, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Boston Legal before joining TV Land’s Hot in Cleveland in 2010.

Throughout her life, White was a passionate animal lover that advocated for beasts large and small. She supported various charitable organizations the benefitted the animal kingdom like the Morris Animal Foundation, Farm Sanctuary, PAWS/LA, and SPCLA, among many others.

White tweeted for the final time about her upcoming milestone just days ago.

Beloved TV Funny Lady Betty White, Star of The Golden Girls, Dead at 99

“Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” said Jeff Witjas, White’s agent and friend, in a statement to People on Friday. “I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.”

In this week’s People cover story celebrating White’s approaching centennial (she was to turn 100 on Jan. 17), the icon said, “I’m so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age. It’s amazing.”

The Oak Park, Ill., native — best known for playing mantrap Sue Ann Nivens on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1973-77) and ditzy Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls (1985-92) — got her big break on the small screen in 1949, when she began co-hosting Al Jarvis’ live variety show, Hollywood on Television. Just two years later, she was nominated for her first Primetime Emmy Award and co-founded her own production company, which, a year after that, created Life With Elizabeth, a syndicated comedy showcasing one of her Hollywood on Television characters.

Though White broke into feature films in 1962 and went on to appear in successful movies such as Lake Placid (1999) and The Proposal (2009), it was on the small screen that she found her greatest successes — often just by being herself. During her almost two-decade run as the hostess of the Tournament of Roses Parade, she became a fixture on both late-night talk shows and daytime game shows — in particular Password, whose host, Ludden, she married in 1963.

After winning back-to-back Emmys in 1975 and ’76 for her portrayal of “The Happy Homemaker” on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, White starred in her own sitcom, the short-lived Betty White Show, and began a 10-year stint as the hostess of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. In 1983, she became the first woman to win a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host (for Just Men!) and started recurring on Mama’s Family as Ellen Harper Jackson, the snooty character she’d originated on The Carol Burnett Show.

When The Golden Girls ended its run in 1992, White — who’d won the 1986 Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series and earned six more nominations for her work as sunny Rose — joined Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty on the short-lived spin-off The Golden Palace. But, whether she had a regular role, White never seemed to slow down. Between guest spots on everything from The John Larroquette Show (which netted her another Emmy in 1993) to Bones (2015), she tackled recurring parts on Boston Legal (2005-08) and The Bold and the Beautiful (2006), and scored another Emmy for hosting Saturday Night Live (2010).

That same year, White turned a one-off appearance in the pilot for Hot in Cleveland into a five-year run as bawdy Elka Ostrovsky. As if that wasn’t enough, from 2012-14, she also hosted and executive-produced Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, which allowed seniors to prank young whippersnappers, and earned a Grammy for the spoken-word recording of her best-seller, If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t).

Among her other accolades are a Lifetime Achievement Award (presented at the 2015 Daytime Emmys), a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (right next to Ludden’s) and inclusion (as of 2014) in the Guinness World Records book as the record-holder for Longest TV Career for an Entertainer (Female).

Throughout her life and career, White — who had no children (but was stepmother to Ludden’s three kids from his first marriage) — was a staunch animal-rights activist. Not only was she a sponsor of both the Farm Animal Reform Movement and Friends of Animals, but she wrote Betty White’s Pet-Love: How Pets Take Care of Us, and donated all the proceeds from her clothing line and 2011 calendar to animal charities.

In recent years, People’s cover story reported, White had been living a “quiet life” at home of crossword puzzles, playing card games, watching Jeopardy! and continuing her animal welfare advocacy. Longtime Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, prior to his own passing in 2020, said of his possible successor as host, “It’s probably going to be a woman, she’ll have to be bright, she’ll have to have a good sense of humor… Uhhhh, let’s see…. Betty White is my choice.”

Betty White, ‘Golden Girls’ Star and TV Legend, Dies at 99

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to a death investigation on the 500 block of N. Carmelina Ave. in Los Angeles at 9:30 a.m. Friday morning. White would have celebrated her 100th birthday on Jan. 17. White is believed to have died Thursday night at her Brentwood home.

White’s agent and close friend Jeff Witjas confirmed her death to Variety. “Even though Betty was about to be 100, I thought she would live forever,” Witjas said in a statement. “I will miss her terribly and so will the animal world that she loved so much. I don’t think Betty ever feared passing because she always wanted to be with her most beloved husband Allen Ludden. She believed she would be with him again.”

Witjas emphasized that White had not been ill but had been extremely cautious during the COVID-19 pandemic. She spent most of the past two years at the home she loved with her many pets. She had round-the-clock caretakers in her final years, Witjas said.

White’s work schedule had slowed considerably as she reached her late 90s. She told Variety in an email Q&A in 2020 that her career blossomed in the early days of TV because she was fascinated by the medium. “I just love to work and the word ‘no’ did not exist,” White told Variety.

The approach of White’s 100th birthday sparked numerous tributes and appreciations of her long run in the industry. Just this week, White graced the cover of People magazine. “I’m so lucky to be in such good health and feel so good at this age,” White told the magazine. White was also the subject of a recent book by Variety alum Ray Richmond, “Betty White: 100 Remarkable Moments in an Extraordinary Life.”

White, who played Sue-Ann Nivens on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” in the 1970s and Rose on “The Golden Girls” from 1985-92, was a staple on TV for more than 60 years, having started as the sidekick on a local Los Angeles daytime show that kept her on live TV five hours a day, five days a week.

The energetic blonde with the honeyed voice and girl-next-door beauty was one of the rare performers to remain as popular into her nineties with new generations of viewers — thanks to reruns of “Golden Girls” — as she was in her sitcom heyday.

In her 80s, White was still stealing scenes in film comedies such as “The Proposal,” “You Again” and “Bringing Down the House,” as well as making regular appearances on late night talkshows, where she delighted audiences with her quickfire repartee with Jay Leno, Craig Ferguson and other hosts.

Her well-reviewed turn alongside Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds in 2009’s “The Proposal” boosted her profile, and suddenly she was everywhere: starring in the well-received Super Bowl commercial spot for Snickers and hosting “Saturday Night Live” after a fan campaign to land her the job started on Facebook (White had actually been offered the gig years before but turned it down).

She was hired by producers of “Hot in Cleveland” for a guest shot in the pilot but was quickly pressed into service as a series regular. “Cleveland” was an instant hit thanks in no small measure to White’s star power. She earned SAG Awards for her work on the show in 2011 and 2012 and her 17th career Emmy nomination.

The hits she had in the series department were giant ones and made her a household name. Her characters on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” a homemaker with a rather saucy reputation, and on “Golden Girls,” a rather befuddled simpleton, were part of television history. Both programs brought her Emmys, two for “Moore” and three for “Golden Girls.”

Born in Oak Park, Ill., she moved with her family to Los Angeles, where her acting aspirations began at Beverly Hills High School. Shortly after graduation, she made her professional stage debut as part of the Bliss Hayden Little Theater, of which she was a member for several years. She also did guest stints on radio shows such as “Blondie,” “This Is Your FBI” and “The Great Gildersleeve” before branching into early television. White made her first screen appearance, however, in the 1945 educational short “Time to Kill,” promoting the benefits of the G.I. Bill.

In 1953 White landed her first sitcom, “Life With Elizabeth,” which was short-lived, as was daytime talkshow “The Betty White Show” in 1954, “A Date With the Angels” in 1957 and comedy variety skein “The Betty White Show” in 1958.

She then drifted into gameshows, including “To Tell the Truth,” “I’ve Got a Secret,” “Match Game,” “Password” and “What’s My Line?” White was also a regular on the nighttime “Jack Paar Show” and the syndicated woman’s daytime show “Girl Talk.” During that time she had her own radio show on CBS, “Ask Betty White.”

White had worked with “Password” host Alan Ludden and was appearing in summer stock with him in 1962 in “Critic’s Choice” when they became romantically involved; they married the next year. (White had been briefly married to Frederick Barker and to Lane Allen but had been single since 1949). They would co-star for years in summer stock in productions such as “Brigadoon,” “Any Wednesday” and “Guys and Dolls” as well as on TV on “Password.”

In 1971, White, an animal lover, had a talkshow called “The Pet Set,” about celebrities and their pets. (She later wrote the book “Betty White’s Pet Love.”)

White was a friend of Mary Tyler Moore when Moore’s producers were looking for a regular like Cloris Leachman. The character of Sue Ann was created with White in mind but offered to several actresses before the producers decided to go with White (who claimed, perhaps rightly, that for a time her gameshow persona was so ingrained in everyone’s mind that she was ignored for other acting jobs). The character of the Happy Homemaker, who always had sex on the brain, was an instant success and brought her back-to-back Emmys as supporting actress in 1974 and 1975.

After the Moore show ended, another series was developed for White in which she co-starred with Georgia Engel. “The Betty White Show” debuted in 1977 but was cancelled after half a season. She returned to gameshows as well as miniseries and TV movies like “The Best Place to Be,” “This Ring,” “Before and After” and “The Gossip Columnist.”

In 1983 she hosted another gameshow, “Just Men.” The show was panned but brought her another Emmy. She had a recurring role in “Mama’s Family,” a spinoff of a regular skit on “The Carol Burnett Show” in which Rue McClanahan also recurred.

Though she was originally slated for the role of the promiscuous southern Belle on “The Golden Girls,” she chose instead to play Rose, the slightly akilter but sweet-hearted character in the series targeted at an older demo (McClanahan got the Belle role). It was a huge hit running into the early ’90s and added two more Emmys to White’s shelf. She carried on for another season in the spinoff “The Golden Palace” and then segued into a regular role on Newhart series “Bob” and 1995’s “Maybe This Time.”

Television movies and regular guest appearances on shows as diverse as “St. Elsewhere” and “Suddenly Susan” kept White constantly in front of the camera, as did the occasional TV movie like “Weekend in the Country.”

In 1999 an appearance in David E. Kelley’s monster crocodile movie “Lake Placid” renewed attention on White: She lampooned her love of animals by playing a smiling but foul-mouthed woman who protects the predator that’s dispatching humans.

She was a television phenomenon in the 2000s, guesting as herself on “Ugly Betty” as well as in animated form on both “The Simpsons” and “Family Guy” and providing voices for many animated films and TV shows.

White recurred on soap “The Bold and the Beautiful” from 2006-09, on “That ’70s Show” and as Catherine Piper both on “The Practice” and on “Boston Legal.” In 2010 she became the oldest person ever to host “Saturday Night Live.”

In January 2012 the NBC special “Betty White’s 90th Birthday: A Tribute to America’s Golden Girl’’ was the most-watched program on the night. White hosted and produced the hidden-camera reality show “Off Their Rockers” in 2012-13, earning two more Emmy nominations.

Her most recent book, “If You Ask Me (And of Course You Won’t),” was published in 2011. She won a Screen Actors Guild life achievement award in 2010.

Ludden died in 1981, and White never remarried.

Australia’s AACTA International Awards Nominations

BEST ACTOR IN A SERIES
Murray Bartlett – THE WHITE LOTUS
Lee Jung-jae – SQUID GAME
Ewan McGregor – HALSTON
Jeremy Strong – SUCCESSION
Jason Sudeikis – TED LASSO

BEST ACTRESS IN A SERIES
Jennifer Coolidge – THE WHITE LOTUS
Nicole Kidman – NINE PERFECT STRANGERS
Jean Smart – HACKS
Sarah Snook – SUCCESSION
Kate Winslet – MARE OF EASTTOWN.

Betty White’s 100th birthday coming to theaters for one-night-only event

The iconic star of both the big and the small screens will hit triple digits, turning the big 1-0-0, next year. Fans will able to celebrate the joyous occasion with her in a special one-night-only theatrical event.

“Betty White: 100 Years Young — A Birthday Celebration” will be distributed by Fathom Events and will be shown in 900 cinemas nationwide on Jan. 17, 2022.

Tickets will go on sale on Dec. 17.

The show will take a gander at the much-loved actress’ life behind the scenes, as well as her relationships with her friends and staff and her efforts as an animal advocate.

The “Golden Girls” star’s 100th birthday bash will also be in the show, with a guest list that includes the likes of Ryan Reynolds, Tina Fey, Robert Redford, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Jay Leno, Carol Burnett, Craig Ferguson, Jimmy Kimmel, Valerie Bertinelli, James Corden, Wendie Malick and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

Highlight reels from her illustrious career will be featured in the show, along with footage from her appearances on “Saturday Night Live” and her roles on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “Hot in Cleveland.”

“Who doesn’t love a party?!? This one is gonna be great,” White said in a statement.

Filmmaker Steve Boettcher added, “We didn’t want this day to pass without bringing together all the people that love her, from her co-stars and friends to her many millions of fans of all ages, to celebrate her 100th birthday with an entertaining and loving look at what makes Betty a national treasure.”

White’s legacy on “The Golden Girls” will further be memorialized in the upcoming fan convention.

The Golden-Con: Thank You for Being a Fan event will be held in Chicago April 22-24.

“We’re creating a space where fans can celebrate all the things they love about the show: friendships, laughter, families of choice, Scandinavian nitwits, sexy Southern belles, stern substitute teachers and Sicilians,” event producer Zack Hudson told Edge Media Network in October.

When The Post asked White’s reps if she plans on attending the inaugural Golden-Con, her spokesman Jeff Witjas said: “No she is not. At 99 and about to be 100 [on Jan. 17], Betty no longer travels by air.”

‘The Golden Palace’: ’90s ‘The Golden Girls’ Spin-Off Series Headed To Hulu

The Golden Palace, a 90s spin-off series of The Golden Girls, will stream exclusively via Hulu starting Jan. 10. The streamer is releasing Palace in celebration of franchise star Betty White’s 100th birthday just 7 days later.

Though it only ran for one season, The Golden Palace is a treasured follow-up of the original series that has mostly been unavailable to stream. It’s set after the events of the Golden Girls series finale that saw Bea Arthur’s departure as Dorothy Zbornak after marrying Blanche’s (Rue McClanahan) uncle Lucas (Leslie Nielson).

The new series reunited White’s Rose Nylund with Dorothy’s mother Sophia Petrillo (Estelle Getty), and Blanche as they’re amid mayhem while moving out of the Miami residence they shared for the titular Art Deco hotel in South Beach they invested in and would manage. Series costars include Don Cheadle, who played hotel manager Roland Wilson, and Cheech Marin as co-chef Roland Wilson.

Palace, created by Susan Harris, aired its only season consisting of 24 episodes from 1992-1993 before it was canceled by CBS.

The entire The Golden Girls series is available to stream via Hulu now.

Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations

BEST MALE LEAD
Clifton Collins Jr., Jockey
Frankie Faison, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
Michael Greyeyes, Wild Indian
Udo Kier, Swan Song
Simon Rex, Red Rocket

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE IN A NEW SCRIPTED SERIES
Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game
Olly Alexander, It’s a Sin
Michael Greyeyes, Rutherford Falls
Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus
Ashley Thomas, THEM: Covenant

Golden Globes Nominations

LEONARDO DICAPRIO - DON’T LOOK UP
PETER DINKLAGE - CYRANO
ANDREW GARFIELD - TICK, TICK…BOOM!
COOPER HOFFMAN - LICORICE PIZZA
ANTHONY RAMOS - IN THE HEIGHTS

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

UZO ADUBA - IN TREATMENT
JENNIFER ANISTON - THE MORNING SHOWCHRISTINE BARANSKI - THE GOOD FIGHT
ELISABETH MOSS - THE HANDMAID’S TALE
MICHAELA JAÉ RODRIGUEZ - POSE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA

BRIAN COX - SUCCESSION
LEE JUNG-JAE - SQUID GAMEBILLY PORTER - POSE
JEREMY STRONG - SUCCESSION
OMAR SY - LUPIN

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

HANNAH EINBINDER - HACKS
ELLE FANNING - THE GREAT
ISSA RAE - INSECURE
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS - BLACK-ISHJEAN SMART - HACKS

The Gilded Age Trailer: 'Anything Is Possible' for Well-to-Do New Yorkers in Julian Fellowes' Downton Follow-Up

“New York is a collection of villages. The old have been in charge since before the revolution… ’til the new people invaded,” Christine Baranski’s Agnes van Rhijn explains to her niece Marian (played by Louisa Jacobson) at the start of the preview, which HBO released Monday.

“Well, I’m new. I’ve only just arrived,” Marian points out, only to have Agnes swiftly correct her: “You are my niece, and you belong to old New York.”

Indeed, that social divide is at the heart of both Julian Fellowes’ (Downton Abbey) upcoming HBO series and its trailer, which gives us a good sense of the period drama’s key players. Among them are George Russell (The Plot Against America‘s Morgan Spector) and wife Bertha (The Leftovers‘ Carrie Coon), whose entry into polite society is met with scorn and some serious side-eye; Peggy Scott (UnREAL‘s Denée Benton), an aspiring writer who befriends Marian; Dorothy Scott (The Good Fight‘s Audra McDonald, who in the trailer is suspicious of the hospitality bestowed upon Peggy; and Ada Brook (Sex and the City‘s Cynthia Nixon), Agnes’ kind but dim sister, Per the official logline for the drama: “The American Gilded Age was a period of immense economic change, of great conflict between the old ways and brand-new systems, and of huge fortunes made and lost. Against the backdrop of this transformation, [the show] begins in 1882 with young Marian Brook moving from rural Pennsylvania to New York City after the death of her father to live with her thoroughly old-money aunts.

“Accompanied by Peggy Scott, an aspiring writer seeking a fresh start, Marian inadvertently becomes enmeshed in a social war,” it continues, “between one of her aunts, a scion of the old-money set, and her stupendously rich neighbors, a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife. Exposed to a world on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path?”

The Gilded Age will premiere on Monday, Jan. 24 (at 9/8c), on HBO.

Annie Murphy, John Cho & Christine Baranski Star In Animated Series ‘Praise Petey’ From Anna Drezen For Freeform As Network Takes Another Crack At Genre

The youth-skewing network has handed Praise Petey (w/t) from SNL head writer Anna Drezen, who created the series, and exec producers including Monica Padrick, Mike Judge and Greg Daniels a series order.

It comes as the Disney-owned network takes another crack at animation, having previously developed a number of series in this space.

Praise Petey follows Petey, voiced by Schitt’s Creek star Murphy, a New York City “it” girl who has it all until her life comes crashing down around her. As luck would have it, a mysterious gift from her father gives her a new lease on life: she’s going to lean into modernizing his small-town cult.

Cowboy Bebop star Cho voices Bandit, a potential love interest for Petey and a cult member since childhood whose mother was a high-ranking member. The Good Fight’s Baranski voices White, Petey’s mother, a magazine editor, Manhattan society woman and a terrifying perfectionist who’s never eaten, tasted or seen ketchup.

The Flash’s Kiersey Clemons voices Eliza, a bartender at the local bar and reluctant BFF to Petey, working at her new cult. Magnum P.I.’s Amy Hill voices Mae Mae, Bandit’s Southern mama oozing with Southern hospitality who happens to be the right-hand woman of a cult leader. Barry’s Stephen Root voices Petey’s loving father, a charming, homespun, stone-cold cult leader with some pretty unique ideas about meditation, space, jumping up and down in a field, and how his bloodline is necessary for the salvation of mankind. He may or may not be dead.

Praise Petey will begin production in early 2022.

It is exec produced by Central Park’s Monica Padrick, along with Bandera Entertainment’s Mike Judge, Greg Daniels and Dustin Davis, and ShadowMachine’s Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico. The series is produced by 20th Television Animation, with animation by ShadowMachine.

Anna Drezen said, “I can’t believe I get to make this show with so many funny and smart people. Getting to work with Monica, Bandera, Freeform, ShadowMachine, 20th Television Animation and this amazing cast has been a blast and dream — a bleam. This rules.”

Jamila Hunter, EVP Programming & Development, Freeform, told Deadline, “It’s kind of the A-team. It was a spec script that we bought and Annie Murphy got attached early on. We’ve had such a great opportunity to attract talent because Anna [Drezen’ is so incredibly funny and smart. Animation has a great opportunity to be funny and thought provoking. That’s what we love about it.”

The network also has two other animated projects in development – SupaShawty Girls, Funkamatic BangBang and Wallflower.

SupaShawty Girls, Funkamatic BangBang comes from newcomer writers and executive producers Adamma and Adanne Ebo, and exec producers Tiffany Haddish and Melanie Clark.

It follows Yeze and Tule when a freak laboratory accident turns the twin college students into dopeass superheroes, and they must learn to manage their brand new super-powered lives with the growing pains of adulthood. Unfortunately for humanity, they’d actually rather kick it than kick butt & save the world.

Wallflower comes from writers and executive producers Ben 10 writer Julia Edelman, Solar Opposites co-exec producer Danielle Uhlarik, and New Yorker cartoonist Olivia de Recat.

It follows Ren, a quick-witted introvert who has the power to communicate with her houseplants. With the misguided help of her charming, but dysfunctional ensemble of greenery, Ren clumsily navigates the many anxieties of being in your twenties.

Both projects are produced by 20th Television Animation.

Hunter has said that animation is an area that has done well with its core demo of younger viewers. “We are not solely doing things that are female-focused but the animation space does tend to be dominated by male protagonists so the fact that the first three things that we have coming up in the animatic stage, they do all have young female protagonists, there definitely not your traditional leading women, that’s something we’re very excited about, because I hope it’s something that can make a bit of noise in this landscape.”

Freeform has dabbled in animation development before. In 2019, it was working on millennial comedy Betches, written by Rachel Koller and produced by Emma Roberts, and Woman World, based on a graphic novel, written by Aminder Dhaliwal and exec produced by The Guild’s Felicia Day. Neither project ended up going to series.

Hunter expects these new projects to be the first of many. “We do have a slate of others that aren’t yet at the steps of animatics and artwork and we’re continuing to buy. The goal is for this to continue to be its own pipeline of Gen Z and millennial stories for the Freeform brand,” she said. “We’ve been very aggressive about going out to the town to procure more projects.”

Wendie Malick recurs & Taylor Spreitler guests on Young Sheldon 1/6/22

RECURRING CAST: Wallace Shawn (Dr. Sturgis), Reba McEntire (June), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer).

GUEST CAST includes: Taylor Spreitler (Sam), Grady Lee Richmond (Wade), Matthew Josten (Bobby).

‘In Performance At The White House’ To Return With Holiday Season Special

Jennifer Garner will host the special, with performances by Andrea Bocelli, Matteo Bocelli, Virginia Bocelli, Camila Cabello, Eric Church, the Jonas Brothers, Norah Jones, Pentatonix, Billy Porter, Northwell Health Nurse Choir, Voices of Service and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will deliver remarks, and the event, titled Spirit of the Season, will highlight the holiday decor of the White House.

This will be the first In Performance since 2016, as none were held during the presidency of Donald Trump. The special also will be different in that the performances will be taped over a span of a few days, rather than a concert in the East Room, as has been tradition. That is because of Covid-19 protocols.

“We look forward to sharing more special performances recorded at the White House to capture the essence of our nation at its best,” Sharon Percy Rockefeller, president and chief executive officer of WETA-TV, said in a statement.

The Northwell Nurse Choir is a group of frontline nurses that formed last year as their profession faced the challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic. Voices of Service is a quartet that has used their platform to show the impact that music can have on service members recovering from post traumatic stress disorder.

The In Performance specials began in 1978 with an East Room recital by pianist Vladimir Horowitz.

The special is produced by WETA, in association with Ken Ehrlich Productions. Executive producers are John F. Wilson and Ehrlich, with producer Renato Basile and director Toré Livia.

'A Case of Blue' Film Discussion (with Stephen Schnetzer)

A Case of Blue, is a feature film starring Stephen Schnetzer (Another World, Homeland) and Annapurna Sriram (Billions, Feral) that is available for rent and purchase on most streaming platforms today. Is it possible to relive a long-lost romance? This compelling romantic drama, shot in iconic NYC locations, is about a recent retiree (Schnetzer) who attends a life drawing class in New York and encounters the free-spirited model (Sriram) who resembles a long-lost love. Tracy Shayne (Homeland, Blindspot) plays his wife and Ken Baltin (The Equalizer 2, The Vault) play his best buddy. The film is being distributed by 1091 Media and is a Dane-Gramp Production. You can order here: https://geni.us/ACaseofBlue.

The movie is written and directed by Student Academy Award winner Dana H. Glazer. It is executive produced by Scott Rosenfelt (Home Alone, Mystic Pizza, Critical Thinking). Co-producers are Suzanne Ordas Curry (Equity, Killian and the Comeback Kids) and Dotti Fucito (Bad Parents). It is being distributed by 1091 Media.

A Case of Blue has won awards at the Chelsea (NYC) Film Festival and Imagine This! Women's International Film Festival in NYC.

Dana Glazer states, "This was a deeply personal film that I made as a way of communicating with my dad about some challenging things he was going through at the time and I hope audiences find it both entertaining and redemptive.”

Scott Rosenfelt executive producer states, “When Dana Glazer sent me the script, I was immediately taken with the story and Dana’s unique vision for it. I thought it embodied all of the elements of a major film that could be made as an indie. I was happy to work alongside Dana throughout and the proof is on the screen.”

The movie is available on most streaming platforms including Amazon, Itunes, Apple TV, Google Play, Xbox, VUDU, iN Deman Movies, Vubiquity, Dish with more coming.

Former Soap Stars Get Critics Choice TV Nominations

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)
Mike Colter – Evil (Paramount+)
Brian Cox – Succession (HBO)
Lee Jung-jae – Squid Game (Netflix)
Billy Porter – Pose (FX)
Jeremy Strong – Succession (HBO)

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Uzo Aduba – In Treatment (HBO)
Chiara Aurelia – Cruel Summer (Freeform)
Christine Baranski – The Good Fight (Paramount+)
Katja Herbers – Evil (Paramount+)
Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets (Showtime)
MJ Rodriguez – Pose (FX)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Nicholas Braun – Succession (HBO)
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Kieran Culkin – Succession (HBO)
Justin Hartley – This Is Us (NBC)
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession (HBO)
Mandy Patinkin – The Good Fight (Paramount+)

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Elle Fanning – The Great (Hulu)
Renée Elise Goldsberry – Girls5eva (Peacock)
Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Sandra Oh – The Chair (Netflix)
Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO)
Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Murray Bartlett – The White Lotus (HBO)
Zach Gilford – Midnight Mass (Netflix)
William Jackson Harper – The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)
Evan Peters – Mare of Easttown (HBO)
Christian Slater – Dr. Death (Peacock)
Courtney B. Vance – Genius: Aretha (National Geographic)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus (HBO)
Kaitlyn Dever – Dopesick (Hulu)
Kathryn Hahn – WandaVision (Disney+)
Melissa McCarthy – Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
Julianne Nicholson – Mare of Easttown (HBO)
Jean Smart – Mare of Easttown (HBO)

2021 Gotham Award Winners

Outstanding Lead Performance (tie)

Frankie Faison in The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain (Gravitas Ventures)

Olivia Colman in The Lost Daughter (Netflix)

‘The Gilded Age’: HBO Unveils First-Look Teaser & Sets Premiere For Julian Fellowes Period Drama

HBO has set the premiere for the series and unveiled first-look photos of the big-budget drama with images and a trailer (which you can see above).

The series, which is written by Fellowes and Sonja Warfield and directed by Michael Engler and Salli Richardson-Whitfield, will launch on Monday January 24 at 9pm.

The nine-part series stars, which was first greenlit to series by NBC in 2018, before HBO took it on in early 2019, stars Carrie Coon, Morgan Spector, Denée Benton, Louisa Jacobson, Taissa Farmiga, Blake Ritson, Simon Jones, Harry Richardson, Thomas Cocquerel, Jack Gilpin, with Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski.

The show, which is a co-production between HBO and Universal Television, is an epic drama that follows the millionaire titans of New York City in the 1880s.

The story begins in 1882 — introducing young Marian Brook, the orphaned daughter of a Union general, who moves into the New York City home of her thoroughly old-money aunts Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook. Accompanied by Peggy Scott, an accomplished African-American woman, Marian inadvertently becomes enmeshed in a social war between one of her aunts, a scion of the old-money set, and her stupendously rich neighbors, a ruthless railroad tycoon and his ambitious wife, George and Bertha Russell. In this exciting new world that is on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society or forge her own path?

Exec producers include Fellowes, Gareth Neame, Michael Engler, David Crockett, and Salli Richardson-Whitfield.

Wendie Malick recurs on Young Sheldon

RECURRING CAST: Matt Hobby (Pastor Jeff), Ed Begley, Jr. (Professor Linkletter), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer), Nancy Linehan Charles (Peg)

“THE NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING,” TO BE BROADCAST FOR THE FIRST TIME ON CBS, SUNDAY, DEC. 5

This beloved American tradition, presented by the National Park Service (NPS) and National Park Foundation (NPF), will feature a star-studded lineup of musical performances by Billy Porter, Chris Stapleton, H.E.R., Juanes, Keb’ Mo’, Kristin Chenoweth, Maren Morris and Patti LaBelle singing holiday favorites. In addition to the official lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse in President’s Park in Washington, D.C., the event will also feature performances by the U.S. Army Band Downrange and the Howard Gospel Choir. The NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING ceremony will take place on Thursday, Dec. 2.

Talk Show Appearance

AIRING Nov 15, 2021

Interview with Billy Porter.

Talk Show Appearance

Th 11/18: Anne Heche

Megan Hilty Steps In As Replacement For Covid-Struck Jane Krakowski In ‘Annie Live!’

“I am beyond thrilled to join this all-star cast, crew and creative team,” said Hilty in a statement. “My family and I have been super fans of Annie for as long as I can remember, and we always look forward to the epic televised musicals produced by Bob Greenblatt & Neil Meron, so to be a part of this particular production is an honor and a dream come true. I wish Jane the speediest of recoveries and hope to do her proud.”

According to NBC, Krakowski is “experiencing a breakthrough Covid case while working on a separate project in Ireland despite being double vaccinated, a regular testing process and abiding by protocols.”

Hilty joins Celina Smith, who will play Annie, and an ensemble that includes Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan, Harry Connick Jr. as Daddy Warbucks, Nicole Scherzinger as Grace and Tituss Burgess as Rooster.

2021 Holiday Movies, Shows On TV & Streaming For November & December – Updated Schedule

Hilty is best known to TV audiences for her portrayal of Ivy Lynn in NBC’s musical drama Smash, and she recently appeared in Lifetime’s Patsy & Loretta. Other TV credits include Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce, Difficult People, The Good Wife and The Good Fight. She made her Broadway debut as Glinda in Wicked and was Tony-nominated for her role in 2016’s Noises Off.

Annie Live! will be executive produced by Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Alex Rudzinsky, with Lear deBessonet and Rudzinski sharing the directing duties. Choreography will be led by Sergio Trujillo. The live event is being produced by Chloe Productions.

The musical will air Thursday, December 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Hilty is represented by Randi Goldstein and Nick Collins at Gersh.

Kelsey Grammer & Edi Patterson Join Scripted Sci-Fi Podcast ‘Black Box’

The Frasier star and Righteous Gemstones stars have signed up for the audio series, which comes from Brian Siegele and his production company Reverb.

The eight-part series, which is in the vein of Stranger Things and Back To The Future, follows four teenagers — played by Michael Cimino (Love, Victor), Brec Bassinger (Stargirl), Chosen Jacobs (It) and Jacob Bertrand (Cobra Kai) — who stumble upon the wreckage of a crashed time machine and discover a black box recording which foretells impending disaster.

Forced on the run with the jaded inventor of time travel (played by Patterson) they must scramble to uncover a catastrophic plot by a powerful military general (played by Grammer) and scheming scientist (played by McHale) before it’s too late.

Black Box is written and directed by Siegele and produced by Siegele and Chase Kinser. It launches on November 9.

“Black Box explores the power of friendship and perils of ambition through an unpredictable and fast-paced adventure that will keep listeners glued to their headphones,” said Siegele. “We want Black Box to be a fun and easy-to-follow experience unlike anything podcast fans have heard before.”

Grammer is represented by UTA and Vault Entertainment. Patterson is represented by CAA.

Geoff Pierson & Clark Backo Join ‘The List’

They’ll appear alongside previously announced cast members Halston Sage, Christian Navarro, Gregg Sulkin, Jonah Platt, Chrissie Fitt, Will Peltz and Zach Reino.

The film written by Rob Lederer and Steve Vitolo centers on Abby (Sage), a woman who is about to get married, for whom everything is perfect. Until she finds out her fiancé Matt (Platt) has slept with a celebrity from his “free pass” list. To get her mind off things, Abby and her best friend Chloe (Fit) come up with a crazy idea: Abby should pursue a celebrity from her own list. But things become complicated when she meets Jake (Navarro), a sweet and charming waiter at a neighborhood cafe, who gives her a fresh perspective. Pierson will play New York City Mayor Capozzi. On the verge of announcing his bid to run for president, Capozzi has a special, paternal relationship with Abby, who’s been his speechwriter for the last five years. Backo will portray Kenzie Burke, the rising star who sleeps with Abby’s fiancé.

Tobias Weymar, Annie Mahoney and Mark Fasano are producing for Nickel City Pictures, with Sage exec producing alongside Lederer, Vitolo, Eric B. Fleischman and Maurice Fadida, and New Legend Entertainment financing.

Pierson is perhaps best known for his turn as the doomed President John Keeler on 24, and will next be seen opposite Chris Pratt in upcoming Amazon series, The Terminal List. The actor has also appeared on the TV side in Designated Survivor, Splitting Up Together, Castle, Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, The West Wing and more. He recently appeared on the film side in Tyler Spindel’s Netflix pic The Wrong Missy, previously featuring in the casts of J. Edgar, World’s Greatest Dad, Get Smart, Changeling and other titles.

Backo is an actor, writer and activist who has appeared on the TV side in Hulu’s Letterkenny and The Handmaid’s Tale, Nat Geo’s The Hot Zone, The CW’s Supernatural, Designated Survivor and other series. She’s appeared on the film side in Blumhouse and Netflix’s Seven in Heaven and Jay Baruchel’s Random Acts of Violence, among other titles. The actress will next be seen in Amazon Studios’ rom-com I Want You Back, starring alongside Jenny Slate, Charlie Day, and Gina Rodriguez.

Pierson is repped by Artists & Representatives, Edna Talent Management and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller. Backo is with A3 Artists Agency and Ambition Talent.

Wendie Malick recurs on Young Sheldon

RECURRING CAST: Craig T. Nelson (Dale), Reba McEntire (June), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer), Lance Reddick (Professor Boucher).

Patrick Mulcahey Interview 11/11/21

Patrick has written for Another World (briefly), Texas, Guiding Light (twice), Loving, Santa Barbara, General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful, two short-lived primetime series, and two Movies of the Week. Patrick earned his first Emmy win at Guiding Light working where he was working side by side with Douglas Marland until Douglas left the show. 40 years after his start at Search for Tomorrow, Patrick left The Bold and the Beautiful at the end of 2019 and in his post-soap pandemic shutdown life, he’s writing plays nobody’s seen (no eyeballs in shutdown theaters), submitting to contests nobody’s heard of (won three of them, though), and enjoying the wilds of the North Cascade Mountains in Washington state, where he lives quietly and happily with his husband, who’s also named Patrick Mulcahey, to the amusement of everyone but the TSA. (In Patrick's words)

Christine Baranski guests on The Simpsons 11/21/21

Voice Cast: Dan Castellaneta as Homer Simpson; Julie Kavner as Marge Simpson; Nancy Cartwright as Bart Simpson and Nelson; Yeardley Smith as Lisa Simpson; Hank Azaria as Moe; Harry Shearer as Skinner; Tress MacNeille as Dolph; Pamela Hayden as Milhouse; Harry Shearer as Flanders

Guest Voice Cast: Victor Garber as Michael, Christine Baranski as herself, Christian Siriano as himself

Jason Sudeikis, George Wendt, Rosario Dawson Lead All-Star ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ Benefit Reading For Ed Asner Family Center

The one-night-only event is set for Dec. 5, with a cast that also includes Mark Hamill, Martin Sheen, Mandy Patinkin, Lou Diamond Phillips, Phil Lamarr, Ben Mankiewicz, Ron Funches, Ed Harris, and Sudeikis’ real-life uncle George Wendt. The Cheers actor will play Uncle Billy to Sudeikis’ George Bailey.

The Asner benefit is presented in partnership with Turner Classic Movies and sponsored by MeTV, and this year also will honor Mike Darnell, President of Unscripted and Alternative Television at Warner Brothers, and his family. The cast will include Darnell’s daughter and Social Director of TEAFC, Chelsea Darnell, autistic actors Spencer Harte and Domonique Brown along with neurodivergent TEAFC members Ryan Booth and Lucas Salusky. Victor Nelli (Superstore, Brooklyn Nine Nine) will return to direct. Tom Bergeron hosts.

“My father’s passing has left an indescribable hole in my heart,” said Matt Asner, son of Ed Asner & Co-Founder of The Ed Asner Family Center. (The Mary Tyler Moore Show actor died August 29). “For our annual fundraising gala this year, I want to honor my father’s legacy as both a legendary actor and a staunch advocate for people of all abilities.”

Tickets start at $25, with commemorative holiday gift items also available. Also planned is a silent auction and a musical intermission.

The live virtual table read begins at 5 pm PT on Sunday, December 5. Ticket information can be found here.

‘The Locksmith’: Ryan Phillippe, Kate Bosworth, Ving Rhames Set For Thriller

Arclight Films is launching world sales on the package at the virtual AFM.

The project follows Miller, an expert locksmith fresh out of prison after a job gone bad. Back home, he tries to work his way back into the life of his daughter and his ex-girlfriend, Beth, who is now a police detective. Determined to make a clean start, he is forced to use the only skills he has as a gifted locksmith. But things soon get complicated after an unexpected kidnapping.

Principal photography is slated to begin on November 15 in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and the movie is due to be ready for delivery in September 2022.

The film will be directed by veteran first assistant director Nicolas Harvard, who makes his feature film debut. Screenplay is written by John Glosser, Joe Russo and Chris LaMont, and Ben Kabialis, based on an original story by Blair Kroeber.

Producers are Mark B. David (Poker Face) of Golden State Films and Roger Goff (Cut Throat City), and executive producers are Walter Josten (Around the World in 80 Days).

“The Locksmith is a captivating thriller with a terrific ensemble cast led by Ryan, Kate and Ving. We are so excited to bring this film to the marketplace and cannot wait to see the cameras roll this fall,” said Arclight Films’ Gary Hamilton.

“We’re thrilled to be working with this outstanding cast to bring a great story to the screen,” added producer Mark B. David. “It is very gratifying to have Gary and the Arclight team, with their years of experience and solid contacts, as our sales partners.”

Crash, Shooter and Cruel Intentions star Phillippe is starring in the return of MacGruber, which is soon to premiere on Peacock. Superman Returns actress Bosworth’s upcoming projects include The Enforcer opposite Antonio Banderas and Netflix’s Along the Ride. Rhames is best known for playing Agent Luther Stickell in the Mission: Impossible franchise and his supporting role as gang kingpin Marsellus Wallace in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.

Bosworth is represented by Jim Osborne, Kris Heller and John Nahai at APA, and Alex Kohner of Yorn Barnes Levine.

Talk Show Appearance

Fr 11/5: Billy Porter

Kelsey Grammer, Phyllis Logan Board ‘No Way Up’

Billy Porter To Direct ‘Camp’ For HBO Max And Warner Bros

The film follows 16-year-old Randy Kapplehoff, who loves spending the summer at Camp Outland, a camp for queer teens. It’s where he met his best friends. It’s where he takes to the stage in the big musical. And it’s where he fell for Hudson Aaronson-Lim – who’s only into straight-acting guys and barely knows not-at-all-straight-acting Randy even exists. Randy reinvents himself over the summer as Del, a buff, masculine and on-the-market camper. Even if it means giving up show tunes, nail polish and his unicorn bedsheets, he’s determined to get Hudson to fall for him. But as he and Hudson grow closer, Randy has to ask himself how much he is willing to change for love. And is it really love anyway, if Hudson doesn’t know who he truly is?

In addition to directing, Porter also will play the role of Mark, the camp’s theater director.

“Billy Porter, who I’ve been fortunate to know for more than 20 years, is the perfect director for this story, which is both hilariously funny and also quite moving,” said Jinks. “I wish a movie like this was around when I was growing up. I’m thrilled we get to make it now.”

The novel was published last year by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in the U.S., and from Penguin Random House Children’s in the UK. It was Barnes & Noble’s YA pick for Pride Month. Cate Adams and Diamond McNeil are overseeing the project for Warner Bros.

The film marks the second directing job for the Emmy-, Grammy- and Tony-winning Porter in as many months. He also is attached to direct an untitled queer comedy for Amazon Studios. On the acting front, Porter received three consecutive Emmy noms for his acclaimed role on the FX series Pose, winning Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2019. On stage, he played Lola in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, which he originated in 2013 and for which he won the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards, as well as the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. He most recently was seen as the Fabulous Godmother in Amazon’s Cinderella. O’Hara is the Tony-nominated director of Slave Play and is currently working on several film, TV and Broadway projects. He’s a two-time Obie Award and NAACP Award winner.

Jinks’ credits include Milk, Big Fish, Down with Love and American Beauty, which won him the Oscar for Best Picture. Rosen writes books for all ages, most recently Jack of Hearts, a young-adult mystery about a teen sex advice columnist and his anonymous stalker, and Depth, an adult noir that takes place in a New York City flooded by climate change.

Porter is represented by CAA and Industry Entertainment, Rosen is repped by Lucy Stille Literary, O’Hara is with A3 Artists Agency and Weintraub Tobin, Williamson is represented by More/Medavoy and Buchwald, and Jinks is with Eric Brooks at Goodman Schenkman & Brecheen.

Billy Porter To Direct ‘Camp’ For HBO Max And Warner Bros

Victor was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, raised in Long Island. He graduated from Yale University with a BA in English and Tulane University in with an MA in Theatre and Speech. He was co-founder of The American Shakespeare Theatre's Center for Theatre Techniques in Education.

Anne Heche claims she was ‘canceled’ because of Ellen DeGeneres romance

In a new interview with Page Six, the actress looked back on her former relationship with the talk show host and why she was made to feel like “patient zero in cancel culture.”

“This wasn’t a long-term love affair,” recalled Heche, who dated DeGeneres from 1997 to 2000. “This was a moment in my life when I was given the glory of being able to stand up for what I believe in and have since I was a kid.”

Heche, 52, famously made headlines when she invited DeGeneres, 63, as her date to the 1997 premiere of “Volcano.”

The two faced scrutiny for their same-sex partnership at the time, but Heche told us her spontaneous gesture to invite DeGeneres was “about living in loving-kindness.”

She remembered that the repercussions were swift and harsh, however, due to the nature of the times.

“I didn’t do a studio picture for ten years,” she claimed. “I was fired from a $10 million picture deal and did not see the light of day in a studio picture.”

One movie that Heche was already in talks to do before the infamous premiere was the big-budget romantic comedy “Six Days, Seven Nights” opposite Harrison Ford.

She claimed to Page Six that after going public with DeGeneres, it didn’t seem like the studio wanted her for the role anymore, and was even told she wasn’t going to get it.

Heche remembered being home one morning with DeGeneres when Ford, 79, called with an important message.

“He said, ‘Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn who you’re sleeping with,’” she said. “’We have a romantic comedy to make. Let’s make it the best one that’s ever happened.’”

“That is why Harrison Ford is my hero,” she continued. “To stand behind me at such a time when the force of what I was standing up for could have been toppled.”

Heche told us that every TV show and movie after that has been her “favorite” because they’ve allowed her to support her family. The actress shares son Homer, 19, with ex-husband Coleman Laffoon, and son Atlas, 12, with her former “Men in Trees” co-star James Tupper.

Despite starring in dozens of television shows and movies over the years, it’s clear Heche is most proud of what she sees as her role in changing societal norms – even if it derailed her career for a bit.

“Those repercussions that happened, are to me what has created a part of the change,” she said. “I’m a part of it. It is a badge of honor.”

Next up, Heche is starring in “13 Minutes,” which she cheekily described as a disaster film like “Volcano.”

She was thrilled to work with director Lindsay Gossling, she said, because “she tackles social issues in a disaster movie,” which “very few people have the balls to do.”

“13 Minutes” will be released in theaters on Oct. 29, and on-demand and digital Nov. 19.

Rick Dennis & Patrick Howe Interview - The Production Designers Episode 10/28/21

Rick Dennis spent 23 years from 1986 - 2009 as Guiding Light's Production Designer earning seven Daytime Emmy Nominations for his work in Springfield. After Guiding Light went off the air, Rick has worked as an Art Director / Production Designer on a number of prime-time series including The Americans, Homeland, Madame Secretary, The Following to name a small few.

Patrick Howe spent four years as a Production Designer on Another World before moving to Oakdale and As the World Turns where he worked for 11 years. Patrick earned five Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Production Design for his work. Since leaving Oakdale behind, Patrick has worked as a Production Designer on Only Murders in the Building, Godfather of Harlem, Marvel's Iron Fist, The Get Down and Unforgettable to name just a few.

Don't miss the chance to learn from these two incredible designers who helped bring your two favorite daytime dramas to life day after day.

Gotham Awards Nominations

Outstanding Performance in a New Series
Jennifer Coolidge in The White Lotus (HBO Max/HBO)
Michael Greyeyes in Rutherford Falls (Peacock)
Ethan Hawke in The Good Lord Bird (Showtime)
Devery Jacobs in Reservation Dogs (FX)
Lee Jung-jae in Squid Game (Netflix)
Thuso Mbedu in The Underground Railroad (Amazon Studios)
Jean Smart in Hacks (HBO Max/HBO)
Omar Sy in Lupin (Netflix)
Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)
Anjana Vasan in We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)

Stephen Schnetzer Film Released

Judith McConnell Interview 10/22/21

Judith was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania and started dance classes at age 6. She has continued with dance for most of her life and today she takes a weekly tap and jazz class. She was accepted and attended the renowned Carnegie Mellon School of Acting.

Upon leaving college, Judith went to New York City and immediately landed a commercial. Shortly thereafter, she was offered a role in a pilot shooting in Los Angeles. In LA she started booking work, doing an original Star Trek, and had recurring roles in Dragnet, Beverly Hillbillies, Mayberry RFD, Green Acres and guest starring in Mannix, The Streets of San Francisco and many others. She also worked in the theatre at The Rocking Chair Playhouse and The Century City Playhouse.

Judith’s first daytime role was in General Hospital, where she played Augusta McLeod. Then New York City came calling her back for roles in As the World Turns (Valerie Conway), Another World (Amanda Bishop), and One Life to Live (Eva Vasquez). She soon returned to Hollywood for the part of Sophia Capwell on Santa Barbara.

Jean Smart, Kiernan Shipka, Alexandra Daddario, Charlie Plummer Starring In Limelight And eOne’s ‘Wildflower’; Morning Moon, Hunting Lane Producing

Dylan Sellers and Chris Parker of Limelight are producing along with Jamie Patricof and Katie McNeill of Hunting Lane Films and Ethan Lazar, Kyle Owens, Austen Rydell, and Billie Lourd of Morning Moon Productions. Morning Moon has been developing the project since 2020, when they optioned Savage’s script. They are currently in -post-production on the doc Watershed. The film is based on Smukler’s family, the pic is a coming-of-age dark comedy that follows Bea Johnson from birth to graduation as she navigates life with a parent with an intellectual disability and an extended family that can’t quite agree on the best way to help.

Jen Gorton and Jillian Share overseeing for eOne. CJ Barbato of Limelight will co-produce.

Shipka is repped by WME and Anonymous Content, Smart is repped by WME and Untitled Entertainment, Daddario is repped by UTA and Untitled Entertainment, Plummer is repped by CAA and Luber Roklin Entertainment and Mihok is repped by Gersh and Authentic Talent and Literary Management.

Morgan Freeman: “I Am Not In The Least Bit For Defunding The Police”

“I am not in the least bit for defunding the police,” Freeman said to Black Enterprise’s Selena Hill in an interview posted on Instagram. “Police work is, aside from all the negativity around it, it is very necessary for us to have them and most of them are guys that are doing their job. They’re going about their day-to-day jobs. There are some police that would never pull their guns except in range, that sort of thing.”

Freeman made the remarks while promoting his new film with actor Frankie Faison (The Wire), The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain, which is based on the real-life murder of a 68-year-old Black veteran who was fatally shot by police inside his home in White Plains, NY.

The true life story is about a former Marine with bipolar disorder who was killed in 2011 by police after accidentally triggering his medical alert device, leading to a confrontation with police that led to his death.

Freeman, who has said he is not treated like an average Black man because of his celebrity status, is funding a program at the University of Mississippi for Evidence-Based Policing and Reform.

Faison, who plays Chamberlain in the film, also was not in favor of defunding.

“Well, I agree with Morgan,” Faison told Hill. “I’m certainly not in favor of defunding the policemen.”

Lenka Peterson Dies: Tony-Nominated Broadway Actress, Mother Of Glynnis O’Connor Was 95

Her death was announced by her family, including daughter, actress Glynnis O’Connor (Ode to Billy Joe, Condor).

In addition to her stage work, Peterson appeared in an extensive roster of film and television projects, spanning more than 50 years beginning with a small role in director Elia Kazan’s 1950 film Panic in the Streets (Peterson was a charter member of The Actors Studio) and continuing through the 2006 remake of All The King’s Men starring Sean Penn, Jude Law and Kate Winslet.

Born Lenka Isacson in Omaha, Nebraska, Peterson moved to New York City following World War II to pursue a stage career, and soon landed at the famed acting studio founded by Kazan, Cheryl Crawford and Robert Lewis. “We felt like the Actors Studio was a place where we were free,” she is quoted in the family announcement, “where we could say anything and do anything and share anything and not have to worry that it’s going to affect us financially.”

Peterson made her Broadway debut in a 1947 production of Bathsheba, followed in quick succession by Harvest of Years, Sundown Beach and The Young and Fair (all 1948), and in 1952, the infamously unsuccessful premiere of Capote’s The Grass Harp, written by the novelist, produced by Saint Subber, directed by Robert Lewis, costumes and sets by Cecil Beaton and a starring performance by Mildred Natwick.

Concurrent with her early stage career, Peterson began appearing in such TV series as CBS Television Workshop, Hallmark Hall of Fame and The Philco Television Playhouse. In 1955 she co-starred with Richard Kiley in the feature film crime drama The Phenix City Story, and would continue her movie career with Black Like Me (1964), Lifeguard (1976) and Jeffrey (1995).

Her many TV credits through the years include roles in Route 66, Lucas Tanner, Apple’s Way, Kojak and the soaps Another World, Search for Tomorrow, General Hospital and, in 1981, a recurring role as Nurse Grady on Ryan’s Hope. She also taught and directed young people’s theater in Connecticut.

In 1948, Peterson married Daniel O’Connor, a longtime NBC News documentary executive producer who died at age 93 in 2015. She is survived by their children Kevin, Brian, Darren, Glynnis, and Sean, and many other family members.

“To have Lenka as your mother meant to have a mom who read to you during long family drives on cross-country vacations,” her family wrote, “who introduced you to the joys of swimming, of singing, and games, to the sweet taste of Swedish pancakes, the richness of paprikash and the crackle of Krishlika, the excitement of possibility, the delight and rewards of curiosity, and the enduring value of compassion. Even to the day she died, she never ceased to find the joy in every moment. She was our heartbeat.”

Search for Tomorrow Reunion 10/15/21

Maree has been a working actress for over 60+ years and is knowns to daytime audiences for her roles on Search, General Hospital and Port Charles (Charlene Simpson), Passions (Mona) and Days of Our Lives (Marie Horton). She is best known to movie audiences for roles in Beetlejuice, Mr. and Mrs. Smith and The Wedding Singer. As Maree puts it, "In my on-going 60+year career as a working actress, pottery continues to save my sanity. I live in two worlds, Native American and TV! When I am between gigs, I’m in my pottery studio or the garden, grounding myself by putting my hands into the dirt or clay."

Lisa is also known for her other roles on ABC's Loving as Ava Rescott Forbes Alden Masters and as Lila Hart Roberts Cory Winthrop on NBC's Another World. Lisa has transitioned and has made a successful career selling real estate in New Jersey full time since 2002. She prides herself on her ability to listen to her clients and give them the personal attention they deserve.

Phoebe Robinson Comedy ‘Everything’s Trash’ Lands Series Order At Freeform

The Disney-owned network has ordered the half-hour comedy series after picking up a pilot order earlier this year.

Starring, written by and exec produced by the 2 Dope Queens star Robinson, the series follows Phoebe, a 30-something podcast star navigating her messy life. Forced to grow up when her older brother Jayden emerges as a leading political candidate, she relies on her friends and close-knit family to help her figure out adulthood.

The series also stars Jordan Carlos (First Wives Club) as Jayden, Phoebe’s extremely intelligent, Blerd-y older brother with big dreams for his community, who has recently emerged as a leading political candidate. Their boundary-less relationship must change as Phoebe’s wild yet entertaining behavior threatens to overshadow his Barack Obama-esque aspirations.

Toccarra Cash (Station 19) plays Malika, Phoebe’s savvy, smart and beautiful “code-switch queen” podcast producer. As Phoebe’s work wife and ride-or-die friend, Malika tries to balance wanting Phoebe to grow up with encouraging her to be messy because, hey, the mess pays the bills and is funny AF. Nneka Okafor (God Friended Me) plays Jessie, Phoebe’s sister-in-law, who’s a former socialite-turned-feminist and college professor. Jessie worries that she is the only one in her in-laws’ family that has the strength to let Phoebe know that some of her shenanigans are dangerous to her husband’s career and too influential on her daughter.

Moses Storm (Sunnyside) plays Michael, Phoebe’s BFF, roommate and friend since freshman year of college. He is a video game livestreamer who is not ashamed to promote his TikTok whenever he can. Michael is more than happy not to grow up and will be the playful devil on Phoebe’s shoulder.

And Jackée Harry plays Zora. “Back in May, I filmed a pilot with the hilarious @dopequeenpheebs for @freeform and I’m so excited that everyone will get to see the genius of this woman on their screens soon!” she posted on Instagram. “Congrats on the series order, @dopequeenpheebs! You deserve it.

The series is produced by ABC Signature with Robinson’s production company, Tiny Reparations, led by Jose Acevedo, serving as nonwriting executive producer. Jonathan Groff executive produces. Co-executive producer Chioke Nassor will direct.

“Phoebe has one of the most unique and hilariously sharp voices in the business,” said Tara Duncan, president, Freeform and Onyx Collective. “Everything’s Trash is the perfect addition to the Freeform slate, bringing a distinct point of view to a woman navigating adulthood on her own terms.”

“I feel like Whoopi Goldberg’s choir at the end of Sister Act 2 when they won the competition. Overjoyed. Stunned. Extremely grateful,” said Robinson. “We’re going to make something special that you won’t want to miss.”

Lindsay Lohan To Launch Podcast With Red Arrow’s Studio71

The actress is launching the untitled audio series with Red Arrow Studios’ Studio71 with tentative plans to launch later this year or early next year.

Lohan is set to “share her authentic voice” and listeners will get “a chance to experience a never-before-seen side” of the Parent Trap star.

It comes after Lohan signed up to star in a new Netflix rom-com feature about a newly engaged and spoiled hotel heiress who finds herself in the care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner and his precocious daughter after getting total amnesia in a skiing accident.

Studio71, which is behind podcasts such as The Bald and the Beautiful with Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamo, Brittany Furlan’s Worst Firsts and Bob Saget’s Here For You, will develop, produce and distribute the series.

The Red Arrow-backed first is ramping up its investment in female hosts after data indicated that its slate of shows are appealing to a younger, female demo, compared to the traditionally male-skewing podcasts. It found that 75% of the network’s listeners are between the ages of 18 and 34 and 55% are female.

Moorea Smith, Senior Talent Relations Manager, Podcasts and Matt Barker, Studio71’s Senior Director of Talent Relations, led Studio71’s signing efforts for Lohan.

“I’m excited to partner with Studio71 in the development and production of my podcast,” said Lohan. “I’m looking forward to connecting with more of my fans and having intimate conversations with friends and thought leaders across all industries.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Lindsay to Studio71’s podcast network and can’t wait for her to take listeners behind the scenes of her life and work,” added Smith. “With her unparalleled experiences as an entertainer and entrepreneur, we are so excited for her to take the mic and share her thoughts and opinions with the world.”

Michael Tylo Dies: ‘Guiding Light’, ‘The Young And The Restless’ Actor Was 73

His death was announced by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where Tylo was a film professor. A cause of death was not disclosed.

“Michael Tylo was a beautiful and caring human being — he was so special,” said Nancy Uscher, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, in a statement on the university’s website. “He was an exemplary friend, colleague, teacher, and artist. He had such a distinguished and rich career, but he was humble about his accomplishments. He loved his family dearly and lived a joyous life, but he left us way too soon. We will miss him greatly, but feel deep gratitude about all that Michael contributed to the College of Fine Arts, UNLV, and the world.”

Tylo broke into the soap world in 1980, with a short-term casting on Another World. In 1981 he began a three-year run on Guiding Light (he briefly returned in 1996), with his dashing Quinton Chamberlain eventually pairing with Lisa Brown’s Nola Reardon in what would become one of the series’ most popular romantic couples.

He took on an equally meaty role of soldier-of-fortune Matt Connolly on ABC’s All My Children in 1987, plunging into major storylines involving, among others, the show’s star Susan Lucci.

The late 1980s also brought appearances on primetime programs Lonesome Dove and A Man Called Hawk, and in 1989 he returned to daytime with a brief run on ABC’s General Hospital. In 1990 he became a cast member on the TV series Zorro, and in 1992 joined CBS’ The Young and The Restless. In 2000 he had a brief run on The Bold and The Beautiful, and in 2003 he accepted a position with UNLV as a visiting professor in theater and film. He later became the school’s assistant dean for the College of Fine Arts and taught acting.

On Wednesday, The Young and The Restless tweeted its condolences, writing, “Our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Michael Tylo who graced #YR with his talents as Blade and Rick.”

Tylo is survived by wife Rachelle, daughters Kollette, Izabelle and Katya. He was preceded in death by Michael Tylo Jr., his son from a previous marriage to The Bold and The Beautiful actress Hunter Tylo. Michael Tylo, Jr., known as Mickey, drowned while having a seizure in 2007.

Our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Michael Tylo who graced #YR with his talents as Blade and Rick. https://t.co/sttd5qwodD pic.twitter.com/cEGTEqW2Ae — Young & The Restless (@YRInsider) September 30, 2021

It is with tremendous sadness that the College of Fine Arts and Dean Nancy Uscher share the passing of beloved film professor, Michael Tylo. Read More: https://t.co/lnGCQwb6WA pic.twitter.com/N5BtfZ7GmQ — UNLV Fine Arts (@UNLVFineArts) September 29, 2021

Morgan Freeman & Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment Team With Lesley-Ann Brandt For Drama Series ‘Hanover Street’

Brandt, who will star and produce with Adrian Cunningham of D6 Entertainment, said: “We are thrilled to have partnered with Lori, Morgan and the team at Revelations to bring the beauty and tragedy of District Six to life. It’s such a personal story to me, my family and the people of the Cape Flats. While the barbarity of the apartheid regime has featured onscreen before, Hanover Street will lean into the joy and solidarity that the community shared in the face of repression.”

Home to 60K residents of all ethnicities and creeds, along with a thriving LGBTQIA+ community, District Six in South Africa’s second-largest city stood as a symbol of defiance against everything that apartheid stood for. In 1966, the regime designated it a whites-only area. By 1982 its entire population had been forcibly removed, and the neighborhood destroyed.

Revelations has a history of telling stories set within South Africa during the apartheid period. Bopha!, Freeman’s feature directorial debut, and Clint Eastwood’s Invictus, in which Freeman was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Nelson Mandela, both were developed and produced by McCreary and highlighted impactful stories within the country during and post-apartheid.

McCreary added: “There’s a definite correlation between the racial reconciliation that has gone about in South Africa — and continues today — and the important conversations happening today in America. Bopha! explores police violence and Invictus, racial reconciliation. We find it sometimes easier to reflect on stories in another country to learn more about ourselves.”

Brandt is repped by ICM Partners, while she and Cunningham are repped by Luber Roklin Entertainment and Goodman Genow Schenkman. Freeman, McCreary, and Revelations are repped by CAA and Sloane Offer.

Passing of Film and Theatre Professor Michael Tylo

A native of Detroit, Michael Tylo came to UNLV as a visiting professor in theatre and film in 2003 after a long and distinguished stage and screen career as an actor and director that included motion pictures, television series, and major roles in popular soap operas. He served as an assistant dean for the College of Fine Arts and taught acting for UNLV Film. He performed with students at the Nevada Conservatory Theatre and in Stealing Las Vegas, a feature film produced by UNLV and Roger Corman.

Among his numerous soap opera roles, he was best known for his portrayal of Quinton Chamberlain on Guiding Light. He played the role from 1981 to 1985 and again from 1996 to 1997. He was half of the very popular supercouple Quint and Nola, with the role of Nola played by actress Lisa Brown.

Tylo also appeared on the soap operas All My Children (as Matt Connolly), General Hospital (as Charlie Prince), and The Young and the Restless as Blade Bladeson and Rick Bladeson. He also made a brief appearance in The Bold and the Beautiful (as Sherman Gale). In addition to soaps, Tylo has done several movie and television roles, including two seasons as Alcalde Luis Ramon in Zorro and as Dee Boot in Lonesome Dove.

For more details on his storied career, look for Michael Tylo on imdb.com.

"Michael Tylo was a beautiful and caring human being — he was so special," said Uscher. "He was an exemplary friend, colleague, teacher, and artist. He had such a distinguished and rich career, but he was humble about his accomplishments. He loved his family dearly and lived a joyous life, but he left us way too soon. We will miss him greatly, but feel deep gratitude about all that Michael contributed to the College of Fine Arts, UNLV, and the world.

Information for services forthcoming.

17th Annual Daytime Stars and Strikes Virtual Charity event for Autism

We have an incredible line-up of guests to help us raise funds for The Autism Society of America including: Grant Aleksander (Phillip Spaulding), John Bolger (Phillip Spaulding), Jeff Branson (Shayne Lewis), Bryan Buffinton (Bill Lewis), Jean Carol (Nadine Cooper), Beth Chamberlin (Beth Raines), Crystal Chappell (Olivia Spencer), Jan Conklin (Producer), Ritchie Coster (Alfred), Kassie DePaiva (Chelsea Reardon), Mark Derwin (A.C. Mallet), Frank Dicopoulos (Frank Cooper), Aubrey Dollar (Marina Cooper), Beth Ehlers (Harley Cooper), Nicole Forester (Cassie Layne), Stephanie Gatschet (Tammy Winslow), Ricky Paull Goldin (Gus Aitoro), Melissa Hayden (Bridget Reardon), Rick Hearst (Alan-Michael Spaulding), Rebecca Hollen (Trish Lewis), Mart Hulswit (Ed Bauer), Crystal Hunt (Lizzie Spaulding), Maeve Kinkead (Vanessa Chamberlin), Jessica Leccia (Natalia Rivera), Kurt McKinney (Matt Reardon), Fran Myers (Peggy Fletcher), Robert Newman (Josh Lewis), Sonia Satra (Lucy Cooper), Tina Sloan (Littlian Raines), Rebecca Staab (Jessie Matthews), Nancy St. Alban (Michelle Bauer Santos), Paul Anthony Stewart (Danny Santos), Kimberley Simms (Mindy Lewis), Michelle Ray Smith (Ava Peralta), Krista Tesreau (Mindy Lewis), Gina Tognoni (Dinah Marler), Jordi Vilasuso (Tony Santos), Michael Woods (Dr. Jim Reardon) and Kim Zimmer (Reva Shayne Lewis).

All funds donated go directly to The Autism Society of America which is a not-for-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by the law. TO DONATE: daytimestarsandstrikes.com

Talk Show Appearance

Tuesday, September 28: Ray Liotta (The Many Saints of Newark)

George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Jon Watts Thriller Package Vied By Studios & Streamers

Watts is set to write, direct and produce with Clooney producing through Smokehouse Pictures and Pitt through his Plan B Entertainment.

The storyline, which is largely being kept secret, follows two lone wolf fixers who are assigned to the same job. Big paydays in the eight figure range for both stars are being reported.

Broadway’s ‘Lackawanna Blues’ Cancels Weekend Previews, Delays Opening Due To Star Ruben Santiago-Hudson Back Injury

Santiago-Hudson is expected to return to the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on Tuesday, though the canceled previews have bumped the play’s official opening from that night to Thursday, Sept. 30.

The Manhattan Theatre Club production – the company’s first since the reopening of Broadway following the pandemic shutdown – features the Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom star in an autobiographical telling of his upbringing by the kindhearted woman who raised him. In the 90-minute solo performance, Santiago-Hudson gives voice to the numerous characters in and around the Lackawanna, New York, boarding house where he grew up. Onstage musical accompaniment written by the late Bill Sims, Jr. is performed by blues guitarist Junior Mack.

A 2005 HBO TV-movie adaptation of Lackawanna Blues, based on the play, was performed by an ensemble cast and starred S. Epatha Merkerson. It was directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Santiago-Hudson, who won a Tony Award in 1996 for his performance in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars on Broadway.

Camilla Cabello Leads Leonardo DiCaprio, Dozens Of A-listers Calling On Google, Amazon, Fox, Netflix, Disney & More To Demand Congress Support Biden’s Climate Plan

Boldfaced signatories to the group letter included J.J. Abrams, Greg Berlanti, Cate Blanchett, Jack Antonoff, Don Cheadle, Ellen DeGeneres, Selena Gomez, Chris Evans, Jimmy Kimmel, Lady Gaga, John Legend, Chuck Lorre, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sean Penn, Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Porter, Robert Redford, Ryan Reynolds, Shakira, Barbra Streisand, Wes Studi, Justin Timberlake, Kerry Washington and many more. The full list of names is below.

The effort was spearheaded by the National Resources Defense Council Action Fund and actress/singer Camila Cabello, who convinced the sizable group of A-listers to speak out, specifically about the need to address climate change. (On Monday, a group of 17 Nobel Prize-winning economists also signed a letter in support of Biden’s plan.)

Manish Bapna, President and CEO of the NRDC Action Fund said, “These are the tastemakers of our time—and in moments like these they have an opportunity to be the changemakers, too. What started as an idea by Camila Cabello has exploded into a clarion call from entertainers overnight to take action. Congress holds in its hands our best chance at combating our biggest environmental challenge yet. We need all hands on deck to make sure they seize it, and these industry leaders can play a critical role in making sure that they do.”

In today’s initiative, the artists call out the following execs by name: Lincoln Benet at Access Industries (Warner Music Group), Sundar Pichai at Alphabet (Google, YouTube), Andy Jassy at Amazon, Tim Cook at Apple, John Stankey at AT&T (WarnerMedia), Brian Roberts at Comcast, David Zaslav at Discovery (and soon Warner Bros. Discovery), Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, Lachlan Murdoch at Fox, Reed Hastings at Netflix, Kenichiro Yoshida at Sony, Robert Bakish at ViacomCBS, Arnaud de Puyfontaine at Vivendi (Universal Music Group) and Bob Chapek at Walt Disney.

The letter says, in part:

As the top leaders of the entertainment industry—one of the nation’s most powerful and influential business sectors—you are needed to lead our community’s call for action and embrace this vision for a better world. The entertainment community has a long, proud tradition of driving societal change. Our industry is already leading the charge toward more sustainable practices within our own businesses and productions. Now is the time to use your influence to shape our future.”

Congress needs to hear you demand, unequivocally, that it put forward and pass the most ambitious climate change agenda in U.S. history.

“It’s no secret that climate change is here and is already affecting people’s lives across the globe,” wrote Cabello in her post on Instagram about the effort. “We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to act boldly to fight the climate crisis, so I am honored to join over 60 fellow artists to call on leaders of the entertainment industry to use their power and demand that Congress pass @potus’s #BuildBackBetter agenda this fall.”

The standard was taken up by longtime environmental champion DiCaprio, who tweeted to his 19 million followers, “This fall, Congress has a rare opportunity to invest in a clean, just, and equitable future by passing the Build Back Better agenda. This is our moment, and there is no time to waste. Join us and @NRDC_AF…” Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who is an NRDC board member, said the following in a statement: “People are seeing the impacts of climate change first-hand, from climate-fueled wildfires, to floods and storms,” said . “We cannot wait longer to act and we must use our voices to demand that our government leaders pass President Biden’s Build Back Better agenda.”

The full text of the letter and a list of its signatories are below.

Dear Entertainment Industry Executives:

Climate change has arrived on our doorstep: California is on fire, record-breaking and deadly storms are flooding New York City, hurricanes are devastating the Gulf. This summer alone, nearly one in every three people in the United States experienced an extreme weather event.

Scientists warn that if we fail to act now, every single one of us will feel the impacts, a billion people will be displaced, and low-income people and communities of color will continue to be hit first and worst. Right now, we have a critical window of opportunity to do something about it. And we need all hands on deck to demand that our leaders protect the people we love and the places they live before it’s too late.

Congress has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in a clean, just, and equitable future for all by passing the robust climate action that President Biden called for in his Build Back Better agenda. This legislation will create healthier communities, put millions to work in clean energy jobs, and free us from the fossil fuels that are driving climate change.

As the top leaders of the entertainment industry—one of the nation’s most powerful and influential business sectors—you are needed to lead our community’s call for action and embrace this vision for a better world. The entertainment community has a long, proud tradition of driving societal change. Our industry is already leading the charge toward more sustainable practices within our own businesses and productions. Now is the time to use your influence to shape our future.

Congress needs to hear you demand, unequivocally, that it put forward and pass the most ambitious climate change agenda in U.S. history.

The plan currently before Congress will protect people’s health and clean up our drinking water. It will create a just transition away from dirty fossil fuels and create millions of new jobs. It will protect communities from climate change through investments in clean energy, clean transportation, and infrastructure upgrades. And it will make sure we finally prioritize and invest in the low-income communities and communities of color that are hit hardest by both fossil fuel pollution and climate impacts.

This plan will create a stronger, brighter, and more just America—and we need you to help make this vision a reality.

At this pivotal moment, please lead the call. Demand publicly and loudly that our senators and representatives in Congress pass this critical legislation.

And we pledge to do our part as well. We will use our platforms to remind all Americans: Tell your senators and representatives in Congress that you demand climate action now. Advocate for Congress to take up the president’s climate agenda. And don’t stop there. Tweet. Post. E-mail. Call. Whatever it takes.

Sincerely,

J.J. Abrams
Anitta
Jack Antonoff
Troian Bellisario
Greg Berlanti
Cate Blanchett
Benny Blanco
Dave Burd aka “Lil Dicky”
Camila Cabello
Dove Cameron
Alessia Cara
Don Cheadle
Glenn Close
Coldplay
Jacob Collier
Lily Collins
James Corden
Ellen DeGeneres
Cara Delevingne
Leonardo DiCaprio
Zac Efron
Billie Eilish
Chris Evans
Jimmy Fallon
Finneas
Selena Gomez
Conan Gray
Grimes
Todrick Hall
Hugh Jackman
Jimmy Kimmel
Joey King
Liza Koshy
Lady Gaga
Cyndi Lauper
John Legend
Adam Levine
Kevin Liles
Dua Lipa
Lorde
Chuck Lorre
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Demi Lovato
Ziggy Marley
Shawn Mendes
Idina Menzel
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Sean Penn
Joaquin Phoenix
Billy Porter
Zachary Quinto
Addison Rae
Robert Redford
Ryan Reynolds
Mark Ronson
Kyra Sedgwick
Shakira
Lilly Singh
Troye Sivan
Barbra Streisand
Wes Studi
Ryan Tedder
Justin Timberlake
Kerry Washington
Sigourney Weaver
Shailene Woodley
Calum Worthy.

Angelina Jolie’s team accuses Brad Pitt of using celebrity to sway custody battle

Pitt’s attorneys Monday launched a bid to overturn a decision to dismiss the judge overseeing the custody fight.

But Jolie’s legal team retaliated and in court papers seen by Page Six, they stated: “This sort of gamesmanship, a last-ditch effort by a celebrity litigant seeking special treatment, is not what this Court’s limited review resources are for.

“There is nothing to see or review here. There is no issue meeting this Court’s rigorous standards for, or worthy of, review.”

As we revealed, in June, Pitt, 57, was awarded joint custody of their children — a decision that Jolie, 45, vowed to fight.

The actress claimed that three of their six children wanted to testify against Pitt, but were blocked from doing so by Judge John Ouderkirk, the private judge to whom Pitt and Jolie initially agreed in a bid to keep the details of their case sealed — and who originally married them in 2014.

But just one month later, Jolie won a major victory when her lawyers convinced a California appeals court that Judge Ouderkirk should be excluded on the grounds that Pitt’s lawyers did not disclose previous dealings he had had with the actor’s attorneys.

Pitt’s team has now asked for permission to launch an appeal against the decision, but Jolie’s filing stated that the Court of Appeal was unanimous in finding that Ouderkirk violated the clear mandate of the Code of Judicial Ethics.

“There is no serious question that a privately compensated judge who, without full disclosure, has secured a favorable repeat customer relationship with one litigant’s counsel must be disqualified,” the filing said.

The latest salvo in the custody battle comes as Pitt launched legal action in Luxembourg against Jolie to stop her selling her shares of their French estate, Château Miraval.

Pitt attorney Theodore J. Boutrous Jr. told Page Six: “The lower court’s ruling will reward parties who are losing child custody cases, and condone their gamesmanship, by allowing them to wait and see about the likely direction of the case before seeking the disqualification of the judge.

“Condoning the use of this type of strategic ‘lie in wait’ disqualification challenge will cause irreparable harm to both the children and families involved in this case, and other families in other cases, by unnecessarily prolonging the resolution of these disputes in an already overburdened court system.

“Allowing this kind of crafty litigation strategy will deprive parents of irreplaceable time with their children as judges are disqualified for minor reasons in the midst of their cases.

“Nothing in the opposition brief calls into question the urgent need for California Supreme Court review, nor does the opposition address nor refute the important fact that the lower court’s ruling is bad for children and bad for California’s overburdened judicial system.”

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt battle over $164 million French estate

Jolie has been accused of trying to sell off her 50-percent stake in the $164 million Chateau Miraval in Correns, France, without giving Pitt the first option to buy her out, the papers, which were filed in Luxembourg, said.

The 1,000-acre estate had special meaning for the couple, as it was the location where they got married in a secret ceremony in 2014 with just their six kids present.

The claims of petty dealing comes as the couple’s attorneys went back to court Monday in yet another salvo in their long-running custody dispute over their children, Page Six has learned.

According to the lawsuit seen by Page Six, both Pitt, 57, and Jolie, 46, held their shares for Miraval in separate limited liability companies (LLCs).

According to the court papers, Miraval is owned by Quimicum, a company in which Pitt originally held a 60 percent share through his company Mondo Bongo, while Jolie held 40 percent through her company Nouvel.

Three years before they split in 2016, Pitt transferred 10 percent of the estate from Mondo Bongo to Jolie’s Nouvel, making them equal shareholders.

Sources told Page Six that as part of their agreement, the former couple also agreed to ask each other for permission if they ever wanted to sell their shares.

However, the suit now alleges that Jolie tried to sneakily sell her shares without giving Pitt right of first refusal.

“He did all the work; she did nothing,” a source claimed.

According to the lawsuit, the 10-percent transfer should be void as the shares were “sold” for only €1 and not a “serious” amount as required by Luxembourg law. It is now valued at over €140 million (about $164 million).

“It is worth mentioning that, for the last four years, Nouvel [Jolie’s company] did not act in the best interest of Quimicum by systematically delaying the approval of the annual accounts and the renewal of the manager,” the suit states.

“We understand that behind this systematic obstruction, the real purpose of Nouvel and its shareholder [Jolie] is to sell its stake in Chateau Miraval SA in a way that would circumvent Mondo Bongo’s right of first refusal (as provided in Quimicum’s articles of approval), taking, as a result, a capital gain raised thanks to Mondo Bongo’s investment and to which Nouvel did not contribute.”

A source told us: “It’s another example of Angelina trying to circumvent the rules and avoid their obligations.”

Jolie filed for divorce in August 2016 citing “irreconcilable differences” and requesting primary custody of five of their six children: Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15 and twins Vivienne and Knox, 13. Son Maddox is now 20.

As we revealed in June, Pitt, was awarded joint custody – a decision that Jolie vowed to fight.

The actress claimed that three of the children wanted to testify against Pitt but were blocked from doing so by Judge John Ouderkirk, the private judge to whom Pitt and Jolie initially agreed in a bid to keep the details of their case sealed.

But just one month later, Jolie won a major victory when her lawyers convinced a California appeals court that Judge Ouderkirk should be excluded on the grounds that Pitt’s lawyers did not disclose previous dealings he had had with the Oscar winner’s attorneys.

Lawyers for Pitt requested permission for the Supreme Court in California to review the order, and Jolie submitted her response Monday.

Pitt’s attorney, Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., told Page Six: “The lower court’s ruling will reward parties who are losing child custody cases, and condone their gamesmanship, by allowing them to wait and see about the likely direction of the case before seeking the disqualification of the judge.

“Condoning the use of this type of strategic ‘lie in wait’ disqualification challenge will cause irreparable harm to both the children and families involved in this case, and other families in other cases, by unnecessarily prolonging the resolution of these disputes in an already overburdened court system.

“Allowing this kind of crafty litigation strategy will deprive parents of irreplaceable time with their children as judges are disqualified for minor reasons in the midst of their cases.

“Nothing in the opposition brief calls into question the urgent need for California Supreme Court review, nor does the opposition address nor refute the important fact that the lower court’s ruling is bad for children and bad for California’s overburdened judicial system.”

Reps for Jolie declined to comment.

‘Hacks’ Star Jean Smart Pays Emotional Emmy-Win Tribute To Late Husband Richard Gilliland; Thanks “Creative, Brave” Team For Working Through Covid

“I wouldn’t be here without him, without him putting his career on the back burner so I could take advantage of all the opportunities I have found,” she said.

Smart took home her fourth Emmy for a bravura performance as Deborah Vance, an aging caustic and spoiled female comedian in Las Vegas (a la Joan Rivers meets Debbie Reynolds) in this biting, much-nominated freshman HBO Max series. She thanked HBO Max and her team “for working through a pandemic. You’re all so creative and brave.”

The actress, 69, was also in the running tonight for a best supporting Emmy on HBO’s limited series Mare of Easttown in the midst of a fast-moving career renaissance that includes FX’s Fargo and Legion and HBO’s Watchmen (where she was Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as agent Laurie Blake).

A star of stage and screen, many say Hacks is Smart’s most memorable performance as Vance, who tries to keep her career afloat with the help of a feisty young comedy writer Ava (Hanna Einbinder, also nominated and also winning in the best supporting role). In an impressive sweep, Hacks also just won for best comedy writing and directing.

Smart’s previous Emmys were for two guest turns on Frasier as Lana Gardner and a supporting actress win on the ABC sitcom Samantha Who? Where she played Regina Newley, the overbearing mother. She received back-to-back Emmy nods for her portrayal of Martha Logan, the mentally unstable First Lady of the United States, on the action drama series 24.

The Seattle native first appeared on Broadway in 1981 as Marlene Dietrich in the biographical play Piaf. In TV, she nabbed leading role as Charlene Frazier Stillfield on Designing Women, starring in the CBS sitcom from 1986 to 1991.

Smart was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for the 2000 Broadway revival of The Man Who Came to Dinner.

Christopher Goutman Interview 9/24/21

Chris has spent most of his career working as a director, producer, and writer. He started his career as an actor appearing on The Doctors, Search for Tomorrow, The Edge of Night and Texas. Chris served as the Executive Producer for Another World and As the World Turns as well as directed episodes from nine different daytime dramas.

He created and produced two web series, In Turn and L.A. Diaries, which he also directed, as well as promotional campaigns for network television, commercial movie theater trailers, and an award-winning Presidential campaign ad. For his work in television, he has shot on locations all over the world. He also wrote, produced, and directed two short films, The Square Root of Three and Visions of Joanna, both of which received extensive exposure on the independent film circuit. In theatre, he has directed in New York, Philadelphia and Florida, including productions at EST, NYC Fringe, the Harold Clurman Theatre and the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. His plays have been performed at L.A. Stage and Film Company, the Barrow Group and EST. He has five Emmy Awards for his work as a producer and director and a Directors Guild of America Award.

Chris currently serves as the Artistic Director, Associate Professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Tony Winner Joanna Gleason Taps Betsy Brandt, Susan Sullivan, Dan Bucatinsky & More For Feature Debut, ‘The Grotto’

The film centers on Alice (Brant), who uncovers her recently deceased fiancé’s secret past when she inherits part ownership of a forgotten nightclub in the Mojave Desert.

Del Arco will play Victor, the owner of the nightclub, with Bucatinsky portraying Alice’s new best friend, Kip. The roles played by Kazee and Sullivan have not yet been disclosed. Actors set to appear in supporting roles include Miguel Sandoval (Station 19), Caroline Aaron (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Michael Nouri (Damages), Amy Aquino (Bosch), Lindsay Mendez (Broadway’s Carousel) and Kevin Chamberlin (Broadway’s Seussical).

Ouroboros Entertainment’s Laure Sudreau is producing the film, alongside Todd Shotz, Tim Kirkman, Kelly Woyan and Sean Akers of T42 Entertainment. It will enter production in Los Angeles in a matter of days.

“The cast for ‘The Grotto’ is an embarrassment of riches. I have had these characters in my mind for the past few years and always believed that by some miracle, the right actors were going to show up. And they have — with big thanks to our casting directors,” said Gleason. “The chance to work with these actors led by the incomparable Betsy Brandt is a dream come true.”

Gleason’s first feature comes on the heels of several directorial outings in TV. Back in the ’90s, she helmed episodes of the series Love & War (CBS), The Louie Show (CBS) and Oh Baby (Lifetime).

Brandt is represented by Patty Woo Management, TalentWorks, and Del Shaw Moonves; Del Arco by SDB Partners and manager Kyle Fritz; Bucatinsky by Gersh, Principal Entertainment LA and Myman Greenspan Fox; Kazee by APA and D2 Management; Sullivan by Paradigm; Gleason by Innovative Artists, Forward Entertainment and Shep Rosenman, Esq. of RLG LLP.

Linda Dano Interview 9/22/21

37th annual Television Critics Association Award Winner

Jean Smart, Hacks (HBO Max)

Jackée Harry Says She's Still Searching for Love in 'All the Wrong Places'

In this week's issue of PEOPLE, the sitcom legend, 65, opens up about her secrets to success, finding humility and maintaining a hot dating life!

"I'm still looking for love in all the wrong places," admits Harry, who has recently brought her outsized personality to the daytime soap Days of Our Lives and its Peacock spin-off Days of Our Lives: Beyond Salem as real estate mogul Paulina Price. "I'm seeing a couple of people and trying to keep busy juggling them all!"

"I like younger men," she adds. "And that's definitely the wrong place, but they're much more fun!"

Though the pandemic has limited her efforts when it comes to dating, Harry — who was married to celebrity hairstylist Elgin Charles from 1996-2003 — says she's still putting herself out there and enjoying the ride.

"I'm dating because I like people and I love to socialize," she says. "So I have friends who try to hook me up and I'll have people I'll be eyeing in the supermarket or library."

"There are certain places you got to go," she says. "Whole Foods is the place. And the bookstore. Bookstores are still good. Barnes & Noble. Make sure you dress properly. Don't have everything out, but something's got to be out!"

While her dating life is keeping things interesting for the time being, Harry says her main priorities are being a mom to son Frank, 27, a grandma to her two grandchildren and continuing to find success as an artist.

"My goal was always to be the best," says Harry, who became an '80s sitcom sensation starring as Marla Gibbs' maneater neighbor Sandra Clark on 227 and is currently enjoying a career renaissance. "You've got to develop a persona and make an impression."

At one point, Harry says she felt like she had "made it," but quickly realized her ego was holding her back from her full potential.

"It's important to keep your sense of humor and stay grounded," says Harry, who admits it was difficult at times to find a healthy balance between career and motherhood. "I'm still the same, but I'm more aware of sharing. I've become more empathetic and more of a team player."

With her career still buzzing, Harry is reflecting on lessons learned and looking forward to her next chapters, both professionally and personally.

"I don't want to fall in love for love's sake," she says. "I want to enjoy it because I don't know how much time I have left. If I'm able to, I'll keep going. I've been very lucky."

Morning Show Appearance

Monday, September 6

(10-11 a.m.) Guests: Jackée Harry on Peacock’s Days of Our Lies: Beyond Salem.

Video: Another World Reunion - Les Brandt, Lisa Brenner and Kevin McClatchy

Michelle Hurd Receives SAG-AFTRA President’s Award For Union Service

Hurd, who stars on the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Picard, is a national board member who’s running on Carteris’ Unite for Strength slate. Carteris, who also is running for a seat on the board, will wrap up her presidency after a new president – either Fran Drescher or Matthew Modine – is elected tonight.

“Michelle Hurd is a change-maker,” Carteris said. “She is a shining example of how to balance a successful acting career with dedicated union service and a commitment to improving the lives of SAG-AFTRA members and all workers. Michelle has led from the frontlines in our efforts to ensure the safety and protection of SAG-AFTRA members and to help eradicate sexual harassment from the entertainment industry. Additionally, she represented the organization before legislative bodies advocating for laws that support and empower members and all workers. Because of her efforts, Hollywood is a safer and better place. Our members are forever indebted to Michelle for her selfless commitment to the SAG-AFTRA mission and we look forward to continuing our partnership in the years ahead.”

As a national board member, Hurd played a leading role in advancing efforts to remove sexual harassment and assault from the entertainment industry and make sets safer. As a member of the SAG-AFTRA President’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Safety and the union’s sexual harassment workgroup, she worked to provide resources to members who experienced sexual harassment and assault, and assisted in developing updated guidelines and policies to eliminate harassment and assault in the industry. Her work led to the creation and development of the intimacy coordinator initiative and helped spur the creation of SAG-AFTRA Safe Place, a reporting platform that allows members to discreetly report incidents of sexual harassment.

Hurd’s early boardroom advocacy of the intimacy coordinator profession helped launch the union’s intimacy coordinator work group, which led to the development and release of the union’s standards and protocols for the employment of intimacy coordinators. In April, the union announced Phase II of the initiative, releasing intimacy coordinator standards for training and qualifications, and introducing a new registry system. When completed, the registry system aims to ensure a diverse pipeline of certified professionals dedicated to keeping actors safe. Intimacy coordinators are trained professionals who specialize in protecting actors during intimate or simulated sex scenes while fulfilling the director’s vision.

As part of her advocacy, she partnered with fellow actor Kate Rigg to create an actor-specific intimacy protection guide for members called “Sex, Nudity and You,” which was included in a special pull-out section of SAG-AFTRA Magazine and is available on the union’s website.

Hurd, who has been a mainstay on television for years, has appeared on Blindspot, Law & Order: SVU, Hawaii Five-O, Daredevil and many other shows.

Jane Krakowski Joins NBC’s ‘Annie Live!’

The casting, announced today by NBC, is the latest addition to the holiday season musical special airing Dec. 2: Krakowski, known to TV audiences for performances in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and 30 Rock, among others, and Broadway theatergoers for She Loves Me, Grand Hotel, Company and Once Upon a Mattress, joins a line-up that includes Burgess, Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan, Harry Connick Jr.’s Daddy Warbucks, Nicole Scherzinger’s Grace and the recently announced Celina Smith as Annie.

Krakowski is currently starring on TV in Dickinson and Schmigadoon, and hosts Name That Tune.

As the larger-than-life Lily St. Regis, Krakowski teams up with Burgess’ conniving Rooster Hannigan as a greedy duo that schemes to abduct Annie and pose as her parents to land a big reward. The role of Lily was created on Broadway in 1977 by Barbara Erwin and portrayed in the 1982 film version by Bernadette Peters.

Annie Live! will be executive produced by Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Alex Rudzinsky, with Lear deBessonet and Alex Rudzinski sharing the directing duties. The live event is being produced by Chloe Productions.

Annie Live! airs Thursday, Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Brad Pitt challenges Angelina Jolie’s child custody

The 57-year-old actor argued that the 46-year-old actress should not have gotten custody of the couple’s children due to an administrative error by a temporary judge whom they jointly selected, according to documents filed in California Supreme Court and obtained by Page Six on Wednesday.

The “Inglourious Basterds” actor was first granted joint custody of the former couple’s five minor children in May by Judge John W. Ouderkirk.

But a California appeals court disqualified Ouderkirk because it was found that he did not adequately disclose matters involving Pitt that he presided on. The court papers did not specify the nature of the matters.

Ouderkirk, who declined to disqualify himself from their divorce when Jolie asked him to in a 2020 court filing, has a long past with the family. He even married Pitt and the “Maleficent” actress in 2014.

A lower court eventually ruled that Jolie’s request to boot the judge came too little, too late, but she appealed that decision and won.

Pitt’s camp, in its new filing, says it believes that any error made by Ouderkirk was minor and not worth vacating his custody ruling. It also claims Jolie was looking for any reason to get the jurist removed from the case.

“We are seeking review in the California Supreme Court because the temporary judge, who had been appointed and repeatedly renewed by both sides, was improperly disqualified after providing a detailed, fact-based custodial decision, following a lengthy legal process with multiple witnesses and experts,” Pitt’s lawyers said in a statement.

Page Six reported that the “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” star vowed to fight the court’s decision in July.

“The lower court’s ruling will reward parties who are losing child custody cases, and condone their gamesmanship, by allowing them to wait and see about the likely direction of the case before seeking the disqualification of the judge,” his lawyers argued in their statement.

“Condoning the use of this type of strategic ‘lie in wait’ disqualification challenge will cause irreparable harm to both the children and families involved in this case, and other families in other cases, by unnecessarily prolonging the resolution of these disputes in an already overburdened court system. Allowing this kind of crafty litigation strategy will deprive parents of irreplaceable time with their children as judges are disqualified for minor reasons in the midst of their cases.”

Jolie and Pitt share six children: Maddox, 20, Pax, 17, Zahara, 16, Shiloh, 15, and 13-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox. Maddox is not included in the ongoing custody battle because he is no longer a minor.

A rep for Jolie did not return our request for comment.

‘The Ghost & Molly McGee’ Renewed For Season 2 At Disney Channel Ahead Of Premiere; Kelsey Grammer, Natasha Rothwell & Greta Gerwig Join As Guest Stars

The pick-up comes as the network adds a list of A-list guest stars to voice the series as well as a number of new series regular voice castings. (You can also see a trailer for the series below.)

Kelsey Grammer, Natasha Rothwell, Greta Gerwig, Yvette Nicole Brown and Jane Lynch are among the names to guest in season one.

The series follows tween optimist Molly, voiced by Ashly Burch, who lives to make the world a better place, and grumpy ghost Scratch, voiced by Dana Snyder, whose job is to spread misery. When one of Scratch’s curses backfires, he finds himself forever bound to Molly, creating an unlikely friendship that leads to humorous misadventures as they navigate Molly’s new school and town. Jordan Klepper joins as the voice of Pete, Molly’s anxiously idealistic father, Sumalee Montano (The Lost Symbol) is the voice of Sharon and Grandma Nin, Molly’s creatively pragmatic mother and adoring grandmother, and Michaela Dietz (Steven Universe) is the voice of Darryl, Molly’s mischievously entrepreneurial brother.

Jenifer Lewis (Black-ish), Danny Trejo (Machete), Aparna Nancherla (Corporate), Pamela Adlon (Better Things), Patton Oswalt (Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.), D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!), Jessica Keenan Wynn (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again) and Sean Giambrone (The Goldbergs) are also set for guest roles in season one.

Created and executive-produced by Bill Motz and Bob Roth, along with executive producer Steve Loter, the series is produced by Disney Television Animation. (Video)

‘Salem’s Lot’ New Line Adaptation Adds Makenzie Leigh, Bill Camp & Spencer Treat Clark

In Salem’s Lot, author Ben Mears (Pullman) returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire. Leigh will play Susan Norton, Camp is Matthew Burke and Clark is Mike Ryerson.

In the book, Susan Norton is a resident of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine. Ben and her eventually fall in love, and she has a knowledge of the vampires in town. Matt Burke is a former high school English teacher who knows about the Marten’s House evil past and helps out Ben. Mike Ryerson is one of the town’s simple folk and becomes a victim to the events at hand.

Salem’s Lot was King’s first novel to top the New York Times best-seller list at #1 and become an instant classic when it published. The project carries forward New Line’s horror legacy and relationship with the author following the studio’s global phenomenon with It and It Chapter Two which combined grossed $1.17 billion. New Line is also currently developing The Long Walk.

Leigh broke out as the protagonist’s romantic fixation in Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk followed her memorable turn opposite Christopher Abbot in James White. She appeared in the critically acclaimed film The Assistant which made its world premiere at Telluride as well as the NBC miniseries The Slap and the Fox series Gotham.

Camp most recently earned a SAG Nomination for his performance as Mr. Shaibel in the hit Netflix limited series The Queen’s Gambit. Prior to this, he is best known for his Emmy-nominated performance in the acclaimed limited series The Night Of. Up next, Camp will star in the Showtime series American Rust premiering Sept. 12, as well as make his much anticipated return to the New York stage in the Audible revival of Long Day’s Journey Into Night directed by Robert O’Hara.

Clark starred in the 2019 M. Night Shyamalan Universal feature Glass opposite Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy and Sarah Paulson. On television he recently starred in the TNT series Animal Kingdom, in season two of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina for Netflix and in ABC/Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He started acting at a young age, first appearing in films such as the Oscar winning Gladiator and M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable. Other film credits include Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River, The Last House on the Left, The Last Exorcism Part II, Joss Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing and Blumhouse’s The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

New Line is reuniting with the producing teams behind their record-breaking horror franchises The Conjuring Universe (highest grossing horror franchise of all time with $2B+ WW) and the Stephen King It films (highest grossing horror film of all time at $700M+ worldwide) for Salem’s Lot. Producers are James Wan and Michael Clear for Atomic Monster and Roy Lee for Vertigo alongside Mark Wolper.

New Line frequent collaborator Gary Dauberman wrote the screenplay and is directing. Dauberman has written six films for New Line, including the global blockbuster two-film adaptation of It and four installments in the record-breaking The Conjuring universe, totaling over $2.4B in global box office receipts. Dauberman made his directorial debut in 2019 with New Line’s critical and box office hit Annabelle Comes Home.

Michael Bederman, Dauberman, Atomic Monster’s Judson Scott, and Vertigo’s Andrew Childs will executive produce.

Leigh is repped by Untitled Entertainment, ICM Partners. Camp is repped by Innovative Artists and Ken Weinrib at Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo. Clark is repped by The Gersh Agency, Untitled Entertainment.

LGBTQ Critics’ Dorian TV Award Winners

Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You (HBO) and Jean Smart, Hacks (HBO Max)

The Wrong Cheer Captain's Jackée Harry Talks Career Longevity, Black Women Emmy Snubs and Days of Our Lives

But that’s what the actress, who is best known for her Emmy-winning turn as Sandra Clark on the hit 1980s sitcom 227, has done from the start — gone above and beyond. When The Wrong Cheer Captain airs Sunday at 8/7c, Harry’s character will fretfully wring her hands and question a villainous cheerleader named Anna (The Lies that Bind‘s Soffia Masson), who is at best a bully and at worst, a murderer.

“It’s nice when you work with people who you know and who respect your work,” Harry tells TVLine about Vivica A. Fox, who stars in the small-screen flick as an unsuspecting cheer mom, director Dave DeCoteau (Keeping Up with the Joneses) and the producers. “That’s really the key. With every job, if you can get that, you’re almost there.”

When it comes to Ellen Simpson, Harry says the principal doesn’t want to believe that Anna is as evil as she is, despite warnings from a teacher and Kate (Alexis Samone), one of Anna’s fellow cheerleaders.

“She’s a child,” Harry says of the movie’s baddie. “Mean girls are everywhere still. You can be mean and grow up and not be that way because everyone’s done something to somebody at school, especially in high school and junior high. But there’s more to Anna.”

The Wrong Cheer Captain is the latest offering in Lifetime’s third annual “Fear the Cheer” movie slate, which runs Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 5 and celebrates all the sociopathic behavior cheering can inspire.

“Lifetime skews toward these kinds of pictures and people love them,” Harry says. “These are whodunnits with a cheerleader theme and viewers get addicted. They don’t know how it’s going to turn out and it’s all in the writing.”

Writing, Harry argues, is one of the reasons she was the last Black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. In the 34 years since Harry has won, seven Black women (including Harry in 1988) have been nominated but didn’t win.

“Hollywood isn’t writing enough for Black actresses in that category,” she opines. “Viola Davis and Regina King are big Emmy winners, but they’re in dramatic roles. We need to see comedy roles where Black women can sparkle and showcase their gifts. It’s not being written.”

There are exceptions, of course. “Issa Rae is good and so is Robin Thede, but Insecure and A Black Lady Sketch Show are on HBO and not enough people get to see them,” Harry adds. “There are a lot of Black shows, but we’re either not prominent or accessible. I think it will get better, but the writing has to get better and social media will make the change come quicker.”

Days of Our Lives scribes wrote Harry’s character, Paulina Price, just for her — an honor she says she doesn’t take for granted. Harry has also recently enjoyed small turns on FX’s Pose and Netflix’s Family Reunion.

“When people write for me, I’m always happy. I’m honored,” Harry divulges. “I’ll keep doing it until I run out of steam. Paulina Price is a mess. She’s got her money and her love interest, James Reynolds, who plays Abe. And he’s my man, honey. I’m older, but I can get a man. It’s glamorous and there’s a lot of fun and intrigue. I haven’t murdered anybody yet. I’ve never played a role where I get to murder anybody, so hopefully I will.”

Even more than the potential for murder, Harry says, she’s excited that the industry is still making a place for her.

“They’re taking care of me. It’s hard work and a lot of work in a short time,” Harry concludes about her soap role with a laugh. “But it’s fun and the cast and crew is nice. They treat me really well and that helps. I like to hustle. I’m from the old school, I like to work. The veteran actresses are working because we’re more reliable. We ain’t got nothing else to do.”

Another World Reunion 9/2/21

Dishing with Digest - 8/27/21 - Ted King

Is Anne Heche dating skincare guru Peter Thomas Roth?

Multiple sources tell us they have seen the “Six Days Seven Nights” actress and Roth out together in the Hamptons looking like more than just pals.

We’re told the pair were recently looking cozy and posing for pictures at the opening of Galerie magazine’s “House of Art and Design,” a show house featuring a number of designers in Sag Harbor.

They were also seen looking very much a couple at a private exhibition polo match held at the estate of philanthropist Maria Fishel and her husband, Ken.

Others have spotted them dining at Tutto il Giorno and Sant Ambroeus in Southampton.

A rep for Heche, 52 tells us, “Anne is single and is enjoying meeting new friends!”

Heche previously had a high-profile relationship with Ellen DeGeneres from 1997-2000.

She was married to Coley Laffoon in 2001 and the couple had a son together. They had a bitter divorce, first filed in 2007. Heche went so far as to call him a “lazy ass” on the “Late Show with David Letterman” in 2009. And when asked what he did for a living, she told the late-night host, “He goes out to the mailbox and he opens up the little mailbox door and goes, ‘Oh! I got a check from Anne! Oh! I got a check from Anne! Yay!'”

Heche also has a child with actor James Tupper.

Roth was previously married and has dated Charlie’s Sheen’s ex Brooke Mueller.

Micki Grant Dies: Trailblazing ‘Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope’ Creator, ‘Another World’ Actress Was 80

With Don’t Bother Me, Grant became the first woman to write both the music and lyrics to a Broadway musical, and her collaborator Vinnette Carroll entered the history books as the first Black woman to direct on Broadway.

Grant, whose death was first reported by the Broadway World website and confirmed by licensing and publishing company Concord Theatricals, returned to Broadway in 1976 by contributing additional music and lyrics for Alex Bradford’s musical Your Arms Too Short to Box with God, a retelling of the Book of Matthew directed by Carroll.

Described by Broadway director Kenny Leon as “a brilliant, passionate writer who gave everything to our industry,” Grant had already broken new ground on television by the time she made her seminal stand on Broadway, having first appeared in 1965 in what would be her longtime role of attorney Peggy Nolan on NBC’s daytime soap opera Another World.

According to a memoir published by Black daytime actress Ellen Holly, Grant’s Another World role had originally been written as a white character but was changed when Grant was hired as daytime’s first Black contract player.

Grant’s tenure from 1965 to 1972 also is credited with being daytime’s first regular story line written specifically for a Black actress. She later had roles in The Edge of Night, Guiding Light and All My Children.

Don’t Bother Me, Grant’s musical take on such topical subjects as Black power, slumlords, feminism and student protests, made its debut at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., featuring an innovative mix of gospel, calypso, jazz, rock and funk music. Restaged by Carroll, with choreography by George Faison, Don’t Bother Me, with music, lyrics and book by Grant, opened at Broadway’s since-demolished Playhouse Theatre on April 19, 1972.

The production received four Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Book, Best Original Score and Best Direction. Other accolades include an Obie Award, a Grammy Award and the NAACP Image Award.

A 1972 Los Angeles production starred actress Paula Kelly, and in 2018 Don’t Both Me was revived in New York by Encores!, directed and choreographed by Savion Glover.

Born Minnie Perkins in Chicago, Grant made her Broadway debut performing in a 1963 production of Langston Hughes’ Tambourines to Glory. She would later contribute music and lyrics to Broadway’s Working and Eubie, among others. Information on survivors and a cause of death were not immediately available.

Rest In Peace Madame Micki Grant, a brilliant , passionate writer who gave everything to our industry..#AmericanWriter#DontBotherMeICantCope#broadway
— Kenny Leon (@iamKENNYLEON) August 22, 2021

I am honored that I got to work with the legendary, ahead of her time, trailblazing, Micki Grant! May she Rest In Peace and may we continue to learn from her brilliant work! Love you always Micki! #dontbothermeicantcope #mynameisman
— JelaniAlladin (@JelaniAlladin) August 23, 2021

Rest in power to the magnificent Micki Grant. The theater is so much better because she was in it.
— Jason Robert Brown (@MrJasonRBrown) August 22, 2021

Equity was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Micki Grant. A three-time Tony Award nominee and 2009 Paul Robeson award recipient, Grant made history as the first woman to write and star in an original Broadway musical. She will be sorely missed. https://t.co/TXriaUATMU
— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) August 23, 2021

Gabrielle Union Sells Queer Teen Comedy To Amazon, Billy Porter To Direct

To Be Real is described as an LGBTQ Superbad crossed with Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart. , according to its logline, “an edgy, laugh out loud comedy about three queer high school seniors who go on the ultimate quest to attend their first New York Pride parade.”

I’ll Have Another Productions will produce To Be Real. I’ll Have Another’s Kian Gass, Porter and Shiraki will be EPs.

I’ll Have Another Productions and Katie and Mauricio Mota’s Wise Entertainment recently optioned Tamara Winfrey-Harris’ award-winning book The Sisters Are Alright: Changing the Broken Narrative of Black Women In America to develop as a 30-minute dramedy for television.

Porter began production on his directorial debut What If? last month in Pittsburgh. The Orion Pictures film is a modern coming-of-age story that follows a trans high school senior navigating an unexpected relationship.

Morning Show Appearance

Tuesday, August 24

Jane Krakowski and Celina Smith on NBC’s Annie Live!

Video Interview: Writers Carolyn and Richard Culliton

Lifetime Greenlights ‘Flowers In The Attic’ Prequel Miniseries With Jemima Rooper, Max Irons, Kelsey Grammer, Harry Hamlin, More

Kelsey Grammer (Frasier), Harry Hamlin (Mad Men), Kate Mulgrew (Orange is the New Black), Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries), Alana Boden (I Am Elizabeth Smart), Hannah Dodd (Harlots), T’Shan Williams (The Color Purple) and Callum Kerry (Four Weddings and a Funeral) also star in the miniseries which is based on the prequel novel, Garden of Shadows by Andrew Neiderman.

Author V.C. Andrews launched a pop culture sensation with the gothic tale Flowers in the Attic. Flowers in the Attic: The Origin peels back the curtain to reveal the twisted origins and dark secrets of the Foxworth family.

The miniseries greenlight follows on the success of Lifetime’s Flowers in the Attic and subsequent V.C. Andrews movie series franchises. The movie events Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind were cable’s top two movies of 2014 with women, while Flowers in the Attic has reached over 30.1M2 total viewers and Petals on the Wind seen by 23.4M3 total viewers.

Flowers in the Attic: The Origin tells the story of the headstrong and determined Olivia Winfield (Rooper) who is working alongside her beloved father (Hamlin) when she finds herself unexpectedly wooed by one of the nation’s most eligible bachelors, Malcom Foxworth (Irons). After a whirlwind romance, Olivia finds herself as the mistress of the imposing Foxworth Hall, where she soon discovers that the fairytale life she expected has quickly become a nightmare. Under Malcolm’s debonair exterior lies a dark heart, and a twisted evil lurks inside Foxworth Hall that will threaten Olivia’s happiness and that of her children. Her attempts to keep them all safe ultimately push Olivia to become to most terrifying version of herself, leading to her inevitable—and notorious—decision to lock her grandchildren in the attic.

Dodd stars as Olivia’s daughter, Corinne; while Williams portrays Foxworth’s longtime staff member and Olivia’s observant housekeeper, Nella. Mulgrew plays Mrs. Steiner, Malcom’s loyal house manager and head of the Foxworth Hall staff. Grammer portrays Malcom’s illustrious father Garland Foxworth, who is married to new wife Alicia, played by Boden. Wesley stars as John Amos, Olivia’s cousin whose revelations change her life forever and Callum Kerr stars as Christopher, a close relative of the Foxworth family whose life will be eternally intertwined with Corrine’s from the moment they set eyes on each other.

Additional talent includes Luke Fetherston, Buck Braithwaite, Jordan Peters, Evelyn Miller, Rawdat Quadri, Emmanuel Ogunjinmi, David Witts, Carla Woodcock and Peter Bramhill.

Paul Sciarrotta serves as executive producer. Urman and Klein serve as executive producers for Sutton St. Productions and CBS Studios. Zoë Rocha serves as executive producer for RubyRock Pictures, Gary Pearl executive produces for Aquarius Content and Dan Angel executive produces. Declan O’Dwyer also executive produces and directed part one and part two of the miniseries. Robin Sheppard serves as director for parts three and four. Scripts are from executive producer Sciarrotta, as well as Amy Rardin and Conner Good. The miniseries was made with support of the Romanian Government.

Morgan Freeman & Cole Hauser To Lead George Gallo Action-Thriller ‘Muti’; The Exchange To Handle Sales

The film will follow Detective Boyd (Hauser), who, unable to process the death of his daughter, embarks on a hunt for a serial killer who murders according to a brutal tribal ritual: Muti. The only person who can help Boyd is Professor Mackles (Freeman), an anthropologist who hides an unspeakable secret. The line between sanity and madness thins as Boyd goes deeper into the killer’s world.

The supporting cast will include Peter Stormare (Fargo) and former NFL tight end-turned-actor Vernon Davis, a Super Bowl winner and two-time Pro Bowler.

Filming is due to take place in Mississippi and Italy. The Exchange will introduce the project to international buyers during TIFF.

The screenplay was written by Bob Bowersox, Jennifer Lemmon, Francesco Cinquemani, Giorgia Iannone, Luca Giliberto and Ferdinando Dell’Omo. It is based on a story by Joe Lemmon and Cinquemani.

Producers are Joe Lemmon of Black Diamond Films, Andrea Iervolino, Monika Bacardi and Danielle Maloni of Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment SPA, and Bret Saxon of Wonderfilm Media.

Executive producers are March on Productions’ Richard Salvatore, David E. Ornston, Nate Adams, Jeff Bowler and Luca Matrundola.

Screenwriter, director and painter Gallo is best known for the scripts for the original Bad Boys movie and action-comedy Midnight Run. He most recently directed Freeman in movies The Comeback Trail, which also starred Robert De Niro and Tommy Lee Jones, and 2021 thriller Vanquish, which also starred Ruby Rose.

Said Iervolino: “A high level of intelligence and sophistication underpins the tension and intensity of Muti. Having Morgan and Cole playing off one another keeps the dial up in unrelenting fashion throughout the twisting ride. We’re happy to make this a unique multinational collaboration, shooting in Mississippi and Italy.”

Freeman is represented by CAA and Sloane Offer. Hauser is repped by Brillstein Entertainment, Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) and Morris Yorn Barnes.

Dishing with Digest - 8/13/21 - Kimberlin Brown

Soap Opera Writers Interview: Carolyn and Richard Culliton

This talented duo met when they were both students at Northwestern University. Carolyn grew up watching soaps and Richard had never seen one. Fate intervened in 1978 when a family friend offered to make some introductions to an executive Procter & Gamble Productions. The rest is history.

Carolyn’s first job in the daytime industry was working as Paul Rauch’s assistant at Another World and Richard’s first job was as a script writer on Texas. From that moment forward this duo worked non-stop as breakdown writers, script writers and as head writers on almost every soap opera on the air. Together this duo created the General Hospital spin-off Port Charles while serving as head writers for the first few months of the show’s run.

They are the recipient of numerous Daytime Emmy Awards and Writer’s Guild Awards for their work. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Emily who is an adjunct professor of creative writing at St. Joseph's College in Brooklyn, and Kathleen a journalist. Emily published her first novel In 2017, "The Misfortune of Marion Palm" was published by Knopf.

Looks like the writing gene is a strong one in the Culliton family.

‘The Re-Education Of Molly Singer’: Britt Robertson, Wendie Malick & More Board Indie Feature

Also headlining the cast of the Andy Palmer-directed movie is Nico Santos, Holland Roden, Wendie Malick (Another World/Search for Tomorrow) and Ty Simpkins.

In the Todd Friedman and Kevin Haskin written feature, the former Queen of Campus Molly Singer has just botched the biggest case of her career due to her inability to let go of her hard partying lifestyle. Rather than firing her, Molly is tasked by her boss Brenda to re-enroll at her old alma mater, to befriend her socially awkward son, Elliot (Simpkins), and guide him through an already tumultuous freshman year. Equipped with her quick wit, years of experience and her best friend Paulie, Molly discovers that college has certainly changed since her glory days, and maybe it really is time to move on from the best four years of her life to a new journey. Santos will play Ollie, Roden is Trina and Malick will play Mrs. Zimmerman.

Producers are Warner Davis and Friedman. The Warner Davis Company and Hemlock Circle Productions are producing.

Robertson, the star of ABC’s Big Sky, and the upcoming Amy Koppelman movie A Mouthful of Air and features I Still Believe, Tomorrowland, Mother’s Day and Cake, is repped by Innovative Artists.

Santos is the star of NBC’s Superstore, and movies The Clapper and Crazy Rich Asians. He is repped by Greene & Associates Talent Agency and Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner & Gellman.

Roden recently starred in Sony’s Escape Room: Tournament of Champions and starred on 100 episodes of MTV’s Teen Wolf as Lydia Martin. She is repped by Paradigm, Eclipse Management and Entertainment, and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.

Malick will star in the Diane Keaton comedy Mack & Rita. She starred in 149 episodes of Just Shoot Me! as well as 125 episodes of Hot in Cleveland, as well as American Housewife and The Ranch. She is repped by Innovative Artists and Marcia Hurwitz.

Simpkins starred in such movies as the Insidious franchise, Avengers: Endgame, The Nice Guys, Iron Man 3, and Jurassic World. He is repped by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer Mandelbaum Morris Bernstein Trattner & Klein.

Palmer is repped by CSP Management.

Kyra Sedgwick Movie ‘Space Oddity’ Adds Kevin Bacon, Simon Helberg & Carrie Preston

Additionally, REI Co-op Studios has come on board as producers of the film alongside Sedgwick and Valerie Stadler’s Big Swing Productions.

Penned by Rebecca Banner, Space Oddity tells the story of Alex (Kyle Allen) who, after giving up on Earth and deciding to leave it all behind for a one-way mission to Mars, develops an unexpected romance with Daisy (Alexandra Shipp), the enigmatic town newcomer, which forces him to choose between an uncertain journey to the stars and an even more uncertain journey of the heart.

Bacon will play Jeff, Alex’s Father; Preston is Jane, Alex’s mother; while Helberg plays Dimitri, the love interest to Alex’s sister, Liz (played by Madeline Brewer, who we previously announced). Production is taking place in Rhode Island.

REI Co-op Studios is the retailer’s in-house content arm. Across films, podcasts, and editorial programs, the studio develops and produces stories that entertain, enrich and explore the power of time spent outside, while complementing the co-op’s broader climate and racial equity, diversity, and inclusion commitments.

Said Paolo Mottola, REI’s Director of Content and Media, “Space Oddity’s story is set in the context of our changing climate and how the connections we have to this planet, and each other, makes it worth saving. We hope audiences see themselves in these characters and are motivated to advocate for a healthier planet.”

Added Sedgwick, “One of the things we want to do with this movie is generate hope. There is so much information out in the world today, and it’s easy for things to seem bleak, but we need to stay optimistic so we can keep fighting because our planet is worth fighting for. We are thrilled to be partnering with REI Co-op Studios to amplify this message and to work with their talent team who have a lifetime of experience loving the outdoors and the Earth.”

REI Co-op’s last production was last year’s The Dark Divide, directed by Tom Putnam and starring David Cross and Debra Messing.

Also producing Space Oddity is Jack Greenbaum and Richard Arlook for the The Arlook Group and Mickey Schiff for Unique Features. EPs are Bob Shaye, Ibrahim AlHusseini, JL Pomeroy, Brent Emery, Susan Cartonis, Suzanne Farwell, Meredith Bagby and Anne Clements.

Golden Globe winner and Primetime Emmy nominee Bacon recently starred in season 2 of Showtime’s hit series City on a Hill which was renewed for a third season. He also starred in and co-produced David Koepp’s You Should Have Left and can next be seen in the upcoming films One Way and The Toxic Avenger. The Footloose and J.F.K. star was won a Golden Globe in 2010 in the Actor Miniseries/Made for TV movie category for Taking Chance which also landed him an Emmy nom in the same category in 2009. He is repped by MGMT Entertainment and attorney Fred Gaines.

Golden Globe and multi-SAG nominee Helberg will next be seen in Amazon’s Annette which made its world premiere at Cannes and also stars Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver; penned by the Sparks brothers and directed by Leos Carax. He recently wrapped production on the film As Sick as They Made Us, an upcoming drama directed and written by Mayim Bialik and stars Candice Bergen, Dustin Hoffman, and Dianna Agron. Across 279 episodes, Helberg played Howard Wolowitz on CBS/Warner Bros. TV’s The Big Bang Theory. He is repped by UTA, MGMT Entertainment, Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.

Preston won a 2013 Primetime Emmy in the Guest Actress drama category for The Good Wife. She can now be seen as Polly in the hit TNT series, Claws, executive-produced by Rashida Jones. The drama continues to garner rave reviews and is currently in its fourth and final season. She also can be seen in Dr. Death with Joshua Jackson based on the true story of neurosurgeon Dr. Christopher Duntsch who permanently maimed and killed his patients. Her directorial career continuous to flourish, most recently directing an episode of The Good Fight to stream on Aug. 5. She is repped by Innovative Artists, Principal Entertainment.

Court disqualifies private judge in Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt divorce

The 2nd District Court of Appeal agreed with Jolie that Judge John W. Ouderkirk didn’t sufficiently disclose business relationships with Pitt’s attorneys.

“Judge Ouderkirk’s ethical breach, considered together with the information disclosed concerning his recent professional relationships with Pitt’s counsel, might cause an objective person, aware of all the facts, reasonably to entertain a doubt as to the judge’s ability to be impartial. Disqualification is required,” the court ruled.

The decision means that the custody fight over the couple’s five minor children, which was nearing an end, could be starting over.

The judge already ruled the pair divorced, but separated the child custody issues.

Like many celebrity couples, Pitt and Jolie opted to hire their own judge to increase their privacy in the divorce proceedings.

Ouderkirk declined to disqualify himself when Jolie asked him to in a filing in August. A lower court judge ruled that Jolie’s request for disqualification came too late. Jolie’s attorneys then appealed.

Attorneys for the two sides did not have an immediate comment on the ruling.

Jolie, 46, and Pitt, 57, were among Hollywood’s most prominent couples for 12 years. They had been married for two years when Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. They were declared divorced in April 2019, after their lawyers asked for a judgment that allowed a married couple to be declared single while other issues remained, including finances and child custody.

In May, Jolie and her attorneys criticized Ouderkirk for not allowing the couple’s children to testify in the proceedings.

The actress also said the judge “has failed to adequately consider” a section of the California courts code, which says it is detrimental to the best interest of the child if custody is awarded to a person with a history of domestic violence. Her filing did not give details about what it was referring to, but her lawyers submitted a document under seal in March that purportedly offers additional information.

The ruling does not address whether the children should be allowed to testify in the case.

Brad Pitt vows to fight judge disqualification in Angelina Jolie custody case

As Page Six revealed, the Hollywood star was given joint custody of their five minor children in a preliminary decision by Judge John W. Ouderkirk in May.

But in a big win for Jolie, a California appeals court on Friday disqualified Judge Ouderkirk, ruling that he didn’t sufficiently disclose business relationships with Pitt’s attorneys.

This renders Judge Ouderkirk’s custody decision effectively moot and means that Jolie, for the moment, retains full-time custody, with Pitt granted visitation rights.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Pitt told us: “The appeals court ruling was based on a technical procedural issue.

“The facts haven’t changed. There is an extraordinary amount of factual evidence which led the judge — and the many experts who testified — to reach their clear conclusion about what is best in the children’s best interests.

“We will continue to do what’s necessary legally based on the detailed findings of what’s best for the children.”

In the ruling, seen by Page Six on Friday, the 2nd District Court of Appeal said: “The person on the street might reasonably entertain a doubt as to Judge Ouderkirk’s ability, consciously or subconsciously, to remain impartial in the upcoming, hotly contested custody dispute.

“None of Pitt’s arguments that a reasonable person would not have cause to doubt Judge Ouderkirk’s impartiality withstands scrutiny.”

“Judge Ouderkirk’s ethical breach, considered together with the information disclosed concerning his recent professional relationships with Pitt’s counsel, might cause an objective person, aware of all the facts, reasonably to entertain a doubt as to the judge’s ability to be impartial. Disqualification is required,” the court ruled.

The decision means that the custody fight over the couple’s children has to start over.

The judge already ruled the pair legally divorced, but had separated the child custody issues.

Ouderkirk, who actually married Pitt, 57, and Jolie, 46, in 2014, declined to disqualify himself when Jolie asked him to in a filing in August. A lower court judge ruled that Jolie’s request for disqualification came too late. Jolie’s attorneys then appealed.

A rep for Jolie had no comment as of yet.

Dishing with Digest 7/23/21 - Jackée Harry

‘The Good Fight’ Renewed For Season 6 By Paramount+

Four episodes of The Good Fight‘s current season are available to watch right now with new episodes of the remaining six to be released on Thursdays exclusively for Paramount+ subscribers.

“The Good Fight’s provocative, whip-smart, and no-holds-barred world remains as relevant as ever, continuing to entice new audiences as one of Paramount+’s top performing original series and acquisition drivers,” Nicole Clemens, President, Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to continue The Good Fight’s enduring legacy with a sixth season and can’t wait to see what the brilliant minds behind the series, Robert and Michelle King, tackle next.”

Season 5 saw the departures of Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) and Adrian Boseman (Delroy Lindo) and the ascension of Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) to partner—of an African American law firm—alongside Liz Reddick (Audra McDonald). Meanwhile, Marissa (Sarah Steele) and the firm become entangled with Hal Wackner (Mandy Patinkin), a regular Chicagoan who decides to open his own courtroom in the back of a copy shop.

The Good Fight has earned two Emmy Award nominations in 2017 and 2018 for Outstanding Original Main Title Music and Outstanding Music and Lyrics, respectively.

Jackée Harry on Family Feud July 25

The celebrity teams who will try to guess what the “survey said” are the following:

Team Nev Schulman; playing for National Dance Institute and American Cancer Society’s Benefit Event Dance Against Cancer

Laura Perlongo – Wife

Sarah Wahl – Sister-in-Law

Claudia Hirshon – Mother

Sheldon Hirshon – Stepfather

VERSUS

Team Jimmie Allen (Team Captain/multiplatinum recording artist); playing for Duffy’s Hope

Dexter Darden – Friend/actor

Lexi Gale – Wife

Tyrone Gale – Father-in-Law

Matt Stell – Friend/platinum country artist

Team David Arquette; playing for Violence Intervention Program’s The Alexis Project

RJ City – Sports Entertainer

Jack “Jungle Boy” Perry – AEW Wrestler

Peter “Pretty” Avalon – AEW Wrestler

Dalton Castle – ROH World Champion

VERSUS

Team Paul Reubens; playing for Feeding America

S. Epatha Merkerson – Friend

Jackée Harry – Friend

Joe Manganiello – Friend

Drew Carey – Friend

TCA Award Nominations

Bo Burnham, “Bo Burnham: Inside” – Netflix
Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant” – HBO Max
Maya Erskine, “Pen15” – Hulu
Renee Elise Goldsberry, “Girls5Eva” – Peacock
Charlotte Nicdao, “Mythic Quest” – Apple TV+
Jean Smart, “Hacks” – HBO Max
Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” – Apple TV+
Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso” – Apple TV+.

Video: Susan Marie Snyder Interview

Susan legally changed her name to Suzenne Marie Seradwyn and currently makes her home on the Big Island of Hawaii.

2021 Primetime Emmy Nominations

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Bridgerton
Netflix • A Netflix Original Series in association with shondalandmedia
Regé-Jean Page as Simon Basset

The Crown
Netflix • Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television for Netflix
Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles

Lovecraft Country
HBO • HBO in association with afemme, Monkeypaw, Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. Television
Jonathan Majors as Atticus Freeman

Perry Mason
HBO • HBO in association with Team Downey, Dwight Street Book Club, and Inflatable Moose
Matthew Rhys as Perry Mason

Pose
FX Networks • FX Productions in association with 20th Century Television
Billy Porter as Pray Tell

This Is Us
NBC • 20th Television
Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Black-ish
ABC • ABC Signature
Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson

The Flight Attendant
HBO Max • HBO Max in association with Berlanti Productions, Yes, Norman Productions, and Warner Bros. Television
Kaley Cuoco as Cassie Bowden

Hacks
HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment
Jean Smart as Deborah Vance

Mom
CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television
Allison Janney as Bonnie Plunkett

Shrill
Hulu • Hulu, Warner Bros. Television, Broadway Video, Brownstone Productions, A. Rushfield Productions
Aidy Bryant as Annie Easton

Supporting Actress in a Limited/Anthology/Movie

Hamilton
Disney+ • Lin-Manuel Miranda and Nevis Productions LLC, Old 320 Sycamore, and RadicalMedia
Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler

Hamilton • Disney+ • Lin-Manuel Miranda and Nevis Productions LLC, Old 320 Sycamore, and RadicalMedia
Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton

Mare Of Easttown
HBO • HBO in association with wiip Studios, The Low Dweller Productions, Juggle Productions, Mayhem and Zobot Projects
Julianne Nicholson as Lori Ross

Mare Of Easttown • HBO • HBO in association with wiip Studios, The Low Dweller Productions, Juggle Productions, Mayhem and Zobot Projects
Jean Smart as Helen

The Queen’s Gambit
Netflix • Netflix Moses Ingram as Jolene

WandaVision
Disney+ • Marvel Studios
Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness / Agnes The Nosy Neighbor

Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

The Kominsky Method • Chapter 20. The Round Toes, Of The High Shoes
Netflix • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television
Morgan Freeman as Morgan Freeman

Saturday Night Live • Host: Daniel Kaluuya
NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Daniel Kaluuya as Host

Saturday Night Live • Host: Dave Chappelle
NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Alec Baldwin as President Donald Trump

Saturday Night Live • Host: Dave Chappelle
NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Dave Chappelle as Host

Saturday Night Live • Host: Dan Levy
NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Dan Levy as Host

Guest Actress In A Drama Series

The Crown • 48:1
Netflix • Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television for Netflix
Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II

The Handmaid’s Tale • Pigs
Hulu • Hulu, MGM, Daniel Wilson Productions, The Littlefield Company, White Oak Pictures
McKenna Grace as Esther Keyes

The Handmaid’s Tale • Testimony
Hulu • Hulu, MGM, Daniel Wilson Productions, The Littlefield Company, White Oak Pictures
Alexis Bledel as Emily

Ratched • The Dance
Netflix • A Fox21 Television Studios Production for Netflix
Sophie Okonedo as Charlotte Wells

This Is Us • I’ve Got This
NBC • 20th Television
Phylicia Rashad as Carol “Mama C” Clarke

Kelsey Grammer On ‘Frasier’ Revival: “Life Takes Him In Another Direction”

In an interview on WNBC New York, Grammer offered some detail-challenged clues on what viewers can expect from the revival. He said the character, who moved from Boston to Seattle for the original series, will end up in another new place. “He thinks he’s gonna go off and do one thing, and sure enough, his life takes him in another direction,” Grammer said of the character he played for 20 consecutive TV seasons. “And he ends up rich beyond his dreams.”

Watch the interview below.

John Mahoney, who played Frasier’s dad, died in 2018, but what about Frasier‘s surviving co-stars David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves and Peri Gilpin? Grammer told WNBC that he has “reached out to everybody,” but so far, none has signed on. As for the absence of Mahoney’s Martin Crane, who appeared in of Frasier’s 263 episodes, Grammer said, “We intend to deal with that some in the first episode.”

Airing from 1993-2004 on NBC the Cheers spinoff that won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in each of its first five seasons and finished its run with 37 Emmy Awards overall, include four for Grammer’s lead role. It was an out-of the-box hit, airing as the lead-out to Seinfeld in the season that sitcom caught fire and finish No. 1 among all primetime shows. Frasier would finish in the year-end top 20 in each of its first nine seasons, including four in the top 10.

The new incarnation of Frasier comes from writers Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Joe Cristalli (Life In Pieces), who will exec produce with Grammer, Tom Russo and Jordan McMahon. The series will be produced by CBS Studios in association with Grammnet Productions. (Video)

Justin Chambers To Play Marlon Brando In First Post ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ Role On ‘The Offer’ Limited Series

Chambers will portray Marlon Brando in Paramount+’s limited series The Offer, based on producer Al Ruddy’s experience of making Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 classic The Godfather. The movie, starring Brando as mob boss Vito Corleone, was nominated for 11 Oscars and won three — including Brando for Best Actor. (He refused the award.)

Miles Teller plays Ruddy, Dan Fogler plays Coppola. The 10-episode event series is written and executive produced by Nikki Toscano, who also showruns, and creator Michael Tolkin. Teller and Ruddy also serve as executive producers, along with Leslie Grief. Dexter Fletcher will direct the first and last block. The Offer is produced by Paramount Television Studios.

Chambers, an original Grey’s Anatomy cast member and a fan favorite, left the hit medical drama in late 2019 after 15 years on the show and 350 episodes playing Dr. Alex Karev.

“There’s no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that’s defined so much of my life for the past 15 years,” Chambers told Deadline at the time. “For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices. And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time.”

Chambers is repped by Gersh, Anonymous Content and attorney Darren Trattner.

HCA TV Awards Nominations

Best Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television MovieBryan Cranston – Your Honor (Showtime)Chris Rock – Fargo (FX)Colman Domingo – Euphoria Two-Part Special (HBO)Hugh Grant – The Undoing (HBO)Joel Edgerton – The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)Leslie Odom Jr. – Hamilton (Disney+)Paul Bettany – WandaVision (Disney+)

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Television MovieJean Smart – Mare of Easttown (HBO)Jessie Buckley – Fargo (FX)Julianne Nicholson – Mare of Easttown (HBO)Kat Dennings – WandaVision (Disney+)Kathryn Hahn – WandaVision (Disney+)Marielle Heller – The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)Teyonah Parris – WandaVision (Disney+)

Best Actress in a Streaming Series, ComedyKaley Cuoco – The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)Hailee Steinfield – Dickinson (Apple TV+)Cristin Milioti – Made for Love (HBO Max)Renée Elise Goldsberry – Girls5eva (Peacock)

Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, ComedyHannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO Max)Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)Juno Temple – Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)Kaitlin Olson – Hacks (HBO Max)Kathleen Turner – The Kominsky Method (Netflix)Paula Pell – Girls5Eva (Peacock)Rosie Perez – The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)

Best Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, DramaBilly Porter – Pose (FX)Christopher Meloni – Law & Order: Organized Crime (NBC)Freddie Highmore – The Good Doctor (ABC)Jonathan Majors – Lovecraft Country (HBO)Matthew Rhys – Perry Mason (HBO)Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)

Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Series, DramaAlexis Bledel – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)Ann Dowd – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)Gillian Anderson – The Crown (Netflix)Ming-Na Wen – The Mandalorian (Disney+)Samira Wiley – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)Yvette Nicole Brown – Big Shot (Disney+)Yvonne Strahovski – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu).

Henry Simmons & Joy Bryant To Star In Season 2 Of OWN Anthology Drama Series ‘Cherish The Day’

Production on the ARRAY Filmworks, Harpo Films and Warner Bros. Television production will begin this month in New Orleans with the new season set to air in 2022.

Cherish the Day chronicles the relationship of one couple, with each episode spanning a single day. In season two, the rekindling of a romance is told — the love story of Ellis (Henry Simmons) and Sunday (Joy Bryant), who fell in love in high school but find themselves reunited in beautiful New Orleans. Ellis is a former basketball player who is now a single father of two, and Sunday is a vegan celebrity chef on the cusp of fame. Each episode of the season-long narrative unfolds in a single day to reveal significant moments in a relationship.

Simmons most recently starred in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for ABC, and previously starred in the final six seasons of the landmark ABC drama NYPD Blue, created by Steven Bochco and David Milch. He was also a series regular on the CBS legal drama Shark and ABC comedy Man Up. Simmons starred in the feature film No Good Deed, opposite Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson, for Screen Gems. He also starred opposite Henson and Michael Clarke Duncan in From the Rough, and opposite Robin Williams in the independent feature World’s Greatest Dad. He was named Best Actor at the 2007 American Black Film Festival for his performance in South of Pico. Additional film acting credits include Madea’s Family Reunion, Something New, Taxi, Are We There Yet?, The Insurgents, A Gentleman’s Game, and Above the Rim. Simmons is repped by Artists First and APA.

Bryant is best known for her NAACP Image Award-nominated role as Jasmine in the long-running series Parenthood, and recently starred in the ABC series For Life opposite Nicholas Pinnock and Indira Varma. Joy has appeared opposite Dwayne Johnson on HBO’s Emmy Award-nominated drama Ballers, was a regular on the critically acclaimed Amazon original series Good Girls Revolt, and guest starred in the final season of HBO’s award-winning series Girls. Her film credits include About Last Night, Hit and Run, Bobby, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, The Skeleton Key, Carmen: A Hip Hopera with Beyoncé, and Denzel Washington’s directorial debut, Antwone Fisher. She is repped by Gersh, Principal Entertainment LA and James Adams.

The first season of “Cherish the Day” starred Xosha Roquemore, Alano Miller, and the legendary Cicely Tyson, and debuted in February 2020. On average during its seven-week first season, the series ranked #1 in its time period across all of cable with African American women, households, and total viewers.

The DuVernay-led series achieved full gender parity with a production crew of more than 50% women, including 18 female department heads, an initiative DuVernay will continue in season 2.

DuVernay, Paul Garnes, Raynelle Swilling, Teri Schaffer, and Oprah Winfrey serve as EPs of the series. Swilling, who won the 2020 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television) for Cherish the Day, and Schaffer are co-showrunners of season 2.

Susan Marie Snyder Interview 7/15/21

Susan just released her first novel, Love: The Harmonizing Essence co-written with her partner Elijah Carter. Susan will be here to discuss her new book, her role of Julie Snyder, and her other daytime roles on Another World, Ryan's Hope, and Santa Barbara.

In addition to her daytime roles, Susan is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and has appeared on screen in a number of movies including the hit film Ruthless People.

Susan legally changed her name to Suzenne Marie Seradwyn and currently makes her home on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Soap Vet Philece Sampler Dead at 67

“My heart is heavy,” Webb wrote on Facebook. “My dear friend, Philece Sampler, died unexpectedly at her home in Los Angeles. She was an enormously talented actress with a beautiful spirit, a loving heart, and a kind soul.”

Born on July 16, 1953, Sampler began acting in the late ’70s. Over the course of her forty-year career, Sampler logged nearly 200 performing credits, and was a prolific voice actor in animated television and video games. But to daytime fans, Sampler is best known for her roles as Donna Love on ANOTHER WORLD and Lee DuMond’s sister, Renee, on DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

Although Sampler’s role on DAYS was short-lived, Renee was romanced by both Tony DiMera and David Banning before it was revealed that her character was Stefano’s long-lost daughter — and she was ultimately killed by the Salem Stalker. In a touching Instagram post, DAYS star Thaao Penghlis (Tony/Andre) shared a throwback photo of himself along with Sampler, Joseph Mascolo (Stefano), and Brenda Benet (Lee) from a scene celebrating the DiMera family on DAYS.

“So sorry to hear that Philece Sampler has passed on,” Penghlis wrote. “It’s hard to believe that all three actors have made their transition. Today I celebrate having known such talented pros. Here’s to Joseph, Brenda, and Philece.”

Soap Writers Chat - Nancy Curlee and Stephen Demorest

Nancy Curlee is a three-time Emmy winner and the recipient of one Writers Guild of America Award for Guiding Light and has written for All My Children and One Life to Live.

Stephen is a six-time Emmy winner and the recipient of two Writers Guild of America Award as a head writer of the CBS daytime dramas As the World Turns and Guiding Light. He has also written for All My Children, General Hospital, One Life to Live, and Another World. Last year Stephen released his first sport book, Larry Miller: The Story of the Lost Legend Who Sparked the Tar Heel Dynasty.

The couple have three daughters and make their home in North Carolina. Please don’t miss the chance to catch up with this talented duo.

Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson, Ray Liotta, Alden Ehrenreich and Jesse Tyler Ferguson To Star in Elizabeth Banks’ ‘Cocaine Bear’ For Universal

Production is set to begin August 23 in Ireland. Jimmy Warden wrote the script that’s described as a character-driven thriller inspired by true events that took place in Kentucky in 1985. Additional information is being kept under wraps.

Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Aditya Sood are producing for Lord Miller. Brian Duffield is also producing as well as Banks and Max Handelman (who produce under their Brownstone Productions banner). Robin Fisichella will executive produce.

EVP Production Matt Reilly and Director of Development Christine Sun will oversee the project on behalf of Universal.

Best known for her roles in Felicity and The Americans, Russell has been busy on the film front in recent years, most recently seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker as well as the upcoming horror thriller Antlers directed by Scott Cooper. Jackson has been busy on the TV front as of late as he is set to star in the Apple TV+ series Swagger and also has a big role in the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series for Disney+.

Liotta can be seen in the Steven Soderbegh thriller No Sudden Move and the upcoming in The Sopranos prequel Many Saints of Newark.

Ehrenreich, best known for his starring role in Solo: A Star Wars Story, most recently was seen in the Peacock series Brave New World. Ferguson is coming off the decade-long run playing Mitchell Pritchett on the ABC sitcom Modern Family.

Russell is represented by WME, Burstein Company, Viewpoint and Sloane Offer. Liotta is represented by Gersh, Authentic Talent and Literary Management and Viewpoint. Ehrenreich is represented by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, Relevant, and Felker Toczek Suddleson. Jackson is represented by WME and Ziffren Brittenham LLP. Ferguson is represented by ICM Partners, Gartner Group Entertainment and GGSSC.

Netflix’s Animated ‘My Little Pony’ Movie Gets A Title And A Release Date; Voice Cast Revealed

The voice cast includes Vanessa Hudgens (Sunny), Kimiko Glenn (Izzy), James Marsden (Hitch), Sofia Carson (Pipp) and Liza Koshy (Zipp) along with Ken Jeong, Elizabeth Perkins, Jane Krakowski, Phil LaMarr and Michael McKean.

The plot centers on what happens when Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi are no longer friends on Equestria and live separated by species. But idealistic Earth Pony Sunny teams with Unicorn Izzy team to travel to faraway lands to find a way to bring enchantment and unity back to their world.

Robert Cullen and José L. Ucha direct the film, and Mark Fattibene is co-director. The story was created by Cullen & Ucha, and Tim Sullivan. Sullivan and Gillian Berrow penned the script. Cecil Kramer and Peter Lewis produce.

Billy Porter Single Kicks Off ‘Red Hot + Free’ Charity Double Album Of Dance Music

The full double album is out July 2, pairing Porter and other artists with the production of Bill Coleman and John “J-C” Carr’s 808 BEACH.

Since 1990, Red Hot has used music, pop culture and the release of 20 charitable, collaborative compilation albums to reduce stigmas, raise more than $15 million for hundreds of humanitarian groups, and support those whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS.

“I live at the intersection of art and activism,” said Porter. “30 years ago, no one even wanted to talk about HIV and AIDS, let alone celebrate the community with music and dance. There has to be joy in the middle of the pain, and i hope that things can and will get better. That’s why the work that Red Hot does is so important. Thank you for leading the way. I’m so happy to be a part of carrying on the tradition.”

Producer Bill Coleman said he knew he had to have Porter on board when he created Red Hot + Free three years ago.

“His energy, fortitude and all-around New York fierceness embody the spirit of our album and Red Hot’s consistent missions to raise awareness. To be able to produce this thumping cover of one of our absolute favorite ‘90s club jams is not only a welcome gift creatively, but an energetic and festive nod to our friends who are no longer with us. ‘Caught In The Middle’ is our purposely reverent and unvarnished soulful house rave up with a Sylvester-inspired tempo to simply party to and play loud. I just love hearing Billy soar within the grooves! We hope everyone bops to it.”

Proceeds from the album will benefit the Ally Coalition, Trevor Project and SAGE.

In addition to “Caught In The Middle,” Red Hot + Free features SOFI TUKKER x Amadou & Mariam’s “Mon Cheri,” the gospel-house testimony of “U Try Livin’” (Pressure), remixes of Ultra Naté’s “Free (Live Your Life)” and Vagabon’s “Water Me Down,” among other tracks.

Soap Writers: Nancy Curlee and Stephen Demorest Interview

The couple have three daughters and make their home in North Carolina. Please don’t miss the chance to catch up with this talented duo.

Video: Jill Farren Phelps Interview

Kyra Sedgwick Directing Black List Script ‘Space Oddity’

Space Oddity tells the story of Alex (Allen) who, after giving up on Earth and deciding to leave it all behind for a one-way mission to Mars, develops an unexpected romance with Daisy (Shipp), the enigmatic town newcomer, which forces him to choose between an uncertain journey to the stars and an even more uncertain journey of the heart.

Brewer will play Liz, Alex’s sister, who has reluctantly returned to the farm where she grew up.

The feature is the first movie Sedgwick and Valerie Stadler will be producing under their banner Big Swing Productions.

“As soon as I read Space Oddity, I knew this was a film I had to direct. This family is so beautifully flawed, so perfectly human. The humor and the heart jumped off the page. We started Big Swing to tell just this kind of story – one that centers on hope but never shies away from the struggle that makes us all part of this fragile experiment on Earth. And there is no better place to film this story than in the beautiful state of Rhode Island,” Sedgwick tells Deadline.

Stadler will produce alongside Jack Greenbaum and Richard Arlook for the The Arlook Group and Mickey Schiff for Unique Features. EPs are Bob Shaye, Ibrahim AlHusseini, JL Pomeroy, Brent Emery, Susan Cartonis, Suzanne Farwell and Anne Clements.

Sedgwick starred and executive produced the TNT drama series The Closer, for which she received five Lead Actress Drama series Emmy noms, winning in 2010. She’s an 8x Golden Globe nominee, and won Best Actress in a TV series Drama for The Closer in 2007. She has also directed episodes of Ray Donovan, Grace and Frankie, City on a Hill, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the latter of which she stars on as Chief Wuntch. She is represented by CAA, MGMT Entertainment, and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.

Allen recently starred in Amazon’s The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, and will next be seen in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story for Amblin/20th Century Studios and Paramount’s The In Between. Other recent credits include FX’s American Horror Story: Apocalypse Now and Hulu’s The Path. Allen is represented by UTA, Management 360, and Steve Warren.

Shipp stars as the female lead in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s upcoming Netflix movie Tick Tick Boom, opposite Andrew Garfield. Shipp is best known for her role as the iconic mohawked super heroine Storm in Twentieth Century Fox’s X-Men franchise and her role in the critically acclaimed film Love, Simon. Other recent feature credits include Warner Bros.’ Shaft opposite Samuel L. Jackson, CBS Films’ Jexi opposite Adam Devine, and All the Bright Places alongside Elle Fanning. Shipp is represented by CAA, Lisa Wright and Goodman Genow Schenkman, Smelkinson + Christopher.

Brewer has played Janine Lindo on 33 episodes of Hulu/MGM’s multi-Emmy winning The Handmaid’s Tale, in addition to Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black as Tricia Miller. She also starred in the STX Jennifer Lopez-Constance Wu feature crime movie Hustlers. Brewer is a 3x SAG nominee in the Drama TV series ensemble category for Handmaid’s Tale. She is represented by CAA, Inphenate, and Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham.

Banner is repped by Andrew Murphy at Kaplan Perrone Entertainment and Shep Rosenman at RLG LLP.

Talk Show Appearance

Wednesday, June 23

Christine Baranski

Chat with Jill Farren Phelps

Sony Dates Brad Pitt’s ‘Bullet Train’ And Jack Black & Ice Cube Comedy ‘Oh Hell No’ For 2022

Bullet Train will also show in Imax. Lots already dated on April 8 including Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog 2, an untitled Disney live-action movie, Focus Features’ The Northman and an untitled Universal movie. This is all on the weekend preceding the Easter frame, April 15-17.

Bullet Train which is based on the book Maria Beetle by Kotaro Isaka stars Brad Pitt, Joey King, Andrew Koji, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hiroyuki Sanada, Benito A Martínez Ocasio and Sandra Bullock. Zak Olkewicz adapted. Producers are Kelly McCormick, Leitch and Antoine Fuqua. EPs are Ryosuke Saegusa, Yuma Terada, Brent O’Connor and Kat Samick.

Oh Hell No is getting released over the Independence Day period which will be a four-day weekend next year. The comedy will encounter Lionsgate’s Shotgun Wedding (which gets a head start on Wednesday, June 29), and Illumination/Universal’s long-awaited Minions: The Rise of Gru.

Oh Hell No is directed by Kitao Sakurai and follows Sherman (Jack Black) who falls in love with Will’s (Ice Cube) mom — oh, hell no. Matt Tolmach is producing through Matt Tolmach Productions with Black and Roz Music. Scot Armstrong, Tracy Oliver, Jessica Gao and Rodney Rothman penned the script.

‘Our Kind Of People’: Joe Morton To Co-Star In Fox Drama Series

Written by Gist inspired by Lawrence Otis Graham’s provocative, critically praised book Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper Class, the series takes place in the aspirational world of Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, a historical stronghold where the rich and powerful Black elite have come to play for more than 50 years. Our Kind of People follows strong-willed single mom Angela Vaughn (DaCosta) as she sets out to reclaim her family’s name and make an impact with her revolutionary haircare line that highlights the innate, natural beauty of Black women. But she soon discovers a dark secret about her mother’s past that will turn her world upside-down and shake up this community forever.

Morton will play Teddy Franklin, Leah’s (Luckett) father, who is “smooth as butter, smart as a whip.” He was born into money and grew his family’s sanitation company into one of the largest holding companies in the world. He accomplished his present wealth and status by being more rapacious and manipulative than anyone else in the business. When Leah takes him to task for buying out Black properties for pennies on the dollar, he has no apologies to make, and reminds her where her current wealth and privilege came from. He has an arcane connection to Angela’s (DaCosta) past that may soon come to light.

Cast also includes Alana Bright and Rhyon Nicole Brown.

A co-production between 20th Television and Fox Entertainment, Our Kind of People is executive produced by Gist and Claire Brown via The Gist of It Productions; Daniels and Marc Velez via Lee Daniels Entertainment; Pam Williams; Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens and Rodney Ferrell via Propagate; and Montrel McKay.

Morton earned a best guest actor Emmy for role as Rowan Pope in Shonda Rhimes’ ABC drama series Scandal. He recently starred as Reverend Arthur Finer on CBS series God Friended Me and recurred on Netflix’s The Politician. On the film side, he appeared in the DC superhero hit features Batman V. Superman and Justice League as well as Legendary’s Godzilla. Morton is repped by Vanguard Management Group, TalentWorks and Nina Shaw at Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano.

Talk Show Appearance

Friday, June 18

actor Kelsey Grammer (Another World/Ryan’s Hope) discusses his latest projects

‘Fruits Of Thy Labor’ Family Drama From Billy Porter & Greg Berlanti In Works At Peacock

Written by Porter and McCabe, Fruits of Thy Labor follows three generations of an African-American showbiz dynasty navigating their way through life, love, politics and career.

Porter and McCabe executive produce with Berlanti Productions’ Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and David Madden. Berlanti Prods’ recently elevated EVP Television Jonathan Gabay is producing. Berlanti Productions produces in association with Warner Bros. Television. Fruits of Thy Labor is Porter’s first foray into television series writing. The project also marks a reunion for Porter and Berlanti: Porter appeared in last year’s The Broken Hearts Club, which Berlanti wrote and directed as his feature film debut.

The project is Porter and McCabe’s second collaboration. They previously worked together on McCabe’s play The Purists, which Porter directed.

Porter is an award-winning actor, singer, director, composer and playwright. In 2019, he won the Emmy Award for Lead Actor for his role in FX’s drama Pose, which is wrapping up its third and final season, and in 2020 received his second Emmy nomination for this role. On stage, he played Lola in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots, which he originated in 2013 and for which he won the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards, as well as the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

He’ll next be seen starring as the Fairy Godmother opposite Camila Cabello in Sony’s Cinderella, set to premiere on Amazon this fall. He also voices Audrey II in Warner Bros. upcoming musical update of Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Berlanti, and will make his feature directorial debut in Orion Pictures’ What If?

Porter is repped by CAA and Industry Entertainment. McCabe is repped by CAA, Underground and Schreck Rose.

‘The Good Fight’: Diane Lockhart Faces Shifting Dynamics In Season 5 Trailer

On Friday Paramount+ unveiled the trailer and key art for the legal drama’s latest season, which will see a shift in dynamics for both Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) and Liz Lawrence (Audra McDonald). In the fifth season, Diane is forced to question whether it’s appropriate for her to help run a Black law firm with Liz when the firm loses two top lawyers.

The trailer also teases Mandy Patinkin’s Hal Wackner, a regular Chicagoan who decides to open his own courtroom in the back of a copy shop. The upcoming season will take on anti-Black discrimination and lack of diversity in the work place, the economic aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and more. Season five, which will drop on Paramount+ Thursday, June 24, also features Sarah Steele, Michael Boatman, Nyambi Nyambi, Zach Grenier and Charmaine Bingwa. New episodes of the 10-episode long season will drop weekly on Thursday.

Robert and Michelle King serve as showrunners and executive producers of the series, which they co-created with Phil Alden Robinson. Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Brooke Kennedy, Liz Glotzer, William Finkelstein, Jonathan Tolins and Jacquelyn Reingold also serve as executive producers. The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Scott Free Productions and King Size Productions. The series is distributed worldwide by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.

Watch the trailer above.

Dishing with Digest - 6/4/21 - Alicia Coppola

Peacock Acquires Documentary ‘Civil War (Or, Who Do We Think We Are)’ & Sets Premiere Date; Brad Pitt Among EPs

The pic is having a limited theatrical release starting Friday.

Per the logline, Civil War travels across the United States to explore how Americans tell the story of their Civil War. Filmed from President Obama’s final year in office through the present, it interweaves insightful scenes and interviews filmed North and South, painting a uniquely crafted, multi-faceted portrait of the American psyche and the deep roots of its turbulent times. With delicacy and strength, subtlety and determination, the lays bare a nation in denial, haunted by an embittered past and the stories it refuses to tell.

“In this time of reckoning in the country, Rachel Boynton’s journey into the heart of Civil War memory reveals just how contested, and personal, the meaning of this defining event in our history remains,” Gates said in a statement. “From flags and monuments in the town square to family photos and forlorn cemeteries, we, the living, continue to grapple with how to confront this singular event of national trauma and the horrific slave system at its deepest confounding root.”

Three-time News Emmy nominee Boynton (Big Men) also produced Civil War with Erika Dilday. Executive producers are Pitt of Plan B, Gates, Sam Pollard, Steven Shainberg, Rick Rosenthal, Robert S. Kravitz and Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner.

Robert Hogan Dies: Actor On ‘The Wire’, ‘Peyton Place’, ‘Law & Order’, Dozens Of TV Shows Was 87

Hogan amassed more than 150 credits during a six-decade career, guesting multiple times on such classic shows as Murder, She Wrote, Gunsmoke, The F.B.I., Barnaby Jones, 77 Sunset Strip, The Rockford Files and as Louis Sobotka in four Season 2 episodes of HBO’s The Wire. He also played Greg Stemple in a half-dozen Alice episodes during the early 1980s.

He also played the Rev. Tom Winter — whose affairs certainly were more than clerical — in more than 60 episodes of the New England-set 1960s romantic drama Peyton Place.

During his long TV career, Hogan was a regular on a handful of short-lived series, starring opposite the titluar star of The Don Rickles Show (1972), with Dennis Dugan in the 1978 Steven Bochco-Stephen J. Cannell drama Richie Brockelman, Private Eye — and its follow-up TV movie — and the 1980-81 Midwestern family drama Secrets of Midland Heights. He also was a regular for a handful of Season 2 episodes of sitcom Operation Petticoat in 1979.

He also appeared in episodes of the soap operas One Life to Live, Days of Our Lives, As the World Turns, All My Children, General Hospital and Another World.

On the big screen, his credits include The Lady in Red, Species II, Blue Christmas, The Sleepy Time Gal and Welcome to Academia. He also appeared on Broadway in A Few Good Men (1989-91) and Hamlet (1992). His stage career also included works by Anton Chekhov, Eugene O’Neill and others, including an Outer Critics Circle Award for Never the Sinner in 1998.

But Hogan’s stock in trade was guesting on primetime TV series.

The list is long — starting in the early 1960s on such dramas as Cheyenne, Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip, The Fugitivew and the final-season Twilight Zone episode “Spur of the Moment.” He also appeared in comedies of the era including Hazel and The Donna Reed Show.

He would continue to amass credits throughout that decade and the next two, with stops at popular comedy and drama series including Batman, The MAry Tyler Moore Show, Bonanza, I Dream of Jeannie, Hogan’s Heroes, Hawaii Five-O, Gomer Pyle: USMC, McCloud, Love American Style, Mission: Impossible, The Streets of San Francisco, The Six million Dollar Man, The Incredible Hulk, Hill Street Blues, Newhart, St. Elsewhere, One Day at a Time, Magnum P.I. and Spenser: For Hire.

Born on September 28, 1933, in the NYC borough of Queens, Hogan served in the Army in Korea after high school and returned to New York to study engineering at NYU. After taking an aptitude test to determine whether that field indeed was his calling, his family said, the test results produced two words: the arts. “That’s when I gave acting a try,” they quoted him as saying.

Survivors include Mary Hogan, by his wife of 38 years; three children from a previous marriage to fine Shannon Hogan: Chris, Stephen and Jud; and grandchildren Susanna and Liam. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to the NYC nonprofit DOROT or the Alzheimer’s Association.

Pitt wins joint custody battle with Jolie

On Wednesday, the Oscar-winning star of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was reportedly granted joint custody of his children.

“He’s so relieved. His only intention is to spend more time with the kids,” a Pitt pal told the Daily Mail.

The court ruling could mark the beginning of the end of the Hollywood divorce from hell for the 57-year-old heartthrob.

Pitt has had to battle Jolie for five years to get equal custody with his children.

A source told the New York Post that the decision was “tentative.” For her part, Jolie is reportedly continuing her legal war.

The private judge hired by the couple — Judge John Ouderkirk — recently made a lengthy ruling after months of testimony from the children and child services.

“There was a significant change made in the custody agreements based on an extremely detailed decision made by the judge,” another source told the tabloid.

“Brad was just trying to have more time with his kids — and it has been clear that Angie has done everything possible to prevent this.”

The source added: “This trial lasted for several months and there were a f*** ton of witnesses, experts, therapists and other people who have been with the kids and around them, and the decision was based on this.”

Another source added that it wasn’t “joint custody” that stuck in Jolie’s craw but “other issues of concern.”

Proceedings are sealed from the press and public.

Jolie wanted last fall to disqualify Ouderkirk from the divorce case. On Monday, she claimed that the judge had refused to let their children testify.

Three of the pair’s brood are teens, 17-year-old Pax, 16-year-old Zahara and 14-year-old Shiloh. Maddox, 19, is not subject to the custody decision. The couple also have 12-year-old twins, Vivienne and Knox.

According to the Post, one court filing was labelled: “Offer of Proof and authority in support thereof RE: testimony regarding domestic violence.”

“There was a safety order surrounding the previous custody arrangements, that is public, and the kids schedule has been set under the jurisdiction of the division of family services for over three years,” the source told the paper.

“Judge Ouderkirk denied Ms. Jolie a fair trial, improperly excluding her evidence relevant to the children’s health, safety and welfare, evidence critical to making her case,” according to the filing in California’s Second District Court of Appeal.

Her lawyers have now gone to the appellate court to disqualify the judge. That would mean Ouderkirk’s ruling would be kicked to the curb.

Pitt and Jolie married in 2014. The pair had hooked up on the set of the spy thriller Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2004.

Their marriage ended following an alleged fight on a private jet in 2016.

A campaign by pals of Jolie was launched to smear Pitt, who kept quiet even as his name was dragged through the mud.

She claimed she wanted a divorce for the “health of the family.”

Pitt’s legal eagles retorted that the Girl Interrupted star’s testimony “lacked credibility in many important areas, and the existing custody order between the parties must be modified, per Mr. Pitt’s request, in the best interests of the children.”

Chris Noth Confirmed To Reprise Mr. Big Role In ‘Sex And The City’ Sequel Series At HBO Max

And Just Like That…, from executive producer Michael Patrick King, follows Carrie (Parker), Miranda (Nixon) and Charlotte (Davis) navigating the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s. The 10-episode, half-hour series is scheduled to begin production this summer in New York.

“I’m thrilled to be working with Chris again on And Just Like That…,” said King. “How could we ever do a new chapter of the Sex and the City story without our Mr. Big?”

The cast also includes Sara Ramirez, who plays new character Che Diaz.

HBO’s Sex and the City was created by Darren Star based on Candace Bushnell’s book. Parker, Davis and Nixon executive produce with Julie Rottenberg, Elisa Zuritsky, John Melfi and King. Writers include King, Samantha Irby, Rachna Fruchbom, Keli Goff, Rottenberg and Zuritsky.

Golden Globe and SAG Award nominee Noth became known for his five-season run as Detective Mike Logan on the original Law & Order before moving to Sex and the City as Carrie Bradshaw’s love interest. His role became a central point for the Carrie character and the series as a whole, with their tumultuous storyline launching two follow-up movies, Sex and the City and Sex and the City 2, in which he also starred.

Noth recently starred opposite Sam Worthington and Paul Betany in Discovery’s Manhunt: Unabomber and the final season of FX’s Tyrant. He currently can be seen on CBS’ drama The Equalizer opposite Queen Latifah. Noth is repped by Principal Entertainment LA and Dave Feldman at Brecheen Feldman Breimer.

Lindsay Lohan to Bring the Holiday Cheer in a Netflix Christmas Movie

The holiday-centric romantic comedy, which doesn’t yet have a title, will see Lohan step into the role of a “newly engaged and spoiled hotel heiress who finds herself in the care of a handsome, blue-collar lodge owner and his precocious daughter after getting total amnesia in a skiing accident,” per the official description.

According to Variety, the film will be directed by Janeen Damian (who wrote Hallmark’s A Christmas Waltz starring Lacey Chabert and A Prince for Christmas starring Sam Heughan and Katie McGrath). In addition, Damian penned the script alongside Michael Damian, Jeff Bonnett and Ron Oliver. Producers include MPCA’s Brad Krevoy — from the same company that brought you the A Christmas Prince franchise, Operation Christmas Drop starring Kat Graham and the forthcoming A Castle for Christmas — and Riviera Films’ Michael Damian. Production begins in November so don’t expect this gift to be delivered in time for this year’s holiday festivities.

The untitled film comes after Lohan lent her voice to Syfy’s animated series Devil May Care back in March. Other recent credits include the 2018 comedy series Sick Note (starring Rupert Grint and Nick Frost) and the 2019 supernatural horror Among the Shadows, in which she played a werewolf private investigator. Lohan is also due to star opposite Mickey Rourke in the upcoming horror thriller Cursed.

Punkie Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Jo Ellen Pellman, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick and Joey McIntyre to Appear During Point Foundation Virtual Event on May 22nd

Ariana DeBose and Jo Ellen Pellman will be honored with the 2021 Point Horizon Award at this year's Point Honors New York.

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick will be honored with the 2021 Point Leadership Award at this year's Point Honors New York.

Jo Ellen Pellman and Ariana DeBose will be receiving the 2021 Point Horizon Award at this year's Point Honors New York.

Saturday Night Live's Punkie Johnson will be the host of this year's Point Honors New York.

"We're thrilled to honor Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon and Ariana DeBose and Jo Ellen Pellman for their leadership and activism in support of LGBTQ youth" said Jorge Valencia, Executive Director and CEO of Point Foundation. "We're also honored and excited that our event will be hosted by Punkie Johnson, the first out, queer, black woman to ever join the cast of Saturday Night Live. In addition, our longtime friend and supporter, Joey McIntyre will perform a special song honoring our graduates."

To support Point Foundation's Point Honors New York, visit https://pointfoundation.org/events/point-honors-new-york-2021/

The event is made possible with support from:

Presenting Sponsor: Wells Fargo
Premier Sponsor: Cadillac

About Point Foundation: Point Foundation empowers promising LGBTQ students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential – despite the obstacles often put before them – to make a significant impact on society. Point Foundation promotes change through scholarship funding, mentorship, leadership development, and community service training.

Pose's Billy Porter Is HIV-Positive: Emmy Winner Breaks 14-Year Silence

In a 2,400-word essay for THR, Porter says that his HIV was first detected in June 2007, after going to have a blemish looked at. “For a long time, everybody who needed to know, knew — except for my mother,” he writes. “I was trying to have a life and a career, and I wasn’t certain I could if the wrong people knew. It would just be another way for people to discriminate against me in an already discriminatory profession. So I tried to think about it as little as I could. I tried to block it out. But quarantine has taught me a lot.”

Over the past year, Porter says, “I started real trauma therapy to begin the process of healing. I started peeling back all these layers: having been sent to a psychologist at age 5 because I came out of the womb a big old queen; being sexually abused by my stepfather from the time I was 7 to the time I was 12; coming out at 16 in the middle of the AIDS crisis.” Doing so gave him the courage to reveal his diagnosis to his mother, followed by the cast and crew of FX’s Pose — all on the last day of shooting the acclaimed drama’s third and final season.

“Years of trauma makes a human being skittish,” he shares. “But the truth shall set you free.

“[A]s a Black person, particularly a Black man on this planet, you have to be perfect or you will get killed,” he continues. “But look at me. Yes, I am the statistic, but I’ve transcended it. This is what HIV-positive looks like now. I’m going to die from something else before I die from that. My T-cell levels are twice yours because of this medication. [A]s a Black, 51-year-old man, I go to the doctor every three months. That doesn’t happen in my community. We don’t trust doctors. But I go to the doctor, and I know what’s going on in my body. I’m the healthiest I’ve been in my entire life. So it’s time to let all that go and tell a different story. There’s no more stigma — let’s be done with that. It’s time… I’m so much more than that diagnosis. And if you don’t want to work with me because of my status, you’re not worthy of me.”

Porter is the recipient of an Emmy (for his role as Pose’s Pray Tell, who is HIV-positive), a Tony Award (for his turn as Lola in Broadway’s Kinky Boots) and a Grammy (for Best Musical Theater Album for Kinky Boots).

He was recently named TVLine’s Performer of the Week for his work in Pose‘s Season 3 premiere.

Following Pose‘s series finale (airing Sunday, June 6), Porter will appear as Fab G, a genderless fairy godparent, in Amazon Prime’s musical adaptation of Cinderella, which is set for release in September.

Video: Nicolas Coster Chat

Grab a copy of the book here.

Daytime television fans will recognize Nicolas from his popular roles on As the World Turns (Edward Grimaldi), Another World (Robert Delaney) and Santa Barbara (Lionel Lockridge) to name a small number of those roles. In his 70-year career, Nicolas has appeared in over a dozen soap operas, countless primetime television shows and scores of stage and screen productions. This memoir "Another Whole Afternoon" is his first behind the scenes retelling of his life in front of the camera and his adventures beyond it.

Anne Heche, Skeet Ulrich & More Join Alec Baldwin Natural-Disaster Movie ‘Supercell’

Also joining the cast are Daniel Diemer who starred in Tribeca Film Festival winner The Half of It and newcomer Jordan Kristine Seamón who starred in HBO’s We Are Who We Are. Highland Film Group is handling international rights for the film, with CAA Media Finance repping domestic rights. The film is financed by Emily Hunter Salveson (Academy Award nominated The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Tax Collector) and Ryan Donnell Smith’s Streamline Global.

Supercell tells the thrilling tale of William (Diemer), a good-hearted teenager, who lives in hope of following in his father’s footsteps, the legendary storm chaser Bill Brody who was killed in action. His father’s legacy has been turned into a storm chasing tour business managed by the greedy and reckless owner Zane Rogers (Baldwin). After William runs away from home, he teams up with his dad’s old partner Roy (Ulrich) and enters into the world of storm chasing. But the tornadoes have only gotten bigger. As his mother (Heche) anxiously searches for her son, she’s joined by his classmate (Jordan Kristine Seamón) in hopes of protecting William as Zane leads the group deep into the eye of the most dangerous supercell ever seen.

“I am excited to join this talented group of filmmakers and cast to tell this story. I’ve always been a fan of Alec Baldwin’s work and am honored to have the opportunity to work with him,” Ulrich said.

“With Skeet, Anne, Daniel and Jordan joining Alec, I’m so grateful to have such a versatile and talented cast behind this story,” director Herbert James Winterstern added.

Short Porch Pictures’ Ryan Winterstern (Most Wanted, Inheritance) and Nathan Klingher (Zone 414, Becky) and Thomasville Pictures’ Ryan Donnell Smith (The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Tax Collector) are producing. Anjul Nigam (Crown Vic) will serve as an EP.

Ulrich recently starred in the hit CW series Riverdale as FP Jones, Jughead’s dad. Ulrich also starred in the Emmy award-winning series #Freerayshawn, produced by Antoine Fuqua. Ulrich’s many acclaimed credits include Steven Spielberg’s executive produced TNT movie Into the West, Ang Lee’s Ride with the Devil, James L. Brook’s As Good as It Gets, and Wes Craven’s classic horror masterpiece Scream. Ulrich will next star in the psychological thriller Blood, directed by Brad Anderson, alongside Michelle Monaghan.

Heche’s portrayal of Lily Garland in Twentieth Century garnered her a Tony Award nomination. Heche’s most iconic films include Sony Pictures Donnie Brasco, Columbia Pictures’ I Know What You Did Last Summer, Volcano, Six Days, Seven Nights opposite Harrison Ford, and Gus Van Sant’s horror remake film Psycho.

Diemer last starred in the Netflix feature The Half of It from producer Anthony Bregman and director Alice Wu. The film won best narrative feature at Tribeca 2020 Film Festival as well. Daniel also recently wrapped a recurring role on The Midnight Club for Netflix.

Seamón, while filming HBO’s We Are Who We Are, wrote and released her debut album “Identity Crisis,” and followed it up with her self-directed documentary The Making of in 2021.

Highland Film Group’s slate includes Renny Harlin’s The Misfits starring Pierce Brosnan, Nick Cannon, and Tim Roth, Edward Drake’s Gasoline Alley starring Bruce Willis, Luke Wilson, and Devon Sawa, Mark Neveldine’s Panama starring Cole Hauser and Mel Gibson, and Randall Emmett’s Wash Me in The River starring Robert De Niro, Jack Huston, and John Malkovich.

Ulrich is represented by Paradigm and Luber Roklin. Heche is represented by Zero Gravity and APA. Diemer is represented by Atlas Artists, Nuance Talent Management and Gersh. Seamón is represented by ICM.

‘Call Your Mother’ Cancelled After One Season By ABC

Written and executive produced by The New Adventures of Old Christine creator Lizer, Call Your Mother centers on an empty-nester mom, Jean Raines (Sedgwick), who wonders how she ended up alone while her children live their best lives thousands of miles away. She decides her place is with her family, and as she reinserts herself into their lives, her kids realize they might actually need her more than they thought.

In addition to Sedgwick, cast also includes Rachel Sennott, Joey Bragg, Patrick Brammall, Emma Caymares and Austin Crute.

Call Your Mother is produced by Sony Pictures Television & ABC Studios. ABC Studios is a part of Disney Television Studios, alongside 20th Century Fox Television and Fox 21 Television Studios.

Jackée Harry Signs a Contract to Stay at DAYS OF OUR LIVES

When Harry made her debut in Salem in the March 1 episode of DAYS, she made an immediate splash as Paulina. But at the time, she wasn’t sure how long her stint would last. Although she got her start in daytime playing Lily on ANOTHER WORLD, the pace of soap production now is much different than it was back in the ‘80s. “I will say that the workload is a lot,” Harry admitted to Entertainment Weekly when she first started at DAYS. “After this, I don’t know what will become of my brain. I have so many scripts at my house I say I have enough to make a tree.”

However, Harry was also quick to add that there was always the possibility that she’d stick around longer than just a brief stint. “I’m having a ball,” she declared, “and what I’ll say about more is ‘Never say never.’”

Now that DAYS has resumed production there are plenty more stories to tell, including more drama for Paulina as she tries to wrangle her wild-child daughter, Chanel, as well as navigate Salem society. She’s been eying up Abe since she arrived, so could a romance be in the cards? You’ll just have to stay tuned to find out!

Christina Pickles & Tom Selleck to appear in ‘Friends: The Reunion’

The date also happens to be the one-year anniversary of the WarnerMedia streaming platform’s launch. The show was originally set to be one of the launch specials for HBO Max’s launch last year but shooting was delayed by the pandemic.

The special features Friends stars Jennifer Aniston (Rachel Green), Courteney Cox (Monica Geller), Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe), Matt LeBlanc (Joey Tribbiani), Matthew Perry (Chandler Bing), and David Schwimmer (Ross) who return to the comedy’s original soundstage, Stage 24, on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank for a real-life unscripted celebration of the beloved show.

A slew of A-list celebrity guests will appear on the special including David Beckham, Justin Bieber, BTS, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Lady Gaga, Elliott Gould, Kit Harington, Larry Hankin, Mindy Kaling, Thomas Lennon, Christina Pickles, Tom Selleck, James Michael Tyler, Maggie Wheeler, Reese Witherspoon and Malala Yousafzai.

Ben Winston directed the special and executive produced along with Friends executive producers Kevin Bright, Marta Kauffman, and David Crane. The special hails from Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon, Fulwell 73 Productions and Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions. Aniston, Cox, Kudrow, LeBlanc, Perry, and Schwimmer executive produced the special. Emma Conway, James Longman and Stacey Thomas-Muir co-executive produced.

One of the highest-rated shows on television during its 10-season run, Friends won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy series, along with Emmys for stars Aniston and Kudrow.

Friends was created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, who executive produced the series with Kevin Bright through Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television.

‘The Righteous Gemstones’: Jason Schwartzman, Eric Roberts & Eric Andre Join Season 2 Of HBO Comedy As Recurring

Created, written by and starring Danny McBride, The Righteous Gemstones tells the story of a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work.

John Goodman, Edi Patterson. Adam Devine, Walton Goggins, Cassidy Freeman, Tony Cavalero, Tim Baltz and Greg Alan Williams also star.

Schwartzman will play Thaniel, a journalist working on a story about the ministries. Roberts portrays Junior, who grew up with Eli and suddenly re-enters his life. Andre is Lyle Lissons, a megachurch pastor from Texas who befriends Jesse and Amber.

McBride directs and executive produces with Jody Hill and David Gordon Green, along with John Carcieri, Jeff Fradley and Brandon James. Series is produced by David Brightbill; co-produced by Justin Bourret and Melissa DeMino; consulting produced by Grant DeKernion, Jared Hess, Kevin Barnett, Chris Pappas and Edi Patterson.

Mozart in the Jungle co-creator Schwartzman can next be seen in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, a story which he co-wrote with Anderson and Roman Coppola and premiering at Cannes in 2021. He has also completed Gia Coppola’s upcoming film Mainstream, starring Andrew Garfield and Maya Hawley. He recently starred opposite Chris Rock and Ben Wishaw in the fourth chapter of Fargo, which ended its run in November 2020. Schwartzman is repped by WME.

Roberts received an Oscar nomination for his role in Runaway Train. His other notable film work includes The Dark Knight, Final Analysis, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Inherent Vice for Warner Bros., Millennium Films’ Lovelace and The Expendables for Lionsgate. On television, he has recurred in series including USA’s Suits, CSI and Code Black for CBS, NBC’s Heroes, and Crash for Starz. Roberts is repped by De Waal & Associates and Sovereign Talent Group.

Andre created and hosts Adult Swim’s hit series The Eric Andre Show, which recently aired its fifth and highest-rated season. Andre currently stars alongside Lil Rel Howery and Tiffany Haddish in Netflix’s hit comedy Bad Trip, which he produced and co-wrote with The Eric Andre Show director Kitao Sakurai. On television, Andre voices the demon Luci on Matt Groening’s Netflix animated series Disenchantment. He’ll also be heard as the voice of a new character in Universal’s animated feature Sing 2 set for release December 22. Andre is repped by United Talent Agency, Rise Management and Attorney Dean Bahat at Ziffren Brittenham.

Chat with Nicolas Coster (and order his new memoir)

Daytime television fans will recognize Nicolas from his popular roles on As the World Turns (Edward Grimaldi), Another World (Robert Delaney) and Santa Barbara (Lionel Lockridge) to name a small number of those roles. In his 70-year career, Nicolas has appeared in over a dozen soap operas, countless primetime television shows and scores of stage and screen productions. This memoir "Another Whole Afternoon" is his first behind the scenes retelling of his life in front of the camera and his adventures beyond it.

Betty White Staying Busy During COVID-19 ... But Loneliness Was a Real Thing

Betty's been keeping herself busy at home reading, watching TV and doing crossword puzzles ... so says her rep, Jeff Witjas. We're told there's one thing the pandemic has severely affected in her life ... her ability to regularly interact with friends face-to-face.

We're told, however, she still pens plenty of letters, makes phone calls and has limited visits with friends and loved ones through the window of her home.

Betty has always been a champion for animals, but currently has no house pets, so that's an empty spot in her life ... especially for a senior who is isolated from friends and family. She does, however, have a couple ducks on her property that we're told walk up to her door every day to say hello.

As for whether or not 99-year-old Betty's been vaccinated, Witjas is mum, saying it's a personal matter.

We're told it's unclear if and when Betty will ever return to work. But, after a Hollywood career that's spanned 60-plus years ... a break is well-deserved.

As we first reported .... Betty took COVID seriously during the pandemic. She rarely left her home. Someone did her grocery shopping and ran errands for her, so she rarely left the house.

Podcast: Maurice Benard guests on Bootstrap Bitch with Alicia Coppola

Maurice Benard is an accomplished actor with a career spanning decades playing the mysterious, dangerous, handsome Mob Boss, Sonny Corinthos on ABC's General Hospital for which Maurice has won two Daytime Emmy's. His public journey with Bipolar Disorder has made him a staunch advocate for Mental Health and Mental Health Awareness. He is further reaching his fans and helping shine the much-needed spotlight on Mental Health in his new NYTimes Best Selling Memoir "Nothing General About It: How Love (And Lithium) Saved Me On And Off General Hospital

Additionally, Maurice has launched his very popular YouTube Channel "State Of Mind" where he and his guests discuss all things great and small.

For Mental Health Awareness Month, Maurice is the perfect guest for the first May Episode.

Guiding Light Chat - Mart Hulswit and Fran Myers 5/13/21

TV couple Gretta Monahan and Ricky Paull Goldin flip 5 Hamptons houses

They just closed on their latest: a classic saltbox-style home at 1553 Noyac Path in woodsy Noyac, NY, about 5 miles west of Sag Harbor.

Saltbox homes were common in places like the Hamptons and throughout New England in the 17th and 18th centuries.

This one, however, was built in the woods in 1996.

It was last on the market for $995,000 — down from its $1.2 million ask in 2018. Monahan and Goldin snapped it up for $930,000 on April 14, according to property records.

(Photo) The 1,800-square-foot home features four bedrooms and two bathrooms on 1.84 acres.

This year, the couple have purchased three homes and are in contract on two more.

(Photo) They recently sold 50 Manor Lane for $1.51 million — well over its asking price of $1.29 million — and 177 Bridies Path for $2.03 million, over its $1.99 million ask.

They are working with Douglas Elliman agents Nicole and Zachary Tunick to buy and sell these properties.

The listing brokers for the Noyac home were Jake Sinacori and James Giugliano, of Nest Seekers International.

Video: Retro TV & Soap Con Live Presents: The Doctors

‘Schmigadoon!’: Apple TV+ Sets Premiere Date For Cecily Strong/Keegan-Michael Key Comedy From Lorne Michaels

The six-episode musical comedy series is executive produced by Lorne Michaels will bow on Friday, July 16 via the streamer. Two episodes will be available at launch, followed by one episode weekly every Friday.

Schmigadoon! stars Strong and Key as a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship. They discover a magical town living in a 1940s musical and learn that they can’t leave until they find “true love.”

The first season also stars Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose, Fred Armisen, Jaime Camil, Jane Krakowski and Ann Harada. Martin Short guest stars.

Hailing from Broadway Video and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, Schmigadoon! is co-created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. Cinco Paul serves as showrunner, and wrote all of the original songs for the series.

Barry Sonnenfeld directs and executive produces. In addition to starring, Cecily Strong serves as producer, and Ken Daurio serves as consulting producer and writer. Andrew Singer executive produces with Lorne Michaels on behalf of Broadway Video.

Anne Heche: Ellen DeGeneres 'didn’t want me to dress sexy'

The Hung actress reviewed her “iconic red carpet looks” from over the years in a new TikTok clip when she made the comments about the U.S. talk show host.

A photo popped up of the pair attending the 1998 Golden Globes together, with the former couple coordinating in navy outfits.

However, Anne insisted the look wasn’t to her taste, sharing, “Why do I look like a hippie? It’s because Ellen didn’t want me to dress sexy.”

Anne then gave her look a 0 out of 10, putting her thumb down and saying, “Bye, no.”

Anne and Ellen dated from 1997 until 2000. She later married Coleman Laffoon, with whom she shares son Homer, before their split in 2007, and went on to welcome her second son, Atlas, with actor James Tupper, in 2009. They separated in 2018.

Ellen has been married to wife Portia de Rossi since 2008.

Linda Dano Interview 5/6/21

DAYS’s Jackée Harry To Appear In FX’s POSE

Wendie Malick recurs on Young Sheldon 5/6/21

RECURRING CAST: Wallace Shawn (Dr. Sturgis), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer).

Video: The Costume Designers - Maggie Delgado and Shawn Reeves

Anne Heche & Nick Wechsler recur on For Life 5/10/21

RECURRING CAST includes: Ian Anthony Dale (DA Louis Bravo), Anne Heche (Corrine Cuthbert), Nick Wechsler (Deputy Pete Rashel).

McKenna Grace & Wendie Malick recur on Young Sheldon

RECURRING CAST: Wallace Shawn (Dr. Sturgis), Melissa Peterman (Brenda Sparks), Reba McEntire (June), Doc Farrow (Coach Wilkins), McKenna Grace (Paige), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer), Andrea Anders (Linda).

Alec Baldwin & Kelsey Grammer’s Comedy Series Not Going Forward At ABC, Being Shopped Elsewhere

The project, starring Baldwin, Grammer and Alec Mapa, had a straight-to-series order. The studio behind the comedy, 20th Television, is now shopping the pilot, written by Modern Family’s Chris Lloyd and Vali Chandrasekaran and directed by James Burrows, to other networks and streamers.

The high-profile comedy landed at ABC in November, a couple of weeks before the regime change at the network, with Hulu’s Craig Erwich taking over programming at ABC and the network’s Karey Burke becoming head of 20th TV. There have been multiple scripts from top auspices with big commitments bought under Burke that got a pass from ABC’s new regime this season.

The Baldwin/Grammer half-hour had a straight-to-series pickup for the 2021-22 season, and I hear a writers room was assembled a couple of months ago and has been working on scripts. Like with all series orders, the network had an option not to go forward with the project after the pilot episode. The move is associated with significant kill fees to the creative and on-screen talent.

Lloyd, Chandrasekaran, Baldwin and Grammer executive produce the series with Jason Schrift, Matt DelPiano, Tom Russo, Adam Griffin and Jeff Morton. Burrows is an executive producer on the pilot.

The untitled comedy follows three men — played by Grammer, Baldwin and Mapa — who were roommates in their 20s until their warring egos drove them apart. They reunite decades later for one more run at the lives they’ve always wanted. The sitcom had been eyed as a potential companion to ABC’s flagship comedy series, the multi-camera The Conners.

Meanwhile, Grammer also has the Frasier revival, which has a series green light at Paramount+. He spearheaded and executive produces the project, in which he reprises his signature character, Frasier Crane.

Anne Heche & Ashley Jones recur on All Rise 5/3/21

RECURRING CAST: Anne Heche (Corrine Cuthbert), Mitch Silpa (DDA Clayton Berger), Ashley Jones (Wendy Gessner), Josh Henderson (Collier Owens), Douglass Bennett (Shayne Monroe), Ahmad Dugas (Bailiff Douglas).

The Costume Designers Chat with Maggie Delgado and Shawn Reeves

Joseph Siravo Dies: ‘The Sopranos’, ‘Jersey Boys’ & ‘American Crime Story’ Actor Was 66

Siravo died Sunday after a long battle with cancer. The BBC quoted his daughter Allegra Okarmus, who wrote on Instagram: “I was by his side when my dear father passed away this morning, peacefully, in his beloved Treehouse. We are both so lucky to be so intensely loved. I am so immensely grateful to have had him here on earth and I know that he hasn’t gone very far.”

Siravo’s character in HBO smash The Sopranos appeared in flashbacks to the 1960s as Tony’s father, Johnny, with whom he had a difficult relationship.

On stage, he clocked up more than 2,000 performances as character Gyp DeCarlo in the first U.S. tour of hit musical Jersey Boys from 2006 onward. His other work on Broadway included the Tony-winning productions of Oslo and The Light in the Piazza.

His most recent supporting roles included ABC series For Life and Amazon’s well-received feature The Report with Adam Driver.

Siravo’s Sopranos collaborators have been among those to post about the actor’s passing.

“Joe was an excellent actor and a wonderful guy and he will be missed dearly,” Michael Imperioli said on Instagram. “His performance [as] Johnny Boy Soprano was spot on and he also made a perfect John Gotti in Nick Sandow’s The Wannabe. In my opinion, he was the best of all the actors who’ve played the Teflon Don.”

“RIP my dear friend, who fought an incredible fight,” said Garry Pastore. “I will miss you. See you on the other side.”

Maureen Van Zandt shared a picture of the late actor on Twitter, describing him as “a talented and lovely man”. Siravo is survived by his daughter, Allegra Okarmus; son-in-law, Aaron Okarmus; and grandson, Atticus Okarmus; his sister, Maria Siravo; and brothers Mario Siravo, Ernest Siravo and Michael Siravo.

Oscars: Academy Sets Ensemble Cast Of 15 Stars To Serve As Presenters

Among the “cast” though, the producers appear to be sticking with at least one Oscar tradition: to have all four acting winners from the previous year return to present the four acting categories this year. Specifically how they will be employed into the show the Academy didn’t say, but you can assume that is the reason Joaquin Phoenix, Renee Zellweger, Brad Pitt and Laura Dern are part of the proceedings.

Phoenix, Zellweger, and Dern did the honors similarly at the Golden Globes, though Pitt will be making his first appearance on the awards circuit this year at the Oscars. Also last year’s Best Director winner, Bong Joon Ho, who made four trips to the stage for Parasite, is also part of this ensemble, presumably to present Best Director. Other names announced Monday — in alphabetical order — are Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Don Cheadle, Bryan Cranston, Harrison Ford, Regina King, Marlee Matlin, Rita Moreno, Reese Witherspoon and Zendaya.

“In keeping with our awards-show-as-a-movie approach, we’ve assembled a truly stellar cast of stars,” said producers Jesse Collins, Stacey Sher and Steven Soderbergh. “There’s so much wattage here, sunglasses may be required.”

This idea of having a set group of presenters rotating in and out of the show is not new. When producer Gower Champion reimagined the 1969 Oscar show he created what they called “Friends of Oscar,” with 10 stars exclusively serving as presenters (and no host). The format was then repeated successfully the next year, and has been tweaked occasionally over the decades — including for the innovative 2009 show produced by Bill Condon and Laurence Mark, which used combinations of five past winners each to present the acting awards.

Additional talent joining the April 25 live broadcast on ABC will be announced later. Word is all the nominated songs will be performed for the first time on the pre-show. We shall see.

Talk Show Appearance

We 4/14: Kyra Sedgwick

Ashley Jones and Alicia Leigh Willis Star in ‘Saving My Daughter’

Jones recently took to Instagram to post a behind-the-scenes photo of her holding the movie’s clapperboard on the set in Peachtree, Georgia. “Anyone remember the Lifetime movie I made last year in Georgia in the height of the pandemic?” she asked. “Well, a name change later, Saving My Daughter airs on April 16!”

The actress, who is an aspiring director, also expressed her gratitude to the movie’s director, Michael Feifer, for allowing her to shadow him during filming. “Thanks for letting me learn from you and ask a million questions,” she wrote.

In addition to Jones and Willis, Emily Skinner from Disney Channel’s ANDI MACK also stars in Saving My Daughter. According to a synopsis for the movie, Joanna’s life was turned upside down when her 3-year-old daughter, Chloe, went missing for six months. When Chloe goes missing again 15 years later, Joanna finds herself wondering if her daughter left on her own accord… or if she was kidnapped yet again by the woman who abducted her all those years before. The movie’s poster gives top billing to Jones (who plays Mandy, presumably the woman behind Chloe’s kidnapping) with Willis (as Joanna) and Skinner (as Chloe) right behind her in the second and third spots.

Willis also teased the upcoming movie on her Instagram, posting a scene shot of Joanna and Chloe on the teen’s graduation day. “Loved working with this superstar!” she raved of Skinner, who appeared in a 2011 episode of DAYS OF OUR LIVES as a classmate of Ciara’s.

Saving My Daughter will premiere on Friday, April 16, at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime Movie Network, so be sure to set your DVRs!

Video: Guiding Light Reunion - John Bolger, Kassie DePaiva and Jamie Goodwin

Julia Pace Mitchell & Marla Gibbs guest stars & Wendie Malick recurs on Young Sheldon 4/8/21

RECURRING CAST: Wallace Shawn (Dr. Sturgis), Craig T. Nelson (Dale), Ed Begley, Jr. (Dr. Linkletter), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer).

GUEST CAST includes: Julia Pace Mitchell (Darlene Wilkins), Diane Ladd (Hortense), Marla Gibbs (Doris).

Former soap star Robyn Griggs Wiley shares her real-life cancer journey

Griggs Wiley, best known to soap fans as singing Maggie from “Another World” and scheming Stephanie from “One Life to Live,” has been battling Stage IV cervical cancer since August. She had invasive surgery in December and now, newly moved to Flagstaff with husband Mark, the golf pro at Flagstaff Ranch, she continues to undergo treatment.

What Griggs Wiley, 47, wants people to know — and the reason why she has chosen to share her very personal health crisis — is to raise awareness of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, an option available for ages 11 to 45 that she says perhaps might have prevented the cancer she’s now fighting.

“I never even knew about it,” Griggs Wiley said. “There are so many things I’ve learned. I can’t stress enough to people how important it is to get the vaccine; whether it ends up working for you or not, it can stop you from having to go through a lot of the stuff I’ve just gone through. The younger, the better.

“My opinion is, well, I was a person who thought I didn’t need to go get checkups and didn’t need to go to the doctor — and look at me now. So if there’s anything you can do to prevent (HPV, which is linked to cervical cancer in women), I say go for it. Of course, that is up to you. Just like with the COVID vaccine, some people want to take it, some people don’t. Me, I had never heard of it. Now, there are commercials on TV for it.”

It’s been a hard road in the eight months since Griggs Wiley went in for a routine pap smear test and walked out having her whole life upended with the diagnosis of Stage IV endocervical adeno, which, when discovered at such an advanced stage, often is terminal. Hysterectomy surgery in December in Chicago, where she and Mark lived before moving to Flagstaff in March, removed the cancer cells that had spread to other parts of her body.

Eight cycles of chemotherapy followed, and now she travels twice monthly to the Mayo Clinic in the Valley for infusions of Avastin, an anti-angiogenic therapy.

“It was the worst feeling in the world because I felt like they were taking everything out of me,” Griggs Wiley said. “You stand up and feel like your guts are going to fall out. It’s absolutely dreadful. For me, being an actress, who is bound to be dramatic and you add this to it, and I was so overly dramatic after (surgery). My poor husband. He has such patience.”

Griggs Wiley, who hasn’t acted in a while, still maintains that hyper-verbal, rapid-fire delivery of an actor projecting. Only now, the role requires keeping a positive attitude.

Her name is still well-known in the entertainment press -- she was a child actress, appearing as a host on Nickelodeon’s “Rated K” show, appeared both on and off Broadway for years and acted in a series of horror B-movies in the 2000s -- so she’s given interviews about her cancer ordeal and the HPV vaccine to various publications.

Soap fans, notoriously loyal to characters even decades after they left shows, have helped Griggs Wiley by boosting donations to her GoFundMe page to defray mounting medical expenses. She said she is grateful for the support from fans, one of which turned out to be one of her nurses in the Chicago hospital.

“(The nurse) recognized me by my speaking voice, because I had a mask on,” she said, laughing. “That was kind of strange. That nurse remembered me from ‘One Life to Live,’ but most people remember the second (role) in ‘Another World.’ If anyone watched that show and saw me, they’ll know that I am Maggie. She was written as me, basically.”

Griggs Wiley said she wanted to acknowledge publicly the generosity of fans, since, as often is the case, medical bills for treatment has far exceeded her insurance coverage.

“When you get diagnosed, your first mindset is, number one, I’m dying, number two, I’m not going to be able to afford treatment,” she said. “Family and friends — I consider soap fans my friends — have been instrumental in helping me. The GoFundMe goes directly to the medical expenses.”

Her message, though, goes beyond her own particular case.

“I’ve been an open book about this from the beginning,” Griggs Wiley said. “I’ve said I’m going to take what I’m given. I will use my time and energy to help other people, too. I’m lucky my body responded (to surgery and chemotherapy). I’m doing well as of right now, but who knows what tomorrow brings.

"I’ve learned patience, and positivity, through this. I’ve learned that things can’t happen overnight. I’ve been lucky in my life to do everything I’m doing — and still live.”

Griggs Wiley Go Fund Me: A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help Robyn Griggs Wiley deal with medical bills during her cancer treatment. Visit www.gofundme.com/f/fight-with-robyn.

Guiding Light Reunion Chat - 4/8/21 John Bolger, Kassie DePaiva and Jamie Goodwin

Video: Agnes Nixon Tribute

Helping to honor Agnes will be her son Robert Nixon along with a list of actors who benefited from the unforgettable characters Agnes created on her shows. Joining Robert will be Daytime Emmy Award-winning actors Susan Lucci (Erica Kane), Erika Slezak (Vicky Lord), Peter Bergman (Dr. Cliff Warner), Debbi Morgan (Angie Baxter-Hubbard) and Darnell Williams (Jesse Hubbard). We will also hear from one of All My Children’s biggest fans, Carol Burnett.

Bob Iger, Disney chairman and CEO, said it best, "“Agnes’ impact on daytime television and pop culture is undeniable. She was the first to champion socially relevant topics, and the towns and characters Agnes brought to life leave an indelible imprint on television that will be remembered forever.”

Throughout her career Agnes Nixon won five Writers’ Guild of America Awards, five Daytime Emmy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2010 and was inducted into Soap Opera Weekly’s Soap Opera Hall of Fame.

‘Mack & Rita’: Diane Keaton Comedy Adds Wendie Malick, Nicole Byer, Dustin Milligan, Simon Rex & More

As we already told you Keaton is playing Rita, Lail is playing Mack, and Paige is playing Rita’s best friend Carla from when the protagonist was young. The movie, scripted by Madeline Walter and Paul Welsh, is now shooting in Los Angeles. Endeavor and Fortitude are repping worldwide rights.

Mack and Rita follows Mackenzie Martin is tired of doing all the things she has to do to keep up and get ahead in her 30’s. Since she was a little girl, raised by her Grammie Martin, her deepest wish has been to be just like her Grammie, comfortable in her own skin, great at saying “no” and largely unburdened by what other people think of her. Not to mention Mack has always loved a good chunky sweater and being in bed by 8 pm. While at her best friend’s bachelorette in Palm Springs, Mack stumbles into a sound bath regression pod and comes out as a 70-year-old woman, who she names her Aunt Rita. But Mack’s transformation really has nothing to do with her exterior body and Mack she learns that the reality of old age isn’t quite what she imagined. It turns out that being comfortable in your own skin isn’t a given at 70, or any age, really, because self acceptance comes from within and only through actually living.

Dustin Milligan will play Jack, Mack’s neighbor and sometime dog babysitter who befriends Rita whom he thinks is Mack’s aunt (actually Mack, who’s mysteriously become a 70 year old). They hit it off right away and Jack is not bothered at all by the fact that the person whose company he enjoys the most – and seems to have a spark with – is almost twice his age. Milligan starred on Schitt’s Creek as Ted, the local vet and love interest of Annie Murphy’s Alexis. He’ll next be seen in Peacock’s Rutherford Falls which premieres on April 22. He is repped by The Gersh Agency and RED Management.

Simon Rex will play the role of Luca. Rex stars in Sean Baker’s upcoming film Red Rocket, which was recently picked up by A24 for distribution. He also starred in the Scary Movie franchise and Jack & Jill, Rex most recently starred in My Dead Dad directed by Fabio Frey. He is repped by Buchwald and Advanced Management.

Primetime Emmy nominee of Nailed It! Nicole Byer joins Mack & Rita‘s ensemble. The comedienne starred in the TV series Loosely Exactly Nicole and the feature comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates as well as the Matt Walsh directed comedy feature A Better You, as well as the Amazon Prime animated series Invincible. Byer is repped by Artists First, WME and Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner & Gellman.

Patti Harrison will play Mack/Rita’s Agent. Her recent feature credits include the Sundance feature Together Together, Raya and the Last Dragon, A Simple Favor and the Hulu series Shrill. Harrison is also a staff writer on Big Mouth and Dispatches From Elsewhere. She is repped by UTA, Rise and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller & Gellman. Loretta Devine will play Sharon, the mother of Paige’s character Carla. The Primetime Emmy winner of Grey’s Anatomy has also starred in such big features such as Best Picture Oscar winner Crash and Waiting to Exhale. She is repped by Innovative Artists and Essential Talent Management.

Wendie Malick will play a member of Sharon’s Wine Club which Rita joins. Malick starred in 149 episodes of Just Shoot Me! as well as 125 episodes of Hot in Cleveland, and recently American Housewife and The Ranch. She is repped by Innovative Artists and Marcia Hurwitz.

Another member of Sharon’s Wine Club is Lois Smith, whose feature credits include The French Dispatch, Lady Bird, Tesla and Minority Report. She is repped by AKA and Cornerstone. There’s

Magnum P.I. and American Dad! actress Amy Hill is also part of that club. She is repped by SMS Talent.

Producers of Mack & Rita are Alex Saks, Keaton, Stephanie Heaton-Harris, Jina Panebianco and Dori A. Rath. EPs are Paris Kassidokostas Latsis, Terry Dougas, Jean-Luc De Fanti, Jackie Shenoo, R. Wesley Sierk, III, Joseph Panebianco, JoJo Ryder, John D. Straley, Joe Restaino, Brett Beveridge, and Lauren Beveridge. Saks’ Page Fifty-Four Pictures is the production company on Mack & Rita. Hercules Film Fund Financing and Rhea Films are also producing with what is a Caliwood Pictures co-financed production.

Rhea Films was founded in 2015 by Terry Dougas and Jean-Luc De Fanti as the production and advisory entity to Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis’s Hercules Film Fund. The Fund has financed or co-financed several motion pictures, including the Tom Cruise movie American Made, the Safdie Brother’s Cannes Film Festival premiere Good Time, Paul Feig’s Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick dark comedy A Simple Plan, Grant Sputore’s Netflix feature I Am Mother, Brie Larson’s directorial debut Unicorn Store, Fisher Steven’s Justin Timberlake AppleTV+ feature Palmer, and this past Christmas’ Chloe Grace Moretz sci-fi/fantasy WWII movie Shadow in the Cloud.

Morgan Freeman, Alfre Woodard, Trevor Jackson, Common & More Set For Revelations’ ‘Hate To See You Go’

The Ben Tishler directed feature, which he co-wrote with Rob Stone, tells the story of Sonny Bell (Freeman), an aging Chicago Blues musician, who refuses to retire and defiantly hits the road with his band for one last long-shot to keep doing the only thing that makes them all feel truly alive––play Blues. The story is inspired by Stone’s experiences touring and playing harmonica with many of blues music’s most revered artists.

Freeman will produce with his longtime Revelations Entertainment partner Lori McCreary and Gary Lucchesi of Revelations along with Shelby Stone and Derek Dudley of ID8 Multimedia and Jon Levin of Sustainable Imagination. Albert Berger & Ron Yerxa of Bona Fide Entertainment have also joined forces to executive produce.

Tishler is a Sports Emmy Award-winning doc director of 2008’s Calzaghe/Jones 24/7 and he’ll be making his feature directorial debut here. He is repped by manager Jon Levin.

Freeman won an Oscar for his Supporting Actor turn in Clint Eastwood’s 2004 movie Million Dollar Baby. He counts five Oscar nominations overall, a Golden Globe Best actor drama win for Driving Miss Daisy, as well as the 2012 Cecil B. DeMille Award and is two-time Primetime Emmy nominee. Freeman is repped by CAA and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.

Woodard, who is repped by ICM, Circle of Confusion, and Gochman Law, received a Supporting Actress nomination for 1983’s Cross Creek. She’s a three-time Golden Globe nominee who won for 1997’s Miss Evers’ Boys in the Best Actress TV Miniseries/Movie category, and a 17 Emmy nominated and four-time winner. Recent feature credits include Clemency, Disney’s $1.65 billion-grossing The Lion King, Captain America: Civil War, Annabelle, 12 Years a Slave, Sony/Netflix’s upcoming Fatherhood and on the TV side Marvel’s Luke Cage and Fox’s Empire.

Trevor Jackson plays Aaron Jackson on the comedy series Grown-ish and Black-ish. He starred in such movies as Burning Sands, Superfly, and Juveniles. He is repped by CAA, Management 360, and Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light.

Common won an Oscar for his song “Glory”, which he shared with John Legend, from the 2014 movie Selma. His recent feature credits include Ocean’s Eight, Girls Trip, Suicide Squad, John Wick: Chapter 2, The Informer, and he’ll star in the upcoming movies El Tonto, Alice, and Nine Lives. He is repped by UTA, Grandview, and Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light. Stand-up comedian, podcaster and actor Bill Burr created and stars in the Netflix animated comedy series F Is For Family, played Patrick Kuby in AMC’s Breaking Bad and bounty hunter Migs Mayfeld in Disney+ hit series Star Wars: The Mandalorian. He starred in Judd Apatow’s King of Staten Island last summer and can be seen next in Antoine Fuqua’s The Guilty.

Freeman and McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment produced the hit CBS Sunday night series Madam Secretary, starring Tea Leoni and Tim Daly.? Revelations’ film credits include the Award-winning Invictus, 5 Flights Up and the groundbreaking documentary film about cancer, The C Word.? Recent accolades include an Emmy nomination for?The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, three Emmy award nominations for Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, a Peabody Award for the ESPN 30 for 30 episode The 16th Man and two Oscar nominations for Invictus.

Agnes Nixon - Tribute March 31

Helping to honor Agnes will be her son Robert Nixon along with a list of actors who benefited from the unforgettable characters Agnes created on her shows. Joining Robert will be Daytime Emmy Award-winning actors Susan Lucci (Erica Kane), Erika Slezak (Vicky Lord), Peter Bergman (Dr. Cliff Warner), Debbi Morgan (Angie Baxter-Hubbard) and Darnell Williams (Jesse Hubbard). We will also hear from one of All My Children’s biggest fans, Carol Burnett.

Bob Iger, Disney chairman and CEO, said it best, "“Agnes’ impact on daytime television and pop culture is undeniable. She was the first to champion socially relevant topics, and the towns and characters Agnes brought to life leave an indelible imprint on television that will be remembered forever.”

Throughout her career Agnes Nixon won five Writers’ Guild of America Awards, five Daytime Emmy Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2010 and was inducted into Soap Opera Weekly’s Soap Opera Hall of Fame.

When Women Invented Television by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

This non-fiction book is released March 23, it’s about four female television pioneers including Irna Phillips (creator/writer GL, ATWT, AW, Days, etc.) and Betty White (Ann, B&B).

Order Your Copy Here.

Must-Read Book of March —Entertainment Weekly
Best Books of March —HelloGiggles

“Leaps at the throat of television history and takes down the patriarchy with its fervent, inspired prose. When Women Invented Television offers proof that what we watch is a reflection of who we are as a people.” —Nathalia Holt, New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls

New York Times bestselling author of Seinfeldia Jennifer Keishin Armstrong tells the little-known story of four trailblazing women in the early days of television who laid the foundation of the industry we know today.

It was the Golden Age of Radio and powerful men were making millions in advertising dollars reaching thousands of listeners every day. When television arrived, few radio moguls were interested in the upstart industry and its tiny production budgets, and expensive television sets were out of reach for most families. But four women—each an independent visionary— saw an opportunity and carved their own paths, and in so doing invented the way we watch tv today.

Irna Phillips turned real-life tragedy into daytime serials featuring female dominated casts. Gertrude Berg turned her radio show into a Jewish family comedy that spawned a play, a musical, an advice column, a line of house dresses, and other products. Hazel Scott, already a renowned musician, was the first African American to host a national evening variety program. Betty White became a daytime talk show fan favorite and one of the first women to produce, write, and star in her own show.

Together, their stories chronicle a forgotten chapter in the history of television and popular culture.

But as the medium became more popular—and lucrative—in the wake of World War II, the House Un-American Activities Committee arose to threaten entertainers, blacklisting many as communist sympathizers. As politics, sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, and money collided, the women who invented television found themselves fighting from the margins, as men took control. But these women were true survivors who never gave up—and thus their legacies remain with us in our television-dominated era. It's time we reclaimed their forgotten histories and the work they did to pioneer the medium that now rules our lives.

This amazing and heartbreaking history, illustrated with photos, tells it all for the first time.

Order Your Copy Here.

Video: Guiding Light - Patti D'Arbanville

Angelina Jolie / Brad Pitt divorce battle heats up with offer of domestic violence 'proof'

In new legal documents, obtained by The Blast, the actress and director is offering “proof and authority” in support of alleged fights during her marriage as the former couple hashes out final custody and financial arrangements, almost five years after the stars split and a federal investigation was launched by the FBI and social services in Los Angeles amid reports Pitt became “verbally abusive” with his kids on a flight.

He was cleared of the allegations he abused the pair’s eldest adopted child, Maddox.

As well as detailing Jolie’s domestic abuse claims, the new documents reveal lawmakers are also seeking permission from the couple for its biological children, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne, to testify at trial.

The private proceedings will reportedly feature members of the the couple’s former security staff, personal assistants, and multiple child psychologists, as well as domestic violence expert Alyce LaViolette, and Jolie’s friend and Girl, Interrupted co-star Jillian Armenante.

Pitt and Jolie wed in 2014 after dating for a decade.

Guiding Light Chat - Patti D'Arbanville and Tammy Blanchard 3/18/21

‘Adopted’: Shawn Vance, Bruce Campbell & Wendie Malick Lead Cast Of ABC Comedy Pilot

Written and executive produced by Kimmel and The Green Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse creators, executive producers and stars Vance and Daril Fannin, Adopted is inspired by a true story. In it, when a Green Beret (Vance) returns home to Texas from military service, he and his family struggle with the challenges of adopting his new brother, a 12-year-old Russian boy (Swinton).

Vance and Fannin are both military veterans — Vance is a former United States Special forces Green Beret, and Fanin, a former combat army medic. They used their background for their Netflix hybrid scripted/unscripted action comedy series The Green Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse, which was executive produced by Matt Damon and Peter Perg.

Vance plays Shawn Voss. Overconfident like his father and anxious like his mother, Shawn is fresh out of the US Army Special Forces and struggling to adapt to civilian life. He believes that anything worth doing is worth over-doing, including his role as Daniel’s mentor a.k.a. “tor-mentor.” Shawn loves to take a military “tough love” approach to life, and often goes too far with his criticisms, even if he has the best of intentions.

Campbell plays Shawn’s dad, John Voss. A goofy, optimistic, carefree, and conservative Dad, John is a red-blooded, all-American, business owner who hates negative thoughts… so he doesn’t have ‘em! He’s as out-of-touch as he is unaware, but makes up for it with his jolly nature. His greatest fear is interpersonal conflict, and now that the house is full of kids, conflict is inevitable.

Malick portrays Shawn’s mother, Michelle Voss. An empathetic, overly-attentive, good Christian mother who believes in her kids as much as she worries about them. She couldn’t be happier to have adopted her new Russian son, but is also realizing she doesn’t have the same pep in her parental step… and just may need something she’s never needed before: the help of her family.

Swinton is Daniel Voss. A recent adoptee from Russia, Daniel is socially unaware, naïve for his age, and speaks heavily accented English. On the one hand, he’s the sweetest kid you’ll ever meet. On the other, he has suffered a lot of trauma in his young life and runs primarily on raw emotion. He has high highs and low lows, but his earnest eagerness to connect with his new home & family is impossible to resist.

Moore plays Chelsea Voss. Despite being a budding social media “influencer”, she’s the hippest and smartest person in the house. Born with a host of health problems, she’s had to overcome a lot, but like her bio says, she is not defined by her struggles! At her core she’s a good person who’s doing her best to love her family and guide them towards “enlightenment” but at the same time, it’s a tough job and she’s pretty busy with Tik-Tok.

Pernas portrays Dr. Zora. An adoption specialist, Daniel’s homeroom teacher, and the apple of Shawn’s eye, Dr. Zora is as intelligent as she is charming. Accustomed to being fawned over and a black-belt in flirt-jitsu, she easily dismantles Shawn’s advances with a smile. She keeps her cool when others don’t and provides a voice of reason in an otherwise chaotic world.

Doi is Thumper. A happy-go-lucky adoptee and Daniel’s best friend, his nickname is derived from the term “Bible thumper.” His two favorite things are girls and God, and puberty is making it difficult to stay on the straight and narrow Jesus prescribed.

Vance is an accomplished personal trainer, a former Green Beret, and the creator, writer, and star of the upcoming Netflix series The Green Beret’s Guide to Surviving the Apocalypse. He’s repped by Gersh, Zero Gravity and Myman Greenspan.

Campbell most recently reprised his most famous role as Ash Williams from Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise in Starz’s follow-up series Ash vs. Evil Dead, which aired for three seasons. The Burn Notice alum next will be seen starring in indie thriller, Black Friday, with Michael Jai White. He currently hosts a revival of Ripley’s Believe it or Not for Travel Channel. He’s repped by APA, and Jacobson, Russell, Saltz, Nassim & de la Torre, LLP.

Malick, who starred as Victoria Chase on Hot in Cleveland and as Nina Van Horn in Just Shoot Me, recently recurred on American Housewife, The Ranch and This Is Us and guest-starred on Billions, among other credits. She’s repped by Innovative Artists.

Swinton has appeared in numerous TV shows, including Bull, Blacklist, Blacklist: Redemption, Blindspot and NOs4a2. He’ll next be seen in the upcoming Netflix series Halston. Swinton’s film credits include T-11 Incomplete, Becks and How to Get Girls. He’s repped by A3 Artists Agency, Dave McKeown/Edge Entertainment, & Jamie Feldman.

Moore previously booked a series regular role on the ABC pilot Woman Up and played the younger version of Alice Eve’s title character in CBS’ pilot Hannah Royce’s Questionable Choices. She was also featured in the indie film Beautiful Dreamer which won best ensemble at the San Francisco International Film Festival. She’s repped by A3 Artists Agency and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.

Pernas can currently be seen portraying international art thief Lexi in CBS’s summer series, Blood & Treasure. Her other credits include a series regular role on NBC’s The Brave and recurring on Jane the Virgin. She’s repped by Zero Gravity management, Innovative Artists.

The 12-year-old Doi can currently be seen in his breakout role of YoYo alongside Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo in Lionsgate’s film Barb & Star Go To Vista Del Mar. He also voiced the character Box Kid in the upcoming Boss Baby 2 sequel, Boss Baby: Family Business, slated to be released in September. Doi also is currently working on two new Nickelodeon shows. He’s repped by AEFH and Bartlett-Carter Talent Management.

Soap Vet Gil Rogers Dead at 87

“As you all know, my dad was awesome,” she wrote. “He was my best friend, confidant, mentor, and just an awesome dad. He came to pick me and Charlotte Whitaker Zdanowski up at clubs at 2 a.m. in our teens to keep us safe and drank bourbon with me every day since moving out here [to California] two years ago. He was welcoming and kind, funny and gregarious, a shameless flirt, and a fierce protector. He loved his dinners with his grandkids and endured animated movies and discussions about Pokémon.”

Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, Rogers began acting as a child at the local Lexington Children’s Theatre. While attending Harvard University as a chemistry major, Rogers realized that he truly wanted to be a performer — and enrolled in the drama department of Transylvania University in his hometown. The actor’s prolific career as a performer spanned stage, television, film, and commercial work. He appeared in several Broadway productions, most notably a 2-and-a-half-year run as Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. His film roles include Eddie Macon’s Run and the cult horror flick The Children, and Rogers was a spokesman for Grape-Nuts cereal, starring in a series of commercials over the course of five years. (He even owned a racehorse named Nutty Grapes.)

But to soap fans, Rogers will forever be known as GL’s Hawk and AMC’s Ray. He began his daytime career in 1964 with a small role on ANOTHER WORLD before landing a three-year stint as Dr. Martin Brandt on THE DOCTORS. He was tapped to play Tad and Jenny’s diabolical father on AMC in 1977 and appeared on the soap on and off until 1999. As the legend goes, Rogers was so convincing at playing the villainous Ray that he needed to have extra security at his family’s Manhattan apartment.

Rogers went across the dial to CBS in 1986, where he played Reva’s rodeo cowboy and conman dad on GL. Like with AMC, Rogers appeared on and off on the soap, making his final appearance during GL’s last days in 2009.

“I miss him so terribly already,” Amanda concluded her poignant post, adding that her father did not suffer at the end of his life. “He died in his sleep, without pain or fear. I am so grateful to have had such a great father and to have spent these past two years with him every day.”

We extend our condolences to the entire Rogers family at this difficult time.

Ray Liotta Joins Taron Egerton & Paul Walter Hauser In Apple Limited Series ‘In With The Devil’

The six-episode limited series, written by bestselling author Dennis Lehane and directed by Michael R. Roskam, is told through the lens of an intimate relationship between two prisoners (Egerton, Hauser), exploring the lengths that people will go to in order to seek redemption, if true absolution is ever really possible, and if so, at what costs.

Egerton plays Keene who was a standout young football player in Chicago headed for a pro career when a few turns in the wrong direction caught him a decade-long prison sentence with no chance of parole. The son of a Chicago cop (Liotta) was offered the chance to be sprung from prison and to redeem himself by ingratiating himself with a fellow inmate, a convicted murderer (Hauser), and getting him to confess to two murders.

Liotta will play James’ father, also named James Keene and known as Big Jim, a popular former ranking officer in the Kankakee police and fire departments who had influential friends in the highest reaches of state and local government. After Keene Jr.’s arrest, narcotics detectives tried to get him to divulge damaging information about his father, which he refused to do.

The limited series is produced by Apple Studios. Lehane, Egerton and Roskam executive produce along with Richard Plepler through his EDEN productions, and Imperative Entertainment’s Bradley Thomas, Dan Friedkin, and Ryan Friedkin. Alexandra Milchan, Scott Lambert and Kary Antholis will also serve as executive producer, along with author James Keene.

Liotta, known for his roles in Goodfellas and Marriage Story, will next be seen on the big screen in The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark, which is slated to be released in September. He most recently starred on television with Jennifer Lopez in NBC cop drama series Shades of Blue which aired for three seasons. Liotta, guest actor Emmy winner for ER, is repped by Gersh and Authentic Talent and Literary Management.

Dishing with Digest - 3/5/21 - Richard Burgi

Talk Show Appearance

Tuesday, March 9

Actors Julian McMahon (CBS’ FBI: Most Wanted)

'The Young And The Restless’: Richard Burgi To Recur On CBS Daytime Drama

Burgi will play Ashland Locke, an uber successful tycoon with a reputation for being a shrewd businessman. His character arrives in Genoa City to oversee a bidding war with the Y&R’s high powered Newman and Abbott families and will also expose some secrets during his visit. He’ll be introduced in the episode on Thursday, March 11.

Created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, The Young and the Restless, the No. 1 daytime drama for 31 consecutive years, revolves around the loves, enmities, hopes and fears of the residents of the fictional Midwestern town of Genoa City.

The series is produced by Bell Dramatic Serial Company in association with Sony Pictures Television. Anthony Morina is executive producer. Josh Griffith is co-executive producer and head writer. John Fisher and Lisa DeCazotte are supervising producers. Matthew J. Olsen and Jonathan Fishman serve as producers.

Burgi is known for his recurring role as Karl Mayer on ABC’s Desperate Housewives. He also portrayed Paul Hornsby on General Hospital from 2014-2016. His other recent television credits include The Oath and Grand Hotel. Burgi is repped by Innovative Artists and Leslie Allan-Rice Management.

Florence Pugh & Morgan Freeman To Star In Zach Braff-Directed ‘A Good Person’, Rocket Science & CAA Launch Sales

The film will follow Allison (Pugh), whose life falls apart following her involvement in a fatal accident. In the following years, it is the unlikely relationship she forms with her would-be father-in-law (Freeman) that helps her live a life worth living.

CAA Media Finance is arranging financing and will represent domestic rights. Rocket Science is handling international sales and will introduce the project to buyers at the upcoming virtual Berlin market.

The film reunites Braff with screen icon Freeman, who starred in the actor-filmmaker’s last directorial outing, Going In Style. The Warner Bros movie remake took $85M at the global box office in 2017. Braff most recently directed on Apple hit Ted Lasso. Se7en and Million Dollar Baby star Freeman is in post on action-comedy The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

In-demand actress Pugh is coming off Little Women and Midsommar and has a string of buzz projects coming up including Disney+’s Hawkeye series, Marvel’s Black Widow and Olivia Wilde’s New Line thriller Don’t Worry Darling.

Freeman is represented by CAA. Pugh is represented by CAA, manager George Freeman, Curtis Brown Group in the UK, and attorney Greg Slewett at Ziffren Brittenham. Braff is represented by CAA and Management 360 and attorney Ken Richman at Hansen Jacobson.

Talk Show Appearance

Wednesday, March 3

Actress Kyra Sedgwick (n)

Kelsey Grammer Back As Dr. Frasier Crane As Paramount+ Confirms ‘Frasier’ Reboot

Kelsey Grammer is confirmed to reprise his role as the Seattle psychiatrist turned radio host in a reboot of long-running comedy Frasier for Paramount+.

The revival is being announced by Julie McNamara at ViacomCBS’ launch of the streaming service.

The new incarnation of Frasier comes from writers Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and Joe Cristalli (Life In Pieces), who will exec produce with Grammer. The series will be produced by CBS Studios in association with Grammnet Productions.

“Having spent over 20 years of my creative life on the Paramount lot, both producing shows and performing in several, I’d like to congratulate Paramount+ on its entry into the streaming world,” said Grammer. “I gleefully anticipate sharing the next chapter in the continuing journey of Dr. Frasier Crane.”

Grammer had been leading the efforts to revive the series, which originally ran for 11 seasons between 1993 and 2004 on NBC, for the last couple of years. Created by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee, the show also starred David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin, and the late John Mahoney.

Paramount+ didn’t reveal any other talent for the reboot, although Deadline understands that Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier’s brother Niles, has been approached about returning.

The streamer didn’t set a date for the series, but given that Grammer is starring in an ABC multi-camera comedy alongside Alec Baldwin from Modern Family co-creator/executive producer Chris Lloyd and Vali Chandrasekaran, it’s unlikely that the new Frasier installment gets underway until 2022.

Grammer played the pedantic doctor in three series – Cheers and Frasier with a crossover on Wings – tying the record for longest-running television character.

The original Frasier will also be available via Paramount+ alongside Cheers and a slew of other comedies.

“Frasier is one of the most acclaimed comedies in modern television history and truly defines premium storytelling,” said David Stapf President of CBS Studios. “There has long been a call from fans for its return, and that call is now answered thanks to the amazing Kelsey Grammer reprising his iconic role of Dr. Frasier Crane and a brilliant creative plan from Joe, Chris and Kelsey. We can’t wait to reveal its next chapter on Paramount+.”

Grammer is represented by UTA and Vault Entertainment.

Golden Globes Adds Presenters Sterling K. Brown, Michael Douglas, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick & More

The latest round of presenters was announced today by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, dick clark productions and NBC.

Douglas (three-time Golden Globe Award winner and ten-time nominee) & Zeta-Jones (two-time Golden Globe Award nominee) will take the stage together to present from The Rainbow Room in New York, while Bacon (Golden Globe Award winner and three-time nominee) & Sedgwick (Golden Globe Award winner and nine-time nominee), as well as Brown (Golden Globe Award winner and two-time nominee) & Watson, will present from The Beverly Hilton Ballroom in Los Angeles.

The pairs will join previously announced presenters Awkwafina, Cynthia Erivo, Joaquin Phoenix, Kristen Wiig, and Renee Zellweger.

NBC will air the ceremony live coast-to-coast starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. It will stream the following day on Peacock.

Video: Edge Of Night Reunion - Terry Davis, Frances Fisher, Sharon Gabet 2/18/21

Wendie Malick guests on American Housewife 3/3/21

Guest starring is Wendie Malick as Kathhryn, Jake Choi as J.D., Jim Rash as Walker and Holly Robinson Peete as Tami Gaines.

“The Guardian” was written by Jeremy Hall and directed by Randall Winston.

HBO Max's Generation Releases First Trailer, Premiere Date — Watch

The Lena Dunham-produced series will premiere Thursday, March 11 with three episodes (wrapping up its first eight-episode half on April 1; the season’s second part will drop later this year) and follows “a diverse group of high school students whose exploration of modern sexuality (devices and all) tests deeply entrenched beliefs about life, love and the nature of family in their conservative community,” according to the official description.

In the trailer (embedded below), Chester, a fashionable star water polo player, tells his new guidance counselor: “I’m, like, a lot,” while we catch glimpses of the high school happenings surrounding him and his friends. While another character hides his bisexuality from his parents, Arianna tells her class that her parents are gay and are considering bringing a third into their relationship. See what else is in store by pressing PLAY here: Video.

Generations‘ ensemble cast includes Nathanya Alexander (Ocean’s Eight), Chloe East (Kevin (Probably) Saves the World), Nava Mau (Sam’s Town), Lukita Maxwell (Speechless), Haley Sanchez (Redress), Uly Schlesinger (Divorce), Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Misfits), Chase Sui Wonders (Betty), Justice Smith (The Get Down) and Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope).

Recurring guest stars include J. August Richards (Angel), Mary Birdsong (Succession), Alicia Coppola (Empire), Patricia De Leon (Mayans M.C.), Diego Josef (Goliath), Anthony Kevyan (Alexa & Katie), Sydney Mae Diaz (High Fidelity), John Ross Bowie (Speechless) and Sam Trammell (True Blood).

Zelda Barnz and Daniel Barnz are credited as co-creators, and both will executive produce alongside Ben Barnz and Dunham.

Travis Schuldt & Wendie Malick recur on Young Sheldon 2/25/21

RECURRING CAST includes: Craig T. Nelson (Dale), Wendie Malick (President Hagemeyer), Travis Schuldt (Justin).

THE EDGE OF NIGHT Cast Reunion 2/18/21

Jessica Walter & Wendie Malick guest on American Housewife 2/24/21

Guest starring is Wendie Malick as Kathryn, Matt Shively as Lonnie Spears, Jessica Walter as Margaret, Logan Pepper as Cooper, Peyton Meyer as Trip and Evan O’Toole as Franklin.

“Getting Frank with the Ottos” was written by Rick Weiner and Kenny Schwartz, with story by Sarah Dunn and directed by Melissa Kosar.

Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Uzo Aduba Among 8 Cast In David Weil’s Amazon Series ‘Solos’

The previously untitled project had been in the works for awhile when it was given a series order in October 2020.

Solos is a dramatic and thought-provoking seven-part anthology series that explores the deeper meaning of human connection, as explored through the lens of the individual. Solos will tell unique character-driven stories, each from a different perspective and moment in time, that illuminate that even during our most seemingly isolated moments, in the most disparate of circumstances, we are all connected through the human experience.

Aduba will play Sasha; Beharie will portray Nera; Freeman is Stuart; Hathaway portrays Leah; Mackie is Tom; Mirren will play Peg; Stevens portrays Otto and Wu will play Jenny.

Weil executive produces with Sam Taylor-Johnson (Gypsy) and former Alcon TV Group president Laura Lancaster (The Expanse), with Pixie Wespiser serving as a producer. Taylor-Johnson direct two episodes alongside Weil, who will be making his directorial debut on the show. Additional directors include Zach Braff and Tiffany Johnson.

“I am beyond thrilled to be bringing Solos to life alongside this group of artists who I so deeply admire. I created this piece with a desire to capture stories about connection, hope and the search for that common hum of humanity that binds us all. I’m immensely grateful to Jennifer Salke and my incredible partners at Amazon for their unwavering support and collaboration on this special project,” said Weil.

‘Frasier’ Sequel Series With Kelsey Grammer & David Hyde Pierce Eyed By Paramount+

Paramount+ is eying a 10-episode order for a followup to the Emmy-winning NBC series produced by Frasier studio CBS TV Studios, sources said.

Frasier star and executive producer Kelsey Grammer, who has been leading the efforts to revive the iconic series over the past two and a half years, is in talks with CBS Studios to reprise his role and executive produce the sequel, I have learned. David Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier Crane’s (Grammer) brother Niles in the original series, also has been approached about returning, I hear.

Both Grammer and Pierce headline new series, ABC’s Kelsey Grammer/Alec Baldwin comedy and HBO’s Julia, respectively, so I hear the new Frasier installment would not get underway until 2022, if all deals with actors and producers close successfully.

Grammer met with a number of writers for the Frasier followup. The series, now in consideration at Paramount+, hailing from Joe Cristalli and Chris Harris, sources said.

Frasier, created by the late David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee, is one of the most celebrated comedy series of the 1990s and 2000s. The show, produced by Grammer’s Grammnet Prods. and CBS TV Studios’ predecessor Paramount Network Television, ran on NBC for 11 seasons, from 1993 to 2004, and starred Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, Jane Leeves, Peri Gilpin, and the late John Mahoney. Frasier set a record for the most Emmy Awards won by a scripted series at the time, 37, including five consecutive Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Talk Show Appearance

We 2/3: Kyra Sedgwick

Talk Show Appearance

AIRING Feb 1, 2021

Kyra Sedgwick ("Call Your Mother").

Jane Krakowski is actually dating famed architect David Rockwell

Proving the report about beloved theater darling Krakowski and mustachioed Republican Lindell was total horsefeathers — a source exclusively tells us that the actress has been quietly dating starchitect and designer Rockwell for a while.

The source said, “Jane has been dating David Rockwell for a couple of years now, however, very quietly.

“Friends are speculating if the strange story about Jane and the silly MyPillow guy was a game of telephone; maybe somehow Rockwell turned into Lindell in rumor-ville.

“Otherwise, people are baffled where the story came from. Lindell is absolutely not her type.”

Rockwell has designed many sets for Broadway shows and movies, which is how he is believed to have met the “30 Rock” star.

Krakowski also appeared on TV in “Ally McBeal,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” and “Dickinson.” On Broadway, she won a Tony for “Nine” and an Olivier Award for “Guys and Dolls.”

In March 2019, Rockwell and Krakowski were pictured together at the Broadway Opening Night of “Kiss Me, Kate.”

They were also pictured cuddling up together at Bette Midler’s Hulaween in October 2019. She was also at Rockwell’s 60th birthday at Central Park Zoo in July 2020.

Meanwhile, Lindell is losing his pillow bobble knit over the story that he and Krakowski were allegedly linked.

He has filed a lawsuit against Mailonline.com saying the story caused him, “Significant humiliation and emotional distress.”

Reps for Krakowski and Rockwell didn’t get back to us. Lindell reps could not be reached.

Video: Another World - Reunion 1/21/21

Soap Alums Nominated For Critics Choice Awards

The winners will be announced at 7 p.m. March 7 on the CW, with Taye Diggs is set to return as host for a third time.

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Christine Baranski – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Olivia Colman – The Crown (Netflix)
Emma Corrin – The Crown (Netflix)
Claire Danes – Homeland (Showtime)
Laura Linney – Ozark (Netflix)
Jurnee Smollett – Lovecraft Country (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Jonathan Banks – Better Call Saul (AMC)
Justin Hartley – This Is Us (NBC)
John Lithgow – Perry Mason (HBO)
Tobias Menzies – The Crown (Netflix)
Tom Pelphrey – Ozark (Netflix)
Michael K. Williams – Lovecraft Country (HBO)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

William Fichtner – Mom (CBS)
Harvey Guillén – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Daniel Levy – Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Alex Newell – Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist (NBC)
Mark Proksch – What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
Andrew Rannells – Black Monday (Showtime).

Betty White Turns 99, Basks In Outpouring Of Social Media Affection And Slates ‘Pet Set’ Release

To put the cherry on the cake, White’s long-unseen series, Pet Set, created by and starring the television icon, will make its debut on digital platforms and DVD on February 23.

The star-studded 39 half-hours feature fellow animal-loving icons, including Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore, Doris Day, Burt Reynolds, Jimmy Stewart, Shirley Jones, James Brolin, and dozens more.

The showed aired in syndication from 1971-1972 and was produced by White and her husband, Allen Ludden. It was canceled when its main sponsor, the Carnation Company, decided to direct its advertising budget exclusively to commercials rather than programming.

The talk show had four segments. White would bring out a guest star to showcase their pets, talk about the animal, then transition to a segment on a select species. The show would then feature an animal expert, then conclude with White and sometimes her guest stars outside with a wild animal, among them a 500-pound Bengal Tiger, a Black Bear, and an Asian Elephant.

“If I haven’t told you already, I will now. The Pet Set is one of my favorite shows,” said White. “I’m thrilled it’s going to be seen again after all these years.”

MPI Media Group has teamed with Darren Wadyko Media and Betty White via her Albets Enterprises banner to release the long-lost 1971 series. It will be available on Apple TV, Google Play and Prime Video during its initial rollout, with more platforms expected later this year.

For the uninitiated, White’s career started in the test days of television and has brought her multiple Emmy Awards, thanks to her work on such classic TV as The Golden Girls, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Hot in Cleveland, as well as countless game and talk show appearances.

The new DVD special features include a behind-the-scenes look at the series, original promotional spots, the featurettes Betty White: Game Show Goddess and Betty White: Queen of Television, Betty’s Photo Album, and her public service ads.

Betty White and Albets Enterprises are repped by APA.

Some celebrity shout-outs to White on social media:

I still get warm when I see this look. Happy 99 baby. You are a testament to living life on your own terms. Sending you a great big socially distanced kiss. I love you @BettyMWhite pic.twitter.com/DWM9tTthIm
— Ed Asner (@TheOnlyEdAsner) January 17, 2021

"Butterflies are like women – We may be delicate but we can fly through a hurricane" -Betty White
Today is the day a giant was born. Happy Worthday @BettyMWhite pic.twitter.com/oWD3gyC1Cu
— Regina King (@ReginaKing) January 17, 2021

Wishing the incomparable Betty White a very happy 99th birthday! ?? What's your favorite Betty White role, friends? pic.twitter.com/vUfzO7BiiE
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 17, 2021

Happy birthday to my pal @BettyMWhite The sweetest, dearest kindest and funniest person I’ve ever had the good fortune to work with. #HappyBirthdayBettyWhite pic.twitter.com/q3dx41UQMU
— Craig Ferguson (@CraigyFerg) January 17, 2021

Happy birthday, @BettyMWhite! You’re a miracle in every way.
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) January 17, 2021

Today is the anniversary of birth for Muhammad Ali & Cus D’Amato. Also happy bday to @MichelleObama , @jakepaul , Steve Harvey , @RayJ , Betty White & @JimCarrey
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) January 17, 2021

Betty White bloopers are the best bloopers ?? #HappyBirthdayBettyWhite https://t.co/jzm2g1Ydmc
— Valerie Bertinelli (@Wolfiesmom) January 17, 2021

Happy birthday to the late #MohammadAli, @MichelleObama, and #BettyWhite (99 years young today!).
Each is a leader and an inspiration who inspire us all to work toward our dreams and never give up.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) January 17, 2021

Dekel Berenson And Paul Wesley Partner On Debut Feature From Alexander Rodnyansky and Marek Rozenbaum

The film tells the story of an 18 year old Ukrainian immigrant who, after discovering her Jewish heritage, moves to Israel and joins the army as a drill instructor. During a brief leave from the base, Aliya suffers a violent assault by her date, and upon returning to the base, she is forced to reevaluate her values, beliefs and role in training young men in the military.

Rodnyansky will come on board to produce the feature, together with veteran Israeli producer Rozenbaum, and producing partner Wesley. Anna Ró?alska will serve as producer as well.

The film will be shot in Israel. It was selected to the Sam Spiegel Film Lab, where films such as Oscar-winner Son Of Saul have been developed. The feature, which is in development, has also been accepted to the Co-Production Market of the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, the first Israeli film to be selected to the program.

Berenson is an Israeli born award-winning writer/director. After completing a mandatory three-year service in the Israeli Defense Forces, he moved to Budapest to complete a master’s degree in International Relations and European Studies, graduating first in his class. Drawing inspiration from travelling to more than sixty countries, Dekel explores real-world social and humanitarian issues across cultural and social boundaries.

Berenson’s recent short film Anna was premiered at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival, won Best British Short at the 22nd BIFA awards, and was shortlisted for a BAFTA. The film also recently qualified to be nominated in the Academy Award Short Film category. His short film Ashmina played at over 300 festivals, winning numerous awards, including Oscar Qualifying Best Short Film at the 36th Jerusalem Film Festival and Best Live Action Short at the 59th Krakow Film Festival.

Talk Show Appearance

Thursday, Jan. 21

Actress Jane Krakowski

Another World - Reunion 1/21/21

Anne Heche & Nick Wechsler recur on All Rise 1/25/21

RECURRING CAST includes: Todd Williams (Robin Taylor), Anne Heche (Corrine Cuthbert), Nick Wechsler (Deputy Pete Rashel).

Ray Liotta is engaged to girlfriend Jacy Nittolo

Liotta, 66, announced on Instagram this week that he is engaged to girlfriend Jacy Nittolo.

“Christmas wishes do come true. I asked the love of my life to marry me, and thank God she said yes!!!” the “Marriage Story” actor captioned the photo of him and Nittolo, who showed off her engagement ring, standing in front of a Christmas tree.

Nittolo shared the same image on her account, plus a fun outtake photo.

Liotta, who will appear in the forthcoming “Sopranos” prequel movie, “The Many Saints of Newark,” was previously married to actress Michelle Grace from 1997 to 2004. The two share a daughter, 22-year-old Karsen Liotta.

Nittolo has four children, Joey, Jade, Dax and Chazz.

Brad Pitt to spend Christmas with three of his kids amid Angelina Jolie split

Brad Pitt will be spending at least some of the holidays with three of his children — daughter Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne — as his bitter custody battle with Angelina Jolie rages on.

However, the visit will be limited to the specific window of Christmas Day and then some, according to Us Weekly, who reported the news. “They can spend the night with him on Christmas Eve,” the mag quotes a source as saying, who then clarifies that Pitt and Jolie “previously discussed spending the holidays as a family when they were ‘getting along’ earlier this year, but plans have since changed.”

“Brad and Angelina are equally responsible for the never-ending drama,” the source adds. “Sadly, their children are collateral damage.”

The coronavirus pandemic derailed Jolie’s usual globetrotting this year. Us Weekly’s source described her as “more prickly” as a result, noting, “she has wanted to do humanitarian work beyond the United States but needs permission from Brad to take the kids out of the county,”

Pitt, 57, and Jolie, 45, are locked in an interminable custody battle that has dragged on and on since they were declared legally single in April 2019. (Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016.)

Aside from Shiloh, 14, and the twins, 12, the custody battle affects 17-year-old Pax and 15-year-old Zahara. The couple’s eldest, Maddox, is a legal adult at 19.

This summer, Jolie attempted to have the private judge in their divorce — John W. Ouderkirk — be removed, because he was allegedly too close to Pitt’s attorneys. Pitt’s team responded with court documents showing that Ouderkirk, who officiated the couple’s wedding in 2014, had made all parties aware of the supposed conflict.

“The longer she does this, the more damage she does to the kids,” one acquaintance of the couple told The Post in August. “This is a game she’s playing. She still has the kids for more of the time than he does and she’s trying to maintain that as long as possible.”

Pitt’s recent and much-ballyhooed relationship with German model Nicole Poturalski fizzled after two months. He’s been finishing out 2020 on an apparent goodwill tour of his own, taking part in a well-received September table read of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” for charity — replete with palpable chemistry with ex Jennifer Aniston, whom he left for Jolie in 2005 —and spending hours delivering meals to a Los Angeles housing project in November.

Dishing with Digest - 12/18/20 - Amy Carlson

Guiding Light - A Very Special Deck the Zoom

School closures, job disruptions, and health risks are causing millions of Americans to turn to food banks for much-needed support right now. You can help families impacted by COVID-19 in our community by supporting our partner tonight. www.feedingamerica.org/coronavirus.

Joining The Locher Room for this very special holiday show are Grant Aleksander (Phillip), Laura Bell Bundy (Marah), Bryan Buffinton (Bill), Ellen Dolan (Maureen), Jean Carol (Nadine), Beth Chamberlin (Beth), Crystal Chappell (Olivia), Kassie DePaiva (Chelsea), Frank Dicopoulos (Frank), Beth Ehlers (Harley), Judi Evans (Beth), Jamie Goodwin (Johnny), Melissa Hayden (Bridget), Liz Keifer (Blake), Harley Jane Kozak (Annabelle), Jessica Leccia (Natalia), Joy Lenz (Michelle), Rachel Miner (Michelle), Karla Mosley (Christina), Michael O'Leary (Rick), Robert Newman (Josh), Saundra Santiago (Carmen), Peter Simon (Ed), Tina Sloan (Lillian), Nancy St. Alban (Michelle), Paul Anthony Stewart (Danny), Krista Tesreau (Mindy), Jerry verDorn (Ross), Michael Woods (Jim), Yvonna Kopacz-Wright (Mel) and Kim Zimmer (Reva).

www.feedingamerica.org/coronavirus.

Anne Heche & Peter MacNicol revurs on All Rise 1/4/21

RECURRING CAST includes: Paul McCrane (Judge Laski), Peter MacNicol (Judge Campbell), Anne Heche (Corrine Cuthbert).

Days Recasts Vivian

Ryan's Hope - Reunion 12/10/20

Guiding Light - A Very Special Deck the Zoom 12/17/20

School closures, job disruptions, and health risks are causing millions of Americans to turn to food banks for much-needed support right now. You can help families impacted by COVID-19 in our community by supporting our partner tonight. www.feedingamerica.org/coronavirus.

Joining us for this very special holiday show are Grant Aleksander (Phillip), Laura Bell Bundy (Marah), Bryan Buffinton (Bill), Jean Carol (Nadine), Beth Chamberlin (Beth), Crystal Chappell (Olivia), Kassie DePaiva (Chelsea), Frank Dicopoulos (Frank), Beth Ehlers (Harley), Morgan Englund (Dylan), Judi Evans (Beth), Jamie Goodwin (Johnny), Melissa Hayden (Bridget), Liz Keifer (Blake), Jessica Leccia (Natalia), Joy Lenz (Michelle), Rachel Miner (Michelle), Michael O'Leary (Rick), Robert Newman (Josh), Saundra Santiago (Carmen), Peter Simon (Ed), Tina Sloan (Lillian), Paul Anthony Stewart (Danny), Krista Tesreau (Mindy), Jerry verDorn (Ross), Yvonna Kopacz-Wright (Mel) and Kim Zimmer (Reva).

Jackée Harry Joins the Cast of DAYS OF OUR LIVES!

Harry, who got her start playing Lily on NBC sudser ANOTHER WORLD, became a huge TV star playing Sandra on the classic sitcom 227 back in the ‘80s. In her extensive career, the actress has appeared on television series like SISTER, SISTER and EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS, and more recently could be seen in movies like A Christmas for Mary and The Wrong Wedding Planner.

As for Harry’s role on DAYS, she would only offer a little tease of what viewers can look forward to. “She’s fabulous!” she gushed. “You know I play the fabulous woman, you know that. It’s a brand-new storyline with African-Americans. And they’ve been at the forefront of hiring minorities; they have a lot of diversity on DAYS. I don’t want to give away the storyline, but I have a daughter and… you know, ain’t nothing but trouble in River City! But I”m told I’ll be fabulous.”

While details of Harry’s character are still being kept under wraps, there are also no details as to when she might first air on the soap.

‘Generation’: Alicia Coppola, Marwan Salama, Marisela Zumbado To Recur In Lena Dunham’s HBO Max Series

Created by Zelda Barnz and her father Daniel Barnz, who also directs, Generation is a dark yet playful half-hour following a group of high school students whose exploration of modern sexuality (devices and all) tests deeply entrenched beliefs about life, love and the nature of family in their conservative community.

Coppola plays Carol, the mother of Riley (Chase Sui Wonders) who is terribly uncool, painfully suburban and obsessed with meddling in Riley’s business.

Salama portrays Bo, an under-the-radar high school junior who is direct, utterly unself-conscious and refreshingly comfortable in his own skin.

Zumbado is Lucia, a young junior who is confident, bold and queer and loves to shake things up.

They join an ensemble cast that includes Nathanya Alexander, Chloe East, Nava Mau, Lukita Maxwell, Haley Sanchez, Uly Schlesinger and Sam Trammell with Justice Smith and Martha Plimpton.

Generation is executive produced by Dunham for Good Thing Going Productions; Daniel, Ben and Zelda Barnz for We’re Not Brothers Productions; Sharr White; and John Melfi. Marissa Diaz is a producer for Good Thing Going.

Coppola most recently starred in CBS All Access’ Why Women Kill. Her other recent credits include recurring roles on Fox’s Empire, CBS’ Blood and Treasure, NCIS and NCIS Los Angeles, among others. Coppola is repped by Leslie Allan-Rice Management, A3 Artists Agency and attorney Derek Kroger.

Salama has recurred in Fox’s Lethal Weapon and Alan Ball’s HBO series Here and Now. Prior to that, he guest-starred on ABC’s For the People and American Crime and NBC’s The Blacklist. He is repped by A3 Artists Agency, Thruline Entertainment, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.

Zumbado will next be seen in Netflix’s On the Verge. She has recurred in Showtime’s The Affair, CW’s The Originals, Cinemax’s Banshee, and recently guest starred in Fox’s Lethal Weapon and Deputy as well as Amazon’s Goliath. Zumbado is repped by Zero Gravity Management and CESD.

Tony Winner and Soap Opera Favorite Peg Murray Dies at 96

The performer made her Broadway debut in 1956 as Vlasta Habova in The Great Sebastians before going on to appear in Gypsy opposite Ethel Merman, as well as productions of She Loves Me, Anyone Can Whistle, The Subject Was Roses, and Something More!.

After winning the Tony, Ms. Murray played Golde as a replacement in Fiddler on the Roof for a number of stints in the original Broadway production. She also returned to Cabaret in the 1987 revival to play a replacement Fraulein Schneider, her final performance on the Main Stem.

In addition to her work in theatre, Ms. Murray was well-known for playing Olga Swenson on All My Children for 13 years in the ‘80s and ‘90s. She also served as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Ms. Murray was born February 14, 1924, in Denver, Colorado, and spent most of her adolescence growing up in New York. The performer was a tried-and-true artist, having started work in the entertainment industry at the age of three when she booked a gig in a local radio station, according to The Suffolk Times.

Attending Mamaroneck High School, Ms. Murray honed her talent in school productions. She attended Case Western Reserve University on a theatre scholarship, and upon graduating, performed in a number of international USO shows after the end of World War II. Upon returning to the States, Ms. Murray joined The Touring Players, bringing performance to communities across the country.

Throughout her life, Ms. Murray devoted herself to creating equitable theatre workspaces. She formed Greenport Summer Players with Amie Sponza in the 1980s, which went on to become Northeast Stage. She also worked with NYC Mayor John Lindsay to create Broadway in the Streets, bringing performance to underprivileged neighborhoods.

Sponza also produced a 2019 documentary Peg Murray: Inspiration, immortalizing the stage and screen star for future generations to discover her work.

Talk Show Appearance

Mo 12/7: Vivica A. Fox, Jackée Harry

Ryan's Hope - Reunion 12/10/20

Amy Carlson recurs on FBI: Most Wanted 12/8/20

‘All Rise’: Anne Heche To Recur On Season 2 Of CBS Legal Drama

Heche will play Corrine Cuthbert, an infamous trial attorney who often is called upon by police unions to defend officers accused of violent crime. She is wicked smart, using humor as a distraction while she verbally destroys anyone who gets in her way.

All Rise follows the chaotic, hopeful and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks and cops to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal process. Among them is newly appointed Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick), a highly regarded and impressive deputy district attorney who doesn’t intend to sit back on the bench in her new role, but instead leans in, immediately pushing the boundaries and challenging the expectations of what a judge can be. The series also stars Marg Helgenberger, Jessica Camacho, Lindsay Mendez and Ruthie Ann Miles.

Creator/co-showrunner Gregg Spottiswood, Len Goldstein, Michael Robin and co-showrunner Dee Harris-Lawrence are executive producers for Warner Bros Television.

Heche recently starred as Deputy Superintendent Katherine Brennan on Chicago P.D., and as Patricia Campbell, Deputy Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, on NBC’s The Brave. She previously co-created, executive produced and wrote for the NBC series Bad Judge, starring Kate Walsh. She can recently be seen in the feature film My Friend Dahmer. Heche is repped by Zero Gravity Management and Morris Yorn.

Video: As the World Turns - Reunion 11/20/20

Michael Graziadei guests & Obba Babatundé recurs on S.W.A.T. 11/25/20

RECURRING CAST: Obba Babatunde (Daniel Harrelson, Sr.), Deshae Frost (Darryl)

GUEST CAST includes: Michael Beach (Leroy), Michael Graziadei (Mitch), Joyce Guy (Jillian).

Brad Pitt spends hours delivering meals to LA housing project

The 56-year-old actor was seen handing out boxes of food to crowds of people in need and spotted driving the delivery truck to transport the goods, according to the Daily Mail.

And because Pitt was rocking a face mask along with a very casual outfit of jeans and a flannel, many people didn’t even recognize they were in the presence of an Oscar winner.

An eyewitness told the website that Pitt was working nonstop to unload and deliver boxes to those waiting in long lines.

“Brad really did seem like a hero. The man did not stop all day. Just seeing him driving a big truck in South Central LA during COVID times was in itself amazing,” the source told the Daily Mail. “He was completely committed, you could see it wasn’t a case of him turning up and showing his face.”

The source added that “his heart was in it and it was just a hats-off moment.”

The “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood” star reportedly worked for about four hours straight, only stopping for a smoke break and then jumping right in again.

“He was grabbing more boxes than anyone there and then carrying probably six boxes at a time on a cart,” said the source, adding, “It was Brad Pitt like you’ve never seen him, with his guard totally down, laughing, joking, and chatting.”

At one point, he even went into the truck, took out speakers, and blasted upbeat tunes playing from his iPhone. He also got a visit from his friend Thomas Houseago, whom the actor was “clearly elated to see,” the source said.

Pitt also took a coffee break with a brunette volunteer on the back of the truck.

“They sat there probably for 20 minutes laughing and chatting while he had another cigarette and they sipped at their drink,” the source shared.

All in all, the movie star was extremely down-to-earth throughout the whole day, even eating his lunch of scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes out of a to-go container with plastic cutlery.

“There was zero swagger,” the source said, adding, “It wasn’t about glory, you could see he was doing it for self-satisfaction. It really felt like he was in his element.”

This was Pitt’s first public outing since his split from model Nicole Poturalski in October. €.@

Fox Brings Back ‘Name That Tune’ With Jane Krakowski Hosting & Randy Jackson As Band Leader

Former American Idol judge Randy Jackson is set as band leader for the show, which will premiere on January 6 after The Masked Singer. It comes from Fox Alternative Entertainment, Prestige Entertainment, which owns the rights to the show, and Holey Moley producer Eureka Productions. Janine Cooper, who has overseen The Bachelor and The Masked Singer in Australia, is showrunner.

It joins Beat Shazam, the Name That Tune-esque competition hosted by Jamie Foxx that was renewed for a fourth season, on Fox’s unscripted schedule.

The ten-episode series order comes three years after CBS attempted a reboot of the classic format, which was created by Harry Salter and first aired in 1953. CBS ordered a pilot, which was hosted by Elizabeth Banks, but it didn’t go to series.

Ralph Rubenstein and Noah Rubenstein from Prestige Entertainment, who were involved in that version, will exec produce the series alongside Eureka Productions’ Chris Culvenor and Paul Franklin and Cooper.

The game show, which launches in the 9 pm slot, tests contestants’ music knowledge as they battle it out in an assortment of challenging musical games for cash and prizes.

Each episode will include two standalone half-hour contests pitting two players against one another as they race against the clock to test their knowledge of songs, performed by the live band. Each contest features a rotating variety of games from the original format, before the iconic Bid-a-Note round. The player with the most money at the end of Bid-a-Note wins the game and takes his or her bank into the Golden Medley bonus round, for a chance to win additional cash and potentially the $100,000 grand prize.

Name That Tune premiered on NBC Radio in 1952. It quickly made the leap to television and aired from 1953-1959 on NBC and CBS. After a 17-year hiatus, the show returned for a syndication run from 1974-1981 and then again in 1984, with Tom Kennedy and then Jim Lange as the host.

“We’re thrilled to bring the iconic musical game show Name That Tune back to television with this updated revival. It’s been beloved the world over for decades and we can’t wait for a new generation of families to get to play along with the classic series at home,” said Rob Wade, President, Alternative Entertainment & Specials, Fox Entertainment. “With the captivating Jane Krakowski as host alongside band leader Randy Jackson the Big Dawg himself, this surely will be a harmonious pairing.”

Prestige Entertainment, Jane Krakowski and Randy Jackson are repped by UTA and Jackson is also repped by Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

Video: Beverlee McKinsey Tribute Chat 11/16/20

Kelsey Grammer & Alec Baldwin Comedy From ‘Modern Family’ Duo Gets ABC Series Order

Written by Lloyd and Chandrasekaran, in the Untitled Alex Baldwin/Kelsey Grammer Project, roommates in their twenties until their warring egos drove them apart, three men — two of them played by Grammer and Baldwin — reunite decades later for one more run at the lives they’ve always wanted.

Baldwin, Grammer, Lloyd and Chandrasekaran executive produce with Jason Schrift, Matt DelPiano, Tom Russo, Adam Griffin and Jeff Morton. 20th Television, part of Disney TV Studios, is the studio.

Baldwin, who portrays Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live and is one of the show’s most popular hosts, won two Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes and seven consecutive SAG Awards as Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on NBC’s 30 Rock. He received an Oscar nomination for The Cooler and a Tony nom for A Streetcar Named Desire. He’s next set to produce and star in action/western feature Rust and also hosts ABC’s Match Game revival game show. He’s repped by CAA and Cavalry Media.

Grammer, winner of six Emmys, three Golden Globes, a SAG Award, a Tony Award, will next be seen in the movies Charming the Hearts of Men, The Space Between, and The God Committee. Recent films include Netflix hit Like Father and Grand Isle. Through his TV production company Grammnet NH Productions, he most recently lent his voice to IMDB’s first scripted series; the short form, adult, animated series You’re Not a Monster and served as executive producer for both seasons of Light as a Feather which he sold to Hulu. Grammer is repped by Vault Entertainment and UTA.

Lloyd co-created, executive produced and co-showran ABC’s Emmy-winning comedy series Modern Family, which wrapped its 11th season last spring. The project reunites Lloyd with Grammer, with whom he worked on Frasier on all 11 seasons as co-executive producer/executive producer, and on the Fox comedy series Back To You, which Lloyd co-created/exec produced and Grammer starred in.

Chandrasekaran most recently worked as an executive producer on Modern Family with Lloyd. His previous credits include 30 Rock, working with Baldwin, My Name is Earl and Mixology.e

Real Brad Pitt wins legal case against woman duped by fake Brad Pitt

Businesswoman Kelli Christina was scammed out of $40,000 by an Internet con artist who posed as Pitt and won her over with “discussions of marriage.”

But even after she realized that she wasn’t actually communicating with the Oscar winner, she still sued the real Pitt — claiming in court papers that he should have done more to protect his fans from impostors.

But on Thursday a judge dismissed her suit.

Christina, of Plano, Texas, has claimed that the scammer approached her online in 2018 and asked her to organize a series of fundraisers for Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, which constructs new homes for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

In court papers, she said that the fake Pitt asked her for $40,000 to attend the events, but “canceled” at the last minute each time — then disappeared with the money.

She even claimed that the pair developed such a close relationship that they had “discussions of marriage,” court docs seen by Page Six said.

Christina sued Pitt last month, claiming that he should have done more to protect her from a scammer using his name.

But a judge granted Pitt’s motion to dismiss the case in a Texas court on Thursday, according to court docs seen by Page Six, calling it “meritless.”

Christina told Page Six that she would continue to fight, vowing to appeal the judgment.

She told us that she’s pursuing the suit because she was so disappointed that the real Pitt didn’t help her, even though it was his name being used to trick her.

“Brad Pitt ignored all [my problems] [for] a year and a half,” she told us in an email. “He was contacted [about the ordeal] at Make It Right [his production company], Plan B Entertainment, his Los Angeles home and his Beverly Hills attorney [in] the summer of 2019. All problems [were] ignored and yet it’s his name and reputation [being used to defraud people].”

She’s proposing a joint project between the government and the Hollywood establishment to prevent these kinds of scam operations from happening.

OWN Sets Three Holiday Movies Starring Vivica A. Fox, Jackée Harry, Lamman Rucker, Meagan Holder, Idara Victor, Tonea Stewart

A Christmas For Mary, starring Vivica A. Fox and Jackée Harry, will premiere on December 8; followed by Cooking Up Christmas, starring Greenleaf’s Lamman Rucker and Meagan Holder on December 15; and First Christmas, starring Idara Victor and Tonea Stewart, will premiere on December 22. The movies join the previously announced Our OWN Christmas gospel music special hosted by Meagan Good and DeVon Franklin which airs on Tuesday, December 1 at 9 PM ET/PT.

OWN last year made its first foray into original holiday movies, which do well viewership-wise, especially among women who are OWN’s core demographic.

“Following the overwhelming success of our inaugural holiday movie slate last year, we’re excited to announce all-new movies with heartwarming storylines the whole family can enjoy,” said Tina Perry, president, OWN. “We hope that viewers will continue to make watching our movies together a part of their ongoing holiday traditions.”

Here are details about OWN’s holiday movies:

A Christmas For Mary premieres Tuesday, December 8 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Vivica A. Fox stars with Jackée Harry and Morgan Dixon (Being Mary Jane) in a holiday tale of rediscovery and renewal when up-and-coming journalist Lena Jones (Dixon) is tasked with delivering a story by Christmas that will wow her boss, magazine editor Vivian Vaye (Fox), who is dangling a promotion to head writer over Lena’s head. Intrigued by a portrait of a mysterious woman painted by her late grandfather, Lena journeys to the small town of Pineville, where with her mother, Deborah’s (Harry) blessing and support, Lena uncovers a long-ago forgotten tale of young love that not only uncovers cherished memories of the past, but also inspires Lena to follow her heart and find her own true love … and her perfect Christmas story. A Christmas For Mary is produced for OWN by Hybrid and executive produced by Vivica A. Fox in association with Harpo Films.

Cooking Up Christmas premieres Tuesday, December 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Meagan Holder (Pitch) stars in this family-centric holiday story as Chloe, an Atlanta-based chef at a fine dining restaurant who gets fired just weeks before Christmas and reluctantly takes a job with pro baseball player Donovan Jackson (Rucker), who is a single dad of three needing a live-in-chef to get him through the holidays with the kids. Chloe only takes the job in order to save up enough capital to live out her dream of opening her own restaurant, but soon finds herself caught up in the ups and downs of the Jacksons encounter during her residency. Throughout the holiday season in the Jackson household the importance of family and Chloe’s good Southern cooking are two constants that remain. As Christmas comes to an end, Chloe discovers that her lifelong dream might finally come true… and that her heart has a mind of its own. Cooking Up Christmas also stars Jen Harper and Laparee Young from OWN’s Greenleaf and Lindsey Amani Blackwell from OWN’s David Makes Man. Cooking Up Christmas is produced for OWN by MarVista in association with Harpo Films. Executive produced by Roger M. Bobb, Lamman Rucker, Megan Ellstrom, Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer and Fernando Szew.

First Christmas premieres Tuesday, December 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT

Given up for adoption and placed in foster care at a young age, writer Halle Downing (Victor, Alita: Battle Angel) receives the blessing of a lifetime when she is invited to spend Christmas in New Orleans with the biological family she never knew she had – The Moores. Halle’s grandmother “Memaw” (Stewart, A Time to Kill) welcomes the young woman with open arms, completely overwhelming Halle with emotion at the significance of finally finding her family. Extremely excited to meet her twin siblings Tiffany (Samantha Smith, Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins) and Glenn (Mason Beauchamp, NCIS: New Orleans) along with younger brother Drew (Peyton Jackson, Nobody’s Fool) for the first time, Halle soon faces the hard reality that finding her place in this close-knit family is going to take longer than she thought, something that becomes particularly evident when she witnesses Tiffany’s apprehension about introducing her new girlfriend Paris (Amanda Tavarez, Queen Sugar) to the family for the first time. However, as Christmas approaches, Halle begins to gain perspective on the Moore family dynamic and ultimately comes to embrace and celebrate her first family holiday with a special gift that tells her she is right where she is supposed to be. First Christmas is produced for OWN by MarVista in association with Harpo Films. Executive produced by Tia Mowry, Tiegen Kosiak, Todd Y. Murata, Larry Grimaldi, Hannah Pillemer and Fernando Szew.

Video: Search for Tomorrow Reunion - Maree Cheatham, Michael Corbett

Beverlee McKinsey Tribute Chat 11/16/20

Jennifer Love Hewitt, Keith David & Eric Roberts Set For Family Pic ‘Pups Alone’

Love Hewitt is lending her voice to the feature while David, Roberts and Brandon Burrows will be on camera. Pic follows a ragtag group of neighborhood dogs who team up to save Christmas from two bumbling thieves and their scheming boss.

Currently in production, VMI will be launching the movie to buyers at the upcoming virtual AFM.

An original concept and screenplay by Burrows and Jason Gruich, the film is being directed by Alex Merkin (Altitude) and produced by Burrows (The Last Son Of Isaac Lemay) of Firebrand and Courtney Lauren Penn (The Last Son Of Isaac Lemay) of Boundless Pictures. Jack Bowyer (Gallowwalkers) is serving as an executive producer.

“I couldn’t be happier than to have Jennifer, Keith, and Eric join Pups. They are going to bring their very special talents and unique voices to the project, and I can’t wait to see what they do with the material,” said Burrows of Firebrand.

“I have been working with Brandon on Pups for a few months now and I am excited to showcase the film to buyers,” added Andre Relis, CEO of VMI Worldwide.

Love Hewitt is represented by Untitled Entertainment, The Gersh Agency and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof + Fishman LLP, David by Silver J Management, Innovative Artists, Miles Anthony Associates and Meyer and Downs, Roberts by Sovereign Talent Group.

Matthew McConaughey chimes in on Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt’s ‘sexual tension’

“Could I feel the heat through the screen of Brad? So palpable. Yeah, yeah, it was so palpable,” McConaughey, who played the character of Mike Damone in the table read, recently told Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live.”

The “Greenlights” author, 50, said that while he didn’t notice things heating up during the table read, he definitely realized the sizzling moments the next day.

“I noticed that after, that a lot of the topics were about that, or about them,” he said, adding, “No, I actually didn’t notice anything through the screen, but that made for a good topic the next day.”

In early September, 51-year-old Aniston and 56-year-old Pitt, who divorced in 2005, got flirty with each other during the “Fast Times” reunion online.

They greeted each other with smiles when they logged onto the video chat and later acted out the scene where Pitt’s character Brad Hamilton had a sexual fantasy about Aniston’s character Linda Barrett.

“Hi Aniston … how are you doing?” Pitt said with a huge smile on his face. Aniston, equally smiley, responded while twirling her hair, “Good honey, how are you doing?”

Several other celebs on the call including Julia Roberts and Jimmy Kimmel couldn’t contain their laughter at the scene.

Brad Pitt Celebrates Joe Biden As “President For All Americans” In New Campaign Ad

The Once Upon A Time in Hollywood actor narrated a new commercial that dropped during the World Series game on Saturday. The ad, which premiered during the Los Angeles Dodgers – Tampa Bay Rays game, kicks off with a video montage of Biden delighting and sharing laughs with a range of supporters across America.

“America is a place for everyone – those who chose this county, those who fought for it – some Republicans, some Democrats, and most, somewhere in between,” the Oscar-winning actor says as the clip of Biden meeting supporters of all ages and backgrounds continues.

During the short advertisement, the actor says that all Americans, regardless of their political views are looking for the same thing. They want a leader to understands their hopes, dreams, pain and more, Pitt recites. He continues by saying that Americans hope for a president that will be honest, respectful and will work hard to make the nation better for all families.

“To work just as hard for the people who voted for him as those who didn’t. To be a president for all Americans,” Pitt continues as footage of the former VP meeting with citizens switches to that of Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden appearing on an American flag-adorned stage.

Saturday’s Pitt-featuring ad isn’t the only World Series Biden advertisement to feature a Hollywood star. On Tuesday, the Biden campaign dropped its Sam Elliott-narrated commercial during the first game of the Major League Baseball series.

Pitt joins a number of Hollywood actors and actresses who have been featured in videos and campaign events for the former VP’s presidential bid. A number of South Asian talent including Mindy Kaling and Kumail Nanjiani came together for an official South Asian Block Party for the Biden campaign and Samuel L. Jackson urged Black voters to cast their votes for the former Delaware senator.

CNN released the new Biden campaign ad first.

Video: Guiding Light - Reunion - Judi Evans and Vincent Irizarry

Christmas on the Square Trailer: Netflix Musical Features Angelic Vocals by Dolly Parton, Christine Baranski

The upcoming musical — premiering on Sunday, Nov. 22 — centers on Regina Fuller (The Good Fight‘s Christine Baranski), “a rich and nasty woman [who] returns to her small hometown after her father’s death to evict everyone and sell the land to a mall developer, right before Christmas,” according to the official logline. “However, after listening to stories of the local townsfolk, reconnecting with an old love (Everwood‘s Treat Williams), and accepting the guidance of an actual angel (played by Parton), Regina starts to have a change of heart.”

The film, which features 14 original songs by Parton, was directed and choreographed by three-time Emmy and Golden Globe winner Debbie Allen. The cast also includes Jenifer Lewis (black-ish), Josh Segarra (Arrow), Mary Lane Haskell (Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors), Jeanine Mason (Roswell, New Mexico), Matthew Johnson (of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater) and Selah Kimbro Jones (Star).

Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square is part of Netflix’s “Here for the Holidays” lineup, which consists of more than 30 Christmas movies, TV shows and specials set to debut between late October and mid-December. This year’s titles include Holidate (starring Scream Queens‘ Emma Roberts), Operation Christmas Drop (led by The Vampire Diaries‘ Kat Graham) and Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (featuring Godfather of Harlem‘s Forest Whitaker). Also on tap are sequels to fan-favorites The Christmas Chronicles and The Princess Switch.

Soap Actress Robyn Griggs Reveals Her Battle With Cancer

“This is a horrible disease physically, but also mentally,” Griggs continued. “The stress of not knowing what tomorrow brings is bad enough, but add the medical bills that insurance won’t cover makes it worse. Any donation goes directly to the medical bills. Any help is appreciated. Thank you for being supportive. I am going to fight this, and please keep the prayers coming.”

Just a few days after launching her fundraiser page on Facebook, Griggs is nearly to her goal, but she admitted this morning that she knows it is just the beginning. “I slept fairly well last night,” she shared in an update. “Just very uncomfortable and it’s hard not knowing what to expect. It’s very odd. You feel like lightning bolts are going through you and the next you want to bake a pie. I’m just keeping my chin up and trying to stay positive. Thank you to everyone for your donations. I set this at a low goal but want to raise whatever possible I can. The bills are atrocious. I’m just going to take it moment by moment and keep smiling.”

If you would like to donate to Griggs’ medical fund, you can do so at the fundraiser page link above. Otherwise, as she mentioned, she would appreciate well wishes and prayers. Please join us in sending all the love to her so she can beat this terrible disease.

Dishing with Digest - 10/16/20 - Judi Evans

Guiding Light Reunion - Judi Evans and Vincent Irizarry

Kelly Marie Tran, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels To Reprise ‘Star Wars’ Roles For Lego Holiday Special

Taking inspiration from the 1978 TV movie directed by Steve Binder, the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special reunites Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids for a joyous feast on Life Day. Rey sets off on a new adventure with BB-8 to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force. At a mysterious Jedi Temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure through beloved moments in Star Wars cinematic history, coming into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan and other iconic heroes and villains from all nine Skywalker saga films. But will she make it back in time for the Life Day feast and learn the true meaning of holiday spirit?

The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special is produced by Atomic Cartoons, the LEGO Group, and Lucasfilm. It is directed by Ken Cunningham and written by David Shayne, who is also co-executive producer. James Waugh, Josh Rimes, Jason Cosler, Jacqui Lopez, Jill Wilfert and Keith Malone are executive producers.

‘Great Escapes With Morgan Freeman’: New History Series To Look Back At Infamous Jailbreaks

The six-episode, one-hour series will be hosted and executive produced by the Oscar-winning Freeman, who will produce with Revelations Entertainment partner Lori McCreary.

Each episode will feature dramatic re-creations and cutting-edge visual effects, unearthing every step of an inmate’s meticulous plan, their escape route and the intense manhunt that followed.

The announcement was made as part of A+E Networks Mipcom upfront presentation today.

“I’ve been inside the minds of prisoners in my acting career, and I’m looking forward to stepping inside the most notorious prisons in the world, like Alcatraz, Sing Sing, Rikers Island and Leavenworth. Audiences will feel like they’re making the escapes themselves as I walk them into a virtual world and through the greatest escapes in history,” said Freeman, who was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for the prison drama The Shawshank Redemption, in which he played a wise, patient and optimistic inmate.

“The History channel is honored to partner with Morgan and his production team, Revelations Entertainment, to deliver context and backstory to some of history’s infamous prison escapes,” said Eli Lehrer, EVP and General Manager for History. “Morgan’s gravitas will help ground this series and drive the drama in a way no other face or voice can.”

McCreary, James Younger and Kelly Mendelsohn will executive produce for Revelations Entertainment. Mary E. Donahue and Max Micallef are EPs for History.

The A+E Networks Mipcom upfront presentation, which touts a catalog of 800-plus fresh hours, includes such new programs as History’s Greatest Mysteries, hosted by Laurence Fishburne, and Assembly Required, with Tim Allen. Talent from sister networks A&E and Lifetime including Robin Givens, director of Lifetime’s Ann Rule movie adaptation A Murder to Remember; Wendy Williams, EP of Lifetime’s biopic Wendy Williams: The Hot Topic and its accompanying feature-length documentary on Williams; and Sharon Osbourne, EP of The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, part of A&E Network’s Emmy-winning Biography banner.

Amy Carlson & Terry O’Quinn Join CBS’ ‘FBI Most Wanted’ In Recurring Roles For Season 2

Carlson plays Jackie Ward, a veteran bounty hunter who has crossed paths with Jess before. She is a force of nature, profane, witty, good at her job but plays by her own rules. A thorn in the team’s side. The casting reunites her not only with CBS but also with Wolf Entertainment having starred on the company’s NBC series Law & Order: Trial By Jury, also a spinoff in a successful crime procedural franchise.

O’Quinn plays Byron Lacroix, Jess’s (Julian McMahon’s) divorced father. Byron is from New Orleans and he and Jess have a troubled past. Byron has a big personality and a gambling addiction and he shows up at Jess’s house with his new, much younger girlfriend in an attempt to try to reconcile with his son.

FBI: Most Wanted stars McMahon, Kellan Lutz, Roxy Sternberg, Keisha Castle-Hughes and Nathaniel Arcand. It is executive produced by Dick Wolf, David Hudgins, Arthur W. Forney and Peter Jankowski. It is produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television in association with CBS Television Studios.

Carlson was a series regular for seven seasons on CBS’ Blue Bloods, with her exit becoming one of the most talked character departures in recent memory. Her series regular credits also include Falcone, Third Watch and Peacemakers. She recently did a two-episode arc on Netflix’s The Society and a guest stint on NBC’s The Village. She will next be seen in the indie feature Know Fear. Carlson, who recently won Best Director and Best Actress for her short film, The Letter, at the Hollywood Women’s International Film Festival 2020, just released a new full length LP “Holidays of Love” with her band, Office Romance on Frenchkiss Records.She is repped by Lasher Group and Domain Talent.

In addition to his signature turn as Locke on ABC’s Lost, which earned him an Emmy Award, O’Quinn’s TV series credits include major roles on Hawaii Five-0; Perpetual Grace, LTD; Emergence; Patriot; Castle Rock and The Blacklist: Redemption. He is repped by Genuine Artists.

All My Children Chat - Laurence Lau and Darnell Williams

Morgan Freeman, Laurie Metcalf, Ellen Burstyn, Laura Linney, Matthew Broderick Among All-Star Lineup For Virtual Broadway Play Series

Producer Jeffrey Richards announced the new line-up of the weekly Spotlight On Plays, a web series at the recently launched Broadway’s Best Shows website. Proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to The Actor’s Fund, with the livestreamed events available for a strictly limited amount of time.

Productions are all-new and performed remotely, with directors including Mamet, Phylicia Rashad and Daniel Sullivan given leeway in how to present their shows.

The series, which follows last May’s production of Love Letters with Bryan Cranston and Sally Field, will run from Oct 14 – December 10, with a new show premiering weekly. Tickets are sold at a “Pay What You Can” rate starting at $5.

First up is Gore Vidal’s The Best Man, directed by Michael Wilson and featuring an all-star ensemble headed by Freeman, Broderick, Malkovich, Quinto, and Phylicia Rashad.

Next is Lonergan’s This Is Our Youth, starring Hedges, Normal People‘s Mescal and The Meyerowitz Stories’ Grace Van Patten. Lila Neugebauer directs.

Week #3 brings David Mamet’s Race, with David Alan Grier and Richard Thomas returning from the original Broadway 2009 cast. Also starring will be Ed O’Neill and Alicia Stith, with Phylicia Rashad directing.

Mamet’s Boston Marriage follows the next week, with the playwright directing Patti LuPone, Rebecca Pidgeon and Sophia Macy.

Next up is Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, adapted by Neil LaBute, headed up by Alan Cumming, Constance Wu and Ellen Burstyn. Directed by Danya Taymor.

The series continues with Donald Margulies’ Time Stands Still, with Daniel Sullivan directing a reunion of the original 2010 Broadway cast: Eric Bogosian, Brian d’Arcy James, Laura Linney, Alicia Silverstone.

The final show in the series is Robert O’Hara’s Barbecue, headed up by Metcalf, David Morse, S. Epatha Merkerson, Carrie Coon and Colman Domingo, with Robert O’Hara directing.

The Spotlight on Plays series is created and Executive Produced by Jeffrey Richards and Produced by Patty Baker/Good Productions, Rebecca Gold, Jayne Baron Sherman, Iris Smith with Jim Glaub and Jacob Soroken Porter. Select productions in the series are also produced by Ken Greiner, Louise L. Gund, Terry Schnuck, Ted Snowdon and The Shubert Organization.

Here’s the complete line-up. All performances begin at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT.

Gore Vidal’s THE BEST MAN
October 14, 2020
Starring in Alphabetical Order Elizabeth Ashley, Reed Birney, Matthew Broderick, Katie Finneran, Morgan Freeman, Julie Halston, Stacy Keach, Robert Krulwich, John Malkovich, Zachary Quinto, Phylicia Rashad, Robert Sella, Lee Wilkof, Vanessa Williams, Whitney Winfield with Sean Close, Travoye Joyner, Jered McLenigan, TJ Wagner. Directed by Michael Wilson.

Kenneth Lonergan’s THIS IS OUR YOUTH
October 20, 2020
Starring Lucas Hedges, Paul Mescal, Grace Van Patten. Directed by Lila Neugebauer.

David Mamet’s RACE
October 29, 2020
Starring David Alan Grier, Ed O’Neill, Alicia Stith, and Richard Thomas. Directed by Phylicia Rashad.

David Mamet’s BOSTON MARRIAGE
November 12, 2020
Starring Patti LuPone, Rebecca Pidgeon, Sophia Macy. Directed by David Mamet.

Anton Chekhov’s UNCLE VANYA
November 19, 2020
Starring Alan Cumming, Samira Wiley, Constance Wu, Ellen Burstyn, Manik Choksi, K. Todd Freeman, Mia Katigbak, Anson Mount. Narrated by Gabriel Ebert. Directed by Danya Taymor. Adapted by Neil LaBute.

Donald Margulies’ TIME STANDS STILL
December 3, 2020
Starring the Original Broadway Cast: Eric Bogosian, Brian d’Arcy James, Laura Linney, Alicia Silverstone. Directed by Daniel Sullivan

Robert O’Hara’s BARBECUE
December 10, 2020
Starring Carrie Coon, Colman Domingo, Kimberly Hébert Gregory, Annie McNamara, S. Epatha Merkerson, Laurie Metcalf, David Morse, Kristine Nielsen, Tamberla Perry, Heather Simms. Directed by Robert O’Hara.

Keegan-Michael Key, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Kristin Chenoweth Among 10 Cast For Apple Musical Comedy Project Starring Cecily Strong

Written by Despicable Me duo Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, the as-yet untitled comedy series follows a couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship when they discover the magical town of Schmigadoon, in which everyone acts as if they’re in a studio musical from the 1940s. They then discover that they can’t leave until they find “true love.”

Key will play Josh, Melissa’s (Strong) long term, pragmatic partner, and the last person who wants to be stuck in this magical town. Cumming is Mayor Menlove, the welcoming mayor of the town with a secret (and a song) in his heart. Armisen plays Reverend Layton, the mild-mannered religious leader of the town. Chenoweth is Mildred Layton, Reverend Layton’s morally superior wife who is in everybody’s business. Tveit plays Danny Bailey, the town bad boy who is trouble with a capital T, especially once he sets his sights on Melissa. Cameron is Betsy, the farmers daughter who instantly falls for Josh. DeBose portrays Emma Tate, a more modern woman and the town’s teacher, she struggles to fit into the town’s strict mold. Camil plays Doc Lopez, the handsome town doctor with an icy heart. Krakowski plays The Countess, a stunning and sophisticated woman determined to marry Doc Lopez. Harada is Florence Menlove, the oblivious and dutiful wife of Mayor Menlove.

Paul will serve as showrunner, and will write all of the original music. Barry Sonnenfeld will direct. Strong will produce in addition to star, and Daurio will serve as consulting producer. Andrew Singer will serve as executive producer on behalf of Broadway Video. Caroline Maroney, Micah Frank and Rose Lam will serve as producers. The series hails from Broadway Video and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Key is represented by UTA, Viewpoint and Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson. Cumming is represented by ICM Partners and Untitled Entertainment. Armisen is represented by WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Jared Levine. Chenoweth is represented by Schreck Rose Dapello Adams Berlin & Dunham, 3 Arts Entertainment and ICM Partners. Tveit is represented by CAA, Elin Flack Management and Wolf Kasteler. Cameron is represented by A3 Artists Agency, LBI Entertainment and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson. DeBose is represented by Anthony Calamita of AC Management, Ryan LeVine & Kimberly Jaime of Jackoway/Austen & CAA. Camil is represented by Zero Gravity and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Harada is represented by her agents in NY and LA at Artists and Representatives. Krakowski is repped by UTA.

‘Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square’: Netflix Reveals Premiere Date For Debbie Allen-Directed Holiday Musical With Christine Baranski

Dolly Parton’s Christmas on The Square, directed and choreographed by Debbie Allen, follows a rich woman named Regina (Baranski) who seeks to sell her father’s land to a mall developer. However after an encounter with a guardian angel (Parton), Regina undergoes a Grinch-like change of heart and rekindles connections with the locals of her hometown.

The Netflix special is also set to feature 14 original songs by Dolly Parton.

Rounding out the Dolly Parton’s Christmas on The Square cast are Josh Segarra, Mary Lane Haskell, Matthew Johnson and Selah Kimbro Jones.

Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square is produced by Magnolia Hill Productions and Sandollar Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television for Netflix. Executive Producers include Sam Haskell, writer Maria Schlatter, Debbie Allen, and Dolly Parton.

‘No Sudden Move’: Steven Soderbergh Sets Starry Cast For HBO Max Crime Thriller

Written by Ed Solomon, the film is set in 1955 Detroit and centers on a group of small-time criminals who are hired to steal what they think is a simple document. When their plan goes horribly wrong, their search for who hired them – and for what ultimate purpose – weaves them through all echelons of the race-torn, rapidly changing city.

Casey Silver is producing the HBO Max and Warner Bros. Pictures film, which is shooting on-location under strict COVID-19 safety protocols in Detroit.

“The last time I shot a movie in Detroit with a great script and a great cast things worked out really well, so I’m very excited behind my mask right now,” said Soderbergh.

“It’s a pleasure to begin production on another project with Steven Soderbergh, Casey Silver and Ed Solomon,” remarked Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer for HBO and HBO Max. “We have an incredible partner in Warner Bros. Pictures and an extraordinarily talented cast – we couldn’t be happier to bring No Sudden Move to HBO Max.”

“Steven is a prolific, forward-thinking director who has a two-decade history of making movies at Warner Bros. We look forward to continuing his legacy at WarnerMedia with his intense crime thriller,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

Soderbergh has another film at HBO Max, Let Them All Talk, starring Meryl Streep, Candice Bergen, Dianne Wiest, Lucas Hedges, and Gemma Chan. The drama is about a celebrated author (Streep) who takes a journey with some old friends to have some fun and heal old wounds. This film is expected to launch on the streamer sometime this year.

No Sudden Move marks the third collaboration between Solomon and Soderbergh, having recently worked together on the Bill & Ted Face the Music and the HBO limited series and interactive app Mosaic. Solomon credits also include Men in Black Charlie’s Angels, X-Men, and Now You See Me.

Video: The Doctors - Reunion

Retro TV airs The Doctors weekdays at 12 noon and at 7:30 p.m. EDT/PDT (see listings at www.myretrotv.com) and online at 4 p.m. EDT weekdays and streaming at www.MyRetroTV.com and on the Retro TV Roku channel.

Brian Krause, Rizwan Manji Cast In ‘Basement’ Indie

Based on Rosenbaum’s off-Broadway play of the same name, the story takes place in a world overshadowed by fear. When a bombing happens, a single father and daughter retreat to their basement shelter, and are faced with the choice of which neighbors to let in their safe haven. Soon, conflicts arise from the ethnic diversity of the occupants. When the building above is bombed, the nine neighbors are trapped and must work together to survive the night… and each other. The pic is being produced by Subterranean Cinema.

Behind the scenes of Brad Pitt’s turbulent introduction to Scientology

Before he was a mega-star, Brad Pitt dabbled in Scientology for three years where he was “twinned” with a 15-year-old girl for up to five hours a day in a hot sauna during “purification” rituals and screamed at by church superiors during “bull baiting” sessions.

Pitt was introduced to the religion in the early 1990s by his then-girlfriend, actress Juliette Lewis, and dabbled in it for three years before eventually breaking off with both Lewis and the church to seek superstardom on his own.

A Scientology source recalled that during Pitt’s time there he underwent a “purification rundown” at the Portland Celebrity Center, spending hours in a hot sauna where he was assigned the teenage girl as a “buddy.”

The source, an ex-follower, told the Sun: “I was being trained up to be a course supervisor, so was sent to Celebrity Center Portland for training. While I was there I met the teenage daughter of the executive director of a Portland-based Scientology company. … One of the things she told me was that Brad Pitt, who was dating Scientologist Juliette Lewis at the time, did the purification rundown at Celebrity Center Portland. He did it there to keep out of the public eye.”

The girl was chosen to “twin” with Pitt as “she was the daughter of an established Scientologist. … In the Church of Scientology, people are often paired and made responsible for getting each other through courses, so she sat in the sauna with Pitt every day for the month, or so, that it took to get through it. She was definitely in the sauna with him, but there was nothing bad about it.”

The sauna is part of purification process “developed by Scientology founder L Ron Hubbard, which consists of high doses of vitamins, long saunas and exercise,” according to the paper.

According to Scientology records, Pitt completed some therapies in July 1991 and a “special course in human evaluation” in May 1993.

Meanwhile, Pitt’s former church supervisor, Michael Mallen, recalled to the Sun how he “insulted the s–t out” of Pitt and verbally abused him until he stormed out of the classroom.

“Brad was doing the therapeutic (training routines),” said Mallen, who spent 40 years as a Scientologist before finally leaving in 2014 and writing a book, “Brainwashed,” about his time in the church.

The first TR involves you sitting across from another person with eyes closed for some time,” Mallen told the paper. “Then you look at another person with eyes open for two hours. … Once you pass that drill, you go into what’s called bullbaiting. The ‘coach’ tries to get the student to react by pushing the student’s ‘buttons’. That’s what I did with Brad Pitt. I did it mercilessly, insulting the s–t out of him. His then girlfriend Juliette Lewis was there. He got so pissed off, he walked out of the trailer and just split. Juliette had to rescue him; he just needed to cool off. I guess no one had bullbaited him before. I was going pretty hard on him, but that’s the whole point, to get the person where they’re no longer reacting and can comfortably be there.”

Luckily for Mallen, Lewis was able to cajole Pitt back that time. “No one wants a celebrity to leave. If he hadn’t come back, I’d have been in big trouble,” Mallen recalled.

Pit eventually bolted for good in 1993.

“I heard he did the purification rundown in Portland,” Mallen said. “Looks like he decided he’d had enough around that time. They tried to get him back, but he never continued with Scientology.”

A rep for Pitt did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

THE DOCTORS Virtual Reunion Scheduled

Video: Ron Raines and Ricky Paull Goldin Interview

Emmy Awards: Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox, Jason Bateman Among Additional Talent For Virtual Ceremony

Broad City alumna Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson will join the celebration of TV’s best performances and accomplishments along with Randall Park, RuPaul, Patrick Stewart, Jason Sudeikis, D-Nice and Sesame Street’s Count Von Count.

While the lineup of Emmy appearances may seem loaded, the Television Academy said the annual awards show will also feature even more surprises and guests.

‘Father Christmas Is Back’: Elizabeth Hurley, John Cleese, Kelsey Grammer Lead Cast Of Family Movie Shooting In UK

The film is based on an original idea by Martinez, who also produces with Alan Latham from Highfield Grange Studios. Goldfinch’s Kirsty Bell executive produces alongside Lee Beasley and Karinne Behr from MSR Media. MSR Media International is repping worldwide rights.

The plot centers on Caroline Christmas (Hurley), a control freak who desires nothing more than a perfect Christmas with her sisters at her lavish country manor to atone for the fact that their father abandoned the family on December 25th many years ago. When on Christmas Eve their long-lost father arrives at their doorstep with his new girlfriend, chaos ensues. Through a series of mishaps and misunderstandings, Caroline uncovers a long-buried family secret. Can the family still celebrate Christmas together after all?

Cleese will play Santa Claus, and Nathalie Cox, Talulah Riley, Kris Marshall, Caroline Quentin, April Bowlby, Ray Fearon and Naomi Frederick co-star.

Cox and Grammer recently completed shooting on MSR Media’s Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop amid COVID-19 restrictions, proving “that we can continue to make films safely and efficiently,” Martinez said. He added: “We all need uplifting stories to inspire us and a big Christmas comedy like Father Christmas Is Back is the perfect antidote to raise our spirits.”

Nicole Poturalski’s husband sells her boyfriend Brad Pitt’s wine at restaurant

Amid reports that Pitt’s new girlfriend, Nicole Poturalski, is in an “open marriage” with German restauranteur Roland Mary, it has also been revealed that his Berlin hot spot Borchardt serves the actor’s wine.

According to recent photos taken of the menu, Borchardt has begun to offer Pitt and ex-wife Angelina Jolie’s Château Miraval Rosé Provence. “For lunch we offer you this exceptional wine by the glas,” the menu reads.

Page Six confirmed last month that Pitt, 56, has been dating the 27-year-old model after they were spotted jetting off on vacation to the South of France together.

It was later revealed that Poturalski has been married to Mary, 68, for eight years and share a 7-year-old son.

“They are still married, but you could describe their relationship as an ‘open marriage,'” a source told Daily Mail, adding, “He has been married several times and has five children. He is not interested in negativity or jealousy.”

The outlet even reported that Pitt met Poturalski at her husband’s restaurant last summer.

Meanwhile, Miraval Rosé is a wine Pitt and Jolie made in partnership with the renowned Perrin family. It’s produced at the estranged couple’s French estate in the village of Correns in the South of France. They purchased the castle and vineyard in 2011 and were even married there in 2014.

The estate has been an ongoing bone of contention in Pitt and Jolie’s never-ending divorce proceedings.

Pitt and Jolie’s two-year marriage broke down in September 2016 after a heated argument on their private jet. The couple share six children together, Maddox, 18, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, Vivienne, 11, and Knox, 11.

Morgan Freeman & Ruby Rose Lead Cast In Action-Thriller ‘Vanquish’, Capstone Launches Pic Currently Shooting In Mississippi

In the movie, Freeman plays a retired police commissioner who blackmails his caretaker (Ruby Rose) by kidnapping her daughter, forcing her into helping him double cross his team of dirty detectives in an attempt to clean up the city.

Bad Boys and Midnight Run writer Gallo is directing from a screenplay he wrote alongside Samuel Bartlett from Bartlett’s original story. Capstone’s Blue Box International banner is launching world sales this week during the Toronto Film Festival.

The film, previously known as The Longest Night, is produced by March On Productions’ Richard Salvatore and David E Ornston, and Chassy Media’s Nate Adams. Christian Mercuri’s Capstone Group is co-financing alongside Gary Leff’s Southland Equity. Mercuri and Leff will serve as executive producers.

Supporting cast includes Nick Vallelonga, Miles Doleac, Patrick Muldoon, Juju Journey Brener and Julie Lott.

“With the state of the COVID world, we set out to make a contained thriller that could be made with the new protocols and wound up creating a non-stop action thriller with two amazing actors that are bringing our characters to life in a way we never had dreamed was possible,“ said Salvatore.

“As Indie filmmakers for the last 25 years, we thought we’ve faced every obstacle we could. But as seems to be the case…there is always a new challenge. COVID has made us rethink every aspect of our shoot. What has remained intact is a great cast, director and crew all co-operating as a team to make this terrific film,” commented Ornston.

“I have always wanted to do a tight and stylish action thriller. This is going to be a real fun ride and with performances by Morgan Freeman and Ruby Rose, the film is elevated to a higher level,” added Gallo.

Video: The Simon Family

‘Dancing With The Stars’: ABC Unveils Season 29 Cast Including ‘Tiger King’s Carole Baskin & Rapper Nelly

The ABC competition show, which is based on BBC format Strictly Come Dancing, revealed the full cast on Good Morning America ahead of its September 14 premiere.

The quartet will be joined by Monica Aldama, star of Netflix’s Cheer, Disney Channel actress Skai Jackson, One Day at a Time’s Justina Machado, The Real’s Jeannie Mai, Catfish’s Nev Schulman and Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir.

The network confirmed that Super Bowl Champion Vernon Davis, Anne Heche, Backstreet Boys singer AJ McLean will also be joining, after their names leaked over the last few days. The Bachelor’s Kaitlyn Bristowe was the first celebrity to be named a few months ago.

The professional dancers include Brandon Armstrong, Alan Bersten, Sharna Burgess, Cheryl Burke, Artem Chigvintsev, Val Chmerkovskiy, Sasha Farber, Jenna Johnson, Daniella Karagach, Keo Motsepe, Peta Murgatroyd, Pasha Pashkov, Gleb Savchenko, Emma Slater and Britt Stewart.

It will be hosted and exec produced by Tyra Banks, who replaces Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews in season 29. The show is produced by BBC Studios’ Los Angeles production arm with Andrew Llinares exec producer.

One of the challenges for this season is to ensure that the production adheres to COVID-19 protocols, a trickier move for a dance competition format than many other productions. Details of the health and safety protocols and other format refreshes are expected imminently.

Guiding Light - Reunion 9/16/20 Gus & Alan

Anne Heche, Jesse Metcalfe and Vernon Davis Confirmed for ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Season 29

Heche, 51, is best known for films include Donnie Brasco, Seven Days, Seven Nights and a recent role on Chicago P.D. Metcalfe, 41, for his part, has starred on Desperate Housewives and in the film John Tucker Must Die among others. Former NFL player Davis, 36, played with the San Francisco 49ers and the Denver Broncos, with whom he won the Super Bowl in 2015. He finished his pro career in Washington, D.C.

The celebrities join Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean who first teased the news via Instagram when he alluded to his strict eating regimen. “I’m on a very strict diet, grain-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, no sodas of any kind, and completely sober for almost nine months,” he said wrote. “This amazing, but rigorous, workout is all due to my amazing trainer, Mr. Bobby Strong. He’s been a huge asset in my transformation, trying to get myself prepared and ready for what’s to come in the next few weeks. A lot of surprises coming from me.”

Days later, the “I Want It That Way” crooner, 42, confirmed the news via Twitter: “We’re going for the mirrorball, baby!! I am so grateful to @dancingabc and @abcnetwork for the opportunity to be joining this season’s cast of #DWTS,” he captioned a selfie from a dance studio on August 27. “I also want to thank my wife and my two girls for letting Daddy go on this new adventure. I’m doing it ALL for you!”

Former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe is also confirmed to compete. Months before announcing any other celebrities, Chris Harrison asked Bristowe — who has voiced her hopes to do the show — during an episode of The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever in June. Bristowe previously claimed that Bachelor creator Mike Fleiss didn’t allow her to dance on the show.

Tyra Banks is set to host after Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews were axed. Dancing With the Stars premieres on ABC Monday, September 14 at 8 p.m. ET.

Soap Alum Smythe Dies at 70

Smythe was a familiar romantic lead in the most popular daytime-television serials of the 1970s and ‘80s. These included his portrayal of Gordon Middleton on “The Guiding Light,” Dane Taylor on “Search for Tomorrow,” and Peter Love on NBC’s long-running and award-winning “Another World.” He also appeared with such acting luminaries as Henry Fonda, Myrna Loy and Jessica Tandy in feature films and performed extensively in off-Broadway theatrical productions and national stage tours. He was the recipient of Drama Logue and LA Weekly Drama Awards during his stage career in Los Angeles. He was a member of SAG, AFTRA and Actors Equity.

He received his B.A. in theatre from Otterbein University in 1972 and a Master of Fine Arts from Ohio University in 1975. He appeared at the Cleveland Playhouse post-college before his move to New York City.

With his sons, Smythe was active in Boy Scouts of America in La Crescenta. He served as assistant scout master, Chaplain and recruiter as well as coaching, with wife Suzanne, both sons to achieve Eagle Scout.

A memorial remembrance will be deferred to either electronic access or post-pandemic in-person service. In lieu of flower tributes, the family respectfully encourages contributions to a favorite charity or Democrat in the upcoming election. The family wishes to reinforce to everyone that the pandemic is real and asks everyone to please wear a mask.

Judge responds to Angelina Jolie's attempts to have him removed from divorce case

The couple separated back in 2016, and the actors officially became single again in April, 2019 after obtaining a bifurcated judgment – ending their marriage but giving them time to reach financial and custody settlements relating to their six kids.

Earlier this month, the Maleficent star asked for the judge to be removed from their case, citing issues regarding his other business engagements with one of Pitt’s attorneys, Anne C. Kiley – a move Pitt is opposing.

And in new legal papers obtained by Entertainment Tonight, Ouderkirk denies under penalty of perjury that he has failed to disclose multiple professional, business, and financial relationships, created and ongoing during the course of the matter.

“I will continue to consider accepting other cases as other additional cases may arise from time to time while the Jolie/Pitt case is still pending. Such other cases might involve party, lawyer‚ law firm and/or witnesses involved in the Jolie/Pitt matter,” he states in the docs.

The judge further declares he can and will remain impartial in Pitt and Jolie’s case, and requests court officials give due consideration to accompanying documents and evidence supporting that claim.

According to Pitt, Ouderkirk has, “a well-documented history with the parties to this proceeding their counsel, including, without limitation, being hand-selected by Jolie to preside over the couple’s nuptials in 2014.”

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star has further accused Jolie of objecting to the judge’s involvement in the case “purely for strategic reasons”.

Brad Pitt Jetting Off To The South of France ... With My Model Travel Partner

The "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" star made a low key arrival at France's Le Bourget airport Wednesday, accompanied by stunning German model Nicole Poturalski.

Brad and his rumored new flame wore face coverings and dressed casually as they boarded a private plane to the South of France.

Some folks think Nicole bears a striking resemblance to Brad's estranged wife, Angelina Jolie.

As we reported ... the Oscar winner wasn't focused on the dating scene back in March, shooting down rumors he was seeing Alia Shawkat or getting back together with Jennifer Aniston after a warm embrace at the SAG Awards. Not the case.

But, Nicole's different ... she's the only one jet-setting with Brad.

Live Chat with The Simon Family 9/2/20

Brad Pitt accuses Angelina Jolie of stalling divorce with custody trial

The Hollywood couple separated back in 2016, and the actors officially became single again in April 2019 after obtaining a bifurcated judgment – ending their marriage but giving them time to reach financial and custody settlements relating to their six kids.

Earlier this month the Maleficent star asked for Judge John W. Ouderkirk to be removed from their case, citing issues regarding his other business engagements with one of Pitt’s attorneys, Anne C. Kiley – a move Pitt is opposing.

According to legal documents, obtained by The Blast, the 56-year-old actor’s legal team is claiming Jolie’s objections are merely an attempt to stall as she doesn’t want to change their current custody arrangement.

In the filing, his legal team claims the “timing of Jolie’s request for disqualification shows that it was filed purely for strategic reasons.”

It reads, “First, Jolie’s request for disclosures came immediately on the heels of the custody issues in this case being set for hearing in October 2020, dates her own counsel requested. In that proceeding, the Court will rule on Pitt’s request to modify, which Jolie opposes.”

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star is also alleging his ex is using delaying tactics to prevent Dr. Stan Katz appearing at the trial and advising he should be given more times with the kids, as his appointment expires in November – meaning a delay could exclude him from the trial.

The filing continues, “Jolie’s, perhaps legitimate‚ concern that the custody arrangement will be altered is not an occasion for her and her attorneys to abuse procedural rules intended for serious infractions of judicial officers,” and goes on to call her complaints, “factually unsupported and legally meritless.”

In a statement on Thursday, the Maleficent star’s lawyer said: “All my client is asking for is a fair trial based on facts, with no special favours extended to either side. The only way litigants can trust the process is for everyone involved to ensure that there’s transparency and impartiality.”..

‘Fast Times At Ridgemont High’: Brad Pitt Joins Live Table Read

Ellen DeGeneres’ ex Anne Heche weighs in on toxic workplace scandal

“I haven’t spoken to Ellen in years. I’d listen to the people who have,” Heche, 51, told Mr. Warburton magazine for its cover story.

Heche described their nearly four-year relationship as “a beautiful part” of her life that she wears “with honor” but hinted that there might be something to the complaints surrounding the “Ellen” show, which have prompted many to wonder if it’ll be canceled. DeGeneres’ producers, however, maintain the show will go on.

“If I’m standing someplace and I don’t like what’s going on there and I stay there, it’s my fault,” said Heche, who dated DeGeneres from 1997 to 2000. “So what are the actions that got me there and why can’t I get out of it easily if that’s not something that I want to be engaged in?”

She added, “Ellen is standing where she walks, and that is hers to continue that journey.”

Past and current employees anonymously came forward and complained of a toxic workplace environment on the set of the talk show that always preaches people should “be kind.” The allegations forced WarnerMedia to launch a formal investigation into the show.

DeGeneres penned an apology but appeared to place the blame on her producers instead of herself.

Judge contested by Angelina Jolie in Brad Pitt divorce also married them

The Oscar winner hit back after Jolie made a legal bid to get Judge John W. Ouderkirk removed due to his prior relationship with Pitt’s attorney, Anne C. Kiley.

Jolie, 45, and Pitt, 56, hired the private judge to manage the case to keep many of its filings sealed.

However, in papers filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, Jolie asked for Judge Ouderkirk to be replaced, claiming that he was insufficiently forthcoming about cases he’d worked on with Kiley.

But this has enraged Pitt’s legal camp, who filed their own papers Thursday, stating it is nothing but a “thinly veiled attempt by Jolie to delay the adjudication of long-pending custody issues in this case.”

The filing said the only losers are the couple’s six children, who are “the individuals hurt most by Jolie’s transparently tactical gambit,” as “they continue to be deprived over a resolution to these custody issues. Therefore Jolie’s motion should be denied.”

The papers added: “Judge Ouderkirk has had a well-documented history with the parties to this proceeding their counsel, including, without limitation, being hand-selected by Jolie to preside over the couple’s nuptials in 2014 and serving as a neutral in several matters involving attorneys on both sides of this case.

“Judge Ouderkirk has also accepted additional new engagements involving opposing counsel during the pendency of this action — a fact fully disclosed to Jolie, and still she has never objected to his continued involvement in this proceeding until now.

“On the contrary, Jolie has stipulated three times to extend Judge Ouderkirk’s appointment.”

In harsh words for Jolie, who has been in a four-year divorce battle with Pitt, the papers said it was “an abrupt cry of judicial bias [that] reeks of bad faith and desperation.”

Jolie and Pitt were declared divorced in April 2019, but the couple has yet to resolve other issues in the case, which will include custody of their children, child support, or other financial issues.

Pitt was unavailable for comment. Page Six has reached out to Jolie.

Video: Another World Reunion 8/13/20

‘Between The World And Me’: Oprah Winfrey, Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance Among 9 Cast In HBO Special

Originally adapted and staged by the Apollo Theater in 2018, the special will combine elements of that production, including readings from Coates’ book, and will once again be directed by award-winning director and Apollo Theater Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes. It will also incorporate documentary footage from the actors’ home life, archival footage, and animation.

The book, which was first published in 2015 by One World, is written as a letter to Coates’ teenage son and recounts the author’s experiences growing up in Baltimore’s inner city and his growing fear of daily violence against the Black community. The narrative explores Coates’ notion that American society structurally supports white supremacy.

Forbes will executive produce with Coates, Watson and Roger Ross Williams.

The special, which is currently in production under COVID-19 guidelines, debuts this fall on HBO and will also be available to stream on HBO Max.

Additional cast will be announced.

Bassett is represented by The Gersh Agency, Lighthouse Entertainment and Fox Rothschild. Garza is represented by ICM. Morton is represented by Vanguard Management Group and TalentWorks. Trotter is represented by Sweet 180, Maverick and the Law Office of Brad Rubens, Esq. Vance is represented by WME and Fox Rothschild. Washington is represented by WME. Rashad is represented by BKEntertainment, and Innovative Artists. Watson is represented by Authentic Talent and Literary Management, United Talent Agency and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein Winfrey is represented by Ziffren Brittenham.

‘Fast Times At Ridgemont High’ Live Table Read Sets Totally Awesome Cast With Sean Penn, Morgan Freeman And More

The movie was authentic and raw when it came to teen comedies and is hailed as a pop culture touchstone — and the teen comedy celebrates its 38th anniversary today. The virtual live table read will be unrehearsed which means it will be a glorious anything-goes event with an all-star roster including Cook, Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, Morgan Freeman, Henry Golding, Shia LaBeouf and Spicoli himself, Sean Penn (although he won’t be playing the stoner surfer — more on that later). Heckerling and Crowe will make a special introduction at the top of the event while additional casting will be unveiled shortly. To find out who will be playing who, viewers will have to tune into the live event.

The event will take place on August 20 at 9pm ET/6pm PT on CORE’s official Facebook page and TikTok. The event will benefit the emergency relief nonprofit CORE, the humanitarian organization co-founded by Penn and CEO Ann Lee, currently on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 providing testing and relief services in the United States. The event will also support the REFORM Alliance, which is focused on passing laws to reform the criminal justice system and protecting the incarcerated population from the spread of COVID-19. The livestreams will feature a donate button with all proceeds benefiting CORE as well as REFORM Alliance.

“I’m honored that so many talented, wonderful people are willing to get together to celebrate our movie, and to create their own special version of it,” said Heckerling. “And I’m a huge fan of Sean. He has such a big heart and I fully support CORE and all of his causes.”

Crowe added, “Sean brought magic to us on day one, and he is still bringing that magic to the world. We are so excited to be a part of this 2020 take on Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Thank you to this cast, and to Sean, for always honoring the best things in life, love and creativity. It is, as a great man once said, totally awesome.”

“On behalf of our dedicated team at CORE, I’m so appreciative of the support Dane has given and continues to give to our work,” said Penn. “I’m always game for a giggle. So, to gather remotely for a night of laughs with so many talented folks while providing CORE with much-needed resources to continue our vital work, then consider us fully onboard to play!”

Surprisingly Penn won’t be playing Spicolo, but he said that he is “very confident in the new guy.”

Executive produced by Cook and Ivan Dudynsky, Feelin’ A-Live, a virtual live table read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, is presented in association with Deviants Media Inc. and JWP.

Watch the teaser here.

Angelina Jolie wants judge removed in Brad Pitt divorce

In a filing in Los Angeles Superior Court, Jolie argues that Judge John W. Ouderkirk should be taken off the divorce case that she filed in 2016 because he was too late and not forthcoming enough about other cases he was hired for involving Pitt attorney Anne C. Kiley.

It says that during the Jolie-Pitt proceedings, Ouderkirk has “failed to disclose the cases that demonstrated the current, ongoing, repeat-customer relationship between the judge and Respondent’s counsel.”

It goes on to say that Pitt’s attorney “actively advocated for Judge Ouderkirk’s financial interests in moving — over the opposing party’s opposition — to have his appointment (and his ability to continue to receive fees) extended in a high profile case.”

An email to Kiley and Pitt’s lead attorney Lance Spiegel seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Pitt and Jolie, like other high-profile couples, are paying for a private judge in their divorce case to keep many of its filings and the personal and financial details within them sealed, though some legal moves must be made within standard court procedure.

Jolie’s filing emphasizes that a private judge must follow the same rules of disclosure and conflict of interest that other judges must.

The filing says “it doesn’t matter if Judge Ouderkirk is actually biased. Under California law disqualification is required so long as a person aware of the facts ‘might reasonably entertain a doubt’ about Judge Ouderkirk’s ability to remain impartial.”

Jolie’s attorneys have sought in private proceedings to have Ouderkirk disqualify himself, but the filing says Pitt’s side has insisted on keeping him.

Pitt and Jolie were declared divorced, and the Pitt was dropped from her name, in April 2019, after their lawyers asked for a bifurcated judgment, meaning that two married people can be declared single while other issues, including finances and child custody, remain.

Because most of the documents have been sealed, it is not clear what issues remain unresolved, but Jolie filed papers in 2018 saying Pitt wasn’t paying sufficient child support, which his attorneys disputed, calling the filing an effort to manipulate media coverage of the split.

Jolie, 44, and Pitt, 56, were a couple for 12 years and married for two when Jolie filed for divorce in 2016. They have six children..

Another World Reunion 8/13/20

Anne Heche reflects on son Homer’s ‘bizarre’ 2020 graduation

Anne: “He’s 18. Excitedly looking forward to this major event in his life. So where was it held? In a parking lot. The Rose Bowl parking lot in LA.

“We had to enter wearing masks. Cars were spaced far apart. Nobody allowed outside their vehicle. The graduates onstage were masked and allowed only one second to remove that and mumble thank you. It was surreal. Bizarre.

“Your pass was preprinted out. You were allowed one car per family. No extra guests. Allowed photos were without the graduate’s face being visible. The security stationed around all wore black masks. Everything else nearby was boarded up, locked up, chained up.

“It was watching California disintegrate.”

JOHN LEWIS: CELEBRATING A HERO

A Jesse Collins Entertainment production in partnership with CBS Entertainment and CBS News, the special will take viewers on a journey into Lewis’ remarkable life, his work and the principles that guided him: wisdom, courage, power, faith and inspiration. Blending powerful reporting, unique music performances and interviews that celebrate and honor Lewis’ many contributions to the country, the special will feature unique pairings and performances by Yolanda Adams, Jon Batiste, Common, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Trevor Noah, Billy Porter and Wynonna.

“John Lewis was an extraordinary man,” said Winfrey. “A man of great vision who lived a life with the purpose of making sure America lived out its ideals.”

“This is a celebration of the ‘boy from Troy,’” said Perry. “A forefather of the civil rights movement, who would live to see his contributions for equality result in witnessing the swearing in of the first Black United States president.”

“His commitment to the cause was unwavering, his sacrifices immeasurable,” said King. “And he should forever be remembered in the ‘pantheon of patriots.’”

“Congressman Lewis was one of the most prominent and forceful voices for change in this country. Losing that voice now is so difficult as the country confronts structural racism. But John Lewis gave us the will and the way to continue his work,” said Susan Zirinsky, president and senior executive producer of CBS News. “This special reminds us the journey will not be easy, and there’s no turning back.”

“Representative John Lewis exemplifies a civil rights leader who never gave up and served as an inspiration to multiple generations of Americans,” said Kelly Kahl, president of CBS Entertainment. “This special will celebrate with inspiring words and heartfelt music the many contributions of a man who lived his life selflessly and will always be remembered as a beacon of courage, honor and hope.”

Lewis, a civil rights icon who helped organize the 1963 march on Washington, D.C., and served in Congress for decades, died July 17 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Lewis was 80. Using CBS News’ deep archive and new interviews, the special tells the journey of Lewis’ extraordinary life through the principles that guided him. The special will explore Lewis’ life before the civil rights movement, his work alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., his efforts to fight against bullies and bigots, his unmatched work in Congress and his devotion to faith.

JOHN LEWIS: CELEBRATING A HERO will be presented by the Procter & Gamble Company, which will use the breaks to shine a light on bias, inequality and racism through its series of thought-provoking short films, like “The Talk,” “The Look” and “The Choice,” with the intention to inspire important conversations that drive understanding, empathy and change.

Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full-service television and film production company and has played an integral role in producing many of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. JCE has a multi-year overall agreement with ViacomCBS Cable Networks. On the theatrical film side, the company also has a first look on JCE’s film development projects, which could include ViacomCBS’ film entities such as Paramount Players.

JOHN LEWIS: CELEBRATING A HERO is produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment in association with CBS News. Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Susan Zirinsky, Jack Sussman and Kim Godwin are executive producers. For CBS News, Alvin Patrick, Judy Tygard and Mitch Weitzner are executive producers.

Video: Guiding Light - Reunion

Emmys 2020 Nominations

(former soap stars in bold)

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With Murder
Laverne Cox, Orange Is the New Black
Harriet Walter, Succession
Cherry Jones, Succession
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Anthony Anderson, black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Ramy Youssef, Ramy

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Adam Driver, Saturday Night Live
Luke Kirby, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Eddie Murphy, Saturday Night Live
Dev Patel, Modern Love
Brad Pitt, Saturday Night Live
Fred Willard, Modern Family

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America
Toni Collette, Unbelievable
Margo Martindale, Mrs. America
Jean Smart, Watchmen
Holland Taylor, Hollywood
Tracey Ullman, Mrs. America.

John Saxon, ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ Star, Dies At 83

His wife stated he passed from pneumonia in his Murfreesboro, Tennessee in a statement to THR.

Saxon was born as Carmine Orrico in Brooklyn, New York in 1935. After graduating high school he studied with famous acting coach Stella Adler. Soon after Universal Studios contracted him and requested he be renamed to John Saxon. He was also notably skilled in judo and karate.

The mid to late 50s saw Saxon work as a teen idol with credits in films Rock, Pretty Baby, Summer Love, The Reluctant Debutante and Cry Tough.

In 1960 Saxon worked with director John Huston in The Unforgiven. He played an Indian in support of Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn.

Saxon said in an interview with the Chicago Daily Tribune in 1960 that he “wanted to do all sorts of character parts.”

His first major role in a Hollywood feature was playing a martial artist alongside Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon. He also starred in Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984 as the heroine’s father. He later reprised his role in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.

He was married three times. He was married to Mary Ann Murphy from 1967 to 1979, Elizabeth Saxon from 1987 to 1992 and, since 2008, to Gloria Martel. Survivors also include his son, Antonio, and his sister, Dolores.

Guiding Light - Reunion 7/29/20

‘The Parent Trap’ Sets Reunion With Nancy Meyers, Lindsay Lohan And Dennis Quaid To Celebrate 22nd Anniversary Of Disney Film

Meyers teased days ago that she had news about The Parent Trap and on Sunday she broke the news with a special teaser clip that included actors Lindsay Lohan who played Annie and Hallie as well as Dennis Quaid, Elaine Hendrix and Lisa Ann Walter. The reunion will also feature Simon Kunz, writer-producer Charles Shyer and Meyers. Couric will moderate the conversation where the cast will reflect on the film. The anniversary special will help raise funds for José Andrés’ non-profit organization World Central Kitchen.

“Sorry for the mini delay but the Secret’s Out! @katiecouric and I got the PARENT TRAP cast back together for the first time since we made our movie,” Meyers wrote on Instagram. “We had a blast. You can see us all tomorrow July 20 at 9 AM on @katiecouric’s Instagram. #ParentTrapReunion.”

Couric also posted the teaser clip on her Instagram. “Boy, do @nmeyers and I have a treat for you! We got the cast of the Parent Trap together again for the first time since 1998,” she announced. “The full episode will premiere exclusively on my Instagram TOMORROW at 9 AM ET. Make sure to mark your calendars – you won’t want to miss this!!”

The movie which was released on July 20, 1998 is a remake of the same delightful technicolor 1961 film directed by David Swift and starring Hayley Mills, Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith. The 1998 iteration followed the same story about two teenage girls, Annie James and Hallie Parker who look identical and meet at summer camp. The girls discover they were separated at birth and raised by one of their biological parents. They decide to switch places as a plan to get their parents back together. Like Mills, Lohan played both roles of the twins. Quaid and the late Natasha Richardson played Lohan’s parents.

How Jane Krakowski’s son supported her during ‘30 Rock’ reunion

“We were asked to do every job,” star Jane Krakowski explained on the “Stars In The House” Web series. “My 9-year-old son Bennett was my main home helper. When I needed a fan to hit on one lyric, the boy had it. I had trained him well. He kept saying ‘Quiet on set!’ when there was no one else in my home. At one point he asked for a union break.”

Video: One Life to Live - The Rappaports 7/16/20

Download the Emmys App to Watch Past, Present, and Future Shows!

“Television programming and its underlying technology have each gone through immense change over the more than seven decades the Emmys have recognized excellence in both facets of our industry,” said Adam Sharp, NATAS President & CEO. “Our awards have adapted through each of these transitions. Working with Vimeo, we now bring our celebration of this dynamic community of creators to all of the devices the audience uses to watch the television programming they love.”

The platform will allow fans to watch behind the scenes interviews, clips of memorable moments, and past Emmy ceremonies. Plus, you’ll be able to watch the upcoming shows live as they happen, because this year’s Daytime Emmys were split up into multiple shows to separate out the categories. Here’s what’s coming up:

Sunday, July 19, at 9 p.m. ET: The 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards – Digital Dramas
Sunday, July 26, at 8 p.m. ET: The 47th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards – Children’s, Lifestyle, and Animation
Tuesday, August 11, at 8 p.m. ET: The 41st Annual Sports Emmy Awards
September 2020: The 41st Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards

The app is completely free and all you have to do is sign up. Watch The Emmys is available on the web, as well as for iOS, Android, Amazon FireTV, and Roku.

One Life to Live - The Rappaport Family Reunion

Brad Pitt Commits To Board ‘Bullet Train’; David Leitch To Helm Sony Pictures Action Film

Zak Olkewicz wrote the script, based on the Japanese novel Maria Beetle by Kotaro Isaka. In the novel, five assassins find themselves on a fast-moving bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with only a few stops in between. They discover their missions are not unrelated to one another. The question becomes, who will make it off the train alive and what awaits them at the terminal station?

Pitt is coming off an Oscar-winning performance in the Quentin Tarantino-directed Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The actor is firming up his dance card, eyeing several projects but committing only to this one for now. A start date for later this year is eyed.

Antoine Fuqua developed the project originally with Fuqua Films’ Kat Samick, and they are producing along with Leitch and Kelly McCormick (Atomic Blonde) through their company 87North. Ryosuke Saegusa and Yuma Terada of CTB Inc are exec producers and rep Isaka and the IP. Leitch is overseeing a rewrite by Olkewicz to get the film ready to shoot.

Brittany Morrissey is the executive overseeing the project for Sony Pictures. Pitt is repped by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

Harvill Secker will publish the novel Bullet Train in English next year.

Eric Roberts, Jequan Jackson To Star In ‘No More Goodbyes’ Indie From Rio Vista Universal

The pic follows sixteen-year-old Mark (Jackson) who, after his foster mother dies, goes on the run with his foster brother Tristan (played by Christian Ganiere), a young boy with Autism and PTSD in order for them to stay together and not become separated by the system. However, Mark finds out that keeping him and his brother together is going to be harder than it looks. They must rely on each other and a gruff stranger, a retired military veteran named Stan, seeking his own redemption, in an effort to keep their family from being torn apart and the truth from being discovered.

Tom Nowicki (Ozark, Preach), Miriam A. Hyman (The Chi, The Laundromat), Sal Velez Jr (The Way Back, Black Summer), Michael Patrick Lane (Tully) Petri Byrd (Judge Judy), Stacy Haiduk (Prison Break, True Blood) Ethan McDowell (DC’s Doom Patrol, Space Command), Zuri Starks (Valley of the Zombies), Sunday Curry (The Price of Fame) and Starletta DuPois (Charming the Hearts of Men, The Notebook) round out the cast.

The film aims to explore foster care in the United States, where a child is entered into the system every two minutes. Of the children that reach the age of eighteen and age out of the system without being adopted, half of them will end up in prison within two years, one in five will become homeless, and only 3 percent of those children will go on to earn a college degree.

The Ganieres are producing the pic via their Rio Vista Universal label with a plan to put it through the festival circuit.

Roberts is repped by Peter Young Sovereign Talent Group; Jackson by STW Talent; Christian Ganiere by Mavrick Artists Agency and Transcend Talent Management; Nowicki by Alliance Talent Group; Hyman by A3 Artists and Luber Rocklin.

Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock and more sing to honor essential workers

The “Moneyball” actor surprised Darnell Rudolph, a waste management worker in New Orleans via video for a special “United We Sing: A Grammy Tribute to the Unsung Heroes” and the two chatted about how Rudolph is coping during the pandemic.

Rudolph said that he and his family have been playing, “a lot of cards, a lot of Monopoly and a lot of TV.”

When a crew member piped in and added, “And a lot of Brad Pitt movies,” the Oscar winner, 56, quipped: “I apologize for a few of ‘em.”

The essential worker also complimented Pitt on “the work you’ve done after Katrina,” referencing the dozens of eco-friendly homes he helped build in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“It’s so appreciated,” Pitt responded. “I got such a love for that city and we sure appreciated what you’re doing.”

The two-hour special, which aired on Sunday night, followed Harry Connick Jr., his daughter Georgia and a camera crew as they went on a road trip from New York City to Connick’s hometown of New Orleans. Their first stop was the Queens Medical Center where the Grammy-winner met his sister Dr. Suzanne Jamison who works there.

The two stood apart while wearing masks and gloves.

“This is the strangest meeting I’ve ever had with you in my life,” the singer told his sister. “Not hugging her is killing me.”

Also appearing on the special was Sandra Bullock who talked to Joy Palmer, a Regional Transit Authority manager whose husband died of Covid.

“I just wanted to take this time to thank you for your service and your contributions to keep everyone safe,” Bullock told her.

The road trip also took the Grammy Award winner to New Jersey, Virginia, Mississippi and Tennessee. Other celebs appearing included New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Oprah Winfrey, Renee Zellweeger, Queen Latifah and Tim McGraw.

Video: Judi Evans Explains Why Her Legs Were Nearly Amputated: ‘They Blew Up So Fast’

DAYS’s Judi Evans Contracts Coronavirus In Hospital

UNITED WE SING: A GRAMMY SALUTE TO THE UNSUNG HEROES

The show features GRAMMY and Emmy Award-winning singer and actor Harry Connick, Jr. and his filmmaker daughter, Georgia Connick, as they take a road trip in an RV to thank and celebrate essential workers who risk their own lives on a daily basis to keep us safe. Connick highlights the contributions of these everyday heroes with the help of his celebrity friends, including Sandra Bullock, Drew Brees, Queen Latifah, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey and Renée Zellweger, who deliver surprise messages to America’s unsung heroes. Additionally, the special will feature performances by Jon Batiste, Harry Connick, Jr., Andra Day, John Fogerty, Jamie Foxx, Herbie Hancock, Cyndi Lauper, Little Big Town, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Matthews, Tim McGraw, Rockin Dopsie, Irma Thomas and Trombone Shorty.

The Connicks’ journey begins at their home in Connecticut, and after stopping in various cities along the way, they reach their final destination of New Orleans, La. At each stop, the father-daughter duo listens to the stories of essential workers in healthcare, food preparation, sanitation, law enforcement, trucking and more to honor their dedication and public service during this unique moment in history.

The two-hour special event culminates in Connick’s hometown of New Orleans, with moving musical performances by Connick, Trombone Shorty and Irma Thomas at iconic locations throughout the city.

The special will invite donors to contribute to charities that support underserved children, such as No Kid Hungry and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in New Orleans, as well as to the MusiCares® COVID-19 Relief Fund, a charitable organization of the Recording Academy.

UNITED WE SING: A GRAMMY SALUTE TO THE UNSUNG HEROES was filmed with a minimal crew practicing social distancing and with extensive safety precautions in place.

Harry Connick, Jr.’s career has exemplified excellence across multiple platforms in the entertainment world. He has received GRAMMY and Emmy Awards, as well as Tony nominations for his live and recorded musical performances, his achievements in film and television and his appearances on Broadway as both an actor and a composer. Over the past three decades, Connick has established himself as a musician, singer and composer, a legendary live performer and a best-selling artist with millions of recordings sold around the world. The foundation of Connick’s art is the music of his native New Orleans, where he began performing as a pianist and vocalist at the age of 5. Connick has appeared in 19 feature films with actors such as Sandra Bullock, Hilary Swank, Renée Zellweger, Sigourney Weaver and Morgan Freeman. On television, he appeared on “Will & Grace,” “South Pacific” and “American Idol.” In 2016 he launched “Harry,” a national daytime television show which earned 11 Daytime Emmy nominations, including nominations for best host, and a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Talk Show. On Broadway, Connick received Tony nominations as both a lead actor in “The Pajama Game” and as a composer/lyricist for “Thou Shalt Not.” In December 2019, he performed on Broadway in a show he wrote and directed, “Harry Connick, Jr.- A Celebration of Cole Porter.”

UNITED WE SING: A GRAMMY SALUTE TO THE UNSUNG HEROES is produced by Renato Basile and Ann Marie Wilkins. Executive producers are Harry Connick, Jr. and Ken Ehrlich. Leon Knoles is the director. The show is produced by AEG Ehrlich Ventures in partnership with the Recording Academy.

Betty White 'stays safe and healthy' amid pandemic

The former Golden Girls star’s fans have repeatedly shared their concerns for the actress since the COVID-19 outbreak hit America hard in February, insisting the 98-year-old is a national treasure who should be protected.

The fears reached a high recently following errors surrounding reports about the death of soul singer Betty Wright, with some people incorrectly suggesting White had passed away.

On Monday, White’s rep issued a statement via the Today show, revealing the actress is doing well in self-isolation with her ducks and insisting everyone is being very careful to make sure Betty stay’s safe and healthy.

“No one (is) permitted in except those who must,” a statement read. “(She) has helpers who are great with her. The only guests she has are a family of ducks. Betty has a beautiful backyard with a number of wild animals visiting. Two ducks always come by to say hello. They waddle up to her glass door and look in.”

DAYS’s Judi Evans Recuperating From Fall

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars’ Sets Ricky Martin, Tessa Thompson, Jane Krakowski And More As Guest Judges; Unveils Season 5 Twist

The star-studded lineup of guest judges does not stop with the “She Bangs” singer. Joining RuPaul on the mainstage are Tessa Thompson, Jane Krakowski, Nicole Byer, Bebe Rexha, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Sam Richardson, Madison Beer, Sarah Hyland, Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Tommy Dorfman and Drag Race regular Todrick Hall. In the premiere, Martin will help judge the all-star queens for seasons past as they partake in a reading mini-challenge and hit the runway for a “Werq the World” variety extravaganza.

On top of that, the fifth season has thrown traditional elimination rules out the window. Mama Ru has shaken things up and has “Ru-vealed” that each week she will name a top all-star and that queen will lip sync for her legacy against a mysterious lip sync assassin, chosen from the most iconic performers in Drag Race “herstory”. If the top all-star of the week wins the lip sync, she wins a $10,000 tip and the power to eliminate the bottom queen of her choice. If the lip sync assassin wins, a bottom queen selected from a secret group vote gets the chop, and the money rolls over until a top all-star wins — now that is a gag!

As previously announced, the 10 queens competing for a spot in the “Drag Race Hall of Fame” and a grand prize of $100,000 are Alexis Mateo (Season 3, All Stars 1), Blair St. Clair (Season 10), Derrick Barry (Season 8), India Ferrah (Season 3), Jujubee (Season 2, All Stars 1), Mariah Paris Balenciaga (Season 3), Mayhem Miller (Season 10), Miz Cracker (Season 10), Ongina (Season 1) and Shea Couleé (Season 9).

The RuPaul’s Drag Race season 12 reunion airs May 22 at 8pm ET/PT followed by the finale on May 29 at 8pm.

‘The Good Fight’ Renewed For Season 5 By CBS All Access; Sets Shortened Season 4 Finale Date

“The Good Fight remains one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed original series on CBS All Access, and we’ve seen a tremendous response from fans this season,” said Julie McNamara, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, CBS All Access. “While we all had hoped to provide audiences with a 10-episode fourth season, we, among many others, have had to adapt due to the pandemic. Although it’s a shortened season, the incredible cast and crew, helmed by the incomparable Robert and Michelle King, have produced a phenomenal seven episodes. We can’t wait for viewers to see the remainder of the season and are excited to bring subscribers even more of the timely, gripping storylines the Kings bring to life next in season five.”

“It’s been weird to not be able to finish the fourth season,” said Robert and Michelle King. “It left the story in even more absurd a place than usual. So we’re thrilled that CBS All Access wants to bring The Good Fight back for an additional season, and we know what story we’re planning to tell. It’s like getting the answers to the SAT ahead of time.”

Season four of The Good Fight finds Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart navigating a very different landscape. After they lost their biggest client, Chumhum, and their founding partner’s name was tarnished, Reddick, Boseman & Lockhart was forced to accept an offer by a huge multi-national law firm, STR Laurie, to become a small subsidiary. Suddenly, all of their decisions can be second-guessed by the giant firm that is literally on top of them. While STR Laurie initially seem like benevolent overlords, we find Diane Lockhart and her colleagues chafing at their loss of independence while simultaneously investigating the emergence of a mysterious “Memo 618.”

Season four cast includes Christine Baranski, Cush Jumbo, Sarah Steele, Nyambi Nyambi, Michael Boatman, Zach Grenier, John Larroquette, Audra McDonald and Delroy Lindo. Hugh Dancy also joined season four in a recurring role.

Robert and Michelle King serve as showrunners and executive producers of the series, which they co-created with Phil Alden Robinson. Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Brooke Kennedy, Liz Glotzer, William Finkelstein and Jonathan Tolins also serve as executive producers. The series is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Scott Free Productions and King Size Productions. The Good Fight is distributed worldwide by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.

Video: PASSIONS CAST ZOOM REUNION!!

‘THE STORY OF SOAPS,’ A TWO-HOUR TELEVISION EVENT

“The Story of Soaps” explores how no genre of television has laid deeper roots into our cultural consciousness and serialized storytelling than the soap opera. In today’s shifting television landscape, “The Story of Soaps” traces how female creators migrated from radio to television to become the dominant force in daytime for more than three decades. Today, that legacy is alive and well all over prime time and reality, and much of what propels modern television traces its roots back to those first sprawling, steamy storylines. “The Story of Soaps” takes an extensive look at this iconic, impactful genre and the cultural phenomenon its massive impact has had on the world at large.

“The Story of Soaps” brings together an impressive company of experts and familiar voices to help illustrate this remarkable story (listed alphabetically by first name):

Abigail De Kosnik, author

Agnes Nixon, creator of “All My Children”

Alec Baldwin, actor

Allan Sugarman, co-founder of Soap Opera Festivals Inc.

Andy Cohen, creator

Angela Shapiro-Mathes, executive

Brad Bell, executive producer

Bryan Cranston, actor

Carol Burnett, actor

Chandra Wilson, actor

Chris Van Etten, writer

David Jacobs, creator

Deidre Hall, actor

Denise Richards, actor

Donna Mills, actor

Drake Hogestyn, actor

Eddie Mills, actor

Eileen Davidson, actor and reality star

Erika Jayne, “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”

Erika Slezak, actor

Finola Hughes , actor

Genie Francis, actor

Greg Vaughan , actor

James H. Brown, writer

Jill Farren Phelps, executive producer

John Aniston, actor

John McCook, actor

John Stamos, actor

Jon Hamm, actor

Jonathan Murray, executive producer

Joyce Becker, co-founder of Soap Opera Festivals Inc.

Kate Coyne, editorial director, entertainment, PEOPLE

Ken Olin, executive producer

Krista Smith, consultant

Laura Wright, actor

Lorraine Broderick, head writer

Marc Samuel, actor

Marc Cherry, creator

Mark Teschner, casting director

Mary Crosby, actor

Maurice Benard, actor

Melody Thomas Scott, actor

Shelly Altman, head writer

Susan Lucci, actor

Susan Sullivan, actor

Vivica A. Fox, actor

Yhane Smith, creator of “Harlem Queen”

‘Tell Me A Story’: No Season 3 On CBS All Access, First Two Seasons Acquired By the CW

Seasons 1 & 2 of Tell Me a Story will continue to be available on CBS All Access across platforms, with the CW licensing the first two seasons for a second-window run. It is not clear yet whether Tell Me a Story‘s first season would run on the CW in the summer or be kept for fall as new seasons of broadcast networks’ current series may not be ready for a fall launch because of the coronavirus-related production shutdown. The CW is expected to unveil its fall schedule on Thursday.

The second season of Tell Me a Story will remain exclusively on CBS All Access until Q4 2020. The CW will be able to run it anytime after that. Because of the limited footprint of CBS All Access, the CW airings would expose Tell Me a Story to a wider audience. This is a rare broadcast window for a CBS All Access original series. Last summer, Season 1 of The Good Fight ran on CBS.

Tell Me a Story takes beloved fairy tales and reimagines them as a dark and twisted psychological thriller. Set in modern-day New York City, the first season of this serialized drama interweaves “The Three Little Pigs,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Hansel and Gretel” into an epic and subversive tale of love, loss, greed, revenge and murder. Exploring an entirely new set of characters, season two of Tell Me a Story features the stories of three legendary princesses – “Beauty and the Beast,” “Sleeping Beauty” and “Cinderella” – like you’ve never seen them before.

“The brilliant Kevin Williamson, brought our favorite fairy tales to life in an anthology format that twisted and subverted the stories we all know into modern thrillers,” said CBS All Access EVP Original Content Julie McNamara. “It has been a privilege to work with such an elite and talented group of creative minds like Kevin, Aaron Kaplan and the team at Kapital Entertainment, as well as the amazing cast of Tell Me A Story, who did a phenomenal job personifying and reinventing beloved characters from these six fairy tales.”

The cast of the first season of Tell Me a Story includes James Wolk, Billy Magnussen, Dania Ramirez, Danielle Campbell, Dorian Missick, Michael Raymond-James, Davi Santos, Sam Jaeger, Zabryna Guevara, with Paul Wesley and Kim Cattrall.

Filmed on location in Nashville, season two of Tell Me a Story stars Paul Wesley, Carrie-Anne Moss, Odette Annable, Eka Darville, Matt Lauria, Natalie Alyn Lind and Ashley Madekwe.

From Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment, Tell Me a Story is written and executive produced by Kevin Williamson alongside Kapital’s Aaron Kaplan and Dana Honor. Additional executive producers include Liz Friedlander, who directed and executive produced the first two episodes of Season 1, and Michael Lohmann (Season 2).

Updated Talent List For PASSIONS Reunion

Passions Reunion Chat 5/12/20

Confirmed to attend are cast members Juliet Mills (ex-Tabitha), James Hyde (ex-Sam), Marianne Muellerleile (ex-Norma), Kim Ulrich (ex-Ivy), McKenzie Westmore (ex-Sheridan), Lindsay Hartley (Theresa), Charles Divins (Chad), Brook Kerr (ex-Whitney), Andrea Evans (ex-Rebecca), Silvana Arias (ex-Paloma), Heidi Murray (ex-Kay), Erin Cardillo (ex-Esme) and Phillip Jeanmarie (ex-Vincent/Valerie). Additional attendees will be announced closer to the reunion date.

The reunion will take place on Tuesday, May 12 at 2:00 p.m. EDT/11:00 a.m. PDT on the Soap Opera Royalty YouTube channel.

Talk Show Appearance

Christine Baranski, from the CBS All Access drama THE GOOD FIGHT

Jamie Lee Curtis & Betty White To Star In Lifetime Original Movies; Net Sets Third Harry & Meghan Film

How We Sleep at Night: The Sara Cunningham Story is one of a number of original television movies for the A+E Networks brand, which also includes a third movie about Harry & Meghan, a holiday movie with Betty White, and another project with journalist Robin Roberts.

How We Sleep at Night is a passion project for the Halloween star, who optioned rights to Cunningham’s memoir last year. Sally Robinson will write the script and it will be distributed by Sony Pictures Television.

White joins with an untitled holiday movie for the network’s It’s a Wonderful Lifetime slate. The Golden Girls star will play a sassy drill sergeant of a Christmas bootcamp.

Other stars lined up include Kelly Rowland, who will star in and exec produce a sequel to Merry Liddle Christmas called Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding. Melissa Joan Hart will direct Feliz NaviDad, reuniting her with Mario Lopez, who is set to executive produce and star as a single dad whose daughter tries to help him find the holiday spirit after the passing of his wife.

It is also returning with another movie in the Harry & Meghan franchise. Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace (working title) will follow the couple’s controversial conscious uncoupling from the crown after the birth of their son Archie. The script is being written by Scarlett Lacey and executive producers are Merideth Finn and Michele Weiss.

Roberts, who is already making Stolen By My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story for the network, is to team up again with the network for A Home of Their Own, another project under the Robin Roberts Presents banner. The movie and accompanying documentary reveal the true story of Jolene Schlander and Calvin Wield, who turned their lives upside down to foster children of opioid addicts, to join their own kids, all under one roof. Produced by Rock‘n Robin and Lincoln Square Productions, executive producers are Roberts, Linda Berman and Yvonne Chotzen. The script is written by Maria Nation.

The new titles come as Lifetime will premiere 50 new movies between May and the end of 2020 and follows previously announced titles including Salt-N-Pepa and Wendy Williams biopics, and the V.C. Andrews Ruby Landry Movie Series.

“The legacy of Lifetime Original Movies is undeniable, as we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the pop culture phenomenon this year,” said Amy Winter, EVP, Head of Programming, Lifetime and LMN. “With everyone’s lives radically shifted in the past weeks, what has remained constant is Lifetime’s ability to deliver top quality movie premieres like The Clark Sisters to our audiences and provide them some much needed entertainment and escape. With over 50 more titles to debut between now and the end of the year, our storytelling ability is further strengthened by the incredible talent partners we have lined up.”

Video: Another World Reunion Chat

ANOTHER WORLD Alum Amy Carlson Stars In New Film

Another World Reunion 4/30/20

‘Saturday Night Live’ Remote Episode Opens With Brad Pitt As Dr. Anthony Fauci Clarifying Trump’s Comments

Pitt’s Fauci tried to clarify some of President Donald Trump’s comments during the daily White House coronavirus task force briefings.

“Yes, the president has taken some liberties with our guidelines,” Pitt said. “So tonight, I would like to explain what the president was trying to say.”

He then tossed to a video of Trump ad-libbing at a briefing, and saying there would be a vaccine “relatively soon.”

“Relatively soon is an interesting phrase,” Pitt said. “Relative to the entire history of Earth? Sure, the vaccine is going to come real fast.”

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star then tossed to a clip of Trump saying his administration had done an “incredible job,” and COVID-19 is going to “disappear one day, like a miracle.”

“A miracle is great. Who doesn’t like miracles,” Pitt quipped.

The casting was a major coup, after Fauci joked earlier this month in an interview on CNN that if SNL tapped anyone to play him, he’d like to see Pitt in the role. Fauci hedged at first, but when pressed by Alisyn Camerota and given a few options, he responded: “Oh, Brad Pitt, of course.”

Fauci has become a sex symbol of sorts, prompting Pitt to joke that “older women” have been sending the 79-year-old medical expert “graphic emails.” Watch the entire skit at the top of the post.

Tonight’s episode of SNL featured remotely taped sketches because of social distancing guidelines amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The series aired its first remote episode on April 11. It featured the cast “at home” and included appearances by Alec Baldwin, Larry David, and Chris Martin, along with guest host Tom Hanks.

Speaking from his kitchen, Hanks talked about his recovery from coronavirus, in his first television appearance since he and wife Rita Wilson were diagnosed with the disease.

Talk Show Appearance

Wednesday, April 29

Actress Jane Krakowski

Video: Guiding Light Chat 4/21/20

Brad Pitt gives a weather update on John Krasinski’s YouTube show

Much to the delight of fans, the 56-year-old actor showed up for a brief cameo as a laidback meteorologist on Sunday’s episode of “Some Good News.”

“We should do a check on the weather. Brad, how’s it looking out there?” “The Office” star asked.

The show then cut to Pitt wearing a green sweater and paperboy cap while sticking his head outside.

“Looks … Ah, pretty good. Yeah,” he said, before the camera reverts quickly back to Krasinski.

It’s not the first time Pitt has subbed as a weatherman. He also appeared on several episodes of “The Jim Jefferies Show,” where he would offer up a bleak forecast.

Other guests on Sunday’s episode of “Some Good News” included the Jonas Brothers, Billie Eilish and Chance the Rapper. The show was conceived by Krasinski to share fun and uplifting stories during the coronavirus pandemic. In previous episodes, he’s reunited with his “Office” co-star Steve Carell and surprised a girl with a “Hamilton” performance from the show’s original cast.

Dishing with Digest - 4/17/20 - Ricky Paull Goldin

‘Celebrity IOU’ Premiere Featuring Brad Pitt Draws Record Ratings For HGTV

Hosted by Property Brothers stars Drew and Jonathan Scott, the premiere episode delivered a .92 Live+same day rating in P25-54, a 60% increase over the prior six weeks and an 88 percent lift over year-ago levels. Among W25-54, the episode drew a 1.19 rating, a 62 percent increase over the previous six weeks and an 80 percent lift over year-ago levels.

Celebrity IOU was the No. 2 cable program in the 9-10 pm timeslot among W25-54 and the #3 cable program in the demo for the night. It also ranked as the No. 2 new unscripted original series in all of cable among P25-54 and W25-54 this year to date.

The series premiere also delivered a strong performance on the network’s digital platforms. It was the #1 most-watched episode on HGTV GO for April 13. On social platforms, the series premiere has delivered more than one million total video views across HGTV’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

In Celebrity IOU, Drew and Jonathan Scott help celebrities carry out a special surprise renovation for individuals who have had a major impact on their lives. Melissa McCarthy, Viola Davis, Michael Bublé and Rebel Wilson are among celebs scheduled to appear in upcoming episodes.

Brad Pitt reveals cheeky butt story that still embarrasses his makeup artist

A longtime friend of almost 30 years, the A-lister admitted he and Jean Black are like “family,” and their bond grew even stronger after an embarrassing incident in the early ’90s.

When working on 1994’s “Legends of the Fall,” Black had to use cosmetics on Pitt’s butt to even out a tan line. “When it comes up, we can’t really look each other in the eye,” Pitt recalls.

The 56-year-old’s cheeky confession came during Drew and Jonathan Scott’s latest HGTV show, “Celebrity IOU,” where the homey twins help stars give back to the non-famous people in their lives with a surprise home renovation.

Pitt wanted to give back to Black, who works with other high-end clients like Julia Roberts and Josh Brolin — although Pitt claims he is her favorite.

She’s family, we’re like brother and sister,” the actor says in his episode, which airs April 13. “She’s been that person I value so much in my life.”

Together, they’ve done over 40 films, including “Once Upon a Time In .?.?. Hollywood,” which he won an Oscar for this year.

When Black went away for three weeks, Pitt and the Scott brothers got to work remodeling her Santa Monica, Calif., stand-alone garage into a guest suite with a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, makeup studio and storage unit.

Pitt, who wore his standard long-sleeve shirt layered under a short-sleeve tee and a scally cap every single day of filming, did not shy away from getting his hands dirty.

“I love the sound of a construction site. If I’m not building, I’m dying,” he says. “I just walk into a place and just see the possibilities.” He was quick to pick up a hammer and join Drew and Jonathan in demolition. (And no, Brad Pitt can’t tell Drew and Jonathan Scott apart, either.)

The father of six also didn’t shy away from flexing his design savvy. “She’s got a lot of these washed-out pewters and taupes in her place,” says Pitt, while picking out flooring. “So that would be a natural carry-through.”

“I’m extremely tactile. In fact, I prefer the design be more in the materiality than actual decor or decoration. Seeing how the materials relate to each other and the feeling you get living amongst them,” he monologues.

Pitt was enamored at the final result. “It was such a s?-?-?t box, this is amazing. It’s fantastic,” he says. “I’ve been waiting so long to see something happen to this dump.”

When the three men surprised Black, she was equally shocked. “I’m really just so flabbergasted,” she says. “It’s really very moving and I just so appreciate it.”

“I know Brad’s generosity, it’s huge,” she continues. “But for him to do this, it’s really more than I ever thought could happen. I am so touched by this, I could really not thank you enough.”

“Celebrity IOU” premieres on HGTV at 9 p.m. on April 13.

Forrest Compton Dies Of COVID-19: ‘The Edge Of Night’, ‘Gomer Pyle’ Actor Was 94

According to the Shelter Island Reporter, close friends of Compton confirmed his death.

Compton was born on September 15, 1925, in Reading, Pennsylvania. He served with the 103rd Infantry Division in France during World War II and then went on to enroll in Swarthmore College where he studied pre-law and Political Science before shifting gears to English. He then started to act in school theater productions before he graduated and made his way to study acting at the Yale Drama School alongside his classmate, actor Paul Newman.

In addition to portraying district attorney Mike Karr on The Edge of Night, Compton appeared on the CBS series Gomer Pyle: USMC alongside Jim Nabors and Frank Sutton as the no-nonsense Lieutenant Colonel Edward Gray.

He went on to appear in popular soap operas As the World Turns, One Lie to Live and All My Children. He recurred on the NBC series The Troubleshooters and was appeared alongside Christopher Walken in the 1991 film McBain.

His other TV credits include The Twilight Zone, That Girl, My Three Sons, 77 Sunset Strip, Mayberry RFD, Mannix, Hogan’s Heroes among others.

Susan Sullivan guests on Last Man Standing 4/22/20

Cast: Tim Allen as Mike Baxter; Nancy Travis as Vanessa Baxter; Hector Elizondo as Ed Alzate; Amanda Fuller as Kristin Baxter; Christoph Sanders as Kyle Anderson; Molly McCook as Mandy Baxter-Anderson; Jordan Masterson as Ryan Vogelson; Jonathan Adams as Chuck Larabee; Krista Marie Yu as Jen

Guest Cast: Susan Sullivan as Bonnie.

Wings' David Schramm Dead at 73

Schramm’s passing was announced Sunday by his publicist, Rick Miramontez, who said the actor died in New York. No additional details were given.

The actor’s career spanned four decades, including his stint on Wings from 1990-97. His character owned the fictional airline Aeromass, which ran out of the Tom Nevers Field airport in Nantucket, Mass. He frequently competed with series staples Joe and Brian Hackett (played by Tim Daly and Steven Weber), who ran the airline Sandpiper Air.

A founding member of The Acting Company, a touring theater company kickstarted by John Houseman and Margot Harley, Schramm worked alongside other original alumni including Patti LuPone, Kevin Kline and David Ogden Stier. He first appeared on Broadway in 1973’s Three Sisters, and most recently graced the stage in the York Theater Company Off-Broadway production Enter Laughing in 2019. He also worked in productions for the New York Theatre Workshop, Pasadena Playhouse and Washington D.C.’s Shakespeare Theater Company, among others.

Schramm’s other TV credits include Working Girl, Max Monroe, Miami Vice and Space Cases. Additionally, he portrayed Robert McNamara in the 1983 miniseries Kennedy, and voiced Bellerophon in an episode of the animated Hercules.

Betty White Chillin' In Quarantine ... Safe & in Good Health!!!

Sources close to the Hollywood legend tell TMZ ... Betty's in good health as she continues to self-isolate at her Los Angeles estate. We're told she has very limited in-person interactions, and she's only coming in contact with people being equally cautious of the virus.

Our sources say 98-year-old Betty's essential errands, like groceries, are being taken care of for her so she never has to leave the house.

As you know ... Los Angeles is under a "stay-at-home order" where folks are only supposed to leave their homes for limited exercise and essential business. We're told Betty is spending all of her time inside and relaxing through her quarantine.

Exactly the news we all wanna hear.

Colleen Zenk & Mark Pinter welcome granddaughter

The TV host said their fourth child arrived on Thursday afternoon as he praised “incredibly brave & selfless” medical staff for working amid the coronavirus pandemic.

He wrote: “Daly Planet Exclusive! Carson & Siri Daly (Hi! That’s us) along with proud siblings Jackson James (11), Etta Jones (7) and London Rose (5) are beyond thrilled to announce the arrival of Goldie Patricia Daly!”

The little girl — whose middle name is after Carson’s beloved late mom Pattie — has already been given the nickname “Go Go,” as Daly said she and mom are “doing great.”

Daly, also the host of NBC hit “The Voice,” added: “The Daly family wants to send a special shout out to the incredibly brave & selfless medical staff at our hospital in New York and also the many courageous people on the front lines of this dreadful virus.”

It appears that Daly was allowed to be with his wife despite strict guidelines over who can be in the room during delivery amid the virus outbreak, and he added: “We thank God not only for the safe birthday of our daughter, but for their tireless work attending to so many in need. It is a bittersweet event for us as we are extremely grateful, but also mindful of this unparalleled time in our history. We appreciate your well wishes and ask that you join us in praying for the many suffering around the world. God bless you all.”

Mom Siri is a regular on “Today” giving her recipe tips.

Brad Pitt missed BAFTAs to be with daughter after surgery

In February, the star canceled his trip to London at the last minute — and sent co-star Margot Robbie in his place to pick up his gong for his role in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood.”

He cited a “family obligation” at the time, as a source close to the actor told us: “The children come before anything.”

As ex-wife Angelina Jolie revealed that two of their daughters have recently undergone surgery, a friend of the family confirmed that Pitt — who dedicated his Oscar win to his six kids — stayed home in LA to support his daughters.

However, the friend admitted that Pitt had never spoken publicly about his kids — and never will — as Jolie spoke out.

In a Time magazine essay published Sunday in honor of International Women’s Day, Jolie wrote that her eldest daughter, 15-year-old Zahara, and one of her younger daughters — either Shiloh, 13, or Vivienne, 11 — were operated on.

Jolie made no mention of Pitt whatsoever, as she said the family had come together.

“I have spent the last two months in and out of surgeries with my eldest daughter and days ago watched her younger sister go under the knife for a hip surgery,” the actress wrote.

“I have watched my daughters care for one another. My youngest daughter [Vivienne] studied the nurses with her sister, and then assisted the next time.

“I saw how all my girls so easily stopped everything and put each other first, and felt the joy of being of service to those they love.”

While Jolie never said what Zahara was going through and she did not explain why the younger daughter had hip surgery, she did suggest it was serious as she wrote that they were “fighting to survive.”

“We all know that moment when no one else can help us, and all we can do is close our eyes and breathe. When only we can take the next step or breath through the pain, so we steady ourselves and do it,” she wrote.

She said sons Knox, 11, Pax, 16, and Maddox, 18, were “supportive and sweet,” adding: “But on this International Women’s Day, writing from the hospital, I find myself focusing on my daughters for a moment, and all that I have learned from them and other young girls I have met around the world.”

Meanwhile, Pitt attended a Thundercat gig with friend Alia Shawkat on Saturday night at The Wiltern in LA, Page Six is told.

Kelsey Grammer Guests on Carol's Second Act 3/12/20

Kyra Sedgwick to Star in Empty Nester Comedy Pilot My Village at ABC

The Emmy winner has been tapped to star in My Village, a multi-cam sitcom pilot for ABC that centers on an empty-nester mom (played by Sedgwick) who wonders how she ended up alone while her children live their best lives thousands of miles away. She decides her place is with her family and, as she reinserts herself into their lives, her kids realize they might actually need her more than they thought.

The project hails from New Adventures of Old Christine creator Kari Lizer. How I Met Your Mother helmer Pam Fryman is on board to direct.

Sedgwick returns to the ABC fold two years after headlining the Alphabet net’s short-lived drama Ten Days in the Valley.

James Lipton, Longtime Host of TV's Inside the Actors Studio, Dead at 93

“There are so many James Lipton stories, but I’m sure he would like to be remembered as someone who loved what he did and had tremendous respect for all the people he worked with,” Lipton’s wife, Kedakai Turner, told TMZ.

Lipton created Inside the Actors Studio in 1994, when it premiered on Bravo. The Q&A program — in which Lipton asked actors in-depth questions about their craft — ran for 22 seasons at that network, before moving to Ovation in 2019. After moderating more than 250 conversations with thespians, Lipton stepped down as host when the show changed networks, and the program is now led by a series of guest hosts.

“It’s very gratifying to see the legacy of Inside The Actors Studio being carried forward for a new generation to appreciate and enjoy,” Lipton said at the time. “I made a vow early on that we would not deal in gossip — only in craft, and Ovation, as a network dedicated to the arts, will continue that tradition with the next seasons of the series.”

Ovation reacted to the news of Lipton’s passing with the following statement: “We celebrate and honor the great legacy of James Lipton. James is beloved around the world for his passion, insight and dedication to the craft of acting. With Inside the Actors Studio, James has created a long-lasting impact on the acting world. Ovation mourns his loss and offers deepest condolences to his family, friends and fans.”

Lipton also held guest roles on shows such as Arrested Development, Suburgatory and According to Jim, and he voiced himself on episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy.

Behind the camera, Lipton served as a writer on several projects, including many episodes of Inside the Actors Studio. His credits also included Another World, The Best of Everything and Return to Peyton Place.

Talk Show Appearance

Mo 3/2: Paul Wesley

Brad Pitt was the most popular person at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Pitt was one of the very few big names who did not walk the red carpet at the wall-to-wall A-list big name bash late on Sunday. Only he, Al Pacino, Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sanchez sought fit to sneak in the side door.

But once inside the party, Pitt was the hero of the hour, the beloved actor’s actor, Hollywood manhood’s answer to Meryl Streep. “Oooh look, there’s Brad Pitt!” Spike Lee loudly cried out before heading over to congratulate the Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner, who arrived late on Sunday night without his gleaming gold statue.

Lee’s beeline to Pitt was followed by a stampede of well-wishing stars including Minnie Driver, Tyrese Gibson, Tiffany Haddish, Elizabeth Banks, Adrien Brody, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, who kept his laser eye surgery-style sunglasses on all night at the seductively-lit soiree.

All this adulation seemed rather too much for the laid-back Pitt, who amiably shook hands, nervously tucked his hair behind his ear, and took a barrage of bro hugs in his stride, but soon after headed for the exit, saying apologetically, “I’m not really a party guy.”

However the “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” star could not get out of the door before the man who hired him in the ‘80s for one of his first acting jobs as a chicken mascot for El Pollo Loco popped up to congratulate Pitt on how far he’d got in life since that poultry part.

Witnesses said the ever-modest Pitt was charming to the ex-El Pollo Loco luminary Michael Kassan — now a powerful ad and marketing exec — and even “thanked him for the opportunity” as a young actor.

Pitt has previously said he has “no shame” admitting he worked as a struggling actor as the yellow feathered mascot for the fast food chain. He last year reminisced to Ellen DeGeneres that he dressed as the chicken for the grand opening of the chain’s Hollywood location, where he “got flipped off a lot.” DeGeneres couldn’t resist responding, ”So the bird got the bird?”

Best Actor Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix — also not exactly known for his enjoyment of exuberant Hollywood events — appeared at the venerable celebration, hosted by Vanity Fair editor Radhika Jones at the Wallis Annenberg Center in Los Angeles.

“The Joker” star Phoenix, accompanied by his fiancée Rooney Mara and family such as sisters Rain and Summer, was seen in deep discussion with 2019 Best Actor Oscar winner Rami Malek, while his mother Arlyn Phoenix enthusiastically got down on the dance floor to Dua Lupa’s “New Rules” next to NBC “This Is Us” star Chrissy Metz and her female friends.

Billy Porter — dressed in a lush deep purple Christian Siriano feathered ensemble with a dramatic matching train and giant bolero hat — hit it off at the party with the heavily made-up shock rocker Marilyn Manson, who also took selfies Joe Manganiello.

Porter — who had earlier co-presented the pre-Oscar show for ABC — said of Manson, “He’s actually very sweet,” before chasing down a server passing around In-N-Out burgers, pulling a long satin glove off with his teeth, and devouring the delicacy.

Soon after the Oscars ended, the venue — a specially-constructed vast marquee tent — became standing room only. Robert De Niro arrived with his “The Irishman” cast and crew including producer Jane Rosenthal. Best Actress winner Renée Zellweger — who brought her statuette with her — posed for pictures with fellow Oscar winners, “Ford v Ferrari” film editors Andrew Buckland and Michael McCusker.

Cynthia Erivo worked the room with Lena Waithe, while “Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot chatted with Emily Ratajkowski, as Gabrielle Union, Chrissy Teigen and Jessica Alba huddled nearby. Adam Sandler held court at the bar, and Charlize Theron, who also brought her mom as her date, was seen embracing Kate Hudson.

Dancing the night away were Greta Gerwig with Beanie Feldstein, as well as Antonio Banderas with girlfriend Nicole Kimpel. Plus, orange-haired British designer costume Sandy Powell was seen getting the stars to autograph her white suit, which will be auctioned off for charity. She was seen bending over to allow talk show host James Corden to write his digits on her derriere.

It may have been rather too late by this stage, but suddenly deciding to keep a lower profile, Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos and fiancée Lauren Sanchez skipped the camera-packed red carpet and arrived at the Vanity Fair party through a side door.

Guests speculated that — while the couple had been front and center at a host Oscar week events — Bezos may have had a sudden attack of shyness following Chris Rock’s jokes about him onstage at the Academy Awards.

Rock had quipped, “Jeff Bezos is so rich, he got divorced and he’s still the richest man in the world.” And, “He’s so rich he saw ‘A Marriage Story’ and thought it was a comedy,” while the camera panned to Bezos trying to see the funny side.

Meanwhile in other billionaire news, the son of philanthropist Wallis Annenberg, Charles Annenberg Weingarten, somehow managed to smuggle his dog into the Vanity Fair Oscar Party. As far as we can tell, the white fluffy pooch is the only animal who has ever made it on the esteemed Vanity Fair guest list and past the event’s famously tight security.

Annenberg, an animal lover, who reportedly sometimes calls himself “The Dogfather,” was seen introducing the white fluffy white pooch to a highly amused Kanye West. The dog looked somewhat less impressed that he wasn’t allowed an In-N-Out burger before being whisked home in a luxury SUV.

2020 Oscar Winner

Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood

Oscars: Brad Pitt Calls Out Senate for Lack of John Bolton Impeachment Testimony in Acceptance Speech

“They told me I only have 45 seconds up here, which is 45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week,” Pitt said during Sunday’s Oscars ceremony after winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role as stuntman Cliff Booth in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Bolton served as President Trump’s national security advisor; despite the allegations about Trump contained in Bolton’s upcoming book that have leaked to the press, he wasn’t called to testify this past week in Trump’s impeachment trial before the Senate acquitted him. (The Senate called no witnesses before voting to acquit Trump.)

“I’m thinking maybe Quentin does a movie about it,” Pitt added, as the camera turned to Tarantino in the crowd. “In the end, the adults do the right thing.” He went on to thank Tarantino and his co-star and fellow Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio.

How Oscar nominee Brad Pitt won the public war waged by Angelina Jolie

And then there’s Brad Pitt.

“I’ve gotta add this to my Tinder profile,” he quipped at the Screen Actors Guild Awards while accepting a trophy for his role in “Once Upon a Time in . . . Hollywood.”

“Let’s be honest, it was a difficult part,” he continued, cracking up the crowd. “A guy who gets high, takes his shirt off and doesn’t get on with his wife. It’s a big stretch.”

Over the past month, Pitt, 56, has delivered a series of hilariously self-deprecating acceptance speeches — which, insiders told The Post, he pens himself — as he’s won a Golden Globe, SAG and several Critics Circle awards for his role as stuntman Cliff Booth in Quentin Tarantino’s film. He also charmed the Internet with photos of his affectionate SAG Awards reunion with first ex-wife Jennifer Aniston.

Now Pitt — up for Best Supporting Actor — is seemingly a sure bet to win his first Oscar on Sunday.

And he’s finally won the war waged by his second ex-wife, Angelina Jolie. In August 2018, sources told Page Six that the actress had started a whisper campaign to paint Pitt as a deadbeat dad amid a custody fight for the couple’s six children.

“I felt — and so did lots of us — that Brad was muted during his relationship with Angelina. He was distant,” said a Hollywood insider. “And now we have him back.”

“I wouldn’t say muted, because they did a lot of really good work together internationally,” said a close Pitt colleague. “But Angelina did more of the talking and was more aggressive in setting agendas and priorities.”

A Pitt insider told The Post it was not all sunbeams for the actor while filming “Once Upon a Time in .?.?. Hollywood” in 2018.

“It was a tough shoot. Brad was in the middle of his divorce from Angelina and he wasn’t getting to see his kids as much as he wanted to,” the insider said. “Part of the reason Brad took the part was so he could stay in LA and see the kids.”

Jolie shocked the world when she filed for divorce in September 2016. It reportedly came days after an alleged private-jet altercation between Pitt and oldest son Maddox, now 18, in which the teen is said to have stepped in to defend his mother. In a video of the incident, Pitt was reportedly yell­ing and appeared drunk.

The FBI was dragged into the matter but did not press charges after Pitt was quickly cleared by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.

By the time Tarantino started filming in 2018, Jolie was reportedly on a mission to shame Pitt, filing a court claim that the actor had failed to pay any “significant” child support even as his camp revealed he had paid more than $9 million since the 2016 split.

“He was filming with all the legal stuff going on in the background,” said the colleague. “It was a really difficult time in his life and he had great support from everyone on set.”

He formed a strong bond with co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. In the movie, their characters spend every day hanging out on sets, watching TV, sharing meals. In real life, a Pitt pal said, DiCaprio — whom Pitt calls “LDC” and “Lover” — was a great source of moral support and friendship.

“They have a good bond,” a Pitt pal said. “The shoot, although difficult, was something Brad needed.”

During that time, the divorce judge scolded Jolie for trying to drive a wedge between Pitt and the children. Now Pitt gets to see his children for four hours every other day and 12 hours on weekends.

“The children come before anything,” said the colleague. In fact, the actor bowed out of the BAFTA Awards in London last Sunday due to a “family obligation.” Co-star Margot Robbie read his speech.

Despite reports that he skipped the BAFTAs to work on his relationship with Maddox, insiders told The Post that it wasn’t the case — but said Pitt does not have much of a relationship with the teen, a student at Yonsei University in ­Seoul, South Korea.

Jolie and Pitt are not officially divorced as they continue to iron out custody and finances, but they are legally single after a “status-only” dissolution of marriage. The two rarely speak, ­revealed Pitt’s pal, adding: “It’s not easy.”

Pitt’s friends confirmed to The Post that the actor is sober, and he has openly spoken about his drinking and how AA helped him.

“I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges,” he told The New York Times.

When Bradley Cooper presented him with a Best Supporting Actor honor at the National Board of Review Awards in January, Pitt revealed: “I got sober because of this guy. And every day’s been happier ever since.”

But that happiness doesn’t include serious romance.

“He’s not a monk, but he’s not jumping into another ­serious relationship,” said the colleague.

The world went wild at the sight of Pitt and ex-wife Aniston warmly greeting each other backstage at the SAGs in January — 15 years after their split. Although Pitt reportedly attended Aniston’s holiday party and 50th-birthday bash last year, that’s as far as their relationship goes.

“They spoke a few times after Jen’s divorce [from Justin Theroux in 2017], but it’s simple friends stuff,” said the insider. “Nothing more.”

When Pitt hits the red carpet Sunday, he’ll likely be joined by parents Jane and Bill. It’s a far cry from the 2017 Oscars, which he spent at enjoying a spaghetti dinner with friends while the awards played on TV in another room.

Up next, Pitt is producing a documentary about the late singer Chris Cornell, as well as a movie adaptation of the play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” and an HBO adaptation of the novel “Americanah.”

And sources say he’s savoring his peers’ love from his peers right now.

“He’s really enjoyed the focus on his acting,” said the Pitt pal.

“There’s a lot of love and respect from Hollywood because of his talent and how supportive he has been of others and how easy he is to work with.

“He’s a good guy — that will be his legacy.”

Brad Pitt ditched the BAFTAs to reunite with estranged son Maddox

Pitt, 56, was scheduled to attend the British awards show that aired Sunday night but canceled at the last minute, citing a “family obligation.” Co-star Margot Robbie accepted his award for best supporting actor in “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood.”

The Sun reported that Pitt dropped out to spend time with his son Maddox.

“Maddox gave Brad the chance to talk and he dropped ­everything,” a source told the Sun.

The father and son had a falling out in 2016 after an incident aboard a private plane in LA, during which Pitt reportedly got wasted, screamed and allegedly hit his eldest son, prompting then-wife Angelina Jolie to call the FBI. She divorced him days later.

The FBI investigated the accusations and cleared Pitt of any wrongdoing.

“Maddox has been away at university so when Brad found out he was going to be around and they could have a conversation, he canceled the UK trip,” a source told the Sun.

Maddox, 18, a freshman studying biochemistry at Yonsei University in South Korea, was asked by local reporters if his A-list dad planned on visiting him.

“I don’t know about that [or] what’s happening,” he said in the fall of 2019.

He also told reporters “Well, whatever happens, happens,” on the subject of him reconnecting with Pitt.

When Jolie dropped off Maddox at college in August 2019, Pitt was absent.

Jolie, 44, and Pitt also share five other children: Pax, 16, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 13, and 11-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox.

Actress And Former Guiding Light Star Tina Sloan Releases Debut Novel

Chasing Cleopatra follows Cleopatra "Cleo" Gallier, a gorgeous local TV host in her mid-40s, who is no longer afraid to go after what she wants. This leads to a fast-paced and intimate affair with the much-younger Jake Regan. Jake and his family are staying on the same Hawaiian island for the holidays where Cleo lives, and she soon finds herself entangled with the whole family in order to stay close to Jake-including Jake's controlling and adoring mother Miranda, his naïve and charming girlfriend Julia who is anxiously awaiting an engagement ring, and the mysterious Tripp, Jake's father, whose work as a CIA agent could put his whole family in jeopardy.

Little do the Regans know, Cleo is the perfect asset to help keep them safe. A secretly trained Krav Maga fighter, she gets pulled into joining Tripp's classified CIA mission that, if blown, could cause a national tragedy on Christmas Day. As tensions flare between Cleopatra and the Regans, secrets are exposed that will not only test their trust in one another but will reveal what it truly means to love with its heart-racing and heart-stopping twists and turns. Sloan's scandalous and suspenseful writing style, mimicked from her film and soap-opera past, makes Chasing Cleopatra a must-have for book clubs as the guilty-pleasure book of the season.

"Tina Sloan creates the perfect cocktail of spy thriller and romance in Chasing Cleopatra," says Danielle Paige, New York Times Bestselling author of the Dorothy Must Die series. "Equal parts sexy and intriguing, Sloan's mystery keeps you breathless and guessing until the very last page."

Get your copy here: amazon.com.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tina Sloan is best known for her 26-year-role on CBS's soap opera Guiding Light and as the author of Changing Shoes: Getting Older - Not Old - with Style, Humor and Grace, based on her autobiographical one-woman show. Some of Sloan's most notable on-screen appearances include roles in Law & Order: SVU, Third Watch, Celebrity, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, The Brave One, Changing Lanes, The Guru, People I Know, and Black Swan. Her latest projects include being part of an all-star cast on the soap web series Beacon Hill and Venice, and she continues to be a sought-after speaker. She divides her time between Florida and Maryland with her husband of 44 years, where they enjoy time with their son, his wife and 2 grandchildren.

Brad Pitt makes Prince William and Kate squirm with Megxit joke at BAFTAs

The 56-year-old actor got co-star Margot Robbie to collect his award for best supporting actor, blaming “family obligations” for keeping him from the British ceremony on Sunday.

Robbie soon had the audience cracking up as she read Pitt’s speech — ending with a quip about Prince Harry starting his new life away from the royal family and the UK.

“He says that he is gonna name this Harry — because he is really excited about bringing it back to the States with him,” Margot read, holding up Pitt’s trophy.

The camera then cut to Harry’s brother, William — with whom he’s reportedly feuding — and Harry’s wife, Kate, who both appeared to squirm as they awkwardly laughed along with the audience.

Pitt’s speech also made yet another quip about his love life while accepting the award through Robbie.

“Hey Britain! Heard you just became single, welcome to the club,” he said, joking about the nation finally leaving the EU with Friday’s Brexit and his own bitter divorce from ex Angelina Jolie.

“Wishing you the best with the divorce settlement blah blah blah,” his speech continued, with Margot then pretending to cut out Pitt’s praise for their “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” director, Quentin Tarantino, saying, “It’s a bit much, really.”

Robbie stressed the speech was “his words, not mine” before walking off to applause.

BAFTA Award Winner

Paul Wesley Returns to The CW to Direct an Episode of Batwoman

Wesley will helm an upcoming of the Arrowverse newbie, but not too much is known about his episode yet. The actor-director revealed the cover of the script for his episode in an Instagram story on Monday morning, but the episode number and title were covered with a geotag for Vancouver where Batwoman is shot.

What we do know is Wesley is already an accomplished TV director. He previously directed episodes of The Vampire Diaries (starting in Season 5), as well as Legacies, Shadowhunters, and Roswell, New Mexico. So, we'd bet his episode of DC's Gotham based superhero show will be quite a delight.

Batwoman recently returned after a big mid-season twist in which it was revealed that Kate's (Ruby Rose) sister Beth (Rachel Skarsten) both is and is not the villain fans have been waiting for. Beth is actually Beth and Alice, twins who've been forging their own path in Gotham, just on opposite sides of the law. Will Kate be able to reunite her long lost family? Only time — and maybe Paul Wesley — will tell.

Batwoman airs Sundays at 8/7c on The CW.

Brad Pitt Jokes About Tinder & Playing Guy Who “Doesn’t Get On With His Wife” After SAG Awards Win

Pitt joked about working with director Quentin Tarantino, his co-stars and adjusting to single life after his second divorce.

“I gotta add this to my Tinder profile,” the Pitt said to laughter as he sized up his Actor statuette. “Thank you so much to my brothers. This means so much more than I can possibly fathom. I watch everything, I watch you all and the work has been mesmerizing, so I thank you.”

He then thanked the other actors in the film.

“I want to thank my co-stars, Leo [DiCaprio], Margo Robbie, Margo Robbie’s feet, Margaret Qualley’s feet, Dakota Fanning’s feet. Seriously, Quentin has separated more women from their shoes than the TSA.”

He took a beat as the audience chuckled.

“We all know what we do is a team sport. We elevate each other and I got to work with some amazing, amazing people,” he continued. “You all elevated my game, I certainly hope I did the same for you.”

“Let’s be honest, it was a difficult part, a guy who gets high, takes his shirt off, and doesn’t get on with his wife. It was a big stretch,” he added with a bit of self deprecation. The camera immediately turned to Pitt’s first wife, Jennifer Aniston, who smiled and applauded. Aniston later picked up a best female actor in a drama series SAG Award for The Morning Show.

Speaking backstage moments later, Pitt told press he not only admired his co-star Leonardo DiCaprio’s dedication to his craft, but he sees a future for the duo doing “buddy road movies or something like Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin.”

Of DiCaprio’s work, Pitt said, “He’s so committed within a scene. You can play a scene at level one, or 11, and he’s always pushing for the edge and he’s not protecting himself in any way. Sometimes you’ll put the reins on but he’s literally putting himself out there.”

Pitt also credited the success of the film to Tarantino.

“I think it has something to do with Quentin Tarantino and the scenes he creates,” he said. “I also think there’s some legacy starting with a Clint Eastwood type and this idea of man-to-man, so it fits into this iconography for us.”

Producers Guild Award Winners

Amazon Strikes First-Look TV Deal With Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment & Sets Mystery Drama ‘Outer Range’

The streamer is also working with the company, including Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, on mystery drama Outer Range, which was created by playwright Brian Watkins. Pitt, Gardner and Kleiner will serve as exec producers on the drama, which is the story of a rancher fighting for his land who discovers a mystery lurking at the edge of Wyoming’s wilderness.

The announcement was made by Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke at the Winter TCA Press tour.

Plan B is currently producing Barry Jenkins’ The Underground Railroad, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel. The story centers on young Cora (Thuso Mbedu), a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia who learns about the Underground Railroad from Caesar (Aaron Pierre), a recent arrival from Virginia; both decide to escape. The show is set to air later this year.

Plan B is also working with Amazon on Paper Girls, a drama based on Brian K. Vaughan’s best-selling graphic novel. The project, which has received a series commitment, hails from Legendary Television and Plan B (12 Years A Slave, Moonlight).

Salke said, “We developed a close relationship with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, while working on the feature film Beautiful Boy and limited series The Underground Railroad. Brad Pitt, Dede and Jeremy share our high bar for original, elevated and socially relevant content.”

2020 Oscar Nominations

Actor in a Leading Role
Antonio Banderas - Pain and Glory (Sony Pictures Classics)
Leonardo DiCaprio - Once upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Adam Driver - Marriage Story (Netflix)
Joaquin Phoenix - Joker (Warner Bros.)
Jonathan Pryce - The Two Popes (Netflix)

Actress in a Supporting Role
Kathy Bates - Richard Jewell (Warner Bros.)
Laura Dern - Marriage Story (Netflix)
Scarlett Johansson - Jojo Rabbit (Fox Searchlight)
Florence Pugh - Little Women (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Margot Robbie - Bombshell (Lionsgate)

Actor in a Supporting Role
Tom Hanks - A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Anthony Hopkins - The Two Popes (Netflix)
Al Pacino - The Irishman (Netflix)
Joe Pesci - The Irishman (Netflix)
Brad Pitt- Once upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony Pictures Releasing).

Critics’ Choice Award Winners

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jean Smart, Watchmen

Talk Show Appearance

Tuesday, Jan. 14

Actor Julian McMahon

Brad Pitt I Got Sober Because of Bradley Cooper

Brad won Best Supporting Actor at the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala on Wednesday night, and after being handed the award and hugging it out, he praised Bradley in his speech for being a great dad ... and a great friend.

Pitt said Cooper rushed to the event after putting his daughter to bed, called him a sweetheart, then added ... "I got sober because of this guy, and every day has been happier ever since."

As you'll recall ... Brad's alcoholism was a major bone of contention in his marriage with Angelina Jolie, and culminated when he allegedly got wasted on a private jet flight and had an altercation with their eldest son, Maddox.

Jolie filed for divorce just days after the incident, and there was a subsequent child abuse investigation ... though Brad was eventually cleared.

Following his split with Jolie, Brad spent over a year in Alcoholics Anonymous and has been sober ever since ... but until now, Cooper's support in the process was unknown.

BTW -- Pitt's victory speech wasn't all about sentimental thank yous ... he also had some good jokes, including one at the expense of George Clooney.

On the heels of his Golden Globes win ... looks like Brad's on a pretty good roll.

BAFTA Film Awards Nominations

LEADING ACTOR
LEONARDO DICAPRIO Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood
ADAM DRIVER Marriage Story
TARON EGERTON Rocketman
JOAQUIN PHOENIX Joker
JONATHAN PRYCE The Two Popes

SUPPORTING ACTOR
TOM HANKS A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
ANTHONY HOPKINS The Two Popes
AL PACINO The Irishman
JOE PESCI The Irishman
BRAD PITT Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood.

Brad Pitt admits to having 'disaster of a personal life' amid Angelina Jolie divorce war

The hunk — who took home the best supporting actor award at the 2020 Golden Globes — appeared on the latest episode of Marc Maron’s WTF podcast with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood co-star Leonardo DiCaprio. During their talk, the actors spoke of their rise to fame and their secretive off-screen lives.

While DiCaprio, 45, said he no longer gets chased by photographers the way he used to, Pitt, 56, insisted the opposite.

“Oh man. I’m just like trash mag fodder,” he said, explaining that he often has to use disguises and escape tactics to leave his house.

When asked by Maron, 56, why he still gets followed so much, Pitt explained with a laugh: “Because of my disaster of a personal life, probably.”

“[You’ve] got a very exciting personal life,” DiCaprio agreed through laughs.

As RadarOnline.com readers know, Pitt has yet to finalize his divorce from Angelina Jolie, whom he split from in 2016. And while the two have finally settled their custody agreement, sources says things between them are anything but smooth sailing; plus, the actor still has little contact with his estranged son Maddox, who is currently attending college in South Korea.

Though Pitt has not publicly confirmed any romances since his separation from Jolie, 44, sources have hinted at a possible reconciliation with ex-wife Jennifer Aniston. Despite their nasty 2005 divorce, the two have rekindled their friendship in the past couple years, and even reunited at an exclusive Golden Globes after-party.

During a red-carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight, Pitt called Aniston, 50, a “good friend.”

In the last two years the Ad Astra actor has also been linked to MIT professor Neri Oxman, actress Alia Shawkat and gorgeous holistic healer Sat Hari Khalsa, among others.

“I wanted to bring my mom, but I couldn’t because any woman I stand next to, they say I’m dating, and it’d just be awkward,” Pitt joked in his Golden Globes speech, referencing the constant rumours about his personal life.

Golden Globes Winners

National Society Of Film Critics Award Winners

Australian Academy’s International Awards

The AACTA International Awards are voted on by the 150 members of the Australian Academy’s International Chapter, many of which overlap with AMPAS and BAFTA.

AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor
John Lithgow – BOMBSHELL
Al Pacino – THE IRISHMAN
Joe Pesci – THE IRISHMAN
Brad Pitt – ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (winner)
Song Kang-Ho – PARASITE.

Drama Desk Award Winner Pamela Payton-Wright Dies at 78

Ms. Wright, who was born November 1, 1941, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was a graduate of both Birmingham-Southern College and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she received the Special Medal and the Edmund Gray Prize for High Comedy. She was crowned Miss Tuscaloosa in 1961 and was also a finalist in the Miss Alabama contest, where she performed a four-minute rendition of Peter Pan, playing all the characters.

Ms. Wright made her Broadway debut in 1967 as Amy in George Kelly's The Show Off under the direction of Stephen Porter. Her other Main Stem credits included Exit the King, Jimmy Shine, The Crucible, All Over Town, The Glass Menagerie, Romeo and Juliet, A Streetcar Named Desire, M. Butterfly, The Night of the Iguana, and Garden District. Her final Broadway appearance was as a replacement in the role of Mary Tyrone in the 2003 revival of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night.

Her work Off-Broadway was equally prolific, with credits including The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Jesse and the Bandit Queen, The Seagull, Hamlet, The Replacement, Mrs. Warren's Profession, Richard III, 'Til the Rapture Comes, The Orphans’ Home Cycle, Duet, and The Day Emily Married. She received Obie Awards for her work in Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds and Jesse and the Bandit Queen.

Ms. Wright began her television career in 1972, playing Rhonda on Corky. In 1979 she joined the cast of Another World in the role of Hazel Parker; however, she is better known for her work on the ABC soap One Life to Live as Agatha "Addie" Cramer, a role she played on and off for a 12-year period beginning in 1991. Her other television credits included PBS productions of The Prodigal, Brother to Dragons, and The Adams Chronicles, earning an Emmy nomination for her work in the last.

On the silver screen she was seen in In Dreams, The Freshman, My Little Girl, Ironweed, Starlight, Going In Style, Resurrection, and At the Dark End of the Street.

Ms. Wright is survived by her son Oliver Dickon Hedley Butler and his wife Cynthia Flowers, brother Gordon Trafford Payton Wright, sisters Brenda Payton-Wright Davies and Barbara Payton-Wright Quackenbush, and two nephews: Payton David Quackenbush and Peter Wright Quackenbush.

A memorial will be held in Brookville this spring and another in New York City for her theatre community. Contributions in celebration of her life may be made to The McKinley Health Center at Laurelbrooke Landing and Pupstarz Rescue.

Chicago Indie Critics Nominations

Judi Evans Thanks Fans For Support After Tragic Loss

Black Film Critics Circle Anoints Pitt

Kelsey Grammer, Thomas Jane, Denise Richards Join WWE Star Adam Copeland In ‘Money Plane’

Co-written by Lawrence and Tim Schaaf, the indie follows a professional thief (Copeland) who must rob an underworld criminal casino on an airplane to settle a debt with his ruthless employer (Grammer). While the heist unfolds in midair, the second man on the ground (Jane) uncovers a sinister double cross that threatens everything.

Richard Switzer and Tyler W. Konney are producing the pic with and executive producers Jason Cherubini and Alexander Ferguson. Taylor & Dodge is handling worldwide sales.

Copeland currently co-stars as Kjetill Flatnose in the History Channel series, Vikings. Grammer can next be seen on the big screen in Grand Isle opposite Nicolas Cage. Jane currently stars in Amazon’s The Expanse series. Richards’ recent credits include BH90210 and 1st Born.

Copeland is repped by OAZ and Abrams Artists; Grammer by UTA and Vault Entertainment; Jane by Paradigm; Richards by Abrams Artists.

London Critics’ Circle Film Award Nominees

SUPPORTING ACTOR OF THE YEAR
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Shia LaBeouf – Honey Boy
Al Pacino – The Irishman
Joe Pesci – The Irishman
Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood

Anne Heche, Graham McTavish & Michelle Randolph To Star In ‘Chasing Nightmares’ Thriller

The plot involves a college student (Randolph) who risks her and her friends’ lives to track down the meaning behind the nightmares she has about a girl and a delusional masked man.

Spencer Daniels, Aubrey Cleland, Jay Huguley, and Dana Daurey are set to co-star as filming is currently underway in Los Angeles. Brown is producing the 828 Media Capital-financed pic alongside Todd Lundbohm of 828 Productions.

Heche was last seen on the big screen opposite Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell in The Best of Enemies from STX as well as NBC’s Chicago P.D. McTavish, who is best known for the TV’s Outlander and The Hobbit trilogy, was also recently seen in Aquaman. Randolph’s credits include House of the Witch and A Snow White Christmas.

Heche is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency and Untitled Entertainment; McTavish by Artists & Representatives; Randolph by Pakula/King & Associates and D2 Management.

Brad Pitt To Receive Santa Barbara Film Festival’s Maltin Master Award

Already a SAG, Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice nominee for his performance in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Pitt has won several awards for the role as well including from the National Board of Review. He also starred this fall in the science fiction drama Ad Astra, and on January 18 will be receiving the Producer Guild of America’s prestigious David O’Selznick Award (along with his Plan B partners Jeremy Kleiner and Dede Gardner) for his work behind the scenes with his prolific production company, which among many other films produced the Oscar winning Best Pictures 12 Years A Slave and Moonlight.

“Brad Pitt wears the mantle of Movie Star with good grace. He’s been giving great performances for several decades, but he makes it look so easy that I fear he’s been taken for granted. After the one-two punch of Ad Astra and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, this year he’s an ideal choice to be presented the Maltin Modern Master Award,” said Leonard Maltin, who will be moderating the evening.

The Modern Master Award was established in 1995 and is the highest accolade presented by SBIFF. Created to honor an individual who has enriched the culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry, it was re-named the Maltin Modern Master Award in 2015 in honor of longtime SBIFF moderator and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin. Past recipients include Glenn Close, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Bruce Dern, Ben Affleck, Christopher Plummer, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, Cate Blanchett, Will Smith, George Clooney and Peter Jackson.

The 35th Santa Barbara Film Festival runs January 15-15.

The Chicago Film Critics Association Award Winners

SAG Awards Nominations

MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

BOMBSHELL
CONNIE BRITTON / Beth Ailes
ALLISON JANNEY / Susan Estrich
NICOLE KIDMAN / Gretchen Carlson
JOHN LITHGOW / Roger Ailes
MALCOLM McDOWELL / Rupert Murdoch
KATE McKINNON / Jess Carr
MARGOT ROBBIE / Kayla Pospisil
CHARLIZE THERON / Megyn Kelly

THE IRISHMAN
BOBBY CANNAVALE / Skinny Razor
ROBERT DE NIRO / Frank Sheeran
STEPHEN GRAHAM / Anthony “Tony Pro” Provenzano
HARVEY KEITEL / Angelo Bruno
AL PACINO / Jimmy Hoffa
ANNA PAQUIN / Older Peggy Sheeran
JOE PESCI / Russell Bufalino
RAY ROMANO / Bill Bufalino

JOJO RABBIT
ALFIE ALLEN / Finkel
ROMAN GRIFFIN DAVIS / Jojo
SCARLETT JOHANSSON / Rosie
THOMASIN McKENZIE / Elsa
STEPHEN MERCHANT / Deertz
SAM ROCKWELL / Capt. Klenzendorf
TAIKA WAITITI / Adolf
REBEL WILSON / Fraulein Rahm

ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD
AUSTIN BUTLER / Tex
JULIA BUTTERS / Trudi
BRUCE DERN / George Spahn
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / Rick Dalton
DAKOTA FANNING / Squeaky Fromme
EMILE HIRSCH / Jay Sebring
DAMIAN LEWIS / Steve McQueen
MIKE MOH / Bruce Lee
TIMOTHY OLYPHANT / James Stacy
AL PACINO / Marvin Schwarz
LUKE PERRY / Wayne Maunder
BRAD PITT / Cliff Booth
MARGARET QUALLEY / Pussycat
MARGOT ROBBIE / Sharon Tate

PARASITE
HYAE JIN CHANG / Chung Sook
YEO JEONG CHO / Yeon Kyo
WOO SHIK CHOI / Ki Woo
HYEON JUN JUNG / Da Song
ZISO JUNG / Da Hye
JUNG EUN LEE / Moon Gwang
SUN KYUN LEE / Dong Ik
MYUNG HOON PARK / Geun Se
SO DAM PARK / Ki Jung
KANG HO SONG / Ki Taek

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

CHRISTIAN BALE / Ken Miles – “FORD v FERRARI”
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO / Rick Dalton — “ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD”
ADAM DRIVER / Charlie Barber – “MARRIAGE STORY”
TARON EGERTON / Elton John – “ROCKETMAN”
JOAQUIN PHOENIX / Arthur Fleck – “JOKER”

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

JAMIE FOXX / Walter McMillian – “JUST MERCY”
TOM HANKS / Fred Rogers – “A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD”
AL PACINO / Jimmy Hoffa – “THE IRISHMAN”
JOE PESCI / Russell Bufalino – “THE IRISHMAN”
BRAD PITT / Cliff Booth – “ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD

Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston: ‘No tension’ as pair gear up for awards season

They have both been nominated for Golden Globes and SAG Awards — announced on Wednesday — him for “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood” and her for “The Morning Show.” But a source told Page Six: “There won’t be any issues, no tension.” Pitt even went to Aniston’s 50th birthday bash in February and joined a starry crowd of pals including his ex Gwyneth Paltrow, plus Aniston’s ex John Mayer.

The source added: “Brad and Jen are still friends. They speak once in a while, and even though there are these fools who say they’re getting back together, of course they’re not. But they will always be fond of each other.”

Pitt told the New York Times Magazine this week: “I don’t know how many women they’ve said I’ve been dating the last two or three years, and none of it’s true.” He’s been seen with actress Alia Shawkat, although we’re assured they’re just friends.

Pitt is still mid-divorce from Angelina Jolie, with a sticking point over access to their kids. Although the younger kids are mandated by a court to see him, it’s more difficult for him to see the older kids, we’re told.

AACTA International Awards Nominations

AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor
John Lithgow – Bombshell
Al Pacino – The Irishman
Joe Pesci – The Irishman
Brad Pitt – Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
Song Kang-Ho – Parasite.

Brad Pitt says he spent most of the ‘90s smoking pot and hiding

In a New York Times interview published on Monday, the “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” star said he was “too uncomfortable” following the massive success of his films in the ’90s.

“I spent most of the ’90s hiding out and smoking pot,” said Pitt, 55. “I was too uncomfortable with all the attention.”

At the time, the actor released movies like 1994’s “Interview with the Vampire,” 1995’s “Seven” and 1999’s “Fight Club.” He was around 25 to 35 years old.

However, Pitt shared that he later turned a corner when he “got to a place where I was aware that I was imprisoning myself.”

“Now I go out and live life, and generally people are pretty cool,” he continued.

A memory from childhood, in which he was picked out of a crowd to participate in a Harlem Globetrotters bit, reminded Pitt that getting back into the world could help him make others feel good through his movies — and so he stopped hiding.

“I’m not trying to say anyone is being brushed with my greatness,” he said. “I’m trying to say that I have the opportunity to brighten someone’s day. That’s a rare thing.”

Patrick Duffy, Alicia Coppola, Peter Macnicol Guests on All Rise

GUEST CAST includes: Peter Macnicol (Judge Albert Campbell), Patrick Duffy (Ed Parker), Alicia Coppola (Wanda Taylor)

2020 Golden Globes Nominations

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

DANIEL CRAIG
KNIVES OUT

ROMAN GRIFFIN DAVIS
JOJO RABBIT

LEONARDO DICAPRIO
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

TARON EGERTON
ROCKETMAN

EDDIE MURPHY
DOLEMITE IS MY NAME

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE

KATHY BATES
RICHARD JEWELL

ANNETTE BENING
THE REPORT

LAURA DERN
MARRIAGE STORY

JENNIFER LOPEZ
HUSTLERS

MARGOT ROBBIE
BOMBSHELL

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE

TOM HANKS
A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

ANTHONY HOPKINS
THE TWO POPES

AL PACINO
THE IRISHMAN

JOE PESCI
THE IRISHMAN

BRAD PITT
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

Critics' Choice Awards Nominations 2020

Best Actress in a Drama Series
Christine Baranski, The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Olivia Colman, The Crown (Netflix)
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve (BBC America)
Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies (HBO)
Regina King, Watchmen (HBO)
Mj Rodriguez, Pose (FX)
Sarah Snook, Succession (HBO)
Zendaya, Euphoria (HBO)

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Asante Blackk, This Is Us (NBC)
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show (Apple)
Asia Kate Dillon, Billions (Showtime)
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Justin Hartley, This Is Us (NBC)
Delroy Lindo, The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Tim Blake Nelson, Watchmen (HBO)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown (Netflix)
Gwendoline Christie, Game of Thrones (HBO)
Laura Dern, Big Little Lies (HBO)
Audra McDonald, The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
Jean Smart, Watchmen (HBO)
Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies (HBO)
Susan Kelechi Watson, This Is Us (NBC)

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Ted Danson, The Good Place (NBC)
Walton Goggins, The Unicorn (CBS)
Bill Hader, Barry (HBO)
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Paul Rudd, Living With Yourself (Netflix)
Bashir Salahuddin, Sherman’s Showcase (IFC)
Ramy Youssef, Ramy (Hulu)

BEST ACTOR - Film
Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
Robert De Niro – The Irishman
Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Adam Driver – Marriage Story
Eddie Murphy – Dolemite Is My Name
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Film
Willem Dafoe – The Lighthouse
Tom Hanks – A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins – The Two Popes
Al Pacino – The Irishman
Joe Pesci – The Irishman
Brad Pitt – Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood

The National Board of Review Award Winners

Best Supporting Actress: Kathy Bates, RICHARD JEWELL

I VALUE THOSE MISSTEPS': Brad Pitt opens up about boozy past

In a conversation with Pitt for Interview magazine, actor Anthony Hopkins| asked about the star’s darker days.

“Well, I just saw it as a disservice to myself, as an escape,” Pitt admitted of abusing alcohol.

Hopkins noted he stopped drinking 45 years ago, but insisted he’s “not an evangelist about (sobriety).”

“Nor I,” Pitt agreed.

“I think we’re living in a time where we’re extremely judgmental and quick to treat people as disposable,” said Pitt. “We’ve always placed great importance on the mistake. But the next move, what you do after the mistake, is what really defines a person.”

“We’re all going to make mistakes. But what is that next step? We don’t, as a culture, seem to stick around to see what that person’s next step is,” he continued, adding, “And that’s the part I find so much more invigorating and interesting.”

As Radar reported, Pitt, 55, got into a boozy altercation with his now-18-year-old son Maddox aboard a private jet in September 2016. The ugly fight on the disastrous private plane flight from Europe to the U.S. spurred Angelina Jolie, 44, to file for divorce.

In his new interview, Pitt has revealed he’s a bit more emotional these days than in the past.

“I am quite famously a not-crier. Is that a term? I hadn’t cried in, like, 20 years, and now I find myself, at this latter stage, much more moved — moved by my kids, moved by friends, moved by the news. Just moved,” he said. “I think it’s a good sign. I don’t know where it’s going, but I think it’s a good sign.”

Pitt also opened up about believing in fate and trying not to take credit or blame for what happens in life.

“I’m realizing, as a real act of forgiveness for myself for all the choices that I’ve made that I’m not proud of, that I value those missteps, because they led to some wisdom, which led to something else,” he said.

Billy Dee Williams says he's gender fluid, sees himself as 'feminine as well as masculine'

In an interview with Esquire magazine, the 82-year-old star, who first appeared in the Star Wars franchise in 1980’s The Empire Strikes Back, explained that he uses both male and female pronouns when referring to himself.

“I never tried to be anything except myself,” he said. “I think of myself as a relatively colourful character who doesn’t take himself or herself too seriously… And you see I say ‘himself’ and ‘herself,’ because I also see myself as feminine as well as masculine.”

The actor added: “I’m a very soft person. I’m not afraid to show that side of myself.”

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, starring Billy as Lando Calrissian, hits theatres December 19.

AARP Movies For Grownups Awards Nominations

Best Supporting Actor
Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy
Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes
Al Pacino, The Irishman
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Wendie Malick on American Housewife

“American Housewife” stars Katy Mixon as Katie Otto, Diedrich Bader as Greg Otto, Meg Donnelly as Taylor Otto, Daniel DiMaggio as Oliver Otto, Julia Butters as Anna-Kat Otto, Carly Hughes as Angela and Ali Wong as Doris.

Ed Weeks and Wendie Malick guest star.

“The Bromance Before Christmas” was written by Jonathan Fener and directed by Chris Koch.

Joanna Going on The Good Doctor 12/2/19

The series stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Browne, Nicholas Gonzalez as Dr. Neil Melendez, Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews, Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman, Christina Chang as Dr. Audrey Lim, Fiona Gubelmann as Dr. Morgan Reznick, Will Yun Lee as Dr. Alex Park, Paige Spara as Lea Dilallo and Jasika Nicole as Dr. Carly Lever.

Guest starring is Michael Trucco as Ethan Murphy and Joanna Going as Marcie Murphy.

“Friends and Family” was written by Tommy Moran and directed by Mike Listo.

Paramount Lands WW Rights On Damien Chazelle’s ‘Babylon’ With Emma Stone, Brad Pitt Circling Period Hollywood Drama

The film will be produced by Olivia Hamilton, Matt Plouffe, Marc Platt and Tobey Maguire.

The project was first shopped in July, when Pitt was about to open opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and before Stone was readying the Ruben Fleischer-directed Zombieland: Double Tap with Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson, and filming the title role in Disney’s Cruella. It was described then as a bold auteur piece with a significant budget, and Paramount established itself as the frontrunner early. The rebounding studio has been aggressive in committing to ambitious films, most recently a film Deadline broke on The Bee Gees with Sister, GK Films and Amblin, with The Two Popes and Bohemian Rhapsody scribe Anthony McCarten scripting. Deadline broke the McCarten news last week.

The budget and period setting makes it a bold play by Paramount, but recent lackluster openings of established franchises indicates that fresh IP is not a bad way to go. Chazelle most recently directed First Man with Stone’s La La Land co-star Ryan Gosling.

The project was shopped as Netflix greenlit another golden era Hollywood film in Mank, with David Fincher directing a script his father Howard Fincher wrote about Citizen Kane screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, with Gary Oldman playing the scribe in a drama that chronicled his battles with Orson Welles on the classic film.

Trace Adkins & Thora Birch Lead Cast Of Tornado Drama ‘13 Minutes’ – AFM

Set in a small American town, Gossling’s script begins with residents starting a day as ordinary as the next. Mother Nature, however, has other plans for them. Inhabitants have just 13 minutes to seek shelter before the largest tornado on record ravages the town, leaving them struggling to protect their loved ones and fighting for their lives.

Travis Farncombe and Gossling developed the project and will produce with Karen Harnisch via their Involving Pictures. Elevated Films’ Cassian Elwes and Jere Hausfater will executive produce in association with ImpactWX.

Highland Film Group is steering international sales at the American Film Market that kicks off next week and is co-repping U.S. rights with Elevated.

Gossling most recently penned A Translator, the Havana-set drama that is Cuba’s submission in this year’s International Feature Film Oscar race.

Country star/actor Adkins is repped by UTA and Greg Baker. Birch, currently on The Walking Dead, is repped by Buchwald and Luber Roklin Entertainment. Facinelli, whose feature film Hour of Lead co-starring Heche and Thomas Jane is now in postproduction, is repped by Abrams Artists Agency and Mainstay Entertainment. Heche is with Paradigm and Untitled Entertainment.

Vega, most recently seen in Rambo: Last Blood, is repped by Paradigm and Management Production Entertainment. Peltz (Unfriended) is with Innovative Artists and Management Production Entertainment.

13 Seconds joins a Highland slate that includes Jiu Jitsu, starring Nicolas Cage, Alain Moussi, Tony Jaa, Frank Grillo, and Rick Yune; Open Source, starring Bruce Willis; Persephone, starring Brianna Hildebrand; and Michael Polish’s Axis Sally, starring Al Pacino.

Talk Show Appearance

Thursday, Nov. 7: Actress Jane Krakowski

Michelle Hurd Recurs on Hawaii Five-O

(“Ne’e aku, ne’e mai ke one o Punahoa” is Hawaiian for “That way and this way shifts the sands of Punahoa”)

RECURRING CAST: Michelle Hurd (Renee Grover)

‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ To Be Re-Released This Friday With Four New Scenes

For those living in LA and happened to catch Hollywood at Tarantino’s Beverly Cinema, that print offered up an extended cut of a Bounty Law segment (the TV show starring DiCaprio’s Rick Dalton character). The movie follows Dalton, a fading movie star who is crashing into TV and his loyal stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). They also happen to be neighbors to Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) in the Hollywood Hills at a socially-disruptive time in LA, the summer of ’69. Al Pacino also stars.

Recently it was reported that Leonardo DiCaprio would run in the best actor Oscar category while Brad Pitt will compete in supporting.

Tarantino also wrote. David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Tarantino produced. Georgia Kacandes, YU Dong and Jeffrey Chan serve as EPs.

“Audiences have shown tremendous support for this movie, and we look forward to offering them another opportunity to see the film as it’s meant to be seen – in theaters on the big screen – with more sights and sounds of the sixties from Quentin Tarantino as an added treat,” said Adrian Smith, President of Domestic Distribution, Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group.

Ashley Greene, Andrew Walker & Jackée Harry To Star In Hallmark Channel Holiday Movie

Written by Kristen Hansen, in Christmas On My Mind, when Lucy (Greene) wakes up with a wedding dress in hand, she believes that she is late to her wedding with her ex-boyfriend Zac (Walker). However, she has no recollection of the past 2 years, including the fact that she is engaged to another man. With Zac’s help, Lucy sets off on an adventure in Bedford Harbor to fill the gaps in her memory, and finds old romantic feelings reigniting during the Christmas season. Harry plays Dr. Caroline Albright.

Tim Johnson and Maura Dunbar executive produce.

Christmas On My Mind is slated to air Thursday, December 19 on Hallmark Channel.

Greene, best known for her role in the Twilight series, recently starred in Accident Man and the TV series Rogue. She’ll next be seen in the role of Abby Huntsman in Bombshell.

Walker also will be seen in Hallmark Channel movie Merry & Bright. He’s repped by APA, Thruline and ART in Canada.

Harry also has a starring role in Carole’s Christmas, set for premiere next month on OWN. Harry won an outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series Emmy for her role as Sandra Clark in 227. Her previous credits include the Lifetime original movie Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta, The Paynes, The Jeffersons, and Cool Kids among others. She’s repped by Metropolitan and manager Bob McGowan.

Robin Strasser On DAYS: “They won’t be using me again”

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt still hammering out divorce settlement

The former couple have asked the court for more time to get their financials worked out, The Blast reported.

The outlet claimed one major sticking point in their dispute is over Miraval — the French château and winery they bought in 2011.

Jolie recently said she felt she “lost herself” when the relationship first ended.

OWN Sets Its First Holiday Movies Starring Jackée Harry, Aloma Wright, Kimberly Elise, Rick & Sasha Fox And Alo

One Fine Christmas, starring Rick Fox and his daughter Sasha Fox in their first time acting together, as well as Marla Gibbs and Vanessa Williams (the Soul Food alumna, not Sasha’s mom), will premiere November 15. It will be followed by Carole’s Christmas, starring Jackée Harry and Kimberly Elise Star, on Nov. 22, and Baking Christmas, starring Aloma Wright and Tim Reid Star, on Nov. 29.

Holiday movies are a major audience draw, especially among women who are OWN’s core demographic. And, while TV movies are generally difficult to make work financially for a cable network because they are one-offs, holiday films are generally evergreen and can be rerun every holiday season.

Original holiday movies have been a long-time staple on female-focused Hallmark Channel and Lifetime. Freeform, which has carried on its predecessor ABC Family’s 25 Days Of Christmas franchise, started adding original holiday movies to the mix in 2017. Netflix too has been betting big on original holiday movies, with several new titles released every year.

“We are excited to bring holiday movies to OWN,” said Tina Perry, president, OWN. “This special time of year is about spending time with the ones you love, and we think our viewers are going to enjoy watching these movies together throughout the season.”

Here are details about OWN’s holiday movies:

One Fine Christmas premieres Friday, November 15 at 9pm ET/PT

Marking the first time they have acted together, Rick Fox and his daughter Sasha Fox star in One Fine Christmas. The father/daughter duo join beloved actress Marla Gibbs and fan favorite Vanessa Williams in the ensemble cast. The families on Christmas Street have been busy with their day-to-day lives that they lose sight of the importance of family during the holiday season. Haley (Sasha Fox) comes home for the Christmas holiday, but home has not been the same since her family split up. Haley’s mother Susan (Williams) is working on a new work deal with her client (Rick Fox) which causes her to hardly have time for Haley or her mother Alice (Gibbs). Al (Mark Christopher Lawrence) is too preoccupied with work that he overlooks his wife Matty (June Carryl). Meanwhile, Bob (Rodney Van Johnson) and Diana’s (Eva La Dare) son Jesse (Alfonso Torres Caballero) comes home for Christmas with a very special surprise. This “slice of life” holiday tale shares the individual stories of these neighbors as they celebrate Christmas Eve and find themselves unexpectedly united for the holiday season.

Carole’s Christmas premieres Friday, November 22 at 9pm ET/PT

Starring acclaimed actresses Jackée Harry and Kimberly Elise, Carole’s Christmas tells the story of Carole Jordan (Elise), an overworked businesswoman who learns the meaning of “be careful what you wish for” after she off-handedly wishes she had taken another path in life. When Carole’s wish is granted, her world is turned upside down and the only person she can confide in is Iris (Harry), a woman she recognizes from her “past life.” Carole no longer has time for the things that mattered most to her – family, friends and her annual Christmas party. She quickly learns how grateful she was for the previous life she was living. Carole’s Christmas also stars Cayden K. Williams (star of OWN’s David Makes Man), Bianca Buck and Anthony Montgomery.

Baking Christmas premieres Friday, November 29 at 9pm ET/PT

When Patty (Aloma Wright), the founder of the town’s most popular and successful bakery, announces her plan to retire at the end of the year, her children step up to take over the family business. Patty and Phillip’s (Tim Reid) children, Jennifer (Khalilah Joi), Angela (Leigh-Ann Rose) and Anthony (Arnell Powell), are qualified – and eager – to run the enterprise, and each has their own ideas for writing the bakery’s next chapter. There is only one way to ensure the shop ends up in the right hands and that is a Christmas cake bakeoff. The gloves come off and the frosting flies as the siblings vie for control of the bakery in an unforgettable competition to create the best-ever Christmas confection. Baking Christmas also stars Yohance Myles from OWN’s Ambitions.

The movies are produced for OWN by Hybrid, LLC in association with Harpo Films.

ABC Buys ‘Possessed’ Supernatural Drama From ‘The Conjuring’ Writers, Paul Wesley & Kapital Entertainment

Written by the Hayes brothers, Possessed centers around a young woman, who after a near death experience, becomes a vessel for the dead to avenge their wrongful deaths.

Carey and Chad Hayes executive produce with Kapital Entertainment’s Kaplan and Dana Honor, Wesley, Plestis and MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation), the South Korean network which aired the original series and also originated the format for the hit Fox series The Masked Singer.

The original Possessed aired a 10-episode first season on MBC in 2009. Starring Lim Ju-eun and Lee Seo-jin, the series centered on a high school girl possessed by spirits and the criminal profiler who exploits her powers in his quest for justice. You can watch a trailer below.

The Hayes brothers are best known for writing New Line Cinema’s global box office horror hits The Conjuring and The Conjuring 2. They also co-produced the horror film Annabelle.

Possessed was one of the first projects Wesley’s Citizen Media and Kapital put in development under the production partnership forged in February. Wesley, who stars in Kapital’s CBS All Access series Tell Me a Story, is repped by ICM Partners, Management 360, and attorney Marcy Morris.

Paradigm and attorney Paul Miloknay repped MBC Broadcast in the packaging of the format. Plestis is also repped by Paradigm.

The Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley Are Making Their Own Bourbon

It's fitting that these boys would go all-in on bourbon seeing as it was the Salvatores drink of choice on the show, a fact that Somerhalder was all too aware of when he announced the news on Instagram.

"Can you imagine if the Salvatore brothers had their OWN bourbon? Well, it's coming! @paulwesley and I have been working our asses off with our incredible team to make this happen," Somerhalder wrote. "WITH passion, hard work and an uncompromising quest/thirst for quality, we have arrived! We want to share with you something very special and dear to us. You've given us so many wonderful years as these characters and we want to bring you something to enjoy that brings back some great memories and some good times to come! It's going to be fun. We're going to be traveling the WOLRD meeting so many of you and launching this with some very fun parties I must say!"

The Vampire Diaries Stars Look Back at Filming the Pilot for the Show's 10th Anniversary

We'll obviously be eagerly awaiting news of where and how to buy this special brew as well as how we can score a ticket to these parties they'll be throwing — no one throws a rager like a Salvatore, after all. All eight seasons of The Vampire Diaries are currently streaming on Netflix.

Christine Baranski, Cynthia Nixon to Star as Sisters in Downton Abbey Creator's HBO Drama The Gilded Age

Baranski — currently starring on CBS All Access’ The Good Fight — will play stubborn aristocrat Agnes van Rhijn, who managed to hook a husband just as her family’s plantation was collapsing and proudly resists change at every turn. (Kind of sounds like the new Dowager Countess, doesn’t she?) Nixon — returning to HBO after six seasons on Sex and the City — will play Agnes’ sister Ava Brook, who’s forced to rely on her sister’s charity when times get tough. Both Baranski and Nixon will be series regulars. Also joining the cast as series regulars: Amanda Peet (Togetherness, Brockmire), who plays Bertha Russell, who’s using her husband’s business success to infiltrate the upper crust; and Morgan Spector (Homeland), who plays Bertha’s husband George Russell, a ruthless robber baron who doesn’t like to lose.

Set in 1880s America, The Gilded Age centers on young Marian Brook, an orphaned daughter of a Southern general who moves in with her aunts in New York City and finds herself thrust into high society. Fellowes will serve as writer, creator and executive producer, with his Downton Abbey collaborator Gareth Neame serving as another EP. The series, originally developed at NBC, earned a 10-episode order from HBO back in May.

Jan Merlin Dies: Emmy-Winning Soap Writer And ‘Tom Corbett, Space Cadet’ Star Was 94

Merlin’s death was confirmed by his family and collaborator William Russo, with whom he wrote books about Hollywood.

Merlin won a writing Emmy in 1975 for daytime NBC soap opera Another World.

As an actor, he built an early reputation for playing villainous characters.

“A veteran of the Navy in World War II, Jan went from the military during the big war to the Neighborhood Playhouse where he learned the craft of acting, though he had many talents,” wrote Russo.

“We wrote about Boys Town, Billy Budd, Reflections in a Golden Eye, among other films, giving a unique perspective on daily life during the studio shoot. He knew Brando, Taylor, Clift, James Dean, in ways that others could never understand. He threw James Dean out of the Pier Angeli house at her mother’s request.”

Morgan Freeman & Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment Developing Western TV Series About African American Lawman Bass Reeves

Reeves was a notable lawman, a ‘Lone Ranger’ before there ever was one, whose legend has largely been ignored by history. Reeves captured 3K criminals –more than Pat Garrett, Wild Bill Hickok, and Wyatt Earp– with the use of flamboyant detective skills that were ahead of their time, i.e. sting operations to dressing up in disguises. His story unfurled against the backdrop of the birth of statehood and the foundation of Oklahoma. He partnered with a brash Irishman named Chauncey Lee, and together they were tasked with the impossible: impose the rule of law in the most dangerous place on Earth. Reeves’ story is described as 48 Hours meets Game of Thrones, set in the Wild West.

The Civil War gave Bass Reeves an opportunity to flee from his master William S. Reeves, who made Bass accompany his son, George Reeves, to fight for the Confederacy. During that time, Bass fled to Native American Territory (which is known today as Oklahoma). Bass learned the customs of the Seminole and Creek tribes. Following the passage of the 13th Amendment in 1865 abolishing slavery, Bass became a free man. He married, returned to Arkansas, but was soon recruited by U.S. Marshal James Fagan to cuff criminals in the chaotic West. Possessing a strict moral compass, Bass even arrested one of his 11 sons for murdering his wife.

“When Morgan and I were editing the film he was directing Bopha! back in the early ’90s, Bass Reeves’ story was brought to our attention. Morgan is so well read on U.S. and world history, yet both of us had never heard of him. We decided we had to figure out how to tell Bass’ story,” McCreary tells Deadline. The feature project was originally set up at Castle Rock with Freeman attached to play Reeves.

“Back then we couldn’t quite crack the story, which was why we were thrilled when Malcom and Ben came in and opened up this world. Bass Reeves’ story speaks to what we are going through now in this country,” adds the Revelations CEO and producer.

Revelations optioned Burton’s book Black, Red & Deadly, but recently re-optioned it again along with the author’s Black Gun, Silver Star. Pickens was also fascinated with Reeves’ story, and after seeing Freeman speak about the legend in a TV interview, the two partnered up to develop a series. With the new iteration of the Reeves project, it hasn’t been determined yet whether Freeman will star and direct an episode.

Freeman and McCreary are repped by CAA. Freeman is also repped by Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Pickens Jr. is repped by Artists & Representatives, Wright Entertainment and Meyer & Downs. Empire producer Spellman is repped by CAA, Industry Entertainment, and Del, Shaw, Moonves, Tanaka, Finkelstein & Lezcano. Burn Notice and Hand of God producer Watkins is repped by WME and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof and Fishman.

Lindsay Lohan reportedly plotting another TV show

In an interview on Australia’s “Studio 10” this week, Lohan revealed that she’s “writing a TV series that will come out in America. Almost like a reality show, but not a reality show.” (She’s currently Down Under filming “The Masked Singer.”)

Lohan went on to say that she will play at “kind of being a puppet master,” and will star in the series with her siblings.

Page Six exclusively reported in June that Lohan had lost her show and the Mykonos, Greece, nightclub on which it was based.

Sources told us at the time that the show didn’t have “enough drama.”

Brad Pitt may reunite with Guy Ritchie

A source told us comedy thriller “The Gentlemen,” starring Hugh Grant and Matthew McConaughey, could add last-minute scenes with Pitt.

Ritchie — who’s enjoyed working with the hunky actor in the past — loved him so much in Quentin Tarantino’s recent “Once Upon a Time in … Hollywood” that “he’s considering adding him to the lineup,” said a source.

We’re told Pitt has been approached. But another insider insisted that the film is already in the can and Pitt’s not in it.

The movie has gone through some changes: It was originally called “Toff Guys,” then “Bush,” and Kate Beckinsale exited the project, replaced by Michelle Dockery.

Inside Salem - 9/16/19 - Robin Strasser, Greg Vaughan, Linsey Godfrey

Insiders think Angelina Jolie may be using son Maddox against Brad Pitt

Maddox, who just started at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, seemed surprisingly forthcoming about his tumultuous private life when confronted by a camera-wielding reporter who turned up on campus last week.

Asked if Pitt, 55, would come to visit him in his new dorm, Maddox replied, “Um, I don’t know about that … what’s happening [with that].”

The college freshman also commented on whether or not their relationship is over for good. “Whatever happens, happens,” he said.

He seemed good-natured as he answered questions in the interview, which was produced by Coleman-Rayner, the news agency that famously set up photos with Meghan Markle’s dad, Thomas.

“Maddox seemed prepared for the interview,” said a suspicious insider. “He wasn’t trying to fend off the interviewer — so people in the industry think maybe it’s an effort by Jolie’s camp to stir things up, even though things have been relatively calm.”

Jolie adopted Maddox before meeting Pitt, and the couple went on to adopt two kids together and have three biological children.

Another source told Page Six that Pitt and Maddox have a “very limited relationship.” They are widely reported to have a strained relationship since having a fight aboard a private jet shortly before Jolie filed for divorce in 2016.

Asked about the state of the divorce, which is still pending, a source close to the couple replied: “It’s the same — nothing has changed.”

Pitt is promoting his new movie “Ad Astra” in Tokyo, while Jolie said she “ugly cried” while dropping off Maddox — who will study biochemistry — at college. She was joined by his siblings and told “Extra,” “I am very proud of him. He is ready — he’s good.”

Reps were unavailable for comment.

Eric Roberts Toplines ‘My Dinner With Eric Roberts (Julia’s brother)’

‘Poseidon Adventure’ actress Carol Lynley dies at 77

Lynley’s daughter Jill Selsman said Friday her mother died in her sleep Tuesday in Los Angeles.

The actress had a lengthy Hollywood career, earning a Golden Globe nomination as a newcomer for the 1959 film “Blue Denim” about a teenager seeking an abortion. It was a role she originated on Broadway.

Lynley appeared in more than 100 films and television series, but her best-known role was as pop singer Nonnie Parry in 1972's “The Poseidon Adventure.” Her character performs the song “The Morning After,” although the vocals were dubbed. The song went on to win an Academy Award.

She also starred in 1961's “Return to Peyton Place,” playing an author whose book revealing her New Hampshire hometown’s secrets causes her and her family trouble.

She had numerous guest appearances on television series including “Fantasy Island,” ?The Love Boat” and “Hawaii Five-O.”

“She loved working in film and much as she loved going to the movies,” Selsman said in an email. She said her mother took her to all sorts of films when she was a growing up.

Selsman, who has her own video production company, described her mother as “bon vivant” and as someone who “loved to dance, going to the ballet, seeing anything on Broadway.”

Lynley, who was born in New York, started out as a child model and was profiled by Life magazine and appeared on its cover when she was 15 years old and starring in the Broadway production “The Potting Shed.”

Edgecliff pad of late actor Carmen Duncan for sale for $1.1 million

The beloved NIDA graduate is best remembered among small screen viewers for her role on cop shows like Division 4, Matlock Police, Water Rats and Homicide, and classics like Number 96 and The Young Doctors, but was also acknowledged for her role in films like the 1980’s hitmovie Harlequin for which she was nominated for an Australian Film Institute award, and the more recent supporting role on the recently released movie Hotel Mumbai.

Having moved to the US to work in daytime television, playing businesswoman Iris Wheeler in the soap opera Another World, she returned to Australia in the mid-1990s and in 1999 bought the two-bedroom spread in the art deco Cumberland building for $450,000.

Carmen Duncan’s two-bedroom spread in the art deco Cumberland building.

The beloved actor was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 and later colon cancer, both of which she survived, but suffered thyroid cancer in recent years.

One of 15 in the building and spread over 97 square metres internally, it returns to the market with a guide of $1.1 million ahead of a September 26 auction.

It is exclusively listed with Jane Schumann and Samuel Schumann, of Raine & Horne Double Bay.

There is a $1.1 million guide ahead of the September 26 auction.

Disney Channel’s ‘The Owl House’ Sets Voice Cast, Secures New York Comic Con Berth

Tati Gabrielle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), Bumper Robinson (The Game), Issac Ryan Brown (Raven’s Home), Parvesh Cheena (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) and Eden Riegel (All My Children) will voice guest roles for Season 1.

The news for the series comes as it secured a berth at next month’s New York Comic Con. Malick, Hirsch and Robles will join creator/executive producer Dana Terrace (DuckTales) and art director Ricky Cometa (Steven Universe) for the New York Comic Con panel, set for October 4.

The Owl House follows Luz (voiced by Robles), a self-assured teenage girl who stumbles upon a portal to a magical realm where she befriends rebellious witch Eda (Malick) and tiny warrior King (Hirsch). Despite not having magical abilities, Luz pursues her dream of becoming a witch by serving as Eda’s apprentice at the Owl House and ultimately finds a new family in an unlikely setting.

The series is produced by Disney Television Animation.

E! People’s Choice Awards Finalists

The E! People’s Choice Awards will be broadcast live from Barker Hanger in Santa Monica on Sunday, November 10 at 9p ET/PT

THE DRAMA MOVIE STAR OF 2019
Drama Star Movie
Taron Egerton Rocketman
Cole Sprouse Five Feet Apart
Zac Efron Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Lupita Nyong’o Us
Leonardo DiCaprio Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood
Brad Pitt Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood
Sarah Paulson Glass
Samuel L. Jackson Glass

Brad Pitt reveals he went to AA after Angelina Jolie split

The actor, whose “Ad Astra” film is hitting theaters on Sept. 20, told the New York Times that he attended AA meetings to combat a drinking problem that was said to have contributed to the downfall of their marriage.

“You had all these men sitting around being open and honest in a way I have never heard,” he recalled. “It was this safe space where there was little judgment, and therefore little judgment of yourself.”

“It was actually really freeing just to expose the ugly sides of yourself,” he added. “There’s great value in that.”

The 55-year-old actor said he attended AA meetings for a year and a half.

In terms of the extent of his past drinking, he said, “I had taken things as far as I could take it, so I removed my drinking privileges.”

He also talked about how although he’s perceived as a fixture of Hollywood, the attention that has been cast his way since the 1990s — which was only amplified with his marriages to Jolie and Jennifer Anniston — never sat well with him.

“It was really uncomfortable for me, the cacophony of expectations and judgments,” he said. “I really became a bit of a hermit and just bonged myself into oblivion.”

Pitt was married to Aniston from 2000 to 2005 before Jolie, whom he married in 2014.

As “Ad Astra” was in the works on the heels of his split from Jolie, the film’s writer told the Times that Pitt drew from his current situation to play his role.

“He definitely used the stimuli from his life,” James Gray said. “Now, I didn’t get personal with him about it at all — I don’t think it’s my business, or even my job — but he investigated the essence of the character through himself.”

Brad Pitt gets his groove on at Kanye West's Sunday Service

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star was among the guests in attendance at Kanye’s latest gospel gathering in the parking lot of a church in Watts, California.

It’s not the first time Brad has checked out Sunday Service, but this time it was a complete surprise with only Kanye knowing he might have a movie superstar at the get together.

Eyewitnesses tell WENN, Pitt was able to get his groove on without any hassle as most of the attendees respected his personal space, although a couple of people asked for selfies with the actor, who appeared to enjoy the vibe.

The latest Sunday Service was also attended by actress Adrienne Bailon and Kanye’s sisters-in-law, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian and Kendall Jenner.

Last week, Kanye took Sunday Service to Dayton, Ohio to kick off pal Dave Chappelle’s Gem City Shine birthday block party, staged to honour the victims of a shooting incident in the city at the beginning of August.

Dishing with Digest - 8/30/19 - Robin Strasser

Robin Strasser talks about her new role as DAYS’s Vivian, her memories of playing ANOTHER WORLD’s Rachel and ONE LIFE TO LIVE’s Dorian and more with Digest’s Stephanie Sloane and Mara Levinsky. We also preview the big soap stories coming for fall.

Brad Pitt On How ‘Ad Astra’ Digs At Notions Of Masculinity: “Is There A Better Definition For Us?” – Venice

“Having grown up in an era where we’re taught to be strong, not show weakness, don’t be disrespected,” Pitt said, “There’s a certain value in that, but there’s also a barrier that’s created with this kind of embracing of the self, because you’re denying, in a sense, those pains or the things you feel shame, whether real or imagined.

“We were asking the question, is there a better definition for us? Does being more open provide you with a better relation with your loved ones and with yourself? At the end of the day, that’s certainly what we were after.”

Of the film’s more technical aspects—particularly the zero gravity sequences—Pitt said he consulted with friend George Clooney, who had starred in Gravity. “Doing a space film is a little bit like a Peter Pan stage production, hanging from wires,” he explained. “George and I exchanged some discomfort stories.”

Gray said Pitt’s vulnerability as an actor leant itself to exploring those themes. In creating the character, he explained, “The key is you cannot worry about being liked or hated or sympathetic or unsympathetic. You can only worry about being honest to who you are, and about being willing to be vulnerable or open. Sometimes that will lead you to dark places and people will love it or hate it, but you can’t worry about that. I tried to establish that dialogue with Brad, Brad certainly did with me, and you let the chips fall where they may.”

Pitt would receive emails from Gray at the start of every shooting day. “James and I don’t have the normal male relationship,” Pitt said. “He would send really personal emails, exposing ideas from his own life. That really would define the day’s work and the scenes were honed by it, and it’s something I still value. It was a unique experience.”

Liv Tyler rebuffed a question about her few appearances in the film, and said that her character—the partner to Pitt’s Major Roy McBride, who we see mostly through his memory or video clips, was intended to be a dreamlike creation. “To me that was real, to the story that was real, to his mind that was real,” she said. “All of our connections that you see—he’s alone so much and you see so much playing in his mind. You don’t always know if it’s real or not real.”

Pitt’s character does connect with Ruth Negga’s, who he meets on a Mars base. For the first time, he opens himself up. “Up there you’re still thirsty for human connection,” she said. “For both of them, they provide a need which has been absent, maybe. I loved the way she reached out to connect with him. I feel like she galvanizes him on his mission. When I saw it I felt a huge warmth there. Although he doesn’t know it, their fates are intertwined. This feels so Greek and epic. Those are the things I was drawn to.”

Asked about his Oscar chances for the role, Pitt explained he was only curious to see how the film would be received. “Every year I see amazing talent get acknowledged and I see amazing talent not get acknowledged,” he said. “When your number comes up it’s great fun, and when someone else’s number comes up, they’re usually your friends, and so I’ll leave it at that.

“How’s that for a dodge?” he laughed.

Morgan Freeman, Frank Grillo Lead ‘Panama’ Action Film From Daniel Adams – Toronto

Set in wild 1989 Panama, the plot follows James Becker (Grillo), a rugged, decorated ex-marine, who is sent undercover by his former commander Stark (Freeman) to execute a high-value deal with untrustworthy adversaries. While navigating through the chaos of the local civil war, Becker must fight assassins, court femmes fatales and negotiate with the enemy in order to complete his mission. With Stark always by his side, Becker perseveres against all odds in hopes of making it home alive.

Filming is slated to commence in November. Highland Film Group will handle worldwide sales, which will launch at the Toronto International Film Festival. Barber serves as executive producer.

Grillo’s upcoming project slate includes Screen Gems’ Black and Blue with Naomie Harris, the Lionsgate sequel The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson, and Boss Level with Mel Gibson and Naomi Watts.

Freeman, who won an Oscar for his performance in Clint Eastwood’s Million Dollar Baby, can be seen starring in Angel Has Fallen, the third film in the Olympus Has Fallen trilogy, which is currently sitting at number 1 on the domestic box office chart. Next, he’ll also appear in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard as well as George Gallo’s The Comeback Trail with Robert De Niro.

Adams’ directorial credits include The Lightkeepers starring Richard Dreyfuss, Bruce Dern, Mamie Gummer and Blythe Danner, The Golden Boys starring Dern and David Carradine, and most recently An L.A. Minute with Gabriel Byrne and Kiersey Clemons.

Freeman is repped by CAA; Grillo by CAA and Management 360; Adams by Claire Best & Associates.

Dickinson Trailer: Hailee Steinfeld Is a Literary Rebel in Apple TV+ Comedy

“She’s wild,” Jane Krakowski matriarch bemoans at the start of the trailer, before adding, “She will be the ruin of this family. And she doesn’t know how to behave like a proper young lady.”

Dickinson — starring actress-singer Steinfeld in the titular role — “audaciously explores the constraints of society, gender and family from the perspective of the rebellious young poet. Set in the 19th century, Dickinson is a coming-of-age story that finds Dickinson to be an unexpected hero for our millennial era.”

Created and written by Alena Smith (The Affair), who serves as an EP alongside Steinfeld, the cast also includes Jane Krakowski, Toby Huss, Anna Baryshnikov, Ella Hunt and Adrian Blake Enscoe.

Apple TV+ is expected to launch in November with a reported $9.99 monthly subscription price.

Anne Heche Selling Her Lake Arrowhead Cabin for $1.05M

Built in 1956, the lakefront cabin last changed hands in 2013 for $899,000. Located about 1.5 hours from Los Angeles, the vacation getaway includes a huge deck, lake views, and numerous upgrades over the decades.

Measuring a petite 1,440 square feet, the vintage three-bedroom retreat includes an open floor plan, including a great room with the original rock fireplace. The dining area is adjacent to the compact galley kitchen, which includes a pass-through bar.

Also on the main floor, the master suite features sliding glass doors leading outside. An airy loft above the living space could be a guest bedroom or a bonus space.

The property also "comes with a single-slip dock in deep water," says listing agent Kat DeLong, "and an amazing view."

The boat dock includes a spacious lakeside patio, perfect for parties or simply enjoying time right on the water.

Improvements over the years have included new paint, renovated bathrooms, new flooring, and a huge deck off the living room.

A trail right below the property leads to the village, the local spot for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

The actress is on a real estate roll. After she and partner James Tupper split up, the two put their Hancock Park–area home on the market for $3.95 million in May. The following month, the price was reduced to $3.7 million, where it sits today.

Heche launched her career playing dual roles in the soap opera “Another World,” and then rose to fame with films such as “Donnie Brasco,” “Volcano,” and “Six Days, Seven Nights.” More recently, she has starred in TV shows “Hung” and “The Brave.”

The post Anne Heche Selling Her Lake Arrowhead Cabin for $1.05M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.

Rena Sofer Couldn't Be Prouder of Daughter Avalon

Debate isn’t the only field in which Sofer’s daughter excels. “She’s this incredible over-achiever, whether it be getting black belts or playing on the tennis team or being an honors student. I had nothing to do with it — it’s just who she is, and she amazes me every single day.”

Kelsey Grammer To Receive Top Honor At North Fork TV Festival

“We are truly grateful for Kelsey Grammer’s exceptional contributions to the entertainment community,” said Founder Noah Doyle. “We are beyond delighted to honor him and deeply appreciate his enthusiasm for convening our community around the future of independent scripted television.”

“Kelsey Grammer exemplifies the best in television,” said North Fork TV Festival Co-Chair Haleigh Raff. “We are honored to recognize him for his dedication to the arts as well as his iconic performances that have moved us as viewers. We look forward to celebrating his achievements in October.”

Hulu Picks Up All Seasons Of ‘Designing Women’; Will Launch Classic Sitcom On Women’s Equality Day August 26 – TCA

The digital platform will air all 163 episodes of the series, which was produced by Bloodworth/Thomason Mozark Productions in association with Columbia Pictures Television for CBS, after striking a deal with Sony Pictures Television.

The series, which ran from September 29, 1986, until May 24, 1993, centers on the lives of four women and one man working together at an Atlanta interior design firm. Designing Women starred Dixie Carter (The Edge Of Night/The Doctors), Annie Potts, Jean Smart (Another World), Delta Burke, Meshach Taylor, Alice Ghostley (Passions), Julia Duffy (The Doctors/Passions/Love Of Life), Jan Hooks and Judith Ivey.

The pick up comes after a reboot of the show, written by original creator Bloodworth-Thomason, was developed last year by ABC.

Hulu’s head of originals Craig Erwich said that the show was “ahead of its time” when it launched. “We saw these four fabulous women balancing work and home lives, running businesses, handling setbacks and dating. But the show never shied away from tough topics like domestic abuse, homophobia, racism and women’s rights and its themes and storylines continue to have revelance today,” he added.

In terms of other holidays, Erwich claimed that The Act, starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King, was the “most watched original” on Mother’s Day. The anthology series follows Gypsy Blanchard (King), a girl trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her overprotective mother, Dee Dee (Arquette).

Erwich said, “I guess after the disturbing scenes between Patricia Arquette and Joey King, we all feel better about our relationships with our moms.”

Mae Whitman and Eric Roberts To Guest on Kidding

Jackée Harry, Alexandra Breckenridge & Robert Buckley To Topline ‘Love In Store’ Hallmark Movie

In the movie, Breckenridge and Buckley play shopping network hosts Terrie and David, who have different selling styles that draw large audiences, but off-camera their personalities clash. Each hopes to replace Sharyn (Harry), the network star, when she retires, but first they’ll have to get along as co-hosts because Sharyn needs them to team up when a co-worker goes into labor. Selling a high-tech umbrella, the two are in the middle of their presentation when Terrie turns on her phone to demonstrate the umbrella’s tracking device and sees a text from her boyfriend breaking up with her. Suddenly speechless, she breaks the cardinal rule of live television, “No Dead Air,” and although David steps in to help, Terrie is mortified. But to everyone’s surprise, viewership spiked, and now Sharyn wants them to co-host until she picks her replacement.

Harry won an outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series Emmy for her role as Sandra Clark in 227. She can be seen in the recently released Lifetime original movie Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta. Her previous credits include The Paynes, The Jeffersons, and Cool Kids among others. She’s repped by Metropolitan and manager Bob McGowan.

Breckenridge was recently seen as Sophie in NBC’s flagship drama series This Is Us. Her other credits include The Walking Dead and American Horror Story. She’s repped by CAA and Atlas Artists.

Buckley can currently be seen as Major Lilywhite in iZombie. Known for his role as Clay Evans on One Tree Hill, Buckley’s other credits include Dimension 404, Powerless and 666 Park Avenue. He’s repped by APA and Interlink Management.

Brad Pitt Thinks He'll One Day 'Organically' Be Done with Acting: 'I Enjoy Doing Other Things'

The actor spoke to PEOPLE at the Los Angeles premiere of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, where he weighed in on whether he had ever considered retiring given director Quentin Tarantino’s vocal stance on it. The Oscar-winning writer and director has often said he’s retiring after 10 films, meaning he has one more left after Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

“No, I don’t know. I don’t know. I enjoy doing other things,” Pitt, 55, says of whether he’s thought about leaving his acting career behind. “I think that one day I’ll just wake up and organically it’ll be done. Maybe I won’t wake up and that’s why it’ll be done.”

Pitt recently opened up to GQ Australia about his changing interest in the movie industry as he gets older.

“I’m behind the camera on the producing side and I enjoy that a lot,” Pitt said of his recent projects with production company Plan B. “But I keep doing less and less. I really believe that overall it’s a younger man’s game – not that there aren’t substantial parts for older characters – I just feel, the game itself, it’ll move on naturally. There will be a natural selection to it all.”

He continued to the outlet, “But I’m curious to see what the future of [film] is, what shape it takes. I really appreciate the streaming services because we’re seeing more and more quality projects being made. We’re seeing more writers and directors and actors getting a shot. It just tells you how many talented people are out there.”

“I like to think there’s room for both,” he said. “But I could be a dinosaur and not even know it, man. And the comet could be on the way.”

Pitt won an Oscar in 2014 for producing the hit movie 12 Years a Slave with his production company.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, also starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie, hits theaters Friday.

David Hedison, Actor in James Bond Films and Soap Opera Another World, Dies at 92

The actor died on July 18 in Los Angeles with “his loving daughters Alexandra and Serena by his side,” according to a statement obtained by PEOPLE.

“Even in our deep sadness, we are comforted by the memory of our wonderful father,” his family said in the statement. “He loved us all dearly and expressed that love every day. He was adored by so many, all of whom benefitted from his warm and generous heart.”

The statement continued, “Our dad brought joy and humor wherever he went and did so with great style.”

Hedison began his acting career while studying theater at Brown University. He later attended The Neighborhood Playhouse and The Actors Studio.

He made his film debut in 1958’s Son of Robin Hood and starred as the scientist André Delambre in The Fly, which was released that same year.

Hedison’s film career continued with turns in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and two James Bond films as CIA agent Feliz Leiter: To Live and Let Die and License to Kill.

He also starred as Spencer Harrison on the daytime series Another World and as Arthur Hendricks in The Young and the Restless.

In the statement, his family said Hedison joked he preferred “SRO” (Standing Room Only) to “RIP.” He is survived by his two daughters.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations be made to The Actor’s Fund.

‘Ad Astra’ Trailer: Brad Pitt Heads Into Space In Fox Sci-Fi Drama

The second trailer gives us a more reflective, cerebral look at the film, opening with Roy, played by Brad Pitt, who is on a mission to find his missing father. “Dad, I’d like to see you again,” he says into a microphone.

“You instilled in me a strong work ethic. You should know I’ve chosen a career that you would approve of,” he says in a voiceover behind clips that show him working as an astronaut. “I’ve dedicated my life to the exploration of space. I thank you for that.” Roy later is told his father may be involved with the changing behavior of the human population.

“We have to hold out the possibility that your father may be hiding from us,” Sutherland’s character tells Roy. “We have a job to do, are you ready?” he asks Roy, who responds “I’m ready.”

Directed and co-written by James Gray and Ethan Gross, Ad Astra follows astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) who travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Jamie Kennedy and Donald Sutherland co-star.

Regency Enterprises and Fox produced the movie with Bona Film Investment Company, which is handling China.

Watch the trailer above.

Richard Burgi on Grand Hotel 7/29/19

“Grand Hotel” stars Demián Bichir as Santiago Mendoza, Roselyn Sánchez as Gigi Mendoza, Denyse Tontz as Alicia Mendoza, Bryan Craig as Javi Mendoza, Wendy Raquel Robinson as Mrs. P, Lincoln Younes as Danny, Shalim Ortiz as Mateo, Anne Winters as Ingrid, Chris Warren as Jason, Feliz Ramirez as Carolina and Justina Adorno as Yoli.

Guest stars include Richard Burgi as Michael Flynn and Freddie Stroma as Oliver.

“Where the Sun Don’t Shine” was written by Sara Saedi and directed by David Grossman.

Brad Pitt Circling Damien Chazelle’s Period Hollywood ‘Babylon’ With Emma Stone

B&B Rena Sofer Admits She Doesn't Usually Get Recognized By Fans

Since joining B&B, a show with a huge international fan base, one might think Sofer is more likely to be mobbed when she travels abroad, but that’s not necessarily the case. “It’s never really a problem,” she admitted. “I don’t typically wear makeup when I travel, and I’m not one of those people who’s like, ‘Do you know who I am?’” Of course, when the actress is traveling to promote the soap she now calls home, it’s a whole different story. “When I went to Australia and Amsterdam, I did a lot of press for the show,” she said, “but otherwise, I’m really just all about being with my family.”

Brad Pitt thinks he’s aging out of Hollywood

The 55-year-old actor, who appears in Quentin Tarantino’s highly anticipated upcoming film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” opened up about the changes Hollywood has been going through in light of the #MeToo movement, the rise of streaming services, mega franchises and more, and said he might be past his prime in terms of starring in classic screenplays.

“I’m behind the camera on the producing side and I enjoy that a lot,” Pitt told GQ Australia. “But I keep doing less and less. I really believe that overall it’s a younger man’s game – not that there aren’t substantial parts for older characters – I just feel, the game itself, it’ll move on naturally. There will be a natural selection to it all.

“But I’m curious to see what the future of film is, what shape it takes.”

Although some Hollywood icons such as Steven Spielberg have rejected streaming services in the entertainment sphere, Pitt said he’s a fan because they give more opportunities to new talent.

“I like to think there’s room for both,” Pitt said. “But I could be a dinosaur and not even know it, man. And the comet could be on the way.”

Brad Pitt got private tour of London’s Tate Modern museum

One of the curators was asked to give the star a tour of the vast museum — which currently has shows by artists Jenny Holzer and Natalia Goncharova and one called “Magic Realism: Art in Weimar Germany 1919-33” — last month.

Pitt, long interested in art and design, has said that he’s turned to sculpture as a way to help recover from his messy split with Angelina Jolie.

Page Six reported in May that he was spotted with sculptor pal Thomas Houseago at the Venice Biennale.

Sofia Pernas & Alicia Coppola's Blood & Treasure Renewed for Season 2

Blood & Treasure premiered in May to 5.6 million total viewers and a 0.6 demo rating, in a special post-NCIS showcase. Understandably dipping after that, it as of late has averaged about 3.6 million and a 0.4 — numbers that swell to 5.7 mil/0.7 with Live+3 DVR playback. The Season 1 finale airs July 16.

“Blood & Treasure is a fun, escapist adventure with comedic elements filmed in multiple locales around the world that has been a great performer and a wonderful addition to our summer schedule,” said Amy Reisenbach, CBS’ EVP of Current Programs, in a statement. “We’ve heard the story pitch for season two and look forward to seeing all-new exploits from Russia to Southeast Asia next year.”

The series stars Matt Barr (Sleepy Hollow) as a brilliant antiquities expert who teams with a cunning art thief (played by The Brave‘s Sofia Pernas) to take down a ruthless terrorist who funds his attacks through stolen treasure. As they crisscross the world hunting their target, they find themselves at the center of a 2,000-year-old battle for the cradle of civilization.

The cast also includes Michael James Shaw, Katia Winter, James Callis, Oded Fehr, Alicia Coppola and Mark Gagliardi.

Lindsay Lohan returns to Tommy Mottola's label for music comeback: report

Just days after the Mean Girls star confirmed reports she was quitting MTV reality show Lindsay Lohan’s Beach House, she’s officially planning another attack on the charts.

Sources tell the New York Post’s Page Six she has signed with Mottola’s Casablanca Records, the company behind her debut album, Speak, which she released in 2004.

The album, which featured the hit Rumors, hit the top five of the Billboard 200.

Lindsay teased a music comeback earlier this year (19), when she posted a photo of herself in the recording studio and suggested she was working on new music.

Lohan and MTV bosses agreed not to press ahead with a second season of Beach House, with Lohan telling Page Six earlier this week there wasn’t enough drama for another run.

Rena Sofer Opens up About Reuniting With Her Ex-Husband

Sofer and Bookstaver had remained friends and co-parents (to daughter Avalon, 13) following their split, but latent sparks were reignited last fall.“He flew in from New York to be at my [December] birthday party for three hours, and then he flew back,” she recalled. “That was a big deal for me, because it kind of answered the question of, ‘Who’s going to have my back for the rest of my life?’ Here’s a guy who [was no longer obligated to] have my back anymore, and he still did!”

Though they had each attempted to move on following their divorce, that task proved easier said than done. “I tried to date, but I ended up just dating dogs more than anything,” joked the pup-loving actress. “I mean literal dogs, although I did date some ‘dogs,’ too!”

Having both come to the conclusion that the most important thing to each of them was still one another, the couple picked up pretty much where they’d left off. “We have not taken it slowly, even though we’ve tried to. That’s what happens when you’ve already been together for 18 years,” she said. “You’re like, ‘I know you! What are we waiting for?’ So we’re back together. He’s not my husband, but it feels too weird to call him my boyfriend, so I still call him my ex-husband, because I think it’s hilarious.”

Getting back to basics and figuring out who (and what) she loves over the past few years has led Sofer to discover something else that brings her great joy: woodworking! “When I got divorced and wasn’t working a lot over the past year and a half, I decided that I needed something for myself,” she explained. “I’ve always been the sort of handy person who can spend hours roaming through Home Depot, and I really liked the idea of working with wood. I just needed to find someone who could teach me.”

The actress signed up for classes at a local workshop, where she continues to drop in frequently to make beautiful artisanal cutting boards and wooden utensils. “It makes me happy to be creative,” she confided. “You’re making it the way people have made these things forever, and that’s interesting and meaningful to me.”

Sofer also found meaning in her life by hosting some houseguests … of the four-legged variety! Already the loving owner of pooches Iggy, Alpha and Mega, Sofer agreed to foster a pregnant dog late last year that was found on the streets. “I thought it would be the coolest thing ever, to watch a dog give birth and play with the puppies and take care of them until they could be given away,” she said.

Though her daughter joked that Sofer would adopt all of the puppies herself, the actress managed to limit herself to keeping just one, whom she named Marceline. The rest of the pups (including the mother) were given happy homes with Sofer’s friends and family members. Though having a house filled with energetic puppies required effort and patience, Sofer is grateful she was able to help. “The world can seem so cruel and unfixable to me,” she said. “It makes me feel powerless sometimes, but I realized all I can do is try to help a small corner of the world — my corner — and hope that light can expand a little bit.” Comic-strip creator Charles M. Schulz may have coined the phrase “Happiness is a warm puppy,” but Sofer’s living proof that it’s actually quite true!

Tell Me a Story Season 2: Paul Wesley Returning In a New Role

Story‘s inaugural season put a creepy, modern-day spin on Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs and Hansel and Gretel.

Season 2 will reimagine the princess-themed tales Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, with Wesley starring as Tucker, a struggling novelist who spends his sleepless nights toiling away in a secluded cabin in the woods and his days trying to prove he’s good enough for his beautiful fiancée. But it’s all about to come crashing down as a dark secret threatens to destroy his world.

Fellow Vampire Diaries vet Kevin Williamson, who created Tell Me a Story, will be back as showunner in Season 2.

Brad Pitt Puts Straight Pride Parade on Notice for Using Him as 'Mascot'

As you may have heard ... a small group of straight men in Boston -- in an apparent retort to June being LGBTQ Pride Month -- have announced an upcoming parade to "celebrate the diverse history, culture, and contributions of the straight community."

Currently, their website claims this community has adopted Pitt as its mascot, and congratulates him for being "the face of this important civil rights movement."

Of course, this is total BS, and sources close to Brad tell TMZ his team has reached out to the Straight Pride Parade organizers, demanding they stop using his name and likeness for their event.

If they don't do it soon ... we're told further action could be taken.

As for the planned parade ... the morons in charge say it will be a one-day event sometime in August, and they are requesting the same route as the Boston Pride Parade.

The parade has unsurprisingly been met with scorn and has a lot of folks shaking their damn heads, but here's what Boston native and 'Captain America' star Chris Evans thinks about it.

@ChrisEvans: Wow! Cool initiative, fellas!! Just a thought, instead of ‘Straight Pride’ parade, how about this: The ‘desperately trying to bury our own gay thoughts by being homophobic because no one taught us how to access our emotions as children’ parade? Whatta ya think? Too on the nose??

Marcia Cross claims anal cancer caused by same HPV strain as husband’s throat cancer

Cross, 57, is now in remission, and speaking out about the dangers of the STD. The former Desperate Housewives star appeared on CBS This Morning to promote early prevention against HPV and encourage people to get the HPV vaccine.

“I know there are people who are ashamed. You have cancer! You have to then also feel ashamed? Like you did something bad, you know, because it took up residence in your anus? I mean, come on, really. There’s enough on your plate.” Cross said.

“Even for me, it took a while. Anus, anus, anus. Ha. You just have to get used to it.”

According to the CDC, HPV causes more than 90% of anal cancers, and can spread from one person to another through sex or just by skin-to-skin contact. Back in 2009 her husband, Tom Mahoney, was diagnosed with throat cancer and underwent treatment. Little did the couple know the cancers would end up being related.

In September 2018, after a grueling battle of her own, including six weeks of radiation then two weeks of chemo, Cross finally revealed she was cancer-free.

“I am POST cancer. All good now. Hard journey, but I am HEALTHY, happy, and more present and grateful than ever,” she shared on Instagram. Thank you from the bottom of my ever expanding heart for all of your LOVE.”

Now well-educated on the disease and its dangers, Cross highly recommends early immunization. She said her daughters are up for their first shot at the end of the school year.

As for her own recovery, Cross told CBS she’s doing great.

“I’m feeling back to normal though it’s a new normal,” she said. “I don’t think I’ll ever take it for granted. I’m the girl who goes to the bathroom now and I go ‘Yes! It’s great what my body can do! I’m so grateful.’”

Why Women Kill: Marc Cherry Dramedy Gets August Premiere at CBS All Access

New episodes will drop on a weekly basis, with installments getting released every Thursday. The show’s first season spans 10 episodes.

Created by Marc Cherry (Desperate Housewives, Devious Maids), Why Women Kill follows the lives of three women living in three different decades: a housewife in the ’60s, a socialite in the ’80s and a lawyer in 2019, each dealing with infidelity in their marriages. Per the project’s logline, the show “will examine how the roles of women have changed, but how their reaction to betrayal… has not.”

Once Upon a Time‘s Ginnifer Goodwin, Elementary‘s Lucy Liu and The Good Place‘s Kirby Howell-Baptiste will star as the central trio. Goodwin plays Beth Ann, a seemingly cheerful housewife in 1963; Liu plays elegant socialite Simone; and Howell-Baptiste plays the fiercely intelligent attorney Taylor.

“Oh my gosh, I’m doing [Why Women Kill] now and it is kicking my ass in the best way,” Goodwin recently teased to TVLine. “It’s brain-hurting fun. A creative playground, for sure… [Cherry] is a master of words. Everything is a bit more theatrical and heightened and stylized and poetic and juicy.”

The cast also includes Jack Davenport (Smash), Sam Jaeger (Parenthood), Reid Scott (Veep), Alexandra Daddario (True Detective), Sadie Calvano (Mom), Leo Howard (Kickin’ It), Alicia Coppola (The Young and the Restless) and Katie Finneran (Bloodline).

Jane Krakowski on Match Game 6/19/19

Celebrity panelists for June 19 include the following:
Chris Parnell (“Archer”; “Rick and Morty”)
Whitney Cummings (comedian, actress and producer)
Tony Rock (“Living Biblically,” “All Def Comedy,” “The Game of Dating,” nationally touring comedian)
Jane Krakowski (“Dickinson,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” “30 Rock,” Tony Award® winner)
Rob Riggle (“Holey Moley,” “The Hangover,” “12 Strong,” “Midnight Sun”)
Sarah Chalke (“Friends from College,” “Rick and Morty,” “Scrubs,” “Speechless”)

Joining the celebrity panelists are contestants Mike Brown (hometown: Harlem, New York), Christina Floriza (hometown: Chevy Chase, Maryland), Brett White (hometown: Queens, New York) and Julee Snitzer-Levine (hometown: Northridge, California).

Audiobooks Narrated By Soap Stars

Nadia's daily life in south Brooklyn is filled with small indignities: as a senior home attendant, she is always in danger of being fired; as a part-time nanny, she is forced to navigate the demands of her spoiled charge and the preschooler's insecure mother; and as a ethnic Russian, she finds herself feuding with western Ukrainian immigrants who think she is a traitor.

The war back home is always at the forefront of her reality. On television, Vladimir Putin speaks of the "reunification" of Crimea and Russia, the Ukrainian president makes unconvincing promises about a united Ukraine, while American politicians are divided over the fear of immigration. Nadia internalizes notions of "union" all around her, but the one reunion she has been waiting six years for - with her beloved daughter - is being eternally delayed by the Department of Homeland Security. When Nadia finds out that her daughter has lost access to the medicine she needs to survive, she takes matters into her own hands.

Mother Country is Irina Reyn's most emotionally complex, urgent novel yet. It is a story of mothers and daughters and, above all else, resilience.

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum, narrated by Ariana Delawari, Dahlia Salem (ex-Sofia, AW, ex-Claire, GH), Susan Nezami (Get it here)

Palestine, 1990. Seventeen-year-old Isra prefers reading books to entertaining the suitors her father has chosen for her. Over the course of a week, the naive and dreamy girl finds herself quickly betrothed and married and is soon living in Brooklyn. There, Isra struggles to adapt to the expectations of her oppressive mother-in-law, Fareeda, and strange new husband, Adam, a pressure that intensifies as she begins to have children - four daughters instead of the sons Fareeda tells Isra she must bear.

Brooklyn, 2008. Eighteen-year-old Deya, Isra's oldest daughter, must meet with potential husbands at her grandmother Fareeda's insistence, though her only desire is to go to college. Deya can't help but wonder if her options would have been different had her parents survived the car crash that killed them when Deya was only eight. But her grandmother is firm on the matter: The only way to secure a worthy future for Deya is through marriage to the right man.

But fate has a will of its own, and soon, Deya will find herself on an unexpected path that leads her to shocking truths about her family - knowledge that will force her to question everything she thought she knew about her parents, the past, and her own future.

Set in an America at once foreign to many and staggeringly close at hand, A Woman Is No Man is a story of culture and honor, secrets and betrayals, love and violence. It is an intimate glimpse into a controlling and closed cultural world and a universal tale about family and the ways silence and shame can destroy those we have sworn to protect.

The American Agent: Maisie Dobbs, Book 15 by Jacqueline Winspear, narrated by Orlagh Cassidy (ex-Doris, GL) (Get it here)

Beloved heroine Maisie Dobbs, "one of the great fictional heroines" (Parade), investigates the mysterious murder of an American war correspondent in London during the Blitz in a pause-resisting tale of love and war, terror and survival.

When Catherine Saxon, an American correspondent reporting on the war in Europe, is found murdered in her London digs, news of her death is concealed by British authorities. Serving as a linchpin between Scotland Yard and the Secret Service, Robert MacFarlane pays a visit to Maisie Dobbs, seeking her help. He is accompanied by an agent from the US Department of Justice - Mark Scott, the American who helped Maisie get out of Hitler's Munich in 1938. MacFarlane asks Maisie to work with Scott to uncover the truth about Saxon's death.

As the Germans unleash the full terror of their blitzkrieg upon the British Isles, raining death and destruction from the skies, Maisie must balance the demands of solving this dangerous case with her need to protect Anna, the young evacuee she has grown to love and wants to adopt. Entangled in an investigation linked to the power of wartime propaganda and American political intrigue being played out in Britain, Maisie will face losing her dearest friend - and the possibility she might be falling in love again.

Run Away by Harlan Coben, narrated by Steven Weber (ex-Kevin, ATWT) (Get it here)

A perfect family is shattered in Run Away, the thriller from the master of domestic suspense, Harlan Coben.

You've lost your daughter.

She's addicted to drugs and to an abusive boyfriend. And she's made it clear that she doesn't want to be found.

Then, by chance, you see her playing guitar in Central Park. But she's not the girl you remember. This woman is living on the edge, frightened, and clearly in trouble.

You don't stop to think. You approach her, beg her to come home.

She runs.

And you do the only thing a parent can do: you follow her into a dark and dangerous world you never knew existed. Before you know it, both your family and your life are on the line. And in order to protect your daughter from the evils of that world, you must face them head on.

Don’t Let Go by Harlan Coben, narrated by Steven Weber (ex-Kevin, ATWT) (Get it here)

Suburban New Jersey Detective Napoleon "Nap" Dumas hasn't been the same since senior year of high school, when his twin brother Leo and Leo's girlfriend Diana were found dead on the railroad tracks - and Maura, the girl Nap considered the love of his life, broke up with him and disappeared without explanation. For fifteen years, Nap has been searching, both for Maura and for the real reason behind his brother's death. And now, it looks as though he may finally find what he's been looking for.

When Maura's fingerprints turn up in the rental car of a suspected murderer, Nap embarks on a quest for answers that only leads to more questions - about the woman he loved, about the childhood friends he thought he knew, about the abandoned military base near where he grew up, and mostly about Leo and Diana - whose deaths are darker and far more sinister than Nap ever dared imagine.

Home by Harlan Coben, narrated by Steven Weber (ex-Kevin, ATWT) (Get it here)

A decade ago, kidnappers grabbed two boys from wealthy families and demanded ransom, then went silent. No trace of the boys ever surfaced. For 10 years their families have been left with nothing but painful memories and a quiet desperation for the day that has finally, miraculously arrived: Myron Bolitar and his friend Win believe they have located one of the boys, now a teenager. Where has he been for 10 years, and what does he know about the day, more than half a life ago, when he was taken? And most critically: What can he tell Myron and Win about the fate of his missing friend? Drawing on his singular talent, Harlan Coben delivers an explosive and deeply moving thriller about friendship, family, and the meaning of home.

Long Lost by Harlan Coben, narrated by Steven Weber (ex-Kevin, ATWT) (Get it here)

Myron hasn't heard from Terese Collins in years. Not since their affair ended with no explanation. There had been no contact since, so her call catches him off guard. She's in Paris, she says, in trouble, and only Myron can help. She tells him a sad story she's never before revealed: a good marriage, her struggles to get pregnant, the happiest moment of her life when her only child was born, the day everything she'd ever loved was taken from her. In the years since, Terese has had no contact with her ex-husband, until the phone call that brought her to Paris.

When she gets there he's been murdered, and she's a suspect. But then comes a startling piece of evidence that turns the entire case upside down, laying bare Terese's long-buried family secrets in a most shocking way and leaving Myron nowhere to turn for help. Caught in a foreign landscape where nothing is as it seems, he must tear apart the city - and eventually the globe - fighting for answers to unfathomable questions that will take Myron, and millions of Harlan Coben readers, where they have never gone before.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt bonded while making ‘Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood’

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” made its splashy premiere Tuesday evening at Cannes, 25 years after Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” debuted at the French Riviera festival, where it went on to win the Palme d’Or. Tarantino’s latest is about an actor (DiCaprio) in TV Westerns and his stunt double (Pitt) in 1960s Los Angeles, set against the backdrop of the Manson family murders.

It’s the first time DiCaprio and Pitt have made a feature together, though the two co-starred in a 2015 short directed by Martin Scorsese. They both suggested it might not be the last.

“There was an incredible ease and comfort getting to work alongside Brad. We kind of grew up in the same generation, got our start around the same time,” said DiCaprio. “We together forged, hopefully, a great cinematic bond in a film about our industry together.”

Pitt concurred. “It’s that thing of knowing you’ve got the best-of-the-best on the opposite side of the table holding up the scene with you,” he said. “I hope we get to do it again.”

The anticipation and glamour of “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” brought a frenzy unlike anything else has to this year’s Cannes. Festival artistic director Thierry Fremaux had desperately sought its inclusion. The film was a late addition after Tarantino was able to finish post-production work in time.

The stakes have been high for Sony Pictures, which gave Tarantino a $95 million budget to make what DiCaprio called “his love letter to the industry.” On Wednesday, Sony Pictures chief Tom Rothman sat front row as Tarantino and his cast spoke to reporters.

Tarantino was made a free agent in Hollywood after the downfall of his regular producer, Harvey Weinstein. The director has previously acknowledged knowing about some of the accusations against Weinstein for years, saying: “I knew enough to do more than I did.”

Tarantino made no mention on Wednesday of Weinstein or the controversy last year involving Uma Thurman. The actress said an unsafe stunt on “Kill Bill” left her neck and knees permanently damaged. Tarantino later apologized, calling the incident “the biggest regret of my life.”

He was, though, asked about his feelings toward director Roman Polanski, who was Tate’s husband at the time of the Manson family murders. Played by Rafal Zawierucha, Polanski is seen only sparingly in “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.” Tarantino previously defended Polanski for having sexing with a 13-year-old girl, telling Howard Stern in 2003 that she “wanted to have it.”

On Wednesday, Tarantino said only that he’s a deep admirer of Polanski’s “Rosemary’s Baby.” He said he didn’t consult Polanski on the new film.

The tensest moment for Tarantino came when a New York Times reporter asked why an actress as talented as Robbie had relatively few lines in the film. Robbie’s Tate is largely a side narrative in the movie, which focuses on her fictional neighbours (DiCaprio and Pitt).

“I just reject your hypotheses,” Tarantino retorted curtly. Robbie gave a fuller defence, calling her Tate “a ray of light.” She said Tarantino referred to her character as “the heartbeat of the story.”

“The moments that I got gave the opportunity to honour Sharon,” she said. “I did feel like I got a lot of time to explore the character even without dialogue, specifically.”

When another reporter asked Tarantino if he ever had any hesitation about turning a real-life tragedy into a movie, he replied, simply: “Um, no.”

“Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,” which opens in U.S. theatres on July 26, has been met with largely good reviews in Cannes, with critics calling it a nostalgic ode to a bygone Hollywood.

Asked if he would have rather made movies in 1969 than now, Tarantino said: “I prefer any time before cellphones.”

Hulu Sets Animated Kids Series With Openly Gay Main Character; T.R. Knight, Bobby Moynihan, RuPaul & Others Add Voices ‘The Bravest Knight’

The boundary-breaking new series features a household with two dads (Sir Cedric, voiced by Knight, and Prince Andrew), making it one of the first children’s television series with an openly gay main character. It chronicles a young pumpkin farmer’s adventure as he attempts to become the bravest knight who ever lived.

In addition to Knight as Sir Cedric, The Bravest Knight stars Moynihan as young Cedric’s troll sidekick Grunt, Reid as Not-Yet-Knight Nia, and will also feature the voice talents of RuPaul, Baranski, Sykes, Wilson Cruz, Teri Polo, Steven Weber, Donna Murphy, AJ McLean, Dot-Marie Jones, Maz Jobrani, Chance Hurstfield and more. The Bravest Knight’s opening theme song was written and performed by Grammy-nominated musician, songwriter and activist Justin Tranter.

Following the inspiring and perseverant former pumpkin farmer, Sir Cedric, now grown and married to the prince of his dreams, The Bravest Knight recounts personal tales of his journey. Sir Cedric shares his story with his adopted 10-year-old daughter Nia, on how he transformed from day-time farmer to full-fledged knight. Nia, who is training to become a brave knight herself, learns important values such as honor, justice and compassion; proving that knighthood is much more than slaying dragons.

The Bravest Knight joins Hulu’s original kids series including Holly Hobbie, Find Me In Paris and Doozers, among others.

More Stars Join One-Night Re-Do Of Norman Lear’s ‘All In The Family’ & ‘The Jeffersons’ On ABC

Jovan Adepo will re-enact the role of Lionel Jefferson, Anthony Anderson joins as Uncle Henry, Stephen Tobolowsky is set to play Mr. Bentley, and Jackée Harry will play Diane Stockwell.

The special, airing live on ABC, Wednesday, May 22 at 8 PM ET, will re-create an original episode from each of the iconic 1970s Lear comedies. James Burrows will direct, and Sony Pictures Television is producing.

Previously announced stars include Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei as Archie and Edith Bunker. Also previously announced, Jamie Foxx takes the role of George Jefferson, and Wanda Sykes will play Louise Jefferson. Ellie Kemper will reenact the role of Gloria Stivic, Will Ferrell is set to play Tom Willis, and Justina Machado is Florence Johnston.

From 1971-79, All in the Family was watched in millions of American homes, tackling controversial subjects and shaping ongoing political and social conversations in the post-civil rights era.

The success of All in the Family launched spinoff The Jeffersons, which ran from 1975-85. It was the first television series to feature an interracial couple, going on to be one of the longest-running shows on TV with an African-American cast.

Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s ‘All in the Family’ and ‘The Jeffersons’ will be produced by Smoking Baby Productions, ACT III Productions, Gary Sanchez Productions and Sony Pictures Television. Lear, Kimmel, Brent Miller, Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Justin Theroux will executive produce.

FBI Spinoff, Good Wife Creators' Evil Among CBS Drama Series Orders

Most Wanted — executive-produced by Law & Order and #OneChicago mastermind Dick Wolf — centers on the division of the bureau tasked with tracking and capturing the notorious criminals on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Nip/Tuck veteran Julian McMahon stars as FBI Agent Jess Lacroix, with Kellan Lutz (Twilight) playing Agent Crosby and Alana De La Garza (Law & Order) as Assistant Agent in Charge Isobel Castille. The Most Wanted cast debuted in an April 2 episode of FBI that doubled as a backdoor pilot for the spinoff.

As for the other two dramas CBS picked up: Evil, from The Good Wife creators Robert and Michelle King, is “a psychological mystery that examines science versus religion and the origins of evil,” per the official description. Katja Herbers (Westworld) stars as a skeptical forensic psychologist who teams up with a priest-in-training (Luke Cage‘s Mike Colter) and a blue-collar contractor to investigate paranormal phenomena like miracles and demonic possessions. Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show) and Michael Emerson (Person of Interest) also co-star.

Legal drama All Rise “follows the dedicated, chaotic, hopeful and sometimes absurd lives of judges, prosecutors and public defenders as they work with bailiffs, clerks and cops to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal system,” according to the official synopsis. The ensemble cast includes Simone Missick (Luke Cage), Wilson Bethel (Hart of Dixie), Jessica Camacho (The Flash) and CSI vet Marg Helgenberger.

This Close Season 2

Luke Perry buried in eco-friendly mushroom 'suit'

The Riverdale star passed away on March 4 at the age of 52 following a massive stroke.

And now Luke’s daughter Sophie has revealed that her father – who was passionate about environmental causes – had seen the biodegradable suit months before his death, and requested that he be buried in it when the time came.

“Any explanation i give will not do justice to the genius that is the mushroom burial suit, but it is essentially an eco friendly burial option via mushrooms,” Sophie, 18, wrote on Instagram.

“My dad discovered it, and was more excited by this than I have ever seen him,” she continued. “He was buried in this suit, one of his final wishes. They are truly a beautiful thing for this beautiful planet, and I want to share it with all of you.”

Mushroom suits cost around US$1,500 each and include a button-up fabric with a hood and face cover, according to Coeio.com, the company that designs the special burial outfit.

The suit uses mushrooms and other microorganisms to speed up the decomposition process, while also neutralizing toxins found in the body and transferring the nutrients to plant life.

Earlier this week, Sophie announced she was officially opening her first preschool in Malawi, Africa, which would be named after her late father.

Brad Pitt Space Movie ‘Ad Astra’ Departs Memorial Day Slot; 20th Century Fox Pic Might Fly To Fall

This has been rumored for some time, with Deadline’s Nancy Tartaglione and Andreas Wiseman reporting that the pic would miss a Cannes Film Festival premiere because there’s still a lot of VFX works that needs to be completed. Director James Gray has even mentioned in interviews that May 24 was always a placeholder date (Fox initially had the pic dated earlier before moving to it Memorial Day back in January). We’ve heard that the pic could likely land a spot in the fall season, but it’s still a matter of when and a release date will be firmed up once Gray is finished with the movie.

Disney remains mum on the matter. It has the tentpole Aladdin on May 24, so it makes sense that Ad Astra is flying away from the date. Disney also Fox’s Ford v. Ferrari from James Mangold on November 15. That pic off its trailer generated plenty heat out of Disney’s CinemaCon session.

Ad Astra follows Astronaut Roy McBride (Pitt) who travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Jamie Kennedy and Donald Sutherland co-star.

Regency Enterprises and Fox produced the movie with Bona Film Investment Company, which is handling China.

Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ heads to Cannes

The director’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was announced as a late addition to the Cannes Film Festival on Thursday. It will premiere in competition at the upcoming French festival, adding one of the summer’s starriest, most anticipated films to the Cannes’ red carpet.

When Cannes’ artistic director Thierry Fremaux announced the festival’s official selections last month, he said he was hopeful Tarantino would finish editing in time for the film to return to the festival where “Pulp Fiction” 25 years ago won Cannes’ top award, the Palme d’Or.

“We were afraid the film would not be ready,” Fremaux said in a statement Thursday. “But Quentin Tarantino, who has not left the editing room in four months, is a real, loyal and punctual child of Cannes.”

“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” which opens in theaters July 26, is set in late ’60s Los Angeles and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a TV actor and Brad Pitt as his longtime stunt double. Margot Robbie co-stars as Sharon Tate, the actress murdered by Charles Manson’s followers in 1969.

As a producer, DiCaprio will additionally bring a documentary on climate change to Cannes titled “Ice on Fire.”

Fremaux also added Abdellatif Kechiche’s “Mektoub, My Love: Intermezzo” to the festival’s main slate Thursday. Kechiche won the Palme d’Or in 2013 for “Blue Is the Warmest Color.” Last year, French authorities investigated the director for sexual assault after a complaint filed in Paris. Through his attorney, Kechiche has denied the allegation.

The Cannes Film Festival opens May 14 with the premiere of Jim Jarmusch’s “The Dead Don’t Die” and runs through May 25.

Anne Heche dating former ‘Hung’ co-star Thomas Jane

We hear the new couple of once-rising stars — who will appear together in upcoming thriller “Hour of Lead” (with Jason Patric!) — turned up at Feroce to celebrate Joel Souza’s film “Crown Vic” with producers Gregg Bello, Alec Baldwin and Anjul Nigam.

Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria, toasted the cast, which includes Jane and “The Deuce” actor David Krumholtz.

Heche was married to Coleman Laffoon, and famously dated Ellen DeGeneres.

Jane was married to Patricia Arquette for five years.

The duo were also spotted this month at the Sarasota Film Festival in Florida.

B&B’s Rena Sofer To Re-Wed

Talk Show Appearance

Wednesday, April 24

(10-11 a.m.) Christina Baranski on The Good Fight

Christine Baranski Recurs On The Big Bang Theory 5/9/19

Billy Dee Williams on Star Wars return: ‘Lando never left me!’

The first trailer for “Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker” premiered Friday — and it included a shot of Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian piloting the Millenium Falcon.

Asked at a fan event Friday how he prepped to reprise the role made famous in “The Empire Strikes Back,” Williams, 82, said, “Lando never left me!”

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are officially exes

The pair, who announced they were going their separate ways two years ago, filed a judgment on Friday that “restored their single status,” in documents obtained by The Blast on Saturday.

Sources told the outlet that Jolie, 43, and Pitt, 55, are happy to “get on with their lives.”

The Blast also reported in March that the actors were “negotiating a ‘bifurcated judgment’ of their status as a married couple and ready to be legally single. But they still have custody and asset details to figure out.

Additionally explaining, “the rush for a separation is not because either person is in a significant relationship, but that they need to ‘emotionally move on.’?”

Initially splitting in 2016, “Brangelina” has endured a drawn out back and forth of legal procedures involving custody battle of their six kids, which included a bout with child services in a family dispute that led to an FBI investigation into Pitt.

Throughout the prolonged proceedings, they have tried to keep the lives of their kids Shiloh, Vivienne, Maddox, Pax, Knox and Zahara as normal as possible. They have been seen out and about with Jolie as she took four of them to the “Dumbo” premiere in Los Angeles in March and the whole family to New York in February.

Anne Heche on ups and downs of career before receiving Sarasota Film Festival award

The Sarasota Film Festival will honor that filmography Saturday when it gives Heche a Career Tribute Award. She’ll also participate in the festival’s In Conversation With series on Sunday.

Heche told the Herald-Tribune in a phone interview that the award means a great deal to her, particularly from a festival centered on independent film.

“I don’t know what my life would’ve been without independent film,” Heche said. “I think that’s where some of the most special stories that I’ve been able to tell are.”

Coincidentally, Heche has her first major role in a wide-release film in more than a decade out in theaters when she visits the festival. She co-stars in “The Best of Enemies,” based on the true story of civil rights activist Ann Atwater (Oscar nominee Taraji P. Henson) and Ku Klux Klan leader C.P. Ellis (Oscar winner Sam Rockwell) befriending each other during a school desegregation community summit.

Heche plays Ellis’ wife Mary. She’s longtime friends with the film’s director Robin Bissell, making his directorial debut, and wanted to support him however she could.

“I didn’t know that I was going to be able to get the honor of acting with two of my favorite actors and I think two of the most gifted actors today,” Heche said. “Sam is one of those where if there was a bucket list of people I’d like to work with, he’s certainly it.”

Heche’s own acting career started on the long-running soap opera “Another World.” One of her first major film roles was in recent Oscar nominee Nicole Holofcener’s 1996 indie “Walking and Talking,” with the Austin Chronicle noting Heche was “destined for larger film roles.”

Indeed, the next year she co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones in the disaster blockbuster “Volcano” and Johnny Depp and Al Pacino in the crime drama “Donnie Brasco.” She had third billing after Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman on the political satire “Wag the Dog,” playing a role written for a man before director Barry Levinson decided to cast her.

After meeting and starting to date Ellen DeGeneres, Heche was warned she wouldn’t get the part as Harrison Ford’s love interest in “Six Days Seven Nights” if they went public. They nonetheless attended the “Volcano” premiere together, immediately causing a great deal of public scrutiny over their same-sex relationship.

That same night, Heche got a phone call from Ford, who said he didn’t care about her personal life and that she was still his choice for the role.

“If it were not for that stand, I wouldn’t be able to have had the career that I’ve had even outside of the studios,” Heche said. “It was something that without him, I never would’ve been able to do. I owe him my life for that.”

Though the film was a box-office success when it came out in 1998, it was one of the last studio films she appeared in, due to her relationship with DeGeneres, Heche said. The couple broke up in 2000 and Heche had a breakdown, as documented in her 2001 memoir “Call Me Crazy.”

Yet Heche continued to act, including in the Golden Globe-nominated indie drama “Birth.” She also co-starred with Kristen Bell in the 2004 television movie “Gracie’s Choice,” playing a drug-addicted mother struggling to care for her children, a role that earned her an Emmy nomination.

That same year, she starred alongside Alec Baldwin in a Broadway revival of the ’30s screwball comedy “Twentieth Century,” about a struggling theater producer who pursues his former protege and now-successful actress for a role. Heche was nominated for a Tony for Best Actress.

She’ll reunite with Baldwin and other actors including Henry Winkler this month for a one-night reading of the play, benefiting Roundabout Theatre Company. Heche said she’s excited about the event because the initial show was such a pivotal role for her.

“There were certain angels that came into my life and Alec was one of them,” Heche said. “He said that he wouldn’t do it without me. He really stood up for me and thought that the focus was being put on the wrong thing in my life.”

Heche continued to find acclaim with independent films, including her roles as a seductive insurance agent in the 2011 comedy “Cedar Rapids” and an ex-wife in that same year’s cop drama “Rampart.” She also started acting more on television, including a main role on the HBO series “Hung.”

Recently, Heche has appeared on “Chicago P.D.” as a superintendent, and on the NBC drama “The Brave” as the deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Heche said she got the latter role after show creator Dean Georgaris sent her a letter saying he always admired her after seeing her in “Donnie Brasco.”

“That was a real honor to me, and I feel like that’s part of what has kind of been able to bubble over into ‘Chicago P.D.,’ a woman who is extraordinarily powerful and believes in the goodness and the fight to make things right,” Heche said.

She’s still working in indie film, as well, including on the upcoming “Hour of Lead” with Thomas Jane. Heche said she remains grateful for all the indie films she’s worked on and collaborators she’s worked with over the years.

“If it weren’t for people like Alec Baldwin, who said come and be with me on Broadway, or these independent films, these beautiful artists reached out to me and gave me a career that defined some of the most incredible things I’ve been able to do,” Heche said.

Anne Heche at Sarasota Film Festival: Anne Heche will receive the festival’s Career Tribute Award during the closing night film and awards ceremony, which starts at 6 p.m. Saturday at Sarasota Opera House, 61 N. Pineapple Ave. Tickets cost $30-60 or $25-$48 for members. She will also participate in the festival’s In Conversation With series 1 p.m. Sunday at Sage, 1216 First St. Tickets cost $30. For more information or to buy tickets, call 941-366-6200 or visit www.sarasotafilmfestival.com.

Luke Perry's Life Celebration from Hollywood Set for April

TMZ's obtained the invitation that's been sent to those who worked with Luke during his Hollywood career ... a list boasting hundreds of names. We're told the invitation's gone out to those who worked with him on "Beverly Hills, 90210," "Riverdale" and various other projects.

Our sources say the invite's not limited to stars and execs who run Tinseltown. We're told crew members -- from camera guys and makeup artists to hairstylists and wardrobe folks -- are included on the guest list. The private event is set for April 13 at the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.

As we first reported ... Luke's ashes were spread around the place he most cherished ... the Tennessee farm where he lived on and off over the last 20-plus years. TMZ broke the story ... Luke died suddenly this month after suffering a massive stroke.

His death sent shock waves across the world. Luke was an adoring father and was revered just as much in Hollywood, which is why it wants to unite one last time in his honor.

‘Why Women Kill’: Leo Howard & Alicia Coppola To Recur In CBS All Access Series

Created by Cherry, Why Women Kill details the lives of three women living in three different decades: a housewife in the ‘60s (Ginnifer Goodwin), a socialite in the ‘80s (Lucy Liu) and a lawyer in 2018 (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), each dealing with infidelity in their marriages. The series will examine how the roles of women have changed but how their reaction to betrayal has not.

Howard is Tommy. Seen in 1982. A sexy, handsome teen, about to turn 18, he is working as a waiter at one of Simone’s (Liu) parties. Boyishly likable, hardworking, and with a little swagger, he is the son of one of Simone’s friends. He’s also got a mad crush on Simone.

Coppola will play Sheila. Seen in 1963, a New York Italian from Brooklyn, who is the friendly, outgoing, a bit overbearing, loud and well-meaning neighbor of Beth Ann (Goodwin) and Rob (Sam Jaeger).

Cherry will serve as executive producer alongside Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo, and Acme Productions’ Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis. Marc Webb will direct and also executive produce. Why Women Kill is produced by Imagine Television Studios and CBS Television Studios.

Howard’s recent credits include the lead role of Grover Jones on Hulu’s Freakish, a recurring on Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet as well as a lead role in Roland Joffe’s TV movie Scorned. He’s repped by Paradigm and Randy James Management.

Coppola recently wrapped a recurring role on the fifth season of Fox’s Empire and will be seen in CBS’ upcoming summer drama series Blood and Treasure. Coppola is repped by Abrams Artists Agency, Leslie Allan-Rice Management, and attorney Derek Kroeger.

Cassandra Creech on NCIS 4/16/19

GUEST CAST includes: Garrett M. Brown (Retired Marine General James Wallace), Doug Savant (Marine Brigadier General Daniel Kent), Cassandra Creech (Amy Tano).

Lifetime Sets Spring Premiere Dates For 3 Movies Including ‘Harry & Meghan’ Sequel

Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal, the sequel to the 2018 movie, continues the love story of newlyweds Prince Harry (Charlie Field) and American actress Meghan Markle (Tiffany Smith). Jordan Whalen, Maggie Sullivun, Timothy Temple, Charles Shaughnessy, Deborah Ramsay, Natalie Moon, James Dreyfus, Louise Bond and Bonnie Soper also star. Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal is executive produced by Merideth Finn and Michele Weiss. Menhaj Huda directs from a script by Scarlett Lacey.

Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta, featuring an all-African-American cast, is Lifetime’s modern take on the Jane Austen classic. It follows Reverend Bennet (Reginald VelJohnson), a pastor of a prominent Southern Baptist church, and his wife Mrs. Bennet (Jackée Harry), who is the author of a self-help book on how to find the perfect husband. Tiffany Hines, Raney Branch, Brittney Level, Reginae Carter, Alexia Bailey and Juan Antonio also star.

Pride & Prejudice: Atlanta is produced by Big Dreams Entertainment and Swirl Films. Leslie Greif, Naomi Despres and Tracy McMillan executive produce. Eric Tomosunas and Alex Kerr produce, while Rhonda Baraka directs from a script written by Tracy McMillan.

Based on a novel by the best-selling author, Adriana Trigiani’s Very Valentine tells the story of the Angelini Shoe Company, one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village, which has been making exquisite wedding shoes since 1903 but now teeters on the brink of financial collapse. Kelen Coleman and Jacqueline Bissett star, along with Liam McIntyre and Paolo Bernardini.

The Sanitsky Company and Sony Pictures Télévision produce. Larry Sanitsky serves as executive producer. Menhaj Huda directs from a teleplay written by Adriana Trigiani.

Brian Austin Green reveals ‘90210’ cast reunited in honor of Luke Perry

Brian Austin Green revealed on his podcast that the cast of “Beverly Hills, 90210” recently reunited in honor of the late star.

“[I saw] people I hadn’t seen in at least 18 years, at least,” Green shared. “It was very mixed emotions because you were happy to see everybody and you felt like, ‘God, it’s been so long’ … but what a horrible reason to have to see everybody again.”

The bittersweet reunion took place at Gabrielle Carteris’ house. Green, 45, didn’t say which cast members attended Carteris’ gathering.

“It was definitely interesting. It had its fun, funny, like, laugh times and then it had its moments of … I don’t fully know what to say,” he continued. “I totally don’t believe it. I don’t fully believe Luke is gone. Luke has been in my life a long time and we had a really special relationship, and I’m learning now that Luke really had a special relationship with everyone. … He was a great human being.”

Green previously revealed on his podcast that after he heard news of Perry’s passing, he texted the late “Riverdale” star.

“I texted him after he passed, knowing obviously that he can’t text me back but on some level, hoping that he would text me back, or that he was out there somewhere,” Green, who starred as David Silver alongside Perry’s Dylan McKay on the long-running series, explained.

“And I know he is. I know he’s looking down and I know he’s smiling.”

Perry died on March 4 after suffering a massive stroke. He was 52.

Alla Korot on MacGyver 4/12/19

GUEST CAST: Alla Korot (Dr. Arza Terzic), Andre Reed (Prosecutor), Faruk Amireh (Adnan).

‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ Teaser: First Look Trailer At Quentin Tarantino Film

Then again, nothing is ever quite what it seems in a Tarantino film. What we can confidently take away from the teaser: Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt display a loose, best-buddy chemistry as their respective TV star and stuntman characters are interviewed — newsreel-style — and discuss what exactly a stunt double does. “Carryin’ his load?” Pitt’s Cliff Booth answers dryly. “Yeah, that’s about right.”

Here’s the official logline: Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.

During the teaser, we also see brief clips of Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, some scene-setting shots of ’60s-era LA (a cinema marquee boasts The Night They Raided Minsky’s, putting us, at that moment, in 1968 or, depending on how long Minsky’s has been playing, maybe ’69), a Playboy club, maybe the Sunset Strip and, with hints of the danger to come, a group of hippie girls at what we can reasonably assume is Spahn Ranch, ground zero for Manson’s family of lost kids and killers. Bruce Dern plays the old and ailing Spahn.

Oh, and we also get a great look at Mike Moh playing Bruce Lee as Kato on The Green Hornet.

Earlier this week, Sony released character posters for the film. See them here and here.

Written and Directed by Tarantino, produced by David Heyman, Shannon McIntosh and Quentin Tarantino, the film hits theaters July 26. Check out the teaser above.

‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’ Poster: DiCaprio, Pitt & Tarantino’s Summer Of ’69

The pic is a Pulp Fiction-esque tapestry of stories set in an around Los Angeles in summer 1969, at the height of hippie Hollywood. The two lead characters are Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), the former star of a Western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor: Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie).

Set alongside that trio are the likes of Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Dakota Fanning, James Mardsen, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Timothy Olyphant, Damian Lewis, Lena Dunham, Emile Hirsch, Scoot McNairy, James Remar, Brenda Vaccaro and Bruce Dern, who stepped into the role that was set for his friend Burt Reynolds, who died in September. Luke Perry also filmed a role in this film before he died two weeks ago.

Sony releases the Columbia Pictures film on July 26. Take a look at the poster — remember those Champion tees? — and tell us what you think.

Luke Perry Was Cremated and Ashes Scattered On Tennessee Farm

Family sources tell us Luke's ashes now lay in the town of Vanleer, TN, where Luke had 380 acres. The "Beverly Hills, 90210" actor purchased the land in the '90s. He lived there on and off over the past 20-plus years.

TMZ broke the story ... Luke's death certificate lists his official cause of death as "ischemic cerebrovascular accident" -- doc talk for having a stroke. The cert revealed his body had been taken to Dickson, TN to a funeral home, but it was not more specific.

Vanleer is just over 13 miles away from Dickson, so it sounds like his family received Luke's ashes in Dickson and drove them north to the farm.

As for Luke's connection to the farm ... he bought it in 1995 during the '90210' run. He had just starred in the movie "8 Seconds" where he played a young rodeo champ and developed an interest in cattle raising. That's when he purchased the farm.

Our sources say a private ceremony for friends and family will be held for Luke in a few weeks.

Luke was supposed to get married to his fiancee, Wendy Madison Bauer, later this summer. The date had been set for August 17, 2019, in LA.

He was 52.

Julian McMahon Guests On FBI 4/2/19

Morgan Freeman Joins Ryan Reynolds & Samuel L. Jackson In ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ Sequel

The latest installment, which is slated to begin filming this month, will follow Michael Bryce (Reynolds) who joins Darius (Jackson) and his wife Sonia (Hayek) on a mission along the Amalfi Coast.

The 2017 original grossed close to $80M domestic for Lionsgate and more than $180M worldwide.

Freeman was last seen on the big screen in Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and up next stars in the Lionsgate Olympus Has Fallen sequel Angel Has Fallen. He also serves as the host of National Geographic Channel’s The Story of God which follows Freeman as he travels to cities deemed the world’s holiest, and speak with religious leaders, scientists, historians, and archaeologists.

Freeman is repped by CAA.

Soap Alum Readies For EMPIRE Debut

NBC TO Air Luke Perry's Classic SNL 3/9/19

Dishing with Digest - 3/8/19 - Bryan R. Dattilo

Bryan R. Dattilo looks back on 25 years as DAYS's Lucas, his comings and goings from the show, his recent fitness kick and more with Digest's Stephanie Sloane and Mara Levinsky. Plus, we talk about the late Luke Perry, who got his start on soaps.

Jason Priestley pays tribute to ‘bright light’ Luke Perry

The pair’s former castmates, Ian Ziering, Shannen Doherty, Jennie Garth, and Gabrielle Carteris, all offered up their fond farewells to the late actor hours after his death on Monday, but it has taken Priestley a little longer to find the right words.

“It’s taken me a couple of days to figure out how to write this …,” he wrote on Instagram early on Thursday. “My dear friend of 29 years, Luke Perry, was one of those truly special people who really cared ….

“Luke was not only a star, he was an incredibly bright light that was extinguished far too soon … and that is why I, and so many others, are in so much pain today … If you had the good fortune to know Luke, or to have ever crossed his path, I know you are sad today as well.”

Priestley, who shared two photos of the old friends – one a throwback and the other a more recent picture, added: “The candle that burns twice as bright only burns for half as long … you burned oh, so brightly Luke … Goodnight Sweet Prince.”

Perry died with his fiancee Wendy Madison Bauer, his ex-wife, Rachel Sharp, and their children at his side, five days after suffering a stroke at his home in Sherman Oaks, California.

His 21-year-old son, Jack, paid tribute to his dad via Instagram on Wednesday, writing: “He loved (and) supported me in everything, and inspired me to be the best that I could possibly be. I’ve learned so much from you, and my heart is broken thinking about everything you won’t be here for. I’ll miss you every day that I walk this earth. I’ll do whatever I can to carry on your legacy and make you proud. I love you Dad.”

Meanwhile, Tiffani Thiessen, who also starred opposite Perry on 90201, has offered up her tribute, calling the actor “the definition of a gentleman.”

She took to Instagram on Thursday and wrote: “My heart has been weighing heavy. The loss of a man who started as my co-star but quickly became my friend.”

Thiessen became the love interest for Perry’s bad boy heartthrob Dylan McKay on the show.

“He welcomed me on my very first day of #90210 with open arms. A day that was not an easy one for me,” she added. “I was coming in to a show, a family really, that had been together for over 4 years. But this man took me under his wing and made me feel at home … He was sincere, sweet, warm, kind, professional and funny as all heck.”

She added: “Luke, our world has a hole in it now that you aren’t here. But heaven definitely gained you as an angel.”

DAYS’s Josh Taylor Remembers Luke Perry

‘Jane The Novela’: Marcia Cross To Co-Star In The CW’s ‘Jane The Virgin’ Spinoff Pilot

Written by Jane scribe Valentina Garza and directed by Silberling, Jane the Novela is envisioned as a soapy, telenovela-inspired anthology series in the tradition of Jane the Virgin, where each season is based on a different fictional novel “written by” Jane Villanueva and narrated by the author herself.

The first installment takes place at a Napa Valley vineyard, where family secrets (and family members) don’t stay buried for long. It centers on Estela (Lopez), an up-and-coming art curator who has spent years playing it safe and coloring within the lines. But a shocking secret changes everything and forces her to live a double life.

Being “in the tradition of Jane the Virgin,” Jane the Novela mirrors the setup of the original series. It too follows a driven, imaginative twentysomething Latina woman (Lopez) who is torn between her boyfriend, Luen, and Felix, a handsome, rich guy. Felix co-owns a winery with his manipulative and glamorous mother Renata (Cross), who will stop at nothing to secure her son’s legacy, even if it means standing in the way of his happiness.

Cross starred as conservative housewife Bree Van de Kamp on ABC’s hit soapy dramedy series Desperate Housewives, which earned her an Emmy nomination. She previously starred on Melrose Place and several daytime dramas, giving her strong credentials to tackle a series in the tradition of telenovelas, the Latin American version of American soaps. Most recently, Cross recurred on ABC’s thriller series Quantico as well as on YouTube Red series Youth & Consequences.

She is repped by Gersh and John Carrabino Management.

Shannen Doherty Says Luke Perry's 'Biggest Accomplishment' Was His Children: 'They Were His Heart'

“I am in shock. Heartbroken. Devastated by the loss of my friend. I have so many memories with Luke that make me smile and that are forever imprinted on my heart and mind,” Doherty, 47, exclusively tells PEOPLE about Perry, who died Monday at age 52 after suffering a massive stroke days earlier.

Doherty starred alongside Perry on Beverly Hills, 90210 for years — the actress as Brenda Walsh and Perry as Dylan McKay (he appeared from 1990-95 and again in 1998 until 2000).

Although the costars drifted apart when the show went off the air, they reconnected after Doherty went public with her breast cancer diagnosis in 2015.Shannen Doherty and Luke Perry

“Luke was a smart, quiet, humble and complex man with a heart of gold and never-ending well of integrity and love. Luke reached out to me during my cancer journey and we picked right back up, albeit older and wiser, but that connection remained in tact,” says Doherty, who opened up about being in remission in September.

Although the duo wasn’t signed on to return for the upcoming Beverly Hills, 90210 reboot alongside their original castmates, both Doherty and Perry hoped to work together again on “something special and meaningful” for fans.

“There is a special kind of love one has for each other when you are experiencing the journey we did on 90210 and of course life in general. Luke and I were working on show ideas for us. We wanted to work with each other again and create something special and meaningful for our fans at this stage in our lives,” shares Doherty. “I will miss him everyday. Every minute. Every second.”

During their time spent together, Doherty remembers how often and fondly Perry spoke of his two children — son Jack, 21, and daughter Sophie, 18 — who he shared with ex Rachel “Minnie” Sharp.

“Luke loved his family. He raved about his kids and how proud he was of them. He showed me videos of the often,” says Doherty. “They were his heart and for him, his biggest accomplishment.”

Just weeks before his death, Doherty met up for lunch with her longtime friend and his dog, Penny, which will stand as one of her lasting memories with Perry.

“A couple of weeks ago in February, Luke and I met up for lunch. He chose the restaurant based on who would allow his dog,” says Doherty.

“I walked in and there he was, smiling, with his dog Penny and her bed under the booth, happy as can be,” she the actress. “I will never forget — and will miss — Luke looking at me with that smile of his saying … Shan.”

On Feb. 27, Perry was hospitalized after suffering a stroke and paramedics were dispatched to his home in Sherman Oaks, California. A source told PEOPLE he never regained consciousness.

The actor remained under observation for five days, but died on Monday, March 4.

“Actor Luke Perry, 52, passed away today after suffering a massive stroke,” read a statement from Perry’s rep.

“He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends,” continued the statement. “The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time.”

Following news of his death, numerous 90210 cast members expressed their condolences in statements and on social media.

In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Tori Spelling wrote, “I’m in utter shock and heartbroken. I’m saddened for his kids whom he adored beyond words. He was so proud of Jack and Sophie. Luke was one of the kindest and most humble human beings I’ve ever known. I’m grateful for the years of friendship we had. He truly was family to me, a protector and a brother. I’m so sorry for the loss that everyone is experiencing.”

Jennie Garth also released an exclusive statement to PEOPLE: “My heart is broken. He meant so much to so many. Such a very special person. I share my deep sadness with his family and all who loved him. Such a terrible loss.”

Ian Ziering, who was the first 90210 star to pay tribute, tweeted, “Dearest Luke, I will forever bask in the loving memories we’ve shared over the last thirty years. May your journey forward be enriched by the magnificent souls who have passed before you, just like you have done here, for those you leave behind.”

In lieu of flowers, the Perry family asks that donations be made to Fight Colorectal Cancerthis link opens in a new tab and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospitalthis link opens in a new tab.

Luke Perry Dies: ‘Riverdale’ & ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’ Star Was 52

Perry had been hospitalized since Wednesday.

His children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends. The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time.”

Perry had starred as Archie’s dad, Fred Andrews, on the CW’s Riverdale. He began his career in the early 1980s, including an arc on the soap opera Another World, and would become a household name on Fox’s Beverly Hills, 90210, starring as Dylan McCay from 1990-95 and again from 1998-2000.

He once said of his Dylan role: “I’m going to be linked with him until I die, but that’s actually just fine. I created Dylan McKay. He’s mine.”

The character wasn’t in the Beverly Hills, 90210 pilot. In a 2015 interview with the Television Academy Foundation, series creator Darren Star recalled: “After the first episode, we got together as a writing staff and we were sort of missing a ‘bad boy,’ in a way, so we created Dylan. When [Perry] came in to read for Dylan, we loved him, and [EP Aaron Spelling] loved him. And I think it’s very well known that Aaron went out of pocket to hire him as a series regular, and the network wasn’t necessarily onboard with adding a series regular. … Aaron knew we needed this kind of character on the show, and of course Luke was fantastic.”

While starring on 90210, Perry won a supporting role in the original film version of Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He also starred in the 1992 feature Terminal Bliss and was a series regular on the lottery-themed 2000 NBC drama Windfall.

Born on October 11, 1966, in Mansfield, OH, his other early film credits included 8 Seconds, Normal Life opposite Ashley Judd and the Rodney King drama Riot. His other TV credits included an arc as the ill-fated Reverend Jeremiah Cloutier on HBO prison drama Oz, and the post-apocalyptic 2002-04 Showtime drama Jeremiah.

Perry also worked as a voice actor in such series as The Incredible Hilk, The Legend of Calamity Jane, Mortal Kombat: Defenders of the Realm and Biker Mice from Mars. He also guested as himself in the 1993 The Simposons episode “Krusty Gets Kancelled.”

He played Brad Majors on Broadway in the 2000 revival of The Rocky Horror Show and recently filmed a role in Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

It was just last week that Fox announced it had closed a deal for a reboot of Beverly Hills 90210. Titled 90210, the show from CBS TV Studios received a six-episode order to air this summer. Original cast members Jason Priestley, Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Gabrielle Carteris, Brian Austin Green and Tori Spelling had signed to return to the reboot, but Perry had not.

Luke Perry Dead at 52: Riverdale EPs and The CW Salute 'Generous' 'Father Figure and Mentor to Young Cast'

Perry died on March 4, just days after suffering a massive stroke and being hospitalized. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by fiancee Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, and children Jack and Sophie, among other family members and friends.

A joint statement from Riverdale EPs Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Greg berlanti, Sarah Schecther and Jon Goldwater, Warner Bros. TV and The CW reads: “We are deeply saddened to learn today about the passing of Luke Perry. A beloved member of the Riverdale, Warner Bros. and CW family, Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all.

“A father figure and mentor to the show’s young cast, Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness. Our thoughts are with Luke’s family during this most difficult time.”

Production on Riverdale was shut down for the day, after the news broke.

Perry suffered his stroke on Feb. 27, the same day that Fox announced it was reviving Beverly Hills, 90210 via a six-episode, Curb Your Enthusiasm-esque mockumentary starring original cast members Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Jason Priestly, Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling and Gabrielle Carteris. Though Perry’s Riverdale gig would have kept him from participating in the project full-time, Spelling had expressed confidence, prior to the revival’s official announcement, that Perry would have done “as many [episodes] as he can do.”

Star Trek's Picard Series Adds Salvation and Blindspot Alums to Main Cast

CBS All Access, which will air the untitled series, has offered no details on who the pair will be playing, but we do know Patrick Stewart will be reprising his role as Enterprise captain Jean-Luc Picard, the role he played on Star Trek: The Next Generation for seven seasons along with four Trek films. The new series from Star Trek: Discovery executive producer Alex Kurtzman will follow the revered Starfleet officer as he enters “the next chapter of his life,” per the official description.

Cabrera recently starred as billionaire scientist Darius Tanz on the CBS summer drama Salvation, which was cancelled in November after a two-season run. He first broke out as a cast member of NBC’s Heroes, before taking roles on Merlin, Dexter and The Mindy Project. He also appeared on HBO’s Big Little Lies as theater director Joseph, who had an affair with Reese Witherspoon’s Madeline.

Hurd played terrorist Shepherd on NBC’s Blindspot until she was killed off earlier this season. She’s also well known for playing NYPD detective Monique Jeffries in the first two seasons of Law & Order: SVU. Her other roles include Lethal Weapon, Ash vs. Evil Dead and Marvel’s Daredevil.

Luke Perry, 'Beverly Hills, 90210' and 'Riverdale' Star, Dead at 52

His rep confirmed his death on Monday.

"Actor Luke Perry, 52, passed away today after suffering a massive stroke," the statement reads. "He was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends. The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time."

A source tells ET that Perry’s daughter Sophie was in Africa on a humanitarian mission at the time of his stroke. According to the source, she was able to fly back to be by her father’s side during his last days.

Perry was hospitalized on Feb. 27 after suffering a massive stroke at his home in Sherman Oaks, California. His former 90210 cast members, Ian Ziering and Shannen Doherty, took to social media to show their support for Perry, whose health emergency coincided with an announcement about a 90210 reboot that was to feature the original cast members.

At Sunday's The Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation's Compassion Project Gala in Los Angeles, Doherty spoke with ET about Perry. "I can't talk about it here 'cause I will literally start crying but I love him and he knows I love him," she said.

"It's Luke, and he's my Dylan," she continued, referring to their iconic 90210 characters.

In 2017, Perry dished to ET about the possibility of a cast reunion.

“I think everybody’s interested in doing it,” he said at the time. “We know we’d have a lot of fun getting back together. We just want it to be good.”

Perry was born in Mansfield, Ohio, on Oct. 11, 1966, and grew up in nearby Fredericktown.

Not long after graduating from high school, Perry moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career but he wasn’t an immediate success. After more than 200 auditions, he finally landed a TV commercial and was cast in the Twisted Sister music video for “Be Chrool to You Scuel” in 1985. He went on to land roles on the soap operas Loving and Another World before scoring his big break as bad boy Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210.

The hit show turned Perry into a certified ‘90s teen heartthrob, which translated into his first movie role in 1992's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He also appeared in the films Terminal Bliss and 8 Seconds.

In 1995, Perry announced a short-lived departure from 90210, to take on more serious gigs. After appearing in a few more films, including Normal Life and The Fifth Element, he returned back to the zip code that made him famous. The original installment of 90210 aired for 10 seasons before coming to an end in 2000.

Perry, meanwhile, didn’t want to get typecast as his 90210 character. He starred in multiple projects including the HBO prison drama Oz, as well as Windfall, Jeremiah, The Sandlot: Heading Home and more. He also made several guest appearances on hit shows like Will & Grace, Spin City, What I Like About You, Family Guy, Law & Order: SVU and Criminal Minds.

Perry married Rachel Sharp in 1993. They were together for a decade and welcomed two children, 21-year-old Jack and 18-year-old Sophie, before splitting in 2003.

In 2017, Perry returned to series television landing the role as Fred Andrews (Archie’s father) on Riverdale. He spoke with ET about the “21st century” take on the classic comic book, and the similarities between him and the character.

“I think in some ways this character is the closest thing to me that I’ve ever played because he’s a guy that loves his kid. That’s really all he’s about,” the father of two said before adding. “That’s what I’m about.”

Alec Baldwin & Anne Heche To Reprise Broadway’s ‘Twentieth Century’ For One-Night Roundabout Theatre Benefit

The event is set for Monday, April 29, 7:30 pm at the Roundabout’s Studio 54 theater. Walter Bobbie, who directed the 2004 production, will be back in the same capacity for the reading.

The announcement was made today by Todd Haimes, Roundabout Theatre Company’s Artistic Director/CEO. All proceeds benefit the not-for-profit Roundabout Theatre Company and its programs. Tickets go on sale today.

As with the 2004 revival, the benefit will use playwright Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of the Hecht-MacArthur comedy. Additional cast members and creative team will be announced soon. (The 2004 cast also included Dan Butler, Julie Halston and the late Tom Aldredge; Heche and Aldredge, who died in 2011, were Tony-nominated for their performances). As Roundabout describes Twentieth Century: Bankrupt, with his career on a downslide, egomaniacal Broadway director Oscar Jaffee (Baldwin) boards the Twentieth Century Limited and encounters his former discovery and ex-chorus girl Lily Garland (Heche), now a temperamental Hollywood star. He’ll do anything to get her back under contract and back in his bed, but his former protégé will have nothing to do with him. All of the action takes place on board the legendary Twentieth Century train from Chicago to New York City where Oscar has 20 hours to persuade Lily to return to Broadway in his upcoming show. If he fails, it’s the end of the line.

The 2004 production of Twentieth Century kicked off Baldwin’s continuing association with the Roundabout: He subsequently starred as “Ed” in Entertaining Mr. Sloane at the Roundabout’s Off Broadway Laura Pels Theatre. He currently serves on the Roundabout’s Board of Directors.

'Riverdale' Star Luke Perry Suffers 'Massive' Stroke, Sedated in Hospital

12:07 PM PT -- Sources connected to Luke tell TMZ doctors have placed him in a medically induced coma. The stroke, we're told, was "massive." When paramedics arrived at his home he was responsive and talking but his condition deteriorated and he was rushed to the hospital.

8:38 AM PT -- A rep for Luke tells TMZ ... he is currently under observation at the hospital.Luke Perry suffered a massive stroke Wednesday, and is currently hospitalized ... TMZ has learned.

Paramedics responded to Luke's home in Sherman Oaks around 9:40 AM. We know the call came into the fire department for someone suffering a stroke, and Luke was transported to a nearby hospital. It's unclear what his condition is right now.

The 52-year-old who stars as Archie's dad, Fred Andrews, on "Riverdale" ... had been shooting episodes recently in L.A. on the Warner Bros. lot.

Luke's medical crisis coincidentally struck on the very same day Fox announced it will reboot "Beverly Hills, 90210" -- the show on which he shot to fame, playing Dylan McKay in the 90s.

While his former costars -- Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Jason Priestly, Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling and Gabrielle Carteris -- will be on the revived series, Luke has not signed on to the project.

Luke Perry Suffers Stroke — Report

The 52-year-old Beverly Hills, 90210 vet currently portrays Archie’s dad, Fred Andrews, on The CW’s Riverdale.

Perry’s apparent medical crisis occurred the same day Fox announced it was reviving 90210 via a Curb Your Enthusiasm-esque mockumentary starring original cast members Jennie Garth, Ian Ziering, Jason Priestly, Brian Austin Green, Tori Spelling and Gabrielle Carteris. Although Perry’s series-regular Riverdale gig precluded him participating in the project full-time, Spelling — who serves as one of the quasi-revival’s executive producers — expressed confidence that he would “do as many [episodes] as he can do.”

Additional TV credits for Perry include guest stints on Criminal Minds, Major Crimes, Community, Body of Proof and Will & Grace. He also appeared in the original 1992 film version of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Robin Strasser Joins the Cast of DAYS OF OUR LIVES!

Strasser is best known for playing Dorian Lord on OLTL and following the cancelation of the soap, has been a vocal supporter of the four remaining daytime dramas still on the air, hence the hashtag “#supportthe4.” And when fans began petitioning again for the return of OLTL and ALL MY CHILDREN to the ABC Daytime lineup, she was right there with them. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful?” she tweeted. “Would I be available to play Dorian again? Dang yes! I’ve never gotten over the loss of my TV family and friends — I miss them as much as you have.”

Of course Strasser is going to be busy working on DAYS right now, although there has been no information released yet as to what character she might be playing, when she’ll first air, or how long her stint is planned to be.

Strasser has enjoyed a long career in daytime, beginning with a role on THE SECRET STORM, followed by SUMERSET, ANOTHER WORLD, and AMC. She first appeared on OLTL beginning in 1979, and was one of the most popular Llanview residents right up until the end of the series. Back in May of 2018, the actress shared with Soaps In Depth her new life in real estate, and how she’d love to return to daytime for another turn. “I only want to do recurring,” she expressed at the time. “I’m 72 years old and cantankerous as a horndog in a beehive. I could not possibly [work more]. But to come in for a hotsy-totsy three months and goodbye? Or to come in twice a month? Enjoyable!”

The Sopranos Prequel Movie: Ray Liotta in Talks to Join Cast — But as Who?

The film, titled The Many Saints of Newark, is a prequel to the Emmy-winning HBO drama, set during the 1960s Newark riots. Liotta’s role has yet to be revealed, but that’s par for this course: Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead), Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Corey Stoll (House of Cards) and Billy Magnussen (Maniac) have also joined the cast, but their roles haven’t been announced. We do know that Alessandro Nivola (Doll & Em) will star as Tony Soprano’s uncle Dickie Moltisanti, with James Gandolfini’s real-life son Michael playing a young Tony.

The Sopranos creator David Chase penned the script for The Many Saints of Newark, with Emmy-winning director Alan Taylor — who directed nine episodes of The Sopranos — tapped to helm the film. Production is expected to get underway this spring.

Liotta just wrapped up a three-season run as NYPD lieutenant Matt Wozniak on NBC’s Shades of Blue, co-starring with Jennifer Lopez, and has logged recent appearances on Young Sheldon, Modern Family and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. But of course, he’s still probably best known for his breakout role as mobster Henry Hill in the 1990 Martin Scorsese film Goodfellas.

Beverley Owen Dies: ‘The Munsters’ Original Marilyn Was 81

Her death was confirmed by her former cast mate Butch Patrick, who played little wolfish boy Eddie Munster on the 1964-66 series.

“Beautiful Beverly [sic] Owen has left us,” Patrick posted on Facebook yesterday. “What a sweet soul. I had the biggest crush on her. RIP Bev and thanks for your 13 memorable Marilyn Munster episodes.”

Owen’s daughter Polly Stone told TMZ that her mother died following a two-year battle with ovarian cancer. The former actress had not publicly disclosed her illness, but was surrounded by friends and family at her Vermont home when she passed, according to Stone.

Stone’s acting career was short-lived. After debuting on As the World Turns and guest starring on a half-dozen other episodic early ’60s series, Stone, in a blonde Marilyn Monroe-style wig, appeared in the first 13 episodes of the The Munsters, the sitcom about a friendly family of monsters – Fred Gwynne as the Frankenstein-like Herman, Yvonne De Carlo as vampire wife Lily, Al Lewis as vampire Grandpa, and Patrick as a sort of hybrid werewolf-vampire kid with a memorable widow’s peak.

As the gorgeous human Marilyn, Stone played the family oddball. In other words, the one Munster who appeared normal to the outside world.

Owen left the series after only one season to marry Jon Stone, a writer, producer and editor who would go on to a long association with Sesame Street. The couple divorced in 1974, with Stone reportedly going back to school to earn a master’s degree in early American history.

The actress was replaced on The Munsters by look-alike Pat Priest.

Owen divorced Stone in 1974 after a decade of marriage and she reportedly went on to earn her master’s degree in early American history in 1989. She is survived by daughters Polly and Kate.

Kelsey Grammer — father of 7 — wants more kids

“He [said that he] and his wife want multiple more,” said an eavesdropper. “He implied it would be soon.”

The “Frasier” star, who turned 64 Thursday, made the confession during a break in filming for a Fox 5 interview with Baruch Shemtov at the Paley Center.

Grammer has two children with wife Kayte Walsh and five from previous relationships.

Shemtov later interviewed Grammer on a panel with his castmates and EP Danny Strong to promote their new Fox show, “Proven Innocent.”

Wendie Malick To Co-Star In ‘Richard Lovely’ Fox Comedy Pilot; Alex Hardcastle To Direct

Written and executive produced by Finnegan, Richard Lovely, which has an About a Boy vibe to it, is about Richard Lovely, the disgruntled author of the best-selling children’s book series, Mr. Mouse. He doesn’t hate children, but rather just everything about them. After a publicity fiasco involving an unexpectedly savvy 9-year-old kid, Mr. Mouse appears in Richard’s real life as he is forced into an unlikely father/son relationship that will change his life forever.

Malick will play Richard’s mother, Alana. Alana loves her son very much but perhaps will always love herself a little bit more. Okay, a lot more.

Malick, who starred as Victoria Chase on Hot in Cleveland, recently recurred on American Housewife, The Ranch and This Is Us, among other credits. She’s repped by Innovative Artists and Marcia Hurwitz.

Hardcastle’s recent directing credits include Grace and Frankie, on which he worked with Finnegan, The Good Cop, American Woman, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, and most recently You’re The Worst. He’s repped by CAA.

Rena Sofer Announces Reunion With Ex

Chris Cornell documentary in the works from Brad Pitt and Peter Berg

The film will be produced by Cornell’s widow, Vicky, along with Brad Pitt and Peter Berg’s Film 45 production company, which focuses on non-scripted entertainment and branded content. Berg (“Lone Survivor,” “Deepwater Horizon”) will direct.

Cornell was the lead singer of Soundgarden from the band’s incarnation in 1984 until they broke up in 1997. He went on to front Audioslave with members of Rage Against the Machine before Soundgarden reunited in 2011. The band was in the middle of touring when, on May 18, 2017, Cornell died after a show in Detroit. His death was ruled a suicide.

In January, Vicky Cornell and a number of the grunge icon’s fellow musicians, including Pearl Jam’s Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, threw a benefit concert, “I Am the Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell” at the Forum in Los Angeles. Guest performers included Miley Cyrus, Foo Fighters, Metallica, Brandi Carlile and Chris Stapleton. Pitt also made an appearance.

Cornell received 16 Grammy nominations throughout his career. He won three: best metal performance for “Spoonman” and best hard rock performance for “Black Hole Sun,” both with his Soundgarden bandmates, and just last weekend, a posthumous honor for best rock performance, for “When Bad Does Good.”

Berg’s last film was “Mile 22,” starring Mark Wahlberg. Next up is “Wonderland,” his fifth collaboration with Wahlberg.

A rep for the Cornell estate confirmed that a doc is in the works but offered no additional details.

More Big Names – Cuarón, Clooney, McDormand Among Them – Sign Open Letter To Academy In Category Controversy

Roma‘s Alfonso Cuarón, George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Kerry Washington are among the latest signatories on the letter, which now includes support from Oscar winners including Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Guillermo del Toro and Frances McDormand.

The letter was published Thursday and prompted a quick response from the Academy and its president John Bailey, who insisted the plan to award four trophies — for Cinematography, Editing, Makeup & Hair Styling and Live Action Shorts — in an effort to streamline the broadcast has been misconstrued since it was officially announced Monday.

Paul Wesley Inks Producing Deal With Kapital Entertainment, Sets 2 Drama Series Projects, Including Starring Vehicle

The first two series projects Kapital and Citizen are rolling out together are a drama based on Jason Smith’s non-fiction article Confessions Of a Drug-Addicted High School Teacher, with Wesley attached to star and David Slade (Black Mirror) to direct, and supernatural crime drama Possessed, based on a Korean format.

Under the pact, Kapital will work with Wesley to build his company and its footprint in the market. The Kapital team and Wesley will jointly develop content for Wesley to produce. It will be aimed at broadcast, cable and streaming. Some — but not all — of the projects will be intended as starring vehicles for Wesley who recently co-starred on Kapital’s CBS All Access series Tell Me a Story.

“Paul and I found ourselves aligned in the kinds of stories we wanted to tell and in synch in how we wanted to share them,” Kaplan said. “I am so excited that Paul trusted Kapital to work with Citizen Media to develop and produce great content.”

Confessions Of a Drug-Addicted High School Teacher was one of the first projects Wesley put in development when he launched Citizen Media in 2016 with a deal at Warner Bros. TV. Smith’s article chronicles his two-year stint teaching public high school in northern California. Despite teaching while anesthetized by a heavy dose of prescription narcotics, Jason finds that his brokenness from addiction begins attracting broken students, and in a town obsessed with high school football, he’s not alone in his obsession to escape from himself.

Kapital is executive producing with Wesley, who will star, his former producing partner Bob Levy. as well as Slade, who will direct.

Based on the 2009 Korean series from MBC, Possessed centers on high school girl Ha-na who is always the first to come out and protect her introverted twin sister Doo-na. After Doo-na passes away in a fire, Ha-na finds that her body no longer completely belongs to herself. Doo-na’s angry spirit now lives in Ha-na, giving her special powers and monstrous strength. Genius criminal psychologist Shin Ryu is an expert profiler who is determined to see justice served. When he learns about Ha-na’s abilities, he uses her powers to eliminate criminals that are above the law, and to plan his revenge on the man who helped his family’s killer go free. (You can watch a trailer for the original series below.)

Craig Plestic (The Masked Singer) is executive producing Possessed alongside Kapital and Citizen Media.

This is the latest producing partnership for Kapital, which also has deals with directors Victor Gonzalez and David Semel.

“I’ve admired the work that Aaron and Kapital have been doing, and I’m very excited to team up with them to create content we can be proud of,” Wesley said.

Over the last few years, Wesley’s production company, Citizen Media, has set up multiple series projects for development at various networks and studios including ABC, Fox 21 TV TV Studios, Warner Bros TV/Warner Horizon and Freeform.

Wesley starred on The Vampire Diaries for eight seasons, directed multiple episodes throughout the series’ run, and served as a producer for the 8th and final season.

He recently appeared in Netflix’s docu-drama Medal Of Honor produced by Robert Zemeckis and Jack Rapke. He also did two off Broadway theater productions in 2018. Behind the camera, last year he directed episodes of Roswell, New Mexico and Legacies.

Wesley is repped by ICM, Management 360, and attorney Marcy Morris. Slade is with UTA. MBC is repped by Paradigm.

Kaplan currently has 11 series on the air, 10 of them through Kapital.

Brad Pitt Shows Up for Jennifer Aniston's 50th Birthday Party

It's kinda a big deal ... because their 5-year marriage fell apart when he hooked up with Angelina Jolie and eventually married her.

Brad snaked around most of the paparazzi Saturday night at the Sunset Tower hotel on the Sunset Strip but you see him from behind as he enters the building. BTW, it's Jen's favorite spot in town ... she's there all the time and, in case you're interested, loves the chicken salad.

Brad was in a holy custody war with Angelina, but this doesn't seem to be a case of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." From all appearances, Brad and Jen remained on friendly terms.

A bunch of other celebs showed up, including Robert Downey, Jr., Reese Witherspoon, Rande Gerber, Pharrell Williams, Keith Richards, Gwyneth Paltrow, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, George and Amal Clooney, David Arquette, Courteney Cox, Barbra Streisand and many others.

BTW ... Brad used to date Gwyneth, so he knew the room!

Surprise! The Vampire Diaries' Paul Wesley Is Married

E! News has exclusively learned that The Vampire Diaries star and Ines de Ramon are married.

Speculation about the couple's relationship status was sparked earlier this week when photos surfaced of the pair wearing matching rings on that all-important finger.

As it turns out, the duo was able to take a big step in their relationship without anyone knowing—until now!

The pair has yet to walk a red carpet together. And if you think you're going to see the pair all over Instagram, you may be out of luck. Ines' profile is private.

That hasn't stopped Paul, however, from sharing a few special pictures of his leading lady.

"Throwback Thursday," he wrote this past September while sharing a snapshot of Ines. "Feast of San Gennaro, NYC."

As pop culture fans know, Paul appeared on The Vampire Diaries before starring in Tell Me a Story. He previously dated Phoebe Tonkin before calling things off in 2017.

And although fans may love seeing Paul on the big and small screen, the 36-year-old has remained humble about the praise he receives.

"To be honest, I think its endearing and sweet, but I don't really think about it too much," he told Parade when asked about his heartthrob status.

Congratulations to the happy couple on their big news.

FBI Spinoff: Julian McMahon to Star in CBS' Most Wanted-Themed Offshoot

The Nip/Tuck vet has signed on to star in CBS’ in-the-works FBI spinoff, the pilot of which will air later this season as a regular episode of FBI. The project — which has already received a series commitment from the network — centers on the division of the FBI tasked with tracking and capturing the notorious criminals on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.

McMahon — who is coming off of a two-season stint on Marvel’s Runaways on Hulu — will play Jess Lacroix, an ‘agent’s agent’ who is at the top of his game, and oversees the team from the FBI’s Most Wanted Unit, which is assigned the most extreme and egregious cases.

Law & Order boss Dick Wolf (who created FBI) will co-write the pilot with longtime L&O collaborator Rene Balcer. The pair will also serve as EPs alongside Arthur W. Forney and Peter Jankowski.

FBI: Original Flavor launched last fall and quickly emerged as CBS’ biggest rookie hit. Season-to-date, the show — starring Missy Peregrym, Zeeko Zaki, Jeremy Sisto, Ebonée Noel and Sela Ward — is averaging 9.3 million viewers and a 1.1 rating, ranking second in both measures among all the network’s dramas. CBS has already renewed the show for Season 2.

Anne Heche & Jason Patric Join Thomas Jane In Action-Thriller ‘Hour Of Lead’ — EFM

The Exchange is handling sales at the EFM. Currently shooting in the U.S., the film charts the fallout after a ten-year-old girl goes missing from an RV park. The girl’s father (Jane) and mother (Heche) take justice into their own hands, stopping at nothing to track their daughter down. As they fall deeper into the search, a tragic revelation is uncovered, deepening the mystery of the girl’s disappearance.

The project is the sophomore feature from actor turned producer-director Facinelli (Twilight). Jeff Elliott (Imperium) of Brickell & Broadbridge is producing.

“We are thrilled to have Anne and Jason join the project,” said The Exchange CEO Brian O’Shea. “They are both are great actors and will give their characters the emotional depth to help this commercial thriller have breakout potential.”

The Exchange’s 2019 EFM lineup includes Seacole starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sam Worthingon, Drew Barrymore’s The Stand-In, AFI Fest Audience Award winner The Biggest Little Farm and sci-fi thriller Warning.

Heche is repped by Untitled Entertainment, Paradigm Talent Agency, and Morris, Yorn, Barnes, Levine, Krintzman, Rubenstein, Kohner & Gellman. Patric is repped by Atlas Artists, Agency for the Performing Arts and Bloom, Hergott, Diemer, Rosenthal, Laviolette, Feldman, Schenkman & Goodman.

Australian actress Carmen Duncan loses cancer battle at 76

A spokesperson from St Vincent's Hospital where the All Saints actress had been receiving treatment, confirmed the news of her passing to SBS.

The veteran star had a career spanning over 60 years with roles on shows such as Always Greener and US soap opera, Another World.

Friends, fans and some of Duncan's entertainment peers, took to Twitter to remember the incredible body of work and legacy that the late actress las left behind.

Duncan's friend, Ian Phipps, expressed his sorrow at the news of her passing.

"Vale to my darling friend Carmen Duncan, a wonderful and beautiful human being inside and out. Much love to Amelia, Duncan and family," he tweeted.

Weekend Today's David Campbell also shared a touching tribute to Duncan.

"So sad to hear of the lovely Carmen Duncan passing. She indeed was a beautiful soul. RIP."

Stand-up comedian, Rob Shehadie simply wrote, "RIP Carmen Duncan."

"Vale Carmen Duncan. Actor & former Actors Equity Federal Council member who had lost her battle with cancer. RIP gorgeous, you were all class," tweeted radio presenter, Trevor Sinclair.

A 1961 graduate of Sydney's National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Duncan went on to star on both the big and small screen on both sides of the Pacific. Some of Duncan's mall screen roles included Division 4, Homicide, Number 96 and classics like Skyways and The Young Doctors. Duncan's filmography also included 1980's Harlequin -- a role of which she was nominated for an AFI Award for Best Actress -- 1980's Touch and Go, Turkey Shoot (1982) and Now and Forever (1983).

After moving to the US in the '80s, Duncan went on to star in day-time soap opera Another World from 1988 to 1994. In 2004 she scored another role on an American soap playing Lisa Grimaldi in As The World Turns.

Eventually returning to her home turf, Duncan also featured in Aussie dramas like Always Greener, Winners & Losers and CrashBurn.

Duncan is survived by her sister Paula Duncan and her two children: Amelie and Duncan.

Good Fight Season 3 Premiere Date Set at CBS All Access — Watch Trailer

The Good Fight‘s 10-episode third season will premiere March 14 on CBS All Access, the streamer announced Wednesday at the Television Critics Assoc. winter press tour. And from the looks of the above trailer, the Christine Baranski-fronted Good Wife spinoff will not loosening its grip on the current administration.

In Season 3, “Diane tries to figure out whether you can resist a crazy administration without going crazy yourself,” per the official logline. Elsewhere, “Adrian and Liz struggle with a new post-factual world where the lawyer who tells the best story triumphs over the lawyer with the best facts, and Lucca balances a new baby with a new love.” Maia, meanwhile, tangles with a Machiavellian lawyer (played by new cast member Michael Sheen).

In addition to Baranski and Sheen, the Season 3 ensemble includes returning vets Cush Jumbo, Rose Leslie, Audra McDonald, Sarah Steele, Michael Boatman, Nyambi Nyambi and Delroy Lindo. As TVLine previously reported, Justin Bartha (Colin) will not be back.

Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron are dating

And the couple was introduced by her former fiance Sean Penn.

The UK Sun newspaper is reporting that sparks are flying between the two A-listers.

According to sources the pair were all over each over at a showbiz party last week.

Their relationship, which began over Christmas, is Pitt’s first serious romance since he split from Angelina Jolie back in 2016.

Oscar winner Theron, who called off her marriage to Penn in 2015, is understood to have visited Brad at his home in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles.

But she has not, as yet, met his six children with Jolie.

Both Pitt, 55, and Theron, 43, are both known for their romances with other high-profile stars.

A source said: “They have been casually seeing each other for nearly a month now. They’ve been friends for some time — ironically through Sean — but things have developed.”

Last weekend the pair were spotted together after separate Saturday night movie screenings.

Pitt went to watch “If Beale Street Could Talk” — which he is exec producer of — at a private house in the Hollywood Hills.

Theron was special guest at a showing of “Roma” at the historic Chateau Marmont Hotel.

The source added: “Brad came over to Chateau afterwards, changed his outfit and joined Charlize in a corner of the bar.

“She was on a vodka cocktail while he stuck to mineral water.

“They were ridiculously touchy-feely and his arm was around her back. At one point he winked at her.

“Brad seemed in a really good place — they both looked really happy.”

Pitt quit alcohol after admitting his drinking was the main problem in his marriage to Jolie.

The pair has been embroiled in a bitter divorce that is expected to be resolved soon.

The actor famously dated Gwyneth Paltrow before marrying first wife Jennifer Aniston.

Theron, who has two adopted children, was previously linked to Keanu Reeves, Ryan Reynolds and Alexander Skarsgard.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Trailer: First Look at the Series' Final Episodes

Highlights from the trailer include Kimmy being mistaken for Olympic snowboarder Shaun White, Titus orchestrating a celebrity showmance to make Mikey jealous and Lillian… joining a gang? Also, what are the “Toonys,” and how do we get an invite?

Season 4B also boasts a bevy of famous guest stars, including Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Zachary Quinto (American Horror Story), Greg Kinnear (House of Cards), Busy Philipps (Busy Tonight), Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live), Amy Sedaris (At Home With Amy Sedaris), Fred Armisen (Portlandia), Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Steve Buscemi (Miracle Workers), Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live), Ronan Farrow (of the news) and Lisa Kudrow (Friends).

The Netflix comedy returns for its final run on Friday, Jan. 25.

Jane Krakowski on Match Game 1/30/19

Celebrity panelists for Jan. 30 include the following:
Chris Parnell (“Archer”; “Rick and Morty”)
Whitney Cummings (comedian, actress, author and producer)
Kevin Smith (writer, director and podcaster)
Jane Krakowski (Tony Award® winner; “30 Rock”; “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)
Ron Funches (“Giggle Fit”; podcast “Getting’ Better with Ron Funches”)
Caitlyn Jenner (best-selling author and reality TV star).

A First Look at Rebecca Budig's New Role on L.A.'S FINEST!

Once her arm was healed, Sofer shared a shot of the image that was designed by her daughter, artist Rosabel Rosalind Kurth, and then transformed into skin art by Los Angeles-based tattoo artist Daniel Winter. And each part of the detailed design carries a special meaning for the actress and mother. “I am the queen bee,” she explained. “And the MRA in my scepter are for my girls. The shoes show while I can be a woman in every sense of the word, I’ll also protect my family with everything I have. The crown says what I am: MAMA.”

Sofer has other tattoos that she has gotten over the years, but this one is extra-special and one that took extra planning. “I’ve thought about this for years so it wasn’t a snap decision, and while I’ve had many tattoos in my life, this is my most meaningful,” she expressed. “Thank you, Rosabel, for the amazing art, and Daniel Winter for the amazing work.”

Rosabel really is a very talented artist, and Winter did an incredible job translating it into a tattoo for Sofer. Of course, now we can’t help but wonder what kind of tattoos Quinn might get for herself!

Lindsay Lohan reunites with 'Mean Girls' co-star Jonathan Bennett

The actor, who portrayed Aaron Samuels in the hit 2004 movie, has been tapped by Lohan herself to host the after-show to his former castmate’s new MTV series Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club.

The After the Show segment will air directly after the premiere of the new show on Tuesday, and the actress will join Bennett for a live chat with fans.

Bennett and Lohan teased the get together on Friday by posting a reunion photo online.

During their TV chat next week, Lohan will discuss her business interests and philanthropy in Europe, where the new show has been shot.

The series, which revolves around Lindsay’s club in Mykonos, Greece, will feature the actress and staff at her new business concern.

Meanwhile, Bennett recently reprised his Mean Girls role for Ariana Grande’s Thank U, Next music video, and told Entertainment Tonight that tackling Aaron again for the promo was an unexpected treat.

“It brought me back,” he said. “There was that moment when you’re sitting in the chair, they do your hair and makeup like Aaron Samuels, and they spin you around for the first time and you look in the mirror. That was the first time I saw him in 15 years, and it was like seeing an old friend. It takes you back to that time when life was just simpler.”

Dishing with Digest - Linda Dano - 1/4/19

Beloved soap vet Linda Dano looks back on her ANOTHER WORLD years as Felicia Gallant, her friendship with Stephen Schnetzer (ex-Cass), her jump to ABC and more with Digest’s Stephanie Sloane and Mara Levinsky. We also discuss Ingo Rademacher’s upcoming departure from B&B and what it means for the canvas.

‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’: Season 4B First-Look Teaser

The clip features Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess) performing the theme song for Season 4B titled “Magic Boy”, that of course, is all about Titus. The first-look photos (see below) feature Kimmy (Ellie Kemper), Jacqueline (Jane Krakowski), Lillian (Carol Kane) and Mimi Kanasis (Amy Sedaris).

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt follows Kimmy Schmidt (Kemper) as she continues to adjust to the 21st century and learn more about who she really is. Joining Kimmy on her journey are her best friend and roommate, Titus Andromedon (Burgess); her former-employer-turned-friend Jacqueline White (Krakowski); and landlord Lillian Kaushtupper (Kane).

The first ongoing original half-hour comedy series to debut on Netflix, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt has been among the streaming giant’s most acclaimed shows. To date, it has earned 16 Primetime Emmy Award nominations, including a best series nom for each of its first three seasons. The comedy also quickly entered the cultural zeitgeist with pop culture parodies and songs like “Pinot Noir” that have amassed sizable followings on social media.

Brad Pitt slams Hurricane Katrina victims’ claim he only helped for publicity

The “War Machine” star is demanding a judge release him from the class-action suit the Hurricane Katrina victims have filed against him, claiming the lawsuit “does not otherwise contain a single factual allegation that Mr. Pitt made any promise to any putative class member, that he entered any contract with any putative class member, or that he made any misrepresentation to any putative class member,” according to legal documents, obtained by The Blast.

The lawsuit is also against Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation. The plaintiffs argue that Pitt and his foundation promised to build homes that would withstand “hurricane force winds” but instead received houses that won’t last another five years, despite owners being tied to 30-year mortgages.

Pitt argued, “While plaintiffs urge in the Opposition that certain generic and innocuous statements Mr. Pitt allegedly made to the press somehow give rise to claims against him individually, this is simply unsupportable.”

Although the Oscar winner is demanding to be released from the lawsuit, he’s not asking for his charitable foundation be removed.

The class-action suit accused Make It Right of knowing about issues with the building materials used but failing to inform the buyers. The residents claimed the homes were not up to code and came with issues, including mold, plumbing, air quality, rotten wood, structural problems and ventilation issues.

Sources told Page Six over the summer that Pitt has spent millions of dollars of his own money to fix the problems.

SAG Awards Nominations

The SAG Awards are January 27 at the Shrine Auditorium, simulcast live by Turner’s TNT and TBS. As previously announced, Alan Alda will receive the guild’s Life Achievement Award during the ceremony.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

A STAR IS BORN (Warner Bros. Pictures)
DAVE CHAPPELLE / George “Noodles” Stone
ANDREW DICE CLAY / Lorenzo
BRADLEY COOPER / Jack
SAM ELLIOTT / Bobby
RAFI GAVRON / Rez Gavron
LADY GAGA / Ally
ANTHONY RAMOS / Ramon

BLACK PANTHER (Marvel Studios)
ANGELA BASSETT / Ramonda
CHADWICK BOSEMAN / T’Challa/Black Panther
STERLING K. BROWN / N’Jobu
WINSTON DUKE / M’Baku
MARTIN FREEMAN / Everett K. Ross
DANAI GURIRA / Okoye
MICHAEL B. JORDAN / Erik Killmonger
DANIEL KALUUYA / W’Kabi
LUPITA NYONG’O / Nakia
ANDY SERKIS / Ulysses Klaue
FOREST WHITAKER / Zuri
LETITIA WRIGHT / Shuri

BLACKKKLANSMAN (Focus Features)
HARRY BELAFONTE / Jerome Turner
ADAM DRIVER / Flip Zimmerman
TOPHER GRACE / David Duke
LAURA HARRIER / Patrice Dumas
COREY HAWKINS / Kwame Ture
JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON / Ron Stallworth

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (20th Century Fox)
LUCY BOYNTON / Mary Austin
AIDAN GILLEN / John Reid
BEN HARDY / Roger Taylor
TOM HOLLANDER / Jim Beach
GWILYM LEE / Brian May
ALLEN LEECH / Paul Prenter
RAMI MALEK / Freddie Mercury
JOE MAZZELLO / John Deacon
MIKE MYERS / Ray Foster

CRAZY RICH ASIANS (Warner Bros. Pictures)
AWKWAFINA / Peik Lin Goh
GEMMA CHAN / Astrid Young Teo
HENRY GOLDING / Nick Young
KEN JEONG / Wye Mun Goh
LISA LU / Ah Ma
HARRY SHUM, JR. / Charlie Wu
CONSTANCE WU / Rachel Chu
MICHELLE YEOH / Eleanor Young

TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

THE AMERICANS (FX Networks)
ANTHONY ARKIN / Stavos
SCOTT COHEN / Glenn Haskard
BRANDON J. DIRDEN / Dennis Aderholt
NOAH EMMERICH / Stan Beeman
LAURIE HOLDEN / Renee
MARGO MARTINDALE / Claudia
MATTHEW RHYS / Philip Jennings
COSTA RONIN / Oleg Burov
KERI RUSSELL / Elizabeth Jennings
KEIDRICH SELLATI / Henry Jennings
MIRIAM SHOR / Erica Haskard
HOLLY TAYLOR / Paige Jennings

BETTER CALL SAUL (AMC)
JONATHAN BANKS / Mike Ehrmantraut
RAINER BOCK / Werner Ziegler
RAY CAMPBELL / Tyrus Kitt
GIANCARLO ESPOSITO / Gustavo “Gus” Fring
MICHAEL MANDO / Nacho Varga
BOB ODENKIRK / Jimmy McGill
RHEA SEEHORN / Kim Wexler

THE HANDMAID’S TALE (Hulu)
ALEXIS BLEDEL / Ofglen/Emily
MADELINE BREWER / Janine
AMANDA BRUGEL / Rita
ANN DOWD / Aunt Lydia
O-T FAGBENLE / Luke
JOSEPH FIENNES / Commander Waterford
NINA KIRI / Alma
MAX MINGHELLA / Nick
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June
YVONNE STRAHOVSKI / Serena Joy
SYDNEY SWEENEY / Eden
BAHIA WATSON / Brianna

OZARK (Netflix)
JASON BATEMAN / Martin “Marty” Byrde
LISA EMERY / Darlene Snell
SKYLAR GAERTNER / Jonah Byrde
JULIA GARNER / Ruth Langmore
DARREN GOLDSTEIN / Charles Wilkes
JASON BUTLER HARNER / Roy Petty
CARSON HOLMES / Three
SOFIA HUBLITZ / Charlotte Byrde
LAURA LINNEY / Wendy Byrde
TREVOR LONG / Cade
JANET McTEER / Helen Pierce
PETER MULLAN / Jacob Snell
JORDANA SPIRO / Rachel
CHARLIE TAHAN / Wyatt
ROBERT TREVEILER / Sheriff John Nix
HARRIS YULIN / Buddy Dieker

THIS IS US (NBC)
ERIS BAKER / Tess Pearson
STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson
NILES FITCH / Teenage Randall
MACKENZIE HANCSICSAK / Young Kate
JUSTIN HARTLEY / Kevin Pearson
FAITHE HERMAN / Annie Pearson
JON HUERTAS / Miguel Rivas
MELANIE LIBURD / Zoe
CHRISSY METZ / Kate Pearson
MANDY MOORE / Rebecca Pearson
LYRIC ROSS / Déjà
CHRIS SULLIVAN / Toby Damon
MILO VENTIMIGLIA / Jack Pearson
SUSAN KELECHI WATSON / Beth Pearson
HANNAH ZEILE / Teenage Kate

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

ATLANTA (FX Networks)
KHRIS DAVIS / Tracy
DONALD GLOVER / Earn Marks
BRIAN TYREE HENRY / Alfred “Paper Boi” Miles
LAKEITH STANFIELD / Darius

BARRY (HBO)
DARRELL BRITT-GIBSON / Jermaine
D’ARCY CARDEN / Natalie
ANDY CAREY / Eric
ANTHONY CARRIGAN / NoHo Hank
RIGHTOR DOYLE / Nick
GLENN FLESHLER / Goran Pazar
ALEJANDRO FURTH / Antonio
SARAH GOLDBERG / Sally Reed
BILL HADER / Barry
KIRBY HOWELL-BAPTISTE / Sasha
PAULA NEWSOME / Det. Janice Moss
JOHN PIRRUCCELLO / Det. John Loach
STEPHEN ROOT / Monroe Fuches
HENRY WINKLER / Gene Cousineau

GLOW (Netflix)
BRITT BARON / Justine Biagi
SHAKIRA BARRERA / Yolanda Rivas
ALISON BRIE / Ruth Wilder
KIMMY GATEWOOD / Stacey Beswick
BETTY GILPIN / Debbie Eagan
REBEKKA JOHNSON / Dawn Rivecca
CHRIS LOWELL / Bash Howard
SUNITA MANI / Arthie Premkumar
MARC MARON / Sam Sylvia
KATE NASH / Rhonda Richardson
WYATT NASH / Phil
SYDELLE NOEL / Cherry Bang
VICTOR QUINAZ / Russell Barroso
GAYLE RANKIN / Sheila the She-Wolf
BASHIR SALAHUDDIN / Keith Bang
KIA STEVENS / Tammé Dawson
JACKIE TOHN / Melanie Rosen
ELLEN WONG / Jenny Chey
BRITNEY YOUNG / Carmen Wade

THE KOMINSKY METHOD (Netflix)
JENNA LYNG ADAMS / Darshani
ALAN ARKIN / Norman
SARAH BAKER / Mindy Kominsky
CASEY THOMAS BROWN / Lane
MICHAEL DOUGLAS / Sandy Kominsky
ASHLEIGH LaTHROP / Breana
EMILY OSMENT / Theresa
GRAHAM ROGERS / Jude
SUSAN SULLIVAN / Eileen
MELISSA TANG / Margaret
NANCY TRAVIS / Lisa

THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL (Prime Video)
CAROLINE AARON / Shirley Maisel
ALEX BORSTEIN / Susie Myerson
RACHEL BROSNAHAN / Miriam “Midge” Maisel
MARIN HINKLE / Rose Weissman
ZACHARY LEVI / Benjamin
KEVIN POLLAK / Moishe Maisel
TONY SHALHOUB / Abe Weissman
BRIAN TARANTINA / Jackie
MICHAEL ZEGEN / Joel Maisel

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

JULIA GARNER / Ruth Langmore – “OZARK” (Netflix)
LAURA LINNEY / Wendy Byrde – “OZARK” (Netflix)
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June – “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” (Hulu)
SANDRA OH / Eve Polastri – “KILLING EVE” (BBC America)
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Dishing with Digest 12/7/18 - Rena Sofer

B&B's Rena Sofer talks about playing B&B's Quinn, her early soap roots on LOVING and GH, her prime-time past, some changes in her personal life and much more with Digest's Stephanie Sloane and Mara Levinsky. We also examine how it plays out when actors reclaim their roles, and discuss soaps' most romantic moments.

‘Lindsay Lohan’s Beach Club’ Gets MTV Premiere Date

Produced by Bunim/Murray Productions (The Challenge. The Real World), the program follows the actress, influencer and entrepreneur as she expands her business empire in Greece with the launch of her new club, Lohan Beach House. But she won’t do it alone.

Viewers will get to see a new side of Lohan as she calls the shots with her handpicked team of young and ambitious VIP hosts, who will have to do whatever it takes to secure Lohan’s name as the definition of vacation luxury. But when the lines between romance, friendship and work get blurred, the staff will quickly learn they’ll have to prove themselves to their toughest boss yet.

Gil Goldschein, Julie Pizzi, Farnaz Farjam, Andrea Metz, Lily Neumeyer, Jessica Zalkind and Ben Hurvitz serve as executive producers for MTV. Lohan is represented by APA.

MTV will offer a sneak peek at the series at 8 p.m. New Year’s Day. The net also plans a special called Lindsay Lohan: Most Memorable Moments (workign title) at 10 p.m. January 7.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Reach Custody Agreement, Avoid Trial

We broke the story ... Angelina and Brad were set to go to trial December 4, and they seemed miles apart on custody demands for their 6 kids. She wanted sole physical custody, and he wanted 50/50 joint custody.

On Friday, Angelina's attorney, Samantha Bley DeJean announced, "A custody arrangement was agreed 2 weeks ago, and has been signed by both parties and the judge." She added the agreement is "based on the recommendations of the child custody evaluator."

The terms are confidential, but the bottom line is ...there will be no trial next week.

There's still plenty more to be decided in their bitter divorce -- like property settlement -- which could get ugly considering they didn't have a prenup when they got married.

They've filed docs asking the judge to give them until next June to hash those things out.

‘La Reina Del Sur’: Eric Roberts Among Cast Additions For Season 2 Of Telemundo Series Starring Kate Del Castillo

Joining Del Castillo in the new season, which shot on location in seven countries, are a mix of returning actors and new multilingual, international talent including Raoul Bova (Under the Tuscan Sun), Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Paola Nuñez (The Son), Antonio Gil (Quantum of Solace), and legendary novela actor Humberto Zurita.

The series will pick up eight years after the events of the finale where audiences learned that Mendoza was pregnant and unsure of her future. When La Reina returns, audiences learn she’s disappeared into the U.S. Federal Witness Protection Program and is currently living in Italy under the name of Maria Dantes with her daughter Sofia (Isabella Sierra).

“When I shot my first scene back as Teresa Mendoza, I was so nervous,” Del Castillo told Deadline. “I didn’t know whether I’d be able to embody this beautiful character again that so many people love. Playing Teresa the first time around was groundbreaking for my career and she means a lot to me. So it was tough for me to agree to bring her back after all this years because I didn’t want to mess with the success of the original.

It was only after Perez-Reverte and our writer Roberto Stopello who developed the script, were totally in sync with this new storyline and shared their excitement with me that I knew that this was how to bring her back. I’ve always carried Teresa in my heart and I hope fans embrace her again too.”

Bova will co-star as Mendoza’s love interest Francesco “Lupo” Belmondo, a tall and handsome, ex-military operative and mercenary who speaks many languages yet is a man of few words. He will perfect his grasp of the Spanish language with help from Mendoza’s daughter.

“Raoul’s character is a very interesting one to follow because he will play multiple characters within the series,” returning Executive Producer Martha Godoy explained. “He will transform in front of audiences and they’ll never know whether he’s truly who he says he is. Is he really trying to help or does he have something more sinister planned?

[Lupo] is a multifaceted character played excellently by Raul. The character lends himself to allow the writers to play with spectators and Teresa throughout his evolution in season two.”

Roberts will guest star as DEA boss Erick Sheldon, confidant of the United States president and architect of a secret operation to help Epifanio Vargas (Zurita) win the Mexican presidency.

Nuñez’s Manuela is described as a chameleon who will remind audiences of Patty O’Farrell from season one. She’s a DEA agent who speaks multiple languages and is a tech and firearms expert. She secretly helps open the pathways for Epifanio to win the presidency. Manuela lives a double life; Nuñez will also portray a secondary character named Kira that’s fueled by revenge.

“Kira is on a mission to kill,” Nuñez explained. “She wants vengeance and there’s no one that can stop her from achieving it. She’s not an evil person, but she gets so consumed by the death of her sister that she lives just to get justice against her killer. I want audiences to see her humanity and realize that maybe even they would feel the same way if they had gone through something so traumatizing.”

Gil will make his series debut in the role of Oleg Yasikov, who leaves retirement in Moscow due to his loyalty to Teresa. He heads back to the front line to defend his friend when she needs him the most.

Rounding out the cast are Mark Tatcher, Tiago Correa, Eduardo Yánez, Flavio Medina, Patricia Reyes Spíndola, Carmen Navarro, Kika Edgar, Luis Gavasa, Alejandro Calva, Christian Tappan, Cuca Escribano, Eduardo Velasco, Abdelali el Aziz, Lincoln Palomeque, Miguel Angel Blanco, Juan José Arjona, Quique Sanmartín, Carlos Aguilar, Miguel de Miguel, Luisa Gavasa, Eduardo Santamarina, Aitor Luna, Sara Vidorreta, Agata Clares, Emannuel Orenday, Carmen Flores Sandoval, Maria Camila Girald, Alex Speitzer, Vera Mercado, Norma Angélica as Morgana, Eduardo Pérez, Pol Monem, Dmitry Anisimov, Aroha Hafez, Jesús Castro, Anna Ciochetti, and Roberto Abraham Wohlmutha.

Telemundo credits the huge success of La Reina del Sur for launching the network’s Super Series that changed the Spanish-language novela format to include multiple seasons. The original also spawned the successful USA Network’s English-language remake Queen of the South, which has been renewed for a fourth season. Additionally, del Castillo has the Spanish-language Netflix drama Ingobernable, which is heading into its second season, and starred in the Netflix docu series The Day I Met El Chapo, about her encounter with the Mexican drug lord.

“The return of Kate del Castillo and La Reina del Sur to Telemundo is absolutely an event,” said Marcos Santana, President of Telemundo Global Studios. “In the nine years since its debut, the impact of this hard hitting drama is still being felt today. Kate’s star has risen even higher since the series’ debut and having her back on board in her most iconic role is just the beginning. We are confident that its combination of international talent, an emotionally compelling and action-packed narrative, and the heightened production values of this global production all add up to a must-see entertainment experience for all audiences.”

Season two of La Reina is a co-production between Telemundo Global Studio and Netflix. It’s already the most expensive large format production shot in Latin America.

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt seek more time with divorce judge

The actors have been working with Honorable John Ouderkirk to try and hash out a settlement regarding the care of their six children, and while he had originally been hired to work with the estranged couple until June, it appears the exes are keen to ensure the judge has more than enough time to help them resolve any outstanding disagreements as they have since filed court papers to keep him on the case until Dec. 31, 2019.

According to documents obtained by The Blast, Jolie wants Ouderkirk to handle all pre-trial motions and requests, and stay on for a private custody trial, if she and Pitt fail to reach a custody deal.

The Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-stars had previously been set to take their dispute to trial on Dec. 4, but both agreed to continue negotiations in a bid to spare their kids, who range from ages 10 to 17, from the court proceedings.

Ironically, Ouderkirk, who is now retired from the bench, is the same judge who presided over Jolie and Pitt’s wedding ceremony at their chateau in France in 2014.

They separated just two years later, with Jolie filing for divorce in September, 2016.

The 43-year-old actress, who has primary physical custody of their brood, had originally sought sole custody, clashing with Pitt’s request for joint care, but in June, they reached a temporary agreement granting the 54-year-old Moneyball actor more visitation with five of their children. The pair’s eldest son, Maddox, 16, opted out of the deal.

Tensions flared again in August, when Jolie accused Pitt of failing to pay any “meaningful” child support for 18 months. Pitt’s lawyers filed their response a day later, insisting their client had paid his ex over US$9 million, since their 2016 split.

Wendie Malick & Patrick Duffy in American Housewife 12/12/18

“American Housewife” stars Katy Mixon as Katie Otto, Diedrich Bader as Greg Otto, Meg Donnelly as Taylor Otto, Daniel DiMaggio as Oliver Otto, Julia Butters as Anna-Kat Otto, Carly Hughes as Angela and Ali Wong as Doris.

Guest star Wendie Malick returns as Kathryn. Patrick Duffy guest stars as Marty and Milo Manheim as Pierce.

“Saving Christmas” was written by Jeremy Hall and directed by Jennifer Arnold.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's wedding officiant is their custody trial judge

The former couple has been at odds over child support and visitation since Angelina filed for divorce in September, 2016, and they still can’t find a solution to their problems.

Brad and Angelina are set to go to trial next month and, according to The Blast, the Honorable John Ouderkirk will oversee the case, which will be kept private.

He has a history with the pair, overseeing their nuptials at their French estate, Chateau Miraval, in August 2014 and Judge Ouderkirk has been quietly working with Pitt and Jolie since the beginning of their divorce proceedings. In June, he ordered Angelina to help Pitt repair their six kids’ relationships with their father, and according to court documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight at the time, the actor scored quality time with five of his children over the summer. The pair’s eldest son, Maddox, 16, opted out of the agreement.

“It is critical that each of (the six) children have a healthy and strong relationship with their father and mother,” the judge’s report read in June.

However, Jolie’s representative blasted the reports surrounding the determination as “misleading.”

“It’s deplorable that someone, for their own selfish reasons, leaked selective portions of the confidential and sealed court record to create an inaccurate and unfair picture of what is really happening,” the representative told The Blast.

Then, in August, Jolie accused Pitt of failing to pay any “meaningful” child support for 18 months. Pitt’s lawyers filed their response a day later, insisting their client had paid his ex over $9 million, since their 2016 split.

Brad Pitt says he’s not to blame for charity’s faulty houses

The Blast reports that Pitt’s attorneys have filed paperwork “demanding” that a class-action lawsuit filed against Pitt and his charity, Make It Right, be tossed out.

The organization built homes following Hurricane Katrina in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans for people who had been left homeless by the hurricane.

The new filings claim it was not Pitt’s responsibility to ensure the homes were properly built.

Back in August, Pitt and Make It Right were sued by more than a dozen residents of the affordable eco-homes the org built.

The homeowners claimed in the suit that faulty construction had left the homes with major leaks and mold problems, sometimes making them uninhabitable.

Now Pitt’s lawyers are asking for him to be personally let out of the suit, although they’re not asking for Make It Right to be let off the hook.

Sources told Page Six over the summer that Pitt has spent millions of dollars of his own money to fix the problems.

Reps for Pitt didn’t get back to us.

Soap opera veteran Jensen Buchanan is ready for a clean break in Brentwood

The single-level Traditional, built in 1955, has an open floor plan, wood floors and vaulted ceilings. A fireplace anchors the living room. The kitchen has a beamed ceiling, stainless-steel appliances and an eat-at center island. There are four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

French doors at the back of the house open to a covered terrace, a pavilion and an outdoor kitchen. A stone bridge with a waterfall overlooks the pool and spa area.

Buchanan, 56, has appeared on such daytime soap operas as "Another World," "As the World Turns," "General Hospital" and "One Life to Live."

She bought the property in 2016 for $1.9 million, public records show.

Jade Mills and Johnny Schell of Coldwell Banker are the listing agents.

‘Empire’ Casts Alicia Coppola

‘Grand Hotel’: John Marshall Jones, Richard Burgi & Adrian Pasdar Join ABC Drama Series

Written by Brian Tanen based on a Spanish format, Grand Hotel is a soapy drama set against the backdrop of a Miami Beach hotel, centering on the family who owns the business, the staff who run it and the explosive secrets they hide under the perfect exterior.

Jones will play Malcolm, husband to Mrs. P and father of Jason. Malcolm is the head of facilities at the Riviera Grand. He’s a loving family man who works hard to give his loved ones the life they deserve.

Burgi will portray Michael Finn. Owner of the Finn Hotel Group. Mr. Finn might seem charming, but this shrewd businessman’s presence in Miami Beach means trouble for the Mendoza family and the staff of the Riviera Grand.

Pasdar is Felix, the ex-husband of Gigi (Roselyn Sanchez) and father of Yoli and Carolina. He abandoned his family after he was caught embezzling money from his clients. He’s returned after several years to make amends but are his intentions honorable, or does he have a more sinister motive?

Jones, best known for his role as Floyd Henderson on the hit 90s WB/Disney series Smart Guy, was a series regular on Bounce’s In The Cut. He’ll next be seen in a recurring on HBO’s Big Little Lies. On the feature side, Jones has supporting roles in the upcoming Warner Bros. horror feature The Curse of La Llorona and New Line’s thriller The Children. He’s repped by Pantheon Talent and Generate.

Burgi’s credits include Desperate Housewives and General Hospital, and he can be seen in a multi-episode arc on Crackle’s The Oath. He’s repped by Innovative Artists and Leslie Allan-Rice Management.

Pasdar recurs as Morgan Edge in the CW’s Supergirl which is going into its fourth season. He previously played Nolan Burgess for two seasons on USA’s Colony and had a starring role in ABC’s Kingmakers pilot. He’s repped by Gersh and Fidelity Management.

Betty White, Rita Moreno, Byron Allen Among NATPE Tartikoff Honorees

The 16th annual Tartikoffs will be handed out at NATPE’s conference in Miami in January. They are named for the late NBC Entertainment chief who assembled the network’s top-rated programming lineups in the 1980s.

Conference organizers said the award recipients are recognized “for exhibiting their extraordinary passion, leadership, independence and vision through their diverse work in being a part of the creation and distribution of content for the world’s traditional and digital marketplaces.”

Moreno is an “EGOT” winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) as well as a Kennedy Center honoree who stars in Netflix’s One Day at a Time. White, 96, is a seven-time Emmy winner whose career resurgence this decade has included hosting Saturday Night Live and starring on TVLand’s Hot in Cleveland. Winkler, still known for his 1970s role as Arthur “The Fonz” Fonzarelli on Happy Days, won his first Emmy last September for his supporting turn on HBO’s Barry.

Allen is founder, chairman and CEO of Entertainment Studios. Along with its film division and digital activities, the company is an active producer and distributor, syndicator and ad-sales outfit across 41 TV shows. Akil is a writer-producer of shows such as The Jamie Foxx Show and Moesha who went on to create Girlfriends, its spin-off The Game and BET’s Being Mary Jane. Greenblatt was chairman of NBC Entertainment from 2011 until earlier this year. He also ran Showtime and was a top executive at Fox.

Rhonda Ross in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Set to march through the streets of New York City on Thanksgiving, the nation will celebrate gathered with family and friends and more than 8,000 volunteers. Dressed as clowns, guiding the flight of larger-than-life character balloons, bringing the beat in the nation’s best marching bands and entertaining the crowds with their show-stopping performances, these participants will inspire and delight the nation. With the time honored phrase “Let’s Have a Parade,” the spectacle begins for more than 3.5 million spectators in New York and more than 50 million television viewers nationwide.

The star power along the parade route and in homes across the country will feature some of the nation’s most exciting performers. Appearing on board one of Macy’s signature floating stages will be Bad Bunny, Barenaked Ladies, Bazzi, Ally Brooke, Kane Brown, Brynn Cartelli, Jack & Jack, John Legend, Leona Lewis, Ella Mai, Tegan Marie, Martina McBride, Rita Ora, Carly Pearce, Pentatonix, Anika Noni Rose and the cast and Muppets of “Sesame Street,” Diana Ross with her children and extended family (including Rhonda Ross, Tracee Ellis Ross, Chudney Ross, Ross Naess and Evan Ross with wife Ashlee Simpson-Ross), Sugarland, Ashley Tisdale, Mackenzie Ziegler and Johnny Orlando, as well as a special appearance by the one-and-only Santa Claus.

On 34th Street, Broadway’s best shows will take a star turn in front of Macy’s famed flagship store with special performances. In addition, the show-stopping Radio City Rockettes® will bring their signature high-kicking magic to Herald Square.

Since 1924, the Macy’s Parade has enthralled the nation and become synonymous with the start of the holiday season. For the 92nd edition, the lineup will feature 16 giant character balloons; 43 novelty balloons, heritage balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and trycaloons; 26 floats; 1,200 cheerleaders and dancers; more than 1,000 clowns; and 12 marching bands.

“We’re delighted to once again broadcast this extraordinary holiday tradition to viewers across the country,” said Doug Vaughan, Executive Vice President, Special Programs, NBC Entertainment. “The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade marks the beginning of the holiday season, and we’re as excited as ever to celebrate with this incredible lineup of performers, bands, floats, balloons and more.”

“This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will redefine spectacle with a jaw-dropping mix of must-see entertainment for millions of spectators,” said Susan Tercero, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Featuring an amazing lineup of high-flying balloons, dazzling animated floats, world-class marching bands and performance groups, the nation’s top music artists and, of course, the one-and-only Santa Claus, the Macy’s Parade will once again herald the arrival of the holiday season.”

The Macy’s Parade is always a unique multi-level, magical march that provides spectators with different experiences, whether they watch it on television with friends and family or scout the perfect spot on the route to watch it unfold live. For the third year, Macy’s, along with NBCUniversal and Verizon, will give viewers an up close and personal second-screen experience of the parade with a 360-degree livestream on Verizon’s YouTube page. The stream will go live a 9 a.m. ET at www.youtube.com/verizon and will run through 12 p.m. ET.

INFLATABLE ICONS

Since 1927, the parade’s signature balloons have featured some of the world’s most beloved characters. Over time, the inflatables have morphed from air-filled characters carried on sticks to high-flying giants, balloonheads and even hybrid inflatables with vehicles inside.

Joining the giant character balloon lineup this year will be the famed Saiyan warrior Goku from Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

The elf stars of The Christmas Chronicles on Netflix – Fleck, Bjorn, Jojo and Hugg – will also debut taking to the skies ahead of the one-and-only Santa Claus. On the ground, the streets of New York will magically transform into the world’s largest bowling lane for the Go Bowling™ balloonicles (hybrid balloons and vehicles), as the bowling ball, pins and shoe cars try for strikes or perhaps a turkey, along the parade route.

Macy’s Blue Sky Gallery series will return to the sky this year for the seventh edition with Little Cloud, the iconic creation of art collaborative FriendsWithYou™. Macy’s Blue Sky Gallery series invites contemporary artists to recreate their work as parade balloons. Artists Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III will join Little Cloud with a stunning rainbow inflatable and two raindrops in this year’s parade, creating an artistic expression of joy and whimsy. Past works in the series have included balloons from famed artists Tom Otterness, Jeff Koons, Keith Haring, Takashi Murakami, Tim Burton and KAWS.

Rounding out the new inflatable cast will be Sinclair Oil’s Baby Dino balloonicles, Universal Orlando Resort’s™ The Nutcracker and the shining star of Macy’s Christmas celebrations, Sunny the Snowpal.

Returning giant balloon characters include Charlie Brown, Diary of A Wimpy Kid®, Sinclair’s DINO™, The Elf on the Shelf®, Illumination Presents Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch, Jett by Super Wings, Disney Frozen’s Olaf, PAW Patrol®, Pikachu™, Pillsbury Doughboy™, Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger, Ronald McDonald®, SpongeBob SquarePants, Toothless from DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World”, and DreamWorks Trolls©. Completing the inflatable lineup is the famed Aflac Duck balloonicle from Aflac, Inc.

FLOATING WONDERS

Gliding down Manhattan, the parade’s signature floats will transport spectators to worlds of wonder through creative design and skillful construction. Conceived and crafted by the incredible artisans of Macy’s Parade Studio, which include carpenters, engineers, electricians, painters, animators, sculptors, metal fabricators, scenic and costume designers, this year’s lineup of floats sets an unparalleled stage for entertainment. Macy’s Parade floats are often three stories tall and several lanes of traffic wide, but must collapse to no more than 12½-feet tall and 8-feet wide in order to travel safely from the New Jersey home of the Parade Studio, to the Manhattan starting line via the Lincoln Tunnel each Thanksgiving eve.

This year, four new floats will debut including Elf Pets® by Elf on the Shelf®, Fantasy Chocolate Factory by Kinder® (Ashley Tisdale), Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Nickelodeon (Jack & Jack) and Splashing Safari Adventure by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions (Ella Mai).

The returning float roster and their scheduled performers include 1-2-3 Sesame Street® by Sesame Workshop™ (Anika Noni Rose and the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street), The Aloha Spirit by King’s Hawaiian® (Barenaked Ladies), Big City Cheer! by Spirit of America Productions (Mackenzie Ziegler and Johnny Orlando), Building a Better World by Girl Scouts of the USA (Tegan Marie), The Cranberry Cooperative by Ocean Spray® (Sugarland) Deck the Halls by Balsam Hill® (Martina McBride), Discover Adventure! by Build-A-Bear® (John Legend), Everyone’s Favorite Bake Shop by Entenmann’s® (Pentatonix); Frozen Fall Fun by Discover®/NHL (Bazzi, and NHL Hockey Hall of Famers Bernie Parent and Mike Richter), Fun House by Krazy Glue®; Harvest in the Valley by Green Giant® (Carly Pearce), Heartwarming Holiday Countdown by Hallmark Channel (Diana Ross), Mount Rushmore’s American Pride by South Dakota Department of Tourism (Kane Brown), On The Roll Again by Homewood Suites by Hilton® (Leona Lewis), Parade Day Mischief by SOUR PATCH KIDS® Candy (Bad Bunny), Santa’s Sleigh (Santa Claus), Shimmer and Shine by Nickelodeon (Ally Brooke), Snoopy’s Doghouse by Peanuts Worldwide, Tom Turkey, and Universal Playground by Universal Kids (Brynn Cartelli).

Returning for a second year is a special float that will commemorate the season through an original holiday song celebrating togetherness and the magic of believing. The Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree by Delta Air Lines will feature the voices of more than 100 Macy’s colleagues and friends from Delta hailing from across the nation and the world.

STRIKE UP THE BAND AND DANCE

Marching bands are a longtime fan favorite element. In 2018, 12 of the nation’s finest marching bands will ignite coast-to-coast excitement and hometown pride as they step off and perform on the streets of the Big Apple. This year’s bands include Cicero-North Syracuse High School Northstars Marching Band (Cicero, NY), Grants Pass High School Marching Band and Color Guard (Grants Pass, OR), Homewood Patriot Band (Homewood, AL), James Madison University Royal Dukes (Harrisonburg, VA), Keller High School Marching Band (Keller, Texas), Lafayette High School Mighty Lion Marching Band (Lafayette, LA), The Ohio State University Marching Band (Columbus, Ohio), Park Vista High School Marching Band (Lake Worth, FL), Riverside City College Marching Tigers (Riverside, CA), Woodland High School Wildcat Marching Band (Cartersville, GA), Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States) and the NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY).

Rounding out the live entertainment are the parade’s signature large performance groups. Joining the lineup this year are the teen dancers and cheerleaders of Spirit of America Dance Stars and Spirit of America Cheer. These groups together feature more than 1,100 of the very best performers recruited from hometowns nationwide. Days before Thanksgiving, they will gather for the first time in New York City to rehearse their numbers as a group, ahead of their once-in-a-lifetime national spotlight. Adding a little glamour to the dancefloor will be the Fred Astaire Dance Studios, a specialty group made up of 60 ballroom dancers, and bringing wacky fun will be the stars of the Big Apple Circus. Finally, joining select talent performances will be the Manhattan Youth Ballet, and Westchester Dance Artists.

Please note: All talent, performances, elements and information included are subject to change.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Brad Lachman Productions. Brad Lachman serves as executive producer, Bill Bracken will co-executive produce and Ron de Moraes directs.

For an insider’s look at the holiday procession, fans nationwide should visit macys.com/parade for regular updates including behind the scenes previews, interactive historical information, and more. Fans can also follow @macys on various social networks and join the conversation using #MacysParade.

For more information on the broadcast, visit http://www.nbc.com/macys-thanksgiving-day-parade

Spencer Treat Clark on Criminal Minds 11/21/1

GUEST CAST includes: Spencer Treat Clark (Jordan Halloran), Shiloh Nelson (Ruby Butler), Gail O’Grady (Krystall Richards)

Former Pittsburgher, 'Bold and the Beautiful' soap star, Rena Sofer discusses impact of synagogue shooting

“He basically said, ‘Are you OK?’ I said, ‘I’m fine, why?’” recalled Sofer, known for her role as the intense and enigmatic Quinn Fuller Forrester, a jewelry designer, on the CBS soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful.”

The friend broke the horrific news.

Back in Pittsburgh, where Sofer spent many of her formative years as part of the local Jewish community, a gunman stormed into Tree of Life synagogue and murdered 11 people in a hate crime – the worst attack on Jews in American history.

“When we hear about these shootings and we hear about these mass murders going on, we feel humanity,” Sofer said. “When you all of a sudden hear about it in your home, it becomes deeper and a lot more of an intense feeling.”

Sofer – daughter of the late Martin Sofer, a Conservative rabbi - was born in California. When her parents divorced, Rena Sofer moved with her father and brother, David, to Teaneck, N.J., in 1970; when she was 5, they moved to Western Pennsylvania. They lived in Ambridge, Beaver County; there, Rabbi Sofer led Beth Samuels Jewish Center, after the Aliquippa Jewish Center merged into the congregation.

Every day, the rabbi drove his kids into Squirrel Hill, where Rena attended Hillel Academy of Pittsburgh and Yeshiva Achei Tmimim Schools. She lived here through the end of seventh grade, when her family moved back to New Jersey. A New York agent discovered Sofer when she was a teenager, and she worked in modeling before turning to acting.

The daytime TV veteran won a Best Supporting Actress Daytime Emmy in 1995 for her former role as Lois Cerullo on “General Hospital.”

Memories of her long-ago childhood in Pittsburgh may have grown fuzzy, but Sofer maintains a soft spot and strong fondness for the region. Sofer no longer has family here, but she has friends who still have family living in the region. Pittsburgh often has been called one of the safest cities in America, she said, and that makes the Squirrel Hill shooting even more shocking.

“The thing about Pittsburgh is, I got to grow up in a place when I could run outside as a child, go to a park, and go run a few blocks down the street,” said Sofer, who has appeared in many primetime shows, including “NCIS” and “Ghost Whisperer.”

“For that kind of violence to happen in that kind of community is so repelling for the people in Pittsburgh,” said Sofer, who also has acted in movies including “Keeping the Faith” and “Traffic.” “Those people are about safety and about goodness and about community.”

One of the most poignant things about the shooting, many say, is that some Jewish medical professionals treated gunman Robert Bowers at Allegheny General Hospital. Nurse Ari Mahler wrote a public Facebook post about how he treated Bowers like any other patient, even as he yelled “Death to All Jews!” The post went viral and has more than 265,000 likes.

The medical team’s actions show what Judaism is all about, Sofer said.

“Jewish people throughout history have been persecuted … and face constant hatred and attacks,” she said. “Yet, we’ve always strived to be part of society.”

Jewish law is “very, very clear that you do everything you possibly can to save a human life. … The only time you don’t is when your life is in danger,” Sofer said. “The saving of anyone else’s life becomes more important than religion, than politics, than anything else.”

Sofer’s Jewish faith remains a big part of her life; her younger daughter, Avalon, just had her bat mitzvah at their synagogue in the Los Angeles area. Her older daughter, Rosabel, is in Vienna on a Fulbright Scholarship; she is studying anti-Semitic art.

Rabbi Sofer, who died in 2011 at age 86, attended Yeshiva University in New York and earned doctoral degrees in Jewish history and the Hebrew language. He served in the Israeli War of Independence in 1948. Rena Sofer’s father was quiet and private, and not a very political person – but, she said he would have mourned deeply after the shooting if he were alive.

“He gave himself for his community,” she said. “Beyond that … I would hope that maybe (the shooting) would have impassioned him to be more of an activist in his community as opposed to just a spiritual leader.”

One of Sofer’s favorite poems – “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” by John Donne – describes her feelings about the Pittsburgh tragedy. The verses – including “No man is an island, entire of himself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main” - remind us that we are all connected as human beings, she said.

The American gun-violence epidemic is out of control, and elected officials must do something to reduce it, said Sofer, who criticized President Trump for nationalist rhetoric that divides people. Nobody wants to take all guns, but we need more restrictive gun laws to, for instance, make it harder for dangerous people to get weapons, she said.

“I feel like the thing that I’m taking the most from Pittsburgh is … it’s incredibly clear that we in this country are in a place where it’s in our hands,” Sofer said. “We have the power to be able to stand up and say no.”

Hopefully, the Pittsburgh synagogue tragedy teaches us “that we are all Americans, and we have to be there for each other,” she said. “It’s OK to have different ideals … but it’s not OK to destroy each other and kill each other.”

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie About to Go to Trial in Custody War

Angelina and Brad have filed legal docs asking an L.A. Superior Court Judge to give them until next June to hash out their bitter divorce ... with the help of a private judge.

The custody trial is now set to begin December 4, and the 2 parents could not be further apart. Angelina wants sole physical custody of their 6 kids and Brad wants 50/50 joint custody.

We're told the custody trial should take somewhere between 2 and 3 weeks, and then the judge has to sort it all out.

In addition to custody, the private judge needs to handle the property settlement. There is not a prenup ... which is huge, given the bad blood between the two.

We know Brad has bitterly complained he feels Angelina is trying to deny him the right to parent their kids.

Pride and Prejudice: Atlanta Movie Ordered at Lifetime With All-Black Cast

Pride and Prejudice: Atlanta stars Jackee Harry (Sister, Sister) as preacher’s wife Mrs. Bennet, the author of a self-help book on how to find the perfect husband. Because of this, she isn’t pleased that her own daughters — Lizzie (Hit the Floor‘s Tiffany Hines, Jane (Being Mary Jane‘s Raney Branch), Mary (The Purge‘s Brittney Level), Lydia (Growing Up Hip Hop: Atlanta‘s Reginae Carter) and Kitty (newcomer Alexia Bailey) — remain single. That’s when Mrs. Bennet happens upon the oh-so-eligible Will Darcy (Empire‘s Juan Antonio), whom she tries to match with eldest daughter Lizzie. Reginald VelJohnson (Family Matters) also stars as family patriarch Reverend Bennet. Additional cast members include Kellee Stewart (Midnight, Texas) as Lizzie’s friend Charlotte, Victoria Rowell (The Young and the Restless) as Will’s aunt Catherine and Keshia Knight Pulliam (The Cosby Show) as snarky socialite Caroline. The film is produced by Big Dreams Entertainment and Swirl Films. Executive producers include Leslie Greif, Naomi Despres and Tracy McMillan. Eric Tomosunas and Alex Kerr will produce, Rhonda Baraka will direct and Tracy McMillan will write.

Lifetime has also ordered the movie Very Valentine, based on Adriana Trigiani’s Valentine Trilogy books, which follows a family-owned shoe store in Greenwich Village on the brink of financial collapse. Kelen Coleman (Big Little Lies) stars as Valentine Roncalli, the granddaughter of master artisan Teodora Angelini (played by Nip/Tuck‘s Jacqueline Bisset), who steps up to save the family business.

“Juggling unpredictable love lives, duty to their family, and a design challenge presented by a prestigious department store, Valentine and Teodora are on a quest to build a pair of glorious shoes sure to beat their rivals,” reads the official synopsis. “Also, in the course of discovering her true artistic voice, Valentine discovers true love as she turns her life and the business upside down in ways she never expected.”

Very Valentine is being produced in Bulgaria by Judith Verno and Sony Pictures Television. Larry Sanitsky serves is executive-producing, Menhaj Huda (Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance) is directing and the script is being written by Trigiani.

Michelle Hurd Recurs On Hawaii Five-0 11/16/18

(“Lele pu na manu like” is Hawaiian for “Birds of a Feather…”)

RECURRING CAST includes: Kekoa Kekumano (Nahele), Shawn Mokuahi Garnett (Flippa), Michelle Hurd (Renee Grover).

Soap Alums’ New Series Debuts

James Pickens Jr. on The Conners 11/13/18

“The Conners” stars John Goodman as Dan Conner, Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris, Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner, Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner-Healy, Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner, Emma Kenney as Harris Conner-Healy, Ames McNamara as Mark Conner-Healy, Jayden Rey as Mary Conner and Maya Lynne Robinson as Geena Williams-Conner.

Guest stars include MC Gainey as Group Leader, Paul Wilson as Paulie, James Pickens Jr. as Chuck, Stephen Monroe Taylor as Dwight, Cassandra Relynn as Deaconess and Tahmus Rounds as Bob.

“The Separation of Church and Dan” was written by Sid Youngers and directed by Andy Ackerman.

Friends say Brad Pitt’s next wife won’t be a celebrity

“He’s not a monk!” said one pal. The 54-year-old star has been dating quietly amid a turbulent and ongoing divorce from Jolie, which has still not been finalized due to a bitter custody battle over their six children.

“To say these two years have been a nightmare is an understatement,” a source close to Pitt told The Post.

Since Jolie, 43, stunned Hollywood by filing for divorce from Pitt in September 2016 after 12 years together, ­every woman the actor is seen with is dubbed a potential new fling by the media.

In April, a friendship with American-Israeli MIT professor Neri Oxman, 42, sparked reports of romance.

Oxman denied any romantic relationship in an interview with The New York Times earlier this month, and Page Six recently reported that the instructor of media arts and sciences is now engaged to billionaire hedge-fund manager Bill Ackman. Pitt met her while both were involved in an architecture project at MIT. But “Brad was never dating Neri — they are friends and their relationship is ­totally professional,” the pal said.

Then, on Oct. 1, Pitt was pictured enjoying the company of spiritual healer and jewelry designer Sat Hari Khalsa, 49, at the Silverlake Conservatory of Music annual benefit and art auction in Los Angeles, hosted by their mutual pal, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea.

Pitt is a close friend of the musician, while Sat has toured with his band as a holistic nurse — giving the Chili Peppers ozone therapy, in which the gas is pumped ­intravenously into the body to purify the bloodstream.

Sat — an American Sikh who was shipped off to boarding school in the ­Himalayas at the age of 10 — reportedly found her way into the lyrics of a 2002 Chili Peppers song, “Can’t Stop”: “So smart she’s leading me to ozone.” In his 2004 memoir, “Scar Tissue,” band frontman Anthony Kiedis also calls her one of his “main soul mates,” albeit seemingly platonic.

In the book, Kieidis writes: ‘Sat Hari is a nurse . . . a sweet, incredibly sheltered, turban-wearing young lady. She looks like a female version of Flea, with the same gap-toothed smile, the same shape of face, the same color eyes, the same little pug nose. She’s maternal and she’s warm and she’s loving and she’s unassuming, a complete breath of fresh air and female energy, and I don’t mean sexual energy, at least not for me. For me she’s like a sister and mother and caretaker and nurse all in one.

“Everyone [in the band] used her as their ultimate confidante, spilling their guts to her all day and all night about their deepest, darkest, most untellable secrets,” Kiedis writes.

Sat worked as a ski instructor, security guard and even an accountant before training in integrative medicine.

A friend of Khalsa’s told The Post the divorced mother-of-one, who lives in Los Angeles, has “wonderful energy” and calls her “totally awesome,” adding: “The Chili Peppers are a very spiritual band and the healers they had traveling with them were top-notch.”

Pitt insiders aren’t convinced Khalsa’s the one for him, although she does fit his new MO.

“I can’t see Brad dating someone super famous again, I can definitely see him dating someone with a lower profile,” said someone who has worked closely with the actor.

Insiders say Pitt, who is currently filming director Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” in Los Angeles, has been “hanging out” with a few women over the past few months. But he’s working to keep things private after having had so many very public relationships over the years, with such famous women as Gwyneth Paltrow, Juliette Lewis and Jennifer Aniston, to whom he was married from 2000 to 2005.

The spotlight can be a “challenge” for people who aren’t used to it, said the source who has worked with Pitt. “There’s all this gossip and suddenly this person ­becomes a public character.”

While some of Hollywood’s leading men, such as Ben Affleck, choose to date busty Playboy models after their very public marital splits, this is not the path for Pitt, according to friends.

But he is meeting women through his most trusted pals, who include sculptor Thomas Houseago and Dede Gardner, the president of his Oscar-winning production company, Plan B.

“He just likes hanging out with his friends and anyone he meets will have to be from a place of trust,” said the source who has worked with him.

According to the pal: “He’s focused on his children, his work and wanting to have some sense of normalcy. He’s dating casually but, for the foreseeable future, everything is about the kids.”

That said, insiders tell The Post that Pitt is not looking to have more children.

(A representative for the actor had no comment.)

After months of legal back-and-forth, Pitt and Jolie this week appear to be closer to reaching a final resolution on a custody deal for their children. On Oct. 8, Dr. Stan Katz, the child-custody evaluator appointed by the court, submitted his documents from the family visits.

Pitt now gets to see his children four hours every other day and 12 hours on the weekend as part of the current legal agreement.

The judge in the case has already scolded Jolie for trying to drive a wedge between Pitt and the children, and warned that if she didn’t improve their relationship, she could lose custody.

The actor “rarely” speaks to Jolie, the pal said. “The divorce is still an ongoing process. It’s not easy.”

Insiders add that two years of public scrutiny have left the actor “wary” of launching into a serious romance anytime soon.

“He’s never been ‘woe is me’ — he’s very grateful for everything he has — but the public obsession with everything he does is just hard. He wants to be with someone nice, it’s just going to take a while before a long-term relationship can happen.”

Asked if one could envisage a Mrs. Pitt Number 3 in the future, the pal replied, “Brad comes from a very traditional family, he’s very close to his parents, Jane and Bill, and his brother and sister are both married with families. I could see him marrying again, but it will be a much more low-key relationship.”

For now, insiders say, Pitt is continuing to work on himself in a way that will make him an even better partner one day. As he told GQ in 2017, “You know, I just started therapy. I love it, I love it. I went through two therapists to get to the right one.”

He also revealed how he had given up booze and smoking marijuana in favor of cranberry juice and sparkling water, admitting, “I’ve got my feelings in my fingertips again. I think that’s part of the ­human challenge: You either deny them all of your life or you answer them and evolve.”

In August, The Post reported that Jolie “doesn’t want Brad to move on,” according to a family source.

Now the actor is trying to work through the variety of accusations that emerged during his divorce from Jolie, including allegations of child abuse against eldest son Maddox and claims that he has failed to make “meaningful” child support payments.

(Pitt has denied all of the claims, and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services has cleared him of the child-abuse allegations. In November 2016, Pitt was also cleared by the FBI of any wrong­doing related to the allegations.)

“Brad’s only made two public statements since the split. He’s tried to be quiet for the sake of the children and he will never say anything bad about Angie as a mother, but he’s hurt,” said the source who has worked with him.

“We just hope he finds peace and love again.”

Ray Liotta, Ken Jeong, Adrien Brody, Travis Fimmel & More Round Out Cast For Charlie Day’s ‘El Tonto’

In El Tonto, Day plays a mute simpleton who upon stepping off the bus for the first time in Los Angeles is thrust into stardom, only to ultimately lose it all.

A Hollywood satire, El Tonto features Liotta playing a film producer, Ganem as the love interest to Day’s character, Jeong as a showbiz publicist and Norris in a cameo as a studio boss. They join previously announced Kate Beckinsale, Jason Sudeikis, John Malkovich, Edie Falco and Jillian Bell. Day’s Fox comedy series, The Cool Kids, which he co-created and serves as EP on, recently received a full season order from the network.

The Armory Films and Metalworks Pictures financed and produced El Tonto. John Rickard and his Wrigley Pictures banner is also producing with Alex Saks via her Page Fifty-Four Pictures. Rickard is coming off this past spring’s success, the Dwayne Johnson action pic Rampage which reaped $426.2M at the worldwide box office. He previously worked with Day as a producer on New Line’s Horrible Bosses franchise which grossed over $317M WW between two pics. Saks recently produced the Oscar-nominated title The Florida Project, Thoroughbreds and last summer’s box office sleeper, The Book Club. Endeavor Content is handling El Tonto‘s global rights. Armory’s Christopher Lemole and Tim Zajaros and Metalwork’s Andrew Levitas are also producing. Metalworks was behind another recent Beckinsale title that played TIFF, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s drama Farming.

Jeong is repped by ICM, Aligned Entertainment and Stone, Genow, Smelkinson, Binder & Christopher. Liotta is repped by Gersh and Untitled Entertainment. Brody is repped by Paradigm. Fimmel is with Paradigm, Management 360, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Ganem is represented by Paradigm, McKeon/Myones Entertainment, and Morris Yorn Barnes Levine Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner & Gellman. Norris is a client of CAA and Industry Entertainment.

Blue Bloods Alum Amy Carlson Sets TV Return With NBC's The Village

Carlson will guest-star on The Village, NBC’s midseason drama that has been likened to “Die Hard in an apartment building.” No, scratch that — it’s “This Is Us in an apartment building.” No character details were made available.

Per NBC’s synopsis, the titular Village is “an apartment building in Brooklyn that appears like any other from the outside but is quite unique inside. The people who reside here have built a bonded family of friends and neighbors.”

Among the series regulars, Michaela McManus (SEAL Team) plays Sarah, a nurse and single mom raising a creative teen; Daren Kagasoff (The Secret Life of the American Teenager) is Gabe, a young law student who got a much older and unexpected roommate; Warren Christie (Alphas) plays Nick, a veteran who’s returned from war; and Frankie Faison (The Wire) and Lorraine Toussaint (Saving Grace) represent “the heart and soul of the building” as Ron and Patricia.

Moran Atias (Tyrant), Dominic Chianese (The Sopranos), Jerod Haynes and Grace Van Dien also star.

An original Blue Bloods cast member, Carlson parted ways with the CBS drama after Season 7 ended, setting the stage for her character, nurse Linda Reagan, to be written out via a Medevac helicopter crash (that mayyybe wasn’t an accident?). Her tombstone listed Linda’s date of death as May 28, 2017 — three weeks after the Season 7 finale aired.

James Pickens Jr. on The Conners 10/23/18

“The Conners” stars John Goodman as Dan Conner, Laurie Metcalf as Jackie Harris, Sara Gilbert as Darlene Conner, Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner-Healy, Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner, Emma Kenney as Harris Conner-Healy, Ames McNamara as Mark Conner-Healy, Jayden Rey as Mary Conner and Maya Lynne Robinson as Geena Williams-Conner.

Guest stars include MC Gainey as Group Leader, Paul Wilson as Paulie, James Pickens Jr. as Chuck, Stephen Monroe Taylor as Dwight, Cassandra Relynn as Deaconess and Tahmus Rounds as Bob.

Anna Holbrook on Blue Bloods

GUEST CAST includes: Aasif Mandvi (Samar Chatwal), Kaley Ronayne (Shelly Dowd), Anna Holbrook (Lisa Dowd).

David Lee Russek on FBI 10/16/18

GUEST CAST includes: Tyrone Mitchell Henderson (Adam Gantry), Michael C. Williams (Cole Cooper), David Lee Russek (Lt. Danny Watts)

Lindsay Lohan accuses woman of trafficking kids, gets punched for her efforts

While visiting Russia, the troubled star posted an Instagram video of herself following what she believed was a war-torn Syrian refugee family.

In her audio, Lohan accused the mother of trafficking the children. Then when she tried to grab one of the kids, his mom clocked her!

The Mean Girls actress, 32, said on the Instagram video, “Hey everyone, I just want to show you a family that I met, a Syrian refugee family that I’m really worried about. They really need help.”

“You want to come with me? Come with me. I’ll take care of you guys,” Lohan said in both Arabic and English.

“Do you want to stay in a hotel tonight? Do you want to watch movies? It would be so cool to watch a movie on a TV or a computer,” she then said to a child.

Lohan continued, “You should not have them [your sons] on the floor, you should be a hard-working woman and you should be doing what you [can] for your children, so they have a better life.”

“If someone is offering them a home and a bed, which is me at the moment, give it to them. They will come back to you,” Lohan further added. “I won’t leave until I take you. Now I know who you are.

“Don’t f—with me.”

Lohan followed the family members as they walked away, saying, “Look what’s happening, they’re trafficking children. You’re ruining Arabic culture by doing this.” “I’m with you boys, don’t worry. The whole world is seeing this,” she sighed. “Are you from Pakistan?”

Then, Lohan was punched in the face by the mother of the children after she attempted to grab one of the boys! Lohan cried to her camera at the end of the odd video, “I’m so scared.” In the past few years, rumours have flown that Lohan has converted to Islam.

The longtime party girl has had numerous sobriety and legal issues through the years.

The new video is just her latest weird moment in a lifetime of them!

And followers have slammed her, with one writing, “Lindsay Lohan how’d you go from the club to trying to kidnap two kids?” Another asked, “Did Lindsay Lohan tried [sic] to take away these kids from their parents?”

Former Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross winning secret battle with cancer

The 56-year-old actress posted a selfie on Instagram on Sept. 15 and gave fans a health update.

“So grateful and happy to be alive but sad that my hair fell out and is about 1 inch long now and looks cra cra,” she wrote. “Anyone else have #hairloss due to #cancer? Talk to me. I feel you.”

She added, “I am POST cancer. All good now. Hard journey, but I am HEALTHY, happy, and more present and grateful than ever. Thank you from the bottom of my ever expanding heart for all of your LOVE.”

Marcia returned to social media a day later and explained the previous post had really empowered her.

“After posting a picture of myself here and uttering the words #cancer and #hairloss, I felt liberated, deliriously free and completely me,” she wrote. “How or why this simple act gave me such a powerful lift I did not question, but I thanked God or whatever gave me the internal push to move forward and expose myself.

“I certainly wasn’t expecting the response of love and kindness that flowed to me. My capacity to receive requires a massive expansion! I am ecstatically alive and what interests me post-cancer is #AUTHENTICITY. #VULNERABILITY. #TRANSPARENCY. And of course #LOVE.”

It’s not the first time Cross has faced and beaten cancer – her husband, Tom Mahoney, was diagnosed in 2009, and, like his wife, is now healthy.

Lifetime Decks Its Halls With 23 Holiday-Themed Movies & More Cheer

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as the A+E Networks-owned net unveils its telepic slate billed as It’s a Wonderful Lifetime. After kicking off November 21 with a week featuring five nights of premieres, each ensuing week of the holiday season will feature new movies every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Check out the full lineup with descriptions and premiere dates below.

“It’s a Wonderful Lifetime is back in a major way with more hours of holiday programming than we have ever had before,” said Tanya Lopez, EVP Movies, Limited Series and Original Movie Acquisitions at Lifetime and LMN. “By stacking our originals with beloved stars from some of the most iconic television shows we grew up with, we are tapping into the nostalgic feelings of familiarity and comfort that everyone wants for the holidays.”

Some of this seasons movies feature reunions of cast members from such popular bygone TV series as The Cosby Show, A Different World, 7th Heaven and Sister, Sister. Also on tap is the previously announced hourlong special ‘Tis the Season: A One Tree Hill Cast Reunion, in which cast members Hilarie Burton, Tyler Hilton, Danneel Ackles, Antwon Tanner and Stephen Colletti from the 2003-12 WB/CW series regather for an evening that also will include a few surprise special guests.

Among the stars set for Lifetime’s 2018 holiday movies are Toni Braxton, Melissa Joan Hart, Megan Hilty, Tia Mowry-Hardict, Sarah Drew, Marissa Winokur, Loretta Devine, Cheryl Ladd, June Squibb, Sharon Lawrence, John Schneider, Jason London, Tiya Sicar, Diane Ladd, Towanda Braxton, Conchata Ferrell, Gloria Reuben, Rachel Boston, Patricia Richardson, Caroline Rhea, Michael Gross and Melissa Gilbert.

Here is the full slate of original holiday fare from Lifetime, including premiere dates, followed by its acquired films:

It’s A Wonderful Lifetime Preview Special
November 17th at 10 p.m.
Hosted by Melissa Joan Hart

What if Lifetime never made Christmas movies? In this special, hosted by Melissa Joan Hart, we will be taken on a journey that explores how terrible life would be without Lifetime Christmas movies to bring us holiday cheer. Melissa will be visited by the “host” of Lifetime Christmas Past, Present, and Future, and along the way, she will preview the 14 exciting movies that are coming to Lifetime this holiday season. Once this special is over, you won’t be able to imagine a world without the magic of Lifetime Christmas. It’s A Wonderful Lifetime Preview Special is produced by A+E OriginalsTM. Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat and Allie Breslin serve as executive producers. Brie Miranda Bryant executive produces for Lifetime.
My Christmas Inn
November 21st at 8 p.m.
Starring Tia Mowry-Hardict, Rob Mayes, Jackée Harry, Tim Reid & Erin Gray

With the holiday season in full swing, Jen Taylor (Tia Mowry-Hardict) is about to score a big promotion at the San Francisco ad agency where she works. But her life is unexpectedly turned upside down when she inherits a cozy inn in Alaska from her aunt. When she goes to inspect the property and meets handsome town attorney Steve Anderson (Rob Mayes), she’s surprised to find that nothing is what she expected. The small town community is full of fun and festive Christmas traditions and soon, Jen starts wondering if the inn might just be the place she belongs, and if Steve could be the Mr. Right she has been waiting for. My Christmas Inn is produced by HYBRID, LLC.

The Christmas Contract
November 22nd at 8 p.m.
Starring One Tree Hill Alums Hilarie Burton, Robert Buckley, Danneel Ackles, Antwon Tanner
And Jordan Ladd, Cheryl Ladd, Bruce Boxleitner, Jason London, Hunter Burke, Teri Wyble & Ritchie Montgomery With Special Musical Appearance from Tyler Hilton

It’s Jolie’s (Hilarie Burton) first time going back home to Louisiana since her devastating break up with Foster (Hunter Burke). Seeing him is inevitable as their parents run the town’s annual Christmas Market together, but when she discovers Foster is bringing home a new girlfriend, Jolie cannot bear the thought of going home alone and seeing them together. Her best friend Naomi (Danneel Ackles) suggests that Jolie bring her flaky brother, Jack (Robert Buckley), home for Christmas as he has no plans this year. Jolie, a professional web designer, is hesitant; so, Naomi, a lawyer, creates a Christmas contract to give them both something they want—a buffer for those awkward moments around Jolie’s ex and a website to help sell Jack’s upcoming novel. Unbeknownst to them, the Christmas contract proves to be so much more than what they signed up for. The Christmas Contract is produced by Active Entertainment. Ken Badish and Daniel Lewis serve as executive producers. Monika Mitchell serves as director with a script by Cassie Doyle.

‘Tis the Season: A One Tree Hill Cast Reunion
November 22nd at 10 p.m.
Featuring Hilarie Burton, Tyler Hilton, Danneel Ackles, Antwon Tanner & Stephen Colletti

The Tree Hill Ravens are back together to celebrate the Christmas season on Lifetime. In this special one-hour reunion, Hilarie Burton, Tyler Hilton, Danneel Ackles, Antwon Tanner of The Christmas Contract and Stephen Colletti of Hometown Christmas, reunite for a special evening that will include a few surprise special guests. ‘Tis the Season: A One Tree Hill Cast Reunion is produced by A+E OriginalsTM. Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat and Allie Breslin serve as executive producers. Brie Miranda Bryant executive produces for Lifetime.

Poinsettias for Christmas
November 23rd at 8 p.m.
Starring Bethany Joy Lenz, Marcus Rosner, Lauren London,
Sharon Lawrence & John Schneider

It’s just weeks before Christmas when Ellie (Bethany Joy Lenz) gets a call to return home to help her father (John Schneider) on the family’s poinsettia farm. The family business is on the line to deliver tens of thousands of plants for the town’s annual parade. The problem is – the poinsettias have yet to turn red! As Ellie searches for the solution, she is reminded of where her heart truly lies as she falls in love with both her roots and a local botanist (Marcus Rosner). Poinsettias for Christmas is produced by Annuit Coeptis Entertainment, Inc. Christie Will Wolf directed from a script written by Barbara Kymlicka.

Every Day is Christmas
November 24th at 8 p.m.
Starring Toni Braxton, Gloria Reuben, Towanda Braxton & Michael Jai White

Inspired by the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol,” shrewd money manager Alexis Taylor (Toni Braxton) gets the holiday visit of a lifetime. A self-proclaimed workaholic who “humbugs” love, Alexis ends up embracing the spirit of Christmas when her past, present, and future collide, forcing her to risk the one thing money can’t buy: her heart. Every Day is Christmas is produced by Brightlight Pictures. Kevin Leslie is producer. Toni Braxton, Craig Baumgarten, Kenneth Crear, Shawn Williamson, Jamie Goehring, and Jonathan Shore executive produce. David Weaver directs from a script by Karen Schaler.

Jingle Belle
November 25th at 8 p.m.
Starring Tatyana Ali, Cornelius Smith Jr., Loretta Devine, Valarie Pettiford, Obba Babatunde, Keshia Knight Pulliam & Tempestt Bledsoe

Every year, Isabelle (Tatyana Ali) and her high school sweetheart Mike (Cornelius Smith Jr.), rocked their small town’s annual Christmas Eve Pageant with a sweet Christmas duet. But after graduation, Isabelle left to study at Juillard in New York – leaving Mike behind. Years later, when Isabelle returns to her hometown to write music for the annual Christmas Eve Pageant, she is shocked to learn that Mike is the one directing the show. Can Isabelle and Mike put the past behind them and reunite on stage for another show-stopping duet? Jingle Belle is produced by Hybrid, LLC.

A Very Nutty Christmas
November 30th at 8 p.m.
Starring Melissa Joan Hart, Barry Watson, Marissa Winokur, Conchata Ferrell & Rizwan Manji

Hard-working bakery owner Kate Holiday (Melissa Joan Hart), has more cookie orders than she has time to fill this holiday season, and when her boyfriend suddenly breaks up with her, any shred of Christmas joy she was hanging onto, immediately disappears. After Kate hangs the last ornament on the tree and goes to bed, she awakens the next morning to a little bit of Christmas magic. She gets the surprise of her life when Chip (Barry Watson), a handsome soldier who may or may not be the Nutcracker Prince from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, appears in her living room. A Very Nutty Christmas is produced by Hartbreak Films. Paula Hart and Melissa Joan Hart executive produce. Colin Theys serves as director with a script written by Juliet and Keith Giglio.

A Twist of Christmas
December 1st at 8 p.m.
Starring Vanessa Lachey & Brendon Zub

In the frenzy before Christmas, two single parents— busy working mom Abby (Vanessa Lachey) and her son, and overwhelmed lawyer Ryan (Brendon Zub) and his daughter, accidentally mix up their toys at a crowded department store. As a result, both of their Christmases appear to be ruined. Although the two can’t stand each other, the only way to get things back on track is to help each other salvage their holiday plans – not realizing they’re falling for each other in the process. A Twist of Christmas is produced by Lighthouse Pictures. Jamie Goehring, Shawn Williamson and Nancy Bennett executive produce. David Winning serves as director with a script written by Brian Sawyer and Gregg Rossen.

The Christmas Pact
December 2nd at 8 p.m.
Starring Kyla Pratt, Jarod Joseph, Kadeem Hardison & Jasmine Guy

Can best friends fall in love? That’s the question next door neighbors Sadie (Kyla Pratt) and Ben (Jarod Joseph) will answer as they keep the spirit of Christmas and the magic of their childhood pact alive! When they were eight years old, they planted a scrawny 3-foot tall Christmas tree behind their church and the Christmas Pact began. But as life gets in the way the pact is threatened to be broken. Ben and Sadie need some Christmas Magic to recommit to each other and promise to keep their special holiday traditions. With each Christmas that passes by, Ben and Sadie’s Christmas tree grows taller and stronger; and so does their love. The pact bearing fruit to the magic of Christmas and the undeniable answer. Yes, friends can fall in love! The Christmas Pact is produced by Annuit Coeptis Entertainment. Executive Producer Timothy O.Johnson, Marita Grabniak directs from a script written by Damon Hill and Blaine Chiappetta.

Christmas Lost and Found
December 7th at 8 p.m.
Starring Tiya Sircar, Ed Ruttle & Diane Ladd

After years of missing family gatherings, New York City event planner Whitney Kennison (Tiya Sircar) is off to Chicago to spend Christmas with Grandma Frances (Diane Ladd). Excited that her granddaughter is finally home for the holidays, Frances decides to bestow Whitney with the precious Kennison family Christmas ornaments. But when Whitney mistakenly throws out the box of ornaments, Grandma Frances must stealthily devise a fun Christmas scavenger hunt to remind Whitney what the holiday is all about. It’s a race against time as Whitney reclaims the family ornaments, finds romance and learns the lesson Grandma Frances imparts. Christmas Lost and Found is produced by Stephanie Germain Productions and Front Street Productions, with Stephanie Germain and Harvey Kahn as executive producers. Michael Scott directs from a script by Jennifer Notas Shapiro.

Santa’s Boots
December 8th at 8 p.m.
Starring Megan Hilty, Noah Mills & June Squibb

When Holly (Megan Hilty) returns home for Christmas expecting the same as any other year, she’s blindsided to learn her family’s department store is on the brink of foreclosure. To keep the business going, Holly fills in as Santa’s Helper and meets the surprisingly young and handsome Nick (Noah Mills), who has been hired to play Santa at the store this year. Their undeniable chemistry and charisma draw in big crowds, until suddenly, Nick disappears. As Christmas day inches closer, Holly scrambles to find Nick with only one clue – his misplaced black boot. Santa’s Boots is produced by Front Street Pictures, with Barbara Lieberman and Charles Cooper as executive producers. Shawn Tolleson directs with a script written by Shannon Phipps and Shawn Tolleson.

A Christmas in Tennessee
December 9th at 8 p.m.
Starring Rachel Boston, Andrew Walker, Patricia Richardson, Caroline Rhea

Allison Bennet (Rachel Boston), along with her daughter Olivia and mother Martha (Patricia Richardson), run a bakery in the small mountain town of White Pines, Tennessee. When Matthew (Andrew Walker), a charming real estate developer, tries to buy the town for a corporate ski resort, Allison and the townspeople must work together to prevent that from happening. And just when the Bennet ladies seem out of luck, an unexpected visitor—with a well-known sweet tooth for cookies and milk—comes to the bakery and may in fact be the key to solving everything. A Christmas in Tennessee is produced by Smokey Mountain Films Inc. and Juliette Hagopian. Howard Braunstein serves as executive producer. Gary Yates directs with a script written by Cassie Doyle.

Christmas Around the Corner
December 14th at 8 p.m.
Starring Alexandra Breckenridge, Jamie Spilchuk & Jane Alexander

Claire (Alexandra Breckenridge), a savvy venture capitalist from New York City, escapes to a quaint town in Vermont for the holidays and becomes a guest of the Fortenbury Bookstore. Upon arrival, Claire finds Christmas celebrations have been canceled by the town after a flood and the bookstore is in a dire state of disrepair. She immediately takes on the challenge to revitalize the store, but clashes with the owner, Andrew (Jamie Spilchuk), who initially rejects all her proposed improvements. Eventually, sparks fly as the two begin a budding romance, and Claire’s infectious optimism inspires Andrew to join her in reviving the yuletide spirit. But everything comes to a screeching halt when Claire discovers that Andrew is planning to sell the bookstore in the New Year. Will the spirit of Christmas be enough to change Andrew’s mind and encourage him to follow his heart? Christmas Around the Corner is produced by Neshama Entertainment in association with MarVista Entertainment. Danielle Von Zerneck serves as executive producer. Megan Follows directs with a script by Michael Murray.

Christmas Pen Pals
December 15th at 8 p.m.
Starring Sarah Drew, Niall Matter & Michael Gross