(8/7/25) In a case of art imitating life, Lois Cerullo is temporarily putting Port Charles in her rearview mirror — because her portrayer is saying goodbye to Hollywood.

Longtime General Hospital star Rena Sofer announced on social media this week that she and husband Sanford Bookstaver are leaving Los Angeles, where the ABC soap is filmed, after almost 35 years.

“Yes I’m getting emotional,” Sofer wrote on Instagram. “I met and had my children in LA met the man of my dreams and created an incredible life there. I had amazing success in the Biz and made all my lifelong friends who I will miss desperately. … Thank you LA for being you. And now on to quieter and calmer times. Leave it to a leaf blower to finish this post, there is nothing more la!! Now we are off … with our 5 dogs in the back to our new life!!!”

UPDATE: While an initial report suggested that Sofer would be getting an official exit story — with the writers leaving the door open for a potential return — a new report from Soap Opera Digest confirms that Sofer is remaining with the show, despite her considerable move. She will fly to Los Angeles to film as needed, just as several other cast members currently do.

Sofer has portrayed Lois on and off since 1993, winning a Daytime Emmy Award for her performance in 1995. Her other major daytime role came via The Bold and the Beautiful, on which she played Quinn Fuller from 2013 to 2022. Sofer’s primetime credits include memorable roles on 24, Melrose Place, Once Upon a Time and NCIS, among many others.

New ‘Meet The Parents’ Movie Gets Title

(7/28/25) Universal Pictures on Monday announced an official title for its new Meet the Parents movie, on which we were first to report in December 2024.

Written and to be directed by John Hamburg, who co-wrote the last three films in the franchise, the film is titled Focker-in-Law.

Original franchise cast members Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Blythe Danner and Owen Wilson have returned to star, with Ariana Grande, Skyler Gisondo, and Beanie Feldstein coming aboard as newcomers. Plot details are under wraps. The film is slated for release in theaters on November 25, 2026.

A comedy juggernaut hinging on uncomfortable situations with in-laws, the Meet the Parents franchise centers on the hilariously awkward and tension-filled dynamics between male nurse Greg Focker (Stiller) and his intimidating, ex-CIA father-in-law, Jack Byrnes (De Niro), watching as the dynamic between them both evolves and stays the same, as Greg marries Jack’s daughter, Pam (Polo), and has children with her.

The first film was critically acclaimed upon its release and grossed over $330 million worldwide, becoming the seventh highest grossing film globally in 2000. Sequels Meet the Fockers (2004) and Little Fockers (2010) followed and were also box office successes, culminating in a total franchise gross of over $1.13 billion.

Jane Rosenthal and De Niro will produce Focker-in-Law through their Tribeca Productions, alongside Jay Roach through Delirious Media, Stiller and John Lesher through Red Hour Films, and Hamburg through Particular Pictures. Universal EVP Production Development Matt Reilly and Director of Production Development Jacqueline Garell are overseeing the project for the studio. Paramount Pictures is co-producing and will handle international distribution.

2025 Emmy Nominations

(7/15/25) The 2025 Emmy Awards, now in its 77th year, will take place on Sunday, September 14, at 8/7c on CBS.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Uzo Aduba, The Residence
Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Jean Smart, Hacks

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Jon Bernthal, The Bear
Bryan Cranston, The Studio
Dave Franco, The Studio
Ron Howard, The Studio
Anthony Mackie, The Studio
Martin Scorsese, The Studio

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Kathy Bates, Matlock
Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters
Britt Lower, Severance
Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
Keri Russell, The Diplomat

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Patricia Arquette, Severance
Carrie Coon, The White Lotus
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise
Parker Posey, The White Lotus
Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus
Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer
Meaghan Fahy, Sirens
Rashida Jones, Black Mirror
Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex.

Jack Betts Dies: ‘Spider-Man’ Actor Was 96

(6/21/25) Jack Betts, the character actor who appeared in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man (2002) and over a dozen Spaghetti Western films, has died at the age of 96.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the news, Betts died Thursday in his sleep at his Los Osos, Calif. home, his nephew, Dean Sullivan, said.

Born Jack Fillmore Betts (saying he bore a relation to the 13th POTUS Millard Fillmore) on April 11, 1929 in Jersey City, NJ, he grew up in Miami, where he eventually studied theater at University of Miami. Afterward, he moved to New York City, where he made his Broadway debut in 1953’s Richard III.

When a friend asked him to help with an audition for Lee Strasberg’s famed nonprofit, The Actors Studio, the director of the prestigious acting school granted him a three-year scholarship to study there. As a result, the venerated Elia Kazan later cast him in a production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. (He later returned to Braodway for Kazan’s 1959 production of Sweet Bird of Youth, as well as a late ’70s revival of Dracula, in which he once portrayed the eponymous count as Raul Julia’s standby.)

Betts’ first film credit was in 1959’s The Bloody Brood, and in 1966 he was cast as the title character in Franco Giraldi’s Sugar Colt, billed as Hunt Powers for the first time. That kicked off a string of credits in over a dozen Spaghetti Westerns through the 1970s.

On the television side, Betts racked up a number of appearances in daytime soaps, including General Hospital, The Young Marrieds, The Edge of Night, The Doctors, Another World, All My Children, Falcon Crest, Search for Tomorrow, Guiding Light, Generations and The Young and the Restless.

His other notable arcs included episodes for Perry Mason and The F.B.I., as well as turns in popular series like Gunsmoke, Seinfeld, Mad TV, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Friends, The Mentalist and Monk. (Betts was great friends with Everybody Loves Raymond star Doris Roberts, whom he met at The Actors Studio in the ’50s; the two shared a home from the late ’80s until her death in 2016.)

In Spider-Man, Betts notably portrays Henry Balkan, the Oscorp Technologies board chairman who tells Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn, “You’re out, Norman,” kicking off the Green Goblin’s villainous arc. Later on in the movie, Osborn parrots back the phrase to Balkan, as he vaporizes the board in an attack on Times Square, gleefully shouting: “Out, am I?” Additional film credits include 1993’s Falling Down with Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall, the 1995 Val Kilmer-starring Batman Forever and 1998’s Gods and Monsters opposite Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser.

In addition to his nephew, survivors include his nieces, Lynne and Gail, and his sister, Joan, who turns 100 in November.

Following the news of his death, Beverly Hills Playhouse shared a tribute to the performer on Instagram, writing: “Our beloved Jack Betts passed away peacefully at home. It is a sad day for the BHP as we have enjoyed his presence for so many years. There are actors who credit him with their not giving up because of his encouragement. We were so fortunate to have enjoyed his great spirit, passion and true dedication to the work. There was only ever one like this and we are the richer for having his presence in our theatre. Rest in peace, Jack.”

‘NCIS: Tony & Ziva’ Gets Premiere Date & Key Art As Stars Michael Weatherly & Cote De Pablo Tease “Self-Driving Murder Cars”

(6/17/25) (Poster) Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo‘s return to television — and the NCIS franchise — now has an exact date. The upcoming spinoff NCIS: Tony & Ziva, in which the duo reprise their fan-favorite roles from the mothership series, will debut September 4 with three episodes exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and a number of territories. Following the premiere, new episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays, with the season finale October 23.

Paramount+ also has released a key art of NCIS: Tony & Ziva that reflects the series’ pan-European setting. In the offshoot, former NCIS agents Tony (Weatherly) and Ziva (de Pablo) had been raising their daughter in Paris when an attack on Tony’s security company sends them on the run across Europe, trying to figure out who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after.

Tony & Ziva is the first series in the NCIS franchise not to air on CBS. It is unclear yet whether the show will get a special airing on the network.

“We’re beyond excited to finally share Tony and Ziva’s next chapter with the incredible fans around the world who never stopped believing this day would come,” said de Pablo and Weatherly.

They also teased what is to come in the 10-episode first season. “Returning to these roles together on screen after more than a decade has been an unforgettable journey packed with lies, spies, danger, desire … and self-driving murder cars. (Don’t worry, that last one will make sense soon). This is one wild ride you won’t want to miss, and as they say in Paris: Accrochez-vous bien!“

That translates to “Brace yourself” or “Hold on tight” in English.

(https://youtu.be/L_-kIKjfjIc) Fans have been holding tight while showing their enthusiasm for de Pablo and Weatherly’s reunion, with the teaser trailer for Tony & Ziva amassing 93 million views across broadcast, social and digital in the seven days following its May 5 release.

In addition to de Pablo and Weatherly, NCIS: Tony & Ziva stars Amita Suman, Maximilian Osinski, Lara Rossi, Isla Gie, Nassima Benchicou, Terence Maynard, Julian Ovenden and James D’Arcy. The series is executive produced by John McNamara, who serves as showrunner, de Pablo, Weatherly, Laurie Lieser, Christina Strain, Shelley Meals and Mairzee Almas. Tony & Ziva is produced by CBS Studios and distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Teri Polo, Dylan Walsh & Jamie-Lynn Sigler To Star In Thriller ‘The Man Across The Street’

(6/9/25) Teri Polo (Meet the Parents franchise), Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck), and Jamie-Lynn Sigler (The Sopranos) have signed on to star in The Man Across the Street, an indie thriller to be directed by Richard Switzer from a script he wrote with Amy Irons.

The film follows a recently widowed mother (Polo) who becomes convinced that her seemingly charming new neighbor (Walsh) is responsible for a local abduction and the murder of a neighbor. As her suspicions grow, she finds herself increasingly isolated when no one — not even those closest to her — believes her. Sigler will play Luna, the mother’s loyal best friend, caught between support and skepticism as the truth begins to surface.

Jonetta Kaiser (Vampire Academy) and Al Sapienza (The Sopranos) will also star. Switzer will produce under his Maverick Film banner, with Amy Irons serving as executive producer. Maverick Film’s Head of Production Johanna Fogle will serve as co-producer, with Emily Ballard as associate producer. Production is set to kick off this summer.

Best known for starring in the Meet the Parents films, Polo is set to reprise alongside Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner in Meet the Parents 4, which has locked in a release date of November 25 2026. Just this weekend, she teased the new film as part of a Tribeca panel celebrating the original’s 25th anniversary. Recently seen on shows like Good Trouble and The Big Leap, the actress is repped by Gersh, McGowan Rodriguez Management, and Kraditor & Haber.

Most recently, Walsh has been seen starring on the series Blue Bloods and Superman & Lois. He is repped by Independent Artist Group, McGowan Rodriguez Management, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman.

Best known for her role of Meadow Soprano on HBO’s The Sopranos, Sigler has most recently been seen starring on ABC’s Big Sky. She is repped by Paradigm and Vault Entertainment.

Switzer’s most recent film, the destination thriller Murder in Paradise, is currently in post-production.

Tony Awards Announce Presenter Line-Up: Keanu Reeves & Alex Winter Part Of Excellent Adventure

(6/3/25) Tony Award Productions announced today the lineup of stars set to present at this Sunday’s 78th Annual Tony Awards, a roster that includes Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter of the upcoming Waiting For Godot, and Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit of the upcoming Chess.

Other presenters announced today are Adam Lambert, Allison Janney, Ariana DeBose, Ben Stiller, Bryan Cranston, Carrie Preston, Charli D’Amelio, Danielle Brooks, Jean Smart, Jesse Eisenberg, Katie Holmes, Kelli O’Hara, Kristin Chenoweth, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Lea Salonga, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michelle Williams, Oprah, Rachel Bay Jones, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Samuel L. Jackson, Sara Bareilles, and Sarah Paulson.

Additionally, Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell will be the show announcer.

The 78th Annual Tony Awards will return to the Radio City Music Hall in New York City this weekend. Hosted by Cynthia Erivo, The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards will broadcast live to both coasts on Sunday, June 8 (8:00 – 11:00 PM ET/5:00 – 8:00 PM PT) on CBS, and streaming on Paramount+ in the U.S.

Just prior to the broadcast, Darren Criss and Renée Elise Goldsberry will host The Tony Awards: Act One, a live pre-show with exclusive content that is available to viewers for free on Pluto TV – the free streaming television service – beginning Sunday, June 8 at 6:40 – 8:00 PM ET/3:40 – 5:00 PM PT. Viewers can access the pre-show on smart TVs, streaming devices, mobile apps or online by going to Pluto TV and clicking on the “Live Music” channel, found within the Entertainment category on the service.

The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League, and White Cherry Entertainment. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers and showrunners for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will serve as director.

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Facts

Working title was Love Without End
Loving's original studio was TV-1, where Millionaire tapes today. Then it moved to TV-23, where AMC is now, and then TV-24 where The View is now.
The View is produced in the former Ryan's Hope/Loving/The City studio at ABC and they use parts of The City's loft for their set and All My Children is still there next door.
The actors who played Cooper and Steffi were married in real life. Cooper (Michael Weatherly) and Steffi (Amelia Heinle) have been divorced a number of years now, and have one son named August. Michael was later engaged to Jessica Alba, of Dark Angel fame, but that dissolved.
Agnes Nixon and Douglas Marland took a bold step in 1984 by having Loving’s Lily sexually molested by her biological father, Garth, rather than by a stepfather, as usually done on soaps. After the abuse, Lily developed a split personality and eventually went to Oregon for therapy.
Also in 1984, Nixon chose to highlight the plight of a Vietnam veteran. James Kiberd’s (ex-Trevor, AMC), character, Mike, went on-location to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Real-life family members of vets who had been killed in the line of duty were captured on film as they stood by the monument.
In 1995, Loving made history as it morphed into The City. To facilitate the change, the show had character Gwynneth Alden murder several members of her family. Frightened Corinth residents hightailed it to SoHo, NY to begin the City on November 13, 1995.
Loving Theme: "Theme from Loving" by Michael Karp (1983-1989); "The Loving Theme (#1)", sung by Johnny Mathis (1989-1991); "The Loving Theme (#2)", by David Randall Lowe and David M. Shapiro (1991-1992); "The Loving Theme (#3)", aka "L-O-V-I-N-G", by Jeffrey Osborne (1992-1995)
The show was broadcast in France under the title Amoureusement Votre (Lovingly Yours) and in Italy as Quando si ama (When someone loves)

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