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Talk Show Appearance

(11/30/23) The Talk - CBS

Wednesday, Dec. 6

Actor Kelsey Grammer (Paramount+’s FRASIER)

Colleen Zenk One-on-One 11/29/23

(11/26/23) (Watch Here) Join the one and only Colleen Zenk live in The Locher Room on Wednesday, November 29th at 3 p.m. EDT / 12 p.m. PDT to hear all about her return to daytime TV and her new role as Aunt Jordan on CBS’s The Young and the Restless.

Colleen is known to daytime audiences for her delicious role of Barbara Ryan which she played for 32 years on As the World Turns.

Colleen was born in Barrington, Illinois and studied drama at The Catholic University of America. In her early career, she appeared in print ads and TV commercials for Kellogg’s and L’eggs.

Colleen has enjoyed a number of roles on stage as well including work on Broadway and off.

Talk Show Appearance

(11/22/23) THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT

Thursday, Nov. 30

Kelsey Grammer – FRASIER (Paramount+)

Soap Opera Digest Is Ending Its Weekly Print Edition

(10/27/23) The weekly print edition of Soap Opera Digest — the newsstand chronicler of daytime drama — is ending after nearly five decades.

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.

Talk Show Appearance

(10/20/23) The View - ABC

AIRING Oct 25, 2023

Actor Morgan Freeman.

Morning Show Appearance

(10/20/23) CBS Mornings

AIRING Oct 26, 2023

actor Morgan Freeman.

Talk Show Appearance

(10/19/23) Talk Show Appearance

LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS - NBC

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

‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ Finds New Home At Netflix After Paramount+ Cancellation

(10/11/23) After a break, the Star Trek franchise is returning to Netflix. The global streamer has picked up the animated kids series Star Trek: Prodigy for the U.S. and most international territories in a deal with CBS Studios.

It follows Paramount+‘s decision in June to remove a number of originals, including Star Trek: Prodigy, from the platform in a cost-cutting content write-down and not to proceed with the previously commissioned second season of the animated show.

Season 1 of Star Trek: Prodigy, which was previously available on Paramount+, will be released on Netflix later in 2023. The second season, currently in production, will debut on Netflix in 2024. Excluded from the deal are Canada, where Prodigy is carried by CTV.ca and the CTV App, and in SkyShowtime’s European territories: the Nordics, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Central and Eastern Europe.

The series that launched the current Star Trek universe on Paramount+ (then CBS All Access), the 2017 Star Trek: Discovery, started with a lucrative Netflix deal, which took all international territories outside the U.S. and Canada for a hefty license fee that largely covered the budget for the sci-fi series. That arrangement came to an end in 2021 when Paramount+ took over as the exclusive global home of the series.

Prodigy’s departure notwithstanding, Paramount+ remains the main streaming destination for the Star Trek franchise with originals Discovery, Picard, Strange New Worlds, the animated Lower Decks and the upcoming Section 31 and Starfleet Academy — both slated to begin production soon — as well as the vast Star Trek library.

This marks the third home for Prodigy, which originated as a Nickelodeon series given its younger skew that does not match the rest of the franchise. The series then migrated to Paramount+.

Star Trek: Prodigy follows a motley crew of young aliens who must figure out how to work together while navigating a greater galaxy, in search of a better future. These six young outcasts know nothing about the ship they have commandeered – a first for the Star Trek franchise – but over the course of their adventures together, each will be introduced to Starfleet and the ideals it represents.

The series was developed by Emmy winners Kevin and Dan Hageman (Trollhunters), along with Star Trek universe chief Alex Kurtzman and his team at Secret Hideout. Star Trek: Prodigy is from CBS Studios’ Eye Animation Productions; Nickelodeon Animation; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers, alongside co-showrunners Kevin and Dan Hageman. Ben Hibon directs, executive produces and serves as the creative lead of the animated series. Aaron Waltke and Patrick Krebs also currently serve as co-executive producers.

“Thank you to our incredible Star Trek: Prodigy fans, who championed not just a show, but a community that’s always been connected by the belief that we build a better future together,” Kurtzman, Dan and Kevin Hageman said in a joint statement. “We set out to inspire you, but you inspired us. The team is still hard at work on the second season, and we can’t wait to share it with the amazing fans around the world.”

The Star Trek: Prodigy voice cast includes: Kate Mulgrew, Brett Gray, Ella Purnell, Rylee Alazraqui, Angus Imrie, Jason Mantzoukas, Dee Bradley Baker, John Noble and Jimmi Simpson. Also featured in the series are recurring voice cast members Daveed Diggs, Jameela Jamil, Jason Alexander, Robert Beltran and Billy Campbell.

The series received a 2023 TCA Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Family Programming.r

Tom Lisanti, Author, "Ryan’s Hope: An Oral History of Daytime’s Groundbreaking Soap" Chat

(10/9/23) (Watch Here) "Ryan’s Hope" aired on ABC from 1975 to 1989, and along the way received multiple Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Drama Series and its iconic cast which included: Helen Gallagher, Bernard Barrow, Kate Mulgrew, Marg Helgenberger, Michael Levin, Ilene Kristen, Nancy Addison Altman, Ron Hale, Justin Deas and many more.

On Tuesday night, October 10th, author Tom Lisanti chats live with Michael Fairman about the release of his upcoming book on the soap opera, "Ryan’s Hope: An Oral History of Daytime’s Groundbreaking Soap" due out on October 24th.

Lisanti's 'Ryan's Hope' tribute book takes the reader behind the scenes of the series in the words of the cast, crew, and its co-creators and head writers, Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer.

An award-winning author of eleven books about the ‘60s and ‘70s film and television, Lisanti has appeared on Turner Classic Movies co-hosting with Ben Mankiewicz a week of 1960s spring break/beach movies and he is featured in the documentary "The Green Girl" about actress Susan Oliver, and an upcoming documentary about novelist/screenwriter Terry Southern. He has recently written articles for Cinema of the 70s; Films of the Golden Age; Scary Monsters; and Cinema Retro magazines.

If you are a fan of the beloved daytime drama, you'll will want to be with us live beginning at 8:30PM EST/5:30PM PST.

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

(10/2/23) (Photo1, Photo2) Paramount+ has released two key art images for the upcoming sequel to the Emmy-winning comedy series Frasier, which debuts Oct. 12. Both posters feature the title character front and center. In fact, the sequel’s star and executive producer Kelsey Grammer, who is reprising his signature character as Frasier Crane, is the only cast member from the sequel pictured.

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

(9/29/23) CBS Mornings

AIRING Oct 5, 2023

actor Kelsey Grammer

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

(9/14/23) (Video) Kelsey Grammer is back in Boston, and he’s got a new bar to frequent where eventually everyone will know his name — and viewers can check out the watering hole in the official Frasier trailer above.

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.

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

(8/22/23) (Teaser) (Pic1, Pic2, Pic3, Pic4, Pic5) ‘Frasier’: Paramount + Reveals Premiere Date, CBS Airing & New Version Of Theme Song By Kelsey Grammer; First-Look Images Drop

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.

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

(7/24/23) Pamela Blair, who originated the role of the surgically enhanced Valerie Clark in the Broadway smash A Chorus Line, died Sunday at her home in Phoenix, Arizona, following a lengthy illness. She 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.

Ryan's Hope Helen Gallagher Interview

(7/19/23) (Watch Here) Three-time Emmy Award and two-time Tony Award-winner Helen Gallagher will join The Locher Room live on Thursday, July 27th at 3p.m. EDT / 12 p.m. PST to look back at her incredible career and her pivotal role as Maeve Ryan on Ryan’s Hope. Joining Helen will be her on-screen son Dr. Patrick Ryan played by Malcolm Groome.

Y&R Alum Joins Bold & Beautiful

(7/17/23) Michael Corbett (ex-David Kimball, The Young and the Restless) will appear on CBS’ The Bold and The Beautiful beginning Friday, July 21 as the judge presiding over Sheila’s high stakes court hearing.

Dishing with Digest 7/14/23 - Walt Willey

(7/14/23) (Listen/download) Walt Willey looks back on his acting journey that led him to becoming ALL MY CHILDREN’s Jack, working with Susan Lucci and Michael B. Jordan, reprising his signature role on GH and more with Digest’s Stephanie Sloane and Mara Levinsky. We also remember the late Andrea Evans and Jeffrey Carlson.

Catch up with Two-time Emmy Award-winner Michael Corbett

(7/10/23) (Watch here) Two-time Emmy Award-winner Michael Corbett will be live in The Locher Room on Tuesday, July 18th at a special time, 7 p.m. EDT / 4 p.m. PDT to discuss some exciting new projects he’s been working on.

Michael is best known to CBS daytime viewers for his long run as villain David Kimball on “The Young and the Restless.” He recently took part in the celebration honoring the 50th anniversary of the show. Voted “Daytime’s Most Lovable Cad” by People Magazine, Corbett has also starred in the daytime dramas in “Ryan’s Hope” (ABC) and “Search for Tomorrow (NBC).

A two-time Emmy and Broadway World Best Actor Award winner, Corbett is also a host/correspondent for the syndicated entertainment newsmagazine “Extra” and senior producer and host for “Extra’s Mansions and Millionaires.” Starting his career on Broadway, he is a seasoned actor and has starred in numerous television series including “Zoey 101,” which is being re-booted as “Zoey 102” on Paramount+ this fall. He is also currently the executive producer of Netflix’s “Life After Death with Tyler Henry.”

Michael also just finished filming a role in the upcoming Season 2 of the popular web series, “The Disappointments.”

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

(6/27/23) Writer-director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes has continued rounding out an impressive cast for his debut feature, the dark veteran dramedy My Dead Friend Zoe, bringing Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption), Gloria Reuben (Mr. Robot) and Utkarsh Ambudkar (Brittany Runs a Marathon) aboard for roles.

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.

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

(6/8/23) (Video) Paramount+ has unveiled the first trailer for Taylor Sheridan’s Special Ops: Lioness and announced Sunday, July 23 as the premiere date for the espionage thriller.

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!

(6/5/23) It appears that someone in Port Charles, N.Y. soon will be in need of legal eagle Jackson Montgomery’s services.

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.

Corbin Bernsen, Kue Lawrence, Kai Cech & Max Malas Set For Daniel DelPurgatorio’s Sci-Fi Horror ‘Marshmallow’

(5/30/23) Up-and-comers Kue Lawrence (Beautiful Boy), Kai Cech (Dear Santa) and Max Malas (New Amsterdam) are set to star opposite Corbin Bersen (White House Plumbers) in the sci-fi horror mystery Marshmallow from director Daniel DelPurgatorio, which is heading into production in a couple of weeks.

The indie written by Andy Greskoviak (Black Friday) is set at a secluded summer camp, where Morgan (Lawrence), a timid and introverted 12-year-old, is thrust into a waking nightmare when a once-fabled campfire tale becomes real. As a mysterious figure descends upon the camp, Morgan and his newfound friends must embark on a treacherous journey and uncover a sinister reality buried beneath the surface. Little do they know that the truth harbors a secret that will test their resilience and unravel the very fabric of their reality.

Warner Davis and Todd Friedman will produce the pic, with Hemlock Circle Productions aboard as the production company, and Robert Kurtzman to oversee special effects.

Lawrence played the five-year-old version of Timothée Chalamet’s Nic Sheff in the Prime Video addiction drama Beautiful Boy and could more recently be seen in Matt Smukler’s indie dramedy Wildflower with Kiernan Shipka. Notable TV credits for the actor include The Rehearsal, Good Girls and Atypical.

Cech previously appeared in Kate Tsang’s Sundance-premiering dramedy Marvelous and the Black Hole and will next be seen in Peter Farrelly’s Christmas comedy Dear Santa for Paramount, starring Jack Black as Satan, among other projects.

Previously appearing in films like 8-Bit Christmas and It’s A Wonderful Binge, and on series like New Amsterdam, Malas will be seen coming up in Roshan Sethi’s family comedy World’s Best and the thriller Viral directed by and starring Blair Underwood.

Recently appearing on series like White House Plumbers and City on a Hill, the two-time Emmy-nominated Bernsen is set to recur on J.J. Abrams’ forthcoming Max series Duster and FX’s The Sterling Affairs. Among his other upcoming projects are the indie horror films The Beldham and HERD.

DelPurgatorio has previously helmed shorts including Tales of the Black Freighter, an animated tie-in to Zack Snyder’s Watchmen film, starring Gerard Butler and Jared Harris. He’s otherwise best known for the film Wither, which won Project Greenlight’s Reel Fear competition in 2018. The filmmaker is in pre-production on an episodic remake of L.Q. Jones’ 1975 cult classic A Boy and His Dog, the darkly comedic sci-fi pic based on the same-name novella by Harlan Ellison.

Lawrence is repped by Buchwald and Tandm Management; Cech by Paradigm, Randy James Management and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis; Malas by CESD, L’il Angels Unlimited and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; and Bernsen by A3 Artists Agency and Randy James Management.r

A Mental Health Conversation 5/24/23

(5/17/23) (Watch Here) Please join The Locher Room for a very informative and important mental health conversation live in The Locher Room on Wednesday, May 24th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST. We are at a unique time in history when more and more people are finally speaking up about their strugges with isolation, anxiety and depression, fear of death and losing loved ones to suicide.

Helping to lead this conversation is Dr. Charissa Chamorro who left her career in acting to focus on a career in the mental health profession. Dr. Chamorro specializes in the evaluation and treatment of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, ADHD, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

Joining us to share and open up about their own personal journey with mental health are Ryan’s Hope Brian McGovern and Guiding Light’s Michelle Ray Smith.

A Ryan's Hope Reunion Live in The Locher Room

(5/13/23) (Watch Here) There will be a Ryan’s Hope reunion live in The Locher Room on Wednesday, May 17th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST. This reunion salutes the 1980 – 81 years featuring Rose Alaio (private eye Rose Pearse), Richard Backus (the two-timing Barry Ryan), Gordon Thomson (Egyptologist Aristotle Benedict-White) and Karen Morris Gowdy (Dr. Faith Coleridge).

Ryan’s Hope premiere on the ABC Network on July 7, 1975 and stayed on the air until January 13, 1989.

Dishing with Digest 5/12/23 - Michael Corbett

(5/12/23) (Listen /download) Michael Corbett remembers his early roles on RYAN’S HOPE and SEARCH FOR TOMORROW, his memorable run as Y&R’s David Kimble, his current successes and more with Digest’s Stephanie Sloane and Mara Levinsky. We also remember the late Jacklyn Zeman (ex-Bobbie, GH et al).

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

(4/17/23) In a rare interview, Morgan Freeman has expressed his distaste for both the premise of ‘Black History Month’ and the term ‘African-American.’

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.”

Corbin Bernsen Set To Recur In J.J. Abrams’ HBO Max Series ‘Duster’

(3/30/23) Corbin Bernsen (City on a Hill) is set for a key recurring role opposite Josh Holloway and Rachel Hilson in J.J. Abrams and LaToya Morgan’s HBO Max period drama Duster.

Co-written by Abrams and LaToya Morgan, in Duster, set in 1972, the first Black female FBI agent (Hilson) heads to the Southwest and recruits a gutsy getaway driver (Holloway) in a bold effort to take down a growing crime syndicate.

Bernsen will play Wade Ellis, the father of Holloway’s character.

Keith David, Sydney Elisabeth, Greg Grunberg, Camille Guaty, Asivak Koostachin, Adriana Aluna Martinez and Benjamin Charles Watson also star.

Duster is produced by Warner Bros. Television. The first two episodes are written by Abrams and Morgan. Steph Green directs the first two episodes and executive produces. Abrams and Rachel Rusch Rich executive produce for Bad Robot through its content partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and WBTV, and Morgan executive produces for TinkerToy Productions via its overall deal with WBTV.

Bernsen is a two-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominee perhaps best known for his roles as Arnie Becker on 20th Television’s LA Law and as Henry Spencer in USA’s Psych. He was most recently seen in a season-long arc on Showtime’s City on a Hill. He’ll next be seen in Showtime’s comedy series The Curse starring Emma Stone, Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie. He also recently wrapped FX’s The Sterling Affairs with Ed O’Neill. Notable film credits include the Major League franchise, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Shattered. Bernsen is repped by A3 Artists Agency and Randy James Management.

A Ryan's Hope Reunion 4/6/23

(3/29/23) (Watch here) Tune-in for a Ryan’s Hope reunion live in The Locher Room on Thursday, April 6th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST. Joining us for the reunion are Fred Burstein (Laslo Novotny), Christopher Durham (Dakota Smith), Brian McGovern (Chaz Saybrook) and Lois Robbins (Dr. Concetta D’Angelo).

Ryan’s Hope premiered on ABC on July 7, 1975, and remained on the air for 13 years until January 13, 1989.

Morning Show Appearance

(3/11/23) CBS Mornings

Mar 14, 2023

actor Bryan Cranston

Walt Willey - One on One 3/16/23

(3/10/23) (Watch here) Artist and actor Walt Willey will join me live for a one-on-one interview in The Locher Room on Thursday, March 16th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST to talk about his work as a watercolor artist and portraitist as well as his time spent working on All My Children, Another World, Ryan’s Hope and so much more.

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.

Muhammad Ali Event Series From Kevin Willmott, Regé-Jean Page & Morgan Freeman In Works At Peacock

(3/8/23) As we mark the 52nd anniversary of the first Ali-Frazier fight today, Deadline can reveal that Peacock is developing Excellence: 8 Fights, a scripted eight-part event series about boxing great Muhammad Ali, based on the definitive biography Ali: A Life by Jonathan Eig.

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

‘When Calls The Heart’ Renewed For Eleventh Season By Hallmark

(2/22/23) Season 10 of When Calls the Heart isn’t set to premiere until July 30, but Hallmark likes what sees — enough to renew the drama for an 11th season.

Both seasons will be 12 episodes long.

“When Calls the Heart has continued to be a standout amongst our Hallmark catalog, and we’re thrilled that we’re able to bring more stories of faith and community to the homes of millions of viewers,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly, EVP Programming. “The uplifting nature of the show paired with the love and positivity in the storytelling makes for a very heartwarming television experience, and it’s only going to get bigger and better in Season 11.”

The ninth season of hit drama culminated with a season high, with the final episode ranking as the most watched in Households (2.6 million) and among Women 18+ (2.3 million) and Total Viewers (3.1 million) on a Live+3 basis. The program also ranked as this year’s most-watched original scripted series on ad-supported cable in Households (2.4 million) and among Women 18+ (2.2 million) and Total Viewers (2.9 million). After 12 episodes, the season also reached over 8.6 million unduplicated/unique Total Viewers.

“I am beyond excited for Season 10 of When Calls the Heart to premiere July 30,” said Erin Krakow, series star and executive producer. “This season is full of beautiful moments and exciting twists and turns. I can’t wait for the Hearties to see what we’ve created for them. And I’m so thrilled, proud, and grateful to Hallmark that the show has been renewed for Season 11. We have so many more stories to tell. With our amazing cast, crew, and brilliant writers, there will be no shortage of romance and new adventures for the residents of Hope Valley. Having the Hearties continue this journey with us has meant the world and we are thrilled to share what’s in store these next two seasons.”

Talk Show Appearance

(2/18/23)Rachael Ray - syn (Feb 22, 2023)

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.

Morning Show Appearance

(2/10/23) Today - NBC

Wednesday, February 15

(10-11 a.m.) Kelsey Grammer on Jesus Revolution

Dishing with Digest - 2/10/23 - Corbin Bernsen

(2/10/23) (Listen / download) Corbin Bernsen looks back on his soap past, shares stories about his late mother, Jeanne Cooper (ex-Katherine, Y&R), talks about his latest, faith-based docuseries and more with Digest’s Stephanie Sloane and Mara Levinsky. We also preview what the soaps have planned for Valentine’s Day.

Talk Show Appearance

(2/9/23) Live with Kelly and Ryan - syndicated

Wednesday, Feb. 15 – Kelly and Ryan catch up with actor KELSEY GRAMMER.

Talk Show Appearance

(2/6/23) THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON - NBC

Monday, February 13: Kelsey Grammer

‘The Sterling Affairs’: Harriet Sansom Harris, Corbin Bernsen Among Seven Cast In FX Limited Series About Disgraced LA Clippers Owner

(1/17/23) FX has added seven to the recurring cast for The Sterling Affairs, its limited series about the downfall of Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling amid the team’s drive to win a championship under coach Doc Rivers. Harriet Samson Harris (Hacks), Corbin Bernsen (City On a Hill), Yvonna Pearson (Dynasty), Joel McKissic (Your Honor), Darryl Wesley (This Is Us), Rich Sommer (Minx) and Clifton Davis (Billions) join leads Laurence Fishburne and Jacki Weaver in the six-episode series.

The Sterling Affairs is written by Gina Welch (Feud: Bette and Joan) based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast of the same name reported and hosted by Ramona Shelburne. The series tells the behind the scenes story of Doc Rivers (Fishburne) and the Los Angeles Clippers’ quest to bring a championship to one of the historically worst franchises in all of sports during the impending downfall of the team’s owner, Donald Sterling (Ed O’Neill), whose notoriously racist behavior is brought to light amid the power struggle between his wife of 60-plus years, Shelly Sterling (Weaver), and his mistress, V. Stiviano.

Cleopatra Coleman, Kelly AuCoin, Austin Scott, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Sheldon “Shel” Bailey, Sarunas J. Jackson and Charlie McElveen also star.

Bernsen portrays Pierce O’Donnell; Pearson plays Deja; McKissic portrays Glen “Big Baby” Davis; Wesley is Jamal Crawford; Harris plays Justine; Sommer portrays Seth Burton and Davis plays Elgin Baylor.

The Sterling Affairs will be executive produced by Welch, Jacobson and Simpson of Color Force and Shelburne. Kevin Bray will direct the first block and serve as an executive producer on those episodes. Nellie Reed of Color Force and Rembert Browne will serve as Producer. The series will be produced by FX Productions.

Harris, Emmy-nominated for her guest performance as Susan in Hacks, will next be seen in upcoming features National Anthem and Jules. She’s repped by BRS/Gage.

Two-time Emmy nominee Bernsen, known for his role as Arnie Becker on LA Law, can currently be seen in Showtime’s City on a Hill and next will be seen in HBO’s White House Plumbers and Showtime’s The Curse. He’s repped by A3 Artists Agency and Randy James Management.

Pearson, who will next be seen in Peacock’s limited event series The Best Man, is repped by UGA and Silver Lining Entertainment.

McKissic, whose recent credits include Your Honor and the film Breaking News in Yuba County, is repped by The Daniel Hoff Agency, J Pervis Talent and Manager, Tassell Talent Group.

Wesley’s breakout came in a guest-starring role on NBC’s This Is Us, playing Deja’s father. His writing credits include Paramount+’s The Game and Netflix’s The Upshaws. He’s repped by Curtis Bechdholt at A.D.S. management and Brandy Rivers at Industry Entertainment.

Best known for his portrayal of Harry Crane on Mad Men, Sommer was most recently seen in HBO Max’s Minx and Hulu’s The Dropout. He’ll next be seen in HBO’s White House Plumbers. He’s repped by Innovative and Davis Spylios Management.

Davis’ most recent television credits include major recurring roles on Showtime’s Billions, CBS’ Madam Secretary and Epix’s Godfather of Harlem. Davis is currently on Broadway playing Dr. Dillamond in Wicked. He’s repped by Headline Talent Agency.

Michael Levin, Played Ryan's Hope's Jack Fenelli, Dead at 90

(1/14/23) Michael Levin, who portrayed the fiery reporter Jack Fenelli on all 13-plus years of the ABC daytime soap opera Ryan’s Hope, has died. He was 90.

Levin died Jan. 6 of natural causes at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, New York, his son Jason Levin told The Hollywood Reporter.

Levin also appeared on Broadway in 1965 in The Royal Hunt of the Sun opposite David Carradine as well as in three 1970 plays: Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real (with Al Pacino), Sam Shepard’s Operation Sidewinder (with Garrett Morris) and Bertolt Brecht’s The Good Woman of Setzuan (with Colleen Dewhurst).

Ryan’s Hope, which ran from July 1975 to January 1989, starred Helen Gallagher and Bernard Barrow as wife and husband Johnny and Maeve Ryan, who run a New York City tavern called Ryan’s across the street from a hospital.

According to IMDb, Levin appeared on 1,074 episodes of the soap, including the first one and the last one. Only Gallagher, Barrow and Nancy Addison (as Jillian Coleridge) were on more often.

He and Kate Mulgrew (as Johnny and Maeve’s daughter, Mary, a TV news reporter) made for one of the most beloved couples on daytime TV.

Levin was nominated for a Daytime Emmy for outstanding actor in a daytime drama series for three straight years, from 1978-80. And on a list of the 50 Greatest Soap Actors of all time compiled in 2010 by the website We Love Soaps, Levin came in at No. 24.

Born in Minneapolis on Dec. 8, 1932, Levin served with the U.S. Navy for two years, attended the University of Minnesota, took acting classes with Jack Nicholson and Robert Blake in California and improved his craft at Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theater, starting there when it opened in 1962. (He was proud to have acted there with Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, his son said.)

After moving to New York, Levin did lots of plays for the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center under the direction of Jules Irving and for the American Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, Connecticut.

He said a commercial he did in the role of an Italian spokesman for Alitalia Airlines led to him being hired as Italian American reporter Jack on Ryan’s Hope.

In 1976, Jack and Mary got married in a ceremony filmed on location at St. Benedict the Moor Church on Manhattan’s West Side. However, after Mulgrew announced that she was leaving the soap, Mary was written out in 1979, dying in Jack’s arms after a car accident arranged by mobsters.

Later, when Jack was falling in love with another woman but struggling with his grief over Mary’s death, Mulgrew returned as a ghost for an emotional story arc in 1983 to help Jack get on with his life.

Levin also worked on two other daytime soaps, as John Eldridge on CBS’ As the World Turns and as Dr. Tim Gould on ABC’s All My Children. He appeared on primetime episodes of N.Y.P.D., The Equalizer, Law & Order and New York News as well.

In recent years, he enjoyed woodworking.

Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth, sons Jason and Aaron and grandchildren Veronica and Nico.

“In this profession, you don’t have a lot of control over your own life,” he said in 1978. “It’s a silly thing to say, but if I had it all to do over again, and I could change anything I wanted to change, I would pick a profession where I could have a little bit more control. Maybe I’d be an architect or something like that.”

‘Lioness’: Morgan Freeman Joins Taylor Sheridan’s Series For Paramount+

(1/13/23) Oscar winner Morgan Freeman has joined the cast of Paramount+’s original series Lioness, headlined and executive produced by Zoe Saldaña and also starring Nicole Kidman, who executive produces, and Laysla De Oliveira.

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.

‘Inside Job’ Canceled By Netflix, Reversing Season 2 Renewal

(1/9/23) There will be no second season for Inside Job, the adult animated conspiracy theory comedy series from Gravity Falls writer Shion Takeuchi and creator Alex Hirsch. The news was confirmed Sunday by Takeuchi on Twitter, a decision that reverses the series’ previously announced Season 2 renewal.

“I’m heartbroken to confirm that Netflix has decided to cancel Season 2 of Inside Job, Takeuchi tweeted. “Over the years, these characters have become real people to me, and I am devastated not to be able to watch them grow up.

“Reagan and Brett deserved to get their ending and finally find happiness,” Takeuchi continued. “And I would have loved to been able to share what was in store with you all. To everyone who watched, thank you for coming along on the ride. Even though I’m sad, it helps to know that there’s people out there who cared just as much about these characters as me.”

Lizzy Caplan, Christian Slater and Clark Duke led the cast of the series, which also featured Andrew Daly, Bobby Lee, John DiMaggio, Tisha Campbell and Brett Gelman.

Inside Job is an adult animated comedy about the shadow government – and the dysfunctional team whose daily grind is committing the world’s conspiracies. From convoluted coverups to secret societies to masked orgy etiquette, navigating office culture at Cognito Inc. can be tricky, especially for anti-social tech genius Reagan Ridley. Even in a workplace filled with reptilian shapeshifters and psychic mushrooms, she’s seen as the odd one out for believing the world could be a better place. Reagan thinks she can make a difference, if only she could manage her unhinged, manifesto-writing father and her irresponsible coworkers, to finally snag the promotion she’s been dreaming about.

Takeuchi executive produced and served as showrunner. Hirsch co-executive produced.

The series was given a 20-episode order for Season 1, which was split into two parts of 10 episodes each, released in October and November 2022. Netflix had announced a Season 2 renewal for the series in June.

A Netflix spokesperson confirmed the cancellation.

‘A Good Person’ Trailer: Florence Pugh And Morgan Freeman Star In Zach Braff Family Drama

(12/16/22) (Video) A trailer has dropped for Zach Braff’s latest film A Good Person, which stars Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman.

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.

Kelsey Grammer Shares Secrets of the 'Frasier' Revival — and Why David Hyde Pierce Isn't Returning

(11/23/22) Dr. Frasier Crane is coming back to a screen near you... and soon!

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

(11/22/22) Kelsey Grammer has promised that some familiar faces will return for the ‘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.”

Morgan Freeman appears at World Cup opening ceremony with a message of inclusion

(11/20/22) Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman extended one yellow-gloved hand to a FIFA World Cup ambassador suffering from a rare spinal disorder in an image meant to represent inclusion in a country facing international criticism over its human rights record.

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.

Kelsey Grammer admits to ‘some failings’ in parenting his 7 children

(11/11/22) Kelsey Grammer isn’t afraid to admit his flaws as a father.

“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

(11/4/22) Today - NBC

Friday, November 11 (9-10 a.m.)

Kelsey Grammer and Spencer Grammer on The 12 Days of Christmas Eve.

Celebration Of Black Cinema & Television: Angela Bassett, Quinta Brunson, Michael B. Jordan, Berry Gordy Among Honorees At 5th Annual Event

(11/2/22) A star-studded lineup is set for the Critics Choice Association’s fifth annual Celebration of Black Cinema and Television, taking place on Monday, December 5, at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.

Angela Bassett, Berry Gordy, Quinta Brunson, Danielle Deadwyler, Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors, and Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi are just a few of the names set to be honored at the event, which has grown into an awards season staple. Now in its fifth year, the celebration will recognize 15 categories as part of a special night honoring standout achievements in Black filmmaking and television.

“The Celebration of Black Cinema & Television has grown tremendously over the last five years,” said CCA CEO Joey Berlin. “We’re thrilled to be able to recognize such outstanding projects across both film and television, and to honor these incredible actors and filmmakers for their work.”

Songwriter, producer, director, entrepreneur and Motown Records founder Gordy will receive the Icon Award for his unparalleled contribution to music, film and popular culture, while Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Bassett will receive the Career Achievement Award for her extraordinary career and her recent role as Queen Ramonda in the Marvel Studios film.

Actor, producer and director Jordan will receive the Melvin Van Peebles Trailblazer Award for his overall contribution to the industry and in celebration of his directorial debut with the United Artists Releasing film, Creed III. In addition to directing the film, he reprises his role as Adonis Creed, as well as produces under his Outlier Society production banner. Grammy-winning, multi-platinum recording artist and actor Kid Cudi will be honored with the Groundbreaker Award for his starring role as Jabari in the Netflix television event, Entergalactic, which he also created.

Emmy-winning writer, producer and actress Brunson will be presented with the Actress Award for Television for her role as Janine Teagues on ABC’s hit series, Abbott Elementary, which she created and also executive produces.

Deadwyler will be honored with the Actress Award for Film for her role as Mamie Till-Mobley in the Orion Pictures/United Artists Releasing film Til.

Emmy- and Critics Choice Award-nominated Majors will be presented with the Actor Award for Film for his role as Jesse Brown in the Columbia Pictures/Black Label Media aerial war epic Devotion.

The Director Award for Film will be awarded to director Gina Prince-Bythewood for her work on TriStar Pictures and Entertainment One’s acclaimed The Woman King.

Brian Tyree Henry will be awarded with the Supporting Actor Award for his performance as James Aucoin in Apple Original Films/A24’s Causeway.

Nicco Annan will receive the Actor Award for Television for his role as Uncle Clifford on the hit Starz series P-Valley.

Writer and director Elegance Bratton will accept the Social Justice Award for his inspiring work on the A24 film, The Inspection.

Actress and comedian Ayo Edebiri will receive the Rising Star Award presented by IMDbPro for her role as Sydney Adamu on the FX series, The Bear. And Quincy Isaiah will also accept the Rising Star Award for his role as Magic Johnson on the HBO Original series, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.

Writer-director Nikyatu Jusa will accept the Breakthrough Film Award for the Amazon Studios and Blumhouse film, Nanny, an award winner at Sundance this year.

The Ensemble Award will be presented to the cast of ABC sitcom The Wonder Years.

“It has truly been a year to celebrate,” said CCA Board Member Shawn Edwards, Executive Producer of the event. “The unprecedented amount of content about the Black experience on film and television made it very difficult to choose our honorees for this milestone year. And our special Icon Award honoree, Berry Gordy, pushed open a heavy door during the ’70s and ’80s through his Motown Productions with a string of movies and TV series that helped pave the way for future Black storytellers.”

The Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Black Cinema & Television will be hosted by veteran comedian Bill Bellamy and televised on KTLA in January and shown nationwide on Nexstar stations throughout the month of February in honor of Black History Month.

The show is produced by Madelyn Hammond and Javier Infante of Madelyn Hammond & Associates.

Event sponsors include Delta Air Lines, Fairmont Century Plaza, GreenSlate, IMDbPro, McBride Sisters Wine Company; Milagro Tequila and NEP Sweetwater. Event partners are Four Seasons Resort Nevis and Sunkist Growers.

‘Frasier’ Sequel Starring Kelsey Grammer Picked Up To Series At Paramount+

(10/4/22) The long-in-the-works Frasier followup is finally a reality. Paramount+ has given a series greenlight to the multi-camera comedy, executive produced by Kelsey Grammer who is reprising his signature character, psychiatrist-turned-radio host Frasier Crane.

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.

Kevin Costner & Morgan Freeman Team To Produce Civil War Spy Series ‘The Gray House’ For Paramount

(9/28/22) We can tell you first that Kevin Costner’s Territory Pictures will team with Morgan Freeman, Lori McCreary and their Revelations Entertainment to produce the Civil War spy drama The Gray House, a six-hour limited series for Paramount Global.

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.

Talk Show Appearance

(9/23/22) The Talk - CBS

Thursday, Sept. 29

Actress Marg Helgenberger (CBS’ CSI: VEGAS)

Soap Opera Interview: Casting Director - Judy Blye Wilson

(9/18/22) (Watch here) Emmy Award-winning Casting Director Judy Blye Wilson will join me live in The Locher Room on Friday, September 23rd at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST.

Judy is a renowned casting director who has worked in daytime television for over 25 years. Judy began her career casting on ABC’s Ryan’s Hope in 1981. She remained there until 1987 before moving over to One Life to Live.

Felicia Mini Behr hired Judy to join All My Children in 1991 where she remained until the soap’s end in 2011. She finished cleaning out her office on All My Children in the morning and by that same afternoon she started work as the casting director for CBS’s The Young and the Restless.

Judy won three consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Drama Series for her work on All My Children and a fourth win for her work on The Young and the Restless. She has been responsible for casting some of the most popular names in that show’s history including Sarah Michelle Gellar in 1993. In addition to her three Emmys, she has won 12 Arios Awards from the Casting Society of America. 11 for her work on AMC and one for Y&R.

‘CSI: Las Vegas’: Marg Helgenberger Missed Catherine Willows But “I Wanted To Make Sure There Was A Reason She Would Come Back To The Job”

(9/16/22) When Marg Helgenberger left the first iteration of CSI back in Season 12, she did it because, well, she needed the break. She was the original female lead opposite Billy Petersen. “I played the role for so long. It felt like it had become a part of my identity,” she told reporters Friday during CBS’ TCA panel.

So when the CSI: Vegas producers called Helgenberger to join the cast in Season 2, it took a minute before she could commit to stepping inside the yellow tape again. (She couldn’t join the spinoff in the first season because she was busy on All Rise, which ultimately went to OWN.)

“I wanted to make sure there was a reason Catherine would come back to the job,” explained Helgenberger, who modeled her character after a real-life forensics expert who stepped away from her job at age 50. “It’s a tough gig. Why would Catherine, at this age, come back? That was important to me. I had several conversations with [showrunner] Jason Tracey about that. I really want to get it right and we did.”

Since then, Helgenberger said everyone on the cast, which includes Paula Newsome and Matt Lauria, have been “excessively welcoming. I feel the love.”

Helgenberger signed a one-year deal to join the drama. “I feel the respect toward me, I’m so grateful. It’s been a hell of a lot of fun working with everybody. The set is vastly different than the original set. I’m still discovering new rooms, in fact. Of course I miss some of the old gang but I got over that pretty quickly because everybody has been so welcoming and gracious.”

CSI: Vegas returns for a second season on September 29. It’s produced by CBS Studios in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television. Executive producers are Tracey, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed, Anthony Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue, Craig O’Neill, William Petersen, Uta Briesewitz (initial episode only) and Cindy Chvatal.

Christian Slater Revealed As Part Of ‘Willow’ Cast, New Trailer Unveiled

(9/10/22) Christian Slater will be seen in Willow, Disney+’s upcoming live-action series based on the 1988 fantasy film directed by Ron Howard. Slater’s casting was revealed today during Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim.

No details on his role were shared other than a “character aiding in quest,” and a friend of Madmartigan.

“I love the fantasy, the sci-fi, just getting to be a part of this show was, I will be honest with you an absolute dream come true,” said Slater. “This was a very fun character, we got to have some improve, ad-libs we came up with stuff on the spot which was fun,” he added.

Ellie Bamber, Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Amer Chadha-Patel and Tony Revolori star alongside Warwick Davis, who is reprising his title role as Willow Ufgood, a reluctant farmer who plays a critical role in protecting a special baby from a tyrannical queen who vows to destroy her and take over the world.

Joanne Whalley, who portrayed Sorsha, in the film, also returns to reprise her role in the series, reuniting with Davis.

The series, which picks up years after the events of the movie, introduces new characters and is set in a world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls and other mystical creatures flourish. An unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world.

No additional details about the series’ storyline have been released, though according to circulated casting information for the series, it revolves around a group on a mission to save a kidnapped prince.

The new incarnation comes from Jonathan Kasdan, who wrote the pilot and serves as co-showrunner alongside Wendy Mericle; Howard and writer Bob Dolman. Kathleen Kennedy and Michelle Rejwan are also executive producers.

Kasdan also spoke with Deadline after the show’s panel, teasing a possible upcoming crossover “from the Ted Lasso universe.” (Video)

Bob LuPone Dies: Off-Broadway MCC Theatre Founder Was 76

(8/27/22) Bob LuPone, a Tony-nominated actor and the founder of the off-Broadway MCC Theatre, has died. He was 76. The brother of Patti LuPone had been on a three-year battle with pancreatic cancer.

“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.

Christian Slater To Star As Mulgarath In ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ Disney+ Series

(8/24/22) Christian Slater has been tapped as a major lead in The Spiderwick Chronicles, Disney+’s live-action series adaptation of the popular fantasy books.

Slater will play Mulgarath (alter ego Dr. Dorian Brauer), a capital-V Villain who does what all ogres do — he eats people, an insatiable desire to consume. Mulgarath wants the secrets contained in Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Natural World for a nefarious scheme that will satisfy his hunger. I hear this is a one-season commitment.

Based on the series of bestselling books by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, The Spiderwick Chronicles is a contemporary American gothic coming-of-age story that addresses kids and families dealing with mental health issues among other relevant topics. Upon leaving New York and moving to Michigan and into their run-down ancestral home—The Spiderwick Estate—with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate, fantastical world.

Kat Coiro will direct the first two episodes of the series, a modern coming-of-age story combined with fantasy adventure, produced by Paramount Television Studios and 20th Television. Aron Eli Coleite (Locke & Key) is showrunner and exec produces with Coiro, Holly Black, DiTerlizzi, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Jeremy Bell, D.J. Goldberg and Julie Kane-Ritsch.

Slater recently wrapped Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut Pussy Island with Channing Tatum and Naomie Ackie, and Jerry Seinfeld’s directorial debut Unfrosted: A Pop Tart Story. He also filmed action-comedy Freelance alongside John Cena, FX’s Fleishman Is In Trouble and was the narrator of the animated spinoff The Boys: Diabolical. He was recently nominated for a Critics Choice Award for his performance in Peacock’s Dr. Death

Slater, a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards winner for his starring role in Mr. Robot, is repped by UTA and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen.

Ariana Muenker Interview 8/10/22

(8/2/22) (Watch Here) Ariana Muenker will be the guest in The Locher Room on Wednesday, August 10th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST. Ariana will be here to look back at her roles in daytime and fill us in on what she is doing today.

Daytime fans will remember Ariana for her roles Christie Rogers and Christine Valere on Guiding Light, Annie Stewart and Melinda Gray Spencer on As the World Turns, Marianne Rudolph on Another World, Amanda Kirkland on Ryan’s Hope and Kimberly Brady on Days of Our Lives.

John Gabriel Tribute

(7/21/22) (Watch here) Tune in for a special tribute to actor, singer-lyricist, and producer John Gabriel live in The Locher Room on Thursday, July 28th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST.

John joined the cast of Ryan’s Hope as neurosurgeon Dr. Seneca Beaulac in 1975 and earned a Daytime Emmy nomination for that role in 1980. John and his wife, actress Sandy Gabriel (All My Children) were married in 1968 and would have celebrated their 53rd anniversary on June 23. John passed away on June 11, 2021.

Joining us to look back at John’s career are Ryan Hope’s cast mates Michael Corbett (Michael Pavel, Jr.), Ilene Kristen (Delia Reid), Kelli Maroney (Kimberly Harris), Geoff Pierson (Frank Ryan) and Louise Shaffer (Rae Woodard). In addition to his former castmates, John’s two daughters Andrea and Melissa Gabriel will be here to share their memories of their dad.

Christian Slater, Alia Shawkat, Geena Davis, Haley Joel Osment & Kyle MacLachlan Among Final Additions To Zoë Kravitz’s Directorial Debut ‘Pussy Island’ For MGM

(7/6/22) Zoë Kravitz has rounded out the cast for her directorial debut Pussy Island, with Christian Slater (Dr. Death), Alia Shawkat (Search Party) and Geena Davis (Thelma & Louise) signing on for roles, along with Adria Arjona (Morbius), Haley Joel Osment (Goliath), Liz Caribel Sierra (God’s Time), Levon Hawke (The Crowded Room), Trew Mullen (Sunny Family Cult), Saul Williams (Akilla’s Escape), Cris Costa and Kyle MacLachlan (Blue Velvet).

The actors join an ensemble that also includes Naomi Ackie, Channing Tatum and Simon Rex, as previously announced.

The MGM genre pic written by Kravitz and E.T. Feigenbaum follows Frida (Ackie), a young and clever Los Angeles cocktail waitress who has her eyes set on the prize: philanthropist and tech mogul Slater King (Tatum). When she skillfully maneuvers her way into King’s inner circle and ultimately an intimate gathering on his private island, she is ready for a journey of a lifetime. Despite the epic setting, beautiful people, ever-flowing champagne and late-night dance parties, Frida can sense that there’s more to this island than meets the eye. Something she can’t quite put her finger on. Something terrifying.

Pussy Island is currently in production in Mexico. Bruce Cohen, Kravitz’s This Is Important and Tiffany Persons are producing the film, alongside Garret Levitz for Tatum’s Free Association. Jordan Harkins is executive producing along with RedRum’s Stacy Perskie.

Slater received Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for his role in USA Network’s hacker drama Mr. Robot, more recently starring in Peacock’s limited series, Dr. Death. His upcoming projects include Jerry Seinfeld’s feature directorial debut Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story for Netflix, the FX on Hulu miniseries Fleishman Is in Trouble and Pierre Morel’s action-comedy Freelance.

Shawkat starred for five seasons in the hit comedy series Search Party, which originally aired on TBS before moving to HBO Max for its final two seasons. She recently appeared in Aaron Sorkin’s film Being the Ricardos for Amazon Studios, and can currently be seen in the FX series The Old Man, opposite Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow.

Davis won her first Oscar in 1989 for her turn in The Accidental Tourist, landing her second nom in 1992 for her performance opposite Susan Sarandon as Thelma & Louise‘s Thelma. The actress most recently appeared in the action-thriller Ava with Jessica Chastain and Colin Farrell. Other notable credits include Tootsie, A League of Their Own, Cutthroat Island, The Long Kiss Goodnight and In a World….

Arjona most recently starred as the female lead in Sony’s Marvel pic Morbius, opposite Jared Leto. She can currently be seen in HBO’s Irma Vep opposite Alicia Vikander and in HBO Max’s Father of the Bride remake, and will make her Disney+ debut in the Star Wars series Andor on August 31st.

Osment is an Oscar nominee who most recently wrapped a role in Alexi Pappas and Jeremy Teicher’s film, Not an Artist. He will next be seen opposite Alison Brie and Jay Ellis in Dave Franco’s Amazon feature Somebody I Used to Know, which is slated for release later this year. Osment recently starred on the TV side in the final two seasons of Netflix’s The Kominsky Method, in addition to the final season of David E. Kelley’s Goliath.

Sierra recently wrapped on Ellen, a miniseries from Automatik and New Regency in which she stars opposite Lin Shaye. Up next, she stars as Regina in the feature God’s Time, written and directed by Daniel Antebi, which made its world premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.

Hawke is a 20-year-old actor and musician currently studying Philosophy at Brown University, who with Pussy Island makes his feature film debut. Also coming up for the actor is the Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room, which marks his debut on the TV side.

Mullen is best known for her lead role in Blumhouse and Eli Roth’s Crypt TV series Sunny Family Cult. She has also starred in music videos opposite the likes of Charlie Puth, Nick Jonas, Bazzi and Ross Lynch.

Williams was a series regular on The CW’s Girlfriends and has appeared in such films as K-PAX, Lackawanna Blues, New York, I Love You, and the French-Senegalese Aujourd’hui. He also starred in the 2021 film Akilla’s Escape and made his directorial debut with the Afrofuturist Cannes 2021 film Neptune Frost, which was released in theaters last month.

Costa is an executive protection consultant who, like Hawke, is making his feature film acting debut.

MacLachlan is best known for his iconic collaborations with David Lynch on Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet and Dune. Among his other credits are Sex and the City, Desperate Housewives and Portlandia. He recently starred opposite Kate McKinnon in the Peacock limited series Joe vs. Carole and will next be seen opposite Jon Hamm in the film Confess, Fletch.

Slater is represented by UTA; Shawkat by UTA and Mgmt Entertainment; Davis by CAA and Untitled Entertainment; Arjona by CAA, Anonymous Content and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; Osment by Mgmt Entertainment, Griffin Talent, and Edelstein, Laird & Sobel; Sierra by Grandview; Hawke by CAA; Mullen by Luber Roklin Entertainment; Williams by CAA and Knitting Factory Management; and MacLachlan by UTA, Entertainment 360, and attorney Alan Wertheimer at Jackoway Austen Tyerman.

Kelsey Grammer says Frasier reboot 'is in the final stages'

(7/2/22) Kelsey Grammer is in “the final stages” of developing the ‘Frasier’ reboot.

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

(6/29/22) Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment has set up a Bass Reeves series titled Twin Territories at Amazon, after three decades spent chasing the elusive lawman.

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.

‘Tulsa King’: Dana Delany Joins Taylor Sheridan Series That Stars Sylvester Stallone

(6/21/22) Dana Delany (Body of Proof) will join Sylvester Stallone in the new original series Tulsa King for Paramount+.

Delany will play Margaret, an affluent and influential equestrian and owner of a sprawling horse farm and animal preserve. She is a formidable presence and a trustee of the Annie Oakley Society.

Tulsa King follows New York mafia capo Dwight “The General” Manfredi (Stallone), after he is released from prison after 25 years and is unceremoniously exiled by his boss to set up shop in Tulsa, Okla. Realizing that his mob family may not have his best interests in mind, Dwight slowly builds a crew from a group of unlikely characters to help him establish a new criminal empire in a place that to him might as well be another planet.

The series also stars Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Max Casella, Domenick Lombardozzi, Vincent Piazza, Jay Will, A.C. Peterson and Garrett Hedlund.

Delany won a pair of Lead Actress Emmys and earned two other nominations for China Beach and more recently starred in The Code, The Comedians and Hand of God.

Taylor Sheridan serves as executive producer Terence Winter (The Sopranos), who also will be at the helm as showrunner and writer. Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, Tulsa King will premiere with two episodes on Sunday, November 13, on Paramount+, behind the Season 5 premiere of Yellowstone.

Performers, Special Guests Finalized For Naomi Judd Memorial Service Airing Live & Commercial Free Sunday On CMT

(5/14/22) Updated, 5:33 p.m.: Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, and Jamey Johnson have signed up to perform at the memorial service for five-time Grammy winner Naomi Judd, with Bette Midler, Reba McEntire and Reese Witherspoon being enlisted to deliver special messages, and Judd’s husband Larry Strickland being added to the list of speakers.

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.

Susan Scannell Gilbert Interview 5/10/22

(5/5/22) (Watch here) Join actress Susan Scannell Gilbert live in The Locher Room on Tuesday, May 10th at 7 p.m. EST / 4 p.m. PST. Susan will be here to look back at her career and time working in daytime television.

Susan is well-known for her roles on Search For Tomorrow (Kristen Carter Emerson), Ryan’s Hope (Gabriel Dubujak) and appearances on One Life to Live and All My Children. Susan is also known for her debut role on the soap opera Another Life (Becky Hewitt) produced by the Christian Broadcasting Network where she wrote songs to be performed by her character. Daytime soaps led to a contract role on the ABC hit prime-time series, Dynasty, and guest starring roles on episodes of The A-Team and Remington Steele.

While acting, Ms. Scannell Gilbert kept her love of music alive by appearing at nightclubs such as: Dangerfields, Maxims, The Silver Lining, Carlos & Charlie’s and others, as well as performing her original songs on The Merv Griffin Show. She also sang the National Anthem at Shea Stadium. Scannell Gilbert ’s love of singing and writing led to writing a one-woman musical called “Love Jokes” which received a grant from Queens Public Television.

She is a three-time winner in Joel Selmeier’s New York One Minute Play Competition, which led to her scripts being published in “Rosebud Magazine”. She is also the winner of DramaLogues 1988 Critics Award for outstanding achievement in theater for her comedic performance in Dream Girl by Elmer Rice.

From 2001 – 2005 she served as the Founding Executive Director of the award-winning Astoria Performing Arts Center in Astoria, NY, where along with producing popular shows for the public, she was able to create musical theater programs for youth (“Summer Stars”) and Seniors (“Senior Stars”) which are free to all participants. She left APAC in good hands, and it is a thriving theater to this day. Susan can be found on the stage in Massachusetts where she enjoys performing roles that “tickle her mind and heart.”

OWN Sets Season 3 Premiere Date For Courtroom Drama ‘All Rise’

(5/2/22) Oprah Winfrey Network announced that courtroom drama series All Rise, starring Simone Missick, returns for a third season on Tuesday, June 7 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on OWN.

The All Rise season three all-star cast includes Simone Missick as ‘Judge Lola Carmichael,’ Wilson Bethel as Judge Carmichael’s best friend, Deputy District Attorney ‘Mark Callan,’ Jessica Camacho as public defender ‘Emily Lopez,’ J. Alex Brinson as bailiff-turned-public defender ‘Luke Watkins,’ Ruthie Ann Miles as Lola’s J.A. ‘Sherri Kansky,’ Lindsay Mendez as court reporter ‘Sara Castillo,’ Lindsey Gort as defense attorney ‘Amy Quinn’ and Marg Helgenberger as ‘Judge Lisa Benner.’ Recurring cast also includes Samantha Marie Ware as law clerk Vanessa “Ness” Johnson, Emmy winner Paul McCrane as Judge Jonas Laski, and Suzanne Cryer as Deputy District Attorney Maggie Palmer.

All Rise is a courthouse drama that follows the chaotic, hopeful, and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors, and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks, and police to get justice for the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal system. Among them is ‘Judge Lola Carmichael’ (Simone Missick), a highly regarded and impressive former deputy district attorney who has shown she doesn’t intend to sit back on the bench, but instead leans in, pushing the boundaries and challenging the expectations of what a judge can be.

Season three of the show picks up six months after the events of the sophomore finale and will bring about new beginnings for these judges, prosecutors and public defenders. We return on election night as Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick) awaits the results of her campaign; Emily (Jessica Camacho) returns from Puerto Rico with renewed drive and purpose about her career and Luke (J. Alex Brinson) continues to shake things up through his work in the public defender’s office.

Star Wilson Bethel will make his directorial debut on an upcoming episode of the show slated to air this summer. Bethel joins fellow actor Paul McCrane (Judge Laski) in stepping behind the lens, as McCrane will again direct an episode following the previous four he helmed in prior seasons. Bethel and McCrane join the directorial lineup including showrunner and executive Dee Harris-Lawrence, executive producer Michael M. Robin, Marie Jamora (Queen Sugar), Lionel Coleman (NCIS: New Orleans), Rob Greenlea (Madam Secretary), Neema Barnette (Black Lightning), Mo McCrae (All Rise) and David Harp (All Rise). This season, Adrian Younge (Luke Cage) joins as Composer and Natalie Montgomery returns as the Music Supervisor.

Peabody award-winner Dee Harris-Lawrence, series star Simone Missick, Emmy winner Michael M. Robin and Len Goldstein are executive producers of All Rise, which is produced by Warner Bros. Television. The series was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series at both the 2021 NAACP Image Awards and the Black Reel Awards for Television in 2020. Missick was also nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series at the NAACP Image Awards and the Black Reel Awards for Television in both 2020 and 2021.

The first two seasons of All Rise are available to stream on HBO Max and Hulu.

Christian Slater Joins FX Limited Series ‘Fleishman Is In Trouble’

(4/29/22) Christian Slater is the latest big name to join FX’s limited series Fleishman Is In Trouble.

The Dr. Death and Dirty John star will feature opposite Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan and Claire Danes in the series, which is based on Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s bestselling debut novel.

The series also stars Adam Brody and Joy Supruno with the likes of Ralph Adriel Johnson, Brian Miskell, Michael Gaston, Maxim Jasper Swinton and Meara Mahoney Gross also featuring.

Created by Brodesser-Akner, the story centers on recently separated fortysomething Toby Fleishman (Eisenberg), who dives into the brave new world of app-based dating with the kind of success he never had dating in his youth, before he got married at the tail end of medical school. But just at the start of his first summer of sexual freedom, his ex-wife, Rachel (Danes), disappears, leaving him with the kids and no hint of where she is or whether she plans to return. As he balances parenting, the return of old friends, a promotion at the hospital that is a long time coming and all the eligible women that Manhattan has to offer, he realizes that he’ll never be able to figure out what happened to Rachel until he can take a more honest look at what happened to their marriage in the first place.

Slater, who recurs in three episodes, plays Archer Sylvan, a Tom Wolfe-esque figure in the book, a journalist who wrote a “legendary” article, titled Decoupling, which details the dissolution of a marriage and is pretty close to the story of Fleishman is in Trouble. Sylvan is also the obsession of Libby Epstein, the narrator of the book and friend of Toby Fleishman’s from college.

Brodesser-Akner serves as a writer of the limited series and executive produces along with Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, Susannah Grant as well as Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris who will also direct the first block of the series. Fleishman Is in Trouble is produced by ABC Signature.

Slater is coming off an impressive television turn, having played Dan Broderick in Dirty John and Dr. Randall Kirby in Dr. Death. Next up are a couple of animated projects including Netflix’s conspiracy theory comedy series Inside Job and Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.

Slater is repped by UTA.

Kelsey Grammer-Narrated Series Joins Fox Business Network’s Primetime Slate

(3/30/22) Legends & Lies, a Kelsey Grammer-narrated series featuring dramatizations of moments in American history, is among the new projects on Fox Business Network’s primetime slate, with a second season debuting on April 25.

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).

Corbin Bernsen, Timothy V. Murphy & Jeremy Holm To Star In ‘HERD’

(3/22/22) Corbin Bernsen (Showtime’s City on a Hill), Timothy V. Murphy (TNT’s Snowpiercer) and Jeremy Holm (House of Cards) have signed on to star in the horror film HERD, from director Steven Pierce.

The indie co-written by Pierce and James Allerdyce tells the story of a woman who ends up trapped between a zombie outbreak and warring militias as she tries to outrun her past. Pierce is producing HERD as the inaugural feature under his newly-minted FP banner, alongside Allerdyce, Lori Kay, Matt Mundy and Bret Carr. Production will commence in Missouri early next month.

Bernsen is a two-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominee perhaps best known for Arnie Becker on 20th Television’s LA Law, who recently signed on to reprise the role in an ABC revival. The actor can currently be seen on Showtime’s City on a Hill and will also soon be seen on HBO’s The White House Plumbers. He’s also featured in such series as The Resident, Magnum P.I., The Punisher, Hap and Leonard and Psych, among many others. Notable film credits include The Big Year, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Radioland Murders and Major League.

Murphy has appeared in series including S.W.A.T., Snowpiercer, L.A.’s Finest, The Man in the High Castle, Quantico, Westworld, The Bastard Executioner, True Detective, Grace and Frankie and Sons of Anarchy, among others. He’s also previously featured in such films as In Full Bloom, The Lone Ranger, MacGruber and National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

Holm is perhaps best known for turns in Netflix’s House of Cards and USA Network’s Mr. Robot. He’s also appeared in series including The Good Fight, Prodigal Son, Madam Secretary, Blue Bloods, The Blacklist, Limitless and The Americans, and in such films as The Block Island Sound, Still Here and The Judge.

Bernsen is represented by A3 Artists Agency and Randy James Management; Murphy by Buchwald; and Holm by Buchwald and FP Artists.

Kelsey Grammer Joins Lionsgate’s ‘Jesus Revolution’

(2/18/22) Kelsey Grammer, Anna Grace Barlow, and Jonathan Roumie have joined the cast of Jesus Revolution, the Kingdom Story Company and Lionsgate film inspired by the true story of a national spiritual awakening in the early 1970s and its origins within a community of teenage hippies in Southern California. Grammer will star alongside Joel Courtney as well as Barlow and Roumie, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Ally Ioannides, Julia Campbell, Nic Bishop, and Jolie Jenkins.

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.”

‘All Rise’: Marg Helgenberger Will Return For Season 3 On OWN

(2/9/22) Marg Helgenberger will reprise the role of Supervising Judge Lisa Benner in OWN’s All Rise for Season 3. The network revealed the new season will premiere in June and will pick up 6 months after the events of the Season 2 finale.

The first two seasons ran on CBS before it was canceled last May. OWN announced it had picked up the series in September.

“Marg is definitely part of our show, she’s in the first episode. I’m very excited,” series executive producer and showrunner Dee Harris Lawrence said during the show’s CTAM panel on Wednesday.

New additions also include two new recurring cast members including Roger Guenveur Smith (Do the Right Thing, Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker) portraying Judge Marshall Thomas and Christian Keyes (All the Queen’s Men, The Boys), who will play Robin (previously played by Todd Wiliams), Lola Carmichael’s husband who has stepped away from the FBI to become a full-time dad.

All Rise is a courthouse drama that follows the chaotic, hopeful, and sometimes absurd lives of its judges, prosecutors, and public defenders, as they work with bailiffs, clerks, police, and jurors to bring justice to the people of Los Angeles amidst a flawed legal system. Season three is all about new beginnings, picking up the night of the mid-term election as the highly-regarded Judge Lola Carmichael (series star and executive producer Simone Missick) awaits the results of her hotly contested seat, preparing to further push the boundaries of her courtroom in the name of justice.

Ensemble cast members returning for the new season include Wilson Bethel as Deputy District Attorney Mark Callan, a long-time friend of Lola’s; Jessica Camacho as public defender Emily Lopez; J. Alex Brinson as bailiff-turned-lawyer Luke Watkins; Ruthie Ann Miles as Lola’s assistant Sherri Kansky; Lindsay Mendez as former court reporter Sara Castillo; and Lindsey Gort as private defense attorney Amy Quinn.

Recurring cast also includes Samantha Marie Ware as law clerk Vanessa “Ness” Johnson, Emmy winner Paul McCrane as Judge Laski, and Suzanne Cryer as Deputy District Attorney Maggie Palmer. Marg Helgenberger also returns in a recurring role as Supervising Judge Lisa Benner, who shakes up the courthouse with news of a new judge joining the ranks.

Morgan Freeman & Josh Hutcherson Starring In Sci-Fi Thriller ‘57 Seconds’

(2/9/22) Oscar winner Morgan Freeman and The Hunger Games alum Josh Hutcherson are set to lead the cast of time-bending 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.

‘CSI: Vegas’: Marg Helgenberger Eyed For Season 2; Would Reprise Catherine Role

(2/4/22) Marg Helgenberger is eyeing a possible return to the CSI franchise with a reprisal of her role as Catherine Willows, sources tell Deadline. Helgenberg would appear in the upcoming second season of CSI: Vegas, the sequel to the groundbreaking 2000 series, in which Helgenberger starred for the first 12 seasons.

Sources caution that talks are in early stages, and it is unclear whether they would lead to a deal.

Season 1 opened a new chapter in Las Vegas – the city where it all began, introducing a serialized storytelling to the classic crime procedural drama. Facing an existential threat that could bring down the entire Crime Lab and release thousands of convicted killers back onto the neon-lit streets of Vegas, a brilliant new team of investigators led by Maxine Roby (Paula Newsome) enlisted the help of old friends, Gil Grissom (William Petersen) and Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), to investigate a case centered around former colleague David Hodges (Wallace Langham). This combined force deployed the latest forensic techniques to follow the evidence – to preserve and serve justice in Sin City. The first season also starred Matt Lauria, Mandeep Dhillon and Mel Rodriguez.

It was previously announced that Season 1 cast members William Petersen and Jorja Fox, who starred in the original series alongside Helgenberger — as well as Mel Rodriguez would not be returning for Season 2.

Helgenberger most recently was a series regular on All Rise during the legal drama’s two-season run on CBS.

CSI: Vegas is produced by CBS Studios in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television and distributed internationally by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group. Executive producers are Jason Tracey, Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed, Anthony Zuiker, Carol Mendelsohn, Ann Donahue, Craig O’Neill, William Petersen, Uta Briesewitz (initial episode only) and Cindy Chvatal.

Morgan Freeman, Cole Hauser & Jaimie Alexander Set For Thriller ‘The Minute You Wake Up Dead’

(2/1/22) Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby), Yellowstone star Cole Hauser and Blindspot and Thor actress Jaimie Alexander have been set to star in under-the-radar thriller The Minute You Wake Up Dead, which is now underway in Mississippi.

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.

Christian Slater Joins John Cena, Alison Brie & Juan Pablo Raba In Action-Comedy ‘Freelance’

(1/27/22) Golden Globe winner Christian Slater (Mr. Robot) is joining John Cena, Alison Brie and Juan Pablo Raba in director Pierre Morel’s (Taken) action-comedy Freelance, which is filming in Colombia.

Freelance follows a special forces operator (Cena) who decides to retire from the Army and start a family back in the states. After several years of mortgage payments, school drop offs, backyard barbecues and trying to conform to life in suburbia, he decides to come out of retirement to take a gig providing security for a female journalist (Brie) as she interviews a cruel dictator who may or may not have ordered the attack on him and his men. When a military coup breaks out in the middle of the interview, the three are forced to escape into the jungle where they must survive the elements, the military and one another.

Endurance Media’s Steve Richards is producing alongside Sentient Entertainment’s Renee Tab and Christopher Tuffin.

In addition to producing, Richards’ Endurance is co-financing with Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios. The film marks Jacob Lentz’s (Jimmy Kimmel Live!) feature writing debut.

AGC International, the international sales arm of AGC Studios, closed a raft of deals on the movie when it launched at the virtual AFM market in November, 2021.

Slater’s recent roles include acclaimed series Mr. Robot, for which he earned a Golden Globe and Critics’ Choice Award, and Dirty John, opposite Amanda Peet and Eric Bana.

In 2021, he appeared in the Peacock limited series Dr. Death alongside Joshua Jackson and Alec Baldwin, for which he has also been nominated for a Critics Choice Award, and lent his voice to Netflix’s animated series Inside Job, opposite Lizzy Caplan and Clark Duke. On the film side, the True Romance and Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves star recently starred alongside Glenn Close in Bjorn Runge’s well-received drama The Wife.

Slater is repped by UTA.

Former Soap Stars Get Critics Choice TV Nominations

(12/6/21) The prizes will be doled out at Sunday, January 9, at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. The CW and TBS will simulcast the show live in the East from 7-10 p.m. (delayed in the West).

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)

Brett Dier, Anders Holm & David Rasche Board Lionsgate’s Sebastian Maniscalco Comedy ‘About My Father’

(11/19/21) Brett Dier (Jane the Virgin), Anders Holm (Workaholics) and David Rasche (Ryan’s Hope/Edge of Night/Search For Tomorrow) are the latest additions to the cast of the recently-wrapped Lionsgate comedy About My Father, written by and starring comedian Sebastian Maniscalco.

They join an ensemble that also includes Robert De Niro, Leslie Bibb and Kim Cattrall.

The film directed by Laura Terruso (Work It) is inspired by Maniscalco’s life and his relationship with his father. It sees Sebastian tell his old-school Italian immigrant father Salvo (De Niro) that he is going to propose to his all-American girlfriend, with Salvo insisting on crashing a weekend with her tony parents. Though cultures clash and it seems that the two families have nothing in common, by the end of the weekend, they’ll be la famiglia.

As previously announced, Bibb is playing Sebastian’s onscreen fiancée, Ellie. Dier and Holm will play her brothers, Doug and Lucky Collins, with Rasche as her father, Bill.

Maniscalco wrote the film with Austen Earl. Depth of Field’s Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz and Andrew Miano are producing alongside Judi Marmel, with Depth of Field’s Dan Balgoyen exec producing. James Myers and Chelsea Kujawa are overseeing the project for the studio.

Dier is best known for his long run as Michael Cordero Jr. in The CW’s Jane the Virgin. He also starred in the Goldbergs spinoff series Schooled, and will next appear in Mimi Cave’s film Fresh opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan. He is represented by Gersh and Red Management.

Holm is best known as the co-creator, writer, and star of Workaholics, which ran on Comedy Central for seven seasons. He currently hosts the podcast This Is Important with his fellow Workaholics creators, and will next star in Shonda Rhimes’ Netflix miniseries Inventing Anna, opposite Julia Garner and Anna Chlumsky. He is repped by CAA, Avalon Management, and Yorn, Barnes, Levine.

Rasche is known for his series regular role as Waystar Royco’s Karl Muller on HBO’s Succession. The actor also recently starred in the feature The Good House, opposite Sigourney Weaver, and recurred on HBO’s Veep. He is with Innovative Artists, Liebman Entertainment, and Schreck Rose Dapello.

Robert Melnik and Marc Shapiro negotiated the new cast members’ deals on behalf of the studio.

Kate Mulgrew, Molly Ringwald & More Join COLUMBARIUM Short Film

(11/16/21) Fair Oaks Entertainment and It Doesn't Suck Productions announced this week the start of production on a new short film, COLUMBARIUM.

The film stars Emmy Award-nominated Kate Mulgrew ("Ryan's Hope," "Star Trek: Voyager," "Orange is the New Black") and Golden Globe-nominated Actress Molly Ringwald ("Riverdale," KISSING BOOTH, THE BREAKFAST CLUB) as well as actors Stephen Bogardus (JULIE & JULIA, GOLD), Alex Breaux (HUSTLERS, "When They See Us") and Dan Bittner (WHEN BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel").

The film is co-directed by Roger Mancusi, in his directorial debut, and KATIE Schiller, both of whom previously collaborated on the indie darling and Gotham Award-nominated SHIVA BABY. The film is based on the short story "Columbarium," by Nicholas Mancusi.

In COLUMBARIUM, faced with their grandmother's dying wish, two brothers are tasked with stealing her dead dogs' ashes from her ex-husband, their grandfather, on his 80th birthday. This is dysfunctional even for them. The film is inspired by the real life experiences of Roger and Nicholas Mancusi, and their grandmother, nine-time Daytime Emmy Award winner, Claire Labine.

Labine co-created the soap opera "Ryan's Hope," which starred Mulgrew, and served as a head writer of various soap opera programs including "General Hospital," "One Life to Live," and "Guiding Light." At its core, COLUMBARIUM is the humorous attempt to grapple with the loss, and honor the memory, of a treasured family matriarch.

"While many only knew Claire Labine as an acclaimed soap opera writer, to us, she was Grandmere, our family's fearless and eccentric leader, who kept us on our toes up until her final request," said Roger and Nicholas Mancusi in a joint statement. "In an effort to celebrate her fascinating life, we are excited to share this story that encapsulates a small part of what made her so special, and unpack the humorous moments that accompanied the grief of losing her."

"I cherish my memories of Claire, and was always moved by her smart and bold writing that challenged the narrative boundaries of television," said Mulgrew. "I'm thrilled to partner with her grandsons to share this story that I think perfectly captures the adventure, wit, and love of Claire and her unique and incredible legacy."

The Mancusi Brothers, Schiller, and Kieran Altmann (SHIVA BABY) will produce the film, along with Muglrew, Bronwyn Cornelius (CLEMENCY) and Bess Donoghue (LAVENDER) set to executive produce.

Additional crew for the film include Melissa Langer (Netflix's CHEER) as Director of Photography, Michele J. Li (SHIVA BABY) as costume designer, and Claire DeLiso (EARLY LIGHT) as production designer.

COLUMBARIUM will go into production later this month.

‘City On A Hill’: Corbin Bernsen, Joanne Kelly, Ernie Hudson Join Showtime Drama Series As Recurring

(11/12/21) Emmy nominee Corbin Bersen (L.A. Law), Joanne Kelly (Warehouse 13) and Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters) are set to recur opposite Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge in Showtime’s Boston crime drama City On a Hill. Additionally, we’ll be seeing more of Mark Ryder in Season 3, as his role as Father Doyle will be expanded. Season 3 is set to premiere in 2022.

Season three brings us to Boston’s high society Beacon Hill. Following his dismissal from the FBI, Jackie Rohr (Bacon) lands a lavish new gig running security for a wealthy family. Life is good until secrets begin to unravel. When an investigation opens – implicating local and federal authorities – assistant district attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge) sees an opportunity to finally rip out the machinery perpetuating a broken system.

Bernsen will play Sinclair Dryden, an old money Beacon Hill socialite and former outstanding FBI agent who has been a mentor to Jackie – but underneath the charm and charisma is a darker disposition.

Kelly will portray Letitia, the strong-willed wife of Sinclair who commands of a sharp sense of humor. Having come from hardship, Letitia is willing to accept compromises in her marriage to maintain her lavish lifestyle.

Hudson is Franklin Ward, the widowed father of Decourcy. A Baptist minister in Brooklyn who was once a commanding presence and authority, Franklin is fading because of declining health.

Ryder’s Diarmuid Doyle is on a sabbatical from the priesthood after a crisis of faith. Diarmuid remains active in the community, volunteering at a local community center, where he deepens his bond with Jenny Rohr (Jill Hennessy), all the while keeping his ties to the IRA a secret.

Lauren E. Banks and Matthew Del Negro also star.

Tom Fontana returns as showrunner and exec producer for Season 3. Jennifer Todd, Jorge Zamacona, Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Barry Levinson also executive produce.

Bernsen was nominated for an Emmy for his performance on L.A. Law, in the role of Arnie Becker that he is reprising in a new ABC pilot for the show. Corbin recently recurred in Billions, Hap and Leonard, The Punisher, Magnum P.I. and The Resident, and upcoming on White House Plumbers. Bernsen is repped by A3 Artists Agency and Randy James Management. Currently seen on Godfather of Harlem, Kelly played the lead role of Myka Bering on Warehouse 13 as well as the miniseries The Disappearance. She will also appear in Apple TV+’s upcoming series Severance. Kelly is repped by A3 Artists Agency and Burstein Company.

Hudson, known for his role as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters franchise, also starred in The Crow and Oz (also created by Fontana). Other credits include Grace and Frankie, Graves, The Family Business and L.A.’s Finest. Hudson is repped by Zero Gravity Management and APA.

Ryder played the lead role of Cesare in the European series Borgia, created by Fontana. His recent film credits include Love Gets a Room, The Argument and Sisters in Arms. On television, his appearances include Motive and Small Island. Ryder is repped by Tavistock Wood.

Kelsey Grammer & Edi Patterson Join Scripted Sci-Fi Podcast ‘Black Box’

(11/8/21) Kelsey Grammer and Edi Patterson are to star alongside Joel McHale in a scripted sci-fi podcast series called 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’

(11/8/21) Geoff Pierson (Designated Survivor) and Clark Backo (Letterkenny) have joined the cast of The List, the indie comedy from director Melissa Miller Costanzo.

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.

Kelsey Grammer, Phyllis Logan Board ‘No Way Up’

(10/27/21) Kelsey Grammer (X-Men: The Last Stand) and Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey) have been set to lead the survival thriller No Way Up. Directed by Claudio Fäh (Wilder), the pic shows passengers fighting for air supply after their plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean. BAFTA-winner Annalise Davis and Molly Conners (Birdman) are producing with Will Clarke, Andy Mayson and Mike Runagall of Altitude Film Entertainment. The company will handle the film’s worldwide sales and will introduce to buyers at the American Film Market. A spring 2022 shoot will take off in Malta.

'LA Law’: Corbin Bernsen Joins ABC Revival Pilot, Reprising His Role As Arnie Becker From Original

(10/18/21) Corbin Bernsen is set as a lead opposite Blair Underwood in L.A. Law, a new incarnation of the iconic Steven Bochco legal drama that was officially picked up to pilot by ABC earlier this month. Underwood and Bernsen, reprising their roles as Jonathan Rollins and Arnie Becker, respectively, are believed to be the only original cast members who are series regulars in the sequel pilot. (More are expected to make guest-starring appearances on the potential series.)

In the pilot, written by Marc Guggenheim and Ubah Mohamed and to be directed by Anthony Hemingway, the venerable law firm of McKenzie Brackman — now named Becker Rollins — reinvents itself as a litigation firm specializing in only the most high-profile, boundary-pushing and incendiary cases. The re-envisioning of the Emmy-winning series will be featuring familiar characters working alongside new ones on the most hot-button issues of the day.

Bernsen’s former lothario Arnold Becker hasn’t changed since the 1980s but the world has. Now in his 60s, he struggles with a rapidly shifting sexual and political landscape. The role in the original series earned Bernsen two Emmy and two Golden Globe nominations.

“I’ve often thought about revisiting LA Law and Arnie Becker over the years,” he said. “Now seems the perfect moment in time to explore our fast-changing world through Becker’s eyes. Fasten your seatbelts.”

Underwood, Guggenheim and Mohamed executive produce alongside Hemingway via Anthony Hemingway Productions and Dayna Bochco and Jesse Bochco via Steven Bochco Productions. 20th Television is the studio.

Bernsen also was recently tapped for a seasonlong arc on the upcoming third season of Showtime’s City On a Hill. He recently recurred on Fox’s The Resident and CBS’ Magnum P.I. and will soon be seen reprising his role as Henry Spencer in the new Psych movie, Psych 3: This Is Gus, on Peacock. He is repped by A3 Artists Agency and manager Randy James.

Morgan Freeman: “I Am Not In The Least Bit For Defunding The Police”

(10/10/21) Actor and producer Morgan Freeman has given a firm “No” to the movement to defund 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.”

'Getaway’ Drama Pilot Not Going Forward At NBC, Freeing Up ‘Manifest’s Matt Long & ‘All Rise’s Marg Helgenberger

(10/9/21) NBC has opted not to proceed with its drama pilot Getaway. Headlined by Annie Ilonzeh, it starred two leads of recently canceled broadcast series that have since been resurrected, Manifest’s Matt Long and All Rise‘s Marg Helgenberger. Both actors are now available to do other shows, including their old ones, which both have been picked up for 20 episodes. Meanwhile, NBC’s other drama pilot, Dangerous Moms, remains in contention.

I hear Long is in talks about rejoining Manifest as a series regular though it is unclear if a deal will be reached. The missing plane drama was picked up for a fourth season by Netflix in August following its cancellation by NBC.

“I will be back for some of it, we’re just trying to find out the maximum I can do,” Long said backstage at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last month when he was still attached to Getaway. “After (Manifest) was canceled, it was heartbreaking. But then we got picked up by Netflix, it’s so much more than we ever could’ve dreamed of. I can’t wait to get back to it and see everybody and be part of the story again.”

Helgenberger was the only major All Rise cast member who was not signed on for the recently ordered Season 3 at OWN, with streaming windows on Hulu and HBO Max, as she had contractual obligations to Getaway. The door was left open for her and any other All Rise alums to appear on the new season subject to availability.

Written and executive produced by JJ Bailey and Moira Kirland, Getaway centered on a destination wedding at an isolated luxury resort that quickly descends into chaos after a group of dangerous criminals takes the island hostage. The small group of guests, led by a fearless female Army vet (Ilonzeh), will do everything they can to stay alive.

Jasmine Mathews and E.J. Bonilla also starred in the pilot, executive produced by John Davis and John Fox for Universal TV.

Lenka Peterson Dies: Tony-Nominated Broadway Actress, Mother Of Glynnis O’Connor Was 95

(10/7/21) Lenka Peterson, whose Broadway performances included a 1984 Tony-nominated turn in the musical Quilters, co-starring roles with Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish and Colleen Dewhurst in plays with creative teams including Truman Capote and Arthur Penn, died Sept. 24 in her sleep at home in Roxbury, Connecticut. She 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.”

Soap Actor Patrick Horgan Dead at 92

(10/7/21) Veteran actor Patrick Horgan has died at the age of 92, his wife, Susan Bedsow-Horgan sadly reported on Facebook.

Born in Nottingham, England, Horgan’s career began in the ‘50s with appearances on BBC Sunday Night Theatre and THE GENTLE FALCON. The ‘70s brought his career to soaps, where from 1970-74, he played Dr. John Morrison on THE DOCTORS, and from 1978-79, Thatcher Ross on RYAN’S HOPE. In the ‘80s, he played Neil Blake on GUIDING LIGHT and then Anton Cunningham on AS THE WORLD TURNS. His final daytime role was playing Andrew Berryman and Arthur Vandenburg on ONE LIFE TO LIVE in 1985 and 1995, respectively.

In addition to his daytime roles, Horgan could be found guest-starring in numerous primetime series over his decades-long career in acting. Viewers can see him in episodes of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, GREEN ACRES, STAR TREK, THE WILD WILD WEST, BEWITCHED, THE FACTS OF LIFE, and THE COSBY SHOW. He also appeared in films such as The Thomas Crown Affair, Zelig, and The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.

Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.

Morgan Freeman & Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment Team With Lesley-Ann Brandt For Drama Series ‘Hanover Street’

(9/30/21) Lucifer and Spartacus actress Lesley-Ann Brandt is partnering with Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment on the development of Hanover Street, a drama series set in Cape Town’s District Six.

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.

All Rise Picked Up for Season 3 at OWN

(9/29/21) All Rise for some good news: OWN has picked up the cancelled CBS legal drama for a 20-episode Season 3, to air in 2022, TVLine has learned.

Series star Simone Missick will reprise her role as Judge Lola Carmichael, in addition to serving as an executive producer. The other confirmed returning cast members include Wilson Bethel as Lola’s best friend, Deputy District Attorney Mark Callan; Jessica Camacho as public defender Emily Lopez; J. Alex Brinson as bailiff-turned-lawyer Luke Watkins; Ruthie Ann Miles as Lola’s assistant Sherri Kansky; Lindsay Mendez as court reporter Sara Castillo; and Lindsey Gort as defense attorney Amy Quinn. (Marg Helgenberger, who played Lola’s mentor, Judge Lisa Benner, booked the NBC pilot Getaway in July.) Dee Harris-Lawrence (David Makes Man) will once again serve as showrunner. Additionally, OWN will air the show’s first two seasons, which will also be streaming on both Hulu and HBO Max beginning Dec. 1. (Season 3 will be available on the streaming outlets after it airs on OWN next year.)

“All Rise has been a great performer, achieving strong ratings and growing its share from Season 1 to 2. Featuring a strong character front and center, Judge Lola Carmichael’s story reflects our audience with powerful affirmation,” OWN president Tina Perry said in a statement. “A special thanks to Warner Bros. Television and our incredible showrunner and longtime partner Dee Harris-Lawrence. We can’t wait to get started on Season 3 and bring this show back for long-standing and new fans alike.”

Corbin Bernsen guests on The Resident 10/5/21

(9/17/21) When an accident brings a familiar patient into the Chastain ER, the doctors must face the reality of figuring out how to proceed with the best care, which leads the whole staff questioning every decision. Meanwhile, The Raptor and Leela deal with a patient returning with the long-term effects of COVID in the all-new “The Long and Winding Road” episode of THE RESIDENT airing Tuesday, Oct. 5 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (RES-503) (TV-14 D, L, S, V)

Cast: Matt Czuchry as Conrad Hawkins; Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Randolph Bell; Manish Dayal as Devon Pravesh; Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Dr. AJ Austin; Jane Leeves as Dr. Kit Voss; Morris Chestnut as Dr. Barrett Cain; Jessica Lucas as Billie Sutton; Anuja Joshi as Dr. Leela Devi.

Guest Cast: Tasso Feldman as Dr. Irving Feldman; Skyler Day as Nurse Clara Rasmussen; Glenn Morshower as Marshall Winthrop; Denitra Isler as Nurse Hundley; Corbin Bernsen as Kyle Nevin; Jessica Miesel as Nurse Jessica Moore; Marlene Forte as Cherry Sandoval; Juan Carlos Cantu as Gabe Sandoval; Viviana Chavez as Nurse Reena Reddy; Najah Bradley as Harvey; Wendel A. Matthews as Pilot Dietz; Britny Horton as Operator Rooney; Wes Jetton as McDonnell; Amy Hui as Santina Lopez; Rowan Bousaid as Danny Hernandez

Louise Shaffer Interview Sept 15

(9/9/21) (Video) Author and actress Louise Shaffer will join The Locher Room on Wednesday, September 15th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST.

Louise has been an actress since the age of 15 and is a graduate of the Yale Drama School. She has appeared on numerous daytime soaps including The Edge of Night, Search for Tomorrow and on Ryan’s Hope playing Rae Woodard, a role that earned her a Daytime Emmy Award.

Louise returned to her first love of writing and began a successful second career when she found herself as an unemployed actress in her mid-forties. She began writing scripts for daytime soaps, but soon followed her dream and wrote her first novel, The Three Miss Margarets published by Random House. It was followed by The Ladies of Garrison Gardens, Family Acts, Serendipity and Looking For A Love Story.

‘The Ghost & Molly McGee’ Renewed For Season 2 At Disney Channel Ahead Of Premiere; Kelsey Grammer, Natasha Rothwell & Greta Gerwig Join As Guest Stars

(8/31/21) Disney Channel is doubling down on its upcoming animated series The Ghost and Molly McGee. The kids’ network has handed the series a second season renewal ahead of its premiere on October 1.

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)

‘All Rise’ Eyes Comeback With Season 3 Pickup By OWN After CBS Cancellation

(8/20/21) CBS’ All Rise may be resurrected. OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network is in talks for a new season of the legal drama starring Simone Missick, I have learned.

The negotiations between the cable network and lead All Rise studio Warner Bros. TV come three months after the series was canceled by CBS in May and OWN parent Discovery days later announced its plans to merge with Warner Bros. TV parent, AT&T-owned WarnerMedia. Sources close to the situation caution that the conversations, while progressing, are complex and have not reached the final stage yet. Reps for OWN and WBTV declined comment.

Options on the All Rise cast expired at the end of June. In anticipation of a potential pickup — which I hear could be for as many as 20 episodes — Warner Bros. TV has entered negotiations with lead Missick and also has approached other cast members, including Wilson Bethel, Jessica Camacho and J. Alex Brinson, I hear.

The cancellation of All Rise came after behind-the-scenes issues on the show, which culminated in the departure of creator and showrunner Greg Spottiswood. in March over misconduct allegations. I hear Dee Harris-Lawrence, who took over showrunner duties for season two, would likely continue on the series alongside fellow executive producers Len Goldstein and Michael Robin. Harris-Lawrence is also executive producer/showrunner on OWN/WBTV’s acclaimed series David Makes Man.

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. It centers on Judge Lola Carmichael (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 talks with OWN for All Rise come as WBTV also is negotiating with Netflix for a new season of Manifest following its cancellation by NBC.

‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’: Kate Mulgrew Joins Showtime Drama As Recurring

(8/20/21) Emmy nominee Kate Mulgrew (Orange is the New Black) is set for a key recurring role opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor and Naomie Harris in Showtime’s drama series The Man Who Fell to Earth.

Based on the Walter Tevis novel and the iconic 1976 film that starred David Bowie, The Man Who Fell to Earth will follow a new alien character (Ejiofor) who arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.

Mulgrew will play Drew Finch, an operative who stands at the very top of the dangerous slopes of the CIA and a collector of secrets. Emotionally fearless, a master of finding and exploiting the weak link, Finch has to battle to keep her own past in the dark while playing for the biggest stakes of her life.

Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet are writing and executive producing the series and will serve as showrunners along with executive producer John Hlavin. Kurtzman also will direct multiple episodes. Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly and Heather Kadin also are executive producing, along with rights holder Studiocanal’s Rola Bauer and Françoise Guyonnet. The series is produced by CBS Studios in association with Secret Hideout and Timberman/Beverly. Production is underway in London, with premiere set for 2022 on Showtime.

Mulgrew received an Emmy nomination for her performance as Galina “Red’ Reznikov on Orange Is the New Black. She also starred on Star Trek: Voyager as Capt. Kathryn Janeway, a role she will reprise in the upcoming animated series Star Trek: Prodigy. She’s also playing Susan Sher, a longtime friend of the Obamas and chief of staff to Michelle Obama, in the upcoming Showtime series The First Lady. Mulgrew is repped by Innovative Artists and Viking Entertainment.

Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance Producing ‘One Thousand Years of Slavery’ Docu-Series For Smithsonian Channel

(8/18/21) (Video) ViacomCBS’ Smithsonian Channel is prepping One Thousand Years of Slavery, a four-part docu-series from Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s Bassett Vance Productions.

BAFTA-winning British-Nigerian director David Olusoga explores stories of survival and devastation that span across the globe – from Africa to the Caribbean, London to Washington DC, and more. Through preserved historical documentation and insight from experts, every story unfolds to chronicle how slavery frames the present and continues to act as a distinct force on the future. The series features interviews with public figures including Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, Senator Cory Booker, and actor David Harewood. (Watch a trailer above)

“Slavery is not that long ago. It’s really recent. It’s painfully close to us, and it’s no surprise it’s still shaping our societies,” said Olusoga. “Our aim is to break away from just seeing the slave trade as a phenomena that exists after the conquest and discovery of the New World, but to look back. It’s to set what happened in the New World in context, that it came from somewhere.”

James Blue, Head of Smithsonian Channel and SVP of MTV News and Docs, and Pamela Aguilar, VP of Original Documentaries will oversee this project for MTV Entertainment Studios and Smithsonian Channel. One Thousand Years of Slavery is produced by Uplands Television for Smithsonian Channel and Channel 5. Bassett Vance Productions executive produces.

Bassett Vance Productions is repped by Darrell Miller at Fox Rothschild.

Lifetime Greenlights ‘Flowers In The Attic’ Prequel Miniseries With Jemima Rooper, Max Irons, Kelsey Grammer, Harry Hamlin, More

(8/17/21) More Flowers of the Attic is coming to Lifetime. The network has greenlighted Flowers In The Attic: The Origin, a four-part prequel miniseries event starring Jemima Rooper (Gold Digger) and Max Irons (Condor), from Jennie Snyder Urman and Joanna Klein’s Sutton St. Productions and CBS Studios. Flowers in the Attic: The Origin is an A+E Studios production in association with Sutton St. and CBS Studios.

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

(8/17/21) Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) and Yellowstone star Cole Hauser have been set to lead action-thriller Muti from writer-director George Gallo (Bad Boys) and producers Iervolino & Lady Bacardi Entertainment (Waiting for the Barbarians).

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.

Soap Vets In New Hallmark Films

(8/10/21) The Hallmark Channel will air six all-new original movies for its annual “Fall Harvest”, beginning September 11 through October 16, with a new flick premiering each Saturday night. A bevy of former daytime and nighttime soap stars will be featured, among them:

On September 25, Nikki Deloach (ex-Brenda, DAYS), Scott Porter (ex-Casey, AS THE WORLD TURNS), Corbin Bernsen (ex-Todd, Y&R et al) and Janine Turner (ex-Laura, GH) star in TAKING THE REINS about a writer who returns to the family ranch to write an article about her passion for horses and discovers what ended her marriage and why she stopped riding.

On October 16, Brooks Darnell (ex-Nate, Y&R) and Erinn Westbrook (Tabitha, RIVERDALE) play the leads in FLIRTING WITH ROMANCE about a dating columnist who finds himself attracted to a love advice author.

LEGO Star Wars Halloween Special: Tony Hale, Christian Slater Among Cast

(8/3/21) Tony Hale (Veep) and Christian Slater (Mr. Robot) will be hanging out with Poe Dameron and BB8 in another Disney+ LEGO Stars Wars special that takes place after the events of The Rise of Skywalker.

Premiering Friday, Oct. 1, the Halloween-timed special LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales finds Poe (voiced again by The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special’s Jake Green) and BB-8 making an emergency landing on the volcanic planet Mustafar, where they meet the greedy and conniving Graballa the Hutt (Squidbillies‘ Dana Snyder) who has purchased Darth Vader’s castle and is renovating it into the galaxy’s first all-inclusive Sith-inspired luxury hotel. While waiting for his X-Wing to be repaired, Poe, BB-8, Graballa and Dean (a courageous young boy who works as Graballa’s mechanic, voiced by Bunk’d‘s Raphael Alejandro) venture deep into the mysterious castle with Vader’s loyal servant, Vaneé (played by Hale).

Along the way, Vaneé shares three creepy stories linked to ancient artifacts and iconic villains from across all eras of Star Wars. As Vaneé spins his tales and lures our heroes deeper into the shadowy underbelly of the castle, a sinister plan emerges. With the help of Dean, Poe and BB-8 will have to face their fears, stop an ancient evil from rising, and escape to make it back to their friends.

Slater will voice a character named Ren, while the cast also includes The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special’s Trevor Devall and Matt Sloan returning as Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader, and veteran voice director Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as NI-L8.

David Shayne is writer and executive producer for the LEGO Group, Lucasfilm and Atomic Cartoons co-production, and the director is Ken Cunningham.

‘Manifest’s Matt Long, Marg Helgenberger, Jasmine Mathews & E.J. Bonilla Cast In ‘Getaway’ NBC Pilot

(7/27/21) Amid talks about a new season of Manifest, one of the canceled NBC series’ core cast members, Matt Long, has booked a new pilot at the network but fans of the missing plane drama should not be too worried about it. Long, CSI alumna Marg Helgenberger, Jasmine Mathews (The Rookie) and E.J. Bonilla (The Old Man) are set as series regulars opposite Annie Ilonzeh in NBC drama pilot Getaway, from The Blacklist duo John Davis and John Fox and Universal TV, a division of Universal Studios Group.

I hear Long was approached about Getaway after the options on the Manifest cast expired last month and studio Warner Bros. Television ended its efforts to find a new home for the show after conversations with Netflix did not yield an agreement. The series regulars on Manifest are free to take new jobs while talks about a Season 4 of Manifest recently resumed, with both Netflix and NBC interested in renewing the drama, which has found a large new audience on the streamer.

I hear Long’s deal for Getaway is for one year so if the Getaway pilot goes to series, he could still return to Manifest if the series gets resurrected, subject to synching up dates.

Additionally, Bonilla is a series regular on the upcoming FX on Hulu series The Old Man, whose Season 1 production is currently on hold while star Jeff Bridges undergoes cancer treatment. I hear Bonilla will be able to fulfill his obligation to the FX series before he segues to Getaway should the pilot go to series.

Written and executive produced by JJ Bailey (Echo) and Moira Kirland (Madam Secretary), Getaway centers on a destination wedding at an isolated luxury resort that quickly descends into chaos after a group of dangerous criminals takes the island hostage. The small group of guests, led by a fearless female Army vet (Ilonzeh), will do everything they can to stay alive.

Helgenberger will play Sen. Charlotte Pierce. As a senior Democratic senator from New York, Charlotte is used to calling the shots. She’s happy to see her son, Jack (Long), settle down with his bride, Grace (Mathew, but there are darker forces at play she has yet to fully understand. Charlotte will soon have to choose between her family and the political career for which she’s worked so hard.

Long’s Jack Pierce has always gotten everything he wanted. When he fell for Grace, he was determined to make her his wife, just as he was set on creating a professional career for himself that was separate from his mother, Sen. Charlotte Pierce, and the family name.

Mathews is Grace Rowland. When Grace met Jack Pierce she was swept off her feet, and their whirlwind courtship has gone from initial meeting to walking down the aisle in just over a year. As the hotel comes under attack, Grace and Jack’s fairy tale relationship will come under more pressure, exposing a side of Grace that no one has seen before.

Bonilla will play Rafi Salinas. Rafi claims to be a fisherman on the run with his friends from a gang of cartel members, but he’s hiding a dark secret that will put everyone at the resort in danger.

Davis and Fox executive produce via Davis Entertainment. Universal TV is the studio.

Like Long, Helgenberger only recently became available after co-starring on CBS’ recently departed series All Rise for the last two seasons. She starred for 12 seasons as Catherine Willows in CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. She then went on to star in two other CBS drama series, Intelligence and Under the Dome. On the film side, she was most recently seen in Universal/Amblin’s A Dog’s Journey. Helgenberger is repped by ICM Partners, Thruline Entertainment and Felker, Toczek.

Mathews can currently be seen starring in Amazon Prime Studios’ The Tomorrow War, alongside Chris Pratt and Yvonne Strahovski. Next up, she’ll be seen opposite Kevin Hart in Sony’s action-comedy The Man from Toronto. She previously was a series regular on Starz’s drama Sweetbitter, and also recurred on ABC’s The Rookie. She’s repped by Gersh and Red-Letter Entertainment.

Bonilla most recently appeared in Nat Geo’s miniseries The Long Road Home and was previously a series regular on the final season of A&E’s Unforgettable. He’s repped by Innovative Artists and MKSD Talent Management.

Long’s big break came with the starring role of Jack McCallister in the WB’s Jack & Bobby. He subsequently had recurring roles on Mad Men and on Private Practice. Long, whose series credits also include Helix, is repped by Innovative Arts and Authentic Talent and Literary Management.

‘The White House Plumbers’: Corbin Bernsen & Alexis Valdés Join HBO’s Watergate Limited Series

(7/19/21) Corbin Bernsen (Psych) and Alexis Valdés have been tapped for roles opposite Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux in The White House Plumbers, HBO’s five-part limited series that revisits Watergate, one of the biggest political scandals in American history.

The series, now in production, hails from Veep executive producers Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, David Mandel and Frank Rich. Created and written by Gregory and Huyck and directed by Mandel, White House Plumbers is based part on public records and the book Integrity by Egil “Bud” Krogh and Matthew Krogh. It tells the true story of how Nixon’s own political saboteurs and Watergate masterminds, E. Howard Hunt (Harrelson) and G. Gordon Liddy (Theroux), accidentally toppled the presidency they zealously were trying to protect.

Bernsen will play Richard Kleindienst, the Harvard-educated attorney general that is tainted by the ITT scandal and a contentious confirmation process. He refuses to use his power to shield the Plumbers from investigators.

Valdés plays Felipe De Diego, a Cuban-American real estate broker and yachtsman who participates in every Plumbers operation except the one which ends in their arrest.

Harrelson and Theroux executive produce White House Plumbers with Gregory, Huyck and Mandel; alongside Ruben Fleischer and David Bernad for The District; and Rich. Paul Lee, Nne Ebong and Mark Roybal executive produce for wiip, and Len Amato for Crash&Salvage. Gregg Fienberg also executive produces. The limited series is a co-production between HBO and wiip.

Bernsen recently recurred on Fox’s The Resident and Showtime’s Billions and is currently shooting the TV move Psych III MFT for Peacock, reprising his role as Spencer. He is repped by A3 Artists Agency and Randy James Management. Valdés is repped by Eduardo Valdivia.

Video: Susan Marie Snyder Interview

(7/15/21) (Video) Catch up with former As the World Turns cast member Susan Marie Snyder (Julie Snyder) in The Locher Room recorded on Thursday, July 15th. 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.

2021 Primetime Emmy Nominations

(7/13/21) The Primetime Emmys will air live Sunday, September 19, on CBS and stream on Paramount+. The Neighborhood star Cedric the Entertainer was just set to host the ceremony, which after a virtual 2020 ceremony will be held in-person at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, featuring a limited audience of nominees and their guests.

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”

(7/10/21) The last time we saw Dr. Frasier Crane, he was landing at a Chicago airport in the series finale of NBC’s Frasier. As we await the Paramount Plus revival of the Emmy-laden sitcom, its once and future star gave a few hints about the upcoming series that follows the man Kelsey Grammer calls “the George Bailey of Television.”

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)

Susan Marie Snyder Interview 7/15/21

(7/7/21) (Watch Here) Catch up with former As the World Turns cast member Susan Marie Snyder (Julie Snyder) live in The Locher Room on Thursday, July 15th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST.

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.

Talk Show Appearance

(6/30/21) The Talk – CBS

Thursday, July 8

Actor Grant Show (ex-Rick, Ryan’s Hope)

Dr. Death Premiere Date

(6/15/21) (Trailer) Peacock has officially booked an appointment with Dr. Death: The limited series starring Joshua Jackson will premiere with all eight episodes on Thursday, July 15.

Jackson (The Affair) plays Dr. Christopher Duntsch in a story inspired by the real-life neurosurgeon. “Patients entered his operating room for complex but routine spinal surgeries and left permanently maimed or dead,” per the official synopsis. “As victims piled up, two fellow physicians, neurosurgeon Robert Henderson (30 Rock‘s Alec Baldwin) and vascular surgeon Randall Kirby (Mr. Robot‘s Christian Slater), as well as Dallas prosecutor Michelle Shughart (The Carrie Diaries‘ AnnaSophia Robb), set out to stop him.”

Lizzy Caplan, Christian Slater, Clark Duke Join Netflix’s ‘Inside Job’

(6/14/21) Lizzy Caplan, Christian Slater (Ryan’s Hope/Search For Tomorrow) and Clark Duke are set to lead the cast of Netflix’s adult animated conspiracy theory comedy series Inside Job, from Gravity Falls writer Shion Takeuchi and creator Alex Hirsch. Takeuchi and Hirsch revealed the cast today during Netflix’s Adult Animation Studio Focus at the Annecy Animation Festival, which also includes Andrew Daly (Veep), Bobby Lee (MadTV), John DiMaggio (Futurama), Tisha Campbell (Empire) and Brett Gelman (Stranger Thigns).

Inside Job is an adult animated comedy about the shadow government – and the dysfunctional team whose daily grind is committing the world’s conspiracies. From convoluted coverups to secret societies to masked orgy etiquette, navigating office culture at Cognito Inc. can be tricky, especially for anti-social tech genius Reagan Ridley. Even in a workplace filled with reptilian shapeshifters and psychic mushrooms, she’s seen as the odd one out for believing the world could be a better place. Reagan thinks she can make a difference, if only she could manage her unhinged, manifesto-writing father and her irresponsible coworkers, to finally snag the promotion she’s been dreaming about.

Caplan is Reagan Ridley, Cognito Inc.’s antisocial tech genius; Slater is Rand Ridley, Reagan’s father, and disgraced head of Cognito Inc.; Duke is Brett Hand, a lovable D.C. yes-dude; Daly is J.R. Scheimpough, CEO of Cognito; Lee plays Dr. Andre, a free-spirited biochemist; DiMaggio is Glenn Dolphman, a half-man, half-dolphin; Campbell plays Gigi, Cognito’s fast-talking Head of Media Manipulation and Subliminal Messages; and Gelman is Magic Myc, a psychic subterranean mushroom creature from a hive mind deep within Hollow Earth.

Takeuchi will executive produce and serve as showrunner. Hirsch will co-executive produce. The project falls under Takeuchi and Hirsch’s development deal with the streaming giant.

John Gabriel, Actor on ‘Ryan’s Hope,’ Dies at 90

(6/13/21) John Gabriel, the actor and singer who portrayed the controlling Dr. Seneca Beaulac for the first 10 years of the ABC soap opera Ryan’s Hope, has died. He was 90.

Gabriel’s death was announced on Instagram by his daughter, actress Andrea Gabriel (Lost). “It is with an unspeakably heavy heart that I share the news of my father’s passing,” she wrote. “John Gabriel was my hero, my role model, and my champion, but above all, my daddy. … I will love you forever.”

No details of his death were immediately available.

Gabriel appeared in the John Wayne starrer El Dorado (1966) — and co-wrote the film’s title song with Nelson Riddle — and had a recurring role as WJM-TV sportscaster Andy Rivers on CBS’ The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

He played The Professor on the original pilot for CBS’ Gilligan’s Island, filmed on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in November 1963, but Russell Johnson wound up with the part when the show made it to the air the following September. (Two other actors, Nancy McCarthy and Kit Smythe, were dumped as well.)

“It was the first time in my adult life that I remember weeping,” he once said. “And I think part of that has to do with the fact that I built this thing up to such a degree it was going to be my breakthrough.”

Gabriel portrayed Seneca, chief of staff at New York’s Riverside Hospital, on Ryan’s Hope from 1975 through 1985, then returned as the show was wrapping up in 1988-89. He received an Emmy nomination for outstanding actor in a daytime drama series in 1980.

At the start of the show, Seneca had come to New York in pursuit of his wife, Nell (Diana Van der Vlis), who had left him. After he participated in her mercy killing, he married attorney Jill Coleridge (Nancy Addison Altman), who had defended him in the murder trial.

Gabriel was born on May 25, 1931, in Niagara Falls, New York. His parents owned a grocery store. He acted in plays at UCLA and, after a stint in the U.S. Air Force, was signed to a contract at 20th Century Fox, where he was given small roles in the 1958 films The Young Lions and The Hunters.

He appeared on such TV series as Surfside 6, Hawaiian Eye, 77 Sunset Strip and The Flying Nun and worked on Broadway in The Happy Time — as Robert Goulet’s standby — and Applause before landing on Ryan’s Hope.

Talk Show Appearance

(6/11/21) The Talk – CBS

Friday, June 18

actor Kelsey Grammer (Another World/Ryan’s Hope) discusses his latest projects

‘The First Lady’: Kate Mulgrew To Recur, Cathy Schulman Named Showrunner On Showtime Anthology Series

(6/8/21) Emmy nominee Kate Mulgrew (Ryan’s Hope) is set for a recurring role on Showtime’s upcoming anthology series The First Lady (wt). Additionally, Oscar winner Cathy Schulman (Crash) has been named showrunner of the series starring Viola Davis, who also executive produces, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson. Susanne Bier (The Undoing) will direct and executive produce.

The First Lady (wt), created by Aaron Cooley and produced by Lionsgate TV and Showtime, is a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House. Season 1 focuses on Eleanor Roosevelt (Anderson), Betty Ford (Pfeiffer) and Michelle Obama (Davis).

Mulgrew will play Susan Sher, a longtime friend of the Obamas who worked with Michelle in Chicago health care. Sher was originally hired as the President’s associate counsel but then rejoined Michelle Obama as her closest confidante and chief of staff.

Series also stars Aaron Eckhart as President Gerald Ford, O-T Fagbenle as President Barack Obama and Dakota Fanning as Susan Elizabeth Ford.

Additionally, Ryan Jamaal Swain (Pose) will guest as Johnny Wright, who was Michelle Obama’s hairstylist in the White House.

Produced by Showtime and Lionsgate Television, The First Lady (wt) is executive produced by Schulman, Davis, Julius Tennon, Andrew Wang, Bier, Jeff Gaspin and Brad Kaplan. Cooley will write several of the episodes and executive produce.

Mulgrew received an Emmy nomination for her performance as Galina “Red’ Reznikov on Orange Is the New Black. She also starred on Star Trek: Voyager as Capt. Kathryn Janeway, a role she will reprise on the upcoming Star Trek: Prodigy. Her other credits include Mr. Mercedes, Warehouse 13 and Mercy, among many others. She’s repped by Innovative Artists and Viking Entertainment.

Schulman produced the Oscar-winning best picture Crash, and she has produced or served as a production executive on more than 50 films including Five Feet Apart, Otherhood, Bad Moms, Edge of Seventeen and The Illusionist. Schulman’s company Welle Entertainment is dedicated to making female-facing content.

Swain is repped by Blue Ridge Entertainment and Artists & Representatives.

BET Awards Nominations

(5/27/21) The BET Awards 2021 will air live on Sunday, June 27 on BET at 8 PM ET/ PT.

BEST ACTRESS
ANDRA DAY
ANGELA BASSETT (Guiding Light/Ryan's Hope/Search For Tomorrow)
ISSA RAE
JURNEE SMOLLETT
VIOLA DAVIS
ZENDAYA.

Lois De Banzie Dies: Tony-Nominated ‘Morning’s At Seven’ Actress Was 90

(5/25/21) Lois de Banzie (ex-Dorothy, Ryan’s Hope/ex-Sarah, Generations), the Scottish-born actress whose Broadway performance in 1980’s Morning’s At Seven scored a Tony Award nomination, died April 3 in Greenbrae, California. She was 90.

Her death was announced by her family yesterday. A cause was not specified.

By the time of her Tony nomination, de Banzie, born in Glasgow, Scotland, had already established herself on Broadway with her performance as Mrs. Prynne in 1978’s Da starring Barnard Hughes.

Her performance as Myrtle Brown in Paul Osborn’s Morning’s at Seven, opposite Maureen O’Sullivan, Teresa Wright, Nancy Marchand and Elizabeth Wilson, brought both the Tony nomination and a Drama Desk Award. She returned to Broadway in 1985’s short-lived The Octette Bridge Club.

On screen, de Bansie appeared as Eleanor Roosevelt in Annie (1982) and as the mother of a seminarian in 1984’s Mass Appeal starring Jack Lemmon. Other film credits include Tootsie (1982), Sudden Impact (1983), Arachnophobia (1990), Sister Act (1992), Addams Family Values (1993), Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994), Dunston Checks In (1996) and such TV series as Ryan’s Hope, The Streets of San Francisco, Remington Steele, Cheers, Amazing Stories, Family Ties and Generations.

Complete information on survivors was not immediately available.

Corbin Bernsen guests on the Season Finale on The Resident 5/18/21

(5/1/21) The wait is over as Conrad and Nic welcome the arrival of their baby girl. Meanwhile, Raptor’s life begins to fall apart and he is forced to turn to Cain for help. Also, Devon and Bell work together on a complicated surgery that may allow them to save multiple lives. Then, Kit tries to deal with the moral repercussions of financially saving Chastain in the all-new “Past, Present, Future” season finale episode of THE RESIDENT airing Tuesday, May 18 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (RES-414) (TV-14 L, V)

Cast: Matt Czuchry as Conrad Hawkins; Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Randolph Bell; Manish Dayal as Devon Pravesh; Emily VanCamp as Nicolette Nevin; Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Dr. AJ Austin; Jane Leeves as Dr. Kit Voss; Morris Chestnut as Dr. Barrett Cain; Jessica Lucas as Billie Sutton

Guest Cast: Vince Fosters as Dr. Paul Chu; Tasso Feldman as Dr. Irving Feldman; Glenn Morshower as Marshall Winthrop; Denitra Isler as Nurse Ellen Hundley; Corbin Bernsen as Kyle Nevin; Jessica Miesel as Nurse Jessica Moore; Cara Ricketts as Rose Williams; Conrad Ricamora as Dr. Jake Wong; Anuja Joshi as Leela Devi; Summer Selby as Carol Austin; Christopher J. Hanke as Gregg; Allie McCulloch as Dr. Gabbi Johnson; Chedi Chang as Sammie Ackerman/Lin Xian An; Kim Estes as Roland Rawlins; Briana Venskus as Astrid Chavez; Chris Perfetti as Phillip Bondman; Maria Howell as Judge Lola Rawlins

Alec Baldwin & Kelsey Grammer’s Comedy Series Not Going Forward At ABC, Being Shopped Elsewhere

(4/23/21) ABC has passed on the untitled Alec Baldwin/Kelsey Grammer multi-camera comedy. The decision was made after the network’s executives saw the finished pilot episode.

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.

Oscars: Academy Sets Ensemble Cast Of 15 Stars To Serve As Presenters

(4/12/21) The producers of this year’s very unusual 93rd annual Academy Awards have promised to do the entire broadcast as if it were a movie itself. In line with that, they are “casting” it that way too with an ensemble of 15 stars to handle all the presenting duties, and also in lieu of a host (for a third straight year).

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.

Video: Rosemary Prinz Chat (As The World Turns)

(4/1/21) (Video) Celebrate the 65th Anniversary of As the World Turns with the one and only, Rosemary Prinz. Rosemary joined The Locher Room on Thursday, April 1.

Rosemary, a native New Yorker, has had a long career on stage, film and television. She made her television debut in 1954 on a short-lived soap opera, First Love, as the wife of aviator Chris (Frankie Thomas), but her most famous role to date has been her role as Penny Hughes on As the World Turns. Rosemary played the role from 1956 -1968 and returned many times over the years with her last appearance in Oakdale in 2000. Penny is the daughter of Nancy (Helen Wagner) and Chris Hughes (Dan MacLaughlin) and sister of Dr. Bob (Don Hastings). Penny's relationship with Jeff Baker (Mark Rydell) was daytime television's first teen romance and one of ATWT's most popular couples.

In 1970, Rosemary signed-on to play the role Amy Tyler on the debut of a new ABC soap opera called, All My Children where her character would oppose the Vietnam War, which Prinz herself opposed. She was also the only All My Children performer to ever earn above-the-title billing during her run. She also joined the cast of Ryan's Hope in 1988 where she played Sister Mary Joel.

Video: Ryan's Hope - Reunion

(3/25/21) (Video) Ryan's Hope reunion in The Locher Room on Thursday, March 25th. The reunion includes Michael Corbett (Michael Pavel, Jr.), Kelli Maroney (Kimberly Harris Beaulac) and Louise Shaffer (Rae Woodard). Don't miss the chance to catch up with these three and reminisce about their time working together on Ryan's Hope.

Morgan Freeman, Alfre Woodard, Trevor Jackson, Common & More Set For Revelations’ ‘Hate To See You Go’

(3/25/21) Morgan Freeman, Alfre Woodard, Trevor Jackson, Common and Bill Burr are set to star in Revelations Entertainment’s 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.

Rosemary Prinz Video Chat Scheduled

(3/24/21) (Watch Here) In celebration of AS THE WORLD TURNS’s 65th anniversary, The Locher Room will welcome Rosemary Prinz (ex-Penny, ATWT / ex-Amy, AMC/ ex-Sister Mary, RH) to the show. The actress will join him on Thursday, April 1 at noon E.T.

Ryan's Hope Reunion Chat 3/25/21

(3/17/21) (Watch here) Please join us for a Ryan's Hope reunion in The Locher Room on Thursday, March 25th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 p.m. PST. Joining the reunion are Michael Corbett (Michael Pavel, Jr.), Kelli Maroney (Kimberly Harris Beaulac) and Louise Shaffer (Rae Woodard). Don't miss the chance to catch up with these three and reminisce about their time working together on Ryan's Hope.

Angela Bassett To Narrate Wildlife Special ‘Malika The Lion Queen’ For Fox As Network Moves Into Natural History

(3/16/21) (Video) Fox is roaming into natural history with a two-hour special narrated by 9-1-1 star Angela Bassett. The network has ordered Malika the Lion Queen, a documentary about the lionesses of a pride in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

The special, which is produced by British production company Plimsoll Productions, the business behind Apple TV+’s Tiny World, will launch April 4 at 8 p.m. and will be available on Fox’s AVOD streamer Tubi beginning April 18.

It marks the network’s first move into the natural history genre – an area dominated by the BBC and cable networks such as Discovery and Nat Geo as well as increased moves by streamers such as Netflix and Apple. It comes as Fox is no longer a sister company to Nat Geo following the Disney deal and after NBC also dipped its toe into the genre with a 10-part series from BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the producers of Planet Earth and Blue Planet, due to air in 2024.

Malika the Lion Queen is exec produced by Tom Hugh-Jones, Martha Holmes and Grant Mansfield.

“We’ve long been exploring premium wildlife specials that present an entirely new world full of emotional and aspirational stories that appeal to all viewers. In Malika the Lion Queen, we’ve found everything we were seeking,” said Rob Wade, Fox president of Alternative Entertainment & Specials, on Tuesday. “With Angela Bassett guiding viewers along with her hallmark grace and gravitas, coupled with mesmerizing footage captured by the Plimsoll team, Malika the Lion Queen is perfect evening entertainment for the whole family.”

Bassett is repped by Gersh and Lighthouse Entertainment.

Corbin Bernsen Developing Daniel Friedman’s ‘Buck Schatz’ Trilogy As Limited Series

(3/8/21) Corbin Bernsen’s Home Theater Films has optioned author Daniel Friedman’s Buck Schatz trilogy for a limited series.

Friedman’s mystery series – comprised of Don’t Ever Get Old, Don’t Ever Look Back and Running Out of Road – tells the story of an 87-year-old World War II veteran and retired police officer Baruch “Buck” Schatz, who must reckon with his past as a hard-boiled Jewish police detective in Memphis during the civil rights era as his mind and body begin to fail him.

The first of the Buck Schatz trilogy, Don’t Ever Get Old won the Macavity Award for Best First Novel in 2013, and received a nominations for the Edgar Award, Anthony Award, and Thriller award. Friedman’s books have been translated into six languages.

Bernsen, known for acting in NBC’s L.A. Law, may possibly take on a role in the limited series at some point. The two-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominee recently co-wrote and directed the the comedy Mary 4 Mayor. His writing and directing credits include Dead Air, Rust, 25 Hill, Three Day Test, Beyond the Heavens and Life With Dog. Bernsen has also acted in Psych, American Gods, The Punisher, Disorganized Crime, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Major League. He is represented by A3 Artists Agency and Randy James Management.

Lucy Stille Literary in conjunction with Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency repped Friedman for this deal.

Florence Pugh & Morgan Freeman To Star In Zach Braff-Directed ‘A Good Person’, Rocket Science & CAA Launch Sales

(2/26/21) Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman and Oscar-nominee Florence Pugh are set to star in A Good Person, written and to be directed by Golden Globe-nominee Zach Braff.

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.

Golden Globes Adds Presenters Angela Bassett, Laura Dern, Salma Hayek & Jamie Lee Curtis

(2/25/21) Angela Bassett, Laura Dern, Salma Hayek and Jamie Lee Curtis are the latest stars set to present trophies during the 78th annual Golden Globes on Sunday.

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.

Kelsey Grammer Back As Dr. Frasier Crane As Paramount+ Confirms ‘Frasier’ Reboot

(2/24/21) Dr. Frasier Crane is officially coming back.

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 Bryce Dallas Howard, Christopher Meloni, Rosie Perez And Christian Slater

(2/23/21) Bryce Dallas Howard, Christopher Meloni, Rosie Perez and Christian Slater are the latest group to be added as presenters for the 78th Golden Globes, set for Sunday, February 28. All four will be appearing live from New York’s Rainbow Room for the NBC telecast of the ceremony, which will take place both in New York with co-host Tina Fey and at the Beverly Hilton with co-host Amy Poehler.

The ceremony will air from 8-11 p.m. ET/5-8 p.m. PT on NBC and be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

Nominations For 21st Annual Black Reel Awards

(2/19/21) The Black Reel Awards (BRAs), an annual event that recognizes the excellence of African-Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the African diaspora in the global film industry, has unveiled the nominees for its 21st annual awards ceremony. The event, hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF), will take place on April 11 virtually across several media platforms.

OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE

ANGELA BASSETT
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)

JAMIE FOXX
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)

MAYA RUDOLPH
THE WILLOUGHBYS (NETFLIX)

OCTAVIA SPENCER
ONWARD (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)

PHYLICIA RASHAD
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)

Nominations For 21st Annual Black Reel Awards

(2/19/21) The Black Reel Awards (BRAs), an annual event that recognizes the excellence of African-Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the African diaspora in the global film industry, has unveiled the nominees for its 21st annual awards ceremony. The event, hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF), will take place on April 11 virtually across several media platforms.

OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE

ANGELA BASSETT
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)

JAMIE FOXX
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)

MAYA RUDOLPH
THE WILLOUGHBYS (NETFLIX)

OCTAVIA SPENCER
ONWARD (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)

PHYLICIA RASHAD
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)

Corbin Bernsen guests on Magnum P.I. 3/12/21

(2/19/21) “The Lies We Tell” – When a married woman asks Magnum and Higgins to find her lover’s killer because she doesn’t want to expose the affair to the police, they find that the victim wasn’t who he claimed to be. Also, Rick visits Icepick (Corbin Bernsen), whose health has taken a turn for the worse, on MAGNUM P.I., Friday, March 12 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Corbin Bernsen guests on The Resident 2/23/21

(2/8/21) After a long wait, Conrad and Nic prepare for their wedding day with the support of their family and friends. Meanwhile, flashbacks to the early days of the COVID-19 crisis shine a light on the heroism of the doctors and the toll the virus took on everyone at Chastain Memorial in an encore of the “A Wedding, A Funeral” Season Four premiere episode of THE RESIDENT airing Tuesday, Feb. 23 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (RES-401) (TV-14 D, L, V)

Cast: Matt Czuchry as Conrad Hawkins, Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Randolph Bell, Manish Dayal as Devon Pravesh, Emily VanCamp as Nicolette Nevin, Shaunette Renée Wilson as Mina Okafor, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Dr. AJ Austin, Jane Leeves as Dr. Kit Voss and Morris Chestnut as Dr. Barrett Cain.

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan as Dr. Albert Nolan, Ann Marie Gideon as Nurse Sylvie Pund, Vince Foster as Dr. Paul Chu, Kearran Giovanni as Andrea Braydon, Denitra Isler as Nurse Hundley, Rob Yang as Logan Kim, Corbin Bernsen as Kyle Nevin, Jessica Miesel as Jessica Moore, Brian George as Tejan Pravesh and Zenobia Shroff as Himaya Pravesh.

Soap Alums 2021 NAACP Image Awards Nominations

(2/2/21) The nominees for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards are officially in.

Set to simulcast across all ViacomCBS Networks including BET, CBS and MTV on Saturday, March 27th at 8 p.m. ET, the 52nd NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of BIPOC artists across TV, music, film and literature.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)
Deon Cole – Black-ish (ABC)
Jay Ellis – Insecure (HBO)
Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Laurence Fishburne – Black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Performance in a Short Form Series
Giancarlo Esposito – The Broken and the Bad (AMC.com )
J.B. Smoove – Mapleworth Murders (Quibi)
Jasmine Cephas Jones – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
Laurence Fishburne – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
Stephan James – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Anika Noni Rose – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Gabourey Sidibe – Antebellum (Lionsgate)
Nia Long – The Banker (Apple)
Phylicia Rashad – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Taylour Paige – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture
Ahmir-Khalib Thompson aka Questlove – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Angela Bassett – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Chris Rock – The Witches (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Jamie Foxx – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Phylicia Rashad – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway, Helen Mirren, Uzo Aduba Among 8 Cast In David Weil’s Amazon Series ‘Solos’

(2/2/21) An all-star cast is set for Solos, a dramatic anthology series from Hunters creator David Weil and Amazon Studios. Oscar-winning actors Morgan Freeman, Anne Hathaway and Helen Mirren, Emmy-winner Uzo Aduba, Nicole Beharie, Anthony Mackie, Dan Stevens, and Constance Wu will star in the series that will premiere later this year on Amazon Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

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+

(2/2/21) Frasier‘s long-in-the-works return to TV is getting closer to reality.

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.

Corbin Bernsen guests on The Resident 2/9/21

(1/23/21) With Chastain on the verge of shutting down due to the sale by Red Rock, Conrad tries a last-ditch effort to save the hospital and the doctors plan for their next career moves. Meanwhile, on their last day, the whole staff must work together to save Nic’s life after she is injured by a deranged patient in the all-new “Home Before Dark” episode of THE RESIDENT airing Tuesday, Feb. 9 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (RES-405) (TV-14 D, L, V)

Cast: Matt Czuchry as Conrad Hawkins; Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Randolph Bell; Manish Dayal as Devon Pravesh; Emily VanCamp as Nicolette Nevin; Shaunette Renée Wilson as Mina Okafor; Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Dr. AJ Austin; Jane Leeves as Dr. Kit Voss; Morris Chestnut as Dr. Barrett Cain

Guest Cast: Ann Marie Gideon as Nurse Sylvie Pund; Vince Foster as Dr. Paul Chu; Tasso Feldman as Dr. Irving Feldman; Michael Hogan as Dr. Albert Nolan; Skyler Day as Nurse Clara Rasmussen; Glenn Morshower as Marshall Winthrop; Denitra Isler as Nurse Ellen Hundley; Corbin Bernsen as Kyle Nevin; Jessica Miesel as Nurse Jessica Moore; Allie McCulloch as Dr. Gabbi Johnson

Video Chat: John & Sandy Gabriel

(1/8/21) (Video) Real-life husband and wife duo John and Sandy Gabriel joined The Locher Room on Friday, January 8, 2021. The duo shared memories from their time playing Seneca Beaulac on Ryan's Hope and Edna Thornton on All My Children.

Corbin Bernsen guests on The Resident 1/12/21

(12/24/20) After a long wait, Conrad and Nic prepare for their wedding day with the support of their family and friends. Meanwhile, flashbacks to the early days of the COVID-19 crisis shine a light on the heroism of the doctors and the toll the virus took on everyone at Chastain Memorial in the all-new “A Wedding, A Funeral” season premiere episode of THE RESIDENT airing Tuesday, Jan. 12 (8:00-9:01 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (RES-401) (TV-14 D, L, V)

Cast: Matt Czuchry as Conrad Hawkins, Bruce Greenwood as Dr. Randolph Bell, Manish Dayal as Devon Pravesh, Emily VanCamp as Nicolette Nevin, Shaunette Renée Wilson as Mina Okafor, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Dr. AJ Austin, Jane Leeves as Dr. Kit Voss and Morris Chestnut as Dr. Barrett Cain.

Guest Cast: Michael Hogan as Dr. Albert Nolan, Ann Marie Gideon as Nurse Sylvie Pund, Vince Foster as Dr. Paul Chu, Kearran Giovanni as Andrea Braydon, Denitra Isler as Nurse Hundley, Rob Yang as Logan Kim, Corbin Bernsen as Kyle Nevin, Jessica Miesel as Jessica Moore, Brian George as Tejan Pravesh and Zenobia Shroff as Himaya Pravesh.

John And Sandy Gabriel Virtual Interview Scheduled

(12/22/20) The Locher Room welcomes real-life husband and wife John (ex-Seneca, RYAN’S HOPE) and Sandy Gabriel (ex-Edna, ALL MY CHILDREN) to the YouTube chat show. The actors will reminisce about their time on soaps, their courtship and more on Friday January 8 at 3 p.m. ET. (Watch here)

Ryan's Hope - Reunion 12/10/20

(12/10/20) (Video) Ash Adams (John Reid Ryan), Malcolm Groome (Dr. Patrick Ryan) Ilene Kristen (Delia Reid), Geoff Pierson (Frank Ryan), Cali Timmins (Maggie Shelby) and James Wlcek (Ben Shelby) from Ryan's Hope will all join me live in The Locher Room on Thursday, December 10th at 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST. Join us as we reminisce about their time together on this beloved soap.

Ryan's Hope - Reunion 12/10/20

(12/3/20) Ash Adams (John Reid Ryan), Malcolm Groome (Dr. Patrick Ryan) Ilene Kristen (Delia Reid), Geoff Pierson (Frank Ryan) and James Wlcek (Ben Shelby) from Ryan's Hope will all join me live in The Locher Room on Thursday, December 10th at 3 p.m. EST / 12 Noon PST. Join us as we reminisce about their time together on this beloved soap. (Watch here)

Kelsey Grammer & Alec Baldwin Comedy From ‘Modern Family’ Duo Gets ABC Series Order

(11/16/20) ABC has given a straight-to-series order to a multi-camera comedy starring and executive produced by Alec Baldwin and Kelsey Grammer. The project, slated for the 2021-22 season, hails from Modern Family co-creator/executive producer Chris Lloyd, executive producer Vali Chandrasekaran, and studio 20th Television, where Lloyd and Chandrasekaran are under deals.

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

Video: Search for Tomorrow Reunion - Maree Cheatham, Michael Corbett

(11/10/20) (Video) Maree Cheatham (Stephanie Wyatt), Michael Corbett (Warren Carter) and Marcia McCabe (Sunny Adamson) from Search for Tomorrow joined The Locher Room on Tuesday, November 10th at 3 p.m. EST. Search for Tomorrow began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Join them as they look back and reminisce.

Virtual Conversation: Soaps - Hillary Smith, Crystal Chappell and Irene Kristen

(11/9/20) (Video) The Lambs held a virtual conversation to focus on daytime drama (aka "Soaps") and the careers of actresses Hillary Smith, Crystal Chappell and Irene Kristen, and director Gary Donatelli; hosted by Suzanne Bowling

Search for Tomorrow - Reunion 11/10/20 - Maree Cheatham, Michael Corbett and Marcia McCabe

(11/3/20) Maree Cheatham (Stephanie Wyatt), Michael Corbett (Warren Carter) and Marcia McCabe (Sunny Adamson) from Search for Tomorrow will join The Locher Room on Tuesday, November 10th at 3 p.m. EST. Search for Tomorrow began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Join us as we look back and reminisce with these Henderson residents. (Watch here)

‘Great Escapes With Morgan Freeman’: New History Series To Look Back At Infamous Jailbreaks

(10/12/20) History has greenlighted Great Escapes with Morgan Freeman (working title), a nonfiction series that looks back at the biggest jailbreaks from some of the most notorious prisons in the world.

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.

Dishing with Digest - 10/9/20 - Judith Chapman

(10/9/20) (Listen/download) Judith Chapman takes a stroll down memory lane, from her soap start as AS THE WORLD TURNS’s Natalie to playing GH’s Ginny, DAYS’s Anjelica and Diana and Y&R’s Gloria and more with Digest’s Stephanie Sloane and Mara Levinsky. We also talk about the latest soap news and GH’s stellar storytelling.

‘Star Trek: Voyager’ Actress Kate Mulgrew To Reprise Iconic Role Of Captain Janeway On Nickelodeon’s ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’

(10/8/20) Kate Mulgrew, who played Captain Kathryn Janeway for 170 episodes on Star Trek: Voyager, will be reprising that character on Nickelodeon and CBS Studios’ new animated series Star Trek: Prodigy. The surprise announcement was made today at the end of the Star Trek Universe New York Comic-Con virtual panel. More casting news will be revealed in the next few months. The CG-animated series will air on Nick next year.

Kate Mulgrew beamed, “I have invested every scintilla of my being in Captain Janeway, and I can’t wait to endow her with nuance that I never did before in Star Trek: Prodigy. How thrilling to be able to introduce to these young minds an idea that has elevated the world for decades. To be at the helm again is going to be deeply gratifying in a new way for me.”

EP Alex Kurtzman said, “Captain Janeway was held to a different standard than her predecessors. She was asked to embody an inhuman level of perfection in order to be accepted as ‘good enough’ by the doubters, but showed them all what it means to be truly outstanding. We can think of no better captain to inspire the next generation of dreamers on Nickelodeon, than she.”

“Kate’s portrayal of Captain Janeway is truly iconic, and has resonated with a global audience for many years,” added Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation. “We can’t wait to see her bring this character to life in a whole new way, while continuing to be an inspiration for both new and loyal fans.”

Developed by Emmy Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman (Trollhunters and Ninjago) and overseen for Nickelodeon by Naito, Star Trek: Prodigy follows a group of lawless teens who discover a derelict Starfleet ship and use it to search for adventure, meaning and salvation.

Star Trek: Prodigy is from CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Studios’ new animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Katie Krentz, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth will serve as EPs alongside co-showrunners Kevin and Dan Hageman. Ben Hibon will direct, co-executive produce and serve as the creative lead on the animated series. Aaron Baiers will also serve as co-EP with Mac Middleton as a producer. Production of Star Trek: Prodigy is overseen for Nickelodeon by Claudia Spinelli, SVP, Animation Development and Kelley Gardner, VP, Current Series Animation. Star Trek: Prodigy is part of ViacomCBS’s growing Star Trek IP including CBS All Access’ Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks, the upcoming Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the development of a Section 31-based series with Michelle Yeoh.

Morgan Freeman, Laurie Metcalf, Ellen Burstyn, Laura Linney, Matthew Broderick Among All-Star Lineup For Virtual Broadway Play Series

(10/8/20) Morgan Freeman, Laurie Metcalf, John Malkovich, Zachary Quinto, Vanessa Williams, David Alan Grier, Elizabeth Ashley, Matthew Broderick, Lucas Hedges and Paul Mescal are among the actors who’ll take part in a benefit series of new, livestreamed stage reading productions of works by such major playwrights as Gore Vidal, David Mamet, Kenneth Lonergan and Donald Margulies.

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.

‘Army Of The Dead: Lost Vegas’: Netflix Anime Series Adds Joe Manganiello, Christian Slater, Vanessa Hudgens & More

(10/2/20) Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, Netflix’s anime spin-off series of Zack Snyder’s in-the-works zombie action heist movie, has spawned up a number of Hollywood names set to star. Joe Manganiello (Justice League), Christian Slater (Mr. Robot), Harry Lennix (The Blacklist), Ross Butler (13 Reasons Why), Anya Chalotra (The Witcher), Vanessa Hudgens (Tick, Tick … Boom!), Yetide Badaki (American Gods), Christina Wren (Man of Steel), Monica Barbaro (The Good Cop) and Nolan North (Star Trek: Lower Decks) round out the cast for Netflix’s anime show, the streaming service announced Thursday.

The newly-announced stars join Dave Bautista, Ana De La Reguera, Tig Notaro, Omari Hardwick and Ella Purnell in the new anime series executive produced by Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder, Wesley Coller from The Stone Quarry alongside Jay Olivia and Shay Hatten.

The spin-off series will focus on the origin story of Scott (Bautista) and highlight his rescue crew’s efforts to protect all they love during the first phases of the mysterious zombie outbreak in Vegas. Manganiello will star as Rose, Slater as Torrance, Lennis as Boorman, Butler as Chen, Chalotra as Lucilia and Hudgens as Willow. Malone, Badaki, Wren, Barbaro and North will play Queen Meeru, Nicole, Meagan and Clemenson, respectively.

Snyder will direct two episodes of the anime series with Jay Oliva (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and upcoming Netflix Original Anime Series Trese) showrunning as well as directing two other episodes. Meduzarts Animation Studio will serve as the animation studio.

Though Snyder’s film isn’t set to hit streaming until next year, Netflix has already greenlit other plans to expand the Army of the Dead universe. In addition to the anime series, Netflix announced in September a prequel film.

Army of the Dead actor Matthias Schweighöfer will direct and star in the prequel, which will shine a light on his character “Ludwig Dieter.” Hatten is also set to write the prequel. The pic will be produced out of Germany by Deborah Snyder, Zack Snyder and Wesley Coller of The Stone Quarry and Schweighöfer and Dan Maag of Pantaleon Films.

Guiding Light - Reunion 10/2/20

(9/25/20) Maureen Garrett (Holly Lindsey), Rick Hearst (Alan-Michael Spaulding) and Amelia Marshall (Gilly Grant) will join The Locher Room live on Friday, October 2 at 3 p.m. EST. This trio will share memories of their time in Springfield as well as other career highlights. (Watch here)

Emmy Awards: Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox, Jason Bateman Among Additional Talent For Virtual Ceremony

(9/17/20) ABC and The Television Academy have added to its slate of TV stars set to make appearances during Sunday’s virtual awards ceremony. Talent set to appear at the 72nd annual Emmy Awards are Jason Bateman, Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox, Morgan Freeman and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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

(9/14/20) Elizabeth Hurley, John Cleese and Kelsey Grammer have been cast in Father Christmas Is Back, a family comedy film now shooting in York in the UK. The pic from MSR Media is directed by Philippe Martinez (Viktor) and Mick Davis (Modigliani) from a script from David Conolly and Hannah Davis Law (Mothers and Daughters) and Dylanne Corcoran.

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.”

Morgan Freeman & Ruby Rose Lead Cast In Action-Thriller ‘Vanquish’, Capstone Launches Pic Currently Shooting In Mississippi

(9/11/20) Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman and The Meg and Batwoman star Ruby Rose are leading cast in George Gallo’s (The Comeback Trail) action-thriller Vanquish, which is currently filming on location in Biloxi, 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.

‘Between The World And Me’: Oprah Winfrey, Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance Among 9 Cast In HBO Special

(8/14/20) Angela Bassett (Guiding Light/Search For Tomorrow/Ryan’s Hope), Alicia Garza (Black Futures Lab), Joe Morton (Guiding Light/Search For Tomorrow/Another World), Phylicia Rashad (One Life To Live/Santa Barbara), Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Courtney B. Vance (The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story), Pauletta Washington (Genius: Aretha), Susan Kelechi Watson (This Is Us), who also executive produces, and Oprah Winfrey (Wrinkle In Time) are the first to be cast in Between The World And Me, HBO’s adaptation of the critically praised stage show based on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ New York Times bestseller.

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

(8/14/20) The biggest all-star summer movie event for 2020 is technically from 1982. On August 20, comedian Dane Cook is presenting “Feelin’ A-Live”, a fundraiser/virtual live table read of Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the iconic 1982 teen pic directed by Amy Heckerling and written by Cameron Crowe.

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.

Susan Lucci Regis Tribute

(7/28/2) therealsusanlucci: Oh, Regis—I am so shocked and so incredibly sad to learn of your passing. Your warmth and charm and devilish sense of humor made the world fall in love with you—and all of us who had the privilege and joy to work with you adored you!

Those five years we traveled the country appearing together on stage are full of some of my favorite memories.

Helmut and I send our love and heartfelt sympathy to beautiful Joy and your entire family.

You were one of a kind, Rege— There Will Never Ever Be Another You.

RIP, Regis—and thank you.

Regis Philbin’s Family “Overwhelmed” By Response To TV Host’s Death; Notre Dame Memorial, Burial Planned

(7/27/20) The family of famed TV host Regis Philbin said Monday it was “overwhelmed by the outpouring of love we’ve received” since Philbin’s death Friday at age 88. His death was made public on Saturday.

“Regis’s family is overwhelmed by the outpouring of love we’ve received,” a family spokesperson said Monday. “If you’d like to honor Regis’s memory, we kindly ask that you make a donation to http://foodbanknyc.org/, to help people in need in his beloved New York, especially his home borough of The Bronx. Thank you.”

The news comes after Notre Dame confirmed Sunday that it will host the memorial service for its famous alum, who touted the university over his long career. The service will be held at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and Philbin will be buried on campus at the Cedar Grove Cemetery. A date is pending.

Philbin, after graduating from Notre Dame, began his career in the 1960s as a TV host in San Diego, eventually becoming a writer and on-air sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show. After several talk show and hosting gigs, he was tapped to be the co-host of Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee alongside Kathie Lee Gifford in 1988. Philbin spent 23 years on the program.

He also served as the original host of the popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1999-2002, as well as host of Season 1 of America’s Got Talent. He was such a regular fixture on TV that as of September 2011 had logged 16,746.50 hours over his then-50-year career, the most ever according to the Guiness Book of World Records.

ABC News Sets ‘Regis Philbin: The Morning Maestro’ To Pay Tribute To Late Television Icon

(7/27/20) In the wake of Regin Philbin’s death, ABC News will pay tribute to the television pioneer’s life and legacy with the primetime special Regis Philbin: The Morning Maestro – A Special Edition of 20/20. The special will air on July 28 at 8pm ET.

Philbin is known for hosting the Live franchise for 28 years. First with Kathie Lee Gifford and then with Kelly Ripa. The special edition of 20/20 will feature an exclusive interview with Ripa who now co-hosts Live with Kelly and Ryan.

The program will also include Philbin’s final television interview with Jimmy Kimmel in March 2020 as well as, interviews with his co-hosts through the years including Gifford and Mary Hart, interviews with his childhood friends, a tour of the Bronx where he grew up, an emotional surprise visit with students at his high school, and a trip down memory lane with Philbin screening some of his favorite clips of Live.

Philbin died on July 24 from natural causes. He was 88, one month shy of his birthday.

Gifford took to Instagram to honor Philbin saying, “there are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift.

“As people get older, you always know that certain things are inevitable, and passing away is one of those things, but Regis is one of the people that we all believed, I think, would somehow figure out a way around the inevitable. It was not in the cards,” Ripa said on Live Monday morning.

David Sloan will serve as senior executive producer of the special. John R. Green is executive producer. Matt Lombardi is co-executive producer.

Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest pay tribute to Regis Philbin on ‘Live!’

(7/27/20) Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest paid tribute to the late Regis Philbin on Monday’s episode of “Live! with Kelly and Ryan,” three days after the 88-year-old TV legend died of natural causes.

“It’s been a very difficult and emotional day for all of us at ‘Live.’ Kelly, I know a tough weekend for you especially because you worked with our dear friend, a friend that passed away over the weekend, Regis Philbin,” Seacrest began. “A legend on television. A best friend to so many of us who didn’t even know him, across the country.”

Ripa, 49, who co-hosted “Live!” with Philbin for 11 years, said she was surrounded by her family on Saturday upon hearing the “horrible news” of Philbin’s death.

“As people get older, you always know that certain things are inevitable, and passing away is one of those things, but Regis is one of the people that we all believed, I think, would somehow figure out a way around the inevitable. It was not in the cards,” an emotional Ripa said.

Philbin’s family confirmed his death on Saturday. He was one month shy of his 89th birthday.

Seacrest, 45, who joined “Live!” in 2017, added how he looked up to Philbin, reflecting on when they worked together during a Disney parade years prior.

“I remember watching him as a child growing up, and I was so excited to see him on TV because I feel like I knew him,” Seacrest said. “I remember when I got the chance to work with you [Ripa] and Regis the first time on that parade. I thought, ‘I made it.'”

In addition to Ripa and Seacrest, longtime “Live!” producer Michael Gelman also spoke about Philbin’s legacy on Monday’s show.

“I came to Regis as a kid and he took a chance on me,” Gelman, 58, said. “He was responsible for my career, my family, he was there when I met my wife.”

On Saturday, Ripa and Seacrest posted a joint message on Instagram, sharing the same photo as they posed together with Philbin and Mickey Mouse.

“We are beyond saddened to learn about the loss of Regis Philbin,” the statement read. “He was the ultimate class act, bringing his laughter and joy into our homes every day on Live for more than 23 years. We were beyond lucky to have him as a mentor in our careers and aspire every day to fill his shoes on the show. We send our deepest love and condolences to his family and hope they can find some comfort in knowing he left the world a better place.”

Earlier on Monday, former “Live!” star Kathie Lee Gifford recalled her final encounter with Philbin just two weeks ago.

“I just thought to myself, ‘Lord, is that the last time I’m going to see my friend?’ Cause he was failing, I could tell,” she said on the “Today” show.a €.@

Regis Philbin Dies

(7/25/20) "His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about," the Philbin family shares with PEOPLE in an exclusive statement

Regis Philbin (ex-Malachy Malone, Ryan’s Hope) has died. The beloved star was 88.

The longtime television host died on July 24, PEOPLE confirms. "We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday," his family shares with PEOPLE in an exclusive statement on Saturday.

"His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him – for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss," the Philbin family says.

In 1988, Philbin began his iconic career as the host of Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee alongside Kathie Lee Gifford. After 15 years, Gifford left the ABC show but the pair remained close after her departure.

In 2001, the franchise became Live! with Regis and Kelly, co-starring Kelly Ripa before he left in 2011 after 23 years on-air. (He was replaced by former football player Michael Strahan, who later departed for Good Morning America and was replaced by Ryan Seacrest in 2017.)

Philbin also served as the original host of the widely popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1999 to 2002. In addition, the New York City native's hosting credits include Million Dollar Password, the first season of America’s Got Talent, as well as a reoccurring co-host seat on Rachael Ray.

Born on August 25, 1931, Philbin was raised in the Bronx and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1949 before attending the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a sociology degree in 1953.

After serving in the Navy, Philbin began his career in show business as a writer and made his way in front of the camera in 1961 with a local talk show in San Diego called The Regis Philbin Show. Then in 1967, he became widely known as Joey Bishop's sidekick on The Joey Bishop Show.

After a string of local talk shows, including A.M. Los Angeles and Regis Philbin's Saturday Night in St. Louis, he moved to New York in 1983 to host The Morning Show, which was renamed three years later as Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee.

Philbin's accolades include Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding talk show host for Live! in 2001 and 2011 as well as outstanding game show host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He also received a Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008.

Throughout his career, Philbin had various health issues. He underwent an angioplasty in 1993, followed by triple bypass surgery due to plaque in his arteries in March 2007. In December 2009, the television personality had his hip replaced.

Philbin, who was married twice, is survived by daughters J.J. Philbin and Joanna Philbin, whom he shared with his wife of 50 years, Joy Philbin. He was also father to daughter Amy Philbin, whom he shared with his first wife Catherine Faylen. Philbin and Faylen had another child, son Daniel Philbin, who died in 2014.

Download the Emmys App to Watch Past, Present, and Future Shows!

(7/16/20) The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences was planning to create a special app to allow fans to live-stream the award ceremonies on their computers, mobile devices, and smart TVs, but then this year’s main Daytime Emmy Awards was actually broadcast on television for the first time in years. However, NATAS has now announced the release of The Emmys app in time to watch the upcoming ceremonies this summer!

“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.

Talk Show Appearance

(7/2/20) The Talk – CBS

Monday, July 6

Actor Corbin Bernsen discusses his upcoming film “A Deadly Legend”

Mélange Cast Chat

(6/11/20) (Video) Kristen Alderson (Abigail Collins), Diana DeGarmo (Melissa Bennett), Morgan Fairchild (Vivian), Ilene Kristen (Dolly Faye) and Robert Newman (Dorian Sydney Winchester - "Syd") came together to talk about the pilot for their new soap, Mélange on Thursday, June 11th. Don't miss the chance to catch up with this talented group of actors.

Melange Cast Chat 6/11/20

(6/7/20) Kristen Alderson (Abigail Collins), Diana DeGarmo (Melissa Bennett), Morgan Fairchild (Vivian), Ilene Kristen (Dolly Faye) and Robert Newman (Dorian Sydney Winchester - "Syd") will come together to talk about the pilot for their new soap, Mélange on Thursday, June 11th at 1PM EST. Don't miss the chance to catch up with this talented group of actors. (Watch here)

Video: Mélange (Pilot) w/ Morgan Fairchild, Scott Evans, Robert Newman & More! | Logo TV

(5/22/20) (Video) As the founder of a historic gay bar suddenly and mysteriously dies, his young protégé and estranged ex-wife battle for control of the legendary bar. As the stakes rise and tensions mount, Mélange becomes infested with betrayal, corruption, and revenge.

Cast of characters:

Morgan Fairchild (Golden Globe nominee, Two-time Emmy nominee, Flamingo Road, Falcon Crest, Cybil, Friends): Vivian King - One of the world's leading hotel moguls. She feels her ex-husband Syd used and betrayed her to gain his inheritance and open Mélange. With Syd gone, Vivian is out for vengeance.

Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie, One Life to Live, Daytime Divas): Ryann Parker - As Syd's protége and manager of Mélange, he will fight to preserve Syd's legacy and keep Mélange out of the hands of Vivian.

Robert Newman (Two-time Emmy nominee, Guiding Light, House of Cards): Dorian Sydney "Syd" Winchester - A prominent figure in the LGBTQIA+ movement, Syd opened Mélange with a trust fund he inherited. In order to receive this fund, he needed to be married to a woman. In 1975, he married his close friend Vivian.

Ilene Kristen (Two-time Emmy nominee, One Life to Live, Ryan's Hope, General Hospital): Dolly Faye - The eyes and ears of Mélange, she has been there since day one.

Omar Sharif Jr. (LGBTQIA+ Activist and Model): Zayn Hadid - Ryann's loyal boyfriend and bar back at Mélange. As a Syrian immigrant, his work visa has expired and he fears deportation.

Diana DeGarmo (American Idol season 3 runner up, The Young and the Restless): Melissa Bennett - A server at Mélange, she was a runaway who met Ryann during their tumultuous teenage years. She carries an unrequited torch for Ryann and is currently sleeping with Hunter.

Anne Ramsay (Mad About You, The L Word, A League of Their Own): Carter Sendroff - Syd's attorney and Dolly's wife. She is tough, but her moral compass is immovable.

Maya Days (Rent, Aida, FX's Damages, worldwide #1 hit single "Feel It" [The Chimney Song]): Carroll Davis - The Global Head of Operations for King Enterprises. She is bound to Vivian for mysterious reasons.

Kristen Alderson (Emmy winner, One Life to Live, General Hospital): Abigail Collins - Ryann's sister who recently escaped their mother's religious cult in search of her brother.

Laith Ashley (Strut): Detective Alexander Thomas - The district's first transgender police officer, he got his start as security at Mélange.

David Gregory (One Life to Live, The Good Fight, Constantine): Hunter Black - A young documentarian making a film about Mélange's 40th anniversary. However, he may have captured more footage than he bargained for.

Perez Hilton (Celebrity blogger and television personality): Briggs Baxter - an infamous gossip columnist who founded BriggsBaxter.com and has no problem exposing other people's secrets.

Mark Indelicato (Ugly Betty, Dead of Summer): JJ Marshal - JJ works several jobs, including being a bar back at Mélange, a barista at the coffee shop, and an escort to pay for medical school. He is dating Genesis, but his escorting is a secret.

Alex Newell (Glee, Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist): Genesis - Mélange's resident performer with a heart of gold and a history of substance abuse. Genesis identifies as gender-fluid.

Jessica Leccia (Guiding Light, One Life to Live): Eva Sotomayor - Vivian King's cutthroat attorney. She has her eye on Mélange and rival attorney Carter Sendroff.

Darnell Williams (Emmy winner, Golden Globe winner, NAACP winner, All My Children, The Young and the Restless): Dr. Max Bradshaw - Syd's longtime doctor. He was with Syd when he died. He is currently working on controversial new medicines.

Pamela Winslow Kashani (Star Trek: The Next Generation): Meredith Scott - A political activist and Mélange regular who is always ready to organize for a worthy cause.

Corbin Bernsen guests on Magnum PI 5/8/20

(4/28/20) “A Leopard on the Prowl” – Magnum and Higgins help Rick when his father figure, Icepick (Corbin Bernsen), just out of prison and battling terminal cancer, gets double crossed on one last score. Also, Magnum makes one last bold move to help Higgins stay in the country, on MAGNUM P.I. at a special time, Friday, May 8 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. “Hawaii Five-0’s” Ian Anthony Dale and MMA’s Cowboy Cerrone appear in the episode.

Video: China Beach Reunion Chat

(4/23/20) (Video) Description: Cast reunion of “China Beach” including: Michael Boatman, Dana Delany, NancyGiles, Marg Helgenberger, Jeff Kober, Robert Picardo and Concetta Tomei.

Corbin Bernsen recurs on Tommy 4/30/20

(4/16/20) “This is Not a Drill” – Tommy launches an informal investigation into a possible LAPD and city government-related conspiracy just as she prepares to fight for her job in front of an ethics committee, on TOMMY, Thursday, April 30 (10:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

RECURRING CAST: Corbin Bernsen (Milt Leakey), Sasha Diamond (Ashley Kim), Tonye Patano (Mrs. Gates).

‘Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story’ Premiere Date: Season 2 Of USA’s Anthology Drama Starring Amanda Peet & Christian Slater

(4/14/20) (Video) USA Network has set a pre-summer premiere for Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story, the second season of its true-crime anthology series. Starring Amanda Peet and Christian Slater, the tale of love, betrayal and death will bow with two back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, June 2.

Watch the new trailer above.

Moved from Bravo to NBCU sibling USA Network, the new Dirty John stars Peet as Betty Broderick, the perfect Southern California wife and mother. Married to her handsome college boyfriend Dan (Slater), Betty charms everyone she meets. After years of sacrifice and suffering while supporting Dan through both medical and law school until he exploded into the San Diego legal community as a superstar, Betty finally is enjoying the fruits of their labors. That is, until Dan hires Linda (Rachel Keller), a bright, beautiful young woman without baggage with whom he can happily forget the struggles of his past. Betty’s attempts to fight back and her enraged refusals to accept reality only serve to isolate and destabilize her until she loses her very identity. And Dan’s cold confidence blinds him to the bear he has created, and he won’t stop poking — until it’s too late.

USA Network also announced today a marathon of Dirty John‘s first season and a new special, Dirty John, The Dirty Truth, to air April 14.

Dirty John, which received a two-season straight-to-series order by Bravo in January 2018, hails from creator-writer Alexandra Cunningham and UCP. The first season was based on the articles and true-crime podcast by Los Angeles Times reporter Christopher Goffard about the story of how a romance between Debra Newell (Connie Britton) and the charismatic John Meehan (Eric Bana) spiraled out of control.

Colleen Zenk & Mark Pinter welcome granddaughter

(3/26/20) Carson Daly and his wife Siri (daughter of Colleen Zenk & Mark Pinter) are celebrating the birth of their baby girl Goldie — posting photos of themselves at the hospital in protective masks.

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.

Roscoe Born's Family Reveals Cause of Death, Calls For More 'Conversations Around Mental Illness'

(3/9/20) The family of soap opera vet Roscoe Born, who died last week at the age of 69, is revealing that the actor’s cause of death was suicide.

“Roscoe has long struggled with bipolar disorder, a shadow that he succumbed to when he took his own life on Tuesday March 3, 2020,” read the family’s statement, which was posted on Facebook. “We are grateful for the outpouring of kind words and memories. We only wish that Roscoe could have seen how much people still carry his daytime villains in their hearts. May his death remind us of the importance of opening up conversations around mental illness. May those who need help seek it. May those who seek help receive it. And may it serve them.”

Born’s myriad daytime-TV roles included Ryan’s Hope‘s Joe Novak, Santa Barbara‘s Robert Barr and Quinn Armitage (for which he earned a Daytime Emmy nod in 1990), All My Children‘s Jim Thomasen, The City‘s Nick Rivers, Passions‘ Warden, The Young and the Restless‘ Tom Fisher and, last but not least, One Life to Life‘s super-nefarious Mitch Laurence.

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s toll-free number: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Soap Vet Roscoe Born Dead at 69

(3/6/20) Roscoe Born, who brought to life many a memorable character across a decades-long daytime-TV career that spanned shows such as Santa Barbara and One Life to Live, has died at age 69.

“It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Roscoe Born’s passing,” friend and business partner Deanna Lynne shared on the Born Roscoe Songs Facebook page. “He was an incredibly talented actor and songwriter. Many who knew him know how dedicated he was to social and political causes. He will be missed forever.” After starting out his acting career with guest spots on series such as Joe Forrester, The Rockford Files and The Incredible Hulk, Born played reporter Mark Bailey on the ABC primetime sudser Paper Dolls.

From there, he dove into a long run of daytime-TV roles, including Ryan’s Hope‘s Joe Novak, Santa Barbara‘s Robert Barr and Quinn Armitage (for which he earned a Daytime Emmy nod in 1990), All My Children‘s Jim Thomasen, The City‘s Nick Rivers, Passions‘ Warden, The Young and the Restless‘ Tom Fisher and, last but not least, One Life to Life‘s super-nefarious Mitch Laurence.

A cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

Kelsey Grammer Guests on Carol's Second Act 3/12/20

(3/6/20) “R.I.P. Dr. Herman” – When Carol is selected to present a case to the entire hospital, her boyfriend, Dr. Lewis (Patrick Fabian), asks her to reconsider because it could affect his chance of becoming chief of staff over Dr. Frost. Also, Dr. Frost makes a startling revelation, on the first season finale of CAROL’S SECOND ACT, Thursday, March 12 (9:30-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Kelsey Grammer guest stars.

Yasmine Bleeth looks dramatically different from ‘Baywatch’ days

(2/19/20) (Pic1, Pic2) It’s been nearly 20 years since Yasmine Bleeth donned that iconic red swimsuit on TV’s “Baywatch,” and today she lives a dramatically different life out of the spotlight.

The 51-year-old former glamour gal was snapped walking her dog in Southern California earlier this week, looking nearly unrecognizable.

Bleeth, a New York City native, was already working by 10 months old when she shot a Johnson & Johnson No More Tears shampoo commercial. She landed spots on soaps like “Ryan’s Hope” as a teen, but rocketed to fame as Caroline Holden alongside Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff in “Baywatch.”

Bleeth sprinted through the sand from 1993 to 1997 before moving to TV hit “Nash Bridges” alongside Don Johnson, which she appeared on from 1996 to 2001.

She has said that recreational drug use escalated, triggered by a tempestuous relationship with “21 Jump Street” star Richard Grieco, and in 2000, she entered the ritzy Promises rehab clinic in Malibu to combat cocaine addiction. That’s where she met future husband Paul Cerrito, a strip club owner.

The next year, Bleeth was arrested in Detroit on cocaine-related charges.

Bleeth pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle while impaired and to possession and was sentenced to two years of probation.

In a heartfelt essay published in Glamour (via People) in April 2003, Bleeth wrote openly about her drug addiction, revealing that she once collapsed at a photoshoot and went without sleep for five straight days.

“Consciously trying to stay off drugs is now part of my life and always will be,” Bleeth confessed.

Corbin Bernsen recurs on Tommy 2/13/20

(1/27/20) “There Are No Strangers Here” – Tommy works to keep her officers in line when one of their own turns up dead, and some want to take extreme measures to find the perpetrator. Also, Mayor Buddy Gray and Deputy Mayor Doug Dudik are concerned about what damaging information Arturo Lopez (Arturo Del Puerto), a recently arrested acquaintance of Buddy’s, may have on him, on TOMMY, Thursday. Feb. 13 (10:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

RECURRING CAST includes: Corbin Bernsen (Milt Leakey), Tonye Patano (Mrs. Gates), Alexander Hodge (Eric Decker).

Corbin Bernsen guests on Tommy 2/6/20

(1/10/20) “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities” – Multiple Emmy Award-winner Edie Falco stars as a former high-ranking NYPD officer who becomes the first female chief of police for Los Angeles, on the series premiere of TOMMY, Thursday, Feb. 6 (10:00-11:00 PM ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Michael Chernus, Adelaide Clemens, Thomas Sadoski, Russell G. Jones, Olivia Lucy Phillip, Joseph Lyle Taylor and Vladimir Caamaño also star.

A true-blue New Yorker, Abigail “Tommy” Thomas uses her unflinching honesty and hardball tactics to keep social, political and national security issues from hindering effective law enforcement in the Southland. Tommy steps into her new job surrounded by her predecessor’s staff, including Chief of Staff Donn Cooper, a savvy cop with good instincts and the ability to be discreet; Blake Sullivan, the polished and confident press secretary who is eager to earn Tommy’s trust; and Ken Rosey , an idealistic speechwriter and former attorney. Tommy also hires Abner Diaz, a fellow street-smart New York transplant, as part of her personal security team. The person responsible for hiring Tommy is Mayor Buddy Gray, a charismatic politician whose goals and ambitions don’t always align with Tommy’s. Buddy relies on the political instincts of his deputy mayor, Doug Dudik, a slick operative with questionable morals who is wary of Tommy’s growing influence. Now that Tommy is in L.A., she has a second chance at a relationship with her adult daughter, Kate Jones, who still faults her mother for choosing career over family many years ago. Possessing a New Yorker’s gift for being tough and sarcastic while remaining likable, Tommy has the conviction needed to succeed as the first woman to lead the LAPD in its fight to keep citizens safe and crime at bay in the City of Angels.

GUEST CAST includes: Corbin Bernsen (Milt Leakey), Alexander Hodge (Eric Decker).

Marg Helgenberger, Robert Kennedy Jr. Arrested In Latest Jane Fonda-Led Climate Protest

(11/15/19) As much of the media attention on Capitol Hill was focused on the latest impeachment hearing, Jane Fonda was continuing a weekly climate protest.

She was not arrested, but other activists were after they staged a sit-in at the Russell Senate Office Building. Those arrested included actress Marg Helgenberger and activist Robert Kennedy Jr., as well as June Diane Raphael, who portrays Fonda’s daughter on the Netflix series Grace and Frankie. Demonstrators have typically been charged with obstructing and incommoding, and cited and released.

Fonda has said that she plans to participate in the protests – called Fire Drill Fridays – through January, when her series resumes production. She was arrested each of the first four weeks of protests, and spent a night in jail after her most recent detainment. But a spokesman for the event said that they are concerned that if she is arrested before her Nov. 27 court date, she will face an even longer punishment, perhaps 30 days, and defeat the purpose of using her celebrity to call attention to the climate crisis.

Also protesting was Abigail Disney, the documentary filmmaker.

On Friday, she did participate in a rally on Capitol Hill and march to the Senate office building, but watched from the second floor of the Russell building atrium as others were arrested.

Last week, Fonda and other demonstrators, including Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream rallied on Capitol Hill and then marched to the White House, but there were no arrests even though the protesters sat down in front of the northwest gate.

Corbin Bernsen Recurs on Magnum P.I. 11/8/19

(10/27/19) “The Man in the Secret Room” – While Magnum helps out his friend Russell Harlan (guest star Lee Majors) and temporarily works as the head of a hotel’s security, he investigates the death of a guest who was thrown from her room’s balcony while working on a secret investigation of her own. Also, Icepick (guest star Corbin Bernsen) is released from jail and is trying to keep a secret from Rick, on MAGNUM P.I., Friday, Nov. 8 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Larry Manetti returns and Lee Majors guest stars.

Morgan Freeman & Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment Developing Western TV Series About African American Lawman Bass Reeves

(9/22/19) Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s Revelations Entertainment has optioned Arthur T. Burton’s book Black, Red & Deadly for a TV series that they’ll develop about 19th century Arkansas slave-turned U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves. Revelations will work on the project with Malcolm Spellman, Ben Watkins, Josef Sawyer and Grey’s Anatomy actor James Pickens Jr.

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.

Talk Show Appearance

(9/13/19) The Talk – CBS

Friday, Sept. 20

Actors Marg Helgenberger (Sionhan, Ryan’s Hope)

Corbin Bernsen on Fresh Off The Boat 9/27/19

(9/10/19) “Help Unwanted?” – After Brandi Chastain scores the World Cup-winning goal against China and rips off her jersey to celebrate, Evan gets his first case of “the tingles,” and now Louis and Eddie must team up to give him the talk. Meanwhile, Jessica and Honey are learning what it means to be best friends, and we learn a whole lot more about Marvin’s family, on the season premiere of “Fresh Off the Boat,” FRIDAY, SEPT. 27 (8:30–9:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. Episodes can also be viewed on ABC.com, the ABC app and Hulu.

Inspired by a true story, “Fresh Off the Boat” stars Randall Park as Louis Huang, Constance Wu as Jessica Huang, Hudson Yang as Eddie Huang, Forrest Wheeler as Emery Huang, Ian Chen as Evan Huang, Lucille Soong as Grandma Huang, Chelsey Crisp as Honey and Ray Wise as Marvin.

Guest starring is Brandi Chastain as Candy, Trevor Larcom as Trent and Corbin Bernsen as Mervin.

“Help Unwanted?” was written by Cindy Fang and directed by Kourtney Kang.

Dirty John Season 2: Amanda Peet and Christian Slater Set to Star, Succeeding Connie Britton and Eric Bana

(9/10/19) Dirty John has found a new tainted love to embrace — and a new set of stars to bring it to life.

TVLine has learned that TV vets Amanda Peet (Brockmire) and Christian Slater (Mr. Robot) have been tapped to headline Season 2 of the USA Network-bound anthology thriller, succeeding Season 1 leads Connie Britton and Eric Bana. Additionally, we can confirm that the new season will be based on the sordid real-life tale involving suburban housewife Betty Broderick, who in 1989 was convicted of killing her ex-husband and his second wife.

Bearing the new title Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story, Season 2 will unpack Broderick’s “epic true tale of love gone wrong — a story that spans the 1960s to the ’80s, through the breakdown of a marriage that Oprah deemed one of ‘America’s messiest divorces’ even before it ended in double homicide,” per the official logline.

Peet will portray Broderick, described as the “perfect Southern California blonde wife and mother.” Slater, meanwhile, will play her immensely charming — and ill-fated — husband Daniel. The gig keeps Slater in the USA Network fold following his four-season run on Mr. Robot, which kicks off its final season on Oct. 6.

Back in May, shortly after Dirty John was renewed for a second season, it was announced that the series would shift from Bravo (its Season 1 home) to sister NBC Universal cabler USA Network. Dirty John was a breakout hit for Bravo, finishing its rookie run as one of last year’s top 10 cable scripted shows in the 18-49 demo.

Morgan Freeman, Frank Grillo Lead ‘Panama’ Action Film From Daniel Adams – Toronto

(8/30/19) Oscar-winner Morgan Freeman and Frank Grillo are set as leads in the action film, Panama, directed by Daniel Adams, who also co-wrote the screenplay with William R. Barber. The pic, which is inspired by true events, is being produced Michelle Chydzik Sowa and Michelle Reihel.

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.

Christian Slater and wife welcome daughter

(8/30/19) Christian Slater has welcomed a daughter with his wife of five years, Brittany Lopez, Page Six has confirmed.

This is the first child for the “Mr. Robot” star and his wife.

Slater, 50, is already a dad to 20-year-old Jaden Christopher and 18-year-old Eliana Sophia with ex-wife Ryan Haddon.

Slater and Lopez were married in December 2013 after three years of dating. They tied the knot in an impromptu ceremony at the Coral Gables, Fla. courthouse.

People was first to report the baby news.

Christian Slater, YaYa Gosselin, Akira Akbar, Pedro Pascal And More Join Robert Rodriguez’s ‘We Can Be Heroes’ At Netflix

(8/22/19) Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming superhero pic We Can Be Heroes has justed added a flood of talent to their robust ensemble. Christian Slater (Mr. Robot, The Wife), YaYa Gosselin (FBI Most Wanted, The Purge), Akira Akbar (Captain Marvel, This Is Us) and Pedro Pascal (Narcos, Wonder Woman 1984) are set for the movie which is currently shooting in Texas.

The pic follows the children of Earth’s superheroes after their parents have been kidnapped by alien invaders. The children must team up and learn to work together if they want to save their parents and the world.

In addition to Slater, Gosselin, Akbar and the previously announced Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, the pic will also feature Andrew Diaz, Andy Walken (The Kids are Alright, A Christmas Story Live!), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Hala Finley (Man with a Plan, Backroads) Isaiah Russell-Bailey (Family Reunion, SWAT), Lotus Blossom (Magic Max), Lyon Daniels (Patriot), Nathan Blair (Best. Worst. Weekend. Ever.), Sung Kang (Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift, Better Luck Tomorrow),Vivien Lyra Blair (Bird Box, Waco), Adriana Barraza (Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Babel, Cake, Penny Dreadful), Brittany Perry-Russell (13 Reasons Why) and Christopher McDonald (Mr. Iglesias, Wetlands).

Rodriguez, a genre-centric filmmaker, isn’t a stranger to action pics starring kids. He previously directed, wrote, and produced the Spy Kids franchise as well as the superhero pic The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. He also recently directed Alita: Battle Angel as well as Sin City and the follow-up Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.

Soap Opera Audiobook News

(8/16/19) Dark Shadows by Marilyn Ross, narrated by Kathryn Leigh Scott (ex-Maggie Evans, Dark Shadows). These are from the original 1960’s paperbacks, there will be 32 titles released on audio.

(Order Here) Despite warnings from the townspeople, Victoria Winters accepts the offer to come to the strange Collinwood as Governess. For some curious reason, she feels the secret of her past may be uncovered in the bleak manor high on Widow's Hill.

From the Moment she arrives, Victoria becomes the target of someone in the house determined to destroy her. As the wind moans and the rain lashes around the isolated Collinwood, Victoria, without friends in the manor, feels death close in on her - a choking, frightening death.

The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman, narrated by Judith Light (ex-Karen, OLTL). Releases September 15.

(Order Here) From the New York Times best-selling author of The Dovekeepers and The Marriage of Opposites comes Alice Hoffman's darkly magical story of in a heartbreaking time of war when men became monsters, children navigated a world without parents, and women were willing to sacrifice everything for those they loved.

The Guest Book by Sarah Blake, narrated by Orlagh Cassidy (ex-Doris, GL).

(Order Here)

"Orlagh Cassidy narrates Blake's beautifully written multigenerational story of love and lies with consummate skill. Elegant and clear, distant yet passionate, she helps listeners discover the quirks in characters' personalities and explore their motives, both evident and hidden." -AudioFile Magazine, Earphones Award winner

How To Forget: A Daughter’s Memoir by Kate Mulgrew, narrated by Kate Mulgrew(ex-Mary, Ryan’s Hope).

(Order Here)

In this profoundly honest and examined memoir about returning to Iowa to care for her ailing parents, the star of Orange Is the New Black and best-selling author of Born with Teeth takes us on an unexpected journey of loss, betrayal, and the transcendent nature of a daughter's love for her parents.

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mr. Rogers by Fred Rogers, Luke Flowers, narrated by John Lithgow and Kate Mulgrew (ex-Mary, Ryan’s Hope).

(Order Here) For the first time ever, 75 beloved songs from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and The Children's Corner are collected in this charming treasury, sure to be cherished by generations of children as well as the millions of adults who grew up with Mister Rogers. The audiobook includes the iconic song "Won't You Be My Neighbor", music and lyrics by Fred Rogers.

Jamie Dornan, Alec Baldwin & Christian Slater To Star In ‘Dr. Death’, UCP Limited Series Based On Podcast

(8/9/19) “First do no harm.” Jamie Dornan, Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater are set to star in Dr. Death, a limited drama series from UCP based on the Wondery podcast about a sinister doctor who treats his Hippocratic Oath about the same way he treats his patients.

With the high-caliber talent on board, UCP is shopping the project to networks and streaming platforms. The studio took the same approach with two other series based on podcasts, Homecoming, which was sold to Amazon with Julia Roberts attached, and Dirty John, which landed at Bravo with Connie Britton in negotiations to star. Both those projects scored two-season pickups.

Dr. Death explores the twisted mind of a sociopath and the gross negligence of the system designed to protect the most defenseless among us. It tells the disturbing true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Dornan), a rising star in the Dallas medical community. Young, charismatic and ostensibly brilliant, he was building a flourishing neurosurgery practice when everything suddenly changed. Patients entered his operating room for complex but routine spinal surgeries and left permanently maimed or dead. As victims piled up, two fellow surgeons (Baldwin and Slater) and a young Assistant District Attorney set out to stop him.

Baldwin plays Robert Henderson, a quiet, deliberative and methodical neurosurgeon who believes wholeheartedly both in the system in which he rose through the ranks and that anything worth doing shouldn’t be rushed. It should be gotten right. Slater is vascular surgeon Randall Kirby, who, on the other hand, is brash, impulsive and more than willing to burn that system to the ground in the name of justice. There’s a time and a place for deliberation and there’s a time and a place to just get things done.

Together, they form something of a Woodward-and-Bernstein duo who constantly will be at odds in terms of their personalities and their methods but on the exact same page as it relates to their endgame.

Dr. Death is executive produced by Patrick Macmanus (Happy!) under his overall deal with UCP, the studio behind The Act, Homecoming and Dirty John, which is shopping the project. Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch executive produce via Escape Artists, as well as Hernan Lopez and Marshall Lewy of Wondery, whose Dr. Death podcast has been heard by more than 50 million people.

UCP acquired the rights to Dr. Death before the podcast had premiered.

Dornan is repped by UTA, Troika and Sloane Offer; Baldwin with CAA and Cavalry Media; and Slater is repped by UTA. Wondery and Escape Artists are with UTA.

Kelsey Grammer To Receive Top Honor At North Fork TV Festival

(8/6/19) The North Fork TV Festival has set Kelsey Grammer (Ryan’s Hope/Another World) as recipient of this year’s Canopy Award, in a formal ceremony to take place October 4 at the Greenport Theatre in Greenport, NY. Previous recipient Chris Noth will present the award to the Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony-winning star.

“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.”

A remarkable memoir from legendary actor Kate Mulgrew

(5/23/19) How to Forget: A Daughter's Memoir by Kate Mulgrew (Mary Ryan Fenelli, Ryan's Hope) - (Order Here)

They say you can’t go home again. But when her father is diagnosed with aggressive lung cancer and her mother with atypical Alzheimer’s, New York-based actress Kate Mulgrew—star of Orange Is the New Black, Star Trek, and bestselling author of Born with Teeth—returns to her hometown in Iowa to spend time with her parents and care for them in the time they have left.

The months Kate spends with her parents in Dubuque—by turns turbulent, tragic, and joyful—lead her to reflect on each of their lives and how they shaped her own. Those ruminations are transformed when, in the wake of their deaths, Kate uncovers long-kept secrets that challenge her understanding of the unconventional Irish Catholic household in which she was raised.

“This is a passionate book by a passionate writer. Overflowing with the true terrors of family life, with the fight for love and connection and understanding, with an amazing American story of hope and disappointment, sorrow and roots, this memoir will electrify readers and become a part of what we know about who we are.”

—Anne Roiphe, journalist, novelist, and author of the memoir 1185 Park Avenue

‘Mr. Mercedes’: Kate Mulgrew, Brett Gelman & Natalie Paul To Recur In Season 3

(3/21/19) Kate Mulgrew (Ryan’s Hope / Star Trek: Voyager), Brett Gelman (Lemon, Stranger Things) and Natalie Paul (The Sinner, You) are set to recur on the upcoming third season of AT&T Audience Network’s critically praised drama series Mr. Mercedes, from Sonar Entertainment. Production on the Stephen King adaptation is underway in Charleston, South Carolina.

Season 2 took place a year after Brady Hartsfield’s (Harry Treadaway) thwarted attempt to perpetrate a second mass murder in the community of Bridgton, Ohio. Since the incident, Hartsfield had been hospitalized in a vegetative state. Retired Detective Bill Hodges (Brendan Gleeson) did his best to move on from his Brady obsession, teaming up with Holly Gibney (Justine Lupe) to open Finders Keepers, a private investigative agency. But when unexplainable occurrences began to affect hospital staff members attending to Brady, Hodges was haunted by the feeling that Brady was somehow responsible.

Mulgrew will play Alma Lane, another life-long resident of Bridgton, Ohio and a compelling force in Morris’ (Gabriel Ebert) life since he was a boy. She is a bit vicious and a lot smart.

Gelman portrays Roland Finklestein, a smart, passionate defense attorney who is representing Lou Linklatter (Breeda Wool) in her murder trial. He believes he can win the case if they go to trial and keep Lou out of prison.

Paul will play A. D. A. Sarah Pace, Prosecutor on Lou’s case. At first glance one might think her soft, but she is a hardcore prosecutor with a strong moral compass. She doesn’t support or believe in Lou’s vigilantism and refuses to back down from pursuing justice.

David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, Ally McBeal) returns for Season 3 to oversee the writer’s room and Jack Bender (Lost, Under the Dome) to direct. In addition to King, Kelley and Bender, Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey of Temple Hill Entertainment, Tom Lesinski and Jenna Santoianni of Sonar Entertainment, and Shane Elrod and Kate Regan of AT&T Audience Network will continue to serve as executive producers.

Mulgrew plays tough Russian prison chef Galina “Red” Rezniko in Netflix’s Orange is the New Black, a role for which she won a Critics’ Choice TV award and received an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actress. She also played Captain Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager.

Gelman stars in and co-wrote the film Lemon, which premiered to critical praise at last year’s Sundance Film Festival. He can most recently be seen on HBO’s Camping opposite Jennifer Garner, David Tennant, and Juliette Lewis. He is currently guest starring on Netflix’s Stranger Things and can also be seen as the brother-in-law on Amazon’s hit series Fleabag.

Paul can most recently be seen in a leading role opposite Bill Pullman in The Sinner for USA. She also recurs on Netflix’s You. Paul starred in season 1 of HBO’s The Deuce and in the feature film Crown Heights, opposite Keith Stanfield, which won the Dramatic Audience Award at Sundance this year and earned Paul an NAACP Image Award nomination in the Best Actress category.

CSI Vet Joins CBS Legal Drama

(3/19/19) Marg Helgenberger (Siobhan, Ryan’s Hope) is heading back to CBS, this time in a legal role: The CSI and Under the Dome vet will star in the network’s drama pilot Courthouse.

The project pulls back the curtain on the court system and follows the dedicated, chaotic, hopeful and sometimes absurd lives of the judges, assistant district attorneys and public defenders as they work with bailiffs, clerks, cops and jurors to bring justice to the people of Los Angeles. Helgenberger will play Judge Judith, who broke the glass ceiling by becoming one of the few female judges in California.

The cast also includes Jessica Camacho (Taken, The Flash), Wilson Bethel (Marvel’s Daredevil, Hart of Dixie) and J. Alex Brinson (Travelers).

Morgan Freeman Joins Ryan Reynolds & Samuel L. Jackson In ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ Sequel

(3/12/19) Oscar winner Morgan Freeman (Million Dollar Baby) has signed on for The Hitman’s Bodyguard sequel from Lionsgate and Millennium Films. Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, and Salma Hayek are set to reprise their roles with Patrick Hughes is returning to direct from a screenplay by Tom O’Connor.

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.

Ethel Ayler Dies: Actress For Stage, Film And TV’s ‘Cosby Show’ Was 88

(12/24/18) Ethel Ayler (Constance Small, Ryan’s Hope / Nurse Potter, Y&R) , whose career spanned prominent Broadway, film and TV roles for five decades, died at age 88 on Nov. 18 in Loma Linda, Calif., according to her family. The cause of death was not given.

Born on May 1, 1930 in Whistler, Alabama, Ayler attended Nashville’s Fisk University as a voice major. But the lure of show business overcame the academic life, and she moved to Chicago to pursue a singing career. Her breakthrough came as a member of a touring company of Porgy and Bess.

Langston Hughes’s musical Simply Heavenly marked Ayler’s Off-Broadway bow in 1957, and she soon moved on to a role as Lena Horne’s understudy in the Broadway play Jamaica. She also worked on other Broadway productions, including The Cool World, Kwamina, Black Picture Show and The First Breeze of Summer. Ayler was a long-standing member of the Negro Ensemble Company, and appeared with them many times. She also starred in the 1960s in Jean Genet’s off-Broadway play The Blacks: A Clown Show, as part of a cast that included Maya Angelou, James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Godfrey Cambridge and Louis Gossett Jr.

Ayler may be best remembered for her role as Bill Cosby wife Clair Huxtable’s mother, Carrie Hanks, on The Cosby Show. She appeared on six episodes during the show’s run, offering sage advice to her daughter. Ayler said she named her character after her grandmother. Her other TV appearances included episodes of Family Ties, Martin, Friends, Brooklyn South, Six Feet Under and 7th Heaven.

In film, Ayler won a Spirit Award nomination as Best Supporting Female for her work in the 1990 film To Sleep With Anger, starring Danny Glover. She also appeared in 9½ Weeks (1986) and The Bodyguard (1992), and played voodoo believer Garn Mere in the critics favorite 1997 film Eve’s Bayou.

Ayler last appeared on Broadway in the Tony-nominated production The Little Foxes in 1997.

Philip Bosco, Tony-Winning Actor and ‘Working Girl’ Star, Dies at 88

(12/7/18) Philip Bosco, a Tony and Emmy-winning character actor who also starred in such movies as “Working Girl,” died Monday at age 88, according to his grandson Luke Bosco.

Bosco received the first of his six Tony nominations for his Broadway debut, the 1960 drama “Rape of the Belt,” and his last for a 2004 revival of “Twelve Angry Men.” He won in 1989 for playing an outrageous opera company head in the comedy “Lend Me a Tenor.”

He also appeared in more than 50 Broadway productions over his storied career.

Though he told the New York Times in 1986 that he had turned down a seven-year contract with a Hollywood studio early in his career because he did not want to live in California, he did appear in many movies starting in the 1980s.

Bosco had small but crucial roles in films like Mike Nichols’ 1988 comedy “Working Girl,” where he played the corporate honcho who fires Sigourney Weaver’s scheming executive and hires Melanie Griffith’s ambitious secretary instead.

His other big-screen credits included Woody Allen’s 1997 film “Deconstructing Harry,” 1983’s “Trading Places,” the 1986 drama “Children of a Lesser God” and the 1997 rom-com “My Best Friend’s Wedding.”

He also made frequent appearances on TV, from soap operas like “Ryan’s Hope” and “As the World Turns” to “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” in which he had a recurring role as a judge. In 1987, he won a Daytime Emmy for an “ABC Afterschool Special” called “Read Between the Lines.”

Corbin Bernsen on Magnum P.I. 12/10/18

(11/30/18) “Bad Day to be a Hero” – Magnum must help Rick’s crush, Toni (guest star Jamie-Lynn Sigler), after her illegal poker game, organized to pay back a mob debt, is robbed by masked gunmen, on MAGNUM P.I., Monday, Dec. 10 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Corbin Bernsen guest stars as Icepick, an incarcerated father-type presence in Rick’s life.

Corbin Bernsen Cast on Magnum P.I. as [Spoiler]'s Degenerate Father Figure

(11/21/18) A very familiar face is about to turn up on Magnum P.I.

TV vet Corbin Bernsen will appear in the next episode of the CBS reboot, airing Monday, Nov. 26, in what is now a recurring guest star role.

The L.A. Law and Psych alum will be playing Icepick, a grizzled, older prisoner/self-dubbed “criminal degenerate” who wields a sense of humor as well as some hard-earned wisdom. A longtime father figure to Rick (played by Zachary Knighton), who himself was once headed down the wrong path, Icepick shows some tough love when Rick comes to him with a problem.

In addition to his aforementioned runs as Arnie Becker and Henry Spencer, Bernsen’s TV credits include Billions, Hap and Leonard, American Gods, The Young and the Restless and The Glades. He also has guested on JAG (as a captain), Hawaii Five-0 and NCIS: New Orleans (as a Navy Admiral), so let that blow up your NCIS/Five-0/Magnum P.I. shared universe theories.

Bernsen also can be seen during Season 2 of Marvel’s The Punisher, playing an extremely wealthy man who liberally implements less-than-legal means to cement his power and legacy.

Magnum P.I. airs Mondays at 9/8c on CBS.

Talk Show Appearance

(10/7/18) The Talk - CBS

Friday, Oct. 12 - Actor Grant Show discusses his drama on The CW, DYNASTY; actress Skyler Samuels; actress Roselyn Sanchez guest co-hosts

Nat Geo Moves Forward With Season 3 of ‘The Story of God’ Following Investigation Into Morgan Freeman Misconduct Claims

(9/1/18) National Geographic will proceed with a third season of its Emmy-nominated series, The Story of God with Morgan Freeman, one of the Fox-owned cable network’s top-rated shows.

The future of the popular series came into question in May in the wake of a report in which eight women came forward to accuse the Oscar-winning actor of inappropriate behavior. None of the allegations pertained to Freeman’s work on The Story of God.

Nevertheless, Nat Geo at the time paused pre-production on Season 3, which had been greenlighted in January, with its parent company Fox launching an investigation.

“The results of this investigation revealed no incidents of concern during any of our work with Mr. Freeman,” Nat Geo said today in a statement to Deadline. “We have now made the decision to move forward with the production of season three of The Story of God. This series has expanded our understanding of religion and culture around the world and has touched many of our fans, and along with Morgan and the team at Revelations Entertainment, we look forward to resuming pre-production this September. As a company, we take all issues of harassment very seriously and we’re confidently assured by the results of the investigation. The new season will premiere globally on National Geographic Channels in 2019.”

The third season of the series will again follow Freeman on an international journey as he discovers the power of religion and how it touches all of our lives. Freeman will travel to some of the world’s holiest sites and speak with religious leaders, scientists, historians and archaeologists to try to shed light on questions about the puzzle of the divine laws. Each episode will focus on a different topic about the divine to help shed light on the questions that inspired mankind.

In the first two seasons, Freeman traveled to Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall, India’s Bodhi Tree, Mayan temples in Guatemala, the pyramids of Egypt, New Mexico to observe ancient Navajo rituals and the banks of the Ganges River.

As part of the series’ Season 3 renewal, National Geographic also signed an exclusive first-look partnership deal with Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment to expand the series franchise by developing more nonfiction content.

The news of The Story Of God‘s third season going forward was revealed earlier today by Courteney Monroe, CEO of National Geographic Global Networks, in an internal memo.

Here is Nat Geo’s full statement:

Through production on critically acclaimed series “The Story of God” and “The Story of Us,” we have valued a longstanding relationship with Morgan Freeman. When we learned of recent allegations surrounding Mr. Freeman completely unrelated to our work with him, as a precaution we paused production on our new season in order to complete a thorough investigation led by our parent company Fox, executed through an independent investigator. The results of this investigation revealed no incidents of concern during any of our work with Mr. Freeman. We have now made the decision to move forward with the production of season three of “The Story of God.” This series has expanded our understanding of religion and culture around the world and has touched many of our fans, and along with Morgan and the team at Revelations Entertainment, we look forward to resuming pre-production this September. As a company, we take all issues of harassment very seriously and we’re confidently assured by the results of the investigation. The new season will premiere globally on National Geographic Channels in 2019.

Mr. Robot to End With Season 4

(8/30/18) Mr. Robot is powering down: The USA Network drama will end after its upcoming fourth season, TVLine has confirmed.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, which first broke the news of Mr. Robot‘s conclusion, the final season has been expanded to 12 episodes, up from an initial eight-episode order. (A representative for the series would not confirm the episode count for TVLine.)

Though the show’s Season 4 renewal was announced in December 2017, Mr. Robot is not expected to return until 2019.

Showrunner Sam Esmail addressed the series’ conclusion in the following statement to THR:

When I first created the world of Mr. Robot, I thought it would be a niche television series with a small, cult following. Over the past three years, it has become so much more, and I am continually humbled by the show’s recognition and by the amazing cast and crew that work tirelessly to help bring my vision to life. Since Day 1, I’ve been building toward one conclusion — and in breaking the next season of Mr. Robot, I have decided that conclusion is finally here. Everyone on the creative team, including the amazing people at USA and UCP, didn’t want to say goodbye, but we ultimately have too much respect for Elliot’s journey to extend past its inevitable ending. Therefore, Season 4 will serve as the final chapter of the Mr. Robot story. To fans of the show: Thank you for the past three years, and I can’t wait to share this exciting final season with you.

Mr. Robot, which stars Rami Malek as brilliant but troubled hacker Elliot Alderson, debuted in June 2015 to critical acclaim. In 2016, it won the Golden Globe for Best Drama Series, while Malek and co-star Christian Slater have respectively nabbed an Emmy and Golden Globe for their work.

Earlier this month, Slater hinted to Collider that Season 4 may be the series’ last, acknowledging that “Sam always said it was going to be somewhere in that zone, and he didn’t want to go further than what he could creatively contribute to that storyline.”

In last fall’s Season 3, the thriller averaged 530,000 weekly viewers and a 0.22 demo rating (in Live+SameDay numbers), down sharply from its sophomore run (742K/0.3). Season 1 averaged 1.4 million viewers and a 0.5 rating.

Morgan Freeman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Shailene Woodley To Be Feted At France’s Deauville Film Fest

(8/24/18) Morgan Freeman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Shailene Woodley and director Jacques Audiard are among those set to be honored at the Deauville Film Festival (Aug 31 – Sept 9) later this month in France.

Oscar-winner Freeman will receive a career homage while Sex And The City star Parker will get Deauville’s Talent prize. Cannes Palme d’Or winner Jacques Audiard, who will be at the festival with Joaquin Phoenix and John C Reilly to introduce their Western The Sisters Brothers, will receive an honorary award.

Parker will join Kate Beckinsale and Jason Clarke as honorees for the festival’s Talent prize. Elle Fanning and Shailene Woodley will receive this year’s Rising Star award while writer John Grisham is getting the event’s literary prize.

Freeman’s honor comes just months after CNN ran a story in which eight women accused him of inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment. The Oscar-winning actor has denied all charges and has threatened to sue the network.

Deauville, which focuses on U.S. movies and talent, also revealed its Competition lineup today, with movies including Bart Layton’s heist drama American Animals, Reinaldo Marcus Green’s police violence drama Monsters And Men, A.J. Edward’s Friday’s Child, Debra Granik’s Leave No Trace, Marc Turtletaub’s Puzzle, Sara Colangelo’s The Kindergarten Teacher, and Jennifer Fox’s The Tale.

The event will wrap with Chris Weitz’s Operation Finale with Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley in attendance. Fest jury is headed by actress Sandrine Kiberlain with jury member comprising directors Stephane Brize, Xavier Legrand and Pierre Salvadori; actresses Leila Bekhti, Sabine Azema and Sara Giraudeau, singer Alex Beaupain and novelist Leila Slimani.

Dishing With Digest - 8/17/18 - Jon Lindstrom

(8/18/18) (Listen / download) GENERAL HOSPITAL’s Jon Lindstrom chats with Soap Opera Digest’s Stephanie Sloane and Mara Levinsky about the resurrection of Ryan, his uptick in screen time, working with Genie Francis and more! Plus we discuss memorable dual roles in soap history.

Soap Alumni Unite For New Project

(8/8/18) A sudsy new half-hour drama that wraps its three-day shoot today in Manhattan features a bevy of soap alumni: Morgan Fairchild (ex-Anjelica, DAYS, et al), Robert Newman (ex-Josh, GUIDING LIGHT), Darnell Williams (ex-Jesse, ALL MY CHILDREN), Kristen Alderson (ex-Starr, ONE LIFE TO LIVE), Ilene Kristen (ex-Roxy, OLTL, et al), Scott Evans (ex-Fish, OLTL), Diana DeGarmo (ex-Angelina, Y&R) and David A. Gregory (ex-Ford, OLTL) star alongside entertainment blogger Perez Hilton in the ensemble drama MÉLANGE, which Variety reports “will center on the fight over the ownership of an historic New York City gay bar, Mélange, after its proprietor has suddenly and mysteriously died.” Newman plays the late bar owner, Syd, and Fairchild plays his widow, Vivian.

Canadian actor Daniel Pilon dies at 77 after lengthy illness, talent agency says

(6/28/18) Canadian actor Daniel Pilon, whose film and television career spanned nearly 50 years, has died following a lengthy illness. He was 77.

The actor known internationally for his role as Renaldo Marchetta in the American TV soap “Dallas,” died Tuesday in hospital surrounded by family, his talent agency said in a statement.

“Happiness is every moment; it’s living every moment,” Pilon said in a 2009 interview for Elephant, a project to restore and digitize Quebec’s cinematic history.

The Montreal-born actor had many opportunities to put those words into practice during a prolific film and television career in which he found success both in Canada and internationally.

Pilon began his film career in 1968 when he was cast as Capt. Allwood in the British war film, “Play Dirty.”

He would go on to appear in dozens of films and television shows, including the highly popular TV series, “Dallas,” in which he played a wealthy villain.

Pilon’s soap career included appearances in “Ryan’s Hope,” “Guiding Light,” and “Days of Our Lives.”

In Canada, he often worked with renowned Quebec filmmaker Gilles Carle, most notably in the films, “Red,” “The Death of a Lumberjack,” and “Le viol d’une jeune fille douce,” where he appeared alongside his brother, Donald.

Pilon also worked with a number of Canadian film directors including Jean Beaudin, Yves Simoneau, Jean-Claude Labrecque, Christian Duguay and Claude Fournier.

His more recent appearances were for the TV series, “La Galere,” and “March a l’ombre,” as well as the 2011 short film, “L’invite.”

Pilon’s funeral will be private, his agency said.

Kelsey Grammer Joins Fox Legal Drama Proven Innocent in Recast

(6/2/18) The man responsible for bringing Sideshow Bob to life is returning to Fox for more villainy.

Kelsey Grammer is joining the new legal drama Proven Innocent, TVLine has learned, replacing Brian D’Arcy James as Gore Bellows, a “hard-as-nails and tough-on-crime state’s attorney.” (A report from Deadline clarifies that producers enjoyed James’ performance, so there’s a chance he’ll appear later in the season in another role.)

“The subject matter is very timely and worth exploring; I am excited to be a part of that,” Grammer said in a statement.

Held for midseason, the series stars Rachelle Lefevre (Under the Dome) as Madeline Scott, a tenacious lawyer who heads up a “wrongful conviction firm,” which goes up against the likes of Gore Bellows to reopen cases and exonerate innocent people previously “proven” guilty. (Madeline has a dicey past of her own, becoming a tabloid sensation as a young adult after being falsely convicted.).

Proven Innocent‘s supporting cast also includes Russell Hornsby (Grimm), Riley Smith (Nashville, Frequencey) Nikki M. James (BrainDead), Vincent Kartheiser (Mad Men) and Clare O’Connor (Chicago Med) as a young Madeline.

Morgan Freeman Demands CNN Retract and Apologize for Sexual Harassment Allegations Story

(5/29/18) Days after offering contrition to women who “felt uncomfortable or disrespected” by his behavior in the past, Morgan Freeman is calling for an apology of his own.

The actor and Madam Secretary executive producer is looking into legal action against CNN, which on May 24 published a report of Freeman’s alleged harassment of eight women. The behavior reportedly included unwanted touching and offensive public comments about women’s clothing or bodies.

A letter Freeman’s attorneys sent to the cable news network Monday characterized the story, reported by CNN’s Chloe Melas and An Phung, as “journalistic malpractice” that included “falsehoods” and “malicious intent.”

The letter calls for CNN to retract the story and issue a public apology to Freeman, who has lost work — including his role as the voice of Visa — as a result of the allegations.

Among other criticisms, the letter alleges that Melas, who also was a source in the story after encountering what she described as “inappropriate behavior” on Freeman’s part during a press junket for his film Going in Style, misinterpreted Freeman’s comment about a story told by co-star Michael Caine. In the CNN story, Melas said that Morgan said “I wish I was there” in regard to her then-six-months-pregnant body. Freeman’s lawyers say the comment was directed at an anecdote Caine had just shared, not at Melas. (Melas maintains that Freeman also said she was “ripe,” and that the observations made her so uncomfortable that she reported them to her supervisors and CNN’s human resources department.)

A CNN spokesperson issued the following statement to TVLine:

The unfounded accusations made by Mr. Freeman’s lawyer are disappointing and are difficult to reconcile with Mr. Freeman’s own public statements in the aftermath of the story. CNN stands by its reporting and will respond forcefully to any attempt by Mr. Freeman or his representatives to intimidate us from covering this important public issue.

The New York Times‘ Sopan Deb tweeted Freeman’s lawyers’ letter Tuesday; you can read it in its entirety here.

Soon after CNN’s story was published on May 24, Freeman issued a statement saying, “Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy. I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent.”

Then, on May 26, he released a second statement in which he said he was “devastated that 80 years of my life is at risk of being undermined, in the blink of an eye, by Thursday’s media reports” and that “it is not right to equate horrific incidents of sexual assault with misplaced compliments or humor.”

Morgan Freeman “Devastated” Over Allegations, Says “I Did Not Assault Women” In New Statement

(5/26/18) Morgan Freeman has put out a second statement in the wake of a report Thursday in which eight women came forward to accuse the Oscar-winning actor of inappropriate behavior.

“I am devastated that 80 years of my life is at risk of being undermined, in the blink of an eye, by Thursday’s media reports,” he said about the accusations that came in a report from CNN. The allegations included unwanted touching and inappropriate comments including asking a woman if she was wearing underwear.

He added tonight: “I also want to be clear: I did not create unsafe work environments. I did not assault women. I did not offer employment or advancement in exchange for sex. Any suggestion that I did so is completely false.”

On Thursday, Freeman issued a shorter statement: “Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy, he said. “I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent.”

In the wake of the reports, Visa cut ties with Freeman who had been the longtime voice behind the company’s ad campaigns. SAG-AFTRA, which presented him with its lifetime achievement honor this year at the SAG Awards, said it was reviewing possible “corrective actions.”

Here’s his full statement tonight:

“I am devastated that 80 years of my life is at risk of being undermined, in the blink of an eye, by Thursday’s media reports.

All victims of assault and harassment deserve to be heard. And we need to listen to them. But it is not right to equate horrific incidents of sexual assault with misplaced compliments or humor.

I admit that I am someone who feels a need to try to make women—and men—feel appreciated and at ease around me. As a part of that, I would often try to joke with and compliment women, in what I thought was a light-hearted and humorous way.

Clearly I was not always coming across the way I intended. And that is why I apologized Thursday and will continue to apologize to anyone I might have upset, however unintentionally.

But I also want to be clear: I did not create unsafe work environments. I did not assault women. I did not offer employment or advancement in exchange for sex. Any suggestion that I did so is completely false.”

— Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman: SAG Reviewing Possible “Corrective Actions” Against Its Lifetime Achievement Honoree

(5/25/18) With sexual harassment allegations coming to light from multiple women against 80 year-old actor Morgan Freeman, the Screen Actors Guild is reviewing what actions, if any, it will take against the actor who they honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award in January of this year. The award is is SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor.

Here is the union’s statement:

“These are compelling and devastating allegations which are absolutely contrary to all the steps that we are taking to insure a safe work environment for the professionals in this industry.

“Any accused person has the right to due process, but it is our starting point to believe the courageous voices who come forward to report incidents of harassment.

“Given Mr. Freeman recently received one of our union’s most prestigious honors recognizing his body of work, we are therefore reviewing what corrective actions may be warranted at this time.”

The Oscar winner was the 54th recipient of the award this past January. Rita Moreno, who has known Freeman for decades going back to their work together on the PBS kids program Electric Company, presented Freeman with the award calling him “a national treasure.”

Freeman began acting at age 12, has appeared in nearly 100 films, which together have earned over $4.5 billion at the box office. His credits include Million Dollar Baby, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar; Unforgiven, and The Shawshank Redemption, for which he received Best Actor nominations for a SAG Award and an Oscar. With one of the world’s most recognizable voices, Freeman was also the voice of two Oscar-winning documentaries: The March of the Penguins and The Long Way Home.

Morgan Freeman: VISA Pulls Marketing As Sexual Harassment Fallout Continues

(5/24/18) Morgan Freeman and VISA have enjoyed a long relationship over years with the actor appearing in many of the credit card’s commercials as well as featured as a voiceover artist in its spots. After today, following allegations that surfaced from multiple women about sexual harassment and untoward behavior by the 80 year-old actor, VISA is stepping back.

In a just released statement from VISA, a spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the allegations that have been made against Mr. Freeman. At this point, Visa will be suspending our marketing in which the actor is featured.”

This comes after Vancouver-based transit system TransLink backed away as well. It had been featuring a Morgan Freeman voiceover for a VISA ad campaign to promote TransLink’s VISA credit card and mobile payments on its buses and at its automated rapid transit system SkyTrain.

The transit system issued a statement earlier today, stating: “In light of information we’ve learned through news stories this morning of serious allegations against actor Morgan Freeman, TransLink has decided to pause his voice announcements as part of a VISA ad campaign on the transit system,” the transit authority said this morning, in a statement.

The allegations, reported by CNN’s investigative team, also has also given pause to his union, SAG-AFTRA which award him with its highest honor in January with its Lifetime Achievement Award. They are now reviewing the situation but stated today: “Any accused person has the right to due process, but it is our starting point to believe the courageous voices who come forward to report incidents of harassment.”

The move by VISA is not without precedent in Corporate America. In the past, companies have stepped away from Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan after scandals hit; the same happened with Subway when its spokesman Jared Fogle was found with child porn.

So, it’s not unusual for companies to distance themselves when a spokesman is in the middle of a media firestorm of such a negative nature. Morgan Freeman, who apologized this AM “to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected” is just the latest.

Morgan Freeman apologizes after sexual harassment allegations

(5/24/18) Legendary star Morgan Freeman has been named as an alleged sexual harasser who preyed on young producers, reporters and others.

The 80-year-old Oscar winner is being accused by at least eight women of sexually inappropriate behaviour, CNN has revealed.

In his decades-long career, Freeman has starred in Driving Miss Daisy, Shawshank Redemption, Se7en and Million Dollar Baby with pal Clint Eastwood.

In addition, he has become a popular voiceover actor. On Wednesday, he was named as the voice on Vancouver’s Translink but that decision has now been put on hold.

Freeman apologized Thursday afternoon, saying he was sorry for making women feel “uneasy.”

“Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy,” Freeman said in a statement obtained by Variety.

“I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent.”

One young production assistant told CNN she thought she’d snared the job of her dreams in Going In Style, starring Freeman, Sir Michael Caine and Alan Arkin.

It turned into months of harassment from Freeman lifting her skirt along with other bad behaviours. Arkin even told the star to stop, she says.

It was a similar story on the set of Now You See Me.

“He did comment on our bodies … We knew that if he was coming by … not to wear any top that would show our breasts, not to wear anything that would show our bottoms, meaning not wearing clothes that (were) fitted,” a production assistant told CNN.

At his production company, Revelations Entertainment, it was a similar story.

But because of Freeman’s iconic status in the film world at large and Hollywood in particular, the women never reported his hijinks.

Six former staffers at his production company claimed to have witnessed Freeman’s creepy behaviour.

“He looked me up and down,” one said, and then he asked her, “How do you feel about sexual harassment?”

“I was stunned,” she told CNN. “This is the person that I worked for, this is his company, I didn’t expect it at all … I said timidly, ‘I love it’ in a sarcastic way hoping to make light of the situation because I was so confused and then he turned to the guys on the crew … and he said, ‘See guys, this is how you do it.’”

Freeman also allegedly made unwanted advances to at least three entertainment reporters.

Morgan Freeman Accused Of Inappropriate Behavior By Multiple Women

(5/24/18) Multiple women say actor Morgan Freeman subjected them to harassment or inappropriate behavior on set, while promoting his movies and at his production company Revelations Entertainment, CNN reports.

The cable news organization says eight women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior. CNN interviewed 16 people for its report, including some who said they witnessed the behavior.

One production assistant said she was subjected to unwanted touching and comments about her figure and clothing on a nearly daily basis, including one incident in which the 80-year-old actor allegedly “kept trying to lift up my skirt” while inquiring if she was wearing underwear.

The accusers, most of whom CNN does not identify, describe a climate of harassment and inappropriate behavior at Revelations Entertainment. Freeman’s co-founder, Lori McCreary, allegedly witnessed one such incident, CNN reports.

This alleged misconduct is not limited to Freeman’s work on set or within his company.

CNN reports that three entertainment writers recounted inappropriate remarks made to them during press junkets. One of these women, CNN’s Chloe Melas, described an encounter when she was six months pregnant when she interviewed him during a promotional tour for the 2017 movie Going in Style. He allegedly looked her up and down and made suggestive remarks including, “You look so ripe.”

The allegations could not be independently verified by Deadline.

Freeman has had an enduring career in Hollywood, collecting an Oscar for supporting actor for Million Dollar Baby, and nominations for his roles in Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Street Smart. This year, he collected the SAG Awards’ highest honor, for lifetime achievement.

Freeman’s next film, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, is due out November 2. Disney is distributing the movie, which is a Mark Gordon Co. production. He also is working on Angel Has Fallen, the next installment of the Olympus Has Fallen franchise, and also is attached to star in Cold Warriors, which is in development with producer Avi Lerner and targeting a 2019 release.

“Morgan is 80 years old, and he is a lovely man.” said Lerner, who has worked with the actor on set on multiple movies. “I don’t believe it’s going to affect my movies. I have to tell you that I’ve been with him on the set for many movies over 15 years, and I’ve never seen one inappropriate thing in my life.”

‘City On A Hill’: Showtime Picks Up Drama From Ben Affleck & Matt Damon To Series

(5/18/18) Showtime has handed a 12-episode series order to City On A Hill, its drama pilot starring Kevin Bacon (The Following) and Aldis Hodge (Underground). The series, executive produced by Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Jennifer Todd, will premiere in 2019.

Written by Chuck MacLean (Boston Strangler) and based on an original idea by Affleck, City on a Hill is set in early 1990s Boston when the city was rife with violent criminals emboldened by local law enforcement agencies in which corruption and racism was the norm, until it suddenly all changed. The drama is a fictional account of what was called the “Boston Miracle.” Driving that change is assistant district attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge), who comes from Brooklyn and forms an unlikely alliance with a corrupt yet venerated FBI veteran, Jackie Rhodes (Bacon). Together, they take on a family of armored car robbers from Charlestown in a case that grows to involve, and ultimately subvert, the entire criminal justice system of Boston.

“City On A Hill has the veneer of a classic Boston cops-and-robbers drama, but actually dives head first into challenging the very institutions it depicts,” said David Nevins, President & CEO of Showtime Networks. “In reality, the series is a penetrating look at the larger criminal justice system and those who operate within it, with mesmerizing performances by Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge anchoring the suspense.”

City On A Hill also stars Jonathan Tucker (Kingdom), Mark O’Brien (Halt and Catch Fire), Jill Hennessy (Crossing Jordan), Lauren E. Banks (Instinct), Amanda Clayton (Tyler Perry’s If Loving You Is Wrong), Kevin Chapman (Brotherhood) and Jere Shea (Passion), with Kevin Dunn (Veep) recurring.

The series is executive produced by Affleck, Damon and Todd for Pearl Street Films as well as James Mangold. MacLean wrote the pilot and executive produces; Michael Cuesta directed the pilot and executive produces. Bacon will serve as co-executive producer.

City on a Hill joins another upcoming Showtime series, comedy Kidding starring Jim Carrey.

Corbin Bernsen And Annette O’Toole Join Marvel’s ‘The Punisher’ At Netflix

(5/11/18) Marvel’s The Punisher has added two new cast members to the roster. Marvel Television and Netflix said today that Corbin Bernsen (American Gods, Psych) and Annette O’Toole (Cat People, Smallville) will join the second season of the comic book vigilante action drama.

Bernsen is set to play Anderson Schultz, an extremely wealthy man who’s grown accustomed to getting his way. His power and legacy are of prime importance, and he’ll implement less-than-legal means to further those ends. O’Toole will step into the role of the conniving Eliza Schultz, Anderson’s equally manipulative wife.

The two will join previously announced new cast members Josh Stewart, Floriana Lima and Giorgia Whigham. Jon Bernthal reprises his role as Frank Castle (aka the titular vigilante) and Ben Barnes, Amber Rose Revah and Jason R. Moore are also set to return to the series that follows Marine-turned-vigilante Castle as he aims to clean up New York City by any means necessary.

No premiere date has been set yet for Season 2 of The Punisher, which is executive produced by Steve Lightfoot along with Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory. The series is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios for Netflix.

Bernsen is repped by Randy James Management and Innovative Artists. O’Toole is repped by BRS/Gage and Harriet Sternberg Management.

Soap Vets Star In Richard Barclay Tribute

(5/4/18) Soap fans in NYC take note! Ilene Kristen (ex-Roxy, ONE LIFE TO LIVE et al) and Eileen Fulton (ex-Lisa, AS THE WORLD TURNS) are among the stars performing in a tribute to iconic singer/actor/producer/director Richard Barclay, who died in October after a battle with pancreatic cancer. The show will be at Don’t Tell Mama on May 26. For tickets and more information, click here.

Morgan Freeman's step-granddaughter hinted at relations in texts before death

(4/26/18) Morgan Freeman’s step-granddaughter talked about having “grandpa feelings” just months before she was brutally murdered, RadarOnline.com has learned.

As Radar reported, rumors the Oscar winner had a secret sexual affair with Edena Hines date back nearly a decade. Now, during the trial over her murder, text messages hinting at the illicit relationship have been revealed.

On July 3, 2015, about six weeks before she was killed outside her apartment building in Washington Heights, N.Y., Hines texted her boyfriend and alleged killer, rapper Lamar Davenport, to discuss some problems she was having with an older gentleman.

“I dont ask him for advice,” Hines wrote. “He was calling to ask me . . . I blocked him for myself not for you because men who equal grandpa feelings dont need to be in my life at all.”

At the time, Hines, 33, was discussing the future of her rocky relationship with Davenport, and the outside influence of another man.

In response, Davenport, 33, wrote, “When it comes to…your grandfather, there’s a submissive love that will always be there.”

At Davenport’s trial in Manhattan Supreme Court on April 20, lawyers went a step further, asserting that Hines “disclosed to Lamar Davenport and others that her grandfather engaged in a sexually inappropriate relationship with her.”

It’s news Radar first broke years ago, when a family friend revealed the affair between The Shawshank Redemption star and his 45-years-younger granddaughter.

The insider told Radar when Harris was a teenager “she and Morgan went to dinner at a friend’s house one evening. Both had been drinking, and when they returned home, Morgan attempted to have sex with her.”

Their affair allegedly continued until Freeman began dating a stunning Los Angeles accountant named Ellie in 2012. It was that year when both Hines and the star publicly denied an affair amid the marriage reports.

Hines said, “These stories about me and my grandfather are not only untrue, they are also hurtful to me and my family.”

At the time, Freeman noted, “The recent reports of any pending marriage or romantic relationship of me to anyone are defamatory fabrications from the tabloid media designed to sell papers. What is even more alarming is that these fabrications are now being picked up by the legitimate press as well.”

Hines was the biological daughter of Deena Dair, whom Freeman and his first wife adopted as a child. They were not related by blood. The two have always vehemently denied any affair or sexual encounters.

According to police, Hines was stabbed 25 times in the neck, back and chest outside her home on August 16, 2015, at 2:50 a.m.

Davenport’s attorneys argue he is not guilty of the violent crime by reason of insanity because he was in the throes of a PCP-induced psychosis when the attack occurred.

Dana Delany Guests on Bull 3/27/18

(3/6/18) “Bad Medicine” – Bull helps a doctor who crossed state lines to purchase a marijuana-derived oil to treat her patients in Virginia, where the oil is illegal. But the case is complicated when Assistant U.S. Attorney Sylvia Banner (Dana Delany) has the DEA arrest her for possession with intent to distribute, on BULL, Tuesday, March 27 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

GENERAL HOSPITAL Actors Star in Powerful New Film 'Surviving Theater 9'

(2/21/18) Some GENERAL HOSPITAL stars will be appearing in the powerful new film Surviving Theater 9, which is based on the true stories of the midnight screening of Batman: The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, CO, on July 20, 2012, where a gunman opened fire in the theater. The incident, which killed 12 and injured 70, was the largest mass shooting in the United States at the time. Sadly, since then, there have been more incidents that have broken that record.

(Video) GH actors Corbin Bernsen (ex-Durant), Robert Palmer Watkins (Dillon), William deVry (Julian), and Donnell Turner (Curtis) will be helping writer and director Tim McGrath, who was one of the survivors, tell his own story and that of the others whose lives were irrevocably changed by the tragic events of that night.

“Shootings are happening more and more, and it really affects people’s lives,” Watkins said in an interview with some of the cast. “It’s in the media, when it happens, for a few weeks and everybody’s talking about it, and then nobody talks about it. It disappears.”

Turner, who like many others, was familiar with the shooting, was honored to be a part of telling the powerful tale. “The impact of the story, what it meant to me when I heard about it on the news,” he mused. “The idea that years later, I could be a part of telling the story in a meaningful way, was exciting to me.”

McGrath was inspired to tell this story to help people heal and so that survivors of violent events such as these can know they are not alone. “The intention for Theater 9 is having a film that shows what people do with what life hands them makes all the difference,” McGrath said in a statement. “And give a path for anyone going through a tough time. The film does not show the shooter, and is non-partisan about gun control. There is plenty of comment on those topics. This is something we haven’t seen.”

A release date for Surviving Theater 9 has not yet been announced, but you can check out the trailer now.

Mad About You's Louis Zorich Dead at 93

(2/2/18) Louis Zorich (Oliver, Ryan’s Hope/Milo, Another World), best known for playing the father of Paul Reiser's character in Mad About You, died on Tuesday at the age of 93, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

On the NBC sitcom that ran from 1992 to 1999, Zorich's Burt Buchman was a sporting goods store owner whose catchphrase was, "It's me, Burt! Burt Buchman — your father!" whenever he visited his son Paul's (Reiser) apartment.

Zorich also starred in the early-'90s CBS sitcom Brooklyn Bridge, in which he played an immigrant grandfather and husband to Marion Ross' character. In film, he appeared in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Club Paradise and The Muppets Take Manhattan, among others.

Zorich was married to actress Olympia Dukakis and had three children.

Lin Bolen Dies: First Female VP Of Programming At A Network Was 76

(1/28/18) Lin Bolen, the first female VP of programming at a TV network and an influential force in daytime television fare, has died. She passed away on January 19 at the age of 76 in a hospital in the San Fernando Valley, according to friend and former game-show host Jim MacKrell.

Bolen worked for NBC in the 1970s and was responsible for commissioning the long-running game show Wheel of Fortune. She also is credited with bringing long-form narrative to soap operas, expanding them to hour-long formats.

It was long rumored that the ruthless Faye Dunaway character of Diana Christiansen in the 1976 satrical film Network was based on Bolen, something Bolen denied.

She was appointed VP of daytime programming at NBC in 1972, rising to become the VP of programming in Sept. 1975. NBC thrived under her leadership, becoming the No. 1 network in ratings.

Some of her moves were controversial. Bolen ended the 11-year run for Jeopardy!, citing its older demographics and stodgy host Art Fleming, and also killed the 15-year-old game show Concentration. Instead, she pivoted to a new concept from creator/producer Merv Griffin, a casino-like game called Wheel of Fortune that debuted in 1976. It became a huge hit.

Merv Griffin remembered Bolen in his Simon & Schuster memoir, Merv: Making The Good Life Last. He described her as a “hard-driving” and “difficult” woman, with whom he had many “bitter fights.” Still, he noted, “I developed a gruding respect for her talent and determination. She wanted to put her own stamp on NBC’s daytime lineup, and if that meant throwing out a few babies along with the bathwater, then so be it.”

Bolen left NBC in 1976 to form her own, self-named producion company focused on creating and developing game shows, movies of the week, and theatrical films for networks and studios. Among its show was Stumpers!, hosted by Allen Ludden (which lasted 13 weeks before cancellation), and W.E.B., a show that looked seriously at the men who ran network television. It, too, was canceled after 13 weeks, done in by its slot against the ABC hit Charlie’s Angels.

She fared better in television movies. The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle, starring Kurt Russell and Melissa Gilbert, was the highest-rated movie of the year for NBC.

Survivors include a son, Jason Wendkos. No details on memorial services have been made public.

Meghan Markle's first job was working at a frozen yogurt store in LA when she was just 13

(12/18/17) We know celebrities as glamorous people who leave glamorous lives, but many of them had a decidedly unglamorous start.

Turns out future-royal Meghan Markle is no exception.

Markle's first job was serving frozen yogurt at Humphrey Yogart, a shop in Sherman Oaks, California, she revealed in a tweet back in 2014.

She was just 13 years old at the time, and it was in the parking lot of the yogurt shop that she met celebrity crush Yasmine Bleeth, who starred as lifeguard Caroline Holden on "Baywatch."

According to Markle's descripton of the interaction, she was completely starstruck. She says she blurted out "Oh my God, I loved you in that Soft & Dri commercial," to which Bleeth answered, "Okay, thank you!"

Markle says Bleeth's humble response, as well as the smile and handshake the "Baywatch" actress gave her, still set the tone for all of Markle's fan run-ins today.

Markle's former boss Paula Sheftel told the Sunday Mirror that Prince Harry's bride-to-be didn't earn much, but she was well-liked by the shop's customers.

"She earned minimum wage and was very popular with customers. She had to prove she had an outgoing personality and would work well with staff," Sheftel told the Mirror.

Markle has come a long way since then. After landing various small roles, including appearing as a suitcase girl on the game show "Deal or No Deal," the actress got her big break on "Suits." Markle is set to marry Prince Harry on May 19th of next year.

SAG Awards Nominations

(12/14/17) Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET / Elio – “CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” (Sony Pictures Classics)
JAMES FRANCO / Tommy Wiseau – “THE DISASTER ARTIST” (A24)
DANIEL KALUUYA / Chris Washington – “GET OUT” (Universal Pictures)
GARY OLDMAN / Winston Churchill – “DARKEST HOUR” (Focus Features)
DENZEL WASHINGTON / Roman J. Israel, Esq. – “ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ.” (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
MARY J. BLIGE / Florence Jackson – “MUDBOUND” (Netflix)
HONG CHAU / Ngoc Lan Tran – “DOWNSIZING” (Paramount Pictures)
HOLLY HUNTER / Beth – “THE BIG SICK” (Amazon Studios/Lionsgate)
ALLISON JANNEY / LaVona Golden – “I, TONYA” (Neon/30West)
LAURIE METCALF / Marion McPherson – “LADY BIRD” (A24)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
LAURA DERN / Renata Klein – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
NICOLE KIDMAN / Celeste Wright – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)
JESSICA LANGE / Joan Crawford – “FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN” (FX Networks)
SUSAN SARANDON / Bette Davis – “FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN” (FX Networks)
REESE WITHERSPOON / Madeline MacKenzie – “BIG LITTLE LIES” (HBO)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven – “STRANGER THINGS” (Netflix)
CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II – “THE CROWN” (Netflix)
LAURA LINNEY / Wendy Byrde – “OZARK” (Netflix)
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June – “THE HANDMAID’S TALE” (Hulu)
ROBIN WRIGHT / Claire Underwood – “HOUSE OF CARDS” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
ANTHONY ANDERSON / Andre “Dre” Johnson – “BLACK-ISH” (ABC)
AZIZ ANSARI / Dev – “MASTER OF NONE” (Netflix)
LARRY DAVID / Himself – “CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM” (HBO)
SEAN HAYES / Jack McFarland – “WILL & GRACE” (NBC)
WILLIAM H. MACY / Frank Gallagher – “SHAMELESS” (Showtime)
MARC MARON / Sam Sylvia – “GLOW” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

THE CROWN (Netflix)
CLAIRE FOY / Queen Elizabeth II
VICTORIA HAMILTON / Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
VANESSA KIRBY / Princess Margaret
ANTON LESSER / Prime Minister Harold Macmillan
MATT SMITH / Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

GAME OF THRONES (HBO)
ALFIE ALLEN / Theon Greyjoy
JACOB ANDERSON / Grey Worm
PILOU ASBÆK / Euron Greyjoy
HAFÞÓR JÚLÍUS BJÖRNSSON / The Mountain
JOHN BRADLEY / Samwell Tarly
JIM BROADBENT / Archmaester Ebrose
GWENDOLINE CHRISTIE / Brienne
EMILIA CLARKE / Daenerys Targaryen
NIKOLAJ COSTER-WALDAU / Jaime Lannister
LIAM CUNNINGHAM / Davos Seaworth
PETER DINKLAGE / Tyrion Lannister
RICHARD DORMER / Beric Dondarrion
NATHALIE EMMANUEL / Missandei
JAMES FAULKNER / Randyll Tarly
JEROME FLYNN / Bronn
AIDAN GILLEN / Petyr Baelish
IAIN GLEN / Jorah Mormont
KIT HARINGTON / Jon Snow
LENA HEADEY / Cersei Lannister
ISAAC HEMPSTEAD WRIGHT / Bran Stark
CONLETH HILL / Varys
KRISTOFER HIVJU / Tormund Giantsbane
TOM HOPPER / Dickon Tarly
ANTON LESSER / Qyburn
RORY McCANN / The Hound
STAZ NAIR / Qhono
RICHARD RYCROFT / Maester Wolkan
SOPHIE TURNER / Sansa Stark
RUPERT VANSITTART / Yohn Royce
MAISIE WILLIAMS / Arya Stark

THE HANDMAID’S TALE (Hulu)
MADELINE BREWER / Janine/Ofwarren/Ofdaniel
AMANDA BRUGEL / Rita
ANN DOWD / Aunt Lydia
O-T FAGBENLE / Luke
JOSEPH FIENNES / Commander Waterford
TATTIAWNA JONES / Ofglen #2
MAX MINGHELLA / Nick Blaine
ELISABETH MOSS / Offred/June
YVONNE STRAHOVSKI / Serena Joy
SAMIRA WILEY / Moira

STRANGER THINGS (Netflix)
SEAN ASTIN / Bob Newby
MILLIE BOBBY BROWN / Eleven
CARA BUONO / Karen Wheeler
JOE CHREST / Ted Wheeler
CATHERINE CURTIN / Claudia Henderson (Dustin’s Mom)
NATALIA DYER / Nancy Wheeler
DAVID HARBOUR / Jim Hopper
CHARLIE HEATON / Jonathan Byers
JOE KEERY / Steve Harrington
GATEN MATARAZZO / Dustin Henderson
CALEB McLAUGHLIN / Lucas Sinclair
DACRE MONTGOMERY / Billy
PAUL REISER / Dr. Owens
WINONA RYDER / Joyce Byers
NOAH SCHNAPP / Will Byers
SADIE SINK / Max
FINN WOLFHARD / Mike Wheeler

THIS IS US (NBC)
ERIS BAKER / Tess Pearson
ALEXANDRA BRECKENRIDGE / Sophie
STERLING K. BROWN / Randall Pearson
LONNIE CHAVIS / Young Randall
JUSTIN HARTLEY / Kevin Pearson
FAITHE HERMAN / Annie Pearson
RON CEPHAS JONES / William Hill
CHRISSY METZ / Kate Pearson
MANDY MOORE / Rebecca Pearson
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
BLACK-ISH (ABC)
ANTHONY ANDERSON / Andre “Dre” Johnson
MILES BROWN / Jack Johnson
DEON COLE / Charlie Telphy
LAURENCE FISHBURNE / Pops
JENIFER LEWIS / Ruby
PETER MACKENZIE / Mr. Stevens
MARSAI MARTIN / Diane Johnson
JEFF MEACHAM / Josh
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS / Dr. Rainbow Johnson
MARCUS SCRIBNER / Andre Johnson, Jr.
YARA SHAHIDI / Zoey Johnson

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM (HBO)
TED DANSON / Himself
LARRY DAVID / Himself
SUSIE ESSMAN / Susie Greene
JEFF GARLIN / Jeff Greene
CHERYL HINES / Cheryl David
JB SMOOVE / Leon Black

GLOW (Netflix)
BRITT BARON / Justine Biagi
ALISON BRIE / Ruth Wilder
KIMMY GATEWOOD / Stacey Beswick
BETTY GILPIN / Debbie Eagan
REBEKKA JOHNSON / Dawn Rivecca
CHRIS LOWELL / Bash
SUNITA MANI / Arthie Premkumar
MARC MARON / Sam Sylvia
KATE NASH / Rhonda Richardson
SYDELLE NOEL / Cherry Bang
MARIANNA PALKA / Reggie Walsh
GAYLE RANKIN / Sheila the She-Wolf
BASHIR SALAHUDDIN / Keith
RICH SOMMER / Mark
KIA STEVENS / Tammé Dawson
JACKIE TOHN / Melanie Rosen
ELLEN WONG / Jenny Chey
BRITNEY YOUNG / Carmen Wade

ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (Netflix)
UZO ADUBA / Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren
EMILY ALTHAUS / Maureen Kukudio
DANIELLE BROOKS / Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson
ROSAL COLÓN / Ouija
JACKIE CRUZ / Marisol “Flaca” Gonzales
FRANCESCA CURRAN / Helen Van Maele
DANIELLA DE JESÚS / Zirconia
LEA DeLARIA / Big Boo
NICK DILLENBURG / CO Blake
ASIA KATE DILLON / Brandy Epps
BETH DOVER / Linda Ferguson
KIMIKO GLENN / Brook Soso
ANNIE GOLDEN / Norma Romano
LAURA GÓMEZ / Blanca Flores
DIANE GUERRERO / Maritza Ramos
EVAN ARTHUR HALL / CO Stratman
MICHAEL J. HARNEY / Sam Healy
BRAD WILLIAM HENKE / Desi Piscatella
MIKE HOUSTON / CO Lee Dixon
VICKY JEUDY / Janae Watson
KELLY KARBACZ / Kasey Sankey
JULIE LAKE / Angie Rice
SELENIS LEYVA / Gloria Mendoza
NATASHA LYONNE / Nicky Nichols
TARYN MANNING / Tiffany “Pennsatucky” Doggett
ADRIENNE C. MOORE / Cindy Hayes
MIRIAM MORALES / Pidge
KATE MULGREW / Galina “Red” Reznikov
EMMA MYLES / Leanne Taylor
JOHN PALLADINO / Josh
MATT PETERS / Joel Luschek
JESSICA PIMENTEL / Maria Ruiz
DASCHA POLANCO / Dayanara Diaz
LAURA PREPON / Alex Vause
JOLENE PURDY / Stephanie Hapakuka
ELIZABETH RODRIGUEZ / Aleida Diaz
NICK SANDOW / Joe Caputo
ABIGAIL SAVAGE / Gina Murphy
TAYLOR SCHILLING / Piper Chapman
CONSTANCE SHULMAN / Yoga Jones
DALE SOULES / Frieda Berlin
YAEL STONE / Lorna Morello
EMILY TARVER / CO Artesian McCullough
MICHAEL TORPEY / CO Thomas Humphrey
LIN TUCCI / Anita DeMarco

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Morgan Freeman

Mr. Robot Renewed for Season 4

(12/14/17) Mr. Robot fans need not worry that tonight’s Season 3 finale will be a series finale: USA Network has renewed the drama for a fourth season.

Series creator Sam Esmail broke news of the series’ pickup on social media early Wednesday. “Calm down everyone,” he wrote on Instagram. “#MrRobot season_4.0 writers’ room is officially open for business.”

USA has not revealed how many episodes were ordered for Season 4, but conventional wisdom puts the number at 10.

Former Soap Stars In The 75th Golden Globes Nominations

(12/12/17) BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
STEVE CARELL, BATTLE OF THE SEXES
ANSEL ELGORT, BABY DRIVER
JAMES FRANCO, THE DISASTER ARTIST
HUGH JACKMAN, THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
DANIEL KALUUYA, GET OUT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
MARY J. BLIGE, MUDBOUND
HONG CHAU, DOWNSIZING
ALLISON JANNEY, I, TONYA
LAURIE METCALF, LADY BIRD
OCTAVIA SPENCER, THE SHAPE OF WATER

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
ANTHONY ANDERSON, BLACK-ISH
AZIZ ANSARI, MASTER OF NONE
KEVIN BACON, I LOVE DICK
WILLIAM H. MACY, SHAMELESS
ERIC MCCORMACK, WILL & GRACE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
JESSICA BIEL, THE SINNER
NICOLE KIDMAN, BIG LITTLE LIES
JESSICA LANGE, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
SUSAN SARANDON, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
REESE WITHERSPOON, BIG LITTLE LIES

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
DAVID HARBOUR, STRANGER THINGS
ALFRED MOLINA, FEUD: BETTE AND JOAN
CHRISTIAN SLATER, MR. ROBOT
ALEXANDER SKARSGÅRD, BIG LITTLE LIES
DAVID THEWLIS, FARGO

Dynasty Lands Full-Season Order at CW

(11/9/17) Keep the Champagne and caviar flowing: The CW has picked up its Dynasty reboot for a full season, TVLine has learned.

Dynasty‘s freshman season will now run a total of 22 episodes, a network rep confirms, and will continue in the new year after its fall finale, currently slated for Dec. 6. Elizabeth Gillies stars as ambitious rich girl Fallon Carrington, who’s locked in a cat-fight for dominance with Cristal (Nathalie Kelley), the much younger new wife of Fallon’s energy-mogul dad Blake (Grant Show).

Ratings haven’t exactly been fabulous: Dynasty debuted last month to 1.3 million total viewers and a 0.3 demo rating, and sank to 740,000/0.2 for last week’s airing (which, to be fair, ran versus Game 7 of the World Series). But however meager, those numbers must’ve been enough to convince The CW to pull the trigger on a full-season order.

As for The CW’s other new fall series: The military drama Valor will not get a full-season order, TVLine has confirmed, capping its freshman season at 13 episodes. A decision on a possible Season 2 won’t be made until next May.

Talk Show Appearance

(11/7/17) The Talk - CBS

Friday, Nov. 10

actor Grant Show (The CW’s “Dynasty”) guest co-hosts

Camille Grammer Awarded Half of Ex-Husband Kelsey Grammer’s Retirement Fund

(11/3/17) Camille Grammer is getting a big pay day.

According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star was awarded 50 percent of her ex-husband Kelsey Grammer’s 401K account from the time of their marriage in 1997 to their separation in 2010.

A judge signed off on the order in October. The reality star filed for divorce from the Frasier star in July 2010. Their divorce was finalized in February 2011, and the 62-year-old actor married Kayte Walsh two weeks later.

Camille and Kelsey share two children together: daughter Mason Olivia, 16, and son Jude Gordon, 13. The actor has five other children from previous relationships.

PEOPLE confirmed this week that Camille is engaged to lawyer David C. Meyer. The pair have dated for more than a year and met in Malibu, where Meyer lives.

“They’re just in love,” a source close to the couple tells PEOPLE. “There’s a casualness and easiness to their relationship. They’re a really happy, kind couple. He really loves her for her.”

Former model Grammer, 48, starred on RHOBH for two seasons and has since appeared as a guest.

She teased the happy news Sunday on Twitter, sharing a photo snuggled up to Meyer with the caption, “Party night with my love. We have a secret.. guess.”

Morgan Freeman set to play Colin Powell in biopic

(10/19/17) Morgan Freeman will star as Colin Powell in an independent biopic about the former US Secretary of State.

The film will focus on Powell’s 2003 speech to the United Nations to seek support for the Bush administration’s plan to forcibly remove Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, based on intelligence — later discredited — that Iraq was developing nuclear weapons. Powell later described the event as a low point in his career.

Reginald Hudlin is attached to direct “Powell” with Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment and Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment as the production companies. Producers are Amritraj and Lori McCreary, Freeman’s partner at Revelations.

Hudlin will direct from a script by Ed Whitworth, which was on the 2011 Black List. The project will focus on Powell’s tenure as the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was the first African American to serve in that position.

Executive producers are Hyde Park’s Priya Amritraj and Addison Mehr, along with Freeman and Revelation’s Kelly Mendelsohn.

Freeman recently starred in New Line’s remake of “Going in Style” and will appear in Disney’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.” Hudlin directed “Marshall,” starring Chadwick Boseman and Josh Gad.

Freeman starred in the 2009 historical biopic “Invictus,” portraying South African President Nelson Mandela. He received his fifth Oscar nomination for the role.

Both Freeman and Hudlin are represented by CAA.

Jon Lindstrom on NCIS: Los Angeles 10/29

(10/9/17) “Mountebank” – Sam goes undercover as a day trader after a prominent investment banker with ties to a Russian oligarch is murdered. Also, one of Callen’s aliases is the victim of credit card theft, and Mosley is concerned it signals something bigger, on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, Sunday, Oct. 29 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

GUEST CAST includes: Tembi Locke (Leigha Winters), Costas Mandylor (Abram Sokolov), Jon Lindstrom (Phillip Nelson).

Soap Vet Grant Show On DYNASTY Reboot

(10/8/17) It’s been more than 30 years since Grant Show got his start in suds on RYAN’S HOPE (ex-Rick), and now he’s tackling an iconic role in The CW’s reboot of DYNASTY, premiering Wednesday, October 11. “Blake Carrington is my James Bond,” the actors shares of his latest soapy incarnation. In our new issue, the MELROSE PLACE star (ex-Jake) tells all about the highs and lows of his time in the biz (“There was a time … when I considered giving it all up”), and the special praise he holds for his DYNASTY predecessor. Read what he has to say in the new issue of Soap Opera Digest, on sale now.

Talk Show Appearance

(9/29/17) THE LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT - CBS

Thursday, Oct. 5 - Morgan Freeman

‘CSI’s Marg Helgenberger Heads Off-Broadway

(9/27/17) It seems like only yesterday that Marg Helgenberger first won legions of admirers playing the mouthy, entrepreneurial K.C. Kolowski on ABC’s landmark series China Beach. Now the C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation star has signed on for the off-Broadway premiere of What We’re Up Against, an early play by Theresa Rebeck (NBC’s Smash, Broadway’s Seminar). And she’s in a first-class cast that includes House of Cards‘ Damian Young and Quantico‘s Krysta Rodriguez. Adrienne Campbell-Holt will direct for WP Theater, which is mounting the play by special arrangement with Segal NYC Productions.

What’s it about, you ask. According to WP (AKA The Women’s Project and Productions):

“It’s 1992, and Eliza is the brainy new recruit at a small-shop architecture firm. But she’s struggling to get a foothold on even the lowest rung of the company ladder, and starts making moves to blow the lid off their Pandora’s box of office politics and social maneuvering, in this darkly funny and all-too-relevant comedy of gender politics.

The four-week limited engagement begins previews October 28, with opening night set for November 8 at the WP Theater, on the Upper West Side. See wptheater.org.

'Dynasty' Star Gordon Thomson Comes Out As Gay

(9/26/17) (huffingtonpost.ca) “Dynasty” actor Gordon Thomson is opening up about his own sexuality almost 30 years after the show went off the air.

In a new interview with the Daily Beast, the 72-year-old, who played the homophobic villain Adam Carrington in the ’80s soap opera, comes out as gay for the first time.

“It’s not something I’ve ever announced,” he told the Daily Beast of his sexuality. “I’m assuming that people know, and now that I’m my age that’s fine. I don’t go out of my way because it’s my generation, I think. I’m probably as homophobic as any gay man alive because of my background.”

His secrecy was tied to the times.

“When I was growing up it [homosexuality] was a crime, and then classified as a mental illness ... so you’re dealing with that,” he added. “And the shame, the breathtaking lack of self-esteem, has only just begun to seep out of my soul.”

The CW “Dynasty” reboot is set to premiere Oct. 11. While the drama will remain in tact, the homophobia will be erased.

The original version showcased homophobic sentiment when it came to Adam’s gay brother Steven Carrington (played by Al Corley), and patriarch Blake Carrington’s attitude toward him. The reboot will shed that hatred, with billionaire Blake supporting his son’s sexuality.

Thomson acknowledged Hollywood’s “closet problem” in the ’80s, saying he could not come out because of the social climate ? including the cruel scandal around Rock Hudson during the AIDS crisis.

“The ‘vibe’ on that set—sorry I hate that word but that’s what it was—was so heterosexual. I didn’t want to say, ‘Guess what everybody, the guy playing the father is gay.’ If I had there would have been a slight shift away which I wasn’t ready to deal with.”

‘Hap & Leonard’: Louis Gossett Jr., Corbin Bernsen & Andrew Dice Clay Set To Recur In Season 3 Of SundanceTV Series

(9/26/17) Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman, Roots), Psych alum Corbin Bernsen and Dice star Andrew Dice Clay are set for recurring roles in the upcoming third season of SundanceTV’s critically-praised anthology series Hap & Leonard.

Based on Joe R. Lansdale’s popular book series, Hap & Leonard follows two lifelong best friends, Hap Collins (James Purefoy), an East Texas white boy with a weakness for Southern women, and Leonard Pine (Michael K. Williams), a gay, black Vietnam vet with a hot temper. Season 3 is based on the third installment of Lansdale’s series, The Two-Bear Mambo, and is set for premiere in early 2018.

Gossett Jr. plays Bacon, a veterinarian-turned-cook at the local diner. Bernsen will portray Chief Cantuck, the foul-mouthed, morally ambiguous head of the Grovetown Police department. Clay is Sonny Knox, the town’s politically incorrect radio disc jockey. In addition, Laura Allen (American Horror Story: Cult) plays Officer Reynolds, an East Texas cop who hides her bigotry behind her badge, Sydney Wease (The Vampire Diaries), portrays Belinda, ethereal teenage waif, mute since a mysterious abduction, and musician Curtis Harding plays blues legend, L.C. Soothe, and L.C.’s grandson, Bobby Joe, both of whom run afoul of the Klan. Tiffany Mack (Florida Grange) and Cranston Johnson (Detective Hanson) return as series regulars.

In Season 3, when Florida Grange goes missing in the Klan-infested town of Grovetown, Hap and Leonard set out to find her. As the mystery unfolds, Hap and Leonard find themselves at odds with a cast of characters so tough they could chew the bumper off a pickup truck, including a possibly corrupt sheriff, and the leader of the Caucasian Knights. Set once again in East Texas, against an impending storm of Biblical proportions, Hap and Leonard scramble to locate Florida before the Klan locates them. The boys learn that the good guys don’t always win, and nobody beats Mother Nature.

John Wirth (Hell on Wheels, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) returns as showrunner and executive producer for season three, and Jim Mickle, Nick Damici, Jeremy Platt and Linda Moran return as executive producers.

Gossett Jr, who won an Oscar for his performance in An Officer and a Gentleman, will next be seen in a starring role in feature Breaking Brooklyn. He’s repped by Zero Gravity Management.

Psych and L.A. Law alum Bernsen will next be seen in Jarret Tarnol’s high school dramedy Reach.

Clay can currently be seen on his series Dice now in its second season on Showtime. He’ll next appear in Warner Brothers remake of A Star is Born, and continues to perform his stand-up across the country. Clay is repped by Abrams Artists Agency and managed by Bruce Rubenstein.

‘Just Getting Started’ Trailer: Morgan Freeman & Tommy Lee Jones Are Rivals-Turned-Partners

(9/19/17) (Video) Morgan Freeman is Duke Diver, the resident manager of a resort community. He’s also “the resident champion of everything” at the place. And that includes makin’ time with the ladies. Then, suddenly, “there’s new food on the buffet” in the form of Leo (Tommy Lee Jones) — a charming military vet and “citizen of the world” who shakes things up at Villa Capri. But he’s not the only one rattling cages: Enter Suzie (Rene Russo).

They compete at poker, golf, ping-pong and for the new arrival. Sounds like a good old-fashioned alpha male battle tale, right? But don’t price it yet.

Here’s the first trailer for Just Getting Started, which takes a turn around the midpoint. Seems someone wants Duke dead. “Get me the hell out of here,” he urges Leo. “Why would I do that for you?” is the reasonable reply. “I’ve got a big secret,” Duke confesses. He was a star witness against the mob and now isn’t exactly laying low in witness protection.

Meanwhile at the resort, there’s a camel, an exploding golf cart, an assault on Santa, lots of limbo and even more libido. Co-stars include Glenne Headly, Joe Pantoliano, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Elizabeth Ashley.

Ron Shelton wrote and directed the action comedy formerly known as Villa Capri, which Broad Green Pictures opens wide December 8.

Disney Sued by Yasmine Bleeth's Husband for Trip and Fall

(9/12/17) Disney got its wires crossed and cluttered while shooting a TV show in "Baywatch" star Yasmine Bleeth's home ... according to her husband, who claims he got jacked up in a trip and fall.

Paul Cerrito says Disney was using his home to shoot a pilot when the equipment tripped him up. In a lawsuit obtained by TMZ, Paul says the injury set him back ... as he was already trying to recover from a previous tumble.

He claims he slipped in a puddle of water in a grocery store back in December. Due to that fall he was using a walker when he went down at home. Cerrito says he's suffered permanent disability, and is suing the store as well as Disney.

Cerrito's lawyer tells us he also suffered a spinal injury. He wants Disney to pay damages and his medical expenses. We've reached out to Disney, so far no word back.

Morgan Freeman Recurs & Directs Madam Secretary 10/8/17

(9/8/17) “News Cycle” – When the assistant vice minister of Timor-Leste suddenly dies during a meeting with Elizabeth on the first day of the U.N General Assembly, she becomes suspicious after the president of Timor-Leste ships the body back without a proper investigation. Also, a “fake news” story surfaces claiming Elizabeth is responsible for the minister’s death, and Dmitri returns to work with Henry, on the fourth season premiere of MADAM SECRETARY, Sunday, Oct. 8 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Morgan Freeman (Another World/Ryan’s Hope/Texas) returns as Chief Justice Wilbourne. DIRECTED BY: Morgan Freeman

Christian Slater In West End Revival of David Mamet’s ‘Glengarry Glen Ross’

(9/6/17) Mr. Robot‘s Christian Slater will star in the Sam Yates-directed revival of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross. Slater will play the lead role of Ricky Roma (Al Pacino played him in the 1992 film) alongside a cut throat sales team played by Robert Glenister, Kris Marshall Stanley Townsend, and Don Warrington. It’s the first time the play will have been staged on the West End in a decade, and it will run for 14 weeks at the Playhouse Theatre, from October 26 to February 3. Mamet premiered the play at the National Theatre in 1983 and won the Olivier Award for Best Play before winning the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Glengarry Glen Ross is produced by ATG Productions, Act Productions and Glass Half Full Productions.

Slater was last on the London stage in Swimming with Sharks at the Vaudeville Theatre and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at the Gielgud/Garrick Theatre and his other stage credits include Spamalot at the Hollywood Bowl and a Broadway turn with Jessica Lange in The Glass Menagerie.

Morgan Freeman To Receive SAG Life Achievement Award

(8/22/17) Morgan Freeman (Another World/Texas/Ryan’s Hope) will be the 54th recipient of the SAG Life Achievement Award for his career achievement and humanitarian accomplishments. The award, which will be presented at the 24th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on January 21, 2018, is SAG-AFTRA’s highest honor.

“I am thrilled to announce Morgan Freeman as this year’s recipient of the SAG Life Achievement Award. Some actors spend their entire careers waiting for the perfect role. Morgan showed us that true perfection is what a performer brings to the part,” said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. “He is innovative, fearless and completely unbound by expectations. As a chauffeur, convicted murderer, boxing gym attendant, pimp or president, Morgan fully realized every character, baring their souls and showcasing their humanity. It has been a privilege to see his genius at work.”

Freeman, who began acting at age 12, has appeared in nearly 100 films, which together have earned over $4.5 billion at the box office. His credits include Million Dollar Baby, which earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar; Unforgiven, and The Shawshank Redemption, for which he received Best Actor nominations for a SAG Award, Oscar and a Golden Globe. Other credits include Street Smart, his 1987 breakthrough role, Invictus, The Dark Knight, The Bucket List, Glory, Lean on Me, Se7en, Amistad, Bruce Almighty, and Along Came a Spider. He most recently starred in Warner Bros.’ Going In Style, Paramount Pictures’ Ben-Hur, Summit Entertainment’s Now You See Me 2 and Focus Features’ London Has Fallen. Freeman’s upcoming films include Broad Green Pictures’ Villa Capri and Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms.

With one of the world’s most recognizable voices, Freeman was the voice of two Oscar-winning documentaries: The March of the Penguins and The Long Way Home.

Freeman first became nationally known in 1971 when he starred in the Children’s Television Workshop’s The Electric Company, for which he created characters including the iconic Easy Reader. He is currently an executive producer of Madam Secretary for CBS, and hosts and is an executive producer for the Science Channel series Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, which recently completed its seventh season. He also hosted the event series The Story of God with Morgan Freeman on the National Geographic Channel, and will next host The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman, which premieres October 11 on the National Geographic Channel.

His philanthropic work includes support for Artists for a New South Africa and the Campaign for Female Education – organizations working to create hope and better lives for thousands of people. In 1973, he co-founded the Frank Silvera Writers’ Workshop, now in its 37th season, which supports and nurtures promising African American playwrights to ensure those voices can be heard.

Cheers to Kelsey Grammer’s new brewery

(7/27/17) Kelsey Grammer can add brewery owner to his résumé.

The “Cheers” alum, 62, is opening a new brewery named after his daughter, Faith Grammer. It’ll be called Faith American Ale, and it’s located in upstate New York on a property Grammer purchased more than two decades ago.

“We’re working on it. It’s very hard because it’s in a watershed, so you have to do a lot of stuff for water treatment, waste disposal — all that stuff,” Grammer said on “Live With Kelly and Ryan” Tuesday. “And it’s important so we’re doing that.”

The land holds special meaning to the “Last Tycoon” actor, who used to spend Thanksgivings on his grandfather’s farm in Delaware County.

“I always wanted to return this particular place to a sense of thriving kind of community place that would lift everybody up a little bit,” Grammer said after explaining how the town fell on hard times.

Grammer entered rehab in 1996 for drug and alcohol addiction that stemmed from his family’s murders, but in an interview with the Times, Grammer admitted he imbibes.

“I no longer go to AA and I still enjoy a drink,” he said. “People need to know how to move on and put things in another place. Drinking is not a vice.”

Battle of the Network Stars: White House vs. Lawyers (7/13)

(6/27/17) “White House vs. Lawyers” – The revival of “Battle of the Network Stars,” based on the ‘70s and ‘80s television pop-culture classic, will continue on THURSDAY, JULY 13 (9:00-10:00 p.m. EDT) on ABC. The original series from ABC Sports began in 1976 and continued for 13 years. The new “Battle of the Network Stars” will be a nostalgic throwback to the original series where TV celebrities blended athleticism with hilarious antics.

Here are the teams for this new episode:

White House (Cornelius Smith Jr., Marlee Matlin, Joshua Malina, LaMonica Garrett, Mary McCormack)

vs.

Lawyers (Elisabeth Rohm, Corbin Bernsen, Matt McGorry, Romi Dias, Catherine Bell)

Angela Bassett Boards ‘Mission: Impossible 6’

(5/19/17) Angela Bassett (Search for Tomorrow / Ryan’s Hope) has signed on to Paramount’s Mission: Impossible 6 in which she’ll play the C.I.A. director. The Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner for What’s Love Got to Do With It starts work next week and joins Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirky and Alec Baldwin in the Christopher McQuarrie-directed sequel.

On April 8, McQuarrie announced on social that he lit the fuse, and kicked off production on M:I 6. The movie comes out July 27, 2018.

Following her work on M:I 6, Bassett heads straight to 20th Century Fox’s upcoming 911 series in which she stars and serves as executive producer alongside Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The 13-episode series centers around 911 operators. Bassett recently wrapped work on Disney/Marvel’s Black Panther, due out Feb. 18, in which she plays Ramonda, the stepmother of lead protagonist T’Challa. Last season on FX’s American Horror Story: Roanoke, Bassett directed the episode “Chapter 6”.

Bassett is repped by Gersh, Lighthouse Entertainment and Fox Rothschild.

Watch CW Trailers for the Dynasty Remake

(5/19/17) The cast includes Grant Show (Melrose Place), Elizabeth Gillies (Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll) and Nathalie Kelley (The Vampire Diaries), among others.

DYNASTY (Wednesday at 9/8c): Video 1, Video 2.

Corbin Bernsen & Rio Mangini Join ‘Reach’

(4/21/17) Teen Wolf actor Rio Mangini, Corbin Bernsen and Concetta Tomei have joined the cast of Jarret Tarnol’s high school dramedy Reach, announced Maria Capp, co-writer and producer, Cappricielli Productions. Mangini will also compose the score and provide original music. Bernsen and Tomei play the grandparents of a socially awkward genius played by Garrett Clayton. Reach is currently filming in Los Angeles. Mangini is repped by Abrams Artists, PMG, DPN and Felker Toczek. Tomei is represented by Neville King at Innovative Artists, and Bernsen is represented by Melissa Hirschenson at Innovative Artists, and Manager Randy James.

Dynasty Reboot: Grant Show Set to Star as Blake Carrington in CW Pilot

(3/3/17) Melrose Place vet Grant Show is moving into tonier digs, having signed on to star as wealthy patriarch Blake Carrington in The CW’s Dynasty reboot, TVLine has learned. He succeeds John Forsythe, who originated the role in the original, circa-’80s ABC series.

From Gossip Girl creators Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage and Revenge producer Sallie Patrick, the project is described as a racially diverse, modernized modernized reboot “that follows two of America’s wealthiest families, the Carringtons and the Colbys, as they feud for control over their fortune and their children,” as told “primarily through the perspectives of two women at odds: Blake’s daughter Fallon Carrington (Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll‘s Elizabeth Gillies) and her soon-to-be stepmother, Cristal (Vampire Diaries‘ Nathalie Kelley), a Hispanic woman marrying into this WASP family and America’s most powerful class.”

The series promises to expose the “dark underbelly” of the 1 percent, “a corrupt world built on backroom deals, betrayal, and, in some cases, murder.” Original Dynasty creators Esther and Richard Shapiro will serve as EPs.

The cast also includes Sam Adegoke (Murder in the First) as Jeff Colby.

Corbin Bernsen To Star In Indie Thriller ‘The Russian Bride’

(2/23/17) Corbin Bernsen is set to star in suspense thriller The Russian Bride, co-starring with Russian actress Oksana Orlan and 11-year-old model Kristina Pimenova. Michael Ojeda will direct from his own original script, with production scheduled to begin next month outside Detroit.

The indie follows a reclusive billionaire (Bernsen) who brings a young woman and her daughter to the U.S. from Moscow with the promise of giving them both a better life. They soon discover his motives are extreme, and mother and daughter find themselves fighting for their lives.

Jeff Miller and Philip J. Day are producing.

The film marks Pimenova’s feature acting debut. She has a big social media presence with more than 7 million combined followers on Facebook and Instagram.

Bernsen spent eight seasons as Henry Spencer on the USA comedy-drama series Psych. He’s repped by Innovative and Randy James Management.

CSI Vet Marg Helgenberger Joins Fox's Behind Enemy Lines Pilot

(2/21/17) CSI vet Marg Helgenberger is heading Behind Enemy Lines as a “fierce but fair” Navy Admiral in Fox’s McG-directed pilot.

Loosely based on the 2001 Owen Wilson/Gene Hackman movie, the Fox project is described as a military soap thriller wherein a group of U.S. soldiers find themselves trapped — you guessed it — behind enemy lines. The “distinctly patriotic series” will offer a multi-perspective narrative that follows soldiers on the ground, the officers and service men and women on a nearby aircraft carrier and intelligence officers in D.C. as they attempt to bring our heroes home safely and under the radar.

Helgenberger — a five-time Emmy nominee and 1990 winner — will play Navy Admiral Bobbie Decker, the most powerful woman in the military and a “no B.S.” straight shooter who will do anything to keep her men and women safe. Previously, B.J. Britt (UnREAL, Agents of SHIELD) was cast in the pilot as Reggie Mitchella, a weapons systems officer.

In addition to her long run as CSI Catherine Willows, Helgenberger’s previous TV credits include Under the Dome, CBS’ one-and-done Intelligence, ER, China Beach and Ryan’s Hope.

Christian Slater, Jeffrey Wright & Michael Kenneth Williams Join Emilio Estevez’s ‘The Public’

(1/27/17) Emilio Estevez, who rose to fame when he was just a kid in John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club, is headed back into a library after 30 years to tell a story about “the last bastion of Democracy in action.” Christian Slater, Jeffrey Wright and Michael Kenneth Williams (The Night Of) have joined Estevez’s dramedy the public, which will pull back the curtain on what is really happening inside America’s public libraries. Having researched in the depths of the Los Angeles Public Library, Estevez said that libraries across the country have become a safe haven for the homeless.

“When I was doing research on the film Bobby, I spent a lot of time in the Los Angeles Public Library looking through microfiche for intel, so I saw this happening,” said Estevez, who wrote, is directing and also co-starring in the public.

“Then I read a Los Angeles Times article that was written by a former librarian about how the libraries have become de facto homeless shelters and how librarians had become social workers,” he added. “So on a daily basis, they would have to call emergency services about people who collapsed or had an overdose or diabetic comas … it’s the last bastion of democracy in action. I was so moved by the article and what I saw, having spent so much time at the public library, I decided to start researching for a new movie — the public.”

The film centers on a standoff with police and library officials during a brutal, life-threatening cold snap. Staging an Occupy-style sit-in, library patrons — many of whom are homeless and mentally ill — turn the Cincinnati Public Library into an impromptu shelter for one night. Drawing from the current political climate, the film strives to give equal voice to both sides as it examines the question of who will care for those who are unable to care for themselves.

After the critically acclaimed Bobby, the public also has become a nice ensemble film with Alec Baldwin, Taylor Schilling, Jena Malone, Gabrielle Union and Che “Rhymefest” Smith also in the cast.

Slater plays a prosecuting attorney who uses the Occupy moment for his political gain, Wright will portray the head city librarian in Cincinnati, and Williams is taking the role of a homeless person who leads the Occupy action in the library. They are in production now in Cincinnati.

“I haven’t done a film in a library for over 30 years, so I’m going back to it,” Estevez said with a laugh. “But I think that the issues we’re dealing with in our story really shows both sides of the debate and the ongoing discussion about corporate personhood vs. the public. It’s something that I wanted to do in a film — show it from the inside out.” Very timely, considering what the national discussion in our nation has become.

The public is being produced by Estevez’s longtime producing partner Lisa Niedenthal alongside Alex Lebovici and Steve Ponce of Oriah Entertainment (The Clapper, Billionaires Boys Club). The film is being co-produced by Brent Guttman. Ray Bourderau of Living the Dream Films and Michael Bien of Cedarvale Pictures are executive producers. Primary Wave Entertainment Mark Burg and David Guillod are also executive producers.

Soap Alums On PRIDE: THE SERIES Season 2

(1/11/17) Season 2 of PRIDE: THE SERIES is now available on Amazon. Ilene Kristen (ex-Roxy, OLTL), Lauren B. Martin (ex-Camille, ATWT) and Scott Turner Schofield (ex-Nick, B&B) are all featured. Episodes are available now here.

George S. Irving Dies: Tony-Winning Character Actor Was 94

(12/27/16) George S. Irving (Forrest Turner, Ryan’s Hope), a fearless comic actor whose signature smile could turn into a smirk with the perfectly timed arch of an eyebrow, died December 26. Born George Irving Shelasky in Springfield, Massachusetts, he was 94.

In 1973, Irving co-starred with Debbie Reynolds in a revised version of Irene, a 1919 rags-to-riches musical about a pretty city girl who helps flamboyant “Madame Lucy” (Irving) become a famous couturier. (The show also marked the Broadway debut of Reynolds’ daughter, Carrie Fisher, who died this morning.) The show earned Irving the Tony Award for best performance by a featured actor in a musical; Reynolds was nominated for best actress in a musical.

By 1973 Irving was already established as a veteran character actor, seen on television sitcoms such as Car 54, Where Are You?, The Patty Duke Show and All In The Family; he had a run on the soap opera Ryan’s Hope; and in countless off-Broadway shows along with hit musicals. He appeared in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Can-Can, Bells Are Ringing, Me And My Girl (Tony nomination) and, replacing George Rose, as Major General Stanley in Joseph Papp’s 1981 revival of The Pirates Of Penzance that starred Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt.

Irving was married to the actress Maria Karnilova, who created the role of Golde in Fiddler On The Roof, from 1948 until her death in 2001.

As a voice actor, Irving’s credits on animated shows included King Leonardo and His Short Subjects, Underdog, The Year Without A Santa Claus and A Miser Brothers’ Christmas. In the early 1970s he was familar as the face of White Owl cigars.

Irving performed a solo cabaret show in 2008 and that year received the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre. He is survived by two children and three grandchildren.

NAACP Image Awards

(12/14/16) 48th Image Awards ill be announced February 11 at ceremony airing live on TV One.

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Angela Bassett – “London Has Fallen” (Focus Features/Millennium Films/G-Base Production)
Madina Nalwanga – “Queen of Katwe” (Walt Disney Studios)
Ruth Negga – “Loving” (Focus Features/Big Beach)
Taraji P. Henson – “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)
Tika Sumpter – “Southside With You” (Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Amirah Vann – “Underground” (WGN America)
CCH Pounder – “NCIS: New Orleans” (CBS)
Cicely Tyson – “How To Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
Lynn Whitfield – “Greenleaf” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Naturi Naughton – “Power” (Starz)

74th Annual Golden Globe Nominations

(12/12/16) The Golden Globes ceremony is set for Sunday, January 8 at 5 PM PT/8 PM ET live on NBC hosted by Jimmy Fallon.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Rachel Bloom, CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VEEP
Sarah Jessica Parker, DIVORCE
Issa Rae, INSECURE
Gina Rodriguez, JANE THE VIRGIN
Tracee Ellis Ross, BLACK-ISH

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Riz Ahmed, THE NIGHT OF
Bryan Cranston, ALL THE WAY
Tom Hiddleston, THE NIGHT MANAGER
John Turturro, THE NIGHT OF
Courtney B Vance, THE PEOPLE v. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Sterling K. Brown, THE PEOPLE v. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
Hugh Laurie, THE NIGHT MANAGER
John Lithgow, THE CROWN
Christian Slater, MR. ROBOT
John Travolta, THE PEOPLE v. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY

Alice Drummond Dies; Veteran Character Actress Was 88

(12/4/16) Alice Drummond, a prolific character actress nominated for a Best Featured Actress Tony in 1970 and known for appearances in films like Awakenings, Synecdoche, New York, and Ghostbusters among many others died on November 30 from complications following a fall in her home. She was 88. The news was confirmed by Drummond’s friend, June Gable, to the New York Times.

Born in 1928 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Drummond was a 1950 graduate of Pembroke College (now Brown University). She began her acting career following a move to New York with her husband, Paul Drummond whom she married in 1951. (The couple divorced in 1976). A regular on Broadway in the 1960s and 1970s, Drummond was nominated for a Tony for her performance in Murray Schisgal’s The Chinese.

Drummond also held a slew of memorable and sometimes iconic character roles on film and television. Among them, in the 1960s she appeared on the supernatural soap opera Dark Shadows, in the role of Nurse Jackson; as a New York City librarian in the beginning of the original Ghostbusters; and as a a patient in the 1990 Robin Williams film Awakenings. She was a regular on the CBS soap Where the Heart Is, appearing on the show until it ended its run in 1973, and later appeared briefly on As the World Turns, another CBS soap.

Among many television guest spots, she appeared on Spin City, Boston Legal, Ed, Law & Order, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, and Grace Under Fire.

Her most recent film appearance was in the family comedy Furry Vengeance in 2010.

Kelsey Grammer welcomes seventh child

(11/15/16) Kelsey Grammer is now a father of seven.

The 61-year-old and wife Kayte Grammer welcomed son Auden James Ellis on Monday, a rep for the actor told Page Six.

“The name was chosen to honor the great poet W.H. Auden and James is after another great poet and singer, James Taylor — two of our favorites,” the couple said.

Ellis was the name of Kelsey’s maternal great-grandfather, and “He was a colorful character to say the least and we wanted to give the name a second chance.” The baby will be called James.

The newest Grammer weighed 7 pounds and measured 21 inches long. The rep added, “Both mother and son are doing great.”

The couple, who wed in 2011, are already the parents of 4-year-old daughter Faith and 2-year-old son Gabriel. The “Frasier” star is the father of four other children — Spencer, 33, Greer, 24, Mason, 15, and Jude, 12 — from previous marriages.

ABC Releases Statement On Claire Labine

(11/15/16) Acclaimed soap scribe Claire Labine has passed away at the age 82. During her career, she was nominated for 12 Emmys and won a total of nine. ABC has released the following statement:

“We are sad to learn of the death of our friend and former colleague Claire Labine. As creator of Ryan’s Hope and head writer of both General Hospital and One Life to Live in the 90s, Claire was an imaginative storyteller who inspired hope and sparked conversations through her stories and characters paving the way for a new generation of writers who would follow in her footsteps. We are proud and honored she was a part of our ABC Daytime family. We send our deepest condolences to her family and those closest to her.”

Labine began her soap career as a script writer and, later, co-head writer for the CBS soap Where the Heart Is. She later went on to write for Love of Life, Ryan’s Hope, One Life To Live and Guiding Light. Labine is probably best know for her work on the soap opera General Hospital. During her tenure on GH, she created the character of mobster Sonny Corinthos along with his supercouple pairing with model Brenda Barrett, introduced the Ward family, told Robin and Stone’s socially conscious love story and the B.J. heart transplant tear-jerker.

Critics’ Choice TV Nominations Include Former Soap Stars

(11/14/16) Hosted by TJ Miller, the 22nd annual Critics’ Choice Awards airs on A&E live on December 11 at 8PM ET, 5 PM PT.

BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Ellie Kemper – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Netflix
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep – HBO
Kate McKinnon – Saturday Night Live – NBC
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish – ABC
Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag – Amazon
Constance Wu – Fresh Off the Boat – ABC

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Julie Bowen – Modern Family – ABC
Anna Chlumsky – Veep – HBO
Allison Janney – Mom – CBS
Jane Krakowski – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Netflix
Judith Light – Transparent – Amazon
Allison Williams – Girls – HBO

BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin – Saturday Night Live – NBC
Christine Baranski – The Big Bang Theory – CBS
Larry David – Saturday Night Live – NBC
Lisa Kudrow – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Netflix
Liam Neeson – Inside Amy Schumer – Comedy Central

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones – HBO
Kit Harington – Game of Thrones – HBO
John Lithgow – The Crown – Netflix
Mandy Patinkin – Homeland – Showtime
Christian Slater – Mr. Robot – USA Network
Jon Voight – Ray Donovan – Showtime

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christine Baranski – The Good Wife – CBS
Emilia Clarke – Game of Thrones – HBO
Lena Headey – Game of Thrones – HBO
Thandie Newton – Westworld – HBO
Maura Tierney – The Affair – Showtime
Constance Zimmer – UnREAL – Lifetime

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Caitriona Balfe – Outlander – Starz
Viola Davis – How to Get Away with Murder – ABC
Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black – BBC America
Keri Russell – The Americans – FX
Evan Rachel Wood – Westworld – HBO
Robin Wright – House of Cards – Netflix

BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Bryan Cranston – All the Way – HBO
Benedict Cumberbatch – Sherlock: The Abominable Bride – PBS
Cuba Gooding Jr. – The People v. O.J. Simpson – FX
Tom Hiddleston – The Night Manager – AMC
Tim Matheson – Killing Reagan – National Geographic
Courtney B. Vance – The People v. O.J. Simpson – FX

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Elizabeth Debicki – The Night Manager – AMC
Regina King – American Crime – ABC
Sarah Lancashire – The Dresser – Starz
Melissa Leo – All the Way – HBO
Anna Paquin – Roots – History
Emily Watson – The Dresser – Starz

Claire Labine, Creator of Ryan's Hope and Iconic GH Stories, Dead at 82

(11/12/16) Veteran soap scribe Claire Labine, the creator of ABC’s Ryan’s Hope and a winner of nine Daytime Emmy Awards, died this week at age 82. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

Labine’s venerable daytime-TV career began in 1970, writing for CBS’ Where the Heart Is and Love of Life. She was then courted to create a companion series for ABC’s General Hospital, the result of which was Ryan’s Hope, which revolved around an Irish family and would go on to earn eight Emmys, including two for Outstanding Drama.

In 1993, Labine was brought on to GH itself as headwriter, where she created the character of Sonny Corinthos and in turn gave unto soap opera history the supercouple of Sonny and Brenda. Her other GH hallmarks include the introduction of the Ward family, the Robin/Stone love story and — hold on, I need a Kleenex — the B.J. heart transplant storyline.

During her time at GH — where she would collect another Emmy — Labine came up with the spinoff idea Heart and Soul, which was to center on the characters of Ned and Lois and be set in Brooklyn; ABC went with the Port Charles offshoot instead. During the late 1990s and early 2000s, she had headwriter stints at One Life to Live and Guiding Light.

GH vets Maurice Benard and Vanessa Marcil and OLTL alum Kassie DePaive have been among the actors who have remembered Labine via Twitter:

@MauriceBenard : Claire LaBine you will be missed you gave me a chance to play a character that had so many levels when no one else would so grateful to you

@VanessaMarcilM : Claire LaBine healed my soul & millions of others hearts through her art. She always stepped away if things became inauthentic #BadassChicks https://twitter.com/mauricebenard/status/797242042610913280 …

@KassieDePaiva : Soap Headwriter Claire Labine was one of the best! Rest In Peace dear gifted lady. #oltl #amc #ryanshope

Stars Join ‘Hail Mary’ Movement Attempting To Deny Donald Trump The Presidency

(11/12/16) Dozens of celebrities including Lady Gaga, Rosie Perez, Amanda Seyfried and Marg Helgenberger and Pink have added their names to a long-shot movement underway to legally deny Donald Trump the presidency. Three days after the election, they and more than 2.7 million Americans have signed a Change.org petition calling on Republican electors to switch their votes and make Hillary Clinton president.

Although it’s allowed under the Constitution, the “Hail Mary” effort has little to no chance of succeeding because actually turning the votes of electors probably is more firmly rooted in fantasy. Still, the effort to keep Trump out of the White House is more evidence of the growing dissatisfaction with the election’s outcome. And though the former Apprentice star won the majority of electors, even though Clinton appears to have won the popular vote, but his election won’t be official until December 19, when the Electoral College meets in each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., to cast their votes for president and vice president.

Votes still are being counted, but the electoral map suggests that Trump will finish with 306 electors to Clinton’s 232. But that margin of victory could be erased, and the election handed to Clinton, if 38 of those 306 Republican electors switch their votes. And prior to the election, several of them indicated that they just might do so if Trump won.

And it doesn’t matter that Clinton has conceded or that President Obama already has met in the White House to congratulate President-elect Trump. The electors still will meet in state capitals all across the country in five weeks to confirm, or overturn, the voters’ decision. And if 38 Republican electors change their votes, Clinton would be president-elect.

“On December 19, the electors of the Electoral College will cast their ballots,” the petition states. “If they all vote the way their states voted, Donald Trump will win. However, they can vote for Hillary Clinton if they choose. We are calling on the electors to ignore their states’ votes and cast their ballots for Secretary Clinton.”

Long derided as an archaic and undemocratic 18th century throwback, the Electoral College was designed for an election just such as this: a last-chance check-and-balance to undo a vote in which the people might have made elected a popular but unqualified demagogue who threatened to lock up his political opponent.

Unlike Brexit, where the British people weren’t given a second chance to reconsider what they’d done, the Electoral College was designed by the Founding Fathers as a last chance do-over — a second election to make sure the first one wasn’t a gigantic mistake.

The role of the Electoral College was established in Article II, Section 1, of the U.S. Constitution, which states: “Each state shall appoint, in such manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a number of electors, equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or person holding an office of trust or profit under the United States, shall be appointed an elector.”

The Founders’ intention was that the Electoral College would serve as a second election, just as valid as the first. As Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist Papers: “It was equally desirable that the immediate election should be made by men most capable of analyzing the qualities adapted to the station, and acting under circumstances favorable to deliberation, and to a judicious combination of all the reasons and inducements which were proper to govern their choice. A small number of persons, selected by their fellow-citizens from the general mass, will be most likely to possess the information and discernment requisite to such complicated investigations.”

That “complicated investigation” is now in the hands of the 306 Republican electors, who must decide during the next five weeks whether they really want Trump as Commander in Chief with access to the nuclear codes.

All of the electors were selected long before the election, chosen at state conventions or through votes of the parties’ central committees. They’re all regular folks – nurses and lawyers, real estate agents and teachers – and it’s in their hands that the fate of the country now rests.

There is no federal law that requires electors to cast their votes for their pledged candidate, and 29 states have no laws compelling them to do so. Seventeen of those states that went for Trump, including Texas, Arizona, Missouri and Indiana, have a total of 172 Republican electors. Twelve other states that Trump won – including Florida and Ohio – have laws against what are called “faithless electors,” but no elector has ever been prosecuted for failing to vote as pledged, and it’s happened 67 times since 1796.

Soaps Alums Boost THE BAY Cast

(10/27/16) The digital drama series, THE BAY, has been busy casting for season 3, which will premiere in spring 2017. Victoria Rowell (ex-Drucilla, Y&R) will guest star as Iris Hopkins, a hard-nose judge presiding in Sara’s (Mary Beth Evans) murder trial. Amelia Marshall ( ex-Gilly, GUIDING LIGHT; ex-Liz, PASSIONS et al) will play Yolanda, who has past ties to Sara and Pete. Ilene Kristen (ex-Roxy, ONE LIFE TO LIVE et al) will return as Sara’s aunt. THE LYING GAME alum Randy Wayne will portray Matthew Johnson, a nurse. Brian Gaskill (ex-Bobby, ALL MY CHILDREN et al) is out as Bay City’s terrorizing rapist’s Chase. Season 2 of the series will be release on Amazon Prime at the end of November.

Corbin Bernsen Sheds Light On Faith-Based Films, Pacts With Pat Robertson’s Regent University On Movie

(9/1/16) (Trailer) Several years ago, after the death of his father, Corbin Bernsen — well-known for his role in L.A. Law — wrote, directed and starred in Rust, a feature that he created to explore his own faith. The 2010 film follows a man of the cloth who loses his faith but eventually finds his way back. Bernsen has continued to produce faith-based films, most recently partnering with Pat Robertson’s Regent University on his latest — a romantic comedy, In-Lawfully Yours.

With the success of low-budget films in the genre and the failure of big studio films such as Ben-Hur, Bernsen talked about why he got into the faith-based movement, why he thinks they succeed or fail and the film students they have helped along the way.

His latest outing in this genre came out of a partnership with Regent University where he tapped 73 students — all of whom will graduate with a film credit under their belts. “Here are kids who really want to make movies so it was a way to help them. By doing this, we’ve let kids in film school know what it’s really like to be part of a movie that has distribution. And they come out of film school with a real credit on a film. And these kids were doing real jobs — hair and make-up, AD, art department, transportation – all aspects of filmmaking. They had real responsibilities. I actually praised our crew as it’s hard enough to make a film, but they mentored the kids underneath them while also keeping on schedule.”

The film school itself, surprisingly, has won about 418 film awards — and includes two student Emmy awards (which they won last year) and two student Academy Awards as well. They also won first place for comedy in the 2016 College Television Awards.

The Dean of the school who has been in the job for five of those award-winning years, said that after Bernsen had appeared on the 700 Club with Pat Robertson, the preacher asked the professor to do a film with the actor that would involve the college. Robertson is the founder, chancellor and CEO of Regent University, which is an accredited college. He is also the liaison between the Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. and school which was founded in 1978 in Virginia Beach, VA.

“So we figured out how to match the curriculum with the film,” said Dr. Mitch Land, the Dean of Regent’s School of Communications & the Arts. Land is also an executive producer on the film.

Bernsen was sent three scripts from Dr. Land, and one was written by Sean Gaffney, one of the school’s professors who previously worked at Warner Bros. as a story administrator in the feature story department from 2007 to 2013.

“The original film was called Jesse and Naomi and was loosely based on the Story of Ruth in the Bible. So that’s the story we picked to do our feature film. We lined up our courses to help facilitate the production, and we started working with Corbin’s film company and together co-produced this film,” said Dr. Land.

The romantic comedy stars Chelsey Crisp (Fresh off the Boat), Marilu Henner, Bernsen, Phillip Boyd (Tyler Perry’s The Have and the Have Nots) and Joe Williamson (Grey’s Anatomy) and begins with a husband cheating on his wife (Crisp) who becomes involved with the town pastor and they find a new life with each other. Also, two professors from the college have speaking roles and one professor is a casting agent on the side.

One of Regent University’s alumni is Tony Hale who has won two Emmy Awards himself for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Veep. Another is Cheryl McKay who adapted The Ultimate Gift in 2006 which starred James Garner; she is still working in the business.

“There is clearly a market for these films,” said Dr. Land, citing the success of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ and Alex Kendrick’s War Room. “Doing a feature film that is commercially available and sold and has their names on it propels our students’ careers. We don’t have a lot of money to do a lot of feature films, but we will keep doing them. There is no way to learn this craft better than actually doing them. And having mentors helping them with on-the-job training really catapults their learning curve. The more we can connect our curriculum to these kinds of projects, the better. I wish we had millions so we could do this constantly, but we are grateful to God for this opportunity.”

The entire cost of the film was $625K and the University fully financed it. In-Lawfully Yours, produced also by Bernsen and Chris Aronoff through their Los Angeles-based Home Theater Films, was shot between the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015. It is being distributed via Cinedigm on Sept. 6 on VOD and Digital HD.

In-Lawfully Yours, is about broken lives “and they don’t get fixed the way you think it will be done,” said Dr. Land. “It’s about judgmental people and it is not overly sentimental, but it is about second chances, and it’s still a faith-based film.”

Bernsen and Aronoff previously produced the 2014 film Christian Mingle, which had a small theatrical release before it was distributed in VOD and DVD. It was when Bernsen was promoting that film that he came upon Regent University and the film school. But, the actor/filmmaker has been producing faith-based films for about seven years now.

“After my Dad died, it struck me holding his bag of ashes, I thought what does this mean? Where has this great guy gone? I wrote a movie that basically wanted to explore faith and it was called Rust,” said Bernsen. “The next thing you know, I was drawn to making movies that were, for the lack of a better term, faith-based. I did this to explore my faith and my own relationship with God and Christ. I’m a Christian. In the middle of that, with the world getting darker and darker and stranger and stranger, there is now a growing demand for this kind of (product) so that sort of built on what I was doing on a personal level, and then we decided to do this as a business.” He added: “I’ve been writing these films and is not motivated by money and it just so happens to be that the faith-based films became popular.”

Bernsen said as the world grows darker, he is trying just to bring some balance to people. “I think it’s important to put some light in and let people know there is good out there. It’s not that I’m trying to push religion on them, I’m not trying to do that. All I’m trying to do is to shed some light.”

Of course, once the big studios realized that faith-based films could make money — for instance, God’s Not Dead came out of nowhere three years ago and grossed $62.6M on a budget of only $2M — there was a number of them that looked for projects immediately. Since then, the industry has seen the $100M+ budgeted Ben-Hur from Paramount bomb at the box office while the modestly budgeted Randall Wallace film Heaven is for Real (based on the best-selling book of the same name) succeed from Sony. War Room also was highly profitable with a $67.7M take but, once again, had a teeny budget of only around $3M.

Other films, not coming from the studios but from those in the faith, seem to work well overall with the core audience of moviegoers and there are a number of films to prove that: Fireproof (2008), Courageous (2011) come immediately to mind. All these films have kept budgets low and, in doing so, have become very profitable.

“I think the future is bright as long as they are writing truthful movies,” said Bernsen. “You have to look at the motivation for making it. When you redo or pander, it can blow up in your face. I want everyone to succeed. I know a lot of work goes into it, and I don’t want anyone to fail. People can tell the difference in films made for the art and for the heart. I can also sniff out films made for the dollar, and I think audiences feel that, too. It’s a very tricky business to say, let’s go make them. Those of us who understand God’s presence and God’s grace, understand that there are stories that need to be told. There are 100 stories to tell. The darker (society) gets, the greater the opportunity. I think there are going to be people that rise above and shine. I hope to be one of them but I can’t count that. I just do what I have to do.”

‘American Gods’: Corbin Bernsen Cast As Vulcan

(8/18/16) Psych alum Corbin Bernsen has been tapped for a potentially recurring role as Vulcan in Starz’s upcoming adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed fantasy novel American Gods.

Vulcan is one of Mr. Wednesday’s (Ian McShane) oldest allies. He’s created a comfortable life for himself by harnessing his powers for the modern world, which makes him resistant to Wednesday’s plans.

The plot of American Gods posits a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle), is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday (McShane), a conman who in reality is one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation to battle the new deities.

Bernsen appeared on all eight seasons of USA Network’s hit series Psych in the role of Henry Spencer. His breakout TV role came as lawyer Arnie Becker in the long-running LA Law, which earned him multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. He’s also known for the role of Roger Dorn in the Major League film franchise. He’s repped by Randy James Management and Innovative Artists.

American Gods is produced by FremantleMedia North America.

Gloria DeHaven Dies: Singer-Actress & Star Of MGM Musicals Was 91

Gloria DeHaven (Bess Shelby, Ryan’s Hope/Emma Mallory, All My Children/Sara Fuller, As The World Turns), one of the last surviving stars from Hollywood’s golden age who made her screen debut in the Charlie Chaplain Modern Times and went on to be featured in several hit MGM musicals and numerous television roles, has died in Las Vegas. She was 91.

Born in 1925, DeHaven was the daughter of actor and director Carter DeHaven and actress Flora Parker DeHaven, former Vaudevillians who transitioned to film in the 1910s. Growing up in Los Angeles and began her career with a bit part in 1936 with Modern Times, playing the younger sister of Paulette Goddard’s Gamin. Her next role came in 1940 with Susan and God, based on the successful play and starring Joan Crawford and Fredric March. She made three more films before being signed as a contract player with MGM, for which she appeared in several films alongside some of the biggest stars of the day.

Her first picture for MGM was the 1943 Lucille Ball musical comedy Best Foot Forward. Other films from her years with MGM include Thousands Cheer (1943) with Gene Kelly; Step Lively (1944) with Frank Sinatra; Summer Holiday (1948) with Mickey Rooney; The Doctor and the Girl (1949) with Glenn Ford and Nancy Reagan; and The Girl Rush (1955) with Rosalind Russell.

DeHaven notably portrayed her mother, Flora, in the 1950 film In Three Little Words, which tells the story of Tin Pan Alley songwriters Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby. Fred Astaire portrayed Kalmar in the film, with Red Skelton playing Ruby. DeHaven sang “Who’s Sorry Now?” in Three Little Words, which Astaire later said was one of his favorite films.

In addition to her acting career, DeHaven also worked as a singer in her own right, performing with Bob Crosby’s band and at one point hosting her own nightclub act, along with gigs in New York, Las Vegas, and London. In 1955 she debuted on Broadway, starring in the musical version of Seventh Heaven alongside Ricardo Montalban.

Later in her career, DeHaven moved to television, appearing as a regular on the soap operas Ryan’s Hope, As the World Turns, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman as well as the short-lived police drama Nakia. She also guest starred on numerous other shows including Robert Montgomery Presents, Appointment with Adventure, Johnny Ringo, Marcus Welby, M.D., Gunsmoke, Hart to Hart, The Love Boat, Mama’s Family, Highway to Heaven, Murder, She Wrote and Touched by an Angel.

DeHaven continued to work sporadically in television and film through the 1990s with her final film role in the Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau comedy Out To Sea.

She was married four times, first to The Restless Gun star John Payne, from 1944 to 1950. The couple had two children, daughter Kathleen Hope and son Thomas John Payne. Real estate developer Martin Kimmel was her second husband; they married in 1953 and divorced the next year. She was twice married to Richard Fincher, first from 1957 until 1963, and again from 1965 1969. They had two children, son Harry, and daughter Faith.

Living in a cage is second strangest thing about Kate Mulgrew’s childhood

Kate Mulgrew started her life with a full set of teeth and spent her early days in a cage.

“I was born with a set of perfect teeth,” Mulgrew, who plays Red on the hit Netflix prison dramedy “Orange Is the New Black,” revealed on the UK morning show “Lorraine” on Thursday. “They’re pearlescent, they’re blue. And they’re very dangerous because the baby can swallow them.”

Born in Iowa, Mulgrew, 61, added that her mother “had the guy come and take my teeth out.”

The condition is called natal teeth, according to the United States Library of Medicine. It’s an uncommon occurrence in babies and affects one out of every 2,000 or 3,000 births. These tiny loose teeth are often removed for fear of the baby “breathing” them in.

Mulgrew’s unusual childhood didn’t end there — she also spent several years in a cage.

“They built me a little cage because I had no sense of pain until I was 4 years old,” she explained. That condition is called congenital insensitivity to pain, per the United States National Library of Medicine.

“I was born with teeth and had no sense of pain. Shakespeare would have had a field day,” she quipped. “That’s what a witch is.”

While it’s unclear if Mulgrew’s overall health was affected by these conditions, she shared more about her childhood in her 2015 memoir “Born with Teeth.”

A request for comment from Mulgrew’s rep wasn’t immediately returned.

'L.A. Law' Star Corbin Bernsen Lists Mid-Century Pad For $1.5 Mill

(Photos) Corbin Bernsen and his actress wife, Amanda Pays, clearly aren't nesters ... 'cause they're putting their Sherman Oaks home on the market less than a year after buying it.

Amanda and Corbin -- best known for "L.A. Law" and the 'Major League' movies -- bought the mid-century crib for $1.275 million in August, and are now listing it for $1.549 million with their realtor, Max Nelson.

The classically restored pad has 2,400 square feet in an open-floor concept ... featuring exposed beams and brick. The 3 bedroom, 4 bath house also has great vistas on the Valley.

Christian Slater: I Know My Dad's Mentally Ill ... He Almost Killed Me Before I Was Born

Christian Slater doesn't need a medical degree to know his father is suffering from manic depressive schizophrenia -- he says he's gotten all the evidence he needs from his mother.

The "Mr. Robot" star just filed docs to get his dad Thomas Knight Slater's defamation lawsuit tossed, and in the docs he says his mother first told him about his father's diagnosis. He says she told him Thomas was taken to Bellevue Hospital in a straitjacket in 1972 after threatening to kill her and Christian.

He adds his father also pushed his mom into a busy street when she was pregnant with Christian ... according to her.

And there's this -- Christian included copies of rambling postcards he says his dad sent ... telling Christian he'd be nothing without him. For instance, one read ... "I take FULL CREDIT: I'm the vital ingredient."

We broke the story, Thomas sued his son for talking about his diagnosis in an interview.

Christian says his dad, an actor, hasn't worked since 1988 due to his mental health issues.

Lawsuit Against Christian Slater by His Father Is Part of a 'Long and Difficult Situation' Says Family Source

The $20 million lawsuit filed by Thomas Knight Slater against his son Christian Slater has a complicated back story.

Slater's father, 80, acted using the stage name Michael Hawkins. He appeared on the soap opera Ryan's Hope in the 1970s.

The elder Slater claims his son "ruined" his acting career because the Mr. Robot star said his father was "suffering from manic-depressive schizophrenia" in a December 2015 interview — years after the elder Slater's last credited role on IMDB, a small part in the 1988 action film Midnight Run.

But a family source says Slater's father a has long history of personal struggle.

"His father has had his troubles," says the source. "Christian has done what he can for him financially by supporting him for many years, but eventually had to distance himself because of his erratic behavior."

Thomas Knight Slater previously claimed in a Dec. 2015 National Enquirer interview that Slater's mother, his ex-wife Mary Jo Slater, a casting agent, had "poisoned" his son against him.

"It's been a long and difficult situation," says the source. "The lawsuit is baseless."

Christian Slater Sued by His Dad ... I Don't Have Schizophrenia

Christian Slater destroyed his father's acting career by going public with allegations his dad is suffering from mental illness ... according to a new defamation lawsuit.

Thomas Knight Slater -- who's acted under the name Michael Hawkins -- says his son did an interview last year where he described his father as suffering from "manic-depressive schizophrenia."

Hawkins denies the comment and points out his son has no medical creds to make such a diagnosis.

In the suit -- filed Wednesday in L.A. and obtained by TMZ -- Hawkins says the article resulted in him being "blacklisted" in Hollywood. He says he was hoping to land more roles in the "autumn of his life," but that won't be possible after Christian's lies.

Hawkins had roles in soap operas like "Ryan's Hope" and "As the World Turns" in the '70s. He's also had small roles in some big movies -- 'Amityville Horror,' "Midnight Run" and "Mommie Dearest."

Dad is suing for at least $20 million.

Former Soap Star's Win Golden Globe Awards

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA

LEONARDO DICAPRIO, THE REVENANT

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, LIMITED SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

CHRISTIAN SLATER, MR. ROBOT

Grant Show Joins ABC Drama Series ‘The Family’

Devious Maids star Grant Show has been cast in a recurring role opposite Joan Allen in ABC’s new midseason drama series The Family. Written by Jenna Bans, The Family follows the return of a politician’s young son who was presumed dead after disappearing over a decade earlier. As the mysterious young man is welcomed back into his family suspicions emerge — is he really who he says he is?

Show will play Charlie Lang, the ego-driven, blue blood Democratic incumbent Governor of Maine, who will face off against the surging Republican candidate Claire Warren (Allen) in the state’s upcoming election. Privileged from birth, career politician Lang will be thrown off his game while dealing with Warren, and start to suspect there is something sinister going on after her youngest son’s seemingly miraculous return from captivity. Bans executive produces with Todd Lieberman, David Hoberman and Laurie Zaks. ABC Studios is the studio.

Show has played Spence Westmore on all three seasons of Lifetime’s Devious Maids and will return for the series’ fourth season in 2016. He is repped by One Entertainment and UTA.

Christopher Meloni & Marg Helgenberger Join ‘Holding Patterns’

Coming of age dramedy Holding Patterns has added Christopher Meloni and Marg Helgenberger to the cast, joining Freddie Highmore, Odeya Rush and Haley Joel Osment. The film follows a young man (Highmore) still living at home with his mother and stepfather who sets his sight on a girl (Rush) who works at his local coffee shop. The problem — she has a serious boyfriend. As the two become closer, the line between friendship and romance becomes blurred and they’re forced to examine where their lives are going. Meloni will play Howard, while Helgenberger will play Samantha, Highmore’s mother. Rita Volk, Jake Abel, Taylor John Smith and Gary Ray Moore co-star.

Written and directed by Jake Goldberger, Alex Ginzburg and Tony Lee produce for Let It Play, along with Jim Young for Animus Films. Animus also produced Goldberger’s debut feature Don McKay, starring Thomas Haden Church, Elisabeth Shue and Melissa Leo. Let It Play most recently was behind Hardcore, starring Sharlto Copely and Haley Bennett, produced by Timur Bekmembetov; the action film premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. Let It Play is also developing Crossface, about WWE superstar Chris Benoit, who shockingly killed his wife and 7-year-old son before committing suicide in 2007.

Meloni was just seen in Wet Hot American Summer: First Day Of Camp, and currently in The Diary Of A Teenage Girl. He’s repped by Gersh and Industry Entertainment. Helgenberger can next be seen in the upcoming CSI finale. She’s repped by ICM Partners, Sanders Armstrong Caserta, and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson. Goldberger is repped by Industry Entertainment.

SOAP FAVE RELEASES ALBUM

Ilene Kristen (ex-Delia, GH; ex-Roxy, OLTL et al) released her first album today entitled …I'm Not Done With U Yet! The album can be purchased on iTunes or Amazon, and features 12 songs. The actress was most recently seen on GH in May.

Kelsey Grammer Reflects on the 'Terrible Loss' and Guilt After His Sister's 1975 Murder

He now stars in Broadway's Finding Neverland and lives a happy life with wife Kayte Walsh and their two children. But Kelsey Grammer still revisits a family tragedy that occurred 40 years ago.

The 60-year-old actor opened up about the 1975 murder of his sister and the looming guilt and self-destruction he battled in the aftermath in a new interview in Vanity Fair's May issue.

The Frasier alum spoke candidly about his alcohol and cocaine addiction that spiraled at the height of his success around the death of his sister Karen Elisa, who was murdered by serial killer Freddie Lee Glenn Jr. when she was 18. Grammer was 20 at the time.

"I'll speak to the straight of it. That was the time when I could not forgive myself for my sister's death," he told the magazine.

Grammer also explained that he couldn't help but feel responsible for not protecting his sister: "It's hard to explain. It's not rational. But it happens anyway," he said.

"I know a lot of people who've lost their siblings and blame themselves."

But Grammer still holds onto the "biggest lesson" that he took away from the family heartbreak: "Every one of us is going to experience some terrible loss."

"I just got a big dose," he told VF. "For every story you hear that's tragic, there's another that's equally tragic or more so. I think you come to look at it as part of life."

Now the husband and father of six focuses on a life full of family with British flight attendant Kayte Walsh, whom he married in 2011. The couple have two children together, Faith Evangeline Elisa, 2 ½, and Kelsey Gabriel Elias, 1 ½.

"This lovely young woman lit up my world and changed my heart, which was a bit calloused and hardened against a lot of things. And we are good, and I feel young and alive," he said of his wife.

He's also balancing a busy schedule, appearing as both producer Charles Frohman and Captain Hook in the stage version of the 2004 Peter Pan film Finding Neverland, alongside former Glee actor Matthew Morrison, 36. The show premiered Wednesday at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City.

Yasmine Bleeth pulls on sneakers and work-out pants as she takes a weekend stroll with her husband

(dailymail.co.uk) (Photo) She had a well documented struggle with drug abuse which ultimately ended her Baywatch days.

But now, almost 20 years on from her role in the famous red swimsuit, Yasmine Bleeth looks the picture of health.

The 46-year-old former actress was spotted in Hollywood on Saturday in sneakers and work-out pants taking a stroll with her husband, Paul Cerrito.

The road to recovery: Former Baywatch star Yasmine Bleeth pictured with her husband Paul Cerrito in Hollywood on Saturday.

Yasmine, who played Caroline Holden in the long running show, looked happy and relaxed alongside her strip club owning husband who she met in rehab in 1997.

Dressed casually in cropped, Lycra leggings and sneakers, and with a baggy grey vest under a striped cardigan, the reclusive star looked a far cry from her modelling heyday.

For every year between 1996 and 2001, the beauty made FHM's 100 Sexiest Women In The World list.

At one point she even had her own line of lingerie.

In a 2012 interview with Esquire, the show's producer Douglas Schwartz explained why she was let go from the cast.

'We had one issue with Yasmine Bleeth, who was doing drugs at the time.

'And so we were dealing with Yasmine not showing up and having difficulties, again with men.

'That's why we let Yasmine go off the show: because it was too difficult to deal with her after awhile.'

In a 2003 essay she wrote for Glamour magazine, she admitted that her cocaine habit was so severe that she once collapsed at a photo shoot and went without sleep for five days at a time.

Adding that: 'consciously trying to stay off drugs is now part of my life and always will be.'

Since successfully battling her demons, Yasmine - who once dated Matthew Perry - has kept out of the public eye, photographed only very occasionally.

But she has undertaken extensive work to raise money for breast cancer research after losing her mother to the disease when she was only 20.

"Baywatch" Star Yasmine Bleeth Resurfaces After 10 Years -- See Her Now!

(Photo) She's back on the beach!

"Baywatch" alum Yasmine Bleeth made her first public appearance in over 10 years this month, resurfacing at Venice Beach, of all places.

The busty brunette was introduced on the classic show's fourth season as Caroline Holden, the sister of Alexandra Paul's character, Stephanie. She quickly became one of the series' hottest commodities and was even named one of People Magazine's Most Beautiful.

But after being let go from the show amid drug issues, an arrest and a trip to rehab, the actress all but disappeared. Her last public appearance was back in 2003, at an engagement party for Carmen Electra and Dennis Rodman.

Now 46, Bleeth resurfaced alongside "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Eileen Davidson and each of their husbands in a Twitter photo the soap star posted last week. The group was at the beach to take part in the annual "Penguin Swim" on New Year's Day.

We gotta say, she looks pretty great for someone who's been in hiding for over a decade!

We're told Yasmine turns down almost all media requests, especially ones related to "Baywatch," and likes to keep private these days.

In Stores Now

In Stores Now: The Ladies of Garrison Gardens : A Novel -- by LOUISE SHAFFER (ex-Rae, Ryan's Hope)