Many people who think of Phil Donahue, the pioneering talk show host who died on Sunday at 88, may conjure the caricatured image as played by Phil Hartman on Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s: roving around his set with a mic, interrogating his weeping guests at machine gun-pace, rolling his eyes and barking at audience members’ insipid questions. They think of him as someone with absolutely zero bedside manner, as Hartman does in this SNL segment featuring Donahue barking at a parade of sobbing domestic violence victims.
Donahue’s...
Donahue’s...
- 8/19/2024
- by Ej Dickson
- Rollingstone.com
In 2019, "The Big Bang Theory" ended after twelve seasons and as many years — an ending that was largely determined by the show's star, Jim Parsons. So why did Parsons decide to leave Sheldon Cooper and his enormous collection of superhero tees behind? There was just a whole lot going on in his personal life at the time.
Parsons spoke to former "Doctor Who" star David Tennant on the latter's podcast in August of 2020 and revealed that he had a feeling that, when he signed a contract for two years following the show's tenth anniversary, that he would conclude his run as Sheldon then. "Our final contract was for the last two years, but no one knew when we signed it what that would mean. I kind of had a suspicion in my heart that that was going to be it for me when I did sign that contract, but you...
Parsons spoke to former "Doctor Who" star David Tennant on the latter's podcast in August of 2020 and revealed that he had a feeling that, when he signed a contract for two years following the show's tenth anniversary, that he would conclude his run as Sheldon then. "Our final contract was for the last two years, but no one knew when we signed it what that would mean. I kind of had a suspicion in my heart that that was going to be it for me when I did sign that contract, but you...
- 8/18/2024
- by Nina Starner
- Slash Film
There’s funny, there’s very funny, and then there’s Oh, Mary!, Cole Escola’s riotous new comedy that brings more laughs to Broadway than all the Gutenberg!s, Edelmans and Birbiglias combined. You can throw in Shucked for good measure.
Escola, low-key famous these last few years through YouTube videos, late night appearances and gigs for TV’s The Other Two and Difficult People, ups the career stakes immensely with Oh, Mary!, opening tonight at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre. With nods and hints to Charles Busch, the late, great and forever Ridiculous Everett Quinton, the Sedaris siblings, Carol Burnett, Pee-wee Herman and Absolutely Fabulous, Escola squeezes just enough juice from their influences for a mix that is entirely fresh and not to be missed.
Following its acclaimed and sold-out Off Broadway engagement at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, Oh, Mary!, directed by Sam Pinkleton without so much as a split second wasted,...
Escola, low-key famous these last few years through YouTube videos, late night appearances and gigs for TV’s The Other Two and Difficult People, ups the career stakes immensely with Oh, Mary!, opening tonight at Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre. With nods and hints to Charles Busch, the late, great and forever Ridiculous Everett Quinton, the Sedaris siblings, Carol Burnett, Pee-wee Herman and Absolutely Fabulous, Escola squeezes just enough juice from their influences for a mix that is entirely fresh and not to be missed.
Following its acclaimed and sold-out Off Broadway engagement at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, Oh, Mary!, directed by Sam Pinkleton without so much as a split second wasted,...
- 7/12/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Matt Bomer, the guest on this episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast, is a talented and dashing actor and producer. Bomer made his name on the USA drama series White Collar (2009-2014) and in films such as 2012’s Magic Mike. He later won Golden Globe and Critics Choice awards and was nominated for an Emmy for his turn in the 2014 HBO movie adaptation of Larry Kramer’s play The Normal Heart. Most recently, he has garnered some of the best reviews of his career for his portrayal of a closeted State Dept. employee in a decades-spanning secret relationship with another man on the 2023 Showtime limited series Fellow Travelers, for which he has already won a Peabody Award and been nominated for Golden Globe, SAG, Critics Choice and People’s Choice awards.
Over the course of this episode, the 46-year-old reflects on his own journey as a gay...
Over the course of this episode, the 46-year-old reflects on his own journey as a gay...
- 6/10/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In front of a very enthusiastic audience of more than 600 fans, students and SAG-AFTRA members, actor Matt Bomer shared an unvarnished take on the heartache, hurdles and proudest moments he’s experienced in his 20-year film and television career.
Bomer appeared at the annual TV festival in Atlanta to accept The Hollywood Reporter’s Trailblazer Award – presented to him by current Scad acting student Eric Ackerman – for his contributions to storytelling. Bomer was specifically honored for his amplification of Lgtbq+ stories and characters in projects such as HBO’s The Normal Heart, Netflix’s 2024 Oscar contender Maestro and Showtime’s Fellow Travelers, to name just a few.
The award was created in 2023 to acknowledge artists whose work, often without fanfare, reflects a commitment to telling stories previously marginalized by Hollywood. Recent honorees have included David Oyelowo, Niecy Nash and Eva Longoria.
Following his heartfelt acceptance of the award, Bomer...
Bomer appeared at the annual TV festival in Atlanta to accept The Hollywood Reporter’s Trailblazer Award – presented to him by current Scad acting student Eric Ackerman – for his contributions to storytelling. Bomer was specifically honored for his amplification of Lgtbq+ stories and characters in projects such as HBO’s The Normal Heart, Netflix’s 2024 Oscar contender Maestro and Showtime’s Fellow Travelers, to name just a few.
The award was created in 2023 to acknowledge artists whose work, often without fanfare, reflects a commitment to telling stories previously marginalized by Hollywood. Recent honorees have included David Oyelowo, Niecy Nash and Eva Longoria.
Following his heartfelt acceptance of the award, Bomer...
- 2/8/2024
- by Stacey Wilson Hunt
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Fellow Travelers” stars Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer will not be competing against each for a Golden Globe.
Sources tell me that Bailey has decided to submit for supporting actor in a limited series for his work in the Showtime series, clearing the way for Bomer to go for lead.
Bailey will do the same for the Emmys and SAG Awards.
“Fellow Travelers,” written by Ron Nyswaner and based on the Thomas Mallon novel of the same name, tells the story of a decades-long romance between a Washington D.C. bureaucrat (Bomer) and a social activist (Bailey) as they navigate the changing times from the 1950s through the AIDS epidemic.
News of Bailey’s Globes decision comes just days after I caught up with the Brit actor on Nov. 16 in Los Angeles at the GQ Men of the Year party, where he talked about the impact of “Fellow Travelers.” “I...
Sources tell me that Bailey has decided to submit for supporting actor in a limited series for his work in the Showtime series, clearing the way for Bomer to go for lead.
Bailey will do the same for the Emmys and SAG Awards.
“Fellow Travelers,” written by Ron Nyswaner and based on the Thomas Mallon novel of the same name, tells the story of a decades-long romance between a Washington D.C. bureaucrat (Bomer) and a social activist (Bailey) as they navigate the changing times from the 1950s through the AIDS epidemic.
News of Bailey’s Globes decision comes just days after I caught up with the Brit actor on Nov. 16 in Los Angeles at the GQ Men of the Year party, where he talked about the impact of “Fellow Travelers.” “I...
- 11/22/2023
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Director Gavin Hood's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" was designed to usher in a shiny new era for Fox's "X-Men" films. After the studio's original mutant trilogy came to an ignominious end in 2006 with "X-Men: The Last Stand" (a film that saw alleged sexual harasser Brett Ratner replace alleged sexual predator Bryan Singer at the helm), Fox decided to soft reboot the franchise by making a prequel film about Hugh Jackman's Man With the Adamantium Claws. "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" even teed up potential spinoffs by introducing Ryan Reynolds as a pre-Deadpool Wade Wilson and Taylor Kitsch as the Ragin' Cajun himself, the smooth-talking, card-chucking thief Remy LeBeau, better known as Gambit.
Pulling what we'd now call a "Black Adam," Hood's prequel did indeed change the hierarchy of Fox's X-Men Universe ... just not in the way it intended. The film's negative critical response and middling box office turnout led to...
Pulling what we'd now call a "Black Adam," Hood's prequel did indeed change the hierarchy of Fox's X-Men Universe ... just not in the way it intended. The film's negative critical response and middling box office turnout led to...
- 8/27/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Awards season has officially arrived (though it's felt like a never-ending cycle for quite some time now), and one of the most closely watched thoroughbreds is Bradley Cooper's Leonard Bernstein drama, "Maestro."
A major motion picture recounting the life and times of Bernstein has been in the works for years. Martin Scorsese was attached to direct the project for Paramount, but dropped out when the financing came together for his long-in-gestation gangland epic "The Irishman." The film eventually found its way to Cooper, who skillfully maneuvered his way into the director's chair before his directorial debut, "A Star Is Born," became a 2018 awards season sensation.
Why all the fuss about a Bernstein-centric movie? The man was a powerhouse American composer and conductor who openly embraced his Jewish identity, while privately struggling with his sexual orientation. He was a cultural giant, one whose stature has faded along with the declining interest in classical music.
A major motion picture recounting the life and times of Bernstein has been in the works for years. Martin Scorsese was attached to direct the project for Paramount, but dropped out when the financing came together for his long-in-gestation gangland epic "The Irishman." The film eventually found its way to Cooper, who skillfully maneuvered his way into the director's chair before his directorial debut, "A Star Is Born," became a 2018 awards season sensation.
Why all the fuss about a Bernstein-centric movie? The man was a powerhouse American composer and conductor who openly embraced his Jewish identity, while privately struggling with his sexual orientation. He was a cultural giant, one whose stature has faded along with the declining interest in classical music.
- 8/24/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
“She’s 100% a professional, and this is a great night for professionals,” said the actor Juliet Mills as she accepted Glenda Jackson’s first Best Actress Oscar on the absent winner’s behalf at the 1970 Academy Awards. On the face of it, it sounds an oddly impersonal thing to say in the circumstances — almost as if Mills knew nothing of Jackson, and opted for the vaguest praise possible.
It proved, however, a rather apt way for Jackson, then 34, to be welcomed into Hollywood’s inner circle. A proudly working-class Brit who didn’t look or act (on screen or off) like the blushing English roses typically imported from across the pond, Jackson had markedly more interest in being a professional actor than in being a movie star. That spared her, even as she racked up assignments and awards, much of the fuss and frippery associated with A-list status — going to the Oscars included.
It proved, however, a rather apt way for Jackson, then 34, to be welcomed into Hollywood’s inner circle. A proudly working-class Brit who didn’t look or act (on screen or off) like the blushing English roses typically imported from across the pond, Jackson had markedly more interest in being a professional actor than in being a movie star. That spared her, even as she racked up assignments and awards, much of the fuss and frippery associated with A-list status — going to the Oscars included.
- 6/15/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Glenda Jackson, whose illustrious career spanned from classic feature films like Sunday Bloody Sunday, Women in Love and A Touch of Class to a political career at the British Parliament, passed peacefully this morning at her home in London. She was 87 years old. Jackson has been said to have been battling an illness recently. Although she had transitioned from movies to civil service, the actress will appear in one last film project as she just wrapped her scenes opposite Sir Michael Caine in a movie titled The Great Escaper.
Jackson’s agent Lionel Larner released an official statement according to Variety. In the statement, Larner declares, ”Glenda Jackson, two-time Academy Award-winning actress and politician, died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side. She recently completed filming The Great Escaper in which she co-starred with Michael Caine.”
In addition to films,...
Jackson’s agent Lionel Larner released an official statement according to Variety. In the statement, Larner declares, ”Glenda Jackson, two-time Academy Award-winning actress and politician, died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side. She recently completed filming The Great Escaper in which she co-starred with Michael Caine.”
In addition to films,...
- 6/15/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Glenda Jackson, who segued from a successful actress — Oscars for “Women in Love” and “A Touch of Class” and two Emmys for “Elizabeth R” — into a 23-year career as member of the U.K.’s House of Commons, has died. She was 87.
Jackson died after a brief illness at her home in London, her agent Lionel Larner said. “Glenda Jackson, two-time Academy Award-winning actress and politician, died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side. She recently completed filming ‘The Great Escaper’ in which she co-starred with Michael Caine,” Larner said in a statement.
Aside from her prize-winning roles, Jackson gave terrific performances in such films as 1967’s “Marat/Sade” (as Charlotte Corday), “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and on TV in “The Patricia Neal Story,” a 1981 work about that actress’s stroke and recovery with husband Roald Dahl. A defining role in...
Jackson died after a brief illness at her home in London, her agent Lionel Larner said. “Glenda Jackson, two-time Academy Award-winning actress and politician, died peacefully at her home in Blackheath, London this morning after a brief illness with her family at her side. She recently completed filming ‘The Great Escaper’ in which she co-starred with Michael Caine,” Larner said in a statement.
Aside from her prize-winning roles, Jackson gave terrific performances in such films as 1967’s “Marat/Sade” (as Charlotte Corday), “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and on TV in “The Patricia Neal Story,” a 1981 work about that actress’s stroke and recovery with husband Roald Dahl. A defining role in...
- 6/15/2023
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Broadway and film star Joel Grey and John Kander, composer of Cabaret, Chicago and more, will receive the 2023 Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.
Grey was the original Amos Hart in the 1996 Chicago and the original Emcee in Cabaret on Broadway, for which he won a Tony Award. He later received an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA for his performance in the film adaptation. Kander, who co-wrote those legendary musicals with the late lyricist Fred Ebb, is currently represented on Broadway with the musical New York, New York.
“We are immensely thrilled to honor two legends in their own rights. John Kander has composed the soundtrack to all of our lives – meeting us in every decade – creating unforgettable scores for Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and his current Broadway hit New York, New York,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League.
“As a legendary actor and director,...
Grey was the original Amos Hart in the 1996 Chicago and the original Emcee in Cabaret on Broadway, for which he won a Tony Award. He later received an Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA for his performance in the film adaptation. Kander, who co-wrote those legendary musicals with the late lyricist Fred Ebb, is currently represented on Broadway with the musical New York, New York.
“We are immensely thrilled to honor two legends in their own rights. John Kander has composed the soundtrack to all of our lives – meeting us in every decade – creating unforgettable scores for Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and his current Broadway hit New York, New York,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League.
“As a legendary actor and director,...
- 5/3/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actor Joel Grey and composer John Kander will each receive the 2023 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, the Tony Awards Administration Committee announced today
“We are immensely thrilled to honor two legends in their own rights,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “John Kander has composed the soundtrack to all of our lives – meeting us in every decade – creating unforgettable scores for Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and his current Broadway hit New York, New York.”
Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, said of Grey, “As a legendary actor and director, Joel Grey has made an everlasting impact, from Cabaret, to Goodtime Charley, The Normal Heart and his acclaimed Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof. Mr. Grey and Mr. Kander are true giants of the theatre, and we are honored to say Wilkommen as the recipients of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards.
“We are immensely thrilled to honor two legends in their own rights,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League. “John Kander has composed the soundtrack to all of our lives – meeting us in every decade – creating unforgettable scores for Cabaret, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and his current Broadway hit New York, New York.”
Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, said of Grey, “As a legendary actor and director, Joel Grey has made an everlasting impact, from Cabaret, to Goodtime Charley, The Normal Heart and his acclaimed Yiddish production of Fiddler on the Roof. Mr. Grey and Mr. Kander are true giants of the theatre, and we are honored to say Wilkommen as the recipients of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards.
- 5/3/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
San Francisco, Feb 16 (Ians) Stanford research scientist Andreas Paepcke paid 200,000 and former Stanford Law School dean Larry Kramer put up 500,000 to help former crypto exchange Ftx founder and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried get bail.
Bankman-Fried is currently living with his parents in California, thanks to a 250 million bail secured by his parent’s home as well as two people who had been kept anonymous, reports The Verge.
Now, the judge at District Court for the Southern District of New York has granted the motion to unseal the documents of his bail.
Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas on December 12 and extradition to the US on December 21.
He was released on 250 million bond and reappeared in the court on January 3.
Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering charges.
As part of the bond agreement, Bankman-Fried will wear an “electronic monitoring bracelet” and submit to “mental health counselling” amid restrictions...
Bankman-Fried is currently living with his parents in California, thanks to a 250 million bail secured by his parent’s home as well as two people who had been kept anonymous, reports The Verge.
Now, the judge at District Court for the Southern District of New York has granted the motion to unseal the documents of his bail.
Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas on December 12 and extradition to the US on December 21.
He was released on 250 million bond and reappeared in the court on January 3.
Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering charges.
As part of the bond agreement, Bankman-Fried will wear an “electronic monitoring bracelet” and submit to “mental health counselling” amid restrictions...
- 2/16/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”
After the success of “Uncut Gems,” filmmaker brothers Josh and Benny Safdie and their star Adam Sandler have a lot to live up to with their next collaboration. The trio announced in October they were reuniting for an untitled film for Netflix.
While details about the project are under wraps, Sandler did tell me Monday at the Gotham Awards that he’s going to have a much “different look” than he’s ever had. “I can’t say that I’m gonna look that handsome in it,” Sandler said. “It’s not a handsome moment…It’s gonna be tough.”
As for the storyline, Sandler would only say, “They’re working hard. Every time I talk to them they say they are working hand.”
Sandler starred in “Uncut Gems” as a Howard Ratner, a shady New York City jeweler with a gambling addiction.
After the success of “Uncut Gems,” filmmaker brothers Josh and Benny Safdie and their star Adam Sandler have a lot to live up to with their next collaboration. The trio announced in October they were reuniting for an untitled film for Netflix.
While details about the project are under wraps, Sandler did tell me Monday at the Gotham Awards that he’s going to have a much “different look” than he’s ever had. “I can’t say that I’m gonna look that handsome in it,” Sandler said. “It’s not a handsome moment…It’s gonna be tough.”
As for the storyline, Sandler would only say, “They’re working hard. Every time I talk to them they say they are working hand.”
Sandler starred in “Uncut Gems” as a Howard Ratner, a shady New York City jeweler with a gambling addiction.
- 11/29/2022
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Warning: The below feature contains major spoilers for HBO's "Six Feet Under."
In 2001, Ryan Murphy had not adapted "The Normal Heart" for television. Mike Nichols had not yet transformed "Angels in America" into a six-part miniseries for HBO. While serious gay art thrived on the stage -- thanks to the pioneering efforts of writers like Tony Kushner, Larry Kramer, and Terrence McNally -- television offerings were bleak. For those looking for legitimate queer representation on television, a sassy guest star was often the best they got. Thankfully, "Six Feet Under" came along and changed the landscape.
"Six Feet Under," a show about death, has taught me everything about life. I continue to learn from the five-season series, even seventeen years after its daring and unforgettable conclusion. Over numerous rewatches, I switch allegiances. Some years I'm a Brenda (Rachel Griffiths), a David (Michael C. Hall), a Nate (Peter Krause), and recently,...
In 2001, Ryan Murphy had not adapted "The Normal Heart" for television. Mike Nichols had not yet transformed "Angels in America" into a six-part miniseries for HBO. While serious gay art thrived on the stage -- thanks to the pioneering efforts of writers like Tony Kushner, Larry Kramer, and Terrence McNally -- television offerings were bleak. For those looking for legitimate queer representation on television, a sassy guest star was often the best they got. Thankfully, "Six Feet Under" came along and changed the landscape.
"Six Feet Under," a show about death, has taught me everything about life. I continue to learn from the five-season series, even seventeen years after its daring and unforgettable conclusion. Over numerous rewatches, I switch allegiances. Some years I'm a Brenda (Rachel Griffiths), a David (Michael C. Hall), a Nate (Peter Krause), and recently,...
- 11/5/2022
- by Justin McDevitt
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
Amanda Mackey, the busy casting director who worked on The Fugitive and four other films for director Andrew Davis and shared an Emmy nomination for populating Larry Kramer‘s The Normal Heart, has died. She was 70.
Mackey died Saturday at Calvary Hospital in Brooklyn after a battle with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer, longtime business partner Cathy Sandrich Gelfond told The Hollywood Reporter.
She received one Artios Award for her work on A League of Their Own (1993) and shared another one with Sandrich Gelfond for Smokin’ Aces (2006) — she collected 15 Artios nominations in all — and the pair were featured in the eye-opening 2012 documentary Casting By.
Mackey was “an unwaveringly steadfast friend and champion in a time when women weren’t as supportive to other women as they are now,” Sandrich Gelfond said in a statement. “She believed in me, lifted me up and gave me a career.
Amanda Mackey, the busy casting director who worked on The Fugitive and four other films for director Andrew Davis and shared an Emmy nomination for populating Larry Kramer‘s The Normal Heart, has died. She was 70.
Mackey died Saturday at Calvary Hospital in Brooklyn after a battle with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer, longtime business partner Cathy Sandrich Gelfond told The Hollywood Reporter.
She received one Artios Award for her work on A League of Their Own (1993) and shared another one with Sandrich Gelfond for Smokin’ Aces (2006) — she collected 15 Artios nominations in all — and the pair were featured in the eye-opening 2012 documentary Casting By.
Mackey was “an unwaveringly steadfast friend and champion in a time when women weren’t as supportive to other women as they are now,” Sandrich Gelfond said in a statement. “She believed in me, lifted me up and gave me a career.
- 8/31/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Edie Windsor’s memoir A Wild and Precious Life, the story of the acclaimed LGBTQ activist, is being developed as a limited series by Jim Parsons and Todd Spiewak’s That’s Wonderful Productions and Warner Bros. TV, which optioned the book for television development. Adam Milch (The Morning Show) is attached to write, showrun and executive produce.
The book, which will serve as source material for the series, will explore the life of Windsor, a marriage equality icon of the gay rights movement, her inspiring love story and how it changed the world, by overturning the Defense of Marriage Act (Doma). The project is timely as many perceive civil rights in the U.S., including marriage equality, under threat.
Per the logline: “Edie’s remarkable story changed history, but she was far from a traditional hero, and this series will be anything but your stuffy biopic. Known as the “Grand Dame of gay rights,...
The book, which will serve as source material for the series, will explore the life of Windsor, a marriage equality icon of the gay rights movement, her inspiring love story and how it changed the world, by overturning the Defense of Marriage Act (Doma). The project is timely as many perceive civil rights in the U.S., including marriage equality, under threat.
Per the logline: “Edie’s remarkable story changed history, but she was far from a traditional hero, and this series will be anything but your stuffy biopic. Known as the “Grand Dame of gay rights,...
- 7/11/2022
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”
I just got back from New York City, where I covered the MTV VMAs red carpet. To see Lil Nas X blazing his rainbow trail continues to amaze me in the most beautiful way. He is LGBTQ power and awareness personified. And then to top it all off, I had Troye Sivan teasing the upcoming video for his new sex-centric single, “Angel Baby.” Reflecting on his career and now Lil Nas X’s monumental rise, Sivan says, “We’re moving in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Lil Nas X, whose debut studio album “Montero” drops on Sept. 17, says he’d also love to work with Drake and Nicki Minaj. “I love them,” he says. When I suggest a three-way collaboration, Lil Nays says with a big smile, “Let’s do both of them at the same time!”.
In LGBTQ-adjacent news, it sounds like...
I just got back from New York City, where I covered the MTV VMAs red carpet. To see Lil Nas X blazing his rainbow trail continues to amaze me in the most beautiful way. He is LGBTQ power and awareness personified. And then to top it all off, I had Troye Sivan teasing the upcoming video for his new sex-centric single, “Angel Baby.” Reflecting on his career and now Lil Nas X’s monumental rise, Sivan says, “We’re moving in the right direction.”
Meanwhile, Lil Nas X, whose debut studio album “Montero” drops on Sept. 17, says he’d also love to work with Drake and Nicki Minaj. “I love them,” he says. When I suggest a three-way collaboration, Lil Nays says with a big smile, “Let’s do both of them at the same time!”.
In LGBTQ-adjacent news, it sounds like...
- 9/16/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
The filmmakers responsible for “Fauci” may appear to be unusually speedy bandwagon jumpers, but there’s more to the timeliness of their feature-length look at Dr. Anthony Fauci than first meets the log line. Directors John Hoffman and Janet Tobias started work on it before Covid was known to exist, having had the idea that he was a fascinating figure just for his role in the AIDS crisis in the ’80s, ’90s and early 2000s. “Fauci” has naturally ended up being a tale of two pandemics, and the battles that can erupt between scientists and activists. One of them even has a happy ending, and, probably needless to say, it’s not the one that has him getting threats from the enemies of epidemiology at the moment.
Probably a minority of viewers for the National Geographic Documentary Films release (set to hit theaters this month) know or remember that the...
Probably a minority of viewers for the National Geographic Documentary Films release (set to hit theaters this month) know or remember that the...
- 9/3/2021
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has released the first trailer for “Pray Away,” the Ryan Murphy- and Jason Blum/Blumhouse Television-produced documentary about the so-called “ex-gay” movement.
The Kristine Stolakis-directed film, which will premiere Aug. 3 on the streamer, chronicles the rise and fall of Exodus International, a group founded in the 1970s by five members of an evangelical church that claimed gay people could become straight if they “pray away” their homosexuality. Since then, many of the group’s most well-known and outspoken members have come out as Lgtbq and have gone public with how harmful conversion therapy is. Conversion therapy is discredited by the World Health Organization and LGBTQ activists have forged legislative and legal battles across the world to ban the therapies.
The 2:35-minute trailer shows Exodus members disavowing the practice after touting they’d been converted on various talk shows and news programs. A new poster features...
The Kristine Stolakis-directed film, which will premiere Aug. 3 on the streamer, chronicles the rise and fall of Exodus International, a group founded in the 1970s by five members of an evangelical church that claimed gay people could become straight if they “pray away” their homosexuality. Since then, many of the group’s most well-known and outspoken members have come out as Lgtbq and have gone public with how harmful conversion therapy is. Conversion therapy is discredited by the World Health Organization and LGBTQ activists have forged legislative and legal battles across the world to ban the therapies.
The 2:35-minute trailer shows Exodus members disavowing the practice after touting they’d been converted on various talk shows and news programs. A new poster features...
- 7/12/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
John Benjamin Hickey is best known to TV audiences for his Emmy-nominated role as Laura Linney’s sketchy brother on Showtime’s “The Big C.” Now the Tony-winning actor is likely to pick up a second Emmy nomination as a white-collar criminal facing his demons on a therapist’s couch on HBO’s “In Treatment.” Hickey delivers an incendiary performance as Colin, whose probation from serving a prison sentence for fraud is dependent upon shrink Brooke Taylor (Uzo Aduba) signing off on some court-mandated therapy. Is this mercurial fellow, who has spit at a female prison guard, been thrown over a stair railing by a psycho inmate and lost everything he once held dear, ready to go out into the world again?
SEEThe ‘Hamilton’ actors most likely to earn Emmy bids for their non-‘Hamilton’ performances, ranked
Episode 2 best reflects Hickey’s nuanced performance. A monologue in which Colin tells...
SEEThe ‘Hamilton’ actors most likely to earn Emmy bids for their non-‘Hamilton’ performances, ranked
Episode 2 best reflects Hickey’s nuanced performance. A monologue in which Colin tells...
- 6/16/2021
- by Robert Rorke
- Gold Derby
John Schlesinger decided not to attend the Academy Awards in 1970, even though his film “Midnight Cowboy” had been nominated for Best Picture and he was up for Best Director. On the evening of April 7, 1970, otherwise known as Oscar night, the British director remained in London with his American boyfriend, the photographer Michael Childers. Schlesinger didn’t want to make the brutal 24-hour roundtrip flight to Hollywood and back, and besides, he was well into production on his follow-up film, “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” For him, it was a very personal project, and, in some ways, an even more controversial film than “Midnight Cowboy.”
As Schlesinger explained it, the genesis of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” went back to the early 1960s when he was directing his first play for the Royal Shakespeare Company. “At the time, I had a very intense affair with one of the actors, a man who was bisexual,” Schlesinger recalled.
As Schlesinger explained it, the genesis of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” went back to the early 1960s when he was directing his first play for the Royal Shakespeare Company. “At the time, I had a very intense affair with one of the actors, a man who was bisexual,” Schlesinger recalled.
- 6/2/2021
- by Robert Hofler
- The Wrap
“Just when you had him pegged as a lot of different bad and some good things, he […] subverts your expectations,” shares John Benjamin Hickey about his character in the fourth season of HBO’s “In Treatment.” Spoilers Ahead For The 4th Season as Hickey stars as Colin, a former tech titan who sees Uzo Aduba’s Dr. Brooke Taylor during the most tumultuous moment in his personal and professional lives. Watch our exclusive video interview with Hickey above.
Hickey describes Colin as “a mass of contradictions.” The process of developing such a complex role over the course of six episodes was “surprising,” Hickey says, and he talks about finding in the narcissistic Colin “a genuine person whose pain was real.” Hickey received all six scripts ahead of shooting, but he and the “In Treatment” team decided that it would be better for him to only prepare one week at a...
Hickey describes Colin as “a mass of contradictions.” The process of developing such a complex role over the course of six episodes was “surprising,” Hickey says, and he talks about finding in the narcissistic Colin “a genuine person whose pain was real.” Hickey received all six scripts ahead of shooting, but he and the “In Treatment” team decided that it would be better for him to only prepare one week at a...
- 5/20/2021
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer’s famed play following the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, will take on a new form during a historic virtual table read on May 8.
For the first time, an almost entirely Black, LGBTQ and Poc cast of actors will star in the show, led by Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox and Jeremy Pope.
Vincent Rodriguez III, Guillermo Díaz, Jake Borelli, Ryan O’Connell, Daniel Newman, Jay Hayden and Danielle Savre will round out the cast, and Martin Sheen, star of the original London production in 1986, will also provide a special introduction.
Directed by Station 19 executive ...
For the first time, an almost entirely Black, LGBTQ and Poc cast of actors will star in the show, led by Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox and Jeremy Pope.
Vincent Rodriguez III, Guillermo Díaz, Jake Borelli, Ryan O’Connell, Daniel Newman, Jay Hayden and Danielle Savre will round out the cast, and Martin Sheen, star of the original London production in 1986, will also provide a special introduction.
Directed by Station 19 executive ...
The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer’s famed play following the start of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, will take on a new form during a historic virtual table read on May 8.
For the first time, an almost entirely Black, LGBTQ and Poc cast of actors will star in the show, led by Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox and Jeremy Pope.
Vincent Rodriguez III, Guillermo Díaz, Jake Borelli, Ryan O’Connell, Daniel Newman, Jay Hayden and Danielle Savre will round out the cast, and Martin Sheen, star of the original London production in 1986, will also provide a special introduction.
Directed by Station 19 executive ...
For the first time, an almost entirely Black, LGBTQ and Poc cast of actors will star in the show, led by Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox and Jeremy Pope.
Vincent Rodriguez III, Guillermo Díaz, Jake Borelli, Ryan O’Connell, Daniel Newman, Jay Hayden and Danielle Savre will round out the cast, and Martin Sheen, star of the original London production in 1986, will also provide a special introduction.
Directed by Station 19 executive ...
Who will be included for the special “In Memoriam” segment for Sunday night’s Oscars 2021 ceremony? With last year’s Academy Awards happening over 14 months ago, it means an even larger number of film veterans have died. Producers will hopefully be offering a longer remembrance and not leaving out people for the sake of time.
Superstar actor Chadwick Boseman died late last summer and is a nominee as Best Actor for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Previous Oscar winners from acting categories show who will likely be honored include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Past acting nominees include Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm, Shirley Knight, George Segal, Cicely Tyson, Max von Sydow and Stuart Whitman.
SEE2021 Oscars presenters: Last year’s winners Renee Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Laura Dern, Brad Pitt returning
Almost all of the near 100 people on the list below were Academy members.
Superstar actor Chadwick Boseman died late last summer and is a nominee as Best Actor for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Previous Oscar winners from acting categories show who will likely be honored include Sean Connery, Olivia de Havilland, Cloris Leachman and Christopher Plummer. Past acting nominees include Hal Holbrook, Ian Holm, Shirley Knight, George Segal, Cicely Tyson, Max von Sydow and Stuart Whitman.
SEE2021 Oscars presenters: Last year’s winners Renee Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Laura Dern, Brad Pitt returning
Almost all of the near 100 people on the list below were Academy members.
- 4/23/2021
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Call Me by Your Shame: Hermanus Mines Historical Trauma in Coming-of-Age Drama
It’s difficult to reconcile the messiness of the past with potential issues of accountability for those who straddle a precarious line between victim and victimizer. As such, there’s more to parse than meets the eye in Moffie, the fourth feature from South African auteur Oliver Hermanus.
Based on a novel by Andre Carl van der Merwe, thus named for the Afrikaans slur for gay men (the English-derived epithet which served as a title for Larry Kramer’s 1978 novel as well), Hermanus concocts the anti-Call Me by Your Name sentiment, or rather, a more commonplace tale where coming-of-age for young gay men is besotted by trauma and self-loathing.…...
It’s difficult to reconcile the messiness of the past with potential issues of accountability for those who straddle a precarious line between victim and victimizer. As such, there’s more to parse than meets the eye in Moffie, the fourth feature from South African auteur Oliver Hermanus.
Based on a novel by Andre Carl van der Merwe, thus named for the Afrikaans slur for gay men (the English-derived epithet which served as a title for Larry Kramer’s 1978 novel as well), Hermanus concocts the anti-Call Me by Your Name sentiment, or rather, a more commonplace tale where coming-of-age for young gay men is besotted by trauma and self-loathing.…...
- 4/13/2021
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox, Jeremy Pope and Jake Borelli are among the all-star cast of a virtual benefit reading of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, to be directed by Paris Barclay.
The May 8 reading, to raise funds for One Archives Foundation and Invisible Histories Project, will include a special introduction by Martin Sheen.
Rounding out the cast are Vincent Rodriguez III (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend): Guillermo Díaz (Scandal); Jake Borelli (Grey’s Anatomy); Ryan O’Connell (Will & Grace); Daniel Newman (Walking Dead); Jay Hayden (Station 19); and Danielle Savre (Station 19). The reading, according to producers, will mark the first performance of Kramer’s Tony-winning play to be performed by a predominately Bipoc and LGBTQ cast.
“When I was approached by One Archives Foundation to direct a virtual reading of The Normal Heart, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Barclay. “I lived in New York through the 1980s,...
The May 8 reading, to raise funds for One Archives Foundation and Invisible Histories Project, will include a special introduction by Martin Sheen.
Rounding out the cast are Vincent Rodriguez III (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend): Guillermo Díaz (Scandal); Jake Borelli (Grey’s Anatomy); Ryan O’Connell (Will & Grace); Daniel Newman (Walking Dead); Jay Hayden (Station 19); and Danielle Savre (Station 19). The reading, according to producers, will mark the first performance of Kramer’s Tony-winning play to be performed by a predominately Bipoc and LGBTQ cast.
“When I was approached by One Archives Foundation to direct a virtual reading of The Normal Heart, I knew it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” said Barclay. “I lived in New York through the 1980s,...
- 4/1/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Catie Lazarus, a writer, magazine contributor and comedian who developed and hosted an live, onstage New York celebrity talk show that grew from appearances at the Upright Citizens Brigade to a regular spot at Public Theater’s popular Joe’s Pub venue in Manhattan, died Sunday of cancer at her home in Brooklyn. She was 44.
Family members announced her death on social media.
Since moving to Joe’s Pub in 2014, Lazarus’ show, called Employee of the Month, became one of the venue’s most popular offerings. More than 250 interviews were recorded and used for weekly Slate podcasts, each marked by Lazarus’ funny, warm and emotionally generous approach to conversation.
Many of the show’s fans also were its guests: Jon Stewart gave Lazarus his first interview after leaving The Daily Show. The list of celebrities who sat for interviews is too long to post here, but a selection includes Robert Redford,...
Family members announced her death on social media.
Since moving to Joe’s Pub in 2014, Lazarus’ show, called Employee of the Month, became one of the venue’s most popular offerings. More than 250 interviews were recorded and used for weekly Slate podcasts, each marked by Lazarus’ funny, warm and emotionally generous approach to conversation.
Many of the show’s fans also were its guests: Jon Stewart gave Lazarus his first interview after leaving The Daily Show. The list of celebrities who sat for interviews is too long to post here, but a selection includes Robert Redford,...
- 12/15/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Let’s take a closer look at the three nominees for Best Play Revival: “Betrayal,” “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” and “A Solider’s Play.” Our exclusive odds give the edge to “A Soldier’s Play,” but this only remains to be one of the closest races at this year’s virtual awards. Remember, only those Tony voters who saw all three nominees can vote in this category. Tony watchers theorize that this new rule helped “The Boys in the Band” win this race last year despite being the first production of the season to have opened.
The first nominee is the third Broadway revival of Harold Pinter’s 1978 award-winning play, “Betrayal.” The story chronicles a seven-year affair in reverse chronological order. The original Broadway edition earned Tony nominations for star Blythe Danner and director Peter Hall.
This edition came to town after a successful run in...
The first nominee is the third Broadway revival of Harold Pinter’s 1978 award-winning play, “Betrayal.” The story chronicles a seven-year affair in reverse chronological order. The original Broadway edition earned Tony nominations for star Blythe Danner and director Peter Hall.
This edition came to town after a successful run in...
- 12/1/2020
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Director Joe Mantello’s The Boys in the Band begins with a spark, specifically the sound of a lighter, as we see Harold (played by Zachary Quinto in full Afro-wigged glory) light up and put a record on his hi-fi. The sound of Erma Franklin’s cover of Sam & Dave’s “Hold On I’m Comin’” sets the tone for 1968 New York City. In the montage that follows, we see Michael (Jim Parsons) buying provisions at the counter of Barney Greengrass; Donald (Matt Bomer) zooms over the bridge to Manhattan...
- 9/25/2020
- by Jerry Portwood
- Rollingstone.com
Many TV legends and contributors were included for the “In Memoriam” segment on Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony for ABC. But producers are always forced to omit some of the 100+ insiders who died since the last ceremony. Who was left out of the group that was honored?
With dozens of television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, people certainly included were these six TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though he wasn’t known for his TV work, blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman was featured in the final slot. NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was not mentioned, even though the event was being held in the Staples Center.
With dozens of television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, people certainly included were these six TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though he wasn’t known for his TV work, blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman was featured in the final slot. NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was not mentioned, even though the event was being held in the Staples Center.
- 9/21/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
For Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on ABC, producers will have the always difficult task of assembling a memoriam segment. Even though the event hosted by Jimmy Kimmel will be virtual, it’s a certainty they will include the popular “In Memoriam” on the show.
With over 100 television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, those expected to be honored would include such TV legends and TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though they weren’t known for their TV work, it’s very likely NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman will be honored. Also among the dozens most likely included since they...
With over 100 television veterans having died since last year’s mid-September ceremony, those expected to be honored would include such TV legends and TV Academy Hall of Fame members:
Diahann Carroll
Leonard Goldberg (executive at 20th Century Fox and ABC; producer of “Charlie’s Angels” and more)
Jim Lehrer (anchor/reporter of “MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour)
Regis Philbin
Carl Reiner
Fred Silverman
SEECelebrity Deaths 2020: In Memoriam Gallery
Even though they weren’t known for their TV work, it’s very likely NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and blockbuster film actor Chadwick Boseman will be honored. Also among the dozens most likely included since they...
- 9/20/2020
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
As the new documentary “Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies” points out, 2020 is a risky time to make movies that feature female nudity, particularly if it’s of the gratuitous kind. But, as “Skin” doesn’t say but does demonstrate, it’s also a risky time to make movies about onscreen nudity, even if you try to emphasize that it’s a work of scholarship not titillation.
To be sure, the film from writer-director Danny Wolf and writer Paul Fishbein (the “Time Warp” series of docs about cult films) takes a historical approach to the subject of on-screen flesh. It’s a chronological account that makes copious use of authors, critics, academics and even an art historian to talk about the place of the nude in art.
But it also illustrates the points they make with plenty of breasts, bums and penises. And its attempts to deal with...
To be sure, the film from writer-director Danny Wolf and writer Paul Fishbein (the “Time Warp” series of docs about cult films) takes a historical approach to the subject of on-screen flesh. It’s a chronological account that makes copious use of authors, critics, academics and even an art historian to talk about the place of the nude in art.
But it also illustrates the points they make with plenty of breasts, bums and penises. And its attempts to deal with...
- 8/18/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
HBO has released the first glimpse of Coastal Elites, a “socially distanced satire” created during and focused on the Covid-19 pandemic.
The film stars Sarah Paulson, Bette Midler, Issa Rae, Kaitlyn Dever and Dan Levy as the so-called “coastal elites,” each living in New York or Los Angeles in isolation during the pandemic. Shot remotely, Coastal Elites appears to be made up largely of confessional segments in which the characters discuss their concerns and fears regarding this “new normal.” Granted, Covid isn’t the only subject at play — there are plenty of references to Trump,...
The film stars Sarah Paulson, Bette Midler, Issa Rae, Kaitlyn Dever and Dan Levy as the so-called “coastal elites,” each living in New York or Los Angeles in isolation during the pandemic. Shot remotely, Coastal Elites appears to be made up largely of confessional segments in which the characters discuss their concerns and fears regarding this “new normal.” Granted, Covid isn’t the only subject at play — there are plenty of references to Trump,...
- 8/17/2020
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
Matt Bomer already knew Derek Simonds, the creator and showrunner of “The Sinner,” before being approached about starring in the third season of the USA Network series.
“I had met with Derek years ago when he was involved in ‘Call Me by Your Name,’ and we’d hit it off creatively and had a great conversation,” Bomer, 42, says from his home in Los Angeles during an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of the Variety and iHeart podcast “The Big Ticket.”
Before Luca Guadagnino directed the 2017 film (which later earned an adapted screenplay Oscar for James Ivory), Simonds worked on an adaptation of the source material — André Aciman’s novel of the same name — says Bomer.
Simonds and Bomer discussed the possibility of the actor playing Oliver. “I obviously loved the material; I loved talking with him about it,” he said. “I thought it had real potential. Then he went on...
“I had met with Derek years ago when he was involved in ‘Call Me by Your Name,’ and we’d hit it off creatively and had a great conversation,” Bomer, 42, says from his home in Los Angeles during an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of the Variety and iHeart podcast “The Big Ticket.”
Before Luca Guadagnino directed the 2017 film (which later earned an adapted screenplay Oscar for James Ivory), Simonds worked on an adaptation of the source material — André Aciman’s novel of the same name — says Bomer.
Simonds and Bomer discussed the possibility of the actor playing Oliver. “I obviously loved the material; I loved talking with him about it,” he said. “I thought it had real potential. Then he went on...
- 7/7/2020
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
On May 21st, veteran AIDS activist Peter Staley marked the 30th anniversary of Act Up’s “Storm the Nih” demonstration by sharing a video of the pivotal event to make sure the coalition’s demands were heard for greater access to and involvement in clinical research. The group’s protests helped wake the nation up to the reality of the people who were dying and being ignored by the government.
Tbt. Getting arrested at Act Up's "Storm The Nih" demo, May 21, 1990. They had to walk me through Niaid's Building 31 to...
Tbt. Getting arrested at Act Up's "Storm The Nih" demo, May 21, 1990. They had to walk me through Niaid's Building 31 to...
- 6/18/2020
- by Jerry Portwood
- Rollingstone.com
When the world suddenly changed back in March due to Covid-19 — some have even been so bold as to say the world “stopped” — and governments, scientists, doctors, emergency workers, and everyday people banded together to combat the horrible spread of this latest virus, I also felt a dizzying swirl of emotions: disoriented, anxious, fear. But quickly, I felt angry.
After the New York Times published its Sunday cover story over Memorial Day weekend, “U.S. Deaths Near 100,000, An Incalculable Loss,” with its stark presentation of names and obituaries, I felt a confusing mix of emotions.
After the New York Times published its Sunday cover story over Memorial Day weekend, “U.S. Deaths Near 100,000, An Incalculable Loss,” with its stark presentation of names and obituaries, I felt a confusing mix of emotions.
- 6/2/2020
- by Jerry Portwood
- Rollingstone.com
I first encountered his plays when I was 14 or 15, living in the Bible Belt of Texas, where I was completely in the dark about the AIDS epidemic other than just tabloid headlines. His words changed my life. He stood up and said, "We are worthy of love and we are worthy of respect and demand what we need to survive because we are human beings like you."
I certainly loved him and loved my time with him. I was wrecked on Wednesday, I have to be honest — between Mart Crowley and then Terrence McNally and ...
I certainly loved him and loved my time with him. I was wrecked on Wednesday, I have to be honest — between Mart Crowley and then Terrence McNally and ...
“God, I hated him,” Larry Kramer once said, referring to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “As far as I was concerned, he was the central focus of evil in the world.”
For many who lived through the AIDS epidemic in the Eighties and Nineties, Fauci was a monster. Kramer crafted this image by relentlessly attacking the doctor in the media. (Kramer ended up establishing the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and Act Up, two of the most important AIDS advocacy groups in the country.
For many who lived through the AIDS epidemic in the Eighties and Nineties, Fauci was a monster. Kramer crafted this image by relentlessly attacking the doctor in the media. (Kramer ended up establishing the Gay Men’s Health Crisis and Act Up, two of the most important AIDS advocacy groups in the country.
- 5/29/2020
- by Jerry Portwood
- Rollingstone.com
Marge Redmond, a stage and screen actress best remembered for her role as Sister Jacqueline on the 1960s sitcom “The Flying Nun,” died in February at age 95.
Her death was not made public until May, when it was announced as part of a larger in memoriam layout in the latest SAG-aftra quarterly magazine. Her cause of death has not been disclosed.
Born in 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio, Redmond began acting as a young woman in Ohio before moving on to stage roles in New York and eventually film and TV roles in Los Angeles.
Among her film roles, she appeared in “The Trouble With Angels” and the Billy Wilder film “Fortune Cookie” in 1966, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Family Plot” in 1976, and the 1993 Woody Allen film “Manhattan Murder Mystery.”
Also Read: Larry Kramer, 'The Normal Heart' Playwright and AIDS Activist, Dies at 84
She was most often seen on television, and appeared...
Her death was not made public until May, when it was announced as part of a larger in memoriam layout in the latest SAG-aftra quarterly magazine. Her cause of death has not been disclosed.
Born in 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio, Redmond began acting as a young woman in Ohio before moving on to stage roles in New York and eventually film and TV roles in Los Angeles.
Among her film roles, she appeared in “The Trouble With Angels” and the Billy Wilder film “Fortune Cookie” in 1966, Alfred Hitchcock’s “Family Plot” in 1976, and the 1993 Woody Allen film “Manhattan Murder Mystery.”
Also Read: Larry Kramer, 'The Normal Heart' Playwright and AIDS Activist, Dies at 84
She was most often seen on television, and appeared...
- 5/29/2020
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
Jim Parsons really knows how to play lecherous and repugnant.
Just take a look at his work as Henry Willson in “Hollywood,” a new Netflix drama from Ryan Murphy. Wilson, a ruthless powerbroker whose clients included Rock Hudson, Lana Turner, Robert Wagner and Tab Hunter, was a sexual predator who preyed on young men trying to make it in show business.
Despite the makeup and fake teeth, hair and eyes, Parsons is far from physically unrecognizable in the role. Still, the actor says he had never felt such “freedom” in front of the camera while portraying Wilson.
“I had a friend watch it. She wrote me and said — and I thought this was very well put — ‘It’s not that it doesn’t look like you. It’s not like anybody would notice that and say, ‘Who the hell is that?’ It’s like you were shot through a spider web covered creepy filter,...
Just take a look at his work as Henry Willson in “Hollywood,” a new Netflix drama from Ryan Murphy. Wilson, a ruthless powerbroker whose clients included Rock Hudson, Lana Turner, Robert Wagner and Tab Hunter, was a sexual predator who preyed on young men trying to make it in show business.
Despite the makeup and fake teeth, hair and eyes, Parsons is far from physically unrecognizable in the role. Still, the actor says he had never felt such “freedom” in front of the camera while portraying Wilson.
“I had a friend watch it. She wrote me and said — and I thought this was very well put — ‘It’s not that it doesn’t look like you. It’s not like anybody would notice that and say, ‘Who the hell is that?’ It’s like you were shot through a spider web covered creepy filter,...
- 5/28/2020
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Larry Kramer, the outspoken AIDS activist and noted playwright, died on Wednesday morning in Manhattan at 84 years old. His husband David Webster stated that the cause of Kramer’s death was ultimately pneumonia. Kramer is largely credited to forming the early response to the HIV and AIDS crisis in the United States. The activist first […]
The post Larry Kramer, Founder Of Act-up & Noted Playwright, Dies At 84 appeared first on uInterview.
The post Larry Kramer, Founder Of Act-up & Noted Playwright, Dies At 84 appeared first on uInterview.
- 5/28/2020
- by Hannah Mallard
- Uinterview
It was the most unlikely of friendships.
At first, AIDS activist and playwright Larry Kramer saw Dr. Anthony Fauci as the personification of bureaucratic neglect — a cold and remote presence who failed to fully acknowledge and respond to the tragic scope of a disease that was wiping out a generation of gay men. He didn’t mince words, labeling Fauci ” a murderer.”
And yet, over time, things softened as Fauci began to work more collaboratively with Kramer and the activist group he co-founded Act Up to develop better treatments for AIDS and HIV. Over the course of more than three decades, a relationship that was initially adversarial blossomed into a deep friendship.
Kramer, whose body of work includes the pioneering look at the early days of the AIDS crisis, “The Normal Heart,” died Wednesday at the age of 84. Fauci, who as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,...
At first, AIDS activist and playwright Larry Kramer saw Dr. Anthony Fauci as the personification of bureaucratic neglect — a cold and remote presence who failed to fully acknowledge and respond to the tragic scope of a disease that was wiping out a generation of gay men. He didn’t mince words, labeling Fauci ” a murderer.”
And yet, over time, things softened as Fauci began to work more collaboratively with Kramer and the activist group he co-founded Act Up to develop better treatments for AIDS and HIV. Over the course of more than three decades, a relationship that was initially adversarial blossomed into a deep friendship.
Kramer, whose body of work includes the pioneering look at the early days of the AIDS crisis, “The Normal Heart,” died Wednesday at the age of 84. Fauci, who as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,...
- 5/28/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Matt Bomer’s career took a major upswing in 2015 when he won a Golden Globe for his performance as Felix in Ryan Murphy’s HBO adaptation of Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart.”
“Larry Kramer, thank you for your anger and your passion and writing this story that changed so many lives,” the actor said in his acceptance speech.
Today, Bomer is remembering the late writer and AIDS activist as one of his heroes. “I, and countless others, owe our lives to Larry,” Bomer told Variety. “Without his tireless advocacy and his outspokenness and opposition to everything that was going on and encouraging people to educate themselves and be responsible for themselves, I, growing up in a semi-rural environment, wouldn’t have had any clue about the epidemic if it weren’t for him.”
Bomer said he first read Kramer’s writings when he was 14 or 15. “For me, it was...
“Larry Kramer, thank you for your anger and your passion and writing this story that changed so many lives,” the actor said in his acceptance speech.
Today, Bomer is remembering the late writer and AIDS activist as one of his heroes. “I, and countless others, owe our lives to Larry,” Bomer told Variety. “Without his tireless advocacy and his outspokenness and opposition to everything that was going on and encouraging people to educate themselves and be responsible for themselves, I, growing up in a semi-rural environment, wouldn’t have had any clue about the epidemic if it weren’t for him.”
Bomer said he first read Kramer’s writings when he was 14 or 15. “For me, it was...
- 5/28/2020
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Playwright and AIDS activist Larry Kramer, who died Wednesday at age 84, got his start in the film business — including director Ken Russell’s Oscar-winning 1969 film “Women in Love,” an adaptation of the D.H. Lawrence novel that broke barriers with its depiction of frontal male nudity. In an excerpt from his 2014 book “Sexplosion,” TheWrap theater critic Robert Hofler looks back at Kramer’s work on the project.
Long before he became the world’s most famous AIDS activist, Larry Kramer made movies. Thinking back to his days as a production chief at Columbia in the 1960s, Kramer claimed, “Because of me, Columbia Pictures released ‘Darling.’ I told Columbia that this was a fantastic movie, and they took my advice and picked it up.”
He and the film’s director, John Schlesinger, were more than friends. “I met him. We went to bed a bunch of times. He was more serious than I was,...
Long before he became the world’s most famous AIDS activist, Larry Kramer made movies. Thinking back to his days as a production chief at Columbia in the 1960s, Kramer claimed, “Because of me, Columbia Pictures released ‘Darling.’ I told Columbia that this was a fantastic movie, and they took my advice and picked it up.”
He and the film’s director, John Schlesinger, were more than friends. “I met him. We went to bed a bunch of times. He was more serious than I was,...
- 5/27/2020
- by Robert Hofler
- The Wrap
Ryan Murphy, the producer and director who finally got Larry Kramer’s groundbreaking play The Normal Heart to screen, remembered his late friend and collaborator today as “the single greatest and most important gay activist of all time.”
“His fight changed the health care system as we know it,” Murphy wrote in a lengthy Instagram post today. “I admired him above all others. He deserved the Medal of Freedom.”
Kramer’s harrowing 1985 play about the early years of the AIDS crisis in New York had a long and troubled Hollywood history. The project languished in development hell for three decades, most famously with Barbra Streisand attached as director. The log jam finally broke in 2011 when Murphy came aboard.
The film rights, Murphy says, “had become available, and I wanted them.” After convincing Kramer – and meeting his $1 million price – Murphy took the project to HBO, where the movie finally aired in...
“His fight changed the health care system as we know it,” Murphy wrote in a lengthy Instagram post today. “I admired him above all others. He deserved the Medal of Freedom.”
Kramer’s harrowing 1985 play about the early years of the AIDS crisis in New York had a long and troubled Hollywood history. The project languished in development hell for three decades, most famously with Barbra Streisand attached as director. The log jam finally broke in 2011 when Murphy came aboard.
The film rights, Murphy says, “had become available, and I wanted them.” After convincing Kramer – and meeting his $1 million price – Murphy took the project to HBO, where the movie finally aired in...
- 5/27/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Joel Grey approached Larry Kramer after seeing a preview performance of “The Normal Heart” at New York’s Public Theater in 1985.
“I was devastated and said to him, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen, but if anything changes in the future or if there’s another production, please call me,’” Grey recalled in an interview on Wednesday shortly after learning about the writer and AIDS activist’s death.
About two days later, producer Joseph Papp called Grey and asked him if he wanted to join the show. It was bittersweet because he would be replacing Brad Davis, who had become too sick with AIDS-related illnesses to continue, as Ned.
Friends suggested that Grey seek a doctor’s advice about taking the job because it involved kissing other men. “Someone said you better call UCLA and ask a doctor there if you are putting yourself in harm’s way.
“I was devastated and said to him, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen, but if anything changes in the future or if there’s another production, please call me,’” Grey recalled in an interview on Wednesday shortly after learning about the writer and AIDS activist’s death.
About two days later, producer Joseph Papp called Grey and asked him if he wanted to join the show. It was bittersweet because he would be replacing Brad Davis, who had become too sick with AIDS-related illnesses to continue, as Ned.
Friends suggested that Grey seek a doctor’s advice about taking the job because it involved kissing other men. “Someone said you better call UCLA and ask a doctor there if you are putting yourself in harm’s way.
- 5/27/2020
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Refresh for updates Lin-Manuel Miranda, Benj Pasek, Rob Reiner and other figures of Hollywood and Broadway paid tribute today to Larry Kramer, the Normal Heart playwright and AIDS activist who died this morning of pneumonia in Manhattan.
“A man who never let comfort get in the way of progress,” tweeted Dear Evan Hansen and Smash composer Benj Pasek. Wrote Miranda, “Don’t know a soul who saw or read The Normal Heart and came away unmoved, unchanged. What an extraordinary writer, what a life. Thank you, Larry Kramer.”
Here is a sampling of the voices speaking out for Larry Kramer today. Check back for updates…
Rest In Peace and eternal power Larry Kramer. A life lived so righteously on the corner of Activism and Art. Read his words and watch his works and if you haven’t seen the documentary How To Survive A Plague it is essential viewing for...
“A man who never let comfort get in the way of progress,” tweeted Dear Evan Hansen and Smash composer Benj Pasek. Wrote Miranda, “Don’t know a soul who saw or read The Normal Heart and came away unmoved, unchanged. What an extraordinary writer, what a life. Thank you, Larry Kramer.”
Here is a sampling of the voices speaking out for Larry Kramer today. Check back for updates…
Rest In Peace and eternal power Larry Kramer. A life lived so righteously on the corner of Activism and Art. Read his words and watch his works and if you haven’t seen the documentary How To Survive A Plague it is essential viewing for...
- 5/27/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
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