LaKeith Stanfield, star of Jeymes Samuel‘s The Book of Clarence, says the biblical-set film is the closest he’s gotten to the acting gigs he’s dreamed of.
He chatted with Ebonyfor its January cover story, opening up about his role as Clarence and how it’s his best role yet.
“I think Clarence stood singularly as the closest I’ve gotten to the kind of roles that I set out to do when I started acting,” he said. “I wanted to do dynamic things that called for me to be challenged in my performance and I felt were meaningful. I wanted to do roles that spoke to my people and that engaged in conversation that would allow us to see ourselves in a fuller light.”
Stanfield mentioned one of his breakout films, The Photograph, as another project that aligns with his onscreen goals.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do — show romances with dark-skinned people on screen without toxicity,” he said.
With The Book of Clarence, a film that follows a man’s journey of proving himself worthy to those around him, LaKeith said he was eager to give it his all.
“This movie embodied a lot of things I wanted to explore and share,” he noted. “The fact that it came out as something I could be proud of surprised me because I typically hate something about the performance. I’m critical of myself, but with this one, I loved it.”
The Atlanta star shared some of the backstory of his involvement with the film, revealing he had talks with Samuel while working on The Harder They Fall.
A major factor that drew Stanfield to the story was the almost entirely Black cast.
“I just wanted to see more of that and be a part of things that showed that,” he said.
Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Lady Gaga; Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Greta Gerwig; Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Warner Bros.
In 2019, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt won the Best Original Song Oscar for co-writing the A Star Is Born song “Shallow” with Lady Gaga. When Oscar nods are announced on January 23, they may find themselves with nominations for the original score they wrote for Barbie, and for co-writing the Barbie album hits “Dance the Night” and “I’m Just Ken.”
Ronson told ABC Audio that he and Wyatt feel the music they created for Greta Gerwig‘s Barbie and the music they created for Bradley Cooper‘s A Star Is Born have more in common than you might think.
“They’re songs that we’re really proud of,” Ronson said. “But then what both Bradley did with A Star Is Born and what Greta has done with this film [is] imbue your song with, like, so much emotional resonance. Because people are falling in love with this movie and your song at the same time.”
He adds, “It’s the most you could hope for as a songwriter, you know, to get this extra lift from this other emotional experience that people are having while they’re receiving your song.”
Wyatt says Oscars are nice, but he feels that for Barbie, he and Ronson were just doing their job, just as they did when they wrote the A Star Is Born songs with Lady Gaga.
“I mean, it’s always nice when your hard work is recognized,” he told ABC Audio. “[But] I think it’s all just about whatever circumstance you’re in … trying to be the most effective level of service that you can to whatever the scenario is.”
“So here we were working with Greta, who is another fantastic artist,” Wyatt continued, before Ronson interjected, “Yeah, Greta’s our Gaga.”
Ariana Grande‘s “yes, and?” has become her eighth #1 hit, as well as her sixth hit to debut on top of the Billboard Hot 100. On Monday, she took to Instagram to offer her thanks to all the fans who helped make the song #1.
“i am so so so…… so emotional,” Ari wrote alongside behind-the-scenes footage of the song’s music video. “thank you from the bottom of my heart to my fans, the most incredible angels in the world, for the love you have shown this song and me.”
“it is overwhelming and so sincerely moving to see how many of you this song has resonated with and it is such a gift to feel so seen and held by you!” she continued. “thank you for your positivity, for your support and for everything. you have no idea how much you mean to me! this is absolutely because of and entirely for you. thank you!”
Paula Abdul, whose video for “Cold Hearted” inspired the “yes, and?” video, wrote in the comments, “Congratulations sweetheart !! The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes star Rachel Zegler added, “that’s what i’m f***** talking about.”
“yes, and?” is the first single from Ariana’s upcoming album, eternal sunshine, which is coming out March 8.
Some never-before-seen video footage of The Beatles can be yours if you’re willing to dip into your wallet.
An original 8mm reel featuring black-and-white footage of the band is now available through RR Auction. The reel features a little over three minutes of footage taken while the band was shooting their 1965 film Help!
According to Hot Press, the footage was found by Dublin-based illustrator Thomas Emmet Mullins after he set up an eBay alert for “Beatles 8mm.”
When he got his first alert, the listing featured some stills from the video. He says, “[I]t was clear it was unseen footage of what is arguably the most documented band in modern history,” noting he believes it was taken by either a crew member on the film or someone else who had access to the set.
The description of the footage says it was shot near Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain in England, which means it was likely shot between May 3, 1965, and May 5, 1965, which is when they were filming in the area.
The clip give fans a peek at John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in their “natural jovial state,” and shows them interacting with the cast and crew. At one point you can even see Lennon “clowning around” with the film’s director, Richard Lester.
The 8mm reel is currently part of RR Auction’s Remarkable Rarities auction, with the sale set to run through February 22. It is estimated to sell for over $10,000.
Tuesday is the day Hollywood has been waiting for all year: it’s Oscar nominations day.
Actors Zazie Beetz and Jack Quaid will host the announcement of the 96th Oscars nominations in all 23 categories in a live presentation from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater at 8:30 a.m. ET.
Oppenheimer was one of the highest-grossing films at the domestic box office in 2023, and it’s been cleaning up during awards season; most prognosticators think the third time will be the charm for Robert Downey Jr. in the Best Supporting Actor category.
Other big winners this year so far have been Emma Stone for Poor Things and Paul Giamatti for the comedy The Holdovers. Only time will tell if they’ll also be at the big dance.
Barbie, the highest-grossing movie of 2023, is also expected to make a strong showing Tuesday morning.
The 96th Academy Awards will air on ABC on Sunday, March 10, live from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, with Jimmy Kimmel returning as host for the fourth time. The show can also be streamed at abc.com or on the ABC app.
This year, the Oscars have an earlier time slot and will kick off at 7 p.m. ET. Prior to the awards show, a preshow will take place at 6:30 p.m. ET.
The Bachelor kicked off its 28th season on Monday, January 22, with Joey Graziadei, a 28-year-old tennis pro from Collegeville, Pennsylvania, ready to find his soulmate from a field of 32 women — the most in Bachelor history.
Graziadei made his Bachelor Nation debut when he appeared on Charity Lawson‘s season of The Bachelorette, making it to the end as her runner-up; ultimately she became engaged to Dotun Olubeko.
One by one, Joey greeted the ladies at the entrance to the mansion, with some going out of their way to make an unforgettable first impression. Among them was Jenn, who ditched the traditional limo ride for a go-kart. Then there was Jess, who pulled up perched atop a speedboat.
Two of Joey’s suitors, Allison and Lauren, both live in Philadelphia. Oh, and there’s something else they have in common — they’re sisters.
There was also a bit of night one drama when Jess, despite insisting she didn’t want to be “that woman,” bragged to the other ladies that she and Joey shared a “smooch” during their one-on-one time. She shared in a confessional that she wanted to “scoop him up and talk to him again,” a promise she made good on later. Jess’ double-dipping didn’t sit well with the others, particularly Taylor, whose conversation was interrupted by Jess to get that extra kiss. The two had words with each other afterward.
On the other end of the spectrum there was Lea, who we first met during The Golden Bachelor‘s “After the Final Rose” special. Lea was handed an envelope with instructions not to open it until she got to the mansion. A note inside challenged her with a moral dilemma — the power to steal a one-on-one date from one of the other women at any point during the competition. Tempting as that was, Lea turned down the offer, throwing the note in the fireplace. The unselfish act impressed the other ladies, but more importantly, Joey, who offered her the first impression rose.
At the rose ceremony, Chandler, Kayla, Kyra, Lanie, Nat, Sam, Samantha, Sandra, Talyah and Zoe were sent home.
Here are the women remaining after the first rose ceremony:
Allison, 26, a realtor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Autumn, 26, an account executive from St. Louis, Missouri
Chrissa, 26, a marketing director from Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
Daisy, 25, an account executive from Becker, Minnesota
Edwina, 25, an entrepreneur from Atlanta, Georgia
Erika, 25, a leasing agent from North Bergen, New Jersey
Evalin, 29, a nanny from San Antonio, Texas
Jenn, 25, a physician assistant student from Miami, Florida
Jessica “Jess,” 24, an executive assistant from San Diego, California
Katelyn, 25, a radiochemist from Santa Fe, New Mexico
Kelsey A., 25, a junior project manager from New Orleans, Louisiana
Kelsey T., 31, an actor from Los Angeles, California
Lauren, 28, a registered nurse from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Maria “Lea,” 23, an account manager from Waipahu, Hawaii
Alexandra “Lexi,” 30, a digital strategist from Atlanta, Georgia
Madina, 31, a mental health therapist from Charlotte, North Carolina
Maria, 29, an executive assistant from Kleinburg, Ontario, Canada
Marlena, 26, a finance writer from West Palm Beach, Florida
Rachel, 26, an ICU nurse from Honolulu, Hawaii
Starr, 25, a mental health counselor from Delray Beach, Florida
Sydney, 28, a vintage store owner from Newport, Rhode Island
Taylor, 23, a recruiter from Chicago, Illinois
(EL-ARISH, Egypt) — Sixteen-year-old Abdul Rahman Iyad, now in a wheelchair, was critically injured in the leg and head when an Israeli strike hit his home in central Gaza on Christmas Eve, killing his parents, siblings and grandparents, he said.
Israeli strikes also left 8-year-old Abdullah with a fractured thigh bone and arm injury, his mother told ABC News.
And 16-year-old Nesma Abu Jeyad lost a leg after she said her home was hit by a rocket on Oct. 30.
All three children are being treated aboard the Dixmude, a French helicopter carrier docked in el-Arish, Egypt, that’s been turned into a field hospital to treat some of Gaza’s most severely wounded.
Doctors aboard the Dixmude told ABC News roughly half of the more than 1,000 patients they’ve treated so far are children; one in two are amputated.
“Some have one amputation. But unfortunately, we also regularly see children who’ve lost two limbs. It’s often due to the fact that they’ve had to wait so long to get help, so their wounds are infected,” said Dr. Sandrine Salle, medical adviser and chief medical officer aboard the Dixmude.
More than 25,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began on Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. In Israel, at least 1,200 people have been killed, mostly civilians, and 6,900 others injured, according to the Israeli prime minister’s office. Israeli officials say 537 Israel Defense Forces soldiers have been killed, including 200 since the ground operations in Gaza began.
The IDF has said it is only targeting the Hamas terrorist organization and other militants in Gaza and alleges that Hamas deliberately shelters behind civilians, which the group denies.
Abdul Rahman, Abdullah and Nesma are among the few who’ve been allowed to leave Gaza for treatment. Salle estimated that just 20-60 critically wounded civilians are evacuated from Gaza daily. More than 62,000 people have been injured in Gaza since Oct. 7, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Various medical facilities have been set up aboard the Dixmude, including a burn ward, a resuscitation room and a number of tents to expand hospitalization capabilities. Patients who need additional care are airlifted to Cairo via helicopter. A whiteboard outside the two operating rooms lists recent patients; all of them are minors.
According to Doctors Without Borders, or Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), Nasser Hospital — the largest functioning health facility in Gaza, located in Khan Younis in the south — is currently operating at 300% capacity. “The situation is catastrophic. There are way too many patients for the staff to handle,” Leo Cans, MSF head of mission for Palestine, said in a statement earlier this month.
Salle said most of the patients being brought to the Dixmude come from Khan Yunis and the south.
“They tell us about their long journey, they often had to spend hours under the rubble of their homes before a surviving member of their family was able to get them some help,” she said.
“Many also suffer from PTSD,” she added. “They’ve faced death, they’ve feared for their own lives, they’ve seen their families decimated. They have nightmares, they are constantly reliving horrific scenes, we see them reacting to the smallest noise.”
Abdul Rahman recalled waiting for hours to get treatment in Gaza.
“There was no medicine, no beds. I was kept in a hallway. The situation was very difficult,” the 16-year-old told ABC News. “There were very few nurses; three nurses and one doctor, for an entire department of 50 to 60 patients.”
Doctors have told Abdul Rahman he won’t be able to walk for another four to six months. But he says he looks forward to returning to Gaza, once he’s healed.
The bodies of his mother and grandfather are still trapped under the rubble of their home, he said.
“And almost all my family is gone. My [mom], dad and siblings. I am the only survivor left from the family,” he said.
“I just want to live in peace,” he added. “It’s my city, it’s my country.”
(NEW YORK) — TikTok users are loud and proud, not just about their dance moves and style choices, but also when it comes to budgeting.
The recent #loudbudgeting trend, which has racked up nearly 10 million views and counting, is all about sharing your savings goals and shouting it from the proverbial rooftops, and TikTokkers and financial experts alike say the viral trend could help people cut back on impulse purchases and make smarter financial choices.
Among the vocal advocates behind loud budgeting is Lukas Battle.
“It’s not ‘I don’t have enough,’ it’s ‘I don’t want to spend,'” Battle explained in a now viral TikTok video.
Battle told “Good Morning America” that staying quiet about your finances and setting spending limits don’t have to be shrouded in shame.
“My friend wants to go out to dinner. I’m gonna just text them ‘loud budgeting’ this month. I think financial transparency with your friends is something that you don’t have to be embarrassed about,” Battle said.
With the cost of living and home prices still high, financial educator Tiffany Aliche of “The Budgetnista” told “GMA” people can use loud budgeting on their journey to achieving financial goals.
“Budgeting out loud, it’s not just the words, but also having these tools in place,” Aliche said. “It holds you accountable. But also, it allows the people that care about you to also hold you accountable.”
One way Aliche said she puts loud budgeting into action is to place a “deactivation sticker” on her credit card as a visual reminder to save money.
“Whenever I take out the card, it’s a physical reminder, because I’m budgeting out loud,” Aliche explained. “Is this a need? Is this a love? Because if it’s just a like or a want, that’s $10, $20, $30 less that I can put toward my [goal of a] dream trip.”
To get started with loud budgeting, Aliche recommends a few beginner tips.
Budgeting basics
Start a “money list.”
Check credit and debit card statements.
Divide your money into categories.
Write down your spending per month in each category.
Aliche also recommends taking the guesswork out of dividing your funds by asking your bank and/or employer to automatically split your paycheck into separate accounts.
Each account can be dedicated to a purpose or goal, such as one for bills, one for savings, and another for entertainment purchases.
X Ambassadors have announced a U.S. tour in support of their upcoming album, Townie.
The headlining outing kicks off May 4 in San Diego and wraps up June 15 in Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale Friday, January 26, at 10 a.m. local time, with presales throughout the week.
For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit XAmbassadors.com.
Townie, the fourth XA album and the follow-up to 2021’s The Beautiful Liar, drops April 5. Lead single “No Strings” is out now.
Metallica is releasing a new action figure modeled after late bassist Cliff Burton.
Created in collaboration with Burton’s family and the toy company Super7, the 3.75-inch scale recreation of the “Orion” rocker is dressed in torn jeans, a black T-shirt and flannel. It’s also accompanied by a mini plastic bass.
Proceeds will benefit Cliff Burton Music Scholarship Fund. You can buy yours now via Metallica.com or Super7.com.
Burton played bass on Metallica’s first three records — 1983’s Kill ‘Em All, 1984’s Ride the Lightning and 1986’s Master of Puppets — before he died in a bus accident in 1986 at age 24. Jason Newsted then became Metallica’s bassist, followed by Robert Trujillo.
