Entertainment

Gillian Anderson‘s remarkable transformation into former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in Netflix’s The Crown earned her the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Anderson squared off against two colleagues for this award — Helena Bonham Carter and Emerald Fennell.

She dedicated her win to her manager of 20 years, Connie Freiberg, who “believed in me when no one else would and believed I had talent, when I didn’t even think that I had talent, who always advised me to take the high road, who was one of the best friends that I’ve ever had in my life.”

The Crown also nabbed the win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, with Tobias Menzies collecting the award for his prickly portrayal of Prince Philip.

He was not in attendance and his award was accepted by presenter Kerry Washington on his behalf.

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Mare of Easttown stars Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson snagged the Emmys for Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Limited Series during Sunday night’s ceremony. 

Other nominees in Nicholson’s category included her Mare of Easttown co-star Jean Smart, Kathryn Hahn from WandaVision, Phillipa Soo and Renee Elise Goldsberry both from Hamilton, and Moses Ingram from The Queen’s Gambit.

Peters beat out Hamilton’s Jonathan Groff and Anthony Ramos, Thomas Brodie-Sangster from The Queen’s Gambit, and Paapa Essiedu from I May Destroy You. 

The awards, which were held in-person for the first time in two years, was hosted by comedian Cedric the Entertainer from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

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After collecting the first award of the night, Ted Lasso kept the momentum going with Brett Goldstein, who plays the cantankerous Roy Kent, picking up the night’s second award — Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

“I was very, very specifically told I’m not allowed to swear,” he started off his speech before paying homage to his foul-mouthed character by letting out a loud bleep.

“It has been one of the greatest honors, privileges, and privileges, I just said that twice… but it is a double privilege.  It is the most privilege privilege and pleasure of my life,” the 41-year-old actor expressed. “This is [profanity] thank you very much, thank you, thank you!”

Like Hannah Waddingham, who was pitted against her fellow Lasso co-star, Goldstein was in a tight race with his two colleagues — Brendan Hunt and Nick Mohammed, who respectively play Coach Beard and Nate.

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The first award of the night went to British actress Hannah Waddingham, for her breakout performance as Rebecca Welton in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso.

The actress screamed in delight upon collecting her award, exclaiming, “Jesus Christ, oh my god, I’m not responsible for anything that falls out of my face.”

She then shouted out her Lasso co-star Jason Sudeikis, “You saved my life with this, and more importantly my baby girl’s…I’m honestly so privileged to work with you. I really am.  Oh my god.”

Waddingham squared off against her Lasso co-star Juno Temple in her respective category. 

This is her first Emmy nomination and award.

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Drake Bell took to Instagram Friday to explain his guilty plea in June for improper conduct with an underage girl.

The 35-year-old former Drake & Josh star also wanted to address what he called, “entirely false” reports regarding his plea, for which he was sentenced in July to two years probation and community service.

Bell, whose birth name is Jared Drake Bell, was indicted in May on charges stemming from an interaction with a then-15-year-old girl in December of 2017. He initially entered a not guilty plea before deciding to take a deal, pleading guilty to attempted endangering children, a fourth-degree felony, and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a first-degree misdemeanor.

In his post, Bell explained, “I didn’t get arrested, I didn’t go to jail,” and for that matter he didn’t change his name and move to Mexico, he said in the Spanish-subtitled post. Bell maintains, “I responded to a fan whose age I didn’t know, and when I became aware of their age, all conversation and communication stopped.”

The alleged victim, “continued to come to shows and pay for meet and greets,” Bell said, maintaining he didn’t know this was the same person he’d cut off.

Bell maintains that while his behavior was “reckless and irresponsible,” he wanted to make clear, “there were no sexual images, nothing physical” between he and his accuser. “I was not charged with the disseminating of photographs or…anything like that. This is strictly over text messages.”

“It’s not me telling you that the claims are false, but the state of Ohio,” Bell added. “If these claims were remotely true…I would not be here at home with my wife and my son.”

Bell’s statements sync with what his attorneys claimed at sentencing.

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Law & Order: SVU co-star Demore Barnes, who played Deputy Chief Christian Garland on the long-running series, says he was just as surprised as his fans were about news he won’t be returning for season 23. 

Neither Barns nor Jamie Gray Hyder, who played Detective Kat Tamin, will be seen in SVU‘s upcoming season, which kicks off Thursday. 

In an Instagram post, in which he acknowledged that, “it’s almost every actor’s…right of passage just to appear in even one episode of SVU,” Barnes addressed his followers regarding the development.

“While I know you were happy that I was here, and that I’m happy that I was here, I also know you’re sad and surprised and I am too. I don’t totally know why this happened.”

Barnes said he was “so very proud” to portray his character, the first Black person to hold the position of deputy chief of the sex crimes unit. He also heaped praised on the cast and crew, particularly star and executive producer Mariska Hargitay, who he says “spearheaded” his path to series regular.

Referencing series creator Dick Wolf‘s company, which he also thanked in his post, Barnes said, “I hope that Wolf Entertainment’s leadership, in giving me [the] opportunity [to] amplify vital voice and story, will result in many studios continuing to open doors of opportunities for others to do the same. This must continue.”

He closed with, “Chief Garland and I would not have it any other way.”

 

 

 

 

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After more than 30 years in show business, Cedric the Entertainer wants to do more than just make people laugh.

The five-time NAACP Image Award winner is hosting the 2021 Emmy Awards Sunday night, and he says more Blacks need to follow in his footsteps.

“The industry hasn’t changed much,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I mean, someone just told me that I’m only the second solo African American host of the Emmys. That’s ridiculous. Out of all these years, it’s been Bryant Gumbel and me.”

At 57 years old, Cedric is revered in the comic world, and the veteran wants to use his position to make a difference.

“I noticed, with the platforms that I have, this idea of leadership — a lot of people come to me to try to get things done,” he says. “I don’t know when I became this kind of OG godfather, especially when it comes to Black comedians, but I want to evoke change.”

Cedric continues, “I want things to happen in this business. And I do have a voice, so I will use it to see if I can make a change.”

Cedric is the star and one of the executive producers of the CBS sitcom The Neighborhood. He’s determined to make sure the show reflects his view of society.

“I’m making sure the show has a voice, making sure the episodes aren’t limiting and putting us in a box,” he says. “We can talk about the subjects that we want to. I can do it with a TV show, and I can do it in life. That’s probably the greatest thing that I learned about myself in the last year.”

The 73rd Emmy Awards airs live this Sunday, September 19, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS.

 

 

 

 

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Angela Bassett‘s Madame Tussauds wax figure was unveiled Thursday in Hollywood, and the 9-1-1 star was in awe of it.

“Oh, Lord! I’m a twin,” Bassett said with a laugh in an Instagram video as she admired her replica. “Oh My God, its so lifelike,” she continued. “Its like its gonna jump alive and give me a hug.”

The Hollywood Walk of Fame member, who began her distinguished career in 1985, was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her leading role in the 1993 Tina Turner biopic, What’s Love Got to Do with It. Her credits also include Black Panther, Waiting to Exhale, and Boyz n the Hood.

“Somebody call 9-1-1 because this figure is on FIRE!,” Madame Tussauds commented on Instagram. “Angela Bassett aka Athena Grant is here…The wait to exhale is over, The Queen of Wakanda herself, Angela Bassett has arrived! The ageless icon has been officially immortalized by Madame Tussauds Hollywood.”

Bassett walked all around her figure and declared, “Look at my derriere. Even that’s cute…Absolutely amazing. Thank you!”

Earlier this week, Tiffany Haddish was honored with a wax figure at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas. On September 13, Jennifer Hudson celebrated her 40th birthday with the debut of her likeness at Madame Tussauds in New York City.

 

 

 

 

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Wendy Williams was reportedly taken to a New York City hospital for a mental health check-up.

According to The Sun, a 911 call was placed and police arrived early Wednesday morning at the talk show host’s Manhattan apartment,

“There was a call for a 57-year-old non-violent female who needed psychiatric services at that address on Wednesday morning,” a police spokesperson told The Sun. “They were transported to the hospital.”

As previously reported, later that day, it was announced that the season premiere of Williams’ show was pushed back to October 4 from its original date of September 20. 

On Tuesday, it was revealed that the National Radio Hall of Fame member had tested positive for a “breakthrough case of COVID-19.”  That news followed last week’s announcement that Williams would be stepping back from “promotional activities” due to “ongoing health issues.”

Wendy previously discussed several health issues on her daytime series, including her battle with Graves’ disease and substance abuse.

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Tyra Banks is defending this year’s most controversial Dancing with the Stars casting choice — Olivia Jade.

The 21-year-old daughter of Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli is set to make her DWTS debut Monday night.  But some fans criticized her involvement because of her parents’ participation in the Varsity Blues college admissions cheating scandal.  But returning show host Banks told Entertainment Tonight that fans need to give Olivia the benefit of the doubt.

“I think Olivia is so brave,” the supermodel said. “I think people don’t know her, they know what happened to her.”

As previously reported, Giannulli and Loughlin pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison last year for paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as rowing crew recruits, when neither participated in the sport.

“She has said that she did not know about what was going on and it’s really sad, and it’s very hurtful when something publicly happens but you had nothing to do with it. So I trust that she says she didn’t know,” continued Banks.

“[Olivia] is having to deal with that and I think she’s coming to Dancing with the Stars to be able to tell her story and show her vulnerability,” Banks went on. “And is she a celebrity? Not traditionally, but what is a celebrity today? If that’s the case then there’s no Instagram influencer that is a celebrity. We are in a whole different world and celebrity has taken a turn and a change.”

As for whether or not Olivia deserves to be on the show, Banks declared, “If people are talking about you, you’re famous and you can be on Dancing with the Stars.”

Dancing with the Stars returns Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

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