Kit Harington opens up about getting sober, facing suicidal thoughts

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Kit Harington is opening up about getting sober and the tough times he faced after Game of Thrones ended in 2019. 

According to People, the 34-year-old actor revealed to the U.K.’s Sunday Times, Things that have happened to me since Thrones ended, and that were happening during Thrones, were of a pretty traumatic nature and they did include alcohol.”

“You get to a place where you feel like you are a bad person, you feel like you are a shameful person,” Harington continued. “And you feel that there’s no way out, that’s just who you are. And getting sober is the process of going, ‘No, I can change.'”

The GoT alum added, “One of my favorite things I learnt recently is that the expression ‘a leopard doesn’t change its spots’ is completely false: that a leopard actually does change its spots. I just think that’s the most beautiful thing. It really helped. That was something I kind of clung to; the idea that I could make this huge fundamental change in who I was and how I went about my life.”

Harington, who recently welcomed his first child, a baby boy, with wife and former Game of Thrones co-star Rose Leslie, also got candid about suffering from depression and whether he faced suicidal thoughts. 

“I will give you an answer to that question: the answer is yes. Yes of course,” he said. “I went through periods of real depression where I wanted to do all sorts of things… maybe [speaking about this will] help someone, somewhere. But I definitely don’t want to be seen as a martyr or special. I’ve been through something, it’s my stuff. If it helps someone, that’s good.”

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also reach the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or the Crisis Text Line by texting “START” to 741741.

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‘The Suicide Squad’: Idris Elba and Daniela Melchior discuss whether their quality time with rats made them a fan

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Idris Elba says he didn’t have to feign an aversion to rats in the new DC Comics superhero film The Suicide Squad. In fact, Elba, who plays the mercenary Bloodsport, tells ABC Audio that he’s still not a fan of the rodents, even after getting some major one-on-one time with them on set.

“No — next question,” quips an expressionless Elba when asked if he had developed a new appreciation for the garbage-loving creatures.

“Listen, they’re very intelligent. Very intelligent and to some degree… have a real human interaction. They understand [and] you can communicate with them,” he says. “So I was like, ‘What? Really?'”

Elba’s co-star Daniela Melchior, who plays Ratcatcher 2 — a woman who inherited the ability to control rats and communicate with them — says her experience working with the rodents actually made her a big fan.

“After shooting the movie…[and] getting to know a little bit more about these animals, and…how smart they are, I now follow a bunch of Instagram accounts from people that have rats as pets. And I’m loving it,” she says. “Like, I can’t wait to have a rat again in my hand.”

A stunned, and perhaps disgusted, Elba looks at Melchior, and says, “You need to get out more, Daniela. You need to get out more.”

The Suicide Squad, also starring Viola Davis and John Cena, is now in theaters nationwide and streaming on HBO Max.

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Molly Ringwald pens heartfelt tribute in memory of late father, Bob Ringwald

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Molly Ringwald honored her late father, jazz great Bob Ringwald, over the weekend by penning a heartfelt obituary in The Sacramento Bee

“Jazz musician Robert Scott Ringwald, known to most as Bob, and to a lucky few as Dad and PopPop, died Tuesday, Aug. 3. He was 80,” the actress eulogized on Saturday, sharing how he overcame blindness to become a professional musician.

Bob established the first-ever Sacramento Jazz Festival in 1974 and, in 2012, was honored with the title “The Emperor of Jazz” by the same festival he co-founded — a title that “both touched and embarrassed him,” said Molly.

“Anyone who knew Bob also knew his mischievous streak, and his ever-present, slightly ribald sense of humor,” the Pretty in Pink star continued. ” If you didn’t sufficiently beg to get off of his email joke list, you would have received one just a couple of days before he died.”

“Though he never wanted to be defined by his blindness, he couldn’t help being an ambassador for changing the perception of what is possible to do while living with a disability,” she closed. “His dignity, humor, strength of character and courage will always be remembered and cherished by everyone whose lives were touched by his.”

In addition to writing her father’s obituary, Molly alerted fans of her father’s passing on Instagram. Sharing a series of throwback photos, the Breakfast Club actress wrote, “It’s with a heavy heart that my family says goodbye to my father. I consider myself very lucky to have had in my life as long as I did.”

Besides Molly, Bob Ringwald is survived by his wife of 60 years, Adele, and children Beth and Kelly.  He is predeceased by son Robert Scott Jr., who died at age three from leukemia.

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Dwayne Johnson says he’s the “opposite of a ‘not washing themselves’ celeb”

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Dwayne Johnson has entered the chat — the shower chat. 

After celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, Kristen Bell and Jake Gyllenhaal recently revealed their not-so-daily showering habits, Johnson has entered the conversation to let fans know that not all actors are the same. 

Responding to a Twitter user who expressed that he “can’t possibly be one of those stinky ones,” the 49-year-old actor confirmed, “Nope, I’m the opposite of a ‘not washing themselves’ celeb.”

The Jungle Cruise star then went on to detail his daily regimen, writing, “Shower (cold) when I roll outta bed to get my day rollin’. Shower (warm) after my workout before work. Shower (hot) after I get home from work.”

“Face wash, body wash, exfoliate and I sing (off key) in the shower,” he added.

Kutcher, along with his wife, Mila Kunis, first sparked the conversation surrounding bathing habits while appearing on Dax Shepard‘s Armchair Expert podcast last month. At one point in the conversation the pair admitted to not bathing daily, and extended the habit to their children — Wyatt, 6, and Dimitri, 4. 

“If you can see the dirt on them, clean them. Otherwise, there’s no point,” Kutcher declared. 

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Hugh Jackman reveals results from latest skin biopsy were “inconclusive”

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Hugh Jackman continues to urge fans to wear sunscreen while he keeps them updated on his latest cancer scare.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the 52-year-old actor declared, “I promised I’d keep you updated,” while indicating the bandage on his nose. “[The biopsy] came back inconclusive, which means they didn’t quite take enough.”

The Australian actor revealed he’s about to start filming another project, so he and his doctors “didn’t want to go too deep.”

Despite the latest results, Jackman assured fans that his doctors “aren’t worried” because, “if anything, it’s basal cell carcinoma, which is not threatening, really, but needs to be taken care of.”

The actor said he’ll undergo another biopsy when filming wraps “in two months” and promised to let fans know its results.

“Wear sunscreen, get a skin check whenever you can,” he urged before thanking his followers for their support.

Last week, Jackman told fans he had to undergo a biopsy and was awaiting the results after his doctor noticed something “a little irregular” on his skin. The actor admitted in a 2015 interview with ABC News that he spent most of his childhood playing in the hot Australia sun and neglected to protect his skin — resulting in him being diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer, in 2013.

He also shared his type of cancer is “the mildest form but serious, nonetheless.”

In the years since, Jackman’s stressed the importance of wearing sunscreen and getting regular medical checkups.

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‘Free Guy’ director Shawn Levy teases massive “supercut” of Taika Waititi’s improv

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While Ryan Reynolds‘ new action comedy Free Guy doesn’t come out in theaters until Friday, it’s already Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Director Shawn Levy explains one of the high points of the film was capturing Oscar-winner Taika Waititi‘s improvised riffing as villainous game designer Antwan, which the Stranger Things and Night at the Museum director teased in a recent tweet

However, there’s tons more to come, the filmmaker said at a recent press conference.

“There is a Taika Waititi improvisation supercut I cut,” Levy revealed. “I mean, I think it’s about thirty-nine minutes long,” he said, cracking up the cast, adding, “I forced myself to cut it down to a minute and a half so that it could go on social media…But eventually it must be shared with the world because it was a level of improv that I’ve rarely, rarely, rarely seen.”

In the film, Waititi’s over the top character is the dudebro behind Free City, a violent “open-world” game in the style of Grand Theft Auto. But the brains behind the game is the A.I. he stole from a pair of programmers, Keys and Millie, played, respectively, by Stranger Things‘ Joe Keery and Killing Eve Emmy-winner Jodie Comer

Things in the game’s virtual world, and in Antwan’s real world, go awry when one of its background characters — Guy, played by Reynolds — begins to think on his own after meeting Millie’s butt-kicking in-game avatar. 

Free Guy, which also stars Lil’ Rel Howery and a host of spoiler-worthy stars, is being released by 20th Century Studios, which is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

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Kathy Griffin speaks for first time since undergoing surgery: “I laugh at everything now”

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Kathy Griffin is showing fans what she currently sounds like after having a portion of her left lung removed following a recent cancer diagnosis.

The comedian took to Instagram on Saturday to share a short video, where she directly addressed her followers to let them know she is in good spirits.

“I might start to post little videos about… my recovery and stuff, but my voice is, like, really hoarse, and I don’t want to scare people,” Griffin joked.  “Also, for some reason, I laugh at everything now and, if it’s horrible, I laugh way more!”

The following day, Griffin shared an additional update that included new standup material from her very eventful Sunday, which she laughed through. Her voice was also noticeably stronger. 

The 60-year-old comic revealed that her husband had an accident in the kitchen and remarked, “If he’s calling for my help, it must be bad because I can’t do anything!”

“I’m going to hell for laughing,” she continued, noting she ran from the bedroom where she was resting and was only in her undergarments.  Griffin’s wild story continued as she revealed that, while her husband was away to go get stitched up, someone knocked on their door.

Griffin noted she was “too famous” to safely answer the door but remembered a friend of hers promised to mail her ice cream bars.

“I’m thinking, ‘I don’t care if I have cancer… I’m getting those [damn] ice cream bars,'” she giggled.  

Griffin revealed last week that she’d been diagnosed with Stage 1 lung cancer. She underwent surgery the next day to remove half of her left lung.  

Among those wishing her well in her latest updates were famous friends Laverne CoxKris Jenner and Rosie O’Donnell.

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‘The Suicide Squad’ underwhelms, but tops the box office with $26.5 million

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Despite glowing reviews, The Suicide Squad fell short of the $30 million insiders had predicted, only managing to deliver an estimated $26.5 million in its opening weekend.  That was in direct contrast to its predecessor, 2016’s Suicide Squad, which opened with $133.7 million amid bad reviews.

To be fair, The Suicide Squad‘s lackluster performance faced new challenges — the new surge in COVID-19 cases and the fact that it was simultaneously available to HBO Max subscribers at no additional cost.  The streamer has not made the number of home viewers available.

The movie, from director James Gunn and starring Viola Davis and Margot Robbie — reprising her role as Harley Quinn — along with franchise newcomers Idris Elba, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Pete Davidson, Daniela Melchior, Peter Capaldi and Sylvester Stallone as the voice of Nanaue/King Shark, added an estimated $45.7 million overseas, bringing its worldwide total to $72.2 million.

Last week’s box office champ, Disney’s Jungle Cruise, slipped to number two in its second week, delivering an estimated $15.7 million.  That brings the movie’s stateside total to $65.3 million, to go with its estimated $56.5 million overseas, and pushes its worldwide tally to $121.8 million.

M. Night Shyamalan’s horror feature Old earned an estimated $4.1 million, pushing its three-week stateside total to $38.5 million. Marvel’s Black Widow took fourth place with an estimated $4 million, for a domestic box office total of $174 million. Its global total stands at $359.8 million.

Rounding out the top five is Stillwater. The indie thriller, starring Matt Damon, grabbed an estimated $2 million in its second week of release. The film has has yet to open internationally.

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The Whitest Kids U’ Know co-founder Trevor Moore dead at 41

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Trevor Moore, who co-founded the sketch comedy group The Whitest Kids U’ Know and star of Comedy Central’s The Trevor Moore Show, died Friday in an unspecified accident.  He was 41.

Deadline obtained a statement from the comic’s widow, Aimee Carlson, and his family from Moore’s manager, who confirmed his death.

“We are devastated by the loss of my husband, best friend and the father of our son,” the statement read. “He was known as a writer and comedian to millions, and yet to us he was simply the center of our whole world. We don’t know how we’ll go on without him, but we’re thankful for the memories we do have that will stay with us forever.”

The family is requesting privacy as they grieve.  Those wishing to honor Moore are encouraged to donate to NEXT for Autism.

Moore’s fellow WKUK troupe members Sam Brown and Sam Cregger honored his memory, sharing in a joint statement, “He was our best friend, and we speak for all of us in saying that the loss of Trevor is unimaginable. We are heartbroken.”

Adam Sandler also mourned Moore’s passing on Sunday, taking to Instagram to share a video tribute and his memories of the late comedian.

Sending love to his family. Got to hang with Trevor a few times and just thought he was such a great sweet funny man,” Sandler wrote. “Such a tragedy.”

Besides founding WKUK, which won Best Sketch Group at HBO’s U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in 2006, Moore spearheaded the Disney XD comedy series Walk the Prank and executive-produced and co-created the Disney show Just Roll Wwith It.  He also created the Trevor Moore Show on Comedy Central.

He is survived by his wife Aimee and their son, August.

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Bob Odenkirk shares health update after heart attack: “I am doing great”

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Bob Odenkirk is “doing great” after suffering a heart attack on the set of Better Call Saul nearly two weeks ago.

“I am doing great,” he shared in a tweet on Saturday. “I’ve had my very own ‘It’s a wonderful life’ week of people insisting I make the world slightly better,” he continued. “Wow! Thank you, I love everyone right now but let’s keep expectations reasonable!”

Odenkirk was rushed to the hospital July 27 when he collapsed on the set while shooting the sixth and final season of his AMC series in New Mexico. A few days after the incident, the 58-year-old actor tweeted, “I had a small heart attack. But I’m going to be ok thanks to Rosa Estrada and the doctors who knew how to fix the blockage without surgery.”

Odenkirk continued, “Also, AMC and SONYs support and help throughout this has been next-level. I’m going to take a beat to recover but I’ll be back soon.”

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