Vanna White is synonymous with Wheel of Fortune. However, she’ll be breaking new ground with a special appearance on an upcoming installment of ABC’s Celebrity Wheel of Fortune — as a contestant.
The game show mainstay, and Pat Sajak‘s letter-flipping ride-or-die since 1982, will be playing the game to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune‘s “Ultimate Host Night.”
Vanna better buy a vowel and bring her A game: Her competitors will be Jeopardy! champ-turned-host Ken Jennings, playing for the Equal Justice Initiative, and his fellow Jeopardy! host, actress and actual neuroscientist Mayim Bialik. She’s playing for the Mental Wealth Alliance.
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune‘s “Ultimate Host Night” will air Wednesday, May 10, on ABC.
Expecto paturnum! ABC News has confirmed that former Harry Potter lead Daniel Radcliffe and longtime actress girlfriend, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel co-star Erin Darke, are now parents.
A rep for the actor passed along the good news, but didn’t provide any details about whether it was a boy or a girl.
Incidentally, the news comes as the couple, who have been linked since 2012 when they met on the film Kill Your Darlings, were snapped in photos published by the Daily Mail as they pushed a stroller along the sidewalks of New York City.
It is the first child for both 33-year-old Radcliffe and Darke, 38.
Bridesmaids scene-stealer, former Mike & Molly star and the actress playing Ursula in the upcoming live-action Little Mermaid film, Melissa McCarthy, is the cover model for People magazine‘s latest “Beautiful” issue.
The magazine dropped the news Tuesday, ahead of the issue hitting the newsstand Friday. An “incredibly flattered” McCarthy said of the honor, “I felt like it was saying something really lovely to my younger self, to my 20-year-old self. And maybe to other people, too.”
The 52-year-old said she let her husband, Ben Falcone, in on the surprise announcement, but not their two daughters, 15-year-old Vivian and 13-year-old Georgette.
They have more pressing concerns: “They were trying to talk me into getting yet another gecko, so I haven’t gotten around to telling them yet,” Melissa said, adding she thinks the honor “might mean more to [them] as they get older.”
L-R: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, ‘Equalizer 3’ director director Antoine Fuqua – Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage
(NOTE LANGUAGE) The annual movie industry confab Cinemacon is underway in Las Vegas, and Monday night’s presentations to insiders teased some of what will be the biggest movies to hit theaters.
Monday night belonged to Sony Pictures, with the announcement of an ambitious plan to release 23 movies in 2023.
Or as Sony Pictures Entertainment Chairman Tom Rothman said, according to IndieWire, “We are not f****** around here.” To that end, Sony unspooled the trailers for Denzel Washington‘s The Equalizer 3, a teaser for the follow-up to Ghostbusters: Afterlife, director Ridley Scott‘s Napoleon starring Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix, the animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and its first R-rated Marvel Comics film, Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the poacher-hunting Spider-Man villain.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence kicked off the festivities with a recorded message to the attendees from the set of Bad Boys 4, with Will saying, “Back in the saddle. We hype, we excited.”
Taylor-Johnson appeared in person, as did Paul Rudd and Carrie Coon — wearing Ghostbusters jumpsuits, no less. Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence also made an appearance,in fine f-bomb-dropping form, to promote her upcoming R-rated comedy No Hard Feelings.
Harry Belafonte, a groundbreaking actor and trusted confidante to fellow civil rights activist Martin Luther KingJr., died Tuesday morning at age 96.
He passed away of congestive heart failure at his New York home with his wife, Pamela, by his side.
Born in Harlem, Belafonte started out as an actor before switching to music. His breakthrough album, 1956’s Calypso, featured his iconic songs “Jamaica Farewell” and “Day-O (Banana Boat Song).” It was also the first LP record to sell over 1 million copies.
In addition to his own music career, Belafonte was instrumental in bringing African stars like Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba to a global audience.
Belafonte was also a prime mover behind the #1 all-star charity single “We Are the World,” which raised millions of dollars for African famine relief. In 2022, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the Early Influence Award.
Belafonte’s film career included starring roles in Carmen Jones, Uptown Saturday Night and Island in the Sun. He also produced and scored the iconic hip-hop film Beat Street.
He eventually became an EGOT winner, nabbing an Emmy, three Grammys, an Oscar and a Tony over the course of his career.
A close friend and supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Belafonte was deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement, helping to organizing the 1963 March on Washington and funding the Freedom Rides. King called Belafonte’s commitment to the cause “a powerful tactical weapon” in the fight for civil rights.
Belafonte devoted much of his life to philanthropy and humanitarian causes, serving as a Peace Corps advisor and a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, advocating for the end of apartheid in South Africa and founding The Gathering for Justice to end racial inequality in the justice system.
His many honors included the National Medal of Arts, the Kennedy Center Honors, the NAACP Spingarn Medal and the Nelson Mandela Courage Award.
Belafonte leaves behind four children — son David and daughters Shari, Adrienne and Gina; two stepchildren — Sarah and Lindsey; and eight grandchildren.
Julien’s Hollywood: Classic & Contemporary auction took place on Saturday, April 22 and, as expected, John Travolta‘s iconic white three-piece suit from Saturday Night Fever and props from Harry Potter from the Order of the Phoenix and Iron Man drew some of the highest bids.
The iconic white three-piece “Tony Manero” suit worn by Travolta in Saturday Night Fever sold for $260,000. The two-piece suit worn by Travolta’s Vincent Vega character from Pulp Fiction was also on the block, and fetched $32,000.
Items from the Harry Potter universe included the “Albus Dumbledore” elder wand prop used by Michael Gambon in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which sold for a jaw-dropping $130,000 — over twenty-one times its original $6,000 estimate. A “Voldemort” wand prop used by Ralph Fiennes in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, estimated to sell for $7,000 went for $65,000 and a Harry Potter wand used by Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1 drew $32,500 — over eight times its original estimate of $4,000.
An original Iron Man Mark XLVI Helmet worn by Robert Downey Jr. in Captain America: Civil War sold for a whopping $127,000, while a prototype Mark III Helmet and Mark VII Repulsor Glove Prop went for $26,000 and and $29,250, respectively.
Other memorabilia included Warren Beatty‘s Dick Tracy coat and hat and Michael J. Fox‘s “Marty McFly” Back to the Future II Mattel Hoverboard, which each sold for $91,000.
The full list of items can be found at Julien’s website.
Filming of the movie Rust has begun again, and days after involuntary manslaughter charges were dropped against him for an on-set shooting, Alec Baldwin is feeling thankful.
The movie shifted production to Montana from New Mexico, where Rust‘s cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was fatally shot in October of 2021, when a firearm aimed by Baldwin discharged a live round.
Baldwin posted a photo to Instagram, in costume, noting, “We filmed SUPERCELL in Billings,” referring to the movie he shot with Anne Heche, who died in 2022.
“Now outside of Bozeman to complete RUST. Montana is stunning,” he continued, adding, “I’m grateful for all of the support I have received here.”
Prosecutors dropped the charges against the actor last Thursday, but noted their investigation remains “active and ongoing.”
The film’s armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was also charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter over Hutchins’ death. The special prosecutors also confirmed that the charges against Gutierrez-Reed “remain unchanged.” She insists she has no idea how a live round of ammunition ended up in Baldwin’s Colt-style pistol.
During a status conference Friday, Gutierrez-Reed’s preliminary hearing was pushed back to the week of Aug. 9. It had initially been scheduled to start May 3, but both state and defense attorneys asked for more time.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC on Monday announced the 96th Oscars will take place Sunday, March 10, 2024. The show will air live on ABC from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The nominations voting period will run from January 11-16, 2024, with the official nominations announcement on January 23…
He may hate to travel, but Eugene Levy is ready to hit the road again for a second season of his Apple TV+ reality series The Reluctant Traveler. “After experiencing season one, I’ve come to realize it’s true what they say about travel broadening the mind — and, I guess my mind could still take some broadening. So I’m packing my suitcase once again and looking forward — with a healthy dose of trepidation — to whatever adventures lie in store,” the Schitt’s Creek alum said in a statement on Monday, adding, “Here’s to trying new things — well, within reason”…
Ginnie Newhart, the wife of comedian Bob Newhart, died Sunday at their home in Century City after a long illness, publicist Jerry Digney told The Hollywood Reporter. She was 82. Ginnie is credited with coming up with the idea to conclude Bob’s Vermont-based sitcom by combining with it with his earlier Chicago-based show. The now classic Newhart finale ended with Dick waking up in the middle of the night as Bob Hartley — his character from his 1970s series The Bob Newhart Show — in bed with his then TV wife, Suzanne Pleshette, in their Chicago apartment, suggesting that his entire second series had been a dream…
Truth Be Told, the Apple TV+ drama of the same name won’t return for a fourth season. Series star Octavia Spencer shared the news on her Instagram, along with a video of the cast and crew waving goodbye while The Bellamy Brothers‘ “Let Your Love Shine” played underneath. “Hey y’all. I wanted to share the news that after three seasons of seeking truth and justice, Poppy Scoville is going on a much-needed vacation,” she wrote. After thanking the studio and producers, she closed with “Poppy Scoville signing off.” Gabrielle Union co-starred in season 3, following Aaron Paul, Lizzy Caplan and Kate Hudson, who shared top billing with Spencer in the show’s first and second seasons, respectively…
Following talk of a possible spinoff of The Big Bang Theory, Mayim Bialik, who played Amy Farrah Fowler on the original CBS sitcom, says she’d be open to making an appearance, if she’s asked.
“We’re all still pretty close, so there was a lot of texting going on,” the Jeopardy! host told E! News at the Los Angeles LGBT Center Gala on April 22, “And I asked my agent. He was like, ‘I don’t know.’ I guess no one knows at this point, but I can’t wait to find out.”
“I’ll do anything related to anything like that,” adds, Bialik, 47, “But yeah, we really have no idea. So I’m in the same boat as everyone else.”
Meanwhile, Bialik is eyeing a potential reboot of her 1990s sitcom, Blossom, in which she starred as the titular character, Blossom Russo.
“We’re thinking about coming back,” said Mayim. “There’s a lot of things that have to happen … But Don Reo, our creator, and I have finally been able to find a breath and an opening in my life and schedule where we’re ready to talk about it actively.”
“A lot of shows from the ‘90s have been rebooted,” noted Mayim, who’s hopeful Blossom can get the revival treatment as well.
“We were on from ‘90 to ‘94, so we were right in that pocket,” she continued, “and I’m just excited to think about putting our own spin on what it would be like to see where these characters are.”
Bringing back a New Year’s Eve segment he shared with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Watch What Happens Live! host Andy Cohen on Sunday night quizzed outspoken Broadway legend Patti LuPone about what she thinks about Kim Kardashian‘s upcoming acting turn.
The segment “Do They Give A Damn?” had LuPone answering emphatically, “Yes, I do!” regarding Kim’s forthcoming starring role on American Horror Story.
Cohen said, “You don’t like it, do you?”
“No, I don’t,” she seethed. Cohen asked if it’s because it’s taking away a role from someone else.
“From actors,” she says. “Excuse me, excuse me, Kim. You know, what are you doing with your life? Don’t get on the stage, Mrs. Worthington,” LuPone said sarcastically, a reference to Noël Coward’s 1935 song of the same name.
For his part, her partner in the game, fellow Tony winner John Leguizamo, said, “Whatever she said, I double the emotion!”
