Entertainment

Broadway performances of Macbeth, which stars Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga, have been cancelled through April 7 after a “limited number” of positive COVID-19 results were detected among the company. “We deeply apologize for the inconvenience this causes ticket holders. All tickets for the cancelled performances will be refunded at the original point of purchase,” the production said on social media. Macbeth just began previews on March 29 and is set of officially open on April 28…

Paramount+ has unleashed the first full-length trailer for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, the latest new series in the Star Trek saga. The series, which debuts next month on the streamer, follows Captain Christopher Pike and the USS Enterprise crew in the decade before the original Star Trek series time frame. Strange New Worlds stars Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike, Rebecca Romijn as Number One, and Ethan Peck as Science Officer Spock. The first episode of the 10-episode season premieres Thursday, May 5 with episodes being released weekly on Thursdays…

Barrie Youngfellow, who starred in the ’80s sitcom It’s a Living, died last Monday, March 28, according to her family. A cause of death was not disclosed. She was 75. In an obituary, her family wrote, “She was the best of friends and had many loyal ones. Loved a good story and a nice bottle. Had a great laugh that confirmed her sense of life. Even during her decline, she could shoot off a good one liner.” Youngfellow appeared in 120 episodes of It’s A Living, which was renamed Making a Living and aired from 1980 to 1989. She also has credits in Blossom, Murder, She Wrote, Trapper John, M.D., It Takes Two, Good Time Harry, Three’s Company, The Jeffersons, Emergency!, Carter Country, and more… 

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The highly anticipated women’s sports drama Long Slow Exhale premieres today, and the show runners warn it’s a story no one has seen before on television.

Long Slow Exhale stars Rose Rollins as J.C. Abernathy, the head coach of a women’s college basketball team who gets swept up in a horrific sexual abuse scandal involving her star player and assistant coach. With her career on the line, she aims to find the truth — no matter what or who stands in her way.

Pam Veasey, who created the show, told ABC Audio that her aim was to “create a strong female lead who was flawed and redeemable in a world that you hadn’t seen before.” Veasey added that the story also shows just how many lives a sexual abuse scandal touches and asks, “What is the journey of those coaches — or the players, or the victims or their parents?”

Producer Casey Haver said the goal of the project was to tell an “authentic” story that wasn’t “[exploitative] in any way.” Director Anton Cropper added that meant being mindful when it came to exploring every “character’s headspace” to “really understand how they were affected and how their choices affected others.”

Rollins said she appreciated the show’s sensitivity and bold storyline because it created such “multi-layered, complicated” characters. The actress added that her character’s arc had such a strong impact on her, she unintentionally began method acting.

“I’m not exaggerating. I would dream as J.C. — I would have J.C.’s dreams,” she remarked, calling the experience “a head trip.”

Ian Harding, who portrays assistant coach Eddie Hagan, said it was “tricky” playing someone who is accused of an unspeakable crime but doesn’t believe “what he did was wrong,” which leads to some “painful scenes.” 

Long Slow Exhale is streaming now on SpectrumTV.

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The 64th Annual Grammy Awards aired live from Las Vegas Sunday night on CBS, hosted by Trevor Noah.

Here is the complete list of winners in the major categories:

Record of the Year
“Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic

Album of the Year
We Are, Jon Batiste

Song of the Year
“Leave the Door Open,” Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Silk Sonic)

Best New Artist
Olivia Rodrigo

POP

Best Pop Solo Performance
“driver’s license,” Olivia Rodrigo

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
“Kiss Me More,” Doja Cat Featuring SZA

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Love For Sale, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga

Best Pop Vocal Album
Sour, Olivia Rodrigo

ROCK/ALTERNATIVE

Best Metal Performance
“The Alien,” Dream Theater

Best Rock Song
“Waiting on a War,” Foo Fighters

Best Rock Performance
“Making a Fire,” Foo Fighters

Best Rock Album
Medicine at Midnight, Foo Fighters

Best Alternative Music Album
Daddy’s Home, St. Vincent

R&B/RAP

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE (TIE)
“Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic
and
“Pick Up Your Feelings,” Jazmine Sullivan

Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Fight for You,” H.E.R.

Best R&B Song
“Leave the Door Open,” Silk Sonic

Best Progressive R&B Album
Table for Two, Lucky Daye

Best R&B Album
Heaux Tales, Jazmine Sullivan

Best Rap Performance
“Family Ties,” Baby Keem Featuring Kendrick Lamar

Best Melodic Rap Performance
“Hurricane,” Kanye West featuring the Weeknd and Lil Baby

Best Rap Song
“Jail,” Dwayne Abernathy, Jr., Shawn Carter, Raul Cubina, Michael Dean, Charles M. Njapa, Sean Solymar, Kanye West and Mark Williams, songwriters (Kanye West featuring Jay-Z)

Best Rap Album
Call Me If You Get Lost, Tyler, the Creator

COUNTRY

Best Country Solo Performance
“You Should Probably Leave,” Chris Stapleton

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
“Younger Me,” Brothers Osborne

Best Country Song
“Cold,” Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon & Chris Stapleton

Best Country Album
Starting Over, Chris Stapleton

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC

Best Dance Recording
“10%” by Kaytranada feat. Kali Uchis

Best Dance/Electronic Album
Alive, Rüfüs Du Sol

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
“Believe For It,” CeCe Winans; Dwan Hill, Kyle Lee, CeCe Winans & Mitch Wong

Best Gospel Album
Believe For It, CeCe Winans

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Old Church Basement, Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music

Best Roots Gospel Album
My Savior, Carrie Underwood

LATIN

Best Latin Pop Album
Mendó, Alex Cuba

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album
Origen, Juanes

Best Regional Mexican Music Album
A Mis 80s, Vicente Fernandez

Best Tropical Latin Album
Salswing!, Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta

COMEDY

Best Comedy Album
Sincerely, Louis C.K.

MUSICAL THEATER

Best Musical Theater Album
The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, Composers/Lyricists Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Producer Emily Bear

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (TIE)
Caros Raphael Rivera, The Queen’s Gambit
and
Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor, Soul

Best Song Written For Visual Media
“All Eyes on Me” (from Bo Burnham: Inside), Bo Burnham

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM

Best Music Video
“Freedom,” Jon Batiste

Best Music Film
Summer of Soul, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, video director; David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent & Joseph Patel, video producers

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Estelle Harris, best known for playing George Costanza’s mother on Seinfeld, has passed away at age 93.

Her son, Glen Harris, confirmed Saturday that she died of natural causes in Palm Desert, CA.

“It is with the greatest remorse and sadness to announce that Estelle Harris has passed on today, leaving a hole in my heart too deep to describe,” her son said in a statement. “Her kindness, passion, sensitivity, humor, empathy and love were practically unrivaled, and she will be terribly missed by all those who knew her.”

In addition to her role as Estelle Costanza on Seinfeld opposite Jerry Stiller as George’s father Frank, Harris was also well-known for voicing the role of Mrs. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise.

“One of my favorite people has passed – my tv mama, Estelle Harris,” Jason Alexander, who played George Costanza on Seinfeld, said in a Twitter post. “The joy of playing with her and relishing her glorious laughter was a treat. I adore you, Estelle. Love to your family. Serenity now and always. #RIPEstelleHarris.”

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played Elaine on Seinfeld, also reacted to the news on Twitter, writing, ​​”RIP Estelle Harris. I love you.”

Harris is survived by her three children, three grandsons, and a great grandson.

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It’s a wrap for Star Trek: Discovery. Sonequa Martin-Green has just finished her latest voyage as Captain Michael Burnham in Season 4…and she still hasn’t come back to Earth.

“It was quite profound,” she tells ABC Audio of the season ender’s surprise Stacey Abrams cameo. “She was utterly wonderful! You have this civil hero right in front of you. This legend in-the-making right in front of you.”

As it turns out, Abrams was no stranger to being in front of the camera, Martin-Green says: “And also completely talented! Because it turns out she’s acted some, and she did a fantastic job as the President of United Earth.”

While promoting her new partnership with Crest, to raise awareness for good oral hygiene for kids, Martin-Green says things are going full-speed ahead for the cast and crew of Discovery. 

“We officially have gotten into our groove. I love where we end in Season 4,” she says.

And she’s happy for the setup going into Season 5. “With peace being restored, and The Federation really building exactly, and strengthening and everything. And I think that we are going to have some time where we can kind of coast there. And I applaud the writers for that. For the art imitating life in that way right? Because that big conflict in Season 4 is very much a representation of the pandemic.”

Episodes of Star Trek: Discovery are available now on Paramount+.

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The Drew Barrymore Show is returning to daytime TV, but with a twist. 

The syndicated CBS show hosted by Drew Barrymore has been renewed for a third season in 2022-2023 and will now air as two, 30-minute episodes that can be broadcast back-to-back or at separate times. 

“I am honored and grateful but I also want to take this show higher and continue to innovate and be a game-changer in the daytime space,” Drew says in a statement. “Rising to the occasion of finding people in the diverse way they watch is what I want to challenge myself with. Our show wants to be a bright spot not a blind spot and we just want to make people feel good. And I thank all the people who helped us get here.”

The longtime actress, who hosts and executive produces the talk show, shared a video of herself screaming in excitement at the news of the renewal.  

The Drew Barrymore Show debuted in September 2020. 

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Jim Carrey may be stepping away from acting in the near future. 

The comic and actor, who’s currently starring in the animated film Sonic the Hedgehog 2, tells Access Hollywood that he’s “fairly serious” about “retiring.” 

“I really like my quiet life,” he expresses, focusing his time on painting and spirituality. 

The legendary actor, who’s 60, says he would consider returning to the big screen if he’s presented with a script that is “going to be really important for people to see.”

“But I’m taking a break,” he affirms. “I feel like I have enough, I’ve done enough, I am enough.”

In addition to Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which comes out on April 8, Carrey is also appearing in the Bob Saget tribute special alongside Chris Rock, John Stamos and more, premiering on Netflix in June.

 

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Chris Rock apparently isn’t tolerating fans’ negative reactions to Will Smith. 

During his stand-up show at The Wilbur Theatre in Boston on Thursday night, the comedian shut down an audience member who yelled “f*** Will Smith!”, instead replying “no, no, no, no,” according to People. This after fans at his first show at the Wilbur on Wednesday, his first live appearance since Smith slapped him during the Academy Awards, started chanting Smith’s name, which Rock ignored. 

However, Rock did address the incident during the Wednesday show, saying that he’s “still processing what happened” and declaring, “I haven’t talked to anyone, despite what you’ve heard.”

During the Oscars ceremony on Sunday night, Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith‘s bald head, which she shaved due to alopecia, which causes hair loss. Her husband reacted to the joke by walking onstage and slapping Rock across the face, after which he returnedg to his seat and twice shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth!” 

Later in the ceremony, Smith won his first Academy Award, for Best Actor for King Richard.

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Kiefer Sutherland commands a Black Ops team in the new film The Contractor, which features Chris Pine and Ben Foster as members of his covert ranks.

Their assignment takes Pine’s Sergeant James Harper deep undercover on a mission involving a potentially lethal virus…an all-too familiar scenario, even though it was filmed pre-pandemic.

“The signs were coming,” Sutherland tells ABC Audio. “We had been warned about a virus for the last 15 years. I think it’s very sad when writers using their imagination, taking current events and kind of going, ‘Well, this is the worst circumstance/scenario that could possibly happen so I’ll write it in that direction,’ and then having it come true.”

The movie also shines a light on conditions facing soldiers returning home from battle. Pine’s character is damaged, suffering both the physical and mental traumas of war.

“Regardless of how strong these people are, how well trained they are, they become emotionally, incredibly vulnerable,” Sutherland says, adding that more work needs to be done to help veterans.

“This has been an ongoing discussion since World War I,” Sutherland adds. “As a society, we need to do more for our veterans to deal with PTSD and all of the shell shock, all of the different kind of nomenclatures that we have for…these issues. We need to try and do better.”

The Contractor is in theaters and on-demand now.

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Oscars 2022 producer Will Packer is opening up about what happened behind the scenes on Hollywood’s biggest night, after actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ TJ Holmes, airing Friday on Good Morning America, Packer said the Los Angeles Police Department was ready to arrest Smith at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday night after he got up from his seat, walked on stage and slapped Rock for telling a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

“That is an absolute fact,” Packer said. “The LAPD made it clear: ‘We will do whatever you want us to do, and one of the options is that we will go and arrest him right now.'”

Packer said Rock was “dismissive” of the options police presented, insisting he was “fine.” While Packer didn’t speak to Smith, his co-producer, Shayla Cowan, informed him that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences was about to remove Smith from the ceremony. The Academy said in a statement Wednesday that they had asked Smith to leave, but he refused.

Packer said, “I immediately went to the Academy leadership that was on site and I said: ‘Chris Rock doesn’t want that,’ I said: ‘Rock has made it clear that he does not want to make a bad situation worse.'”

Packer said that because Rock was not retaliatory, aggressive or angry following the incident, he was willing to advocate for whatever the comedian wanted in that moment, which was to not kick out Smith.

The following day, Smith formally apologized to Rock and the Academy for his actions in an Instagram post.  Smith reportedly also apologized to the other Oscars producers in a six-minute Zoom call on Tuesday.

The Academy’s Board of Governors announced Wednesday that they are beginning disciplinary procedures against the actor.

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