Entertainment

(NOTE LANGUAGE) Wednesday’s revelation that Bruce Willis is retiring from acting following a diagnosis of aphasia led to an outpouring of support from fans — both famous and not — on social media. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, aphasia can rob a person of their ability to speak, read, and understand language, both spoken and written. The condition, which varies in type and severity, can result from numerous conditions, illnesses or injuries, all of which affect the brain.

The 67-year-old Die Hard series star’s condition was revealed in an Instagram post from daughter Rumer Willis, who overnight added touching throwback pictures of her and her dad in her Story. 

Her initial post was commented on by stars including Jamie Lee Curtis, who said: “Grace and guts! Love to you all!” Kelly Ripa added praying hands and heart emoji, while Hilarie Burton Morgan replied with, “Sending you big hugs, babe. Xoxoxo.”

Willis’ Sixth Sense and Unbreakable trilogy writer/director M. Night Shyamalan tweeted: “All my love and respect to my big brother Bruce Willis. I know his wonderful family is surrounding him with support and strength. He will always be that hero on that poster on my wall as kid.”

James Woods posted: “If you love movies, you love #BruceWillis. He has embodied everything good about the word ‘entertainment’ for decades. Kudos to his loving family for handling difficult news with dignity and grace. I speak for the world when I say, ‘We love you, Bruce.'”

Seth Green tweeted: “I have so much love for Bruce Willis, and am grateful for every character he’s given us. Hugs and love for the whole family- thank you for sharing him with us all.”

Kevin Smith, who famously flamed Willis about their experience filming the comedy Cop Out, tweeted: “Long before any of the Cop Out stuff, I was a big Bruce Willis fan – so this is really heartbreaking to read. He loved to act and sing and the loss of that has to be devastating for him. I feel like an a**hole for my petty complaints from 2010. So sorry to BW and his family.”

Ziwe posted: “bruce willis is a brilliant actor and we don’t spend enough time discussing his comedic genius in death becomes her.”

Meghan McCain commented: “So much love, light, prayers, and strength to Bruce Willis, his wife, children, @justdemi and their entire family during this time. Have faith, there is hope and incredible geniuses at Mayo Clinic and NIH who work in neurology & study brains. Breakthroughs truly happen every day.”

Former SNL star and actress Rachael Dratch noted, “I wanted to send some love to #BruceWillis. He’s the first celebrity I ever met. Back in the 90’s, touring with Second City at a show in Sun Valley, ID. Imagine our delight when we found out he was in the audience! He came backstage and couldn’t have been sweeter to us wannabes.”

Breaking Bad and Claws star Dean Norris: “So sorry to hear the news about Bruce Willis. Worked with him on Death Wish and he was a lovely awesome badass man. Prayers for him and his family. Legend.”

Die Hard 2 villain William Sadler expressed: “Take a bow Bruce. Thanks for all the amazing moments and good luck with the road ahead.”

Writer-director Chris Stuckmann tweeted pictures of Willis in Pulp Fiction, Die Hard, and others, adding, “I first heard of Bruce Willis’ condition last year from a director who worked with him, and I’ve felt bad for him ever since. I hope he and his family are okay. I’m glad he’s getting the help he needs. Thanks for all the iconic performances.”

Former Marine-turned radio host Jesse Kelly recalled: “Bruce Willis came to see us in Kuwait. This was 9-10 months into the Iraq invasion. There weren’t great facilities of any kind. And it was BRUTALLY hot there. But we were leaving Iraq and coming home and he brought his band over there and played music for us. We loved him for it.”

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ABC has renewed two of its popular primetime dramas, The Rookie and The Good Doctor, according to Variety. The Good Doctor, which centers on Dr. Shaun Murphy, a young doctor with autism, played by Freddie Highmore, will return for its sixth season. Antonia Thomas, Hill Harper, Richard Schiff, Christina Chang, Fiona Gubelmann, Will Yun Lee and Paige Spara also star. The Rookie, which will return for its fifth season, stars Nathan Fillion as the LAPD’s oldest rookie officer who decides to join the force after a life-altering incident. Mekia Cox, Alyssa Diaz, Richard T. Jones, Melissa O’Neil, Jenna Dewan and Shawn Ashmore co-star. The renewal comes as ABC is prepping a potential spinoff starring Niecy Nash. The spinoff will be introduced in a two-episode backdoor pilot during the show’s current season…

Bridgerton fans rejoice! Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley, a.k.a. the Viscount and Viscountess Bridgerton, will return for the hit Netflix drama’s third season. Ashley tells Deadline, “We’re going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started.” In other Bridgerton news, Netflix has cast Line of Duty‘s India Amarteifio to play the younger version of Charlotte in a yet to be titled spinoff focusing on the young queen, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Golda Rosheuvel, who plays Queen Charlotte on Bridgerton, will reprise her role in the prequel, as will Adjoa Andoh and Ruth Gemmell — Lady Agatha Danbury and Lady Violet Bridgerton, respectively. Other new additions to the cast include Michelle Fairley, Corey Mylchreest, Arsema Thomas, Sam Clemmett, Richard Cunningham, Tunji Kasim, Rob Maloney, Cyril Nri and Bridgerton’s Hugh Sachs…

Paul Herman, best known for playing club owner Peter “Beansie” Gaeta on The Sopranos, died Tuesday, his management company revealed in a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly. He was 76. A cause of death was not given. Herman began his movie career in 1982, appearing in Dear Mr. Wonderful, alongside Joe Pesci. He followed that up with roles in Once Upon a Time in America, The Last Temptation of Christ, American Hustle, Bullets Over Broadway, Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman and Silver Linings Playbook, among others. He also appeared on TV shows such as Miami Vice, The Equalizer and Entourage, in which he starred as Marvin, an accountant of Adrian Grenier‘s Vince Chase, from 2004-2010…

Following CODA‘s history-making best picture win at Sunday’s Oscars, the film will return to theaters April 1, according to The Hollywood Reporter. CODA, a heartwarming story about a musically talented teenager, played by Emilia Jones, and her relationship with her deaf parents and deaf brother, took home best picture honors, along with a best supporting actor trophy for Troy Kotsur and the best adapted screenplay award, for writer-director Siân Heder. Marlee Matlin and Daniel Durant also star…

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Andi Dorfman is finally getting her happy ending! The former Bachelorette is engaged to her boyfriend Blaine Hart.

Dorfman shared the exciting news Wednesday, sharing a sweet picture of the newly engaged couple smooching on the beach to Instagram.

“WORTH THE WAIT!!!!” she wrote in all caps, along with the ring emoji.

Speaking with People, the Bachelor alum shared the details of her romantic beach proposal and sentimental engagement ring.

“Blaine told me he made dinner reservations and asked if I wanted to do sunset cocktails on the beach, which is something we do all the time here in LA,” she shared.”We get down to our spot, pour some wine, walked toward the water and when I turned around, he was on one knee.”

Dorfman gushed that as an added surprise Hart had both their families and friends waiting at their home afterwards to celebrate.

As for the ring, the stunning sparkler was made by the same jeweler who made an engagement ring for Dorfman’s mother 40 years prior and symbolized “love and happiness,” Dorfman said.

When it comes to wedding details, Dorfman already has a potential location in mind. 

“I think we would love to do a wedding in Italy where we rekindled our relationship last summer,” she teased.

Dorfman gained notoriety after appearing on Juan Pablo Galavis‘ season of The Bachelor in 2014. She then went on to become the lead for season 10 of The Bachelorette where she got engaged to winner Josh Murray. They announced their split in 2015.

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Chris Rock kicked off a six-show set Wednesday at Boston’s Wilbur Theatre, his first performances since Will Smith walked onto the stage and slapped him at Sunday’s Oscars ceremony over a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair.

The line outside of the Wilbur Theatre stretched for blocks, a sight the check-in attendant, who has worked there for years, tells ABC News he’s never seen.

The 57-year-old comedian got a standing ovation when he took the stage. When the cheers subsided he quipped, “What’s up Boston?” followed by “How was your weekend?” which drew laughs from the crowd.

Visibly moved, Rock told the audience, “Y’all are getting me all misty-eyed and s***.”

That brought the audience back to their feet, after which Rock said, “I don’t have a bunch of s*** about what happened,” he said Wednesday night. “I had like a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m kinda processing what happened. So at some point, I’ll talk about that s***.”

He then launched into his routine, starting off with jokes about the COVID-19 pandemic, noting sarcastically that people only die twice a year from it.

“it isn’t deadly enough,” he joked.

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Will Smith refused to leave the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday after slapping comedian Chris Rock, according to the Academy.

“Things unfolded in a way we could not have anticipated,” the Academy said in a statement on Wednesday. “While we would like to clarify that Mr. Smith was asked to leave the ceremony and refused, we also recognize we could have handled the situation differently.”

The Academy also announced that its Board of Governors initiated disciplinary proceedings against Smith “for violations of the Academy’s Standards of Conduct, including inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening behavior, and compromising the integrity of the Academy.”

Smith went onto the stage at the Oscars Sunday night and slapped Rock after the comedian made a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith‘s hair. Back in his seat, Smith then shouted, “Keep my wife’s name out of your f****** mouth,” twice.

Rock would go on to present for best documentary and later in the evening Will Smith won best actor for his role in King Richard.

Smith seemingly referenced his confrontation with Rock and apologized to the Academy during his acceptance speech before issuing a formal apology to the Academy on his Instagram saying, in part, “My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally,” the actor added.

Now, the Academy said it is giving Smith “at least 15 days’ notice of a vote regarding his violations and sanctions, and the opportunity to be heard beforehand by means of a written response.”

At their next board meeting on April 18, the Academy said it may take disciplinary action, which may include suspension, expulsion or other sanctions.

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The Walking Dead executive producer Greg Nicotero took to social media with star Norman Reedus to reflect on Wednesday’s last shooting day of the series. 

The finale had been bumped a few days because Reedus suffered a concussion on the long-running show’s Georgia set on March 11.

“Here we are, 12 years,” Nicotero opens the video message.

“Last day,” adds Reedus, who plays fan favorite Daryl Dixon, about the show wrapping up it’s 11th and final season. He then says to Nicotero, “Love ya, buddy. Thank you for everything. It’s been a real joy.”

The special effects expert-turned-producer then asks Reedus with a laugh, “Dude, remember when we were babies and we started this show?”

Norman responds by saying, “I feel like my entire brain is short-circuiting right now. I can’t really wrap my head around this.”

Nicotero offers, “It’s hard. But 12 hours from now, the world’s gonna be a different place.”

To which Reedus quips, “Yeah, I’m gonna be on the bathroom floor with a martini, in tears,”

Fans needn’t mourn too hard over the series: There are five spin-offs in the works, including Isle of the Dead starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan‘s Negan and Lauren Cohan‘s Maggie, as well as an as-yet-untitled project centering on Reedus’ Daryl and Melissa McBride‘s Carol.

Also in play is a feature film focusing on the series’ original hero Rick Grimes, for which Andrew Lincoln will reprise his role.

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“At any point in our lives, if we have encountered American Buffalo, most actors go, ‘When can I get my hands on that?'” Darren Criss tells ABC Audio. And after a two-year pandemic delay, he’s getting his turn — with Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell in the much-anticipated revival of David Mamet’s American Buffalo, now playing at New York’s Circle in the Square Theatre.

The play focuses on the hardscrabble lives of three hustlers looking to secure their slice of the sometimes-broken American Dream: Donny, played by Fishburne; Teach, played by Rockwell; and Bobby, played by Criss. It features themes of loyalty, friendship, trust, suspicion…and lots of four-letter words.

“I think this play was the first play that kind of used this kind of language and explored this kind of world,” Fishburne says, reflecting on the original 1975 production. “As young actors here in New York, we were all excited about it and the chance to do it at some point.”

Over the years, the spotlight role of Teach has been played by Robert Duvall, Al Pacino, William H. Macy, and, in the 1996 movie version, Dustin Hoffman. In 2022, all eyes are on Rockwell.

“I’m gonna go really ‘Don Knotts‘ on this one! I’m gonna go in the other direction!” Rockwell jokes with ABC Audio about his approach to the role. “We’ll see what happens you know? I’m bringing a mustache so far.”

Whatever his spin, director Neil Pepe says it’s bound to leave an impact, noting that Rockwell “has such an innate sense of what the character is, but also can grab the language and is kind of ferocious about going after it.” Pepe adds, “To have him in this role is just a gift.”  

American Buffalo is now playing for a limited engagement.

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Winter isn’t coming, but dragons are. HBO tweeted that August 21 will be the debut date for its anticipated HBO Max Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon.

Based on George R.R. Martin‘s Fire & Blood book, set hundreds of years before the events of Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon is a deep dive into the history of GoT‘s House Targaryen, ancestors of Game of Thrones‘ tragic heroine, Daenerys Targaryen, who was played by Emilia Clarke.

The show centers on a brutal familial civil war that erupted over control of the legendary Iron Throne.

To that end, HBO also revealed new photos of some of the cast in character, including: Emma D’Arcy as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen; Matt Smith as Prince Daemon Targaryen; Olivie Cooke as Alicent Hightower; Rhys Ifans as Alicent’s father, Otto Hightower; Paddy Considine as King Viserys Targaryen; Steve Toussaint as Lord Corlys Velaryon; Eve Best as Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, and Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cole.

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Jared Leto stars in Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man-adjacent action film Morbius, opening April 1, and during an appearance on Tuesday’s The Tonight Show, he talked about playing the titular character, and a possible connection to Marvel’s Sinister Six group of villains.

Leto plays the titular character in Morbius, whose attempt to cure himself, and humanity, of a deadly disease gives Dr. Michael Morbius all the powers of a vampire. The Thirty Second’s to Mars frontman told Fallon he was honored to be the first to bring the character to life.

“This is, like, the first time I’ve ever starred in a big Marvel movie like this and I’m incredibly excited,” he said. “It’s the first time that Morbius has ever been on the screen, so that was a big honor to get asked to bring this character to life.”

Leto says he’s had a fascination with vampires dating back to his childhood, thanks to his grandmother. “I saw the original Dracula because of her,” he recalls. “I was up late at night…I was sleeping on the floor, which you do when you’re a kid…and she let me stay up and watch the originalDracula with her and that’s when I fell in love with vampires.”

Fallon then pulled out a picture of Leto at the Spider-Man: No Way Home premiere, in which he was wearing a chain with the numeral “6,” and pressed Jared on a possible appearance by Morbius as part of the Sinister Six supervillains squad in a future Marvel film, many of whom we’ve already seen in past Spider-Man films.

A poker-faced Leto replied, “It was actually meant to be a nine, it just got flipped.”

Leto can currently be seen starring opposite Anne Hathaway in Apple TV+’s WeCrashed.

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The late August Wilson‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, The Piano Lesson will return to Broadway in September and award-winning actors Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington and Danielle Brooks are set to star.

The groundbreaking play, which debuted over 30 years ago in 1990, will be directed by actress and Tony Award nominee Latanya Richardson Jackson, marking the first time ever, an August Wilson play will be led by a woman.

“August Wilson dedicated his life and devoted his talent to dramatizing our stories and our experience,” Richardson Jackson said. “The Piano Lesson is one of his most enduring, profound and consequential masterpieces, and I am reveling in this opportunity to present it to Broadway audiences for the first time since its premiere.”

As the fourth play as part of Wilson’s seminal American Century Cycle, the drama follows a brother and sister who “are locked in a war over the fate of a family heirloom: a piano carved with the faces of their ancestors.”

Producers Brian Anthony Moreland (Thoughts of a Colored Man) Sonia Friedman (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) and Tom Kirdahy (Hadestown) said, “This production is coming back to Broadway at such an exciting time for our industry as we work to rebuild – and who better than Mr. Wilson to help us.”

Performances begin Sept. 19, at the St. James Theatre.

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