Entertainment – Page 987

Loyalty, betrayal and “saddle time”: What to expect in upcoming fourth season of ‘Yellowstone’

November 5, 2021 by WDNY Radio

After a wait that lasted over a year, the Duttons are finally back. The big question is, though, who is coming back to Yellowstone after last season’s cliffhanger.

Season 3 ended with assassins hunting the entire Dutton clan down, with patriarch John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, being shot in a roadside attack and left for dead. One of the plot’s suspected masterminds is Jamie Dutton, who learned he was adopted.

Wes Bentley, who plays the aspiring politician, tells ABC Audio the revelation left Jamie “lost” and “broken more than ever” because “he was told who to be and he did it. And now they’re saying he’s not even a part of it.”

Despite Jamie wallowing in emotional turmoil, he is also “powerful,” which Bentley teases will only add to the Duttons woes.

“[He] definitely has potential for damage. And maybe that’s where Jamie is right now. Ready to fight back,” the actor hinted.

Cole Hauser, who plays fan favorite Rip Wheeler, is looking ahead to the next season because it’ll further test his character’s loyalty to the Duttons, who raised him as one of their own.

The actor — who had to “power through” a few scenes — also hints Rip will be physically tested, sharing, “I’ve put in the work and saddle time… I’m getting a little older, so it’s starting to settle in a little bit more!”

Also excited for the new season is Gil Birmingham, who plays casino magnate, tribal leader and Dutton frenemy Thomas Rainwater.

Birmingham is of Comanche descent and is pleased that the Paramount show correctly represents Native Americans.

“There is a lot more indigenous content coming out and I feel very privileged to be on the forefront of that,” he added.

Yellowstone premieres Sunday, November 7, at 8 p.m. ET with a two-episode special event.

“Get me in there!” Bill Hader really wants to add ‘The Mandalorian’ to his geek cred

November 5, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Bill Hader has some pretty deep geek bonafides, starting with his earliest credit, as a production assistant on the documentary Empire of Dreams: The Story of the ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy.

Since then, the SNL vet logged viral imitations of both Jabba the Hutt, and Luke Skywalker’s Tauntaun from The Empire Strikes Back on Conan, which apparently led to teaming with J.J. Abrams on both Star Trek: Into Darkness, and voicing the cute rolling droid BB-8 in Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

“That was just JJ being nice,” the Addams Family 2 star and Barry Emmy winner insists to ABC Audio of the latter credits.

“J.J. Abrams is always nice to me, and has me coming in to do these little cameo things, like in [Star Trek], and in Star Wars and stuff.”

“And then for the rest of my life I have people running up to me with BB-8 toys for me to sign,” Hader laughs.

“You know, like, I was just operating the thing!” he says of the droid, for which Hader is credited as a “voice consultant.”

“‘Like you coulda done that,'” he recalls joking with Abrams.

Still, Hader insists, “But it’s cool, it is neat to be involved with those things and to be someone they call for that stuff.”

That said, with lifelong Star Wars fans like directors Robert Rodriguez, Bryce Dallas Howard, and of course show creator Jon Favreau working on The Mandalorian, Hader wondered when he’ll get the tap.

“Hm, yeah, I know. I haven’t gotten a call for that,” he says, acting as if he’s insulted.

Given that ABC Audio is owned by Disney, we assured Hader we’d put in a good word for him with the Mando folks. “Get it out there, man!” Hader laughed. “Get me in there!”

Jennifer Hudson pitching new syndicated talk show

November 5, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Look out Kelly Clarkson, there’s another former American Idol alumna looking to conquer daytime talk TV.

Jennifer Hudson is pitching a new daytime talk show to be produced by the team from The Ellen DeGeneres Show, according to Variety.

The concept, while attempting to fill the void left by Ellen’s departure, is being shopped as an entirely new series and not a continuation of the long-running chat show.

Ellen executive producers Andy Lassner and Mary Connelly also served as show runners on Hudson’s test show, which was recently shot on the Ellen stage and is now being used as part of the pitch to station groups, sources tell Variety.

The Respect actress also brings an “authentic and natural” take to her hosting duties, according to the insiders.

DeGeneres announced in May that she would end her long-running, Emmy-winning talk show after 19 seasons when her contract expires in 2022.

‘The Sopranos’ stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa come clean on the hit show in new book, ‘Woke Up This Morning’

November 5, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The new book, Woke Up This Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos, is an immersive dive into all things Sopranos, the hit television series created by David Chase that ran on HBO from 1999 to 2007.

The book is co-authored by Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa who respectively played fan-favorites Christopher Moltisanti and Robert “Bobby Bacala” Baccalieri Jr. on the show. The series is enjoying a newfound popularity thanks to streaming, and the prequel film The Many Saints of Newark.

Imperioli tells ABC Audio that, for Chase, it was important to get things right from the start and that meant not dumbing anything down.

“[David] said…people actually talk the way they do in life, you know because people never say what they mean,” he notes. “David wanted to make something where people relate to each other the way they do in life which was not done much on television up until then.”

“There’s also magic you like, you can out together the best cast with a great script, and a great director and it just doesn’t pop…But sometimes, you just get the ingredients…and that’s what happened with The Sopranos.

Schirripa offers this little tidbit about casting one of the show’s more popular characters.

“Jerry Stiller got the role of Hesh… I love Jerry Stiller, But I couldn’t imagine anyone doing ‘Hesh’ but Jerry Adler,” he admits.

Additionally, Frank Vincent read for the role of “Uncle Junior” and Steven Van Zandt almost became “Tony Soprano.”

Of course, the role of Tony went to James Gandolfini, who Schirripa says became a powerful presence on the set by “[setting] an example on set so no one got out of line.”

Jay Ellis says real-life experiences helped set the tone for episode three of ‘Insecure’

November 5, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Jay Ellis says he stepped into the fifth and final season of Insecure with some real life connections to his character Lawrence.

Ellis tells ABC Audio that when he started to film the new season, he and co-star Christina Elmore, who plays his ex and soon-to-be baby mother Condola, both found themselves identifying with their characters because they were both new parents in real life.

“At the time, Christina and I were the only parents on set,” he says, before explaining some of the things that new parents say to their partners. “So I think there were a lot of things that we were like, ‘Oooh, if you ever! Oooh, you bet not never — Ooh!’ … Especially new parents [who] don’t even realize they’re doing it.”

As first-time parents, Ellis says he and Elmore could easily empathize with their characters and the challenges they faced in co-parenting.

“We were realizing all these things that come up when you’re new parents that could only be 20 times more difficult if you and someone you’re co-parenting with aren’t on the same page,” he shares. “So… a lot of that stuff… came out as we got into shooting episode [three]. And just the feeling of, ‘What does it feel like for a new mother to be away from her kid, or for a new father, to be away from his kid?'”

Ellis believes that those real life connections are what make Issa Rae‘s HBO comedy series so relatable.

“Season after season, Issa and Prentice Penny would bring us into the room and they would tell us what the arc was for the season and we would talk about [our] stories — [and] how [to] infuse [them with]… what our characters were going through.”

Insecure airs Sunday on HBO at 10 p.m. ET.

Anna Faris fans drag Chris Pratt over praising his “healthy” daughter

November 5, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Chris Pratt found himself in hot water yesterday by not only angering fans of his ex-wife Anna Faris, but also took some heat from his own followers for calling his baby daughter “healthy.”

The Jurassic World star recently took to Instagram to mark wife Katherine Schwarzenegger‘s birthday ahead of schedule, but some took issue with one of his compliments when speaking about their daughter, one-year-old Lyla.

Some believe Pratt’s remark, “She’s given me an amazing life, a gorgeous healthy daughter,” is a veiled dig at his ex, whom he divorced in 2018.

He and Faris share a nine-year-old son, Jack, who was born premature and suffers from several medical issues.

Some of his fans admitted the remark made them “wince,” but felt that was not the actor’s intention. Meanwhile, others said the word seems deliberate considering his son’s traumatic birth.

Faris previously opened up about Jack’s medical issues and his premature birth in her Anna Faris Is Unqualified podcast, and said in 2018, “Jack had a few surgeries — he had a few hernia surgeries, he’s had a few eye surgeries and he had a little heart issue as well,” according to E! News.

The Scary Movie star revealed Jack was born “two months early” and weighed three pounds and 12 ounces. She said the experience inspired her and Pratt to become supporters of the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS).

Faris nor Pratt have responded to the controversy and the Guardians of the Galaxy star has yet to change the language in his controversial post.

“Pink goes good with green”: Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande to star in ’Wicked’ movie musical

November 5, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The beloved Broadway musical Wicked is finally heading to Hollywood and, on Thursday, Universal announced the two leading ladies who’ll bring Elphaba and Glinda to life on the big screen.

Taking on the mantle — or long black cape — of Elphaba, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, will be Tony award-winning actress Cynthia Erivo. Starring opposite of her will be Ariana Grande, donning Glinda’s signature pink sparkly dresses.

The two shared their excitement on social media by shouting each other out and raving over how excited they are to be starring in the beloved movie musical. Erivo shared the gorgeous bouquet Ari sent to her, which contained the note “Dear Cynthia, honored doesn’t even begin to cover it. I cannot wait to hug you. See you in Oz!”

Also in the picture slideshow, the Harriet star shared screenshots of the two learning they nabbed the roles and celebrating over a Zoom call. She captioned it, “Pink goes good with Green” followed by three green heart emojis.

As for the “Positions” singer, Ari shared an emotional photo taken the moment she learned she landed the role of her dreams. She also included a snap of the bouquet of pink roses Erivo sent her, along with the sweet note, “Congratulations Miss A, the part was made for you. I look forward to sharing this musical journey with you.”

Fans of Grande know that she had long dreamed of playing Glinda, the role her mentor, Kristin Chenoweth, originated on Broadway. She tweeted nearly a decade ago, in December 2011, “Loved seeing Wicked again… amazing production! Made me realize again how badly I want 2 play Glinda at some point in my life!”

Wicked, originally starring Chenoweth and Idina Menzel as Elphaba, made its Broadway debut in 2003.

Guy Fieri accepts Kristen Stewart’s proposal to officiate her wedding

November 5, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Kristen Stewart is in the beginning stages of planning her wedding to fiancée Dylan Meyer, but the Spencer actress already knows who she wants to officiate her big day. Here’s a hint: He has bleached spiky hair and drives his 1968 Chevy Camaro to Flavortown.

Stewart was asked about her dream wedding during her Thursday appearance on Today, where the hosts pounced upon a comment she made in passing about wanting Guy Fieri to officiate… because the Food Network star himself is intrigued by the possibility.

“I heard through the Flavortown grapevine that you are looking for a sweet spiky-haired officiant for your wedding,” Fieri said in a pre-recorded message to the Twilight star. “I’m all in!”

Stewart was struck speechless by the unexpected surprise and, with a wide grin, confirmed she “absolutely” wants him to be there on her big day. Although, she admittedly was unsure if he was being serious.

The 31-year-old actress hinted she wants to send him a wedding invite and asked aloud, “Do you know where he lives? What’s his address?… We should talk about this!”

As for Fieri, he tweeted at the actress and affirmed, “Oh that offer is legit!”

The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives host is an outspoken gay rights advocate. In 2015, he famously married 101 same-sex couples in a single day and threw the attendees a massive wedding feast, free of charge, after Florida lifted its ban on gay marriage.

Report: Chris Evans to be named ‘People”s next Sexiest Man Alive

November 5, 2021 by WDNY Radio

The time has come once again for People magazine to crown its new “Sexiest Man Alive.” While an official announcement is forthcoming, an alleged leak claims that the publication has already decided who will succeed their current champion, Michael B. Jordan.

Page Six claims that Marvel star Chris Evans is the next Sexiest Man Alive and said they’ve heard the news from “multiple sources.”

Those same sources claim that the 40-year-old actor was supposed to take home the title last year, but the timing wasn’t that great considering his September 2020 faux pas concerning scantily clad photos Evans accidentally shared to his Instagram — which resulted in a media frenzy and proved just how fast fans can take a screenshot.

But, according to insiders, the incident did not influence People‘s decision to ultimately hand the crown to Jordan.

The official “Sexiest Man Alive” announcement is expected next week.

‘Dickinson’ producer and star Hailee Steinfeld says final season of series is the “best one yet”

November 5, 2021 by WDNY Radio

Hailee Steinfeld is back as America’s rebel poet Emily Dickinson in the third and final season of the Peabody Award-winning Dickinson, which kicks off on Apple TV+ today.

Steinfeld is an executive producer on the series, which takes liberties with the author’s real life, imagining her in a new way for modern sensibilities, and often set to modern music.

Season 3 takes place with the Civil War raging, and Emily trying to find her voice in a forever-changed world.

“It’s been amazing just to see each season come full circle,” Hailee says. “And as an executive producer of the show as well, I feel like I’ve been more involved in really knowing what it takes and knowing what it’s like being a part of seeing it through.”

Looking back, she adds, “I am so proud of this show, and I’m so proud, and I feel very lucky to have been a part of something that feels very special.”

Steinfeld says all involved knew this season would be the last one, so they left it all on the field.

“We have only ever showed up every day at work wanting to deliver the best possible product,” she notes. “And I think when we knew that this was going to be it, we all came in ready to go!…I have felt this way about the show since day one, [and about] every single person in our cast and on our crew who have continued to come back for three seasons. I am so grateful for that.”

Reflecting on the series coming to an end, Steinfeld says, “I am sad, of course…but I’m so excited for this final season to be out. I think it’s our best one yet.”

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