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Even the show’s creators still can’t believe they got Harrison Ford for Apple TV+ comedy ‘Shrinking’

January 30, 2023 by WDNY Radio

(NOTE LANGUAGE) In a chat about their new Apple TV+ comedy Shrinking, co-creators Bill Lawrence, Jason Segel and Ted Lasso Emmy winner Brett Goldstein shared with The Hollywood Reporter how even they were surprised they got Harrison Ford to co-star.

Lawrence, who produces Ted Lasso and was a veteran of shows including Scrubs, noted, “I used to feel so rejected all the time that when you’d reach out to somebody you idolized or admired and it was a no, and sometimes it was a ‘F*** no.’ It hurt.” He added, “Here, the only real thing for me was how ill-prepared I was to get anything but a no from Harrison Ford.”

Goldstein told the trade, “I think it was like a joke. Like, ‘Obviously not Harrison Ford, but someone like Harrison Ford.'”

It was Goldstein who managed to snatch the big-screen idol, famous, of course, for playing an idol-snatching character of his own. “I was in London and he was filming Indiana Jones, and I suddenly get a missed call, ‘Hey, it’s Harrison Ford,'” the actor explains. “I was like, ‘What the f*** is happening?’ I went to his apartment to discuss it. And the discussion was very, very quick because he wanted to do it. I thought I’d be there to convince him. Nope.”

Goldstein admits it was a nerve-wracking moment. “Oh yeah, I’m going to meet Indiana F***ing Jones. And he was so lovely.”

“He wasn’t a diva. And when I met him, he had thoughts about how the character dressed … It wasn’t all just, ‘How do I shine?'”

Segel adds, “He does something really amazing from the moment he arrives, which is he makes you feel like a peer. He breaks down that ‘you’re supposed to be in awe’ thing real fast.”

LOCASH plans a Super Bowl Sunday tailgate with Guy Fieri

January 30, 2023 by WDNY Radio

LOCASH has a Super Bowl date with Guy Fieri.

Preston Brust and Chris Lucas are set to play the big game’s edition of Guy’s Flavortown Tailgate Sunday, February 12. It’ll take place right across from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The Food Network star will bring together more than 20 restaurant pop-ups and interactive dining experiences, alongside plenty of libations, in addition to LOCASH and DJ Diplo. You can get free tickets to the 11:30 a.m. event online.

Meanwhile, the new song from LOCASH, “Three Favorite Colors,” is set to drop February 3.

Phoebe Dynevor says she’s “sadly” not in ‘Bridgerton’ season 3

January 30, 2023 by WDNY Radio

One of the biggest stars of Bridgerton will not be returning for the show’s anticipated third season. Phoebe Dynevor played Daphne Bridgerton in the show, famously the love interest of Regé-Jean Page‘s dashing Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset.

However, on the red carpet at the Sundance Film Festival Sunday, she told Screen Rant that she’s “sadly not in season 3.”

Dynevor added, “Potentially in the future, but yeah, season 3, I’m just excited to watch as a viewer.”

The English actress also said to Variety, “I did my two seasons. I’ve done what I wanted to do with that character, and she had a great arc. If they ask me back in the future, who knows?”

Dynevor’s role was moved to a supporting one in Bridgerton‘s sophomore frame, as the storyline centered on Anthony Bridgerton’s (Jonathan Bailey) search for love and his eventual relationship with Simone Ashley‘s Kate Sharma.

Netflix has yet to reveal a release date for the hit show’s third season.

The Mars Volta announces US headlining tour dates

January 30, 2023 by WDNY Radio

The Mars Volta has announced a U.S. tour for this spring.

The headlining outing will run from May 9 in Oklahoma City to May 19 in Houston. Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 3, at 10 a.m. local time.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit TheMarsVoltaOfficial.com.

Along with the headlining dates, The Mars Volta will be playing this year’s Shaky Knees and Welcome to Rockville festivals, and will be opening for Red Hot Chili Peppers for a show in San Diego.

The Mars Volta reunited last year after a decadelong hiatus. They released a new, self-titled album last September.

On This Day – January 30, 1969: The Beatles gave their final public performance

January 30, 2023 by WDNY Radio

On this day, January 30, 1969 …

The Beatles gave their final public performance on Apple Records’ rooftop in London. In 42 minutes, the band, which was joined by guest keyboardist Billy Preston, did nine takes of five songs — “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down,” “I’ve Got A Feeling,” “One After 909” and “Dig A Pony” — before the police pulled the plug.

The concert happened while the band was recording what would become their album Let It Be. It was released May 8, 1970, almost a month after the band’s breakup.

Footage from the concert was used in the 1970 documentary Let It Be. In 2021, the entire performance was shown in the Disney+ documentary The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson.

The nearly eight-hour docuseries, which was co-produced by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon and George Harrison’s widows, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, used footage from the original 1970 documentary. The series went on to win five Emmys, including Best Limited Documentary Series.

In January 2022 the full rooftop concert was released to streaming services as a standalone album, Get Back- The Rooftop Performance.

Producer Rick Rubin calls Paul McCartney “the best of all bass players”

January 30, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Producer Rick Rubin thinks Paul McCartney doesn’t get enough credit when it comes to his bass playing. In fact, in a new interview he claims Sir Paul is the best bass player out there.

“I thought about how everything I’ve seen, Beatles-related, is either about the songwriting or Beatlemania,” Rubin said in an interview with MOJO, according to NME. “Paul McCartney the bass player, or Paul McCartney the musician, because he plays everything – that’s a little story told.” He adds, “You just think of him as Beatle Paul, yet in my opinion, he is the best of all bass players, he’s number one.”

Rubin, who worked with McCartney on the 2021 Hulu mini series McCartney 3, 2, 1, adds that he also admires McCartney’s simple songwriting style.

“What blew my mind was when he sat at the piano and he started showing me how to write a song. He was saying, ‘See, you could [do] it like this,'” Rubin says, “and what he was showing me was the simplest thing, but then he starts moving his fingers around slightly, and all of a sudden it evolves into ‘Hey Jude’ or ‘Let It Be.’”

He notes, “He’s using this technique that any child could do, then it morphs into one of the greatest songs of all time!”

Academy voters, Christina Ricci sound off on Best Actress Oscar nomination controversy

January 30, 2023 by WDNY Radio

On Friday, the movie To Leslie became the talk of Hollywood, for all the wrong reasons. While the Motion Picture Academy didn’t mention the film or its star, Andrea Riseborough, many suspected her surprise nomination in the Best Actress category is what prompted the Academy to conduct a “review” of this year’s nomination campaigns.

At issue are the rules the Oscars have for lobbying voters for nominations. Generally, it’s done in pricey ad campaigns, which, truth told, many bristle at anyway. But when the low-budget To Leslie, which only made around $27,000 in theaters, scored a nom, eyebrows were raised.

Instead of the traditional ads, Variety reports Private Parts actress Mary McCormack, the wife of To Leslie‘s director, Michael Morris, reached out to her celebrity friends in a grassroots campaign to tout the film. That resulted in praises on social media from the likes of Edward Norton and other stars.

Violating the lobbying rules could result in an actor’s nomination being rescinded, but many voters who spoke to Variety anonymously don’t think that’s going to happen. “Was her campaign aggressive? Absolutely,” said one of Riseborough. “She wanted it, but they all do. Meryl [Streep] does, and Cate [Blanchett] does … The Academy won’t punish her. They can’t, or they have to punish all of us.”

Another opined, “Nothing will happen … If they let Will Smith keep his Oscar, taking [her nomination] away would be unimaginably stupid on their part.”

Christina Ricci also sounded off on the controversy. In a now-deleted Instagram post quoted by Deadline, Ricci called it elitist, suggesting Riseborough’s “brilliant” performance will be “tainted” by it.

“So it’s only the films and actors that can afford the campaigns that deserve recognition?” she asked. “Feels elitist and exclusive and frankly very backward to me,” she said in part.

Dolly Parton reveals the songs she’s recording for rock album with Stevie Nicks, Steve Perry and more

January 30, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Dolly Parton continues to share bits of information on her upcoming rock album, which is due out in the late spring/early fall. She tells USA Today it will feature 28 tracks, with a mix of covers and originals. She’s also revealed a bit more on who will be joining her on what songs.

Among the originals on the album will be a song called “What Has Rock ‘n Roll Ever Done For Me” with Stevie Nicks, which Dolly describes as “a cute little song.” There’s also an unnamed original with Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler.

She’s also rerecorded the Dolly classic “My Blue Tears” with Duran Duran’s Simon LeBon.

“I was so excited because I could just hear his voice on it. He has that beautiful high voice and it’s an Irish-sounding love song with bagpipes,” she says. “It’s a love song about when a fella goes off to war and leaves his sweetheart behind and she cries her lonely blue tears and he’s on the other side crying his lonely blue tears. It’s a big range that Simon will be great at.”

In addition to the already announced “Let It Be” cover with Paul McCartney, Dolly will be covering the Creedence Clearwater Revival song “Long As I Can See the Light” with John Fogerty and Journey’s “Open Arms” with Steve Perry. She’s still hoping to get Annie Lennox and Cher on a cover of the Eurythmics‘ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).”

Dolly’s also trying to get Mick Jagger to join her, joking that if it doesn’t happen, “I’ll kick his bony a** when I see him!”

Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, to star in biopic about his life

January 30, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Michael Jackson‘s life story will be hitting the big screen and his nephew Jaafar Jackson will help tell it.

Lionsgate, which will release the upcoming film, announced Jaafar will play the legendary singer in the Michael biopic. He is the 26-year-old son of Jermaine Jackson.

Michael’s mother, Katherine Jackson, approves of the casting decision and said in a statement, “Jaafar embodies my son. It’s so wonderful to see him carry on the Jackson legacy of entertainers and performers.”

Graham King, producer of Bohemian Rhapsody, obtained the rights from Jackson’s estate to make a movie about the late King of Pop, including the rights to all of his music. King reportedly held a global casting call to find the right actor to portray Michael before ultimately settling on Jaafar.

“I met Jaafar over two years ago and was blown away by the way he organically personifies the spirit and personality of Michael,” he said. “It was something so powerful that even after conducting a worldwide search, it was clear that he is the only person to take on this role.”

Director Antoine Fuqua also confirmed the casting on social media and shared a glimpse of Jaafar practicing for his upcoming role. “Proud to announce @jaafarjackson as Michael — the motion picture event that explores the journey of the man who became the King of Pop. Coming soon,” he wrote.

Lionsgate is working with Jackson’s estate on the project. While it is unknown how far the movie will explore the unsavory allegations made against the pop star, the studio said in a statement Michael will “give audiences the never-before-told and in-depth portrayal of the complicated man who became the King of Pop,” and highlight both his life and career.

John Logan will pen the script. A release date has not been announced.

Olivia Newton-John’s husband shares the “magic” of their love at G’Day USA Gala

January 30, 2023 by WDNY Radio

Olivia Newton-John was honored at the G’Day USA Gala last weekend in Los Angeles. Her husband, John Easterling, shared a moving tribute to the legendary singer, who passed away in August at age 73.

“We shared a love and a happiness on an order of magnitude that I didn’t even think was possible,” Easterling shared, as reported by The Mirror. “For the past 15 years, I’ve been blessed to share the depth and the passion of her being.” He added, “Every day with Olivia was a bit of magic. Every day with Olivia was supernatural.”

Easterling, who was at the event with Olivia’s daughter, Chloe Lattanzi, called his wife “the most courageous and compassionate woman that I’ve ever known,” and explained why she chose to use her name to promote cancer research centers in both the U.S. and Australia.

“There’s an old adage that like attracts like, and Olivia knew that her voice and her huge profile of talents were a gift,” he said. “Her legacy continues as a joyful, healing spirit who is continuously focused on moving things, in her words, ‘into the love and the light.’”

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