Nathalie Emmanuel for Story + Rain - July 2020!
As She Steps Into The Leading-Lady Spotlight, There's No Match For Talented English-Caribbean Beauty Nathalie Emmanuel
Tamara Rappa: Let's start at the beginning. Nathalie, you were cast in a big production of The Lion King at a very young age. Where do you think your ability to perform came from?
Nathalie Emmanuel: It was born of a sort of joy and enjoyment of it. Music and dance were always very much a part of my life. My mom put us into performing arts when we were very, very young. My confidence went from there, really. I was such a clingy child to my mother, and I think she wanted to try and create scenarios away from her that I enjoyed.
"Because I come from a family of grafters, we roll our sleeves up and we get on with it."
TR: How has growing up with a single mother and older sister shaped you? What did that female energy impart, and did it impart something that you feel you take to your characters?
NE: Well I think being around lots of women has definitely shaped the woman that I am. I have such a real sense of my independence and of making sure that the things that I want, I have to get myself. I don't want to generalize, and say that people who grew up around brothers don't have that. I think sometimes as women, the messaging in the world has told you about the things that you can't do. In my teens and coming into my womanhood, my mom was incredibly inspiring because she had to do a lot of rebuilding by herself. She worked really hard and created the life that she always wanted. And I think that has really inspired me to be incredibly independent and go for the things that I want, and yeah, just do the work. Because I come from a family of grafters, we roll our sleeves up and we get on with it. And my mom and my older sister, were very much an influence in building that in me.
TR: Speaking of the work, how do you prepare for a role? How do you get yourself prepared to be creative?
"I think people believe if you're an actor and you perform, you're really confident. It's just no big deal, all the time. But I think creatives are some of the most insecure people. We question everything."
NE: It really depends. First things first, I read the script quite a few times. I will read the script, then I start to break down the script, and essentially make notes on my character's specific journey. I think to myself, 'what am I trying to achieve in every moment, in every line, in every scene, and how do the other characters feel?' I try and work out how other characters might respond to my character. Sometimes it's written in the script; what they think of her, or how they feel about her. I make notes on all of those things, and see how I can map a journey for the character. There are so many movies that have been made in the history of time, there are so many great references. There are loads of resources you can watch and go, 'they're going for this kind of tone, and this kind of sensibility.' There are lots of things that you can do, but it's important for me to have a quiet, clear space to work in, because when my space is cluttered, my brain is cluttered.
TR: How important is the look and feel of your home, how important is atmosphere and setting to you as an actor and a creative?
NE: It's your safe haven. It's where you come back to when the cameras aren't rolling, and the flashes aren't flashing, without the image of the person that is pushed out in front of the world. I don't want to say I'm a different person in those situations. I feel I'm pretty consistent wherever I am. But I think that I'm very much an introvert, and I think people are surprised by that, because they think it means that you're shy or you don't like meeting people or you can't talk to people, and that's not always true. It's more about the desire or the need to recharge, that need to be quiet, that need to be with yourself only, and be alone. That is essential to my mental and emotional wellbeing, and my ability to do my job. Coming home and having a space that is comforting, and safe if I need to vegetate for three days...that space needs to feel suitable.
"In my brain, I had to picture me and Vin at the screen test, exactly the same size, physically. Vin is a huge action star, he's a big guy. By comparison, I'm just this little person from Southend-on-Sea! I imagined myself to be exactly the same thing. And it helped me carry myself slightly differently."
TR: I find that for creatives, myself included, there needs to be the mental space to explore ideas and to get inspired by things. You mentioned that you're an introvert, and you've also said that you've gotten worked up, or emotional, or exhausted, or overwhelmed, and sometimes consumed by worry...from working. Is that because it can be hard for you to shake off a part or a project? Is it hard for you to turn off after a day's work?
NE: I think there's an analysis of the day that happens. You think, 'how did that go? I wish I'd done that thing that I wanted to do, but there wasn't time.' You have this whole conversation about how it went, but ultimately you do just have to let it go because you have to trust in the work that you've done and the director that you're working with. They don't move on, generally, unless they're happy with what you've done. So there is a sort of processing that just naturally happens for me and then there's a moment where I just have to let go and just trust in the process I think people believe if you're an actor and you perform, you're really confident. It's just no big deal, all the time. But I think creatives are some of the most insecure people. We question everything. And I think in our profession, if we're not careful, we tend to get sort of fixated on getting patted on the head. You have to learn to validate yourself and empower yourself, even in the very moment.
"It changed my life. There would be no Fast + Furious without Game of Thrones. There would be no Die Hart without Game of Thrones. There would be no Maze Runner. All of these amazing things that have happened to me, have happened because of that show."
The 2020 Emmy Nominations: Complete List Of Nominees Announced!
Envelope please! The 2020 Emmy Award nominees were announced Tuesday via livestream on YouTube and the Television Academy’s Facebook page.
Three-time Emmy nominee Leslie Jones hosted the nomination reveal — which will also be streamed on Emmys.com — with an assist from Laverne Cox, Josh Gad and Tatiana Maslany.
“Television has played an integral role in navigating these unprecedented times and has brought us together as we remain apart,” said Frank Scherma, Television Academy chairman and CEO, on the official site. “We are honored to have these groundbreaking actors, producers and comedians announce this year’s Emmy nominees — whose extraordinary work has been vital to the evolution of the television landscape this season.”
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is set to emcee the actual Sept. 20 ceremony on ABC, marking first major Hollywood awards ceremony of the coronavirus pandemic. The entertainment industry is just beginning to reboot production following a months-long shutdown aimed at stalling the spread of COVID-19 — but just how the Emmys will be presented is not yet clear.
“I don’t know where we will do this or how we will do this or even why we are doing this, but we are doing it and I am hosting it,” Kimmel, who is also producing the 72nd annual broadcast, said in a statement.
Check out the full list of major 2020 Emmy nominees below:
Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series
*Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish”
*Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me”
*Linda Cardellini, “Dead to Me”
*Issa Rae, “Insecure”
*Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
*Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek”
Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series
*Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish”
*Don Cheadle, “Black Monday”
Larry David, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
*Ted Danson, “The Good Place”
*Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method”
*Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”
*Ramy Youssef, “Ramy”
Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series
*Mahershala Ali, “Ramy”
*Alan Arkin, “The Kominsky Method”
*Andre Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
*Sterling K. Brown, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
*William Jackson Harper, “The Good Place”
*Dan Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”
*Tony Shalhoub, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
*Kenan Thompson, “Saturday Night Live”
Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series
*Betty Gilpin, “GLOW”
*D’Arcy Carden, “The Good Place”
*Yvonne Orji, “Insecure”
*Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
*Marin Hinkle, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
*Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”
*Annie Murphy, “Schitt’s Creek”
*Cecily Strong, “Saturday Night Live”
Outstanding guest actor in a comedy series
*Adam Driver, “Saturday Night Live”
*Dev Patel, “Modern Love”
*Brad Pitt, “Saturday Night Live”
*Luke Kirby, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
*Fred Willard, “Modern Family”
*Eddie Murphy, “Saturday Night Live”
Outstanding guest actress in a comedy series
*Angela Bassett, “A Black Lady Sketch Show”
*Maya Rudolph, “The Good Place”
*Maya Rudolph, “Saturday Night Live”
*Wanda Sykes, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
*Bette Midler, “The Politician”
*Phoebe Waller-Bridge, “Saturday Night Live”
Outstanding comedy series
*“Curb Your Enthusiasm”
*“Dead to Me”
*“The Good Place”
*“Insecure”
*“The Kominsky Method”
*“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
*“Schitt’s Creek”
*“What We Do in the Shadows”
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series
*Brian Cox, “Succession”
*Jeremy Strong, “Succession”
*Jason Bateman, “Ozark”
*Billy Porter, “Pose”
*Sterling K. Brown, “This is Us”
*Steve Carrell, “The Morning Show”
Outstanding lead actress in a drama series
*Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”
*Jennifer Aniston, “The Morning Show”
*Laura Linney, “Ozark”
*Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve”
*Olivia Colman, “The Crown”
*Zendaya, “Euphoria”
Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series
*Nicholas Braun, “Succession”
*Giancarlo Esposito, “Better Call Saul”
*Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”
*Bradley Whitford, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
*Kieran Culkin, “Succession”
*Mark Duplass, “The Morning Show”
*Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession”
*Jeffrey Wright, Westworld”
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series
*Laura Dern, “Big Little Lies”
*Meryl Streep, “Big Little Lies”
*Helena Bonham Carter, “The Crown”
*Fiona Shaw, “Killing Eve”
*Samira Wiley, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
*Julia Garner, “Ozark”
*Sarah Snook, “Succession”
*Thandie Newton, “Westworld”
Outstanding guest actor in a drama series
*Martin Short, “The Morning Show”
*Andrew Scott, “Black Mirror”
*Jason Bateman, “The Outsider”
*James Cromwell, “Succession”
*Ron Cephas Jones, “This is Us”
*Giancarlo Esposito, “The Mandalorian”
Outstanding guest actress in a drama series
*Alexis Bledel, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
*Cicely Tyson, “How to Get Away with Murder”
*Laverne Cox, “Orange is the New Black”
*Phylicia Rashad, “This is Us”
*Harriet Walter, “Succession”
*Cherry Jones, “Succession”
Outstanding drama series
*“Better Call Saul”
*“The Crown”
*“The Handmaid’s Tale”
*“Killing Eve”
*“The Mandalorian”
*“Ozark”
*“Succession”
*“Stranger Things”
Outstanding lead actor in a limited series or TV movie
*Jeremy Irons, “Watchmen”
*Hugh Jackman, “Bad Education”
*Paul Mescal, “Normal People”
*Mark Ruffalo, “I Know This Much is True”
*Jeremy Pope, “Hollywood”
Outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie
*Cate Blanchett, “Mrs. America”
*Shira Haas, “Unorthodox”
*Regina King, “Watchmen”
*Kerry Washington, “Little Fires Everywhere”
*Octavia Spencer, “Self Made”
Outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie
*Uzo Aduba, “Mrs. America”
*Holland Taylor, “Hollywood”
*Toni Collette, “Unbelievable”
*Margo Martindale, “Mrs. America”
*Jean Smart, “Watchmen”
*Tracey Ullman, “Mrs. America”
Outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or TV movie
*Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, “Watchmen”
*Jovan Adepo, “Watchmen”
*Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy Vs. The Reverend ”
*Louis Gossett Jr. “Watchmen”
*Dylan McDermott, “Hollywood”
*Jim Parsons, “Hollywood”
Outstanding limited series
*“Little Fires Everywhere”
*“Mrs. America”
*“Unbelievable”
*“Unorthodox”
*“Watchmen”
Outstanding TV movie
*“American Son”
*“Bad Education”
*“Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Old Bones
*“El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie”
*“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend”
Outstanding animated program
*“Big Mouth”
*“Bob’s Burgers”
*“BoJack Horseman”
*“Rick And Morty”
*“The Simpsons”
Outstanding competition series
*“The Masked Singer”
*“Nailed It”
*“RuPaul’s Drag Race”
*“Top Chef”
*“The Voice”
Outstanding variety talk series
*“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”
*“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”
*“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
*“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
*“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
Outstanding host for a reality or competition series
*Nicole Byer, “Nailed It”
*Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, Kevin O’Leary, “Shark Tank”
*RuPaul, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
*Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, “Making It”
*Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski & Jonathan Van Ness, “Queer Eye”
*Padma Lakshmi & Tom Colicchio, “Top Chef”
Outstanding reality series (structured)
*”Antiques Roadshow”
*”Love Is Blind”
*”Queer Eye”
*”Shark Tank”
*”A Very Brady Renovation”
Outstanding reality series (unstructured)
*”Amy Schumer Learns To Cook”
*”Cheer”
*Kevin Hart: Don’t F**k This Up”
*RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked”
*”We’re Here”
Outstanding variety sketch series
*“A Black Lady Sketch Show”
*“Drunk History”
*“Saturday Night Live”
Variety special (taped)
*”Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones”
*”Dave Chappelle: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize For American Humor”
*”Hannah Gadsby: Douglas”
*”Jerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours To Kill”
*”John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch”
*”Tiffany Haddish: Black Mitzvah”
Variety special (live)
*73rd Annual Tony Awards
*77th Annual Golden Globe Awards
*Live In Front Of A Studio Audience: “All In The Family” and “Good Times”
*The Oscars
*Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show Starring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
*”American Masters”
*”Hillary”
*”The Last Dance”
*”Tiger King”
*”McMillion$”
See you on Sept. 20 on ABC!
#RHOA: Former Member Shereé Whitfield On COVID-19: ‘Take It Serious’!
Real Housewives of Atlanta OG Shereé Whitfield first revealed that she tested positive for the coronavirus on July 15. Now, the reality star is openly speaking about her COVID-19 symptoms and urging everyone to “take it serious.”
In an Instagram Live episode of Hollywood Life’s TVTalk on Monday (July 20) the reality star said that she was first experiencing what she thought was a scratchy throat. She then developed a dry cough, which she thought was normal because of allergy season.
“I started getting a headache,” she said. “I usually don’t start getting headaches in your eyes and your nose and your whole face is just hurting and so I thought I had a sinus infection or allergies.”
The former RHOA star said that she soon was hit with a low-grade fever and body aches.
“I literally didn’t get out of my bed for 2 weeks. I did not eat for one week,” she explained. “You lose your taste and your smell and you just cannot eat. I would force myself to eat an orange and a couple of crackers a day, but that’s literally what I ate for a whole week.”
Whitfield said she believes she contracted the coronavirus while attending a small celebratory birthday weekend at a friend’s house who invited her over for dinner and brunch.
She said that once she started feeling more under the weather she decided to reach out to her friend and was shocked by her response.
“I find out that she had [the virus], her and her whole family — I don’t know if this is where I got it from,” Whitfield revealed. “But her and her whole family ended up with COVID a few days after I was there. This is the problem that I have with that is that you have a moral obligation if you know you contracted this. You should reach out to people if you have been around them.”
#NewMusic from 112 ‘Spend It All’!
Legendary R&B group 112 has released their new single “Spend It All”. The song is the lead single off the group’s new EP “112 Forever: Slim & Mike” which comes out in August.
Some may notice that only two members are on that song and that is because Daron and Q Parker departed from the group in 2018. We covered the new music and the split in a recent interview with Slim.
112 have been unable to perform this year due to the pandemic but they did give us the epic battle with Jagged Edge for Verzuz.
WATCH
Slim and Mike are here to continue the legendary legacy of 112 and make sure that R&B lovers will always be able to celebrate the group.
#HipHopNews: Pop-Punk Band Yellowcard Drop $15 Million Lawsuit Against Juice Wrld!
Pop-punk band Yellowcard has had a change of heart in their legal dispute against Juice Wrld's estate.
According to court documents obtained by XXL on Monday (July 27), the group has voluntarily dropped their $15 million lawsuit against the late rapper's estate regarding his song "Lucid Dreams" and their record "Holly Wood Died." On Friday (July 24), William Ryan Key, lead singer of the band, filed an action to dismiss the lawsuit in its entirety. It's unclear what prompted Key and his bandmates to back down from the lawsuit, which was initially filed on Oct. 21, 2019.
Earlier this month, the band filed paperwork to continue with the lawsuit after it was paused due to Juice's estate not having an appointed executor. On July 2, however, the stay on the lawsuit was lifted because Juice Wrld's mother, Carmela Wallace, was appointed by the court as the "personal representative for the Higgins' Estate." The lawsuit named Juice's estate, as well as BMG Rights Management and his record label, Interscope.
The lawsuit, which was filed about a month-and-a-half before Juice Wrld's tragic passing, accused the rapper's "Lucid Dreams" of having similarities to Yellowcard's song "Holly Wood Died." The legal complaint also noted that Juice was a fan of "emo pop rock," so they did not think his song likening theirs was a coincidence.
Prior to dismissing the lawsuit, Yellowcard was seeking more than $15 million in damages, past and future royalties from the song, in addition to damages from Juice Wrld's tours.
Juice's multi-platinum breakout hit "Lucid Dreams" appears on his 2018 album, Goodbye & Good Riddance.
Kim Kardashian Reunites W/ Kanye West In Wyoming Following His Apology!
Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are working things out. Tensions were high earlier this week and last while Kanye West was dealing with his mental health, in what appeared to be a manic episode. Kanye could have potentially caused a lot of damage in his marriage, revealing personal information like Kim almost getting an abortion, Yeezy feeling like Kim and Meek Mill had more than a business relationship, calling Kim and her mom white supremacist, and even saying he wanted to divorce Kim.
Through it all, Kim remains by her husband’s side with her full support. Kanye issued Kim an apology via Twitter. He said,
“I would like to apologize to my wife Kim for going public with something that was a private matter. I did not cover her like she has covered me.To Kim I want to say I know I hurt you. Please forgive me. Thank you for always being there for me.”
Kanye has also rejected Kim paying him a visit in Wyoming at his ranch, but now he’s had a change of heart. Kim was spotted in Wyoming with her hubby!
Megan Thee Stallion says she's recovering after being shot in both feet: 'Worst experience'!
Megan Thee Stallion is back on social media to share her side of what she calls the "worst experience of my life."
The "Savage" rapper, whose real name is Megan Pete, announced on Instagram Live that she’s "alive and well, and strong," marking her first appearance on social media since she suffered gunshot wounds on July 12.
"I was shot in both of my feet and I had to get surgery to get… the bullets taken out," Pete, 25, said while fighting back tears. "It was super scary. It was just the worst experience of my life."
Pete hit back against rumors and jokes that have been circulating online as she recovered: "It’s not funny. It’s nothing to joke about and nothing for y’all to go and be making fake stories about. I didn’t put my hands on nobody. I didn’t deserve to get shot. I didn't do (expletive)."
Megan Thee Stallion said in an Instagram post Wednesday that she had gunshot wounds from a crime committed against her Sunday with the intent to harm her and feels lucky to be alive.
Pete said she's grateful the bullets didn't cause any internal damage.
"Thank God that the bullets didn’t touch bones. They didn't break tendons," she said, before crediting her guardian angels. "I know my mama and daddy, my granny had to be looking out for me with that one because where the bullets hit at, it missed everything."
Pete explained that she took a hiatus from social media because she "wasn’t ready to speak," adding that she's not "protecting anybody," although she didn't reveal who shot her or why.
The rapper said taking some time to herself over the past couple weeks has helped her "realize how to move forward" and "protect my energy," instead of surrounding herself with "fake friends" following the death of her mother, Holly Thomas, in 2019.
"I was moving too fast. I wasn't taking enough time for myself," she said. "I thought I was ready to give good energy to other people, but people weren't ready to give good energy to me. I definitely had to sit my (expletive) down and pray on it, and I do feel a lot better."
Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion break the internet for charity with 'Savage' remix
Pete thanked her true friends and fans who "have had my back through these times." She said, "Thank God for the people I have around me that are actually here for me and are actually my friends."
She concluded her emotional Instagram Live by saying, "I'm ready to get back to regular programming with my own hot girl (expletive)."
Pete first broke her silence on Instagram on July 15 after reports surfaced saying she was present during fellow rapper Tory Lanez's arrest.
"On Sunday morning, I suffered gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me," she wrote on Instagram."
#FASHIONNEWS: ICONIC and LEGENDARY Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto dies at 76!
Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto, known for his avant-garde and colorful work that included flamboyant costumes of the late rock icon David Bowie, has died of leukemia, his company said Monday. He was 76.
Yamamoto developed leukemia in February and was determined to recover and come back with renewed energy, said the company, Kansai Yamamoto. He died last Tuesday.
Born in 1944 in Yokohama, near Tokyo, Yamamoto debuted in 1971, becoming the first Japanese fashion designer to hold a show in London. He became internationally known for blending traditional Japanese motifs with brilliant colors and bold designs.
Yamamoto designed the costume for Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust alter ego, and also developed friendships with top artists including Elton John and Stevie Wonder, his company said.
He contributed to collections in Tokyo, New York and Paris for nearly two decades until 1992 and produced the “Kansai Super Show” and “Nippon Genki Project.”
Yamamoto, who sought a career in engineering before turning to fashion, also demonstrated his talent in designing venues and organizing social events for the 2008 G-8 summit in Toyako in northern Japan. He also won awards for his interior and exterior design of the Keisei Skyliner train connecting Tokyo and Narita International Airport.
“‘Human energy is limitless’ was his motto he would never let go, and he bravely kept challenging no matter how hard the situation,” his company said in a statement.
Taraji P. Henson To Lead ‘Empire’ Spin-Off Series!
Taraji P. Henson is to star in an “Empire” spin-off series.
The 49-year-old actress will reprise her role as Cookie Lyon in an upcoming Fox TV show, which will be co-written by “Empire” co-creator Danny Strong and Yolanda Lawrence and Stacy A. Littlejohn, who also worked on the music business drama.
All three writers will serve as co-showrunners and Henson’s new company, TPH Entertainment, will produce the series.
Little is known about the spin-off’s plot, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, it will “follow Cookie as she moves to LA and potentially feature some of her other family members.”
“Empire” ended earlier this year but its run was shorter than planned due to the coronavirus pandemic, so it is believed the new show will give the writers the chance to conclude the show properly.
Henson previously admitted she was open to the possibility of a spin-off series if the idea was “good.”
She said: “I don’t know, maybe that’s why it hasn’t happened because it’s hard to reinvent the wheel. Once you have something really good, it’s kind of hard to make another one. I mean shows that I see that work like that are the cop shows. Like the one with the forensics, ‘CSI.’
“They had it in New York, they had it in Las Vegas, they had it in Miami, but that’s a job you do in every state so that’s something you can franchise like that.
“This is kind of different and I just honestly don’t know how you would do it, but I’m not a writer either so…
“If it’s good, yeah, I’m all about it. But if it’s not good, that’s the catch. It will be, ‘How do we re-create Cookie?’ and I don’t know if you can do that.
Aretha Franklin Biopic Respect, Starring Jennifer Hudson, Pushed Back from Christmas to MLK Weekend!
The film was originally slated for a Christmas weekend limited release.
The upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, starring Oscar winner and Broadway alum Jennifer Hudson, will now receive a wide release over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend January 15, 2021, instead of its planned Christmas limited release, according to Deadline.
Under the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's new eligibility requirements in response to the coronavirus pandemic, films with now have until February 28 to have a cinematic release to qualify for the Academy Awards, making Respect still a contender in next years Oscars.
Directed by Liesel Tommy (Eclipsed) with a script by Tracey Scott Wilson (The Good Negro), the movie co-stars Marlon Wayans, Forest Whitaker, Audra McDonald, and Mary J. Blige.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show Is Reportedly Under Internal Investigation After Workplace Complaints!
Ellen DeGeneres' acclaimed talk show is reportedly under internal review following multiple allegations from former staffers about the talk show's workplace environment.
According to reports from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, both published Monday, The Ellen DeGeneres Show will undergo an internal investigation by WarnerMedia. Reps for The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Warner Bros. Television declined to comment when reached by PEOPLE. A rep for DeGeneres did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for comment.
Telepictures and Warner Bros. TV executives sent a memo to Ellen Show staffers last week announcing they have engaged WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third party firm, according to Variety. Current and former staffers will reportedly be interviewed about their experiences on set. The memo cited recent articles as the reason for the workplace investigation, per Variety.
Earlier this month, BuzzFeed News published a report in which previous employees alleged there is a "toxic work environment" behind the scenes of the daytime talk show. One current and 10 former staffers spoke anonymously about their experiences on set, including claims of being penalized for taking medical leave, instances of racial microaggressions and fear of retribution for raising complaints.
Executive producers Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner said in a statement at the time that they take full responsibility for daily operations on the show.
"Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes and employing over 1000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe and inclusive work environment," they said in a joint statement to BuzzFeed. "We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience."
P-Valley Renewed for Season 2 at Starz!
Starz has renewed its strip-club drama P-Valley for Season 2, the network announced Monday.
The series, from playwright Katori Hall, is based on Hall’s play P—y Valley and follows the exotic dancers at a Mississippi gentlemen’s establishment called The Pynk. Its ensemble cast includes Brandee Evans, Nico Annan, J. Alphonse Nicholson and Elarica Johnson.
“P-Valley has quickly become this summer’s newest must-see television series as critics and audiences alike are taken up by the authentic and compelling characters that make The Pynk come alive,” Christina Davis, president of original programming at Starz, said via statement.”Katori has delivered a provocative drama that looks beyond the glitz and into the hearts and minds of these fully realized and compelling characters, exploring them through a female gaze that invites the audience to take a walk in their stilettos. We know Katori has a lot of incredible stories to tell and a lot in store for these women in a second season.”
P-Valley premiered on July 12 to 261,000 total viewers (in Live+Same day numbers), and dipped just a bit in Week 2. Among Starz’s current slate of dramas, it ranks third in the demo (with a 0.07, trailing Outlander and American Gods), while placing No. 5 in total audience (lagging behind The Spanish Princess and The Girlfriend Experience).
The cabler also notes that viewership via the Starz app grows the audience by 37 percent, and that P-Valley ranks in the Top 5 of all premium series among African American households.
Drake Now Has The Most Hot 100 Top 10 Hits Of All Time!
Drake is making more Hot 100 history.The Toronto rapper now has the most top 10 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 ever. He achieved the historic milestone this week with DJ Khaled’s “Popstar” and “Greece,” his 39th and 40th top 10s, which debuted at No. 3 and 8.
Drake now leads Madonna (38) for the most career top 10s on the 62-year-old chart. He previously passed The Beatles (34), Rihanna (31), Michael Jackson (30), Mariah Carey (28), Stevie Wonder (28), and Janet Jackson (27).
Additionally, Drake extends his record for most debuts in the Hot 100 top 10 (25) as well as the most career Hot 100 entries (224) and top 40 hits (113).
Tom Hanks' Son Chet Sparks Dating Rumors With 'Black Ink Crew' Star Sky Days!
Is love in the air for Chet Hanks and Sky Days? People suspected that the two stars might be romantically involved with each other after the son of Tom Hanks updated his Instagram Stories feed with a video of him and the reality TV star hanging out together.
The clip in question saw Chet jamming to Drake and DJ Khaled's latest collab "Popstar" inside a car before panning the camera to Sky, who immediately danced the moment she noticed that he was filming her. For their outing together, the "Fantastic Four" actor opted for a black shirt while the "Black Ink Crew" cast member wore her hair in twintails style and sported a sexy top that showed her cleavage.
People were baffled by the unexpected link-up. "Now where they found each other at?" an online user expressed his/her confusion, while someone else said, "Damn ole boy about to get rolled for the Hanks fortune." Another person couldn't help but be a little bit vulgar about this matter as saying, "Noooo she's going to get her cooties on him."
Considering Sky's past beefs, an individual warned the 29-year-old, "Chet when we said we wanted you with a queen... we ain't mean her. But okay. Be safe." Someone else made a reference to Tom's Forrest Gump character, "Mr. Gump come get your son." On the other hand, one person said, "Chet I'm telling you run run this girl will ruin your life."
Tiny Harris (Tameka Cottle), in the meantime, voiced her support by saying, "Come on thru." Meanwhile, neither Chet nor Sky has responded to the dating rumors.
Prior to the dating rumors, Chet dated "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star Hazel E. The two of them kept quiet about their relationship until 2017, when the "Larry Crowne" actor confirmed that he used to date the reality TV star during an interview.
Octavia Spencer Calls On Hollywood To Cast More People With Disabilities: ‘We Should And Can Do Better’!
Octavia Spencer is calling on Hollywood to cast more people with disabilities.
On the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the actress appeared in a public service announcement for the Ruderman Family Foundation, calling for Hollywood to provide a more authentic representation of people with disabilities by increasing casting of people with disabilities, including on-screen roles that portray characters with disabilities.
“All of these communities of people had to endure not only their stories being told inauthentically, but also seeing themselves portrayed inauthentically,” Spencer said in the PSA. “But nothing can replace lived experience and authentic representation. That’s why it’s imperative that we cast the appropriate actor for the appropriate role, and that means people with disabilities as well. Casting able-bodied actors in roles for characters with disabilities is offensive, unjust, and deprives an entire community of people from opportunities.”
“I am joining with the Ruderman Family Foundation to call on the entertainment industry to increase casting of people with disabilities. There is no reason that we should continue to repeat the same mistakes of the past. Together, we should and can do better,” she continued.
According to a press release by the foundation, Spencer joins a long list of stars that have pledged support. In December, an open letter calling for more inclusion of people with disabilities on screen was widely circulated to Hollywood execs by the organization. The letter was signed by George Clooney, Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Norton, Eva Longoria, and Glenn Close, among other high profile stars.
Republican Senator Tom Cottons Says Slavery Was a “Necessary Evil” In The U.S.!
Republican Senator Tom Cotton said slavery was a “necessary evil” in the United States.
In an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Cotton made the comments in an effort to discredit a New York Times project called the 1619 Project, which explores slavery in the U.S.
He is proposing a bill to cut federal funding to schools that will use the 1619 Project as part of their curriculum in teaching slavery.
According to the NYTimes, the project is meant to place “the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.”
The project was launched last year to mark the 400th anniversary of the beginning of slavery in America.
Arkansas Rep. Cotton has been a big opponent of the project, saying the U.S. is “a great and noble country founded on the proposition that all mankind is created equal. We have always struggled to live up to that promise, but no country has ever done more to achieve it.”
He added: “We have to study the history of slavery and its role and impact on the development of our country because otherwise, we can’t understand our country. As the Founding Fathers said, it was the necessary evil upon which the union was built, but the union was built in a way, as Lincoln said, to put slavery on the course to its ultimate extinction.”
Nikole Hannah-Jones, the journalist who created the project and won a Pulitzer Prize for it, replied to Cotton’s comments in a tweet Sunday.
“If chattel slavery — heritable, generational, permanent, race-based slavery where it was legal to rape, torture, and sell human beings for profit — were a ‘necessary evil’ as @TomCottonAR says, it’s hard to imagine what cannot be justified if it is a means to an end,” she wrote.
Cotton then changed his tune and said he was only describing “the views of the Founders,” and that it was not his view.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘WAVE THE FLAG’
If racers knew what waited for them on the other side of that checkered finish line I don’t think they’d be in such a rush to get there.
HAVE A GREAT DAY ALL!!!
EFREM
No comments:
Post a Comment