Zack Sharf Digital News Director Olivia Williams has given acclaimed performances in “Rushmore,” “The Sixth Sense” and “An Education.” She recently appeared as Camilla Parker Bowles in the final two seasons of Netflix’s popular drama series “The Crown.” But for many people, the British actor will always be Felicity from the Season 4 finale of “Friends.” Williams once called guest starring on the NBC sitcom “harrowing,” and she recently opened up to The Independent about the reasons why it wasn’t the best experience in a recent interview. “Gosh. Well, just as an example, I was taken to the studio in a shared car with a wonderful actress whose character, I think, was called ‘Old Woman’,” Williams said, noting this actor was “distinguished” and “very good” but “at one point, a producer – who shall remain nameless – just yelled at her: ‘You’re not funny!’ And she didn’t come back the next day.
Lizzo Is Not Quitting Music, Says Viral ‘I Quit’ Statement Was Only About Not ‘Giving Any Negative Energy Attention’
02.04.2024 - 23:49 / variety.com
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Lizzo is not quitting music or social media. Days after the Grammy winner stirred up headlines for posting “I quit” on social media, she took to Instagram to clarify exactly what she meant and assure fans that she still plans to release new music in the future.
“I wanted to make this video because I just need to clarify when I say ‘I quit,’ I mean I quit giving any negative energy attention,” Lizzo said in a video posted to Instagram. “What I’m not going to quit is the joy of my life, which is making music and connecting to people.
And I know I’m not alone. In no way shape or form am I the only person experiencing that negative voice that’s louder than the positive.” She continued, “If I can just give one person the inspiration or motivation to stand up for themselves and say they quit letting negative people, negative comments win, then I’ve done even more than I could’ve hoped for.
I’m going to keep moving forward and keep being me.” In her original message posted March 30, Lizzo wrote that she was “getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet.” She said all she wants “is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.” “I’m constantly up against lies being told about me for clout & views,” she added.
“Being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look … my character being picked apart by people who don’t know me and disrespecting my name.” Some media outlets interpreted Lizzo’s statement as her quitting music and/or social media, but that is apparently not the case. Lizzo’s original “I quit” post arrived amid several
.
Rebecca Ferguson Says Co-Stars Called Her After She Slammed the ‘Idiot’ Who Made Her Cry on Set: ‘If You’re a Good Person, Don’t Worry About It’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Rebecca Ferguson went viral during her “Dune: Part Two” press tour in late February after she revealed on the “Reign With Josh Smith” podcast that she once had an “idiot” co-star who made her cry on set. The story led to a guessing game across social media platforms where people tried to figure out who exactly Ferguson was talking about, although the actor recently said on SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show” that she was “not expecting” that to be the takeaway from her comments. “Number one, yes, I kind of enjoyed the grab,” Ferguson admitted.
‘Joker 2’ Trailer Launches to 167 Million Views in 24 Hours, Giving Warner Bros. Its Biggest and Most-Talked About Trailer Since ‘Barbie’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Zack Sharf Digital News Director The trailer launch for “Joker: Folie à Deux” was no laughing matter for Warner Bros. The marketing for the studio’s upcoming DC sequel, headlined by Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga, got off to a stellar start with 167 million viewers in its first 24 hours. The teaser trailer went online right after it debuted at Warner Bros.’s CinemaCon presentation in Las Vegas.
Daniel Radcliffe Was ‘Terrified’ of Alan Rickman and Thought ‘He Hates Me’ on First Three ‘Harry Potter’ Movies, Then ‘He Saw I Really Wanted to Work’ at Being an Actor
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Daniel Radcliffe was treated to an unexpected moment during an appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast alongside his “Merrily We Roll Along” co-stars Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez. Podcast host Josh Horowitz played a clip from his Alan Rickman interview in 2016, which Radcliffe had never seen before. Rickman and Radcliffe were co-stars for a decade in the “Harry Potter” film series.
Nolan Bros. Didn’t Agree on ‘Dark Knight Rises’ Villain at First; Jonathan Was ‘Unsure’ About Bane and ‘Started to Play With the Idea of the Riddler’ Instead
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jonathan Nolan appeared on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast to tout his latest television series, Prime Video’s “Fallout,” but the conversation touched on Nolan’s time co-writing Batman movies with his brother, Christopher Nolan. The siblings share screenwriting credit on 2008’s “The Dark Knight” and 2012’s “The Dark Knight Rises.” Jonathan admitted that he was pushing for the Riddler to be the primary villain of “Rises” and not Bane, which is what Christopher and David S. Goyer were planning.
‘Spider-Man’ Producer Admits ‘Neither Kevin Feige Nor I Knew Who’ Zendaya Was When Casting Her as MJ: We ‘Felt Really Stupid’ When We Found Out
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Zendaya was already a big star when she was cast as MJ in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” By that point in her career she had already amassed a huge following as the star of two Disney Channel hits, “Shake It Up” and “K.C. Undercover,” plus popped up in Beyonce’s “Lemonade” film and was a runner-up on “Dancing With the Stars.” None of that apparently registered for “Spider-Man” producer Amy Pascal. “To be honest with you, neither [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige nor I knew who she was,” Pascal admitted in Vogue magazine as part of its Zendaya cover story.
John Cena on Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson’s ‘Fast & Furious’ Feud: ‘You Have Two Very Alpha, Driven People…There Can Only Be One’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel‘s longstanding “Fast & Furious” feud came to an official end last year when Johnson shocked fans by popping up as the beloved Luke Hobbs in a “Fast X” mid-credits scene. Diesel had extended an invitation to Johnson in November 2021 to join “Fast X,” but Johnson said the following month that “I would not be returning to the franchise.” That turned out to be a bluff. The duo’s “Fast & Furious” co-star John Cena recently appeared on the “Armchair Expert” podcast (via People) and was asked by host Dax Shepard about the rumors concerning Johnson and Diesel’s on-set tussle.
Jackie Chan Says ‘Don’t Worry!’ After Fans Became ‘Concerned’ About His Health: ‘Recent Photos’ Where He Looks Old Is Just ‘Latest Movie’ Role
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jackie Chan marked his 70th birthday on April 7 by telling people not to worry about his health after some photos of the acting icon looking old with grey hair circulated online recently and sparked concern among his fans. Chan wrote in an Instagram post that any photo of him looking much older than 70 is just him in character for a new movie. “Not so long ago, a lot of friends saw some recent photos of me on the internet, and they were all concerned about my health,” Chan wrote in the caption.
Christopher Nolan Was ‘on the Fence’ About Making ‘Dark Knight’ and ‘Didn’t Want to Become a Superhero Director,’ Says Brother Jonathan: I Told Him ‘Don’t Be a Chicken S—! Let’s Do This’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jonathan Nolan said during a recent interview on the “Armchair Expert” podcast with Dax Shepard that it took some convincing to get his brother, Christopher Nolan, to agree to direct “The Dark Knight.” The filmmaker had already hit a superhero movie slam dunk with “Batman Begins” and was hesitant to make another comic book movie because he didn’t want his career getting pigeonholed. “I worked on ‘Batman Begins’ in this slightly arm’s length capacity, but it was the one comic book my brother ever given me as a kid, ‘Batman: Year One,’ for my 14th birthday, and 10 years later I was on the set working with him,” Jonathan said, remembering thinking “this is nuts.” “Chris was on the fence about making another one,” Jonathan continued, noting that Chris went straight from “Batman Begins” into helming the magician thriller “The Prestige.” “He didn’t want to become a superhero movie director.” Jonathan said that Chris was “very proud” of “Batman Begins,” but “to me, it was like we built this amazing sports car, and I’m like, ‘Let’s take it for a drive.
Robert Downey Jr. Would ‘Happily’ Return to Marvel After Oscar Win; Gwyneth Paltrow Says He’d Throw Out ‘Iron Man’ Lines and Go: ‘I’m Not F—ing Saying These’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Robert Downey Jr. is not closing the door on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which he kicked off in 2008 with “Iron Man” and headlined for 11 years through 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame.” Iron Man met his demise in that tentpole, but that has never stopped rumors from circulating that Marvel is trying to bring Downey back into the fold, especially now that the MCU has hit a box office rough patch with 2023 flops such as “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” and “The Marvels.” Certainly, Downey’s return as Iron Man could restore Marvel to its blockbuster glory days. Speaking to Esquire magazine after his Oscar win for “Oppenheimer” last month, Downey was asked if he would ever return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe now that he is officially an Academy Award winner.
Carla Gugino Filmed ‘Spy Kids’ at 27 Years Old and Says Her Casting as a Mom Was ‘Physically Totally Impossible’: ‘I Was 10 Years Too Young for the Role’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Carla Gugino recently told BuzzFeed that her beloved role in Robert Rodriguez’s 2001 family action film “Spy Kids” was “physically totally impossible.” The actor was 27 years old when she filmed the movie and played Ingrid Cortes, the mother of two spies. By Gugino’s math, the character didn’t add up. “It is so funny because I was 27,” Gugino recounted.
Michael Keaton Admits His ‘Batman’ Casting ‘Was a Ballsy Move’ but Backlash Was ‘Baffling,’ Says Jack Nicholson Questioned Him for Working Out on Set
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Michael Keaton participated in a career retrospective interview for GQ magazine and admitted that his casting as Batman in Tim Burton’s 1989 superhero movie was “ballsy” considering he was more known for his comedic roles in films like “Mr. Mom” at that point in his career. Keaton’s casting was met with backlash among comic book fans at the time.
Hunter Schafer Has ‘Gotten Offered Tons of Trans Roles’ but ‘I Just Don’t Want to Do It’ or ‘Talk About It’: ‘I Just Want to Be a Girl and Move On’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Hunter Schafer said in a new GQ cover story that she has been strategic in trying to shift the public’s focus away from her gender identity as a transgender person. The “Euphoria” favorite does not want her identity to be the sole talking point about her and has at times tried to avoid saying the word “trans” during interviews in order to ensure her career is not solely defined by her gender identity. “It has not just happened naturally by any means.
Minnie Driver Claims ‘Hard Rain’ Producers Said She ‘Couldn’t’ Wear a Wetsuit ‘Because They Wanted to See My Nipples’: ‘I Was So Punished’ for ‘Saying This Is Wrong’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Minnie Driver said during a recent interview on Jameela Jamil’s “I Weigh” podcast that producers on her 1998 disaster movie “Hard Rain” allegedly told her not to wear a wetsuit while filming with rain machines because “they wanted to see my nipples” (via Entertainment Weekly). The film, directed by Mikael Salomon, opened a year after Driver’s breakthrough in “Good Will Hunting,” which earned her an Oscar nomination. Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater headlined “Hard Rain.” “It’s set during this massive storm, there were huge rain machines.
Steve-O Says He Asked Bill Maher Not to Smoke During Interview Due to His 16 Years of Sobriety, Claims Maher Refused and Called It a ‘Dealbreaker’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Steve-O said on a recent episode of his “Wild Ride!” podcast that he had to turn down a request to appear on Bill Maher‘s podcast because Maher allegedly refused not to smoke pot during the interview. “Jackass” alum Steve-O is 16 years sober. Maher is often seen smoking marijuana during his “Club Random” podcast interviews.
Ang Lee Rejects 3D Now Because It’s ‘So Bad’ and the Whole Film Industry Is ‘Not Made’ for It: ‘The Filmmakers Are Bad. The Theaters Are Bad’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Ang Lee is moving on from 3D filmmaking after a trio of hit or miss releases: “Life of Pi” (2012), “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” (2016) and “Gemini Man” (2019). The former title was an acclaimed blockbuster that won Lee the Oscar for best director, while the latter two releases, also distributing in high-frame rate at 120 frames per second, were mostly critical misfires and big financial disappointments. Lee hasn’t made a movie since “Gemini Man.” “I tried higher frame rate and I tried 3D,” Lee recently told IndieWire.
Jon Stewart Says Apple ‘Wouldn’t Let Us Do’ an Anti-AI Segment and ‘Asked Us Not’ to Have Federal Trade Commission Chair as a Guest: ‘What Is That Sensitivity?’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Jon Stewart made headlines in February when he appeared on “CBS Mornings” ahead of his return to hosting Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” and said that Apple canceled his previous talk show, “The Problem With Jon Stewart,” because “they didn’t want me to say things that might get me in trouble.” On the April 1 episode of “The Daily Show,” Stewart went into greater detail about Apple’s concerns over the direction of his now-axed talk show and corresponding podcast. Stewart was interviewing Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan on “The Daily Show” and told her that he once pitched to have her as a guest on “The Problem” podcast.
‘X Files’ Creator Says Studio Execs Asked ‘Where’s the Sex Appeal?’ About Gillian Anderson, Calls New Reboot a ‘Hard Job’ Since ‘Everything’s a Conspiracy’ Now
Zack Sharf Digital News Director “The X-Files” creator Chris Carter is not involved in the upcoming reboot, which is being shepherded by “Black Panther” filmmaker Ryan Coogler. In a new interview with Inverse, Carter said he has no reservations about letting someone else put their stamp on his beloved franchise. “It’s interesting, people say, ‘Aren’t you possessive of it?’ And I say, ‘No, I’m looking forward to seeing what somebody else does with it,’” Carter said, adding that he had a “really nice conversation” with Coogler when the latter first pitched his idea for an “X-Files” reboot to Fox.
Frankie Muniz Says ‘I Walked Off’ the ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ Set and Missed Two Episodes When ‘Everyone Was So Afraid to Stand Up’ Against Disrespect
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Frankie Muniz shared on the latest episode of “I’m A Celebrity Australia” (via News.com.au) that he once “walked off” the set of his beloved Fox sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle” when everyone else was refusing to stand up to certain people who were “controlling or rude or disrespectful.” Muniz starred on the comedy as the eponymous child genius for seven seasons, but he missed two episodes because of his decision. “There were two episodes I’m not in. I walked off the set,” Muniz said, explaining that his actions were due to set tensions.
Lynda Carter Says ‘Wonder Woman 3’ Was ‘Wonderful’ and ‘Important,’ but It Won’t Get Made Without ‘Pressure From Fans’: ‘I Don’t Know Why They Tabled It’
Zack Sharf Digital News Director Lynda Carter, who became a television icon as the star of the live-action “Wonder Woman” series from 1975 to 1979, delighted comic book fans when she popped up at the end of Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman 1984” as Asteria, a legendary Amazonian warrior previously thought to be dead. The tease led many to believe a third “Wonder Woman” movie would unite Carter and Gal Gadot on the big screen, but the sequel was announced as dead in August 2023. In a new interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Carter heavily suggested that she would’ve been back as Asteria had Jenkins and Gadot’s “Wonder Woman 3” taken flight at Warner Bros.