Pat Saperstein Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorJean-Claude Carriere, the prolific French screenwriter and novelist who was Oscar-nominated for “The Unbearable Lightness of Being,” “That Obscure Object of Desire” and “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie,” died Monday at his home in Paris.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorAs the pandemic wears on and Valentine’s Day approaches, diners are looking for experiences that feel as special as going out to a favorite restaurant. From a steakhouse that comes to your house to a multi-sensory tasting menu, these fine dining packages are among the most indulgent in Los Angeles.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorParamount and J.J.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorPeter Bogdanovich’s first impression of Cloris Leachman was nothing like the lonely housewife she played in “Last Picture Show.”The director recalled his first meeting with Leachman, who died Wednesday at 94, when he was casting “The Last Picture Show.”“One of the producers was Bob Rafaelson. I said, ‘I don’t know any 30 or 40ish women.’ So he made me a list with Cloris and Ellen Burstyn and some other women,” Bogdanovich recalls.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe pandemic has been an incredibly challenging time for restaurants across the country, but a new event starting Thursday aims to lend a helping hand specifically to women-owned restaurants across the Los Angeles area.Since restaurants remain closed except for take-out, the event will feature a wealth of virtual conversations and demos and a series of unique menus to order from more than 100 spots in every neighborhood.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe San Francisco International Film Festival has announced that Jessie Fairbanks will join the organization, leading the festival, year-round offerings and off-screen programming.Fairbanks, who has worked with DOC NYC and Tribeca Film Festival, joins SFFILM on Jan. 25.The 2021 festival is scheduled for April 9-18.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorJames Earl Jones, who turns 90 on Jan. 17, has one of the most famous voices of all time — not just as Darth Vader and Mufasa, but as the voice of CNN and hundreds of other programs.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe Palm Springs International Film Awards will honor Carey Mulligan with the International Star Award for her performance in “Promising Young Woman.”The festival and film awards gala will not be held as in-person events this year, but honoree selections will recognize the year’s great performances, the Palm Springs Film Festival announced.Mulligan stars in “Promising Young Woman” as Cassandra Thomas, who risks her life to avenge the death of her best friend.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorEmma Thompson, Lashana Lynch and Alisha Weir will join Netflix’s musical adaptation of the beloved children’s story “Matilda,” directed by Matthew Warchus.Thompson will play Miss Trunchbull while Weir, who has appeared in the Irish TV series “Darklands,” takes on the title role of the young girl who learns to use her special powers.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorBob Iger and Willow Bay will be donating $5 million to small businesses throughout Los Angeles that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, mayor Eric Garcetti announced Thursday.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorPeter Mark Richman, who made numerous film and TV appearances including recurring roles in “Beverly Hills 90210” and “Three’s Company,” and toplined the early 1960s series “Cain’s Hundred,” died Thursday in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 93.Richman was born in Philadelphia and worked as a pharmacist before joining the Actors Studio in New York.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorMany people started out 2021 in optimistic spirits, hoping to see an end to the pandemic and vowing to get healthy. For some, that meant trying out the ritual known as Dry January or “dryuary” — taking a break from alcohol for a month to start the year on the right foot, and maybe provide an incentive to get and stay sober.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorFormer Bond girl and “Sheena: Queen of the Jungle” star Tanya Roberts was mistakenly announced as dead late Sunday night.Her rep Mike Pingel told Variety that although her husband, Lance O’Brien, was originally told she had died, the hospital called Monday morning to report she was still alive.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorHollywood writers and comedians are mourning the closure of the 101 Coffee Shop, another restaurant victim of the pandemic.“Because of the ongoing pandemic, the temporary closure of the 101 Coffee Shop has become permanent. This was a tough decision, but we believe there is a silver lining.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorJoan Micklin Silver, who forged her own way as a female director in the 1970s and ’80s and helmed seven features including “Crossing Delancey” and “Hester Street,” died Thursday in Manhattan. She was 85.Her daughter, Claudia Silver, told the New York Times the cause was vascular dementia.The 1975 independent film “Hester Street” was the story of a Jewish immigrant couple in the 1890s.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorThe stalking and intimidation cases brought by four women who have accused TV actor Danny Masterson of rape must now go through mediation within the Church of Scientology, a Los Angeles judge ruled Wednesday.The ruling comes just days before Masterson’s scheduled arraignment on three charges of rape between 2001 and 2003.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorHilaria Baldwin has expanded on her comments about her heritage after posting an Instagram video on Sunday responding to the story that captivated the internet over the holiday break.A Twitter thread posted on Dec.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorDawn Wells, who starred as the demure Mary Ann in long-running sitcom “Gilligan’s Island,” died Wednseday of causes related to COVID-19 in Los Angeles.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorLooking back over the beloved stars we lost in the past year is always emotional, and this year has been especially devastating, given how many members of the entertainment community died due to the COVID-19 pandemic.The pandemic hit the music community especially hard, but television and film performers, as well as stage actors and below-the-line workers were also affected.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorEmma Thompson was characteristically frank about Hollywood’s double standard during a recent interview with the CultureBlast podcast.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorIn this holiday season like no other, small family dinners are taking the place of lavish parties and festive restaurant meals. But celebrating can still be delicious, with restaurants offering creative dinner kits, dessert samplers and more ways to celebrate.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorTommy “Tiny” Lister, who appeared in “Friday” and “The Fifth Element” and was also a professional wrestler, died Thursday, his manager Cindy Cowan confirmed.Cowan said he was found unresponsive in his apartment in Marina del Rey, Calif. after displaying symptoms of COVID-19 in recent days.“He was a wonderful guy with a heart of gold.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorKeeping a movie theater running during the pandemic has been a monumental task, but planning for a new one to open after the pandemic is no picnic either.That’s the challenge facing Vidiots, the beloved Santa Monica, Calif. video store that closed in 2017 and last year announced plans to restore a vintage movie theater in the northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Eagle Rock.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorLos Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti once again sounded the alarm about the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic across the city in a Friday afternoon address.“So often in this crisis it can be so confusing,” said Garcetti after widespread confusion over his Wednesday night safer-at-home order.“We have never banned walking,” he clarified.“Just be smart and stay apart,” Garcetti said, explaining that outdoor exercise is still encouraged, including walking and bike riding.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorA massive new art installation is adding sparkle to Netflix’s new campus on Vine Street just south of Sunset Boulevard.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorHerbert F. Solow, a longtime television executive who pitched the original “Star Trek” series to NBC while he was at Desilu Studios, along with “Mission Impossible” and “Mannix,” died on Thursday, his wife, Dr.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorLike much of the world, I was thrilled to hear on Monday that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine was proving to be effective and could end up being available before the end of the year.Sure, it seemed hopeful that there might eventually be an end to the pandemic in sight.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorNorm Crosby, the Borscht Belt comedian who was known for his frequent malapropisms, died Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 93.His wife told the Hollywood Reporter he died of heart failure.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorSenator Bernie Sanders has issued a statement of support and congratulations after the election of Joe Biden, who was announced as winner of the presidential race on Saturday.Sanders, however, did not directly congratulate Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victories.“Through our continued grassroots organizing, let us create a government that works for ALL and now the few,” he wrote.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorAs hundreds of Trump supporters congregated outside the Maricopa County Recorders Office in Phoenix, Ariz., Wednesday night, Hollywood figures were quick to point out the irony of Trump-supporting crowds shouting “Fox News Sucks,” along with similarities to a storyline in “Veep.”With Americans anxiously awaiting the final results of the presidential election, observers on social media found an outlet for their anxieties by making light of crowds that in some places

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorDonald Trump’s recent COVID-19 diagnosis brought all the chaos and contradictions of the pandemic into sharp focus.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorJulie Andrews had a number of things working against her before she became an international superstar in her first movie role in “Mary Poppins.”Andrews, who turns 85 on Oct. 1, almost had to turn down the role because she was pregnant when it was first offered.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorRobert L. Lasky, the motion picture attorney who co-founded Agency of the Performing Arts, died of complications from sepsis in New York on Sept.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorA moderately strong earthquake struck the Los Angeles area late Friday night, rattling nerves already frayed by wildfires and smoke across Southern California. Hitting at 11:38 p.m., the quake registered a magnitude of 4.5 and was centered in the San Gabriel Valley near South El Monte, about 13 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, according to the U.S.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorPaul Kagan, who built his expertise in the budding cable television business into the longtime media consulting business Kagan and Associates, died Aug. 23 of kidney failure in Carmel, Calif.

Pat Saperstein Deputy EditorNo one was more surprised than director Kyle Rankin when his new film “Run Hide Fight” was added to the Venice Film Festival lineup after the first group of titles had already been announced.The “Night of the Living Deb” filmmaker knew the story of the victims of a school shooter might draw controversy, but he wasn’t sure if it would resonate as much internationally, given that school shootings are far more prevalent in American than anywhere else.Isabel May stars in