Roll call for J'Quellins, B'Lakes, D-Nices, A-a-Rons, and anyone else who doesn't want to get sent to Oshack Hennessy's office by inner-city substitute teacher Mr. Garvey!
As the creator and star of one of the most popular and widely quoted comedy sketch shows of all time, Keegan-Michael Key is a brilliant actor, writer, and producer known for his outlandish characters.
However, his comedic chops run the gamut as he has had numerous supporting roles in genres from family to raunchy. Beyond television, he has graced his fair share of movies, and his presence, no matter how brief, always stands out as the scene-stealer that he is.
Having been in the entertainment industry for almost twenty-five years, Key has amassed twenty-three award nominations, including three wins with a Peabody, an American Comedy Award, and an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.
We combed through the comedian's career to compile a list...
As the creator and star of one of the most popular and widely quoted comedy sketch shows of all time, Keegan-Michael Key is a brilliant actor, writer, and producer known for his outlandish characters.
However, his comedic chops run the gamut as he has had numerous supporting roles in genres from family to raunchy. Beyond television, he has graced his fair share of movies, and his presence, no matter how brief, always stands out as the scene-stealer that he is.
Having been in the entertainment industry for almost twenty-five years, Key has amassed twenty-three award nominations, including three wins with a Peabody, an American Comedy Award, and an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.
We combed through the comedian's career to compile a list...
- 5/3/2024
- by Joshua Pleming
- TVfanatic
It used to be said that every movie, no matter how badly it did at the box office or critically, went to heaven. Heaven, of course, meant physical media. First, it was VHS, then it was Laserdisc, then DVD, Blu-ray, and now 4K Blu-rays; every movie would get some kind of physical media release. After all, rentals and sales were important to a film’s profitability. In fact, some movies that tanked theatrically did so well on DVD that they became perennials, such as Donnie Darko or The Transporter, with the DVD sales of that movie directly influencing the studio to greenlight a sequel and give Jason Statham a legit career as an action star. Yet, despite physical media making a comeback, it’s worth noting that some of the most popular movies in recent memory have never gotten a physical media release. And we’re not only talking about...
- 4/27/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Keegan-Michael Key and his multi-hyphenate partner Elle Key, along with their Bigger Picture Media Group banner, have signed with Range Media Partners for management.
An Emmy, Peabody, and Webby Award-winning actor, writer, and producer, Keegan-Michael Key last year starred in projects including Illumination and Nintendo’s smash hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie, top holiday movie Wonka opposite Timothée Chalamet, and the second season of the award-winning comedy series Schmigadoon! for Apple TV+. He will next be seen in John Krasinski’s If, the Farrelly brothers’ Christmas comedy Dear Santa alongside Jack Black, and the animated sci-fi pic Transformers One — all for Paramount. Additionally, he’ll be seen coming up on ABC’s Emmy-winning sitcom Abbott Elementary and in Amazon MGM Studios’ crime thriller Play Dirty, opposite Mark Wahlberg and more.
Key came to worldwide attention as the co-creator and co-star, alongside Jordan Peele, of Comedy Central’s Emmy-winning sketch series Key & Peele.
An Emmy, Peabody, and Webby Award-winning actor, writer, and producer, Keegan-Michael Key last year starred in projects including Illumination and Nintendo’s smash hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie, top holiday movie Wonka opposite Timothée Chalamet, and the second season of the award-winning comedy series Schmigadoon! for Apple TV+. He will next be seen in John Krasinski’s If, the Farrelly brothers’ Christmas comedy Dear Santa alongside Jack Black, and the animated sci-fi pic Transformers One — all for Paramount. Additionally, he’ll be seen coming up on ABC’s Emmy-winning sitcom Abbott Elementary and in Amazon MGM Studios’ crime thriller Play Dirty, opposite Mark Wahlberg and more.
Key came to worldwide attention as the co-creator and co-star, alongside Jordan Peele, of Comedy Central’s Emmy-winning sketch series Key & Peele.
- 4/2/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Our newest Best Supporting Actress Oscar-winner, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, looks to have her next project in view. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the star of “The Holdovers” will join a new musical from director Michel Gondry and producer Pharrell Williams. The project is said to be based on Williams’s youth in Virginia Beach in the 1970s. (I hope we get to watch his very tall hat grow.) IMDb has the title of the film listed as “Atlantis,” but this is unconfirmed by THR.
The screenplay is written by Martin Hynes, whose previous writing credits include “Toy Story 4” and “Stealing Harvard” (and also playing George Lucas in the legendary short “George Lucas in Love”), and Steven Levenson, whose musical credits include “Dear Evan Hanson” and “tick, tick…Boom.” Kelvin Harrison Jr., recently seen in “Chevalier” and “Elvis” is believed to be starring, and IMDb lists Andre 3000, Mary J. Blige,...
The screenplay is written by Martin Hynes, whose previous writing credits include “Toy Story 4” and “Stealing Harvard” (and also playing George Lucas in the legendary short “George Lucas in Love”), and Steven Levenson, whose musical credits include “Dear Evan Hanson” and “tick, tick…Boom.” Kelvin Harrison Jr., recently seen in “Chevalier” and “Elvis” is believed to be starring, and IMDb lists Andre 3000, Mary J. Blige,...
- 3/22/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Waves) has been set to lead a new, untitled Universal feature project from director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and producer Pharrell Williams (Hidden Figures), according to multiple sources, who also tell us that 2024 Academy Award winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) is in talks.
Universal declined comment. But the film is said to be a coming-of-age musical, set in 1977 Virginia Beach, which draws inspiration from Williams’ childhood growing up in the city’s Atlantis Apartments.
Martin Hynes (Toy Story 4) and Steven Levenson penned the script. Williams and Mimi Valdés will produce through i am Other, alongside Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions.
Known for roles in Trey Edward Shults’ Waves, Joe Wright’s Cyrano, Nat Geo’s Genius: MLK/X, which had him playing Martin Luther King Jr., and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, which had him portraying B.B. King,...
Universal declined comment. But the film is said to be a coming-of-age musical, set in 1977 Virginia Beach, which draws inspiration from Williams’ childhood growing up in the city’s Atlantis Apartments.
Martin Hynes (Toy Story 4) and Steven Levenson penned the script. Williams and Mimi Valdés will produce through i am Other, alongside Gil Netter for Gil Netter Productions.
Known for roles in Trey Edward Shults’ Waves, Joe Wright’s Cyrano, Nat Geo’s Genius: MLK/X, which had him playing Martin Luther King Jr., and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, which had him portraying B.B. King,...
- 3/21/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s the morning after the Oscars, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who was out celebrating her big win as best supporting actress until 5:45 a.m., looks as if she’d fall asleep for the rest of the day if she closed her eyes for a moment. And yet despite her exhaustion she’s still radiant, brimming with excitement about the ways that her life has changed since she scored her role as Mary Lamb, a grieving cafeteria manager, in Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers.”
As she sits at a dining room table in a modern Beverly Hills apartment soothing a hoarse voice with cough drops, Randolph declares sleepily, “I’ve got the keys to the castle now!”
It’s a change for the Philadelphia-born actress, who says, “I was taught to make a lot out of very little. It’s exciting to have access to resources and opportunities,...
As she sits at a dining room table in a modern Beverly Hills apartment soothing a hoarse voice with cough drops, Randolph declares sleepily, “I’ve got the keys to the castle now!”
It’s a change for the Philadelphia-born actress, who says, “I was taught to make a lot out of very little. It’s exciting to have access to resources and opportunities,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Da’Vine Joy Randolph is now an Oscar winner.
By Sunday night, this result was mostly a foregone conclusion, as she had already swept best supporting actress at the BAFTA, Critics Choice, Independent Spirit, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards this season for her performance in Alexander Payne’s throwback dramedy The Holdovers. Randolph played cafeteria manager Mary, one of the trio of protagonists left at the boarding school over holiday break, grieving the death of her son.
“Your performance is tribute to those who have helped others heal in spite of their own pain,” said presenter Lupita Nyong’o, the past Oscar winner selected to introduce Randolph.
Randolph is now the first of nine Oscar-nominated performers directed by Payne to go all the way. (The second could be Paul Giamatti, whose best actor category is still to be announced as of press time.)
The Philadelphia native, who studied classical vocal...
By Sunday night, this result was mostly a foregone conclusion, as she had already swept best supporting actress at the BAFTA, Critics Choice, Independent Spirit, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards this season for her performance in Alexander Payne’s throwback dramedy The Holdovers. Randolph played cafeteria manager Mary, one of the trio of protagonists left at the boarding school over holiday break, grieving the death of her son.
“Your performance is tribute to those who have helped others heal in spite of their own pain,” said presenter Lupita Nyong’o, the past Oscar winner selected to introduce Randolph.
Randolph is now the first of nine Oscar-nominated performers directed by Payne to go all the way. (The second could be Paul Giamatti, whose best actor category is still to be announced as of press time.)
The Philadelphia native, who studied classical vocal...
- 3/10/2024
- by Rebecca Sun
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the first Oscar of her career for “The Holdovers,” a 1970s-set dramedy about a trio that’s stuck at a New England prep school over the holidays.
She took home the trophy for best supporting actress on her first nomination. But in her acceptance speech, she revealed that she didn’t always see herself becoming an actor. That is, until her mother encouraged her to seek out the local theater department.
“I didn’t think I was supposed to be doing this as a career,” Randolph said from the mic. “I thank my mother for doing that. I thank all the people who have been there for me, ushered me and guided me.”
She tearfully reflected on her path in Hollywood before landing on the biggest stage in show business. “I always wanted to be different, but now I realize that I just need to be myself,...
She took home the trophy for best supporting actress on her first nomination. But in her acceptance speech, she revealed that she didn’t always see herself becoming an actor. That is, until her mother encouraged her to seek out the local theater department.
“I didn’t think I was supposed to be doing this as a career,” Randolph said from the mic. “I thank my mother for doing that. I thank all the people who have been there for me, ushered me and guided me.”
She tearfully reflected on her path in Hollywood before landing on the biggest stage in show business. “I always wanted to be different, but now I realize that I just need to be myself,...
- 3/10/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Backstage at the Independent Spirit Awards on February 25, Da’Vine Joy Randolph told reporters she wasn’t counting on anything major this Oscars weekend: “I’m not expecting anything,” Randolph said when asked about her Oscar chances. “I’m not betting on anything. I’m just happy to be invited into the building. To me, I’ve already won, because I’ve gained the respect of you guys. That’s what matters to me the most.”
A lovely sentiment, but it became Oscar official on Sunday evening when Randolph won the 2024 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Mary Lamb in “The Holdovers,” a cook at a private school in the 1970s dealing with the recent death of her son in Vietnam.
Co-starring Paul Giamatti (who is also nominated tonight) and Dominic Sessa, the true three-hander from Alexander Payne is nominated for a total of five Oscars, including Best Picture,...
A lovely sentiment, but it became Oscar official on Sunday evening when Randolph won the 2024 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Mary Lamb in “The Holdovers,” a cook at a private school in the 1970s dealing with the recent death of her son in Vietnam.
Co-starring Paul Giamatti (who is also nominated tonight) and Dominic Sessa, the true three-hander from Alexander Payne is nominated for a total of five Oscars, including Best Picture,...
- 3/10/2024
- by Erin Strecker
- Indiewire
The 96th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 10 and air live on ABC at 7:00 p.m. Et/ 4:00 p.m. Pt. We update predictions through awards season, so keep checking IndieWire for all our 2024 Oscar picks.
The State of the Race
Somewhat balancing out its snubs, “Barbie” got a surprise Best Supporting Actress nomination for star America Ferrera, deliverer of the Warner Bros. film’s viral rallying speech. Should she actually win the category come March 10, she would be the first Latina to take the category for playing a role that’s not Anita in “West Side Story.”
More likely, though, is Da’Vine Joy Randolph winning for her performance in crowdpleaser “The Holdovers.” The “Dolemite Is My Name” breakout had won just about every significant critics award she could going into 2024, and recently collected a Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, and SAG Award for playing the supervisor...
The State of the Race
Somewhat balancing out its snubs, “Barbie” got a surprise Best Supporting Actress nomination for star America Ferrera, deliverer of the Warner Bros. film’s viral rallying speech. Should she actually win the category come March 10, she would be the first Latina to take the category for playing a role that’s not Anita in “West Side Story.”
More likely, though, is Da’Vine Joy Randolph winning for her performance in crowdpleaser “The Holdovers.” The “Dolemite Is My Name” breakout had won just about every significant critics award she could going into 2024, and recently collected a Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, and SAG Award for playing the supervisor...
- 3/8/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Let’s rewind back to November 2023, the very first weekend after the historic Screen Actors Guild strike ended. Back then, star Da’Vine Joy Randolph shared with IndieWire that she was already at ease with how “The Holdovers” would be received, despite only director Alexander Payne being able to promote it during its first couple of months of screening.
“I knew that we would reach people’s hearts,” said the eventual frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, who plays Mary Lamb, a prep school head chef and grieving mother in the Focus Features release. “I feel like I was a part of something really special that could have sustained and held it, even if [the strikes] went all the way through the end of the year.”
Sparkling in a plush green full-length dress with fuzzy trimming, seated inside one of the hospitality rooms inside a Beverly Hills hotel, Randolph described her role...
“I knew that we would reach people’s hearts,” said the eventual frontrunner for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, who plays Mary Lamb, a prep school head chef and grieving mother in the Focus Features release. “I feel like I was a part of something really special that could have sustained and held it, even if [the strikes] went all the way through the end of the year.”
Sparkling in a plush green full-length dress with fuzzy trimming, seated inside one of the hospitality rooms inside a Beverly Hills hotel, Randolph described her role...
- 2/27/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Da’Vine Joy Randolph only broke out in 2019, but she’s already one of the most talented actors in the business.
Born in 1986 to a Philadelphia family, Randolph has her roots in the theater; at Temple University, she initially studied classical vocal performance and opera, switching her major to musical theater. After graduation, she attended the Yale School of Drama, graduating in 2011 with a Master’s. Immediately out of school, she was cast in the Broadway musical adaptation of “Ghost: The Musical,” and her performance as medium Oda Mae Brown netted her a Tony Award nomination.
From there, Randolph became a regular face on TV and film, frequently playing bit roles in films and shows like “The Angriest Man in Brooklyn,” “Office Christmas Party,” “This Is Us,” “Veep,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida,” and “Empire.” A main part in the short-lived 2014 series “Selfie” aside, none of these parts were particularly meaty.
Born in 1986 to a Philadelphia family, Randolph has her roots in the theater; at Temple University, she initially studied classical vocal performance and opera, switching her major to musical theater. After graduation, she attended the Yale School of Drama, graduating in 2011 with a Master’s. Immediately out of school, she was cast in the Broadway musical adaptation of “Ghost: The Musical,” and her performance as medium Oda Mae Brown netted her a Tony Award nomination.
From there, Randolph became a regular face on TV and film, frequently playing bit roles in films and shows like “The Angriest Man in Brooklyn,” “Office Christmas Party,” “This Is Us,” “Veep,” “On Becoming a God in Central Florida,” and “Empire.” A main part in the short-lived 2014 series “Selfie” aside, none of these parts were particularly meaty.
- 2/22/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Da’Vine Joy Randolph continued her march to the Oscars podium this year with another victory for Best Supporting Actress. This time, it came on the other side of the Atlantic at BAFTA. She won for Focus Features’ “The Holdovers,” a film of which she is the very soul.
After giving one of the night’s most memorable speeches — in which she called presenter Chiwetel Ejiofor handsome and made co-star Paul Giamatti cry — Randolph made her way backstage to talk, wherein she expanded upon her connection to Britain way back before her BAFTA win. “I started on the West End in a musical but even prior to that, my education, I started at British American Drama Academy on the Oxford campus. I would come in on the weekend and see plays,” Randolph said.
“I saw — it changed my life — ‘War Horse’ at the National Theatre. And I thought it was so amazing,...
After giving one of the night’s most memorable speeches — in which she called presenter Chiwetel Ejiofor handsome and made co-star Paul Giamatti cry — Randolph made her way backstage to talk, wherein she expanded upon her connection to Britain way back before her BAFTA win. “I started on the West End in a musical but even prior to that, my education, I started at British American Drama Academy on the Oxford campus. I would come in on the weekend and see plays,” Randolph said.
“I saw — it changed my life — ‘War Horse’ at the National Theatre. And I thought it was so amazing,...
- 2/19/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
When you take a peek at Mark Johnson‘s resume, you’re immediately astounded. Consider this partial list of projects he’s been attached to as a producer or executive producer during a career that’s exceeded four decades: “Rain Man” (which won Johnson his lone Oscar), “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Diner,” “Tin Men,” “The Natural,” “Bugsy,” “Galaxy Quest,” “The Notebook,” “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” And now, add “The Holdovers” to the list, for which Johnson has landed his third Academy Award nomination (this one for Best Picture).
“Every day, I still feel like a young boy who can’t believe he’s allowed to do this,” Johnson admits. “Somebody asked me if the Oscar nomination was old hat to me, and I’m like, ‘Are you kidding? I’m thrilled.’ I’m very humbled by it. There are a number of movies I’ve made that I think...
“Every day, I still feel like a young boy who can’t believe he’s allowed to do this,” Johnson admits. “Somebody asked me if the Oscar nomination was old hat to me, and I’m like, ‘Are you kidding? I’m thrilled.’ I’m very humbled by it. There are a number of movies I’ve made that I think...
- 2/8/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Dexter Darden has signed on to join Peacock’s “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” limited series, Variety has confirmed. He’ll take on the role of heavyweight boxer, Muhammad Ali.
Based on the true crime podcast “Fight Night” by Doghouse Pictures, LLC and iHeartMedia + Entertainment, the true crime limited series tells the story of how an armed robbery during the night of Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life, but an entire city. The series follows the infamous heavyweight fight and criminal underground heist that “introduced the world to the city dubbed ‘the Black Mecca,’ and the cop and the hustler at the center of it all,” reads the description. nh. nnb
Darden joins previously announced star Kevin Hart, who also executive produces alongside Will Packer. As Variety previously reported, Samuel L. Jackson joined the series as notorious gangster Frank Moten, who was given...
Based on the true crime podcast “Fight Night” by Doghouse Pictures, LLC and iHeartMedia + Entertainment, the true crime limited series tells the story of how an armed robbery during the night of Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight changed not only one man’s life, but an entire city. The series follows the infamous heavyweight fight and criminal underground heist that “introduced the world to the city dubbed ‘the Black Mecca,’ and the cop and the hustler at the center of it all,” reads the description. nh. nnb
Darden joins previously announced star Kevin Hart, who also executive produces alongside Will Packer. As Variety previously reported, Samuel L. Jackson joined the series as notorious gangster Frank Moten, who was given...
- 1/31/2024
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
L-r, from top: You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah; Blazing Saddles; School Of Rock; The Mitchells Vs. The Machines; Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga; Forgetting Sarah MarshallScreenshot: Netflix/Rotten Tomatoes Trailers/YouTube
Netflix’s film library is positively gargantuan, so how is a couch...
Netflix’s film library is positively gargantuan, so how is a couch...
- 1/31/2024
- by The A.V. Club
- avclub.com
Netflix announced on Friday that Ready to Sell Out, its newest comedy special from Mike Epps, will premiere globally on the platform on February 20, 2024.
The special is Epps’ fourth for the platform, following Indiana Mike (2022), Only One Mike (2019) and Don’t Take It Personal (2015). In it, he ponders where all of his money has gone, in spite of a thriving career, also getting into the trials and tribulations of his relationships, and a plethora of street observations. Royale Watkins directed his new hour and exec produced alongside Epps, Mark Ritchie, Thomas Cobb, Niles Kirchner, and Kyra Epps. Southpaw Productions Inc. is the production company.
Launching his stand-up career back in 1995, Epps is also responsible for the specials Under Rated… Never Faded & X -Rated and Inappropriate Behavior. Currently starring in Netflix’s sitcom The Upshaws, he’s also been seen on the shows I’m a Virgo, Survivor’s Remorse and Uncle Buck,...
The special is Epps’ fourth for the platform, following Indiana Mike (2022), Only One Mike (2019) and Don’t Take It Personal (2015). In it, he ponders where all of his money has gone, in spite of a thriving career, also getting into the trials and tribulations of his relationships, and a plethora of street observations. Royale Watkins directed his new hour and exec produced alongside Epps, Mark Ritchie, Thomas Cobb, Niles Kirchner, and Kyra Epps. Southpaw Productions Inc. is the production company.
Launching his stand-up career back in 1995, Epps is also responsible for the specials Under Rated… Never Faded & X -Rated and Inappropriate Behavior. Currently starring in Netflix’s sitcom The Upshaws, he’s also been seen on the shows I’m a Virgo, Survivor’s Remorse and Uncle Buck,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Joseph Sikora, Annie Ilonzeh, Iddo Goldberg, Ruby Modine, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Andrew Bachelor, Tyler Abron, Terrence Jenkins, Jessica Allain, Michele McCormick | Written by John Ferry, Deon Taylor | Directed by Deon Taylor
Fear begins with the sound of a tape being placed in a Vcr followed by extremely glitchy footage of author Rom Jennings being interviewed about his upcoming book, a non-fiction work on the mythology surrounding fear. Among other things, he mentions needing to take a research trip to a particular area in Northern California.
That location is the Strawberry Lodge and Rom is bringing his girlfriend Bianca on the trip with plans to propose to her. He’s also invited his agent, Michael and some friends including Serena, Lou, Benny, Kim and married couple Russ and Meg to join them.
Director Deon Taylor and co-writer John Ferry set this reunion against the backdrop of an unnamed pandemic. While...
Fear begins with the sound of a tape being placed in a Vcr followed by extremely glitchy footage of author Rom Jennings being interviewed about his upcoming book, a non-fiction work on the mythology surrounding fear. Among other things, he mentions needing to take a research trip to a particular area in Northern California.
That location is the Strawberry Lodge and Rom is bringing his girlfriend Bianca on the trip with plans to propose to her. He’s also invited his agent, Michael and some friends including Serena, Lou, Benny, Kim and married couple Russ and Meg to join them.
Director Deon Taylor and co-writer John Ferry set this reunion against the backdrop of an unnamed pandemic. While...
- 1/16/2024
- by Jim Morazzini
- Nerdly
The Golden Globe-winning star of The Holdovers on sparring with comedy greats, switching from opera to acting, and cooking as therapy
A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Philadelphia-born actor Da’Vine Joy Randolph was nominated for a Tony award for her breakthrough performance in the 2012 Broadway stage production of Ghost: The Musical. Since then, she has worked in TV and film, starring opposite Eddie Murphy in Dolemite Is My Name and as Aunt Pooh in On the Come Up. Last week she won for best supporting actress award at the Golden Globes for her role in Alexander Payne’s bittersweet tragicomic three-hander, The Holdovers. She plays a recently bereaved mother and the longsuffering head cook at an elite New England boarding school in the 1970s, opposite Paul Giamatti’s curmudgeonly teacher, and newcomer Dominic Sessa as a troubled student.
When you were first approached by Alexander Payne, you didn’t know who he was.
A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, Philadelphia-born actor Da’Vine Joy Randolph was nominated for a Tony award for her breakthrough performance in the 2012 Broadway stage production of Ghost: The Musical. Since then, she has worked in TV and film, starring opposite Eddie Murphy in Dolemite Is My Name and as Aunt Pooh in On the Come Up. Last week she won for best supporting actress award at the Golden Globes for her role in Alexander Payne’s bittersweet tragicomic three-hander, The Holdovers. She plays a recently bereaved mother and the longsuffering head cook at an elite New England boarding school in the 1970s, opposite Paul Giamatti’s curmudgeonly teacher, and newcomer Dominic Sessa as a troubled student.
When you were first approached by Alexander Payne, you didn’t know who he was.
- 1/14/2024
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
At the end of 2021, a surprise contender zoomed toward a best picture nomination when Ryûsuke Hamaguchi’s Drive My Car began to sweep critics groups’ awards across the country. The Japanese drama earned the prize for best film from critics in Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Seattle, besting then-frontrunners Dune and The Power of the Dog and eventual best picture winner Coda. Buoyed by critical acclaim, Drive My Car went the extra mile beyond the international feature category, which it won: It also earned Academy Award nominations for best picture, director and original screenplay, way outpacing any predictions made by prognosticators when the season had begun in earnest.
People often deride the Oscars for being about artsy films most moviegoers don’t see. But the fact remains that it’s the studio-backed movies with fat FYC budgets that typically garner Oscar nominations — making Drive My Car’s success all the more the outlier.
People often deride the Oscars for being about artsy films most moviegoers don’t see. But the fact remains that it’s the studio-backed movies with fat FYC budgets that typically garner Oscar nominations — making Drive My Car’s success all the more the outlier.
- 1/8/2024
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Golden Globes shook up the supporting actress race by awarding Da’Vine Joy Randolph the prize for her scene-stealing work in The Holdovers. Randolph has quickly become the actress to watch after her vulnerable and hilarious performance as Helen in the 1970s-set drama.
As Mary Lamb, the school prep cook who lost her son, Randolph lights up the screen opposite co-stars Paul Giamatti and Dominic Sessa. She crafts Mary as a woman barred from opportunity but oozing talent, yearning for community.
Receiving her award from presenters, previous Golden Globe winners Angela Bassett and Jared Leto, she thanks the Hpfa and Alexander Payne, “Alexander Payne, thank you for giving me the opportunity to portray this beautiful and flawed woman,” she said. She also thanks actors Paul Giamatti and first time actor Dominic Sessa.
“Paul and Dominic, you have been an absolute dream to work with. And I thank you for...
As Mary Lamb, the school prep cook who lost her son, Randolph lights up the screen opposite co-stars Paul Giamatti and Dominic Sessa. She crafts Mary as a woman barred from opportunity but oozing talent, yearning for community.
Receiving her award from presenters, previous Golden Globe winners Angela Bassett and Jared Leto, she thanks the Hpfa and Alexander Payne, “Alexander Payne, thank you for giving me the opportunity to portray this beautiful and flawed woman,” she said. She also thanks actors Paul Giamatti and first time actor Dominic Sessa.
“Paul and Dominic, you have been an absolute dream to work with. And I thank you for...
- 1/8/2024
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
While there are plenty of movies to catch up with during the holiday break, I recommend you make time for The Holdovers. The Alexander Payne-directed comedic drama stars Paul Giamatti in one of his most outstanding roles, with Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa in his feature film debut. The Holdovers is already available on PVOD, but it’s coming to Peacock on December 29.
Some people enjoy spending holidays alone, but for others, it’s a painful reminder of having no one else to share the merriment and make new memories. In Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, Paul Giamatti’s Paul Hunham learns the value of opening his heart to a troubled student during a lonely Christmas break. The feature marks a welcomed return for Payne, whose previous directorial effort was for the social satire Downsizing, starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, and Hong Chau.
Here is the official synopsis for The Holdovers,...
Some people enjoy spending holidays alone, but for others, it’s a painful reminder of having no one else to share the merriment and make new memories. In Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, Paul Giamatti’s Paul Hunham learns the value of opening his heart to a troubled student during a lonely Christmas break. The feature marks a welcomed return for Payne, whose previous directorial effort was for the social satire Downsizing, starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, and Hong Chau.
Here is the official synopsis for The Holdovers,...
- 12/22/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Paul Giamatti “has never been better” (Deadline) in acclaimed Academy Award® -winning director Alexander Payne’s newest film, The Holdovers, available to own with all-new exclusive bonus featurettes on Digital on December 29, 2023, and on Blu-ray and DVD on January 2, 2024 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 96% and nominated for 8 Critics Choice Awards® including Best Picture, The Holdovers delivers an expert balance of comedy and warmth.
“Raucously funny” (The Hollywood Reporter) and poignant, The Holdovers stars critically acclaimed actor Paul Giamatti, alongside the remarkable Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa in his feature film debut.
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, The Holdovers follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged,...
“Raucously funny” (The Hollywood Reporter) and poignant, The Holdovers stars critically acclaimed actor Paul Giamatti, alongside the remarkable Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa in his feature film debut.
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, The Holdovers follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged,...
- 12/21/2023
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The story of an infamous armed robbery after Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback fight is heading to streaming.
Kevin Hart will star in, and produce, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, which has landed a series order at Peacock. It is based on the eponymous podcast and comes from Shaye Ogbonna and Will Packer.
It will tell the story of how on the night of Ali’s defeat of Jerry Quarry, which came after he was banned from boxing for refusing to enter the military draft, hundreds of guests at an after-party were robbed at gunpoint, becoming one of the largest armed robberies the country has ever seen.
Shaye Ogbanna (Victoria Stevens)
The Atlanta-set limited series, which was created and written by Ogbonna, a writer on Penguin and The Chi, follow the fight and the heist introduced the world to the city dubbed “the Black Mecca,” and the cop and...
Kevin Hart will star in, and produce, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, which has landed a series order at Peacock. It is based on the eponymous podcast and comes from Shaye Ogbonna and Will Packer.
It will tell the story of how on the night of Ali’s defeat of Jerry Quarry, which came after he was banned from boxing for refusing to enter the military draft, hundreds of guests at an after-party were robbed at gunpoint, becoming one of the largest armed robberies the country has ever seen.
Shaye Ogbanna (Victoria Stevens)
The Atlanta-set limited series, which was created and written by Ogbonna, a writer on Penguin and The Chi, follow the fight and the heist introduced the world to the city dubbed “the Black Mecca,” and the cop and...
- 12/13/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Peacock and Kevin Hart are stepping into the boxing ring.
The NBCUniversal streamer has ordered a limited series titled Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist that will tell the story of an armed robbery orchestrated around Muhammad Ali’s 1970 comeback fight in Atlanta. Hart will star in the series and serve as an executive producer.
Fight Night is based on an iHeart podcast written by Jeff Keating (who also hosted) and Jim Roberts. Shaye Ogbonna (The Chi) created the TV series and will serve as showrunner along with Jason Horwitch (Peacock’s The Calling, Apple TV+’s Echo 3). The show comes from Universal Television, Will Packer Media (which also produced the podcast) and Doghouse Pictures. Craig Brewer (Dolemite Is My Name) is set to direct the first two episodes.
The series will tell “the infamous story of how an armed robbery during the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback...
The NBCUniversal streamer has ordered a limited series titled Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist that will tell the story of an armed robbery orchestrated around Muhammad Ali’s 1970 comeback fight in Atlanta. Hart will star in the series and serve as an executive producer.
Fight Night is based on an iHeart podcast written by Jeff Keating (who also hosted) and Jim Roberts. Shaye Ogbonna (The Chi) created the TV series and will serve as showrunner along with Jason Horwitch (Peacock’s The Calling, Apple TV+’s Echo 3). The show comes from Universal Television, Will Packer Media (which also produced the podcast) and Doghouse Pictures. Craig Brewer (Dolemite Is My Name) is set to direct the first two episodes.
The series will tell “the infamous story of how an armed robbery during the night of Muhammad Ali’s historic 1970 comeback...
- 12/13/2023
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Da’Vine Joy Randolph is the beating heart at the center of Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, about a group of students and staff stuck on campus at a remote New England boarding school over the holidays. Randolph plays Mary, the school chef, who is grieving the death of someone very close to her, opposite Paul Giamatti’s bitter schoolteacher Mr. Hunham and Dominic Sessa’s troubled high-schooler Angus.
Previously known for film roles like in Dolemite Is My Name, as well as TV work on shows like Only Murders in the Building and The Idol, and her Tony-nominated stage turn in Ghost: The Musical, The Holdovers is something of an awards breakout for Randolph, who garnered her first Golden Globe nomination Monday morning for the performance. Below, we catch up with the actress about her experience working on Payne’s Christmas dramedy.
How did you feel when you heard the news?...
Previously known for film roles like in Dolemite Is My Name, as well as TV work on shows like Only Murders in the Building and The Idol, and her Tony-nominated stage turn in Ghost: The Musical, The Holdovers is something of an awards breakout for Randolph, who garnered her first Golden Globe nomination Monday morning for the performance. Below, we catch up with the actress about her experience working on Payne’s Christmas dramedy.
How did you feel when you heard the news?...
- 12/11/2023
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exactly 20 years after he made history as the first Black performer to win a Golden Globe for a multi-part limited series, Jeffrey Wright is widely expected to triumph on his second general notice from the same organization. According to Gold Derby’s odds, he is the frontrunner in the 2024 Best Film Comedy/Musical Actor race based on his work in “American Fiction,” which is also set to compete for Best Comedy/Musical Film and Best Screenplay. If Wright at least prevails and thereby maintains his perfect Golden Globes record, he will become the third Black winner in his category’s seven-decade existence.
Adapted from the no-holds-barred 2001 novel “Erasure,” “American Fiction” was written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Cord Jefferson, who has collected numerous accolades (including a Primetime Emmy) for his script work on such TV programs as “Watchmen” and “Succession.” Wright leads a primarily Black cast as fictional author Thelonious “Monk” Ellison,...
Adapted from the no-holds-barred 2001 novel “Erasure,” “American Fiction” was written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Cord Jefferson, who has collected numerous accolades (including a Primetime Emmy) for his script work on such TV programs as “Watchmen” and “Succession.” Wright leads a primarily Black cast as fictional author Thelonious “Monk” Ellison,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Plot: Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life, and wreaks havoc on the whole town. At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol, and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters, and save Christmas for everyone.
Review: Eddie Murphy’s career has changed dramatically over the decades. Once the most popular comedian and actor in Hollywood, Murphy’s focus shifted from edgy and mature comedies to more family-friendly fare in the late 1990s. With some recent turns invigorating his dramatic chops, Murphy has proven he still...
Review: Eddie Murphy’s career has changed dramatically over the decades. Once the most popular comedian and actor in Hollywood, Murphy’s focus shifted from edgy and mature comedies to more family-friendly fare in the late 1990s. With some recent turns invigorating his dramatic chops, Murphy has proven he still...
- 11/30/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
The star, along with Tracee Ellis Ross playing his wife, does his best but Amazon’s increasingly convoluted family film wears thin
We’re in the process of getting snowed in by flimsy festive fodder, most of which is indistinguishable – cheaply made, poorly written, floating on the assumed Christmas spirit of those watching – but there are moments when it’s easy to get naively hopeful. Seeing the involvement of Eddie Murphy in Amazon’s Candy Cane Lane is one such moment, the actor not only a key reason why Trading Places remains a December staple but a star who brightens whatever film he’s in, regardless of the season. It might have been a while since he’s been at his shiniest (2019’s Dolemite Is My Name being a fine example of what he can and will do) but at a time when star power as a whole is depressingly diminished,...
We’re in the process of getting snowed in by flimsy festive fodder, most of which is indistinguishable – cheaply made, poorly written, floating on the assumed Christmas spirit of those watching – but there are moments when it’s easy to get naively hopeful. Seeing the involvement of Eddie Murphy in Amazon’s Candy Cane Lane is one such moment, the actor not only a key reason why Trading Places remains a December staple but a star who brightens whatever film he’s in, regardless of the season. It might have been a while since he’s been at his shiniest (2019’s Dolemite Is My Name being a fine example of what he can and will do) but at a time when star power as a whole is depressingly diminished,...
- 11/30/2023
- by Benjamin Lee
- The Guardian - Film News
When we last hung out with Eddie Murphy's Axel Foley, he was wreaking havoc at a fictional Southern California amusement park (clearly based on Disneyland) while trying to apprehend the facility's chief of security, who murdered Foley's ill-tempered mentor, Inspector Todd (Gil Hill). If you're saying, "Uh, no, he was chasing the Eurotrash criminals who shot up his buddy Chief Bogomil (Ronny Cox)," you are one of the vast majority of moviegoers who skipped John Landis' "Beverly Hills Cop III."
Released over Memorial Day weekend in 1994, Murphy's third go-round as the fast-talking Detroit detective who keeps making unwelcome visits to Los Angeles to avenge dead or badly wounded friends arrived seven years after the last installment, and audiences had moved on. Whereas the first two movies grossed $316 million and $300 million worldwide (the bulk of that money being made in the U.S.), "Beverly Hills Cop III" only...
Released over Memorial Day weekend in 1994, Murphy's third go-round as the fast-talking Detroit detective who keeps making unwelcome visits to Los Angeles to avenge dead or badly wounded friends arrived seven years after the last installment, and audiences had moved on. Whereas the first two movies grossed $316 million and $300 million worldwide (the bulk of that money being made in the U.S.), "Beverly Hills Cop III" only...
- 11/28/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Happy Thanksgiving! Our gift to you is reminding you of which films you should be avoiding for the holiday.
All films start out with the greatest of intentions, but some of them fail in massive proportions. When hit with budget over-runs, scripts rewritten by committee and other problems, they can be headed to the garbage dumps of movie history. Take a tour now through our photo gallery featuring 12 of the biggest box office bombs of all time. These turkeys might make you sick to your stomach, so which ones are among our rotten leftovers.
SEE15 best Thanksgiving episodes ever, ranked worst to best
Our list stars such icons as Johnny Depp, John Travolta, Eddie Murphy, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Keanu Reeves and more.
Travolta’s film “Battlefield Earth” is in our overall #1 position. The passion project is an adaptation of the L. Ron Hubbard novel made into a movie.
All films start out with the greatest of intentions, but some of them fail in massive proportions. When hit with budget over-runs, scripts rewritten by committee and other problems, they can be headed to the garbage dumps of movie history. Take a tour now through our photo gallery featuring 12 of the biggest box office bombs of all time. These turkeys might make you sick to your stomach, so which ones are among our rotten leftovers.
SEE15 best Thanksgiving episodes ever, ranked worst to best
Our list stars such icons as Johnny Depp, John Travolta, Eddie Murphy, Warren Beatty, Dustin Hoffman, Geena Davis, Keanu Reeves and more.
Travolta’s film “Battlefield Earth” is in our overall #1 position. The passion project is an adaptation of the L. Ron Hubbard novel made into a movie.
- 11/20/2023
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
It could have been easy for Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s role in “The Holdovers” to be yet another stereotypical trope for Black women that Hollywood has lazily thrown out throughout history. If that had been the case, the actress tells Variety that would have passed. “When I meet with these studio execs and they ask ‘What is it you would like to do next?’ she says. “I straight up say I would like to tell the same stories as a white straight male in this body. I’m challenging you. Figure it out.”
The industry needs to figure it out because the Philadelphia-born actress is an outstanding and vibrant talent, as seen by her invigorating turn in director Alexander Payne’s latest dramedy. She plays Mary Lamb, a cafeteria worker who, in the midst of dealing with the children left at an elite boarding school during the holiday break,...
The industry needs to figure it out because the Philadelphia-born actress is an outstanding and vibrant talent, as seen by her invigorating turn in director Alexander Payne’s latest dramedy. She plays Mary Lamb, a cafeteria worker who, in the midst of dealing with the children left at an elite boarding school during the holiday break,...
- 11/16/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Oh Marvel Cinematic Universe, how times have changed. In just four years you’ve seen your movies open to over $357 million (Avengers: Endgame) to this weekend where The Marvels became your lowest opening ever with just $47 million, about $8 million shy of where we predicted it on Thursday. So what went wrong? First, you seem to have over-saturated your brand. Going to the movies to see these big tent pole films was always an enjoyable experience, but when you branched out into the Disney+ shows that people had to keep up with, it watered down those theatrical experiences. Would I truly enjoy The Marvels if I never saw an episode of Ms. Marvel? That seems to be the big problem as Ms. Marvel is currently the lowest watched Marvel show on Disney+ with just 780,000 viewers compared to something like She-Hulk which drew 1.5 million viewers or Loki which has pulled 2.5 million viewers...
- 11/12/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
With the exception of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, the MCU has been in a bit of a downward spiral in terms of their creative output. Stories that once felt fresh and were heralded for their connectivity, have now fallen flat and become mundane. It appears that decline hit a head this weekend as The Marvels is pacing to become the lowest opening ever for an MCU film with a take between $47-$52 million (per Deadline), beating out the previous lowest: $55.4 million earned by the Edward Norton fronted The Incredible Hulk.
So where did this one go wrong? Many will blame the actors strike for its failure with the actors unable to promote their film until just last night when Brie Larson appeared on The Tonight Show. That argument doesn’t hold much weight as films such as Five Nights at Freddy’s have been able to overcome the lack of promotion.
So where did this one go wrong? Many will blame the actors strike for its failure with the actors unable to promote their film until just last night when Brie Larson appeared on The Tonight Show. That argument doesn’t hold much weight as films such as Five Nights at Freddy’s have been able to overcome the lack of promotion.
- 11/11/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
Eddie Murphy is going from “You People” to yuletide, following up his Netflix comedy with his first Christmas feature. Prime Video released the trailer for “Candy Cane Lane” Thursday morning, providing a first look at Murphy’s magical holiday adventure.
The footage reveals Murphy playing a father in the holiday spirit who accepts a magical wish offered by a pushy elf (Jillian Bell) to help his family win the neighborhood decoration contest. His competitive edge may have some unintended consequences. Tracee Ellis Ross also stars as Murphy’s wife, with Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, D.C. Young Fly, Danielle Pinnock, Timothy Simons, Riki Lindhome and Stephen Tobolowsky also among the cast.
The film also reunites Murphy with his “Boomerang” director Reginald Hudlin. Kelly Younger wrote the film, while Murphy, Brian Grazer, Karen Lunder and Charisse Hewitt-Webster serve as producers.
The footage reveals Murphy playing a father in the holiday spirit who accepts a magical wish offered by a pushy elf (Jillian Bell) to help his family win the neighborhood decoration contest. His competitive edge may have some unintended consequences. Tracee Ellis Ross also stars as Murphy’s wife, with Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, D.C. Young Fly, Danielle Pinnock, Timothy Simons, Riki Lindhome and Stephen Tobolowsky also among the cast.
The film also reunites Murphy with his “Boomerang” director Reginald Hudlin. Kelly Younger wrote the film, while Murphy, Brian Grazer, Karen Lunder and Charisse Hewitt-Webster serve as producers.
- 10/12/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Eddie Murphy made a big comeback with his acclaimed performance in Dolemite Is My Name from Netflix. He followed it up with Coming 2 America, which reunited him with his Dolemite director, Craig Brewer. Murphy would appear in Netflix’s You People, and he’s got a new sequel to one of his most beloved films on the way with the upcoming Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley. While it may seem like he’s attempting to recapture his edge, it looks as if Eddie hasn’t exactly put the family films behind him. He will reunite with his director of the 1992 film Boomerang, Reginald Hudlin, for a Christmas comedy for Prime Video titled Candy Cane Lane.
Amazon has recently released some first-look stills from the movie as well as the new poster. Stay tuned this Thursday for the release of the trailer.
The official synopsis from Amazon reads,
“Eddie Murphy...
Amazon has recently released some first-look stills from the movie as well as the new poster. Stay tuned this Thursday for the release of the trailer.
The official synopsis from Amazon reads,
“Eddie Murphy...
- 10/10/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
The Oscar race for Best Supporting Actress was upended when it was announced that front-runner Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”) would be competing as a lead actress instead. After much shuffling, though, Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) has taken the lead in our odds. Scroll down to see the graph illustrating her trajectory in the race. Click on the graph for more prediction stats.
Set in the early 1970s, “The Holdovers” is about a prep school teacher (Paul Giamatti) who is forced to stay on campus over the holidays with a student (Dominic Sessa). Randolph plays the school’s head cook who recently lost a son in the Vietnam War. The film premiered on August 31 at the Telluride Film Festival and has since earned an 83 score on MetaCritic and 96% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Randolph’s performance has been singled out as “sensational.” She “gives her best performance...
Set in the early 1970s, “The Holdovers” is about a prep school teacher (Paul Giamatti) who is forced to stay on campus over the holidays with a student (Dominic Sessa). Randolph plays the school’s head cook who recently lost a son in the Vietnam War. The film premiered on August 31 at the Telluride Film Festival and has since earned an 83 score on MetaCritic and 96% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Randolph’s performance has been singled out as “sensational.” She “gives her best performance...
- 9/29/2023
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Tituss Burgess will return to Broadway for a stint in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, playing the role of club owner “Harold Zidler” from Tuesday, October 10 through Sunday, December 17.
Eric Anderson will return to the role on Tuesday, December 19. The hit Moulin Rouge! has been playing at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre since 2019.
Burgess made his Broadway debut as ‘Eddie’ in Good Vibrations and has since played ‘Hal Miller’ in the original Broadway cast of Jersey Boys, ’Nicely-Nicely Johnson’ in the 2009 revival of Guys and Dolls, and ’Sebastian’ in the original Broadway cast of The Little Mermaid.
TV audiences know Burgess best for his four seasons ’Titus Andromedon’ in the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He received four consecutive Emmy nominations for the role, and he reprised the role in the Netflix interactive special Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting actor.
Eric Anderson will return to the role on Tuesday, December 19. The hit Moulin Rouge! has been playing at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre since 2019.
Burgess made his Broadway debut as ‘Eddie’ in Good Vibrations and has since played ‘Hal Miller’ in the original Broadway cast of Jersey Boys, ’Nicely-Nicely Johnson’ in the 2009 revival of Guys and Dolls, and ’Sebastian’ in the original Broadway cast of The Little Mermaid.
TV audiences know Burgess best for his four seasons ’Titus Andromedon’ in the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He received four consecutive Emmy nominations for the role, and he reprised the role in the Netflix interactive special Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting actor.
- 9/6/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Telluride Film Festival has launched many Oscar Best Picture winners, from “The King’s Speech” and “Slumdog Millionaire” to “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight.” Oscar campaigners bring their films here to build critical reaction and positive buzz, often amplifying awareness at subsequent festivals in Toronto, New York, and London. Last year, “Tár” and “Women Talking” made it to Best Picture nominations.
This year, the film most likely to wind up in the Best Picture race is Yorgos Lanthimos’ surreal fantasy “Poor Things” (Searchlight), which premiered in Venice to rave reviews (Metascore 94) and moved on to wow Telluride crowds. No other film was as discussed and debated and admired, not only for its stunning heightened style and design but also for the brilliant comedic performances by “La La Land” Oscar-winner Emma Stone as the reanimated Bella, figuring out how to function with her newborn baby’s brain in her skull,...
This year, the film most likely to wind up in the Best Picture race is Yorgos Lanthimos’ surreal fantasy “Poor Things” (Searchlight), which premiered in Venice to rave reviews (Metascore 94) and moved on to wow Telluride crowds. No other film was as discussed and debated and admired, not only for its stunning heightened style and design but also for the brilliant comedic performances by “La La Land” Oscar-winner Emma Stone as the reanimated Bella, figuring out how to function with her newborn baby’s brain in her skull,...
- 9/5/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Eddie Murphy is seeing a new renaissance with his acclaimed performance in Netflix’s Dolemite Is My Name. He reunited with the director of that film for the sequel to one of his most beloved films, Coming 2 America. He will be releasing a new Beverly Hills Cop sequel for Netflix. Now, Amazon has released details for a new Christmas comedy with Murphy as he reunites with his Boomerang director, Reginald Hudlin, for Candy Cane Lane.
The holiday film stars Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, D.C. Young Fly, Riki Lindhome,
Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, Danielle Pinnock, and Timothy Simons.
The official synopsis from Amazon reads,
“Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris (Eddie Murphy...
The holiday film stars Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton, Madison Thomas, D.C. Young Fly, Riki Lindhome,
Anjelah Johnson-Reyes, Lombardo Boyar, Danielle Pinnock, and Timothy Simons.
The official synopsis from Amazon reads,
“Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris (Eddie Murphy...
- 9/5/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: The Rebel Wilson feature Bride Hard, directed by Simon West, has rounded out its cast that includes Anna Camp, Justin Hartley, Anna Chlumsky, Stephen Dorff, Gigi Zumbado and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
In addition, the pic also features Sam Huntington, Sherry Cola and Michael O’Neill.
Bride Hard stars Wilson as a badass secret agent who is a force to be reckoned with as a mercenary group takes hostage her best friend’s lavish wedding. The indie feature was cleared for a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.
The pic was written by Shaina Steinberg from a story by Steinberg and CeCe Pleasants.
Bride Hard just wrapped production in Savannah, Ga.
Joel David Moore and Max Osswald are producing for Balcony 9 along with Cassian Elwes (Mudbound), Colleen Camp (Father Stu) and Jason Ross Jallet (Die in a Gunfight). WME Independent is handling worldwide sales; production financing is provided by East West Bank.
In addition, the pic also features Sam Huntington, Sherry Cola and Michael O’Neill.
Bride Hard stars Wilson as a badass secret agent who is a force to be reckoned with as a mercenary group takes hostage her best friend’s lavish wedding. The indie feature was cleared for a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.
The pic was written by Shaina Steinberg from a story by Steinberg and CeCe Pleasants.
Bride Hard just wrapped production in Savannah, Ga.
Joel David Moore and Max Osswald are producing for Balcony 9 along with Cassian Elwes (Mudbound), Colleen Camp (Father Stu) and Jason Ross Jallet (Die in a Gunfight). WME Independent is handling worldwide sales; production financing is provided by East West Bank.
- 8/30/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Emmy-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has died at age 66. Jones's representative confirmed the news to People on Aug. 19 in a statement that read in part: "Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue." In the wake of his passing, the actor's "This Is Us" family have paid tribute to Jones, who was best known for playing Randall Pearson's biological father, William Hill.
"Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him," the statement continued. "He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in 'Clyde's' on Broadway."
The statement concluded, "Ron's inner-beauty and soul was...
"Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him," the statement continued. "He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in 'Clyde's' on Broadway."
The statement concluded, "Ron's inner-beauty and soul was...
- 8/20/2023
- by Sabienna Bowman
- Popsugar.com
Ron Cephas Jones, who played William Hill — the biological father of Sterling K. Brown’s Randall — on This Is Us, earning two Emmy Awards, has passed away. The actor was 66, succumbing to a “long-standing pulmonary issue.”
Over the course of his appearances on This Is Us, Ron Cephas Jones earned four consecutive Emmy nominations, with one for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and three for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He is just one of four actors to win the latter multiple times.
Sterling K. Brown, who had some of This Is Us’ best scenes with Ron Cephas Jones, paid tribute to the late actor on Instagram while also nodding to his character, who passed away from cancer. “Life imitated art today, and one of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us. @cephasjaz has passed away, and the world is a little less bright.
Over the course of his appearances on This Is Us, Ron Cephas Jones earned four consecutive Emmy nominations, with one for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and three for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He is just one of four actors to win the latter multiple times.
Sterling K. Brown, who had some of This Is Us’ best scenes with Ron Cephas Jones, paid tribute to the late actor on Instagram while also nodding to his character, who passed away from cancer. “Life imitated art today, and one of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us. @cephasjaz has passed away, and the world is a little less bright.
- 8/20/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Ron Cephas Jones, the Emmy-winning actor who starred as the beloved William Hill on This Is Us, has died. He was 66.
“Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue,” a rep for Jones told People magazine in a statement confirming his death.
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” the statement read. “He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets...
“Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue,” a rep for Jones told People magazine in a statement confirming his death.
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” the statement read. “He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets...
- 8/20/2023
- by Jodi Guglielmi
- Rollingstone.com
Ron Cephas Jones, who won two Emmy Awards for his role as William Hill on This Is Us, has died. He was 66.
The actor died due to a long-standing pulmonary issue. The Gersh Agency confirmed his death on Sunday. People magazine first reported the news.
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” a statement to People read. “He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway. Ron’s inner beauty and soul was evident to the huge audience from his multi-Emmy award winning performance on This is Us.”
Born on Jan. 8, 1957, in Paterson, New Jersey, Jones went on to pursue a career in acting.
The actor died due to a long-standing pulmonary issue. The Gersh Agency confirmed his death on Sunday. People magazine first reported the news.
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” a statement to People read. “He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway. Ron’s inner beauty and soul was evident to the huge audience from his multi-Emmy award winning performance on This is Us.”
Born on Jan. 8, 1957, in Paterson, New Jersey, Jones went on to pursue a career in acting.
- 8/19/2023
- by Carly Thomas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ron Cephas Jones, an Emmy-award-winning actor for his role as William Hill on This Is Us, has died. He was 66.
A representative for the actor confirmed the news of his death to Deadline.
“Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue,” read a statement from the actor’s representative shared by People. “Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him.”
The statement continued, “He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway.”
Jones played the role of William Hill on This Is Us, the biological father of Sterling K. Brown’s Randall Pearson.
A representative for the actor confirmed the news of his death to Deadline.
“Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue,” read a statement from the actor’s representative shared by People. “Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him.”
The statement continued, “He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway.”
Jones played the role of William Hill on This Is Us, the biological father of Sterling K. Brown’s Randall Pearson.
- 8/19/2023
- by Armando Tinoco
- Deadline Film + TV
Ron Cephas Jones, the Emmy-winning actor known for his role as William Hill on NBC’s “This Is Us,” has died. He was 66.
“Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue,” a representative for Jones confirmed to Variety on Saturday.
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” the statement continued. “He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in ‘Clyde’s’ on Broadway.”
“Ron’s inner-beauty and soul was evident to the huge audience from his multi-Emmy award winning performance on ‘This is Us.’ He is survived by his daughter Jasmine Cephas Jones,...
“Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue,” a representative for Jones confirmed to Variety on Saturday.
“Throughout the course of his career, his warmth, beauty, generosity, kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him,” the statement continued. “He began his career at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe and his love for the stage was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony nominated and Drama Desk Award winning performance for his role in ‘Clyde’s’ on Broadway.”
“Ron’s inner-beauty and soul was evident to the huge audience from his multi-Emmy award winning performance on ‘This is Us.’ He is survived by his daughter Jasmine Cephas Jones,...
- 8/19/2023
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
What would Hollywood be without a good ole Blaxploitation film? And now that “They Cloned Tyrone” has hit Netflix screens, conversations about the Blaxploitation movies that crawled so that “They Cloned Tyrone” could pimp walk have come to the forefront.
Juel Taylor’s film welcomes watchers to The Glen, a normal, everyday neighborhood where its predominately Black residents live out their lives shopping, going to church and enjoying the fruits of their labor. However, beneath the surface, but right in front of their eyes, the government is executing a plot to keep the community in an endless cycle of unhealthy behavior that ultimately blocks them from mental and financial wellness.
Like many Blaxploitation films, “They Cloned Tyrone” creatively calls out and highlights the systemic issues Black community faces while also celebrating Black culture and Black people’s perseverance.
When “They Cloned Tyrone” hit Netflix, people online began discussing the films that influenced it,...
Juel Taylor’s film welcomes watchers to The Glen, a normal, everyday neighborhood where its predominately Black residents live out their lives shopping, going to church and enjoying the fruits of their labor. However, beneath the surface, but right in front of their eyes, the government is executing a plot to keep the community in an endless cycle of unhealthy behavior that ultimately blocks them from mental and financial wellness.
Like many Blaxploitation films, “They Cloned Tyrone” creatively calls out and highlights the systemic issues Black community faces while also celebrating Black culture and Black people’s perseverance.
When “They Cloned Tyrone” hit Netflix, people online began discussing the films that influenced it,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Raquel "Rocky" Harris
- The Wrap
Dominic Sessa stars as Angus Tully and Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham in director Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2023 Focus Features LLC
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, The Holdovers follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
https://www.focusfeatures.com/the-holdovers
From this first trailer, this film looks delightful, the cast spot-on and the story will pull at your heart-strings.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph is best known for her work in Dolemite Is My Name (2019) as Lady Reed and The United States vs. Billie Holiday...
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, The Holdovers follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
https://www.focusfeatures.com/the-holdovers
From this first trailer, this film looks delightful, the cast spot-on and the story will pull at your heart-strings.
Da’Vine Joy Randolph is best known for her work in Dolemite Is My Name (2019) as Lady Reed and The United States vs. Billie Holiday...
- 7/18/2023
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Finding the right entertainment option can be difficult in this busy age. When you’re prepped for a movie night and armed with your Netflix subscription, you don’t want to waste precious time scrolling endlessly. But with countless titles flashing on your screen, where do you start? That’s where we come in!
Introducing the 50 best movies on Netflix for July 2023, each carefully ranked by IMDb scores to ensure you’re only watching the cream of the crop. From underrated masterpieces to the hottest blockbusters, we’ve curated a list that caters to every movie lover’s taste.
Related: 10 Best 80s Movies from Childhood, Ranked by Viewers
And the best part? This list gets refreshed every month. So, brace yourselves for a cinematic journey that takes you from your living room straight to the heart of Hollywood and beyond. Buckle up, movie buffs – your ultimate Netflix guide awaits!
50 ‘Dolemite Is My Name...
Introducing the 50 best movies on Netflix for July 2023, each carefully ranked by IMDb scores to ensure you’re only watching the cream of the crop. From underrated masterpieces to the hottest blockbusters, we’ve curated a list that caters to every movie lover’s taste.
Related: 10 Best 80s Movies from Childhood, Ranked by Viewers
And the best part? This list gets refreshed every month. So, brace yourselves for a cinematic journey that takes you from your living room straight to the heart of Hollywood and beyond. Buckle up, movie buffs – your ultimate Netflix guide awaits!
50 ‘Dolemite Is My Name...
- 7/9/2023
- by Buddy TV
- buddytv.com
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