It’s extremely rare when a spinoff of a successful television show actually outlasts the original show. In fact, only two come to mind: The Jeffersons (11 seasons) outlasted All in the Family by two seasons, and now, Law & Order: SVU has one season more than the incredible 20-season run of Law & Order. SVU wouldn’t have lasted this long if its stories hadn’t stayed relevant all these years; when we talked with Ice-T (who joined the show in its second season), he listed a number of factors that he believes have contributed to the show’s incredible longevity. (Click on the media bar below to hear Ice-T)
Fox News Channel, like it or not, has become a big part of the national conversation, especially when it comes to American politics. And, like American politics, it has gone through its fair share of scandals. Lately, the story and scandals of Fox News have captivated Hollywood, from Russell Crowe’s excellent miniseries The Loudest Voice to Nicole Kidman’s new movie, Bombshell. (Ironic that both lead actors, like Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch, are Australian.) In Bombshell, Kidman plays Gretchen Carlson, one of the several women within Fox News who exposed the rampant sexual harassment by CEO Roger Ailes. And while the film — which also stars Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie — is specifically about the Fox News scandal, Kidman believes the story in representative of many women’s stories in the #MeToo movement. (Click on the media bar below to hear Nicole Kidman)
On his new show, The Unicorn, Walton Goggins plays a man who re-enters the dating pool after becoming a widower. Sadly, the role carried a lot of personal resonance for Goggins, whose first wife died suddenly 15 years ago. (He remarried in 2011.) Goggins told us that, unfortunately, he’s known several people who have suffered through similar experiences, and that he’s been able to incorporate that pain, grief, and understanding into the character. (Click on the media bar below to hear Walton Goggins)
As far as MGM is concerned, The Addams Family is already a sequel-worthy hit after its strong opening weekend. That’s why they’ve already greenlit a second animated Addams, slated to open in October 2021. That’s great news for Charlize Theron, who had a great time working on this movie and will be excited to do it again. When we spoke to her about the movie — and the overall franchise, going all the way back to the cartoons — she told us she can clearly see the universal appeal of the family, quirks and all. (Click on the media bar below to hear Charlize Theron)
Philadelphia is a proud city with grand traditions. History buffs will, of course, tell you that it was the first capital of the United States. Now, the city that was once home to Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, and Thomas Jefferson is the television home of the Reynolds family, Mac, and Charlie. What can It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia add to the city’s illustrious reputation? Rob McElhenney and Danny Devito think Sunny — even though it’s more cracked than the Liberty Bell — manages to show the city in a good light. (Click on the media bar below to hear Rob McElhenney & Danny Devito)
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FXX.
Gemini Man finds Will Smith playing two different versions of himself –– one that’s Smith’s own age, and one that’s a computer-generated version of his younger self. Of course, the producers could have gone with a younger actor and artificially aged him upward, but Smith believes the only way to do it right was to have the older actor playing younger. (Click on the media bar below to hear Will Smith)
In her new series Stumptown, Cobie Smulders plays a character named Dex Parios, a former Marine who now has a career as a private investigator. It’s not easy — Dex has had a hard time keeping her head in the game since her time in Afghanistan left her with a serious case of PTSD. And that’s one of the things Smulders loves most about the series: that Dex is a character who needs to work through some very serious, real-world problems. (Click on the media bar below to hear Cobie Smulders)
When Emma Stone filmed 2009’s Zombieland, her life was much different. She definitely wasn’t the three-time Oscar nominee (and one-time winner) that she is now. So when word started circulating that the producers wanted to make a Zombieland sequel, how eager was Stone to get back on board for the project? Well, as long as they kept the spirit of the original, she told us, she was all in. (Click on the media bar below to hear Emma Stone)
Zombieland: Double Tap opens in theaters this Friday.
The CW has built a large chunk of its schedule around the Arrowverse, a television world that’s inhabited by most of the network’s DC Comics shows. The connection is so strong that characters often flit around the Arrowverse in cameos and in multi-episode crossover events. But now, the Arrowverse is losing its anchor — the show that started it all, Arrow, is currently in its final season. Of course, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl are still going strong. Without Arrow, though, will the Arrowverse cease to exist? We spoke to Arrow star Stephen Amell, and he puts the odds at pretty close to 0%. (Click on the media bar below to hear Stephen Amell)
Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Joker’s title character has all of Hollywood talking, and he will most likely be a factor once awards season arrives. His masterfully nuanced performance as Joker and his alter ego, Arthur Fleck, is deliciously disturbing. How did Phoenix get himself into such a strange and unique mindset? He told us he worked with director Todd Phillips on the basics, then did a lot of research into the world of the mentally troubled to add more details. (Click on the media bar below to hear Joaquin Phoenix)
It’s extremely rare when a spinoff of a successful television show actually outlasts the original show. In fact, only two come to mind: The Jeffersons (11 seasons) outlasted All in the Family by two seasons, and now, Law & Order: SVU has one season more than the incredible 20-season run of Law & Order. SVU wouldn’t have lasted this long if its stories hadn’t stayed relevant all these years; when we talked with Ice-T (who joined the show in its second season), he listed a number of factors that he believes have contributed to the show’s incredible longevity. (Click on the media bar below to hear Ice-T)
