Rebecca Ferguson doesn’t mind people knowing she’s claustrophobic. “Expose it!” she says. “I’m quite happy people know because if they listen, they’ll be like, ‘Okay, good to know, she’ll take the stairs when she comes.’”
The topic arose when Ferguson dropped by the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast and took the five flights of stairs up to the studio rather than get in an elevator. She is also, in her words, “a human Jason Bourne” of sorts – meaning she assesses her surroundings wherever she goes and registers such things as which way the doors swing. Today, she has already clocked that the doors to the room open inward, which means she won’t be able to kick it open if trapped. So instead, we’ve left a little ajar. She adds that this extends to every location: “Going to public loos – it’s an issue!”
There is an upside,...
The topic arose when Ferguson dropped by the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast and took the five flights of stairs up to the studio rather than get in an elevator. She is also, in her words, “a human Jason Bourne” of sorts – meaning she assesses her surroundings wherever she goes and registers such things as which way the doors swing. Today, she has already clocked that the doors to the room open inward, which means she won’t be able to kick it open if trapped. So instead, we’ve left a little ajar. She adds that this extends to every location: “Going to public loos – it’s an issue!”
There is an upside,...
- 6/12/2024
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Lamorne Morris’ three-year-old daughter is getting used to seeing her dad’s face all over town. Morris is the spokesperson for Bmo bank, which recently arrived in Southern California with an advertising blitz — all with Morris’ face on it.
Now, the actor says she’s ready to start her creative career as well. Sort of. He tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that whenever his daughter gets in trouble at school, they send her home a bit early and she gets to join her dad at work. And that’s where the fun begins.
“She’s now quite accustomed to being on set,” Morris said. “When the Ad will say quiet on set or rolling, she will start to let everyone know that it’s time to be quiet on set. So much so that she’s now the loud one. She won’t stop screaming: ‘Quiet on set!'...
Now, the actor says she’s ready to start her creative career as well. Sort of. He tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that whenever his daughter gets in trouble at school, they send her home a bit early and she gets to join her dad at work. And that’s where the fun begins.
“She’s now quite accustomed to being on set,” Morris said. “When the Ad will say quiet on set or rolling, she will start to let everyone know that it’s time to be quiet on set. So much so that she’s now the loud one. She won’t stop screaming: ‘Quiet on set!'...
- 6/1/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety Film + TV
HBO broadcast its first women’s boxing bout, between Kali Reis and Cecilia Brækhus, in 2018. Just six years later, Reis is one of the stars on HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country,” where she plays Detective Evangeline Navarro alongside Jodie Foster. That could very well be the first time any HBO lead was first seen on the pay cabler in a boxing match.
“What’s really great about this whole journey is that things that are so far fetched are like not impossible in some part of my brain that understands that it’s a possibility,” Reis tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “And I think that’s one of the many things that keeps me grinding so hard.”
In the series, Reis plays Evangeline Navarro, a half-Dominican state trooper in Ennis, a fictional town in rural northern Alaska. Reis spoke to the Awards Circuit Podcast about her interpretation of...
“What’s really great about this whole journey is that things that are so far fetched are like not impossible in some part of my brain that understands that it’s a possibility,” Reis tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “And I think that’s one of the many things that keeps me grinding so hard.”
In the series, Reis plays Evangeline Navarro, a half-Dominican state trooper in Ennis, a fictional town in rural northern Alaska. Reis spoke to the Awards Circuit Podcast about her interpretation of...
- 5/26/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety Film + TV
When “Expats” showrunner and director Lulu Wang was penning the script for episode 4, she featured a scene where Hilary gets trapped in the elevator with her mother. But little did she know, actress Sarayu Blue was claustrophobic. “That’s my biggest fear,” Blue says.
Wang tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that she learned about Blue’s unease when the production, which shot during Covid, was in quarantine. “She had to be stuck in a hotel, a glass box for 21 days, so there were a lot of conversations about the panic, and it was really challenging,” says Wang. “I thought, ‘Oh, that’s going to be fun because I’ve written a whole episode where she’s stuck in an elevator.”
On this episode, Wang and Blue discuss their Prime Video series, and the reactions they’ve received from fans and family. Before that, the Roundtable discusses what’s going on with “Shogun,...
Wang tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that she learned about Blue’s unease when the production, which shot during Covid, was in quarantine. “She had to be stuck in a hotel, a glass box for 21 days, so there were a lot of conversations about the panic, and it was really challenging,” says Wang. “I thought, ‘Oh, that’s going to be fun because I’ve written a whole episode where she’s stuck in an elevator.”
On this episode, Wang and Blue discuss their Prime Video series, and the reactions they’ve received from fans and family. Before that, the Roundtable discusses what’s going on with “Shogun,...
- 5/16/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
“Monk” is the epitome of the classic blue-sky show. Its mysteries are gripping, but the show’s characters are inviting — always giving viewers a reason to laugh. That’s still the case with Peacock’s reunion movie “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie.” And yet, there’s something surprisingly dark about the state of obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk when we catch up with him, post-pandemic.
“At this point we find Monk is really in a in a dark, dark place,” star Tony Shalhoub tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “He’s in a deep hole. His team is not really close by and he’s kind of lost his purpose. And (exec producer) Andy (Breckman) presented this idea that Monk was entertaining thoughts of suicide. It hit us hard in the beginning. We thought, ‘geez, we’ve gone dark in the show before, but not this dark!'”
But...
“At this point we find Monk is really in a in a dark, dark place,” star Tony Shalhoub tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “He’s in a deep hole. His team is not really close by and he’s kind of lost his purpose. And (exec producer) Andy (Breckman) presented this idea that Monk was entertaining thoughts of suicide. It hit us hard in the beginning. We thought, ‘geez, we’ve gone dark in the show before, but not this dark!'”
But...
- 5/14/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
The perils and plights of adolescence have long been a source of fascination for television audiences. That’s particularly apparent nowadays with Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Showtime, FX, and others vying for zeitgeist dominance with teen-focused dramas playing to a variety of creative strengths. As narratives have gotten more sophisticated overall across the TV landscape, it makes sense that the ways in which we look at stories about young people have also evolved. From “Never Have I Ever” to “Yellowjackets,” TV teens in 2023 are among some of the most rich ever written.
Because life as a teenager is equal parts happy and sad, hilarious and tragic, horny and horrifying, the following curation does not limit selections by genre, meaning: These picks range from animation to sitcoms to murder mysteries to science fiction. That said, there are also a fair number of picks that are entirely focused on the dramatic ups and...
Because life as a teenager is equal parts happy and sad, hilarious and tragic, horny and horrifying, the following curation does not limit selections by genre, meaning: These picks range from animation to sitcoms to murder mysteries to science fiction. That said, there are also a fair number of picks that are entirely focused on the dramatic ups and...
- 5/9/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
On this season of Apple TV+’s “Loot,” it’s revealed that one of the show’s characters, played by Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, is a secret Taylor Swift fan — and even hides her Swift albums inside record jackets for jazz music. Don’t worry, star Maya Rudolph isn’t as clandestine. “I’ve always admired her,” Rudolph tells Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast. “This past summer was the summer of the Eras tour and my life will never be the same again. It was incredible.”
Rudolph says Swift’s album “Lover” is her favorite — but then she quickly backtracks. “Now you got me started. When my kids told me about the concert and said you go as your favorite era, I was like, how do I dress as ‘Invisible String?’ Because that’s my favorite song. My kids were like, that’s not an era. That doesn’t count. But it works for me.
Rudolph says Swift’s album “Lover” is her favorite — but then she quickly backtracks. “Now you got me started. When my kids told me about the concert and said you go as your favorite era, I was like, how do I dress as ‘Invisible String?’ Because that’s my favorite song. My kids were like, that’s not an era. That doesn’t count. But it works for me.
- 5/9/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
How do Hollywood creators forge massive universes for their characters? For Ronald D. Moore, executive producer of “For All Mankind” and “Outlander,” it all began with the question: What if the Russians landed on the moon first? From this starting point, “For All Mankind” was born. Moore and his team explored their alternate timeline, weaving cultural, societal, and political shifts with historical events, crafting a rich universe for the Apple+ TV series.
Diving deeper into the intricacies of world-building for Variety’s Sony FYC Showcase, Moore was joined on the “Building a Television Universe” panel by “For All Mankind” co-showrunners and exec producers Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi, as well as Maril Davis, who serves as an exec producer on both “For All Mankind” and “Outlander.” Also on the panel: “Justified: City Primeval” co-showrunners and exec producers Michael Dinner and Dave Andron, as well as Sony Pictures TV drama development exec VP Andrew Plotkin.
Diving deeper into the intricacies of world-building for Variety’s Sony FYC Showcase, Moore was joined on the “Building a Television Universe” panel by “For All Mankind” co-showrunners and exec producers Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi, as well as Maril Davis, who serves as an exec producer on both “For All Mankind” and “Outlander.” Also on the panel: “Justified: City Primeval” co-showrunners and exec producers Michael Dinner and Dave Andron, as well as Sony Pictures TV drama development exec VP Andrew Plotkin.
- 5/9/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety Film + TV
“Girls5eva” deserves to be heard. Yes, the laugh-out-loud comedy, from the minds of Tina Fey, Robert Carlock, creator Meredith Scardino and others, is funny. The music industry is wickedly skewered. The music, led by Jeff Richmond, is clever and catchy.
But really, the heart of the show comes from its stars — Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps and Paula Pell — and the characters they play. These are women of a certain age who are rediscovering their voices and finally taking on their dreams, after years of settling for something less.
Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast recently spoke to Philipps and Pell about Season 3 of “Girls5eva,” what the show has meant to them and the special message that it resonates between the laughs. Listen below!
In “Girls5eva,” Bareilles is Dawn, who gave up dreams of fame to raise her family. Goldsberry’s character, Wickie, is the diva whose attempt at...
But really, the heart of the show comes from its stars — Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps and Paula Pell — and the characters they play. These are women of a certain age who are rediscovering their voices and finally taking on their dreams, after years of settling for something less.
Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast recently spoke to Philipps and Pell about Season 3 of “Girls5eva,” what the show has meant to them and the special message that it resonates between the laughs. Listen below!
In “Girls5eva,” Bareilles is Dawn, who gave up dreams of fame to raise her family. Goldsberry’s character, Wickie, is the diva whose attempt at...
- 5/7/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
[Editor’s Note: this list was originally published in July 2017. It has been updated multiple times with new entries.]
Both on the awards circuit and in the public consciousness, HBO is widely regarded as among the first Hollywood heavyweights to recognize that television, as a medium, had the power to deliver sprawling, large scale stories on a smaller screen. From HBO’s ascent in the late 1990s through its dragon-aided roar across the 2010s, the network’s original series tackled universal stories, stretching across continents and decades.
The network hasn’t been without controversy, though. HBO faced questions about its lack of diversity in flagship series, including “Game of Thrones” and “Girls,” throughout the 2010s. And, unshackled from the restrictions of broadcast TV, the various steps the network took to push the limit of what’s allowed on screen garnered a fair share of pearl-clutching headlines; see “The Sopranos” in the ’90s and “Euphoria” just a few years back. And since the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger, there’s...
Both on the awards circuit and in the public consciousness, HBO is widely regarded as among the first Hollywood heavyweights to recognize that television, as a medium, had the power to deliver sprawling, large scale stories on a smaller screen. From HBO’s ascent in the late 1990s through its dragon-aided roar across the 2010s, the network’s original series tackled universal stories, stretching across continents and decades.
The network hasn’t been without controversy, though. HBO faced questions about its lack of diversity in flagship series, including “Game of Thrones” and “Girls,” throughout the 2010s. And, unshackled from the restrictions of broadcast TV, the various steps the network took to push the limit of what’s allowed on screen garnered a fair share of pearl-clutching headlines; see “The Sopranos” in the ’90s and “Euphoria” just a few years back. And since the Warner Bros. and Discovery merger, there’s...
- 5/7/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Variety and Sony Pictures Television will host an invite-only FYC Showcase in Los Angeles on May 7 featuring activations and three panel conversations with creatives from “For All Mankind,” “Justified: City Primeval,” “Platonic,” “Twisted Metal,” “Outlander” and “The Wheel of Time.”
All conversations will be moderated by a Variety editor and available on Variety.com following the event.
Programming includes:
Building a Television Universe
A conversation between showrunners and key below-the-line talent on how to successfully build a universe in the competitive television landscape. Executive producers from diverse genres and backgrounds dive into their respective worlds, discussing their approach to growing their franchises, building connections between characters, navigating the fanbase, and more.
Panelists:
Matt Wolpert, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Ben Nedivi, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Ron Moore, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Michael Dinner, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “Justified: City Primeval” Dave Andron, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “Justified: City Primeval” Moderated by Michael Schneider,...
All conversations will be moderated by a Variety editor and available on Variety.com following the event.
Programming includes:
Building a Television Universe
A conversation between showrunners and key below-the-line talent on how to successfully build a universe in the competitive television landscape. Executive producers from diverse genres and backgrounds dive into their respective worlds, discussing their approach to growing their franchises, building connections between characters, navigating the fanbase, and more.
Panelists:
Matt Wolpert, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Ben Nedivi, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Ron Moore, Executive Producer, “For All Mankind” Michael Dinner, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “Justified: City Primeval” Dave Andron, Co-Showrunner, Executive Producer, “Justified: City Primeval” Moderated by Michael Schneider,...
- 4/25/2024
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
[Editor’s Note: The below piece was originally published on November 20, 2018. It has since been updated.]
Evaluating animated TV can be tricky. Not only is animation a medium that crosses a wide range of genres, but so many of our earliest memories in front of a screen are tied to an animated series, short, or special, and that impermeable nostalgia can be difficult to penetrate with typical critical tools like reason, logic, and other objective criteria. Some shows just click. They hit at the right time and capture a blossoming imagination. When it comes to ranking animated series, you’re not just analyzing TV shows. You’re critiquing childhoods.
Of course, animation is also one of the more expansive TV subsets, with dozens of different tones and styles that make comparisons often feel like apples and oranges. There are cartoons, anime, short films, short series, short films turned into short series, web series, adult-oriented animation, and that’s before digging into all the individual genres, like...
Evaluating animated TV can be tricky. Not only is animation a medium that crosses a wide range of genres, but so many of our earliest memories in front of a screen are tied to an animated series, short, or special, and that impermeable nostalgia can be difficult to penetrate with typical critical tools like reason, logic, and other objective criteria. Some shows just click. They hit at the right time and capture a blossoming imagination. When it comes to ranking animated series, you’re not just analyzing TV shows. You’re critiquing childhoods.
Of course, animation is also one of the more expansive TV subsets, with dozens of different tones and styles that make comparisons often feel like apples and oranges. There are cartoons, anime, short films, short series, short films turned into short series, web series, adult-oriented animation, and that’s before digging into all the individual genres, like...
- 3/20/2024
- by Ben Travers and Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
That’s a wrap on Oscar season 2024 — but first, the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast’s Roundtable dives in one last time to take a final look at the highs, lows and head scratchers from Sunday night’s ceremony. “Oppenheimer” did huge, but it didn’t quite sweep. “Poor Things” over-poor-formed. We’re still not quite sure what Al Pacino was doing before handing out the best picture Academy
Award. But overall, this year’s Oscars gets high marks for good speeches, fun segments, solid quips by host Jimmy Kimmel and perhaps — most importantly — ending early.
Listen to this week’s episode, and join Clayton Davis, Jenelle Riley, Jazz Tangcay and Michael Schneider as we give our parting thoughts in another Roundtable Mega Edition below:
And here are some required readings from Oscar night 2024:
How to Improve the Oscars: Add New Categories, Bump the Show Up to February and More...
Award. But overall, this year’s Oscars gets high marks for good speeches, fun segments, solid quips by host Jimmy Kimmel and perhaps — most importantly — ending early.
Listen to this week’s episode, and join Clayton Davis, Jenelle Riley, Jazz Tangcay and Michael Schneider as we give our parting thoughts in another Roundtable Mega Edition below:
And here are some required readings from Oscar night 2024:
How to Improve the Oscars: Add New Categories, Bump the Show Up to February and More...
- 3/15/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
We’re less than 24 hours from Hollywood’s biggest night, and if you haven’t filled out your office or household Oscar pool, time is running out. But first — check out this week’s Variety Awards Circuit Podcast for some final analysis. Awards guru Clayton Davis, along with Jenelle Riley, Jazz Tangcay and Michael Schneider recorded a Mega Roundtable edition this week to share their final thoughts on this year’s races. Listen below!
Will “Oppenheimer” clean up? Probably. But how much? In lead actress, who will win the battle of the stones: Lily Gladstone or Emma Stone? Will “Barbie” pick up anything besides best song?
So many categories to consider, and this week’s episode goes deep on the 23 categories, including the lesser-known ones that will be make or break in your pool.
Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster “Oppenheimer” has clinched every major guild and industry accolade — Golden Globes, Critics Choice,...
Will “Oppenheimer” clean up? Probably. But how much? In lead actress, who will win the battle of the stones: Lily Gladstone or Emma Stone? Will “Barbie” pick up anything besides best song?
So many categories to consider, and this week’s episode goes deep on the 23 categories, including the lesser-known ones that will be make or break in your pool.
Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster “Oppenheimer” has clinched every major guild and industry accolade — Golden Globes, Critics Choice,...
- 3/9/2024
- by Michael Schneider and Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been nearly three years since Conan O’Brien ended his late-night talk show on TBS, promising a future TV project on the streaming service Max. Now that new project finally has a premiere date: April 18th.
O’Brien made the announcement himself Saturday while previewing the series before an audience at South By Southwest.
Reminiscent of Conan Without Borders, the series of travel specials he produced for TBS, each episode of the new show, titled Conan O’Brien Must Go, will see the former late-night host travel to a different foreign country visiting new friends he’s met through his podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan.” The show’s first four episodes will take him to Norway, Thailand, Argentina, and Ireland.
As first reported by Variety’s Michael Schneider, O’Brien told the crowd at SXSW, “there are funny people all over the globe and they all have their own rhythm.
O’Brien made the announcement himself Saturday while previewing the series before an audience at South By Southwest.
Reminiscent of Conan Without Borders, the series of travel specials he produced for TBS, each episode of the new show, titled Conan O’Brien Must Go, will see the former late-night host travel to a different foreign country visiting new friends he’s met through his podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan.” The show’s first four episodes will take him to Norway, Thailand, Argentina, and Ireland.
As first reported by Variety’s Michael Schneider, O’Brien told the crowd at SXSW, “there are funny people all over the globe and they all have their own rhythm.
- 3/9/2024
- by Jed Rosenzweig
- LateNighter
Hannah Einbinder was moved to tears. Nick Thune was moved to sing. John Leguizamo shared hard truths. Samantha Bee rallied the crowd on behalf of womens rights. And everyone who took part in Variety’s Power of Comedy Awards on Friday made fun of the awards themselves, now in their second year at SXSW in Austin, Texas.
“Nothing is more show business-y than an award that says ‘We love that you’re here’ two years after network executives have said ‘We need you to be gone,’ ” Bee told the packed house at the famed Acl Theater, a nod to the demise in 2022 of her TBS series “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.”
Bee, who was honored by presenter Brooke Shields with the Comedy Innovator award for being one of very few women to host a late-night comedy series, noted that the event coincided with International Woman’s Day.
“There’s no...
“Nothing is more show business-y than an award that says ‘We love that you’re here’ two years after network executives have said ‘We need you to be gone,’ ” Bee told the packed house at the famed Acl Theater, a nod to the demise in 2022 of her TBS series “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.”
Bee, who was honored by presenter Brooke Shields with the Comedy Innovator award for being one of very few women to host a late-night comedy series, noted that the event coincided with International Woman’s Day.
“There’s no...
- 3/9/2024
- by Cynthia Littleton and Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Jeffrey Wright is finally an Oscar nominee. The actor’s storied career had already brought him under the direction of masters such as Sidney Lumet, Ang Lee, and most recently, newcomer Cord Jefferson in the satirical dramedy “American Fiction.” But with his Oscar nom, Wright says he feels more supported than ever by the Hollywood community and studios.
“I’ve never had this level of support behind a project that I was central to from the powers that be, the business side of our industry,” he tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I’ve never had it until now. I’m really grateful for that. We’re here now, and I’m so pleased the film has been recognized across the board. With a small movie and 26 days of filming, our budget was probably the catering budget for the last Bond movie I did.”
In this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
“I’ve never had this level of support behind a project that I was central to from the powers that be, the business side of our industry,” he tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I’ve never had it until now. I’m really grateful for that. We’re here now, and I’m so pleased the film has been recognized across the board. With a small movie and 26 days of filming, our budget was probably the catering budget for the last Bond movie I did.”
In this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
- 2/22/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Actors often talk about how freeing it is to play characters that live in the moment — a sentiment that “Poor Things” screenwriter Tony McNamara understands. In writing the character of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a woman who has an infant’s brain implanted in her body, McNamara says he was working with a blank slate.
“The fingerprints of childhood and society weren’t on her as a character,” McNamara tells Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast. “I’m writing someone who just greets experience in a really open, adventurous, optimistic [way]: ‘I wonder what it is. And I don’t have any preconceptions about how I should feel about it, how I should judge it. Anything. I’m just in a constant state of self-creation.’
“There is a kind of wish fulfillment in the movie,” he adds. “Like, What would my experience be if I could let go of all this stuff I carry around?...
“The fingerprints of childhood and society weren’t on her as a character,” McNamara tells Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast. “I’m writing someone who just greets experience in a really open, adventurous, optimistic [way]: ‘I wonder what it is. And I don’t have any preconceptions about how I should feel about it, how I should judge it. Anything. I’m just in a constant state of self-creation.’
“There is a kind of wish fulfillment in the movie,” he adds. “Like, What would my experience be if I could let go of all this stuff I carry around?...
- 2/20/2024
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
“Killers of the Flower Moon” star Lily Gladstone embraces her monumental responsibility as an Oscar nominee, utilizing her platform to advocate for the Indigenous community and hoping to pave the way for more actors like herself.
During a panel conversation at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Virtuosos Awards, Gladstone — of Siksikaitsitapi and Niimiipuu heritage — addressed the harmful depictions and references to Indians in media, notably mentioning the Kansas City Chiefs the day before their Super Bowl win.
“Honestly, you could hold both teams accountable,” Gladstone tells Variety. “The 49ers are based on the California Gold Rush, which was an incredibly brutal time for California Indians. And then the Chiefs. There are many ways that you could interpret the name ‘chief.’ It’s not just the name that bothers me. It’s hearing that damn Tomahawk chop. Every time, it’s a stark reminder of what Hollywood has done to us,...
During a panel conversation at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Virtuosos Awards, Gladstone — of Siksikaitsitapi and Niimiipuu heritage — addressed the harmful depictions and references to Indians in media, notably mentioning the Kansas City Chiefs the day before their Super Bowl win.
“Honestly, you could hold both teams accountable,” Gladstone tells Variety. “The 49ers are based on the California Gold Rush, which was an incredibly brutal time for California Indians. And then the Chiefs. There are many ways that you could interpret the name ‘chief.’ It’s not just the name that bothers me. It’s hearing that damn Tomahawk chop. Every time, it’s a stark reminder of what Hollywood has done to us,...
- 2/15/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
In case you didn’t know, animation directors are also auteurs. According to Yahoo Finance, the global animation market reached more than $400 billion at the end of 2023. That was up from $391 billion one year before. And yet, animated projects are not automatically covered by the WGA, are separate from the DGA, and are consistently overlooked for their filmmaking achievements.
Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, the directing trio of Sony Animation’s animated box office smash “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” tell Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that there are some critically needed changes in Hollywood.
“I think it’s worth repeating: animation is a big business for the industry,” says Dos Santos. “We bring a ton to the table; without it, everybody hurts. I also want to add that doing an animated film shouldn’t be a sacrifice for the artist doing it.”
Powers adds: “I do...
Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, the directing trio of Sony Animation’s animated box office smash “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” tell Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that there are some critically needed changes in Hollywood.
“I think it’s worth repeating: animation is a big business for the industry,” says Dos Santos. “We bring a ton to the table; without it, everybody hurts. I also want to add that doing an animated film shouldn’t be a sacrifice for the artist doing it.”
Powers adds: “I do...
- 2/8/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Writer, director and actor Bradley Cooper began working on “Maestro” years before the film went into pre-production. One person he turned to early on in that process was his collaborator on his directorial debut (“A Star is Born”), cinematographer Matthew Libatique.
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Libatique discusses his process for shooting one of the most emotional scenes in the film – the Thanksgiving scene where Felicia (Carey Mulligan) finally confronts her husband, Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) over his late nights away from home.
Listen below.
In prepping for “Maestro,” the Oscar-nominated Libatique tells Variety: “What Bradley wanted to do was crack the code on the makeup and how he was going to physically transform into Lenny and working with Kazu.”
The result was a 40-minute proof of concept where they shot actual scenes. It was through that process that Libatique learned about what lenses they liked and what format worked.
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Libatique discusses his process for shooting one of the most emotional scenes in the film – the Thanksgiving scene where Felicia (Carey Mulligan) finally confronts her husband, Leonard Bernstein (Cooper) over his late nights away from home.
Listen below.
In prepping for “Maestro,” the Oscar-nominated Libatique tells Variety: “What Bradley wanted to do was crack the code on the makeup and how he was going to physically transform into Lenny and working with Kazu.”
The result was a 40-minute proof of concept where they shot actual scenes. It was through that process that Libatique learned about what lenses they liked and what format worked.
- 2/2/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
“Rustin” star Colman Domingo has just been named an Oscar nominee for best actor for his powerhouse performance in the biographical drama. As he arrives to record the latest episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, Domingo says he wants to stay present in this moment, noting that he was “waiting around for a certain call for a few hours.”
That “certain call” would former President Barack Obama, who is the founder of the production company Higher Ground, which financed the George C. Wolfe drama.
A fashionable and charismatic figure (who’s also participating in “Dry January”), Domingo says that Presidential call came about one hour before he entered the studio. Doing his best Obama impression, Domingo says the first thing the former President said was, “Colman! Congratulations! Enjoy this moment. Enjoy every step of this. It’s a wonderful thing. Have fun.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
That “certain call” would former President Barack Obama, who is the founder of the production company Higher Ground, which financed the George C. Wolfe drama.
A fashionable and charismatic figure (who’s also participating in “Dry January”), Domingo says that Presidential call came about one hour before he entered the studio. Doing his best Obama impression, Domingo says the first thing the former President said was, “Colman! Congratulations! Enjoy this moment. Enjoy every step of this. It’s a wonderful thing. Have fun.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
- 1/25/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Los Angeles, Jan 22 (Ians) Actress Nicole Kidman said that ‘Big Little Lies’ Season 3 is being worked upon.
“We’re at work on it,” Nicole told Variety.
Nicole says she and Reese Witherspoon are “texting every day” about the third season. “And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it.”
The actress laughed when asked for more details. “We can’t say anything more,” Nicole said.
“We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut…We’ve got to button it.”
The news comes after Reese confirmed a new season was happening.
“We are working on it,” she told Variety during the Golden Globes pre-show.
“Nic and I have been working on it a lot.”
A ‘Big Little Lies’ reunion got additional buzz when HBO and Max content chairman/CEO Casey Bloys confirmed that he heard “a little bit about the idea.”
Bloys told Michael Schneider that Reese and Nicole...
“We’re at work on it,” Nicole told Variety.
Nicole says she and Reese Witherspoon are “texting every day” about the third season. “And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it.”
The actress laughed when asked for more details. “We can’t say anything more,” Nicole said.
“We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut…We’ve got to button it.”
The news comes after Reese confirmed a new season was happening.
“We are working on it,” she told Variety during the Golden Globes pre-show.
“Nic and I have been working on it a lot.”
A ‘Big Little Lies’ reunion got additional buzz when HBO and Max content chairman/CEO Casey Bloys confirmed that he heard “a little bit about the idea.”
Bloys told Michael Schneider that Reese and Nicole...
- 1/22/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
“Big Little Lies” Season 3 is coming along nicely.
“We’re at work on it,” Nicole Kidman told Variety Sunday night at the New York premiere of her new series “Expats.”
Kidman says she and Reese Witherspoon are “texting every day” about the third season. “And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it.”
She laughed when asked for more details. “We can’t say anything more,” Kidman said. “We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut…We’ve got to button it.””
The news comes after Witherspoon confirmed a new season was happening. “We are working on it,” she told Variety’s Marc Malkin during the Golden Globes pre-show. “Nic and I have been working on it a lot.”
A “Big Little Lies” reunion got additional buzz when HBO and Max content chairman/CEO Casey Bloys confirmed to Variety that he heard “a little bit about the idea.
“We’re at work on it,” Nicole Kidman told Variety Sunday night at the New York premiere of her new series “Expats.”
Kidman says she and Reese Witherspoon are “texting every day” about the third season. “And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it.”
She laughed when asked for more details. “We can’t say anything more,” Kidman said. “We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut…We’ve got to button it.””
The news comes after Witherspoon confirmed a new season was happening. “We are working on it,” she told Variety’s Marc Malkin during the Golden Globes pre-show. “Nic and I have been working on it a lot.”
A “Big Little Lies” reunion got additional buzz when HBO and Max content chairman/CEO Casey Bloys confirmed to Variety that he heard “a little bit about the idea.
- 1/22/2024
- by Elizabeth Taylor
- Variety Film + TV
Variety’s annual Showrunners Dinner presented by A+E Studios on Thursday night gathered writers recognized on the publication’s annual TV Producers Impact List, as well as several of this year’s Emmy nominees. In addition, megaproducer Chuck Lorre was honored with Variety’s first Norman Lear Award.
Held at Merois, on the rooftop of the Pendry West Hollywood, the Variety Showrunners Dinner included a very funny acceptance speech by Lorre, who pointed out some of the similarities — but more humorously, the differences — between the two icons.
“I think everyone here understands the enormity and significance of Norman Lear’s body of work,” Lorre began. “So in accepting this award, I don’t think it’s false modesty to take a moment and focus on the very large differences between his career and my own. For starters, Norman Lear began his career writing for Hollywood legends like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
Held at Merois, on the rooftop of the Pendry West Hollywood, the Variety Showrunners Dinner included a very funny acceptance speech by Lorre, who pointed out some of the similarities — but more humorously, the differences — between the two icons.
“I think everyone here understands the enormity and significance of Norman Lear’s body of work,” Lorre began. “So in accepting this award, I don’t think it’s false modesty to take a moment and focus on the very large differences between his career and my own. For starters, Norman Lear began his career writing for Hollywood legends like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
- 1/12/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Emma Stone has a dream, and not one you’d expect. The “Poor Things” star, coming off a Golden Globe win this week, tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that she wants to be a contestant on the classic game show “Jeopardy” — and no, not the “Celebrity” edition.
“I apply every June,” she says. “I don’t want to go on ‘Celebrity Jeopardy.’ I want to earn my stripes. You can only take the test once a year with your email address, and I’ve never gotten on the show. I watch it every single night and I mark down how many answers I get right. I swear, I could go on ‘Jeopardy.'”
Stone could be the second woman nominated for producing and acting in the same year following Frances McDormand for “Nomadland” (2020), who won both. In addition, she could be the second actress to receive Oscar nods for...
“I apply every June,” she says. “I don’t want to go on ‘Celebrity Jeopardy.’ I want to earn my stripes. You can only take the test once a year with your email address, and I’ve never gotten on the show. I watch it every single night and I mark down how many answers I get right. I swear, I could go on ‘Jeopardy.'”
Stone could be the second woman nominated for producing and acting in the same year following Frances McDormand for “Nomadland” (2020), who won both. In addition, she could be the second actress to receive Oscar nods for...
- 1/11/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Legendary filmmaker Michael Mann is “worried about the future” of movies. But, he also declares, “Cinema is not dying.” A luminary auteur with a distinctive visual style and gripping storytelling, Mann calls this time following the end of the historic Hollywood strikes “a real watershed moment.”
“The companies are split in ways they haven’t been before between streamers and legacy studios,” he tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “Those interests don’t sometimes align. There isn’t a ‘Lew Wasserman’ figure now. There needs to be because this isn’t the end. These issues come up every time there’s a new modality. It always precipitates this.”
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Mann discusses the experience of making his latest film, the awards contender “Ferrari,” and how working with Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz compares to his other actors from past movies. That includes reflecting...
“The companies are split in ways they haven’t been before between streamers and legacy studios,” he tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “Those interests don’t sometimes align. There isn’t a ‘Lew Wasserman’ figure now. There needs to be because this isn’t the end. These issues come up every time there’s a new modality. It always precipitates this.”
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Mann discusses the experience of making his latest film, the awards contender “Ferrari,” and how working with Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz compares to his other actors from past movies. That includes reflecting...
- 1/4/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Sandra Hüller finds herself at the center of two of the most talked-about movies of the year: The German actor gets to show her range (and her facility with languages) in both Jonathan Glazer’s drama “The Zone of Interest” and Justine Triet’s legal thriller “Anatomy of a Fall.” Both premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May, where “Anatomy” won the Palme d’Or and “Zone” was awarded the runner-up Grand Prix prize. Now, with both films busy on the circuit, Huller stopped by Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast to discuss the passionate responses the very different films are getting. Listen below:
For most Americans, Hüller burst onto the scene with the 2016 comedy-drama “Toni Erdmann,” which was nominated for the Oscar for best foreign language film. Huller’s performance as the put-upon daughter of a prankster father earned rave reviews, and the actor says Hollywood took interest — but not for long.
For most Americans, Hüller burst onto the scene with the 2016 comedy-drama “Toni Erdmann,” which was nominated for the Oscar for best foreign language film. Huller’s performance as the put-upon daughter of a prankster father earned rave reviews, and the actor says Hollywood took interest — but not for long.
- 12/28/2023
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor has made some changes in her life.
We’ve all grown to know her as the two-time Emmy nominated actress from “When They See Us” and “Lovecraft Country” and her Oscar-nominated performance in “King Richard,” all of which came under her initial professional name: Aunjanue Ellis.
When the first promotional materials were released for her new film “Origin” from writer and director Ava DuVernay, a natural question began circulating regarding the hyphenated addition of “Taylor” to her professional name. What prompted the name change? Turns out, she wanted to honor the most important person in her life posthumously: her mother.
“The love of my life, my mother, gave me my Daddy’s name,” she tells Variety. “I was like, wait a minute, lady, I want your name. This past birthday, I said, ‘What am I doing? I want to carry her with me every day.’ So, how do...
We’ve all grown to know her as the two-time Emmy nominated actress from “When They See Us” and “Lovecraft Country” and her Oscar-nominated performance in “King Richard,” all of which came under her initial professional name: Aunjanue Ellis.
When the first promotional materials were released for her new film “Origin” from writer and director Ava DuVernay, a natural question began circulating regarding the hyphenated addition of “Taylor” to her professional name. What prompted the name change? Turns out, she wanted to honor the most important person in her life posthumously: her mother.
“The love of my life, my mother, gave me my Daddy’s name,” she tells Variety. “I was like, wait a minute, lady, I want your name. This past birthday, I said, ‘What am I doing? I want to carry her with me every day.’ So, how do...
- 12/23/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Dear fans, please stop yelling “Randall!” at Sterling K. Brown whenever you see him walking down the street. That’s a reference, of course, to the actor’s Emmy-winning role as Randall Pearson on the hit NBC drama “This Is Us,” which ran for six seasons.
“It’s funny, people would be like, ‘Yo Randall!,” he tells Variety. “And now they’re like, ‘Is Randall on ‘Solar Opposites?’ It’s ‘Sterling,’ God dang it! Listen, I never want people to not know that I played the character. But if and when I reach the point where people stop yelling ‘Randall!’ it would be Ok. Because it’s not my name. It’s Sterling. And to be seen for a body, instead of a character, feels way better.”
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Brown discusses his role as a gay surgeon in Cord Jefferson’s satirical film “American Fiction,...
“It’s funny, people would be like, ‘Yo Randall!,” he tells Variety. “And now they’re like, ‘Is Randall on ‘Solar Opposites?’ It’s ‘Sterling,’ God dang it! Listen, I never want people to not know that I played the character. But if and when I reach the point where people stop yelling ‘Randall!’ it would be Ok. Because it’s not my name. It’s Sterling. And to be seen for a body, instead of a character, feels way better.”
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Brown discusses his role as a gay surgeon in Cord Jefferson’s satirical film “American Fiction,...
- 12/21/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Jack Black is patiently waiting for Universal Pictures and Illumination to greenlight a sequel to the animated box office smash “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.”
“It has been radio silence,” Black tells Variety. “The only chatter has been coming from me, and I don’t even know if I’m allowed to chatter. I’ve been chomping at the bit to get back to business.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, we talk to Black about co-writing the hilarious and power ballad “Peaches” for the animated feature and what an Oscar nomination would mean to him in his career. In addition, he reflects on some of his audacious career and performs a quick acapella song using the host’s name. Listen below!
Based on the popular Nintendo video game series, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” follows two plumber brothers who travel to a magical underworld to...
“It has been radio silence,” Black tells Variety. “The only chatter has been coming from me, and I don’t even know if I’m allowed to chatter. I’ve been chomping at the bit to get back to business.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, we talk to Black about co-writing the hilarious and power ballad “Peaches” for the animated feature and what an Oscar nomination would mean to him in his career. In addition, he reflects on some of his audacious career and performs a quick acapella song using the host’s name. Listen below!
Based on the popular Nintendo video game series, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” follows two plumber brothers who travel to a magical underworld to...
- 12/15/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Danielle Brooks is having one of the most significant moments in her career, playing Sofia in “The Color Purple.” It’s a role that she portrayed on Broadway and received her first Tony nomination — but it wasn’t easy for the critically-acclaimed performer to get here.
As the spirited and no-nonsense wife to Harpo (Corey Hawkins), Brooks’ Sofia is positioned as the hopeful and joyous anchor in a narrative that, at times, carries a thematic weight, craving moments of levity. Brooks achieves this with aplomb in sequences like “Hell No,” reminiscent of the impactful “Cell Block Tango” from the best picture-winning musical “Chicago,” which showcased the goods of future supporting actress winner Catherine Zeta-Jones.
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Brooks talks about landing the role once portrayed by Oprah Winfrey in the 1985 version. She also talks about the lessons she learned after not being cast...
As the spirited and no-nonsense wife to Harpo (Corey Hawkins), Brooks’ Sofia is positioned as the hopeful and joyous anchor in a narrative that, at times, carries a thematic weight, craving moments of levity. Brooks achieves this with aplomb in sequences like “Hell No,” reminiscent of the impactful “Cell Block Tango” from the best picture-winning musical “Chicago,” which showcased the goods of future supporting actress winner Catherine Zeta-Jones.
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, Brooks talks about landing the role once portrayed by Oprah Winfrey in the 1985 version. She also talks about the lessons she learned after not being cast...
- 12/14/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
It didn’t take long for America Ferrera to find the personal connection in the speech she delivers as Gloria in the box-office smash “Barbie.”
“I think when we’re not historically meant to be in a room, it’s very difficult to show up in those spaces as your whole self,” she says on Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “Because you are taught to be grateful, you’re in the room. When you’re coming from a position of having a debt you owe to whoever opened that door for you and let you in, there’s this unspoken reminder that ‘you’re here somehow as a favor.’ And if we opened the door to let you in, we can open the door and let you out. Getting in the room is not the end of the work; it’s only the beginning.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
“I think when we’re not historically meant to be in a room, it’s very difficult to show up in those spaces as your whole self,” she says on Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “Because you are taught to be grateful, you’re in the room. When you’re coming from a position of having a debt you owe to whoever opened that door for you and let you in, there’s this unspoken reminder that ‘you’re here somehow as a favor.’ And if we opened the door to let you in, we can open the door and let you out. Getting in the room is not the end of the work; it’s only the beginning.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
What is a TV “comedy” in 2023? In an era of blurred genres, it’s not so cut and dry anymore. Opening Variety’s “A Night in the Writer’s Room,” Variety’s Michael Schneider asked the nine comedy writers on stage to raise their hand if their show features a death. Most did. He followed up by asking, how many of those deaths were murders?
Many kept their hands up high — but holding his hand the highest was “Only Murders in the Building” co-creator John Hoffman “I feel like that’s the beauty of [comedy], that you can kind of do anything … pick a world, be specific about it, be stupid about it, and then you’re good,” Hoffman said of the ability now on television to stretch the definition of comedy.
“It takes a lot of work to subtract comedy from real life,” echoed Boots Riley (“I’m a Virgo”) in...
Many kept their hands up high — but holding his hand the highest was “Only Murders in the Building” co-creator John Hoffman “I feel like that’s the beauty of [comedy], that you can kind of do anything … pick a world, be specific about it, be stupid about it, and then you’re good,” Hoffman said of the ability now on television to stretch the definition of comedy.
“It takes a lot of work to subtract comedy from real life,” echoed Boots Riley (“I’m a Virgo”) in...
- 12/1/2023
- by Valerie Wu
- Variety Film + TV
Though he plays a man dealing with dementia in the upcoming film “Memory,” Peter Sarsgaard found the experience immensely joyful. “I loved playing him,” the actor reveals on this week’s episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I told my wife when I was playing him – I mean, it sounds arrogant, but it was true – I said, I’ don’t feel like I can miss. Like anything that comes my way. I don’t think I just am.’”
And though his heralded performance has already won the prestigious Volpi Cup Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival, Sarsgaard downplays any suffering he did for the role. “Acting is easy when it’s going well,” he notes. “Even Daniel Day-Lewis would tell you that ‘My Left Foot’ was easy because he was clearly on a roll. You show up and you just know instinctively what to do.” Listen below.
And though his heralded performance has already won the prestigious Volpi Cup Best Actor Award at the Venice Film Festival, Sarsgaard downplays any suffering he did for the role. “Acting is easy when it’s going well,” he notes. “Even Daniel Day-Lewis would tell you that ‘My Left Foot’ was easy because he was clearly on a roll. You show up and you just know instinctively what to do.” Listen below.
- 11/24/2023
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
Following the resolution of the writers’ strike, Variety’s “A Night in the Writers’ Room” returns Nov. 30 in-person, featuring three panels moderated by Variety’s esteemed journalists, Michael Schneider and Emily Longeretta, with this year’s Emmy-contending writers in the drama, comedy and limited series categories.
An invite-only audience of industry voters will attend the event which features a cocktail reception prior to the panels.
The Comedy panel features:
Duffy Boudreau, “Barry” Michele Fazekas, “Gen V” Justin Halpern, “Abbott Elementary” John Hoffmann, “Only Murders in the Building” Chris Harris, “Frasier” Bill Lawrence, “Shrinking” Judah Miller, “Bupkis” Migizi Pensoneau, “Reservation Dogs” Boots Riley, “I’m A Virgo”
The Drama panel features:
Debora Cahn, “The Diplomat” Michael Dinner, “Justified: City Primeval” Craig Mazin, “The Last of Us” Charlotte Stoudt, “The Morning Show” Sonja Warfield, “The Gilded Age”
The Limited Series panel features:
Andy Breckman, “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie” Lee Eisenberg,...
An invite-only audience of industry voters will attend the event which features a cocktail reception prior to the panels.
The Comedy panel features:
Duffy Boudreau, “Barry” Michele Fazekas, “Gen V” Justin Halpern, “Abbott Elementary” John Hoffmann, “Only Murders in the Building” Chris Harris, “Frasier” Bill Lawrence, “Shrinking” Judah Miller, “Bupkis” Migizi Pensoneau, “Reservation Dogs” Boots Riley, “I’m A Virgo”
The Drama panel features:
Debora Cahn, “The Diplomat” Michael Dinner, “Justified: City Primeval” Craig Mazin, “The Last of Us” Charlotte Stoudt, “The Morning Show” Sonja Warfield, “The Gilded Age”
The Limited Series panel features:
Andy Breckman, “Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie” Lee Eisenberg,...
- 11/20/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
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
Cord Jefferson didn’t always know he wanted to be a director. While working on Netflix’s comedy series “Master of None,” actor/writer/creator Aziz Ansari asked Jefferson out of the blue if he ever wanted to direct. Jefferson recalls, “I said, ‘No, I’ve never been to film school, I don’t know anything about cameras or lighting. I don’t think that’s for me.”
But Jefferson says Ansari’s response “planted the seed” for what would be a catalyst for him to tackle his directorial debut, “American Fiction,” based on the novel “Erasure.” “He said, ‘Dude, I went to NYU for business. I never went to film school. I’ve just been on sets and paid attention. All you need to do is hire people who understand the technical stuff and then be able to articulate what’s in your head.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
But Jefferson says Ansari’s response “planted the seed” for what would be a catalyst for him to tackle his directorial debut, “American Fiction,” based on the novel “Erasure.” “He said, ‘Dude, I went to NYU for business. I never went to film school. I’ve just been on sets and paid attention. All you need to do is hire people who understand the technical stuff and then be able to articulate what’s in your head.”
On this episode of the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
“Past Lives” writer and director Celine Song handles the delicate themes of love and destiny surrounding the Korean Buddhist concept of In-Yun — the connection, fate and destiny of two people. However, the South Korean/Canadian playwright says she had her own “revelation” while making her directorial debut.
“It’s a movie about these revelations about this one woman who over the course of her life,” she tells Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “It felt really special to me, because I was also having a revelation of my own: I’m a filmmaker, which I didn’t know until I started making this movie.”
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, we talk to the writer and director and discuss her experience making the love story “Past Lives.” In addition, we speak with her star, Greta Lee, about how she initially lost the role of Nora and what the...
“It’s a movie about these revelations about this one woman who over the course of her life,” she tells Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “It felt really special to me, because I was also having a revelation of my own: I’m a filmmaker, which I didn’t know until I started making this movie.”
On this episode of the Variety Awards Circuit Podcast, we talk to the writer and director and discuss her experience making the love story “Past Lives.” In addition, we speak with her star, Greta Lee, about how she initially lost the role of Nora and what the...
- 10/30/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
For Eva Longoria to have the chance to direct “Flamin’ Hot,” she says she had to “overcome the stigma of being a dumb actor.”
“I’m more than the actor you know from TV,” she tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I’ve been directing for 12 years. I started with short films. I directed episodic TV, half-hours, one-hours, dramas, comedies, baby pilots, and big pilots. I’ve touched every rung of the ladder.”
On this Variety Awards Circuit Podcast episode, we sit with Longoria to discuss the chance to helm the inspirational true story of a Latino who achieved the American dream. In addition, the Awards Circuit Roundtable discusses the continuation of the SAG-AFTRA strikes and how that will affect the awards season, with actors unable to campaign.
Listen below:
The “Desperate Housewives” alum is making her feature directorial debut with “Flamin’ Hot,” an inspirational story about a Frito-Lay janitor who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
“I’m more than the actor you know from TV,” she tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast. “I’ve been directing for 12 years. I started with short films. I directed episodic TV, half-hours, one-hours, dramas, comedies, baby pilots, and big pilots. I’ve touched every rung of the ladder.”
On this Variety Awards Circuit Podcast episode, we sit with Longoria to discuss the chance to helm the inspirational true story of a Latino who achieved the American dream. In addition, the Awards Circuit Roundtable discusses the continuation of the SAG-AFTRA strikes and how that will affect the awards season, with actors unable to campaign.
Listen below:
The “Desperate Housewives” alum is making her feature directorial debut with “Flamin’ Hot,” an inspirational story about a Frito-Lay janitor who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
- 10/19/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
This is it! This year’s Emmy voting is over, ending what was a rather muted Phase 2. We’ve noted the limited number of Phase 2 FYC events due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes (as well as the inability of nominated talent to participate in any press that they hadn’t already completed pre-strike). And now, with voting ending, the usual anticipation of September Emmy events won’t be there, and we’ll all go on pause until (hopefully!) January.
But before we go… Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast has one more look at this year’s race, in a Mega Roundtable edition featuring hosts Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Emily Longeretta and Jazz Tangcay. The team goes through all of the major categories and shares their picks for who will win — and who should win. Listen below!
How strategic are voters in choosing between different shows and stars? Will...
But before we go… Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast has one more look at this year’s race, in a Mega Roundtable edition featuring hosts Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Emily Longeretta and Jazz Tangcay. The team goes through all of the major categories and shares their picks for who will win — and who should win. Listen below!
How strategic are voters in choosing between different shows and stars? Will...
- 8/31/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
SAG-AFTRA has granted approval for three AMC Networks shows to restart production, under its controversial provision allowing “independent” projects to continue despite the strike.
The shows include “Interview With the Vampire,” which was shooting in Prague when the strike started, and two “Walking Dead” spinoffs: “The Ones Who Live” and “Daryl Dixon.” The latter project was on hiatus and can resume shooting in France.
SAG-AFTRA has granted “interim agreements” to more than 300 projects since the strike began in mid-July. The agreements allow productions that are not connected to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to keep shooting, provided they abide by the terms of SAG-AFTRA’s last proposal to the studios.
AMC and its production arm, Stalwart Films, are not members of the AMPTP. But they are “authorized companies,” meaning that they adhere to the terms negotiated by the studio group.
The interim agreements have been controversial within SAG-AFTRA,...
The shows include “Interview With the Vampire,” which was shooting in Prague when the strike started, and two “Walking Dead” spinoffs: “The Ones Who Live” and “Daryl Dixon.” The latter project was on hiatus and can resume shooting in France.
SAG-AFTRA has granted “interim agreements” to more than 300 projects since the strike began in mid-July. The agreements allow productions that are not connected to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to keep shooting, provided they abide by the terms of SAG-AFTRA’s last proposal to the studios.
AMC and its production arm, Stalwart Films, are not members of the AMPTP. But they are “authorized companies,” meaning that they adhere to the terms negotiated by the studio group.
The interim agreements have been controversial within SAG-AFTRA,...
- 8/31/2023
- by Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
(Above, Karyn Kusama with Courtney Eaton and Samantha Hanratty of “Yellowjackets” at Variety’s TV Fest in June.)
Somehow, Season 2 of Showtime’s hit drama “Yellowjackets” managed to keep its sense of humor, even as the series’ story got darker and, yes, it finally went full cannibal. It’s all about balancing the tone, which is something executive producer Karyn Kusama helped set last season as director of the show’s pilot.
Kusama tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that the “Yellowjackets” balance of shock and guffaw comes out of the visions of executive producers/showrunners Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson and Jonathan Lisco. “They’ve always understood a tone that I really love myself, which is a kind of adrenalized intense experience that sometimes makes you feel like you need to laugh because you’re so nervous.”
Kusama, who also directed the series’ shocking Season 2 finale, talks about about where the series went this year,...
Somehow, Season 2 of Showtime’s hit drama “Yellowjackets” managed to keep its sense of humor, even as the series’ story got darker and, yes, it finally went full cannibal. It’s all about balancing the tone, which is something executive producer Karyn Kusama helped set last season as director of the show’s pilot.
Kusama tells Variety‘s Awards Circuit Podcast that the “Yellowjackets” balance of shock and guffaw comes out of the visions of executive producers/showrunners Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson and Jonathan Lisco. “They’ve always understood a tone that I really love myself, which is a kind of adrenalized intense experience that sometimes makes you feel like you need to laugh because you’re so nervous.”
Kusama, who also directed the series’ shocking Season 2 finale, talks about about where the series went this year,...
- 8/3/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Comedian Hasan Minhaj has been eyed as a leading candidate for the open host role at Comedy Central’s “Daily Show,” according to three people familiar with the matter, suggesting that a months-long bake-off for the job among a phalanx of top comics is reaching its final stages.
Minhaj is not guaranteed to win the position, these people caution, and a deal is not believed to have been finalized. Still, his name has emerged as a likely successor to Trevor Noah, who left the job in a surprise maneuver late last year.
Minhaj, who worked on “Daily” as one of its team of faux “correspondents” between 2014 and 2018, and went on to serve as the host of a weekly program for Netflix called “Patriot Act,” said recently that he’d be open to the gig. “I’m definitely open to the conversation. It’s also a family conversation now. It’s...
Minhaj is not guaranteed to win the position, these people caution, and a deal is not believed to have been finalized. Still, his name has emerged as a likely successor to Trevor Noah, who left the job in a surprise maneuver late last year.
Minhaj, who worked on “Daily” as one of its team of faux “correspondents” between 2014 and 2018, and went on to serve as the host of a weekly program for Netflix called “Patriot Act,” said recently that he’d be open to the gig. “I’m definitely open to the conversation. It’s also a family conversation now. It’s...
- 8/2/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
In the final scene of “Better Call Saul,” Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn) is leaving Adx Montrose prison, where she has just visited Jimmy McGil/Saul Goodman/Gene Takovic (Bob Odenkirk) for the first time since he was sentenced to 82 years behind bars. As he watches her leave from the prison grounds, he makes his signature finger guns, and she looks back with a bit of a melancholy glance. Originally, as Seehorn shot the scene, Kim returned those finger guns — but it was ultimately cut. “At first I was like sad [that it was removed] because I’m a hopeless romantic,” Seehorn says. “But [exec producer] Peter [Gould] said, ‘we watched it and it looked like Kim was back in the game, rather than Kim is saying I’m there for you forever.’ And I said oh yeah, I don’t want that. It was the right decision.”
Seehorn, Odenkirk, Gould and Giancarlo Esposito — who played Gus Fring...
Seehorn, Odenkirk, Gould and Giancarlo Esposito — who played Gus Fring...
- 7/27/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Pedro Pascal is this year’s Emmy overachiever, receiving three nominations, including one for ‘The Last of Us’ and another as guest host on ‘Saturday Night Live.’ We talk to him about those shows (and “The Mandalorian”) plus how he knows his huge success also comes with the duty to be a bit of a mentor and role model to others, just as he once had. But first, on the Roundtable, Variety’s Marc Malkin joins us for a deep dive into where things stand with the SAG-AFTRA strike, and how it has severely impacted events and so much more. Listen below!
With Emmy nods for best drama series, actor (Pedro Pascal) and actress (Bella Ramsey), among others, HBO’s “The Last of Us” is the first live-action video game adaptation to earn major awards consideration from a top Hollywood awards body, in television or in film. “The Last of Us...
With Emmy nods for best drama series, actor (Pedro Pascal) and actress (Bella Ramsey), among others, HBO’s “The Last of Us” is the first live-action video game adaptation to earn major awards consideration from a top Hollywood awards body, in television or in film. “The Last of Us...
- 7/20/2023
- by Michael Schneider and Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast hosts Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Emily Longeretta and Jazz Tangcay gathered on Wednesday, just hours after the Television Academy announced this year’s Emmy nominations, to dissect the news — from the big winners like “Succession,” to the shocking omissions (no Harrison Ford or Elizabeth Olsen), and then the nice surprises. The nominations were telling on a number of fronts — including the current assessment that we may very well see a beat “Succession”/”Ted Lasso” dominance.
Did the voting procedural changes help bring in a wider group of nominees? No. And will voters pick straight tickets of “Succession” and “Ted Lasso” nominees? Quite possible. Who will win the “SNL”/”Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” smackdown? What are our favorite faceoffs this year?
From snubs and surprises to big wins and the usual befuddlement, the Roundtable tackles it all in this week’s episode. Listen below!
Did the voting procedural changes help bring in a wider group of nominees? No. And will voters pick straight tickets of “Succession” and “Ted Lasso” nominees? Quite possible. Who will win the “SNL”/”Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” smackdown? What are our favorite faceoffs this year?
From snubs and surprises to big wins and the usual befuddlement, the Roundtable tackles it all in this week’s episode. Listen below!
- 7/14/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Variety won 14 first-place awards Sunday night at the Los Angeles Press Club’s 65th annual SoCal Journalism Awards, more than twice as many as any other entertainment publication.
The 14 awards represented a historic high for Variety at the SoCal Journalism Awards, topping the previous best of 12 first-place prizes the magazine earned in 2018. Variety came into Sunday’s ceremony with a record 96 nominations, representing work published online and in print during the 2022 calendar year.
The awards were handed out during a gala dinner attended by hundreds in the historic Crystal Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Several staffers won dual honors. Owen Gleiberman, Variety‘s chief film critic, won best obituary/appreciation for a look back at actor William Hurt, plus best online arts commentary for the column “Is ‘Tar’ Rooting for or Against Cate Blanchett’s Superstar Predator Conductor?” Chris Willman, senior writer and chief music critic,...
The 14 awards represented a historic high for Variety at the SoCal Journalism Awards, topping the previous best of 12 first-place prizes the magazine earned in 2018. Variety came into Sunday’s ceremony with a record 96 nominations, representing work published online and in print during the 2022 calendar year.
The awards were handed out during a gala dinner attended by hundreds in the historic Crystal Ballroom at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
Several staffers won dual honors. Owen Gleiberman, Variety‘s chief film critic, won best obituary/appreciation for a look back at actor William Hurt, plus best online arts commentary for the column “Is ‘Tar’ Rooting for or Against Cate Blanchett’s Superstar Predator Conductor?” Chris Willman, senior writer and chief music critic,...
- 6/26/2023
- by William Earl
- Variety Film + TV
Though he’s often associated with intense roles like his Oscar-nominated turns in “Revolutionary Road” and “Nocturnal Animals,” Michael Shannon is funny. That’s now been well established. From scene-stealing cameos in “They Came Together” and “The Night Before” to his hilarious/terrifying reading of a viral sorority letter to often being the highlight of press junkets with his trademark dry delivery, the actor has proven his comedy bona fides. So, hey Lorne Michaels, give him his shot on “Saturday Night Live” already.
Asked if he’s ever been asked to host the iconic sketch show, Shannon replies, “I think Lorne Michaels is scared of me or thinks I smell funny or something. The guy won’t arrest me.”
I can personally vouch that Shannon smells fine and there’s nothing for Michaels to be afraid of. And the actor seems a perfect fit for the show; “SNL” often likes...
Asked if he’s ever been asked to host the iconic sketch show, Shannon replies, “I think Lorne Michaels is scared of me or thinks I smell funny or something. The guy won’t arrest me.”
I can personally vouch that Shannon smells fine and there’s nothing for Michaels to be afraid of. And the actor seems a perfect fit for the show; “SNL” often likes...
- 6/23/2023
- by Jenelle Riley
- Variety Film + TV
“Law & Order” fans, you have Rob Lowe to thank for the entire franchise. As does Dick Wolf’s bank account. At least, Lowe says this, with his tongue a bit in cheek (but also with some accuracy). As the star of Fox’s “9-1-1: Lone Star” and Netflix’s “Unstable” recently told Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, Lowe starred in Wolf’s 1988 feature flop “Masquerade.” It was just the kind of movie disappointment that would have sent Wolf back to TV — and two years later, “Law & Order” premiered. “I remember him saying to me how frustrated he was in the movie business, that he was going to write a pilot,” Lowe said. “And he wrote ‘Law and Order.’ And the rest is history. You’re welcome. Yeah, I’m happy to provide the bomb that powers your rise to dominance.”
Lowe’s not asking for credit — well, Ok,...
Lowe’s not asking for credit — well, Ok,...
- 6/21/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
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