April 7, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

L-R – Grace, Souza — ABC/Temma Hankin(NEW YORK) — Actor Topher Grace has logged some impressive big-screen credits since That ’70s Show, starring in films like Interstellar for director Christopher Nolan and Spike Lee’s Oscar-winning drama BlacKkKlansman.  But tonight, he returns to small-screen comedy in ABC’s new show, Home Economics.

Grace plays Tom, the eldest sibling of the Hayworth family, who finds himself in a financial bind after his once-promising career as a novelist hits the skids.  Along with his wife, Marina, played by Karla Souza, and their kids, they head off to visit the palatial mansion of Tom’s rich investor younger brother, Connor — American Vandal‘s Jimmy Teatro — with the hidden agenda of swallowing his pride and asking him for a loan.

Unbeknownst to Tom, however, their sister, Sarah, played by Caitlin McGee, and her wife, played by SNL alumna Sasheer Zamata, also pack up their kids for a visit with their hat in hand.

Making it even more awkward, Tom is secretly writing a book about the family’s dysfunctional dynamics.

Grace tells ABC Audio the Home Economics cast is key. “That kind of chemistry is just luck. I’ve been on dream teams and I’ve been on not dream teams, and…it’s acting sometimes you’ve got to fake it,” he says. “But sadly, you can’t actually fake it when it comes to no matter how good an actor you are.”

Unlike That ’70s Show, Home Economics isn’t filmed in front of a live audience, but it wasn’t as much of an adjustment for the actor. 

“I’ll always be very grateful to that, to do like seven, eight years, where if you tell a joke and it doesn’t work, there’s nothing like three hundred people not laughing,” Grace quips. “But then really, I’ve only done films in-between, so I got very used to not having that audience there.”  

Home Economics debuts tonight at 8:30 p.m. Eastern on ABC.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

April 7, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Hopper Stone/Netflix(NEW YORK) — Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer have teamed up for the Netflix action comedy Thunder Force.

The film, which is the fifth collaboration between McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone, follows McCarthy and Spencer as two childhood besties who reunite to become crime-fighting superheroes.

McCarthy tells ABC Audio that after the tumultuous year we’ve had, it feels great putting out a project that centers on “real people fighting [and] standing up against the bad guys.” 

“If 2020 doesn’t give us a need for that, I don’t know what does,” McCarthy quips. “So, I love that this movie’s coming out at this time and… I hope people really enjoy it.”

Aside from perfect timing, McCarthy’s co-star and real life bestie, Octavia Spencer, believes the film is also very “empowering.”

“It is empowering to see ordinary people go from being ordinary to having superpowers that change their world and their community — and have such an impact,” she explains. “And I think we’re seeing that now in real life with our front line workers, our essential workers. Everyday people being superheroes. This movie feels like a bit of a love letter to the everyday people out there who are changing the world. “

In addition to acknowledging the everyday person, Spencer says her action-comedy is the perfect unifier. 

“And you know what? It’s also a fun family film,” she notes. “You’re going to laugh and you’re going to cry [and] you’re going to root for certain things to happen. And that’s what entertainment is about.”

“But, I got to tell you, there is nothing more special than getting to do it with two people that you love and admire.” Spencer adds, referring to McCarthy and Falcone, who also serve as producers.

Thunder Force, also starring Taylor Mosby, premieres on Netflix Friday.

By Candice Williams
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

April 7, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

JORAS/GC Images(LONDON) — Piers Morgan is, as usual, not standing quietly by after he left Good Morning Britain in the wake of his reaction to the Meghan Markle and Prince Harry interview with Oprah Winfrey. 

He’s revealed to Extra that he and his family have weathered “disgusting” death threats after his exit, and received support from the Royals he defended.

Morgan had challenged the claims Markle made in the much-hyped CBS sit-down, like her saying she had to Google Prince Harry because she didn’t know anything about him, and that she was so depressed about the abuse she said she suffered as duchess that she contemplated suicide.

Morgan’s opinions led to Sharon Osbourne leaving The Talk for defending his right to make them, as co-host Sheryl Underwood said they had “racist implications.”

To Extra‘s Billy Bush Tuesday night, Morgan reiterated of Markle, “I don’t give a damn about her skin color, I do care about the veracity of what she was saying. And I do believe Sheryl Underwood should be the one leaving The Talk, for falsely accusing me of racism.”

He called “disgusting” the death threats his family has received from “so-called liberals,” and revealed he’s gotten messages of support from Osbourne and also “on behalf of the Royal Family.” 

He added, “I’m not going to go into who it was, but I would say there was gratitude that somebody was standing up for them.” 

Morgan also said if he could have done anything differently, he wouldn’t have walked off the Good Morning Britain set, adding most Americans didn’t realize he actually returned to finish his segments before quitting.

“Nothing I said about Meghan Markle is either racist or racially motivated,” Piers said. “I’ve been very critical of Prince Harry, and last time I checked, he is white. I find this narrative deeply offensive.”

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.