February 23, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Voice actor Harry Shearer is stepping down from voicing Dr. Julius Hibbert on The Simpsons as the longtime animated show faces increasing calls to diversify its cast. 

The Hollywood Reporter says Kevin Michael Richardson will take over for Shearer, starting with the February 28 episode “Wad Goals.”

The final episode featuring Shearer’s voice aired on Sunday.

Aside from voicing Dr. Hibbert, Shearer will remain on the show bringing life to other beloved characters characters, such as Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner.  The voice actor has been a part of the show since 1989, first appearing in the episode “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.”

Simpsons producers confirmed over the summer that the show will no longer have white actors voicing characters of color.

Prior to the announcement about Shearer, Hank Azaria stepped down from playing Homer’s work friend, Carl Carlson and Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu.

The animation industry as a whole has been making strides towards hiring nonwhite actors to play nonwhite characters.  Previously, shows like Big Mouth and Central Park also made changes to their casting under similar circumstances.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

February 23, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Getty Images/Getty Images for Equality Now(LOS ANGELES) — (NOTE NATURE) Jameela Jamil confessed on Monday that, a year ago, she was in a dark place and contemplating ending her life.

Serving as keynote speaker at The BodCon on Sunday, The Good Place star opened up about her mental health struggles and how she worked through her darkest thoughts.

“Just a year ago I was totally suicidal,” the 34-year-old actress confessed. “This week is my birthday week. I was totally suicidal on my birthday last year because of how much people were just mocking my disability, or like, mocking my mental health and I was like, ‘What an ugly world, I don’t want to be here anymore.'”

Jamil is referring to last year’s accusations that she had Munchausen syndrome, which is called Factitious disorder, according to Mayo Clinic.  Munchausen syndrome causes people to seek attention by faking serious illness and/or injury.

The Legendary host called the reports “lies and conspiracy theories,” but they still deeply affected her mental health.

Luckily, the actress says she is a much better place and attested, “Now a year later, I’m like the strongest and the happiest and the freest I’ve ever been.”

The message Jamil hoped to convey is that hanging one’s self worth on the opinion of others is not healthy for one’s self esteem or mental health.

“I’m not out to impress a bunch of strangers who because of misogyny are looking to poke holes in me anyway,” the I Weigh founder attested, saying that successful women have to develop a thick skin because, “When we don’t like a woman, we will investigate every single thing she’s ever said, ever done [and] scrutinize her obsessively.”

Jamil closed out by touting the benefits of therapy alongside learning to stop comparing one’s self to beauty standards.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if it feels like it, you are not alone.  

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

February 23, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

NBC(LOS ANGELES) — Shailene Woodley confirmed that wedding bells are ringing for her and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Appearing Monday on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the 29-year-old actress confirmed she and Rodgers are getting married.

When speaking about Rodgers’ past comments about having a fiancee when he was honored with the NFL MVP Award earlier this month, the Divergent star affirmed, “Yes, we are engaged. But for us, it’s not new news.”

Finding fans’ reaction “funny,” Woodley continued with a laugh, “Everybody right now is freaking out over it, but we’re like, ‘Oh, we’ve been engaged for a while.'”

The Emmy Award nominee couldn’t stop gushing about the love of her life, calling Rodgers “a wonderful, incredible human being.”  She also coyly admitted she “never thought I’d be engaged with somebody who threw balls for a living.”

Woodley also recounted how the two met, pinning the blame squarely on her dog.

“When I first met him, I think my dog like pulled me aside and was like, ‘If you don’t date this dude, I will disown you as my mother because the three feet that I run with you when you throw a ball is nothing compared to the marathon I’m able to run with him,'” she deadpanned. 

While Woodley didn’t specify exact dates, she did hint that their relationship is relatively new by confessing, “We met during this whacky, whacky time and all the stadiums were closed that he was playing in, so I have yet to go to a football game.”

The Fault in Our Stars alum furthered that, even though Rodgers is a successful athlete, she doesn’t see him as “a football guy.”

“I know him as, like, the nerd who wants to host Jeopardy!,” she confessed. “That’s the dude I know.”

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

February 23, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Lou Rocco(CANADA) — Sorry, Ryan Reynolds and Green Lantern fans — wait: were there fans of the 2011 film that even Reynolds still derides to this day? At any rate, it looks like his version of the superhero won’t be making a cameo in the anticipated Zack Snyder cut of the Justice League movie.

Rumors that Reynolds would reprise his role as Hal Jordan, a.k.a. the Green Lantern, sparked after a Vanity Fair article, published on Monday, mentioned that the film’s ending contains a “hero cameo that will blow hard-core fans’ minds.” 

The Golden Globe nominee quickly took to Twitter to shut down the rumors and insist his time with the DC Universe has come to an end.

“It’s not me,” the actor tweeted. “But what a cool pirate flag to cameo as Hal. Maybe it’s another GL? But for me, the suit stays in the closet. I mean, computer.”

The reference is just another jab at the film, in which his costume was fully computer generated. He made a similar crack in his hit 2016 film Deadpool, in which his character Wade Wilson asks for a super suit “as long as it’s not green. Or animated.” 

In fact, in the closing of Deadpool 2, Wilson’s fourth wall-breaking mercenary travels through time just to murder Reynolds so that he doesn’t ever shoot the maligned superhero movie. “You’re welcome, Canada,” Wilson says to camera, for sparing Wilson;s — and Reynolds’ — fellow natives of the Great White North the future embarrassment. 

Justice League: The Snyder Cut is scheduled for a worldwide release on March 18.

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