October 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Christopher Polk/Getty Images for The Critics’ Choice Awards(LOS ANGELES) — Millions of Americans have reported mental health struggles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Armie Hammer says he recently got a “wake-up call” of his own.

Speaking at British GQ‘s “Heroes” event, the star of Netflix’s Rebecca said, “I could feel it happening in slow motion, like the rug was just being ripped from my feet and I was falling face-first and I was gonna smash my face on the ground.”

“I had a wake-up call one day…and I realized that I needed more help than I realized,” he explains. “So I called a friend of mine, Brendan, who works in mental health and I was like, ‘Dude, it’s not good. It’s not good for me,’ and he goes, ‘I know, it’s not good for anyone,’ and I go, ‘Yeah, but really not good for me, like I’m having a really hard time. I don’t know what the answer to this is.'”

Hammer says his buddy put him in touch with a therapist who started seeing him “multiple times a week.”

The 34-year-old actor says he continues to speak to his therapist at least once a week.

Hammer tells British GQ, “Society said, ‘Oh, you can distract yourself with going out to dinner,’ ‘You can distract yourself with night clubs,’ ‘You can distract yourself with pubs,’ ‘You can distract yourself with whatever.'” 

“When that was stripped away, we were stuck dealing with ourselves,” he continues.  “And I think a lot of people realized that they didn’t like what themselves looked like. They didn’t like where they’d gotten to, and I was in that position as well and I decided to just take whatever steps I could to make a difference and to help myself.”

By George Costantino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC Entertainment(NEW YORK) — There are multiple exciting and spooky reasons to tune into Live with Kelly and Ryan on Friday!  Hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest will be parading around in a variety of intricate and hilarious costumes throughout their show and want you to do the same for a shot at some amazing prizes.

Friday’s episode kicks off the special “Live’s Best Halloween Show Ever: Almost as Scary as Real Life,” which will, once again, set the standard for Halloween celebrations.

This year’s festivities may look a little different this year due to COVID-19, which explains why Ripa and Seacrest are putting so much effort into this year’s crop of costumes, such as an eclectic Zoom call and Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek dressed as the pope.  That’s just a sample of what the audience will enjoy on Friday.

The show’s popular Halloween costume contest also needed a 2020 update, so it will be virtual this year.  With no fans in studio, those who entered the contest will put on their most creative costume and compete among the virtual audience to win from a stack of prizes totaling $10,000.

Beyond the costumes, the show will also pay homage to some of the biggest movers and shakers in pop culture this year, from the Netflix phenomenon Tiger King to the myriad of trendy recipes that took the nation by storm during lockdown.  

The show will also perform a virtual singalong, teasing the event as something “that only Live could produce.” 

Joining Seacrest and Ripa Friday will be Broadway legend Kristin Chenoweth, Survivor host Jeff Probst, Dr. Sandra Lee aka Dr. Pimple Popper and Botched doctors Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow.

Live with Kelly and Ryan is a syndicated program so check your local listings for scheduling.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Maarten de Boer/NBCUniversal(NEW YORK) — New York kicked off its early voting period last weekend to a resounding success.  Shortly after the polls opened on October 24, images of the long lines flooded the internet along with stories from voters regarding their hours-long wait to cast their ballot.

Leave it to Law and Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay to give voters stuck in the impressively long lines something to smile about.  The actress on Tuesday rolled up to the Madison Square Garden polling location with arms full of sweet treats from Milk Bar.

The Emmy Award winner shared an adorable video of her sidling up to voters on Tuesday and excitedly thanking them for doing their civic duty before tossing them a packaged cookie from the acclaimed NYC-based bakery.

That small gesture delighted the crowd of social distancing voters, who broke out into smiles and laughter as the actress began excitedly shouting, “Booyah!  Booyah!” with each cookie thrown.

“We all know this election is incredibly important, which is I why wanted to show up to support my fellow New Yorkers,” Hargitay expressed on her personal Instagram. “Lines are long and people are waiting for hours to exercise their civic duty-their right- so I wanted to surprise some voters at MSG with a little pick me up. It was the least I could do.”

Beyond thanking voters for their patience, Hargitay also expressed appreciation to the polling places.

“I’m thankful that sports teams and venues have opened their doors this year to make safe, socially-distanced early voting a reality for so many Americans,” the 56-year-old actress concluded. “It’s critical all of us make our voices heard.”

She closed out the post with the cheeky hashtag “#WhoSaysVotingIsntFun.”

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC(LOS ANGELES) — Actress Anne Hathaway revealed earlier this week that she found out she was pregnant shortly before filming for The Witches got underway.  Now, she’s opening up about how she kept her pregnancy a secret from most of the cast and crew.

After finding out she was pregnant with her and husband Adam Shulman’s second child, a son named Jack, Hathaway told Entertainment Tonight, “I didn’t really tell anybody that I was pregnant because I was still in my first trimester.”

“Then, when I went into my second trimester during filming, I only told a couple people. But the costume still fit so I didn’t feel the need to tell anybody,” the Academy Award-winning actress continued.

Although, Hathaway admitted she had to really flex her lying muscles when outfoxing the movie’s costume designer, Joanna Johnston.  

When discussing a particular scene where Hathaway’s silhouette is only shown, Johnson suggested that she wear a corset “so you have a wasp waist.”

Of course, that didn’t fly with the 37-year-old actress, who immediately pushed back and was forced to give an elaborate excuse. 

“I couldn’t say, ‘Because I’m five weeks pregnant,'” Hathaway laughed, saying she settled on the lie that she needed looser fitting clothes for the number. “I go, ‘I just know myself as a performer and I’m just gonna feel really constrained. I’m gonna feel really constrained and I just, I’m gonna be funnier if I don’t have something.'”

Johnson believed her and “didn’t ask questions” even though the actress fully admits she spoon-fed the costume designer a bunch of “BS.”

The jig was up when filming eventually wrapped because, by then, “I was 16 weeks pregnant and she got it.”

The Witches is available now for streaming on HBO Max.

By Megan Stone
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.