November 25, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Michael Reaves/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Ed Murray, the eldest of Bill Murray’s five brothers and the inspiration for the Danny Noonan character in Caddyshack, has died. 

On his William Murray Golf Instagram page, Murray noted the passing “with the heaviest of hearts,” calling his brother a “legend.”

The memorial says, “It was Ed who introduced the Murray family to this wonderful game of golf — by way of caddying at Indian Hills Country Club — at the age of 10, no less. (They don’t make ‘em like that anymore.)”

The post added, “Ed was the recipient of the Evans Scholarship back in 1963, while attending Northwestern University — a scholarship awarded to golf caddies — a family storyline which served as inspiration for the Danny Noonan character in Caddyshack when Brian Doyle-Murray co-wrote that iconic screenplay.”

The post goes on to note that, “Ed and all five Murray brothers are members of the Caddie Hall of Fame, as well — something all the boys take pride in, as this game helped shape their lives.”

Various sources give Ed Murray’s age as either 75 or 76.

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 25, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Cesar Fuentes Cervants/NETFLIX © 2020(NEW YORK) — Jennifer Lopez has no shame in passing the Selena baton.

The 51-year-old entertainer catapulted to fame after she portrayed the late singer in the 1997 film and now she can’t wait to see it reimagined with Netflix’s Selena: The Series. In a clip shared to the streaming platform’s social media, Lopez reminisced before dishing her thoughts on the new series. 

“Guys, I don’t know if you’ve heard about this new Selena series on Netflix,” Lopez began. “Playing Selena was kind of a landmark moment in my career and I was so excited when I saw the trailer and heard about it. It’s a great way for this generation to get to know Selena. I love Selena. It’s a big part of my life and my career. And I can’t wait to see it.”

The new series sees Walking Dead alum Christian Serratos transformed into the Tejano queen to tell her life story before it was tragically cut short in 1995. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Serratos dished about a “special moment” that occurred while portraying Selena. 

“When I was younger, I remember hearing her music in the house,” Serratos recalled. “When I got older, YouTube became a big thing and I discovered this video of her performing ‘Que Creias.’ Whenever I would talk about Selena, that was the video I showed every one of her. I was able to perform that song on the show, and I was so nervous and so excited! I didn’t want to speak to anyone because that was my special moment with her. It was really incredible!”

Selena was murdered at age 23 by her fan club’s president, Yolanda Saldivar.  She would have been 49 this year.

Selena: The Series hits Netflix on December 4. 

By Danielle Long
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 25, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Brownie Harris/Amazon Studios(LONDON) — There’s a real and emotional reason why Paul Bettany felt such a deep and personal connection to the character he plays in Uncle Frank, which is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.

The movie, which takes place in the 1970s, follows Bettany’s character, a gay man who lives two lives.  He is out and proud in New York where he lives and works, but when it comes to his family in South Carolina — he is still very much in the closet.

That balancing act is challenged when Frank has to return to his hometown to attend his father’s funeral. 

Marvel movie star Bettany, who is married to actress Jennifer Connelly, revealed to ABC Audio why this role meant so much to him.

“I was raised by a closeted gay father who came out at 63…much to the relief of everybody in the family,” the BAFTA winner said.  “He then had a 20 year relationship with a man called Andy.”

When Andy died, Bettany said his father “went back into the closet” and “was unable to mourn the person who, I think, was the love of his life.”

Playing Frank, a beloved professor at NYU struggling to decide whether or not to come out to his family, made him think about how different his father’s life would have been had he stayed out and “shed the shame that he was holding onto regarding his sexuality.”

Moreover, Uncle Frank not only made him reflect on his father, but what purpose his movie serves.

Bettany says this film should be seen by “anybody who feels that there’s somehow unable to live their life authentically because it’s sort of exterior pressures.”

“It a film about acceptance,” the A Beautiful Mind star added. “[It’s about] his acceptance for who he is, and also his family’s acceptance.” 

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

November 25, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Courtesy Sony Pictures(LOS ANGELES) — The Sony Pictures holiday romantic comedy Happiest Season is now streaming on Hulu. The film stars Kristen Stewart as Abby, who plans to propose to her girlfriend, Harper, played by Mackenzie Davis, during a trip home over the holidays. But things get complicated when Harper confesses she never came out to her conservative parents. 

Stewart, who is bisexual, tells ABC Audio she relished the chance to tell this heartwarming — and very funny — take on the typical holiday movie, which was co-written by real-life partners Mary Holland, who also co-stars, and director Clea Duvall.

“It’s such an exciting prospect, a gay Christmas rom com backed by Sony, no less,” Stewart says. “Like it just sounded so kind of new and foreign to me…It felt so lived in and personal and authentic in it, it didn’t feel remotely like tokenized. I was just really excited.”

Stewart explains the movie’s supporting cast, which includes Schitt’s Creek‘s Dan Levy, Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza and the scene-stealing Holland, who plays Harper’s oddball sister, Jane, elevated the script. “It was so much fun, honestly, everyone in this movie is so funny that I’ve never laughed so much on a movie set — and I’ve tried to make comedies in the past!” Stewart confesses.

The Happiest Season script, she explains, “was just such a great diving board because it was already funny. And then the people that Clea invited to make it better and make it feel really real and sort of like got it on its feet, like blew me away every day. And it was like at times hard to keep up, hard to stay engaged because I was genuinely entertained.”

By Stephen Iervolino
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 25, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

“Dear Christmas” – Lifetime(LOS ANGELES) — For many people, 2020 has been a trying year.  For that reason, Melissa Joan Hart — a perennial staple in Christmas movies — says holiday flicks have found a new importance. 

Speaking with E!’s Daily Pop on Tuesday, the Sabrina the Teenage Witch alum revealed why she completely endorses cheesy Christmas movies. 

“I think this is the year we all need a happy ending,” Melissa revealed, who says there’s zero shame in Christmas movies being a source of comfort.

“They give you a safe place to go and you can just enjoy,” the 44-year-old actress explained before nodding to her new Lifetime movie Dear Christmas, which gives the audience exactly that.

“[It] is really sweet,” she dished, explaining that she plays an author that “believes in true love” — despite never experiencing it herself — and celebrates holiday love stories on her successful podcast.  Of course, during a trip back home before a major book tour, a local firefighter, played by Jason Priestley, catches her eye.

That said, the Lifetime Channel started up their holiday rotation well before Halloween — airing their first seasonal film on October 23.

Another source of comfort this year has been nostalgia, with the New York Times saying Americans are turning to their old shows and movies to mentally escape the uncertainty brought on by the ongoing pandemic. 

As for Melissa, she’s been reflecting on all the fun she’s had on Sabrina, which celebrates its 25th anniversary next year.

The actress revealed that there’s one special episode where she has nothing but fond memories — when she went to Disney.

“We did a whole episode at the Animal Kingdom,” she gushed. “We got to take the whole crew! We just had a blast.”

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