November 3, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Photo: Gloria Obianyo(LOS ANGELES) — Sope Dìrísù has been making of most of his time during the COVID-19 pandemic, promoting two of his latest projects: AMC’s Gangs of London and Netflix’s His House.

In his AMC series, Dìrísù plays Elliot, an undercover cop who infiltrates London’s most notorious gang. The actor tells ABC Audio that it’s been a “different experience” seeing the success of his show in the U.S., considering most people are still under quarantine. 

“It’s not just necessarily people on the streets [or] seeing yourself on billboards or anything like that,” Dìrísù  says. “But it’s been great to know that the series has been successful and that people really enjoyed watching it… through many hours locked in their houses.”

While Dìrísù says he has “a predilection to physical roles” and enjoys “using [his] body to tell stories,” the actor took a different turn in the new Netflix horror His House. In this film, Sope plays Bol, a father who is haunted by his dead daughter after he and his wife seek asylum in the U.K. 

Dìrísù says he appreciates his character’s “determinedness” to not leave the haunted house and admits he even saw some of those traits in himself.

“I think there is a hypermasculinity and stubbornness in him that doesn’t allow him to speak and share his issues,” he says. “And that’s something that I’ve been learning how to do a lot better over these years.”

While Dìrísù says horror films aren’t his go-to genre to watch, the actor says when he does indulge, he’s looking for something to “terrify” him.

“If I’m watching a horror film I expect to be really scared,” he says. “…I’m looking for something that’s really psychologically thrilling, that doesn’t let me sleep at night.” 

Gangs of London is available to stream on AMC. His House is now available on Netflix.

By Candice Williams
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 3, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Vivien Killilea/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Dancing with the Stars alum Lindsay Arnold and husband Sam Cusick officially added a new family member. The high school sweethearts welcomed a baby girl on Monday.

“The most beautiful surprise on this very special day,” the 26-year-old dance pro gushed while posting a very heartwarming snap of her and Cusick celebrating the arrival of their little one. “Baby Girl and mama are healthy and well.”

While neither Arnold nor her husband revealed their newborn’s name, the dancer promised, “more details to come but wanted to share this first pic of our little family.”

Arnold did reveal via her hashtags that she was 39 weeks along before undergoing a c-section.

Of course, the DWTS family expressed their profound delight that their extended family grew by one more.

Dance pro Cheryl Burke was quick to assert herself as the baby’s favorite aunt by declaring in the comments, “I’m so happy for you!! Can’t wait to meet her and make sure Auntie Cheryl is her favorite!! Love you.”

Other dance pros, such as Peta Murgaroyd celebrated, “What a BEAUTY” while Alan Bersten gushed, “Absolutely stunning!!!!!! I love you guys…so happy.”  Another enthusiastic comment came from Brandon Armstrong, who hilariously wrote “yes” 11 times.

Of course, former competitors also expressed their well wishes, such as Bindi Irwin, who is expecting a baby girl of her own, sweetly wished, “Sending all our love.”

This is Arnold and Cusick’s first child.  The two, who wed in 2015, first revealed they were expecting a baby in May. 

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

November 3, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Noam Galai/Getty Images for HISTORY(TEXAS) — Matthew McConaughey is one proud papa. 

After his 12-year-old son Levi made a rare appearance on his mother, Camila Alves McConaughey’s, personal Instagram, fans couldn’t help but notice how similar the two looked.

And, during an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Monday, the 50-year-old actor could help but gush about his eldest child.

“Levi is the most considerate person I’ve ever met,” McConaughey shared. “He’s extremely considerate and a very, very sensitive young man and really cares — really caring kid. And he, like me, has a very much perfectionist bone in him.”

“He’s a great salesman, he’s a great debater, he’s a great storyteller, he’s becoming a really good storyteller,” he  said. “He’s becoming a good buddy of mine now as he’s reaching 12.”

The Dallas Buyers Club actor and Alves also have 10-year-old daughter Vida and 7-year-old son Livingston and when it comes to them following in their father’s footsteps, McConaughey has no reservations. 

“Look, I want them to do whatever it is they’re fashioned to do,” he stated. “Whatever they have an innate ability to do, and are willing to put in the work to get better at it. Whatever that is, I want them to do that. If that becomes something in the industry that I’m in? Bravo.”

“I have already started to employ them,” he added. “They do all my photo shoots now. They did the Longbranch ads. Levi did. He’s the DP, he’s the one going out there, we’re setting up the GoPros. We’re doing the editing. So, maybe I’ll have a little McConaughey production crew here, and we’ll be a one-stop shop.”

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

November 3, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Amy Sussman/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) — After reports surfaced last month that Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara welcomed their first child together, the couple finally broke their silence about being first-time parents when speaking about the ongoing child separation crisis at the U.S. border.

“Last week, we learned that the parents of 545 children separated at the border by immigration officers have not yet been found. The weight of that number is staggering,” the couple decried in an open essay to People on Monday.

“As new parents, it’s unbearable to imagine what it would feel like to have our child taken away from us for a day, let alone years,” the pair furthered. “The policy of family separation continues to damage children and parents across the world, more than two years after it was ruled illegal by a federal judge.”

Mara and Phoenix encouraged citizens to have compassion for those that came to America.

“Some of those parents were fleeing threats from gangs or other forms of violence, and it is impossible to say what may have happened to them,” the couple lamented.  “For the children who remain separated from their parents, the damage will be lifelong.”

“How will it feel to explain to our son, when he asks us about this time and how we treated scared, defenseless children, some of whom may never see their parents again,” the two closed, asking readers if they support this version of America. “For the sake of our nation’s character, I hope we will be able to tell him that America unequivocally rejected this cruelty and demanded that our representatives did everything in their power to find those missing parents.”

Last month, Russian filmmaker Victor Kossakovsky announced that Mara and Phoenix welcomed their son and revealed that the child was named after actor’s late brother, River Phoenix.

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

November 3, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Sonja Flemming/CBS ©2014 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved(LOS ANGELES) — The cast of CBS’ hit comedy Mom is addressing the exit of co-star Anna Faris, who surprised the cast and crew in September when she announced she was leaving the show after seven seasons. 

Allison Janney, who played Faris’ onscreen mom, tells Entertainment Tonight, “It’s a huge loss for the show to not have Anna because she was part of creating a character, Christy, that everyone fell in love with, who was so lovable and warm and gullible and funny and we will miss her so much.”

Mom centers on the pair and their friends, all of whom are all in recovery for addiction. Janney continued, “I think I’ll miss the most, for me, the relationship between Bonnie and Christy, even though that will still continue. But she won’t be present. That’s what I’ll miss.”

Janney and her co-stars insisted that while Christy is gone, she’s not forgotten. “I do want to say that it feels like she’s still here because we do talk about the character all the time,” said co-star Jaime Pressly. “And [Allison’s] character is always calling her or vice versa. We still hear the name, we still talk about her. She’s not gone as far as we’re concerned.” 

Pressly goes on: “[W]e all spent so much time together over the years and love each other and support each other and we all want each other to be happy, so we’re happy for her and we miss her no matter what.”

Faris said she was leaving the show, “to pursue new opportunities,” insisting her seven years on the Chuck Lorre-produced comedy were “some of the most fulfilling and rewarding of [her] career.”

The eighth season premiere of Mom airs Thursday, Nov. 5 at 9 p.m. Eastern time on CBS.

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