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Maya Rudolph revives her spot-on Beyoncé impression for hilarious "Hot Ones" spoof on "SNL"

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Will Heath/NBC(NEW YORK) — Saturday Night Live has revived Maya Rudolph’s hilarious Beyoncé impression over the weekend by imagining what would happen if the “Lemonade” singer actually sat down for a Hot Ones interview.

Hot Ones is a real YouTube series where celebrities are tasked chow down on a plate of buffalo wings, ranging from mild to dangerously hot, before answering a series of questions.

During SNL‘s skit, Rudolph’s Bey is interrogated by Mikey Day, spoofing Hot Ones host Sean Evans, who starts off the interview by saying “It is truly an honor” to have her on the show.

“I know,” Rudolph smoothly replies before adding she’s still determining if the interview is beneath her, and it all goes downhill from there.

When invited to bite into the first wing, which is covered in a mild sauce, the comedian boasts, “Mild?  Come on, now.  I’m from Texas, baby.  This girl can handle her wings.”

She then eats a wing with a Scoville rating of 135,600 units and — as it turns out — it is way too hot for her to handle.

Rudolph’s Beyoncé hilariously squirms in her seat, trying to appear unfazed, but soon breaks out into a heavy sweat.

Still, she tries to power through and bites into another wing that is covered in a sauce with a Scoville rating of 676,000.  That wing causes her to have an epic meltdown.

“I’m sweating! Beyoncé’s head is wet!  This wing is wrecking me,” Rudolph chokes out before dousing herself in milk and demanding her stylist to remove her wig and “put six ice cubes on my head, then put my wig back on.”

The skit ends with Bey’s team shutting down the interview and seizing all the footage, threatening bodily harm to anyone who breaks the NDA.

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

Beloved children's book author Beverly Cleary dead at 104

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TIM SLOAN/AFP via Getty Images(CARMEL, CA) — Children’s author Beverly Cleary, whose books about Henry Huggins, Beezus and Ramona are beloved by kids worldwide, has died. She was 104.

Her first book, Henry Huggins, was published in 1950 and set a new standard for the realistic depiction of children — especially middle-class children — in fiction. Cleary’s best-known series of books starred Henry and his friends Beezus and Ramona Quimby; two of her Ramona books won Newbery Honors.

In 2009, the movie Ramona and Beezus, based on Cleary’s books and starring Joey King and Selena Gomez, arrived in theaters.

Her other popular series began with 1965’s The Mouse and the Motorcycle, one of three books about a mouse who can speak to humans.  A movie based on the book was released in 1986.

Among her numerous other honors, Cleary was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress and received the 2004 National Medal of Art from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Cleary’s books have sold more than 85 million copies and have been translated into 29 different languages. In a statement, the president of her publisher, HarperCollins, said, “Her timeless books are an affirmation of her everlasting connection to the pleasures, challenges, and triumphs that are part of every childhood.”

Cleary died March 25 in Carmel, California.

By Andrea Dresdale
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Don Cheadle to narrate 'The Wonder Years' reboot

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Marvel Studios/Chuck Zlotnick(LOS ANGELES) — Just as Daniel Stern did for the original show, the reboot of The Wonder Years will feature a famous voice as its narrator: Don Cheadle.

Deadline reports Cheadle will voice the adult version of the character Dean Williams in the show — that’s the new name for the character Fred Savage played as Kevin Arnold in the original family comedy, which aired on ABC from 1988 to 1993.  Savage and Empire creator Lee Daniels will both co-direct and co-executive produce the series. 

The new Wonder Years focuses on a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama during the 1960s and follows preteen Dean Williams, played by Elisha “EJ” Williams.

Cheadle is also set to star in the Warner Bros. film Space Jam: A New Legacy, alongside NBA star Lebron James, arriving this summer.

He was recently seen in the pilot of Marvel Studios’ The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, reprising his role as Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes.

By Rachel George
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Bob Odenkirk explains why he's no stranger to reinventing himself at age 58

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Universal(LOS ANGELES) — Actor Bob Odenkirk has worn many hats throughout his career and, for the first time in his life, he’s playing the action hero in his new movie Nobody, out in theaters now.

The 58-year-old actor stars as Hutch Mansell — a loving dad whose life is turned upside down when he and his family become the victims of a home invasion.  The trauma and shame unleashes a dark part of him that demands revenge, which he gives into.

The role is a departure from what Odenkirk’s fans are used to, he admits, and tells ABC Audio if anyone thinks it’s weird for him to suddenly be aggressively and physically fighting bad guys this late in his career, he agrees.

“It is audacious and it is ludicrous,” he laughed. “It doesn’t make any sense if you know my earlier part of my career!”

Starting in comedy, with a little bit of cult fame, Odenkirk found a whole new level of fame with Breaking Bad and its spinoff Better Call Saul, of which he stars, but the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominee attests the recent success hasn’t gone to his head.

“I’m just a real person. I’m a dad, and that’s what matters to me,” he smiled.

Although, he did confess that it was a nice change of pace to play a butt-kicking vigilante and cannot wait to see fans’ reaction to Nobody.

Odenkirk also said that the stylish, surprising action flick is made to be cheered on the big screen.  

While noting the vaccine rollout on top of theaters abiding by strict health and safety guidelines, he had a message for those debating whether or not to see Nobody at the cinema, which is, “It’s something to see in a theater.”

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

Chris Hemsworth's stunt double beats the God of Thunder in a test-of-strength arcade game

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Jun Sato/WireImage(DARLING, AUSTRALIA) — While nobody would doubt Chris Hemsworth is incredibly built — he’s Thor, after all — but wait until you get a look at the guy who takes Thor’s hits on set: his lookalike stunt double, Bobby Holland Hanton. 

Hemsworth posted an Instagram video of pair taking turns at a “test your strength” arcade game, in which you take a swing at a boxing speed bag. Hemsworth took a swing with his superheroic right arm and registered a score of 8792 — impressive, for sure, but not enough to break the high score of 9060. He even took a shot with a roundhouse kick, which connected perfectly but scored well below the record.

Then Bobby steps up and delivers a crushing left hook, sending the machine’s numbers flying until he shatters the record, scoring 9112. 

The pair were apparently capering around at the arcade while in Darling, Australia Thursday.

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