October 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Netflix(LOS ANGELES) — The official trailer for The Crown season four has arrived.

The clip begins with a tense meeting between Olivia Colman’s Queen Elizabeth II and Gillian Anderson’s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

“Two women running the shop. That’s the last thing this country needs,” we hear Prince Philip say. To which Queen Elizabeth retorts, “Perhaps that’s precisely what this country needs.”

The trailer then shifts to show Prince Charles, as he struggles with the pressures of choosing a suitable wife and ultimately marries Princess Diana, played by Emma Corrin. We see Diana as she tries to fit in with the royal family as they contemplate whether she will “bend” or “break.”

It’s all set to a haunting new version of The Smiths’ classic song “How Soon Is Now?” We hear a woman sing the lyrics, “I am the son and the heir/of a shyness that is criminally vulgar/I am the son and heir/of nothing in particular.”

The Crown season four debuts on Netflix November 15.

By Andrea Tuccillo
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

October 29, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Columbia Pictures/Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Jennifer Lopez has starred in quite a few romantic comedies and it all started with The Wedding Planner — but in a new interview she recalls that it almost didn’t happen.

Speaking with her business partner and agent, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, for Variety‘s Power of Women Conversations presented by Lifetime, Lopez recalled how she had to fight in order to not be typecast and land the leading role in the 2001 box office hit. 

“When I started in the industry, I remember we talked about that I would always go in for what they would call the maid, the dishwasher. I was like, ‘I don’t want to do that,'” she said. “I had to kind of break out of that, and convince somebody to put me in the first romantic comedy, which was The Wedding Planner.”

The 51-year-old singer and actress admitted that,after receiving some pushback over what she was to be paid, ultimately, it was director Adam Shankman who secured her role alongside Matthew McConaughey. 

“You were my agent, and you were asking for a certain price that you thought I merited, and they were buckling back,” Lopez explained. “Then [Adam] came to one of my record signings, and he said, ‘Give her whatever she wants.'”

“The idea that somebody like me, from my background, who was a woman, could garner that type of, you know, price in this industry. It was a big deal,” she added. 

Lopez has since gone on to star in more romantic comedies like Maid In Manhattan, Monster-In-Law, The Back-up Plan, and more. She will next appear in the romantic comedy Marry Me, which also stars Maluma and Owen Wilson.  The movie is slated to open in theaters February 12, 2021.

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

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.