October 5, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

ABC/Jill Greenberg(LOS ANGELES) — COVID-19 has created yet another shakeup: an actress from the small screen eclipsed those on the big screen in Forbes‘ new list of highest paid actresses.

Topping 2020’s list is Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, elbowing past Angelina Jolie by a gap of nearly $10 million.

Vergara, who wrapped Modern Family in April and embarked on a new venture with America’s Got Talent raked in an impressive $43 million between June 2019 and June of this year.  Her income was bolstered by her many endorsements and partnerships, such as Walmart and Rooms To Go.

The Colombian-born actress placed second in 2019’s roundup.

As for this year’s runner-up, Jolie notched a $35.5 million paycheck thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where she’ll star in the franchise’s upcoming big-budget The Eternals movie.

Placing third was Wonder Woman 1984 star Gal Gadot, who banked $31.5 million in 2020 thanks to her additional venture with Netflix’s Red Notice.

Rounding out 2020’s top five is Melissa McCarthy and Meryl Streep.

Streaming was a major factor in determining this year’s top ten, with a majority of the actresses signing lucrative deals with HBO Max, Netflix and Hulu.  Only two on the list, Jolie and Emily Blunt (who is sixth) made the top ten this year without the assistance of a major streaming deal or television series.

Here’s the Top 10 highest paid actresses of 2020:

1. Sofia Vergara: $43 million

2. Angelina Jolie: $35.5 million

3. Gal Gadot: $31.5 million

4. Melissa McCarthy: $25 million

5. Meryl Streep: $25 million

6. Emily Blunt: $22.5 million

7. Nicole Kidman: $22 million

8. Ellen Pompeo: $19 million

9. Elisabeth Moss: $16 million

10. Viola Davis $15.5 million

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

October 5, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Victor J. Blue/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Cineworld Group announced Sunday that it is suspending operations for its Regal Cinemas operating inside the U.S. due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Wall Street Journal reports that Regal, which reopened in August, is the second-largest cinema chain in the country.  Now, Regal’s over 500 locations will be shuttering this Thursday due to a slew of expected box office hits pushing back their release dates yet again, including the latest James Bond film No Time to Die. 

“We are like a grocery shop that doesn’t have vegetables, fruit, meat,” Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger said in the interview. “We cannot operate for a long time without a product.”  

While Regal is the second-largest chain in the U.S., AMC is the largest.

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

October 5, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

CBS via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — It’s widely known among Mean Girls fans that October 3 is, well, Mean Girls Day.  The date was made famous in the 2004 movie when Jonathan Bennett’s Aaron famously asked Lindsay Lohan’s Cady, who had a major crush on him, what day it was.

The main cast of Mean Girls assembled for the first time in 16 years on Saturday to not only celebrate the movie, but to inspire voters to register and show up at the polls on November 3.

Besides explaining to host Katy Couric why it’s important to not only vote in every election, the cast reminisced about their times on set and what drew them to audition for the Tina Fey-helmed film.

Lohan spilled that she originally eyed the role of Regina George, the film’s antagonist.

“I really wanted to play Regina because I had just done a movie, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen,” the actress explained, adding that she loved the idea of starring in a role where she would “get to be pretty and dress pretty.”

However, the more she read the script, “I started to really relate to Cady and her sensitivity and the trapeze of emotions that she goes through.”

Rachel McAdams inevitably went on to play Regina, saying that it was “cathartic” playing the antagonist because she wasn’t a queen bee in high school and enjoyed channeling her past experiences into the role.

Amanda Seyfried chimed in that she had zero reservations about playing Karen, the dumb blonde, grinning that she used to pull that card all the time to stay out of her respective high school drama.

The reunion also revealed the origin of “Fetch” —  Fey admitted she made it up — and whether or not the cast would be down for a sequel, which got a resounding “yes!”

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

October 5, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) — Kevin and Derrick Boseman are honoring their late brother Chadwick by opening up about the Black Panther star’s final days and the legacy he leaves behind.

In a recent interview with The New York Times, the two said that, while fans knew their little brother by many names — T’Challa and Jackie Robinson to name a few — they only know him as Chad, not Chadwick.

Kevin, an accomplished dancer who performed on Broadway’s The Lion King, explained that whatever Chadwick put his mind to, he made it happen.

“He always did his best,” Kevin, 48, noted. “His best was incredible.”

As for Derrick, 54, a pastor in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, added that his little brother was exceptionally gifted, telling the Times, “He’s probably the most gifted person I’ve ever met.”  

Besides being a gifted storyteller and actor, the Boseman brothers say at Chadwick’s core was his faith.

Their mother was a nurse and their father reupholstered furniture — but both Carolyn and Leroy Boseman made sure to give their sons a strong religious upbringing.

Which is why, as Boseman’s brothers say, enabled Chadwick to always give back to his community but never broadcast it.  They revealed he bought hundreds of Black Panther tickets for needy children from his hometown of Anderson, South Carolina.

That faith also helped Chadwick transition into his final chapter, with Pastor Boseman revealing what his little brother told him the day before he died; “Man, I’m in the fourth quarter, and I need you to get me out of the game.”

Pastor Boseman told the Times he then changed his prayers from “God heal him, God save him” to “God, let your will be done,” which allowed him to pass peacefully the following day.

Chadwick Boseman died after a silent four-year battle with colon cancer.  He was 43.

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

October 5, 2020 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Will Heath/NBC(NEW YORK) — The premiere of Saturday Night Live‘s 46th season saw Alec Baldwin returning as President Donald Trump and Jim Carrey making his debut as Democratic challenger Joe Biden, for a recreation of last Tuesday’s raucous presidential debate.

The cold open featured Baldwin’s Trump interrupting and insulting Carrey’s Biden, as the former vice president repeatedly tried and failed to contain his anger.

“Look man, I’m a nice guy, but you give anymore guff tonight, I’ll rip your face off like a mad chimp,” Carrey snapped, before muttering to himself, “The country’s counting on you, Joe.  Just stand here and look lucid.”

The sketch also addressed President Trump testing positive for COVID-19, as Baldwin — with his fingers crossed — assuring Beck Bennett’s Chris Wallace that he took the coronavirus test he promised to take in advance of the debate.

After using a TV remote control to pause Baldwin mid-sentence, Carrey joked, “just imagine if science and karma could some team up to send us all a message about how dangerous this virus can be.”

“I’m not saying I want it to happen. Just imagine it did,” he added.

Later, host Chris Rock and “Weekend Update” anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che also joked about the president’s diagnosis.

Former SNL cast member Maya Rudolph also made an appearance, reprising her role as Biden’s running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, suggesting America needed a WAP — Woman As President — a nod to the hit Saturday’s musical guest Megan Thee Stallion recorded with Cardi B.

Harry Styles also had a cameo, appearing in a thought bubble, to read Carrey’s Biden a calming, meditative story.

Saturday’s show also included Kate McKinnon paying tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who passed away on September 18.  McKinnon appeared in the audience dressed as the late Supreme Court Justice.

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