March 24, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Tumlin, left, and director Adam McKay, right in 2006/SGranitz/WireImage(ALABAMA) — Houstin Tumlin, who as a child starred as Walker Bobby, the older brother of Texas Ranger Bobby, Will Ferrell’s spoiled sons in Talledega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby, has died from suicide. 

ABC Audio has confirmed that Tumlin, 28, who later served in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne division, reportedly died in his Pelham, Alabama home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Geoff Carmichael, who says he served with Tumlin, posted a smiling picture of the former actor in his military fatigues, noting, “SGT Houston Tumlin came to me as PVT Tumlin. He showed a lot of spirit, promise, positive energy and was (hands down) one of my best Soldiers in my company. Came ready to work.”

Carmichael added, “Please check on each other. Get help if you need it. We need you.”

Male veterans suffer a suicide rate some 18% percent higher than their civilian counterparts, reports the Veterans Administration.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 [TALK] for free confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even if it feels like it, you are not alone.

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

March 24, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

James Dittiger/SYFY(NEW YORK) — SyFy’s quirky comedy Resident Alien, in which Firefly and Rogue One star Alan Tudyk plays an alien in disguise as a small-town doctor, was just renewed for a second season. 

However, as co-star Sara Tomko tells ABC Audio, the show’s creator, Chris Sheridan, broke the good news mid-prank, after calling the cast for a dire-sounding “emergency meeting.”

“He says something like, ‘OK, so here’s the problem, you know, it was wintertime in season one, which means we really need to be in summertime in season two,’ Tomko says, imitating Sheridan’s serious tone, “And so we’re not really sure, like when we should start shooting and we just have to find out if we got picked up, which we did, I found that out about an hour ago. So I guess we’re going to have to shoot…'”

“He kept this up for like four minutes,” Tomko laughs, until they realized he intentionally glossed over the good news, at which the cast started screaming with joy. 

“I think I said a bunch of F bombs at Chris, I was like, ‘You, mother-!'” Tomko laughs.

The news was “so exciting,” Tomko admits. “We were hopeful and we were feeling pretty positive about it, but…in this…pandemic, not really sure what the networks are wanting to do moving forward. So we’re just grateful that they chose us.”

For the actress, who plays nurse Asta Twelvetrees, trying to stay in character is nearly impossible with Tudyk around. She found that out while shooting the pilot, in which his disguised alien character, who calls himself Harry Vanderspeigle, performed an autopsy.

“[H]e’s like juggling intestines,” Tomko laughs of the actor’s ad-libbing. “It was so hard, so hard.”  

Resident Alien airs tonight at 10 p.m. on Syfy.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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

March 24, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Shannon Finney/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — After a heart-to-heart via Zoom with the leader of Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA), Jay Leno has apologized telling jokes over the years that used Asians as punchlines. 

According to Variety, Leno talked with Guy Aoki about some of the material over his decades-long career, even as recently as a quip he made on America’s Got Talent regarding Koreans eating dog meat. 

“At the time I did those jokes, I genuinely thought them to be harmless,” said Leno. “I was making fun of our enemy North Korea, and like most jokes, there was a ring of truth to them.”

The former Tonight Show host added, “At the time, there was a prevailing attitude that some group is always complaining about something, so don’t worry about it. Whenever we received a complaint, there would be two sides to the discussion: Either ‘We need to deal with this’ or ‘Screw ’em if they can’t take a joke.’ Too many times I sided with the latter even when in my heart I knew it was wrong.”

Leno said of his apology, “I do not consider this particular case to be another example of cancel culture but a legitimate wrong that was done on my part. MANAA has been very gracious in accepting my apology. I hope that the Asian American community will be able to accept it as well, and I hope I can live up to their expectations in the future.”

Variety notes that MANNA had considered a boycott of Leno’s Fox show You Bet Your Life, but that preceded the conversation and the apology, which Aoki reportedly accepted without further comment.

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

March 24, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

FOX Image Collection via Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — The cast of Fox’s former phenomenon Glee will reunite at the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in tribute to former cast mate, the late Naya Rivera. 

Rivera, who played Santana Lopez on the show, was 33 when she died in an drowning accident last July.

Former Glee stars Jacob Artist, Chris Colfer, Darren Criss, Vanessa Lengies, Jane Lynch, Kevin McHale, Heather Morris, Matthew Morrison, Alex Newell, Amber Riley, Harry Shum Jr., Becca Tobin, and Jenna Ushkowitz will reunite to salute Rivera. 

Interestingly, Lea Michele, who famously weathered headlines that she was a diva on the show, apparently isn’t included.

Demi Lovato, who played Rivera’s girlfriend Dani on the show, will introduce the tribute.

Niecy Nash hosts the 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards on April 8 on GLAAD’s YouTube channel.

Special guests will include Emmy winners Sterling K. Brown, Dan Levy, and Laverne Cox, as well as My Rainey‘s co-star Colman Domingo and Happiest Season director Clea DuVall, among others.

The ceremony gets underway on Thursday, April 8 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

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

March 24, 2021 • No Comments • Entertainment News

Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Like many other movies, Ryan Reynolds’ forthcoming action comedy Free Guy has seen its release date bumped multiple times because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

But this time, he’s really sure that the film — initially slated for last July — will now be released on August 13. 

Kinda.

The actor poked fun at the movie’s moving debut date with a video tweet, set to Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy,” as was the film’s trailer. 

“Hey guys, awesome news” Ryan opens, apparently trying to put on a brave face. “I know we’ve had a few hiccups, but this time it’s a hundred percent locked in. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my entire life as long as I live.” 

He adds, “The new release date is –” before the shot cuts to another video of Reynolds spinning to the camera, and saying “August 13” in a poorly overdubbed addition.

Free Guy — also starring Taika Waititi, Lil Rel Howery, and Emmy-winning Killing Eve star Jodie Comer —  has Ryan playing a workaday dude who realizes he’s actually a non-player-character in the dangerous world of a Grand Theft Auto-like video game. 

Free Guy will be released by 20th Century Films, which is owned by Disney, parent company of ABC News.

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