Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) — According to Orlando Bloom, his fiancée Katy Perry is the one who convinced him to take on his latest acting role.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Orlando said he agreed to voice Prince Harry in The Prince, an upcoming HBO Max animated series about the British royal family, because Katy thought it was a great idea.
“Initially, I was like, ‘Hmm, how do I feel about this?’ because I’m a British boy who’s actually very proud of my roots,” says Orlando. “I’ve always understood it as part of my heritage and background, and I’m not someone who wants to poke fun at anyone normally, but this was so clever, witty and affectionately done.”
But, he notes, “Katy was like, ‘You’ve got to do this. This is genius.’”
The Prince is inspired by a popular Instagram account by Gary Janetti, which offers a satirical take on the Royals, and focuses on Prince George, the son of Prince William and Duchess Kate.
Orlando says he actually met Harry after he took the job and calls him “such a nice guy” with a great sense of humor.”
“I hope he maintains his sense of humor through this because they’re sort of on a pedestal,” the actor adds. “We’re showing real adoration to them in one form or another.”
Katy and Orlando are expecting their baby daughter any day now.
ABC/Todd Wawrychuck(LOS ANGELES) — After reports surfaced that The Bachelorette host Chris Harrison had to step aside from the show in order to quarantine after dropping his son off at college, he is now back and is already teasing what this season will bring.
Harrison documented his grand return to the show, complete with him being halted by Paul Danner, a longtime stage manager, who is also pointing at a COVID-19 guidance sign. In return, Harrison has his hand outstretched in a “you have got to be kidding me” gesture.
The second photo in the slideshow uploaded Monday shows the host wheeling his luggage and golf clubs into the sprawling La Quinta Resort & Club in La Quinta, California.
“The most dramatic season ever!,” captioned Harrison on Monday, making light of all the behind-the-scenes changes that have been made in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 49-year-old host had left the show to drop his 18-year-old son Joshua off at Texas Christian University, but learned that by leaving the bubble — he had to undergo a mandatory quarantine to protect the health and safety of the contestants.
Other precautions that have since taken place involve the competition being filmed in one location, the upscale La Quinta Resort and not the Bachelor mansion. Unlike seasons’ past, the show will also not jet Bachelorette star Clare Crawley and her suitors across the globe.
Beyond these changes, the show has been at the center of several rumors, such as former Bachelorette JoJo Fletcher taking over Harrison’s hosting duties while he underwent mandatory quarantine, as reported by People.
The Bachelorette, which was originally slated to start airing in May, returns this fall on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Edwin Koo/amfAR/Getty Images for amfAR(LOS ANGELES) — As part of the magazine’s TIME 100 Talks, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star Michelle Yeoh enthused about the overwhelming Asian representation in her latest film, Marvel Studios Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Yeoh, who also appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, celebrated the casting of Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu as Marvel Studios’ first Asian lead. “When that movie was announced last year and they introduced who they were doing as the Marvel superhero and it was an Asian superhero, it was like, ‘Yes, finally!’ When do we get to be represented like that?”
Yeoh credits one of her films with helping wake Hollywood up, when it comes to casting. “When Crazy Rich Asians came out, it changed the map,” the actress said of the blockbuster. “It changed the whole way Asians were represented and seen. We were no longer invisible. We were no longer just a token. We were really represented in a contemporary way.”
Yeoh was already a superstar stunt performer and actor overseas before many Americans were introduced to her, in the 1997 James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies, in which she played a Chinese counterpart to Pierce Brosnan’s suave 007. “…[O]nce I got to America, I was like, I’m really a minority here and I have no representation,” Yeoh recalled.
“I think the turning point really came when I did the James Bond movie… It was a proud moment because here is a Chinese woman who is standing…toe-to-toe with the greatest spy in the world, James Bond. It made such a huge difference in the way we Asians were looked at.”
Shang-Shi, which also stars Awkwafina and Rosalind Chao, opens May 7, 2021.
Marvel Studios is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
Lester Cohen/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) — They’re back, pitches! The Barden Bellas from Pitch Perfect held a socially distanced reunion over Zoom on Monday to belt out their brand new charity single, which benefits COVID-19 relief efforts worldwide.
Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow and the rest of the Bellas — Alexis Knapp, Chrissie Fit, Kelley Jakle, Jama Mae Lee and Shelley Regner — joined together to cover Beyoncé’s “Love on Top.”
But before the show could start, Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins reprised their roles as the bitter A capella judging duo Gail and John to introduce the charity single and explain its purpose.
“I’m afraid we have some bad news. The Barden Bellas have gotten back together again,” Higgins quips. “It seems that not even a quarantine could prevent them from harassing us with another musical performance.”
Banks breaks character as she reveals why the actresses have joined forces, saying the charity single will benefit UNICEF’s global COVID-19 relief efforts, which now includes assistance for Lebanese children devastated by the explosion in Beirut.
The Bellas’ A capella reimagining of “Love on Top” is, understandably, chock full of the magic fans came to love about Pitch Perfect‘s soundtrack. The bubbly tune is filled with the Bellas’ signature beat boxing, musical riffs and powerhouse vocals.
Hilariously, as the key rises above Kendrick’s vocal range, the “Cups” singer flashes a few homemade signs that read, “As the key gets higher and Kelley takes over the top notes, I just want to say I miss you guys so much!”
The charity single is available now for purchase on the Amazon and iTunes Store. It also can be streamed on Spotify.
So far, the song has generated over $3,500 in sales.
Courtesy Aviation Gin(LOS ANGELES) — (NOTE LANGUAGE) Ryan Reynolds is on his way to becoming $610 million dollars richer.
On Monday, Diageo, one of the world’s largest producers of spirits and beers, announced they would be purchasing Aviation Gin, which is co-owned by Reynolds, in a deal worth an estimated $610 million.
According to the press release, the estimate is based on an upfront $335 million payout with an additional potential $275 million that will be disbursed over a 10-year period based on performance.
In a statement made by the Deadpool star, he said, “A little over two years ago, I became an owner of Aviation Gin because I love the taste of Aviation more than any other spirit. What I didn’t expect was the sheer creative joy learning a new industry would bring. Growing the brand with my company, Maximum Effort Marketing, has been among the most fulfilling projects I’ve ever been involved with. I want to thank Diageo for their incredible team and passion. We’re so excited for the next chapter of Aviation Gin, which, I promise, will require just as little reading.”
Aviation American Gin is the second largest super premium gin brand, as well as one of the fastest growing brands within the category in the United States.
Diageo is the same company that acquired George Clooney and Rande Gerber’s Casamigos tequila brand back in 2017 for $1 billion.
The British-based company also worked with Diddy in 2007 to sell Ciroc vodka, in addition to producing Johnny Walker whiskey, Ketel One vodka, and Captain Morgan rum.
In a typically on-brand, sarcastic tweet mentioning the news, Reynolds left an “out of office” memo in which he pretends he didn’t not to have gone over the fine print in the deal — and that he realized too late the $610 million wouldn’t be paid out in a lump sum.
“Thanks for your email. I am currently out of the office but will still be very hard at work selling Aviation Gin. For quite a long time, it seems,” the message began.
“In related news, I just learned what an ‘earn out’ is… And I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to everyone I told to go f**k themselves in the last 24 hours. My lawyers just explained how long it takes to achieve an ‘earn out’… so… turns out I’m not as George Clooney as I thought. The point is, to those listed below, I’m sorry… and I’ll indeed be needing your help in the coming months and years. Thanks in advance!
He mentions, “Mom, Blake, Peter, Diageo CEO, The Rock, George Clooney, Southern Glazer’s, Betty White, TGI Friday’s, Baxter, Calisthenics, AMC Theaters, Total Wine, The Number 8, Don Saladino, Darden, The Head of Alfredo Garcia, Soothing Lavender Eye Pillows.”
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic(LOS ANGELES) — According to Orlando Bloom, his fiancée Katy Perry is the one who convinced him to take on his latest acting role.
