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'iCarly' star Jennette McCurdy quits acting: "I resent my career in a lot of ways"

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Pimentel/WireImage(LOS ANGELES) — iCarly star Jennette McCurdy confirmed she will not be a part of the beloved Nickelodeon’s show reboot.  In fact, the 28-year-old actress furthered that she will never return to acting.

Speaking recently with Anna Faris on her podcast Empty Inside, McCurdy said she was “done” with acting.

“I quit a few years ago because I initially didn’t want to do it. My mom put me in it when I was six,” she said, referencing her late mother Debra McCurdy, who died in 2013.  “By sort of age, I guess 10 or 11, I was the main financial support for my family.”

Admitting that acting has “always” been difficult for her because of her anxiety, McCurdy furthered, “Once I started to get the nerves under control was when I started to actually get some traction, but I ultimately quit after my mom passed away.”

“With her death kind of died a lot of her ideas for my life,” said McCurdy before referencing her last stint, a one-woman-show titled “I’m Glad My Mom Died.”

“I wrote this one-woman show, and I performed that, and I really did not want to because of the nerves… Because of feeling like I don’t want to f***ing act anymore,” she explained. “I’m done.”

When reflecting on her successful career with Nickelodeon and the iCarly spinoff Sam & Cat that also starred Ariana Grande, McCurdy confessed, “I’m so ashamed of the parts I’ve done in the past. I resent my career in a lot of ways.”

“I feel so unfulfilled by the roles,” she added, calling her past acting gigs “cheesy” and “embarrassing.”

“It was embarrassing. And I imagine there’s a very different experience to be had with acting if you’re proud of your roles, and if you feel fulfilled by them,” she confessed.

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

Eddie Murphy to receive special award from the Make-up and Hairstylists Guild

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Eddie in disguise in Coming 2 America — Quantrell D. Colbert/Amazon Studios(LOS ANGELES) — Actor and comedian Eddie Murphy will be honored with the Distinguished Artisan Award during the eighth annual Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards, according to the guild’s website.

The Coming 2 America star will be honored for translating his comedic skills into film and television with an award presented by his co-star Arsenio Hall during its virtual ceremony on April 3.

“From The Nutty Professor to Prince Akeem, Eddie Murphy is a legendary actor whose myriad of characters live in our hearts forever,” said Local 706 president Julie Socash. “He has expertly created memorable personalities in numerous award winning films, often portraying multiple characters in the same film. This award recognizes all the hours that he has spent in the make-up chair collaborating with our talented and innovative make-up artists and hair stylists, and we celebrate these great relationships and Eddie’s enormous talents.”

Eddie Murphy will join actors Johnny Depp and Melissa McCarthy, who were previously honored for enhancing the collaboration of make-up and hair styling artistry to create memorable characters.

The actor has starred in a long list of blockbuster films including 1988’s Coming to America, Beverly Hills Cop, Doctor Dolittle, The Nutty Professor, 48 Hrs., and Dreamgirls, for which he received an Oscar nomination. In 2019, he transformed into Rudy Ray in Netflix’s Dolemite Is My Name, which earned him a Golden Globe award nomination. 

This Friday, Eddie Murphy will release his next blockbuster film and sequel, Coming 2 America, on Amazon Prime.

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

"You could save a life" – Dr. Oz urges people to learn CPR after saving a man at airport

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ABC/Jeff Neira(NEW JERSEY) — Unlike the old saw, Dr. Oz doesn’t just “play one on TV” — and the TV host and real-life cardiothoracic surgeon proved that Monday night when he helped saved a man’s life.

“Last night, a man collapsed near me and my family after we arrived at Newark Airport,” Dr. Mehmet Oz noted in a statement. “I performed CPR with the help of a Newark Port Authority police officer and cleared the man’s airway.”

Dr. Oz added, “Thankfully, Newark Airport had a defibrillator nearby that we were able to use to save his life. As a physician and a human being, it’s our responsibility to jump in when there’s a medical emergency.”

And that he did. 

ABC News reports the incident happened just after 11 p.m.; Port Authority Officer Jeffrey Croissant was on patrol when he witnessed a 60-year-old man fall to the floor of the baggage claim area of the airport’s Terminal C. 

He called for backup, but before that, Dr. Oz, who witnessed the situation, ran to the stricken man’s side and with Officer Croissant started CPR.

The officer reportedly didn’t recognize the TV doctor because he was wearing a mask for COVID-19, ABC News has learned.

Backup arrived minutes later, and three other Port Authority officers, Michael Bock, Matthew Vecchione and Daniel Olbrich gave the victim oxygen and deployed the defibrillator they’d brought with them. 

After “several” more rounds of CPR, the victim began breathing on his own, and was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The author, physician, and TV personality said the incident is, “Another critical reminder of how important it is to take the time to learn how to do CPR and use a defibrillator. You could save a life.”

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

Director Joe Carnahan on how his "dearly departed mentor" Tony Scott inspired his new Hulu movie Boss Level

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Hulu(NEW YORK) — Writer-director Joe Carnahan exploded onto the scene with the tense 2002 drug drama Narc, and has consistently been the go-to guy for gritty action films like 2006’s Smokin’ Aces with Ryan Reynolds and Common, and 2011’s The Grey with Liam Neeson.

His latest is the Hulu action film Boss Level, starring Marvel movie baddie Frank Grillo, Mel Gibson, and Naomi Watts. 

The film, sort of a Groundhog Day with guns, has Grillo playing an ex-Special Forces soldier who keeps reliving the same day until he unravels a potentially world-ending secret.

Carnahan first read the script from Chris and Eddie Borey years ago, before he decided to put his own stamp on it. He was inspired by the work of Top Gun and True Romance director, the late Tony Scott, who died by suicide in 2012.

“It was sci-fi, and I’m not really a sci-fi guy,” Carnahan says of their script.

“But Tony Scott, my dearly departed mentor, who I just thought the world of, you know, he had done Deja Vu [with Denzel Washington] around that time [2006]. And it was kind of this really brick and mortar look at time travel. And I thought, well, that would kind of be the style I would do it. And I wouldn’t want anything overtly science fiction because I just don’t think that’s my wheelhouse.”

Carnahan adds of Boss Level‘s star, “I [had] just worked with Frank on The Grey and I wanted to do something with him. And I thought this is kind of an ideal, this piece, because I just think the guy — he looks like an action hero.”  

Boss Level, which also stars Michelle Yeoh and Will Sasso, debuts on Hulu Friday.

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

Mr. Smith goes to Washington? Will Smith expresses interest in political office

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Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Will Smith is considering a career beyond acting and is flirting with running for political office.

Speaking on the Pod Save America podcast on Monday, the 52-year-old actor opened up about his political aspirations, but admitted that he isn’t yet ready to run.

“I think for now I’ll let that office get cleaned up a little bit and then I’ll consider that at some point down the line,” explained the Oscar nominee.

As for what kind of candidate Smith would be, he said, “I absolutely have an opinion, I’m optimistic, I’m hopeful, I believe in understanding between people and I believe in the possibility of harmony.”

“I will certainly do my part, whether it remains artistic or, at some point, ventures into the political arena,” he continued.

The conversation also touched upon the racial unrest in America, which came to a head over the summer following the death of George Floyd.

Speaking about his own experiences with racism, Smith revealed, “I’ve been called [racial epithet] to my face probably five or six times. And fortunately for my psyche, I’ve never been called [racial epithet] by a smart person.”

“I grew up with the impression that racists and racism were stupid,” continued the three-time Grammy winner. “I had never looked into the eyes of a racist and saw anything that I perceived as intellect.”

Smith furthered, “I noticed a difference between ignorance and evil. Now they’re twins, for sure, but ignorance can be educated and evil is a much more difficult problem.”

As for how to ease racial tensions, the Aladdin star suggested, “Education and understanding could alleviate some of the more dangerous and difficult aspects of racism that have unfortunately been embedded in the very fibers of our country.”

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