Noticias

Marlene Warfield, the New York actress known for her feisty turns as the prostitute ex-girlfriend of James Earl Jones’ boxer in The Great White Hope on Broadway and the big screen and as a young revolutionary in Network, has died. She was 83.

Warfield died April 6 of lung cancer at a hospital in Los Angeles, her sister, Chequita Warfield, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Warfield also recurred as Maude’s third and last regular housekeeper, the Jamaica-born Victoria Butterfield, on the sixth and final season (1977-78) of the famed Norman Lear-created CBS sitcom that starred Bea Arthur.

After appearing in the East Village at St. Mark’s Playhouse in French dramatist Jean Genet’s The Blacks — where she understudied for Cicely Tyson and also worked alongside the likes of Jones, Godfrey Cambridge and Maya Angelou — Warfield made it to Broadway in October 1968 when she was cast as Clara in The Great White Hope,...

At 77, Oscar-winner Kathy Bates has carved a new path through Emmy history, becoming the oldest performer ever nominated for lead actress in a drama series thanks to her sharp-witted turn as retired lawyer-turned-sleuth Madeline “Matty” Matlock in CBS’s reboot of “Matlock.”

The milestone eclipses the mark set by Angela Lansbury, who was 70 when “Murder, She Wrote” earned its final nod in 1996. Bates’s latest recognition pushes her career tally to 14 Primetime Emmy nominations, which already include two wins for guest and supporting roles.

“Matlock” has proved more than a nostalgia play; the legal caper averages 13.5 million weekly viewers—making it broadcast television’s most-watched freshman series and a rare network entry in an awards race now dominated by cable and streaming. Co-star Jason Ritter credits the show’s on-set tone to its leading lady: “If you try to put her on a pedestal, she’ll stop you—she’s a true collaborator,...

Kathy Bates made Emmy history Tuesday, becoming the oldest performer ever nominated in the lead drama actress category at age 77 for her role in the CBS reboot of “Matlock.”

With the nomination, Bates surpasses a record previously held by Angela Lansbury, who was 70 when she received her final nod in 1996 for “Murder, She Wrote.”

In “Matlock,” Bates stars as Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a shrewd and resilient attorney who reenters the legal world decades after a mysterious and tragic retirement. The public version of her backstory is one of personal loss: widowed and left financially devastated by her husband’s gambling, she’s forced to raise her grandson after the death of her daughter in a car accident. Matty is hired at the high-powered law firm Jacobson Moore, where she reports to Olympia, a sharp, younger partner, despite her decades of legal expertise.

The performance has earned widespread acclaim for Bates,...

The American Film Institute is now accepting applicants for its storied AFI Dww+ program for the class of 2026-2027, as IndieWire exclusively shares.

The tuition-free, year-long directing workshop turns 51 this year and will again shepherd underrepresented and emerging filmmakers through the production cycle of a short film. Since launching, the program, which takes place in Los Angeles on the AFI campus, has trained more than 350 filmmakers and artists.

Alumni include “Coda” Best Picture winner Siân Heder, Ellen Burstyn, Dyan Cannon, Directors Guild of America president Lesli Linka Glatter, Lee Grant, Margot Kidder, “Wednesday” and “Agatha All Along” director Gandja Monteiro, Cicely Tyson, Anne Bancroft, “A Black Lady Sketch Show” director and executive producer Dime Davis. Check out the most recent class of 2026 here.

The program accepts up to eight filmmakers with “a passion for visual storytelling, the tenacity to pursue a directorial career, and a willingness to learn and grow,...

Denzel Washington’s new movie is coming to theaters everywhere next month, and ahead of its arrival, fans have propelled one of his most iconic films back into the streaming spotlight. Washington stars alongside Ethan Hawke in Training Day, the 2001 classic crime thriller following a rookie cop assigned to a veteran L.A. narcotics officer who isn’t what he seems on the surface. Training Day is currently streaming on Paramount+, and the film has jumped back into the top 10, sitting at #9 at the time of writing. Training Day earned scores of 74% from critics and 89% from general audiences on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, and it grossed $104 million at the box office against a $45 million budget, making it a moderate financial success.

During a 2021 interview with The Morning Call, Washington spoke about his character, Alonzo Harris. Washington revealed that he rewrote parts of the script, injecting some lines to make both...

Derek Dixon’s recently filed $260 million litigation against Tyler Perry alleges sexual harassment, battery and assault — claims that the Atlanta entertainment mogul has called a shakedown. The sensational details of the suit, however, may obscure a more prosaic assertion found in the filing, one that has long trailed Perry — that he is operating his namesake studio without standard workplace guardrails.

Dixon contends that he didn’t report Perry, the impresario responsible for Tyler Perry Studios, after being purportedly pinned against a wall and groped by him because he wasn’t aware of a human resources department at the facility. Regardless of the legitimacy of this assertion, questions have long surrounded Perry’s relationship with industry labor.

Tps, a 330-acre lot on a former Confederate army base employing more than 500 people, opened in 2019 as a crowning achievement for Black creativity and ownership in film and television. Its dozen soundstages are all...

When Reginald Hudlin received a call from Jamie Foxx and producer Datari Turner in 2019 saying that they wanted to make a movie about leading Black actors in Hollywood, he was all in.

“It was kind of a no-brainer,” says Hudlin, director of Apple TV+’s Number One on the Call Sheet. “As we started talking through the idea, it was pretty obvious that there was more than enough talent to feature in this film. In fact, we needed to restructure this movie so it was even bigger — hence, Shola Lynch.”

Lynch came on board to direct the film on Black leading women in Hollywood, while Hudlin was at the helm for the film on Black leading men. Together they make up the two-part docuseries in which some 30 A-listers, from Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Whoopi Goldberg and Viola Davis to Denzel Washington, Will Smith and Eddie Murphy, discuss their journeys as entertainers.

Quinta Brunson is about to join a rare group that only includes Queen Latifah and Maya Rudolph.

On May 3, the two-time Emmy winner for Abbott Elementary will host Saturday Night Live for the second time in her career. Only two Black women have ever hosted SNL multiple times: Latifah in 2003 and 2004, and Rudolph in 2012, 2021, and 2024.

The first time Brunson emceed NBC's late night program in April 2023, she went viral for the "Bosses" sketch in which she and Sarah Sherman played bald, chauvinistic male executives who acted inappropriately toward a new female employee (Chloe Fineman). Brunson's character was obsessed with Fineman's "big old buttered yams," proclaiming, "What I wouldn't do to jump off a diving board and cannonball into that cleavage. Help, I'm drowning! But don't save me — I want to die in there."

Other notable sketches included "Traffic Altercation," where Brunson got into a fight with Mikey Day while stuck in traffic; "Drug Dealer,...

Kathy Bates is winning cases on screen, and might win over Emmy voters next.

Bates, a titan of stage and screen, is poised to make Emmy history this year. If she receives a nomination for her magnetic performance in CBS’s “Matlock” reboot, she will become the oldest nominee ever in the lead drama actress category — at the age of 77.

Bates, born June 28, 1948, would be just two weeks past her birthday when the 2025 Emmy nominations are announced on July 17. Should her name be called — as many believe she’s the current frontrunner in the category — she would surpass the record held by Angela Lansbury, who was 70 when she received her final nomination in 1996 for “Murder, She Wrote.”

In “Matlock,” Bates plays Madeline “Matty” Matlock, a woman who reenters the legal world decades after retiring under seemingly tragic circumstances. The public version of her story is that she was widowed and...

Veteran NBC News newswoman Andrea Mitchell and NBC’s late-night sketch comedy series “Saturday Night Live” will be honored at the 85th annual Peabody Awards ceremony, to be held June 1 in Beverly Hills, Calif., it was announced Tuesday.

Mitchell, who currently serves as NBC News’ chief Washington and chief foreign affairs correspondent, will receive the Peabody Career Achievement Award. Mitchell joins an elite list of past honorees, which include Mel Brooks, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, Dan Rather, Cicely Tyson and Carol Burnett.

Mitchell has been with NBC News for nearly five decades, three of which as the chief foreign affairs correspondent. During her tenure at the news organization, she has covered eight White House administrations, a dozen presidential races, multiple wars and landmark global events. She previously won a Peabody Award for her coverage of the Texas abortion ban and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Television...

Fans of Michelle Pfeiffer will get an opportunity to celebrate wildly — let’s call that “makin’ whoopee” — when she leaves her handprints and footprints in cement at the Tcl Chinese Theatre next month.

The ceremony will take place during the April 24-27 TCM Classic Film Festival, it was announced Thursday.

One of Pfeiffer’s most unforgettable performances — that of smoldering lounge singer Susie Diamond in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), for which she received the second of her three career Oscar nominations — will be showcased at the 16th annual event as well. (Watch her in that film on the piano, and we do mean On the piano, here.)

“There’s an undeniable quality to any part played by Michelle Pfeiffer,” TCM host Ben Mankiewicz said in a statement. “She blends — seemingly effortlessly (though it surely isn’t effortless) — elegance with depth, capturing the complexity in every character she plays.

“For example,...

The 16th annual African American Film Critics Association (Aafca) Awards brought together industry figures to recognize Black artists and filmmakers. Tyler Perry made a brief stop in Los Angeles to present the Beacon Award to Nicole Avant, producer of The Six Triple Eight, before flying out again the same night.

“There’s so many attacks on who we are, what our stories are,” Perry said on stage, stressing the importance of supporting Black storytellers. He described Avant as “Hollywood royalty,” highlighting her role as the daughter of philanthropist Jacqueline Avant and music executive Clarence Avant.

Nicole Avant Reflects on Her Influences

Avant expressed appreciation for receiving the honor, saying her parents would have been proud. “I’m sure they are beaming down. My mom would always tell me to go out in the world and be the light. Choose which side you’re on, and then play ball,” she said.

Tyler Perry made a special trip to Los Angeles to present his friend Nicole Avant with the Beacon Award at the 16th annual African American Film Critics Association Awards.

“I don’t know why I’m working like I’m still broke,” Perry joked about arriving at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel straight from the airport, then hopping back on the plane when the show was over.

But the quick roundtrip was necessary to support Aafca’s mission of uplifting Black storytellers — “especially in this climate when there’s so many attacks on who we are, what our stories are,” Perry said — and to salute Avant, who he emphasized is “Hollywood royalty” as the daughter of the late Jacqueline Avant, a philanthropist, and Clarence Avant, the music executive known as “The Black Godfather.”

On the red carpet, Nicole Avant told Variety her parents would be proud to see her receive this specific honor.

Since 1975 nearly a thousand hosts have graced the stage at Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center for “Saturday Night Live.”

Actors, comedians, musicians and even politicians have taken the stage to make America laugh on Saturday night for 50 seasons. Twenty five of these hosts have been inducted into the “Five Timers Club.” The club was first introduced during Tom Hanks’ 1990 monologue, featuring Steve Martin, Elliott Gould and Paul Simon.

During Martin Short’s December 2024 appearance, several Five Timers Club members popped up on the show to welcome him into the club, including Emma Stone, Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Kristen Wiig and more, to give him the ceremonial robe.

Alec Baldwin has hosted the show 17 times, the most in the series’ history, with Martin, Hanks, Buck Henry and John Goodman following close behind.

As the show celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, we have rounded up every person who has hosted the sketch show.

One of the greatest sitcoms ever created, "Frasier" had its fill of memorable guest appearances during its eleven season run from 1993 to 2004, amassing an incredible 23 Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series. While Kelsey Grammer, David Hyde Pierce, John Mahony, Jane Leeves, and Peri Gilpin steered the ship for over a decade, like most long-running shows (sitcom or not) the supporting cast, recurring characters, and famous guest spots created interesting and unique dynamics to keep the spirit of the show fresh.

Choosing only 15 guest stars for a show as renowned as "Frasier" proved a difficult challenge, with many amazing performances left off the list for some lesser known appearances. It should also be noted that this list only includes on-screen guest appearances, as the number of famous voices who called in to "The Dr. Frasier Crane Show" on Kacl is far too expansive to consolidate into one list.

The American Film Institute (AFI) has officially announced the eight filmmakers for the upcoming AFI Dww+ Class of 2026, where each will go through the production cycle of a short film. IndieWire shares the class exclusively here.

The artists selected for the AFI Dww+ Class of 2026 are Ragini Bhasin, Reena Dutt, Maja Fernqvist, Melissa Fisher, Ran Jing, Eunice Levis, Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz, and Destinee Stewart.

Each participant went through a rigorous selection process and was ultimately selected from 20 finalists who met with a final selection committee. AFI also announced that Marie Jamora (a graduate of AFI Dww 2020) has been named the AFI Dww+ guest artistic director for the Class of 2026.

“For over 50 years, AFI Dww+ has had a meaningful impact on the industry,” said Susan Ruskin, dean of the AFI Conservatory and executive vice president of the American Film Institute. “We are honored that AFI Dww+ Alum and trailblazing director, Marie Jamora,...

Cynthia Erivo made Oscar history on Thursday morning with her Best Actress bid for Wicked. She is now only the second Black female performer to receive multiple bids in this category, after Viola Davis.

Erivo plays Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West, in director Jon M. Chu‘s big-budget adaptation of the beloved Broadway stage musical. Wicked actually marks her second Best Actress mention after Harriet (2019), for which she also earned a Best Song bid for “Stand Up” (cowritten with Joshuah Brian Campbell). Wicked received 10 Oscar nominations this year, including for Erivo’s supporting co-star Ariana Grande.

Davis was the first to accomplish such a feat, thanks to her double Best Actress Oscar bids for The Help (2011) and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020). While she lost both of those contests, she did win the Best Supporting Actress prize for Fences (2016); she also had a prior bid in that...

On Monday, February 17 at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt, CBS will air an all-new primetime special produced by the team at “Entertainment Tonight,” titled “On TV: A Black History Month Special,” hosted by Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner, the first ever Black co-hosting team for “Entertainment Tonight.”

The primetime special, which will also be available to stream Live and On Demand on Paramount+*, will feature interviews with several CBS stars, including the cast of “Beyond the Gates,” the first new network television soap opera to premiere in over 25 years.

Filmed on location from the sets of the CBS shows, the special will guide viewers through a celebration of Black excellence in television as the hosts shine a spotlight on Black actors who are forging a path in daytime and primetime television.

Daphnee Duplaix. Clifton Davis, Tamara Tunie, Karla Mosley

Quantrell Colbert/CBS

Those set to appear in the special include Tamara Tunie,...

Turner Classic Movies honors civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy all day on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday January 20) with 24 hours’ worth of films dealing with racism and the fight for racial justice. Here’s a breakdown of TCM’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day schedule and what to expect in these powerful stories. Turner Classic Movies Martin Luther King Jr. Day Marathon 2025 Schedule Kicking things off is 1965’s A Patch of Blue, starring Sidney Poitier and Shelley Winters (who won an Oscar for her role as Rose-Ann D’Arcey), about a Black man who befriends a blind white girl. The Learning Tree centers on a poor Black 14-year-old in Kansas learning about love and racial injustice and stars Kyle Johnson. At 10am/9c, the Oscar-nominated Sounder (1972), starring Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson, chronicles the life of the eldest son of a hardworking family of sharecroppers in the Depression-era South.

In Marc Forster's 2001 drama "Monster's Ball," Halle Berry plays Leticia Musgrove, a woman at the end of her rope. Her husband has been convicted of murder and is executed by the state of Georgia early in the film. Leticia is trying to put her life back together when her son Tyrell (Coronji Calhoun) is hit by a car and dies. Leticia can only find comfort in the arms of a gruff prison warden named Hank (Billy Bob Thornton), whose own son (Heath Ledger) recently died by suicide. What Leticia doesn't know, however, is that Hank oversaw her husband's execution. It's all very complicated, but handled tactfully and with the utmost sensitivity. "Monster's Ball" is a pretty great film.

Berry won the Oscar for Best Actress for playing Leticia at the 2002 Academy Awards ceremony, beating out Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Sissy Spacek, and Renée Zellweger. Her victory was well-deserved.

She...

Cicely Tyson was an Emmy Award-winning actress for “The Oldest Confederate Widow Tells All” in 1994 and 20 years earlier for “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.”

Tyson worked steadily in film and television since the 1960s until her death in 2021 at age 96 . Her Emmy nominations were for a variety of categories and for some highly acclaimed television shows such as “Roots” and “King”.

Tyson also had an acclaimed career on the Broadway stage. She appeared in a number of productions both on and off-Broadway throughout her life. In 2013 and at age 88, Tyson won the Tony as Best Actress in a Play for a revival of the Horton Foote play “The Trip to Bountiful.” (That was the same role that won Geraldine Page the Best Actress Oscar in 1985.)

She received an honorary Oscar for life achievement, induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame and the Kennedy Center Honors. But its her...

In the past 96 years of the Academy Awards, there have only been two years in which two Black women were nominated for Best Actress in the same year. That ignominious statistic could very well change for the better this year, as performers Cynthia Erivo (“Wicked”) and Marianne Jean-Baptiste (“Hard Truths”) are both closing in on nominations.

Erivo’s star turn as Elphaba, a role which won the Best Musical Actress trophy at the 2004 Tony Awards for Idina Menzel, currently ranks fifth in our combined Oscar odds. It would mark her second nomination in the category, following her breakout film role as Harriet Tubman in “Harriet” (2019). The actress earned two nominations that year, also receiving recognition for the song “Stand Up,” which she wrote with Joshuah Brian Campbell. The Tony winner for “The Color Purple” currently has 80% of experts and 40% of Gold Derby editors predicting her for the nom.

See Oscar...

Cynthia Erivo warned of “dangerous” social media, in response to a question about online abuse of her Wicked co-star Ariana Grande.

“It’s easy to be behind a computer typing words about a person you don’t know, and not getting to know a person and learning about them in their being,” said Erivo, speaking in an in-conversation session at Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea International Film Festival. The way to counter that, the actress said, “is really to try and be the counterpoint to whatever is coming back at a person.

”If it is something to with looks, if...

Toni Vaz, an actor and activist who created the NAACP Image Awards, died on Oct. 4 in Woodland Hills, Calif. She was 101.

Vaz’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Barbados and she was one of four siblings raised in New York City in the 1950s. Her mother did not allow her to watch movies. However, upon coming of age, Vaz moved to Hollywood where she was cast as an extra in the 1959 film “Tarzan, the Ape Man.” She performed a scene opposite MGM’s Leo the Lion.

After appearing in front of the camera for the first time, Vaz was cast in films like “Anna Lucasta” as well as “The Singing Nun,” leading her to transition to stunt work, which was a first for a Black woman.

Vaz worked as a double for Cicely Tyson on the TV series “Mission: Impossible,” performing daring stunts in front of the camera such as dangling from helicopters.

Toni Vaz, a screen veteran who blazed a trail as an extra, stunt performer and actress before becoming an activist and founder of the NAACP Image Awards, has died. She was 101.

A representative for the Motion Picture & Television Fund confirmed that she passed away on Oct. 4. No cause of death was provided. Per the rep, Vaz was “a beloved resident” at MPTF’s Woodland Hills home.

With roots in the British West Indies and Panama — her parents hailed from Barbados before immigrating to the United States — Vaz was one of four siblings raised in New York. She moved to Los Angeles from the East Coast in the 1950s to pursue a career as an actress and stuntwoman, which may have been a surprising career choice to some as her mother did not allow her to watch movies until she came of age. The leap of faith paid off with...

Toni Vaz — a trailblazing stunt performer, actress and activist, who also founded the NAACP Image Awards — has died at 101.

She died Oct. 4 in Woodland Hills, according to a spokesperson for Vaz, at the Motion Picture & Television Fund assisted living facility, where she was a longtime resident.

In addition to her acting roles and stuntwork that had her doubling for such stars as Cicely Tyson, she founded the NAACP Image Awards to honor her peers and encourage studios and producers to hire and honor a wider range of talent. The first Image Awards ceremony was held on Aug. 13, 1967 in the Beverly Hills Hotel’s International Ballroom.

However, she was not credited with founding the awards until 2021, when she was honored at the awards’ 52nd ceremony. “Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson introduced her. You can watch a clip of the moment below:

Born to parents from Barbados who had immigrated to the U.

99.9% of working actors are forever in search of that fabled "big break" which will never, ever come. For many, the quest starts in school and regional theater, where they outshine everyone; they're so good, directors are sometimes forced to cast them well outside of their age range because their brilliance in a minor role will throw the entire show off balance. Then they head off to college, where they typically find they're not the Olivier or Streep. After that, it's New York City or Hollywood, and either a trip back to graduate school so they can potentially make a living as a teacher or a resigned segue into another career.

In 1981, this was the struggle if you were white. If you were an aspiring African-American actor, you were playing a completely different game. Most stars of color were musicians or comedians — and male. If you were a character actor, the roles tended towards servants,...

Broadway theaters will dim their lights on Sept. 26 in memory of James Earl Jones.

Jones, who died Sept. 9 at the age of 93, was a two-time Tony Award winner as well as a recipient of the 2017 special Tony Award for lifetime achievement. The Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in September 2022.

Broadway theaters will dim their lights at 6:45 p.m. on Sept. 26 in his honor. The dimming of lights has been a tradition on Broadway for notable members of the community who have died, but must be approved by the theater owners.

Jones made his Broadway in 1957 as an understudy in The Egghead. He received his first Tony Award in 1969 for his role in The Great White Hope and won another Tony in 1987 for his role in Fences. He also appeared in The Iceman Cometh, Of Mice and Men, Othello, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Driving Miss Daisy,...

Broadway will dim its lights for the late James Earl Jones this Thursday, September 26, at at 6:45 pm/Et , the Broadway League announced today.

The traditional honor, in which the marquee lights of Broadway venues go dark for one minute, will pay tribute to the two-time Tony-winning actor who died September 9 at the age of 93. Jones was the recipient of the 2017 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

“James Earl Jones was a true pillar of the Broadway industry,” said Jason Laks, Interim President of The Broadway League, “providing unforgettable experiences to multiple generations of theatregoers – all while accumulating many well-deserved honors, awards, and achievements for his iconic performances in other entertainment fields. While we acknowledge and celebrate Mr. Jones’ significant legacy across multiple mediums, we are particularly proud of his legacy on Broadway, and are grateful for the many memorable performances with which he graced our stages.”

Jones’ Broadway career...

Melissa Gilbert is set to guest star in a two-episode arc on Season 12 of the long-running series When Calls the Heart, set to premiere on the Hallmark Channel next year. The news was shared with those who gathered at the show’s annual Hearties Family Reunion fan event in Vancouver, Canada.

Gilbert will portray Georgie McGill, who “shares a surprising past with one special Hope Valley resident,” per the announcement description. The opportunity to join the series arose through executive producer Michael Landon Jr., who connected with the veteran actress at the Little House on the Prairie 50th Anniversary Cast Reunion and Festival held earlier this year. The two shared the news in a panel discussion onstage at the Hearties Family Reunion.

“When Calls the Heart has long drawn comparisons to Little House on the Prairie, for its charming and compelling stories of hope, human connection and frontier survival,” said Kelly Garrett,...

The great James Earl Jones has left an amazing legacy behind in movies but some may be overlooking his fun TV work!

With that epic, deep voice, James Earl Jones was one of the most recognizable and amazing actors of any generation. He’ll always be known for voicing Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, as well as far too many movies to count. He’s an Egot winner (a lifetime achievement Oscar) as well as other awards and his passing has led to a good look at his career. It's why his passing at the age of 93 feels like a tremendous loss as generations grew up knowing Jones and his film work.

Yet it can be overlooked how Jones had a surprising number of TV appearances. Most were in guest star turns for one episode like Everwood, but others could be more notable. To mark his passing,...

Courtney B. Vance is a Tony- and Emmy-winning actor and the president of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. To Vance, legendary actor James Earl Jones was known as “Jimmy.” The two first met in the 1980s while starring in August Wilson’s drama “Fences,” which went on to win the Pulitzer Prize and four Tony Awards, including Jones’ prize for best leading actor in a play. Here, Vance reflects on the “Fences” family, their enduring friendship and his final visit with his onstage father.

James lived in upstate New York, and I was there about six months ago. The whole family was there, and we were all just laughing, talking about old times. He said to me, “Courtney, they’ve got me so ensconced in this bubble, I think I’m gonna live to be 100.” I said, “Jimmy, I know you will.” We didn’t have a chance to reminisce about our experience with “Fences,...

I spent my first decade in New York working at Variety’s former offices on Park Avenue South and more than once found myself sharing an elevator with James Earl Jones while he was on his way to or from Verizon to shoot commercials. The giant of an actor, who died today at age 93, never failed to say a warm, “Good morning” or “Good afternoon,” and even if I hadn’t recognized his face or his imposing 6-foot, 2-inch frame, there was no mistaking that sonorous voice.

His voice was the earth-shaking basso rumble coming from behind the forbidding mask of Darth Vader in the Star Wars saga, starting with the original 1977 film, and the stentorian growl of Mufasa, King of the Pride Lands and father of Simba in The Lion King.

It was also the voice of a revered stage actor, who forged his reputation in the 1960s and ‘70s,...

The recently released film adaption of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel “It End with Us” was a lot of things and has certainly gotten a lot of people talking. It’s unfortunate, however, that the most important subjects at its center — that of domestic violence and emotional abuse — have not been top-of-mind for most conversations regarding the film, but rather alleged personal riffs between star Blake Lively and director/co-star Justin Baldoni. When domestic violence and abuse have been discussed in reference to the film, it has typically been with criticism over how the film and its rollout have avoided more thoughtfully grappling with these themes, rarely reaching for a narrative that goes any deeper than a casual beach read.

In speaking on adapting Hoover’s novel for the screen in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Baldoni acknowledged his interest in focusing on how Lively’s character, Lily Bloom, overcomes her circumstances,...

Laurence Fishburne continues to be a household name thanks to features in notable franchises such as The Matrix and John Wick. However, the acclaimed actor reveals he's most proud of two lesser-known films he believes fans should revisit.

Speaking with Comicbook.com, Fishburne was asked to name the under-the-radar movies he cherishes most from his distinguished career. Fishburne named two HBO films, Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned and Miss Evers' Boys, considering their quality and subjects. "There's a thing I did for HBO called Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, which was based on a Walter Mosely novella of the same title," Fishburne said. "There's another little gem of a movie that I did, that I'm not sure many people saw. I also did another movie for HBO called Miss Evers' Boys, which was about the U.S. government's secret experiments on African American men back in the '30s about dealing with syphilis and penicilin.

Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman is on its way to Netflix. The first in a franchise with over a dozen movies, 11 plays, and a long-running show, Diary quickly became a massive success. It earned $50.7 million at the box office on a budget of just $5.5 million, and it helped Perry become a household name practically overnight. 19 years after its release, the romantic comedy has endured as a classic hit.

Led by Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, and Perry, the movie introduced Madea, who would be the only major member of the franchise to explode into extraordinary popularity. Having started Perry's on-screen career with a bang, it is now coming to Netflix on September 1, where it will join Tyler Perry's A Madea Homecoming to offer more insight into how the wide and wild world of Madea began.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

Did You Know: The...

Though the title of the awards has changed over the decades, the two guest star in a drama series Emmys are among the most competitive handed out during the Creative Arts ceremony. Cicely Tyson earned the most nomination in this category with nine. Michael J. Fox received seven nominations earning the award in 2009 for FX’s “Rescue Me.” And who have won the most in the past five decades? Patricia Clarkson, Charles S. Dutton, Cherry Jones, Ron Cephas Jones, John Lithgow, Shirley Knight, Margo Martindale, Patrick McGoohan, Amanda Plummer and Alfre Woodward have each won twice.

This year five drama nominees appeared in FX’s “Mr. and Mrs. Smith“- Michaela Cole, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Parker Posey and John Turturro. Rounding out the nominees for Best Drama Guest Actress are Claire Foy for “The Crown,” Marcia Gay Harden for “The Morning Show” while Nestor Carbonell for “Shogun,” Tracy Letts...

The American Film Institute has opened applications for its celebrated AFI Dww+ program for participants interested in joining the class of 2025-2026. The year-long directing workshop educates underrepresented narrative filmmakers, taking them through the complete production cycle of a short film — and with hands-on guidance from leading industry experts. Notable past participants include Best Picture-winning “Coda” filmmaker Sian Heder, DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter, and “A Black Lady Sketch Show” director and executive producer Dime Davis.

Applications open today, August 12, and will close September 13. More info on deadlines and requirements to apply is available via the American Film Institute’s website. See the Dww+ Class of 2024-2025 here.

The program, first launched in 1974 as the Directing Workshop for Women, will also celebrate its 50th anniversary this fall. With early participants including Maya Angelou, Anne Bancroft, Ellen Burstyn, Lee Grant, Jessie Maple, and Cicely Tyson, the workshop has trained more than 350 filmmakers.

A little over a year after landing her first Oscar, and a month after earning her second-ever Emmy nomination for her role in The Bear, Jamie Lee Curtis can now add “doctor” to her long list of accomplishments.

The star was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by the American Film Institute at the film school’s class of 2024 commencement ceremony on Saturday. Halloween director John Carpenter was on hand to present her with the honor, noting, “We did Halloween, and it made all of us famous, but Jamie Lee especially. She became the queen of horror movies; I’m not sure she wanted that. I’ve watched Jamie’s career through the years and watched her grow as an actress, and finally, finally, she won an Academy Award — and rightfully so. She is an amazing talent.”

Upon taking the podium at the Tcl Chinese Theatre, an emotional Curtis told the crowd,...

Less than a year after winning her seventh career Emmy for producing her own birthday special, “90 Years of Laughter + Love,” Carol Burnett is on the verge of making even more TV academy history. Having just secured a Best Comedy Supporting Actress nomination for Apple TV+’s “Palm Royale,” she has a clear shot at not only conquering her fifth unique Emmy category but also becoming the organization’s very first nonagenarian acting champion.

Set in 1969, “Palm Royale” is the first non-sketch series on which Burnett has ever played a regular role. She appears throughout the inaugural season as Norma Dellacorte, an initially comatose Florida socialite who, like all of the women in her circle, harbors some rather heavy secrets. The show is up for a total of 11 Emmys, including Best Comedy Series and Actress (Kristen Wiig).

The current record for oldest acting Emmy winner belongs to Betty White, who was...

Dr. Curtis at your service.

Academy Award winner Jamie Lee Curtis, who just snagged an Emmy nomination for her critically-acclaimed turn on The Bear, is poised to receive another accolade. The American Film Institute announced today that it will present a doctorate of fine arts degree honoris causa to Curtis in honor of “contributions of distinction to the art of the moving image.”

Curtis will receive the shine and the diploma during the AFI Conservatory’s commencement ceremony celebrating the class of 2024 at Hollywood’s Tcl Chinese Theatre on Aug. 10.

With the honor, Curtis joins a roster of past recipients that includes such notable names as Robert Altman, Angela Bassett, Kathryn Bigelow, Mel Brooks, Carol Burnett, Clint Eastwood, Nora Ephron, James Earl Jones, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Angela Lansbury, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Paul Schrader, Quentin Tarantino, Lily Tomlin, Robert Towne, Cicely Tyson and John Williams.

Tyler Perry's new movie Divorce in the Black has received a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is the filmmaker's lowest ever, and the worst since 2017's box office flop Boo 2! A Madea Halloween. Critics are lambasting the movie for

Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black has broken a major Rotten Tomatoes record for the filmmaker. Perry is a prolific playwright, screenwriter, director, and actor who is best known for the Madea movies, in which he stars in drag as the title character, the loving but tough matriarch of a sprawling family. He frequently plays a variety of other characters opposite Madea, though his movies also typically boast vast ensemble casts of notable actors such as Taraji P. Henson, Loretta Devine, Shemar Moore, Cicely Tyson, Keke Palmer, Viola Davis, and more.

Tyler Perry movies have tended to be critically divisive, though quite a few of them have made...

When it comes to the race to win an Emmy, there will be a collective buzz around the award’s 60+ categories until Sept. 15 when we find out who gets the gold.

Arguably one of the most highly competitive awards doesn’t happen at the main event but the weekend before at the Creative Arts ceremony. That’s when the winners in the four guest performer categories (which include guest actor and actress in both comedy and drama genres) are awarded for a one-time or re-curring role. (Think Jamie Lee Curtis’ two-episode performance on FX’s “The Bear” — a likely candidate.)

In looking back at early precursors, this award has quite a checkered past with numerous category name changes and head-scratching nominee groupings over the years. For example, in 1977, the bracket was called outstanding single appearance in a comedy or drama series. There was no separation by genre, so nominees included...

Less than a year after winning her seventh career Emmy for co-producing her own birthday special, “90 Years of Laughter + Love,” Carol Burnett is preparing to make even more TV academy history. The small screen legend is on the verge of earning her first Best Comedy Supporting Actress nomination for Apple TV+’s “Palm Royale,” which would also be her first bid for a regular role on a non-sketch series. If she succeeds on this possible outing, she will set a new record as the first nonagenarian winner of any acting Emmy.

Set in 1969, “Palm Royale” features Burnett in the role of Norma Dellacorte, an initially comatose Florida socialite who, like all of the women in her circle, harbors some rather heavy secrets. Although she has so far been exclusively credited as a special guest star on the show, she does not presently qualify for guest category placement since she appears...

Jan Haag, who a half-century ago founded the landmark Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute, has died. She was 90.

The remarkable Haag, who also was an actress, painter, poet, novelist, playwright, writer of travel stories and creator of needlepoint canvases, some of which required hundreds of hours to complete, died Monday in Shoreline, Washington, according to the AFI and the Mb Abram agency.

Haag had directed dozens of educational films for the John Tracy Clinic and the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare when she became the first woman accepted into the Academy Intern Program at the AFI in 1970, three years after it was founded by George Stevens Jr.

She was assigned to Paramount’s Harold and Maude (1971), directed by Hal Ashby, then joined the AFI staff in 1971, and among her duties was to administer the nonprofit’s film grant program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Mel Brooks will receive this year’s Career Achievement Award at the 84th Peabody Awards, and Quinta will be honored with the Peabody Trailblazer Award. Both received a unanimous vote of the Peabody Board of Jurors and will be recognized at the June 9 awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

“Mel Brooks is not only one of the most beloved comedians of all time, but he literally set the standard for television comedy from its earliest days. Across TV, film, theater, and recordings, Mr. Brooks is in a league of his own. And Quinta Brunson has emerged as a refreshingly creative force in network television comedy,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody. “Peabody is proud to honor Mel and Quinta not only for their extraordinary contributions as storytellers, but particularly for their use of comedy to tell stories that matter, enriching the lives of so many.”

The Career Achievement Award is...

The Peabody Awards Board of Jurors today announced that Mel Brooks has won the Peabody Career Achievement Award, while Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson has won the Peabody Trailblazer Award.

Both awards were selected by unanimous vote of the Peabody Board of Jurors and will be celebrated live at the 84th Annual Peabody Awards ceremony on June 9 in Los Angeles.

“Mel Brooks is not only one of the most beloved comedians of all time, but he literally set the standard for television comedy from its earliest days,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody, in a statement. “Across TV, film, theater, and recordings, Mr. Brooks is in a league of his own.”

Over the course of his career, Brooks has received two Academy Awards, four Emmys, three Tonys and three Grammys, as well as an honorary Oscar. Brooks joins Rita Moreno, Sam Pollard, Dan Rather, Lily Tomlin and...

The Peabody Awards will honor actor, comedian, writer, and director Mel Brooks with this year’s Career Achievement Award, while “Abbott Elementary” award-winning writer, producer, actor, and comedian Quinta Brunson will receive the org’s Trailblazer Award. Both Brooks and Brunson were chosen by the Peabody Board of Jurors in a unanimous vote and will be recognized at the 84th Annual Peabody Awards ceremony on June 9 in Los Angeles.

“Mel Brooks is not only one of the most beloved comedians of all time, but he literally set the standard for television comedy from its earliest days. Across TV, film, theater, and recordings, Mr. Brooks is in a league of his own. And Quinta Brunson has emerged as a refreshingly creative force in network television comedy,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody, in a statement. “Peabody is proud to honor Mel and Quinta not only for their extraordinary contributions as storytellers,...

Fresh off the rollout of the nominees for the 84th annual Peabody Awards, the organization’s Board of Jurors has announced that comedy stars Mel Brooks and Quinta Brunson will receive the Peabody Career Achievement Award and the Peabody Trailblazer Award, respectively. Both awards will be handed out live at the 2024 Peabody Awards ceremony on June 9 in Los Angeles. They were selected by unanimous vote of the Peabody Board of Jurors.

“Mel Brooks is not only one of the most beloved comedians of all time, but he literally set the standard for television comedy from its earliest days. Across TV, film, theater, and recordings, Mr. Brooks is in a league of his own. And Quinta Brunson has emerged as a refreshingly creative force in network television comedy,” said Jeffrey Jones, executive director of Peabody, via statement. “Peabody is proud to honor Mel and Quinta not only for their extraordinary contributions as storytellers,...

Returning for its 15th annual edition this weekend, the TCM Classic Film Festival will turn Hollywood Blvd. into the center of the movie universe again for four days, for that very obsessive and loving subset of film fans that has the network’s vintage fare as part of their weekly and daily lives. And just what time span “classics” falls into is exemplified by the big opening and closing night films.

The gala opening night picture is 1994’s “Pulp Fiction,” which festival director Genevieve McGillicuddy says “is one of the most contemporary films that we are showing this year, along with ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘Little Women,’ the 1994 version. ‘Seven,’ I think, is the most recent film we’re screening; that’s 1995. Just like with the network, we don’t have any official cutoff in terms of the years of films that we’re showing. But, interestingly — it’s the opposite of a cutoff,...