Actualités

Rodney Dangerfield’s whole act is predicated on the idea that he gets no respect, which obviously wasn’t true. Dangerfield was a beloved comedian, a successful film actor and a one-time board game star.

But Dangerfield’s comedy catchphrase became depressingly accurate during his dealings with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1994, the Back to School star applied to become a member of the Academy, after his name was submitted by actor and friend Leonard Gaines. When others expressed surprise at the idea of making Dangerfield a member of the Academy, Gaines believed that he was “doing the Academy a favor” by inviting a huge star like Dangerfield.

As the L.A. Times pointed out at the time, Dangerfield met the criteria to join, with “major parts in at least three theatrical releases to his credit.” He also presented an award at the 1987 Oscars and killed.

Play

On top of all that,...

Alan Rachins, an actor known for his work on the series “L.A. Law” and “Dharma & Greg,” died early Saturday morning. He was 82.

Rachins died in his sleep of heart failure, his manager Mark Teitelbaum confirmed to Variety.

Rachins played lawyer Douglas Brackman Jr. on NBC’s “L.A. Law” for its entire eight-season run from 1986 to 1984, as well as in the 2002 made-for-tv film, “L.A. Law: The Movie.” He received nominations for a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe in 1988 for his performance as Douglas.

“In the pilot episode, there was nothing of the more flamboyant or bizarre side of Douglas; he was going to be the hard-line office manager, the penny pincher,” Rachins said in a 1990 interview with The New York Times. “It was kind of limited, and I didn’t know where it was going. But quickly it developed a lot more color and flamboyance.”

After “L.A. Law,” Rachins portrayed Larry Finkelstein,...

Alan Rachins, who spent 13 seasons on television portraying the boorish law partner Douglas Brackman Jr. on L.A. Law and the hippie father of Jenna Elfman’s character on Dharma & Greg, died Saturday. He was 82.

Rachins died in his sleep of heart failure in the early morning hours at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his wife, actress Joanna Frank, told The Hollywood Reporter.

He and Frank married in 1978 after they met in an acting class. She recurred as Sheila Brackman, his feuding spouse, on L.A. Law, and they played a married couple in Always (1985), written and directed by indie auteur Henry Jaglom.

In what some might call a kinky coincidence, Rachins was one of the disrobing castmembers in the original stage production of Oh! Calcutta and appeared as Tony Moss, the cruel, toupeed director of the topless dance revue at the Stardust Casino, in Paul Verhoeven’s...

Michael Weatherly has signed with Verve for representation, Variety has learned exclusively. Weatherly continues to be repped by Anonymous Content and McKuin Frankel.

Weatherly is best known for his time on the long-running CBS procedural “NCIS.” Weatherly portrayed Special Agent Tony Dinozzo on the hit show for 13 seasons. He departed the show in 2016, but made a special guest appearance in the second episode of the recent 21st season.

Weatherly will reprise the role of Dinozzo in a new “NCIS” spinoff series currently in the works at Paramount+ in the first streaming exclusive series in franchise history. He will reunite with Cote de Pablo, who played Special Agent Ziva David on “NCIS.” Weatherly serves as an executive producer on the series in addition to starring, as does de Pablo.

The official description of the series states, “Tony and Ziva have been raising their daughter, Tali, together. When Tony’s security company is attacked,...

Rita McKenzie, known for staging the longest-running one-woman show in theatrical history, died Feb. 17 in Los Angeles days before her 77th birthday. She succumbed to what her family described as a long-term illness.

A powerhouse stage voice and theatrical personality, McKenzie’s 1988 off-Broadway one-woman show, Ethel Merman’s Broadway, became the longest-running one- woman show in theatrical history.

McKenzie had a wide theatrical resume. She played Lita Encore in the Los Angeles premiere of Ruthless! The Musical and reprised the role in the recent New York revival of the show.

She also performed a wide range of stage roles throughout the U..S , including Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes!, appeared in the 50th Anniversary tour of Annie Get Your Gun, played Rose in Gypsy, and starred in a three-year U.S. tour of Neil Simon’s The Female Odd Couple, co-starring with Barbara Eden.

Additionally, she was the opening act...

Rita McKenzie, the actress and singer best known for her boisterous performances in the one-woman show Ethel Merman’s Broadway, died Saturday in Los Angeles after a long illness, her husband, talent agent Scott Stander, announced. She was 76.

McKenzie first starred on stage as the powerful Merman — star of such iconic Broadway hits as Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy and Hello, Dolly! — in New York in 1988.

Belting out tunes like “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “I Got Rhythm” and “Everything’s Coming Up Roses,” McKenzie toured throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia in what many consider the longest-running one-woman show in theatrical history.

She also starred in parts that Merman made famous: Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes!, the gunslinger in a 50th anniversary tour of Annie Get Your Gun and Rose in Gypsy.

Watch her perform here.

A native of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, McKenzie starred...

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Schlemiel! Schlimazel! Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!" These are the immortal words that begin the song "Making Our Dreams Come True," the catchy tune used as the theme song of the popular series, "Laverne & Shirley." Cindy Williams, the actress who played the perky and positive albeit meek Shirley Feeney, has sadly joined her co-star Penny Marshall, passing away at the age of 75. Williams' children Zak and Emily Hudson confirmed the passing with the Associated Press following a brief illness.

"The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed," the statement said. "Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous, and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved." While Williams' Shirley didn't possess the monogrammed "L" like Laverne,...

Sad news today as it was announced that Cindy Williams, best known for starring in Happy Days spin-off Laverne & Shirley, has died at the age of 75 after a brief illness.

In a statement released through a family spokesperson, Cindy Williams’ children Zak and Emily Hudson said, “The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed. Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.“

Cindy Williams first appeared as Shirley Feeney on Happy Days alongside Penny Marshall as Laverne DeFazio, and the choice was soon made to spin the characters off into their own series. Laverne & Shirley found the pals sharing a basement apartment in Milwaukee and working as bottle cappers for the Schotz brewery. The...

Roseanne Barr will make her return to the stand-up stage after 16 years with “A Roseanne Comedy Special,” which will premiere exclusively on Fox Nation in the first quarter of 2023.

The Fox News Media streaming service signed the Emmy winner to also produce the special, Fox Nation president Jason Klarman announced. He said in a statement, “Roseanne is a comedy icon whose humor connects with the American audience like no other. Her ability to channel the challenges of everyday people and find the humor in it all has earned her the passionate following of millions of dedicated fans. We are thrilled to add her comedy special exclusively to the Fox Nation catalog.”

Also Read:

Michael Fishman Says It Was His ‘Honor’ to Be on ‘The Conners’ After News of Season 5 Exit

The one-hour special will appear alongside other Fox Nation originals like series “Duck Family Treasure” and the upcoming “Sharon Osbourne:...

The world got a little less funny and significantly quieter on Tuesday following the death of Gilbert Gottfried at 67. The self-deprecating stand-up comic, known for squinting, shrieking, cackling, and hammering a joke to death until it was so unfunny it became funny again, got his start on “Saturday Night Live” in 1980, had a slew of comedy specials over the years, made legendary frequent appearances on “The Howard Stern Show,” and appeared in small roles in films like “Beverly Hills Cop II,” “Problem Child,” and “Meet Wally Sparks.”

It was in 1992, however, when he voiced the role of an evil parrot in “Aladdin” that he became mainstream. (“Aladdin on Broadway” took a moment to honor him on Tuesday.) Much to the delight of comics who liked to razz him, Gottfried found his niche voicing animals for kiddie films like “Dr. Doolittle” and in ubiquitous, annoying commercials for secondary health insurance. He...

The late, great Rodney Dangerfield would have turned 99 today, and fans are remembering the legendary comedian with touching tribute posts on social media. Known across the world for his self-deprecating one-liners and always lamenting, "I don't get no respect," Dangerfield was a one-of-a-kind entertainer who left an everlasting impression as an entertainer. Though Dangerfield passed away in 2004 at the age of 82, his presence remains as strong as ever with so many fans celebrating his classic comedy 16 years later.

"I could tell that my parents hated me. My bath toys were a toaster and a radio," quotes author Fiona Sandiford, who also took the extra step of altering her Twitter name to read Fiona Dangerford to further honor Dangerfield. "Remembering very funny stand up comic Rodney Dangerfield (1921-2004) on his B'day," another tweet states. The post includes a photo brandishing the Dangerfield joke, "One woman I was dating called and said,...

Amazon Prime Video is out with its list of everything new coming to the streaming service in January 2020.

New Prime Original, “Troop Zero,” is out Jan. 17. It stars Viola Davis and Allison Janney and “tells the story of a misfit girl dreaming of life in outer space but living in rural 1977 Georgia. When a national competition offers her a chance at her dream, to be recorded on Nasa’s Golden Record, she recruits a makeshift troop of Birdie Scouts, forging friendships that last a lifetime and beyond,” according to Amazon.

Other Prime Originals include the five-part docuseries “Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer,” out Jan. 31, and new standup special “Ilana Glazer: The Planet is Burning,” out Jan. 3.

Also Read: 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' Renewed For Season 4 at Amazon

Here is the full list of titles coming to Amazon Prime Video in January.

January 1

Amores Perros (2000)

Arbitrage (2012)

Captivity (2007)

Cinderfella (1960)

The Conspirator...

As the new year begins, Amazon Prime Video is keeping with the tradition of “out with the old and in with the new.” The streaming service will ring in the new decade with a few original series premieres, including “James May: Our Man in Japan,” “Just Add Magic: Mystery City,” “All or Nothing: Cbf” and “Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer.”

Additionally, the streamer seems to be amping up its stand-up comedy slate with specials from Ilana Glazer, British comedian Jayde Adams, Russell Peters and Rob Delaney. Classic titles like “Star Trek” and “The Goonies” round off the wide-ranging list.

View the complete list below.

Jan. 1

Amores Perros

Arbitrage

Captivity

Cinderfella

The Conspirator

Crisscross

Cube

Cube 2: Hypercube

Cube Zero

Dangerous Curves

Danny Collins

Dracula 3000

Drop Dead Sexy

Edge Of Darkness

Golden Gate

Gone

Kansas

Knowing

Last Rites

Mystery Team

P2

Pi

Sherlock Holmes

Shy People

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan...

Hulu is kicking off the new year with a mix of new and old movies and TV shows that will be added to the streaming service in January.

Reality series including “The Bachelor,” “Project Runway” will release this month, along with “Cooks vs. Cons” and “Cutthroat: Kitchen.”

On the film front, “13 Going on 30,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Forrest Gump” and “Little Miss Sunshine” are arriving early in January.

Several children’s classics will be added on the platform as well. “Dennis the Menace,” which stars a young Mason Gamble as a neighborhood hooligan, and the animated saga “An American Tail,” starring an adventurous mouse named Fievel, will be available to stream.

See a complete list of movies and TV shows coming to Hulu in January 2020:

Jan. 1

Bring It!: Season 4

Brockmire: Season 3

Damages

Deputy: Series Premiere

Divided States

Fox’s New Year’s Eve Special with Steve Harvey

Glam...

Hulu is out with its list of everything new coming in January, as well as everything that’s leaving at the end of the month.

Highlights include the Season 24 premiere of “The Bachelor,” available the day after it airs first on ABC — so Jan. 7 for Hulu subscribers. Get ready to see Peter Weber in all his glory.

“Homeland” Seasons 6 and 7 will be available Jan. 10, following CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) and her mentor, Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin).

Also Read: 'The Bachelor' Goes Retro in Cheesy 70s-Themed Promo (Video)

U.K.’s “Love Island” Season 6 will premiere on Jan. 20, sans Caroline Flack. The second seasons of “Lodge 49” and “Shrill” premiere Jan. 13 and the 24th respectively.

Leaving on Jan. 31 are “The Fantastic Four,” “Crazy For Christmas,” and a handful of others.

Here’s the full list of everything coming and going to and from Hulu in January.

Also...

Reel-Important People is a monthly column that highlights those individuals in or related to the movies who have left us in recent weeks. Below you'll find names big and small and from all areas of the industry, though each was significant to the movies in his or her own way. Peter Baldwin (1931-2017) - Actor, Director. He appears in the movies Stalag 17, The Ten Commandments, I Married a Monster from Outer Space, The Mattei Affair,The Tin Star and in addition to directing mostly television he helmed the movie Meet Wally Sparks. He died on November 19. (THR) Peter Berling (1934-2017) - German Actor. He co-starred in the Werner Herzog movies Fitzcarraldo, Cobra Verde and Aguirre, the Wrath of God, as well as Martin...

Read More...

Red Sea Media has assembled a robust slate in the last few months, including two new projects that the sales company has acquired worldwide sales rights for. Red Sea will be introducing the projects at the upcoming Afm, which feature A-listers and rising stars such as Jesse Eisenberg, Michael McKean, Jason Ritter, and Jess Weixler. Red Sea Media's sales office will be located at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, Suite 732.

Red Sea has acquired the offbeat romantic comedy Free Samples, which marks the feature film debut of director Jay Gammill. Written by Jim Beggarly (The Kitchen), and produced by Eben Kostbar and Joseph McKelheer for Film Harvest, the film tells the story of a law-school dropout who fills in as a server at her friend's ice cream truck, doling out free samples to locals and oddball friends alike, including a man courting her who she barely remembers from the night before.

History announced today that the network has green-lighted production of a new scripted miniseries, The Hatfields and The McCoys, to premiere on History in 2012, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of America's most infamous family feud. Academy Award winner Kevin Costner (The Untouchables, Field of Dreams, Dances with Wolves, The Bodyguard and Open Range) will star, playing the role "Devil" Anse Hatfield. The announcement was made by , President & General Manager, History.

The miniseries, to be produced by Leslie Greif's production company, Thinkfactory Media, and Kevin Costner as producing partner, will chronicle the bloody hostilities between two clans that escalated to the point of near war between two states.

"The Hatfields and The McCoys is a classic tale of American history. These are names that are widely recognized, yet few people know the real story that made them famous. We are thrilled that Kevin Costner, one of the most iconic American actors of our time,...