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In a soiree intersection of media, labor and real politick, SAG-AFTRA wants to pull the home of Hollywood together to get Tinseltown working again.

“Revitalizing California’s most recognizable industry isn’t just about making things better for show business, it’s about making things better for everyone,” proclaimed Joely Fisher last week at a literal and figurative high level get-together in the penthouse of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation .

As uncertainty rolls an industry already rocked by change and contraction, the words of the SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer and National Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee co-chair had an added resonance on May 8 with below-the-line workers and almost everyone else hurting hard as production and jobs are scarce.

In the hopes of turning things around, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s aim of pumping up the Golden State’s film and TV tax incentives to $750 million annually is moving steadily through the Legislature in Sacramento with deep support.

SeriesFest, the event held in Denver, Colorado, has unveiled its latest pilot competition lineup.

The event, which runs April 29 to May 4, has revealed its Independent Pilot Competition, which features projects across drama, comedy, unscripted digital shorts and late-night.

This year’s crop features titles that star the likes of Mary Steenburgen, Harvey Guillén, Omar Epps, Ann-Margret, Roy Wood Jr., Shari Belafonte, Michael Kosta and Eric Roberts.

Other stars include Tauheed “2 Chainz” Epps, Barry Bostwick, Rutina Wesley, Joanna Leeds, Kate Burton, Jackie Hoffman, Emil Wakim, Vella Lovell, Alysia Reiner, Milana Vayntrub and Martin Kove.

SeriesFest has been the launch pad for over a dozen independent projects that have secured mainstream distribution including Cooper’s Bar, which landed at AMC, Generation Por Que, which was acquired by HBO and Everyone Is Doing Great, picked up by Hulu.

As Deadline covered last year, independent pilots are having a moment.

“We believe this year’s...

CBS has a new episode of NCIS ready to debut on Monday night.

This is NCIS Season 22, Episode 13, called Bad Blood.

The show took a week off from airing new episodes, with no new content last Monday night, February 17 (President’s Day 2025).

As a reminder, the last episode of NCIS, Fun and Games, aired on February 10. The plot revolved around someone getting poisoned at a game night hosted by Kasie Hines.

Many guest stars appeared on the NCIS Season 22, Episode 12 cast. They included Shari Belafonte, Meredith Eaton, and Charley Koontz.

And now it’s time for an all-new episode.

NCIS Season 22, Episode 13 synopsis

“NCIS investigates the case of a Navy lieutenant found dead at a blood donation bank. Also, McGee needs help from the team to raise money for his twins’ school fundraiser,” reads the full synopsis for the February 24 episode of NCIS.

The episode title (Bad Blood) seems...

The NCIS guest stars packed the latest episode of the show.

NCIS Season 22, Episode 12 debuted Monday night, and the cast list featured many recognizable faces.

We even got to see a character from the past return for the new NCIS season.

The episode featured Kasie Hines (Diona Reasonover) and her group of gaming friends.

Victor Chan (Neal Honda) died after spending time at Kasie’s house – where many other guest stars were in attendance.

The NCIS team was tasked with figuring out why Victor was killed, and it included delving into Kasie’s personal life (and her home) to find answers.

More NCIS cast guest stars from Season 22, Episode 12

Meredith Eaton (played by Cara Wilson) was also at the party at Kasie’s home.

She looked familiar because she has appeared numerous times on the NCIS dramas as a friend of Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette).

Cara was pretty upset to...

Quick LinksNCIS Season 22, Episode 12 Is an Average Kasie-Centric StoryNCIS Gets a Boost From a Returning Cast MemberMcGee's Subplot Goes Nowhere in NCIS Season 22, Episode 12

The following contains major spoilers for NCIS Season 22, Episode 12, "Fun and Games," which debuted Monday, Feb. 10 on CBS.

NCIS Season 22, Episode 12, "Fun and Games" is little more than a quirky diversion for fans. The episode leans heavily on the CBS show's sense of humor, which doesn't always work -- until making a tonal pivot in the fourth act that rings hollow. It's not a terrible way to spend an hour; it's just a disjointed and forgettable one.

"Fun and Games" takes its title from the fact that the victim is a member of Kasie Hines' gaming group. The remainder of the group thus go from potential suspects to potential victims themselves, with plenty of geek stereotypes and bad jokes therein. What makes the episode better is...

A new NCIS episode debuts on Monday night and revolves around a group of friends for one of the team.

An investigation begins at the home of Kasie Hines when her friend Victor is poisoned, taking the team into her personal life.

The February 10 installment is NCIS Season 22, Episode 12, continuing a string of new episodes on CBS.

It is followed by a new episode of NCIS: Origins at 10/9c, as the first season of the prequel show continues.

The previous NCIS episode began with a fun twist as Agents Nick Torres and Jessica Knight prepared to get married.

NCIS fans tuning in without context were caught off guard by the shenanigans.

Synopsis for NCIS Season 22, Episode 12

“NCIS investigates the fatal poisoning of one of Kasie’s forensic scientists. Meanwhile, McGee is questioned by the Pentagon regarding the contents of his book,” reads the full synopsis for the February 10 episode of NCIS.

Ken Page, the accomplished Broadway actor and voice of Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, has died at the age of 70.

News of Page’s passing was first reported by several of his close friends, including former Late Show director Dorian Hannaway and actress Shari Belafonte, and was subsequently confirmed by BroadwayWorld. According to Hannaway, Page “passed quietly and peacefully at his home.”

In Burton’s classic The Nightmare Before Christmas, Page voiced The Oogie Boogie Man, the film’s main antagonist. Page later reprised the character in several live-to-film performances of the movie staged by composer Danny Elfman.

On Broadway, Page notably portrayed Old Deuteronomy in the original production of Cats, and The Lion in the original production of The Wiz. He also starred as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in the Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls.

A native of St. Louis, Page spent the later part...

Broadway actor Ken Page has sadly passed away at the age of 70.

The beloved musical theatre actor was best known for playing the roles of Lion in the musical The Wiz and Old Deuteronomy in Cats, as well as voicing Oogie Boogie in the classic animated movie The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The news was confirmed on Monday (September 30) by Ken‘s friend, producer Dorian Hannaway.

“Ken Page has passed onto the next show. My heart is broken,” she posted on Facebook.

Shari Belafonte shared, “Ken Page. One of the sweetest, most talented guys on the planet. Dorian Hannaway just posted that he’s left us. And, I couldn’t believe it… but it’s true. It feels like it’s coming just a bit too fast and a tad too furiously now… James Earl, Dame Maggie, Kris, Pete Rose, Dikembe, Officer Taggert/John Ashton, Drake H… and now Ken. Rip All of you.

During the mid-1970s, television producer Aaron Spelling and the writing duo of Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts hit upon the most spectacularly novel idea: Viewers loved watching women solve crimes. The eureka moment occurred in 1974 when the great and ludicrously beautiful Angie Dickinson scored a primetime hit with "Police Woman." While I'd argue Dickinson could've burned up the Nielsen ratings via weekly readings of Russian literature shot at the Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, she was a must-watch sensation as a glamorously attired detective. Though the scripts were rigorously formulaic for a '70s hour-long cop show, Dickinson's showbiz rep attracted a host of top tier guest stars; "Police Woman" didn't have much of a hook, but thanks to its star, it had plenty of sizzle.

It took some prodding (ABC execs Barry Diller and Michael Eisner abhorred Spelling's pitch), but "Charlie's Angels" became the breakout hit of the 1976 season.

For this month’s installment of “TV Terrors” we revisit the short-lived animated series “Gravedale High” (aka “Rick Moranis in Gravedale High“), which aired on NBC in 1990.

During the era of Saturday Morning Cartoons, there was always this idea by studios to build on a big star’s name by giving them an animated vehicle. We saw it with Mr. T, Chuck Norris, Macaulay Culkin, and Gary Coleman, as well as comedians like Louie Anderson and Howie Mandel. John Candy got (the still celebrated) “Camp Candy,” while his Sctv colleague Rick Moranis headlined his own animated horror comedy series for kids: “Gravedale High.”

Rick Moranis garnered immense fame and cult status in the eighties and nineties with an iconic comedy career that carried over into big films like Ghostbusters and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. As a means of marketing off his momentum, an animated series was developed by NBC...

Following 118 days on strike, SAG-AFTRA secured a deal with the studios that was worth over $1B that it said had ““unprecedented provisions”.

But the guild isn’t resting on its laurels, it’s already looking ahead to its next contract with the AMPTP in 2026.

Over the weekend, SAG-AFTRA’s EVP, Linda Powell, LA VP Jodi Long, who is also LA Local President and SAG-AFTRA VP, Actors/Performers Shari Belafonte were in Denver at SeriesFest to discuss the contract and what’s next for the guild.

The trio discussed the contract gains, including new money for healthcare, protections on AI, new measures on self-tapes and the guild’s new streaming residual bonus.

But they also highlighted the fact that there’s another contract to negotiate in 2026.

Powell said she was “feeling ready for the next fight”.

“We’re watching A.I., we’ve got a lot of legislation going on to...

Mark Duplass, star of The Morning Show, is to be handed the Excellence in Acting Award at the upcoming SeriesFest event.

The event is held in Denver between May 1 and 5 and features the likes of Minnie Driver and the cast of Grey’s Anatomy across its lineup.

Duplass, who also co-created HBO series Togetherness, is giving an Innovation Talk, where he will be handed the award. Duplass has also starred in The League, Goliath and The Mindy Project as well as being behind films such as The Puffy Chair and Cyrus as well as HBO’s anthology series Room 104 and a raft of documentaries including Evil Genius, Wild Wild Country and Sasquatch.

Also joining the lineup are Shark Tank’s Daymond John, who will be in conversation with Emil Pinnock and SAG-AFTRA Leadership, including Linda Powell, Shari Belafonte and Jodi Long.

There will be a screening and a panel...

“The Crown” is gearing up for its last hurrah at the SAG Awards, an organization that has bestowed a number of prizes onto the Netflix regal show over the years. It claimed the highly coveted TV drama ensemble prize twice (2019 and ’20), while individual winners through the years were Claire Foy (2016 and ’17), John Lithgow (2016) and Gillian Anderson (2020). Now the sixth and final season is hoping to prevail for a third time, which would tie it with “Downton Abbey” in this category at three total wins.

Season 6 faces off in the TV drama ensemble race against fellow nominees “The Gilded Age,” “The Last of Us,” “The Morning Show” and “Succession.” Elizabeth Debicki is “The Crown’s” only solo acting nominee this year, with her co-nominees in the TV drama actress category being Jennifer Aniston (“The Morning Show”), Bella Ramsey (“The Last of Us”), Keri Russell (“The Diplomat”) and Sarah Snook (“Succession”).

Unlike...

This year’s SAG Awards nominations for drama ensemble run the gamut in terms of total cast members nominated. You have “The Gilded Age” on one side with a jaw-dropping 34 people represented. And then you have “The Last of Us” on the other side with just two — hi, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey! HBO’s zombie apocalypse series has now tied the Screen Actors Guild record with “Key and Peele,” which was the first TV show to nab an ensemble citation with just two stars: Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele.

The “Key and Peele” funny duo lost to “Orange Is the New Black” for comedy ensemble in 2016, which had a whopping 34 cast members nominated that year. Hmm, a two-person cast losing to a 34-person ensemble? Might SAG Awards history repeat itself? “The Last of Us” competes this year against “The Gilded Age” (34 cast members), “Succession” (18), “The Crown” (15) and “The Morning Show...

The word is all over town. After leading SAG-AFTRA to an historic new deal with the Hollywood studios, Fran Drescher has leverage, rediscovered fame and momentum.

Could she use all that to transition into a political career?

“This has been a great launching pad for her. So it wouldn’t be unusual for her to try to make that leap,” said Jorge Flores, a Los Angeles-based political consultant who has run campaigns for Congress and state offices.

“Certainly she has raised her profile significantly, and has developed a base with certain constituencies across labor,” he noted. “I could see her potentially running for Congress on the sort of issues that she’s been dealing with in SAG-AFTRA. Macro issues as far as cost of living, equity issues, is where I think her platform would be aligned with a member of Congress.”

Fran Drescher (center) shows off her heart plushie at...

And now … they celebrate!

Spirits were high Wednesday evening as SAG-AFTRA members gathered at All Season Brewing in Los Angeles to toast the union reaching a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with studios and streamers and the end of the 118-day actors strike.

Party organizers said they chose the brewery due to its proximity to SAG-AFTRA headquarters, where just a few hours earlier the union’s negotiating committee approved the agreement in a unanimous vote.

Actors erupted in cheers when negotiating committee members, including Frances Fisher, Shari Belafonte and Avis Boone, arrived and joined the celebration after Wednesday’s vote and a marathon 10-hour session Tuesday.

Fisher, Belafonte and Boone told The Hollywood Reporter they’re “relieved” and “excited” following the end of the strike, and they shed some light on the tentative deal.

“Not just one thing, it’s the whole package,” Fisher told THR regarding what...

SAG-AFTRA kicked off its National Convention 2023 this week under the banner “Future Forward Union Power,” and they closed up shop pretty quickly in the same vein.

Just over after the gathering began, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher hit the pause button as it was announced Saturday afternoon that shuttered negotiations with the studios and streamers would re-start on Oct. 24. “While it’s disappointing to have to adjourn the convention early, the Negotiating Committee must immediately get back to the hard work of preparing to secure a fair contract,” Drescher said.

Initially set to run from Oct. 20 – 24, the 2023 convention will start up again once new dates are decided upon by the Guild’s National Board. SAG-AFTRA has been on strike 100 days as of today, with the first set of renewed talks running from Oct. 2 – 11 before the AMPTP walked away and “suspended” deliberations.

Drescher, who opened the event by inviting first responders, active...

The most financially successful filmmaker to ever live, Steven Spielberg boasts a notable variety of projects under his belt. And for the most part, they've all garnered widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike. Jaws (1975), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), Saving Private Ryan (1998) — these are all among the most critically acclaimed and financially successful movies of their respective decades. And within each of those projects are equally famous characters.

Played by Harrison Ford in perhaps his most famous role, Indiana Jones alone nearly transcends the name value of Spielberg himself, with his signature effects creating one of the most iconic character designs the medium has ever seen. That's by far the most popular name under Spielberg's belt when it comes to individual movie characters. But there's also Brody from Jaws, Elliott from E.T., and essentially the entire cast of characters featured in Jurassic Park (1993). Film fans across the country would...

Hollywood television production is starting to ramp back up following the resolution of the 148-day Writers’ Guild of America strike. Late-night programming is set to return this week and writing is slated to resume on hits like HBO’s “The Last of Us” Season 2.

But production of scripted series like ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” NBC’s “Law & Order,” HBO’s “Euphoria” and others still hinges on SAG-AFTRA striking its own deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to get actors back to work and promoting upcoming shows.

After a “full day bargaining session” on Monday between the guild’s negotiating committee and the studios, talks are slated to resume on Wednesday to resolve the actors strike, which began on July 14.

Here is a look at five of the top issues at stake for TV actors in the talks between the AMPTP and the union.

Artificial Intelligence

As in the writers’ strike,...

For a horror fan, the month of October is naturally designated for everything related to Halloween. So this month’s installment of Deep Cuts Rising features a variety of horror movies that take place on or around October 31st. As usual, though, these selections can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.

This month’s Halloween-themed offerings include zombies, witchcraft, killers, and more.

The Midnight Hour (1985)

Image: The Midnight Club (1985)

Directed by Jack Bender.

The Midnight Hour is a great warm-up for the Halloween season, right before diving into heavier or scarier movies. This telefilm originally aired on ABC, then later showed up on cable. While it didn’t open to rave reviews, it has certainly found an audience over the years. The plot is simple enough: teens fool around with magic and accidentally raise an evil sorceress on Halloween. As the night goes on, the town is taken over by ghouls and monsters.

Though their demands may be different, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are taking one of the core tenants of unionization to heart as they continue to strike. They’re sticking together.

“We’ve been sort of calling this phase two of the strike,” Sasha Stewart, a WGA East council member and strike captain told TheWrap this week during a WrapPRO roundtable on union solidarity. “It really feels like the energy levels are back to the beginning”

Stewart noted that members of SAG-AFTRA have been on the WGA picket lines since “day one,” which started months ago on May 2 and joked that their involvement was a “great rehearsal” for what was to come. Though she wishes that SAG-AFTRA had gotten a “fair contract” with the AMPTP, having two Hollywood unions on strike has made organization easier. And that’s not just because the WGA and SAG-AFTRA now get to take turns when it comes to permit requests.

WGA West President Meredith Stiehm, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and SAG-AFTRA national board members Frances Fisher and Shari Belafonte joined hundreds of striking writers and actors on the picket line today outside the main gate of Fox Studios in Century City.

Also on hand were Yvonne Wheeler, the newly elected president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, and Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, executive secretary treasurer of the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO.

Stiehm, noting that this is the 87th day of the writers strike, told the sign-carrying picketers gathered in front of the studio’s huge water fountain on Pico Boulevard: “If we want something enough and think it’s really worthwhile, we may have to struggle for it. That’s how you get things of value – you fight for it.”

Chanting “On strike, shut it down, L.A. is a union town,” the peaceful and cheerful picketers carried signs that read,...

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler will join striking actors and writers on the picket line Thursday morning at Fox Studios in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, she joined picketers outside Netflix offices in New York City. “When we fight together, we win together. And we won’t stop fighting until workers have a fair contract!” she tweeted the other day.

When we fight together, we win together. And we won't stop fighting until workers have a fair contract!

Thank you for joining us outside Netflix on the @sagaftra @WGAEast @WGAWest picket line, @Aoc! pic.twitter.com/YhN1YsMdwF

— Liz Shuler (@LizShuler) July 24, 2023

SAG-AFTRA noted that she’ll be joining “striking women writers, performers on picket line in Century City,” including Meredith Stiehm, president of the WGA West, and SAG-AFTRA national board members Frances Fisher and Shari Belafonte. SAG-AFTRA is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, as is the WGA East. But the WGA West is not.

Christopher James continues his coverage of the 2023 TCM Film Festival. Check in for daily...

If the first two days of the TCM festival were dominated by bad boys fighting the establishment, day 3 was all about the movie musical. Out of the four films I screened today, three were musicals from different eras. It was a fantastic example of the breadth and depth the genre has to offer.

Today was also the day of big stars. For the first screening, Shari Belafonte had a discussion with TCM host and Academy Museum programmer Jacqueline Stewart. Later on in the  same room, Ann-Margret arrived and blew out a birthday cake inspired by her legs. Then, right before a screening of Carmen Jones, legendary film historian Donald Bogle was awarded the Robert Osborne award for achievement in classic film preservation... ...

Kerry Washington, Zoë Kravitz, Rosario Dawson, Don Cheadle and Niecy Nash-Betts were among the 160,000 SAG-AFTRA members who urged Congress to pass the Crown Act, which prohibits discrimination based on hair style and texture.

In a strongly worded letter sent to the U.S. Senate, SAG-AFTRA encouraged Congress to pass the bill, as it is an essential step to making all workplaces safe for people of color, and it is consistent with the Guild’s efforts to advance equity and inclusion in the media and entertainment industry.

The Crown Act stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.

“The Crown Act is a huge step in ending discrimination based on hair in public education and work spaces,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher. “People should feel free to style their hair how they feel most comfortable without the threat of prejudice and unequal treatment. The Crown Act will protect...

The Academy Awards’ starry red carpet is often the first place to see which attendees are using their outfits to make a statement.

At this year’s red carpet, many celebrities showed up sporting blue ribbons provided by the United Nations Refugee Agency. These blue ribbons sport the hashtag #withrefugees, referring to the refugee crisis caused by the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, and in solidarity with all people forced to flee oppression.

See more: Oscars Red Carpet Arrivals

Individuals who showed up to the red carpet sporting the pins included Jamie Lee Curtis, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Warren, Yuh-Jung Youn, Nicholas Britell and Paolo Sorrentino and the cast of “Hand of God.” In addition, Jason Momoa walked the carpet sporting a blue and yellow pocket square, the colors of the Ukraine flag.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with a series of missiles and airstrikes upon Ukrainian cities,...

The 28th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards took place Sunday night in 15 categories, including film and TV. Film categories: Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Coda — Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Durant, Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo (Winner) Belfast — Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan Don’t Look Up — Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ariana Grande, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Lawrence, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Mescudi, Rob Morgan, Himesh Patel, Ron Perlman, Tyler Perry, Mark Rylance, Meryl Streep House of Gucci — Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Salma Hayek, Jack Huston, Jeremy Irons, Jared Leto, Al Pacino King Richard — Jon Bernthal, Aunjanue Ellis, Tony Goldwyn, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Will Smith Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) (Winner) Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter) Lady Gaga (House of Gucci) Jennifer Hudson (Respect) Nicole Kidman...

The Screen Actors Guild Awards concluded with expected wins and lots of fanfare.

Earning the first award, Troy Kotsur (Coda) made history by becoming the first deaf actor to win an individual SAG Award.

First, the film categories!

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

**Winner** Coda — Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Durant, Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo

Belfast — Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan

Don’t Look Up — Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ariana Grande, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Lawrence, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Mescudi, Rob Morgan, Himesh Patel, Ron Perlman, Tyler Perry, Mark Rylance, Meryl Streep

House of Gucci — Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Salma Hayek, Jack Huston, Jeremy Irons, Jared Leto, Al Pacino

King Richard — Jon Bernthal, Aunjanue Ellis, Tony Goldwyn, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Will Smith

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

**Winner** Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye...

Some stars at the 2022 SAG Awards added a special touch to their looks. As the red carpet rolled out, many attendees, including Tyler Perry, The Morning Show actress Shari Belafonte and The Great actor Douglas Hodge, accessorized with a sign of support: a blue and yellow ribbon in honor of Ukraine amid Russia's invasion. Others, like Lady Gaga, Leslie Odom Jr. and Andrew Garfield used their words. Indeed, during E!'s Live from the Red Carpet, host Laverne Cox also took a moment to acknowledge the crisis and send her love. "The performances we are celebrating here tonight have brought you joy and inspiration this year," the Orange is the New Black actress said....

Nominations were revealed Wednesday morning for the 28th annual SAG Awards, one of the bellwether guild events in the awards-season calendar.

Rosario Dawson and Vanessa Hudgens are being joined by new SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher to announce nominees in 15 film and television categories in a ceremony starting at 7 a.m. Pt on SAG-AFTRA’s Instagram Live page.

The guild also this morning announced its annual stunt ensemble nominees (see the full list of noms below).

After this morning’s nominations, guild members will vote from January 19-25 ahead of the awards ceremony now set to air on TNT and TBS on February 27 at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, a departure from the guild’s usual Shrine Auditorium locale.

In 2021, the SAG Awards were held as a one-hour virtual ceremony delayed to April because of the constraints of the pandemic; for now, an in-person event is planned, complete with a red carpet.

One of the hottest awards contenders of the year, Apple TV+’s “The Morning Show,” has just revealed to Gold Derby that a whopping 22 cast members will be eligible for the ensemble prize at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Lead actresses Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon serve as bookends of the alphabetical list (see below), which also includes recent SAG Award nominees Steve Carell and Billy Crudup, plus new cast member (and guild queen) Julianna Margulies.

Seea ‘Good Wife’ showdown: Julianna Margulies and Christine Baranski to face off at SAG Awards?

The last time “The Morning Show” contended at the 2020 SAG Awards, Aniston prevailed in the individual actress category, but the drama was shockingly snubbed in the ensemble race. That egregious oversight should be rectified this year, as the cast now comes in second place to win, according to Gold Derby predictions, behind only HBO’s “Succession.”

“Tms” Season 2 streamed...

Jodi Long has been elected president of SAG-AFTRA’s Los Angeles local, defeating Yvette Nicole Brown by a vote of 7,154 to 6,096. She succeeds Patricia Richardson as the local’s president.

The L.A. local, which represents nearly half of the union’s entire membership, long has been a stronghold for the MembershipFirst opposition party, which won all three of the local’s officer races, 11 of the 14 open national board seats and 31 of the 41 local board seats reserved for actors and performers. They were the top 10 vote-getters for the national board and the top nine for the local board.

Gabrielle Carteris, who did not seek re-election as national president, was elected as a delegate to the union’s next convention but didn’t make the cut to win one of the 14 national board seats, finishing 16th.

Long, who won a Daytime Emmy this year for her role on Netflix’s Dash & Lily,...

SAG-AFTRA’s upcoming election is taking shape, with the union’s ruling party – headed by presidential candidate Fran Drescher – today unveiling its full slate of candidates.

Yvette Nicole Brown is running for president of the Los Angeles local, and Ezra Knight is running for president of the union’s New York local – each as part of the ruling parties’ Unite for Strength and Usan slate. Brown, a national board member, is nominated for an Emmy for A Black Lady Sketch Show, and Knight, who co-starred for many years on Law & Order, is the New York local’s vice president and a national board member.

“I believe nothing in our union works unless we are all working together,” Brown said. “As L.A. president I will advocate for each and every member and lead with kindness and respect. It’s been a tough time for us as work here in...

Exclusive: Models and the fashion industry are known for being glamorous, beautiful and alluring — with a definite ugly side. Actress and iconic cover girl model Shari Belafonte is partnering with Love Productions USA and Bolo Media to give audiences a look behind the curtain of the industry’s longtime systemic racism.

The docuseries will give a behind-the-scenes look at the industry with other famous Black supermodels, including Beverly Johnson. Black Cat Walking will take a deep dive into the real world of modeling, marketing and merchandising.

Black Cat Walking comes at a pivotal time in the country when there is a reckoning in regard to the unjust treatment of people of color — specifically the Black community. Belfonte first came up with the idea for the docuseries in 2019 while considering projects for her Sowelu Entertainment production banner. Kareem “Biggs” Burke and Wally Eltawashy encouraged her to run with the idea and flesh out episodes. From there, Belafonte and Bolo Media partnered with Joe Labracio and Al Edgington of Love Productions USA for the series.

Belafonte finished the first script for the series while the social landscape was drastically changing with the Black Lives Matter movement in May 2020. With the current call to action for change, Black Cat Walking is a narrative that deserves to be in the spotlight. WME is currently shopping the docuseries with early interest from networks and streamers looking to support Bipoc programs.

Belafonte serves as executive producers alongside Burke and Eltawashy of Bolo Media; and Labracio and Edgington of Love Productions USA.

Love Productions USA is a division of the UK-based Love Productions, which produces The Great British Sewing Bee, The Great Pottery Throw Down and The Great British Bake-Off, which was adapted into The Great American Baking Show. Bolo Media is a television and film company with a multimedia component for digital platforms that focuses on putting the culture front and center.

Belafonte is an award-winning actor, producer, director, singer and writer. As a model, she’s been on the cover of Vogue six times. She recurred on Apple TV+’s The Morning Show and appears Tyler Perry’s BET series Sistas.

In today’s film news roundup, Kino Lorber has started a VOD platform, Tony Todd is starring in a horror-comedy, the Red Nation International Film Festival sets its lineup and ballet dancer Kirsten Bloom Allen starts a production company. VOD Distribution Arthouse distribution specialist Kino Lorber is launching VOD platform Kino Now with more than 600 new releases, classics and international films. Kino Now, announced Monday, will offer exclusive early access to new theatrical releases, festival hits and exclusive titles not available on other streaming platforms or not yet available on home video.

The platform will also include special “bundle” offerings of selected hard-to-find titles as well as collections from renowned filmmakers including international TV series such as “Deutschland 83” and “Bad Banks”; documentary series including Joseph Campbell’s “The Power of Myth”; auteur collections built around Jean-Luc Godard, Lina Wertmüller and Fritz Lang; and pioneers of cinema restorations of the...

Robin Leach, best known for hosting the hit TV series “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” died on Friday morning in Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He was 76.

The journalist had reportedly been hospitalized since Nov. 21 following a stroke.

“Sad to report the death of famed celeb reporter, friend and colleague #RobinLeach @ 1:50 a.m. in #LasVegas,” tweeted John Katsilometes, a columnist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, where Leach worked. “He would have been 77 Wednesday. He suffered a second stroke Monday. He in hospice care. He’d been hospitalized since Nov. 21, after suffering a stroke in Cabo San Lucas.”

Sad to report the death of famed celeb reporter, friend and colleague #RobinLeach @ 1:50 a.m. in #LasVegas. He would have been 77 Wednesday. He suffered a second stroke Monday. He in hospice care. He'd been hospitalized since Nov. 21, after suffering a stroke in Cabo San Lucas.

— John Katsilometes...

On Wednesday, June 13th, Women In Film, Los Angeles (Wif) celebrated outstanding women in the entertainment industry with the 2018 Crystal + Lucy Awards presented by sponsors Max Mara, Lancôme and Lexus.

Ellen Pompeo Speaks Onstage

Credit/Copyright: Getty Images for Women In Film

The evening, themed “Ignited,” raised funds and awareness for Women In Film, La and its many educational and philanthropic programs, and its advocacy for gender parity for women throughout the industry.

The 2018 Crystal + Lucy Award honorees included the following: Brie Larson with The Crystal Award for Excellence in Film presented to her by actress and friend Jessie Ennis; Channing Dungey with The Lucy Award for Excellence in Television presented to her by actress Ellen Pompeo; Alexandra Shipp with the Women In Film Max Mara Face of the Future Award presented to her by actress Regina Hall and Max Mara Vice President Us Retail and Global Brand Ambassador Maria...

Aarp announced today the official presenters for the 17th Annual Movies for Grownups Awards.

Alfre Woodard, Jason Clarke, Mark Hamill, Saoirse Ronan, Ben Mendelsohn, Shari Belafonte, Willem Dafoe, Kelly Marie Tran, Doug Jones, Michael Gracey, Molly Bloom and others will join host Alan Cumming at the star-studded event that will be celebrated on Monday, February 5th at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills. The awards celebrate 2017’s standout films with unique appeal to movie lovers with a grownup state of mind and recognize the inspiring artists who make them.

“When the editors of Aarp The Magazine decided 16 years ago that is was time to challenge Hollywood’s perspective on aging, we hoped that the Movies for Grownups Awards would ignite a cultural change,” said Aarp CEO Jo Ann Jenkins. “This year, it is clear that change has arrived. There’s been an explosion of movies that disrupt conventional thoughts on aging,...

There’s an in between zone that parents often look for if they’re easing their kids into horror. If they’re fans of the genre themselves, the urge to take the tykes from Scooby-Doo to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is very tempting. I was one of the fortunate ones who was allowed to cut out the middleman and dive right into the heady stuff. So it was then that I missed out on a great bridge between the two extremes, The Midnight Hour (1985), ABC’s successful bid to get the Thriller-crazy crowd on their side.

Originally airing November 1st as part of The ABC Friday Night Movie (really? There was no Thursday slot open to make it for Halloween?), The Midnight Hour fought off CBS’ Dallas for its first half and NBC’s Miami Vice for the back, but those shows weren’t the ideal demographic anyway – this...

“I messed up.”

Elizabeth Banks has apologised after she claimed in an awards speech that Steven Spielberg had never directed a film with a female lead.

While collecting the excellence in directing prize at the Woman in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards, Banks said: “I went to Indiana Jones and Jaws and every movie Steven Spielberg ever made… he’s never made a movie with a female lead. Sorry, Steven. I don’t mean to call your ass out, but it’s true.”

Banks was criticised for the comments on social media, with many pointing out that several Spielberg films, including The Sugarland Express, The Colour Purple and The Bfg, had actresses in lead roles.

Later Banks posted an apology on Twitter. She wrote:

“I messed up. When referring to Steven Spielberg at the Woman in Film awards, I framed my comments inaccurately. I want to be clear from the start that I take full responsibility for what...

Earlier this week, actress and director Elizabeth Banks took an opportunity to call out Steven Spielberg for his lack of women-led movies, blasting the prolific director from the podium at the Women in Film’s Crystal + Lucy Awards. “And by the way, he’s never made a movie with a female lead,” Banks said at the time. “Sorry, Steven. I don’t mean to call your ass out, but it’s true.” Now, she’s apologized for part of that statement, although her mea culpa isn’t aimed at Spielberg, so much as at an inaccuracy in her assertions about his film-making record.

At the time that Banks was making her remarks, actress Shari Belafonte brought up Spielberg’s 1985 movie The Color Purple, pointing out that the distinctly female-focused movie starred Whoopi Goldberg. Banks apparently breezed past Belafonte’s comments at the time, but she’s since apologized to ...

Elizabeth Banks has apologized for her earlier comments about Steven Spielberg, writing on Twitter that “I want to be clear from the start I take full responsibility for what I said and I’m sorry.” Banks, who criticized the filmmaker for the lack of of female protagonists in his films, says she was corrected by Shari Belafonte.

Here’s her full statement:...

Elizabeth Banks is acknowledging her mistake.

The 43-year-old actress issued an apology to Steven Spielberg on Thursday after she incorrectly stated that the director has "never made a movie with a female lead" during the Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards on Tuesday.

Related: Exclusive: Elizabeth Banks Talks 'Charlie's Angels' Reboot and Reveals If She'll Play an Angel

When Banks was accepting her Crystal Award, she expressed her frustration with the lack of female stories on the big screen, specifically calling out the Oscar-winning director.

"I went to Indiana Jones and Jaws and every movie Steven Spielberg ever made, and by the way, he's never made a movie with a female lead," Banks said onstage. "Sorry, Steven. I don't mean to call your a** out, but it's true."

However, her comments received backlash after many pointed out that Spielberg directed the 1985 film The Color Purple, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.

"I messed...

This is either going to be really good or so bad, it’s great. But either way, ABC’s relaunch of Battle of the Network Stars (premiering Thursday, June 29 at 9/8c) is looking like the summer’s must-see — especially since on Tuesday the full list of competitors was released. The celebrities we’re most psyched to see throwing down in events like the kayak relay race and dunk tank:

RelatedSummer TV Calendar: 90+ Premiere and Finale Dates to Save for June/July

Lou Ferrigno: Don’t we all want to believe that, even at age 65, the Incredible Hulk is invincible?...

Robert Altman's murder tale reeks of insider access and Hollywood hipster Bs; its main claim to greatness is its fifty-plus star cameos. It may no longer seem as smart as it looked in 1992, but they don't make 'em any slicker than this. The Player Blu-ray The Criterion Collection 812 1992 / Color /1:85 widescreen / 124 min. / Available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date May 24, 2016 / 39.95 Starring Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, Fred Ward, Whoopi Goldberg, Peter Gallagher, Brion James, Cynthia Stevenson, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lyle Lovett. Cinematography Jean Lépine Original Music Thomas Newman Written by Michael Tolkin from his novel Produced by David Brown, Michael Tolkin, Nick Wechsler Directed by Robert Altman

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Robert Altman's filmography is undergoing what looks like a full retrospective through Criterion; even the 1975 title Nashville came out not long ago. This very successful later picture marks a revitalization of the director's career. It's sort of a Kafkaesque spin on Hail,...

'Teacher of the Year' movie with Keegan-Michael Key. 'Teacher of the Year' movie: Smart and funny socially conscious comedy Teacher of the Year manages to pull off one of the more difficult balancing acts in filmmaking: it actually is smart while still being funny. Teacher of the Year is smart about education, both as a vocation and as an industry; and it's both character and dialogue funny, leaning heavily on the free-agent talents of Keegan-Michael Key, half of the comedy duo, Key and Peele. Of late, Key has been a valuable asset in a number of comedies looking for a boost, including a stand-out performance in Pitch Perfect 2, currently in theaters. In Teacher of the Year, his name is Principal Douche – though he insists on the french pronunciation. You can imagine the jokes. Matt Letscher as 'Teacher of the Year' Also funny is lead Matt Letscher (Her) as Mitch,...

Teacher Of The Year screens as part of the 23rd Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, November 22 at 8:30 Pm at Landmark’s Tivoli Theatre. Get ticket information here.

Writer/director Jason Strouse’s feature film debut concerning the Us education system may give credence to the old adage that “the inmates are running the asylum”. Truman High School’s a wild place thanks mostly to the oddballs and misfits making up most of the administration and faculty. The main exception being the title mentioned teacher of the year, Mitch Carter (Matt Letscher), who is also the rep for the faculty union. As a documentary crew follows him about, Mitch is at a crossroads. He’s being wooed by a private school lobbying group that’s dangling a big salary in front of him (and he’s got an adorable pre-schooler and a child on the way...

We have added a set pictures from the event 2014 Lili Claire Foundation ‘Live Your Passion’ Celebrity Benefit and Concert. Guests included Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Bob Saget, Stephen Bishop, Lynn Bishop, Aisha Tyler, Jason Alexander, Joshua Malina, Shari Belafonte, All-4-One, Kathy Najimy and Caroline Rhea. Photos are copyright by Prn / PRPhotos.com. Jeff Garlin attending the 2014 Lili Claire Foundation “Live Your Passion” Celebrity Benefit and Concert at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nv, USA. Photo is copyright by Prn / PRPhotos.com.

Reviewed by Kevin Scott

MoreHorror.com

The Midnight Hour (1985)

Written by: William Bleich

Directed by: Jack Bender

Cast: Shari Belafonte Harper (Melissa), Lee Montgomery (Phil), Jonna Lee (Sandy), LeVar Burton (Vinnie), Peter DeLuise (Mitch), Deedee Pfeiffer (Mary), Jonelle Allen (Lucinda Cavender), Kevin McCarthy (Judge Crandall), Dick Van Patten (Martin Grenville)

This is the very first time I’ve featured a TV movie on any of my reviews. I’m really surprised that it is. Some solid entries in the annals of horror and sci fi history made their debut on the small screen. “Salem’s Lot” is the first one to come to mind. Although the film that I’m going to talk about isn’t even remotely close to being anything like “Salem’s Lot” (except for having vampires), it does come from a bygone era where things might have been a little tighter on what could be shown on TV.

Birthday Boy Darren Criss at the Annie Awards after party.

Birthday shoutouts go to Darren Criss, who is 26, Barbara Hershey, who is 65, Jennifer Jason-Leigh is 51, and Laura Linney is 49. It's an historic day in the UK. I'd like to ask our UK readers what this means for them and what they think the next step will be.In ratings news, The Following was down 12%, while The Carrie Diaries was up a whopping 40%. Alan Cumming will come to Broadway this spring with his one-man Macbeth Sad Self-Delusion: There's an app for that. Someone no one has ever heard of has said homophobic things about Kanye West.Below you can see a behind-the-scenes look at Santana's return to Lima on this week's Glee.

So how long before the inevitable boycotts? If you've ever wanted to be a part of Game Of Thrones, now's your chance. You can record your own version of the Night's Watch Oath.