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American Idol kicked off Sunday night with its annual promise: to serve as a launching pad for aspiring young musical talent. But some contestants already have a head start with a familiar advantage: the lineage of a famous family.

Season 23 rolled out its first “nepo baby” with Baylee Littrell, son of Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell, who auditioned in front of judges Carrie Underwood, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan.

“There’s something about you that looks familiar,” Underwood said to the 22-year-old Georgia hopeful.

Idol didn’t hide Baylee’s background, it leaned into it: showing footage of dad Brian introducing him onstage and performing, and a photo of Underwood with Backstreet Boys posters on her wall.

Brian Littrell made the case for his son, saying that being the progeny of a famous singer isn’t exactly a perk. Still, it didn’t hurt his chances either, as he earned...

Country music fans continue to mourn Loretta Lynn. She sadly passed away in 2022 at the age of 90. But her songs could get new life in a Broadway musical. Keep reading for all the details.

Loretta Lynn Broadway Musical In Development, Details

Loretta Lynn was a trailblazer not just in music, but in film, too. Her life story was among the first to make it to the big screen. Actress Sissy Spacek played Loretta Lynn in the 1980 film Coal Miner’s Daughter. Spacek earned a Best Actress Oscar for the role. The film is still beloved and the gold standard when it comes to portraying the legendary singer’s life and rise to stardom.

But Loretta Lynn’s inspiring story is close to reaching a wider audience. According to Deadline, there is a Broadway musical in the works about Loretta Lynn. The musical would feature some of her most beloved songs and...

The life of Loretta Lynn is headed to Broadway. On Tuesday, it was announced that Sutton Foster will play the late country legend in an upcoming musical based on Lynn’s film and book titled Coal Miner’s Daughter.

The musical will delve into “Loretta’s rise from humble beginnings in rural Kentucky to country music legend” and feature songs from across her career and stories from “Loretta’s life beyond the film’s ending,” according to a press release.

The book inspired a 1980 film titled Coal Miner’s Daughter starring Sissy Spacek,...

Coal Miner’s Daughter, Loretta Lynn’s bestselling autobiography-turned-smash-hit movie, is heading to Broadway, with two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster to play the role of the late, legendary country music icon.

Currently in development, the stage musical adaptation will be directed by Sam Gold, with music production by Jeanine Tesori. The two last worked together on the Tony-winning hit 2015 musical Fun Home.

The stage adaptation will include songs from Lynn’s career and stories from her life, some beyond the 1980 film’s ending.

Patsy Lynn, Loretta Lynn’s manager, producer, and daughter, will serve as a consulting producer on the project, along with Loretta’s longtime adviser Nancy Russell.

According to Lynn’s family, Loretta Lynn had given her stamp of approval to both the project and Sutton’s casting prior to her death at 90 in 2022.

“We are so grateful to see that our mother’s life story and...

A musical about country music star Loretta Lynn’s life is under development with Sutton Foster attached as the star.

Jeanine Tesori, a Tony Award-winning composer who worked on Fun Home, Kimberly Akimbo, Caroline, or Change, Thoroughly Modern Millie and more, is working on the show’s music production. Sam Gold, a Tony Award-winning director who worked on Fun Home with Tesori, as well as recent productions of Romeo+Juliet and An Enemy of the People, is attached as the director.

The musical, entitled Coal Miner’s Daughter, is inspired by the 1980 film and the autobiography about Lynn’s journey from rural Kentucky to becoming a country music star. The stage show will include songs from Lynn’s career, which include “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” and extend her story beyond the film.

In 2012, Lynn had announced that Zoey Deschanel would portray her in a Broadway musical about her life.

Exclusive: Justin Chatwin (Shameless) has joined Hayden Panettiere in the psychological thriller Sleepwalker.

Also joining the cast are Beverly D’Angelo, Mischa Barton, and Lori Tan Chinn.

The film is being produced by Verdi Productions and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions.

Sleepwalker follows a grieving mother who is haunted by the tragic loss of her daughter in a car accident that left her abusive husband in a coma. As she battles a surreal descent into darkness, her sleepwalking episodes intensify. Plagued by haunting visions of her husband inside their home, she grapples with the blurred lines between reality and nightmare.

The cast is rounded out by newcomers Laird Lacoste and Corinne Sweeney alongside Kea Ho (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For), Eric Lutes (Caroline in the City), Tom DeNucci...

A Complete Unknown North America Box Office: Beats Coal Miner’s Daughter (Photo Credit – Prime Video/Instagram)

Timothee Chalamet starrer A Complete Unknown has climbed up another spot in the all-time highest-grossing musical biopics list in the United States. The Oscars are coming near, and this new milestone will help the movie make a good impression. It has now surpassed Coal Miners Daughter to achieve this amazing feat. Scroll below for the deets.

It is a biographical musical movie directed by Michael Apted that follows the story of country music singer Loretta Lynn, who was born in her early teen years in a poor family. It is based on Lynn’s biography of the same name by George Vecsey, featuring Sissy Spacek as Lynn. In addition, Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D’Angelo, and Levon Helm were featured in supporting roles, while Ernest Tubb, Roy Acuff, and Minnie Pearl made cameo appearances.

Coal Miner’s Daughter...

In 1976, United Artists released a supernatural horror film that showed a very dark side of the high school experience. Carrie was its name, and with an ultra-gory execution of a very simple premise, it shook the entire nation. Mainly because the film touched on religious aspects that, at the time, were considered controversial. In Carrie, religion wasn't exactly a safe haven of prayer, faith, and kindness.

The film also put Stephen King's name in the spotlight. Then a 29-year-old horror author, King had published Carrie, his first novel, just two years prior in 1974, and it quickly became a paperback bestseller. Director Brian De Palma, known for his radical approach to cinema, read King's novel and went on a quest to adapt it. Lawrence D. Cohen, then a completely inexperienced screenwriter, was hired to adapt the epistolary novel into a feature film script.

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Meryl Streep is the best of the best.

Her performance in Sophie’s Choice (1982) has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actress winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 movie champs.

Diane Keaton ranked second for Annie Hall (1977), with Jodie Foster following in third for The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Liza Minnelli for Cabaret (1972) and Vivien Leigh for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) rounded out the top five.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Actress winners is Mary Pickford for Coquette (1929). Just above that film in the rankings are Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Helen Hayes for The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1932), Loretta Young for The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), and Marie Dressler for Min and Bill (1931).

Another recent Gold Derby poll of cinema experts declared The Godfather (1972) as the greatest Best Picture Oscar winner of all...

The performance by Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice (1982) has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actress winner ever. The results are from a recent Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts and editors, who ranked all 97 movie champs.

Ranking in second place is Diane Keaton for Annie Hall (1977). Following in third place is Jodie Foster for The Silence of the Lambs (1991). Rounding out the top five are Liza Minnelli for Cabaret (1972), and Vivien Leigh for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).

At the bottom of the list of the Best Actress winners is Mary Pickford for Coquette (1929). Just above that film in the rankings are Luise Rainer for The Great Ziegfeld (1936), Helen Hayes for The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1932), Loretta Young for The Farmer’s Daughter (1947), and Marie Dressler for Min and Bill (1931).

Another recent poll had The Godfather (1972) declared as the greatest Best Picture Oscar winner of all time (view...

Let’s face it. Theatre has been the most successful place for stories about popular musicians. Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” is selling big on Broadway, as is “Mj.” “A Beautiful Noise,” about Neil Diamond ‘s professional and personal history, had a nice run there, and is touring the country after its run in Los Angeles. We’ve had “Tina,” “Jersey Boys,” The Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud,” Carole King’s “Beautiful” and others. A new musical is being tested now about Frank Sinatra. But the most exciting news arrives this spring, when recent Tony winner Jonathan Groff portrays Bobby Darin.

But movies about musical stars? A mixed bag. (including Kevin Spacey in a bad one about Bobby Darin) Documentaries have been the safest form to chronicle the life of famous musicians: Ones about David Crosby, Joan Baez, Springsteen, and Linda Ronstadt. And, of course, “Woodstock” and Martin Scorsese’s “Last Waltz.

Sissy Spacek has been one of America’s top actresses for almost 50 years. Throughout her career she has received six Oscar nominations for Best Actress, seven Golden Globe bids and three Emmy nominations. The New York Film Critics Circle has been so enamored of her work that they have recognized her four times, placing her second behind only Meryl Streep as the organization’s most acclaimed actresses.

Stephen King‘s first novel “Carrie” first brought Spacek international stardom after she initially gained attention in the movie “Badlands.” Spacek has told the story of how she volunteered to do “Carrie” for director Brian De Palma as a favor. Spacek was in demand after her reception in “Badlands,” but after De Palma hired Spacek’s boyfriend and future husband Jack Fisk as the art director for “Carrie,” Spacek read the script, liked it and offered De Palma her services.

The success of...

There might be a bucket full of comedies and Christmas movies out there that have become a holiday staple for audiences. But over the years, nothing could compete with National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Born on the night of December 1, 1989, the movie saw its national debut and quickly became a new holiday favorite for fans.

A still from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) | image: Warner Bros.

But now, it has been 35 years since its release. And a lot can change within that span of time—careers grow and fall, people retire and some even tragically pass away. So let’s check out where the cast of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is now.

1. Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold

The 1989 movie Christmas Vacation was the third installment in a series of 1980s vacation films starring Chevy Chase in the role of family patriarch Clark Griswold.

He had previously appeared as the father figure in...

You don’t need to be a Bob Dylan aficionado to appreciate Timothée Chalamet’s transformation into the iconic folk singer. Even if your knowledge of Dylan’s career is limited to a few famous tracks or a vague recollection of his controversial shift to electric guitar, Chalamet’s performance in “A Complete Unknown” is undeniably a career best. He’s emerging as a leading contender for his first Academy Award — a compelling performance that may prove difficult for voters to ignore.

On Wednesday night in Los Angeles, Searchlight Pictures hosted two packed screenings of “A Complete Unknown” at the Fox Lot, followed by Q&a sessions featuring director and co-writer James Mangold, actors Monica Barbaro and Elle Fanning, costume designer Arianne Phillips, and production designer François Audouy. Chalamet, currently filming Josh Safdie’s new period project “Marty Supreme,” was notably absent, but his presence wasn’t needed to dominate the conversation.

Quick Links An Incredibly Awkward Dinner Between Jim Carrey and Tommy Lee Jones Jim Carrey's Take on the Batman Forever Situation

Batman Forever was the highest-grossing film of 1995 at the domestic box office, but it was a tough road to get it to that success. First was the tonal change after losing Tim Burton and Michael Keaton, and then there was the shoot itself. One major problem: Tommy Lee Jones genuinely couldn't stand his co-star, Jim Carrey.

On the screen, both turn in scenery-chewing villainous performances. It's as if they're trying to one-up each other at every turn. When Carrey talked to the late Norm Macdonald on his Norm Macdonald Live podcast back in 2017, he shed some light on how things were equally combative behind the scenes. In short, the ever-gruff and stern Jones had been in the film industry since 1970. He scored some minor hits along the way, such as 1980's Coal Miner's Daughter,...

American Idol season 22 finalist Emmy Russell was a fan favorite who made it to the Top 5 of the reality singing competition in 2024, and she's been busy with her music career after the show. Emmy, who's the late country music legend Loretta Lynn's granddaughter, impressed the American Idol season 22 judges--Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan--with her original song, "skinny," at her audition. During the competition, she sang two more original songs, including "Like That" and "Want You."

Throughout American Idol season 22, Emmy also infused her own country style into songs such as "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt, "Lose You to Love Me" by Selena Gomez, "All the Small Things" by blink-182, "Shut Up + Dance" by Walk the Moon, "Water Under the Bridge" by Adele, "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus, and "Carried Me With You" from Onward. One of her most special performances was...

Quick Links Tommy Lee Jones Was Co-Leading Bigger Studio Films The Late '90s Were Tommy Lee Jones' Heyday

Starting as a scene-stealing supporting actor in the 1970s, Tommy Lee Jones has been an asset to the film industry for a long time now. And, when 1980's Coal Miner's Daughter was released, it became clear that the gruff southerner had what it took to be a leading man. Yet, most of his movies throughout the '80s failed to truly take off, whether he was playing someone kindhearted or nefarious, as seen in the underrated Stormy Monday (1988).

Equally adept at playing heroes and villains, Jones started to really see his profile expand throughout the '90s. For instance, his role in the ensemble piece JFK was one of the film's most notable, and he even managed to steal a Steven Seagal movie in 1992 with Under Siege. In other words, he wasn't leading those films,...

Welcome back to Oscars Playback, in which Gold Derby editors and Experts Christopher Rosen and Joyce Eng revisit Oscar ceremonies and winners of yesteryear. In our Season 3 premiere, we cover the 53rd Academy Awards in 1981, honoring the films of 1980.

If you were waiting on pins and needles back then to see who would win, you had to wait an extra day. For the first time since 1968, the Oscars were postponed following the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan. Once the ceremony was underway, which included a video message from the actor-turned-potus taped weeks earlier, it was an extraordinary night for “Ordinary People.” The Robert Redford-helmed drama collected four awards, including Best Picture, but now receives undue hate as the film that beat Martin Scorsese‘s “Raging Bull.”

See Oscars Playback: Revisiting the 2010 ceremony when Kathryn Bigelow made history and Best Picture expanded to 10

It wasn’t a full sweep for “Ordinary People” though.

Wynonna Judd went out and performed mere days after her terrifying American Idol duet. She had taken the stage for the show’s grand finale alongside Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter, Emmy Russell. Unfortunately, her appearance had viewers jarred but she is back, proving nothing can get her down. Keep reading for more details on how she is doing.

Wynonna Judd Performs Days After Terrifying American Idol Duet

On Sunday, May 19th, Wynonna Judd took the stage with Emmy Russell on the season finale of American Idol. They did a duet of “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” made famous by Emmy’s grandmother, Loretta Lynn. Unfortunately, what viewers noticed was how off Wynonna appeared. She seemed stiff and did not move much which has happened before. When she sang with Jelly Roll at the CMA Awards, she looked paralyzed. She was holding onto Jelly’s shoulder and fans started to question if she...

Wynonna Judd recently revealed how it felt to perform with Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter, Emmy Russell. The two performed together on American Idol. Emmy Russel was a contestant and made it far in the competition before getting eliminated. However, Wynonna looked up to Loretta tremendously. She was the first person to accept her into country music. Keep reading to find out how it made her feel to perform with her idol’s granddaughter.

Emmy Russell And American Idol

Emmy Russell was on the latest season of American Idol. She went far in the competition but ended up getting eliminated. When the judges found out she was Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter, they were stunned. Katy Perry lifted her up in praise.

“You are an A+ songwriter, so is your grandma. You got the gift. I don’t think you need to compare yourself to what grandma was. You’re totally different.

Wynonna Judd is shutting down the haters after a “disturbing” American Idol performance. Viewers were not too kind after seeing her take the stage for the finale as they have done in the past. So, what were they saying and how did she clap back at them? Keep reading for more details.

Wynonna Judd Shuts Down Haters After American Idol Performance

This is not the first time that viewers have slammed Wynonna Judd and her performances. They have noted how amazing her voice sounds but are concerned for her health. She performed at the 2023 CMA Awards with Jelly Roll and the two belted out “Need A Favor.” Yet, as she came out on stage, she looked scared, stiff, and holding onto him for dear life. Fans wondered if she was dealing with a bout of vertigo as this is something she struggles with. Wynonna cleared it up and explained that...

Wynonna Judd sparked concern after her live performance on the American Idol finale over the weekend. Fans are worried something is wrong with the iconic singer. Keep reading to see what caused country music fans to worry.

Wynonna Judd Covers Loretta Lynn Classic With Emmy Russell

Season 22 of American Idol premiered on ABC in February. One of the contestants had a face and voice that viewers recognized immediately. Emmy Russell is the granddaughter of country music icon Loretta Lynn. Not only is the physical resemblance clear as day, Loretta Lynn’s unique voice has been passed down through the generations to her granddaughter.

Emmy Russell made it to the top five before getting sent home.

Emmy Russell and Loretta Lynn/Credit: YouTube

ABC brought out the big guns to end the season and also celebrate judge Katy Perry’s last episode. She previously revealed that Season 22 would be her last.

Emmy Russell is ready to launch her career after making it to the Top 5 of American Idol. Just days before the show’s finale Sunday, the singer and granddaughter of Loretta Lynn released her single “Redemption,” written about her experience after a “painful breakup.”

“There was a time when I placed all my value in someone else’s hands. But, eventually, I had to realize I was constantly being tossed between ‘I love you’ and ‘I don’t love you,'” Russell said in a statement. “This song represents my...

The Top 5 artists on Season 22 of “American Idol” each performed two “Disney Night” songs on Sunday, May 12, as viewers voted live coast-to-coast for their favorites. (Read our minute-by-minute recap.) Ultimately, after millions of votes were cast, host Ryan Seacrest announced that the pair of singers who were eliminated prior to next week’s season finale were Emmy Russell and Triston Harper. Comment below to let us know how shocked you were by Emmy’s ouster.

Throughout the competition, Emmy belted out songs like “Skinny” (Auditions round), “More Hearts Than Mine” (Showstopper round), “Beautiful Things” (Top 24 round), “Want You” & “Skinny” (Top 20 round), “”I Can’t Make You Love Me” (Top 14 round), “Lose You to Love Me” (Top 12 round), “All the Small Things” (Top 10 round), “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (Top 8 round), “Shut Up and Dance” & “Water Under the Bridge” (Top 7 round), and “The Climb” & “Carried Me with You” (Top 5 round). The 25-year-old songwriter from Nashville,...

The Top 7 were revealed in a live two-hour broadcast of “American Idol” Monday night. Host Ryan Seacrest called the Top 8 to the stage to perform in the “Judge’s Song Contest Night,” where Kaibrienne was eliminated. In a poll conducted just after the episode, we asked, “Which contestant gave the best performance of the night?” Platinum Ticket winner Abi Carter came out on top with her rendition of “Bring Me To Life” by Evanescence. Watch her full performance above.

Judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie were gobsmacked by the performance, but Luke was especially happy since he chose the song. “I’ve created a monster!” he exclaimed before Katy added, “”You just kicked down all four walls of the box I thought you were in.”

After thousands of votes were recorded, Abi ended up with 33% of the tally, followed by Jack Blocker (“Always on My Mind”) with 21%, Emmy Russell...

Emmy Russell is honoring her “memaw” Loretta Lynn with her latest performance. During Monday’s episode of American Idol, the young musician performed a piano-backed cover of Loretta Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” that moved much of the crowd (including Katy Perry) to tears.

Russell — who’s competing on the newest season of American Idol — took the stage behind the piano to slow down and transform Lynn’s classic to match her own musical style. With Monday’s episode, Russell heads to the Top 7 of the singing competition show.

“I...

Titans of the faith-based filmmaking industrial complex they helped to create, Kingdom Story Company founders Andrew and Jon Erwin built their brand on the Christian rock biopics “I Still Believe” and “I Can Only Imagine,” ultra-benign stories of faith, loss, and profit that rely on powerful songwriting to compensate for sermon-like storytelling, and frame their subject’s artistic success as both a testament to their faith and a megaphone for the word of Jesus Christ. Absent the rigor or artistry of secular comps like “Love & Mercy” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (but also absent the Wikipedia-driven ghoulishness of more recent examples like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”), these movies are happy to function as feature-length commercials for the musicians they were made to honor, just as they’re happy to offer halos to the people who inspired them.

That’s a key feature of cinematic evangelism,...

Sissy Spacek is heading back to the small screen, this time playing mother to Michelle Williams in the upcoming FX limited series Dying for Sex, our sister site Deadline reports.

Based on the podcast of the same name, Dying for Sex follows Molly (Williams), a woman who leaves her husband of 15 years and begins to explore her sexuality after being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Molly is supported on her journey by her best friend (Jenny Slate), who remains by her side through it all. Spacek’s character Gail “has a complicated history with her daughter.”

More from TVLineWelcome to...

Robert Downey Jr. in “Oppenheimer” had it easy this year.

He took the early lead in Gold Derby’s official Oscar odds for Best Supporting Actor. He widened that lead in the following months. He then swept the precursor awards. And despite landing in a powerhouse lineup that included Sterling K. Brown in “American Fiction,” Robert De Niro in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Ryan Gosling in “Barbie” and Mark Ruffalo in “Poor Things,” there was a “near zero” chance of Downey not being called to the stage to accept the Academy Award.

But not every past recipient of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar has cruised to victory like Downey. There have been numerous nail-biters over the years.

I recall one contest in particular from three decades ago. The 1993 fabulous five included first-time nominee Leonardo DiCaprio as the autistic younger brother of Johnny Depp in “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape,” Ralph Fiennes...

The original “Queen of Country Music,” Loretta Lynn, has done it again. Even after her death, there is no stopping the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” singer. She has had another song certified as Gold.

About Loretta Lynn

Loretta Lynn is one the greatest country music singers and country music songwriters of all time. She passed away on October 4, 2022. She was 90 years old. Her music was considered to be ahead of its time and controversial. It was controversial, her single “The Pill,” a song about birth control pills, was banned from country radio stations.

The movie “Coal Miner’s Daughter” was about the life of Loretta Lynn. It starred Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn and Tommy Lee Jones as her husband. This movie was one of the first full-length feature films about a country music artist.

Loretta Lynn paved the way for women in country music. This includes her sister, Crystal Gayle, and her granddaughter,...

American Idol fan favorite, Kellie Pickler is finally returning to music and the stage. She has been absent from country music for more than a year now. She took the time off after the sudden and tragic death of her husband, Kyle Jacobs.

Do You Remember Kellie Pickler?

Kellie Pickler is the southern sweetheart who stole the hearts of millions of American Idol fans. “Pick Pickler” is what she told everyone during her first appearance on the top-rated competition reality television show. She wowed the judges with her beautiful voice and quirky charm. Viewers of American Idol were also wowed by this blonde dynamo.

Kellie Pickler went on to have a successful career in country music. She toured with Brad Paisley. The “Didn’t You Know How Much I Loved You” singer was nominated for the Academy of Country Music Awards Top Female Vocalist of the Year. Pickler went on...

By delivering performances that add up to almost four and a half hours, the four acting Oscar winners of 2024 came within six minutes of setting a new academy record for highest single-year screen time average. Ultimately, they landed in fifth place with a mean of one hour, four minutes, and 57 seconds, thus becoming only the 12th winning quartet (and sixth in 10 years) to exceed 60 minutes.

Newly crowned Best Actor and Actress champs Cillian Murphy (“Oppenheimer”) and Emma Stone (“Poor Things”) are credited with a whopping 81% of their foursome’s screen time total, respectively clocking in at 1:53:10 and 1:37:19 and outpacing all of the 2024 nominees by at least four minutes. Supporting honorees Robert Downey Jr. (“Oppenheimer”) and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”) gave the fourth and sixth shortest nominated performances of the year, reaching individual screen times of 23:50 and 25:29.

Considering this group’s screen time percentages,...

Tommy Lee Jones shines in authoritative roles, but also has the self-awareness to excel in comedic parts. He is consistently the best part of any movie he's in. Jones's talent is highly sought after, as he has worked with some of the best directors in Hollywood. He has earned four Academy Award nominations and is still an underrated actor. Jones's ability to transform difficult roles into compelling characters is evident in his best movies. Replacing him in his iconic roles would lead to a decline in quality.

Over the course of a film career stretching back to the 1970s, Tommy Lee Jones has starred in dozens of memorable movies, improving each one with his inimitable presence. Jones has a reputation as one of Hollywood's go-to actors for world-weary authoritative characters, and this has helped him shine in Westerns, action thrillers, and dramas. However, Jones also has the self-awareness to use his persona for comedy.

Sissy Spacek's portrayal of Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter earned her critical acclaim and an Academy Award for Best Actress. Loretta Lynn's death in 2022 deeply saddened Spacek, who considered her a close friend and admired her as a country music pioneer. Lynn personally endorsed Spacek to play her in the film, leading to a strong bond and successful collaboration between the two.

Sissy Spacek plays Loretta Lynn, the real-life country music singer in Coal Miner's Daughter, and the musician's death left a lasting imprint on Spacek. Coal Miner's Daughter is an adaptation of the book of the same name by George Vecsey, which is a biography of country music legend, Loretta Lynn. The film tracks Lynn's journey from her teen years in the 1940s as part of a desperately poor Kentucky family to an influential country superstar by the late '50s. It's a romantic, inspiring, and heartbreaking...

Brian De Palma's "Carrie" was the film that defined a generation. Its blend of coming-of-age themes, fantastical magic, and slasher-style bloodshed makes it a genre-bending film that time just can't seem to forget.

The 1976 horror tells the story of a sheltered girl who lives under her obsessively religious mother's tyrannical rule, a dictatorship made all the worse by the onset of Carrie's period. Her mother's frenzy combined with a cruel prank at the prom pushes the shy young girl to a mental break, complete with telekinetic powers. The Stephen King adaptation launched some incredibly notable careers, including John Travolta, who plays high school bully Billy Nolan. Sadly, not all of the cast has lived to see the end of 2023, including Piper Laurie, whose performance as Carrie's mother earned her one of three Oscar nominations in her lifetime.

Laurie passed away in October of 2023, but many of the other main cast members are alive,...

The Hollywood biographical drama — or biopic, to use the word that always makes it sound like a dental instrument — is enjoying its mega-moment. “Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan’s three-hour epic about the father of the atomic bomb, proved that a story-of-a-life movie could be as big and coruscating as the cosmos; not so incidentally, it’s garnered Nolan the most ecstatic reviews of his career. Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla” has also won audiences and acclaim. In telling the story of Priscilla Presley, who met Elvis when she was 14 and spent six years married to a slowly dissolving mirage, the film takes us through the looking glass of pop-music fame. In Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” the lives of Leonard Bernstein and his wife, Felicia Montealegre, become a rapturous study in love, sexuality, bigotry, creativity and the mysteries of marriage. And “Ferrari,” Michael Mann’s upcoming drama about the Italian automaker, is a...

It’s one of the most damning travesties in Academy Awards history that Raging Bull didn’t win Best Picture. Generally considered one of the greatest films ever made, it’s far more in the conscious and more of an essential piece of cinema than the winner that year, Ordinary People, a remarkably safe choice that fits the Academy’s general M.O. Safer, too, was giving Robert Redford the Best Director honor over Martin Scorsese, who had to wait until 2006’s The Departed to take home his long-denied prize. Now, its editor – who did win an Oscar for Raging Bull – is coming out to say that Scorsese wanted a win to come for the 1980 classic.

In a new interview with Thelma Schoonmaker, the legendary editor said, “I think he would have liked to win for Raging Bull…When we were standing there, those of us who did win, I...

Though he has played his share of rednecks in films, Oscar, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Tommy Lee Jones is in real life a top-notch polo player and famously was Vice President Al Gore‘s roommate while both were studying at Harvard. Jones is an actor who is always full of surprises.

Having gotten his start acting in soap operas and independent films, Jones quickly moved up the ladder, earning his first Golden Globe nomination as singer Loretta Lynn‘s husband in “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (opposite Academy Award champ Sissy Spacek). As his work continued to grow, so did Jones’ trophy case. In his film career of over four decades, Jones earned four Oscar nominations three Golden Globe nominations (also including a win for “The Fugitive”) and four Screen Actors Guild nominations (including two SAG trophies for 2007’s “No Country For Old Men” and 2012’s “Lincoln”).

So, let’s count down his 13 greatest films,...

If you ever happen across Tommy Lee Jones in a public setting, should you find yourself sharing an elevator with him or spot him across the room in a restaurant, do yourself a favor and leave him be. If you're at all adept at reading body language, you should realize fairly quickly that the man is a walking "do not disturb" sign. Should you try to engage, know that he will swiftly and bluntly shut you down. Whatever bond you feel you've formed with Jones, it doesn't extend beyond the movie theater or your television screen. Not for him.

If you ever get the opportunity to interview Tommy Lee Jones, prepare. Do your research, write your very specific questions down well in advance and do not deviate. If you ask good, thoughtful questions, you'll get a good interview. Do not try to have a conversation. If your inquiries ramble or,...

Arthur “Artie” R. Schmidt, who won Oscars for editing Robert Zemeckis films “Forrest Gump” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” died Saturday at his home in Santa Barbara. He was 86.

Schmidt and Zemeckis were longtime collaborators, having worked on a total of ten films together, including “Forrest Gump” (1994), the “Back to the Future” trilogy (1985-1990), “Cast Away” (2000), and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” (1988). Other prominent films Schmidt worked on include “Jaws 2” (1978), “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (1980), for which he was Oscar-nommed; “The Last of the Mohicans” (1992), “Death Becomes Her” (1992), “Addams Family Values” (1993) and “Contact” (1997). He was also brought on to help with “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (2003) in the midst of its production.

Additionally, Schmidt collaborated with director Mike Nichols on three films: “The Fortune” (1975) “The Birdcage” (1996), and “Primary Colors” (1998). He also took on the challenge of editing a film that combines both animation and live-action: “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Robert Schmidt, the film editor whose decades-long collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis on classics such as Forrest Gump, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Cast Away, Contact and all three Back to the Future films won him two Oscars, has died, Deadline has confirmed. He was 86.

Schmidt’s two Best Film Editing Oscars came for Roger Rabbit (1988) and Forrest Gump (1994). His other collaborations with Zemeckis included Death Becomes Her (1992) and What Lies Beneath (2000).

“Arthur Schmidt was incredibly talented and a joy to work with,” Zemeckis said in a statement to Deadline. “He was a true gentleman and I am honored to have known him and to have created what we did together.”

Schmidt had a distinguished career beyond that artistic partnership.

He edited films directed by Michael Mann, Taylor Hackford, Michael Apted, Mike Nichols, Barry Sonnenfeld and many others.

In addition to his Oscars, Schmidt won Ace Eddies for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl...

Arthur R. Schmidt, the Oscar-winning film editor who worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, and Back to the Future, has died at the age of 85.

The Los Angeles native followed in the footsteps of his father Arthur P. Schmidt, who was also a film editor.

The younger Schmidt caught his big break working on 1980’s Coal Miner’s Daughter, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing. Five years later, he edited the first Back to the Future, marking the beginning of a fruitful partnership with filmmaker Rober Zemeckis. Schmidt went on to edit the next two Back to the Future films, as well as Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Death Becomes Her, Forrest Gump, What Lies Beneath, and Cast Away. His work on Roger Rabbit and Forest Gump, in particular, earned him Academy Awards for Best Film Editing.

Throughout his career, Schmidt also worked on...

Arthur Schmidt, the two-time Oscar-winning film editor who collaborated with director Robert Zemeckis on 10 films, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump and the Back to the Future trilogy, has died. He was 86.

Schmidt died Saturday of an unknown cause at his home in Santa Barbara, his brother Ron Schmidt told The Hollywood Reporter.

The second-generation film editor also cut three Mike Nichols features — The Fortune (1975), The Birdcage (1996) and Primary Colors (1998) — and two helmed by Michael Apted — Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980), for which he received his first Oscar nom, and Firstborn (1984).

His résumé over four decades included work on Marathon Man (1976), Jaws 2 (1978), Ruthless People (1986), Beaches (1988), The Rocketeer (1991), The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Congo (1995), and he was brought in for three months to help tidy up the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie in 2003.

Schmidt received his Academy Awards in 1989 for Who Framed Roger Rabbit and in 1995 for Forrest Gump,...

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The late Loretta Lynn may have been known as the Coal Miner’s Daughter, but the country legend was also a woman of conviction, with songs that often crossed over into the Christian and Gospel charts. Now, Lynn’s legacy of faith is being commemorated in a special book of devotions, inspired by her most popular songs.

Titled A Song and A Prayer, the new book features 30 daily...

At this year’s Oscars, Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) made history by becoming the very first Asian performer to win Best Actress. Not only that, she’s just the second woman of color to have prevailed in that category following Halle Berry for “Monster’s Ball” (2001). Interestingly, both of them had similar trajectories getting to Hollywood’s biggest night.

SEEExperts slugfest: 2023 Oscars recap — Breaking down ‘Everything Everywhere’s’ unprecedented sweep

Heading into the 2001 Oscar season, the early frontrunner for Best Actress was Sissy Spacek for “In the Bedroom.” That movie marked the feature directorial debut for Todd Field, who at that point had worked in the industry mostly as an actor who also made short films on the side. And Spacek was already a previous winner for “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (1980).

She ended up winning the Critics Choice Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe for Best Film...

If you read our Gold Derby combined odds for Oscar Best Picture, you see that the race is over and “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is about to be crowned at the Academy Awards on March 12. But the favorite doesn’t always win the horserace. Upsets happen. The longshot comes in. Jaws drop. Calculations go awry. Something that no one could see coming winds up coming in. Chaos reigns.

And we love it.

If there is anything we’ve learned, it’s that there are no guarantees. Films that the majority think should have won, don’t. That’s particularly true in hindsight. “Citizen Kane,” widely regarded as the finest film of the 20th century, lost. So did the film many consider to be Martin Scorsese’s best, “Raging Bull.” “Moonlight” beat “La La Land.” “Crash” upset “Brokeback Mountain.” “Shakespeare in Love” upended “Saving Private Ryan.” “Chariots of Fire” snared the trophy over “Reds.

It's a little hard to imagine anyone but Beverly D'Angelo playing the role of Clark Griswold's long-suffering wife Ellen in National Lampoon's "Vacation" franchise, isn't it? At this point, she's appeared as the character in five movies, and even voiced Ellen in an episode of "Family Guy." Ellen has always felt like a great mom, and a wife who's probably a little too good for her buffoonish husband -- and there was nearly another sequel in which she finally realized it. It's a role D'Angelo nailed from the first time she appeared onscreen in the original "Vacation" installment in 1983.

But as perfect as she's always been for the role, there was a time when there was some doubt as to whether she was the right choice to portray Ellen. And as it turns out, the doubt was coming from inside the Family Truckster the whole time! Or, more accurately, from...

When Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival late last May, the buzz for its young star Austin Butler grew quickly to a deafening din. The film’s reception was capped by a 12-minute standing ovation, and the conventional wisdom was that the Oscar and potentially the Screen Actors Guild Award as well was Butler’s to lose. As of this writing, the 31-year-old is the second choice in the Academy Awards lead actor race as well as in the SAG Awards actor competition on Gold Derby behind Brendan Fraser for “The Whale,” positions that have rarely shifted since last fall. Colin Farrell of “The Banshees of Inisherin” is solidly in third place in both odds.

But the history of both the Oscars and SAGs tells us that Butler may be underestimated. He follows, after all, in the grand tradition of actors who have transformed themselves into real-life music legends,...

Late singer Aaron Carter was noticeably absent from the In Memoriam tribute during the 2023 GRAMMYs ceremony on Sunday.

The 2023 GRAMMYs In Memoriam included three performances: Kacey Musgraves sang “Coal Miner’s Daughter” honoring Loretta Lynn; Quavo and Maverick City Music sang “Without You” for Migos rapper Takeoff; and Sheryl Crow, Mick Fleetwood and Bonnie Raitt performed “Songbird” in a tribute to Christine McVie. Throughout each performance, the Recording Academy highlighted more names and faces on the screen, including Lisa Marie Presley.

Fans were quick to point out that Aaron Carter was absent from the collection of tributes, along with Taylor Hawkins, though the internet later realized Hawkins was honored at last year’s ceremony.

Though Carter was not included, People reported that he was listed in the In Memoriam tribute of the physical GRAMMYs program at the ceremony.

Carter was found dead in the bathtub of his home in Lancaster, California,...

There were huge surprises all across the 2023 Grammy Awards, which were presented on Sunday night, February 5, during a ceremony hosted by Trevor Noah at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. But these music awards are just as much about the performances as they are about the accolades. Who do you think gave the best performance of the night? Scroll down to vote in our poll at the bottom of this post.

The broadcast opened with Bad Bunny, who brought a beach party to the Grammys with his performance of “El Apagón” and “Después de la Playa.” But he wasn’t the only one who went big. Sam Smith and Kim Petras summoned fire and brimstone for their rendition of “Unholy,” for which they won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. DJ Khaled took to the streets at the end of the ceremony for “God Did” with Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross,...