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There are rivalries in Hollywood that burn so hot, they could scorch the film reel itself. But few match the intensity of the legendary feud between martial arts icons Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme. This wasn’t just about punches and kicks, but probably about ego’s missed opportunities (and what could have been?). Oh, and did we mention the fight that never happened? All of which made the rivalry even more fascinating.

Jean-Claude Van Damm in Street Fighter | Credit: Columbia Pictures

So, what if we told you that one of the most talked-about showdowns in Hollywood almost happened, only to be turned down? So, why didn’t it happen? The answer is both surprising and revealing.

The Fight That Never Was: Jean-Claude Van Damme vs. Steven Seagal

Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme’s rivalry has everything—charism, controversy, and a hint of mystery. But as with many things in life,...

Remember the good ol’ days when action stars didn’t need a plot to punch their way into your heart? Just a pair of sunglasses, a tight leather jacket, and muscles so big you’d think they had their own zip code. In the 1980s, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone ruled the action movie kingdom, but they weren’t the only ones.

Steven Seagal, the guy who could twist people’s arms literally and look cool doing it. He was the Aikido master with the deadpan stare, the guy women wanted on their side if they ever found themselves in a tight spot.

Steven Seagal in Under Siege | Credit: Regency Enterprises

Fast forward a few decades, and you might not recognize the guy who used to break necks in movies like Under Siege. A recent batch of photos has left fans scratching their heads. Meanwhile, his arch-nemesis from the muscles...

Bruno Mars was destined to become a pop star after his early life in Hawaii was rooted in music. At the age of four, Mars began performing alongside his family’s band, The Love Notes, playing an impersonation of Elvis Presley. He quickly became known in Hawaii for his Elvis act and even made it to the cover of a local tabloid.

Bruno Mars in 24K Magic music video | Credits: Atlantic

Mars’ performance on stage paved the way for his cameo appearance in the film Honeymoon in Vegas. He executed his usual Elvis impersonation for the film and the clip recently resurfaced on Instagram. Fans couldn’t help but notice how cute and talented young Mars looked in the clip.

Bruno Mars Looked Absolutely Adorable With His Elvis Impersonation Bruno Mars in a still from Honeymoon in Vegas | Credits: Columbia Pictures

Bruno Mars‘ mother Bernadette was a singer and a dancer,...

Vince McMahon’s Netflix documentary is out and it is dropping bombs left and right. As it explores the many allegations made against Vince McMahon himself, the documentary shines a light on other topics as well. This includes Hulk Hogan’s claims that he never used or abused steroids in his career.

Vince McMahon in Mr. McMahon | Credits: Netflix

Back in 1991, Hulk Hogan distanced himself from claims of steroid use to boost his physique. He proudly sat on the couch and even stated that he felt “insulted” when people would speculate about his physique and reduce his hard work to steroid abuse. Now, Vince McMahon’s documentary unravels the Hulkster’s statement.

What Hulk Hogan Said on The Arsenio Hall Show Hulk Hogan on The Arsenio Hall Show | Credits: CBS

The thing is, claims and speculations about wrestlers indulging in steroids have been there since time immemorial. While it is...

It’s Friday the 13th, that special time of the year when flights are cheaper (thanks to our collective stupidity) and everybody celebrates the murderous exploits of Jason Voorhees. The iconic slasher first showed up, albeit very briefly, in 1980’s Friday the 13th, before later taking Manhattan, and eventually journeying to outer space, where he went on a Holodeck killing spree.

In addition to the roughly 5,000 Friday the 13th movies, Jason has also occasionally popped up here in the real world — not to disembowel horny camp counselors, but to sell stuff, like the time he visited his local RadioShack.

But no doubt the most famous of Jason’s promotional appearances was the time he guested on The Arsenio Hall Show. Yes, back on July 28, 1989, the late-night host welcomed Bo Derek, Ursula Andress and an axe-wielding undead monster.

Remaining in character for the entire interview, Jason didn’t say a word.

Welcome back to Origins, our recurring series that gives artists a space to break down everything that went into their latest release. Today, the British alternative rock group Sports Team dig into the themes behind the song and video for “I’m in Love (Subaru).”

There aren’t many songs inspired by a Subaru Impreza. In fact, Sports Team might have the only one.

The British group returns today with “I’m in Love (Subaru),” the lead single from their forthcoming third album, Boys These Days (out February 28th), and a love letter to — you guessed it — a red Subaru Impreza. Why that specific car, you might ask? For vocalist Rob Knaggs, it represents an unattainable ideal; a shiny car for a shiny, impenetrable life.

Subarus evoke safety and security, and in “I’m in Love (Subaru),” that manifests in a bright, ’80s-inspired sound that is only a few degrees...

Ruth Westheimer, the diminutive guru of the American sexual revolution whose straightforward, matter-of-fact way of discussing the facts of life led to an illustrious career as a radio talk-show host, television personality, author and advice expert, has died. She was 96.

Westheimer died Friday at her home in New York City, spokesman Pierre Lehu told The New York Times.

She escaped Nazi Germany in the 1930s and was profiled by The Hollywood Reporter in January 2016 as one of the entertainment industry’s last survivors of the Holocaust.

For more than three decades, when the subject turned to sex, Dr. Ruth (as she was known to her legion of fans) was the go-to person. People magazine included her on its 1998 list of the Most Intriguing People of the Century. In Playboy’s 55th anniversary issue in 2009, she landed the No. 13 spot on its list of the most important people in sex from the past 55 years.

Orange Is the New Black actress Lea DeLaria uploaded an intense Instagram speech calling on President Joe Biden to take advantage of the Supreme Court’s newly defined executive immunity rules and assassinate Donald Trump.

DeLaria posted the video Monday in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling the former president is immune from prosecution for any “official acts” while in office. The ruling has led to speculation that a president could, in theory, assassinate a political rival and then call it an “official” act. Well, that’s what DeLaria rather provocatively called on Biden to do and likened the assassination to preemptively killing Adolf Hitler before World War II.

“Joe, you’re a reasonable man,” she said in a post that’s garnered about 9,000 likes as of this publication. “You don’t want to do this. But here’s the reality: This is a fucking war. This is a war now,...

Action movie culture experienced a boom in the 1980s. Hollywood heavyweights Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone competed to see who could land the best roles, have the largest muscles, and score the most hits in their respective blockbusters. However, as the new decade began, the next wave of action stars began to emerge, led by the likes of Jean-Claude Van Damme (Jcvd) and Steven Seagal, who gained widespread recognition.

Well, it seems like even Hollywood’s mightiest have weighed in on this titanic tussle! Indeed, a long-running debate was reignited by none other than the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s god of thunder, Chris Hemsworth. No, it’s not Seagal, but according to the Australian powerhouse, Van Damme is the undisputed champ of adrenaline-pumping thrills.

Jean-Claude Van Damm in Street Fighter | Columbia Pictures

No, it’s not Seagal, but according to the Australian powerhouse, Van Damme is the undisputed champ of adrenaline-pumping thrills.

For this month’s installment of “TV Terrors” we revisit one of the most iconic bits of horror movie marketing of all time: when Jason Voorhees took “The Arsenio Hall Show“!

The first time I ever saw the teaser for Jason Takes Manhattan was on the weekend of July 5, 1989. My dad had taken my little brother and I to see Weekend at Bernie’s, and while we were sitting through the trailers, Jason Voorhees suddenly popped up. It was that famed teaser that everyone remembers with Jason looking out onto the cityscape, promising a Friday the 13th sequel wherein Jason would quite literally slice and dice his way through New York City.

Although my parents strictly forbade us from watching Friday the 13th films at the time, I was utterly enamored with Jason Voorhees at just six years old. The teaser didn’t scare me, but it excited me, and ended...

Jon Stewart returned to his well-worn chair to host his weekly segment of The Daily Show Monday night, and in addition to weighing in on the latest political hot topics, he also took a quick trip down memory lane, guided by one of his audience members in his “After the Cut” question and answer series. The audience member in question informed Stewart that she had been a faithful viewer of his since his early ’90s MTV show, The Jon Stewart Show, and she wondered what he might’ve done differently in retrospect. “You watched that show?!” he asked the guest incredulously. The Jon Stewart Show was a half-hour talk show hosted by the eventual Emmy-winning emcee, but at the time he was not exactly a household name. The show only came to fruition after Arsenio Hall stepped away from The Arsenio Hall Show, and it ran for just two seasons...

Marco Brambilla's 1993 film "Demolition Man" has a pretty wild premise. In the near-future of 1996, a wildly destructive criminal named Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) is at large and taking hostages in Los Angeles. The cop sent in to apprehend Pheonix is John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone), an officer so reckless that he's earned the nickname of Demolition Man. When Spartan finds and confronts Pheonix, he explodes the building they're in. They both escape, but an investigation reveals the bodies of the hostages in the rubble. Oops. Spartan didn't handle that operation very well.

As punishment, Spartan and Pheonix are both subjected to a new prison experiment. Instead of living in cells, prisoners are cryogenically frozen for decades and fed subliminal rehabilitation messages. Spartan is thawed in the year 2032, where the world is now overseen by a benevolent (seeming) right-wing cult leader who has whipped Los Angeles -- now San Angeles -- into shape.

Mojo Nixon, musician, actor, and radio DJ who became a comedy icon for such songs as “Don Henley Must Die” and “Stuffin’ Martha’s Muffin, died at 66 today of what was termed “a cardiac event.”

His family confirmed the death to Rolling Stone. Nixon was aboard the Outlaw Country Cruise, an annual music cruise where he was a co-host and regular performer.

“August 2, 1957 — February 7, 2024 Mojo Nixon. How you live is how you should die. Mojo Nixon was full-tilt, wide-open rock hard, root hog, corner on two wheels + on fire…,” his family shared in a statement to Rolling Stone. “Passing after a blazing show, a raging night, closing the bar, taking no prisoners + a good breakfast with bandmates and friends.

“A cardiac event on the Outlaw Country Cruise is about right… & that’s just how he did it, Mojo has left the building,” his family’s statement continued. “Since Elvis is everywhere,...

Mojo Nixon, the unapologetically brash musician, actor, and radio DJ, died of “a cardiac event” on Wednesday, Feb. 7, his family confirmed to Rolling Stone. He was 66. Nixon was aboard the Outlaw Country Cruise, an annual music cruise where he was a co-host and regular performer.

“August 2, 1957 — February 7, 2024 Mojo Nixon. How you live is how you should die. Mojo Nixon was full-tilt, wide-open rock hard, root hog, corner on two wheels + on fire…,” his family shared in a statement to Rolling Stone. “Passing after a blazing show, a raging night, closing the bar,...

Presented by Lisa Frankenstein, 1989 Week is dialing the clock back to the crossroads year for the genre with a full week of features that dig six feet under into the year. Today, Alex Divincenzo revisits the great slasher slump of 1989.

While horror fans often look back on the ’80s with a nostalgic glow, 1989 was not what most would consider a strong year for the genre — particularly when compared to the embarrassment of riches spawned by the rest of the decade. Not even Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger were safe from the slasher slump.

Each franchise had its ups and downs across a cumulative 17 movies in the ’80s, but the decade came to a close with low points — creatively and financially — in all three sagas: Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, and Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers.

The 75th Primetime Emmys was a somewhat predictable affair, with "Succession," "The Bear" and "Beef" winning nearly everything, but there was one creative choice that made it stand clearly above the Emmys of the past few years. The theme this time around was honoring the most beloved shows in TV history, which made for a far more interesting transition between awards than the usual random comedy schticks. 

This year included the reunion of Jon Cryer and Holland Taylor from "Two and a Half Men," a speech from Arsenio Hall of "The Arsenio Hall Show," and another speech by Carol Burnett from "The Carol Burnett Show." We got an extended homage to "The Twilight Zone," as well as references to "Taxi," "Dynasty," and "Mad Men." There were also cast reunions for ongoing shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Always Sunny in Philadelphia." Considering how long they've been going on and the impact...

Was it because of the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., or simply a sign of the times, that the 2023 Emmys was its most diverse ever?

As the awards show celebrated its 75th anniversary, five of the 12 acting Emmys handed out on Monday night — pushed four months to MLK Day as a result of the 2023 strikes — went to performers of color, tying the record set at the 1991 ceremony, when Lynn Whitfield, Madge Sinclair and Ruby Dee took home statuettes (and James Earl Jones took home two).

The show made history with its first two awards of the night, with wins for The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri and Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson marking the first time that the supporting and lead comedy actress Emmys both went to Black women in the same year. (The feat was previously accomplished in the drama races with Viola Davis and Uzo Aduba in 2015.) Brunson...

Ally McBeal, Grey’s Anatomy, Cheers, Martin and The Sopranos were among the beloved television shows celebrated with cast reunions at the 2023 Emmys ceremony.

In honor of the Primetime Emmy Awards marking its 75th anniversary, castmembers from a number of notable series reunited to present awards at the ceremony that was held Monday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. This included re-created sets for many of the celebrated shows.

Among the moments gathering buzz was a reunion for Ally McBeal stars Calista Flockhart, Greg Germann, Peter MacNicol, and Gil Bellows. The performers emerged from the show’s bathroom set to dance to “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” by Barry White.

Also notable was Grey’s Anatomy gathering current and former stars Ellen Pompeo, James Pickens Jr. and Chandra Wilson with Katherine Heigl and Justin Chambers. “Yes, there have been some changes over the years, but the one...

You may have heard that the 75th edition of the Emmy Awards is finally happening on Monday, capping a nearly four-month delay resulting from the twin WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. I think “Gunsmoke” and “The Andy Griffith Show” were still all the rage when this process began, JFK was President and a loaf of bread was a quarter. Alas, I exaggerate (though just a bit). But for this and no doubt other reasons, the TV Academy is clearly in a nostalgic mood, slating mini-reunions and tributes to and/or visual recreations of a dozen shows to mark the occasion.

The idea, according to the Emmy producers, is to honor television throughout the decades of its existence, from the 1950s (“I Love Lucy”), to the 1960s (“The Carol Burnett Show”), the 1970s (“All in the Family”), the 1980s (“Cheers”) and the 1990s (“Ally McBeal” and “Martin”) through the early 2000s.

SEE...

Jean-Claude Van Damme reveals details of a possible fight with Steven Seagal in Las Vegas, but Seagal didn't take the offer. Van Damme believes that if a fight with Seagal happened, he would run faster and tire Seagal out before coming back to fight. The rivalry between Van Damme and Seagal began when Seagal questioned Van Damme's martial arts skills, and Van Damme challenged him to a fight at a party hosted by Sylvester Stallone.

Action movie icon Jean-Claude Van Damme reveals that there was once a discussion about pitting him against fellow action star and long-time rival Steven Seagal in Las Vegas. Speaking with The Telegraph, Van Damme began diplomatically when discussing Seagal and their rivalry, before revealing that the former head of Sony Pictures, Peter Guber, had once suggested a Van Damme versus Seagal fight at The Mirage. With the stars receiving $20 million apiece.

“The first movie I saw of his,...

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Bipoc late-night and variety show writers say the lack of diversity on-screen and behind it is due to a lack of chances and opportunity given to people of color.

“If you look at traditionally… the hosts that we remember a lot, the ones from those 11:30 p.m. 12:30 a.m. shows, they got so many chances,” Greg Iwinski, who has written for Comedy Central’s “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and CBS’ “Late Show With Stephen Colbert” said Thursday during TheWrap’s strike roundtable, “Bipoc Late-Night and Variety Writers Speak Out.”

“But if you’re a person of color, it’s like, ‘Here are six episodes, each year that we’re going to call a season. So you have six half-hours,’” Iwinski continued. “And [executives] are saying, ‘Well, if [hosts of color] can...

Led by Eddie Murphy, the Coming 2 America cast also sees the return of several Coming to America actors along with new characters and some exciting cameos. Streaming on Prime Video, the 2021 legacy sequel was directed by Craig Brewer and includes several special appearances from big names in pop culture. In Coming 2 America, Prince Akeem (Murphy) is set to be King of Zamunda but worries about not having a legitimate male heir. Shortly before his father passes away, it's revealed that Akeem actually has a son named Lavelle in Queens, New York — the result of a drunken one-night stand with a woman named Mary Junson.

Hoping to follow proper Zamunda customs, Akeem brings his birth son to Africa and trains him to be a respectable prince but doesn't fully consider how this decision affects his wife and three daughters. Coming 2 America's cast features 10 character reprisals from the original film,...

Jimmy O. Yang and Amazon are back in the funny business: The “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Love Hard” and “Silicon Valley” star has lined up his second standup comedy special with streamer Prime Video, titled “Guess How Much?”

Set to launch May 2, the event is a followup to Yang’s first Amazon comedy special, “Good Deal,” which launched in August 2020. In his new standup engagement, Yang will poke fun at “love languages, loser friends, and negotiating with his Asian parents,” per Prime Video.

Yang isn’t the only one bringing new laughs to Amazon this spring: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” star and “Mad TV” alum Alex Borstein will launch her first Prime Video special, “Corsets & Clown Suits,” April 18.

Aside from his memorable parts in “Crazy Rich Asians,” Netflix’s “Love Hard” and HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” Yang is best known as the author of “How to American: An Immigrant’s Guide to Disappointing Your Parents,...

The risk when an immediate family member is involved in a tribute to an important figure from the pop-culture firmament is that the story they choose to tell might not be the one fans want to hear. That’s an issue — at least for this erstwhile disco baby — with HBO’s Love to Love You, Donna Summer. Directed by Roger Ross Williams with Summer’s daughter, Brooklyn Sudano, the doc is stuffed with great archive material. But it largely squanders an ideal platform through which to reaffirm the subject’s vital place in pop music history and reclaim disco as a genre whose influence has never waned.

Some of that is kinda, sorta here, but it’s so faint it’s almost apologetic. We’re constantly reminded that Summer was ambivalent about being crowned the Queen of Disco, because she felt it marginalized her vocal gifts for gospel, R&b and soul,...

Far from being just another '90s sitcom, "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" not only dealt with serious themes, it helped take hip-hop culture mainstream. Its enduring appeal also led to the recent Peacock remake "Bel-Air" and an HBO reunion, proving it was much more than your average family show.

"The Fresh Prince" also catapulted Will Smith to heights he never reached as part of his hip-hop duo, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Recent Oscar troubles aside, since starring in the show, Smith has conquered the entertainment industry, becoming one of the biggest leading men in the world and enjoying a successful music career. It seems strange, then, to think of him being completely down and out prior to "The Fresh Prince," but back in the late-'80s that's exactly what happened.

In 1988, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince scored a hit with their single "Parents Just Don't Understand,...

David Jude Jolicoeur, who passed away on Sunday, Feb. 12 at the age of 54, helped revolutionize hip-hop and change the course of popular music. It’s why he’s being mourned so widely in the rap community today, and far beyond it as well. As one-third of De La Soul, alongside Kelvin “Posdnous” Mercer and DJ Vincent “Maseo” Mason, the Haitian American musician and producer who adopted names like “Jude,” “Trugoy the Dove,” “Plug 2,” and, finally, just “Dave” expanded the art form in ways not seen before or since. Many fans...

Arsenio Hall is (briefly) returning to talk shows. Hall will revive his former late-night series, The Arsenio Hall Show, for Netflix Is a Joke Fest this May. Titled Arsenio! Live From Netflix Is a Joke Fest, the shows will take place May 2 through 5 at the Hollywood Roosevelt theater in Los Angeles. The shows will feature stand-up comedy and celebrity interviews and will premiere on the Netflix Is a Joke YouTube channel. Audio-only versions of the shows will be available on Netflix Is A Joke Radio (Sxm Ch. 93), according to The Hollywood Reporter. Hall helped announce the special live shows with Netflix on April 19. “Big news everyone! The bark is coming back,” he said, adding, “All my dogs out there can watch it from the comfort of your own pound.” *Loud Bark* Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival is bringing back Arsenio! Live from Roosevelt Theater in L.A. from May...

Arsenio Hall is getting back into the late-night game. Temporarily.

The comedian, who hosted The Arsenio Hall Show, is bringing back his show for a four night run during the Netflix Is A Joke Festival.

Starting May 2, the Coming to America and Coming 2 America star will host his show at the Roosevelt Theater in LA. The episodes will air on Netflix’s comedy YouTube page.

The Arsenio Hall Show initially ran in syndication between 1989 and 1994. It was produced by Hall’s own company and distributed by Paramount Domestic Television. The show returned for one more season between September 2013 and May 2014, produced by Hall’s company, Tribune Broadcasting, Octagon Entertainment and Eye Productions and was distributed by CBS Television Distribution.

The show was a breakout success when it launched, taking younger viewers away from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and introducing the audience’s canine-themed cheering in place of applause.

Bass player John B. Williams clearly remembers the moment more than 30 years ago when Will Smith pointed him out during an episode of The Arsenio Hall Show and cracked a joke about his bald head.

“I didn’t take it seriously. He was a comedian. He was the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. He was a rapper. I took it as a joke. I laughed it off,” Williams, 81, tells Rolling Stone in his first interview since a clip of the 1991 exchange started going viral.

He’s also adamant what happened Sunday night was different,...

Arsenio Hall returned to the world of late night on Monday, as guest host on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

“This is fun. I’m wearing pants—pants with a zipper,” deadpanned Hall. “This is one of my first times out of the house. I take Covid very seriously.”

During his opening monologue, Hall of course paid tribute to his own late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show, which originally aired between 1989 and 1994.

He repeatedly joked about viewers who might wonder, “What? Who are you?

“‘Honey, I think that’s the owner of The Weather Channel,'” he imagined someone in the audience saying, referencing Byron Allen.

Hall then went on to reinvent a segment from his series, which returned in the form of a short-lived CBS revival between 2013 and 2014.

“Back on my old show, I used to do a thing called ‘Things that make you go Hmmm…’ [These things] were thoughts, like stand-up thoughts,...

Trevor Noah and Arsenio Hall are two of the biggest trailblazers in late-night television.

The host of The Daily Show and the host of The Arsenio Hall Show are two of only a few Black comedians and performers to have fronted a late-night show. They got together for a metaphorical passing of the baton as part of the Comedy Central show’s FYC campaign.

During the hourlong chat, which you can see below, the pair touched on all manner of issues relating to the genre, comedy and politics.

Noah also revealed that he has a “few surprises” in store when he and his team finally return to the studio.

“As for going back to the studio, I have a few surprises as to what that will look like,” he said. “I’m working on a few things with the team, and we’re really excited because I want it to be intentional.

Exclusive: Tribeca and Comedy Dynamics are reteaming for a slate of 10 stand-up comedy specials to be filmed at the Tribeca Film Festival, which runs June 9-20 in New York City.

The two entities partnered up in early 2020 to produce original stand-up comedy specials that were slated to be filmed at the annual fest. But after Covid restrictions took hold nationwide, they pivoted and evolved the indoor festival into an outdoor comedy drive-in set across the country at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Tribeca x Comedy Dynamics Drive-In featured hourlong comedy sets from Ester Steinberg, Dave Helem, Erica Rhodes and Daniel Webb — the first set of drive-in comedy specials filmed in the midst of the pandemic.

Produced by Tribeca and Comedy Dynamics and directed by the latter’s founder and CEO, Brian Volk-Weiss, this month’s slate of specials is part of Tribeca’s expansion into new storytelling platforms and its...

It's a sad day in the hip hop world as rap legend Shock G has passed away. The rapper, famous for the Digital Underground hit song "The Humpty Dance" and his work with Tupac Shakur, was found dead on Thursday in a hotel room in Tampa, according to his father, Edward Racker. There were no signs of trauma and the cause of death has not yet been determined, pending the results of an autopsy. He was 57 years old.

Shock G, whose real name was Gregory Jacobs, was known worldwide as the lead vocalist of the hip hop group Digital Underground. He was behind the famous 1989 song "The Humpty Dance," which was a single from the group's debut album Sex Packets. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart at the time and continues to get regular play to this day, serving as one of the most memorable rap songs of the 1980s.

In 1988, Coming to America was a major breakthrough for comedian Arsenio Hall. It was his first appearance in a major motion picture; combined with the television work he’d done in the past, it set the stage for The Arsenio Hall Show, his late-night talk show. It ran for five seasons and, for a time, […]

The post Late Night’s Friendly Foes: Arsenio Hall & Johnny Carson appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Photo: ‘Coming 2 America’/Amazon Studios Comedians Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall are set to reprise their iconic roles and head back to Queens, New York, from the fictional land of Zamunda, in the upcoming sequel ‘Coming 2 America.’ The original film, ‘Coming to America,’ was released back in 1988 and grossed nearly $300 million at the worldwide box office. Its original cast included Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall (‘The Arsenio Hall Show’), James Earl Jones, Shari Headley (‘On Becoming a God in Central Florida’), John Amos, and was directed by John Landis. The story followed a charismatic African prince named Akeem (Murphy), who travelled to New York City in order to escape his unwanted arranged marriage back home. Related article: Must-Watch – ‘Soul’: Pixar Proves the Power of the Human Spirit in Newest Original Film Related article: Shondaland and Netflix Team Up for Juicy Regal Drama, ‘Bridgerton’ Arguably one of Murphy’s...

Joe Clark, the New Jersey principal who inspired the 1989 film “Lean on Me” starring Morgan Freeman, has died. He was 82.

Clark’s death was announced by his family, who said he died on Tuesday after a long illness.

Clark was the principal of Eastside High School in Paterson, N.J. from 1983 to 1989. Known for roaming the halls with a bullhorn and baseball bat, Clark was not afraid to enforce discipline upon his students. His unorthodox methodology drew both praise and criticism, landing him the cover of Time magazine in 1988 and even an offer to be part of Ronald Reagan’s administration as a policy advisor, which Clark declined.

The 1989 film “Lean on Me” was inspired by Clark, who was portrayed by Morgan Freeman. The film grossed $31 million at the box office and was awarded outstanding motion picture at the 1989 NAACP Image Awards. John Legend, Wendy Calhoun and LeBron James were...

Joe Clark, the inspiration for John G. Avildsen’s 1989 film Lean On Me has died.

Clark’s family shared in a statement that the retired New Jersey high school principal died on Tuesday in his Gainesville, Florida home after a long battle with illness. He was 82.

Born in Rochelle, Georgia in 1938, Clark is most known as the ambitious principal of New Jersey’s Eastside High School who expelled nearly 300 students for drug possession, vandalism and fighting, and challenged the remaining students to strive for better. To help him inspire his students and get his inspirational messages across, Clark carried a bullhorn and baseball bat through the Eastside hallways.

Gaining fame for his success at Eastside, the former U.S. Army Reserve Sergeant and Drill Instructor went on to grace the cover of Time Magazine and made appearances on 60 Minutes and The Arsenio Hall Show. In 1989, Clark retired from Eastside and...

After 28 years in late night — the last 10 at TBS — it was long past time for Conan O’Brien to get out of the daily talk show grind.

These days, O’Brien is probably more celebrated as a successful podcaster (“Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” and producer of several more), the host of a popular run of travel specials (“Conan Without Borders”), his clips on social media and for just being Conan O’Brien, than he is for a cable TV show.

His talker “Conan,” which had already been downsized to 30 minutes in 2019, remained his home base. But it’s not where most fans get their Conan fix these days.

While it’s worth wondering whether O’Brien is willingly giving up that daily grind, as he switches to a weekly variety show for HBO Max, perhaps the bigger question might be: Should anyone still be into that grind? Late night...

Exclusive: Owen Smith, showrunner of Tracy Morgan comedy The Last O.G., has signed with talent agency UTA.

The writer, producer and stand-up comedian will work with the agency across all areas.

The move comes as Smith gears up for the fourth season of the TBS comedy, which he has just taken over showrunning duties on.

Last year, he sold half-hour comedy Cupcake Men to ABC, a series inspired by the real life story of former Tennessee Titans Brian Orakpo and Michael Griffin who, along with their childhood friend Bryan Hynson, opened a cupcake shop in Austin, TX. He wrote the pilot, which was produced by Lee Daniels and Michael Strahan.

He was previously a writer and co-producer on ABC’s Black-ish and has worked on series including Survivor’s Remorse, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, The Arsenio Hall Show and Everybody Hates Chris as well as shooting his own stand-up...

TBS has renewed Tracy Morgan’s “The Last O.G.” for a fourth season.

Owen Smith will take over as showrunner. This marks the third showrunner switch the series, co-created by Morgan and Jordan Peele, has seen since its inception. Keenen Ivory Waynes led the most recent seasons, replacing Saladin Patterson, who himself took over for original showrunner John Carcieri before Season 1 premiered.

Smith’s writing credits include “Black-ish,” “Survivor’s Remorse,” “The Arsenio Hall Show,” “Whitney” and “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.”

“The Last O.G.” follows Tray (Morgan), an ex-con who is shocked to see just how much the world has changed when he is released from a 15-year prison stint. After finding a place to live and new forms of income, Tray continues to meet challenges as he re-paves his way in his newly affluent Brooklyn neighborhood. Along with Morgan, the series stars Tiffany Haddish, Allen Maldonado, Ryan Gaul,...

Robin Dimaggio, the former musical director of The Arsenio Hall Show, was sentenced today to 27 months in federal prison for embezzling nearly $1 million from a charity concert intended to raise money for children made homeless by wars. He pleaded guilty in September 2019.

Arsenio Hall was not involved in the scheme in any way.

In sentencing Dimaggio, the US District Judge described his actions as “a despicable crime of sheer greed.” She also ordered him to serve one year of home confinement once he has finished serving his prison sentence. A restitution hearing in this case will be scheduled in the coming months.

During the summer of 2016, Dimaggio promised to help the Bulgaria-based nonprofit organization “Peace for You, Peace for Me Foundation” organize a concert in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia. The concert was intended to raise money to help children who lost their homes because of global conflicts.

Dimaggio, a...

The 1990 Primetime Emmys ceremony didn’t have any sweeps, but a longtime TV favorite won an overdue award from an unlikely group of presenters, a record was set for the most ties in a single ceremony, a couple of legends were remembered and, despite Academy love being spread around, there were two shows that surprisingly ended the night with zero major wins. Hosted by the unlikely trio of Candice Bergen, Jay Leno and Jane Pauley, the 42nd Emmy Awards ceremony took place on September 16, 1990. Let’s flashback 30 years to the highlights.

Although “Cheers” had won Best Comedy Series three times, its lead actor failed to nab a trophy himself, despite being nominated seven straight years for the classic character. However, Ted Danson finally got his moment on the stage, winning for Best Comedy Actor for his role as Sam Malone on “Cheers.” He quipped, “I suppose this means you’ll be saying,...

In show business, some child actors don’t make the jump, with the industry stalling their careers by adulthood.

But not Alex Wolff.

Having enjoyed early success by the time he was 10 with his brother Nat on the 2007-09 Nickelodeon mockumentary series The Naked Brothers Band, which revolved around them and their band and was created by their mom, Thirtysomething actress Polly Draper, Alex since has blossomed into a nuanced actor, sublimely disappearing into gritty parts. Take your pick: There’s Ari Aster’s Hereditary, in which he plays 16-year-old Peter, who, well, has something to do with his sister’s decapitation. At this past Tiff alone, Wolff had three film premieres: The Castle in the Ground, for which he lost 30 pounds to play an orphaned teenager who becomes addicted to opioids; playing a school news editor in the midst of the principal’s corrupt school system crisis in Bad Education...

Comedy specials are dropping left and right these days, and Netflix has been leading the charge in that department for the past year or so. And returning to the stage on October 29 is none other than Arsenio Hall for a new special, Smart & Classy. He’s the guy from The Arsenio Hall Show, not the guy from Blade (see trailer below). Netflix has been on a roll with these specials, and they’re making an effort to appeal to the broadest audiences they can. Families can laugh together at the clean performances of Jim Gaffigan or Nate Bargatze, …...

Robin Dimaggio, who once served as musical director for the Un and for The Arsenio Hall Show, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of wire fraud for embezzling $750,000 from a charity concert for homeless children and using the stolen money to pay alimony to his ex-wife and buy cars for his mother and son.

Neither Arsenio Hall nor his show were involved in any way in the theft.

According to court documents, Dimaggio said he would assist the Peace for You Peace for Me Foundation, a Bulgaria-based nonprofit organization, with organizing a charity concert in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia designed to raise money for and raise awareness of homeless and displaced children from conflict zones throughout the world. Dimaggio told the foundation in a series of communications that he would be able to secure several celebrities to perform at the charity concert.

According to his plea agreement, the foundation...

Arsenio Hall is about to make his standup comedy special debut with Netflix’s “Arsenio Hall: Smart & Classy,” the comedian said Tuesday. Yes, it’s hard to believe, but the special marks not just Hall’s first with the streaming service, but his first-ever hourlong set for television.

Here’s the description for the special, which will launch Oct. 29:

Actor, talk show host, producer, and comedy legend Arsenio Hall makes his Netflix comedy special debut with Smart & Classy. Over the course of his illustrious career entertaining audiences around the world, Arsenio reflects on stand-up in today’s political climate, Coming to America, winning “Celebrity Apprentice,” his favorite drug, and more!

Also Read: Netflix Orders Selena Gomez-Produced Docuseries 'Living Undocumented' - Watch Trailer Here (Video)

Hall is best known for hosting the “The Arsenio Hall Show,” which aired from 1989 to 1994. A revival of the series ran for one season,...

While it has been speculated for months, Deadline can confirm that Arsenio Hall has officially closed his deal to reprise his role as Semmi, the best friend and trusted aide to Eddie Murphy’s Prince Akeem, in Paramount’s Coming To America 2, which Craig Brewer is directing based on a screenplay from Black-ish creator Kenya Barris.

Murphy will return as the pampered prince of Zamunda, who, in the 1988 original, became bored of potential marriage partners in a kingdom and who traveled to Queens New York to go undercover and find a strong-willed woman he could respect.

In the sequel, Akeem learns about a long-lost son and must return to America to meet the unlikely heir to the throne of Zamunda.

Murphy is producing the pic with Kevin Misher, while Barris will serve as executive producers. A theatrical release is planned for December 2020.

Hall, who hosted The Arsenio Hall Show from...

Comedy Dynamics announced today it will release Arsenio Hall’s first stand-up comedy special, which was filmed live in San Jose, California on April 6, 2019.

The special was directed by Brian Volk-Weiss and produced by Cisco Henson for Comedy Dynamics. It’s slated to be released in fall 2019.

Hall’s entertainment career includes television and films, including Harlem Nights, Coming to America and its upcoming sequel, Coming to America 2.

He hosted The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran from 1989 to 1994. After he won Celebrity Apprentice in 2012, the syndicated talk show was revived for one season that aired from 2013 – 2014.

Robin Dimaggio, the drummer and onetime musical director of The Arsenio Hall Show who recently composed a theme song for a graduating class of Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriffs, has been arrested for wire fraud for allegedly embezzling $750,000 from a charity concert for homeless children.

No other artists were involved in his alleged scheme. If convicted, Dimaggio could face up to 20 years in federal prison.

According to a criminal complaint filed Monday by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles, Dimaggio lied to a Bulgarian-based non-profit called the Peace for You Peace for Me Foundation, telling them that he’d help them with a charity concert in the Bulgarian capital to raise money for homeless and displaced children from war zones.

On August 5, 2016, the foundation’s financial sponsor allegedly wired $750,000 to a Dimaggio-controlled account as a guarantee for future payments related to artists performing at the charity concert. Prior to the money transfer,...

In 1993, Uptown Records’ founder Andre Harrell was planning an unplugged show on MTV to showcase his label’s roster, which included a young Mary J. Blige, Jodeci and Heavy D. & the Boyz. He approached Jodeci — a potent vocal group whose 1991 debut album spawned three Number One R&B hits — and proposed that they cover an oldie to demonstrate their vocal chops.

Jodeci agreed to the plan. They set about learning “Lately,” a cut from Wonder’s Hotter Than July that they had never heard before, in the 24 hours before the...