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Ian Somerhalder was so fed up with the treatment that his character, Damon Salvatore, received in The Vampire Diaries that he wanted to quit. He recently shared with Variety that he had planned to quit the show during Season 3, recalling his conversation with showrunner Julie Plec.

Somerhalder shared that he was upset about his character’s trajectory and believed that he was turning into the typical “love interest” character in the story. He shared:

I was so upset about the trajectory of Damon, so much so that at one point I was sitting across from [showrunner Julie Plec] in her office in Atlanta almost in tears—actually, my eyes were quite misty—and asked out of the show.

Teen dramas flourished in the early 2000s, especially on the network The WB with "Gilmore Girls," "Everwood," and "One Tree Hill." Writer, director, and actor Steve Antin was inspired by a stop at a New England gas station where four teenage girls were working as attendants, and one of them was the daughter of the station owner. "I just thought this was the sweetest thing I ever saw," Antin told the New York Daily News. This led him to create "Young Americans," where wholesome Americana collides with upper-crust privilege, set against a backdrop of Connecticut's sparkling lakes and a quaint town square.

"Young Americans" is about an elite summer program for future Ivy League students, and it was appropriately scheduled to air during the summer of 2000, filling the "Dawson's Creek" timeslot while the series was on hiatus. It was originally going to air in the fall of 1999 before getting tangled...

Amazon has announced a “3 for the price of 2” sale, in which you buy two items and get a third, lesser-priced item free. Among the 1,000 items included in the promotion are hundreds of vinyl and Blu-ray titles.

To participate in the buy 2, get 1 free sale, add three qualifying items to your cart. The lowest-priced item’s cost will be removed when you proceed to checkout. (Note: The offer only applies to products sold by Amazon.com or Amazon Digital Services LLC).

Add to your vinyl collection with albums by artists ranging from The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac to Bob Dylan and Prince to Lauryn Hill and A Tribe Called Quest. More modern titles include LPs from Tyler, the Creator, Chappell Roan, and Phoebe Bridgers.

Meanwhile, cinephiles can pick up Blu-rays for movies like Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Seven, and The Fifth Element, alongside newer titles including Deadpool & Wolverine and The Substance.

Amazon has announced a “3 for the price of 2” sale, in which you buy two items and get a third, lesser-priced item free. Among the 1,000 items included in the promotion are hundreds of vinyl and Blu-ray titles.

To participate in the buy 2, get 1 free sale, add three qualifying items to your cart. The lowest-priced item’s cost will be removed when you proceed to checkout. (Note: The offer only applies to products sold by Amazon.com or Amazon Digital Services LLC).

Add to your vinyl collection with albums by artists ranging from The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac to Bob Dylan and Prince to Lauryn Hill and A Tribe Called Quest. More modern titles include LPs from Tyler, the Creator, Chappell Roan, and Phoebe Bridgers.

Meanwhile, cinephiles can pick up Blu-rays for movies like Blade Runner: The Final Cut, Seven, and The Fifth Element, alongside newer titles including Deadpool & Wolverine and The Substance.

Over the last few years, the Oscars have had their fair share of notable, eye-catching moments, from Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway's little oopsie when they inadvertently announced the wrong winner for Best Picture to "Parasite" dominating to Will Smith and the infamous slap. But while moments like "La La Land" briefly taking the Best Picture Oscar from "Moonlight" are as unforgettable as they are awkward, they only tiptoe so close to the precipice of absolute, wild insanity. It's not as if "La La Land" actually did steal an Oscar away, for example. And it's not as if a film or person has won an Oscar only to lose it. 

As unprecedented as that sounds, though, you only have to cast your gaze as far back as the 1969 Oscars ceremony to glimpse some truly jaw-dropping one-time events. For instance, that's the year when the Best Actress Oscar went to...

During the '90s and 2000s, teen dramas became the bread and butter for TV networks, with massively popular hits like Beverly Hills, 90210, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The O.C., and My So-Called Life taking audiences by storm with their complex characters and captivating storylines. In 1998, director, producer, and writer Kevin Williamson was basking in the success of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer (whose screenplays he penned) and decided to set his sights on tackling the small screen with the beloved hit Dawson's Creek.

The fan-favorite series famously starred James Van Der Beek, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and Michelle Williams and took place in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts, where aspiring filmmaker Dawson Leery tries to navigate his youth and the many growing pains that come with it, doing so with close-knit pals. The trailblazing teen drama ran for six dazzling seasons before concluding in...

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Charlie Hunnam, one of the most popular leading men on the big and small screens, has enjoyed a career that spans multiple decades and genres. A man who's best known for playing hypermasculine heroes, Hunnam has had quite a diverse career. After rising to fame on the groundbreaking queer British TV show Queer as Folk (recently rebooted). Hunnam jumped to America soon after that for little-watched Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? and short-lived Dawson's Creek spinoff Young Americans, but it's megahit Sons of Anarchy that most people know Hunnam for.

Comfortable both as lead and as a scene-stealing character actor, Charlie Hunnam has played memorable parts in major films like Cold Mountain and Alfonso Cuarn cult classic Children of Men in addition to his famous roles as lead in Sons of Anarchy, The Gentlemen and Pacific Rim. The Hunnam filmography encompasses everything...

The Vampire Diaries may not have become such a hit show if not for the perfect casting of its leads. However, one main star had to prove to the show's creators that he was right for the role as there were serious concerns before actually seeing him in action on the set.

The Vampire Diaries was created by Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson. In a new interview with THR, Plec shared how both she and Williamson were not initially sold on the casting of Paul Wesley as Stefan Salvatore. There had been some concern that the actor was a bit too old for the role, giving Plec and Williamson some difficulty in picturing his performance beforehand. However, they both realized very quickly how wrong they were once Wesley got into characters.

Related 'Why Arent We Doing This?': The Vampire Diaries Showrunner Teases Potential Continuation

The Vampire Diaries revival conversation...

The Vampire Diaries ran for eight seasons on The CW between 2009 and 2017. Based on the book series of the same name by L.J. Smith, the supernatural teen series was adapted to the small screen by Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson, and it became one of the most popular TV series of all time, and, despite its great finale, there might be more coming.

Co-creator Julie Plec revealed that she has more ideas to keep the universe of Mystic Falls alive. The Vampire Diaries evolved into a franchise, spawning two spin-offs, The Originals and Legacies. Starring Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley, and Ian Somerhalder, The Vampire Diaries wrapped all loose ends in its finale "I Was Feeling Epic," but Plec revealed in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter that the universe could continue with a movie.

Related Vampire Diaries Stars Reunite in Viral Image 7 Years Later

Two main stars of The Vampire Diaries...

Vince Vaughn shines as the comedic lead in Bad Monkey, showcasing his charm and wit in a new television role. The show has received high praise, with a strong 92% Rotten Tomatoes critic score, creating buzz around its release. Bad Monkey features a talented supporting cast, including Michelle Monaghan, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Natalie Martinez.

Apple's new series crime dramedy Bad Monkey stars Vince Vaughn as a former Miami detective trying to get his job back. Bad Monkey is one of the many shows created by prolific television producer Bill Lawrence, whose other works include Ted Lasso (2020-2023), Shrinking (2023- ), Cougar Town (2009-2015), and Scrubs (2001-2010). Bad Monkey follows Vaughn's Andrew Yancy who comes across a severed human arm and believes it's his way back to the police force after being demoted to a health inspector in the Florida Keys.

Bad Monkey is an adaptation of the 2013 novel of the same name written by Carl Hiaasen,...

David Sanborn, the multi-genre saxophonist who performed with David Bowie, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Carly Simon, James Taylor, and many more, has died. He was 78 years old.

Sanborn’s passing was confirmed on Monday via a post on his social media. “It is with sad and heavy hearts that we convey to you the loss of internationally renowned, six-time Grammy Award-winning, saxophonist, David Sanborn,” the post read. “Mr. Sanborn passed Sunday afternoon, May 12th, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications.”

Born in 1945, Sanbron was introduced to the saxophone during his childhood as a means of recovering from polio. By the time he was 14, he had the opportunity to perform with blues legends like Albert King and Little Milton, the first of his many, many collaborations.

In 1967, he joined The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, whom he played with at Woodstock two years later. In the early ‘70s, he began performing with more artists,...

David Sanborn, the six time Grammy-winning alto saxophonist who played at Woodstock, composed music for the Lethal Weapon movies, played in the SNL and Late Night with David Letterman bands and worked with everyone from Stevie Wonder to David Bowie, died Sunday afternoon, May 12th, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications. He Was 78.

Sanborn’s music is often described “smooth jazz,” but he reportedly rejected that characterization, and one can see why. His lively, iconic sax solo on Bowie’s “Young Americans” is anything but. Sanborn preferred the idea that he “put the saxophone back into rock ’n’ roll.”

Indeed, he worked with a virtual who’s who of rock and R&b legends, including James Brown, Eric Clapton, Roger Daltrey, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Elton John, Carly Simon, Linda Ronstadt, Billy Joel, Roger Waters, Steely Dan, the Eagles,...

David Sanborn, beloved jazz saxophonist who is credited on songs for Stevie Wonder, David Bowie and many more, died Sunday. He was 78.

A message posted to the musician’s social media page confirmed the news, noting that Sanborn had been battling prostate cancer for the past few years. “Mr. Sanborn had been dealing with prostate cancer since 2018, but had been able to maintain his normal schedule of concerts until just recently. Indeed he already had concerts scheduled into 2025,” the message reads. “David Sanborn was a seminal figure in contemporary pop and jazz music. It has been said that he ‘put the saxophone back into Rock ’n Roll.’”

It is with sad and heavy hearts that we convey to you the loss of internationally renowned, 6 time Grammy Award-winning, saxophonist, David Sanborn. Mr. Sanborn passed Sunday afternoon, May 12th, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications. pic.twitter.com/VyW...

Smooth jazz saxophonist David Sanborn, who played on recordings by Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and Carly Simon and performed live with David Bowie and the Rolling Stones, died in Tarrytown, New York, on Sunday afternoon. A rep confirmed the news to Rolling Stone. A message on Sanborn’s social media cited complications after an extended battle with prostate cancer. He was 78.

“Mr. Sanborn had been dealing with prostate cancer since 2018 but had been able to maintain his normal schedule of concerts until just recently,” the message said. “Indeed he already...

The eighth annual Love Rocks NYC benefit concert is set to go down this Thursday, March 7th, at the Beacon Theater in New York, with a lineup featuring Dave Grohl, The Black Keys, Hozier, Conan O’Brien, Martin Short, and many more.

Raising funds for the meal-providing charitable organization God’s Love We Deliver, the Love Rocks benefit concert has been a celebrated fundraising campaign since it was first launched in 2017. Now, as its eighth iteration approaches, the organization reports that its benefit concerts have raised a total of $30 million, providing 3 million meals to New Yorkers living with illnesses. Tickets for the show are on-sale now (get your here).

Filling out the lineup for Love Rocks NYC 2024 are Nile Rodgers, Tom Morello, Don Felder, Bettye Lavette, Joss Stone, Allison Russell, Emily King, Marcus King, Lucius, Larkin Poe, Trombone Shorty, Luke Spiller (The Struts), Quinn Sullivan, Bernie Williams, and more, plus additional...

St. Vincent has opened up about her follow-up to 2021’s Daddy’s Home, and it sure sounds interesting. In a new interview with Mojo magazine, the artist born Annie Clark said her new album is “darker and harder” than her most recent project and described its sound as “urgent and psychotic.”

Clark self-produced the album and recorded it at her own Compound Fracture studio in LA, New York’s Electric Lady, and Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio in Chicago. “I needed to go deeper in finding my own sonic vocabulary,” she said about the experience. “I like to think of [the record] as post-plague pop, it’s a lot about heaven and hell — the metaphorical kinds. Which is appropriate, because sitting alone in a studio for that many hours I would say is a version of hell.”

She added that the album is filled with “lots of guitars” alongside ’70s and ’80s analog synths.

Filled with wonderful musical performances exploring the 30-year career of Luther Vandross, Dawn Porter’s sweeping biographical documentary Luther: Never Too Much interweaves archival materials and new interviews in a manner that is effective at telling the story but somehow feels a little too distant from its subject. In particular, the selection of archival materials of Vandross, who passed away in 2005 at age 54, and the film’s later chapters divulging personal struggles with health and weight along with speculation about his sexuality, keep the viewer at arm’s length. Perhaps this is somewhat by design, a case of the film’s subject not speaking out, as some speculate for fear of alienating his female fans and perhaps his record label.

A barrier-breaking artist in many respects, Vandross grew up in the projects of the Bronx before becoming a seminal recording artist working as a background vocalist, producer, and later a...

Late R&b legend Luther Vandross — still known mononymously to his fans — was always a bit of an inscrutable figure. His voice, that voice, is undeniable. The way he could modulate his velvety tenor to make a single word vibrate with unfathomable longing and desire? Don’t get me started!

But during his time in the spotlight, the public turned Luther into a mirror reflecting back cultural anxieties about sexuality (was he gay or straight?) and race (was he “just” an R&b artist or could he crossover into pop success?). Then there was the constant chatter about his weight: Fans would add Big or Little to his name depending on the size of his bedazzled suits.

Now we finally have a fuller picture of the man. Dawn Porter’s documentary “Luther: Never Too Much” uses a deft mix of archival footage of and interviews with Luther and his closest...

Luther Vandross’ voice was the soundtrack of many Black millennial childhoods. Personally, I would wake up every Sunday to church music followed by his hit single “Never Too Much,” which still stops most people in their tracks to this day. In the documentary Luther: Never Too Much, director Dawn Porter chronicles a his journey to stardom and how he manifested the career he desired.

His path begins in the culturally rich landscape of Harlem’s Apollo Theater. Vandross was influenced by the likes of Dionne Warwick and Aretha Franklin. His earliest musical forays came as part of the group Listen My Brother, which was formed by childhood friends in Harlem committed to harnessing their vocal talents. The group provided not just his first brush with critical acclaim, but an artistic environment steeped in collective ambition that drove him to sharpen his abilities.

That is until his career took a pivotal...

When American soul and R&b icon Luther Vandross sang, he didn’t just produce beautiful musical sounds. He caressed and coddled each note with his famously velvety tenor voice, considering where to linger, when to whisper, or to gradually crescendo with an impeccable and ever-influential technique. In other words, he didn’t only sing, but created something ethereal, something that both pushed the form and felt like it gently poured straight out of his soul.

Considering the stamp he put on the American music industry, it feels strange that there hasn’t yet been a definitive documentary about Vandross’ unsung legacy until Dawn Porter’s “Luther: Never Too Much,” which had its world premiere recently at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. But that delay is perhaps fortuitous — after experiencing Porter’s loving portrait of the virtuosic musician, producer, and songwriter, you can’t imagine Vandross’ story being told by anyone else.

Plot: The life and times of Luther Vandross, the legendary Rn’B singer who always struggled to break out from the niche box the industry put him in.

Review: Of all the singers in the world, Luther Vandross might be the one responsible for the most trips to the bedroom. As Jamie Foxx tells it in his interview for Luther: Never Too Much, whenever he wanted to get with a girl, he played her his music – and it worked about 100% of the time. It’s sadly ironic then, as revealed by Dawn Porter’s excellent documentary, that the singer himself was a lonely man who never found romantic love in his own life.

You see, as the documentary sensitively reveals, Vandross was almost certainly gay, but he stayed in the closet for several reasons, such as his need to protect his image. Still, also for personal reasons, the doc has...

Although it isn’t structured any differently from dozens of other cradle-to-grave documentaries about artistic luminaries, “Luther: Never Too Much” sheds light on much more than just the life and career of R&b singer Luther Vandross. Drawn largely from interview and performance footage of Vandross over his almost 40 years in entertainment, and bolstered and contextualized by retrospective talks will collaborators and confidantes, director Dawn Porter’s film exposes some uneasy truths about the music industry and the media we may now know, but whose seeming ubiquitousness at the time he was alive may be difficult to fully comprehend.

White audience members in particular may stand to learn the most about him — a fact Porter pointedly attributes to the genre siloes of radio’s heyday and cultural prejudices against black singers who weren’t thin or light-skinned enough to receive the opportunity to cross over from R&b to pop.

All titles below begin streaming for free on October 1 unless otherwise noted:

Originals

Documentary

TMZ Presents:

Tragically Viral

– 10/11-

What happens when the quest for clicks goes too far? TMZ examines the dark & sometimes deadly side of social media in Tragically Viral.

Scariest Monsters In The World

-10/18-

Join us as we embark on this international countdown of the scariest monsters in the world – who will be on your list as the most creepy?

TMZ No Bs: Rich, Famous & Terrified Stars

-10/25-

TMZ examines some of the most downright terrifying experiences celebs have faced that prove being a celebrity isn’t all glitz & glamor.

Horror

Dante’S Hotel

-10/13-

When an unknown assailant preys on a haunted hotel’s patrons, an event planner teams up with a mysterious tenant who’s dark past is the key to freeing the cursed hotel

The Devil Comes To Kansas City

-...

American Horror Story season 12 cast includes returning stars and controversial additions, with little known about the story or characters. Matt Czuchry joins the cast as Dexter Harding, Emma Roberts' character's husband, known for his roles in Gilmore Girls and The Resident. Kim Kardashian also joins the cast as Siobhan Walsh, with limited acting experience outside of reality TV, while Cara Delevingne, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Michaela Jae Rodriguez, Julie White, Debra Monk, Zachary Quinto, and Denis O'Hare also have undisclosed roles.

The American Horror Story season 12 cast includes a strong mix of returning stars as well as some popular, and — in one case — controversial addition to the cast. The new season is based on the Danielle Valentine novel Delicate Condition. The story shares many similarities Rosemary's Baby, and deals with themes of child loss during pregnancy. However, the main character of Delicate, Anna, still believes she is still pregnant, and that...

Key Takeaways: Many Hollywood actors of British descent have mastered the American accent, making it difficult to determine their nationality based on their characters alone. The trend of British actors making it big in Hollywood is not limited to film, as many rock bands from the UK have also achieved fame in the Western music industry. Some of the biggest Hollywood actors, like Margot Robbie and Hugh Jackman, are actually from Australia, showcasing the international reach of Hollywood talent.

There are dozens of Hollywood actors who many people might not know are actually of British descent. Because so many accomplished actors have nailed the American accent in their onscreen performances, it can be hard to determine what exactly an actor's nationality is based on their fictional characters alone. Ironically, some of the most iconically American characters and movies feature leading performances from actors who weren't even born in the United...

Something a viewer might instantly note about Christopher Nolan's new hit biopic "Oppenheimer" is that the film's star, Cillian Murphy, doesn't look an awful lot like J. Robert Oppenheimer. Murphy has an intense gaze and a bird-like demeanor, carrying -- in many of his roles -- both a brisk openness and a mysterious threat. Oppenheimer himself, meanwhile, looked more like a beleaguered dad, a scientist who carefully thought about what he said. Eventually, in later interviews, he looked beaten down by the enormity of what he was asked to do. Murphy, an immensely talented actor, captured all the emotional beats correctly and even altered his physical mannerisms, but one would hardly confuse the two men should they be in the same room together.

Murphy has previously spoken about how he had been eagerly awaiting the phone call from Nolan, asking him to appear as a lead in one of the director's movies.

St. Vincent delivered a faithful rendition of David Bowie’s “Young Americans” as part of Thursday’s Love Rocks NYC benefit, an all-star concert staged at New York’s Beacon Theater to benefit God’s Love We Deliver.

Backed by a massive band that included backup singers and a horn section, Annie Clark echoed blue-eyed soul-era Bowie, working the crowd and singing with a very Thin White Duke inflection.

St. Vincent’s appearance came one night after she covered Portishead’s “Glory Box” alongside the Roots on The Tonight Show.

Hardly 24 hours after she teamed up with The Roots for a killer cover of Portishead’s “Glory Box” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, St. Vincent took on David Bowie’s “Young Americans” Thursday night during the star-studded Love Rocks NYC benefit concert at New York City’s Beacon Theatre.

The night was a whole a who’s-who of performers: James Taylor, Mavis Staples, Sheryl Crow, Pat Benatar, Neil Giraldo, Warren Haynes, the John Mayer Trio, Rufus Wainwright, Gary Clark Jr., Jim James, Ledisi, Allison Russell, The War and Treaty, and former Yankee Bernie Williams all took the stage throughout the evening.

Aside from St. Vincent, a few standout performances include Benatar doing “Love Is a Battlefield,” Taylor singing “How Sweet It Is,” Staples dusting off Staple Singers’ “Respect Yourself,” and Russell honoring the late Christine McVie with a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop.” St. Vincent...

Soon after wrapping four seasons of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the cult CW musical that saw her segue from screenwriter to showrunner, Aline Brosh McKenna decided to revisit her past before turning her attention to the future. She rented the garden apartment in the same Larchmont-adjacent duplex she and her now-husband shared during the mid-’90s, not too far from the home where they now live. “We’d always look down at this unit and say, ‘Ugh, we wish we had that,’ ” she says of her shingle’s headquarters. “Now this is my office, which feels wonderfully full circle.”

The company, Lean Machine, is a vehicle for McKenna’s own scripts — the latest of which marks her feature directorial debut, the Netflix romantic comedy Your Place or Mine (out Feb. 10) — but the bulk of the 15 film and TV projects in various stages of development come from other voices. That’s the piece...

As on-the-road misbehavior went, it was pretty tame. On tour in Seattle in the spring of 1972, Jeff Forehan and three of his shaggy-haired bandmates got ahold of some weed. Squeezing into a hotel bathrooms, the pop singers happily toked up, using the ceiling fan to suck up the smoke and ensure they weren’t caught.

Except they were — by some of their other bandmates, no less. The next thing they knew, Forehan and his fellow performers in the band — the Young Americans — were having what he calls “a little confrontation...

At this point, Cher is more than just a pop star; she’s the one-woman embodiment of the whole gaudy story of pop music. She’s a myth so huge that the new Broadway musical The Cher Show takes three different Chers to encompass her — Babe Cher, Lady Cher and Star Cher. She was just 16 when she got discovered by Sonny Bono, already a seasoned music-biz shark, and soon became his hippie bride in a blur of miniskirts and fringed vests. Everybody thought she was washed up by the time...

Katherine Moennig (Ray Donovan, The L Word) has a thing or two to teach the grown-ish kids: The actress will recur during Season 2 of the Freeform comedy (airing Wednesdays at 8/7c) as Professor Paige Hewson, our sister site Deadline reports.

Moennig’s character is an openly lesbian CalU teacher for a gender studies class that Zoey (Yara Shahidi) and her friends are enrolled in. The prof will be especially important to Nomi (Emily Arlook), who hasn’t come out to her parents yet and sees her instructor as someone she can talk to.

Moennig’s other TV credits include Three Rivers and Young Americans.

David Bowie‘s mid-Eighties career will be explored in the new box set Loving the Alien (1983-1988), a massive collection that gathers the late icon’s albums, live LPs and more from the era.

The 11-cd or 15-lp Loving the Alien, due out October 12th, features three Bowie studio albums – 1983’s Let’s Dance, 1984’s Tonight and 1987’s Never Let Me Down – alongside a pair of first-time-on-vinyl live albums – Serious Moonlight (Live ’83) and Glass Spider (Live Montreal ’87) – and the newly assembled compilation Dance, which collects 12 contemporaneous remixes from the era.

David Bowie is responsible for one of the most famous covers of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe.” The actor released his version of the song on his 1975 album “Young Americans” and even recruited John Lennon to perform background vocals and guitar on the cover. How ironic it would have been then if Bowie showed up in Julie Taymor’s 2007 Beatles musical “Across the Universe.” It turns out Taymor was thinking the same thing.

The director and her “Across the Universe” star Evan Rachel Wood joined Vulture for a joint interview celebrating the upcoming re-release of the visionary jukebox musical, and Taymor revealed Bowie was asked to play the part of Mr. Kite. In the film, Mr. Kite is the ringleader of a bizarre circus and is played by Eddie Izzard. The character performs the eponymous song “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!,” off The Beatles 1967 album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Since his days as a 2003 “American Idol” contestant – and subsequent victor – Ruben Studdard has received one request: cover the music of singer-composer Luther Vandross. Studdard even heard as much from his mother Emily after his “Idol” win. The resemblance of two big men with dynamic tenor voices and winding interpolative skills is certainly striking. Studdard all but sealed his fate in regard to the late Luther when a licensing snafu caused the then-contestant to cover “Superstar,” the 1969 Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell tune for which Vandross lent his grand interpretative skills in 1983.

From the stage of the Keswick Theatre in the Philadelphia suburb of Glenside, Penn. on Saturday, Studdard confessed to all-of-the-above while elegantly channeling Vandross for his “Ruben Sings Luther” showcase. Based on the recently-released Seg Music album of the same name, the “Velvet Teddy Bear” appropriated much of the late tenor’s nuances without mimicking too much of Vandross’ athleticism.

Watch JWoww host TLC’s “Young Americans” on January 27th at 8Am

Come back every day at 8:30 a.m. Est to watch People Now streaming live from Time Inc. headquarters in New York City, and rebroadcast at 11:30 am Est. Get the absolute latest in celebrity news, real-life people stories & the best of fashion and food.

Want even more? Watch clips from yesterday’s People Now.

The stars are getting into the holiday season!

Zendaya and Chrissy Teigen buddied up at the debut of the new Forevermark Tribute Collection during a private cocktail event at West Edge in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood on Nov. 7.

Reese Witherspoon may live in Southern California, but that didn’t stop her from trying on some very festive winter items from her Draper James line. “So I may be in denial that there’s a heat wave in La... ?? @draperjames,” she wrote on Nov. 20.

Also on the fashion front, pretty in pink Suki Waterhouse shared a shot of her rose-hued Rejina Pyoi velvet jumpsuit and Charlotte Simone bucket hat and white dress shoes on Nov. 28.

Miss Piggy was unveiled as the Swarovski red carpet presenter for the 2017 Fashion Awards 2017, which will take place in London, England, on Dec. 4. She even donned a replica of Jennifer Lopez's iconic green Versace dress for the big announcement!

Rumer Willis and her...

Following his stellar 5 season run on the critically acclaimed hit Breaking Bad, Aaron Paul returns to series television with the new drama The Path. Though, his character will be more in-line with his small role as&#160Scott Quittman in HBO's Big Love than it will be Jesse Pinkman. Hulu has released the first trailer for The Path, which begins streaming March 30, 2016.

The Path follows a family at the center of a controversial cult movement. They struggle with relationships, faith, and power. Each episode takes an in-depth look at the gravitational pull of belief and what it means to choose between the life we live and the life we want.

The series comes to Hulu from Universal Television and Jason Katims' True Jack Productions and was created by Jessica Goldberg. She will write and executive-produce the series along with Katims and Michelle Lee of True Jack Productions. The 10-episode series also stars Michelle Monaghan,...

Move over, Shondaland. The 2015-16 television season is shaping up to be the season of Greg Berlanti, who will have oversight over no less than six primetime network shows. Berlanti has always been prolific, but this season, with the addition of new series “Blindspot,” “Supergirl” and “DC’s Legends of Tomorrow,” the showrunner will be the most prolific of them all. Cutting his teeth on youth-driven shows like “Dawson’s Creek” and “Young Americans” on the network that used to be called The WB, Berlanti has taken over to become a major force on what is now The CW. But he’s not sticking.

Sneak Peek actress Kate Bosworth ("Still Alice") in a new photo spread for the March 2015 issue of "Marie Claire" (UK), photographed by David Roemer:

Bosworth's big break was in the TV series "Young Americans" as the character 'Bella Banks', followed by a leading roles in "Blue Crush" (2002) and "Wonderland".

In 2004, she portrayed 'Sandra Dee' in "Beyond the Sea", 'Lois Lane' in "Superman Returns" (2006) and starred in "21" (2008).

She can currently be seen in "Still Alice" (2014).

New films coming up include "Amnesiac", "Somnia", "Bus 657", "Life On The Line" and the currently filming "90 Minutes In Heaven".

Click the images to enlarge...

Sneak Peek actress Kate Bosworth ('Lois Lane' in "Superman Returns") covering the March 2015 issue of "Elle" (Canada) magazine, photographed by Max Abadian, plus more images from Bosworth's recent "Marie Claire" (UK) fashion shoot:

Bosworth's big break was appearing in the TV series "Young Americans", as 'Bella Banks', followed by a leading role in "Blue Crush" (2002) and "Wonderland".

In 2004, she portrayed 'Sandra Dee' in "Beyond the Sea", 'Lois Lane' in "Superman Returns" (2006) and "21" (2008).

She can currently be seen in "Still Alice" (2014).

New films coming up include "Amnesiac", "Somnia", "Bus 657", "Life On The Line" and the currently filming "90 Minutes In Heaven".

Click the images to enlarge...

 

 The Parkway Theater in McKees Rocks (near Pittsburgh), Pa will host a film festival this weekend. For full information click here

The festival is a 9 day event featuring 5 Feature Length Films and 1 Short Film, hand picked from the Cleveland International Film Festival (Ciff). In addition, one Short Film from local filmmaker, Ralph Vitucio, called "Shipbreakers" will be shown. Pittsburgh film buffs will have a chance to see all 7 films over a 9 day stretch.

The Parkway Theater will host an Opening and Closing Gala event to kick off their first Film Festival with wine, cheeses, beers, and live music. These 7 films are wonderful little independent movies that would most likely pass by without ever being noticed by Pittsburgh audiences.

Film information and trailers

Amka and the Three Golden Rules - Mongolia 2014

Awful Nice - USA 2013

Oliver, Stoned - USA 2013

Grantham & Rose - USA 2013

He's Way More Famous Than You - USA...

Monday, April 1, 2014 marked the end of the open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act. For all the bad press the Obama administration received for the launch of HealthCare.gov, the reality is they did a number of things right. Over the last few months, the President and his staffers helped get the word out about the Aca, successfully embracing social media in a way that few brands have been able to. And I was fortunate enough to have a front-row seat for a small portion of it. Youth outreach was the Obama administration’s main focus because of how important young, healthy enrollees are to helping offset the costs of the older patients who need more care in the insurance markets. The White House learned how to get young people invested (and make them want to be invested) in politics and the incredibly boring issue of health care in...

For someone having an accidental career, Michelle Monaghan -- Maggie on HBO's "True Detective" -- is doing pretty well.

The 37-year-old actress grew up in a town of 700, Winthrop, Iowa, and daydreamed of becoming a journalist.

"I grew up loving current events," Monaghan tells Zap2it. "You grow up looking out when there are not a lot of other things going on in your hometown."

Monaghan lived in town, but her family had a farm and grew corn and beans. Her summer vacations were spent detasseling corn.

"I would go through rows and snap it off for $5 an hour," she says. Monaghan left Winthrop for Chicago, where she put herself through college by modeling for catalogs.

"This acting thing landed in my lap," she says. "They were looking for an actress on 'Young Americans' on The WB. Ian Somerhalder and Kate Bosworth came out of there."

At that point,...

Nestled among tracks from U2, Pharrell, Karen O and a monster Disney ballad was a peculiar addition to the nominees for Best Original Song at this year's Oscars: "Alone Yet Not Alone," the theme song to a Christian film of the same name, sung by evangelical author and radio host Joni Eareckson Tada, who is quadriplegic. Now Entertainment Weekly reports that the song's Academy Award nomination has been revoked after its composer, Bruce Broughton – a former governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences music branch who now...

Feature Simon Brew 11 Dec 2013 - 06:58

Not all publicity is good publicity, as Coca Cola found out in Natural Born Killers, a film that changed the way brands worked with movies

In Jane Hamsher's excellent book, Killer Instinct, the producer charts the difficult path she and Don Murphy had in bringing Natural Born Killers to the big screen. Natural Born Killers was, of course, originally a Quentin Tarantino screenplay, one that changed dramatically when Oliver Stone signed up to direct the movie.

Tarantino sold the rights to the film for $10,000 after he'd tried to set the project up himself - this was before the Oscar-winning success of Pulp Fiction - and would regret the decision. That said, rumours that he held animosity towards Oliver Stone himself were just that. In interviews since, Tarantino has always been respectful towards him.

Back to Killer Instinct, though. There are a couple of...

Charlie Hunnam: ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ gets its Christian Grey (photo: shirtless Charlie Hunnam in ‘Pacific Rim’) In the last couple of weeks, the world has been rocked by several revelations that have left earthlings — depending on their particular expectations, prejudices, and mental health — infuriated, terrified, shocked, thrilled. Am I referring to the reported chemical attacks in Syria and the Obama administration’s determination that the U.S. should get involved in that country’s bloody civil war? Syrius Chemical Civil War? Is Obama endorsing a new video game? Is it in 3D? Nope, that’s not what I’m talking about. Nor am I referring to the ivory trade and the relentless poaching of African elephants, which will quite possibly lead to their extinction in the very, very near future. Or to the nearly 1,000 manatees and dolphins that have met with slow and agonizing deaths in Florida’s grossly polluted waterways.

Kevin Macdonald’s How I Live Now will close the festival, which has assembled it largest programme to date.

The 33rd Cambridge Film Festival (Sept 19-29) has unveiled its 2013 line-up, comprising 150 titles from 40 countries.

As previously announced, Professor Stephen Hawking will attend the opening night gala of documentary Hawking, which will be broadcast live to more than 60 screens across the UK.

The festival will close with Kevin Macdonald’s How I Live Now, an Orwellian vision of a post-apocalyptic future starring Saoirse Ronan and George MacKay.

Alongside Hawking, other special guests to the festival will include directors Lucy Walker (The Crash Reel), Roland Klick (Deadlock), Mark Levinson (Particle Fever), Julien Temple (Oil City Confidential), Ramon Zürcher (The Strange Little Cat), Małgośka Szumowska (In The Name Of), Marzin Malaszczak (Sieniawka), Matt Hulse (Dummy Jim) and Andrew Mudge (The Forgotten Kingdom), Bob Stanley, John Pearse and actress Stephanie Stremler (Dust On Our Heart).

Strands include Young Americans, aimed at showcasing...

Washington -- Edward Snowden, who blew the whistle on widespread government snooping, is viewed by a younger generation as "some kind of Jason Bourne," Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) offered on Fox News Sunday. He referred to Matt Damon's portrayal of the fictional character, who becomes a hunted enemy of a secretive U.S. government agency as he learns of its unconstitutional activity.

The character, created by novelist Robert Ludlum, is chased around the globe by U.S. agents.

While Snowden's most recent experiences may have been more reminiscent of Tom Hanks' character in "The Terminal" who was perpetually stuck in an airport, McCain said that the leaker had become something of a folk hero for young people mistrustful of the government.

"There's kind of a generation change here. Young Americans don't trust this government," McCain said.

He added that Russia's decision to grant Snowden a reprieve is indicative...

Side Effects; The Paperboy; The Host; Welcome to the Punch; A Late Quartet; In the House; GI Joe: Retaliation

Released amid declarations that he was to stop making feature films, Steven Soderbergh's terrifically enjoyable Side Effects (2013, EOne, 15) looks like a retrospective romp through the writer-director's career; from the Oscar-courting seriousness of Erin Brockovich to the genre thrills of Contagion and Haywire via the probing character insights of sex, lies and videotape. Soderbergh cites Adrian Lyne's watercooler hit Fatal Attraction as an influence, although I was reminded more of Basic Instinct 2 – and not in a bad way.

Jude Law stars as the slightly slimy shrink who overprescribes medication for Rooney Mara's depressive patient with potentially lethal results, the spectre of professional ruin and personal loss looming large.

In its early stages this appears to be a low-key indictment of heartless big pharma, a worthy exposé of the...