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For the second consecutive year, the Best Picture Oscar has been all in the family.

Husband and wife Sean Baker and Samantha Quan have earned statuettes for producing the comedy-drama “Anora,” one year after spouses Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas won the same award for “Oppenheimer.”

Baker and Quan, who shared the award with producer Alex Coco, are the fourth — or fifth, technically; see the “Lord of the Rings” team below — romantic partners to score the Oscar’s most coveted prize.

Julia Phillips was the first female producer to ever win Best Picture, 51 years ago, for the 1973 mystery drama “The Sting,” which she produced alongside Tony Bill and her then-husband Michael Phillips. They divorced the same year as their Oscar win, but continued to work together, producing “Taxi Driver” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Phillips wrote the brutal, blistering and best-selling memoir “You’ll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again,...

Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.

Today we talk about someone who is one of the most well-liked celebrities alive: Queen Latifah! Our guest today is KT from the great podcast “For Your Reference.” Our B-Sides today are: Living Out Loud, Last Holiday, Just Wright, and Joyful Noise.

We also discuss Queen’s book, her iconic BET Lifetime Achievement Award Speech, her music career, and her chances of making it to E.G.O.T. status. There’s lively discussion about her undeniable, universal likeability, her impeccable taste in leading men, a deep appreciation for Michael Ealy, and compliments to Queen’s performance in Bessie.

There’s respect paid to the full life she’s lived, there’s criticism leveled at the basketball Common plays in Just Wright,...

One year after she herself was celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors, Queen Latifah is set to host the show for 2024. The 47th Annual Kennedy Center Honors will be taped on Sunday, Dec. 8, and air on CBS and Paramount+ two weeks later on Sunday, Dec. 22, at 8:30pm Eastern and Pacific. The event will be produced by Done+Dusted in association with Rok Productions, executive produced by David Jammy, Elizabeth Kelly, and Jack Sussman, and directed by Alex Rudzinski.

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This year’s honorees are famed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, the rock band The Grateful Dead, rock singer-songwriter and blues guitarist Bonnie Raitt, jazz musician Arturo Sandoval, and the Apollo Theater, which will receive special recognition as an American institution. They will be seated in the box tier of the Kennedy Center Opera House while their careers and legacies are celebrated...

Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning multi-hyphenate Queen Latifah will host the 47th annual Kennedy Center Honors, to be broadcast Dec. 22 on CBS and stream on Paramount+, the network and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced today.

The annual gala, which will be televised at 8:30 p.m. Et and 8 p.m. Pt, will mark first-time hosting duties for Latifah. The Academy Award nominee was among the recipients of the 2023 Kennedy Center Honors.

As previously announced, this year’s honors will be bestowed upon filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, rock band Grateful Dead, blues and rock singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt, jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer Arturo Sandoval and the venue The Apollo, which will receive a special Honors as a historic American institution.

The Kennedy Center Honors gala, taking place at Washington’s Kennedy Center Opera House Dec. 8, recognizes and celebrates individuals whose unique contributions have shaped the way we see ourselves,...

Bryan Greenberg has been around for a while and it’s time for the actor to get his due recognition. For years, he’s been a part of clever comedies, sweet dramas, and romantic tales, on both the big and small screens. And he’s best known for being in One Tree Hill and Make It in America, along with a few other indie movies.

Bryan Greenberg in How to Make It in America | HBO

He has built a sustainable career and proved himself on multiple occasions, and now he’s about to become a part of the Suits universe. But how does the actor’s journey influence his financial success, and what are some things that you must know about him? Let’s take a closer look at Greenberg’s net worth, his relationship, and his work.

Understanding Net Worth: What It Reveals About Bryan Greenberg’s Success Bryan...

Exclusive: Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill’s production company Crooked Highway has hired Vince Cheng as President of Production and Adriana Fernandez as Director of Development, Deadline has learned.

Cheng will oversee all aspects of film and TV development and production, while Fernandez will be responsible for guiding all stages of film and TV development and production.

Previously, Cheng was a producer for PlayStation Productions, adapting PlayStation’s 1st Party video games into films and television shows. Highlights include the award-winning series The Last of Us, Twisted Metal series, Uncharted and Gran Turismo. Prior to that, he was a development executive at Millennium Media, where he was working on blockbuster action films such as Expendables 3, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, London Has Fallen, Rambo: Last Blood and the Hellboy reboot.

Fernandez previously worked as film exec at J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions. During her tenure, she worked on a...

Three film and television studios that center Black stories are coming together to produce a slate of hip-hop biopics — and they’ve announced that Queen Latifah’s will be first. Neither a writer nor director has been announced yet, but Queen Latifah herself will be one of the producers through her company, Flavor Unit Entertainment. Will Smith’s Westbrook Studios and Jesse Collins’ Jesse Collins Entertainment are also on board for Latifah’s biopic.

In a statement, Smith emphasized the importance of starting with the “Ladies First” artist’s story,...

Winsome Sinclair, a veteran casting professional who worked on scores of films and TV shows — many as casting director — including Malcolm D. Lee’s The Best Man, Steven Spielberg’s Amistad, the Gabrielle Union series Being Mary Jane and a dozen Spike Lee movies, died August 12 of colon cancer on Long Island. She was 58.

Her rep Clorissa Wright-Thomas confirmed the news to Deadline, saying Sinclair had been in hospice care and that her family was at her bedside. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Winsome Sinclair, a woman of extraordinary faith and a trailblazer in the film industry,” her family said in a statement (read it in full below). “Winsome’s life was a testament to radical faith, and she lived each day with a heart full of love and gratitude.”

Born on October 27, 1965 in Jamaica, she grew up in New York after...

Winsome Sinclair, the casting director who helped bring in actors for Waiting to Exhale, Amistad, Precious, The Best Man and a dozen films directed by Spike Lee, has died. She was 58.

Sinclair died Monday in hospice care on Long Island after a long battle with colon cancer, publicist Clorissa Wright-Thomas told The Hollywood Reporter. Her family was at her bedside.

The New York native launched the global casting agency Winsome Sinclair and Associates in New York in 1996, then relocated the business to Atlanta in 2014 amid that city’s production boom.

Sinclair also cast extras for the John Singleton-directed features Higher Learning (1995), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) and Abduction (2011), for the Malcolm D. Lee-helmed The Best Man (1999) and Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016) and for the Dee Rees-directed Pariah (2011) and Bessie (2015).

She handled similar duties on the Hughes brothers’ Dead Presidents (1995), Forest Whitaker’s Waiting to Exhale (1995), Steven Spielberg’s...

The Emmy category for Best TV Movie has had a renaissance in recent years, with more high profile projects being exclusive to the medium. In this golden TV era, the level of talent on screen and behind the camera is at an all-time high – showcased best by the level of competition here and Best Limited Series. Once so niche that they were a single combined category at the Emmys, the fields seem to get stronger and stronger every year. As a result, the list of this season’s potential TV movie nominees is incredible. Leading the pack (for me) is Amazon Prime Video’s “Red, White & Royal Blue.”

An adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s New York Times bestselling novel, the film depicts the rivalry and courtship between Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), a prince of England’s royal family, and Alex (Taylor Zakar Perez), the son of an American presidential candidate.

We can already tell that this reunion is going to be fun! The Equalizer has set the stage for a reunion for former costars Queen Latifah with Mike Epps when the latter guest stars in the March 17 episode, and TV Insider has an exclusive sneak peek. Epps — who starred alongside Latifah in the 2015 HBO movie Bessie — plays J.J., a former gambling addict Robyn (Latifah) calls on to assist after Dante’s (Tory Kittles) old training partner is taken hostage while working undercover in an illegal casino. In our clip, J.J. is enjoying a burger for the first time in years after getting out of prison for this mission. “I’m ready to turn over a new leaf. No more gambling, no more conning. Just a nice quiet life,” he says. Robyn’s all for that, especially since, “I’m not sure how much action you’ll find in Vermont with,...

Queen Latifah reunites with her Bessie co-star Mike Epps on CBS’s The Equalizer season four episode four. Directed by Solvan “Slick” Naim from a script by Rob Hanning, episode four – “All Bets Are Off” – will air on Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 8pm Et/Pt.

Queen Latifah leads the cast as Robyn McCall, Tory Kittles stars as Detective Marcus Dante, Adam Goldberg is Harry Keshegian, Liza Lapira is Melody “Mel” Bayani, and Laya DeLeon Hayes plays Delilah. Lorraine Toussaint plays Viola “Vi” Marsette.

“All Bets Are Off” Plot: After Dante’s old training partner is taken hostage while working undercover in an illegal casino, McCall hires J.J., a former gambling addict (guest star Mike Epps), to assist with the mission. Meanwhile, Dee joins a peer counseling group and learns that some students have been bullying her on a social media page.

Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall and Mike Epps as J.

Updated, 9 Am: The NAACP Image Awards today revealed a pair of career honors for musical acts to be presented at its 55th annual ceremony on March 16.

New Edition will be inducted into the will be inducted into the acclaimed NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame, and R&b hitmaking Maze frontman Frankie Beverly is set for the Lifetime Achievement Award.

New Edition and Frankie Beverly

Featuring Ricky Bell, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe, New Edition broke out with “Cool It Now” and “Mr. Telephone Man” from their self-titled gold 1984 album. The group continued to rack up Top 10 R&b hits and re-stormed the pop charts with its multiplatinum 1996 reunion disc Home Again, which topped the Billboard 200 and produced the Top 10 singles “Hit Me Off” and “I’m Still in Love with You.” New Edition also was the subject of a popular BET miniseries The New Edition Story...

Mo’Nique delivered a viral interview on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast that garnered nearly five million views in 24 hours due to the Oscar-winning comedian’s blunt comments while talking about previous public spats with the likes of Tyler Perry, Netflix, Oprah Winfrey and more. In one of the podcast’s most quoted moments, Mo’Nique declared that her career might’ve been as successful as that of fellow comic Melissa McCarthy had she been given equal opportunities as her white contemporaries.

“If I was a white woman, do you know what my name would be? Melissa McCarthy,” Mo’Nique told host Shannon Sharpe. “If I was a white woman, my name would be Melissa McCarthy. Same track record! Five-year sitcom in syndication. The opportunities are not the same.”

McCarthy starred on the CBS sitcom “Mike and Molly” for six seasons and won an Emmy for outstanding actress in a comedy series.

Given that it has been accomplished by eight performers, the feat of winning SAG Awards for two different limited series or TV movies isn’t as rare as it once was. Nonetheless, it remains an impressive achievement since no one has yet topped it, but that could change in a matter of months. Heading into the 30th SAG Awards ceremony, two-time Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actor victor Mark Ruffalo has a shot at snagging another trophy of the same kind, which would earn him the distinction of being either non-continuing program category’s first triple champion.

Ruffalo’s first two individual SAG Award wins came for his work in the HBO productions “The Normal Heart” (2015) and “I Know This Much Is True” (2021). In this case, he is seeking recognition as a star of the four-part Netflix adaptation of the heavily lauded novel “All the Light We Cannot See,” on...

In the 54 years since Diahann Carroll (“Julia”) blazed a trail as the first Black female recipient of a TV Golden Globe, the list of small screen Black actresses who have won the favor of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has grown to include 12 more names, including 2023 comedic and dramatic champs Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) and Zendaya (“Euphoria”). While this roster has long since covered TV movies and both continuing program genres, no Black woman has yet been awarded a Golden Globe for a limited series performance. There is a decent chance of that soon changing, however, given the winning potential of possible 2024 Best TV Movie/Limited Series Actress contenders Uzo Aduba (“Painkiller”) and Dominique Fishback (“Swarm”).

Possible Golden Globes newcomer Fishback stars on Amazon Prime Video’s “Swarm” as Dre Greene, a mentally unstable young woman whose unhealthy obsession with a Beyoncé-esque pop star drives a wedge between her and her foster sister,...

A drug dealer was sentenced to ten years in prison for the death of actor Michael K. Williams.

Irvin Cartagena was sentenced for conspiring to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analog, according to a news release by the United States Attorney’s office. Cartagena was one of four men charged with being part of a drug trafficking ring that sold the fatal fentanyl-laced heroin to Williams.

Cartagena and the other three defendants, Hector Robles, Luis Cruz and Carlos Macci have been leading a drug operation since 2020, according to investigators.

Cartagena was the person who conducted the “hand-to-hand transaction” with Williams. Despite knowing that Williams’ had died likely from the fentanyl-laced heroin, he and his co-conspirators continued to sell the deadly heroin. Cartagena fled to Puerto Rico, where he was arrested in February 2022. Cartagena and Macci pleaded guilty, while the other two men, Robles and Cruz, pleaded not guilty.

Williams was...

A drug dealer linked to actor Michael K. Williams’ 2021 overdose death has been found guilty, with a sentence that will put him in prison for less than three years.

On Tuesday, a judge determined that a 71-year-old man “not only cost Mr. Williams his life, but it’s costing your freedom,” pointing to the dealer continuing to sell drugs even after news of Michael K. Williams’ overdose broke. However, the Associated Press noted that the man, Carlos Macci, was “not charged directly in the actor’s death.” Macci had nearly two dozen prior convictions.

Prior to the decision, David Simon – who created The Wire, in which Michael K. Williams starred as Omar Little and knew the late actor well – urged the judge to consider leniency in the sentencing related to the actor’s overdose death. “What happened to Mike is a grievous tragedy…But I know that Michael would look...

David Simon, co-creator of The Wire, has asked a Manhattan judge to grant leniency to a man being charged in connection with the 2021 drug overdose death of actor Michael K. Williams.

Carlos Macci, 71, is one of four men charged in connection with Williams’ death. All have pleaded guilty, with Macci’s sentencing scheduled for later this month. While Macci’s recommended sentence is 10 years, Simon sent a three-page letter on his behalf to Judge Ronnie Abrams, urging a shorter sentence.

“What happened to Mike is a grievous tragedy,” Simon wrote,...

Just days after it premiered on May 29, 2023, “Reality” is now predicted to receive a top Emmy nomination for Best TV Movie. In the 82-minute telefilm, former two-time Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney (“Euphoria” and “The White Lotus”) portrays Reality Winner, the American intelligence specialist who, in 2017 at the age of 25, was arrested for allegedly leaking a report about potential Russian interference in the 2016 election to the media.

“Reality” made its initial debut at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year to great fanfare. It’s based on the play “Is This A Room” by Tina Satter, who now co-writes (with James Paul Dallas) and directs the movie. Co-stars include Josh Hamilton as Agent Garrick and Marchánt Davis.

SEESydney Sweeney offers a very brief tease for ‘Euphoria’ Season 3

According to Gold Derby’s updated Emmy predictions, the five nominees for Best TV Movie will be “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” at 82/25 odds,...

A year and a half after Michael K. Williams’ death, the man who sold The Wire star the drugs that killed him has pleaded guilty.

“Irvin Cartagena sold fentanyl-laced heroin in broad daylight in New York City, feeding addiction and causing tragedy,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York said Wednesday, regarding the the September 5, 2021 transaction in Brooklyn’s South Williamsburg neighborhood. “In doing so, he dealt the fatal dose that killed Michael K. Williams.”

In front U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams earlier in the day, Cartagena pleaded guilty to “one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl analogue, fentanyl, and heroin.” That plea specifically cited the death of Williams as a consequence of Cartagena’s drug slinging. Set to be sentenced later this year, Cartagena, aka “Green Eyes,” faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years on the charges.

Can Daniel Radcliffe earn an Emmy nomination for the comedy film “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”? Or even win? The Roku film, a parody of music biopics, is an unconventional awards contender — after all, it satirizes a certain kind of awards bait movie project. But it could also be noteworthy by bringing awards attention to the underappreciated telefilm format.

As limited series and anthologies have taken precedence in the industry, TV movies have mostly been pushed aside at the Emmys. Consider that last year’s five nominees for Best TV Movie — “Ray Donovan: The Movie.” “Reno 911!: The Hunt for QAnon ,” “The Survivor,” “Zoey’s Extraordinary Christmas,” and ultimate winner “Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers” — had no other nominations in any other categories.

That’s a far cry from just a few years ago. Consider that just in 2013 “Behind the Candelabra” swept the Emmys with 11 wins including Best Miniseries or Movie.

Just as limited and anthology series based on real events have taken over the TV landscape, they have taken over the Emmys. But how well have programs of this particular genre actually gone over with the academy throughout the past few years?

Let’s take a look back at all nominations earned by limited and anthology series starting in 2015; that’s the year in which the rules were tweaked to require that a program can only compete as a limited series if it has a minimum of two episodes with a total running time of at least 150 minutes, tells a complete, non-recurring story, and doesn’t have an ongoing storyline and/or main characters in subsequent seasons.

This rule change came just a year after limited series (referred to as “miniseries” at the time) and TV movies were once again split up into separate program categories, undoing a three-year-old change that consolidated the two awards.

Jessica Chastain took home the limited/TV movie actress prize at Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards for “George & Tammy,” defying the odds, where she was in fourth place. Not only did Chastain stop Amanda Seyfried‘s awards run for “The Dropout,” but it ended a six-year streak of one person sweeping the winter awards in this category.

The previous six years have seen Sarah Paulson, Nicole Kidman, Patricia Arquette, Michelle Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy and Kate Winslet in collecting the Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award and SAG Award in the early months of a new year. This annual one-woman supremacy was a hard pivot from 2016, when three people took home these three awards. The Golden Globes infamously went with Lady Gaga for “American Horror Story: Hotel,” while Kirsten Dunst prevailed at Critics Choice for the second season of “Fargo” and the SAG Awards crowned Queen Latifah for the HBO film “Bessie.

Hot off her 2022 Best Film Actress SAG Award victory for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Jessica Chastain is now in the running for the organization’s Best TV Movie/Miniseries Actress prize as the star of Showtime’s “George and Tammy.” This would be her third SAG Award win in as many categories, as she achieved her first one as an ensemble member of the 2011 film “The Help.” It would also make her only the fourth person to ever pull off back-to-back solo SAG Award wins for two different performances.

The special consecutive champions club Chastain is looking to join was formed in 2000 by Angelina Jolie, who was honored that year for her supporting turn in the film “Girl, Interrupted” immediately after her TV movie performance in “Gia” was lauded by the acting guild. She has since been followed by Renée Zellweger and Viola Davis.

Chastain would, of course, be...

After Cicely Tyson’s performance in the two-part CBS drama “Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All” earned her a spot in the very first Best TV Movie/Miniseries Actress SAG Award lineup, it took 26 years for another Black woman to be recognized by the organization for an actual miniseries. The subset started by Tyson in 1995 now includes five actresses, with the latest entrant being “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” cast member Niecy Nash-Betts. If she takes this year’s prize, Nash-Betts will be the fifth Black woman to ever prevail in this category and the first to be honored for a multi-part limited program.

Besides Tyson and Nash-Betts, the remaining three Black actresses who have been nominated by the Screen Actors Guild for their work on miniseries are Michaela Coel, Kerry Washington, and Cynthia Erivo. These five performances account for 24% of the 21 Black female ones ever recognized in this category,...

Don’t call it a comeback. Call it a reintroduction.

After 13 years of an uphill struggle, Mo’Nique’s emphatic return to Hollywood promises to be a new chapter for the comedian as she rebuilds her career — and reassesses her relationships.

After an astonishing 2010 Oscar win for best supporting actress in “Precious,” the comedian quickly found herself embroiled in a public back-and-forth with her collaborators Lee Daniels and Oprah Winfrey after Mo’Nique claimed the producers behind the critically acclaimed film were purposefully pushing her out of Hollywood. The high-profile spat was prompted by Mo’Nique’s refusal to promote the 2009 film, or even to campaign for a supporting actress Oscar.

Her roles for the next decade would be sparse. In 2015, she co-starred as Ma Rainey in Queen Latifah’s made-for-hbo film “Bessie.” She followed up that performance with a role in the Will Packer-produced holiday flick “Almost Christmas” in...

Academy Award-winning actress Mo’Nique (Precious) has joined the Starz crime drama Bmf for Season 2.

The first season of Bmf introduced the story of two brothers — Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory (played by Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr. and Da’Vinchi) — who created Black Mafia Family, the most prominent drug distribution network in American history.

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Mo’Nique is set to recur during Season 2 as Goldie, a sophisticated Atlanta...

Exclusive: UTA has signed actor, producer, and podcast host Tika Sumpter in all areas.

In film, Sumpter will next be seen in Paramount Pictures’ Sonic the Hedgehog 2 reprising the role of Maddie Wachowski alongside James Marsden and Jim Carrey later this year.

Previously, she starred opposite Robert Redford, Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, and Sissy Spacek in David Lowery’s The Old Man and The Gun, which premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival; in Southside With You, which Sumpter co-produced with John Legend and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival; and in Universal’s award-winning James Brown biopic Get On Up alongside Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, and Chadwick Boseman, among others.

On the small screen, she recently starred in the ABC comedy series Mixed-ish, where she played Alicia Johnson opposite Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Gary Cole. Previously, she co-starred with Queen Latifah in HBO’s Bessie,...

America has officially celebrated Women’s History month since the 1980s when a feminist surge for equal job opportunities and education blossomed out of local celebrations and the International Women’s Day holiday, as well as Women’s History Week. And for the entire month of March, the streaming service HBO Max is celebrating Women’s History Month with programming devoted entirely to stories about women.

HBO Max is stacked with movies and shows that show complex female leads, and along with their spotlight page offerings, HBO is offering a first ever in-app trivia experience to celebrate the event. The HBO Max Women’s History Month Trivia tray allows fans to discover entertainment milestones that all involve women. To reveal the answer, viewers can simply click or tap the tile.

HBO Max has curated a list of films, TV shows and documentaries that reflect empowering and challenging female characters, overlooked and underrated performances,...

Kate Winslet (virtually) presented the Life Achievement Award to Helen Mirren at Sunday’s Screen Actors Guild Awards, but that’s not the only thing linking them. Winslet also won her second award for limited series/TV movie actress for “Mare of Easttown,” putting her in a tiny group of two-time winners that includes Mirren herself.

Winslet is now the fourth woman to win the category twice after after Mirren Alfre Woodard and Queen Latifah (“Life Support,” “Bessie”). Her first victory came 10 years ago for another HBO series, “Mildred Pierce.” No one has won more. The win also puts Winslet into an even more exclusive club with Latifah: They both now have a perfect 2-for-2 record in the category. (Woodard has had three nominations while Mirren owns a category-leading five.)

See Full list of SAG Awards winners

Fresh off her Emmy win for “Mare of Easttown,” Winslet was widely expected...

After winning Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actress at the 2021 Emmy Awards for her acclaimed turn as detective Mare Sheehan on the crime drama “Mare of Easttown,” Kate Winslet has now raked in a corresponding Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for her work on the HBO series. Should the now 13-time nominee have a good night and reign victorious on at the SAG Awards on Sunday night, she’ll take home her fourth career award from the actors guild (and hopefully emulate this moment of exuberance from her Emmy acceptance speech).

In the limited series/TV movie actress category, Winslet finds herself in the company of four actors who are vying for their inaugural SAG Awards wins, including her onscreen “Mare” mom Jean Smart, as well as Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”), Cynthia Erivo (“Genius: Aretha”), and Margaret Qualley (“Maid”). Of these four, Smart has the most nominations to her name with four,...

February is Black History Month, and new content celebrating Black stories across television and film is on its way.

Over the course of Black History Month, many channels will premiere nonfiction specials and programming that spotlight Black leaders in politics, entertainment and social justice. PBS will premiere specials about civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and singer Marian Anderson, while Starz will premiere a feature length documentary on Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

In addition, the Smithsonian Channel will debut a four-part miniseries tracing the origins exploring the legacy of slavery around the world. Aside from new documentaries and docuseries, streaming channels like Tubi will offer hundreds of hours of Black Cinema to watch, as well as original fiction programming.

Check out the full list of Black History Month programming below. (This list will be updated as more titles are announced).

“Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power” — This feature-length documentary follows the career of congresswoman Barbara Lee,...

Len Amato, a 13-year veteran of HBO, joined MasterClass as chief content officer at the company that sells subscriptions to celebrity-led online courses.

In the new role, Amato will head up MasterClass’ content organization and help lead content innovation, strategy and development of class launches. He reports to David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass.

Amato formerly served as president of HBO Films, Miniseries and Cinemax before he departed in late 2020. Most recently, Amato was an executive producer on HBO’s upcoming limited series “The White House Plumbers” through his production company Crash&Salvage, where he will continue to produce independently.

MasterClass provides access to more than 150 online courses led by experts and celebs including James Cameron, Shonda Rhimes, Ken Burns, Jodie Foster, Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Nas, Gordon Ramsay, Bob Iger, Metallica, Issa Rae, RuPaul, and Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. An annual membership to MasterClass starts at $180/year.

“Len...

Len Amato, the former President of HBO Films, Miniseries and Cinemax, has been named chief content officer at MasterClass. He will head the content organization and help lead content innovation, strategy and development of class launches for the educational streaming platform.

During Amato’s tenure at the helm, HBO Films won the Emmy for Outstanding Made For Television Movie five times in six years from 2009-15. The Liberace pic Behind the Candelabra was its most-honored program, with 11 wins and 15 nominations at the 2013 Emmys.

Before becoming president, Amato — who left HBO a year ago — served as HBO program executive and executive producer on 2008’s multiple Emmy-winning film Recount. The film began Amato’s association with director Jay Roach and writer Danny Strong who would later repeat their creative collaboration on Game Change.

Amato joined HBO in March 2007 as SVP HBO Films.

Throughout 2021, we have been updating our “In Memoriam” photo gallery (view above). Scroll through to remember 33 entertainers from film, television, theater and music. Many were winners at the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and/or Tonys. Here is a closer look at just a few of those we celebrate in our gallery:

Legendary composer Stephen Sondheim died on November 26 at age 91. He was a seven-time Tony Award winner for “Company,” “Follies,” “A Little Night Music,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Into the Woods” and “Passion.” He received a lifetime achievement Tony in 2008. He was an Oscar winner for “Dick Tracy” and a seven-time Grammy winner. Other well-known shows were “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” “Pacific Overtures,” Merrily We Roll Along,” “Sunday in the Park with George” and “Assassins” plus “West Side Story” and “Gypsy” as a lyricist. He was also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Kennedy Center Honors.

Exclusive: Sheila Walcott is returning to Warner Bros Pictures as VP Creative Development.

Walcott was previously Director of Development at the studio from 2017-2020, when she worked on such films as Ocean’s 8, In the Heights, multi-Oscar winner Judas and the Black Messiah and the upcoming Will Smith movie King Richard about Serena and Venus Williams’ father, Richard, and his journey of coaching them into global tennis superstars. The pic opens Friday in theaters and will debut in homes on HBO Max.

Courtenay Valenti, President, Production and Development, Warner Bros. Pictures, said: “Everyone at Warner Bros Pictures is so thrilled to welcome Sheila back to the lot. She is a spectacular executive who is passionate about filmmaking and the storytelling process. As a result, she has earned the trust, admiration and respect of the filmmakers with whom we work. Sheila will be an integral and important part of the success...

This probably should be obvious by now, but it’s good to be Kate Winslet. The recent winner of the Best Limited Series/TV Movie Actress Emmy for her performance in HBO’s gripping crime drama “Mare of Easttown” is also now the favorite to take home the corresponding Screen Actors Guild Award come February. If she succeeds, she’ll be 2 for 2 in the category and become just the fourth woman to snag the award twice after Alfre Woodard, Helen Mirren and Queen Latifah.

Winslet previously won for her work in the eponymous role of HBO’s “Mildred Pierce,” which like “Mare of Easttown,” also features the acting talents of Guy Pearce. In the latter series, which was created and written by Brad Ingelsby, Winslet portrays Mare Sheehan, a competent but tired detective attempting to keep her life together while investigating the murder of one teen girl and the disappearance...

Michael K. Williams died earlier this month from “acute intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, heroin and cocaine,” the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner said Friday. The Cme has ruled the death accidental.

The determination comes after Williams, the five-time Emmy-nominated star of The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, 12 Years a Slave and most recently Lovecraft Country, was found dead in his Brooklyn, NY, home on Monday, September 6. He was 54 years old.

A New York Police Department detective told Deadline at the time that Williams “was discovered deceased in an apartment located at 440 Kent Avenue today around 1400 hours. It’s an ongoing investigation and the medical examiner will determine the cause of death.”

The medical examiner’s office said today it would not comment further on the case.

Williams’ death sent shockwaves through the film and TV industry that he rose to fame in after playing Omar, a robber of drug dealers,...

The best tribute to Michael K. Williams on Emmys night arrived courtesy of the Baltimore Ravens, not the Television Academy. While the Emmys snubbed Williams for his work on “Lovecraft Country” in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category (the prize went to Tobias Menzies from “The Crown” instead), the NFL team honored the late actor by blasting Omar Little’s trademark “Farmer in the Dell” whistle into M&t Bank Stadium (see video below). Williams starred as Omar on all five seasons of HBO’s “The Wire.” The series is set in Baltimore. Omar’s whistle was blasted during the Ravens’ home opener, the first home game in Baltimore since Williams’ passing.

While Williams lost out on the Emmy, he did get a brief tribute from Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category presenter Kerry Washington. The actress choked up while referring to Williams in past...

While the late Michael K. Williams did not prevail as expected in the Emmys’ Drama Supporting Actor category—bested in the end by The Crown‘s Tobias Menzies—he was honored on Sunday night by presenter Kerry Washington.

“Michael was—it’s crazy to say ‘was’—a brilliantly talented actor and a generous human being who has left us far too soon,” Washington said in a short speech prior to announcing Williams’ category. “Michael, I know you’re here because you wouldn’t miss this. Your excellence will endure. We love you.”

Menzies was not in attendance at the ceremony, with Washington accepting the award on his behalf—the moment recalling Anthony Hopkins’ surprise triumph over the late Chadwick Boseman in the Oscars’ Best Actor race earlier this year.

The first-time nominee was honored for his portrayal of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the longest-serving royal consort in history, who...

Another Emmy ceremony, another year of that dubious Best Drama Supporting Actor streak continuing. Tobias Menzies won the award on Sunday for his performance on “The Crown,” meaning that Best Drama Supporting Actor will remain the last acting category without a Black winner for another year.

Menzies was second place in the odds, which were topped by the late Michael K. Williams (“Lovecraft Country”). Williams was the season-long favorite to win before his untimely death at 54 on Sept. 6, a week after winner voting closed. He was one of three Black actors nominated for drama supporting actor this year — the others being Giancarlo Esposito (“The Mandalorian”) and O-t Fagbenle (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) — the most ever in a single year in the category.

See Full list of Emmy winners

Formally established in 1970, Best Drama Supporting Actor has seen numerous Black nominees through the years, but no winners. Even the short form acting categories,...

Michael K. Williams, who died Monday at 54, rose from Madonna background dancer to in-demand actor who was nominated for five Emmy Awards. To see a gallery featuring some of his most famous scene-stealing roles, click on the photo above — a shot of Williams’ signature Omar Little character from HBO’s The Wire.

Immediately identifiable by the scar that ran from the middle of his forehead to the right side of his mouth, Williams specialized in playing hardened men few were interested in messing with.

Several of his most popular projects were done for HBO: Along with playing the terrifying Omar in the 2000s series The Wire — how many of you have never heard “The Farmer in the Dell” quite the same since? — gangster Chalky White in period drama Boardwalk Empire, influential inmate Freddy Knight in limited The Night Of, Jack Gee in Bessie and Montrose Freeman in last year’s Lovecraft Country.

Our special In Memoriam photo gallery honoring the greats that have gone in 2021 has added another celebrated name. Five-time Emmy nominee Michael K. Williams, who is favored to win at the Emmy Awards later this month for “Lovecraft Country,” has died at age 54. You can also watch his recent acceptance speech when he won the 2021 Gold Derby TV Award.

Tour our gallery above featuring 26 celebrities from the entertainment worlds of music, film, television and Broadway. Here is a brief glance at some of those people being featured.

Michael Kenneth Williams died at age 54 on September 6. He was a four-time acting nominee at the Emmys for “Bessie,” “The Night Of,” “When They See Us” and “Lovecraft Country,” plus a producing nominee for “Vice.” He was well known for his TV role in “The Wire” and had film success in “Inherent Vice,” “12 Years a Slave,” “Gone Baby Gone” and “The Road.

Michael K. Williams has died at 54. The actor's publicist, Marianna Shafran, confirmed the news in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter on Sept. 6: "It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy-nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams. They ask for your privacy while grieving this insurmountable loss."

The onscreen veteran and television legend had a career that spanned decades. Following more minor roles on The Sopranos and Law & Order, Williams landed his breakout performance as Omar Little on The Wire, which aired from 2002 to 2008. The Shakespearean stick-up man is considered to be among the greatest characters in television history.

Williams went on to appear on Boardwalk Empire, The Night Of, When They See Us, and Bessie. His recent performance as Montrose Freeman on Lovecraft Country earned him a nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series at the Emmy Awards on Sept. 19. The...

The Wire star Wendell Pierce — among other cast members — paid tribute to fellow series actor Michael K. Williams Monday after news broke that Williams died at the age of 54.

“The depth of my love for this brother can only be matched by the depth of my pain learning of his loss,” Pierce, who played Detective William “Bunk” Moreland on the HBO series, wrote on Twitter. “An immensely talented man with the ability to give voice to the human condition portraying the lives of those whose humanity is seldom elevated until he sings their truth.

Acclaimed and much beloved actor Michael K. Williams, best known for his role as Omar on the hit HBO series The Wire, has passed away. THR reports that the actor was found dead by his nephew in the living room of his Brooklyn apartment on Monday, but a cause of death hasn't yet been determined. He was 54 years old.

"It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams," a statement from the actor's rep Marianna Shafran reads. "They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss."

Many others are also paying tribute to the actor. That includes The Suicide Squad director James Gunn who wrote in a tweet, "Michael K Williams, in addition to being one of the most talented actors around, was also one of the kindest, sweetest, most gentle souls I've ever met. This is heartbreaking. My thoughts...

Michael K. Williams, the enigmatic performer whose work included “The Wire” and a recent Emmy nomination for “Lovecraft Country,” has died at the age of 54. Law enforcement confirmed the news to the media. Representatives for Williams said, “It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams. They ask for your privacy while grieving this unsurmountable loss.”

The actor was discovered in the living room of his Williamsburg apartment by his nephew. It was said that Williams possibly died of a drug overdose, with police saying no foul play is suspected. Williams had been vocal over the years about his struggles with substance abuse. The actor, a five-time Emmy nominee, recently received a nomination for his role as Montrose Freeman in the HBO drama “Lovecraft Country.”

Williams was a Brooklyn native raised in East Flatbush. He was discovered by rapper Tupac Shakur...

According to the New York Post, Michael K. Williams has passed away, possibly of an overdose.

The Post learned from Law Enforcement that the 54-year-old Lovecraft Country actor was found in his Brooklyn apartment by his nephew.

While there isn't an official cause of death, there was drug paraphernalia in the apartment, suggesting a possible overdoe.

The star had been open about his personal struggle with drugs, revealing in an interview with NPR in 2016 that he went to a church in New Jersey to get help for his addiction.

“When I came through those doors, I was broken. … This was, I would say, around the … third season of The Wire, ” Williams said.

“I was on drugs. … I was in jeopardy of destroying everything I had worked so hard for, and I came in those doors, and I met a man who had never even heard of ‘The Wire,’ much less watched it,...

Michael K. Williams, the five-time Emmy-nominated star of The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, 12 Years a Slave and most recently Lovecraft Country, died Monday at age 54.

Willliams’ death at his Brooklyn home has been confirmed for Deadline by a representative of his family.

“It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Emmy nominated actor Michael Kenneth Williams,” the rep told Deadline. They ask for your privacy while grieving this insurmountable loss.”

The family did not provide the cause of death. A New York Police Department detective told Deadline that Williams “was discovered deceased in an apartment located at 440 Kent Avenue today around 1400 hours. It’s an ongoing investigation and the medical examiner will determine the cause of death.”

Michael K. Williams: A Career In Pictures

Deadline will add details as they come in, but this is a shock to the system, because of his game-changing talent. Williams...