In this episode of “Common Courtesy,” actress, singer, and comedian Sandra Bernhard reflects on chronic name droppers, blocking people online, public FaceTiming, and why she will never sit in coach again. Sharp and unapologetic, Sandra reminds us that manners are as much about confidence as they are about courtesy.
Jinkx Monsoon never phones it in. In this episode, the ‘End of the Rainbow’ star puts her friendships to the test with a string of prank calls, convincing Michelle Visage she dropped a 1,000-pound crystal, warning Monét X Change that her psychic predicts betrayal, pretending she’s stuck at a tap studio waiting for Lisa Ann Walter, and asking Jesse Tyler Ferguson to cover her onstage for ‘Oh Mary.’ She may have feared what the calls would reveal, but they only prove her friends are the coolest.
From American Idol to finding his true voice – David Archuleta talks about his hero Fantasia, iconic Y2K guest spots on Hannah Montana and iCarly, and his powerful new memoir Devout.
He had me at The Boy in the Plastic Bubble and today he turns 72!
Today we celebrate 1970s John Travolta, that impossibly gorgeous guy who was the breakout star of TV’s Welcome Back Kotter, the classic sitcom on which he played Sweathog Vinnie Barbarino.
He had started out the decade with guest spots on such shows as Medical Center, Emergency!, The Rookies and Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law.
Then, after three years on Kotter and small roles in the films Carrie and The Devil’s Rain, Travolta’s career reached the stratosphere with his starring roles in the classics Saturday Night Fever and Grease.
The red hot streak was briefly halted with the release of Travolta’s third starring role opposite Lily Tomlin in Moment By Moment.
But by 1980, he was back on top with Urban Cowboy.
It would set a pattern in the coming decades of dizzying heights (Pulp Fiction, Hairspray, Get Shorty) and box office bombs (Two of a Kind, Battlefield Earth, Lucky Numbers).
He’s still working steadily and in 2017 was nominated for an Emmy for his performance as defense attorney Robert Shapiro in the miniseries American Crime Story and as one of the show’s producers, shared the Outstanding Limited Series Emmy.
His recent features films include Mob Land, Paradise City, The Fanatic, Gotti, and The Poison Rose.
Alan Cumming is on The Jennifer Hudson Show with his scene-stealing pup Lala and wastes no time spilling the tea on Season 4 of “The Traitors.” From living in a Scottish castle to playing his deliciously dramatic host persona, Alan reveals why the game is more brutal than it looks and how it went from “weird little experiment” to full-blown phenomenon.
We must never forget the story of this lovely lady.
Happy heavenly birthday to the great Florence Henderson, born 92 years ago today.
I was able to spend time with this legend of stage and screen on many occasions and cherish every one of them.
My favorite memory of them all came in 2011 at the West Hollywood Book Fair when Florence led the crowd in the singing of “The Brady Bunch” theme song after a panel I had moderated that she was a part of because her autobiography had just come out.
The impromptu sing-along was caught on video by Renee Sotile and Mj Godges who I did not know at the time. They sent it to me and a friendship was born. Florence died in 2016 at age 82. It just seemed too soon because she was still so vital, youthful and engaged.
Let me just say this upfront: Claybourne Elder is much more than a pretty face! Now, the face us very pretty indeed but he is so talented as a singer an actor. Caught his show at Catalina Jazz Club (we were in front row) and found him to be a wonderful storyteller between songs. It’s a pity his character was killed off The Gilded Age in such shocking and spectacular fashion last year!
Here’s what Clay is telling fans about his upcoming release: It’s called If the Stars Were Mine and it comes out April 3. If you have 2 minutes to pre-save it or order yourself a copy it would mean the world to me. Go to my link in bio to do it.
It started as a song I sing to my son at bedtime—something I’ve done almost every night of his life. I had gotten so used to singing in front of people that sitting in the quiet dark with him and singing reminded me of how lovely and intimate a song can be.
The songs feel like journal entries to me. I’ve always lived somewhere between a song and a punchline, and this album holds those contradictions without apology: faith and queerness, humor and longing, Broadway and Whitney Houston. It’s not a playlist—it’s a little map of my heart.
I couldn’t have done it without these amazing friends: Rodney Bush, Bryan Perri and M.P. Kuo. Thank you to @centerstagercds for putting it out and to Andrew House for producing it.
This album is a mix of big feelings, beautiful arrangements and incredible playing from a wonderful group of musicians: Adam Birnbaum, Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf, Yuka Tadano, Michael Blanco, Jeremy Yaddaw, Jared Schonig, Markus Howell, Tim Basom, Bryan Hernandez-Luch, Caleb Burhans, and Steven Lyon.
The death of James Van Der Beek at age 48 is so terribly sad. I’ve seen every episode of Dawson’s Creek and loved so much of his other work – especially The Rules of Attraction, CSI: Cyber, Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23, and Pose.
John Wesley Shipp, who portrayed the father of Van Der Beek’s character on Dawson’s Creek, has posted a tribute to his TV son that I want to share:
I try to pause before commenting when a painful event occurs in the lives of people to whom I have been close, out of an abundance of caution not to co-opt their personal pain and make it my own. I am so glad to have met James Van Der Beek’s beautiful family at his DANCING WITH THE STARS competition in LA and most recently at the spectacular event, DAWSON’S CREEK ON BROADWAY last Fall. It is to them that my heart goes out at this moment, his beautiful wife, Kimberly and children, their families and circle of closest friends.
Your sorrow must be immense at this moment, and I center you in my heart. Thank you for your past embraces, and know that my arms are firmly around you at James’ passing.
Now to James. I had the privilege of working closely with James for over 4 years as the father of his character, Dawson, of DAWSON’S CREEK. It delighted me that this father/son relationship was affectionate and close which allowed me to play intimate father/son scenes with this remarkable young man. Acting is intimacy, and people often remarked that James and I began to reflect each others expressions and movements – down to the eyebrows! – not out of intention, rather out of studying each other closely in the course of breathing life into Kevin Williamson’s remarkable achievement through the characters he so carefully and thoughtfully crafted. This period in my career, on the eastern coastal waterways Wilmington, NC, is frozen in time for me, apart from and yet magically informing my life.
I can only say that I am grateful for you, James, your generosity with me as an actor, your desire to breathe life and truth into the often quirky father/son moments we shared together onscreen. I offer up respect and affection at your passing. For the moving, serious, often hilarious moments we entered into in the process of creating, and for memories that will last beyond our lifetimes.
Today would have been the 74th birthday of Simon MacCorkindale is a handsome British actor who left us far too soon.
The star of the short-lived NBC series Manimal and a member of the cast of Falcon Crest, MacCorkindale died in 2010 at the age of 58 of cancer.
At the time, he was starring in the long-running British series Casualty and kept working during much of his treatment.
Married to actress Susan George, MacCorkindale appeared in many feature films in the 70s and 80s including Death in the Nile, Jaws 3D, and The Sword and the Sorcerer.
When his film career stalled, he was able to work steadily in various television series filmed in the UK and Canada.
An interview with stars Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling as they dive into the making of their terrific new film, Pillion which I highly recommend. The duo discusses the unique challenges of their roles—from mastering barbershop harmonies to filming intense wrestling and intimate scenes. They also touch on the importance of authentic queer storytelling and share the classic romantic comedies that first made them fall in love with the genre.
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