News

Isn’t it fascinating how certain moments in life leave an indelible mark, shaping not just careers, but the very essence of who we are? For acclaimed actress Jennifer Connelly, famed for her roles in iconic films like Labyrinth and A Beautiful Mind, the journey has been nothing short of a fascinating odyssey. Transitioning from a modeling career to acting, she has become renowned for her versatile and profoundly touching performances.

Jennifer Connelly & Frank Whaley in Career Opportunities | Credit: Universal Pictures

Growing up as an only child, she was often quiet and introspective, shaped by her upbringing in a family involved in the garment and antiques businesses. Yet, amidst the glory, there were times of introspection and uncertainty, particularly surrounding her breakout role in Bryan Gordon’s Career Opportunities, which she openly admitted left her feeling embarrassed.

Jennifer Connelly: Navigating Uncertainty After Career Opportunities

In the bustling world of Tinseltown,...

After 12 seasons and a staggering 24 years on the air, Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” will finally bid farewell. What began as a mock, behind-the-scenes look at a fictional David putting together a new comedy special blossomed into one of the most enduring and outrageous series of all time. Although neither David nor his character would want to be sentimental, to commemorate the announcement of its imminent series finale, revisit the dozens of awards nominations it received for its first 11 seasons.

Though he would likely never describe himself as an actor, David has a long list of nominations for his acclaimed, exaggerated performance as himself. The lovable curmudgeon earned six Emmy bids for Comedy Actor in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2018. He also racked up three Golden Globes noms in 2003, 2005 and 2006 and three SAG bids in 2006, 2010 and 2018, which demonstrates how different awards bodies have been receptive to his hilarious portrayal of his so-called “social...

Ben Platt has apparently decided he’s no longer going to speak about his mega-producer father Marc Platt — and the internet is so not here for it.

During the press tour for his new film “Theater Camp,” which Platt cowrote with Molly Gordon (who herself is born to director Bryan Gordon and writer-director Jessie Nelson), a reporter for Rolling Stone asked him about being featured on New York Magazine’s infamous nepo baby cover from December.

“You were on the cover of New York Magazine’s Nepo Baby Issue. I’m curious what was your response to that? And what do you make of that whole discourse?” journalist Ej Dickson asked.

“We’re going to skip right over that if we can,” Platt responded.

“No comment?” Dickson responds.

The feature then indicated that Platt’s publicist intervened, saying, “If we could just focus on ‘Theater Camp,’ that would be great.

This interview was conducted before SAG-AFTRA authorized a strike on July 13.

In 2019, Molly Gordon worked for three days on Ramy, the Hulu show about a man exploring his faith in New York City, and it changed her life. She was 23, in the nascent stages of a career she had been dreaming about since childhood. That year, she had roles in Olivia Wilde’s Booksmart and Gene Stupnitsky’s Good Boys, but her time on set with creator Ramy Youssef and executive producer Chris Storer served as what she describes as a “turning point” creatively.

This summer, she marked another professional milestone with the July 14 release of Theater Camp, her screenwriting and directorial debut, which she had been working on for years with longtime friends Ben Platt, Noah Galvin and Nick Lieberman. Gordon also stars in the mockumentary-style comedy about an eccentric group of artists working to save their summer camp for kids from financial ruin.

Warning! This article contains Spoilers for The Bear season 2!Molly Gordon stars in The Bear season 2 as the new character Claire, who plays a significant role in Carmy’s story. The cast of The Bear season 2 has added plenty of rising stars for recurring roles and veteran actors for major cameos, including Molly Gordon as Claire, Will Poulter as Chef Luca, and Jamie Lee Curtis as Carmy and Sugar’s mother Donna. Surprisingly, a large portion of The Bear season 2’s new characters are unrelated to the restaurant’s renovations, as much of the story is told as the established chefs train for new roles, focus on their family lives, and, in Carmy’s case, embark on romantic storylines.

Far more than the first outing, The Bear season 2 gives significant focus to the personal lives of the chefs at the title restaurant. In addition to showcasing Carmy’s love life for the first time,...

What would happen if “Glee” cutthroat cheer coach Sue Sylvester met ditzy “Party Down” actor Constance Carmell? Well, according to Jane Lynch, the performer behind both characters, the two would actually get along quite nicely.

“I think they’d be fast friends,” Lynch told Variety at the Season 3 premiere of “Party Down.” “Constance is not the smartest person in the world, but she’s confident in her own goodness. And she has great self-esteem, and deep down inside Sue Sylvester does not. They would be a great…good cop, bad cop. They could do a comic cop show, but I would have to play both characters, and it would be a lot more. Wouldn’t it be great, though?”

The original “Party Down” series, which debuted in 2009, depicts struggling actors working for a Los Angeles catering company as they await their big break. The reboot catches the stars a decade later,...

Plot: Ten years later, most of the Party Down catering team have moved on, including actor/bartender Henry Pollard (Adam Scott). After a surprise reunion, the gang find themselves once again stoically enduring the procession of random parties and oddball guests all over Los Angeles.

Review: In 2010, Starz cancelled Party Down after only two seasons on the air. Whether it was due to Jane Lynch joining Glee or Adam Scott joining Parks & Recreation, the hilarious series about a crew of cater-waiters joined the pantheon of shows that developed a devoted fan following. After rumors of revivals and feature films, Party Down is finally back for a third season with most of the main cast back. Set a decade after the last season, Party Down is as funny as ever, with new characters joining the fray for a six episode run that mines how much fame and Hollywood celebrity have...

Though everybody knows Larry David as the face of and genius behind HBO’s miraculously long-enduring comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” few may realize the outsized importance of David’s right-hand man Jeff Schaffer. Co-creator of “The League” and this season’s “Dave,” Schaffer began working on “Curb” 15 years ago, and now serves as a writer, director, and executive producer of the Emmy-winning series. The latter role has landed Schaffer four Emmy nominations, but a bid for his work as director has proved elusive.

For the series’ tenth season, which found David’s curmudgeon opening a coffee shop purely out of spite and facing claims of sexual harassment, Schaffer might have his best chance yet at earning a rightful nomination for directing. Compared to last year, when “Curb” was on hiatus, the competition has winnowed: “Fleabag” has wrapped, so reigning champ Harry Bradbeer will not defend his title, and “Barry” is sitting this Emmy cycle out,...

One year ago, Sir Richard Branson took to his blog to announce the end of the V Festival, the long-running British music festival the Virgin Group founder started in 1996.

“After 22 very enjoyable and successful years, 2017 was Virgin’s last V Festival,” Branson wrote. “At Virgin, we know firsthand how important it is to keep innovating and changing things up, which is why it is now time for us to look at new ways we can disrupt the industry to ensure music is a force for good.”

Now Branson, alongside Virgin Produced...

The Emmy Awards ballot for Best Comedy Directing lists 195 episodes from 105 series, up from 174 episodes from 82 series last year, when the nominees were:

“Atlanta” season 1

Winner — “B.A.N.” (Donald Glover)

“Silicon Valley” season 4

“Intellectual Property” (Jamie Babbit)

“Server Error” (Mike Judge)

“Veep” season 6

“Blurb” (Morgan Sackett)

“Justice” (Dale Stern)

“Groundbreaking” (David Mandel)

SEEanalysis of the Best Comedy Writing contenders.

“Veep” did not air this season. Lead “Atlanta” director Hiro Murai was snubbed last year; he has a stronger episode this time and more name recognition from directing the music video for Childish Gambino’s “This is America.”

Having been nominated two years ago for “Silicon Valley” when he last directed it, Alec Berg has submitted his work on the first season finale of “Barry.” He also directed this season’s “Silicon Valley” finale, but Best Comedy Directing is one of only six categories that precludes multiple ballot submissions. Having...

At the 2014 Digital Content Upfronts Monday, Yahoo joined the ranks of Amazon and Netflix by announcing its plan to bring original long-form shows to the screen next year, starting with two new comedies.

Other Space is an out-of-this-world venture from three-time Emmy nominee Paul Feig (Freaks and Geeks, Bridesmaids, The Office). Set in the 22nd century, it focuses on a spaceship crew whose mission takes them off the charts — literally — and into an alternate universe where they have to find their way back home.

Sin City Saints, from executive producer Mike Tollin (One Tree Hill, Smallville, Varsity Blues) and two-time...

Yahoo is getting into the television show business. The Internet company has ordered two full-length scripted comedy series, reports Variety. They will be officially announced at Yahoo's presentation at the Digital Content NewFronts on Monday.

Other Space will revolve around a group of misfit space adventurers who stumble upon an alternate universe. The series will be executive produced by Paul Feig (Freaks & Geeks, Bridesmaids).

Sin City Saints will follow the adventures of a pro basketball expansion team from Las Vegas. Executive producer Mike Tollin (Smallville, One Tree Hill) will team with director Bryan Gordon (Curb Your Enthusiasm).

Yahoo has ordered eight half-hour episodes of each and plans to release all installments at once, ala Netflix. They'll debut late this year and in 2015.

What do you think? Do you think that you'll check out these shows...

Execs didn’t use the word but their Newfront presentation to advertisers in NYC left little doubt that Yahoo sees itself as a classy, Conde Nast-like alternative to others on the web who shoot for the lowest common denominator. CEO Marissa Mayer says she’s focusing on mobile, social, native, and video ads. Regarding the future of video “we’re positioned to influence and sometimes invent it….at scale, across devices, every single day,” Yahoo Cmo Kathy Savitt told advertisers. Producer Mike Tollin (Smallville and Arliss) kicked off Yahoo originals introductions by teaming with Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love to pitch Sin City Saints, a series with eight half-hour episodes about a basketball team based in Las Vegas. Director Bryan Gordon (Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Office) will help out with what Tollin called a “behind the scenes comedy“ shot with a single camera. Hilarity ensues when a Silicon Valley tech...

The company is launching its first longform projects, ordering eight episodes each of the comedies Other Space and Sin City Saints. The news hurls Yahoo, which made the announcement today during its NewFront presentation in NYC, into the original-content streaming business alongside the like of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. Freaks And Geeks creator Paul Feig is behind Other Space, a galactic adventure set in the early 22nd century, when the human race has mapped most of the known universe, failed to find alien life, and frankly gotten a little tired of the whole thing. A spaceship on a routine collection mission stumbles into the greatest discovery in history: an alternate universe, far stranger and way more dangerous than ours. Now the ship’s crew — a collection of over-matched rookies, feuding siblings, burned-out veterans and obsolete robots — has to explore this new universe to try and find a way back home alive.

"The chain in those handcuffs is high-tensile steel. It'd take you ten minutes to hack through it with this. Now, if you're lucky, you could hack through your ankle in five minutes. Go." — Mel Gibson, 'Mad Max'

Greetings from the apocalypse! Hopefully this isn't the end, but I have to depart the sandblasted pages of this column for a brief sojourn across the wasteland. With a little luck, a lot of gasoline and the aid of a gangly autogyro pilot I should find my way back in a few months time, but until then enjoy this last weekend column … for now.

Friday, August 2

Pow! In Theaters

As I wrote earlier this week for Film.com, "2 Guns" will without a doubt take its place among the pantheon of extremely forgettable Denzel Washington action movies. Hell, the trailer could have been one of those parodies from the beginning of "Tropic Thunder.

Freaks and Geeks Season 1, Episode 12 ‘The Garage Door’

Written by Gabe Sachs, Jeff Judah & Patty Lin

Directed by Bryan Gordon

Aired 3/13/2000 on NBC

Until ‘The Garage Door’, Neal and Ken are far and away the least-developed characters on the show. Ken disappears for episodes at a time, we’ve never seen the inside of Neal’s house – and both are people who use jokes to cover up their own feelings and insecurities. Both of them have to come face to face with something they’re dreading to realize in ‘The Garage Door’; but while Ken’s has a happy ending, Neal’s almost certainly will not, the latest of Freaks and Geeks‘ tragic, relatable teenage anecdotes.

What makes ‘The Garage Door’ work so well is the symbiotic relationship between Ken and Neal’s plots: the first scene is as good as it gets for Neal, his friends jealous of a...

Feature Louisa Mellor 27 Jun 2013 - 15:15

After Wendy Davis’ feat in Texas this week, we revisit an educational, emotionally rousing episode of The West Wing…

Like escrow, rutabaga and cooties before it, filibuster is a word many of us in the UK first heard on American TV. Specifically, we heard it from the mouth of C.J. Cregg, Allison Janney’s White House Press Secretary in The West Wing’s season two The Stackhouse Filibuster.

The episode, coming as it does five episodes before one of Us drama’s most sublime achievements – season two finale Two Cathedrals – is easy to pass over, indeed, it didn’t even make it onto our best-of list. In any other show, an entry so emotionally rousing might have sailed into a top ten, but The West Wing’s seven seasons have an embarrassment of riches and then some.

Written by Aaron Sorkin from a story by Bryan Gordon,...

Freaks and Geeks Episode 3 ‘Tricks and Treats’

Directed by Bryan Gordon

Written by Paul Feig

Aired 10/30/1999 on NBC

It always amazes me how Freaks and Geeks started a series with such strong episodes, only to be ignored by the public and dismissed by NBC. ‘Tricks and Treats’ is a thoroughly impressive hour of television, weaving all these different ideas of maturity and acceptance into the always-ripe-for-comedy holiday story, laying out what’s great and terrible about them when you’re either a child, adult – or like the people at McKinley High, stuck in the awkward place between the two.

For all intents and purposes, Jean Weir is the focus of ‘Tricks and Treats’, detailing both the emotional journey of a parent, and as a good-natured mother living in the early 1980s. Jean’s one of those mothers (like my own was) who gets excited about the prospect of an upcoming holiday,...

Having seen the first couple episodes of this fine new comedy series, the secret ingredient truly is the chemistry of the cast. TBS struck gold when it tapped to star in Wedding Band the talents of Brian Austin Green, Peter Cambor, Harold Perrineau, Derek Miller, Jenny Wade and Melora Hardin. Their layered performances make their characters feel simultaneously hilarious and very real. The show may feature a wedding band, but the genuine musical talent and awesome chemistry that makes this show addictive. Anyone who tunes in will be coming back for more. It is that good – and it is outrageously fun.

Brian Austin Green plays Tommy, the lead singer of the band and is known to be a “bad boy” with a good heart; and Melora Hardin plays Roxie Rutherford, owner of Rutherford Events and reluctant fan of the band. Tommy and Roxie may not agree on much, but they...

TNT and TBS, which staged their Upfront presentation today in New York, are making bold moves to bolster their remarkably strong foundations in original programming. The networks are developing extensive new lineups of scripted and unscripted series and making a new push into half-hour comedy in partnership with some of the top talents in the industry, from award-winning actors to acclaimed producers, writers and best-selling authors.

This year marks the beginning of production of the final season of the blockbuster hit, The Closer, starring Emmy® winner Kyra Sedgwick. TNT confirmed today that it has ordered a 10-episode season of Major Crimes, a series set in the Los Angeles Police Department that promises to become television’s next great crime drama. The seventh and final season of The Closer will include 15 episodes in 2011 and six in summer 2012, leading into the launch of Major Crimes, starring Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica). McDonnell has...

NBC has scheduled midseason comedy The Paul Reiser Show in the Thursday 8:30 Pm slot. The single-camera comedy starring Reiser will premiere Thursday, April 14. It will replace another NBC midseason comedy series, Perfect Couples, which will have aired 11 episodes of its 13-episode order. Where (and if) the remaining two episodes of the ensemble comedy will run is Tbd. This is the first of several midseason series ordered but not scheduled by NBC's previous regime to get slotted under the network's new chief Bob Greenblatt. Still waiting to get a premiere date are anthology comedy Love Bites and comedy Friends with Benefits. Space for comedies on NBC's fall schedule will be tight as the network recently renewed all 4 of its returning comedies: Community, The Office, 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation. The Paul Reiser Show hails from Reiser and Jonathan Shapiro. It stars Reiser as himself enjoying the quiet life at home...

TBS has landed Brian Austin Green and Harold Perrineau to topline the hour-long comedy pilot "The Wedding Band."   Written by Josh Lobis and Darin Moiselle ("South Park"), "The Wedding Band" focuses on a group of friends who escape from life's tensions by performing in a wedding band. [Actually, the TBS description of the show says that the band also plays birthday parties and bar mitzvahs, making the title instantly incorrect.]   The pilot comes to TBS from FremantleMedia and will be executive produced by Tollin Productions. Bryan Gordon ("Curb Your Enthusiasm") will direct.   Although Green will probably always be...

In a slew of casting news coming out on Friday, December 17, Matt Dillon and Brian Austin Green's names have popped out. The former is heading to "Modern Family" as a guest star while the latter is the star of a new TBS pilot "The Wedding Band".

Dillon would play Julie Bowen's character's ex boyfriend. According to EW, Claire's ex has a new galpal and Claire is probably not going to like her because it's Claire's mom, DeDe Pritchett. This means Shelley Long will reprise her role as DeDe. No other details including air date have been announced.

The casting, at the same time, proves that Claire and Phil have in the past dated attractive people before finding each other and getting married. Judy Greer previously dropped by to play Phil's ex Denise.

Meanwhile, Green is going to team up with "Lost" alum Harold Perrineau in the hourlong comedy...

Beverly Hills, 90210 alum Brian Austin Green and Lost's Harold Perrineau will lead the cast of TBS' hourlong comedy pilot The Wedding Band, while, Alex Frnka (Lifetime's Unanswered Prayers) has landed the female lead in MTV's half-hour pilot The Inbetweeners. Peter Cambor (NCIS: Los Angeles) and Derek Miller (Secret Girlfriend) have also been cast in The Wedding Band, from FremantleMedia and Tollin Prods., which follows a group of guys who try to escape the stress and craziness of their lives by performing in a wedding band. The band, which will stop at nothing to make every wedding, birthday or bar mitzvah a concert to remember, is anchored by 2 lifelong best friends – one a perennial bachelor (Green) and the other a married father of two (Cambor). Josh Lobis and Darin Moiselle penned the script and are exec producing. Bryan Gordon will direct and co-exec produce. Green currently recurs on ABC's Desperate Housewives...

"Freaks and Geeks" is now airing on IFC, and we thought we'd take this opportunity to revisit the show that launched a thousand bromance movies. Every week, Matt Singer and Alison Willmore will be offering their thoughts on that night's episode.

Episode 12

"The Garage Door"

Written by Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah & Patty Lin

Directed by Bryan Gordon

"You'll never be friends. Maybe in, like, two years, but you're never really going to be friends again until Nick gets another girlfriend, and then you're just going to want him back, and then this whole thing's going to start over again." -- Kim

Alison: Romantic concerns rule this episode of "Freaks & Geeks," which offers a spectrum of relationships starting, progressing and ending. There's Ken's crush on "tuba girl" Amy (Jessica Campbell, best known as Tammy "Who cares about this stupid election?" Metzler), there's Daniel's new turn-the-other-cheek strategy with Kim and there's Nick...

"Freaks and Geeks" is now airing on IFC, and we thought we'd take this opportunity to revisit the show that launched a thousand bromance movies. Every week, Matt Singer and Alison Willmore will be offering their thoughts on that night's episode.

Episode 3: Tricks and Treats

Directed by Bryan Gordon

Written by Paul Feig

Originally aired October 25, 1999

"Last time I had this much fun, I was pinned down in a foxhole by the North Koreans." --Harold Weir

Alison: We haven't gotten around to discussing Lindsay and Sam's parents before, though they're as regular a feature in the show as either of the Weir siblings' friends. They really come to the forefront in this Halloween-set episode, which is all about figuring out what it means to act your age.

Seeing the Weirs at home goes a long way toward explaining why Lindsay and Sam are at heart such nice kids. Jean...

hollywoodnews.com: The New Fall Schedule Features All-Drama Lineups on Mondays and Wednesdays and All Comedies on Thursdays, Plus Unscripted Programming into Compatible Dramas on Tuesdays and Fridays New Comedies Include “Friends With Benefits,” “Outsourced,” “Perfect Couples, “Love Bites” and “The Paul Reiser Show.”

New Dramas Are “Undercovers,” “The Event,” “Chase,” “Law & Order: Los Angeles,” “Outlaw,” “The Cape” and “Harry’s Law”; And New Alternative Show “School Pride”

NBC announced today its 2010-11 primetime schedule that is highlighted by five new comedies, seven new drama series and one new alternative program, including shows from such innovative hit-makers as J.J. Abrams, Jerry Bruckheimer and David E. Kelley, among others.

The high-quality series include new comedies such as “Outsourced,” Love Bites,” “Perfect Couples,” “Friends With Benefits” and “The Paul Reiser Show.” The new dramas are “The Cape,” “Harry’s Law,” “Outlaw,” “Undercovers,” “The Event,” “Chase” and “Law & Order: Los Angeles.”

The schedule...

The hilarious new series Party Down will be back for a second season. Starz Media will produce another 10 episodes of the series, which comes from creators Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars), Paul Rudd, John Enbom and Dan Etheridge. The single-camera half-hour comedy centers on wannabe Hollywood players making ends meet by working for a catering company. The season one finale is scheduled to air this Friday. Back for season two are stars Ken Marino, Adam Scott (who will now also serve as a producer), Martin Starr, Ryan Hansen and Lizzy Caplan. Jane Lynch is committed to Fox's Glee and so far is not signed on for the next round of Party, but Starz is holding out hope that the actress can return in some capacity. Fred Savage is also back to direct the series, along with Bryan Gordon, and both serve as supervising producers. Marino is also set to helm an episode.

Oscar winner Davis Guggenheim will direct CBS' drama pilot The Tower.

Meanwhile, Timothy Busfield has been tapped to direct CBS' drama pilot Mythological X, which is based on an Israeli format, and Drumline helmer Charles Stone is set to direct another pilot based on an international format, Fox's British comedy import Spaced. Additionally, Bryan Gordon is directing Fox's comedy pilot Outnumbered.

Tower, from CBS Paramount Network TV and Cold Case creator Meredith Stiehm, revolves around a group of Chicago reporters who treat breaking news as cases to solve. Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) will serve as an executive producer alongside Stiehm.

Mythological X, from 20th Century Fox TV and writer Diane Ruggiero, centers on a woman who, after learning from a psychic that she already has dated the man she's supposed to marry, revisits all her past relationships. Actor-director Busfield most recently helmed episodes of NBC's Lipstick Jungle.

Spaced, from Warner Bros., Wonderland, Granada America and writer Adam Barr, revolves around two strangers (one played by Josh Lawson) who pose as a married couple in order to rent an apartment.