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Exclusive: Just For Laughs Montréal on Monday took the wraps off its annual New Faces of Comedy list for 2022, a group of 62 up-and-coming comics that have been selected to participate in Jfl’s showcases later this month.

The New Faces showcases have identified and helped launch many new comics since its creation in 1994, including the likes of Kevin Hart, Mike Birbiglia, Amy Schumer, Jo Koy, Pete Holmes, Kumail Nanjiani, Colin Jost, DeAnne Smith and Taylor Tomlinson among many more. See the full list of this year’s comics below.

This year’s showcases will roll out this week across in multiple events, with New Faces of Comedy hosted by Holmes on Wednesday. Others on the main list of faces will participate in New Faces of Comedy: Creators (hosted by podcasters Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld), New Faces of Comedy: Unrepped (also hosted by Holmes), New Faces of Comedy: Canada (hosted...

The 11th Annual Indie Series Awards nominations in 28 categories were revealed on Wednesday via Twitter. The ISAs celebrate the best in independently produced entertainment created for the Web.

Indoor Boys led all series with 15 total nominations. The show is joined in the Best Comedy Series category by Before We Go, FabUless, F#Cking 40, La règle de (3), The Ninth, Poor Us and Three Year Letterman.

Poz Roz and Studio City earned 12 nominations apiece to lead the dramas. They are joined in the Best Drama Series field by After Forever, The Bay, Bronx Siu, People Like Us, A Place Called Hollywood and Save Me.

In all, there are 33 nominated series from around the globe. Crystal trophies will be presented to the winners during a gala ceremony on April 1 at The Colony Theatre in Burbank, California. The two-day celebration includes a launch party, red carpet reception, press walk, presentation ceremony and official after party.

The winners of the 10th Annual Indie Series Awards were announced in a ceremony on Wednesday, April 3, hosted by Eric Martsolf, Kevin Spirtas and Patrika Darbo, all former hosts who returned. Not announced prior to the ceremony, one by one they took the stage declaring they were the best former host and should, obviously, host the milestone 10th anniversary celebration.

Top honors went to Giants and Indoor Boys, named best drama and best comedy series of the year. Giants won awards in a record-breaking seven categories, including best writing, lead actress (Vanessa Baden Kelly), supporting actress (Tanee McCall), score (Austin Wintory) and original song ("More Love" by Kareem James and Ashly Williams). Indoor Boys took home four ISAs, including best writing (Wesley Taylor and Alex Wyse), guest actress in a comedy (Krysta Rodriguez) and guest actor in a comedy (Michael Kostroff).

Other acting winners included Alex Wyse (Only Children), Lou Diamond Phillips (Conversations in L.

The first round of presenters for the 10th Annual Indie Series Awards was announced earlier today. To help honor the incredible slate of 2019 nominees, 13 stars were added to the list of presenters. Nikki Coble, Anne Marie Cummings, Patrika Darbo, Inessa Frantowski, Adam Henry Garcia, Marem Hassler, Tanee McCall, Joy McElveen, Brian Michael, Kevin Spirtas, Wesley Taylor, Wayne Wilcox and Alex Wyse will be taking the ISAs stage as presenters.

In addition, musical performances from Best Original Song nominees Drew Anthuny, Colin Deane, Justin Leakey and Ashly Williams were also announced.

The producers will continue to announce talent joining the show in the coming weeks.

The 10th Annual Indie Series Awards will be held at The Colony Theatre in Burbank on Wednesday, April 3 at 8 p.m. Pt/11 p.m. Et.

Diminutive (she’s 5ft tall) Rachel Dratch lends her voice to the animated character of Mary in ABC’s new comedy Imaginary Mary. She’ll no doubt sound familiar when you hear her — but do you know where you recognise her from? Rachel was born in 1966 in Lexington, Massachusetts. Her brother, Daniel also works in the media as a writer and producer. Having attended the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Centre in 1986, Rachel went on to graduate from Dartmouth College two years later having majored in drama and psychology. In her early career, Rachel was part of the Second City...read more...

Chicago is a “that guy” kind of town, its very history shaped by political machines and criminal syndicates whose leaders all resembled character actors of one type or another. It’s also home to venerable ensemble theater companies such as Steppenwolf and improv comedy institutions like Second City, which has made it a crucible of talent that’s produced scene stealers on screens big and small. Mind you, Chicago and its suburbs have produced plenty of big stars with local roots—your Harrison Fords, your John Malkoviches, your John Cusacks, your Jennifer Hudsons, your, uh, Jim Belushis. But our metropolis of underdogs has a deep self-identification with the perpetually second- and third-billed, the sort of hometown pride that could make Dennis Farina a bona fide local celebrity and inspire a popular Italian beef joint to plaster pictures of Joe Mantegna on its wall. As part of The A.V. Club...

A friendship can go a long way. And in the case of Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson, it’s brought them to Comedy Central with Detroiters, the buddy comedy about two advertising executives, which is halfway through the run of its first season.

Both from Detroit, Michigan, the two comedians first met when Robinson was Richardson’s improv teacher and quickly bonded, forming the traditions -- like an annual holiday viewing of a Frank Sinatra Christmas special -- that only two best friends can share. They honed their shared sensibility of humor at Second City in Detroit and later, on the mainstage in Chicago, before striking out on their own.

Robinson joined Saturday Night Live as a featured player, later moving to a staff writing position on the long-running sketch comedy series. Meanwhile, Richardson found success in Los Angeles, picking up small roles in We’re the Millers and The Office before landing HBO’s Veep, on which...

Every town must have a place / Where phony hippies meet / Psychedelic dungeons / Popping up on every street • Frank Zappa, “Who Needs The Peace Corps?”

The late Sixties really did live up to its reputation. In my home town of Chicago hippie central was the Lincoln Park neighborhood around the iconic Biograph Theater, where, 34 years earlier, the FBI allegedly shot John Dillinger to death. Today, hippies can’t even afford to drive down Lincoln Avenue.

The area sported many blues and folk bars, giving such local talent as Steve Goodman, John Prine, Hound Dog Taylor and Harvey Mandel a place to strut their stuff. It was Mecca to the storefront theater movement, creating world-renown companies such as the Steppenwolf and the Organic Theater a home for newcomer writers and actors like David Mamet, Joe Mantegna, Laurie Metcalf, John Malkovich, and John Ostrander. A mile down the street was The Second City,...

Tony Rosato, whose credits included “Saturday Night Live” and “Sctv,” died Tuesday of an apparent heart attack, the Hamilton Spectator reports. He was 62. Rosato’s agent, Larry Goldhar, told the Spectator that the actor’s death was “heartbreaking,” adding, “He is truly one of the gentlest people I have ever met. He was such a kind person.” We were deeply saddened to learn today of the passing of Tony Rosato, our beloved friend and colleague. pic.twitter.com/RWP2QNnwPU – Second City Toronto (@SecondCityTO) January 11, 2017 Arrivederci, Tony Rosato. God you were funny. More important…you were gentle, kind and loving.

Before Tina Fey was cracking us up on “SNL,” writing and starring in her own television shows (“30 Rock”) and movies (“Mean Girls”), and topping the best-seller list (“Bossypants”), the Pennsylvania-born actress was a member of Chicago-based improv comedy troupe, The Second City. And like most young actors, she was probably trying to pay the bills. All the love in the world to uber-talented and hilarious Fey, but that’s really the only explanation we can think of for this 1995 commercial for Mutual Savings Bank. Rocking a brocade vest, opaque tights, and a very ‘90s haircut, she endearingly tries to make the best of the script as she walks through all the different meanings for the word “hi,” before segueing into the “high” interest rates at the bank. Seriously. Obviously Fey has gone on to bigger, better, and much funnier things, but take a look for yourself. Looking for your big break?...

Chicago – The raucous party movie has become a reliable staple in movieland, and now a production tackles the holiday soiré, and all that can go wrong. “Office Christmas Party” is co-directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck, who also gave us “Blades of Glory” and “The Switch.”

The story features T.J. Miller and Jennifer Aniston as the brother and sister who has inherited their father’s computer business. Miller runs the Chicago office, which is under performing. Aniston’s character wants to shut the branch down, but Miller thinks an epic holiday party will convince a potential client (Courtney B. Vance) to sign on and save the company, and enlists the aide of officemates portrayed by Jason Bateman, Olivia Munn and Kate McKinnon. The movie is filled with wild and funny takes on celebrating the holiday ritual, and shows off the city of Chicago in all of its winter glory.

Chicago – Local filmmaking has always gotten a boost through director Jack C. Newell. His 2015 film “Open Tables,” shot in Chicago and Paris, will get it’s digital release on Tuesday, December 6th, 2016, on iTunes and Video-On-Demand. This coincides with his art project “The Wabash Lights,” and his continued production work.

“Open Tables” features couples and groups meeting in restaurants, talking about their lives and relationships. Although the centerpiece is food, the meal is the conversation, including a story about a sojourn into Paris – shot in black and white. Newell directed the film in the improvisation style rooted in the Chicago comedy scene, much like his first narrative film, “Close Quarters,” which featured many local improvisation artists. He also takes on the lead role as Ryan, who defines himself through the adventure in Paris. The film explores and provides perspective on the elusiveness of relationships.

Jack C. Newell in a Scene...

Since its founding in 2008, 5th Floor Theatre Company has produced plays and musicals in New York City while equipping its company members with industry support and guidance. Now, the organization is transitioning to nonprofit status with the intent to further provide a foundation for aspiring nonunion theater professionals. “We landed on this idea of wanting to sort of be the Second City of the New York theater scene,” explained Corey Chambliss, 5th Floor Theatre’s co-founder and director of marketing. “We’re excited to have discovered our voice, so to speak, as a nonprofit, and that’s come from working with aspiring professionals to really zero in on what the need is for nonunion theater artists.” Founded by Chambliss along with four other performers all working traditional desk jobs, 5th Floor was initially determined to provide a space for “9-to-5ers” in need of a legitimate performance outlet. It became clear,...

Everybody seems to enjoy a good horror-comedy like Shaun Of The Dead or even some bits of Cabin In The Woods, but the major studios don’t usually acknowledge the fact that an ostensibly scary movie can also be fun and funny. Thankfully, a pair of Chicago-based filmmakers calling themselves Cartridge Thunder are very aware of this, and they’re going to fill the horror-comedy hole in our lives with a film called Journey To Burger Town. With a cast made up of improv alums from Second City and iO, the film is an ‘80s-inspired riff on classic movie monsters and Cartridge Thunder has turned to Kickstarter to get it made.

They’re looking to raise $100,000 before November 26, and rather than a traditional pitch video, the Kickstarter page features a proof-of-concept scene with a werewolf battle and a bunch of well-deployed ‘80s nods. Plus, to add to ...

More trouble for ex-nfl superstar Greg Hardy -- who allegedly blew off car payments for his Ferrari and his Bentley ... and now he's being sued for more than $200,000!  According to the lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports, Hardy leased a white 2013 Bentley Gt Speed (reportedly valued around $240k) back in 2014 from Second City Leasing.  A year later, he leased a white 2012 Ferrari California (reportedly valued around $200k) from the same company.  Problem is, Second City Leasing...

Five of Robin Williams’ friends and colleagues celebrated the opening of the SAG-aftra Foundation’s Robin Williams Center for Entertainment and Media in New York on Wednesday by remembering the life and and work of Williams. In honor of his more than 40-year career that included more than 100 performances in TV and film, the SAG-aftra Foundation dedicated its new 154-seat screening room to the memory and legacy of Williams.

Watch: Bobcat Goldthwait Opens Up About Directing His Best Friend Robin Williams in ‘Larry King Now’ Clip

On hand for the event were Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Hank Azaria, Bonnie Hunt and director Barry Levinson, who directed Williams in three films: “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Toys” and “Man of the Year.” Each member of the panel spoke at length, remembering Williams and sharing insights into his personality. “He was not a sports guy,” Crystal said. “I would ask him who he rooted for,...

Chicago – When a 13 year old African American teenager is suddenly put into the atmosphere of Germany – specifically Old Heidelberg – then a whole new adventure awaits for “Morris from America.” Craig Robinson (“The Office”) portrays the title character’s father, and the film is directed by Chad Hartigan.

Hartigan is doing his third feature film, after the recent “This is Martin Bonner” (2013). “Morris from America” is slightly autobiographical, as his Irish father and American mother were missionaries, and he had problems fitting in wherever they moved (see story below). The film was shot on location in Old Heidelberg, and was financed in part through Germany.

Craig Robinson Portrays Curtis in ‘Morris from America’

Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

Craig Robinson is familiar to fans of the TV series “The Office,” in his portrayal of Darryl. He was born in Chicago, and graduated from Illinois State University.

For years, an improve group called The Commune have been the stars of their small New York improv theater. The members of the group, Mile (Mike Birbiglia), Samantha (Gillian Jacobs), Jack (Keegan-Michael Key), Allison (Kate Micucci), Bill (Chris Gethard), and Lindsay (Tami Sagher) entertain audiences night after night by performing as a finely-tuned troop. But, by day, they have to support themselves by working soul-crushing menial jobs.

Then, after they learn that their beloved theater is closing down and a hit comedy television show, ala Saturday Night Live, is looking for talent, the group dynamic begins to fracture and it may be time for the group to stop dreaming and get on with their lives.

Such is the premise of writer/director/star Mike Birbiglia’s new film Don’t Think Twice. While Birbiglia’s first film, Sleepwalk with Me (2012), was based on his work as a stand-up comedian, his...

From the very first sketch — in which two African-American men on their phones began to conversationally code-switch when they get in proximity to each other — you could tell Key & Peele was not your typical sketch show. Maybe you recognized Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele from their Mad TV days, or knew the latter from his Children's Hospital appearances; maybe you simply thought, it's a new Comedy Central series, let's check it out. But by the time the show concluded its five-season run of ridiculous college-football player names, Presidential anger-translations, weepy gangsters,...

Chicago – When comedian/writer/director Mike Birbiglia is in his element, as during the interviews he conducted at The iO Theater in Chicago, he is relaxed and ardently philosophical. He has written and directed a new film, “Don’t Think Twice,” which is about a improvisation comedy troupe, but it’s also about life.

“Don’t Think Twice” – besides being a clever play on the famous Bob Dylan song title – is essentially about the stages of life, and how we react to our own ambitions. The members of the comedy troupe – portrayed by (clockwise in the picture below, starting top left) Mike Birbiglia, Kate Miccuci, Chris Gethard, Gillian Jacobs, Keegan-Michael Key and Tami Sagner – are at a crossroads in their professional and personal lives, and have to deal with the sudden uptick of fame to one of their members. As Birbiglia did with his first feature, ‘Sleepwalk with Me,’ he...

On stages at Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade, iO, and more, writers and performers hone the art of comedy improv, chasing funny ideas into the unknown with the hope of arriving somewhere worthwhile. For some the goal is to create their own improv group; for others, the form is just the road to movies and […]

The post Mike Birbiglia’s ‘Don’t Think Twice’ Is A Sharp, Funny Look At Friendship, Ego & Sacrifice [Review] appeared first on The Playlist.

Near the very end of the new Ghostbusters' closing credits, my boyfriend called my attention to one name as it scrolled by: Ryan E. Kemp, credited as “Gb Superfan.” “Who is that?” I wondered aloud. So I Googled him. Here’s what I found: Ryan E. Kemp was indeed a Ghostbusters superfan (a.k.a. “Ghosthead”), serving as the founding member of a group called the Western Kentucky Ghostbusters. After being killed in a car accident last October, Brock Parker, a member of the Alabama Ghostbusters group, approached Ghostbusters 2016 director Paul Feig at a Los Angeles screening and asked if he would memorialize Kemp with a credit (a campaign for the same purpose had previously picked up steam on Twitter). Luckily, Feig remembered meeting Kemp at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo and gladly agreed to do what he could. From Al.com: "Feig told me in March that...

Top 5 Will Ferrell movies just in time for his birthdayTop 5 Will Ferrell movies just in time for his birthdayAmanda Wood7/16/2016 10:00:00 Am

There is no shortage of funny actors in Hollywood, with people making the leap from places like Saturday Night Live and Second City to the big screen on an almost daily basis.

However, there is nobody quite like Will Ferrell in the business. Going from the funniest guy on SNL to the funniest guy on the big screen isn’t always an easy transition, but Ferrell has proven that his skills are suitable for more than just sketch comedy. Don’t get us wrong, we loved him on SNL, but we’re thankful we get to experience longer-form Ferrell as well.

Today, Will Ferrell turns 49 years old. We’re not sure how he’ll be celebrating, but we hope it involves a huge party reminiscent of Old School,...

First, the good: “Ghostbusters,” the all-female reboot of a generation-defining hit that starred a bunch of guys, plays like the first movie mandated by the Bechdel test. And as far as that goes, it works as an explicitly feminist reworking of the popular franchise. Paul Feig’s goofy blockbuster about four New Yorkers who save the city from supernatural threats thrives on the first-rate chemistry of Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones.

Unfortunately, this quartet provides the hilarious center to a movie that otherwise has none — or, for that matter, much purpose beyond showcasing their charisma. Despite the misogynistic backlash suffered during the film’s promotion, the problems with “Ghostbusters” have nothing to do with its cast. Its undoing stems from the same issues that plague so many overproduced, market-tested products that masquerade as movies: For all the value that may be contained in an intellectual property,...

One of the interesting facets of talking about writing is the contradictions you find in the craft. For example: All your characters are you. All your characters are not you.

All of your characters are you.

Every character you write must have some of you in it. All of them. Not just the ones you like to identify with. All of them. The large and the small, the good and the bad, male and female, no matter what age, race, or nationality. If you’re going to write honestly about the character, you must be in the mix.

This can get uncomfortable. Once, when I was writing a white supremacist in an early issue of Suicide Squad, I had to look into myself and ask, “What in me is like this man?” Look, I’m an aging white guy; there’s going to be something there. No matter how much...

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on hiatus means more date nights for Tina Fey and husband Jeff Richmond.

The couple, who have been married for 15 years, enjoyed a night out together at the opening of Tuck Everlasting on Broadway Tuesday.

Fey, 45, dressed in a not-so-basic black dress that was adorned with floral-shaped jewels along the front of her sleeveless Lbd. 55-year-old Richmond, who is co-creating the Mean Girls musical with his wife, looked dapper in a black pin stripe suit, pink dress shirt and red tie.

Broadway may have been more glamorous than usual for the married couple.

The 30 Rock creator and...

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on hiatus means more date nights for Tina Fey and husband Jeff Richmond. The couple, who have been married for 15 years, enjoyed a night out together at the opening of Tuck Everlasting on Broadway Tuesday. Fey, 45, dressed in a not-so-basic black dress that was adorned with floral-shaped jewels along the front of her sleeveless Lbd. 55-year-old Richmond, who is co-creating the Mean Girls musical with his wife, looked dapper in a black pin stripe suit, pink dress shirt and red tie. Broadway may have been more glamorous than usual for the married couple. The 30 Rock creator and...

The Second City is celebrating diversity with its upcoming weekend of events April 30–May 2 in Toronto. The improvisational comedy troupe is hosting the diversity event filled with performances, workshops, and training opportunities for fresh talent. Dionna Griffin-Irons, director of diversity and outreach, and the 2015 Bob Curry Fellows, will appear for a meet and greet on Saturday, April 30. Griffin-Irons and the fellows will speak about the Bob Curry Fellowship Program and other opportunities available through Second City. The Bob Curry Fellowship invites up to 16 performing individuals from a multicultural background for training at Second City’s locations in Chicago and Toronto. Second City’s DiverCity Show follows the meet and greet. The monthly showcase is a platform for stand-ups, storytellers, and sketch performers to try new and inventive material. The show will feature diverse performances from area sketch teams including the Bob Curry Fellows, The Impoverables, Fomosapiens, Fusion, Shaggy, and Asiansploitation.

Chicago – One of the most exciting days for any filmmaker is the World Premiere of their first feature film. Alonzo Alcaraz will be experiencing that excitement at the 2016 Chicago Latino Film Festival as the the World Premiere of “One Night Stand” is screened on Friday evening, April 15th. For details, click here.

Alcaraz is a self taught filmmaker who evolved through the improvisation and sketch comedy scene in Chicago. He trained at The Second City, and joined the “Salsation” Theater Company, where he first wrote comedy for the stage. His first dip into the filmmaking pool came with the “48 Hour Film Festival,” where he wrote his first film project. In 2014, his short film “Albert” won the Audience Choice Award at the Chicago Latino Film Festival. He began “One Night Stand” a year and a half ago, and it was completed in time to premiere at the festival.

Yunuen Pardo and...

Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman

Happy 9oth Birthday to a legend! Roger Corman has directed more than 50 low-budget drive-in classics, produced and/or distributed 450 more, and helped the careers of hundreds of young people breaking into the industry. A partial list: Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Irvin Kershner, Monte Hellman, Peter Bogdanovich, Gail Ann Hurd, James Cameron, Jonathan Kaplan, Joe Dante, Robert Towne. Considering Corman’s own films, Jonathan Demme has stated. “Roger is arguably the greatest independent filmmaker the American film industry has seen and probably ever will see.” And he’s still going strong, currently producing the upcoming actioner Death Race 2050. We Are Movie Geeks has taken a look at Corman’s career and here are what we think are the ten best films that he has directed:

Honorable Mention. The Premature Burial

The Premature Burial (1962) is the ‘odd man out’ among the...

Chicago – The second biggest release of the 2016 Easter Weekend is “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.” The sequel to the 2002 mega-hit, the film rolls out the same weekend as a certain “Bats v Supes,” but is a bit quieter – and more Greek – than its weekend neighbors. In anticipation of the new “Wedding,” HollywoodChicago.com reruns a couple interviews from featured stars Nia Vardalos and Lainie Kazan.

Nia Vardalos, Actress & Screenwriter, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2”

The Nia Vardalos story began with the first “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” (2002). She was doing a one woman show version of the story, when Rita Wilson – wife of Tom Hanks, and a Greek actress herself – came backstage and told Vardalos that it would make a great film. With that, Vardalos gave Wilson the already completed screenplay, and the rest is film history. Since then, Nia Vardalos has written and starred in several films,...

On stages at Second City, Upright Citizens Brigade, iO, and more, writers and performers hone the art of comedy improv, chasing funny ideas into the unknown with the hope of arriving somewhere worthwhile. For some the goal is to create their own improv group; for others, the form is just the road to movies and TV. However, failure is also a very real outcome, and it’s a reality superbly captured in comedian Mike Birbiglia's sophomore directorial effort, “Don’t Think Twice.” Following six New York performers on the cusp of breaking out, played by Birbiglia, Gillian Jacobs, Chris Getherd, Tami Sagher, Kate Micucci, and Keegan-Michael Key, it fashions an entertaining, thoughtful portrait of friends in crisis when success is near. Read More: 2016 SXSW Film Festival: 12 Films & TV Highlights To Look Out For The film progresses the narrative and technical aims Birbiglia targeted with his first, “Sleepwalk With Me,...

Tina Fey had the support of her other half, Jeff Richmond, at the world premiere of her new movie, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, in NYC on Tuesday. Tina, who stunned in a red dress, smiled sweetly as she posed for photos with her husband of nearly 15 years on the red carpet. The comedy power couple first met in 1994, when they were both members of Chicago's Second City improv group, and tied the knot in 2001. Jeff even composed music for shows like Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, on which Tina acted. They currently have two daughters together, 4-year-old Penelope Athena and 10-year-old Alice Zenobia. Keep reading to see more of Tina and Jeff's night out, and then check out even more long-term celebrity couples.

The Second City is paying tribute to the late Harold Ramis by naming a film school after him: The Chicago comedy institution announced Tuesday it will launch the Harold Ramis Film School, which it says is the only educational institution of its kind devoted to comedy. The one-year program will be devoted to teaching Second City's philosophy of improvisation in a filmmaking context. At this early date, the school will not be formally accredited; Second City hopes students' portfolio of coursework and the school's networking opportunities will jump-start their entry into the creative field as much as or more than a formal degree would. Tuition is expected to run around $15,000, with scholarships available. The Harold Ramis Film School is not expected to be affiliated with any Greek organizations, and any that arise will be swiftly put on double-secret probation.

She's currently known for playing Eva Longoria's rival on NBC's Telenovela, but Alex Meneses has a long - and varied - history in the entertainment industry. "When I was 12, I started working at the dance studio I'd been taking classes at since I was 3," the actress, 50, tells People of growing up in Chicago "always" having a job.After graduating high school, Meneses says she made use of her lifelong love of makeup by becoming a makeup artist to pay for her classes at Chicago's comedy and improv studio The Second City. "I was actually starting to work with a...

She's currently known for playing Eva Longoria's rival on NBC's Telenovela, but Alex Meneses has a long – and varied – history in the entertainment industry.

"When I was 12, I started working at the dance studio I'd been taking classes at since I was 3," the actress, 50, tells People of growing up in Chicago "always" having a job.

After graduating high school, Meneses says she made use of her lifelong love of makeup by becoming a makeup artist to pay for her classes at Chicago's comedy and improv studio The Second City.

"I was actually starting to work with a lot of...

By Scott Feinberg

The Hollywood Reporter

“It’s funny,” says Adam McKay — the Oscar-nominated co-writer and director of The Big Short who heretofore was known for the raunchy comedies he made with Will Ferrell, such as Anchorman and Talladega Nights — as we sit down in his guest house to record an episode of the ‘Awards Chatter’ podcast. “The whole time we were making the movie I never thought of it as, ‘I’m doing something different.’ You just chase the movie, is kind of all you do. But there’s no question we’re thrilled with the reaction it’s getting.”

(You can click above to listen to this episode or click here to access all of our episodes via iTunes. Past guests include Lady Gaga, Will Smith, Amy Schumer, Samuel L. Jackson, Kristen Stewart, J.J. Abrams, Brie Larson, Ridley Scott, Kate Winslet, Ian McKellen, Sarah Silverman, Michael Moore, Olivia Wilde,...

Since 1959, the city of Chicago has seen some of the world's greatest comedic forces born and bred at The Second City sketch comedy improvisation workshop. Talent as varied as Joan Rivers to Dan Castellaneta have risen from their ranks, with many of its most famous alums forming the backbone of the new age of edgy humor propelled to the mainstream by the likes of Saturday Night Live. And then there are the movies...Under the guise of the ever expanding ArcLight Presents series ArcLight Chicago is teaming up with The Second City to bring to windy city moviegoers a selection of classic comedies made by its members. Keeping in line with Seconds, each screening will take place on the second Wednesday of each month.The series...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Read: 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' Week 1 Review: Can He Be America's 'New Liver'? The Academy Award nominees were finally announced yesterday to much fervor and excitement, with a grand total of eight nominees coming in for the Best Picture category. "I know you're busy people who don't have time to see all eight movies," admitted Colbert, leading the Second City alum to so generously (and hilariously) summarize the synopsis of each lauded film in a two-minute clip on last night's "The Late Show." Colbert proclaimed he would be playing all the parts, which he defended by jokingly noting that all the acting nominees were white (which has happened for a second year in a row now). As The Late Show host kicked off the impressions, starting with "The Revenant" before moving onto others like "The Martian" and "Brooklyn," the improv master couldn't help at chuckle...

The documentary about the late comedy star and member of SNL and Chicago’s Second City Theatre troupe features Christina Applegate, Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Molly Shannon and David Spade.

Brent Hodge and Derik Murray directed I Am Chris Farley and Virgil plans to release in key markets in the latter stages of summer.

The film will debut on Spike network on August 10 followed by VOD platforms.

Virgil Films CEO and president Joe Amodei brokered the deal with Network Entertainment founder and CEO Derik Murray.

Anna Meara, an actress and comedian whose career spanned 61 years — as long as her marriage to husband and comedy partner Jerry Stiller — died on Saturday of undisclosed causes. She was 85.

As part of the Stiller & Meara comedy team, Meara appeared on such variety series as The Ed Sullivan Show. She and Stiller, among the first graduates of the Second City comedy troupe, also partnered in appearances on Rhoda, for the eponymous The Stiller and Meara Show, and on King of Queens (where Stiller was a regular).

Meara’s myriad solo credits include the short-lived 1975 CBS legal drama Kate McShane (Emmy-nominated...

Anne Meara, a four-time Emmy nominee who made up half of the '60s comedy duo Stiller and Meara, died on Saturday (May 23) at the age of 85. Born in Brooklyn in 1929, Meara married Jerry Stiller in 1954 and they performed together as part of The Compass Players, the Chicago-based improvisational comedy company that would evolve into The Second City.  As Stiller and Meara, the couple turned details from their own relationship into a wildly successful comedy pairing that made them variety show, late night and game show favorites through the '60s and '70s. More than a few of their bits related to his Jewishness and her Irish Catholic upbringing, though she converted to Judaism in 1960. While Meara's 1975 CBS drama "Kate McShane" was short-lived, it earned her the first of her Emmy nominations, followed by nods for "Archie Bunker's Place" and a guest spot on "Homicide: Life on the Street.

Ben Stiller’s mother, the legendary actress and comedian Anne Meara has died. She was 85.Meara, an Irish-American Catholic girl, was married to Jerry Stiller in 1954. She converted to Judaism after they wed. The two were in the nascent Second City improv group called The Compass Players, and professionally were known as the comedy team Stiller and Meara. Stiller and Meara as a team were regular bookings on Johnny Carson and The Ed Sullivan Show and other TV programs.During the 1970s, Meara and Stiller wrote and performed several commercials together for Windex and Blue Nun Wine. She had a recurring […]...

Although best known to audiences as the wife of Jerry Stiller and mother of Ben, Anne Meara was an accomplished actor, writer and comedian. She died on Saturday at the age of 85. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Meara got her performing start in summer stock before breaking into television with The Philco Television Playhouse and short-lived soap The Greatest Gift in 1954. She met Jerry Stiller at an audition and they married in 1954, but though their personal and professional lives have long since become intertwined, they didn’t kick off their joint career until 1959, touring with a comic revue. Playing the club circuit got them noticed by talk show host Ed Sullivan, who had them on his show many times. Their brand of affectionate comedy mined their marriage for truthful laughs and poignant stories.As a couple, they were also members of the improv company The Compass players, a precursor to The Second City,...

One of many unexpectedly commercial movies--with a sequel opening May 15-- is 'Pitch Perfect," which came flying out of the head of musical-loving actress-turned-writer Kay Cannon. She lives in the Valley with her husband, surrounded by baby paraphernalia, and is having a blast juggling movies and TV gigs. She turned to writing, as many performers do, when her acting career wasn't taking off. The Second City improv star was discovered and mentored by Tina Fey on "30 Rock" when she was married to her first husband, "30 Rock" alumnus Jason Sudeikis. She became a co-producer on "30 Rock" as well as the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler screen comedy "Baby Mama."  When Universal, director-turned-producer Jason Moore and actress-director Elizabeth Banks came to Cannon to pen a "Pitch Perfect" sequel, she jumped at the chance, even though it meant scaling a pretty high bar. ("Pitch Perfect" grossed $115 million worldwide and scored...

Miss Stephen Colbert? Thanks to the folks at Splitsider and the Second City Network, you can quench your thirst with this throwback clip of him, Paul Dinello, and Amy Sedaris playing an amazing tumbling trio — aptly named the Tumbleweeds. The clip comes from 1992, during Sedaris's final show at Second City Northwest. They do this thing called "One More Leap for the Road"; it's actually a few leaps, and it's all pretty incredible. (Colbert kind of defies gravity a couple of times.)...

Chicago – As the Chicago Critics Film Festival (Ccff) – a film festival as programmed by the members of the Chicago Film Critics Association – heads into its last four nights, the variety and depth of the films that are being screened continues to astound and entertain. It all takes place at the Music Box Theatre in Chicago, May 4 through 7, 2015.

HollywoodChicago.com contributors Nick Allen and Patrick McDonald have been sampling the best of the festival, and offer this preview of the final four nights of films. Each capsule is designated with Na (Nick Allen) or Pm (Patrick McDonald) – to indicate the author – or encapsulates the official synopsis from the festival.

’Quitters’ Screens on Monday, May 4th, at the Chicago Critics Film Festival

Photo credit: Chicago Critics Film Festival

The Ccff Closing Night films are the 2015 Sundance hits “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” and “The Overnight,” screening on Thursday, May 7th,...