Tobias Menzies has become one of our most reliably excellent actors of late. Classically trained, he had an extensive theatre career in his native England during the noughties and early 2010s before he rose to prominence with roles in “Game of Thrones” and “Outlander.”
Menzies’ profile then increased further thanks to his lauded portrayal of Prince Phillip in “The Crown” and his stock has again risen thanks to his role as another major historical figure in Apple TV’s “Manhunt.” The acclaimed limited series follows the death of President Abraham Lincoln (played by Hamish Linklater) and the subsequent 12-day manhunt for assassin John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle).
Menzies stars as Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of State and personal friend of Lincoln who headed up the hunt for Booth. Menzies proves himself capable of carrying this compelling show entirely on his own. His complex, gruff portrayal of Stanton is what makes the series soar,...
Menzies’ profile then increased further thanks to his lauded portrayal of Prince Phillip in “The Crown” and his stock has again risen thanks to his role as another major historical figure in Apple TV’s “Manhunt.” The acclaimed limited series follows the death of President Abraham Lincoln (played by Hamish Linklater) and the subsequent 12-day manhunt for assassin John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle).
Menzies stars as Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of State and personal friend of Lincoln who headed up the hunt for Booth. Menzies proves himself capable of carrying this compelling show entirely on his own. His complex, gruff portrayal of Stanton is what makes the series soar,...
- 4/23/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Laurence Fishburne, known for films like The Matrix and Apocalypse Now, reveals a touching, raw and emotional side to him in his one-man stage show, Like They Do in the Movies. The show, written by Fishburne and directed by Leonard Foglia, opened on March 21 at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in New York City.
Fishburne opens up about his acting career, spearheaded by his mother when he was a child. Hattie Fishburne saw talent in her son at a young age and pushed him into the performing arts. In contrast to usual well-known tough and authoritative roles, Fishburne’s performance in Like They Do in the Movies is soft and intimate as he narrates his life to the audience. Though, that doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful.
As a solo performer, Fishburne embodies each person/character that impacted his life and career, such as a Hurricane Katrina survivor, a homeless man and more.
Fishburne opens up about his acting career, spearheaded by his mother when he was a child. Hattie Fishburne saw talent in her son at a young age and pushed him into the performing arts. In contrast to usual well-known tough and authoritative roles, Fishburne’s performance in Like They Do in the Movies is soft and intimate as he narrates his life to the audience. Though, that doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful.
As a solo performer, Fishburne embodies each person/character that impacted his life and career, such as a Hurricane Katrina survivor, a homeless man and more.
- 3/23/2024
- by Ann Hoang
- Uinterview
Norman Lear, who recently passed away at the age of 101, transformed the network television sitcom in the 1970s by confronting America's cultural contentiousness head-on and daring viewers to laugh at a bigot like Archie Bunker on "All in the Family" or the white-folks-hating George Jefferson on "The Jeffersons." People were more than ready to accept this challenge. "All in the Family" was the top-rated show on television for six of its nine seasons, while "The Jeffersons" ranked in the top 10 for four of its remarkable 11 seasons. Along with "Good Times," "Sanford and Son," "Maude," "One Day at a Time" and "Diff'rent Strokes," Lear basically dominated the decade. It was a creative hot streak that's never been matched and one that Lear could never replicate.
After the 1978 premiere of "Diff'rent Strokes," Lear went ice cold. "The Baxters" and "Palmerstown, USA" only hung around for two seasons, while "Hanging In" and "aka...
After the 1978 premiere of "Diff'rent Strokes," Lear went ice cold. "The Baxters" and "Palmerstown, USA" only hung around for two seasons, while "Hanging In" and "aka...
- 12/24/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Dawn Porter looks for stories of people who made history without asking. By following congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis in John Lewis: Good Trouble, or President Obama’s White House photographer Pete Souza in The Way I See It, she says she hopes to shade in between the lines of history.
In her most recent project, Hulu’s The Lady Bird Diaries, she fixates on Lady Bird Johnson’s life, relying largely on archival audio recordings that were released following the former first lady’s death in 2007. In...
In her most recent project, Hulu’s The Lady Bird Diaries, she fixates on Lady Bird Johnson’s life, relying largely on archival audio recordings that were released following the former first lady’s death in 2007. In...
- 12/16/2023
- by Kalia Richardson
- Rollingstone.com
Mario Van Peebles has set his latest film “The Price for Freedom,” which tells the story of civil rights pioneers and NAACP organizers Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore, who were instrumental in advancing the cause for Black voters in Florida.
The Moores’ story is described as “equal parts civil rights history and a personal tale of love, commitment and family,” as it chronicles the activists’ fight for voting rights and the equalization of pay for Black teachers in Florida, as well as their battle against racial violence and lynching.
After opening 64 chapters of the NAACP in the state and registering hundreds of thousands of Black voters, the Moores were murdered on Dec. 25, 1951, when a bomb exploded directly under their bedroom at their home on the outskirts of Mims, Fla.
“It was their attempted defense alongside the young Thurgood Marshall (destined to become the first Black Supreme Court justice) of the ‘Groveland Four,...
The Moores’ story is described as “equal parts civil rights history and a personal tale of love, commitment and family,” as it chronicles the activists’ fight for voting rights and the equalization of pay for Black teachers in Florida, as well as their battle against racial violence and lynching.
After opening 64 chapters of the NAACP in the state and registering hundreds of thousands of Black voters, the Moores were murdered on Dec. 25, 1951, when a bomb exploded directly under their bedroom at their home on the outskirts of Mims, Fla.
“It was their attempted defense alongside the young Thurgood Marshall (destined to become the first Black Supreme Court justice) of the ‘Groveland Four,...
- 11/30/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Prime Video has announced that Christmas movie “Candy Cane Lane,” starring Eddie Murphy and Tracee Ellis Ross, will be released exclusively on the streaming platform on Dec. 1.
Directed by Reginald Hudlin, “Candy Cane Lane” follows Murphy as Chris, a man who is determined to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After unintentionally striking a deal with an elf (Jillian Bell) to improve his odds of winning, she casts a spell bringing to life the 12 Days of Christmas, and chaos ensues for the whole town. Chris must then work to save Christmas for his family and community, an endeavor that entails battling magical creatures. The screenplay is written by Kelly Younger and inspired by his childhood experiences on Candy Cane Lane in El Segundo.
Ross stars as Chris’s wife, Carol. The movie also stars Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton,...
Directed by Reginald Hudlin, “Candy Cane Lane” follows Murphy as Chris, a man who is determined to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After unintentionally striking a deal with an elf (Jillian Bell) to improve his odds of winning, she casts a spell bringing to life the 12 Days of Christmas, and chaos ensues for the whole town. Chris must then work to save Christmas for his family and community, an endeavor that entails battling magical creatures. The screenplay is written by Kelly Younger and inspired by his childhood experiences on Candy Cane Lane in El Segundo.
Ross stars as Chris’s wife, Carol. The movie also stars Thaddeus J. Mixson, Ken Marino, Nick Offerman, Robin Thede, Chris Redd, Genneya Walton,...
- 9/5/2023
- by Jaden Thompson
- Variety Film + TV
In the three decades since School Daze and the equally influential TV series A Different World were released, HBCUs, or historically Black colleges and universities, have seen a resurgence of much-needed attention. In 2019, Beyoncé’s Homecoming docufilm celebrated Black marching band and dance team culture, a pinnacle of any Hbcu football game. The 2021 inauguration of Vice President Kamala Harris put her undergraduate university Howard in the national spotlight; that same year, the Washington institution would rename its College of Fine Arts in honor of the late Chadwick Boseman, who graduated there in 2000, with Phylicia Rashad as dean.
For Hbcu alums working in Hollywood, there’s a connective thread of deep pride for their educational foundations. THR spoke with nearly 30 executives, producers, directors, actors and writers who collectively acknowledged how their collegiate experience best prepared them for the multifaceted demands of careers in entertainment. While some have built formal alumni networks...
For Hbcu alums working in Hollywood, there’s a connective thread of deep pride for their educational foundations. THR spoke with nearly 30 executives, producers, directors, actors and writers who collectively acknowledged how their collegiate experience best prepared them for the multifaceted demands of careers in entertainment. While some have built formal alumni networks...
- 5/30/2023
- by Cori Murray
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 123 hours of audiotapes that Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson recorded during her husband’s wholly unexpected tenure in the White House capture five of the most fraught and productive years of the American presidency from a front-row vantage point. Her observations, some held sealed until as late as 2017, were a core resource for Julia Sweig’s biography Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight. Based on that book and Sweig’s subsequent podcast, Dawn Porter’s sympathetic and involving documentary furthers the argument that Lady Bird made the most of a vaguely defined role, embarking on advocacy projects that were ahead of their time while providing crucial support and counsel to Lbj.
A director who has explored the American political landscape in stand-alone docs (Gideon’s Army, John Lewis: Good Trouble) and series (Bobby Kennedy for President), Porter casts a fresh light on a well-trod period of recent history. Beyond the first lady’s recordings,...
A director who has explored the American political landscape in stand-alone docs (Gideon’s Army, John Lewis: Good Trouble) and series (Bobby Kennedy for President), Porter casts a fresh light on a well-trod period of recent history. Beyond the first lady’s recordings,...
- 3/11/2023
- by Sheri Linden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Don't worry, "Black Panther" fans. The long-awaited Marvel sequel, "Wakanda Forever," may mourn the loss of King T'Challa (played by the late Chadwick Boseman), but the film still finds a way to honor him with a proper sendoff.
Following Boseman's death on Aug. 28, 2020 - the actor died at age 43 after a battle with colon cancer - fans had mixed feelings about his role getting recast in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." However, during Disney's Investor Day event in December of that year, Marvel confirmed Boseman would not be replaced with another actor.
"You will not see T'Challa in the [Marvel Cinematic Universe] 616 universe. We couldn't do it."
"Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives professionally and personally," said Marvel President Kevin Feige, per Deadline. "His portrayal of T'Challa the Black Panther is iconic and transcends iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel's past.
Following Boseman's death on Aug. 28, 2020 - the actor died at age 43 after a battle with colon cancer - fans had mixed feelings about his role getting recast in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." However, during Disney's Investor Day event in December of that year, Marvel confirmed Boseman would not be replaced with another actor.
"You will not see T'Challa in the [Marvel Cinematic Universe] 616 universe. We couldn't do it."
"Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives professionally and personally," said Marvel President Kevin Feige, per Deadline. "His portrayal of T'Challa the Black Panther is iconic and transcends iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel's past.
- 11/12/2022
- by Karenna Meredith
- Popsugar.com
Even in a year when movie theaters closed down in response to the pandemic, Chadwick Boseman's death was one of the most shocking film industry stories of 2020.
The celebrated actor passed away from colon cancer on August 28, 2020, having kept his illness private since being diagnosed in 2016. Over the last four years of his life, Boseman starred in films where he played both major Black historical figures (Thurgood Marshall in "Marshall") and trail-blazing Black superheroes (T'Challa in "Black Panther"). He also took home critical acclaim for his role in "Da 5 Bloods" and received an Oscar nod for his lead turn in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." All four of the movies listed here were helmed by Black directors and feature casts composed heavily, if not primarily, of Black actors.
In other words, the question of what to do about the intended "Black Panther" sequel, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," was not to be taken lightly.
The celebrated actor passed away from colon cancer on August 28, 2020, having kept his illness private since being diagnosed in 2016. Over the last four years of his life, Boseman starred in films where he played both major Black historical figures (Thurgood Marshall in "Marshall") and trail-blazing Black superheroes (T'Challa in "Black Panther"). He also took home critical acclaim for his role in "Da 5 Bloods" and received an Oscar nod for his lead turn in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom." All four of the movies listed here were helmed by Black directors and feature casts composed heavily, if not primarily, of Black actors.
In other words, the question of what to do about the intended "Black Panther" sequel, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," was not to be taken lightly.
- 11/9/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, a generational talent hitting just the prime of what should have been a decades-long, award-filled acting career, in the summer of 2020 came as a devastating blow to many, especially during a year filled with so much loss and grief due to the then ongoing global pandemic. In a far too short, brilliant career, Boseman specialized in multi-layered depictions of mythic or near-mythic Americans, from Jackie Robinson (42), the first Black man to play in the major leaguers, to James Brown (Get On Up), the funk pioneer and singer-performer, to Thurgood Marshall (Marshall), the ground-breaking NAACP attorney and future Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Each major role demanded a different skill set, some more physical than others,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 11/9/2022
- Screen Anarchy
The animated series “Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum” shares the misadventures of Xavier Riddle and his two best friends. The PBS Kids’ show follows the trio as they tackle the everyday problems that children tend to face by traveling back in time to learn from real-life icons and inspirational people.
The show, which is based on the “Ordinary People Change the World” book series by author Brad Meltzer, has been popular among children five to eight years old since it first aired in 2019.
This story will walk you through everything you need to know about the show and its key characters.
Who Are the Main Characters of “Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum?”
Let’s meet the show’s main characters:
Xavier Riddle:
Voiced by Aidan Vissers, Xavier is the show’s namesake and the leader of his friend group, which includes his younger sister, Yadina, and their friend Brad.
The show, which is based on the “Ordinary People Change the World” book series by author Brad Meltzer, has been popular among children five to eight years old since it first aired in 2019.
This story will walk you through everything you need to know about the show and its key characters.
Who Are the Main Characters of “Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum?”
Let’s meet the show’s main characters:
Xavier Riddle:
Voiced by Aidan Vissers, Xavier is the show’s namesake and the leader of his friend group, which includes his younger sister, Yadina, and their friend Brad.
- 8/2/2022
- by Buddy TV
- buddytv.com
Continuing its strong ties to the entertainment industry, Howard University will be the host of the new “Disney Storytellers Fund,” which will “create opportunities for historically underrepresented students to have future careers as storytellers and innovators in media and entertainment,” according to a joint release.
The new fund was announced Saturday at the Essence Festival of Culture in Burbank, Calif., where the Walt Disney Co. is headquartered.
Howard has existing ties with Netflix and Amazon, among others. Earlier this year, it appointed actress Phylicia Rashad as dean of the recently reestablished College of Fine Arts. The university also renamed that college after Chadwick Boseman, who attended Howard before going on to become an A-list actor playing iconic roles including Black Panther, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson and James Brown.
The Disney Storytellers Fund at Howard University will provide stipends over a five-year period for student projects focused on storytelling across animation,...
The new fund was announced Saturday at the Essence Festival of Culture in Burbank, Calif., where the Walt Disney Co. is headquartered.
Howard has existing ties with Netflix and Amazon, among others. Earlier this year, it appointed actress Phylicia Rashad as dean of the recently reestablished College of Fine Arts. The university also renamed that college after Chadwick Boseman, who attended Howard before going on to become an A-list actor playing iconic roles including Black Panther, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson and James Brown.
The Disney Storytellers Fund at Howard University will provide stipends over a five-year period for student projects focused on storytelling across animation,...
- 7/3/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The Netflix documentary Civil: Ben Crump follows civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who often represents marginalized clients in wrongful death, injury, police brutality and discrimination lawsuits. Director Nadia Hallgren follows Crump and his various cases, including his most high-profile one against the city of Minneapolis for the death of George Floyd. The documentary is filmed against the backdrop of this historical case while showing how Crump handles these tragic events that captured the full attention of Americans and the international community.
The film, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival and opened the American Black Film Festival on Wednesday, begins with Crump in the shadows. He’s on a call from one of Floyd’s family members, who is begging for his help. This is the lawyer’s life daily, on the phone, traveling, organizing and talking to families while maintaining his personal life. From his hero Thurgood Marshall, Crump learned...
The film, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival and opened the American Black Film Festival on Wednesday, begins with Crump in the shadows. He’s on a call from one of Floyd’s family members, who is begging for his help. This is the lawyer’s life daily, on the phone, traveling, organizing and talking to families while maintaining his personal life. From his hero Thurgood Marshall, Crump learned...
- 6/16/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
The 2022 Peabody Awards have announced the second round of winners, which includes My Name is Pauli Murray in the documentary category and Hacks in the entertainment category.
The New York Times’ Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol won in the news category alongside PBS NewsHour’s January 6th Reporting.
Other winners include Philly D.A., presented by Kevin Bacon; Sort Of, presented by Tan France; and NBC Bay Area: The Moms of Magnolia Street & No Man’s Land: Fighting for Fatherhood in a Broken System, presented by H.E.R.
The remaining awards will be presented virtually Wednesday through Thursday. A full list of nominees can be found here, and the first round of winners is here.
A total of 30 winners will be chosen from the nominees and revealed this week with celebs announcing each recipient via a short video...
The 2022 Peabody Awards have announced the second round of winners, which includes My Name is Pauli Murray in the documentary category and Hacks in the entertainment category.
The New York Times’ Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol won in the news category alongside PBS NewsHour’s January 6th Reporting.
Other winners include Philly D.A., presented by Kevin Bacon; Sort Of, presented by Tan France; and NBC Bay Area: The Moms of Magnolia Street & No Man’s Land: Fighting for Fatherhood in a Broken System, presented by H.E.R.
The remaining awards will be presented virtually Wednesday through Thursday. A full list of nominees can be found here, and the first round of winners is here.
A total of 30 winners will be chosen from the nominees and revealed this week with celebs announcing each recipient via a short video...
- 6/7/2022
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HBO Max’s “Hacks” is the latest entertainment series to be honored by the Peabody Awards, which announced the win on Tuesday morning.
“When they’re together taking on all things comedy and feminism, ‘Hacks’ crackles with wit and truly sings,” Melissa McCarthy said in her presentation to the show.
Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment, are behind the show.
“HBO Max’s Hacks became a word-of-mouth hit thanks to the brilliantly funny intergenerational pairing of Jean Smart as standup legend Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, the desperate young comedy writer sent to freshen up Deborah’s act,” the org said in its statement honoring the show. “Created by ‘Broad City’ writers Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, the series follows Deborah and Ava as they try to revive their...
“When they’re together taking on all things comedy and feminism, ‘Hacks’ crackles with wit and truly sings,” Melissa McCarthy said in her presentation to the show.
Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment, are behind the show.
“HBO Max’s Hacks became a word-of-mouth hit thanks to the brilliantly funny intergenerational pairing of Jean Smart as standup legend Deborah Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels, the desperate young comedy writer sent to freshen up Deborah’s act,” the org said in its statement honoring the show. “Created by ‘Broad City’ writers Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky, the series follows Deborah and Ava as they try to revive their...
- 6/7/2022
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
We desperately need a good courtroom drama.
Not the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard kind, where everyone’s a mess, and the outcome matters less than the spectacle.
But rather, an old-fashioned, high-stakes, plot-heavy movie melodrama—the kind that makes the audience see-saw back and forth, while truth hangs in an ever-changing balance. First things lean one way, then the other. A single stray fact reverses the entire narrative. Sometimes when the verdict comes in, the winner is actually a bad guy, though we only find out later, as in, say, Anatomy of a Murder.
Once a box-office staple, legal dramas of that sort—12 Angry Men, A Few Good Men, The Verdict, Suspect, and any number of films you’ve watched on TCM—were great entertainment. But, much more, they taught a recurring lesson about the dark and slippery nature of reality. Things are seldom what they first seem. Under meticulous scrutiny,...
Not the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard kind, where everyone’s a mess, and the outcome matters less than the spectacle.
But rather, an old-fashioned, high-stakes, plot-heavy movie melodrama—the kind that makes the audience see-saw back and forth, while truth hangs in an ever-changing balance. First things lean one way, then the other. A single stray fact reverses the entire narrative. Sometimes when the verdict comes in, the winner is actually a bad guy, though we only find out later, as in, say, Anatomy of a Murder.
Once a box-office staple, legal dramas of that sort—12 Angry Men, A Few Good Men, The Verdict, Suspect, and any number of films you’ve watched on TCM—were great entertainment. But, much more, they taught a recurring lesson about the dark and slippery nature of reality. Things are seldom what they first seem. Under meticulous scrutiny,...
- 5/1/2022
- by Michael Cieply
- Deadline Film + TV
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic appointment as the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court was the focus of Saturday Night Live’s cold open.
In the Oval Office, Jackson (played by Ego Nwodim) and President Biden (played by James Austin Jackson) recreated the photos of them watching the Senate’s confirmation vote earlier this week. “I promised to put a Black woman on the court, and that is what I did. So that is one campaign promise down and only 74 to go,” Biden said.
Jackson’s...
In the Oval Office, Jackson (played by Ego Nwodim) and President Biden (played by James Austin Jackson) recreated the photos of them watching the Senate’s confirmation vote earlier this week. “I promised to put a Black woman on the court, and that is what I did. So that is one campaign promise down and only 74 to go,” Biden said.
Jackson’s...
- 4/10/2022
- by Sarah Grant
- Rollingstone.com
A lot of history has been made recently — though fortunately, this week, Saturday Night Live got thrown a softball: the confirmation of the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. Which means that this week’s cold open was able to be both topical and satirical and kind of feel good, which is a sweet spot the show manages really well.
Justice-in-waiting Ketanji Brown Jackson (played by Ego Nwodim) is in the Oval Office with the President. Biden (James Austin Johnson) invites her to imagine talking to the great Americans who came before her, giving the cast a chance to...
Justice-in-waiting Ketanji Brown Jackson (played by Ego Nwodim) is in the Oval Office with the President. Biden (James Austin Johnson) invites her to imagine talking to the great Americans who came before her, giving the cast a chance to...
- 4/10/2022
- by Robert Clarke-Chan
- TVLine.com
“Saturday Night Live” put the spotlight in its cold open on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s appointment to the Supreme Court with a sketch that featured Ego Nwodim as the history-making jurist and Kate McKinnon as the spirit of the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The sketch opened with Nwodim as Jackson and James Austin Johnson as President Joe Biden recreating the moment that went viral on social media when the President released a photo of the two watching the Senate’s historic April 7 confirmation vote on C-SPAN2. The barbs, not surprisingly, took aim at the shockingly disrespectful line of questioning that Jackson faced from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other Republicans.
Nwodim’s Jackson assured the Commander in Chief that as the first Black women to join the nation’s high court, she had to “work twice as had as a white man my entire life and spend an...
The sketch opened with Nwodim as Jackson and James Austin Johnson as President Joe Biden recreating the moment that went viral on social media when the President released a photo of the two watching the Senate’s historic April 7 confirmation vote on C-SPAN2. The barbs, not surprisingly, took aim at the shockingly disrespectful line of questioning that Jackson faced from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and other Republicans.
Nwodim’s Jackson assured the Commander in Chief that as the first Black women to join the nation’s high court, she had to “work twice as had as a white man my entire life and spend an...
- 4/10/2022
- by Cynthia Littleton
- Variety Film + TV
The Saturday Night Live cold open featured Ego Nwodim as Ketanji Brown Jackson, newly confirmed to the Supreme Court, meeting famous women and Black Americans who came before her — along with a few jokes at Ted Cruz’s expense.
In contrast to last week’s Fox & Friends satire, this skit was perhaps less about humor and more about marking her place in history, with Jackson in the Oval Office, awaiting the White House celebration of her historic confirmation, and meeting the ghosts of those who broke the glass ceiling and the color barrier.
When Ruth Bader Ginsburg (played by Kate McKinnon) appeared, Jackson asks her, “I’d love to know what advice you have for me as a woman on the Supreme Court.”
“Okay, here’s my advice. Always label your lunches. So the justices, they got sticky fingers. Second, if you are anything like me, white ladies are...
In contrast to last week’s Fox & Friends satire, this skit was perhaps less about humor and more about marking her place in history, with Jackson in the Oval Office, awaiting the White House celebration of her historic confirmation, and meeting the ghosts of those who broke the glass ceiling and the color barrier.
When Ruth Bader Ginsburg (played by Kate McKinnon) appeared, Jackson asks her, “I’d love to know what advice you have for me as a woman on the Supreme Court.”
“Okay, here’s my advice. Always label your lunches. So the justices, they got sticky fingers. Second, if you are anything like me, white ladies are...
- 4/10/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
This week’s “Saturday Night Live” opened by tackling the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, with cast member Ego Nwodim playing the recently confirmed first Black woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court.
The setup of the “SNL” sketch had President Joe Biden (played by James Austin Johnson) inviting Jackson to the White House to celebrate her confirmation. Biden congratulated the new justice, to which she responded, “Well, I was happy to do my part. Work twice as hard as a white man my entire life and then spend a week listening to Ted Cruz call me a pedophile.”
Johnson’s Biden expressed optimism in the name of progress, saying, “First Black female justice. It’s just a normal thing now, like wearing crocs in public.”
Biden left the Oval Office and encouraged Jackson to take a beat to digest the history of the moment, which paved the...
The setup of the “SNL” sketch had President Joe Biden (played by James Austin Johnson) inviting Jackson to the White House to celebrate her confirmation. Biden congratulated the new justice, to which she responded, “Well, I was happy to do my part. Work twice as hard as a white man my entire life and then spend a week listening to Ted Cruz call me a pedophile.”
Johnson’s Biden expressed optimism in the name of progress, saying, “First Black female justice. It’s just a normal thing now, like wearing crocs in public.”
Biden left the Oval Office and encouraged Jackson to take a beat to digest the history of the moment, which paved the...
- 4/10/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
The Senate voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Thursday, clearing the way for her to become the first Black woman to serve on the high court.
The vote was 53-47, reflecting the increasing partisan divisions over recent confirmations of nominees to the bench. Three Republicans — Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney — joined with all members of the Democratic caucus to confirm her.
Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the vote, a rare event in which all members were present in their seats during the roll call. After she announced the final tally, the chamber erupted into sustained applause. Many Republican left the chamber during the ovation, but Romney stayed and clapped.
Major broadcast networks provided special reports of the moment, in addition to cable news networks. There was a moment of some drama, as senators waited for Sen. Rand Paul (R-ky) to show up.
The vote was 53-47, reflecting the increasing partisan divisions over recent confirmations of nominees to the bench. Three Republicans — Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitt Romney — joined with all members of the Democratic caucus to confirm her.
Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the vote, a rare event in which all members were present in their seats during the roll call. After she announced the final tally, the chamber erupted into sustained applause. Many Republican left the chamber during the ovation, but Romney stayed and clapped.
Major broadcast networks provided special reports of the moment, in addition to cable news networks. There was a moment of some drama, as senators waited for Sen. Rand Paul (R-ky) to show up.
- 4/7/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Betsy West and Julie Cohen first learned about activist Pauli Murray from the subject of their previous documentary. “We first learned about Pauli from Ruth Bader Ginsburg when we were making ‘Rbg.’ Ginsburg credited Pauli with coming up with the foundational strategy to win equal rights for women,” West tells Gold Derby in our Meet the Experts: Film Documentary panel (watch the exclusive video interview above). In doing their subsequent research on Murray, the pair saw how much Murray had contributed including having influence on Thurgood Marshall and refusing to move to the back of the bus years before Rosa Parks did so. “We discovered the incredible breadth of this person’s life: A person who had such a profound impact on our society, but has not yet been significantly recognized by.”
“My Name is Pauli Murray,” which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, shines a light on the...
“My Name is Pauli Murray,” which is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, shines a light on the...
- 11/20/2021
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Six top documentarians will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022 Oscar and guild contenders. Each person from the documentaries will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Wednesday, November 17, at 5:00 p.m. Pt; 8:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our contributing editor Charles Bright and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series of 17 panels in November and December. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 awards contenders:
“Becoming Cousteau”: Dan Cogan
Synopsis: A look at the life, passions, achievements and tragedies surrounding the famous explorer and environmentalist Jacques Cousteau.
RSVP today to this specific event by clicking here to book your reservation. Or click here to RSVP for our entire ongoing panel series of 17 panels in November and December. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 awards contenders:
“Becoming Cousteau”: Dan Cogan
Synopsis: A look at the life, passions, achievements and tragedies surrounding the famous explorer and environmentalist Jacques Cousteau.
- 11/9/2021
- by Chris Beachum and Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
“We can’t comprehend legal movements for justice without understanding Pauli’s role in them,” Chase Strangio, an ACLU attorney, declares partway through “My Name Is Pauli Murray.” This idea reverberates throughout the stirring documentary, which takes a much-needed deep dive into the life and work of Pauli Murray, a highly influential attorney and activist. Using a combination of archival footage, Murray’s own autobiographical words, and interviews with contemporary thinkers, the documentary begins with Murray’s early life and then continues on to chronicle their brilliant legal contributions and trailblazing activism.
In addition to their career as a lawyer, Murray was a gender rights advocate, a poet, the first Black non-male person to be ordained an Episcopal priest, and even a one-time Mademoiselle magazine “Woman of the Year.” Many of Murray’s beliefs and ideals were considered radical at the time, but they blazed on, and in doing so...
In addition to their career as a lawyer, Murray was a gender rights advocate, a poet, the first Black non-male person to be ordained an Episcopal priest, and even a one-time Mademoiselle magazine “Woman of the Year.” Many of Murray’s beliefs and ideals were considered radical at the time, but they blazed on, and in doing so...
- 10/8/2021
- by IndieWire Staff
- Indiewire
Why did I not know about Pauli Murray?
That is the overwhelming response of viewers to the new documentary My Name Is Pauli Murray, directed by the Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated team behind Rbg, Julie Cohen and Betsy West.
As West put it in a tweet Friday, “Some people are furious, some dumbfounded that they weren’t taught about #PauliMurray.”
The documentary, now streaming on Amazon Prime, corrects a historical injustice by introducing audiences to a “Black, queer, gender-nonconforming” person who broke barriers at every stage of their life. As a law student, Murray’s innovative thinking laid the conceptual framework for overturning Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 Supreme Court decision that had validated the notion of “separate but equal” accommodations for Blacks and whites.
“During most of Pauli’s lifetime it was fairly difficult and radical to be fighting for racial equality,” Cohen tells Deadline. “It was fairly difficult and radical...
That is the overwhelming response of viewers to the new documentary My Name Is Pauli Murray, directed by the Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated team behind Rbg, Julie Cohen and Betsy West.
As West put it in a tweet Friday, “Some people are furious, some dumbfounded that they weren’t taught about #PauliMurray.”
The documentary, now streaming on Amazon Prime, corrects a historical injustice by introducing audiences to a “Black, queer, gender-nonconforming” person who broke barriers at every stage of their life. As a law student, Murray’s innovative thinking laid the conceptual framework for overturning Plessy v. Ferguson, the 1896 Supreme Court decision that had validated the notion of “separate but equal” accommodations for Blacks and whites.
“During most of Pauli’s lifetime it was fairly difficult and radical to be fighting for racial equality,” Cohen tells Deadline. “It was fairly difficult and radical...
- 10/2/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Meridian Pictures, the production company launched by former Sony Pictures and MGM senior VP Eric Paquette, has acquired the rights to turn artist Chaz Guest’s paintings and graphic novel Buffalo Warrior into a feature film. The paintings tell the story of a boy born into slavery who enlists the army to become a member of the Buffalo soldiers, the all-African American calvary regiments of the U.S. Army. The solider dies in battle, but is reborn as the superhero Buffalo Warrior.
Paquette said in a statement that “these paintings and graphic novel are rich and tell a timeless tale of our shared humanity and the hope for a better tomorrow that will entertain audiences around the world.” The project is out to writers and directors.
The collectors of Guest’s work include President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Clarence Avant, Angelina Jolie and Ted Sarandos and Nicole Avant. Obama has two...
Paquette said in a statement that “these paintings and graphic novel are rich and tell a timeless tale of our shared humanity and the hope for a better tomorrow that will entertain audiences around the world.” The project is out to writers and directors.
The collectors of Guest’s work include President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Clarence Avant, Angelina Jolie and Ted Sarandos and Nicole Avant. Obama has two...
- 9/17/2021
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
“How can one person be so pivotal and yet their name is just one that we never learn?” is a question posed at the top of “My Name Is Pauli Murray.” As the documentary progresses, that question becomes even more mind-boggling.
From today’s lens, it is truly inconceivable how a person like Pauli Murray, who contributed so much to our modern concepts of civil rights and gender equality, could remain such a hidden figure in history. But like a lot of those trailblazers, it’s not so much that Murray was unknown, as much as she and her contributions remained unheralded.
While delving deeply into the life and work of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Rbg” directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen were intrigued by the brilliant lawyer, with whom they were unfamiliar, whose work helped inform and clarify Ginsburg’s own. After completing “Rbg,” they turned their efforts and...
From today’s lens, it is truly inconceivable how a person like Pauli Murray, who contributed so much to our modern concepts of civil rights and gender equality, could remain such a hidden figure in history. But like a lot of those trailblazers, it’s not so much that Murray was unknown, as much as she and her contributions remained unheralded.
While delving deeply into the life and work of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Rbg” directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen were intrigued by the brilliant lawyer, with whom they were unfamiliar, whose work helped inform and clarify Ginsburg’s own. After completing “Rbg,” they turned their efforts and...
- 9/17/2021
- by Ronda Racha Penrice
- The Wrap
‘How is Pauli Murray not a household name?’ The extraordinary life of the US’s most radical activist
She explored her gender and sexuality in the 20s, defied segregation in the 40s and inspired Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Now, a film is bringing her trailblazing achievements to light
It seems inconceivable that someone like Pauli Murray could have slipped through the cracks of US history. A lawyer, activist, scholar, poet and priest, Murray led a trailblazing life that altered the course of history. She was at the forefront of the battles for racial and gender equality, but often so far out in front that her contributions went unrecognised.
In 1940, 15 years before Rosa Parks, Murray was jailed for refusing to move to the back of a bus in the Jim Crow south. In 1943, she campaigned successfully to desegregate her local diner, 17 years before the Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins of 1960. Her work paved the way for the landmark supreme court ruling Brown v Board of Education in 1954 – which de-segregated US schools...
It seems inconceivable that someone like Pauli Murray could have slipped through the cracks of US history. A lawyer, activist, scholar, poet and priest, Murray led a trailblazing life that altered the course of history. She was at the forefront of the battles for racial and gender equality, but often so far out in front that her contributions went unrecognised.
In 1940, 15 years before Rosa Parks, Murray was jailed for refusing to move to the back of a bus in the Jim Crow south. In 1943, she campaigned successfully to desegregate her local diner, 17 years before the Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins of 1960. Her work paved the way for the landmark supreme court ruling Brown v Board of Education in 1954 – which de-segregated US schools...
- 9/17/2021
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
"You say, 'I can't' – I'll show you I can, even if I die trying." Amazon has unveiled a trailer for My Name Is Pauli Murray, an acclaimed documentary about one of the most influential figures in American 20th century history. And you probably don't even know who they are! The film is a look at the life and ideas of Pauli Murray, a non-binary Black lawyer, activist and poet who influenced both Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thurgood Marshall. Pauli's personal path and tireless advocacy foreshadowed some of the most politically consequential issues of our time. Told largely in Pauli's own words, My Name is Pauli Murray is a candid recounting of that unique and extraordinary journey. It also includes writings as well as newly discovered photographs, video footage and audio interviews, chronicling how Murray spent their life grappling with gender norms and identifying as non-binary. From the directors behind Rbg and the upcoming Julie.
- 8/30/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The late Chadwick Boseman was honored today on the anniversary of his death by friends, colleagues and fans. The Black Panther star died from complications of colon cancer last year on this date, keeping his condition a secret from all but his closest associates and thus shocking the world with his untimely passing at age 43.
Marvel Entertainment and Marvel Studios posted the same tribute. “Honoring our friend, our inspiration, and our King, Chadwick Boseman.”
Black Panther actor Lupita Nyong’o, who played King T’Challa’s love interest Nakia, also shared an image of the two of them together out of costume. “I did not know that I could miss both his laughter and his silence in equal measure. I do. I do… One year after his passing, the memory of @chadwickboseman remains this alive in me,” Nyong’o wrote.
Boseman’s other notable roles included Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up,...
Marvel Entertainment and Marvel Studios posted the same tribute. “Honoring our friend, our inspiration, and our King, Chadwick Boseman.”
Black Panther actor Lupita Nyong’o, who played King T’Challa’s love interest Nakia, also shared an image of the two of them together out of costume. “I did not know that I could miss both his laughter and his silence in equal measure. I do. I do… One year after his passing, the memory of @chadwickboseman remains this alive in me,” Nyong’o wrote.
Boseman’s other notable roles included Jackie Robinson in 42, James Brown in Get On Up,...
- 8/28/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Chadwick Boseman will be honored in a special tribute during Stand Up to Cancer’s (SU2C) fundraising telecast and streaming event on Saturday.
The late actor’s wife Simone Boseman and SU2C host Anthony Anderson will honor him during the biennial fundraising telecast and streaming event. Boseman passed away last year, at the age of 43, after a private battle with colon cancer.
The Academy Award-nominated actor is beloved for his work as the superhero T’Challa in four films, including Marvel’s “Black Panther,” a cultural phenomenon which broke box office records and earned a best picture Oscar nomination. The actor’s final performance as T’Challa began airing Wednesday, when his voice was featured in the second episode of Marvel’s “What If…?” series, now streaming on Disney Plus.
Boseman stepped into the legendary shoes of Jackie Robinson in “42,” James Brown in “Get on Up” and Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall.
The late actor’s wife Simone Boseman and SU2C host Anthony Anderson will honor him during the biennial fundraising telecast and streaming event. Boseman passed away last year, at the age of 43, after a private battle with colon cancer.
The Academy Award-nominated actor is beloved for his work as the superhero T’Challa in four films, including Marvel’s “Black Panther,” a cultural phenomenon which broke box office records and earned a best picture Oscar nomination. The actor’s final performance as T’Challa began airing Wednesday, when his voice was featured in the second episode of Marvel’s “What If…?” series, now streaming on Disney Plus.
Boseman stepped into the legendary shoes of Jackie Robinson in “42,” James Brown in “Get on Up” and Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall.
- 8/20/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
In 1946, it took the blinding of an African-American Army veteran to get some white Americans to see — from a federal judge to the president of the United States.
It was February of that year when 27-year-old Isaac Woodard stepped aboard a Greyhound bus in Augusta, Ga, for a trip home to South Carolina, just hours after his discharge from serving in World War II. The journey would take him through the Jim Crow South, into a dark terrain of racial hatred.
At one point en route, Woodard inquired about the next opportunity for a restroom break. The bus driver responded “disrespectfully,” according to Jamila Ephron, director of the documentary The Blinding of Isaac Woodard.
“Woodard stood up for himself and insisted that he be treated like a man and that he was a man just like the bus driver,” Ephron tells Deadline. “And that was a very risky thing to...
It was February of that year when 27-year-old Isaac Woodard stepped aboard a Greyhound bus in Augusta, Ga, for a trip home to South Carolina, just hours after his discharge from serving in World War II. The journey would take him through the Jim Crow South, into a dark terrain of racial hatred.
At one point en route, Woodard inquired about the next opportunity for a restroom break. The bus driver responded “disrespectfully,” according to Jamila Ephron, director of the documentary The Blinding of Isaac Woodard.
“Woodard stood up for himself and insisted that he be treated like a man and that he was a man just like the bus driver,” Ephron tells Deadline. “And that was a very risky thing to...
- 6/22/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The late Chadwick Boseman will have a wing of his alma mater, Howard University, named after him.
Howard University announced today that its college of fine arts, led by Dean Phylicia Rashad, will be renamed the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts for the prolific actor and distinguished alumnus.
Boseman parlayed his time as a Howard Bison into a string of iconic roles such as Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and of course the MCU’s first Black superhero, Black Panther. The A-lister graduated from the university with a bachelor’s of arts degree in directing in 2000. He also earned an honorary doctorate and delivered a rousing commencement address in 2018 following the release of “Black Panther.”
“Chad fought to preserve the College of Fine Arts during his matriculation at Howard and remained dedicated to the fight throughout his career, and he would be overjoyed by this development,” the...
Howard University announced today that its college of fine arts, led by Dean Phylicia Rashad, will be renamed the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts for the prolific actor and distinguished alumnus.
Boseman parlayed his time as a Howard Bison into a string of iconic roles such as Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and of course the MCU’s first Black superhero, Black Panther. The A-lister graduated from the university with a bachelor’s of arts degree in directing in 2000. He also earned an honorary doctorate and delivered a rousing commencement address in 2018 following the release of “Black Panther.”
“Chad fought to preserve the College of Fine Arts during his matriculation at Howard and remained dedicated to the fight throughout his career, and he would be overjoyed by this development,” the...
- 5/26/2021
- by Brian Welk and Alex Noble
- The Wrap
Updated with more details: Howard University is renaming its College of Fine Arts after Chadwick Boseman, who attended the college before going on to become an A-list actor playing iconic roles including Black Panther, Thurgood Marshall, Jackie Robinson and James Brown.
The honor comes after Boseman’s death in the prime of his career last August at age 43 from colon cancer. It also comes after Howard recently named Phylicia Rashad as dean of the recently reestablished College of Fine Arts.
As a student from 1997-2000, Boseman led protests against the Hbcu’s plan to absorb the department into the College of Arts & Sciences. It was finally restored as a stand-along department in 2018, when Boseman returned to give the commencement address amid Black Panther’s record-breaking success.
“When Chadwick Boseman returned to campus in 2018 to serve as our commencement speaker, he called Howard a magical place. During his visit, I announced...
The honor comes after Boseman’s death in the prime of his career last August at age 43 from colon cancer. It also comes after Howard recently named Phylicia Rashad as dean of the recently reestablished College of Fine Arts.
As a student from 1997-2000, Boseman led protests against the Hbcu’s plan to absorb the department into the College of Arts & Sciences. It was finally restored as a stand-along department in 2018, when Boseman returned to give the commencement address amid Black Panther’s record-breaking success.
“When Chadwick Boseman returned to campus in 2018 to serve as our commencement speaker, he called Howard a magical place. During his visit, I announced...
- 5/26/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Chadwick Boseman was best known to audiences for his work onscreen, playing iconic figures like Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall and the Black Panther. But offscreen, he was known as a proud Howard Bison.
Howard University announced today that the newly re-established college of fine arts, led by Dean Phylicia Rashad, will be named the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts in honor of the late actor and distinguished alumnus.
Boseman died in August 2020 at age 43, after he was diagnosed with colon cancer.
In a statement celebrating the announcement, Boseman’s family shared their gratitude for Howard President Wayne A. I. Fredrick and the Board of Trustees for honoring their beloved Chad with the renaming of the institution.
“Chad fought to preserve the College of Fine Arts during his matriculation at Howard and remained dedicated to the fight throughout his career, and he would be overjoyed by this development,...
Howard University announced today that the newly re-established college of fine arts, led by Dean Phylicia Rashad, will be named the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts in honor of the late actor and distinguished alumnus.
Boseman died in August 2020 at age 43, after he was diagnosed with colon cancer.
In a statement celebrating the announcement, Boseman’s family shared their gratitude for Howard President Wayne A. I. Fredrick and the Board of Trustees for honoring their beloved Chad with the renaming of the institution.
“Chad fought to preserve the College of Fine Arts during his matriculation at Howard and remained dedicated to the fight throughout his career, and he would be overjoyed by this development,...
- 5/26/2021
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
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Chadwick Boseman didn’t win a posthumous Oscar on Sunday, but there’s much to celebrate in the career of the prolific actor who proved that not even a cancer diagnosis could stop him from living out his dreams. In the four years after Boseman was secretly diagnosed with colon cancer, he shot “Black Panther,” and six other films culminating with his final onscreen performance in Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” for which he earned SAG and Golden Globe awards in the best actor category, and an Oscar nomination.
To honor Boseman’s memory, we put together a list of his movies that you can buy on Blu-ray. The films listed are available through Amazon Prime,...
Chadwick Boseman didn’t win a posthumous Oscar on Sunday, but there’s much to celebrate in the career of the prolific actor who proved that not even a cancer diagnosis could stop him from living out his dreams. In the four years after Boseman was secretly diagnosed with colon cancer, he shot “Black Panther,” and six other films culminating with his final onscreen performance in Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” for which he earned SAG and Golden Globe awards in the best actor category, and an Oscar nomination.
To honor Boseman’s memory, we put together a list of his movies that you can buy on Blu-ray. The films listed are available through Amazon Prime,...
- 4/26/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
Chicago – In one of the crueler events during the cruel year of 2020, the actor Chadwick Boseman died from cancer at age 43. But he left us two prominent roles in 2020, as a pivotal character in Spike Lee’s “Da Five Bloods” and in his 2021 Oscar nominated performance as Levee in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
Boseman broke out in a sympathetic and courageous performance as Jackie Robinson in “42” (2013), which landed him other biographical roles as singer James Brown in “Get On Up” (2014) and Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall” (2017). But it was his unforgettable Marvel Universe turn as T’Challa/Black Panther (2018 in “Black Panther”) that uplifted Boseman to iconic status as an actor.
Chadwick Boseman in Chicago, circa 2017
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
As Levee in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Boseman was in the spotlight as a “modern” black man who plays horn...
Boseman broke out in a sympathetic and courageous performance as Jackie Robinson in “42” (2013), which landed him other biographical roles as singer James Brown in “Get On Up” (2014) and Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall in “Marshall” (2017). But it was his unforgettable Marvel Universe turn as T’Challa/Black Panther (2018 in “Black Panther”) that uplifted Boseman to iconic status as an actor.
Chadwick Boseman in Chicago, circa 2017
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com
As Levee in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Boseman was in the spotlight as a “modern” black man who plays horn...
- 4/21/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Exclusive: Pulitzer Prize-winning nonprofit newsroom The Marshall Project has closed a deal with Storied Media Group for representation of its film and television rights.
Storied Media Group will represent the publisher in the packaging and selling of its acclaimed, critical and timely reporting on the U.S. criminal justice system. Smg will curate the publication’s daily stories, hard-hitting investigative pieces and growing archives, and market the articles to studios, streamers, networks and producers for adaptation worldwide.
The multi award-winning newsroom, founded in 2014 and named after the honorable justice Thurgood Marshall, was created to make an impact through journalism, rendering the criminal justice system more fair, effective, transparent and humane. Its diverse team is composed of some of the country’s leading talents in top-quality investigative and explanatory journalism. The Marshall Project has consistently produced work that has affected real world change. The 2015 series An Unbelievable Story of Rape, a collaboration with ProPublica,...
Storied Media Group will represent the publisher in the packaging and selling of its acclaimed, critical and timely reporting on the U.S. criminal justice system. Smg will curate the publication’s daily stories, hard-hitting investigative pieces and growing archives, and market the articles to studios, streamers, networks and producers for adaptation worldwide.
The multi award-winning newsroom, founded in 2014 and named after the honorable justice Thurgood Marshall, was created to make an impact through journalism, rendering the criminal justice system more fair, effective, transparent and humane. Its diverse team is composed of some of the country’s leading talents in top-quality investigative and explanatory journalism. The Marshall Project has consistently produced work that has affected real world change. The 2015 series An Unbelievable Story of Rape, a collaboration with ProPublica,...
- 4/16/2021
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Chadwick Boseman’s Best Actor Oscar nomination this morning for Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom reps the seventh time that an actor has received such a posthumous honor in either the Best Actor or Supporting Actor category from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Boseman’s turn as ambitious cornet player Levee, who raises tensions with the white record label management and spars with his fellow jazz band members in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom reps his first Oscar nomination. Boseman’s nom today was one of five received by the George C. Wolfe directed feature.
Boseman, who made a huge splash as T’Challa in Disney/Marvel’s three-time Oscar winning $1.34 billion grossing feature Black Panther in 2018, died at 43 on Aug. 28, 2020, after a long, quiet battle with colon cancer. His death left the industry shocked and in despair. Not only did the actor play notable Black...
Boseman’s turn as ambitious cornet player Levee, who raises tensions with the white record label management and spars with his fellow jazz band members in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom reps his first Oscar nomination. Boseman’s nom today was one of five received by the George C. Wolfe directed feature.
Boseman, who made a huge splash as T’Challa in Disney/Marvel’s three-time Oscar winning $1.34 billion grossing feature Black Panther in 2018, died at 43 on Aug. 28, 2020, after a long, quiet battle with colon cancer. His death left the industry shocked and in despair. Not only did the actor play notable Black...
- 3/15/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
This story about Chadwick Boseman first appeared in the Oscar Nominations Preview issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
In the fall of 2014, Chadwick Boseman sat in the patio restaurant at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood. At 37 years old, with five movies under his belt, he was tired from a European tour to promote his performance as James Brown in “Get on Up” but energized at the way his career had exploded in the last couple of years: a breakthrough role as Jackie Robinson in “42,” then “Get on Up,” and next up a deal to play a Marvel Comics character, Black Panther, in a series of films.
“Opportunities like this don’t happen to everybody, and there’s no good reason why (they) should have happened to me,” he said with a grin. “I feel blessed.”
With Jackie and James under his belt, Boseman admitted that he wasn...
In the fall of 2014, Chadwick Boseman sat in the patio restaurant at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood. At 37 years old, with five movies under his belt, he was tired from a European tour to promote his performance as James Brown in “Get on Up” but energized at the way his career had exploded in the last couple of years: a breakthrough role as Jackie Robinson in “42,” then “Get on Up,” and next up a deal to play a Marvel Comics character, Black Panther, in a series of films.
“Opportunities like this don’t happen to everybody, and there’s no good reason why (they) should have happened to me,” he said with a grin. “I feel blessed.”
With Jackie and James under his belt, Boseman admitted that he wasn...
- 3/3/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
"...One day I'll live to tell the story." In his short 43 years on Earth, Chadwick Boseman had the opportunity to tell a lot of stories. Stories of importance, of determination, of Black excellence. From historical figures like Jackie Robinson, James Brown and Thurgood Marshall to fictional ones like King T'Challa, Boseman built a career out of bringing heroes to the big screen, humanizing their struggles as only he was able to do. And yet, that story the actor was waiting to tell—the one referenced above in a quote from a 2017 interview with The Huffington Post—would go untold by the man himself. As the shock of Boseman's death on Aug. 28, 2020, following a private,...
- 3/1/2021
- E! Online
Chadwick Boseman picked up the best actor in a motion picture-drama prize for his performance as a talented jazz musician in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” at the Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, becoming only the second posthumous winner in the category’s history. His wife, Simone Ledward Boseman, gave an emotional acceptance speech on the late actor’s behalf.
Boseman died on August 18, 2020, of cancer at the age of 43. His death at such a young age shocked Hollywood, coming as the actor had summited the A-list with his performance in the Marvel box office smash “Black Panther.”
“He would thank God. He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and their sacrifices,” Ledward Boseman said. “He would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside of all of us that tells you, ‘You can,’ that tells you to keep going,...
Boseman died on August 18, 2020, of cancer at the age of 43. His death at such a young age shocked Hollywood, coming as the actor had summited the A-list with his performance in the Marvel box office smash “Black Panther.”
“He would thank God. He would thank his parents. He would thank his ancestors for their guidance and their sacrifices,” Ledward Boseman said. “He would say something beautiful, something inspiring, something that would amplify that little voice inside of all of us that tells you, ‘You can,’ that tells you to keep going,...
- 3/1/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
“My Name Is Pauli Murray,” the documentary about the non-binary Black activist, lawyer and poet, has sold out of Sundance to Amazon Studios. The film is directed by “Rbg’s” Julie Cohen and Betsy West.
The documentary tells the life story of Pauli Murray and how they influenced everyone from Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Thurgood Marshall. It includes Murray’s writings as well as newly discovered photographs, video footage and audio interviews, chronicling how Murray spent their life grappling with gender norms and identifying as non-binary.
Murray is known for their 1950 book “States’ Laws on Race and Color,” which Marshall and others considered to be a key document in the fight against racial segregation. Murray was also the first Black person to receive a doctorate from Yale Law School, and was named a co-author in Ginsburg’s brief for her landmark Reed v. Reed victory at the Supreme Court that...
The documentary tells the life story of Pauli Murray and how they influenced everyone from Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Thurgood Marshall. It includes Murray’s writings as well as newly discovered photographs, video footage and audio interviews, chronicling how Murray spent their life grappling with gender norms and identifying as non-binary.
Murray is known for their 1950 book “States’ Laws on Race and Color,” which Marshall and others considered to be a key document in the fight against racial segregation. Murray was also the first Black person to receive a doctorate from Yale Law School, and was named a co-author in Ginsburg’s brief for her landmark Reed v. Reed victory at the Supreme Court that...
- 2/25/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
In celebration of Ruth E. Carter making history as the second costume designer, and the first Black costume designer to receive a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, Carter shares two of her favorite sketches with Variety.
“Black Panther”
Director Ryan Coogler presented Ruth E. Carter with a bible explaining the fictional country of Wakanda, its tribes and all the detail the costume designer could possibly need to help bring Marvel’s “Black Panther” to life.
She went back to the comic books and began exploring the links between the story and Africa. While she incorporated beadwork from various tribal areas of the continent for the all-female warriors, the Dora Milaje, she used modern technology for T’Challa’s Black Panther suit while keeping authentic to African patterns.
In particular, Carter threaded in the Okavango pattern, a geometrical triangle used in Africa representing family. The fabric was printed with triangles all over the costume,...
“Black Panther”
Director Ryan Coogler presented Ruth E. Carter with a bible explaining the fictional country of Wakanda, its tribes and all the detail the costume designer could possibly need to help bring Marvel’s “Black Panther” to life.
She went back to the comic books and began exploring the links between the story and Africa. While she incorporated beadwork from various tribal areas of the continent for the all-female warriors, the Dora Milaje, she used modern technology for T’Challa’s Black Panther suit while keeping authentic to African patterns.
In particular, Carter threaded in the Okavango pattern, a geometrical triangle used in Africa representing family. The fabric was printed with triangles all over the costume,...
- 2/25/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Last August, Chadwick Boseman lost his battle with cancer at age 43. The actor played only 12 characters during his short film career, but left behind a legacy of appreciable and complex representations of Black men. After stepping into the shoes of such real-life heroes as Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall, he achieved his greatest success by portraying Marvel superhero Black Panther across four films. Although he did not garner much awards attention during his lifetime, his final role in Netflix’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” has brought him scads of honors, including his first Golden Globe bid.
Boseman is up for the Best Drama Actor against Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”), Gary Oldman (“Mank”), and Tahar Rahim (“The Mauritanian”). Oldman is a past winner in the category for “Darkest Hour” (2017). Rahim is also first-timer at the Globes, while Ahmed has one previous nomination and Hopkins has seven.
Boseman is up for the Best Drama Actor against Riz Ahmed (“Sound of Metal”), Anthony Hopkins (“The Father”), Gary Oldman (“Mank”), and Tahar Rahim (“The Mauritanian”). Oldman is a past winner in the category for “Darkest Hour” (2017). Rahim is also first-timer at the Globes, while Ahmed has one previous nomination and Hopkins has seven.
- 2/11/2021
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Chadwick Boseman’s death in August, at the age of 43, shocked friends and colleagues who made recent films with him as much as it did fans around the world who mourned the passing of the actor who in a relatively short time played Black Panther, James Brown, Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall.
His colleagues still shake their heads in disbelief at the craft of his performances in two Oscar season movies, delivered while he was in the final throes of his fight against cancer. “I celebrate the man,” says Denzel Washington, who produced Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, George C. Wolfe’s adaptation of the August Wilson play that has put Boseman in prime contention for a rare posthumous Oscar, like those trophies awarded to Peter Finch for Network and Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight.
“The tragedy and the pain of death is visited on the living,” Washington continues.
His colleagues still shake their heads in disbelief at the craft of his performances in two Oscar season movies, delivered while he was in the final throes of his fight against cancer. “I celebrate the man,” says Denzel Washington, who produced Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, George C. Wolfe’s adaptation of the August Wilson play that has put Boseman in prime contention for a rare posthumous Oscar, like those trophies awarded to Peter Finch for Network and Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight.
“The tragedy and the pain of death is visited on the living,” Washington continues.
- 2/10/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Everyone should know who Pauli Murray is, and it’s baffling that more of us don’t. That’s the most effective aspect of the biographical documentary My Name is Pauli Murray: it does its best to leave audiences with the burning desire not only to know Murray’s history as a Black trans pioneer and incomparable mind, but to share Murray’s legacy with others. Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West (the team behind Rbg) pull from a physical archive of Murray’s extensively self-documented life to tell the nearly unbelievable story of an insatiable law student turned civil rights activist turned professor turned priest (and canonized Episcopalian saint!) whose accomplishments still feel markedly ahead of their time.
Born in 1910 in Baltimore, Maryland and raised by their maternal grandparents, and a favorite aunt who encouraged their learning and preference for pants over skirts, Murray would make quick work of...
Born in 1910 in Baltimore, Maryland and raised by their maternal grandparents, and a favorite aunt who encouraged their learning and preference for pants over skirts, Murray would make quick work of...
- 2/10/2021
- by Shayna Warner
- The Film Stage
While making the Oscar-nominated documentary “Rbg,” directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen came upon the incredible story of one of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s greatest influences: civil and women’s rights activist Pauli Murray. Now, three years after “Rbg” premiered at Sundance, they are back with “My Name Is Pauli Murray,” which tells of a life made for the big screen.
“After ‘Rbg’ debuted, we did some research and went, ‘Whoa!'” West said during a Q&a in TheWrap’s Virtual Sundance Studio presented by Nfp and National Geographic. “This woman is so much more…[someone] who influenced Rbg and Thurgood Marshall and who, as an activist did so many groundbreaking things before anyone else.”
Cohen said that Murray was an “underrecognized figure in so many areas” — a Black, non-binary activist and civil rights worker, whose 1950 book “States’ Laws on Race and Color” was considered by Marshall and other activists...
“After ‘Rbg’ debuted, we did some research and went, ‘Whoa!'” West said during a Q&a in TheWrap’s Virtual Sundance Studio presented by Nfp and National Geographic. “This woman is so much more…[someone] who influenced Rbg and Thurgood Marshall and who, as an activist did so many groundbreaking things before anyone else.”
Cohen said that Murray was an “underrecognized figure in so many areas” — a Black, non-binary activist and civil rights worker, whose 1950 book “States’ Laws on Race and Color” was considered by Marshall and other activists...
- 2/1/2021
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
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