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Production is underway on Kenneth Branagh’s next film, The Last Disturbance Of Madeline Hynde. Here are some casting details.

Actor, writer and director Kenneth Branagh’s next film will be The Last Disturbance Of Madeline Hynde. The plot hasn’t been revealed as yet, but if we were to speculate, the title hints at some sort of thriller or mystery (Branagh has been making those Poirot films of late). Jodie Comer was cast in the production earlier this year, and according to Deadline, the rest of the cast has been confirmed.

Comer stars alongside Patricia Arquette, Michael Sheen, Tom Bateman, Vicky McClure, Michael Balogun, Kristina Tonteri-Young, Karla Crome, Aiysha Hart and Gemma Whelan.

Branagh will next be seen starring alongside Ryan Reynolds in Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley’s Mayday for Apple TV.

Kenneth Branagh may be better known as a Shakespearean actor, but he’s built up...

Friends, castmates and fans are sharing their remembrances of and tributes to Richard Lewis, the beloved comedian and longtime Curb Your Enthusiasm actor who died Tuesday at 76.

Lewis was part of the raft of comedians who broke through during the 1980s and gained fame as stand-up comedy began to flood cable TV later that decade and into the ’90s. His contemporaries included Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Reiser, Ellen DeGeneres, Ray Romano, Sinbad, Gilbert Gottfried, Rita Rudner, Larry Miller, Paula Poundstone, George Wallace, Elayne Boosler, Carol Leifer and many more.

Related: Remembering Richard Lewis: A Career In Photos

Lewis probably was best known for recurring on his longtime friend Larry David’s HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, playing himself as David’s neurotic, often needy longtime best pal.

Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2024: Photo Gallery & Obituaries

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Great sadness...

Judy Tenuta, the comedian and musician also known by her onstage persona “The Love Goddess,” passed away at the age of 72. She reportedly died from ovarian cancer according to her publicist Roger Neal. She was surrounded by family and loved ones in her Los Angeles home when she passed on Thursday afternoon.

Tenuta had a wholly unique act blending brash insult comedy inspired by the Borscht Belt greats as well as vaudeville acts, and had some incredible joke writing skills to back it all up. Early on in her career she began incorporating an accordion in the act as well, which gave her performance an even more surreal quality.

In Memoriam 2022: 100 Great Celebrities Who Died This Year!

Judy Lynn Tenuta was born in Oak Park, Illinois on November 7, 1949, a county very close to Chicago where she would later get her start in comedy. She was one of nine children and had an Irish-Catholic upbringing.

The beloved “Aphrodite of the Accordion” and “The Love Goddess” Judy Tenuta died on Thursday in her home in Studio City, Calif. She died of ovarian cancer at age 72. Tenuta was a guest star in many television shows and movies and she hosted the popular HBO special, Women Of The Night, which featured contemporaries Ellen DeGeneres, Rita Rudner, Martin Short, and Paula Poundstone. Tenuta also appeared on Hollywood Squares, Celebrity Wife Swap, Who Wants to Date a Comedian?, and Match Game. She also appeared in a few “Weird Al” Yankovic videos. Tenuta was named after Judy Garland, and her mother, who was a fan of Lawrence Welk, urged her to learn to play the accordion. Her comedy career started out with Chicago’s The Second City, and she opened for comics such as George Carlin. She was the first “Best Female Comedian” winner at the American Comedy Awards. For her own stand-up routines,...

Comedian Judy Tenuta, who was known to fans as “The Love Goddess” and “Aphrodite of the Accordion,” died on Thursday in her home in Studio City, Calif. She was 72.

Named after Judy Garland, Tenuta attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she majored in theater. Her interest in comedy began when she took an improv comedy class with Chicago’s The Second City, shortly after which she began opening for other comedians throughout the 1970s.

More from TVLineDid P.D.'s Jay Owe Hailey a Convo? Fave Grey's Newbie? Is Rings of Power Tune a Banger? Early Mole Theories?...

Judy Tenuta, an unconventional, often brash stand-up comic who guested on numerous TV shows and appeared in two “Weird” Al Yankovic videos, died October 6 of ovarian cancer in Studio City, CA. She was 72.

Known to fans as “The Love Goddess,” Tenuta’s stage act was delivered in a shrill, loud, sometimes gravelly voice and often included an accordion. Her style sometimes veered toward shock; one bit had an audience member near the stage open their mouth so she could drop her chewed gum in it.

Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths 2022: A Photo Gallery

During her first solo stand-up performance, Tenuta shocked the audiences by dressing up as the Virgin Mary, and after being encouraged by her friends to incorporate an accordion into her routine, she began to develop the character into her iconic persona as the wisecracking “Love Goddess.” She regularly dressed in wild costumes made up of Aphrodite dresses,...

Popular stand-up comic Judy Tenuta, known to her fans as “The Love Goddess” and “Aphrodite of the Accordion,” died of ovarian cancer on Thursday afternoon in Los Angeles. She was 72.

Known for her acerbic humor, expletive-laden jokes, raspy voice and accordion, she was among the performers who fueled the popularity of live comedy in clubs, including the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, Laff Stop in Houston and Caroline’s in New York City.

Tenuta co-starred with Bruce Vilanch in the indie “Sister Mary,” and had small roles in “Gibsonburg” and Hillary and Haley Duff’s “Material Girls.” Her TV work included appearances in “General Hospital,” “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide” and “Corey in the House.” In addition to playing minor characters on “The Weird Al Show,” she was a regular in Al Yankovic’s comedy shorts and music videos.

On stage, she appeared in “The Vagina Monologues” and “Menopause the Musical” both in L.

Judy Tenuta, the quirky comedian known for playing the accordion and for her colorful characters, died Thursday at her home in Studio City, California, of ovarian cancer, according to her publicist. She was 72.

She had been battling stage 4 ovarian cancer as she detailed in her video “Judy Tenuta Kicks Cancer’s Ass,” which was shot at her home during the pandemic.

Tenuta was born on Nov. 7, 1949, in Oak Park, Illinois, where she grew up in a staunchly Irish Catholic neighborhood. She attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she majored in theater. Her interest in comedy took hold when she took an improv comedy class with the famed Chicago group The Second City, and she began opening for other comedians.

Her mother, a fan of Lawrence Welk, encouraged her to learn to play the accordion and Tenuta began incorporating it into her act. The accordion is currently on display...

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Judy Tenuta, the eclectic comedienne known as “The Love Goddess” and “Aphrodite of the Accordion” to her legions of fans, has died. She was 72.

Tenuta died Thursday at her home Studio City after a battle with stage 4 ovarian cancer, publicist Harlan Boll announced.

During her first solo stand-up performance, Tenuta shocked audiences by dressing up as the Virgin Mary, and after being encouraged by her friends to incorporate an accordion into her routine — an instrument her mother, a fan of Lawrence Welk, encouraged her to learn — she developed the character into the wisecracking “Love Goddess.”

Tenuta soon introduced the public to such other exaggerated, campy and offbeat personas as “The Petite Flower,” “Fashion-Plate Saint,” “Queen of Candy-Pants,” “Princess of Panty Shields,” “Empress of Elvis Impersonators” and “Buffer of Foreheads.”

Like “The Love Goddess” and “Aphrodite of the Accordion,” these characters sported an array...

This story about “Hacks” first appeared in the Down to the Wire issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.

Like all good stories about comedians, “Hacks,” the HBO Max series that stars Jean Smart as a fading Las Vegas comic, began on the road.

“We were actually on a road trip many years ago,” Jen Statsky, who co-created “Hacks” with Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello, said. “Paul was shooting his ‘The Characters’ special for Netflix, and Lucia and I were there to help out. And we just started talking about female comedians and women in the arts in general — women of a certain age who hadn’t really gotten their due, while their male counterparts had a seemingly much easier path and got recognition. We were talking about these iconic women who nevertheless kept pounding the pavement, got knocked down 1,000 times and got back up 1,001 times. And we just became fascinated with telling that story.

Shortly after “Hacks” premiered, one popular fan theory about the Jean Smart-led HBO Max comedy was that her stand-up comedian Deborah Vance was modeled after the late Joan Rivers.

After all, she was an older female comedian who experienced a lifetime in front of the camera, including an all-too-short tenure as a late-night TV host. TheWrap caught up with “Hacks” co-creators Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky a few hours after the show was nominated for 15 Emmy, and asked if they based Smart’s Las Vegas comedian Deborah Vance on anyone specific.

Here’s what they said.

“She’s an amalgamation of a lot of people,” said Downs, who also stars in the show as Deborah and Ava’s (Hannah Einbinder) manager. “She started as a stage act with her then partner, kind of like a Nichols and May. So there’s Elaine May in there. She...

April 10th is a big day at Showtime. The fifth season of the House of Lies TV series premieres 9:00pm Et/Pt. The series premiere of Dice follows at 9:30pm. Penny Dreadful's third season is up next at 10:00pm. House of Lies stars Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell, Ben Schwartz, Josh Lawson, Glynn Turman, and Donis Leonard Jr.

Dice stars Andrew Dice Clay and Kevin Corrigan, with guest stars Natasha Leggero, Lorraine Bracco, Adrien Brody, Michael Rapaport, Wayne Newton, Criss Angel, and Rita Rudner. The cast of Penny Dreadful includes Patti LuPone, Eva Green, Wes Studi, Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Shazad Latif, Simon Russell Beale, and Harry Treadaway.

Read More…...

Showtime has released key art for its new scripted Dice TV series. Check it out, above. Consisting of six half-hour episodes, the first season of Dice features the life of comedian, actor, and writer, Andrew Dice Clay.

The cast of Dice includes Clay, starring as himself. Also featured are Kevin Corrigan, with guest stars Natasha Leggero, Lorraine Bracco, Adrien Brody, Michael Rapaport, Wayne Newton, Criss Angel, and Rita Rudner. The single-camera comedy premieres this spring.

Read More…...

John Kreng is one of the most hard working actors/stuntman/fight and stunt corrdinators working in the industry today. Through his time working in the movie industry, John has worked with some of the very best which includes Jet Li, Yuen Wah, Tsui Hark, David Carradine, Steven Spielburg and many more outstanding talents.

John Kreng is also the author of the in depth book on screen fighting called Fight Choreography: The Art Of Non Verbal Dialogue, he was a cast member of The Jade Trader which went on to win the most outstanding cast performance award at the 10th Action on film, International film festival. John, also has years of Martial Arts experience behind him, dedicating his time learning many different styles and been taught by some of the very best masters from around the world (Which he will speak about in this interview).

John also worked on the...

Make people laugh and they won't even realize you're making them think. Over the past 50 years, women have broken through the glass ceiling time after time, shattering stereotypes and thumbing their noses at the old chestnut that "Women aren't funny." Fact: Anybody who says women aren't funny doesn't want them to be funny. We're looking back on the 50 funniest women of the past 50 years, their contributions to comedy, and their enduring legacies that inspire men and women alike. These are the 50 women who have helped (and are helping) to introduce the next class of hilarious women, which will inevitably include Amy Schumer, Lena Dunham, Mindy Kaling, Tig Notaro, Chelsea Handler, Maria Bamford, Aubrey Plaza, and Kate McKinnon. Keep in mind this list only includes women who are primarily performers in movies, television, and standup comedy. That's why you don't see legends like Nora Ephron, Anne Beatts, and Elaine May here.

Judy Gold attending as Nevada Ballet Theatre Celebrates It's 30th Anniversary of The Black Christopher Knight attending as Nevada Ballet Theatre Celebrates It's 30th Anniversary of The Black Mitzi Gaynor attending as Nevada Ballet Theatre Celebrates It's 30th Anniversary of The Black Florence Henderson, Mitzi Gaynor attending as Nevada Ballet Theatre Celebrates It's 30th Anniversary of The Black Mitzi Gaynor attending as Nevada Ballet Theatre Celebrates It's 30th Anniversary of The Black Rita Rudner, Florence Henderson - Nevada Ballet Theatre Celebrates It's 30th Anniversary of The Black & White Ball with Florence Henderson as It's Woman of the Year - Arrivals - Aria Resort and Casino - Las Vegas, Nv, USA © Prn / PRPhotos.com Barry Williams - Nevada...

The official signal of the American “holiday season” has begun: the Halloween inspired, spooky episodes of Fox’s Sunday comedies aired on October 6th. And while the new American Dad! may not have been as “absolutely incredible” as Rita Rudner’s hilarious live stand-up show, the episode tops last week’s premiere with a solid, Roger-heavy plot.

Francine hasn’t been properly satisfied by Stan for a couple of years, so the “bitter presence of Francine’s sexual frustration” aggressively begins to haunt the Smith home. With the help of “Ruby Zeldastein, medium to the other side,” (obviously, a Roger character) the family attempts to rid the house of the spirit. This clever plot offers a unique tale for the cartoon in its ninth season, while developing simultaneously building Stan and Francine’s relationship and offering one of my now-favorite Roger characters.

And again, just like last week’s episode,...

On TV this Wednesday: NBC’s Olympic coverage leads into a special preview of its fall sitcom Go On, Dallas sews up a soapy and satisfying first season, Top Chef Masters wonders “What Would Brian Boitano Stew?” and Futurama goes free will hunting. Here are nine programs to keep on your radar.

8 pm 2012 Summer Olympics (NBC) | On tap for tonight: Diving, track and field and the women’s beach volleyball final.

8 pm Melissa & Joey (ABC Family) | Veteran stand-up comedienne Rita Rudner guest-stars as Mel’s mother, whose visit throws her daughter into a tizzy that Joe inadvertently makes worse.

Related...

When Rita Rudner makes a home movie, she doesn't mess around.

The endearing stand-up comic and sometime actress stars in "Thanks," a wry ensemble comedy making its national debut Thursday, March 29, on Showtime, in tandem with her latest comedy special, "Rita Rudner and 3 Potential Ex-Husbands."

In the film, Rudner plays Bunny, a good-hearted woman who has recently married into a dysfunctional clan headed by a crusty widower (sitcom veteran Paul Dooley). The film plays out as the older couple, his three adult children and their mates gather for three successive Thanksgivings while the country slides into a messy economic meltdown.

Rudner is also an executive producer on the film, which was written and directed by her husband, Martin Bergman, who cast the rest of the film with largely unknown members of a Southern California improvisational comedy troupe he and Rudner had worked with previously.

Describing "Thanks" as small and intimate...

Shall we have a small screen comment diversion? There are two things in particular that are urging this post on. One: Gwyneth Paltrow as "Holly Holiday" wisecracking sexed up substitute teacher on Glee and Raja's increasingly commendable and now movie-spoofing creativity on RuPaul's Drag Race.

Let's take Raja first. Rita Rudner, who was the guest judge and comedy coach for this week's challenge (developing a comedy routine), was worried that people wouldn't have seen Carrie (1976) "I haven't seen it in 40 years" and therefore wouldn't get Raja's references. Oh Rita; the gays have seen Carrie! It's maybe not as obsessively worshipped as Baby Jane but it's up there. Raja came out wearing this.

Raja as Carrie, Raja as Herself

They're all going to laugh at you! (On purpose.)

I don't want to stress how much I love Raja and did long before he started referencing great movies like...

Monday night on RuPaul’s Drag Race, the queens brought out their best stand-up routines. Shangela reigned triumphant by concocting a character that blended pimp and ho into one delectably raucous package. (“They say, ‘Laqueefa, where your ho’s at?’ I say, ‘B****, don’t you see I’m wearing four pair of hose right here holding back my [bleep]?!’”) Manila Luzon fell flat by digging in the mothballs for some jokes about the gay subtext of PBS’ children’s programming. But it was Delta Work who was (rightfully) sent packing after making some thuddingly awful rape jokes that produced the...

Why did the drag queen cross the road?

These and other comedy mysteries are deciphered in this week’s Drag Ya Later as we examine last night’s stand-up comedy themed RuPaul's Drag Race episode!!!

Along the way we heard a bit of “reading” (which was cute, but we needed some Laotian spoken up in here!), and we learned that fat suits can pay off, poop jokes are perennial, and birds of a feather sometimes just can’t fly. Oh, and Rita Rudner showed up! Where the hell has she been lately???

And yes, Alexis Mateo sported some serious knockers. But best of all was that in Untucked, we saw a more human side to one of this season’s toughest queens, and we learned once and for all (well, almost) how a queen uses duct tape to its greatest advantage.

Just watch our mad, messy recap to make sense of it all…...

When RuPaul brought last season’s first cast-off, Shangela Laquifa Wadley, back into the Drag Race fold in this season’s premiere episode, no one, least of all me, had too high of hopes for the queen. There was a collective “why” from the Drag Race-watching community. We’d seen the woefully under-prepared Shangela peter out and generally be annoying last season — and as I just mentioned, she managed to squash any goodwill she had in just one measly episode.

But somewhere during the current season, surprisingly, Shangela turned into a drag force to be reckoned with. That infectiousness...

In the next episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race," the queens have to be funny. If you watch the behind-the-scenes show, "Untucked," that wouldn't seem like a challenge at all. 

But, it definitely has some queens worried. We guess we'd be too if we had to do stand-up in front of a live audience and legendary comedienne Rita Rudner and "Madtv's" Arden Myrin were judging.

There are several reasons we love the sneak peek clip below. First, Yara worries about whether she can bring out the funny in herself. Then, Shangela does Shangela and makes the coversation all about her. The best part comes later! RuPaul comes in to help the gals out and Carmen wonders if one, she's "Jersey" and if, two, being "Jersey" is a joke. Um...

Watch the preview below:

RuPaul's Drag Race - RuPaul - Logo: Fierce TV

"RuPaul's Drag Race" airs Mondays at 10 p.m.

Chicago – Ellen DeGeneres has always been a woman of many hats. Whether taking a seat as host (or featured dancer) on her Emmy Award-winning talk show “The Ellen Degeneres Show”, offering musical insight to hopefuls on “American Idol”, or lending her voice to the Lgbt community, DeGeneres has become a trailblazer of the entertainment industry. Now at the height of a career that spans over two decades, DeGeneres returns to Chicago for TBS Presents “Just For Laughs” with her fourth variety show spectacular, “Ellen’s Somewhat Special Special”. A follow-up to last year’s sold-out turn, this year’s production is packed with performances by Lady Antebellum, Nick Cannon, and a slew of acrobats. The funny lady recently caught up with HollywoodChicago.com to discuss her much anticipated return to the Windy City.

Ellen DeGeneres

Photo courtesy of Ellen DeGeneres

HollywoodChicago: What aspects of Chicago will you incorporate into the...

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas—unless you're the president of the United States. I just got the scoop on President Obama's overnight in Sin City. Where did he stay? What did he eat? What celebs was he hanging with? Read on for all the details! Obama checked into Caesars Palace at about 5 p.m. yesterday. He is said to have ordered a steak from the hotel's Neros restaurant. Then it was off to a fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Harry Reid's re-election campaign and the Nevada Democratic Party. I'm told Obama met backstage with comedian Rita Rudner and Bette Midler, who had performed during the gala. The Divine Miss M presented the president with two ukuleles for the first...

Comic Relief: The Greatest… And The Latest DVD collection plays host to the best 20 years of Comic Relief and includes uncensored performances from Comic Relief 2006, which helped raise funds for Hurricane Katrina victims and animal rescue operations.

Featuring the greatest and the latest from Billy Crystal, Whoopi, Robin Williams, Lewis Black, Dane Cook, John Candy, Jennifer Coolidge, George Carlin, Mike Epps, Jim Carrey, Susie Essman, Dave Chappelle, D.L. Hughley, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, Eugene Levy, Richard Lewis, George Lopez, Jon Lovitz, Bill Maher, Howie Mandel, Dennis Miller, Dudley Moore, Catherine O'Hara, Jeremy Piven, Harold Ramis, Carl Reiner, Chris Rock, Ray Romano, Rita Rudner, Bob Saget, Gary Schandling, Martin Short, Sarah Silverman, Jon Stewart, Fred Willard, Steven Wright and more!

Take a look at a clip from The Daily Show featuring the comedic talents of both Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert that appears on the Comic Relief DVD.

Donny Osmond has been tapped to host the Travel Channel's two-hour special Vegas Turns 100. The special, produced by Clear Channel Entertainment Television, will tape July 2 and will air July 7. The show, featuring special musical guests the Red Hot Chili Peppers, will include interviews and behind-the-scenes visits with such Vegas fixtures as Cher, Gladys Knight, Penn & Teller, Celine Dion, Rita Rudner, Tom Jones, Tony Bennett, Blue Man Group, Wayne Newton, Elton John and Rod Stewart.

Rodney Dangerfield, who forged a comic career out of the self-mocking admission "I don't get no respect," died Tuesday at UCLA Medical Center in Westwood from a stroke and other complications following heart valve replacement surgery in August. He was 82. Dangerfield had lapsed into a coma following his Aug. 25 surgery but came out of it during the past week, according to his wife, Joan. "When Rodney emerged, he kissed me, squeezed my hand and smiled for his doctors," Joan Dangerfield said in a statement. Dangerfield made his mark as a comedian in a variety of ways, from top-selling albums and books to films and TV appearances, particularly his frequent visits to The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson or his famed Manhattan comedy club, Dangerfield's, which helped pave the way for the comedy club explosion of the 1970s and '80s. Dangerfield's trademark white shirt and red tie are on display at the Smithsonian Institution. Dangerfield also helped launch the careers of many of today's top comics through the series of Young Comedians specials he hosted for HBO in the 1980s, which featured such budding stars as Tim Allen, Jerry Seinfeld, Roseanne Barr, Jim Carrey, Sam Kinison, Louie Anderson, Jeff Foxworthy, Bob Saget, Rita Rudner and Robert Townsend.

This film was originally reviewed on Sept. 18 at the Toronto Festival of Festivals. It opens Christmas Day.

In Hollywood-ese, it might be dismissed as ''The Return of the Oxford Six'' or ''The Big Fog, '' but ''Peter's Friends'' is a bubbly rebottling of a new-vintage story form -- the reunion of old college mates. Stylish, witty and smartly framed by Kenneth Branagh, this Samuel Goldwyn Co. film is likely to shine on the select-site circuit.

This time the get-together is at an English country estate, the recent inheritance of Peter Stephen Fry), a 30-ish bachelor who lives alone, looked after only by his longtime cook and servant (Phyllida Law). An unsold playwright, Peter gamely calls six college chums, all fellow artsy types, to gather to bring in the New Year 1992.

It's been 10 long years since they've all been together and all have gone in different but predictable directions: Recovering-alcoholic writer Andrew (Branagh) brings along his hideous, Hollywood-star wife (Rita Rudner); sexually insatiable costume designer Sarah (Alphonsia Emmanuel) tosses in with her latest conquest (Tony Slattery); songsters Roger (Hugh Laurie) and Mary (Imelda Staunton), now married, tote along the grief of a child loss; while lonely book editor Maggie (Emma Thompson) arrives light, with her smidgen of self-esteem.

While spoilsports may niggle that some of the main characters' personal and emotional baggage seem lifted from a trendy trunk of pop psychology books, screenwriters Rita Rudner and Martin Bergman have brilliantly and thoughtfully presented a full house of credible and sympathetic human beings. Befitting the brainy and talented characters, the dialogue is terrifically balmy and clever but the wit and verbal alacrity are not merely cosmetic sheens for a surface entertainment -- ''Peter's Friends, '' at its story core, is a kind but piercing look at some very troubled hearts.

Branagh's direction is diffidently dazzling: in this case, a stiff upper lip properly braced by an impish wit. Throughout, ''Peter's Friends'' is devilishly alive and kicking, expertly goosed by the top-notch technical team. Tim Harvey's production design is hilariously resonant in its individual particulars, while Susan Coates and Stephanie Collie's smart and silly costuming makes true and lasting character impressions. Under Branagh's deft and playful hand, the musical selections, from Cyndi Lauper to Tina Turner, kick in some playfully telling contrapuntal punch.

The superbly selected ensemble is a uniform delight, everyone wondrously capturing their characters' being, warts and all. Special plaudits to Fry as the gracious but burdened host and to Emmanuel as the desperately promiscuous costumer. In the grand old tradition of wise and dry English servantry, Law is a droll delight.

(c) The Hollywood Reporter...