
‘The White Lotus' Season 3, Episode 7 recap: Rick has his showdown
'The White Lotus,' Mike White's black comedy anthology series, is back on HBO for a third season. Times staffers love an escape, but since we can't take a trip to Thailand to stay at a luxury resort, the next best thing is to immerse ourselves in the new season. Follow along with us for each episode as we discuss theories, observations and our favorite moments leading up to the finale. (Read our recaps: Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, and Episode 6.)
The knockout blows and roundhouse kicks of Muay Thai fighting hit 'The White Lotus' this week — with flashes of a fight spliced throughout the episode — but the more intense combat was happening outside of the ring for our gaggle of rattled characters.
The episode picks up with Rick (Walton Goggins) and Frank's (Sam Rockwell) arrival at the Bangkok home Sritala (Lek Patravadi) shares with her husband Jim (Scott Glenn) — Rick's target in the plan to avenge his father's death. And it's as hilariously unplanned as you'd expect from two dudes who can make a catch-up session between friends feel like a fever dream. Wearing a baseball cap with the Lowe's logo, Steven (Frank's alias as the fictional director in this Hollywood movie scheme) is totally winging this meeting. What has he directed? Uh ... 'What haven't I directed? Mostly action films. 'The Enforcer.' 'The Executor.' 'The Notary' — that was a trilogy.' What's the role in this so-called movie that he wants Sritala to portray? 'She is a former prostitute, now a madam, and she owns a popular bordello.' Wait, isn't the role supposed to be based on her? And has he seen any of her past work? Name 'em!
It's no wonder Frank quickly ditches the herbal tea and requests whiskey for the improv work he has to do. But was giving up his sobriety worth it? Then, when Chelsea's 50-year-old child Rick does get Jim alone, he doesn't make use of the gun he swore he wouldn't bring. But closure can take many forms. An affected Rick carries out his revenge by simply knocking back a seated Jim to the floor. With that out of the way, Rick and Frank, who is ditching his performative Buddhist mindset for the evening, party. Chelsea's calls, meanwhile, go unanswered.
Back in the hills of Thailand, Greg/Gary's (Jon Gries) bash is unfolding. With some encouragement from her curious son, Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) makes the most insane decision ever and willingly places herself inside the home of the man she believes may be responsible for Tanya McQuoid's death. Greg/Gary asks to speak to her in private, where he insists he isn't involved in Tanya's death. Really! To prove how much of a non-murderer he is, he offers Belinda $100,000 — because Tanya would have wanted that — to help fulfill her dream of opening a spa and in exchange, she'd honor 'his peace.' Belinda tells him she'll think about it. (To quote the great Oda Mae Brown: 'You in danger, girl.')
Other party-goers were experiencing their own internal conflicts. Saxon (Patrick Schwarzenegger), flying solo while his siblings are spending the night at the Buddhist center, is there with his parents. After receiving a reality check from Chelsea (Aimee Lou Wood) about his future as a loser back home, Saxon pulls his dad aside to figure out why he's been acting strange. Saxon asks whether things are OK at work, emphasizing that he has nothing else going for him because he doesn't have any interests or hobbies — sorry you had to hear it from us, blender — a medicated Tim, knowing his wife would rather be dead than poor, says everything is fine. Meanwhile, Victoria (Parker Posey) tries to rescue a woman dating an LBH (loser back home) at the party, inviting her to North Carolina.
Things aren't any more relaxing at the resort — no matter how much Fabian's vocal cords worked to soothe guests. Our favorite trio couldn't smile through another dinner, and a passive-aggressive showdown, reminiscent of the recent season finale of 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,' begins. The conversation is particularly tense between Jaclyn (Michelle Monaghan) and Laurie (Carrie Coon). Laurie storms off, determined to go to the Muay Thai fight Valentin invited them to. While there, she cozies up to one of Valentin's friends and goes home with him, only to be propositioned for $10,000 post-coitus — to pay off the debts of his sick mom, you see.
At the same fight, Gaitok (Tayme Thapthimthong) — finally on his date with Mook (Lalisa Manobal), who expresses her disappointment at his indifference to ambition and power over dinner — has a light-bulb moment when he spots Valentin and his friends. He recognizes their features and tattoos as those of the masked men who raided the resort. Is this his shot to muster some courage and impress Mook?
Now it's time for Greg Braxton, Mary McNamara and Yvonne Villarreal, platinum-status members of 'The White Lotus' frequent guest program, to break it all down.
Who do we think is the corpse this week? Will Tim's realization that the gun is missing be more foreboding than Gaitok possibly leveling up as a security guard?
McNamara: The corpse is me because I am done trying to pretend that it makes any sense at all that the Ratliffs are all still without their cellphones. I mean Chelsea is on her phone constantly so it's clearly not a resort rule and there is NO WAY that Tim and Saxon, who clearly knows something is up at work, would not have retrieved theirs. But I am now very worried that the corpse is Rick because there is no way Jim is going to take being shoved over lying down. I mean, did you see all those bodyguards? Still, I'm sticking with Gaitok, particularly after his recognition of the wily Russians as the robbers and Mook's goading him toward violence. (Red flag, Gaitok. Big red flag.)
Braxton: I've been kind of non-committal for a while on the corpse question, but I will throw out a few theories. I think it's a pretty safe bet that Jim is going to return with Sritala to the White Lotus and track down Rick. He is not the type to take his wife being humiliated and deceived lying down, pardon the pun. When you pull a gun on a guy like him, you better freaking use it, or there will be payback. Also you don't hire Scott Glenn for one episode. Although he will want to kill Rick, he also might kill Chelsea, bringing to fruition her 'bad things come in threes' prophecy.
Villarreal: This week's episode also has me thinking Gaitok is surely the corpse. His desire to impress Mook is going to have a tragic outcome — or as our Greg loves to say, 'it will all end in tears.' But how? I'm not sure. I know there are a lot of questionable characters this season, but there's something about Fabian I just can't shake. And it's not just that he's a terrible hotel manager or that I'd rather hear the sounds of Saxon's blender than be serenaded by him. The man seems destined to do something shady or stupid or both.
Let's talk about the Rick and Frank show. What did you think about their meeting at the Hollingers' home and what followed afterward?
McNamara: Again, Rockwell steals the show (I am dying for a cinematic trilogy of 'The Enforcer,' 'The Executioner' and 'The Notary.') Again, I am struck by the lack of believability — I get that Sritala is supposed to be starstruck by Power of Hollywood etc., but when it becomes clear that Frank didn't even bother to do a quick Google, her lack of suspicion is very much at odds with all those bodyguards. As is Rick and Frank's lack of concern after they left — I mean, isn't Rick a little worried that he has to go back to Sritala's hotel? Maybe she shoots him. I'm also very sad that Frank lost his sobriety.
Braxton: So Rick has been obsessed with getting his revenge on the man who murdered his father. It's the defining core of his grief and pain. The big moment is finally here, but instead of being prepared with a solid plan, he wings it, not even taking time to give Frank some advice or background on Sritala so he can play his filmmaker ruse convincingly. What did they talk about on the boat over? It makes no sense. Sritala and her husband seem smart enough to spot an impostor, but they do nothing. And what was the trigger behind Frank tossing aside his sobriety and Buddhist devotion so fast and diving back into depravity? I call it another case of Emmy bait.
Villarreal: First of all, the Lowe's baseball cap that adorned Frank's head had my full attention — that small detail left me wanting an entire backstory on how it came into his possession. But on to important matters: The lack of planning to carry out Rick's grand plan was so hilariously perfect to me. I don't know why I expected these dudes to deliver anything less than a terribly executed plan — Rick's meeting with Sritala to set the home visit in the first place proved he was terrible at lying. Maybe his catch-up session with Frank left him too dazed to remember the need for a very basic Plan 101 conversation? Frank at least tried his best to improvise, but to see his sobriety quickly dissipate at the stress of it all was indeed bittersweet. Their ensuing escapade will surely reach doom levels. Am I as delusional as Chelsea to believe Rick will come to his senses before he gets in too deep?
Chelsea made another sweet (or sad?) declaration of her love for Rick. But will he be her doom? Also, she and Saxon share some interesting moments in this episode. What's going on there?
McNamara: Chelsea clearly likes her men damaged and brooding and Rick has become, quite frankly, a bore. So if tragedy strikes the Ratliff family, Saxon could become her next sad-boy soulmate. Or Tim, for that matter.
Braxton: Chelsea + Saxon = yawn. Chelsea's constant whining and pining for Rick was getting old a few episodes ago. Now it just seems pathetic and doomed. She needs therapy.
Villarreal: I dunno. The parallels between Rick and Chelsea's reactions in last week's episode — Rick in hearing Frank's monologue; Chelsea in processing Saxon's lack of memory over the activities he engaged in with his brother — has me believing they are soulmates. I know her declaration about wanting to heal Rick and her being the hope to his pain is the sort of thing that would cause a friend to tell her to run for the hills, but I hope they make it out alive and live happily ever after. And I hope Saxon reads the books and finds his soul.
Chloe's wild story about Greg/Gary's weird fetish — what is Mike White trying to say about sex with all these moments?
McNamara: Well, I didn't believe Chloe's story for one minute. I have no idea if or why Greg/Gary wanted them to have sex, but all of Saxon's jaded alpha-maleness certainly fell away in this episode. Still, with the exception of Belinda (and by extension, her son), I don't have much of an emotional connection with any of this season's characters, so I have no idea what White is trying to say about anything. I am, however, very curious to see how he's going to pull any of these threads together in the finale.
Braxton: The way she told the fetish story was so creepy. And Chelsea seemed to be approving of it. Once again, I feel there's a lot of effort to be provocative this season without any real texture or meaning. I hope there's something by the finale that will make it all make sense. But I'm losing hope.
Villarreal: The storytelling from some of these characters has me flashing back to 'Are you Afraid of the Dark?' I love how Chelsea took it all in like it was a moderate level of crazy but not completely bonkers. I feel like Chloe is trying to set up a scenario that would set Greg/Gary off, but I don't know why.
The volcano of tension between the three frenemies finally erupted. But will it actually end their friendship?
McNamara: Well, I'm quite worried about Laurie at the moment — I'm not trusting that cab she jumped into. And should she survive the journey, I am wondering if Jaclyn will just stick her with the White Lotus bill.
Braxton: It's really hard to root for a kumbaya moment with these three. And none of them seem to be having a good time.
Villarreal: If ever there was a moment to call a truce among friends, it's to share the WTF moment of a guy asking for $10,000 after sex — and suggesting she can PayPal or Zelle it for ease, no less! If they all make it out of this trip alive, I don't think this unpleasant excursion will end anything. It'll just be another blip they'll gloss over when recounting their stay and continue on like passive-aggressive besties until the next one. I, however, would like to know what happened with Dave!
And what did you think of Aleksei's request for $10,000?
McNamara: I need to know if he asked Jaclyn for same and if she gave it to him.
Villarreal: Yes, I also wondered if this is a scheme with this guy group! How long before Tim considers this approach to rebuilding his fortune?
What did you think of the exchange between Greg/Gary and Belinda? Should she take the deal?
McNamara: Please call the police, Belinda. Like, now.
Braxton: First of all, Belinda should have played it much smarter: 'First of all, make it $300,000, throw in that yacht and have your lawyer call my lawyer so we can get all this on paper. And if anything ever happens to me, my son will send all the dirt on you to the New York Times.' Not sure why she's so concerned about what happened to Tanya, who was a neurotic mess, heartlessly crushing her dreams of owning a business.
Villarreal: I thought it was insane he was only offering her $100,000 in the year 2025. Like, hello? Maybe he went to the same University of Grand Planning that Rick attended. I did enjoy the way Natasha played that scene, clutching the purse and processing with eye blinks as he spoke. Belinda should definitely not take the deal — unless some more zeros are added to it. But, Greg B., if Belinda did accept Greg/Gary's bid for her silence, and uses that money to open her spa, in a dark way, Tanya did help finance her dreams.
Lochy tells Piper he wants to join her in moving to Thailand — surprised? And, more importantly, what's your take on Piper's reaction to his decision?
McNamara: Piper wants to get away from her family and for Buddhism to be her thing. That was the most believable thing in the whole episode.
Braxton: Piper loves her brother, but she wants a break from her whole family. That is more important than the Buddhism thing.
Villarreal: This whole family needs distance from each other. I do find it a little weird how quickly Piper was set off by his proposal, considering how much she welcomes his company anytime else.
Who gets your Best Facial Expression award this week?
McNamara: Victoria, when the young woman protests that she actually loves her LBH husband. That incredulous double flinch/blink. Priceless.
Braxton: Gaitok's 'eureka' moment when he recognizes the thugs.
Villarreal: To avoid repeats, I'll go with Frank's reaction to watching a young Sritala perform. When he sincerely offers his thoughts on it — 'I mean, it's like MC Hammer, Peter Pan. It's got a little Pippin.' — is pretty great, but it's the way he tilts his head back with his sigh of 'ahhh' as she says, 'It's the folk music and the rap music,' that's gold.
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‘The Last of Us' Creator Neil Druckmann on Directing Pedro Pascal's Last Episode, That Pearl Jam Song and Catherine O'Hara's ‘Beautiful' Improvisation
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The finale is, well, the finale, while Episode 6 is a flashback that covers how Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) became so estranged from each other between the events of Season 1 and Season 2. More from Variety 'The Last of Us' Guest Star Joe Pantoliano on Filming That Heartbreaking Final Scene and Forgetting Pedro Pascal Pedro Pascal Says 'F-- the People That Try to Make You Scared' When Asked About U.S. Political Chaos: 'Fight Back. Don't Let Them Win' 'Eddington' Review: Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal Square Off in Ari Aster's Brazenly Provocative Western Thriller, Set During the Pandemic the Film Says Made America Lose Its Mind Ultimately, it was Pascal who kind of made the decision for Druckmann. Since Episode 6 constitutes his final full episode of the series, the actor requested that Druckmann direct it. 'It just made sense,' Druckmann says. 'I'm excited about doing an episode that had no action, which is almost the inverse of what I did last time. So I just felt like, this will be a good challenge.' More crucially for Druckmann, he realized that Episode 6 'is what the story is all about.' Taking place on Ellie's birthday over successive years, the episode depicts how she and Joel, now fully a part of the tight-knit community of Jackson, Wyoming, have fallen into a new, uneasy rhythm as adoptive father and daughter. For her 15th birthday, Joel makes Ellie a cake and builds her a new guitar, only to have his plans turned upside down after Ellie deliberately burns her arm where she'd been bitten by an infected, so she could finally wear short sleeve shirts again. For her 16th birthday, Joel takes her to a long forgotten natural history museum that still has many of its exhibits more-or-less intact, including the space capsule from the Apollo 15 moon landing — almost exactly like the fan-favorite scene from the video game. 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My life would have fucking mattered, but you took that from me!' Joel, sobbing now, is resigned to the consequences of his choices, but he doesn't regret them. 'If somehow I had a second chance at that moment, I would do it all over again,' he says. 'Because I love you. In a way you can't understand.' There's a long silence. 'I don't think I can forgive you for this,' Ellie says. 'But I would like to try.' For anyone who has played 'The Last of Us Part II,' the timing of this breathtaking scene between Joel and Ellie is shocking, since it comes at the very end of the game, after far more has transpired for all of the characters. Druckmann explained to Variety why he, Mazin and Gross chose to move that scene so far up for the show. He also discussed what guided their thinking about the new scenes between Joel and Ellie on her birthdays, his emotional reaction to seeing locations from the game created in real life — and what happened when O'Hara disagreed with his direction for the scene in which Gail slaps Joel. We wanted this episode for Ellie to find out definitively that Joel lied. In the game, we did in a very different way, where she traveled all the way back to the hospital and found documentation. It felt like we would be stretching the reality of the world and how dangerous it is on the show compared to the game. But also, looking at documents and exploring that space, I don't know if that makes as compelling of a drama for a TV show. The engine for the show is a little different than the engine for an interactive experience. So that ultimately led to the whole Eugene sequence. Because we were spending more time in Jackson than we were in the game, we came up with way more ideas than what ended up in the show. But each one of those was vetted through this lens of the arc we wanted, where they start out in this much better place. They know there's a lie, but they're trying to move past it, and then this thing just weighs on them and their relationship. Each step you feel like it's pushing them apart. That was the most important thing that we needed out every sequence, to drill that home. It started with conversation in the game, which was, Joel is oblivious, and mistakes Ellie's friendship with Jesse for something more. I believe that's something Halley wrote — it's so long ago now, I forget. We really wanted to keep that here, and then take it a step further. He finds out [Ellie is gay] in the game when she kisses Dina on the dance floor. Here, it felt like there's an opportunity to show more of Ellie's evolution of becoming a teenager in Jackson, and for that misunderstanding to create more of a rift between them. But also show evolution, forgiveness, movement — you could feel how much Joel is trying. He gets things wrong. It's the first time he's [parenting] a teenager at this age, but he's trying to accommodate all the things that Ellie wants. She wants to move to the garage, and even though he doesn't want her to, he gives it to her. She gets this tattoo, and she does drugs, and it infuriates him. And then he's looking at her tattoo, and he says, This looks better than the one I've done on the guitar. He's trying. She wants to go on patrols, and eventually he yields on that. Almost everything she wants, he gives it to her, and it's never enough, because ultimately their friction is not about any one of those things. Well, I'm not sure when it was written. You'd have to ask Eddie Vedder that. However, it did come out to the public in 2013, and it is anachronistic in that it should not exist in our timeline. Initially, when we were making this episode, there would have been a different song. As we were exploring it, just felt like we were prioritizing the wrong thing, this timeline of events and when things would be available. Clearly, we're not in the same timeline as our universe, so we have some leeway. And that song felt so important. Because it was in the game, because it has so much association, not only for fans, but even for myself, we changed course. The thing that we thought we cared about, we ultimately didn't care about, and the emotional truth of the song was more important than the timeline truth of the world that we live in. No. When we were making the game, I knew that scene should exist. I didn't know where it goes. That was true for all the flashbacks. Even pretty late in production of the game, we were moving those flashbacks around. In talking about it with Craig, it's the first time I really thought about the time between seasons. So much of writing is set ups and payoffs, and we would have set certain things up that get paid off years later. That felt too long, especially because this season focuses so much on Ellie's journey and this emotional truth of what did she know? What didn't she know? To wait additional years until Season 3 will come out — or maybe even Season 4, it depends where all the events land and how many seasons we have — I was easily convinced by Craig that that would be too long. It was a day's worth of conversation of us wrestling with it. The way I work is, when a suggestion like that is made, I say, 'Let's play it through.' I just assume that it's correct, and then we play it through and not only talk about this season, but talk about the future seasons, and then say, does it make sense? If the answer is yes, we go with it. If the answer is no, we either keep wrestling with it until we find another solution, or we just go back to how it was in the game. [Long pause] That's right. We knew we had this Eugene mystery, and we had so many iterations on it of just what that sequence should be about. There were versions that had all this action and fighting and shooting infected, and much smaller versions. It went from me to Hallie to Craig, from me to Hallie to Craig. It just didn't feel right for a long time, until we landed on him lying to her about killing Eugene. and then everything just fell into place, as far as, like, Oh, this is how she'll know. It felt like such a dramatic way for her to figure things out. As far as shooting that scene, if no one knew the lie, what I like about that scene is he's being very considerate. Would you want to tell Gail that he wanted to see her, almost in this pitiful way, and I still had to put him down, because those are the rules, and that's the way to keep you safe? Sometimes you could buy the argument that the lie is better than the truth, right? But for Ellie, it wasn't, because of everything else that has come before, because she saw that he betrayed her trust. That meant more than just this moment, it meant that everything that Ellie was worried about, the survival guilt that she's felt all the way back to Season 1 of needing to justify Riley's death and Tessa's death and Henry and Sam and all these people who died along the way so that something good can come of it at the end. It's almost in that moment she realizes nothing good came out of it. That's not entirely true, but that's how she feels about it. So it was just important that all the actors knew the truth they're going into it, and for it to be genuinely shocking. If I may, I just want to sing Catherine O'Hara's praises. It was one of my favorite directing moments. In the scene, she slaps Joel, and then in his shame, he's supposed to take a few steps back. We were struggling with it. It just felt artificial. It felt rehearsed. Initially, there were no lines of dialogue for that little moment. I went to Catherine, and said, 'I think we need to do something else here. I don't know what. What if, like, his proximity to this body is somehow desecrating it now that you know the truth, and if you want, you could yell at him to get away?' And she's like, 'Oh, I'm not so sure. I like the beauty of there being no dialogue.' And I'm like, 'Please, just try it. If it doesn't work, we'll go back to the other version. But I always like experimenting, just shaking it up in some way.' So I asked her to yell to get away. I thought that would motivate Pedro [to step back]. Instead, she almost did the opposite. It was so beautiful. She goes inside [herself] and starts sobbing, and begs him to please get away in this very soft spoken voice. I'm like, Oh, my God, that's so much better than what I asked for. 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Though Eddie Redmayne currently stars in 'The Day of the Jackal,' one of the most acclaimed new shows of the year, he still has time to check out other television programs – including the buzzy HBO hit 'The White Lotus.' But the Oscar winner isn't throwing his hat into the casting ring for an upcoming season. 'I'm too paranoid about butchering the things I love,' he tells Variety's Awards Circuit Podcast. 'There are some things you don't want to see yourself in because you don't want to ruin it.' Even the fact that the show shoots in beautiful locations isn't enough to convince the actor. 'You say that, but also you have to be topless for the entire thing. And if you're pasty and moley like me…I just don't think the world needs to see my pallid body.' More from Variety YouTube Star Michelle Khare Successfully Petitions to Join Primetime Emmys With 'Challenge Accepted' (EXCLUSIVE) Julianne Hough on 'Dancing With the Stars,' Her Return to Dance and Why She's Hungrier Than Ever 'The Daily Show's' Ronny Chieng on Recently Becoming a U.S. Citizen: 'It's a Weird Time to Do It' On this episode, Redmayne discusses what drew him to that Peacock series. Also, the Roundtable is coming from New York, as Mike and Clayton recount the week's worth of TV upfront presentations – including Warner Bros. Discovery's decision to reinstate the 'HBO Max' name to Max, and also what was Lady Gaga doing at the YouTube upfront event? Listen below! 'Jackal' has already netted Redmayne nominations from the Golden Globes, Critics Choice and SAG Awards. The spy thriller based on the Frederick Forsyth novel was previously adapted into a 1973 film starring Edward Fox as the titular assassin. Redmayne had grown up watching the film and, as previously noted, was hesitant to take on something he loved. But when he was sent the first three scripts by showrunner Ronan Bennett, he was quickly actor notes that having come up in the theater, he was somewhat accustomed to taking on roles previously played by others – such as in the film adaptation of 'Les Misérables' or his recent, Olivier Award-winning, Tony-nominated turn as the Emcee in 'Cabaret,' which he cites as the role that 'got me into acting.' In fact, recreating a role is part of a long tradition in the theater. 'But that's the same whenever you play Shakespeare part, you know?' he notes. 'I did 'Richard II' at the Donmar Warehouse and there was literally the Richard II seat where all the other actors who had played Richard – Ian McKellan, Derek Jacobi, Ben Whishaw – would come and sit in the seat. It was always, 'Oh Christ, there's another icon!''Redmayne finds himself in that position now as a producer on 'Cabaret,' which is continuing runs both on Broadway and the West End. He often returns to see the other actors, from Billy Porter to Mason Alexander Park. 'I've taken such joy going back and watching them all,' he said. 'Seeing how every different Emcee and Sally brings their own individuality and own kind of charisma to the part.' Redmayne himself garnered quite the response when he performed the opening number on last year's Tony Awards, as viewers got the see the sinister, marionette-like Emcee in close-up. One comment referred to him as 'my sleep paralysis demon,' which is a testament to how unsettling the character is supposed to be. 'I don't know if that was meant to be taken as a positive, but I took it as a positive,' Redmayne reveals. 'I saw him as a grotesque, and he's meant to make you feel uncanny and uncomfortable. There was a sort of puppeteering quality to him – was he the puppet or was he the puppeteer?'It was actually when Redmayne was doing 'Cabaret' in London that 'Jackal' came to him – and the timing was impeccable, as the actor had been toying with an idea for a series. 'One of the weird things about doing theater is every night, someone extraordinary would come and see the show – politicians or the Royal Family or actors – and you'd meet them,' he recalls. 'And I thought, Wouldn't it be interesting if you had a sort of actor who was sort of a spy, but living in plain sight? And had access to all these people. It was an idea that was germinating. And then this arrived.' Redmayne calls the role 'an actor's dream,' noting 'all the stuff that we all love -getting to change your voice and do accents and do languages and change the way you look – it had everything.' Of all the people who visited Redmayne backstage, he was most caught off guard by Janet Jackson coming to his dressing room, noting that he and the cast were 'completely obsessed.' He adds, 'I think she's such an inspiring performer, and I just couldn't get over the fact that she loved the show and kept coming back.' Variety's 'Awards Circuit' podcast, hosted by Clayton Davis, Jazz Tangcay, Emily Longeretta, Jenelle Riley and Michael Schneider, who also produces, is your one-stop source for lively conversations about the best in film and television. Each episode, 'Awards Circuit' features interviews with top film and TV talent and creatives, discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines, and much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. 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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
HBO and CNN owner Warner Bros Discovery to split in two
The owner of CNN and HBO Max, Warner Bros Discovery, says it will split into two companies by the middle of next year. The US media giant plans to separate its studio and streaming business away from its more traditional cable television networks. The move comes as streaming services attract hundreds of millions of users around the world but cable TV has seen audiences decline in recent years. HBO Max has enjoyed success with shows including Succession, The White Lotus and The Last of Us - while channels like CNN have been losing viewers. These hit shows will soon come under a new Streaming & Studios business, along with the company's film division and be headed by Mr Zaslav. The other new company will be called Global Networks - with CNN, Discovery and TNT Sports amongst its brands. This business will be led by Warner Bros Discovery's chief financial officer, Gunnar Wiedenfels. "We are empowering these iconic brands with the sharper focus and strategic flexibility they need to compete most effectively in today's evolving media landscape", said David Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery president and chief executive. The splitting of the media conglomerate follows the 2022 merger that created Warner Bros Discovery. News of the split did little to improve Warner Bros Discovery's stock market performance. Shares were down nearly 3% in trading on Monday, with the stock down more than 10% this year. Peter Jankovskis, an analyst at Arbor Financial Services, said the split would help investors get a better understanding of each new company's value. "When you make the business less complicated, analysts can go in and do a better job of determining what the business is actually worth," he told the BBC. Warner Bros Discovery's flagship news channel, CNN, has seen its ratings decline. It averaged 558,000 viewers during primetime hours in the first three months of this year, 6% lower than the same period in 2024. In January, the network announced that it was laying off more than 200 employees as it looks to focus on its digital offerings. The outlook is brighter for Warner Bros Discovery's streaming platforms, which ended the first quarter of this year with more than 122 million subscribers. Monday's breakup announcement came after rival media giant Comcast announced last year that it would spin off its NBCUniversal cable television arm. That breakup is currently underway, with channels such as MSNBC and CNBC being separated from Comcast's other brands, including its Peacock streaming service. "It's a very competitive market right now, so many firms are trying to segregate out the streaming portion or the content portion of their businesses so that the remaining business can be valued separately", said Mr Jankovskis. Sign in to access your portfolio