Sigourney Weaver shares sweet inspiration behind the name of her only child
Sigourney Weaver has opened up about the special inspiration behind the name of her only child.
The 75-year-old star of Alien has been married to stage director Jim Thompson since 1984, and the couple have one child, Shar, who was born in 1990.
In 2023, Weaver revealed that Shar, now a professor and author, is non-binary. She has previously called them 'absolutely the most important thing to me'.
The actor attended the launch of the Queen's Reading Room Medal at a reception in Clarence House on Tuesday (25 March). She was joined by Dame Joanna Lumley, Helena Bonham Carter, Adjoa Andoh, Richard E Grant and Jonathan Dimbleby at the star-studded event.
Speaking about her favourite book, she told The Independent: 'Charlotte's Web, it's so beautifully written. I have the audio book, which I highly recommend. I go back to it every few years.' She explained that the book was so impactful that she had named her child after the lead character.
In the book by E B White, the spider, Charlotte, comes to form a close bond and friendship with Wilbur the pig, ultimately saving his life through her ingenuity.
Explaining the importance of literature on her life, Weaver said: 'For me growing up, reading books was my escape. I can't even imagine my life without having my nose in a book all these years.
'I was in The Tempest here recently, and we had a lot of young people come. But recently things are changing so Shakespeare is no longer being taught in some schools. It broke my heart.
'It's such an amazing heritage and stories are relevant still. I worry about literacy and what the Queen has done is started so small but it's taken off because people need books more more than ever.'
Welcoming guests at the reception, the Queen entered with her husband, King Charles III, as she celebrated the 'magic of storytelling'. She said the act of reading is not a solitary affair but that its impact 'lies in its ability to make a community of anyone who loves to read and who is compelled to write'.
Honouring the UK's 'reading heroes', the Medal hopes to 'recognise those individuals championing books and storytelling in their communities'.
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San Francisco Chronicle
19 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
How the ‘F1' soundtrack came together, with a little help from Lewis Hamilton
NEW YORK (AP) — The pinnacle of motorsport, Formula One, has its own music. The swift rhythms of a six-cylinder engine reaching 15,000 rpm; the ear-to-ear glissando of a spirited overtake in a DRS zone; the A-list concerts that follow most race weekends. So, when it came to making the summer tentpole 'F1,' starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, the team behind the film knew its sound had to be massive, too. That comes courtesy a score by the many-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer and a huge soundtrack releasing as 'F1 The Album' via Atlantic Records — the team behind the award-winning 'Barbie' album — the same day as the movie, June 27. The soundtrack features original music from Chris Stapleton, Myke Towers, Blackpink's Rosé, Tate McRae and many more. The creative forces behind it all — film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Joseph Kosinski and Atlantic Records West Coast President Kevin Weaver — tell The Associated Press how 'F1 The Album' came together. An ideal partnership In the years that it took to create 'F1,' Kosinski had 'earmarked big music moments' across the movie's narrative, explains Weaver, who oversaw and produced the project. His team at Atlantic Records took those notes and came up with ideas for songs, artists and writers, collaborating with soundtrack executive producers Kosinski and Bruckheimer. They enlisted Atlantic artists, like Ed Sheeran and Rosé, but also looked elsewhere. 'It's mostly, if not solely, about what the film needs,' Weaver says. 'It really kind of boils down to whose voice would sound best in these various moments. … Who can accomplish what Joe and Jerry needed from a storytelling perspective?' And what they needed were big bespoke songs to meet the film's intensity and match its inclusion of huge classic rock songs, like Queen's 'We Will Rock You.' All the songs featured on 'F1 The Album' are originals, which is why Tate McRae's 'Sports Car,' despite its fitting name, is not on it; instead, she offered 'Just Keep Watching.' Atlantic, usually Weaver, would play the label's song choices against filmed sequences in the editing room, Bruckheimer explains. 'So, if there's a race and we need to end it with a song he'll play, you know, maybe 10 songs against that sequence and it's the best song that wins. It's not usually the song that we think is going to be the biggest hit or features the biggest artists,' Bruckheimer says. 'It's the one that works for a particular sequence.' A global focus with a diversity of talent 'F1 is such a global sport. I wanted the soundtrack of the film to reflect that,' Kosinski says. That meant tapping artists 'from all over the world to give it a feel that the sport really has.' Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, who consulted on the project, made sure that need for global inclusivity was clear from the start, says Kosinski. 'Sometimes here in Hollywood we can get a little myopic in terms of our cultural focus,' he says. 'And this sport, it is inspiring to me to just see how eclectic it is.' He would send Hamilton demos of the soundtrack and get his opinion: 'I sent him the Burna Boy track,' Kosinski remembers. 'Louis was like, 'This is going to be a giant hit.'' 'We were very intentional about genre and demographic,' Weaver adds. 'We have pop records. We have Afrobeat records. We have electronic records. We have country songs.' The result is a collection of 17 tracks with broad appeal — not unlike the lineup of a major summer music festival. 'It sounds amazing,' Bruckheimer says. 'The soundtrack blends perfectly in with every scene that we put the music against.' A variance of approaches Artists on the 'F1' soundtrack found inspiration and participated in different ways. 'Sometimes it was bringing an artist in and showing them a scene, like Rosé,' who then created to that, says Kosinski. Chris Stapleton did the same. Other artists were simply given a concept or an idea to inspire them and would record a track that would later be tailored to a specific scene. For Sheeran, Kosinski came up with 10 key phrases as lyrical prompts, words that 'identify Sonny Hayes,' the film's protagonist played by Pitt. Sheeran's song, 'Drive,' was written with John Mayer and Blake Slatkin 'specifically for the end title of the movie,' adds Weaver. 'It's kind of the culmination of the Brad Pitt character.' Other artists have deep ties to Formula One — like the DJ Tiësto, who has regularly performed at F1 grands prix across the globe as part of 'a long-standing relationship' with the motorsport, as he tells the AP. Atlantic Records asked if he'd like to pitch any songs for the movie — and he actually ended up in the film, portraying himself in a big Las Vegas nightclub scene. 'I hope I win an Oscar for this,' he jokes. 'I jumped right on it,' Tiësto says of the opportunity. 'Dance music and racing, there's a connection because they're both high energy. And with F1, it's a perfect combo and it brings people together from all over the world.' That's true for the Dutch DJ especially: His song for the soundtrack, 'OMG!,' features Missouri rapper Sexyy Red. 'She heard the song, and she really loved it and, yeah, she wanted to write lyrics for it,' he says. 'It was a really cool collaboration.' For rapper Roddy Ricch, participating in the soundtrack was simply an opportunity to 'be in the company of great company,' he says, name-checking Doja Cat and Don Toliver. 'I just love being a part of things that's great.' His song, 'Underdog,' arrives in a big race moment and takes a conceptual approach to the motorsport. 'Sometimes when you're in the race of life, you feel like you may be doubted, you may be under pressure,' he says of the song's messaging. 'Just keep your head up and finish the race. The marathon continues.' The movie's director has one particular wish for the album. 'I hope people come away discovering something,' Kosinski says. 'An artist they've never heard before … and if they aren't fans of Formula One, hopefully they come away with interest or a passion for the sport.'
Fox Sports
20 hours ago
- Fox Sports
How the 'F1' soundtrack came together, with a little help from Lewis Hamilton
Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The pinnacle of motorsport, Formula One, has its own music. The swift rhythms of a six-cylinder engine reaching 15,000 rpm; the ear-to-ear glissando of a spirited overtake in a DRS zone; the A-list concerts that follow most race weekends. So, when it came to making the summer tentpole 'F1,' starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, the team behind the film knew its sound had to be massive, too. That comes courtesy a score by the many-time Oscar winner Hans Zimmer and a huge soundtrack releasing as 'F1 The Album' via Atlantic Records — the team behind the award-winning 'Barbie' album — the same day as the movie, June 27. The soundtrack features original music from Chris Stapleton, Myke Towers, Blackpink's Rosé, Tate McRae and many more. The creative forces behind it all — film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Joseph Kosinski and Atlantic Records West Coast President Kevin Weaver — tell The Associated Press how 'F1 The Album' came together. An ideal partnership In the years that it took to create 'F1,' Kosinski had 'earmarked big music moments' across the movie's narrative, explains Weaver, who oversaw and produced the project. His team at Atlantic Records took those notes and came up with ideas for songs, artists and writers, collaborating with soundtrack executive producers Kosinski and Bruckheimer. They enlisted Atlantic artists, like Ed Sheeran and Rosé, but also looked elsewhere. 'It's mostly, if not solely, about what the film needs,' Weaver says. 'It really kind of boils down to whose voice would sound best in these various moments. … Who can accomplish what Joe and Jerry needed from a storytelling perspective?' And what they needed were big bespoke songs to meet the film's intensity and match its inclusion of huge classic rock songs, like Queen's 'We Will Rock You.' All the songs featured on 'F1 The Album' are originals, which is why Tate McRae's 'Sports Car,' despite its fitting name, is not on it; instead, she offered 'Just Keep Watching.' Atlantic, usually Weaver, would play the label's song choices against filmed sequences in the editing room, Bruckheimer explains. 'So, if there's a race and we need to end it with a song he'll play, you know, maybe 10 songs against that sequence and it's the best song that wins. It's not usually the song that we think is going to be the biggest hit or features the biggest artists,' Bruckheimer says. 'It's the one that works for a particular sequence.' A global focus with a diversity of talent 'F1 is such a global sport. I wanted the soundtrack of the film to reflect that,' Kosinski says. That meant tapping artists 'from all over the world to give it a feel that the sport really has.' Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, who consulted on the project, made sure that need for global inclusivity was clear from the start, says Kosinski. 'Sometimes here in Hollywood we can get a little myopic in terms of our cultural focus,' he says. 'And this sport, it is inspiring to me to just see how eclectic it is.' He would send Hamilton demos of the soundtrack and get his opinion: 'I sent him the Burna Boy track,' Kosinski remembers. 'Louis was like, 'This is going to be a giant hit.'' 'We were very intentional about genre and demographic,' Weaver adds. 'We have pop records. We have Afrobeat records. We have electronic records. We have country songs.' The result is a collection of 17 tracks with broad appeal — not unlike the lineup of a major summer music festival. 'It sounds amazing,' Bruckheimer says. 'The soundtrack blends perfectly in with every scene that we put the music against.' A variance of approaches Artists on the 'F1' soundtrack found inspiration and participated in different ways. 'Sometimes it was bringing an artist in and showing them a scene, like Rosé,' who then created to that, says Kosinski. Chris Stapleton did the same. Other artists were simply given a concept or an idea to inspire them and would record a track that would later be tailored to a specific scene. For Sheeran, Kosinski came up with 10 key phrases as lyrical prompts, words that 'identify Sonny Hayes,' the film's protagonist played by Pitt. Sheeran's song, 'Drive,' was written with John Mayer and Blake Slatkin 'specifically for the end title of the movie,' adds Weaver. 'It's kind of the culmination of the Brad Pitt character.' Other artists have deep ties to Formula One — like the DJ Tiësto, who has regularly performed at F1 grands prix across the globe as part of 'a long-standing relationship' with the motorsport, as he tells the AP. Atlantic Records asked if he'd like to pitch any songs for the movie — and he actually ended up in the film, portraying himself in a big Las Vegas nightclub scene. 'I hope I win an Oscar for this,' he jokes. 'I jumped right on it,' Tiësto says of the opportunity. 'Dance music and racing, there's a connection because they're both high energy. And with F1, it's a perfect combo and it brings people together from all over the world.' That's true for the Dutch DJ especially: His song for the soundtrack, 'OMG!,' features Missouri rapper Sexyy Red. 'She heard the song, and she really loved it and, yeah, she wanted to write lyrics for it,' he says. 'It was a really cool collaboration.' For rapper Roddy Ricch, participating in the soundtrack was simply an opportunity to 'be in the company of great company,' he says, name-checking Doja Cat and Don Toliver. 'I just love being a part of things that's great.' His song, 'Underdog,' arrives in a big race moment and takes a conceptual approach to the motorsport. 'Sometimes when you're in the race of life, you feel like you may be doubted, you may be under pressure,' he says of the song's messaging. 'Just keep your head up and finish the race. The marathon continues.' The movie's director has one particular wish for the album. 'I hope people come away discovering something,' Kosinski says. 'An artist they've never heard before … and if they aren't fans of Formula One, hopefully they come away with interest or a passion for the sport.' ___ AP Sports Writer Alanis Thames contributed reporting from Miami. recommended
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Fashion influencer who criticized Trump's style draws the attention of DHS after revealing he's an undocumented immigrant
Derek Guy, the popular men's tailoring influencer known for critiquing Donald Trump and JD Vance's clothing, has revealed that he is an undocumented migrant to the United States – and could therefore be at risk of being deported. In a lengthy post on X over the weekend, Guy, who has mercilessly ridiculed the length of the president's trademark red ties and the cut of his deputy's suits, explained the moving circumstances behind his family's arrival in the U.S. 'My family escaped Vietnam after the Tet Offensive and went through an arduous journey that eventually landed them in the Canada,' he wrote. 'My father worked there for a time as a janitor; my mother, a secretary. When work fell through, my dad was offered to work with his sister in the United States, so he went, as our family needed money. 'He ended up staying in the US longer than he was supposed to – not knowing immigration laws – and asked my mom to come be with him. Of course, she went and carried me over the border while I was still a baby.' Guy concluded: 'I'm still unsure whether we technically broke an immigration law. The border between Canada and the United States was pretty porous (as it is today, for the most part). 'But either way, since I came here without legal documentation, I eventually fell into the category of being an undocumented immigrant.' Alarmingly, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to another tweet about Guy's admission by posting a meme from the children's film Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002) in which the character Juni Cortez's high-tech glasses zoom in on a target, implying that they are looking into the situation. The Independent has contacted the DHS for clarification on Guy's situation. Vance also replied with a meme taken from a movie from more than 20 years ago, in his case a GIF of Jack Nicholson grinning and nodding enthusiastically from the 2003 comedy Anger Management, which might equally be interpreted as a veiled threat. Guy, who is notoriously publicity shy and seldom photographed, made light of the tension on X, posting some of the media reaction to his revelation on Monday and commenting: 'Honestly didn't expect this is what would happen when I joined a menswear forum 15 years ago.' On Tuesday, he joked: 'Just walked by {Immigration and Customs Enforcement] ICE but I was wearing slim chinos and dress sneakers so they suspected nothing.' Guy's tweets have repeatedly mocked Trump and Vance's sartorial choices, as well as other members of the administration like Stephen Miller, Pete Hegseth and Robert F Kennedy Jr and MAGA acolytes like Charlie Kirk. In late May, he derided the president and Kirk's appearances in the Oval Office, noting that the latter's 'shrunken and soft' threads left him looking 'like he was dunked into water while wearing the suit, put through a tumble dry, and then dunked again.' Teasing Vance over his St Patrick's Day socks in March, he observed that the veep's 'pants are too slim, hence why they ride up on him like this.' Last year, he rubbished Miller's obsequious claim that Trump is America's most stylish president, listing John F Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush as four occupants of the White House who were more smartly turned out than the current president, in his opinion. The controversy comes at a time when the Trump administration is drastically speeding up its crackdown on illegal immigration, sparking five days of protests in Los Angeles that have since spread to other major American cities.
