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San Francisco Chronicle
2 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Aubrey Plaza to star as Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss in new biopic
Aubrey Plaza is set to return to the spotlight with a characteristically offbeat new role portraying Heidi Fleiss, the infamous Hollywood madam. Titled 'The Heidi Fleiss Story,' the dark comedy biopic will follow the chaotic final days leading up to Fleiss's 1993 arrest, when authorities exposed her high-end prostitution ring operating in Los Angeles, according to Deadline and other industry publications. Plaza, who splits her time between Los Angeles and Marin County, will star and produce the film through her company, Evil Hag. The project marks her first major role since the death of her husband, filmmaker Jeff Baena, in January. Fleiss rose to prominence in the early 1990s for allegedly running a clandestine operation that catered to celebrities, executives and other powerful figures. She was said to have taken over the business from her mentor, convicted madam Elizabeth 'Madam Alex' Adams, and quickly expanded it into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. That empire collapsed in June 1993, when Fleiss was arrested and later charged with pandering, tax evasion and money laundering. Prosecutors alleged she laundered more than $1.5 million through shell companies and false records. The case drew national headlines, fueled by speculation over a still-sealed list of high-profile clients. Plaza has been gradually returning to public life following Baena's death by suicide. In February, she appeared on 'SNL50: The Anniversary Special,' wearing a pink tie-dyed T-shirt — a quiet tribute to Baena's pandemic-era hobby and the couple's wedding-day attire. The pair had been together for more than a decade, though they had separated in the months before his death. Plaza's upcoming slate also includes a leading role in 'Honey Don't!,' the latest film from Ethan Coen, arriving in theaters on Aug. 22. She also appears in Francis Ford Coppola 's 'Megalopolis' and previously earned praise for her performances in 'The White Lotus' Season 2 and in the Sundance Film Festival favorite ' My Old Ass. ' Next, she'll star alongside Susan Sarandon in 'The Accompanist,' an indie drama that marks the feature directorial debut of 'The Office' alum Zach Woods.
New York Post
2 minutes ago
- New York Post
How Seth Rogen pulled double duty with ‘The Studio' and ‘Platonic': ‘Hard work pays off'
Seth Rogen doesn't take his job lightly. The star, 43, was so invested in both of his Apple TV+ shows that he pulled double duty while filming. Rogen currently stars as Matt Remick in the Emmy-nominated dark comedy, 'The Studio,' and also portrays Will on the dramedy series, 'Platonic.' 11 Luke Macfarlane attends the season two premiere of 'Platonic.' Apple TV+ via Getty Images His 'Platonic' co-star, Luke Macfarlane, revealed how the actor was able to pull it off. 'Going into season two, you know, Seth had just finished filming 'The Studio,'' he exclusively told The Post. 'So we were very curious what 'The Studio' was going to turn into. And now, of course, we know what 'The Studio' turned into.' Macfarlane, 45, added, 'It is this incredible, brilliant, beautiful show. That he was, by the way, working on while he was filming Season 1 of 'Platonic.' Which is also, just as an actor, an incredible sort of reminder that hard work can pay off.' 11 Luke Macfarlane talks to Alexandra Bellusci of the Post. 11 Seth Rogen in 'The Studio.' The Hallmark star reminisced about how Rogen would juggle both roles at the same time. 'He was literally finishing scenes on 'Platonic' and going in his trailer and typing away,' continued Macfarlane. 'So it's delightful to come back and do a second season of the show. I think we all had a tremendous amount of time. It also feels like a lot of people that enjoy working together, and getting to work together again.' Looking back at filming the second season, one memory in particular has stuck with the 'Bros' vet. 11 Seth Rogen as Matt Remick in 'The Studio.' Apple+ 'Seth really respects what everyone does,' Macfarlane said. 'You know, Seth did an amazing thing once, actually. Somebody on set who kind of shouldn't have said this told me to do something.' He explained, 'I was wearing a lav, a microphone, and I brought my hand to my lav, and I covered the lav in the scene. And somebody said something to me like, 'Oh, don't do that with your hand, you'll cover your lav.'' Rogen made sure that was the end of stepping in where you shouldn't. 11 Luke Macfarlane in 'Platonic.' 'And Seth actually said to that person, 'Don't tell an actor what to do. That's not your job,'' Macfarlane shared. 'Just watching somebody look out for his fellow actors – that's what he does.' 'He's got integrity,' Macfarlane gushed. 'He knows how to look out for his actors. He really cares about an actor feeling comfortable.' Rogen also made sure to keep the laughs coming. 11 Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in 'Platonic.' 'Seth is very famous for a lot of things. I think he's really famous for that laugh, you know?' Macfarlane mused. 'And I will say, working with Seth, you always want to get him to do that laugh. It makes you very happy when you make Seth laugh. So I will say the most Seth Rogen thing you can get him to do is laugh.' Rogen wasn't the only one who hit Macfarlane's funny bone. 'Rose makes me laugh a lot,' he dished about his on-screen wife. 'I think we're filming a scene where I was, like, popping in and out of a doorway, and of course, the timing was hilarious. So we were just making each other laugh because I felt like I kept on missing the entrance.' 11 Luke Macfarlane, Rose Byrne, and Seth Rogen speak at Apple's 'Platonic' Los Angeles event. Getty Images for Today at Apple 'It's something early in the season where I'm sort of like, you know, doing the sticking my head [in], and I just kept on sticking my head in at the wrong time. So that made us both laugh quite a bit.' These days, the Canadian hunk is focused on bringing Season 2 to the masses. 'Platonic' follows former best friends, Sylvia (Byrne) and Will (Rogen), who reconnect after a years-long rift. The second season drops on Wednesday, August 6, with Macfarlane describing what fans are in store for. 11 Carla Gallo, Luke Macfarlane, Rose Byrne and Seth Rogen. Getty Images 'Friendship, chaos, and comedy,' he stated. Macfarlane's Charlie, meanwhile, is trying to navigate his partner's reignited friendship. 'This second season is different for my character, because in the first season, my character is the rock,' he detailed. 'This season, he's definitely the character that is, oof, a little bit sort of lost. Lost in the weeds. So it was fun to kind of explore this other side of him where he's a little bit more sort of floundering in the universe.' 11 Seth Rogan in a scene from 'The Studio.' Apple+ But Macfarlane is happy to step back into Charlie's shoes for such a hilarious and sweet series. After all, he is 'most comfortable [in] comedy.' 'I get to wear sort of the most normal clothes,' elaborated Macfarlane. 'I like doing comedy. That's what I feel the most comfortable in.' 11 Seth Rogan looks upset in a scene from 'The Studio.' Apple+ Rogen is serving all sorts of comedy playing Remick – the newly appointed head of Continental Studios. He is juggling corporate demands, talent, and his own ambitions, all while trying to keep movies relevant. In June, Rogen opened up about what he wanted to portray with the show, which many people in the industry have related to in a very real way. 'I mean, I don't know if our specific goal was to trigger a trauma in people,' he told The Playlist, 'but it was meant to capture our own experiences with it as viscerally as possible. And that was a word we used a lot.' 11 A still from the 2025 drama 'The Studio.' 'So yeah,' he went on. 'I think the idea that people who have experienced similar things have a visceral reaction to it, I think it does mean that it is a good expression of our experience and what we were trying to put out there.' Rogen noted: 'But yeah, it's based on a lot of traumatic things I've experienced, so…'
New York Times
3 minutes ago
- New York Times
When Blond Meets Ambition
Loni Anderson's TV persona — the bombshell with a brain — was a brilliant amalgam of old Hollywood and 1970s feminism, pitched perfectly for a pop-culture audience. As Jennifer Marlowe, the clever receptionist on 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' she solved everyone's problems while bringing the slightly doofy men in the office to their knees with just a glance. Ms. Anderson, who died on Sunday, developed a signature look on this show: clinging jersey dresses or sweaters, nearly always in solid colors (to minimize any visual interruption of her famous curves); false eyelashes; wide lipsticked smile; and that famous blond mane: shoulder-length, bouffant on top, with low-hanging scalloped bangs undulating around her face — all immovable, firmly sprayed into place. That hair was key. At first glance, it looked much like the So-Cal glamour styles worn by her TV contemporaries, such as Farrah Fawcett or Suzanne Somers. But those women looked tousled and touchable, their bangs feathering out as if blown by ocean breezes, while Ms. Anderson's hair had a teased and lacquered look. Its shape said 'come hither,' but its sculptural stiffness said 'keep a respectful distance.' And while those other women's variegated blond tones mimicked sun-kissed highlights, Ms. Anderson's hair was bleached to a monochromatic platinum more doll-like than human, a color reminiscent of 'blond bombshells' of earlier decades. This makes sense, because Loni Anderson was not aiming for '70s and '80s 'lighthearted naturalness.' (In fact, she was turned down for the role of 'Chrissy' on 'Three's Company,' which went to Ms. Somers.) She was fashioning herself into a kind of exaggerated, ironic version of the classic Hollywood sex kitten, the voluptuous blonde no man can resist. Numerous stars have occupied this category (including Jean Harlow, Mae West, Lana Turner, Jayne Mansfield, Brigitte Bardot), but it was Marilyn Monroe whom Ms. Anderson conjured most clearly. Critics often noted Ms. Anderson's Marilyn-like qualities — particularly the combination of mature sexual allure and disarming sweetness. (Vincent Canby pointed out her 'sweet, Marilyn Monroe-like turn' in his review of her 1983 film, 'Stroker Ace,' for example.) But there was more to Ms. Monroe's onscreen persona. Through all her breathy bounce and giggle, she always seemed to be winking at her audience, acknowledging that this creature she'd dreamed up was purely fictional — a kind of useful, even slightly funny, alter-ego, a masquerade. Ms. Anderson picked up where Ms. Monroe left off, borrowing elements of the Marilyn persona — the showcased bosom, the Kewpie-doll prettiness, the white-blond hair — while adding a new ingredient: obvious, self-assured intelligence. When first offered the role of 'Jennifer,' Ms. Anderson had rejected it, disliking its stereotypical 'dumb blonde' portrayal. But seeing her star potential, the producer Hugh Wilson offered to rewrite the role so that Jennifer could be 'the smartest person in the room,' as Mr. Wilson recalled to The Hollywood Reporter. It worked. Ms. Anderson had figured out a way to don a Marilyn-esque persona and then infuse it with a new intelligence that did not need suppressing, the recognition that a woman could look like a pinup but think like a C.E.O. This self-awareness was in keeping with the second-wave feminist sensibilities of the late 1970s. 'Jennifer,' in all her high-gloss artificiality, was like a theatrical prop, even a marionette operated by Ms. Anderson, the canny puppeteer. Audiences could sense both halves of the act, and loved them equally. (It's not surprising that Ms. Anderson was married for a time to Burt Reynolds, himself the epitome of a winkingly ironic sex symbol.) While Ms. Anderson's career continued past 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' her look remained largely the same throughout her life. Later, she savvily capitalized on her association with 1950s Hollywood sirens, playing Jayne Mansfield in a 1980 television movie, and even channeling Marilyn Monroe at a 2010 event at the Hollywood Museum, where she appeared in one of Ms. Monroe's evening gowns. 'Bombshell' style never fully fades away, of course. We see it in celebrities such as Sydney Sweeney, Sabrina Carpenter and the Kardashian-Jenner clan, especially Kim, who bleached her hair and wore Marilyn's sequin-covered 'naked dress' for the 2022 Met Gala. We see it in the 'Real Housewives' franchise, with its bosom-centric fashions and big blond hair. Recently, we saw it dissected thoughtfully by Mariska Hargitay in 'My Mom, Jayne,' her excellent documentary about her mother, Jayne Mansfield. And we even see it among some government officials and their spouses. Big hair, tight curve-displaying clothes, big lashes and high heels are not uncommon among women in the current administration. Few of these bombshells-come-lately evince Ms. Anderson's degree of witty self-awareness. Perhaps we're too far away now from the Hollywood golden age that invented all this outré glamour, and even further from the feminist wave that inspired its reassessment. Whatever the reason, even decades later, Loni Anderson is still uniquely watchable, seeming to peer out at us conspiratorially from beneath the persona she invented. She remains the platinum standard.
