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Daily Maverick
3 days ago
- Daily Maverick
‘Severance,' ‘The Penguin' lead nominations for TV's Emmy awards
'Severance' racks up 27 Emmy nods Winners will be announced in September HBO and HBO Max lead all networks By Lisa Richwine 'Severance' received a leading 27 nominations and was nominated for the top prize of best drama alongside Star Wars series 'Andor,' 'The Pitt,' 'The White Lotus' and others. 'The Penguin,' set in the DC Comics universe and starring Colin Farrell, earned 24 nominations and will compete for best limited series against Netflix NFLX.O hit 'Adolescence,' among others. Hollywood satire 'The Studio,' an Apple TV+ show starring Seth Rogen as a nervous film executive, and HBO's 'The White Lotus,' about murder and misbehavior at a luxury resort, received 23 each. Comedy nominees included defending champion 'Hacks,' previous winner 'The Bear,' 'Nobody Wants This' and 'Abbott Elementary.' The 23 nominations for 'The Studio' tied the record for a comedy in a single season, set last year by Chicago restaurant tale 'The Bear.' Winners of the Emmys will be announced at a red-carpet ceremony broadcast live on CBS PARA.O on Sept. 14. Comedian Nate Bargatze will host. The television industry is undergoing a contraction as media companies curtail the sky-high spending they shelled out to compete in the shift to streaming platforms led by Netflix. Longtime Emmy favorite HBO and the HBO Max streaming service topped all programmers with 142 nominations, a record for the network. Walt Disney DIS.N collected 136 nominations, including six for ABC's 'Abbott Elementary,' one of the few broadcast shows in the Emmy mix. 'Andor,' on Disney+, received 14. Netflix garnered 120 nods and Apple scored 81, its highest total since launching its streaming service in 2019. 'Severance' tells the story of office workers who undergo a procedure to make them forget their home life at work, and vice versa. 'It's distinctive in every way – in terms of its storytelling, in terms of style, in terms of its directing, its tone,' said Matt Cherniss, head of programming at Apple TV+. 'Every aspect of that show just resonates and the audience notices,' he added. Noah Wyle received his first Emmy nomination since 1999 for his role as an emergency room doctor on 'The Pitt.' Wyle was nominated five times for his time on 'ER' but never won. Harrison Ford, 83, earned his first Emmy nod, for playing a grumpy therapist on 'Shrinking.' Ron Howard, the former 'Happy Days' star turned Oscar-winning director, also landed his first acting nomination, a guest actor nod for playing himself on 'The Studio.' Other notable acting nominees included Farrell, 'The Bear' actors Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri, 'Hacks' stars Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, Kathy Bates for 'Matlock' and Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey for 'The Last of Us.' Eight 'White Lotus' actors were recognized. 'This is a bunch of cherries on the icing on the cake that was the gift of playing such a tortured and lonely human,' said Jason Isaacs, who portrayed a father facing financial ruin on the show. Beyonce also made the Emmys list. Her halftime performance during a National Football League game on Netflix was nominated for best live variety special. Winners will be chosen by the roughly 26,000 performers, directors, producers and other members of the Television Academy.
IOL News
10-07-2025
- IOL News
Sophie Turner spills the tea on how 'Game of Thrones' became her unlikely sex education class
Sophie Turner on the unconventional lessons she learned from 'Game of Thrones'. Just like many of us Google whether "2 Broke Girls" stars Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs are besties in real life (they are, by the way they've stayed close since the show ended), fans have always wanted to know what the cast of "Game of Thrones" thinks about the series that made them household names. It's pretty normal to wonder what actors really take away from the roles we binge for hours, especially when those shows push the boundaries of what we see on screen. However, few celebrity reflections have been quite as eye-opening (and relatable) as Sophie Turner's recent reveal about how she got an unexpected form of sex education from filming HBO's "Game of Thrones". In a candid chat on the UK 'Dish' podcast with hosts Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett, Turner, 29, opened up about how growing up on set shaped her in ways most of us probably wouldn't imagine. 'I did love making it … It was the best acting class I've ever had,' she shared. Without a formal drama school, she says she learned everything from the talented cast around her, from acting techniques to industry etiquette. ' And a bit from my parents,' she added, laughing. But it's what Turner said next that really turned heads: 'I definitely got my sex education from that show. More than enough.' It's the kind of confession that makes you laugh, but also think about how much we pick up from TV sometimes, more than we do in an actual classroom. Hearing a celebrity openly admit they learned about intimacy and relationships from a TV series feels oddly relatable in our streaming-obsessed age. According to a 2021 survey by the American Sexual Health Association, many young people cite TV, movies, and online content as their first exposure to topics like consent, pleasure, and body image, often before formal sex ed classes even start. Dr Emily Morse, sex educator and host of the "Sex With Emily" podcast, has often noted that while pop culture isn't always accurate, it sparks curiosity and conversation. 'Shows can open doors to important topics,' she says, 'but it's crucial to balance entertainment with evidence-based education.' In Turner's case, it's impossible to ignore how "Game of Thrones" portrayed sex: sometimes raw, often controversial, and occasionally criticised for normalising violence or lacking diversity. Yet for Turner, who joined the cast at just 14, those scripts became part of her coming-of-age story.
The South African
09-07-2025
- The South African
Zendaya to make history as highest paid black actress in television
Zendaya is about to make history. The Emmy-winning actress has secured a record-breaking deal for her role as Rue Bennett in the hit HBO series Euphoria . She will allegedly earn a staggering R19,500,000 per episode for the upcoming season. This achievement will mark her as the highest-paid Black actress in television history per episode. Zendaya's journey in the entertainment industry has been nothing short of inspirational. Starting on the Disney Channel, she has evolved into a global superstar. Her new contract for Euphoria not only cements her status as a top-tier actress but also shatters long-standing pay gaps in Hollywood. This milestone is significant, as for years, Black actresses have fought for equal recognition and compensation. Zendaya will not just be an act on the show but will also be an executive producer on the show, according to IMDB . This dual role gives her more influence and control over her work, setting a new standard for others to follow. Euphoria has a strong following in South Africa. The show's raw portrayal of youth, addiction, and identity resonates with many young South Africans. Zendaya's historic deal is a beacon of possibility for aspiring actors. Her journey shows that with talent, hard work, and determination, boundaries can be broken. Zendaya remains humble despite her success. She once said, 'I want to show that you don't have to be older to live your dreams; you can do it at any age'. She also encourages others to take risks: 'If you don't try things and take risks, you don't grow and figure out what you want'. On her role in Euphoria , Zendaya shared, 'It's been very, very special. The most special thing is when people come up and say: 'Hey, I really needed that,' or 'That was my story and I just want to say thank you'. Zendaya's record-breaking deal is a cultural moment. She is setting new standards for representation, pay, and creative control. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
