Latest news with #ABeautifulMind
Buzz Feed
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Bryce Dallas Howard Says A Director Threw Water At Her
I'm sure you know Bryce Dallas Howard. You probably know that the Jurassic World star is also the daughter of award-winning director Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code). In an interview with The Sunday Times, Bryce explained an alleged exchange she had with Danish director Lars von Trier where he tried to use her father's job against her. Bryce starred in the 2005 drama Manderlay, a direct sequel to Dogville (2003). Bryce had replaced Nicole Kidman as Grace Margaret Mulligan from the first movie. She said the moment she arrived at the set for Manderlay in Norway, Lars allegedly spoke negatively of her dad in an attempt to upset her. "He started insulting me: 'Your father's a terrible film-maker,'" she remembered. "I went, 'Lars, what are you trying to see?' and he said, 'Your angry face. I don't know what it looks like.'" Bryce claimed that Lars then threw a glass of water in her face. "So I threw a glass of water in his face. He goes, 'Why did you do that?' and got up and left." She said she was actually unfazed and actually entertained by the interaction. "That was my introduction to the Lars von Trier experience, but it wasn't like I went to my room and cried or anything. I was sort of delighted by it." Lars is a director with a reputation for his erratic behavior and even faced several allegations several years back for his behavior on set. In 2017, Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk posted about her treatment by a Danish director. When the media connected the dots that Björk starred as Selma Ježková in Lars von Trier's 2000 musical psychological tragedy Dancer in the Dark, Lars came forward and denied the accusations. Björk posted another statement in the midst of #MeToo social movement, doubling down her claims while still remaining not to directly name the director. Björk wrote, "After each take the director ran up to me and wrapped his arms around me for a long time in front of all crew or alone and stroked me sometimes for minutes against my wishes," Björk wrote. "While filming in Sweden, he threatened to climb from his room's balcony over to mine in the middle of the night with a clear sexual intention, while his wife was in the room next door." In November 2017, the Guardian reported that Zentropa, the film studio co-founded by Lars and former CEO Peter Aalbæk Jensen, faced several allegations of "sexual harassment, degradation and bullying," per several Danish news publications. While Lars wasn't named in these allegations, Peter resigned from his CEO position as the accusations poured in. Read the entire interview with The Times here. We reached out to Lars's people for comment, and we'll let you know if we hear back.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Oscar winner reveals his friends 'canceled' him for voting for Trump
An Oscar winner revealed that he had been 'canceled' by close friends after revealing he had voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Producer Brian Grazer, 73 - who is known for working on films such as A Beautiful Mind and Apollo 13 - opened up about the reaction he received for supporting Trump during a Fox Nation docuseries titled Art Of The Surge. The star - who has previously been a donor to the Democratic party - could be seen in the documentary at the Army vs. Navy football game in December 2024 which Trump also attended. At one point, Grazer paused to take a photo with the then-president elect inside a VIP suite at the stadium and informed those nearby that he had cast his vote for Trump, per The New York Times which reported on the docuseries. Brian also recalled telling a few women who he had voted for - and expressed that it had felt like he was 'getting canceled.' The producer added, 'All the women looked in and go, "You mean, you're not voting for Kamala?" And I go, "I just can't do that."' Brian continued, 'And then, one of them leaned in further, and said, "Are you voting for Trump?" And I said, "I am." I swear!' He later further explained the reasoning behind his vote for Trump in the election last year while talking to the New York Times. 'As a centrist, it was because I could feel and see Biden's deterioration and the lack of direction in the Democratic Party at that time,' Grazer stated. The Hollywood producer has supported Kamala Harris in the past - and was one of the contributors to her U.S. Senate campaign back in 2015. Brian also was a producer on the movie Hillbilly Elegy (2020), which notably is based on the memoir written by current vice president JD Vance. The film - which was directed by Ron Howard - garnered mixed reviews upon its release on Netflix, but received two Academy Award nominations. Grazer is known for his decades-long career in the entertainment industry, and has collaborated with Howard on a number of projects. The pair won an Oscar for Best Picture for the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind - which raked in seven additional Academy Award nominations. Aside from A Beautiful Mind, Grazer has been nominated for three other Oscars for the movies Splash (1984), Apollo 13 (1995) and Frost/Nixon (2008). Other projects that Brian has produced over the years include How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), 8 Mile (2002), Cinderella Man (2005), and The Da Vinci Code (2006). He has also been involved on a number of TV shows such as Arrested Development, Parenthood and Friday Night Lights. Both Grazer and director Ron Howard also founded the production company Imagine Entertainment together back in 1985. While talking to the Los Angeles Times in 2019, Brian opened up about why both he and Howard decided to adapt JD Vance's memoir Hillbilly Elegy. 'Ron and I like making movies about family. Everybody roots for family,' the producer explained to the outlet. 'We had the slightly dysfunctional extended family in "Parenthood," and we had the highly dysfunctional family in "Arrested Development," and this is another extension of the American family.' He continued, 'Everybody thinks their family is [messed] up. You cherish your family, no matter how [messed] up you think your brother is.' Other Hollywood stars have voiced their public support for Donald Trump - such as actor Zachary Levi. During a recent interview with Variety, the Shazam! star stated that he knows people who also voted for Trump in the 2024 presidential election - but were 'afraid' to go public. 'I know it to be true because I've gotten messages from lots of people who I won't name but who were very grateful to me for taking the stand that I took,' Levi said. 'And also they would tell me, "I want to do that, but I'm so afraid." And I would tell them, "Listen, you're on your journey. I'm on my journey. You've got to keep trusting God."' He added, 'And if you feel compelled to step out in that way, then do it boldly and know that you're going to be OK. And if you don't feel that conviction yet, then don't. It's all good.' In October of last year, Zachary also urged 'closeted conservatives' in Hollywood to publicly speak out for Donald Trump ahead of the election. The actor - who had initially been in support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - said on Instagram at the time, 'My cry to all of you out there, you closeted conservatives, closeted Trump voters, y'all, it's now or never, you know what I mean? 'Do whatever you feel like you need to do. If you need to come out publicly and say it, if you feel like you still can't, then don't.' Levi added, 'I would never pressure you to do that, but know that if what you're afraid of is somehow the backlash of an industry that's not going to exist very soon, then don't let that hold you back.' While he admitted to disliking Trump in the past, Zachary stated that he was straying away from voting Democrat due to the 'massive corruption' in the government. Other Hollywood celebrities who have voiced support for the 47th president of the United States also include Vince Vaughn, Mel Gibson and James Woods.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Game theory explains why reasonable parents make vaccine choices that fuel outbreaks
When outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles occur despite highly effective vaccines being available, it's easy to conclude that parents who don't vaccinate their children are misguided, selfish or have fallen prey to misinformation. As professors with expertise in vaccine policy and health economics, we argue that the decision not to vaccinate isn't simply about misinformation or hesitancy. In our view, it involves game theory, a mathematical framework that helps explain how reasonable people can make choices that collectively lead to outcomes that endanger them. Game theory reveals that vaccine hesitancy is not a moral failure, but simply the predictable outcome of a system in which individual and collective incentives aren't properly aligned. Game theory examines how people make decisions when their outcomes depend on what others choose. In his research on the topic, Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash, portrayed in the movie 'A Beautiful Mind, showed that in many situations, individually rational choices don't automatically create the best outcome for everyone. Vaccination decisions perfectly illustrate this principle. When a parent decides whether to vaccinate their child against measles, for instance, they weigh the small risk of vaccine side effects against the risks posed by the disease. But here's the crucial insight: The risk of disease depends on what other parents decide. If nearly everyone vaccinates, herd immunity – essentially, vaccinating enough people – will stop the disease's spread. But once herd immunity is achieved, individual parents may decide that not vaccinating is the less risky option for their kid. In other words, because of a fundamental tension between individual choice and collective welfare, relying solely on individual choice may not achieve public health goals. This makes vaccine decisions fundamentally different from most other health decisions. When you decide whether to take medication for high blood pressure, your outcome depends only on your choice. But with vaccines, everyone is connected. This interconnectedness has played out dramatically in Texas, where the largest U.S. measles outbreak in a decade originated. As vaccination rates dropped in certain communities, the disease – once declared eliminated in the U.S. – returned. One county's vaccination rate fell from 96% to 81% over just five years. Considering that about 95% of people in a community must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, the decline created perfect conditions for the current outbreak. This isn't coincidence; it's game theory playing out in real time. When vaccination rates are high, not vaccinating seems rational for each individual family, but when enough families make this choice, collective protection collapses. This dynamic creates what economists call a free rider problem. When vaccination rates are high, an individual might benefit from herd immunity without accepting even the minimal vaccine risks. Game theory predicts something surprising: Even with a hypothetically perfect vaccine – faultless efficacy, zero side effects – voluntary vaccination programs will never achieve 100% coverage. Once coverage is high enough, some rational individuals will always choose to be free riders, benefiting from the herd immunity provided by others. And when rates drop – as they have, dramatically, over the past five years – disease models predict exactly what we're seeing: the return of outbreaks. Game theory reveals another pattern: For highly contagious diseases, vaccination rates tend to decline rapidly following safety concerns, while recovery occurs much more slowly. This, too, is a mathematical property of the system because decline and recovery have different incentive structures. When safety concerns arise, many parents get worried at the same time and stop vaccinating, causing vaccination rates to drop quickly. But recovery is slower because it requires both rebuilding trust and overcoming the free rider problem – each parent waits for others to vaccinate first. Small changes in perception can cause large shifts in behavior. Media coverage, social networks and health messaging all influence these perceptions, potentially moving communities toward or away from these critical thresholds. Mathematics also predicts how people's decisions about vaccination can cluster. As parents observe others' choices, local norms develop – so the more parents skip the vaccine in a community, the more others are likely to follow suit. Game theorists refer to the resulting pockets of low vaccine uptake as susceptibility clusters. These clusters allow diseases to persist even when overall vaccination rates appear adequate. A 95% statewide or national average could mean uniform vaccine coverage, which would prevent outbreaks. Alternatively, it could mean some areas with near-100% coverage and others with dangerously low rates that enable local outbreaks. All this means that the dramatic fall in vaccination rates was predicted by game theory – and therefore more a reflection of system vulnerability than of a moral failure of individuals. What's more, blaming parents for making selfish choices can also backfire by making them more defensive and less likely to reconsider their views. Much more helpful would be approaches that acknowledge the tensions between individual and collective interests and that work with, rather than against, the mental calculations informing how people make decisions in interconnected systems. Research shows that communities experiencing outbreaks respond differently to messaging that frames vaccination as a community problem versus messaging that implies moral failure. In a 2021 study of a community with falling vaccination rates, approaches that acknowledged parents' genuine concerns while emphasizing the need for community protection made parents 24% more likely to consider vaccinating, while approaches that emphasized personal responsibility or implied selfishness actually decreased their willingness to consider it. This confirms what game theory predicts: When people feel their decision-making is under moral attack, they often become more entrenched in their positions rather than more open to change. Understanding how people weigh vaccine risks and benefits points to better approaches to communication. For example, clearly conveying risks can help: The 1-in-500 death rate from measles far outweighs the extraordinarily rare serious vaccine side effects. That may sound obvious, but it's often missing from public discussion. Also, different communities need different approaches – high-vaccination areas need help staying on track, while low-vaccination areas need trust rebuilt. Consistency matters tremendously. Research shows that when health experts give conflicting information or change their message, people become more suspicious and decide to hold off on vaccines. And dramatic scare tactics about disease can backfire by pushing people toward extreme positions. Making vaccination decisions visible within communities – through community discussions and school-level reporting, where possible – can help establish positive social norms. When parents understand that vaccination protects vulnerable community members, like infants too young for vaccines or people with medical conditions, it helps bridge the gap between individual and collective interests. Health care providers remain the most trusted source of vaccine information. When providers understand game theory dynamics, they can address parents' concerns more effectively, recognizing that for most people, hesitancy comes from weighing risks rather than opposing vaccines outright. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Y. Tony Yang, George Washington University and Avi Dor, George Washington University Read more: Texas records first US measles death in 10 years – a medical epidemiologist explains how to protect yourself and your community from this deadly, preventable disease Driving the best possible bargain now isn't the best long-term strategy, according to game theory Measles is one of the deadliest and most contagious infectious diseases – and one of the most easily preventable The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Greg Cannom, Oscar-Winning Makeup Artist on ‘Bram Stoker's Dracula' and ‘Mrs. Doubtfire,' Dies at 73
Greg Cannom, the masterful prosthetics and makeup specialist who received Oscars for his work on Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Vice, has died. He was 73. Cannom worked often with makeup maestro Rick Baker early in his career, and Baker on Friday reported his death in an Instagram post. 'His work will be remembered long after his passing,' he wrote. No details were immediately available. More from The Hollywood Reporter Johnny Rodriguez, Hispanic Country Music Star and "That's the Way Love Goes" Singer, Dies at 73 Rosanna Norton, Oscar-Nominated Costume Designer on 'Tron,' Dies at 80 Lainie Miller, Burlesque Dancer in 'The Graduate' and Longtime Hollywood Labor Advocate, Dies at 84 In March 2023, a GoFundMe page was set up to help Cannom with expenses as he battled diabetes and a staph infection that led to one of his legs being amputated below his knee. In addition to his four wins, Cannom received six other Oscar makeup noms: for Hook (1991), Hoffa (1992), Roommates (1995), Titanic (1997), Bicentennial Man (1999) and A Beautiful Mind (2001). He and Wesley Wofford shared an Academy Award for Technical Achievement in 2005 for 'the development of their special modified silicone material for makeup applications used in motion pictures.' And in 2019, the Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Cannom was especially skillful at making actors age onscreen; witness Kevin Pollak in The Whole Ten Yards (2004), Brad Pitt in Babel (2006) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, Robin Williams in Bicentennial Man and Christian Bale — as Dick Cheney — in Vice (2018). In 2006, he landed one of his five career Emmy nominations for his work in the finale of the original run of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace when the characters age some 20 years. 'With monsters, you design whatever you want. With age makeup, everybody knows what they look like, so it's got to be really good,' he said in a 2021 interview. His skill on transforming the young actors in The Lost Boys (1987) into vampires — while still retaining their boyish good looks — is universally admired. He also helped turn Williams and Martin Lawrence into believable women in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and the Big Momma's House movies of 2000 and '06. Cannom said he was inspired to pursue a career in Hollywood after being wowed by the aging makeup handled by Dick Smith on Max Von Sydow in The Exorcist (1973). After attending Cypress College in Southern California and working at the Knott's Berry Farm theme park during Halloween seasons, he connected with Baker and served as his assistant on It Lives Again (1978). The two also collaborated on The Howling (1981), The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), Cocoon (1985), the 1987-88 Fox series Werewolf and perhaps most significantly on the 1983 music video for Michael Jackson's 'Thriller.' In that, Cannom appears near the end in full closeup as one of the vampires in makeup applied by Charles H. Schram of Wizard of Oz fame. His remarkable film résumé also included Dreamscape (1984), A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (1987), Big Top Pee-wee (1988), Dick Tracy (1990), Postcards From the Edge (1990), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), Alien 3 (1992), Batman Returns (1992), The Man Without a Face (1993), The Mask (1994), Thinner (1996), Kull the Conqueror (1997), Blade (1998), The Insider (1999), Hannibal (2001), Ali (2001), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003), Van Helsing (2004), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2021), his final film. Cannom assisted on seven films nominated for best picture: Titanic, The Insider, A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander, Babel, Benjamin Button and Vice, with Titanic and A Beautiful Mind coming out on top. He shared his Oscars with Michèle Burke and Matthew W. Mungle on Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), with Ve Neill and Yolanda Toussieng on Mrs. Doubtfire and with Kate Biscoe and Patricia Dehaney on Vice. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked
New Paper
08-05-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Team Asogan ready to assert power at upcoming Ipoh races
With the races at the Perak Turf Club coming up on May 11, slow work on the Ipoh training track was the order of the day as trainers sought to add the finishing touches to their runners. The hard stuff had been done - mostly on the morning of May 6. But knowing that the runners needed a good stretch-out to keep their minds on the job ahead, the track was taken over by horses doing either serious cantering or some trotting on May 7 and 8. Prominent among them were the runners from the stables of Asogan Thangaraju. The Ipoh-based trainer cannot be faulted for a lack of effort. He has posted six wins from 62 starters for the 2025 season, and will saddle 10 racers this weekend. Asogan and his staff were busy people on the morning of May 7 when most of his entries were put through their paces. Two, in particular, caught the eye - A Better Tomorrow and A Beautiful Mind. A Better Tomorrow is one of a quartet of runners from Asogan's barn who will face the starter in Race 3 - the Class 5 (A) race to be run over the 1,600m. Formerly with English trainer James Peters in Singapore, but now with the Malaysian handler, the Awesome Rock five-year-old won a very competitive Open Maiden event by two lengths at Kranji on March 17, 2024. He has since been winless - but, again, not from a lack of trying. Indeed, his subsequent runs going back until June 16 produced three second-place finishes. Sent over to Asogan's yard when racing ended at Kranji in October, he raced three times and his last-start third to Boss Heng Heng on March 30 would have had the Super Singh Stable hoping their runner had, at last, turned the corner. They have every right to feel optimistic. Until that run on March 30, A Better Tomorrow won a trial in a nice time of 1min 1sec. His work leading up to the contest on May 11 has been decent and there is nothing to suggest that he is incapable of running a bold race. Also previously prepared by Peters and raced by the same connections, A Beautiful Mind is a four-year-old whose recent form has not been shabby. Much like A Better Tomorrow, he too was sent out for some light work on May 7 and 8 and, hopefully, he is now in a good frame of mind for that next assignment. In his case, it will be in Race 1 on May 11, a Class 5B race over 1,600m, and up in the saddle he will again have regular partner Harmeet Singh Gill doing the steering. The jockey knows him all too well, having ridden him in all his eight runs since being relocated to Ipoh, including his two victories. The first was on Nov 13 when the Eminent four-year-old scored a stylish win over the Ipoh 1,400m. Following two unplaced races in November and December, the pair returned and A Beautiful Mind opened his 2025 campaign with a neat win over the Ipoh 1,600m at Class 5B level on Jan 11.. What followed was a third placing on Feb 8. He then ran a shocker of a race on March 2 - finishing last of 12. A post-race veterinary inspection revealed "nothing abnormal". A Beautiful Mind carried stable confidence at his last start on April 13 and finished a creditable third after being "awkwardly away" and bumped just after the start. In the big race of the day, the RM100,000 (S$30,500) Perak Turf Club Community Shield (1,200m), pay special attention to Vincent's Star. Undoubtedly the star in trainer Ismadi Ismail's yard, the four-year-old is gunning for a fifth success in a row and what will be his sixth career victory. Well, he just might do it as Ismadi has been thorough in getting Vincent's Star buffed up and ready for the 1,200m sprint. He sent his star out for a gallop on May 6. Not out to break any record, he clocked a breezy 44sec for the 600m. Then, on May 7, trackwatchers saw Vincent's Star stretch out nicely when trotting on the grass of the Perak Turf Club's track. And, possibly to make doubly sure that his runner knows that there is serious business coming up, he had Vincent's Star saddled up again on May 8 and sent out for yet another trot on the track. After all, he will be doing battle with two interstate heavyweights in Super Salute and Noah Khan, both proven performers from Kuala Lumpur. Yes, come Race 5 on May 11, Ismadi will be expecting a big showing from this son of Epaulette - and why not? By the looks of things, he has left no stone unturned in getting his stable flagbearer topped up and ready for business. brian@
