Latest news with #Awkwafina
Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'I would just want to be in a horror film': John Cena wants to explore the horror genre for his next Hollywood role
(Image via X/@FANEXPOPhilly) WWE Superstar and one of the marquee players of the company, John Cena , has recently expressed his keen interest in exploring the horror genre for his next Hollywood role. Cena is someone who loves juggling between his profession as a wrestler and an actor. The superstar was last seen in the Saturday Main Night's Event where he was seen locking horns with R-Truth in a non-title match. The Cenation leader's last release was Jackpot, alongside Awkwafina, in the year 2024, and now the star is gearing up for his next theatrical release, Heads of State, slated to release on July 2, 2025. The film stars eminent actors like Cena, Jack Quaid, Idris Elba, and Priyanka Chopra. As WWE Undisputed Champion John Cena continues to expand his presence in Hollywood, he is now setting his sights on exploring the horror genre as an actor. John Cena wants to explore the horror genre for his next Hollywood role The 17-time WWE World Champion John Cena wants to explore the horror genre for his next Hollywood role. While 2025 is his final year as an active WWE competitor, and he is currently busy preparing for his last matches, John Cena is equally expanding his presence in Hollywood, too. During a recent appearance at the Philadelphia Fan Expo, Cena took part in a fan Q&A where he discussed a range of topics, from his WWE legacy to future acting ambitions. A highlight of the event was when he disclosed his desire to appear in a horror film, be it as a fearsome antagonist or a hapless casualty. Cena said, 'My answer to that is yes, because I've never been in a horror film. So I would just want to be in a horror film. If you're out there and you're doing it, I'm available.' Over the years, John Cena has cemented his legacy as one of the finest actors in the Hollywood industry. His filmography includes action hits like The Suicide Squad, comedies like Blockers, and family fare such as Ricky Stanicky, has proven himself to be a versatile actor. Now, it appears he's ready to step into darker territory, and Hollywood may just take him up on the offer. Also Read : Chelsea Green shares major injury updates after WWE Saturday Night's Main Event feud with Zelina Vega As for Cena's future in horror movies, that remains uncertain, but his next WWE match is confirmed for the Money in the Bank premium live event on June 7, where he will team up with Logan Paul to face Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso in a tag team bout. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Buzz Feed
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
AAPI Celebrities' Careers Before Hollywood
Thanks to Hollywood pioneers over the decades, AAPI faces have thankfully become a more familiar presence on our screens. But the road to Hollywood can be a winding one, and before these celebrities found their footing in the industry, there was once a time they had to pay bills, soothe parental concerns, or grapple first with the internal strife of what to do with the rest of their lives. Thus, odd jobs, degrees they hoped to never use, and the potential to veer off into a whole other career path loomed — until they decided to follow the stars! Ken Jeong, as a student at Duke University, had to decide between continuing his medical school studies or pursuing drama. He was accepted into the school's prestigious drama program, but ultimately, due to "lack of Asian American representation in film at the time," he decided to go forth with his medical studies. Upon graduating, he continued performing stand-up while working part-time as an actual doctor, until he booked a part playing a doctor on Knocked Up and decided to follow his ambition to pursue acting full-time. As she was going viral for a satirical rap titled, "My Vag," Awkwafina held down a corporate job as a publicity assistant. That is, until she was fired for mentioning her side gig to her boss. She told CAAM, "The publishing office was my last real job." After, she took on a series of odd jobs, including working at a vegan bodega until she realized, "Awkwafina was bigger than I thought." Then, she made becoming Awkwafina a full-time career. While it was widely reported that Jason Momoa was a model before he booked his first-ever acting gig on Baywatch: Hawaii, that turned out to be a little white lie to make it look like he had credentials on his blank resume, he told Square Mile. He booked the gig, but after his two-year run with the show, he struggled to find roles and faced what he recalled as his "rock bottom." He took a job working as security for a club, which he described as "humbling," borrowing money and couch surfing until he booked his next gig, North Shore, which snowballed into his next set of roles until that iconic break as Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. Hong Chau, who wooed critics and audiences in Downsizing and The Whale, told Financial Times she once worked in the accounting department at PBS. Hong, who graduated with a film production degree from Boston University, said, 'I naively thought, at the age of 17, that you could easily get a job with a film degree. I was very wrong.' Public speaking and improv classes helped her overcome her shyness and eventually led the way to acting. She moved to Los Angeles and plugged away, trying to find the right parts and fighting "to get in the room." Keanu Reeves, who we all know as that man we must protect at all costs, has built a long and storied career in Hollywood, leading blockbusters like the Matrix series and the John Wick franchise. He knew he wanted to be an actor at an early age, and while performing on stage, he nabbed an agent, only his early roles weren't like the ones he stars in now. One of his first on-screen gigs included time as a correspondent for Going Great, a children's show interviewing athletes and performers. But role by role, he built up his credits until his big break in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, where he beat out 200 to 300 actors for the role. Before Young Mazino's major roles in Beef and The Last of Us, he was a senior business intelligence analyst at global beauty brand Fresh Beauty while he pursued his acting ambitions on the side. "I was terrified that I would lose my job if they found out I was running to auditions during lunch, or leaving a little early, or using my vacation days at random to shoot short films," he told GOAT. 'What I would do is print out my lines and have them on my lap," he told NBC News. While pretending to type, he would make sure no one was looking and study his lines. The final leap to pursue acting full-time came from his boss at Fresh, who encouraged him to go all in. Before her Golden Globe-winning turn as Toda Mariko in Shōgun, Anna Sawai was the leader of FAKY, a five-person J-pop girl group, for five years before she left to pursue acting. "I'm glad that I had that experience, but I left for a reason," Anna told Entertainment Tonight. After achieving her childhood dreams of becoming a singer, she still harbored a passion for acting. As her agency at the time was more music-focused, she decided to leave behind her life as a J-pop star. She eventually booked roles in critically-lauded shows Giri/Haji and Pachinko and the Fast and Furious franchise. Rich Brian came onto the scene with an unexpected satirical hip-hop track, 'Dat $tick," in 2016. But this was after building up a social media presence on Vine and what was then called Twitter (now X) as a young teen. His lore includes teaching himself English through hip-hop and YouTube as a homeschooled kid in Jakarta, Indonesia. Backed by a baritone, gravelly voice, he transitioned his one-hit wonder (which was covered by Ghostface Killah of the Wu-Tang Clan) to more boppy hits like "Edamame," which went on to be featured in Super Bowl ads. Before her breakout role in Teen Wolf, Arden Cho was a pageant winner of Miss Korea Chicago and almost pursued a law degree. While on the pre-law track, facing pressure to choose between a stable career in "law, medicine, or engineering," she took theater courses as an elective because she thought it would be "easy." She told CAAM it actually ended up being "very, very difficult," and she fell in love with the medium. However, years later, she did end up playing an attorney for her starring role in Partner Track. She told Bustle of her role at the time, 'There was a point where I thought I would take my LSATs, and now ironically, I play a lawyer on TV.' Manny Jacinto, who captivated audiences in The Good Place and The Acolyte, has a surprising background in what could have been. Manny graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in civil engineering. He planned to follow in his father's footsteps and become an engineer until an epiphany in his sophomore year: he saw his life flash by, one that failed to excite him and served as a wake-up call. Today, he uses his analytical background to break down characters and scenes. But that degree? "It's in the cupboard right now," he told CBC. "I'll bring it out when I need to, when I need to build a bridge." Jimmy O. Yang, of Silicon Valley and Interior Chinatown, graduated with an economics degree from the University of San Diego, but he can't say he was exactly passionate about his course of study. "That's the easiest major that still pleases your Asian parents," Jimmy told NPR, adding, "I'll say I've done it and I'll figure my life out." After a financial internship at Smith Barney, where he ended up with "panic attacks" from thinking this would be his life for the next 40 years, he decided to get up on stage and dive into the world of stand-up. "Like I said in my book, to me, it was better to disappoint my parents for a couple years than to disappoint myself for the rest of my life, so I had to take a risk," Jimmy shared with Wired. During his come-up, there were also plenty of odd jobs that included selling used cars and DJing at strip clubs. John Cho has long been a fan favorite actor with historic roles in the Harold & Kumar series, the first Asian-American thriller, Searching, and the live-action anime adaptation, Cowboy Bebop. But before all that, before he was that MILF guy in American Pie, he was a UC Berkeley graduate who studied English literature, and a teacher in West Hollywood. "It was easier to get a job teaching than it was to get a job waiting tables," he told Glamour. With acting, he wasn't exactly sure how it would work out. It was the "mid-to-late 90s," and it "just didn't seem like enough jobs out there," he reflected with CAAM. "I didn't foresee myself giving up my second job for a very, very long time." KJ Apa, before his big break with Riverdale, was a passionately talented musician, busking in the streets of downtown Auckland. After a stint on a soap opera, Shortland Street, at 18, KJ packed up his bags for Los Angeles and booked the hit CW show. His character Archie even had a storyline where he grappled with playing football versus becoming a musician, in which KJ was able to showcase his talents. However, KJ is a more talented musician than his character, Teen Vogue reported. "I don't know how to say it, but we're not at the same level, you know what I mean?" KJ said. "Somehow I have to say that in not a cocky way, but he's a beginner." To be fair, it's probably not cocky if he has talents to match. Catch KJ busking here. Charles Melton, another Riverdale alum, was an excellent dog walker before his big break with the show. "I was 26 at the time. For some reason, I couldn't get a job as a waiter," he told Cosmopolitan. "I was working as a take-out guy for a Chinese restaurant in Brentwood. I was walking dogs in the meantime, too." He shared that he was the #1 dog walker on the Wag app and that he walked "over 300 dogs," writing "super-detailed reviews." He said, "I loved getting to know their personalities. Walking dogs, in a way, saved me back then." In fact, he was so popular, even after his break with Riverdale, he would still receive notification requests for walks. Ke Huy Quan, while finding success as a child actor in legendary films like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies, faced a drought in roles and opportunities in the years after. He went on to graduate from the University of Southern California's film school and worked behind the camera as an assistant stunt choreographer and director. He told NPR, "I spent a long time lying to myself that acting isn't fun anymore." As time passed, he noticed more roles opening up for Asian actors. Everything Everywhere All at Once was the first script he read, and of course, it led to his second breakout role, cinching him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Jamie Chung was once an MTV reality star on The Real World before her Hollywood break. Jamie told People, "I have no shame in my humble beginnings. They kick-started my career." Her passion for acting was discovered through performing skits at Korean Catholic church camp, and after wrapping up a reality TV run and degree at UC Riverside, she followed her passion to Los Angeles. '[I was] so ashamed of failure that I didn't tell anyone what I was doing, not even my parents,' Jamie recalled to Mochi Mag. Fast forward to today, her real world now consists of roles in The Hangover franchise, Once Upon a Time, and Lovecraft Country. Kumail Nanjiani, who famously played a computer whiz on Silicon Valley, actually holds a computer science (and philosophy) degree in real life. He had even spent time working in the field, though he admits it didn't help much with the role. "I was really bad at computer science," he said on Forward. His love for stand-up comedy led him to pursue the craft, but the road wasn't easy. He described the medium as "painful," but "slightly less painful than not doing it.' Then, it was all "tiny steps" that led him to Hollywood. Saweetie, who we all know from reaching the Billboard charts with singles like "Tap In" and "Best Friend," graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in communication with an emphasis in business. She spoke with the Shade Room about her unexpected college job working as a server at a strip club before she made it in her rap career. 'I think people have a misconception of strippers, and the reason why I say that is 'cause I used to work at the strip club myself," she said. "You learn a lot working in those type of environments.' She spoke out against the biases strippers face and made a point about considering the nuances of the role. "It's an interesting job that requires a lot of talents. You have to be smart." She also worked as a coder, a secretary, and even ran her own clothing brand called Money Makin' Mamis while doing background vocals for Kendrick Lamar. And finally, Li Jun Li, who recently appeared in Sinners, started her creative path with dance. A graduate of LaGuardia High's dance program, she fell in love with acting when she auditioned for the school's musicals. Afterwards, on the grind, she took acting classes, attended open calls, bartended, and even worked as a real estate agent. Her trajectory has led to an impressive resume, but she told Schön! the path to getting to where she is now was steep. "I'm very lucky that I live in the years when Hollywood is making this kind of progression at this stage," she said, as over ten years ago, "there were barely any roles for us." Check out more AAPI-centered content by exploring how BuzzFeed celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Of course, the content doesn't end after May. Follow BuzzFeed's A*Pop on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to keep up with our latest AAPI content year-round.
Geek Tyrant
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Fun New Trailer for the Animated Comedy Heist Movie THE BAD GUYS 2 — GeekTyrant
DreamWorks Animation has released a second trailer for animated comedy heist movie The Bad Guys 2 , which finds the crew from the first movie struggling to find trust and acceptance in their newly minted lives as Good Guys. It's at this point in their journey where they are forced to do one last job, with a female crew of criminals, known as The Bad Girls . The synopsis reads: 'Everyone's favorite felons are back, and this time, they've got company. In the new action-packed chapter from DreamWorks Animation's acclaimed comedy smash about a crackerjack crew of animal outlaws, our now-reformed Bad Guys are trying (very, very hard) to be good, but instead find themselves hijacked into a high-stakes, globe-trotting heist, masterminded by a new team of criminals they never saw coming: The Bad Girls.' The Bad Guys 2 brings back the great original cast of Sam Rockwell, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, Anthony Ramos, and Awkwafina. Newcomers include Danielle Brooks as The Bad Girls leader Kitty Kat, a clever snow leopard; Maria Bakalova as Pigtail, a brilliant Bulgarian wild boar engineer; Natasha Lyonne as Doom, a wry raven with a knack for deception. This actually looks like it'll be a fun follow-up to the first movie. The Bad Guys 2 is once again directed by Pierre Perifel, making his second feature after the first film and lots of work as an animator at DreamWorks previously. it was co-directed by JP Sans, who was head of character animation on the first film. The film is adapted from the Scholastic book series by Aaron Blabey, and it will be released in theaters starting August 1st, 2025.
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a surprising crack about ex Maria Shriver
Arnold Schwarzenegger gave a shoutout to ex-wife Maria Shriver when he cracked a joke at Amazon's Upfront presentation in New York City on Monday. The actor, 77, who typically plays some kind of strongman, is softening his image in the upcoming holiday film The Man With The Bag, which he spent part of the winter filming in the Big Apple. The Terminator veteran will star as none other than Santa Claus in the comedy co-starring Awkwafina and Alan Ritchson. In the plot, Kris Kringle loses his magic bag and has to turn to Vance, a guy on the Naughty List (Ritchson) to help get it back. While speaking about the project the holiday veteran made reference to another one of his hit films and appeared to take a playful jab at Shriver, 69. 'Jingle All The Way was the greatest Christmas movie of all time,' the Emmy winner declared unabashedly. 'They play it the whole month of December,' he said, adding , 'I know because my ex-wife calls me about the residual.' It was the first time he had made a comment about the former NBC journalist in about two years. The couple, who had what appeared to be a Hollywood fairytale romance were married for 25 years before their relationship crumbled under the news of Schwarzenegger's unfaithfulness. Shriver filed to divorce in 2011 after The Expendables actor admitted to fathering a child, Joseph Baena, 27, with the family housekeeper. The former couple, who finalized their split in 2021, share four children, Katherine, 35, Christina, 33, Patrick, 31, and Christopher, 37. In her memoir, I Am Maria, which was released in April, Shriver wrote about her pain at the breakdown of her marriage. 'It broke my heart, it broke my spirit, it broke what was left of me. Without my marriage, my parents, a job—the dam of my lifelong capital-D Denial just blew apart.' The result of those feelings, was her first work of poetry. 'I started writing from a deep place within,' she explained. 'Through my poetry, I've found a woman who was terrified of not being able to live up to her family's legacy—scared of not being big enough, a good-enough daughter, sister, wife, mother, journalist.' For his part, Schwarzenegger has accepted the new parameters of their relationship as co-parents and grandparents. 'My chapter with Maria will continue on forever. Even though it's a different relationship, there's no reason for me to feel anything but love for her,' he told People in 2023.
Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Poker Face, season 2, review: Natasha Lyonne's crime caper remains rootin'-tootin' fun
Any TV show that lists Joseph the Gerbil and Daisy the Alligator in amongst Katie Holmes and Justin Theroux in its star-studded cast list is already a hit with me. But it is also telling – you don't get a call sheet that also contains Cynthia Erivo, Awkwafina and Giancarlo Esposito if your series is not seriously good… yet also doesn't take itself too seriously. At a time when premium TV is manacled to its own self-importance – worlds, mythologies, entire tectonic plates of subreddits and po-faced hypotheses— the best thing about Poker Face (Sky Max) is that it is rootin'-tootin' fun. The setup is simple – Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) knows when someone is lying. It is a superpower that, like all superpowers, turns out to be as much a burden as a boon, but Poker Face doesn't trouble itself too much with the metaphysics. Instead, it just barrels on from episode to episode, a broad comedy road trip that in season one took Charlie Cale from a name badge waitress at a Nevada casino, via the murder of her best friend, on to a life of crime-busting across America. It means that Charlie is perpetually on the run – in series one from an angry casino owner and now, in series two, from a rival owner called Beatrix Hasp (Rhea Perlman). What's supposed to happen in a sophomore season is that we deep-dive into Charlie's backstory, maybe get a flashback episode to unpick her childhood trauma or meet her wacky parents. Poker Face doesn't do that and is all the better for it. Although series two takes us from an animal liberation operation at a police awards ceremony to a diabolical elementary school student's plot concerning the class pet (see, Gerbil), it is, at heart, a procedural, and if it's a long way from Law and Order in tone then it also recognises that familiarity breeds content. It's not a perfect procedural – armchair sleuths will become frustrated at the ease of solving some of the whodunits, particularly as the series goes on. But even though there's always a murder and a new small-town sign to tell you you're somewhere new each week, the format that TV jettisoned a few decades back feels, ironically, fresh and exciting. Yes, there is a statement vehicle (Charlie drives a battered Plymouth Barracuda from town to town, so no import tariffs there) and yes, the format allows for a host of knock-knock, look who it is guest stars. Creators Rian Johnson (Knives Out) and Tony Tost plainly love their movies, with everything from Neo-noir to Smokey and the Bandit on their playlist. Columbo (a known Johnson fave) is probably the most obvious lodestar. This is a series that surfs on vibes and iconography. The danger is that those nods and winks get ahead of character and story, and the whole thing becomes a film-school love-in, but against that Poker Face has its procedural scaffolding and Lyonne in the lead. She is both funny and believable, bringing heart to Poker Face's smarts. Charlie is the series' lightning rod but in Lyonne's hands she is selfless and interested (rather than pulling cynically on a cigarette and telling the latest perp that she knows they're god-damned lying.) It is a winning combination – Johnson and Tost can throw in any new character (even Joseph the Gerbil and Daisy the Alligator) or locale and Charlie's ever-open mind holds it all together.
