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Elle
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Elle
Geraldine Viswanathan Brings Bold Energy to the Marvelverse
Justin French Pullover, shorts, Sacai. Boots, Ugg x Sacai. Necklace, bracelets, Bulgari. When she was six, Geraldine Viswanathan auditioned for a spot at a performing arts school in her hometown of Newcastle, Australia. The task? Pretend to walk a dog. 'I rocked it,' she says, smiling at the memory. 'They saw the dog. They felt the dog.' Less than two decades later, the actress faced an entirely different challenge: losing her virginity on prom night. In 2018's Blockers , she stole the show as John Cena's sporty, sex-positive daughter, exuding a cool confidence well beyond her years. Her career took off from there—she exposed Hugh Jackman's fraud in the HBO film Bad Education , tempted fate alongside Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi on TBS's Miracle Workers , and unleashed cross-country chaos with her lesbian bestie (played by Drive-Away Dolls . Most recently, in Prime Video's rom-com You're Cordially Invited , she played Will Ferrell's daughter, a pairing that sparked some palpable comedic chemistry. 'He made me laugh so hard,' she says. 'I've had some really great dads.' Viswanathan thrives on pushing herself into uncharted territory with each new role. She's not just showing up and delivering a deadpan punch line—each performance feels like an invitation to watch someone redefine what we think they're capable of. Justin French Blazer, shirt, Bottega Veneta. Earrings, Cartier. Her chameleon talents will be on display soon in 'Oh, Hi!' , a rom-com-gone-wrong directed by Sophie Brooks and co-written with recently rebranded as *The New Avengers in a unique marketing move—where she'll take on the role of Mel, the assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus's domineering CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. She thinks the role was meant to be: 'When I was 18, I came to L.A. with my family, and my mom saw a psychic who said I'd be in a superhero movie,' she says. 'I need to get that psychic's number!' Filming the movie was unlike anything she had ever encountered before: 'There was no green screen, and it was the craziest set that I've ever been on, just the sheer number of extras.' And contrary to what some fans might expect from a big-budget franchise, there was no special initiation: 'The most Marvel-y thing I had to do was meet with the security team and get a little badge.' 'Feeling undervalued inspired me to act because I love to do it—not because anybody is asking me to do it.' With precious few women of color taking on leading roles in Hollywood, the space can be frustratingly limited. Viswanathan—born to an Indian father, who's a nuclear medicine specialist, and a Swiss artist mother—is keenly aware of this, having felt her ethnicity was a barrier to getting cast in Australia. 'It was an experience that has defined who I am, especially growing up as the only person of color in a small, white town,' she says. 'Feeling undervalued inspired me to act because I love to do it—not because anybody is asking me to do it. When you approach life that way, it becomes more magnetic.' She's also managed to reach It girl status, recently attending her third Paris Fashion Week, where she sat front row beside fellow Aussie Rose Byrne at the Zimmermann show. 'She's had some of my favorite roles,' Viswanathan gushes. '[Byrne] is so brilliant, cool, kind, and funny—she was killing me.' Justin French Pullover, shorts, Sacai. Boots, Ugg x Sacai. Necklace, bracelets, Bulgari. When it comes to her own viewing habits, Viswanathan gravitates toward ensemble comedies like The Hangover . As for Harry Potter, which stars her Miracle Worker s castmate Radcliffe, she admits, 'I was, like, seven when I went to see the first movie and had to leave the theater because I was was a scene where a troll put a wand up his nose. It was too much for me.' So does that rule out the fantasy genre in the future? If Viswanathan has taught us anything, it's that the unexpected is her baseline—but she's always grounded in an unapologetic authenticity. 'I could see myself going there…it's not my first instinct, because I always try to do things I'd actually want to watch,' she says, before adding wryly: 'And I'm still a little bitch.' Hair by Sami Knight for Rehab; makeup by Alexandra French at Forward Artists; manicure by Jolene Brodeur at The Wall Group; produced by Anthony Federici at Petty Cash Production; photographed at Malibu Creek Ranch. A version of this story appears in the Summer 2025 issue of ELLE. Related Stories
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Layton Williams breaks down at discovering family connection to slavery
Actor and Strictly Come Dancing contestant Layton Williams was moved to tears during an episode of the genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are? as he uncovered a personal connection to the history of slavery in his family. The 30-year-old Bad Education star discovered that his ancestors, who had been enslaved, were forcibly taken from Africa to Jamaica. Reflecting on the revelation, Williams became emotional. "There's so much Black power in that and I don't think, I've been really, really proud of being a person of colour and really leaning into 'I'm a beautiful Black man and I'm proud to have come from people who went through that and came through the other side'. Now I'm going to cry,' he said.
Edinburgh Live
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Layton Williams shares reason celebs sign up for Strictly as he names 'true winner'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Strictly Come Dancing star Layton Williams has revealed the real reason celebrities participate in the show, as he named the "true winner" from his series. The Bad Education actor competed in the 21st series of Strictly in 2023, where he was paired with professional dancer Nikita Kuzmin. The pair finished runner-up alongside Bobby Brazier and Dianne Buswell. Coronation Street star Ellie Leech won the series after being partnered with Italian dancer Vito Coppola. West End star Layton however says Les Dennis was the real winner of the series. Speaking on the Savoy Originals podcast with Alex Zane, Layton discussed his decision to join Strictly. He said: "I was looking at people's careers who had done Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing With The Stars because they also had, like Zendaya, people don't really remember but Zendaya eating up Dancing With The Stars back in the day." He added: "Obviously this is a bit of a random one but Kim Kardashian, she's not exactly not killing life, you might not necessarily agree with what she's doing but there's so many people that have done that show, like Clara Amfo and Aj Odudu, and their careers are soaring." (Image: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images) He concluded by saying: "I was in the era of, yes there was social media and things like that, but I was coming up when all of that was happening. So I thought, 'Let's rise the profile a tiny bit' and I'm not afraid to say that, because that's literally why people go on there. "Obviously, they didn't exactly pay me a tenner, so I was like, 'I'm from the streets, I'm going to get some cash'. And it doesn't matter if you get kicked out first or second, you still get your cheque. "So Les Dennis, you ate that. I always say Les Dennis was the true winner because he said deuces and probably got paid more than all of us." (Image: Getty Images) Bury-born Layton, aged 30, is gearing up for a fascinating appearance on tonight's episode of BBC One's Who Do You Think You Are?, airing at 9pm on May 12. The celeb will dive deep into his past and uncover a lineage full of Londoners, while also following the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather William, who joined the military at the tender age of 17, one year after the First World War ended. As a Remount Rider, William played a crucial role in preparing horses for the battlefields in France. Adding to the intrigue, Layton's exploration takes a poignant turn as he discerns his Jamaican heritage and finds a jarring historical note – an ancestor registered as a child slave. Layton shared his thoughts on the show via social media, saying: "I investigate my London roots, revealing a surprising musical connection, before travelling to Jamaica to uncover my family's history. "I walk through life with a new sense of pride now. Can't wait for you to see why. It was an unbelievable experience."
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Thunderbolts' Indian connection: Meet the Australian actor with desi roots who's making her MCU debut
The first reviews for Marvels' Thunderbolts* are out, and after receiving an impressive 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes, fans of the superhero franchise are looking forward to returning to old ways. Leading the film's cast are Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, and more. But one name among the cast, Mel, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's (portrayed by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) assistant in film, played by Australian actor Geraldine Viswanathan. Most of us already know her for her roles in Blockers and Bad Education. All about Geraldine Viswanathan? Geraldine Viswanathan and her younger sibling, Indira Viswanathan, grew up in an Indian-Swiss household. The 29-year-old was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Her father, Suresh Viswanathan, an Indian with Tamil roots, works as a doctor in the nuclear medicine field. While her mother, Anja Raith, is from Switzerland and is a daughter of a filmmaker and professional ballet dancer. Geraldine was just 4 when she appeared in a commercial. When Geraldine turned 15, the family briefly moved to California, where she took her first steps in the industry, securing a manager with hopes of landing Disney or Nickelodeon roles. After appearing in a few commercials and receiving the Heath Ledger Scholarship for comedy and stand-up sketches, Geraldine made her onscreen debut in the 2016 musical comedy Emo the Musical. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Since then, her acting career has seen steady growth. She became a familiar face thanks to her role as Bonnie in ABC's drama series Janet King. Additionally, she served as the reader for the Australian casting process for Crazy Rich Asians. It wasn't until 2018 that Geraldine had her big break in Blockers, which earned her the label of the film's breakout star. That year proved to be lucky for her as she landed her first Netflix role in The Package and the drama film Hala. After gracing a few magazine covers as a rising star, Geraldine wowed everyone with her acting in the anthology series Miracle Workers and the true-event-based film Bad Education. Her performance in Bad Education earned critical acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival. Geraldine Viswanathan on her MCU role In a recent interview with both Louis-Dreyfus and Geraldine opened up about their boss-assistant relationship. Geraldine was asked about how she landed the role, which came out of the blue when she was sick in bed. She shared, 'I was really sick, and they were like, 'Jake wants to talk to you.' We got on Zoom, and he was being very elusive and vague, trying to explain the script to me.' She explained how they weren't allowed to read the script before signing on for the role. When asked directly if she wanted to join, Geraldine recalled the director asking, 'So, do you want to do it?' Before she knew it, she was calling her parents to tell them she might have just joined the Marvel universe. Speaking about her character in the film, she added, ' I love the way Val cuts Mel off if she tries to insert herself, tell a joke, or hand her coffee in the wrong moment. Those little details were really fun to play with. Or when you say my name wrong.' To which Dreyfus added, 'That was born out of an improvisation, I think, if I remember correctly!'
Hindustan Times
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Geraldine Viswanathan reacts to theories of her playing Songbird in Thunderbolts, being called 'internet's LOML'
Australian actor Geraldine Viswanathan is in the big leagues. The young actor, best known for her roles in Blockers and Bad Education, is making her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut with the upcoming superhero film, Thunderbolts. Before the film's release, Geraldine speaks with HT about her role and the internet's newfound interest in her. The film's official promotional material has called Geraldine's character 'Mel', who is supposedly an assistant to Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. However, many internet sleuths are convinced that Mel is actually Melissa Joan Gold, a Marvel superhero who also goes by the name Songbird. When asked, Geraldine responds rather politically correctly. "There is not much I can say. But, I think it's cool people are talking about Mel's future. It's exciting," she says. Thunderbolts' European premiere took place in London earlier this week, and even as the top-billed stars of the film walked the red carpet, the internet believes Geraldine stole the show. The actor appeared on the red carpet in a sequined black gown and has won lots of new fans for it, with many calling her the new 'LOML' (internet slang for love of my life). "I had no idea," gasps Geraldine as we read out some of the tweets to her, before turning red. "This is flattering. I am actually blushing over that," the actor manages to say. As she fights for words, her co-star Julia Louis-Dreyfus has a message for all of Geraldine's new fans: "To all Geraldine fans, she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She is certainly the love of my life!" Thunderbolts is the MCU's first antihero/villain-led film as it focuses on a team of misfits trying to stop a greater threat. Directed by Jake Schreier, the film also stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, David Harbour, and Hannah John-Kamen. It is set to release in India on May 1 and globally on May 2.
