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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
13 Celebrities Who Threw Honesty Out The Window, In Order To Audition For A Movie Or TV Show
Wu pretended to speak another language. Early in her career, the Crazy Rich Asians star tried to land a role as an extra in a project. The extra was responsible for yelling out one line: "Run Away"...but it needed to be done in Korean. Despite not knowing how to speak the language, the Taiwanese-American actor learned the line phonetically and delivered it. When asked to improvise in Korean, she could only make nonsensical sounds. "I'm not Korean, and I don't speak Korean," Constance said in a 2018 The Late Show with Stephen Colbert interview. "I speak Mandarin Chinese. But it was only like one word, like two words. So, you know, I asked a friend, and they told me, I learned it phonetically and I put all of my heart into that one line." Hemsworth lied about his volleyball skills to star alongside Miley Cyrus. Liam starred alongside his ex, Miley, in the 2010 romance The Last Song. He played a popular beach volleyball player named Will Blakelee, but in reality, Liam didn't known how much about the sport. "I can't play volleyball in real life," Liam told Tribute Movies in 2010 about the differences between his character and himself. "I'm really bad." Related: "The volleyball was the most intense [training]. We were playing about three times a week for a couple of hours a day. Yeah, it was really tough." Anderson deceived casting directors with her age to win the role of Dana Scully on The X-Files. "I lied about my age on the first audition," Gillian told NPR in a 2020 interview. "So I said that I was 27. So that's how you get that job." But even though series creator Chris Carter was convinced he'd found his leading lady, Gillian revealed the network wasn't. So, they kept bringing in actors to replace her, including Cynthia Nixon and Jill Hennessy. "But I was sent in on an audition, like any other audition," she continued. "And then kept getting called back and, eventually, you know, went to network with all the other girls who were also trying out for the role, going to network and getting to read with David Duchovny, who they had by that point chosen as Mulder. But they weren't convinced - Chris Carter, who created the series, was convinced that I was his Scully, but the network wasn't." "And so all of a sudden, they started to fly in all these other actresses from the theater community in New York. And I'd been living in LA for a little while when I did this audition and had been living in New York beforehand, auditioning with all these young women in the theater community. And all of a sudden, they were being flown in because I wasn't good enough for The X-Files (laughter). And so I was auditioning, suddenly, with Jill Hennessy and Cynthia Nixon and all these women." She landed the role. Gillian was actually 24 at the time. Hardy claimed to be a talented musician on his resume. Before landing the role of Roger Taylor, the former drummer in the rock band Queen, in the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, Ben said he told a "big lie" just to be considered for the gig. 'I worked with [director] Bryan Singer before on X-Men," he said in a 2018 People interview. "And I sent him an email when I heard about [Bohemian Rhapsody] and in the nicest way possible was like, 'Can I do this?'" 'He had reservations based upon the fact that he wanted the person who played Roger Taylor to be able to play the drums because you can cheat the other instruments with camera angles, but in the wide shots you can see if the drum is out of sync. So I told him I could play the drums — which I couldn't at the time.' Ben was expected to send in a tape of himself playing the drums to a Queen song, so in order to prepare for the lie, he enlisted in a grueling 2-week training session. He recruited a local drummer to teach him and dealt with 10-hour practice days just to nail the techniques. 'I wanted the job really bad. Who doesn't want to play a rock' n roll star? So I told him a little white lie — slash — big lie, that I could play the drums. So he was like, 'Great, can you put this song on film for me to show to the producers?' I went away in a massive panic. There wasn't enough time. I bought the cheapest drum kit I could find and found a drum teacher locally, and was like, 'Look, here's the deal: I need to learn to play this song as soon as possible. What can you do?'" Barrymore revealed that when she was working as a child actor, it was very common for people to lie about their talents, and she was no different. During an April 2024 episode of her daytime talk show, The Drew Barrymore Show, with special guest Valerie Bertinelli, the two discussed growing up in Hollywood, and the lies they'd list on their headshots to get an audition. Related: 'You'd get an 8×10 glossy," Drew said. "And on the back of the 8×10 glossy was your resume and you would have to say, 'I can sing, I can tap' — all lies. I couldn't do any of the things it said that I could do. It was like singing, dancing. You put like all your skillsets as a child that you don't really have.' Elba pretended to be American during his auditions for The Wire. Idris Elba revealed in a 2019 Hot Ones interview that Alexa Fogel, The Wire's casting director, told him to pretend he was American, rather than British, because creator David Simon didn't want any non-American actors cast in the Baltimore-based series. He kept up the act for a while, until it came to his fourth audition, where he was asked about his childhood. "My parents told me not to lie," Idris admitted. "You gotta look someone in the eye and be honest. I have lied. It's never worked out for me." So, he did the respectable thing and told the truth. "Don't fire Alexa, she told me not to tell you guys." Although he initially went out for the role of Avon Barksdale, Simon gave him the role of Stringer Bell instead. Avon was ultimately played by Wood Harris. Hathaway also lied about her horse-riding skills when she starred as Lureen Newsome in the 2005 film Brokeback Mountain, mainly because, apparently, they were nonexistent. Anne told Out, "My parents have given me a lot of gifts in my life, and one of them is: If you're ever asked if you can do anything, say yes. You can learn anything in two weeks if you're motivated enough." She told director Ang Lee that she knew how to ride in order to book the role. "So I'd never been on a horse, and I replied, 'Oh yeah, I'm a really good rider.' So I knew I had to learn to ride, and I got really, really, really good." Related: Despite learning the ins and outs of horseback riding, it didn't stop Anne from having an embarrassing moment on set, when the horse refused to listen to her commands. "I went to a rehearsal in front of 300 extras, all of whom work in rodeos," she continued. "And the horse wouldn't do a damn thing I wanted it to. And at the end, it threw me in front of everyone." Clooney went to extremes to try to earn his SAG-AFTRA card, the membership that signifies an actor's affiliation with the Screen Actors Guild. When George was still a budding actor in Hollywood, he was eager to get his credentials. To expedite the process, he lied to a casting director about his SAG status in order to boost his chances of starring in the project. George told her he had worked on the movie Cat People. Well, funny enough, the casting director for this project just so happened to be the same casting director for Cat People. She knew she didn't hire him for that film, but seemingly impressed by his tenacity, she gave him a role in a different project. Unfortunately, that film was never made. Despite the movie getting canned, it ultimately earned George his SAG card. Kunis shaved several years off to land the role of Jackie Burkhart in That '70s Show, but the producers eventually figured it out. She was just 14 (a freshman in high school) at the time of her audition. "Legally, I was 14, but I told them I was a little bit older. I told them I was gonna be 18," Mila said in a 2012 interview with Jay Leno. "It's not technically a lie, because at one point, given all things went right, I was gonna be 18." Mila admitted to having a fake ID at the age of 16. She went by the name Jiffy Perez on the ID, who was listed as being 21. She revealed the producers found out about her real age, but it didn't cause any issues, so she continued filming. Isaacs claimed to be a big fan of The White Lotus despite never watching a single episode. 'I'd said that it was my favorite show, that I thought it was a work of brilliance, and that Mike was a genius,' Jason said of The White Lotus to Decider. 'Now, I do think Mike's a magnificent writer and director, because I've followed him since I was at Sundance when he first emerged with Chuck & Buck. I'd watched everything he'd done film-wise ever since, but I hadn't seen The White Lotus. So, of course, I watched it, and I became a huge fan after the fact.' 'I told him what a huge fan of White Lotus I was, what utter genius it was, and 'how the richness of the characters,' and all the other things I picked up from the reviews I'd read because I'd never seen a frame of it,' Isaacs recalled to Collider. 'I watched all of them in like a day and a half,' he told People magazine. 'I basically sat and stewed in my own filth, watched it, and realized why people had made such a fuss. And then I was a fan.' Related: Sink exaggerated her roller-skating skills when asked about her background for another challenging sport. Before earning the role of Max in Netflix's Stranger Things, Sadie claimed she was a confident rollerblader, to make up for the fact that she didn't know how to skateboard. "They wanted a girl that had skateboard experience," Sadie told Coveteur. "And I didn't have skateboarding experience at all. They asked me, 'Oh, do you have any rollerblading experience?' I was like, 'Uh sure I do,' which was technically not a lie because I have rollerbladed before. In reality, I probably haven't [roller]skated for a year.' She recalled panicking after seeing a pair of skates in the corner of the audition room, but it turns out she didn't end up needing to use them. Mescal's agent didn't want him to lose out on the role of Connell in Normal People, so he told a little lie about the status of Paul's driver's license. "My agent was like, 'We are not losing this job over you not being able to drive," Paul told Entertainment Weekly. "'So, I'll tell production that you can, and in the meantime, you go off and rattle through as many lessons as you can.'" And if you're a fan of the show, then you probably remember seeing Paul behind the wheel quite frequently, so it looks like the lessons paid off. Phoebe Dynevor showed immense enthusiasm for riding horses while preparing to star as Daphne Bridgerton in the hit Netflix historical drama, despite being scared of them. "And I've always said — I don't know why — that I didn't like horses and was scared of them," Phoebe told Glamour in 2021. "But in the audition, when they asked me, 'Have you ridden a horse before?' I was like, 'Yeah, I'm amazing. I've ridden so many horses. I'd be perfect for this role!'" But after a few lessons, she learned to love it more than she anticipated: "I actually loved horseback riding by the end of it and would love to get back on a horse as soon as possible, so that was fun. I felt very much ready to enter the marriage market by the time I finished with everything." Also in Celebrity: Also in Celebrity: Also in Celebrity: Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Katie Holmes Confirms Big Screen Reunion With 'Dawson's Creek' Love Interest and Fans Are 'Not Emotionally Prepared'
Katie Holmes Confirms Big Screen Reunion With 'Dawson's Creek' Love Interest and Fans Are 'Not Emotionally Prepared' originally appeared on Parade. Fans of Dawson's Creek's Joey and Pacey pairing should be very happy right now, as former co-stars and are finally reuniting on screen for an epic new project. After hyped fans spotted the actors together in New York City, Holmes took to social media to confirm their upcoming project, which is set to be a romantic film trilogy. The actress will write, direct and star in the movies. 🎬 Holmes shared a photo of herself and Jackson as she wrote, "I am so very grateful to be working again with so many of my wonderful friends on this film HAPPY HOURS. And working with Josh after so many years is a testament to friendship." She went on, writing, "HAPPY HOURS is a love story that includes so many people I adore. We can't wait for everyone to see what we make." Holmes tagged others involved with the project, including Constance Wu, Mary-Louise Parker, and many reported more details about the highly anticipated project called Happy Hours, describing it as "a character-driven dramedy that explores the emotional journey of young loves who reconnect as adults, with the connective thread of shared joys, loss, and hope." Fans were overjoyed and stunned upon hearing the big news, with one dazed fan writing, "i cant believe this is real HELLO." "I can't believe it…. you're finally back acting together 😍 Two magnificent actors ❤️," said another, while others commented, "This is thrilling. 😍😭," "Oh my god yes!!!!!! Joey and pacey fo life!!!!!!!" and "I was not emotionally prepared for this post." A different fan excitedly reacted to the news, saying, "Whaaaat??? I'm literally passing out from excitement." While the first movie will be in production this summer in NYC, there is no word yet on a potential release Holmes Confirms Big Screen Reunion With 'Dawson's Creek' Love Interest and Fans Are 'Not Emotionally Prepared' first appeared on Parade on Jul 21, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Tatler Asia
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
From Merdeka 118 to the Blue Mansion: Malaysia's most spectacular film locations that have captivated international cinema
Penang: Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and Armenian Street Above The Blue Mansion, Penang George Town, Penang's UNESCO-listed capital, has provided atmospheric backdrops for films including Beyond Rangoon , Indochine , Lust, Caution and Road to Dawn . The iconic Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (The Blue Mansion) featured in Indochine and again in Crazy Rich Asians , where it stood in as a mahjong parlour for a pivotal scene between Michelle Yeoh and Constance Wu. Following the film's 2018 release, visitor numbers to the mansion tripled. In the 1999 historical drama Anna and the King , starring Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat, Armenian Street in George Town stood in for a street in Bangkok, while Swettenham Pier doubled as Bangkok Harbor in this riveting story of British schoolteacher Anna Leonowens and her time in Siam (now Thailand) as a tutor to the king's children. For Ang Lee's espionage thriller Lust, Caution , set in 1940s Shanghai and Hong Kong, Wisma Yeap Chor Ee and China Street Ghaut in Penang provided perfect period settings. The film follows a young woman who infiltrates the household of a powerful political figure with the intention of assassinating him. See also: Explore three distinctive heritage properties in Penang, Selangor and Melaka, Malaysia Langkawi: Tropical paradise fit for royalty and romance Above Four Seasons Resort Langkawi was one of the filming locations of the movie 'Crazy Rich Asians' (Photo: Four Seasons Resort Langkawi) The breathtaking archipelago of Langkawi in Kedah state has lent its pristine beaches and lush landscapes to films seeking paradisiacal settings. For Anna and the King , a spectacular set was constructed on a beach in Telaga Harbor, with remnants remaining until around 2008 as a tourist attraction. Crazy Rich Asians featured Langkawi's luxurious resorts and idyllic settings, helping to position the island as a premium destination for affluent travelers. Following the film's success, Langkawi saw an uptick in visitors seeking the lavish experiences depicted on screen. The 1980 Australian mini-series A Town Like Alice was also filmed partially in Langkawi, capturing the island's natural beauty decades before it became a luxury tourism hotspot. Additionally, a movie set for the Bollywood hit Don was located in Langkawi, utilising the island's dramatic landscapes for Shah Rukh Khan's action sequences. Pahang: Cameron Highlands Above Tea plantations in Cameron Highlands (Photo: BOH Tea Malaysia) The misty Cameron Highlands in Pahang provided the perfect setting for the critically acclaimed historical drama The Garden of Evening Mists , based on the novel by Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng. The film, starring Lee Sin-je and Hiroshi Abe, tells the story of a former prisoner of a Japanese war camp who seeks peace by creating a garden with a mysterious Japanese gardener. The location choice was particularly poignant as it was near an actual Japanese war camp where the main character was imprisoned during World War II. The film showcases the highlands' cool climate, tea plantations, and lush forests, offering viewers a glimpse into a side of Malaysia rarely seen in international productions. Sarawak: Jungle Adventures and Cultural Immersion Above Bako National Park in Sarawak, Malaysia (Photo: Unsplash) Borneo's Sarawak state provided the authentic rainforest setting for The Sleeping Dictionary , a romantic drama starring Jessica Alba, Hugh Dancy, and Bob Hoskins. The film follows a young Englishman (Dancy) working in the British colony who learns the local Iban language and customs through a 'sleeping dictionary'—a local Iban woman (played by Jessica Alba, who is not, in fact, Iban) who serves as both language tutor and companion. The production showcased Sarawak's lush jungles, traditional longhouses, and indigenous cultures, filmed at locations such as Buntal Jetty in Kuching, and the Red Bridge near Matang. Although the 2018 film Venom famously opened with a scene supposedly set in Sarawak's Sibu, the 'Sarawakian village' in the movie was actually filmed in a woodsy area in Atlanta, Georgia. Melaka: Historical port city with cinematic versatility Above Melaka: Historical port city with cinematic versatility in Malaysia (Photo: Unsplash) The UNESCO World Heritage site of Melaka, with its rich trading history and unique architectural blend of Portuguese, Dutch, and British influences, provided atmospheric settings for the Indian Tamil-language film Kabali , starring superstar Rajinikanth. Following the release of Kabali, Tourism Malaysia launched a special tour for Indian tourists of the shooting locations. While Entrapment famously depicted the Petronas Twin Towers as visible from Melaka—a creative liberty with geography—the historical city's streets and thoroughfares offer authentic glimpses into Malaysia's colonial past. The exposure from these films has reinforced Melaka's status as a must-visit destination for history enthusiasts and architecture lovers, contributing to the steady growth of tourism in this historically significant port city. Perak: Kellie's Castle, Ipoh and more Above Kellie's Castle in Ipoh, Perak in Malaysia (Photo: Unsplash) Ipoh, the capital of Perak state, with its well-preserved colonial buildings and surrounding limestone karsts, served as a filming location for an impressive array of international productions, including After This, Our Exile , Anna and the King , Beyond Rangoon , Blackhat , Indochine , and Lust, Caution . For Anna and the King , Kellie's Castle in Batu Gajah near Ipoh—an unfinished mansion built by a Scottish planter—provided a perfect colonial-era setting. Additionally, a massive seven-acre palace recreation was constructed near Ipoh specifically for the film, becoming a temporary tourist attraction during production. The historical drama Road to Dawn , which tells the story of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen's time in Penang, also filmed scenes in Ipoh, taking advantage of the city's well-preserved early 20th-century architecture. Michael Mann's cyberthriller Blackhat , starring Chris Hemsworth, used Ipoh's urban landscape and surrounding areas to create tense action sequences in its story of international cybercrime and terrorism. The future of film tourism in Malaysia As Malaysia continues to attract international productions, the symbiotic relationship between filmmaking and tourism is likely to strengthen. The upcoming feature of the Merdeka 118 tower in Marvel's Thunderbolts represents a significant opportunity for Malaysia to showcase its modern architectural achievements to global audiences, potentially driving a new wave of tourism to Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian government has recognised this potential, offering incentives to international productions through initiatives like the Film In Malaysia Incentive (FIMI), which provides a 30 per cent cash rebate on qualifying Malaysian expenditure for foreign productions. As streaming platforms continue to fund diverse international content, Malaysia's varied landscapes and architectural wonders are likely to appear more frequently on screens worldwide, further enhancing the country's appeal as a destination for discerning travelers seeking experiences beyond the ordinary. Whether you're a film enthusiast tracing the footsteps of Hollywood stars or a luxury traveler seeking locations of extraordinary beauty and cultural significance, Malaysia's cinematic landscapes offer an unparalleled journey through one of Southeast Asia's most visually stunning and culturally rich nations. Credits This article was created with the assistance of AI tools
NBC News
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Constance Wu says she's worried about backsliding of Hollywood diversity amid DEI rollbacks
Actor Constance Wu is back on the big screen with her first role in three years. Wu stars alongside Naomi Watts and Bill Murray in 'The Friend,' a feel-good dramedy about a writer who adopts a Great Dane that belonged to her late friend and mentor. The movie will be out in theaters on March 28. It's a lighter role, but she's also sharing some heavier thoughts. The 'Crazy Rich Asians' and 'Fresh Off the Boat' star said she's worried about potentially 'repressive and backward' steps related to diversity in Hollywood amid all the larger national rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'I have noticed that with recent TV and movies I've seen, representation is a little less important when it comes to casting,' Wu said. 'This could be good in terms of focusing on story and characters, [but] it could be bad in terms of people reverting to limited imaginations of what story and characters could be.' She said she specifically questions the idea of 'authenticity' as a reason to sidestep diversity. 'What does authenticity mean? It means the truth, and if you're really an artist then you can find the truth in any circumstance, any character, any face or any article of clothing. How much do you want to challenge yourself? Sometimes people don't like to be challenged,' she said. The latest annual UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report showed that the white share of all film roles increased from almost 60% in 2023 to 67% the next year, while other race groups and ethnicities were still underrepresented. For example, Asians make up only 5.5% and Latinos 3.6%. This trend is further reflected in other aspects of Hollywood, as only 1 in 10 theatrical film writers are people of color and only 2 in 10 theatrical film directors are people of color. Wu made her Hollywood breakthrough with the 2018 rom-com 'Crazy Rich Asians,' which grossed $239 million at the box office worldwide. The success of the movie ushered in a new wave of stars and representation, making the way for movies such as 'Past Lives,' 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' and 'Minari.' 'At its best, [these initiatives] are about expanding imagination, creativity and possibility,' Wu said. 'But, If you are stodgy and stuck in your ways, as a director, you're limiting yourself. If you think it's just about trying to check off a box, that's not what it's supposed to be and not what it should be,' she said about onscreen diversity. Alongside acting, Wu has another job as the mother of two young children. The actress compared motherhood to the golden triangle of productivity — fast, cheap and good, and says you can only have two. Her version, she jokes, is the 'golden triangle of motherhood': clean house, personal sanity and happy and healthy kids — and again, you can only have two. 'I really like having a clean house and I like having happy and healthy children, so personal sanity goes out the window. This production triangle goes out the window if you're a man with a wife but, for mothers, even if you have a husband or help, that triangle is real,' Wu said.
