Latest news with #CriticsChoiceAssociation
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nathan Lee Graham, Megan Stalter Honored at CCA's 2nd Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television
Nathan Lee Graham, Megan Stalter Honored at CCA's 2nd Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television originally appeared on L.A. Mag. Performers, creators, producers and writers from film, television and streaming platforms walked the rainbow carpet upon arrival at the festive Fairmont Century Plaza for the Critics Choice Association's 2nd Annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television on Friday, June event, hosted by Sherry Cola, brought together actors, writers, trailblazers and allies from across the entertainment industry — both in front of and behind the camera — to honor the diverse voices shaping our world Angeles magazine's June cover star Nathan Lee Graham of Mid-Century Modern received the first award of the night, the Vanguard Award. "I think this is quite appropriate that I should be first," he began. "First of all, as one of the senior members of this tribe ... one doesn't want to fall asleep. Secondly, I can start drinking!" He then turned more serious in discussing the meaning of the term Vanguard: "[People] leading the way on the forefront of new ideas, the foremost part of an advancing army: We are soldiers of love, and we use our weapons of joy: whit, glamour and tenacity, to overcome any and all obstacles put before us." Graham finished: "All of the content that is represented here tonight is valid and worthy and needed," he said to applause. "Let's keep it up, let's keep it CUTE, let's keep it relevant and let's keep it moving!" Next, Megan Stalter — also honored in Los Angeles magazine's June issue, and the star of Hacks as well as the upcoming Lena Dunham show, Too Much — recited a handwritten speech from a piece of paper upon winning the Breakthrough Performance Award."God, I look so beautiful tonight!" began Stalter, who received a bouquet of flowers and donned a tiara and sash. "I just can't believe it! This award is such a surprise to me. I'm in shock that a country bumpkin brunette made her way all the way to Hollywood and now I'm accepting the award for best gay actor of all time!" "This will be the first of many of course, because I'm so talented and wonderful to work with," she continued. "I wish I could have prepared a speech, but I'm so surprised, laid-back and chill about this! The truth is, I will always see myself as this genius, incredible, perfect, once-in-a-lifetime ingenue that you all see me as!" She went on: "I'm just a girl who walked into HBO Max, sat down, and said, 'I want to make history.' And that's what we did." She also thanked God — "The Christian god, I'm not kidding, it's okay to be Christian and gay, by the way" — and noted how great it is "to not have to hide parts of ourselves." "It's exciting, beautiful and okay to be different," Stalter finished, "and also, I'm playing Kayla as gay!" Other honorees included Michael Urie, who won Trailblazer Award for Shrinking ("I was actively encouraged to stay in the closet even after playing Mark St. James on Ugly Betty," he noted); Niecy Nash-Betts, who won the Groundbreaker Award for Grotesquerie; Bowen Yang, who received the Comedy Award for Saturday Night Live; Tramell Tillman, who received the Supporting Performance Award – Drama Series for Severance; and Liv Hewson, who received the Rising Star Award for Yellowjackets. To close the night, Wanda Sykes received the Career Achievement Award. 'I believe that's what our community does, we take care of each other," she said. "I know that love is stronger than hate … We gotta be prouder, we gotta be louder, we have to protect our trans brothers and sisters … that's our next movement.' Sponsors for the event included Here Media, IMDbPro and Milagro Tequila, and event partners included FIJI Water and NEP Sweetwater. The show will stream on HereTV — the first and largest LGBTQ+ television and streaming service in the U.S. — during Pride Month in June. This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Wanda Sykes urges Hollywood to 'protect our trans brothers and sisters'
Comedian Wanda Sykes recently attended Critics Choice LGBTQ+ Celebration, where she give a shout out to "trans brothers and sisters". As per Variety, Sykes, who was honored with the Career Achievement Award Tuesday at the Critics Choice Association's 2nd Annual Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema & Television, said, "I believe that's what our community does, we take care of each other. .. I know that love is stronger than hate... We gotta be prouder, we gotta be louder." The celebration honured achievements from LGBTQ+ creators and talent within the entertainment industry, showcasing emerging and established talent. Sykes, who is currently on the European leg of her "Wanda Sykes Please and Thank You" tour, flew in for the event. Accepting the award from "Wanda Does It" co-star Tim Bagley, Sykes said, "I can't think of a community that's more loving than who we are. We are just trying to love and exist, and then when you have people from the outside that's attacking you for that, I think that's what makes us stronger." She added, "Any adversity makes you stronger, and that's who we are." Bowen Yang (Comedy Award; "Saturday Night Live"), Bridget Everett (Ensemble Award; "Somebody Somewhere"), Eric d'Arbeloff (Industry Leadership Award; Co-President of Roadside Attractions), the Queens of "RuPaul's Drag Race" (Reality TV Award; "RuPaul's Drag Race" Season 17), Niecy Nash-Betts (Groundbreaker Award; "Grotesquerie") and Tramell Tillman (Supporting Performance Award - Drama Series; "Severance") were also honoured at the event. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Director Of The "Lilo & Stitch" Live-Action Remake Just Addressed Those Drastic Changes To Pleakley
More than 20 years later, we're getting a Lilo & Stitch live-action remake, but fans have reservations about drastic changes from the original. In March, the live-action trailer revealed Billy Magnussen and Zach Galifianakis as Agent Pleakley and Dr. Jumba Jookiba. In the 2002 animated movie, the alien characters (voiced by Kevin McDonald and David Ogden Stiers) wore human clothes to blend in while on Earth. Most notably, Pleakley dressed in women's clothing with a wig, instantly becoming one of the franchise's fan-favorite looks. In the live-action movie, they appear to use a device that transforms them into humans instead. Sadly, there's not a dress or wig in sight in the trailers. Director Dean Fleischer Camp recently replied to fans who wondered why Pleakley looked different, and fans immediately had a lot to say when they heard his response. Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Critics Choice Association, Disney In the first video of the two-part TikTok series, Dean reacted to a comment that said, "How dare they ruin Pleakley's disguise like that 😭😭😭" "I have had people message me 'why is Pleakley not wearing a dress' and I just want to say — I tried. I tried." In the TikTok, Dean also showed a concept drawing of Pleakly as the alien in his disguise, and while it looked pretty awesome, we'll never see it on the big screen. Perhaps it was the stare into the camera or the apparent look of defeat when he repeated, "I tried," but fans had a lot to say about the director's response. "That 'I tried' speaks volumes. Your concept of Pleakley in his pretty clothes looks great," one user wrote. One person wrote, "Baby when he said he tried, he means Disney said no. Given the political climate - its not shocking Disney wanted no part. Sad, but I won't blame the director. Ill blame Disney." "Thanks for addressing the Pleakley concerns. At least we know it's not your fault. ♥️," another user replied. Someone said, "poor guy created an original piece of genre art and immediately got swept up by the bureaucratic capitalist machine." "WHAAAAAAAT WHAT WHAT DO YOU MEAAAAANN THEY DIDNT CHOOSE YOUR VERSION OF PLEAKLEY?! THATS THE *ONE* THING ABOUT THE TRAILER THAT MADE ME SO MAD," this person wrote in ALL CAPS, so they meant business. "My comments here to hate on the fact they turned Pleakley into a human," another user wrote. "They should have remained aliens with silly disguises. I fear the CGI costs would have been worth it." This person is still holding out for last-minute changes, writing, "FIX PLEAKLEY. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. THEY FIXED SONIC YOU CAN FIX AUNTIE PLEAKLEY." Finally, someone wrote, "i'm glad to hear you tried but still really disappointed in the decision." It's a real bummer that we won't get to see Pleakly as an alien in a dress with a wig, but the good news is that Stitch's creator and original voice actor, Chris Sanders, is lending his talents to the photorealistic animated Stitch. "One of the first discussions we had was we had to get Chris Sanders back," Dean said in the video. @marceltheshellwshoeson / Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images I'm excited, but after repeatedly watching the trailer, I have one serious question that I feel hasn't been addressed — where's my boy Gantu? Watch the trailer for the Lilo & Stitch below: What do you think about movie's changes? Share your thoughts about the new Lilo & Stitch in the comments.
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Critics Choice Awards set for January 4, 2026
The Critics Choice Association has announced that its 31st annual Critics Choice Awards will take place on Sunday, January 4, 2026, marking the beginning of the nationally televised awards season. The ceremony will be held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica and will air live on E! and USA Network from 7 to 10 pm ET/PT. The Critics Choice Awards will continue its combined film and television awards format, honouring the year's best in cinematic, televised, and streaming achievement. The announcement comes as a surprise, given that the Golden Globes have traditionally taken place on the first weekend of the new year. However, the Golden Globes have moved to January 11, allowing the Critics Choice Awards to take the lead as the first major televised show of Critics' Choice Association has partnered with E! and USA Network for the second year in a row, expanding its reach and audience." The Critics Choice Association is excited to kick off awards season as the first major televised show of 2026," said CCA CEO Joey Berlin, as quoted by Deadline. This year's ceremony promises to be an unforgettable event, with notable speeches and momentum-building moments that champion the industry's best. The first weekend of January is shaping up to be a significant one for awards season, with the Palm Springs Film Festival set to hold its annual Awards Gala on January 3, a day before the Critics Choice nominations will be announced on December 4, and film nominations on December 5. The 31st annual Critics Choice Awards show will be executive produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment.
Boston Globe
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
HBO ‘Hacks' star Meg Stalter, brings her ‘alt-weird' comedy to Boston Thursday
Because supremely awkward moments — often combined with a deluded bravado — are Stalter's bread and butter. Her distinct brand of alt-comedy — 'alt-weird,' as she puts it — is what vaulted the Ohio native from unknown comic to lockdown-era social media sensation, then onto HBO's Emmy-winning 'Hacks' as the wildly inept, wildly self-assured nepo-baby assistant, Kayla. Advertisement 'I had to audition, but they did have me in mind. I think it got more and more for me,' Stalter, 34, says of the role. Kayla is a classic Meg Stalter character: plunging ahead boldly, blithely breaking social rules. There's something Andy Kaufman-like about Stalter in the wild. That blurry line between joke and reality is where she lives. Prime example: a stand-up gig for an HBO Pride event with Stalter in the persona of a comic bombing a set. Some on Andy Kaufman would've had a field-day with the Internet. Stalter brings her alt-weird stand-up to Megan Stalter accepts the Best Comedy Series award for "Hacks" during the Annual Critics Choice Awards in February in Santa Monica, Critics Choice Association Q: I saw your A: Basically, a fake campaign rally. I'm playing this super-fake politician — not Republican or Democrat — she's all about herself, a rich annoying actor. It's a mix of the kinds of characters I like to play. I like to play someone having a breakdown. Q: This is 'The Prettiest Girl in America' tour. On 'Kimmel' once, you came out with a gown and crown, saying you were just named the 'Prettiest girl in the World.' Advertisement A: Yeah [laughs]. This show is kind of the same energy because there's something so confident and delusional about saying you're the prettiest. It's funny to hear someone talk about themselves like that, which is what you have to do when you're running for president. You have to delusionally believe you're the best. Q: Your characters are so distinct. What will strike you for one? A: My characters are really confident but really nervous. I make fun of things I love. I make fun of actors because I love acting. I make fun of the Midwest, but only because I love it so much. I make fun of church moms because I grew up with people like that, and I love God. I love making fun of things I am. Q: You mentioned " really confident but really nervous' — that feels like you in real life? A: Yeah! I definitely feel like that — the most confident, but also the most clumsy, messy. Q: Growing up in Ohio, your mom was a nurse. But she was always making comedy sketches. A: My mom would do sketches and skits with my aunt with a camcorder. Me and my cousins would get the camera when they were done. We made fake talk-shows. It wasn't as crazy as 'Jerry Springer,' but we did one where my cousin played my boyfriend who was cheating on me. I was like: 'I can't believe you're cheating on me!' Q: Sounds like you always wanted to act. A: That's all I ever wanted to do. My improv teacher said I should do stand-up, and I fell in love with it. I don't think I ever didn't like it. I just didn't know then I could do it [my way]. My stand up's not 'stand-up.' It's alt-weird — like a delusional character doing stand-up. Advertisement Q: How has your stand-up evolved? A: At first I thought I had to do it the way it's traditionally done — you write jokes, you say the jokes. But I'd [think] 'Wouldn't it be crazy if this happened?' Then I'd say a line in character. I didn't figure that out until probably two years in. Q: There's something very Andy Kaufman-like about you. You're playing versions of yourself, which makes it all seem so surreal and blurry. Is he an influence? A: I was obsessed with Andy Kaufman. The idea of watching someone perform and thinking: 'Is this real? What part of the joke are we in on?' That's something I explore in all my characters. Q: At award shows, it feels like you're in character, playing with people at times. A: [laughs] Yeah. I think it's fun to be naughty and silly on the red carpet, because everyone's really serious about is so cool to be there. But in the end, it's also so silly. So it's funny to even pretend on the red carpet, like, What if I was a monster, just so full of myself? Q: Your career took off during the pandemic. A: I was doing Instagram lives and posts because I had no way to perform, and performing makes me feel calm and grounded. I wasn't thinking about getting anything picked up. But I got my first acting job, 'Hacks,' and I moved to LA. Advertisement Q: You told me A: There's a couple scenes where we [ad-lib] a lot, or a line here and there, but [in general] the script is so amazing, it just sounds like that. Every scene we'll say 'Okay, do a crazy [take]' But mostly it's scripted. Q: I feel like you'd fit right in on a Christopher Guest movie. A: Oh, my dream. Definitely an influence. There's nothing more fun than improvising with a character who's strange and really specific. Q: Who else influenced your brand of comedy? A: SNL. Pee-wee Herman when he's mean in the movies. It's like a kid having a tantrum. Q: You mentioned God earlier. You've talked about being bisexual and spiritual, and how that might feel like a dichotomy to some. A: I feel bad when someone grows up loving the church and God, then realizes they're gay and feels they're not accepted. I just feel acceptance and love from God. It breaks my heart that some people feel they can't have [belief] anymore. Because that judgement is from people, not God. Q: Your comedy ' A. Still in the works. That is my heart. I feel like it's such an important story to tell. Q: Your dad is a tattoo artist. You have three from him. One is a bee with a wolf's head. What are the others? Advertisement Q: I have 'Baby, I'm a —' and a picture of a star. And I have a rabbit with a hat on. I've always wanted a rabbit tattoo — I thought it would be funnier with a hat. Interview has been edited and condensed.
