Latest news with #JimmySmits
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary Movie Star and Julia Roberts' Famous Ex Looks Stylish in Rare Morning Show Appearance
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways While Julia Roberts tends to keep a low profile, one of her most famous exes was recently spotted looking stylish during a rare appearance on a morning show. Benjamin Bratt, who dated the Pretty Woman star from 1998 to 2001, right before he began his relationship with now-wife TalisaSoto, was seen looking stylish and suave in NYC. Now a silver fox, he opted for a perfect spring ensemble consisting of a cream sweater and jacket, paired with white pants. Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images And the 61-year-old actor had plenty to celebrate, taking to the coveted morning show to talk about the upcoming second season of Disney+ series and Star Wars spinoff Andor, even sharing a behind-the-scenes look at what's the come. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 The Law & Order alum stepped into the role of Senator Bail Organa, in a recasting move that was done due to scheduling conflicts as Jimmy Smits, who previously played the rebellion hero, "wasn't available and couldn't make it." During his chat with GMA, Bratt explained how blessed he was, noting that it's been "more than 50 years" since he was "one of the welfare kids in San Francisco" lining up around the block at the movie theater to experience the "life-altering film." Half a century later, he's "actually playing within that Star Wars universe," which is "mind-bending," he said of the casting. He noted that he joined the series a "little bit at the last minute," describing it as "jumping off of a bridge onto a box car of a moving train," noting that he hopes his "landing" will be well-received by audiences. "Part of the challenge was stepping into the shoes of Jimmy Smits, who originated the role," he explained, noting it was "daunting" but he had a "great support system around me." While the Hollywood hunk and his wife, who share two children, Mateo Bravery and Sophia Rosalinda, tend to keep out of the limelight while living in San Francisco, he remains active in the industry. In addition to Andor, he recently appeared alongside Brooke Shields in Netflix's Mother of the Bride, Poker Face and Millers in Marriage. His biggest hits include Miss Congeniality, Traffic, Despicable Me 2 and Oscar-winning Coco.
Daily Mirror
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Andor fans 'unbelievably angry' as iconic Star Wars character recast after more than 20 years
Andor fans were left fuming after one of the most beloved supporting characters in the Star Wars universe was recast Andor fans are up in arms after a fan-favourite character from the Star Wars saga was unexpectedly replaced. In the second season's sixth episode of the Disney+ series, titled What a Festive Evening, it was shockingly revealed that Princess Leia's adoptive dad, Bail Organa—originally played by Jimmy Smits—is now being portrayed by Benjamin Bratt of Law and Order and Poker Face fame. This change comes as a surprise to many, given that Smits has been the face of Senator Organa for over two decades, having first appeared in 2002's Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and most recently in the 2022 miniseries Obi-Wan Kenobi starring Ewan McGregor. The switch has left viewers scratching their heads, with one X (formerly Twitter) user expressing their outrage: "THAT recast has made me so unbelievably angry." Another fan pointed out the continuity issue: "Like it's Jimmy Smits as Bail in AOTC, ROTS, Kenobi,and Rogue One!", reports the Mirror US. "The fact it's Smits in Kenobi and especially Rogue One makes the recast 100X more jarring and ridiculous. "Andor Season 2 also had reshoots so they could've just done what they did for Cumberbatch in Infinity War." A different viewer raised a question about the necessity of the recasting: "Hey so while we're all celebrating how great #Andor remains, can we talk about how pointless the Bail recast was? "That brief blip was so pointless? Why even bother putting someone in Jimmy Smits' shoes On Reddit, Star Wars buffs were torn about the show, with one user posting: "Can't believe they recast Space Jimmy Smits." Another chimed in with: "I was like, that's not Bail! Kind of disappointed about that too. I guess his schedule must've been too busy. "And for what too?" queried a third viewer. "A 3 second cameo they could have easily cut or wrote off with a line of dialogue like 'ahh you just missed Senator Organa'. "I know this s*** doesnt matter at all and shouldnt bother me but like come on lol." Yet, numerous fans were overjoyed to witness the character return to the Star Wars fold, applauding Bratt's rendition. A devotee shared an image of the new actor as Bail, exclaiming: "I love Jimmy Smits as Bail but this IS Bail. He was just drawn by a different comic artist. Great recast." When asked why Smits was not brought back for the role, Andor's head honcho Tony Gilroy disclosed to Entertainment Weekly: "We couldn't work it out. "The scheduling didn't work out. We really tried hard, but he wasn't available and couldn't make it."
New York Post
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Andor' creator reveals why they recast major ‘Star Wars' character in Season 2
There's a new Senator Bail Organa in the galaxy. The role of Princess Leia's adoptive father was recast in the second season of the hit 'Star Wars' series 'Andor.' Benjamin Bratt officially stepped into the role in place of Jimmy Smits in the sixth episode that premiered on Disney+ Tuesday. 9 Jimmy Smits as Senator Bail Organa in 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' (2016). ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Everett Collection 9 Benjamin Bratt as Senator Bail Organa in 'Andor' Season 2. Disney Creator Tony Gilroy told Entertainment Weekly that they failed to get Smits, 69, to return as Bail. 'We couldn't work it out,' said Gilroy, 68. 'The scheduling didn't work out. We really tried hard, but he wasn't available and couldn't make it.' 9 Tony Gilroy poses for a portrait to promote 'Andor' on April 15 in Los Angeles. Rebecca Cabage/Invision/AP 'Bringing back legacy characters is really complicated,' the filmmaker continued. 'It's very expensive. It's very, who's working when. A lot of effort went into it, but we just couldn't work it out scheduling wise.' Gilroy added to ScreenRant, 'It's really hard to bring legacy characters back for a whole variety of reasons. Money and scheduling and I mean, he [Smits] just wasn't available. It didn't work out. He was doing his other show and we were under the gun and they couldn't work it out. They just couldn't work it out. Believe me, we really tried, but it couldn't happen.' 9 Jimmy Smits as Bail Organa in 'Star Wars: Attack of the Clones' (2002). Smits was busy shooting his CBS show 'East New York' during the filming of 'Andor' Season 2. The actor made his debut in the 'Star Wars' franchise in 'Episode II: Attack of the Clones' (2002). He played Bail again in 'Episode III: Revenge of the Sith' (2005), 'Rogue One' (2016) and the Disney+ miniseries 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' (2022). Bail was first referenced in 'Episode IV: A New Hope' (1977), in which he's killed when the Death Star blows up his home planet Alderaan. 9 Jimmy Smits in 'Obi-Wan Kenobi.' ©Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection 9 Yoda, Ewan McGregor, Jimmy Smits in 'Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith' (2005). ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection Gilroy told EW that LucasFilm president Kathleen Kennedy came up with the idea to cast Bratt, 61, as the senator. 'It was just a brilliant idea. He's a wonderful human being and really eager and beloved on set and really happy about what he does,' said Gilroy. 9 Benjamin Bratt at a screening of 'Millers in Marriage' in NYC on Feb. 20. Getty Images The Oscar-nominated director also shared that Bratt's brief appearance in Episode 6 of 'Andor' Season 2 was 'so people will get the conversation out of the way until the next week when he really starts to work.' 'It's one of those situations where I want to do something simple,' Gilroy continued. 'We don't do many things that are unnecessary, but it's like, 'Let's get him in here now so people can discuss it for a week and get it out of their system and then he can come back to really work.' I didn't want the guy's work to be confused with his introduction.' 9 Diego Luna in 'Andor' Season 2. Des Willie /Lucasfilm Ltd. 9 Genevieve O'Reilly as Mon Mothma, Ben Miles as Tay Kolma in 'Andor' Season 2. AP 'Andor' stars Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in his journey from thief to rebel spy. The series is set several years before the events of 'Rogue One,' which explains how the Rebellion steal the plans to the Death Star which they destroy in 'A New Hope.' New episodes of 'Andor' Season 2 come out Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on Disney+.
