Latest news with #JoannaLumley
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Joanna Lumley lets slip huge Amandaland series two update ahead of BBC show return
Dame Joanna Lumley has let slip a huge update about the future of Amandaland after the Motherland spin-off became a hit for BBC viewers earlier this year Dame Joanna Lumley has let slip an update about the return of Amandaland. The actress, 79, signed on to star as Felicity, the mother of Lucy Punch's title character, in the BBC sitcom that served as a spin-off of Motherland and the national treasure has now revealed when fans can expect to see the second series. Motherland featured an ensemble cast made up of the likes of Anna Maxwell-Martin, and Diane Morgan alongside Lucy and followed the ups and downs of parents whose children all attend the same school. After three series, the focus shifted to PR worker Amanda, who has to learn to cope with her new life after her divorce. Joanna told hosts Dermot O'Leary and Rochelle Humes on Wednesday's This Morning: "We're starting shooting in October. We finish shooting two days before Christmas so with any luck, it'll be out in the spring." It comes as the hit series had already been commissioned for another run of episodes, but fans had not been given any confirmation of dates. The Absolutely Fabulous legend made her first appearance as Felicity with a guest role in the original series, but actually worked with Lucy several years ago and played her mother back then as well. She said: "I just adored it and it was so wonderful to meet up with Lucy Punch again. I played her mother before in Ella Enchanted when she was a very young teenage girl. She's always had comic chops, and she's a wonderful clown. Very beautiful and very funny. Very, very funny." Joanna, who started her career as a model in the 1960s before starting up her acting career with prominent roles on Coronation Street and The New Avengers, described the new scripts as 'magic' even though she and the creative team did wonder how it was ever going to match up to the success of its predecessor. She added: "The whole script is magic, written by the Motherland team. We wondered, because everyone adored Motherland so much, what it was going to be like. And it flew!" It's divine. In Motherland, I was her mother but I was just there for an afternoon sitting in a shop or something." Amanda pulled in 6.4million viewers across its first run. In the show, following her divorce, Amanda had to downsize and up sticks from leafy Chiswick to South Harlesden, or as likes to call it 'SoHa'. Once there she set about using information from her old friend Anne (Philippa Dunne) to try and elevate her standing in the area - with mixed results. She also had to deal with two teens, eco anxiety and a mother who is bored and lonely but won't admit it. The series, made by production company Merman, also introduced a host of new characters, including Amanda's long-suffering downstairs neighbour Mal (Samuel Anderson) and his ex-wife's new partner JJ (Ekow Quartey), now stepfather to Mal's son Ned. Also in SoHa are power couple Della and Fi (Siobhán McSweeney and Rochenda Sandall) plus South African property developer Johannes (Peter Serafinowicz). Co-writer and creator Holly Walsh said: 'We've been bowled over by the response to Amandaland and can't wait to get co-labbing on the next series.' Merman co-founder Sharon Horgan, added: 'With any new show you put out there, your main hope is to make something you love and are proud of. The extra bonus is that it's a critical hit. But to have a loyal audience of this size is just beyond your hopes and expectations. "Special thanks to Lucy for being the most extraordinary front woman and to the BBC for having such faith in the idea of Amandaland from the off.'" BBC comedy boss Tanya Qureshi, said they'd always had high hopes for Amandaland. "But it's been amazing to see how much viewers have embraced not just the returning characters, but the brilliant new additions too. We're so thrilled to reunite with this talented team for another instalment of Amanda's new life in SoHa." The series proved a huge hit with critics, with one declaring: "Amandaland will make you howl with laughter – Lucy Punch has never been better". Another agreed: "Punch makes the turn from enjoyable side character to magnetic main character with unexpected, brilliant ease."
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
When is Wednesday season 2 coming out as Netflix show's cast gather for premiere?
Wednesday season 2 is just around the corner, with a premiere taking place in London ahead of the Netflix series The second season of Wednesday is nearly upon us, with fans given the opportunity to experience a live red carpet event and a screening of the new Netflix series before its official release. The show has also just been renewed for a third season. Held in London's Westminster district, the premiere will feature stars such as Jenna Ortega, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Isaac Ordonez, Joanna Lumley, and Emma Myers gracing the red carpet. Recently, the cast participated in a photo-call at the Natural History Museum prior to the official screening. Netflix has promised premiere attendees a 'truly woeful evening', complete with a 'Gothic Glamour' dress code, and the show's creators will also be present. Two of the new stars, Steve Buscemi and Joanna Lumley, who portray Principal Dort and Grandmama Hester Frump respectively, were in attendance for the photo-call. Here's everything you need to know about when the second season is released and who viewers can expect to see. When does Wednesday season 2 start? Fans of The Addams Family won't have long to wait, as the series premieres on Netflix on 6 August. However, there's a twist: the season has been divided into two parts, each featuring four episodes. There will be a short wait before the second part is released, with a launch date set for 3 September. This marks the first time the series has been split into two parts; for the first season, all eight episodes were released simultaneously. Who stars in Wednesday season 2? The recent photo call saw the attendance of Jenna Ortega (Wednesday Addams), Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley Addams), Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay) and Fred Armisen (Uncle Fester). Also making their debut in the series are Steve Buscemi (Principal Dort) and Joanna Lumley (Hester Frump). Other stars confirmed for the second series include Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin, Moosa Mostafa as Eugene Ottinger, Georgie Farmer as Ajax Petropolus and Noah B. Taylor as Bruno. Joining the cast are Evie Templeton as Agnes Demille, Billie Piper as Isadora Capri, Christopher Lloyd as Professor Orloff, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo as Sheriff Santiago and Jamie McShane as Sheriff Galpin. Newcomers to Wednesday include Owen Painter as Slurp, Thandiwe Newton as Dr Fairburn, Heather Matarazzo as Judi and Lady Gaga as Rosaline Rotwood. The second series of Wednesday premieres on Netflix on 6 August. Part 2 will air on 3 September.
ITV News
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Dame Joanne Lumley on joining Netflix's hit series Wednesday
Trading bollinger for black magic, Joanna Lumley's gone from 'Absolutely Fabulous' to 'Absolutely Frightening!' The iconic British actress has joined the cast of Netflix's hit series Wednesday as Hester Frump, Wednesday's grandmother and closest ally. Mysterious, magical and with a wicked sense of humour to match, Joanna is here to tell us all about the spooky second season, plus, when we can expect Amandaland to return to screens…
The Independent
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Joanna Lumley says she didn't get into acting ‘for stardom'
Joanna Lumley has claimed she didn't get into acting 'for stardom' and has instead been 'trying to earn money to keep myself alive'. Despite being turned away from drama school, she began acting in the late 1960s, securing her first speaking role in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Lumley is well-known for her roles as Purdey in The New Avengers and Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous, and is joining the cast of Netflix's Wednesday for its second season. She said actors are 'no different' from painters and decorators and most have never longed for fame: 'I've just done anything to keep my head above water.' She praised the availability of "wonderful parts" for older women nowadays, noting a positive shift away from the pressure to always appear attractive.
Daily Mail
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Joanna Lumley insists she hasn't had a career but has simply worked to 'keep herself alive' as she reveals she didn't get into acting 'for stardom'
Joanna Lumley has insisted that she hasn't had a career but simply worked to earn enough money to 'keep herself alive'. The actress, 79, has had an illustrious film and television career spanning 55 years, with notable projects including On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The New Avengers and Absolutely Fabulous, while newer roles have seen her star in Amandaland and the upcoming second season of Wednesday. However, in a new interview, Joanna brushed aside the notion that her path to success as an actress was carefully planned, instead noting that she had no idea of her 'destiny' as she went from role to role. She was certain though that she just 'loved' to act and didn't enter this 'precarious profession' for the fame or 'stardom'. Speaking to the Radio Times about her vocation, Joanna explained: 'I've had no career – I was trying to earn money to keep myself alive. I've never had any idea of a destiny or where my career would go and I have never ever asked myself, "Will this damage my career?" I loved acting, so that was going to be my chosen thing. 'We actors just wanted to get to be better actors, and we wanted to work so we could pay the rent. We weren't longing for stardom. We're jobbing actors and we're no different, really, from painters and decorators. It's a precarious profession at the best of times and I've just done anything to keep my head above water.' Meanwhile, Joanna, who started off as a model in the 60s, opened up on the longevity of her career, revealing she was initially only cast in 'pretty girlfriend' roles before the industry eventually changed so that looks wasn't the most important thing. She noted how actresses back in the day were told to keep going 'until 29', by which point they were 'too old', however, Joanna resolutely told herself to 'stick around' and keep pushing ahead. On how things have improved, she shared: 'Now, you look at the wonderful parts for people as old as me, and also interesting, different looking parts that don't need a pretty face. Men have always been allowed to be whatever they want to be, but women have always had to look attractive or alluring or something. That's fading away.' These days, Joanna is as known for her plummy voice as she is for her face, as is often cast because show makers want 'Joanna Lumley' for the part. But the blonde bombshell told how people are 'mad' not to realise that part and parcel of acting is 'typecasting', adding that the point of an actress is that she can 'change' and often did turn down similar roles because she 'wanted to keep changing'. After dreaming of becoming an actress as a teenager, Joanna was turned away from drama school before becoming a model in London during the Swinging Sixties. She later took up small-time acting roles before landing a place in the 1969 James Bond movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It wasn't until a few years later, however, that she hit the big time playing Purdey in The New Avengers. Meanwhile, Joanna opened up on the longevity of her career, revealing she was initially only cast in 'pretty girlfriend' roles before the industry eventually changed so that looks wasn't the most important thing [pictured in 1965] And Joanna has no plans to retire, telling crowds at the SANDS International Film Festival earlier this year that 'she'll be there' as long as she can speak. 'When I was 16 and told the careers officer at my convent school that I wanted to go into acting, he told me that the only jobs open to me in film would be as a continuity or make-up girl,' she added. 'In the past women like me would have been sidelined at 38 but now there are lead parts for people in their 50s and big parts for those in their 70s.' It comes after Joanna made the heartbreaking admission that she 'doesn't have much time left' as she turned 79 in May. Joanna celebrated her 79th birthday on May 1, and the iconic actress opened up about her mortality, admitting that she may not have much time left. 'As you nearly the top of the hill, you suddenly think, "Gosh, there's not all that much time left,"' she told Vernon Kay on BBC Radio 2. 'My time must be coming quite soon, and I don't want to have wasted a minute of being on this beautiful planet. I used to panic when I was young, but as I've got older, I've started to live day to day. 'With age, you work out what matters. I always knew that good stuff would come along when I was older. 'When I was 18, I longed to be 30. When I was 30, I longed to be 50. We mustn't be led into thinking getting old is bad. Growing old is good.'
