Latest news with #JonathanFoundation
New York Post
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Facts of Life' star Geri Jewell reveals her closest co-star — and what remark shocked Norman Lear
Forty-five years later, Geri Jewell knows for a fact which episode was her favorite. The actress, 68, starred as Blair Warner's cousin, Geri Tyler, on the iconic 80s sitcom 'Facts of Life,' and she still looks back at her time on the show with the fondest of memories. 'Out of all the episodes I did, my favorite one was the first one,' Jewell exclusively told The Post during the Jonathan Foundation Fundraiser last Saturday. Advertisement 12 Geri Jewell attends the Jonathan Foundation's 11th annual Spring Fundraiser at Sheraton Universal Hotel on May 17, 2025 in Universal City, California. Getty Images 'The very first one that I did,' expressed the comedian, whose first episode was Season 2 Episode 5, titled 'Cousin Geri.' 'It was written for me. It was tailored for me.' Advertisement Jewell, who has cerebral palsy, a condition that affects movement and posture, brought awareness to those with disabilities by being the first disabled actress to have a recurring role on a primetime television show. The actress, who starred in the hit TV series alongside Lisa Whelchel, Mindy Cohn, Kim Fields, Nancy McKeon and Charlotte Rae, landed the role thanks to one of the show's executive producer's, Norman Lear. 12 Geri Jewell talks with Alexandra Bellusci of the New York Post at the Jonathan Foundation's 11th annual Spring Fundraiser. 12 Geri Jewell during The Jonathan Foundation's 11th Annual Spring Fundraiser. Getty Images Advertisement 'Norman Lear had seen me perform, and he came up to me after the show to introduce himself. In fact, Charlotte Rae was in the audience that night,' she recounted to The Post. 'And he introduced himself and said, 'You know, you're really funny, kid, but you're way before your time.' And I said, 'So? So wait a couple months!' He couldn't believe my response, and two months later, he asked me on 'Facts.'' She appeared on 'Facts of Life' for twelve episodes from 1980 until 1984. 'I have been blessed with so many people who have been there for me and guided me,' Jewell gushed. 'Norman Lear, David Milch. How lucky can you get?' 12 Geri Jewell during Season 3 of 'The Facts of Life.' ©Embassy Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection Advertisement 12 Geri Jewell on 'The Facts of Life' in 1982. NBCUniversal via Getty Images While her 'Facts of Life' days are behind her, she's still tight with one cast member. The stand-up comic revealed she's still in touch with Whelchel, 61, who played Blair Warner in the series, adding that they are 'very close.' 'I meet people all the time, and they say, 'I saw you on 'Facts of Life,' and you really changed my life,' Jewell recalled. 'I think I created a sensitivity about people with disabilities that wasn't quite there before — and humor. That was very rare back then. And now there are so many comedians with cerebral palsy!' Jewell has had to adjust how she takes care of her body, explaining she smoothes herself through 'pain management.' 12 Geri Jewell on 'The Facts of Life.' ©Embassy Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 12 'The Sounds of Silence' – Season 4 of 'The Facts of Life.' ©Embassy Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection 'And I get two vials of Botox injected in my neck, shoulders and back every three months for chronic pain,' Jewell added. 'I've been on Botox since '99. I have the neck of a 12-year-old!' Advertisement Jewell has gotten candid in the past about her titanium neck, sharing on Steve Kmetko's 'Still Here Hollywood' podcast that she deals with the challenges by having 'a sense of humor.' 'It's challenging because now I have other issues with aging. Walking isn't as easy as it used to be,' Jewell detailed in March. 'I've had a certain gait, but my balance is not near as good. My hearing is impaired even more, and I get very, very frustrated.' 12 Norman Lear introduces Geri Jewell and 'The Mitch O'Farrell Leadership Award.' Getty Images 12 Donelle Dadigan, Norman Lear, Geri Jewell and Mitch O'Farrell. Getty Images Advertisement She broke her neck in 1999, which required emergency surgery. 'My neck is now 45% titanium, and it's pretty strong. But this cerebral palsy still wants to move my head all over the place,' the trailblazer confessed, 'and my neck is going, 'No. I can't do that.'' 'I have dystonia, which I always had, but I never realized it,' Jewell said about the muscle disorder — which creates involuntary contractions. It also causes her 'neck [to be] pulled to one side.' Advertisement 'I have a titanium neck. I know when the Botox is wearing off because it's pulling even farther,' said Jewell. 'So I have a lot of issues, but so does everybody else when they age.' 12 Steven Williams, Geri Jewell in '21 Jump Street.' Stephen J. Cannell Productions / Courtesy: Everett Collection Despite the hurdles, the Hollywood vet noted: 'I'm very blessed.' 'All the challenges that I've had — that everybody has in life — it's a sense of humor that's gonna get us through it,' she continued. 'Because if I couldn't laugh once a while I'd be in a loony bin. I have to laugh. You have to.' Advertisement 'Facts of Life' followed a group of girls at the prestigious Eastland School for Young Women and was one of NBC's highest-rated shows in the 1980s. Despite rumors of a reboot swirling in the decades since, Cohn, 59, alleged last year that any plans they had fell through due to a 'greedy bitch.' 'We were all very, very disappointed that it didn't work,' Whelchel confessed to Closer Weekly in April. 12 Geri Jewell, Robby Benson in 'Two of a kind' in 1982. ©Lorimar Film Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection Although the person in question has remained unnamed, the 'Collector's Call' alum added, 'We'd been trying to find a way to work together in some capacity for probably the last 10 years.' 'So, when it looked like this was going to happen, we were all really excited. The contracts were signed and then the writers' strike happened, the actors' strike happened, and then, unfortunately, Pa [Charlotte Rae] and Norman Lear passed. After that, it just kind of dissolved.' Whelchel pressed, 'We were all quite disappointed.' Rae, who starred as housemother Mrs. Garrett, died at age 92 in 2018, five years before Lear passed away in 2023 at 101. In 2001, the actresses came together in 'The Facts of Life Reunion,' which saw their characters reunite in Peekskill, New York for Thanksgiving with Mrs. Garrett. 12 'The Facts of Life.' NBCUniversal via Getty Images Even though a reboot might never come to fruition, the actors still manage to stay close in real life. Last summer, Jewell and Whelchel posed together for a sweet shot on social media. 'We aren't technically family but since we played one on TV (Cousin Geri) and we've known each other for almost a half a century, it sure feels like it!' Whelchel captioned the Instagram photo. 'So good to catch up with the funny and wise and deep and talented, Geri Jewell!'
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ex-Bond girl Denise Richards reveals her ‘amazing' choice for the next James Bond as casting rumors swirl
The name is Aaron… Aaron Phypers. At least, that's the moniker Denise Richards would throw in the ring to play the Martini-sipping 007 next. The actress, 54, is no stranger to the Bond universe, as she starred as Dr. Christmas Jones alongside Pierce Brosnan, who played James Bond, in the 1999 action/thriller 'The World Is Not Enough.' 12 Aaron Phypers and Denise Richards attend the Jonathan Foundation's 11th annual Spring Fundraiser at Sheraton Universal Hotel on May 17, 2025. Getty Images 12 Denise Richards and Phypers speak with Alexandra Bellusci at the Jonathan Foundation's 11th annual Spring Fundraise. Speculation about who the new British Secret Service agent will be has been swirling, but Richards thinks her husband of seven years would be a dashing fit. 'I really don't even know,' the 'Wild Things' vet exclusively told The Post during The Jonathan Foundation Fundraiser on Saturday, before Phypers, 52, chimed in, 'I would do it.' 'He would be an amazing Bond,' Richards concurred, to which the wellness guru added, 'I could do it. No problem.' 12 The Jonathan Foundation's 11th Annual Spring Fundraiser at Sheraton Universal Hotel. Faye's Vision/INSTARimages 'I don't even know who is in the mix,' Richards admitted. 'I know they will cast someone amazing.' Looking back at her time as a Bond girl, the reality star couldn't help but gush over the entire experience from start to finish. 'Just being part of it,' Richards said of her favorite memory. 'I didn't understand the magnitude of that movie until it came out, and it is amazing the generations that love the film. So, just the whole process and everything was such a whirlwind, amazing time.' 12 Pierce Brosnan and Denise Richards in the 1999 film 'The World Is Not Enough.' Everett Collection / Everett Collection There's no word if Richards would return to the new era of the franchise, but Daniel Craig's portrayal of Bond came to an end in 2021's 'No Time to Die.' In February, franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson sold a stake of the movies to Amazon MGM Studios for a reported $1 billion. By March, news broke that Amy Pascal — who helped bring Craig, 57, in as the 7th Bond — and David Heyman would be spearheading the next James Bond project. 12 Denise Richards as Dr Christmas Jones in a scene from the James Bond film 'The World Is Not Enough.' Getty Images Along with Craig and Brosnan, 72, other Bonds in the franchise include Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton. In March, Brosnan, who took on the role from 1995 to 2002, said it's a 'given' that the next man to suit up must be British. 'History has been passed on,' the Irish star said. 'And I'm very proud to have been part of the history and the legacy of Bond and the movies that I made with Barbara and Michael.' 12 Denise Richards and Pierce Brosnan in 'The World Is Not Enough.' Sygma via Getty Images Richards, meanwhile, has traded in her spy gear for mom gear, as she raises daughters Sami, 21, and Lola, 19, whom she shares with ex-husband Charlie Sheen, and daughter Eloise, 13, whom she adopted in 2011. Years later, Phypers legally adopted Eloise. Their youngest daughter was diagnosed with chromosome 8 in 2016, which has caused developmental delays for the teen. Nevertheless, Eloise is thriving. 12 Denise Richards, Aaron Phypers in 'Denise Richards & Her Wild Things.' Nicole Weingart/E! Entertainment 12 Aaron Phypers and Denise Richards attend the Jonathan Foundation's 11th annual Spring Fundraiser at Sheraton Universal Hotel on May 17, 2025 in Universal City, California. Getty Images 12 Season 1 of 'Denise Richards & Her Wild Things.' Nicole Weingart/E! Entertainment 'She's doing amazing,' the former 'RHOBH' star shared. 'She really is. We are very fortunate that we're able to provide that for her, but she's turning 14 and there are a lot of challenges.' Richards told The Post that Eloise has taught the Malibu residents several things about themselves. 'Patience,' the mom of three stated. 'She is an angel, and just the littlest things make her so happy. [It's taught us] to enjoy the small things and enjoy the smaller things in life.' 12 Denise Richards, Aaron Phypers and Eloise Joni Richards. Getty Images for Associated Television International Phypers added, 'She's so special.' Earlier this year, their half-hour reality series, 'Denise Richards & Her Wild Things,' debuted on Bravo. Richards revealed that the cast, which included Sheen's ex-wife Brooke Mueller and their 16-year-old twins Bob and Max, filmed more than what aired. 12 Denise Richards on her new Bravo reality show. Bravo 'We filmed so much footage you can put into an episode,' she admitted. 'I'm glad people want more instead of being like, 'When is this thing over?' So I'm glad that people seem to really like the show, and we're very blessed, and hopefully we will be back for another season.' During filming, Richards gave the audience a look into a photoshoot she did for a potential cooking show titled 'Only Pans' — and yes, there is something brewing. 'There are some things,' confessed the star. 'I've been asked to do a couple of things, which I am excited about. So we will see.' 12 Denise Richards's new Bravo reality show. Bravo Phypers, for his part, would be more than happy to sweeten the deal and act as sous-chef. 'I'll lend a hand wherever I can,' he expressed. 'He's better at cutting things with the knife. I am terrible!' Richards said, to which Phypers chimed in: 'Definitely the clean-up part.' The pair tied the knot in Malibu in 2018, with Richards sharing in a statement at the time, 'I am so happy to officially be married to the love of my life!'
