Latest news with #LaGuardiaHighSchool
Sky News AU
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'Just having fun, man': Tom Cruise's extremely awkward answer to Father's Day question goes viral amid estrangement from lookalike daughter Suri Noelle
Tom Cruise was left visibly rattled when asked a question about Father's Day during a red carpet appearance, prompting renewed speculation about his strained relationship with daughter Suri. The 62-year-old Hollywood icon appeared taken aback during an interview at the New York premiere of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning on Monday night. "Father's Day is just around the corner," an E! News reporter asked the star. "What would an ideal Father's Day look like for you?" Cruise hesitated, replying: "You know …" before trailing off and glancing into the distance. Eventually, he said: "Just having fun, man." The Top Gun actor then bizarrely added: "Making movies, big adventures, having a great time." Cruise is a father of three: Isabella 'Bella' Jane, 32, and Connor, 30, whom he adopted with ex-wife Nicole Kidman, and 19-year-old Suri, his daughter with third ex-wife Katie Holmes. The Hollywood icon has remained notoriously private about his children in recent years, particularly Suri, from whom he has reportedly been estranged since his 2012 split from Holmes. It's understood Holmes, 46, for divorce in order "to protect Suri from Scientology", as per a 2013 deposition. Suri, who bears a striking resemblance to Cruise, grew up in New York City with her mother and graduated from LaGuardia High School in June 2024. At the ceremony, the teen announced her new name in the official program as 'Suri Noelle', which is both hers and Katie's middle name. "I'm proud of my daughter. Of course, I will miss the close proximity, but I'm really proud of her and I'm happy," Holmes told Town & Country in August 2024. "I remember being this age, this time of beginnings. It's exciting to learn about yourself, and I loved that time, so it makes me happy to think about it like that." While Cruise is understood to remain close to his older children, they largely keep out of the spotlight. Connor, a BBQ enthusiast and avid fisherman, lives in Clearwater, Florida, and has been seen attending events from time to time with his father. Isabella, meanwhile, is based in South London with her husband Max Parker and works as an artist and graphic designer. Both also share half-sisters Sunday Rose, 16, and Faith Margaret, 14- Kidman's daughters with her husband, Aussie country singer Keith Urban. Kidman recently faced backlash online for seemingly excluding Bella and Connor from a Mother's Day Instagram tribute. The Babygirl actress posted a photo of herself with her late mother Janelle and her two younger daughters during a family visit to Uluru. "My mother and my daughters in Uluru, beautiful memories… always. Happy Mother's Day," she wrote. But fans were quick to point out the omission. "Doesn't she mean 'with 2 of my daughters'… what happened to Bella? (and Connor?)" one user commented. "@nicolekidman how about the other ones?" another added. Other fans quickly came to the 56-year-old actress' defence. "None of your business, this is a celebratory, sincere post, buzz off," one user said, while another claimed Bella and Connor are "disconnected" from their mother due to being "indoctrinated Scientologists".
Business Insider
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Timothee Chalamet's mom dishes on the perks, the paparazzi, and parenting a superstar
She knew he was going to be a star before everyone else. She knew it long before her then-teen son ambled onto the stage of the 1,150-seat auditorium at New York's LaGuardia High School with his baggy jeans falling off his lanky frame, stealing the annual talent show with his Lil' Timmy Tim rapper routine; before he made eating a peach an X-rated sex act in the coming-of-age film "Call Me By Your Name"; and before he'd flip his mop of wild chestnut curls and have a gaggle of girls scream his name. In fact, as the mother of 29-year-old actor Timothée Chalamet, Nicole Flender knew he was going to be a success when he truly was a "complete unknown." Before his baby face was on the cover of Time magazine, before he was the answer to a New York Times crossword puzzle, and long before his style made the best-dressed lists, he was just her son. "He was a normal kid," Flender said. "He wanted to be a soccer star." She's a mom to 2 stars She knew the theater was his calling when the crowd went wild for his high school rap persona — and not just because she was a biased mom who recognized his spark. "Everybody loved it," she told Business Insider. His star has certainly risen. He's played fighters, lovers, Willy Wonka, and even King Henry V. He's been in seven best picture Oscar-nominated films and twice been nominated for Academy Awards, for his performance as a lovestruck teen in "Call Me By Your Name" and as musician Bob Dylan in the biopic "A Complete Unknown." She's in a distinctive position as the mother of two stars. Timothée's sister, Pauline Chalamet, four years his senior, is an actor and a director who splits her time between Paris and Los Angeles. She recently starred in Mindy Kaling's HBO Max series, "The Sex Lives of College Girls." Thanks to Pauline, Flender will celebrate her first Mother's Day as a grandma. "That's what I'll be called — it's what my grandmother was called and what my kids called my mom," she said. She's not surprised her kids are talented Flender isn't surprised that her kids have talent. They come from a showbiz family. Their grandmother, Enid Flender, danced on Broadway in shows like "Kiss Me Kate," and their grandfather, Hal Flender, was an author and television writer who worked with many comedy greats, including Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, and Woody Allen. She's a trained ballerina who spent years on national tours with musicals including "Fiddler" and "Gypsy." Her brother Rodman Flender, a child actor, has been a filmmaker and TV director for shows like "The Office" and "Ugly Betty." Timothée was a performer at a young age, entertaining family, friends, and classmates. In elementary school, he did Disney commercials. In middle school, he appeared on "Law & Order." Flender excitedly emailed everyone she knew about his prime-time debut, even though his character was murdered in the first minutes of the show. Flender modestly takes little credit for her kids' success. Both carved their own paths, she said. Pauline pursued ballet, starring in "The Nutcracker" at Lincoln Center with the School of American Ballet. "It was like training for the Olympics," Flender said. Now she has her own production company. Timothée excelled at travel soccer, she said, and his chess, sports, and Tae Kwon Do trophies still adorn the shelves in her theater district apartment, along with his acting awards. She used to call him Tiny Tim Known as "Timmy" to his friends and family, she called him "Tiny Tim" or "Toothless Tim" and later "Tall Tim" on family holiday cards, depending on his current status. "He's always been independent," she said. At 17, Timothée had his parents (his French dad is a former journalist) sign papers saying he didn't need a chaperone in Canada to film "Interstellar," in which he plays Matthew McConaughey's son. "He makes his own decisions about what projects to pursue," she said, adding that she's more of a cheerleader than a "momager." In fact, her kids rarely ask her for counsel on big life decisions. "He told me after the fact" that he had purchased what's reportedly an $11 million mansion in Beverly Hills, despite the fact that she's a real estate agent at the Corcoran Group in New York. She also avoids offering dating advice. Her son has had a roster of celebrity girlfriends, publicly starting with Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon in high school, the Mexican singer Eiza González, and Johnny Depp's daughter, Lily-Rose. He's now dating Kylie Jenner, a multimillionaire entrepreneur and part of the Kardashian clan. Flender is often the last to know what's happening in her son's life. "Kylie was the one who told me that he would host 'Saturday Night Live' for the third time," she said. Hollywood hasn't changed her son Flender is often his plus-one on the red carpet. "The photographers love us," she said. "They always want me to get in the picture. They like to see a son who is close to his mother." Being his date for the SAG Awards was a last-minute surprise. "I got a text on the Thursday before to ask if I'd be his date for that Saturday," she said. She raided her closet for a slinky black gown and hopped on a plane. When she joined him for the Oscars, she borrowed a royal-blue number from a friend. There are perks to being a star's mom during award season: She's had full-glam hair and makeup done and been outfitted by Louis Vuitton. Cartier jewelers once blinged her with priceless diamonds for the Golden Globes. "They knock on your hotel door at 9 o'clock the next morning, asking for them back," she noted. Hollywood hasn't changed her son, she said. "Not at heart. He keeps himself grounded." She remembers when she and Timothée could walk down the street unrecognized. Now, even a neighborhood stroll could end up as paparazzi fodder. "They photographed us together in SoB=Ho and LA a year apart, and I was wearing the same vintage Fiorucci shirt," she said, laughing. "He bought it for me, so I wear it when we're together to show him I love it." Despite her children's fame, Flender is very private. She'll occasionally post an Instagram photo of herself dolled up for an awards show, but she avoids reading social media mentions of either kid. She's often surrounded by A-listers but says she's not starstruck. Yet, she does admit to dropping her son's name to get a photo with basketball legend Charles Barkley at a bar recently. "I told him my son was a big basketball fan, and he was happy to pose with Timothée's mom,'" she said. Most of all, she's proud to have two kids who have surpassed anything she could've imagined. "All I want is for them to be happy," she said.
Business Insider
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
Timothée Chalamet's mom isn't surprised her kids have talent. She's more of a cheerleader than a 'momager.'
She knew he was going to be a star before everyone else. She knew it long before her then-teen son ambled onto the stage of the 1,150-seat auditorium at New York's LaGuardia High School with his baggy jeans falling off his lanky frame, stealing the annual talent show with his Lil' Timmy Tim rapper routine; before he made eating a peach an X-rated sex act in the coming-of-age film "Call Me By Your Name"; and before he'd flip his mop of wild chestnut curls and have a gaggle of girls scream his name. In fact, as the mother of 29-year-old actor Timothée Chalamet, Nicole Flender knew he was going to be a success when he truly was a "complete unknown." Before his baby face was on the cover of Time magazine, before he was the answer to a New York Times crossword puzzle, and long before his style made the best-dressed lists, he was just her son. "He was a normal kid," Flender said. "He wanted to be a soccer star." She's a mom to 2 stars She knew the theater was his calling when the crowd went wild for his high school rap persona — and not just because she was a biased mom who recognized his spark. "Everybody loved it," she told Business Insider. His star has certainly risen. He's played fighters, lovers, Willy Wonka, and even King Henry V. He's been in seven best picture Oscar-nominated films and twice been nominated for Academy Awards, for his performance as a lovestruck teen in "Call Me By Your Name" and as musician Bob Dylan in the biopic "A Complete Unknown." Flender is often his plus-one on the red carpet. "The photographers love us," she said. "They always want me to get in the picture. They like to see a son who is close to his mother." She's in a distinctive position as the mother of two stars. Timothée's sister, Pauline Chalamet, four years his senior, is an actor and a director who splits her time between Paris and Los Angeles. She recently starred in Mindy Kaling's HBO Max series, "The Sex Lives of College Girls." Thanks to Pauline, Flender will celebrate her first Mother's Day as a grandma. "That's what I'll be called — it's what my grandmother was called and what my kids called my mom," she said. She's not surprised her kids are talented Flender isn't surprised that her kids have talent. They come from a showbiz family. Their grandmother, Enid Flender, danced on Broadway in shows like "Kiss Me Kate," and their grandfather, Hal Flender, was an author and television writer who worked with many comedy greats, including Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, and Woody Allen. She's a trained ballerina who spent years on national tours with musicals including "Fiddler" and "Gypsy." Her brother Rodman Flender, a child actor, has been a filmmaker and TV director for shows like "The Office" and "Ugly Betty." Timothée was a performer at a young age, entertaining family, friends, and classmates. In elementary school, he did Disney commercials. In middle school, he appeared on "Law & Order." Flender excitedly emailed everyone she knew about his prime-time debut, even though his character was murdered in the first minutes of the show. Flender modestly takes little credit for her kids' success. Both carved their own paths, she said. Pauline pursued ballet, starring in "The Nutcracker" at Lincoln Center with the School of American Ballet. "It was like training for the Olympics," Flender said. Now she has her own production company. Timothée excelled at travel soccer, she said, and his chess, sports, and Tae Kwon Do trophies still adorn the shelves in her theater district apartment, along with his acting awards. She used to call him Tiny Tim Known as "Timmy" to his friends and family, she called him "Tiny Tim" or "Toothless Tim" and later "Tall Tim" on family holiday cards, depending on his current status. "He's always been independent," she said. At 17, Timothée had his parents (his French dad is a former journalist) sign papers saying he didn't need a chaperone in Canada to film "Interstellar," in which he plays Matthew McConaughey's son. "He makes his own decisions about what projects to pursue," she said, adding that she's more of a cheerleader than a "momager." In fact, her kids rarely ask her for counsel on big life decisions. "He told me after the fact" that he had purchased what's reportedly an $11 million mansion in Beverly Hills, despite the fact that she's a real estate agent at the Corcoran Group in New York. She also avoids offering dating advice. Her son has had a roster of celebrity girlfriends, starting with Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon in high school, the Mexican singer Eiza González, and Johnny Depp's daughter, Lily-Rose. He's now dating Kylie Jenner, a multimillionaire entrepreneur and part of the Kardashian clan. Flender is often the last to know what's happening in her son's life. "Kylie was the one who told me that he would host 'Saturday Night Live' for the third time," she said. Hollywood hasn't changed her son Being his date for the SAG Awards was also a last-minute surprise. "I got a text on the Thursday before to ask if I'd be his date for that Saturday," she said. She raided her closet for a slinky black gown and hopped on a plane. When she joined him for the Oscars, she borrowed a royal-blue number from a friend. There are perks to being a star's mom during award season: She's had full-glam hair and makeup done and been outfitted by Louis Vuitton. Cartier jewelers once blinged her with priceless diamonds for the Golden Globes. "They knock on your hotel door at 9 o'clock the next morning, asking for them back," she noted. Hollywood hasn't changed her son, she said. "Not at heart. He keeps himself grounded." She remembers when she and Timothée could walk down the street unrecognized. Now, even a neighborhood stroll could end up as paparazzi fodder. "They photographed us together in Soho and LA a year apart, and I was wearing the same vintage Fiorucci shirt," she said, laughing. "He bought it for me, so I wear it when we're together to show him I love it." Despite her children's fame, Flender is very private. She'll occasionally post an Instagram photo of herself dolled up for an awards show, but she avoids reading social media mentions of either kid. She's often surrounded by A-listers but says she's not starstruck. Yet, she does admit to dropping her son's name to get a photo with the basketball legend Charles Barkley at a bar recently. "I told him my son was a big basketball fan and he was happy to pose with 'Timothée's mom,'" she said. Most of all, she's proud to have two kids who have surpassed anything she could've imagined. "All I want is for them to be happy," she said.
The Independent
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Timothée Chalamet shares ‘humiliating' high school talent show audition
Timothée Chalamet has shared a 'humiliating' moment from his past during an in-depth interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes. The 29-year-old is currently winning rave reviews and numerous awards nominations for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. Chalamet also stars as Paul Atreides in the sci-fi epic, Dune: Part Two which has also been nominated for numerous awards including Best Picture at the Oscars. Speaking to Cooper on 60 Minutes, the actor recalled his early days in the entertainment world, having enrolled at the prestigious LaGuardia High School, which has produced alumni such as Al Pacino, Jennifer Aniston and Adrien Brody to name just a few. While at the school, Chalamet developed song and dance routines for talent shows, where he performed as a rapped called 'Lil' Timmy Tim'. Recalling his time at the school, the Call Me By Your Name star showed Cooper an old dance routine that he performed with two of his friends. 'This is humiliating, but I'll show you guys,' he bashfully says. 'How old were you there?' asked Cooper. 'Here I'm 15, but I look like I'm seven, Chalamet jokes. 'This is two good friends of mine, Shiree and Desiree. They're the only people in the world that did this talent show act with me. I probably asked 35 people.' The Wonka actor also showed Cooper an apartment complex where he lived in Manhattan, which was populated by artists. However, Chalamet admitted that living there made him 'terrified' of becoming an actor. 'This building truthfully made me scared of acting,' he claims. After being pressed on why he felt that way, he said: 'Because it's, it's a tough lifestyle and a lotta people, you know, aren't doing fantastically.' 'You would think growing up here, like, it would encourage you to be an actor?' enquired Cooper. 'No, it actually terrified me of becoming an actor,' Chalamet retorted. Elsewhere, Chalamet fans have thrown their support behind Estonia's Eurovision Song Contest entry, who bears a striking resemblance to the Dune star. Tommy Cash, 33, who will represent Estonia in Basel, Switzerland this May, is known for featuring on Charli XCX 's song 'Delicious' and for his own track 'Espresso Macchiato'. Chalamet lookalikes hit the headlines last year, after the Wonka actor rocked up to his own lookalike contest in New York in October. Fans now claim Cash could have won the contest, had he entered.
