Latest news with #LasCulturistas'
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bowen Yang Says More Profanity Would Make ‘SNL' Better: ‘Let Us Say S**t and F**k'
Bowen Yang is campaigning for swearing to be a part of 'SNL.' The 'Saturday Night Live' star told former 'SNL' cast member Amy Poehler during his 'Las Culturistas' podcast, from EW, that the live sketch series should be allowed to include certain curse words. '[It's] Standards and Practices, we should be able to say at least five shits and five fucks on 'SNL' per season,' Yang jokingly said. 'We are so hampered in our comedy at 'SNL' by not being able to say shit and fuck. Let us say shit and fuck.' More from IndieWire 2025 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Animated Program RFK Jr. Should Probably Be Watching 'Love on the Spectrum' - and You Should, Too Yang continued, 'It's us, it's 'Abbott [Elementary]', it's 'Ghosts.' We're the last network comedies. Can you give 'SNL' an exception? […] Shit and fuck are so comedically powerful as words. I really think it would help us.' 'The Wedding Banquet' actor added that swearing would 'bring a sketch to the next level' on 'Saturday Night Live' and 'make it so you'd be able to know this is the real world, not sketch reality.' Poehler, who left the series in 2008, said that perhaps the lack of swearing adds to the comedy instead. 'I do think there's something fun about not being able to say it that causes comedic tension that's fun,' she said. 'The air may be let out of that balloon when you do, and you might not get the juice. You want it because you can't have it.' This isn't Yang's first criticism of 'SNL': He recently told Extra that the viral 'White POTUS' sketch did take it too far with Sarah Sherman as a caricature of Aimee Lou Wood. '[Her reaction] to that sketch is completely valid,' Yang said of Wood's admission of being offended by the April 12 sketch. 'With parody, you kind of forget the sort of human, emotional cost that it sort of extols on someone. […] We just think that she should be so proud of the work that she put into the season, it was just water cooler television again that we desperately have a craving for. So I feel like it's this thing that we tend to forget sometimes and this is a reminder and it seems like she has spoken to people at the show about it and hopefully there's room to sort of move on from it. But yeah, you need those reminders every now and then that parody can go too far sometimes and that we, as comedians, can take account for that instead of banging our foot and saying that we should be able to say whatever we want. That's just culture, it's not PC or woke culture, it's just culture.' Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bowen Yang Calls 'White Lotus' Star's 'SNL' Complaints 'Completely Valid'
Bowen Yang understands Aimee Lou Wood's disappointed reaction to a 'Saturday Night Live' parody of 'The White Lotus' star. The sketch show recently did a skit in which it mocked Wood's prominent front teeth, prompting the actor to call the bit 'mean and unfunny.' Yang, who was not in the sketch, spoke to 'Extra' last week about Wood's now-viral reaction and called it 'completely valid.' 'With parody, you kind of forget the sort of human, emotional cost that it sort of extols on someone,' the 'Las Culturistas' podcaster shared. 'Everyone at ′SNL' is just a fan of the show ― obviously a fan of her,' Yang said, before adding that Wood's reaction was 'this thing that we tend to forget sometimes and this is a reminder.' 'It seems like she has spoken to people at the show about it, and hopefully there's room to sort of move on from it,' he added. 'But yeah ― you need those reminders every now and then that parody can go too far sometimes,' Yang said. 'And that we as comedians can take account for that instead of banging our foot and saying that, like, we should be allowed to say whatever we want because that's just the culture. It's not PC or woke culture, it's just culture.' Wood publicly responded to the sketch, called 'The White Potus,' on April 13. 'Such a shame cuz I had such a great time watching it a couple weeks ago,' Wood said via her Instagram stories at the time. 'Yes, take the piss for sure — that's what the show is about — but there must be a cleverer, more nuanced, less cheap way?' In the sketch, comedian Sarah Sherman wore prosthetic teeth in an attempt to mimic Wood's own smile. Sherman later sent Wood flowers, which 'The White Lotus' shared on her Instagram page. Aimee Lou Wood Reveals The Gift An 'SNL' Cast Member Sent Her After 'Mean And Unfunny' Skit Aimee Lou Wood's Teeth Went Viral — And The Moment Helped Teach Me A Beautiful Lesson 'SNL' Skit Mocking 'White Lotus' Star's Teeth Was A 'Cheap Shot' — An Expert Breaks Down Why
New York Times
18-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Tituss Burgess in ‘Oh, Mary!' Is Cole Escola's Dream Come True
'Oh!' Tituss Burgess said, the curls of his Mary Todd Lincoln wig bobbing as he spoke. 'I need kneepads.' Fully in costume, wearing the wig and a bell-shaped black dress, Burgess was about to rehearse Cole Escola's hit comedy 'Oh, Mary!' onstage at the Lyceum Theater on Broadway, just days before stepping into the starring role on Tuesday. And, yes, he really did need those kneepads. When Escola played Mary Todd, they channeled their sprung-coil energy into a performance of relentless hilarity and chaos. Burgess's take on the role is no less physical; if anything, he is upping the ante with the cartoonish expressions and belted high notes fans know from his earlier Broadway appearances and shows like 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.' Burgess's turn in the play, a demented fantasia of Mary Todd Lincoln as a frustrated and thwarted 'rather well-known niche cabaret legend,' will run through April 6. After that, Escola will return to the part. When they do, it will be with a fantasy having come true. Last May, Escola was a guest on Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers's podcast 'Las Culturistas,' and said that they 'would love for someone else to play Mary Todd' before adding, 'My dream is Tituss Burgess.' Yang and Rogers let out an exclamation just short of a gay gasp, and Rogers said, 'That would be fab.' Escola joked that they were worried Burgess would be 'too good,' but also couldn't help but imagine him in the show's famous curly wig. Sam Pinkleton, the play's director, said that watching Burgess in the role 'has opened up a joyous new dimension in a thing I thought I knew. He's made a gusty, hilarious, surprising Mary that is somehow both utterly new and deeply rooted in the DNA Cole created for Mary.' In an interview last week, Burgess shared what happened when he heard the 'Las Culturistas' episode, and how he has prepared for his Broadway return. Here are edited excerpts from the conversation. What was your response to Cole saying they wanted you to play Mary Todd? I was like, absolutely not. I'd seen the show, and I couldn't divorce Cole's performance from the character. What they are able to accomplish — it was such meteoric energy. The offer hadn't even come in yet, but I told my team no. And then we got the call in December asking me to do it. So when you agreed to do this, you knew how athletic it would be. I wasn't prepared for that part. They make it look so easy. But when I said yes, I said, 'I need that script right away.' Because while the show is only 90 minutes, it's a herculean undertaking. So I convinced myself that I needed to be off-book at least before rehearsal started. I started teaching myself the role and teaching myself the blocking so that rehearsal could actually just be rehearsal. Perhaps I should have spent more time at the gym. How many calories do you think you burn in this performance? I would say at least 600 or 700. By the end, it's like having to run a marathon. I get home and I am starving. The trick is, behind the scenes, you have to stay as hydrated as possible. But I only have one opportunity for a bathroom break. So it's, like, trying to not consume too much water because that is a terrible predicament to be in — having to find a moment to use the restroom. Even though you're running all over the stage, there is so much specificity to it. And on top of learning that, you're joining a well-oiled cast. Theater is always teched within an inch of its life; it's such a puzzle, one tiny thing can throw off an entire moment. What Mary Todd has to do is so physical, but within finely implemented parameters. To find something inside it that is organic is a whole other feat. It's a dance. You work together with a creative team and try to build something new inside something that already exists, and that's hard. Now that you've proverbially walked a mile in Cole's wig, what do you think about what they've created with this show? They say write what you know, and man did they ever. I just marvel at what they were able to accomplish, not just playing to their strengths, but having the opportunity to show the full breadth of what they're capable of. And yet it's so elastic. Mary Todd has been played by Cole, Betty Gilpin and now you. The lines are the same, the delivery is completely different, and it remains funny. It's a really good script. I honestly think it's one of the funniest plays of my generation. It's so witty and impossibly clever, and as you said, depending on who's in it, it just takes on an entirely new life. Cole deserves the Tony — deserves best play, deserves best actor at the very least — and I don't say that lightly. It's tricky to make this performance look so seamless and so effortless. People undervalue that sometimes, but it takes a great deal of control. How much were you encouraged to add Tituss-isms and make the role your own? We talked about this at length, because I was getting stuck in the thought of: 'You hired me. You're using my body as the vessel for Mary Todd.' So I didn't understand how she could go through the whole play and not have a real facility for performance. But we also went back with just how much of me I would use, because I didn't want that to be the reason I am doing the part. I'm equally good with dialogue as I am with music, and I was excited for the chance to show that. You could hear, over time, how hard this show was on Cole's voice. Mary Todd Lincoln is up there with Elphaba. You've had big sings before, like in 'The Little Mermaid,' but how are you caring for your voice now? This weekend I will be with my vocal coach, for sure. I don't want to say that I'm nervous about it, but I've noticed a different type of fatigue than I've experienced before. Cole has a lighter voice than I do; mine has a great deal of heft to it. So for me, this is taxing. I'm actually kind of relieved that it's only for three weeks. I think that's all the stamina I have.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Wedding Banquet' Trailer: Bowen Yang and Kelly Marie Tran Conspire for the Sake of Love
If hearing him on 'Las Culturistas' and seeing him in 'Wicked' and on 'Saturday Night Live' wasn't enough, Bowen Yang is headed back to the big screen alongside Academy Award-nominee Lily Gladstone, and Kelly Marie Tran in 'The Wedding Banquet.' Yang is also joined by 'Fire Island' collaborator Andrew Ahn, who serves as director and co-writer on this remake of the classic 1993 LGBTQ rom-com from Ang Lee. Watch the trailer for the film below. Co-written by the original film's scribe James Schamus and also starring Han Gi-Chan, Joan Chen, and Oscar-winner Yuh-Jung Youn, the official synopsis for the film reads, ''The Wedding Banquet' follows a chosen family of four friends each struggling to navigate their adulthood responsibilities and relationships. Angela (Tran) and her partner Lee (Gladstone) have had repeated unsuccessful IVF treatments, and the financial strain is worsening. Min (Han) and his commitment-phobic boyfriend, Chris (Yang), can't agree on taking their relationship to the next level, but Min's student visa is running out. In an attempt to solve the friend group's ever-growing problems, Min proposes marriage to Angela to secure his green card in exchange for funding Lee's IVF treatment. When Min's skeptical grandmother makes a surprise visit and insists on an extravagant wedding, the friends' commitment to their scheme — and to one another — begins to waiver.' More from IndieWire Steven Soderbergh Wanted 'Black Bag' to Feel Like the 'Espionage Version' of 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' Scarlett Johansson Wants Marvel Fans to Know She Really Is Done: 'Natasha Is Dead' 'The Wedding Banquet' had its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. In our review of the film, IndieWire said, 'The story begins conventionally, churning out exposition to introduce the foursome. And for a while, each couple scarcely amounts to more than a broad stroke and a conflict. Lee is a charmer eager for her in vitro fertilization treatments to result in pregnancy, while the crankier Angela worries that her strained relationship with her mother (Chen) might impact her own parenting skills. The rudderless Chris and trust-fund endowed Min, meanwhile, are navigating Chris's reluctance to commit to a marriage that would allow Min, who's in danger of losing his green card, to stay in the country.' Speaking to IndieWire at Sundance, Gladstone shared that she was able to influence not only how her character is presented but even her name. Originally supposed to be called Liz, Gladstone got Ahn to change it to Lee to honor the Indigenous community in the film's setting of Seattle. 'I decided that, because it takes place in Seattle, [and] there is a significantly underrepresented tribal entity fighting for federal recognition, that is Chief Seattle's [Si'ahl's] nation, Duwamish,' the actress said. 'Aren't currently federally recognized as a tribe, they've been trying to be … for some time. So, art is transcendence, it's how we shape societies, it was important for me to make my character Duwamish. A Duwamish person on Duwamish land has not really been seen in cinema before.' Watch the trailer for 'The Wedding Banquet below.' The film opens in theaters April 18 from Bleecker Street. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
The Independent
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Oscars photos: See reunions, props and more candid moments from the red carpet
Stars had fun on their way into the Oscars. Best supporting actress nominee Ariana Grande, dressed in a baby pink gown with a tulle skirt, and Elle Fanning, in lacy white, held hands and laughed as they arrived. The fashion moments were plenty and wide-ranging: Timothée Chalamet, nominated for best actor, walked in a butter yellow suit, holding the hand of his mother, Nicole Fender, as they approached the Dolby Theatre. Andrew Garfield opted for a chocolate brown suit. Michelle Yeoh's royal blue gown cascaded down the stairs. Grande and Yeoh's 'Wicked' castmate Bowen Yang and his 'Las Culturistas' podcast co-host Matt Rogers were all smiles, posing with lucky fans who secured seats in bleachers through lotteries. Dressed in florals, Jeff Goldblum — the Wizard of Oz himself — and his wife Emilie Livingston stopped to pose with U.S. Army members there to celebrate their 250th anniversary. It wasn't just human stars making their way through the sea of celebrities and photographers on the carpet: Filmmakers Nick Park, Richard Beek and Merlin Crossingham carried the Claymation stars of 'Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,' nominated for best animated feature. Animation director Nicolas Keppens wore a figurine of the character Bart from his nominated short 'Beautiful Men' in a pink baby carrier on his chest. Slava Leontyev, co-director of 'Porcelain War,' held Frodo, the yorkie featured in the documentary. Diane Warren, nominated for her 16th Oscar for her song 'The Journey' from 'The Six Triple Eight' wore a jacket adorned with glittery music notes. She lifted up her collar to reveal a phrase printed on the inside: 'Make it (expletive) Happen.' (Spoiler: it didn't. El Mal' from 'Emilia Pérez' won the best original song Oscar.) ___ AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr contributed to this report.
