Latest news with #MaryLouiseParker
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Swoon! Dawson's Creek's Joey and Pacey Are Reuniting On Screen — This Is Not a Drill!
Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson don't want to wait for their lives to be over to work together again. The former Dawson's Creek co-stars — and one-time real-life couple — who captured hearts as TV lovebirds Joey Potter and Pacey Witter (pictured below) will once again share the screen for the feature film trilogy Happy Hours, written and directed by Holmes. It will mark the first time in 22 years that Holmes and Jackson have acted together in a project. More from Is Doctor Odyssey Cancelled? There's More Bad News for the ABC Series The movie is described as a 'story about two people (played by Jackson and Holmes) navigating their relationship within the challenges of careers and family responsibilities and the pursuit of love despite life's inevitable obstacles,' reads the official description. 'The film is a character driven dramedy that explores the emotional journey of young loves who reconnect as adults, with the connective thread of shared joys, loss, and hope.' The cast also includes Mary Louise Parker, Constance Wu, Joe Tippett, John McGinty, Donald Webber Jr, Nathan Darrow, Johnna Dias-Watson and Jack Martin, although it's unclear at the moment if Holmes, Jackson and the rest of the ensemble will appear in all three movies. The first film begins production this summer in New York City, with the subsequent installments shooting closely after. The news of Holmes and Jackson's collaboration comes not long after his ABC series Doctor Odyssey was, effectively, cancelled. ABC let the cast's options expire, allowing Jackson and the rest of the ensemble to pursue other projects. Holmes and Jackson are, of course, known for playing one of TV's most popular couples on The WB classic Dawson's Creek from 1998-2003. Their characters' on-and-off romance kicked off in Season 3, rejuvenating the series and spawning the infamous 'Crying Dawson' gif after Joey picked Pacey over her ex. The series finale concluded with Joey and Pacey rekindling their romantic relationship as adults. Off screen, Holmes and Jackson also briefly dated during the show's early years. 'I am so very grateful to be working again with so many of my wonderful friends on this film HAPPY HOURS,' Holmes wrote on Instagram. 'And working with Josh after so many years is a testament to friendship. HAPPY HOURS is a love story that includes so many people I adore. We can't wait for everyone to see what we make.' While you try to contain your excitement for the pair's reunion, check out the gallery below of 20+ primetime next season. Solve the daily Crossword
Geek Girl Authority
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
THE INSTITUTE's Viggo Hanvelt Talks Playing Avery in New Horror Series
It's time for a Stephen King Summer. MGM+ has blessed us with an adaptation of King's 2019 novel The Institute , and the eight-episode series promises a high-octane, horror-fueled mystery. It juggles two storylines: the titular Institute, run by the mysterious Ms. Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker), and haunted former police officer Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes). Avery, played by Viggo Hanvelt, is an inmate of the Institute — the youngest and most powerful of them all. Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with Viggo about playing Avery, what viewers can expect from The Institute and more. RELATED: Jane Luk on Playing in the Horror Sandbox That Is The Institute Viggo Hanvelt Pictured: Viggo Hanvelt Melody McCune: We at GGA love a good origin story. How did you get into acting? Viggo Hanvelt: I got into acting because my brother and sister have been actors since before I was born. I love to see them act. When I got my first audition, I was super excited. And then I got my first part — it was amazing. So, I started acting more until I got this part, which is the best of the best. MM: Let's talk about The Institute . Can you tell me what it's about? VH: The Institute is about a place where they bring kids with supernatural abilities, either telepathy or telekinesis. They try to, basically, torture the kids. Avery in The Institute MM: How does your character, Avery, fit into the story? VH: Avery's young and energetic. He acts like a six-year-old or an eight-year-old, but he matures over the course of the show. He's a great character and the strongest of them all. RELATED: Ben Barnes and Joe Freeman on Starring in The Institute MM: What can audiences expect when they watch the show? VH: Audiences can expect a wonderful, entertaining, thrilling plot from a show that always keeps you guessing the next move. MM: Describe The Institute using three words. VH: Thrilling. Interesting. Dark. MM: Do you share any similarities with your character? VH: My character's actually quite different from how I act, but he understands what's going on. He understands that he needs to help them get out by using his powers. That's his top priority. Pictured: Viggo Hanvelt MM: What was your favorite part about filming this show? VH: There were quite a few dark scenes that were super fun, but there was this one scene where I had to eat licorice. I only needed to take one bite, but we did the scene so many times, I ate five packets of licorice. Everybody loves candy. RELATED: Stephen King's The Institute Gets Official Trailer MM: Have you watched anything fun lately? VH: I watched a murder mystery recently — it isn't a scary one. It's called The Residence , and it's about a murder in the White House. It was super interesting and really entertaining. You can watch Viggo as Avery in new episodes of The Institute when they drop on Sundays on MGM+. Samantha Brown on FROM Season 3 and Playing Acosta Contact: [email protected] What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events. Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium. Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
Geek Girl Authority
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
Jane Luk on Playing in the Horror Sandbox That Is THE INSTITUTE
MGM+'s The Institute is finally here for our horror-viewing pleasure. Adapted from prolific horror maestro Stephen King's 2019 novel of the same name, the story zeroes in on the titular Institute and its mysterious inhabitants as well as the goings-on of a former police officer, Tim Jamieson (Ben Barnes), in a nearby town. Ms. Sigsby (Mary-Louise Parker) oversees the Institute, including a bevy of children with unusual abilities. One of her employees is Maureen, played by Jane Luk, a haunted, dishonorably discharged veteran who spends her days cleaning and looking after the kids. Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with Jane about her recurring role on The Institute , what fans can expect and working with Mary-Louise Parker. RELATED: Ben Barnes and Joe Freeman on Starring in The Institute This interview is edited for length and clarity. Jane Luk Pictured: Jane Luk Melody McCune: We at GGA love a good origin story. How did you get into acting? Jane Luk: We had a family farm, but when we were little, we didn't go out to work. Back then, my parents left me at home. I was the oldest, so I took care of my siblings. TV was our babysitter. We watched copious amounts of TV. I thought, 'Oh, I want to do that.' Never thought I could do anything with it, mainly because we lived in a rural part of Ontario. There weren't many Asian kids, so there weren't many opportunities. People were writing plays, but not with me in mind. That's when I first caught the bug. Later on, I remember watching Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball, not realizing that I liked them so much because they were funny. I thought, 'I want to do what they're doing.' The Institute MM: Let's talk about The Institute . Can you tell me what it's about and how you got involved with the project? JL: The Institute is based on Stephen King's book of the same name. The book is so dense with stuff that I'm glad they made it into a series to address a lot of material. I auditioned like any other actor. It's really funny how, in our industry, one project can change the entire trajectory of your career. I auditioned via Zoom on a recall for a different character. Then, on the recall, I was asked to do the role of Maureen as well. RELATED: Stephen King's The Institute Gets Official Trailer I hadn't read the book and didn't know the story. I had to do a lot of research. A lot of times, these big productions are on the hush-hush in terms of how much material they release to you. I was so lucky because [for] Jack Bender, who's the executive producer and also directed a number of the episodes, it's his passion project. He was on the Zoom call. That's very rare. He said, 'This is what's going on with this character. This is what I'd like to see. Let's do it again.' I took in all his notes. Reading for Two Roles I redid the whole thing, did a complete 180. He said, 'Oh, wow, yes, I really like you for this part.' At that point, I should have kept my mouth shut, but I said, 'What about the other role I auditioned for?' He said, 'Yes. You probably prepared for it. Why don't we see you do that role?' There was a second where I thought, 'Maybe I won't do as good a job because then he'll really consider me for this other role.' RELATED: New TV Shows This Week (July 13- 19) At the end of the audition, he said, 'No, you're better for the other role.' I thought, 'Did I just get cast?' I didn't know for sure. Anyway, it was really exciting to audition for him. That was the process. I wish I were at a point where I could pick and choose my projects, but not just yet. I got lucky with this one. Playing Maureen MM: How does your character, Maureen, fit into the narrative? JL: The Institute — I'm going to be very general, so I won't give any spoilers, but it's a place where all these children, from ages 10 to 18, are there because they either have telepathy or telekinesis. It's run by this woman, Ms. Sigsby. She's got other people working for her as well. It's a dark and foreboding place. It's set in this town where the townspeople don't know what's going on there. Now, we have two storylines. I wasn't involved in the other one, which is what's happening in the town. Maureen works in the Institute. She's there under very sad circumstances. It's been a hard time for her. She's there to deal with the children and to report to Sigsby. Sigsby is her boss. RELATED: Lily Santiago Talks About Her Untamed Character and Filming on Location What to Expect MM: What can viewers expect when they watch this show? JL: First of all, I was so impressed with everyone's performances. They're younger actors. The youngest actor we have is Viggo Hanvelt, who's 10. Everybody else is up to teens. It's dark because it's Stephen King. There are some really good stunts. There's a lot of makeup. My character is by no means a glamorous version of me at all. I love getting into characters, including makeup, prosthetics, that kind of thing. I don't have any prosthetics, but some people do. It's really quite a journey. You're always on the fence about who the good guys are and who aren't. Sometimes, they really reveal themselves right away. MM: Describe The Institute using three words. JL: Foreboding. Trap. Power-hungry. MM: Do you share any similarities with your character? JL: She does look after the kids. I was very lucky to be working with kids. This was a big project for me. It was really interesting to work with kids because I love working with them. I know sometimes people say, 'Oh, the worst things you have to deal with are kids and animals in any kind of project.' That was what was similar. RELATED: Tamar Broadbent Debunks Parenting Myths and Celebrates Motherhood With Plus One Maureen is very hard on herself, and I see that in me as well. In terms of why she's there, she's given up, and that's not me. I don't give up or surrender to a life that I know I'm not meant for. Working With Joe Freeman and Mary-Louise Parker MM: Without giving too much away, of course, do you have a highlight or a favorite scene from filming? JL: One of the highlights was working with Joe Freeman because I had a number of scenes with him. This was his first acting job. It was really great getting to know him. Some of the more difficult scenes we got into later on, it was great that we could at least talk about it a bit. We would share shorthands. I said, 'Do you want to do this at this point?' He said, 'Yes. Okay.' We would really try to make it work. That's what I loved. Also, working with Mary-Louise Parker. Phenomenal. I have a couple of scenes with her. I have this one big scene — it's just her and me. When we were both in the makeup trailer, she said, 'Do you want to run lines?' I thought, 'Oh, yes. How amazing that you would ask me.' Because a lot of times, when you have the top of the lead, very rarely, I find, do they want to run lines. They ask another actor if they want to run lines. I thought that was really great. I loved that. RELATED: David John Phillips on Writing Oh! I Miss the War and Its Hopeful Message for the Queer Community See, I'm an improviser. I discovered it a long time ago, and now I teach it as well. She uses similar basic guidelines of improv, which are to really listen and be in the moment. Sometimes, the moments would shift a bit based on the way the other person gave me their line, and she would do the same. I thought that was so great. I love working like that. You're both really present and authentic with each other. That was one highlight with two people. On the Horizon Pictured: Jane Luk MM: What else is on the horizon for you, career-wise? JL: I'm auditioning. There are lots of projects happening. Our industry is so unpredictable. This year, I've been doing mostly voiceover work. It just happened that way. Whereas in other years, I've had theater or was teaching at the University of Windsor. It's like you throw all this confetti in the air, and then wherever it lands, like, 'You're doing this, this, and this for this year.' I love voice work. My friend Sam Agro is an animator. Also, he's done comedy writing for sketch and stuff like that. We wanted to do voices, and we were really interested in sinking our teeth into more characters. We created a silly — I'll say silly because it's meant to be comedic, but it's a murder mystery between this husband and wife duo. RELATED: Revival 's Romy Weltman on Becoming Em and Working With Melanie Scrofano He's a lead detective for the Department of Uncanny Cases. She is a star reporter for this fictitious Northern Upper New York paper. We haven't decided on the name of that yet. Kitty O'Donoghue. It's set in the '50s. We've already got one script done. We're working on a second one. That's been a lot of fun, just researching the colloquialisms of the day. Also, trying to make it relevant for today and trying to skew it to make it using today's events to showcase them in that time period. Jane's Favorites MM: Have you watched anything interesting lately? JL: I just started watching Ginny & Georgia again, the new season. I'm behind, but I'm seeing a number of my friends in there because it's shot in Toronto, which is so great. I finally got onto Better Things with Pamela Adlon. I thought, 'I wish I knew more about this human before.' She is just an amazing person. RELATED: Agape Mngomezulu Talks Bryon and Bracia's Relationship in Ginny & Georgia Season 3 MM: Name your favorite films. JL: I have eclectic taste. I still say The Court Jester from way back, because when I was little, I got some great catchphrases from there, like, 'The chalice from the palace has the brew that is true.' Cool Hand Luke . Blade Runner . The Shawshank Redemption . Stand by Me . The Princess Bride . You can follow Jane Luk on Instagram (@janelukpicard). Be sure to catch new episodes of The Institute every Sunday on MGM+. Cecilia Lee on the Wild Ride That Is FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN Contact: [email protected] What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events. Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet. Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium. Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nepo baby, 21, towers over his movie star father who famously left his mom for his co-star... can you guess who?
The Morning Show star Billy Crudup spent some quality time with his much taller son William Atticus Parker while walking down the streets of New York City together on Wednesday. The 21-year-old nepo baby appeared to be several inches taller than the 5ft9in Emmy winner, who celebrated his 57th birthday on Tuesday. According to IMDb, William cast Billy to play a mystery role in his upcoming third feature directorial effort The Auction alongside his mother Mary-Louise Parker as well as Audra McDonald, Richard Kind, and Raúl Castillo. Parker wrote and produced the 'wild' indie sci-fi horror spectacle about a corporate auction company, which is a loose adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1939 mystery novel And Then There Were None. The River Styx Productions founder also enlisted his 18-year-old sister Ash Parker, whom the 60-year-old Emmy winner adopted from Ethiopia in 2007, to compose an original song for The Auction. Readers might recall how Mary-Louise was seven months pregnant with William in November 2003 when Crudup left her for his Stage Beauty leading lady Claire Danes after they fell in love on set months earlier. The Morning Show star Billy Crudup (R) spent some quality time with his much taller son William Atticus Parker (L) while walking down the streets of New York City together on Wednesday In her 2015 memoir Dear Mr. You, Parker wrote a thinly-veiled chapter inspired by that time period when got kicked out of a taxi after angering the lost driver, who told her: 'I don't want you any more.' 'No one does. Look at me. My life is worse than yours in this moment. I am alone. Look, see? I am pregnant and alone. It hurts to even breathe,' the Weeds alum wrote. 'I'm trying to get through it but I'm by myself every night and every morning and no one, nothing helps. I'm sorry I yelled. I can't get my shoes on anymore. Please, I know I am awful, it's been made clear but look at me please.' Mary-Louise concluded of their seven-year romance: 'I realize now that whatever I was walking through was part of my life, one piece of a bigger story that is mostly beautiful.' And in 2009, Parker directly addressed the scandal in More Magazine: 'I've never commented on the situation, and I won't because it's not fair to my son. Your love for your child should eclipse any other feelings you have for another person.' On April 7, Billy and Claire enjoyed an affectionate reunion at Cipriani South Street in Lower Manhattan during the NYU Tisch Gala, which raised over $1.7M in support of student needs. 'I was just in love with him. And needed to explore that and I was 24. I didn't quite know what those consequences would be,' Danes admitted on The Howard Stern Show in 2015. '[The backlash] was a scary thing. That was really hard. I didn't know how to not do that. It's OK. I went through it. We're friendly — we're friends.' The Homeland alum has been married to her Stardust leading man Hugh Dancy since 2009 and Crudup has been married to his Gypsy leading lady Naomi Watts since 2023. The 21-year-old nepo baby appeared to be several inches taller than the 5ft9in Emmy winner, who celebrated his 57th birthday on Tuesday According to IMDb, William cast Billy to play a mystery role in his upcoming third feature directorial effort The Auction alongside his mother Mary-Louise Parker Parker wrote and produced the 'wild' indie sci-fi horror spectacle about a corporate auction company, which is a loose adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1939 mystery novel And Then There Were None (pictured June 26 with his mother Mary-Louise Parker) Audiences can stream William's self-funded, second feature directorial effort Atrabilious on Amazon Prime Video starting July 18. The $20K-budget neo-noir - which wrapped production in 2022 - stars Leon Addison Brown, Jeffrey Wright, Whoopi Goldberg, Alec Baldwin, Lewis Black, and Mark Boone Junior. 'I'm so proud of the film,' Parker gushed on September 24. 'The cast and crew did such incredible work in 11 days. I'm forever thankful. I can now say with certainty that Atrabilious will be coming soon.' Readers might recall how Mary-Louise was seven months pregnant with William in November 2003 when Crudup left her for his Stage Beauty leading lady Claire Danes (L) after they fell in love on set months earlier And in 2009, the Weeds alum directly addressed the scandal in More Magazine: 'I've never commented on the situation, and I won't because it's not fair to my son. Your love for your child should eclipse any other feelings you have for another person' (pictured in 2002) The True West thespian will play a mystery role in Katie Aselton's teen romance Their Town alongside Daveed Diggs, Ora Duplass, and Chosen Jacobs. William previously acted in five of Mary-Louise's projects - Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp (2024), Colin in Black & White (2021), Mr. Mercedes (2017-19), Compliance (2018), and Christmas in Conway (2013). In 2022, Parker enlisted his famous godmother Susan Sarandon to star in his $5K-budget feature directorial debut, Forty Winks. The Brooklynite's middle name was inspired by the To Kill a Mockingbird character Atticus Finch.
Geek Vibes Nation
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Vibes Nation
Mary-Louise Parker On Playing A Multifaceted Villain In The Institute And Collaborating With Jack Bender
After working together on Mr. Mercedes , actress Mary-Louise Parker ( Omni Loop ) and director and producer Jack Bender ( Lost ) are now teaming up again for The Institute . This brand-new horror/sci-fi series, based on the same-named Stephen King novel, centres on the story of the teenager Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman), who has been taken to a remote institute due to his special abilities. When he meets kids with similar powers, he knows that Ms Sigsby (Parker), the head of The Institute, will use them for her own good. Therefore, Luke sets a plan in motion to escape together with his friends, but that's easier said than done, even with powerful gifts. Ahead of the release of The Institute on MGM+ on the 13th of July, Geek Vibes Nation spoke to Parker to discuss playing an ambiguous character, working with Bender again, and the first table read. Geek Vibes Nation: Hi Mary-Louise Parker. Congratulations on the series. Mary-Louise Parker: Thank you. GVN: For The Institute , you're reunited with Jack Jack [Bender, director and co-producer], with whom you worked on Mr. Mercedes . How was it to step into Stephen King's world, especially with him? MLP: What was most interesting to me was that I wanted to work with Jack again, and we became so close from the moment we met. He feels more like family to me, and he's an incredible painter and writer, and he's written these phenomenal books. I've also got to know him through his books and writing. We have a great relationship, so I wanted to be a part of it. Stephen King himself is truly the master of storytelling, and he possesses a phenomenal, freakish ability to take an audience and hold them exactly where he wants them. GVN: There are a lot of multiple facets to your character, and there's always the delicate balance between her doing what she thinks is for the greater good and being completely evil. Since you've worked with Jack before, were you able to get even more out of her to achieve a more in-depth portrayal of her? MLP: It's interesting that you say that. She thinks she's doing it for the greater good of the world. Jack asked me this question, 'how far would you go to save the world from Armageddon apocalypse?' And that's what I kept going back to with this character, that she feels she's on the right side of history. Instead of slowing down and questioning, she's become even more relentless in pursuit of this goal of her mission, and she can compartmentalise and set aside any moral concerns about what she's doing and how truly inhumane her choices are. GVN: One of those moments where you see that she has almost no emotions whatsoever is during the birthday scenes, which were creepy to watch. How was it for you to play those scenes cause there are a few of them? MLP: For her, that's just another step. We have to get through this step. My character has to be excited; here's the cake. The logistics of her day are based on ticking off those kind of things. It's as if she's able to justify her behaviour, and those are the most dangerous people. GVN: While The Institute isn't a great place to be, to say the least, it's great to see a female at the head of it. She's not taking orders from the men below her. How is it, despite her being who she is, to at least portray a female boss? MLP: I do like it a lot that she's boss. And if she would fail, it would be because she allowed herself to trust people she shouldn't have trusted. It's the kind of mistake that would happen in that kind of environment. It's just better to stick with your paranoia and let that fuel you than to make the mistake of trusting someone. She becomes the victim of her narrative because it's as if she's been wronged despite trying to do everything right. It's human nature when you do something bad or that you're ashamed of to try to explain it to yourself in a way or even justify it. However, hopefully, you can, at a certain point, understand what was wrong, a mistake, etc. Courtesy of Geek Vibes Nation GVN: I talked to Ben [Barnes] and Joe [Freeman]. They were discussing the first table read and the excitement from the very first scene. How was that table read for you? MLP: I was so distracted by my dog at the first table reading. I also always feel like I'm not doing enough. Ben is just so friendly, and my daughter is a huge fan of his music and acting. Joe was just so sweet. I was all over the place at the first read. I barely even remember, to be honest. However, before the first read, I had great hopes because I had seen some of Joe's tape. And I just thought, 'Well, this kid is kind of freakishly perfect for this part.' It's unbelievable that it was his first acting job. He has such purity, and he can dive in unselfconsciously when circumstances are difficult, or things are moving quickly. He was remarkably sweet and self-aware for such a young person. It's amazing. GVN: I was wondering what the set looked like, especially The Institute itself. Was there a lot of on-set designs, or was it mainly green screen or a combination of both? MLP: The series didn't utilize many special effects. This was an excellent crew that worked incredibly hard. They created many of those effects in the room, such as making the door shake or the ceiling move, which is much better than having to imagine it and then add it later. This was a very well-prepared crew, and that gave the actors a lot to work with. GVN: In this series, the kids possess either telekinesis or telepathy. What kind of ability would you like to have yourself? MLP: I would want to wake up and be a polyglot. I want to be fluent in 12 different languages. I've even picked out the languages. I wouldn't want to have psychic or kinetic abilities. GVN: Which one is the one at the top? MLP: Probably Amharic. My daughter's from Ethiopia, and it's difficult speaking through two sets of translators. I'm trying to learn Amharic. It's quite a complex language, but I'm getting there. GVN: One last question: what other Stephen King adaptation would you want to be part of? MLP: They're not finished with this story. In this work, King has explored various aspects, including special skills, kinetic abilities, and related topics. However, there's something about the idea of this organized treatment of these young kids, which is so horrific and so heartbreaking because you see them with their happy families for just a second before they set fire to it, and there's something about that. King has a next-level ability with storytelling. It engages the audience, and it's great for an actor to have a story like this. The Institute is out on MGM+ on the 13th of July
