Latest news with #Mr.Bean
CBC
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Transgender comedian cancels U.S. tour stops because of new gender policies
Transgender comedian Ava Val had her sights set on moving to the United States and touring there, but after facing visa issues and growing hostility toward trans people, she cancelled that leg of her tour. Speaking with Saskatoon Morning host Stephanie Massicotte on Thursday, Val said growing up she was inspired to go down the path of comedy partly because of the British sitcom Mr. Bean, and its ability to bring her family together — something Val was keen on doing on her tour. This June, Val was set to tour and live in the United States, but her visa application was suddenly held up, forcing her to cancel. "Slowly as things started to develop in in the current [U.S.] administration, it just seemed like more and more hostility was just developing towards trans people," said Val, who is based in Toronto. U.S. President Donald Trump declared in his inaugural address on Jan. 20 that "it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female," and swiftly issued executive orders and changes to the government's policies on gender and diversity. Those included Secretary of State Marco Rubio's memo titled Guidance for Visa Adjudicators on Executive Order 14201: 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports,' which encompassed the directive that "all visas must reflect an applicant's sex at birth." "That's essentially the point at which I was just like, I don't know if I'll even be allowed down there, so I might as well make alternate plans," Val said. "I don't want to go where nobody wants me. Fine, I'll make it on my own, I'll go to Saskatoon, I'll compete against Pierre Poilievre," Val joked, as the Conservative Party leader was set to hold a rally in Saskatoon the same night as her performance. Art gallery CEO's passport altered John Hampton, a two-spirit person and CEO of the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, is a dual citizen who has also experienced ramifications from the U.S. administration's changes to gender policy. They regularly travel across the border for work and personal reasons, including recently for the opening of an exhibition at The Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. Hampton said their U.S. passport came up for renewal this year and they tried to renew it early. Since 2019, Canadians who do not identify as female or male, like Hampton, can list their gender as "X" on their passports. The federal government says about 3,600 Canadians have the marker on their passports. "I sent that in nice and early, but unfortunately apparently not early enough because it got held on to for quite a while," Hampton said on CBC's The 306. Hampton says when they got their passport back, the "X" had been changed to an "M." They made their first trip to the U.S. with the new passport in February and said they felt fear going to the border, but so far the trips have been "perfectly" smooth.
Buzz Feed
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
19 Celebs Who Are Soo Much Smarter Than You Thought They Were
Entertainers are often defined by their onscreen personas, but many of them have far more to offer the world. Of course, there are artists who excel at various mediums. However, we don't talk about the extremely brilliant minds whose intelligence isn't highlighted as much. Rowan Atkinson of Mr. Bean has a master's degree in electrical engineering, for example. He's not the only actor who has an impressive academic background. From Mensans to Harvard graduates, here are 19 celebrities who are way smarter than you thought. 1. Ken Jeong worked as a physician before his acting career took off. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Medicine, then worked for the health care provider Kaiser Permanente, per Duke Chronicle. 2. Marilu Henner has a condition called highly superior autobiographical memory that allows her to recall every detail of her life. She explained on 60 Minutes Australia that she could remember some details immediately while others might take more time. 3. Modern Family star Nolan Gould isn't just a stellar talent onscreen but also a member of Mensa, according to E! News. During an interview on Ellen, he revealed that he graduated from high school when he was 13. "Over the summer, I did a lot of studying and I took an exam and tested out of high school, so I'm hopefully going to go on and do some online community college courses," he said. 4. Wallace Shawn has taken on many lighthearted and comedic roles, from Rex in the Toy Story series to Vizzini in The Princess Bride. However, he's exceptionally brilliant, having graduated from Harvard University as a Fulbright scholar. 5. Dolph Lundgren has often taken on villainous roles, whether in Rocky IV or the Universal Soldier film series. But what most wouldn't expect is that he's extremely academically gifted. Like Shawn, he's a Fulbright scholar who was accepted to MIT. He eventually completed his Master's gegree in chemical engineering at The Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm during an exchange program with the University of Sydney in Australia, according to his official website. 6. Playing a complete airhead in Phoebe on Friends seemed effortless for Lisa Kudrow. However, before her big break, she graduated with a biology major and a job as a headache specialist. She even started working on a study concerning hemispheric dominance and headache types, as she explained during her speech at her alma mater, Vassar College. 7. Kesha hasn't ever marketed herself as an intellectual type, but there's more than meets the eye with her. According to a profile with NPR, she got a near-perfect SAT score. 8. Cindy Crawford is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable models in the industry. However, what's just as impressive as her hefty resumé and accomplishments is her academic background. Not only did she graduate as valedictorian in high school, but she also enrolled at Northwestern University on an academic scholarship for chemical engineering. 9. Matt Damon's Hollywood feats are second to none. He's among the highest-grossing actors with a long list of nominations and awards. Good Will Hunting helped launch his career, but what's even more interesting is that he began writing its script while enrolled at Harvard. Although he left the school to pursue his career in acting, he was later awarded the Harvard Arts Medal in 2013. 10. Mayim Bialik's ability to tap into the role of neuroscientist Amy Farrah Fowler in The Big Bang Theory was practically second nature. Bialik graduated with a Bachelor of Science and PhD in neuroscience with minors in Hebrew and Jewish studies. 11. Brian May's contributions to music have been etched in the history books. In addition to his artistic successes, he also received a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial London College. Moreover, he also became the Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. 12. Steve Martin's a man of many hats but perhaps the most overlooked fact is that he's extremely intelligent. He previously penned an article for the New Yorker titled, "How I Joined Mensa." 13. WWE superstar Raven has a surprising background that mirrors Martin's. The wrestling icon became a member of Mensa with an IQ of 140, per WWE. 14. Speaking of Raven, Kyle Hamilton of the Baltimore Ravens reportedly scored above 132 on his IQ Test by the third grade, according to Sports Illustrated. 15. Jodie Foster has been in the entertainment industry since she was 3, which just so happened to be the same age when she learned to read. Per the New York Times, she was "a gifted child who could read at the age of 3, and within two years understand scripts on her own." What's even more impressive is that she graduated Magna cum laude with a degree in literature from Yale. 16. From One Tree Hill to MTV's Awkward, Ashley Rickards has flexed her acting prowess in various roles. She's also incredibly gifted, having graduated high school at 15 and becoming a member of Mensa in 2011. 17. Rebel Wilson has an impressive background outside of acting. Wilson graduated from the University of New South Wales with two degrees, a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws. In an interview with the Guardian, she also revealed that she participated in the Australian junior maths olympiad and described herself as having "weird mathematical abilities" since an early age. 18. The Offspring frontman, Dexter Holland, made a career as a pioneering figure in the pop-punk scene. Yet his accomplishments have never been limited to music. He was valedictorian in high school and later earned a PhD in molecular biology with his thesis on HIV research, per Rolling Stone. Did we miss any gifted celebs? Let us know in the comments!
