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Los Angeles Times
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
There's one ‘SNL' impression Bowen Yang tried to talk his way out of. (It didn't work.)
For the first episode of 'Saturday Night Live's' 50th season, Bowen Yang dressed up as Moo Deng, a baby hippo the internet was then obsessed with. Yang's all-in appearance during the series' 'Weekend Update' segment conflated Moo Deng's journey with that of reluctant pop star Chappell Roan — a surprising combination that captivated the audience. 'I was surprised by the way it took off,' Yang says, speaking over Zoom from New York. 'We were juxtaposing these two cultural things, the ways that people were pushing through any sense of boundaries that these two living beings had. It was observational, and I think the response was this force-multiplying thing where people did not think these two lenses could be stuck on top of each other.' As with many of his popular sketches, Yang found it fascinating to follow the trajectory of the appearance after the episode aired. On one hand, he was thrilled by its levity. But he also describes having 'a self-flagellating instinct' to worry it would lose its relevance. 'It has all these different directional tensions to it, and I'm proud of it,' he says. 'But a sketch is such a disposable medium that is both great and that feels like there is no bottom, so you constantly have to keep filling it.' Since joining 'SNL' as a writer in 2018 and then as a cast member in 2019, Yang has delighted viewers with his willingness to play everyone from a famous hippo to George Santos to Charli XCX. He's sung with Lady Gaga, kissed Ariana Grande and portrayed the iceberg that sank the Titanic. His eclectic approach has not only earned him four Emmy nods for supporting actor in a comedy series but also solidified him as a fan favorite. 'My only intention at the show has been to try as many things as possible,' he says. 'With impressions, I'm like, 'Let me just try it. Let me try my hand at these little dishes and go from there.' That was my approach even when I could have really specialized. And I have the show to thank for giving me an opportunity to try out different things.' There was one impression that Yang was less sure about. In Season 50, 'SNL' creator Lorne Michaels asked Yang to play Vice President JD Vance. The comedian says he 'very intentionally' tried to talk Michaels out of it, but he wouldn't budge. 'So I put my best foot forward,' Yang says. 'I hired a dialect coach. I requested a screen test to get the beard right. I tried color contacts. I feel like I've developed this reputation where I will do my best even if I don't think I'm the best person for it.' Yang says he will step back into Vance's beard again for Season 51 if he's called on to reprise the role, even if he would prefer to put his energy elsewhere. 'It might sound like a complaint to say I really didn't want to do it, but it truly just is me reflecting on it,' Yang says. 'I'm really honored and proud to have done it. And I thought a lot about the legacy of other cast members who have done vice presidential impressions in the past, like Beck Bennett, Jason Sudeikis and Tina Fey. Those are all heroic comedians to me.' Being part of 'SNL' has helped to hone Yang's comedic instincts, as well as his ability to pitch and write sketches on an impossibly fast-paced timeline. He's not sure if being on the late-night show has made him funnier, but it has made him quicker. 'You are absorbing every kind of comedic sensibility and every kind of production instinct,' he says. 'I don't think I'm a better comedian, but I do think I have a sense of how to bring something to the finish line.' This year, Yang made Emmy history by becoming the most-nominated Asian male performer, with a total of four acting nominations. The accolade wasn't something that occurred to Yang until it was published in a headline, but he is nonetheless pleased, calling it a 'genuinely singular thing.' He remembers Michaels telling him that 'people won't know what to make of you' during his first season in the cast, and it's gratifying to know that his Asian and gay identities resonate with the audience. 'The best thing about 'SNL' in the last few years is that it's this really representative cross-section of all different schools of comedy,' Yang says. 'We have club comedians, alt comedians, people who came up on TikTok, sketch people, improv people, Black people, queer people — every kind of comedy has a place in the show.' In November, Yang will return as Pfannee in 'Wicked: For Good.' He also hosts a podcast, 'Las Culturistas,' with Matt Rogers. But after the whirlwind of 'Wicked' going to the Oscars and 'SNL' celebrating its 50th anniversary, Yang is not planning to add anything else to his plate as he prepares for the next season of 'SNL.' Still, he admits that he has considered what he might do next. 'Everyone starts thinking about life after 'SNL' as soon as they start 'SNL,'' he says. 'You constantly think about the outcome once you call it or once it's called for you. I could end up on the chopping block, who knows. That was brought to the fore during 'SNL 50.' No matter what happens here at this place, no matter what the political climate is or the cultural climate is, there's something beautiful about being able to gather and reflect and appreciate each other. I can't wait to be on a porch with James Austin Johnson or Sarah Sherman one day, decades from now, and be like, 'Wow. What a trip.''
Japan Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Kristin Scott Thomas directs Scarlett Johansson in comedic drama 'My Mother's Wedding'
movie review By LINDSEY BAHR Before Kristin Scott Thomas turned 12, she lost her father and stepfather. Both were Royal Navy pilots who died in crashes. The first happened when she was 5. The second at age 11. Thomas uses these facts, a kind of origin story, as the basis for her directorial debut, 'My Mother's Wedding,' a comedic drama about family, trauma and getting on with it that opens in theaters Friday. Knowing that the story comes from a real place is important for the experience. It gives 'My Mother's Wedding,' a perfectly average film that doesn't quite land the way it should, an emotional depth that it's otherwise lacking. This is a strange shortcoming considering the caliber of the cast, including Thomas as the bride to be, and Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham and Scarlett Johansson as her daughters. But it's a cruel reminder that a good hook, talented actors, one killer monologue and a picturesque setting (in this case, the English countryside) aren't guarantees that a movie will work. In the film, the deaths may be in the distant past, but they continue to haunt Diana's (Thomas) adult daughters as she prepares to marry another. Diana's new man is not a dashing pilot, forever preserved in handsome youth. Geoffrey (James Fleet) is very gray. He likes to talk about birds, ospreys in particular, has never had children and comes with a very silly last name (Loveglove) that she plans to take. Her girls are not exactly impressed, though they've all got their own stuff to deal with. It should be said that Johansson is indeed playing a British woman in this film, and while I don't feel qualified to comment on the nuances of her accent, all I can say is that there is a consistently strange disconnect to hear it coming out of her mouth. Johansson is a great actor who I've believed in many wilder roles, from Marvel movies right on down to her Ellen Greene riff during 'Saturday Night Live's' 50th anniversary show. But, somehow, she's hard to buy as Katherine Frost: A British, lesbian Royal Navy officer in a longtime relationship with a woman named Jack (played by fellow beauty Freida Pinto). Miller's character is Victoria, a Hollywood actor known for franchise dreck (no one can remember whether the latest 'Dame Of Darkness' is the fourth or fifth in the series) and short-lived relationships. And Beecham is the youngest Georgina, a nurse who suspects that her husband is having an affair. To find out, the girls hire a private detective to surveil her house and show them the footage after the wedding. It's a very busy, fraught weekend for everyone. There's lots of fretting over why Katherine won't marry Jack, and why Victoria is dancing around a relationship with a wealthy, older French man when her childhood crush still pines for her. There's lingering anxiety about their mom marrying this man who seems so unlike the two heroes that came before and much discussion about the importance of last names, marriage and making sure kids feel like they belong to someone. Some things get resolved, but it's hard to shake the feeling that everyone might need a new therapist by the end. 'My Mother's Wedding' also has a silly lightness to it that's aiming for something along the lines of a Richard Curtis romantic comedy. But coherency of the vision is limited, as is the audience's investment, though there are some lovely and inspired touches like using Iranian artist Reza Riahi to hand paint several animated flashback vignettes based on her memories of her fathers. Thomas co-wrote the script with her husband, journalist John Micklethwait, which includes a particularly poignant monologue for her character telling her daughters, essentially, to grow up and move on — a mature and worthy statement that might come a bit too late. 'My Mother's Wedding' feels only partially realized. But Thomas did have the good sense to end with a song that might just conjure up some feelings for any 'Heartburn' fans out there: Carly Simon's 'Coming Around Again,' this time a duet with Alanis Morissette. 'My Mother's Wedding,' a Vertical release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for 'brief nudity, some sexual material and language.' Running time: 95 minutes. Two stars out of four. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
6 days ago
- Entertainment
Movie Review: Kristin Scott Thomas directs Scarlett Johansson in comedic drama 'My Mother's Wedding'
Before Kristin Scott Thomas turned 12, she lost her father and stepfather. Both were Royal Navy pilots who died in crashes. The first happened when she was 5. The second at age 11. Thomas uses these facts, a kind of origin story, as the basis for her directorial debut, 'My Mother's Wedding,' a comedic drama about family, trauma and getting on with it that opens in theaters Friday. Knowing that the story comes from a real place is important for the experience. It gives 'My Mother's Wedding,' a perfectly average film that doesn't quite land the way it should, an emotional depth that it's otherwise lacking. This is a strange shortcoming considering the caliber of the cast, including Thomas as the bride to be, and Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham and Scarlett Johansson as her daughters. But it's a cruel reminder that a good hook, talented actors, one killer monologue and a picturesque setting (in this case, the English countryside) aren't guarantees that a movie will work. In the film, the deaths may be in the distant past, but they continue to haunt Diana's (Thomas) adult daughters as she prepares to marry another. Diana's new man is not a dashing pilot, forever preserved in handsome youth. Geoffrey (James Fleet) is very gray. He likes to talk about birds, ospreys in particular, has never had children and comes with a very silly last name (Loveglove) that she plans to take. Her girls are not exactly impressed, though they've all got their own stuff to deal with. It should be said that Johansson is indeed playing a British woman in this film, and while I don't feel qualified to comment on the nuances of her accent, all I can say is that there is a consistently strange disconnect to hear it coming out of her mouth. Johansson is a great actor who I've believed in many wilder roles, from Marvel movies right on down to her Ellen Greene riff during 'Saturday Night Live's' 50th anniversary show. But, somehow, she's hard to buy as Katherine Frost: A British, lesbian Royal Navy officer in a longtime relationship with a woman named Jack (played by fellow beauty Freida Pinto). Miller's character is Victoria, a Hollywood actor known for franchise dreck (no one can remember whether the latest 'Dame Of Darkness' is the fourth or fifth in the series) and short-lived relationships. And Beecham is the youngest Georgina, a nurse who suspects that her husband is having an affair. To find out, the girls hire a private detective to surveil her house and show them the footage after the wedding. It's a very busy, fraught weekend for everyone. There's lots of fretting over why Katherine won't marry Jack, and why Victoria is dancing around a relationship with a wealthy, older French man when her childhood crush still pines for her. There's lingering anxiety about their mom marrying this man who seems so unlike the two heroes that came before and much discussion about the importance of last names, marriage and making sure kids feel like they belong to someone. Some things get resolved, but it's hard to shake the feeling that everyone might need a new therapist by the end. 'My Mother's Wedding' also has a silly lightness to it that's aiming for something along the lines of a Richard Curtis romantic comedy. But coherency of the vision is limited, as is the audience's investment, though there are some lovely and inspired touches like using Iranian artist Reza Riahi to hand paint several animated flashback vignettes based on her memories of her fathers. Thomas co-wrote the script with her husband, journalist John Micklethwait, which includes a particularly poignant monologue for her character telling her daughters, essentially, to grow up and move on — a mature and worthy statement that might come a bit too late. 'My Mother's Wedding' feels only partially realized. But Thomas did have the good sense to end with a song that might just conjure up some feelings for any 'Heartburn' fans out there: Carly Simon's 'Coming Around Again,' this time a duet with Alanis Morissette. 'My Mother's Wedding,' a Vertical release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for 'brief nudity, some sexual material and language.' Running time: 95 minutes. Two stars out of four.
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Movie Review: Kristin Scott Thomas directs Scarlett Johansson in comedic drama 'My Mother's Wedding'
Before Kristin Scott Thomas turned 12, she lost her father and stepfather. Both were Royal Navy pilots who died in crashes. The first happened when she was 5. The second at age 11. Thomas uses these facts, a kind of origin story, as the basis for her directorial debut, 'My Mother's Wedding,' a comedic drama about family, trauma and getting on with it that opens in theaters Friday. Knowing that the story comes from a real place is important for the experience. It gives 'My Mother's Wedding,' a perfectly average film that doesn't quite land the way it should, an emotional depth that it's otherwise lacking. This is a strange shortcoming considering the caliber of the cast, including Thomas as the bride to be, and Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham and Scarlett Johansson as her daughters. But it's a cruel reminder that a good hook, talented actors, one killer monologue and a picturesque setting (in this case, the English countryside) aren't guarantees that a movie will work. In the film, the deaths may be in the distant past, but they continue to haunt Diana's (Thomas) adult daughters as she prepares to marry another. Diana's new man is not a dashing pilot, forever preserved in handsome youth. Geoffrey (James Fleet) is very gray. He likes to talk about birds, ospreys in particular, has never had children and comes with a very silly last name (Loveglove) that she plans to take. Her girls are not exactly impressed, though they've all got their own stuff to deal with. It should be said that Johansson is indeed playing a British woman in this film, and while I don't feel qualified to comment on the nuances of her accent, all I can say is that there is a consistently strange disconnect to hear it coming out of her mouth. Johansson is a great actor who I've believed in many wilder roles, from Marvel movies right on down to her Ellen Greene riff during 'Saturday Night Live's' 50th anniversary show. But, somehow, she's hard to buy as Katherine Frost: A British, lesbian Royal Navy officer in a longtime relationship with a woman named Jack (played by fellow beauty Freida Pinto). Miller's character is Victoria, a Hollywood actor known for franchise dreck (no one can remember whether the latest 'Dame Of Darkness' is the fourth or fifth in the series) and short-lived relationships. And Beecham is the youngest Georgina, a nurse who suspects that her husband is having an affair. To find out, the girls hire a private detective to surveil her house and show them the footage after the wedding. It's a very busy, fraught weekend for everyone. There's lots of fretting over why Katherine won't marry Jack, and why Victoria is dancing around a relationship with a wealthy, older French man when her childhood crush still pines for her. There's lingering anxiety about their mom marrying this man who seems so unlike the two heroes that came before and much discussion about the importance of last names, marriage and making sure kids feel like they belong to someone. Some things get resolved, but it's hard to shake the feeling that everyone might need a new therapist by the end. 'My Mother's Wedding' also has a silly lightness to it that's aiming for something along the lines of a Richard Curtis romantic comedy. But coherency of the vision is limited, as is the audience's investment, though there are some lovely and inspired touches like using Iranian artist Reza Riahi to hand paint several animated flashback vignettes based on her memories of her fathers. Thomas co-wrote the script with her husband, journalist John Micklethwait, which includes a particularly poignant monologue for her character telling her daughters, essentially, to grow up and move on — a mature and worthy statement that might come a bit too late. 'My Mother's Wedding' feels only partially realized. But Thomas did have the good sense to end with a song that might just conjure up some feelings for any 'Heartburn' fans out there: Carly Simon's 'Coming Around Again,' this time a duet with Alanis Morissette. 'My Mother's Wedding,' a Vertical release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for 'brief nudity, some sexual material and language.' Running time: 95 minutes. Two stars out of four.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Movie Review: Kristin Scott Thomas directs Scarlett Johansson in comedic drama ‘My Mother's Wedding'
Before Kristin Scott Thomas turned 12, she lost her father and stepfather. Both were Royal Navy pilots who died in crashes. The first happened when she was 5. The second at age 11. Thomas uses these facts, a kind of origin story, as the basis for her directorial debut, 'My Mother's Wedding,' a comedic drama about family, trauma and getting on with it that opens in theaters Friday. Knowing that the story comes from a real place is important for the experience. It gives 'My Mother's Wedding,' a perfectly average film that doesn't quite land the way it should, an emotional depth that it's otherwise lacking. This is a strange shortcoming considering the caliber of the cast, including Thomas as the bride to be, and Sienna Miller, Emily Beecham and Scarlett Johansson as her daughters. But it's a cruel reminder that a good hook, talented actors, one killer monologue and a picturesque setting (in this case, the English countryside) aren't guarantees that a movie will work. In the film, the deaths may be in the distant past, but they continue to haunt Diana's (Thomas) adult daughters as she prepares to marry another. Diana's new man is not a dashing pilot, forever preserved in handsome youth. Geoffrey (James Fleet) is very gray. He likes to talk about birds, ospreys in particular, has never had children and comes with a very silly last name (Loveglove) that she plans to take. Her girls are not exactly impressed, though they've all got their own stuff to deal with. It should be said that Johansson is indeed playing a British woman in this film, and while I don't feel qualified to comment on the nuances of her accent, all I can say is that there is a consistently strange disconnect to hear it coming out of her mouth. Johansson is a great actor who I've believed in many wilder roles, from Marvel movies right on down to her Ellen Greene riff during 'Saturday Night Live's' 50th anniversary show. But, somehow, she's hard to buy as Katherine Frost: A British, lesbian Royal Navy officer in a longtime relationship with a woman named Jack (played by fellow beauty Freida Pinto). Miller's character is Victoria, a Hollywood actor known for franchise dreck (no one can remember whether the latest 'Dame Of Darkness' is the fourth or fifth in the series) and short-lived relationships. And Beecham is the youngest Georgina, a nurse who suspects that her husband is having an affair. To find out, the girls hire a private detective to surveil her house and show them the footage after the wedding. It's a very busy, fraught weekend for everyone. There's lots of fretting over why Katherine won't marry Jack, and why Victoria is dancing around a relationship with a wealthy, older French man when her childhood crush still pines for her. There's lingering anxiety about their mom marrying this man who seems so unlike the two heroes that came before and much discussion about the importance of last names, marriage and making sure kids feel like they belong to someone. Some things get resolved, but it's hard to shake the feeling that everyone might need a new therapist by the end. 'My Mother's Wedding' also has a silly lightness to it that's aiming for something along the lines of a Richard Curtis romantic comedy. But coherency of the vision is limited, as is the audience's investment, though there are some lovely and inspired touches like using Iranian artist Reza Riahi to hand paint several animated flashback vignettes based on her memories of her fathers. Thomas co-wrote the script with her husband, journalist John Micklethwait, which includes a particularly poignant monologue for her character telling her daughters, essentially, to grow up and move on — a mature and worthy statement that might come a bit too late. 'My Mother's Wedding' feels only partially realized. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. But Thomas did have the good sense to end with a song that might just conjure up some feelings for any 'Heartburn' fans out there: Carly Simon's 'Coming Around Again,' this time a duet with Alanis Morissette. 'My Mother's Wedding,' a Vertical release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for 'brief nudity, some sexual material and language.' Running time: 95 minutes. Two stars out of four.
