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4 days ago
- Entertainment
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Rafe Spall Credits Edgar Wright for His Career After Making 'Comedy Film History' with 'Three Flavours Cornetto 'Trilogy (Exclusive)
NEED TO KNOW Rafe Spall exclusively spoke with PEOPLE about starring in Edgar Wright's iconic Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy in the early years of his career "Every time I see Edgar [Wright's] directing a film, I'm so bummed that I'm not in it," he says The actor is currently starring in Apple TV+'s SmokeRafe Spall owes his career to a special filmmaker. The British actor, 42, exclusively spoke with PEOPLE about starring in Edgar Wright's iconic Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy in the early years of his career while on the red carpet at the Tribeca Festival premiere of his new Apple TV+ show Smoke. "Every time I see Edgar [Wright's] directing a film, I'm so bummed that I'm not in it. He's amazing," Spall says. The actor's first flick with Wright was the 2002 zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, which references the late George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead movies. He went on to star in the writer-director's 2007 buddy comedy, Hot Fuzz, and his 2013 science fiction comedy, The World's End. All three movies were co-written by and starred Simon Pegg. "Those guys are very responsible for my career," Spall continues. "We made Shaun of the Dead when I was 19 years old and I'm 42 now. And then I was 21 when I made Hot Fuzz, and I have very, very fond memories." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. He shared how the movies have followed him through the years, saying, "I still get recognized for those things now, and I'm so grateful to be a part of real comedy film history." With a laugh, Spall sends out a message to Wright, saying, "Put me in a film, Edgar, cause I was good in your other ones!" The Big Short actor spoke with Total Film in 2013 about his role in the celebrated film trilogy, saying that he made an appearance in The World's End "only for the sake of being in it." "I pop up just because there's a few of us that have been in all of them, and those guys wanted to get my big stupid head in it somewhere," he explained. Other actors who star in the three movies are Nick Frost, Martin Freeman and Bill Nighy. Wright has gone on to direct and write 2021's The Spark Brothers and Last Night in Soho. He is also known for the 2010 movie adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and will release his all-star remake of The Running Man later this year. Now, Spall is starring in the crime drama Smoke, created by Dennis Lehane. The series follows Detective Michelle Calderon and arson investigator Dave Gudsen, played respectively by Jurnee Smollett and Taron Egerton, as they work together to stop two serial arsonists. In the show, Spall plays Steven Burk, a cop who has a complicated relationship with the detective. Speaking about his character, he says, "I get to play a badass American cop, and so, for an English guy to do that, it's pretty fun. He's multifaceted, flawed, many things, you never know whether he's good or bad. That goes for the whole cast of characters." "He's pretty poorly behaved, but then redeems himself," Spall teases. New episodes of Smoke premiere Fridays on Apple TV through August 15. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rafe Spall Credits Edgar Wright for His Career After Making 'Comedy Film History' with 'Three Flavours Cornetto 'Trilogy (Exclusive)
NEED TO KNOW Rafe Spall exclusively spoke with PEOPLE about starring in Edgar Wright's iconic Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy in the early years of his career "Every time I see Edgar [Wright's] directing a film, I'm so bummed that I'm not in it," he says The actor is currently starring in Apple TV+'s SmokeRafe Spall owes his career to a special filmmaker. The British actor, 42, exclusively spoke with PEOPLE about starring in Edgar Wright's iconic Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy in the early years of his career while on the red carpet at the Tribeca Festival premiere of his new Apple TV+ show Smoke. "Every time I see Edgar [Wright's] directing a film, I'm so bummed that I'm not in it. He's amazing," Spall says. The actor's first flick with Wright was the 2002 zombie comedy Shaun of the Dead, which references the late George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead movies. He went on to star in the writer-director's 2007 buddy comedy, Hot Fuzz, and his 2013 science fiction comedy, The World's End. All three movies were co-written by and starred Simon Pegg. "Those guys are very responsible for my career," Spall continues. "We made Shaun of the Dead when I was 19 years old and I'm 42 now. And then I was 21 when I made Hot Fuzz, and I have very, very fond memories." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. He shared how the movies have followed him through the years, saying, "I still get recognized for those things now, and I'm so grateful to be a part of real comedy film history." With a laugh, Spall sends out a message to Wright, saying, "Put me in a film, Edgar, cause I was good in your other ones!" The Big Short actor spoke with Total Film in 2013 about his role in the celebrated film trilogy, saying that he made an appearance in The World's End "only for the sake of being in it." "I pop up just because there's a few of us that have been in all of them, and those guys wanted to get my big stupid head in it somewhere," he explained. Other actors who star in the three movies are Nick Frost, Martin Freeman and Bill Nighy. Wright has gone on to direct and write 2021's The Spark Brothers and Last Night in Soho. He is also known for the 2010 movie adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and will release his all-star remake of The Running Man later this year. Now, Spall is starring in the crime drama Smoke, created by Dennis Lehane. The series follows Detective Michelle Calderon and arson investigator Dave Gudsen, played respectively by Jurnee Smollett and Taron Egerton, as they work together to stop two serial arsonists. In the show, Spall plays Steven Burk, a cop who has a complicated relationship with the detective. Speaking about his character, he says, "I get to play a badass American cop, and so, for an English guy to do that, it's pretty fun. He's multifaceted, flawed, many things, you never know whether he's good or bad. That goes for the whole cast of characters." "He's pretty poorly behaved, but then redeems himself," Spall teases. New episodes of Smoke premiere Fridays on Apple TV through August 15. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Star Trek' Star Reveals Unexpected Reason He Didn't Watch Much of the Franchise
'Star Trek' Star Reveals Unexpected Reason He Didn't Watch Much of the Franchise originally appeared on Parade. Actor Martin Quinn revealed why he hadn't watched much of the franchise before joining the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds during its second season. During a July 2025 interview with Mr. Will Wong at the Star Trek: SNW Season 3 premiere, Quinn acknowledged that he is the first Scottish actor to play his character Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, who is famously from Scotland. The character was originated by Canadian actor, James Doohan, in the original Star Trek television series, which ran from 1966 to 1969. English actor Simon Pegg also portrayed Scotty in the J.J. Abrams' Star Trek films. According to Quinn, he wasn't all that interested in watching Star Trek because Scotty didn't have an authentic Scottish accent. "It's part of the reason I hadn't really seen much Star Trek before because I knew that there was someone doing a dodgy Scottish accent. So it kind of puts you off a little bit," said Quinn during the interview. "So I think that shows the power of representation in itself. There's only 5 million Scottish people but let's see if we can reach them." Quinn discussed playing the iconic engineer during a July 2025 interview with Trek Movie. He said he wanted to portray the character as "authentically Scottish, not just a stereotype." "I think that I can kind of bring a youthful energy, and an authentic kind of Scottish-ness to it, if that's a thing ... Because I am Scottish, yeah. I have at least that qualification," said Quinn to the publication. He also reminded Star Trek fans that his Scotty is younger than Doohan's version. "Well, you know, he's got a long way to go before he's the Scotty everyone knows and loves from TOS. And he's got a lot of learning to do," said Quinn in the interview. "And he's not quite the miracle worker, quite yet. And I think it's more interesting if he's not exactly what everyone has in mind in the future. Do you know what I mean? I think watching him on that journey is going to be more interesting than getting an impression of James Doohan personally. But that's just me covering my back." 'Star Trek' Star Reveals Unexpected Reason He Didn't Watch Much of the Franchise first appeared on Parade on Jul 14, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
16 Great TV Shows on Amazon Prime Video Right Now (May 2025)
Few streamers keep a foot in the past and the present in the same way that Amazon Prime Video curates its lineup of TV shows. In the last few weeks alone, Prime Video has debuted new shows like The Bondsman and The Narrow Road to the Deep North, as well as the teen drama Motorheads, which debuted at No. 1 on Amazon's most popular TV chart. Prime Video also has a strong library of classic television series, including Spaced, a cult-favorite British sitcom that helped make Simon Pegg into a star years before he was costarring in the Mission: Impossible movies. All of these series can be found among the 16 great TV shows on Amazon Prime Video right now. Need more recommendations? Then read Best New Shows to Watch on Netflix, Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and More, Best Comedy Shows to Stream Right Now and Best TV Shows on Amazon Prime Video Right may remind some viewers of the first Fast and the Furious movie if it was envisioned through a YA lens. Michael Cimino and Melissa Collazo star as siblings Zac and Caitlyn Torres, a pair of teens who move back to their father's hometown to live with their uncle, Logan Maddox (Ryan Phillippe). Michael and Melissa are trying to escape the shadow of their father, Christian Maddox (Deacon Phillippe), who was a racing legend in his era. It doesn't take long for the siblings to make an enemy out of Harris Bowers (Josh Macqueen), a rich kid with a reputation for being the best racer in town. To take Harris down, they're going to need to restore their dad's old Charger and enlist the help of their very reluctant uncle. Motorheads is streaming on Prime Video. Five years before Shawn of the Dead hit theaters, Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson co-created and starred in the British sitcom Spaced. They played Tim Bisley and Daisy Steiner, two strangers who decide to pretend to be a couple in order to land a new place to live that is run under a very strict set of rules by their landlady, Marsha Klein (Julia Deakin). Edgar Wright — the director of Shawn of the Dead — helmed every episode of Spaced, while Pegg's frequent co-star, Nick Frost, played Tim's best friend, Mike Watt. Spaced had a very bizarre and even surreal sense of humor, while Tim and Daisy spent a lot of time denying they were a couple to their friends even though there is clearly an attraction between them. Spaced is streaming on Prime Video. Hub Halloran (Kevin Bacon) is dead, but he gets better in The Bondsman. While he was alive, Hub was one of the best bounty hunters in the south. That's a talent that the devil won't let go to waste. Through his intermediary, Midge Kusatsu (Jolene Purdy), the devil resurrects Hub with a new mission in life to hunt down escaped demons and send them back to Hell. This wasn't something that Hub asked for, but he'll take his second chance at life to fix some of the mistakes he made the first time. That includes mending fences with his family and rediscovering some of the passions that he left behind. He'll be a better man if he can keep up his end of the devil's bargain. The Bondsman is streaming on Prime Video. Nathan Fillion had his first true breakout role as novelist Richard Castle on ABC's Castle. After meeting NYPD Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic), Castle is so taken by her that he decides to write a new book featuring a main character based on her. Castle then pulls some strings with the mayor to get permission to follow Beckett as she investigates homicide cases. Although Beckett initially resents Castle's presence, he helps her solve many murder investigations. And as the pair grows closer, Castle learns about the investigation that Beckett has been trying to solve her entire life: the murder of her mother, Johanna Beckett. That story takes years to play out. Reportedly, Fillion and Katic didn't get along very well, but that's hard to tell from the early seasons when Castle and Beckett's romantic tension was at an all-time high. They were fun to watch together, even in the later seasons. Castle is streaming on Prime Video. Not every love affair is everlasting in The Narrow Road to the Deep North, but Dorrigo Evans () would be lost without it. This adaptation of Richard Flanagan's novel chronicles Dorrigo's torrid romance with Amy Mulvaney (Odessa Young), a young woman who is his aunt by marriage. Throughout World War II, the memory of what Dorrigo shared with Amy sustains him even while he's a prisoner of war. As Dorrigo's men die of disease and starvation around him, he holds on to the warmth and hope that Amy gave him. But his story doesn't stop after the war, and Dorrigo's life doesn't play out like a romantic fairy tale with a happy ending for everyone. The Narrow Road to the Deep North is streaming on Prime Video. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) wasn't the most popular character on Cheers three decades ago, but he was the right choice to be featured in the spinoff Frasier. This sitcom equalled the 11-season run of its predecessor and became a classic in its own series expanded Frasier's character development by introducing his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce), their blue-collar father Martin (John Mahoney), and Martin's physical therapist Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves). Frasier also reinvented himself as a radio show host alongside his producer, Roz Doyle (Peri Gilpin). This group of performers had outstanding chemistry, and they collectively ensured that Frasier is still one of the best comedy series two decades after its conclusion. Frasier is streaming on Prime Video. Although The Wheel of Time recently returned for its third season on Prime Video, you should probably start at the beginning before diving into this show. This adaptation of Robert Jordan's novels has a dense mythology that rivals Game of Thrones in scope, and it easily outshines Prime Video's other big-budget fantasy show, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Pike leads the cast as Moiraine Damodred, a powerful channeler of magic who is seeking the Dragon Reborn, the reincarnation of one of the few men who can use magic in this world. Moiraine believes she's found the one she's looking for among four young men and women, including Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski) and Egwene al'Vere (Madeleine Madden). All four have hidden abilities and a destiny that will slowly unfold, but not all of them will ultimately be aligned against the coming darkness. The Wheel of Time is streaming on Prime Video. The irony of Fallout's breakthrough as one of Amazon's top series is that the video game franchise hasn't had a new game since 2018. But the retro-futuristic post-apocalypse of the games gives the TV series a rich backdrop and an intriguing mythology to Ella Purnell stars as Lucy MacLean, a young woman who has lived inside a colony deep within a vault her entire life. Lucy didn't really have any concept of what life was like outside until her colony was attacked by raiders who kidnapped her father, Hank (Kyle MacLachlan). When Lucy sets out on a rescue mission in the wasteland, one of the first people she meets is The Ghoul (Walton Goggins), a mutated man who was once an actor named Cooper Howard. The Ghoul has lived hundreds of years, and he's no friend to Lucy, but he does have some very hard lessons to teach her. Fallout is streaming on Prime Video. Invincible may seem like an overnight success for Amazon, but the comic it's based on is 22 years old and still resonates with this adaptation. Co-creator Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) has a knack for creating likable characters and then putting them through horrible things. This show may be animated, but it hits harder than many R-rated films with its brutal action. And it doesn't shy away from the toll that violence takes on the heroes and the world around Grayson (Steven Yeun) grew up in the shadow of the world's strongest hero, his father, Omni-Man (J. K. Simmons). Once Mark comes into his powers as Invincible, he discovers his father's true agenda for Earth. If Mark wants to save the only world he's ever known from his own flesh and blood, then he'll have to live up to his superhero name. Invincible is streaming on Prime Video. Alan Ritchson has played superheroes before, but he's never played a larger-than-life character like Jack Reacher until now. Reacher makes Ritchson seem like an uncommon man among men as he drifts from town to town and takes on the rich and powerful while combating injustice. The recently premiered third season puts Reacher in his toughest case to date as he goes undercover in a criminal organization to locate a missing DEA agent and to bring down a crime lord. And for the first time since the show began, Reacher has finally met an enemy who physically towers over him: Paul "Paulie" van Hove (Olivier Richters). Reacher is streaming on Prime Video. Moonlighting is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2025, and it made Bruce Willis famous while giving Cybill Shepherd a Hollywood comeback. This quirky comedy/drama featured Shepherd as a former model, Madelyn "Maddie" Hayes, who reinvents herself as a private detective alongside David Addison (Willis).The dialogue in this series and the fantastic chemistry between Shepherd and Willis entertained a lot of fans in the '80s. Moonlighting took dramatic chances and big swings like few series do, and not all of them connected with its audience. But this series is more than just a footnote in history, it's also one of the all-time greats. Moonlighting is streaming on Prime Video. If you know anything about English history, then you're probably well aware that King Henry VIII didn't look anything like actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers. And you're probably not going to care about that level of historical fidelity when watching The Tudors. This series was a Showtime original, and it liberally blended historical fact and fiction as it chronicled Henry's tumultuous of Thrones' Natalie Dormer had one of her first big roles in this series as Anne Boleyn, one of Henry's many wives. Unfortunately for the ladies, Henry rarely let his wives off easily when he wanted out of their union. And their heads aren't the only ones that will roll in this entertaining series. The Tudors is streaming on Prime Video. There's something so inherently charming about Hugh Laurie that it's a pleasure watching him perform as Dr. Gregory House even when he's being a huge jerk to his patients, his colleagues and even to himself. House was a medical procedural like no other, and the title character was modeled after Sherlock Holmes. If you watch the show's entire eight-season run, you'll see a lot of parallels between House and the great detective. The secret to House's success is that Laurie was surrounded by a very talented supporting cast, including Lisa Edelstein, Omar Epps, Robert Sean Leonard, Jennifer Morrison, Jesse Spencer, Olivia Wilde, Kal Penn, and more. Their characters added more dimension to the show and helped flesh out House himself. House is streaming on Prime Video. The Expanse has been described as Game of Thrones in space, and that's not entirely inaccurate. Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck – who collectively write as James S. A. Corey – crafted a very believable future for humanity that's not some idealized Star Trek fantasy. Who needs aliens when humans are still itching for a war against each other? The people of Earth and Mars are at each other's throats, while the humans in the asteroid belt are considered second-class citizens by both Holden (Steven Strait), Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper), Amos Burton (Wes Chatham) and Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar) are the only survivors of a mining ship that stumbles across a deadly conspiracy to reshape worlds. In another part of the galaxy, Detective Joe Miller (Thomas Jane) is unknowingly tied to their fate as his missing person case takes on a significance that goes far beyond his wildest dreams. The Expanse is streaming on Prime Video. If you feel like the creative team behind The Boys hates superheroes, then you're probably right. This is perhaps the most cynical comic book adaptation ever, and it features 'heroes' like Homelander (Antony Starr) who openly have contempt for the people they're supposed to be protecting. Hugh Campbell (Novacaine's Jack Quaid) discovers this unfortunate truth when his girlfriend is accidentally killed by one of the world's fastest heroes, A-Train (Jessie T. Usher).That's where Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) comes in. No one despises 'supes' more than Butcher, and he's got a vendetta against Homelander for deeply personal reasons. Billy recruits Hugh to join his team, The Boys, to bring down all the heroes. But the odds are always stacked against them. The Boys is streaming on Prime Video. Comedy and mystery collide in Monk, an unforgettable series that was once one of the most popular shows on cable during its eight seasons on the USA Network. Tony Shalhoub brings a lot to his character, Adrian Monk, especially when Monk is so hilariously neurotic and ruled by his phobias. Despite his overpowering OCD, Monk is a world-class detective, but he needs someone to keep him on track. In the first few seasons, that person was his assistant, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram), while Traylor Howard's Natalie Teeger took on that function from season 3 onward. Almost every episode is neatly tied up, but the mystery of who killed Monk's wife is saved until the very end of the series. Monk is streaming on Prime Video.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Phoenix Fan Fusion 2025 highs, lows: Hayden Christensen kicks off a celeb-filled Day 1
Phoenix Fan Fusion 2025 is finally here. From June 6-8 the Phoenix Convention Center downtown will be swarming with cosplayers, gamers and members of fandoms ranging from Star Wars to fantasy to horror to anime. And the list of celebrity guests coming to do panel discussions, photo ops and autograph signings is robust, including Hayden Christensen of the "Star Wars" franchise, Simon Pegg of "Mission Impossible" and Rainn Wilson of "The Office." Arizona Republic reporters and photographers will be there all weekend, documenting the highs and lows and sharing images of the most impressive cosplay. Keep up with all the Phoenix Fan Fusion 2025 action at and on social media at and Here are the Phoenix Fan Fusion hours for 2025: Friday, June 6: 8:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7: 8:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Sunday, June 8: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Celebrity panels on Friday include: 2:30 p.m.: Anthony Daniels ("Star Wars") 3:30 p.m.: John Rhys-Davies ("The Lord of the Rings," "Indiana Jones") 4:30 p.m.: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd ("The Lord of the Rings") 6:30 p.m.: Hayden Christensen ("Star Wars") The Phoenix Convention Center is at 100 N. Third St. There are parking garages, lots and street parking within walking distance. Expect to pay $20-$30 per day. These parking garages are closest to the convention center: Convention Center East Garage: Fifth and Washington streets. Heritage Garage: Fifth and Monroe streets. Convention Center North Garage: Fifth and Monroe streets. Convention Center West Garage: Third and Washington streets. Hyatt Regency Garage: Second and Washington/Adams streets. You can reserve a parking spot at The Phoenix Convention Center bag policy is pretty straightforward. Lightsabers, wands and backpacks are allowed. Bags don't have to be clear. And don't bring anything that even resembles a firearm, no matter how fake you think it looks. Outside food and beverages are prohibited as well. Read the complete Fan Fusion bag and prop rules here. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix Fan Fusion 2025: Best, worst things at the comic con
