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Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
At 'Vampire Weekend,' 'Diaries' stars Wesley and Somerhalder reminisce and banter
BOSTON — Fandom for 'The Vampire Diaries' is alive and well. And, if anything this past weekend's 'Vampire Fan Weekend' proved July 19 and 20, it's bigger than ever. Despite the blood-sucking, nighttime soap opera being canceled eight years ago, fans packed into Westin Boston Seaport District Hotel to celebrate the defunct but never defanged series and its stars. Then again, with streaming and binging, a series about the trial and tribulations and romantic pitfalls of the good-looking undead never stay truly dead for too long. And, the reason why 'The Vampire Diaries' has risen from grave of rerun hell, is because of the star power of Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder, who played the devilishly handsome bloodsucking brothers, Stefan and Damon Salvatore, as the crowd of predominately young women — many of which weren't even preschoolers or out of rubber pants when the show debuted in 2009 on the CW — would attest. Brother act Wesley and Somerhalder were the main attraction of 'Vampire Fan Weekend' and the toothsome twosome didn't disappoint fans during their unabashed, free-wheeling, F-bomb-laced panels where nothing was sacred or off-limits. Sadly, the only minor disappointment at 'Vampire Fan Weekend' was no one took the opportunity to partake in some cosplay. I stand corrected, there were two fans dressed in Starfleet uniforms in honor of Wesley landing the role of a young James T. Kirk on 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.' Thankfully, an appreciative Wesely made myself and my brother not feel awkward being more appropriately suited up for a 'Star Trek' convention, with toy phaser and communicator in hand. In addition, Candice King, who plays Caroline Forbes on 'The Vampire Diaries,' and Matthew Davis, who plays history teacher and vampire hunter Alaric Saltzman on 'The Vampire Diaries,' turned out to be very popular drawers. While Nina Dobrev, who played vampiric love triangle interest Elena Gilbert and her doomed doppelganger Katherine Pierce, was not on the bill, the actress was there in spirit and conversation. During their batty, fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants panel, Wesley and Somerhalder, who also played Boone on 'Lost' prior to 'The Vampire Diaries' gig, cheekily joked about their relationship off the set. The truth of the matter is, the two men who played brothers act like brothers in real life, finishing sentences and slapping each other down with their self-lacerating wit. Behind the scenes When asked if they could have picked another series to do a 'crossover episode' with, Wesley immediately riffed 'A cross-dressing episode?' before saying, that he was surprised that the Salvatore brothers never joined forces (or were at odds) with Dean and Sam Winchester (aka Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki) from 'Supernatural,' which was also on the same network as 'The Vampire Diaries.' When the two men were on topic, they chatted about how the show taught them patience and Somerhalder had the biggest makeup bag. 'We were supposed to be on the set at 10 a.m.,' Wesley said of Somerhalder. 'He was there four a.m. doing his hair.' 'My make-up bag was bigger than Candice's (Candice King), or Nina's (Nina Dobrev), or Bonnie's (Bonnie Bennett)' Somerhalder boasted. 'At least, he admits it. It was like Anthony Hopkins in 'Silence of the Lambs,' nine face masks,' Wesley insisted. 'Dude it was like an ER surgery. Nine people. It's like what 's the (expletive) is going on here?' 'You learn a lot because unlike Paul I had a method,' Somerhalder snapped. 'What was your method?' Wesley countered. 'Moisturizing your face for nine hours?' Forced to examine their characters by a fan, the two actors said they saw striking similarities with their small screen counterparts.' 'These characters were resilient, like we are, fiercely loyal, love their family,' Somerhalder said. 'And (they commit) murder(s),' A question from closet shrink, who admitted that she works in HK, started Wesley and Somerhalder to allude to the infamous jumbotron scandal four days before at Gillete stadium. 'Don't go to any Coldplay concerts,' Wesley interjected, before Somerhalder took it to a another level, talking about a guy he saw online beaning his kid off the head with a baseball and the caption, 'I might not be the best dad in the world but I don't go to Coldplay concerts' Ouch. When asked if they were in horror movie who would sacrifice the other to survive, Wesley snapped, 'If we were on an island, I'd want to eat his (expletive), I wouldn't be hungry. I would just do it. Even if there were plenty of fruits and (expletive), I would just eat it.' When asked what has been your biggest lesson that has helped you stay focus and on track, Wesley chimed, 'Adderall, without missing a beat. When a fan asked which one of them should have ended up with Elena Gilbert — the brothers' shared love interest played by Nina Dobrev — Wesley and Somerhalder agreed that neither deserved her, because she was too good for either of them. 'We deserved each other," said Wesley. 'Crazy as craziness gets' Before the end of the afternoon, the two actors drove a stake into 'The Vampire Diaries' fans over the romantic notion of two brothers swooning over and competing for a teenager. 'These guys were 150-160-something years old dating a 17-year-old high school student who turned 18, thankfully, and you approved of it,' Somerhalder said. 'And then I killed her brother twice. Still approved of it. I just want you to know you are crazy as craziness gets.' When Somerhalder joked that he loved seeing Wesley's character get killed, Paul said he felt like he could have moved out of the way of the fireball from hell and also been able to save Matt Donavan and Elena at the same time from the sinking car. 'She was like, 'No save him.' Ok. I was a vampire. I had vampire powers. So I could have taken both of them,' Wesley said. 'The truth is I am so glad Stephan didn't end up with Elena. If he did, I would have to hear about it for the rest of my life.' And the TV brothers weren't too keen with the show's ending, they said. 'The brothers should have just died and let the town go back human. Let everyone go to back to being alive and happy,' Somerhalder said. 'And, by the way, this is all endorsed by you lunatics.' When the audience started lobbying for Somerhalder return to television, the actor snapped, 'I need a television show like I need an (expletive) on my elbow … You know messy that be? Every time you shake someone's hand (making a fluctuance sound). That would be horrible.' Antisocial media Before leaving, Wesley and Somerhalder got nostalgic for the simpler, carefree days before lashing out at social media. 'You can really go down a rabbit hole, people criticizing, being mean and all things being anonymous,' Wesley said. Wesley says he does two things about posts about him on social media — consciously, he doesn't look at it. And, for chances he does, he said doesn't give a '(expletive).' Somerhalder added when social media first came out in the forefront his initial thought was, 'If this catches fire, this is going to be hell.' 'It gives someone mean to say something anonymously that they would never say to your face,' Somerhalder said. 'They are now saying it online because they can do it without repercussions.' Somerhalder went as far to say teenagers were better off without social media. 'When we were in school, if you said something mean to someone, they would punch you in the face and then you knew it was cause and effect,' Somerhalder said. 'Oh, when I hurt someone with my words, they might either say your words back to me or they are wrack you in the jaw. Now, that went out the window.' 'In our case, we say something mean, we make up and make out,' Wesley added This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Wesley and Somerhalder hold court at 'Vampire Diaries' convention Solve the daily Crossword
Courier-Mail
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
‘Unapologetically heartful': Actors praise Strange New Worlds as it returns to resolve massive cliffhanger
Don't miss out on the headlines from TV. Followed categories will be added to My News. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns to our television screens tonight with its third season – and with a promise that the charming earnestness of the franchise remains undiluted. Season two ended on one of the more dramatic cliffhangers in Star Trek's history, with the Enterprise locked in a seemingly hopeless struggle against a bloodthirsty, lizard-like race of aliens called the Gorn. When we last saw this crew, the ship was outnumbered and under heavy fire. Starfleet had ordered Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) to retreat. But multiple key members of his team, and hundreds of human colonists, had been abducted by the Gorn, and faced a horrific fate if Pike were to abandon them. Quite the impossible choice, then. The face of a captain with no good options. Meanwhile his love interest, fellow Starfleet Captain Marie Batel (Malanie Scrofano), was quarantined in the Enterprise's sick bay and infected with Gorn young which, as we resume the story, are set to tear their way out of her, Alien-style, within hours unless a miraculous solution can be found. The season closed with a shot of Pike's tortured, indecisive face on the bridge, and his crew begging him for orders. So, the first order of business is to resolve that cliffhanger. Only then will Strange New Worlds be able to settle back into its usual rhythm. Speaking ahead of the new season's two-episode premiere, the show's actors stressed that it will remain true to the spirit of the franchise. 'I think, for me, personally, the thing about Star Trek that always touches me – and it has not dulled at all in the five years that we've been doing this show – it just opens my heart a lot to engage with it,' said Australian actress Jess Bush, who plays Nurse Christine Chapel. 'Star Trek is so unapologetically optimistic and heartful. It just believes in goodness, in the inherent goodness of humanity, and a positive version of what the future could be. 'What I find with a lot of other TV shows that I've watched is there's almost a cynicism, or self-deprecation, or you know, there's a fear of being earnestly pro-stuff. 'And Star Trek is really different in that way. It's just very positive, and wondrous, and curious, and really owns that characteristic for itself, which is something I am so proud to be a part of.' Jess Bush as Nurse Christine Chapel and Ethan Peck as Spock. The characters have a complicated relationship. Picture: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ Another fairly unique quality of Star Trek is the freedom with which it can dip in and out of different genres. One episode might be serious and philosophical; the next a silly comedy; the next something approaching horror. Strange New Worlds has been criticised at times for its handling of this inconsistent tone, most famously after its, ahem, offbeat musical episode Subspace Rhapsody late in season two. That was immediately followed by a deeply dramatic finale, with its aforementioned cliffhanger. The actors, however, enjoy the dancing between genres, which gives them a chance to explore their characters more fully. One upcoming episode in season three features an early version of the holodeck, a staple of Star Trek later in the in-universe timeline. Christina Chong, who plays the outwardly serious security chief La'an Noonien-Singh, leads the cast in a Knives Out-style detective story. She described the episode as 'a huge gift'. 'I mean, to be able to number one, play a different character – or be La'an playing a different character – to be able to get into the film noir/sixties world, to be able to mash those two kind of periods together and play with all the amazing characters the writers created. The holodeck was an incredible excuse to do that,' said Chong. 'It was the most incredible episode. I cried at the end of it.' Christina Chong as La'an Noonien-Singh and Paul Wesley as James Kirk in the film noir-style episode. Picture: Marni Grossman/Paramount+ And her character on a more normal day at the office. Picture: YouTube Asked whether it was difficult to pull off the show's tonal shifts, and to keep their characters feeling consistent and believable, Bush said it was, in fact, quite the opposite. 'Actually, I think it's an absolute gift for an actor to have that,' she said. 'As soon as I feel comfortable, they shift it to something else, and you're constantly moving and evolving in a way that's kind of like a jungle gym, for an actor. 'And I don't think you often get opportunities like that with long-running shows. So while it is challenging and thrilling. Like, actors are masochists.' 'Exactly. What other show do you get to do this on? Or will we ever get to do this on in our lifetime?' said Chong. 'It helps you feel more three-dimensional,' added Martin Quinn, introduced to Strange New Worlds' cast in season two's finale, who plays the beloved legacy character Scotty. 'You're learning so much more about your character as another episode, or another scenario, something completely different, comes up.' You can look forward to many of those wildly different scenarios as season three progresses. The show remains as eclectic as ever and, to steal Bush's term, unapologetically 'heartful' – as every Star Trek story should be. Season three of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres tonight on Paramount+ with two episodes. You can read our review here. Originally published as 'Unapologetically heartful': Actors praise Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as it returns to resolve massive cliffhanger
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Unapologetically heartful': Actors praise Star Trek: Strange New Worlds as it returns to resolve massive cliffhanger
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns to our television screens tonight with its third season – and with a promise that the charming earnestness of the franchise remains undiluted. Season two ended on one of the more dramatic cliffhangers in Star Trek's history, with the Enterprise locked in a seemingly hopeless struggle against a bloodthirsty, lizard-like race of aliens called the Gorn. When we last saw this crew, the ship was outnumbered and under heavy fire. Starfleet had ordered Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) to retreat. But multiple key members of his team, and hundreds of human colonists, had been abducted by the Gorn, and faced a horrific fate if Pike were to abandon them. Quite the impossible choice, then. Meanwhile his love interest, fellow Starfleet Captain Marie Batel (Malanie Scrofano), was quarantined in the Enterprise's sick bay and infected with Gorn young which, as we resume the story, are set to tear their way out of her, Alien -style, within hours unless a miraculous solution can be found. The season closed with a shot of Pike's tortured, indecisive face on the bridge, and his crew begging him for orders. So, the first order of business is to resolve that cliffhanger. Only then will Strange New Worlds be able to settle back into its usual rhythm. Speaking ahead of the new season's two-episode premiere, the show's actors stressed that it will remain true to the spirit of the franchise. 'I think, for me, personally, the thing about Star Trek that always touches me – and it has not dulled at all in the five years that we've been doing this show – it just opens my heart a lot to engage with it,' said Australian actress Jess Bush, who plays Nurse Christine Chapel. ' Star Trek is so unapologetically optimistic and heartful. It just believes in goodness, in the inherent goodness of humanity, and a positive version of what the future could be. 'What I find with a lot of other TV shows that I've watched is there's almost a cynicism, or self-deprecation, or you know, there's a fear of being earnestly pro -stuff. 'And Star Trek is really different in that way. It's just very positive, and wondrous, and curious, and really owns that characteristic for itself, which is something I am so proud to be a part of.' Another fairly unique quality of Star Trek is the freedom with which it can dip in and out of different genres. One episode might be serious and philosophical; the next a silly comedy; the next something approaching horror. Strange New Worlds has been criticised at times for its handling of this inconsistent tone, most famously after its, ahem, offbeat musical episode Subspace Rhapsody late in season two. That was immediately followed by a deeply dramatic finale, with its aforementioned cliffhanger. The actors, however, enjoy the dancing between genres, which gives them a chance to explore their characters more fully. One upcoming episode in season three features an early version of the holodeck, a staple of Star Trek later in the in-universe timeline. Christina Chong, who plays the outwardly serious security chief La'an Noonien-Singh, leads the cast in a Knives Out -style detective story. She described the episode as 'a huge gift'. 'I mean, to be able to number one, play a different character – or be La'an playing a different character – to be able to get into the film noir/sixties world, to be able to mash those two kind of periods together and play with all the amazing characters the writers created. The holodeck was an incredible excuse to do that,' said Chong. 'It was the most incredible episode. I cried at the end of it.' Asked whether it was difficult to pull off the show's tonal shifts, and to keep their characters feeling consistent and believable, Bush said it was, in fact, quite the opposite. 'Actually, I think it's an absolute gift for an actor to have that,' she said. 'As soon as I feel comfortable, they shift it to something else, and you're constantly moving and evolving in a way that's kind of like a jungle gym, for an actor. 'And I don't think you often get opportunities like that with long-running shows. So while it is challenging and thrilling. Like, actors are masochists.' 'Exactly. What other show do you get to do this on? Or will we ever get to do this on in our lifetime?' said Chong. 'It helps you feel more three-dimensional,' added Martin Quinn, introduced to Strange New Worlds' cast in season two's finale, who plays the beloved legacy character Scotty. 'You're learning so much more about your character as another episode, or another scenario, something completely different, comes up.' You can look forward to many of those wildly different scenarios as season three progresses. The show remains as eclectic as ever and, to steal Bush's term, unapologetically 'heartful' – as every Star Trek story should be.
Business Upturn
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
5 things to remember before watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3
By Aman Shukla Published on July 15, 2025, 18:30 IST Last updated July 15, 2025, 11:52 IST Get ready to beam aboard the USS Enterprise as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for its highly anticipated third season on July 17, 2025! After a two-year wait, Captain Christopher Pike and his crew are back to explore the galaxy, tackle new challenges, and deliver the episodic adventures fans love. To help you dive into Season 3, here's a refresher on five key moments and details from Season 2 to keep in mind before the premiere. Whether you're a longtime Trekkie or new to the series, these points will get you ready for the next chapter of this stellar show! 1. The Gorn Cliffhanger: A Dire Situation Season 2 ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger with the Gorn, a reptilian species, attacking the independent colony of Parnassus Beta. The Gorn destroyed the USS Caguya, leaving its surviving crew and civilians vulnerable on the planet's surface. The Enterprise launched a desperate rescue mission, but things didn't go smoothly. Spock and Nurse Chapel encountered an adult Gorn aboard the Caguya's wreckage, and their interaction hinted at a more nuanced portrayal of the species, moving beyond their usual depiction as aggressive predators. Season 3's premiere, titled 'Hegemony, Part II,' picks up right where this tense standoff left off, promising answers to the crew's fate. 2. Una Chin-Riley's Illyrian Secret Number One, Una Chin-Riley, faced a major personal crisis in Season 2 when her Illyrian heritage was exposed. As a genetically modified human, her existence violates Starfleet's ban on genetic engineering, leading to her arrest in the season finale. This revelation sets up a significant arc for Una in Season 3, as Captain Pike and the crew may work to resolve her situation. Her struggle highlights themes of identity and acceptance, which are likely to carry forward into the new season. 3. Nurse Chapel's Departure and Roger Korby Nurse Christine Chapel, played by Jess Bush, left the Enterprise in Season 2 to pursue a research fellowship with Dr. Roger Korby, a scientist who will be portrayed by Cillian O'Sullivan in Season 3. This move followed her emotional encounter with the Gorn and her complex relationship with Spock. Trailers suggest Chapel's engagement to Korby will be a focus, with episode titles like 'Wedding Bell Blues' hinting at romantic developments. Fans of The Original Series may recognize Korby from the episode 'What Are Little Girls Made Of?'—expect Season 3 to explore this connection further. 4. Spock's Emotional Journey Spock, portrayed by Ethan Peck, continues to grapple with his half-human, half-Vulcan nature. Season 2 delved into his personal growth, including his relationship with T'Pring and his struggle to balance logic with emotion. The finale showed him displaying sympathy toward a wounded Gorn, a small but significant step in his evolution toward the iconic Spock of The Original Series . Season 3 promises more Spock-centric stories, with episodes like 'The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail' and 'Four-And-A-Half Vulcans' teasing Vulcan-themed adventures, including a comedic take where crew members transform into Vulcans. 5. Kirk's Growing Presence Lieutenant James T. Kirk, played by Paul Wesley, appeared in Season 2 and is set to return in Season 3, slowly building connections with the Enterprise crew he'll one day lead. Trailers show him in episodes like 'A Space Adventure Hour,' which has a retro '60s sci-fi vibe, and sharing a drink with Scotty in the Enterprise lounge. With the show confirmed to end after a shortened fifth season, Season 3 may start laying the groundwork for Kirk's eventual captaincy and Pike's tragic fate, as foreshadowed in Star Trek: Discovery . Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
When Amazon founder Jeff Bezos ‘literally begged' for Star Trek cameo, but with this condition
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once revealed that it took years of asking—and a very specific demand—to land his dream cameo in the Star Trek universe. Speaking during a 2020 fireside chat in Mumbai with bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, Bezos explained how his brief role in the 2016 film Star Trek Beyond came to be. 'I got that role by literally begging,' Bezos then said, describing his persistence in asking Paramount Global for a part in the franchise he has loved since childhood. The billionaire then revealed that he didn't mind wearing heavy alien makeup or being unrecognizable on screen. But insisted on one condition: a speaking line. Jeff further said that the reason behind this was to make sure that his appearance couldn't be edited out. 'The part had to include a speaking line and be part of a pivotal scene so that they couldn't cut me from the final version of the movie,' he explained. Jeff Bezos cameo in Star Trek Beyond At around 13 minutes into the movie, Bezos appears as a Starfleet officer on the Yorktown starbase. Covered in full alien prosthetics by Oscar-winning makeup artist Joel Harlow, Bezos has one line of dialogue: 'Speak normally,' spoken as he places a universal translator on a rescued alien. 'We did the scene 20 times,' Bezos recalled. 'It was terrifying… but it all worked out.' In a recent news, Jeff Bezos offloaded around $737 million worth of Amazon stock in recent days. This is the biggest major divestment made by Jeff Bezos this year. The transactions made by Bezos were executed under the prearranged trading plan known as Rule 10b5-1. For those unaware, Rule 10b5-1 is a regulation from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that lets insiders at public companies set up a plan to sell their shares ahead of time. Under this rule, major shareholders can schedule the sale of a fixed number of shares at a set time, helping them avoid accusations of insider trading. Many company executives use 10b5-1 plans for this reason. The rule was introduced to clarify Rule 10b-5, part of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which is the main law used to investigate securities fraud. Boat Nirvana Ivy Pro Review: Flagship audio on a budget AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
