Latest news with #TheColourPurple
ABC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Manifesting is popular but some experts say it has a dark side
When Oprah Winfrey first read the Alice Walker novel The Colour Purple, she became obsessed with it. Speaking to Larry King on his talk show in 2009, she explained how she was cast in the 1985 Steven Spielberg film. "I ate, slept, thought all the time about The Colour Purple … when I moved to Chicago, I got a call asking me to audition [for the] movie, I had never gotten a call like that in my life from anybody," she says. Despite that stroke of luck, Winfrey was convinced she hadn't got the role. "I'm singing, praying and crying, and a woman comes out to me and says there is a phone call for me … It was [director] Steven Spielberg saying he wanted to see me in his office in California tomorrow." Oprah was offered her dream role playing Sofia in the film, which went on to be a box-office hit. Winfrey's interview on Larry King was about the self-help book she endorsed, The Secret, which had exploded in popularity at the time. Written by Australian author Rhonda Byrne, the book claimed to help readers harness the laws of attraction — essentially the belief that thought alone could help you get what you want. It's been nearly 20 years since the book was published, and the practice of manifestation and positive thinking continues to gain popularity across cultures. It can involve methods like being clear and intentional about your goals and practising rituals to help bring those goals into reality. The rituals are varied, but can include journalling, vocalising mantras, practising positive self-talk and creating vision boards. Manifesting is also big business with self-help professionals, like Mel Robbins and Gabrielle Bernstein, releasing countless books, podcasts and international speaking tours on how to do it. In a 2022 podcast episode about manifestation, Robbins claims the form of manifesting she promotes is "backed by neuroscience" and isn't just wishful thinking. "It is a tool that you are going to use precisely, intentionally, systematically with purpose, because you use manifesting to rewire your mind … to help you do the work to achieve your dreams." There's no denying that manifestation is popular, and the way that individuals use it in their own lives can be varied. But is there a dark side to the practice? Winfrey's public endorsement of The Secret on her widely watched show helped boost the book's popularity, but it was not without criticism. For example, when Kim Tinkham appeared on the show in 2007, she told Winfrey she was so moved by The Secret that she was going to forego cancer treatment, against her doctor's advice. Winfrey tried to talk her out of this, clarifying that she didn't think this was the message to take away from the book. Tinkham died in 2010. The insidious nature of our algorithmic feeds When discussing the book on King's show, Winfrey wanted to clarify her endorsement of The Secret, saying that the mistake it made was that it "tried to let that be the answer to all questions." She added: "The law of attraction is just one law, there are many laws working in the world". Laura D'Olimpio is an associate professor from the University of Birmingham and says she believes manifestation stops many people from learning. "I see manifesting as a form of wishful thinking and therefore, in my mind, it's an intellectual vice, because it's a way of thinking that interrupts our attainment of knowledge," she tells ABC Radio National's Future Tense. D'Olimpio claims that manifesting promotes self-centredness — and self-blame if it doesn't work. "The thing that strikes me about manifesting is that it really narrows down just on 'what I want'," she says. This approach worries her. Manifesting, like many self-help concepts, comes with rituals. One is the 369 manifestation method, which went viral on social media in 2021, and includes the act of writing down what you want to manifest three times in the morning, six times in the afternoon and nine times at night. D'Olimpio says rituals like the 369 method promote obsessive and compulsive thinking. "It seems to really encourage that obsessive ritual of trying to make this belief come into reality through the power of thought," she says. Along with Winfrey, celebrities including Ariana Grande, and Dua Lipa, have credited manifestation as one of the reasons for their success. For example, when Lipa headlined Glastonbury last year, she told the crowd, "I've written this moment down and wished for it and dreamt it and worked so hard". While it's a romanticised way to frame your dreams coming true, D'Olimpio has concerns that manifestation is a "closed theory", meaning that if it doesn't work, we won't know about it. "[Those that practise are] pointing to the outcome that they want to say, 'See, I'm right in manifesting'. But that's a form of confirmation bias," she says. "When it doesn't come about, they often say, 'Oh, well, it wasn't in my higher good or my best interest' … So you can't falsify it, which means that they're not deterred by instances where it doesn't come true." People turn to manifestation for a variety of reasons, and many do so in the hope that they can maintain a positive mindset and attract good things. And in recent years, it can feel like remaining optimistic is increasingly hard to achieve. People are grappling with the impacts of climate change, an increase in natural disasters and global conflicts, most notably Israel's war in Gaza. Humans need optimism to move forward, but there can be confusion about what that means, says author Sumit Paul-Choudhury. "Being positive about the future doesn't necessarily mean that you have to think that everything is fine and will turn out to be fine," he says. While thinking optimistically can be a segue into engaging with self-help materials that promote manifesting, Paul-Choudhury says people should aim for dispositional optimism instead. "It is this general approach to life in which you think that there are solutions to your problems and that there are always opportunities ahead," he says. "You're generally always believing that there are ways forward that seem to be associated with better outcomes." Paul-Choudhury says those who aim for this type of optimism and mindset are more likely to live happier lives. "People who rank reasonably strongly with that kind of optimism seem to live for longer." While D'Olimpio acknowledges there are valid concerns about manifestation, she doesn't want it to be viewed as criticism of optimism. She says there is an important role for optimism in our society, and that "manifesting distorts that positive thinking into thinking that thought alone can create reality". "I'm hoping that with education and other ways of opening up people's thinking, they can see that [manifesting] is a distorted version of positive thinking and very self-focused rather than community-based."
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Wicked star Cynthia Erivo lands a HUGE new job on London's West End - and she's set to play another legendary villain
Cynthia Erivo is set to return to the West End stage next year as the star lands a huge new job as another legendary villain. The actress, 38, recently starred opposite Ariana Grande in the film adaptation of the musical Wicked as Elphaba. Now, she will sink her teeth into the role of Dracula and 22 other roles in a one-actor adaptation of Bram Stoker's gothic novel. The play is adapted and directed by Kip Williams following his award-winning version of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, which starred Sarah Snook. Dracula originally premiered in Australia back in 2024 and will make its international debut at London's Noel Coward Theatre in February 2026. This isn't be Cynthia's first stint on the West End, having made her debut in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg back in 2011. However, it was her Broadway debut as Celie in The Colour Purple (2015-2017) that saw her win a Tony. Speaking about her upcoming roles, the actress said: 'Returning to the stage feels like a homecoming, one that I've been craving for a long time. 'To do so with a story as rich, complex, and haunting as DRACULA offers a beautiful opportunity to delve into character, into myth, and into the heart of what makes us human. 'From the moment I was asked, I could not get the role out of my mind. Kip's vision is thrilling, terrifying, and deeply resonant, offering a chance to sit with not only the darkness in the world, but also the light we fight to hold onto. 'It's a rare gift for an actor to inhabit so many voices and perspectives in one piece, and I'm honoured to do it for West End audiences in this extraordinary production. 'The prospect of doing this show scares me and I know it will be a huge challenge. This show will ask everything of me — and I'm ready to give it.' Meanwhile, director Kip said: 'I am thrilled to be returning to the West End to direct my adaptation of Bram Stoker's DRACULA and to collaborate with the extraordinary Cynthia Erivo, as she brings to life the many iconic characters of this much-adored tale. 'Our production expands upon Stoker's exploration of the tension between fear and desire, offering a contemporary perspective on the vampire as a monster that lurks not beyond, but within. 'I am excited to reunite with many of my Dorian Gray collaborators on this project, and it is an immense privilege to have such a singularly gifted artist as Cynthia at the heart of it. 'I can't wait to share this piece with London audiences, especially in the West End, a place where Bram spent so much of his creative life.' Cynthia was reportedly approached about the role during the promotional tour for Wicked nine months ago. In March, she attended the Broadway premiere of The Picture of Dorian Gray and is understood to have spoken with Sarah her performance. Michael Cassel, co-producing the West End run with Adam Kenwright, told Deadline: '[Cynthia] has really spent most of her time with Kip just talking through the inspiration and the dramaturgy of it all. 'For them to connect in that way has been important for them because this is a show that they go and create together.' The original Sydney production will not 'be a blueprint' for the West End version. However, Michael added that it's very 'appealing to Cynthia to put her own interpretation on the role and explore that with Kip.' While the West End play is not a musical, fans of Wicked will be delighted to know that there is one original song near the end of the show, by composer Clemence Williams. Tickets for DRACULA will go on sale later in the year, with details and waitlist available at
Time Out
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Cynthia Erivo will return to London's West End to play 26 roles in a one-woman ‘Dracula'
Cynthia Erivo got her big break on the London stage, though probably not when she expected to. In 2014 the then-unknown Brit was cast in the lead role of the massive West End folly I Can't Sing!, a parody of The X-Factor that turned up years too late for the zeitgeist and duly died a death at the gargantuan London Palladium. But unbenownst to her, she'd already made it: the previous year she'd got great reviews in the tiny Menier Chocolate Factory's production of the musical adaptation of Alice Walker's classic novel The Colour Purple. It never went to the West End. But it did go to Broadway, and after that Erivo's reputation was duly made, Hollywood came calling, and she's not acted on a British stage since. That will change next year, though, when she makes the mother of all returns in not one role but 26 in a high tech one-woman stage adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. If that rings a bell, then it'll be because last year Sarah Snook took the West End by storm in the conceptually similar The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Dracula isn't a rip-off: it's by the same Australian creative team from Sydney Theatre, headed by director-adaptor Kip Williams (who has in fact made a trilogy of Victorian horror adaptations with Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde currently unseen outside Oz). Paying moody homage to classic horror movies – so a very different look to the very fabulous Dorian Gray – it scored great reviews domestically and should be a proper showcase for Erivo, who'll take on every role from Jonathan Harker to the Count himself. Quoth Erivo: 'Returning to the stage feels like a homecoming, one that I've been craving for a long time. To do so with a story as rich, complex, and haunting as DRACULA offers a beautiful opportunity to delve into character, into myth, and into the heart of what makes us human. 'From the moment I was asked, I could not get the role out of my mind. Kip's vision is thrilling, terrifying, and deeply resonant, offering a chance to sit with not only the darkness in the world, but also the light we fight to hold onto. It's a rare gift for an actor to inhabit so many voices and perspectives in one piece, and I'm honoured to do it for West End audiences in this extraordinary production. The prospect of doing this show scares me and I know it will be a huge challenge. This show will ask everything of me — and I'm ready to give it.'
TimesLIVE
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Actress Didintle Khunou 'ready to take a chance' on music
Actress Didintle Khunou is venturing into music. Didintle is an award-winning screen, stage and voice actor born in Klerksdorp, North West, who has starred on Savage Beauty, Isono and The Throne. The 32-year-old recently released her debut single Say It. Speaking to TshisaLIVE, Didintle said she's carving her place in the music industry. "I am in a phase of stepping out of my comfort zone. As an actor, that is something we always have to do — but I think this year I was ready, more than ever, to take that risk, to experiment and exercise all my talents. "I've always had a deep love for music, and Say It is a reflection of that passion. It's bold, it's sexy and it's a song that celebrates desire and connection in the most intoxicating way. "I think I have proven my vocal abilities in The Colour Purple and Rocky Horror Picture Show — and I am ready to play, experiment and take a chance."
India Today
24-04-2025
- Business
- India Today
Oprah Winfrey tops Forbes list as richest talk-show host, surpasses Tom Cruise
In April 2025, Oprah Winfrey was officially declared the world's richest talk show host by Forbes, with a net worth of 3 billion dollars. At age 71, she now holds the 1,219th spot on Forbes' 2025 Billionaires List. Her position highlights her long-standing success and unmatched empire in the media media career began in the mid-1970s as a television news anchor. Her major breakthrough came with the launch of The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986, which continued until 2011. The show's massive success allowed her to step into the role of executive producer, earning substantial profits. Over the years, she has reinvested those profits into various ventures, building her legacy not just as a host but as a powerful per the Forbes report, she 'reinvested, the profits from her show, plus profits from films like 'The Colour Purple', 'Beloved', and 'Selma' (which her Harpo Productions co-produced) add up to an estimated more than 2.5 billion dollars.' In addition to television and film, she launched her channel, OWN, and strategically invested in multiple businesses. Her real estate holdings include several homes in California and over a dozen properties, including 2,100 acres of land in Hawaii. In a separate highlight from April 2025, actor Ben Affleck gained public attention when he taught his 13-year-old son, Samuel, a financial lesson. The young teenager had asked for a pair of sneakers costing 6,000 dollars. Affleck's response to the request sparked conversations about parenting and financial to the Forbes report, Oprah's financial milestone places her above some of the biggest names in entertainment. The combined net worth of Tom Cruise, Dwayne Johnson, and Shah Rukh Khan stands at approximately 2.3 billion dollars, further showcasing the scale of her individual continued influence in the media and business reflects her determination, strategic vision, and long-term impact on the Watch
