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Wales Online
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Actor Luke Evans on reaching 'dark place' and growing up gay as part of Jehovah's Witness community
Actor Luke Evans on reaching 'dark place' and growing up gay as part of Jehovah's Witness community 'Even at your darkest moments, there's still hope. You can still be okay' Welsh actor and singer Luke Evans opened up about his tough childhood in the BBC's Alison Hammond's Big Weekend (Image: BBC ) Hollywood actor Luke Evans has spoken about reaching a "dark place" during his teenage years when he was experiencing difficulties growing up as gay and being a member of the Jehovah's Witness community. In the third episode of the brand new BBC series, Alison Hammond's Big Weekend, the beloved presenter, Alison Hammond, got to spend some time with Luke, who has starred in a number of big Hollywood blockbusters such as The Hobbit franchise, The Girl on the Train, and the 2017 film adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. While on the programme, the Welsh actor and singer opened up about his tough childhood. He candidly spoke about his experience of bullying and conflict between his homosexuality and religion, to the extent where he reached a "dark place" and contemplated suicide. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . With each episode, Alison spends a weekend with various stars, including Little Mix's Perrie Edwards and comedian Jimmy Carr. This week, the Great British Bake Off presenter was spending the weekend with Luke Evans in his hometown of Aberbargoed. Throughout the episode, the actor had spoken candidly about his upbringing, including when he had gone through a very difficult time. While travelling in the car, Alison wanted to delve deeper into Luke's upbringing, and the two spoke about the actor being brought up as a Jehovah's Witness. Jehovah's Witnesses reject homosexuality. The actor explained that he understood he would be expelled from the community if he came out, which would also have implications on his family. Alison Hammond met up with Luke's parents, Yvonne and David, at their home in Aberbargoed (Image: BBC ) "I knew I was different, I didn't know I was gay," he explained. "I just knew I was different from the ages of 7, 8, 9, you know, very young." He continued: "I also didn't have anyone outside the religion to be able to confide in or ask what was wrong. "I've been baptised in the religion and that meant if I chose to be openly gay, I would be cut-off from everyone and everything I knew." Luke admitted that the experience was "very complicated" and "very confusing". He said: "I felt very, very isolated." Luke Evans was raised as an only child but wished he had siblings (Image: BBC ) Alison then asked if he had reached a "dark place", to which Luke replied with: "Oh god, yeah. My teenage years, when it was clear in my mind who I was, and I was just… I had no-one to talk to. "It was a very difficult position, place to be. Yeah, I contemplated suicide for sure." He continued: "It was not a nice place to be, especially at that young age. But something stopped me." "What do you think stopped you?" Alison asked. "Well," he began. "I think because I thought, what am I missing out on if I do this? "What life have I got that I haven't discovered yet that I have to live? And I think it was, like, needing to know what my life would be like once all of this was over." Where to get mental health help and support Below are some of the helplines and websites that can help you: Samaritans operates a free 24-hour phone service every day of the year. Just call 116 123 to speak to someone if you need help. Alternatively, if you prefer to write down how you're feeling or if you're worried about being overheard on the phone, you can email Samaritans: jo@ PAPYRUS offers trained advisers to provide support to young people experiencing thoughts of suicide and anyone concerned for a young person. Call HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141 Text: 07860 039 967 or Email: pat@ Mind is a mental health charity that provides advice and support to anyone experiencing a mental health problem. Among its useful support and information pages, mind shares 'ways to help yourself cope in a crisis' here In another part of the episode, the actor also spoke of the bullying he faced as a child. While making their way to his hometown, Luke explained that he was an only child but that he always wanted a sibling. He said: "I did want to have a sibling because I was bullied really badly, so I always see my friends who had big brothers and big sisters in school, and they'd always look out for them, and I didn't have anyone like that.' Luke then described the bullying as "horrible". He added: 'But I knew it would be over at some point because I was going to leave school. "I had absolutely no intention of staying on. "So yeah, I left home at 16." Luke spoke candidly about his childhood, specifically the bullying he faced and the difficulties of growing up as gay and being a member of the Jehovah's Witness community (Image: BBC ) When asked if he hadn't been bullied, would he have been a different person, he replied: "I probably would have been a different child. "I would have done A-Levels and possibly have had better grades, but by the time I was like 14, 15, I was just like get me out, get me out". He continued: "All I wanted to do was get a job." As they made their way through Aberbargoed, the actor agreed that it was a "nice" feeling returning to his beloved hometown in Caerphilly borough. "I'm not somebody to hang on to the negative things that have happened to me in life," he said. "Good memories make you feel way better than bad ones." A bit later, the two met up with Luke's parents, Yvonne and David, who offered Alison some Welsh cakes. When asked what he was like as a young boy, his mum Yvonne explained he was a "full house". She continued: "The minute he was born, and came home from the hospital, it was like 'oh!'." She then added: "But you were full of fun because the house was always full of friends. "And the front room was sort of separate, and the laughter that used to come out of that room. It was wonderful, wasn't it?" Luke then showed Alison where his old room used to be, which was now the spare bedroom. As the two sat on the bed and looked out through the window to the valley, Luke discussed his childhood even further. "Were you quite an awkward kid?" Alison asked him. "Yes, I don't think I was very comfortable in my own skin," he replied. "I was a skinny little kid too". He continued: "I think because I was bullied, you can start thinking you are the problem. "And I think I definitely went through that. You know, I wasn't very confident as a kid "The confidence came as a teenager. As soon as I left school, actually. But school was not a pleasant place". The actor also agreed that he faced a challenging time due to not being able to talk about the fact that he was gay. "I didn't speak to anyone until I was 14 and I went to a psychologist because I wanted to ask them what was… - because I had no-one to talk to. "And she offered me a 14-week course at £200 a session, at like 14. And I went, 'no, no, no, I need help today'. And she said, 'well, I can't help you'." Following the candid conversation with Luke, in which he spoke about contemplating suicide, Alison said: "It was definitely an emotional moment." She continued: "Even at your darkest moments, there's still hope. You can still be okay. "I mean, thank God that he held on, because he has brought so many people so much joy purely by just being himself." Article continues below You can watch Alison Hammond's Big Weekend at 8.20pm on Friday evenings on BBC One or all episodes are now available on BBC iPlayer.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Review: Actors' Playhouse takes audiences on a thrill ride with ‘The Girl on the Train'
There's something about the intimate Balcony Theatre at the Actors' Playhouse that lends itself to a good thriller. In May of 2022, it was British mystery writer Agatha Christie's 'Murder on the Orient Express' that stood out as the perfect Spring whodunnit. Three years later, Artistic Director David Arisco returns to the British thriller, this time with 'The Girl on the Train,' based on the novel by Paula Hawkins. Many will be familiar with 'The Girl on the Train' from the 2015 bestselling mystery novel or the 2016 film starring Emily Blunt, which moved the locale to the United States from Hawkins' England. The play adaptation by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel stays true to Hawkins' setting and is currently on a UK and Ireland tour through August of 2025. But South Florida audiences needn't go any further than Coral Gables where Arisco and a cast of professional regional actors bring the complex drama to life. Falling apart after the breakup of her marriage, Rachel Watson (Gaby Tortoledo) is an alcoholic. She's 'The Girl' who rides the train into London every day passing by the house she shared with her husband Tom (Iain Batchelor), now inhabited by his new wife, Anna (Krystal Millie Valdes), and the couple's baby, Evie – something that adds to Rachel's torment since she was unable to have a child. In a house a few doors down, she catches glimpses of a couple – embracing, kissing – on a balcony. She's given them names – Jess and Jason, fantasizing about their perfect lives together, the one she believed she had, then lost. 'Don't you ever see someone and think, if I could step out of my shoes and into theirs, just for a day . . .' says Rachel about her imagining the couple's lives. One day, she spies 'Jess' – real name Megan Hipwell (Allie Beltran) – on the terrace in a real-life situation that breaks the spell. The fantasy shattered, Rachel spins off into a rage. When Megan suddenly disappears, Rachel shows up to the husband, Scott's (Ryan Didato) door claiming to be a close friend of his missing wife. Detective D.I. Gaskill (Gregg Weiner) tracks down Rachel at her fleabag flat – he's questioning her about the disappearance since she was spotted stumbling around a tunnel where Megan may have last been seen. Meanwhile, Rachel has a gash on her forehead and is unable to recall – because of one of her drunken blackouts – how it happened. Rounding out the cast of characters is Megan's therapist Kamal Abdic (Nate Promkul). Rachel will visit him, too, engaging him in her web. The minimalist setting by Brandon M. Newton consists of a backdrop that resembles puzzle pieces, a constant reminder of Rachel's jumbled memory. Different areas of the stage are playing areas for locales – Rachel's untidy flat; the Hipwell's house (with a bar cart as its centerpiece); Tom and his new wife's place; the two chairs that represent the therapist's office; and the detective's workspace. Drawn along the floor is a train track pattern, skewed in different ways and a constant reminder of Rachel's disjointed perspective. Sound design by Reidar Sorensen adds to the tension with the realistic train horn blaring at key points; when Rachel is in her flat in her drunken stupor, a deafening rock music soundtrack whips her into a frenzy. Lighting designer Eric Nelson has created a hazy quality for the 'lost memory' play. His use of a red light that comes from the side of the stage in between the curtains is haunting as Rachel tries to recreate what happened on the night in question. At other times, lighting choices are reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock film, sepia tone and black and white. The lighting also helps to mark transitions from one location to another, and dialogue from the past and the present. 'The Girl on the Train' as a book and a film benefited from narrative scene setting and voice over. The play adaptation is more difficult because it relies heavily on the bare bones of the storytelling. Arisco allows the suspense of the play to unfold strategically. The pacing is what creates the tension – at times slow and cautious, at others barreling down the tracks like a locomotive. As the alcoholic amateur sleuth, Tortoledo takes us along for the ride – we get caught up in her confusion and self-doubt, with the actress drawing sympathy yet, at times, conjuring loathing for her recklessness. With so many armchair detectives who have been created from the pop culture true crime phenomenon, Tortoledo gives Rachel an infusion of the 'mom next door' who has set out to crack the case – putting together clues and meddling in places she probably shouldn't be. The actress also never gives a portrayal of the slurring, caricatured drunk, but is utterly convincing that her drinking goes beyond the bottle. Batchelor captures the dual personality of Tom – nice guy on the surface, pathological, abusive liar in every other crevice. Beltran's Megan is at her best when she's retelling a tragic past, and Didato, who was so compelling in Zoetic Stage's 'The Pillowman,' brings to Scott a slow burn of intensity. Promkul as the empathetic therapist is believable as the man caught in the middle. Valdes plays new mom Anna as a woman yearning for an idyllic life free of the tribulations of her new husband's ex, Rachel. Weiner adds a sly humor to what could otherwise be a dullish gumshoe. The decision to have the cast speak in British dialect is appropriate for the setting and isn't a distraction; to each actor, it seems natural. (Cast member Batchelor, a native of the U.K., doubled as dialect coach.) Ellis Tillman's costumes, especially Rachel's long dowdy sweater and Megan's wispy dresses, are appropriately realistic. Adding realism, too, are Nicole Perry as intimacy director and Lee Soroko as fight director. Fans of the film and the book will find the Actors' Playhouse rendering of the stage adaptation a different take on the story. For those who have never seen 'The Girl on the Train,' it's a great theatrical ride. If you go: WHAT: 'The Girl on the Train' WHERE: Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre, 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday through June 8. COST: $50, $60, and $70, weekdays; $65, $75 and $85, weekends. INFORMATION: 305-444-9293 or is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more. Don't miss a story at
See - Sada Elbalad
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Madonna Teaming Up with Shawn Levy on Biopic Series for Netflix
Yara Sameh Music icon Madonna is teaming up with Netflix and director Shawn Levy on a limited series about her life and music. The series is in early development and is unrelated to the previous Madonna feature film that was set at Universal Pictures, with Julia Garner attached to star as the singer, before being scrapped in January 2023. It's unclear which part of Madonna's life the limited series would portray or who would play the musical legend. The singer put the Universal film on pause in favor of embarking on her worldwide 'The Celebration Tour' from October 2023 to May 2024, but sources told Variety at the time of the move's hiatus that 'she remains committed to making a film about her life one day.' She co-wrote two drafts of the film's script with Oscar winner Diablo Cody and Cressida Wilson ('Secretary,' 'The Girl on the Train') about large periods of her creative life. 'Ozark' star Garner won the role after other stars like Florence Pugh, 'Euphoria' actor Alexa Demie, Odessa Young and Bebe Rexha attended singing and dancing bootcamps. Madonna's most recent album, 2019's 'Madame X,' sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide and became the ninth No. 1 album of her career. Her 'Celebration Tour' was one of the fastest-selling tours of all time, with more than 1.2 million tickets sold. Madonna made $225.4 million from 80 shows and played to an audience of 1.1 million. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War
Business Mayor
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
Madonna limited series directed by Shawn Levy in the works at Netflix
A television series on Madonna is in development at Netflix – with participation from the trailblazing pop star. The 66-year-old singer is partnering with Netflix and the Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy for a limited series about her life and music. The as-yet untitled project, first reported by Deadline, is unrelated to a previously announced musical biopic co-written by the singer that was set to star Julia Garner. That film, which lingered for years in development at Universal and reportedly employed a grueling bootcamp to audition some of the industry's top young actors, was officially scrapped in 2023. It is still unclear what part of Madonna's life the new TV project, still in early development at the streaming company, would portray, or who would play the Michigan-bred star. Though the film project's cancellation was announced just days after she confirmed her globe-spanning the Celebration tour, Madonna reportedly still sought to have her life portrayed on screen, with sources telling Variety that she remained 'committed to making a film about her life one day'. 'I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer – a human being, trying to make her way in this world,' she said in 2020. 'There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me. 'It's essential to share the rollercoaster ride of my life with my voice and vision.' Madonna co-wrote two drafts of the film's script – one with Diablo Cody, with whom she co-hosted an unconventional Instagram Live writing session in late 2020, and one with The Girl on the Train's scribe, Erin Cressida Wilson. Ozark star Garner won the role over the likes of Alexa Demie, Florence Pugh, Bebe Rexha and Odessa Young after a tough series of singing and dancing bootcamps widely reported in the press. Read More Zaid Al-Qassab to leave Channel 4 The singer's most recent album, 2019's Madame X, became the ninth No 1 of her career when it premiered atop the Billboard 200. Her Celebration tour, which ran from October 2023 to May 2024, was one of the fastest-selling tours of all time, with more than 1.2m tickets sold. She ultimately made $225.4m from the 80 shows, playing to an estimated 1.1 million people.
Mint
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Madonna teams up with Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy for Netflix series on her life
Netflix is set to bring a television series about Madonna's life and music to its platform, with the iconic pop star herself actively participating in the project. The 66-year-old singer is teaming up with Deadpool and Wolverine director Shawn Levy for the limited series, which is still in the early stages of development, as reported by Deadline. The new Netflix project, which remains untitled, is distinct from a previously announced musical biopic that Madonna had co-written. That film, which was set to star Julia Garner, had been in development for several years at Universal before it was officially canceled in 2023. According to Variety, the decision to scrap the biopic came shortly after Madonna confirmed her Celebration tour, which had been a major commercial success. Despite the cancellation of the film, Madonna reportedly remained determined to have her life portrayed on screen. Reportedly, the singer indicated that she was still "committed to making a film about her life one day," though details about the content and focus of the Netflix series remain unclear. Madonna's journey to get her life portrayed on screen involved substantial effort. She co-wrote two versions of the film script, one with Juno writer Diablo Cody and another with The Girl on the Train screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson. Following an intense audition process, Ozark star Julia Garner was cast to play Madonna after an extensive series of singing and dancing bootcamps. Other actresses who were reportedly considered for the role included Alexa Demie, Florence Pugh, Bebe Rexha, and Odessa Young. Madonna's career continues to be marked by groundbreaking achievements. Her most recent album, Madame X, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming her ninth No. 1 album. Additionally, her Celebration tour, which ran from October 2023 to May 2024, became one of the fastest-selling tours of all time. It sold over 1.2 million tickets, grossing $225.4 million from 80 shows.
