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ITV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- ITV News
'The weight is heavy but the message is important': Fleur East on becoming Tina Turner
After seven sell out years in the West End, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical is to close in September, but not before one final embodiment of the Queen of Rock and Roll. The singer-turned-presenter Fleur East will make her theatrical debut next month when she steps into the stilettos of Tina Turner - all while presenting her 6am breakfast show on Hits Radio. "At first I felt like I was slotting into this iconic company that exists and this music that has been around for 7 years, but now I feel like I have a responsibility to go out with a bang and do Tina Turner's story justice" says Fleur. And that story is an important one. The musical charts the life and legacy of Tina Turner from her humble beginnings in Nutbush Tennessee, to her abusive relationship with the much older rock and roll musician Ike Turner in the 60's, to her iconic performance in front of 18,000 adoring fans at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil which would go on to make history for having the largest paying audience for a single artist at the time. "It's very heavy at times because there are some real serious scenes that I have to be involved in, and I can feel that and the weight of it is heavy, but it helps me realise how important the message is and why it's such an incredible role to play," Fleur says. Speaking at rehearsals in London, Fleur continues: "It opens with the scene of Tina at the bottom of the stairs, she's about to perform in Rio, it's an epic performance, she's got the red leather dress on and the iconic Tina hair. Then we go to the beginning where it all began and we see Tina's story and understand her background, her roots and what makes Tina the woman that she is... by the end it's a perfect journey because you learn every single facet of her." But in a saturated market where it can feel like every new musical is either based on the life of, or set to the music of, what makes Tina: The Tina Turner Musical special is that is was made in association with the woman herself. Today, the shows director, Phyllida Lloyd who also brought us blockbusters like The Iron Lady and Mamma Mia!, reveals how her story so nearly never made it to the stage. "Tina didn't want it to happen at first," Phyllida says. "She said she got so many letters from people saying what an inspiration she'd been to them, not just her music, but her life story and felt if she could go on inspiring people to make that blow for freedom that she made then it would be worth trying to make the musical." Since it's opening in the West End in 2018 - which Tina herself was present for - eight million people have watched eight women embody the music legend. Tina passed in 2023 aged 83 and today the musical serves as a homage to her strength and talent. But how do you know someone is cut out to play the Queen of Rock and Roll? "Spontaneity" says Phyllida, "You are looking for the most positive spirit you could possibly find, a triple threat, someone who can dance sing and act, so that's the miracle of Karis and Fleur who haven't come from this world of drama." Next month, when Fleur walks out on stage at London's Aldwych Theatre, she'll undoubtably be aware of the big boots she has to fill - she is sharing the role with performer Karis Anderson who has been playing the musical icon for the last five years. But, this is not the first time Fleur's world has collided with the Queen of Rock's. During her stint on The X Factor, where she first rose to prominence, Fleur performed Turner's A Fool in Love.A year later on her debut album Fleur penned a tribute to the singer in her song Kitchen writing "What's love got to do with it, Tina, Tina, Tina, turn it up". Then in 2023 following her participation in Strictly Come Dancing, Fleur returned to the dancefloor to perform a tribute to Tina alongside Beverly Knight and Laura Mvula. Today she says it feels like a full circle moment. "I feel like I've definitely channeled Tina over the years as a performer. I've studied Tina, her dynamic energy, just the way she would come alive on stage. I've watched so many performances of hers. So for me, it does feel like a full circle moment. It feels like Tina has always been with me as a performer and as a singer, it's a real honour." Fleur will perform in the musical from Tuesday 24 June to Saturday 13 September 2025 marking the end of its West End run.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The best Oscar acceptance speeches of all time, including Ben Affleck and Matt Damon
What makes an exemplary Oscar speech? That's the million-dollar question facing each new crop of winners, who are frequently tasked with finding new things to say at the Academy Awards (live Sunday on ABC and Hulu, 7 p.m. ET/4 PT) after a monthslong parade of awards shows. Emma Stone, Ke Huy Quan and Daniel Kaluuya nailed the assignment in recent years, giving speeches that struck an endearing balance of humor and sincerity, but always with a dash of the unexpected. Many winners opt for a timely message, while others resort to rattling off a list of names. But after years of watching innumerable speeches, here are those in a category all their own:Did Meryl Streep really need her third Oscar win for, of all films, 'The Iron Lady'? Not really. She was the weakest contender for best actress that year, and her earlier nods for 'The Devil Wears Prada,' 'Doubt' and 'Julie & Julia' were more deserving. But her pitch-perfect speech made up for it: She's at once self-deprecating, joking that 'half of America' groaned when her name was called. Streep then gets sentimental, reflecting on the community she has cultivated over 40 years in Hollywood. 'I look out here, and I see my life before my eyes,' she said. 'My friends, thank you, all of you – departed and here – for this inexplicably wonderful career.' Patty Duke ('The Miracle Worker') and Rita Moreno ('West Side Story') memorably delivered some of the shortest speeches in Oscar history. But it's hard to top Joe Pesci, who charmingly maintained his tough-guy persona with a five-word address as he accepted best supporting actor for 'Goodfellas.' 'It's my privilege. Thank you,' he said, flashing a sheepish grin before ducking offstage. Rule of thumb: Every Oscar speech should start with at least 20 seconds of gleeful hyperventilating. Taking best supporting actress for 'The Piano,' 11-year-old Anna Paquin spent most of her time onstage in stunned excitement, wide-eyed and gulping before letting out a quick 'thank you' to the Academy. Her iconic outfit – a purple vest and bejeweled beanie – is the cherry on top of an already adorable moment. Sixty years before Halle Berry's emotional win for best actress, Hattie McDaniel made Oscar history as the first Black honoree, earning best supporting actress for 'Gone With the Wind.' The moment's weight was not lost on the ever-poised McDaniel, who was seated in a far corner of the room away from the event's white guests. 'I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel,' she said, burying her face in a handkerchief as she exited the stage. Winners often acknowledge their fellow nominees with a few obligatory words. But accepting best supporting actor for 'The Cider House Rules,' Michael Caine graciously spent his whole speech fêting the young men in his category, including Tom Cruise ('Magnolia'), Michael Clarke Duncan ('The Green Mile'), Jude Law ('The Talented Mr. Ripley') and 11-year-old Haley Joel Osment ('The Sixth Sense'). 'Haley, when I saw you, I thought, 'Well, that's me out of it,' ' Caine said, earning laughs. 'I'm basically up here, guys, to represent you as what I hope you will all be: a survivor.' Tinseltown's favorite bros were delightfully unbridled as they accepted the statuette for best original screenplay for 'Good Will Hunting.' 'I just said to Matt, 'Losing would suck and winning would be really scary,' ' Affleck quipped. They proceeded to ping-pong names back and forth, shouting and pointing at their families like an impromptu wedding toast. 'And thank you so much to the city of Boston!' Affleck breathlessly concluded, a hilarious chef's kiss from Beantown's unofficial spokesman. Ruth Gordon is deliciously unsettling in 'Rosemary's Baby,' which makes her warm and scintillating speech that much more amusing. 'I can't tell you how encouraging a thing like this is!' the supporting actress winner exclaimed, looking back on her 50-year career and wondering why 'it took me so long.' 'Thank all of you who voted for me,' she said with a smile. 'And all of you who didn't, please excuse me!' Accepting the award for best supporting actor for 'Jerry Maguire,' Cuba Gooding summoned the sort of TV magic that we all tune in for but rarely get. What begins as your standard feel-good speech soon becomes a race against the playoff music to thank as many people as possible. 'Oh, my goodness! Here we are!' Gooding yells giddily, triumphantly jumping and fist-pumping the air. His palpable joy is infectious, bringing the entire crowd to its feet by his dozenth proclamation of 'I love you!' With just 22 minutes of screen time, Louise Fletcher won best actress for playing the venomous Nurse Ratched in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.' She began by thanking voters with a joke about her chilling performance: 'All I can say is I've loved being hated by you.' But what makes this speech an all-timer is Fletcher's moving pivot to sign language, choking up as she pays tribute to her deaf parents: 'I want to say thank you for teaching me to have a dream. You are seeing my dream come true.' Accepting best actress for 'The Favourite,' Olivia Colman gave us everything we could want in an Oscar win: tears, laughter, amazement and a frenzied air-kiss to Lady Gaga. 'It's genuinely quite stressful,' Colman said as she took the stage, beaming as she pointed to her statue. 'This is hilarious!' The beloved Brit zigzags through a marathon of emotions: crying as she thanks her husband and kids, and recalling her humble start as a cleaner. She also takes a beat to recognize Glenn Close, the award's presumed front-runner and an eight-time Oscar nominee. ('You've been my idol for so long and this is not how I wanted it to be!') Cheeky, heartfelt and endlessly rewatchable, Colman delivered the kind of speech that reminds us why we love awards season so much. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best Oscar speeches of all time, ranked: Here are our top 10
The Independent
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Daniel Day-Lewis over Bradley Cooper?!: The 13 most confusing Oscar screw-ups of all time
The Oscars don't typically award bad acting performances. The worst of cinematic crime scenes feature talented stars trying to salvage what they can, from Viola Davis making the most out of The Help, to Colin Firth acting his royal socks off in The King's Speech. In truth, the Oscars tend to be more confusing than they are outright offensive. Many actors seem to win for the wrong performances (does anyone think Still Alice is Julianne Moore's best work?), while interesting performances in provocative movies tend to be overlooked in favour of awarding more traditional Oscar bait. It means that it's far easier to curate a list of the most 'what the hell?' wins than it is the truly bad ones. These are times when the victor seemed much less deserving than their fellow nominees, or when a juicy Oscar narrative overpowered the performance itself: Who hadn't won in a while? Who'd been snubbed too many times? Who risked their health the most through all that weight loss/weight gain/potential hypothermia, and so forth? Ahead of this year's Oscars, which fall on Sunday 2 March, we've gone through more than 30 years of ceremonies to find 13 of the most frustrating Academy Award screw-ups in the acting categories. Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln To say anything negative about Daniel Day-Lewis is tantamount to sacrilege – so I won't. But Steven Spielberg's Abraham Lincoln biopic is also among the actor's most unexciting work. His performance as one of America's greatest presidents is driven by stoicism and reserve – qualities that are basically the Oscars' kryptonite. With that in mind, it's admirable that he triumphed in 2013. Yet you wish Oscar had ventured elsewhere that year based on Day-Lewis's fellow nominees. Compared to an electric Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook, or Joaquin Phoenix's strange and beguiling work in The Master, Day-Lewis felt (dare I say it?) a bit pedestrian. Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady Meryl Streep is the queen of technicality. She's never been an especially naturalistic performer, but it's still thrilling to watch her move and gesture and project. But in something like The Iron Lady, where she played Margaret Thatcher, it's almost unbearable. Try as she might, she never seems to have a handle on the character, possibly because The Iron Lady isn't a very good movie, but it's incredibly distracting. This Oscar year (2012) was also a great one for performances by women, most of whom didn't even get nominations – Charlize Theron in Young Adult, Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin, Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids, Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene. Streep sweeping the various Best Actress races, despite all of that strong competition, was particularly egregious. Julianne Moore in Still Alice This was an 'it's time' Oscar. Still Alice marked Julianne Moore's fifth Academy Award nomination, with the Academy deciding she finally deserved a spot at the podium. While she's very good as a woman experiencing early onset Alzheimer's, the film itself is forgettable. An easy fix would have been to give Moore her much-deserved Oscar back in 1998, for her gorgeous work in Boogie Nights. Or in 2003 for Far from Heaven, where she embodied heartbreaking fragility as a tortured Fifties housewife. With such an 'it's time' narrative therefore unnecessary in 2015, that year's Best Actress Oscar could have gone to a terrifying Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl instead. Martin Landau in Ed Wood Everyone loves Martin Landau, so it's difficult to begrudge this win too much. His work as Bela Lugosi in this underrated Tim Burton drama is also magnetic and poignant. But he was also up against Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction. A true cinema-shaking, star-making performance if there ever was one, Jackson's work in the Quentin Tarantino classic is funny, frightening and endlessly quotable. It seems bizarre that it wasn't an awards shoo-in at the time. Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained Or the second time Samuel L Jackson missed out on his Oscar. While you could excuse Landau's win based on the quality of his performance in Ed Wood, it remains mystifying that the Academy Awards determined Waltz to be the standout of the Django Unchained ensemble – particularly when he had won for another Tarantino film, Inglourious Basterds, just three years earlier. Neither of Waltz's Django co-stars – Jackson and a similarly terrifying Leonardo DiCaprio – earned Supporting Actor nominations, and he ultimately triumphed over The Master 's Philip Seymour Hoffman, in what marked Hoffman's last great performance before his tragic death. Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby For someone who has won two Best Actress Oscars, Hilary Swank has had an odd career. Last seen as a psychotic policewoman in the lurid thriller Fatale, Swank probably didn't need a second Academy Award, for the maudlin Clint Eastwood weepie Million Dollar Baby. Awarding that year's Best Actress Oscar to Kate Winslet instead – for her show-stopping performance in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – would have also freed her from an 'it's time' narrative four years later (when she won for her role in the stuffy courtroom drama The Reader). Oh, what could have been. Michael Caine in The Cider House Rules This is the epitome of a Harvey Weinstein Oscar, in that it happened courtesy of a treacly period drama he aggressively backed and then was quickly forgotten about. It was also a weird triumph – Michael Caine had won before, for 1986's Hannah and Her Sisters, so he didn't have a particularly strong 'it's time' narrative around him, and he was also up against a quartet of genuinely brilliant and still talked-about performances (Tom Cruise in Magnolia, Michael Clarke Duncan in The Green Mile, Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense and Jude Law in The Talented Mr Ripley). Jim Broadbent in Iris This was another win from the Harvey Weinstein factory. An Iris Murdoch biopic distributed by Weinstein's Miramax Films and starring both Judi Dench and Kate Winslet as the late journalist, it was practically made for Oscars. Broadbent is fine as Murdoch's caring husband, but nowhere near as memorable as his Supporting Actor competition that year, which included Ben Kingsley's hilariously volatile work in Sexy Beast, and Ian McKellen as Gandalf. Rami Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody In this bungled Freddie Mercury biopic, Rami Malek gives less of a performance than a bizarre jumble of false teeth, bad wigs and strange vocal delivery. In fairness, most of Malek's immediate competition in the Best Actor category in 2019 – which included Viggo Mortensen in Green Book and Christian Bale in Vice – were different shades of awful, but how Malek swept the awards season that year remains one of Hollywood's biggest modern mysteries. Bradley Cooper's gruff and heartbreaking work in A Star Is Born was right there! Jessica Tandy in Driving Miss Daisy This is such a famous Oscar-winning performance that it's easy to forget it almost didn't happen. In the run-up to the 1990 Academy Awards, Michelle Pfeiffer had won all the major precursors for The Fabulous Baker Boys – with her Oscar loss becoming one of the night's big surprises. It would have been a great win, though. Her role as a working-class lounge singer features one of cinema's most memorable moments – as she slides across a piano top to sing 'Making Whoopee' – and Pfeiffer, as of 2021, still hasn't won an Oscar despite so many awards-worthy performances. Plus, with all due respect to Tandy, Driving Miss Daisy has aged like milk. Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl Speaking of 'aged like milk': The Danish Girl! This aggressive misfire about a pioneering trans woman, played with almost surreal levels of badness by Eddie Redmayne, won its sole Oscar via Alicia Vikander's performance as Redmayne's on-screen wife. It's a classic 'Best Supporting Actress' win, with Vikander cast as a long-suffering spouse who gets at least one juicy scene of abject rage. But what a snooze! Especially in comparison to her fellow nominees, which included Rooney Mara in Carol and Jennifer Jason Leigh in The Hateful Eight – talk about a deserved 'it's time' Oscar. Alas. Gary Oldman in Darkest Hour This is a true case of impressive prosthetic makeup winning an actor an Oscar. Gary Oldman had deserved an Academy Award for decades by this point, but probably for something a bit more intriguing than a drab Winston Churchill biopic. That Oldman was up against a trio of incredible performances (Daniel Day-Lewis in Phantom Thread, Timothee Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name and Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out) only helped in making his work seem so uninspired in comparison. Even Denzel Washington's wacky performance in the little-seen Roman J Israel, Esq would have been less baffling a win. Mahershala Ali in Green Book Mahershala Ali is a phenomenal actor, but there is something undeniably bleak about this win. Green Book was pummelled by critics who argued that it perpetuated white saviour tropes and bent the truth of Ali's character – the real-life musician Don Shirley. Such an unwieldy and ill-judged venture tainted what should have been something worth celebrating. Mahershala Ali is great! It was his second Oscar in three years! But Green Book, unlike the haunting and beautiful Moonlight, really stunk! Even worse, it meant snubbing Richard E Grant's wonderful work in Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which should have been a much bigger awards player than it was.
