Latest news with #TuckEverlasting
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alexis Bledel Recalls Her ‘Deeply Upsetting' Story on ‘Handmaid's Tale' in Rare Interview
After taking a step back from acting, Alexis Bledel gave a rare interview in which she reflected on her last role before her hiatus. Bledel, 43, discussed her time on The Handmaid's Tale with The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday, May 22, ahead of the show's series finale, saying, 'I was actually offered the role [of Emily] and when I read the pilot script, I immediately said yes. Somehow, [creator] Bruce [Miller] just knew I had Ofglen in me.' Bledel broke down the difficult story lines written for her character, who faced sexual abuse amid upheaval in Gilead. 'It was deeply upsetting to even imagine Emily going through something like that," she added. "Being captured, powerless, with no say over her body." Miller weighed in on how The Handmaid's Tale explored controversial topics, adding, 'Every time I thought Hulu would balk at a controversial story line, they didn't. It's a story of a society that's built on rape. You're going to show sexual assault because that's what it's built on." 'The Handmaid's Tale' Cast: See the Hulu Show's Stars Then and Now He continued: "I'm trying to minimize what we see and maximize what we feel. You don't need to be there to see what happened to poor Emily, but when we show the impact, that should be real. So real that you think you saw it.' Bledel's insight comes after the actress stepped away from Hollywood. She previously surprised The Handmaid's Tale viewers when she announced her exit after season 4. "After much thought, I felt I had to step away from The Handmaid's Tale at this time," she told Variety in a 2022 statement. "I am forever grateful to [executive producer] Bruce Miller for writing such truthful and resonant scenes for Emily, and to Hulu, MGM, the cast and crew for their support." Despite Bledel's character no longer being on the show, fans have still wondered whether she could return ahead of the series finale. Miller addressed the possibility during an interview with Us Weekly in April, "I don't know who that is. ... I'm just kidding." Breaking Down Biggest Differences Between 'The Handmaid's Tale' TV Show and Margaret Atwood's Book Miller dodged the question but did hint at some surprises. "There are so many people who I wish came back," he added. "We've had such good luck with our guest stars just as people and how wonderful they are. But I don't want to blow anything." In addition to her rare interview, Bledel recently signed on to narrate the audiobook for the 50th anniversary edition of Natalie Babbitt's novel Tuck Everlasting. 'It has been an amazing experience to revisit this world,' Bledel said in a statement earlier this month. 'Tuck Everlasting holds a special place in my heart, having played Winnie Foster in the film many years ago. Narrating this beloved story for its 50th anniversary edition is a wonderful journey back into a tale that challenges us to think about what it truly means to live a meaningful life.'
Telegraph
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Only narcissists want to be immortal
Ever since I sobbed my way through the children's classic Tuck Everlasting, a novel about the loneliness of a virtuous rural American family that accidentally drank from a spring of eternal life in the late 19th century, I have found the idea of immorality as sad as it is enticing. If living forever still seems a bit over the top, dying in the way that most of us do feels terrifying. Life would be infinitely happier if illness and suffering were eradicated, and death was something that only happened when one was truly ready. Unfortunately, it's the crude and narcissistic Silicon Valley types who are making the most noise when it comes to the quest for longevity. And these are, quite frankly, the last people that one would want living forever. The figurehead of this sinister crew is the 47-year-old tech millionaire Bryan Johnson. He is known for his obsessive approach to reverse ageing, from injecting the blood plasma of his 19-year-old son to putting on goggles two hours before bed every night to block out blue light. His fitness and diet regimen are the stuff of nightmares to ordinary couch potatoes, and he has his own line of supplements that are meant to help turn back the clock. The extremity of his approach is the subject of a Netflix documentary called Don't Die, and Johnson, a former Mormon missionary, has declared that he is founding a religion of the same name. The weirdest thing about Johnson is that, for all his efforts, he doesn't look a day under his age – and very possibly, with his sleep-deprived eyes and sickly-looking skin, he looks quite a bit over it. At any rate, the much-publicised egomania of Johnson is taking a more litigious turn. Johnson, who has for over a decade tightly controlled his image with extensive NDAs, began using ever lengthier legal forms and agreements to control what people said about him after he founded his longevity company, Blueprint, in 2021. The New York Times has recently published allegations that in one document staff had to accept that their boss could choose to wear little and sometimes 'no clothing/no underwear'; that there could be 'discussions of sexual activities' in the workplace; and they had to agree in advance that Johnson's behaviour was not 'unwelcome, offensive, humiliating, hostile, triggering, unprofessional or abusive'. Johnson has also come under fire for a line of supplements. Paid $2100 to try out something called the Longevity Mix, some participants experienced nausea, bloating and lower testosterone levels. 'A lot of comments about hating this as it is making them sick, vomit, have heartburn' wrote one person trying the mix. If that's the path to immortality, then no thank you. Of course Johnson has dismissed the New York Times article as a 'hit job', and doubled down on his particularly bizarre form of arrogance, chest-beating on X to his half-million followers that: 'The New York Times tried to come for me and missed' and insisting 'our reputation is our most precious asset…We work on it every second of every day'.
