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Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
In Netflix's ‘The Residence,' Uzo Aduba doesn't tell jokes — but she's seriously funny
When Uzo Aduba's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the actor stepped into the role of caregiver until her mother's death. During the grievous period, the three-time Emmy winner etched the beginnings of a memoir, published last year, called 'The Road Is Good: How a Mother's Strength Became a Daughter's Purpose.' In it, Aduba writes, 'This is a story not about death but about life. This is my mother's story as much as it is my own.' That deep connection to her mother has come to define her. 'The woman that I have become is founded on the way I was mothered. I am the daughter of Nonyem Aduba, and so much of the way she moved through life as a woman — not only did it impact and shape my fortitude and commitment to working hard, but even how I see characters, specifically female characters, is built off the teachings that were poured into me as a daughter.' Best known among those characters is certainly Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren on Netflix's 'Orange Is the New Black,' a breakout role for which Aduba earned two Emmy Awards. That performance opened other doors, including portraying former politician and presidential candidate Shirley Chisholm in Hulu's 2020 miniseries 'Mrs. America.' Her galvanizing depiction brought a third Emmy. 'People really did take a real liking to her as a human, despite the politics, which I think is fascinating given the time. We're talking about a woman, a Black woman in a very specific chapter in American history, so close to the Civil Rights Act,' she says of coming to understand Chisholm. Have such successes validated her journey as an actor, one she nearly gave up on in leaner days? 'I became an actor because I loved the creation of art, to tell stories,' she says. 'However, I, too, have felt the worry looming from the artist's doubt: Is there space in this room for a voice like mine to exist? And I'd say that, throughout the years, these wins, given to me by my peers, have left me encouraged to believe that yes, there is.' Her voice comes now by way of Cordelia Cupp, a full-time birder and part-time crime solver in Netflix's 'The Residence,' from creator Paul William Davies. The eight-episode whodunit, from Shonda Rhimes' production company, Shondaland, is set in the halls of the White House, where the death of one of its East Wing employees during a state dinner party triggers panic. Enter the cape-wearing Cupp with her superhero ability to read people and spot clues. For Aduba, the character jumped off the page. 'I remember reading the material, and she had this power that was really present for me. It would seem like she would get just a grain of information and there would suddenly be a wealth of knowledge that she was able to extract from it.' Finding the character's mannerisms was another central study. 'She read like somebody who spoke really fast because she processes information really quickly. So I wanted her to be able to speak as fast as possible and for us to get inside the head of how she does her investigative work,' she says. 'This is a woman who listens to the proposition you said, then she's like a hawk — pun intended — perched up on the investigative table. So I started thinking this might be an exercise of stillness both when she speaks and when she listens.' That stillness — an uncomfortable silence to many — often leads those being questioned to fill the void with more information than they intended to share. During one magnetic monologue, where Cupp pieces the clues together to whom she believes is the killer, we see all the cogs of her intelligence and humor turning swiftly. 'She takes her job very seriously, and for me to achieve that technically, it inspired this idea of flatlining her a little bit. It felt like she's not here to tell jokes but what she says is funny. She's five feet gone past the joke, and you're like, 'Wait, what did she just say?'' Aduba's full name is Uzoamaka Nwanneka Aduba. She was born in Massachusetts to Nigerian immigrants and, as a teen, was an exceptional figure skater: one who could land double axels with a practiced ease that betrayed the intense commitment behind them. She attended Boston University on a track-and-field scholarship as a sprinter, studying classical voice and discovering acting. Today, she's the mother to a daughter and seems to have softened her intensity: She has a passion for cooking, reading books (Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist' is a favorite) and watching reality television. Her guilty pleasure: 'The Real Housewives.' And she still holds her time as a caregiver close, recently providing the narration for Bradley Cooper's documentary 'Caregiving,' which is a hard look at care in America. She connected with Cooper's story of caring for his father during his fight with lung cancer. 'I know what that life looks like. I know what that world is. I know what it means to be juggling your front-facing life with your private life, your professional responsibilities with your familial desires,' Aduba says. 'I could just see a lot of myself in those stories, and that made it a real no-brainer for me,' she adds. 'This is an opportunity to try and spotlight that work happening every single day, and we might, through this process, alleviate some of the stress and the overwhelming feelings that come with that invisible labor.'
Forbes
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
I Cried When I Saw This Scene In Netflix' ‘The Residence'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 19: Uzo Aduba attends Netflix's Los Angeles premiere of "The ... More Residence" at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on March 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Netflix) The show is described as 'a screwball whodunnit set in the upstairs, downstairs, and backstairs of the White House, among the eclectic staff of the world's most famous mansion.' As a Shondaland production, I knew before even starting the show that body positivity was guaranteed, and that Shonda Rhimes would likely shatter yet another plus-size representation ceiling. What I didn't know was the who and the how. Let me take a moment to tell you that spoilers are coming. The Residence welcomes the viewer into several intricately interwoven stories. The show gave us Detective Cordelia Cupp, played by Uzo Aduba, for whom we will all be eternally grateful. It gave us a steamy outdoor over-the-clothes sexy scene between Marvella the cook, played by Mary Wiseman, and the Australian Foreign Minister, played by Brett Tucker. WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - SEPTEMBER 25: Actor Mel Rodriguez attends the FOX Fall Party at Catch LA on ... More September 25, 2017 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic) The love between Bruce and Elsyie is forbidden, as they are colleagues working under a tyrannical boss, A.B. Wynter, played by Giancarlo Esposito. They exchange gifts and glances, but their affections culminate in the seventh episode during a close-up scene that moved me to tears. In the scene, Elsyie locks eyes with Bruce, and her hand reaches up gently and lovingly to caress his face. They share a sweet first kiss, not passionate but full of affection. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH: Mel Rodriguez and January Jones in the "Dead Man Walking" episode of THE ... More LAST MAN ON EARTH airing Sunday, Oct. 11 (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. (Photo by FOX Image Collection via Getty Images) The Residence isn't the first time Rodriguez has played a romantic interest. His performance alongside January Jones on The Last Man on Earth was groundbreaking, but it didn't bring up the emotion for me that his characterization of Bruce did. This is due, in part, to the end-of-the-world setting of the show, rendering his romantic desirability as a sort of gag. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 19: Julieth Restrepo attends Netflix's Los Angeles premiere of "The ... More Residence" at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on March 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Netflix) Often actors in big bodies are rendered as asexual or undesirable, perverse or hyper-sexualized. Their role is typically one of villainy or comic relief. Rarely do audiences get the opportunity to see humanity and complexity for plus-size people on-screen. Typically it is only thin characters who get to experience the full breadth of human experience. A thin character can be anything – demure, aggressive, mysterious, or awkward. No matter what, we are meant to relate to them. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 19: (L-R) Ken Marino, Susan Kelechi Watson, Eliza Coupe, Al ... More Mitchell, Betsy Beers, Edwina Findley, Uzo Aduba, Julieth Restrepo, Dan Perrault, Paul William Davies, Bronson Pinchot, Al Franken, Shonda Rhimes, Mel Rodriguez, Giancarlo Esposito, Randall Park, Jason Lee, Mary Wiseman, Nne Ebong, VP, Overall Deals, Original Series, Netflix, Peter Friedlander, VP, Head of UCAN Scripted Series, Netflix, Emily Levitan, Director, Scripted Series, Netflix and Andrew McQuinn, Director, Scripted Series, Netflix attend Netflix's Los Angeles premiere of "The Residence" at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on March 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo byfor Netflix) The romance between Bruce and Elysie upended that paradigm, offering a refreshing and hopeful way to see ourselves and our world. As plus-size actresses have made more strides in recent years thanks to body positivity and fat activism, it was exciting to see Mel Rodriguez steal the show.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Adolescence' Surges Up the Streaming Chart, Knocking ‘Reacher' Out of the Top 3
Mike White's third season of 'The White Lotus' has embraced the power of threes, and over on the Samba TV Weekly Wrap's streaming charts, that pattern is impossible to miss. Three platforms, HBO / Max, Paramount+, and Amazon Prime Video, have hit gold with three series that continue their run in the Samba TV Weekly Wrap streaming Top 10: 'The White Lotus,' '1923,' and 'Reacher.' That means 'The White Lotus' tops the chart for the fifth consecutive week, followed by '1923.' The two series have been firmly lodged at the top of the chart for several weeks now, proving to be massive late-winter hits – and showing the strength of the one-episode-per-week model for their respective platforms, Max and Paramount+. The third season of 'Reacher,' meanwhile, is bumped down a spot to miss what would've been its fourth week at No. 3. Snatching the third slot is 'Adolescence' on Netflix. The British drama about incel culture and teen violence moved up five spots from last week. The next few entries on the chart belong to Netflix, starting with three chart debuts. No. 5 is 'Den of Thieves 2: Pantera.' The heist film hit theaters in January and made its way onto Netflix this past week. Up next is 'The Twister: Caught in the Storm,' a documentary about a tornado that ripped through Joplin, Missouri in 2011. No. 7 is 'The Residence,' a murder mystery drama series set in the White House and starring Uzo Aduba of 'Orange is the New Black.' 'Moana 2' breaks up the Netflix run in its second week on the chart since being added to Disney+. Closing out the Top 10 is a pair of critically panned movies that slid down the chart this week. 'The Electric State' falls four slots to No. 9, while 'Kraven: The Hunter' goes from No. 5 to No. 10. Music remains the dominant force on linear, with three of the top four programs dedicated to performing. Topping the chart is 'Opry 100: A Live Celebration.' The tribute to the country music institution featured performances from multiple generations of country (and country-influenced) performers, including Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood and Post Malone. 'The Voice' and 'American Idol' are No. 3 and No. 4 this week, respectively, as they continue their battle for America's most-beloved singing competition. Breaking up the songs is 'Tracker,' landing at No. 2 this week. Other scripted series that made their way onto the Top 10 are 'FBI' at No. 5, 'Watson' at No. 6, and 'Law & Order' at No. 10. 'Wheel of Fortune' holds 30 percent of the chart with spots No. 7, No. 8 and No. 9. The Wrap Report provides an exclusive first look at the most watched movies and TV series from the past week across both streaming and linear television sourced from viewership trends collected from Samba TV's panel of more than 3 million households, balanced to the U.S. Census. The post 'Adolescence' Surges Up the Streaming Chart, Knocking 'Reacher' Out of the Top 3 appeared first on TheWrap.
The Guardian
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Residence: new Netflix series proves the US is weirdly obsessed with Aussie culture
There is nothing more lazy and pointless and intellectually bankrupt than making sweeping generalisations about an entire country – but America is too stupid to understand this rule, as we all know, therefore we have Netflix's The Residence on our screens. Shondaland's miniseries is a fun murder-mystery whodunnit set in the White House, where the crime in question takes place during a state dinner. Starring Uzo Aduba as the delightfully whimsical detective Cordelia Cupp, the show deliberately follows in the steps of the popular Knives Out series, with direct references to those films and even an episode titled Knives Out. Leaning wholeheartedly into the farcical Cluedo-style humour of the genre, The Residence's first and major comedic swing is having the state dinner in honour of a fictional Australian prime minister (played by Julian McMahon) named Stephen Roos. Because we have a lot of kangaroos, right? We also have a statistically high amount of deaths from heart disease, but I guess that's less pithy. Much of the plot revolves around keeping 'the Aussies' happy while the murder is being solved, including Kylie Minogue (playing herself) being forced to perform for several hours while clues are gathered. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Along with Prime Minister Roos and Kylie, we have a running gag of Hugh Jackman somewhere off-screen constantly tap dancing (they clearly couldn't afford the real deal), a diplomatic incident involving an Uluru-shaped dessert, and dialogue in which 'bloody' and 'mate' are used liberally as punchlines ('Instead of a Wagyu Volcano, I get a bloody murder!'). Australians in The Residence are depicted mostly as a bit clueless and horny – which, in the show's defence, could just be a comment on our politicians. The Residence is just another example of a weird obsession that American culture-makers have with Australia, which has stretched all the way back to the 80s with the baffling success of the Crocodile Dundee movies in the US. (There are, of course, multiple Crocodile Dundee references in The Residence.) From 'shrimp on the barbie' to Steve Irwin, there is an overwhelming attitude that our cultural exports are cute. This manifests with an almost nationwide glee at our accent – as seen in the social media obsession with saying 'no' as 'naur'. Equally inexplicable: the popular 'Australian-themed' US restaurant chain Outback Steakhouse serves food such as the 'bloomin' onion', which doesn't and has never existed in Australia. For people in Australia, this attitude is best represented by Foster's beer: ostensibly an Australian icon in the UK and US, it's virtually MIA in its home country. Likewise, all Australia's best-known cultural exports (Crocodile Dundee, various Hemsworths, 'koala bears' etc) have almost no cultural relevance to how Australians live their lives. As mortifying as it is to have a mirror held up to us, only the most precious of Australia's residents would be offended by The Residence's comedically reductive depiction of Australian culture; it's not so much a mirror as a child's drawing of their family – a bunch of squiggles and accidentally phallic shapes that you're informed makes sense. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion In fact the most mortifying realisation is not how offensive or generalised The Residence's depiction of Australian culture is, but that in painting it with such broad and comedic strokes, they mostly … got it right? As a gay Australian, being stuck in a room with Kylie Minogue's Spinning Around on repeat while crimes are occurring around you is absolutely a common experience for me. While I was scoffing at how basic their interpretation of our culture was, I also depressingly realised there wasn't a lot more to add. Could they maybe reference democracy sausage? The fact we invented wifi? Our patchy human rights record? Watching The Residence, I thought of the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony, one of the biggest showcases of our culture on the international stage – and pretty much the only difference between it and this show is that none of the suspects are giant dancing Hills Hoists. Maybe Shondaland can do some research next time, and have Cordelia Cupp find Harold Holt – something Aussies actually care about. The Residence is screening on Netflix
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This New Murder Mystery Is A Top Show On Netflix Right Now
'The Residence' is currently the second most popular show on Netflix, according to the platform's public ranking system. The new mystery drama was inspired by Kate Andersen Brower's 2015 bestseller 'The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House.' Starring Uzo Aduba, the show follows an eccentric detective as she investigates a murder at the White House during a state dinner. Produced by Shonda Rhimes' Shondaland, 'The Residence' premiered on March 20 with the simultaneous release of all eight episodes. The cast also includes Giancarlo Esposito, Susan Kelechi Watson, Jason Lee, Ken Marino, Edwina Findley and Randall Park. Read on for more trending shows of the moment across streaming services including Max, Paramount+, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video. And if you want to stay informed about all things streaming, subscribe to the Streamline newsletter. The most popular series on Hulu is the new limited series 'Good American Family.' Based on the story of Ukrainian-born orphan Natalia Grace, the drama depicts the child's adoption and subsequent abandonment by her new American parents, who accused her of being an adult impersonating a young girl. 'Good American Family,' which premiered on March 19, stars Ellen Pompeo, Mark Duplass and Imogen Faith Reid. 'A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read' is one of the most popular shows on Max at the moment. The Investigation Discovery docuseries explores the death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe, who was found dead in a snowbank under mysterious circumstances. More specifically, the five-episode series dives into the controversial trial of O'Keefe's girlfriend Karen Read, who was accused of his murder. Another true crime-focused series premiered on Paramount+ on March 20. 'Happy Face' is an adaptation of Melissa Moore's podcast 'Happy Face' and 2009 memoir 'Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter.' Starring Annaleigh Ashford and Dennis Quaid, the drama debuted with the release of the first two episodes. The subsequent six will drop on Thursdays until May 1. The South Korean zombie rom-com (or 'zom-com') series 'Newtopia' is currently trending on Amazon Prime Video. The show revolves around a recently broken up couple finding their way back together amid a zombie apocalypse. Blackpink singer Jisoo stars alongside Park Jeong-min. 'The Residence' Is A Fresh Twist On The Classic Murder-Mystery Formula 'Snow White' Is A Strange, Hot Mess 'Ice Princess' And Michelle Trachtenberg Helped A Generation Of Girls Gain Confidence
