Latest news with #WoodyAllen
Scroll.in
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
Anupam Kher
Stories written by Book excerpt: How Anupam Kher overcame the odds to make his passion project 'Tanvi the Great' 'There was more exuberance than blood in my veins. Prep work was going on with the greatest possible intensity.' Anupam Kher · A minute ago Anupam Kher was prepared to work in a Woody Allen film for free. Here's what happened next Edited excerpts from the acclaimed actor's autobiography reveal scenes out of a Woody Allen movie. Anupam Kher · Aug 21, 2019 · 08:00 am
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Woody Allen, 89, still holding hands with his much-younger wife Soon-Yi, 54, after 27 years of marriage in rare sighting
Woody Allen held hands with his third wife Soon-Yi Previn as the enjoyed a date night at Italian restaurant Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica, CA on Saturday. At 89, the disgraced director is 35 years older than the special education expert, who was adopted from Korea by his longtime ex-partner Mia Farrow and her second ex-husband André Previn back in 1978. Woody (born Allan Konigsberg) and Soon-Yi (born Oh Soon-hee) have been married for 27 years, and they're proud parents of adopted daughters Bechet Allen and Manzie Tio Allen. 26-year-old Bechet works as an assistant to Gagosian Gallery curator Michael Cary, and 25-year-old Manzie works as an assistant to Emily in Paris showrunner Darren Star. Between 2014-2015, Allen and Previn reportedly used to enjoy monthly dinners with the late Jeffrey Epstein, whose name is still dominating headlines over the Trump administration's refusal to reveal his list of clients. 'Woody and Soon-Yi lived in the same neighborhood as Epstein and were frequently invited to dinner parties at his townhouse,' a spokeswoman for the couple told the Wall Street Journal in 2023. 'There were always other guests at those gatherings. Woody never had a business meeting with Epstein and not once spent time with him without Soon-Yi also being present.' Chelsea Handler happened to be a guest at one of those dinners with Woody, Soon-Yi, and the convicted pedophile at his Upper East Side townhouse where she famously asked the couple 'So how did you two meet?' 'There's no chance that I as myself am going to sit across from the table from him and his daughter wife and not tell him what I on behalf of women everywhere. I will not never be silent,' the 50-year-old comedian recalled on Mike Birbiglia's Working It Out podcast on July 14. 'I was there to make sure he knew and everyone at the table knew how I felt before I left. like, "Don't think I'm okay. I'm not okay with this."' Previn never considered Allen a father figure despite the 80-year-old Rosemary's Baby alum dating him for 12 years spanning 1980-1992 until Mia discovered nude Polaroids of her then 21-year-old daughter at his home. Seven months later, Farrow publicly accused the Bronx-born filmmaker of molesting her seven-year-old adopted daughter Dylan Farrow. Woody - who was never charged or prosecuted - quickly sued the Roommate thespian for full custody of their son Satchel (now Ronan) and her adopted children Dylan and Moses. In his 33-page decision in 1993, Justice Elliott Wilk rejected Allen's bid for custody of all three of their children and called his behavior toward Dylan 'grossly inappropriate' while also rejecting the sexual abuse allegations. And while 40-year-old Dylan stands by the allegations, her 47-year-old brother Moses publicly denied she was ever abused and alleged Mia had abused him in a 2018 WordPress post. The 50-year-old comedian told the Working It Out podcast on July 14: 'There's no chance that I as myself am going to sit across from the table from him and his daughter wife and not tell him what I on behalf of women everywhere. I will not never be silent' The four-time Oscar winner's last American movie - A Rainy Day in New York - coincided with the #MeToo movement in 2019 and cast members Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Hall, and Griffin Newman donated their salaries to support sexual assault organizations. Some of Woody's outspoken supporters have included Sean Penn, Diane Keaton, Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin, Cherry Jones, Bill Maher, Jude Law, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Gina Gershon, Jim Belushi, Juno Temple, Michael Caine, and Jeff Goldblum. Kate Winslet, Drew Barrymore, Evan Rachel Wood, David Krumholtz, Greta Gerwig, Mira Sorvino, Rachel Brosnahan, Jeff Daniels, Peter Sarsgaard, Natalie Portman, Colin Firth, Hayley Atwell, Freida Pinto, Chloe Sevigny, and Marion Cotillard have said they won't work with Allen again. Woody's last film, the French-language Coup de Chance, was critically-acclaimed and earned $7.8M at the box office in 2023. Allen produced and narrated Spanish directing duo Xosé Zapata and Lorenzo Degl'Innocenti's Bobby Fischer-inspired animated short film Mr. Fischer's Chair, which will reportedly be released next month.
Buzz Feed
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
15 Actors That Took Roles They Now Regret
We all have our career mistakes, and actors aren't immune to these either. Even major stars take roles they go on to regret. So here are 15 actors and the roles they regret: Viola Davis – The Help Viola's filmography is certainly nothing to be sniffed at. She's excelled in a number of roles and has become one of the best that Hollywood has to offer. But for all of her amazing, complex roles, she does have one regret; The Help. The film centres around a young white journalist who builds a relationship with two Black maids who are tormented by the white families they work for. While it received commercial and critical success, earning a Best Actress nomination for Viola, the movie was criticised for adhering to the white saviour narrative, and Viola, looking back, felt that the film didn't focus on Black voices. 'I just felt that at the end of the day that it wasn't the voices of the maids that were heard... They're invested in the idea of what it means to be Black, but…it's catering to the white audience." Timothée Chalamet – A Rainy Day in New York Timothée essentially disavowed A Rainy Day in New York, and it's director, Woody Allen, before it had even been released. After completing filming for the picture the year previously, in 2018 the actor posted on Instagram, expressing that the least year had 'changed the way I see and feel about so many things'.He went on to add: 'I am learning that a good role isn't the only criteria for accepting a job – that has become much clearer to me in the past few months, having witnessed the birth of a powerful movement intent on ending injustice, inequality and above all, silence."He then revealed that he would not be taking any of his salary for the role, and instead donating it to various charities: 'I have been asked in a few recent interviews about my decision to work on a film with Woody Allen last summer. I'm not able to answer the question directly because of contractual obligations. But what I can say is this: I don't want to profit from my work on the film, and to that end, I am going to donate my entire salary to three charities: Time's Up, the LGBT Centre in New York, and Rainn [the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network]." Zac Efron – High School Musical While the cheesy teen film rocketed Zac to stardom, he does not look back fondly on the film, or his role in it. While insisting that he has nothing but love for the cast and fans, he doesn't enjoy thinking about his character, or the fame he got from playing him. Speaking about playing Troy Bolton and what it did for his career, here's what he had to say:'I step back and look at myself and I still want to kick that guy's ass sometimes. "He's done some kind of cool things with some cool people – he did that one thing that was funny – but, I mean, he's still just that fucking kid from High School Musical." Channing Tatum – G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Channing has pathed out quite the career for himself, particularly from his non-traditional route into acting. However, there is one particular role that he does not look back fondly on. It was the 2009 film, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and despite turning it down seven times, they had an option on him so he had to agree to taking the role here's what the actor had to say: 'I was pushed into doing it. The script wasn't any good. I didn't want to do something that was, one, bad, and two, I just didn't know if I wanted to be GI Joe."In fact, he hated it so much that, for the sequel, he asked to be killed off in the first 10 minutes in order to rule him out of any subsequent continuations of the franchise. Sandra Bullock – Speed 2: Cruise Control Sandra made no attempts to hide her regret for Speed 2, and in an interview in 2022 said that she wished that she hadn't done it. Her main qualm with it was the plot itself, saying that it "made no sense." She described the plot as a "Slow boat. Slowly going towards an island," and explicitly said that she's embarrassed to have been in it. Her embarrassment was reflected in the sequels reception amongst critics and cinema-goers alike, with the film earning a string of negative reviews, and it's run at the box office barely making back the production costs. Matt Damon – The Bourne Ultimatum Even though The Bourne Ultimatum turned out to be a huge financial success, taking home over $440 million, Matt wasn't happy about the production, the script, or any of it really. Speaking about the initial script he read, he had some damning things to say: 'I don't blame Tony [Gilroy] for taking a boatload of money and handing in what he handed in. It's just that it was unreadable. This is a career-ender. I mean, I could put this thing up on eBay and it would be game over for that dude. It's terrible. It's really embarrassing. He was having a go, basically, and he took his money and left.'Matt also had problems with the chaotic, disorganised filming process, saying, "We had a start date. Like, 'It's coming out August of next year.' We're like, 'Hang on, we've got to figure out what the script is'.' Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones For some actors, it isn't the actual movie itself that they regret being in, rather it's the character they played that they found difficult to deal with. For Stanley, it was the role of George Harvey, the sadistic serial killer that struck fear into the eyes of viewers. On playing the role, he said: "I would not play George Harvey again in The Lovely Bones, which was horrible. It's a wonderful movie, but it was a tough experience. Simply because of the role. I asked Peter Jackson why he cast me in that role. I tried to get out of playing the role, which is crazy because I needed a job." Theo James – Divergent After staring in Divergent and its subsequent sequels, Theo James felt as though he was stuck in similar roles, ones that he didn't particularly want to do. Speaking about being pigeonholed, he said: "You do a certain type of film and you sign contracts where you are beholden to those roles for a certain period of time and people see you in a certain light that you have to wrestle your way out of. That is a hundred percent the case with actors — and it was definitely the case with me."He went on to add that this rigidity within the industry was frustrating for him, expressing his discontent with playing those type of parts: "I felt I didn't have the fluidity to move in the directions that I wanted. You're very much in a certain type of role — and those roles can be pretty fucking boring." Jessica Alba – Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer Jessica was a rising star when she got the blockbuster role of Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman, in Fantastic Four. The movie's commercial success had the studio rush to release a sequel a couple of years later. It was this movie, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, that caused Jessica to consider leaving the industry all together, she hated it that much. Speaking about the experience of making it, she said: 'I wanted to stop acting. I hated it. I really hated it. I remember when I was dying in Silver Surfer. The director was like, 'It looks too real. It looks too painful. Can you be prettier when you cry? Cry pretty, Jessica''. Michelle Pfeiffer – Grease 2 Michelle admitted that, when she actually took the role, she was "young and didn't know better." Her main regret was to do with simply how bad she thought the film was, saying: "I hated that film with a vengeance and could not believe how bad it was."Even though it garnered a rather poor reaction, Michelle was at least pleased to find out that the movie has become somewhat of a cult classic! Colin Farrell – Miami Vice There are a number of reasons why Colin doesn't look back fondly on the 2006 movie, one of which was the personal turmoil that he was facing during the filming. It acts as a reminder of a particularly trying time for him, as he'd been feeling the effects of 16 years of being "drunk and high," and immediately checked himself into rehab after filming concluded. The film itself though is also something Colin's not proud of, with the actor saying that he didn't like it, calling it "style over substance." He accepted his fair share of the responsibility but also felt like they missed an opportunity, saying: 'It was never going to be Lethal Weapon, but I think we missed an opportunity to have a friendship that also had some elements of fun. ' George Clooney – Batman & Robin While the competition for "worst superhero movie" is stiff, Batman & Robin is certainly a contender, and it seems that George, who starred in the film, agrees. In fact, the legendary actor hates the film and his performance so much that he wouldn't let his wife watch it. Speaking about whether he'd reprise his role for The Flash, he simply replied, "they didn't ask me." He added, 'When you destroy a franchise the way I did, usually they look the other way when The Flash comes by'.On "destroying" a franchise, he doubled down on this, saying: 'Let me just say that I'd actually thought I'd destroyed the franchise until somebody else brought it back years later and changed it. I thought at the time that this was going to be a very good career move. Ummmmm, it wasn't.' Kate Winslet – Carnage and Wonder Wheel Kate was very frank about her regrets for these films, and in both cases it was the decision to work with the directors that she regrets the most, Roman Polanski (Carnage) and Woody Allen (Wonder Wheel). Speaking about working with both disgraced directors, she said: 'It's like, what the fuck was I doing working with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski? It's unbelievable to me now how those men were held in such high regard, so widely in the film industry and for as long as they were. It's fucking disgraceful.' She went on to add that it's something she has to face, and that there's no point shying away from it, adding; "I have to take responsibility for the fact that I worked with them both. I can't turn back the clock. I'm grappling with those regrets, but what do we have if we aren't able to just be fucking truthful about all of it?' Ben Affleck – Daredevil The critic and audience responses to Daredevil clearly suggest that no one was a big fan of this movie, and that's something Ben Affleck, wholeheartedly agrees with. He certainly didn't mince his words when talking about the film, saying, "I hate Daredevil so much." He spoke about why the movie didn't work, saying: "That was before people realised you could make these movies and make them well. There was a cynical sense of 'put a red leather outfit on a guy, have him run around, hunt some bad guys, and cash the cheque'.'In fact, Ben's feelings about the movie played a part in his accepting the role in Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, saying, "Part of it was I wanted for once to get one of these movies and do it right – to do a good version." Sylvester Stallone – Judge Dredd Sylvester has had some major highs in his career, most notably the knockout success of Rocky. He does, however, have a number of notable regrets, the most severe of these is the 1995 comic book movie Judge Dredd. He called the movie "The biggest mistake I ever made." He also described the handling of the film as "sloppy." A lot of the regret comes from his idea of what the film could have been, saying: "It could have been a fantastic, nihilistic, interesting vision of the future – judge, jury and executioner. That really bothered me a great deal.' What other actor regrets have you heard about? Let us know in the comments below!
The Guardian
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Woody Allen to publish his first novel
The first novel by the film-maker Woody Allen is due to be released later this year by independent publisher Swift Press. The book, titled What's With Baum?, is about a middle-aged Jewish journalist turned novelist 'consumed with anxiety about everything under the sun', according to a description from the publisher. Baum's 'turgid philosophical books receive tepid reviews and his prestigious New York publisher has dropped him'. Baum's third marriage is 'on the rocks', and 'in a moment of irrationality, he has impulsively tried to kiss a pretty young journalist during an interview that she is about to go public with'. Since the 1970s, Allen has written several books of short stories and essays, as well as a memoir, Apropos of Nothing, published in 2020. The memoir was dropped by its original US publisher, Hachette, after a staff walkout over allegations that Allen sexually abused his daughter in the early 90s, which have come to define his public image in recent years. The memoir was eventually published by Arcade. Allen's daughter, Dylan Farrow, has alleged that he sexually assaulted her in 1992, when she was seven years old. Allen has always denied the allegations, calling them 'a total fabrication from start to finish' in his memoir. Two investigations at the time did not lead to criminal charges. What's With Baum?, which runs to 160 pages, is 'a portrait of an intellectual crippled by neurotic concerns about the futility and emptiness of life', said Swift Press. Baum 'suspects his handsome and successful younger brother may have seduced his Harvard-educated wife. He is uneasy with her close relationship with her son, a more successful author than he, and suspicious of her closeness with their neighbour in Connecticut.' 'Is it any wonder Baum has started talking to himself?' states the publisher's description. 'Strangers shake their heads and walk around him on the street. Meanwhile he learns a startling secret that could cause havoc should he expose it. Should he keep it to himself or reveal it and blow up his marriage?' The novel is due to be published in September. Swift Press publisher Mark Richards said the company was 'thrilled' to be publishing the book. 'It is all we could have hoped – funny, clever, engrossing and wonderfully human. Woody Allen may have waited almost 90 years before he wrote a novel, but it's been worth the wait.' Swift Press was established in June 2020. In 2022, it launched an imprint, Forum, to publish 'thinkers who expand the realms of debate and aren't afraid to question contemporary orthodoxies', and has since published titles including Liberal Bullies: Inside the Mind of the Authoritarian Left by Luke Conway and Gay Shame: The Rise of Gender Ideology and the New Homophobia by Gareth Roberts.
The Guardian
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Woody Allen to publish his first novel
The first novel by the film-maker Woody Allen is due to be released later this year by independent publisher Swift Press. The book, titled What's With Baum?, is about a middle-aged Jewish journalist turned novelist 'consumed with anxiety about everything under the sun', according to a description from the publisher. Baum's 'turgid philosophical books receive tepid reviews and his prestigious New York publisher has dropped him'. Baum's third marriage is 'on the rocks', and 'in a moment of irrationality, he has impulsively tried to kiss a pretty young journalist during an interview that she is about to go public with'. Since the 1970s, Allen has written several books of short stories and essays, as well as a memoir, Apropos of Nothing, published in 2020. The memoir was dropped by its original US publisher, Hachette, after a staff walkout over allegations that Allen sexually abused his daughter in the early 90s, which have come to define his public image in recent years. The memoir was eventually published by Arcade. Allen's daughter, Dylan Farrow, has alleged that he sexually assaulted her in 1992, when she was seven years old. Allen has always denied the allegations, calling them 'a total fabrication from start to finish' in his memoir. Two investigations at the time did not lead to criminal charges. What's With Baum?, which runs to 160 pages, is 'a portrait of an intellectual crippled by neurotic concerns about the futility and emptiness of life', said Swift Press. Baum 'suspects his handsome and successful younger brother may have seduced his Harvard-educated wife. He is uneasy with her close relationship with her son, a more successful author than he, and suspicious of her closeness with their neighbour in Connecticut.' 'Is it any wonder Baum has started talking to himself?' states the publisher's description. 'Strangers shake their heads and walk around him on the street. Meanwhile he learns a startling secret that could cause havoc should he expose it. Should he keep it to himself or reveal it and blow up his marriage?' The novel is due to be published in September. Swift Press publisher Mark Richards said the company was 'thrilled' to be publishing the book. 'It is all we could have hoped – funny, clever, engrossing and wonderfully human. Woody Allen may have waited almost 90 years before he wrote a novel, but it's been worth the wait.' Swift Press was established in June 2020. In 2022, it launched an imprint, Forum, to publish 'thinkers who expand the realms of debate and aren't afraid to question contemporary orthodoxies', and has since published titles including Liberal Bullies: Inside the Mind of the Authoritarian Left by Luke Conway and Gay Shame: The Rise of Gender Ideology and the New Homophobia by Gareth Roberts.
