Latest news with #acting
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Meet Wally Baram, who plays Carmen Neil in Overcompensating: she was too short to be a cowgirl so tried stand-up and read books by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler – now she's in the Charli XCX-produced show
Wally Baram never intended to become an actress. The comic and screenwriter – best known for her work on the TV shows Shrinking, What We Do in the Shadows and Betty – had her heart set on becoming a cowgirl as a child. She even took equestrian classes as a teenager, but as luck would have it, her 155cm (5ft 1in) stature prevented her from taking her dreams further. Wally Baram originally wanted to be a cowgirl but gave up on her childhood dream due to her short stature. Photo: @wallybaram/Instagram 'My feet don't even curve around a horse,' the 27-year-old said in an interview this month in Vanity Fair. 'The horse looks like it's wearing me as a hat.' Advertisement Baram turned to comedy in her gap year before university, before dropping out to pursue stand-up and writing full time. When she was hired as a screenwriter on Amazon Prime's new TV dramedy co-produced by Charli XCX , Overcompensating, she had no idea she would be making her acting debut on the show. The campus comedy revolves around the show's creator, Benito Skinner's character Benny, a closeted college freshman, who tries to date Carmen, played by Baram, to keep his sexuality hidden. 'I related to her so much that when I had my meeting with Benny over writing, he was like, 'You are kind of this girl,'' Baram said in an interview this month in Marie Claire. 'When Benny told me, 'I want it to be you,' my mind was tremendously blown. Even now, I'm still like, What the heck?' So what do we know about Wally Baram and her apparent overnight success as an actress? She's Mexican-Syrian Wally Baram is Mexican-Syrian and grew up in the US state of New Jersey. Photo: @wallybaram/Instagram
Fox News
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Loretta Swit, star of 'M*A*S*H,' dead at 87
Loretta Swit, who starred as quick-witted Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan in the TV series "M*A*S*H," has died. She was 87. A spokesperson for the actress confirmed to Fox News Digital that Swit passed away on Friday at her home in New York City. The suspected cause of death is natural causes. In her lifetime, Swit was honored with several awards for her acting, including the People's Choice Award, The Genie Award, The Silver Satellite Award, The Jean Golden Halo Award, the Pacific Broadcasters Award, and two Emmy Awards. With 10 Emmy nominations and four nominations for the Golden Globe, she most recently received her third Career Achievement Award. Swit previously made her Broadway debut in "Same Time, Next Year" opposite Ted Bessell and toured with Susan Hayward and Celeste Holm. She would go on to play the title role of "Mame" in New York and Pennsylvania. Her television career boasts over 25 movies. She appeared in "Games Mother Never Taught You" with Sam Waterston, "Hell Hath No Fury" with Barbara Eden, "The Execution" with Rip Torn, "Dreams of Gold" with Cliff Robertson and "A Killer Among Friends" with Patty Duke. Swit also appeared in "The Muppet Show" with Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. She starred in "Stand Up and Be Counted" with Jacqueline Bisset, "Freebie and the Bean" with James Caan and Alan Arkin, "Race With the Devil" with Peter Fonda, "Beer" opposite Rip Torn, "S.O.B." with Julie Andrews and William Holden, "Whoops Apocalypse" with Peter Cook and Herbert Lom, "Forrest Warrior" with Chuck Norris, and "BoardHeads" with Bronson Pinchot. Swit was also known for her passion for animals. She set up the SwitHeart Animal Alliance to prevent cruelty and end animal suffering. She also raised awareness of other nonprofit organizations and programs that protected and rescued animals in need, as well as wildlife preservation. She created her critically-acclaimed art book, "SwitHeart," which featured 65 full-color paintings and drawings. It raised money for numerous animal causes. She also launched a fragrance, SwitHeart, where all proceeds go to SwitHeart. Back in 2023, Swit spoke to Fox News Digital about Major Margaret's famous nickname. "I understand nicknames come with great love and admiration for a character," the star explained at the time. "But it was an insult as far as I was concerned. She wasn't just a piece of anatomy. She was a major in the United States Army, and she should not be disrespected." WATCH: MIKE FARRELL TALKS ABOUT HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH ALAN ALDA "This was a woman who had rank, who worked hard and wanted to be good at her job," Swit shared. "She was an inspiration. I was proud of her. I was proud to represent all the servicewomen out there. I wanted to make a change." Swit said she was also proud of being part of the celebrated sitcom, so much so she was worried the nickname would overshadow the heroic efforts of real-life servicewomen, belittling them to a punchline. "I didn't want those women to be disrespected," Swit reflected. "Obviously, people are going to see it differently. Margaret did not see [the nickname] as a compliment. She saw it as disrespect. So, yes, I would say it was never a comfort zone." Looking back, Swit admitted she even approached the writers of the show to phase out "Hot Lips." "I think my perseverance probably became very annoying," she chuckled. "But I felt it was important for the women out there who were supporting our country. I kept telling the writers, 'She's so much more than this.'" "M*A*S*H" was based on the 1968 novel by Richard Hooker, which led to the 1970 film by the same name. The series, set during the Korean War, aired from 1972 to 1983. The finale was watched in over 60% of U.S. homes. Over the years, Swit stayed in touch with veterans. Many also flock to her appearances. Those encounters, she said, made her fight to ditch the "Hot Lips" title worth it. "I worked for a long time with World War II vets and got to know them really well," she explained. "It made you realize how much work we needed to do in this country to support them. So many of them came back to a life that was foreign to them. It took them a long time to grasp the situation. They endured so much and many faced those struggles in silence. It has been the honor of my life to help get their stories out there. "It has been a privilege, an honor, to meet so many of these wonderful heroes – they're still my heroes," she explained. "The very fact that a serviceman or woman puts themselves on the front lines and says, 'I give you my life' – that's the ultimate sacrifice. And we just don't thank them enough. They give their lives to our country. These are the best friends I'll ever have. And they always deserve our respect. "I often quote this wonderful thing that I read," she continued. "It's a statement: 'What is a veteran? A veteran is someone who at one time in their lives wrote out a blank check made out to the United States of America, giving them the sum of up to and including their life.' That says it all to me what exactly our servicemen and women do. How could such a statement not make you emotional? It's a lasting feeling. It's a feeling that will always stay with me." Swit said, hearing the stories of veterans has "enhanced" her life. "It gives you such a deep appreciation for our country, for the sacrifices they made, even after they come back home," she said. "It can be difficult to absorb their stories. But they need us. So many of them are misunderstood. And a simple thank-you goes such a long way." While Swit played an army brat on TV, the role has given her more than fame, she pointed out. "It introduced me to the real experiences of our servicemen and women," she said. "And I gained so many friends along the way. These friendships will last forever. And that has truly been a gift."
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Goldie Hawn makes shock revelation she BLOCKED Kate Hudson from acting during teen years
Goldie Hawn is proud that her three children have followed in her acting footsteps, especially since they did it without her help. The Oscar winner, 79, opened up about her parenting style in a question and answer session after a special screening of 1974's The Sugarland Express at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles on Thursday. The crime drama was the first feature film co-written and directed by Steven Spielberg. Referring to her kids, Hawn said she wanted to keep their childhoods as normal as possible and had actually blocked daughter Kate Hudson, 46, from being offered a part. 'I didn't call an agent and ask them to be represented. I never did that,' the Private Benjamin star said, per People. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'In fact, they wanted Katie for some show, and she was still in high school. And I didn't let her do it because I didn't want her at that age, I wanted her to live a normal life, finish school, at which point you figure that out, but don't start too soon.' The plan seems to have worked. Hudson, 46, was 21 when she received an Academy Award nomination for her breakout role in 2000's Almost Famous and has enjoyed a lengthy career in a variety of roles, including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Glass Onion. Hawn's sons Oliver Hudson, 48, and Wyatt Russell, 38, have also taken up acting, with Russell most recently appearing in Thunderbolts. The First Wives Club star shares Kate and Oliver with ex-husband Bill Hudson, 75, and Wyatt, 38, with her longtime partner Kurt Russell, 74. Hawn said her kids were her 'legacy,' and that she valued their characters more than their professional achievements, and shies away from giving them advice. No, they have to cut their own way,' she told the audience. 'They don't want advice from their parents. Who does?... Too much advice. And also they're doing it on their own.' 'What feels good is that they're amazing human beings,' she said. 'They happen to be talented... They're great humans, all of them. And all my grandchildren — now I have eight — and they're great humans.' Hawn hopes her kids surpass her in their careers. 'Who doesn't want to be bigger and better than their parents? That's the whole idea,' she explained. 'The fact that we supersede our parents, that's what we're supposed to do. So we wanted that. Kurt and I wanted that. And so when we look at it, we go, "Oh my God, this is just so awesome."' The proud grandma recently gave three of her grandchildren parts in her upcoming educational film Brain Buddies. ' I wrote and produced it, and three of my grandkids, Wilder, Bodhi, and Rio, did the voices,' she said of Oliver's kids, ages 17, 14, and 11 respectively. 'What I loved is how well they followed the direction that I was giving them, and they were great at intonation and how they delivered the lines and what their characters are and all of it,' she said of the experience. 'So for me, it was a memorable joy that I will have for the rest of my life, and the children will never forget it.'
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Awkward moment Dame Helen Mirren horrifies group of actresses by stating that NONE of them are 'beautiful'
She's one of the most acclaimed actresses of all time, boasting five Emmys, an Oscar, and a Tony. But early in her career, Dame Helen Mirren was warned that she'd never become a star if she didn't get a nose job. Discussing the misplaced advice on The Hollywood Reporter's Roundtable with Niecy Nash, Parker Posey, Keri Russell, Kathy Bates, and Cristin Milioti, the 79-year-old accidentally offended her fellow thespians with a remark about their looks. 'Someone said, 'You'll never get work if you don't have a nose job.' I said no. I didn't want to be a pretty actress anyway. I elected to be not so pretty,' she said. Mirren then made a sweeping statement about the group's looks - which didn't go down well with one Oscar winner. 'Looking at our faces around this table, none of us are beautiful,' Mirren remarked. 'Oh, get out of town! I feel more beautiful than I have in my entire life,' Bates snapped back. Doubling down on her position, Mirren firmly stated, 'We're not. None of us are beauties. We all have really different faces, very interesting faces.' Attempting to calm the situation, Russell chimed in, 'I know what you mean. Like model beautiful?' Mirren cooly responded 'We all know what "beautiful" is like.' Although the legendary actress has shied away from plastic surgery and conventional beauty standards, she's always maintained a fit physique through exercise. She told Woman's Weekly that she is 'a big believer in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) women's exercise regime, which is 12 minutes.' The star explained: '[Exercise] doesn't mean joining expensive gyms. It is an exercise regime that starts from very low and easy, then if you follow it through it can become quite difficult. 'I've never gotten past the second level but it's a nice little exercise program,' she added. The program is called the XBX routine, which means ten basic exercises, and was created by Dr Bill Orban in the 1950s for the Canadian Air Force's new female recruits to improve their fitness levels. It includes 30 seconds each of simple exercises like toe touching, knee raises, lateral bending and arm circling. Last month, Mirren told people in midlife not to 'fear' ageing. The 79-year-old actress said people should make 'little changes now to help them later in life.' This 'doesn't have to include joining a gym' but could include short walks or yoga, the Oscar winner said. Backing Age UK's new campaign, she said: 'Whatever you may think about ageing, it's something we must all try to embrace rather than fear. 'It's no secret that for many, getting older will come with its complications - specifically there will likely be aches and pains along the way, getting out and about and living as independently as we're used to in our younger years may not be as easy to do. 'This is why I'm supporting Age UK's Act Now, Age Better campaign, they're encouraging everyone in their 50s to make little changes now to help them later on in life,' she continued. 'It doesn't have to be joining a gym; it can just be small changes like taking a short walk or yoga, which I still enjoy. 'It's never too late to start doing something, so why not give something a go while you're younger?'
News.com.au
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Sarah Jessica Parker's three children seen in rare photo
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick's three children are all grown up. The couple's 22-year-old son, James, took to Instagram this week to celebrate his graduation from Brown University by sharing multiple snaps of the big moment, including one with his 15-year-old twin sisters, Tabitha and Marion. In the sweet photo, the Sex and the City actress' eldest child wore his black graduation gown and a brown stole layered over a blue suit and tie. He also wore white sneakers and put his brown waves on full display while carrying his graduation cap in one hand. Tabitha and Marion matched in green shirts and jeans as they walked alongside their big brother following the ceremony. HBO producer Liviya Kraemer, who worked on Divorce with SJP, also released a photo of the new college graduate to honour his academic achievement. 'Extra special congratulations to @jwbr0derick!!!!!!!!! Now let's do this every five years,' Kraemer captioned the photo shared to her Instagram Story. James has followed in his parents' footsteps by pursuing a career in acting and even guest-starred in his dad's show Elsbeth earlier this year. The Failure to Launch star, 60, and Broderick, 63, were not seen in any of the images from the graduation. The couple typically keeps their children out of the spotlight and off social media, though they have made some rare red carpet appearances at Hollywood events over the years. Last April, Parker and the Ferris Bueller's Day Off actor attended the Broadway premiere of Smash with their daughters. Four months later, the couple and their entire brood attended the 2024 Paris Olympics. In July 2024, Broderick and his kids walked the red carpet sans Parker for the Broadway opening of Oh, Mary! That summer, Broderick and Parker celebrated their twins' 15th birthday with a balloon-filled party. Broderick and Parker have been married since 1997.
