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“Green Book” director Peter Farrelly returns after his film won the Oscar for Best Picture in 2019 for a new adventure: “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” starring Zac Efron and Russell Crowe. Farrelly recently sat down with TheWrap in its Toronto International Film Festival Studio with Shutterstock to talk about the true story at the heart of his upcoming film.

“Somebody sent me a 12-minute documentary that Andrew Muscato did about the greatest beer run ever, and I just couldn’t believe what I was looking at, that this guy actually went to Vietnam during the war, somehow found his way around the country and dropped off beers with people and happened to get there right before the Tet Offensive. I was like, ‘That’s unbelievable,’” he told TheWrap’s Brian Welk after the movie’s world premiere on Sept. 13.

Fans of Zac Efron, Russell Crowe and/or Farrelly may be...

The Greatest Beer Run Ever was reviewed at TIFF 2022

Plot: In 1967 New York, Chickie Donohue (Zac Efron) is a merchant seaman frustrated by the negative attitude towards soldiers serving in Vietnam. At the urging of his favourite bartender, The Colonel (Bill Murray), Chickie travels to Vietnam to pass out beers among all his old friends serving in the war. Once he gets there, his eyes are opened, and his naive view of the war quickly changes.

Review: Director Peter Farrelly is having one heck of a second act regarding his career. Often pigeonholed as a comedy director (with his brother Bobby), Green Book, which controversially won Best Picture at the Oscars, showed there was much more to him than meets the eye. He now specializes in a type of movie that’s become all too rare, the middle-of-the-road “feel good” movie. The Greatest Beer Run Ever is based on a...

Enter-to-win a pair of passes to an advance screening of The Greatest Beer Run Ever! The screening is Wednesday, September 28th at 7:00pm at the Emagine Royal Oak!

About The Film

The Greatest Beer Run Ever: To show support for his neighborhood friends serving in Vietnam, Chickie Donohue (Zac Efron) decides to do something totally outrageous: travel to the frontline by himself to bring the soldiers a little piece of home — their favorite can of American beer. However, what started as a well-meaning journey quickly turns into the adventure of a lifetime as Chickie confronts the reality of this controversial war and his reunions with his childhood buddies thrust him into the complexities and responsibilities of adulthood. Based on an incredible true story, The Greatest Beer Run Ever is a heartfelt coming-of-age tale about friendship, loyalty and sacrifice.

Hailing from Skydance Media screenplay is adapted by Farrelly, Brian Currie and Pete Jones,...

Film-festival awards don’t usually have much lasting impact, but four years ago, when “Green Book” played at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the People’s Choice Award, it had a seismic effect. It set the film on what would become its road to Oscar glory. Since that turned out to be a very bumpy road, with many critics dumping on the film for what they perceived to be its outdated liberal race consciousness (not me — I thought “Green Book” was terrific), the Toronto award kept coming back into the conversation. It was used to signify the nature of the movie’s appeal — namely, that maybe this wasn’t a film destined to be embraced by the most elite levels of the establishment, but that it was one “the people” went for. And that’s just what ended up happening.

So tonight, when Toronto hosted the world premiere...

With the 2020 Netflix limited series “Hollywood,” Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy set out to rewrite the story of the film industry’s Golden Age by giving voices to people who did not have them at the time. Modern ways of thinking regarding racial equality and LGBTQ representation were applied to the old-fashioned studio system with the idea that its oppressive power structure deserved to be dismantled. One of the main storylines involved Rock Hudson (Jake Picking) coming to terms with his homosexuality much sooner than he did in real life and openly dating an aspiring screenwriter named Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope). Pope’s breakthrough performance earned wide acclaim and ultimately brought the series one of its dozen Emmy nominations.

At 28, Pope was the youngest performer recognized for his work on the series by 19 years. One year later, he still ranks as the 10th youngest competitor in the history of the...

With the 2020 Netflix limited series “Hollywood,” Ian Brennan and Ryan Murphy set out to rewrite the story of the film industry’s Golden Age by giving voices to people who did not have them at the time. Modern ways of thinking regarding racial equality and LGBTQ representation were applied to the old-fashioned studio system with the idea that its oppressive power structure deserved to be dismantled. One of the main storylines involved Rock Hudson (Jake Picking) coming to terms with his homosexuality much sooner than he did in real life and openly dating an aspiring screenwriter named Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope). Pope’s breakthrough performance earned wide acclaim and ultimately brought the series one of its dozen Emmy nominations.

At 28, Pope was the youngest performer recognized for his work on the series by 19 years. One year later, he still ranks as the 10th youngest competitor in the history of the...

Apple Original Films has unveiled the trailer for the new Peter Farrelly directed, Zac Efron and Russell Crowe film, The Greatest Beer Run Ever, based on a true story.

To show support for his neighborhood friends serving in Vietnam, Chickie Donohue (Zac Efron) decides to do something totally outrageous: travel to the frontline by himself to bring the soldiers a little piece of home — their favorite can of American beer. However, what started as a well-meaning journey quickly turns into the adventure of a lifetime as Chickie confronts the reality of this controversial war and his reunions with his childhood buddies thrust him into the complexities and responsibilities of adulthood. Based on an incredible true story, The Greatest Beer Run Ever is a heartfelt coming-of-age tale about friendship, loyalty and sacrifice.

Hailing from Skydance Media screenplay is adapted by Farrelly, Brian Currie and Pete Jones, and is based on the...

Zac Efron is heading to Vietnam in the first trailer for “The Greatest Beer Run Ever.”

Apple TV+ dropped the trailer for its upcoming true-life war comedy starring Efron, Russell Crowe and Bill Murray. The film, which is based on a true story, follows Efron as John “Chickie” Donohue. Set in 1967, Donohue leaves New York to track down his army friends in Vietnam and share a few beers with them to show that they have support from the American people. Instead of a fun and light hearted trip, though, he is confronted with the horrors of war. Along the way, Donahue hitches a ride on a Merchant Marine ship, carries beer through the jungle and is mistaken for a CIA officer because of his civilian appearance.

Based on the New York Times bestseller “The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War” by Donohue and J.T. Molloy,...

Few things spread good feeling quite like sharing a drink.

On Wednesday, Apple TV+ debuted the first trailer for the upcoming Vietnam War comedy-drama “The Greatest Beer Run Ever”, starring Zac Efron.

Read More: Zac Efron Recalls Being Recognized By Tribe In Papua New Guinea: ‘I’ve Made It Everywhere’

Photo: Apple TV+

“To show support for his neighbourhood friends serving in Vietnam, Chickie Donohue (Efron) decides to do something totally outrageous: travel to the frontline by himself to bring the soldiers a little piece of home — their favourite can of American beer,” the official description reads.

“However, what started as a well-meaning journey quickly turns into the adventure of a lifetime as Chickie confronts the reality of this controversial war and his reunions with his childhood buddies thrust him into the complexities and responsibilities of adulthood.”

Read More: Zac Efron Follows Vanessa Hudgens’ Lead With Trip Back To ‘High...

Apple has unveiled the trailer for the new Peter Farrelly-directed, Zac Efron and Russell Crowe film, ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever,’ based on a true story.

To show support for his neighbourhood friends serving in Vietnam, Chickie Donohue (Zac Efron) decides to do something totally outrageous: travel to the frontline by himself to bring the soldiers a little piece of home — their favourite can of American beer. However, what started as a well-meaning journey quickly turns into the adventure of a lifetime as Chickie confronts the reality of this controversial war and his reunions with his childhood buddies thrust him into the complexities and responsibilities of adulthood.

Hailing from Skydance Media screenplay is adapted by Farrelly, Brian Currie and Pete Jones, and is based on the book The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty and War, by Joanna Molloy and John “Chickie” Donohue.

Zac Efron, Russell Crowe,...

"Smuggling beer into a war zone? That's not the smartest thing I've ever heard of." Apple has revealed the first official trailer for The Greatest Beer Run Ever, which is pretty much the perfect title to get your attention. This is premiering at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival soon before Apple releases it in theaters and streaming on Apple TV+ later in September. Zac Efron stars as Chickie, who wants to support his friends fighting in Vietnam, so he does something wild and perhaps totally insane—personally bring them American beer. What starts out as a well-meaning journey quickly changes Chickie's life and perspective. Based on an incredible true story, The Greatest Beer Run Ever is "a heartfelt coming-of-age tale about friendship, loyalty and sacrifice." Adapted from the book "The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty and War," by Joanna Molloy & John "Chickie" Donohue. Also starring Russell Crowe,...

The first trailer for Peter Farrelly’s “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” proudly proclaims that the guy in the film played by Zac Efron “actually did this” as he sprints through an active war zone in Vietnam carrying a sack of cold brews and cheap American lagers.

“The Greatest Beer Run” ever is based on the true story of a man named Chickie Donohue, who felt burned by the protests at home over the Vietnam War and decided he wanted to show his support to his buddies and neighbors overseas by tracking each of them down in Vietnam and bringing them each a beer. And yes, you can tell he’s serious about that plan.

“The man’s stoned sober. That’s maybe his fifth beer, tops,” a bartender played by Bill Murray says in the trailer.

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TIFF 2022 Lineup: Films From Tyler Perry, Peter Farrelly, Sam Mendes and...

Zac Efron is determined to bring his six-pack (of beer) to the frontlines of the Vietnam War.

The first trailer for the Apple Original Film “The Greatest Beer Run Ever” gives a glimpse at Efron as Chickie Donohue, a real-life hero who traveled to Vietnam during the war to bring soldiers their favorite American beer.

Per an official synopsis, however, what started as a well-meaning journey quickly turns into the adventure of a lifetime as Chickie confronts the reality of this controversial war and his reunions with his childhood buddies thrust him into the complexities and responsibilities of adulthood. The film is based on the 2020 book “The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty and War” by Joanna Molloy and John “Chickie” Donohue.

Peter Farrelly (“Green Book”) directs the film and adapted the screenplay along with Brian Currie and Pete Jones.

Russell Crowe, Jake Picking, Will Ropp, Archie Renaux,...

Emmy-winning production designers Todd Fjelsted and Tony Fanning are both credited with creating the world of “The First Lady,” Showtime’s 10 episode limited series about three very different presidents’ wives and their experiences in the White House. However, Fjelsted and Fanning didn’t really collaborate on the series.

Fanning, an Emmy winner for “The West Wing,” worked on the segments focused on the tenures of Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson) and Michelle Obama (Viola Davis). Fjelsted, who won his Emmy for his work on “Glow,” designed the segments centered around Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer). Check out our exclusive video interview with Fjelsted and Fanning above.

SEEDakota Fanning interview: ‘The First Lady’

Fanning says that over 350 sets were created for the series, a challenge made all the more daunting by having to traverse multiple decades and even different centuries. However, Fanning, who calls himself a “White House history buff,” enjoyed the challenge.

On the surface, a show like Showtime’s “The First Lady” has potential. As we’ve heard time and again behind every great man is a great woman, so why not tell that story through the most powerful men in America? But it requires a sense of delicacy.

Every president has had their successes and failures, but it’s far too easy to cast these women as just moral arbiters of the creator’s own perception of said president’s accomplishments or misjudgments. Director Susanne Bier’s anthology falls into this category.

The series blends the stories of three First Ladies: Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer), and Michelle Obama (Viola Davis). Each woman navigates issues, both personal and professional, as they enter into the ill-defined job that comes of being married to a man voted president.

It’s that question that is at the heart, and lays unanswered,...

Showtime has released the first trailer for the upcoming anthology series, “The First Lady,” which follows presidential couples throughout American history.

The former U.S. presidents, first ladies, their families and colleagues will be played by a company of A-list stars. The Obamas, Fords and Roosevelts are among those portrayed on the series.

Viola Davis will play Michelle Obama opposite O.T. Fagbenle (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) as Barack Obama. Lexi Underwood (“Little Fires Everywhere”) and Saniyya Sidney (“King Richard”) play their daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama.

Michelle Pfeiffer plays Betty Ford, and Aaron Eckhart is Gerald Ford. Younger versions of their characters will be played by Kristine Froseth (“Looking for Alaska”) and Jake Picking (“Top Gun: Maverick”). Dakota Fanning plays their daughter, Susan Ford.

Gillian Anderson portrays Eleanor Roosevelt, with Eliza Scanlen (“Little Women”) playing her in her younger years. Kiefer Sutherland will play Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Christopher Plummer...

Exclusive: Jake Picking, who can be seen next in the highly anticipated Top Gun: Maverick, has signed with Brillstein Entertainment Partners for representation.

Besides Top Gun: Maverick, he is also set to appear in the Apple Original Film The Greatest Beer Run Ever directed by Peter Farrelly and starring Russell Crowe and Zac Efron. On the television side, Picking will portray Jerry Ford in the highly anticipated Showtime series, The First Lady.

Picking’s recent credits include Ryan Murphy’s limited series, Hollywood, in which he portrayed the legendary actor Rock Hudson. He also starred in Horse Girl directed by Jeff Baena which premiered at Sundance Film Festival, the film also featured his music.

He is also repped by CAA, Viewpoint and Ziffren.

Exclusive: Ruby Ashbourne Serkis (The Serpent), Matt Cook (Man with a Plan), Omari K. Chancellor (The One?) and Will Hochman (Blue Bloods) have been cast in The Greatest Beer Run Ever, Peter Farrelly’s film for Apple and Skydance Media.

They’ll appear in the Apple Original alongside previously announced cast members Zac Efron, Russell Crowe, Jake Picking, Will Ropp, Archie Renaux and Kyle Allen.

Pic is based on Joanna Molloy and John “Chickie” Donohue’s book The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty and War, which became a New York Times bestseller upon its publication last year. It tells the true story of Donohue, who left New York for Vietnam in 1967 to track down and share a few beers with his childhood friends while they were serving in combat.

Serkis will play Christine, the younger sister of Efron’s Chickie, who opposes his views on the Vietnam War,...

Exclusive: Jake Picking (Top Gun: Maverick), Will Ropp (The Way Back), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone) and Kyle Allen (West Side Story) are the latest additions to The Greatest Beer Run Ever, the Apple Original Film from director Peter Farrelly and Skydance Media.

The four actors will star alongside previously announced cast members Zac Efron and Russell Crowe.

Pic is based on Joanna Molloy and John “Chickie” Donohue’s book The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty and War, which became a New York Times bestseller upon its publication last year. It tells the true story of Donohue, who left New York for Vietnam in 1967 to track down and share a few beers with his childhood friends while they were serving in combat.

Picking, Allen and Renaux will play Rick Duggan, Bobby Pappas and Tommy Collins, the three childhood friends of Efron’s Chickie who are serving in the Army,...

Exclusive: Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Alessandro Nivola, Molly Shannon and Lil Rel Howery are set to star in Spin Me Round, an indie comedy directed by Jeff Baena from a script he wrote with Brie. Pic will be produced by the Duplass Brothers Productions and Limelight, the latter of which is fully financing the picture. Production begins next month in Italy.

Tim Heidecker, Ben Sinclair, Fred Armisen, Ayden Mayeri, Debby Ryan, Zach Woods, Ego Nwodim, Lauren Weedman, and Jake Picking round out the cast. Brie plays the manager of the Bakersfield, California franchise of the Italian chain eatery Tuscan Grove. She wins an all-expenses trip to the company’s gorgeous “institute” outside of Florence, Italy, and the chance to meet the restaurant chain’s wealthy and charismatic owner (Nivola). Along with a mismatched group of local American franchise managers, Amber finds a far different adventure than the romantic fantasy she had imagined.

Exclusive: Emmy nominee Regina Taylor (I’ll Fly Away) is set as a series regular portraying Michelle Obama’s mother, in Showtime’s upcoming anthology series The First Lady. Also cast in recurring roles are Saniyya Sidney (Fences) as Sasha Obama, newcomer Julian DeNiro as young Barack Obama and Evan Parke (Django Unchained) as SS Allen Taylor, Michelle Obama’s first and longtime security agent. They join previously announced stars Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson.

The First Lady, created by Aaron Cooley and produced by Lionsgate TV and Showtime, is a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House. Season 1 focuses on Eleanor Roosevelt (Anderson), Betty Ford (Pfeiffer) and Michelle Obama (Davis).

Taylor’s Marian Shields Robinson, Michelle Robinson Obama’s mother and Barack Obama’s mother-in-law, is a practical, forthright and honest member of the Obama family...

Exclusive: Showtime has rounded out the cast for its upcoming anthology series The First Lady. Aya Cash (The Boys), Jake Picking (Hollywood), Cayden Boyd (The Resident), Marc Hills (Snatchers), Ben Cook (Paterno), Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer (Bridge and Tunnel), Thomas E. Sullivan and Patrice Johnson Chevannes (Chambers) have been cast in the series, joining previously announced stars Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson.

The First Lady, created by Aaron Cooley and produced by Lionsgate TV and Showtime, is a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House. Season 1 focuses on Eleanor Roosevelt (Anderson), Betty Ford (Pfeiffer) and Michelle Obama (Davis).

Previously announced cast also includes Lexi Underwood as Malia Obama, O-t Fagbenle as Barack Obama and Derek Cecil as Donald Rumsfeld.

Cash will play Esther Liebowitz, press secretary to Betty Ford, who often butts heads with...

When Jim Parsons was approached for Netflix miniseries Hollywood, he jumped at the chance to play a complicated, real-life figure, unlike any he’d played before, whose experiences force us to reflect on the entertainment industry as it is today—and the extent to which it has or has not changed over the last 70+ years.

Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the drama follows a group of ambitious actors and filmmakers in Post-World War II Tinseltown, considering what might have happened, had inequality in entertainment been addressed decades ago.

In the series, Parsons plays Henry Wilson, the talent agent who launched the careers of stars like Rock Hudson. Vicious, vulnerable, calculating and unpredictable, Wilson is a victim of his times, who ends up becoming a villain. A closeted homosexual tormented by the bigotry with which he’s faced, he resorts to the life of a sexual predator, before attempting...

The Emmys love David E. Kelley shows. That included “The Practice,” which won Best Drama Series twice (1998-1999) in addition to 13 acting prizes for its cast. But leading man Dylan McDermott never won and was only nominated once (1999). What’s more, when James Spader took the lead for the show’s last season, he won. But 21 years later McDermott has earned his second career Emmy nom: Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor for “Hollywood.” Will the television academy make it up to him after all this time?

SEEJeremy Pope (‘Hollywood’) on the importance of shows that are ‘hopeful and inspiring’ [Complete Interview Transcript]

In this 1940s-set alternate history of Tinseltown, McDermott plays Ernie West, who gives aspiring actor Jack Castello (David Corenswet) a job at his gas station before Jack realizes the gas station is a front for male prostitution. But despite his gruff exterior Ernie is a pimp with a heart of gold...

Exclusive: Josh Rahm has joined ICM Partners as an agent in the talent department. He was just introduced to other agency staffers and comes from CAA. He spent a decade there, his first job after graduating from Florida State University. He spent the last five years as an agent in the talent department, after working in the talent and literary departments. He also worked closely with the international group and CAA China.

Among the young diverse talent he worked with at CAA are Tadanobu Asano (Thor), Chloe & Halle Bailey (Little Mermaid), Beth Behrs (The Neighborhood), Neve Campbell, Jackie Chan, Salvatore Esposito (Gomorrah), Eiza González (Baby Driver), Charlotte Hope (Spanish Princess), Djimon Hounsou, Keean Johnson (Euphoria), Noah Jupe (Honey Boy), Sung Kang (F9), Jacob Latimore (The Chi), Jorge Lendeborg (Bumblebee), Ludi Lin (Black Mirror), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Charles Melton (Bad Boys For Life), Rob Morgan (Just Mercy) and Jake Picking (Top Gun: Maverick...

Oh, happy day! The 2020 Emmy nominations are out, and Normal People's breakout star Paul Mescal earned a nomination for best actor in a limited series or a television movie category. In my opinion, the 24-year-old Irish actor is totally deserving of the recognition, and no, it's not just because I keep dreaming about Connell Waldron's silver chain and still cry when I listen to Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek." The BBC and Hulu adaptation of Sally Rooney's bestselling novel gave Mescal his first-ever onscreen role, but the actor performed so well that you would never know it. That's called star power, y'all.

Don't get me wrong - Mescal's fellow nominees also gave unforgettable performances. In I Know This Much Is True, Mark Ruffalo played not just one character, but two. In Hollywood, Jeremy Pope stole the show with his adorable smile and fiery chemistry with Jake Picking. But Jeremy Irons,...

Alternate history series have been all the rage for quite a few months now, something “Watchmen” executive producer Damon Lindelof says could be happening because “alternate history is just more palatable than real history.”

His HBO limited series adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ graphic novel of the same name explores the 1921 Tulsa massacre, but it also dips into fantastical incidents such as an “11/2” Dimensional Incursion Event. And “Watchmen” was just one such Emmy-contending series that took reality as we know it and gave it a new spin, crafting different histories than our own to reshape the lives of characters.

A couple of others were cautionary tales: Amazon Prime Video’s “The Man in the High Castle,” based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, presents the final season of its vision of what would have happened if the Nazis had won World War II, while HBO’s adaptation...

Jim Parsons plays Henry Willson, the infamous real-life agent of Rock Hudson, in the Netflix limited series “Hollywood.” The actor has four Emmys for his work on “The Big Bang Theory.”

Parsons recently spoke with Gold Derby contributing writer Tony Ruiz about what he knew about Willson, working alongside Jake Picking as Hudson and whether his character is truly redeemed in the end. Watch the exclusive interview above and read the complete transcript below.

SEEHolland Taylor Interview: ‘Hollywood’

Gold Derby: Jim, the real Henry Willson is is such a controversial figure. And so, I guess where I want to start is how much of the controversy of Henry Willson did you know in advance? And how did you go about learning about him?

Jim Parsons: Well, when we started, I knew nothing about Henry Willson. I had not even heard of him. Just one of those things that I had missed.

The Netflix limited series “Hollywood” premiered on May 1. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the seven-episode drama imagines the golden age of show business if the era really had been golden for the marginalized groups who were ignored or oppressed by society at large. Now the silver screen fable could have a happy ending at the Emmys. Scroll down for our exclusive video interviews with top Emmy contenders from the show.

David Corenswet stars as an up-and-coming actor trying to become a movie star, but he’s not the only one striving for recognition. So are a gay Black screenwriter (Jeremy Pope), a half-Filipino director (Darren Criss), a Black actress (Laura Harrier) and closeted actor Rock Hudson (Jake Picking), who in real life hid his sexuality from the public throughout his career. How might the world have changed if only the industry’s mostly straight, white, male gatekeepers had...

Every year since 2010, Ryan Murphy has had at least one of his productions competing in the Emmy race. He’s looking to continue that trend this year with his latest miniseries, “Hollywood.” While the show does feature a large ensemble of well-established actors such as Darren Criss, Patti LuPone, Dylan McDermott, Jim Parsons and Holland Taylor, there’s one performance in particular that deserves Emmy attention, and that would be newcomer Jeremy Pope.

See‘Hollywood’ Emmy interviews: Jeremy Pope, David Corenswet, Patti LuPone, Michelle Krusiec and more [Watch]

Pope plays Archie Coleman, an aspiring gay black screenwriter who’s facing prejudice during the golden age of Hollywood in the post-World War II era. In the very first episode, he sells a screenplay he wrote about British actress Peg Entwistle for $100, but since he’s black, he won’t be put under contract and needs the money. When aspiring actor Jack Castello...

“He was obviously a little broken in some way,” declares Jim Parsons about his role of Henry Willson, the foul-mouthed and abusive agent on Netflix’s “Hollywood.” The series, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, reimagines the film industry of the 1940s and depicts Willson as a sexually abusive and manipulative puppet master to the young Rock Hudson (Jake Picking). The role is a radical departure for Parsons, who won four Best Comedy Actor Emmys for playing Sheldon Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Parsons above.

See‘Hollywood’ Emmy interviews: Jeremy Pope, David Corenswet, Patti LuPone, Mira Sorvino and more [Watch]

The actor, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, admits to knowing almost nothing about the real life Willson. Parsons relied heavily on Robert Hofler‘s book “The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson” to learn about Willson’s past, and...

This time last year, Jeremy Pope was getting ready to go to the Tonys. He was attending theater’s biggest night as a two-time nominee, one for his Broadway debut in “Choir Boy” and another for portraying Eddie Kendricks in “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations.”

But he also had a big meeting the day prior with Ryan Murphy, who was casting “Hollywood,” his Netflix series about a reimagined Hollywood in the 1940s, in which everyone was given a shot at stardom no matter their gender, race or sexual orientation. He wanted Pope to play an aspiring screenwriter named Archie Coleman.

“There was a lot happening, my family was coming into town. ‘What will my mom wear?’ It was a lot of things going down that week, and here I’m being asked to make a self-tape,” Pope recalled with a laugh during an appearance...

Emmy-winning makeup artist and producer Eryn Krueger Mekash had her work cut out for her on the Netflix limited series “Hollywood.” With the task of designing makeup for not only the fictional characters but some well known real Hollywood figures, and coordinating all of that with the various department heads. “Actors have to be comfortable in what they’re wearing as well and I think that a lot of it happens when you finally get the whole look on, you get the hair done, the makeup done, the costumes together and then you say, ‘Oh, we’re in that time period,'” Mekash says in an exclusive new interview with Gold Derby. Watch the full video interview above.

SEEPatti LuPone Interview: ‘Hollywood’

Designing makeup for the women of “Hollywood” meant a lot of bold red lipstick, especially for characters like Avis (Patti LuPone), Camille (Laura Harrier) and Claire (Samara Weaving). For Avis,...

Despite four Best Comedy Supporting Actor nominations, Tituss Burgess has yet to win an Emmy for his Hall of Fame performance as Titus Andromedon on “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” But he has one final shot, in a completely different category, and he only has to look to Laura Linney to know it can be done.

Burgess is in the Best Limited/TV Movie Supporting Actor race this year for the Netflix comedy’s interactive special “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend.” Like Burgess, Linney also jumped over to limited from comedy for “The Big C: Hereafter” in 2013. “Hereafter” was the fourth and final season of “The Big C,” but the four-episode installment and the rules at the time allowed Showtime to submit it as a limited series instead of as a comedy, which was the show’s designation for its first three outings. Linney was nominated for Best Comedy Actress...

“Hollywood” is likely to be nominated for Best Limited Series at the Emmys, according to the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users, but we think the prize it’s most likely to win is Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor for Jim Parsons as lecherous talent agent Henry Willson. It’s the polar opposite of the role that won him four Emmys on “The Big Bang Theory,” lovably awkward scientist Sheldon Cooper, but that could actually help him win Emmy number-five.

Playing an unlikable character can be a double-edged sword at the Emmys. It gives you the opportunity to play juicy, diabolical, scenery-chewing scenes, but it also runs the risk of putting voters off. Consider Hugh Laurie (“House”) and Steve Carell (“The Office”), who never won despite playing two of the most iconic characters of the last 20 years, irascible doctor Gregory House and bumbling paper company manager Michael Scott,...

Netflix's glam alt-history Hollywood centers on the making of a movie, first called Peg, and later, Meg. While some parts of the series are based on real Hollywood stories, this one isn't: there was no movie called Peg or Meg in real life. That being said, there are a few parts of the story that do have roots in screen history.

The part of Peg's production that's most obviously based on reality is that there was, in fact, a woman called Peg Entwistle who infamously died by suicide at the Hollywoodland sign. She was a stage actress who attempted to make the transition to the big screen in the early 1930s, but only managed to land a small part in a flop movie, Thirteen Women. In September 1932, her body was found in a ravine beneath the Hollywood sign, along with a brief suicide note, and police were able to...

“I think Archie’s mission in Hollywood initially is he wants to break the mold,” declares Jeremy Pope about his character of Archie Coleman on Netflix’s “Hollywood.” The limited series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan stars Pope as an aspiring screenwriter hoping to break into the 1940s film industry that won’t accept his skin color or his sexuality. In 2019 broke the mold on Broadway by becoming the first male actor to earn two Tony nominations in the same year for roles in a play and a musical: a Best Actor in a Play nomination for “Choir Boy,” and a Best Featured Actor in a Musical nomination for “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Pope above.

See‘Hollywood’ on Netflix: Love, Emmy (and a big hug from Oscar)

Pope admits that there was a great deal of secrecy surrounding the project initially,...

Ryan Murphy’s latest exploration of race and sexuality, set during the Golden Age of Hollywood, is currently streaming on Netflix. While the series is fictional, many of the characters are in fact based on real people who lived in and around the film industry during the late 1940s. Want to know more about the true stories behind “Hollywood?” Check out our photos of the 23 true life players who pop up throughout the show.

See ‘Hollywood’: Will Ryan Murphy’s revisionist history get a happy ending at the Emmys?

“Hollywood” follows several young men and women trying to achieve “the dream” of making it in Tinseltown. Jack Castello (David Corenswet) is a white serviceman just returning from the war struggling to get even a bit part. Raymond Ainsley (Daren Criss) is a half-Asian filmmaker desperate to produce more diverse films, especially if they star his African-American girlfriend Camille (Laura Harrier...

Hollywood, Ryan Murphy’s jaunty fantasy of 1940s Tinseltown, is a reimagining of film history featuring both real-world and fictional silver-screen luminaries. And according to many of the critics who’ve reviewed it thus far, it leans more heavily toward fiction, arguably whitewashing history in a problematic fashion.

The gas station sex ring run by the debonair pimp Ernie (Dylan McDermott), however, is not a product of the Hollywood imagination. It’s fully based in fact — or at least, one longtime Hollywood man-about-town’s version of it. Ernie is partly based on Scotty Bowers,...

Movies have always blended fact with fiction. To watch a Hollywood biopic from the 1940s is to realize you’re getting a real-life figure mixed with a heavy dose of romanticism and erasure. It’s the route taken with Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix limited series “Hollywood,” and as actor Darren Criss says, it’s appropriate. “[Hollywood] is the godfather of revision…we’re literally giving Hollywood the Hollywood treatment.”

To Criss’ point, the Hollywood treatment has always been a double-edged sword, one filled with as many fairy tales and happy endings as there are outright omissions and fabrications. But when it comes to the real-life figures Murphy portrays in the series there’s an interesting dichotomy presented, one that’s at times painfully bittersweet as it is completely invented.

For Michelle Krusiec, who portrays Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong, and Jake Picking, who plays Rock Hudson, it was an opportunity...

Ryan Murphy’s latest exploration of race and sexuality, set during the Golden Age of Hollywood, is currently streaming on Netflix. While the series is fictional, many of the characters are in fact based on real people who lived in and around the film industry during the late 1940s. Want to know more about the true stories behind “Hollywood?” Check out our photo gallery of the true life players who pop up throughout the show.

“Hollywood” follows several young men and women trying to achieve “the dream” of making it in Tinseltown. Jack Castello (David Corenswet) is a white serviceman just returning from the war struggling to get even a bit part. Raymond Ainsley (Daren Criss) is a half-Asian filmmaker desperate to produce more diverse films, especially if they star his African-American girlfriend Camille (Laura Harrier). Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope) is a gay African-American screenwriter who feels pressured to write...

Hollywood icon Rock Hudson gets a new twist on his history in Netflix's Hollywood. If you're wondering whether the real Rock Hudson ever got married, you're in for a sad answer. Despite being gay, Hudson did get married in the 1950s. Although Hollywood gives him a much happier romance, the real Hudson's marriage was disastrous on all fronts.

In 1955, Hudson married Phyllis Gates, the secretary of his agent, Henry Willson. Gates actually does appear in a few scenes in Hollywood, though only in her capacity as Willson's secretary, not as Hudson's love interest; the show's alternate history has Hudson (played by Jake Picking) falling in love with a (wholly fictional) screenwriter, Archie Coleman (played by Jeremy Pope). In her 1987 book, My Husband, Rock Hudson, Gates said she had lived with and dated Hudson before he proposed and she had believed their marriage to be a love match at the time.

Hollywood is coming to your home. Stars in the House just announced the cast of the Netflix TV show is reuniting for an upcoming livestream.

From Ryan Murphy, the drama series "follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost. Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood’s Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day.” The cast includes Patti LuPone, Darren Criss, Jim Parsons, Jake Picking, Samara Weaving, and Jeremy Pope.

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“It was extremely daunting to play someone who’s such an icon and such a hero,” admits Jake Picking about taking on the role of Rock Hudson in the Netflix limited series, “Hollywood.” The period drama from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan takes a revisionist look at Hollywood in the 1940s and features an all star cast including Emmy-winners Darren Criss, Jim Parsons, Holland Taylor, Dylan McDermott and Patti Lupone. In our exclusive video interview (watch above), Picking discusses the tragedy of Hudson and the show’s hopeful outlook.

SEEEmmys flashback: 21 years after winning for ‘The Practice,’ Holland Taylor could earn bookend trophy for ‘Hollywood’ [Watch]

Picking began his research with watching many of Hudson’s films such as “Pillow Talk” and “Magnificent Obsession.” As he began reading about Hudson, Picking tried to “delve into the personal relationships with his family,” something that surprised the actor. “I was just trying to...

Vulture Watch

Could this fantasy series have a sequel? Has the Hollywood TV show been cancelled? Renewed for a second season on Netflix? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Hollywood, season two. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you?  

What's This TV Show About?

Streaming on the Netflix subscription service, Hollywood stars Darren Criss, Jeremy Pope, David Corenswet, Holland Taylor, Samara Weaving, Dylan McDermott, Laura Harrier, Patti LuPone, Jake Picking, Jim Parsons, Maude Apatow, and Joe Mantello. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the show takes place post-World War II in Tinseltown and follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers as they try to "make it" -- no matter the cost. Following each character,...

Will these dreamers get their happy endings in the first season of the Hollywood TV show on Netflix? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like Hollywood is cancelled or renewed for season two. Netflix and other streaming platforms, however, collect their own data. If you've been watching this TV series, we'd love to know how you feel about the first season episodes of Hollywood here.

A Netflix A historical drama series, Hollywood stars Darren Criss, Jeremy Pope, David Corenswet, Holland Taylor, Samara Weaving, Dylan McDermott, Laura Harrier, Patti LuPone, Jake Picking, Jim Parsons, Maude Apatow, and Joe Mantello. Created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, the show takes place post-World War II in Tinseltown and follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers as...

To love classic Hollywood and live in the world at the same time is hardly the greatest of conundrums, but a conundrum it is. It means being transported by the craft and the art of films made under political conditions one may find entirely unacceptable, or engaging deeply with characters who all look a certain way at the exclusion of so many others, or finding subtleties in the shadows left by the things the movies dared not allow themselves say. To name a single example: “Gone With the Wind,” shockingly ahead of its time as a piece of spectacle and utterly contemporary in its antiheroine lead, also reflected on the glories of the antebellum South. Its supporting turn by Hattie McDaniel, one that won a pathbreaking Oscar and has been remembered for generations, represents, too, a gifted actor being told that all she can do in a too-short career is play a maid.

“Movies don’t just show us how the world is — they show us how it can be,” director Raymond Ansley (Darren Criss) argues in the new Netflix miniseries Hollywood. This isn’t just his mission statement, but that of Hollywood’s creators, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan. The seven-episode tale is equal parts love letter to the films of the Forties and fantasy about how much more inclusive showbiz could have been back then — and how different the real world might have been as a result.

We begin in postwar L.

This Hollywood review contains no spoilers is based on all seven episodes.

There are two ideas that sum up what Hollywood means to Ryan Murphy, both the place and the new television series he named after it. The first is stated with cynicism by Dylan McDermott, who previously starred in Murphy’s American Horror Story: “The movies hawk an image of wholesome American virtue, right? But the folks making those movies [are] rotten to the core.â€. And yet, in the same episode, Darren Criss (who starred in Murphy’s Glee) dreams aloud, “Movies just don’t show us how the world is; they show us how the world can be.â€.

On the surface, these two ideas appear diametrically opposed, but that’s Hollywood. And it probably should’ve been Hollywood too, considering the new Netflix series from Murphy and Ian Brennan happily attempts to recontextualize, and literally revise, the “Golden Age...

What would you do to climb the ladder in Hollywood? Would you help someone out or climb over them? What do the characters do in Ryan Murphy's Hollywood? See for yourself in the first look at the opening credits for the new Netflix limited series. Starring a mix of veteran Murphy-verse players such as The Politician standout David Corenswet, American Crime Story and Glee star Darren Criss, Patti LuPone and American Horror Story's Dylan McDermott, as well as a mix of new players including Samara Weaving, Laura Harrier and Jake Picking, Hollywood is set in the post-World War II world and follows a group of entertainment players trying to make it...