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Free-spirited mom. Strict mother. Abused wife. Boozing adulteress. Mousy governess. Strong-willed nomad. With her talent for deadpan delivery and with one of the most expressive faces in the industry, Frances McDormand has created a treasure trove of complex and diverse characters over the past 40 years, earning numerous accolades along the way.

McDormand was born Cynthia Ann Smith on June 23, 1957, and was adopted when she was a year-and-a-half old and renamed Frances Louise McDormand. After studying theater, including receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale School of Drama, she quickly made a name for herself on stage, as well as in film and television.

In 1984, McDormand made her film debut in “Blood Simple,” the first film made by her new husband Joel Coen and his brother Ethan Coen. She has collaborated with the brothers in seven other films, including her first Oscar-winning performance in “Fargo” (1996). In addition to her film work,...

It’s been a very busy April on Broadway, and it’ll wrap with the 77th Tony Awards nominations announcement next week. And word came today that Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Renée Elise Goldsberry will reveal the list at 9 a.m. Et Tuesday, April 30, with a livestream running the Tonys’ YouTube page.

That will be after a selection of categories is read live on CBS Mornings at 8:30 a.m. Et/5:30 Pt.

Ferguson is a five-time Emmy nominee for Modern Family and won a 2022 Tony for Take Me Out. He also is an author, producer and Dinner on Me podcast host who also is known for his ongoing advocacy in the Lgbtqia+ community.

Goldsberry won a Tony and a Grammy as part of the original Broadway cast of Hamilton and scored a Primetime Emmy nom for Disney+’s filmed version of the musical. Her Broadway credits also include Rent,...

Pharrell appears to be celebrating his 51st birthday today, April 5, with a gift to fans — a new album that’s totally free to stream and download through one specific website.

To say there aren’t many confirmable details about the 10-track project is an understatement. Based purely on the album artwork, the project appears to be called Black Yacht Rock Vol. 1: City of Limitless Access and might be credited to a group called Virginia — though, for all we know, Virginia is part of the title.

And while it’s...

Miley Cyrus and Pharrell Williams are back with their latest collaboration: “Doctor (Work It Out),” a funky love song that’s finally arrived years after the two artists first began working on it.

Reportedly first written for Cyrus’ 2013 album Bangerz, “Doctor (Work It Out)” is the fifth collaborative track between the “Flowers” singer and Pharrell, and their first to be a released in a decade. The song was initially scrapped, but picked up again and re-recorded in 2023.

Musically, it’s a lustful bop that combines Pharrell’s knack for easy-flowing pop with Cyrus’ signature glam-twang, with a chorus that’ll easily get stuck in your head to boot. Along with its release comes a music video directed by Jacob Bixenman. Watch it below.

“Doctor (Work It Out)” arrives just under a month after Cyrus’ big night at the 2024 Grammys, where she performed “Flowers” for the very first time on television...

Fusion Entertainment has signed Keith Kupferer, the veteran stage and screen actor whose new film “Ghostlight” premieres this week at the Sundance Film Festival. Kupferer has also recently been cast in a recurring role in the new MGM+ series “Emperor of Ocean Park” from John Wells, which is currently in production in Chicago. The thriller series is based on the best selling novel by Stephen L. Carter.

“Ghostlight” centers on Dan (Kupferer), a melancholic middle-aged construction worker, who is grieving a family tragedy. Cut off from his devoted wife, Sharon (Tara Mallen), and talented but troubled daughter, Daisy (Katherine Mallen Kupferer), Dan finds comfort a local theater production of “Romeo & Juliet” featuring a company of amateur actors. “Ghostlight” is directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson, who are also clients of Fusion Entertainment.)

Kupferer will also continue to be repped by the Grey Talent Group.

A seasoned stage performer,...

Mumford & Sons have collaborated with Pharrell on a new single, “Good People,” which marks the British rock band’s first new music since 2019. The group debuted the uplifting song yesterday during Pharrell’s Louis Vuitton menswear autumn/winter runway show at Paris Fashion Week.

Mumford & Sons — Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett, and Ted Dwane — recorded the song with Pharrell in New York and Paris. They enlisted Native Vocalists, a six-piece vocal choir from the U.S. and Canada hailing from Native American Tribes within the Northern Great Plains, to feature on the track.

Mumford & Sons have combined forces with Pharrell Williams for “Good People,” the group’s first slice of new music since 2019. Stream it below.

Built from a stomping groove, a soulful choir, and escalating chords, “Good People” is a rousing return to Mumford & Sons’ fire-and-brimstone, old-school-folk approach — though for this one, they’ve kept the banjo back at home. “Welcome to the revelation,” goes the Pharrell-led choir throughout, with frontman Marcus Mumford narrating “Good people/ Been down/ For so long/ And now/ It’s like the sun is rising” in the chorus.

A collaboration that no one asked for and few saw coming, Mumford & Sons and Pharrell notably connected at the latter’s Something In the Water Festival last year, where they cemented plans to record something together. In addition to the song’s production, Pharrell Williams fronts the choir comprised of the Native Vocalists, a six-piece vocal group featuring members...

For every albums-worth of music released by coveted pop producers, countless other records are left on the cutting room floor — verses that never build into anything more, choruses that loop over a beat but formulate an entire song, original demos that completely transform throughout the creation process. Beyond the occasional online leak, most of these songs never make it off whatever hard drive they’ve been stored on. But when Pharrell Williams took up the mantel at Louis Vuitton, he brought his files with him and waited for the perfect...

Exclusive: Levity Talent has brought in J.P. Buck and Emily Noonan to serve as manager-producers, Deadline has learned.

In a statement on the hirings, Levity Founding Partner Judi Marmel said, “As Levity continues to grow year over year, our goal remains to bring the brightest comedy minds into one place to work with our talent and our brand. Having worked closely with both J.P. and Emily over the past decade, I’m beyond inspired to now work with them daily and help accelerate and grow our client’s careers.”

A veteran producer, Buck’s career has spanned comedy, unscripted, talk, and game formats and has been built on spotlighting the next generation of domestic and international talent for the comedy industry through festival showcases, late-night appearances, and debut stand-up specials. He joins from Team Coco, where he spent the past 15 years. During his time at Conan O’Brien’s company,...

Tom Wilkinson, a character actor who was also adept when called upon to play leading parts, has died. The charismatic performer, able to embody both warm, relatable heroes and cunning villains, was 75.

Born in Leeds before moving to Canada and then Cornwall in childhood, Wilkinson knew he was destined to work in entertainment at the age of 18 when he was asked to direct a play.

He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) before forging a career in theatre, film and TV. In 1986, he got his first major screen role in mini-series First Among Equals, based on politician-turned-author Jeffrey Archer’s best-selling novel.

That kicked off a successful career on screens big and small, with his film resume including the likes of Shakespeare In Love, Batman Begins, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Girl With A Pearl Earring, The Patriot, Selma, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind,...

British actor Tom Wilkinson, who won a Bafta for his work in The Full Monty and was Oscar-nominated for Michael Clayton and In The Bedroom, has died at 75 on Saturday. No cause was given.

“It is with great sadness that the family of Tom Wilkinson announce that he died suddenly at home on December 30,” said a statement from his agent. “His wife and family were with him. The family asks for privacy at this time.”

He also starred in 1998’s Shakespeare in Love, Christopher Nolan’s 2005 Batman Begins, and 2011 thriller Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

He was also in the Disney+ streaming series of The Full Monty, reprising his role as factory foreman Gerald Cooper.

His film resume includes The Grand Budapest Hotel and Girl with a Pearl Earring among more than 130 film and TV credits.

He also won an Emmy for playing Benjamin Franklin in 2008 mini-series John Adams and...

Two of the highest-profile independents on the Spanish-language movie scene, Colombia’s 64-a Films and Spain’s Latido Films, are teaming to develop, produce and distribute premium TV and platform series.

Playing to their complementary expertise, Latido and 64-a will co-develop and co-produce titles, with 64-a overseeing physical production and Latido spearheading distribution.

Much of 64-a and Latido’s first development slate will be presented to potential partners at MipCancun, which kicks off Tuesday evening in Mexico, running Nov. 16-19.

Designed by 64-a founder Diego F. Ramírez and Juan Torres, Latido Films director of sales, the production alliance builds on the partners’ collaboration on two of the most successful of recent movie titles: Laura Mora’s feature debut “Killing Jesus,” a fest favorite sold to 40 countries; and Carlos Moreno’s “Lavaperros,” a Netflix Top 10 hit across Latin America.

First projects, unveiled to Variety in exclusivity, are squarely aimed at the...

Frances McDormand won best actress at Sunday’s Academy Awards for portraying Fern, a woman who takes to the road after the plant in her small-town closes down, in “Nomadland.” It’s McDormand’s third win in the category, tying her with Meryl Streep and Ingrid Bergman, who each have three victories and within striking distance of the current record-holder, Katharine Hepburn, who has four statues.

In her acceptance speech, McDormand suggested that there should have been a karaoke bar at the ceremony, and quoted the Shakespeare play “Macbeth.”

“I have no words: my voice is in my sword,” McDormand said, quoting Macduff as he fights Macbeth. She then continued in her own words: “We know the sword is our work, and I like work. Thank you for knowing that, and thanks for this.”

In an unusual turn of events, McDormand’s award for best actress was handed out after...

Free-spirited mom. Strict mother. Abused wife. Boozing adulteress. Mousy governess. Strong-willed nomad. With her talent for deadpan delivery and with one of the most expressive faces in the industry, Frances McDormand has created a treasure trove of complex and diverse characters over the past 40 years, earning numerous accolades along the way.

McDormand was born Cynthia Ann Smith on June 23, 1957, and was adopted when she was a year-and-a-half old and renamed Frances Louise McDormand. After studying theater, including receiving a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale School of Drama, she quickly made a name for herself on stage, as well as in film and television.

SEEOscar Best Actress Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History

In 1984, McDormand made her film debut in “Blood Simple,” the first film made by her new husband Joel Coen and his brother Ethan Coen. She has collaborated with the brothers in seven other films, including...

Three of Argentina’s foremost auteurs – “Rojo’s” Benjamin Naishtat, “The Third Side of the River’s” Celina Murga, and “Two Shots Fired’s” Martin Rejtman – will present new movie projects at a 9th Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum, the industry centerpiece at this year’s San Sebastian Film Festival.

They will be joined by up-and-coming directors such as “The Heiresses’” Marcelo Martinessi, “The Sharks’” Lucia Garibaldi and “The Future Perfect’s” Nele Wohlatz in a lineup that is long on strong and fairly established Argentine talent, has a clutch of new Colombian directors, and presses the urgent social-issue concerns that have come to characterize Latin American cinema.

Catapulted to fame when Martin Scorsese executive produced “The Third Side of the River,” Murga will present “The Smell of Freshly Cut Grass,” a high-concept gender drama starring “Paulina’s” Dolores Fonzi and co-written with partner and fellow film director Juan Villegas (“Las...

Colombian director and co-writer Franco Lolli wowed at Cannes in 2014 with his drama film Gente de bien (Decent People.) Now he returns with perhaps his most personal film yet, casting his cousin and his mother in melodrama Litigante.

Silvia is a woman caught on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Raising her young son alone, her mother is battling with cancer and is constantly a source of contempt for Silvia. All the while, Silvia is a lawyer dealing with a major corruption scandal that could put her whole career in jeopardy. Could this all be too much for Silvia? Could she find respite in a blossoming relationship?

Lolli’s work here is not a grand or overtly emotional piece. It fits the melodrama genre very well. It is a small, quiet piece that is charged in places with these visceral moments. Lolli, working with this family members, keeps the action tight and close.

Single mother drama opened Critics’ Week at Cannes.

Curzon Artificial Eye has secured UK rights to Franco Lolli’s Litigante in a deal with Paris-based sales company Kinology.

The distributor plans to release the film exclusively on streaming platform Curzon Home Cinema (Chc) on July 3.

The second feature from French-Colombian director Lolli opened Cannes Critics’ Week in 2019 and went on to screen at Zurich, Gent, Chicago and Torino. It also received a theatrical release in France on February 19, ahead of cinema closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Filmed in Bogota, the character-driven drama revolves around a female lawyer facing a...

Exclusive: AMC has put in development The Burying Place, a thriller drama series based on Brian Freeman’s novel, from writer Kelly Masterson (Killing Kennedy), director David Semel (Goliath), producer Aaron Kaplan (A Million Little Things) and his Kapital Entertainment and AMC Studios.

Written by Masterson, The Burying Place is set in the haunting North Country of Minnesota, where a baby vanishes from her lakeside home. That same night, a rookie policewoman stumbles onto a serial killer. Against a ticking clock, Detective Jonathan Stride, haunted by demons of his own, leads fellow Detectives Serena Dial and Maggie Bei as they struggle to unravel the seemingly unrelated mysteries in a suspenseful game of cat and mouse.

More from DeadlineAMC Pushes Premiere Date For 'NOS4A2' Season 2, Stretches 'Creepshow' To Six-Week RunAMC Issues $500M In Debt To Stay Liquid; Shares Spike On U.S. Reopening Plan - Update'The Madonnas Of Echo Park' Drama From Julia Cho,...

Streaming online via video presentations from March 25, Series Mania’s experimental Digital Forum will make or break on the quality of its centerpiece, its Co-Pro Pitching Sessions. This year’s lineup, at least on paper, looks particularly strong.

Following, a break-down on the 16 originally selected projects:

“The Abduction of Yossele Shuchmacher” (Israel)

Co-created and to be directed by celebrated Israeli cineaste Eran Riklis, based on a notorious true case in 1961 and co-created by “Fauda” writer Moshe Zonder.-Backed by veteran producer Michael Sharfshtein, the title “blends an intimate, painful drama within a powerful social-political set up, wrapped as a psychological thriller,” says Riklis.

“The Black Lady”

An English-language six-part bio-series led by Brussels-based At-Prod about Madga Goebbels which author Hélène Duchateau describes as a “depressingly modern” miniseries: “Beyond Madga Goebbels’ unique experience, it echoes the growing populist trends in Europe and the processes of radicalization in our time.”

“Casa Girls” (France)

A comedic,...

In one of the first concrete instances of a new virtual TV marketplace building in Europe as a response to the Covid-19 crisis, Series Mania, which cancelled its 2020 edition in Lille, is instead launching Series Mania Digital Platform.

The Platform will feature video pitches of the 16 selected projects in the Co-Pro Pitching sessions, Series Mania’s industry centerpiece, Laurence Herszberg, founder and general director of Series Mania, announced Tuesday.

Other Digital Platform features take in selected events from the Ugc Writers Campus Pitching sessions, video pitches from the Franco-Israeli residency, “Coming Next From” sessions in collaboration with Sodec, Tvfi and German Films, and curated series from its Buyers Showcase.

The platform will be made available to an online audience of accredited industry decision-makers starting Wednesday March 25, the day the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions were programmed to take place in Lille, northern France, kicking off Series Mania’s three day industry Forum.

UK projects are Channel 4’s Adult Material and Sky’s Little Birds.

The line-up for the 2020 edition of Series Mania, which runs March 20-28 in Lille, has been unveiled.

The competition features the world premieres of two UK series’; Channel 4’s Adult Material, created by Lucy Kirkwood and starring Haley Squires; and Sophia Al-Maria’s Little Birds, which is based on the short story by Anais Nin, broadcast on Sky and starring Juno Temple.

Other highlights in the competition include Israel’s biggest budget drama series Valley Of Tears starring Lior Ashkenazi; German Netflix series Unorthodox from Anna Winger,...

In their new action comedy “The Lovebirds,” Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae go on the run from the cops and a web of creepy, dangerous people.

The first trailer for the film shows Nanjiani and Rae as a couple deeply in love when a man commandeers their car in pursuit of a criminal. But instead of arresting the bad guy, the man drives over him with their car and flees the scene, leaving the pair of them looking like murderers. They spend the day working to clear their name all in the hopes of salvaging their relationship.

“Who do you work for, you little bitch? You little bean-bag, ball-less bitch,” Rae says to intimidate a suspect. “Yeah, do you think about your grandma in that furry beanbag, bitch,” Nanjiani says as he tries to keep up.

Also Read: Issa Rae to Write, Star and Produce Feature Comedy 'Perfect Strangers' for...

Greg Kinnear has joined the cast of The Stand, an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel at CBS All Access.

Kinnear will play Glen Bateman. A widowed professor when the superflu hits, Glen Bateman was accustomed to a solitary life. When he encounters other survivors, his curiosity is piqued by Mother Abagail’s visions.

Kinnear joins previously announced cast members James Marsden, Amber Heard, Heather Graham, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, Owen Teague, Henry Zaga, Brad William Henke, Eion Bailey, Katherine McNamara, Hamish Linklater, Alexander Skarsgård and Whoopi Goldberg.

Written by Josh Boone and Ben Cavell, The Stand is King’s apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail (Goldberg) and a handful of survivors. Their worst nightmares are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg,...

The cast of “The Stand” at CBS All Access keeps getting starrier.

Greg Kinnear is the latest name to sign on for the Stephen King adaptation, joining Alexander Skarsgard, James Marsden, Amber Heard, and Whoopi Goldberg, among others.

“The Stand” presents an apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The fate of mankind rests on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old other Mother Abagail (Goldberg) and a handful of survivors. The streaming platform announced in August that the prolific author himself will write the final episode of the series, providing a “new coda” that goes beyond the book.

Kinnear will play Glen Bateman, a widowed professor when the superflu hits, who was accustomed to a solitary life. When he encounters other survivors, Glen’s curiosity is piqued by Mother Abagail’s visions.

The actor recently starred in the final...

Lee Daniels Entertainment and the online entertainment network Represent by Omv have launched a diversity-focused creative workshop to promote a diverse group of new writers.

The workshop will be held from Sept. 25-28 in Los Angeles, with travel provided by American Airlines. Industry professionals will mentor aspiring creatives from underrepresented communities with workshops, meetings with Lde and Represent executives and studio visits.

“It has been my goal to create opportunities for diverse creatives and to tell inclusive stories. I have always been about giving all creatives a chance and the Lde Creative Workshop is another step in driving diversity and inclusion in Hollywood,” said Daniels.

Aspiring writers looking to participate in the workshop must follow the submission guidelines, including following Lee Daniels Entertainment and Represent on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Applicants should also submit a 15 seconds Instagram or Facebook story video describing why Lde and Represent by Omv should select...

Exclusive: Whitney creator and 2 Broke Girls co-creator Whitney Cummings has signed with UTA.

The multihyphenate comedian, actor, writer, producer and director Cummings is best known for creating and starring in her self-titled NBC series Whitney, as well as co-writing and co-creating the Emmy-nominated series 2 Broke Girls, which ran for six seasons on CBS.

Up next, Cummings will release her Netflix stand-up special Can I Touch It on July 30. Her previous comedy specials received critical acclaim including HBO’s I’m Your Girlfriend, Comedy Central’s Whitney Cummings: I Love You and Money Shot, the latter which was nominated for an American Comedy Award.

Cummings is next set to star and executive produce the half-hour comedy Good People, which she co-created with Lee Daniels for Amazon. Her previous TV credits include roles in several comedy series including NBC’s Undateable, IFC’s Maron, Comedy Central’s Workaholics and Comedy Central Roasts,...

Exclusive: Lisa Kudrow is set to voice the title character in Therapy Dog, Fox’s animated presentation from writer-producer-actress Sharon Horgan, actress Clea DuVall, writer-producers Jennifer Crittenden & Gabrielle Allan and Aaron Kaplan’s Kapital Entertainment.

Written by DuVall, Crittenden and Allan, Therapy Dog is about a dog named Honey (Kudrow), a poodle mix with frizzy hair who has studied Carl Jung and loves tummy rubs. She leads group therapy sessions with the neighborhood animals as they work through issues with their owners and one another. At the same time, Honey tries to find joy in her stagnant marriage to a St. Bernard named Chief and becomes tempted by a wild coyote with a dangerous magnetism. SNL alumna Vanessa Bayer previously was attached to voice the character.

Fox

Kudrow has voiceover experience with an arc on Netflix’s BoJack Horseman and a lead role in Fox’s animated presentation Lyle & Caroline last year.

A week ago, Lee Daniels admitted a revival of Star “ain’t happening,” but today the co-creator of the now canceled music drama offered hope to fans pounding Fox for pink slipping the series.

“We will have something with some closure,” Daniels announced on social media Friday afternoon for the Jude Demorest, Ryan Destiny, and Brittany O’Grady-led series that got axed after three seasons in early May.

“You ain’t seen the last of Star, the hype savvy Oscar nominee added from what looked to be the busy set of the pilot of his Good People comedy. “We will have something that will make you happy.”

Daniels also cautioned fans not to burn a bridge with Fox in their grieving over Star’s apparent demise: “It’s all business guys, I was lucky to have it and blessed to have it for three years.”

Take a look at the...

Exclusive: Former For Better or Worse star Tasha Smith is set as a series regular opposite Whitney Cummings and Lisa Kudrow in Good People, Amazon’s half-hour comedy pilot from Empire co-creator Lee Daniels and 2 Broke Girls co-creator Cummings, Amazon Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.

Written by Daniels and Cummings, Good People revolves around three generations of women — played by Kudrow, Cummings and Totah — working in the ombudsman’s office of a college that navigates the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class and gender.

Smith will play Shar Johnson, head of the campus health center. She and Hazel Miller (Cummings) are friends from when they went to college there. Shar is exasperated by PC culture and the focus on performative activism, instead of “real” problems...

Exclusive: Lee Daniels and his Lee Daniels Entertainment have teamed with Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone to develop a miniseries about dancer-singer-actor-musician Sammy Davis Jr., I have learned.

The project, titled Sammy, is still in preliminary stages, but I hear the producers are circling the 2003 book In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr. by Wil Haygood as source material.

For Lee, bringing Davis’ story to the screen has been a longtime passion; in 2013 there were reports about him eyeing a movie about the former Rat Pack-er that was in the works at HBO.

Meanwhile, Playtone brings in a strong track record with a slew of Emmy-winning miniseries including Band Of Brothers, The Pacific, John Adams and Olive Kitteridge.

There have been multiple attempts at a Sammy Davis, Jr. biopic, most recently a project set at Paramount Pictures last year with producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Lionel Richie...

Josie Totah has joined the cast of “Good People,” the Amazon comedy pilot from Lee Daniels and Whitney Cummings.

Adding to a cast that also includes Greg Kinnear and Martin Short, Totah will star opposite Cummings and Lisa Kudrow as Tallulah, who is described as “a confident, perhaps ‘overly woke’ Generation Z student liaison in the ombudsman’s office. If she wasn’t so smart, you’d think she was entitled because she has no problem challenging the older women she works for and educating them when it comes to social injustice.”

Per Amazon, the half-hour comedy follows three generations of women working in the Ombudsman’s office of a college and navigating “the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations, and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class and gender.”...

Exclusive: Josie Totah is set as a lead opposite Whitney Cummings and Lisa Kudrow in Good People, Amazon’s half-hour comedy pilot from Empire co-creator Lee Daniels and 2 Broke Girls co-creator Cummings, Amazon Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.

Written by Daniels and Cummings, Good People revolves around three generations of women — played by Kudrow, Cummings and Totah — working in the ombudsman’s office of a college that navigates the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class and gender.

Totah plays Tallulah, a confident, perhaps “overly woke” Generation Z student liaison in the ombudsman’s office. If she wasn’t so smart, you’d think she was entitled because she has no problem challenging the older women she works for and educating them when it comes to social injustice.

Pretty Little Liars teacher Ian Harding is headed back to school: The actor has joined the cast of Amazon’s college-set comedy pilot Good People, from writers/producers Lee Daniels (Empire) and Whitney Cummings (2 Broke Girls), our sister site Deadline reports.

The project — which also stars Cummings, Lisa Kudrow, Greg Kinnear and Marin Short — follows three generations of women working in a university ombudsman’s office who are trying to navigate the current cultural climate. Harding will play the assistant college football coach who has a complicated past with Cummings’ character.

Harding most recently appeared in an arc on NBC’s Chicago Med.

Exclusive: Pretty Little Liars fan favorite Ian Harding is set as a series regular opposite Whitney Cummings in Good People, Amazon’s half-hour comedy pilot from Empire co-creator Lee Daniels and 2 Broke Girls co-creator Cummings, Amazon Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.

Written by Daniels and Cummings, Good People revolves around three generations of women working in the ombudsman’s office of a college that navigates the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class and gender.

Harding plays Will, the assistant college football coach who has a complicated past with Hazel (Cummings) but nevertheless will help her navigate school politics as she tries to dismantle offensive monuments and mascots on campus.

Lisa Kudrow, Greg Kinnear and Martin Short co-star. Cummings, Daniels and Kudrow executive produce. Daniels also directs.

Martin Short has joined the cast of “Good People,” the Amazon comedy pilot from Lee Daniels and Whitney Cummings.

He joins recently cast Greg Kinnear and Lisa Kudrow, as well as Cummings, who will star, direct and co-write. Per Amazon, the half-hour comedy follows three generations of women working in the Ombudsman’s office of a college and navigating “the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations, and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class and gender.”

Short will play Dean Ed Brown, who is described as “the self-satisfied Dean of Sacramento University who has no concept of what’s appropriate. He is of the ‘old guard’ in terms of how he sees the world, and his casual sexism causes constant problems for the Ombudsman’s office.”

Also Read: Lisa Kudrow Cast in Amazon's Comedy...

Looks like Sandra’s movement to unionize Cloud 9 is gaining even more momentum: Superstore has promoted Kaliko Kauahi, who plays the scene-stealing sales associate, to series regular for Season 5, our sister site Deadline reports. Kauahi has recurred on the NBC comedy since the first season.

In the show’s Season 4 ender, Sandra rallied her colleagues to unionize, and then got engaged to her secret boyfriend Jerry. Creator Justin Spitzer is hopeful that rival Carol will not thwart a wedding, telling TVLine in a post-mortem Q&A, “I don’t know how she can stand in the way, though she...

Lee Daniels and Whitney Cummings are assembling an all-star cast for their Amazon comedy pilot Good People.

Martin Short is the latest actor to join the project, following on the heels of Lisa Kudrow and Greg Kinnear (co-creator Cummings also has an onscreen role).

Good People is set at a university and focuses on three generations of women working in the school ombudsman's office, headed by Kudrow's character. It will follow them as they "navigate the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations, and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues ...

Greg Kinnear joined the cast of “Good People,” the Amazon comedy pilot from Lee Daniels and Whitney Cummings.

“Good People” stars Lisa Kudrow and Cummings, who will also direct and co-write. Per Amazon, the half-hour comedy follows three generations of women working in the Ombudsman’s office of a college and navigating “the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations, and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class and gender.”

Kinnear will play Dr. Paul Keating, described as “the incredibly charismatic and charming philosophy professor at Sacramento University. He’s Indiana Jones meets Joan Didion. He causes problems for Lynn Steele (Kudrow) and Hazel Miller (Cummings) because of his unorthodox methods of teaching and refusal to acquiesce to ‘PC’ rules.”

Also Read: Lisa Kudrow Cast in Amazon's Comedy Pilot From Lee Daniels and Whitney Cummings

Kudrow will play Lynn Steele,...

Greg Kinnear has signed on to star in the Amazon comedy pilot from Lee Daniels and Whitney Cummings, Variety has learned.

Kinnear joins previously announced cast members Lisa Kudrow and Cummings, the latter of whom is co-writing the series with Lee Daniels in addition to starring and executive producing.

Titled “Good People,” the half-hour project centers on three generations of women working in the Ombusdmans office of a college navigate the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations, and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class, and gender.

Kinnear will play Dr. Paul Keating, described as the incredibly charismatic and charming philosophy professor at Sacramento University. He’s Indiana Jones meets Joan Didion. He causes problems for Lynn Steele (Lisa Kudrow) and Hazel Miller (Whitney Cummings) because of his unorthodox methods of teaching and refusal to acquiesce to “PC” rules.

Greg Kinnear is set as the male lead opposite Lisa Kudrow in Good People, Amazon’s half-hour comedy pilot from Empire co-creator Lee Daniels and 2 Broke Girls co-creator Cummings, who also stars, Amazon Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.

Written by Daniels and Cummings, Good People revolves around three generations of women working in the ombudsman’s office of a college that navigates the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class and gender.

The Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning Kinnear will play Dr. Paul Keating, the incredibly charismatic and charming philosophy professor at Sacramento University. He’s Indiana Jones-meets-Joan Didion. He causes problems for Lynn Steele (Kudrow) and Hazel Miller (Cummings) because of his unorthodox methods of teaching and refusal to acquiesce to “PC” rules.

Kudrow, Cummings and Daniels executive produce.

Lisa Kudrow has been cast in Lee Daniels and Whitney Cummings’ comedy pilot “Good People” from Amazon Studios.

Per Amazon, the half-hour comedy revolves around three generations of women working in the Ombudsman’s office of a college and navigating “the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations, and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class and gender.”

Kudrow will play Lynn Steele, “The University Ombudsman, a tired, mercurial force of nature who finds herself being seen as out of touch by millennials, even though she has been a champion of women her entire career.”

The “Friends” star will executive-produce along with Cummings and Daniels, who will also write. Cummings will direct the pilot. “Good People” is produced by Amazon Studios and Fox 21 Television Studios.

Cummings is set to star in the pilot.

This...

Lisa Kudrow has signed on to star in and executive produce the comedy pilot “Good People” currently in the works at Amazon, Variety has learned.

The half-hour project hails from writers and executive producers Whitney Cummings and Lee Daniels. It centers on three generations of women working in the Ombusdmans office of a college navigate the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations, and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class, and gender.

Kudrow will play Lynn Steele, The University Ombudsman. She is described as a tired, mercurial force of nature who finds herself being seen as out of touch by millennials, even though she has been a champion of women her entire career.

Kudrow is best known for playing Phoebe on the seminal sitcom “Friends.” She was nominated for six Emmy Awards for her role on the show,...

Lisa Kudrow is headed to Amazon.

The Emmy-winning actress (Friends) has signed on to star in a comedy pilot called Good People from creators Lee Daniels and Whitney Cummings. She also will be an executive producer along with Daniels and Cummings.

Good People is set in a college ombudsman's office, where three generations of women working there "navigate the current cultural climate, the concept of feminism across different generations and the struggle to reconcile socially constructed ideas with current ethical views regarding complex issues such as sex, race, class and gender," per Amazon's logline.

Kudrow's character, Lynn ...

The Egot — an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony — is the greatest honor in entertainment. These stars are (or were) close to achieving it.

Jack Albertson

Anne Bancroft

Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982)Emmy: Single Performance by an Actress, “Startime” (1960); Actress in Limited Series or Special, “A Woman Called Golda” (1982).Oscar: Actress, “Gaslight” (1944); Actress, “Anastasia” (1956); Supporting Actress, “Murder on the Orient Express” (1974).Tony: Actress (Dramatic), “Joan of Lorraine” (1947).No Grammys to Egot.

Shirley Booth

Ralph Burns Ellen Burstyn Viola Davis (1965 – ) Emmy: Actress in a Drama Series, “How to Get Away With Murder” (2015).Oscar: Actress, “Fences” (2016).Tony: Featured Actress in a Play, “King Hedley II” (2001); Actress in a Play, “Fences” (2010).No Grammys for Egot. Melvyn Douglas

Bob Fosse

Jeremy Irons (1948 – )

Emmy: Voiceover Performance, “The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century” (1997); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, “Elizabeth I” (2006); Narrator, “Big Cat Week” (2014).Oscar: Actor, “Reversal of Fortune” (1990).Tony: Actor in a Play,...

Nzingha Stewart doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t directing. Although she got her professional start working on music videos for artists including Jay-z, Common, and Joss Stone, she remembers forcing her brothers to be in her plays when they were children. In the past year alone she has directed episodes of “Major Crimes,” “Good Girls” and literally every Shondaland series from “Grey’s Anatomy” to its new spinoff “Station 19,” “Scandal,” “How To Get Away With Murder” and “For The People.”

With such a large and diverse body of work for the 2017-18 television season, what sticks out to you as a highlight?

It was the last episode of “Scandal” I did [entitled “Good People”]. Shonda [Rhimes] wrote that episode — which already you’re getting terrific writing when you get an episode by Shonda — but it was a very quiet, very interesting episode. Normally when you have episodic shows...

The animated feature has James McAvoy and Emily Blunt on its voice cast.

China’s Vision Film Entertainment has acquired animated feature Sherlock Gnomes from Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures (MGM) and has scheduled a July 6 theatrical release for the film.

Directed by John Stevenson and written by Ben Zazove, the film is a sequel to Gnomeo And Juliet, which grossed nearly $200m worldwide. The voice cast includes James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Maggie Smith.

Headed by CEO Ricky Qi, Beijing-based Vision Film recently handled the Chinese release of Alex Garland sci-fi horror Annihilation, which grossed around $10m last month,...

No acting category at the Oscars has had more repeat winners than Best Actress, with 13 performers claiming two or more statues. Now Frances McDormand is in a strong position to add her name to that list for her performance in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” As of this writing McDormand leads our predictions with odds of 2/13 based on the combined forecasts of more than 3,400 users who have entered their picks at Gold Derby. If our predictions prove true, McDormand would join the following repeat champs:

Ingrid Bergman: “Gaslight” (1944) and “Anastasia” (1956)

Bette Davis: “Dangerous” (1935) and “Jezebel” (1938)

Olivia de Havilland: “To Each His Own” (1946) and “The Heiress” (1949)

Sally Field: “Norma Rae” (1979) and “Places in the Heart” (1984)

Jane Fonda: “Klute” (1971) and “Coming Home” (1978)

Jodie Foster: “The Accused” (1988) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991)

Katharine Hepburn: “Morning Glory” (1933), “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967), “The Lion in Winter...

With her victories at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice, and SAG Awards, Frances McDormand (“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri”) has officially become the frontrunner with Gold Derby odds of 2/13 to win another Best Actress Oscar on March 4. It would mark her second victory at the Academy Awards after “Fargo” 21 years ago, placing her in third for the longest period between Oscar wins (behind Katharine Hepburn’s 34 years and Meryl Streep’s 29.) Watch her acceptance speech above from the 1997 ceremony as she sashays to the podium to receive the award from Nicolas Cage.

SEEOscar Best Actress Gallery: Every Winner in Academy Award History

“Fargo” remains one of the most acclaimed movies of the 1990s and was directed by her husband Joel Coen, who co-wrote and won the Oscar for original screenplay with his brother Ethan. Her character was Marge Gunderson, a pregnant policewoman who uncovers a homicide plot in Northern Minnesota.

The 2017 film “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri” has now placed its star Frances McDormand back on the in-demand list for actresses over a certain age. Long before this comeback, McDormand won the 1996 Best Actress award for her role in “Fargo” and also had supporting nominations for “Mississippi Burning” (1988), “Almost Famous” (2000), and “North Country” (2005). A second Academy Award could be hers on March 4, especially since she has already won at the Golden Globes, SAG Awards, Critics’ Choice and more.

McDormand is also part of an elite group of actors who have won the “Triple Crown of Acting.” That distinction is given to actors who have won all three of the major acting awards given: the Oscar, Emmy and Tony. McDormand won her Emmy for the HBO miniseries “Olive Kitteridge” in 2015. She was also nominated for another Emmy for her supporting role in the TV movie “Hidden in America” in 1997.

SEE2018 Oscars:...

The 2017 film “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” placed its star Frances McDormand back on the in-demand list for actresses over a certain age. Long before this comeback, McDormand won the 1996 Best Actress award for her role in “Fargo” and also had supporting nominations for “Mississippi Burning” (1988), “Almost Famous” (2000), and “North Country” (2005).

McDormand is also part of an elite group of actors who have won the “Triple Crown of Acting.” That distinction is given to actors who have won all three of the major acting awards given: the Oscar, Emmy and Tony. McDormand won her Emmy for the HBO miniseries “Olive Kitteridge” in 2015. She was also nominated for another Emmy for her supporting role in the TV movie “Hidden in America” in 1997.

Her Tony award came for her work on Broadway in the play “Good People” in 2011 for Best Actress in a Play. She had previous been nominated in that same...