(L to R) Frank Grillo and director James Gunn on the set of ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram account.
Preview:
Frank Grillo will join ‘Peacemaker’ for Season 2.
He’s playing Rick Flag Sr.
It’s a role he’ll also voice in the animated series Creature Commandos.
We already knew that genre favorite and all-round bad-ass Frank Grillo had made the leap from the MCU to DC for one of the first projects in James Gunn’s new vision for the DC universe of movies and TV series, as he’d been cast to voice Rick Flag Sr. in the animated series ‘Creature Commandos’.
Now, though, he’s taking Rick into live-action territory, as he’ll also play the character in Season 2 of ‘Peacemaker’, which was created by Gunn.
‘Peacemaker’ continues the story of Christopher Smith (John Cena), the violent, insecure vigilante who was first brought to cinema screens in Gunn’s 2021 ‘The Suicide Squad’.
The series broadened and –– yes, even deepened –– our understanding of the character, showing his fractured family background and even more neuroses. All the while introducing an alien scheme to take over the world and a group of other characters he interacts with.
Nothing has been revealed about what the second season will be about, though there were some dangling plot threads.
But with the presence of Flag Sr., we have one very big clue. Because in ‘The Suicide Squad’, Smith was ordered to stop Rick Flag Jr. (Joel Kinnaman) from delivering evidence to the press of the American government’s involvement in an alien conspiracy. He did so by killing him. You’d have to figure that Flag’s dad will come looking for a little vengeance…
Who is making ‘Peacemaker’?
(L to R) Frank Grillo and director James Gunn on the set of ‘Peacemaker’ season 2. Photo: James Gunn’s Instagram account.
Gunn wrote all of Season 1 and it appears he’s also scripted the vast majority of the second season, also. He directed five of that season’s eight-episode run.
And despite already being hard at work on ‘Superman’ (which is in production for an 11th July 2025 release), he’s somehow found time to direct several episodes of the new ‘Peacemaker’ season.
DC Studios’ ‘Creature Commandos.’ Photo: DC and Warner Bros.
‘Creature Commandos’ adapts Pat Broderick and| J.M. DeMatteis’ comic book series, and focuses on a black ops team of monsters assembled by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), led by Flag Sr. Among the characters we have the Bride of Frankenstein, Dr. Phosphorous, Eric Frankenstein, G.I. Robot and Weasel.
The show will launch on the Max streaming service later this year.
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When will ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 be on screens?
James Gunn has yet to announce when ‘Peacemaker’ Season 2 will arrive on Max, but in Eagly we trust!
Given all the recent casting, the tone certainly seems to be leaning in a comedic direction.
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What is ‘Minecraft’?
Minecraft game from Mojang Studios.
If you’re not in the game’s target audience, here’s what you need to know… ‘Minecraft’, from Swedish developer Mojang AB, allows you to create and shape an entire world, and by 2014 had sold more than 35 million copies across PCs, the Xbox 360, and mobile platforms. Much like with Lego, the only stories here are those created by users, who can choose whether to explore, create or fight with each other. There are also nocturnal monsters stalking the place, which you must deal with. It reached 100 million users just a few years after launch and helping spark Microsoft to acquire Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014.
Since then, it hasn’t been quite as much in the pop cultural zeitgeist (the likes of ‘Fortnite’ have tended to dominate), but it’s recognizable intellectual property.
What has happened with the development of the movie adaptation so far?
Jason Momoa as Dante in ‘Fast X’, directed by Louis Leterrier.
Around the time of the Microsoft purchase, Warners entered talks with prolific producer and director Shawn Levy, but his packed scheduled and slow development on the movie meant he never ended up in the director’s chair.
After Levy came ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ co-creator and self-avowed ‘Minecraft’ fan Rob McElhenney was next in line as director when the movie was still being planned as an animated release. He, like Levy, appears to have been the victim of scheduling, and has focused his video game-loving energies on co-creating and starring in Apple TV+’s ‘Mythic Quest’ series.
With ‘Wonder Woman’s Jason Fuchs sticking around for script work, the movie then targeted Steve Carell as a potential star but that also didn’t happen.
The most recent time that ‘Minecraft’ news showed up, it was with ‘Raising Victor Vargas’ Peter Sollett writing and directing.
“I think anybody that does any IP, they just want to avoid an ugly ‘Sonic’ situation [referring to the fan-hated original CG hedgehog from the movies]. just can’t disappoint the 10-year-olds, or they’re going to murder us.”
‘Minecraft’ is currently scheduled for release on April 4th, 2025.
Kate McKinnon attends the 89th Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood & Highland Center on February 26, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images).
Jennifer Coolidge in HBO’s ‘The White Lotus.’ Photograph by Fabio Lovino/HBO.
Preview:
Jennifer Coolidge in the latest addition to the ‘Minecraft’ movie.
Jason Momoa is starring in the film.
Jared Hess is directing the movie now in New Zealand.
Having walked on stage at the recent Emmy Awards to collect the trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in ‘The White Lotus’, Jennifer Coolidge has now landed a gig in a big upcoming film.
The comedy veteran will be bringing her particular style to ‘Minecraft’, which has been bulking up its laugh-grabbing side of late, with Jack Black the most recent addition.
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What is ‘Minecraft’?
Minecraft game from Mojang Studios.
If you’re not in the game’s target audience, allow us to brief you on the basics… The game, from Swedish developer Mojang AB, allows you to create and shape an entire world, and by 2014 had sold more than 35 million copies across PCs, the Xbox 360, and mobile platforms. Much like with Lego, the only stories here are those created by users, who can choose whether to explore, create or fight with each other. There are also nocturnal monsters stalking the place, which you must deal with. It reached 100 million users just a few years after launch and helping spark Microsoft to acquire Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014.
Since then, it hasn’t been quite as much in the pop cultural zeitgeist (the likes of ‘Fortnite’ have tended to dominate), but it’s recognizable intellectual property.
What has happened with the development of the movie adaptation so far?
Shawn Levy attends ‘The Adam Project’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on February 28, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for Netflix.
Around the time of the Microsoft purchase, Warners entered talks with prolific producer and director Shawn Levy, but his packed scheduled and slow development on the movie meant he never ended up in the director’s chair.
After Levy came ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ co-creator and self-avowed ‘Minecraft’ fan Rob McElhenney was next in line as director when the movie was still being planned as an animated release. He, like Levy, appears to have been the victim of scheduling, and has focused his video game-loving energies on co-creating and starring in Apple TV+’s ‘Mythic Quest’ series.
With ‘Wonder Woman’s Jason Fuchs sticking around for script work, the movie then targeted Steve Carell as a potential star but… well… that didn’t pan out
The most recent time that ‘Minecraft’ news showed up, it was with ‘Raising Victor Vargas’ Peter Sollett writing and directing. But with Jared Hess in charge, it has finally gotten in gear, with filming under way in New Zealand.
Who else is in ‘Minecraft’?
Jason Momoa as Dante in ‘Fast X’, directed by Louis Leterrier.
Jack Black is the newest actor joining the ‘Minecraft’ movie.
Jason Momoa is starring in the film.
Jared Hess will direct the film, with shooting starting shortly.
He was part of the voice cast for one of last year’s biggest hits, ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’, playing the villainous –– and musical –– Bowser. It looks like Jack Black is ready to stay with the videogame adaptation genre, as Deadline reports that he’s joining Jason Momoa in the ‘Minecraft’ movie.
While Deadline could dig up no details on the story, we do know that Jared Hess is in the director’s chair and shooting is scheduled to start this month in New Zealand.
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What is ‘Minecraft’?
Minecraft game from Mojang Studios.
If you’re not in the game’s target audience, allow us to brief you on the basics… The game, from Swedish developer Mojang AB, allows you to create and shape an entire world, and by 2014 had sold more than 35 million copies across PCs, the Xbox 360, and mobile platforms. Much like with Lego, the only stories here are those created by users, who can choose whether to explore, create or fight with each other. There are also nocturnal monsters stalking the place, which you must deal with. It reached 100 million users just a few years after launch and helping spark Microsoft to acquire Mojang for $2.5 billion in 2014.
Since then, it hasn’t been quite as much in the pop cultural zeitgeist (the likes of ‘Fortnite’ have tended to dominate), but it’s recognizable intellectual property.
What has happened with the development of the movie adaptation so far?
Jason Momoa in ‘Superpowered: The DC Story.’ Photograph by Courtesy of Max/Warner Bros.
Around the time of the Microsoft purchase, Warners entered talks with prolific producer and director Shawn Levy, but his packed scheduled and slow development on the movie meant he never ended up in the director’s chair.
After Levy came ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ co-creator and self-avowed ‘Minecraft’ fan Rob McElhenney was next in line as director when the movie was still being planned as an animated release. He, like Levy, appears to have been the victim of scheduling, and has focused his video game-loving energies on co-creating and starring in Apple TV+’s ‘Mythic Quest’ series.
With ‘Wonder Woman’s Jason Fuchs sticking around for script work, the movie then targeted Steve Carell as a potential star but… well… you can guess what happened.
The most recent time that ‘Minecraft’ news showed up, it was with ‘Raising Victor Vargas’ Peter Sollett writing and directing. But with Jared Hess in charge, it appears to be finally getting in gear.
Which is a good thing, since ‘Minecraft’ is currently scheduled for release on April 4th, 2025.
‘Mario’ and ‘Minecraft’ are not the only game adaptation that Black is part of –– he’ll be heard this year as robotic goofball Claptrap in the movie based on the ‘Borderlands’ game. That one will be in cinemas on August 9th.
In theaters on December 25th, ‘The Color Purple’ represents just the latest adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book following Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated 1985 drama and the 2004 stage play musical from which this new movie draws its inspiration.
Both the first movie and the stage musical are tough acts to follow, to say nothing of the impactful original novel. But, under the direction of Blitz Bazawule, the new film proves to be a powerful story driven by some excellent performances.
Though it has a lot to live up to, ‘The Color Purple’ does indeed work, breathing fresh, impressive life into the story as it did on stage.
It doesn’t hurt that the cast offer memorable performances, successfully selling the music side while also delivering on the dramatics. This is, at times an uncomfortable film to watch –– by design, since it tells the story of women facing horrific repression and racism while managing to push through.
Produced by Oprah Winfrey (who co-starred in the original), the latest take on the tale will have you reaching for the tissues and punching the air, sometimes at the same time.
While Marcus Gardley’s script makes some tweaks to both| Alice Walker’s novel and Marsha Norman’s musical book, they make sense for this merging of two formats and keep the new musical movie feeling of a piece with both previous versions.
You’ll be gripped by Celie’s story as she deals with an unwanted forced marriage to man who effectively treats her like a servant while satisfying himself elsewhere to separation from her beloved sister and all the other indignities loaded upon her.
Yet, aside from a couple of bravura sequences (one which takes place on a giant gramophone record is particularly effective and creative), the direction from Blitz Bazawule –– whose previous work includes thriller ‘The Burial of Kojo’ and Beyoncé’s ‘Black is King’ visual album –– is largely standard, which lets the performers shine.
It must be said, though, that the visual directorial side of the movie is the weakest aspect, largely rescued by the commitment of the people on screen. The big dance numbers are ably directed, but they don’t feel special in general.
As mentioned, this is a collection of veterans doing excellent work and star-making performances for some of the newer faces.
Prime among them is Fantasia Barrino, who makes her movie debut after success in the music and on stage, where she took over the Celie role in the musical. She’s fantastic here, bringing believable grief, pain, joy and resilience to the screen, her character’s journey giving her plenty to work with.
It’s not just her show, though: Danielle Brooks (of ‘Orange is the New Black’ and ‘Peacemaker’) also does great work as Sofia, making a complicated character (she’s initially presented as a verbally abusive loudmouth, but is given other shades to play as we dig into her story also) soar and fully making the role her own in a movie where there are a host of great turns. A sequence where the consequence of her actions turns out to be particularly tough is a real experience.
Taraji P. Henson, who sang to previously memorable effect in ‘Hustle and Flow’, is here blues singer Shug Avery, the vivacious subject of Mister’s (Colman Domingo) affection but soon becomes even more important to Celie in terms of inspiration and freedom.
The younger Celie and her sister Nettie are brought to winning life by Phylicia Pearl Mpasi and ‘The Little Mermaid’s Halle Bailey, and while their screentime is relatively short, they wring every ounce out of it, setting the foundation upon which Barrino builds.
Around the lead characters orbits a rogue’s gallery and men and others, especially Domingo as Celie’s wayward, dismissive husband, who is more than just a villain –– he has his own issues, including pressure from his father.
Corey Hawkins, as Sofia’s first husband, a man with dreams of opening a juke joint (for music and drinking), is a likeable presence among some much more troublesome male figures. Be under no illusion, though: this is the women’s’ film through and through.
Balancing the traumatic side of the story with redemption and elation, ‘The Color Purple’ will surely be a player in the awards season, particularly for its lead cast. It manages to tread the line between the original book, the first movie and the stage musical, this is a successful blend of the three and its own thing at the same time.
Is it the best musical of the season? We’ve a feeling the sheer inventiveness of ‘Wonka’ presents a challenge, but for classic old-school belted songs sharing space with deep drama and historical perspective, this one is hard to beat.
‘The Color Purple’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
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What’s the story of ‘The Color Purple’?
‘The Color Purple’ is a decades-spanning tale of love and resilience and of one woman’s journey to independence.
Celie (Fantasia Barrino) faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
Who else is in ‘The Color Purple’?
The movie’s cast also includes Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller in 2016’s ‘Suicide Squad.’
After scheming her way through both 2016’s ‘Suicide Squad’ and last year’s ‘The Suicide Squad’, not to mention two quick cameos in ‘Peacemaker’, Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller looks to become the focus of her own TV series.
According to Variety, Davis is in talks to return as Waller and to be an executive producer on the new series. Gunn, who is currently in the final stages of filming ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, won’t write or direct on the show, choosing instead to focus on the future of ‘Peacemaker’ itself and other projects he’s developing.
Instead, Christal Henry, who has worked on shows including ‘Watchmen’ (also for HBO Max), ‘The First’ and ‘APB’, will be the creative head, lead writer and executive producer of the Waller series, should it make it to production. Gunn will be involved, however, as an executive producer alongside regular producing partner Peter Safran.
Waller, for those who have somehow avoided both the ‘Suicide Squad’ movies and ‘Peacemaker’, is the ambitious, conniving civil servant and director of A.R.G.U.S. who established Task Force X, AKA the Suicide Squad, wanting to assemble a team of expendable metahumans who would be used to execute covert operations against even more dangerous threats.
Viola Davis as Amanda Waller in 2016’s ‘Suicide Squad.’
Gunn’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ introduced John Cena’s Christopher Smith, better known as Peacemaker, a bullish, dim-bulb hero whose stated mission is peace at any cost – even if it means killing everyone in sight. ‘Peacemaker’ developed the character in much more rounded fashion, exploring his traumatic, troubled past and seeing him confront a new enemy in the shape of alien butterfly creatures intent on taking Earth for themselves.
‘Peacemaker’, though it only featured Waller briefly, introduced some big changes into the storyline for the character as – spoiler alert – the finale saw her daughter, Leota Adebayo (played by Danielle Brooks) blow the whistle Waller’s actions and her attempts to frame Peacemaker to put him back behind bars.
That would seem to effectively close down Task Force X and other opportunities for Waller, who has always worked best in the shadows. The new series would presumably feature her attempts to deal with the fallout, and to get a new scheme and/or team into play. Brooks was entertaining and human as Adebayo, so hopefully she might also crop up in the new show.
This would by no means be Davis’ first TV series. She won an Emmy for playing brilliant criminal defense professor Annalise Keating on ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ and is currently to be found playing Michelle Obama on Showtime series ‘The First Lady’, which looks at the lives of various presidents’ wives, including Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt.
And Davis will also be back in theaters with ‘The Woman King’, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s historical action drama which sees Davis as Nanisca, ruler of the kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. That movie will be out on September 16th.
It took a remarkable amount of confidence for writer/director James Gunn to announce a spin-off from ‘The Suicide Squad’ based around John Cena’s Christopher ‘Peacemaker’ Smith, the numbskull vigilante whose entire credo is peace through any means – even if those means are killing anyone or anything he deems necessary.
Peacemaker wasn’t the most popular character on the ‘Squad’ crew, but, played with relish by Cena, he certainly made an impact, and Gunn hinted at more to come when the character survived near certain death.
‘The Suicide Squad’ itself didn’t do that well at the box office, partly due to the pandemic and because of its day-and-date launch on HBO Max. And when Gunn confirmed the series was in the works, plenty of people questioned the need for a show based around the character.
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How wrong they were. As it turns out, ‘Peacemaker’ is one of the more satisfying series of the year so far, and streets ahead of even some of the recent Marvel and Lucasfilm offerings.
Picking up as Smith is released from hospital, the show sees him thrown into a new mission, this time dealing with a threat from alien bug creatures that have taken over humans for their own ends.
Peacemaker is – somewhat unwillingly – teamed up with Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland) and John Economos (Steve Agee), who we met in more headquarters-bound form in ‘The Suicide Squad’. This squad is led by Clemson Murn (Chukwudi Iwuji), a special forces operative who has little time for interaction with his team. And then there’s the new recruit, Leota Adebayo (Danielle Brooks), who seems completely unprepared for the task in hand, but has a secret – she’s the daughter of ‘Squad’s Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), and a hidden agenda.
(L to R) John Cena and Danielle Brooks in HBO Max’s ‘Peacemaker.’
Tagging along are two of Peacemaker’s friends – pet and best pal Eagly (a fantastic CGI creation who has all the personality and humour you’d expect from a James Gunn project, even if he can’t talk) and Vigilante (Freddie Stroma), a cheery sociopath who enjoys killing people if he thinks it serves justice… Or just because.
This team, which redefines the term “rag-tag” must investigate and stop extra-terrestrials nicknamed “Butterflies” that have their own plans for humanity. Oh, and then there’s Christopher’s father, Auggie Smith (a foul-mouthed Robert Patrick), who is a racist, scheming White Supremacist who constantly belittles his son. These various sides will come into serious conflict – and not everyone will make it out alive…
‘Peacemaker’ works so well because Gunn has been given free rein to indulge his creative side, pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable on a superhero show, or indeed any TV series.
But far from simply being vulgar, bloody, and violent, the show is a potent combination of everything Gunn does so well. The humor and action are both excellent, but secondary to character growth. Every single member of the cast gets moments to shine – this is not simply Smith’s show. And everyone enjoys a complete character arc that finds them evolve and grow as the plot trundles along.
Gunn said when the show was originally revealed that he was looking to dig under Peacemaker’s helmet to find the man beneath, in a way that isn’t possible in a movie. And he certainly lived up to that claim – with Cena throwing himself into the role (literally, on occasion), Christopher Smith proves to be a far more complex person than the slaughter-happy idiot we meet in the ‘Squad’ movie.
He’s burdened by serious daddy issues thanks to Auggie’s toxic parenting, and still haunted by accidentally killing his brother (again, really his father’s fault). He starts to realize that his bullying, smug attitude is drawn from this background and begins to figure out how to be a better person.
Murn is a tough nut to crack, but Iwuji gives him layers, particularly later, and obviously left an impact on Gunn, who cast him in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.’ Brooks, best known to date for Netflix’s ‘Orange is the New Black’ shines as Adebayo, thrust into a world she’s (mostly) unprepared to handle, she figures out her place on the team and bonds with Smith over their shared parental problems.
Holland’s casting was controversial since she dates Gunn in real life, but anyone trying to cry nepotism need to take a long, hard look at themselves – freed from the confines of her ‘Squad’ duty, Holland really works as Harcourt, letting her initially chilly side melt as she interacts with her colleagues. Similarly, Agee is handed plenty to do than simply play a nervous nerd behind a computer, coming into his own heroic side with occasionally violent results.
John Cena in HBO Max’s ‘Peacemaker’
Stroma, meanwhile, doesn’t see his character change all that much, but that’s because Vigilante (real name: Adrian Chase) is so entertaining as a clueless goofball that to alter him might upset what makes the man work. Yet he also has a great arc that finds him drawing closer to the rest of the gang.
And then there’s Eagly, who is both a comedic gem and the beating heart that keeps Peacemaker grounded (even as he flies).
Yet the character work also extends to the supporting cast – Annie Chang’s endlessly miffed cop Sophie Song has a great line in insults, particularly for Auggie, and she’s backed up by gung-ho partner Fitzgibbon (played with a sweet nature by Lochlyn Munro). And when we finally meet the leader of the alien threat, they’re not simply a scheming, mustache-twirling villain (partly because they don’t have a mustache).
Along the way, there is so much to enjoy – hilariously rude riffs on other superheroes (Peacemaker has some seriously warped ideas on their behavior), some weird enemies (Christopher Heyerdahl as Police Captain Locke is a strange fellow even before he gets taken over by one of the alien bugs, and the performance clearly delighted his director, as he features in several extended moments) and some fun with rock and metal music. Oh, and seemingly in a dig at Marvel’s obsession with setting up other stories and characters, ‘Peacemaker’s end credit sequences only serve to add more jokes.
The path to the finale is a rollicking ride that never forgets to also have heart, and the last episode sticks the landing, with a couple of gigantic cameos that don’t feel out of place. Gunn skillfully weaves jokes and character touches into the story, and everything pays off at the end.
Though the first season ends with the threat largely vanquished and everyone in a very different place to where they started, the possibilities are endless for this series. Gunn wrote the entire first run and shared directing duties with Brad Anderson, Jody Hill, and Rosemary Rodriguez, but plans to handle it all for season 2.
If I were to guess as to what might happen? Peacemaker will continue his journey to become a better person (while still finding time to rock). Harcourt will become more of a leader. Adebayo will find more time for her wife (Keeya played by Elizabeth Faith Ludlow), and Eagly will continue to be the bright, shiny star of the series.
The entire series is now available on HBO Max. Be sure to watch the finale, as it features surprise cameos from several other popular DC Characters!
We still don’t have a premiere date yet for the upcoming fifth season of “Orange Is the New Black,” but the Screen Actors Guild Award-winning cast spilled some secrets about the new episodes while attending the ceremony this Sunday.
Several actresses spoke with E! News about “Orange,” and revealed some key details about what fans can expect from season five. And one of the biggest bits of intel, shared by Danielle Brooks (Taystee), concerns the time period that the episodes cover: The entire 13-episode season will take place over the course of just three days.
“[I]t will be very detailed, very intense, and you better get ready,” Brooks told E!. “Get your popcorn, your tissues, everything.”
That certainly sounds fitting after the way season four ended, following (SPOILER ALERT) the shocking, devastating death of Poussey (Samira Wiley) and the ensuing outrage among all the women at Litchfield. The finale closed on a tense cliffhanger confrontation between the inmates and the guards, with Daya (Dascha Polanco) pointing a gun at one of them.
In another interview with E!, Taylor Schilling (Piper) noted that season five was a direct reflection of the intensity of season four.
“I think the stakes are higher in this season than they have been in a while just by virtue of the compressed time and seeing people in compressed circumstance really raises the stakes,” Schilling said.
Laverne Cox (Sophia) echoed Schilling’s comments, adding that the new episodes will certainly live up to viewers’ expectations.
“It’s really, really good,” Cox told E! of season five. “What I can tell you is that I was just as excited as all the fans were to see what happens next. When I read it, it was incredible, when we shot it, it was…intense. It’s really, really intense. … [But] it still manages to have an irreverence and a spin that is funny and thoughtful.”
Season five of “OITNB” is set to premiere on Netflix sometime this summer.
But she canceled, apparently not feeling well, which Jimmy said was a particular blow to Guillermo, who was looking forward to seeing her. So they did a little sketch where Jimmy broke the news to his sidekick, and a lot of slapping ensued.
Kathy Griffin filled in for Halle Berry, who “hurt her back” (Kathy’s air quotes). Jimmy said he called Kathy Tuesday afternoon as a last-minute fill-in. Kathy took the opportunity to shade Halle a teensy bit and promote her 80-city tour.
Rob Corddry, who is on the new show “Ballers,” talked to Jimmy about his celebrity crush as a kid, Kelly on “Dance Party USA,” who turned out to be Kelly Ripa.
Once again, Jimmy referenced the Supreme Court’s same-sex ruling and said, ever since Friday, when he’s seen two people on the street, he’s been tempted to congratulate them, but he’s not sure if they are really a couple or just friends. So he sent his cousin Sal into the street to play “Couple or Friends?”
Jimmy also mocked Apple’s new product, which just asks for — nay, demands — your money. For nothing. Or something. Just pay.
The amazing “Orange Is the New Black,” talked to Conan O’Brien about how the Netflix show has the “coolest, most bold fans.” She has had people run up to her at stoplights and kiss her on the cheek. Conan said he does that to all women. Danielle told the story of being at the ATX festival in Texas and she was walking with some friends; two white women came up and crossed paths with them. One of the women whispered, “Yo, I think that’s Taystee.” And the other girl said, “Don’t be racist.” Danielle said she went back and said, “It is me, you’re not racist! I know all black people don’t look alike, but it’s me.” Haha. She took a picture with them and said they were really nice.
Danielle also mentioned how creepy it is when older men hit on her. Her acceptable age range is up to about 39-40. (She’s 25.) To Conan: “You got a cousin?” And here’s her awesome (NSFW) Taystee rap, which had to be bleeped out. Conan was abashed. “There’ll be no children’s parties for you.”
“Silicon Valley” star Kumail Nanjiani was also on “Conan” and discussed growing up in Pakistan. He tweeted an adorkable throwback photo — he thought it was cute, but it did not receive one compliment. He even memorized some of the insults, which were largely about the size of his head. A lot of people thought he just Photoshopped his current face onto a train conductor’s body. Poor guy.
Jimmy Fallon, Seth Meyers and James Corden are all on repeats this week. Tears!
Life in lockup is about to test the faith of many of your favorite “Orange Is the New Black” inmates, including the increasingly less self-defeating Taystee and the allegiance-shifting Big Boo.
The actresses behind those two fan favorite characters –- Danielle Brooks and Lea DeLaria, respectively -– admit they’ve been sworn to secrecy about how the third season of the Netflix sensation will shake down, but they risked a stint in showbiz solitary to offer some tantalizing clues about what’s in store for Taystee and Big Boo, along with revealing their own off-screen experiences with prison life and prison-themed entertainment.
On what’s ahead for their characters:
Danielle Brooks: I feel like Season 3 for Taystee is another whirlwind of change. She keeps growing every season, and she dealt a lot with Vee last season. And this season, we’re figuring out how she’s dealing with Vee being there -– or not being there -– and you’re definitely going to see her going through a transformation, without a doubt. And one that really threw me off! I kept going to the writers over and over, like, “Is this really what we’re doing?” And they’re like, “Yeah.” I’m like, “Are you sure this is the choice you want?” So it’s going to be exciting to see the evolution of her, because she is a child of the system, so she is constantly growing in prison. She’s becoming a woman in prison. So we get to see what that’s going to be.
Lea DeLaria: God, that’s such an actor answer. You’re such an actor, and I’m a standup comic. I don’t even think of any of that. Whoa…I’m like, “Big Boo, Season 3. She’ll be funny.”
Brooks: Your Season 3 is actually pretty dope. There’s so many times that I’ve watched you and another actor –- I’m not going to talk about that –- who worked closely together, and I’m just like, sneaking behind the chair like watching them work.
DeLaria: I do think that they’ve really, really gotten into an interesting place with Boo, and even more so. I have to say, like Dani, what I was having to do in season two, I was like, “Really? You want me to turn on Red? Really? You want Boo to do that? And is this right?” And it’s really interesting how that helped me explore who she was and the kind of loner existence that she had lived. So yeah, I think that they’re continuing to push that character and push the boundaries, really explore who she is as an individual in Season 3, def.
On what they feel sets the new season apart:
DeLaria: What I liked particularly about this season is that I’ve always felt that there are no sacred cows on our show, that we’re constantly pushing the envelope. We really go for it this season, I feel like. And I’ve got to give it up to Jenji [Kohan, the series’ creator] on that. Jenji’s always trying to say something with everything that she does. And she’s definitely making a statement about women, about the disenfranchised, about the prison system. All that’s going to continue and get deeper, maybe even a little darker.
Brooks: Yeah. I think you worded that perfectly. I mean, if I was to add anything to it, I would say, after speaking to Jenji in the top of Season 3 and asking her like, trying to pick her brain about what this is going to be, she just kept saying “This season’s about faith. It’s about faith.”
DeLaria: Really?
Brooks: Yeah. And I was like, “Really? I don’t think so.” But as the season started to reveal itself to me, it did start to make sense on why she chose that theme. And especially for a lot of characters when you’re always in survival mode, you do sort of have to reach out to some sort of faith, and I think that’s why they played on the theme this year of the candles for the promo key art. So yeah, I think that’s what it’s about Season 3.
On the new inmate Stella Carlin, played by Australian actress and model Ruby Rose, who stirs things up between Piper and the re-incarcerated Alex:
DeLaria: I don’t think we can say anything.
Brooks: All I can say is: bombs are dropped.
DeLaria: That was so good! What she said. Please, somebody attribute it to me.
On what they hear from actual inmates:
Brooks: I love everything about it because you know with social media, it’s so easy to reach out to your fans. But to actually get a handwritten letter from someone, that is so dope. But yeah, I do have a friend that is incarcerated, and I’ve written to him recently in hopes of receiving something back. But I’m waiting for that.
DeLaria: Although we’re not getting the fan mail, I have people stop me on the street who are involved with the prison system, and say that we’re getting it right -– that we’re getting it absolutely right. I figured we got it right when the Women’s Prison Association started following us on Twitter, right? I mean, that’s when I went, we must be doing it right.
On their own experiences behind bars:
Brooks: None. Thank the Lord.
DeLaria: I’ve been arrested in protests, you know, the standard kind of American that’s not really jail. That’s not really prison. That’s not really jail. You’re out in minutes. There’s always a group of you. You sing “Kumbaya”… When I was younger, in summer camp took us to a DJJ -– a Detention Juvenile Justice system -– to scare us straight, the young kids straight. But mine was not as intense as the ones on TV. The girls that I was with, these 13, 14-year-old girls were so dramatic. They handcuffed a few of us, and they’re passing out. It’s like, “I can’t breathe!” It was really dramatic. But we all turned out pretty good. But that’s the only experience I’ve had actually walking into one… A lot of the girls have gone to prison, in terms of acting [research].
DeLaria: Kate [Mulgrew] has, I know. And my research was watching “Lockup.” I’m just not that kind of actor who’s going to go to a prison and find my spine. [Points thumb at Brooks] She’s Miss Juilliard.
Brooks: I would have loved it. A) the process happened so quickly, that I found out maybe a week or a few days before I had actually started shooting. So I kind of just jumped right into it. There was no time to actually do that kind of research. But like Lea said, I watched so much “Lockup” and “Scared Straight.” And I watched it before getting the job -– me and my dad, strangely enough, but my dad works third shift, so when I would come home from college, we would stay up really late and watch prison shows. That was our thing. So strange, but we did. I guess we’re both intrigued with human nature and why we do things in this world that is so foreign to us. So I think I did my research before getting the part. It was done.
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We still don’t have a premiere date yet for the upcoming fifth season of “Orange Is the New Black,” but the Screen Actors Guild Award-winning cast spilled some secrets about the new episodes while attending the ceremony this Sunday.
Life in lockup is about to test the faith of many of your favorite “Orange Is the New Black” inmates, including the increasingly less self-defeating Taystee and the allegiance-shifting Big Boo.