Moviefone Editorial

Tag: The Player

  • Best Movies About the Entertainment Industry

    Seth Rogen in 'The Studio,' premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
    Seth Rogen in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.

    Hollywood loves telling stories about itself!

    Premiering on Apple TV+ March 26th is the new series ‘The Studio‘, which stars Seth Rogen as newly appointed studio head trying to navigate his way through Hollywood.

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    And returning to Max for its fourth season on April 10th is the award winning series ‘Hacks‘, which stars Jean Smart as legendary stand-up comedian, Deborah Vance.

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    In honor of the release of both series, Moviefone is counting down the 20 best movies about the entertainment industry.

    NOTE: For this list, we are including any film that revolves around the movie, television, radio, or music industries.

    Let’s begin!

    20. ‘Entourage‘ (2015)

    The cast of 2015's 'Entourage' movie. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    The cast of 2015’s ‘Entourage’ movie. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Movie star Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier), together with his boys, Eric (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Johnny (Kevin Dillon), are back…and back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven). Some of their ambitions have changed, but the bond between them remains strong as they navigate the capricious and often cutthroat world of Hollywood.

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    19. ‘The Artist‘ (2012)

    (L to R) Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo in 'The Artist'. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
    (L to R) Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bejo in ‘The Artist’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.

    Hollywood, 1927: As silent movie star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin) wonders if the arrival of talking pictures will cause him to fade into oblivion, he sparks with Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo), a young dancer set for a big break.

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    18. ‘Babylon‘ (2022)

    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in 'Babylon' from Paramount Pictures.
    Margot Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy in ‘Babylon’ from Paramount Pictures.

    A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

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    17. ‘Better Man‘ (2025)

    Jonno Davies as “Robbie Williams" in 'Better Man' from Paramount Pictures.
    Jonno Davies as “Robbie Williams” in ‘Better Man’ from Paramount Pictures.

    Follow Robbie Williams‘ journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.

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    16. ‘State and Main‘ (2001)

    (L to R) Rebecca Pidgeon and Philip Seymour Hoffman in 'State and Main'. Photo: Fine Line Features.
    (L to R) Rebecca Pidgeon and Philip Seymour Hoffman in ‘State and Main’. Photo: Fine Line Features.

    A movie crew invades a small town whose residents are all too ready to give up their values for showbiz glitz.

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    15. ‘Hitchcock‘ (2012)

    Anthony Hopkins in 'Hitchcock'. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.
    Anthony Hopkins in ‘Hitchcock’. Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures.

    Following his great success with ‘North by Northwest,’ director Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) makes a daring choice for his next project: an adaptation of Robert Bloch‘s novel ‘Psycho.’ When the studio refuses to back the picture, Hitchcock decides to pay for it himself in exchange for a percentage of the profits. His wife, Alma Reville (Helen Mirren), has serious reservations about the film but supports him nonetheless. Still, the production strains the couple’s marriage.

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    14. ‘For Your Consideration‘ (2006)

    The cast of 2006's 'For Your Consideration'. Photo: Warner Independent Pictures.
    The cast of 2006’s ‘For Your Consideration’. Photo: Warner Independent Pictures.

    The possibility of Oscar gold holds the cast and crew of an independent film in its grip after the performance of its virtually unknown, veteran star generates awards buzz.

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    13. ‘Ed Wood‘ (1994)

    Johnny Depp in 'Ed Wood'. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.
    Johnny Depp in ‘Ed Wood’. Photo: Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

    The mostly true story of the legendary “worst director of all time”, who, with the help of his strange friends, filmed countless B-movies without ever becoming famous or successful.

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    12. ‘The Disaster Artist‘ (2017)

    James Franco in 'The Disaster Artist'. Photo: A24.
    James Franco in ‘The Disaster Artist’. Photo: A24.

    An aspiring actor (Dave Franco) in Hollywood meets an enigmatic stranger by the name of Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), the meeting leads the actor down a path nobody could have predicted; creating the worst movie ever made.

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    11. ‘Saturday Night‘ (2024)

    (L to R) Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Jane Curtain (Kim Matula), Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman), Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott), Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), Alan Zweibel (Josh Brener) and Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) in 'Saturday Night'. Photo: Sony Pictures.
    (L to R) Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Jane Curtain (Kim Matula), Dick Ebersol (Cooper Hoffman), Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott), Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), Alan Zweibel (Josh Brener) and Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) in ‘Saturday Night’. Photo: Sony Pictures.

    At 11:30pm on October 11, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers changed television forever. This is the story of what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of ‘Saturday Night Live‘.

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    10. ‘My Favorite Year‘ (1982)

    Peter O'Toole in 'My Favorite Year'. Photo: MGM/UA Distribution Co.
    Peter O’Toole in ‘My Favorite Year’. Photo: MGM/UA Distribution Co.

    Fledgling comic Benjy Stone (Mark Linn-Baker) can’t believe his luck when his childhood hero, the swashbuckling matinee idol Alan Swann (Peter O’Toole), gets booked to appear on the variety show he writes for. But when Swann arrives, he fails to live up to his silver screen image. Instead, he’s a drunken womanizer who suffers from stage fright. Benjy is assigned to look after him before the show, and it’s all he can do to keep his former idol from going completely off the rails.

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    9. ‘Get Shorty‘ (1995)

    (L to R) John Travolta and Gene Hackman in 'Get Shorty'. Photo: MGM/UA Distribution Co.
    (L to R) John Travolta and Gene Hackman in ‘Get Shorty’. Photo: MGM/UA Distribution Co.

    Chili Palmer (John Travolta) is a Miami mobster who gets sent by his boss, the psychopathic “Bones” Barboni (Dennis Farina), to collect a bad debt from Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), a Hollywood producer who specializes in cheesy horror films. When Chili meets Harry’s leading lady (Rene Russo), the romantic sparks fly. After pitching his own life story as a movie idea, Chili learns that being a mobster and being a Hollywood producer really aren’t all that different.

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    8. ‘La La Land‘ (2016)

    (L to R) Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in 'La La Land'. Photo: Lionsgate.
    (L to R) Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in ‘La La Land’. Photo: Lionsgate.

    Mia (Emma Stone), an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.

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    7. ‘Bowfinger‘ (1999)

    (L to R) Steve Martin and Heather Graham in 'Bowfinger'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (L to R) Steve Martin and Heather Graham in ‘Bowfinger’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    On the verge of bankruptcy and desperate for his big break, aspiring filmmaker Bobby Bowfinger (Steve Martin) concocts a crazy plan to make his ultimate dream movie. Rallying a ragtag team that includes a starry-eyed ingenue, a has-been diva and a film studio gofer, he sets out to shoot a blockbuster featuring the biggest star in Hollywood, Kit Ramsey (Eddie Murphy) — only without letting Ramsey know he’s in the picture.

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    6. ‘Hail, Caesar!‘ (2016)

    Josh Brolin in 'Hail, Caesar!' Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Josh Brolin in ‘Hail, Caesar!’ Photo: Universal Pictures.

    When a Hollywood star (George Clooney) mysteriously disappears in the middle of filming, the studio sends their fixer (Josh Brolin) to get him back.

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    5. ‘Private Parts‘ (1997)

    Howard Stern in 'Private Parts'. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
    Howard Stern in ‘Private Parts’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

    The life and career of shock-jock superstar Howard Stern is recounted from his humble beginnings to his view from the top. Possessing a desire to be an on-air personality since childhood, Stern meanders through the radio world, always with his supportive wife, Alison (Mary McCormack), by his side. Landing a gig in Washington, D.C., Stern meets Robin Quivers, who will become his long-time partner in crime. When the two move to New York, they face the wrath of NBC executives.

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    4. ‘Boogie Nights‘ (1997)

    The cast of 'Boogie Nights'. Photo: New Line Cinema.
    The cast of ‘Boogie Nights’. Photo: New Line Cinema.

    Set in 1977, back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, idealistic porn producer Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds) aspires to elevate his craft to an art form. Horner discovers Eddie Adams (Mark Wahlberg), a hot young talent working as a busboy in a nightclub, and welcomes him into the extended family of movie-makers, misfits and hangers-on that are always around. Adams’ rise from nobody to a celebrity adult entertainer is meteoric, and soon the whole world seems to know his porn alter ego, “Dirk Diggler”. Now, when disco and drugs are in vogue, fashion is in flux and the party never seems to stop, Adams’ dreams of turning sex into stardom are about to collide with cold, hard reality.

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    3. ‘A Star Is Born‘ (2018)

    (L to R) Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in 'A Star Is Born.' Photo: Warner Bros.
    (L to R) Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga in ‘A Star Is Born.’ Photo: Warner Bros.

    Seasoned musician Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally (Lady Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer — until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

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    2. ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood‘ (2019)

    (L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.'
    (L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt star in ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’

    Los Angeles, 1969. TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), a struggling actor specializing in westerns, and stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), his best friend, try to survive in a constantly changing movie industry. Dalton is the neighbor of the young and promising actress and model Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), who has just married the prestigious Polish director Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha).

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    1. ‘The Player‘ (1992)

    Tim Robbins in 'The Player'. Photo: Fine Line Features.
    Tim Robbins in ‘The Player’. Photo: Fine Line Features.

    A Hollywood studio executive (Tim Robbins) is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected – but which one?

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  • TV Review: ‘The Studio’

    (L to R) Ike Barinholtz and Seth Rogen in 'The Studio,' premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Ike Barinholtz and Seth Rogen in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.

    ‘The Studio’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.

    Arriving on Apple TV+ with its first two episodes on March 26th (a further eight arrive weekly), ‘The Studio’ represents Hollywood poking fun at itself and looking for ways to show how ridiculous the business of moviemaking can be.

    It’s also the latest comedy from prolific duo Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who emerged from the Judd Apatow school of laughs to essentially build their own creative empire.

    Related Article: Seth Rogen Developing a Comedy About United Nations Employees For CBS

    Will ‘The Studio’ produce laughs for you?

    (L to R) Sarah Polley, Catherine O’Hara and Seth Rogen in 'The Studio,' premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Sarah Polley, Catherine O’Hara and Seth Rogen in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.

    Hooray for Hollywood! It’s a viper’s nest of giant egos, entitled talent, sweaty executives, million-dollar (and sometimes billion-dollar decisions), drugs, parties, glad-handing, disagreements about edits and a hundred tough decisions a day.

    There’s a movie in danger of going over budget! A star who just wants their way! A corporation really hoping that its latest film is a hit with the sort of audiences who don’t really care what it’s about, just that they recognize the names!

    If the scenario sounds familiar, it’s because it’s been seen in a swathe of movies and TV shows, most notably in the likes of 1992 Robert Altman effort ‘The Player’ and more recently with HBO’s ‘The Franchise,’ which tweaked the nose of the superhero film industrial complex (though couldn’t land all its punches and has been summarily cancelled after one season).

    ‘The Studio’ is essentially a blend of the two –– an old-school Hollywood farce but crossbred with current concerns such as exploiting IP.

    Script and Direction

    (L to R) Bryan Cranston and Seth Rogen in 'The Studio,' premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Bryan Cranston and Seth Rogen in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.

    Created by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg alongside Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck and Frida Perez (Gregory and Huyck took the lead as showrunners since Rogen was starring and co-directing every episode with Goldberg), this initially comes across as Hollywood Satire 101. So many of the beats feel familiar, even down to Rogen’s Matt Remick, the movie-obsessed executive who thinks his knowledge of Hollywood history will help him succeed in his dream job, only to be hamstrung by corporate concerns and uncooperative above-the-line folk.

    Trouble is, that carries over a lot into the rest of the series; while a couple of the characters are interesting and original, most are archetypes we’ve watched so many times before: the harried junior executive, the wacky PR person, the aggrieved former studio head.

    And as one episode in particular later on (one of the better examples of the show having a viewpoint), it can be hard to care too much about people struggling to make movies at this sort of level; worried for their jobs they might be, but they’re still earning big bucks.

    (L to R) Seth Rogen and Ron Howard in 'The Studio,' premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Seth Rogen and Ron Howard in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.

    Even as Rogen and co. try to make their issues relatable, they can’t quite get there. The show does at least have a few solid laughs, and as the season goes on, the focus shifts slightly to other aspects of the job (as mentioned, a later episode has Rogen’s Matt trying to defend his position that his job is as stressful as, say, a doctor’s), and the characters start to bed down and work more smoothly.

    Still, the final couple –– about which we won’t directly talk –– do fall back into old, predictable and somewhat tiresome patterns.

    Rogen and Goldberg are experienced directors at this point, with several movies under their collective belt. With a hefty Apple TV+ budget to spend, they’re clearly happy to experiment to a limited degree, pulling off continuous tracking shots here and there and giving the show some visual panache.

    Cast and Performances

    (L to R) Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders and Seth Rogen in 'The Studio,' premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders and Seth Rogen in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.

    As the heart of the series, Rogan is a variation on his relatively easygoing screen persona, albeit thrown into a tough new situation. He does sweaty, sweary desperation well, but is still overshadowed by some of his co-stars.

    Ike Barinholtz is good value as Sal Saperstein. Matt’s friend and fellow executive jockeying for position. In true Barinholtz style, he’s more of a “bro,” all about the party lifestyle and social climbing, but with a quivering vein of vulnerability.

    As ambitious young corporate ladder-climber Quinn Hackett, Chase Sui Wonders can be more of a sympathetic character, since she doesn’t hold so many of the cards. While her storyline is sometimes predictable, she’s fun in the role.

    Kathryn Hahn naturally steals scenes as Maya, the hyperactive, foul-mouthed marketing guru at the studio. It’s the sort of supporting comedic role that Hahn shines in, and she makes the most of the character.

    (L to R) Seth Rogen and Catherine O’Hara in 'The Studio,' premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Seth Rogen and Catherine O’Hara in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.

    Catherine O’Hara falls into a similar category of reliable performer, and here she’s Patty Leigh, the one-time studio head forced out and now ploughing her own course as a powerhouse producer. O’Hara brings just the right level of bitterness and comic creation to the role.

    Playing Griffin Mill, the boss of the studio even above Matt, Bryan Cranston is sadly saddled with the sort of blowhard corporate type we’ve seen so many of in the past. And naming the character after Tim Robbins’ role in ‘The Player’ just calls more attention to how this variation doesn’t quite work.

    On the cameo front, at least the ones we can talk about, Nicholas Stoller offers solid entertainment value playing a slightly more eager-to-please version of himself, while Martin Scorsese is largely there because he’s a Hollywood titan and is good at being gruff when needed.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogen in 'The Studio,' premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogen in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.

    Assuming you’re not familiar with everything from ‘For Your Consideration’ to ‘State and Main,’ ‘Bowfinger’ or ‘Tropic Thunder,’ then ‘The Studio’ will likely read as a fresh take on the entertainment industry to you.

    While it can’t compete with the best of those, when it switches focus slightly, it does offer more value. And if its comedic levels aren’t always the highest, it does have some solid gags and situations.

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    What’s the plot of ‘The Studio’?

    Matt Remick (Seth Rogen) is the newly appointed head of Continental Studios. He attempts to save the floundering company in an industry undergoing rapid social and economic changes.

    Who is in the cast of ‘The Studio’?

    • Catherine O’Hara as Amy
    • Ike Barinholtz as Sal Seperstein
    • Chase Sui Wonders as Quinn
    • Kathryn Hahn as Maya
    • Bryan Cranston as Griffin Mill
    • Ron Howard as himself
    • Martin Scorsese as himself
    • Olivia Wilde as herself
    • Steve Buscemi as himself
    • Greta Lee as herself
    (L to R) Seth Rogen, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders and Ike Barinholtz in 'The Studio,' premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.
    (L to R) Seth Rogen, Kathryn Hahn, Chase Sui Wonders and Ike Barinholtz in ‘The Studio,’ premiering March 26, 2025 on Apple TV+.

    Seth Rogen Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Seth Rogen Movies on Amazon

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  • Harry Belafonte Dies at Age 96

    Harry Belafonte in 'The Angel Levine.'
    Harry Belafonte in ‘The Angel Levine.’

    Harry Belafonte was born on March 1, 1927, in Harlem. He was later sent by his mother to her island of birth, Jamaica. When World War II broke out, he returned to New York and later enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He was honorably discharged and again returned to New York, where he worked several jobs before finding himself drawn to the Dramatic Workshop of the New School of Social Research under the tutelage of renowned German director Erwin Piscator, where he was classmates with the likes of Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis and Walter Matthau.

    Belafonte’s Music

    Music was where Belafonte made just one of his marks on culture and the world in general. His 1954 debut album “Mark Twain and Other Folk Favorites” reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200. His next two LPs, both released in 1956, would top the chart:

    His signature tune was “Banana Boat (Day-O),” based on a Jamaican folk song. It reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1957 and No. 2 in the UK. “Mary’s Boy Child,” from Calypso, topped the UK singles chart and reached No. 12 in the U.S.

    In all, Belafonte scored a half-dozen gold albums in the U.S., all of which also made the Top 10. His 1962 disc “The Midnight Special” featured one Bob Dylan on harmonica, marking the future legend’s first officially released recording. He won two career Grammy Awards and nine other nominations, including at the first three Grammys in 1958, 1959 and 1960.

    His Acting Career

    On the acting front, he was one of the first Black leading men in Hollywood, making a name for himself during the 1950s and ’60s. His movie resume includes ‘Carmen Jones’, ‘Odds Against Tomorrow’ ‘The Player’, and more, while his music adorns many a soundtrack from ‘Beetlejuice’ to ‘Paddington 2’.

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    Related Article: Cinematic Icon Raquel Welch has Died, Age 82

    His Life as an Activist

    An activist and social campaigner by nature, he was an early supporter of the Civil Rights movement and became a major figure in the American social and political history of the 20th century and a close friend and confidante of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

    “Belafonte’s global popularity and his commitment to our cause is a key ingredient to the global struggle for freedom and a powerful tactical weapon in the Civil Rights movement here in America,” King once said of Belafonte. “We are blessed by his courage and moral integrity.”

    Belafonte was a leading figure in ending apartheid, as well as freeing Nelson Mandela. When Mandela was eventually freed, Belafonte was chosen by the African National Congress to organize Mandela’s tour of America, and later was appointed by President John F. Kennedy to be the cultural advisor for the Peace Corps. In 1987, Belafonte became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, making him just the second American to do so.

    He is survived by his wife, daughters Shari, Adrienne and Gina and son David, and numerous grandchildren.

    Harry Belafonte in Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman.'
    Harry Belafonte in Spike Lee’s ‘BlacKkKlansman.’

    Harry Belafonte Movies:

    Buy Harry Belafonte Movies On Amazon

  • Louise Fletcher Dies Age 88

    Louise Fletcher in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.'
    Louise Fletcher in ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.’ Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. YouTube channel.

    Louise Fletcher, whose subtle, creepy performance seared a classic, conflicted movie villain into the public consciousness – and won an Academy Award in the process – has died. She was 88.

    Estelle Louise Fletcher was born in 1934 in Birmingham, Alabama. Her father was an episcopal priest and both of her parents were deaf. That would lead to an emotional element when she won her Oscar for ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’; she utilized sign language as part of her acceptance speech.

    Introduced to acting by an aunt she and her siblings spent a year and further summers with to ensure they learned to speak, she attended school at the University of North Carolina and then headed to Los Angeles, where she started to find acting work making guest appearances on shows such as ‘Bat Masterson’, ‘Maverick’, ‘The Untouchables’, ‘Wagon Train’, and ‘Perry Mason’.

    Yet after an uncredited movie debut in ‘A Gathering of Eagles’, she decided to give up acting and focus on family. It was Robert Altman who persuaded her to return to the screen for 1974’s ‘Thieves Like Us’. Her performance caught the attention of Milos Forman, who thought she might be right for ‘One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest’s rigid, rule-enforcing Nurse Ratched.

    In addition to the Academy Award, she became only the third woman to win the BAFTA and the Golden Globe for a single performance.

    Producer Michael Douglas, director Miloš Forman, Louise Fletcher, and Jack Nicholson from 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' at the 48th Academy Awards.
    (L to R) Producer Michael Douglas, director Miloš Forman, Louise Fletcher, and Jack Nicholson from ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ at the 48th Academy Awards. Photo courtesy of Oscars.org.

    A less fruitful period followed. Though she worked fairly consistently, she suffered typecasting, appearing as doctors, psychiatrists and authority figures in movies such as ‘Exorcist II: The Heretic’ and had the title role in ‘The Lady in Red’. She also appeared in ‘Strange Behavior’, ‘Strange Invaders’ the original ‘Firestarter’, ‘Invaders from Mars’ and ‘Flowers in the Attic’.

    She had more luck reuniting with Altman for Hollywood satire ‘The Player’ and working on ‘Blue Steel’ for director Kathryn Bigelow.

    Fletcher had more luck on TV, starring in TV Movies including ‘The Karen Carpenter Story’ and scoring an Emmy nomination for series ‘Picket Fences’ as a woman who rejects her deaf daughter (played by fellow Oscar winner Marlee Matlin).

    Sci-fi fans will know her best as Kai Winn, the scheming religious leader from the planet Bajor in ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’, who sought political power and went to great lengths to achieve it.

    She would go on to describe the feeling of winning her Oscar as exhilarating but fleeting, and she was glad she didn’t win earlier in her career. “I got the Oscar when I was 41,” Fletcher told the New York Times. “If I was 23, it would have been hard to deal with. Hell, at my age it was hard to deal with. It was like being thrown an explosive.”

    Fletcher died at her home in Montdurausse, France, surrounded by family.

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  • Actor Fred Ward Dies

    Fred Ward, Kevin Bacon, and Finn Carter
    (L to R) Fred Ward, Kevin Bacon, and Finn Carter in 1990’s ‘Tremors,’ directed by Ron Underwood.

    Fred Ward, a charismatic actor, and cult favorite among fans of movies such as ‘Tremors’, died on May 8th. He was 79.

    Freddie Joe Ward was born in San Diego in 1942. Following a three-year stint in the Air Force, he developed an interest an acting and studied at the Herbert Berghof Studio in New York. His studies complete, Ward headed to Europe, where he helped dub Italian films into English.

    His first TV role was in miniseries ‘The Age of the Medici’ in 1973, where he played Niccolò de’ Conti. A variety of guest roles on shows followed, including two different episodes of the 1970s ‘The Incredible Hulk’, ‘Invasion Earth’ and ‘ER’.

    Ward also made a name for himself in a variety of TV Movies such as ‘Cast a Deadly Spell’ and ‘…First Do No Harm’.

    Movie-wise, he made his debut playing a truck driver in 1974’s ‘Ginger in the Morning’, which in turn led to a small part in ‘Tilt’ and then something more substantial – Ward and Jack Thibeau played convict brothers who are partnered with Clint Eastwood’s Frank Morris in engineering the clever, daring purported escape from the Rock in ‘Escape from Alcatraz’.

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    In 1982, he scored his first lead role, in cult classic ‘Timerider’, in which he played Lyle Swann, an off-road motorcycle racer who’s accidentally sent back via a science experiment to an Old West replete with villains and gunslingers. The movie failed to shoot down any box office records but did have a later life on cable and video.

    One of his best, though most controversial roles because of how it portrayed the actions of the man in question, was as astronaut Gus Grissom in ‘The Right Stuff’, Philip Kaufman’s portrayal of the early years of the space program.

    Yet despite appearing in Oscar-winners and huge films including ‘Silkwood’, ‘The Player’, ‘Short Cuts’ and ‘Henry & June’ it seems likely that 1990’s ‘Tremors’ will be the movie for which Ward is most remembered for – and most fondly.

    Ward and Kevin Bacon shined on screen as a pair of handy men who end up saving a hardscrabble Nevada desert community when the town is beset by giant underground snakes. Like some of Ward’s other work, it didn’t make a lot of money upon its initial release, but it cemented its cult classic status on home video and TV airings.

    He returned for one of the movie series, and there was a stab at a TV reboot in 2018, but that didn’t make it past the pilot stage.

    While Ward never became a giant movie star, he was a respected character actor, able to bring a wide performance range to his work. He’s survived by his wife of 27 years, Marie-France Ward, and his son Django Ward.

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  • ‘M*A*S*H’ Actor Sally Kellerman Dies

    MASH Photo
    (L to R) Donald Sutherland, Sally Kellerman, and Elliot Gould in ‘M*A*S*H.’

    Some sad news for anyone who has fond memories of Major Margaret ‘Hot Lips’ Houlihan or Dr. Diane Turner. The actor behind both of those roles, Sally Kellerman, died Thursday at the age of 84.

    Sally Clare Kellerman was born in 1937 in Long Beach, California, the daughter of a piano teacher and an oil executive, moving to Los Angeles as a child and attending Hollywood High School.

    Long before she entertained thoughts of acting, her initial focus was on jazz singing, and she scored a recording contract with Verve records at the age of 18. While she then switched to pursue acting, she released an album in 1972. Her love of singing continued even as her screen career flourished, and she sang in a few of her roles.

    Kellerman was able to move easily between the worlds of TV and movies, and her early small screen work included a lead role in 1962’s ‘Cheyenne’ and guest appearances on ‘The Twilight Zone,’ ‘The Outer Limits,’ ‘The Alfred Hitchcock Hour’ and ‘Bonanza.’ She made an impact on ‘Star Trek’ fans thanks to her role as Dr. Elizabeth Dehner in the first-season episode ‘Where No Man Has Gone Before’, playing a scientist who develops extraordinary powers and puts the crew at risk.

    On TV she’s proved adept at both comedy and drama, having worked on the likes of ‘Maron,’ ‘Decker,’ ‘The Young and the Restless,’ ‘Columbo,’ ‘Murder, She Wrote,’ and many more.

    Her film career was full of different performances, and she appeared in a wide variety of movies including ‘The Boston Strangler,’ ‘Lost Horizon,’ ‘You Can’t Hurry Love,’ ‘The Player,’ ‘Ready to Wear,’ ‘’Foxes,’ ‘I Could Never Be Your Woman,’ and 2016’s ‘The Remake.’

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    Yet the roles that have stuck in most people’s minds are the two we mention up front. First, that of no nonsense Army nurse Major Houlihan who must put up with rowdy doctors during the Korean War in Robert Altman’s ‘M*A*S*H.’ Though she constantly complains about the behavior of her colleagues, she also has a passionate side, carrying on a hot-blooded affair with equally uptight Major Frank Burns, played by Robert Duvall. Kellerman scored an Oscar nomination for the role.

    Kellerman described the experience of working with ‘M*A*S*H’ director Robert Altman as an enjoyable one. “It was a very freeing, positive experience” she told Dick Cavett in a 1970 TV interview. “For the first time in my life I took chances, I didn’t suck in my cheeks, or worry about anything.” She went on to become a regular in his movies.

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    And second, her laidback professor Dr. Turner, who becomes Rodney Dangerfield’s love interest in ‘Back to School,’ where she won over more than just the comedian’s enthusiastic businessman.

    Kellerman died of heart failure at her home in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles. She’s survived by her son Jack and daughter Claire.

    Rodney Graduating
    Rodney Dangerfield in 1986’s ‘Back to School.’
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