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    Mira Furlan, Actress on ‘Lost’ and ‘Babylon 5,’ Dies at 65

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }What to WatchBest Movies on NetflixBest of Disney PlusBest of Amazon PrimeBest Netflix DocumentariesNew on NetflixAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyMira Furlan, Actress on ‘Lost’ and ‘Babylon 5,’ Dies at 65The Croatian-born actress played Ambassador Delenn on the science fiction TV series “Babylon 5” throughout its five seasons and in two movies.Mira Furlan as the scientist Danielle Rousseau in “Lost.”Credit…Mario Perez/Walt Disney Television, via Getty ImagesJan. 22, 2021, 3:08 p.m. ETMira Furlan, an actress best known for her roles on the fantastical TV series “Babylon 5” and “Lost,” died at her home in Los Angeles on Wednesday. She was 65.The cause was complications of the West Nile virus, according to Chris Roe, her manager.From 1993 to 1998, Ms. Furlan starred in “Babylon 5,” a space opera that followed the relationships, politics, interspecies tensions and galactic conflicts aboard a United Nations-type space station in the mid-23rd century. She played Ambassador Delenn, representing the Minbari alien race on the space station.Ms. Furlan in “Babylon 5: In the Beginning.”Credit…Doug Hyun/TBS“Delenn is a wonderful creation, a woman who must be a leader and must be strong, but who is also full of emotion and secrets,” Ms. Furlan said in 1997.Ms. Furlan twice won a Sci-Fi Universe Award for best supporting actress for her work on the show, which also starred Bruce Boxleitner and Stephen Furst. She appeared in all 111 episodes and in two “Babylon 5” TV movies.In 2004, she began playing the scientist Danielle Rousseau on the popular ABC drama “Lost,” about a group of survivors stranded on a remote mysterious island after the crash of their jetliner. She played her character, known as “the Frenchwoman,” through the show’s final season, in 2010.Mira Furlan was born on Sept. 7, 1955, in Zagreb, Croatia, where she was a leading actress in theater, film and TV and was part of the Croatian National Theater. A profile once described her as “the Balkan equivalent of Meryl Streep.”Amid civil war in her homeland, she emigrated in 1991 to New York City with her husband, Goran Gajic, a writer and director. She lived and acted in the city until moving to Los Angeles for “Babylon 5.” In addition to her husband, she is survived by their son, Marko Lav Gajic.Her other acting credits include appearances on “NCIS,” “Law and Order: LA” and over 25 films. She most recently appeared in another science fiction series, “Space Command,” playing a former archaeologist.At the time of her death, Ms. Furlan was working on her autobiography.An excerpt released by her manager and posted on her website invoked space to describe her sense of peace as she battled illness.“I look at the stars,” she wrote. “It’s a clear night and the Milky Way seems so near. That’s where I’ll be going soon.”AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

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    Director of Amazon's 'Tandav' Cuts Scenes After Pressure From India's Hindu Nationalists

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }What to WatchBest Movies on NetflixBest of Disney PlusBest of Amazon PrimeBest Netflix DocumentariesNew on NetflixAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyDirector of Amazon India Drama Cuts Scenes Amid Outcry From Hindu NationalistsFaced with boycotts and criminal complaints, the director of “Tandav” made the edits this week. But that did not appear to satisfy some of the show’s critics, who called for him to be jailed.Supporters of India’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party demonstrated against the Amazon series “Tandav” on Monday in Mumbai.Credit…Indranil Mukherjee/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesSuhasini Raj and Jan. 22, 2021Updated 2:20 p.m. ETARPORA, India — The director of a big-budget Amazon web series has bowed to pressure from Hindu nationalists and cut several scenes that they had deemed offensive, demonstrating the sway of a powerful political movement that strives to reshape Indian society.Ali Abbas Zafar, the director of “Tandav,” a gritty political drama, made the edits amid an intensifying outcry about the show and calls for a boycott.Hindu nationalists, including members of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P., have accused Mr. Zafar of insulting Hindu deities and stirring up animosity between Hindus and Muslims and between upper castes and lower castes.Mr. Zafar said on Twitter on Tuesday that the show’s cast and crew had decided to “implement changes to address the concerns raised,” and since then, several scenes have been excised. But on Friday, some critics continued to drum up opposition, calling for Mr. Zafar to be put in jail.Officials at Amazon Prime declined to comment.The creators of “Tandav” have been caught up in the sweeping political and social changes in India driven by a Hindu nationalist movement. Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has shouldered aside significant opposition, the movement champions India as a Hindu nation that pushes other groups, including its significant Muslim minority, to the margins.The pressure has extended into culture. In recent years, Hindu nationalists have heavily criticized Bollywood, the central Indian filmmaking industry, for depictions that run counter to their beliefs.Among the cuts made to “Tandav” was a scene in which a university student is seen playing a cursing Lord Shiva, a Hindu god, on a stage. In another scene that was taken out, a fictionalized prime minister speaks derisively to a member of a lower caste.But on Friday, Ram Kadam, a B.J.P. state lawmaker who had filed a criminal complaint against the show’s creators, said the edits were not enough.“This is a fight against the type of people who hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus,” he said. “They must go behind bars.”At least three criminal complaints have been filed, including one that accuses the show of promoting hatred between different religions, a serious crime in India. Already investigators in Uttar Pradesh State, run by one of Mr. Modi’s closest allies, have summoned Mr. Zafar to speak to them.But the true reason for the complaints against “Tandav” may be that the show holds up a mirror uncomfortably close to Indian society and some of the problems blamed on Mr. Modi’s administration. In the opening episode, the show features protesting students and disgruntled farmers, echoing events that have taken place in recent months. (Mr. Zafar has said the show is a work of fiction.)”Tandav” is just one of many recent productions that have provoked the ire of Hindu nationalists. A journalist filed a criminal complaint this week against the makers of “Mirzapur,” another Amazon web series and the name of a midsize town in northern India. The journalist said the series hurt religious and regional sentiments and defamed the town.In recent months, similar pressure has been exerted on Netflix. Several of the platform’s productions have come under attack, including a show that featured a Hindu woman kissing a Muslim man, with a Hindu temple in the backdrop, which Hindus denounced as offensive to their beliefs. Hindu nationalists have tried to shut down interfaith marriages, and recent laws in several of India’s states have targeted interfaith couples.Gaurav Tiwari, an official in the youth wing of the B.J.P. who has filed a complaint against Netflix officials, said the government needed to protect the public from what he described as vulgar and anti-Hindu content. “People have been murdered for cartoons in other religions, and look at what is happening with ours,” Mr. Tiwari said. “If this continues unabated, what will the future generations of Hindus look back on when they see movies like these?”Mr. Tiwari called for the strictest form of punishments against Netflix and Amazon, including banning them from India for a few years.Entertainment industry analysts said the restrictive environment meant that many filmmakers were now shying away from subjects that touched on religion or politics.“This is exactly what this government wants,” said Ankur Pathak, a former entertainment editor at Huffington Post India. “It’s very clear this kind of bullying of streaming platforms is a broader ideological project of the B.J.P. to wipe out any kind of ideological or political critique.”“The internet is the only free form of medium which exists against the present political regime,” he added. “And that makes them very anxious.”Suhasini Raj reported from Arpora, and Jeffrey Gettleman from New Delhi.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

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    Mayim Bialik Gets Candid About Why She Auditioned for 'The Big Bang Theory'

    CBS

    When looking back at her role as Amy Farrah Fowler in the hit comedy series, the former child star admits that she ‘did not expect to be a regular on a television show.’

    Jan 22, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Actress Mayim Bialik auditioned for the role of Amy Farrah Fowler in “The Big Bang Theory” so she could secure health insurance.
    The former child star insists she didn’t expect to become a regular on the hit comedy show, but needed to book an acting job to lock in insurance via the Screen Actors Guild.
    “I was running out of health insurance because that’s not considered a human right in this country…,” Mayim told “The Social”. She continued, “I had a toddler and a newborn and I had been a grad student and my insurance was expiring. I figured, ‘If I can just get even a couple of jobs, like, here or there, I’ll be able to get insurance again’.”
    “I did not expect to be a regular on a television show. I had been teaching neuroscience. I’ve tutored Hebrew. I’ve tutored piano. I wear a lot of hats, you know. I eventually auditioned for this show, called The Big Bang Theory, which I had never seen, and it changed my life and I got insurance.”

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    The show keeps on giving – her “Big Bang” co-star Jim Parsons recruited her to star in his new TV comedy “Call Me Kat”, which debuted earlier this month.
    Mayim also shared that she was surprised to find out that Jim Parsons wanted her to be on the show. “I was like, ‘That sounds great. I totally think that’s a great idea!’ He was like, ‘No, Mayim. I’m telling you about this because I want you to play her’. I was totally shocked that Jim Parsons wanted to still work with me. I think I’m very annoying, but he apparently thinks I’m not as annoying as I think I am, because he wanted to work with me!” she told “Watch With Us” podcast.
    She added, “I love the opportunity to not be told, like, ‘Can you lose 20 pounds and just be like a better, skinnier version of yourself?’ I like just being myself. I don’t wear Spanx. I’ve never had plastic surgery. I don’t dye my greys, like, this is a show about a woman who I hope other women and men will look at this and say like, ‘Oh, there’s women like that, and they can be funny, can be quirky.’ ”

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    'Game of Thrones' Prequel Titled 'Tales of Dunk and Egg' in the Works on HBO

    HBO

    ‘Tales of Dunk and Egg’ will be the second prequel on HBO if the network greenlights the show, joining ‘House of the Dragon’ which is set 300 years before the events on ‘Game of the Thrones’.

    Jan 22, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Another prequel series of “Game of Thrones” is reportedly in early development on HBO. Titled “Tales of Dunk and Egg”, the planned project would be based on the series of fantasy novellas by George R. R. Martin.
    Variety reports that series is set to be a one-hour show. It will follow the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk) and a young Aegon V Targaryen (Egg) 90 years prior to the events of “A Song of Ice and Fire”. While there is no writer or talent currently attached to the project, a source tells the publication that HBO sets it as a high priority as the premium cabler wants to continue the success of “Game of Thrones”.
    Martin himself has released three novellas in the “Tales of Dunk and Egg” series. The novellas include “The Hedge Knight” in 1998, “The Sworn Sword” in 2003 and “The Mystery Knight” in 2010. All of them were later collected and published together in 2015 as “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms”.

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    Should the project be officially announced, fans seemingly will be happy as they have been calling for an adaptation of the “Tales of Dunk and Egg” saga ever since HBO first announced it was developing various spin-off series following the end of “Game of Thrones”. It was previously teased that the saga was among the contenders to get a TV show adaptation, though Martin denied the reports at the time.
    “Tales of Dunk and Egg” will be the second prequel on HBO if the network greenlights the show, joining “House of the Dragon”. Sets 300 years before the events on “Game of the Thrones”, “House of the Dragon” will chronicle the House of Targaryen. British actor Paddy Considine has been tapped to play King Viserys Targaryen.
    “King Viserys Targaryen is chosen by the lords of Westeros to succeed the Old King, Jaehaerys Targaryen, at the Great Council at Harrenhal,” the description of the character reads. “He is a warm, kind, and decent man, Viserys only wishes to carry forward his grandfather’s legacy. But good men do not necessarily make for great kings.”

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    'Bridgerton' Season 2 to Focus on Anthony in His Quest for Love

    Netflix/Barnaby Boulton

    The Netflix racy drama series has been renewed for a second season which is expected to revolve around the family’s eldest son Anthony Bridgerton searching for a suitable wife.

    Jan 22, 2021
    AceShowbiz – Racy period drama “Bridgerton” has officially scored a season two renewal, with actor Jonathan Bailey taking centre stage as his character Anthony searches for a suitable wife.
    Just a month after the series debuted on streaming service Netflix, bosses have formally given the green light to another season, with production set to get underway in the U.K. this spring (21).
    The news was shared in a special edition of show narrator Lady Whistledown’s Society Paper, which was posted online on Thursday (21Jan21), confirming the “Bridgerton” storyline would continue with a focus on the titular family’s eldest child, Anthony.
    The series, narrated by Dame Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown, is inspired by the book franchise of the same name by Julia Quinn, with season two based on the 2000 novel, “The Viscount Who Loved Me”.
    “The incomparable cast of Bridgerton will return to production in Spring 2021,” the Society Paper read.

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    Casting for Anthony’s new love interests is currently underway.
    Quinn’s fictional series features eight books, with each story revolving around the love life of each Bridgerton sibling.
    Season one of the Netflix adaptation, created by Chris Van Dusen and co-produced by TV mogul Shonda Rhimes, centred on the romance between Daphne Bridgerton and the Duke of Hastings Simon Bassett, respectively portrayed by Phoebe Dynevor and Rege-Jean Page.
    Van Dusen wants to bring Dynevor and Page back for season two in some capacity although he’s not yet sure how much they will feature.
    Asked if they will return for another run, he told U.S. breakfast show “Today”, “I hope so. They are now, of course, the Duke and Duchess of Hastings, but in my mind they will always be Bridgertons and I think they will always be part of the show.”

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    Paula Abdul Manages to Guess Cricket's Identity on 'The Masked Dancer'

    Instagram/FOX

    The Cricket has been sent packing on the fourth episode of the first season and one of the judges managed to guess the identity of the person behind the elaborate costume.

    Jan 22, 2021
    AceShowbiz – [SPOILER ALERT!] Brian McKnight was the latest celebrity unveiled on “The Masked Dancer” on Wednesday night (20Jan21), and admitted there was no way he’d have danced on national TV without a mask.
    The Grammy-nominated star was unmasked as Cricket on the episode, with judge Paula Abdul guessing his identity after he gave a final performance to Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It”.
    And after the episode aired, McKnight spoke to People about the experience and said that, while he’d expected to be called for sister show “The Masked Singer”, he relished the opportunity to take on the unexpected with the dancing competition.

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    “I think when I was asked to do this, the thing that appealed to me – because I’m not a dancer – is that nobody would know that it was me,” he said. “It’s really kind of cool. There’s no way I would’ve done this without a mask on… I got to be in the public’s eye again in this magnitude, which I hadn’t been in quite some time, so I’m really grateful for the opportunity.”
    The father-of-four also admitted that being judged for his dancing moves was a new experience for him – but he did his absolute best.
    “Being on stage and singing my songs is second nature. Having to know steps and do these dance moves so that the whole world will scrutinise them, but at the same time they’re not knowing that it’s me, is kind of a weird play on your emotions and your feelings,” he mused. “You want to do it well, you want to do it right, but if you don’t, they don’t know who you are until they know; and will they remember that you messed up? I just wanted to be as good as I could be under the circumstance. You go out there and do your best.”

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    Samantha Bee Welcomes America’s ‘Brand-New Very Old President’

    #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }What to WatchBest Movies on NetflixBest of Disney PlusBest of Amazon PrimeBest Netflix DocumentariesNew on NetflixAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyBest of Late NightSamantha Bee Welcomes America’s ‘Brand-New Very Old President’Bee and other hosts were relieved to see the Trump years finally end. “So that’s what it feels like when you’re not grinding your teeth,” Seth Meyers said.The Biden era has begun, and Samantha Bee couldn’t be happier. Credit…TBSJan. 21, 2021, 3:09 a.m. ETWelcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. We’re all stuck at home at the moment, so here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.‘I Can See Colors Again’Late-night hosts were all too happy on Wednesday night to celebrate Inauguration Day, or what Seth Meyers referred to as “the catharsis of seeing a person who was not Donald Trump become the president of the United States.”President Biden received rave reviews from hosts like Samantha Bee, who was thrilled to announce, “We finally have a brand-new very old president!”“That’s right — Donald Trump is no longer the president of the United States. And look, this isn’t going to solve all our problems, but it will remove a big one. If you’re addicted to heroin, gambling and prostitutes and you only quit heroin, that’s still a huge step.” — SETH MEYERS“Wow, all right. So that’s what it feels like when you’re not grinding your teeth. I forgot, and I think — yeah, I can see colors again.” — SETH MEYERS“It’s a little like getting rid of the last guy at a party. You spent four years yawning and stretching, and hinting that he should get out, and when he finally leaves, it is a relief, until you remember you still have to clean up all his puke and he, like, puked everywhere.” — SETH MEYERS“It’s so nice to have a president with a soul again. The previous one sold his to the devil and didn’t even get Georgia out of the deal.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“It’s like we’ve been on a ship that’s been in a storm for four years, and we just stepped onto dry land. I want to kiss the ground, but, you know, Covid, so I’m just going to — I’m just going to fist-bump it.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“And I’ll tell you something, I don’t know about America yet, but I feel great again.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“After four years of struggling just to slow down Trump’s malicious agenda, Democrats are in an unimaginable position: We can finally do things that help people.” — SAMANTHA BEE“To paraphrase Michelle Obama, ‘When they go low, we go J. Lo’ — and we did.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Today this country showed the world that there is no MyPillow large enough to smother our democracy.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“You know, I remember going back to the day Trump was inaugurated, such a terrible day, and wondering, can our country even survive four years of this? And now we know the answer: not really. Just barely.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“It was a bright sunny day in Washington, and now we have a president who knows not to stare directly at the sun.” — JIMMY FALLON“Right before the Bidens came out, something very auspicious happened: It started snowing. It’s an inauguration miracle! [singing to the tune of ‘Let It Snow’] Oh, the last guy in charge was frightful, but the new one seems delightful. And now there’s four years to go; President Joe, President Joe, President Joe.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“I have to imagine this is what it feels like when the oncologist calls and tells you the tumor is benign.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Seriously, anyone else feel like they just lost 280 pounds?” — JIMMY FALLON“It feels like the country is back. Sure, the GPS took us on some crazy back roads for the last four years, but now we’re back on Main Street, and we can tell people we were lost.” — JIMMY FALLONThe Punchiest Punchlines (Have a Good Life Edition)“I know a lot of you were expecting Trump’s speech to be weird and inappropriate. Well, you were 100 percent right.” — JIMMY FALLON“‘Have a good life?’ That’s not a presidential farewell. That’s what your high school crush writes in your yearbook as a final twist of the knife: ‘I guess we won’t be seeing each other with me going to Bryn Mawr and you staying here to chase your kickboxing dreams so, have a good life.’” — SETH MEYERS“Former President Trump concluded his remarks at this morning’s send-off at Joint Base Andrews by telling the crowd, quote, ‘We’ll see you soon.’ ‘We were about to say the same thing,’ said the Southern District of New York.” — SETH MEYERS“Although I do like how he said he’ll ‘be back in some form,’ because my man knows you gotta leave on a cliffhanger.” — TREVOR NOAH“That’s ominous. What form? A Demogorgon? A Horcrux? Maybe he’ll come back as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man?” — JIMMY KIMMEL“‘In some form?’ What does that mean? [imitating Trump] ‘Whenever you see a black plastic bag stuck in a tree, or a vulture on the shoulder of the highway pulling the guts out of a dead raccoon, that’ll be me.’” — SETH MEYERS“OK, well at least he made it sound as creepy as possible.” — JAMES CORDEN“This is like the end of a bad movie where the villain says he will return, and you are like, ‘I don’t think this one is getting a sequel.’” — JAMES CORDEN“Who wrote this speech, Voldemort?” — JIMMY FALLONThe Bits Worth WatchingA few friends helped Bee with a socially distanced crowd surf to mark the inauguration, including Jane Fonda, Cynthia Erivo and Catherine O’Hara.What We’re Excited About on Thursday NightSenator Bernie Sanders, whose wool mittens quickly got their own hashtag, will talk to Seth Meyers about his Inauguration Day experience on Thursday’s “Late Night.”Also, Check This OutMatthew Teague in Fairhope, Ala.: “I wanted my wife’s legacy and memory to be one of enormous respect.”Credit…Akasha Rabut for The New York TimesAfter Hollywood optioned his devastating essay about his dying wife, the journalist Matthew Teague vowed the movie would do right by her. The reviews landed like a gut punch.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More