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      in Television

      Brian Tyree Henry Isn’t Hiding

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      The actor Brian Tyree Henry made his professional debut in 2007, as Tybalt, in a shimmering “Romeo and Juliet” for Shakespeare in the Park. More stage roles followed, then a nimble leap to television, in “Atlanta,” and a turn to film.I saw it all, or nearly all (not “Godzilla vs. Kong”). So I can’t really explain how I spent so long in a nearly deserted hotel dining room sending increasingly anxious texts to Henry’s publicist, wondering where he was. As I texted, Henry was sitting at a table maybe 20 feet away, in glasses and a baseball cap. The cap had a large B on it.Some comfort: This also happens to Julia Roberts, his co-star on a Sam Esmail film currently in production in Paris. “He’s kind of this quiet chameleon,” she told me later. “Sometimes I don’t put two and two together immediately. Then I’m like, oh, wait a minute: It’s Brian again.”Henry, 42, an actor of extraordinary texture, vigor and grace, is tall and relatively broad. He looks, he knows, like a guy who used to play football. (Actually, he was a speech debate kid and a member of the marching band.) That he can disappear into roles, into a restaurant table, speaks to his gift, his craft. But for a man who has spent his life fighting to be seen, who struggles to feel that he belongs in the places he inhabits, it also brings a kind of pain.Brian Tyree Henry was drawn to his role in “Dope Thief,” his first top billing. But he had to wrestle with his own insecurities.Kadar Small for The New York Times“Even you didn’t know me with glasses on,” he said, once I’d shifted to his table. “There’s always just something that people are expecting. Then I come in and they’re just like, ‘Oh, well, that’s not what we want.’ And I’m like, well, this is who I am.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 163 Shares199 Views

      in Theater

      For the Actors of ‘Sumo,’ Learning Lines Was Just the Half of It

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      Two men, barefoot and wearing traditional loincloths around their waists, tussled with each other on a stage transformed to look like a sumo ring.A fighting consultant, who had been observing the rehearsal nearby, stepped in to offer advice: The men’s arm movements were too straight; their motions needed to be smoother and more circular. Moments later, the two actors were at it again: reaching out, shifting their weight and then pushing off each other in a grappling exchange.New York theatergoers have seen it all, including shows about sports — which are not uncommon. But rarer, nonexistent even, is a theatrical work about sumo wrestling. Now, Lisa Sanaye Dring’s “Sumo” is transporting Off Broadway audiences at the Public Theater to an intimate sumo wrestling facility in Tokyo — known as a heya, or wrestling stable — where bare-chested actors fearlessly slap into each other in a heap of flesh and sweat.“I’m interested in people who use their bodies differently than I use my body,” Dring said, reflecting on what led her to write “Sumo.” “It feels very much linked to me — the fighting and the human story — because their humanity is inside how they fight.”The play itself tells the story of Akio, a newcomer to the heya who, because he’s considered rather small by sumo standards, isn’t taken seriously at first. An unranked wrestler trying to prove himself, he endures brutality as he goes about sweeping up rice, bathing the highest-ranking wrestler and doing other servant-like tasks that he has been relegated to performing. Before long, though, he quickly proves himself and rises to become one of the group’s strongest combatants.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      in Television

      Randall Park on the Kendrick Lamar Track He Loves to Drive to in L.A.

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      The actor isn’t sure he’d make a great F.B.I. agent, though he’s playing one again in the new TV series “The Residence.”When Randall Park was first approached about playing an F.B.I. agent in Netflix’s new murder mystery series, “The Residence,” his first thought was: Another one?“I just didn’t want to do the same thing,” said Park, 50, who has a recurring role as Agent Jimmy Woo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in “WandaVision,” “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and its sequel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.”After he read the script for “The Residence,” which begins streaming on March 20, he reconsidered. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” he said. And when he found out that Uzo Aduba would be starring in it, “I was like, ‘Oh gosh, yes, I know I want to do this for sure.’”He’s not sure he’d be a good secret agent in real life, though.“Well, maybe, because I am pretty calm under pressure,” he said. “But then again,” he added, “I’ve never held a real gun.”In a phone conversation from his home in Los Angeles’s Studio City neighborhood, where he lives with his wife, the actress Jae Suh Park, and their 12-year-old daughter, Ruby, Park shared a list of favorites inspired by his native Los Angeles. It includes his go-to Korean place, his favorite running routes and the locally made condiment he puts on absolutely everything. These are edited excerpts.Los AngelesIt’s been on my mind a lot because of the recent fires, and also because I’ve just been traveling a lot and missing home. L.A. gets a bad rap in a lot of ways. People label it as superficial, or too Hollywood, but L.A. is so much more than Hollywood. It’s a big city with different enclaves and different experiences.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 138 Shares169 Views

      in Theater

      Oliver Awards 2025 Nominations: ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ Earns 13 Nods

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      The acclaimed revival, which is about to transfer to London’s Barbican, scored 13 nominations at Britain’s equivalent of the Tonys.A revival of “Fiddler on the Roof,” the much-loved 1964 musical, received the most nominations on Tuesday for this year’s Olivier Awards, Britain’s equivalent of the Tonys.The show got 13 nods — seven more than any other musical or play — including best musical revival, where it is up against a production of “Hello, Dolly!” starring Imelda Staunton, which ran at the London Palladium, as well as ongoing revivals of “Oliver!” at the Gielgud Theater and “Starlight Express” at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theater.Directed by Jordan Fein, “Fiddler on the Roof” is a stripped-back version of the tale of a Jewish milkman in Czarist Russia who is marrying off his daughters against a backdrop of antisemitic pogroms. It received rave reviews when it opened last August at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theater. (It transfers to the Barbican Center on May 24).Marianka Swain, writing in The Daily Telegraph, called the production “a masterclass in balancing innovation with tradition.” Fein resisted the temptation to draw out the musical’s parallels to contemporary events like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or surging antisemitism, Swain wrote. “No need when they come through so powerfully anyway,” the reviewer added.Fein is nominated in the best director category, where he will face tight competition from the directors of three of the past year’s most critically acclaimed plays: Nicholas Hytner for “Giant,” about Roald Dahl’s antisemitism, staged last year at the Royal Court and opening in April on the West End; Robert Icke for a version of “Oedipus” that ran at Wyndham’s Theater; and Eline Arbo for “The Years,” running at the Harold Pinter Theater.From left, Anjli Mohindra, Deborah Findlay, Gina McKee, Romola Garai and Harmony Rose-Bremner in “The Years.”Helen MurrayWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 150 Shares119 Views

      in Movies

      Why Demi Moore’s Oscar Loss to Mikey Madison Stings for Some Fans

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      Moore had been considered a favorite for her strong performance in “The Substance,” but Madison won for “Anora.” Demi Moore snagged statuettes all through the awards season for her dynamic performance in “The Substance,” a film about the indignities women past 50 face in Hollywood. She was favored by many to win the Oscar for best actress.But when the envelope was opened on Sunday night Moore, 62, was passed over in favor of Mikey Madison, 25, who pulled an upset and won the best actress trophy for playing a sex worker in the film “Anora.”While Madison’s performance was widely praised, her unexpected victory left many admirers of Moore puzzled and saddened that it kept her from a perfect ending to her career comeback.On social media and on a subreddit dedicated to Moore’s upset, some fans suggested that her loss underscored one of the central themes of the film: the challenges older actresses face in a Hollywood that is obsessed with young women.One commenter noted that the academy had been observed in the past to “like young women and old men.” Another lamented: “Literally pouring all that brilliance on screen only for the younger actress who benefited from sex appeal and social hype to take that prestigious of an award from her.” Paolo Uggetti posted on social media that “Demi Moore losing to Mikey Madison is basically the plot of ‘The Substance.’” That post has been viewed more than five million times.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 125 Shares169 Views

      in Movies

      Oscars 2025’s Best and Worst Moments: Speeches, Performances and More

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      There was plenty to take in, including a “Wicked” opener, Conan O’Brien gags, and memorable speeches both good and bad. And people watching on Hulu saw almost all of it.Most Gravity Defying Opener: ‘Wicked’When it was announced that Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo would perform at the Oscars, it was assumed they would sing something from “Wicked,” the film for which they were both nominated. They did, of course. It would be silly to pass up that opportunity. But the women also paid tribute to previous cinematic versions of Oz, showing how Hollywood had imagined L. Frank Baum’s world through the years.Grande emerged first, wearing a sparkling red gown, channeling Judy Garland to sing “Over the Rainbow” from “The Wizard of Oz.” She then ceded the stage to Erivo, who performed “Home,” Dorothy’s ballad from “The Wiz,” famously sung onscreen by Diana Ross. And, yes, then they closed with “Defying Gravity,” the signature song from “Wicked,” with Erivo bringing everything home with her shiver-inducing war cry. (Later, we returned to Oz to honor Quincy Jones when Queen Latifah performed a rousing rendition of “Ease on Down the Road.”) — Esther ZuckermanSean Baker joined rarefied company with his Oscar haul.Philip Cheung for The New York TimesMost Dominant Night: Sean BakerThe “Anora” director has hovered around the outer edges of the Academy’s sensibility with his previous films “The Florida Project,” which earned Willem Dafoe a supporting-actor nomination, and “Red Rocket,” which had some Oscar buzz but was ultimately snubbed. Now Baker appears to have hit a sweet spot: He earned four separate Oscars tonight — in the editing, directing, original-screenplay and best-picture categories — which tied the record set by Walt Disney. Don’t expect Baker’s R-rated films to get the same amusement-park treatment, though. — Kyle BuchananConan O’Brien, hosting for the first time, injected some silliness into the proceedings. Philip Cheung for The New York TimesBest Host for the Moment: Conan O’BrienGoing into the night, O’Brien was at least as nervous as he was excited. But from the filmed opening — in which he fished around in Demi Moore’s back, in a spoof of “The Substance” — to his monologue, O’Brien seemed to have a joyful glint, even (or maybe especially) when he was razzing the industry. (The sandworm from “Dune” earned its residuals.)We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 88 Shares179 Views

      in Theater

      What Do We Want From Political Theater?

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      Playwrights and directors wrestle with how a piece of art can galvanize its audience.In an era of vanishing cultural authority and ever-abbreviated attention spans, being called relevant is one of the best compliments a work of art can get. We’ve always celebrated art that seems to speak to our political and cultural moments, but these days — when the news relentlessly inundates us — art can feel like a surrogate, a response we’re unable to summon ourselves. Relevancy is less a compliment now than an expectation.And of all the creative genres — music, film, television, literature — the form that we most expect to answer the confusion of the time is, arguably, theater. This, says Mark Harris in his story about the politicization of American theater, is partly because of theater’s inherent intimacy. Unlike a movie, it can only be watched by a certain number of people over a limited amount of time; and moreover, those people have to be able to 1) afford to see a play, and 2) get themselves to the theater itself. Mass entertainment it’s not.On the CoversSwap wears a Louis Vuitton tank top and pants, price on request, louisvuitton.com; stylist’s own belt; and model’s own jewelry. His sons Heavn (left) and Jru’Angelo wear their own clothing.Photograph by Luis Alberto Rodriguez. Styled by Carlos NazarioGabriel Medina (left) at State Management and Santino Guzman at Vision Los Angeles. From left: Celine by Hedi Slimane jacket, price on request, and pants, $1,200, celine.com; Celine by Hedi Slimane shirt, about $1,100, and tie, about $250, similar styles at celine.com. Celine by Hedi Slimane jacket, price on request, shirt, about $1,100, pants, $1,500, and tie, about $250.Photograph by Luis Alberto Rodriguez. Styled by Carlos NazarioYet despite its relative exclusivity, theater’s cultural reach is much broader than one might imagine, its reverberations more profound and longer lasting. And in 2025, Harris writes, “the idea that all theater is political is less a rhetorical exercise than an irrefutable reality.” The proof is in the current season of both dramas and musicals, with new offerings and revivals about, variously, immigration, race, vaccines and bodily autonomy. We want theater to articulate what we can’t; we want it to provide catharsis; we want it to speak to our anger and give us hope. But increasingly, Harris says, the question isn’t so much what can theater do for us as what we can do for theater. “What,” he asks, “does political theater want to do to its audience? Affirm us in our beliefs? Galvanize us into action? Shake us up? Persuade us? Provoke us? Rebuke us?” Any one of those things; all of them. What we may want most, though, is to feel something at all. More

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      in Movies

      Mikey Madison Wins Best Lead Actress Oscar for ‘Anora’

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      Mikey Madison, who played a feisty and tenacious sex worker in the movie “Anora,” won the Oscar for best lead actress.It was Madison’s first Oscar nomination.The win was something of an upset; Demi Moore, who has seen a career revival for her dynamic performance as an aging fitness star in “The Substance,” was favored to win her first Oscar for the role.“Anora” — which went on to win the biggest award of the night: best picture — was directed by Sean Baker and revolves around Madison’s character, known as Ani, as she has a whirlwind romance with a Russian oligarch’s son after meeting him at her strip-club gig.The role required feats of physicality, both in performing the job of a dancer in a strip club and in fighting back when the oligarch sends his henchmen to force the couple to annul their Las Vegas marriage.“This is a dream come true — I’m probably going to wake up tomorrow,” Madison said in her acceptance speech, in which she thanked Baker, her family and the movie’s movement consultant, Kennady Schneider, among many others.Madison also underscored the influence that sex workers had on her performance. To study her character, she read memoirs by sex workers, underlining sections of Andrea Werhun’s “Modern Whore.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More