#this director needs an emmy

[signorcerullo]

And yet, you toil still in service to men. Your father, your husband, your son. You desire not to be free, but to make a window in the wall of your prison. Have you never imagined yourself on the Iron Throne?

House of the Dragon (2022–) "The green Council" 1.09 | "Regent" 2.05

[allg00dnamesrg0ne]

arcane actor au

in light of recent events, i have decided to take matters into my own hands and create the desperately needed actor au! this is my first time writing so please don’t be mean or not i will cry :)

Silco and Vander are actually renowned actors (think Liam Neeson, George Clooney, Leonardo Dicaprio, etc). When it was announced that they would be in Arcane, some fans were wary since they weren’t known for fantasy/ sci-fi roles. They had both wrapped up working on some heavy projects that were putting a lot of stress on their lives, so they decided to step outside their comfort zone and try another genre!

Silco and Vander are actually married irl! Their children appeared on the show as young Claggor, young Vi, and older Claggor.

Vander instantly became a father figure to Jinx and Violet the moment he read with them.

Jinx actually is British! It’s shocking to see the change between her character and her because she truly is a more introverted person irl! She also already had freakishly long hair so her braids weren’t so hard to do.

Vi was actually just a pretty normal person who had never acted in her life. She just kinda showed up and instantly charmed the directors. They just liked her vibe and knew she’d be amazing.

Ekko has an Australian accent! Jinx and Vi were so surprised when they heard him speak out of character.

Mel is a classically trained actress! (I’m talking went to Juilliard type of trained). She has been in a lot of big movies and has worked with Silco before. Well on her way to become a household name! (Has won multiple Emmys before!)

Viktor and Mel are old college friends! They both went to the same university and lost touch until they were casted to the show did they reconnect! (they just drifted apart i swear don’t take it in any other way!)

Viktor is a Czech-American actor! His parents were both Czech actors before they started to break into American media!

He was also a child star for a brief period of time before he had to take some time off after an injury. Viktor was in a car crash that caused damage to the muscles on his knee and hip causing him to walk with a limp.

Jayce didn’t really have interest in becoming an actor until his friend in college took him to an improv class and got him into theater. (P.S this man has an amazing singing voice!) This is when he realized it was a passion and he dropped out to pursue acting!

Caitlyn was in some small roles in British shows (think Downtown Abbey or Doctor Who). She really broke out when she played in a period piece and really got her name out!

Cait’s younger sister plays her child actor! They look so much alike that the directors didn’t even hesitate to cast her!

did i go a bit crazy? maybe but i had to get it out there! i hope you enjoy! lmk what you think!

[nixotene]

Kind of in awe over how similar the actors for tua seem to be to their characters (in interviews at least) so take this with a grain of salt. I just think it’s cool how the casting directors seemed to find the perfect actors to play the roles, both looks and personality wise.

Master list of details I’ve found they share with their characters ig lol

Luther/Tom: loves working out and apparently does his learning while working out (cut to scene of Luther doing push-ups while reading). He’s a big softy and loves bringing the group together. He’s always there to boost his fellow actors self esteem.

Diego/David: Acts big and boisterous but is actually very invested in how others perceive him. Wants to be seen as the cool macho one but (not so) secretly has a heart of gold. He also seems to be the one they’re most likely to lovingly bully. Also dated Ritu (Lila’s actress) but kept the relationship as hidden as possible.

Ritu/Lila: she laughs to hide her true emotions. She overall tries hard to hide her true emotions. Again, secretly dated David and were only found out by fans through their families. Hate to say this one but seemed to break up due to events of s4 (just speculation as they stopped following each other/deleted photos off their socials a little before the season came out which likely means issues while filming it).

Allison/Emmy: cares a lot about her self image. Is a famous actor. I mean, they all are but like she really holds herself as one in interviews. She has a very refined actor way of answering questions while still allowing herself to be fun. Honestly hard to tell if she’s like Allison because I can’t tell how she’s like off screen, which is a good thing. She does often refer to the others in sibling/family terms which is so sweet.

Klaus/Robert: always saying the most unhinged and out there things. Constantly barefoot. He’s the glue that seems to hold them together and always knows how to make light of a situation through use of his quirky humour. I don’t know how watching the final scene together would have gone without him. Also appears to be a drug connoisseur.

Five/Aidan: very quiet until he needs to say something. He seems to very much be an old soul in a kids body. I remember in an interview on how they handled shooting the final scene and he mentioned he didn’t cry until he was alone in his trailer because he takes awhile to process things like that. He just seems like a very thoughtful person.

Ben/Justin: kinda sassy but in the way that you just love him more. The others (especially David) seem to love to bug him constantly. I love this bc Ben and Diego do seem to have been close before Ben died. He enjoys his alone time and solitude. He is soft spoken yet sassy. Honestly feels like he acts like a mix between umbrella Ben and sparrow Ben which I love.

Viktor/Elliot: he’s pretty introverted and doesn’t speak much unless prompted. Just overall a sweetheart that doesn’t want any trouble. He’s also a writer. Also tramsgemder

[e-vay]

Terribly sorry, but what did you win an Emmy for? I'd like to know so's I can track it down and maybe watch it.

Oh haha no need to apologize. I work for an Arizona television station and so I'm the art director for 2 news channels, a sports network and a lifestyle show. I don't know that any of the shows we make would be of interest to any of y'all.

One of the awards was for a series that one of our reporters did for our newscasts that featured 'bucket list' things to do in Arizona. It's broken into 3-parts but if anyone wants to check it out, it's here:

[x] [x] [x]

(Fun fact, my husband designed the shirt April's wearing in those)

The second award was for a special Halloween episode of our lifestyle show. Unfortunately, our lifestyle show isn't available online which makes me very sad because the Halloween special was so much fun. We all worked so hard on it from costumes to props to special effects, even the entire episode was in black and white!

Thanks for asking!

[memientom0ri]

Analyzing the metaphorical connection between Squid Game/Round 6 and the movie Parasite.

Before we begin, it is important to know that these two films are different metaphors for social inequality in South Korea; a social factor that is caused by:

• Gender discrimination: women receive 36% less than men;

• Racial inequality: immigrants face difficulties.

• School bullying: 15% of students report it.

• Stress and mental health problems.

Now let's analyze the metaphors of the two works and how they resemble each other, despite the different ways in which criticism is portrayed in both.

SQUID GAME:

The metaphor in the form of social criticism shows us how human beings subject themselves to absurd situations when there is no other option, and how those above the lower class have control over that class and over society (politicians, millionaires, businessmen, among other important positions).

Here are the points I gathered to write my review:

• Games portray the need, fear about society and (de)valuation of life. Players both value and devalue their lives as they choose to continue playing, even when they see people die, because the combination of the need for money + greed (this greed that equals the lower class to the upper class, showing us that some of those who are above were also inferior), does not make them want to stop because the world out there will humiliate them, devalue them and kill them little by little, just as it happens in the game.

• No matter how superior you think you are to someone, whether it's due to intellectual, social or racial level, within the game everyone is humiliating themselves equally because they need the same thing: money (representing not only the literal money that the lower class needs, but also social validation, the minimum of respect, to be taken seriously).

• The real world is no different from the game: politics controls society as the boss and guards control the game; work (or lack thereof), represented by sadistic games, is necessary to obtain money and social validation.

• Bad people are just as sadistic as the controllers of society and the game. Since, in both seasons, bad people were responsible for sowing chaos among the players, killing each other before the games even started. People in society don't care if you need it as much as they do (even if they are in the same social class as you), they will walk all over you if they have the opportunity.

The sadism of the upper class.

The controllers watch the players kill each other and are killed during the games with class and tranquility, not lifting a finger to help. The villainy of the series represents how those above do nothing to change (even though they could),because they don't want to give up their money, because they don't care, because they've been consumed by greed for a long time.

• We are > always < being controlled by someone above us.

In both Season 1 and Season 2 we see 456 approaching and becoming attached to Player 001 (the first being the old man, and the second being Inho), both Bosses of the game infiltrated among the lower class. I observed this detail as a suggestion that there will ALWAYS be someone above controlling those below, even people in our daily lives. It is unconscious, but it is a form of submission; we obey those above us because it is moral to follow the rules. From teachers above students, parents above children, to bosses above employees and politicians above citizens.

I am passionate about the way film directors manage to fit these criticisms in such creative metaphors. It's like in The Matrix; which suggests that we all live in a control system, with the metaphor of Artificial Intelligence. It's so different from Squid Game, but at the same time the same.

In 2022, Lee Jung-Jae won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor for Squid Game. The series received 14 nominations in total and won 6 (including Best Director).

Lee Jung-Jae made history by becoming the first Asian man to win this award.

PARASITE:

The metaphor here is less "fantastical" than in Round 6, leaning towards the more realistic side of the critique.

A poor family is hired to work in the house of a rich family, but it is not as simple as it seems. Tired of extreme poverty and a difficult life, The family devises a plan to gradually infiltrate the wealthy family one by one, until they are all working in the house.

They begin to take over the wealthy family's house as time goes by, but the film wanders through situations where social criticism masterfully made by Bong Jon-Hoo, it surprises and terrifies us in the face of such inequality.

The place where the poor family lives is well below the streets above, and they have to go down very long stairs to get there (it is interesting because it metaphorically shows how the lower class is so far below, that they live in a place where the sun barely touches).

At a certain point in the film, the poor family finds a man in a terrible situation, living hidden below the house of the rich family (once again, there is always someone below, even below the lower class. It can always get worse), and when they find this man, the mother of the poor family does not even listen to him, picks up the phone and says she is going to call the police; this scene suggests a lack of empathy that can be present even in the most needy. She did not even think that she herself could be in that man's place if she had not gotten a job in the house of the rich; she forgot that she is also inferior, but, as I said, there will always be someone worse off; and that is when people feel superior, even knowing that they are not.

Just like in Squid Game, in Parasite we see social inequality represented in two uncomfortable, different but equal ways.

Players vs. Bosses / Poor vs. Rich = Us (society, lower class) vs. Them (politics, industries, corporations, digital influences, upper class)

Below = Players / Poor family

Above = Bosses (001, guards) / Rich family

Metaphor: poverty, financial need/validation/respect = Games / Job in the rich house

Metaphor: politics, industries, companies, millionaires = Boss/001/guards / Rich family

The series and film have been widely awarded and recognized for their metaphorical perfection and cinematic work.

In 2020, Bong Jon-Hoo won the Oscar for Best Director, Best Film, Best International Feature Film and Best Original Screenplay for Parasite.

There is a lot of xenophobia behind the industries, so it is important to remember and highlight the victory of these great artists. Korean cinema is incredible, but it is undervalued.

[cas-kingdom]

NCIS gang with your OC, watching a horror movie for Abby's bday? <3

It was Abby’s idea, of course. No one else would have opted for a horror movie marathon the moment the sky got dark – in fact, Ducky had requested they change it to an ‘80s English comedy night – but it was Abby’s birthday, and so it was Abby’s choice. Horror movie marathon, it was.

Gibbs had offered to host the little party – Emmie said it was for the sole purpose that he could run down to his basement if he got too scared, to which he’d aimed a light head slap, and she’d ducked expertly out of the way.

So, four NCIS agents, two medical examiners, a forensic specialist, and a teenage girl sat, cramped but cosy, in Gibbs’s living room, surrounded by about twenty blankets and pillows, at least three bowls of popcorn (one of which Tony was keeping safely guarded in his arms), closed curtains plunging them into utter darkness, and a flashlight on the floor in suspiciously close grabbing distance from Gibbs, who had, as expected, protested very audibly against the turning off of all lights.

There weren’t enough seats for everyone, but Tony and McGee didn’t care about the bean bags they’d been assigned. Emmie was squished between a practically bouncing Abby, and Ziva, who, after about twenty minutes into the movie, fell promptly asleep against the side of the sofa. Ducky and Palmer were on the two-seater, while Gibbs sat rigidly in his armchair.

The movie was The Blair Witch Project. Abby was ecstatic, reciting lines the moment the movie started and tugging at Emmie’s arm when a ‘good bit’ was about to come up, which usually meant she needed to cover her eyes. Tony and McGee were fixed on the screen, the former giggling like he was watching a romcom while the latter seeming interested solely in the particulars of the film’s special effects. Ducky occasionally spouted the odd horror movie fact, and Palmer…well. He was just happy to be there.

And Ziva was asleep, so Ziva didn’t care what was going on.

Emmie rarely watched horrors. There was the odd time Abby managed to rope her into one on one of their routine sleepovers, but they tended to be more…placid. Ones she could cope better with, at least. Gibbs, meanwhile, rarely watched movies, let alone horrors, and every time Emmie glanced over, just to see if there was anyone else in the room who was actually as terrified as her, he looked about ready to bolt.

“Oooh, Em, this is a good bit!” Abby said for the tenth time, shaking Emmie’s arm.

Emmie promptly pulled the blanket up to her chin.

“Ha, McGee, that’s you after a night out,” Tony quipped with an immature giggle, pointing a finger at the screen.

“Hilarious, Tony.”

“I do believe that the director of an ‘80’s horror was once charged with murder because one particular scene was so well—"

Even Ducky stopped mid-sentence as the room filled with the eerie sound of kids’ voices coming from the TV.

“Oh…” Tony shuffled backwards on his beanbag. “Oh, God…”

Abby grinned in pure excitement, her eyes fixed on the screen.

McGee’s face contorted into something almost painful.

Palmer was looking anywhere but the screen.

Gibbs pressed himself further back into his chair, hand mere inches away from covering his eyes.

Ziva snored.

And Emmie…

The moment the kids’ voices got louder, she let loose an adamant “nope” and shook herself free of Abby to execute her escape. Clambering ungracefully over Ziva, who somehow stayed asleep, she jumped none-too-gently from her sofa to her dad’s. Gibbs, in need of support as much as his daughter, didn’t spout much more than an oof at the sudden weight before wrapping Emmie in his arms and conveniently hiding his face behind hers.

“Good lord,” Ducky said as the scene continued.

“Uh, I need the restroom.” And that was McGee gone.

“Wait for me!” Palmer quickly followed.

Abby rolled her eyes. “You’re all a bunch of babies.”

Ziva blearily cracked her eyes open. “Babies? How—lovely,” she slurred before promptly returning to sleep.

NCIS Masterpost

[mrs-stans]

@nytimes: The actors Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong think their new movie about Donald Trump is a tragedy, not a mockery. The film, “The Apprentice,” is a fictionalized look at the Machiavellian bond between a young Trump (Stan) and the lawyer and fixer Roy Cohn (Strong). It could be an awards season player for Stan, best known as the Marvel supersoldier Bucky Barnes, and for Strong, the Emmy-winning “Succession” actor who recently took home a Tony for “An Enemy of the People.” But what was it like to dig so deep into Trump’s life? “We need to stop talking about him like he’s a being from outer space,” @imsebastianstan said. “He’s been made on this planet like the rest of us.” “There is a version of this you can read as the becoming of a monster,” the film’s director, Ali Abbasi, added. “There’s also another version, which is this human tragedy.” “I 100 percent see it as a human tragedy, the way that I saw ‘Succession�� as a tragedy of late-stage capitalism,” Strong said. Kyle Buchanan, the awards season columnist for The New York Times, sat down with Stan, Strong and Abbasi to talk about making “The Apprentice” and portraying Trump in today’s world. Tap the link in our bio to read the full conversation and to read our review of the film. Photos by @geordiewood

[flutterbyoz]

This is going to be a pretty long post but I found that once I started I couldn't stop! Hopefully it all makes some kind of sense

I miss Richonne everyday, they still fill so much of my headspace and though it's been a few months since The Ones Who Live episode 6, I think I miss them now more than ever.

Though I would love a TOWL season 2, more Richonne is always a good thing, there are a 2 things that I think are important if/when we see them again and a couple of things I'd like to see happen.

1. Andy, Danai and Scott come back because they want to and because they feel they have the perfect story to tell.

We know they will only come back for a story that feels right and necessary to tell and I love that! I love the fact that not only do they care about giving us amazing stories but they also care about the characters having a story that needs to be told rather than just coming back just for the sake of it.

I also love how it's a team thing with the three of them. Andy and Scott waited for Danai to be free to do S1 and Andy has made it pretty clear he'll do it if Danai does and if the story comes from her and/or Scott. The friendship, trust, respect, care and love that exists between the three of them is something I adore ❤️ I've said it before but the friendship between Andy and Danai especially is one of my favourite things, it's easy to see that it's genuine and not just put on for promo or anything else. There is a real connection between them and they trust each other completely and Andy knows she can write a story worthy of being told.

2. Andy, Danai and Scott need to have full creative control.

AMC knows by now that this trio can deliver. They know they can create an amazing story, they can bring in the viewers, generate the hype, the engagement and earn glowing reviews, they can bring in new viewers and bring back those who left. They know this creative team can produce high quality TV, revive a franchise and deliver an episode and performances worthy of Emmy buzz. I don't doubt that if/when Andy, Danai and Scott wish to tell more stories, AMC will greenlight it without a second thought.

As well as greenlighting a second season or even another 6 episode series, AMC need to give full creative control to the trio. They've more than proven they know what they're doing so just let them do what they do best. Set them free to produce another incredible show because you know, when Andy, Danai and Scott get together they create magic. They know what they're doing, they what works for the characters and for the fans.

I've seen some discussion lately about whether what fans want should be high priority when it comes to writing a show. Now, while I understand and believe that the wants of the fans are important, after all you do need to create a show that fans are going to want to watch, engage with and keep watching, you also need to keep the story true to the characters and their journeys. Sometimes what the fans want doesn't align with what we know about the characters and/or their relationship and it's not really right to forgo a characters story/journey just because some fans don't like it.

Luckily for us, what Andy, Danai and Scott want for Richonne is also what so many of us want too, it also makes sense and is true to the characters. They know these characters and their relationship like no one else and they love them just like we do and when they write and create a show they aren't just writing for the fans, they are doing what's right for Rick and Michonne too.

Again, I have no doubt that AMC will jump at the chance to have them back again and I'm also very hopeful that, just as with S1, they will give them full control over everything. They need it as they've shown that what they do works.

3. Michael Slovis back as director

Not only did Danai write the perfect episode with 'What We' but Michael Slovis also did an incredible job directing it. He just seemed to understand these characters and Andy and Danai so well, he got them on a level that other writers/directors didn't appear to on the flagship show. I also read somewhere that it was his idea to put in the kiss in the car at the end, showing how, now they were together and on the same page again, they simply couldn't keep their hands off each other and I love that!

If we do get more Richonne, I'd love for him to come back and direct and if he and Danai could work together again on an episode she wrote then that would be awesome! They make a great team, along with Andy of course, and they delivered one of the best episodes this franchise has ever seen.

Now, as for what I'd like to see in a possible season 2 or another mini series there is quite a lot but the two that I'd most like are:

1. Domestic Richonne and Grimes family time

After everything they've all been through, this beautiful family deserve to enjoy some 'normal' family time. I'd love to see Richonne and their kids at home, cooking dinner, playing games, enjoying family fun days, I'd love to see Rick and RJ bonding, Rick and Judith bonding, Michonne and the kids reconnecting and Rick and Michonne enjoying married life.

I know many people would love to see them have another baby and I totally get why and it wouldn't surprise me after TOWL to be honest but I'm in two minds about this. On the one hand, it would be lovely to have another little Grimes to add to the family, maybe a little girl who is her mothers twin but her personality is all her dad. Rick missed out on so much with RJ and seeing him get to dote on a pregnant Michonne and witness the birth of his child would be amazing.

However, on the other hand I think just letting them stay as a family of 4 may be the best thing. Adding a pregnancy into the mix could stir up some old wounds for Michonne and there are risks involved, it's also one more thing to worry about and Rick's already overprotectiveness would go into overdrive. So while another baby Grimes would be lovely I'm very happy with how they are now but if they could find a way to include a pregnancy/baby into the story then I certainly wouldn't be against it.

I just want more of the Grimes being a family, being happy and feeling loved. We always have to keep in mind that this is The Walking Dead and it's not going to be sunshine and rainbows all the time. With Andy saying something along the lines of he'd like to take it back to the horror roots, we know there will be some level of peril and threat but with Andy and Danai in charge, I know we can trust them to do right by these characters.

2. Michonne's trauma

This is something I've seen brought up a few times recently and it's something I've been thinking about for a while too. It's quite a difficult thing and doesn't really fit into the happy family time I've mentioned but I think it's important to address.

For obvious reasons, TOWL S1 was mostly about Rick's trauma and PTSD, I have no issues with that, I liked the way it was addressed, how Michonne helped him through it and brought him home. However, I think some people seem to forget that Michonne is carrying a lot of trauma herself and apart from a brief mention in TOWL, it has largely been overlooked.

Michonne had a lot to deal with on the flagship show, not only did she lose the love of her life but she also had a daughter to raise alone, a baby on the way, Judith was kidnapped and she herself was attacked and branded while pregnant. Due to not feeling safe she cut herself off and lost trust in a lot of people and friendships seemed to drop off. She also went through hell trying to get to Rick and it all left her with some heavy trauma that really needs to be addressed.

In a possible future story I'd like to see this trauma get brought to the forefront, Ricks PTSD will still be a factor and seeing him try to adjust back to a 'normal' life may see it rear its head again. We all know Michonne is Rick's rock, she'll be with him every step of the way and will be his shelter from the storm but I would also like to see Rick do the same for her.

Everyone knows how much Rick adores his wife, there is no question that he loves her more than life itself but I still don't know whether he knows the full extent of what she went through while he was gone. It may be a conscious decision on Michonne's part to keep some things back from him, at least until they got home but I think he needs to know. Michonne needs his support, she needs to be able to get out everything she's been bottling up so he can be her rock just like she is his.

Not only do they need time to reconnect with their kids but they also need time to reconnect as a couple and though I know Rick regrets what he did and said to Michonne in TOWL, it still hurt her deeply. There was a lot of effort on Rick's part to make up for that and I know Michonne doesn't hold it against him but they need time to heal together and I'd really like to see that explored in any future story.

If you've managed to reach the end then thank you! I know this was a very long post and I didn't intend for it to be so but here we are.

If we do get more Grimes adventures, I think there will be some sort of time jump and depending on what that looks like we could be looking at slightly different versions of what I mentioned above. I do think we'll get some family time, romantic Richonne moments and obviously some danger thrown in, but I do wonder if Michonne's trauma will be brought up at all. With Danai almost certainly having a big part in writing any future story, I like to think she would address it and she would definitely do it justice.

With the DVD saying season 1, Andy saying there is an infinite chance it could happen again if Danai and Scott are writing it, and the fact Danai is very secretive when asked about the future of Richonne I do think something will happen at some point. What that will be and when I have no idea but to me, Andy and Danai strike me as the kind of people to be honest and straightforward with the fans and would say outright if there was no more.

Whatever happens, we've been truly blessed by Richonne and Andy & Danai. I've never seen two actors more committed to their characters, more in tune with and supportive of their relationship and their fans and have such a supportive, caring, respectful and loving friendship off screen. The Walking Dead really struck gold with these two and would be lucky to have them back again.

[prettyshon10]

TOWL EP. 4

SPOILERS

- Poured some wine for this one; let’s go

- Whose house is this? It’s nice (was that a roomba I saw?)

- Yes, thunder! Set the atmosphere!

- I will never skip these opening credits

- The body is giviiiiing! Danaiiii!

- That man is lusting—omg, he see’s the scar!

- It’s literally takes me twice as long as the episodes’ run time ‘cause I keep pausing and rewinding, but can you blame me? I’m trying to take EVERYTHING in; I’m tryna savor

- “You’ve become a bit of a creative writer these days. That note? In the getaway boat? Poetry.”

- She’s MAD mad, y’all!

- “Children”! She said “children”! He caught that!

- Only 7 minutes in and this ep has me in a chokehold; Imma need more wine

- I knew it wasn’t gonna be that easy; sorry to y’all theories

- THEY ARE ACTING!!!! ACTING!!! The mannerisms—the cracked voices raised in anger! The fact that NOBODY on the TWD cast bagged an Emmy is so freakin CRIMINAL!!!

- Yo! Automated Voice! SHUT UP!

- She ain’t giving you that thing, sir.

- “What did they do to you?” The angst is angsting.

- “Do you still love me?” STOOOOOOP! I’m done! 😭Cut the show—

- Now the sun’s coming out from behind the storm clouds…

- Round three of “They won’t come after us if we’re “dead””, huh?

- I’m totally sure Jadis would not believe they’re dead. They’re Rick and Michonne. She knows better.

- Shout out to my subscription plan—I love not sitting through commercials!

- Sis is really whacking him over head with the “what about the kids?!” approach

- The black woman in her is leaping out and I love it; baby said “deuces, then.”

- Don’t tell me she’s waiting for him to follow her…

- And he wants to!!! The tropes are troping!

- My wine is gone and I’m not even halfway into the episode. I’m gonna throw myself out the window, I swear…

- I hear a chopper; no no no no no

- Not her sassing him 😂 I love snarky Michonne

- “The only time I feel safe is when I’m with you.”

- Even at their most divided, they’re a forced to be reckoned with. Look at them fight together!

- Not him getting blood on her face! Rick, she’s pissed enough as it is!

- Automated Voice, I’m not doing this with you, again!

- The way she grounds him back to reality in the midst of his panic. How very “sun’s getting real low” of them. ❤️

- Inject this entire scene into my veins

- Bathed in the golden glow of this light; it’s the little things

- RJ really does look just like Rick. Shout out to the casting director. Man’s genes said “you’re gonna carry a lightly melanated clone, and that’s final!”

- This show is literally fan service done the RIGHT WAY; other shows takes notes

- Not the roomba sneaking a peak! Caught my boy off guard—he was ready to fight

- Finally, he’s asking about the mark

- “Carl. They took Carl.” Excuse me?!

- “I can’t live without you. Without you, I die.”

- Andrew Lincoln wants me deceased: confirmed. This is a personal attack, I’m sure of it

- Oh lord, not the Carl drawing…

- I just…😫😭

- Elevator make out! One thing about my faves, they’re gonna get it in anytime, any place! And walker killing is an aphrodisiac!

- In the car, too! 😂

- Things are totally gonna go left; only question is how

- Wait, it’s over?!

[jbaileyfansite]

Vanity Fair Interview for the Hollywood Issue (2024)

In the last 13 months or so, Jonathan Bailey has carried on a secret gay love affair in McCarthy-era Washington, performed cunnilingus in a Regency England manor, rendered teenage boys speechless with a pop-philosophy lecture, and danced through life in a prince’s bedazzled breeches. This coming summer, he’s fleeing dinosaurs.

That would be in, respectively: Fellow Travelers, Bridgerton, Heartstopper, Wicked, and Jurassic World Rebirth. But even if he’s just pretended to do all those things, it’s understandable why Bailey is, right now, pinking his nose at a villa in Puglia.

“It is just so dreamy to be able to chill out,” he says via Zoom. “The cortisol levels have depleted.”

Playing Fiyero in Wicked was a dream come true for Bailey, who at one point in our conversation fantasizes about going to a Broadway rave with his castmates—he refers to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo as simply “the girls”—and dancing to techno remixes of Wicked tracks, like “Defying Gravity,” under pulsating green lasers.

After filming the two-part movie with the girls, he’s nabbed an Emmy nod for Fellow Travelers and started a charity, the Shameless Fund, to uplift the LGBTQ+ community he’s proud to be a part of.

We’re thrilled to have Bailey as part of our 2025 Hollywood Issue. Here, he shares his thoughts on being a change agent in Hollywood, how he chooses roles, and the secret talent that he wishes he’d kept a secret.

Vanity Fair: What a run! How are you feeling?

Jonathan Bailey: I’m very much enjoying my holiday. But the girls started rehearsing Wicked, what, two and a half years ago? I think people assume that I haven’t had any breaks, but I have. Also, we had the strike right in the middle. What was crazy is going from Fellow Travelers to Wicked, just insane.

The Wicked movie is so close to the stage show that if you’re a big fan, you’re not going to be like, “Well, I can’t believe they…” It hews so closely, how could you complain there? But that flip. Are you a secret tumbler?

I remember I’d flown back from Canada and then I was filming Bridgerton. I met the girls then, and they were well and truly underway. I remember going to the dressing rooms, and theirs were pink and green and were just spilling into the hallway. And mine was just an interrogation room with nothing.

But I did spend the whole day with [choreographer] Chris Scott and went from Chris Scott to see [musical writer] Stephen Schwartz, and it was just, for me, boot camp days. You just lean on the amazing choreographers and obviously [director] Jon M. Chu’s vision. So when it came to the beginning of “Dancing Through Life,” I felt like it had to be sort of a flair and sort of performative, but hopefully in a way that was just with abandon and not arrogance. I did gymnastics growing up and I did dancing. I was the only boy within a whatever-mile radius. And because I was a boy and I was dancing, whenever the Royal Shakespeare Company wanted to cast someone, they called. It was dancing that got me into acting. And in dance school—not school, but a hobby club—they had acrobatics, which I was obsessed with. So I had, and still do have, a very bendy back, as shown in Wicked.

I’m a big fan of Heartstopper, the books and then the show; I loved the comic. Was that something that you sought out, or they were like, “Hey, we need someone who’s so handsome that he sends multiple people into a crisis”?

I sort of wedged myself into that part. I was so moved by the series and also the graphic novel.

And, of course, doing Bridgerton—it’s funny what comes with doing a lot of press, and suddenly there’s a lot that people want to know about you, and there’s a lot that’s asked of you that, obviously, in any other industry, you wouldn’t have to talk about. So I was hyperaware of the complexities and nuances of how I felt about myself being a gay man, let alone a gay actor, and suddenly finding success in playing a straight part and talking about that. Heartstopper seems to allow people to feel catharsis and to feel a sort of melancholic sort of nostalgia for what could have been. I was feeling all of those things anyway. And [executive producer] Patrick Walters is really good friends with Josh Cole, who produced Crashing, so it is all a bit of a small world.

I love the cast. I think they’re brilliant. I remember seeing all of them speak to their own experiences and being like, My God, they’re so erudite and grounded and thoughtful and kind and compassionate in their answers. I would be really proud of myself if I could be a part of that as my younger self. Everyone above the age of 40 should be forced to watch it.

Do you think that Hollywood is more open to risk than it used to be? So many of these projects wouldn’t have existed 10 years ago.

Yeah. And with huge budgets and [the] trusting of Universal and Donna Langley and Peter Cramer, obviously they just got the right people, with Marc Platt, and they took their time. That’s the common denominator between these things: Fellow Travelers took 10 years to percolate and run its way in his genius, genial brain, and then four years to commission. Wicked, I think they’ve been trying to make a film of it for over 10 years. With Jurassic as well, this time they’re going back to David Koepp, the original writer of the original film, and Gareth [Edwards] is shooting on film.

I’m going to crack on with the work and I’m just incredibly excited for opportunities. I do think that as long as the work is good, anyone should be able to do the job. And I think that’s what’s changed. I obviously did not imagine myself in this sort of career, so that must be a sign of progress.

Do you get recognized out and about a lot? You’re in all these properties now that have such intense fan bases.

It’s funny—obviously, you do get recognized, but the Bridgerton of it all is really interesting, because it’s one thing to be on a show that is national, but I feel like I was more recognized outside of the UK than in the UK. It takes time to adjust to, it really does. It’s not an easy thing, but it also is amazing.

Do you have any secret talents? You already said that flipping is your party trick.

Yeah, I think that, and I was going to say dexterous toes…

What do you do with them?

…. but I would regret that, so I didn’t say it.

But then you did. What can you do with them that makes you so sure they’re dexterous?

Nothing about this goes well...I just remember entertaining my sisters by being able to pick things up with my toes, but like a monkey. But we probably don’t need to put that in writing.

Physical therapists, I’m sure, hail you.

I did ballet for ages, and I’ve only as an adult found out I’ve got very flat feet. Doing Fiyero, I learned that. And the physio one day walked in because my knees were twanging, and across the room he went, “You got flat feet.”

Your big secret: flat feet.

Yeah, that’s my party trick as well.

Revealed. Do you consider yourself to be a rule follower or a rule breaker? Are you afraid of getting in trouble?

I’m not a rule breaker, I just don’t really adhere. Do you know what I mean? If someone says, don’t do that, I won’t not do it. Probably people would always have said I was probably quite naughty.

You have a philanthropy, the Shameless Fund. Can you tell me about what inspired you to start that?

I’ve always found it is impossible to talk about this without sounding like an asshole, but it’s something that I do think about: opportunities for other people. And I also see where there’s an abundance of energy, whether that be money or creative, that could be siphoned off into other areas.

With the Shameless Fund particularly, there were certain commercial opportunities that were coming my way that I just wasn’t interested in because they just didn’t feel right, or I didn’t want to be stepping into [them]. I’m hoping next year we’re going to start giving out grants, in 2025.

Whom will the grants be going to?

Well, we’ve got three that we are certain on, nonprofits and charities that work internationally and locally in the UK for areas of the LGBT+ community, to educate and elevate. Hopefully, we’ll get to a point where we can offer smaller nonprofits a platform.

The three weeks after Bridgerton came out, there were so many requests from charities that I found it so upsetting and distressing because I wanted to do all of them. “Can you come to this thing, or can you speak, or can you send a shoe, or could you send a bag? Could you sign a script?” So this is also a way where you can work with multiple groups, become a bit of a patron.

Is there anyone who you feel reached back and helped you along in your career too?

Theater directors massively. Ian McKellen was wildly amazing, and I did King Lear with him. He was one of the first people to come to see me when I did Cock on the West End, and we went for a drink afterwards. He was so clear about how it might play out, and should it play out that way, what to be excited about and what to be aware of. I couldn’t wish for a better role model.

Source

[brian-in-finance]

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WHAT THE STARS ARE SAYING

Check out why so many famed actors use Backstage

Trusted since 1960

Founded in 1960, Backstage has a storied history of serving the entertainment industry. For over 60 years Backstage has served as a casting resource and news source for actors, performers, directors, producers, agents, and casting directors.

Over that time, Backstage Magazine has also appeared on numerous TV shows, such as “Mad Men,” “Entourage,” “Glee,” “Oprah,” NBC's “Today” show, Comedy Central's “@Midnight”, NY1's “On Stage,” and “Saturday Night Live,” as well as multiple mentions on shows like “Inside the Actor’s Studio,” “Girls,” and appearances in films such as “13 Going on 30,” the Farrelly brothers' “Stuck on You” and Spike Lee's “Girl 6,” and even a mention in Woody Allen's short-story collection “Mere Anarchy” and Augusten Burroughs' novel “Sellevision” – and Backstage has received accolades from multiple Academy Award-, Emmy-, and Tony-winning actors and directors. (Plus, the hit musical “The Last Five Years” even includes Backstage in its lyrics: “Here's a headshot guy and a new Backstage / Where you're right for something on every page.”)

CAITRÍONA BALFE

ACTRESS

"I still get Backstage emails 'cause I still subscribe to Backstage. [Backstage is) kind of the Bible in the beginning, which is amazing. Samuel French and Backstage go hand in hand, you know? You go there for your plays when you're in classes, and then you get your Backstage."

Backstage 1

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Brian’s Note: The following story originally appeared in April 2015. Most recent update is December 2020.

The Gorgeous Determination of Caitríona Balfe

Caitríona Balfe is on the move. That's been true most of her adult life— especially the 10 years she was modeling for Victoria's Secret, Dolce & Gabbana, and others—but as she sits on the rooftop patio of a West Hollywood hotel in mid-March, she mentions that she's pulling up stakes from Los Angeles.

"It just feels silly to have an empty place for 10 months until I figure out what I'm doing with my life," the Irish-born actor says. "I've rented the same place for the last four years and now I have to give it up." Her apartment is being razed to put in condos, but her departure from L.A. is extra poignant considering this is the city where Balfe journeyed when she decided to put aside that successful modeling career and focus on the vocation she'd always wanted: acting.

Photo: Luc-Richard Elie

"I've moved so much since I was 18," she says. "I mean, l've lived so many places. New York, I lived in for almost eight years [while modeling], and that's been the longest of anywhere since I left Ireland. But L.A. is where I came and said, 'OK, this is what I wanna do with my life.' "

She refuses to think of her move as a permanent one, though. "I'll be back," she declares, "but it feels really sad. My little apartment, it's got so many memories."

Balfe's sadness is no doubt mitigated by the fact that part of her need to move is due to the precipitous rise in her fortunes. She'll soon be flying to Scotland to shoot the second season of "Outlander," which returns to Starz April 4 to conclude Season 1.

When last we saw Balfe's Claire, the resourceful British nurse who comes home after World War |I only to be inexplicably teleported into the 18th-century Highlands, she was half-naked with a knife to her breast. Don't worry: Claire will get out of that scrape, but more perils await-to say nothing of the emerging multi-era romantic triangle developing between her, the Scottish warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan), and her 20th-century husband, Frank Randall (Tobias Menzies), who wonders where she's gone.

Based on the much-beloved Diana Gabaldon novels and developed for television by "Battlestar Galactica" rebooter Ronald D. Moore, "Outlander" is an ostensibly lush period-piece-within-a-period-piece drama that's consistently richer and thornier than its romance-novel trappings suggest. And much of the credit goes to Balfe, who had managed small parts in films such as “Super 8” and “Now You See Me” before landing the central role in this adaptation.

In person, Balfe is far less imposing than the steely Claire, who has to weather the dangers of being a woman in sexist, violent Scotland in the 1740s. Cast late in the preproduction of “Outlander”—Moore has mentioned in interviews how hard it was to find the right Claire—she didn’t have time to consider what the role would do to her life. “I’m so bad on social media," she confesses on this warm afternoon, nestled underneath a cabana. "I had set up an account on Twitter maybe a year or so before I got this job and had, I thought, a lot of followers — 250 or something, and most of them are my friends. Within about a month or two, it was thousands of people — and my phone, I didn't know how to turn off the alerts, so it was just going all the time. That was the beginning of the awareness."

Growing up in the small Irish community of Monaghan, Balfe had considered acting from an early age. ("I was devastated that I wasn't a child actor," she says, smiling. But after traveling to Dublin to study theater, she changed course once she received an offer to model. It wasn't a secret passion of hers, but who turns down a trip to Paris? "My parents felt that I should finish college," Balfe recalls, "but l'm slightly headstrong, so l took their advice and I completely ignored it."

Over the next decade, she lived in France, Italy, Germany, and Japan, her modeling inexperience hardly a detriment. "You'd be amazed how little information or training goes into it," she says. "When I first arrived in Paris, I was told to take a bus to the office. I left my suitcase — I barely spoke any French — and someone took me across the street, helped me buy a Carte Orange. They printed out five addresses that I had to go to that day, and then they sent me off." She still remembers at 18 riding the subway alongside 16-year-old aspiring Russian models, who knew no French or English, homesick and sobbing their eyes out. "That was just the way it was," says Balfe. "You become pretty tough. When I went to Japan, it was similar: They would drive you to their castings, but the minute you got a job, it would be like, 'Here's an address, here's a map. Good luck.' They don't have signposts in English in Japan, so the map and the address are not always very helpful."

Hear Balfe recount her early misadventures in modeling and you can't help but think of Claire, who's equally thrown to the wolves once she arrives in the 18th century amid people wary of the English in general and assertive women in particular. "Honestly, l've been in so many situations in my life where you just are completely displaced," Balfe says. “You have to adapt very quickly and figure it out. I definitely think that informs Claire a lot. It helped me understand her."

Did moving to Paris at such a young age teach Balfe that she can cope in any circumstance? "I think I didn't really realize that until many years later," she replies. "I have a great knack of not thinking about things and just going for it. You learn the hard way sometimes that you're able to get through, but sometimes it's quite tough when you're in a situation where you don't know anyone and you're trying to find your way around cities. But if an opportunity presents itself and it seems like a good idea, l'm just like, 'OK, let's do it, then I'll figure it out.'”

The decision to reconnect with her acting ambitions was conducted just as boldly. Ready to quit modeling, she moved to Los Angeles because a writer she was dating lived there. He was the only person she knew, but she had read a Vanity Fair interview with Amy Adams in which she said she trained with Warner Loughlin. "I could walk to that place from my ex-boyfriend's house," she says, "so l was like, 'Well, I'm gonna go there because I can't really drive. I started from scratch. I didn't have any managers, I didn't know any agents, I hadn't acted in almost a decade." But she just kept taking classes, moving from Loughlin to the studios of Sanford Meisner and Judith Weston. "I think when I first got here, I had a nice little air of delusion: 'It's gonna work out,'" she says with a laugh. “You just don't know how."

And then came "Outlander." By email, Moore admits that he didn't know Balfe's work until her audition tape came unsolicited to his office from her agent. Once she was chosen for Claire, he made it clear how demanding the job would be. “I told her in our first meeting that this was going to be an even bigger responsibility and workload than the normal TV lead," he writes. "Because the story was being told from Claire's point of view, Cait was going to be in every scene, every day for months, which is an extraordinary amount of work, far beyond what most actors are ever asked to do."

Moore's warning didn't faze Balfe. Writes Moore, "After she met with the president of Starz... and it was clear that she was going to land the role, I walked her to the elevator and just before the doors closed on her, I said 'Your life is about to change forever,' and she gave me a grin that was both thrilled and slightly nervous. I never saw her hesitate after that."

She's never hesitated before. As Balfe prepares to say goodbye to L.A. (for now, she thinks back to her early days in the city, trying to convince casting directors that she was more than just a model. "I went on many, many, many, many auditions that were Hot Girl No. 2 — you wanna shoot yourself," she says, laughing. "But, you know, I'm very lucky that l was even getting those auditions in the beginning. And it toughens you up. At least for me, to have that fuel to prove people wrong—it definitely spurs me on and makes me wanna work harder." Then she smiles conspiratorially. "And shove it to them."

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Remember… I told her in our first meeting that this was going to be an even bigger responsibility and workload than the normal TV lead. — Ronald D Moore

[vintagetvstars]

Betty White Vs. Eartha Kitt

Propaganda

Betty White - (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Girls, Life With Elizabeth) - I mean - does she really need an introduction? It's Betty White, people! The First Lady Of Television! What *hasn't* she done? She had an incredible career (in fact, she earned the Guinness World Record for the longest TV career by a female entertainer *twice*!) with an infinite list of successes - she won seven Emmys, three SAG awards, and even a Grammy. I personally know her best for her spectacular portrayal of Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls, but she's played so many great characters in her long career. A lesser known but marvelously charming role is that of the titular character in Life With Elizabeth, a 1950s sitcom which she also co-produced at the age of *28*! She was also a great advocate for a number of causes - animal welfare, gay rights (she used to accompany her friend Liberace to events to help him avoid being outed as gay), and racial equality: she famously hired Arthur Duncan, a Black tap dancer, on one of her shows, and when threatened with going off-air if he wasn't fired, she just declared "He stays, live with it." She's the whole package - amazing actress (and comedienne and producer!), kind and hilarious, and of course - beautiful! Just look at her - that smile! Those eyes! That charm!! Watch her in action if you can (they're too long to link here, but entire episodes of Life With Elizabeth are on youtube!), but honestly - her pictures alone are enough to make me swoon!

Eartha Kitt - (Batman) - No text propaganda

Master Poll List of the Hot Vintage TV Ladies Bracket

Additional propaganda below the cut

Betty White:

Have you seen her?? Look me in the eyes and tell me that Betty White's smile doesn't have the power to turn anyone's heart to mush. She looks adorable one moment, and can come up with the most out of pocket lines the next (all while still looking innocent about it). People know her best as Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls, of course, where she played the show's most naive character. But reportedly, Betty was actually the cleverest person on set. She didn't even have to learn her lines; reading the script once was enough for her, and she'd be able to remember any additional changes throughout the week without a problem. Which is pretty amazing if you ask me! Anyway, Betty is an icon. Her television career spanned seven (7!!!) decades, covering basically the entire tournament's time period (and then some!). She *almost* turned 100 and her outliving other celebrities was a Tumblr meme for ages. She had her own talkshow in the 1950s, for which she hired a female director, and had an African-American tap dancer (Arthur Duncan) as a regular cast member. When faced with criticism for the latter and the threat of being boycotted, Betty responded with "I'm sorry. Live with it" and gave Duncan *more* airtime. She was also the first woman to ever produce a sitcom (Life with Elizabeth) in which she played the lead, and looked absolutely stunning doing it. All in all: Betty was a badass, had a heart of gold, and she's absolutely stunning!

I think I might cry at how pretty she is honestly

that SMILE!!!

she's even pretty when she's not smiling... ahh...

some soft butch realness

[thehandmaidsdaily]

Production on the sixth and final season of The Handmaid’s Tale started at the beginning of September, with star/executive producer Moss, who made her directorial debut on the show in Season 4, directing the opener. She is also directing the final block of episodes, which is now in prep. Here is what Littlefield teased about the Emmy-winning drama’s final chapter.

“A lot of people won’t make it to the end of Handmaid’s Tale. It’s pretty chilling, but also exciting,” he said. “I feel that Eric Tuchman & Yahlin Chang, who are the showrunners this year — Bruce, of course, remains an executive producer — they really, really thought a lot about what the audience wants and needs. And I think we will satisfy those who have been with us through six seasons, I think they’ll feel powerfully rewarded. Also, Lizzie has arrived as a directing force — that all happened over the course of Handmaid’s Tale — and it’s really appropriate that she is the director that takes us home.”

[mischief-and-tea-by-the-sea]

X-Men 2 fans: First Look at Nightcrawler and Stryker as brothers in Glenrothan

Brian Cox‘s feature directorial debut “Glenrothan” — billed as his “love letter to Scotland” — has wrapped production, with a first look revealed showing the “Succession” star alongside Alan Cumming in a room full of whisky barrels.

Alongside revealing a first look from the feature, Protagonist Pictures has come aboard for worldwide sales and is set to screen exclusive footage for buyers at the upcoming American Film Market.

Lionsgate, which co-developed the project with London based studio Nevision, has taken U.K. rights on the family drama, which shot in Scotland.

In “Glenrothan,” Donal (Cumming) reluctantly returns to the Scottish Highlands after 35 years in Chicago to make amends with his estranged older brother, Sandy (Cox). Sandy needs Donal to take over the family’s whisky distillery or he will be forced to sell and give up on the family’s legacy. But their reunion forces the brothers to confront the past and the real reason Donal left Glenrothan. Shirley Henderson (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “See How They Run”) and Alexandra Shipp (“Barbie,” “Anyone But You”) also star in the film.

“Glenrothan” is produced by Cox, Neil Zeiger, Crystine Zhang (“Prisoner’s Daughter,” “Lee”), Phin Glynn (“Argentina 1985,” “Kill The Jockey”), Nic Crum (“Book of Love”), James Cabourne and Vladimir Zemtsov (“Club Zero”). The film is co-produced by Nevision and Blazing Griffin Pictures in association with Screen Scotland, Oval-5, Gold Rush Pictures, Head Gear, Infinity Hill and Lionsgate.

“’Glenrothan’ is a poignant, funny and powerful story about the universal themes of family and heritage, set against the stunning backdrops of Scotland and steeped in the world of whisky,” said Protagonist CEO Dave Bishop. “Brian is an undeniable talent, both behind and in front of the camera, and is joined by the exceptional Alan Cumming — as such we are delighted to introduce buyers to this special film when we debut exclusive footage at the upcoming AFM.”

Neil Zeiger, lead producer added: “I have thoroughly enjoyed helping bring ‘Glenrothan,’ Brian’s ‘love letter to Scotland’, to the screen. Working with our incredible cast led by Alan, Shirley and Alexandra, Brian directed the film brilliantly. A universal story, wonderful performances and stunning images define the film. I am confident Glenrothan will compel and captivate audiences wherever in the world they are.”

Protagonist’s current slate includes the Venice, TIFF and San Sebastian selection “Kill the Jockey,” directed by Luis Ortega and recently selected as Argentina’s feature film contender for the 2025 Academy Awards; Samir Oliveros’ TIFF title, “The Luckiest Man in America,” starring Emmy and Golden Globe winner Paul Walter Hauser; the genre-bending comedy “Sister Midnight,” which recently screened at the London Film Festival and was nominated for Cannes’ Camera D’Or; and from directors Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson, the political horror-comedy “Rumours,” which debuted at Cannes before going on to screen at Toronto, San Sebastian, New York and London Film Festivals.

[dwreader]

A Meal to Remember by @iwtvfanevents

Part 2: I am suddenly Megan Ellison, a wealthy lesbian, my father is a billionaire who has allowed me to start my own production company to make films I want to see. Money is no object. Here are the fics I would adapt and who I would hire (bully into) directing.

1. Reformation by verseau - first of all, I would pay $1 billion to acquire the rights outcompeting Amazon, Netflix and Apple and I would make Betsy adapt the screenplay. I maintain this must be cinematic because Ldpdl’s hole needs to be experienced in 70mm imax AND I would not allow any countries to censor like they did to Florence’s boobs. This would be like an Eternal Sunshine/Blue Valentine/Two for the Road type romantic dramedy that jumps back and forth in time to show the couple’s struggles and progression, and the non-linear storytelling means it automatically becomes an Oscar frontrunner. I would try to hire Barry Jenkins first but he is occupied with The Lion King 2 at Disney so then I would go to Mia Hansen-Love to direct. Beyoncé does the soundtrack. I didn’t even have to ask her she just wanted to.

2. Part of Your World by weathermood - I will imprison Mr. Monsterfucker himself Guillermo Del Toro until he agrees to direct this film like I am Kathy Bates in Misery. He will read it and then be like okay I agree you don’t need to kidnap me I will make this movie. We are going full Avatar 2 level budget to make sure underwater scenes are believable cause I won’t tolerate bad Aquaman CGI. The budget balloons to $400m but that’s okay cause it makes $2.7b worldwide and there’s 2 sequels greenlit immediately cause the world wants to see Louis get pregnant.

3. A Potentiality for Corruption by vampdf - Guillermo is occupied with Part of Your World and its sequels now so I turn to Robert Eggers to help bring to life this gothic horror romance. It’s 3 hours long. Parts of it are in black and white and there’s aspect ratio changes that confuse and unsettle the audience. We debut at Cannes. We get a 47 minute standing ovation but also some walkouts and fainting in the crowd because some vanilla viewers couldn’t handle the ending, which is controversial but has everyone talking.

4. Cord of Communion by themasterletters- this has now become a #1 nyt best selling novel so we have a built in audience and they want it to be a tv show cause of its length and we can’t skip out on any important points. Every streamer wants it but I choose HBO cause of the prestige factor and I’m an Emmy whore. It becomes Sunday night essential viewing replacing Succession it’s like if The Idol was actually good. I hire many talented directors such as Raine Allen Miller (Rye Lane), Francis Lee (God’s Own Country), Gina Prince Bythewood (Beyond the Lights) and I make Rolin Jones be my showrunner. We sweep the Emmys. The episode where Lestat fires Louis becomes the new Red Wedding traumatizing millions.

5. Pieta by baberainbow - When iwtv the amc show ends, I hire Paul Verhoeven to direct a standalone sequel film based on this fic. It’s as insane as you could ever imagine. The Catholic Church is mad at us. It’s condemned by the Vatican and the anti-feminization police. They’re protesting outside our premiere like they did to Benedetta. It doesn’t matter cause it just makes the film an even bigger hit.

6. Hand to God by boltcutters - first I pay Ziska $1 billion to finish writing this. Then I go back in time to 1933 first to make Hollywood not adopt the Hays Code so we can have gay and interracial stuff in movies and then to 1946 so Howard Hawks can direct this Danlou version of The Big Sleep.

PSA: some of my links aren’t working cause I’m on my phone (on vaca) so please forgive me but y’all know where these fics are don’t lie!!!

[destinyc1020]

girl but what did you think about keke and zendaya? What do you think happened between them. There is a coldness there that I am getting from keke but idk why. Keke is friends with everyone esp everyone black who started on Disney and shit. It’s weird. What do you think

Girl, I'm almost afraid to even say anything on here regarding this, because I kind of feel like all it's going to do is just spark a heated Keke vs. Zendaya debate in my inbox, so that's why I've been kind of avoiding answering asks about this topic. 🙃 😬 👀

But, what I will say is that my opinion still remains. While I do think that Keke is amazing (always loved her) and is super successful, I just don't think she's on the Zendaya level of fame and success.... YET.

I mean, Zendaya is a 2x Emmy winner, has tons of high-end brand deals, trends on Twitter just for breathing, has been an EP since her teens, models, works with super famous actors and directors, has walked the red carpet at the Oscars several times, and is on a one-name fame basis.

I meannnnn.... I just think she's more famous and successful. Now, some people will argue that fame level doesn't always equal "success", and that's true, but the two usually go hand in hand.

With that said, I don't feel the need to have to compare these two lovely women at all. 🥰 They are both beautiful, amazing, and successful. Keke is an author, has been a TV host, had her own talk show, has worked with great actors over the years, and is very recognizable on her own right. I think people sleep on Keke because she is usually doing more comedic stuff, but when she speaks, you can tell that she's VERY articulate, smart, and explains herself well.

I can def understand her frustration with being compared to Zendaya though, and being put in a box and made part of an argument that she doesn't think she fits into. I totally understand how frustrating that can be, and I don't think she's wrong in feeling that way at all. Your feelings are your feelings.

With that said, I don't think we can just turn a blind eye and pretend that colorism (and, by extention, racism!) doesn't play a HUGE role in Hollywood. 👀

I think Keke is downplaying it because when the tweet came out, it was really bad timing (I'll admit), and because it makes her out to be a victim (or less-than) which is NOT a title she wants to wear, and not something she sees herself as. I totally understand that 100%. 💯

At the same time though, I don't think the fan who made that tweet realized just how offensive they came across. If anything, I think they were actually trying to give Keke a compliment in a way. They were basically saying that based on the starting careers of BOTH actresses, and the obvious talent of BOTH of these women, Keke really should have had a better trajectory career-wise in Hollywood overall. I actually agree with that.

What I think Zendaya excels at however, is that while she has biracial privilege (which, she already acknowledges), she's ALSO just played the Hollywood game much better (imo), and has been VERY strategic in her career choices.....and I kind of feel like people don't realize just how important that is in the long run. There are plenty of UNtalented people out here getting really famous and getting roles simply because they know how to play the game better. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Anyway, those are my personal two cents on the issue.

I think Keke explained herself beautifully, and I like both actresses and love to see them win. 🥰❤️

NOTE: I will NOT answer any rude or hateful asks about this topic in my inbox, so if you have something constructive to add to this conversation, please do so in a respectful way, and I will gladly answer you. 😊🙏🏾