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Throughout his exceptionally prodigious career, Morgan Freeman has been very selective about the small screen. Though TV fans have seen him in some memorable recurring roles in serial dramas like Another World, The Twilight Zone, and Madam Secretary, those have been few and far between, and he’s certainly never been a regular cast member on any television series … until now, that is. For the second season of Lioness, the Academy Award-winning actor was elevated to series regular for the first time in his industrious career, and the entire reason he decided to commit to this gig was simple enough. “Taylor Sheridan,” he told TV Insider when asked about his choice to join the show. “I’m so enamored of him and his work. He’s so prolific, and it’s always good.” According to Freeman, Sheridan approached him with the role as an offer he simply could not refuse...

Golden Globe Award-winning actress Keri Russell stars in a new Netflix series called The Diplomat. It’s definitely worth checking out if you enjoyed watching The Night Agent and The Recruit.

Created by Homeland writer and executive producer Debora Cahn, The Diplomat follows a career diplomat named Kate Wyler who finds herself struggling to balance her new role and marriage after landing the high-profile position of US Ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Of course, there are many other talented actors in the series besides Russell, such as Rufus Sewell, Ali Ahn, David Gyasi, Ato Essandoh, Rory Kinnear, Miguel Sandoval, Nana Mensah, Michael McKean, etc. If you want to know who’s who in the political drama, continue reading because we shared a cast and characters guide below.

Netflix The Diplomat cast and character guide The Diplomat. Keri Russell as Kate Wyler in episode 103 of The Diplomat. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix...

CBS announced the final cast for its upcoming daytime drama series “Beyond the Gates” on Tuesday.

Leading the final casting announcement is veteran actor Clifton Davis who joins the series as Vernon Dupree, the Dupree family patriarch married to Anita (Tamara Tunie) and father to Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix) and Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley), respectively.

Joining Davis are actors Alex Alegria, Lauren Bugliogli, Ben Gavin, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob and Mike Manning.

Rounding out the series cast are previously announced actors Brandon Claybon, Timon Kyle Durrett, Sean Freeman, Marquita Goings, Maurice Johnson, Trisha Mann-Grant, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepetit.

Set to premiere in early 2025 on CBS, “Beyond The Gates” tells the story of the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty.

Set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington D.C., and in one...

The Critics Choice Documentary Awards will be honoring Emmy-winning filmmaker Rory Kennedy at the upcoming 9th annual edition of these kudos. Kennedy won the second of her six Emmy bids in 2007 for the non-fiction special “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib.” She most recently contended in this same category in 2013 for “Ethel,” a film about her late mother, Ethel Kennedy. She also reaped a Best Documentary Feature Oscar bid in 2015 for “Last Days in Vietnam.”

The Critics Choice Documentary Awards ceremony on Nov. 10 will be hosted by Erich Bergen (“Madam Secretary”) at The Edison Ballroom in Manhattan. Chelsea Clinton and Amanda Zurawski, who is the subject of the documentary “Zurawski V Texas” about reproductive rights, are among those who will be presenting these prizes. Also on hand will be: Michael Cyril Creighton (“Only Murders in the Building”), R.J. Cutler (“Elton John: Never Too Late”), Lauren Greenfield (“Social Studies”), Ken Leung (“Industry”), Bridget Moynahan...

Beyond the Gates revealed the last wave of casting for the upcoming soap opera, which is slated to begin filming in November. This is the final casting announcement for the original cast of the daytime drama from CBS Studios and NAACP, which will premiere on CBS in early 2025.

Btg Casting News

Veteran television and stage actor Clifton Davis will star as Vernon Dupree, the Dupree family patriarch and husband of Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie). Alex Alegria, Lauren Buglioli, Ben Gavin, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob, and Mike Manning are also joining the new daytime series.

Character Breakdown

Clifton Davis stars as Vernon Dupree, the Dupree family patriarch married to Anita and father to Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Dani Dupree. A venerable former senator, Vernon is gentle, humble, and generous with his knowledge and experience. Retired now, Vernon was at the forefront of the civil rights movement.

Davis is a veteran...

CBS has set the final new cast members for its upcoming daytime soap opera “Beyond the Gates.”

Legendary actor and Tony & Grammy Award nominee Clifton Davis has signed on to the series, as have Alex Alegria, Lauren Buglioli, Ben Gavin, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob, and Mike Manning.

Full character descriptions can be found below.

The new additions will appear alongside previously announced cast members Tamara Tunie, Daphnee Duplaix, Karla Mosley, Brandon Claybon, Timon Kyle Durrett, Sean Freeman, Marquita Goings, Maurice Johnson, Trisha Mann-Grant, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepetit.

“Beyond the Gates” was originally picked up to series at CBS back in April. As previously reported, the show was developed under CBS Studios’ content partnership with the NAACP. The show will begin production in November and will premiere in early 2025.

The show’s official logline states:

“‘Beyond the Gates’ is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington,...

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The Diplomat is a political thriller comedy-drama series created by Debora Cahn. The Netflix series follows the story of Kate Wyler, a career diplomat who is married to a political star as she is recruited as the United States ambassador to the United Kingdom amid an international crisis. The Diplomat stars Keri Russell in the lead role with Rufus Sewell, David Gyasi, Rory Kinnear, Georgie Henley, Ato Essandoh, Ali Ahn, Jess Chanliau, and Nana Mensah starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the hilarious comedy, political thrills, and compelling characters in The Diplomat here are some similar shows you should check out next.

Madam Secretary (Netflix & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – CBS

Madam Secretary is a political thriller drama series created by Barbara Hall. The CBS series follows the story of Elizabeth McCord, a former CIA analyst...

In anticipation of their Ninth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, the Critics Choice Association has unveiled their list of nominees, led by National Geographic’s “Sugarcane” with eight nominations. The documentary covers an investigation into abuse and missing children at a Canadian Indian residential school system and is nominated for Best Director, Best New Documentary Filmmakers, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Historical Documentary, Best Political Documentary, Best True Crime Documentary, and Best Documentary Feature.

“Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story,” “Daughters,” and “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” all follow “Sugarcane” with six nominations, including Best Documentary Feature. Other films with multiple nominations include Ron Howard’s “Jim Henson Idea Man” and Will Ferrell’s road trip doc “Will & Harper,” which recently dropped on Netflix. “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,” which won the Audience Award and the Directing Award in the World Cinema category at Sundance this year, is...

Kevin Williamson’s upcoming Netflix drama series “The Waterfront” is rounding out its cast.

Variety has learned that Melissa Benoist, Jake Weary, Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, Danielle Campbell, and Brady Hepner have all been cast as series regulars.

Additionally, Michael Gaston and Gerardo Celasco will appear as recurring guest stars, while Zach Roerig will guest star.

Full character descriptions can be found below.

Finally, Marcos Siega has joined the series to direct the first two episodes. He will serve as an executive producer on the pilot.

“The Waterfront” is currently filming. The new cast members join previously announced series leads Holt McCallany and Maria Bello.

The official logline states, “Inspired by true events, ‘The Waterfront’ dives into the flawed Buckley family as their attempts to retain control of their crumbling North Carolina fishing empire drive them to increasingly dangerous means to keep themselves afloat.”

Netflix has commissioned eight episodes.

New Amsterdam star Ryan Eggold and Tony Award-nominated Kevin Del Aguila will join the previously announced Daniel Dae Kim on Broadway this fall in David Henry Hwang’s much anticipated Yellow Face.

Eggold will be making his Broadway debut.

Complete casting for the production was announced today by the Roundabout Theatre Company, and also includes Francis Jue, Marinda Anderson, Greg Keller and Shannon Tyo.

Yellow Face, directed by Leigh Silverman, will begin previews on Friday, September 13, 2024, at Roundabout’s at Todd Haimes Theatre, with opening night on Friday, October 1, 2024, 227 West 42nd Street) on Broadway. The limited engagement runs through Sunday, November 24.

The synopsis: Inspired by real events, the playwright’s fictionalized doppelgänger protests yellowface casting in Miss Saigon, only to mistakenly cast a white actor as the Asian lead in his own play. This Obie Award-winning and Pulitzer finalist play is a laugh-out-loud farce about the complexities of race.

Kim,...

Exclusive: Mandy Gonzalez, star of In The Heights, Hamilton and Aida, will play the role of Norma Desmond at select performances of Broadway’s upcoming Sunset Blvd., taking one performance a week with star Nicole Scherzinger taking all others.

Gonzalez will play her first performance on Tuesday, October 22. The casting was announced today by producers of the Jamie Lloyd-directed revival of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which begins previews at the St. James Theatre on Saturday, September 28 ahead of a Sunday, October 20 opening night.

Gonzalez said in a statement, “In my 25 years playing leading ladies on Broadway, I’ve never been more excited for a show. The role of Norma Desmond is iconic, Jamie Lloyd’s direction is masterful, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score is sumptuous. To reinterpret a timeless story with such raw sophistication, especially as the first Latina to take this role on Broadway, is a dream come true.

Frasier has finally moved back to the place where he first saw him. Now, with a grown-up firefighter son and many new and old characters. If you were a fan of the Frasier reboot then you might already know that Paramount+ has renewed the comedy series for Season 2. While you wait for the beloved comedy series to return we thought of informing you what the original cast has been up to since the original spin-off series ended.

Bebe Neuwirth Credit – NBC and Paramount+

Neuwirth’s Lilith was one of the favorites in the original Frasier series and after her return in the reboot, the fans want more of her. The actress who played the role of the ex-wife of our neurotic Frasier Crane has had numerous memorable roles since the original series including in Max’s Julia, the political drama Madam Secretary, and the popular legal drama series The Good Fight.

Forget the rivalry rumors, y’all! Star Wars legend James Earl Jones shuts down competition rumors with Morgan Freeman. Respecting Freeman’s talent, Jones insists their styles are pretty distinct. The Star Wars voice actor’s own deep, iconic tone—the one that brought Darth Vader to life—is simply one-of-a-kind, and Freeman is no less.

James Earl Jones as King Jaffe Joffer in Coming 2 America | Paramount Pictures

This refreshing perspective from a Hollywood voice icon reminds us: There’s room for multiple unforgettable voices to narrate our world.

Morgan Freeman and James Earl Jones Celebrate Unique Narration Styles Morgan Freeman as Ellis Boyd from the movie The Shawshank Redemption | Castle Rock Entertainment

Morgan Freeman, the voice of God himself, and James Earl Jones, the man behind Darth Vader’s iconic breathing? Rivals? In a recent interview with the New York Times, the voice artist shuts down whispers of competition between him and Freeman,...

If there is one thing you can count on from CBS, it's that they know when they have a golden goose on their hands, and it isn't long before they start dishing out those priceless eggs.

As a network that loves a good spinoff, it was only a matter of time before Fire Country, which saw success as wild as the fires it fights in the series, received its own interconnected show to branch out its stories and characters further.

However, unlike its parent show, Sheriff Country will focus on fighting criminal activity rather than renegade wildfires that the chiseled Max Theriot has to put on a shirt to put out.

There is not much information about the series at the moment, but that won't stop us at TV Fanatic from sharing everything we know so far about Sheriff Country Season 1!

What Is Sheriff Country About?

Sheriff Country stars Morena Baccarin...

Exclusive: We’re getting word about a series in the works from Sony Pictures Television’s Affirm television and Revelations Entertainment which is centering around the Biblical Nazarene movement.

Created by John Christian Plummer, the untitled series is set six months after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The secret Nazarene movement to spread his radical teaching of love is growing. Two families, one Hebrew and one Roman, are each fraught with their own crises of faith, and are drawn together in a complex web of espionage. The series, I understand, is being pitched as one about those who put their lives on the line, against extraordinary adversity, in the face of occupation and oppression by the most powerful empire in history, to bring Christ’s teachings to life.

The early Jewish Christian sect was first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles of the New Testament where Paul the Apostle...

Fans of the hit series “Prison Break” have reason to celebrate as Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller, the actors who portrayed brothers Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield, are set to reunite on screen in a new drama series titled “Snatchback.” The show, currently in development at Universal Television, promises to bring the duo’s dynamic chemistry back to television in an entirely new setting.

“Snatchback,” created by Scott Rosenbaum, known for his work on “The Shield,” “Chuck,” and “Queen of the South,” draws inspiration from the real-life experiences of an active covert intelligence officer. The series will follow a team of highly skilled operatives, led by Purcell and Miller’s characters, as they undertake dangerous missions to recover hostages from perilous locations around the globe.

Tish Cyrus-Purcell, founder of HopeTown Entertainment and Purcell’s wife, expressed excitement about the project, stating, “Rosenbaum has crafted an emotionally charged and high-stakes world...

We have exciting news for fans of Prison Break!

The actors who played the incarcerated brothers at the center of that beloved Fox drama are reuniting for what sounds like an equally tension-fueled series.

Variety is reporting today that the two stars -- who also appeared together in Arrow and DC's Legends of Tomorrow -- are set to costar in Snatchback, a hostage recovery drama currently in development at Universal Television.

It'll be a family affair for Purcell, who's producing the series alongside his wife, Tish Cyrus-Purcell.

The series is based on the real-life experiences of an intelligence officer and his work in international hostage recovery.

It'll be helmed by showrunner Scott Rosenbaum, who is best known for his executive producer work on shows like The Shield and Chuck.

Related: Hero or Smooth Criminal? These TV Characters Make It Hard to Tell

“Inspired by the life of a real covert...

The “Prison Break” brothers are getting back together.

Dominic Purcell and Wentworth Miller are set as the stars of “Snatchback,” a series in development at Universal Television. Scott Rosenberg serves as writer and executive producer, while Purcell also executive produces via HopeTown Entertainment.

The official logline for “Snatchback” reads, “Inspired by the life of a real covert intelligence officer who is still active in the field today, the series follows a highly skilled privately contracted team of operatives as they recover hostages across the globe from some of the most exotic, and equally dangerous locations on the planet.”

Purcell and Miller led Fox’s “Prison Break” as brothers Lincoln Burrows and Michael Scofield for four seasons from 2006 to 2009 followed by “The Final Break,” a TV movie that concluded the series before a revival was ordered; Season 5 aired on Fox in 2017. The pair also both appeared in the CW Arrowverse series...

We’ve seen the apocalyptic headlines (and movies). We’ve heard the scientists’ warnings. We know they’re the characters who are ignored until it’s too late. The consequences of that ignorance are supposed to teach us something, right?

Right now, mediamakers are grappling with what their personal and professional roles are within the ever-unfolding climate crisis. Our industry creates content that billions of people consume. How are we using that attention? What are we saying about our future? Do people want stories that help them escape reality, or face it? How do we continue portraying the many nuances and contradictions of our lived realities while keeping entertainment, well … entertaining?

This story first appeared in the June 2024 Sustainability issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to see the rest of the issue.

As working creatives in Hollywood, we found ourselves grappling with these questions and felt there needed...

Who Plays Wally Croker in Netflix's A Man in Full? Meet Actor Evan Roe - Main Image

Netflix's A Man in Full is a six-part limited drama series based on Tom Wolfe's 1998 novel of the same title. In addition to Ozark's Tom Pelphrey and The Good Place's William Jackson Harper, actor Evan Roe plays an important role in A Man in Full.

So who is Evan Roe, the actor who portrays Charlie and Martha Croker's son in A Man in Full? Find out in this article.

Who Is Evan Roe? Where Is He From?

Evan Christopher Roe, popularly known as Evan Roe, was born in Seattle, Washington, on February 9, 2000.

He began acting in musical theater after moving to San Diego, California, and has appeared in numerous productions, including Big River, a 2012 musical rendition of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

As a child actor,...

Louis Gossett Jr., who with his iconic role in An Officer and a Gentleman became the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, died on Thursday at age 87, his nephew told the Associated Press.

No cause of death was disclosed. (In February 2010, Gossett revealed a prostate cancer diagnosis, but it was promptly treated.)

More from TVLineRon Harper, Land of the Lost and Daytime-tv Vet, Dead at 91Robyn Bernard, General Hospital's Terry Brock, Dead at 64Steve Lawrence, Grammy and Emmy-Winning Entertainer, Dead at 88

Gossett’s other accolades include an Emmy (for his role as Fiddler in...

Louis Gossett Jr., who won a supporting actor Oscar for playing the hard-as-nails drill instructor in 1982’s “An Officer and a Gentleman” a few years after winning an Emmy for his role as the cunning Fiddler in “Roots,” died early Friday morning. He was 87.

Gossett’s family announced his death in a statement, writing: “It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

In Taylor Hackford’s “An Officer and a Gentleman,” Gossett’s Sgt. Emil Foley memorably drove Richard Gere’s character to the point of near collapse at a Navy flight school. Gossett was the first Black man to win the best supporting actor Oscar for that role.

In addition to “An Officer and a Gentleman,” Gossett is best known...

Fans have rallied to help The Bold and the Beautiful alum Kristolyn Lloyd after she revealed she was facing eviction from her New York apartment. The actress, who played Dayzee Leigh on the hit daytime soap opera from 2010 to 2013, took to Instagram earlier this month, opening up about the dire situation. “I am posting this because, full transparency: Ya girl isn’t doing well,” she wrote before revealing she had “been served eviction papers” by her landlord. She continued, “I am battling my ego and shame right now asking for help but — with the support of my friends — I have been encouraged to reach out to my community. So, here it is: I need help.” Lloyd, who has also appeared in episodes of Madam Secretary, Kevin Can Wait, Elementary, and Chicago Med, said she owed her landlord back-pay from the pandemic and the two work stoppages last year due to the writers’ and actors’ strikes.

Exclusive: Lori McCreary and Morgan Freeman’s Revelations Entertainment is partnering with the podcast Ear Hustle — part of the Radiotopia podcast network from Prx — on a docuseries adaptation.

Co-hosted by Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods, Ear Hustle launched in 2017 as the first podcast created and produced in prison. A two-time Peabody Awards finalist, National Magazine Awards finalist, and Pulitzer Prize finalist downloaded more than 78 million times, the show is made by a team both inside and out of San Quentin State Prison in California, traversing stories such as finding romance, grappling with a life sentence, trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, getting out and starting over, and beyond.

With the series to be directed by Erika Cohn, the two-time Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker behind New York Times Critics Pick Belly of the Beast, Revelations aims to capture authentic, raw and surprising stories of prison life by delving even...

The tenure for a Chicago P.D. police chief is pretty short.

Now, the One Chicago drama introduces a new one, possibly with his eyes on urging the Intelligence team to close even more cases.

The police chief in Season 10 committed suicide when he discovered that his son was a murderer.

Michael Gaston played Chief Patrick O’Neal on Chicago P.D. and was quite good on the show. But the character had a blind spot for his son.

Thanks to the relationship between Chief O’Neal and Hank Voight, Intelligence got to add a new person: Officer Dante Torres.

Now, a new man is in charge and is part of Chicago P.D. Season 11, Episode 6 (February 28).

Who plays Chief Waldron on the Chicago P.D. cast?

Robert Manning Jr plays Chief Waldron in the new episode of Chicago P.D.

The February 28 episode is called Survival, and the episode photos suggest the...

Lynda Gravátt, a mainstay of the New York stage, a seminal figure in the Washington D.C. theater community and a familiar presence on television through appearances in the Law & Order franchise shows, The Good Wife and the 1999 Showtime series The Hoop Life, died February 23 at a hospital in New Jersey. She was 77.

Her death was confirmed by the National Black Theatre. A cause has not been disclosed.

Born in Harlem May 24, 1946 (some reports indicate 1947), Gravátt made her Broadway debut at age 4 in The King and I, and would subsequently appear as a child performer and singer on local TV shows and in concerts.

A graduate of Howard University, Gravátt resumed her acting career as a founding member of the Living Stage, a company at Washington D.C.’s Arena Stage devoted to theater works promoting social justice.

Returning to New York City, Gravátt became a staple of the Off Broadway scene,...

Lynda Gravátt, the Harlem-born actress who starred on New York stages in such productions as 45 Seconds From Broadway, Doubt, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Old Settler and Intimate Apparel, has died. She was 76.

Gravátt died Friday at a hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, her son David Gravátt told The Hollywood Reporter.

A founding member of Robert Alexander’s Living Stage at the famed Washington-based Arena Stage company, Gravátt received a 1999 Theatre World trophy for her performance as 1940s Harlem resident Quilly McGrath in The Old Settler and a Audelco prize in 2004 for her turn as the bossy landlady Mrs. Dickson in Intimate Apparel.

On Broadway in 2001, she stood by for Leslie Uggams as Ruby in August Wilson’s King Hedley II and portrayed Bessie James in Neil Simon’s 45 Seconds From Broadway, then appeared as Mrs. Muller in 2016 in the original Broadway production of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt.

Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast. I am Valerie Complex, an associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today I’m chatting with Power Book III: Raising Kanan star, Patina Miller. As a major talent across film, television and musical theater Miller portrays Raquel “Raq” Thomas on the Starz original series which is coming up on the end of its third season.

Raising Kanan is the third show in the Power Universe. This one is about a young Kanan Stark (played by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s character from the first series) and how he joins his family’s growing and dangerous drug business. It takes place in Queens, New York during the 1990’s.

Raq is the mother of Kanan. To Kanan, she might come across as affectionate, yet on the streets, she embodies the epitome of toughness, navigating the male-dominated world with a blend of coldness, determination,...

James McCaffrey has sadly passed away.

The actor, known for his work as the voice actor of video game character Max Payne and his role on FX drama Rescue Me, died Sunday (December 17) of multiple myeloma cancer at the age of 65.

His death was confirmed by his manager, who confirmed that the late actor passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends.

Keep reading to find out more…

His first role was on the TV drama Civil Wars, and later on Swift Justice, as well as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

He would also star on Sex and the City, White Collar, Madam Secretary, Bull and Suits, among many others, including Rescue Me, in which he played Jimmy Keefe, a New York firefighter who lost his life on 9/11.

He is most well known to gamers for his voice work as the title character in the Max Payne game franchise,...

James McCaffrey, the actor who portrayed firefighter and 9/11 victim Jimmy Keefe on Rescue Me and provided the titular voice of the Max Payne video games, died Sunday at his home in Larchmont, N.Y. He was 65.

McCaffrey died after a battle with myeloma. The news was confirmed by his wife, actress Rochelle Boström, to The Hollywood Reporter.

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In addition to starring in 55 episodes of the FX dramedy Rescue Me, McCaffrey also starred in 1994’s Viper as...

James McCaffrey, the voice actor of video game character Max Payne and the haunting presence of the hit FX drama Rescue Me, died Sunday of multiple myeloma cancer. He was 65.

His death was confirmed to Deadline by his manager, who noted that the actor passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends.

Born in Albany, New Yor, McCaffrey got his breakthrough in a recurring role on the 1991-93 the TV legal drama series Civil Wars, and in 1996 was hired by Dick Wolfe for the series Swift Justice. McCaffrey would become something of a protege under Wolfe, appearing over the years in many of Wolfe’s series including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, among others.

McCaffrey trained at the Actor’s Studio and over the course of a 35-year career would be a regular presence on episodic TV, with appearances on Viper, Sex and the City,...

James McCaffrey, who portrayed the firefighter and 9/11 victim Jimmy Keefe on Rescue Me and provided the voice of the title character in Max Payne video games, has died. He was 65.

McCaffrey died Sunday at his home in Larchmont, New York, after a battle with myeloma, his wife, actress Rochelle Boström, told The Hollywood Reporter.

McCaffrey also starred in the 1990s as expert driver Michael Payton/Joe Astor on the first and fourth seasons of the NBC drama Viper and as Capt. Arthur O’Byrne on the Fox crime series New York Undercover.

McCaffrey’s Jimmy was killed on 9/11, and his vision hounded friend and fellow New York firefighter Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) over all seven seasons (2004-11) of the acclaimed FX drama Rescue Me. He said it was his favorite role.

He voiced Max Payne — the avenging former NYPD officer turned DEA agent whose wife and daughter were murdered by...

East New York‘s Amanda Warren has answered The Night Agent‘s call, as the first new cast addition for Season 2 the hit Netflix drama.

TVLine has learned that Warren will be playing Catherine Weaver, a veteran of the top-secret Night Action investigative program, who trains and oversees various agents including new recruit Peter Sutherland. “Smart, private and determined, Catherine is a fierce defender of her agents,” the official character description says, “but finds it difficult to earn Peter’s trust when he struggles with betrayal issues from his experiences in Season 1.”

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Exclusive: After starring opposite Jamie Foxx in Maggie Betts’ acclaimed legal drama The Burial, currently streaming on Prime Video, Amanda Warren has been tapped for the biggest new role in the second season of Netflix’s smash hit series The Night Agent, from creator Shawn Ryan and Sony Pictures Television.

The actress joins returning cast that includes Gabriel Basso and Luciane Buchanan.

Now ranking sixth on Netflix’s Most Popular TV chart, The Night Agent amassed 168.7M hours viewed in its first few days on the streamer in March, within a week being set up for Season 2, in one of the streamer’s fastest renewals to date.

Based on Matthew Quirk’s same-name Nyt bestseller of 2019, the show sees the FBI’s Peter Sutherland (Basso) manning a phone in the basement of the White House that never rings — until the night that it does, propelling him into a fast moving...

Thursday’s episode of Paramount+’s “Frasier” revival saw the return of Dr. Lilith Sternin – the ex-wife of Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and mother of Freddy (Jack Cutmore-Scott) – as the two parents compete for their son’s affection during his birthday.

Showrunner Joe Cristalli (“Life In Pieces”) told TheWrap that “nothing was more enjoyable as a fan to watch” than seeing Grammer and Neuwirth’s characters go toe-to-toe zinging each other again.

“There’s a version of this show where ‘Oh, Lilith and Frasier are a little softer now, they found a nice balance and they’re starting to come around’ and no, that’s not the case,” Cristalli told TheWrap. “They’re still going at each other hard and it’s so fun to write for that. It’s so fun for such a specific voice to come up with these insults and jokes that nobody else can perform except for Kelsey and Bebe.

Focus Features has set a March 22nd theatrical release date for The American Society of Magical Negroes, a satirical comedy marking the feature directorial debut of Kobi Libii, which stars Justice Smith (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), David Alan Grier (upcoming The Color Purple), and more.

Focus is distributing the pic in the U.S., with Universal Pictures International handling international. Set to open against it on the 22nd is Lionsgate’s Mark Wahlberg pic Arthur the King. The film tells the story of a young man, Aren, who is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance: making white people’s lives easier.

Rounding out the cast are An-Li Bogan (After Yang), Drew Tarver (The Other Two), Michaela Watkins (You Hurt My Feelings), Rupert Friend (Asteroid City), and Nicole Byer (Nailed It!). Pic’s producers included Julia Lebedev...

Boop! The Betty Boop Musical will have its world premiere production in Chicago at the end of the year and full casting has been announced!

Newcomer Jasmine Amy Rogers is taking on the lead role of Betty Boop.

“Those are huge shoes to fill, but I’m in such a great company. I have so many people around me that are helping me find her and bring her to life, and so it’s really, really exciting,” she told the Associated Press.

Tony winner Faith Prince, Madam Secretary actor Erich Bergen, Aladdin‘s Ainsley Melham, Boardwalk Empire‘s Stephen DeRosa, and Waitress actress Anastacia McCleskey round out the lead cast for the upcoming pre-Broadway run.

The music for the show was written by 16-time Grammy-winning composer David Foster and Tony-nominated lyricist Susan Birkenhead. The show features a book by Tony-winning writer Bob Martin, best known for The Drowsy Chaperone and The Prom.

Based on the suspenseful novel by Zakiya Dalila Harris, Hulu and Onyx Collective’s “The Other Black Girl” tackles the issue of systemic racism in the workplace through a thrilling lens. Produced by Rashida Jones, the show follows Nella Rogers (Sinclair Daniel) as she battles microaggressions and the isolation of being the only Black girl at Wagner Books. That is until the publishing house hires Hazel May McCall (Ashleigh Murray). At first, Nella is overjoyed, but she starts to realize that though they share skin color and culture, the two girls could not be more different.

Author Harris executive produced the show, written by Gus Hickey and Jordan Reddout. Some special guest stars appear here and there throughout the sinister series. Read on to learn who plays whom in Hulu’s “The Other Black Girl”:

Nella (Sinclair Daniel) in “The Other Black Girl) (Photo by: Wilford Harwood/Hulu)

Nella...

The politics of Barbie Land just became a lot more real.

After the Greta Gerwig-directed film was banned in Vietnam prior to its July 21 release date, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. responded to claims that a map featured in the trailer features the “nine-dash line,” which indicates China’s territorial claims over the South China Sea in areas Vietnam say deny its own sovereignty.

“The map in Barbie Land is a child-like crayon drawing,” the spokesperson told Variety. “The doodles depict Barbie’s make-believe journey from Barbie Land to the ‘real world.’ It was not intended to make any type of statement.”

Vi Kien Thanh, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, announced July 3 that “Barbie” will not be allowed to commercially screen in the country, as decided by the National Film Evaluation Council.

“We do not grant license for the...

Barbie Land just got a little smaller.

The highly-anticipated “Barbie” has been banned in Vietnam over the inclusion of the “nine dash line map” depicting islands in the South China Sea as being controlled by Beijing. Vietnamese politicians claim the map violates its sovereignty.

Vi Kien Thanh, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, announced that “Barbie” will not be allowed to commercially screen in the nation, as decided by the National Film Evaluation Council.

“We do not grant license for the American movie ‘Barbie’ to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line,” the state-run Tuoi Tre newspaper stated, citing Thanh (via Variety).

Previous films “Uncharted” and “Abominable” were similarly banned in Vietnam for the same cause, as well as series “Madam Secretary,” “Pine Gap,” and “Put Your Head On My Shoulder.”

The United Nations ruled...

Authorities in Vietnam have banned commercial screenings of Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie.”

The Warner Bros. film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, was set to have been released in the country on July 21.

The film contains a scene that depicts a map with the “nine dash line,” a representation of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea, which Vietnam says violates its sovereignty.

Vi Kien Thanh, director general of the Vietnam Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said on Monday that the ban was decided by the National Film Evaluation Council.

Warner Bros. has not responded to Variety’s requests for comment.

Many of China’s neighbors, including Vietnam, have competing and overlapping territorial claims and strongly dispute China’s assertions. In 2016, a United Nations disputes resolution tribunal in The Hague ruled unanimously against the...

Exclusive: Kevin Berg, a 25-year CBS veteran, is departing as Senior Executive Vice President, Production, CBS Network Television Entertainment.

The departure is part of the ongoing consolidation across CBS Studios with Paramount TV Studios, which started when the two studios were put under the purview of George Cheeks last October. Liz Miller, EVP and Head of Production for Paramount TV Studios — and a CBS Studios alum — will now oversee production for both studios.

The move was outlined in an internal memo sent to staff by Bryon Rubin COO and CFO of CBS Entertainment Group; to whom Miller reports, CBS Studios President David Stapf and Paramount Television Studios President Nicole Clemens. There will be a period of transition with other changes likely; no layoffs are expected at this time.

In November, Cheeks, President and CEO, CBS, and Chief Content Officer, News and Sports, Paramount+, outlined his plan for the two studios,...

A Small Light co-showrunner Joan Rater knows that Anne Frank’s story ends in heartbreaking, horrifying fashion. We all do. Frank’s diary, written while the teenage Jewish girl and her family hid from Nazis in World War II-era Amsterdam, comes to an abrupt close when their secret annex is raided. Anne, and most of her family, later died in concentration camps.

“When I read the diary, still to this day — Joan Rater, 60 years old — I get so caught up in Anne’s humanity and in her everyday stuff, her amazing voice and just in her that I find myself going,...

A no-nonsense foreign service officer is tapped for a high-profile post in Netflix’s new political thriller The Diplomat. The Americans star Keri Russell plays Kate Wyler, who is preparing for a new post in Afghanistan when she is unexpectedly named the ambassador to the U.K. Kate has to negotiate an increasingly complicated political situation while also keeping her ambitious husband Hal (Rufus Sewell), a fellow diplomat, in check.

Keri Russell in ‘The Diplomat’ | Courtesy of Netflix © 2023

Once you’ve binged all eight episodes of The Diplomat, check out these other shows, which also feature politics, intrigue, and complicated marriages.

‘The Americans’

Kate and Hal have a complicated marriage, but they have nothing on Philip (Matthew Rhys) and Elizabeth Jennings (Russell), a pair of deep-cover Russian spies posing as a typical couple in suburban Washington D.C. FX’s gripping, 1980s-set spy drama The Americans follows the Jennings as...

Exclusive: Cassady McClincy (The Walking Dead), Dempsey Bryk (Willow), Lucy Walters (Power) and Royce Johnson (Jessica Jones) are set to lead The Snare, an indie dramatic thriller marking the feature directorial debut of Merlin Camozzi.

The film, which recently wrapped production in Schenectady, NY, centers around Dani (McClincy), a straight-a student from the wrong side of the tracks, who has worked toward an academic scholarship for years. When she’s busted with a small amount of drugs, the police pressure her to become an informant, forcing her to choose between the people she most loves and the future she’s worked so hard to create.

Elizabeth Stahlmann (City on a Hill), Esther Zyskind (The Other Kingdom) and Dominic Bogart (Just Mercy) round out the cast of the pic based on an original story by Camozzi, an Mfa graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, who sought inspiration...

In a January interview with The New Yorker, Netflix executives referred to the company’s ideal programming as a “gourmet cheeseburger,” a partial intersection of quality and commerce that didn’t quite seem to align with most of the brand’s latest output.

After a somewhat fallow period, Netflix has had a strong recent run with The Night Agent (doubtlessly a cheeseburger, probably not gourmet) and Beef (doubtlessly gourmet, probably not a cheeseburger), but it’s the streamer’s new drama, The Diplomat, that comes closest to feeling like the elusive gourmet cheeseburger to me.

The Diplomat is easily accessible and quantifiable. It could be a spinoff from Homeland or Madam Secretary, and I can imagine a dozen networks and services where The Diplomat could feel on-brand.

It’s a pure star vehicle for Keri Russell and, if we’re comparing The Diplomat to other shows, as a portrait of...

New York, NY – Music artist and actor Aaron Dalla Villa has released a new Tucci Badaducci comedy rap album titled, “It’s All Guuchi,” featuring artists Mia Elledge and Jean Louis Droulers, with production by James Mehrkens and album art by Daniel Sanchez and Josh Priest. “It’s All Guuchi” dropped in digital format through “Dalla Villa’s” Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Pandora, Deezer, Napster and more on April 14, 2023. Get it here:

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dallavilla/its-all-guuchi-2

This will be Aaron Dalla Villa’s first album, a 9 song comedy rap album based on his following sketch characters: meme rapper Tucci Badaducci, Tucci’s terrible manager Vinnie Viddicci, and rival rapper Smooth Bobby. These characters can also be seen in the 8 episode web series, for which he starred in and executive produced alongside Logan Riley Bruner (Stranger Things), on Youtube.

It’s All Guuchi...

A+E Networks Boosts Co-Pro Offering With Double UK Hire

A+E Networks has boosted its international co-production team with the hire of British TV vets Ninder Billing and Alexandra Finlay. The pair take up the roles of Vice President Unscripted Co-Productions International and Vice President Scripted Co-Productions International respectively. Billing’s role is new and Finlay replaces Moreyba Bidessie. Based in London, they will be responsible for identifying opportunities with global appeal and overseeing development and production, while working closely with third-party producers. A+E’s international co-productions include PBS Masterpiece’s Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Disney+’s Red Election, BBC drama North Sea Connection and Paramount+ doc Damian Lewis: Spy Wars. Former Channel 5 commissioner Billing joins from her post as Creative Director of Banijay-backed Darlow Smithson Productions, while Finlay was Vice President, Creative and Co-productions at Shaftesbury and is a former acquisitions exec for BBC Studios-owned UKTV.

Coproductions Calling For A+E

A+E Networks has made two high-profile appointments in London as part of an initiative to expand its international coproduction activities.

Ninder Billing is appointed VP of unscripted co-productions international. Alexandra Finlay is appointed VP scripted co-productions international. Both report to Patrick Vien, group MD, A+E International.

Billing was previously creative director at Darlow Smithson Productions, leading the premium factual slate focusing on streamer, international and U.K. terrestrial unscripted output and securing six new unscripted series. Prior to Dsp, she was head of specialist factual at The Garden where she launched and oversaw BAFTA-nominated “Operation Live” for Channel 5, “Police Tapes” for ITV and “The Unshockable Dr Ronx” for the BBC.

Finlay spent her previous five years at Shaftesbury as VP creative and co-productions, where her credits include the upcoming comedy drama “SisterS” for IFC/Sundance, Crave and Rte by Sarah Goldberg and Susan Stanley.

Exclusive: Former Madam Secretary star Tèa Leoni has signed with Gersh for representation.

Leoni took a multi-year break following her six-season starring run as Elizabeth McCord in the CBS series Madam Secretary, which she also produced. She is now planning a return to acting and producing and may also venture into writing and directing.

In features, Leoni is known for Tower Heist, Ghost Town, You Kill Me, Fun with Dick and Jane, Flirting with Disaster, Deep Impact, Spanglish and The Family Man, among others. 

Since 2001, Leoni has been a Unicef Ambassador and in 2006, she became a National Board Member of the U.S. Fund, now Unicef USA. Leoni is the third generation of her family working with Unicef following in the footsteps of her grandmother, who co-founded the U.S. Fund for Unicef in 1947 and served as its President for 25 years. In November 2007, she and her father, Tony Pantaleoni, received...