To coincide with Pride Month, Star Trek icon George Takei has documented his journey as a gay man in a new memoir in graphic novel form called It Rhymes With Takei. As he reveals in the book, Takei came out at age 68 because he was furious that California’s 2005 same-sex marriage bill had been vetoed. But there was another reason, too.
“It was rage, but it was also guilt, because progress was being made and all these people … gave up their jobs, their careers, some their families, and were out advocating for equality for LGBTQ people,” Takei tells ABC Audio. “And here I am protecting my career.”
As Takei relates in the book, he was closeted for years because back in the day, an actor outed as gay might find himself permanently out of show business. In addition, there was always the fear of arrest by overzealous law enforcement.
“There is a full, rich, turbulent, fraught story to our achievement,” Takei says of gay history. “And it’s happening again with the transgender community, so it’s a very relevant story to our times.”
And telling that story in graphic novel form is an effort to reach as many people as possible, says Takei.
“I wanted to reach young people. But then I realized that there are older people who find it difficult to read, but they’ll look at comic books,” he explains.
Takei also hopes the history he relates in the book will hit home in the current political climate.
“The whole LGBTQ movement is under threat,” he says. Then, using a Star Trek reference, he notes, “Things in politics go in cycles, and now we have that Klingon in the White House who is making it a real challenge. And that means we’ll have to get galvanized again.”
(SPOILER ALERT) Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick reunite in the murder mystery Another Simple Favor.
Paul Feig directed the sequel, which is streaming now on Prime Video. This time around, Stephanie, played by Kendrick, is the maid of honor at Emily’s (Lively) picturesque Italian wedding. But don’t be fooled by all the glitz and glamour — there’s also plenty of murder and betrayal to be found, and Alex Newell is around for all of it.
Newell plays Vicky, Stephanie’s book agent, who supports Stephanie taking part in this wedding if it means boosting the sales of her new novel. There are so many twists and turns in this film, and Newell says their “Type-A Leo-Virgo cusp energy” helped them figure out the “entire plot right before everything goes wrong.”
“I’m always in on the twist,” Newell said.
Additionally, Newell said it was Vicky who benefited the most from the twists and turns of the film’s plot.
“I really think the entire trip just served Vicky’s plot,” Newell said. “Everything that happened just made Vicky seem like the literary hero that she is. The one being like, ‘Yes, I told you to go on this trip. Yes, there was going to be mayhem. Yes, I was correct.'”
The end of Another Simple Favor sets things up for a potential sequel. Newell has a few ideas for what could happen if there were to be a third film in the franchise.
“I just think we have to go back to Italy. I think the franchise should just think about really moving everything to Italy, that’s number one,” Newell said. “We still don’t know who killed Darren. Could be anyone. Also, I think Vicky, I liked her being a book agent, I love that, but I think this time it’s like the book agent that got the film.”
Meryl Streep is returning for season 5 of Only Murders in the Building.
That’s all.
On Thursday, the Academy Award winner appeared in a video with Selena Gomez to mark her return to the beloved Hulu series.
In the video, the duo recreate a famous scene from The Devil Wears Prada, in which Streep starred alongside Anne Hathaway. In the original scene, Streep’s character Miranda Priestly remarks on Hathaway’s character Andy Sachs’ clothing choices, stating that she has “no style or sense of fashion.” Andy begins to respond, before Miranda interrupts her and states that she wasn’t asking a question.
In Thursday’s video, Gomez, standing next to Streep, states flatly, “So you’re coming back for season 5.”
Streep, channeling Hathaway’s Devil Wears Prada character, replies, “Well, I think that depends on–“
Before she finishes her sentence, Gomez interjects, “No, no, that wasn’t a question.”
The caption of the video also gave a nod to the 2006 film.
“Gird your loins, Meryl is returning for Season 5! That’s all,” the caption read.
Only Murders in the Building was picked up for a fifth season at Hulu in September 2024, following the premiere of its fourth season. In addition to Streep and Gomez, the show stars Martin Short and Steve Martin.
The series follows friends Oliver Putnam (Short), Charles-Haden Savage (Martin) and Mabel Mora (Gomez), who investigate a series of suspicious murders in their upscale apartment building, The Arconia, in New York City. Streep portrays Loretta Durkin, an actress.
In March, it was announced that Renée Zellweger would also join the star-studded cast.
The new season is currently in production.
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