logo
First-time actor Sora Wong delivers breakout performance in 'Bring Her Back'

First-time actor Sora Wong delivers breakout performance in 'Bring Her Back'

Yahoo09-06-2025

[Source]
Australian teenager Sora Wong, who has limited vision due to her coloboma and microphthalmia, makes her acting debut in the A24a horror film 'Bring Her Back,' directed by Danny and Michael Philippou. The 14-year-old was cast as Piper, a blind girl, after her mother spotted a casting call on Facebook for an actor with visual impairment.
In an interview with People, Wong said she had never acted before but decided to audition at her mother's encouragement, not expecting to land the role. 'One of the main reasons why I was drawn and really determined to try and achieve this character was because I related to her in so many ways,' she said. 'And I thought it was really important and amazing that I got to portray someone who I could relate with."
In the film, Piper and her stepbrother Andy (Billy Barratt) are placed with a foster mother (Sally Hawkins) following their father's death. As the story unfolds, the siblings uncover a disturbing secret about their new guardian.
'Bring Her Back' debuted over the weekend to positive reviews and currently holds a 'certified fresh' rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. It earned a spot in the top five at the domestic box office during its opening weekend, grossing $7.1 million.
Trending on NextShark:
This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.
Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we're building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community.
!
Trending on NextShark:
Download the NextShark App:
Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Funeral Director and Former Mortician Reveals the 5 Things She'd Never Do After Years of Dealing with the Dead (Exclusive)
Funeral Director and Former Mortician Reveals the 5 Things She'd Never Do After Years of Dealing with the Dead (Exclusive)

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Funeral Director and Former Mortician Reveals the 5 Things She'd Never Do After Years of Dealing with the Dead (Exclusive)

Annie Owen is a funeral director and former mortician She talks with PEOPLE about what inspired her to share her mortician series on TikTok Owen says it's an "honor to learn the stories of the dead"Annie Owen has a morbid job - literally. When Owen was in high school, she was interested in pursuing a career in funeral service. Her dad initially told her that it wasn't a job for women, but that didn't deter her. After studying to get her bachelor's degree in funeral science, she took a job as an apprentice in her hometown, later becoming a mortician and funeral director. "It was difficult because a lot of the cases or the families that I worked with, I knew since it's such a small town," she tells PEOPLE exclusively. "You don't know what to expect when you get a call. I focused on the thought of helping families and people, but you have to be prepared to see a lot of things that you're not prepared to see." "One night, my best friend's father had a heart attack in front of me, and he died," she continues. "I was on call, and that was one of the first times ever I realized how difficult this job was, but it turned out to be a good lesson for me. I was glad that I could be there for my best friend, and I was able to walk through that journey with her." Being there for others in their time of need is fulfilling, but can also be emotionally draining. Owen shares that you "learn very quickly how to suppress your emotions so you can take care of other people." "It's not about us, it's about their feelings," Owen shares. "Whatever we can do for the family to make things easier for them. But, over time, it got to be a lot for me. The older I get as a funeral director, I feel like I take it home a lot more than I did in the beginning." While working in funeral service, Owen has "braced herself for solemn moments," and there have admittedly "been a lot" of them. Still, she is always amazed by how much "joy there is in celebrating someone's life." "I had so many families over the years that have wonderful stories. I get to hear the stories of the person's life. I have so many funny stories that people have told me," Owen says. "When the families come together, they're able to do that in a way that's not as depressing as you think it would be." Owen hopes to quell some misconceptions about those working in the death industry, including the belief that they are "shady" and "unhappy." "There are some bad apples. But most of us have such integrity. We strive to have integrity in this business," she shares. "There's a misconception that if one director does something illegal, we all do it behind the scenes." "The majority of funeral directors strive to follow the law, and morally, you want to lay your head down at night and know that you did a good job for the family and respectfully for the deceased," she adds. Owen shares that the HBO show Six Feet Under is the "most realistic behind-the-scenes show that you will ever see." She says the movie My Girl, for the most part, also represents funeral directors "in a good light." Some of these misconceptions, along with her desire to share stories about the people she has encountered, inspired her to start her series, "5 Things I Won't Do Because I've Been A Mortician," on TikTok. Owen shares lists of things that she refuses to do because of what she's seen — such as swimming in lakes, joyriding in the back of pickup trucks, taking other people's medication, riding motorcycles without protection and cutting people off in traffic. "I believe we can learn a lot from the dead, that they have a story to tell, whether [or not] that's a cautionary story," she says. "That was when I started my TikTok, I thought, 'What are some stories that I can tell that people will learn from?' When I started the series, those are real events that have happened, that I have seen, and I've seen the devastation." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Owen shares other stories, including personal accounts of people who have passed away, to remember them and raise awareness about their deaths. "When I retell the stories, I sit down and think about the families I've met over the years. I miss many of the families I met. I had a close relationship with many people when I worked with families," she shares. "This process has allowed me to sit down and go over all the memories that I've had, and a lot of them are heartwarming and wonderful because I have met so many wonderful families, and that's what keeps us going." While the topic of death can be uncomfortable for many, Owen encourages people to find the beauty in honoring those who came before us. "People who don't think they can do this job miss such a beautiful part of life, even though it's death. Celebrating someone's life is a truly wonderful experience, and it's an honor to be there alongside the family," Owen shares. "It's an honor all these years to get to know these families and learn the stories of the dead, of the people that we've buried." Read the original article on People

Australian reality TV star charged with cutting off boyfriend's head – which is still missing
Australian reality TV star charged with cutting off boyfriend's head – which is still missing

New York Post

time11 hours ago

  • New York Post

Australian reality TV star charged with cutting off boyfriend's head – which is still missing

An Australian reality TV bombshell was arrested in a 'catatonic state' for allegedly chopping off her boyfriend's head – which authorities say they are still desperately searching for to give closure to his family. Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser, 34, a former 'Beauty and the Geek Australia' contestant, was hit with murder charges two days after police found the charred and mutilated remains of her 39-year-old beau, Julian Story, on the bathroom floor of an apartment in Port Lincoln, The Telegraph reported. Police made the grim discovery on June 17 after responding to reports of a small fire in the dwelling. Advertisement 5 Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser, 34, a former 'Beauty and the Geek Australia' contestant, was charged with murder. Instagram/@tamikachesser 'I can tragically say that we have not recovered the head of Julian Story,' Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke told reporters Friday, noting a motive for the victim's gruesome demise remains unknown. 'I can only imagine, and I want you to imagine, the grief this news is causing Julian's family. Recovering Julian's head to return it to his family so they can have a peaceful outcome, have a funeral and lay him to rest is a really important aspect for us.' Advertisement 5 Julian Story, 39, was found decapitated inside a Port Lincoln apartment on June 17. South Australian Police Police also released surveillance footage and images of a woman, believed to be Chesser, dressed head-to-toe in black and walking through the southern Australian city with three dogs. The footage — with the woman's face obscured — was captured just hours after the savage killing, which police believe took place around midnight on June 17. 5 Surveillance image of a person, believed to be Chesser, walking three dogs. SA Police Advertisement 'I'm appealing to local residents to review CCTV or dash cam footage which they may have, which may assist the investigation,' Fielke said. The model and actress was jailed after police found her in the backyard of the crime scene in a 'catatonic and unresponsive state,' according to court documents obtained by the outlet. 5 She was also charged with disposing of human remains and assaulting a police officer. Instagram/@tamikachesser The former reality star was also charged with disposing of human remains and assaulting a police officer. Advertisement 'This is not her,' Chesser's worried sister, Kiya-May, told Daily Mail Australia, explaining that her alleged murderous sibling has faced a 'life of trauma and abuse' that has 'fried her brain.' 5 Tamika Sueann-Rose Chesser on Beauty and the Geek Australia. Beauty and the Geek Australia 'She would never do these things.' Chesser, who was initially refused bail, is reportedly being held under a mental health detention order. She expected to appear in court for a committal hearing in December.

Bill Belichick Split with Linda Holliday 1 Year Before Breakup Was Confirmed and Coach Started Seeing Jordon Hudson (Exclusive Source)
Bill Belichick Split with Linda Holliday 1 Year Before Breakup Was Confirmed and Coach Started Seeing Jordon Hudson (Exclusive Source)

Yahoo

time11 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Bill Belichick Split with Linda Holliday 1 Year Before Breakup Was Confirmed and Coach Started Seeing Jordon Hudson (Exclusive Source)

A source tells PEOPLE that Bill Belichick and Linda Holliday's relationship had ended by September 2022, a year before their split was confirmed in September 2023 Belichick moved to "a hotel nearby Gillette Stadium" so that Holliday could "continue to stay in his homes" amid their split at the time The source says Belichick "played along" so that Holliday could "transition with the least amount of public humiliation"Bill Belichick and Linda Holliday's relationship was over one year before the public found out about their split, a source tells PEOPLE exclusively. 'Many assumed that Bill had cheated on Linda through 2022 and 2023, but they were broken up by September 2022," the insider says. "Linda was still pretending they were together after the breakup, and Bill played along so she could transition with the least amount of public humiliation and avoid abrupt displacement.' 'Bill moved into a hotel nearby Gillette Stadium in September and allowed Linda to continue to stay in his homes," the source adds. The source close to the former couple also says Holliday's social media activity "changed drastically" after she and Belichick split. A separate source confirmed to PEOPLE in September 2023 that the couple had split, noting that Belichick, 73, and Holliday, 62, had "been pretty separate for a while" by the time their breakup was announced. The couple had been dealing with relationship issues that were "not new" when they separated, the insider revealed. 'Bill is all about football and very busy now. He doesn't want a lot of public attention on this," the source told PEOPLE at the time. Currently, Belichick is dating Jordon Hudson, a former Bridgewater State University cheerleader who has been acting as his publicist through her company Trouble Cub Enterprises. Hudson, 24, was first spotted with Belichick in January 2023 when they were seen walking through the French Quarter in New Orleans, and in September of the same year, they were again spotted in the city on a dinner date. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The couple met when they were seated next to each other on a flight in 2021, and Belichick signed Hudson's textbook, Deductive Logic. As Belichick embarks on his first year as the UNC Tar Heels' head coach, he has made time for Hudson, traveling to Maine to support her bid for Miss Maine USA and enjoying picturesque dinners. In a May 21 post on Instagram, Hudson joked, 'Old Bay with my old bae,' in a caption over a photo of the two having a sunset dinner together by the water, alongside a tin of Old Bay seasoning. Read the original article on People

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store