Joanna Cassidy calls reconnecting with boyfriend Alan Hamel ‘miraculous'
The actress, 80, reflected on her budding romance with the late Suzanne Somers' husband, Alan Hamel.
While talking to People on Saturday, Cassidy said, 'It was sort of miraculous to run into Alan. I hadn't even seen him in 30 years.'
Advertisement
8 Joanna Cassidy in April 2025.
Getty Images for "Growing Daisies" Official US Premiere
The couple debuted their romance earlier this summer, almost two years after Somers died at age 76 from breast cancer.
Hamel, 89, agreed that he and Cassidy being brought together was 'a miracle.'
Advertisement
'We met over 50 years ago. Joanna was a guest on my show in Canada, and that was in the late '70s, I think,' the entertainer told the outlet. 'The next time I saw her, she was doing a major mini-series with Suzanne and Anthony Hopkins. And then I didn't see her again until a few months ago.'
8 Alan Hamel and Joanna Cassidy grab lunch in matching caps.
JISH / BACKGRID
'We connected, and I'm happy that we connected. She's a great woman,' Hamel gushed. 'The thing is that she will help anybody to do anything. She's amazing that way.'
The Canadian film producer couldn't say the same for himself.
Advertisement
'I don't have that DNA,' Hamel confessed. 'She does. It's amazing. It's admirable. Next to her, I feel like there's more I should be doing for the world.'
8 Alan Hamel and Joanna Cassidy step out in Malibu.
JISH / BACKGRID
The pair is now looking forward to making more memories together since first stepping out together in June.
'The aging process is great,' Hamel mused. 'People think that it's not, but it's great. You get a lot more out of each birthday, especially when you're celebrating after five years or 10 years.'
Advertisement
Cassidy is also looking to continue her decades-long career. She is ready to take on an action-packed role next.
8 Joanna Cassidy and Alan Hamel in conversation while walking to lunch.
JISH / BACKGRID
'Well, having been in the original 'Blade Runner,' my sense of physicality [is important],' she told People. 'Before we did this interview, I just did a class that was one of the hardest classes I've ever taken. I came back, and my legs were shaking. Everything's shaking on me. And so that's a really important part of my life, is to be in the gym and work out and push myself physically.'
'I love to do that,' she added. 'And I want to be in another adventure movie. I want to be in a movie where I can show those attributes that I have. That's what I want to do.'
Hamel couldn't agree more.
8 Joanna Cassidy on the red carpet in 2024.
FilmMagic
He dubbed his partner 'perfect to be an action hero.'
'The reality is, she's taller than most women and in great physical condition,' Hamel expressed before saying to Cassidy: 'You could probably do all your own stunts as well. And I think there's room for a female action hero out there.'
Advertisement
In June, Hamel shed light onto their relationship while chatting with Page Six.
'I don't know where this relationship is going,' he stated.
8 Suzanne Somers and Alan Hamel.
suzannesomers/Instagram
At the time, the two were photographed sporting matching Malibu Beach Inn baseball caps while getting lunch at Broad Street Oyster Company.
Advertisement
'I have known Joanna Cassidy for over 45 years,' Hamel elaborated. 'Joanna was a guest star on 'The Alan Hamel Show' in Canada in the '70s. She was a great guest and it was a dynamic show, and we liked each other, not romantically, but mainly with respect. Both of us were married at the time.'
'I ran into her in the mid-'80s many times during the production of Jackie Collins' 'Hollywood Wives,'' he recalled. 'It was very cordial.'
8 Suzanne Somers and Alan Hamel smile for an Instagram picture.
suzannesomers/Instagram
This time around, Hamel's son, Stephen, played matchmaker.
Advertisement
'My son met Joanna at a screening and after a long conversation suggested to Joanna that she and me would get along and should meet. Stephen did not know we knew each other.'
Hamel knew he would have Somers' blessing since in her final days she urged him to move on.
8 Suzanne Somers gives her husband Alan Hamel a kiss.
suzannesomers/Instagram
'Don't mope around,' he recalled the 'Three's Company' vet saying. 'Live your life. We will see one another after you cross over.'
Advertisement
Hamel, meanwhile, had nothing but praise for his current partner.
'Joanna is extremely accomplished,' he detailed. 'She is easily the hardest-working and most active actress in Hollywood for well over 50 years. She's a great mother to her adult children, turns up for many fundraisers for first responders and is staff for her four cats. She is no Hollywood BS, and we laugh a lot.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Broadway is in a bizarre uproar over the race of an actor playing a robot
Broadway has enjoyed a quiet, relaxing and peaceful summer. But show people can't have that! They always need, as Betty sang in the recently shuttered 'Boop! The Musical,' something to shout about. And their something has finally arrived in the form of a piping hot controversy at this year's Best Musical Tony Award winner, 'Maybe Happy Ending.' It's a doozy. Some members of the theater industry are hollerin' 'It's a scandal! It's a outrage!' over the race of an actor who's been cast to play — believe it or not — a robot. 'Maybe Happy Ending,' by the writing team of Hue Park and Will Aronson, is a sweet little science-fiction romantic-comedy that's set in Seoul, South Korea, during the year 2060. The main characters are Oliver and Claire, played by Darren Criss, who's half Filipino, and Helen J. Shen, who's Chinese. Oliver and Claire are robots. 5 There's a controversy brewing over at Broadway's 'Maybe Happy Ending.' Getty Images But the nuts-and-bolts duo have become defunct, so they embark on a quirky adventure to find Oliver's old owner. It's perhaps the nicest show to ever come to Broadway. Or it was. Until this latest fracas. The happiness dimmed when the wonderful, Tony-winning Criss's replacement was announced: actor Andrew Barth Feldman, the fantastic 'No Hard Feelings' star who's also Shen's boyfriend. He's white. Uh oh! In private, many on Broadway are largely OK with that. The most common refrain I've heard is: 'Well, they're robots.' But social media, as it does best, has poured gas on the fire. 5 Andrew Barth Feldman takes on the role of Oliver in September. WireImage Playwright and actor BD Wong, who was a strong voice in 1991 against British actor Jonathan Pryce playing the Eurasian Engineer in 'Miss Saigon' (Wong was absolutely right about that), wrote an essay slamming the choice. And the Asian American Performers Action Coalition came out against it, too. What do the creators have to say? They didn't write the roles to be culturally specific. Because they're robots! Robots don't have a culture. Well, except the Terminator, of course. He loves schnitzel and strudel. 5 'Maybe Happy Ending' won the Tony Award for Best Musical. Christopher Sadowski After the backlash, Aronson and Hue — kind and humble as it gets — explained on Instagram that they set out to create 'a modern 'Fantasticks,' able to be comfortably performed by anyone, anywhere — yet distinctly set in Korea.' Fair enough. Oliver and Claire, they said, are 'products created by a global company' who are 'ethnically undefined.' That makes a lot of sense. Because the characters are robots. The production said in a statement to the Times, 'We are proud to have created a show where every role can authentically be portrayed by an Asian actor, although the roles of the robots were not envisioned to always be cast that way.' 5 Darren Criss won a Tony for his performance. Bruce Glikas/WireImage And that openness has been true throughout the 'Maybe Happy Ending' journey. Aronson told the LA Times back in March that during an early workshop, the parts were taken on by Denée Benton, who's black, and Corey Cott, who's white. See? There's lots of flexibility when casting robots. Look, it's Hue and Aronson's show. They wrote it. Who's to tell them what they can and cannot do and what their intentions were? 5 'Maybe Happy Ending' is the rare musical about robots. CBS via Getty Images The fact is 'Maybe Happy Ending' is the only Broadway musical I am aware of in which the leads are made of metal. (Although I've seen plenty of shows where it sure seemed like they were). It's an extremely unusual circumstance, and hardly one to draw broad conclusions from. In works about Asian humans, like the Imelda Marcos musical 'Here Lies Love,' something like this would never happen anymore. Feldman, who was nothing short of sublime in last season's 'We Had A World,' starts performing at the Belasco Theatre on Sept. 2. The uproar should die down well before that. And then fall on Broadway can resume being 'Happy.'
Buzz Feed
4 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
Scheana Shay Had Awkward Encounters With John Mayer
Vanderpump Rules star Scheana Shay revealed what allegedly happened when she ran into her ex-boyfriend John Mayer last year, which was incredibly awkward. So, the reality TV star's memoir, My Good Side, is out, and she's sharing the details about her romances with rather popular celebrities. Talking with People, Scheana opened up about her romance with seven-time Grammy winner John Mayer in 2008. In her memoir, Scheana shared that she met John in 2008 while working at his birthday event, when he was dating Jennifer Aniston. Scheana claims they weren't exclusive and were casually dating for six months. In the book, she also revealed that her romance with John overlapped with her relationship with Eddie Cibrian, the ex-husband of fellow Bravolebrity Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Brandi Glanville. Scheana said that her romance with John ended after one of her friends allegedly went to the tabloids about their relationship. An excerpt of the book reads, "Once it was public, he didn't want to speak to me or see me anymore," according to People. Scheana apparently ran into John recently and shared how awkward the whole situation was, and now I'm getting secondhand embarrassment. Sheana said she bumped into John at ChainFEST two years ago, a gourmet food chain festival in Los Angeles. "I saw him, and I awkwardly give him a hug, like, 'Hey, and then made a joke like, 'Oh, we should get a photo.' And he was like, 'No.' And I was like, 'I was kind of kidding.' But yeah, that was awkward," she told the publication. Scheana said she also ran into the "Waiting On the World to Change" singer again in 2024, but went about the encounter differently, yet it was still an awkward mess. "I didn't even go in for the hug," she remembered. "He went out for a handshake. I'm like, 'Well, this is awkward, too." Have you ever had a super awkward encounter with an ex? Share your stories in the comments or use this anonymous form to get really honest. We reached out to a rep for John, and we'll let you know if we hear back.
Elle
5 hours ago
- Elle
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau's Complete Relationship Timeline
THE RUNDOWN In late July, pop star Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau sparked dating rumors after being seen with one another on several occasions in Montréal. On August 2, a source stated that the 'romance is in very early stages.' Both Perry and Trudeau ended their long term relationships relatively recently. On July 3, Perry and actor Orlando Bloom announced their split after six years of being engaged in a joint statement to People, saying, 'Due to the abundance of recent interest and conversation surrounding Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry's relationship, representatives have confirmed that Orlando and Katy have been shifting their relationship over the past many months to focus on co-parenting [their daughter, 4-year-old Daisy]. They will continue to be seen together as a family, as their shared priority is—and always will be—raising their daughter with love, stability, and mutual respect.' Trudeau and his ex Sophie Grégorie separated in 2023 after 18 years together. In a statement posted on Instagram at the time, Trudeau wrote, 'Hi everyone, Sophie and I would like to share the fact that after many meaningful and difficult conversation, we have made the decision to separate. As always, we remain a close family with deep love and respect for each other and for everything we have built and will continue to build. For the well-being of our children, we ask that you respect our and their privacy. Thank you.' Here's the complete relationship timeline of Perry and Trudeau so far. On July 28, the pair shared a long day of activities together, starting with a walk in Montreal's Mount Royal Park. TMZ obtained photos of Trudeau smiling alongside Perry as they strolled. They were then filmed eating at Le Violon in Montréal. In footage obtained by TMZ, Perry and Trudeau can be seen chatting, with the singer looking attentively at Trudeau. After their meal, they had drinks on the terrace of Taverne Atlantic. Shortly after TMZ published the dinner video, the outlet ran an interview with Le Violon's co-owner and co-executive chef, Danny Smiles, who served them. Smiles said Perry and Trudeau didn't show any PDA, and 'he didn't get any dating vibes from Katy and two friends enjoying a meal.' Perry and Trudeau enjoyed a series of courses from the chef's tasting menu, including lobster, tuna, lamb gnocchi, and beef tartare, according to TMZ. The meal was a few hours long, and Trudeau covered the bill. Smiles called them the 'perfect guests—super chill, extremely nice to the staff.' On July 30, Trudeau was seen at Perry's Lifetimes Tour stop in Montréal. The former Canadian prime minister was spotted by fans in the crowd. His daughter Ella-Grace, was also at the concert, per Daily Mail. Trudeau also sang along to Perry's hit song 'Firework.' A source speaking with People said that the pair definitely have a connection, but it is a logistical challenge to date. 'They are interested in each other, but it will take a while to see where this goes,' the insider stated. 'She is traveling around the world, and he is figuring out his life now that he is no longer prime minister of Canada, but there is an attraction. They have a lot in common.' The source added, 'Music is one of many things they can share. Both are idealists and still live in a world where they think they can make improvements, although it has gotten more difficult.' They both have full lives already, as well as kids they share with former partners. 'Their own personal responsibilities could make this relationship move slower than it would, but there are ways to see the other and still fulfill their parenting responsibilities,' the source said. 'For one thing, they each have an ex. So, duties are split in half. And long-distance relationships, while still hard, are possible for these two.' A second source told People, 'Justin is a [politician] who is used to living a secret life with his personal activity, and wouldn't put on a public display at this stag. He knows they were being watched and is smart enough to play it low-key for now.' '[The] timing seems good for them, although a romance is in very early stages,' the source added.
