Latest news with #AbsolutelyFabulous
Scotsman
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Wednesday season 2: all of the big name stars added
Lady Gaga, Billie Piper and more have been added to the cast of Wednesday for series 2 ☠ Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Wednesday will finally dance back onto Netflix in August. The first half of the series is set to premiere next week. But who are the big names joining for season 2? It might feel like you've waited a lifetime, but Wednesday is finally about to return for its second season on Netflix. Fans have only seven days left to wait before the show is back with new episodes. Jenna Ortega stars as Wednesday Addams in the gothic style coming-of-age drama on the streaming service. The first series arrived in late 2022 and after nearly three years, the show is back. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Viewers will be welcomed back to Nevermore Academy starting next week. But who are the stars that have been added to the cast? When does Wednesday season 2 come out? Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Wednesday season 2 | Netflix The first half of the highly-anticipated series will be dancing onto our screens once again in just seven days time. In a fittingly perfect release date, part one of Wednesday series two will land on Netflix on Wednesday, August 6. The remaining four episodes will follow on September 3, which is wait for it… a Wednesday! It means that come September, you can watch the full second season, as autumn starts to approach. Who has been added to the cast for Wednesday season 2? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Addams Family in Wednesday season 2 | Netflix The show has added some serious star power for its highly anticipated second series. Returning of course, is Jenna Ortega, who plays the titular character. British TV legend Joanna Lumley is a new addition to the Addams family. She plays Grandma Hester Frump and will bring a 'different mother-daughter relationship' to Wednesday, according to Netflix . Joanna is best known for playing Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous. She also had a main role in the 2025 BBC comedy series Amandaland. A name that needs no introduction, Steve Buscemi is joining the cast of Wednesday for series 2. He will be playing Nevermore Academy's new boss - Principal Dort. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Steve Buscemi in Wednesday season 2 | HELEN SLOAN/NETFLIX Netflix viewers will have recently seen the actor in a memorable cameo role in Happy Gilmore 2. See where I ranked him among the best and worst celebrity appearances in the movie. Fresh off her shock re-appearance at the end of the most recent season of Doctor Who, Billie Piper is set to be part of the cast for Wednesday series two. She will play Nevermore's new head of music - Isadora Capri. Beyond her turn as Rose in Doctor Who in the early 2000s - and potentially as the 16th Doctor - you may have seen her in Netflix's own Scoop. She was also in the cast of Kaos on the streamer, while she was also BAFTA nominated for both seasons of I Hate Suzie. Christopher Lloyd is returning to the world of the Addams Family in Wednesday season two. Having previously played Uncle Fester in the 1990s films - he will be Professor Orloff. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lady Gaga has been added to the cast in an undisclosed role, having dabbled in TV in the past with American Horror Story. Haley Joel Osment, Frances O'Connor and Joonas Suotamo will also appear. Adding more star-power to the cast is Thandiwe Newton who plays Dr. Rachael Fairburn - the chief psychiatrist at Willow Hill Psychiatric Facility. She won an Emmy for her role as Maeve in HBO's one-time hit sci-fi series Westworld. The Princess Diary actor Heather Matarazzo will also be joining the cast of Wednesday for season two. She plays Judi - Dr Fairburn's righthand woman. Another new addition for season 2 is Noah B. Taylor who is playing Bruno in the upcoming episodes. He is the latest addition to Wednesday's wolf-pack and it marks Noah's first major acting role. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Pinocchio actor Evie Templeton is another new face at Nevermore Academy. She is described as an outcast who is 'completely starstruck' by Wednesday. Owen Painter is a newcomer for series two as Slurp - a reanimated corpse with a special link to Nevermore Academy. You may have seen him in The Handmaid's Tale previously. If you love TV, check out our Screen Babble podcast to get the latest in TV and film.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Joanna Lumley lets slip huge Amandaland series two update ahead of BBC show return
Dame Joanna Lumley has let slip a huge update about the future of Amandaland after the Motherland spin-off became a hit for BBC viewers earlier this year Dame Joanna Lumley has let slip an update about the return of Amandaland. The actress, 79, signed on to star as Felicity, the mother of Lucy Punch's title character, in the BBC sitcom that served as a spin-off of Motherland and the national treasure has now revealed when fans can expect to see the second series. Motherland featured an ensemble cast made up of the likes of Anna Maxwell-Martin, and Diane Morgan alongside Lucy and followed the ups and downs of parents whose children all attend the same school. After three series, the focus shifted to PR worker Amanda, who has to learn to cope with her new life after her divorce. Joanna told hosts Dermot O'Leary and Rochelle Humes on Wednesday's This Morning: "We're starting shooting in October. We finish shooting two days before Christmas so with any luck, it'll be out in the spring." It comes as the hit series had already been commissioned for another run of episodes, but fans had not been given any confirmation of dates. The Absolutely Fabulous legend made her first appearance as Felicity with a guest role in the original series, but actually worked with Lucy several years ago and played her mother back then as well. She said: "I just adored it and it was so wonderful to meet up with Lucy Punch again. I played her mother before in Ella Enchanted when she was a very young teenage girl. She's always had comic chops, and she's a wonderful clown. Very beautiful and very funny. Very, very funny." Joanna, who started her career as a model in the 1960s before starting up her acting career with prominent roles on Coronation Street and The New Avengers, described the new scripts as 'magic' even though she and the creative team did wonder how it was ever going to match up to the success of its predecessor. She added: "The whole script is magic, written by the Motherland team. We wondered, because everyone adored Motherland so much, what it was going to be like. And it flew!" It's divine. In Motherland, I was her mother but I was just there for an afternoon sitting in a shop or something." Amanda pulled in 6.4million viewers across its first run. In the show, following her divorce, Amanda had to downsize and up sticks from leafy Chiswick to South Harlesden, or as likes to call it 'SoHa'. Once there she set about using information from her old friend Anne (Philippa Dunne) to try and elevate her standing in the area - with mixed results. She also had to deal with two teens, eco anxiety and a mother who is bored and lonely but won't admit it. The series, made by production company Merman, also introduced a host of new characters, including Amanda's long-suffering downstairs neighbour Mal (Samuel Anderson) and his ex-wife's new partner JJ (Ekow Quartey), now stepfather to Mal's son Ned. Also in SoHa are power couple Della and Fi (Siobhán McSweeney and Rochenda Sandall) plus South African property developer Johannes (Peter Serafinowicz). Co-writer and creator Holly Walsh said: 'We've been bowled over by the response to Amandaland and can't wait to get co-labbing on the next series.' Merman co-founder Sharon Horgan, added: 'With any new show you put out there, your main hope is to make something you love and are proud of. The extra bonus is that it's a critical hit. But to have a loyal audience of this size is just beyond your hopes and expectations. "Special thanks to Lucy for being the most extraordinary front woman and to the BBC for having such faith in the idea of Amandaland from the off.'" BBC comedy boss Tanya Qureshi, said they'd always had high hopes for Amandaland. "But it's been amazing to see how much viewers have embraced not just the returning characters, but the brilliant new additions too. We're so thrilled to reunite with this talented team for another instalment of Amanda's new life in SoHa." The series proved a huge hit with critics, with one declaring: "Amandaland will make you howl with laughter – Lucy Punch has never been better". Another agreed: "Punch makes the turn from enjoyable side character to magnetic main character with unexpected, brilliant ease."
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Joanna Lumley says she didn't get into acting ‘for stardom'
Joanna Lumley has claimed she didn't get into acting 'for stardom' and has instead been 'trying to earn money to keep myself alive'. Despite being turned away from drama school, she began acting in the late 1960s, securing her first speaking role in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Lumley is well-known for her roles as Purdey in The New Avengers and Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous, and is joining the cast of Netflix's Wednesday for its second season. She said actors are 'no different' from painters and decorators and most have never longed for fame: 'I've just done anything to keep my head above water.' She praised the availability of "wonderful parts" for older women nowadays, noting a positive shift away from the pressure to always appear attractive.
Scotsman
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Wednesday season 2: all of the big name stars added
Lady Gaga, Billie Piper and more have been added to the cast of Wednesday for series 2 ☠ Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Wednesday will finally dance back onto Netflix in August. The first half of the series is set to premiere next week. But who are the big names joining for season 2? It might feel like you've waited a lifetime, but Wednesday is finally about to return for its second season on Netflix. Fans have only seven days left to wait before the show is back with new episodes. Jenna Ortega stars as Wednesday Addams in the gothic style coming-of-age drama on the streaming service. The first series arrived in late 2022 and after nearly three years, the show is back. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Viewers will be welcomed back to Nevermore Academy starting next week. But who are the stars that have been added to the cast? When does Wednesday season 2 come out? Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Wednesday season 2 | Netflix The first half of the highly-anticipated series will be dancing onto our screens once again in just seven days time. In a fittingly perfect release date, part one of Wednesday series two will land on Netflix on Wednesday, August 6. The remaining four episodes will follow on September 3, which is wait for it… a Wednesday! It means that come September, you can watch the full second season, as autumn starts to approach. Who has been added to the cast for Wednesday season 2? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Addams Family in Wednesday season 2 | Netflix The show has added some serious star power for its highly anticipated second series. Returning of course, is Jenna Ortega, who plays the titular character. British TV legend Joanna Lumley is a new addition to the Addams family. She plays Grandma Hester Frump and will bring a 'different mother-daughter relationship' to Wednesday, according to Netflix . Joanna is best known for playing Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous. She also had a main role in the 2025 BBC comedy series Amandaland. A name that needs no introduction, Steve Buscemi is joining the cast of Wednesday for series 2. He will be playing Nevermore Academy's new boss - Principal Dort. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Steve Buscemi in Wednesday season 2 | HELEN SLOAN/NETFLIX Netflix viewers will have recently seen the actor in a memorable cameo role in Happy Gilmore 2. See where I ranked him among the best and worst celebrity appearances in the movie. Fresh off her shock re-appearance at the end of the most recent season of Doctor Who, Billie Piper is set to be part of the cast for Wednesday series two. She will play Nevermore's new head of music - Isadora Capri. Beyond her turn as Rose in Doctor Who in the early 2000s - and potentially as the 16th Doctor - you may have seen her in Netflix's own Scoop. She was also in the cast of Kaos on the streamer, while she was also BAFTA nominated for both seasons of I Hate Suzie. Christopher Lloyd is returning to the world of the Addams Family in Wednesday season two. Having previously played Uncle Fester in the 1990s films - he will be Professor Orloff. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lady Gaga has been added to the cast in an undisclosed role, having dabbled in TV in the past with American Horror Story. Haley Joel Osment, Frances O'Connor and Joonas Suotamo will also appear. Adding more star-power to the cast is Thandiwe Newton who plays Dr. Rachael Fairburn - the chief psychiatrist at Willow Hill Psychiatric Facility. She won an Emmy for her role as Maeve in HBO's one-time hit sci-fi series Westworld. The Princess Diary actor Heather Matarazzo will also be joining the cast of Wednesday for season two. She plays Judi - Dr Fairburn's righthand woman. Another new addition for season 2 is Noah B. Taylor who is playing Bruno in the upcoming episodes. He is the latest addition to Wednesday's wolf-pack and it marks Noah's first major acting role. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Pinocchio actor Evie Templeton is another new face at Nevermore Academy. She is described as an outcast who is 'completely starstruck' by Wednesday. Owen Painter is a newcomer for series two as Slurp - a reanimated corpse with a special link to Nevermore Academy. You may have seen him in The Handmaid's Tale previously.
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Joanna Lumley insists she hasn't had a career but has simply worked to 'keep herself alive' as she reveals she didn't get into acting 'for stardom'
Joanna Lumley has insisted that she hasn't had a career but simply worked to earn enough money to 'keep herself alive'. The actress, 79, has had an illustrious film and television career spanning 55 years, with notable projects including On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The New Avengers and Absolutely Fabulous, while newer roles have seen her star in Amandaland and the upcoming second season of Wednesday. However, in a new interview, Joanna brushed aside the notion that her path to success as an actress was carefully planned, instead noting that she had no idea of her 'destiny' as she went from role to role. She was certain though that she just 'loved' to act and didn't enter this 'precarious profession' for the fame or 'stardom'. Speaking to the Radio Times about her vocation, Joanna explained: 'I've had no career – I was trying to earn money to keep myself alive. I've never had any idea of a destiny or where my career would go and I have never ever asked myself, "Will this damage my career?" I loved acting, so that was going to be my chosen thing. 'We actors just wanted to get to be better actors, and we wanted to work so we could pay the rent. We weren't longing for stardom. We're jobbing actors and we're no different, really, from painters and decorators. It's a precarious profession at the best of times and I've just done anything to keep my head above water.' Meanwhile, Joanna, who started off as a model in the 60s, opened up on the longevity of her career, revealing she was initially only cast in 'pretty girlfriend' roles before the industry eventually changed so that looks wasn't the most important thing. She noted how actresses back in the day were told to keep going 'until 29', by which point they were 'too old', however, Joanna resolutely told herself to 'stick around' and keep pushing ahead. On how things have improved, she shared: 'Now, you look at the wonderful parts for people as old as me, and also interesting, different looking parts that don't need a pretty face. Men have always been allowed to be whatever they want to be, but women have always had to look attractive or alluring or something. That's fading away.' These days, Joanna is as known for her plummy voice as she is for her face, as is often cast because show makers want 'Joanna Lumley' for the part. But the blonde bombshell told how people are 'mad' not to realise that part and parcel of acting is 'typecasting', adding that the point of an actress is that she can 'change' and often did turn down similar roles because she 'wanted to keep changing'. After dreaming of becoming an actress as a teenager, Joanna was turned away from drama school before becoming a model in London during the Swinging Sixties. She later took up small-time acting roles before landing a place in the 1969 James Bond movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It wasn't until a few years later, however, that she hit the big time playing Purdey in The New Avengers. Meanwhile, Joanna opened up on the longevity of her career, revealing she was initially only cast in 'pretty girlfriend' roles before the industry eventually changed so that looks wasn't the most important thing [pictured in 1965] And Joanna has no plans to retire, telling crowds at the SANDS International Film Festival earlier this year that 'she'll be there' as long as she can speak. 'When I was 16 and told the careers officer at my convent school that I wanted to go into acting, he told me that the only jobs open to me in film would be as a continuity or make-up girl,' she added. 'In the past women like me would have been sidelined at 38 but now there are lead parts for people in their 50s and big parts for those in their 70s.' It comes after Joanna made the heartbreaking admission that she 'doesn't have much time left' as she turned 79 in May. Joanna celebrated her 79th birthday on May 1, and the iconic actress opened up about her mortality, admitting that she may not have much time left. 'As you nearly the top of the hill, you suddenly think, "Gosh, there's not all that much time left,"' she told Vernon Kay on BBC Radio 2. 'My time must be coming quite soon, and I don't want to have wasted a minute of being on this beautiful planet. I used to panic when I was young, but as I've got older, I've started to live day to day. 'With age, you work out what matters. I always knew that good stuff would come along when I was older. 'When I was 18, I longed to be 30. When I was 30, I longed to be 50. We mustn't be led into thinking getting old is bad. Growing old is good.'
