Latest news with #BlackFamily
CNN
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Losing Malcolm-Jamal Warner is losing family, says Van Jones
The loss of Malcolm-Jamal Warner is devastating. For millions of us, especially those of us who grew up Black in America during the 1980s, he wasn't just an actor. He was family. He was possibility. He was hope. Before Barack and Michelle Obama entered the White House, we had the Huxtables. Before college tours or career fairs, we had Theo. And for me — and for so many other young Black men — he was the first person we saw on TV who looked like us, lived like us, and was expected to become something great, not despite being Black, but while fully owning it. When The Cosby Show premiered, it was revolutionary. Not because it had Black characters — that had been done before — but because it showed a Black family thriving. Cliff was a doctor. Clair was a lawyer. They were raising smart, funny, ambitious kids. And in the middle of it all was Theo, the every-kid: imperfect, relatable, learning life's lessons with charm and humility. That mattered. It mattered because, for decades, portrayals of Black people on television were painfully narrow: butlers, maids, addicts, criminals, punchlines. But Theo wasn't any of that. He was a teenager with dreams, a good heart, and two parents who demanded excellence. The image of a middle-class Black household striving together on national TV was so new, so powerful, that it drew tens of millions of viewers a week. It helped shift the national imagination. And it shifted mine. I had two professional parents. I wasn't living in a junkyard like on Sanford and Son or hustling like The Jeffersons. I saw my story in Theo's. He made me feel seen — and not alone. But Malcolm-Jamal Warner didn't stop with Theo. He went on to build a thoughtful, artistic, and courageous career. He didn't chase cheap fame. He didn't trade dignity for ratings. Instead, he used his platform to speak up about mental health, about nuance in the Black experience, about our full humanity. He invited honesty into a culture that too often demands invincibility. And he did it all with class. With grace. With quiet, unwavering strength. That kind of consistency is rare in Hollywood — or anywhere. Malcolm weathered the pressures of child stardom with integrity. While so many struggled under the spotlight, he matured, grew and gave back. His work — from Malcolm & Eddie to his Grammy-winning music to his podcast — always carried a message: we are complex, we are diverse, we are worthy. His passing hits hard. For those of us in our 40s, 50s, even early 60s, this feels like losing a brother. He represented an era when we had shared cultural touchstones, when families across the country sat down at the same time to laugh, learn, and witness something groundbreaking. And yes, The Cosby Show has become complicated by the fall of its patriarch. But the contributions of its cast, especially its young stars, endure. Lisa Bonet. Tempestt Bledsoe. Keshia Knight Pulliam. And Malcolm. They carried that show's legacy forward — not with scandal, but with substance. They embodied the excellence it promised. It's okay to mourn this loss loudly. It's not 'playing the race card' to remember how stunningly rare it once was to see a Black kid on TV who wasn't in chains or trouble. It was a revelation. It was dignity in primetime. Malcolm-Jamal Warner gave us that, and so much more. He started high. And he went higher. May we honor him not just by remembering Theo, but by continuing the conversations he sparked, the truths he told, and the humanity he championed. Rest in power, brother.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Beyond the Gates' Unnerves Fans With Week Of Reruns; Originals To Return July 7
The good news is that Beyond the Gates has already created a rabid fan base. The bad news is that those fans don't appreciate a break in their stories. After five months of airing originals, CBS put the the sudser in repeats for the July 4 holiday week. At least the network didn't air any old reruns from the first daytime sudser to focus on a Black family; CBS chose to repeat the first five episodes from Gate's launch week in February. More from Deadline 'Beyond The Gates' Renewed For Second Season By CBS 'Beyond The Gates' Casts Tide & Febreze In Recurring Roles 'To Set The Vibe' 'Beyond The Gates' Unveils First Look At Keith D. Robinson As Ted In CBS Soap Given the evolving landscape in broadcast TV, not to mention the challenges of launching a soap these days, it's not particularly surprising that CBS would put the show into repeats. But week-long breaks are not exactly common for daytime dramas unless we're in the throes of a pandemic. Typically, the sudsers only break for a day. (The network declined comment). Creator Michele Val Jean has tried to be a voice of calm for fans on X. Before the week began, she wrote 'to those asking: preemption-rerun decisions are made way above my pay grae so no insight into that. The good news is the upcoming reruns are premiere week so those of you who missed it can catch up with how it all began.' A day later, Val Jean added, 'just want to say to our #BeyondTheGates peeps, I love your passion for the show. And I thank you for it.' On Wednesday, star Brandon Claybon (Martin Richardson) continued with, 'I know yall are upset. But enjoy the holiday week … we'll be back in no time!!' Anyone suffering significant withdrawals can find relief at tomorrow's Essence Fest, where popular stars Tamara Tunie (Anita Dupree) and Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree) will join EP Sheila Ducksworth for a panel discussion. And the sudser that follows attractive richies who live inside a fictional gated community called Fairmont Crest has already received a season 2 pickup. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beyond the Gates (@beyondthegatescbs) Best of Deadline 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'The Gilded Age' Season 3 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
New York Times
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
David Oyelowo Considers Oprah ‘Chosen Family'
'Government Cheese' began as what David Oyelowo called 'a beautiful experiment.' He had long admired the fantastical storytelling of Wes Anderson and the Coen brothers. But he hadn't seen that applied to a Black family. Then the filmmaker Paul Hunter approached him about playing a version of his own father — an ex-con eager to reunite with his family and make his fortune — in a short film with absurdist elements set in the San Fernando Valley in 1969. Eventually they spun it into a television series for Apple TV+, taking care to leave that tone intact. 'We were very keen to make something that we knew might not be for everyone, but was very unique in its nature,' said Oyelowo, who is an executive producer on the show in addition to its lead. 'It's very rare that people of color get to make things where they are not feeling the need to explain their existence.' Oyelowo lives in the San Fernando Valley, where the series was shot, which meant there was little danger of violating the 'no more than two weeks apart' rule that he and his wife, Jessica, established early in their relationship. And which they've broken only once, by 11 hours. In a video interview, Oyelowo elaborated on why his rambunctious dogs, going to the movies and Oprah Winfrey are essential to his life. These are edited excerpts from the conversation. I was brought up in the church, but it never really meant much to me because I was sort of piggybacking my parents' faith. Then I had what can only be called a spiritual awakening at 16. And all of those stories that I grew up reading suddenly took on different meaning and have remained that way. It's where I learned the true definition of love. We've now known each other for 30 years. When we met, she was 17, I was 18, and she just hijacked my heart. There was a moment where I realized I couldn't picture a single day of my life going forward without her in it. Selfishness is an occupational hazard as an actor. But the greatest gift my kids have given me is selflessness. What being a father has afforded me is the opportunity to gain a new habit, which is to constantly be thinking about others. That's a mental health thing for me. I need to sweat. I need to get those endorphins going. I need to shake things up. I remember in playing Dr. King in 'Selma,' I had to gain about 30, 35 pounds, so I couldn't be in the gym for several months. I hadn't appreciated just how difficult it is to stay mentally sharp when you are not as physically active. We have a Bernese mountain dog, a Siberian husky and a Cavalier King Charles. They're too rambunctious. Two of them are very big, and I wish they didn't jump on us the way they do — but I also love the fact that they jump on us the way they do. Oprah and I met in 2011 during 'The Butler,' playing mother and son. I've lost both of my parents now, and they were massive in my life. Oprah has kind of become my chosen family, which has been a profound reality. I call her Mama, she calls me Son O. I just love the communal experience of going to the movies. Between being a storyteller and being a lover of community and being a real believer in the fact of the healing ability that story has as a mirror to humanity, I can't imagine my life without that privilege. It coincided with the #BringBackOur Girls movement for the Chibok schoolgirls who were kidnapped in Nigeria. As much as I love being a Nigerian, it's a very patriarchal society, and I'm a big believer that one of the ways to bring peace on earth is to have more female leadership. We started with three girls and we're now at 44 girls, and we pay for all of their education, all of their mental health needs, all of their menstrual health needs. That is where the contract between actor and audience is cemented. We are going to go on a journey together, and I am going to do everything I can to tell the truth. Giving a performance hundreds of times to an audience, you start to understand what it costs to tell the truth. I'm a bit of an A-type personality, but there is simply no way from a capacity standpoint that I could do as much as I'm doing without Darnell Rhea, who is carrying in her body about 25 to 30 percent of my brain. She is the GOAT. I've told Darnell that, at the very least, she has to give me seven years' notice if she's thinking of quitting because she's that good at her job.
