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The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
‘You've got to have dreams' - EastEnders star in Fringe show
But when she reveals she's set to walk away from EastEnders to appear at the Fringe for a fee that would barely keep her in pie and mash for a few days, the eyebrows still soar skyward. You're trading in a glossy, glam studio Michelle, for a dressing room the size of a Sindy doll's shoebox? In August, the north Londoner is set to appear in Edinburgh in Motorhome Marilyn. She explains the premise of the one-woman play, and the compulsion to create the role. 'Back in the day, I used to go back and forwards to Los Angeles quite a bit. Then, about seven years ago, I was outside the Chinese Theatre where the lookalikes hang around and I saw this woman dressed as Marilyn, wearing the white iconic halter neck dress, the platinum hair, the lot. But she was getting out of an old American motorhome – and was putting money in the meter. Read more: 'And I thought to myself 'Wow, that's a great visual!' And as I watched her, she turned and waved, but I realised she was as old as me, not at all like the rest of the young Marilyn lookalikes in the area. Later, I was told she lived around the area. But this woman really stuck in my mind. How did she come to live this life? What was her backstory?' Collins never managed to find out the woman's tale, but having developed her own theatre projects in the past she commissioned writer friend Stewart Permutt to come up with a script to match the visual she had witnessed. The result is beguiling; Denise is an English girl who headed to Hollywood years ago with her boyfriend to try her luck in the movies. But things didn't work out as planned. And the result was she becomes a Marilyn impersonator, working the convention centre and parties, eking out a living while sleeping in her campervan in parking lots. That's all tragic enough, but Collins illustrates that the play asks the deeper question; what is the true cost of failure? And what is Denise's secret that she keeps? However, the 'Marilyn' story Collins helped construct didn't slide onto the Fringe stage effortlessly at all. Five years ago, the venue was booked, the posters drawn – and then Covid attacked. 'And Stewart contracted Covid, and never wrote again,' says the actor, in soft voice. 'And he died last year.' Permutt had insisted however the play should appear at some point and writer Ben Wetherill was brought in to re-draft the tragi-comedy survival story. Collins reveals it has another theme. 'We do judge people in this world,' she explains. 'But we have to consider that no one sets out to become a Marilyn impersonator and live in a run-down campervan. She's also eccentric, but someone who ran away from home and we learn what happened to her.' Are there echoes of Alan Bennett's Lady in The Van and mental health issues? 'Do you know what, I think you're right. I'd forgotten about that play. This is also about someone who's homeless, and eccentric, but once had a very different life. The difference (from Lady in the Van) is Denise is obsessed with Marilyn and her home is a shrine to the legend.' Michelle Collins (Image: Agency) Michelle Collins, who also starred in Coronation Street, was never obsessed with Monroe but admits that her fascination has amplified hugely during research. 'She was far more intelligent than is suggested- she started her own production company way before others were doing it. She was political and felt strongly about civil rights and took the major studios to court. And the way she was treated was terrible. Hollywood at the time was brutal.' It's not hard to discern the commitment in Collins' voice to taking on the Marilyn role. And she wanted to take on the sort of role that is so often denied to females in the business. 'We are living in a world that's obsessed with youth. It's all about Netflix and sexy young things. But I don't think people want to see that all the time. They want to see older people perform. And that's why I think EastEnders is particularly good for having older people at the centre of the stories.' She adds; 'But when you hit your 40s the lead roles don't come as often as they did. So, you have to fight for them.' Or create them. But wasn't there a risk in asking the TV soap for a leave of absence to take to the stage? 'I was determined I wanted to do it,' she says smiling. 'Thankfully, after a sharp intake of breath the producer agreed.' She adds; 'But I've always been creative. I like to go out of my comfort zone, and I've never conformed really.' That's so true. Collins was prepared to leave the comfort and wage joy of EastEnders to take her chances. And bold enough to return after a 25-year break. Particularly when her character Cindy, incidentally, was dead. 'Yes!' she declares. 'When I went back, I felt very much an alien and an outsider. I was scared to go back for many reasons. I worried if people would be interested in Cindy anymore. Would I still be able to play her? Would I be accepted (by the cast). And of course, yes, she was dead.' The actor laughs. 'But thankfully people have now forgotten she was away for all those years in a witness protection scheme.' Collins' voice becomes more animated as she talks of performing at the Fringe for the very first time, after years of being an audience member. 'You know, I don't believe in failure anymore. I'm going to make sure I enjoy this. And blimey, I'm in the third act of my life now, (she's 63) but I've got a lot of energy. And you've got to keep trying new things.' The actor adds; 'I needed to do this. And you've got to have dreams, haven't you. Mine is to make this play success.' Motorhome Marilyn, the Gilded Balloon Patter House, Edinburgh, July 30 to August 25, at 5.30pm. To purchase tickets for the Fringe, please click here
Los Angeles Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Surprising ADU with tricked-out garage, rooftop deck matches family's playfulness
Barefoot, in shorts and a tropical-themed short-sleeved shirt, Will Burroughs walks through the narrow backyard of his Venice home and passes a football to his 7-year-old son Jack. It's a playful moment that instantly sparks the curiosity of the family's Australian cattle dog, Banjo, who comes running from the first floor of the newly added accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, at the rear of the property. Even though it's a small gesture, it encapsulates what Burroughs and his wife, Frith Dabkowski, hoped for when they added the ADU to their backyard. 'They're fun,' architect Aejie Rhyu said of the creative couple as she walked by the undulating two-story ADU she helped them realize. Rhyu's assessment helps to explain the joy that permeates the family compound, from the pink Los Angeles Toile wallpaper in the bedroom (humorously adorned with illustrations of L.A.'s beloved mountain lion P-22, the La Brea Tar Pits and Grauman's Chinese Theatre) to the tricked-out garage on the first floor, which includes overhead bike storage, an espresso maker, a mini-fridge and a large flat screen TV that allows Sydney-born Burroughs to watch Formula 1 car races and cricket games at 4 a.m. when his family is asleep. Like so many ADUs in Los Angeles, the couple's addition was driven by a need for more space to accommodate work and family life. At a time when California ADU laws continue to evolve to encourage more housing, the couple saw it as an opportunity to demolish their garage and build a new multipurpose flexible space that includes an office, garage and housing for family members from Australia who stay for weeks at a time. To help them create an ADU that was fun and ambitious, Burroughs reached out to his childhood friend, Australian architect James Garvan, whom he has known since kindergarten. Garvan said that when he first received a call from Burroughs about designing an ADU, he was impressed by the American concept of adding a second home on the same property as a larger one. 'It's an elegant way to activate parts of the city that are otherwise unused,' he said. The couple collaborated with Garvan on the design plans, but because he was in Australia, they subsequently engaged local architect Rhyu to deliver the project. Despite his location on the other side of the world, Garvan worked with the team during FaceTime and Zoom meetings. 'We wanted to contribute to the street and not just to the backyard,' Garvan said of a neighborhood tour he took on FaceTime with Burroughs. 'It was crucial that the ADU referenced the neighborhood. That's why we have the lovely tapered geometry and white fence paneling as cladding — it continues the fence and ties the house to the neighborhood.' The couple, 41-year-old marketing executives who met while working at an advertising agency in San Francisco, may have wanted a showstopper. But they also wanted to respect their neighborhood, where small bungalows coexist alongside enormous, newly built homes in a Brutalist style. 'We were adamant about not having a monolithic structure,' Burroughs said, emphasizing the neighborhood's diverse architectural styles where noted Los Angeles architects such as Frank Gehry, Ray Kappe and Barbara Bestor have all practiced their craft. Dabkowski, who was born in England and moved to Dallas when she was 11, shared a similar perspective in not wanting the ADU to stand out too much. 'I grew up in the suburbs where homes were built in a development and all looked the same,' she said. 'I love the array of different houses in Venice, but it is jarring when people build something out of scale with the neighborhood.' Situated on a corner lot, the two-story ADU appears simple and square from the street and curvaceous and soft from the backyard. While the traditional 1949 bungalow out front is one level, the ADU out back is tall but doesn't overwhelm the atmosphere of the street. Once inside the compound, the ADU, which cost approximately $450,000 after several increases due to the custom millwork and spiral staircase, is not what you would expect. And that's precisely the point. 'We told James from the beginning that the ADU is separate from the house and is supposed to be different,' Burroughs said. Clad in stained cedar siding with shutters that open and close like a music box, the ADU is composed of a 460-square-foot garage on the ground floor and a 560-square-foot one-bedroom unit one flight up. A custom steel spiral staircase connects the two floors on the outside of the building, as it would have eaten up too much space if placed inside. Above it all is a rooftop terrace with views of Santa Monica, the Marina and Penmar Park, with Burroughs affectionately comparing it to 'being up in the trees.' Inside, the open-plan kitchen, living room and dining area are flooded with natural light from two large circular skylights. A waterfall island, equipped with storage on either side, dips to form a dining room table. Floor-to-ceiling custom cabinets in the kitchen continue into the living room, where they create a media center. Adjacent to a queen-sized Murphy bed, there's a stackable washer and dryer, as well as a linen closet. Cork tile flooring adds warmth and serves as an acoustic buffer to help separate the unit from the office space below. Working with interior designer Danielle Lanee, Dabkowksi added colorful accents to the living spaces to make the interiors 'warm, inviting and fresh.' 'They wanted the ADU to be a fun experience for their guests,' noted Rhyu. 'There's an outdoor shower. Colorful lighting. It's quite different from the main house, but it works because it's situated on a corner lot. When you are in the backyard, you note that, but from the street, it almost feels like its own separate structure.' At one point, Burroughs worried they were having too much fun with the colorful interiors, which include pink and red clé tile in the bathroom, pale green custom cabinets in the kitchen and pink Flavor Paper wallpaper in the bedroom. 'I was worried it would feel like you were living in a Mondrian painting,' he said. Now that it's complete, however, Burroughs is thrilled with the way it turned out. 'Frith added a lot of whimsy to the ADU,' he said. 'I love that it feels homey and functional, and I love the balance with the architecture. Once you walk inside, you don't feel like you've sacrificed form or function.' In Sydney, where he grew up, Burroughs said architecture is often designed in harmony with the landscape. Here, his childhood friend was assigned the same task. 'I was impressed that James was able to take a rectangular block ... and make it sit beautifully with the trees and fence line,' he said. 'And Aejie took drawings from afar, accomplishing them by walking around with a camera and reviewing drone footage. Aejie was able to take his high-order thing and make it work.' Looking ahead, the couple envisions the unit could work as a rental, but for now, it has been booked by family and friends, including those who were displaced by the Pacific Palisades fires in January. The couple have hosted Burroughs' parents for six weeks at a time, and friends with three kids — who shared the Murphy bed — stayed for 10 days. 'It's nice to have enough space where family can come and stay comfortably for a decent amount of time,' Dabkowski said. 'Staying in an Airbnb is expensive.' The ADU impressed Burroughs' parents so much that they hired Gavan to design a home for them in Sydney now that they are downsizing. 'They were so impressed with the skylights, the airflow of the unit, which improves our quality of life tremendously,' Burroughs said. 'Our mothers are best friends. He's [Gavan] going to be a part of the family even more now.' 'I am happy that my friends like their home, but I hope the community likes it too,' Gavan added. 'I hope it contributes positively to the streetscape.'
New York Post
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
How Hollywood almost screwed up ‘Die Hard,' ‘Grease' and ‘Saturday Night Fever'
It was 1977, and Barry Diller — just a few years into his tenure as CEO of Paramount Studios ‚ was sitting down for a preview of 'Saturday Night Fever' at the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles when a publicist leaned in to give him a piece of advice. '[John] Travolta's the problem,' the publicist hissed at him, according to Diller's new memoir, 'Who Knew,' out Tuesday. 'He's a television person. You don't put a television person in a movie. The kid just doesn't put asses in seats.' Diller, who was just 35 at the time and still trying to prove himself in the industry, recalls thinking, 'Well, not old Hollywood asses.' 12 In his new book, 'Who Knew,' Barry Diller shares stories from his decades working in Hollywood. 12 Diller writes of how people told him that John Travolta was wrong for 'Saturday Night Fever.' When the movie was a massive hit, Diller was vindicated. Courtesy Everett Collection The movie opened nationwide just two weeks later, becoming an overnight blockbuster. 'There were vast lines around the block at every theater across America,' Diller writes. Paramount, which had dropped to a distant fifth place among the major studios after Diller took over, jumped to No. 1 again. For Diller, it was sweet vindication, especially given how many former executives from Paramount were 'actively mocking' him 'as a parvenu who was destroying their institution,' Diller writes. But during his 10 years with the studio — from 1974 to 1984 — he championed some of the most beloved films of the last century, like 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' 'Terms of Endearment' and 'Beverly Hills Cop.' He also, he writes, oversaw his fair share of bombs, including William Friedkin's 'The Sorcerer' — a bloated, over-budget 'nightmare' from 'The French Connection' director that demonstrated 'the sheer perversity of some Hollywood luminaries.' And then there was 'The Last Tycoon,' starring Robert De Niro, Tony Curtis, Jack Nicholson and Robert Mitchum and directed by Elia Kazan of 'On the Waterfront' fame. 'What could go wrong?' Diller asks. 'Everything. I knew it wasn't going to work when I saw the first assemblage.' 12 Diller championed some of the 20th century's most beloved films, including 'Beverly Hills Cop' with Eddie Murphy and Taylour Paige. ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection But 'Saturday Night Fever' changed 'how movies got made,' Diller writes. The script wasn't pitched as a project for a pre-established A-lister. 'No stars, no pedigree, no package, no nothing — just a good idea,' Diller writes. Even director John Badham, a mostly unproven TV guy, was a risk. 'All these Frankenstein-like parts came together while all those around us thought we were amateurs,' Diller writes. 'It was heady stuff, and quite a shock to the naysayers.' Before coming to Paramount, Diller had cut his teeth at ABC during the 1960s and early '70s, where he invented the Movie of the Week and the miniseries. 12 Diller was CEO of Paramount when iconic films such as 'Terms of Endearment' were made. ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection But the movie industry offered him a new challenge. Unlike TV, it was a business 'where ego and self-promotion corroded everything,' Diller writes. Even his boss, Charlie Bluhdorn, ran the company 'like an old-time emperor.' Diller remembers that Bluhdorn would call him randomly with ridiculous ideas for new movies that he was certain would become 'the blockbuster of all time,' Diller writes. Like 'the tale of Sitting Bull and Hitler at war with each other.' Diller trusted his instincts, which weren't always correct. The movies he championed at Paramount were often 'just darts thrown at the board,' he admits. 'I had to pitch and roll with whatever came my way. That made me a mark for every promoter and rascal in the film industry.' 12 Not all of Diller's movies were big successes. He writes that 'Lipstick' with Margaux Hemingway was 'the essence of putting lipstick on a pig.' Courtesy Everett Collection Some of his lesser achievements include 'Lipstick' with Margaux Hemingway ('the essence of putting lipstick on a pig,' he writes), 'The Big Bus' ('a parody of disaster movies that ended up just being a disaster'), and Roman Polanski's 'The Tenant' (a 'small film that had an even smaller audience'). Even Diller's successes came with controversy. During an advance screening of 'Marathon Man' in San Francisco in 1976, the audience became irate during the notorious 'Is it safe?' scene, in which the Nazi villain (played by Laurence Olivier) tortures Dustin Hoffman's character with dental instruments. Viewers weren't 'prepared for such invasive violence to sweet Dustin's teeth,' the author writes. 'They shouted and booed at what we were doing to them, and many charged up the aisles, enraged.' Diller claims he had to be evacuated from a movie theater for his own safety. 12 Diller writes of the controversy surrounding a scene in 'Marathon Man' where Dustin Hoffman is tortured with dental instruments. Courtesy Everett Collection Some of his most ambitious projects, like a 1976 remake of 'King Kong,' were almost derailed by bad decisions behind the scenes. It was brought to him by the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis, who insisted 'he'd acquired the remake rights, but of course, being Dino, he really hadn't,' Diller writes. One day De Laurentiis called him and announced, 'I've found the actress to play [the lead in 'King Kong']. She's right now a model with no acting experience, but I'm sure she'll be a star.' Diller was hesitant but curious, and asked if they should give this up-and-coming model a screen test. 'Yes,' De Laurentiis allegedly told him. 'But first I want to have her breasts augmented.' The model was future Academy Award winner Jessica Lange. 12 Diller gave an up-and-coming young model named Jessica Lange a chance when she was cast in 'King Kong.' ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection Sam Spiegel, the legendary producer of classics like 'On the Waterfront' and 'Lawrence of Arabia,' approached Diller about adapting F. Scott Fitzgerald's unfinished novel, 'The Last Tycoon.' During his meetings with Spiegel, who Diller describes as 'a true satyr,' he learned more than bargained for about the producer's sex life. 'He often said — and it was hard to know if he was joking — he only liked to have sex with virgins and, if he could find them, lesbian virgins,' writes Diller. Run-ins with directors could be hostile, and sometimes costly. After his 1978 epic 'Days of Heaven,' Diller paid auteur Terrence Malick an enormous sum — $500,000 (or $2.5 million in 2025 dollars) — to, in Malick's words, 'just experiment with things.' 12 After director Terrence Malick (above) squandered hundreds of thousands of dollars, Diller cut him off. Penske Media via Getty Images Every four or five months, Diller would call the director for an update, and get little beyond, 'I'm making progress.' Occasionally Malick would give him some vague sense of his next film, like 'I've got this idea to follow a paraplegic in New Mexico in a footrace.' But beyond that, Malick wouldn't give details, declaring that it was a 'secret.' Diller finally cut off Malick's salary. 'It would be twenty years before he directed another movie,' he writes. The author's handling of actors could also be a minefield. He got into hot water with Robert Redford after Paramount used a shirtless photo of the star embracing Faye Dunaway in a full-page ad to promote the political thriller 'Three Days of the Condor' in 1975. Redford called Diller and insisted that 'the ad had 'disrobed him' in front of his kids,' he writes. The actor asked for the ad to be taken down immediately, but Diller declined. 'And that was the last we saw of Robert Redford for five years,' he writes. 12 Diller and Robert Redford (above) clashed after the studio used a shirtless photo of Redford to promote 'Three Days of the Condor.' Courtesy Everett Collection After the huge success of 'Saturday Night Fever,' Princess Margaret requested to meet John Travolta 'for tea' during her visit to Los Angeles. Diller made the request to Travolta, who responded, 'I don't do tea!' He was finally cajoled into meeting the royal at the Beverly Wilshire. 'And when he came back, he said, 'She hit on me!'' Diller writes. He admits that has hasn't always had the best movie judgment. Diller thought 'Grease' was a terrible follow-up project for Travolta — even producer Robert Evans agreed, imploring Diller to 'burn it' before the footage ruined the actor's career — and pushed Travolta to star in 'American Gigolo' instead. Travolta resisted because he was wary of the 'somewhat gay subtext.' (The role eventually went to Richard Gere, and 'Grease' was a huge hit.) 12 Diller (third from left) has long run in powerful circles. In 1983, he mingled with Bill Sheinberg (from left), Sid Sheinberg, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and David Geffen. Berliner Studio Inc/Shutterstock Cocaine was rampant in the movie industry during the '70s and, Diller writes, Paramount's sets were no exception. During his visit to Robert Altman's production of 'Popeye,' starring Robin Williams, Diller realized that 'everyone in our made-up village — and I mean everyone! — was completely coked out.' He eventually discovered that his own driver, an affable New Yorker named Mario, was also a major cocaine dealer, 'particularly to all my friends,' Diller writes. 'I always wondered why they insisted that Mario drop me off first after our nights out. Once I left, Mario would open his trunk and deal out the drugs.' 12 After joining 20th Century Fox as CEO, Diller objected to Bruce Willis being cast in 'Die Hard.' ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection In 1984, Diller joined 20th Century Fox, where he served as CEO until 1992. One of his first projects was 'Die Hard' — and he immediately objected to the casting of Bruce Willis. 'Who cares about Bruce Willis?' he scolded the casting director. 'No one really likes Bruce Willis!' But Willis would soon prove to be the least of his worries. Producers Joel Silver and Larry Gordon asked to use an office tower owned by Fox for a pivotal final 'blowout' scene. 'We won't hurt anything,' they assured Diller. 'It'll only be one night.' Later that evening, Diller received a call from the studio's real estate division, screaming that the filmmakers were 'destroying our building!' He drove to the shoot and realized it wasn't an exaggeration. Diller confronted Silver, who just shrugged and said the scene had been 'more complicated' than they anticipated, and they'd need 'about two weeks' to finish their cinematic destruction. 12 Diller is married to fashion designer Diane Von Furstenberg. Bloomberg via Getty Images Diller changed his tune after seeing a rough cut of the film, telling the director, 'Don't touch a f–king thing. This is not a good movie. This is a great movie.' But he still wasn't enthusiastic about Willis, insisting the star's face not appear in any of the advertising. 'No one likes him,' Diller continued to declare. 'After they see this movie, they're gonna love him, but coming in, they don't like him.'
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hollywood Reacts To Roberto Orci's Death: Joe Russo, Lucy Lawless & More Pay Tribute
Roberto Orci died at his home in Los Angeles on February 25, and the tributes remembering the late writer-producer followed. After reports of Orci's death due to kidney disease first surfaced, people like Joe Russo, Lucy Lawless, and Rob Liefeld have weighed in. More from Deadline Roberto Orci Dies: 'Star Trek', 'Transformers' & 'Hawaii Five-0' Writer-Producer Was 51 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries Joe & Anthony Russo Cement Hollywood Status With Chinese Theatre Concrete Plunge Russo took to social media to pay tribute to Orci, calling him a 'generational screenwriting talent' and 'one of the greats.' 'My first boss in Hollywood said the script for STAR TREK was the best he'd ever read — and he wasn't kidding,' Joe Russo posted on X. 'Roberto Orci was a generational screenwriting talent and his death at only 51 is a tragic loss, because I'm sure there were more masterworks to come. RIP to one of the greats.' My first boss in Hollywood said the script for STAR TREK was the best he'd ever read — and he wasn't kidding. Roberto Orci was a generational screenwriting talent and his death at only 51 is a tragic loss, because I'm sure there were more masterworks to come. RIP to one of the… — Joe Russo (@joerussotweets) February 26, 2025 Xena: Warrior Princess star Lucy Lawless also took to social media to pay tribute to Orci, writing, 'Desperately sorry to hear of Bob's passing. A beautiful, sweet man and outrageously talented. I send my heartfelt condolences to all the many people who loved him.' Deadpool comic book creator Rob Liefeld said, 'Terrible news. Way too young. Enjoyed do much of his work. R.I.P.' From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series and 9-1-1 producer Juan Carlos Coto wrote on X, 'We lost a great talent.' Moonlight co-creator Trevor Munson shared on X, 'Roberto Orci had recently signed on direct our western based on the life of Joaquin Murrieta. Would have loved to see what he did with it. RIP to a true talent.' This Means War and Just Go with It writer Timothy Dowling shared on X, 'This is so sad. Bob was a fantastic writer. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times over the years talking about working together. Gone way too soon.' Fringe producer and writer Zack Stentz remembered Orci, posting on X, 'I got to know Bob a bit while working on Fringe, an earlier version of the movie that became Star Trek Beyond & a couple other things and always found him to be kind and generous to a fault. I'd been meaning to check in on him for a while but life got in the way. Now I regret it.' 'I always felt a connection with Bob because we both loved Star Trek & cut our teeth on writing teams writing for Kevin Sorbo syndicated action hours,' Stentz wrote in a second post on X. 'Here's my favorite thing he & Alex wrote…the slam bang grab you by the throat opening of Star Trek 2009.' Best of Deadline How Jon Gries' Return To 'The White Lotus' Could Shape Season 3 Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us' 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Arrive On Max?
