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Scotsman
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Assembly debut for Peabody-winning comic telling a truly unbelievable tale
One of the most distinctive new voices in American comedy makes his hotly anticipated Edinburgh Fringe debut this summer, and he's bringing a painted car, a whirlwind marriage, and a deeply moving story with him. 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... Born to devout Muslim parents and raised in a small conservative town in the American South, Ismael Loutfi's upbringing was anything but typical, and now, it's the heart of a compelling and hilarious new show. Heavenly Baba charts a deeply personal journey through faith, rebellion, and identity, told with razor-sharp humour and emotional insight. At the centre of it all is Loutfi's father, Yaser, a man so passionate about his religion that, after being unimpressed by the Islamic school curriculum, he transformed the family car into a rolling religious manifesto. Covered bumper-to-bumper in Islamic slogans, the vehicle became a local legend and a symbol of one man's unwavering devotion. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ismael, meanwhile, spent his youth trying (and mostly failing) to convert his classmates, navigating love, and attempting to reconcile his beliefs with the reality around him. At 17, determined to avoid sin, he convinced his father to help him marry a classmate rather than date her, a decision that led to a brief six-month union, and ultimately, to a career in stand-up comedy. Ismael Loutfi Years later, after his father's passing, Loutfi discovered a hidden collection of 300 paintings left behind. It was then he realised: the car, the fervour, the sometimes absurd attempts at devotion, it was all art. Heavenly Baba is Loutfi's tribute to that revelation, and to the complex, loving, frustrating, and unforgettable man who shaped him. Loutfi is no stranger to the comedy circuit. A Peabody Award-winning writer, he's worked on Netflix's Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, animated series Happy Family USA and the upcoming Mating Season from the team behind Big Mouth. His Comedy Central special Sound It Out is available to stream on YouTube, and he's made appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, This Week at the Cellar, and more. With biting wit and unexpected tenderness, Heavenly Baba is a standout debut from a comic whose story is as unique as his voice
New York Post
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Danny DeVito nearly died on 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' set: book
The gang turns twenty. TV's most outrageous sitcom 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer – as the show first premiered on FX in the summer of 2005. Author Kimberly Potts' new book out July 1, 'It's (Almost) Always Sunny in Philadelphia: How Three Friends Spent $200 to Create the Longest-Running Live-Action Sitcom in History and Help Build a Network,' details the show's unlikely rise to prominence and behind the scenes stories. Advertisement Potts, who has also written a book about 'The Brady Bunch,' told The Post that during her research she learned how Danny DeVito nearly died while filming the series. 10 Kimberly Potts' new book about 'It's Always Sunny.' Simon and Schuster 10 Kaitlin Olson as Dee, Rob McElhenney as Mac, Glenn Howerton as Dennis, Danny DeVito as Frank in 'The Gang Goes to Hell: Part 2.' Advertisement During the Season 11 episode 'The Gang Goes to Hell: Part Two,' the group is on a cruise, and are trapped in a room that has a leak. The episode aired on March 9, 2016. 'They're swimming, they keep rising to the top. And to shoot that scene, they were underwater,' Potts explained, noting that the water level is rising. 'At one point, Danny got accidentally kicked, I think, in the shoulder –- close to his head. As I've been told, he nearly drowned,' she added. 'It certainly had everyone afraid he was in trouble.' 10 Danny DeVito as Frank underwater in 'The Gang Goes to Hell: Part 2.' Advertisement 10 Charlie Day as Charlie, Rob McElhenney as Mac, Glenn Howerton as Dennis, Kaitlin Olson as Dee, Danny DeVito as Frank in the episode where DeVito nearly drowned. Created by Rob McElhenney and co-developed by Glenn Howerton, the show follows a group of narcissist and sociopathic friends who own a pub in the titular city: Dennis (Howerton), Charlie (Charlie Day), Mac (McElhenney), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Dennis and Dee's father, Frank (Danny DeVito). After they rescued DeVito, 'he was very frustrated by that situation,' Potts recalled to The Post. 'He just quietly left, and the day was over for him. So even he has a threshold for how far he's willing to go. But for the overwhelming majority, their experience with him is great,' she acknowledged. 'Kaitlin Olson has called him the happiest person she's ever known.' Advertisement Potts' book details the show's unlikely success story, as the comedy's original pilot cost Day, Howerton, and McElhenney a measly $200 to make. 10 Charlie Day as Charlie, Rob McElhenney as Mac in 'It's Always Sunny.' A few years later by 2009, Comedy Central would pay over $30 million to acquire syndication rights. Potts attributed their success to 'building slowly.' 'In the beginning, FX didn't have a lot of money for marketing, so they'd do those wild creative marketing campaigns with graphics and go to college campuses. They had a huge college and high school fan base. Those people graduated, and now they have [teenage kids] they watch it with.' She also cited how YouTube launched the same year the show did, which helped certain scenes go viral. 10 Author Kimberly Potts. Rashidah DeVore Photography 'With any story like this, certainly there is some luck involved,' she said. 'To do something like this now — in the current climate of TV — I think it would be almost impossible. People don't get the chance to have that time and grow an audience. And gel as a cast and gel with writing staff and show people across several seasons what they can do.' Advertisement So, she said, many factors went into the mix of their unlikely success, including the fact that 'they are legitimately friends in real life.' (McElhenney and Olson also met on the show and have been married since 2008.) 10 Danny DeVito as Frank, Charlie Day as Charlie, Rob McElhenney as Mac, Glenn Howerton as Dennis, Kaitlin Olson as Dee in 'It's Always Sunny.' In 2009, 'It's Always Sunny' even brought a play on tour: 'The Nightman Cometh,' which originated as a play within the show. The cast went to cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Seattle. 'Danny DeVito rented a bus for them, because he thought they should feel like rock stars while doing a tour. He paid out of his own pocket for the tour bus,' Potts explained. Advertisement She explained that this was before 'intense social media.' 10 Glenn Howerton as Dennis, Rob McElhenney as Mac, Kaitlin Olson as Dee. 'He had a bar installed, so they had a great time. They were all surprised when they would [visit these venues] and start to find out how much the show had grown.' That 2009 tour was a game changer for the show's success, since they realized how many fans they had. Advertisement As for when it could end? Howerton recently told The Post that they've discussed a conclusion — but revisit if they should continue 'year by year.' 10 Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito and Charlie Day act during a dance scene on the set of 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' on May 23, 2007. Getty Images 10 Kaitlin Olson as Dee, Glenn Howerton as Dennis, Charlie Day as Charlie, Danny DeVito as Frank, Rob McElhenney as Mac. 'We're still having such a blast working with each other. And, there seems to be endless ways to explore the world through these characters. We have no intention of stopping anytime soon,' he revealed. Advertisement Potts cited cartoons that viewers have jokingly made of the cast doing the show into their old age, with canes and walkers. 'I don't think we're gonna see 'Sunny' Season 50, probably not, anyway,' she reasoned. 'But, can I see there being a Season 25? Maybe. I don't think that's out of the realm of possibility.' Season 17 premieres on Wednesday, July 9 on FXX and Hulu.
Geek Feed
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Feed
The Winner of the Pedro Pascal Lookalike Contest Works on the Daily Show
It all started with a silly Timothee Chalamet Lookalike contest back in 2024, and since then there have been several other attempts at celebrity lookalike competitions throughout the year. The latest one making headlines is a Pedro Pascal lookalike contest, and what's funny is, the winner, George Gountas, actually works on The Daily Show, and he was brought in to actually talk about his experience on air. Check this out: What's funny is that, people were supposed to sign up to enter the contest, but Gountas was so confident that he would win and he just walked up to the event and everyone immediately thought that he would land on top. Though people aren't really expecting things to blow up for Gountas after he won the contest, he is using his few seconds of fame to call out to the actual Pedro Pascal; apparently, Gountas' wife said that she would only be okay with all the attention her husband is getting if she managed to meet the actual Pascal. We don't know if that will eventually happen, but with the popularity of The Daily Show and Pascal currently doing press for Fantastic Four , having him meet up with Gountas and his wife would probably be a quick payday for the press if they managed to get it together. Watch out for The Daily Show weeknights on Comedy Central. Pedro Pascal stars in Fantastic Four: First Steps which comes to cinemas on July 25.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jon Stewart says he never realized 'Daily Show' lighting designer was a dead ringer for Pedro Pascal
Jon Stewart never saw it coming. After George Gountas, a lighting designer for Comedy Central's The Daily Show, took the crown at Sunday's Pedro Pascal look-alike contest in New York City, the host had him sit down for an interview. The Emmy winner admitted that he hadn't compared Gountas to The Last of Us actor. "I've never noticed that he looks like Pedro Pascal," Stewart said. He showed a picture of what Gountas looks like around the office — with no glasses, curlier hair on his head, and a beard on his face — to show why. "Well, it's pretty funny," Gountas said of how he'd found out about the contest. "Tyler Goldman, stage manager, had a group text on maybe Wednesday last week. And he was like, 'Yo, you should go win a year of free burritos.' And I was like, 'OK.' And then I went home. And then on Friday, I showed it to my wife, and she was like, 'You're doing this.'" Gountas explained that his neighbor is a stylist who supplied most of his wardrobe. Gountas said he showed up to the contest without having reserved a spot. "I rolled up and I'm like, 'Yo, I'm here,'" he said. "And they were like, 'You're going to win.'" Stewart said that, now that he sees it, the resemblance between Gountas, 43, and the 50-year-old actor is "really crazy." "You're a sexier, younger Pedro Pascal," Stewart joked. He also wanted to know what Gountas' wife had to say about all the hubbub. "Her position is, 'I'm cool with you getting all this attention, if I can meet Pedro Pascal.'" Gountas then looked directly at the camera while making a personal plea to Pascal. "Hey Pedro, this is Pedro #5 from New York. It would be a great, great, great gift if you could meet my wife, Jenny," Gountas said. "It would mean the world to her. We need to make this happen." Gountas' wife, Jenny Gania, told the New York Post that others have noticed the resemblance her husband has to Pascal since the star played Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones. More people have noticed as Pascal went on to star on Disney+ series The Mandalorian and portray Joel on The Last of Us. When Gountas spoke to Stewart, he acknowledged that the attention he had received even in the first 24 hours after the contest was "f---ing insane.""So, none of this bothers me," Gountas added. "I've been in the industry for many years. I've been around famous people. But the thing that I was most, not scared of, the most uneasy about, was coming here today." Gountas feels like the people on the show are like big brothers to him. "And I knew I was gonna get roasted by my friends," he said. At least he did win those burritos, plus $50. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Chicago Tribune
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Column: An NL Central feast — with Cubs, Brewers and Cardinals all in Chicago — is something to gnaw on
In a rare scheduling quirk in the middle of June, the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers were both in town for the first time this season, playing on opposite sides of town. The Cubs played host to the Brewers on Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, while the White Sox took on the Cardinals at Rate Field. It was a National League Central smorgasbord, though the hors d'oeuvres were perhaps a little more enticing on the North Side, where a rat was spotted wandering the concourse a few hours before the game, looking for dining options. Whether the rat was part of the team's campaign to get the 2027 All-Star Game at Wrigley was unknown, but as Cubs president of business operations Crane Kenney once joked to former Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, 'the rats are part of the Wrigley Field ambience.' The NL Central, once derided as the Comedy Central, is more competitive than most experts figured going into the season. The Cubs were favored to win the division, but few expected them to be tied with the New York Mets for the second-best record in the majors (45-28) on June 18 after a 5-3 win over the Brewers, especially with Justin Steele out for the season and Shota Imanaga on the injured list the last six weeks. But that's where they are, and every win is building confidence. Seiya Suzuki's three-run home run gave the Cubs the lead for good Tuesday, and Pete Crow-Armstrong put on a show late with a sensational diving catch in the top of the eighth and a 452-foot solo homer off the right-field video board leading off the bottom of the inning. The ballpark erupted both times, and chants of 'M-V-P!' grew louder. 'I love being out there every day,' Crow-Armstrong said. 'I love diving and sliding and banging into stuff. That's what I live for.' So who can catch the Cubs? The Brewers did next to nothing in free agency last offseason, losing Willy Adames to the San Francisco Giants and dealing closer Devin Williams to the New York Yankees. But they've hung in for the most part, going 14-9 since May 25 with some underrated starting pitching. Rookie Jacob Misiorowski will make his second start Wednesday after becoming the ninth pitcher since 1900 to throw at least five hitless innings in his major-league debut in a 6-0 win over the Cardinals in Milwaukee. The Cardinals were supposed to be in a 'reset' this season but somehow finished May eight games over .500 and only two games behind the Cubs. They've since plummeted back to reset mode, going 5-10 in June after Tuesday's 12-2 win on the South Side. Whether they're sellers or buyers at the trade deadline is the big question in president of baseball operations John Mozeliak's final season. Whether the Brewers, Cardinals or Cincinnati Reds will be battling the Cubs for the division title in September might depend on the next couple of weeks. The Cubs have the NL's second-most potent offense in terms of runs scored and rank fourth in pitching. They also have the resources to add on at the trade deadline, which president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer already has suggested they'll do. Photos: Chicago Cubs take opener vs. Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley FieldThe Cubs' $213 million payroll ranks only 13th in the majors, according to but it's still decidedly larger than those of the Cardinals ($159 million), Reds ($139 million) or Brewers ($135 million). They could pull away from the pack, but with so many intradivision games remaining, anything can happen. The Cubs and Cardinals end the regular season with a three-game series at Wrigley. 'It's always interesting seeing teams at different times of the year, and it's always the tale of 162 (games) to determine who is really a great team,' Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner said. 'That's part of the challenge of our sport but also why I think 162 is important. It's a great thing for our division to have great competition and a lot of young talent. It's funny because we haven't played the Cardinals yet, so haven't had the full feel of our division. But we have a lot of quality teams.' It does seem strange the Cubs and Cardinals haven't met this far into the season, but that will be rectified next week when they play a four-game series at Busch Stadium. While the two are longtime archrivals, the Cubs-Brewers rivalry might be the most interesting one now with Cubs manager Craig Counsell having switched uniforms before the 2024 season. Hoerner said the Counsell factor might have been a big deal last year, but now Counsell has been around long enough that no one thinks about it much. Counsell, as usual, downplayed the fact he's managing against his former team or that it's a big series. 'This is a team that's been on top of the division for most of the last five, six years,' Counsell said of the Brewers. 'Those are important games. But I had a teammate that came into the clubhouse every single day and said, 'Biggest game of the year,' every single day. That's how you treat it in general.' Counsell wouldn't reveal the name of the former teammate, perhaps protecting him from trolls who would argue every game is not the biggest game of the year. Counsell obviously is not prone to hype a series. There was a better chance the rat would hype this Cubs-Brewers showdown. Crow-Armstrong, who is running away with an outfield spot in NL All-Star voting, said the Cubs' mindset was 'just take three,' which would give them an 8½-game lead over the Brewers. 'It's a good club and they're playing good baseball right now,' he said. 'It'll be fun. First time having them at Wrigley and they always play us well, so a good opportunity to create some more distance.' They got off to a good start Tuesday, improving to 3-1 against the Brewers this year. The Cubs honored the late Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker with a moment of silence before the game, and fans of both teams gave him a standing ovation. Summerlike weather had arrived in time for the Cubs and Sox, and the NL Central smorgasbord was ready to be enjoyed. Just remember, don't feed the rats.
