Latest news with #CynthiaErivo
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Amanda Seyfried reveals iconic role she auditioned SIX TIMES for and lost out to a rival star
There was a role that Amanda Seyfried wanted so badly she auditioned for it a whopping six times. Last week, on Backstage's In the Envelope podcast, the 39-year-old Mamma Mia star revealed she tried out for the part of Elphaba in Wicked on multiple occasions. 'I'm in that privileged spot where I just don't have to [audition],' she said, 'But I like, of course, I talked about this a lot. I auditioned like six times for Wicked.' 'Because that had to be really just right,' the Mean Girls star said. 'And I like, I loved it.' Amanda also talked about her Wicked audition in March during an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast. 'I was able to really prepare, and I'm telling you, I've never felt that solid in my voice than I did at the auditions,' she said. 'And that's kind of what I got out of it,' Seyfried told host Josh Horowitz. 'I do, again, think everything happens for a reason,' she continued, adding, 'I also got to sing with Cynthia, and that was a moment in itself.' In November, Cynthia did a joint interview with The New York Times, where she said it was 'no surprise whatsoever' to her when she learned Ariana Grande, 31, had gotten the role of Glinda. 'I said [at the time], "Thank God,"' Ariana recalled, with Cynthia adding: 'Thank goodness, because it was not the two ladies that I was auditioning with.' While Cynthia did not name who else she'd auditioned with, Seyfried did reveal in 2022 that she had tried out for the part of Glinda, but didn't specify if she auditioned alongside Cynthia. She auditioned at the same time she was filming The Dropout, in which she played disgraced scientist Elizabeth Holmes and won and Emmy for her role. Amanda has made peace with the fact that she wasn't cast as Glinda. She even lavished praise on Ariana for her performance. 'I do, again, think everything happens for a reason,' she said. Amanda passed on another famous role, that of Gamora in the blockbuster film Guardians Of The Galaxy, opposite Chris Pratt, more than a decade ago. Amanda passed on another famous role, that of Gamora in the blockbuster film Guardians Of The Galaxy, opposite Chris Pratt, more than a decade ago. While promoting her new Peacock series Long Bright River, the actress dished about the many opportunities she been blessed to have had over her career. And when it came to the topic of ones that almost happened, Seyfried got honest about the opportunity that came along with starring on the original 2014 superhero film, directed by James Gunn, based on the Marvel Comics. She admitted to feeling it was a risk at the time the role was offered to her, during the same interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast on March 20. 'Being a part of the first Marvel movie that bombs ain't good for your career,' she shared with host Josh Horowitz. I thought that because this was about a talking tree and a talking raccoon that it was gonna be Marvel's first bomb and that Chris Pratt and I would never work again. I was wrong.' The Allentown, Pennsylvania native never considered the possible role of Gamora, which ultimately was played by Zoe Saldaña, a risk due to the work of Gunn, who co-wrote the screenplay along with helming the project. '[He's] a genius and he's fun and he's a wonderful filmmaker, and he can make anything work,' she said of the filmmaker. ' But I was way too scared. I was at a precarious moment in my career, and I didn't want to suffer for the work.' Guardians Of The Galaxy went on to become a blockbuster smash, grossing a whopping $773.4 million globally while spending a net of $195.9 million on the project. Despite all the success of the superhero films Seyfried still stands by her decision to listen to her intuition and not take on the role. 'I had done some green screen stuff, and it wasn't my cup of tea, and I don't regret any decision that I made,' she stated. 'I made it for myself in the moment that I made it. It was good for me then, and it's good for me now.'
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Ariana Grande and Kieran Culkin join the film Academy: Who else is in?
Ariana Grande is certified popular with the film Academy. The "Wicked" star is part of 2025's class of 534 inductees into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, announced on June 26. (Her equally popular co-star Cynthia Erivo joined in 2020.) The list of new members in the actor category includes Gillian Anderson, Naomi Ackie, Monica Barbaro ("A Complete Unknown"), Dave Bautista, Jodie Comer, "Succession" stars (and battling screen siblings) Kieran Culkin and Jeremy Strong, Oscar best actress winner Mikey Madison ("Anora"), Jason Momoa ("Aquaman"), Adriana Paz ("Emilia Pérez'), Aubrey Plaza ("My Old Ass" ), Andrew Scott ("All of Us Strangers") and Sebastian Stan ("The Apprentice"). Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox "These exceptionally talented individuals have made indelible contributions to our global filmmaking community," Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy president Janet Yang said in a joint statement about the new members in 19 Academy branches. The animation branch inductees include the team behind "Inside Out 2": Kelsey Mann, Deanna Marsigliese and Alessandra Sorrentino. Four-time Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel and his wife, writer/producer Molly McNearney, were inducted into the associates category, along with 2025 Oscar host Conan O'Brien. New members in the directors category include Gia Coppola ("The Last Showgirl") and Brady Corbet ("The Brutalist" writer and director was also inducted into the writers group). The team behind Oscar best documentary winner "No Other Land" was inducted into the documentary group: Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor. Brandi Carlile and Jack Dolman ("Wicked") were among the musicians invited into the music branch. A complete list of the 534 inductees is here. Aside from the honor and bragging rights, the major perk of Academy admission is the power to vote on movies for the Oscar awards. The Academy has "an ongoing commitment to representation, inclusion and equity" for membership, according to the group's statement. The incoming group is 41% women, 45% are from underrepresented communities, and 55% are from 60 countries and territories outside the United States. The Academy announced on June 17 that "Mission: Impossible" star Tom Cruise, country music legend Dolly Parton, choreographer Debbie Allen and production designer Wynn Thomas will receive honorary career Oscars at the Academy's Governors Awards on Nov. 16.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sarah Paulson shows off new darker cropped locks as she stuns in a chic oversized suit at Ami Alexandre Mattiussi's men's show in Paris
Sarah Paulson showed off her new darker cropped locks as she attended Ami Alexandre Mattiussi's Paris Men's Fashion Week show on Wednesday. The actress, 50, was sure to turn heads as she rocked a chic oversized taupe suit while posing outside the venue. Sarah teamed her baggy blazer and trousers combo with a white shirt and light brown tie, accessorising her head-turning ensemble with a cream clutch bag and pointed black heels. Though Sarah has been sporting a significantly shorter style for the past few months, her recent outing in the French capital show's the star has seemingly had a fresh colour and trim, making for a striking new look. Her cropped style is in stark contrast to the longer locks she sported at the beginning of the year when she wowed at the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards in January. While just weeks before, Sarah showed off her lengthy tresses while celebrating her 50th birthday with a star-studded bash. Sarah Paulson showed off her new darker cropped locks as she attended Ami Alexandre Mattiussi's Paris Men's Fashion Week show on Wednesday Seemingly held at the Los Angeles home Paulson shares with longtime girlfriend Holland Taylor, 81, the lavish party played host to a number of big names. The American Horror Story alum cozied up to Real Housewives star Kyle Richards in a photo-booth before hitting the dance floor with The Last Of Us ' Pedro Pascal. Also on hand was Wicked's Cynthia Erivo, who was seen singing happy birthday to Paulson while gathered around a cake with lit candles. For the party, Paulson looked glamorous wearing a billowing black dress with shiny gold accents. A sparkly 'This is 50' crown sat atop the actress' head of silky brunette hair. Her longtime bestie Leslie Grossman — who also stared on American Horror Story — documented the festivities on her Instagram Story. She captured footage of Paulson doing a little dance before greeting her many guests at the party. Paulson looked extremely happy to be celebrating the milestone with her closest Hollywood pals. Ozark star Jason Butler Harner called the party 'perfection' as he shared a photo-booth snap of himself, Paulson and Pascal. In the shot, Paulson and Pascal are seen erupting with laughter while Harner smiles at the camera lens. Pascal proved to be the life of the party as he ended up posing for photos with countless people inside Paulson's home. Eagle-eyed fans also spotted him dancing up a storm while Amanda Peet showed off her moves to Paulson's girlfriend Holland Taylor, who shared the video to Instagram.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Why drag queen Pattie Gonia is werking from the mountaintops
It's been a big year for Pattie Gonia: She lip-synched 'Defying Gravity' in front of Cynthia Erivo at the Out 100 party, performed a sold-out show during WorldPride in D.C. and became the first person to deliver a TED talk in full drag. These would be remarkable achievements for any drag queen. But Pattie Gonia is not any drag queen. She's a mustachioed, anti-capitalist, environmentalist activist drag queen.
IOL News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
I hired a witch on Etsy to fix my life
Wicked part 2 starring Cynthia Erivo, Image: Instagram/@wickedmovie Image: Image: Instagram/@wickedmovie ON Etsy, magic is big business, and it's possible to pay a witch to cast a spell for just about anything, on just about anyone. The online marketplace where people can buy and sell unique handmade or vintage goods, banned 'metaphysical services' in 2015, but there are thousands of spells for sale, most tagged as 'entertainment.' For $17(R300), you can place an order for good luck. Repairing a relationship costs $5. To make someone feel guilty, you'll need $9.99, and curses tend to start around $15. Recently, I've been feeling like there's something in my way. Maybe it's a symptom of trying to 'have it all.' So I paid a witch on Etsy to fix it with a spell. Obviously. My spell was performed by Avatara, of the Etsy shop NovaLunaTarot. Using the platform's messaging function, I provided my name and birthday, and I told her a bit about how I've been feeling. She sent me photos of an altar, adorned with stones and tarot cards, where three candles burned. It cost $15.99. Avatara joined Etsy in 2022 and has made close to 11,000 sales. It's the only platform where she sells spells, and it's her primary source of income. Business is up, she says, as interest in witchcraft grows. And witchcraft is certainly having a moment. Videos on 'WitchTok,' a corner of the social media platform TikTok, have been viewed more than 30 billion times. Some 30 million posts on Instagram are tagged with 'witch' or 'witchcraft.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Chris Miller, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, researches contemporary paganism, an umbrella term for spiritual practices and religions such as Wicca, druidry and others that revere nature. Despite a history marked by secrecy and persecution, witchcraft is now part of the mainstream consciousness, he says. That's in part because many millennials and Gen Xers grew up surrounded by pop culture references to witches. 'Think about all these things - 'The Craft,' 'Sabrina,' 'Buffy,' 'Charmed' - all being popular during adolescence,' he says.'Now those people are in their 30s and 40s.' They're fueling a retail industry worth more than $2 billion, both online and off; metaphysical shops and apothecaries are thriving across the United States. Daysi De Dios, 41, remembers being captivated by the witch-rich pop culture of the 1990s. More than a decade ago, the first-generation Mexican American began learning about the healing folk magic practice Curanderismo. 'I'm also a practicing shaman, drawing on my Mesoamerican roots and the tradition of Aztecs and Mayans,' she says. De Dios opened an online shop in 2017, then, in 2020, a brick-and-mortar in Montclair, New Jersey, called Houss Freya, after the Norse goddess of love and war. Customers often come in wanting their 'energy cleansed,' De Dios says. Witchcraft has in some ways lost its taboo, De Dios says. Lindsay Squire, a Britain-based practitioner known to her half-million Instagram followers as 'the Witch of the Forest,' says some family and friends 'thought it was weird' when she began practicing close to a decade ago. 'They assumed straightaway that witchcraft is devil worship. Now, people are much more accepting and less judgmental.' Melinda Nemecek, an Ohio-based content creator who has an audience of more than 300,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram, says she began dabbling in witchcraft 'at a time when I had just gone through a divorce and a custody battle, and I was living in government housing as a single mother.' Nemecek's followers are often looking for what's referred to as 'baneful magic; getting back at someone, making someone stop gossiping about you,' she says. Avatara won't perform spells to hurt other people. Most of her magic is of the self-help variety; her most popular seller used to be the cord cutter, a spell to help people sever unhealthy attachments. Squire says the bulk of her requests are for love spells. 'You know,' she says, ''can you make this person fall in love with me? Can you make this person come back?' The obvious question to outsiders, though, is less about ethics and more about efficacy: Is there any real power in these spells? The more open a client is, says Avatara, the better her spells work. 'It's an exchange of energy,' she says. 'It's not just about what I'm doing.' As I read the five-part incantation she sent, I tried to focus on making it come true. When I got to the end, nothing felt different. De Dios believes the growing community around witchcraft transcends religion. 'Using nature as a source of energy is an ancient practice. To me, it's just bringing in different energies, seen and unseen, to help you be more fulfilled and at peace. I think anyone could use a little magic in their life,'she says.
