Latest news with #Insecure
Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Duke & Roya
Photograph: Courtesy Jeremy Daniel | Duke & Roya Jay Ellis ( Insecure ) and Stephanie Nur ( Lioness ) play an unlikely couple—he's a hip-hop superstar, she's an Afghani translator working in Kabul —in a new drama by Charles Randolph-Wright ( Blue ). Warren Adams directs the NYC premiere, whose cast also includes a pair of formidable stage vets, Noma Dumezweni ( Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ) and Dariush Kashani ( Oslo ). Wed, Jun 25, 2025 Thu, Jun 26, 2025 Thu, Jun 26, 2025 Fri, Jun 27, 2025 Sat, Jun 28, 2025 Sat, Jun 28, 2025 Mon, Jun 30, 2025 Tue, Jul 1, 2025 Wed, Jul 2, 2025 Thu, Jul 3, 2025 Show more By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. 🙌 Awesome, you're subscribed! Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! Discover Time Out original video
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Drag stars are set to attend, then protest, Trump's appearance at Les Misérables
A group of drag stars is expected to be at Wednesday night's performance of Les Misérables at the John F. Kennedy Center where they plan to protest President Trump and Vice President Vance's scheduled attendance. It will be the president's first show at the historic Washington, D.C. venue since he canned the board and took control, firing previous leadership and installing himself as chairman. Trump, 78, ignited fury over his decision to take the reigns of the Kennedy Center, as he pledged to scrap 'woke' programming aligned with what he called leftist ideology. On social media, the president wrote there would be 'NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA.' So when some of the ticket holders for Wednesday night's show found out that Trump, Vance and their wives, Melania and Usha, would be in attendance, they donated their tickets, according to Qommittee, a network of drag performers, fans and allies, as reported by Houston Public Media. Vagenesis, one of the four to six performers planning to attend, told NPR she is protesting in response to the president's pledge to put a stop to drag shows at the center. 'Theater is supposed to be a place of community, a place of storytelling, a place of celebration, joy, catharsis and it should be open and available to all,' Vagenesis said. As a result of Trump's actions, several members of the company are expected to boycott the president's attendance by not performing. Cast members have remained silent on social media regarding the Kennedy Center run, but multiple reports indicate up to a dozen performers will sit out Wednesday's show. 'The cast was given the option to not perform the night Trump will be in the audience, and both major cast members and members of the ensemble are among those sitting out,' CNN reported last month. A representative from the Les Miserables company told The Independent: 'The National Tour of Les Misérables is looking forward to performing for D.C. audiences beginning tonight and throughout the engagement at the Kennedy Center, where the U.S. first saw the original production in 1986.' Historically, the Kennedy Center has hosted a variety of productions, ranging from operas to contemporary musicals and symphonies. The institution opened in 1971 and has since served as a showcase for theater, music and dramatic performances, with artists ranging from the Paul Taylor Dance Company to a joint concert by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. Weeks after Trump's return to the Oval Office, he fired the Kennedy Center's leadership, putting MAGA loyalist Richard Grenell in charge of the famed performing arts institution. Trump also appointed Usha Vance to the center's board along with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi and several Fox News channel hosts and other supporters. In response, several high-profile performers and members, including Insecure star Issa Rae, Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and singer-songwriter Ben Folds, resigned from their positions and canceled shows. The center, which has seen a staggering 50 percent drop in ticket sales, has since canceled performances by the touring children's musical Finn and a planned concert featuring the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C. 'The Kennedy Center is coming back,' the president added, claiming: 'It was not properly taken care of and we are taking it back and we are going to turn it back into something great.' Trump has previously proclaimed his love for Les Misérables, telling Fox News: 'I love the songs; I love the play. I think it's great.' He has played the musical's rebellion anthem, 'Do You Here the People Sing?' at past events and rallies. The story revolves around revolution in France, and has been a massive smash for decades. Trump also suggested that 'we may extend' the show's run. Currently, Les Misérables is slated to run at the Kennedy Center through July 13. Vagenesis added that she and the other drag performers show up for opening night, they are doing so peacefully. 'I hope it delivers the message that we're not backing down,' she said. 'We're not allowing this kind of bigotry and erasure to stop us from doing what we want to do, or from existing.'
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Les Miserables understudies set to take center stage as cast boycotts Trump-Vance attendance at Kennedy Center
President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and their wives, Melania and Usha, are all expected to be in attendance at Wednesday night's performance of the beloved musical Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center. However, the full cast is not expected to be there. The performance marks the opening of the touring production's month-long run at the historic Washington, D.C. venue. It will be the president's first show at the the Kennedy Center since he's canned the board and taken control of the venue. Trump, 78, has ignited fury over his decision to take the reigns of the Kennedy Center, firing previous leadership and installing himself as chairman. He's also pledged to scrap 'woke' programming aligned with leftist ideology. As a result of Trump's actions, several members of the company are expected to boycott the president's attendance by not performing. Cast members have remained mum on social media regarding the Kennedy Center run, but multiple reports indicate that up to a dozen performers will sit out of Wednesday's show. 'The cast was given the option to not perform the night Trump will be in the audience, and both major cast members and members of the ensemble are among those sitting out,' CNN reported last month. A representative from the Les Miserables company told The Independent: 'The National Tour of Les Misérables is looking forward to performing for D.C. audiences beginning tonight and throughout the engagement at the Kennedy Center, where the U.S. first saw the original production in 1986.' Historically, the Kennedy Center has hosted a variety of productions, ranging from operas to contemporary musicals to symphonies. The institution opened in 1971 and has since served as a showcase for theater, music and dramatic performances, with artists ranging from the Paul Taylor Dance Company to a joint concert by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. Weeks after Trump's return to the Oval Office, he fired the Kennedy Center's leadership, putting MAGA loyalist Richard Grenell in charge of the famed performing arts institution. Trump also appointed Usha Vance to the center's board along with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi and several Fox News channel hosts and other supporters. Instantly, several high-profile performers and members, including Insecure star Issa Rae, Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes and singer-songwriter Ben Folds, resigned from their positions and canceled shows. The center, which has seen a staggering 50 percent drop in ticket sales, has since canceled performances by the touring children's musical Finn and a planned concert featuring the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C. 'The Kennedy Center is coming back,' the president added, claiming: 'It was not properly taken care of and we are taking it back and we are going to turn it back into something great.' Trump has previously proclaimed his love for Les Misérables, telling Fox News: 'I love the songs; I love the play. I think it's great.' He has played the musical's rebellion anthem, 'Do You Here the People Sing?' at past events and rallies. The story revolves around revolution in France, and has been a massive smash for decades. Trump also suggested that 'we may extend' the show's run. Currently, Les Misérables is slated to run at the Kennedy Center through July 13.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Natasha Rothwell and Sterling K. Brown Get Honest About ‘White Lotus' Rewrites, Doomsday and Being No. 1 on the Call Sheet: ‘For the Longest Time I Thought It Meant Something'
Natasha Rothwell is seeking a friend for the end of the world. A beloved and fiery social media presence, the writer-actor-producer-showrunner hit a professional high this year with a triumphant return to HBO's 'The White Lotus.' She reprises her role as Belinda Lindsey, a masseuse trying to move on from the broken Season 1 promises of Jennifer Coolidge's flaky heiress. But in real life, she confesses to Sterling K. Brown that she's been researching underground doomsday vaults, given the state of global politics. More from Variety Sam Nivola and Cooper Koch Confront Nepo Baby Criticism and Being Accused of Playing Sexual Deviant Brothers: 'You Still Have to Love Your Character' Parker Posey Tells Lisa Kudrow to Star in 'The White Lotus' Season 4 as They Bond Over Sitcom Struggles and Why Phoebe on 'Friends' Was 'A Lot of Work' Seth Rogen and Jason Segel Relive 27 Years of Friendship: Smoking Before 'The Matrix,' Peeing Next to Scorsese and Harrison Ford Watching Segel Naked It's the perfect topic for Brown, a three-time Emmy winner for projects like 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story' and 'This Is Us.' Teaming again with creator Dan Fogelman on Hulu's streaming hit 'Paradise,' Brown plays a Secret Service agent living in a city-sized bunker beneath a mountain in Colorado after a catastrophe on Earth. He's investigating the murder of the U.S. president and trying to find signs of his missing wife aboveground. Survival is a common thread between the pair, as they've navigated a business full of inequities and unstable opportunities for work on-screen and behind the camera. There's plenty of joy to be had, however, as the two unpack their first time meeting on Issa Rae's seminal HBO comedy 'Insecure.' They also set some healthy boundaries, as Rothwell notes that Brown's appeal to mature women can sometimes lead to friction — even between her own mother and father. Sterling K. Brown: You're so demure and refined. I was [shocked] by the way that you dropped into your wild character on 'Insecure' when we first met. You started on that show as a writer? Natasha Rothwell: Yes. I was called into the office one day, and I thought I was getting in trouble for making too many dick jokes. I remember texting [Issa Rae], 'I think I just fucked up.' But they told me they wanted me to play my character Kelli, and I burst into tears. But you — you're so charismatic and easy to watch. You almost broke up my parents' marriage. [My mother] loved 'Army Wives.' Brown: Give me the story. Rothwell: I thought, 'If [Sterling] comes up here and ruins 47 years of marriage, I'm going to be upset.' Brown: I'm big with a certain set. The older Black women and me, we got a thing. But let's talk about 'The White Lotus.' It's white; we're Black. It's all good. Rothwell: I was in the HBO family because of 'Insecure,' but it was 2020 — peak COVID, pre-vaccination. They were just like, 'Who is dumb enough to leave their house right now?' I had a meeting with Mike White, and I'd been a fan of his from 'Chuck & Buck' and 'Freaks and Geeks.' But I want to talk about 'Paradise.' Are you as scared for the fate of humanity as I am? If you look at my Google search history, you might see a bunker company or two. Brown: My wife and I have a bunker in our home. I think a lot of midcentury-modern homes have them, because they were built right after World War II. We sealed it up so the kids wouldn't be playing down there. It can hold about 30 people. Rothwell: You have my number, right? Brown: I got you. Rothwell: It's wild how your show flirts with what's happening now. How close it seems we are to an extinction-level event that is a consequence of humanity. Brown: Dan Fogelman created it, as he did 'This Is Us.' He told me he was writing something with my voice in mind, and said, 'Take a look.' If I responded to it, great; if not, no big deal. I wrote him back saying, 'Amen.' He thought I said 'Amen' because Black people just randomly say 'Amen.' He asked what that meant, and I said, 'I'm in, dumbass.' Rothwell: Did he loosely pitch this to you or did you get eyes on the page? Brown: This is a Fogelman thing, and he's explained [his process] to me on a podcast that we do for 'This Is Us': He always writes the first one, and then he shows it to the studio. Either they like it or they don't. His feeling is 'I don't want notes. This is the thing that I've conceived. Do you like it or do you not like it? If you don't, then I can move on.' Rothwell: 'Paradise' is so tonally different from 'This Is Us.' To have that kind of artistry expressed by the same man, were you kind of caught off guard by that? Or did you know he had the capacity? Brown: I knew he had the capacity for anything; he can write his ass off. He's done 'Crazy, Stupid, Love.,' 'Life Itself' — dude is all over the place. He, like me, is eager to have opportunities to show the diversity of what he can do. Rothwell: I was texting with Mr. James Marsden this morning. I asked him about his experience with you, or even for something innocuous that feels like it says a lot about your character. He told me a little anecdote about how you've passed up being No. 1 on the call sheet many times because for you it's not about the numbers but about the work. And so I'll just reflect that back to you. I think for me, for the longest time, I thought it meant something. After Season 1 of 'The White Lotus' wrapped, I pulled Mike White aside and I got emotional. I went to school for acting like you did — we contain multitudes — but my entry point into the industry was comedy writing for 'Saturday Night Live.' It's been so hard to get the industry to see all of me. And they can be really entrenched in 'She's the funny, fat Black lady. We're going to put her in this corner, and that's the box she's in.' For Mike to give me Belinda, it was like he opened a cage that I felt the edges of. Now I can imagine the freedom of being able to show all of yourself when you see a role that can unlock something in you. And as [a writer], I feel authorship I didn't have for a long time. I had relegated myself as No. 12 on the call sheet in my real life. Do you know what I mean? Brown: I do. I look at this acting thing as sort of controlled schizophrenia, in that there's so many people inside of me, and each character gives me an opportunity to let one aspect of myself out. Rothwell: I feel that when I write. The best quote is 'Writing is awful, but it's wonderful to have written.' The process can be painful — it feels like an exorcism of sorts, for me to be able to put pen to paper and to allow aspects of my personality to bleed in all the characters. It's also such an exercise in control, because you have to be restrained and not just be indulgent and make it all about you — it has to be about the subtext of what you're exploring. Brown: Is there joy in just acting, because you wear so many hats? And being on location so far removed from everybody? Rothwell: I was in post for [my Hulu series] 'How to Die Alone' when I went to Thailand. I felt like, 'I don't got to worry about nothing. Something wrong with catering? Don't care.' For Season 3 of 'Lotus,' I'm just protecting Belinda; I'm holding her safe. Brown: We are blessed. What is it like for you to be working? Because we all have friends that are in this business and not as blessed right now. There's been a contraction. How is your community reflecting that contraction back to you? Rothwell: The contraction is not just being observed, it's felt. 'How to Die Alone' only had one season. I see my friends who are caterers, costumers, makeup artists. I want to make sure they're going to survive this great contraction. I just got back from the TED conference in Vancouver, and it's terrifying about what we're up against as artists to protect our work and to make sure that AI isn't just generating versions of talents that have been curated over years and years of study and apprenticeship. Brown: I think we're made of strong stuff. I also remind myself that the industry is just 100 years old. When I first started, there was a thing called pilot season. There was many a network drama. There was many a serialized. There were 22 to 24 episodes. Now we're doing six or eight. And so much has left Los Angeles. Rothwell: There was a game show shooting near us in Thailand. Brown: I was just working in Australia, and there were seven other productions living in my hotel. Rothwell: There's a little bit of 'Molly, you in danger, girl' about it all. Brown: Speaking of Belinda and the last 'White Lotus,' she's in a moral conundrum because she's [avoiding] a man she knows by another name who was not good to his wife. You ultimately wind up approaching him, and he hits you with an indecent proposal. What would Natasha do in Belinda's situation? Take the money and run? Rothwell: I think that Belinda saw an opportunity to get something she fundamentally believed she deserved. She's a moral center for the show. I'm scared for her, because I do think karma is real and the money is blood money. That storyline was my pitch. Brown: Was it really? Rothwell: It was my pitch. Listen, this is why I love Mike White. Originally it was Belinda's son, Zion, running the show. I told Mike I really wanted to see Belinda have agency in this moment. Can she take over the negotiation in some way? What is an authentic way for her to show that she's pushing her chips in along with her son? Being able to show that turn, she sees that she has power over a white man — the kind of man that she's been rubbing the backs of for a long time. Brown: Is she breaking bad? Rothwell: I don't know that she's breaking bad, but I think she feels that there's an opportunity here. I also come from a place of great empathy. I remember when I was first able to not think about money 24/7. I used to carry around a check in my wallet when I was fucking broke. I wrote it for the amount of my student loans just to say, 'Someday I'm going to be able to [pay this].' Brown: Did the money Belinda got also quell her on the idea of going into partnership with Pornchai [played by Dom Hetrakul]? Rothwell: That pisses me off. People are just like, 'Oh, you just left Pornchai on the side of the road.' She fucked the dude one night. She had a one-night stand. She owed him nothing. Belinda had an opportunity to betray herself again, but no. Circumstances changed. For you, your performance contains so much vulnerability and selflessness in moments. How do you find that, when I think so often the really human default is fear and 'I got to save me'? Brown: My character is someone who's been without his best friend and partner for three years. He's incomplete. And he's raising two children by himself, knowing that this wasn't how it was supposed to be. When he's introduced to the idea that his family could be reunited — Rothwell: He paused when he was in that shower with your co-star Sarah Shahi. I really need to let you know … [Rothwell shows her leg suggestively] Brown: Peloton. I'm 49 years old, and the fact that anybody wants to see 49-year-old booty, it makes me happy. Best of Variety 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?'
Tatler Asia
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
6 times a luxury bag stole the show in a TV series
2. Bridget's Burberry Tote in 'Succession' When Tom Wambsgans derides Bridget's enormous Burberry tote as a 'ludicrously capacious bag' in Succession Season 4, it becomes one of the show's most quotable lines—and a cutting example of how fashion choices function as social litmus tests. The checkered Burberry design, once a hallmark of early-2000s aspirational style, is read here as dated and outsized. The bag's size and branding mark Bridget as someone new to wealth, unfamiliar with the codes of quiet luxury. In a show obsessed with class signals and status missteps, the bag becomes an efficient symbol of exclusion, its scale mocked not for utility but for its lack of subtlety. 3. Emily Cooper's Peter & James Atelier Butterfly Bag 'Emily in Paris' In Season 3 of Emily in Paris , Emily Cooper is seen carrying a sculptural Butterfly bag by Peter & James Atelier, a Paris-based brand known for its unconventional shapes and architectural designs. The bag, with its exaggerated curves and matte finish, stands out even among her often eccentric outfits. Unlike legacy fashion houses featured throughout the series, this piece reflects Emily's embrace of bold, visually arresting accessories over heritage classics. The bag serves less as a status symbol than a conversation starter—fitting for a character who thrives on visibility and disruption. 4. Rory Gilmore's Hermès Birkin in 'Gilmore Girls' In Season 6, Logan gives Rory a Hermès Birkin, a gesture that's both lavish and telling. At the time, the Birkin was already established as one of the most recognisable luxury bags in popular culture, known for its scarcity, high price tag and long waitlists. Rory's initial unfamiliarity with the bag highlights the social gap between her and Logan's world. Her acceptance of it marks a shift—from someone navigating privilege from the outside to someone beginning to benefit from it. The moment underscores the tension between her middle-class background and the elite circles she's starting to move in. 5. Blair Waldorf's Lady Dior in 'Gossip Girl' Blair's wardrobe in Gossip Girl was curated with precision, and her Lady Dior bag was no exception. The quilted cannage stitching and top-handle silhouette suited her preference for polished, traditional luxury. Unlike Serena's more bohemian, label-mixed looks, Blair's accessories were anchored in old-guard fashion houses, reinforcing her aspiration to uphold legacy, status and control. The Lady Dior became synonymous with her version of femininity—calculated, elevated and always aligned with the rules of the Upper East Side. Off-screen, its reappearance helped cement the bag's revival for a new generation of viewers. 6. Issa Dee's Telfar Shopping Bag in 'Insecure' In Season 4 of Insecure , Issa Dee carries a white Telfar Shopping Bag—a detail that didn't go unnoticed. At the time, the bag was surging in popularity for its accessibility, genderless design and status as a product of a Black-owned brand challenging traditional luxury norms. For a character navigating career pivots and self-reinvention, the choice felt intentional. Issa's use of the 'Bushwick Birkin' reflected her connection to a broader cultural shift: one that prioritised authenticity and community over gatekeeping. The bag's appearance contributed to its already viral momentum and solidified its relevance beyond fashion circles, including a prime spot on Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour.
