Latest news with #JasonIsaacs
Pink Villa
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Is OA Returning? Jason Isaacs Drops a Major Spoiler For Sci-Fi Show Coming Back After 6 Years
Jason Isaacs is set to return to the screens after showing off his brilliance in The White Lotus season 3. The actor made an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark in the last month and shared an update on Netflix's sci-fi show, The OA, returning on the streaming platform. The series, which debuted in 2016 and ran for two seasons, was called off abruptly when the filming for Season 3 was underway. Isaacs portrayed the role of Dr. Hunter Aloysius Percy, alongside Brit Marling, Patrick Gibson, Ian Alexander, and Phyllis Smith, among others. Jason Isaacs spills the beans over the return of The OA While sitting down for an interview with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, the actor shared that the show is "not over yet" and the team is getting back together for the revival. Ripa went on to quip, "We were the original fans of The OA. We were diligent about our viewing; we binged it, we a certain point, we knew the moves.' Isaacs claimed that it was 'impressive.' The Patriot actor went on to state that the show's makers faced protests initially due to the cancelation of the show. They performed movements outside the Netflix building. He casually mentioned, "By the way, it's not over. Not for us." The British star further revealed that she recently had a meeting with the showrunners, Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. Isaacs shared, "We can't let it go. I was with them just a couple of weeks ago, and we have decided, whatever it takes." While the talk show hosts cheered over hearing that the show will come back, Jason went on to conclude, "I think there's only about 40 million people around the world who want to watch it. It was a very successful show. So hopefully, they'll watch whatever we do." Further details about The OA will be rolled out by the makers soon.
Irish Times
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Salt Path: How a blockbuster memoir strayed from the truth
The Salt Path, a memoir published in 2018, told an inspirational story; how Raynor Winn and her husband Moth lost their home following an unwise investment while the couple were dealing with Moth's diagnosis of a rare terminal illness. It was how they dealt with these blows that was so uplifting: they embarked on a 1,000km coastal walk and a journey of self-exploration. The book sold more than two million copies and prompted a film adaptation starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. And while creative licence is usual and even expected in any memoir, an investigation by Chloe Hadjimatheou, a reporter with the Observer newspaper, claims Raynor – real name are Sally Walker – had embezzled money from a former employer. Hadjimatheou also raises a sceptical eyebrow about the diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration that Moth received in 2013, though she does say that nothing she has seen contradicts his diagnosis or the book's account of it. READ MORE So what has been the reaction from the publishers, the film-makers and the couple in the eye of this literary storm – the Walkers, aka the Winns. Statements responding to the allegations came as the week went on including one from Raynor posting on her website. She admitted her deep regret for any mistakes she made while working for her former employer and is devastated by 'unfair and false' accusations that her husband's illness was fabricated or exaggerated. She said the book's account of the way they lost their home is true and that their property in France is 'an uninhabitable ruin'. She noted the couple have no outstanding debts. Chloe Hadjimatheou explains the fallout to her report. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Irish Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
What Elizabeth Holmes and the Salt Path controversy tell us about stories
What is more satisfying than a story of triumph over adversity by wholesome people? A takedown. These two strands came together in a much-discussed investigation by the Observer newspaper last weekend into author Raynor Winn's memoir, The Salt Path, which was adapted into a film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs. The Salt Path tells the story of Winn and her husband, Moth, who become homeless and embark on a 1,000km journey along the Devon and Cornwall coast, wild camping in all weathers. Nature proved not just spiritually healing but also physically, as Moth's degenerative condition seemed to improve. Unbelievable? Well, perhaps. The couple, whose real names are Sally and Tim Walker, said they lost their home because of a bad loan made to help a friend. But the Observer reported that Winn had embezzled money from her employer. The newspaper also questioned Moth's health condition. The memoirist is taking legal advice. In a statement this week, she said the investigation was 'grotesquely unfair, highly misleading'. READ MORE This episode has implications for business beyond the publishing industry, which must be scrutinising its fact-checking procedures. After all, falsehoods are rife in working life. One recent survey by fraud detection service Hedd found that '67 per cent of large companies have seen an increase in job application fraud, attributing the trend to AI tools being used to enhance or fabricate experience or qualifications'. I suspect the trend in storytelling for business, which requires entrepreneurs, leaders and brands to have a narrative and encourages embellishments, imposing a simplistic arc with a successful ending. It can lead people to exaggerate their humble origins to showcase their accomplishments through their own skill and talent. Like Kemi Badenoch , leader of Britain's Conservative party, saying working in McDonald's for three months made her 'working class'. Or entrepreneurs in the fake-it-till-you-make-it, start-up culture, telling a tall tale for investors about their future profits, the scale of business and even whether a product works ( Elizabeth Holmes ). This is a peculiar moment in history. It has never been easier to scam – fraudulent emails can be dispatched in large numbers and deepfake experts generated quickly. It is also easier to expose falsehoods, after all, anyone can play armchair detective, piecing together personal details from social media and online databases. [ The Irish Times view on the Salt Path controversy: what should we expect from a memoir? Opens in new window ] At the same time, there is greater tolerance for lies as long as a story has 'truthiness', to use US comedian Stephen Colbert's phrase, by being plausible and emotionally resonant. The same weekend The Salt Path story broke, I stumbled across an Instagram account with thousands of followers in which people told heartbreaking stories of unimaginable human tragedy, such as entire families killed in a car crash. How could you survive such grief, I thought, looking at the sad-faced but well-put-together bereaved. Except, as I looked closer, I saw the narrators were AI-generated characters. While some commenters complained about the fakery, others seemed moved, perhaps motivated not by gullibility but a desire to believe. The truth matters less to some than the narrative. A couple of years ago, I asked the Hollywood actor Tom Hanks how he felt about an AI character taking his place in a film. 'Some people are not going to dig it because it's not really a real human being, and other people simply aren't going to care because the story is okay,' he said. Frank Abagnale, whose own story of deception became the film Catch Me If You Can, told me this week: 'People want to believe stories are true, especially if the character turns out to do something very positive with his life.' It can sometimes seem arbitrary, who is investigated for wrongdoing and who is not. Whatever the veracity of Winn's story, she could not have predicted such attention. Books are not an obvious choice for anyone wanting to get rich quick. It also appears random who gets judged in the court of public opinion. Against a backdrop of global economic and political turmoil, The Salt Path investigation became a viral hit. Yet, if you are found out, it may prove to be the only thing you are remembered for, said Abagnale. Despite decades of working with businesses and law enforcement to combat fraud, he said it was 'once a criminal, always a criminal in the eyes of some'. While taking 'sole responsibility for my mistakes,' he added, 'notoriety is the worst curse an individual can experience'. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jason Isaacs Says Backlash to Paapa Essiedu's ‘Harry Potter' Casting Is ‘Racist'
Original 'Harry Potter' star Jason Isaacs is standing by franchise addition Paapa Essiedu. Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the film franchise, told Collider that Essiedu is enduring 'racist' backlash after being announced as Severus Snape for the HBO reboot series. Late actor Alan Rickman starred as Snape in the films. 'Paapa Essiedu is one of the best actors I've ever seen in my life. I've seen some people online who are being rude about him. What they're being is racist,' Isaacs said. 'All the cast of the new 'Harry Potter' TV series are amazing. They will be swallowing their tongues, hopefully — you know, their digital tongues — when they see what [Paapa] does onscreen.' More from IndieWire Lena Dunham's 'Too Much': A Guide to All Those Cameos - and Each Wink to Her Own Celebrity Lore Wisconsin Just Passed New Tax Credits for Film and TV with Bipartisan Support - Read That Again Essiedu is an Emmy-nominated actor for 'I May Destroy You.' He also starred in 'Men,' among other projects. Essiedu has previously spoken out about being called racial slurs while at the prestigious British drama academy Guildhall School. The actor also has voiced his support for the trans community, which is directly at odds with the beliefs of 'Harry Potter' creator and series producer JK Rowling, who is now widely known for her anti-trans views. Rowling wrote on X that she doesn't 'have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn't exercise it if I did,' while sharing an article about Essiedu. 'I don't believe in taking away people's jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.' Meanwhile, Essiedu isn't the only reboot star that Isaacs is already praising: Isaacs applauded the casting decision to have Johnny Flynn play the new Lucius Malfoy in the series. Flynn and Isaacs co-starred in 2021's 'Operation Mincemeat' together. 'A fantastic actor, a lovely man and, irritatingly, a rather brilliant musician too,' Isaacs wrote on X about Flynn. 'Couldn't have handed the snake-topped baton on to anyone better. Just please don't make him sing…' 'Harry Potter' will also star John Lithgow, Nick Frost, Bel Powley, Janet McTeer, and more. Newcomers Dominic McLaughlin, Alastair Stout, Arabella Stanton, and are playing Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The series is set to air in 2026. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
‘The Salt Path:' A book that captured the hearts of millions, but now mired in controversy
LONDON (AP) — 'The Salt Path' is a memoir of resilience and courage that captured the hearts of millions and which was subsequently adapted for the big screen, with actors Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs taking the lead roles. But now, the book and the film are mired in a controversy that could see them suffer that very modern phenomenon — being canceled.
