Latest news with #SteelMagnolias
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
The Dukes of Hazzard star Rick Hurst dies at 79 days before he was due to appear at fan event
RICK Hurst, who was best known for his role in the top TV series The Dukes of Hazzard, has died at the age of 79. The actor's death comes just days before he was set to make an appearance at a fan event. 2 Hurst died unexpectedly in Los Angeles on June 26, his family told TMZ He played the cop Cletus Hogg in the show - the brother of the villain Boss Hogg - between 1979 and 1982. The Dukes of Hazzard aired from 1979 to 1985 and there are seven seasons of the comedy series. Hurst appeared in the 1997 movie The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!, and the 2000 flick The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood. During his TV and film career that spanned decades, Texas-born Hurst also appeared in the 1989 film Steel Magnolias, and the 1993 flick In the Line of Fire. During the 1980s, Hurst also appeared in shows such as Amanda's and Murder, She Wrote. Hurst made cameo appearances in shows such as Family Matters, Melrose Place and the Jeff Foxworthy Show during the 1990s. He starred in the 1997 movie Runaway Car, which was directed by Jack Sholder. One of Hurst's last acting credits was in the 2012 movie Return of the Killer Shrews, which starred John Schneider. Schneider also appeared in The Dukes of Hazzard.
Buzz Feed
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Julia Stiles Shares Julia Roberts' Advice On Set
Warning: Discussion of eating disorders. You know Julia Stiles. The 10 Things I Hate About You actor recently revealed that she once struggled with body image and how a co-star (with the same name) helped boost her confidence — Julia Roberts. On a May 20 episode of How to Fail with Elizabeth Day, Julia explained how the other Julia was a mother figure and inspiration on the set of their 2003 film Mona Lisa Smile. The actors starred in the Mike Newell drama alongside Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Ginnifer Goodwin. Julia Robert played Katherine Ann Watson, an art history teacher at Wellesley College in the 1950s who helped intellectually liberate her young students' minds. Think Dead Poets Society meets Steel Magnolias. "She was an amazing example for us, and she was so maternal with all the young women on that set," Julia said. "She was coming from a lot of experience of being not just a woman, but also a woman where your appearance is focused on so heavily." "Julia said to us, 'You're going to look back on these photos of you in your 20s and be like, I was beautiful — why didn't I see that?' And she's totally right." This echoes what Julia said about the Pretty Woman star earlier this year. On a Jan. 13 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, she said, "She took care of all the girls on that set in a way she didn't really [have to]." "The movie hinged on her — she's a huge star; everything was riding on her performance in this movie," she added. "And yet she took the time to be really kind and generous to all the young women that were in it." In the How to Fail with Elizabeth Day podcast, Julia further explained how she struggled with "restrictive" eating in her 20s and early 30s as a Hollywood actor. "I'm not talking about an eating disorder — it was just restrictive, regimented, stressful. I always worried that it was going to be out of my control. Like, what if I gain weight?" she said. "I couldn't help but have a disordered relationship with it all." "There was stress around what your body looks like and trying to mold your body into a certain size," Julia continued. "As an actress, we go and promote on a red carpet, and we have to wear sample sizes from fashion designers. So it's always, 'Are we going to fit into the sample size?'" Now, as a mother of three children — Strummer, Arlo, and Henry — whom she shares with filmmaker Preston Cook, Julia acknowledged that negative perception was "a waste of fucking time" and everything that mattered "fell into place." "I've moved on," Julia said. "I've learned to be kinder in the way I think about my body and look at my body — to be kinder to myself but also trust your body ... I would be running on fumes, like, no sleep having just had a five-month-old baby. I didn't have time to think about, am I going to get back in shape to fit into those sample sizes?" Watch the podcast episode here: The National Eating Disorders Association helpline is 1-800-931-2237; for 24/7 crisis support, text 'NEDA' to 741741.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Long Standing Southern Tradition Of The Groom's Wedding Cake
"We agree on one thing," the bride, Shelby, says in the midst of a last-minute row with her mother, "the groom's cake! It's awful." The cake, she notes with a tinge of disgust, is made in the likeness of an armadillo with a gruesome red velvet interior. The women all react in disgust and disbelief. This charming exchange comes by way of the 1980s classic film "Steel Magnolias," which documents the lives of six Southern women living in Louisiana. The armadillo groom's cake is certainly a highlight of the film. However, if you're not well versed in Southern marriage tradition, you might be left scratching your head as to what a groom's cake even is, and why in the world it would ever take the shape of an armadillo. Well, as to why anyone would choose an armadillo-shaped cake is still a bit of a mystery. As to what a groom's cake is, that's a bit easier to answer. Essentially, a groom's cake is a cake made for the groom, separate from the wedding cake, that is meant to express his interests or hobbies. It is often seen as a gift from the bride to the groom, as a means of including the groom's interest in a wedding otherwise focused on the bride. The tradition arises from the 19th century in England, and soon made its way to the United States, where it was, for a time, popular across the nation. But as time has worn in, it seems that the South has held closer to this tradition than other regions. Speaking of quirky Southern wedding traditions, if having a groom's cake seems fun, you'll want to try burying some bourbon for good luck as well. Read more: 11 Store-Bought Chocolate Cakes, Ranked Worst To Best As with many American traditions, the groom's cake has roots outside of our relatively young country. Indeed, many wedding customs, like the use of white dresses and engagement rings, are entirely the product of Victorian English culture. During the 19th century, traditional wedding cakes weren't seen as being appealing to men. So, in order to appease the groom's more solid, manly tastes, the groom's cake was introduced apart from the wedding cake. Groom's cakes were typically smaller than the main cake, and were often infused with alcohol. The groom's cake wasn't served alongside the wedding cake. Rather, it was served cut, packaged, and distributed to guests as a keepsake for the event. Along with this practice came another, quirky post wedding custom: sleeping with the groom's cake. It was said that if single women placed their piece of the groom's cake under a pillow when they slept, that they'd dream of their future husband. Unluckily for ants everywhere, this tradition has faded over time. Still, in some corners of America, the groom's cake remains and has evolved into an entirely new and unique custom that brings a bit of color to the celebratory occasion. While the groom's cake has its roots in Victorian England (along with the heart-shaped chocolate box), America has truly put its own spin on this custom. In Southern states like Louisiana, the cake has moved well past its liquor soaked past. Groom's cakes now more closely resemble the frosted wedding cake, though they tend to be smaller. Unlike wedding cakes, which tend to be multi-tiered and generally in line with the wedding's theme, groom's cakes aren't tied to the wedding's aesthetic, but the groom's own interests and hobbies. They serve as an opportunity for the groom to express their personality during the day. Unlike in the past, the groom's cake is now served during the reception, to be enjoyed alongside the wedding cake. Since groom's cakes aren't tied to the strict vision of a wedding, they can be quite elaborate in theme and execution. For example, a groom with a hunting hobby might receive a cake in the shape of a mounted buck's head, while a Saints fan might have a football helmet-shaped cake complete with gold fleur-de-lis. Or, if the groom has a love for roadkill, armored critters, or the Julia Roberts film "Steel Magnolias," they might just request an armadillo cake, complete with gray icing and a red velvet interior. Read the original article on Chowhound.
Powys County Times
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Laughs guaranteed at Newtown theatre society's new comedy
FANS of live comedy can look forward to a side-splitting series of performances in Newtown this month. Newtown Amateur Dramatic Society presents this hilarious comedy, Give Us A Sign by Tony Domaille, at Powys Theatre on Canal Road. The first performance is on Tuesday, May 13 with the finale on Saturday, May 17 and includes some mild adult themes. Get your tickets now by heading here. Ken Lockwood, played by Gavin Grosvenor, is out of work and spends his time lazing around at home, much to the annoyance of his long suffering wife Rachel, played by Jenni Freeman. Ken decides to become a fraudulent clairvoyant in order to make some easy money, but has he bitten off more than he can chew? When he becomes embroiled in a plot involving MI5, the CIA and the KGB he may regret faking his "ability" to contact with the spirit world. Will help come from beyond? Also starring Alex Anton-Stephens, Joe Varley, Clare Butterfield-Elsey and Sonia Deacon. The play is directed by David Morgan and Juliet Humphrey and promises laugh out loud comedy for only a tenner and live theatre you won't want to miss. Juliet Humphrey and David Morgan are co-directing the play. (Image: Jonathan Atkinson.) The play forms part of the popular society's 90th year calendar and follows a successful panto and performance of Steel Magnolias. The panto was hailed as a resounding success and marked the return of the festive performance to the town after many years. Meanwhile, Steel Magnolias ensured not a dry eye in the house for its week long run of performances - underlining the society's talented pool of members' range. The club is known as the 'Little theatre with a big heart' and can be found on Canal Road where generations of members have developed the facilities and pride themselves on offering affordable, varied and entertaining live theatre to the public.
Daily Mail
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Female director makes woke demand to ban all plays by white male writers for a year as 'big idea' to shape the future of theatre in Britain
It's supposed to be a 'big idea' to shape the future of theatre in Britain. But it may not go down so well with most of those who keep the art form afloat by buying tickets to see plays of their choice. A director has proposed a year-long ban on staging the works of white male writers. Such a ban would include everyone from Marlowe and Shakespeare to Ibsen and Pinter. Katie Gilchrist, an American, is behind the controversial proposal which she will pitch at a theatre symposium next week. It is one of six final suggestions which will be put to a vote of top theatre executives on April 30 at the Soho Place theatre in the West End. Ms Gilchrist will be attending in person to put forward the measure, which is likely to be unpopular with many ordinary theatregoers and last night writer Patrick Kidd said: 'Well, it is an original idea, if a batty, sexist and divisive one. Art should offer opportunities without banning a group of writers. 'Perhaps she would also like to exclude white men from theatre audiences? I can't see executives going for this.' Ms Gilchrist, who has directed regional iterations of Mamma Mia!, Steel Magnolias and Dial M For Murder, told the Mail: 'This idea is an invitation for us to critically examine whose voices dominate our stages and what it could mean to shift that balance… even for the historical equivalent of an exhale.' The aim of the competition at The Future of Theatre conference, organised by The Stage newspaper, is to encourage 'big ideas to shape the future of theatre for the better' and with speakers 'striving to improve and innovate the theatre industry'. Others which have made the final six include actor and director Rob Myles, who will suggest the 'devolution' of the National Theatre while another American, Catherine Russell, the general manager of New York's Theater Center, will propose the verbatim translation of live theatre into more than 60 different languages using AI. Last year, former prime minister Rishi Sunak criticised West End theatres that hold 'Black Out' nights, arguing that the idea of black-only audiences for some nights of a theatrical production is 'wrong and divisive'.
