Tag Archives: THR

Emmy Roundtable Season 2018 is Here!

23 May

My favorite time of the year! Yep, Emmy roundtable season. Movie award season stretches for months, well so does the TV equivalent—yes there is crossover come the Golden Globes. And end of year discussions also revolve around the best TV. But for now let’s bask in the FYC Emmy coverage, which has been going on for the last few weeks. However, the first Hollywood Reporter cover feels like the official kickoff.

The first image was released yesterday on World Goth Day, appropriately enough considering the style aesthetic. The drama actress cover tends to go in one of two ways; pastels/muted tones or black/white. Coven instead of bridesmaids (never forget this perfect Kirsten Dunst Insta). Squad goals indeed.

Fully leaning into the dark and serious palette is fine by me. Sandra Oh is the outfit MVP and Villanelle would very much approve of this look.Featured this year is Thandie Newton (Westworld), Claire Foy (The Crown), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale), Angela Bassett (9-1-1), Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) and Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Deuce). A fantastic line-up, but my one quibble is the lack of Keri Russell considering how incredible she has been on this (and every) season of The Americans. The last time she appeared on this cover was in 2014, as this is the final season of The Americans it is shame she doesn’t get to take center stage here.

This one is always such a thoughtful, insightful conversation. The Times Up movement is something that isn’t discussed, which I found surprising considering how front and center it has been, particularly during award season. Some other weighty topics including equal pay are broached. Claire Foy found herself at the center of and you can tell it still makes her uncomfortable. As she mentions, money is not something that is often discussed in such a public way in the UK. Maggie Gyllenhaal tells the story of an important moment for her as a producer on The Deuce when she fought for an orgasm that sounded real from her character. Gyllenhaal is someone I have long admired and this make me love her even more.

Sandra Oh while mentioning her post Grey’s spell is super honest about her reaction to reading the Killing Eve script which tells you everything you need to know about what she is used to getting sent:

“You’ve talked about reading the initial pilot script for Killing Eve and scrolling through quite a bit of it before you realized you were being asked to play the central storyteller. Why do you think that is, and what did you learn from that realization?

OH That moment was a real punch in the gut for me because the internalization [that I couldn’t be seen as the lead] was really deep. I get the script, I’m on the phone with my agent, I remember exactly where I was, right by BAM in Brooklyn, and I’m going, “Scrolling, scrolling” (scans her phone). I’m just like, “I don’t know, who am I playing? What’s the part?” [My agent] goes, “Eve! You’re playing Eve.” Something happened to me in that moment where I couldn’t even see myself [as the central character].

NEWTON You hadn’t given yourself permission.

OH Right. Why didn’t I?

FOY That makes me want to cry.

OH So the fact that [creator] Phoebe Waller-Bridge, BBC America and Sally Woodward Gentle, our producer, said, “Yes, why not this [for me]?” I felt slightly ashamed — and if I can’t see myself in that moment, then other people have that weight as well. And so we need to hold these things up for other people to see.

NEWTON Oh my God, yes.

OH And that’s one of the reasons why I said, “I’m going to take this. I’m gonna leave my life here — I’m going to do everything to make this.”

This is why representation matters. It is also why it is important for these roundtables to not just be six white faces (as they have often been). When the topic of sexuality and getting roles comes up there are very different reactions from each woman with Sandra Oh backing up Angela Bassett’s statement that this has not been her experience, “I’ll echo Angela’s experience. For me, I don’t think I’ve ever gotten any job based on bum bum bum … (motions to her body). As fabulous as it is. (Laughter.)”

How their bodies are portrayed on screen is another insightful moment. Elisabeth Moss notes that in her contract she has to approve any kind of nudity. She has final say over every single frame used.

You can view this clip below.

The full panel will air on SundanceTV July 15.

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

15 Jun

Not so much Emmy chat in the sartorial sphere, but awards they keep on coming. The week kicked off with Tony style and as you will see below the Women In Film 2017 Crystal + Lucy Awards also delivered. Plus it is that time of month when magazine covers are unveiled and the July issues are really coming through on that front.

And I also talk about my new Twin Peaks style icon here.
This is such a great summertime cover of Time Out with Jessica Williams as its star and it is impossible not to stare at her eyes. And not just because of the colorful eyeliner. The interview covers a range of topics including her new movie The Incredible Jessica James, her podcast 2 Dope Queens and an all too common scenario with the kind of parts that are available.

“I feel like, oftentimes, a black actress is the guest star in somebody else’s movie. As a minority, you’re like a guest role or something like that.” But with The Incredible Jessica James she “got to be the star of my own story.”

There’s also a fun Buffy the Vampire Slayer interlude and interviewer Inkoo Kang does not agree with Williams’ assertion that Buffy is the best character. For me it is a toss up between Faith and Giles. For The Edit, Zoë Kravitz looks dreamy in white including this Anna Sui gown that could double as a ’70s inspired wedding look.

Big Little Lies has been a huge success and Kravitz also has comedy Rough Night coming out (today in the US, August 25 in the UK) and the next Fantastic Beasts movie. Casting is something that comes up in this piece and even though Kravitz is carving out an interesting and varied career, she discusses just how narrow the thinking can be here:

“When my name is brought up in a casting office, I’m sure the fact that I’m black comes up in discussions. I just read a script in which there were two couples, and one was written as black. When I talked to the directors, they said I should play the wife of the black guy. It’s insane that they still think the black girl needs to be married to the black guy, and everyone else is white. Their thinking is so compartmentalized.”

She also discusses growing up with famous (and cool) parents, as well as her thoughts on fashion and how it “is another medium to express yourself: this is how I feel today, this is the external representation of what’s going on inside.”More dreaminess and Chrissy Teigen’s Marie Claire cover has me wondering where the nearest field is because this looks super appealing. Great choice of dress and this Gucci frock has so much going on – paisley! embroidered insects! – but looks fabulous.

The excerpts from the interview promise the usually candid Teigen and I will be purchasing this issue when it hits newsstands next week (June 20).

Also on a personal note, I used Chrissy Teigen’s Cravings cookbook to make a dinner extravaganza to celebrate 13 years (!) with my guy. I am not at all confident in the kitchen, but I find her style and recipes less terrifying to navigate and it was a tequila soaked success. Thanks, Chrissy!
It is Spider-Man: Homecoming promo time and this means we are going to get a whole lot of Zendaya, much to my delight. Including this stunning Vogue cover and Zendaya commanding all attention in feathered Calvin Klein.

The profile gets to the heart of what makes Zendaya one to watch; from her upbringing to how she reacted to Giuliana Rancic’s ignorant comments about her hair at the Oscars back in 2014 and the demands she made to Disney regarding the show that was originally going to be called Super Awesome Katy (such a bad name). It also touches on just how busy she is and that she’s got at least one more season of K.C. Undercover, including plans to discuss topics such as stop-and-frisk.

And she imparts an important piece of wisdom for fans both young and old:

“A lot of people don’t realize their power. I have so many friends who say yes to everything or feel like they can’t stand up for themselves in a situation. No: You have the power.”Kate McKinnon covers the July issue of Elle and I love everything about this shot from inside the magazine; blending masculine and feminine style. McKinnon is interviewed by Tina Fey and the extract points to the political aspects of her work on SNL including a discussion on doing an impression of real person. This issue hits newsstands Tuesday, 20 June.

Speaking of which and just because SNL isn’t on right now, this doesn’t mean we don’t get a little bit of a Kate McKinnon reaction to this week’s news. It is very funny interview.At an event celebrating Kate McKinnon’s cover and the Women in Comedy issue, Late Night with Seth Meyers writer Amber Ruffin finally gives me a reason to like shoulder holes. This is an excellent patterned jumpsuit and the flats she has paired it with are also a fabulous choice.At the Women In Film 2017 Crystal + Lucy Awards, Tracee Ellis Ross received the The Lucy Award for Excellence in Television and she is posing to perfection with it. The event is sponsored by Max Mara and this cute af ensemble is also by this brand. It manages to be sweet without feeling saccharine and the pink headwrap tops of this great look at an event where all eyes are on women.

In her speech she spoke about her Black-ish role and how it goes against the way black women are typically viewed in pop culture:

“There is work to be done on the representation of black women on television and how women of color are represented in media overall. As black women specifically, we are often objectified, oversexualized and ‘sassified.’ I really like that word, I made it up. To see Bow, my character on Black-ish, as something other than that on a hit mainstream TV show is really important.”Also at this event, Lupita Nyong’o presented her Queen of Katwe director Mira Nair with the Dorothy Arzner Directors Award and Nair also spoke at length about her struggles in this industry:

“I find myself, still after all these years of working, knocking at the door to be let in. We cannot afford to mistake the passage of time as progress. The steady march of years is not the same as change. In the face of this, it is so necessary, it is vital to find a community. Find those who build bridges with you and take you further because when all is said and done, there is absolutely no substitute for the act of simply doing the work, of finding the inspiration, of making something happen, and of actually creating.”

Both women look super chic and are crushing their lipstick choices. Nyong’o is a Lancôme brand ambassador and on her Instagram she helpfully points out the shade of lip crayon she is wearing.Plenty of floral interpretations at the Beguiled premiere and so far these ladies have been coordinating without ever looking too matchy matchy.

In a recent Sofia Coppola interview with Vulture the fact that so many big name directors are doing TV came up and I would love to see this happen:

“Yes! I would like to do a glamorous mini-series, although I know it’s just called a limited series now. But I feel like TV has gotten a little too gritty and edgy. I would like to bring glamour back to TV.”Pretty sure this group of ladies The Hollywood Reporter enlisted for the comedy actress roundtable could be part of Sofia Coppola’s TV glamour vision and I’m getting a strong sense of ’70s crime solving while also getting some cocktails.

As with the drama actresses, the comedy roundtable also has a high rate of delivering when it comes to an enlightening and often maddening chat. The latter includes horror audition stories and pay disparity based on gender. The whole thing can be read here and again I’m looking forward to watching the full version of this discussion.

The Hollywood Reporter 2017 Drama Actress Roundtable is Here!

7 Jun

You can tell we are in peak pre-Emmy nomination season because the interviews they keep on coming and the Hollywood Reporter Drama Actress roundtable is always my most anticipated. As I mentioned earlier today, there is just something different that you get from a conversation that is just between women, which is why I’m happy we get a variety of roundtables from different outlets. This year’s outing is no exception.

There are a lot of big hitters here and veterans of this award season process with one newbie to the whole shebang (as there often is) and Chrissy Metz gets the This is Us place, which actually makes more sense than opting for Mandy Moore.

Not one, but two Big Little Lies ladies and while this initially surprised me you can see why they went with both Reese and Nicole. Oprah is no stranger to this process even if her IMDb credits (as she points out) are less than a lot of the others at this table. Mad Men is no more, but Elisabeth Moss is back and she is probably the front runner in her category for The Handmaid’s Tale. Jessica Lange rounds out the group and as the mini-series/TV movie category is the most stacked it is clear why the THR focus is here.Topics covered include process, the current political landscape and how Hollywood lacks in a variety of roles for women. It is something Nicole Kidman covers in her conversation with Ewan McGregor in their Variety Actors on Actors interview and it is a repeated talking point in these actress roundtables; the roles for women – particularly in – film are limited in scope.

The desire to do Big Little Lies and other such projects came from the small amount of decent parts on offer and Witherspoon forgets to give any more clues as to what terrible script she was offered.

“I started a production company five years ago because I was looking at maybe the worst script I’ve ever read in my entire life and it had two parts for women. I called my agents and said, “This is such a terrible script.” They said, “Well, seven women want it so … you’re the only one who’s not vying for the part.” And I thought, “God, if this is what we’ve come to, I have to get busy.” Because you can either complain about a problem or you can be part of the solution.”

Reese, you are bad at blind items but good at acquiring the rights to interesting books.

Nicole Kidman follows this up with the age old balancing debate; the ‘can I have it all?’ without saying ‘can I have it all?’

“We created the show for that reason. The other thing is, being a woman and having children, there are so many things I would want to do, but so much of my life is, how do I balance that? If I had my fantasy life, there are so many roles and places and things I’d want to do. I’m now at a point where I have to go, “What is that going to cost me? And what is that going to cost the people I love? Do I want to leave now to do this?” Men have that, but they don’t have it in the same way that we have it.”

This could be tired old ground, but it also plays into the same conversations their characters were having on Big Little Lies.

I also love what Reese Witherspoon says about prep time in comparison to her male peers:

“I was talking to this very famous actor and I said, “How did you prepare for this role?” He said, “Well, I went into the woods for three weeks and I didn’t talk to anybody.” And this person has a lot of kids and is married. And he’s like, “You did the same thing for Wild, right?” I was like, “Uh, no.” If I went away for three weeks and no one could call me, everybody would’ve had a mental breakdown. I got on a plane and was shooting within 24 hours. I wish I had prep time. I love the preparation. I love watching and reading and digging deep.”

Obviously she’s not talking about Leo here, but considering how much praise he got for what he ‘endured’ while making The Revenant and the conversation surrounding Wild the previous award season was far less fawning. That’s because Reese did not eat raw liver.

The rest of the conversation is also pretty interesting including why Nicole Kidman through a rock through a window after a tough day filming BLL, why it took Elisabeth Moss so long to say yes to Handmaid’s Tale and when they’ve felt nervous performing. I’m looking forward to seeing the whole thing when it becomes available and this roundtable season begins airing on Sundance, June 25.

One other thing to mention briefly as once again the styling is all about the muted tones and I’m putting it out there now as a prediction that the comedy actresses will be in bold colors. Mix it up, guys. Sadly there is no Kirsten Dunst this year to make bridesmaid observations about the choice of attire.

Out of the Box: Look of the Week

18 Sep

The September event avalanche continues and this week we have a pretty even split between New York Fashion Week and the Toronto Film Festival with a dash of magazine cover beauties to end things on.

Samira Wiley Milly showMalin Akerman, Samira Wiley and Solange are pretty in pink at the Milly by Michelle Smith runway show with bold colors taking this front row by storm. Last week Wiley’s stunning Christian Siriano campaign was unveiled and the OITNB ladies have been celebrating NYFW on and off their set.

Christina Hendricks Naeem KhanIt looks like Kat Graham is contemplating resting her head on the shoulder of Christina Hendricks and I don’t blame her. This is a whole lot of splendid pattern wearing at Naeem Khan with Ashley Greene’s silver stripe pants giving off a David Bowie vibe and I am so here for that. Bonus red lipstick points for Christina Hendricks for a fantastic crimson shade.

Kiernan Shipka and Christina RicciAt the Highline Coach show Kiernan Shipka wears a cute floral blouse showing once again that this brand is perfect for her and Christina Ricci’s sheepskin vest from the Fall 15 collection is something I would very much like in my wardrobe for when it finally gets a bit colder.Danielle PanabakerOn Instagram Danielle Panabaker said she was “feeling very Sex and the City” in this Monse ensemble at the Monse presentation and it looks like a whole lot of Carrie in the skirt with some Charlotte on top.

Dianna AgronMarc Jacobs closed out NYFW with a decadent affair at the Ziegfeld Theater with concessions, a special Playbill and plenty of fabulous clothes. Dianna Agron went with this theme in the form of her Olympia Le-Tan Red Shoes clutch and while her floral frock is really pretty; it is this clutch that I can’t stop looking at.

Diane Kruger TIFFSwitching out Venice for Toronto and in a sea of amazing Diane Kruger looks this sparkly Chanel Couture dress might be my current favorite. Pairing it with red satin Giuseppe Zanotti sandals gives a strong pop of color and this is an all round delight from a TV Ate My Wardrobe style queen.

Diane and Pacey TIFFThe second Diane Kruger ensemble doesn’t quite pack the same punch but I’m here for the sparkles, strappy sandals and her oh so handsome date. And Kruger’s hangover confession on Instagram has me both chuckling and wishing I could pull something like this together after a heavy night.

Elisabeth MossThis shade of green is fantastic on Elisabeth Moss and she has been killing it on the red carpet at TIFF. The extra oomph from the blue pumps rather than going for safe beige makes me so happy.

Alicia VikanderAt the HFPA/InStyle TIFF party Alicia Vikander wore all Louis Vuitton (she is one of the new faces of the brand after all) and does a good job of showing why in a studded tweed frock. Vikander is probably going to be gracing a lot of red carpets and award shows; something I am beyond fine with because she is both a very fine actress and her sartorial risk taking means we shouldn’t get bored of her by the time the Oscars roll around.

Clemence PoseyClémence Poésy looking cool as fuck in an outfit that is pure relaxed chic.

Empire THREmpire won’t be winning Best Drama at the Emmys this weekend after a somewhat surprising nomination snub, but they are slaying the cover of The Hollywood Reporter and Taraji P. Henson has a strong chance of getting a Cookie win. Somehow Jussie Smollet is pulling off the very shiny suit he has been given and this is such a fun colorful image with Taraji rightly drawing focus.

Lupita VogueGet ready for so much Lupita Nyong’o in the coming months and December is going to be such a good red carpet month with the Star Wars press tour and all the pre-awards posturing. This Vogue cover is so striking and I’m so glad they’ve gone with such a plain background because Lupita really shines. The gold Valentino Haute Couture gown is spectacular as is the rest of the photo shoot.

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