Whoopi Goldberg will star with Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter and Omari Hardwick in Tyler Perry’s comedy “The List.”
Perry is directing and producing from his own script. Paramount Players has already set a Nov. 2 release date for the film.
Perry made the announcement on ABC’s talk show “The View,” which Goldberg has moderated for more than a decade.
Haddish will portray a wild woman who gets released from prison and reunites with her sister, played by Sumpter. Sumpter’s character is in an online relationship with a man that may be “catfishing” her.
Paramount Pictures launched Paramount Players in June, with veteran producer and executive Brian Robbins in charge. Robbins is working with Viacom’s Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, and BET to generate projects, while the new division focuses on contemporary properties.
In October, Paramount Players acquired rights and set a Jan. 4, 2019, release date to the psychological horror movie “Eli” — its first film to go into production. It also tapped Taraji P. Henson to star in “What Men Want,” a gender-bending remake of the Paramount comedy “What Women Want,” and announced deals last month for a Gucci Mane biopic with Imagine Entertainment and a movie version of bestselling author David Arnold’s upcoming young adult novel “The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotik.”
Goldberg is one of the few actors to have won an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Oscar, and a Tony Award.
Source: Variety
DuShon Monique Brown, known for her role as Connie, Assistant to Chief Boden, on NBC’s Chicago Fire, died Friday. The Cook County medical examiner’s office tells The Chicago Tribune that Brown died shortly afternoon at St. James Olympia Field Hospital. A cause of death is not yet known.
Brown had played the key recurring character since the series launch in 2012. “The Chicago Fire family is devastated to lose one of its own,” executive producer Dick Wolf said in a statement provided to Deadline. “Our thoughts and prayers are with DuShon’s family and we will all miss her.”
She previously recurred as Katie Welch on Fox’s Prison Break and recently guest-starred on Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams for Amazon.
Brown, a Chicago native, was a longtime theater actor before segueing to television, having performed at the Goodman, Victory Gardens, Lookingglass, Drury Lane, MPAACT and Pegasus Players in Chicago. Her other TV work also included guest spots on Empire and Shameless.
In an interview last year with the website Hidden Remote, Brown said that when she was first cast in the role of Connie on Chicago Fire, “my character didn’t even have a name. She was a noun. She was Secretary and it was a one-liner. What was exciting was [I] was auditioning for a Chicago show, but it was also the possibility that she could maybe develop into something.”
On this day in comedy on March 26, 2003, Wanda at Large premiered on FOX.
Created by and starring comedienne, Wanda Sykes, this sitcom ran for two seasons. It was initially a 6-episode interim show for Fox. The premise was Sykes is a standup comedian doing correspondence work for a political talk show. She’s not particularly their cup of tea and her bosses (Ann Magnuson and Phil Morris) barely tolerate her and her antics. While trying to ignore them, Sykes juggles her domestic life with her sister-in-law (Tammy Lauren) and her two kids (Robert Bailey, Jr. and Jurnee Smollett).
The show was set in Washington, DC and premiered after Fox’s mega-hit, American Idol. Following a second season renewal and a decline in ratings, Wanda at Large was moved to the Friday night death spot of 8:30 pm and aired its last episode on November 7, 2003.
Wanda at Large was nominated for the BET Comedy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and a Teen Choice Award for Choice Breakout Show. Wanda Sykes received nominations for Best Actress by the BET Awards, Teen Choice and Satellite Awards.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on March 25, 2005, Guess Who was released by 20th Century Fox
This comedy remake of the classic Sidney Poitier film, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, stars Bernie Mac, Ashton Kutcher and Zoe Saldana. Directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan it tells the story of a Black father who discovers his daughter is in love with a white guy. Mac (the Black father) doesn’t like it. He tries to take Kutcher (the white guy) to a hotel, but they’re all full and so he allows Kutcher to sleep in his basement and to make sure he stays there Mac sleeps with him. Meanwhile, Mac is having Kutcher investigated to dig up some dirt to discredit him in Zaldana’s (the daughter) eyes.
The occasion of Mac and Kutcher ever meeting is Mac’s 25th wedding anniversary. Zaldana wants to surprise the family with her engagement announcement. It was such a surprise that Mac ends up running Kutcher off by exposing him as a liar. Turns out Kutcher quit his job and didn’t tell Zaldana. Busted trust, but when Mac finds out that the reason Kutcher quit was because his boss didn’t approve of interracial relationships, he tracks him down and brings Kutcher back to Zaldana. And cut!
Written By Peter Tolan and Jay Sherick, Guess Who got mixed reviews. The cast, which also included Sherri Shepherd, Hal Williams, Judith Scott, Kellee Stewart, Ronreaco Lee, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Niecy Nash and Mike Epps, got positive notices, but by 2005 the topic of interracial love was hardly the searing hot button it was in 1967 when the original was made. Regardless, on a $35 million budget the film grossed $68,915,888 domestically and $32,950,142 internationally for a grand total of $101,866,030 worldwide.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on March 24, 1995, Major Payne was released by Universal Pictures
Written by and starring Damon Wayans, this satire of military films is a hilarious remake of an old 1955 Charlton Heston film, The Private War of Major Benson. Didn’t try to hide that fact either. Wayans’ character name is Major Benson Winifred Payne. Directed by Nick Castle, Major Payne co-stars Karyn Parson, Orlando Brown, Albert Hall, William Hickey, Michael Ironside and Steven Martini
In the film Wayans plays a veteran of the Marines who’s hit the glass ceiling. After a big deal drug mission, he is still passed up for Lt. Colonel, so he gets an honorable discharge and retires mentally from fighting anymore battles for the Corps. Once out he joins the cops. That lasts as long as it takes him to knock out a domestic violence suspect on his first call. Payne is put in jail. Fortunately, a friend bails him out and arranges for him to instruct youngsters at a military school; youngsters with disabilities, like deafness and heart conditions.
Payne’s new job is to train the cadets. He overzealously treats them like hardened grown men and soon gets the wrath of the cute lady school counselor. Payne doesn’t care – he wants his new recruits to win the Military Games that hasn’t been won by the school ever. They are always last. Well not again if Payne can help it. He tells his troops that he wants that trophy. So, they sneak over to the school that has it and tries to steal it, but Payne drops a dime on them and the cadets from the rival academy ambush his boys.
After their defeat Payne makes a deal. If his guys can win the trophy legit he will leave. They go all out in their training to accomplish that goal. It looks like they’re ready, but Payne gets called back into the service to go to Bosnia. Morale is down, but the boys compete anyway. Even though he’s gone anyway, they’re fired up to win just to win. However, Payne feels he let them down and returns just in time to route his squad on to victory and they . . . win. Throughout the experience Payne himself has gotten more sympathetic, but not totally. In the final scene when a new blind recruit mouths off Payne shaves him and his seeing-eye dog bald.
Major Payne got mixed reviews but was an audience pleaser coming in at #2 on its opening weekend and taking in a worldwide gross of $30.1 million.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on March 20, 1987, Hollywood Shuffle was released by The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Produced, directed, and co-written by Robert Townsend, this film is a satirical attack on Hollywood’s systematic stereotyping of blacks in the media. Townsend financed the indie with his own credit cards and used the storyline of a struggling black actor interspersed with vignettes to illustrate his point. There’s scenes of slavery, popular films, movie reviewers and more as Townsend’s character’s imagination lets us in on his conflict in being an underused and often degraded minority in the world of entertainment.
Hollywood Shuffle is about Bobby Taylor (Townsend) having to decide to take a cooning part in a black gang film. His grandmother is against it. His mother supports him, but she is also against cooning. His co-workers and boss couldn’t care less if he coons or not. They don’t think he’ll ever make it as an actor anyway and he needs to keep his mind on his job at Winky Dinky Dog. They’re wrong. He gets the coveted role and finds out he can’t do it. It’s too much cooning. So, he takes his grandmother’s advice and gets a job working for the post office. He does a commercial for USPS.
This comedy classic was co-written by Keenan Ivory Wayans and co-produced by Dom Irrera, Hollywood Shuffle features Anne-Marie Johnson, John Witherspoon, Brad Sanders, Helen Martin, Eugene Robert Glazer and Paul Mooney.
The film was a critical and box office success. It won the 1987 Deauville Film Festival Grand Special Prize Critics Award and Coup de Coeur LTC Award for Robert Townsend and made $5,228,617 on a $100,000 budget.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on March 19, 1951, Actor, Dancer, Fred Rerun Berry was born in St. Louis, MO
Berry was best known as ‘Rerun’ from the ABC sitcom, What’s Happening!! (1976-1979). He was a breakout character. With his red beret and suspenders, the Rerun was immediately identifiable and this notoriety made Berry a millionaire by the time he was 29 years old.
Fred Berry had cut his show business teeth as a break dancer with The Lockers from Los Angeles. The popular troupe appeared on Saturday Night Live, Soul Train and toured internationally. This appeal led to television. Berry’s chubbiness was perfect for his cuddly character, but once What’s Happening!! went off the air Berry found he had been typecast and that getting work would be difficult. So, he embraced his Rerun alter ego and appeared in commercials and made personal appearances as Rerun.
Typecasting wasn’t Berry’s only problem. He also fought drug addiction and alcoholism. So, when the show was revived as What’s Happening Now!! Berry was glad to return. That joy was short-lived. As with What’s Happening!! Berry didn’t feel he was getting paid what he deserved, since to him people watched the shows mainly to see him. So, in both cases he stalled in contract re-negotiations and he walked. In the latter case he walked after one season.
The remainder of Berry’s life was spent trying various ways to maintain his celebrity. He was a preacher at a Baptist church. He was a public speaker. He made appearances in low budget films and music videos. He even toured with the UniverSoul circus as Rerun. The man stayed active until he passed away on October 21, 2003 in Los Angeles, California while recovering from a stroke.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On This Day in comedy on March 17, 1927, Comedian, Recording Artist, Actor, Dancer, Musician, Filmmaker, Rudolph Frank Moore (aka Dole mite) was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas
Moore was known as the “Godfather of Rap” based on his numerous comedy albums featuring dirty rhymes and jokes. He went by the stage name of Dolemite, a character in his films who was part-pimp, part gangster.
Moore got his start as a preacher in Milwaukee. He expanded his flair for entertaining as a dancer / singer in nightclubs, known by the name of Prince DuMarr. His Army buddies changed that name to the Harlem Hillbilly when Moore shipped out to Germany as part of their entertainment troupe. He sang country songs with an R&B feel. He also got turned onto comedy. Once out of the Army he moved to Los Angeles, got back in nightclubs and got discovered. Dootsie Williams recorded Moore’s songs under 5 different labels from 1955-1962. In 1959 Moore recorded his first comedy album, Below the Belt, followed by The Beatnik Scene (1962) and A Comedian Is Born (1964). He was making a living, but not living it up.
Then came Dolemite. He’d heard stories about the character from a guy while Moore was working at a record store in 1970 and decided to become that character for his own persona. He recorded the comedic tales in natural settings; like his own home with friends over drinking and getting high as Moore told jokes, sang songs and did nasty rhymes. He was an instant hit.
Moore was one of the titans of “party records”; recordings labeled XXX by most of their distributors. Many of these albums were sold under the table at record stores and had to be given to the patron in a brown paper bag so the suggestive covers of naked women were obscured. In rapid succession Moore released Eat out More Often, This Pussy Belongs to Me and The Dirty Dozens.
It was through those recordings that he was able to finance his first film, Dolemite (1975). That low budget hit became known as one of the greatest Blaxploitation films of all time and spawned sequels: The Human Tornado, The Monkey Hustle, Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil’s Son-in-Law and The Return of Dolemite. Moore was ghettofabulous and traveled extensively as Dolemite as his stage act and his fans adored him. He could do no wrong with them. On the road his merchandise sales often tallied more than the fee he received to perform.
Moore remained active throughout his career. His popularity endured as rap artists; especially Snoop Dogg credit rap to Moore. It was his raw edged rhymes accompanied by music in the background that lent itself to his pioneer status. Even in his later years he was so revered rappers sought his collaboration on their tunes and he’s featured in many from Big Daddy Kane to 2 Live Crew.
Rudy Ray Moore was prolific. He released over 30 records, appeared in almost 20 films and lent his talent and expertise to other artists until he passed away on October 19, 2008 in Akron, Ohio from complications of diabetes.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on March 15, 1980, ‘Sanford’ premiered on NBC
Redd Foxx left his hit NBC show, “Sanford & Son” in 1977 and went to ABC to do a variety show that only lasted 4 months. Since they were in the basement in network ratings, NBC jumped at the chance to get Foxx back in the role of Feed G. Sanford and so Sanford was born. It aired minus Demond Wilson (who refused to return) and lasted two shortened seasons. The show was a mid-season replacement in the 1979-80 season and the 1980-81 season.
The ill-fated incarnation centered round Fred and his new partner, Cal (Dennis Burkley), a Southern white guy with a big heart and gut who Lamont had worked with on the Alaska Pipeline and who he sent to stay with Fred. Aunt Esther and Rollo were still around, but that was the only magic left from the first time we met Fred Sanford.
The show was yanked and retooled, showing back up with Rollo and many of the other new characters. This retooled version was scrapped faster than some of the junk in Sanford’s yard. Sanford went off the air July 10, 1981.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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On this day in comedy on March 14, 1966, comedic Actress, Elise Neal was born in Memphis, Tennessee
Neal had formal training as a ballet dancer, but an unrelated injury plunged her into musical theater, where she found success touring once she left college. Her ease of manner jettisoned her into commercials and a relocation to Los Angeles, California, where she got busy. Neal danced in music videos (Chubb Rock’s “Just the Two of Us”, Father MC’s “Lisa Baby”, Black Sheep’s “Strobelight Honey”, Dannii Minogue’s “This Is It”), worked on a soap opera ( Loving), primetime series (Hangin With Mr. Cooper, SeaQuest 2032), guest starred on sitcoms (Family Matters, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Living Single, The Steve Harvey Show, The Wayans Bros.) and appeared in films (Malcolm X, How to Be a Player, Money Talks, Rosewood).
The role that put Neal on the comedy radar was that of Yvonne Hughley, on the D L Hughley sitcom The Hughleys. This was a show that traveled; starting on ABC; where it did a two-season tenure, it was moved to UPN for its final two seasons. While playing straight lady to Hughley’s comic, Neal appeared in the motion pictures Scream 2, Restaurant, Mission to Mars, Brian’s Song and Paid in Full. She was also featured in Aretha Franklin’s “A Rose is Still a Rose” video.
Once The Hughleys ceased production, Elise Neal branched off into recording and producing. Her production company received a development deal with Mandalay Bay Entertainment to provide a variety of projects including fitness and lifestyle programming as well as musical content. Her soundtrack single, “I’m Down Baby” came from her 2007 film, 4 Life. Other films included K-Ville with Anthony Anderson, Ransom Games, Playas Ball, and Hustle & Flow. She did the sitcoms, Belle, The Soul Man, the Real Husbands of Hollywood and the reality show, Hollywood Divas on TV One.
Neal has been nominated for three NAACP Image Awards, a Screen Actor Guild Award, a Black Reel Award and she won as part of Best Cast for Hustle & Flow at the Young Hollywood Awards.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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