Netflix And Team Mo’Nique Emails Show Mo’Nique Telling The Truth
After reports emerged that actress-comedian Mo’Nique was actually offered $3M from Netflix rather than the low-ball amount of $500K, social media lit up in a frenzy. Mo’Nique and her husband-manager Sidney Hicks both claimed the offer was never in the millions and promised to provide proof. Some obtained emails between Netflix and Hicks shows the dialog..
Monique and Hicks came on this writer’s show, “Real Talk with Rashad Richey,” and gave an hour-long in-depth interview about Netflix and what they call hypocrisy in the negotiations. Emails obtained clearly show Netflix was not interested in offering anything above $500K, contrary to some reports.
Source: Rolling Out
WATCH: Regina Hall & Samuel L. Jackson On The Set For The New “Shaft” Reboot
Watch Kevin Frazier of Entertainment Tonight and HipHollywood as he had a little fun with Regina Hall and Samuel L. Jackson on the set of the “Shaft” reboot. Check it out!
SOurce: HipHollywood
Finesse Mitchell On Life After ‘SNL’ And Making Comedy With Trump: ‘I Wasn’t Smiling Anymore’
Approximately 1,500 miles from the DC Improv, Finesse Mitchell’s wife is eating birthday cake on FaceTime. She’s in Austin, having spent the holidays in Atlanta with the former Saturday Night Live performer and his family. Now she’s preparing to celebrate her birthday without him; her party is tonight. He’s with me.
It’s shortly before the New Year, and Mitchell is wrapping up his 2017 with a four-night stint at this comedy club. DC Improv is tucked away slightly outside DuPont Circle, less than a mile from the historic Strivers’ Section, which once counted Langston Hughes and Frederick Douglass among its many prominent African-American residents. Today the neighborhood’s largely gentrified.
The temperature is below freezing, and Mitchell is wearing a pair of designer jeans with zippers and rips on each pant leg that can’t be very insulating. Regardless, he bounds on stage to Chris Brown’s “Pills & Automobiles,” instantly hooking the crowd. It’s an energetic and upbeat way to kickstart a set, as well as trumpet the year’s end. (The song’s post-chorus: “I’m just trying to change your life.”)
The previous 12 months saw its share of ebb and flow for Mitchell. He continues to tour while adjusting to fatherhood—he and his wife have a 2-year-old daughter with another baby on the way. “Professionally, I had a few downs,” he concedes, referencing the cancellation of the Showtime series he starred in, Roadies, in addition to his aborted HBO comedy, Brothers in Atlanta. “I went into the year, like ‘I’m on Showtime and HBO, baby! This is the year!’ So it’s kind of weird, even when you win, sometimes that rug can still be snatched.”
SNL, where Mitchell spent three seasons as a cast member in the mid-aughts, is probably the best place to be conditioned for the mercurial nature of show business. In an era dominated by heavyweights such as Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon, Mitchell nevertheless succeeded with characters such as Starkisha and his bits on Weekend Update. (His Update segment on baby names is in league with the desk monologues once performed by Eddie Murphy or Chris Rock.) Given the show’s inherent competition, battling to ensure sketches not only make it to dress, then air—and are funny—can be a slog. Looking back, he offers: “I don’t know if I kind of gave up and quit on myself and let that attitude come out on the show. But I wasn’t smiling anymore, or trying to break the code to win. I was just like, ‘I’m drowning’ and I think they could sense that.”
The fear of being pigeonholed by the show’s monumental legacy, and the boxes placed on its performers, also looms. “There are people who didn’t make SNL—Tiffany Haddish auditioned, Bresha Webb auditioned—these girls are kicking ass in TV and film right now. And some of them are like, ‘I’m so glad I didn’t get it.’ Because you’re so limited in what you can do.”
As a comic, Mitchell is buoyant, a consummate emcee who can rattle off a pitch-perfect Morgan Freeman from The Shawshank Redemption. With me, he’s just as quick, but also thoughtful and reflective. Given the past year’s often-bewildering news cycle, it’s easy to understand. Controversy and outrage lingers over the death of black Americans at the hands of law enforcement. Mitchell’s neighbor-state, Alabama, has just narrowly refused sending Roy Moore to the Senate. “The bar’s been set so low that even someone accused of pedophilia, by his own community, could [have] helped govern and set laws for our country,” he laments.
Beyond SNL, the year’s various political and cultural touchstones have cast their own shadow on the night. If the general public greeted 2017’s horrors with a collective sigh, Mitchell appears to still be wrestling with it.
“2017, what a fucking helluva year. Nothing surprises me anymore,” he concludes. “As much as we claim to love the country, the hypocrisy just chokes you. It forces you to eat it.”
Mitchell’s a member of several unique clubs. He played football for the national champion University of Miami Hurricanes, where his teammates included Warren Sapp and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He is one of a handful of athletes to successfully shift into mainstream comedy. It’s Terry Crews, him, Johnson and that’s about it. Maybe Terry Bradshaw.
Even in 2018, he is still one of the few black cast members to join SNL, though he’s encouraged by the show’s recent strides: “I’m very proud of Lorne. I mean, hell, SNL is almost In Living Color right now. It’s never been this diverse.”
Here’s one final category: Mitchell is one of only 13 cast members who appeared in the April 3, 2004, episode of Saturday Night Live when Trump made his hosting debut.
“He was a cool guy, a nice guy,” recalls Mitchell. “And he did a good job.”
Mitchell and Trump starred together in a sketch about Jayson Williams, the New Jersey Nets star who accidentally shot and killed his limo driver. When it was cut before air (“It wasn’t in good taste, but it was funny”), Trump expressed disappointment.
“At the after party, he gave me his business card and told me to call him if I needed anything. I did and he called me back. We caught up and he said he gave me a shout out in his new book.” Alongside fellow SNLer and Trump impressionist Darrell Hammond, Mitchell is mentioned in Trump’s 2005 bestseller, Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know About Success, Real Estate, and Life. Page 151.
Mitchell does not mince words about this point: the man who hosted Saturday Night Live, joking about Jayson Williams, is not the same person as the current occupant in the Oval Office. To Mitchell, there’s “two different Trumps… which makes me question: who was the guy I met at SNL?” It’s a fair point; the charismatic, larger-than-life television personality feels worlds away from the ugly xenophobia and culture wars of the current presidency.
Mitchell—who considers himself an independent who could have voted for John Kasich or Bernie Sanders during the last presidential election—has seen Trump twice since their 2004 overlap, including on the SNL40 red carpet. Though he’s been on a first-name basis with the president, his feelings on Trump’s first term are unequivocal: “Being a black dude, we just had one of the roughest years ever, that transition from Barack’s last year to Trump’s first year. We took a bad turn.”
Following Trump’s meteoric political rise, the show has come under increased scrutiny for its previously cozy relationship and initial softball approach to the 45th president. Mitchell is more tactful, calling Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of Trump “phenomenal.”
Apart from Baldwin, SNL’s recent Trump takedowns have mostly stemmed from current Weekend Update anchor and co-head writer Michael Che. The sometimes-caustic comic earns plaudits from his SNL predecessor, and for a few reasons. During his time on the show, Mitchell aspired to become the first black Weekend Update anchor. “That never happened. Now it has.”
“If you’re only used to one style of SNL, you’re going to say ‘Oh, he’s too brash’ or just ‘too bold.’ I’m glad Lorne is letting him get up there and say ‘You little bitch’ [about Trump.] Shit like that. I think it’s funny.” He pauses: “It’s needed.”
More than 40 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions. For Mitchell, his 2018 plans are already underway. He will co-host a new Facebook game show, Last State Standing. Next up: shooting a comedy special, possibly in the first quarter of the year. Then pilot season in February, with the goal to book another Showtime and HBO show.
Mitchell’s opening act is nearly done. In a few moments, he will be on stage, riffing about family life, the club scene… and Trump. He gets himself a drink.
Written by Andy Hodlund/The Daily Beast
Tisha Campbell Reunites With Martin Lawrence And Ends Dispute!
It looks like Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell-Martin have resolved their issues with one another. On Thursday, the actress made a semi-public appearance with him, along with Tichina Arnold in Burbank, CA. The photo op further confirms that fans will see the cast of ‘Martin’ reunite again. Martin posted a photo of the trio writing,
In the words of Ice Cube, today was a good day With @tishacampbellmartin & @tichinaarnold
For years, it seemed highly unlikely that there would ever be a reunion. Back in 1997, Tisha, who played one of the leads, sued the comedian. She accused her co-star of waging an obsessive campaign of physical and emotional abuse against her, so volatile and unpredictable that she feared for her life. She charged Lawrence with “repeated and escalating” sexual harassment, sexual battery and violent threats. Martin denied the allegations.
Last week, Martin’s fiance Robert revealed that a Martin reboot may be in the works. She wrote on social media,
Got word from my fiancé that my favorite show may be coming back..
Martin responded, leaving an eyeball emoji.
Martin aired for five seasons on Fox from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997. The show was one of the network’s highest-rated shows during the sitcom’s run. The series starred Martin Lawrence, who was also one of the creators of the series, along with Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II, Thomas Mikal Ford and Tichina Arnold.
Source: The Jasmine Brand
On This Day In Comedy… In 1938 Comedic Actor Sherman Hemsley Was Born!
On this day in comedy on February 1, 1938, Actor, Sherman Alexander Hemsley was born in South Philadelphia
Upon leaving the Air Force after a four-year hitch, Hemsley attended the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Philadelphia at night and worked for the Post Office during the day. He even kept his day job when he moved to New York and spent his evenings acting. One night on his thespian route (he was in Purlie), Hemsley was spotted by TV producer, Norman Lear. The hitmaker wanted Hemsley for the role of George Jefferson, a neighbor of Archie Bunker’s on the CBS groundbreaking sitcom All in the Family. Hemsley was leery about leaving Broadway so Lear told him the part was his when his theater commitment was over. Two years later Hemsley took him up on his offer.
The Jeffersons became a spin-off of All in the Family and ran for 11 seasons and 253 episodes. The character of George Jefferson, an upwardly mobile black bigot who made his fortune in the dry-cleaning business was a persona America had never seen before and they couldn’t get enough. Along with Isabel Sanford, Frank Cover, Marla Gibbs, Roxie Roker and Paul Benedict, the sitcom lived beyond its broadcast tenure. Cast members; especially Hemsley and Sanford, reprised their roles on many other sitcoms in guest starring capacities as well as personal appearances at conventions.
Once The Jeffersons officially shut down production Hemsley bounced to the next show. This one had him playing a church deacon and co-starred Clifton Davis. Amen ran on NBC for five seasons and after that Helmsley took on the voice of a dinosaur in ABCs live action puppet show, Dinosaurs. That series ran for four seasons and after his trifecta Sherman Hemsley retired from television. He’d released two albums during his run; one a jazz LP and the other a collection of R&B tunes. So with a career full of achievements, Sherman Hemsley spent the rest of his day’s guest starring, doing commercials and making cameos.
On July 24, 2012, Sherman Hemsley died from a cancerous lung at his home in El Paso, Texas. That same year he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
Lena Waithe Of ‘The CHI’ And ‘Ready Player One’ Fame Confirmed To Present At ABFF Honors!
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – February 1, 2018 – The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors is excited to announce that Lena Waithe (The CHI, Ready Player One) is confirmed to present at the annual ceremony held at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 25th, hosted by comedian and actor Cedric the Entertainer.
The awards show celebrates individuals of African descent who have made distinguished contributions to American culture through their work, and salutes the year’s best movies and television shows. ABFF Honors was created by American Black Film Festival founder Jeff Friday, to promote camaraderie and a spirit of mutual appreciation among multicultural artists in Hollywood.
This year’s show will honor legendary actor Billy Dee Williams with the “Hollywood Legacy Award;” actor Omari Hardwick with the “Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award;” actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish with the “Rising Star Award” and writer and director Ava DuVernay with the “Industry Visionary Award.”
The honorees will join an illustrious group of past ABFF Honors recipients, including actors Denzel Washington, Regina King, Don Cheadle, Diahann Carroll, Queen Latifah, Issa Rae, Terrence Howard and filmmakers and producers Ryan Coogler, F. Gary Gray and Will Packer.
The many high-profile presenters and guests who have attended are Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Robert Downey Jr., Jamie Foxx, Ice Cube, Cecily Tyson, Lee Daniels, Anthony Anderson, Regina Hall, Taye Diggs, Octavia Spencer, KeKe Palmer, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Omari Hardwick and Pharrell Williams, among others.
The event is executive produced by ABFF Ventures founder Jeff Friday, in association with de Passe Jones Entertainment.
The 2018 ABFF Honors sponsors are BET Networks (Presenting Sponsor), AT&T and Cadillac (Red Carpet Sponsors) and American Airlines (Official Airline Sponsor) and CAA, Facebook, HBO, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and Prudential (Corporate Diversity Sponsors).
Chris Rock And Adam Sandler To Star In New Netflix Film Titled ‘The Week Of’
Adam Sandler and Chris Rock get considerable mileage out of a hot car in this new trailer for The Week Of, a Netflix original movie bowing April 27.
The comedy reteams the old Saturday Night Live buddies, along with SNL vet Robert Smigel, who directs, in a tale of two polar opposite dads forced to spend a week together for the wedding of their children.
The trailer is built around Sandler, as father of the bride, and Rock, the groom’s dad, enduring a road trip in a stuffy car, with Sandler reluctant to engage the air conditioner, despite a boiling Rock.
The Week Of also stars former SNLer Rachel Dratch and Steve Buscemi. Smigel directs from the script he co-wrote with Sandler. The film was announced last year as part of Sandler’s first pact with Netflix, and also marks a co-starring role for one of the streaming services biggest stand-up stars in Rock.
The comedy is produced by Happy Madison Productions with Sandler and Allen Covert serving as producers and Barry Bernardi and Tim Herlihy serving as executive producers.
The Week Of premieres globally on Netflix April 27. Catch the trailer above.
‘Men In Black’ Spinoff COming To Be Directed By F. Gary Gray
F. Gary Gray is the choice to direct the Men In Black film that will relaunch the franchise for Sony and Amblin. Negotiations are underway toward a deal. Gray is enjoying a mid-career trajectory that began with Straight Outta Compton, and then extended most recently to the third highest global grossing film of 2017, The Fate Of The Furious. The film grossed $1.2 billion. Men in Black has a script by Iron Man scribes Matt Holloway & Art Marcum and the studio green lit the picture on their draft.
Sony, which is coming off a big hit in reviving the Jumanji franchise, is hungry for more and the studio has set a June 14, 2019 release date. Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald are back as producers and Steven Spielberg is exec producing.
Sony Pictures
Sony and Amblin have been trying to figure out the best way to relaunch the series, after the original pairing of Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith ran its course in the 2012 third installment. The attempts included a spinoff film that would meld Sony’s 21 Jump Street cast members Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill into an extraterrestrial spinoff. This film isn’t that one. Rather, it is a spinoff grounded in the original premise, of a covert force policing the alien population hiding in plain sight, the premise of the comic book series by Lowell Cunningham and Sandy Carruthers.
Neither Jones nor Smith are expected to be back. They’ll relaunch the franchise with a new cast, much the way that Spielberg did with Jurassic World.
Sony and Amblin are giving the keys to the big budget extravaganza to Gray at a good time for the filmmaker; after the sleeper hit Straight Outta Compton grossed over $200 million on a $28 million budget, he took on the $250 million budget The Fate of the Furious, and delivered a crowd-pleasing film that became the 12th highest global grossing pic of all time for Universal. This film mixes action with comedy, and Gray has a broad background in both; he launched the Friday franchise and has helmed Set If Off, The Negotiator, Law Abiding Citizen and The Italian Job.
David Beaubaire is overseeing for Sony. Gray is repped by UTA, Principato-Young and attorney Nina Shaw.
Source: Deadline
Dulé Hill Promoted To Series Regular On ‘Suits’
While Meghan Markle is off to “queener” pastures, Dulé Hill has been upped to a series regular on Suits.
The show’s Season 8 was made official today by USA Network, along with the announcement of Hill’s promotion.
He began recurring in Season 7 as Alex Williams, a new senior partner at Pearson Spencer Litt.
The back half of Suits’ Season 7 will premiere on Wednesday, March 28 at 9/8c, culminating in a 2-hour season finale on Wednesday, April 25 – an arc in which the show says goodbye to characters Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) and Rachel Zane (Markle).
A Suits spinoff, focusing on Gina Torres’ Jessica Pearson is also in the works at USA Network.
Source: Shadow & Act
WATCH: The Black Panther Premiere Featuring Chadwick Boseman And More On The Purple Carpet
Thanks to our friends at Blacktree TV, we are able to show you the Purple Carpet premiere of the upcoming Marvel Studios film Black Panther featuring Chadwick Boseman and more.
Black Panther is a film about a young African prince who takes on the mantle of King and Superhero, and the centuries-old legacy that comes with it.
