On this day in comedy on November 15, 1930, comedic Actor, Whitman Blount Mayo was born in New York City, NY
Best known to audiences as Grady Wilson, Fred G. Sanford’s friend from the 1970s NBC hit sitcom, Sanford and Son, Mayo was a seasoned show business pro when that opportunity came along. Following a stint in the Army during the Korean War, the veteran studied at various colleges in Southern California and got into acting by doing small parts in small movies. His first known film role was in 1966s The Black Klansman.
Mayo’s big TV break came while working in theater. Producer, Norman Lear saw him and asked Mayo to play the part of Grady on his sitcom. Mayo played the part on four shows. On the original Sanford and Son Grady was one of Fred’s (Redd Foxx) many buddies who came around. Grady would talk trash to Aunt Esther (LaWanda Page) and show a nurturing side to Lamont (Fred’s son played by Demond Wilson). When Foxx skipped shows while in contract talks, Mayo took over as that sage anchor of the show.
NBC liked Grady and gave Mayo his own show. Grady had the character living in Beverly Hills with his humorless daughter and her equally humorless husband. Grady didn’t last long, but Whitman Mayo did. He went right back to Sanford and Son where there was still plenty of humor. When it was canceled Mayo landed on another of the Sanford and Son spin-offs, Sanford Arms co-starring opposite Theodore Wilson (notice there are a lot of Wilson’s going around? The name of Grady Wilson came from Lamont Sanford’s real name Grady Demond Wilson.). The main problem with Sanford Arms was the fact that show had not a single Sanford (Foxx and Demond Wilson were gone) and thus did not last long either. However, that was not a problem for long. Redd Foxx returned as Fred G. Sanford for yet another spin-off, Sanford. It was Foxx, hefty actor, Dennis Burkley with Aunt Esther and Grady thrown in for good measure. The show didn’t measure up with viewers and Sanford was the last of the spin-offs.
Whitman Mayo stayed active with a wide range of interests He did films (The Main Event, D. C. Cab, Boyz N the Hood). He did children’s programming (That’s Cat, Sesame Street). He guest starred on sitcoms (Full House, Different Strokes, 227, Martin), opened a travel agency, taught drama at Clark Atlanta University and in 1996 caused a public search for him as part of a stunt Conan O’Brien pulled. He wanted Grady on his show and Mayo finally appeared on Late Night after weeks of the publicity stunt.
The beloved artist died of a heart attack on May 22, 2001 at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
Check out this clip:
On this day in comedy on November 14, 2001, The Bernie Mac Show premiered on Fox
Shortened to Bernie Mac in syndication, this sitcom was created by Larry Wilmore and based loosely on comedian, Bernie Mac’s stand-up act. The premise is Mac is a married, but childless stand-up comedian. When his sister goes into rehab he takes her three kids (Vanessa, Jordan and Bryana) in and raises them old school style; with plenty of discipline and a whole lot of tough love.
The show used the device of Mac talking directly into the camera. These addresses to “America” gave Mac the opportunity to voice what was really on his mind before returning to the action of the actual show. Another opportunity was capitalized on by having Mac as a stand-up comedian. It allowed multiple unforced cameos from talents such as Don Cheadle, Chris Rock, Dom DeLuise, Angela Bassett, Billy Crystal, Ellen DeGeneres, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Shaq, Hugh Hefner, Sugar Ray Leonard and Wesley Snipes. The show also featured recurring comedians, Reginald Ballard, Carlos Mencia and Anthony Anderson.
Co-starring Kellita Smith (Wanda, the wife), Dee Davis (Bryana, the youngest niece). Jeremy Suarez, (Jordan, the nephew) and Camille Winbush (Vanessa, the eldest niece), the show had behind the scenes drama which led to its demise. After ratings declined due to stiff competition from Damon Wayans ABC sitcom, My Wife and Kids, executive producer, Larry Wilmore was fired. Fox didn’t like the direction he was taking the show and Wilmore didn’t care for the interference Fox kept implementing. The ratings continued to drop, and the show was moved to follow American Idol. The ratings leaped back up, but that wasn’t good enough for Fox, who moved it around even more. Eventually the audience grew tired of trying to find which night The Bernie Mac Show was on and lost interest. On April 14, 2006, Fox aired the final episode.
The Bernie Mac Show won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, a Peabody Award and three NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. Bernie Mac, the actor, was honored by the Television Critics Association for Individual Achievement in a Comedy and four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (2003-2006).
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
Check out this clip:
dick clark productions and ABC announced today that Golden Globe Award-winning actress Tracee Ellis Ross will host the “2017 American Music Awards.” The star of hit ABC comedy series “black-ish” will take the stage to preside over an evening of non-stop musical magic, where Ross’ own mother, Diana Ross, will receive the “American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement.” The “2017 American Music Awards,” the world’s largest fan-voted awards show where music enthusiasts watch their favorite artists and pop culture icons come together to honor idols, newcomers and record-breakers in the contemporary music scene, will celebrate 45 years of music live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC.
“I am thrilled to host this special night which honors some of the greatest musical talents in our industry,” said Tracee Ellis Ross. “And I’m especially thrilled to host this year when my mother is receiving the ‘American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement.’”
Tracee Ellis Ross is the star of the hit ABC comedy series “black-ish,” which airs Tuesday nights this fall. For her role, Ross won the 2017 Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Most recently, Ross was nominated for a 2017 Emmy® Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. This followed her 2016 Emmy nomination in the same category. She also received the 2015 and 2016 NAACP Image Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. In addition, Ross was honored and acknowledged at the 2016 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood luncheon receiving the Fierce and Fearless award. Ross is best known for her starring role on the hit sitcom “Girlfriends,” which ran for eight seasons on the UPN/CW network.
As previously announced, music legend, Diana Ross, will take the stage for a rare performance at the “2017 American Music Awards” and will be honored with the “American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement.” Christina Aguilera will pay tribute to Whitney Houston and music from “The Bodyguard” with a performance in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary, which falls on the same week as the awards ceremony. Other previously announced performers include BTS, Alessia Cara & Zedd, Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, Niall Horan, Imagine Dragons & Khalid, Demi Lovato, P!NK, Portugal. The Man, and Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso ft. Florida Georgia Line & watt. Additionally, Bebe Rexha will combine with Florida Georgia Line to treat American Music Awards fans to an encore performance for Xfinity TV customers, which will be available following the show on Xfinity On Demand.
Nominations for the “2017 American Music Awards” were announced last month. Bruno Mars leads with eight nominations, including Artist of the Year, Video of the Year, and Favorite Male Artist – Pop/Rock. The Chainsmokers, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Ed Sheeran and The Weeknd tied with five nominations each, while Justin Bieber, Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi received four nominations each. Additionally, Keith Urban earned three nominations, and Rihanna and Halsey earned two nominations each.
The American Music Awards winners are voted entirely by fans. Voting is now open in all categories. Fans are able to vote using the following methods:
For New Artist of the Year presented by T-Mobile and Collaboration of the Year presented by Xfinity, fans can vote for each award 100 times per day, per voting platform in one or both of the ways above. Fans can vote for all other awards once per day, per voting platform.
The Artist of the Year nominees are Bruno Mars, The Chainsmokers, Drake, Kendrick Lamar and Ed Sheeran. Voting for Artist of the Year will close on Thursday, Nov. 16, at 8:59:59 p.m. PST. Voting for all other editorial categories closes on Monday, Nov. 13, at 8:59:59 a.m. PST. Voting for New Artist of the Year presented by T-Mobile and Collaboration of the Year presented by Xfinity will close on Sunday, Nov. 19, at 5:59:59 p.m. PST, one hour into the live broadcast.
American Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected in Billboard Magazine and on Billboard.com, including album and digital song sales, radio airplay, streaming, social activity and touring. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound. The eligibility period for the “2017 American Music Awards” was September 9, 2016, to September 14, 2017.
Sponsors for the “2017 American Music Awards” include Comcast’s Xfinity, Security Benefit and T-Mobile. Media partners include Cumulus Media/Westwood One and Music Choice.
The “2017 American Music Awards” is produced by dick clark productions. Allen Shapiro and Mike Mahan are executive producers. Larry Klein, Barry Adelman and Mark Bracco are producers.
For the latest American Music Awards news, exclusive content and more, be sure to follow the AMAs on social and join the conversation by using the official hashtag for the show, #AMAs.
Facebook: Facebook.com/AMAs
Instagram: @AMAs
Snapchat: TheAMAs
Tumblr: amas.tumblr.com
Cheat Tweet: And the host of the 2017 @AMAs is @TraceeEllisRoss! Don’t miss it, LIVE this Sunday at 8/7c on ABC: amas.news/host #AMAs
Tickets are now on sale at www.axs.com.
Get Out is looking to rope in Hollywood Foreign Press Association voters for the Golden Globes’ comedy/musical categories.
EW has confirmed the Jordan Peele-directed horror-satire will compete as a comedy at the upcoming Golden Globe Awards, where awards pundits had already pegged it a likely contender regardless of its placement.
The move probably allows Get Out more wiggle room when it comes to landing an above-the-line nomination for its key player, star Daniel Kaluuya, who will now likely square off against potential comedy/musical foes like Hugh Jackman (The Greatest Showman), Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), James Franco (The Disaster Artist), Matt Damon (Downsizing), and Steve Carell (Battle of the Sexes).
As for other films that could put up a fight against Get Out in the Globes’ comedy/musical race, The Big Sick, I, Tonya, The Disaster Artist, Lady Bird, and The Greatest Showman could all be potential contenders. The film seems less likely to make a dent in the supporting races, but Peele could surprise with a Globe nomination for directing if the film generates enough heat with the easily impressionable HFPA.
Though genre films like The Exorcist, Gravity, and The Lord of the Rings films have a spotty track record with major awards bodies — especially the Oscars — the Golden Globes’ smaller voting base (it’s roughly 90 journalists) and dual category tracks (comedy/musical and drama) for films and lead performances means a wider selection of titles will be a part of the conversation, with studios often blurring the lines between genres (remember when Ridley Scott’s space-themed drama The Martian competed as a comedy?) in the hopes of bagging a few more nominations for their respective ponies in the race.
Released to theaters in February after a strong showing at Sundance the previous month, Get Out succeeded with audiences as a runaway box office hit, grossing a massive $33.4 million across its opening weekend en route to a $253.4 million worldwide haul on a miniscule $4.5 million budget. Its financial strides have only helped its cause in the race for awards attention, and, after the Academy invited a record 774 new faces to join its ranks this summer, several invitees told EW the film was high on their list of best picture choices at this early stage of the game.
Nominations for the 75th Golden Globe Awards will be announced Monday, Dec. 11, with the awards telecast to follow on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
Jamie Foxx almost perfected his Jay-Z impersonation and recently showed it off to TMZ. The media outlet caught the multi-talented actor and singer and asked him for a Jay-Z impression. Foxx imitated rapper’s laugh and vocal tone for the camera shouting out “Marcy projects.”
Foxx also said he’s fine with Jay being political at this shows. “Jay-Z could do whatever the f**k he wanna do. He home!” said Foxx. The actor was leaving Poppy Monday in WeHo when TMZ spoke with him.
Foxx also does a Vin Diesel impression that he showed off a few months back. The actor joins a few other comedians who have developed classic Jay-Z impressions like Aries Spears and Jay Pharoah. Rapper impersonations have become somewhat of a viral hit on the internet and are frequently used by Spears and other comedians during their standup routine.
Watch Jamie impersonate Jay-Z above.
SOurce: TMZ
Today, ABFF Ventures announced the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors will return to the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 25, with actor and comedian Cedric the Entertainer as host. 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 HollywToday, ABFF Ventures announced the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) Honors will return to the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 25, with actor and comedian Cedric the Entertainer as host. 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.
The charismatic Cedric the Entertainer, will bring his energy and talent to the awards stage as host for the evening. Cedric’s career has spanned more than 30 years and he is best known for his crowd-pleasing performances in hit films & television shows such as “Barbershop;” “Be Cool” with John Travolta; “Intolerable Cruelty” with George Clooney; the top-ranking “Madagascar” animated franchise; “Johnson Family Vacation;” “The Original Kings of Comedy,” MTV’S mega-successful documentary feature, directed by Spike Lee; the long-running top-ranked WB sitcom, “The STEVE HARVEY Show” and his own hit comedy series, “The Soul Man” on TV Land.ood.
Currently, Cedric can be seen in “The Comedy Get Down,” a clever mockumentary TV series, with co-stars George Lopez, DL Hughley, Eddie Griffin, and the late Charlie Murphy on BET Networks.
In addition to recognizing the top television shows and films of the year, the show will honor pioneering artists who have made outstanding accomplishments in the motion picture and television industry. Director and producer Ava DuVernay is a fearless director and storyteller, who has continued to create awareness and opportunities through her art and ABFF Honors is proud to present her with the 2018 ABFF Honors Industry Visionary Award.
Winner of four Emmys, the Peabody Award and the BAFTA for Best Documentary, Ava DuVernay’s Academy Award nominated “13th” was one of the most critically-acclaimed films of 2016. Previously, DuVernay directed the award-winning historical drama, “Selma,” which garnered four Golden Globe nominations and two Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Her current directorial work includes the ratings sensation “Queen Sugar” and the upcoming Disney fantasy epic, “A Wrinkle in Time.”
In 2017, she was named one of Fortune Magazine’s 50 Greatest World Leaders. A graduate of UCLA, DuVernay is the founder of ARRAY, a grassroots distribution and advocacy collective dedicated to the amplification of films by people of color and women, which was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.
Ava DuVernay will join an illustrious list of past ABFF Honors celebrants, 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.
“I am thrilled to honor Ava DuVernay. She is the embodiment of the importance of inclusion in Hollywood and deserves recognition as a creative force, as well as a forward-thinking leader in our industry. I’m equally excited to have the incomparable Cedric the Entertainer at the helm of what will be an enlightening and entertaining show,” says Jeff Friday, ABFF Ventures CEO.
The many high-profile presenters and guests have included 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 an elegant and spirited awards dinner, with a presentation of competitive awards and special honors in the following categories: Movie of the Year Award, Television Show of the Year Award (Drama & Comedy), Hollywood Legacy Award, Excellence in the Arts Award, Entertainment Icon Award, Industry Visionary Award, Distinguished ABFF Alumni Award and the Rising Star Award.
In just two years, ABFF Honors has become one of the most talked about Hollywood events, attracting top-tier talent and press coverage in mainstream and African American media outlets including, LA Times, Essence, Variety, Deadline, Extra, and The Associated Press. The show had its broadcast premiere on BET Networks.
The event is executive produced by ABFF Ventures founder Jeff Friday and Suzanne de Passe for de Passe Entertainment.
For more information about the 2018 ABFF Honors, log on to www.ABFFHonors.com. Also, follow us on our social media platforms:<
Eva Longoria is attached as an executive producer on a single-camera comedy in development at Fox, Variety has learned exclusively.
The currently untitled project would follow a woman named Amanda who is married to an Italian aristocrat. But when her husband and co-host decides to leave their Home Shopping Network-type show, her royal title and the show’s shtick are put in jeopardy. To keep her princess brand alive, she enlists the help of her estranged stepson to continue the show.
The project hails from Matteo Borghese and Rob Turbovsky, who will write and executive produce. Longoria will executive produce under her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment banner, with her producing partner Ben Spector also executive producing. 20th Century Fox Television will produce in association with UnbeliEVAble, which is currently under an overall deal with the studio.
Both Borghese and Turbovsky have written for the FXX series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” as well as “Silicon Valley,” “Other Space,” and the YouTube Red series “Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television.”
Longoria is primarily known for her work as an actress, including a starring role in the ABC series “Desperate Housewives” and the NBC series “Telenovela.” As a producer, she has executive produced the Lifetime series “Devious Maids,” “Telenovela,” and the animated comedy series “Mother Up,” to which she also lent her voice.
Source: Variety
Actress and rapper Eve has officially joined The Talk.
She made her debut Tuesday.
She joins Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood, and replaces Aisha Tyler who left to focus on other projects.
“Once I did the first test week and I met all the ladies, I felt the energy — not only from them but everyone I met on the set, and it was great. It was one of those exciting moments in life where I thought it would be a good challenge for me. If it feels right, then it must be right,” she told Deadline.
Known as one of the most prominent female rappers in history, she starred in her own UPN comedy, Eve, in the 2000s and has starred in the Barbershop film series.
Check out a clip from her first day below:
Source: Deadline, Shadow & Act
Paramount is remaking the 2000 film What Women Want, led by a woman!
The original film starred Mel Gibson.
Paramount has tapped Taraji P. Henson to star in the remake, titled What Men Want, and it will be produced by Will Packer and James Lopez.
Deadline says they are fast-tracking it for release, setting it for January 2019.
The original starred Mel Gibson as a confident chauvinistic male who suddenly acquires the ability to hear what the women around him are really thinking. The new version follows a female sports agent (Henson) who has been constantly boxed out by her male colleagues. When she gains the power to hear men’s thoughts, she is able to shift the paradigm to her advantage as she races to sign the NBA’s next superstar.