On this day in comedy on September 27, 1947, Comedienne, Actress, Singer, Elizabeth Larrieu “Liz” Torres was born in the Bronx
The multi-talented Torres got her start in comedy. She’d made a low budget film in 1969 playing a whore, but that cinematic debut did not lead to a film career. Whereas being a comedienne gave her the freedom to expose her strengths when she’d hit the night club circuit (along with her buddy Bette Midler) and that’s where she got noticed. Torres was seen by a scout for The Tonight Show (the version starring Johnny Carson) and invited to do a skit on the show. That did lead to other work.
Torres became a member of the Addams Family. She played Morticia in the musical version, Addams Family Funhouse in 1973. Guest spots ensued and by 1975 she was Julie Erskine on Phyllis starring Cloris Leachman. That same year she recorded a disco single, “Hustle Latino” and performed it on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. He had a recurring role on “All in the Family” and co-starred with Marla Gibbs in the sitcom Checking In in 1981. That spin-off of The Jeffersons didn’t last long, but no matter, Torres kept working. She appeared in Love, American Style, Ally McBeal and in 1990 was nominated for an Emmy for her work on The Famous Teddy Z.
Torres also worked in the theater. She was featured in The Ritz, Man of LaMancha and A Million to Juan. In 1993, she began working on The John Larroquette Show, where Torres received multiple acting nominations for her role of Mahalia Sanchez. In 1997, she found herself on CBS on the sitcom, Over the Top. From 2000-2007 Torres performed the role of Miss Patty LaCosta on The Gilmore Girls.
Liz Torres kept jobs. In between doing her own shows and her recurring parts, she was a serial guest starrer. Torres has had roles on Desperate Housewives, Private Practice, Scandal and Devious Maids and Ugly Betty.
By Darryl “D’Militant” Littleton
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Saturday Night Live‘s Pete Davidson revealed he has borderline personality disorder during an appearance Monday on the WTF With Marc Maron podcast.
Explaining that he’s “been a pothead forever,” the comedian initially believed the symptoms he was experiencing were due to his use of the drug. “Around October [or] September last year, I started having these mental breakdowns where I would, like, freak out and then not remember what happened after. Blind rage,” said Davidson.
The comedian said that because of the episodes, he decided to take a break from SNL and check himself into rehab.
“I never really did any other drugs, so I was like, ‘I’m gonna try to go to rehab. Maybe that’ll be helpful,'” Davidson said. “So I go and I get off weed. They told me there, they’re like, ‘You might be bipolar,’ and I was like, ‘OK.’ So they’re like, ‘We’re gonna try you on these meds.’ And then I got out [of rehab], and then I started smoking weed again — and I’m on meds.”
It wasn’t until another “really bad” episode a few months later that he cut out weed and went back to his doctors, at which point they diagnosed him. “I found out I have BPD, which is borderline personality disorder,” he explained. “One of my psychiatrists [diagnosed me]. He was always saying before this big meltdown, ‘You’re probably bipolar or borderline, we’re just going to have to figure it out.'”
Since the diagnosis and subsequent treatment plan with new meds, Davidson says it’s been tough, but he’s seeing improvement.
“It is working, slowly but surely,” he said. “I’ve been having a lot of problems. This whole year has been a fucking nightmare. This has been the worst year of my life, getting diagnosed with this and trying to figure out how to learn with this and live with this.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Jonathan Levine, the director of Warm Bodiesand 50/50, and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris are teaming up for Coming to America 2.
Levine has been tapped to direct the sequel to the 1988 Eddie Murphy comedy Coming to America with Barris on board to rewrite the script.
The sequel has long percolated at Paramount, but it was only this spring that the studio made it official, with Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield, who penned the 1988 original, hired to write the follow-up.
Although there is no deal in place, Murphy is involved with the development of the sequel — which will be produced by Kevin Misher — and is expected to star.
John Landis, one of the biggest directors of the ’80s, helmed the original movie that saw Murphy playing Prince Akeem, who traveled from his wealthy African country to Queens, New York, in order to escape an arranged marriage and find a wife who will love him in spite of his title. Arsenio Hall co-starred as his loyal handler, while James Earl Jones, Shari Headley and John Amos also featured in the hit.
Levine won raves for directing the coming-of-age indie The Wackness as well as the Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Seth Rogen cancer comedy 50/50. His other recent credits include The Night Before, which reunited him with Gordon-Levitt and Rogen (Anthony Mackie also starred), and the pilot for the Jim Carrey-executive produced Showtime show, I’m Dying Up Here.
Barris’ Black-ish has received numerous Emmy nominations for its deft handling of comedy and race in America. Barris also co-wrote Girls Trip, the surprise hit comedy that laughed up over $114 million at the domestic box office on only a $19 million budget. He also worked on the script for New Line’s Son of Shaft, which is to star Jessie T. Usher and Samuel L. Jackson.
Levine, who last directed the Amy Schumer comedy Snatched, is repped by CAA. Barris is repped by CAA, Principato Young Entertainment, and Morris Yorn.
SOurce: The Hollywood Reporter
It came down to the wire, but Saturday Night Live, coming off a highly rated season and big Emmy wins, has selected its new cast members and writers for the upcoming 43rd season. Heidi Gardner, Luke Null and Chris Redd will join the venerable show as featured players starting with the season premiere, which is just in four days, on Sept. 30, with host Ryan Gosling and musical guest Jay-Z.
The hires cap a series of auditions and tests over the past month or so in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The final cast selection reportedly was made over Emmy weekend, with work on the writer deals stretching to this week.
NBCActor-comedian-writer Chris Redd (Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) was an early favorite for a spot on the show though he was a series regular on the Netflix comedy series Disjointed, which is awaiting word on a second-season renewal. His release was eventually worked out so he could join SNL. Heidi Gardner (SuperMansion) is a Groundlings alumna while Luke Null performed at iO Chicago.
SNL is getting a major behind-the-scenes makeover with seven new writers, Sam Jay (one of Comedy Central’s Comics To Watch), Gary Richardson (appeared in The Law Firm: Law & Disorder as member of the Upright Citizen’s Brigade; other credits include Spider-Man Homecoming), Erik Marino, (The Hughleys) Andrew Dismukes (performed at FunFunFun Fest, SXSW, The Out of Bounds Comedy Festival, and The Moontower Comedy Festival), Steven Castillo (performed at Riot L.A.), Claire Friedman (The Harvard Lampoon) and Nimesh Patel (writer for the 88th Academy Awards).
Three SNL main cast members departed after the end of of last season, Bobby Moynihan after 8 seasons, Vanessa Bayer after 7, and Sasheer Zamata after 4. Among the returning stars is Kenan Thompson who is setting a record for the longest-serving SNL cast member with his fifteenth season on the show, eclipsing Darrell Hammond’s 14-season run.
Buoyed by viewers’ interest in the November election and Donald Trump’s headline-making presidency, Saturday Night Live‘s most recent 42nd season was its most watched in 23 years.
Ten days ago, it earned the venerable late-night show 9 Emmy awards — the most for any program — including Variety Sketch Series. SNL swept all four comedy series acting categories it was eligible for: supporting actor and actress in a comedy series (Alec Baldwin, Kate McKinnon), as well as guest actor and actress in a comedy series (Dave Chappelle, Melissa McCarthy). SNL‘s career Emmy total wins went up to to 64, besting next closest all-time Emmy series winnersGame of Thrones with 38 and Frasier with 37.
“I remember the first time we won this award,” SNL boss Lorne Michaels, who has led the show for most of its run, said on the Emmy stage. “It was after our first season in 1976, and I remember thinking as I was standing there alone that this was it, this was the high point. There would never be another season as crazy, as unpredictable, as frightening, or exhilarating. I was wrong.”
Source: Deadline
As we reported several WEEKS ago when we debuted our latest issue, Marlon Wayans is the latest comedian to book a new special that will broadcast on Netflix.
According to our sources weeks ago, Marlon is set to film this fall in Washington, D.C. The special will be produced by Wayans, Rick Alvarez, Steve Harris and 3 Arts’ Michael Rotenberg.
As you aware, Marlon has recently starred in Naked for Netflix, which was released in August. In addition to Marlon which is on NBC, and Naked, he is touring nationwide on his The Reintroduction tour.
Up next? Marlon is in talks for several films that he’s looking at to film later this year.
We just discovered the news that friend and comedian Damon Rozier has passed away due to complications with his health.
Rozier was probably best known for his performance on BET’s Comic View several years ago, and from his motorcycle accident that he had in 1997.
Rozier always brought laughter, joy, smiles, and happiness into the hearts and lives of thousands of people over the past 10 years, since he began in comedy and will be greatly missed. Born in Brooklyn, NY, one of America’s toughest neighborhoods, that was where he gained the tough skin needed to succeed doing comedy.
In addition to the comedy, Rozier was also a motivational speaker.
Rozier leaves behind 2 children.
Survivor’s Remorse star Teyonah Parris is in negotiations to join Kiki Layne and Stephan James in IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, which is director Barry Jenkins’ follow-up to his Best Picture-winning Moonlight.
The film follows Tish (Layne), a young, pregnant woman and her family as they struggle to get her fiance (James) out of jail, all while trying to maintain some semblance of happiness during hard times. The film is billed as a celebration of love told through the story of a young couple and their families.
While scheduling issues still need to be worked out, Parris is making a deal to play Tish’s streetwise sister, Ernestine, who is determined to help her future brother-in-law prove his innocence.
Jenkins is directing from his own screenplay, which is adapted from the James Baldwin novel of the same name. Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures is financing the film, and producing alongside Jenkins’ PASTEL banner and Brad Pitt’s company Plan B.
Production is expected to start production in October, and the film will likely hit theaters sometime next year.
Best known for playing Missy Vaughn on the popular Starz series Survivor’s Remorse, Parris is no stranger to the indie world, having starred in Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq and Justin Simien’s film Dear White People. She also co-starred alongside David Oyelowo in Five Nights in Maine, and has worked with directors such as James L. Brooks and David Wain. Additionally, Parris had a recurring role on AMC’s Mad Men, and she also starred in and produced the TV movie Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story.
Source; The Tracking Board
Malcolm D. Lee is directing the Universal comedy, starring Kevin Hart, Taran Killam, Rob Riggle, Ben Schwartz, Yvonne Orji and Tiffany Haddish.
Will Packer is producing the pic, as is Hart, via his Hartbeat Productions. It is set for release on Sept. 28, 2018.
Based on a story by Hart, Night School follows a group of misfits who are forced to attend adult classes with the long shot hope that they’ll pass the GED exam.
Echikunwoke — whose credits include A&E’s Damien and Fox’s The Following, as well as the Dax Shepard comedy pic CHIPS and the Susan Sarandon starrer The Meddler — next stars in Broad Green’s dance comedy Step Sisters and Pandemic Film’s buddy comedy An Actor Prepares, opposite Jack Huston and Jeremy Irons, set for release later this year. She is repped by UTA and Untitled Entertainment.
In the age of social media, there’s an immense desire to glow up– to become internet famous and build wealth through likes, DMs, and sponsorships. Unfortunately, when you really consider it, most of us are basic AF and without any real talent, connections or money, longlasting internet fame is simply a pipe dream.
In her hilarious web series MEME QUEENS, actress and creator, Jessica A. Caesar explores the lives of two former beauty queens. Now in their late ’20s, the ladies are desperate to ride on the curtails of reality stars and Instagram models. Too old for the pageant world, Nicole (Caesar) and her bestie Brynne (writer/actress Gilli Messer) sign up for a sketchy reality internet show. The show begins to pick up traction as the women’s most absurd and ridiculous behavior gets turned into viral memes.
For $100 a day, Nicole and Brynne let some dude name Ron, film them in their home and at their job, an app startup called Petter where people join to engage in heavy petting. (Nothing past second base of course.)
Styled similarly to the NBC classics, The Office and Parks and Recreation, all seven episodes of MEME QUEENS were self-funded and shot over the course of just three days with a micro-budget. Caeser, whose acting credits include Atlanta, Vice Principals, Grey’s Anatomy and Grimm wrote all of the episodes with Messer.
MEME QUEENS was first presented on the digital platform, WhoHaha. Created by actress Elizabeth Banks, WhoHaha shines a spotlight on funny women around the globe who are creating unique and entertaining content. The goal of the platform is to get the content to a wider audience.
Peep the first episode below:
Watch the entire first season of MEME QUEENS here.
Source: Shadow & Act