In just one week former President Donald Trump got indicted (again), allegedly got into some kind of altercation at Arlington National Cemetery (how?), agreed to and then casted doubt on debating Vice President Kamala Harris, spoke to Dr. Phil and sold some trading cards. Comedian, actor and writer Jenny Yang joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to break it all down and attempt to make sense of it.

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Sometimes the scariest thing can be the things we take for granted: our personal devices. Cell phones, smart TVs, Siri, Alexa. That's exactly what John Cho must battle in Chris Weitz's new film AfrAId (August 30). "Siri and I have a bumpy relationship. I've been looking at her askance for years." Cho plays Curtis, a dad tasked with protecting his family after their digital assistant turns against them. "Looking back on my own parenting, we didn't really think twice about the computer and the iPad, which is just a really open tunnel for the whole world to get to our children." Acknowledging the pros and cons of technology, Cho says "the film is really about, what if the con was much worse than we thought?" Cho jumped at the role because of Weitz. "He happened to write a fantastic film, but there's a chance I would have done it even if it was terrible, because I love him so much." And AfrAId adds another unique credit to Cho's impressively diverse resume. "I was [always] an omnivore when it came to entertainment. It's not like I stayed in one particular lane." 

Read the Transcript: https://www.newsweek.com/2024/09/13/john-cho-would-change-nothing-about-his-omnivorous-resume-1945126.html 

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The ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars certainly delivered. From the cast to the antics, it had it all. Today H. Alan Scott chats with the season’s winner, Angeria Paris VanMicheals, about what it was like to play for charity (the National Black Justice Collective), compete against the likes of Roxxxy Andrews and Plastique Tiara, and what she thinks of past queens judging her looks on various podcasts.  

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There’s just something about ‘Law & Order: SVU,’ right? It’s the mix of drama and true crime (and maybe just a little romance). Considering it’s been on for more than 20 years, people can’t seem to get enough ‘SVU.’ Which is why Liza Treyger and Kara Klenk started ‘That’s Messed Up: An SVU Podcast’ on the Exactly Right podcast network. They join Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to discuss what it is about ‘SVU’ that makes it so popular, their many feelings on Christopher Meloni, and the sort of reactions they get from die-hard ‘SVU’ fans. 

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I was raised Mormon, got some cancer, and then converted to Judaism. Why? Well, it’s complicated and it’s the basis for the documentary film ‘Latter Day Jew,’ available soon on video on demand on a number of platforms. Today I’m sharing my story, because it’s a weird one, but it’s also how I became H. Alan Scott. I’ll be joined by writer, comedian and my best friend, Eliot Glazer (‘Broad City’), who was with me during the entire process.  

Watch the trailer for ‘Latter Day Jew’: https://youtu.be/mPMfcxMTqtc 

Watch Eliot’s Comedy Central digital series ‘2 Jews Choose’: https://youtu.be/liBfG_wzuU0 

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Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña is going from kicking butt on Earth to doing so in the multiverse in the latest DC Comics film ‘Blue Beetle’ (August 18). “I'm so excited about people meeting this character for the first time,” Maridueña told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. This is not only the young actor’s big screen debut and, the film is also the first DC Comics movie to focus solely on a Latin superhero. “I really feel like it's taken all 22 years of my life so far to be ready for this moment.” Despite the movie’s groundbreaking record for progress and diversity, Maridueña wants people see it for more than just that. “I hope people, with this movie, can start to marinate on the fact that this is a movie, that Latino is not the genre, that superhero was the genre, and the characters happened to be Latino.” He also wants Blue Beetle to open doors for other superhero stories we’ve yet to see. “I hope that in success, it offers the opportunity for others to tell their most authentic stories. It may be the first time that a Latino is hitting the big screen in a lead [superhero] role, but it can't be the last.” 

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When Casey McQuiston’s novel ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ was published in 2019, it was an instant bestseller. Now the story of a romance between the U.S. president’s son Alex (Taylor Zakhar Perez) and British Prince Henry (Nicholas Galitzine) is a new Amazon Prime movie (August 11). “I really didn’t know the magnitude of it,” Perez told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott about the popularity of the book. “Everybody kind of came at me with their opinions.” And Perez went into it with little knowledge of the royals, either. “I have friends that are obsessed and know everything about them, and I kind of just shrug my shoulders...I suppose it’s like a Disney prince and princess story that we watched from afar.” But this story is certainly not your typical royal love story, and that’s what makes it so compelling. “Alex’s arc as a character that has only dated women in the past—maybe a couple guy hookups—to not liking Henry, to getting kissed by Henry and then having a relationship. The different degrees of comfort that Alex starts to have, this needs to be represented in in a proper way.” 

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Christian entertainment has been on the rise in recent years. With the popularity of the new film ‘Sound of Freedom’ and the show ‘The Chosen,’ it does feel like Christian stories are gaining more and more mainstream prominence. Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott spoke with Paul Pond, the author of the Newsweek cover story ‘Jesus Takes Hollywood,’ about what he found in his reporting. We’ll also chat with Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus in the wildly popular show ‘The Chosen.’  

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Last December, fans of the series ‘Minx’ were dismayed when streaming service Max announced it was canceling the show about a ’70s erotic magazine for women. “We had heard ramblings,” says the show’s star, Ophelia Lovibond told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. But Starz stepped in and saved the series. (The second season premiered July 21.) “People are tweeting and sending messages, expressing their outrage [about the cancellation]...imagine if that had happened and it was like, ‘Good, I hate that show.’ [laughs]. It would have been awful.” Lovibond plays Joyce, the magazine’s feminist creator. “This season she’s in a completely different place in her life. She’s never been the girl invited to the party.” The series quickly became known for its abundance of male nudity. “After a while, it just becomes part of your workplace. I can’t imagine being an accountant and getting used to that, but filming a ’70s show about porn, it’s kind of par for the course.” But Lovibond credits intimacy coordinators for making the nude scenes professional. “It’s fundamentally changed the way you approach a scene.” 

Here’s the link to the last episode of the Parting Shot on Minx with Oscar Montoya and Nate Crnkovich: https://art19.com/shows/the-parting-shot/episodes/aedb4784-df5b-4d4c-a797-51b57473a6fa 

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If anyone in Hollywood has experienced every aspect of the business, it’s Jamie Lee Curtis. “I’ve been doing this for a long time with very little expectations. I’ve just had a really good time doing what I get to do, when [and] with who I get to do it with. You just never know when someone’s going to really love something,” Curtis told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. Fresh off her Oscar win for ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once,’ Curtis is keeping busy, first with Disney’s Haunted Mansion, bringing to life the mysterious Madame Leota. “I remember thinking, ‘Why is that woman in the crystal ball? What’s going on with her?’” She’s also receiving even more award buzz for her portrayal of the high-strung matriarch on Hulu’s ‘The Bear.’ “How many of us know people who are so desperate for help but then claim they don’t want it? It’s a beautiful portrait, the whole show.” If that wasn’t enough, she’s also out with a new graphic novel, ‘Mother Nature.’ Considering how busy she is, Curtis is unsure if she’ll have time to direct the film version. “I’m hoping to. The problem is, I’m getting work.” We’re certainly glad she has that problem. 

Pick up ‘Mother Nature’ wherever books are sold: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/713662/mother-nature-by-written-by-jamie-lee-curtis/ 

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If you ask Tiffany Haddish if she's a fan of a good crime story, the immediate response you'll get is, "Baby! I'll be watching. I love a good mystery." Which makes her the perfect person to play the detective in the Apple TV+ comedy-mystery series ‘The Afterparty’ (July 12). The second season of the series focuses on a murder at a wedding, with each episode told from the perspective of a different character. Haddish's episode is '90s themed. "It's sexy, it's the lighting, with the blinds and the sexy man." And being set at a wedding is great because of the "potential suspects,” she told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. "I love a good wedding. I hate when the ceremony is too long. The biggest commitments you make in life usually happen within minutes." With such a "super nice" cast, Haddish is surprised "no one got on my nerves. I mean, every time I was around, it was like good times. We were laughing. I'm thinking maybe I'm the one that might have been a little bit annoying." Later this summer, she'll be seen in Disney's ‘Haunted Mansion.’ "It's the coolest ride in the park...There's a story in every nook and cranny." 

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Andrew Rannells, best known for his roles in ‘Girls’ and ‘The Book of Mormon,’ asks a very important question in his new book: when will we ever feel like an adult? In ‘Uncle of the Year,’ Rannells writes about acting, aging, mental health, bad jobs, and much more. Are we all just pretending to be adults? And why are so many of us skipping out on things like marriage and children? Rannells chatted with Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott about this and so much more (including his return to Broadway with Josh Gad in ‘Gutenberg! The Musical!’).  

Pick up Andrew Rannells ‘Uncle of the Year’: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707443/uncle-of-the-year-by-andrew-rannells/ 

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On today’s episode, we’re talking Hollywood health fads. If there’s one thing the west coast lives, it’s a hot new alternative medicine, treatment, or spiritual experience. We’re talking things like Ozempic—the weight loss drug taking Hollywood by storm—naked retreats and hallucinogens. Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott talks with Thomas Fairman, director of WYLD, a naked retreat for men in nature that helps men find “what it takes to live a life of confidence and fulfillment in the modern world - without being overwhelmed, distracted or burnt out.” H. Alan also chatted with Clayton Farris, an actor and content creator, about how he uses hallucinogens to treat anxiety and depression.  

For more on Thomas Fairman, visit https://www.wyldmen.com. 

For more on Clayton Farris, follow him at https://www.instagram.com/claytonfarris. 

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We got off the couch to do this episode. (You hear that JD Vance?) From Vice President Kamala Harris picking Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her VP pick to Robert Kennedy Jr. being into bears—it’s not what you think, or maybe it is?—we’ve got a lot to go over this week. Comedian and writer Brent Sullivan joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to react to all the news from this week.  

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A new season of ‘And Just Like That’ is here and Evan Ross Katz joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to talk all about it—and spill some insider knowledge. There’s just something about ‘Sex and the City’ that has captured our attention ever since the HBO series started in 1998. (Can you believe it’s been around since 1998?!) Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha have gone on to represent little bits of who we are as we go through life, and that’s all because of the writing, of course, but also the actors: Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis and Kim Cattrall. Good or bad—and we’ve all seen the bad aka ‘Sex and the City 2’—we’re always going to show up for our girls.  

Follow Evan Ross Katz on Instagram: https://instagram.com/evanrosskatz 

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One of the most compelling villains to come out of ‘The Walking Dead’ was Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan, and now he’s back in ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ (June 18 on AMC). “Since we’ve last seen him, he’s not doing great,” Morgan told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. The story picks up two years after the original series, where Negan and Maggie (played by Lauren Cohan) came to a truce after Negan killed Maggie’s husband. “Some of the old Negan is back; he’s a showman and not afraid of violence.” The new series explores why Negan is so violent. “What was most important to me was that he wasn’t one note [in Dead City]; it would have been easy to be that same guy. How can we show other sides? A villain that’s interesting is [one] you can understand why he became a villain.” We’ll also “learn a little bit more about Negan’s life pre-Walking Dead.” And he’s more than happy to keep playing Negan. “I wouldn’t still be here if it hasn’t been one of the coolest experiences of my work life. I just feel incredibly blessed to be able to play what I think is one of the coolest villains in the history of film/TV.” 

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Everything has a story, including Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. In fact, the story behind the person who claims to have invented the flavor, Richard Montañez, was so good it warranted a film. “We worked very hard to make sure that it was entertaining as well as telling Richard’s story,” Jesse Garcia, who plays Montañez in the new Eva Longoria-directed film ‘Flamin’ Hot’ (June 9), told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. “When I first got the script, I knew the part was mine.” That’s because Garcia connected to Montañez’s story on a personal level. “He’s Mexican American, he came from not much money, which I didn’t either.... It’s the same story a lot of us have.” On the surface, the story is about the addictive spicy flavor. “It’s like Mexican food. You get just the right amount of heat where people can’t stop eating.” But at its core it’s a “universal” story. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from, or who you are, everyone can find something they can relate to.” And Garcia feels there needs to be more stories like this told. “We just need more opportunities. There’s still a battle, but I’m enjoying the ride.” 

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Asian food is one of the fastest growing dishes in popularity, and that’s almost exclusively because of its popularity on social media, particularly TikTok and Instagram. On today’s episode, Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott will chat with three experts on Asian cuisine: Kim Chi (RuPaul’s Drag Race) and Jon Kung from the podcast ‘1 For the Table,’ and Jimmy Guo, who came in second on Sweden’s Master Chef. Hopefully you’ll leave this episode hungry and eager to explore all the many amazing things Asian food has to offer.  

1 For the Table: https://www.instagram.com/1forthetable/ 

Kim Chi: https://www.instagram.com/kimchi_chic/ 

Jon Kung: https://www.instagram.com/jonkung/ 

Jimmy Guo: https://www.instagram.com/jimmyguo/ 

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Do you have what it takes to win Survivor? It’s a question millions of people ask themselves every season. Over the course of season 44 of the long-running CBS reality series, three players won the hearts of viewers: Carolyn, Yam Yam, and Carson. They started in the same tribe, and over the course of the season formed an alliance that took all of them to the end.  

Today Carson Garrett joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to discuss the season, his most embarrassing moment out there, how he feels about so many people responding to his physical transformation, those 3D printed puzzles, and so much more.  

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For Melissa McCarthy, playing Ursula in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid (May 26) started with terror. “That song [“Poor Unfortunate Souls”] looms so large for me that if I can't do it, I shouldn't be doing it,” McCarthy told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. Fortunately for us, she did it—and did it well. That’s partly because she saw Ursula as more than just a villain. “She’s not just ostracized, she's isolated...She's so in the gray murky area; one second it's real, the next it's a con, then a grift, then an attack, then it's just pain and vulnerability. She is such a complicated character.” The animated Ursula was heavily inspired by the drag queen Divine, which made the character even more rich for McCarthy. “There has never been a world without drag. And I do not care to ever see a world without drag.” Directed by Rob Marshall and with Halle Bailey as Ariel, McCarthy has nothing but praise for them. “He did this beautiful thing. He built the world we all want to live in. There's variety there. It's like everybody wins. Everybody has their seat at the table. Halle leads this movie with such strength. This isn't like girls need help from the prince. It's like Halle is charging to her destiny.” 

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Fresh off their Oscar wins for Everything Everywhere All at Once, Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan aren’t wasting time. They’ll next be seen in American Born Chinese (May 24 on Disney+). Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, the series follows teenager Jin Wang (Ben Wang) who is trying to find his own identity when he’s introduced to Chinese mythological characters that overturn his life. “It's about family. It's about love. It's about kindness,” Quan told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. Quan plays Freddy Wong, an actor from a popular ’90s sitcom whose character was based on painful Asian stereotypes. “Back then, a lot of the roles that were available to Asian actors were stereotypical, nd oftentimes the butt of the joke.” But, Quan says so much has changed since then. “That's why it's important to have representation. The more you see, the more you understand, and the less you're afraid of it.” Both Yeoh and Quan know a thing or two about the power of representation. Quan’s openness and vulnerability in sharing his story during the awards season shows how much has changed. “For some odd reason, and I couldn't even explain it, I just wanted to tell the world my story.” Oh, and yes, both Yeoh and Quan reveal where they keep their Oscars.  

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For Patrick Ta, a makeup artist and founder of Patrick Ta beauty, diversity and inclusion is central. Ta says it is “really important for me to make sure everyone is accounted for in campaigns or the product we make.” This direction comes from personal experience; growing up gay and Asian American, Ta says he rarely saw himself on billboards. “I wanted to make products that would empower people to feel comfortable in their own skin.” And he’s seeing that, particularly in younger fans. “I feel like kids these days are so lucky. I look at [them] and I’m like, God, you’re so unapologetically yourself and that makes me so happy.” Part of how Ta is making a difference for inclusive beauty is being visible in major retailers. “I feel really proud to be able to be in a brick-and-mortar such as Sephora because they are such a powerhouse.” But Ta knows that for a brand to succeed, the goal is to maintain interest and not always “wow,” which speaks to the natural and understated makeup he’s known for. “Instead of having constant peaks, we want to have a constant flow.” 

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The pool of people who can call themselves talk show hosts is very, very small, and Tamron Hall is keenly aware of that. “For me, it’s not about being highbrow or low,” Hall says about the Tamron Hall Show. “We are a celebrity daytime talk show, of course, but we have real people layered in.” And that’s part of the reason why Hall’s four-time Emmy winning show has been a success. “I don’t care if you are famous. I don’t care if you’re a writer. I don’t care what it is. I just need you to come to talk.” But the success of the show wasn’t guaranteed. “On paper people were like, ‘Oh, the lady that got fired,’” Hall said, referring to her departure from NBC’s Today show in 2017. But Hall’s transition from journalist to talk show host was seamless, finding the balance between reporting and the emotion in a guest’s story. “My role as a journalist is to walk into the room and not judge.” And when someone comes “to play,” that’s when “it’s such an exhilarating [job], it’s so fun.” 

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Are you smart enough to be on Jeopardy? This week Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott chats with Buzzy Cohen, Jeopardy champion and host of the new podcast ‘This Is Jeopardy! The Story of America’s Favorite Quiz Show.’ The two talk about the show’s legacy, Alex Trebek, and how exactly does one prepare to be on Jeopardy (turns out, some physical fitness is involved). 

Check out the podcast: https://greatpods.co/podcast/this-is-jeopardy-the-story-of-americas-favorite-quiz-show 

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There was a time when it felt like everyone in America was watching American Idol. It made superstars out of contestants like Kelly Clarkson, Fantasia and Carrie Underwood. But was there also something else going on? Did we ever question how many of the more marginalized contestants were treated? That’s something journalist Nico Lang explored in their article ‘LGBTQ+ Contestants Say ‘American Idol’ Failed Them: ‘I Saw the Worst of It,’ originally published in Rolling Stone. On today’s episode, Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott speaks with Nico about what they found, and to two of the people featured in the article, Jim Verraros, who competed on the first season of the series, and Atläs, or competed on the 8th season of the series. They share their experiences on the show and how it impacted them after the cameras went away.  

Read Nico’s article at https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/american-idol-lgbtq-contestants-1235027350/ 

Follow Jim Verraros at https://www.instagram.com/jimverraros/ 

Follow Atläs at https://www.instagram.com/partyxmonster/ 

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When you’re in a film adapted from a beloved young adult novel like ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ (April 28), every aspect of the movie has to be just right, so obviously directors turn to Kathy Bates. “I think the heart of acting is dress up...you play dress up and finally this character appears,” Bates told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. She plays Sylvia, Margaret’s grandmother, one of many obstacles Margaret must contend with as she faces puberty, adolescence, religion and discovering her early sexuality in the 1970s. To find Sylvia, Bates remembers something Jessica Tandy once told her. “We’re doing our kitchen work. We’re gathering all this stuff for the soup and putting this in the pot and that in the pot,” until a character appears. Bates has been doing great “kitchen work” for years, but credits Ryan Murphy for “kicking off this third act” after her Emmy-winning turn on ‘American Horror Story.’ She hasn’t stopped working since. Bates recently wrapped a new iteration of the drama series ‘Matlock,’ which she says is “not your grandmother’s Matlock.” “Spending 50 years of your life doing something you love, I’m so grateful.” Over the course of their chat, Bates reveals her favorite film performance, and it’s not the one you’re thinking of.  

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Characterizing Keri Russell’s new show ‘The Diplomat’ (Netflix, April 20) is difficult, but that’s part of its charm. “The drama of politics, the absurdity of that kind of politics, the pomp and circumstance mixed in with a complicated marriage,” Russell told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. Sounds intense, but in fact “it’s a bit saucy.” Russell plays Kate Wyler, a career diplomat “plucked from the Middle East to go and host tea parties and talk to stylists” as the new U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom amid an international crisis. The tone of the show blends high-stakes drama with the humor of being a fish out of water, which is “part of the joke and the fun.” The seamless blend in tone is credited to the show’s creator, Debora Cahn. “I don’t think she could write something that is super serious without a joke in it. That’s just the nature of who she is.” Russell, who recently starred in ‘Cocaine Bear,’ is intentionally focusing on the lighter fare. “The world is so hard, at least since COVID. I just feel like I’ve been way more drawn to the lighter stuff, something brighter. Because the world is crazy town right now.” 

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For the past year or so, there’s been a spotlight on drag in the United States, and not just because of the popularity of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ From state to state, legislators have been introducing and implementing legislation that would restrict drag performers from many facets of life, particularly in the presence of children. Is it legal for legislators to do this? Is this just a culture war issue Republicans are using to boost their profile in the 2024 presidential election? And what impact will some of these laws have on particularly vulnerable communities like transgender Americans? Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott invited Kristal Knight of ‘The Kristal Knight Show’ to discuss the politics of it, and Nina West from ‘Drag Race’ to discuss how this is impacting the LGBTQIA+ community.   

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Hello Tomorrow! on Apple TV+ is both familiar and something we’ve never seen before. “It’s representing materially and metaphorically, America as it once was, America as it will be and America as it is now,” Billy Crudup told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott about the new series, currently streaming. Crudup plays Jack, a salesman in a retro-futuristic United States, tasked with selling condos on the moon while his life begins to unravel. On the surface, it looks like 1950s America, but with futuristic elements like hovering cars and gadgets. “The actual fabric of the universe is both comforting, aspirational and disconcerting.” And that element is what’s most exciting to Crudup about the world created by Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen. Ultimately the show inspires a conversation about the American dream. “The more time we spend wishing for a better reality, in my estimation, the less time we get in reality and the less chance we have of actually changing reality, because you’re not living with the constituent parts of your day-to-day life if you’re constantly thinking about tomorrow.” 

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How has TV impacted our lives? If you ask Fenton Bailey (co-producer of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and co-founder of World of Wonder), TV has a had a huge impact on our lives, and he wrote all about it in ‘ScreenAge: How TV Shaped Our Reality from Tammy Faye to RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ Beyond telling the history of World of Wonder (from his early days with RuPaul in the 80’s in New York City to creating award-winning documentaries about Tammy Faye Bakker, Monica Lewinsky and on club kid culture of the 90’s), Bailey goes deep into why TV is way more than the distant cousin of movies, it is, in fact, a potent force in pop culture. Seriously, if you love TV and pop culture, this chat is for you.  

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The Paris Hilton you think you know isn’t the real Paris. “I’m not a dumb blonde. I was just very good at pretending to be one,” Hilton told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. She writes about this and more in ‘Paris: The Memoir’ (Dey Street Books, March 14). “A lot of what I did with this character was just a trauma response to all the abuse that I went through as a teenager.” Placed in the controversial Provo Canyon School, a mental health treatment center for girls, Paris writes candidly about the abuse she suffered. “When I was coming out of Provo, I definitely modeled my character on Marilyn Monroe.” When you know this about Paris, you begin to understand so much about her. Now a new wife and mother—“I didn’t even know what love was until I met this baby”—Paris, who says she always felt “judged” and “alone” as a young woman, is ready to share her story on her terms. “I’ve lived this crazy, amazing life, but there’s also been so many hard times, and I just wanted to put it all out there because I’m proud of the woman that I am today and everything that I’ve been through. I’m a bada**.” 

Visit ParisHilton.com to learn more about the memoir.  

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This week we’re breaking down who will be the big winners (and losers) at this year’s Academy Awards. Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott is joined by entertainment reporter Cameron Scheetz for a lively chat about the major Oscar categories. They ask the big questions, like: Will ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ be the big winner? Could Cate Blanchett really win her third Oscar? And the most shocking question of the them all: could ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ actually win Best Picture? 

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If you're going to add on to the legacy of a classic Mel Brooks film, you've got to do it with a parade of superstars (and, of course, the blessing of Brooks himself). That's exactly what Nick Kroll has done with Hulu's ‘History of the World, Part II’ (March 6). "You can expect an insane cast, " Kroll told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. The cast includes Wanda Sykes, Taika Waititi, Jay Ellis and Sarah Silverman, among others. "Our goal was to continue to be provocative, but not necessarily preachy and political." And even if they aren't political, Kroll says Brooks' target in his work "has almost always been those in power, and how they are largely dumb and greedy." Part of the reason why Brooks, Kroll and the other producers wanted to do this was to expand on the diverse set of voices and stories that need to be told from history. "There's just so many interesting stories that we all sort of take for granted." And there's even something for fans of Brooks' other films. "We really try to pay homage...you're going to hear jokes from ‘The Producers,’ from ‘Young Frankenstein,’ from ‘Spaceballs,’ like little Easter eggs and callbacks." 

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Never has a title fit a show's subject more than Eugene Levy's new Apple TV+ travel show ‘The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy’ (February 24). When the idea was pitched to him, he thought, "That's so not me. What am I going to do? I don't care to travel that much,” Levy told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. But he came around when he realized that's the show. For example, how does someone like Levy approach a night hike in the Costa Rican rainforest? "I didn't get any enjoyment out of it. 'Watch out for that spider.' Okay, you know what? We don't need that. I get it, but I would really rather be back at the hotel bar." What about the food in Finland? "I wasn't quite sure what the diet would be. I'm not a big fish eater. What's left? Reindeer?" But Levy soon realized "you can't say you don't want to go to a place if you haven't been to the place" and that "this show has gotten me through some things. I absolutely surprised myself." He adds, "I think it's really been good for me. At this age, 76, to have had the opportunity to do this, to say yes to do it....Now I kind of see the other side." 

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It seems like there are a ton of award shows these days (because there are), but there’s one that started it all: the Academy Awards. For better or worse, it’s the one awards show that all are judged against. But the history of the awards says less about what was ever actually best and worst of the year, and more about film history and even the history of Hollywood itself. Today Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott chats with Michael Shulman, author of ‘Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat and Tears.’ If you’re a film lover, then this is the chat for you.  

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The parting shot for this week was going to be about Vice President Kamala Harris’ nearly perfect week, but then former President Donald Trump went and said Harris isn’t really Black (which just defies logic) and well, that statement fully torpedoed all the news for the week. SiriusXM’s John Arthur Hill joins Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to react to all the news from this very “weird” week. (And yes, Megan Thee Stallion twerking is discussed.)  

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Nowadays, if you're cast in a Marvel film, it's like winning the lottery. But it didn't start that way for Evangeline Lilly, who stars alongside Paul Rudd in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 17). "I was late to the Marvel game because I wasn't into superhero movies." But after watching them, "I came away feeling like I'd won the jackpot." For the third installment in the Ant-Man franchise, Lilly's Hope Van Dyne aka Wasp faces many changes: she's in love with Rudd's Scott Lang; the return of her mother, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) and dealing with an issue with her father, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas). Lilly says Hope is "so tough and cool, but then there's this softness that comes through." Lilly credits Marvel's ability to mix a story about superheroes with "relevant, current political themes." They're seemingly able to "always feel like they're just slightly ahead of the curve in that way. And the only way you can be on the pulse in Hollywood is if you're ahead." And, of course, "they're doing it with such awareness that these are adults in tights." 

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There’s just something special about a good reality competition show, and Peacock’s ‘Traitors’ certainly delivers. Hosted by Alan Cumming, it’s one of those shows that you start to watch and then can’t stop—which is exactly what happened to Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. On today’s Parting Shot, Cumming joins Scott to talk about his time on the show and why it’s his campiest role. We also talked about the nail-biting suspense of that finale. Honestly, if you’ve watched the show, you need to listen to this chat. And if you haven’t watched the show, go watch it now and then listen to this chat.

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When you’re in a M. Night Shyamalan movie, it’s easy to understand an actor obsessing over the eventual twists that are surely to come. But as Jonathan Groff experienced in Shyamalan’s new film Knock at the Cabin (February 3), it’s easy to get “lost” in the story. “We're really submitting to his vision and trying to help him achieve exactly what he wants,” Groff told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. Groff plays Andrew, a father held hostage with his partner and young daughter by criminals who force them to make an impossible decision to avert the end of the apocalypse. Groff says he understood Andrew “in a primal way” and that this was “the first time I've ever done a horror movie. So, it was a real education.”  For an actor so known for his voice, both in the Frozen franchise (as Kristoff), but also in Broadway musicals like Spring Awakening and Hamilton, the difference between stage and screen is huge. “I've really appreciated my time doing film and television, because it really keeps me on my toes” and that “there is something really freeing about the intimacy of film and TV that I really love.” 

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For Natasha Lyonne, humor is essential for any detective mystery. “I do love that sense of television where it’s a very light touch. It’s a little bit, hey, come hang out again,” Lyonne told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott on the latest Parting Shot. She teamed up with Knives Out creator Rian Johnson to make Poker Face (Peacock, January 26). Lyonne plays Charlie Cale, who has the gift to decipher when people are lying, as she encounters crimes from quirky characters. “While she does have this undeniable gift, she’s definitely not a superhero or a magician.” Still, Charlie isn’t your typical detective. She’s “much closer to Jeff Bridges in Big Lebowski. She’s the dude. She’s really got this attitude of how did this crime fall into my apartment? I’m just sort of hanging out.” But the most important thing is to connect with the character, and that’s where the humor comes in. “In a detective show, it’s almost a way of saying that despite the impossible circumstances, [you] know that your rock in this series still has their wits about them and almost suspending disbelief that they’ll be able to get out of the twisted [case] they find themselves in.” 

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Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott woke up extra early to give you his first reactions to the Oscar nominations for the 95th Academy Awards. Listen as he finds out who the nominees are. And follow Newsweek as we cover all things Oscar until the big show on March 12, 2023.  

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It isn’t every day you get to speak with an Oscar winner, but today is your lucky day. Octavia Spencer joined Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott on the latest episode to talk about her hit Apple TV+ series ‘Truth Be Told,’ where she keeps her Oscar, and so much more. She said playing Poppy Scoville-Parnell, a true-crime podcaster out to solve crimes on Truth Be Told (January 20 on Apple TV+), was always in the cards for Octavia Spencer. “I've had this affinity for true-crime and investigative journalism. So it was just a natural progression.” Now in its third season, Spencer says, it’s “a deep intense season, and it actually is our best season because it's tied to something meaningful and real.” Spencer is joined by Gabrielle Union, who she says “is such a brilliant comedic actress and she's coming into her own as a dramatic actress.” Their two characters must solve the case of a missing girl. For Spencer, what makes the true-crime genre so appealing is that “there's something about being an active member of the investigation as a viewing audience member, you are actively a part of the investigation.” In recent years Spencer has expanded her credits to include producing. “The question always comes up, what is the role you're destined to play, and at this age and stage of my life, I would say that it's definitely that of a producer. A person who generates work and creates opportunities not just for myself.”

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Today we’re chatting about everything RuPaul’s Drag Race! Joining Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott are two Drag Race experts: longtime judge Ross Mathews and past winner and host of the Drag Race podcast ‘Race Chaser,’ the one and only Alaska Thunderf*ck. They talk season 15, the show’s move to MTV, and so much more. 

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When it comes to dolls, you either love them, think they’re creepy, or are indifferent. Fortunately for Allison Williams, she falls into the latter category. “I don’t have a deep-seated doll aversion,” Williams told Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott. Which makes her the perfect person to star in a film like ‘M3GAN’ (January 6), about a realistic robot doll that is supposed to be a child’s best friend, but turns out to be everybody’s worst enemy. Williams plays Gemma, M3GAN’s creator, who suddenly is forced to care for her niece after her sister’s untimely death. “This very human thing happens to her and she does not know how to deal with it, and she reaches for the thing that is most successful and understandable to her, which is a piece of technology.” While the film is scary, it’s also funny. It opens with an absurd yet realistic toy commercial. “They’re just like one degree off the mark, which is what allows it to be funny.” But for Williams, what stood out was how much of a “Bechdel dream” for female representation M3GAN is. “This movie is not about she’s got it all, but she doesn’t have a guy. It’s not about that.”

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Looking back at the year that was, there’s one guest who stands out as defining one for Newsweek’s Parting Shot: Bette Midler. She joined Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott to talk about ‘Hocus Pocus 2,’ but they also talked about her career, ‘The First Wives Club’ and the 50th anniversary of her debut album ‘The Divine Miss M.’ So enjoy this trip down memory lane with H. Alan, and thanks for listening to the podcast this year. Many, many exciting guests and episodes await you in 2023. 

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Some people are so big, it’s almost impossible to think of any actor portraying them. But when they do, and do it right, like Naomi Ackie has as Whitney Houston in ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ (December 23), it’s magic. “How do you humanize someone who you’ve held to such high esteem for so long? That is what she needs, though,” Ackie told Newsweek’s Parting Shot. Ackie says “I initially came in being like ‘I have to be exactly like Whitney,’” but admits, “I’m not a shapeshifter, but I do know how to tell a good story.” While she thought she knew Houston’s story, like so many of us, she only knew part of it. Growing up, Whitney “served me with her music, and I just thought it was a given. I didn’t think about the backstory. I didn’t know.” Perhaps part of the reason why we didn’t know was that “her illness of addiction wasn’t dealt with, there was an unkindness about [not] empathizing what it must feel like to have so many people expect so much of you all the time.” But ultimately, Ackie hopes this film can be a “small part of undoing some of that work.”

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M. Night Shyamalan is probably the only person who looked at Josh Hartnett and thought he’d make a great serial killer, but Hartnett is glad he did. “This is going to surprise people. It’s a little bit different than other films that he’s made.” In Trap, Hartnett plays Cooper, a killer inadvertently lured to a concert with his teenage daughter as a trap set up by authorities to catch him. While that may seem like it’s giving too much of the plot away, Hartnett says viewers will see there’s so much more going on. “It’s all about your hope that people will be taken on the journey, and you don’t want to ruin it for them.” Fresh off appearing in last year’s Best Picture Oscar-winning film Oppenheimer, there’s been renewed interest in his past work. “It’s nice to hear that people are responding to films I did earlier in my career because I think a lot of them were really cool.” Hartnett skyrocketed to fame at 20 with hits like The Faculty and The Virgin Suicides. “I didn’t think I was going to be successful. And then when the movies became successful, it was almost confusing.”

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Today we’re doing a deep dive into holiday pop culture with Danny Pellegrino and Jake Cohen. Danny is the New York Times bestselling author of ‘How Do I Un-Remember This?’ and host of the Everything Iconic podcast. Jake is also a New York Times bestselling author of the cookbook ‘Jew-ish.’ I chatted with the two of them about holiday movies, food and traditions that we just can’t get enough of for Christmas and Hanukkah. 

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Jake’s new merch: https://represent.com/store/jakecohen

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Hollywood nepotism is, to put it bluntly, unhinged. Discovering new talent is so rare these days. It always feels like you see some new person in a TV show or movie, they’re doing a good job, only to discover they’re the son or daughter of some celebrity or producer or director. Even though that doesn’t take away from their talent, it does change how you look at them. So when you see a new talent, freshly discovered, it’s exciting. So today we’re spotlighting two amazing new talents: Micheal Ward from the new film ‘Empire of Light’—whose performance is generating a lot of Oscar buzz—and Mallori Johnson, star of the new FX limited series ‘Kindred,’ based on the bestselling novel. 

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With the second season of Hulu’s ‘The Kardashians’ coming to a close, and amid the scandals surrounding Kim Kardashian currently (Kanye West, the Balenciaga photo scandal, etc.), are the Kardashians as a brand still culturally relevant? When ‘Keeping Up with the Kardashians’ premiered on E! in 2007, the family became a pop culture sensation. Over the years we’ve seen everything (literally), their lives have been lived in front of a camera, both the ones they invite in and the intrusive lens of the paparazzi. But considering the reviews for their new Hulu series aren’t great and as they become increasingly out of touch, one must wonder how long they’ll last. 

Newsweek’s H. Alan Scott invited Naomi Smalls from ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ to talk all things Kardashian. Smalls herself knows a thing or two about living life in the spotlight, so she’s a fitting guest (not to mention she’s been watching the Kardashians from the beginning). The two chat about the family’s impact on culture, social media, and how they’ve come to define an entire generation. 

Visit Newsweek.com to learn more about the podcasts we offer and to catch up on the latest news. While you’re there, subscribe to Newsweek’s ‘For the Culture’ newsletter. Follow H. Alan Scott on everything at @HAlanScott.  

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