Entertainment
Lisa Kudrow on making “The Comeback”
After 40 years in showbiz, Lisa Kudrow is making a “comeback.” Her HBO series, “The Comeback,” is the story of a faded sitcom star, Valerie Cherish, who signs on to a reality show about her attempts to stage a comeback.
It’s equal parts funny and cringey, and so is the show’s back-story.
Created by Emmy-winner Kudrow and former “Sex and the City” boss Michael Patrick King, “The Comeback” premiered in 2005. It was canceled after one season, but became a cult favorite, and so the show was revived for a second season in 2014.
After that, it was shelved again. But now, a dozen years later, it’s back for season three, starting on HBO tonight.
To watch a trailer for “The Comeback” click on the video player below:
We went to a taping at Warner Brothers in November, and it was clear that even after a decade away from Valerie Cherish, Kudrow hadn’t missed a step.
Asked how it feels to be back in Valerie’s shoes, Kudrow described it as “unsettlingly comfortable.”
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Some things were missing. Actor Robert Michael Morris, who played Valerie’s loyal hairdresser, Mickey, died of cancer in 2017. And after that, Kudrow thought “The Comeback” was over. “It was a no for me,” she said. “I don’t know how to do it without Mickey. Unh-uh. Don’t know how to do it without Mickey. No. No, no, no. No, no, no.”
But eventually she and King figured out a way to do a third season and honor Mickey, all while tackling issues like AI and a rapidly changing TV world. Among the new faces on the set: a tech guy played by Kudrow’s real-life son, Julian Stern.
What was it like to have her son on set? “Oh, it was heaven,” Kudrow said. “It’s my baby! But he’s a grown man and beard, you know? Yeah. I was nervous for him, his first, like, table read. But he was great.”
Julian’s been on a TV set before. When her “Friends” character Phoebe was pregnant, Kudrow was actually pregnant with Julian. What’s more, “The Comeback” is being shot on Warner Brothers’ Soundstage 24 – the very same set where most of the 236 episodes of “Friends” were filmed.
CBS News
Was it special being back in the same place? “Yeah,” Kudrow said. “On different levels, it definitely is. We finished up ‘Friends,’ which was one of the biggest things in my professional life, and life, period. And now I’m finishing up ‘The Comeback’ trilogy, same place where I finished the other most important thing. So, yeah, that made me a little emotional. “
Maybe more than a little? “Maybe more emotional. It did, yeah. And my nose is running now. I don’t cry, but my nose runs.
“I never went through that period of, ‘No, no, I don’t want to talk about “Friends.” I have to move on, and I want to play other characters. And no, you have to know me from …’ No, no, that’s fine,” she said.
And why is that? “Because ‘Friends’ gave me everything. It just did. And I loved being Phoebe. I loved the whole experience. And it’s fine if all you know that I’ve ever done is ‘Friends.’ How could I not be okay with that?”
Of course, some of the memories are bittersweet. Castmate Matthew Perry died in 2023 from a drug overdose at age 54. During the 2021 “Friends” reunion special, Kudrow admitted she rarely watched the series. But after Perry’s death, she says she found solace in old episodes.
“I think I was self-conscious if anyone walked by and saw me watching my own show; it embarrassed me,” she said. “But then, when Matthew passed away, there were marathons, and I watched it. And it really, it did comfort me. So, I very recently just started watching ‘Friends’ before going to bed. ‘Cause I didn’t see all of ’em.”
She says she’s even surprised by some of what happens. “And it’s funny!”
Asked if she thinks there’ll be another reunion of the cast, Kudrow said, “I don’t know. I don’t think so. You never know, like, why or how. Maybe it would make sense. I don’t know. Right now, I don’t think it does.”
Right now, Kudrow is focused on “The Comeback,” and Valerie Cherish, yet another iconic character that audiences just can’t seem to let go.
Is it possible she would revisit Phoebe Buffay? “I don’t know; that’s a good question,” she said. “It’s not out of the realm. I’ll just do things I did before!”
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Watch an extended interview with Lisa Kudrow (Video)
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Story produced by John D’Amelio. Editor: Steven Tyler.
Entertainment
King Charles health update leaves Prince William worried: ‘upsetting’
Prince William appears to be growing worried for his cancer-stricken father King Charles after the latest health update causes major concerns in the Palace.
The Prince of Wales, who has been receiving more significant duties from the Palace, is fully aware of his royal in the family but he also deeply cares for his father.
King Charles, along with Queen Camilla, were joined by the Prince and Princess of Wales for Nigeria’s State Banquet last week, and William had expressed his concerns about the monarch’s health at the time.
However, he was quickly shut down by Camilla. According to an insider cited by Closer, William “did not feel Charles was well enough” for the engagements.
“William wants his father to slow down and take a proper step back,” the source said. However, every time William had brough it up, there’s a sense that Camilla “is encouraging Charles to continue his duty, especially at a time the family is receiving so much criticism”.
The heir to the throne believes that his father will improve if he is allowed to take proper rest.
“It’s very upsetting for him because he can see how quickly his father Charles is deteriorating and he feels totally helpless to do anything about it,” the source noted, adding that Camilla “blocks him at every turn”.
Meanwhile, King Charles is “incredibly proud” and he wants to continue as long as he possibly can. Even though William admires the trait in his father but he believes there has to be a line.
Entertainment
Zayn Malik shares personal video message on ‘Mind of Mine’ 10th anniversary
Zayn Malik is celebrating 10 years of his debut solo album Mind of Mine with a heartfelt message.
Earlier this week, the former One Direction star took to his Instagram Stories to post a short video of himself sharing the milestone with his supporters.
Clad in a black leather jacket the Dusk Till Dawn hitmaker expressed his gratitude for all the love all this time.
“Zayn here,” he began in the brief clip. “It’s been exactly 10 years since the release of Mind of Mind, so I thought I’d just do a little video just to say thank you so much for all the support.”
“Love you guys,” the Die For Me singer continued. “It means the world.”
He wrapped up the personal video message, joking, “hopefully I don’t look too old,” flashed a bright smile and waved at his admirers.
For the unversed, Zayn, now 32, released Mind of Mine, his debut solo studio album on March 25, 2016.
It came out exactly one year after his departure from the boy band, consisting of Liam Payne (late), Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.
The lead single, Pillowtalk, debuted at number one in both the UK and US, making Zayn the first British male artist to achieve this with a debut single.
He dropped Like I Would as the second official single, which leaned more toward an uptempo, dance-pop sound.
A collaboration, titled Wrong, with American singer Kehlani served as the final single from the album.
Moreover, a notable track is Intermission: Flower, a Sufi devotional sung in Urdu, reflecting Zayn’s British-Pakistani heritage.
Entertainment
Antonio Banderas opens up on ethnic stereotyping in Hollywood
Antonio Banderas has spoken candidly about the ethnic stereotyping he faced when he first arrived in Hollywood, recalling being told bluntly that his Hispanic background limited him to villainous roles, and explaining why breaking out of that box still means so much to him.
“They said, you are here, like the blacks and the Hispanics, to play the bad guys,” the Oscar-nominated actor told The Times.
The irony of what came next is something he clearly savours.
“The problem was a few years later I had a mask, hat, sword and cape and the bad guy was Captain Love, who was blond and had blue eyes.”
That role was, of course, Zorro, the gutsy hero Banderas played in The Mask of Zorro in 1998 and The Legend of Zorro in 2005.
But it was a cat, not a swordsman, that he considers the most culturally significant step forward.
Puss in Boots, the character he first voiced in Shrek 2 in 2004, reached an audience that nothing else could quite match.
“Even more important is Puss in Boots, because it’s for young kids. They see a cat that has a Spanish, even an Andalusian accent and he’s a good guy.”
He has now voiced the character across five films, including the critically lauded Puss in Boots: The Last Wish in 2022, which earned an Oscar nomination.
However, the 65-year-old confirmed last year that he has not yet been approached for Shrek 5, due in cinemas on 30 June 2027.
“I’m not so far, and I’m not being called for that,” he told Parade.
“Puss in Boots did very well. Number two got a nomination for the Oscar, and the movie behaved beautifully at the box office. But I am totally satisfied with the five Puss in Boots that I did. I don’t know what is going to happen in the future. Maybe they [will] call me tomorrow.”
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