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“Emilia Perez” Star Karla Sofía Gascón Earns Historic Academy Awards Nomination

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Karla Sofía Gascón has made Academy Awards history….

The 2025 Oscar nominations have been announced, with the 52-year-old Spanish actress  earning a nod, making her the first openly trans person ever to be nominated in an acting category.

Karla Sofía GascónGascón is recognized in the Best Actress category for her leading role in Jacques Audiard’s musical Netflix film, Emilia Pérez. Her nomination comes on the heels of recent Golden Globe, SAG Awards and BAFTA Film Awards nominations for Gascón’s breakthrough performance. 

In Emilia Pérez, Gascón stars as a cartel leader who turns to Mexico City lawyer Rita (Zoë Saldaña), to help her live as her authentic self. Selena Gomez stars as Emilia’s wife Jessi and Adriana Paz as Emilia’s girlfriend Epifanía.

Gascón first made awards history with the role at the Cannes Film Festival when all four actresses shared the Best Actress award, with Gascón being the first openly trans actress ever to win the prize.

In October, Gascón discussed her feelings around representation with Deadline, saying, “I represent, obviously, the minority that I represent. But I think that I represent a lot of people in this world that want, or need, to be free. I’m talking about my colleagues, other actors that are coming up, that started from the bottom and have been working for a long time and have felt that rejection and continue to work and continue to learn and continue to grow. I think that’s maybe one of the very important groups of people that I represent. And I hope that I represent hope for my colleagues.”

Gascón’s co-star, Saldaña, has earned her first-ever Oscars nomination.

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress is nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for portraying Rita in the Netflix film.

Fernanda Torres has earned her first Oscar nod.

The 59-year-old Brazilian screen and stage actress and writer landed a Best Actress nomination this morning for her leading turn in Walter Salles’ latest I’m Still Here.

Torres is only the second Brazilian actress to receive an Oscar nomination. The first was her mother, Fernanda Montenegro, who was nominated in 1999 for Central Station, also directed by Salles.

Monica Barbaro has earned her first-ever Oscar nomination.

Barbaro is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as folk legend Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown.

Colman Domingo is celebrating a second consecutive Best Actor nod.

The 55-year-old Emmy-winning Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and activist, a best actor nominee last year for Rustin, is nominated this year for Sing Sing.

He’s the first person to earn best actor Oscar nominations in back-to-back years since Denzel Washington did so for Fences in 2017 and Roman J. Israel, Esq. in 2018.

Domingo garnered his second Oscar nomination on Thursday after making history last year as the first Afro-Latino to be nominated in the best actor category.

Rachel Sennott and Bowen Yang announced this year’s nominees live at 5:30 a.m. PT from the Film Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.

Walter Salles has two Oscar nominations this year…

 Previously nominated in 1999 in the Best International Feature Film category for Central Station, The 68-year-old Brazilian filmmaker and film editor is nominated for Best Picture and Best International Feature Film for helming I’m Still Here.

The 97th Academy Awards, hosted by Conan O’Brien, will air live coast-to-coast on Sunday, March 2, from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood, starting at 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET, continuing with the earlier start time the show debuted last year, on ABC and Hulu.

Here’s a complete list of the 2025 Oscar nominees:

Best Picture
Anora (Alex Coco, Samantha Quan and Sean Baker, Producers)
The Brutalist (Nominees to be determined)
A Complete Unknown (Fred Berger, James Mangold and Alex Heineman, Producers)
Conclave (Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Michael A. Jackman, Producers)
Dune: Part Two (Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe and Denis Villeneuve, Producers)
Emilia Pérez (Nominees to be determined)
I’m Still Here (Nominees to be determined)
Nickel Boys (Nominees to be determined)
The Substance (Nominees to be determined)
Wicked (Marc Platt, Producer)

Directing
Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez
Sean Baker, Anora
Brady Corbet, The Brutalist
Coralie Fargeat, The Substance
James Mangold, A Complete Unknown

Actor in a Leading Role
Adrien Brody, The Brutalist
Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
Ralph Fiennes, Conclave
Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Actress in a Leading Role
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez
Mikey Madison, Anora
Demi Moore, The Substance
Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Actor in a Supporting Role
Yura Borisov, Anora
Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain
Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown
Guy Pearce, The Brutalist
Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Actress in a Supporting Role
Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown
Ariana Grande, Wicked
Felicity Jones, The Brutalist
Isabella Rossellini, Conclave
Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
A Complete Unknown (Screenplay by James Mangold and Jay Cocks)
Conclave (Screenplay by Peter Straughan)
Emilia Pérez (Screenplay by Jacques Audiard; In collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi)
Nickel Boys (Screenplay by RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes)
Sing Sing (Screenplay by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, John “Divine G” Whitfield)

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Anora (Written by Sean Baker)
The Brutalist (Written by Brady Corbet, Mona Fastvold)
A Real Pain (Written by Jesse Eisenberg)
September 5 (Written by Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum; Co-Written by Alex David)
The Substance (Written by Coralie Fargeat)

Animated Feature Film
Flow (Nominees to be determined)
Inside Out 2 (Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen)
Memoir of a Snail (Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney)
Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Nominees to be determined)
The Wild Robot (Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann)

Animated Short Film
Beautiful Men (Nicolas Keppens and Brecht Van Elslande)
In the Shadow of the Cypress (Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi)
Magic Candies (Daisuke Nishio and Takashi Washio)
Wander to Wonder (Nina Gantz and Stienette Bosklopper)
Yuck! (Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet)

Cinematography
The Brutalist (Lol Crawley)
Dune: Part Two (Greig Fraser)
Emilia Pérez (Paul Guilhaume)
Maria (Ed Lachman)
Nosferatu (Jarin Blaschke)

Costume Design
A Complete Unknown (Arianne Phillips)
Conclave (Lisy Christl)
Gladiator II (Janty Yates and Dave Crossman)
Nosferatu (Linda Muir)
Wicked (Paul Tazewell)

Film Editing
Anora (Sean Baker)
The Brutalist (David Jancso)
Conclave (Nick Emerson)
Emilia Pérez (Juliette Welfling)
Wicked (Myron Kerstein)

Makeup and Hairstyling
A Different Man (Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado)
Emilia Pérez (Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini)
Nosferatu (David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne Stokes-Munton)
The Substance (Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli)
Wicked (Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth)

Live-Action Short Film
A Lien (Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz)
Anuja (Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai)
I’m Not a Robot (Victoria Warmerdam and Trent)
The Last Ranger (Cindy Lee and Darwin Shaw)
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent (Nebojša Slijepčević and Danijel Pek)

Music (Original Score)
The Brutalist (Daniel Blumberg)
Conclave (Volker Bertelmann)
Emilia Pérez (Clément Ducol and Camille)
Wicked (John Powell and Stephen Schwartz)
The Wild Robot (Kris Bowers)

Music (Original Song)
“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez (Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard)
“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight (Music and Lyric by Diane Warren)
“Like a Bird” from Sing Sing (Music and Lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada)
“Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez (Music and Lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol)
“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late (Music and Lyric by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin)

Documentary Feature Film
Black Box Diaries (Shiori Ito, Eric Nyari and Hanna Aqvilin)
No Other Land (Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham)
Porcelain War (Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Aniela Sidorska and Paula DuPre’ Pesmen)
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius and Rémi Grellety)
Sugarcane (Nominees to be determined)

Documentary Short Film
Death by Numbers (Kim A. Snyder and Janique L. Robillard)
I Am Ready, Warden (Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp)
Incident (Bill Morrison and Jamie Kalven)
Instruments of a Beating Heart (Ema Ryan Yamazaki and Eric Nyari)
The Only Girl in the Orchestra (Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington)

International Feature Film
I’m Still Here (Brazil)
The Girl With the Needle (Denmark)
Emilia Pérez (France)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany)
Flow (Latvia)

Production Design
The Brutalist (Production Design: Judy Becker; Set Decoration: Patricia Cuccia)
Conclave (Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter)
Dune: Part Two (Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau)
Nosferatu (Production Design: Craig Lathrop; Set Decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová)
Wicked (Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales)

Sound
A Complete Unknown (Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco)
Dune: Part Two (Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill)
Emilia Pérez (Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta)
Wicked (Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis)
The Wild Robot (Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff Lefferts)

Visual Effects
Alien: Romulus (Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin and Shane Mahan)
Better Man (Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft and Peter Stubbs)
Dune: Part Two (Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe and Gerd Nefzer)
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story and Rodney Burke)
Wicked (Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk and Paul Corbould)

José Andrés Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom from U.S. President Joe Biden

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José Andrés has earned a presidential honor…

The 55-year-old Spanish chef, restaurateur and philanthropist is among the 19 individuals who have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Joe Biden.

Jose Andres, Joe Biden, Presidential Medal of FreedomDuring a special ceremony on Saturday, Andrés was recognized for his work with the World Central Kitchen, the organization he founded that the White House says “has revolutionized the way food aid reaches communities affected by natural disasters and conflict around the world.”

Biden praised Andrés’ unwavering commitment to nourishing communities affected by disasters.

“You answered the call to serve and led others to do the same thing,” President Biden said, addressing the award recipients during the ceremony. “You leave an incredible mark on our country, of insight and influence that can be felt around the globe—in major cities and remote areas alike—binding us closer as people and showing us what’s possible as a nation.”

In 2010, Andrés traveled to Haiti after a devastating earthquake, determined to help. While cooking with displaced families, he learned to prepare black beans the Haitian way—mashed and sieved into a creamy sauce. For José, it wasn’t just about providing food but about listening, learning, and cooking alongside locals. This approach to food aid became the foundation of WCK. Since then, we have served more than 450 million meals to people impacted by crises worldwide.

“José nourishes not only bodies but hearts, in his humanitarian endeavors. His impact on the world will resonate for generations”, WCK CEO Erin Gore said. “This honor reflects his extraordinary global contributions and the deep humanity that defines him. He inspires us all.”

WCK teams are currently on the ground in Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine, Spain, Mayotte and North Carolina supporting families affected by conflict and natural disaster.

Biden also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Lionel Messi, who was unable to attend the ceremony.

The White House cited the 37-year-old Argentine professional soccer star, who plays for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami, for his philanthropic efforts, including the Leo Messi Foundation and his work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador as part of the basis for the award.

Per USA Today, Messi was “deeply honored” by the award and hoped to have a chance to meet Biden in the near future.

Other recipients of the medal included U2 front man Bono, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, actor Michael J. Fox, software programmer and activist Tim Gill, primatologist Jane Goodall, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, science educator Bill Nye, investment firm owner David M. Rubenstein, philanthropist George Soros, director George Stevens Jr., actor Denzel Washington and fashion editor Anna Wintour.

Former Secretary of Defense Ashton Baldwin Carter, civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, former attorney general Robert Francis Kennedy and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development George W. Romney were all honored with the award posthumously.

Mariah Carey to Receive The Music Icon Award at This Year’s theGrio Awards

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Mariah Carey is set to earn another honor…

The 54-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer will be among the honorees during this year’s Byron Allen Presents theGrio Awards special.

Mariah CareyThe awards show celebrates excellence in film, music, comedy, television, sports, philanthropy, business, fashion, social justice, environmental justice, education, and the cultural icons and innovators whose contributions positively impact America. The television special pays tribute to and amplifies the history makers, change agents and artists who define and influence our world, according to organizers.

Carey, who holds the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles by a solo artist with 19, will be honored with The Music Icon Award.

Co-hosted by The Talk‘s Sheryl Underwood and comedian Roy Wood Jr., theGrio Awards will air on Saturday, November 25 from 8:00 – 10:00 pm on CBS and will stream live on Paramount+.

Other honorees include Denzel Washington (The Film Icon award), Eddie Murphy (The Icon award), Don Cheadle (Environmental Champion Icon award) and Misty Copeland (The Trailblazer Icon award).

The special also features musical performances by Boyz II Men, Jennifer Hudson, Coco Jones, Patti LaBelle and Smokey Robinson. Greg Phillinganes serves as musical director, and DJ Kiss is the D.J.

“I created ‘theGrio Awards’ to celebrate and amplify African-American excellence and the incredible champions from other communities who truly support us,” said Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “As a child, strong, positive African-American icons such as Berry Gordy, Jr., Rosa Parks, Muhammad Ali and Martin Luther King, Jr. helped me see myself differently, and changed the trajectory of my life. Celebrating and amplifying iconic individuals is something we can never do enough of, especially for our children.”

Byron Allen Presents theGrio Awards is co-produced by Allen Media Group and Backhand Productions.

Michael Chaves’ “The Nun II” Tops Weekend Box Office with $32.6 Million

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Michael Chaves is celebrating a box office victory…

The 38-year-old Latino filmmaker’s The Nun II topped the box office charts, scaring up $32.6 million this weekend from 3,728 locations.

Michael ChavesThat was more than enough to unseat Sony’s The Equalizer 3, which features Denzel Washington as a mysterious avenging angel, from the first place perch it held last weekend.

The Equalizer 3 racked up over $12.1 million in its second weekend to push its domestic gross to $61.9 million. Globally, the action sequel crossed $100 million at worldwide box office, bringing its haul to $107.7 million.

Though impressive, The Nun II, which is the ninth chapter in Warner Bros.’ ongoing Conjuring series, couldn’t match the high-water mark set by its 2018 predecessor The Nun, which opened with $53.8 million.

The film sees Taissa Farmiga and Bonnie Aarons return as Sister Irene and the titular Nun, respectively, with newcomers to the franchise, Jonas Bloquet, Storm Reid and Anna Popplewell, rounding out the ensemble of frequently habit-wearing characters.

Chaves, who directed The Curse of La Llorona and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, slid behind the camera for this installment.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, the weekend’s other new wide release, opened in third place with $10 million. The film was written and directed by Nia Vardalos, who also stars alongside John Corbett. Focus Features is distributing the film in the North America, while Universal Pictures International has foreign territories. The third chapter in the comedy series follows the eccentric Portokalos family as they travel to Greece for a family reunion.

Pedro Pascal in Final Negotiations to Star in Paramount’s Untitled “Gladiator” Sequel

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Pedro Pascal is ready to Rome…

The 48-year-old Chilean actor is thisclose to joining the cast of the untitled Gladiator sequel for Paramount.

Pascal would join Paul Mescal, who will star as Lucius, as well as Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn, Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington.

Ridley Scott is returning to direct.

Pascal’s role is unknown.

The new film follows the 2000 blockbuster Gladiator, which earned more than $460 million in worldwide box office and was nominated for 12 Oscars, winning five including Best Picture.

The role of Maximus, the Roman general-turned-gladiator, was a career-changer for Russell Crowe, not only delivering him the Best Actor Oscar but also launching him to the top of every leading-man list. Once it was made clear last year that the sequel would be Scott’s next movie, every male actor in town that fit the profile began chasing the part.

David Scarpa penned the script.

Also returning from the original film are John Mathieson (director of photography), Arthur Max (production designer) and Janty Yates (costume designer).

Paramount Pictures has dated the film for November 22, 2024.

The first film was co-production between Universal and DreamWorks, and while DreamWorks will not be involved in the sequel, Universal has the right to partner again when the project is packaged.

Pascal has been a major player following his scene-stealing role in his one season on Game of Thrones, but his star has blasted off following The Last of Us, which has become one of the most popular shows in HBO’s history. While HBO is looking to get the show up and going next year, Pascal had been weighing a number of options to shoot before jumping back in to that and the opportunity on this film was too hard to pass up.

Besides The Last of Us, which will certainly have him in award season chatter this Emmy season, he also reprised his role on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, which just had its Season 3 finale last week.

Pascal can next be seen starring alongside Ethan Hawke in Pedro Almodovar’s short film Strange Way of Life, which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival and will be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics this fall.

Additionally, Pascal is in Ethan Coen’s film Drive-Away Dolls, distributed by Focus Features and releasing in September. Pascal also stars in Anna Boden’s Freaky Tales, which is likely to come out later this year.

He also hosted Saturday Night Live earlier this year, earning rave reviews, and is also in contention for some Emmy love this awards season.

Raúl Yzaguirre to Receive Presidential Medal of Freedom

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Raúl Yzaguirre is being feted by the White House…

The 82-year-old Mexican America civil rights activist is among this year’s 17 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the White House has announced.

Raúl YzaguirrePresented to individuals who have “made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” the Medal is the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Yzaguirre served as the Chief Executive Officer and president of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years. He also served as U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic under President Barack Obama.

Former The University of Texas at Brownsville president Dr. Julieta García is also being honored.

The Mexican American education executive was named one of Time magazine’s best college presidents. Dr. García was the first Hispanic woman to serve as a college president and dedicated her career to serving students from the Southwest Border region.

Other recipients this year include Denzel Washington, Simone Biles, the late Sen. John McCain, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and Olympic gold medalist Megan Rapinoe.

The awards will be presented at the White House next Thursday, July 7.

Here’s a look at the individuals who will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom:

  • Simone Biles is the most decorated American gymnast in history, with a combined total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. Biles is also a prominent advocate for athletes’ mental health and safety, children in the foster care system, and victims of sexual assault.
  • Sister Simone Campbell is a member of the Sisters of Social Service and former Executive Director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization. She is also a prominent advocate for economic justice, immigration reform, and healthcare policy.
  • Dr. Julieta García is the former president of The University of Texas at Brownsville, where she was named one of Time magazine’s best college presidents. Dr. García was the first Hispanic woman to serve as a college president and dedicated her career to serving students from the Southwest Border region.
  • Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was the youngest woman ever elected to the Arizona State Senate, serving first in the Arizona legislature and later in the U.S. Congress. A survivor of gun violence, she co-founded Giffords, a nonprofit organization dedicated to gun violence prevention.
  • Fred Gray was one of the first black members of the Alabama State legislature since Reconstruction. As an attorney, he represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP, and Martin Luther King, who called him “the chief counsel for the protest movement.”
  • Steve Jobs (died 2011) was the co-founder, chief executive, and chair of Apple, Inc., CEO of Pixar and held a leading role at the Walt Disney Company. His vision, imagination and creativity led to inventions that have, and continue to, change the way the world communicates, as well as transforming the computer, music, film and wireless industries.
  • Father Alexander Karloutsos is the former Vicar General of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. After over 50 years as a priest, providing counsel to several U.S. presidents, he was named by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew as a Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
  • Khizr Khanis a Gold Star father and founder of the Constitution Literacy and National Unity Center. He is a prominent advocate for the rule of law and religious freedom and served on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom under President Biden.
  • Sandra Lindsayis a New York critical care nurse who served on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic response. She was the first American to receive a COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials and is a prominent advocate for vaccines and mental health for health care workers.
  • John McCain (died 2018) was a public servant who was awarded a Purple Heart with one gold star for his service in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam. He also served the people of Arizona for decades in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and was the Republican nominee for president in 2008.
  • Diane Nash is a founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee who organized some of the most important civil rights campaigns of the 20th century. Nash worked closely with Martin Luther King, who described her as the “driving spirit in the nonviolent assault on segregation at lunch counters.”
  • Megan Rapinoeis an Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup champion. She also captains OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice, and LGBTQI+ rights.
  • Alan Simpson served as a U.S. Senator from Wyoming for 18 years. During his public service, he has been a prominent advocate on issues including campaign finance reform, responsible governance, and marriage equality.
  • Richard Trumka (died 2021) was president of the 12.5-million-member AFL-CIO for more than a decade, president of the United Mine Workers, and secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO. Throughout his career, he was an outspoken advocate for social and economic justice.
  • Brigadier General Wilma Vaughtis one of the most decorated women in the history of the U.S. military, repeatedly breaking gender barriers as she rose through the ranks. When she retired in 1985, she was one of only seven women generals in the Armed Forces.
  • Denzel Washington is an actor, director, and producer who has won two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, and the 2016 Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also served as National Spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for over 25 years.
  • Raúl Yzaguirre is a civil rights advocate who served as CEO and president of National Council of La Raza for thirty years. He also served as U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic under President Barack Obama.

Javier Bardem to Receive Maltin Modern Master Award at This Year’s Santa Barbara Film Festival

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Javier Bardem is officially a master…

The 52-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor will be honored with the prestigious Maltin Modern Master Award at the 37th annual edition of the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Javier BardemBardem will be feted alongside his Being the Ricardos co-star Nicole Kidman on Thursday, March 10 when they’ll engage with veteran film historian and critic Leonard Maltin for an in-person conversation about their careers leading up to this year’s performances as Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball in Aaron Sorkin’s acclaimed film from Amazon Studios.

Bardem and Kidman recently received individual SAG Award nominations in the lead actor and actress categories.

Bardem and Kidman, who have never before worked together, previously won Oscars for No Country for Old Men (2007) and The Hours (2002), respectively. Each has a long career of acclaimed performances.

“Nicole Kidman continues to challenge and reinvent herself year after year. Javier Bardem’s talent is a gift to the world. Only in Hollywood could these actors find themselves playing America’s all time favorite TV couple. It’s cause for celebration,” Maltin said.

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

The Modern Master Award was established in 1995 and is the highest accolade presented by SBIFF. Created to honor an individual who has enriched our culture through accomplishments in the motion picture industry, it was re-named the Maltin Modern Master Award in 2015 in honor of longtime SBIFF moderator and renowned film critic Leonard Maltin.

Past recipients include Bill Murray, Brad Pitt, Glenn Close, Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Bruce Dern, Ben Affleck, Christopher Plummer, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, Clint Eastwood, Cate Blanchett, Will Smith, George Clooney and Peter Jackson.

This is the first time a pair of actors will be honored together.

Other Santa Barbara tributes previously announced include Benedict Cumberbatch with the Vanguard Award, King Richard stars Will Smith and Aunjanue Ellis for Outstanding Performers of the Year, Kristen Stewart for the American Riviera Award, and collectively named for Virtuoso Awards are West Side Story’s Ariana DeBose, CODA actors Emilia Jones and Troy Kotsur, Red Rocket’s  Simon Rex, Licorice Pizza’s Alana Haim, and Saniyya Sidney from King Richard.

The 37th Santa Barbara Film Festival is set to take place in-person March 2-12. Official events including screenings, filmmaker Q&As, industry panels and celebrity tributes will be held throughout the city including at the historic Arlington Theatre.

Jared Leto to Star Opposite Anne Hathaway in AppleTV+’s Limited Series “WeCrashed”

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Jared Leto is crashing AppleTV+…

The streamer has ordered WeCrashed, a limited series starring the 49-year-old part-Spanish American actor and fellow Oscar winner Anne Hathaway, with John Requa and Glenn Ficarra directing.

Jared Leto

Last month, Deadline first reported  that Leto was in talks for one of the leads in the series based on the hit podcast WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork. 

He and Hathaway also will executive produce the series.

Previously in development at Apple and set to be produced by Apple Studios, WeCrashed will follow the greed-filled rise and inevitable fall of WeWork, one of the world’s most valuable startups, and the narcissists whose chaotic love made it all possible.

The limited series is created and written by showrunners Lee Eisenberg — as part of his overall deal with Apple TV+ — and Drew Crevello.

Emma Ludbrook will executive produce alongside Leto through their Paradox production company.

Leto stars opposite Denzel Washington and Rami Malek in The Little Things, which just bowed in theaters and on HBO Max.

MGM in Exclusive Talks for Jared Leto’s Supernatural Thriller “Adrift”

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Jared Leto is (a)drifting away…

MGM is reportedly in exclusive negotiations for the supernatural thriller Adrift, with the 49-year-old part-Spanish American Oscar-winning actor and singer attached to star and Darren Aronofsky on board to direct.

Jared Leto

Jason Blum will produce the film, which saw MGM was extremely move fast to be in pole position to land the package. Details behind the financing are unavailable since the deal hasn’t officially closed.

Blum will produce through his Blumhouse Productions along with Leto and Emma Ludbrook via their production company Paradox, as will Carla Hacken through her Paper Pictures banner.

The film is based on a short story by Koji Suzuki, who wrote The Ring. Aronofsky and Luke Dawson will be co-penning the script. Insiders close to the package say Leto identified the project and he and Ludbrook pursued the rights for 10 years before bringing to Blum and Aronofsky.

The story is set in the dead calm of the open sea, where a fishing boat discovers an abandoned yacht with a strange distress call. A deckhand agrees to take lone control of it while it’s towed into port, but soon he discovers why the rest of his more experienced crew members call it a “Ghost Ship.”

No production start date has been set as a script still needs to be written and scheduling needs to be worked out.

Leto currently appears in The Little Things for Warner Bros. starring opposite Denzel Washington and Rami Malek. That film dropped today in theaters and on HBO Max. He also is developing a handful of projects including a sequel to Tron: Legacy, which has him attached to star and Garth Davis on board to direct. He can also be seen in the upcoming Spider-Man spinoff Morbius. 

Jared Leto In Talks to Star in the Apple TV+ Series “WeCrashed”

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Jared Leto could be crashing the project…

The 48-year-old part-Spanish American actor and Oscar-winner is in early talks to star in the Apple TV+ series WeCrashed, an adaptation of the popular podcast.

Jared Leto

Deadline.com reports the deal is far from closed and may not go forward but discussions are ongoing. Directors Glenn Ficarra and John Requa are on board to helm.

Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello will pen the series and are executive producing.

Hosted by David Brown, the podcast series told the tale of WeWork and its founders. The company was valued at $47 billion, it was ready for a huge IPO, and its charismatic CEO Adam Neumann thought it was going to change the world. Neumann had a prophet-like vision for WeWork that he sold to some of the world’s savviest investors — but did his vision ever match the company’s reality?

Leto would play Newmann in the series, which mark Leto’s return to television after his star-making role in the short-lived 1990s ABC series My So Called Life. 

He’s currently developing a handful of projects including a sequel to Tron: Legacy, which has him attached to star and Garth Davis on board to direct. He also is on board to be a part of the A-list ensemble in Ridley Scott’s Gucci.

Leto can be seen next in the Warner Bros thriller The Little Things opposite Denzel Washington and Rami Malek and also has the Spider-Man spinoff Morbius.