Michael Cimino Joins Voice Cast of Science-Fiction Podcast “Black Box”

Michael Cimino is a pea in a pod(cast)

The 20-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor and Love Victor star has joined the voice cast for Black Box, the upcoming scripted science fiction podcast from Reverb Podcasts and Soundproof Media.

Michael Cimino

Cimino joins an ensemble cast that includes Joel McHale, Brec BassingerChosen Jacobs and Jacob Bertrand.

Described as an homage to Spielbergian ’80s adventure films, the podcast will follow four unwitting teenagers who stumble upon the wreckage of a crashed time machine and are thrust into the middle of a conspiracy that threatens to unhinge time itself.

Cimino, Bassenger, Jacobs and Bertrand play the lead teenagers, while McHale plays a brilliant scientist whose ego and ambition spiral down a villainous path. The audio drama is written and directed by Brian Siegele and produced by Siegele and Chase Kinser for emerging content studios Reverb Podcasts and Soundproof Media.

Recording for Black Box began in August, making the production among the first podcast projects approved by SAG-AFTRA for full cast studio recording in the COVID-19 era. The producers are said to have implemented rigorous testing and safety protocols in addition to building transparent barriers in the studio so the cast could record together in person.

Production is still in progress with additional casting being finalized now. The eight-episode first season is projected to premiere in early 2021.

“We wanted the performers to play off each other in a way that remote recording doesn’t allow, but also ensure a risk-free working space,” noted Siegele. “We are thankful to have been able to accomplish this with guidance from SAG-AFTRA and coordination from our incredible cast.”

Audio company Reverb was founded last year. Soundproof Media is a new content firm focused on audio, television and film projects

Helena Bonham Carter Wins Second SAG Award for Portraying a British Royal

Helena Bonham Carter has some serious royal s(w)ag… 

The 53-year-old part-Spanish actress picked up the second Screen Actors Guild award for portraying a British royal at Sunday’s awards ceremony, which was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. 

Helena Bonham Carter

Bonham Carter and her The Crown cast mates were named the winners in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Seriescategory.

Bonham Carter, who portrays Princess Margaret in Season 3 of the Netflixseries, had previously earned a SAG Awardalongside her The King’s Speech in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category. She portrayed Queen Elizabethin that film.

SAG-AFTRApresented awards in 15 categories honoring the year’s best film and television acting performances.

Here’s the full list of winners:

MOTION PICTURES

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Parasite
HYAE JIN CHANG / Chung Sook
YEO JEONG CHO / Yeon Kyo
WOO SHIK CHOI / Ki Woo
HYEON JUN JUNG / Da Song
ZISO JUNG / Da Hye
JUNG EUN LEE / Moon Gwang
SUN KYUN LEE / Dong Ik
MYUNG HOON PARK / Geun Se
SO DAM PARK / Ki Jung
KANG HO SONG / Ki Taek

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Joaquin Phoenix, Joker

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Renee Zellweger, Judy

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Laura Dern, Marriage Story

TELEVISION

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
The Crown
MARION BAILEY / Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother
HELENA BONHAM CARTER / Princess Margaret
OLIVIA COLMAN / Queen Elizabeth II
CHARLES DANCE / Lord Mountbatten
BEN DANIELS / Lord Snowdon
ERIN DOHERTY / Princess Anne
CHARLES EDWARDS / Martin Charteris
TOBIAS MENZIES / Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
JOSH O’CONNOR / Prince Charles
SAM PHILLIPS / Equerry
DAVID RINTOUL / Michael Adeane
JASON WATKINS / Harold Wilson

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
CAROLINE AARON / Shirley Maisel
ALEX BORSTEIN / Susie Myerson
RACHEL BROSNAHAN / Midge Maisel
MARIN HINKLE / Rose Weissman
STEPHANIE HSU / Mei
JOEL JOHNSTONE / Archie Cleary
JANE LYNCH / Sophie Lennon
LEROY McCLAIN / Shy Baldwin
KEVIN POLLAK / Moishe Maisel
TONY SHALHOUB / Abe Weissman
MATILDA SZYDAGIS / Zelda
BRIAN TARANTINA / Jackie
MICHAEL ZEGEN / Joel Maisel

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon

STUNT ENSEMBLES

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
AVENGERS: ENDGAME

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
GAME OF THRONES

Marisol Nichols Seeking a Seat on the SAG-AFTRA National Board

Life’s a SAGfor Marisol Nichols

The 45-year-old half-Mexican American actress and Riverdalestar is seeking a SAG-AFTRA national board seat as an ally of president Gabrielle Carteris through the Unite For Strength faction.

Marisol Nichols

UFS also announced earlier this week that Camryn Manheimis running for SAG-AFTRA secretary-treasurer — the third-highest elected post in the union — as part of the slate for the re-election of union president Carteris. 

Election ballots will be mailed to dues-current members on July 29 and will be tabulated on August 28. SAG-AFTRA represents about 160,000 performers.

Carteris, who has been president since 2016, is facing challenges for the post from Matthew Modineand current secretary-treasurer Jane Austin. Unite for Strength and United Screen Actors Nationwide— which have been the ruling factions at the union for the past decade with an emphasis on pragmatic policies — unveiled Manheim’s candidacy on Tuesday.

Unite For Strength also announced that Michelle Hurd, currently serving on the national board, will be running for president of the Los Angeles local; Clyde Kusatsu and Ellen Crawfordwill be running for vice president slots. Rebecca Damonis seeking re-election as New York president. Maureen DonnellyJim Kerr,Ezra Knightand Liz Zazziare seeking re-election as New York vice president as USAN, which is allied with Unite for Strength.

Membership First has not yet announced its slate other than Modine. The progressive faction has several high-profile reps on the 80-member national board including Modine, Frances FisherDiane Ladd and Martin Sheen.

Esai Morales to Star in National Geographic’s Sci-Fi Series “Mars”

Esai Morales has landed an out-of-this-world role…

The 54-year-old Puerto Rican actor has joined the cast for season two of National Geographic global sci-fi series Mars, from Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment and Radical Media.

Esai Morales

Shooting began this week in Budapest on the six-episode series, which is slated to premiere in spring 2018.

The second season’s six-part arc jumps ahead several years into the future after the Daedalus astronauts have built a full-fledged colony called Olympus Town. Having established humankind as an interplanetary species, Mars examines the impact that humans have on the Red Planet and the consequences the planet has on us.

Morales will play Roland St. John, CEO of private enterprise Lukrum Corporation.

Reprising their roles from Season 1 are JiHAE (Mortal Engines) as Hanna Seung, a mission pilot and twin sister of Joon Seung, capsule communicator of mission control; Sammi Rotibi (The Darkest Minds) as Robert Foucault, a Nigerian mechanical engineer and roboticist; Alberto Ammann (Narcos) as Javier Delgado, a hydrologist and geochemist; Clémentine Poidatz (Marie Antoinette) as Amelie Durand, French mission physician and biochemist; Anamaria Marinca (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) as Marta Kamen, a Russian exobiologist and geologist; and Cosima Shaw (The Danish Girl) as Leslie Richardson, a British nuclear physicist.

“This season takes us literally into new territory,” said showrunner Dee Johnson. “With no laws, no government and no safety nets of any kind, what is it like to be among the first settlers of Mars? Not only do we explore dangers and mysteries of this brand-new world, but we also explore what it means to be human in a place where so few exist.”

Morales, a presidential candidate for SAG-AFTRA, most recently starred on Ozark. His other credits include How To Get Away With Murder, Chicago P.D. and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders.

Leto to Serve as a Presenter at This Year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards

It’s another night with The Actor for Jared Leto

The 43-year-old part-Spanish American actor, who picked up a SAG Award, also known as “The Actor,” last year for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, will serve as a presenter at Sunday’s 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Jared Leto

In addition to Leto, other presenters just added to the roster include Matthew Beard, Colin Farrell, Jeff Goldblum, Allen Leech, Lupita Nyong’o, Emmy Rossum, Andy Samberg, Liev Schreiber and Reese Witherspoon

They join previously announced Patricia Arquette, Adrien Brody, Ellar Coltrane, Kevin Costner, Laverne Cox, Bryan Cranston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Eric Dane, Viola Davis, Carrie Fisher, Ethan Hawke, SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard, Felicity Jones, Rashida Jones, Michael Keaton, Lenny Kravitz, Matthew McConaughey, Edward Norton, Eddie Redmayne, Julia Roberts, J.K. Simmons, and Emma Stone.

The SAG Awards will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS at 8:00 pm ET/ 5:00 pm PT.

Morales Releases Video Message About His Run for SAG-AFTRA National President

Esai Morales is giving his state of the union address, of sorts.

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican actor and Magic City star is the running for SAG-AFTRA’s first sole position of National President. And, he’s speaking out about his candidacy.

Esai Morales

To drum up support, the La Bamba actor shared a video statement with Deadline.com about his candidacy.

“I served on the National Board alongside Esai and I know him to be a caring and dedicated person. I believe the SAG-AFTRA membership will be well served with Esai as our National President,” said Ed Harris about Morales’ candidacy.

SAG-AFTRA is an American labor union representing more than 160,000 film and television principal and background performers throughout the world. The national position carries a two-year term.

Morales Running for SAG-AFTRA National President

Esai Morales next role could be quite presidential…

SAG-AFTRA has released the official roster of candidates for its upcoming elections, with the 50-year-old Puerto Rican actor and Magic City star in the running for the top position.

Esai Morales

Morales  is running for national president of SAG-AFTRA against Paul Edney, Ken Howard and Marilyn Monrovia.

“As an experienced ‘actorvist,’ I will refine how this merged union can benefit all members,” says the La Bamba star in his statement. “The current delay in residuals is unacceptable. I will hasten the unions promise of merging the pension and health plans. I will ensure that our readiness for the 2014 TV/Theatrical contract negotiations is unparalleled. SAG-AFTRA can no longer operate in the red. I will establish worldwide recognition, branding and proper industry respect for SAG-AFTRA. For our background performers I will lead the vetting of the costly and questionable hiring practices.”

The national position carries a two-year term.

National officer ballots will be mailed to all eligible SAG-AFTRA members nationwide on July16, with a return deadline and tabulation on August 15. Election results are expected to be announced that evening. The same schedule will apply to the Los Angeles and New York Local elections. Schedules vary for other local elections.

SAG-AFTRA is an American labor union representing more than 160,000 film and television principal and background performers throughout the world.

For more details Morales’ platform, visit www.membership1st.org.

Vilasuso to Reprise Role on “All My Children” Online Revival

Jordi Vilasuso is heading back to Pine Valley…

The 31-year-old Cuban-American actor has signed on to reprise his role as Griffin Castillo on the online version of ABC’s cancelled soap opera All My Children.

Jordi Vilasuso

The announcement comes on the heels of a deal between Prospect Park and Hollywood unions to resume production of One Life to Live and All My Children online in February.

Other returning cast members include Darnell Williams, Debbi Morgan, Lindsay Hartley, Jill Larson, Thorsten Kaye and Vincent Irizarry.

Vilasuso, who won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Younger Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Tony Santos on Guiding Light in 2003, most recently guest-starred on NBC’s Parks and Recreation.

Earlier this month, Prospect Park announced plans to revive the cancelled ABC soaps after confirming deals with SAG-AFTRA and the DGA — sticking points in previous talks — and inking the soaps’ creator Agnes Nixon to a consulting agreement.