Dame Judi Dench introduces a screening of 'Iris' at BFI Southbank on December 08, 2024 in London, England. (Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for BFI)
Veteran actress Dame Judi Dench says she can't act anymore due to her worsening eye condition.
"I can't be on stage, I can't do a play anymore, I can't do a film anymore. I can't read anymore," she told the BBC in an interview on Thursday. "So you've got to adjust to all that and make allowances for it and just get on. And don't think about it too much."
The actress, who is known for Shakespeare in Love, Skyfall and more, said in 2012 that she was losing her sight to macular degeneration.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness. It destroys the sharp, central vision needed to see clearly.
Dench said that, for her, macular degeneration has also made it hard to make out faces.
"I go up to lots of the wrong people and say, 'Hello!' and give them a hug and I say, 'Oh, I'm so sorry,'" she said.
When asked about aging in the interview, Dench called it "rubbish."
"There's nothing to say for it at all," she said. "Nothing at all. Don't think about it too much."
Dench added, "And if you can't see as well, which I can't, it's a whole other ball game."
Earlier this year, Dench lent her voice in the film The Magic Faraway Tree, which starred Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy. The actress provided the voice of a technologically advanced, data-spying smart refrigerator.
Tom Skerritt attends the 'M*A*S*H' Screening and Q&A held during Fasten Your Seatbelts: 75 Years of 20th Century Fox, September 4, 2010, in New York City. (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
Veteran actor Tom Skerritt, known for his roles in projects including Steel Magnolias, Alien, Top Gun and Picket Fences, has died at the age of 93.
Skerritt died on Wednesday due to natural causes, according to a statement released by his family.
"We are heartbroken by his loss," the statement read. "While the world knew Tom through his remarkable acting career, we knew him for his humor, curiosity, wisdom, generosity, and the love he brought into our lives."
Born Aug. 25, 1933, in Detroit, Skerritt served in the U.S. Air Force before pursuing acting.
He made his film debut in the 1962 war drama War Hunt alongside Robert Redford, and later appeared in Robert Altman's 1970 film M*A*S*H.
Skerritt went on to build a career spanning more than six decades, appearing in numerous films and television shows.
In 1979, he played Capt. Arthur Dallas in Ridley Scott's science fiction horror film Alien, starring alongside Sigourney Weaver.
He later portrayed Cmdr. Mike "Viper" Metcalf opposite Tom Cruise in 1986 blockbuster Top Gun and played Drum Eatenton in the 1989 comedy-drama Steel Magnolias, alongside Sally Field, Julia Roberts and Dolly Parton.
Skerritt also found success on television, starring as Sheriff Jimmy Brock in the CBS drama Picket Fences, which aired from 1992 to 1996. His performance earned him a Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series in 1993.
His other notable film credits included The Turning Point, A River Runs Through It and Contact.
Beyond acting, Skerritt helped found TheFilmSchool in Seattle to support aspiring filmmakers and storytellers. He also co-founded the Red Badge Project, which helps military veterans cope with PTSD, anxiety and depression through writing and storytelling.
"Tom will be remembered not only for the characters he brought to life, but also for his belief that stories can help people heal, find purpose, and create change," his family said in a tribute. "His talent, integrity, curiosity, and compassion made a lasting impact on his family, his profession, and the many communities he worked to support."
Skerritt is survived by his wife, Julie Tokashiki, five children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
His family said information about a memorial will be shared at a later date.
What better way to celebrate the spookiest day of the year than with Inde Navarrette?
The Obsession star has been announced as the Saturday Night Live host for Halloween night, with Gracie Abrams making her return as musical guest. It will be Navarrette’s SNL debut — and the first time in six years SNL has aired live on Halloween night.
On Nov. 7, comedian and influencer Druski will be welcomed to Studio 8H as the first content creator to ever host the legendary sketch show. He’ll be accompanied by four-time musical guest The Strokes, who are on tour in support of their album Reality Awaits.
The following week will see John Mulaney return to SNL for his seventh hosting gig. Mulaney, a former SNL writer, will join the ranks of the show’s most frequent hosts with his Nov. 14 appearance, though he’s still 10 shy of beating Alec Baldwin’s record. Serving as musical guest will be Phoebe Bridgers, who recently released her third studio album, Lost Weekend.
SNL airs on NBC Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET and streams on Peacock.
Sam Heughan attends the premiere of “Outlander: The Final Season” on March 2, 2026, in New York City. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for STARZ)
Sam Heughan is trading the dangers of the Scottish Highlands for the dangers of global corporate crisis and damage control.
The Outlander star has booked his next TV project, joining Viola Davis in the Paramount+ thriller series Ascent. Billed as a “character-driven thriller,” Ascent will follow Davis’ corporate fixer Catriona, who will “weaponize the ruthless skills that have made her indispensable to billion-dollar clients when her estranged daughter is in danger.”
Heughan will play Conal, a top agent for Ascent Ventures. Known for being a “lethally charming and natural chameleon,” Conal “uses social cunning and ruthlessness to get the job done, and he always gets a thrill out of completing a mission.”
Ascent was created by John Logan, who will serve as showrunner. In addition to starring, Davis will executive produce through her JuVee Productions.
Ascent production will begin in LA next year.
Heughan wrapped his eight-season run as Jamie Fraser in Outlander earlier this year.
Summer H. Howell in 'Carrie.' (Robert Falconer/Prime)
Horror buffs, rejoice!
Prime Video's young adult series Carrie has been renewed for season 2. Written and executive produced by Mike Flanagan, the show’s first season debuted Oct. 7 as a modern retelling of Stephen King’s 1974 novel of the same name.
The series follows outcast high‑schooler Carrie White, played by Summer H. Howell, who’s isolated by her controlling mother, portrayed by Samantha Sloyan, and faces incessant bullying at her new school. The coming-of-age drama ends with a dramatic prom scene, involving prom court, pigs' blood and telekinesis.
Along with Howell and Sloyan, the season 1 ensemble included Resident Evil’s Siena Agudong, Fire Country’s Alison Thornton and My Life with the Walter Boys’ Joel Oulette.
“For 50 years, audiences have known and gravitated to Carrie White’s story,” Flanagan said in a press release. “From the beginning, we imagined a story that goes far beyond the prom, and I’m incredibly grateful for Stephen’s trust and support in exploring what comes next.”
Although the second season is expanding beyond its source material, King will continue to work on the show as an executive producer.
“I can’t wait for audiences to get to see what’s down the road for Carrie White,” King shared. “Mike Flanagan and I are excited about what comes next. It’s bound to be thrilling.”
Chris Pratt attends the 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3' World Premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on April 27, 2023. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for Disney)
Chris Pratt is ready to return to the galaxy.
The Guardians of the Galaxy star, who played Star-Lord across six films, confirmed he won’t be letting go of the wise-cracking, Walkman-wearing superhero anytime soon. Pratt recently shared on The Playlist’sBingeworthy podcast that Marvel Studios has already taken “hard action” to make the comeback happen, including the studio's president, Kevin Feige, and co-president Louis D’Esposito.
“I have a great relationship with Kevin and Lou, and there have been both ongoing conversations about how we make good on that promise and also hard action taken to make sure that we make good on that promise,” the Terminal List actor said while chatting about the beloved superhero.
“So yeah, you’ll see Star-Lord again, which is very exciting,” he added. “But I’m not at liberty to say when that’s going to be, but he’s not going anywhere.”
The news comes three years after the third and final installment of Guardians of the Galaxy hit theaters in 2023. While promoting the project on Good Morning America at the time, he told hosts Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan that he could see himself reprising the role.
“I mean, it's Marvel, so all kinds of things can happen,” he teased during the May 3, 2023, interview. “You never know, they've got various timelines and alternate universes, and they can always probably orchestrate a way to bring somebody back.”
The next Marvel Cinematic Universe film to hit the big screen is Avengers: Doomsday, out Dec. 18.
Disney is the parent company of Marvel and ABC News.
Regal is bringing all six episodes of season 1 of the hit Crave/HBO Max hockey romance to select movie theaters for a limited run in November.
Fans can purchase tickets for three showings of paired episodes: episodes 1 & 2 ("Rookies" and "Olympians"), episodes 3 & 4 ("Hunter" and "Rose"), and episodes 5 & 6 ("I'll Believe in Anything" and "The Cottage"). Some theater locations will also offer themed cocktails: Summer in Montreal and Russians Don't Blush.
“When a series connects with audiences the way ‘Heated Rivalry’ has, we look for ways to bring it to the big screen and give fans a reason to experience it together,” Brooks LeBoeuf, senior vice president of U.S. content at Regal, said in a statement. “Nearly a year after its premiere, we’re proud to work with our partners to turn a season fans have watched again and again into a true theatrical event. It’s a chance to celebrate the story, its creators and its performances before Season 2 arrives in 2027.”
The series will hit over 650 theaters nationwide from Nov. 6 to Nov. 30.
Heated Rivalry, created by Jacob Tierney, is based on the Game Changers book series by Rachel Reid and follows the rivals to lovers story of Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) and Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams).
All of it has come to this: the official trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 3. The Prime Video fantasy series, inspired by JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, will pick up five years after the fall of Eregion. Middle-earth is at war and all the free peoples of Middle-earth must find a way to come together in a race against time to prevent Sauron from achieving his goal of utter domination. Season 3’s first four episodes will premiere Nov. 11 on Prime Video …
Ty Burrell has reportedly found his next TV project. The Modern Family star is said to be developing and executive producing a reboot of the 1989 sitcom Coach for NBC. The original comedy series aired on ABC for nine seasons, starring Craig T. Nelson as the titular college football coach. According to Deadline, the reboot will be written by Daniel Libman and Matthew Libman, and would star Burrell as a legendary basketball coach who returns to his alma mater. The show has not yet been picked up for series …
We haven’t seen the last of Rachel Berry. On the heels of the Glee revival confirmation for Disney+ and Hulu, Variety reports Lea Michele is in talks to return to center stage. Michele became a breakout star in the Ryan Murphy musical dramedy series, which premiered in 2009 and also starred Jane Lynch, Darren Criss and Matthew Morrison. Murphy told ABC News last month that a script for a Glee reboot had been written, and that he is in touch with cast members about returning ...
Tom Cruise attends the "Digger" Japan premiere on Oct. 6, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)
The American Film Institute has announced Tom Cruise will be the recipient of the 2027 AFI Life Achievement Award.
The actor and producer, known as much for his dramatic roles as his death-defying stunt work, will be celebrated for his prodigious career during a gala tribute in April.
Previous AFI Life Achievement Award recipients include Jack Nicholson, with whom Cruise starred in A Few Good Men; his Rain Man costar Dustin Hoffman; and Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Cruise in The Outsiders.
“Tom Cruise is a global icon,” Kathleen Kennedy, chair of the AFI Board of Trustees, said in a release Wednesday. “As an actor and producer, he brings an extraordinary commitment to everything he does. What I especially admire is his deep belief in movies and their ability to bring people together. That passion has made him an extraordinary ambassador for American film around the world.”
Cruise’s big-screen career began with small roles in the early ‘80s before joining the ensemble cast of up-and-coming actors in 1983’s The Outsiders. His breakout role as Joel in Risky Business came later that year, followed by his turn as daring Navy pilot Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in Top Gun in 1986.
He’s most recently been seen in the blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick, as well as seventh and eighth installments of the Mission: Impossible franchise. Digger, in which he stars as “the most powerful man in the world,” is currently in theaters.
Throughout his more than 40-year career, Cruise has produced or starred in dozens of award-winning films: he received a best actor Academy Award nomination for Born on the Fourth of July and Jerry Maguire, and was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar for Magnolia. His 1988 project with Hoffman, Rain Man, won the 1989 Academy Award for best picture; his producer role on Top Gun: Maverick also earned him an Oscar nomination for best picture.
In 2025, he was awarded the Honorary Oscar at the Academy’s Governors Awards.
Cruise will receive the AFI Life Achievement Award at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on April 24.
Collin Gosselin speaks with ABC News' Juju Chang. (ABC News)
Jon & Kate Plus 8 might’ve ended years ago, but the Gosselin family’s story is far from over.
A new Netflix documentary on the Gosselin family is in the works, featuring interviews with the family patriarch, Jon Gosselin, and two of the Gosselin children, Collin Gosselin and Hannah Gosselin. The project promises to untangle what happened to the family of 10 after they stopped filming their reality TV series. Netflix has yet to announce a release date for the documentary.
There’s no word on whether the family’s matriarch, Kate Gosselin, or her and Jon’s other children, Mady Gosselin, Cara Gosselin, Alexis Gosselin, Aaden Gosselin, Leah Gosselin and Joel Gosselin, will be interviewed for the project.
According to the streamer, the documentary “pieces together the story from the perspectives of the children who grew up on camera, the adults who built a brand around them and the audience that couldn’t look away.”
Jon & Kate Plus 8, renamed Kate Plus 8 following the pair’s 2009 divorce, aired from 2007 to 2017, first premiering on Discovery Health and eventually moving to TLC. The show captured the everyday lives of the former couple and their kids, which includes a set of twins and sextuplets.
Netflix’s announcement comes shortly after Collin sat down with ABC News' Juju Chang to promote his new memoir, In the Shadow of Eight. In the novel, which hit shelves on Oct. 13, the 22-year-old alleges his mother became abusive after her and Jon’s divorce.
"Simply put, my whole life that I lived was a lie," Collin said during the Oct. 12 interview. "All the things you see on TV, lies."
Esther McGregor headshot (photo credit Joe Pugliese); Emilio Sakraya headshot (photo credit Kurt Iswarienko)
Fourth Wing officially has its two leads.
Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya are on board the Prime Video romantasy drama, based on the bestselling novels by Rebecca Yarros.
McGregor is playing Violet Sorrengail, a "fiercely intelligent and often underestimated" young woman who is forced to enroll at Basgiath War College, where she joins hundreds of candidates working toward becoming elite dragon riders. Sakraya is Xaden Riorson, an “enigmatic and ruthless” dragon rider who stands in her way.
“I’m so grateful to our producing and casting team for conducting a thorough, worldwide search to find Violet and Xaden,” Yarros says in a statement. “It will be incredibly exciting to see these talented actors, Esther and Emilio, bring our beloved characters to life on screen.”
“Few stories have inspired the kind of passionate, worldwide fandom that Rebecca Yarros has built with Fourth Wing, and we know just how much Violet and Xaden mean to readers,” adds Peter Friedlander, head of Global Television, Amazon MGM Studios. “Esther and Emilio are rare and exceptional talents who bring something truly special to these iconic roles.”
Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan is executive producing the series, along with Yarros and showrunner Meredith Averill. Lisa Joy will direct the first episode.
Amazon MGM Studios and Jordan’s Outlier Society acquired the rights to the books around the time the first book was released in 2023. There have since been two other books in the series, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm, as well as a companion novella, Threshing Day.
'10 Things I Hate About You' cast members reunite on 'Dancing with the Stars.' (Disney)
Julia Stiles and her fellow 10 Things I Hate About You cast members reunited to honor their late co-star Heath Ledger on Tuesday night’s episode of Dancing with the Stars.
Stiles and her dancing partner pro, Ezra Sosa, brought the ballroom to their feet with their final "Dedication Night" performance, a contemporary dance to Frankie Valli's “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”
At the end of the emotional dance, Sosa left the ballroom floor and then Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gabrielle Union, Larisa Oleynik, Susan May Pratt and Andrew Keegan linked arms with Stiles as they looked up toward the screen above them featuring Ledger's photo.
Ledger and Stiles co-starred in 10 Things I Hate About You back in 1999, playing Patrick Verona and Kat Stratford. In one memorable scene, Ledger as Verona serenades Stiles' Stratford with Valli's hit song.
Ledger died nearly a decade after they made the movie, in January 2008, after an accidental overdose. He was 28.
After their performance, Stiles remembered Ledger, whom she called "magnetic."
"He just brought out the light in everybody and he was the leader of the pack at the time," Stiles recalled. "He just made everybody else shine. He was always about play."
Sosa also shared a reflection in an Instagram post, writing in part, "It's about honoring a beautiful moment in time, a film that changed so many lives, and someone whose impact continues to be felt by generations. We've poured so much love into this piece, and we're incredibly grateful for the trust placed in us to bring it to life. Our only hope is that it honors his memory with the dignity, love, and respect it deserves."
The judges rewarded Stiles and Sosa with scores of 9 across the board, bringing their combined final score to 36.
New episodes of Dancing with the Stars air live on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+. They are available to stream the next day on Hulu.
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News, Disney+ and Hulu.
Co-creator/writer Ryan Murphy (C) poses in the press room with the cast of 'Glee' with the award for best television series musical or comedy for 'Glee' at the 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 17, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
The hit TV show Glee is coming back.
An all-new season of the hit series from Ryan Murphy is coming to Disney+ and Hulu, Disney announced Wednesday.
No details about the cast or an official release date have been shared.
The studio behind the reboot is 20th Television, which also produced the original series.
Glee first aired on Fox for six seasons, from 2009 to 2015.
It followed a high school glee club and starred Lea Michele, the late Cory Monteith, the late Naya Rivera, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, Matthew Morrison, Jane Lynch and more.
Murphy told ABC News last month that a script for a Glee reboot had been written, and that he is in touch with cast members about returning.
“I’ve been quietly having conversations with people on that show … about, ‘What do you think? Should we?,'" Murphy said. "Maybe I shouldn’t, I don’t know. It’s fun just to try."
Glee won six Primetime Emmys and several Golden Globes. It also won the GLAAD Media Award for outstanding comedy series in 2010 and 2011.
All 121 original episodes of Glee are currently streaming on Hulu.
The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News, Disney+ and Hulu.
The Mayor of Kingstown will come to an end next year. Paramount+ has announced the fifth and final season of the Jeremy Renner crime drama, co-created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, will premiere Jan. 15. Paramount+ teases the eight-episode season will pick up in the wake of Tracy’s (Nishi Munshi) murder, as Renner’s Mike McLusky and Taylor Handley’s Kyle McLusky seek vengeance ...
Actor and comedian Nick Kroll has been tapped to host the U.S. edition of LOL: Last One Laughing for Prime Video. The comedy variety show will follow its British predecessor’s format, in which 10 comics and comedic actors are locked in a room together. The goal? To go six hours without laughing at any of the competitors’ antics, which include practical jokes, improv, comedic challenges and surprise curveballs. The person who keeps a straight face while getting their rivals to break is crowned the winner …
FX has good news for American Horror Story fans: there will be a 14th season. The anthology series from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk will return for another season, although neither a release date nor a cast have been announced. Season 13, which wraps with the season finale next week, stars Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts and Billie Lourd. Two new episodes drop Thursday night on FX and Hulu. Disney is the parent company of FX, Hulu and ABC News …
'The Prestige' 20th anniversary rerelease poster (Walt Disney Studios)
The Prestigeis bringing its magic back to theaters.
In honor of its 20th anniversary, the Christopher Nolan thriller will be returning to the big screen early next year.
“I’m very excited to bring ‘The Prestige’ back to the big screen, and particularly thrilled to offer audiences the chance to see it on 70mm film, and on IMAX for the first time,” says Nolan, who directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Jonathan Nolan.
The announcement comes 20 years to the day the film was first released in theaters — Oct. 20, 2006. It starred Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as two rival illusionists, each determined to uncover the other’s secrets and become the greatest magician of all time. Scarlett Johansson and Michael Caine also starred.
The Prestige was nominated for two Oscars, for best cinematography and best art direction.
It returns to theaters via The Walt Disney Studios on Jan. 29, 2027.
Connie Britton and Sam Nivola appear on 'Good Morning America,' on Oct. 20, 2026, in New York. (ABC News)
Connie Britton is putting a twist on motherhood in a new series.
The actress, who is known for playing a mom in 24, Friday Night Lights, Nashville, The White Lotus and more, takes on an unexpected mom role in the new Hulu series Phony, which sees a teenage son questioning if his mom has been replaced by an impostor following a car accident.
Britton, who plays two versions of a mom in the series, told Good Morning America on Tuesday, "It was very interesting sort of doing that and shifting gears like that. But that was what the fun challenge was."
At its core, Phony is a coming-of-age story, following a teenage boy named Sonny, played by White Lotus star Sam Nivola. The trailer depicts Sonny's strong relationship with his mom, who also appears to be his best friend. When he wakes up after a car accident, he immediately senses something is wrong.
"It's about that kind of moment of separation and becoming distinct from your family and your parents and when you realize that maybe your parents aren't these sort of omniscient god beings that you thought they were and how that's painful, but also universal," Nivola told GMA.
He added that working with Britton on what he described as his "first proper big lead roles" was "the best."
"I felt like I really had the access and opportunity to have really deep, creative discussions with her," Nivola said. "She's so smart about all of it, not just acting but story and about understanding your character's place in the story and I just learned so much from her."
When asked about her new mom role in Phony, Britton reflected on the many maternal figures she's played over the years and shared why she likes playing mothers.
"I think they're the greatest on the planet," she said. "Every single mom is different from every single other mom. And so every opportunity I get to play a mom is an opportunity to show our uniqueness and that one isn't exactly the same as another."
Britton noted that her role in the Hulu show is "no exception."
"Playing this mom in all of her versions is pretty cool," she said.
Phony is available to stream on Hulu.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.
U2 performs at Suncorp Stadium on November 12, 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Who said the Irish don’t celebrate Thanksgiving?
Netflix announced that U2 is headlining the NFL’s first Thanksgiving Eve game live from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Nov. 25 performance, streaming exclusively on Netflix, will take place during the primetime matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams.
This isn’t the first time the Dublin-based band has taken the field. In 2002, the rock group headlined the Super Bowl 36 halftime show, playing their classic track “Beautiful Day,” and paying tribute to the victims of 9/11 with their hit songs “MLK” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.”
“There's a reason U2 has headlined stadiums for decades: they don't just perform, they deliver iconic moments audiences remember forever," Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, said in an NFL press release. "We’re thrilled that they'll bring that same magic to the NFL stage on Netflix."
The NFL is making major plays to produce iconic halftime shows beyond the Super Bowl. Netflix's first Christmas Gameday in 2024 featured Beyoncé at halftime, where she performed hits like “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold Em’.” In 2025, Snoop Dogg carried on the tradition with Snoop's Holiday Halftime Party.
Lin-Manuel Miranda attends 'Warriors' album launch with Atlantic Records and Time Out, at Time Out Market New York on October 17, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for Atlantic Records)
Lin-Manuel Miranda has selected his warriors.
The Hamilton creator announced the official cast for his and Eisa Davis’ new Broadway musical, Warriors, which includes Lanterns actress Jasmine Cephas Jones. The actress has worked with Miranda in the past, originating the role of Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in Hamilton on Broadway. Miranda also confirmed the musical will hit the stage on March 9, 2027, with ticket presales set to begin on Oct. 22.
Along with Jones, the ensemble includes Jaci Calderon, Aneesa Folds, Amber Gray, Julia Harriman, Sasha Hutchings, Gizel Jiménez, Kenita R. Miller, Sasha Allen, Casey Likes and Donald Webber Jr. Additional cast members will be announced at a later date.
Many of the new musical’s cast members have collaborated with Miranda before, appearing in the show’s concept album, or his Tony Award-winning musicals In the Heights and Hamilton.
Warriors, based on Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel The Warriors and the 1979 film of the same name, follows a fictional New York City gang from Coney Island that is framed for the murder of a respected gang leader. Manuel and Davis’ concept album for the cult classic was released in 2024, featuring Broadway talent and legendary artists such as Lauryn Hill, Billy Porter and Busta Rhymes.
Christina Applegate attends the 28th Annual Critics Choice Awards at Fairmont Century Plaza on January 15, 2023 in Los Angeles. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Actress Christina Applegate says she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological and autoimmune disorder.
Applegate, 54, made the revelation Tuesday in a new episode of the MS-focused podcast, MeSsY, which she co-hosts with actress Jamie Lynn Sigler, who has been public about her own battle with MS.
“This may come as great news, but to me, it comes as like, very like I'm back at square one," Applegate said. "But it's hard to say … [my doctor] came into my room and she said, 'Congratulations, you don't have MS. Congratulations.'"
Applegate first publicly announced in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with MS, a disorder which causes the immune system to attack the cells in the central nervous system, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
She spoke as recently as March, in an interview with ABC News' Robin Roberts, about her struggles with the condition, saying she had not yet accepted her diagnosis and added, "This is a lifelong disease with no cure. Period."
On the podcast, Applegate revealed that she still has "every symptom of someone with MS" and said the shocking news of her misdiagnosis has left her with more questions than answers.
"If anything, I've gotten worse in some ways, and so I'm back at square one that I don't know what's going on with me," Applegate said. "And that's going to be an online investigation that, you know, my doctors are going to get into, and just to find out what has been happening since 2021. Why did this happen?"
She later added, "It's very unnerving and it's really confusing for me."
There is currently no single test used to diagnose MS. Instead, diagnosis requires a comprehensive evaluation that may include neurological exams, MRI scans and laboratory testing. MS symptoms can be unpredictable, varying in timing and frequency and ranging from fatigue and numbness or tingling to weakness, poor bladder control, dizziness and vertigo.
There is also currently no known cure for MS and typical treatment consists of medications to reduce flares and slow the progression of disability.
Applegate said she took a hiatus from the MeSsy podcast to give herself time to "process" her misdiagnosis, which she said put her in a "great depression."
"I still have to use wheelchairs when I go to the doctor’s office. I can’t walk from the car to the room. I’m still in this," she said. "Nothing magical happened when [the doctor] said, ‘You don’t have MS.’ Nothing magical happened.”
Applegate -- whose last major acting role, Netflix's Dead to Me, concluded in 2022 -- said she has also been left feeling without a community without her MS diagnosis.
“It’s weird because I feel like I let everybody down,” the actress said. “It’s this weird feeling because I became this — [Sigler] and I, the poster children for MS. And everything I was doing. I had a reason. ... And now I don’t have a reason and it’s very unnerving and it’s very confusing for me.”
In a follow-up episode, Applegate and Sigler spoke with Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, who said that Applegate is not alone in being misdiagnosed with MS.
Kaisey said that in her research, she found nearly one in five people are misdiagnosed with MS. She attributed the rate of misdiagnoses to both the lack of a single test to diagnose MS and the fact that many MS symptoms are "very common in other things that are not MS."
Actor Richard Riehle arrives at the premiere of New Line Cinema's 'A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas' at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on November 2, 2011 in Hollywood, California. (Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Richard Riehle, known for his role in the 1999 film Office Space, has died. He was 78.
A statement shared by Artists & Representatives and Wright Entertainment, Inc. announced Riehle's passing on Monday, writing, "Our industry has lost an exceptional talent, and our community has lost a truly wonderful man."
"We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of our beloved client, Richard Riehle, this past weekend," the statement said. "A remarkable actor whose career in theater, film, and television spanned nearly five decades and more than 400 projects, Richard leaves behind an extraordinary legacy."
The statement continued, "Beyond his immense talent, he will be remembered for his genuine goodness, boundless kindness, and unwavering generosity, particularly toward emerging actors and filmmakers, whom he encouraged and supported at every opportunity."
Born on May 12, 1948, Riehle starred in many television series and films over the years.
Notable projects include Casino, The Man from Earth and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.
He got his start as an actor at the University of Notre Dame, where he was involved in the University Theatre and starred in several stage productions. He went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in acting and directing from the University of Minnesota.
While he's played characters that have an "average Joe" presence, he always made the most of his brief screen time.
Some roles that he is remembered for include The Quartermaster in Glory, the train guard in The Fugitive, Reverend Scroggins in Fried Green Tomatoes and Bill Cozbi in Bridesmaids.
On television, he starred as Principal Ed Rooney in the 1990 series Ferris Bueller and as grandfather Walt Finnerty in the early 2000s sitcom, Grounded For Life.
In 2023, he also played Warden Reynolds in Barry.
Riehle is survived by his wife, Jane Latham, and their four children.
