Sitting on this story (below) of the last straw in Shonda’s 15 year relationship with ABC was not easy to do ... in all seriousness, my jaw has been on the floor for weeks.
Over the holidays, I binged a slew of standup specials - from Mulaney, Hasan, Ellen, ChrisRock, etc - and noticed a common name in the credits: Neal Brennan. So, i tracked him down & he agreed to be profiled. Meet
@nealbrennan
, the comic whisperer.
Chris Rock has spent the pandemic working on himself - in loads of therapy for the 1st time, unpacking his own childhood trauma & a recent diagnosis that has him rethinking a lot. Oh, and he learned to swim at 55. My cover:
Spent some time at Jim Carrey’s house for this week’s cover story - here’s my peek inside his home, his mind & his return to the spotlight. (Hint: he’s as fascinating as he is talented.)
Just FOUR African Americans have been nominated for best director in the 90 year history of the Oscars. Here all of them in conversation. And it’s everything you want it (and them) to be.
Aaron Korsh (
@akorsh9
) didn’t expect Suits to be the show of the summer any more than you did, but he’s ready with a Suits “cousin” whenever the strike ends.…
This was easily one of the most heart-breaking stories I’ve ever reported. I spoke to several dozen sources over many, many weeks and there wasn’t one who was pleased by the way it all went down. I am, nevertheless, indebted to all of them for sharing their time & tales with me.
Inside the final days at
#TheWendyWilliamsShow
Wendy Williams was one of daytime’s most successful personalities. Then, one day she was gone. Now, insiders reveal for the first time what really happened
What’s the show that helped get you through this horrific year? That’s the question we asked 48 of TV’s top showrunners in recent weeks. Their answers are 💯. Enjoy!
for months, i've been asked, "what is your white whale right now?" and for months, i've said, "Kenya Barris." the "what the f--- went down" story, that is. today, i hit publish...
THR Cover:
#Blackish
creator Kenya Barris (
@funnyblackdude
) breaks silence on that shelved anti-Trump episode, his ABC exit and "unapologetic"
@Netflix
plans
My deep dive on why the must-see Jim Comey miniseries both wowed & terrified buyers, wooed & then infuriated star Jeff Daniels and now has its showrunner bracing for blowback from the White House: "I'm almost certainly going to get audited, and that's the best-case scenario."
Powerful exchange here between Damon Lindelof & Courtney Kemp on why Damon could get the greenlight to tackle the Tulsa Massacre in Watchmen where as other black writers likely could not.
Journalist appreciation tweet...
Got to hand it to Lacey Rose . This is a good read.
It has complexity, depth, it packs an emotional punch . With a couple of good laughs too.
Quality.
@LaceyVRose
Went in with a few Qs: a bro show in the time’s up era? Can we still laugh at Silicon Valley life? And what the F happened with TJ Miller? ALL (and more) are answered here.
Tonight, for the first time in
@KristaVernoff
’s 2 decade + career in Hollywood, you’ll see her name in the created by credit. Her journey to this place is WILD.
For this wk’s
@thr
cover, I profiled
@glenpowell
- at his professional height, he’s moved back to Texas & is finally finishing college. In fact, when we last spoke, he was figuring out how to squeeze in a proctored exam before the Hit Man premiere.
I spent much of my summer reporting out this story — it was utterly riveting, challenging and heart-breaking. It also felt worthy of telling. Thank you to all who took the time to read it.
I regret not including more references to Jennifer Garner arriving to various sets with homemade baked goods for the crew. (Yes, Jennifer Garner is *exactly* who you want her to be.)
I flew to NYC in early April to sit down with
@theebillyporter
for this week’s cover story. He was a ball of emotion, and frankly so was I. We both wanted to get this right. I hope you’ll read it with an open heart.
To legions of devoted Rick & Morty fans —& an industry wowed by its success —cocreator Justin Roiland was a quirky genius whose career was suddenly derailed by allegations of domestic violence. But to colleagues,his behavior has been troubling for years. ✍️by
@katiekilkenny7
& me
Every once in a while, u stumble on a subject who make your job a joy....
@DaveedDiggs
was one of those subjects. Come for the A+ pic of his labradoodle, Moose, stay for a story abt a guy who’s not all that interested in sticking to the narrative.
Lots happening right now but I wanted to stop and say how much I appreciate the big Hollywood types who always make time to hop on the phone for someone ELSE’s profile. I always find secondaries in a story telling — less what they say but who agrees, how quickly, etc. …
We talked “boring” politicians, boozing with Rihanna, the future of SNL, the menschiness of Colbert, a scary meeting early on in Late Night & lots more -
@sethmeyers
never disappoints.
@moryan
That there isn’t some sort of showrunners training boot camp has always surprised/disappointed me. You’re asking folks who’ve spent careers writing alone to become CEOs with 100s of employees to manage, and you provide them no management training. It’s a recipe for disaster.
Just hung up the phone with the legend that is Norman Lear. End of the call he asks that I give him 2 mins on me. What’s MY story, he asks. That genuine curiosity about people and their stories has feuled every episode of TV the man has made. He will forever be my hero.
Tina Fey nodded to this earlier this year in an awards speech: “Nobody indulges writers like Lorne Michaels,” she said. “Lorne, you have unleashed an army of monsters into the world. You know it, I know it + the crew of The Other Two knows it —oh I was supposed to change that.”
Tonight, after 7 years,
@Trevornoah
signs off as host of The Daily Show. I spent time with him as he prepared to say his goodbye & ready his next act — also, got lots more about why and how, which was w.i.l.d.
2 yrs ago, Stern abruptly canceled his show for the 1st time in memory. Reddit lit up w/ crackpot theories, and reporters began digging. He returned the next week to poke fun @ the hullabaloo. It was just the flu, he said. He was lying. This & much more...
Lots of eyes popping (and maybe a few rolling) at all Idris Elba is doing right now - actor, director, dj, rapper, etc - but he offered me a pretty solid rationale as to why ....
We talked to the showrunners of Shrill, Dear White People, Handmaid’s Tale, Veep, Vida, You’re the Worst, Jane the Virgin, Crazy Ex GF & plenty more about making their abortion episodes & how they might do it differently today.
I just looked up & realized I've been at
@THR
for 10 years, which is ... insane. My actual anniversary was last week or the week before that but, really, time is an illusion. That said, I wanted to share some of my favorite stories from the past decade ... in no particular order.
Nice to see
@THR
cover subject
@MargotRobbie
get her first Oscar nom. And since I failed to ever tweet said story, here it is. CliffsNotes version: She’s a f—king force.
“He’s always coveted this mogul life, and now he’s got it,” says an exec who has known Zaslav for decades. “Some part of him probably knows it’s temporary, so he’s like, ‘Screw it, let them eat cake.’”
Back to SNL... Sandler has become something of a punching bag in recent years (in media rep, not actual deal making... see Netflix), but last night’s show - from his monologue to his tribute - was a fabulous reminder of his talent and his heart.
Lots being made of Tiffany Haddish’s Leo run-in, but her run-in with
@therealroseanne
is also pretty incredible / revealing ... though for very different reasons.
Winning Time was once envisioned as a limited series. Now? Internal thinking is it could go on (and on). In fact, HBO has quietly optioned the rights to
@jeffpearlman
’s 2nd Lakers book, about the Shaq / Kobe era.
Went long with
@mattrife
who talked crowd work and controversy along with the Netflix sitcom he’s developing, his forthcoming memoir and his desire to work with “genius” Ricky Gervais and “idol” Ryan Reynolds.
Late last week, I sat down with HRC to discuss her juicy new Hulu doc.... the conversation made its way to Trump (“some people can’t give me up”), Bernie (“nobody likes him”), a woman’s electability, her marriage, reputation, legacy & Hollywood ambitions.
Fair warning: I’ll be tweeting lots abt this cover, and only in part because I’ve never had so much fun writing one. My boozy x-country flight w/
@TiffanyHaddish
For years now, I’ve been trying to land a Jim Carrey profile. I needed to know what had happened and where he went. Earlier this summer, i got to find out.
Idris Elba will be on one of this week’s covers and, as far as subjects go, he doesn’t disappoint. Over a few scotches (him, not me), he opens up about his “Wire” heartache, Donald Glover ambitions, Max Landis
#MeToo
drama and those Bond rumors...
“It didn’t used to be this way,” says one executive in the original series group. “Now, it’s all, ‘Who’s going next? Am I going to have a job? What’s it going to look like?’ ”