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Wales Online
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
LeBron James open to acting career after NBA retirement
LeBron James open to acting career after NBA retirement "I think that all will boil down to the creative writing and to the role" Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. (Image: Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images ) LeBron James is open to a career in acting. The 40-year-old basketball icon - who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA - played a "version" of himself in 2015's Trainwreck and 2021's Space Jam: A New Legacy, as well as lending his voice to the likes of The Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants. Asked if he'd be interested in exploring roles playing other characters, he told The Hollywood Reporter: "I think that all will boil down to the creative writing and to the role. "If the role is appropriate and I feel like I can nail it, then I wouldn't mind doing that at all. I feel like I could turn and be someone else that's not LeBron James. "In Trainwreck, my name was not LeBron James. But it was a version of me, my typical self, [just] playing Bill Hader's best friend during that movie." LeBron noted that any Hollywood ambitions would have to wait until after he retires from basketball, but he's not rulling it out. Article continues below He added: "But, yeah, I would love to explore, and if the scripts start to roll in and there's an opportunity for me to do some acting and I have the time - obviously, post-career - I don't mind looking at it and seeing if I can make it happen, for sure." In recent years, LeBron has made moves in the movie production world through his own SpringHill Company, which recently merged with Fulwell 73 to create Fulfull Entertainment. The athlete and businessman insisted there isn't someone he's looking to base himself on in Hollywood. He said: "No, I don't have a blueprint of someone I want to be like in industry. I want to continue to do what we've been doing, and I want to continue to keep storytelling at the forefront of everything that we do, "I think storytelling is the most incredible thing we can do, not only for ourselves, but for our fanbase and for our families. "People can actually be in their households and watch certain documentaries or watch certain movies or listen to podcasts - storytelling really brings people together." Article continues below He claimed rather than a set plan or timeframe, he wants the company "just continue doing" what they're doing. He explained: "I've known I've always wanted to do that since I was younger, and I will continue to do that beyond my playing days."
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
LeBron James open to acting career after NBA retirement
LeBron James is open to a career in acting. The 40-year-old basketball icon - who currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA - played a "version" of himself in 2015's Trainwreck and 2021's Space Jam: A New Legacy, as well as lending his voice to the likes of The Simpsons and SpongeBob SquarePants. Asked if he'd be interested in exploring roles playing other characters, he told The Hollywood Reporter: "I think that all will boil down to the creative writing and to the role. "If the role is appropriate and I feel like I can nail it, then I wouldn't mind doing that at all. I feel like I could turn and be someone else that's not LeBron James. "In Trainwreck, my name was not LeBron James. But it was a version of me, my typical self, [just] playing Bill Hader's best friend during that movie." LeBron noted that any Hollywood ambitions would have to wait until after he retires from basketball, but he's not rulling it out. He added: "But, yeah, I would love to explore, and if the scripts start to roll in and there's an opportunity for me to do some acting and I have the time — obviously, post-career — I don't mind looking at it and seeing if I can make it happen, for sure." In recent years, LeBron has made moves in the movie production world through his own SpringHill Company, which recently merged with Fulwell 73 to create Fulfull Entertainment. The athlete and businessman insisted there isn't someone he's looking to base himself on in Hollywood. He said: "No, I don't have a blueprint of someone I want to be like in industry. I want to continue to do what we've been doing, and I want to continue to keep storytelling at the forefront of everything that we do, "I think storytelling is the most incredible thing we can do, not only for ourselves, but for our fanbase and for our families. "People can actually be in their households and watch certain documentaries or watch certain movies or listen to podcasts — storytelling really brings people together." He claimed rather than a set plan or timeframe, he wants the company "just continue doing" what they're doing. He explained: "I've known I've always wanted to do that since I was younger, and I will continue to do that beyond my playing days."
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Eric Dane remains optimistic amid ALS diagnosis: 'I don't feel like this is the end of me'
Despite his recent health struggles, Eric Dane is trying to look on the bright side. Two months after revealing he'd been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, the "Grey's Anatomy" alum is set to open up about his life with the rare degenerative disease in an upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America." "I wake up every day and I'm immediately reminded that this is happening," Dane, 52, tells Sawyer in a teaser clip published by the ABC talk show on June 12. Sawyer solemnly replies, "It's not a dream." ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a nervous system disease that can impact the brain and spinal cord. Other stars who've battled ALS include late R&B singer Roberta Flack, world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, "SpongeBob SquarePants" creator Stephen Hillenburg and former U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace. Eric Dane reveals ALS diagnosis: What to know about the rare disease In his statement to People magazine revealing the diagnosis, Dane shared he planned on reprising his "Euphoria" role of Cal Jacobs for the HBO series' long-awaited third season. "I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working," he told the outlet. Per the National Institutes of Health, ALS progressively degrades, then kills nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. According to one of the most recent surveys published about the disease in 2017, there were between 18,000 and 31,000 cases of ALS in the United States. The preview of Dane's interview with Sawyer, which shows the actor visibly emotional at one point, also saw Dane offer an optimistic outlook on his health ordeal. "I don't think this is the end of my story," Dane says. "I don't feel like this is the end of me." 10 bingeable memoirs to check out: Celebrities tell all about aging, marriage and Beyoncé It is not known what causes most cases of ALS, but some inherited factors have been found to cause familial ALS, which occurs when two or more people in a family have the disease. So far, a cure has not been identified for ALS. According to the ALS Society of Canada, potential early signs of the disease include tripping, dropping things, slurred or "thick" speech, difficulty swallowing, weight loss, decreased muscle tone, shortness of breath, increased or decreased reflexes and uncontrollable periods of laughing or crying. People with ALS generally live from three to five years after symptoms develop, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How long a person lives with ALS seems to be related to age; people who are younger when the illness starts live slightly longer. Dane's "Good Morning America" interview is slated to air on Monday, June 16 at 7 a.m ET. Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eric Dane opens up about ALS diagnosis in new interview
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Eric Dane remains optimistic amid ALS diagnosis: 'I don't feel like this is the end of me'
Eric Dane remains optimistic amid ALS diagnosis: 'I don't feel like this is the end of me' Show Caption Hide Caption 'Grey's Anatomy' Eric Dane has been diagnosed with ALS ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a degenerative disorder that slowly results in the loss of the ability to walk, speak, swallow, and, ultimately, breathe independently. unbranded - Entertainment Despite his recent health struggles, Eric Dane is trying to look on the bright side. Two months after revealing he'd been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, the "Grey's Anatomy" alum is set to open up about his life with the rare degenerative disease in an upcoming interview with Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America." "I wake up every day and I'm immediately reminded that this is happening," Dane, 52, tells Sawyer in a teaser clip published by the ABC talk show on June 12. Sawyer solemnly replies, "It's not a dream." ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a nervous system disease that can impact the brain and spinal cord. Other stars who've battled ALS include late R&B singer Roberta Flack, world-renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, "SpongeBob SquarePants" creator Stephen Hillenburg and former U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace. Eric Dane reveals ALS diagnosis: What to know about the rare disease In his statement to People magazine revealing the diagnosis, Dane shared he planned on reprising his "Euphoria" role of Cal Jacobs for the HBO series' long-awaited third season. "I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working," he told the outlet. Per the National Institutes of Health, ALS progressively degrades, then kills nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. According to one of the most recent surveys published about the disease in 2017, there were between 18,000 and 31,000 cases of ALS in the United States. The preview of Dane's interview with Sawyer, which shows the actor visibly emotional at one point, also saw Dane offer an optimistic outlook on his health ordeal. "I don't think this is the end of my story," Dane says. "I don't feel like this is the end of me." 10 bingeable memoirs to check out: Celebrities tell all about aging, marriage and Beyoncé It is not known what causes most cases of ALS, but some inherited factors have been found to cause familial ALS, which occurs when two or more people in a family have the disease. So far, a cure has not been identified for ALS. According to the ALS Society of Canada, potential early signs of the disease include tripping, dropping things, slurred or "thick" speech, difficulty swallowing, weight loss, decreased muscle tone, shortness of breath, increased or decreased reflexes and uncontrollable periods of laughing or crying. People with ALS generally live from three to five years after symptoms develop, according to the CDC. How long a person lives with ALS seems to be related to age; people who are younger when the illness starts live slightly longer. Dane's "Good Morning America" interview is slated to air on Monday, June 16 at 7 a.m ET. Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘We Did Not Make ‘Animal Farm' for Any Algorithm': Director Andy Serkis on Animating Orwell
'Animal Farm' has always been, since its first publication in 1945 by British novelist George Orwell, both a timeless tale and a story of its time. It is no surprise, then, that Andy Serkis' animated adaptation feels so deeply rooted in our own contemporary world. Bringing the film to its global premiere at the Annecy Animation Festival yesterday, Serkis appeared moved and delighted to present 'Animal Farm' in front of a packed Bonlieu. The film features a star-studded cast led by Seth Rogen (voicing a rowdy/eerie version of Napoleon), Gaten Matarazzo (Lucky), Woody Harrelson (Boxer) and Laverne Cox (Snowball), along with talents such as Iman Vellani, Kieran Culkin, Glenn Close and Serkis himself. More from Variety Nickelodeon, Paramount Animation Smurf Up Annecy Crowds With Packed Slate and Exclusive SpongeBob SquarePants Preview Cartoon Network Studios Icons McCracken, Tartakovsky, Sugar, Quintel, Ward and Muto on The Studio, State of the Industry and What Inspires Them Taicca and Gobelins Paris Announce Partnership at Annecy to 'Nurture Original Stories from Taiwan': 'Dream Bigger and Reach Further' Back for the second year at an event that he, according to artistic director Marcel Jean, 'immediately fell in love with,' Serkis spoke with Variety about the film, decades in the making. Firstly, what compelled you to adapt this particular story? I have such strong memories of reading the book when I was around twelve. Along with the 'Hobbit' book, those were the two books that really resonated with me. Then I saw a theatrical production at the National Theatre in London in the 1980s, and I thought, wow, there's a way of telling this story visually as well. Smash cut to 2011, when I was working on 'The Rise of the Planet of the Apes,' and we were shooting the sequence where Caesar, the character I was playing, leads the apes to freedom in a sort of rebellion. And suddenly I realized that there hadn't been a cinematic representation of 'Animal Farm' for a long time. We started to work on it and did a lot of experimenting, which led us to realize that animation was the right medium for this adaptation. That allowed us to keep the innocence of the storytelling that the original book had, while being able to say much more than live action would allow us to do. In live action, such a story would necessarily have been darker from the outset. Whereas with an animated movie, breaking those ties with reality and keeping Orwell's book, which he described as a fairy tale, in that realm gave us much more freedom to still have emotional engagement with the characters, keep it innocent, and then progressively let the darker themes come in underneath that. Humor also plays a great part in your modern adaptation, especially through Napoleon's character. Why was it important to you? We didn't want to create a cardboard cutout sort of villain from the start, where it was obvious that he was scheming, plotting and planning. Our world is a lot more complex now. The notion of truth is almost destroyed so that we are blinded by what is happening. When we started writing Napoleon many years ago, there was already a sense that the world was changing and that the pillars of our society we took for granted were already being undermined and destroyed. Having a charismatic leader who leans on funny at the same time seemed to work for us. I've said it many times, but the book is 80 years old, and it still feels as fresh and relevant today as it ever was. How have your casting choices shaped this adaptation, if they have in any way? They definitely have. We spoke to Seth Rogen about 12 years ago, when it was still going to be a performance-capture live-action film, same for Jim Parsons and Glenn Close as well, and they remained loyal to the project even though it took such a long time to complete. When we decided to turn it into an animated movie and things started to ramp up, we wanted great actors who could really embody the roles fully. We brought Steve Buscemi, Iman Vellani, Laverne Cox on board. In truth, we felt so blessed because everyone wanted to do it because of the passion for the book they had. To whom did you create this film for? What audience did you have in mind when building this project? I would say this is a film for people of all ages. We've screened it for young kids, and they absolutely loved it, and I think it's because it's not patronizing to them. It actually asks them to put themselves in the central character's position. That was a big decision on my part, to find a central character that is innocent, becomes corrupted and realizes that he is corrupted. I wanted to take our young audience into that world where they have to do some adult thinking, and vice versa. Family films tend to either be patronizing to children or feel like they have to satisfy the adults, and it feels like it's just doing a job of ticking boxes. We did not make this film for any algorithm. We made it because we feel that this is the right way to tell a story. Orwell wanted to write for young inquiring minds who had to make tough decisions, and that guided us for this adaptation. How has working with the animated medium shaped your vision of cinema? I've always loved animation, back to my very first memories of watching Disney classics such as 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' or 'The Aristocats.' It's the first time you get to experience emotions other than your own in a shared environment, and it transports you. Even though it didn't start as one, I'm so glad that this project ended as an animated movie, and I've learned a huge amount as a director. I'd definitely like to do more animation, but at the same time when we were into production, I thought I would never want to do animation again. Animation is a very long process, but in it you learn to value every single frame, because everything in them is thought precisely and woven carefully. Every decision has to be made because you're basically creating every single pixel on screen, and that's a beautiful thing. It makes you realize how valuable every moment is. Going back to Lucky's character: Around the end of the film, Lucky rouses all animals by asking them to remember what brought them together in the first place. As human beings, what would you want us to remember today? To really remember that truth is something to be valued. Honesty, selflessness as well. We have all become self-driven, and I think it's worth reminding ourselves that there is satisfaction to be had in working not for yourself but for the benefit of others. That all sounds very woolly and, in a way, utopian. But I do think that there are certain core human values that are slipping away, and I think that our story somehow questions that. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
