Latest news with #directing
Washington Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Marlee Matlin tells her story in an intimate and groundbreaking documentary
When American Masters approached Marlee Matlin about doing a documentary, Matlin had one name in mind to direct: Shoshanna Stern. Like Matlin, Stern is deaf. She also hadn't directed before. But Matlin, who herself became the first deaf person in the Directors Guild of America just a few years ago, was certain she was up to the task.
The Independent
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘Unsung' pioneering actress and director Esme Church honoured with blue plaque
An 'unsung' actress and director who founded a theatre school that taught future stars including three-time Bafta winner Billie Whitelaw has been honoured with a blue plaque. The recognition in Bradford, where she ran the Northern Theatre School, will allow Esme Church to take her 'rightful place in the cultural memory of this country', Historic England said. Born on 11 February 1893 in Marylebone, London, she trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and Rada before making her stage debut in the 1920s, and later joining the Old Vic Company. She performed major Shakespearean roles such as Lady Macbeth and Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, and led the Old Vic's drama school from 1936. Her career as a director began in the 1930s when she became artistic director of the Greyhound Theatre in Croydon, before moving on to Bradford Civic Playhouse where she took up the same role during the 1940s and 1950s. There, she championed regional theatre, established the Northern Theatre School, and mentored The Omen actress Whitelaw, who won a film Bafta in 1969 for best supporting actress for her roles in thriller Twisted Nerve and comedy Charlie Bubbles, along with two Bafta TV gongs. Other actors such as Dorothy L Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey star Edward Petherbridge, Secret Army actor Bernard Hepton and theatre actor Sir Robert Stephens, Dame Maggie Smith's former husband, were also among those mentored by Church. Lord Neil Mendoza, chairman of Historic England, called Church a 'formidable force in British theatre' who was among the 'trailblazing women' who have 'not received the national recognition (they) deserve'. He added: 'It is time that Esme Church takes her rightful place in the cultural memory of this country.' The plaque, which will be unveiled on Friday at 26 Chapel Street, Little Germany, reads: 'Esme Church, 1893-1972, actress and director ran the Northern Theatre School here.' Bruce Durham, the great-nephew of Church, said it is 'giving her the recognition that she deserves for all her contributions to the arts'. He said: 'Growing up with Esme around, it was always wonderful to see and hear about her work – whether it was entertaining troops in France during the First World War, becoming the head of The Old Vic Theatre School, or travelling to and from New York. 'It's important that not only my great-aunt Esme is recognised but being able to use brilliant platforms such as Ancestry to uncover the many unsung women who made a significant impact during the early 20th century.' Church's contribution comes as Bradford celebrates its year as UK City of Culture in 2025. Si Cunningham, chairman of Bradford Civic Society, said: 'It's thrilling to see yet more national recognition for Bradford's pioneering, creative heritage. 'Esme Church is an incredibly deserving recipient of a national blue plaque, which perfectly complements the city's own growing blue plaque scheme. 'I hope this beautiful plaque, and Esme's fascinating story, inspires a new generation of creative Bradfordians to do great things for their city.' Historic England and genealogy site Ancestry are calling on the public to uncover further inspiring women or girls from the 20th century, who may have been forgotten and deserve their place in history. The eight-week public nomination period for the National Blue Plaque Scheme is open until July 10 2025.
The Sun
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Coronation Street star making a comeback to the show 15 years after being killed off – but WON'T be seen on screen
CORONATION Street star Reece Dinsdale is making an epic comeback to the cobbles - 15 years after he was killed off. The actor played Gail Platt's fourth husband Joe McIntyre before he met his demise after he tried to fake his death to claim insurance money. 5 5 5 But before ITV fans get excited, Reece won't be reprising his role - instead he's taken a job from behind the camera. Reece has directed tonight's and Friday's episodes. Taking to his X account, he wrote: "Tonight's episodes of Coronation Street (and both of Friday's) are directed by yours truly. Loved every second of making them. Hope you enjoy, too!" Reece confirmed that the episodes were filmed around six to eight weeks ago. In the comment section, Reece admitted he "loves" being a director on the show as fans shared their excitement ahead of the installments. In April, Reece revealed he was making a return to the beloved soap. He revealed he recently directed four episodes that month. Reece is no stranger to directing Coronation Street and has made eight episodes since 2022. He has also directed 42 episodes of Emmerdale since 2020, and helmed episodes of shows such as Pitching In, Moving On, and Secrets and Words. The actor's gig behind the camera comes after he was forced to defend his career prospects when he left Emmerdale. In 2024, Reece announced he would be taking a break from directing the soap following the death of his mother. He told fans: 'Following the death of my Ma (& moving house), at 64 I've taken a decision to have some time out from work. Many months in fact. I've never done that consciously. 'I've stuff lined up down the line, so I know that's easy for me to say. However, I'm loving every bloody second of it!' Reece also played villain Paul Ashdale on Emmerdale in 2020 for a two-year stint, before he was killed off. 5 5
News.com.au
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
The Phoenician Scheme cast spill secrets from A-list set
The all-star cast of The Phoenician Scheme share secrets from the Wes Anderson set - including his very unique directing trick, what stories Tom Hanks tells in his downtime, and the best advice they've ever received.
News24
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Life after the White House: where are Malia and Sasha Obama now?
Having grown up in the glare of the spotlight, the daughters of Barack and Michelle Obama are now carving out lives and identities of their own which are completely separate from their parents' legacies. Malia (26) has embarked on a directorial career, making her debut with the short film The Heart, which premiered at last year's prestigious Sundance Film Festival. The eldest Obama daughter opted to use the name Malia Ann for the screening, deliberately distancing herself from her famous family. She also recently directed an advert for sports apparel maker Nike. However, the project was clouded in controversy after a fellow filmmaker, Natalie Jasmine Harris, came forward saying the ad looks eerily similar to a her film, Grace. 'It featured two people playing pat-a-cake in a way that echoed an early scene from my 14-minute short film,' Natalie wrote in an essay to Business Insider. 'At first, I was confused, wondering whether it was real,' Natalie adds. 'I was disappointed and hurt.' For Natalie it was not about the children's game, but rather the technical use of cinematography in taking the shots. 'My cinematographer, Tehillah De Castro, noted a lot of similarities from a technical perspective, from the camera angles to the shots to the framing composition and the colour palette,' Natalie says. She has not had any communication from either Nike or Malia since going public with her concerns but hopes it sparks a broader discussion about smaller creatives in film. Film has always been a passion for Malia. Having interned at the Weinstein Company in 2017, she chose to study filmmaking at Harvard, graduating in 2021. Since then, she's done a few projects with music and film artist Donald Glover. PHOTO: Instagram/MichelleObama On the other hand, her sister, Sasha (23), has chosen to stay out of the spotlight. Although the siblings live together in Los Angeles and have been spotted on nights out together, they seem to be on separate journeys. According to Hello!, the closest Sasha has come to the entertainment industry was getting her name in the credits as a casting interviewer for a TV series titled Couples Therapy. However, there's little to indicate that she would choose a similar path to her sister. In an interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show last last year, Michelle shared that her youngest daughter has gone back to university. She revealed that Sasha has opted to further her studies after graduating from the University of Southern California with a degree in sociology in 2023. Michelle added that she and Barack are very proud of their daughters. 'They are smart, they're funny, they're wise in their own ways and I love spending time with them,' she said.
