Daphne Rubin-Vega to Appear on Season 4 of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building”

Daphne Rubin-Vega has landed a killer role…

The 54-year-old Panamanian-American actress, singer-songwriter, dancer and Broadway star has joined the star-studded cast of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.

Daphne Rubin-VegaRubin-Vega is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Richard Kind, Catherine Cohen and Jin Ha.

They’ll appear in recurring roles.

Details regarding the new season’s plot and character descriptions remain under wraps.

But the new episodes will focus on unraveling the murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles-Haden Savage’s (Steve Martin) mind-bogglingly identical stunt double from his years on the series Brazzos and its 2020 revival.

Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich revealed in a recent interview that the Only Murders In the Building trio: Charles, Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez), will kick off the new season with a trip to Los Angeles before returning to The Arconia in their search of Sazz’s killer.

New additions will also include Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Eugene Levy, Zach Galifianakis, Desmin Borges, Siena Werber and Lilian Rebelo, with Meryl Streep reprising the Season 3 role of Loretta Durkin.

In the Season 3 finale—following her highly praised performance in Oliver’s Broadway hit Death Rattle Dazzle— Loretta received two offers in productions that would require her to relocate to Los Angeles. Her new beau Oliver is into this idea as it would allow him to visit the City of Angels. Mabel’s new love interest Tobert (Jesse Williams) is also headed west, and surprisingly, she’s also keen on taking a little break from New York.

The Emmy-nominated comedy, produced by 20th Television, is co-created and co-written by Steve Martin and John Hoffman who also executive produce alongside Short, Gomez, Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

Rubin-Vega earned a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal of ‘Mimi’ in the original cast of Rent, and another for Anna in the Tropics. She was most recently seen starring in the Signature Theatre’s Night of the Iguana opposite Tim Daly and Lea DeLaria. She starred in the musical Miss You Like Hell at The Public Theatre and in the one-woman show Empanda Loca, which was written for her. She helped adapt the play into the scripted podcast, The Horror of Dolores Roach, which was then adapted into a TV series for Amazon.

Desmin Borges to Appear on New Season of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building”

Desmin Borges has entered the building

The half-Puerto Rican actor has joined the cast of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building.

Desmin BorgesBorges is among a roster of recurring cast additions that includes Siena Werber and newcomer Lilian Rebelo.

They join stars/executive producers Steve Martin, who also co-created the critically acclaimed series, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as well as new recurring players Zach Galifianakis, Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria and Eugene Levy and returning Meryl Streep in the upcoming fourth season.

All new characters will be integral to the twists and turns of the investigation into the murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles-Haden Savage’s (Martin) stunt double from his years on the series Brazzos and its 2020 revival.

Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich revealed in a recent interview that the Only Murders In the Building trio, Charles, Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Gomez), will kick off the new season with a trip to Los Angeles before returning to The Arconia in their search of Sazz’s killer.

The Season 3 finale saw Loretta (Streep), Oliver and Mabel all contemplating a move to LA.

Produced by 20th TelevisionOnly Murders in the Building, Hulu’s most watched original comedy series, is co-created and co-written by Martin and John Hoffman who also executive produce alongside Short, Gomez, Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

Borges is best known for his role as Edgar in five seasons of FX’s comedy You’re the Worst. He can currently be seen opposite Jennifer Lopez in the film Shotgun Weddingas well as in a series regular role in HBO’s The Time Traveler’s Wife.

His other recent credits include a season-long arc on Fox comedy Welcome To Flatch, Amazon’s Utopia, Netflix dramedy series Living with Yourself and the film Private Life.

He’ll next be seen in the film Hangdog, which premiered at the Provincetown Film Festival.

Newcomer Rebelo is a 2021 graduate of the drama program at Fordham University.  She recently starred in Our Dear Drug Lord at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Selena Gomez Launching “Selena + Restaurant” Series for Food Network

Selena Gomez is upgrading her kitchen for her next cooking series.

The 31-year-old Mexican American actress, singer and television host is launching Selena + Restaurant on the Food Network.

Selena GomezThe Emmy-nominated Only Murders in the Building star had previously hosted four seasons of Selena + Chef for Max, as well as four-part series Selena + Chef: Home for the Holidays for Food Network.

The new series will premiere on May2 on Food Network. It’ll see her head out of her home kitchen and into the kitchens of some of L.A.’s hottest restaurants.

Gomez will be joined by best friend, Raquelle Stevens, with chefs Shirley Chung, Keith Corbin, Stephanie Izard, Andrew & Michelle Muñoz, Wolfgang Puck and Marcel Vigneron teaching and testing Gomez to see how quickly she can learn the ropes with the ultimate goal of creating a dish good enough to make each restaurant’s menu.

Restaurants include Puck’s Cut Steakhouse in Beverly Hills, Chung’s Ms Chi, Vigneron’s Lemon Grove, the Muñozes Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Izard’s Girl & the Goat and Corbin’s Alta.

“After cooking mostly virtually from my kitchen with some of the best chefs for the last four years, I was thrilled to step into their world,” said Gomez. “You’ll have to see if being in person helped my skills at all.”

Selena + Restaurant is produced by Gomez’s July Moon Productions, along with executive producers Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman on behalf of Sony Pictures Television’s The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), showrunner Shauna Minoprio and Melissa Stokes.

Production Underway on Season 4 of Selena Gomez’s Hit Series “Only Murders in the Building”

Selena Gomez is officially back in the Building

Production is underway on the fourth season of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, starring the 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer.

Selena GomezHulu released a first look of the acclaimed series with some on-set photos posted on the show’s Instagram account.

The photos feature stars Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short in what appears to be a chilly Los Angeles.

Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich revealed in a recent interview that the Only Murders In the Building trio, Charles-Haden (Martin), Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Gomez), would be kicking off the new season with a trip to Los Angeles before returning to The Arconia in their search of Sazz’s (Jane Lynch) killer.

Sazz was Charles-Haden Savage’s (Martin) stunt double from his years on the series Brazzos and its 2020 revival.

The Season 3 finale saw Loretta (Meryl Streep), Oliver and Mabel all contemplating a move to L.A.

Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers (Martin, Short and Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth.

Produced by 20th TelevisionOnly Murders In the Building, Hulu’s most watched original comedy series, is co-created and co-written by Martin and John Hoffman, who also executive produced alongside Short, Gomez, Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

Eva Longoria to Appear on Season Four of Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building”

Eva Longoria is entering the building…

The 48-year-old Mexican American actress, who recently made her feature film directorial debut with Flamin’ Hot, has been cast in Hulu‘s Only Murders in the Building Season 4 in a recurring role.

Eva LongoriaDetails regarding the new season’s plot and character descriptions remain under wraps. However, new episodes will reportedly focus on unraveling the murder of Sazz Pataki (Jane Lynch), Charles-Haden Savage’s (Steve Martin) mind-bogglingly identical stunt double from his years on the series Brazzos and its 2020 revival.

Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich revealed in a recent Deadline interview that the Only Murders In the Building trio: Charles, Oliver (Martin Short) and Mabel (Selena Gomez), will kick off the new season with a trip to Los Angeles before returning to The Arconia in their search of Sazz’s killer.

Longoria’s character becomes integral to the twists and turns of this season’s investigation, sources close to production reveal.

She joins Molly Shannon, the first new cast member announced for Season 4, in the role of a high-powered LA businesswoman who finds herself drawn into the world of the investigation in New York.

Meryl Streep recently set her Season 4 return reprising the role of Loretta Durkin.

In the Season 3 finale—following her highly praised performance in Oliver’s Broadway hit Death Rattle Dazzle— Loretta received two offers in productions that would require her to relocate to Los Angeles. Her new beau Oliver is into this idea as it would allow him to visit the City of Angels. Mabel’s new love interest Tobert (Jesse Williams) is also headed west, and surprisingly, she’s also keen on taking a little break from New York.

The Emmy-nominated comedy, produced by 20th Television, is co-created and co-written by Steve Martin and John Hoffman who also executive produce alongside Short, Gomez, Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

Longoria recently kicked off promotions for her new Apple TV+ series Land of Women in which she executive produces and stars opposite Carmen Maura. The six-episode dramedy series is inspired by Sandra Barneda’s best-selling novel of the same name and will be presented in both Spanish and English.

In addition to her work directing, acting and producing through her production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, Longoria partnered last fall with Cris Abrego to form the new media holding company and premium content studio, Hyphenate Media Group. Land of Women is the company’s first project.

Up next, she is set to star in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Longoria will also produce and star in the TV adaptation of Isabel Allende’s bestselling novel The House of the Spirits for FilmNation Entertainment. The series is a family saga following the extraordinary lives of three generations of women in the Trueba Family, Longoria will portray Blanca Trueba, one of the passionate and courageous women leaders.

Other upcoming projects include the Disney+ original series, from 20th Television, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, currently in development. The series is inspired by the legend of La Llorona (the weeping woman) and follows teenage Paola on a quest to save her best friend from a different world steeped in Latin folklore that defies logic and legend; and the HBO film A Class Apart, which tells the incredible true story of a group of Mexican Americans fighting for their civil rights during a landmark case that leads to the Supreme Court.

Ice Spice Earns Two People’s Choice Awards

Ice Spice is the people’s choice… twice!

The 24-year-old half-Dominican American rap sensation claimed the first two People’s Choice Awards trophies of her career at Sunday’s awards show.

Ice SpiceIce Spice claimed the New artist of the year award, as well as the Collaboration song of the year award alongside Nicki Minaj and Aqua for “Barbie World.”

Pedro Pascal picked up the first People’s Choice Award of his career for Male TV star of the year for his starring role in HBO’s The Last of Us.

Jenna Ortega was named Drama movie star of the year, earning her a first-ever People’s Choice Award.

America Ferrera earned the Movie performance of the year award for her acclaimed work in Barbie.

Rachel Zegler picked up her first People’s Choice award, for Action movie star of the year, for her starring role in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Selena Gomez picked up her fifth People’s Choice, and her third for starring in Only Murders in the Building, for Female TV star of the year.

Bad Bunny earned his second People Choice Award, this time for Male Latin artist of the year, while Shakira was named Female Latin artist of the year 

Actor and author Simu Liu hosted the show, which aired live on Sunday, February 18) on NBC, Peacock and E! from the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.

The 2024 People’s Choice Awards show were produced by Den of Thieves. Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski executive produced.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Music

Male artist of the year: Jung Kook
Female artist of the year:
Taylor Swift
Male country artist of the year: Jelly Roll
Female country artist of the year: Lainey Wilson
Male Latin artist of the year: Bad Bunny
Female Latin artist of the year: Shakira
Pop artist of the year: Taylor Swift
Hip-hop artist of the year: Nicki Minaj
R&B artist of the year: Beyoncé
New artist of the year: Ice Spice
Group/duo of the year: Stray Kids
Song of the year: Olivia Rodrigo, “Vampire”
Album of the year: Olivia Rodrigo, Guts
Collaboration song of the year: Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua, “Barbie World”
Concert tour of the year: Taylor Swift, The Eras Tour

Movies

Movie of the year: Barbie
Action movie of the year: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Comedy movie of the year: Barbie
Drama movie of the year:Oppenheimer
Male movie star of the year: Ryan Gosling, Barbie
Female movie star of the year: Margot Robbie, Barbie
Action movie star of the year: Rachel Zegler, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes
Comedy movie star of the year: Jennifer Lawrence, No Hard Feelings
Drama movie star of the year: Jenna Ortega, Scream VI
Movie performance of the year: America Ferrera, Barbie

TV

Show of the year:Grey’s Anatomy
Comedy show of the year: Only Murders in the Building
Drama show of the year: The Last of Us
Sci-fi/fantasy show of the year: Loki
Reality show of the year: The Kardashians
Competition show of the year: The Voice
Bingeworthy show of the year: The Summer I Turned Pretty
Male TV star of the year: Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us
Female TV star of the year: Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building
Comedy TV star of the year: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Drama TV star of the year: Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
TV performance of the year: Billie Eilish, Swarm
Reality TV star of the year: Khloé Kardashian, The Kardashians
Competition contestant of the year: Ariana Madix, Dancing With the Stars
Daytime talk show of the year:The Kelly Clarkson Show
Nighttime talk show of the year:The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Host of the year: Jimmy Fallon, That’s My Jam

Pop Culture

Social celebrity of the year: Taylor Swift
Comedy act of the year: Chris Rock, Selective Outrage
Athlete of the year: Travis Kelce

ABC Looking to Air More Episodes of Selena Gomez’s “Only Murders In The Building” on Network TV

Selena Gomez’s hit series may be returning to network television…

Only Murders In The Building, the Hulu comedy starring the 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer, Steve Martin and Martin Short, could remain on ABC in addition to streaming.

Only Murders in the Building, Selena GomezThe Hulu original premiered on its sibling linear network earlier this month, coming as the network had a largely unscripted fall slate due to the Hollywood strikes. It remains on the streaming service.

ABC and Hulu boss Craig Erwich, said, “We’re certainly open to doing it with Only Murders again and or other shows. When we look at both ABC and Hulu, it’s one big chessboard, so you’re able to see where certain audiences watch certain shows, some migrate from one platform to another. Only Murders was really a perfect show to put on ABC, not only did we know that not a lot of people had watched it yet, as popular as it is, which is hard to believe, but Only Murders has that broad, comedic, aspirational tone and quality that I think aligns very well with the ABC brand.”

It’s not clear if there are concrete plans to launch season two on ABC but the series has three seasons on Hulu and has been renewed for a fourth.

But Erwich added that it pairs well with its hit comedy from Quinta Brunson. “You can imagine watching Abbott Elementary and Only Murders In The Building in the same session. That’s why we think the experiment was very successful, we were really happy.”

Erwich said that Only Murders In The Building generated “hundreds of millions of hours of viewing since it launched on Hulu in 2021”.

“Everything Steve, Marty and Selena do, wear, say, becomes part of the zeitgeist… And yet, we realized there were still viewers who hadn’t seen the show, that we knew would love it,” he added.

He said the results were “fantastic” and that the series has reached over 11M viewers on linear.

“But the impact on streaming was even greater. Many of those ABC viewers migrated over to Hulu to continue watching the series,” he said.

Erwich pointed out that after it launched on ABC, first streams increased by 40% and hours streamed rose by 39%.

“Again, underscoring how these platforms are additive and complementary to one another. This experiment created an incredible opportunity for us and our audience. As we evolve the broadcast model, this is something we will look to do again,” he added.

From co-creators and writers Martin and John Hoffman, the first season of Only Murders in the Building follows three strangers (Martin, Short and Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth. As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building, which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it’s too late.

Martin and Hoffman executive produce along with Short, Gomez, Jamie BabbitThis Is Us creator Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal.

The series is produced by 20th Television, a part of Disney Television Studios.

Karol G Named Billboard’s 2024 Woman of the Year

Karol G is a woman on top…

After a year of career-defining moments, including a history-making album, a momentous stadium tour, headlining Lollapalooza and her first Grammy win, the 32-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter has been named Billboard‘s 2024 Woman of the Year.

Karol GKarol G will be honored with the award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards on Wednesday, March 6, at the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles, and streaming March 7.

Karol G will also grace the stage for a special performance.

Hosted by award-winning actor and producer Tracee Ellis Ross, the annual event will recognize music’s rising stars and A-List artists, creators and executives for their contributions to the industry and community.

“With her immense talent, Karol G has created a movement for women across the globe due to her empowering lyrics and inspiring confidence,” said Hannah Karp, Billboard’s editorial director. “The release of her groundbreaking album Mañana Será Bonito has proven her a force to be reckoned with in both the English and Spanish charts. We are so excited to honor her as Woman of the Year.”

Over the past few years, Karol G has become a leading force in Latin music. Two years after releasing her breakthrough album KG0516 in 2021, Karol G became the first female artist to top the Billboard 200 with a Spanish-language album thanks to Mañana Será Bonito.

The follow-up album, Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), then debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. On Sunday, she won her first Grammy, taking home best música urbana album for Mañana Será Bonito.

Last summer, Karol launched her own Bichota Records and inked a distribution deal with Interscope. Additionally, The Con Cora Foundation was established to continue the artist’s social work and mission to support women who lead households, at-risk youth, children facing chronic or disabling diseases, those dealing with teenage pregnancy, women deprived of liberty and post-penalty, as well as low-income women.

Past recipients of Woman of the Year include SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.

Karol G joins the previously announced lineup of powerhouse women set for the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards: Kylie Minogue will receive the Icon AwardMaren Morris will receive the Visionary AwardIce Spice will receive the Hitmaker AwardCharli XCX will receive the Powerhouse AwardYoung Miko will receive the Impact AwardVictoria Monét will receive the Rising Star award; NewJeans will receive the Group of the Year AwardTEMS will receive the Breakthrough Award; and Luísa Sonza will receive one of Billboard’s new Global Force Awards.

Tickets to attend the Billboard Women in Music Awards are available to the public. Prices range from $89 – $279. Fans can watch the show on Thurs, March 7 at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET on billboardwomeninmusic.com; more details about the stream will be announced soon.

Selena Gomez to Executive Produce & Guest Star in Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” Sequel

Selena Gomez is heading back to the place it all started…

One of Disney’s signature comedies, Wizards of Waverly Place, which helped turn the 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer into a household name, is getting a sequel.

Selena GomezDisney Branded Television has ordered a pilot for the follow-up, which is executive produced by original stars Gomez and her small screen sibling David Henrie.

Gomez will guest star in the pilot for Disney Channel as the character that helped launch her career, Alex Russo, with Henrie reprising the role of Justin Russo as a series regular.

They’ll be joined by new cast members Janice LeAnn Brown, Alkaio Thiele and Mimi Gianopulos.

The revival pilot comes from writers and executive producers Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas who are behind another Disney Channel comedy spinoff, Raven’s Home.

It picks up after a mysterious incident at WizTech, where an adult Justin Russo has left his wizard powers behind, opting for a normal, human life with his wife and two sons. But he gets a surprise when a powerful young wizard in need of training shows up at his door… and Justin must embrace his past to ensure the future of the Wizard World.

The powerful young wizard Billie, whom Justin takes under his wing, will be portrayed by series lead Brown. Thiele will play Roman Russo, Justin’s oldest son; Gianopulos will play Justin’s wife, Giada.

In addition to Gomez, Henrie, Elinoff and Thomas, Gary Marsh and Andy Fickman will also executive produce, with Fickman directing.

Marsh was the former longtime top Disney Channel creative executive who was the driving force behind Wizards of Waverly Place and was instrumental in getting Gomez on the network after she was discovered during an open casting call in Dallas.

Created by Todd J. Greenwald, the original series, which ran from 2007-2012, followed the Russo family, where three siblings navigated the challenges of adolescence while mastering their magical abilities. The cast also included Jake T. Austin, Jennifer Stone, Maria Canals-Barrera and David DeLuise, all of whom (minus Henrie), reunited for the TV special The Wizards Return: Alex Vs. Alex in 2013.

The pilot order caps years of online chatter about a potential Wizards Of Waverly Place revival or reboot. It also fits into Disney Branded Television’s strategy of beefing up Disney Channel’s lineup of multi-camera sitcoms.

Gomez is currently in the Disney family as a star and executive producer of the hit Hulu/20th Television comedy series Only Murders In the Building.

Selena Gomez Starring as Linda Ronstadt in Biopic Based on the Singer’s “Simple Dreams” Memoir

Selena Gomez is heading to the Blue Bayou

The 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer will portray Linda Ronstadt in an upcoming biopic based on the superstar singer’s 2013 memoir Simple Dreams.

Selena GomezGomez, who stars in and executive produces Hulu’s The Only Murders In The Building, gave credence to the months-old internet rumors about the project by posting a photo of the memoir as an Instagram Story. Rolling Stone later confirmed the casting.

In pre-production, the film is being co-produced by James Keach and Ronstadt’s longtime manager John Boylan.

Additional casting and release date have not been announced.

An unconfirmed report of Gomez’s involvement in the biopic surfaced last July, but the IG Story today moved the possibility into the definite.

Keach directed the 2020 film Linda and the Mockingbirds, a documentary chronicling a road trip undertaken by Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and a group of younger musicians to the Mexican town of Banámichi in the state of Sonora, the birthplace of Ronstadt’s grandfather.

Linda Ronstadt Heart Like a WheelLike Gomez, who has had a successful music and acting career, Ronstadt is of Mexican descent. Ronstadt wrote at length about her heritage in the 2013 memoir. The singer returned to the subject in the 2022 book Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands.

Despite her 2012 retirement following a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease – the diagnosis was revised seven years later to progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease similar to Parkinson’s that has left Ronstadt unable to sing – Ronstadt and her music have returned to the spotlight in recent months. Last year her 1970 recording of “Long Long Time” was featured prominently in an episode of The Last of Us, and trailers for Ryan Murphy’s upcoming FX series Feud: Capote vs. The Swans make heavy use of Ronstadt’s smash 1974 hit “You’re No Good.”

The 2019 documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, offered an in-depth retrospective of her life and career, featuring on-screen appearances by and interviews with Ronstadt and her many musical friends and colleagues, including Browne, Ry Cooder, Emmylou Harris, Don Henley, Kevin Kline, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt and J.D. Souther.

If even a fraction of the many rockers and celebrities who’ve crossed paths with Ronstadt over the years make it into the biopic as characters, Hollywood will be very busy in coming months with actors vying for plum roles.