Cristo Fernandez & “Ted Lasso” Cast to Discuss Mental Health at White House

Posted on March 19, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Cristo Fernandez is heading to Washington, D.C.

The 32-year-old Mexican actor and former professional footballer and his Ted Lasso cast mates will visit the White House on Monday to participate in a discussion with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on “the importance of mental health to promote overall wellbeing.

Apple announced the meeting Sunday afternoon.

President Biden teased the appearance minutes before Apple’s confirmation, posting a reference to the Apple TV+ hit comedy: “Tomorrow.”

“Ted Lasso has inspired the world through its universal themes around optimism, kindness, and determination and the Lasso philosophy to ‘believe,’” reads Apple’s announcement of the meeting of the minds.

Excerpts from the event will be released on the White House’s official social media channels.

The third season of Ted Lasso debuted on Apple TV+ on March 15, kicking off its 12-episode season. There remains uncertainty whether a fourth season of the show will be approved by showrunner and star Jason Sudeikis, who has stated that such a matter “will always be dictated by the stories.”

Sudeikis developed Ted Lasso along with Bill Lawrence, Joe Kelly and Brendan Hunt. It’s based on the existing format and characters first featured on NBC Sports.

Sudeikis serves as an executive producer in addition to starring. Lawrence executive produces via Doozer Productions. Hunt, Kelly and Bill Wrubel also executive produce along with Doozer’s Jeff Ingold and Liza Katzer as well as Jane Becker and Jamie Lee. Goldstein is a writer and co-executive producer on the series.

It’s produced by Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television.

Fernandez portrays the lovable Dani Rojas on the series.

Cardi B Encourages People to Register to Vote as Deadlines Approach

Posted on September 2, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Cardi B is urging you to get registered…

The 27-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar, who has never been afraid to get political, is encouraging everyone to get registered to vote.

In a video posted by her label, Atlantic Records, Cardi B keeps it simple:

“It’s Cardi B and let me tell y’all something, state deadlines are coming very quick so make sure y’all click the link in the bio so y’all can register to vote,” she says in the brief video supporting the non-partisan group HeadCount, a national non-profit organization that works with musicians to promote participation in democracy in the United States.

With less than 65 days left until the November 3 election, the push to register voters and make sure they have the necessary materials to vote by mail or to vote early in their states is ramping up.

Cardi B had previously voiced her support for Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders, interviewing him about his vision for the country and political views, before her dropped out of the race. She’s now thrown her support for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, who she also interviewed recently.

Click here to register to vote through the HeadCount website.

Click here to verify that you’re already registered to vote in your state.

Cardi B, riding high on the chart-topping success of her Megan Thee Stallion collaboration “WAP,” recently got into a social media tussle with former Republican congressional candidate DeAnna Lorraine, after Lorraine made an unflattering comparison between Cardi B and First Lady Melania Trump after the latter’s speech at last week’s Republican National Convention.

“America needs far more women like Melania Trump and far less like Cardi B,” tweeted the politician who failed in her bid to unseat Democratic Speaker of the House leader Nancy Pelosi, leading the superstar to fire back, “Didn’t she used to sell that Wap?”

Eva Longoria to Speak on Opening Night of the Democratic National Convention

Posted on August 17, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is taking the national stage once again…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actress, former Desperate Housewives star and activist has been added to the lineup of speakers for this week’s Democratic National Convention.

Longoria, who gave a spirited speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, joins a lineup of new additions to the roster that includes three other Hollywood figures who’ve long been active in party politics: Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Longoria, who also appeared at the 2012 DNC and later served on the Presidential Inaugural Committee, will appear on Monday. Ross will speak on Tuesday, Washington on Wednesday and Louis-Dreyfus on Thursday.

Monday’s lineup includes Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former First Lady Michelle Obama. The convention will run from 9:00 – 11:00 pm ET each night.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will speak on Tuesday.

The convention also will feature performances from Leon Bridges, The Chicks, Common, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Billy Porter, Maggie Rogers, Prince Royce and Stephen Stills.

In addition to the lineup of speakers, Democrats plan to feature testimonials from everyday Americans who will appear from locations across the country.

Convention organizers also announced that the keynote address, traditionally delivered by one up-and-coming party figure, will instead feature 17 different speakers.

Francisca Valenzuela to Take Part in the Grammy Museum’s Mentorship Monday Program

Posted on July 14, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Francisca Valenzuela will be your guide…

The 33-year-old Chilean American singer, poet and multi-instrumentalist will take part in the Grammy Museum’s new Mentorship Monday program in partnership with Grammy U and former First Lady Michelle Obama‘s Reach Higher initiative.

Every Monday beginning next week through August 31, top-tier music industry professionals like Valenzuela will mentor college students and recent graduates via digital conferencing.

In addition to Valenzuela, mentors include artists Sam Fischer, Tikyra “TK” Jackson, Ledisi, three-time Grammy winners Little Big Town, Melanie Pfirrman and Sasha Sloan, as well as Recording Academy members.

The sessions will give students an opportunity to connect with established music industry professionals and creatives, and will serve as a valuable tool for information, advice and exploration within a wide variety of music careers and topics as they pursue their own careers.

“The Grammy Museum’s new Mentorship Monday program exemplifies the Museum’s mission to uphold music’s value in our lives through education and collaboration between professionals and aspiring creatives,” said Michael Sticka, president of the Grammy Museum. “I’d like to thank Reach Higher and Grammy U for helping make this program a reality.”

“Reach Higher is excited to partner with the Grammy Museum to bring mentorship to students this summer.” said Eric Waldo, Executive Director of Reach Higher. “Music helps us hear each other more fully and to share ourselves with one another authentically. Now more than ever is a wonderful time for professionals and artists to harness the unifying and uplifting power of music to support students as they explore and pursue educational and career opportunities in all facets of the recording industry,”

While the sessions are currently invitation-only, a selection will be released in the future as part of Reach Higher’s Beating the Odds Summit, and a selection of public-facing mentorship sessions will be available via Instagram Live.

Valenzuela released her latest album, La Fortaleza, in January.The album consists of 14 tracks, including the singles “Tómame,” “Héroe” and “Flotando.”

Pablo Larraín to Direct Kirsten Stewart in Princess Diana Film “Spencer”

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Larraín is taking on the portray of another legend…

The 43-year-old Oscar-nominated Chilean filmmaker will direct Kristen Stewart in the drama Spencer about Princess Diana.

The Steven Knight-scripted film covers a critical weekend in the early ‘90s, when Diana decided her marriage to Prince Charles wasn’t working, and that she needed to veer from a path that put her in line to one day be queen. The drama takes place over three days, in one of her final Christmas holidays in the House of Windsor in their Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England.

“I’ve always been intrigued and fascinated by the Royal Family and how things are in that culture, which we don’t have where I come from,” Larraín said. “Diana is such a powerful icon, where millions and millions of people, not just women, but many people around the world felt empathy toward her in her life. We decided to get into a story about identity, and around how a woman decides somehow, not to be the queen. She’s a woman who, in the journey of the movie, decides and realizes that she wants to be the woman she was before she met Charles.

The film won’t deal with Diana’s tragic death after she left that palace life, but will examine the fraying of the relationship with her husband, and her ferocious love for her sons Prince William and Prince Harry.

“It’s about finding herself, about understanding that possibly the most important thing for her is to be well, and to be with herself and by herself,” Larraín explained. “That’s why the movie is called Spencer, which is the family name she had before she met Charles. It’s very contained, set over a few days in Sandringham. They spent Christmas there for many years and that’s where we set the movie in the early ‘90s, around 1992, we’re not specific. It’s Christmas Eve, Christmas and Boxing Day, three days, very contained. We get to understand what it is she wants and what she will do.”

“How and why do you decide to do that? It’s a great universal story that can reach millions and millions of people, and that’s what we want to do. We want to make a movie that goes wide, connects with a worldwide audience that is interested in such a fascinating life,” he adds.

Production is expected to begin in early 2021 on the film, which Larraín will also produce.

Larraín previously directed Natalie Portman in Jackie. The film follows Jackie Kennedy in the days when she was First Lady in the White House and her life immediately following the assassination of her husband, U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963. The film earned Portman an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Larraín’s other credits include Neruda, about poet Pablo Neruda, as well as the Spanish-language film No, Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Language Film, and The Club.

Larrain Attached to Direct Annapurna Pictures’ “The True American”

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Things could be ringing True for Pablo Larraín…

The 40-year-old Chilean filmmaker, the Oscar-nominated director behind such titles as Jackie and Neruda, is attached to direct Tom Hardy in Annapurna Pictures’ The True American.

The project is based on Anand Giridharadas’ nonfiction book of the same name, which is set in Texas in the days following 9/11. It follows the story of Rais Bhuiyan, a Muslim immigrant and Bangladesh Air Force veteran who narrowly survived a killing spree that took the lives of two other immigrants. Employed at a Dallas-area convenience store as he established himself in America, Bhuiyan worked to have his attacker, self-styled “Arab-slayer” Mark Stroman, spared from execution.

This is a project that has been kicking around for a few years now, with Kathryn Bigelow attached to direct at one point, but now it’s moving forward with Bigelow taking a producer role on the film.

Larraín is fast becoming one of the most sought after international directors after his recent effort Jackie, starring Natalie Portman as the former First Lady in the days following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, was nominated for three Oscars.

His Spanish-language film Neruda, a twist on the biopic genre about the eponymous Nobel Prize-winning poet, was made in Chile and debuted at the Cannes Film Festival while his 2012 political satire No was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category.

The True American: Murder and Mercy in Texas was published in 2014 by W.W. Norton & Company.

Ashanti to be Featured on First Lady Michelle Obama “Songs for a Healthier America”

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like Ashanti will be makin’ music with First Lady Michelle Obama…

The 32-year-old part-Dominican American singer/actress, who recently starred on Lifetime’s Army Wives, will form part of a hip-hop album from the first lady and non-profit organization Partnership for A Healthier America aimed at inspiring healthy living among our youth.

Entitled Songs for a Healthier America, the 19-track rap album due in September is part of Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign, which aims to fight childhood obesity.

Along with Ashanti, the record will include tracks featuring Jordin Sparks, Run DMC, Ariana Grande and Blink-182‘s Travis Barker.

Mrs. Obama herself won’t be heard on any of the tracks but she will be making cameos in the music videos, with a total of ten clips to be created for the album, which will first be released to New York schools before being distributed to other major cities.

The first track, “Everybody“, featuring Sparks, Doug E. Fresh, Ryan Beatty, Artie Green and Dr. Mehmet Oz, was already released back in June as a free download and its music video can similarly be found online.

The positive message as well as the bouncy beat of the track, not to mention the spoken word feature from the First Lady highlighting the second year of her “Let’s Move” initiative, calling on everyone to spread the word is a fitting lead track for the well-intentioned project.

Lending some of his valuable support to the First Lady’s pet project is President Barack Obama himself, who has, in the past, made appearances and even sung publicly to help promote the program.

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