Tag Archives: Tina Fey

Lin-Manuel Miranda Earns Two Golden Globe Nominations for “Hamilton” Movie

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It’s a golden age for Lin-Manuel Miranda…

Nominations for the 78th annual Golden Globe Awards have been revealed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for the best in film and television, with the 41-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer, composer, lyricist and playwright earning two nods.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Miranda is nominated in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category for his work in the filmed version of his Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton.

Miranda also earned a nod as the film’s producer when Hamilton was nominated in the Best Picture – Musical or Comedy category.

With this year’s nominations, Miranda has received five nominations in his career, including a previous nod in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category for his work in Mary Poppins Returns.

Jared Leto is celebrating a Little acknowledgement…

The 49-year-old part-Spanish American actor picked up a nod in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for his work in The Little Things.

Leto previously won a Golden Globe for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club.

Jayro Bustamante has earned his first-ever Golden Globe nominated…

The 46-year-old Guatemalan film director and screenwriter earned a nod in the Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language category for his helming La Llorona.

Helena Bonham Carter is back in the running again…

The 54-year-old part-Spanish actress has earned her second consecutive nod in the Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or TV Movie category for her performance as Princess Margaret on Netflix’s The Crown.

Like the rest of the award-show staples this year, the pandemic has forced shifts to both timelines and eligibility rules.

The 78th annual Golden Globes ceremony on NBC is usually in January, but with the Oscars’ movie to April 25, this year’s awards show is set for February 28.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler return to host and will do so separately in a ceremony hosted live in New York (by Fey) and in Los Angeles (by Poehler).

Here’s the full list of nominees:

MOTION PICTURES

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
The Father (Trademark Films; Sony Pictures Classics)
Mank (Netflix; Netflix)
Nomadland (Highwayman / Hear/Say / Cor Cordium; Searchlight Pictures)
Promising Young Woman (LuckyChap Entertainment / FilmNation Entertainment; Focus Features)
The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (Marc Platt Productions / Dreamworks Pictures; Netflix)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Andra Day, The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman
Frances McDormand, Nomadland
Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Gary Oldman, Mank
Tahar Rahim, The Mauritanian

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (Four By Two Films; Amazon Studios)
Hamilton (Walt Disney Pictures / Radicalmedia / 5000 Broadway Productions / Nevis Productions / Old 320 Sycamore Pictures; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Music (Pineapple Lasagne Productions / Landay Entertainment; Vertical Entertainment / Imax)
Palm Springs (Party Over Here / Limelight Productions; Neon / Hulu)
The Prom (Netflix / Dramatic Forces / Storykey Entertainment; Netflix)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
Kate Hudson, Music
Michelle Pfeiffer, French Exit
Rosamund Pike, I Care A Lot
Anya Taylor-Joy, Emma

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
James Corden, The Prom
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Dev Patel, The Personal History of David Copperfield
Andy Samberg, Palm Springs

BEST MOTION PICTURE – ANIMATED
The Croods: A New Age (Dreamworks Animation; Universal Pictures)
Onward (Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Over The Moon
(Netflix / Pearl Studio / Glen Keane Productions; Netflix)
Soul (Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Wolfwalkers (Cartoon Saloon / Melusine; Apple / Gkids)

BEST MOTION PICTURE – FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Another Round (Denmark) (Zentropa Entertainments; Samuel Goldwyn Films)
La Llorona (Guatemala / France) (La Casa De Producción / Les Films Du Volcan; Shudder)
The Life Ahead (Italy) (Palomar; Netflix)
Minari (Usa) (Plan B; A24)
Two Of Us (France / Usa) (Paprika Films; Magnolia Pictures)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy
Olivia Colman, The Father
Jodie Foster, The Mauritanian
Amanda Seyfried, Mank
Helena Zengel, News Of The World

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN ANY MOTION PICTURE
Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of The Chicago 7
Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and The Black Messiah
Jared Leto, The Little Things
Bill Murray, On The Rocks
Leslie Odom Jr, One Night In Miami

BEST DIRECTOR – MOTION PICTURE
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
David Fincher, Mank
Regina King, One Night In Miami
Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of The Chicago 7
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

BEST SCREENPLAY – MOTION PICTURE
Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman
Jack Fincher, Mank
Aaron Sorkin, The Trial of The Chicago 7
Florian Zeller, Christopher Hampton, The Father
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – MOTION PICTURE
Alexandre Desplat, The Midnight Sky
Ludwig Göransson, Tenet
James Newton Howard, News Of The World
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Mank
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste, Soul

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“Fight For You” — Judas And The Black Messiah
Music By: H.E.R., Dernst Emile Ii
Lyrics By: H.E.R., Tiara Thomas
“Hear My Voice” — The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Music By: Daniel Pemberton
Lyrics By: Daniel Pemberton, Celeste Waite
“Io Sì (Seen)” — The Life Ahead
Music By: Diane Warren
Lyrics By: Diane Warren, Laura Pausini, Niccolò Agliardi
“Speak Now” — One Night In Miami
Music By: Leslie Odom Jr, Sam Ashworth
Lyrics By:Vleslie Odom Jr, Sam Ashworth
“Tigress & Tweed” — The United States Vs. Billie Holiday
Music By: Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq
Lyrics By:Vandra Day, Raphael Saadiq

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
The Crown – Netflix (Left Bank Pictures / Sony Pictures Television)
Lovecraft Country – HBO (HBO / Afemme / Monkeypaw / Bad Robot / Warner Bros. Television)
The Mandalorian – Disney+ (Lucasfilm Ltd.)
Ozark – Netflix (Mrc Television)
Ratched – Netflix (Fox21 Television Studios)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Emma Corrin, The Crown
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sarah Paulson, Ratched

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – DRAMA
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Josh O’Connor, The Crown
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Al Pacino, Hunters
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason

BEST TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Emily In Paris – Netflix (Darren Star Productions / Jax Media / Mtv Studios)
The Flight Attendant – HBO Max (HBO Max / Berlanti Productions / Yes, Norman Productions / Warner Bros. Television)
The Great – Hulu (Hulu / Civic Center Media / Mrc)
Schitt’s Creek – Pop TV
(Not A Real Company Productions / Canadian Broadcast Company / Pop TV)
Ted Lasso – Apple TV+ (Apple / Doozer Productions / Warner Bros. Television / Universal Television)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Lily Collins, Emily In Paris
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Elle Fanning, The Great
Jane Levy, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Catherine O’hara, Schitt’s Creek

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SERIES – MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Nicholas Hoult, The Great
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Ramy Youssef, Ramy

BEST TELEVISION LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Normal People – Hulu (Hulu / BBC / Element Pictures)
The Queen’s Gambit – Netflix (Netflix)
Small Axe – Amazon Studios (BBC Studios Americas, Inc / Amazon Studios)

The Undoing – HBO (HBO / Made Up Stories / Blossom Films/David E. Kelley Productions)
Unorthodox – Netflix
(Studio Airlift / Realfilm)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Normal People
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Nicole Kidman, The Undoing
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR A MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION
Bryan Cranston, Your Honor
Jeff Daniels, The Comey Rule
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
Ethan Hawke, The Good Lord Bird
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SUPPORTING ROLE
Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Julia Garner, Ozark
Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek
Cynthia Nixon, Ratched

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A TELEVISION SUPPORTING ROLE
John Boyega, Small Axe
Brendan Gleeson, The Comey Rule
Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Jim Parsons, Hollywood
Donald Sutherland, The Undoing

Javier Bardem to Present at This Year’s Oscars

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Javier Bardemhas a date with Oscar…

The 49-year-old Spanish actor has been added to the list of presenters for the 91st Oscars show later this month.

Javier Bardem

Bardem, won the Academy Awardfor Best Supporting Actorfor his role as the psychopathic assassin Anton Chigurh in the 2007 Coen Brothersfilm No Country for Old Men, joins a roster of new additions that includes Angela Bassett, Chadwick Boseman, Emilia Clarke, Laura Dern, Samuel L. Jackson, Stephan James, Keegan-Michael Key, KiKi Layne, James McAvoy, Melissa McCarthy, Jason Momoa and Sarah Paulson.

They join previously announced Awkwafina, Daniel Craig,Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Allison Janney,Brie Larson, Jennifer Lopez, Frances McDormand, Gary Oldman, Amy Poehler, Sam Rockwell, Maya Rudolph,Amandla Stenberg, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson and Constance Wuat the show, set for February 24 live on ABC.

The presenters have added interest in a year in which the Oscars is going host-less, with Academy president John Bailey saying as late a week ago the show remained “in flux.”

“The array of talent anchoring the show this year has brought some of the most indelible moments in recent cinematic memory to audiences around the world,” said producer Donna Gigliotti and co-producer and director Glenn Weisson Monday in the announcement. “They join together to reconnect us with the nominees, their tremendous movies, and outstanding performances.”

Jennifer Lopez to Present at This Year’s Oscars

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Jennifer Lopezhas a date with Oscar…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced the first round of presenters who will hand out prizes at this year’s 91st Academy Awards, with the 49-year-old Puerto Rican superstar making the list. 

Jennifer Lopez

While the show remains host-less, viewers can still expect an A-list group of celebrity attendees.

In addition to J.Lo, the list of diverse talent set to present Oscars include Awkwafina, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Tina Fey, Whoopi Goldberg, Brie Larson, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Charlize Theron, Tessa Thompson and Constance Wu.

In addition to this star-studded list, Oscar producer Donna Gigliotti and co-producer and director Glenn Weissannounced that the Los Angeles Philharmonicand conductorGustavo Dudamelwill perform during the annual “In Memoriam” segment of the show.

“The Oscar nominees have generated tremendous worldwide attention through their captivating stories, achievements and performances,” said Gigliotti and Weiss. “We want to give the public an opportunity to once again experience the moments that have moved us all. It is a celebration of our universal love of movies.”

The announced names are only some of talent set to hand out the golden statues; the Academy will unveil more presenters in the weeks to come. 

“This is an important moment in Oscar history,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “This year’s show maintains Oscar traditions, and is also evolving to reflect our global audience.”

The 2019 Oscars will air live Sunday, February 24, on ABCat 8:00 pm ET. 

Chita Rivera to Perform at the “Concert For America” Benefit

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Chita Rivera is doing her part to help families on the border…

The 85-year-old half-Puerto Rican Broadway sensation will perform in the Concert For America, which will take place on June 30.

Chita Rivera

Rivera, the first Hispanic woman and the first Latino AmericanKennedy Center Honors recipient,will join a list of participants that includesTina Fey, Idina Menzel, Audra McDonald, Mandy Gonzalez and more.

Hosted by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley of SiriusXM, the benefit consisting of music, comedy and commentary will take place in New York’s Great Hall at The Cooper Union.

Rudetsky said in a statement, “James and I have been increasingly horrified at what’s going on with these families struggling at the border.” He added that the scheduled Concert For America will coincide with the coming day of national protests, and will benefit the non-profits working with families at the southern border.

General Admission tickets are $25, and limited VIP seats are $250, with proceeds going to Al Otro Lado, Texas Civil Rights Project, ACLU Foundation of Texas and Florence Project, all groups working to protect the civil and human rights of families on the border. Tickets can be purchased here.

The event will livestream on Facebook and at ConcertsforAmerica.com, beginning at 5:00 pm, ET on Saturday, June 30.

John Leguizamo to Present at Sunday’s Tony Awards Ceremony

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John Leguizamo is ready to (re)present…

The 53-year-old Colombian actor and stand-up comedian will serve as a presenter at this Sunday’s Tony Awards ceremony.

John Leguizamo

Leguizamo, who previously earned two Tony Award nods, is nominated this year for Best Play for his one-man show Latin History for Morons.

Leguizamo joins a list of presenters that includes Christine Baranski, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jeff Daniels, Robert De Niro, Brandon Victor Dixon, Tina Fey, Billy Joel, Patti LuPone and Kerry Washington.

Tony Award Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Andrew Lloyd Webber and Chita Rivera will also take the stage.

The 72nd Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban, will air live from Radio City Music Hall on CBS on Sunday at 8:00-11:00 pm ET/delayed PT.

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Perform at This Year’s Tony Awards

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Lin-Manuel Miranda is making his triumphant return to the Tony Awards…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican composer, playwright, actor and singer will perform on Sunday’s Tonycast, almost one year after his hit Broadway musical Hamilton swept the awards.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

The casts of Bandstand, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Falsettos, Groundhog Day The Musical, Hello, Dolly!, Miss Saigon, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and War Paint will perform during 71st Annual Tony Awards, which CBS will broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall from 8:00 to 11:00 PM.

There’s still no word on what Miranda will perform.

There will be additional performances by The Radio City Rockettes and Tony Award winners Cynthia Erivo (The Color Purple) and Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton).

There will be additional appearances by Scott Bakula, Sara Bareilles, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bloom, Glenn Close, Stephen Colbert, Brian d’Arcy James, Cynthia Erivo, Tina Fey, Sutton Foster, Josh Gad, Whoopi Goldberg, Jonathan Groff, Mark Hamill, Taraji P. Henson, Christopher Jackson, Allison Janney, Scarlett Johansson, Anna Kendrick, Keegan-Michael Key, Nick Kroll, John Legend, John Lithgow, Patina Miller, John Mulaney, David Oyelowo, Chazz Palminteri, Sarah Paulson, Lea Salonga, Tom Sturridge, Tommy Tune, Olivia Wilde, and 2017 Tony nominees Sally Field, Josh Groban, Bette Midler and Ben Platt.

Although Midler will appear as a presenter in one of the acting categories, she is not scheduled to participate in the Hello, Dolly! segment, which will be led by co-star Hyde Pierce. The blockbuster production’s offer to present the title song, or another of Dolly’s show-stoppers, live via remote from the Shubert Theatre was declined by the Tony producers.

The ceremony will be hosted by Tony and Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey.

The Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Armisen to Return as Guest Star on Season 3 of Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”

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Fred Armisen is still Unbreakable..

The 50-year-old half-Venezuelan actor and former Saturday Night Live star is set to return as a guest star on Season 3 of Netflix’s hit comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Fred Armisen

Armisen joins series stars Ellie Kemper, Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski and Carol Kane, and returning guest stars Anna Camp, Mike Carlsen, Josh Charles, David Cross, Tina Fey, Jon Hamm and Amy Sedaris for the third season which premieres Friday, May 19 on Netflix.

The third season premiere picks up with Kimmy finding herself in an unfamiliar position with the Reverend back in her life. Titus returns from his cruise and auditions for an exciting new role. Lillian has to break up with her boyfriend Robert Durst.

Netflix will premiere the Season 3 debut episode at the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival, followed by a Q&A with cast members.

Additional guest stars include former Hamilton star Daveed Diggs, Laura Dern, Rachel, Dratch, Ray Liotta, Andrea Martin and Maya Rudolph.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a production of Universal Television, Little Stranger Inc., 3 Arts Entertainment and Bevel Gears for Netflix.

The Associated Press Names Miranda Its Entertainer of the Year

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Lin-Manuel Miranda isn’t just the man of the hour… He’s the man of the last 8,000-plus hours.

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican actor, playwright, composer, rapper, and writer, bested Beyonce, Adele and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, among others, to earn the honor of The Associated Press Entertainer of the Year, voted by members of the news cooperative and AP entertainment reporters.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Best known for creating and starring in the Broadway musicals Hamilton and In the Heights. Miranda has had a banner year, winning a Pulitzer Prize and a pair of Tony Awards.

The Hamilton writer-composer also earned a Golden Globe nomination, won the Edward M. Kennedy Prize for Drama Inspired by American History, wrote music for a top movie, and inspired a best-selling book, a best-selling album of Hamilton covers and a popular PBS documentary.

“There’s been more than a little good luck in the year itself and the way it’s unfolded,” Miranda said after being told of the honor. “I continue to try to work on the things I’ve always wanted to work on and try to say yes to the opportunities that I’d kick myself forever if I didn’t jump at them.”

Miranda joins the list of previous AP Entertainer of the Year winners who in recent years have included Adele, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Lawrence, Lady Gaga, Tina Fey and Betty White.

The animated Disney juggernaut Frozen captured the prize in 2014, and Star Wars won last year. (Miranda wrote one of the songs in The Force Awakens.)

When he hosted Saturday Night Live in October, he somewhat tongue-in-cheek acknowledged the rarity of having a theater composer as host, saying: “Most of you watching at home have no idea who I am.”

But that has definitely changed… Miranda was virtually everywhere in popular culture this year — stage, film, TV, music and politics — engaging on social media as he went. Like a lyric he wrote for Alexander Hamilton, it seemed at times that the non-stop Miranda was working as if he was “running out of time.”

Julio D. Diaz, of the Pensacola News Journal, said Miranda “made the whole world sing, dance and think. Coupled with using his prestige to become involved in important sociopolitical issues, there was no greater or more important presence in entertainment in 2016.”

Among the things Miranda did this year are asking the U.S. Congress to help dig Puerto Rico out of its debt crisis, getting an honorary doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania, performing at a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton on Broadway, lobbying to stop gun violence in America, and teaming up with Jennifer Lopez on the benefit single “Love Make the World Go Round.”

He and his musical Hamilton won 11 Tony Awards in June, but perhaps his deepest contribution that night was tearfully honoring those killed hours before at an Orlando nightclub with a beautiful sonnet: “Love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love, cannot be killed or swept aside,” he said. “Now fill the world with music, love and pride.”

He started the year onstage in the Broadway hit Hamilton (which in 2015 had won a Grammy and earned Miranda a MacArthur genius grant) and ended it with a Golden Globe nomination for writing the song “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana, which was on top of the box office for three weeks this month, earning $165 million.

“I’ve been jumping from thing to thing and what’s been thrilling is to see the projects that happen very quickly kind of exploding side-by-side with the projects I’ve been working on for years,” Miranda said.

Though theater fans have long cherished his fluency in both Stephen Sondheim and Tupac, Hamilton helped Miranda break into the mainstream in 2016. The groundbreaking, biographical hip-hop show tells the true story of an orphan immigrant from the Caribbean who rises to the highest ranks of American society, performed by a young African-American and Latino cast.

The cast went to the White House in March to perform songs from the show for the first family and to answer questions from school children. A version of the show opened in Chicago in October and a production is slated to land in California next year and in London soon.

Erin O’Neill of The Marietta Times said Miranda dominated entertainment news this year but, more importantly, “opened a dialogue about government, the founding of our country and the future of politics in America.”

There’s more Miranda to come in 2017, including filming Disney‘s Mary Poppins Returns with Emily Blunt (due out Christmas 2018) and an ambitious TV and film adaptation of the fantasy trilogy The Kingkiller Chronicle.

“I’m back in a planting mode after a harvest,” Miranda said, laughing.

Richie to Star on NBC’s Upcoming Comedy Series “Great News”

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There’s a little Great News for Nicole Richie…

The 34-year-old part-Mexican American television personality and fashionista will star in NBC‘s forthcoming comedy Great News in a recasting, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Nicole Richie

Inspired by the life of Tracey Wigfield, the comedy centers on a mother-daughter relationship that is challenged when an overly involved New Jersey mom (Andrea Martin) interns at her daughter’s (Briga Heelan) workplace, a cable news network.

The Simple Life alum has been tapped to play Portia, the role originally played by Kimrie Lewis-Davis in the pilot.

Producers are said to have wanted to go in a different direction with the role. Portia is the hip, young co-host of The Breakdown, the cable news show within Great News. Sometimes a shrewd social media genius, sometimes a clueless idiot, Portia has little interest in her older co-host’s (John Michael Higgins) hard-hitting traditional vision for the show.

Written by Wigfield, the 30 Rock alum exec produces the Universal Television single-camera comedy alongside Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.

Beth McCarthy Miller directed the pilot for the series, which is due to bow midseason.

It’s Richie’s first scripted series-regular television role following reality television work on The Simple Life and Candidly Nicole as well as guest-acting appearances on NBC’s Chuck, The New Normal and Fox‘s Empire.

Garcia Swisher to Star in CBS’ Comedy Pilot “The Kicker”

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Joanna Garcia Swisher’s career is getting a big kick(er)…

The 36-year-old half-Cuban American actress will co-star opposite Geoff Stults and David Spade in CBS’ The Kicker, a multi-camera comedy pilot from the 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt trio of Tina Fey, Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock.

Joanna Garcia Swisher

Written by Burditt, The Kicker centers on Daryl Thorkelsonan (Stults), an oddball athlete who drives family, friends and strangers insane after he unexpectedly finds himself cut from his professional football team.

Swisher will play Bambi, Daryl’s (Stults) intelligent and patient wife and a physical therapist to pro athletes. Spade plays Russ Thorkelson, Daryl’s (Stults) brother and sports agent.

Swisher recently co-starred on ABC’s The Astronaut Wives Club and recurs as Ariel on ABC’s Once Upon a Time.