Joanne Woodward and her husband Paul Newman were one of Hollywood’s golden couples. Both together and separately the actors contributed to some of the most iconic films ever made. Although she has retreated from public life in recent years due to health concerns, her relevance remains strong. Allison Janney made a special point of thanking her when she won her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “I, Tonya.”
Woodward started her career on the New York stage and studied at two of New York’s leading acting schools of the day — the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors Studio. Success then came to her quite quickly when she won an Oscar for “The Three Faces of Eve,” which was only her third film. She would go on to earn three more Oscar nominations as Best Actress in the subsequent years of her 40-year film career.
Her film career slowed down a...
Woodward started her career on the New York stage and studied at two of New York’s leading acting schools of the day — the Neighborhood Playhouse and the Actors Studio. Success then came to her quite quickly when she won an Oscar for “The Three Faces of Eve,” which was only her third film. She would go on to earn three more Oscar nominations as Best Actress in the subsequent years of her 40-year film career.
Her film career slowed down a...
- 2/23/2024
- by Robert Pius, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Upon securing a spot in the 2024 Best Supporting Actress Oscar lineup, Jodie Foster (“Nyad”) officially shattered the Academy Awards record for longest span between fourth and fifth acting nominations. Following her two Best Actress wins for “The Accused” (1989) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1992), she had last been recognized in that category for “Nell” (1995), making for a general nomination gap of 29 years. Coincidentally, she took this particular distinction from fellow “Silence of the Lambs” winner Anthony Hopkins, who waited 22 years between his supporting bids for “Amistad” (1998) and “The Two Popes” (2020).
Previously, the female record for longest wait for a fifth nomination was 12 years, as shared by Julianne Moore and Frances McDormand. Considering gaps between any two consecutive acting nominations, Foster ranks well behind overall record holder Judd Hirsch, whose first and second career notices for “Ordinary People” (1981) and “The Fabelmans” (2023) came 42 years apart. His female counterpart is Helen Hayes (39 years...
Previously, the female record for longest wait for a fifth nomination was 12 years, as shared by Julianne Moore and Frances McDormand. Considering gaps between any two consecutive acting nominations, Foster ranks well behind overall record holder Judd Hirsch, whose first and second career notices for “Ordinary People” (1981) and “The Fabelmans” (2023) came 42 years apart. His female counterpart is Helen Hayes (39 years...
- 2/6/2024
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Exclusive: Cohen Media Group has acquired worldwide rights to Merchant Ivory, a documentary about the cinematic and personal partnership of filmmakers James Ivory and Ismail Merchant. The film directed by Stephen Soucy makes it world premiere on Saturday at Doc NYC.
Merchant Ivory became synonymous with quality filmmaking over a period of more than 40 years, earning particular acclaim for A Room with a View (1985), Mr. and Mrs. Bridge (1990), Howards End (1992), and The Remains of the Day (1993). They were life partners from 1961 until Merchant’s death in 2005.
Soucy’s film features interviews with major stars of Merchant Ivory productions, including Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter, and Hugh Grant. Ivory, who turned 95 in June, and Charles S. Cohen, Cmg Chairman and CEO, serve as executive producers.
Director James Ivory (L) with actor Anthony Hopkins and producer Ismail Merchant on the set of ‘The Remains of the Day’ in 1993.
“Merchant Ivory...
Merchant Ivory became synonymous with quality filmmaking over a period of more than 40 years, earning particular acclaim for A Room with a View (1985), Mr. and Mrs. Bridge (1990), Howards End (1992), and The Remains of the Day (1993). They were life partners from 1961 until Merchant’s death in 2005.
Soucy’s film features interviews with major stars of Merchant Ivory productions, including Emma Thompson, Vanessa Redgrave, Helena Bonham Carter, and Hugh Grant. Ivory, who turned 95 in June, and Charles S. Cohen, Cmg Chairman and CEO, serve as executive producers.
Director James Ivory (L) with actor Anthony Hopkins and producer Ismail Merchant on the set of ‘The Remains of the Day’ in 1993.
“Merchant Ivory...
- 11/10/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Movie star John Wayne rightfully received a lot of criticism for racist statements that he made over the years. His harmful words ultimately overshadowed his monumental career in Western and war movies. So much so, that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences asked Wayne to present the Oscar for Best Actress on March 26, 1958.
John Wayne said racist statements in his 1971 Playboy interview John Wayne | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Wayne said racist statements in his 1971 Playboy interview that will always haunt his memory. He wasn’t very fond of Native Americans, calling them selfish for not sharing their land. The actor didn’t think white folks did anything wrong by taking the country.
Additionally, Wayne had negative statements about Black people. Perhaps the most infamous part of the interview saw him admit, “I believe in white supremacy until the Blacks are educated to a point of responsibility.”
These...
John Wayne said racist statements in his 1971 Playboy interview John Wayne | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Wayne said racist statements in his 1971 Playboy interview that will always haunt his memory. He wasn’t very fond of Native Americans, calling them selfish for not sharing their land. The actor didn’t think white folks did anything wrong by taking the country.
Additionally, Wayne had negative statements about Black people. Perhaps the most infamous part of the interview saw him admit, “I believe in white supremacy until the Blacks are educated to a point of responsibility.”
These...
- 3/26/2023
- by Jeff Nelson
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Ethan Hawke examines the lives and legacies of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, one of Hollywood’s greatest couples, in “The Last Movie Stars.”
The six-hour documentary charts their relationship and meteoric rise to the top of the movie business, but it also serves as a meditation on the art of acting. Woodward and Newman were part of a generation of performers, reared in the Method approach, who brought an exciting vitality and realism to their work in movies like “The Three Faces of Eve,” “The Hustler,” “Hud” and “Rachel, Rachel.”
To tell the story, Hawke assembled a collection of his contemporaries such as Laura Linney, Sam Rockwell, Oscar Isaac and George Clooney to read the couple’s journals and interviews on camera, as well as the reflections of people in their orbit such as director Elia Kazan and writers like Tennessee Williams and Gore Vidal. The first chapter of...
The six-hour documentary charts their relationship and meteoric rise to the top of the movie business, but it also serves as a meditation on the art of acting. Woodward and Newman were part of a generation of performers, reared in the Method approach, who brought an exciting vitality and realism to their work in movies like “The Three Faces of Eve,” “The Hustler,” “Hud” and “Rachel, Rachel.”
To tell the story, Hawke assembled a collection of his contemporaries such as Laura Linney, Sam Rockwell, Oscar Isaac and George Clooney to read the couple’s journals and interviews on camera, as well as the reflections of people in their orbit such as director Elia Kazan and writers like Tennessee Williams and Gore Vidal. The first chapter of...
- 3/10/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
They were a Hollywood power couple who chose to live and raise their family in Connecticut, far removed from the center of moviemaking. They were box office draws who remained true to their art, using their celebrity to finance smaller dramas and passion projects. They epitomized glamour and romance for legions of fans, but remained more devoted to social justice and philanthropy than red carpet premieres.
Now, a new six-part documentary will examine the lives and legacies of the enigmatic and incandescent Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. The series, “The Last Movie Stars,” is directed by Ethan Hawke and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. CNN Films and HBO Max are backing the series, which will premiere exclusively on CNN Plus, the news network’s subscription streaming service which will debut later this year. The film will also be available later via HBO Max.
There’s certainly a lot of rich material to dig into.
Now, a new six-part documentary will examine the lives and legacies of the enigmatic and incandescent Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. The series, “The Last Movie Stars,” is directed by Ethan Hawke and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. CNN Films and HBO Max are backing the series, which will premiere exclusively on CNN Plus, the news network’s subscription streaming service which will debut later this year. The film will also be available later via HBO Max.
There’s certainly a lot of rich material to dig into.
- 1/11/2022
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The 63rd Academy Awards took place on March 25, 1991. For the first time in 60 years, a western took home the big prize, a first-time director beat out a veteran, the acting awards were split among four different films and an 80s pop idol caused a sensation. For the second consecutive year, Billy Crystal hosted the event, opening the night by riding in on a horse, which was most likely a plug for his upcoming film “City Slickers,” but also seemed to foreshadow the theme for the evening.
“Dances with Wolves” became the first western since “Cimarron” 60 years earlier to win Best Picture. Kevin Costner‘s epic adventure came into the night with the most nominations at 12, and walked away with the most statues at seven. Costner holds the very rare distinction of landing both a Best Director and a Best Actor nomination for the same film, while his win in the...
“Dances with Wolves” became the first western since “Cimarron” 60 years earlier to win Best Picture. Kevin Costner‘s epic adventure came into the night with the most nominations at 12, and walked away with the most statues at seven. Costner holds the very rare distinction of landing both a Best Director and a Best Actor nomination for the same film, while his win in the...
- 1/24/2021
- by Susan Pennington
- Gold Derby
We all know the saying that “misery loves company.”
But does Oscar love misery?
That was the question being asked three decades ago, when the much-anticipated film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1987 best-seller “Misery” hit theaters. The movie received positive reviews, with critics largely focusing on the performance of its relatively unknown star, Kathy Bates. As an obsessed fan who rescues and nurses her favorite novelist (played by James Caan) after a car accident, Bates had audiences howling – and in more ways than one.
Despite the awards-unfriendly horror genre and the pre-internet era, Oscar buzz for Bates quickly emerged. When asked by People magazine in December about possible academy recognition, she nervously responded “I’m trying not to think about it.”
Academy members themselves had a lot to think about in terms of filling the five Best Actress slots. Anjelica Huston, 1985’s Best Supporting Actress for “Prizzi’s Honor,” seemed poised...
But does Oscar love misery?
That was the question being asked three decades ago, when the much-anticipated film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1987 best-seller “Misery” hit theaters. The movie received positive reviews, with critics largely focusing on the performance of its relatively unknown star, Kathy Bates. As an obsessed fan who rescues and nurses her favorite novelist (played by James Caan) after a car accident, Bates had audiences howling – and in more ways than one.
Despite the awards-unfriendly horror genre and the pre-internet era, Oscar buzz for Bates quickly emerged. When asked by People magazine in December about possible academy recognition, she nervously responded “I’m trying not to think about it.”
Academy members themselves had a lot to think about in terms of filling the five Best Actress slots. Anjelica Huston, 1985’s Best Supporting Actress for “Prizzi’s Honor,” seemed poised...
- 12/21/2020
- by Tariq Khan
- Gold Derby
Beloved actor and humanitarian Paul Newman has died of cancer in his home in Westport, Connecticut. He was 83.
- 9/27/2008
- IMDb News
Producer Ismail Merchant, who, along with James Ivory, brought such acclaimed literary adaptations as A Room with a View and Howards End to the screen, died Wednesday in London; he was 68. Reports on Merchant's death cited that he had been ill for some time and had undergone surgery for abdominal ulcers, and passed away at a London hospital surrounded by family and friends. Born in Bombay and educated both there and in New York, Merchant studied film at USC and early in his career produced and directed a number of acclaimed shorts. His film work brought him to the attention of New York's Asia Society, which commissioned him to make a documentary about Delhi. In India, he met American director James Ivory, and in 1961 the two embarked on a career together (both personally and professionally) that would result in more than 40 films; the first was The Householder (1963), based on the novel by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, who, as their longtime screenwriter, was effectively the third "partner" in Merchant-Ivory Films. Initially, Merchant-Ivory was formed with the charter of making English-language films in India for international release, and their films reflected the conflicts between Indian and British culture. In the early '70s, they tentatively explored new territory . specifically 1920s Hollywood . with The Wild Party, but wouldn't find success outside of India-based films until 1979's The Europeans, based on the Henry James novel, which marked their first major literary adaptation. Small but acclaimed films followed, including Jane Austen in Manhattan and Heat and Dust, but Merchant-Ivory made a name for itself in the mid-'80s with two Oscar-nominated films: 1984's The Bostonians, featuring an Academy Award-nominated performance by Vanessa Redgrave, and their breakout hit, 1985's A Room With a View, the sublime adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel. The film made a star of a young ingénue named Helena Bonham Carter, established Merchant-Ivory as the highbrow literary filmmakers, and received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture (it won three). Taking on Forster again, Merchant-Ivory made the groundbreaking gay-themed drama Maurice in 1987 before unsuccessfully trying on modern-day Manhattan in Slaves of New York. After that film, Merchant-Ivory returned to classic literary adaptations including Mr. and Mrs. Bridge and two back-to-back Best Picture nominees, Howards End (eight Oscar nominations and three wins, including Best Actress for Emma Thompson) and The Remains of the Day (also eight nominations). Merchant's remaining films, from Jefferson in Paris (1995) to Le Divorce (2003) were relatively well-received, but never achieved the heights of his previous films. No further details regarding Merchant's death were forthcoming, and a statement was expected to be released later in the day. --Prepared by IMDb staff...
- 5/25/2005
- IMDb News
In what would be her first screen role in 10 years, Oscar-winning actress Joanne Woodward is expected to co-star opposite husband Paul Newman in HBO's adaptation of Richard Russo's best-selling novel Empire Falls, which Newman is executive producing with Marc Platt and Scott Steindorff, with Fred Schepisi attached to direct. The project, a comedic look at blue-collar life in the depressed Maine mill town of Empire Falls, centers on Miles Roby, a fortysomething decent guy stuck running Empire Grill, the town's most popular eatery, for 20 years. Woodward would play Francine Whiting, a controlling and manipulative widow who owns Empire Grill as well as almost everything else in the dead-end town. Newman has already been attached to play Roby's ne'er-do-well father in the telefilm, which Russo adapted from his novel. Woodward's last onscreen performance was in the 1994 CBS telefilm Breathing Lessons, which earned her Golden Globe and SAG awards, as well as an Emmy nomination. Woodward won an Oscar for her role in the 1957 feature The Three Faces of Eve. Woodward and Newman have appeared together in more than a dozen films, most recently the 1990 feature Mr. & Mrs. Bridge, which landed Woodward Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. Last year, Newman starred in the play Our Town at the Westport (Conn.) Country Playhouse, where Woodward is artistic director. Woodward is repped by ICM.
- 7/14/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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