More from Seija Rankin
Coco Mellors on Sophomore Success and Seeing Her Own Book on ‘And Just Like That’: “Who Needs a Pulitzer?”
Coco Mellors knows about the slow burn. While living in New York and working as a copywriter, the author spent years crafting her debut novel and submitting the manuscript to publishers, only to get turned down by every single one. She put the book through a rewrite and eventually sold Cleopatra and Frankenstein, about the gradual […]
- By
‘Tell Me Lies’ Star Grace Van Patten Is No Longer Shy About Her Relationship, Both On and Off the Screen
When Tell Me Lies debuted in the fall of 2022, no one was sure how it would do. The Hulu series, about a toxic relationship between two students at a fictional college, was the first project to come out of Emma Roberts’ adaptation-focused first-look deal at the streamer and featured a cast of relatively unknown — at […]
- By
Jon Bernthal’s First Scene in ‘The Bear’ Was Shot in a Producer’s Kitchen (Really)
When Jon Bernthal filmed his first episode of The Bear, during the show’s first season, he did it on his lunch break. It was early 2022, and he was the lead of Showtime’s American Gigolo, a job that required him to be in Los Angeles — and on set — every day. But he got a […]
- By
Who’s Afraid of Naomi Ackie? Meet Hollywood’s New Femme Fatale
There’s a moment from the filming of Blink Twice that Zoë Kravitz can’t get out of her head. It was the middle of the night, during a scene that called for her star Naomi Ackie to lie on the ground in the dirt, restrained while another character holds a gun to her head. They were […]
- By
Emmys: The Comedy Masterminds Behind This Year’s Nominated Series Shed Light on Their Creative Process
The creative minds behind some of this year’s Emmy-nominated comedy series give insight into the process and share secrets behind their highly lauded seasons. Abbott Elementary In Abbott Elementary’s third season, series creator Quinta Brunson and her writers room were handed a challenge: Tell a thorough, engrossing story in eight fewer episodes than usual. The ABC […]
- By
He’s Got 83 Billion Views, But Can 12-Year-Old Ryan Kaji Open a Movie?
Twelve-year-old Ryan Kaji lives with his parents and younger twin sisters in a Honolulu neighborhood that is so idyllic it feels almost impossible. As you leave behind the tourist center of Waikiki Beach, the looming time share towers and overpriced T-shirt stores start to recede, making way for the winding roads and lush landscapes that […]
- By
‘Hacks’ Writers Say Season 3 of the Comedy Was Hardest to Get Right
When season three of Hacks premiered May 2, it had been two years since a new episode dropped on Max. The hiatus wasn’t an unprecedented length — Severance, anyone? — but it presented a potential challenge to the showrunners: how to elevate the season enough to recapture viewers’ attention while staying true to the heart of […]
- By
Quinta Brunson on Why She Doesn’t Infuse the Real World into ‘Abbott Elementary’
In Abbott Elementary’s third season, series creator Quinta Brunson and her writers room were handed a challenge: Tell a thorough, engrossing story in eight fewer episodes than usual. The ABC comedy, which typically runs 22 half-hour blocks, was truncated as a result of the writers and actors strikes (the February premiere timing also conflicted with […]
- By
‘SNL’ Star Ego Nwodim Ascends to a Starring Role on ‘Mr. Throwback’
Ego Nwodim, it seems, doesn’t need downtime. It’s a bit of a prerequisite for a Saturday Night Live player, but the comedian (who describes herself and her castmates as “junkies for chaos and unpredictability”) has a taste for creative stimulation. She booked her first lead role in a TV series — Peacock’s Mr. Throwback, also […]
- By
How Did Saleka Shyamalan Land a Lead Role in ‘Trap’? (It’s Not Just That She Knew the Director)
Saleka Shyamalan and her father, M. Night Shyamalan, have been talking about collaborating on a movie for a long time. The second-gen Shyamalan, 27, is a singer-songwriter with a budding R&B career (she has opened for such acts as Giveon and Boyz II Men) who made an original single for her dad’s Old (2021) and […]
- By
Ego Nwodim to Launch New Podcast ‘Thanks Dad’ (Exclusive)
As Ego Nwodim gears up for the 50th season of Saturday Night Live and her starring role on the new Peacock comedy Mr. Throwback, she’ll also be launching her first podcast. Set to launch on Sept. 9, Thanks Dad will be an interview-style show in which Nwodim invites guests to be what she’s calling her […]
- By
Lewis Pullman on His Surprise Emmy Congratulations From Lamorne Morris, Possible ‘Lessons in Chemistry’ Season 2
Lewis Pullman was just nominated for his first-ever Emmy, but he isn’t nervous about it. The actor — who received the best supporting actor in a limited series or movie made for television for his work opposite Brie Larson in Lessons in Chemistry — is now a member of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (he’s joined […]
- By