By Bill Trott and Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES -American actor James Earl Jones, an imposing stage and screen presence who overcame a childhood stutter to develop a stentorian voice recognized the world over as intergalactic villain Darth Vader, died on Monday at the age of 93. Jones, a longtime sufferer of diabetes, died at his home surrounded by family members, his agent, Barry McPherson, said. No cause of death was provided. Jones had a great […]
Entertainment
Doctor charged in death of ‘Friends’ star Matthew Perry ‘incredibly remorseful’
By Steve Gorman and Jorge Garcia LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – One of two doctors who are among the five people charged in the ketamine overdose death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry was barred by a federal judge on Friday from practicing medicine and through his lawyer afterward expressed remorse. Dr. Mark Chavez appeared in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for a brief arraignment on a single felony count of conspiracy to illegally distribute ketamine […]
French movie giant Alain Delon dies aged 88
PARIS (Reuters) -French actor Alain Delon, who melted the hearts of millions of film fans whether playing a murderer, hoodlum or hitman in his postwar heyday, has died, his three children said on Sunday. He was 88. Delon had been in poor health since suffering a stroke in 2019, rarely leaving his estate in Douchy, in France’s Val de Loire region. President Emmanuel Macron hailed him as a giant of French culture. “Alain Delon has […]
Video game actors to strike in California
LOS ANGELES, United States, July 26, 2024 (AFP) – Hollywood’s video game actors will go on strike early Friday to demand safeguards against artificial intelligence, the US actors’ union announced. The work stoppage for the industry’s video game voice actors and motion capture performers begins at 12:01 am (0401 GMT) in California, according to the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). Thursday’s announcement comes after more than a year […]
Actor Donald Sutherland dead at age 88
LOS ANGELES, June 21, 2024 (AFP) – Donald Sutherland, the enigmatic actor whose lengthy career encompassed films including “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Hunger Games,” has died, his son said Thursday. He was 88. “With a heavy heart, I tell you that my father, Donald Sutherland, has passed away,” actor Kiefer Sutherland wrote on X. The elder Sutherland had a distinctive look — and piercing eyes — that brought a depth and mystery to the […]
US police probing Matthew Perry’s ketamine death
LOS ANGELES, May 21, 2024 (AFP) – US police said Tuesday they are investigating the ketamine overdose death of “Friends” actor Matthew Perry, who died at his luxury Los Angeles home last year. Perry, who played Chandler Bing on the hit TV sitcom from 1994-2004, was found unresponsive in his pool at the age of 54, sparking a global outpouring of grief from fans and colleagues. An autopsy found the cause of his death was […]
Celine Dion gives health update in rare interview
MONTREAL, April 24, 2024 (AFP) – Canadian pop megastar Celine Dion, who suffers from a rare neurological disorder, said in her first interview since announcing the career-sidelining diagnosis that she is well, but taking life “one day at a time.” Dion, 56, first disclosed in December 2022 that she had been diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome, which causes stiff muscles in the torso, arms and legs, with noise or emotional distress known to trigger spasms. […]
Taylor Swift unveils ‘The Tortured Poets Department’: a double album dive into heartache and triumph
By Maggy DONALDSON Taylor Swift’s hotly anticipated “The Tortured Poets Department” is here along with a surprise second album — 31 tracks released Friday in which the megawatt star purges her inner turmoil while scorching former lovers. The first album was released as scheduled at midnight (0400 GMT) but two hours later, an additional 15 tracks appeared — giving legions of Swifties plenty to chew on. By Friday evening, Spotify declared the album its most-streamed […]
Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ drops
By Maggy DONALDSON NEW YORK, April 19, 2024 (AFP) – Taylor Swift released her highly anticipated record “The Tortured Poets Department” on Friday — the 11th studio album from the megastar who is already having a blockbuster year. “All’s fair in love and poetry… New album THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. Out now,” she wrote on her Instagram account, ending the announcement with a heart emoji. Swift had revealed the album’s release at the Grammys in […]
Studio Ghibli to receive honorary Palme d’Or at Cannes
Legendary Japanese animators Studio Ghibli will receive an honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May, organisers announced Wednesday. The Oscar-winning studio, co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki 40 years ago, is beloved worldwide for its masterpieces like “Spirited Away”, “My Neighbour Totoro” and “Howl’s Moving Castle”. It will mark the first that that Cannes gives an award to a collective, rather than an individual. Miyazaki makes few public appearances and his long-time collaborator Isao […]
Eilish, Smokey Robinson urge protection against AI
Hundreds of artists and songwriters including Billie Eilish, Smokey Robinson and the estate of Frank Sinatra signed an open letter released Tuesday urging protections against what they called an “assault on human creativity” posed by artificial intelligence. “We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists’ voices and likenesses, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem,” read the letter, submitted by the non-profit Artist Rights Alliance. The letter comes after […]
DC Comics’ Jim Lee: Using AI robs artists of creative joy
By Eric RANDOLPH PARIS, March 29, 2024 (AFP) – A new three-part documentary, “Superpowered”, charts the 90-year history of DC Comics, which brought the world “Superman”, “Batman”, “Wonder Woman” and countless other superheroes. Korean-born US comic-book artist Jim Lee has been one of the genre’s great stars since his early days at Marvel in the 1980s, working on “X-Men”. When he switched to DC, he helped revive its iconic characters, eventually rising to be president […]