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John Cusack Says Actress Sister Joan Worked Five Seasons on Showtime’s “Shameless,” Won an Emmy, But Left Because of Gender Pay Disparity

Roger Friedman
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John Cusack Says Actress Sister Joan Worked Five Seasons on Showtime’s “Shameless,” Won an Emmy, But Left Because of Gender Pay Disparity

Joan Cusack is a beloved actress who’s appeared in countless movies to much acclaim.

Her brother, actor John Cusack — who is properly vocal on Twitter — revealed today that Joan left the Showtime hit, “Shameless,” after five seasons because she was being paid “1/7th of the male lead” — probably William H. Macy. (John doesn’t name Joan, but it’s pretty obvious.)

 

Joan Cusack was nominated for Emmys for the first four seasons as Sheila, then won in her fifth year. And then she was gone. Sheila was written out, never to be heard from again. This was no doubt her punishment for asking for more money.

Each time Cusack was nominated, and the year she won, it was under “Guest Actor,” not main cast. So she was paid a small guest actor fee for each appearance. Unlike the current Emmy rules, from 2011-2015 Cusack was in 8 episodes for seasons 1 and 2, 12 for season 3. 8 again for season 4. just 3 in her final season. That’s crappy treatment.

On the same show, Emmy Rossum — who had been full time from the beginning — left after 9 seasons because she was paid far less than Macy, her co-star.

But this kind of treatment for TV actresses is common. Marisa Ramirez has been on CBS’s Tom Selleck show, “Blue Bloods,” for 10 years and isn’t even featured in the opening credits. The same is true for another actress on the show, Vanessa Ray, also there for a decade and not in the opening credits. Shocking. (You can only wonder what happened to Amy Carlson when her 7 year contract ended and her character was killed off screen.)

Joan Cusack should be a HUGE star. Since her Emmy, 8 years. she’s worked but not like she should have. This is part of what the SAG AFTRA strike is about. (PS Maybe one day we’ll hear Ellen Barkin’s reason for getting cut as the lead after three seasons of killing it in “Animal Kingdom.”)

Singer Rufus Wainwright Turns 50 with Montauk Blow Out Show Including Jimmy Fallon, Katie Couric, Laurie Anderson, Liev Schreiber

Regina Weinreich
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Singer Rufus Wainwright Turns 50 with Montauk Blow Out Show Including Jimmy Fallon, Katie Couric, Laurie Anderson, Liev Schreiber

On the brink of 50, legendary Rufus Wainwright’s music genre is hard to pin down. But one thing’s certain: he’s got lots of friends, family, and fans, all in full display at his birthday concert bash last night to benefit Montauk’s historic lighthouse, now turned 227 years old. Maintaining this edifice takes more than a village, and from the looks of the sloped grounds outside, everyone was pitching in.

The same could be said of the performances, featuring Tig Notaro, Katie Couric, Jimmy Fallon, Jenni Muldaur, Laurie Anderson, Chris Stills, Chaim Tannenbaum, G. E. Smith, Wainwright sisters Martha and Lucy, daughter Viva, and more. Hosting or just hanging around for the first-rate music were Liev Schreiber, Ross Bleckner, Bruce Weber and Nan Bush, Peggy Siegal, Christie Brinkley and Cynthia Nixon. Many spirits hung around too: many of Rufus’ mom Kate McGarrigle’s songs were sung, Laurie Anderson performed a song by Lou Reed about how to see in the dark.

Wainwright started off the generous three-hour concert with Irving Berlin’s “How Much Do I Love You?” Who knew that Berlin actually spent time in Montauk? Wainwright does the American songbook, folk, jazz, rock with ease. Everyone waits to hear Rufus’ cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which he dedicated to the artist Eric Freeman who recently died and who is scheduled to have an exhibition at Guild Hall in the coming year. After a duet on Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon,” Rufus congratulated Chris Stills on his marriage to Stacy. They had just flown in from the Vineyard for the occasion. I am still not over G. E. Smith’s guitar solo on “Memory Motel.” And Amber Martin led everyone in a rousing version of Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.”

Paul Simon, who like Rufus, has a long history in Montauk, could not attend, but was remembered anyway. Back in the day, his were the chops behind a series of yearly concerts near the lighthouse at the ranch with the likes of The Eagles and James Brown. For ambiance, the East End’s landscape was extraordinary under the night sky it was “the end!” but just of Long Island. Not for nothing, the night was called, “50 is not the end.”

That came later at Ruschmeyer’s where the party, shared with his husband Jorn Weibrodt, continued with cake.

photos 2023 by Regina Weinreich for Showbiz411.com

Venice Film Festival Could Have Latest from Controversial Directors Roman Polanski and Woody Allen (Exclusive)

Roger Friedman
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Venice Film Festival Could Have Latest from Controversial Directors Roman Polanski and Woody Allen (Exclusive)

We already know Woody Allen’s excellent “Coup de Chance” is headed to the Venice Film Festival. I’ve seen it, it’s terrific, and should be a jolt to the festival.

Woody is “controversial,” of course, but whatever…let’s not get into it.

Now I’m told Venice is eyeing a new film by another controversial director, Roman Polanski.

Last year Polanski shot a new movie called “The Palace,” is Gstaad, Switzerland. The film stars legendary French actress Fanny Ardant, plus the likes of Mickey Rourke and John Cleese, of all people. Pawel Edelman is the cinematographer — he was nominated for an Oscar for Polanski’s “The Pianist,” they’ve worked together a lot. Music from Oscar winning composer Alexandre Desplat. So they’re not fooling around.

The log line: “A drama set on New Year’s Eve 1999 in a luxurious Swiss hotel where the lives of hotel workers and various guests get intertwined.”

Polanski can’t go to Italy without fear of being arrested, of course. It’s interesting that he made the film in Switzerland without any trouble. A few years ago he was detained there and couldn’t return to France or even Poland. Finally the situation was resolved but it really became an international incident.

Woody, of course, is welcome everywhere. Will he go to Venice? It’s unclear at his age if he needs all that tsuris.

“Coup de Chance” has distribution set up in other countries. I hope it gets a chance in the US. Audiences will really love it.

Actors Strike Doesn’t Include Commercials — Look for Big Names To Start Seeking Out Brand Affiliations: Brad Pitt for Buick?

Roger Friedman
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Actors Strike Doesn’t Include Commercials — Look for Big Names To Start Seeking Out Brand Affiliations: Brad Pitt for Buick?

The SAG AFTRA strike has stopped everything in Hollywood in its tracks.

Well, not everything.

Actors can still do commercials and soap operas.

We may soon see an upsurge of famous faces pitching soap, cars, vacuums, and so on. Of course there are already plenty of A listers in the game. Brian Cox is kind of non stop with McDonald’s and other things.

But the situation may get more out of control as top names go looking for brand affiliations. Brad Pitt for Buick? Meryl Streep for Tide? Anything’s possible! After all Ben Affleck and JLo are already with Dunkin Donuts.

This is because a separate SAG contract was negotiated last year for news shows, talk shows, serials (soap operas), variety, reality, game shows, sports and promotional announcements. So the morning news shows are safe, as are some talk shows, and even “Saturday Night Live.”

The problem with the latter is that while “SNL” actors could technically appear on the show, they’d have no scripts since the WGA is on strike, too. The cast members who aren’t in the WGA could improvise, but NBC would be hitting the censor button every 7 seconds.

As for soaps, the actors must adhere to their contracts. They can picket but they have to show up to work. Unfortunately, the shows are now being written by scabs. Soap fans have already noticed their favorite characters saying and doing odd things. (Not like they weren’t before, lol.) Still, if soaps didn’t make sense before, they won’t now!

And John Oliver? He could just sit quietly in front of a camera and have dramatic readings. But with the WGA strike he, like all the late night hosts, can’t write anything.

Box Office: New “Mission Impossible” Won’t Set Any Records, Set for Opening Weekend Same as Previous Installment

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: New “Mission Impossible” Won’t Set Any Records, Set for Opening Weekend Same as Previous Installment

The good news is, “Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part One” is a hit.

The bad news, it’s not going to set any box office records.

“DR P1” is on track for the same opening as the last chapter, “Fallout,” in 2018. That one made $61 million in its opening weekend.

The new one will, too, although its “weekend” runs from Tuesday – Sunday with some Monday previews thrown in, too.

Hey, it could be worse, as they say.

But I’m a little surprised since “DR P1” has had enough hype for 15 movies. Plus, it’s very good, a terrific action film.

Still, “Mission Impossible” is now a nearly 30 year old series, based on a TV series from the 1960s and early 70s. That it has a core audience is very impressive. But it also shows Tom Cruise doesn’t really have to risk like and limb. The same fans are coming back regardless of his derring-do.

A week from now, the headline will be “Barbie Accomplishes Impossible Mission: Knocks Tom Cruise Off the Top.”


“Barbie” will be called “a model movie.” And “Oppenheimer Isn’t a Bomb” will follow.

I‘m here all week — try the veal!

Actors Strike Will Spell the End of New York “Oppenheimer” Premiere Next Monday with Stars and Writers on Picket Line

Roger Friedman
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Actors Strike Will Spell the End of New York “Oppenheimer” Premiere Next Monday with Stars and Writers on Picket Line

Universal Pictures is planning a big splashy premiere for Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” next Monday in New York. Everyone is looking forward to this multiple Oscar contender.

The party after the screening is set for the Museum of Natural History. Everyone loves standing under the blue whale and having canapes.

But now that may be impossible. Last night in London. the “Oppenheimer” premiere was moved up by an hour because the studio worried a strike would be called before their red carpet was finished.

If the SAG AFTRA strike is called today, then the blue whale may be very lonely on Monday night. No one’s crossing a picket line even if the movie is considered “da bomb.”

Of course, the premiere could proceed. But none of its stars will show up– no Matt Damon or Robert Downey Jr or Emily Blunt or Oppenheimer himself, Cillian Murphy. Nolan could come, I suppose, but likely won’t as it wouldn’t be a good look.

So stay tuned…

Hollywood Strike Will Upend Toronto, Telluride, Venice, New York Film Festivals with No Stars Promoting Films

Roger Friedman
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Hollywood Strike Will Upend Toronto, Telluride, Venice, New York Film Festivals with No Stars Promoting Films

I was smart to buy the airline insurance for my Air Canada ticket to Toronto on September 7th.

If the SAG strike goes through today — and it looks certain — the Toronto Film Festival may be toast. So, too, Telluride and Venice (as pointed out by Variety).

The three festivals run back to back from the end of August through mid September. But with no stars able to promote films. the festivals are all in trouble.

There’s only a two week gap between the end of the Toronto Fest — we call it TIFF — and New York’s Film Festival in Lincoln Center.

The bookers for these festivals must be losing their minds. They’ve spent all year competing for titles, trying to get North American or US “debuts” or better still, worldwide.

Venice has already set up a lot of its offerings including Luca Guadgnino’s “Challengers” and Woody Allen’s “Coup de Chance.”

Toronto has booked the World Premiere of Ladj Ly’s new “Les Indésirables,” the filmmaker’s follow up to his extraordinary “Les Miserables.”

Telluride doesn’t announce its choices until everyone who’s spent $5,000 is on the road to the remote location can’t turn back.

New York Film Festival should definitely include Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” and Ethan Coen’s “Drive Away Dolls.”

But none of this can happen if SAG is still on strike. It may even be problematic if SAG settles but the Writers Guild doesn’t. It won’t be possible, with hotels and flights, to just rebook all the festivals. And yet the AMPTP doesn’t care. They’re willing to squeeze the unions, thinking they’ll win. But everyone is going to lose

Box Office: “Mission Impossible” 2nd Day $8.5 Mil Brings Midweek Total to $15 Mil Gearing Up for Weekend

Roger Friedman
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Box Office: “Mission Impossible” 2nd Day $8.5 Mil Brings Midweek Total to $15 Mil Gearing Up for Weekend

“Mission Impossible 7” is posting a $15.5 million “opening day,” which really means $7 million from Tuesday previews, $8.5 million Wednesday.

Of course, that’s pretty good but it’s hard to say what happens next. “Dead Reckoning” should really start to take off tonight, and build over the regular weekend. So far most of its draw is at IMAX showings rather than stodgy old normal ones. But I saw it on one of those, and it’s still as exciting.

The other big news is that crowdfunded Christian film “Sounds of Freedom” is continuing to do well from its free tickets. The movie is being questioned about its subject now, human trafficking. But Angel Studios is heavily promoting its Pay it Forward campaign as audience can obtain free ducats through the website.

Meantime, “Indiana Jones” is fading a little, and “The Flash” is pretty much gone.

Hollywood Horror: Studios Force Actors, Writers to Strike, Everything Coming to a Halt for a While

Roger Friedman
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Hollywood Horror: Studios Force Actors, Writers to Strike, Everything Coming to a Halt for a While

Unless there’s a miracle today, Hollywood is coming to halt. It’s a horror story worse than anything on the screen.

“SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee voted unanimously to recommend to the National Board a strike of the Producers-SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical/Streaming Contracts which expired July 12, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PT. SAG-AFTRA’s National Board will vote Thursday morning on whether to strike.”

That’s the word from the union via their social media, around 1am Los Angeles time.

The combination of the actors’ and writers’ unions striking is unprecedented in recent decades. The last time it happened was in the 1950s.

So what will happen? If the actors vote to strike, all production comes to a standstill. There will be no fall TV season. Other shows that don’t adhere to the fall drop will also stop. Because of the writer’s steike, there won’t be any late night talk shows. Already there are no talk shows except “The View” and “Live with Kelly and Mark” because they’re just winging it.

As for the talk shows, no actors can promote work on them anyway with a strike vote. There will be waves of trouble as publicists, crew members in art, design, and production are all put out of work. In Los Angeles, the city will suffer from no production but also from people not eating out in restaurants or using other businesses. It will look a lot like the pandemic lockdown. Even the Kardashians may have to learn how to cook.

And even if negotiations resume, it’s likely nothing will happen until Labor Day, ironically. And that doesn’t include the Writers Guild. Now the greedy studios will have to bring the whole mess to a resolution because just getting the actors back still leaves the issue of no screenplays, etc.

The studios’ biggest mistake? Planting a story two days ago saying the studio chiefs would hold out until the writers were homeless. They thought that would scare SAG into wrapping this up. It was a miscalculated threat and just strengthened the resolve of the unions.

Exclusive: Selena Gomez Circling Linda Ronstadt Bio Pic in Perfect Casting, Biggest Pop Star of the 70s

Roger Friedman
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Exclusive: Selena Gomez Circling Linda Ronstadt Bio Pic in Perfect Casting, Biggest Pop Star of the 70s

Selena Gomez was snubbed by the TV Academy again today for her work on “Only Murders in the Building.”

But she could up for an Oscar in a couple of years for playing 70s and 80s pop icon Linda Ronstadt.

I’m hearing that James Keach, who produced the award winning documentary, “The Sound of My Voice,” about Ronstadt, has a script and is talking to Gomez.

Talk about perfect casting. Gomez can sing like crazy, and her versions of Linda’s long list of hits would go right up the charts. They include “You’re No Good,” “Blue Bayou,” “It’s So Easy,” “Different Drummer,” and “When Will I Be Loved.” The latter should the title.

Ronstadt is battling a version of Parkinson’s and has been retired for a few years. But she’s got a keen mind, which was evident from her bestselling memoir.

The story is plenty juicy as it would track Linda singing with the Eagles and Jackson Browne, then peeling off into superstardom. Among her boyfriends: California Governor Jerry Brown, and “Star Wars” creator/director George Lucas. Ronstadt was portrayed as a sex kitten in Annie Liebovitz photos, but she was a smart cookie. She also had The Voice. At one point she starred on Broadway in “The Pirates of Penzance.” She’s always been cool.

Gomez has the chops to do it. She also has a great voice, a big music following, and acting credits. She’s terrific on “Murders” and was also great in Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York.” I really hope this happens ASAP when all the guild trouble is over. PS He’s probably too old but Luke Wilson would have made a great Jerry Brown.

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