WARNING: There are some spoilers for Jay Kelly in this article.

2025’s Jay Kelly starring George Clooney as…well… George Clooney, features some amazing performances all around (including from the star). The film, which you can check out with a Netflix subscription, has a full complement of great supporting roles from Laura Dern, Emily Mortimer, and Adam Sandler, among many others. Sandler, especially, has been recognized for his wonderful turn as Jay Kelly’s manager, Ron. However, I think the actor who has sadly been lost in the shuffle for some reason is Billy Crudup. In a film full of great performances, I honestly believe Crudup’s might be the best.

It’s Such An Important Character

If you don’t remember, Crudup plays Tim Galligan, one of Jay Kelly’s classmates from acting school. Unlike Kelly, who is one of the biggest movie stars in the world, Galligan’s career never took off. After they run into each other at a funeral, they grab some drinks together. At this point, Galligan and Kelly seem happy to have run into each other after many years.

That’s when things get dark. It turns out that everyone in their acting class thought Galligan was the cream of the crop, but after he flubs an audition, Kelly tries out for the same part and wins the role, launching his incredibly successful career. Galligan has been bitter about it ever since. They end up physically fighting in the parking lot of the bar, and Kelly walks away worse for wear.

Crudup’s part is only on screen for a few minutes, and after the fight, we never see him again, but the confrontation follows Kelly throughout the rest of the film, including through the threat of a lawsuit. It’s a tribute to Crudup that we feel the reverberations until the end. He leaves a hell of a long tail, proving there are no small roles.

Crudup Should Be Up For Awards!

Don’t get me wrong, I love that Sandler is getting so many award nominations (and Clooney as well), and I hope he finally gets an Oscar nom (after he was denied for Uncut Gems), but I don’t get how Crudup isn’t getting more attention from the awards for the same category as Sandler (Best Supporting Actor). Yet, he doesn’t seem to have even been in the discussion among many Awards-watchers.

Weirdly, he’s not being talked about more. Billy Crudup’s career has been packed with awards. He’s won multiple Emmys for The Morning Show, and he’s got a Tony on his shelf, too (I was lucky enough to see him on stage in The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui in 2002). Yet, he’s never even been nominated for an Oscar. This role in Jay Kelly is worthy of that first nomination, and yet, it’s obvious that he’s a huge long shot at this point.

So, let’s celebrate all the actors in Jay Kelly, and that includes Billy Crudup!

Every streaming service has a few megahits, and The Morning Show is definitely one of the best Apple TV+ shows to watch. Those with an Apple TV+ subscription were treated to the first episode of The Morning Show's fourth season, which introduces Marion Cotillard into the mix. It turns out it was her first TV show ever, and she explained the great advice Emmy winner Billy Crudup gave her on how to enjoy this particular job.

The Morning Show Season 4 is officially here, and the premiere episode was explosive. Picking up some time after the Season 3 cliffhanger finale, we were introduced to Cotillard's newcomer Celine, who is on the board of the network. As you can see in the video above, I had the privilege of speaking with the Oscar-winning actress, where she shared what it was like to join her first TV project. In her words:

That definitely sounds like a new way of working. Film actors typically get their full scripts (unless you're in the MCU, who guards them). This has allowed Cotillard to have a full understanding of her character's arc in titles like La Vie en Rose, Inception, The Dark Knight Rises, and Taxi. This wasn't the case for The Morning Show, and she had to bring Celine to life only knowing what goes down in the first four episodes of the new season.

I asked if this was a freeing process for Cotillard, who once again shared what an adjustment and practice in faith joining The Morning Show ultimately was. But it turns out that Cory Ellison actor Billy Crudup had some choice words that helped her pull it off. As she told me:

Talk about a good perspective. Crudup has a long career in TV and film, and has starred in all four seasons of The Morning Show. The Apple series is known for its wild twists, concerning character's personal and professional lives. It sounds like Cotillard was able to be that happy puppet and portray Celine with this new way of acting. And so far I'm loving this new character.

The Season 4 premiere, titled "My Roman Empire", introduced Celine, but it seems she has a history with the characters that we know and love. It should be interesting to see where she goes throughout the next nine episodes, especially since Marion Cotillard made it seem like there were twists she wasn't expecting. Bring it on!

The Morning Show airs new episodes Wednesdays on Apple TV+ as part of the 2025 TV schedule. And I'm hoping Cotillard sticks with the show for the long run.

The streaming wars are in full effect, and one of the best Apple TV+ shows to watch is definitely The Morning Show. The Emmy-winning series is returning for its fourth season, with the cast returning to their signature roles. But actor Joe Marinelli won't be back having died back in June. But a few of the actors spoke to CinemaBlend about what the late actor brought to the table.

What we know about The Morning Show Season 4 is limited, but it's premiere is coming this week for those with an Apple TV+ subscription. As you can see in the video above, I spoke to the cast about the new batch of episodes, where Chip Black actor Mark Duplass spoke spoke about what Marinelli brought to the table as Donny, the director of the fictional news show. In his words:

While folks are figuring out how to watch The Morning Show Season 4, longtime fans have likely noticed Joe Marinelli's absence. While he played Donny in the first three seasons, the late actor unfortunately won't be present in the newest batch of episodes. But clearly he's in the hearts of his coworkers, and will forever be part of the legacy of the series as a whole.

This conversation came up when I asked them about which actors they'd like to see return to The Morning Show. There have been some big names throughout its tenure on the air, with Season 3 bringing in Jon Hamm and Season 4 introducing Marion Cotillard. But rather than waxing poetic about the major guest stars, Duplass instead spoke aout what Joe Marinelli brought to the show. Billy Crudup joined on the praise of what he brought to Donny Spagnoli, saying:

The Morning Show has a huge cast, thanks to how many people are working in the studio at UBA. Not all of them get main storylines like Chip, Stella, or Mia, they still help to create the world of the acclaimed Apple TV series. Marinelli's presence in his recurring role as Donny is part of what made the control room in particular feel like such a real place.

Fans are eager to return to the Apple series, especially following The Morning Show's Season 3 finale cliffhanger. In it we saw Reese Witherspoon's Bradley Jackson turning herself into the authorities for the ways she tried to cover her brother's involvement in the January 6th insurrection. We'll just have to see where all of our characters land in the fourth season.

The Morning Show will return for Season 4 on September 17th as part of the 2025 TV premiere schedule. Unfortunately, we won't be able to see Joe Marinelli's character Donny back in the control room.

When Naomi Watts and Billy Crudup tied the knot in 2023, many celebrities celebrated the couple's union, noting how wonderful their relationship is. With the release of The Watcher alum’s new book, Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I’d Known About Menopause, she revealed the most romantic thing her husband has said to her. Surprisingly, the special moment doesn’t involve their wedding day but rather his ‘balls.’

The Mulholland Drive actress’s January 21st released book predominately focuses on her foray into menopause and all that comes with the territory, including menopause patches. She revealed the first time she and Crudup slept together, the patches came into play. The King Kong alum was self-conscious about wearing one in front of her now hubby because it essentially symbolizes age. Luckily for her, when he checked in on her and she revealed what she was trying to hide, he said this about his age and body, via Us Weekly:

What a great and honest exchange between the then-new couple. They say honesty and openness are things that can make a relationship what it is, and for the duo, it seems like a solidifying moment. It probably wasn’t the first time Watts bonded over intimate body topics and by the looks of it, it won’t be the last.

The Swans actress opened up about how the frank statement made in trying to relieve her embarrassment over the patches became the most romantic words to her. In addition, she also shared The Almost Famous actor’s reaction to the whole thing. In her words:

What a sweet and non-Hollywood relationship-building moment that was for them with something so vulnerable. Seemingly, it was a pivotal point between the two of them and I’m so glad that it bonded the two. It’s no wonder with proactive reactions and honesty predating their 2023 marriage, the couple seems like they are endgame material and already loved by so many.

The newer newlyweds have had plenty of work going on between the two of them, beyond the British actress’s newly published book. Each performer has an exciting show premiering or returning on the 2025 TV schedule, respectively. Watts will appear in the new Ryan Murphy drama series, All’s Fair while Crudup will return again for Season 4 of The Morning Show. Let’s hope these lovebirds’ shows garner all the success their relationship seems to have.

The most romantic words can be as surprising as Naomi Watts’ pick of her husband’s Billy Crudup’s and his balls. The important thing is that the two are seemingly stronger than ever and happy.

You’ll need to have an active Hulu subscription to watch All’s Fair when it premieres. Watch the previous Seasons of The Morning Show while waiting for its 2025 premiere with an Apple TV+ subscription.

Watts’ book, Dare I Say It, is out now.

Fans of Bradley Jackson and Alex Levy have quite a wait ahead of them before The Morning Show Season 4 premieres. In fact, the series isn’t likely to return in time to be included on the 2024 TV schedule. But as we check out the other upcoming shows on Apple TV+ in the meantime, Reese Witherspoon is finding ways to keep us hyped for more. The Morning Show’s executive producer and star shared some new behind-the-scenes pics, and not only am I missing that delicious drama, she’s got me desperate to see her and Jennifer Aniston in more scenes together next season.

Reese Witherspoon posted several photos from the set of The Morning Show to celebrate the series’ nominations for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards. She posed for photos with multiple of her Season 3 castmates, including Jon Hamm, Billy Crudup, Greta Lee and, of course, Jennifer Aniston. Could those two possibly be any more stunning? Take a look at her Instagram post below: 

Tensions are almost always high between the characters on the workplace drama, but not so much for the actors. Does anybody look happier to be there than Reese Witherspoon? She also continued to prove that red is her color, as she paired a maroon button-down with matching slacks in a couple of photos with her co-workers, and adorned a wine-colored blouse as she cheesed it up with Jon Hamm.

What really struck a chord with me, though, was the picture she took hugging Jennifer Aniston. The actresses posed for the pic on the set of their own fictional morning show, and it made me crave more on-screen moments from the real-life longtime friends. 

Season 3 saw Alex and Bradley on different paths, with the former trying to climb the ladder at UBA whilst getting romantic with tech billionaire Paul Marks (Jon Hamm). Bradley, meanwhile, hit a rough patch romantically with her partner Laura (Julianna Margulies) and professionally when she destroyed evidence from the January 6 insurrection.

Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon even addressed fans’ complaints that they didn’t get enough screen time together, explaining that it didn’t make a lot of sense to pop up in each other’s storylines, but I’m really hoping they’ll find a way to make it happen in Season 4.

The Morning Show picked up 16 Emmy nominations, including Best Drama Series, Outstanding Actress (for both Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston), three nods for Supporting Actor and a whopping four nominations in the Supporting Actress category.

The two leading actresses have had a bond on and off screen for decades — ever since Reese Witherspoon rocked “The Rachel” haircut in 1999 and guest-starred a year later on Jennifer Aniston’s sitcom Friends as Rachel’s little sister Jill. These pics really have me hoping we’ll see more of the “Green girls” on screen together on The Morning Show. 

The 76th Primetime Emmys are set to air at 8 p.m. ET Sunday, September 15, on ABC, and you can catch the actresses in the first three seasons of The Morning Show, which can be streamed with an Apple TV+ subscription. 

Various streaming services are currently duking it out for subscribers and acclaim, and Apple TV+ is certainly on that. Apple’s had a great success with The Morning Show, which recently wrapped its third season on the air. One of the biggest scene stealers continues to be Billy Crudups’ Cory Ellison. And TMS’ showrunner Charlotte Stoudt recently spoke to CinemaBlend about why Crudup got another musical number for Season 3.

In one of the first episodes of The Morning Show (which is available with an Apple+ subscription), Billy Crudup and Jennifer Aniston shocked audiences by duetting to “Not While I’m Around” from Sweeney Todd. It was one of the many surprising moments from Season 1, and I was shook when this season Crudup once again started crooning, playing piano in the process. I had the privilege of speaking with Stoudt about her work as Showrunner on Season 3, where I couldn’t resist asking about this trend of musical numbers for Cory. She told me,

Some points were made. The two songs definitely have super different ones, although they both allow Billy Crudup to belt it out with another character. And given the various twists from Season 3’s finale, I can only imagine what song is in Cory Ellison’s heart nowadays.

In Season 1 of The Morning Show, “Not While I’m Around” served as a public statement that Cory wasn’t intended on screwing over Jennifer Aniston’s Alex (who gave Friends vibes this season) after Mitch’s controversy. But when he sings “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” with his mother in Season 3, it’s a tragic reflection on how lost their relationship truly is. Later in our same conversation, she revealed the surprisingly emotional response by the crew. As she put it,

How sweet is that? There’s something about music that has the power to pierce the soul, and that’s seemingly why there’s now a runner on The Morning Show that features Billy Crudup’s vocals. Let’s get Cory into a drunken karaoke scene next season. And yes, The Morning Show was renewed for Season 4.

Charlotte Stoudt joined The Morning Show for Season 3 as the showrunner, and had some challenges like the absence of Steve Carell’s Mitch Kessler. But the show ended up having a really satisfying story, with major payoffs in the final two episodes in particular. And with the SAG-AFTRA strike over, let’s get this insane cast back together for more episodes ASAP!

The Morning Show is streaming in its entirety now on Apple TV+. Be sure to check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch. 

Alex Levy, Bradley Jackson and the rest of the UBA gang are back for another round of the Apple TV+ drama The Morning Show, where workplace romances and real-world issues go hand-in-messy-hand to provide some titillating and often dark television. Season 3 is set to premiere on Wednesday, September 13, and while that’s exciting news for those with an Apple TV+ subscription, it’s been almost two years since we last saw the television crew in the throes of COVID. Where did we leave things and where will they pick up? Here are five things to keep in mind about The Morning Show Season 3 as it premieres. 

The Morning Show Season 3 Premieres September 13 On Apple TV+ 

The third season of the workplace drama, which Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon both star in and executive produce, is set to drop on Apple TV+ at 12:01 a.m. ET Wednesday, September 13. After waiting nearly two years — the Season 2 finale was released way back on November 18, 2021 — fans will be happy to know that the premiere will consist of the first two episodes. 

Season 3 received a 10-episode order, and after the double premiere, new episodes will be available to stream each Wednesday through the November 8 finale.

How The Morning Show Season 2 Ended 

When we last saw Alex Levy (Jennifer Aniston) she had finally accepted that her affair with Steve Carell’s Mitch Kessler was about to be exposed in a tell-all book, after she spent much of Season 2 trying to prevent that exact occurrence. While traveling to Italy, she contracted COVID, and in a genius (if not desperate) attempt to save both of their careers, Alex and Chip Black (Mark Duplass) broadcast her battle with the virus on the recently launched UBA+, thus making her a sympathetic figure. 

Meanwhile, Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon) was in a bit of a love triangle, as she had struck up a romance with Julianna Margulies’ Laura Peterson, and the two looked to escape New York and ride out the pandemic on Laura’s ranch in Montana. Just as Bradley was leaving, however, UBA bigwig Cory Ellison (Billy Crudup) showed up to profess his love for the fiery journalist.

Other UBA employees, including Mia Jordan (Karen Pittman), Stella Bak (Greta Lee) and Yanko Flores (Néstor Carbonell) were left trying to figure out how, exactly, one could run a news organization with everyone in quarantine. Clearly, we’ll be seeing a time jump when Season 3 premieres, however, we don’t know how close to the current day we’ll get, or how relevant these cliffhangers will still be in the new season.

Jon Hamm Joins The Season 3 Cast, And There's A New Showrunner 

The main players listed above will all return to The Morning Show Season 3, save for Steve Carell, whose character shockingly died in Season 2. In addition to the familiar faces of UBA, we’ll also be introduced to some new characters. 

Mad Men star Jon Hamm is having a TV comeback of sorts, as he joins the fray as big money man Paul Marks. The actor said his storyline with Jennifer Aniston’s Alex will be “juicy,” and I can’t wait to see the sparks fly between the tech billionaire and the ruthless newswoman.

Tig Notaro will also appear in the show’s third season, per Deadline, as Amanda Robinson, Paul Marks’ chief of staff. Nicole Beharie will play newbie UBA staffer Christina Hunter, and Natalie Morales will appear as Stella’s best friend from college. 

Possibly the biggest shakeup on The Morning Show’s production was the announcement in January 2022 that Charlotte Stoudt was replacing Kerry Ehrin as showrunner of the drama. Stoudt previously worked on series including Fosse/Verdon, Homeland and House of Cards, and the move was part of an overall multi-year deal between her and Apple TV+. Ehrin, meanwhile, served as a consultant for the upcoming season, while continuing to develop new series for the network. 

UBA’s Future Will Be Thrown Into Question And Private Truths Revealed Amid Cyberattack 

One of the biggest questions going into Season 3 is which real-world problems are going to be at the center of the UBA drama. The first season discussed the #MeToo movement, opening with Mitch’s firing amid sexual misconduct allegations, and the second season was set in early 2020 at the onset of the pandemic. The third season's preview, which you can view at the top of this page, shows the characters back in the office, not wearing masks, so it’s probably safe to say the worst of COVID has passed. As for what we can expect, Apple’s official synopsis tells us: 

That’s pretty vague, but we get a little more information from the trailer. It appears Bradley is now anchoring the evening news, as she’s shown in the studio, with a presumably fully recovered Alex still holding down the fort before sunrise. Financial issues seem to still be afoot for the network, and my money’s on a certain Jon Hamm-shaped billionaire to be the knight who rides in to save the day. 

Everything is thrown into chaos in the trailer, when the station gets hit by a cyberattack — per Bradley’s somber on-air announcement — and I’m guessing this is where private truths become public knowledge.  

The Morning Show Has Already Been Renewed For Season 4 

Despite what fate meets the cast of the fictional Morning Show, it seems the network will survive in one form or another to report the news another day. A fourth season of the popular Apple TV+ series was confirmed back in April, with the streamer making the Season 4 announcement at the same time it let viewers know Season 3 would be premiering in the fall. That did little to make the time go faster, but thankfully our long wait is over. 

The first two episodes of The Morning Show will be available on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, September 13, and be sure to keep up with all of the other upcoming premieres by taking a peek at our 2023 TV schedule. 

Love was in the air this weekend, as Billy Crudup and Naomi Watts announced they got married! The two stars were first romantically linked in 2017 and have been together ever since. They apparently got hitched at a New York City courthouse and shared an adorable picture from the lovely day. And after they shared the confirmation of their nuptials, a wide array of big-name stars, including Gwyneth Paltrow and Mark Ruffalo, have been forwarding their congratulations.

The pair’s Instagram post was confirmation of their union, after rumors of their engagement had been swirling for months. While it was a courthouse wedding, the couple still wore stunning wedding attire. Billy Crudup wore a blue suit, while his new wife dawned a gorgeous floral gown designed by Oscar de la Renta. You can see the announcement post below:

The exciting marriage announcement prompted many comments from excited friends wanting to send the newlyweds well wishes. Mark Ruffalo made his own social media post dedicated to the happy couple. He co-starred with Naomi Watts in We Don't Live Here Anymore, and he's seemingly remained friends with the actress and her new hubby. You can see his post below:

Gwyneth Paltrow commented on the King Kong alum's Instagram photo, expressing her congratulations and her excitement for the two actors getting hitched. She said:

White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge was also thrilled for the two A-listers. She was co-stars with Naomi Watts on Netflix’s The Watcher and shared her support for the marriage by commenting:

Scarface and Batman Returns icon Michelle Pfeiffer was also elated by the announcement, sending her love and wishing her own happiness for the union. She said:

Sarah Silverman used the opportunity to express her love for the two actors. Billy Crudup was a guest star on the comedian’s self-titled show back in the '00s, and Naomi Watts co-starred with Silverman in 2017's critically maligned The Book of Henry. The stand-up veteran commented:

Liev Schreiber sent his congratulations as well. Schreiber is actually an ex of the Mulholland Drive actress, as they were together for 11 years and share two children together. They are seemingly friendly though, as the Ray Donovan alum commended his former partner on her marriage. He said: 

Billy Crudup and Naomi Watts are normally private about their relationship, so this confirmation is a welcome surprise. The two reportedly started dating after co-starring together on the Netflix's sexy therapist show, Gypsy, in which Watts portrayed a sexually frustrated woman. While the show was canceled after one season, the couple's real-life romance clearly lived on. They made their official red carpet debut at the SAG Awards in 2022 and always seem to be smiling and looking happy together. Watts, in particular, was absolutely glowing in her wedding dress on the big occasion. The designer of the matrimonial fit posted a closer image of the gown on their Instagram, which you can see below:

Congratulations to this power couple, and I hope to see more photos from the big day sometime soon! Fans of this duo can see their electric chemistry in Gypsy, which is streaming now for those with a Netflix subscription. For more information on other projects coming to the streamer later this year, make sure to consult our 2023 Netflix movie release schedule.

Fans of The Morning Show are eagerly awaiting an update regarding Season 3 of the popular Apple TV+ series, which left a lot of characters’ fates up in the air when Season 2 ended over a year ago. A number of the cast members — including stars and executive producers Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon — have stayed busy with other projects since then, and the Friends alum proved again how much she cares about her colleagues. This time, she did it by sharing some kind words and strong support for Billy Crudup in his new series for Apple TV+. 

Billy Crudup, who plays smarmy network CEO Cory Ellison on the journalism-centric drama, is starring in Hello Tomorrow! -- a sci-fi dramedy about traveling salesmen selling timeshares on the moon. The series, which Crudup also executive produces, premiered to those with an Apple TV+ subscription in February, and Jennifer Aniston took to her Instagram Stories to rave about Crudup’s performance: 

It helps to know that Billy Crudup’s involvement with Hello Tomorrow! won’t affect his ability to play Cory Ellison on The Morning Show, and Apple TV+ has found success with genre-bending sci-fi series. (Severance was one of the best new shows of 2022.) Cory may not be the favorite person of Jennifer Aniston’s Alex on the show, but real life couldn’t be further from the truth. In another post, she gave the actor multiple applause emojis: 

The actress showed similar support for co-star Reese Witherspoon ahead of the release of her Netflix rom-com Your Place or Mine, when she couldn’t contain her excitement over seeing her friend star opposite Ashton Kutcher in his return to the genre.

The Morning Show went into production for Season 3 back in August, and Jennifer Aniston shared some cute pics from the set a couple of months later when she said they were almost halfway done. We don’t yet know what drama awaits us in Season 3, but it’s likely the new showrunner will follow the first two seasons in tackling a big real-world issue like #MeToo in Season 1 and the pandemic in Season 2. 

With everything that’s happened just in the past year, there are likely a number of stories to draw from. (Amy Robach even joked to Reese Witherspoon, months before her affair with co-host T.J. Holmes was exposed, that the GMA crew could give The Morning Show a few ideas.) Needless to say, I'm eager to see what Jennifer Aniston, Billy Crudup and their colleagues have planned.

While we continue to wait on a premiere date, fans can rewatch the first two seasons on Apple TV+ or try their hand at Hello Tomorrow!, which along with Billy Crudup stars Hank Azaria, Haneefah Wood and Alison Pill. New episodes of that series premiere each Friday through April 7. Also be sure to keep an eye on the 2023 TV schedule for all of the upcoming premiere dates. 

In December 2003, audiences around the world were introduced to the fantastical story and over-the-top characters of Big Fish. What some will call the best Tim Burton movie, this fantasy dramedy about a man learning to appreciate his father and his form of storytelling before it’s too late, features some of the best actors of the time and continues to enchant viewers of all ages.

But, nearly 20 years have past since we first watched a man catch a catfish with a wedding ring, visit an idyllic town hidden in the forest, and change the lives of countless people, and it’s safe to say you are probably wondering what the Big Fish cast is up to. Here is the answer to your question…

Ewan McGregor (Young Edward Bloom)

In Big Fish, Ewan McGregor plays the younger version of the Edward Bloom, the charismatic storyteller whose life journey was the stuff of legend. Already a major force in Hollywood by the time he worked with Tim Burton in the fantastical drama (the movie came out just one year after the release of Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones), McGregor has only become a bigger star in the years following its release.

All in the last five years, Ewan McGregor has appeared on Fargo, continued his globe-trotting motorcycle adventure docuseries with Long Way Up, and portrayed a grown-up Danny Torrance in Doctor Sleep. McGregor will return to the “galaxy far, far away” when he leads the upcoming Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Albert Finney (Old Edward Bloom)

The beloved legend of film, television, and the theatre, Albert Finney, took on the role of the older version of Edward Bloom in Big Fish, and brought with him decades of experience. The two-time Golden Globe winner continued to show up in movies like Ocean’s Twelve, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Skyfall before stepping away from acting in 2012. Finney passed away in February 2019 at the age of 82.

Billy Crudup (Will Bloom)

Taking on the role of Will Bloom in the Big Fish cast is Billy Crudup. In the years since playing the once-dismissive son of Edward Bloom, Crudup has gone on to appear in movies like Spotlight, Where’d You Go, Bernadette, and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (he previously worked with the director for Watchmen). 

Billy Crudup received a great deal of praise for his portrayal of Cory Ellison on the Apple TV+ original series The Morning Show, including a Primetime Emmy and Critics Choice Award in 2020.

Jessica Lange (Sandra Bloom)

Two-time Academy Award winner Jessica Lange portrays Sandra Bloom through much of Big Fish. The star of movies like Tootsie, Blue Sky, and Cape Fear, Lange has continued to appear on the big screen in recent years with movies like The Gambler, Wild Oats, and the upcoming Marlowe.

Over the course of the past decade, Jessica Lange has been a major player on the FX horror anthology series, American Horror Story, appearing on five of the show’s seasons since its debut in 2011. 

Alison Lohman (Sandra Bloom)

Alison Lohman, who broke out with her role in the 2002 drama, White Oleander, portrays the younger version of Sandra Bloom in Big Fish. Lohman followed up the Tim Burton film with movies like Matchstick Men, Beowulf, and Drag Me To Hell through the first decade of the 21st Century.

Upon stepping away from professional acting after marrying filmmaker Mark Neveldine in 2009, Alison Lohman began to spend her time raising her children, as well as serving as an online acting coach, a service she continues to offer to this day.

Marion Cotillard (Joséphine)

Marion Cotillard was already a sensation in her native France but started to break through with American audiences with her take on the character Joséphine Bloom in Big Fish. In the years following the film’s release, Cotillard appeared in Inception, Contagion, The Dark Knight Rises, and Macbeth, to name only a few.

More recently, Marion Cotillard has appeared in movies like Dolittle and Annette, and will soon join the star-studded cast of the Apple TV+ anthology series Extrapolations.

Helena Bonham Carter (Jenny/The Witch)

Helena Bonham Carter takes on two roles in Big Fish: Spectre resident Jenny and the Witch who showed a young Edward Bloom how he would die. In the years following the film’s release, Bonham Carter went on to land the role of Bellatrix Lestrange in the final four Harry Potter movies, and work more recently in Ocean’s 8 and Enola Holmes.

The versatile actress also found success on television, with one her most notable performances being that of Princes Margaret on the third and fourth seasons of The Crown. Helena Bonham Carter appeared on the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts special in early 2022, where she had a memorable encounter with Daniel Radcliffe.

Danny DeVito (Amos Calloway)

Amos Calloway, the circus ringmaster (and werewolf) in Big Fish, is portrayed by the versatile Danny DeVito. The Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award winner has an extensive filmography to say the very least, including a great number of film and television appearances in recent years.

One of the leads of long-running comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which released its 15th season in late 2021, Danny DeVito has appeared in movies like Dumbo, Jumanji: The Next Level, and The One and Only Ivan over the past few years, with more movies on the way, like Haunted Mansion and Sniff.

Robert Guillaume (Dr. Bennett)

The late Robert Guillaume appeared as one of the major supporting characters, Dr. Bennett, in Big Fish. The Primetime Emmy and Tony Award winner passed away in October 2017 at the age of 89, per Deadline, leaving behind a legacy in film, television, and theatre. His list of credits range from the sitcom Soap to Aaron Sorkin's Sports Night and the 1994 animated smash hit, The Lion King, and even the 2004 video game, Half-Life 2.

Matthew McGrory (Karl The Giant)

Matthew McGrory portrayed the gentle and misunderstood Karl the Giant in Big Fish, which was a far stretch from the characters the actor played before and after. Due to his large stature, McGrory worked in mostly horror movies like House of 1000 Corpses and The Devils Rejects, and fantasy shows like Charmed and Carnivale. Saddly, McGrory passed away in August 2005 at the age of 32, according to the New York Times.

Steve Buscemi (Norther Winslow)

Taking on the role of the poet-turned-millionaire Norther Winslow in Big Fish is Steve Buscemi. One of the best character actors by the time he appeared in Tim Burton’s beloved classic, Buscemi has continued to find success in just about everything he does, whether it's as an actor or director.

Since 2019, Steve Buscemi has had one of the lead roles on the TBS anthology comedy series Miracle Workers, has appeared on Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?, and even showed up on an episode of Rick and Morty. He will next appear in Hotel Transylvania: Transformania.

Ada Tai and Arlene Tai (Ping and Jing)

Sisters Ada and Arlene Tai appear in Big Fish as the conjoined twins Ping and Jing, but unlike their characters, they are not physically attached at the hip (though they work extensively together). The sisters last appeared on film in 2014, when they were featured in the short film The First Minute. The sisters currently own and operate the Los Angeles-based interior design company A&A Design Firm.

Loudon Wainwright III (Beamen)

Taking on the role of Spectre mayor, Beamen, in Big Fish is Loudon Wainwright III, the accomplished singer-songwriter who has also made several appearances in movies and television shows throughout his career. His most recent acting credit was the 2018 murder mystery series Mosaic, though he continues to release music, like the 2020 studio album I’d Rather Lead a Band.

David Denman (Don Price)

Don Price, Edward Bloom’s friend-turned-enemy in Big Fish, is played by David Denman, who most will recognize as the despicable Roy Anderson on The Office. Denman continues to be busy in Hollywood with movies like Brighburn and Greenland both having been released in the past few years. In 2021, Denman was featured in the main cast of the HBO dramatic limited series, Mare of Easttown.

Deep Roy (Mr. Soggybottom)

Taking on the role of Amos Calloway’s assistant and most-trusted friend, Mr. Soggybottom, in Big Fish is Deep Roy. The actor, stuntman, and puppeteer has appeared in dozens of movies over the years, including Star Trek, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Hook, and even Return of the Jedi. Roy’s most recent feature film appearance was in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, though he does stay rather busy with his booming Tik Tok account.

Missi Pyle (Mildred)

Missi Pyle appears in Big Fish as Mildred, one of the residents of Spectre who had an impact on Edward Bloom. Throughout her career, Pyle has made appearances on shows like Drunk History, Dirty John, and most recently, Y: The Last Man. Her most recent movie appearance was in the 2019 psychological drama Ma.

Well, hopefully this helps you make sense of the massive Big Fish cast. And, who knows, maybe we’ll see those familiar faces in some of the upcoming 2022 new movie releases.

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To any fans of Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling YA fantasy novel series, I think I can guess what you all are pondering about as you are streaming the Twilight movies on Netflix: what Marvel characters should these be actors be playing? OK, even if that seemingly random question did not pass your mind before, I would be willing to bet that the thought of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in the Marvel movies is living rent free in your imagination now that I have introduced the idea, huh? Well, why don’t we have a little fun with this and see which superheroes (or supervillains) from Marvel Comics would be a good fit for the following 10 members of the Twilight cast, starting with our central heroine.

Kristen Stewart - Dead Girl

As Bella Swan, Kristen Stewart finally got to see things from the perspective of a vampire in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (the fifth installment of the franchise), but has yet to see things from the perspective of the ghostly apparitions that haunted her in both the 2007 supernatural thriller The Messengers and Personal Shopper in 2017. To give her that chance, I would cast her as the aptly named “Dead Girl,” who joined the X-Force after her murder activated latent powers such as immortality, regrowing severed limbs, and communicating with the deceased.

Robert Pattinson - Wolverine

With Marvel Studios preparing to reboot the X-Men movies, everyone is curious who will take over for Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. I think anyone who has paid attention to the gruff, action star reputation that Robert Pattinson has developed (most notably with 2017’s Good Time) since his curtain call as Edward Cullen can see why he could be a great fit for the Adamantium-clawed, cigar-chomping, Canadian mutant. Plus, the English star of Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman would certainly not be the first to exist in both DC movies and Marvel movies at the same time.

Taylor Lautner - Namor The Sub-Mariner

Many were disappointed that Taylor Lautner did not appear in Netflix’s We Can Be Heroes to reprise the role that made him a promising child star before playing the lycanthropic Jacob Black in Twilight made him a sex symbol: Sharkboy from The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D from 2004. The best possible way that he could make up for this absence is to bring another aquatic superhero to the big screen for the very first time: Namor, a Marvel Comics Atlantean who actually predates DC’s Aquaman by a few years.

Ashley Greene - Jean Grey

Someone who has shared the screen with Marvel stars (such as Sebastian Stan in The Apparition) but has never played a superhero (not counting when she voiced Barbara Gordon in the animated Batman: Gotham Knight) is Ashley Greene. The actress would finally be able to bridge that gap in a live-action setting if she was cast as one of the most popular X-Men characters, Jean Grey - known for having psychic powers, similar to her character in the Twilight movies, Alice Cullen.

Jackson Rathbone - Hydro-Man

Alice Cullen’s husband, Jasper Cullen, is played in the Twilight movies by Jackson Rathbone, whose other best known role is Sokka in The Last Airbender from 2010. Considering how poorly received director M. Night Shyamalan’s live-action adaptation of the popular animated series was, I would say that we should give the actor another chance to bring a character with water-based powers to play on the big screen, such as the Spider-Man villain Hydro-Man.

Kellan Lutz - Sentry

You could argue Twilight’s Kellan Lutz has already played a Marvel character since the publisher did give Hercules his own comic book and Lutz played Zeus’ son in 2014’s The Legend of Hercules. However, that movie is not considered a career highlight for him, but some Marvel fans do believe the muscle-bound Emmett Cullen actor would make a great Sentry: a former meth addict who gained the power of a million exploding suns after ingesting a special serum.

Peter Facinelli - Purple Man

The patriarch of the Cullen Clan, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, is played by Peter Facinelli, who actually has played a comic book character before: Maxwell Lord on the Arrow-verse’s Supergirl series. Many comic book readers cite the Marvel equivalent of this power-hungry DC villain (whom Pedro Pascal played in Wonder Woman 1984) as Zebediah Kilgrave, who never became his aptly named alter ego Purple Man when David Tennant portrayed him on Jessica Jones. I’m not sure that otherwise acclaimed Netflix series is MCU still canon anyway and I bet Facinelli would not say no to giving Kilgrave a proper, purple portrayal.

Elizabeth Reaser - Invisible Woman

The matriarch of the Cullen Clan, Esme Cullen, is played by Elizabeth Reaser, who has played the motherly figure role many times (mostly in her collaborations with Mike Flanagan), but never as strongly as her Twilight movies character. A Marvel character widely noted as a strong motherly figure is Susan Richards (née Storm), also known as the force field-generating Invisible Woman when fighting with the Fantastic Four. All Reaser would need to better assume the role is some blonde hair dye.

Nikki Reed - Lilith Drake

The only member of the Twilight cast who later returned to the world of vampires is Nikki Reed, who would join the cast of the short-lived Netflix original series V Wars - which also starred her husband Ian Somerhalder of The Vampire Diaries fame. Well, it sounds to me like the actress really enjoys sharing the screen with bloodsuckers, playing a bloodsucker on screen, or living with one in real life, so maybe she would feel right at home if she was cast in a Marvel movie (Mahershala Ali’s Blade reboot, perhaps?) as Dracula’s own daughter, Lilith Drake.

Anna Kendrick - Lady Deadpool

Fans have been pulling for Anna Kendrick (who played Bella’s friend Jessica Stanley in Twilight) to join the MCU as Squirrel Girl for years, but it might be just a little late for the actress to play a chipper, unbeatable superhero commonly depicted as a teenager. In fact, with her sharp wit, previous action movie experience, and the recent introduction of the Marvel multiverse, I think casting her as Lady Deadpool (a female, alternate reality counterpart to Ryan Reynolds’ “Merc with a Mouth”) would be an absolutely dynamite choice.

With how many veterans of the Twilight cast have already gone onto star in superhero movies, it may only a matter of time before all of time make their comic book character debuts. Let’s wait and see if any of our suggestions make the cut.

The Morning Show's Billy Crudup killed it in his role as Cory Ellison in Season 1, but his future with the series has become a little less clear after Apple TV+ revealed the exciting news that he's set as the lead for a completely different streaming series. It appears Apple TV+ execs are big fans of Crudup's work, because he will head up the upcoming dramedy headed to the platform Hello Tomorrow!. While it's great news for the actor and for potential viewers, what exactly does this mean for his character on The Morning Show?

In Hello Tomorrow!, which will be set in the future but with a retro aesthetic, Billy Crudup will play a bright-eyed and optimistic traveling salesman hawking "lunar timeshares," amidst a group of likeminded salespeople. (Sounds like something his Watchmen character Doctor Manhattan might be into.) Beyond starring, Crudup will serve as an executive producer alongside Bloodline's Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen, who created the show, as well as The End Of The F*ing World's Jonathan Entwistle. There's no release date for the series yet, but with The Morning Show currently in production for Season 2, it doesn't seem like the new show will interfere with his most current commitments. But what about after that?

UPDATE: After this story was published, CinemaBlend learned from an Apple TV+ representative that "it will not impact his role on The Morning Show." The original story continues as follows.

If The Morning Show is set to return to Apple TV+ for Season 3, that could potentially spark an issue, depending on how scheduling falls into place. Billy Crudup could foreseeably have a conflict in filming, which would possibly mean stepping away from one show to do the other. Or at least having a more limited role. My assumption here is that Crudup wouldn't have signed on for Hello Tomorrow! unless there was some kind of plan in place for Cory Ellison's future on The Morning Show, so what's going on?

One theory is that this could be a massive unintentional spoiler and that Cory Ellison will fail in his ploy to use the Me Too movement to his advantage in order to slide into Fred Micklin's position as head of the network. This is only based on what we saw the character's motives were at the end of Season 1, though, and it's completely possible he'll have a shift in motive by the end of Season 2. Anything is possible, clearly.

Considering Billy Crudup won an Emmy for his work in The Morning Show, it's quite interesting that he signed on for a new project less than a year later. Which adds further weight to the idea that when Hello Tomorrow! came around, Apple TV+'s execs led communication between both creative teams to find a way to either make the dual-projects plan work, or possibly to find a way to temporarily write off Cory in a way where he could possibly return in the future. It's also worth noting that we're only talking about a potential Season 3 for The Morning Show, since it could be possible that this series could come to an end after Season 2, though it doesn't seem likely.

There's a litany of possibilities on the table here, though obviously, the scariest one is that The Morning Show could lose one of its best actors from Season 1. Of course, the acclaimed drama still has plenty of talent actors to rely on, so losing one star wouldn't mean death knells are imminent.

The Morning Show Season 2 is currently in the works at Apple TV+. It's just one of the many shows that can be found on the underrated streaming service, which is absolutely stacked with quality shows just waiting to be discovered.

Just like in the theatrical version of Justice League, the recently-released Zack Snyder’s Justice League saw Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen visiting his father, Henry Allen, in prison. However, while The Flash movie will feature Henry again, Billy Crudup won’t reprise the role. Instead, it’s been revealed that Office Space and A Million Little Things actor Ron Livingston will take over the role, and the casting updates don’t end with him.

Following Billy Crudup needing to exit The Flash due to scheduling conflicts with Apple TV+’s The Morning Show, we’ll now see Ron Livingston put his stamp on Henry Allen. Additionally, Variety reports that Ian Loh has been cast as young Barry Allen, while Derry Girls star Saoirse-Monica Jackson and internet personality Rudy Mancuso have been cast in undisclosed roles.

No doubt many of you know Ron Livingston best for playing Peter Gibbons in the 1999 comedy Office Space, or perhaps you remember him best from his time as Captain Lewis Dixon in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. As far as Livingston’s more recent work goes, he’s appeared in movies like Tully, The Professor and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, while on TV, he currently stars in the Amazon Prime Video series Loudermilk and recurs on the ABC series A Million Little Things. Given that The Flash movie is adapting elements of the Flashpoint storyline, it makes since that the production brought Livingston to fill in as Henry Allen rather than simply remove the character, as well as cast Ian Loh as Barry Allen in his childhood years.

These four actors join an already stacked cast for The Flash. Along with Ezra Miller starring as DC Comics’ Scarlet Speedster again, Kiersey Clemons’ will also reprise Iris West following her brief appearance in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and Ben Affleck is returning as Batman. The Flash will also feature The Young and the Restless’ Sasha Calle as Supergirl and Pan’s Labyrinth’s Maribel Verdú as Barry Allen’s mother, who’s named Nora in the comics. It’s also been reported numerous times that Michael Keaton will star as his version of Batman, though the actor continues to dodge questions about whether or not he’s actually donning the Batsuit again. At one point Ray Fisher was supposed to appear as Cyborg, but the character has since been written out.

Behind the scenes, IT director Andy Muschietti is taking the helming reins on The Flash and working off a screenplay written by Bumblebee and Birds of Prey’s Christina Hodson. Outside of the Flashpoint influences, no specific details about The Flash’s story have been revealed to the public, although in addition to time travel, the multiverse is also expected to factor in. With Barry Allen’s mother being dead in the DCEU and Henry Allen having been convicted of the murder, I eagerly await learning whether or not Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. Reverse-Flash, is the true culprit like he is in the comics, not to mention who will play him if he does indeed show up.

With filming set to begin next month, The Flash is on track to race into theaters on November 4, 2022. Keep track of what else is in development for the DCEU with our upcoming DC movies guide.

Ever since it was unveiled as part of the DC Extended Universe film announcement in late 2014, we’ve been waiting for The Flash movie to arrive, especially following Ezra Miller’s full debut as the Scarlet Speedster in Justice League. Well, after all these years, The Flash is finally gearing up to begin production, which also means casting news has been trickling in. Today brings word that the project has finally recruited its first new face, but there’s also been a departure from the cast.

Let’s start off with the good news. Maribel Verdú, known for movies like Y tu mamá también and Pan’s Labyrinth, has been cast in The Flash as Barry Allen’s mother, who will have a key role in the story. Now for the bad news. THR also mentioned in its writeup that Billy Crudup, who appeared as Barry’s father, Henry, in Justice League, has dropped out of The Flash due to scheduling conflicts with the new season of the Apple TV+ series The Morning Show.

Billy Crudup’s connection to The Flash goes back to when he was first cast as Henry Allen as September 2016, a little over a year before Justice League came out. In October 2020, it was reported that he was in negotiations to rejoin the movie, but in the end, things didn’t work out. While there was no mention of recasting in the THR article, it’s a good bet that The Flash will find a new actor to play Henry Allen rather than simply drop the character altogether, especially given his current status in the DCEU.

That’s where Maribel Verdú’s role comes into play. Just like in the modern Flash comics and in the Arrowverse, Barry Allen’s mother, Nora Allen, was murdered in the DCEU when Barry was a boy. Henry Allen was convicted of the crime and has been in prison ever since. So Verdú’s presence in The Flash movie might initially seem like we’ll only see Nora through flashbacks, but let’s not forget that this cinematic tale is also taking elements from the 2011 storyline Flashpoint.

In that story, Barry Allen traveled back in time to prevent Nora Allen from being murdered by the true culprit, by Eobard Thawne, a.k.a. Reverse-Flash. Barry was successful, but the main DC timeline was drastically changed as a result. From what little we know so far about the Flash movie, time travel will factor into the narrative, as will alternate dimensions. So in addition to presumably seeing Nora Allen back when Barry was a kid, it’s also possible we could see Nora in a changed version of the present-day DCEU, or maybe Ezra Miller’s Barry will meet an alternate version version of Nora when he ends up in a different universe.

Whatever’s in store for Barry Allen’s mother in The Flash, Maribel Verdú is now the fifth cast member attached to the flick. It was reported earlier this week that Kiersey Clemons will reprise Iris West following her turn as the character in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, and Ben Affleck and Michael will return as their respective versions of Batman. With The Flash slated to start shooting in London towards the end of April, hopefully there’s more casting updates arriving in the coming weeks, including confirmation about whether Reverse-Flash is involved with this Flashpoint adaptation or not.

Assuming The Flash isn’t hit with more delays, you can expect the Fastest Man Alive’s solo feature to face into theaters on November 4, 2022. If you’re curious about what other DC cinematic tales are being lined up for the future, you’re welcome to look through our upcoming DC movies guide.

Andy Muschietti’s The Flash is finally picking up speed on its marathon of endurance tests to production. The DCEU project is currently set to begin filming in London next year ahead of its summer 2022 release date. Additional casting is now underway, with another familiar face from 2017’s Justice League now in early negotiations to return to the franchise.

The Morning Show’s Billy Crudup may now reprise his role as Henry Allen, the father to Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen/Flash in the Scarlet Speedster’s first solo cinematic outing. Crudup briefly made an appearance in Justice League and could very well have additional screen time in Zack Snyder’s cut of the film, which is coming to HBO Max next year.

The news comes from THR and on the heels of Billy Crudup picking up his first Emmy win last month for his role as network executive Cory Ellison. Henry Allen plays a key role in Barry Allen's origin story, and keeping continuity with Crudup feels like an organic choice for the film. Per the comics, Barry loses his mom Nora at a young age and his dad is sent to prison after being found guilty of her murder, despite pleas that he is innocent.

This early experience is what inspires Barry Allen to seek a career in law enforcement as a forensic scientist and then be struck by a bolt of lightning that creates his speedy powers. In the CW television iteration of The Flash led by Grant Gustin, Barry’s bond with his imprisoned father started as the beating heart of the series and could very well contribute to the emotional depth of Ezra Miller’s standalone Flash film.

Joining Ezra Miller thus far in The Flash are two defining versions of Batman from past DC films. Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck have signed on to play the Dark Knight from varying timelines. In the script written by Birds of Prey writer Christina Hodson, Barry will reportedly attempt to travel back in time to change (or solve?) the events of his mother’s death and in turn open up the multiverse.

There are a lot of awesome possibilities that Warner Bros could take advantage of from this popular Flash storyline, and it could serve as a bridge between the current DC franchise, the past versions of these superheroes and what’s coming in future installments. Next on our list for casting hopefuls is the recasting of Kiersey Clemons as Iris West. Clemons was cast as Iris for Justice League and will receive more screen time for the Snyder Cut as well, but we haven’t heard if she’ll be back for The Flash yet.

The Flash is presently set to hit theaters on June 3, 2022. If you’re looking for DC releases coming out at a more speedy pace, check out what’s on our upcoming DC movies calendar.

Nothing sounds nearly as cool as traveling the country with a rock band and writer and director Cameron Crowe actually does know what that is like from following Led Zeppelin for a Rolling Stone cover article in his teens. That journey would inspire 2000’s Almost Famous, an instant classic about a young aspiring journalist who joins fictional up-and-coming musicians on tour in the 1970s, with a Grammy-winning soundtrack as stellar as its cast.

The Academy Award-winning period piece would be a breakout hit for some (such as Kate Hudson), yet another glowing resume entry for others (like Philip Seymour Hoffman), or might be one movie you forgot Jimmy Fallon was in years before hosting The Tonight Show. However, every member from the cast of Almost Famous would bring something memorable to the story and most would go on to live up to the film’s title, even if some were already pretty close to fame to being with.

In celebration of two decades since the release of Almost Famous, we look back on the legacy it has led through the legacies it helped to create. The following are 14 of its main cast members, who they are they portrayed and how they have made a name for themselves since.

Patrick Fugit (William Miller)

After making his big screen debut as Cameron Crowe’s onscreen counterpart in Almost Famous, Patrick Fugit reunited with the filmmaker for 2011’s We Bought a Zoo and would additionally show up in other notable films (Saved!, First Man) and TV shows (Jason Bourne spin-off Treadstone, Robert Kirkman comic book adaptation Outcast on which he played the lead). He more recently voiced the character Owen in the hit video game The Last of Us: Part II and will star in the pilot for Thirtysomething(else), which focuses on the grown-up children of characters from the late 1980s drama Thirtysomething.

Kate Hudson (Penny Lane)

Other than being known as the grown-up child of Goldie Hawn and stepdaughter of Kurt Russell, Kate Hudson won a Golden Globe for playing a free-spirited, fictionalized version of band promoter Pennie Lane (with the spelling altered) in Almost Famous. 

She has also been known to associate with musicians in real life, too, having once wed The Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson and later dated Muse frontman Matt Bellamy amongst other rock star romances. The How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days star has led an eclectic acting career that will next include Music, the directorial debut of Sia, fantasy thriller Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, and Michael Shannon-led comedy Shriver, which is still currently filming.

Billy Crudup (Russell Hammond)

He has lent his voice to music onscreen twice as Stillwater’s lead guitarist in Almost Famous and alongside the late Anton Yelchin in Rudderless in 2014. You might also recognize Billy Crudup’s voice from those “priceless” Mastercard ads years ago. He also starred in two DC movies (Dr. Manhattan in 2009’s Watchmen and The Flash’s dad in 2017’s Justice League), portrayed lawyer Eric MacLeish in the 2016 Best Picture winner Spotlight, played the captain of a doomed colony vessel in Alien: Covenant, and recently scored an Emmy nomination for playing a slimy network executive in the Apple TV+ original The Morning Show.

Jason Lee (Jeff Bebe)

You might also recognize Jason Lee’s voice as Syndrome in The Incredibles or his face from his Golden Globe-nominated title role on sitcom My Name is Earl. Before playing Stillwater’s lead singer Jeff Bebe in Almost Famous, the skateboarder turned actor broke out as Brodie in 1995’s Mallrats by Kevin Smith, for whom Lee reprised his Chasing Amy character, Banky Edwards, a third time in 2019’s Jay and Silent Bob Reboot. He also recently voiced a Sasquatch named Charlie on the Cartoon Network original We Bare Bears and its 2020 feature-length TV movie, which you could argue is a step up from playing Dave in the Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, and he also moonlights as a restauranteur in Denton, Texas.

Anna Paquin (Polexia Aphrodisia)

Her role as Flora McGrath in The Piano made her the youngest Best Supporting Actress Oscar recipient in history at 11 years old in 1994 and, in 2000, Anna Paquin had a tremendous year, both starring in Almost Famous as Polexia Aphrodisia and debuting as Rogue in X-Men. The Canadian actress also has a Golden Globe for the hit HBO vampire series True Blood and her most celebrated performance recently was as Robert DeNiro’s estranged daughter in The Irishman, despite having one line of dialogue. She has also appeared on the acclaimed Showtime drama The Affair and as a publicist for troubled celebrities in the Pop TV original series Flack.

Fairuza Balk (Sapphire)

Prior to playing Stillwater groupie Sapphire in Almost Famous, Fairuza Balk also had a notable child acting career, making her film debut as Dorothy in the twisted Return to Oz and later landing a scene-stealing role as teenage witch Nancy in The Craft. One of her more recent notable characters was a sex worker named Ginger on the third season of Ray Donovan and she will make her return to the world of the music business (on screen, at least) in Paradise City, a series spin-off of the 2018 film American Satan, which is now in post-production.

Noah Taylor (Dick Roswell)

Some modern audiences may recognize English actor Noah Taylor, who played Stillwater’s manager Dick Roswell in Almost Famous, as Mr. Bucket in Tim Buton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or as Phibs in Paddington 2. However, most people would more likely recognize him from his remarkable television as of late, which includes playing Locke on Game of Thrones, Daryl Sabini on period crime drama Peaky Blinders, and, most recently, on AMC’s DC Vertigo comic book adaptation Preacher, which is, believe or not, the second time he has portrayed Adolf Hitler.

Mark Kozelek (Larry Fellows)

Making his feature film debut in Almost Famous was Mark Kozelek, who played Stillwater bassist Larry Fellows - a very fitting role for him a he has made a career out out it. The musician only has four total acting credits to his name, including Cameron Crowe’s Vanilla Sky, leader of a band called Hot Tears in the Steve Martin-penned drama Shopgirl, and an appearing as himself against Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel in 2015’s Youth. Any other contribution of his to entertainment has been in the music department on various and films and TV shows or rocking out onstage or a recording studio.

John Fedevich (Ed Vallencourt)

It was actually per Mark Kozelek’s suggestion that John Fedevich, a studio session drummer since the late 1980s, got the part of Ed Vallencourt, Stillwater’s drummer. In fact, the musician has never been in a movie that did not also star his bass player friend Kozelek, including Almost Famous, a wordless reprisal of the Vallencourt role in Vanilla Sky, and playing the drummer for Hot Tears in Shopgirl. Fedevich is still active in the music business touring with various artists, including Billy Joel, to name one.

Michael Angarano (Young William Miller)

Michael Angarano’s career as a promising child actor was already on the up-and-up when he was cast as a younger version of William Miller and his career has since continued to evolve with no sign of stopping. He played the super-powered son of his Almost Famous co-star Kate Husdon’s stepfather, Kurt Russell, in Sky High, reprised his role as Eliot, Jack’s (Sean Hayes) son, on NBC’s reboot of Will & Grace more recently, and his stint as Jack Pearson’s younger brother on This Is Us earned him an Emmy nomination in 2019. He also appears in the second season of Hulu’s PEN15 and is pre-production for a CBS sitcom pilot called To Whom It May Concern.

Zooey Deschanel (Anita Miller)

Like her onscreen younger brother, Zooey Deschanel would become a sitcom star after playing Anita Miller in Almost Famous, after appearing in several other high-profile films, of course. The 40-year-old star of Elf, 500 Days of Summer, and M. Night Shyamalan’s infamous The Happening, who is also a singer for indie duo She and Him, retired her role as Jessica Day on New Girl after seven seasons in 2018 and recently reprised the voice of Bridget in Trolls World Tour. Otherwise, Deschanel has spent much of 2020 in quarantine with her beau, Property Brothers’ Jonathan Scott.

Frances McDormand (Elaine Miller)

Playing the overprotective Elaine Miller in Almost Famous was just one of the many stages of Frances McDormand’s portrayal of many kinds of mothers, including her Oscar-winning roles in 1996’s Fargo and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in 2017, among others. The 63-year-old actress will appear next as an free-spirited cross-country traveler in Nomadland, a trailblazing journalist in Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch, and as Lady MacBeth opposite Denzel Washington in the title role of her husband, Joel Coen’s, interpretation of Shakespeare’s 17th Century tragedy.

Jimmy Fallon (Dennis Hope)

Few remember Jimmy Fallon having the most successful career outside of his Saturday Night Live stint and eventually becoming a leading late night talk show host, but those are also the same people who might not have recognized him in his feature film debut as professional touring manager Dennis Hope in Almost Famous. While his acting career was, admittedly, underwhelming to most (from 2004’s Taxi and Fever Pitch the following year) before taking over Late Night from Conan O’Brien and later The Tonight Show from Jay Leno, he has done quite well lately by making cameos as himself, such as in Jurassic World, Amazon Prime’s darkly funny superhero satire The Boys, and the upcoming comedy Marry Me, starring Jennifer Lopez, which is expected for release in 2021.

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Lester Bangs)

Never one to underwhelm on screen was the great Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played real life music critic Lester Bangs in Almost Famous as well as countless other scene-stealers since the late 1980s, including Brandt in The Big Lebowski, Scotty J. in Boogie Nights, and his Oscar-winning performance in the title character of Capote. His final role was as undercover resistance leader Plutarch Heavensbee in The Hunger Games franchise, which he was mostly able to finish before he passed away of a heroin overdose in 2014. Hoffman was 46.

What do you think? Did the cast of Almost Famous indeed live up to the film’s title or do you believe they deserved better? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the Cameron Crowe classic, as well as even more inside looks at the cast members of your favorite movies and TV shows, here on CinemaBlend.

The Flash is a feature film in flux. We have been reporting over the years of the different directors who have come and gone since DC and Warner Bros. hired Ezra Miller to play Barry Allen in their burgeoning DCEU. And while Miller is still in the red jumpsuit of the fastest man on the planet, the actor cast to play Barry's father, Henry Allen, apparently has departed the cinematic universe.

Billy Crudup is "dropping off" the upcoming solo movie based on The Flash, according to a source speaking with EW about the ongoing search for the right director. The nugget is buried near the end of the EW story, and it raises a number of red flags as to the direction of the Flash on screen. I mean, Crudup was prominently featured in the most recent trailer for Zack Snyder's planned Justice League movie (see the photo above). Does that mean that plans are massively changing?

Yes and no. As our own Conner Schwerdtfeger pointed out in his theory, having Henry Allen in jail means that he likely was arrested for the murder of Barry's mother, Nora. Only, she was murdered by The Reverse Flash, the Flash's prime antagonist. This could have set up the Flashpoint narrative, where Barry goes back in time to prevent his mother's murder... only to create major problems via a butterfly effect in the DC universe.

The Flash script apparently is being worked on as we speak, because with several names on the potential director's list, the story will have to shift and grow to meet the needs of the storyteller who eventually is brought on board. Recently, names like Robert Zemeckis and Matthew Vaughn have been circled as possible directors for The Flash. What if they don't want to tell the Flashpoint story? What if they have other ideas? Yes, you introduced Billy Crudup as Henry Allen, but from the looks of it, he's in prison in Justice League. The Flash movie could leave him there. By the time we get to a Flashpoint story, DC could recast.

There's a lot still to be decided (and a lot of unknowns on DC's release schedule). Here's what we know for sure. Ezra Miller will once again play The Flash (after appearing briefly in both Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice AND Suicide Squad) in Zack Snyder's Justice League, opening in November. The Flash movie won't be in theaters until 2019, at the earliest, as the studio is still circling directors. But when it arrives, Henry Allen likely will be played by someone other than Billy Crudup. Why? We don't know, but we hope to find out one day.

UPDATE: Some sources are indicating Billy Crudup may still be on board for his role in The Flash. No one has spoken out on record yet.

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If The Flash film were a person, it'd probably be a guy who has taken one too many punches to the gut, and is starting to take blows to the face. With several director hirings and departures in its history already, the film's slated March 16, 2018 release date seems to be more of a placeholder than an actual target. This seems even more valid after hearing remarks made by the man who will be Henry West himself, Billy Crudup, stating that the exact status of the film's production is very unknown at the moment. Billy Crudup recently said the following when asked if he knew when the DC Comics project was going to start filming:

During his press rounds for his current project, Alien: Covenant, Billy Crudup noted that Ezra Miller's schedule is complex, and he's certainly not wrong in that respect. In addition to playing Barry Allen, and his supersonic alter ego, Ezra Miller is also involved in a little franchise by the name of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. With the second film in the Harry Potter prequel series set to film during this summer, the prognosis doesn't look great that The Flash will be able to meet its current March 16th release date in 2018 with all of the post production involved with a big blockbuster of that ilk. Short of becoming a faster-than-light being himself, DC could be cutting it close to try to make it happen.

This "up in the air" sort of prognosis for The Flash, courtesy of Billy Crudup's interview with Bad Taste, is only the latest factor that's caused a delay for the film's inception. Not only is another round of rewrites currently underway, there's still the need to find a new director to replace the previous candidates who have abdicated the throne. Both Seth Grahame-Smith and Rick Famuyiwa walked away from the project's directorial duties, and as such, The Flash still doesn't have a new candidate to head up its production. And from what we're seeing in the Warner Bros camp at the moment, we might not see this void fulfilled any time soon.

While several other DC Comics films are rumored to go into production this year, there seems to be an attitude among the folks at Warner Bros that if the studio has to take some time off and miss a deadline, then it will be worth it if the end result is a film that sells audiences on the vitality of the DCEU. So while Billy Crudup will be seen as Henry West in Zack Snyder's Justice League this November, we may not see him reprise the role for some time after that performance is revealed. So if Ezra Miller wants to get into character real fast, he can do so by speeding to the rescue of The Flash as soon as possible.

The Flash is penciled in for March 16th, 2018, so don't be surprised if that date changes. In the meantime, you'll be able to see Billy Crudup on screens all over with Alien: Covenant, which opens on May 19th, and Justice League, which debuts on November 17th.

The following story contains potential SPOILERS for Alien: Covenant. Read at your own risk.

Movie spoilers can come from literally anywhere, bu more and more, they seem to be coming from the area of toys and collectibles. These items need to be produced well in advance of the film in order to be available alongside the project and that often means that the creators need information about the movie that isn't publicly available. Such is the case with the new Funko Pop line being released for Ridley Scott's Alien: Covenant. The model designed for Billy Crudup's character Oram would seem to imply that the ship's captain may not survive very far into the new film. Check it out.

In the first trailers for Alien: Covenant we see Billy Crudup investigating the pods that the alien eggs hatch in, just before one of the creatures leaps up and goes for his face. However, it's one thing to show that a character is going to have to deal with a face hugger, and quite another to make that the central focus of his toy. With the face hugger attached to Orem on the Funko Pop toy, and even on the image on the box, it's clear that these two life forms are strongly linked in the film. We assumed that Billy Crudup would probably survive for at least a significant period of Alien: Covenant, he's one of the bigger names in the film, but now it would appear that's probably not the case.

Alien: Covenant has a significantly larger cast than your average Alien movie. The premise of the story is that several couples are making the journey to a new planet in order to colonize it. Of course, since this is an Alien movie, more people really just means more victims. We're not expecting many people to survive the new film, in fact, since Covenant is a prequel story, and we know nothing about any of these characters in the later movies, it's possible Alien: Covenant could go the same route as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and kill off literally everybody.

This isn't the first time that toys have given away aspects of movies. The toy line designed for the new Ghostbusters movie revealed how that movie would end before it ever came out. Funko Pop themselves have been guilty of spilling the beans before, as they advertised a Giant Man figure as part of their Captain America: Civil War collection and gave away one of the most exciting parts of that film. This isn't quite the same level of spoiler as those, but it does imply that the scene of Billy Crudup's character being attacked may be the last time we see his face.

We'll get our first true taste of the Flash when the character stars in Justice League next year, but he's also got his own solo movie to look forward to. Rumors about The Flash movie have been swirling since Ezra Miller was first revealed as the speedster, and so far only a few people have been cast in the film. The latest is Billy Crudup, who will play Barry Allen's father, Henry Allen. According to an old MTV interview, this casting might have been in the works for a while.

This MTV interview is dated all the way back in January of 2015, and Ezra Miller had only recently been cast as the Fastest Man Alive. Miller, Billy Crudup, and Michael Angarano were doing an interview together for what looks like 2015's The Stanford Prison Experiment, the only movie that has all three men in it. The interviewer asked Miller how he was cast as the superhero, when Crudup cut in with his own question.

We can now be sure that there was a part exactly like that in the form of Henry Allen. While we don't know if Billy Crudup was campaigning behind-the-scenes or if he was recommended for the part by Ezra Miller, it's still pretty funny that he ended up in the movie after seemingly joking on air about it. Crudup is no stranger to superhero films, having played Dr. Manhattan in the divisive adaptation of Watchmen. That film was directed by Zack Synder, who is also pretty deeply involved in the DCEU. With Snyder and Miller, Billy Crudup had two good connections to get his foot in the door; it shouldn't be a big surprise he ended up with the role.

Henry Allen is the father of Barry Allen and - like most parents in DC comics - is a major inspiration for his son to wear a costume. As fans of The Flash TV show know, Henry was falsely accused of murdering his wife when Barry was a child, resulting in being sentenced to life sentence in prison. Hoping to clear his father's name, Barry swore to bring the real killer to justice, influencing him to become a forensic scientist and eventually a superhero. Expect at least a few scenes in the movie of Barry visiting his dad in prison and/or flashbacks.

Joining Ezra Miller and Billy Crudup in the cast is Kiersey Clemons as Isis West and Ray Fisher reprising his role as Cyborg from Justice League. The plot is still being kept under wraps, but it's said to be a team-up movie akin to Thor and Hulk in Thor: Ragnarok. The Flash is directed by Rick Famuyiwa with a screenplay from Seth Grahame-Smith.

The Flash is currently scheduled to release in theaters on March 16, 2018.

In the last couple of the years, comic book fans have gotten to know actor John Wesley Shipp as the father of Barry Allen on the hugely-popular Flash television series, but soon we will see a different interpretation of Henry Allen on the big screen -- and now it looks like we know who will be playing him. Everyone, get ready to meet the newest member of the DC Extended Universe family: Billy Crudup.

According to Variety, Billy Crudup is now in talks to play the role of Henry Allen in the DCEU's Flash movie, which is currently in development. He is now the third actor to sign on for the Rick Famuyiwa-directed blockbuster, following Ezra Miller (who is playing Barry Allen/The Flash, and Kiersey Clemons, who is on-board as Barry's number one love, Iris West. Even though the movie isn't scheduled for release until early 2018, production is aiming to start up before the end of the year -- which explains why piece of this cast are coming together now.

Not only is Billy Crudup no stranger to big blockbusters, he isn't even a stranger to DC Comics adaptations. Back in 2009 he became the first live-action version of Jon Osterman a.k.a. the god-like Dr. Manhattan in director Zack Snyder's Watchmen. Given Snyder's influence in the DCEU -- being the director of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the upcoming Justice League - it would not be any kind of surprise to learn that the director pitched Crudup's name to the Flash team.

For those unfamiliar with Henry Allen either from the comics or the Flash TV show, it's worth mentioning that he's not exactly the most exciting character that DC has created. When Barry was a young boy, his arch-nemesis, Professor Zoom, traveled back in time and killed his mother, Nora. Given that his only excuse was seeing a yellow blur kill his wife, Henry was blamed for the crime, and sent away to prison. What makes the character ultimately compelling is the connection that he has with his son -- not to mention the fact that being able to exonerate his dad is an important mission for the Scarlet Speedster.

With The Flash now moving right along through development, it's very likely that the next few weeks/couple of months will be filled with new updates about the developing post-Justice League superhero movie. Of course, we will be staying up to the minute with all news about the project, so stay tuned for more.

Based on a real-life psychological test run in the 1970s that went horrifically awry, The Stanford Prison Experiment caused a stir at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. With a release date on the way, the movie dropped its first trailer that illustrates we’re in for one of the best, most harrowing films of the year.

The story is one of the most notorious events in academic history. In 1971, Stanford psychology professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo embarked on an experiment to study the effect of becoming either a guard or a prisoner, backed by funding from the military. He and his team of graduate students took 24 male undergrads and put them in the role of either a guard or an inmate in a simulate prison scenario, and sat back to see how things would unfold. What they saw as the power dynamics of the various institutionalized roles bubbled to the surface went far beyond their expectations. All of which you see dramatized in this trailer as the guards start to give into their most base instincts.

As the roles the participants played took over, the guards began brutalizing the inmates and things spiraled completely out of control. More than a third of the guards exhibited what were labeled "genuine sadistic tendencies," and a number of prisoners suffered severe emotional trauma. Watching this, even a fictionalized version, it’s easy to see how this experience left lingering scars, this is tough to witness. Zimbardo and his team were criticized for a lack of scientific controls and allowing ethical violations to unfold under his nose.

This is a subject that has been covered in a number of books and plays and essays, but it’s taken some time to bring it to the screen. A number of the early reviews out of Sundance praised the Kyle Patrick Alvarez-directed film for the impact it has on the audience, creating a level of discomfort in the spectators. Aiming to draw viewers in and exert and influence on them (which, let’s be honest, is the goal of every movie), some have drawn parallels between The Stanford Prison Experiment the film and the actual experiment.

The Stanford Prison Experiment put together an impressive cast. Fronted by Billy Crudup as Dr. Zimbardo, the younger component includes Michael Angarano (The Knick), Ezra Miller (who will play the Flash in DC’s cinematic superhero universe), Tye Sheridan (the new Cyclops of X-Men: Apocalypse), Thomas Mann (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), and many more. Olivia Thirlby (Dredd) also plays Zimbardo’s wife, who has her own concerns with this entire set up.

The Stanford Prison Experiment gets a limited theatrical run starting on July 17, and it hits video on demand the following week, on July 24.

Though he has won much acclaim—including a Cesar for Best Director—in his own country, actor/writer-director Guillaume Canet has yet to breakthrough Stateside. That could change with some surprising news out Cannes. Variety reports Lionsgate has snagged the U.S. distribution rights to the helmer's first English-language effort Blood Ties just ahead of its world premiere at the prestigious festival. Reportedly, the corporation paid more than $2 million for the right to distribute the crime drama domestically. Considering this is the highest price paid for US distribution rights so far at this year's festivities, it suggests Lionsgate has high hopes for Blood Ties' commercial appeal.

Based on the novel by Bruno and Michel Papet, Blood Ties centers on two brothers, Chris and Frank Pierzynski. Living in 1970s Brooklyn, the pair take very different paths in life. Chris becomes a cop, while Frank falls into a life of crime. But as the NYPD puts pressure on organized crime, these estranged siblings are forced to face off.

Clive Owen and Billy Crudup (pictured above) front the film as the brawling brothers; James Caan, The Dark Knight Rises' Marion Cotillard, The Wire's Domenick Lombardozzi, Star Trek Into Darkness' Zoe Saldana, The Conjuring's Lili Taylor, and Jupiter Ascending's Mila Kunis co-star.

It's premise sounds promising, and Canet's celebrated 2006 crime drama Tell No One suggests he's well suited for the material. But the most obvious draw here is a cast stacked with attractive stars with international appeal. Basically, buying this one seems like a no-brainer.

Blood Ties will debut out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival on May 28th. It's unknown at this time where Lionsgate is planning to place the crime drama in their release schedule.

I’ve seen way too much of Billy Crudup. That would have been a bad thing if Watchmen weren’t so great, but instead, it ended up showing how far Zack Snyder was willing to go for his adaptation. It’s hard enough to justify a blue penis in even the raunchiest of comedies, much less a philosophical superhero drama.

We won’t be seeing Crudup’s manhood in his next role, though. Variety reports that Billy has signed on to star in the adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s hit memoir, Eat, Pray, Love. Crudup will play the ever-sympathetic baxter of the movie: Gilbert’s husband, whose desire for a typical domestic lifestyle pushes Gilbert to leave him and explore new things. Crudup joins Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem and Richard Jenkins.

The book was popular amongst the Oprah crowd, and with this cast and the right type of promotion (i.e. the Oprah promotion), the filmmakers will definitely have a hit on their hand. I prefer Gilbert’s fiction, to be honest. Don’t get me wrong. Eating and loving are both amazing and all, but I just can’t get behind the praying. Booooring.

Tired of seeing Kiefer Sutherland save the world in the present day? How about we let him end the Cold War for a change? According to Production Weekly's Twitter feed Jack Bauer, Billy Crudup and Guy Pearce have signed on to star in Trust, a Cold War-era thriller written by Robert Edwards.

Edwards is a writer and director you've probably never heard of, given that his debut feature, Land of the Blind, went direct to DVD after premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2006. But when Rafe reviewed the film, he called it "a film with an interesting statement on terrorism, fascist governments, and the patriots who get caught in between." Sounds like a guy with the right credentials to make a Cold War movie. We'll be waiting for official confirmation of this casting, but since Production Weekly's Twitter feed has been reliable in the past, it's probably safe to start anticipating this one.

UPDATE! The guys at Production Weekly have been kind enough to email us with a full plot synopsis for Trust: "Two FBI counter-intelligence agents in Los Angeles 1969 find their partnership—and their whole world—shaken when a fellow American walks in and confesses that he has been spying for the Soviets, and volunteers to turn double agent. The slippery nature of truth gets a workout as they cross paths not only with the KGB, but also Hollywood execs, undercover cops, suspicious wives, and shady private eyes. When deception is your business, is it really possible to leave your work at the office?"