In 2023, Barbie lit up the box office, sparked a cultural wave and turned its cast of Kens into instant icons. Turning down a role in the pink-splashed, billion-dollar box office juggernaut might seem like a major misstep. For actor Matt Bomer, though it was the right call. He's not losing sleep over it, and he recently explained just why that's the case.

Matt Bomer has had plenty of major opportunities throughout the course of his career, and Barbie certainly would've been a nice notch in his belt. He spoke to Business Insider and opened up about why he walked away from the blockbuster. The Fellow Travelers star explained that he was originally in the running to play a Ken but ultimately declined the role to prioritize his family and give his full focus to his work on Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, a seven-time Oscar-nominated Leonard Bernstein biopic. Bomer explained his rationale with the following sentiments:

The 47-year-old actor played David Oppenheim, Bernstein’s lover, in the film, and despite the smaller screen time, he described the experience as “life-changing.” Ultimately, the intense creative environment and emotional weight of the project were things Bomer didn’t want to dilute by splitting focus. He continued:

That choice meant missing out on being part of a viral pop culture moment like Barbenheimer, which collectively grossed over $1 billion worldwide and dominated every conversation from the box office to the Oscars. Still, I appreciate the Bomer stuck to his creative guns, and I'm happy he has no regrets.

In the years since, Barbie hit the big screen, a number of the Ken actors have opened up about their experiences. Many of them seemed to have enjoyed take on the humorously over-the-top characters. However, Simu Liu did recently recall having to wax for the film, and it doesn't sound all that pleasant. Still, Liu and others like Kingsley Ben-Adir and Ncuti Gatwa were able to be a part of a cultural movement -- and even took part in the Oscars performance of "I'm Just Ken."

I've not doubts that Matt Bomer would've made an awesome Ken as well. At this point, it doesn't look like a Barbie sequel happening, but maybe there's hope for a Ken-centric spinoff in which Bomer could play a role. After all, director Greta Gerwig admitted that there was a lot of Ken material that didn't make the final cut.

Still, an industry that’s always chasing the latest trends, Bomer stands out with his intentional choices, which are becoming pretty rare. He might not be a Ken, but he’s definitely Zen, which might honestly be the coolest role to have.

You can check out Matt Bomer in Maestro, which is streamable with a Netflix subscription. Also, those looking to check out Barbie can do so by streaming it on Max.

The streaming wars are showing no signs of slowing down, with each service offering a constant supply of exciting new content. Those with a Hulu subscription were recently treated to the new sitcom Mid-Century Modern, which stars the likes of Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer, Nathan Lee Graham, and the great Linda Lavin. The show feels like a mixture of The Golden Girls and Will & Grace, and it's really sparking some queer joy in me.

The Golden Girls and Will & Grace are considered some of the best sitcoms of all time, and are endlessly re-watchable for fans like me. So when it was revealed that the latter's creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan were re-teaming for a Hulu original TV show, I checked it out. And it didn't disappoint, as it feels like a LGBTQ+ take on The Golden Girls. And that combination is absolutely delightful and thoroughly binge-watchable.

Mid-Century Modern follows three adult gay men who decide to live together in Palm Springs after their friend dies. The owner of the house is Nathan Lane's Bunny Schneiderman, who is wealthy and lives with his mother Sybil (Linda Lavin). Adding in Matt Bomer's ditzy Jerry and Nathan Lee Graham's fabulous and biting Arthur, and the four personalities clash in plenty of charming, touching, and funny ways throughout Season 1.

The Golden Girls had great insults throughout its tenure on the air, and Mid-Century Modern definitely continues this trend. The cast is constantly ribbing each other, as well as anyone else they come across throughout the first 10 episodes of the streaming comedy.

The set and concept of Mid-Century Modern is an obvious homage to The Golden Girls, which has the potential to elicit a mixture of reactions from people. While I've seen some complaints about this online, I've loved the way that the old and new have been combined for this new sitcom. It feels classic, as well as very much of the times.

Will & Grace was a groundbreaking show in regards to LGBTQ+ representation, including the very first instance of two men kissing on television. And while that show has aged rather well (seriously, give it another go on Hulu), being able to have the same comedic sensibilities back on TV and set in 2025 is really refreshing and affirming. There's a lot going on in the world nowadays for queer folks, so being able to sit down and laugh in so necessary.

I'm someone who regularly re-watches back episodes of Will & Grace and The Golden Girls, so having these shows basically combine to create the delightful Mid-Century Modern is a major win for the 2025 TV premiere list. Hopefully it gets renewed for a second season on Hulu. Fingers crossed!

Matt Bomer has been all over the large and small screens alike over the last decade, ranging from the Magic Mike film franchise and – most recently on TV – Showtime's Fellow Travelers limited series, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award. Despite all of that success, however, some fans remember him best for his six seasons as Neal Caffrey on White Collar opposite Tim DeKay. I spoke with Bomer about his career, and he shared some fan feedback that makes me want a White Collar revival in the 2024 TV schedule more than ever.

I spoke with Matt Bomer at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta, where he was honored with The Hollywood Reporter's Trailblazer Award. Looking back at his career, I asked the star what he hears most often from ride-or-die fans of White Collar. He said:

White Collar ran for 81 episodes over six seasons on USA, from 2009 - 2014. Matt Bomer starred as a con artist and thief Neal Caffrey who agreed to consult with the FBI to lessen his prison sentence, with Tim DeDay co-starring as Special Agent Peter Burke. All six seasons are currently available streaming with a Hulu subscription and free with ads via Amazon's Freevee. The show isn't available for Netflix subscribers at the time of writing, but if fellow USA series Suits' success on the streamer is any indication, White Collar could crush on the platform.

While the show didn't run for as long as Suits on USA, White Collar is another classic from the network's prime scripted era, and a project that would certainly be fun to see adapted into the 2020s. And it's not out of the realm of possibility! Back in November 2023, prior to SCAD TVfest, Bomer told TVLine that there was "very legitimate talk" about bringing White Collar back, although "a lot of things need to fall into place."

We can only wait and see if White Collar will return with new episodes, and that time can always be spent by rewatching the six seasons of the series. You can also check out Matt Bomer's most recent TV venture: the period drama Fellow Travelers, telling the tumultuous love story between two men that began during the Lavender Scare of the 1950s.

Bomer was an executive producer as well as star opposite Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey. When I spoke with him at SCAD, he shared why Fellow Travelers was a better fit for a TV adaptation than a movie adaptation of the novel of the same name:

Fellow Travelers is available streaming with a Paramount+ subscription at the time of writing. All in all, there's no shortage of content starring Bomer to enjoy while the wait continues for news on a new White Collar, including multiple Ryan Murphy shows, Doom Patrol, and The Boys in the Band as well as the Magic Mike films.

Following the conclusion of the DC Animated Movie Universe timeline in 2020 with Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, with the 2022 short film Constantine: The House of Mystery serving as an epilogue, the Tomorrowverse timeline took its place, and we’re now six movies deep into this new continuity of animated DC movies. Movie #7 arrives early on the 2024 movies schedule, and it’ll kick off a three-part adaptation of arguably DC Comics’ most famous crossover storyline, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Now Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One’s voice cast has been unveiled, and while there’s A+ talent involved, it’s nonetheless making me wish actors like Jensen Ackles, Alexandra Daddario and more would contribute to the DC landscape in live-action.

Just a few weeks after the first trailer for Crisis on Infinite Earths dropped, we’ve learned what names are attached to the animated movie, with many of the returning Tomorrowverse actors playing multiple roles thanks to the story showing off many other universes. The main roster includes Jensen Ackles as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Darren Criss as Superman & Earth-2 Superman, Stana Katic as Wonder Woman & Superwoman, Matt Bomer as The Flash/Barry Allen, Megan Donnelly as Supergirl & Harbinger, Jimmi Simpson as Green Arrow and Zachary Quinto as Lex Luthor. We’ll also be treated to more of Alexandra Daddario as Lois Lane following her debut in the role in Superman: Man of Tomorrow, the movie that ushered in the Tomorrowverse.

But that’s just the tip of the performing iceberg when it comes to Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One, which is directed by Jeff Wamester and written by Jim Krieg. Here’s the rest of this movie’s cast:

• Jonathan Adams as Monitor 
• Ike Amadi as J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter, Amazing Man & Ivo
• Geoffrey Arend as Psycho Pirate & Hawkman
• Zack Callison as Dick Grayson/Robin
• Alastair Duncan as Alfred 
• Matt Lanter as Blue Beetle & Ultraman 
• Ato Essandoh as Mr Terrific
• Cynthia Hamidi as Dawnstar
• Aldis Hodge as John Stewart/Green Lantern & Power Ring
• Erika Ishii as Doctor Light/Dr. Hoshi & Huntress
• David Kaye as The Question
• Ashleigh LaThrop as Iris West
• Liam Mcintyre as Aquaman & Johnny Quick
• Nolan North as Hal Jordan, Amazo & Homeless Man
• Lou Diamond Phillips as The Spectre & Owlman
• Keesha Sharp as Vixen
• Harry Shum Jr. as Brainiac 5

Obviously it’s great to see the likes of Jensen Ackles, Alexandra Daddario and more continuing to lend their talents to the Tomorrowverse. Again though, I hope the day comes that those two, along with plenty of the other actors mentioned here, get to star in something live-action on the upcoming DC movies and upcoming DC TV shows front. For example, Ackles would frankly still make for a dynamite older Batman, and while Matt Bomer already has some live-action DC credits to his name as Larry Trainor/Negative Man on Doom Patrol, it’d be cool to see him play a more high-profile character. I also remember that Harry Shun Jr. told me he wants to play a villain in a live-action superhero movie.

In addition to the big cast reveal, Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One also released a new trailer teasing more of the story that will see The Monitor recruiting a team of hundreds of superheroes from numerous realities to save all of reality from an antimatter armageddon.

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part One will first be released digitally on January 9, 2024, and the Blu-ray and 4K UHD physical copies will follow on January 23. Part Two and Part Three will be available later in 2024, with specific release dates not shared yet. Remember that you can stream many of the past animated DC movies with your Max subscription while you wait for Part One’s arrival. 

Movie musicals are a tried and true genre, with plenty of titles winning the Oscar for Best Picture. One of the most highly anticipated musical flick coming to theaters is Jon M. Chu’s Wicked, which will be split into two different movies. The Crazy Rich Asians director assembled a stellar group of actors to bring Oz to life, with Jonathan Bailey playing leading man Fiyero. Bailey was filming two other projects (including Bridgerton) at the same time as Wicked, and I need a nap just hearing about his schedule.

The cast of Wicked is stacked, with Bridgerton favorite Jonathan Bailey tasked with singing alongside both Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, he was also filming both Bridgerton and the new series Fellow Travelers at the same time. The latter saw him acting opposite Matt Bomer, who spoke to Jess Cagle on a Sirius XM video about the work ethic he observed. In Bomer’s words:

Is anyone else exhausted? Film sets are notoriously grueling places, with long hours and exhausting night shoots. So it’s almost impossible to imagine Bailey working on three different projects at once. Because even as he was working on Fellow Travelers, he was brushing up on all things Wicked. 

Overall, it sounds like the Bridgerton actor was really working his butt off in the upcoming movie musical. Case in point: Bailey filmed Wicked scenes by himself during the strike, including acting opposite body doubles. Later during that same conversation, Jonathan Bailey spoke about his own experience filming three projects are once, offering:

I definitely need a nap now. Despite his busy schedule, Bailey seems to really appreciate working on such outstanding projects… even if they were at the same time. Fans are eager to see him back in Bridgerton Season 3, after his character seemingly got his happy ending last season. 

Anticipation for the Wicked movie is definitely growing, and fans are eager to finally see the first footage. Hype around the musical blockbuster is also increasing because of drama behind the scene, specifically Ariana Grade’s relationship with co-star Ethan Slater. They say there’s no such thing as bad press, so we’ll have to see how the pair of movies ultimately fare at the box office.

The first Wicked movie is currently expected to arrive in theaters on November 27th, 2024. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Matt Bomer has been captivating TV fans with his steamy scenes opposite Wicked's Jonathan Bailey in the Showtime miniseries, Fellow Travelers. And soon, he'll be seen with Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan in the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro. But, it is a project Bomer said no to that has people talking because fans of the Magic Mike XXL actor were shocked and confused that he would turn down one of the biggest projects on the 2023 film schedule. 

The upcoming release Maestro is not the only big 2023 movie that Bomer was supposed to be featured in. In fact, he was set to join Margot Robbie's Barbie, Ryan Gosling's Ken and the rest of the Barbie cast in Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar blockbuster centered on the iconic fashion doll. The actor detailed his Barbie audition process as a potential Ken in a November 2023 interview with Vanity Fair:

However, the former White Collar star revealed that he ultimately decided against moving forward with Barbie, citing that he didn't want to spend extensive time away from his family, per the outlet. The 46-year-old star has three children, Kit Bomer Halls, and twins, Walker and Henry Bomer Halls, with husband Simon Halls, who he has been married to since 2011. So, taking on a movie that filmed for months in England would have required him to be away for a while.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings's Simu Liu, Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa and Secret Invasion's Kingsley Ben-Adir were among the male actors ultimately cast to portray the male Mattel doll in the summer hit. However, despite the seismic theatrical success that Barbie ended up having, Bomer doesn't regret passing on the project as it freed him up for both Maestro and Fellow Travelers. There are also "very legitimate talks" to bring back White Collar, the USA Network series that ran for six seasons until ending in 2014. He elaborated more on this decision and its impact, saying:

The Barbie opportunity isn't the first time that the performer was up for a major movie role that just didn't work out. During a 2015 appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Bomer revealed that, when he was 23 years old, he was the favorite to play the Man of Steel in a Brett Ratner-directed adaptation of Superman. He said:

However, as with the Barbie business, Bomer said that the closing of that opportunity simply led to the opening of others. The actor elaborated on the choice, saying:

The awards buzz currently surrounding both Maestro and Fellow Travelers should soften any Barbie-related disappointment fans might have! And if you are looking to watch either of these acclaimed projects, you can stream Fellow Travelers on Showtime, and Maestro will be available with a Netflix subscription on December 20. 

I was excited for and proud of David Corenswet when I learned he had joined writer and director James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy cast as the new DCU’s official Clark Kent. However, I also recognize that some will alway see Christopher Reeve as the definitive Man of Steel, and others are still bummed about Henry Cavill’s exit from the role, and I imagine there are many who still believe no one has topped George Reeves since he debuted in 1951.

Of course, as we could say about the lead role in just all the best superhero movies ever made, none of these icons were the first choice to play the Last Son of Krypton and some big names have been approached to don the old red and blues, but never took flight for one reason or another. Let’s take a look back at some of the most notable actors who almost played Superman — starting with one who is no stranger to live-action DC movies already.

Joe Manganiello

Years after playing Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, Joe Manganiello joined the DC Extended Universe as deadly assassin, Slade “Deathstroke” Wilson — a role met with “much disappointment,” as he ended up only making brief appearances in a post-credits scene in 2017’s Justice League and a dystopian flash-forward in the Snyder Cut. That was actually not his first disappointing experience with a DC role, as he recalled to ComicBook.com, having previously met with Zack Snyder about leading 2013’s Man of Steel. Unfortunately, the actor claims his contractual commitment to one of Manganiello’s best TV shows, HBO’s True Blood, prevented him from taking the time he needed off for the project.

Brendan Fraser

Speaking of disappointing DC movie experiences, Brendan Fraser’s role as pyromaniac villain, Firefly, was one of the things we wished we could have seen in Batgirl before Warner Bros. cancelled the movie. Yet, as he told Howard Stern, the Academy Award-winning star of The Whale experienced his first disappointment involving a DC character in the early 2000s when he auditioned for a Superman movie that never got made, called Superman: Flyby. While Fraser was, admittedly, intimidated by the idea of the Man of Steel being his definitive role, losing the opportunity with the project’s cancellation was a let down, but at least he can say he got to voice RobotMan on Doom Patrol for Max.

Matt Bomer

Speaking of Doom Patrol, Fraser’s co-star, Matt Bomer, plays Larry “Negative Man” Trainor, who must keep his radioactive skin covered in bandages. However, underneath them is a dead ringer for Clark Kent, which is why it comes as no surprise that — according to ComicBook.com — he was also considered for the lead role of Superman: Flyby, coincidentally. Luckily, the former White Collar cast member would go on to voice a couple of iconic heroes in animated DC movies — namely The Flash in Justice Society: World War II and Legion of Super-Heroes, and the Man of Steel himself in 2013’s Superman: Unbound.

Josh Hartnett

Despite having a couple of non-superhero comic book movies under his belt — Sin City and 30 Days of Night — Josh Hartnett has had more than one chance to be a superhero, being an actor who could have played Batman and Superman, as well. The Oppenheimer cast member revealed to Mr. Porter that he turned down the lead role in 2006’s Superman Returns — which eventually went to Brandon Routh — because he was more interested in projects outside of the mainstream following the major boost in fame he got from starring in Pearl Harbor.

Jude Law

Another actor who was considered for the mid-2000s Superman reboot before Routh was cast was Jude Law. The two-time Oscar nominee recalled to Stephen Colbert on Late Show that he actually tried on the hero’s iconic costume in private and initially enjoyed the experience, but was frightened by the idea of seeing what he saw in the mirror on advertisements all over the world. He would eventually take a supporting role in one of the Marvel movies — Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel.

Sylvester Stallone

An actor who can say he has been in a few of the best Marvel movies and a DC movie, as well, is Guardians of the Galaxy (Vol. 2 and 3) and The Suicide Squad actor Sylvester Stallone. While he would make his comic book movie as the title role of 1995’s Judge Dredd, it could have happened much earlier when he met with director Richard Donner about leading 1978’s Superman. According to the filmmaker’s words to THR, Donner liked the Rocky movies star, but he was against the idea of casting a big name and eventually got his wish when the then-relatively unknown Reeve was brought in.

Paul Newman

Another big name who was considered to for Donner’s Superman before Reeve was Paul Newman, who was in his early 50s when the film was in development. On an audio commentary recorded for the film’s 2006 DVD release, producers Ilya Salkind and Pierre Spengler claimed that the future Academy Award winner (for 1986’s The Color of Money) was actually offered the choice to play either Clark Kent, his nemesis Lex Luthor (which went to Gene Hackman), or his father Jor-El (whom Marlon Brando famously played). Newman did wind up starring in a much different kind of comic book movie, Road to Perdition, which, coincidentally, also stars Law.

Will Smith

In 2008, while promoting his own superhero movie not inspired by a comic book, Hancock — in which he plays a cynical, drunken bum with Superman-esque abilities — Will Smith revealed to MTV that he could have been the real thing. He passed on the Superman Returns script, though, because, as he put it, playing Jim West in the 1999 flop, Wild Wild West, convinced him, “you can't be messing up white people's heroes in Hollywood!” The Academy Award winner (for 2021’s King Richard) would later agree to play the anti-heroic Deadshot in DC's Suicide Squad, which turned out to be one of his most financially successful films.

Nicolas Cage

Perhaps the best-known example of an actor who almost played the Man of Steel comes from the story behind one of the most famous (if not infamous) DC movies that never happened — Superman Lives. As he recalled to Variety, in the 1990s, Nicolas Cage was cast in his dream role for the film that was set to be directed by Tim Burton, until it was scrapped after a series of behind-the-scenes issues. However, Cage would eventually receive the honor of playing Superman on two different occasions: voicing him in Teen Titans GO! to the Movies in 2018 and a digitally de-aged cameo in The Flash, in which he fights the giant spider Superman Lives producer Jon Peters requested.

There are several actors our own Sarah El-Mahmoud once thought would be perfect to play Superman after Henry Cavill — such as Yellowstone’s Wes Bentley or Michael B. Jordan, who is producing a miniseries about a Black version of Superman named Val-Zod that we hope still happens. However, as we may come to find out, Gunn and co. choosing David Corenswet, alongside Rachel Brosnahan as his Lois Lane, might work out for the best.

Ryan Murphy is one of the most notable television producers working today. He is the mastermind behind FOX's Glee, 9-1-1, and Scream Queens, and has produced a number of series for FX, including American Horror Story and American Crime Story, as well as Pose. In 2018, Murphy signed a $300 million deal with Netflix that resulted in a number of successful shows for the streamer, like The Politician, Ratched, and most recently Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and The Watcher. The latter two are a couple of the most popular series streaming right now.

There are several reasons for Murphy's success, including genre-bending entertainment, kooky characters, and outlandish storytelling that always intrigues. However, many cite his casts and frequent collaborators for tending to elevate the material. Here is a list of some of the most frequent and reliable collaborators who Murphy relies on for his fan-favorite television series.

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Paulson seems to find her way into almost every Ryan Murphy-produced endeavor. She has played a variety of characters on almost every season of American Horror Story, excluding Season 9, 1984. Her roles on the anthology series have ranged from a starring role as Ana Winters in Asylum and Roanoke, to a guest appearance in Murder House. 

She also starred in the hit Netflix show, Ratched, and American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson, for which she won an Emmy for playing lawyer Marcia Clark. In addition, Paulson played supporting roles in Feud: Bette and Joan, and American Crime Story: Impeachment, for which she received yet another Emmy nomination. The actress has collaborated with Murphy since the very beginning, when she played a guest role on Nip/Tuck. 

Evan Peters

Evan Peters is yet another darling of Murphy's. He has starred in nine seasons of American Horror Story, only excluding 1984 and New York City. Like Paulson, Peters' AHS roles have ranged from centerpiece characters like Tate from Murder House, to more experimental seasons like Cult and Apocalypse where the actor has portrayed multiple characters throughout. 

He also acted as a producer for the Double Feature season. In addition to AHS, Peters plays Stan Bowes, a member of the Trump Organization on the FX series, Pose.  Most notably, he plays the titular role in Netflix's Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. 

Darren Criss

Darren Criss has been a Murphy favorite since his Glee performance as Blaine, the a cappella-singing love interest to Chris Colfer's Kurt. He switched things up by following that with The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, where he played the leading role, serial killer Andrew Cunanan. His performance was critically acclaimed and he swept the awards' circuit. He went on to work with Murphy again in Hollywood. In addition, Criss guest starred in an episode of AHS: Hotel.

Jessica Lange

Jessica Lange is yet another favorite. The Oscar winning actress has participated in five seasons of American Horror Story, most notably, Murder House, Coven, Freak Show, and Asylum, and makes a guest appearance in Apocalypse. She also had a starring role in FX's Feud: Bette and Joan, where she played Joan Crawford. In addition, Lange plays the cunning grandmother to Zoey Deutch in The Politician. She is also set to star in another Murphy-led project about Marlene Dietrich for Netflix, so even if she's done with AHS, there is more Lange/Murphy to come. 

Emma Roberts

Nothing says Ryan Murphy like Emma Roberts, who is yet another American Horror Story alum. She participated in five seasons of the FX show, including Coven, Freak Show, Apocalypse, and 1984, while also making a single episode appearance in Cult. In addition, Roberts was the lead in the sorority horror show, Scream Queens, which ran for three seasons. 

Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates is yet another Oscar winner who caught Murphy's eye. The Misery actress starred in five seasons of American Horror Story, including her iconic, bone-chilling character in Coven, for which she won an Emmy, and the fan-favorite evil concierge, Iris, in Hotel. Bates also continued her collaboration by playing Joan Blondell in Feud: Bette and Joan.

Dylan McDermott

Dylan McDermott is another familiar face for Murphy fans. The actor is one of the original stars of American Horror Story, and participated in five seasons, including AHS: Asylum. He is best known for his performance as the father of a problematic family in Murder House, which the season is centered around. He also plays a scandalous gas-station owner in the Murphy-produced Hollywood and makes an appearance in Netflix's The Politician.

Angela Bassett

Angela Bassett is another favorite of the creator's. She is the star of FOX's 9-1-1, where she plays the badass Athena Grant. She has also made an appearance on the spin-off show, 9-1-1: Lone Star. In addition, Basset has been in a grand total of five seasons of American Horror Story. Most notably, in Coven, she portrays a fictionalized version Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans. She reprised the role for Apocalypse. 

Finn Wittrock

Finn Wittrock has found his way into numerous Murphy projects, including five seasons of American Horror Story. He made his AHS debut in Freak Show, where his incredibly disturbed character earned him an Emmy nomination. He has gone on to appear in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and Netflix's Ratched. In addition, he plays a supporting role in the Murphy-directed television film, The Normal Heart. 

Patti LuPone

Nobody loves Broadway like Murphy, so it makes sense that Patti LuPone would be featured in many of his projects. LuPone participated in two seasons of American Horror Story, Coven and NYC, as well as more glamorous roles in Pose and Hollywood. The Broadway legend also makes a cameo appearance in Glee, where she plays herself.  

Matt Bomer

Who doesn't love Matt Bomer? Ryan Murphy sure does. The White Collar star has made a number of appearances in the showrunner's projects, including three seasons of American Horror Story. He had small roles in Freak Show and Stories, and most notably had a major role as Lady Gaga's lover in Hotel. Bomer has a major role in The Normal Heart and Boys in the Band, and makes brief appearances in The New Normal and Glee. He also got behind the camera, directing an episode of American Crime Story: Versace. 

Leslie Grossman

Leslie Grossman has worked with Ryan Murphy since the early days of Nip/Tuck. The actress had minor roles in his short-lived series, Popular, and The New Normal, and additionally starred in five seasons of American Horror Story, and has had leading roles in every season she's been in. She continues to be apart of the show, and was a definite stand out in the Season 11 cast.

Jim Parsons

When Jim Parsons left The Big Bang Theory, he made it a point to work with Ryan Murphy. The actor has had starring roles in films like The Boys in the Band and The Normal Heart, and plays the predatory manager to Rock Hudson in Netflix's Hollywood. The role was something very different for Parsons, but Murphy has a talent for drawing out performances from actors playing against type. 

Billie Lourd

Billie Lourd is another young actress Murphy has taken under his wing. The Star Wars actress started her collaboration with the producer in Scream Queens, where she played one of the killer sorority girls. She subsequently starred in six seasons of American Horror Story, playing a main role in most, including NYC, the most recent season. 

Connie Britton

Before The White Lotus, Connie Britton was a staple in the Ryan Murphy Universe. She is most known for her performance as Vivien Harmon in Murder House, a role she reprised in Apocalypse that landed her an Emmy nomination. She was also a fan favorite in 9-1-1, where she played a 911 operator. In addition, she played Faye Resnick, a friend of Nicole Brown Simpson in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story. 

Lea Michele

Some would say Ryan Murphy made Lea Michele a star when he cast her as Rachel Berry in the musical teen comedy, Glee. She became one of the most recognizable stars from the show, and the role earned her both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. She also dawned a neck brace as an unconventional sorority girl in Scream Queens. 

Clearly Murphy has his favorites, and continues to work with the same reliable, talented actors in order to make his projects as binge-worthy as possible. Other notable collaborators include stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, Frances Conroy, Lily Rabe, Adina Porter, Cheyenne Jackson, Neil Patrick Harris, Jane Lynch, and John Stamos. For more information on where to check out some of these iconic projects from these iconic stars, make sure to check out our Ryan Murphy streaming guide, as well as the 2023 TV premiere dates.

There’s no way of getting around it — we are currently in a banner year when it comes to the 2022 Netflix TV schedule and its slate of original shows. If you look at the Netflix Top 10 on any given day, there will be new arrivals or perennial favorites released by the streaming service sitting atop the list, with other originals usually following not far behind. On Friday, August 19, another show was added to the collection, this time a seven-episode limited series by the name of Echoes.

Anchored by Michelle Monaghan’s dual performance as twins who have long lived a double-life before one goes missing, the Echoes cast is great from top to bottom with some familiar faces and great character actors. If you have watched, or are planning on watching, the psychological thriller series and want to know where you’ve seen the actors before, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s break down the cast and get to the bottom of at least one mystery…

Michelle Monaghan (Leni And Gina) 

Taking on the role of not one, but two characters on Echoes is Michelle Monaghan, who portrays author Gina and horse trainer Leni, whose disappearance is at the center of the limited series’ sprawling narrative.

No stranger when it comes to emotionally and physically-demanding roles, Monaghan has appeared in gripping drama series like True Detective Season 1, the Hulu original, The Path, and Messiah, which premiered on Netflix in 2020. Monaghan is also known for her big-screen work, which includes everything from amazing action movies like Mission Impossible III and her reprising her role in Mission: Impossible - Fallout, black comedies like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and a few dozen other titles of note.

Matt Bomer (Jack Beck) 

Matt Bomer shows up in the Echoes cast as Jack Beck, Leni’s husband whose life is thrown into disarray when his wife mysteriously disappears and becomes the talk of town.

Bomer received a Golden Globe Award in 2015 for his moving performance in the HBO original movie, The Normal Heart, in which he appeared alongside Mark Ruffalo. Over the years, Bomer has also appeared in movies like Magic Mike and its 2015 sequel, The Boys in the Band (reprising his role from the original stage production), and multiple others. His TV work includes everything from high-profile roles on shows like Doom Patrol and White Color to soap operas like All My Children and Guiding Light, and just about everything in between. He has also been a part of several seasons of American Horror Story, last appearing on the American Horror Stories cast in 2021.

Daniel Sunjata (Charlie Davenport) 

Daniel Sunjata, who is no stranger to the small screen, shows up in the Echoes cast as Charlie Davenport, Gina’s husband back home in California.

A fixture of the Rescue Me cast throughout its entire seven-season run, Sunjata has also spent a lot of his career on shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Grey’s Anatomy, Manifest, Power Book II: Ghost, and even Sex and the City. But, Sunjata has also had success on the silver screen, appearing in the Devil Wears Prada cast, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and was even briefly seen in The Dark Knight Rises.

Ali Stroker (Claudia) 

Joining the Echoes cast as Leni and Gina’s tough-as-nails older sister is Ali Stroker, who Netflix subscribers might recognize from her work as Charles-Ann on the final chapter of Ozark.

Outside of the realm of emotionally-taxing Netflix shows, Stroker has also appeared on series like The Glee Project, Faking It, Charmed, Blue Bloods, Only Murders in the Building, and And Just Like That…. Stroker also won a Tony Award in 2019 for her celebrated performance in Oklahoma!, a role that also earned her a Drama Desk Award.

Karen Robinson (Sheriff Louise Floss) 

Taking on the role of Sheriff Louise Floss in the Echoes cast, a tenacious investigator who looks into Leni and Gina’s past in an attempt to get to the bottom of the mystery at hand, is Karen Robinson.

Fans of the Schitt’s Creek cast will certainly remember Robinson as Veronica “Ronnie” Lee in the show’s large ensemble for its entire run. But, Robinson’s body of work doesn’t stop there. Over the years, Robinson has appeared on shows like A Million Little Things, Morning Show Mysteries, Forgive Me, and multiple others. Her film work includes Against the Ropes, Who Killed Atlanta’s Children, Silent War, and Defund to name just a few. On stage, Robinson has given numerous commanding and decorated performances in everything from Riot to Angélique and Doubt to Da KINK in My Hair. 

Michael O’Neill (Victor) 

Michael O’Neill shows up in the Echoes cast as Leni and Gina’s father, Victor, who brings with him decades of experience on the small screen.

Throughout his prolific TV career, O’Neill has given outstanding performances on shows like The West Wing, 24, Boston Public, This Is Us, and Jack Ryan, on which he played the power-hungry Senator Mitchell Chapin during the show’s second season. His film work is just as impressive, with roles in movies like Traffic, Seabiscuit, Dallas Buyers Club, and a couple dozen others.

Jonathan Tucker (Dylan James) 

Rounding out the main portion of the Echoes cast is Jonathan Tucker, who shows up on the new Netflix show as Gina's high school boyfriend, Dylan James.

Tucker has done a little bit of everything since he made his professional acting debut in the 1994 spaghetti western, Troublemakers. This includes moves like Sleepers, The Virgin Suicides, In The Valley of Elah, The Next Three Days, and the 2019 Charlie’s Angels reboot. His TV work includes shows like The Black Donnellys, Kingdom, American Gods, Justified, Snowfall, and Westworld.

Well, hopefully all this helps you make sense of the Echoes cast and where you’ve seen the individual actors in the past. However, this is just a small portion of the cast, as there are multiple other actors who appear on the seven-episode limited series. If you have already finished the psychological thriller and want to know what other shows coming down the road, check out our 2022 TV schedule so you don’t miss a thing.

Stream Echoes on Netflix.

It’s June, which means that it’s Pride Month, so we should celebrate in the best ways and watch movies with some iconic queer roles that deserve all the praise in the world, from classics like Brokeback Mountain to some newer films like Love, Simon. 

But, as I watched many of these, I realized that there are now several queer actors who would play the role just as well, if not better than some of their predecessors. Here are eight LGBTQ+ actors who I believe would be great picks if these movies ever got a remake.

Billy Porter - Frank N’ Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show

I mean, the fits, the style, the sass - Billy Porter would be absolutely perfect as Frank N. Furter if the iconic musical, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, was ever remade. While I do love Tim Curry in the original role, as he’s always had a very spirited acting style and certainly knows how to step into character, I just know that Billy Porter would be fantastic in a part like this. 

Look at Porter on shows such as Pose, where they regularly show off their dance moves and singing ability. Or even them in Cinderella - while they weren’t in the Amazon original movie for very long, there’s no denying that they stole the show with that dress and their awesome song. Porter would absolutely embody this role and become the best Frank N. Furter possible, I’m sure of it. 

Matt Bomer - Jack Twist - Brokeback Mountain 

Brokeback Mountain was a revolutionary film for the movie industry and was a huge stepping stone for queer cinema everywhere. Without movies like Brokeback Mountain, movies such as Love, Simon or even the latest Netflix hit, Heartstopper, would not be around now. 

But, that doesn’t change the fact that the two lead actors in the film weren’t in the LGBTQ+ community themselves. That’s not to say that they weren’t amazing in their roles, as both gave very compelling performances, but I know that if it were to be redone now there are several great queer actors who could portray the cowboys, and in this particular instance, I’m going to focus on Matt Bomer, who would play the heck out of Jack Twist, who was originally played by Jake Gyllenhaal. 

Again, Gyllenhaal is great, and he’s been in so many amazing films, but Bomer has surprised me with his ability as a dramatic actor in the FX drama, American Horror Story, or even the HBO original film, The Normal Heart. He would play a great Jack Twist, for sure. 

Joe Locke - Simon - Love, Simon

Love, Simon was another one of those movies that truly was a stepping stone in queer cinema for modern day films because it was so popular when it released and displayed a very wholesome, LGBTQ+ love story that anyone could enjoy. The film was so beloved that it received its own Hulu original spinoff, Love, Victor, a year later. 

Nick Robinson, who starred as Simon in the film, is not a part of the LGBTQ+ community, but certainly gave a great performance and created a great career from it. However, if the movie was redone now, I think that Heartstopper breakout, Joe Locke, would be absolutely perfect as Simon, as he’s already had that practice as a kid who falls in love with someone at school, and has that charming charisma to boot.  

Laverne Cox - Celie - The Color Purple 

I love Laverne Cox. I also love Whoopi Goldberg. Which is why I think Cox would be perfect to play Celie from The Color Purple if there ever was a remake. 

Whoopi Goldberg is, honestly, irreplaceable as Celie. Her performance was fantastic, and she won an Academy Award for it. There’s no denying that she is perfect as the character. But, we’re taking a look at iconic queer roles and seeing who could play them just as well today, and I do think Laverne Cox has what it takes. 

I’ve watched Cox ever since she first appeared in the Orange is the New Black cast as Sophia Burset, a transgender woman in a minimum-security prison, and God, she has made me cry so many times with her acting. While I love her in comedic roles, like her part in the Inventing Anna cast, there is something about her dramatic takes that just get me, and I have a feeling that she would be an amazing choice for a modern-day Celie.  

Jim Parsons - George Falconer - A Single Man

A Single Man was another great romantic drama with a fantastic cast, lead by Colin Firth, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of George Falconer. And while his role was well done and he truly gave a great performance, I know that there’s a gay actor who could have done just as well - and in my mind, I think that’s Jim Parsons. 

While many know him as comedic, smart, and awkward Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory cast, Parsons has proven time and time again how much of a fantastic dramatic actor he is, from parts in Hidden Figures, to the Netflix film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, or even his starring performance in The Normal Heart. If he wanted a truly dramatic, romantic role, A Single Man would be the best option for him. 

Kiersey Clemons - Megan Bloomfield - But I’m A Cheerleader

Another teen comedy classic. Natasha Lyonne starred as Megan Bloomfield in But I’m A Cheerleader, a story about a teenager who learns that she likes woman more than men, and is sent to a conversion therapy camp. The film is so funny in so many ways, and if it were to be made today, I think Kiersey Clemons would be a good pick for the lead role. 

Kiersey Clemons, who identifies as queer, has already shown her talent in dramatic roles in films like Dope and Hearts Beat Loud, but she’s also shown her comedic acting skills in the movie Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. I think a remake of But I’m A Cheerleader would be the perfect chance for her to combine both of those comedic and dramatic skills and really show her talent off, because she can be extremely funny, just like Lyonne. 

Elliot Page - Brandon Teena - Boys Don’t Cry

Boys Don’t Cry was a biographical film about a real-life trans man, Brandon Teena, who was trying to live his life in Nebraska but falls victim to a hate crime. In the original film, Hilary Swank, a cis woman, portrayed Brandon, and while she was great in the part and won an Academy Award for Best Actress, I do think that this role should go to an amazing trans actor, and I think Elliot Page would be the perfect choice. 

Elliot Page has already shown off his acting ability in many other critically acclaimed films, such as Juno, Inception, and many others, and considering he recently went public with his very personal transition and how much more content he feels in his own body now, I think that playing a role like Brandon in Boys Don’t Cry would be the best role for him to take. 

Jodie Foster - Carol - Carol

Last but not least, we have Carol in the 2015 film, Carol, originally played by Cate Blanchett, who was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. While Blanchett was amazing in as the character, as she is in many of her film roles, there could have been a more appropriate pick for a lesbian love story between an older woman and a young female photographer.

You know who would have played the role perfectly? Jodie Foster, an icon of the '90s. An Academy-Award winning actress who is also a part of the LGBTQ+ community, she would have embodied the role of Carol to perfection and truly shown some incredible talent to boot, at least as much as Cate Blanchett did. 

There are so many incredibly iconic LGBTQ+ rolls out there that I know would be fantastic today as well, and these are just some of my picks for who I think would be just as great. And if you haven’t had the chance to see all these films, be sure to check them out soon. 

After previously offering fans a thematic teaser video that hinted at fan-favorite characters and settings returning, American Horror Stories is finally showcasing itself in full glory with the brand new trailer seen above. Considering we're only a week out from release, it's wild to only now have any clear idea of what the new anthologized spinoff will deliver, but I will 100% sign for that delivery and then some. As cool as it would have been if the trailer was twice as long, there's more than enough to keep fans sated while still leaving them hungry for more.

Right away, the trailer provides further visual proof that at least one American Horror Stories episode will take place in the famed Murder House setting first introduced in Season 1, and then revisited in later seasons. While there's no sign of Dylan McDermott and Connie Britton's Ben and Vivien Harmon, we do see a new batch of characters being harassed by the infamous Rubber Suit...Person. (It's unclear who will be donning that costume this time around, with a female form promoted in the previous teaser.)

Perhaps most importantly for my own tastes, the American Horror Story trailer also features the long-awaited return of the franchise's freakiest little monster, the Infantata! Let him rise again!

Assuming this isn't just stock footage being reused from a previous appearance, the late actor Ben Woolf won't be handling the Infatata performance this time around. But it's still awesome all the same, and I'm hoping it means we'll also see the returns of Matt Ross' Dr. Charles Montgomery and Lily Rabe's Nora Montgomery.

Some familiar faces that DO show up in the trailer include John Carroll Lynch, though seemingly not as either Freak Show's Twisty the Clown or 1984's Mr. Jingles. As well, we see multi-season vets Billie Lourd and Matt Bomer in varying capacities, with one early Lourd moment making it look like there might be some Coven-level magic on the way. And while American Horror Story: Roanoke is arguably the least-appreciated season of the nine released so far, let's all put our hooves together for the return of Piggy Man!

Though he's not an American Horror Story vet, motherfucking Danny Trejo is on board as a murderous Santa Claus, so we might as well start theorizing that his Christmas mascot is connected to the drunken Santa that Ian McShane brought to the table back in Season 2. Here's hoping this means we'll see way more Danny Trejo in this franchise's future, too.

American Horror Stories is set to debut with back-to-back episodes on FX on Hulu on Thursday, July 15, so gather all your best and slimiest S&M gear and hunker down. Those who want something a little less horrifying can surely find something among the other 2021 Summer TV releases.

Let the games begin. Back in 2009, USA Network premiered White Collar, a slick police procedural drama series that quickly turned Matt Bomer into a household name. Also starring Tim DeKay, Willie Garson, Tiffani Thiessen, and Natalie Morales, along with a pre-fame role from Alexandra Daddario, it became one of the most popular shows on the cable station, leading up to its Season 6 conclusion in 2014. Now that several years have passed since Jeff Eastin's well-liked program was on the air, what's the stylish cast behind this cat-and-mouse show doing now? Let's investigate and find out now!

Matt Bomer (Neal Caffrey)

As Neal Caffrey, a renowned con artist who forms an uneasy consultancy with the FBI, Matt Bomer plays the lead character in USA Network's White Collar. He also worked as a producer on the series. Most notably, Bomer is Emmy-nominated for his performance as Felix Turner in The Normal Heart. His other notable TV credits include Will & Grace, American Horror Story: Hotel, Chuck, The Last Tycoon, Guiding Light, and All My Children. He can also be seen in Glee, Titans, and American Horror Story: Freak Show. Away from television, Bomer is best known for his role as Ken in the Magic Mike movies. He can also be seen in In Time, The Magnificent Seven, Winter's Tale, The Nice Guys, Flightplan, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. Additionally, Bomer voice the Man of Steel in Superman: Unbound.

Currently, Matt Bomer stars in Doom Patrol. He was also recently heard in Justice Society: World War II and the Audible series, Hit Job. He also starred in The Boys in the Band and the most recent season of The Sinner. Next, he's expected to appear in the upcoming biopic, The Book of Ruth.

Tim DeKay (Peter Burke)

In the role of Peter Burke, a hard-working FBI agent and the head of Neal's investigative team, Tim DeKay played a primary character in White Collar. He also worked as a director and producer on the show. Outside of this popular series, DeKay played Clayton "Jonesy" Jones in Carnivale. Additionally, he played Steve Benjamin in Here and Now and J.D. Hesby in American Crime. His other notable television credits include Lucifer, Ballers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The New Adventures of Old Christine, Tell Me You Love Me, My Name Is Earl, and Everwood. He can also be seen in Sports Night, Caroline in the City, Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, and Second Chance.

Away from TV, Tim DeKay appeared in Get Smart, The Crow: Salvation, The Chumscrubber, Control (2004), Swordfish, Buddy Boy, Peaceful Warrior, and Randy and the Mob. His other film credits include Sex, Death, and Bowling, Political Disasters, Naked Under Heaven, The Far Side of Jericho, Big Eden, and Welcome to the Neighborhood. Most recently, DeKay was seen in The Expanse. He was also in 68 Whiskey.

Willie Garson (Mozzie)

Playing the part of Mozzie, Neal's friend and a fellow con artist, Willie Garson is a trusted confidant in USA Network's White Collar. He also directed an episode in 2013. An incredibly busy proactive actor with nearly 200 credits to his name, Garson has appeared in a hell of a lot of film and TV over the decades. Most notably, Garson played Stanford Blatch in Sex and the City, along with its film continuations. He also played Gerard Hirsch in Hawaii Five-0 and Martin Lloyd in Stargate SG-1. Currently, he's playing the recurring role of Steve Lomeli in Supergirl. His other notable television credits include John from Cincinnati, Party of Five, NYPD Blue, The Practice, The X-Files, Boy Meets World, Quantum Leap, Mr. Belvedere, Twin Peaks, and CSI: Miami.

Additionally, away from television, Willie Garson can be seen in Freaky Friday (2003), Ruby, Troop Beverly Hills, and Groundhog Day. Most recently, the actor was heard in Big Mouth and seen in Magic Camp, The Bellmen, and an episode of Quarantine. Next, Garson appears in Before I Go and Duke of the Valley.

Tiffani Thiessen (Elizabeth Burke)

As Elizabeth Burke, Peter's supportive and capable wife, Tiffani Thiessen was part of the main cast in White Collar. Most notably, Thiessen played Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills 90210. She also appeared in Netflix's Alexa and Katie. Her other television credits include Fastlane, What About Brian, Good Morning Miami, and Two Guys and a Girl. She also hosted Cooking Channel's Dinner at Tiffani's. The actress also voiced a character in Jake and the Never Land Pirates.

Away from television, Tiffany Thiessen appears in Son in Law, The Ladies Man, Speedway Junky, Love Stinks, From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money, Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth, Hollywood Ending, and Cyborg Soldier. Most recently, the TV actress reprised her role as Kate in Peacock's Saved by the Bell, which she also produced. She's also the host and producer behind MTV's Deliciousness.

Natalie Morales (Lauren Cruz)

In the role of Lauren Cruz, a junior FBI agent who requested a transfer to Peter's team, Natalie Morales plays a lead character in the first season of USA Network's White Collar. Most notably, the actress played Lucy in Parks and Recreation. She also has a recurring role in Netflix's Dead to Me. Her other TV credits include Trophy Wife, Girls, Abby's, Santa Clarita Diet, BoJack Horseman, The Grinder, and 90210. Additionally, away from television, Morales can be seen in Battle of the Sexes, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Stuber, Freeloaders, and Going the Distance. She's also heard in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Most recently, Natalie Morales appeared in Happily, The Little Things, and an episode of Mr. Mayor. The actress can also be heard in Paramount+'s Rugrats. Additionally, Morales directed Hulu's Plan B and wrote, directed, and starred in Language Lessons, which premiered at this year's SXSW. The latter is slated to be released in September. Next, Morales will be seen in I'm Totally Fine. The actress will also star in Sarah Cooper's upcoming CBS series.

Marsha Thomason (Diana Barrigan)

Playing the part of Diana Barrigan, a special agent who assists Peter and Neal on their first case, Marsha Thomason became a main character on White Collar starting in Season 2. Most notably, Thomason played Naomi Dorrit in Lost and Nicole Dechamps in NCIS: Los Angeles. She was also seen in Las Vegas, General Hospital, The Good Doctor, Make It or Break It, Bones, Where the Heart Is, SEAL Team, Men at Work, and Better Things. Away from TV, Thomason is recognized for playing Sara Evers and Elizabeth Henshaw in Disney's The Haunted Mansion. Her other film credits include Black Knight, My Baby's Daddy, Caffeine, Into the Blue 2: The Reef, and Pure.

This past year, Marsha Thomason appeared in Cobra, Twenties, and MacGyver. Most recently, Thomason lent her voice to the newest season of Netflix's Castlevania.

Sharif Atkins (Clinton Jones)

As Clinton Jones, Peter's point man, Sharif Atkins played a contributing character in USA Network's White Collar. Prior to this performance, Atkins was known for his role as Dr. Michael Gallant in ER. He was also a recurring character in Eve. His other notable TV credits include Numb3rs, Criminal Minds, CSI: Miami, The Good Wife, House, Rizzoli & Isles, Lucifer, Shameless, Magnum P.I., The Gifted, and God Friended Me. Additionally, away from television, Atkins can be seen in Guardians of the Galaxy, Light It Up, The Open House, and Preacher's Kid.

Most recently, Sharif Atkins appeared in 9-1-1: Lone Star and Queen of the South. Next, Atkins will be seen in Aftermath and the short film, Brothers Blood. Outside of acting, Atkins recently directed a couple of episodes of Alley Way.

Hilarie Burton (Sara Ellis)

In the role of Sara Ellis, an insurance company investigator with an intriguing back-and-forth correspondence with Neal, Hilarie Burton was a returning face in White Collar. Prior to this USA Network drama series, Burton played Petyon Sawyer for six seasons on One Tree Hill. Additionally, TV fans know the actress for her recurring role as Dr. Lauren Boswell on Grey's Anatomy. Also, Burton was the host of MTV's Total Request Live. Her other TV credits include Lethal Weapon, Castle, Togetherness, Council of Dads, Extant, and Hostages.

Outside of television, Hilarie Burton can be seen in The Secret Life of Bees, Solstice, The List, Growing Up Smith, Bloodworth, and Our Very Own. She also starred in TV movies like Dear Christmas, A Christmas Wish, and The Christmas Contract, which she also produced. Currently, Burton can be seen in The Walking Dead.

Bridget Regan (Rebecca Lowe/Rachel Turner)

Playing the part of Rebecca Lowe, i.e. Rachel Turner, a clever con artist, Bridget Regan is a familiar face on USA Network's White Collar. Away from this series, Regan is best known for playing Rose Salano in Jane the Virgin, Kahlan Amnell in Legend of the Seeker, and Dottie Underwood in Agent Carter. Additionally, the actress played Sasha Cooper in The Last Ship. Her other notable television credits include Beauty & the Beast, Sons of Anarchy, The Good Wife, NCIS: Los Angeles, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, New Amsterdam, and Person of Interest. She was also recently seen in an episode of MacGyver.

Away from television, Bridget Regan can be seen in John Wick, The Leisure Class, Devil's Gate, The Babysitters, Sex and the City, and The Best and the Brightest. She also starred in Christmas Getaway. Most recently, the actress starred in Spectrum Originals' short-lived series, Paradise Lost.

Alexandra Daddario (Kate Moreau)

As Kate Moreau, Neal's missing girlfriend, Alexandra Daddario played a pre-fame recurring role in White Collar. Around this time, Daddario found her breakout role in the Percy Jackson movies. She later starred in The Layover, Texas Chainsaw, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, When We First Met, 1 Night in San Diego, and Lost Girls & Lost Hotels. Additionally, Daddario starred in and produced We Summon the Darkness and Can You Keep a Secret? Her other film credits include San Andreas, Baywatch, Burying the Ex, Hall Pass, The Hottest State, The Babysitters, and Night Hunter. In television, Daddario is most notably known for True Detective. The actress also starred in Why Women Kill and played recurring roles in All My Children, Parenthood, American Horror Story: Hotel, and New Girl.

Most recently, Alexandra Daddario appeared in the latest season of The Girlfriend Experience. The actress also starred in last year's pandemic-themed Songbird. She also lent her voice to Superman: Man of Tomorrow. Next, Daddario will be seen in Die in a Gunfight and HBO's The White Lotus.

White Collar is available to stream on Hulu.

In 1968, playwright Mart Crowley made history with his play The Boys In The Band. A drama that showcased openly gay characters, and one fateful night that they shared together full of drama and heartbreak, it’s been a landmark of theatrical history in the over 50 years since its debut. And now, producer Ryan Murphy is about to revive the beloved play once again, with an all-star cast, in a feature film adaptation for Netflix. Here now, is the first trailer for The Boys in the Band:

As a group of friends gather to celebrate a very special birthday, The Boys in the Band starts to unravel the fabric of the entire group. Revelations and surprises are in order, with one hell of an assortment of actors on deck to bring this classic to life once again. What’s better, the entire cast from the 2018 Broadway revival, including recent Hollywood collaborator Jim Parsons, Doom Patrol’s Matt Bomer, Star Trek’s Zachary Quinto, and Hamilton stage star Andrew Rannells, are reprising their roles under the supervision of their stage director, Joe Mantello.

Equal parts comedy and tragedy, The Boys in the Band forces its characters together to fight out some long standing grudges, as well as resolve some personal issues, in a way that Ryan Murphy fans are pretty familiar with. Maintaining the cast and director from the most recent revival of the show, which Murphy also had a hand in producing, makes for one of those adaptations that takes collaborators familiar with the material and gives them another stage to perform upon.

Of course, since this is a feature film adaptation, there’s bound to be some changes and flourishes that are added to The Boys in the Band’s story for this latest version. But, of course, a fine line will have to be drawn between the new and the old, which is possibly the most exciting piece of this project’s potential. Much like new conversations with an old friend, the cast and director of The Boys in the Band will understand those changes in a different light.

With a Netflix partnership that’s given the world things like the limited series Hollywood, as well as the upcoming feature adaptation of the musical sensation The Prom, Ryan Murphy has been putting his stamp on the streaming service’s library. That relationship looks like it’s going to continue to be particularly rewarding, as The Boys in the Band promises a fantastic expansion of the play its remaking for modern history. The Boys in the Bandwill start dialing up drama on September 30th, only on Netflix.

Doom Patrol is quite a unique superhero show. The DC Universe (and now also HBO Max) series carved out its own space amongst the plethora of comic book adaptations on TV right now and sets itself apart by adhering to its own chaotic list of rules. There are no capes or stereotypical heroic moments, just misfit characters struggling to come to terms with who they are and where they fit in a world that doesn’t seem to want them, such as Matt Bomer's Larry Trainor.

Larry, whose comic moniker "Negative Man" doesn't come up that much on the TV show, is a former pilot and closeted gay man who was in an accident that left him permanently scarred while sharing a body with a seemingly immortal and sentient being. Bomer reveals why it’s been so important to tell the story of a gay superhero in Doom Patrol. Speaking with Digital Spy, Matt Bomer explains why playing Larry is so pertinent, saying:

In Doom Patrol Season 1's flashbacks, Larry was a married man seeing a fellow soldier in secret, refusing to come out publicly for fear that it would ruin his entire career and family life. Season 2 has been about addressing the hurt and healing from the pain of the past.

Larry doesn’t really consider himself a hero. He’s spent the majority of his life hiding his sexuality and alienating people, including his wife and sons. A big part of Larry’s journey has been in finding the courage to accept himself and letting go of the internal guilt and shame, which in turn allows him to be a better friend and partner to his fellow teammates.

Matt Bomer goes on to add that Larry is perhaps “one of the most three-dimensional, fully realized gay characters” he’s ever played on screen. The White Collar vet ultimately believes that Doom Patrol is really all about the “human condition” and it’s evident in the way the characters get to work through all of their traumas and issues, while also strengthening their bonds to each other.

Doom Patrol Season 2 has thus far carried on with the tradition of showcasing elements of Larry’s backstory in flashbacks to the 1950s, while allowing him time to work through the hurt and self-hatred in the present. At least Larry has seemingly stopped fighting the negative spirit inside him and has come to terms with the fact that they’re connected perhaps forever. Larry slow journey learning to love himself and his story of pain, joy, and acceptance is a big part of why playing this character on Doom Patrol is so important for Matt Bomer.

New episodes of Doom Patrol Season 2 drop every Thursday on HBO Max and DC Universe. For more on what to watch in the coming months, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.

Grace is not the only half of television's famous duo to be getting a love interest in Season 2 of the NBC sitcom's revival. Will is getting a love interest too! And it is all happening in a guest star-studded episode of Will & Grace's second season. So, who is playing the lucky man who catches Will's eye? Well, let's just say he is familiar with making magic, although more of the Magic Mike variety than involving a magic wand. Here is what you need to know!

Magic Mike and American Horror Story's Matt Bomer will play Will's new love interest in Season 2, per People. And Bomer's character is described by NBC as a smooth-talker. So, what does he do for work? Bomer's character is a TV news anchor and said to be "self-satisfied" with his job. Sparks will fly between him and Will. The sad news is that given Bomer is slated to "guest star" on the series, it will not be a multi-episode courtship.

Hence Will will not be getting a boyfriend...yet. As Will & Grace fans will recall, David Schwimmer has been cast to play Grace's new boyfriend in Season 2 for what is expected to be a multi-episode arc. When will Will get his multi-episode boyfriend? Fans will have to stay tuned. For now, Will & Grace fans will have to bask in the glory of Matt Bomer's brief stint as Will's love interest on the series.

As teased above, Bomer will be joined by two other guest stars in the episode. Olympic figure skater and Dancing with the Stars champion Adam Rippon will also be dropping in, along with Minnie Driver. Driver will reprise her role as Karen's archrival Lorrain Finster -- a part she already reprised in Season 1.

Will & Grace has not been shy on adding a multitude of guest stars for its upcoming season. Earlier this week, it was announced that Jon Cryer has signed on to star as himself in an episode of the series. Let's get back to Will and his love life though.

Here is hoping that Matt Bomer ends up being such a hit with viewers and the show that he winds up sticking around longer than a single episode. Bomer is no stranger to television, so why not a long-term sitcom role? Nevertheless, when the show decides to cast Will's long-term love interest, we will be all ears.

Will & Grace will return to NBC's fall lineup for the second season of its revival run, October 4 at 9 p.m. ET on NBC. Check out the new shows still set to arrive this summer with CinemaBlend's summer premiere guide. For new television that will premiere alongside Will & Grace this fall, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's fall premieres.

Although Black Panther was recently unseated as the box office king by rival Pacific Rim Uprising, there's another smaller movie that has been doing well with audiences. The romantic flick Love, Simon, has been steadily making money as it tells the coming-out story of teenager Simon Spier. Due to its positive reviews, its message and its story, a lot of celebrities chose to buy out entire showings of Love Simon over the weekend, with celebrities like Neil Patrick Harris, Kristen Bell, Matt Bomer and others all pitching in. Here's what NPH had to say about why he and his husband, David, bought out the film.

On Sunday, Neil Patrick Harris and his husband David Burtka bought out a showing of Love, Simon, in Albuquerque at the AMC Albuquerque 12. Per a message on Instagram, the A Series of Unfortunate Events star explained that tickets were first come, first serve and that you had to be present in order to pick the tickets up.

Kristen Bell took a similar tact, buying out a showing of Love, Simon in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Sunday, at the AMC Southdale 16. She said of her decision to buy out a showing:

Matt Bomer and his husband Simon Halls bought out a screening in Spring, Texas at the AMC Spring 10. Mega producer Greg Berlanti also joined the list of celebrities sharing the movie, buying out screenings on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, he bought out a screening at the Parkway Place Stadium 10 in Flowood, MS. On Sunday, he and his husband Robbie Rogers partnered with LGBTQ groups for a screening in Louisville, Ky.

So far, Love, Simon has made $23 million at the box office. That's less money than Pacific Rim made during its opening weekend, but the small indie flick, which stars Jennifer Garner, Nick Robinson, Josh Duhamel and more, has far less ground to make up. The movie was made on a reported $17 million budget, plus advertising. You can catch it in theaters across the country right now, and if you are still on the fence about whether or not to check out the romance, you can take a look at our full review.

Each year, Ryan Murphy & Co. give television its most bafflingly weird and sinister hour of primetime with American Horror Story. While the seasons have become more interconnected, audiences don't always connect so well with the material, with last year's Hotel seeing its initial ratings success take a nosedive. And so a new season of the show needed a jolt of something new and something fresh. And perhaps something less... mouthless dildo-wielding monster-fications of human vices.

Here is everything that we know so far about American Horror Story Season 6, and the various bits of demented oddities it will deliver to viewers. Don't forget to keep checking back.

When Will American Horror Story Season 6 Air?

It took a while for FX to come forward and reveal American Horror Story Season 6's big premiere date. Although it didn't take a genius researcher to know that the show has debuted in October for the past five years, so that's when we expected to get the new episodes. However, recently FX shocked us by announcing that American Horror Story will premiere on September 14 at 10 p.m. ET.

What Have We Seen So Far From American Horror Story Season 6?

After waiting for what felt like years and years for FX and American Horror Story to deliver on the visual goods, we finally got a trio of teasers that were followed by a billion more teasers, which is just like normal, but in a more compressed time frame. One recent offering plays up how each of the past five seasons plays into the next one, while still not divulging what we can expect from the new season.

As far as other new teasers go that presumably also don't have anything to do with what Season 6 will cover, there's the one below, which should leave a pretty solid taste in everyone's mouths. There has also been a campy throwback teaser that resembles Creature from the Black Lagoon, a couple that make shadows and wind chimes pretty creepy, one with a weird monster walking down some railroad tracks and several more. Now while we wait for more, I'm going to walk around my house drawing question marks next to every numeral 6 I can find. Is it permanent marker or not? There's the mystery.

What Is American Horror Story Season 6 About?

UPDATE: It looks like American Horror Story is taking the reality show/docu-series route with Season 6, as the first episode was partly an episode of the faux show My Roanoke Nightmare, which ties into set photos leaked a while back. More on that here and here.

The original story is below.

It remains to be seen how fresh and new the actual content of American Horror Story Season 6 will be, but everyone involved can be commended for the new approach they're using to usher audiences into the new theme and setting. Basically, they're just letting us all out into the wild without any guiding light to lead us to the real answer.

After a handful of teasers had been released, it was revealed that all but one of the miniature teasers is a fake, and the plan is for no one to know for sure which one is right until the season actually starts. So if you've watched all of the teasers, you've seen what you can expect, unless the REAL theme is from a teaser that hasn't been released yet. Everybody's gotta be difficult.

Early rumors of a Slenderman season were reportedly debunked, though some of the oddball entities in these teasers could stand in for the Internet terror. Ryan Murphy has said in the past that this season will deal with children in some capacity, with operatic themes involved, and that the narrative will incorporate two different ideas he'd had festering for a future season. What those ideas are, we've yet to discover. There was that one teaser with all the blades and things hanging above a baby's crib, which was apparently housing some alien/monster. Is that what's happening here?

Set photos have revealed a setting that hints at a season inspired by the Lost Colony of Roanoke, though nothing official has come out just yet. And it wouldn't be the first time American Horror Story talked about that particular mystery from history. More on that here.

Could this show actually go all the way to the premiere without anything getting spoiled, in a world where Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead would kill for some secrecy? We shall see. Or not see. So far, FX's marketing goals have gone off without a hitch, though.

What Actors Will Be Returning For American Horror Story Season 6?

Everyone knows that Ryan Murphy has an ever-growing stable of actors that he likes to bring to his various projects, and American Horror Story is a primo stage for many of them to return to. Hotel was the first season for which Jessica Lange was absent, and her void was filled by Lady Gaga with a Golden Globe-winning performance. The multi-hyphenate entertainer has confirmed she will be returning for Season 6, although this year is also one in which she will be busy with several other endeavors, so there are no promises on how big her role will be. Or what it will involve.

The first celeb to reveal she'd be making her comeback next season was Angela Bassett, who slipped the announcement into an interview with Larry King. No details are known about her character(s) just yet, of course, but we have to assume that it'll be something insane, since Bassett's roles have been pretty out there over the years.

Having just joined the American Horror Story branch of Team Ryan Murphy, Cheyenne Jackson announced his return to the anthology thriller to Out Magazine. He also revealed that some of the principal photography for the show was underway in secret.

Matt Bomer, a two-season vet at this point, will definitely be coming back for Season 6. The actor made the reveal himself to Enstarz, but he claimed he didn't know what the concept was and thus couldn't share it.

Character actor Leslie Jordan was an eye-popping treat when he showed up for American Horror Story: Coven, and it was a delight to hear that he would also be returning next season, after having not appeared in the past two storylines.

Last year's turn in Hotel got Lady Gaga recognized for her acting skills, and while her music career has been dominating her time for most of 2016, she will make room for a role in some capacity for Season 6. Don't expect her to lead everything, but also don't expect anything relatively normal.

Coming off of the awards-worthy success of The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, actress Sarah Paulson likely could have landed any role she wanted on the small screen. And she wanted back in on American Horror Story. It's unclear, of course, how much she'll play into it, but we're hoping for a crossover with Marcia Clark.

Given how often actors and actresses return for parts both bit and small, with some playing characters from years past, it's more than likely we'll also get to see those who have been there since Season 1, such as Denis O'Hare and Evan Peters, who should just be playing Hotel's Mr. March in every upcoming season, because that guy was a hoot and a holler. Twisty the Clown's John Carroll Lynch returned to play the clownish serial killer John Wayne Gacy last season, so hopefully he'll get another shot at playing something related to a terrifying clown in the next installment.

Unfortunately, Jessica Lange has made it very clear that she will not revisit American Horror Story in the future, saying that era of her career is wrapped. It's a fate that's almost more horrifying than anything we've seen on the show, but we will survive, unlike so many characters.

After first hooking up with Ryan Murphy for The People vs O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story - with fabulous results - Cuba Gooding Jr. apparently thought it was a relationship that needed to continue thriving, as he told ABC News that he will reteam with the creator for Season 6. Asked about details, he could only joke "You'll see a whole lot more of Cuba Gooding Jr. on the series." This will be his first time on the show, and his biggest horror genre role to date.

Jacob Artist is another new actor set to reteam with Ryan Murphy. Artist spent the better part of two seasons as Noah's half-brother Jake Puckerman. He was as solid as can be expected on that show, and one can only assume Murphy is going to put him through the wringer in Season 6. What kind of wringer that'll be, we dunno.

What New Actors Will Be Joining American Horror Story Season 6?

While the handful of American Horror Story vets have been announced, no newcomers have gone public with their involvement. Hotel was a good season for new actors popping in and out of the story, though, so that's a good sign that we might get to see a new generation of AHS performers getting bloody. There was Max Greenfield as a doomed junkie, Naomi Campbell as a doomed hotel guest, Cheyenne Jackson as the Hotel Cortez's new owner, and other actors like Alexandra Daddario and Darren Criss also appeared in more limited spots. I dare not begin to dreamcast new actors, or I'd be here all day.

To help soothe the wounds of a lack of knowledge, here's another one of those teasers.

Where Can I Watch American Horror Story: Hotel And Previous Seasons?

At this point, American Horror Story: Hotel isn't available to stream anywhere, and the Blu-ray set likely won't be released until just before Season 6 airs in October. FX doesn't even have it on the network website anymore.

It's much easier to watch the first four seasons of AHS, thankfully. They're available on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, so at least you get to soak up some Jessica Lange before the latest season hits those streaming services, probably also around October.

If we haven’t put a fine enough point on our feelings for Shane Black’s The Nice Guys, let us remind you that it’s the comedy that more of you should have seen last weekend. Still, there’s no hard feelings between us and those of you who have chosen to miss out on the funniest movie currently running in theaters. In fact, we want to help convince you go give the film a spin in the next couple of days before X-Men: Apocalypse takes over the box office. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 biggest laughs from the Shane Black detective comedy that not only have us still laughing, but also planning at least one more outing to see it again!

Holland March’s Toilet Troubles

Running into the guy that gave you a spiral fracture only a couple of days ago isn’t something that ranks high on our list of preferred experiences. So naturally, Ryan Gosling’s Holland March is more than a bit angry when Russell Crowe’s Jackson Healey shows up to propose a partnership. We don’t know if it was that anger, or just a general sense of clumsiness about the alcoholic detective, but the ensuing problems that March finds himself running into provides one of the best physical comedy moments of this year, if not the past decade or so. It’s also a good reminded of why we outlawed smoking in toilets, besides the whole problem with the smoke and all.

A Misinterpreted Clue

In the third act of The Nice Guys, Holland seems to have interpreted a clue and proven his worth as a detective. It’s the sort of last minute twist you’d expect, leading to a huge break in the case that sends everything down the right path. Of course, knowing that Shane Black is behind this detective comedy, the finale isn’t as open and shut as one would think. Sure enough, the moment our heroes arrive at what they think is an apartment block, they find out that the building they’re looking for is now a pile of rubble. With a sheepish grin, and a sudden realization, our detectives revise their thinking and move on to the location they should have moved on to in the first place.

Blasphemy At The Bowling Alley

While action set-pieces and intriguing detective work are both hallmarks of Shane Black’s finest works, there’s one last component that completes the triangle of trademarks that put a Black film on the map. That piece of the puzzle is snappy dialogue, via one-liners. For instance, there’s a moment where Ryan Gosling’s character ends up losing his cool with a crowd of teenage girls that are attending a birthday party he just happens to be taking his daughter to. So when the birthday girl chastises him for taking the Lord’s name in vain, the response of how it wasn’t in vain, but actually rather useful, is a nice, punchy gag that keeps things on their toes.

Worst Break-In Ever

With any Shane Black detective film, there’s two archetypes that always show up: the smart, detached professional, and the smart-assed dumbass. The Nice Guys is no exception, as Holland March falls so heavily in the latter category that he could make an impression on the sidewalk. Or, in the case of the moment on display, he could punch his fist through a glass window and botch a break-in by getting squeamish at the sight of blood. His overreaction couldn’t be funnier, and it’s a nice prelude to his further injury later in the film – which Holland takes with just as much grace as his relatively minor cuts.

All Of Jackson’s Marriage Jokes

A majority of the funniest gags in The Nice Guys come from the misadventures and total ineptitude of Holland March’s approach to pretty much everything. But that doesn’t mean that Russell Crowe’s Jackson Healey is a humorless drudge. As a matter of fact, some of his funniest moments are when he openly opines on the subject of marriage – which happens to be one of Jackson’s pet peeves in life. His most memorable pearl of wisdom when it comes to marital woes? "Marriage is buying a house for someone you hate." Part noir, part sarcasm, all comedy.

All Of Holland’s Hitler Jokes

Much like Jackson Healey’s running gag throughout The Nice Guys is his issues with his failed marriage, Ryan Gosling’s Holland March has his own recurring subject of humor. Though depending on who you talk to, Jackson especially, the subject of Adolf Hitler may seem like a redundancy when compared to the hell marriage represents the older, more grizzled detective. But that doesn’t stop Holland from doing everything from breaking out into a random speech in German, to making the suggestion that Hitler was just following orders. Let that last one sink in for a moment, and you’ll see why it made us laugh so hard.

Fake Guns, Real Gravity

Rule #1 of Jackson Healey’s "Rules to Be a Proper Detective," is that one should never drink during a case. This is a rule that Holland March never learned, as exhibited during his behavior at the big Hollywood party he and Jackson are canvassing in their search for the missing Amelia. If his biggest mistake was chasing mermaids underwater, in hopes of interviewing them for clues, we might have been able to write this off as his natural clumsiness. But if you’re pretending to be shot by a model’s finger guns, and don’t have the common sense to prevent yourself from taking a swan dive into the ditch below, you probably should switch to coffee for the rest of the night. The bright side? At least Holland found a clue when all was said and done.

The John Boy Shootout At Holland’s Rental

One of the best set-pieces in The Nice Guys was the late in the game shootout between Matt Bomer’s assassin character, John Boy, and our dashing detective heroes in action. If you’ve watched the first Red Band, then you’ve seen the moment where Ryan Gosling accidentally throws his gun out the window of his rental property, which prompts both Russell Crowe and himself to break out into sharp, high pitched profanity. Even after every other effective gag that the movie throws at us before, and after, this moment in the film’s course of events, it’s still one of the most memorable laughs we enjoyed in the theater.

The Future Of The Auto Industry, According To Holland March

Spoiler alert: The Nice Guys central mystery involves a scandal that crosses between the Department of Justice and the Automotive Industry at large. None of the marketing really portrays that, and the film itself springs said mystery as a sort of surprise in the middle of the film. But by time the film ends, and all is said and done, the auto industry is the subject of discussion during the film’s final bar sequence. Which, of course, means it’s time for Holland March to wax poetic, as only he could. His big prediction about the auto industry is that, "In five years, we’ll all be driving small electric cars from Japan. Mark my words."

The Funniest Sequel Bait Ever

Of course, any movie worth its salt, and sporting an open-ended conclusion, has some sort of tag that sets up a possible follow up. In the case of The Nice Guys, the sequel bait is couched in the fact that Jackson Healey and Holland March are now partnered up as a detective team named after the film’s title. This all culminates in a gag that Shane Black loves to deploy in his more recent scripts: a poor facsimile of someone’s likeness that ends up making them look like they’re from another ethnicity. So in the tradition of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang’s "Native American Joe Pesci" and Iron Man 3’s "Hispanic Scott Baio," we’re proud to tell you that The Nice Guys ends with probably the funniest ethnic misattribution of them all: "Filipino Russell Crowe."

There’s trouble in paradise for the upcoming X-Men spinoff Gambit. Yesterday it was reported that Channing Tatum may drop out of playing the eponymous character due to his deal with 20th Century Fox falling apart. Ever since Fox officially confirmed that Tatum would both star in and produce Gambit at the beginning of the year, things had been moving smoothly, from Rupert Wyatt being hired as director, to Tatum learning how to throw cards and practice a New Orleans accent, so this news was quite the surprise. Keep in mind that that Tatum hasn’t officially exited Gambit, but at the time of this writing, things aren't looking good.

For the sake of argument, however, let’s assume Channing Tatum does decide to drop out. Whether Fox keeps their original October 2016 release date or decides to delay it, they will still have to find a replacement to portray Remy LeBeau. With that in mind, these are the five actors we think could to the longtime X-Men character justice on the big screen.

Taylor Kitsch

Wait, hear me out! Despite the negative reviews X-Men Origins: Wolverine received, many fans did like Taylor Kitsch’s performance as the Ragin’ Cajun, who was Wolverine’s adversary-turned-ally. If Tatum does walk, it wouldn’t be unprecedented to turn back to the guy that originally played Gambit. Granted, Kitsch hasn’t had great luck with blockbusters lately, but one thing he has going for him is that people have already gotten a taste of what he has to offer, similar to Ryan Reynolds with Deadpool. Kitsch has already given Tatum his blessing, but I find it hard to believe he wouldn’t at least meet with Fox if they approached him. If hired, all we ask is that he work on making Gambit’s Cajun dialect more pronounced. In his first turn, the accent was subtle to the point it was barely noticeable.

Gaspard Ulliel

I hadn’t heard of Gaspard Ulliel until I saw him suggested in the comments section of one of our articles, but after doing some research, I agree that he would be an excellent choice. As you may have been able to guess from his name, Ulliel is French, which means it would be easier for him to replicate Gambit’s trademark accent. Combined with his uncanny resemblance to the mutant, if you give this guy a trench coat, headpiece, and a deck of cards, you would be guaranteed a great Gambit. Seriously, it’ll be like he jumped straight from the comic book pages to the big screen. Having primarily acted in French productions, Ulliel’s only major American role so far has been playing the young Hannibal Lecter in 2007’s Hannibal Rising, so if he was cast as Gambit, the film would no doubt raise his profile in the United States.

Jared Padalecki

Like Ulliel, Jared Padalecki looks almost just like Remy LeBeau in the cmics, so he has that going for him. He also has experience in the realm of fantasy and heavy mythology playing Sam Winchester in the CW series Supernatural, and he’s gotten to show off cool fighting moves in several episodes. It also helps that Padalecki has that built-in fanbase, which will no doubt get many Supernatural fans into those theater seats to see Gambit. The only problem is that Supernatural’s eleventh season will likely still be filming when Gambit begins shooting in October or November. So if Padalecki was cast as the lead, the film’s release date would have to be delayed so that production could work with Padalecki's schedule, presumably around December or January 2016 at the earliest. If his audition blows Wyatt and the other bigwigs away, though, they may be fine with that.

Matt Bomer

Matt Bomer’s looks may not remind you of Gambit, but he does have experience playing a lovable rogue. On the USA series White Collar, his character Neal Caffrey was a con man/thief that was forcibly recruited by the FBI to serve as a consultant. Comic book fans know that Gambit has a similar history of operating outside the law as a thief and card shark before his time with the X-Men. Bomber’s experience playing this type of character would be invaluable, and starring in Gambit would boost his slowly increasing fame even higher. All he needs to do is grow out his hair and nail down Gambit’s accent. Bomer has already turned down playing Superman for Warner Bros, but if Fox does a good job pitching Gambit to him, this might the perfect opportunity for the actor to jump into the world of superheroes.

Alexander Skarsgård

Alexander Skarsgård’s time as Eric Northman on HBO’s True Blood is the best example of why he’d be a good fit for Gambit. Northman was a complicated, dark figure that was still a fan favorite, which lines up with Gambit’s background in the comics: sometimes he’s a hero, but occasionally he’s veered into villainy and you can count on him being a great anti-hero. Oh, and of course like the other candidates on this list, he looks quite similar to the Ragin’ Cajun. If this film ends up being set in the present and has close ties with the main X-Men movies, the bonus to using Skarsgård as Gambit would be if Rogue were included in the film. That way we could see the actor reunite with his True Blood costar Anna Paquin, though there might not anything romantic in the cards (pun intended) if Rogue is still with Iceman.

The annals of movie history are littered with could-have-beens. Just do a quick Google search for famous roles that made icons out of actors that almost went to someone else. Tom Selleck almost played Indiana Jones, for example. Superhero movies seem to have even more of these stories than any other subgenre, and though he’s already been played by numerous men over the years, Magic Mike XXL’s Matt Bomer was almost Superman.

Talking to the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Bomer revealed that when he was 23-years-old he was part of a big, open audition for a Brett Ratner-directed adaptation of Superman, and that he almost walked away with the role of a lifetime. He said:

While it could have been fun to see Bomer as Kal-El, this would have been an interesting take on the Last Son of Krypton for other reasons, especially in light of the current incarnation of the character and the larger DC Comics universe, which is decidedly dark and grim in tone. Ratner’s Superman had a script written by a guy you may have heard of, J.J. Abrams, and according to reports it was a "lighthearted" look at the character when he was in college. You didn’t think Clark Kent got hired on at a major metropolitan newspaper like The Daily Planet without any credentials or education, did you?

Another interesting tidbit about this potential Superman that we never saw is that is actually has at least one connection to Zack Snyder’s 2013 Man of Steel. Amy Adams, who plays Lois Lane in that film, was up for a role in Ratner’s project and even read with Bomer while he was wearing the iconic red and blue tights. Whether she was up for the same role both times is unclear, but it’s still a funny story.

For his part, it doesn’t sound like Bomer has any lingering feelings of disappointment. He continued:

He has a point. When you play a character like Superman, no matter what else you do, you’re always going to be linked to that role. While it can be fine, like in Christopher Reeves’ case, it didn’t work out too well for Brandon Routh, who played the character in Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns and is still trying to distance himself from that movie almost a decade later.

And this way Matt Bomer gets to join a pseudo illustrious club of almost-Supermen. Nicolas Cage almost played the role in Tim Burton’s ill-fated Superman Lives in the 1990s, and both Jude Law and Ashton Kutcher almost played the part as well at various times.

Still, while you have to wonder what almost was, you can check out Bomer in Magic Mike XXL in theaters now, and you can see the latest Superman, Henry Cavill, when he tussles with the Caped Crusader next year in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

After the abominations and abnormalities that made up American Horror Story: Freak Show, fans are getting ready for something a bit more posh and polished. Our new home away from home will be an extended stay at American Horror Story: Hotel, which has pretty much completed its major casting and is currently in production. And though we probably won’t be seeing Jessica Lange back in Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s universe (any time soon, at least), we’re going to keep an updated list of everyone and everything checking in to the Hotel later this year.

When Will It Air?

FX will let audiences into the Hotel starting on Wednesday, October 7. As with the other seasons, this premiere date will give the show a few weeks of episodes before getting into Halloween mode. We can't wait to see what'll happen on the scariest night of the year.

What American Horror Story Actors Will Be Returning?

Sarah Paulson

Who She’ll Be Playing: Hypodermic Sally

Sarah Paulson is no stranger to the world of American Horror Story, having played pivotal roles in all four of the previous seasons. She’s played a psychic, an investigative reporter-turned-asylum inmate, a sometimes-blind witch and set of conjoined twins. And now she'll be playing “the baddest bad girl of them all,” according to Ryan Murphy. Her character Sally will be a permanent resident at the Hotel, and she's got a huge rivalry going with Kathy Bates' Iris, and the reason behind it will reportedly be explained early on. As well, she's a dark relationship forming with Wes Bentley's character. Perhaps most surprisingly, it's been rumored that she might not live through the season for the first time ever.

Matt Bomer

Who He’ll Be Playing: Donovan

Having worked on Glee and The Normal Heart in the past, Matt Bomer joined the American Horror Story family last season for a small role as a doomed male prostitute that Michael Chiklis’ character was in love with. As Donovan, Bomer will have interesting connections with the women inside the hotel, particularly Lady Gaga's Elizabeth, who drops him romantically for Finn Wittrock's Tristan. He's also got something strange happening with his mother, Bates' Iris, which we can probably assume is darker than a normal family relationship.

Kathy Bates

Who She’ll Be Playing: Iris

Back for her third run at American Horror Story, Kathy Bates went from playing the racist (sometimes decapitated) murderer Madame LaLaurie in Coven to a bearded drunkard in Freak Show. This time around, the Oscar-winning actress will be running the hotel as Iris, and she's got a major feud with Sarah Paulson's Sally going, as well as something weird happening with her son, Bomer's Donovan. She also does crossword puzzles in her spare time. Dangerous!

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Wes Bentley

Who He’ll Be Playing: John Lowe

It’s hard to hold the title of “Weirdest American Horror Story Character,” as it’s a list that knows no bounds, but The Hunger Games' Wes Bentley holds that position for his work as Freak Show’s Halloween boogeyman Edward Mordrake, a top hat-donning ghoul who listened to an evil face on the back of his head. Here, he'll be slightly more normal as Detective John Lowe, who is investigating a series of horrific murders, which leads him and his wife to the hotel.

Chloë Sevigny

Who She’ll Be Playing: Alex Lowe

Indie drama queen Chloë Sevigny took on one of the more memorably disgusting characters in the American Horror Story universe, as she played Shelley, the mutated Asylum experiment of Nazi mad scientist Dr. Arden. The actress, who will hopefully get to keep both her legs on this time, is playing Alex, a mother and doctor, as well as the wife of Wes Bentley's John. The couple is dealing with a major loss and they'll be coping with that as all hell breaks loose inside the hotel.

Evan Peters

Who He’ll Be Playing: Mr. March

Evan Peters has been a part of the American Horror Story family for all four previous seasons, with his characters often tied to the weirdest points of the show, such as the school shooter-turned-ghost, the alien-minded inmate, the Franken-lover and the claw-handed carnie. According to Murphy, Peters will "be waiting for you in Room 64." If that's anything like Room 237, we're in for a treat.

Angela Bassett

Who She’ll Be Playing: Ramona Royale

Angela Bassett made a big outlandish-accent splash when she joined American Horror Story: Coven as the voodoo queen Marie Laveau, and then experienced some bodily changes when she joined the cast of Freak Show. When it comes to Hotel, she'll play the sexy Ramona Royale, who is a famous actress who goes over the top but never belittles herself to land a part, despite that often being asked of her. She isn't a hotel resident, but she travels there often, and a lot of it has to do with her romantic relationship with Lady Gaga's Elizabeth.

Finn Wittrock

Who He'll Be Playing: Tristan Duffy

Finn Wittrock and Ryan Murphy not only worked together on American Horror Story: Freak Show, in which the actor played the murderous momma's boy Dandy Mott, but also on the acclaimed HBO movie Normal Heart. This time out, he'll be playing a male model who becomes Elizabeth's new love interest. And his constant search for the next great high has a lot to do with her and may also involve hurting other people. Like maybe Matt Bomer's character.

Denis O'Hare

Who He'll Be Playing: Liz Taylor

Denis O'Hare always plays interesting weirdos in the American Horror Story universe, from a burn victim to a mute butler to a con artist with a strange penis. So of course he's turning it up to 11 for Hotel, and he shaved parts of his body to play Liz Taylor, a hotel bar entertainer who is obsessed with the classic actress and assumes that he is her. He works in the Blue Parrot Lounge.

Lily Rabe

Who She'll Be Playing: Aileen Wuornos

Lily Rabe is another one of Ryan Murphy's regulars who has shown up each season, first as the mother of a monster and then as a devlish nun and then as a Stevie Nicks-loving witch. (She reprised her Sister Mary Eunice role in Freak Show for a flashback scene.) This season, she'll pop in for a major part of the Halloween episode as the infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos, whose story was brought to the big screen in the acclaimed 2003 drama Monster. That's going to be amazing, I bet.

Mare Winningham

Who She'll Be Playing: Unknown

Mare Winningham will make her third appearance on American Horror Story this season, having previously played the awful sister of Pepper in Freak Show and the incestuous mother of Evan Peters' Kyle in Coven. Her character doesn't have a whole lot of information, but we know she'll be playing a laundress this season, and that she'll be working closely with Peters' Mr. March.

What New Actors are Joining American Horror Story?

Lady Gaga

Who She’ll Be Playing: Elizabeth

The first Hotel cast member announced, the Grammy Award-winning pop musician Lady Gaga is perhaps the most intriguing addition to Ryan Murphy’s acting stable. She'll play the owner of the hotel, Elizabeth, who is as rich as she is social, and she loves art and fashion. Elizabeth has a dastardly plan that she sets in motion in the first episode that plays out over the course of the season.

Cheyenne Jackson

Who He’ll Be Playing: Will Drake

Cheyenne Jackson is another new face we’ll be seeing this season, though he's worked with Murphy in the past on a few episodes of Glee in Season 2. Here, you'll get to see the 30 Rock star as a fashion icon (and desperate father) named Will Drake who is trying to give his career a new push by moving from New York to Los Angeles. His arrogance and other harsh behavior does not make him a favored guest at the hotel, and he makes enemies quickly.

Max Greenfield

Who He’ll Be Playing: Unknown

Another all new face to the Ryan Murphy crew, Max Greenfield has spent his career mostly playing comedic roles, most notably as New Girl's Schmidt. But we can expect something completely different from his role as an addict in Hotel, as the actor reportedly dropped a ton of weight and switched up his hairstyle to look the part. His story arc intersects with Sarah Paulson's Sally, and Ryan Murphy says that he's at the center of the series' "most disturbing scene" yet. Can't wait for that.

Naomi Campbell

Who She'll Be Playing: Unknown

After making a splash on Empire last season, model and actress Naomi Campbell is diving into even more sensational waters by joining American Horror Story: Hotel. Her character is set up for a multi-episode arc here, and she'll play a fashion editor whose critiques on certain someones will cause her to pay the ultimate price. She'll be involved closely with Gaga's Elizabeth and Bassett's Ramona.

Darren Criss

Who He'll Be Playing: Justin

Darren Criss knows what it's like to work with Ryan Murphy, having spent years on Glee as Blaine, but sometimes tells me this will be a slightly different use of his talents. Criss' Justin will be a prominent part of the Halloween festivities, and he'll play a Silver Lake hipster who spends the night at the hotel with his girlfriend to stay away from trick-or-treaters. But Kathy Bates' Iris gets vehemently annoyed after the couple demands too much from room service, and...well they'll probably be getting more tricks than treats by check-out time.

Mädchen Amick

Who She'll Be Playing: Unknown

Last seen as Wendy Beauchamp on Witches of East End, actress Mädchen Amick is set to play a character with a tragic-sounding storyline in Hotel. Details are pretty scarce, but she'll play a mother of a boy who gets some kind of sickness, and Sevigny's Alex Lowe will play the doctor taking care of him. I can't imagine it ends well for anyone involved.

What Footage Have We Seen So Far?

At this point, we've seen the first teaser for the Lady Gaga casting announcement, which was released back in February, around a month after American Horror Story: Freak Show ended. At the time, we also learned about the Hotel subtitle. It's not much to go off of, but you can check it out, below.

Then there's this Gaga-related teaser that should ring your bell.

Knowing how FX shows work, particularly American Horror Story, we'll probably get a couple dozen atmospheric, 15-second clips that don't actually have anything to do with what happens on the show, with actual footage arriving at some point next month. Stay tuned for an actual trailer.

What Else You Need To Know

While the past few seasons of American Horror Story have relied as much on bizarre oddities as they have on actual horror in the strictest sense of the word, Ryan Murphy claims that Hotel will take things back to the genre's roots. Here's how he put it to TV Guide.

As well, even though Jessica Lange isn't currently involved this season - a first for the show - there is still a slight chance that the Emmy-winning actress could pop up later in the season. She made it clear that she would be interested in taking on a multi-episode arc that wouldn't take up as much of her time as a lead role, and Murphy has also expressed interest in getting her back on the show.

By its very nature, there’s almost nothing beautiful about American Horror Story: Freak Show, but tonight’s episode was especially ugly. I’m having trouble convincing myself that it was enjoyable at all, or that it was more than just a series of repulsive incidents strung together by violence and hidden intentions. I’ll just have to keep telling myself, “At least there was no Edward Mordrake. At least there was no Edward Mordrake.”

Clown Killer 2.0

Let’s start with the most hideous story here: Dandy Mott gains confidence and another victim. His mom finds Housekeeper Patti LaBelle murdered on the floor, because Dandy doesn’t have the good sense to clean up after himself. (Although he later claims cleanliness and evidence-hiding are two of his motivations, the moron.) For whatever reason, he’s allowed to self-narrate his story, which involves working out a bunch and studying to become an amazing actor. But not to be in the movies, exactly. He just wants to be able to persuade people in real life.

To find his first victim as a solo hunter, he heads to a male prostitute-filled gay strip club, where he runs into strongman Dell, who is apparently a big old veiny ball of repression. Dell’s would-be boyfriend Andy, played by White Collar’s Matt Bomer, inexplicably heads off into the woods with Dandy to Twisty’s old headquarters. After the lamest game of 1-2-3 Redlight ever, Dandy proceeds to stab Andy…repeatedly…because he just won’t die. I’m not sure if Dandy’s confusion over Andy’s surprising survival was supposed to be funny, but his vicious skewering definitely didn’t arouse any chuckles.

Andy’s disappearance will certainly make waves in Dell’s mind, and Dandy is already going to be in trouble once Housekeeper Patti LaBelle’s daughter Regina (Gabourey Sidibe) shows up. She called and talked to the insufferable Gloria Mott, who lies and then awkwardly attempts to find some kind of solace for her terrible mothering in the past. I fucking hate this family. I never (ever ever ever) thought that I’d find a character I’d dislike more than Dylan McDermott’s pair of dimbulbs from seasons 1 and 2, but a changing of the guard may be in order.

100% Woman

What’s nearly worse than Dandy being proud of himself? Jimmy trying to finger Desiree and causing a miscarriage instead. (Vomits into a cup with a top hat on it.) But hey, at least it got her to a proper doctor, who tells her that she isn’t a hermaphrodite at all; she’s just got an enlarged clitoris (which can be surgically altered) and an abundance of estrogen. And while this particular attempt at having a child was unsuccessful, she can now try again.

But not with Dell. Desiree and Ethel have some girl talk at some point and Ethel clues her in on Dell being Jimmy’s father, and that Dell’s father also had lobster hands. The doctor’s own hands are now useless after Dell makes some severe threats, but it’s not even clear why Dell cares. He’s gay, and while he doesn’t want anyone to know about it, that doesn’t necessarily mean that he must force Desiree to keep her micro-penis. Maybe he just wants her to stay uncomfortable with herself in that way, but there are other surgeons out there…

”Dot. Cupcaaaaake.”

Denis O’Hare’s Stanley is also gay, which could play out in some interesting ways depending on how he approaches certain people. But his main goal is making money, and it’s kind of ridiculous how much dough he’s spending just to try and get the Cabinet of Curiosities crew dead and on museum display. If his daydreams are to clue us in on anything, he first wants Paul the Illustrated Seal and conjoined twins Dot and Bette.

He’s trying to sway Elsa and the twins by telling them he works for a TV network and that he wants to give them both shows. Though Else at first would “rather be boiled in oil than be on TV,” she comes around to it after her musical performance turns the full audience against her. But first, she has to do something with Dot and Bette, like sell them off to Gloria (presumably), whose house Elsa arrives at for the episode’s ending. What’ll happen there?

While Stanley’s fantasy about Dot and Bette was also morbidly awful, I admittedly enjoyed it specifically for how messed up it was. Seeing Dot in horrified pain next to her dead and discolored sister was a far more successful disturbance than I’d have expected. Ew.

Even after saying all that, it still doesn’t feel like anything actually happened in this episode. Dandy got weirder, Dell got gayer, Desiree got bloodier and Jimmy whined about Meep some more. I knew killing Twisty off was going to cause some narrative problems; I just can’t tell if this episode proves that, or if this was how things were already going anyway. Oh well. Next week on American Horror Story: Freak Show: more inbreeding talk, probably.

R.I.P. Matt Bomer. We hardly knew your striped shirt.

Other Thoughts Floating Beneath the Big Top

I don’t give a flying fuck about Emma Roberts’ character, nor how she feels about killing any of these people, NOR how she feels about old juggling Jimmy and his aw-shucks stage fright. She’s obviously warming up to him, which I hope means she’s sorely disappointed by something later on.

So if Desiree is all woman, why does she only have her period a few times a year? That’s almost a genuine question, but I’m afraid of the answer.

Were there any baseball players named Derek in the first decade of the 1900s?

Why did that strip club have a Wanted poster of a Clip Art clown face? Just…why?

“I will be the U.S. Steel of murder.” Okay, so I hate the guy, but that line was fucking awesome.

Michael Chiklis’ “There are no other guys but me!” speech is awwwwful.

I don’t get why Matt Bomer’s character was described as “warped” when he joined the cast. So a male prostitute artist who is somewhat immune to getting stabbed is considered “warped” now? Well…I guess I can’t fight that.

I’m kind of hoping Andy is still alive next week though. Maybe his “freakness" is having a body made out of burlap.

Bryan Ferry in the strip club? Really? I’d thought that only the freak show performances hit upon more modern music but I guess I was wrong. “Fame” doesn’t count.

“She’s angling for something.”

“Who cares? I’d love a new hat.”

How strange that Elsa sings “Life on Mars” again, and that it starts off very much like it did in the first episode. That first performance, which similarly troubled Elsa, was also mocked by Dandy and Gloria, so what was the point in mirroring it here?

I hope they start selling Elsa’s elaborate mirror set in stores with her face in all the mirrors. That shit was banging.

Would anyone go watch a musical act named The Nanny-Biting Dandy Band?

“Mother said she was high yellow.”

Hurry up, Sister Mary Eunice! You’re needed here.

When a popular book is about to become a movie, invested fans want to see the absolute most perfect actors cast in the roles of their favorite characters. So it's no surprise that fans would be particularly vocal about the recent casting news for the feature adaptation of E.L. James' Fifty Shades of Grey. The books have continued to grow in popularity since the first one was published in 2011, and with the movie on the way, fans are eager to see the story brought to life on the big screen. But many of those fans aren't so thrilled with the casting choices for lead characters Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. Ben and Kate's Dakota Johnson has signed on to play Ana, while Sons of Anarchy's Charlie Hunnam will play the wealthy businessman Christian.

Fifty Shades fans have taken to the internet to complain about the casting of these two actors, even going as far as to start a petition (Via CBS News) filled with lots of caps locked words demanding White Collar's Matt Bomer and Gilmore Girls' Alexis Bledel play the leads.

The petition hit the 2,000 signature mark on September 2, the day the casting news broke, and has since increased to almost twenty-thousand signatures. But will it make a difference? It seems unlikely. And to reinforce that theory, we have these tweets from producer Dana Brunetti:

Brunetti makes valid points. As much as fans want to dream-cast their most anticipated movies, when it comes down to it, actors are people with schedules and their own preferences for what roles they're willing and interested to play.

In terms of the preference for Bomer and Bledel, I'll admit, on looks, they would make a very pretty couple and it's not hard to picture them in the lead roles. With that said, even if they were available and interested in playing the roles -- I've seen no confirmation on that for either actor -- we don't even know if they would have had the screen chemistry with one another to pull it off. While readers may have an easy time picturing their faces in the the roles of Christian and Ana, there's no way to know if they'd actually click on screen, and it seems like that should be as high a priority as their looks are, if not higher, given the nature of the story.

It's been reported that Hunnam and Johnson did a "chemistry" test so they could confirm that the two worked well together on screen. With that in mind, it seems evident that the producers are looking to capture the same chemistry and romance that gelled in the book. We'll find out if they're right when the film hits theaters August 1, 2014.

Space: the final frontier. In film this setting has been most often used to explore imagined versions of mankind's future for better or worse. But in the directorial debut of playwright and acting coach turned filmmaker Jack Plotnick, space—or more specifically a space station—is the setting he's chosen to explore the isolation and malaise of suburban life in the 1970s.

Space Station 76, which claims to be like The Ice Storm in space with a Ricky Gervais brand of uncomfortable comedy, is set in a version of the future that has a familiar '70s aesthetic, and Plotnick told THR:

The script was based on a play Plotnick co-wrote with some fellow actors. As a first-time filmmaker, Plotnick's budget for the film was low; however, he called on his connections from years of theater and acting coaching to wrangle a pretty solid cast that includes Liv Tyler, Matt Bomer, Patrick Wilson, Marisa Coughlan, Jerry O’Connell, Kali Rocha and newcomer Kylie Rogers.

Tyler, who has downloaded numerous tutorials and purchased books from Plotnick's website, stars as a newly appointed assistant captain on the space station whose arrival sparks conflict among the crew. Wilson plays the captain who is described as both bitter and suicidal. Bomer portrays a technician with a robotic hand, while Coughlan has the role of his manipulative wife. Presumably the rest play other crew members (human or robot), but details on their roles have not been revealed.

The film recently wrapped in Los Angeles after an under-the-radar 20-day shoot. (This means while Wilson was winning fans at Comic Con promoting The Conjuring, he was slyly hiding his latest spacey role.) There's no word yet on when Space Station 76 might land in theaters, but you can check out more about the film on its trippy website. Seriously, scope out this site. It's so strange it defies description.

Dazzling audiences as the clean-cut looking, coke-addicted stripper of Magic Mike's insanely fit ensemble, Matt Bomer, the star of TV's White Collar, had an incredible summer. Despite having a relatively minor role in the breakout indie hit, Bomer drew plenty of notice among moviegoers, many of whom promptly took to the web to throw his name onto the growing wish list of handsome leading men who should be considered for the role of Christian Grey, the domineering dreamboat at the center of the hotly anticipated Fifty Shades of Grey adaptation. For now that part is fantasy, but Bomer has just secured a film role that should prove interesting.

Deadline reports that Bomer has joined the cast of Winter's Tale along with Lucy Griffiths - who recently played Alexander Skarsgård's twisted vampire sister on True Blood - and Golden Age actress Eva Marie Saint. The romance, which will mark Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman's directorial debut, is based on Mark Helprin's fantasy novel that splits it story of star-crossed lovers between 19th century and present-day Manhattan.

Colin Farrell stars as Peter Lake, an uneducated, middle-aged Irish burglar who meets the love of his life, sickly heiress Beverly Penn, while attempting to rob her palatial mansion in the Upper West Side. Jessica Brown Findlay of Downton Abbey will play his invalid lover, but in a curious move, Bomer and Griffiths have been cast to play Peter's parents. More curious still is that the producers refuse to reveal what role Saint will play so as to not reveal plot spoilers (but do feel free to speculate in the comments section).

Having not read the novel, there are elements of this narrative that perplex me at this point, like casting such young actors to play the parents of 36-year-old Farrell and the promised involvement of a magical white horse. Nonetheless, having penned a long list of adaptations—from The Client to A Beautiful Mind and I am Legend—Goldman has shown a talent for translating books into engaging features. And hard as he has had to fight to get this movie made I have to imagine he has a strong vision for for the project.

Winter's Tale will go into production in Manhattan on October 27th.

Last night, one of the contestants on The Voice covered Gotye’s “Somebody I Used To Know,” and I can’t say that I loved the altered arrangement. Glee seems to be taking a better approach in not tampering all that much with that aspect of the single, which is currently at #2 on iTunes. The song will be featured in next Tuesday night’s episode of the Fox musical dramedy, which also happens to feature a guest appearance by the musically talented Matt Bomer (White Collar).

Spoilers ahead...

The Hollywood Reporter shared the video below, which features Glee star Darren Criss and guest star Matt Bomer singing Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.” Is it better than the original? I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s a great performance, and both guys sound pretty fantastic.

Bomer is set to play Criss’ character Blaine’s brother. Clearly, they don’t have the happiest history. I like how the song seems to tie into that. It’s going to be very interesting to see their dynamic explored further in the episode fittingly titled “Big Brother.”

Glee returns on April 10 at 8:00 p.m. on Fox.

As April inches closer, so too does the return of Glee. While fans are likely eager to see where things pick up after the big pre-hiatus cliffhanger, we also have a guest appearance by Matt Bomer to look forward to. The dreamy White Collar star is set to grace Glee with his presence on April 10 when the series returns. Get an early look at him in this preview. (Spoilers ahead!)

In case you hadn’t heard, Matt Bomer is set to appear on Glee next month, playing the older brother to Blaine. We get a glimpse of him in all his posing-glory in the video below. Also teased is the approaching graduation, and all the “lasts” in store for the New Directions seniors...

Well, we may have a general idea of where Blaine gets his star-quality. Bomer sure does know how to turn into a pose. The Blue Steel wide-eyed look’s a bit unnerving though. He might want to dial that one down. I don’t think we’re ready for Magnum just yet.

Glee returns April 10 on Fox.

As if the cast of Glee weren’t already good looking enough, it’s about to get even prettier as White Collar’s Matt Bomer is set to guest-star in an episode. Spoilers about the role he’s playing ahead!

TV Line shared the news, stating that Bomer, who plays the crafty Neal Caffrey in USA’s White Collar, will appear in an April episode of Glee. He’s set to play the big brother to Darren Criss' Blaine. As TV Line notes, not only will this give us an opportunity to get to know Blaine a bit better by meeting someone else from his family, but it’ll also show off Bomer’s vocal abilities. Yes, he’s going to sing!

Given how well Blaine can sing, the bar is set high for Bomer. Fortunately, that shouldn’t be a huge challenge for the actor, who demonstrated his singing abilities at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2010. Watch the clip below if you need further convincing and keep an eye out for Bomer’s appearance on the series in a couple of months.

Coming sooner, we have the Michael Jackson tribute episode, which airs next Tuesday, to look forward to.

Glee creator Ryan Murphy has been rumored to be pursuing several film projects of late. Beyond talk that he's hoping to helm the adaptation of the Broadway sensation Wicked, which once starred Glee guest stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, there are reports Murphy is Sony's pick to direct the Willow Smith-fronted Annie remake, and that Fox wants the king of Auto-tune and iTunes hits to remake The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Yet it's looking more and more like Murphy's directorial follow-up to his feel-good chick-flick Eat Pray Love will be his adaptation of the Tony Award-winning play The Normal Heart.

It was last August that Murphy purchased the rights to the autobiographical drama about one man's experiences during the emergence of AIDS/HIV in 1980s New York. The first name to sign on was The Kids are All Right star Mark Ruffalo. But now THR reveals that Murphy's Eat Pray Love leading lady Julia Roberts has signed on to the project along with Alec Baldwin, who had a memorable supporting turn in Murphy's first feature, Running With Scissors. TV stars Matt Bomer (White Collar) and Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) have also joined the cast. And though Murphy penned the screenplay inspired by Augusten Burroughs memoir Running With Scissors, the script for The Normal Heart was penned by its playwright Larry Kramer.

While Ruffalo will lead the narrative, playing Ned Weeks, a gay-rights advocate who is the first to draw notice to the disease that was initially misnamed "gay cancer" or GRID (Gay-related immune deficiency), Roberts will portray Dr. Emma Brookner, one of the few medical professionals who first realized the severity of the virus. Baldwin will play Ruffalo's older brother, a lawyer conflicted about his sibling's sexuality, and Bomer is set to portay Felix Turner, Week's beau who is ultimately brought low by the disease. Parsons is the only member of the Broadway cast so far who is set to reprise his role, in this instance as a gay right's activist from the South.

There's no word yet on when The Normal Heart will go into production.

One of the most special moments from this year's Comic-Con happened when Zach Levi took the stage to thank all the fans for their support. Sure, the man is a good actor but the teary-eyed thank yous and farewells, this being the show's last season and, therefore, the cast's last trip to SDCC, were utterly believable and totally heartfelt. As an even bigger thank you to Chuck fans, they are lining up some superb guest spots for the fifth and final season of the NBC spy comedy. This time they're bringing in the other star of FX' White Collar to help clarify our leading lady's past.

That's right, we already had recurring guest appearances from one White Collar star with Matt Bomer appearing as as Chuck's former roommate and Sarah's former lover/partner Bryce in seven episodes over the first few seasons. Now EW reports that Bomer's partner in crime from their FX series, Tim Dekay, is also making the trip over to NBC's Chuck for a guest role. Most of the details are, shockingly, kept under wraps but it seems that DeKay will play Sarah's former CIA handler Kieran Ryker, a determined and stoic agent who makes Yvonne Strahovski's Sarah "confront her past and the choices she’s made.

Tim DeKay (who I always remember as Kevin the 'Bizarro Jerry' on Seinfeld) joins a long list of actors signing up for guest spots on the final season of the super fun and entertaining spy series including; Carrie Anne-Moss, Dani Pudi, Stan Lee, Rebecca Romijn and, most exciting, Mark Hamill has an early season villain. If that's not enough to get you to tune in and watch the last season of Chuck, then I don't know what would. It's said that the show is on it's last legs but at least they seem ready to go out with a, guest filled, bang.

Chuck's fifth season premiere date was pushed back a week and is now set to air on Friday, October 28 on NBC at 8 p.m.

It would seem that Steven Soderbergh is on the hunt for good looking men. In addition to having Channing Tatum and Alex Pettyfer already signed on to his male-stripper movie, Magic Mike, it was reported yesterday that Matthew McConaughey has also enlisted in the film. If you think that the insanely productive director is going to stop there, however, you're dead wrong.

Deadline reports that White Collar star Matt Bomer has joined the ranks of Soderbergh's Magic Mike. Unlike McConaughey, who will play the owner of the strip club, Bomer will be one of the actors swinging on the poles and entertaining bachelorette parties. Described as a "Saturday Night Fever-style coming of age story," the story sees Alex Pettyfer as a young dancer taken under the wing of a veteran (Tatum), the titular Magic Mike. Working at a club together, Tatum becomes Pettyfer's mentor, teaching him the ropes both on and off stage. The film is loosely based on Tatum's own experiences as a male stripper prior to becoming an actor.

The big question I have at this point is about the film's tone. I might be alone here, but I'd have a pretty hard time taking a movie about male strippers (or any strippers, really) seriously. Soderbergh's record is no help in figuring it out, as he has spent his entire career going from back and forth to opposite sides of the spectrum. His two most recent films, Contagion and Haywire, are both dramas, so will he be going for a chance of pace or is he targeting consistency? Only time will tell.

It wasn't that long ago that, if you asked me to watch a TV show on the USA Network, I would have probably scoffed pretentiously in your direction before asserting that the little cable outlet couldn't possibly have anything to offer a respectable television viewer such as myself.

Then, all these little networks (and the not so little, like HBO and AMC) started pumping out great, if not the best, programs out there, and, well, I was forced to take notice. Now, USA's slate is filling up with great shows (read Kelly's review of their new legal dramedy, Suits), and one of their biggest hits, White Collar, just set up a pretty hairy (and fanged) cameo.

Yes, the show may need a collar of a whole different kind when True Blood's resident werewolf (well, the “good” one, anyway), Joe Manganiello, appears on USA's White Collar opposite Matt Bomer and Tim DeKay. Literally opposite as, according to EW, "Manganiello will play a villain on the show, a recently released ex con, who brings trouble to the Burke neighborhood when he moves in across the street." The mid-season finale of Season 3 airs August 9th, with Manganiello's villain scheduled to appear when the show resumes in January 2012.

Manganiello joins several other guest stars already lined up for this season, including Beau Bridges, Eliza Dushku, William Sadler, and Danny Masterson. White Collar airs on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on the USA Network.

You've probably already seen the news that Christopher Nolan and Zack Snyder are looking for their Superman, and they're specifically eyeing 28-to-32-year-old actors, many who are successful on TV but none who are actual stars. That's a pretty wide net to cast, especially since it's possible they'll pick a total unknown, but immediately our brains started whirring to think of which current TV actors might pop up on the list. Then when we came up with a list of possible candidates, we realized what they all shared in common: they would all be awful choices for Superman.

Yes, there are plenty of blue-eyed, brown-haired actors out there working who fit the perfect physical description of Superman, and many of them are working on TV now and are prepping their resumes as we speak. But here are 8 TV actors we were able to think of who might show up on the shortlist but who all, for one reason or another, would be terrible picks for Superman. This isn't so much a list to warn Nolan and Snyder-- we're sure they're smart enough to avoid all these pitfalls, and even if they cast one of these actors, they'll be able to work around the problems. Think of this as just a reminder that, though the list may be narrowed down, there's still a whole lot of thinking and planning to do before we have any idea who the right Superman will be.

John Krasinski, 31, The Office

He was already considered for the Captain America job, and he's got more name recognition than most TV actors without actually being a star. But he's also way too lanky, sarcastic and funny for the part, which requires a guy who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders-- sometimes literally.

Vincent Kartheiser, 31, Mad Men

He's the right age and has the looks, especially if you put 20-odd pounds of muscle on him, and he's recognizable to Mad Men fans without being a household name. But come on, he's Pete Campbell-- far better at playing snarky and underminey than hero to a nation.

Matt Bomer, 33, White Collar

He came very close to playing the part that eventually went to Brandon Routh in Superman Returns, and looks more like the classical Supes than anyone else on the list. Actually, he'd probably be just fine in the role, but given that he's already been through his hoopla before, doesn't it just feel a little obvious?

Ryan Kwanten, 34, True Blood

He's trying out action hero credentials with Red Hill, but he's known better for having sex all the time-- along with everyone else-- on True Blood. Is the world ready for a naked and horny Superman? Please think about all the gross implications of super strength before you answer this question.

Zachary Levi, 30, Chuck

He does action hero stuff every week on Chuck, and nails the strong-chinned roguish hero with his voice work in Tangled. But he's become somewhat famous for being a nerd, a reputation that suits Clark Kent but might be hard to shake in the spandex. Plus, we love Chuck, and don't want to see it have to move on so Levi can fly around in tights.

Aaron Paul, 31, Breaking Bad

He just won an Emmy for his work on Breaking Bad but definitely isn't famous yet, and has shown enough range on that show to handle pretty much anything. But we buy him far more as a scrawny drug dealer than a brawny and moral hero-- and we like it that way. It would be casting against type that seems almost destined to backfire.

Donald Glover, 27, Community

The "Donald for Spider-Man" campaign didn't get us what we want, so it's tempting to keep trying until the Community star gets his chance to fight crime for real. Then again, if he were Superman he'd have to leave Community, which is a fate too terrible to contemplate. Ideally we want to see him get the role and turn it down so Troy and Abed can make up songs together for eternity.

Cheyenne Jackson, 35, 30 Rock

Though slightly too old for the age range, he's got the perfect Superman looks, and as an experienced dancer would be able to handle the physical challenges. But Jackson's best skills are also in singing, dancing and comedy, three things that almost never come into superhero movies (we're ignoring Spider-Man 3's dance number for everyone's sake).

We've already seen photos from the set of the upcoming sci-fi film formerly titled I'm.mortal, starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried as two people on the run in a future where the aging gene has been turned off. The next film from Andrew Niccol went into production without a replacement for the truly awful working title, but now we're hearing that not only have two new actors joined the cast, but they've finally come up with a name for the thing.

According to Deadline the movie is now titled, simply, Now, a title that will be utterly impossible to Google but at least isn't outright embarrassing. Joining the cast are Alex Pettyfer, star of the forthcoming I Am Number Four and the to-be-released-eventually high school fairy tale Beastly, and Matt Bomer, star of USA's White Collar. It's not clear what roles the two will play, but given that it's set a world of youth and both are fresh-faced handsome sons of guns, they should fit in just fine.