While a new vision of one of the most “hellish” comic book heroes is upon us, for many fans, the 2004 Hellboy cast will always be the definitive iteration. Two decades ago, Academy Award-winning writer and director Guillermo del Toro created one of the best non-Marvel or DC-based superhero movies out of Mike Mignola’s Dark Horse comic about a demon who grows up on Earth into a protector of humanity.

Before Jack Kesy takes over the role of the big, red hunter of all things paranormal in the upcoming Hellboy: The Crooked Man – coming to VOD in the U.S. on October 8th, but hitting U.K. theaters September 27th – celebrate the original performance by Ron Perlman. In fact, let’s take a look what the actor and the rest of the Hellboy cast from 2004 have been up to since.

Ron Perlman (Hellboy)

Despite previously expressing interest in doing a Hellboy 3, Ron Perlman would only play the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense’s top agent once more (not counting two animated, direct-to-video movies) in 2008’s Hellboy II: The Golden Army. He would appear in three more Guillermo del Toro movies (Pacific Rim, Nightmare Alley, and 2022’s Pinocchio), reaching a total eight collaborations between them, which also includes the second installment of the Blade movies.

The former Sons of Anarchy cast member is also known for the 2011 film noir movie favorite, Drive, leading the Amazon drama Hand of God, lending his voice to the Transformers: Rise of the Beasts cast as Optimus Primal, and playing a main antagonist in the Poker Face cast. Perlman has a few films in post-production, including Thug and Cottonmouth.

Selma Blair (Liz Sherman)

Hellboy’s love interest, the pyrokinetic Liz, is one of the best-known roles of Selma Blair, in addition to being in the Legally Blonde cast as Vivian Kensington and one of the best ‘90s teen movies, Cruel Intentions. Some of her notable roles since have included Caprice in the NC-17 movie, A Dirty Shame, Kris Jenner in Season 1 of American Crime Story, and the killer Kendall in Mom and Dad with Nicolas Cage.

Her battle with Multiple Sclerosis was documented in the award-winning 2021 documentary, Introducing Selma Blair, but she has been in remission since that year. She has yet to return to acting, but has made appearances on several TV programs, such as when she participated on Dancing with the Stars in Season 31.

Doug Jones (Abe Sapien)

Half-man, half-fish Abe Sapien (also voiced by David Hyde Pierce in 2004’s Hellboy) is one of many creatures Doug Jones has played in a Guillermo del Toro movie, including Fauno in 2006’s Pan’s Labyrinth and The Amphibian Man in the Best Picture Oscar winner, The Shape of Water, from 2017. He has also disappeared into many other roles from great horror movies – such as the Ghoul from 2016's Mike Flanagan movie, Ouija: Origin of Evil – and has worked on Del Toro’s FX series The Strain and What We Do in the Shadows.

More recently, Jones reprised his role from the Hocus Pocus cast as Billy Butcherson in Disney+’s 2022 sequel and played Saru on Star Trek: Discovery from 2017 to 2024. He also played Count Orlok in a 2023 movie that has no connection to Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu remake and, according to Deadline, started filming a thriller called The Weight of Darkness in April 2024.

Rupert Evans (John Myers)

Rupert Evans made his major motion picture debut in Hellboy as John Myers – a B.P.R.D. agent created specifically for the movie as an audience surrogate. He did not return for The Golden Army but would encounter a few odd circumstances in movies like 2014’s The Canal and The Boy from 2016, and as Harry Greenwood on The CW’s reboot of Charmed from 2018 to 2022.

The British actor also had a main role on Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle and guest-starred alongside Netflix’s Bridgerton cast as Edmund Bridgerton in Season 2. Evans can currently be seen on PBS’s six-part crime series, Moonflower Murders, and has a historical drama series in production called Truth & Conviction.

Karel Roden (Grigori Rasputin)

The main antagonist of 2004’s Hellboy is none other than Grigori Rasputin, who was a real-life mystic and faith healer who acquired considerable power and influence from his ties to the Russian Empire. This highly exaggerated depiction of the historical figure is portrayed by Karel Roden, who had previously worked with both Del Toro and Perlman in 2003’s Blade II and starred in Bulletproof Monk the following year.

Also in 2004, the Czech Republic native appeared in the second installment of the Jason Bourne movies (The Bourne Supremacy) and went on to appear in films like 2007’s Mr. Bean’s Holiday, the 2008 Guy Ritchie movie, RocknRolla, and the 2009 horror favorite, Orphan. Roden is also known for TV shows like AMC’s McMafia from 2018 and 2022’s MGM+ original A Spy Among Friends and he has an upcoming Terrence Malick project called The Way of the Wind in post-production.

Brian Steele (Sammael)

Doug Jones is not the only Hellboy cast member known for disappearing into his roles, as it was Brian Steele dressed as Sammael in practical shots of the hellhound. He previously made his debut in the early ‘90s as the titular sasquatch in the sitcom spin-off of Harry and the Hendersons, before playing Kothoga in 1997’s The Relic, Sharkmouth in Men in Black II, and a werewolf in 2003’s Underworld.

His notable creature portrayals since include the T-600 in Terminator Salvation, a couple of the titular aliens from Predators, both a Were-hyena and a Minotaur in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, and various creations in Hellboy II. He also played “The Entity” in the recent underrated horror movie, 2020’s The Empty Man, and most recently starred as The Robot in Netflix’s Lost in Space reboot.

Jeffrey Tambor (Thomas Manning)

The director of the B.P.R.D., Thomas Manning, who often butts heads with Hellboy, is played by Jeffrey Tambor. The veteran actor would later voice the father of a “monstrous” woman in 2009’s DreamWorks animated movie, Monsters vs. Aliens and a writer of paranormal stories in the 2011 sci-fi comedy, Paul.

In between his reprising his Emmy-nominated role in the Arrested Development cast in Netflix’s 2013 and 2019 revival seasons, Tambor earned two Emmy Awards for starring in Transparent as middle-aged transgender woman, Maura. Due to allegations of inappropriate behavior on set which the actor has claimed are false, Tambor was fired from the Amazon series in 2017 and his career has since slowed down, with his last major roles being a guest spot on The Orville and the Disney+ original movie, Magic Camp in 2020.

John Hurt (Professor Trevor "Broom" Bruttenholm)

The B.P.R.D’s original director and Hellboy’s adoptive father, Professor “Broom,” is played by John Hurt. The two-time Oscar nominee (for Midnight Express and The Elephant Man) had previously experienced “things that go bump in the night” most notably in one of the best sci-fi movies, 1979’s Alien, in which he, iconically, became the first victim of the chestburster, which he later poked fun at in the spoof movie classic, Spaceballs.

After Hellboy, the English actor starred in more acclaimed comic book movies (including 2005’s V for Vendetta, Hellboy II in an opening flashback, and 2014’s Snowpiercer), the fourth Indiana Jones movie, two more Harry Potter movies as Ollivander, and the masterful spy movie, 2011’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. His final acting credit was 2017’s Damascus Cover, before he passed away that year at 77.

There are some who actually argue that one of the best things about 2019’s Hellboy is David Harbour’s performance in the title role. While fans also hope to see good things from Jack Kesy’s work in the upcoming superhero movie, Hellboy: The Crooked Man, as far as I am concerned, the character will always belong to Ron Perlman.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects your brain, spinal cord, and your eyes’ optic nerves. Everyone with MS experiences different symptoms and varying ranges of severity. From Selma Blair to Christina Applegate and more, here are a number of celebrities who have told their stories about what it was like when they were first diagnosed with MS. 

Christina Applegate

Known for starring in sitcoms like Married…with Children and movies like Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, actress Christina Applegate joined one of Netflix’s best shows, Dead to Me, in 2019, which went on for three seasons. Shockingly enough, Applegate revealed on Good Morning America that it was during her run on this black comedy-drama that she first noticed the symptoms of multiple sclerosis:

The Primetime Emmy Award winner endured challenges during her time on the Netflix series such as having trouble walking and even having a sound department crew member hold her legs while standing. Applegate’s debilitating symptoms may have made live-action acting a challenge for her, but the Anchorman actress said on an episode of Armchair Expert how she plans on supporting herself and her daughter through voiceover work:

Selma Blair

You may recognize Selma Blair from her roles in Legally Blonde, Cruel Intentions, and playing Kris Jenner in FX’s American Crime Story. In 2018, Blair shared with her fans on Instagram that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis: 

Blair has done plenty to raise awareness of her disease such as putting out a clothing line for people with MS and being the subject of the documentary Introducing, Selma Blair about her life following her diagnosis. She explained on ABC News that it was through telling her own story of MS she saw how important disability awareness was: 

Jack Osbourne

When TV and music star Jack Osbourne was 26, BBC reported he went through a series of tests due to losing 60% of vision in his right eye. Once the British star was told he had multiple sclerosis, it couldn’t have come at a worse time for him considering his daughter, Pearl, was born three weeks before:

With a “mild form” of the condition, Osbourne competed on Dancing with the Stars a year later, in Season 17, placing third. While the media personality was forced to leave the reality series Special Forces in late 2023 due to heart-related issues, he told Entertainment Weekly the message that he wants people with MS to hear:

Emma Caulfield Ford

Emma Caulfield Ford is most well known for playing former demon Anya Jenkins in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. However, the American actress told Vanity Fair that she woke up one morning back in 2010 feeling like “there were a million ants crawling” on the left side of her face. While originally thinking it was all work stress, a neurologist gave her the shocking diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Ford didn’t reveal her MS publicly until 2022, in fear she wouldn’t be hired in Hollywood:

As for how Caulfield Ford is doing now, she spoke to People in March 2024 and said that her symptoms are very mild, while she still experiences slight sensitivity to heat and stress. Fortunately, she hasn’t experienced debilitating symptoms associated with MS like flare-ups, muscle weakness, and fatigue:

These celebrities are all incredibly brave and admirable for sharing their stories of first being diagnosed with a disease as debilitating as MS. Based on each celebrity's account, symptoms are unpredictable and differ in severity for each person. But, one thing these celebrity stories have in common is the ability to find a positive outlook on life and use their experiences to raise awareness of this chronic disease.

Here’s some simple TV math: the longer a series airs, the less likely its original cast will remain intact, regardless of how beloved the show or actor is. The majority of popular series over the years have gone through at least one major exit, and it’s bad enough when changes are revealed early, and characters’ last episodes are planned out and logical. It's far worse, however, when actors suddenly exit projects without any on-screen closure.

Surprise departures can curb audiences' enjoyment of a show, whether from disrupted cast dynamics or shoddy storytelling. And depending on how controversial the exits are, a key departure can completely derail a show's success. So let’s take a look back at some of the most memorable instances when stars parted ways with projects without closing their characters' stories.

Anna Faris (Mom)

During Mom's hiatus following Season 7, co-star Anna Faris suddenly revealed she was leaving the show, which reportedly shocked the creative team as much as fans. Allison Janney & Co. went forward with the eighth season, occasionally referencing Faris’ character Christy, but it was canceled without any kind of conclusion for the character, though the creators made it clear they didn’t want to kill her off.

Chevy Chase (Community)

Community already suffered the exodus of creator Dan Harmon and more creatives in Season 4, and then Chevy Chase allegedly used a racial slur on the set, leading him to drop out of the NBC comedy through mutual agreement with network execs. His character Pierce appeared multiple times after his official exit, due to episodes airing out of order, as well as that hologram cameo in the Season 5 premiere, but the SNL vet never returned as a regular, and was unceremoniously killed off via dialogue two episodes after the cameo.

Danny Masterson (The Ranch)

That ‘70s Show vet Danny Masterson reteamed with Ashton Kutcher on Netflix’s sitcom The Ranch, but was fired in December 2017 after multiple assault allegations against him were publicized. Masterson later faced trial, was convicted and sentenced to prison in September 2023, and did not return as Rooster Bennett, who was written as missing and presumed dead via motorcycle accident.

Suzanne Somers (Three's Company)

Three’s Company's early seasons were bolstered by the popularity of Suzanne Somers’ Chrissy Snow, but network execs reportedly refused the actress’ salary increase requests, leading to a unique stalemate agreement. Somers made only contractually obligated appearances in Season 4 episodes' closing tag scenes, which she filmed separately from her co-stars. Somers was fired by the season’s end, with Chrissy said to be caring for her sick mom in Fresno.

Corey Hawkins (The Walking Dead)

Corey Hawkins joined The Walking Dead Season 6 as comic book fan-favorite Heath, but Straight Outta Compton's release that same year shot him to Hollywood’s stratosphere. In one of TWD’s most baffling moments, Heath disappeared in Season 7, and was never seen from again. Reportedly, Heath would have returned for the movies, but those plans have been shut down.

Emmy Rossum (Shameless)

The final two years of Shameless' 11-season run were without Emmy Rossum’s Fiona Gallagher. The actress announced her shocking exit in 2018, and Fiona’s final appearance came in the emotional Season 9 finale. Despite fans’ hopes, Rossum opted not to return for cameos in the remaining seasons, and the series finale wrapped without any major Fiona updates.

Mandy Patinkin (Criminal Minds)

Criminal Minds began its lengthy run with Mandy Patinkin’s Jason Gideon running the BAU, but that changed ahead of the third season when Patinkin left the show entirely over his disgust with the violent storylines. (He called joining the crime drama his “biggest public mistake” in 2012.) Gideon was replaced and killed off-screen seven seasons later, with Ben Savage guest-starring as young Gideon in flashbacks.

Columbus Short (Scandal)

Ahead of Scandal's Season 3 finale, co-star Columbus Short was arrested over a physical altercation at an L.A. restaurant, and eventually confessed he’d developed drinking and drug habits while dealing with a divorce and custody disputes. Short was fired from Scandal in April 2014, and his character Harrison Wright was revealed in Season 4 to have been killed off.

Gina Carano (The Mandalorian)

Former MMA badass Gina Carano landed the role of Star Wars merc Cara Dune in The Mandalorian, but lost the gig in February 2021. Following a series of controversial social media moves, Lucasfilm announced she would no longer be involved in the show. Cara Dune was not recast, and has not returned to the franchise since the Season 2 finale.

Valerie Harper (Valerie)

The Hogan Family began its existence as Valerie, starring the Emmy-winning Valerie Harper as its lead matriarch for two seasons. She was later fired after salary disputes and sued NBC and production company Lorimar. While her initial claims were dismissed, a judge ruled Harper was indeed wrongfully terminated, netting her a financial win. Her character suffered an offscreen death, leading to the series' name changes.

Robert Downey Jr. (Ally McBeal)

Following a string of 1990s scandals, Robert Downey Jr. landed the role of love interest Larry Paul in Season 4 of Fox’s hit dramedy Ally McBeal, which earned him a Golden Globe. But additional arrests in late 2000 and 2001 led creator David E. Kelley to cut ties with RDJ completely. The fifth season, which would have chronicled Ally and Larry’s post-wedding bliss, had to be completely rewritten.

Shannen Doherty (Charmed)

Though Charmed’s eldest sister Prue Halliwell was the trio's most powerful, the third season finale left Shannen Doherty’s character facing possible death. Though presumptions held that she’d return for Season 4, tensions and more issues surrounding Doherty and Alyssa Milano led to Doherty’s firing via phone call. As such, Prue’s wounds turned out to be fatal, but Doherty did not return for the funeral episode.

Clayne Crawford (Lethal Weapon)

Fox’s iteration of Lethal Weapon paired Rectify vet Clayne Crawford with Damon Wayans. But instead of buddy cop love, reports indicated strife and hostility building between the co-stars, along with complaints about Crawford's directorial work. His exit was reported on the day of the Season 2 finale, which ended on a cliffhanger for his character Riggs, who was unsurprisingly revealed to have succumbed to his wounds. Seann William Scott joined Season 3 as a replacement.

Grace Park (Hawaii Five-0)

After seven seasons portraying Kono Kalakaua for CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 reboot, Grace Park opted to vacate her role alongside Daniel Dae Kim after their attempts to secure pay equality with co-stars Alex O’Loughlin and Scott Caan were turned down by CBS Television Studios. Kono was revealed to have relocated to Carson City, Nevada, as part of a trafficking task force, with Danny sharing their break-up update in Season 9.

Thomas Gibson (Criminal Minds)

Various Criminal Minds stars exited the drama for different reasons, but Thomas Gibson’s case. stands out. Despite the show still being early into filming Season 12, ABC Studios and CBS Studios revealed the actor’s termination via a joint statement in August 2016, less than a week after Gibson was suspended over an on-set altercation with a writer-producer. A later episode revealed his character Aaron “Hotch” Hotchner entered Witness Protection after discovering serial killer Peter Lewis stalking his son Jack.

Roseanne Barr (Roseanne)

One of the '90s' biggest sitcoms returned to ABC in 2018, with Roseanne bringing comedian Roseanne Barr back as its matriarch. But that return only lasted for a single season, as Barr tweeted a message about former White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett that was considered racist, and two months after its Season 11 renewal, Roseanne was effectively canceled. The network relaunched without Barr as The Conners, which kicked off its run by killing off Roseanne Conner via drug overdose.

Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men)

Two and a Half Men thrived on the chemistry between Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer, but the show went into hiatus in 2011 due to Sheen’s then-latest rehab stint, at which point the actor began slamming CBS and Chuck Lorre in a variety of high-profile interviews. Season 8 was then shut down mid-production, with Sheen’s firing later capping things off. His public meltdowns continued capturing headlines as Ashton Kutcher helped fill the Charlie void, and unfortunately didn't make good on rumors of his series finale return.

Lisa Edelstein (House)

Across her years as Dr. Lisa Cuddy, House star Lisa Edelstein went from playing contentious boss to adoring lover. Upon Season 7’s end, she and two co-stars were asked to take salary cuts during contract negotiations, with Edelstein being the lone holdout. She announced her exit ahead of Season 8, and Cuddy was later revealed to have quit as Dean of Medicine, with Omar Epps’ Eric Foreman taking on the duties for the final season.

James Garner (Maverick)

For three seasons, James Garner portrayed Maverick's title character Bret Maverick, but the 1960 writers' strike helped bring that run to a sudden close. When Warner Bros. attempted to lay Garner off due to a lack of scripts, he fought back and successfully sued the studio for breach of contract. According to the actor, he personally turned down an offer to return with a raise, saying, “I want out,” and though Bret appeared in an airing-delayed Season 4 ep which was filmed far earlier, Garner did not return, with fill-in stars Roger Moore and Robert Colbert added later.

Katherine Heigl (Grey's Anatomy)

Katherine Heigl took a temporary leave from Grey’s Anatomy in Season 6 to shoot a movie and spend time with her adopted daughter, which sparked her to request to be released from her contract 18 months early. Disputes have raged on over how her sudden exit was handled, considering Izzy never experienced an official “farewell” scene. Alex Karev’s final ep specifically noted that he and Izzy were back together and raising twins in Kansas. While Heigl notably reunited with former co-stars at the Emmys, giving fans hope that Izzy could return, she has yet to justify those hopes.

Jeff Garlin (The Goldbergs)

Nine months after The Goldbergs co-star George Segal died at 87, lead actor Jeff Garlin vacated the show following multiple HR investigations into allegations of misconduct. The departure was said to be a mutual agreement between the actor and the producers and network, and because it happened in the middle of filming Season 9, the producers used CGI, physical stand-ins, and archival audio to make it appear as if Murray was still around. The writers ditched that idea going into Season 10, though, and revealed Murray's off-camera death.

Freema Agyeman (New Amsterdam)

Freema Agyeman portrayed New Amsterdam's oncology chief Dr. Helen Sharpe for four seasons, and while many expected her back for the fifth and final season, the actress shockingly announced her exit amid the summer hiatus, cheekily pleading for fans to continue Sharpe’s story via fan-fiction. She went on to co-star in the series Dreamland, cementing Sharpe and Dr. Goodwin’s break-up, and though the character did appear on TV in a later Season 5 episode, it was without any overarching updates.

Hartley Sawyer (The Flash)

In 2017, actor Hartley Sawyer landed his stretchiest role yet as The Flash’s Ralph Dibny, a.k.a. Elongated Man. Three years later, in response to his comments about Black Lives Matter, social media users pulled up multiple derogatory and offensive tweets the actor posted between the years of 2009-2014. He publicly apologized for the posts, but a week after waves were made, Warner Bros. TV and The CW fired Sawyer from The Flash, which used an uncredited body double for Season 7’s “Mother” to write Ralph out alongside Sue Dearbon.

Jill Marie Jones (Girlfriends)

Jill Marie Jones crushed it as Girlfriends’ ego-driven Toni Childs for six seasons but was the only main cast holdout who exited the dramedy ahead of Season 7 over her contract expiring. Jones' exit was explained through Toni moving to New York City at the end of Season 6, but Jones spoke openly in 2007 about feeling that Toni’s story wasn’t over and that she'd be willing to return if the writers put something together. Alas, the show was canceled in 2008 before that could happen.

Lori Loughlin (Fuller House)

Lori Loughlin returned to her Full House role of Rebecca for the Netflix continuation series Fuller House, but her appearances ceased in Season 4 after she was fired by Netflix over her and her husband Mossimo Giannulli’s actions regarding the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. Though the actress was later able to reprise her When Calls the Heart character, Aunt Becky didn't return at all for Season 5.

Kevin Spacey (House Of Cards)

Alongside Robin Wright, Kevin Spacey made streaming TV normal with Netflix’s House of Cards. In the weeks ahead of Season 6's production, Spacey faced widely publicized accusations from actor Anthony Rapp, was subsequently fired by Netflix and was removed from executive producer duties. His character Frank Underwood was revealed to have been poisoned and died ahead of the Season 6 premiere.

Leanna Creel (Saved By The Bell)

Leanna Creel’s Tori Scott remains one of pop culture's biggest curiosities, having slid into NBC’s Saved by the Bell for its final season during a run of episodes lacking Tiffani Thiessen’s Kelly and Elizabeth Berkley’s Jessie. The leather-clad character shook things up for Zack & Co. for just ten episodes, and was never heard from again.

Wayne Rogers (MASH)

Three years after joining CBS' MASH, actor Wayne Rogers grew discouraged by his character Trapper John not reaching his expectations, and unexpectedly opted to quit the hit series ahead of its fourth season. But while fellow exiting co-star McLean Stevenson was able to be written out of the Season 3 finale, Trapper John's absence had to be explained away in the Season 4 premiere without Rogers around.

Ruby Rose (Batwoman)

Batwoman’s first foray into live-action saw Ruby Rose wearing Kate Kane's cape and cowl, but she left the Arrowverse series shortly after the first season ended. Reports noted she was fired over on-set behavior, with Rose claiming the show’s taxing nature led her to suffer back surgery following an alleged on-set accident. Replaced as a lead by Javicia Leslie's Ryan Wilder, Kate later returned in a different physical form without Rose’s involvement.

Kate Jackson (Charlie's Angels)

O.G. Charlie’s Angels star Kate Jackson won viewers’ hearts for three years as Sabrina Duncan, which is when she followed former co-star Farrah Fawcett out the door. Jackson spoke warily of the writers’ scripts, and after being denied the opportunity to join Kramer vs. Kramer due to scheduling, she intentionally caused an on-set mess that led to her dismissal ahead of Season 4. Replaced by Shelley Hack’s Tiffany Wells, Sabrina was revealed to have left the agency to become a mother.

Jon Seda (Chicago P.D.)

Jon Seda’s Antonio Dawson jumped from Chicago Fire to P.D. to Justice and back again for seven years. Surprisingly, NBC and Wolf Entertainment chose not to renew Seda’s contract ahead of Chicago P.D.'s seventh season, and he was let go. Later episodes revealed the character fell back into pill addiction following the prior finale's cliffhanger, and he was checked into rehab, eventually moving to Puerto Rico after resigning from the force.

Selma Blair (Anger Management)

Charlie Sheen followed Two and a Half Men with the comedy Anger Management, co-starring Selma Blair for part of its run as his colleague and fling interest Dr. Kate Wales. Conflict between Blair and Sheen bled into the tabloids, and a reported ultimatum from Sheen led producers to fire Blair, with her character suddenly being explained away as having moved to India.

Friends fans everywhere are reeling after hearing the shocking news that Matthew Perry died in an apparent drowning at age 54. The actor was found October 28 in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles, where a medical team responded to call of a possible cardiac arrest. Perry’s cohorts in Hollywood are also in shock over the loss, and celebrities including Friends guest stars Selma Blair and Paget Brewster took to social media to pay tribute. Saturday Night Live even addressed it on its broadcast, just hours after his passing was reported.

Matthew Perry — who was best known for portraying Chandler Bing on Friends — was open about his struggles with addiction over the years, even writing about near-death experiences in his memoir Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing that was released in 2022. It was reported that first responders found no drugs at the scene, and no foul play was suspected. Selma Blair, who guest starred in a Season 9 episode of Friends, said she was “broken” over the news, as she posted a sweet photo of the two of them together:  

As news of Matthew Perry’s passing spread Saturday night, SNL also memorialized the actor. Perry served as guest host on NBC’s live sketch show one time, on October 4, 1997, and a tribute card was shown toward the end of the October 28 episode: 

Yvette Nicole Brown noted the loss of her former co-star, as the two appeared together on the reboot of The Odd Couple, which aired on CBS from 2015 to 2017. Alongside a photo of the cast, she wrote: 

Calling the Friends star “one of the funniest people I knew,” actor Chad Lowe also expressed how difficult it was to see Matthew Perry struggle with addiction. He commended him for how he aimed to help people by speaking out about it in what would be the last year of his life. Lowe posted on X: 

Legendary TV director James Burrows — who famously took the Friends cast to Las Vegas before their popularity skyrocketed — posted a throwback photo of him and Matthew Perry with a short caption to memorialize the comedic actor: 

Paget Brewster, whose character Kathy briefly dated Chandler (and Joey) on Season 4 of Friends, implored people to read Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing to honor Matthew Perry’s legacy and allow him to continue helping those in need. She wrote: 

Adele was also a longtime fan of his, as she paused the Saturday night show of her Las Vegas residency to address Matthew Perry’s death. Per the L.A. Times, she called Perry “incredibly, incredibly brave” for being open about his struggles with sobriety and spoke about having a friend when they were 12 years old who would do “the best” Chandler Bing impression. As she introduced her song “When We Were Young,” Adele told her Vegas audience: 

I’m sure there are many people who agree with that assessment. Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the loss of the actor. For those who want to pay tribute to Matthew Perry by watching his career-defining role, all 10 seasons of Friends can be streamed with a Max subscription. 

In the matter of a few years, both Selma Blair and Christina Applegate have shared with the public that they were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), a chronic disease of the central nervous system that an estimated one million people live with in the United States. As it turns out, Applegate’s diagnosis, which occurred while she was filming the final season of Dead To Me in 2021, was actually caught in part due to Blair encouraging the fellow actress to get tested for MS. 

Selma Blair was diagnosed with MS back in August 2018, which she made known to the public a few months later via Instagram. Since learning she was living with the disease, Blair has shared her experiences with it, along with speaking out about the importance of disability representation in media and making her documentary, Introducing, Selma Blair. 

Christina Applegate Credits Selma Blair For MS Diagnosis

Selma Blair And Christina Applegate are apparently longtime friends following the actresses both appearing in 2002 rom-com The Sweetest Thing alongside Cameron Diaz. Applegate recently spoke to the connection Blair’s diagnosis had with hers, sharing the following: 

As Christina Applegate recalled, Blair had a direct effect on the actress learning she had MS as well. A couple of months ago, the Dead To Me actress got real about how the illness is likely to see the end of her acting career considering the job frequently demands 12-14 hour days. Applegate said she hopes to do “a shit ton of voiceovers to make some cash” to feed her daughter and maintain her quality of life.

Applegate has also spoken of gaining 40 pounds since her diagnosis due to “inactivity and medications.” The fact that the actress didn’t realize what her condition was until she spoke with someone who was actively dealing with it as well goes to show that there’s still some misinformation about the disease among people and doctors as well. Applegate’s recent comments come via British Vogue’s latest cover story featuring Selma Blair. 

Selma Blair’s Latest Comments On Living With MS

In the interview, Blair opened up further about living with multiple sclerosis, sharing that it was misdiagnosed and ignored for more than 40 years. Along with Blair sharing that her condition that started showing signs when she was seven was written off, she had this to say about her own experience being a Hollywood actress with a disability back in the early 2000s: 

Blair said that prior to her diagnosis, she “gave up almost,” but since she’s felt like she’s been given a new life. Last year, she became one of the few disabled contestants on Dancing With The Stars before gracefully bowing out early and has hopes to make a cameo in Legally Blonde 3. Both these women are so brave for having these important conversations about their experiences with MS. You can check out three seasons of Applegate’s latest and possible last major performance in  Dead To Me, which is viewable with a Netflix subscription. 

Warning! The following contains spoilers for Dancing With The Stars Season 31's "Most Memorable Year" episode. Read at your own risk!

Dancing With The Stars was already having an emotional night as contestants recalled their most memorable years, but the final performance really took the cake. It was then that the audience learned from actress Selma Blair that her doctors advised she leave the competition due to some of the injuries she'd sustained from performing as a result of her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Blair and her pro partner Sasha Farber pulled out of the competition, but not before performing one more dance. Viewers, of course, had a lot of thoughts on the decision and shared their support for Blair en masse after the episode. 

Selma Blair and Sasha Farber performed a waltz to Andra Day's "What the World Needs Now Is Love," and the audience and judges erupted into applause afterward. Everyone seemed to be a fan of the performance, but the judges took things even a step further with the ultimate sign of respect for what Blair gave to Dancing With The Stars. They awarded her perfect 10s across the board, which was a kind gesture that the internet appreciated dearly:

Following the performance, Selma Blair explained that all the injuries she sustained during Dancing With The Stars were minor to this point. While she did sustain stress fractures, she wanted to make it known that her pulling out of the competition was more out of an assurance that she wouldn't get injured in a way that was more severe, and would take a long time to recover. She mentioned that she's a mother, and ultimately, didn't want to risk hurting herself so much that she wouldn't easily bounce back. Fans respected her decision, and admired her courage during the big moment: 

Selma Blair removing herself from Dancing With The Stars meant that there would be no elimination in this latest episode. Instead, the stars will roll over their scores into the next night of the competition, and both dances will factor into the totals for the "Prom Night" elimination. It gave the contestants a little more time to prepare in what originally felt like a packed week for them, but it seemed clear onscreen that few of them were thinking about anything other than Blair at the episode's end: 

Perhaps the most significant part of the night is that Dancing With The Stars awarded Selma Blair the season's first perfect score. The 40 points made Blair and Sasha Farber the top performers of the night and solidified this as an iconic moment in the franchise's first streaming-only season. It was well deserved not just because of what Blair accomplished this season, but for what Farber brought alongside her:  

Even the famous fans of Selma Blair and Dancing With The Stars reacted to the big moment and shared their gratitude and love for the actress. Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar wrote about her longtime friend Blair and Sasha Farber on her Instagram page, and thanked them both for their efforts this season: 

Dancing With The Stars is still an emotional show after 31 seasons, which is probably why it has lasted so long. Hopefully, Selma Blair will exit the show with zero regrets about how things ended, and take pride in the stellar performances she gave in these prior weeks. 

Catch Dancing With The Stars' next episode with a Disney+ subscription on Tuesday, October 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET.  The gap is quickly closing between contestants' scores, so be sure to tune in and vote to prevent the wrong dancer from being voted off too early, or to help some of the top performers of this season make their way to the finals. 

If you were to put the best movies about college and some classic courtroom dramas together in a Venn diagram, appearing in the middle would be Legally Blonde. Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and later the basis for a hit stage musical, the story of Elle Woods' rise from popular sorority beauty queen to successful Harvard Law scholar is an inspirational one, especially for anyone who ever struggled with discovering themselves beyond face value.

Director Robert Luketic's feature film debut is also one of the best Reese Witherspoon movies and boasts a career-defining performance (before her Oscar win for Walk the Line) that is complemented by a wonderful supporting ensemble  including Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, and more we hope to see in the upcoming third installment of the franchise. For now, let's check in on the Legally Blonde cast by sifting through this slideshow featuring some of their more recent photos.  

As far as ratings go, at least those handed out by the Motion Picture Association, there is nothing more extreme these days than NC-17. That means no one under the age of 18 can be admitted to a movie with this rating for a multitude of reasons.

Some directors, producers, and studios will re-cut their films to get an R-rating, but there are plenty of NC-17 movies that have been left unedited and sent out into the wild as is, which has resulted in limited releases of some of the most notorious movies of all time. Find out why these films were branded this way, as well as how you can watch them if you are curious, in the following list.

Henry & June (1990) - Fred Ward, Uma Thurman

What better way to start than with the very first movie to earn the NC-17 rating – according to SlashFilm – Henry & June. Director Philip Kaufman’s adaptation of Anaïs Nin’s memoir focuses on a love triangle between novelist Henry Miller (Fred Ward), his wife, June (Uma Thurman), and the French-American author (portrayed by Thurman’s future fellow Pulp Fiction cast member, Maria de Medeiros) in 1930s Paris. Despite its controversially explicit sexual content, the drama was a mild critical and commercial success and received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography.

Buy Henry & June on Blu-ray on Amazon.  

Killer Joe (2012) - Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple

Directed by the late William Friedkin and written by 2019’s Little Women cast member Tracy Letts (also based on his stage play), Killer Joe stars Emile Hirsch as an indebted young man who hatches a plan to have his mother (played by Gina Gershon) killed to collect insurance money. Matthew McConaughey gives one of his most underrated performances as the titular hitman he hires, whose fee is so high that he agrees to let his teenage sister (Juno Temple) be treated as collateral.

According to Deadline, the shamelessly twisted crime thriller was released with an NC-17 rating after Friedkin and distributor LD Entertainment opted not to change its ending. While an R-rated version of the film was later made available for home viewing, those interested in seeing it in its original form could also seek out the unrated director’s cut of Killer Joe instead.

Rent or buy Killer Joe on Amazon.
Buy Killer Joe on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Mysterious Skin (2004) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt

One of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s best movies from earlier in his career is Mysterious Skin, in which he plays a gay teen making a living as a sex worker who recalls a disturbing encounter from his childhood through narration. Meanwhile, another teen, played by Brady Corbet, struggles to figure out the truth behind a blackout he suffered when he was younger, leading the two men to cross paths unexpectedly.

Writer and director Gregg Araki is notorious for including pervasive sexual content in his films, but the NC-17 rating for Mysterious Skin – also starring Elisabeth Shue and Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast member Michelle Trachtenberg – was largely determined by its graphic depiction of pedophilia. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the challenging subject matter sparked controversy when the Australian Family Association feared child predators could use the film as a grooming tool or for their own gratification.
 
Rent or buy Mysterious Skin on Amazon.
Buy Mysterious Skin on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989) - Antonio Banderas

In one of his many racy collaborations with writer and director Pedro Almodóvar, Antonio Banderas stars in Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! as Ricky, who is released from a mental hospital with the intent of finding love. So, he tracks down a former adult film star, played by Victoria Abril, whom he once shared an intimate encounter with and takes her prisoner in hopes he can convince her to be his wife.

According to Gwyne Edwards’ 2001 book Almodóvar: Labyrinths of Passion, the controversial subject matter of Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! was instrumental in the creation of the NC-17 rating itself. Thus, the MPA branded it as such in 1990 for a “scene of strong adult sensuality with nudity,” according to FilmRatings.com.

Stream Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Max.
Rent or buy Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Amazon.
Buy Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! on Blu-ray Amazon.

Blonde (2022) - Ana de Armas

Based on the book by Joyce Carol Oates, Blonde is director Andrew Dominik’s in-depth and fictionalized look at the tragically short life of Norma Jeane Baker, better known as Marilyn Monroe. Ana de Armas disappears into the role of one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures, portraying a side of the actress and model that was long kept hidden from the public.

Dominik once said that he anticipated his nearly three-hour biopic would be rated NC-17 before the MPA made it official in June 2022, citing “some sexual content” as the reasoning. The film’s more hardcore scenes would inspire some strong reactions from both critics and audiences since it was made available to stream in 2022.

Stream Blonde on Netflix.

Crash (1996) - James Spader, Holly Hunter

Not to be confused with director Paul Haggis’ Best Picture Oscar winner from 2005, Crash is one of the more bizarre and inventive movies directed by David Cronenberg (which is really saying something). Based on the novel by J.G. Ballard, it stars James Spader as a TV producer who becomes seduced into an unusual and dangerous obsession with car wrecks and the intense, sexually stimulating effect they seem to have on him and others, including his mistress (played by Holly Hunter).

Just from learning the plot, it seems pretty clear why a movie like Crash would have been given the NC-17 rating and why it inspired controversy so pervasive that it was chronicled in a 2001 book called The Crash Controversy: Censorship Campaigns and Film Reception. Nonetheless, it was still relatively well-received by critics, according to Rotten Tomatoes, and earned Cronenberg a Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, despite vehement opposition from the jury’s then-president, Francis Ford Coppola.

Buy Crash on DVD on Amazon.

Descent (2007) - Rosario Dawson

Not to be confused with the Scottish 2005 horror movie THE Descent, this film sees Rosario Dawson giving her most provocative and extreme performance since she broke out in another controversial classic, Kids. This time, she plays a woman who undergoes a dramatic and violent change of character after she is assaulted by a man she meets at a fraternity party.

This brutal and upsetting revenge drama was actually released with two alternative cuts: one rated NC-17 and an R-rated edit that omits seven minutes of footage. Still, both versions contain brutal rape, language, some sexual content and drug use.

Buy Descent on DVD on Amazon.

Showgirls (1995) - Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan

Perhaps the most infamous movie on this list, Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 erotic cult classic, Showgirls, stars a post-Save by the Bell Elizabeth Berkley as a young drifter named Nomi Malone. As she hitchhikes to Las Vegas with dreams of becoming a famous dancer on the Strip, she has some ups and downs on her journey, but finally makes her dreams come true, at a price…

According to the MPA, Showgirls was given its NC-17 rating due to the amount of nudity and erotic sexuality throughout the movie, as well as graphic language and sexual violence. If you’ve seen the movie (and not the VH1 version with digitized bras), you’re well aware of the film’s graphic nature.

Stream Showgirls on Tubi.
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Buy Showgirls on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Shame (2011) - Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan

Released in 2011, Steve McQueen’s psychological drama, Shame, stars Michael Fassbender as Brandon Sullivan – a successful and dashing executive who is secretly a traumatized sex addict who will do anything and everything to get his kicks in New York City. Just when he thinks life can’t get any worse, his equally damaged sister (Carey Mulligan) storms into his life, causing more complications.

Upon release, Shame was given an NC-17 rating by the MPA for explicit sexual content as well as some truly troubling scenes. I’ve walked out of several movies before, but this was the first I exited simply because what was happening on the screen was way too real and unnerving to finish.

Rent or buy Shame on Amazon.
Buy Shame on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Blue Is The Warmest Color (2013) - Léa Seydoux 

Abdellatif Kechiche’s 2013 French drama, Blue is the Warmest Color, stars Adèle Exarchopoulos as a high school student who experiences a sexual awakening after meeting an art school student and aspiring painter named Emma, played by James Bond movies actor, Léa Seydoux. Over the years, the two form a contentious and highly-emotional relationship that opens their eyes to a whole new world around them.

Though tamer than some of the other titles on this list, Blue is the Warmest Color was given an NC-17 rating because of the explicit sexual content the MPA felt was unsuitable for younger audiences. However, at least one theater allowed teens to watch the movie upon release.

Rent or buy Blue is the Warmest Color on Amazon.
Buy Blue is the Warmest Color on Blu-ray Amazon.

Bad Lieutenant (1992) - Harvey Keitel

Abel Ferrara’s 1992 crime thriller Bad Lieutenant follows Harvey Keitel as a broken NYPD detective whose stress over his job, life, and gambling habits get the best of him. From one interaction to the next, the unnamed lieutenant falls deeper down the rabbit hole of depravity, committing some irredeemable crimes of his own along the way.

If there has ever been a movie deserving of an NC-17 rating it would have to be Bad Lieutenant. With an abundance of sexual violence, intense sexual situations, endless drug use, and extreme language throughout, it’s no wonder the MPA came down hard on the movie, which later inspired a sequel only in name, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, starring Nicolas Cage and directed by Werner Herzog.

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Rent or buy Bad Lieutenant on Amazon.
Buy Bad Lieutenant on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Orgazmo (1997) - Trey Parker, Matt Stone

Co-writer and director Trey Parker plays a normal Mormon missionary trying to find enough money to support and marry his longtime girlfriend. But when he stumbles upon a porn set, the once strait-laced and deeply devoted young man becomes the biggest thing going in the adult entertainment industry in Orgazmo.

It should come as no surprise that a movie written by the creators of South Park, and one centered on the porn industry, would receive an NC-17 rating from the MPA in 1998. It should come as even less of a surprise that the rating was handed down due to the sexual content and dialogue featured throughout.

Rent or buy Orgazmo on Amazon.
Buy Orgazmo on Blu-ray on Amazon.

Bent (1997) - Clive Owen, Ian McKellen

After being discovered and arrested by the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, Max – a proud gay man played by Clive Owen – is sent on a perilous journey to the Dachau concentration camp where he is subjected to indescribable horrors while still being able to find love.

Possibly one of the most harrowing movies about the Holocaust, Sean Mathias’ 1997 drama Bent is absolutely heartbreaking and disturbing with its graphic displays of violence. Upon its release, the movie received an NC-17 rating from the MPA due to its graphic sexual nature.

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Rent or buy Bent on Amazon.
Buy Bent on Blu-ray Amazon.

Matador (1986) - Antonio Banderas

In one of his most disturbing roles, Antonio Banderas plays Angel, a young student who confesses to an attempted rape and a series of murders he may or may not have committed, in Pedro Almodóvar’s 1986 dark comedy, Matador.

Just like some of the other movies featuring the director and actor, Matador pushed the limits with its dark, twisted, and oddly humorous story. Still, the MPA would later give the film an NC-17 rating in 2005 (nearly 20 years after initial release) due to “aberrant sexuality” and violence.

Rent or buy Matador on Amazon.
Buy Matador on DVD on Amazon.

The Dreamers (2003) - Eva Green, Michael Pitt

In the midst of the 1968 Student Riots in Paris, an American student named Matthew (played by Michael Pitt) finds himself getting caught up in the lives of formerly conjoined twins – Louis Garrel as Théo and Eva Green as Isabelle – whose relationship is far from normal. When asked to spend a month with the siblings, Matthew falls deeper into their wild and free-flowing lifestyle.

Bernardo Bertolucci’s 2003 erotic drama, The Dreamers, pushes several boundaries and deviates from societal norms to tell a story about young love in the midst of a chaotic time. With the extreme sexual content and nudity, it’s no surprise the MPA gave the movie an NC-17 rating upon release.

Buy The Dreamers on DVD on Amazon.

A Dirty Shame (2004) - Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville

A John Waters movie receiving an NC-17 rating? You don’t say! The filthy filmmaker’s 2004 comedy, A Dirty Shame, follows Tracey Ullman as Sylvia Stickles– a puritanical resident of the Hatford Road area of Baltimore who experiences a sexual awakening after being hit by a car. 

Selma Blair, Johnny Knoxville, and Chris Isaak also star in A Dirty Shame, which (no shocker here) was given the NC-17 rating by the MPA due to its pervasive sexual content. And if you’ve seen the movie, you are all too aware of just how pervasive and graphic it is.

Rent or buy A Dirty Shame on Amazon.
Buy A Dirty Shame on DVD on Amazon.

Pink Flamingos (1972) - Divine

When Connie (Mink Stole) and Raymond Marble (David Lochary) attempt to steal Babs Johnson’s (Divine) title of “the filthiest person alive,” the down and dirty criminal and her family make it their mission in life to prevent the newcomers from accomplishing their mission by any means necessary.

With scenes featuring incest, people eating dog poop, flashers, and an infamously notorious scene involving a chicken, it shouldn’t shock anyone that John Waters’ classic exploitation comedy film, Pink Flamingos, was given an NC-17 rating by the MPA upon re-release in 1997, 25 years after it first shocked audiences around the world. Maybe that’s why Roger Ebert hated the movie.

Buy Pink Flamingos on Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Evil Dead (1981) - Bruce Campbell

Bruce Campbell stars in the film that kickstarted the Evil Dead franchise as Ash Williams who – along with his girlfriend and a small group of friends – set off for a night away in an isolated cabin. However, the night quickly takes a turn for the worst after they discover the Necronomicon – a powerful book that awakens possessive, malevolent spirits.

Sam Raimi’s classic horror film, The Evil Dead, was initially released with an X rating back in 1981 on account of its substantial graphic violence and gore. It was later given an NC-17 by the MPA when the movie was re-released back in 1994.

Rent or buy The Evil Dead on Amazon.
Buy The Evil Dead on Blu-ray on Amazon.

BONUS: Elles (2011) - Juliette Binoche

The title of Elles refers to the French magazine, Elle, for which Juliette Binoche’s character is researching an article about an underground sex worker ring orchestrated by female college students in Paris. However, the closer she gets to the facts behind the story, the more she begins to question her own personal interests. Graphic sexual content that goes as far as urinary fetishes initially earned this drama from Polish filmmaker Malgoska Szumowska an NC-17 rating.

Buy Elles on Blu-ray on Amazon.

BONUS: Happiness (1998) - Philip Seymour Hoffman 

The late Philip Seymour Hoffman plays one of several interconnected people all searching desperately for the most coveted emotion there is: happiness. Of course, their chosen ways of acquiring it are exactly the kind of reasons this Golden Globe nominee was initially given an NC-17 rating. 

Also starring the likes of Trick ‘r Treat’s Dylan Baker, Twin Peaks cast member Lara Flynn Boyle, and SNL’s Jon Lovitz, Happiness is one of the darkest comedies of its time. However, that does not mean so much when you learn it comes from writer and director Todd Solondz.

Buy Happiness on DVD on Amazon.

Elles and Happiness are some of a few notable examples of films that surrendered their NC-17 ratings upon release and are now deemed “unrated,” such as the aforementioned Kids. However, they are just as challenging and provocative as any of the films listed above, which is why we’ll still count them as NC-17 in our book.

It’s been a while since we caught up with Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods, but with Legally Blonde 3 happening we’ve been anticipating various reunions between the pretty-in-pink lawyer and her Harvard Law School roots. Such as Selma Blair’s Vivian. Could Elle and Vivian still be in one another’s lives over 20 years later? The Cruel Intentions actress has shared her thoughts. 

Selma Blair most recently made headlines for dancing blindfolded to “For Your Eyes Only” as a contestant on Dancing With The Stars, could she return to one of her most iconic roles for Legally Blonde 3. The actress said this:  

While on the Shut Up Evan Podcast, Selma Blair shared her interest in returning to Legally Blonde for the upcoming sequel on the way. Whether it's a cameo or a larger role in the comedy, Blair calls Vivian one of the “good things in life” that she looks back fondly on and will continue to for some time. The original 2001 film is a favorite among many and is so iconic it became a musical, along with influencing many other things in pop culture like the “bend and snap.” 

As announced back in 2020, Mindy Kaling and Parks and Recreation creator Dan Goor are writing Legally Blonde 3, but it’s taken longer than expected. Recently when Kaling has addressed the wait, she said she wants to make sure she doesn’t ruin “Reese’s Avengers franchise.” We have a lot of questions about what the next Legally Blonde will be, including how much of the original Legally Blonde cast will return. 

A couple months ago Luke Wilson was asked the same question about whether he’ll return and he shared he doesn’t know much about it yet either. Legally Blonde 3 still seems to be in early development as Mindy Kaling, Dan Goor and Reese Witherspoon perhaps juggle all their other projects as well. 

It’d be particularly great to see Selma Blair’s Vivian in Legally Blonde 3 after first being introduced as the new girlfriend to Elle’s ex, Warner. Once Elle gets into Harvard, Vivian becomes an adversary to her in their law studies. However, Elle later gains Vivian’s respect and they become good friends after she dumps Warner. 

As revealed by Legally Blonde actress Jessica Cauffiel last year, there was an alternate Legally Blonde ending where Elle and Vivian drink margaritas on a beach together holding hands, either as best friends or girlfriends. Whatever Legally Blonde 3 has in store for us, here’s hoping Selma Blair’s character gets to return. While we wait, you can revisit the original Legally Blonde with an Amazon Prime subscription. 

Throughout 2022, fans of the James Bond movies have been celebrating the cinematic exploits of 007 through various methods. With The Sound of 007 documentary being released, as well as a couple of books either currently available or on the way to shelves in the next couple of months, there’s no shortage of options. However, one of the most outfield offerings has to be this week’s episode of Disney+’s Dancing with the Stars, as “Bond Night” was the theme for the dancing competition’s latest installment. 

Some Of The 007 Themes Were Weirdly Abridged

While the results were wildly entertaining to watch, the handling of the theme songs absolutely stuck out to me throughout the night. More specifically, it was the abridging of some songs in the James Bond canon that really stuck out. I understand that everything from music rights to timing of the dance routines has to do with how Dancing with the Stars handles the opening melodies from movies like The World is Not Enough or Thunderball. Even with that in mind, those two 007 tunes are favorites of mine, and they felt a bit off in the moment.

That is in no way a knock towards the singers and the band that Dancing with the Stars employs. In fact, they were absolute all-stars with their renditions of the various James Bond opening themes. Throughout the night, I was questioning whether they’d gotten the actual recording for “Goldeneye” or “Writing’s On The Wall,” because the performers got really close to what I’m used to as a Bond fan. 

The real issue is the abridged nature of the songs, and there’s only so much one can do with that factor. It’s just the nature of the beast, and I'm a little picky when it comes to how I hear "You Know My Name" performed. Caveats aside, my hat goes off to the performers and their musical stylings, as a live dance competition is probably one hell of a tightrope to walk as it is.

James Bond Is A Perfect Fit For Dancing With The Stars

Outside of that weirdness, and as an outsider returning to Dancing with the Stars, “Bond Night” was actually quite fun! Even with my own skepticism firmly in place, I knew there was a potential for a perfect fit, and thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised. Come to think of it, I’m surprised that there hasn’t been a James Bond-themed night for this competition before. 

I’ll leave it to judge Derek Hough’s explanation of the Rumba, set to an instrumental version of Garbage’s “The World is Not Enough” to showcase how well the collision of Dancing with the Stars and James Bond worked: 

Besides the usual shenanigans and theatricality you’d expect from this now-Disney+ exclusive series, the respect paid to the James Bond legacy was rather beautiful. A “Bond 101” montage was included to introduce our favorite super spy, and I dare say it outdid the merely ok 007 Oscar tribute we got at this year’s Academy Awards. Of course, this is Dancing with the Stars, and “dancing” is the heart of this entire show. So the real highlights come from the footwork shown off by said stars.

Impressive Dance Routines Made Bond Night A Night To Remember

Out of all of the pairs competing on Dancing with the Stars’ Bond Night, there were four in particular that blew me away. Opening the evening with a No Time To Die-inspired set, social media star Charli D’Amelio and dancer Mark Ballas pulled off some amazing feats, despite the “story” element of their routine coming off a bit hokey. Again, I know it’s the nature of this beast, so that one’s on me.

The night was still full of other stunning acts and rousing renditions of everything the James Bond canon had to offer. Which led me to enjoy some amazing dancing by singer Jordan Sparks and dancer Brandon Armstrong, as they put on a perfect performance mapping with Licence to Kill’s title track in spirit and energy. Coincidentally, Sparks had previously sang backup for Gladys Knight, the singer behind that very track, and she felt like even more of a natural fit.

However, the two most impressive performances in Dancing With The Stars’ James Bond extravaganza came from Selma Blair and Joseph Baena. Paired respectively with dancers Sasha Farber and Alexis Warr, Blair and Baena stunned with some surprising challenges added to their routines. For the bodybuilding son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, that included lifting Alexis into the air and having her drop back into his arms during their “Writing’s On The Wall” set routine.

Without question, Selma Blair’s set was the star of the show for me. After having what she called “MS leg” during last week’s performance, Blair admitted to some sensory overload being behind it. This led Sasha Farber to introduce a blindfold into their dance, which was set to a personal favorite Bond theme for Selma and her late mother, “For Your Eyes Only.” Paying tribute to that family connection, Selma Blair stole the whole night; and she did it blindfolded, while continuing to show how representation for Multiple Sclerosis matters.

I don’t know how much I’ll return to this series outside of themed nights such as “Bond Night.” Dancing with the Stars is still interesting from afar, but not something I feel too connected too in terms of what I consider appointment viewing. At the same time, I’ll never say never, as there are some competitors I’m rooting for this season, and if James Bond were ever to return, I’d be a fool not to tune in. 

Should you want to catch “Bond Night” or any other action from Season 31 of Dancing with the Stars, you don’t need a license to kill. You do need a Disney+ subscription though, as the former ABC fixture is now a streaming original, airing live on Mondays at 8 PM ET. To those who are loyal viewers, I hope you keep your streaming devices fired up and your martinis cool for the rest of this thrilling competition. Also, sorry to hear about Pasha Paskov getting eliminated in Week 2, as that would kind of make him the Timothy Dalton of Season 31. 

Multiple sclerosis is a disease that impacts the brain and the spinal cord. Someone very recognizable in the entertainment industry who has this disease is Legally Blonde’s Selma Blair who was diagnosed back in 2018. Ever since her diagnosis, this courageous actress has not only shared the story of her experience with MS but the importance of the entertainment industry to leave room for all people with disabilities. 

When Selma Blair was experiencing abnormalities with her health, she would have never guessed it was MS she was struggling with. If anything, she thought her dropping things, occasional falls, foggy memory, and her left side “asking for directions from a broken GPS” were just from a pinched nerve. Blair spoke to Variety about the power of storytelling and how she wished she heard about MS representation from another person in the industry to avoid feeling alone in her diagnosis.

Now that the 50-year-old actress knows all about her MS diagnosis, she fully embraces it and has discovered the importance for people with disabilities to have the same opportunities as everyone else. Not only has she expressed her wishes in the past about putting out her own clothing line for people with MS, but to help the entertainment industry follow Google’s toolkit (All In) to build more inclusive and accessible media. She’s had conversations with Andraéa LaVant, president and founder of LaVant Consulting Inc., who's made it her mission to empower brands to seek out disability awareness. She taught her if you want change to come for those with disabilities, who better to consult with than those actually in the community?

There have been plenty of movies where actors without disabilities have portrayed people within this community like Born on the Fourth of July, My Left Foot, Me Before You, and others. Even Ryan Cranston played a quadriplegic man in The Upside was not without backlash because of that casting choice. The Selma Blair continued to speak about the importance of having stories about disabilities told by people actually going through them. 

Selma Blair ended her talk by explaining that disability inclusion is all about making a commitment to learning not just about the disability in general, but how to use more inclusive descriptions. For example, in Blair’s own memoir Mean Baby, she used the term “wheelchair-bound” when it wasn’t until All In taught her the better term would be “wheelchair user.” There is so much more everyone can learn about disability inclusion in order to grow more as people. 

The Michigan native continued to speak about how she used to feel so alone at the start of her diagnosis as well as not seeing a story similar to hers expressed on-screen. However, she does shed light on what made her diagnosis “freeing.”

In recent years, there have been breakthroughs in disability awareness. This year’s Best Picture winner was none other than CODA which was a story about a deaf family played by deaf actors. There have been great strides for deaf characters to be played by deaf actors in movies and television. There have also been real-life wheelchair users in shows like Sex Education, Breaking Bad, and The Walking Dead. Even the hit Hulu movie Run hired wheelchair-using actress, Kiera Allen, to play one of the leads which luckily wasn’t overshadowed by people reportedly faking disabilities to star in the movie. There is, of course, more that can be done for upcoming movies and new shows going forward in regards to making room for those with disabilities. Whether you are in front of the camera or off, everyone in the entertainment industry deserves to have a voice and we’re lucky to have people like Selma Blair to raise awareness of that.

One of my all-time favorite movies is Legally Blonde. If someone held me hostage and told me I had to quote the entire movie to live, I’d be freed in a heartbeat. 

Okay, while that may be a bit of an exaggeration, I do love this movie, from the moment I first watched it to now, years later, and it got me wondering about where the cast of this iconic comedy is today, from Reese Witherspoon all the way down to Linda Cardellini. With Legally Blonde 3 in the works, let’s take a look at where the Legally Blonde cast is today, more than twenty years later.  

Reese Witherspoon (Elle Woods)

Reese Witherspoon was the perfect Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. I don’t think anyone could have played the role better. Understandably, Witherspoon’s career has taken off even more since her appearance in the classic. 

Witherspoon has appeared in many of her best movies, that have done well both critically and financially, since Legally Blonde 2. This includes the funny romantic comedy, Sweet Home Alabama, the critically acclaimed Walk the Line (for which she won an Academy Award), Mud, Inherent Vice, and more. She’s also stepped into voice-acting, including a performance in Sing, and reprising her role in the Sing 2 cast. 

She’s also had a successful career in television, with leading roles in shows such as the HBO original, Big Little Lies, the Apple TV+ series, The Morning Show, and the Hulu original series, Little Fires Everywhere, all of which were received very well and earned her several nominations. She’s also actively working on the Legally Blonde 3 script with writer Mindy Kaling, so it won’t be long before we see her return as Elle Woods!

Luke Wilson (Emmett Richmond)

Emmett was the perfect love interest in Legally Blonde, and he was played by the talented Luke Wilson. Since his appearance, besides reappearing in Legally Blonde 2, he’s been in plenty of big movies. They include the comedy, Old School, the Anchorman series alongside Will Ferrell, The Skeleton Twins, High Voltage, Zombieland: Double Tap, All the Bright Places, and more. 

Wilson has also had success on TV. He played Levi Callow on Enlightened for a few years, Bill on Roadies, and recently, took on the role of Pat Dugan/S.T.R.I.P.E. on the CW’s Stargirl. I can’t wait to see what he does next. 

Selma Blair (Vivian Kensington)

I’m pretty sure at first we all hated Vivian, but slowly, she started to grow on us in Legally Blonde. Vivian was played by Selma Blair, who has had success in both film and TV. Some of her biggest hits have been the Hellboy movies, directed by Guillermo del Toro, as Liz Sherman, the After franchise, The Sweetest Thing, and more. 

On television, she’s had some huge roles on comedies such as Kath and Kim, Anger Management, Another Life, and more. She’s also had several recurring roles on series like Lost in Space on Netflix, Heathers, Out There, and more. She even played Kris Jenner in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, really showing off her dramatic skills. 

Matthew Davis (Warner Huntington III)

Let’s all say it - Warner was one of the biggest jerks in cinema history, and he was played by Matthew Davis. Since his role in Legally Blonde, Davis has mainly kept his talents on television. While he has appeared in movies like Into the Sun, S. Darko and more, his biggest role thus far has been as a part of The Vampire Diaries universe. 

For several years, he has played Alaric Saltzman. The character first appeared on The Vampire Diaries, and then on The Originals, and is currently on Legacies. He’s also had a main role on the show What About Brian, as well as recurring roles on shows like Damages, Cult, and even CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. 

Victor Garber (Professor Callahan)

There’s also that professor who seems like he's a good guy, but it turns out he's completely not, and that was the disgusting Professor Callahan, played by the (not disgusting) Victor Garber. He's been active in both movies and TV for some time. 

Garber has appeared in films like Milk, Take Me Home, Argo, Sicario, the Hulu original movie, Happiest Season, and more. On television, he portrayed Jack Bristow in Alias for several years, Oliver Roth on ReGenesis, Jordan Wethersby on Eli Stone, Simon Stern in Power, Martin Stein in The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, Admiral Halsey in The Orville, and had several guest roles that are too numerous to put here. 

Jennifer Coolidge (Paulette Bonafonte)

Raise your hands if Paulette was one of your favorite characters (*raises hand). Truly, a legend, and only a legend would be played by the legendary Jennifer Coolidge. Since her role in Legally Blonde, Coolidge has been at the top of her game, appearing in hilarious movies and amazing TV shows. 

Some of her biggest hits besides Legally Blonde 2 have been A Cinderella Story, Mascots, For Your Consideration, Promising Young Woman, the Netflix original movie, Single All the Way, and as part of the American Pie cast. And, from what Reese Witherspoon told The Hollywood Reporter, she’s also set to come back in Legally Blonde 3.

Coolidge has had some major roles on TV shows, like the sitcom Joey, the drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager, and 2 Broke Girls. As of 2021, she was a part of The White Lotus cast, which has been brought back as an anthology series for HBO. She’s also had a pretty great career in voice-acting, with some of her highlights being the Disney Channel original shows Fish Hooks and Gravity Falls. 

Holland Taylor (Professor Elspeth Stromwell)

Another character that I think we all grew to like, Professor Stromwell was a tough-as-nails professor who truly cared about her students succeeding, and that included Elle Woods. Holland Taylor, who played the professor in Legally Blonde, is another actress who has been in the business for a while. 

Taylor’s appeared in a couple of the Spy-Kids films, as well as other big hits like Bombshell, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Stand In, and many others.

On television, you might have seen her in the hit sitcom, Two and a Half Men, where she played Evelyn Harper for the series’ full run. She also voiced Ruth Orwell in Electric City, played Ida Silver on Mr. Mercedes, portrayed Ellen Kincaid in Hollywood, played Professor Joan Hambling on The Chair, and has a recurring role on The Morning Show. Alongside all these big roles, she’s had plenty of guest appearances, as well.  

Ali Larter (Brooke Taylor-Windham)

Next up, we have Brooke, who was the main client (and former sorority sister) that Elle was defending in Legally Blonde. Brooke was played by Ali Larter, who has appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows. Some of her biggest hits include The Resident Evil franchise as Claire Redfield, Obsessed, Lovesick, and others. 

Her biggest role thus far was playing the characters Niki/Jessica/Gina Sanders on the NBC hit, Heroes. After that, she would have main roles in shows like Legends and Pitch, as well as guest spots on many other TV programs. She’s also had a recurring role in the police procedural series, The Rookie, playing Dr. Grace Sawyer.  

Jessica Cauffiel (Margot)

Margot was one of Elle’s best friends in Legally Blonde, and she was played by Jessica Cauffiel. After appearing in the comedy and its sequel, Cauffiel had some appearances in other memorable comedies, like White Chicks and Hoot. 

She also had recurring roles on The Drew Carey Show and My Name is Earl. While she did take a break from acting for a bit to focus on producing and writing for a little while, like for the documentary, Master, hopefully she can return as Margot in Legally Blonde 3.

Alanna Ubach (Serena McGuire)

The second half of Elle's best friends in Legally Blonde was Serena, who was played by Alanna Ubach. The actress has appeared in a number of movies, including Meet the Fockers, Bad Teacher, the Netflix film To the Bone, the Pixar animated movie, Coco (as Mama Imelda), Bombshell, and more, though a big focus has been television and her voice work. 

Since 2001, Ubach has worked on several animated shows, such as Team Supremo, Ozzy & Drix, Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, Higglytown Heroes, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Pound Puppies, Mad, Monsters at Work, and more. She’s also appeared on shows such as Euphoria, The West Wing, Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce, Californication, and many more. 

Francesca P. Roberts (Judge Marina R. Bickford)

While Judge Marina wasn’t in Legally Blonde for long, she made an impact with her character and attitude in the court battle. The judge was played by Francesca P. Roberts, who has had a great career in television since her appearance in Legally Blonde. 

She’s appeared on shows like Empire, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Shameless, Law & Order: LA, Boston Legal, Big Shots, Judging Amy, Grey’s Anatomy, and many others. She has appeared in smaller films, but TV is where it’s really at for Roberts. 

Oz Perkins (David Kidney)

David is another one of those characters where you never quite forget this face and personality, and his interactions with Elle were always the best in Legally Blonde. Oz Perkins portrayed David in Legally Blonde, and has been active in the movie and TV industry both on and off the screen. 

Some of his acting roles have included the movies La Cucina, Secretary, Electric Slide, and others. His TV roles are mainly guest roles on shows like the recently rebooted The Twilight Zone, October Road, Alias, and more. He has, however, directed and produced many fun thriller and horror movies, like Gretel & Hansel, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House and more. 

Linda Cardellini (Chutney Windham)

Last but not least, we have the perm queen herself, Chutney Windham, played by Linda Cardellini, a queen of Hollywood, in my opinion. Since her appearance, Cardellini has appeared in films like the Scooby-Doo franchise as Velma, the Avengers franchise as Laura Barton, Brokeback Mountain, Green Book, the Daddy’s Home series, A Simple Favor alongside Blake Lively, The Curse of La Llorona, Capone, and many others. 

Cardellini has worked on a variety of shows, both live-action and animated. With voice roles, she’s had main parts in shows like Regular Show, Gravity Falls, Sanjay and Craig, and more. One of her biggest on-screen roles was in ER, where she played Samantha Taggart. She had a recurring role as Abby Day on New Girl, played Meg Rayburn on Bloodline, and currently plays Judy Hale on Netflix's Dead to Me. 

Recently, she also appeared as Laura Barton again recently, but this time in the Hawkeye TV series on Disney+. 

All these stars, and so much to watch. Now, if only Legally Blonde 3 could come out soon, I’d be happy.  

This upcoming week marks the 20th anniversary of a hot pink classic, Legally Blonde. The movie starring Reese Witherspoon is incredibly quotable, empowering and continues to be a ton of fun to revisit two decades later. At the end of it, Elle Woods memorably addresses Harvard’s graduating class as “Perfect Day” takes us into the credits. The graduation sequence was not the original plan for the final moments of the 2001 comedy. Brace yourself to bend and snap at these unexpected alternate endings.

The ending we see in the movie was decided following Legally Blonde being shown to test audiences and the previous one not playing as the writers had hoped. In the version we see, the movie remains centered on Elle Woods’ achievements in Harvard as she walks out the door of the university after telling her fellow graduates to have faith in oneself first instead of trying to please or serve other people. It perfectly encapsulates the character’s growth throughout the film. Now let’s talk about what might have been.

Alternate Ending 1: Elle And Vivian Get Super Close

In celebration of the movie’s anniversary, a number of cast members along with the film’s writers spoke with The New York Times about the making of the movie. While discussing the ending, actress Jessica Cauffiel, who plays Elle’s friend Margot remembered reading this:

The screenwriters deny writing this particular ending, but along with Cauffiel, Alanna Ubach, the last BFF in Elle’s trio Serena, also remembered the same scene being part of the script. However, one of Legally Blonde’s writers Karen McCullah did say this of an ending involving more Elle and Vivian goodness:

It definitely would have been an unexpected conclusion to the classic. Selma Blair’s Vivian is the new girlfriend Elle’s ex Warner has when she goes to Harvard. At first Elle and Vivian are basically enemies, but once they get to know each other, they become friendly. Elle Woods would have been a gay icon had this happened and this enemies to lovers scenario sounds right out of a Legally Blonde fan fiction, but I gotta say, I kind of dig it.

Alternate Ending 2: A Musical Number

Jessica Cauffiel also shared a second alternate ending that is almost too good to believe. Here’s what she said:

Hey, it was the early ‘00s, this absolutely could have been the ending to Legally Blonde. Especially now as the movie itself inspired a popular Broadway musical. But, let’s get into the last alternate ending that led the writers to land on the actual ending.

Alternate Ending 3: Elle And Emmett’s Happily Ever

After McCullah’s screenwriting partner on Legally Blonde Meredith Scott Lynn opened up about the ending that made it close to the final cut before test audiences shot it down. In her words:

Legally Blonde was never a rom-com and audiences knew it. If the Elle and Emmett kiss was at the end it would have felt like one. Even though we love the budding romance between Elle and Luke Wilson’s character, it’s more about her personal journey of becoming a lawyer. It’s definitely interesting to see what could have been 20 years after Legally Blonde’s release as a third movie approaches. You can decide how you like the ending by streaming the movie over on Netflix now.

The 1980s get a lot of credit, as a decade, for perfecting the teenage movie genre. So much of that goes to the work of John Hughes, who delivered such iconic entries to the teen pool as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. But don’t sleep on the decade that followed, the 1990s, because a healthy share of memorable teen movies are beloved by a generation and considered classics. Roger Kumble’s Cruel Intentions absolutely falls into that realm, with the soapy drama capturing the hearts of naughty teens who subscribed to Drama, with a capital D, in their drama. Cruel Intentions co-star Selma Blair tapped into the movie’s heat recently when she posted this photo on Instagram, which featured a look at her character, Cecile. All it took was hair clips to recapture that magic.

First off, Selma Blair is 48, and looks like she just stepped off the set of Cruel Intentions, which was released in theatres in 1999. That’s amazing. Secondly, it’s wild how a simple alteration to an actress’s hair can instantly call to mind the look that they achieved for a character in a popular film. It’d be like Alicia Silverstone wore that yellow, plaid blazer that she made famous in Clueless. Oh wait, she did that for Halloween in 2017.

Anyway, back to Selma Blair, whose Instagram post immediately started to draw out her Cruel Intentions family, which was delightful. The amazing Sarah Michelle Gellar chimed in with a very on brand reference:

This joke points to the scene where Gellar’s manipulative character, Kathryn, is tricking Cecile into sleeping with as many men as possible, telling her there’s a “secret society” of people who make love but don’t talk about it. Not one to be outdone Cruel Intentions director also made his own joke that will make fans of the film very happy.

Brace yourself for this math: Cruel Intentions celebrated its 20th anniversary two years ago, and is fast approaching its milestone 25th anniversary. That’s going to make all of the teenagers who treated the drama like a guilty pleasure feel super old. There’s only one way to properly celebrate it, however. Pop the movie on a revel in its sinister cheesiness. There’s no denying that Cruel Intentions had one of the most impressive young casts of a 1990s teen movie. In addition to the aforementioned Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair, the movie featured Reese WItherspoon, Ryan Phillippe, Joshua Jackson, Sean Patrick Thomas, Swoozie Kurtz, Tara Reid and Christine Baranski. It’s a delight, from top to bottom.

Where do you rank Cruel Intentions on your 1990s teen movie list? Has it been a while since you last saw it? No matter how long it has been, I can guarantee you that the photo posted by Selma Blair took you right back to the first time you watched it. You probably even heard “Bitter Sweet Symphony” by The Verve playing in your head automatically. It was a ’90s thing.

17 years ago, director Guillermo del Toro put the Hellboy franchise on the cinematic map thanks to his 2004 adaptation of creator Mike Mignola’s landmark comic. What followed was a fan-favorite that gave del Toro a chance to scale his unique voice into blockbuster strength, as well as another chance for Ron Perlman to endear himself with genre fans. To commemorate the film’s anniversary, Mignola celebrated his creation’s jump to the big screen with a sweet social media post.

Honoring the April 2, 2004 premiere of Hellboy, Mike Mignola recalled the film rather fondly with a Twitter message detailing just how hard it was to make that first movie a reality. With heartfelt thanks to Guillermo del Toro for making it happen, Mignola heralded the day with a photo of Ron Perlman and Selma Blair as Hellboy and Liz to seal the sweetness deal. Here’s what he had to say:

As Mike Mignola noted in his Hellboy celebration post, the path to getting that original film made was a pretty rough road. Part of the reason was because studios weren’t sold on Ron Perlman as a leading man, while others just weren’t sold on the concept in general. But through perseverance and hard work, Guillermo del Toro not only got one film out of the deal, he actually managed to get a sequel made four years later with Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

Of course, this is the part of the story where Hellboy fans start to get a bit sad, and for good reason. While a trilogy was planned, Hellboy III never happened, leading to a 2019 reboot that, while also being endorsed by Mike Mignola, sadly crashed and burned in theaters. Though some still hold out hope for Guillermo del Toro to finish his trilogy of films, it’s pretty much a prospect that’s been burned and buried on sacred ground.

Still, the memories inspired by Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army are wonderful things that fans can carry with them. In fact, after 17 years, the greatest lesson that could be learned is the fact that out of all things in the world, faith is what gave us all Hellboy in the first place. It may not be the sort of faith that’s you’d typically think of when invoking that word, but the warmth of fans kept this orphan of an occult ritual as warm and cared for as Dr. Bruttenholm himself.

While things didn’t wrap up as audiences, Guillermo del Toro or even Mike Mignola would have liked to have seen, Hellboy still exists with two stellar entries in its feature film canon. Though its cinematic future is an unknown quantity at this time, fond memories will continue to keep us all hoping that some day, we'll get to see Hellboy in theaters again. Until then, we'll just have to hope that Ron Perlman and Guillermo del Toro can somehow work their dark magic and get Hellboy III made in some shape or form.

Intimacy has a very different look in 2020 – and it's even impacting fun movie homages. Take, for example, the reunion between Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar last night during the MTV Movie & TV Awards Greatest Of All Time special. The two attempted to recreate a memorable moment from their cult favorite romantic drama Cruel Intentions, but as you can see watching the video below, certain COVID-19 restrictions got in the way.

The aforementioned award show was held on Sunday night in lieu of the normal annual MTV Movie & TV Awards, and it turned out to be a wonderful evening for Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar, as they together won the prize for Legendary Lip Lock – celebrating their famous kiss from Cruel Intentions (which originally won Best Kiss back at the 2000 MTV Movie Awards). The two actors recreated the moment for 2020 in a video submission accepting the popcorn trophy, and in the clip the effort is comedically impeded by a transparent barrier placed between the performers for health purposes. After a brief moment of the women trying to power through it, they turn to the camera and say,

In case you've somehow managed to totally space on the scene in discussion here, you can relive all the magic via the Cruel Intentions clip below:

It's a great video, and part of what makes it so funny is just reflecting on the original scene's legacy. Roger Kumble's Cruel Intentions (a semi-remake of Dangerous Liaisons) was a hit when it was first released in 1999, and at the time the girl-on-girl kiss was seen as ripe for parody – particularly because of the string of saliva that can be seen between the lips of the actresses. For example, the scene was redone in the teen romance sendup Not Another Teen Movie (with Mia Kirshner and Beverly Polcyn doing the kissing), and even the MTV Movie Awards ended up making fun of it in 2002 with Alyson Hannigan and Jamie Pressley.

The bit eventually got a tad tired, but this new video is perfect and a fun nostalgia trip. It doesn't quite have the amount of saliva as the original, but you do have to appreciate the little extra lick that Selma Blair gives the transparent shield while her co-star is speaking.

Only making the reunion much sweeter, Selma Blair posted to Instagram with latest Golden Popcorn prize, reflecting on Cruel Intentions and what it (and the kiss) meant for her career:

If you're like us and the nostalgia is hitting, and you feel you need to do something about it, the good news is that there is an easy remedy: just watch Cruel Intentions! The film, which co-stars Reese Witherspoon, Ryan Phillipe, Joshua Jackson, and Louise Fletcher in addition to Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair, is now available instantly for all HBO Max subscribers. And if you don't have an account, the movie can also be rented or purchased at various digital retailers, and is out on Blu-ray and DVD.

Selma Blair, who stars in Netflix’s Another Life, recently made a big life change. The actress revealed a brand new look over the weekend, noting that she ultimately opted to shave her head following a setback to her immune system due to her MS diagnosis.

Selma Blair revealed a few days ago that she had been immunocompromised with Multiple Sclerosis, which basically means for the next three months she’ll have to take particular care to avoid being sick as she is currently immunocompromised. Part of her journey has included hair loss, and the actress has posted on social media about how she cut her remaining hair off when the hair loss got bad. She debuted her brand new look recently on social media, revealing more about what has been going on with her health in recent weeks. She said:

The actress noted back in October of 2018 that she had been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. At the time, she thanked Netflix and Another Life for allowing her to keep her job despite difficulties, which she said at the time included falling “sometimes” and having a “foggy” memory.

In the time since her diagnosis, Selma Blair has decided to be upfront about her journey with the disease. She’s written myriad posts explaining both struggles and triumphs in her battle with MS and she’s used her celebrity to bring awareness of the disease to the forefront. She’s even discussed wanting to put together a clothing line for people going through the same sorts of difficulties.

More recently, the actress took another closer look at her new shaved head look as she relaxed on a Sunday afternoon near the pool.

In a previous post, the actress also mentioned a difficulty with a scab that had trouble healing, as well as a hope that her eyebrows remain intact through her Multiple Sclerosis treatment. She posted:

Battling MS is not an easy thing, but it’s admirable that Selma Blair is opting to make her journey public so that people can understand more about the disease. She, like other celebrities who have dealt with medical conditions, can often do more to bring awareness by remaining in the limelight.

Blair’s new Netflix series Another Life first dropped on the streaming service at the end of July. The series also stars Battlestar Galactica alum Katee Sackhoff, who previously worked on the Netflix transplant Longmire.

We haven’t heard whether or not the sci fi series will return for Season 2, yet, although Netflix has shown more of a penchant for cancelling programming more recently than it has in previous years.

However, all 10 episodes can currently be binged to your hearts content. You can see what else is headed to streaming with our full August Netflix schedule.

Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair have known each other for a good while. They appeared in Scream 2 together, and they were also in one of the most famous scenes in 1999's thriller Cruel Intentions. While they haven't worked together in awhile, they haven't lost their affection for each other. In fact, when it was tragically announced that Selma Blair had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, it was certainly hard news to hear. But when Blair made her way onto the Oscars red carpet this weekend, Sarah Michelle Gellar wanted to take a moment to celebrate her long-time friend and fellow actress. She posted:

The emotional message from Sarah Michelle Gellar paid tribute to her former co-star. She called Selma Blair a "dear friend" and she claimed that it would be a "gross understatement" to say she's "proud." The former Buffy star was deeply moved by Blair's confidence when she appeared in front of cameras galore at the Oscars ceremony, and she was equally gratified to see her friend talk about multiple sclerosis on Good Morning America. It can be hard to talk publicly about this personal and heartbreaking condition, especially during this early stage, but Blair used her celebrity profile to raise a wealth of awareness to the debilitating disease, and Sarah Michelle Gellar fully commended Blair for her ongoing bravery.

It was back in October when Selma Blair revealed with a heavy heart that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. When she first announced the news on social media, Blair paid special notice to Sarah Michelle Gellar as one of the close friends who helped her during this tremendously difficult point in her life, and the film/TV actress expressed thanks and gratitude to her other friends, along with her family and co-workers, as she continued to battle this difficult disease with each new day.

In particular, this part of Sarah Michelle Gellar's quote stood out:

Meanwhile, Sarah Michelle Gellar wasn't the only former Selma Blair collaborator who commented on the actress' return to the public spotlight this weekend. Guillermo Del Toro, who directed Blair in 2004's Hellboy and 2008's Hellboy II: The Golden Army, celebrated the star's appearance on the red carpet and he said the following flattering, fawning words on Twitter after the pictures appeared online. He said.

It remains a tough time for Selma Blair during this battle with MS. But thankfully, the actress is supported by her caring friends, including Sarah Michelle Gellar.

On social media over the weekend, Selma Blair made a heartbreaking personal announcement: she has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The actress discovered the news in August, as she admits in the post, although Blair believes the symptoms have been around for a few years, at least. While it has been a difficult time for the film and television actress, Blair is thankful for the support she receives from her family, friends, and co-workers on Another Life, Netflix's forthcoming sci-fi drama, which is currently filming. Here's what Blair wrote:

As Selma Blair confesses in the open and honest Instagram post, she is in "the thick of it" when it comes the debilitating disease. Still, the actress offered this personal news to hopefully inspire others who may also be struggling with this difficult journey, either themselves or through a loved one's illness.

Selma Blair says it can be "overwhelming," but she is thankful for all the people who help her, both personally and professionally, as she pushes forward every single day. She continued:

Selma Blair recently learned about this MS diagnosis in the late summer, but the actress believes she has potentially had this disease for "15 years at least." Tragically, multiple sclerosis is incurable, and she has met with many challenges as she persists forward, with more to come.

But Selma Blair is thankful to both have the knowledge and the ability to share it.

There's no doubt that Selma Blair's heartwrenching revelation is a difficult one to learn, but we are thankful to know that the actress is continuing to move forward as best she can. She has a wide wealth of support from a variety of different people keeping her focused on the bright side.

After James Gunn was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by Disney over controversial tweets from a decade ago, he was met by a wave of support from fans and people from Hollywood, most notably the entire cast of the Guardians franchise. Some people quit Twitter as a show of support, including actress Selma Blair. She has since continued to back Gunn after his firing. and while it's still unclear if Disney will rehire him over the backlash, Blair recently explained the situation is more nuanced than it appears.

Since Disney fired James Gunn for tweets joking about rape an pedophilia from 10 years ago, a debate has sparked over whether it was the right or wrong move from the Mouse House. The crux of the argument is that while the tweets are generally considered to be in poor taste, Gunn is not the same person that he was 10 years ago, nor is the political landscape that the jokes were originally told in. People continue to debate whether someone can be held accountable for old social media posts, and while Selma Blair is not defending the tweets themselves, she knows the character of the man who made them.

Even though she doesn't expect Disney to pay any attention to her, Blair continued to tell TMZ that it was still important to show support and have a balance between the two opposing sides of the argument.

As people continue to support or attack James Gunn, the fate of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is up in the air. Marvel has made no announcement regarding the film, whether it will be delayed, or the search for a director. It's unknown if the studio is currently searching for a new director or who would be on the list to helm the movie.

There have been conflicting reports over whether or not Disney is evaluating the decision to rehire Gunn, but you can bet that we will be paying close attention to the situation, so stick with CinemaBlend for all the latest updates.

A few short days ago, Cameron Diaz's former co-star Selma Blair told a story about meeting the actress for lunch to talk about revisiting The Sweetest Thing. Following the meeting, she told reporters that Diaz was uninterested and didn't need to make any more films because she had a happy home life. Now, however, Blair is backtracking on her earlier comments and said that Cameron Diaz is not retired, after all. According to Blair's emoji-filled post:

When Selma Blair first commented on the status of Cameron Diaz's career a few days ago, learning the 45-year-old actress might be retired wasn't that huge of a surprise. If you've kept tabs on Diaz over the past few years, you may have noticed she hasn't actually acted in a while. In fact, the last time we saw Cameron Diaz on the big screen was in the 2014 flick Annie. Now, we're well into 2018 and she doesn't seem to have any projects on the horizon, and she's spoken out previously about why she took a step back from acting. However, although she's not currently acting, Blair has clarified she didn't mean to imply the actress was done with acting for good.

The funny lady later joked on Twitter that she had one big question after the incident, noting,

The news that Cameron Diaz might have actually retired from acting was always based on secondhand evidence from Selma Blair, so we're glad to see the actress come out and clarify that she was just messing around when she first said Diaz was retired. Although at the time, she specifically said that Diaz has a great life and that she didn't "know what it would take to bring her back," which lent credence to her comments. It's entirely possible Diaz is just happy for now and taking a prolonged break but still plans to act in the future at some point, and didn't want word on the street to be that she was retired. Or perhaps Blair just realized how she came off after the interview came out. No matter what exactly happened, Cameron Diaz isn't retired. At least not officially. So if your hope was for a Knight and Day 2 at some point, those hopes have not been totally dashed.

We'll let you know if Cameron Diaz ever says yes to another script. In the meantime, you can catch Selma Blair in the Heathers remake, although that has been put on the backburner for now. (Not retired yet, though.)

Horror storytelling is a compelling concept. In many cases, the more that we learn about a given universe, the less interesting or scary it becomes. That's something that director Brian Taylor recognized in the creation of his new film Mom and Dad, a movie following a group of kids trying to survive when their parents (Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair) mysteriously enter a murderous rage. In fact, CinemaBlend recently spoke to Blair about the decision to avoid explaining anything in the film, and she admitted that it's better not to think too deeply about the how or why of a story like this, saying:

Is it magic? Is it technology? Is it some sort of science that we do not understand yet? As it turns out, none of that actually matters. Mom and Dad centers merely on the horror that unfolds when all of the parents around the world decide to murder their children when exposed to a mysterious static. It's not concerned with where the static came from; it's just a catalyst to get the story going.

Moreover, there's also a case to be made that it seems more realistic for a movie like Mom and Dad to avoid delving into the mythology of the homicidal static that forces parents to go after their kids. The film focuses its story on a single family caught in the middle of the chaos, and it seems doubtful that an average family would be able to actually figure out the cause of such madness in such a short amount of time. At a lean 80-minute runtime, the film works better because it leans into the confusion.

That's not to say that there isn't DNA of other movies present in Mom and Dad's storyline. As pointed out by Selma Blair during our interview with her, the former Hellboy star made a specific point to mention the fact that the movie maintains several hallmarks of the B-movie genre. In that regard, we can definitely trace the influence of classic horror movies like The Crazies or Invasion of the Body Snatchers in its narrative, not to mention the late George A. Romero's entire Dead franchise.

You can currently catch Mom and Dad in theaters, as well as on Digital HD and VOD, and it is getting solid reviews in the process. Looking ahead to the rest of the films gearing up to hit the silver screen this year, make sure to head over to CinemaBlend's 2018 movie premiere guide as well!

Hellboy is about to come back in a major way with The Descent director Neil Marshall behind the camera and Stranger Things actor David Harbour under the filed-down horns. That said, the reboot has proved divisive among many fans of Guillermo del Toro's work on Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army, and that mentality has extended to original Hellboy actress Selma Blair. In fact, Blair recently opened up to CinemaBlend while discussing her new film Mom and Dad and admitted that she has faith in Marshall and Harbour, but that her "heart is broken" over the reboot. Blair explained:

There definitely appears to be a certain sense of internal conflict in terms of how Selma Blair feels about the decision to reboot Hellboy. On the one hand, she seems supportive of people like Neil Marshall, David Harbour and Mike Mignola, and she seems interested in their vision for where to take the red-tinted anti-hero. On the other hand, she also knows what Guillermo del Toro's third installment in the proposed Hellboy trilogy would've been, and she remains on his side over how things went down between the filmmaker and Mignola when the decision was made to switch things up.

Beyond Selma Blair's comments about the Hellboy reboot to CinemaBlend, it also sounds like we shouldn't expect her to reprise her role as Liz Sherman in the new continuity anytime soon. Following the announcement of a full-blown reboot (rather than the third installment that many, including Blair, wanted) the actress was asked if she would get in on the action alongside David Harbour at some point. In the face of that question, she responded that her "heart lies with Guillermo del Toro" and that she wouldn't return to the franchise without him involved.

Of course, none of this means to say that there aren't reasons to be excited about what's coming in the Hellboy world. Everything that we have learned about the reboot promises a much darker and grittier take on the material compared to what we're used to seeing, and David Harbour has already promised a very physical and intense performance, complete with real muscles that utterly destroyed his dad bod. It's just not Guillmero del Toro's Hellboy, and that's what doesn't sit right with Selma Blair.

So while it looks like we're not going to see Selma Blair in a new Hellboy movie anytime soon, you can currently catch her in Mom and Dad, which is now in theaters and on Digital HD and VOD. As for the new Hellboy, it's currently slated for release on January 11, 2019.

Being a parent is not an easy job. Between immaturity, thoughtlessness and general rebellion, kids can be a total nightmare - which may sometimes lead to the occasional violent thought. As you can see in the trailer below, the new horror movie Mom and Dad takes this concept and really cranks it up to 11 - and the results look pretty crazy and funny. Check it out now!

We first learned about this film's development last summer, and it looks just as crazy as we were hoping, Sure, Nicolas Cage has been known to make a whole lot of crappy movies during his career, but the insanity of Mom and Dad and its perceived level of satire look like they could be perfect for a performer as manic as Cage. We now find ourselves very much looking forward to the finished product. For reasons provided it's not everyday that we get to say that about Cage's upcoming work, so we're not taking this excitement for granted.

Written and directed by Brian Taylor - whose credits include the Crank movies and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance - Mom and Dad centers on the Ryan family, an ordinary suburban clan dealing with everyday issues. Those everyday issues quickly turn into extraordinary issues, however, when a mysterious mass hysteria begins that sees parents violently turning against their kids and trying to straight up murder them. The story primarily focuses on young Carly (Anne Winters) and Josh (Zackary Arthur), who must fend off the serious and deadly attacks from their dad, Brent (Nicolas Cage) and mom, Kendall (Selma Blair), over a disturbing 24 hour time period. Will they figure out what's causing the madness? Will they successfully survive the onslaught without needing to kill their attackers? We'll just have to wait and find out.

Watching this trailer reminds us that the horror genre really seems to be on fire lately, and that streak seems to be continuing into 2018. We got some amazing titles from the genre in 2017, with movies like Get Out, IT, Split, Annabelle: Creation, and Happy Death Day, and it looks like more will be coming in the next year. Now our excitement is piqued for Mom and Dad, but we're also very much looking forward to Insidious: The Last Key, The Strangers 2, The Meg and even the X-Men title New Mutants.

Mom and Dad made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this past September, earning some positive buzz in the process and thankfully it won't be much longer until the movie arrives in theaters for your own personal consumption. Be on the lookout for it in the next couple of weeks, as Momentum Pictures will be releasing the film starting January 19, 2018. And as for the rest of the big releases set to come out in the next year, be sure to consult our 2018 release schedule.

Between the DCEU, MCU, and X-Men franchises, there is no shortage of comic book heroes arriving on the silver screen at regular intervals. But some other smaller properties have been getting in on the game too, including the new David Harbour-led Hellboy reboot. The casting process is underway for Hellboy: Rise of The Blood Queen, with many wondering who may be taking the role of Liz-- which was played by Selma Blair in the first two films. And while it's still unclear if the character will be in the upcoming blockbuster, it turns out that Blair would have definitely turned down the project, if she were ever asked. Blair recently addressed this possibility, saying:

Now that is some hardcore loyalty. While Selma Blair starred in the original two Hellboy films, she has no interest in a third that isn't coming from the vision of director Guillermo del Toro.

In fact, Guillermo del Toro attempted to get his own Hellboy threequel made recently. After first asking the fans if they were interested via Twitter, del Toro took a few meetings with studios, while recalling the entire experience to his Twitter followers. Unfortunately a third film by del Toro got passed up, with Hellboy: Rise of The Blood Queen serving as a jumping off point for a new reboot with the iconic red character.

And while the prospect of another Hellboy film is exciting, especially given the involvement of Stranger Things' David Harbour and Milla Jovovich, the film has already had a fair amount of drama associated with it. A few weeks ago it was announced that Deadpool actor Ed Skrein had won the role of character Ben Daimio. This ended up making headlines for being another issue of white washing, similar to how originally asian characters' races were changed in Doctor Strange and Ghost in the Shell. Skrein eventually dropped out of the role in solidarity with the critics, with Lost actor Daniel Dae Kim having just replaced him.

In her same conversation with Yahoo at the Toronto International Film Festival, Selma Blair addressed this casting snafu. She praised Ed Skrein for stepping down in order to ensure that more Asian actors are given the chance to play more blockbuster roles. She said,

Of course, Daniel Dae Kim isn't exactly breaking into the business, and he's been on TV in Hawaii Five-0 for years. Nevertheless, it's a step in the right direction and Selma Blair agrees.

We'll be sure to update you on the new Hellboy movie as details become public. In the meantime, check our 2017 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

It seems like you can't turn a corner without running into a recently rebooted property or long awaited sequel. With the trend of nostalgia proving extremely profitable, no TV show or movie is safe from being brought back for modern audiences. This includes the classic cult movie Heathers. While the 1988 dark comedy was adapted into a musical a few years ago, the Heathers and Veronica will once again be returning- this time on the silver screen. The Paramount Network (formerly Spike TV) is producing a Heathers TV show, and they just landed another fantastic actress to play one of the Heathers' mothers: Selma Blair.

This news comes to us from Deadline, which reports that Selma Blair will have a recurring role in Heathers, once it hits The Paramount Network. Blair will be playing the step-mother of Heather Duke (Brendan Scannell, originally played by Shannen Doherty in the movie) named Jade. Jade is a former stripper and gold digger who is apparently waiting for Duke's elderly father to kick the bucket so that she can have a major payoff.

Selma Blair's role in Heathers comes off of her fantastic portrayal of Kris Jenner in The People v. O. J. Simpson. While not a series regular, Blair gave a captivating and layered performance of the reality TV star and momager. Aside from that, Blair has been seen on the small screen as the female lead in Anger Management, before departing the project due to disagreements with star Charlie Sheen.

To celebrate the announcement of her Heathers role, Selma Blair took to social media to tease her character. Check it out below, via her Instagram.

I'm personally very eager to see how Heathers translates to a TV adaptation. The original film has achieved cult status, featuring plot lines and dialogue that are equally ridiculous as they are hilarious. Both the film and upcoming series will focus on the life of Veronica Sawyer, a bright teenager who attempts to navigate the dangerous waters of High School. And there are no sharks as vicious as The Heathers, a trio of popular kids who delight in tormenting their peers. In the film, things take a hilarious dark turn when Veronica and her boyfriend accidentally poison Queen Bee Heather Chandler, and must attempt to cover it up while also changing their school for the better.

It's unclear how the murderous aspect of Heathers will function within the TV show, considering that they're likely going to want to keep the titular Heathers around. We'll just have to wait and see how well the concept is adapted for the small screen when Heathers eventually arrives on The Paramount Network sometime in 2018.

Are you excited to see Heathers on TV? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check out our summer premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

The superhero community has recently found itself in a very odd position with the announcement of an R-rated Hellboy reboot. Although the core idea of a new Hellboy film inherently appeals to longtime die-hard fans, the concept of entirely new talents like Stranger Things' David Harbour and The Descent's Neil Marshall stepping in has taken many of us off-guard. This revelation has led to a flurry of responses from former Hellboy insiders, but now it seems that actress Selma Blair, who played Liz Sherman in the original flicks, hopes that Harbour will remember to have fun on the set of the film, as it can all end very quickly. Here's what she had to say.

As far as goodwill goes, Selma Blair's tweet makes it fairly clear that she wishes David Harbour the best when he steps in to take on the filed down horns of the demonic badass. Given the fact that the most recent Hellboy film came out almost nine years, ago, Blair has likely made peace with the fact that a new movie in her specific continuity was likely not going to happen -- which probably makes it considerably easier to wish Harbour good luck. She doesn't give the new Hellboy actor any advice in regards to portraying the character; all she wants him to do is have fun as he steps in to replace Ron Perlman as the iconic hero.

If anyone knows how to enjoy their time on the set of a Hellboy movie, it's Selma Blair. As the love interest of the titular demonic hero in Hellboy and Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Blair's Liz Sherman consistently stood out as one of the most complex and fascinating characters in the entire Hellboy saga. Beyond that, her pyrokinetic abilities always shined as some of the coolest effects in the entire franchise; whoever replaces Blair in this role will have big shoes to fill, but also an excellent guide to help her put the character together.

Opinions toward the newly announced Hellboy reboot have run the gamut from negative to positive, and it appears that Selma Blair's mindset falls on the more optimistic side of the spectrum. When the announcement came through that Hellboy would continue without Guillermo del Toro or Ron Perlman as part of the production, the reactions from fans and Hellboy insiders alike could only be described as polarized. In fact, Hellboy actor Jeffrey Tambor took to social media yesterday to call out Hellboy creator Mike Mignola for lack of "loyalty" towards Perlman and del Toro -- whom he credits with turning the franchise into a household name.

With so few concrete details to go by right now, it's hard to pick a side definitively. On that note, David Harbour and Neil Marshall cannot be blamed for being hired on a new project, so it only seems courteous for Selma Blair to wish them well in this new version of the Hellboy story. As long as they make sure to have fun and eat plenty of cupcakes, Blair will probably approve.

CinemaBlend will keep you up to date with any and all relevant updates related to Neil Marshall's upcoming R-rated reboot of Hellboy as new information becomes available to us. For now, make sure to check out our 2017 movie premiere guide to keep yourselves up to date on all of the other awesome upcoming theatrical releases!

Like a fine wine, Cruel Intentions gets better with age. So, apparently, do the beautiful ladies who made life living hell for the insufferably handsome and self-confident Ryan Phillippe back in 1999. While there was no sign of Sebastian Valmont in this reunion pic, Reese Witherspoon, Selma Blair and Sarah Michelle Gellar made the most of their recent gathering, sharing it on social media.

The three ladies reunited at Rockwell: Table & Stage in Los Angeles to attend a performance of "The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Cruel Intentions." And though it’s unauthorized, it clearly has the blessing of three very important cast members. Reese Witherspoon shared more images of their reaction to the show as it continued:

And the Web site TooFab had video of Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair singing along to 90s staples that were part of the film’s iconic soundtrack so many years ago. You can get a sense of the ongoing production via the clip below:

Directed by Roger Kumble, Cruel Intentions was a cheeky, soap-opera-inspired adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons, only aimed at the MTV generation of the time. The ladies gathered in celebration of Kumble’s birthday, and where better to celebrate than at this Cruel Intentions performance?

While it didn’t change the way that studios made movies, it certainly helped launch – and further -- the careers of the beautiful young talents involved. Though Gellar got her start on soap operas, people forgot just how incredibly wicked she could be in a role like that of the manipulative Kathryn Merteuil. Reese Witherspoon, at the time, was playing into her type. Only recently has she really begun to risk and stretch, catching Oscar’s eye in movies like Walk the Line or, of course, Wild. Cruel Intentions since has adopted a sweet sort of cult-classic tone about it, but the deliciously fun 1999 drama is perfectly bitchy and witchy in the best ways possible. The story deserves its own musical, and I’m thrilled the ladies of Cruel Intentions enjoyed the adaptation as much as they did.

Who wants to volunteer to star opposite Charlie Sheen? If it's just for the hell of it, probably nobody-- Sheen's noxious personality and poor treatment of his co-workers is extremely well-established at this point. But because, somehow, Sheen remains a TV star, a role on his show Anger Management is still a career step-up-- and now Broadway veteran Laura Bell Bundy will be the latest actress to try her luck at Sheen's side.

THR reports that Bundy, a Tony nominee for her starring role in the stage adaptation of Legally Blonde, will be the new female lead on Anger Management, Charlie's research partner in a sex study. The part was originally described as a career-driven woman who hates herself when she eventually becomes attracted to Charlie, but Bundy appears to have transformed it a bit; her character, Dr. Jordan Denby, has some alcohol and mood issues of her own, which ought to her a much more interesting foil to Sheen than yet another woman way too intelligent to put him with his antics. Selma Blair put up with that kind of role for more than 30 episodes, but she hit a breaking point earlier this summer, departing the show after reports about her clashing with Sheen. Fair warning to Bundy: if you don't get along with the show's star, no matter what he's doing to offend you, it will definitely be you who gets the boot.

With Brian Austin Green also now a series regular, Anger Management is shuffling its cast enough to hopefully keep the comedy fresh as it cruises to the midway point of its pre-ordered 100 episodes. Ratings for the show fell sharply earlier this year, but FX is stuck with the show for a long while. And Bundy, if she's "lucky"-- hey, everybody needs a paycheck-- will be stuck with it too.

If you're not a Broadway aficionado you may recognize Bundy from any number of small parts, from a two-year stint on Guiding Light around 2000 to recent recurring roles on both How I Met Your Mother and Hart of Dixie. She's also a country singer; check out her recent single "Two Step" below.

Well, that didn't take long. Earlier this week, we learned that Anger Management stars Charlie Sheen and Selma Blair weren't getting along so well. Blair reportedly had some things to say about Sheen's work ethic and Sheen reportedly had some things to say about Blair's work status. From the latest report, which admittedly, is vague on details, it sounds like Sheen won this battle as Blair is leaving the series.

EW reported the news, citing a brief statement from Anger Management studio Lionsgate, which stated, "We are confirming that Selma Blair will not be returning to Anger Management and we wish her the very best." Of course, from this angle, it looks like Sheen got his way and she got fired, but we really don't know the details on this, and it's entirely possible, Blair left on her own accord. In the end, Sheen's the one with the track record for set issues, which causes me to want to give Blair the benefit of the doubt either way.

So the story goes, Blair was upset with Sheen being late to the set and having a "shoddy work ethic." This, according to TMZ's report, which added that Blair said Sheen was a menace to work with. Whether these comments erupted as the result of some specific incident or it was an ongoing thing, we can only speculate. But the comments prompted Sheen to demand she be fired. Or he fired her himself. That too was unclear in the original report. And now comes confirmation that she's leaving the show, which leaves the FX comedy without one of its leads. Blair played Dr. Kate Wales on the comedy, which has been on the air almost a year and is 34 episodes into its 100-episode order. Her character was a fellow therapist and colleague to Sheen's Charlie Goodson, and they were also friends with benefits.

Anger Management premiered June 2012 and is currently in its second season. The multi-camera comedy's numbers started off ok but have slipped noticeably in its second season, which prompted a temporary move to Fox this month to give the show a bit more exposure, and that's helped. Whether or not this latest development hurts or helps the series remains to be seen. We'll have to wait and see whether there are any more updates on this situation, particularly from Blair, whose latest tweet is from yesterday and sounds pretty positive:

Here's the preview for this Thursday's episode, titled "Charlie and the Airport Sext."

Anger Management airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. Et on FX.

FX took a pretty substantial leap of faith on Anger Management when they ordered the back-90 episodes of the series, taking the original 10-episode to a full 100 episodes. Unfortunately, the series hasn't exactly thrived in the ratings, resulting in a recent temporary-move to Fox for a bit of added support in the form of major network exposure. But on the bright side, the show, which stars ousted Two and a Half Men star Charlie Sheen, hasn't had much controversy since it debuted last year… until this week. As the series inches closer to its one-year anniversary, TMZ reports some serious sounding issues between Sheen and his co-star Selma Blair, which goes as far as to say that Sheen fired Blair, though that may not be official. And there's a follow-up to that situation, but we'll get to that in a second.

According to TMZ's report, Blair complained to Anger Management producers that Sheen has a shoddy work ethic, was late to set all the time and was "a menace to work with." And reportedly, Sheen found out about it and was very upset, pointing out that he's the star of the show and has to learn 40 pages of lines per episode by comparison to her 2. That sounds like a slight as much as it is an excuse or some kind of defense to her claims. Regardless, TMZ says he claims to have fired her, though it's not clear if that was official. And he reportedly gave the producers an ultimatum, stating that if Blair showed up to the set on Monday, he wouldn't work. The site goes on to mention that they hear Sheen wants to get Mila Kunis on the show for a 10-episode arc, with an offer of $1 million per episode.

Deadline has since run a follow-up piece on TMZ's report, stating that that producers of the comedy series are "hunkered down" trying to work things out. As for Blair's status on the show, that remains unclear and from the sound of it, no one's talking. But as Deadline points out, Blair was Sheen's choice for the role of Dr. Kate Wales, fellow therapist and friends with benefits to Sheen's Charlie Goodson. So it doesn't sound like there were any issues between the two actors prior to the series.

We'll have to wait and see what comes of this ordeal. In the meantime, if there's a bright side to this, the controversy could give the comedy a bit more exposure, and given the ratings slip - though the show's numbers have seen an uptick since airing on Fox - that wouldn't be such a bad thing. But the better news would be that things worked out amicably for all parties involved.

34 episodes of the series' 100 have aired so far, with Episdoe 35 - "Charlie and the Airport Sex" set to air this Thursday. Watch the preview for the episode here:

Anger Management airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on FX.

It’s no real surprise, since her name has been at the top of the list for some time, but the word came down officially today: Selma Blair will star opposite Charlie Sheen in the new comedy Anger Management. The series, which will air on FX, will be Sheen’s return to the small screen after what can only be described as a meltdown of monumental proportions.

Deadline had the official announcement today that Blair has been chosen to play the lead in the new series. She was among the actresses who tested for the two female roles and was considered a front-runner for this spot from Day 1, so this news shouldn’t surprise anyone. She’ll play Sheen’s therapist and his love interest as well. Sheen is apparently looking forward to working with Blair; he said in an interview with Access Hollywood that Blair “has never really had the chance to do something where she can shine.” He also mentioned not once, but twice how pretty she is. Because talent is one thing, but after all, this is Hollywood.

Blair’s casting fills the second major female role on the series, which already has a 10 episode order from FX. Shawnee Smith was cast last week in the other lead as Sheen’s ex-wife. Perhaps she can take tips from real-life ex Denise Richards, who divorced Sheen and ran for the hills in 2005.

Blair has had plenty of work but mostly flown under the radar; this opportunity might be just what she needs to show what she can do. And of course, how pretty she is, right Charlie?

Despite the fact that Charlie Sheen’s tiger blood spewing is seemingly over and the troubled star has receded back out of the limelight, Lionsgate TV is still moving ahead with his Anger Management television adaptation. Even though the stars days of trending are temporarily over, he should still be a pretty big draw since he was - I think - the main reason that Two and a Half Men was the number one comedy on the small screen. That’s not a statement of quality, although I do think Sheen has some impeccable comedy chops (Hot Shots people), but simply showing that no matter where the man lands or what he’s doing, an audience should follow.

Anger Management (loosely based on the Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson movie of the same name), in a smart move, will immediately differentiate and distance itself from Men by being populated mostly by female characters. And speaking of female co-stars, Deadline reports that four actresses are on the short-list for two of the series’ major roles. One of the parts up for grabs is the therapist, which is obviously the second most important piece of the puzzle since they will basically be sharing the lead with Sheen as well as function series primary love interest for his retired and anger baseball player (uh, Major League anyone?). In the running are Selma Blair, the current favorite, and Elaine Hendrix. Blair is a great actress and is capable of the kind of strong character needed to constantly combat with Sheen’s Charlie (think of her work in Hellboy) while Hendrix, also a seasoned TV veteran, has yet to land that first breakout role.

The other part that the series is close to casting is that of Charlie’s ex-wife and the two ladies who remain in the running are Shawnee Smith and Katie Reinders. Smith is no stranger to sitcoms having been on Becker for six years but you might also recognize her from her work in the Saw series. She is definitely capable of playing an antagonizing ex-wife (if that’s the kind of relationship we can expect). Reinders isn’t as accomplished as her competitor but she was cast as a lead on the now cancelled train wreck that was ABC’s Work It so she’s also perhaps right on the cusp of her first big role. After these parts are filled there still remains the crucial role of Charlie’s 13 year old daughter but no word on the perspective young actresses just yet.

Anger Management has received an initial ten episode season from Lionsgate TV and, if all goes well, FX will order ninety to be produced over the following two years. It would join other comedy greats like Archer, The League and, of course, It’s Always Sunny on the burgeoning network.

I get all excited when I see that something is filming in my neighborhood. Yes, I live in Manhattan, where not a day goes by without a film shoot, but there's still a joy in seeing the place where you ride your bike on the big screen. So the new thriller Columbus Circle, with its story about an upscale Manhattan apartment building and title referring to the location of my Whole Foods, sounds like exactly the kind of set I will complain about for months when it blocks traffic, and then be happy to see on the screen.

Except that it's filming in Los Angeles. And that's no fun at all. So now it's up to the cast-- Selma Blair, Amy Smart, Jason Lee, Giovanni Ribisi and Kevin Pollak-- to make the whole thing worth watching. THR writes that Blair will play a reclusive heiress wrapped up in a homicide investigation, led by Ribisi's character. Smart and Lee play a couple that moves in next door, the apartment where the murder was committed.

George Gallo, who wrote Bad Boys, is directing the script he co-wrote with Pollak. It's weird how many people in this cast are former rising stars from the 90s-- almost as weird as filming a movie called Columbus Circle in Los Angeles. But I guess that's Hollywood for you, recycling actors and New York backlots with equal aplomb.