Greg Gumbel, a sports broadcaster for CBS for more than 20 years who covered the NFL and college basketball, died Friday of cancer. He was 78. CBS Sports shared a statement from his wife Marcy and daughter Michelle Gumbel, who said, “It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our beloved husband […]

Fans of “Downton Abbey” were devastated when Maggie Smith, aka the Dowager Countess, died in September. Smith had starred in both the TV series and in both movies, with the Countess character dying at the end of “Downton Abbey: A New Era.” Now, executive producer Gareth Neame promises that the third film, due Sept. 12, […]

Richard D. Parsons, a pioneering Black business executive who led Time Warner after its disastrous merger with AOL and had a hand in untangling some of the media industry’s knottiest dilemmas, died Thursday in Manhattan. He was 76.  His friend Ronald S. Lauder told the New York Times the cause was bone cancer.  Parsons had […]

Richard Perry, a prominent record producer who helped craft dozens of hits with a polished pop sound throughout the 1970s and ’80s, such as Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 82. His friend Daphna Kastner Keitel told the New York Times he died of cardiac arrest. Perry started out […]

Johnny Reardon, star of Hallmark holiday movies like this year’s “Believe in Christmas,” revealed in a Christmas Eve Instagram post that he has been recovering from tonsil cancer. The Canadian actor, who stars in the canine-themed detective TV series “Hudson & Rex,” wrote “Last night was my first night out after my recovery from tonsil […]

Lenny Borger, who served as Variety‘s Paris correspondent and film reviewer throughout the 1980s and who championed French cinema for decades as a researcher and subtitle expert for numerous films including Jean-Luc Godard’s “Breathless,” died Dec. 23 in Paris. He was 73. Producer Serge Bromberg reported that he died after a long illness. Borger was […]

Hozier was the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live’s” Christmas edition Saturday night, and for his second song, the Irish artist paid tribute to the Pogues’ classic “Fairytale of New York.” On social media, viewers praised Hozier’s emotional cover of the song that has become a Christmas standard since it was released in 1987, finding […]

Fathom Events, which puts movies, TV series, concerts and other events into movie theaters for limited runs, saw a record-breaking year for limited releases in 2024, with revenues increasing 45% to more than $145 million. CEO Ray Nutt also announced that the company will rebrand as Fathom Entertainment starting in January. Fathom’s strong year comes […]

Michael Cole, who played Pete Cochran, one of the three hip young cops on “The Mod Squad,” died Tuesday. He was 84. Cole’s reps said he died “peacefully this morning, surrounded by loved ones, after living a full and vibrant life.” Born on July 3, 1940, in Madison, Wisc., Cole guested on shows like “Gunsmoke” […]

The Franklin Fire continues to rage across Malibu, burning more than 2,600 acres and causing widespread evacuations and power cutoffs. At least one house in the exclusive Serra Retreat area has burned, while students at Pepperdine University sheltered in place as flames burned close to campus. Celebrities including Mira Sorvino evacuated during the night after […]

“Brokeback Mountain” director Ang Lee will be honored with the Directors Guild of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 77th DGA Awards on Feb. 8. “Ang Lee is truly a master filmmaker. For over 30 years, he has directed a dynamic body of work that boldly cuts across genres – from period drama to comedy, […]

“Saturday Night Live” poked fun at one of the most anticipated films of the holiday season, the Timothée Chalamet-helmed Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown,” out Christmas Day, with a sketch portraying the film’s red-carpet premiere. Chloe Fineman, as Timothée Chalamet, admitted to having a Brat Summer (a reference to the CharliXCX-inspired trend). “Oh, man […]

“Gladiator II” star Paul Mescal made his hosting debut tonight during the 50th season of “Saturday Night Live” and riffed on everything from his lack of comedic performances to his Irish roots. Clad in all black and sporting a mustache, Mescal took to the stage at Studio 8H, saying, “I’m Paul Mescal and it is […]

Dana Carvey’s Church Lady character opened “Saturday Night Live” with her talkshow guests including a parade of “sinners” representing the “most Satanic year in history”: Sarah Sherman as Matt Gaetz, David Spade as Hunter Biden and Marcello Hernandez as baseball free agent Juan Soto. “Are you okay, Matt? You look a little surprised to be […]

Thom Christopher, who portrayed the mobster Carlo Hessler in the ABC soap opera “One Life To Live,” died Thursday in New York. He was 84. His longtime friend Steve Bergman confirmed his death with a loving message on Facebook. In it, Bergman explains that Christopher had been unwell for some time. His message read, “Thom […]

In Los Angeles, it often seems to be the best of times and the worst of times for restaurants simultaneously. Just as Silver Lake is mourning the departure of favorites All Day Baby and Alimento, new spots are popping up almost weekly. Recent additions include Bar Seco, serving up scene, natural French wines and Japanese-meets-Italian […]