Celebrity
Martin Mull, Iconic Actor and Comedian, Passes Away at 78
Martin Mull, whose biting, esoteric comedy and acting made him a cool hit in the 1970s and subsequently a cherished guest star on sitcoms such as “Roseanne” and “Arrested Development,” died Friday, his daughter announced.
Martin Mull’s daughter, TV writer and comic artist Maggie Mull, reported that her father died at home on Thursday after “a valiant fight against a long illness.”
Martin Mull, who was also a guitarist and painter, rose to national prominence with a regular part on the Norman Lear-created comedic soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and the lead in its spinoff, Fernwood Tonight.
“He was known for excelling at every creative discipline imaginable and also for doing Red Roof Inn commercials,” Maggie Mull wrote on Instagram. “He’d find that joke amusing. He was always funny. My father will be greatly missed by his wife and daughter, his friends and coworkers, fellow artists, comedians, and musicians, and—as befits a truly extraordinary person—many, many pets.”
Martin Mull, known for his blonde hair and neatly maintained mustache, was born in Chicago, raised in Ohio and Connecticut, and studied art in Rhode Island and Rome.
His first effort into the entertainment industry was as a songwriter, writing the 1970 semi-hit “A Girl Named Johnny Cash” for vocalist Jane Morgan.
He would combine music and comedy in an act he introduced to hip Hollywood bars in the 1970s.
“In 1976, I was a guitar player and sit-down comic appearing at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip when Norman Lear walked in and heard me,” Mull told The Associated Press in 1980. “He cast me as the wife beater in ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.'” Four months later, I got my show.”
His time on the Strip was immortalized in the 1973 country rock classic “Lonesome L.A. Cowboy,” in which the Riders of the Purple Sage, together with music legends Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, pay tribute to him.
“I know Kris, Rita, and Marty Mull are hangin’ at the Troubadour,” the tune says.
On “Fernwood Tonight” (also known as “Fernwood 2 Night”), he portrayed Barth Gimble, the host of a local talk show in a midwestern town and the twin of his “Mary Hartman” character. Fred Willard, a frequent collaborator with similar comedic instincts, played his sidekick. It was eventually renamed “America 2 Night” and set in Southern California.
As Johnny Carson’s replacement on “The Tonight Show,” he’d become a true talk show host.
Mull frequently played slightly sleazy, slimy, and smarmy characters, such as Teri Garr’s boss and Michael Keaton’s antagonist in 1983’s Mr. Mom. He also played Colonel Mustard in the 1985 film adaptation of the board game Clue, which has become a cult classic, as have many of Mull’s other roles.
The 1980s also saw the release of “A History of White People in America,” a mockumentary that premiered on Cinemax and was widely regarded as his best work. Mull co-created the show and appeared as a “60 Minutes”-style investigative reporter looking into everything boring. Willard appeared again as a co-star.
He authored and starred in “Rented Lips” (1988), directed by his father, Robert Downey Jr.
Martin Mull’s co-star Jennifer Tilly said in an X post-Friday that he was “such a witty charismatic and kind person.”
In the 1990s, he was most known for his recurrent role on numerous seasons of “Roseanne,” in which he played a friendlier, less shady boss to the main character, an openly homosexual man whose partner was played by Willard, who passed away in 2020.
Martin Mull would later play private eye Gene Parmesan on “Arrested Development,” a cult-classic character on a cult-classic comedy, and received his first Emmy nomination in 2016 for a cameo appearance on “Veep.”
“What I did on ‘Veep’ I’m very proud of, but I’d like to think it’s probably more collective, at my age it’s more collective,” Martin Mull told the Associated Press upon his nomination. “It might go all the way back to ‘Fernwood.'”
Other comedians and actresses were frequently his biggest supporters.
“Martin was the greatest,” “Bridesmaids” director Paul Feig stated on X. “He’s very humorous, talented, and a good man. I was fortunate enough to appear with him on The Jackie Thomas Show and loved every moment spent with a legend. Fernwood Tonight was incredibly crucial in my life.”
Martin Mull is survived by his daughter and singer Wendy Haas, who has been his wife since 1982.
Will Smith brought flames and faith to the BET Awards stage on Sunday.
Smith returns to his musical origins with the release of his new single, “You Can Make It.” In the gospel-inspired tune, Smith, accompanied by Fridayy and the Sunday Service Choir, raps about perseverance.
Will Smith | CNN Image
Will Smith Debuts New Song In Fiery Performance At The BET Awards
“The darker the hell you gotta endure / The brighter the heaven you get to enjoy / The harder the fall, the higher you soar,” Smith rapped as spectacular fire engulfed the stage. His words, a testament to his resilience, echoed through the audience, inspiring them. “God opens a window when the devil closes the door / Believe me, they tried to bleed Will Smith / In the rearview, I see adversity was the gift / To lift me higher gifts requires faith.”
Smith’s performance at the BET Awards follows his surprising Coachella cameo in April when he appeared during J Balvin’s set for a boisterous rendition of his track “Men In Black,” which was first released in conjunction with his smash 1997 film of the same name.
The “Independence Day” star’s new song is his first solo material in nearly five years, a fact that has his fans buzzing with excitement. It marks his first significant release since 2005’s “Lost and Found” album, making it a highly anticipated event in the music world.
Smith has recently collaborated with other musicians, such as Bad Bunny and Marc Anthony. In 2017, he released the EDM single “Get Lit” and the track “Light ‘Em Up” with Sean Paul, which are on the soundtrack for his upcoming film, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Will-Smith-performance-bet-awards-063024-1f4fb97d35d44d03b89bd4d0acb09fdd.jpg "Will Smith Debuts New Song In Fiery Performance At The BET Awards")
Will Smith | EW Image
Will Smith Debuts New Song In Fiery Performance At The BET Awards
Smith is a four-time Grammy winner for rap performance, both solo and as part of a duo/group. His first win came in 1988 for the song “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” which he performed with DJ Jazzy Jeff as the Fresh Prince.
The pair also won for their 1992 single “Summertime.” Smith won back-to-back Grammys for rap performance in 1998 with “Men In Black,” followed by “Gettin’ Jiggy with It” the following year.
SOURCE – CNN
The mother of Pat Tillman, a US military hero, has criticized ESPN’s choice to honor Prince Harry (The Duke of Sussex) with the award named after her son. Mary Tillman said ESPN network never consulted on Prince Harry getting the Pat Tillman Award.
The award honors the late NFL safety-turned-Army Ranger who volunteered following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Tillman was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004, the news stunned his fellow Americans.
“I am shocked as to why ESPN would select such a controversial and divisive individual to receive the award,” Mary told the Daily Mail Newspaper. “There are recipients that are far more fitting than Prince Harry,” she said. “There are individuals working in the veteran community that are doing tremendous things to assist veterans.”
The shocked mother also said that Prince Harry is already popular and has won many awards, so ESPN should have picked someone else who has never been in the spotlight.
Many unsung heroes have won the Pat Tillman Award. Last year’s winner was the Buffalo Bills training staff, who revived Damar Hamlin after he had a cardiac attack in the middle of a game.
Mary’s condemnation was echoed by ESPN analysts Pat McAfee, who accused his own network on Friday of “trying to piss people off” for picking Prince Harry, the New York Post reports.
“It’s going to Prince Harry,” McAfee said on his talk show, “who I don’t even think is a Prince anymore, right? He said don’t call me that? See, why does the ESPYs do this s–t?
“This is like actually the most embarrassing thing I’ve seen in my entire life,” he added.
In picking The Duke of Sussex and others to receive honors during the upcoming ESPY Awards (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly), Kate Jackson, VP, Production at ESPN, touted the recipients as those who have changed the world.
Jackson said, “These honorees have used their platforms to change the world and make it more inclusive for marginalized and suffering communities. They have shown incredible resilience, positivity, and perseverance, and we can’t wait to celebrate them at the 2024 ESPYs.”
Others have praised Harry for starting the Invictus Games, even though his life as a royal has caused a lot of trouble. Harry served in the British military for 10 years and flew helicopters on two tours in Afghanistan.
The Games, which started in 2014, are multi-sport competitions in the style of the Paralympics for soldiers and service members who have been hurt or sick.
When Prince Harry found out he was going to get the Pat Tillman Award, he said, “This one is for our whole service community.”
This award was made in 2014 and is given to someone who has worked in ways that are similar to Tillman’s.
Tillman was a safety for the Arizona Cardinals and served in Iraq and then Afghanistan before being killed by friendly fire in 2004. For his service, the hero was given the Silver Star and the Purple Heart after his death.
Source: Daily Mail, NY Post
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Popularity Hopes Dashed
Entertainment
BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More
The BET Awards return on Sunday night. The evening will be performance-packed and begin with a blazing set by Megan Thee Stallion, two days after the release of her third studio album.
Taraji P. Henson, an Oscar-nominated performer, will host the performance for the third time at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theatre.
BET Awards | AP News Image
BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More
Lauryn Hill and her son YG Marley, Childish Gambino, Ice Spice, Tyla, Chlöe, Coco Jones, Keke Palmer, Marsha Ambrosius, Summer Walker, GloRilla, Latto, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, and Victoria Monét will also perform. Will Smith will perform a new song, but no specifics have been disclosed. The Grammy and Oscar winner is still recovering from the iconic Oscars slap two years ago, with the successful release of “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” bolstering his recovery. Tanner Adell, a country musician, will also perform on the BET Amplified stage.
The BET Awards will be broadcast live on BET starting at 8 p.m. Eastern from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. They will also air simultaneously on Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Pop, TV Land, Nickelodeon at Nite, and VH1.
Drake leads the nominations, exactly as he did last year. These include an album of the year nomination for his eighth studio album, “For All the Dogs.”
BET Awards | AP News Image
BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More
One of the accolades he’s up for is the music video for “First Person Shooter,” his collaboration with J. Cole, which may have sparked his recent feud with rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Nicki Minaj follows with six, including album of the year for her much-anticipated “Pink Friday 2” release. Two of her nominations were for her song “Barbie World,” which appeared on the hit “Barbie” soundtrack, which she sang with Ice Spice.
J. Cole, Sexyy Red, SZA, and best new artist Grammy winner Victoria Monét all have five nominations, while 21 Savage, Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, Tyla, and Usher each have four.
Usher will receive the BET Awards’ Lifetime Achievement award, previously granted to Busta Rhymes last year and Sean “Diddy” Combs the year before.
The R&B sensation is an eight-time Grammy winner who recently completed a two-year residency at the Park MGM, “Usher: My Way”. In February, he released his first solo album in eight years, and in August, he will embark on a 24-city U.S. tour dubbed “Past Present Future.”
BET Awards | AP News Image
BET Awards Return Sunday With Performances From Lauryn Hill, Childish Gambino, Will Smith And More
Usher’s 2024 Super Bowl halftime show received critical acclaim and featured guest appearances from Alicia Keys, H.E.R., Jermaine Dupri, Lil Jon, and Ludacris. His album “Confessions” sold over 10 million units in the United States, making it one of the best-selling music projects ever. It produced No. 1 songs like “Yeah!” with Ludacris and Lil Jon, “Burn,” and “Confessions Part II.”
Presenters include Andra Day, Colman Domingo, DC Young Fly, Devale Ellis, Jay Ellis, Jessica Betts, Ms. Pat, Niecy Nash-Betts, and Saucy Santana.
SOURCE – (AP)___
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