Arrow Stars in Other Roles

[BkWurm1]

McG and Marc Guggenheim seem like awfully similar names to me.  Maybe Marc has gone hipster.

[Morrigan2575]

22 hours ago, BkWurm1 said:

McG and Marc Guggenheim seem like awfully similar names to me.  Maybe Marc has gone hipster.

McG has been around for awhile. He's a mainstay on Supernatural and did a ton of movies, We Are Marshall being my favorite

Is Funny Story getting a National Theatrical Release? My Gym has the movie listed under the "coming soon to theaters" section on the video they keep replying

Edited May 22, 2019 by Morrigan2575

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

Funny Story is being released in select theaters, on VOD, and digital streaming on May 24 (this week)...

'Funny Story' Sneak Peek: Emily Bett Rickards Has an Awkward Coming Out Experience
Entertainment Tonight Videos•May 22, 2019
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/funny-story-sneak-peek-emily-160852175.html 

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In this sneak peek at the dramedy, a father (Matthew Glave) crashes his estranged daughter's vacation and discovers that his one-night-stand (Rickards) is her girlfriend. Funny Story, from director Michael Gallagher, is in theaters and on VOD on May 24.

It even has a Rotten Tomatoes page:
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/funny_story

Critics Score = 88% (7 fresh, 1 rotten)
Audience Score = Not yet available

Edited May 23, 2019 by tv echo
Updated Rotten Tomatoes score.

[tv echo]

Here are three new (2019) reviews of Funny Story that mention EBR's performance (fyi, some great 2018 reviews were previously posted in this thread last year)...

Tragicomedy “Funny Story” offers career-redefining performances from leads Matthew Glave and Emily Bett Rickards.
BY DOUGLAS DAVIDSON on MAY 22, 2019    
https://elementsofmadness.com/2019/05/22/funny-story/

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As strong as the script is and as purposeful the direction is, none of it matters if it’s delivered in a hackney way. Frankly, Glave and Rickards deliver performances which will linger with audiences long after. Considering Glave’s been working since the early ‘90s, it’s difficult not to think he connected in some regard with Walter, an actor most well-known for one role, as he himself is directly connected to the 1998 Adam Sandler film The Wedding Singer. Despite steady work in multiple series and films, it’s his role as the asshole boyfriend Glenn which resonates in audience’s minds. His performance as Walter will undeniably change that. In this one performance, Glave is charming and arrogant, sweet and rude, progressive and stagnant. In a word, he’s human and that humanity makes Walter come to life. For her part, Rickards delivers a devastating performance as Kim. Most well-known for her role as sidekick/love interest/team member on Arrow, audiences never got a chance to see what Rickards is really capable of as an actress. This is not to demean her work on Arrow, which is a fine show whose successes came largely from the dramatic work of the cast, but Kim is not Felicity Smoak. She’s not an idealist whose charms come from her genius and idiosyncrasies. Kim is a living, breathing wrecking ball whom the audience meets at a particularly low point. Rickards not only embodies the rage, despair, and self-loathing Kim feels, but she manages to make Kim sympathetic, channeling the same sense of humanity as Glave which suggests the potential for salvation. In their roles as main supporting cast, Jana Winternitz, Lily Holleman, Nikki Limo, Jessica Diggins, Ashleigh Jensen, and Tutor do more than provide Walter and Kim room to tell their stories with the little their given. Instead, each convey a fullness, an authenticity which only bolster the emotional impact of the narrative.

Movie Review: How Dad met the love of my life? That’s a “Funny Story”
Posted on May 16, 2019
https://rogersmovienation.com/2019/05/16/movie-review-how-dad-met-the-love-of-my-life-thats-a-funny-story/ 

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Rickard’s Kim is clearly a neurotic mess, life not working out on any level, the sort of woman you’d want your child to steer clear of, even if you hadn’t mounted her on a B & B’s armoire. Rickard walks the fine line between villain and basket case with her performance.

Funny Story Review: Underwritten Characters Ruin a Unique Premise
Marisa Carpico   May 22, 2019
https://thepopbreak.com/2019/05/22/funny-story-review/

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Though Kim refers to her father being angry about her dropping out of Berkley and notes that Nic couldn’t come to the funeral because Kim’s family would freak out — we don’t get a better understanding of who Kim is supposed to be. We never really understand what her grief has made her become. The first thing we see her do is smoke weed while driving and show up late to her mother’s funeral. We don’t know what she or Nic do for a living now and we don’t really know how they fell in love 18 months prior. Sure, they have great chemistry, but all we really know about Kim is that she doesn’t think before she acts. And while Rickards is great at playing Kim’s shifting personality from moment to moment, she simply can’t create much of a narrative through-line because the script itself seems to lack one.

Edited May 23, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

EBR will not be participating in any of these q&a's since she will be at MCM London Comic Con this weekend (see movie's q&a schedule here)...

Edited May 23, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Funny Story: A Career-Best for Emily Bett Rickards
Danielle Solzman   May 23, 2019
http://www.solzyatthemovies.com/2019/05/23/funny-story-a-career-best-for-emily-bett-rickards/ 

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Arrow‘s Emily Bett Rickards delivers the performance of a lifetime in Funny Story–a film that is now being released in theaters after a festival run.
*  *  *
Meanwhile, Kim (Rickards) is dealing with her own issues following the death of her estranged mom from breast cancer. On the way back from the funeral, her car hits the end of the line and who else does she hitch a ride with on the way back but Walter. The two of them bond on the way back, including a one-night stand following a karaoke night.
*  *  *
Click to read the rest of my review from the 2018 Slamdance Film Festival.

Matthew Glave talks Funny Story
Danielle Solzman    May 23, 2019
http://www.solzyatthemovies.com/2019/05/23/matthew-glave-talks-funny-story/ 

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Matthew Glave:  ... It was a challenge because I was working every single day and I didn’t have a lot of time to prep but I had to just show up and be present.  I was also surrounded by all those amazing women who were so complete and great that I constantly had something to work off of.  All the women were stellar.  Emily was fantastic.  I had the most in the front with her.  The people you’re with make it easier.  It was a challenge because of a time crunch but I was with all great actresses. It makes it very easy.

Edited May 23, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

PB is playing another police detective dad in NBC's The InBetween (debuting next week)...

12 new TV shows to watch this summer
Jeanne Jakle May 22, 2019
https://www.expressnews.com/entertainment/movies-tv/article/Jeanne-Jakle-12-new-TV-shows-to-watch-this-summer-13873722.php

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“The InBetween”: If you miss “Medium,” you’re bound to embrace this creepy crime procedural with another blonde psychic at its center. In this one, Seattle bartender Cassie Bedford (Harriet Dyer) has visions that frequently are connected to local crimes, and she’s none too happy about it - sometimes drinking to pass-out level in hopes of drowning them out. Her adoptive police detective dad (likable Brit Paul Blackthorne) worries about her while pursuing the puzzling clues she gives him, frequently with the help of troubled ghosts who visit her. (Debuts 9 p.m.May 29, NBC).

[tv echo]

Here's Starry Mag's interview with EBR about Funny Story - her answers are very thoughtful. but I could only quote some of them (you may wish to read her entire interview at the link)...

Emily Bett Rickards – Funny Story 
Lisa Steinberg   May 23, 2019
http://starrymag.com/emily-bett-rickards-funny-story/ 

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Q) We get this quiet moment in the bath tub that Kim seems to reflect on more than just her present, but her past as well. It’s in the tub her solitude literally and figuratively washes over her. Baths signify cleansing, but Kim the entire movie can’t seem to bring herself to come clean to Nic, even with Nic in the tub. Can you talk about the irony of scene and how it plays into the film’s undertones and themes?
A) I think it’s really an honest example of how we, as humans, can react to the world and how it can be dangerous. You talk about this cleansing moment as a moment of lucidity, but it doesn’t honestly mean you are going to live in that moment of lucidity. It is a challenge. You are presented with this moment of lucidity and it is the challenge of life to go and make that a reality, not just a moment in time. It’s so easy to backtrack. We ignore those things sometimes and we don’t accept them as moments of reality because it’s easier to just move about through life with this sort of fake and dishonest trajectory. So, even though she has a moment of clarity it is the challenge of bringing that to fruition.
*  *  *
Q) I love the way wires in Kimberly’s mind work and how you portray her. You constantly see the emotions turning and her thought process plays out a lot in her eyes and expressions. How did you approach portraying Kim’s evolution through her tragedies?
A) That has a lot to do with Michael [Gallagher] and the writing. What was on the page was honest about the film. It is an extensively written story. As soon as I read it, I said, “I really want to do this movie,” because of the people that were involved. It was beautifully written because it’s written from the heart and it’s written authentically. It made it very easy for me to working with Michael, Jana and Matt. We were just all very willing to accept the story as a whole and collaborate in that realm. Kim is a difficult character. She would be a difficult person. She even finds herself difficult to be around. Knowing that there are people like that in your life and knowing that there are people just trying to do better…That’s sort of what the story is about, just trying to be better and for some reason can’t. But really, honestly, they are working through a place where they wake up one day and the character just wants to have a good day. It’s sort of just accepting the story of what their lives are. Michael and Jana were very, very present through all of that and understanding.

Q) The film is wrought in this poignant and provoking emotional angst where each moment of the movie transitions and feels so palpable from start to finish but it also intertwines these moments of levity that are endearing and disarming. How does the film take these messy and tumultuous interpersonal relationships while maintaining the light and levity in such a brilliantly balanced way?
A) I think it is the honesty. I hate to keep repeating myself on that moment, but it’s because so honest. It’s not glossy. It’s pretty raw. There is not a whole lot of sugar coating from any of the characters. It is a lens into a life in a way. It’s a lens into a life with good things with a wedding, love and friendship and a lot of women coming together. But there is also the raw, the gross, the dirty, the secrets and the shame. Those tumultuous relationships, that kind of energy, only craves authenticity and honesty. With that type of energy, you follow these people with true love and honesty and when those characters meet it’s only a matter of time before those characters unravel and that is something the lens of the film does very, very well.
*  *  *
Q) We got to see some behind the scenes pictures of you behind the lens. Is being behind the camera something you are working towards or hoping to someday take on yourself?
A) I am, yes. I do like being behind the camera a lot. I actually just grabbed some new gear for a trip that I’m about to embark on. We’re going to do a little site seeing for that. Michael Gallagher was so giving in terms of what I wanted to learn. Every time I walked away from the set I was like, “I didn’t learn enough!” [laughs] I was on a show for seven years and I feel like I walked away from it like, “I still haven’t learned enough!” [laughs] But especially looking back at this film, this was my first time learning about lenses. Though I had been on a TV show for several years Michael was shooting on lenses that I was so attracted to. He taught me about that skill. [laughs] I’m still diving into that. What this film was behind the scenes was just a bunch of people wanting to be creative and I think you can see that in what the film shows. Everyone was friends. Everyone wore hats that weren’t exactly their title. It was a really, really fun experience. It was a long time ago. Talking to you, this is the first time I’ve talked about this film in a year. So, it’s bringing back a lot of cool memories so I’m really grateful.

Q) We get these multidimensional characters who are loving and layered, messy and sometimes self-sabotaging. What do you hope resonates or audiences take away from seeing Funny Story?
A) I like films and TV where characters are not perfect. The imperfections, those are the things that we expect in the people that we love. I do feel like we relate to characters that are imperfect. They are interesting. Being perfect and cookie cutter isn’t interesting. [laughs] But if you don’t expect imperfections, where are we moving towards? It’s about finding people around you that balance you and accept that about you and you accept about yourself. I think that people can relate to this film in many ways. There are some stories where people will watch this and maybe it will hit a little too close to home. As long as you’re feeling something, you haven’t wasted your time. I think that’s what growth is and I think that is important. That’s our film. I hope you like it. If you don’t like it, at least you felt that you didn’t like it. [laughs] I think whatever you do with your time it’s important to make sure you feel something.

Edited May 24, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Funny Story's Tomatometer Score is now up to 91% (with 11 reviews)...
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/funny_story

And here's THR review...

'Funny Story': Film Review
John DeFor  May 23, 2019
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/funny-story-1213381 

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A film about two young lesbians whose protagonist is the middle-aged dad who can't keep from wrecking their lives would not seem to be in the wheelhouse of a male 30-year-old best known as a YouTube auteur. Then again, Michael J. Gallagher's last feature was a dystopian sci-fi adventure starring Logan Paul, so perhaps we shouldn't underestimate his familiarity with regrettable decisions and lingering shame. Whatever his qualifications to tell the tale, Funny Story (co-written with Steve Greene) proves much more polished than its pedigree might suggest — a warmhearted seriocomedy that, even when not thoroughly convincing, projects a disarming sincerity.
*  *  *
Character actor [Matthew] Glave is ideally cast as Walter, a toned-down Shatner type who is loved by millions (including one of Nicole's friends, played by Nikki Limo) as the star of a hokey old sci-fi/fantasy series; and [Jana] Winternitz makes Nicole as kind and smart a daughter as any parent could want. In the picture's thorniest role, [Emily Bett] Rickards is credibly damaged, even if she can't single-handedly remedy the script's shortcomings. Yes, Kim's in a dangerous emotional place. But having made a colossal mistake, is there really any chance she'd sit silently in Walter's car for hours instead of desperately trying to prepare him for the disaster he's walking into? The film arrives at the most forgiving ending it can believably forge given the choices made to this point. On both sides of the generation gap, viewers will likely want to believe what they see.

Edited May 24, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Look who else posted a Funny Story review yesterday...

Funny Story Review: Poignant Drama Showcases Emily Bett Rickards and Matthew Glave
Carissa Pavlica at May 23, 2019 
https://www.tvfanatic.com/2019/05/funny-story-review-poignant-drama-showcases-emily-bett-rickards/ 

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As Walter, Glave is magnificent. He often accepts roles in which he's straddling a moral line as someone you should question but who you cannot help but accept his flaws and appreciate all that he is.

Glave played a controlling mama's boy who loved a woman with his greatest depths on Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce, and a similar role on Better Things as Sam's ex and (possible) father to Max and Frankie.

It's a rare person who can perfect the loveable cad, and Glave does it over and over again to perfection. He infuses characters you shouldn't like with a vulnerability that clings to you like a vine.

Kim is similarly difficult to like, but Rickards doesn't inflate her outside of her genuine qualities. Kim has a hyperactive sex drive that she appears to use to mask her pain in an attempt to feel something better than how she does inside.
*  *  *
It never quite gets her over the edge, and her quest for the rush of appreciation is just as destructive as an addiction to drugs or alcohol. 

Rickards gives a wonderful performance as the angry, lost young woman. She got some material that offered her a similar opportunity while on Arrow, but those scenes were fleeting.

During Funny Story, Rickards shines with disappointment and a desperation for something more.
*  *  *
There is a lot of entertainment available over the coming weekend, but Funny Story is well worth your time. It's a captivating look at families and how the truth hurts but not nearly as bad as the alternative.

Fans of Rickards should put this on their watch list immediately, and anybody who enjoys television will get a kick out of the role it plays and the terrific performances from well-known faces.

Edited May 24, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Another good review and EBR interview...

Funny Story, or A Funny Thing Happened On The Way to Big Sur…
Posted by StickyKeys On May 24, 2019 
https://thegeekiary.com/funny-story-movie/65180 

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Funny Story is the tale of seasoned actor Walter Campbell (Matthew Glave), and his journey to find himself despite himself. He floats through life in a haze of privilege until he meets his match in Kim (Emily Bett Rickards), a self destructive millennial hellbent on exposing Walter to his own truth.
*  *  *
I had the pleasure of speaking with Matthew and Emily about their characters and their view of the way Funny Story came together.

What drew you to the movie and to your character?

Emily: As soon as I read [the script] I thought it was a wonderful piece of writing and these characters were authentic and raw and real. And that was sort of the lens that we wanted to talk through and I believe that translated quite well. The script is very close to what you see on the screen. The characters were -for lack of a better word- real. Honest in their dishonesty.
*  *  *
With the community [Nic and her friends] have built and what we know of Kim, I don’t know that was 100% her “scene”. And I wondered how you felt about the way she ingratiated herself to them.

Emily: I think what happens with inauthentic people is that they crave authenticity. Every single one of those women around that table were 100% themselves all the time. And if you can play the part, I think [Kim] can think “fake it till you make it”, but if you’re keeping a bunch of secrets behind, they’re going to blow up in your face. And you have to come clean, because if you do, you can be one of those authentic people. But nobody craves authenticity more than inauthentic people and I think that’s why Kim was sitting at the table.
*  *  *
One thing I loved were all the little ways Funny Story showed the kinship between Walter and Kim. They showed Walter’s cracked phone screen and later Kim’s cracked screen. I feel like there are two types of people in this world, people who have cracked screens and people who don’t. In what ways do you think Walter and Kim relate?

Emily: I think both are battling with the human condition of projection. Kim has learned so much about Walter through Nic and she’d already decided she didn’t like him or who he was because of his actions. And then Walter knew absolutely nothing about Kim except she was a friend of his daughters, but was able to call her out right away on all of her walls and how she had barricaded herself inside. And it comes from two extremes of the spectrum that bring them closer together. You’re not looking at a straight line, you’re looking at circles that are side by side. And inadvertently there’s where you start looking at yourself in a mirror and it becomes very scary. If you stand in front of that mirror and think “I’ve spent all this time avoiding this”, you’re going to do whatever you can to light it on fire and hope that it will disappear. And that’s what Kim and Walter were trying to do.

It’s kind of that moment when you think you’re looking out of a window, when in fact you’re looking in a mirror.

Emily: It’s Mulan when she looked into the water!
*  *  *
I can’t stress enough the relatability.  Even the moments I found to be cliche, served to ground the film and make it accessible. In any other film, Kim’s character would be easy to vilify, but there’s something about her and Emily’s portrayal that makes her… not charming necessarily, but sympathetic. I found myself becoming endeared to Kim without casting her as the villain.

Emily: I think unfortunately she’s relatable! We’re all humans and the only thing you can pretend not to be is you. Everyone is growing through something and you’re watching someone who is resisting growth and I think everyone can relate to that.
*  *  *
Besides Emily and Matthew (and thanks to them for their time!), Funny Story is bolstered by a cast of talented supporting characters who add texture to the film. A bit of comic relief is provided by Lily Holleman’s (Shameless) Moon. Moon is both present and comically absent. She knows when to pull it together and Lily’s performance was admired by both actors. Hopefully we can get some deleted scenes with her outtakes!
*  *  *
I highly recommend you check out Funny Story!

Edited May 25, 2019 by tv echo

[KenyaJ]

I love that the reviewer gave a shoutout to Moon, who was hilarious. I really liked the movie and thought the performances were great all around. I will give extra credit to Emily, though, because like the reviewer said, she took a dumpster fire of a character I should've hated and made me care about her and almost root for her to

get away with her lies

. I actually wish we could get a prequel movie that explores how Kim got to be the way she is. I found myself wanting to know so much more about her backstory.

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

I just found this 2018 interview where Funny Story's writer/director explains why he cast EBR as Kim...

Interview with Writer/Director Michael Gallagher for “Funny Story” (2018)
Vanessa McMahon  April 3, 2018
https://www.filmfestivals.com/blog/vanessa_mcmahon/interview_with_writerdirector_michael_gallagher_for_funny_story_2018 

Quote

The chemistry between the cast are electric. Was it difficult to cast?
*  *  *
MICHAEL CONT'D: Casting for Kim was quite delicate. We needed an actress who could speak volumes without saying a word. The kind of actor whose heart shines through their eyes. Emily Bett Rickards has these qualities. And she also happens to be a tremendous human being with such heart and wit. So I knew that by casting Emily, when Kim made tough choices, the audience could see that deep down she is a good person who is just lost at this moment in time.

ETA: Maybe that's why EBR and SA have such great chemistry - they both can speak through their eyes.

Edited May 28, 2019 by tv echo

[Soulfire]

[KenyaJ]

According to one of her castmates, the movie is shooting this summer. So I'm assuming August, after Reborning is over?

[way2interested]

3 minutes ago, KenyaJ said:

According to one of her castmates, the movie is shooting this summer. So I'm assuming August, after Reborning is over?

The guy's shooting schedule had it filming during June

[KenyaJ]

5 hours ago, way2interested said:

The guy's shooting schedule had it filming during June

Yeah, it occurred to me after I posted that it could be another short shoot for her, like Funny Story, and she might do it before rehearsals for Reborning start in June.

ETA: They're going to be shooting in Philadelphia.

Edited May 29, 2019 by KenyaJ

[tv echo]

Edited May 29, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

According to We Need to Talk's official Instagram posts, here's the main cast and who they're playing...

James Maslow - plays Scott Stewart aka "Great Scott," a celebrity video gamer (the main character)
Christel Khalil - plays Aly Fulton, who is Scott's long time girlfriend
Emily Bett Rickards - plays Amber, who is Aly's best friend and Scott's worst enemy
Johnathan Fernandez - plays Joe, who is Scott's video producer and sometimes best friend
Tray Chaney - plays a video gamer named Tango Unchained

[tv echo]

PB said that, when he knew his time on Arrow was up, it was pilot season and the Arrow producers told him that they would do everything they could to accommodate him and that they did. He also said that, for a month, he was shooting Arrow one day and The InBetween the next day, so he was alternating between playing an American cop and an English cop during that time...

Paul Blackthorne and Harriet Dyer Talk New Series "The InBetween"
Published on May 28, 2019, by KTLA 5

Edited May 29, 2019 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

I've only started the pilot episode but OH it's so nice hearing his English accent on the show.  Sexy!

Edited to add that you can tell at times he was struggling to not slip back into the American accent, lol.  

Edited May 30, 2019 by BkWurm1

[statsgirl]

PB's accent is very sexy but OMG the acting on that show is so bad.  PB is great and his new partner is okay but the girl is not up to it and the show overall is Criminal Minds meets Medium.

[BkWurm1]

2 minutes ago, statsgirl said:

PB's accent is very sexy but OMG the acting on that show is so bad.  PB is great and his new partner is okay but the girl is not up to it and the show overall is Criminal Minds meets Medium.

That's too bad.  I would love for PB to have found a good new show.  

[statsgirl]

You may think differently but I wasn't impressed.

But if it doesn't last, hopefully it will bring PB to a bigger audience and open more doors for him.

[tv echo]

More praise for EBR's acting...

Funny Story
Review by Rich Cline*  May 19, 2019
http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/19/i7.htm

Quote

With serious and even tragic story elements, this film attempts a delicate balance between edgy drama and brittle comedy. Realistic, understated performances help keep it grounded and engaging, as the knowing script explores unexpected connections, both new and lifelong ones. Intriguingly, the plot structure is difficult to predict, and there's a tenderness underlying the entire film that catches the audience off guard.
*  *  *
The actors are excellent, each finding earthiness in characters that have serious secrets and big issues to deal with. Glave has an offhanded charm as the actor who has botched his personal life in the past, and continues to do so. Still, his earnestness is likeable, even if his behaviour isn't. Rickards has perhaps the most complex role, a woman clearly battling internal demons while clinging to a chance for happiness. She's terrific, beautifully mixing joy and pain in every scene.

As a director, Gallagher maintains a comical tone that becomes very dark from time to time, sometimes wrenchingly so. This leads to a bit of mopiness along the way, as the plot lurches to a halt here and there. Sometimes, Gallagher fades out the dialog, as if he's struggling as much as the characters are with facing up to what has happened here. But these situations are deeply thorny. They're difficult to get through, and they force the audience to think about both our own behaviour and how we react to confessions from people we love.

(* Rich Cline is a film critic in the U.K. Shadows on the Wall is apparently the UK's first film ezine, published electronically since March 1995.)

Edited May 30, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

The OC star Willa Holland reveals crazy fan encounter: ‘It was intense’
Bronte Co    June 3, 2019
https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/flashback/the-oc-star-willa-holland-reveals-crazy-fan-encounter-it-was-intense/news-story/13057ec9346ecb4a451a5d60368dc206 

Quote

So, for then-14-year-old Willa Holland, joining the cast in season 3 as Marissa’s younger sister Kaitlin was very literally like stepping into your favourite TV show.

“I got to go to work on a really big-time show, so I was thrilled every moment. It was definitely a whirlwind learning experience. I left high school and kind of dove straight into it. It was a lot all at once — but very positive,” she told news.com.au ahead of her visit to Australia for this weekend’s Oz Comic-Con Melbourne.
*  *  *
While Holland, now 27, was cagey about naming exactly who was hooking up with who — although Brody and Bilson’s relationship is well-documented — she confirmed it was definitely happening.

“Some people were dating, some people loved each other, some people had certain relationships where they didn’t really like each other … When I got there, it was already a quite well-developed cast, everyone had kind of gone through all the motions together,” she said.

Without a doubt, her fondest memories are with castmate Peter Gallagher who played everyone’s favourite TV dad Sandy Cohen — and who allowed plenty of that on-screen personality to spill over into real life.

“He was just so welcoming, with open arms. He was just the father of everyone, it was really nice to be introduced by him to the whole thing,” Holland explained.

“Everyone offered me little bits of advice all the way, but everyone’s schedule was so busy — it was like moving parts constantly.”
*  *  *
In season 3, Holland’s character returned to the show (although she was the second actress to play Kaitlin, with a much-younger Shailene Woodley cast as the original in season 1) to essentially cause chaos for her older sister and her group of friends.
*  *  *
It all culminated in a drunken night on a beach clifftop, where Jonny and Kaitlin hit the bottle and Jonny ends up falling to his death (teen dramas, eh?).
*  *  *
While plenty of fans never forgave Kaitlin for her role in the brutal demise of the TV hottie, Holland admitted there was one incident off the main street in New Orleans that went way too far.

“I got jumped by a girl who was near blackout drunk — she ran and jumped on my back and pushed me to the ground and then was on top of me,” the actress told news.com.au.

“She wasn’t trying to hurt me, she was trying to shock and scare me and was yelling in my face, ‘You killed Jonny, you killed Jonny!’. It was really intense.

“I had to have a bunch of people pull her off me.”
*  *  *
Despite reports Barton’s departure was acrimonious, Holland was reluctant to weigh in on her former co-star.

“That’s quite personal to her — it’s not my place to comment on that,” she told news.com.au.
*  *  *
A year later, she landed a recurring role in another cult teen drama — Gossip Girl. Holland played Taylor Momsen’s wild-child model sidekick Agnes Andrews, another troublemaker not all that different from Kaitlin Cooper.
*  *  *
Her biggest role in recent years has been as Thea Queen in Arrow and The Flash.

Edited June 3, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

Did you know that EBR narrated an audiobook last year? It was the audio version of The Wicked Ones by Cassandra Clare and Robin Wasserman (released September 11, 2018)...

Here's the link to the Amazon page for The Wicked Ones: Ghosts of the Shadow Market Series, Book 6 (audiobook):
https://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Ones-Ghosts-Shadow-Market/dp/B07F3DK2KV

You can listen to audio of EBR reading an excerpt from this book here:

Edited June 6, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Acting demo reel for JDJ...

[tv echo]

Fairytale Thriller 'Gretel and Hansel' Sets 2020 Release Date (Exclusive)
APRIL 16, 2019 2:46pm PT by Aaron Couch
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/gretel-hansel-sets-2020-release-date-1202475 

Quote

Gretel and Hansel, Orion Pictures' reimagining of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, has set a date with movie audiences.

The film will will open Jan. 31, 2020, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively. 

Gretel and Hansel stars Sophia Lillis, who broke out with the hit 2017 Stephen King adaptation It. It also stars newcomer Sammy Leakey, Star Trek: First Contact's Alice Krige, Arrow's Jessica De Gouw and Black Mirror's Charles Babalola.

[tv echo]

Reality Curve Theater to Present Emily Rickards REBORNING
by BWW News Desk Jun. 10, 2019  
https://www.broadwayworld.com/off-broadway/article/Reality-Curve-Theater-to-Present-Emily-Rickards-REBORNING-20190610

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The Vancouver, BC based theater company Reality Curve & New York's Soho Playhouse today announced that they will co-produce a strictly limited engagement of Zayd Dohrn's REBORNING, an unsettling dark comedy that explores love, loss, trauma and the power of creation through the lens of the unusual art of reborning. REBORNING features CW star Emily Bett Rickards (Arrow, Brooklyn), Paul Piaskowski (Unspeakable, The Twilight Zone), and Lori Triolo (Riverdale, The 4400) who also directs. It begins previews on Friday, July 5th and runs through Saturday, August 3rd at the SoHo Playhouse, 15 Vandam Street. The official opening night is set for Friday, July 12th. The production is produced by Paul Piaskowski, Darren Lee Cole, and Rebecca McNeil and presented by Playbook Hub with support from Vancouver Film School, The Canada Council for the Arts and Shimon.
*  *  *
Emily Bett Rickards is a Canadian actress best known for her seven seasons as Felicity Smoak on CW's smash hit Arrow, as well as its spin-off The Flash. She recently appeared in the Oscar nominated Brooklyn, and has been nominated for multiple Leo Awards, Teen Choice Awards and MTV Movie & TV Awards.
*  *  *
Performances of REBORNING are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00PM; Sundays at 7:00PM and there is a 2PM matinee on Saturday, July 27. There are 27 performances in total.

Tickets are $44 and available for purchase online at: www.reborningoffbroadway.com

Edited June 11, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Interview: Christel Khalil on Kristoff St. John’s death, Lane divorce
Kristyn Burtt   June 10, 2019
https://soaps.sheknows.com/the-young-and-the-restless/news/543250/interview-christel-khalils-life-after-yr-contract-change-kristoffs-passing/

Quote

Khalil is now in Philadelphia, where she begins shooting a new film, We Need to Talk, starring James Maslow and Emily Bett Rickards, this week. She’s excited to take on a new challenge and work those comedic acting chops.

“It’s a movie about a YouTube gamer and I play his girlfriend. Before I leave for work one morning I tell him that we need to talk. He goes into this tailspin for the day worrying about what I want to talk to him about. Am I breaking up with him? Am I pregnant or do I have an STD?” she laughed. “I’m excited because I haven’t done a comedy, so I’m really excited to be able to flex that muscle a little bit.”

Edited June 11, 2019 by tv echo

[KenyaJ]

Emily on the set of "We Need To Talk." I'm so here for her as a redhead and excited to see her in a full-on comedy.

[tv echo]

Edited June 13, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

New Funny Story review and more praise for EBR's acting performance...

FUNNY STORY: A Bittersweet Indie Treat
 Matthew Singleton June 12, 2019
https://www.filminquiry.com/funny-story-2019-review/ 

Quote

The stage is set for the film to tumble over into melodrama as on paper the set up seems a little clichéd and unrealistic. However, the script from Michael J. Gallagher and Steve Greene and a couple of exceptional acting performances from Glave and Rickards help ground the film in realism. The title may not quite match up with the content, but don’t let that put you off from seeing a wonderfully acted and affecting story.
*  *  *
Small budget independent productions like this often live or die by their lead actors’ performances. Tightly written scripts can be severely undercut by wooden acting in such works. Funny Story has no such problem, as both Glave and Rickards turn in some great work. Glave imbues Walter with the perfect balance of narcissism and kind-heartedness necessary for the role. Walter has made mistakes but he’s willing to own them, and maybe even come out the other side a better man. Glave is a master of subtle facial expressions, and he has fun with these conflicting emotions eating away at Walter.

Opposite him is Rickards, who is best known as Felicity Smoak in the long-running DC Comic’s show Arrow. In Funny Story, Rickards’ Kim has just lost her mother, and is suffering greatly at this new crossroads in her life. Rickards is a hurricane of emotion, sweeping under the film with her painful and touching performance and lifting it up. It’s a wonderful showcase for her talent.
*  *  *
Funny Story is a great vehicle for the stars, but also for director Michael J. Gallagher. Having worked on less than impressive genre movies for the better part of a decade, Gallagher comes of age here with an accomplished piece of work. Alongside co-writer Steve Greene, he has managed to deliver a mature drama that is short, bittersweet and quite brilliant. There is a moment at the hour mark, with the secrets building up, that the wheels threaten to fall off. Gallagher though leads the film on, culminating in a quite devastating yet hopeful finale that feels like a fitting end. If Gallagher continues to craft sharp, smart films like Funny Story, he may build his own unique place in current American indie cinema.

Edited June 13, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

[tv echo]

EBR is now both filming We Need to Talk in Philadelphia and rehearsing for Reborning in NYC (the following were posted within the past 2 days)...

Edited June 17, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Quote

Want to ask one of our cast members / director / playwright a question? Want to listen to them discuss the show, their process, their challenges, their other work, answer other people’s questions and find out what their favourite ice cream flavour is? We’ve got you covered. Stay after the show on one of our talkback nights!

Tuesday July 9th – Playwright & Director    GET TICKETS

Tuesday July 16th – Cast & Director    GET TICKETS

Tuesday July 23rd – Cast & Director    GET TICKETS

Tuesday July 30th – Cast & Director      GET TICKETS

[tv echo]

Arrowverse: Before They Were Heroes
June 17, 2019  Charles E Henning
https://www.telltaletv.com/2019/06/arrowverse-before-they-were-heroes/ 

Quote

1. David Ramsey (Arrow)
*  *  *
David Ramsey had a rather interesting career lined up before he put the helmet on though. One of his first reoccurring gigs was playing Pastor David Randolph on The Good News.

While that show may not ring too many bells, I’m sure at least a few of you out there remember Ghost Whisperer with the delightful Jennifer Love Hewitt. His stint as Will Bennett only lasted 5 episodes throughout the 5 seasons of the show, but it was a lot longer than some of the other ill-fated guest stars. 

The next biggest role Ramsey landed was alongside Michael C. Hall on Dexter. This time around, Ramsey stayed on camera for an entire seventeen episodes from 2008-2009. With these shows aside, the most likely place you remember seeing David Ramsey is on Blue Bloods, where he played Mayor Carter Poole. 

While continuing his run on Blue Bloods, David Ramsey picked up the mantle of the one and only John Diggle and double dutied it, bringing home two paychecks to his family. 
*  *  *
5.  Stephen Amell (Arrow)
*  *  *
It probably doesn’t come as much as a surprise, that one of Amell’s first characters he played was on a show called Beautiful People. I mean seriously, the name says it all.

His Canadian roots came in handy when he headed to Rent-a-Goalie, as he played Billy for 18 episodes. This hockey-based comedy seems a far cry from the man we know now, but that just shows Amell’s range.

His next extended stay was on the set of another Candian show called Heartland, where Amell stuck around for a handful of episodes before making a pitstop on a little show called The Vampire Diaries.

Before hanging out on Hung with Thomas Jane, Stephen Amell peeked his head in on the very short-lived 90210 reboot.

Funny enough, after Hung, he was on Private Practice. Sorry, I can’t help but find a little humor in the fact that he was in shows called Beautiful People, Hung, and Private Practice. Call me immature, I guess. 

He suited up as the vigilante we know him best for in the same year, 2012. His work on Arrow has made him a household name that won’t soon be forgotten.
*  *  *
7. Brandon Routh (Legends of Tomorrow)
*  *  *
That leads us to 2014 when Brandon Routh began his journey as Ray Palmer. His playful banter with Felicity Smoak on Arrow made for several enjoyable scenes that many Olicity fans may want to ignore.
*  *  *
9. Katie Cassidy (Arrow)
*  *  *
Katie Cassidy started out — like a few other stars on this list — as a fresh face alongside a couple of major talents in the music scene. These two musicians just so happen to be Eminem and Jesse McCartney. Who would have thought there would be some sort of connection between these two men?
*  *  *
Soon after, Cassidy joined the cast of 7th Heaven for a few episodes and then made her way to Sex, Love, and Secrets. While these roles were small, they prepped her to make way to the big screen starring in a few major movies such as Click and Taken. 

Katie Cassidy then used her acting magic on the set of Supernatural, giving the Winchester brothers her own special brand of sugar and spice.  Then it was onto Harper’s Island and the Melrose Place reboot. 

Both of these shows were a major step forward for the actress, especially Melrose Place, where she was playing one of the lead characters. Unfortunately, the show didn’t capture the fans the way the original did and it left the air after its first season.

This didn’t burn Cassidy’s taste for reboots though, as she moved on to the revival of A Nightmare on Elm Street and Monte Carlo with Selena Gomez and Leighton Meester.

Apparently, Cassidy and Meester must of hit it off because they were next seen together on the set of Gossip Girl. Katie Cassidy played the character Juliet Sharp for a total of 12 episodes before coming to the streets of Star City. 
*  *  *
Although she didn’t get her happily ever after with Oliver, Laurel Lance still serves as one of the most awesome females to grace the Arrowverse. She proves you don’t have to be a love interest to get a decent storyline.
*  *  *
13. Echo Kellum (Arrow)
*  *  *
Echo Kellum started out bouncing around on a few different television series, along with a short here and there. It wasn’t until Ben and Kate debuted that Kellum landed a spot as a regular.

For a select few, this quirky comedy was a perfect fit into their evening viewing. Apparently, it wasn’t enough to keep the show running though, as it was canceled after only 16 episodes.

Once that ended, Kellum went back to just hanging around for an episode or two on shows like Hot in Cleveland, Little Horribles, and even the animated series American Dad. 

Sean Saves the World was the next place Echo Kellum called home for 14 episodes, starring alongside the always hilarious Sean Hayes. This was another shortlived series that didn’t seem to hit just the right notes with the audience, causing it to never make it to its sophomore year.

More cameos and one-offs resumed in the show’s aftermath, leading him to the set of You’re the Worst for 4 episodes. Not long after that, Mr. Terrific dropped in on Star City and filled a void Team Arrow didn’t know it had.
*  *  *
15. Caity Lotz (Legends of Tomorrow)
*  *  *
Throughout her time in movieland, Lotz found a few minutes to spend on the fan favorite Mad Men. Her role there was a bit sporadic, giving her just enough energy to appear on Arrow as the Black Canary. 

Eventually, the name changed to White Canary and the rest is history.  

Edited June 18, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

EBR must be ping-ponging back and forth between the two characters...

Edited June 20, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Playbill's news announcement about Reborning...

CW’s Emily Bett Rickards to Star in Zayd Dohrn’s Reborning Off-Broadway
BY OLIVIA CLEMENT  JUN 19, 2019
http://www.playbill.com/article/cws-emily-bett-rickards-to-star-in-zayd-dohrns-reborning-off-broadway 

Quote

Emily Bett Rickards, known for her role as Felicity in CW's Arrow, will soon be seen Off-Broadway in Zayd Dohrn’s dark comedy, Reborning. The production, set to play a limited engagement at SoHo Playhouse, marks ten years since the play was seen at the Public Theater's Summer Play Festival.
*  *  *
Reborning will play a limited run, co-presented with Vancouver company Reality Curve, July 5–August 3. Official opening is July 12.
*  *  *
The production is produced by Piaskowski, Darren Lee Cole, and Rebecca McNeil and presented by Playbook Hub with support from Vancouver Film School, The Canada Council for the Arts, and Shimon Photo. Visit ReborningOffbroadway.com.

Edited June 20, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Colin Donnell cast in upcoming romantic comedy Sell By
by Brittany Frederick   June 19, 2019
https://onechicagocenter.com/2019/06/19/colin-donnell-sell-by-movie/

Quote

While Colin Donnell isn’t coming back to Chicago Med, One Chicago fans will soon be able to see him in a new movie called Sell By.

Donnell is one of the stars of the independent romantic comedy which tells the story of a couple (played by Scott Evans and Augustus Prew) whose five-year relationship is beginning to fizzle.

As they struggle to figure out if their relationship has a future, the duo lean on their circle of friends, who all have their own problems with relationships that they also have to overcome. But somehow, they’ll work through everything together.

Colin portrays a character named Henry, while the rest of the cast also includes Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson (Six Feet Under) and Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy).

The movie is written and directed by Mike Doyle, and already has several screenings lined up at film festivals in June and July.

Edited June 20, 2019 by tv echo

[BkWurm1]

13 hours ago, tv echo said:

EBR must be ping-ponging back and forth between the two characters...

I wonder if the characters are similar.  I imagine the whiplash would be bad otherwise.

[statsgirl]

1 hour ago, BkWurm1 said:

I wonder if the characters are similar.  I imagine the whiplash would be bad otherwise.

Tatiana Maslany managed it several times over on Orphan Black. She even managed to show when one clone was impersonating another.

I don't think EBR is at at that level yet but she'd be up to the challenge of switching between two characters.

it might actually be easier if the characters are very different because then she wouldn't accidentally confuse them.

[tv echo]

Posted yesterday...

Edited June 21, 2019 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Edited June 24, 2019 by tv echo