-In his Entertainment Weekly cover story, Ben Affleck is interviewed by Matt Damon and says that he doesn’t regret Gigli because that’s where he met Jennifer Lopez. “I thought my job was to be a cipher. I can see now how people looked at me and thought of this person as some callow frat guy who’s cavalier, or has too much. It engendered a lot of negative feelings in people about me….But if the reaction to Gigli hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have ultimately decided, ‘I don’t really have any other avenue but to direct movies,’ which has turned out to be the real love of my professional life. So in those ways, it’s a gift. And I did get to meet Jennifer, the relationship with whom has been really meaningful to me in my life.” (Also, the video in the middle of the story is cute because there’s a lot about how his 16-year-old daughter is constantly mocking him.)
–Jamie Lynn Spears is on a promo tour for her forthcoming memoir, and got teary when asked about her rift with sister Britney, saying she’s “always been my sister’s biggest supporter.”
-Oh god. Pete Davidson is reportedly being considered to host the 2022 Oscars.
-The SAG Award nominations were announced this morning and they were WILD. Kristen Stewart (thought to be the frontrunner) was shut out, as was Rachel Zegler, while Jessica Chastain, Nicole Kidman, and Jennifer Hudson somehow squeaked in. Selena Gomez was not nominated for Only Murders in the Building but costars Steve Martin and Martin Short were. The inclusion of the cast of Yellowstone in the TV ensemble category was unexpected, as were Squid Games and House of Gucci’s multiple nods.
–Amy Schumer and Shirley Maclaine will join the cast of the second season of Only Murders in the Building.
–Prince Andrew will face a civil trial in America over sexual abuse claims after a US judge dismissed his lawyer’s attempt to have the lawsuit thrown out.
–Reese Witherspoon published an Instagram post about habits she wants to embrace to improve her daily life, and Ina Garten was like ‘Nah, imma drink more.’
–Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen not only released a statement on the death of Bob Saget, but they also allowed their names to be added to the FH cast statement. This is the first time I can remember them speaking in public in at least a decade, and I wish it wasn’t for such a terrible thing.
–Kellie Martin is reprising her role in a sequel to Life Goes On for NBC. Her gut-wrenching storyline with Chad Lowe in the original show is still burned in my memory.
-I’m so glad to see this thoughtful review of To Paradise. I’m trying to get through that book but man, I’m struggling. I felt like a failure for giving up her previously super buzzy book (A Little Life) but now I’m on the DNF train. The New Yorker profile of Hanya Yanagihara is fascinating, though.
-Netflix is moving ahead with not one but two sequels to Red Notice, featuring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds.
-I’m finally caught up on Station Eleven and I wish I hadn’t resisted it so long because of its post-apocalyptic/pandemic content, because I find it so hopeful and kind. Episode 9 was especially exceptional.
-One TV show at a time is about all I can handle these days, but this review of the reality show Finding Magic Mike makes me really want to watch it.
-The creators of The Americans have a new series for FX called The Patient, starring Domhnall Gleeson as a serial killer and Steve Carell as his prisoner.
-An adult film shoot goes horribly wrong in the terrifying trailer for Ti West‘s new horror film X, which stars Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, and Kid Cudi.
–Zoë Kravitz stars as an agoraphobic tech worker who discovers a recording of a violent crime in the trailer for Steven Soderbergh’s KIMI, coming to HBO Max in Feb.
