Hollywood

Judy Reyes is making every moment count.

Earlier this year, the Bronx-born Dominican actor reprised her breakthrough TV role as Carla Espinosa on the reboot of the beloved ABC medical sitcom, “Scrubs.” For just four episodes, she returned to Sacred Heart Hospital as head nurse and an exhausted mother of four daughters, whom she parents alongside her onscreen hubby, chief of surgery Dr. Christopher Turk (played by Donald Faison).

While fans only caught a quick glimpse of Carla — who is said to be picking up extra shifts elsewhere — her name lingers in the script.

“I’m like the Lord,” said Reyes on a recent video call with The Times. “Just when you think you’re getting away with something, there’s Carla!”

In reality, Reyes has been splitting her time on set with another ABC workplace drama. Now in its second season, “High Potential” sees Reyes leading a top-notch team of crime solvers as Lieutenant Selena Soto, opposite Kaitlin Olson and Daniel Sunjata. “I don’t know any other way to be!” she said of the role. “Latinos are lieutenants and nurses and doctors, et cetera!”

When The Times connected with Reyes, she was crouched down backstage at the Lovinger Theatre at Lehman College in the Bronx. We spoke merely hours before the debut of “Freestyle: A Love Story,” a stage production that follows two lovers who meet at a freestyle show — then reconnect at a concert 20 years later.

Created and directed by George Valencia, with Reyes as one of the executive producers, the story interlaces the history of freestyle music: a Latin hip-hop and pop hybrid genre popularized in the 1980s by acts like Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, George Lamond and Judy Torres.

“Our very existence is political no matter what. Our joy is a problem for a lot of people,” said Reyes. “It’s really important for us to tell our stories.”

Between the passion project and two highly-rated Hulu shows, which continue to stream on the platform despite eventual plans to merge into the Disney+ app, Reyes is not taking her spotlight for granted — especially amid a sinking Hollywood industry model that’s made it difficult for some to find work — “I’m milking it for all it’s about,” she said.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

How were you able to film both the “Scrubs” reboot and Season 2 of “High Potential”?
ABC was willing to make it work. “Scrubs” had been in the works for a long time. From Zach Braff and Donald Faison doing their podcast [during the pandemic], to the T-Mobile commercials … A whole new generation became interested in and got hitched to “Scrubs.”] It just so happened at the same time that “High Potential” was happening. My manager was wonderful about making sure [filming] was accommodating.

“I’m so honored and so thrilled to be part of what I consider a television history,” said Judy Reyes of her role as Carla Espinosa on the ABC medical sitcom “Scrubs.”

(Jeff Weddell / Disney)

 Did it feel natural to return as your character Carla on “Scrubs”?
 It did. They did right by making all these characters older. We were all older with each other. We’re all friends that don’t necessarily talk to each other every day [except] Zach and Donald — they’re pretty much married — but it was like we never left.

 What has changed in Carla — and what hasn’t changed?
What’s changed in Carla is that she’s got four kids and she’s tired and she’s older. The consuming passion of her work is not what it used to be because it’s physical. Life is catching up. Her kids are older, so everything changes and she’s not able to work her ass off the way she used to and she has to confront that.

In season 2 of “High Potential,” your character Lieutenant Soto faces a moment of defeat when she’s not chosen to be captain. What thoughts popped into your head as you rehearsed the scene?
It’s extremely well-written. Defeat is very relatable as a woman — [and] as a woman of color, as a woman of a certain age and as a woman of a certain position. I think we can all, as actors, relate to not getting something you are sure you deserved. But there’s also the surrendering. It’s opening up to all the [possibilities] because if you don’t do that, then you get paralyzed. It stops you in your tracks. “Well, what if I feel this defeat again?” You might, you know, but what’s your alternative?  You gotta eat s— to move ahead.

Judy Reyes portrays Lieutenant Selena Soto in “High Potential,” leading a top-notch team of crime solvers opposite Kaitlin Olson and Daniel Sunjata.

(Jessica Perez / Disney)

There are some moments in “High Potential” when your character is holding up a mug with the Dominican Republic flag. How do you find other ways to incorporate your Latinidad in the story?
When we did the “High Potential” pilot, the props department said I got a mug in the scene and if I wanted anything on it. I was like, “Hmm, no one ever asked me before. Can you do a Dominican flag?” That was in Vancouver and I’ve had it since. The Dominicans lose their f— minds on social media and I love it. It fills my heart.

The other stuff is just being me, which is the purpose of being an artist. I don’t know how much sense it makes to throw in the Spanish word, unless you have other Latino people with you.

Latinos haven’t historically been represented as leaders in Hollywood. Has it evolved?
Things progressed before DEI collapsed. There was an active attempt and pursuit of putting people of color in leadership roles. I’m grateful it’s happened. I’m sad it’s retreated a little bit, but I think it has to start behind the camera. We need to champion writers, directors, producers and the stories or get risky and daring with casting.

 What has changed in Hollywood and what has not changed in your perspective?
Many things have changed from the way we view television. Everything is streamed. Now everything is a limited series. There’s such a political impact in what gets seen and what doesn’t. It’s very hard for people right now and I feel challenged to say how it is better, because I’m working. I see how hard it is. The best thing I can do is seize the platform and connect with other creatives who want to go ahead and take a chance and make investments in stories.

Now with the growing monopolies in the entertainment industry, I’m sure that’ll likely change Hollywood too.
It continues to affect the workforce. The workforce is gonna be severely impacted. The more you merge, the more people you fire and the more machines you put in their place. It’s a frightening moment.

I’m grateful I saw Noah Wyle represent against the [Paramount-Warner Bros.] merger. I’m motivated, because I think we ultimately have to protect each other and protect the art for as long as we can.

What grounds you and your art in an era that is often trying to strip you away from your creative liberties?
My company GoodTalk Films, myself and my partner and husband George Valencia are working with the Watford F.C. Women’s League to launch a Latina Women’s Football Club here in L.A.. We [want to] train Latinas to be coaches. That’s another way to reach out to the community and help people see themselves. That keeps you grounded in the creative process.

I see a lot of theater. I make a lot of trips to New York. I just saw [the Broadway adaptation of] “Dog Day Afternoon,” produced by Stephen Adly Guirgis. My kid is in the arts and I hang out a lot with him and help him sing and perform.  The process is what brings joy in working with other people interested in the same thing.

Malcolm in the Middle star Justin Berfield spent years playing older brother Reese in the beloved American sitcom and he has now given his first interview in almost 20 years ahead of its reboot

The actor who famously played Reese in Malcolm in the Middle has broken his silence after 20 years — and revealed the real reason he quit Hollywood.

Justin Berfield is back on our screens next month with the four-episode revival of the popular show that ended two decades ago. And he has now revealed why he has remained so quiet since then.

Speaking on The Joe Vulpis Podcast, Justin, now aged 40, was asked whether he had done any other podcast or interview since the sitcom ended.

He replied: “No, like podcasts weren’t a thing and I’ve always just said no because like I wasn’t working on anything. I’m just like a stay-at-home dad! So, why am I going to do a podcast?

“Because I’m just chilling at home with my kid. So unless I had something to talk about, I’m like, I don’t want to go on a podcast.”

He then explained that he has remained in the industry by working behind the camera as an onset producer and writer on various projects.

And he added: “I was just like, I don’t care (about going on podcasts). I’m enjoying my life. Unless I have something to talk about current. I don’t want to go back in time and talk Malcolm.”

However, he is now more than happy to talk about the beloved sitcom, given Hulu’s Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is set to land on Disney+ in April.

The final episode of Malcolm aired in May 2006 and Justin revealed in the rare interview why he quit Hollywood soon after.

He said he moved to Colorado with his wife, Liza, after filming because he just wanted a change of scenery.

Giving an insight, he said: “Lots of fly fishing. I still miss it. I love it because I just loved being somewhere so secluded. I was still living in Denver so I was like in the city because I still like access to sports teams and good restaurants and things like that. So I wasn’t living in the mountains or anything like that, even though I went to visit them quite often.

“But I kind of separated from Hollywood and I just got to live somewhere else for once because I grew up here and I just wanted to live somewhere else.

“At that time I had no kids, so I was like, this is the perfect time to do this. So we lived there for three years and then we moved back to LA.”

He also revealed that he quit acting and was never “in demand” after the show.

However, he said he never had the intention of becoming the next Leonardo DiCaprio and that he has loved being a stay-at-home dad to his two children in recent years.

The new series of Malcolm in the Middle will see Justin return as the older brother of Malcolm, played by Frankie Muniz.

Malcolm’s other brother, Francis, played by Christopher Masterson, is also set to return, as are Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek who play parents Hal and Lois.

And asked what it was like being back on set with his old colleagues, Justin said it felt like no time had passed at all.

He added: “It felt like a really, just a really long hiatus. When we were filming the show, you’d film for like eight months and then you’d take like two, three months off, and then kind of go back and do some things again and start seeing everyone, and that was like your year for seven years straight.

“And then we did this, it was obviously like 20 years since we’d seen each other for most of us. And you just kind of, it felt like time stopped, like we just got right back into it.”

The synopsis to the upcoming revival reads: “After shielding himself and his daughter from his family for over a decade, Malcolm is dragged back into their orbit when Hal and Lois demand his presence at their 40th anniversary party.”

Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Not Fair arrives on Disney+ on April 10

• The shift to L.A. Live will place the ceremony within a larger, campus-style complex, allowing the red carpet, show, press operations and post-show events to be staged in a more centralized footprint with increased capacity.

• The move will coincide with the Oscars’ shift to YouTube, part of a broader reset for the ceremony as it looks to expand its global reach after years of declining television viewership.

The Oscars are leaving Hollywood — or at least Hollywood Boulevard.

Beginning in 2029, the Academy Awards will move from the Dolby Theatre, their home for nearly a quarter century, to L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and AEG announced on Thursday. The ceremony will be held in the theater currently known as the Peacock Theater, which is expected to be renamed before the Oscars arrive as part of a new naming rights deal.

The new agreement runs through 2039. Discussions about the move have been underway for the last couple of years, according to people familiar with the planning who were not authorized to speak publicly.

The change in venue comes as the Oscars are also moving away from their traditional home on broadcast television. Earlier this year, the Academy announced that the ceremony will begin streaming live worldwide on YouTube in 2029, ending a five-decade run on ABC.

Since 2002, the show has been closely associated with Hollywood Boulevard, where the red carpet runs alongside the Walk of Fame and, for one night a year, the area becomes the symbolic center of the film industry. The Dolby Theatre sits at the corner of Hollywood and Highland, inside a retail and entertainment center near the TCL Chinese Theatre and the El Capitan.

L.A. Live offers a more centralized, campus-style setting, with venues and event spaces clustered together. The complex is adjacent to Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center and is part of a larger sports and entertainment district developed and operated by AEG that regularly hosts concerts, sporting events and awards shows, including the Emmys and the Grammys. AEG has recently proposed adding a new hotel, residences and additional entertainment space to the complex, part of a longer-term expansion of the site.

In some ways, the move out of the Dolby is less a break than a return: The ceremony was staged for years in downtown L.A. at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and at the Shrine Auditorium before settling at the Dolby.

At the Oscars’ new home, the red carpet, ceremony, press operations and post-show events can all be staged within a compact footprint that includes the adjacent JW Marriott hotel and its ballroom. The theater itself is expected to undergo upgrades to its stage, sound and lighting systems, allowing it to be configured more specifically around the show. The move is also expected to increase capacity, a growing consideration as the academy’s ranks have expanded significantly in recent years, now numbering more than 11,000 members.

At the Dolby, space has long been tight. Each year, multiple blocks of Hollywood Boulevard are shut down for days at a time, rerouting traffic and turning the area into a heavily secured zone — conditions that were even more restrictive this year with security tightened further amid the war in Iran, including a one-mile police buffer around the theater.

The Academy had been looking for a venue that offered greater control over how the show is staged, including how the audience is arranged and how the room is used for both the broadcast and the live event. The new venue is expected to provide more room for press areas, green rooms and backstage operations, along with upgraded technical infrastructure for staging the ceremony.

Early design renderings released by the academy suggest that, for viewers at home, the Oscars may not look all that different. The stage retains the sweeping, curved proscenium that has defined the Dolby Theatre era, suggesting a similar visual approach at a larger scale, with expanded screen space and a more immersive ceiling design.

For both the academy and AEG, which owns and operates the complex, the appeal is in keeping everything in one place — arrivals, ceremony, the Governors Ball and afterparties — rather than spreading events across multiple locations. The setup also creates new opportunities for hospitality and sponsorship tied to the broader campus.

“L.A. Live was built to host the moments that define culture and there is no greater global stage than the Oscars,” said Todd Goldstein, AEG’s chief revenue officer. “Together, we will create an environment that celebrates creativity, honors excellence and delivers an unforgettable experience for movie fans everywhere.”

Taken together, the changes amount to a significant reset for the Oscars, which have seen their audience decline from more than 40 million viewers in the late 1990s to 17.9 million this year, down 9% from the previous year. Moving to YouTube offers a way to reach a broader, more global audience at a time when traditional television viewership has declined.

The Oscars will remain at the Dolby through the 100th ceremony in 2028 before making the transition the following year.

“For the 101st Oscars and beyond, the Academy looks forward to closely collaborating with AEG to make L.A. Live the perfect backdrop for our global celebration of cinema,” Academy Chief Executive Bill Kramer and President Lynette Howell Taylor said in a statement.

THE creator of the 90s hit movie Air Bud has died aged 63 after a tragic fall from Hollywood stardom.

Kevin DiCicco’s death comes a year after he revealed he was homeless and battling health issues.

His sad passing on Saturday March 21 was confirmed by his brother Mark to TMZ.

Kevin was credited as a creator of the beloved 90s film Air Bud, about a lonely boy who befriends a stray dog who has a natural talent for basketball.

Together they experience the highs and lows of life as their friendship remains solid through a series of escapades.

Kevin had found Buddy the dog as a stray, transforming him into a star.

The duo originally found fame on America’s Funniest Home Videos before making a memorable appearance on David Letterman.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online.

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Rather than chasing sequels and reboots, Netflix is betting its 2026 film strategy on a massive investment in original storytelling and a renewed focus on the theatrical comedy.

The streaming giant’s need for original content is one of the main reasons Netflix fought fiercely to acquire Warner Bros. But even after losing the bid to Paramount earlier this month, the priority remains.

“We’re zigging where legacy studios are zagging,” Dan Lin, Netflix’s film chairman, said Wednesday at Netflix’s slate event in Hollywood.

Last year, 18 of the top 20 theatrical films were based on already established intellectual property, like with sequels and remakes. The only two original ideas to break through were Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” and Zach Cregger’s “Weapons.” Both of these films were received well by audiences and earned golden statues at this year’s Oscars.

Lin said that at Netflix, 2025’s slate was the “exact opposite,” where half of the films it released last year were based on original storytelling.

“We have a very healthy content budget. So if there’s a great movie out there, we’ll go out and either build it or acquire it,” Lin said.

Bela Bajaria, the company’s chief content officer, said the company isn’t too concerned with the theatrical element that other studios can offer when hunting for these original stories, as Netflix is a streaming-first company.

“We’ve always had competition. This isn’t really any different,” said Bajaria. “It’s to understand what the competition is, not head in the sand at all. [We have] to understand what the market is and continue to look ahead.”

It’s not just original ideas that Netflix is scouting; the streamer’s also looking to fill gaps in genres. In recent years, comedies have fallen out of favor with major studios — leaving room for streamers like Netflix to expand. This year, Netflix is looking to break through with upcoming comedy productions like Kevin Hart’s bachelor party-driven “72 Hours,” John Cena and Eric André’s buddy comedy “Little Brother” and Eva Longoria’s “Fifth Wheel,” which Lin describes as “our version of ‘Bridesmaids.’”

“We’re taking the chance, and we’re making the movies,” Lin said. “It’s what we’re delivering, I hope, [it’s] what audiences want and what they’re craving. There are a lot of genres that you just can’t find in theaters anymore. So, we’re making those kinds of movies.”

In addition to emphasizing comedies, there’s a lot of opportunity to develop young adult films, Lin said. Netflix has upcoming titles such as “Voicemails for Isabelle,” starring Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson, and “Roommates,” with Sadie Sandler, to draw in younger movie watchers.

One genre in which Netflix doesn’t see much success is live musical adaptations, so it’s “not an area that I’m leaning into,” Lin said. He first joined the company in 2024 and has since green-lighted 88 films.

Netflix subscribers watch about seven movies a month, according to the streamer’s data. So, with the push for original stories, the streamer is hoping to meet its consumers’ demands.

The current strategy is to release up to four “event films” a year. For 2026, Netflix is looking at Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia” adaptation and David Fincher’s follow-up to “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” as its big hitters.

“It’s all very under wraps right now, but it’s something that I’m just so thrilled about because it was the book of my childhood. It was the book series that I loved, and I lived through, and I spent so much time imagining myself inside of Narnia,” Gerwig said in a video message during the Netflix event. “It’s been a joy and an honor to be the person who gets to imagine this universe.”

Gerwig’s “Narnia” is set to hit Imax this Thanksgiving and start streaming on Netflix come Christmas.

DESPITE winning dream roles, Anya Taylor-Joy admits her real wish is to retreat from Hollywood and live on a farm.

The 29-year-old is one of the world’s best-known actresses but has spent years feeling nervous on the red carpet, struggled to watch her award-winning performances and now wants calm.

She voices love interest Princess Peach in the new Super Mario Galaxy movie, which is released on April 1.

But Anya described her ideal life as “on a farm”.

She said: “I want goats, chickens, ducks, horses — all of it. I want to work, come into the city when I want to, then disappear and ride all day.”

The film is the follow-up to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed more than £1billion worldwide.

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Princess Peach is the main female character and head of state of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Anya said: “I was so touched by how strong she is and how cool. The fact that’s going to be a role model kids can have nowadays is unbelievable. I left feeling very inspired by her.”

Anya knows all too well that life can be difficult as a child.

She was born in Florida, then lived in Argentina for five years where she rode horses in the idyllic countryside.

Her African-Spanish mum, a psychologist, and Scottish-Argentine dad, who raced powerboats, then moved the family to London when she was six — and things became dramatically different.

Anya was bullied, “locked in lockers, barred from classrooms, not invited to things” and did not speak English.

Watching films helped her navigate through the traumas.

She told the Happy Sad Confused podcast: “I’ve never been good at being cool, this is why I didn’t get along well with people in school.

“If I like something, I love it and it just pours out of me.

“But if I was sad, like if my hamster died, my parents could put me in front of a movie and I would feel better at the end of it.

“I could get lost in something like that.”

It was her love of movies that eventually helped her learn English.

She says: “I learned English when I was eight. I stuck it out for two years in London, refusing to speak English because I wanted to go home. Then eventually I was like, ‘I have no friends, this is going to be a needed skill’.”

Anya told her parents she was going to be an actress.

But first, after being “picked up” outside Harrods, she became a model at 16.

She was recruited by Sarah Doukas, boss of Storm model agency, who had discovered Kate Moss.

But at first Anya thought she was a stalker.

She said: “It was absurd. A black car comes up, starts chasing me. I pick up my dog, start running and a head comes out of the window and they say, ‘If you stop, you won’t regret it,’ and I stop.

“It was the head of a modelling agency. I don’t encourage other people to do this.

“I had no idea what I was doing, but luckily it worked out and my parents came with me the next day to the modelling agency.”

Her parents always supported her. Anya said: “They’d had six kids, so were like, ‘Oh, just do whatever you’re going to do’.

“I’m so grateful for the approach my parents have had because I did some pretty ballsy things in my teenage years and luckily they paid off, but they were always supportive.”

She did many auditions before getting her breakthrough role at 19 in film The Witch.

Anya said: “I thought that audition went so badly. I truly thought I had messed that up massively because I had a huge panic attack before I went into it, and luckily that really worked for the scene.”

It was then that Anya found where she truly belonged.

She said: “Going into work every single day felt like such a joy.

“I could breathe because I’d found a place where I was doing something I loved, with people who didn’t think I was a psychopath. And I could have fun with it. I loved every second of making that movie.”

She found it “mind blowing” that The Witch was a hit and forced herself to watch the performance.

Anya said: “It’s like getting hit by a bus. I personally don’t agree with not watching your films, it’s not all about you. It’s a whole bunch of other people who have done a lot of work and different departments that you have to go and support, because they deserve it and you love them. So I have to watch it.

“But the first time, I always feel I’ve let people down and I’m always like, ‘Oh, I messed it up’.

“Then I process it and the second time I watch it, it’s slightly more palatable and I’m able to lose myself a bit more.

“By the third time I’m just like, ‘OK, whatever’. You just have to get over yourself and applaud the people you care about that worked with you.”

Anya became a household name in 2020 after starring in Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, which led to a Golden Globe for Best Actress.

She went on to roles in horror film Last Night In Soho, black comedy The Menu and the apocalyptic film Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Anya said she works “very hard, very gratefully hard” because she feels lucky to do a job she feels passionate about.

But it is not always easy. Despite her modelling background, Anya struggles with the limelight.

She said: “When I first started doing red carpets, I couldn’t handle the notion of being pretty.

“I was like, ‘I don’t do that’. I am a scummy, mud-caked ferret and striving for anything different felt disingenuous and scary.”

She has even been known to dress up “like an East Berlin spy” at times so nobody recognises her.

Now she is trying to make time for some balance in her life.

She said: “I’ve been living on film sets for five years and, occasionally, I think it would be nice to find out what Anya would do with three months if she wasn’t playing another person.

“So I’m trying to be more careful with my time there.

“You spend 18 hours a day thinking, behaving and breathing as another human being. That doesn’t leave a lot of time to figure out what it is that you like.”

And the person she wants to spend it with is her husband, US musician Malcolm McRae, who she married in 2021.

The couple split their time between homes in the Hollywood Hills and London.

She said: “I’ve finally found someone who will happily sit in silence with me, reading. We’re basically 80 years old and seven at the same time, and it works really well.

“When you are together, you are really valuing the time you have. Everyday, mundane activities are so full of joy.

“I love going to the petrol station with him and filling up the car and going to get breakfast.”

But right now, her focus is all on Princess Peach.

Anya told US Today: “She wants to find out where she comes from and is on a quest for adventure and prioritising herself a little bit more.”

Princess Peach sounds very much like the actress playing her.

MORGAN Freeman will become the voice of the London Underground this week.  

The Hollywood legend’s famous tones will ring out at Baker Street tube today and tomorrow.

The event is part of his big money advertising deal with Warburtons bread.

Instead of the announcer’s usual warning to “mind the gap”, Freeman will urge them to “mind the bap”.  

The bakery firm’s CEO, Jonathan Warburton said: “We wanted to share a bit of that fun with Londoners on their daily commute and hopefully raise a few smiles.  

“As you can probably tell, we also love a good bread pun, so Baker Street was a match made in heaven, and hearing a voice as legendary as Morgan Freeman’s booming to travellers on the platform is certainly a recipe for a memorable day.” 

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Freeman joined the likes of Robert De Niro, Olivia Colman and George Clooney when he signed up as the face of Warburtons last month.  

He admitted at the time he had never tried a crumpet before.  

New research by Warburtons reveals that 71 per cent of Brits consider the holey bun a cornerstone of UK culture.  

The firm will also transform signage at Baker Street tube into giant crumpets to celebrate Freeman’s turn on the tannoy. 

PEAKY Blinders star Annabelle Wallis is expecting her first child with boyfriend Sebastian Stan, it has been reported.

According to TMZ, the actress and Hollywood heartthrob are bracing themselves to become first-time parents.

Annabelle and Sebastian went public with their relationship in 2022 after being spotted on holiday together in Greece.

While the couple have yet to confirm the news, insiders told TMZ they’re keeping the due date and gender under wraps.

It’s going to be a busy year for the stars with Sebastian gearing up for the release of two movies, Fjord and Avengers: Doomsday.

Meanwhile Annabelle is starring alongside Jason Statham in action film Mutiny which is set to be released in August.

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Sebastian and Annabelle are known for keeping their private life out of the public eye and last year he shared their reason for doing so.

Speaking to Vanity Fair, he said: “I feel like it’s really difficult nowadays to be able to have any privacy whatsoever.”

Sebastian added that their relationship “is not something either of them discuss” publicly.

As well as being known for playing Grace Burgess in Peaky Blinders, Annabelle also starred as Jane Seymour in drama series The Tudors.

Sebastian got his big break in 2007 when he took on the role of lovable rogue Carter Baizen in Gossip Girl, starring alongside huge names including Blake Lively.

Hollywood’s biggest night is here, along with the biggest red carpet of awards season.

Not only is it massive in size — it takes about 2,400 hours and more than 400 workers to assemble the 25,000-square-foot red carpet, measuring 900 feet long and 60 feet wide — but enormous in influence. It boasts the most memorable, stylish and extravagant fashion in entertainment history. In fact, stars have been taking cues from Hollywood history at precursor awards shows. Old Hollywood glamour dominated January’s Golden Globes. And the Actor Awards, held two weeks ago, were themed “Reimagining Hollywood Glamour from the ‘20s and ‘30s.” So the Oscars red carpet may also pay homage to La La Land.

Lead and supporting actress nominees Jessie Buckley, Kate Hudson, Emma Stone, Elle Fanning, Wunmi Mosaku and Teyana Taylor have already won in the style department and are sure to impress yet again. All eyes will also be on dapper actors Michael B. Jordan, Timothee Chalamet, Delroy Lindo and Jacob Elordi.

Here’s the best fashion from the 2026 Oscars, captured from every angle by The Times’ photo team. After the carpet wraps, the 98th Academy Awards will air live from the Dolby Theatre on ABC starting at 4 p.m.

READ MORE: Winners list | Full coverage

Ji-young Yoo

Ji-young Yoo, who voices Zoey in “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” is pretty in purple.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Kevin Grandalski and Marlee Matlin

Marlee Matlin and husband Kevin Grandalski, a retired Burbank police officer, arrive on the red carpet. Matlin won the lead actress Oscar in 1987 for her debut film, “Children of a Lesser God.”

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Mario Lopez

Mario Lopez arrives on the red carpet. The actor’s talk show “Access Hollywood” was abruptly canceled on Friday after nearly 30 years.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Nadim Cheikhrouha

French Tunisian film producer Nadim Cheikhrouha wears an Artists4Ceasefire pin, designed by Shepard Fairey. The collective of actors and filmmakers is advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Ken Jeong

“The Masked Singer” host Ken Jeong is all smiles.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Saturday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Cleveland 6, San Pedro 4

Gardena 11, Animo Leadership 2

LA University 12, Environmental Charter 1

Santee 22, Mendez 13

South East 3, Sylmar 2

Verdugo Hills 1, Franklin 0

Wilmington Banning 7, Port of LA 0

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 9, Murrieta Valley 4

Aquinas 12, Capistrano Valley 2

Buena 7, St. Bonaventure 3

Calabasas 1, Santa Monica 0

Claremont 8, Adelanto 2

Colton 5, Arroyo Valley 0

Dos Pueblos 6, Lompoc 3

El Dorado 2, West Ranch 0

Foothill Tech 5, Trinity Classical Academy 4

Ganesha 2, Mission Viejo 1

Glendora 7, Charter Oak 6

Golden Valley 16, Nordhoff 12

Granite Hills 2, Fontana 1

Hacienda Heights Wilson 13, Tustin 7

Jurupa Hills 8, Orange Vista 2

Kaiser 1, West Covina 0

Katella 14, Chaparral 3

Laguna Beach 5, Costa Mesa 3

Linfield Christian 3, El Toro 0

Long Beach Jordan 12, El Monte 0

Loyola 8, Cathedral 0

Mayfair 22, Lynwood 0

Mira Costa 7, Lakewood 0

Moorpark 17, Channel Islands 0

Mountain View 5, Avalon 3

Norco 1, Great Oak 0

Nuview Bridge 8, Eisenhower 4

Oaks Christian 9, Hart 0

Pasadena Marshall 9, Santa Clarita Christian 8

Ramona 8, Sunny Hills 6

Redlands 13, Rim of the World 0

Rio Hondo Prep 10, Orange Glen 1

Riverside Prep 5, Yucaipa 2

San Gorgonio 14, Big Bear 7

Santa Ana Foothill 14, Walnut 2

Santa Ynez 27, Dunn 0

Silverado 5, Pasadena Poly 1

St. Anthony 17, Artesia 11

Tesoro 4, Sunny Hills 1

Torrance 10, West Torrance 0

Trabuco Hills 10, Long Beach Wilson 8

Troy 13, Victor Valley 3

University Prep 22, Immanuel Christian 0

Valencia 8, Simi Valley 0

Valley View 13, Heritage 5

Warren 7, Santa Fe 1

Whitney 7, Western 6

INTERSECTIONAL

Bloomington Christian 13, Austin (TX) NYOS Charter 4

Burbank Burroughs 6, LA Marshall 5

El Dorado 17, Campo Verde 4

Garfield 3, Whittier Christian 1

Hueneme 9, Idaho Falls (ID) Skyline 2

Indian Springs 20, Public Safety Academy 2

Oxnard 4, Idaho Falls (ID) Skyline 3

Palm Desert 5, Rancho Bernardo 2

Palos Verdes 4, Palisades 3

San Jose More 11, Valley Christian Academy 1

Sonora 11, Legacy 4

Temecula Valley 7, Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman 4

University Prep 9, Boron 2

Valley Christian 10, South Gate 9

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

LA Marshall 12, Bell 1

Santee 27, Mendez 25

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura 4, Torrance 0

Alemany 15, Montebello 2

Alemany 18, Irvine 3

Alhambra 10, Ramona Convent 4

Arcadia 8, Paramount 0

Alta Loma 6, Summit 5

Alta Loma 5, Los Osos 1

Capistrano Valley 9, Corona Santiago 4

Chaparral 11, Katella 7

Downey 11, La Palma Kennedy 1

Elsinore 10, Covina 3

Etiwanda 10, Redlands East Valley 4

Firebaugh 11, Long Beach Cabrillo 6

Glendora 5, Yucaipa 3

Glendora 4, Capistrano Valley 2

Grace 6, Hemet 5

Hesperia 16, Victor Valley 14

Highland 6, Apple Valley 2

Highland 18, Apple Valley 6

Hillcrest 1, Diamond Bar 0

JSerra 6, Oaks Christian 1

Jurupa Hills 11, Garden Grove 10

Kaiser 12, Flintridge Prep 2

Kaiser 11, Lompoc Cabrillo 0

Lakewood 4, Whittier Christian 3

Lakewood St. Joseph 8, Placentia Valencia 3

Lakewood St. Joseph 8, Warren 3

Maranatha 7, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 5

Mayfair 9, Garden Grove 3

Mayfair 19, Jurupa Hills 2

Northview 7, Grand Terrace 6

San Dimas 9, Paramount 4

Santa Fe 9, Riverside North 0

Santa Fe 6, Downey 4

Santa Monica 8, Bishop Montgomery 4

Schurr 11, Covina 0

Schurr 11, Elsinore 4

Segerstrom 9, Walnut 7

Simi Valley 3, Redondo Union 0

South Hills 6, Hemet 2

South Torrance 13, West Torrance 0

Upland 8, Arrowhead Christian 0

Valencia 2, Buena 0

Victor Valley 11, Hesperia 8

Vista Murrieta 9, Oak Hills 5

Walnut 7, Katella 5

Warren 12, Placentia Valencia 1

Western Christian 8, Summit 5

Whittier Christian 17, Grace 5

Yucaipa I, La Palma Kennedy 1

INTERSECTIONAL

Carson 15, Bishop Montgomery 6

Carson 12, Culver City 1

Cypress 5, Granada Hills 0

Fountain Valley 11, LA University 1

Glendale 15, Maywood CES 5

Granada Hills 14, El Rancho 6

Legacy 5, San Dimas 2

Maywood CES 17, St. Mary’s Academy 10

Redondo Union 7, San Pedro 1

Riverside King 12, Sanger 0

Simi Valley 4, Wilmington Banning 1

Venice 4, Maranatha 0

Venice 13, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 4

SHE is an Oscar-winner married to a former James Bond, but Rachel Weisz says Hollywood made her feel so ugly she considered having plastic surgery.

When the British beauty first went there in the Nineties, she contemplated a nose job, boob job or liposuction to get noticed and boost her career.

Rachel, now 56 and one of the world’s most sought-after stars, said: “I went into quite a major depression.

“I was watching so many daytime TV shows. And then I would get in my car and drive to these auditions while listening to the radio.

“I feel sick now when I listen to the radio, all these commercials for different car dealers.

“I just felt like the world was so desperate and lonely and sad and people were trying to sell cars and no one wanted to buy them.

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“People are very focused on their own thing. In LA unless you’ve just won an Oscar or you’re ‘Mr Studio Head’, no one talks to you. Even at parties. I was at this big Hollywood party, and no one looked.

“Everyone is blinkered and they just kind of scan the room for ­anyone important. LA makes you feel ugly. Because if you’re an actress, no one pays you any attention.

“And you immediately start thinking, ‘God, I must have a nose job. Or, I must get that boob job, or I must get that lipo’, whatever it is.”

For Rachel, who started her career with bit-parts on Inspector Morse and whose new thriller Vladimir was released on Netflix on March 5, real success and happiness came when she turned her back on the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles.

She decided to split her time between London, where she grew up, and New York with her then-partner, director Darren Aronofsky, and their son Henry, now 19.

Rachel, who has been married to 007 actor Daniel Craig since 2011, told Index mag: “There’s not much room for eccentricity in Hollywood, and eccentricity is what’s sexy in people.

“I think London’s sexy because it’s so full of eccentrics.”

The actress’s breakthrough came in 1999 when she landed the role of feisty librarian Evelyn Carnahan in blockbuster The Mummy.

By 2006 her A-list status was cemented when she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Constant Gardener.

She went on to star in 2009’s The Lovely Bones and 2015’s Youth, as well as 2021 Marvel film Black Widow.

Now Vladimir sees her as ­married college professor M, whose life spirals into a steamy, all-consuming obsession with her younger colleague, played by One Day and White Lotus star Leo Woodall.

The series is based on the book of the same name by Julia May Jonas, which Rachel describes as a ­brilliant piece of writing.

She added of the character she plays: “I deeply empathise with her and understand her. But I left her when I got home.

“She’s like a projection of what a viewer might want to live out.”

Rachel and Daniel, who ­officially ended his 15-year stint as James Bond with No Time To Die in 2021, were friends for years before falling for each other in 2010 while filming thriller Dream House.

Within months they secretly wed in New York and went on to have daughter Grace, now seven. They split their time between Brooklyn in New York and ­Primrose Hill in North London.

But the couple deliberately choose not to do films together.

Rachel said: “I think we really love our private life as a life, as a family, and then we go to work separately.

“It means we can alternate, so I can stay home with the family while he works. We can swap out. If we’re both doing ­something at the same time, it’s probably less ideal.”

Rachel grew up in ­Hampstead, North London, with dad George, a Hungarian-Jewish mechanical engineer, and mum Edith, who originated from ­Austria and was a teacher-turned-psychotherapist.

The star started modelling at 14 and studied English at ­Cambridge University, with her parents hoping she would choose a more traditional career.

Rachel told the Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist podcast: “They were just the kind of ­parents who were like, ‘You’ve got to get a degree, like you have to go to ­college’, which in the end I did.

“They wanted me to have a fall-back, so I could be a teacher . . . that would be a really good job.

“My parents would be really happy if I was a teacher. My dad was very sceptical about my career choice. I think he wasn’t very impressed by what I was doing.

“He was my harshest critic for a very long time. I think he only, after a good 15 years, was like, ‘OK, yeah’.

“He was tough — yeah, he was tough, in a good way. He was always honest, he didn’t make it nice. He’d take things apart and say, ‘I didn’t understand what you were doing,’ or, ‘That was a bit wooden’.”

But winning her Oscar changed everything.

Rachel said: “That definitely changed my life. Maybe my dad was like, ‘OK, all right, you were OK’.

“He would never be more over the top than that.”

And that Oscar meant she had the freedom to choose the roles she truly wanted, just like the one in Vladimir.

She said: “In the beginning of my career, I just did whatever job I got so I could pay the rent. I wasn’t picky.

“Now I’m in this luxurious position where I can choose things. It’s really about the character and writing, if it appeals to me or if it seems it would be interesting to ­pretend that story.

“I was never the kind of kid that got on the table and did a tap dance and a song. I wasn’t the star of the school plays or ­anything. I was ­actually really shy.

“I think a lot of actors, when I meet them as grown-ups, they go, ‘I was really shy too’.

“I think I’m just a daydreamer. I think storytelling is, in a way, daydreaming, but ­putting your daydreams into ­writing and getting people to embody them.

“I think my daydreaming skills have just come into it, I get paid for it.”

Despite now being praised for her stylish looks, ranging from velvet trouser suits to Valentino haute ­couture, walking the red carpet still makes Rachel nervous even today.

She said: “I don’t think any actress would say doing the red ­carpet is not terrifying. The way to get through it is to pretend.

“It’s a fantasy, like walking into a fantasy world. These people, they transform you, and that is fun.

“What you see on the red ­carpet is not a character that has anything to say.

“I used to be very shy, and in a way that was what was so great about the idea of ­acting. You can hide the real you behind that character.”

But after years of ­struggling with fame, Rachel says she has finally learned to be ­content with exactly where she is in life.

She said: “Someone once said to me when I was younger, ‘Never think the best party is somewhere else’. You know that feeling of being somewhere and thinking you should go somewhere better?

“You can’t do that. ­Wherever you are is the right place to be.”

NBCUniversal is cutting “Access Hollywood” and several other of its daytime talk shows, effectively ending its first-run syndication business as daytime television atrophies.

The company confirmed that “Access Hollywood,” and its counterpart “Access Live,” will be coming to an end in September. The shows, produced in Los Angeles, are currently hosted by Mario Lopez, Kit Hoover, Scott Evans and Zuri Hall.

Talk shows “Karamo” and “The Steve Wilkos Show,” produced out of NBC’s facility in Stamford, Conn., are also shutting down. The programs have already completed their production for the season and will run through the summer.

NBC previously announced that “The Kelly Clarkson Show” is also ending later this year after seven seasons.

“The Steve Wilkos Show” ran for 19 seasons. The host is a former bouncer for “The Jerry Springer Show.”

Francis Berwick, chairman of Bravo and Peacock unscripted, said in a statement that the company will continue to distribute library episodes of its talk programs and network shows such as “Law & Order.” But NBCU’s days of launching series for daytime and the hour before prime time are over.

“NBCUniversal is making changes to our first-run syndication division to better align with the programming preferences of local stations,” Berwick said. “The company will remain active in the distribution of our existing program library and other off-network titles, while winding down production of our first-run shows.”

“Access Hollywood” was first launched by NBC in 1996 as a competitor to CBS Media Ventures’ “Entertainment Tonight.”

First-run syndication allows producers to sell TV shows to stations on a market-by-market basis, instead of distributing them through a single network. This model was a major success for talk show staples such as Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres.

But streaming has pulled viewers away from traditional television, as viewers can watch their favorite shows and movies anytime on demand. The audience levels needed to generate enough ad revenue to support first-run programming in daytime no longer exists.

Many TV stations are filling their hours with more local news as daytime talk goes away.

Friday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Bell 11, Palisades 3 (8 innings)

Eagle Rock 11, Stella 1

El Camino Real 5, Cleveland 1

Fairfax 13, Dorsey 3

Fremont 5, Lincoln 0

Gardena 13, Santee 4

Garfield 3, Venice 2

LA Wilson 7, Vaughn 6

Monroe 11, King/Drew 2

Northridge Academy 5, AMIT 0

Panorama 14, Reseda 11

Rancho Dominguez 13, Westchester 3

SOCES 17, Canoga Park 1

Sun Valley Magnet 12, Collins Family 0

Van Nuys 5, Chavez 1

SOUTHERN SECTION

AAE 11, CIMSA 0

Aliso Niguel 11, Fullerton 8

Anaheim Canyon 8, El Modena 7

Apple Valley 8, Serrano 5

Arcadia 11, Muir 1

Arlington 1, Liberty 0

Arroyo 20, Downey Calvary Chapel 1

Baldwin Park 22, Sierra Vista 5

Beaumont 7, Desert Hot Springs 0

Big Bear 14, Pacific 10

Bishop Montgomery 9, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 0

Bishop Union 10, Legacy Christian Academy 0

Bolsa Grande 6, Saddleback 5

Brea Olinda 3, El Toro 1

Burbank Burroughs 18, Glendale 1

Calvary Baptist 11, Rosemead 1

Canyon Springs 10, Hemet 7

Carpinteria 5, Nordhoff 2

Cathedral 11, Bosco Tech 6

Coachella Valley 6, Yucca Valley 0

Corona Santiago 8, Chino Hills 4

Costa Mesa 10, Ocean View 2

Crescenta Valley 8, Hoover 2

Cypress 14, JSerra 2

Diamond Bar 9, Santa Ana 1

Don Lugo 3, Upland 3

Dos Pueblos 11, Buena 3

Duarte 5, Azusa 3

Eastvale Roosevelt 7, Whittier Christian 0

Edgewood 11, Gabrielino 3

El Segundo 2, North Torrance 1

Elsinore 5, Rancho Verde 4

Fountain Valley 6, Los Alamitos 2

Hart 16, Canyon Country Canyon 6

Heritage Christian 7, Channel Islands 0

Hesperia 11, Ridgecrest Burroughs 8

Huntington Beach 4, Edison 1

Indian Springs 4, San Bernardino 3

Irvine 9, Northwood 1

Irvine University 7, St. Margaret’s 5

Jurupa Valley 4, La Sierra 2

Katella 6, Laguna Hills 4

Knight 10, Eastside 1

La Canada 13, Temple City 3

Lancaster 11, Antelope Valley 0

La Salle 6, St. Paul 5

La Serna 7, Whittier 2

Long Beach Poly 7, Long Beach Jordan 5

Long Beach Wilson 5, Long Beach Cabrillo 1

Los Amigos 4, Magnolia 3

Lucerne Valley 11, Silver Valley 5

Marina 5, Newport Harbor 4

Mark Keppel 12, San Gabriel 3

Mary Star of the Sea 13, St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 5

Mayfair 6, Garden Grove 1

Millikan 8, Compton 0

Miller 20, Entrepreneur 0

Montebello 6, Alhambra 1

Moreno Valley 5, Heritage 3

Newbury Park 16, Camarillo 3

New Roads 7, Brentwood 5

Nogales 10, Garey 4

Norwalk 9, Dominguez 4

Nuview Bridge 6, Riverside North 0

Oak Hills 12, Sultana 8

Orange 10, Savanna 5

Orange Vista 9, Lakeside 3

Oxnard Pacifica 8, Oxnard 0

Palos Verdes 3, Mira Costa 1

Paramount 19, Firebaugh 6

Placentia Valencia 11, Godinez 1

Ramona 11, Norte Vista 1

Rancho Christian 18, Hillcrest 7

Rancho Cucamonga 6, Alta Loma 3

Rio Hondo Prep 10, Escondido Charter 10

Riverside Poly 6, Paloma Valley 1

Royal 7, Moorpark 0

Rubidoux 5, Patriot 4

Salesian 19, Verbum Dei 5

San Juan Hills 10, Citrus Valley 1

San Marcos 2, Rio Mesa 1

Santa Aba Calvary Chapel 3, Buena Park 0

Santa Ana Foothill 7, Cajon 0

Santa Fe 7, California 0

Santa Margarita 19, Los Osos 9

Santa Paula 9, Malibu 3

Saugus 12, Castaic 9

Schurr 7, Bell Gardens 3

Segerstrom 8, La Palma Kennedy 4

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 4, Paraclete 1

Sierra Canyon 9, Valencia 1

Simi Valley 17, Oak Park 0

SLOCA 6, Valley Christian Academy 4

Southlands Christian 12, Bassett 5

St. Anthony 9, St. Monica 6

St. Bernard 8, Gardena Serra 5

Sunny Hills 9, Esperanza 2

Tesoro 6, Yorba Linda 3

Twentynine Palms 20, Desert Christian Academy 2

University Prep 34, Mojave 0

Valley View 10, Citrus Hill 2

Ventura 11, Santa Barbara 6

Victor Valley Christian 8, ACE 7

Villa Park 6, La Habra 1

Vista del Lago 13, Perris 3

Vista Murrieta 13, Yucaipa 5

Western 5, Santa Ana Valley 1

West Ranch 3, Golden Valley 0

Woodbridge 5, Laguna Beach 4

INTERSECTIONAL

Boron 30, Immanuel Christian 1

Carson 3, Lakewood 0

El Rancho 2, LA Roosevelt 1

HMSA 11, Animo Venice 1 (5 innings)

Lee Vining 11, Trona 11

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 4, Triumph Charter 2

South Gate 16, South El Monte 6

Temecula Valley 6, Henderson (NV) Basic 3

Thousand Oaks 8, Skyline (ID) 0

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Carson 13, Venice 1

Granada Hills Kennedy 2, SOCES 1

LA Wilson 16, Rancho Dominguez 6

Narbonne 18, Contreras 2

Orthopaedic 20, Jefferson 1

Santee 26, Gardena 17

Sylmar 16, Fulton 0

Torres 16, Bernstein 6

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 9, Garden Grove Pacifica 1

Alta Loma 11, Grand Terrace 4

Azusa 15, Nogales 1

Bishop Amat 8, Rancho Cucamonga 6

Bishop Conaty-Loretto 10, Hawthorne 0

Bloomington 17, Vista del Lago 3

Brentwood 15, Inglewood 3

Charter Oak 12, Don Lugo 4

Colton 8, Woodcrest Christian 0

Dana Hills 8, Woodbridge 0

Dos Pueblos 9, Buena 0

Duarte 12, Baldwin Park 2

Edgewood 14, Southland Christian 3

Etiwanda 9, Ganesha 8

Flintridge Sacred Heart 2, Burbank Providence 1

Jurupa Valley 20, La Sierra 1

La Canada 15, South Pasadena 0

Liberty 19, Heritage 5

Linfield Christian 15, Temecula Valley 4

Loara 27, Costa Mesa 3

Lucerne Valley 29, Silver Valley 12

Maranatha 5, Santa Monica 3

Mark Keppel 18, Mountain View 13

Monrovia 5, Temple City 1

Newbury Park 14, Channel Islands 0

Northview 6, Ontario Christian 2

Northview 6, Western Christian 2

Ocean View 15, Corona del Mar 2

Orange 11, Estancia 0

Orange Vista 11, Rancho Verde 1

Oxnard 9, Oxnard Pacifica 1

Paloma Valley 3, Valley View 1

Pasadena Marshall 20, Elizabeth 2

Patriot 13, Rubidoux 0

Placentia Valencia 7, Anaheim 6

Portola 15, Oxford Academy 5

Redlands East Valley 4, Canyon Springs 1

Rio Mesa 7, San Marcos 2

Riverside Prep 21, Hesperia 2

San Bernardino 20, Indian Springs 0

San Dimas 10, Diamond Bar 0

San Marino 18, Blair 0

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 10, Westminster La Quinta 0

Santa Ana Valley 16, Century 6

Serrano 17, PACS 1

Sierra Vista 13, Garey 2

South El Monte 22, Rowland 12

South Hills 15, Lakewood 1

St. Bonaventure 21, Santa Paula 5

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 31, Beverly Hills 1

Sunny Hills 10, Cerritos 7

Twentynine Palms 21l Banning 15

University Prep 13, Sultana 7

West Torrance 5, Redondo Union 3

Whittier Christian 8, Arrowhead Christian 0

Wiseburn-Da Vinci 10, Culver City 0

Yucca Valley 18, Coachella Valley 7

INTERSECTIONAL

Chadwick 13, Palisades 2

Leuzinger 6, South Gate 2

Pasadena Marshall 20, Elizabeth 2

Riverside King 1, Clovis North 0

Riverside King 12, Hollister 5

South Torrance 6, San Pedro 4

Taft 22, Hueneme 3

Torrance 5, Wilmington Banning 3

Van Nuys 13, Immaculate Heart 12

West Ranch 9, El Camino Real 1

Twenty-three years ago, the Oscars were in turmoil. President George W. Bush had just begun an invasion of Iraq after the Sept. 11 attacks, and as the nation’s TV screens filled with the “shock and awe” campaign, many did not know quite how to proceed with Hollywood’s biggest night.

ABC wanted to postpone, presenters begged off, Jack Nicholson urged his fellow actor nominees to boycott (animated feature winner Hayao Miyazaki did), documentary winner Michael Moore attempted to directly shame Bush from the stage (to loud boos) and many of the acceptance speeches acknowledged the war and included pleas for peace.

President Trump’s recent decision to attack Iran is not precisely the same — American troops have thus far not invaded and the Bush administration’s media blitz of rockets lighting up the sky is absent. No one expected the Oscars to be canceled or delayed and there has been no talk of boycotts; whether the war and (if polls are to be believed) its general unpopularity are noted, either by host Conan O’Brien (who has already said he will not be mentioning Trump) or the winners, remains to be seen.

But if recent history is any indication, it could go unmentioned. Which would be something of a political statement in itself: It would be terrible if the false notion that awards shows have become too political had a chilling effect on anyone who wanted to use their platform to speak about something important they care about.

Thus far, film and television awards winners have stayed away from the issues that have prompted widespread public outrage and protests this year — including the often brutal methods of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the ongoing concern over the war in Gaza and the endless revelations of the Epstein files.

Despite complaints from certain quarters, awards shows, particularly the Oscars, rarely have more than one or two truly political moments. But this year, the absence has been notable.

Compared with the Grammy Awards, where Trevor Noah, in his final stint as host, roasted Trump and anti-ICE sentiment reigned in speeches and on pins, this year’s Golden Globes (which aired three weeks before the Grammys) appeared to exist in another world. A few stars wore similar pins and spoke on the red carpet, but aside from a few digs about Epstein and CBS News from host Nikki Glaser, there was no mention of the many issues roiling the nation. (As he was beginning to make late-in-speech remarks about this being an important time to make films, Kleber Mendonça Filho, Brazilian director of the non-English language film winner “The Secret Agent,” ran over time and was played off.)

Has Hollywood lost its spine? Or, having been beset for years by grievances that the Oscars have become “too political” and “too woke,” are filmmakers and actors saving their outrage and passion for social media and bowing to pressure to keep their acceptance speeches grateful and celebratory?

“I know that there are people who find it annoying when actors take opportunities like this to talk about social and political things,” said Jean Smart on the Golden Globes red carpet, adding, when she won for actress in a TV comedy: “There’s just a lot that could be said tonight. I said my rant on the red carpet, so I won’t do it here.”

It was an echo of Jane Fonda’s famous 1972 Oscar speech: “There’s a great deal to say, and I’m not going to say it tonight.” And, perhaps, a response to more recent “shut up and dribble” criticism, as distilled by 2020 Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais, who cautioned the audience: “If you do win an award tonight, don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world.”

Indeed, as Oscars ratings have plummeted over the last 20 years, some have suggested that political speechifying is to blame. This is patently absurd. Viewership for just about everything except the Super Bowl has dropped dramatically, and the Oscars ratings do not take into account the millions who watch portions of the show on social media. (We’ll see what happens when the Oscars move to YouTube in 2029.)

And the Oscars have never been particularly political.

Speeches that deviate from the ubiquitous laundry list of thank yous always get more attention, whether they’re political or not, for the simple reason that they’re so dang unusual. But taken as a whole, either by decade or particular telecast, the Oscars is mostly, and consistently, apolitical. As in, almost every minute of a three-hour-plus show, year after year after year.

Unless, of course, you consider thanking God to be political. Which I do not. Nor do I categorize as such any speech that underlines the fact of a historic win (as Halle Berry did in 2002), encourages Hollywood to tell more diverse stories (as Cate Blanchett did in 2014) or reminds audiences in a general way that systemic oppression and war are bad (as Adrian Brody did amid his ramblings in 2025).

Many of the speeches that have been branded as “political” are simply underscoring the themes of the films being honored — in 2009, both Dustin Lance Black and Sean Penn advocated for gay rights when accepting Oscars for “Milk,” which chronicled the life of assassinated gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Likewise, John Irving supporting abortion rights and Planned Parenthood after winning for “The Cider House Rules” in 2000 and John Legend and Common speaking passionately about civil rights, past and present, after winning for “Glory,” a song from the civil rights drama “Selma,” in 2015 was only natural.

Sacheen Littlefeather refuses the lead actor Academy Award on behalf of Marlon Brando in 1973.

(Bettmann Archive)

A purely political speech, to my mind, directly calls out specific leaders, policies or crises, which may or may not have anything to do with the film being awarded. The most famous are, of course, Marlon Brando’s decision to send Sacheen Littlefeather to accept his Oscar for “The Godfather” and protest the treatment of Native Americans, and Vanessa Redgrave’s 1978 denunciation of “Zionist hoodlums” who were demonstrating against her involvement in a pro-Palestinian documentary even as she accepted for supporting actress in “Julia.”

In 1993, while many Oscars attendees wore red ribbons to honor those living with HIV/AIDS and call for government assistance, then-couple Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins took it further, using their time as presenters to ask the U.S. government to allow HIV-positive Haitians being held at Guantanamo Bay to be let into the country. That same year, presenter Richard Gere used the fact that “1 billion people” were watching to send “sanity” to Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping in the hopes that he would allow the people of Tibet to “live free.” (Then-Oscars producer Gil Cates quickly denounced the three presenters; Gere did not return to the Oscars until 2013.)

A year after Moore blasted Bush over Iraq, Errol Morris, winning for “The Fog of War,” briefly compared the war in Iraq to the “rabbit hole” of Vietnam (which was the subject of his film). In 2015, “Boyhood” star Patricia Arquette used most of her supporting actress speech to demand equal wages for women. That same year, “Birdman” director Alejandro G. Iñárritu dedicated his award to his fellow Mexicans, with the hope that they would be treated by Americans “with dignity and respect” so that together, they could build a “great immigrant nation.” (Which frankly plays more purely political now than it did at the time.) A year later, Leonardo DiCaprio spoke about climate change after winning for “The Revenant.”

In 2019, Spike Lee, accepting for adapted screenplay (“BlacKkKlansman”), called on voters in the upcoming election to mobilize and “be on the right side of history” and in 2024, “Zone of Interest” director Jonathan Glazer, accepting for international film, riled many by comparing the dehumanization required for the Holocaust to occur with events in Gaza.

Even now, the most notable examples of political speeches, the ones that are always mentioned, are from the freaking ‘70s. Which certainly obliterates the idea that the Oscars have grown more political and undermines the argument that it is a Big Problem.

Put these relatively few moments next to the endless hours of acceptance speeches that, with varying degrees of emotion, honor the art of movie-making and the legions that support those who are doing it (including God, parents, spouses, children, some random but heaven-sent teacher) and it’s difficult to see much “wokeness.”

The people who gather at the Oscars are storytellers, and many of the stories they tell deal with uncomfortable truths about our collective past, present and future (including best picture front-runners “One Battle After Another” and “Sinners”). Of course nominees and winners have opinions about politics, science, social issues, international conflict and those suffering without recourse or voice — that’s why they make movies. So if a few of them decide to skip thanking their manager or the studio head and say a few words about climate change or whatever current law/policy/presidential action they believe is making lives worse for a lot of people, that’s their choice. They just won an Oscar!

For those uncomfortable watching it, just use the 45 seconds to grab a snack and by the time you’re back, the host will be moaning about how long the show is and the next five winners will inevitably cry and smile; praise their fellow nominees; thank the producers; say something sweet about their cast, crew and mamas; before telling their kids they love them and it’s time to go to bed.

And that’s OK too.

Thursday’s Results

BASEBALL

CITY SECTION

Fremont 8, Jefferson 5

Hollywood 17, Diego Rivera 7

North Hollywood 3, Verdugo Hills 2

Port of Los Angeles 9, Gardena 4

Sun Valley Poly 4, Granada Hills Kennedy 3

Sylmar 5, San Fernando 1

Torres 13, Collins Family 1

University Prep Value 16, Alliance Ouchi 6

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura 16, Canyon Country Canyon 0

Ayala 5, Corona Centennial 3

Barstow 10, Silver Valley 0

Bishop Amat 2, Downey 1

Bonita 6, La Serna 2

Brentwood 17, St. Monica 11

Buckley 10, de Toledo 0

Calabasas 19, Foothill Tech 1

Capistrano Valley Christian 5, Orange County Pacifica Christian 4

Chaparral 12, Cornerstone Christian 1

Chino 9, Diamond Ranch 3

Citrus Valley 12, Colony 3

Desert Christian 13, Faith Baptist 2

Desert Christian Academy 21, California Lutheran 8

Diamond Bar 4, Ontario Christian 3

Don Lugo 2, Ontario 1

Environmental Charter 18, Compton Early College 6

Esperanza 17, Hacienda Heights Wilson 4

Etiwanda 10, Brea Olinda 1

Excelsior Charter 11, La Puente 1

Garden Grove 5, Westminster 0

Garden Grove Pacifica 2, Crean Lutheran 1

GLCSC 9, Sequoyah 4

Grand Terrace 3, Jurupa Hills 2

Hesperia Christian 9, Webb 3

La Palma Kennedy 8, Norwalk 4

Lawndale 2, Chadwick 0

Long Beach Wilson 14, Oxford Academy 3

Los Altos 2, Glendora 1

Maranatha 11, Northview 9

Millikan 6, San Dimas 3

Montclair 17, Chaffey 0

Mountain View 11, Southlands Christian 2

Rancho Alamitos 2, Anaheim 1

Redlands East Valley 9, Victor Valley 8

San Jacinto Valley Academy 11, Mesa Grande Academy 1

Santa Clara 6, De Sol 2

Santa Clarita Christian 9, PACS 3

Shalhevet 21, Animo Leadership 1

Sherman Indian 14, CAMS 8

Sonora 1, Troy 0

South El Monte 11, Flintridge Prep 6

South Pasadena 11, San Marino 3

South Torrance 8, Culver City 4

Summit 7, Kaiser 0

Tahquitz 9, West Valley 5

Temescal Canyon 7, San Jacinto 6

Trinity Classical Academy 11, Milken 0

Tustin 4, Glenn 0

Western Christian 15, Pasadena Marshall 4

Windward 10, Crossroads 2

INTERSECTIONAL

Borrego Springs 11, Anza Hamilton 10

Compton Centennial 13, Downtown Magnets 3

Hawthorne 3, Westchester 1

LA Hamilton 22, Inglewood 2

Rio Mesa 9, Idaho Skyline 3

Taft 10, Village Christian 3

SOFTBALL

CITY SECTION

Alliance Levine 13, Smidt Tech 10

Bravo 11, South East 1

Dorsey 4, Environmental Charter 1

East Valley 15, Bert Corona 0

Garfield 9, Lincoln 0

Maywood CES 23, Alliance Bloomfield 18

Narbonne 12, Dymally 1

Triumph Charter 14, Vaughn 2

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 9, Victor Valley 4

AAE 6, Adelanto 5

Arcadia 14, Pasadena 3

Atascadero 13, Coastal Christian 1

Banning 9, La Sierra 3

Beaumont 14, Shadow Hills 4

Bloomington 15, Perris 1

Bonita 12, Beckman 0

Buena Park 16, Troy 0

Burbank 14, Glendale 2

California Lutheran 14, Cornerstone Christian 12

Calvary Baptist 24, NSLA 0

Camarillo 4, Thousand Oaks 3

Cantwell-Sacred Heart 10, Mary Star of the Sea 9

Carpinteria 17, Del Sol 16

Chadwick 10, Firebaugh 0

Chaffey 15, Montclair 1

Chaminade 13, Royal 0

Chino 21, Diamond Ranch 1

Crescenta Valley 2, Burbank Burroughs 1

Cypress 5, Mira Costa 0

Downey 5, Rosary Academy 4

Eastside 13, Knight 5

Edison 5, Huntington Beach 4

El Monte 12, Bell Gardens 2

El Modena 7, Tesoro 3

El Toro 12, Capistrano Valley 1

Fontana 33, Nuview Bridge 23

Fullerton 9, Brea Olinda 7

Garden Grove Pacifica 8, Garden Grove 0

Garden Grove Santiago 11, Katella 10

Grace 8, Arrowhead Christian 0

Grand Terrace 5, Western Christian 4

Granite Hills 12, Serrano 5

Hart 10, Canyon Country Canyon 0

Heritage 16, Tahquitz 6

Hesperia Christian 19, Immanuel Christian 0

HMSA 17, Compton Early College 1

Indio 17, San Jacinto 13

Jurupa Valley 8, Moreno Valley 8

Kaiser 13, Sultana 3

La Habra 11, Segerstrom 0

Lakewood St. Joseph 3, St. Paul 1

Lancaster 19, Antelope Valley 2

La Salle 10, Bishop Conaty-Loretto 0

La Serna 7, Santa Fe 3

Lennox Academy 20, Animo Leadership 3

Long Beach Poly 10, Lakewood 0

Long Beach Wilson 23, Long Beach Jordan 0

Los Alamitos 11, Fountain Valley 1

Los Osos 4, Summit 0

Louisville 3, Newbury Park 2

Marina 15, Newport Harbor 0

Marymount 15, Brentwood 12

Millikan 3, La Palma Kennedy 1

Montebello 10, Gabrielino 0

Moorpark 13, Rio Mesa 3

Murrieta Mesa 5, Murrieta Valley 0

North Torrance 9, Cerritos 0

Oak Park 2, Sierra Canyon 1

Ontario 7, Don Lugo 2

Ontario Christian 9, Colony 5

Paraclete 13, Bishop Montgomery 0

Pasadena Poly 6, Rio Hondo Prep 2

Patriot 11, Linfield Christian 6

Portola 16, Estancia 4

Quartz Hill 14, Littlerock 0

Ramona Convent 2, St. Monica 0

Rancho Alamitos 21, Century 8

Rancho Mirage 15, Xavier Prep 1

Rosemead 5, Downey Calvary Chapel 4

San Clemente 24, Capistrano Valley Christian 0

San Jacinto Valley Academy 19, Mesa Grande Academy 5

Saugus 3, Castaic 1

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 12, Westlake 7

Simi Valley 7, Valencia 6

South Hills 12, Palmdale 0

St. Pius X-St. Matthias 21, St. Mary’s Academy 5

Tehachapi 8, Ridgecrest Burroughs 4

Temecula Valley 6, Chaparral 4

Upland 9, Whittier Christian 3

Valley View 12, Oak Hills 1

Ventura 13, Fillmore 0

Viewpoint 11, Santa Paula 2

Village Christian 16, Immaculate Heart 4

Walnut 22, West Covina 9

Westminster 14, Western 4

West Ranch 20, Golden Valley 0

West Valley 10, Redlands 9

Whittier 5, Norwalk 5

Yorba Linda 10, Sonora 0

INTERSECTIONAL

AHSA d. King/Drew, forfeit

Alemany 11, North Hollywood 1

Animo Venice 11, Glendale 10

Bellflower 16, King/Drew 2

Charter Oak 2, Legacy 1

Chatsworth 13, Faith Baptist 0

Eagle Rock 19, Alhambra 12

Granada Hills 5, Agoura 1

Hawthorne 15, Fremont 3

Heritage Christian 6, Sylmar 1

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta called out the federal government for largely vacating its role as antitrust regulator, saying it’s now up to California and other states to look out for consumers’ interests.

Bonta, the state’s top law enforcement officer, spoke Thursday at a Capitol Forum conference in Beverly Hills on antitrust issues and the future of Hollywood. His appearance came just days after the U.S. Department of Justice settled its case against Live Nation and Ticketmaster a week into a high-stakes trial, leaving state attorneys general to try to continue to fight that battle on their own.

The Justice Department’s about-face revealed a major fracture in antitrust enforcement. State attorneys general — particularly in Democratic-controlled states — say their role is becoming increasingly important to challenge alleged anti-competitive behavior.

President Trump has “abdicated the federal administration’s responsibilities to hold big corporations accountable to the law and protect a competitive marketplace,” Bonta said.

Bonta’s appearance comes as another major Hollywood merger appears to be sailing through its federal review with Trump’s tacit approval: Paramount Skydance’s proposed $110-billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery.

The merger, announced late last month, has rattled Hollywood unions and some antitrust experts. It would combine legendary film studios, robust television production units and two prominent news organizations, CBS News and CNN, as well as dozens of cable channels.

“Paramount and Warner Bros. haven’t cleared regulatory scrutiny,” Bonta said. “My office has an open investigation into [the deal] and we intend to be vigorous in our review.”

California could bring its own lawsuit to block Paramount’s takeover, or join with other state attorney generals to launch legal proceedings to try thwart the deal or extract concessions — even if the Justice Department ultimately clears David Ellison’s deal.

Bonta outlined various concerns, including a continued contraction of Hollywood’s labor market, the consolidation of streaming services — Paramount+, HBO Max, Pluto and Discovery+ — and potentially higher prices and lower wages.

“There’s no industry as iconically California as the entertainment industry,” Bonta said. “It’s baked into California’s DNA.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta vowed to drill into Paramount Skydance’s proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.

(Paul Kuroda/For The Times)

Paramount filed for Justice Department approval in December .

The maneuver started the regulatory review clock. And last month a key deadline for the Justice Department to raise concerns about Paramount’s proposed acquisition of Warner passed without comment from Washington.

Paramount has said it could finalize its deal by the end of September.

The architect of Paramount’s strategy, Chief Legal Officer Makan Delrahim, delivered his own keynote address, stressing the Ellison-family’s acquisition of Warner Bros. would not reduce competition and instead would be “a huge win for the creative community.”

“Paramount’s transaction with Warners is an opportunity to expand output, to grow the number of movies, shows and other content we are offering to the consumer,” Delrahim said, adding that will result in “more job opportunities,” including in Southern California, which is reeling from a production flight to other states and countries.

Delrahim conceded that Paramount was driven to buy Warner Bros. — it prevailed after Netflix bowed out — because Paramount is not big enough to compete in an industry dominated by technology giants.

He criticized the proposed Netflix deal, saying he doubted it would have passed regulatory muster due to Netflix’s strength in the streaming market.

Paramount still needs to win the support of Warner shareholders, and also gain regulatory approvals from the Justice Department, state attorney generals and overseas governments.

“This deal is a big win for Los Angeles, for California and for all communities that embrace filmmaking,” Delrahim said.

Tech mogul Larry Ellison has personally guaranteed the $45.7-billion in equity needed for the transaction . The company would have to take on more than $60-billion in debt — raising concerns among Hollywood workers about large-scale cost-cuts and layoffs.

“What is Paramount doing is …paying $110 billion to take out a rival,” said attorney Ethan E. Litwin, a former lawyer for TV networks, who also spoke at the conference. “When you take out a major rival in a highly concentrated industry … you are taking out competitors for projects. “

Bonta declined to say whether he would try to stop the Paramount-Warner merger.

Progressive State Leaders Committee, an affiliate of the Democratic Attorneys General Association, in December hired Rohit Chopra, a former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and former commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, as a senior advisor. He will help coordinate efforts as the group, including Bonta, wages antirust enforcement battles.

“The federal government is just not enforcing the law,” Chopra said during Thursday’s conference. “Our states are really the last line of defense.”