As the Rams went through organized-team activities on Wednesday, the players on the field were not the most compelling storyline.
The distinction belongs to a certain NFL star player who potentially could be on the roster by training camp.
Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI, remains in play as a possible addition to a Rams team regarded as a Super Bowl contender, coach Sean McVay acknowledged after practice.
The Dolphins have made it known that they were open to trading Ramsey, who signed an extension in 2024 and is due to earn $24.2 million this season, according to Overthecap.com.
“We certainly haven’t closed the door on that,” McVay said when asked about Ramsey. “But there hasn’t been a whole lot of dialogue as of late…. We’ll see if that changes, but these things can happen quickly.”
The Dolphins were not expected to trade Ramsey until after June 1 — which falls on Sunday — when their cap hit would decrease from $25.2 million to $6.7 million, according to Overthecap.com.
McVay reiterated that there remains “a lot of layers” that would have to be worked out in terms of compensation the Dolphins might be seeking and how they would handle money due to Ramsey.
Ramsey, 30, intercepted two passes last season, increasing his career total to 24. The three-time All-Pro, however, affects the game beyond his statistics.
“Obviously, we love Jalen,” McVay said. “We know him intimately. There would be some things that we would need to be able to do if that was the direction we went.”
But the Rams did nothing in free agency or the draft to upgrade the secondary.
Veterans Darious Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon return as the starting cornerbacks, with Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes Jr., Derion Kendrick and Charles Wallace competing for playing time.
Quentin Lake, Kam Curl, Jaylen McCollough and Kam Kinchens are returning safeties.
“I feel good about where we’re at,” McVay said.
Darious Williams is confident in the group as well.
“I love that,” he said of the Rams not making changes. “I feel like everybody in the building kind of knows what they have, and I think they’re dead right on it. … They’ve got the right guys in the room that are going to hold it down.”
But Darious Williams also recounted how Ramsey brought out the best in him when they played opposite each other in 2021, when the Rams won the Super Bowl.
“I knew absolutely, when he was on the other side, you know, I better lock up because it’s not going to be a lot of times that people are going to want to try him,” Williams said. “That was a big thing for me, and I took it as a challenge and I took it as something I loved.
“Whatever is best for this organization is what’s going to happen.”
Etc.
Rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson, a second-round draft pick, said his experience so far exceeded his expectations. “Everyone’s poured into me, so it’s been an amazing experience,” he said. … Nacua was absent because he was returning from a family trip that was planned months ago, McVay said. … Stafford connected with Adams on several plays. “It’s fun just trying to communicate as much as I can with him,” Stafford said, adding, “It’s fun to work with guys that understand the game and still have a lot left in the tank.” Stafford also connected with Tutu Atwell for a long touchdown. … Running back Kyren Williams, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, is participating in workouts while the Rams and his agent attempt to work out a new deal. “Kyren has been the same stud that we know,” McVay said. “Great demeanor, great willingness to come out here to work to be able to get better. … We’ll see where this goes. But I think it’s been really healthy and positive progress for sure.” … Lakers coach JJ Redick attended practice.
Ricky Gervais is living his best life right now. Even when he’s busy talking about death. On Saturday his new tour, Mortality, arrives at the Hollywood Bowl, where thousands will hear him tackle hilariously macabre commentary about life — and the end of it — through his signature blend of dark humor, empathy and razor-sharp commentary. His last appearance at the Bowl in 2023 with Armageddon earned him a Guinness World Record for the highest-grossing single stand-up performance — so, no pressure.
Gervais is also known for turning awkward pauses and brutal honesty into comedy gold, so it’s only fitting that after such a long career full of accolades that he would also finally earn a coveted spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday. As Hollywood honors the man who’s roasted its elite with such precision, to be roasted for eternity by the Hollywood sun sounds fitting.
It’s not all about receiving: Giving back matters to Gervais and he’s doing that by helping spotlight the next wave of comedic talent through the Spirit of Comedy — a U.K. stand-up contest presented by Dutch Barn Vodka, which he happens to co-own. With a star on the Walk of Fame, a massive show at the Bowl, and a platform for rising comics, Gervais is fully owning his Hollywood moment. But he needs to be home by 6 p.m.
You’ve spent your career pushing comedy boundaries, has there ever been a moment where you thought, “Oh yeah, I’m going to have to defend this one?”
Oh no, it all comes and goes. It’s cyclic. People get nervous and that’s just always been there from day one. People get worried and then I say, well, this is why it’s OK. Sometimes it’s an executive producer or a broadcaster who just wants some ammunition to defend it. Because sometimes, they don’t know whether it’s OK or not, they just don’t want to get complaints. If I can go “listen, this is why it’s OK,” then they often trust me because I can defend it. It’s not me sitting in the room going, “what’s the most offensive thing I could say to get the BBC burned down?” There’s always a point to it. Offense often comes from people mistaking the subject of a joke with the actual target, and they’re not usually the same.
It sometimes feels like comedians, whose job it is to joke, are being held to a higher standard when it comes to what is “offensive.”
We’re human, so we react to buzzwords and we’re cautious of taboo subjects. That’s why they’re still taboo, because we’re cautious of them. I do that on purpose as well, particularly with my stand-up where I talk about contentious issues and taboo subjects because I do want to take the audience to a place they haven’t been before. I do want them to reflect on it, worry about it, think about it and then, I’ve got to misdirect them. It’s like I take them by the hand through a scary forest but it’s OK because they always laugh. If I were going out there and saying things that were really offensive, and no one was laughing, well, that would be odd. That’s what politicians do. Politicians say awful things and they mean it, and no one laughs. Comedians say things they don’t mean, everyone laughs and they get the same treatment.
But you have to have free speech, and there’s nothing you could say that someone somewhere won’t be offended by. It’s impossible so you shouldn’t even try. I don’t go out there and try to ruin the audience’s evening, I go out there and I make a joke and it’s crafted. We’re human though and we take things personally, but you shouldn’t because I think comedy is best as an intellectual pursuit.
“Comedy is best as an intellectual pursuit” sums you up because you’re not careless. There’s a formula to it all.
Exactly. You should go “well, that’s a bad subject and I don’t agree with the punchline, but does it work comedically?” It’s a magic trick. It is a formula. You can’t argue with chemistry. No one goes, well, I know I laughed, but I don’t agree with it. Well, it did what it does. That’s the joke and I’m not gonna change the joke or meaning. I think the only form of censorship, as an audience, is your right not to listen. You just don’t have to watch. You can leave, not buy my stuff, not buy my tickets, and that’s absolutely fine.
You can turn your own TV off, but what you can’t do is make other people turn their TV off. That’s the difference. And then, people will complain about something you’re doing in the privacy of your own home, even if they have to go up to their attic and stand on a stepladder and look through binoculars to see it. They will find it. People sometimes seek out the offense and that’s actually where people can get addicted to being offended. They like it, it makes them feel alive. The news even picks up Twitter! They say, “Oh, fans weren’t happy!” Three fans weren’t happy.
“I don’t go out there and try to ruin the audience’s evening, I go out there and I make a joke and it’s crafted,” Gervais said. “We’re human though and we take things personally, but you shouldn’t because I think comedy is best as an intellectual pursuit.”
(Andy Hollingworth)
Tweets making headlines is why we can’t have nice things. I wanted to ask about the Spirit of Comedy contest, where the winner gets to open for you at OVO Arena Wembley. How did all of this happen?
I know, it’s mad! I’ve never done anything like this before and I’ve turned down loads of things, but this co-ownership with [the show’s sponsor] Dutch Barn Vodka is different. When we met, we first bonded about the company being really ethical. It was sustainable, it was recyclable, they used British apples, they were vegan, they paid their workers really well—they were really trying to be good, and I like that. They said they wanted me to make it famous, make it a global brand, and that I could do the advertising, which really interested me. I do all of my own trailers, I write all my own stuff, so that was exciting creatively. What a great nut to crack.
The business side of it sort of came last, but it all made sense too. The main thing about it was I felt I could sleep at night, and I could still have fun. That’s all I really cared about. The contest was actually all Dutch Barn’s idea and when they were asked about the contest they said something like, “Well, we know Ricky’s not going to last forever.” Maybe they’re finding my replacement? How cruel and ironic would that be?
Well, at least you can go down knowing you broke a record at the Hollywood Bowl.
Yes! It was two years ago, and I just put out a tweet because it broke the record for a single gig. I don’t know why I’m doing it again. I did it once, it was frightening, I broke the world record and it was great. Why would I do it again?
Ricky Gervais speaks at the 77th Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 5, 2020, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills.
(Associated Press)
Because we love you in L.A. and it’s been too long. That’s why.
I haven’t been avoiding it, it’s just a long way so I try to do as much as I can while I’m there. I sort of work out of London now and also, it gets harder with jet lag. I’m 63! Jet lag lasts about a week now! Everything is worse, isn’t it? I’m offered really cool things every day, flying around the world and I just think, is it better than me sitting on the couch with my cat and my girlfriend watching Netflix? No. It has nothing to do with anything else other than how valuable your time is and how you wanna spend it.
Is that why you named your tour “Mortality”? Are you planning?
Sort of. There’s a joke in there where I sort of talk about getting old, looking back and all the things that are going wrong which are funny. The reason I started doing one word, sort of academic-style titles, was that I was sarcastically making fun of the pomposity of some comedians who think they’re doing lectures. That’s where it started when I was pricking that bubble of comedians who think they’re changing the world. I’ve kept up the one-word thing, but also, mortality, it’s a scary subject so already the audience is going, is Mortality gonna be funny? Yeah, it’s funny! I’m the one dying. Sit back and laugh.
From sitting to kneeling, it’s fitting — and a bit ironic — that someone who roasted Hollywood so memorably is now being cemented into its history with a star on the Walk of Fame.
Well, that’s funny because the first time they told me I got it I said, “Oh? Do I have to get down on all fours on the concrete? I’ll never get up! I’ve also got bad skin!” I had all of those thoughts, but I’m doing it the day before the Hollywood Bowl so I can kill two birds with one stone. It’s all about getting home on the couch by 6 p.m. This life, you know what I mean?
You started kind of late, but you did earn this comfortable life. And maybe 6 p.m. is the new midnight.
When I grew up, I was good at school, I went to college, then I was a failed pop star, and I never had money. Really, I never had any money. I think I was about 37 years old when I started doing this, and I just grabbed a hold of it. I thought, this is a really lucky second bite of the cherry. You better not screw this one up. So, I did work really hard, but in saying that, what does this sound like? “I work really hard in a room writing while drinking cappuccino.” Some people are hiding behind a wall getting shot at! My dad was a laborer for 60 years! It’s funny to say that, because now, I’m glad I was born poor. It’s not something that I talk about much, but I am sort of proud of myself. I didn’t have a penny, and no one gave me anything. It might be luck, but I still feel like I beat the system.
PORTLAND, Ore. — One program distributes laptops in rural Iowa. Another helped people get back online after Hurricane Helene washed away computers and phones in western North Carolina. Programs in Oregon and rural Alabama teach older people, including some who have never touched a computer, how to navigate in an increasingly digital world.
It all came crashing down this month when President Trump — on his own digital platform, Truth Social — announced his intention to end the Digital Equity Act, a federal grant program meant to help bridge the digital divide. He branded it as “RACIST and ILLEGAL” and said it amounts to “woke handouts based on race.” He said it was an “ILLEGAL $2.5 BILLION DOLLAR giveaway.” The program was funded with $2.75 billion.
The name seemed innocuous enough when the program was approved by Congress in 2021 as part of a $65-billion investment meant to bring internet access to every home and business in the United States. The broadband program was a key component of the $1-trillion infrastructure law enacted under the Biden administration.
The Digital Equity Act was intended to fill gaps and cover unmet needs that surfaced during the massive broadband rollout. It gave states and tribes flexibility to deliver high-speed internet access to families that could not afford it, computers to kids who did not have them, telehealth access to older adults in rural areas, and training and job skills to veterans.
Whether Trump has the legal authority to end the program remains unknown. But for now the Republican administration can simply stop spending the money.
“I just felt my heart break for what we were finally, finally in this country, going to address, the digital divide,” said Angela Siefer, executive director of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, a nonprofit that was awarded — but has not received — a $25.7-million grant to work with groups across the country to help provide access to technology. “The digital divide is not just physical access to the internet, it is being able to use that to do what you need to do.”
The word ‘equity’
While the name of the program probably got it targeted — the Trump administration has been aggressively scrubbing the government of programs that promote diversity, equity or inclusion — the Digital Equity Act was supposed to be broader in scope.
Though Trump called it racist, the words “race” or “racial” appear just twice in the law’s text: once, alongside “color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or disability,” in a passage stating that no groups should be excluded from funding; and later, in a list of covered populations, along with older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, English learners, people with low literacy levels and rural Americans.
“Digital Equity passed with overwhelming bipartisan support,” Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the act’s chief proponent, noted in a statement. “And that’s because my Republican colleagues have heard the same stories as I have — like kids in rural communities forced to drive to McDonalds parking lots for Wi-Fi to do their homework.
“It is insane — absolutely nuts — that Trump is blocking resources to help make sure kids in rural school districts can get hot spots or laptops, all because he doesn’t like the word equity!”
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which administers the program, declined to comment. It’s not clear how much of the $2.75 billion has been awarded, though in March 2024 the NTIA announced the allocation of $811 million to states, territories and tribes.
‘More confident’
On a recent morning in Portland, Ore., Brandon Dorn was among those taking a keyboard basics class offered by Free Geek, a nonprofit that provides free courses to help people learn to use computers. The class was offered at a low-income housing building to make it accessible for residents.
Dorn and the others were given laptops and shown the different functions of keys: control, shift and caps lock, how to copy and paste. They played a typing game that taught finger and key placement on a color-coded keyboard.
Dorn, 63, said the classes helped because “in this day and age, everything has to go through the computer.” He said it helped him feel more confident and less dependent on his children or grandchildren to do things such as making appointments online.
“Folks my age, we didn’t get this luxury because we were too busy working, raising the family,” he said. “So this is a great way to help us help ourselves.”
Juan Muro, Free Geek’s executive director, said participants get the tools and skills they need to access things like online banking, job applications, online education programs and telehealth. He said Trump’s move to end funding has put nonprofits such as Free Geek in a precarious position, forcing them to make up the difference through fundraising and “beg for money to just provide individuals with essential stuff.”
Sara Nichols works for the Land of Sky Regional Council, a multi-county planning and development organization in western North Carolina. On the Friday before Trump’s inauguration in January, the organization received notice that it was approved for a grant. But like other groups the Associated Press contacted, it has not seen any money.
Land of Sky had spent a lot of resources helping people recover from last year’s storms. The award notice, Nichols said, came as “incredible news.”
“But between this and the state losing, getting their letters terminated, we feel just, like, stuck. What are we going to do? How are we going to move forward? How are we going to let our communities continue to fall behind?”
Filling unmet needs
More than one-fifth of Americans do not have broadband internet access at home, according to the Pew Research Center. In rural communities, the number jumps to 27%.
Beyond giving people access to technology and fast internet, many programs funded by the Digital Equity Act sought to provide “digital navigators” — human helpers to guide people new to the online world.
“In the United States we do not have a consistent source of funding to help individuals get online, understand how to be safe online and how to use that technology to accomplish all the things that are required now as part of life that are online,” said Siefer of the National Digital Inclusion Alliance. This includes providing families with internet hot spots so they can get online at home and helping seniors avoid online scams, she said.
“Health, workforce, education, jobs, everything, right?” Siefer said. “This law was going to be the start for the U.S. to figure out this issue. It’s a new issue in the big scheme of things, because now technology is no longer a nice-to-have. You have to have the internet and you have to know how to use the technology just to survive, let alone to thrive today.”
Siefer said the word “equity” in the name probably prompted Trump to target the program for elimination.
“But it means that he didn’t actually look at what this program does,” she said. “Because who doesn’t want Grandma to be safe online? Who doesn’t want a veteran to be able to talk to their doctor rather than get in a car and drive two hours? Who doesn’t want students to be able to do their homework?”
Ortutay and Rush write for the Associated Press and reported from San Francisco and Portland, Ore., respectively.
Esai Morales is on a death-defying mission to make Tom Cruise’s life impossible, yet again, in the latest installment of the “Mission: Impossible” action film franchise. Titled “The Final Reckoning,” the movie was released Friday.
Morales reprises his role as Gabriel, an assassin liaison set on carrying out a dangerous mission for Entity, an artificial intelligence system gone rogue, whose capabilities render it a danger to human society. This role dates back to the first “Mission: Impossible” film in 1996, as a murder Gabriel committed was the impetus for Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) to join the Impossible Missions Force.
“I have to look at Gabriel as the star of his own movie,” said Morales in a video call. “I play these characters with as much humanity as I can.”
Although for most of the franchise Gabriel is presumably dead, audiences are introduced to Morales’ character in the 2023 summer flick, “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.” Besides shouldering responsibility as the main antagonist, which involves risky stunts opposite veteran adventurer Cruise, Morales also made franchise history as the first Latino lead in the action series.
The Brooklyn-born Puerto Rican actor is best known for his role as Bob Morales in the 1987 Chicano film “La Bamba” and as Jesus “Chucho” Sánchez in 1995’s “Mi Familia” — both of which been added to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress. Morales is also known for his roles as Joseph Adama in the “Battlestar Galactica” prequel spin-off of “Caprica,” as well as Camino del Rio in Netflix’s “Ozark” and villain Deathstroke in the DC “Titans” series.
“The thing I love about ‘Mission: Impossible,’ with Gabriel, is that you don’t know he’s Latino,” Morales said. “It doesn’t focus on race. It focuses on the race to get the key!”
Likewise, the release of the last two “Mission: Impossible” films was a dash to the finish. Directed by Christopher McQuarriel, filming spanned five years with some stops along the way due to the COVID-19 pandemic, plus the 2023 strikes by members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America. Additional costs due to inflation brought the total budget of the Paramount Pictures movie up to $400 million, making it one of the most expensive films of all time.
Morales considers its release a momentous occasion — and a “graduation” of sorts.
“All those obstacles are like the pressure that creates a diamond out of coal,” he said. “I hope that the audiences feel what I felt and continue to feel when I watch the film.”
This interview has been edited for clarity and shortened.
How did you prepare physically and mentally for the role in ”Mission: Impossible”? I was asked if I was physical and I said, “Actually, yeah.” I love playing tennis so my conditioning is really good. During the pandemic, I [would sneak] into the ocean at dusk and I would swim at night for hours at a time. It was kind of scary. Then [I got] to London and met some of the finest stunt people who do fighting, acrobatics, knife fighting, boxing. The thing is to get your reflexes in shape, because sometimes you have to do take after take and you don’t want to gas out.
Mentally it’s a lifetime of preparation. It’s not like I can study the life of Gabriel, so you apply what you can about your own character and characteristics under imaginary circumstances. Some of it comes from the ether… from the ether going after Ethan [laughs]. It’s an instinct and a lifetime of seeing movies, including the “Mission: Impossible” movies. They work hard. One of the most comforting things they instill is [that] “we’re not gonna leave until we get it right.”
Cruise is known for his gutsy live-action scenes. What was it like to join him on these scenes? It’s thrilling. I couldn’t think of anyone else whose hands I’d want to put my well-being in, because look at his track record: He’s still alive and extremely healthy, and he doesn’t take these things lightly. He’s extremely strict about safety. Life is inherently risky. If you’re gonna take other risks, it’s best to take them with people that have survived and thrived for decades doing the same.
There’s a death-defying scene up in the air that was being teased a lot in this press run. What was going through your mind as you were up there? After the initial prayers and thanking God, the universe and the angels, who and whatever has kept me alive and blessed me with an amazing life so far… You’ve gotta let go and let God, as they say.
What impact has this franchise had on your long-term career? It’s a blessing. I got the job during one of the most trying times of my life — and everyone else’s. I hope it’s not all downhill from here. I’m just grateful because I got to work on something at this scale, with these kinds of collaborators.
I am hoping that the work I continue to do leads to meaningful roles and characters that enhance the human condition for having watched it. I wanna do things that make people feel good about being human. Even if I’m the bad guy, somebody’s gotta play the bad guy. Right?
But is Gabriel really the bad guy? Not in this actor’s eyes. For me, I have to look at Gabriel as the star of his own movie. Wars are not fought by people who feel they’re gonna lose them. So I play these characters with as much humanity as I can.
How did the COVID-19 pandemic and Hollywood strikes impact production of this film? I am on the board of SAG-AFTRA. I did feel the impact of both COVID-19 and the strikes. I mean, it was not easy, it was not fun. It’s still not easy. We still have to deal with new media or new technology, speaking of AI. The production stuck together. When you struggle with adversity, it makes you stronger.
You consider yourself an honorary Chicano, particularly because of your role as Bob Morales in “La Bamba.” What memories come to mind when you think back to that role? So many, but the incredible irony or synchronicity or synergy that a role with my [last] name on it would be one of the most remembered. They’d say, ‘That has your name all over it.’ Well, this [role] literally did. When people wanted me to focus more on Ritchie, I wanted to bear witness and lend my pain to the role of Bob [Ritchie Valens’ brother].
I don’t know where my career would be without that film and a few others. When you have the ability to be with the person you are portraying, first of all, it’s an extreme amount of pressure because they’re there and you’re not them. And it’s like you’re gonna pretend to inhabit their being and their life. You don’t wanna mess up. But [Bob and I] were able to bond and have a few beers and really kick back, and I was able to absorb Bob’s biorhythm. I absorbed his Mexicanismo, [the same way] Anthony Quinn portrayed “Zorba the Greek.” [Whenever] he went [into] a Greek restaurant, plates would crash in honor of him and his portrayal … and he is a Mexican Irish actor.
I think a lot of people forget that you’re Puerto Rican because you play the Mexican role so well. I’m proud to be Puerto Rican, but I’m so secure in it that I don’t feel like I have to wear my banner on my head. I just want my work to speak for itself. We have to embrace that which has toughened us and has given us character and has given us something a little extra yearn for and live for.
There are many Latinos in sci-fi films. I’m thinking of you in “Caprica.” There’s also Diego Luna and Adria Arjona in “Andor,” Zoe Saldaña in “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Pedro Pascal in “The Mandalorian,” Ricardo Montalbán in “Star Trek …” What do you think of space roles introducing Latino actors to new audiences? How about to their own audience? We make up 25% of the movie-going audience, at least. It’s a wise decision to include people that in the past were overlooked. We were overlooked. So to put in all the great people is serving your market and representing them. It’s long overdue but extremely welcomed.
Is outer space the gateway to more Latinos in mainstream roles in rom-coms or action? I would like to see that. I would like to see us play more central characters, people that we can grow to learn, grow to love and feel for, because I think that’s what movies do. They let you inside the heart of your lead characters. And you just can’t help but to love them, you know?
“Conan O’Brien Must Go” wraps it’s three-episode second season on Thursday with a trip to Austria.
(Pamela Littky / Max)
If we had planned it better (and had the budget for it), this interview with Conan O’Brien would been better suited to happen in Vatican City rather than a Zoom room.
Our conversation coincided with the start of the papal conclave, the hush-hush assembly of cardinals who gathered to elect a successor to Pope Francis, and O’Brien can’t help but reference the event when explaining his slight delay: “Sorry, it took me a second to figure out there was a passcode to get into this secret room,” he says. “It felt like I was joining a conclave.”
“I think you and I should put our own vote in,” he continues. “Why can’t they listen to us? Are you paying attention? Are you rooting for somebody?”
“I’m not rooting for anyone except Stanley Tucci,” I tell him, referring to the actor’s turn as a shrewd and calculated cardinal in last year’s “Conclave.”
“I love that you want Tucci. I love that you blurred the line between reality and drama.” (As we know by now, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the first U.S.-born pontiff, taking the name Pope Leo XIV. Sorry, Tucci.)
Absorbing the scene outside St. Peter’s Basilica alongside thousands of visitors from around the world is the sort of thing O’Brien and his crew might revel in on his Max travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go.” The series, which will conclude its three-episode second season on Thursday, plays like a video postcard of silly and enlightening adventures as O’Brien travels around the world to meet with fans and experience different cultures. It carries on the tradition from his talk show era of international getaways and blends it with his podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.”
Conan O’Brien and Javier Bardem in Season 2 of “Conan O’Brien Must Go.”
(Team Coco / Max)
After venturing to Norway, Ireland, Thailand and Argentina in the show’s debut season, the second landed him in Spain, where hijinx included cuddling with actor Javier Bardem and doing Spanish voice-overs, and New Zealand, where he got lessons from one of Aotearoa’s leading cultural advisors and attempted to break a haka world record with filmmaker and actor Taika Waititi. It culminates with this week’s finale, which was filmed in Austria.
At this moment, he’s not on the go. He is beaming in from his home in Pacific Palisades, which he recently returned to after months of living in a hotel while smoke remediation and other restorative measures took place in the wake of January’s wildfires.
“We were so lucky, crazy lucky,” he says. “We live far enough so that we don’t have that thing where you walk out your front door and it looks like you’re on the moon.”
It’s one reason why the season is truncated: “Initially we were going to do four [episodes], but between my parents passing away and the Oscars and the fires, we just were like, ‘We could do three.’ I hope it doesn’t feel too short to people, but this is what we could do this time around.”
O’ Brien discussed standout moments from this season of “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” which has been renewed for a third season, his plans for his Mark Twain Prize for American Humor and making his feature film debut.
You cuddled with Javier Bardem. You did Spanish voice–overs. You dressed as Freud. You went to the snow globe museum. What moment stood out for you from these trips?
You can’t cuddle with Javier Bardem and wipe it from your memory. Be you man, be you woman — I don’t care which. It doesn’t matter. He crosses over all gender barriers. It was really fun to be in these ridiculous pajamas. A highlight with him is, there’s a scene where we’re eating together in a restaurant and we’re doing improv together. I’ve done improv with all the best improvisers in entertainment, he’s as good as anybody.
I loved being on the hill where Julie Andrews did “The Sound of Music.” And one of our writers, Jose Arroyo, wrote — obviously, you can’t do that song — this song about how we can’t do the song, which I loved and it’s one of the things I love to do, is come close to the thing. Like on the Oscars, do a musical number called “I won’t waste your time” — I love doing the thing and making it about not doing the thing. I have to say, [dressing up as] Freud was a standout, because I think I went a little insane. Sometimes when you put me in makeup and dress me up, I become the thing that I’m pretending to be.
And doing the haka [a traditional dance form of the Māori people] in New Zealand with thousands and thousands of people. I thought we were just going to do it once. As we’re doing it, I’m finding out in real time — because, you know me, when I do something, I do it 110% whether it’s going on “Hot Ones” or dancing the haka, I will put all the dials to 11 — so when I start dancing, I’m going all out and I’ve got Taika and I’ve got this whole crowd with me. Then I realized they’re not stopping. They’re doing it over and over and over again and you can’t stop because you’re in a stadium. When that was done, I felt like I needed to go to the hospital.
Conan O’Brien in lederhosen in the season finale of “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” which has the host traveling to Austria.
(Max)
When you come up that hilltop in the lederhosen, I just thought, “What would Martin Short have to say about these shorts?”
Oh my God, you’re right. Marty Short would have 1,000 jokes about my legs: spam, freckles, pale. He would just be an immediate encyclopedia. I have to make sure that that episode does not air in Toronto, because I think he goes to Toronto for the summer.
A moment that killed me was at the snow globe museum when you asked about that life-size doll on the shelf, and the woman said it’s her father. But that wasn’t the best part. When you asked what his best advice for her was, and she said, to “f— around as much as possible as long as you’re not married.”
What’s fun is it reminds me of that thing that I’ve learned over and over and over again, and it’s one of the things that the travel show takes advantage of, and remotes [on location segments] in general take advantage of: You’re always on the hunt for a mistake. You’re always on the hunt for someone to say something you don’t expect. I couldn’t in a million years script what she said. The doll is so creepy that’s peeking out the window. I think one of the things that I really love about the travel show is I’m curious about other cultures. I’m curious about other people. I’m kind of on a mission to show Americans as humble and willing to be laughed at. But the ultimate treasure is someone saying something awkward or weird that I wasn’t expecting to me; once I get one of those, I’m like Gollum with the ring. I’m like [imitates Gollum voice], “Yes, yes, I can go back to my cave now,” and just “my precious, my precious.”
“Conan O’Brien Must Go” is essentially work trips. But how would your family describe your traveling persona?
I would say my wife, Liza, is the one who wants to be at the airport while they’re still building the plane. If she could, she’d be there days in advance. She’s the one who takes the lead on, “Here’s where we’re staying; I got a guide for this, I got a guide for that.” She is very organized about those things, which is a luxury. On the flight, I don’t sleep that much. My goal is show up in a country and get on their sleep schedule immediately — that I’m religious about. If that means I have to get a coffee enema, I’m getting a coffee enema. I’m going to do whatever I have to do, to stay up and get on their time zone.
I love to just wander. This is where my wife and I disagree — and it will be, eventually, the thing that destroys our marriage — is that she wants to go to the place that has the very best food. “Oh, it’s been written up in all these food magazines.” I don’t care about that. I want to go to the place where you sit outside and you see everybody. I love a tourist trap.
Conan O’Brien on finding a home for his recent Mark Twain Prize: “I’m weird about awards. I tend to put them in a closet. This one’s a little strange because it’s Mark Twain and he’s bare-chested.”
(Pamela Littky / Max)
The show has been renewed for a third season. Are you in the process of narrowing down the places you’ll visit?
Yes, we’re in the process of looking through [locations].
Are you worried about the Trump tariffs? What this will mean of how you’re received or what’s possible?
It’s possible. I went to Haiti during Trump’s first term, after he called them a “s—hole country.” We went there and, at one point, there was a group of men who seemed very hostile; our interpreter said, “They’re not happy. They know you’re American and they’re not happy about you being here.” My instinct is always to go toward the thing and not just, “Get in the van and let’s get out of here.” With my interpreter, we showed them clips of who I am and what I do. We looked at about three minutes of “Conan” clips, and they’re like, “OK, he’s harmless. He seems to have no dignity, so let’s leave him alone.” But it’s a changing world. We’re in a moment right now where we seem to have a leader or a government that’s terrified of the outside world and wants to say, “OK, let’s build a moat and America first.” My instinct is known. I mentioned it in the Twain award speech, but now more than ever, we need to be out there representing our country in a positive way and trying to spread positivity. I’m hoping that we won’t be affected by it, and if we are, if we encounter a hostility, if we encounter difficulty, that will be part of the show. And if it’s not particularly funny, the show can allow for me making an attempt to bridge a gap or make a friend.
Speaking of your speech for the Mark Twain Prize, have you found a spot for the award now that you’re back in your home?
I’m weird about awards. I tend to put them in a closet. This one’s a little strange because it’s Mark Twain and he’s bare-chested. It’s like, what? Why can’t he put on a shirt? I might buy a little shirt for him, a little white suit. I’ll do something. I’ll figure it out. I don’t like a bare-chested Mark Twain, I’m sorry. I think it stops right at the nipple.
Conan O’Brien receives the 26th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
(Clifton Prescod for Netflix)
You always look like you’re having fun. Does the work you do now gratify you any differently than it did when you were starting out?
I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and it’s not that I didn’t like what I did before, but you have to meet whatever age you are. You have to meet wherever you are in your life. When I started in 1993 behind a desk in that format, I loved it. It was terrifying at times and there were a lot of difficulties and we almost didn’t make it, but I loved going in there and living in Studio 6A; then I loved the different iterations of the show over the years, and even the brief time I was doing “The Tonight Show.” But then I got to a point where it became clear to me, “I’ve done this for 28 years. I need to go and explore these other things.” Because you can’t stay still. You have to, for lack of a better word, evolve. And there was a nice series of events — trying the podcast, which is now almost six years old, and realizing: Oh my God, I’ve talked to these people before for a total of seven minutes at a time and then I would have to throw to commercial, and the band would play. Now I’m talking to them for 45-50 minutes and it’s magical. That, of course, led to the travel show — also the previous travel shows had shown me that I had a real wanderlust. When you’re at a talk show desk, the idea of going to Geneva and getting into an altercation with somebody at a chocolate bunny factory just sounds amazing. I was doing that even before I had time to do it on the TBS show. And now being able to do it at Max affords us the ability to do it with drones. I love the open of our show because it’s sets just the right tone so solemn and self important and and also vicious towards me. All of that makes me really happy.
How about deciding to act in “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”? Did it feel like you were pushing yourself out of your element?
I was definitely pushing myself out of my element. When I said yes to the Oscars, it was, “You get one life, try these things.” “Legs” happened because [the film’s writer and director] Mary Bronstein contacted me; she had a script and she said, “Please read the script. It’s an A24 script.” Adam Sandler also called me on behalf of the Safdies [Josh Safdie is a producer on the film] and said [launches into his Sandler impersonation], “Buddddy, buddddy … read the script.” I read the script and loved it. I have no aspirations to be an actor. I tried to talk to Mary Bronstein; I said, “You could get a real actor.” And she was like, “I’m telling you, I envision you doing this.” To her credit, she was tough. She said, “I’m going to come out to L.A. and I’m going to work with you.” And she trained me. It was like a “Rocky” montage. She would work with me. She would ask me, “Who is this character? Let’s dive deep on this character. Let’s rehearse these lines.” Then on set, she is such an impressive person, Mary. And I have to say, who isn’t in love with Rose Byrne? When I heard Rose was doing it, I was a little intimidated because I think she is a stellar actor. I realized all my scenes are with Rose, and they can get pretty intense. I don’t want to let her down. I have to be a good scene partner for Rose Byrne. I was scared. And there’s no audience. It’s not my show. It’s not me being me. I’m a very different person. I even look different. I saw the film and I think they did an amazing job. I’m so proud of Rose and Mary.
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The night before your first day of shooting, could you sleep? Do you get stage fright?
I could sleep, but I will tell you … it was shot on a location in what might actually be a therapist’s office; very small room on the Upper West Side. There’s a lot of fussing around. Then everyone leaves the room and they shut the door, and it’s just me with Rose; and you hear way down the hall, “Action!” And the first time around, I was in my head. I knew it wasn’t good. But to her credit, Mary came back in and she was like, “Great, great, great.” And she said the subtlest thing. She didn’t say, “Conan, what the hell! I’ve made a mistake.” She just said, “On this next one, just a little more this way.” I realized, “Oh, you get a couple of chances.” She gave me a good note. By the second time, third time and the fourth time, I just wasn’t thinking about it. I was not in my head. I was just doing it.
You’re returning to host the Oscars; this time you have a little bit more runway. Do you have a sense of when you’ll start prep?
You really can’t get the room together and fully up until early January, just because that’s when you have the budget to really bring the writers in and everything. We need to wait to see what comes out — what’s the narrative? Who are the players? But I know me, I will start the process before we officially start the process. One idea is that I have radical facelifts now, so that people when I walk out in the next calendar year as the Oscar host, I want there to be an audible gasp from the audience, like, what has he done? I mean, I’ve got injections, fillers, things are pulled back, things are misaligned. Hairline is down, eyebrows are gone.
Or you can come out as Freud.
And psychoanalyze all the movies on a Freudian level. Hey, you’ve got good ideas. If you want in, I’ll get you in. You can give us some ideas.
Now we know what it takes for Jimmy Kimmel to skip a night of work: One of his babies has to have a baby.
Kimmel became a grandfather earlier this week when his oldest daughter gave birth to a girl. In his monologue Tuesday, he joked about his oldest daughter’s age.
“We were supposed to have a show last night, but we didn’t because my daughter had a baby last night. People don’t realize — people know I have two little kids,” he said. “I also have two older kids. My oldest daughter, she’s 83 years old, her name is Katie.”
He also praised Guillermo as a great doula, telling his sidekick, “You were reassuring, you were calm, your hands were so soft.” So you can tell how serious he was being.
Kimmel said it was only the second night, excluding planned vacations and the COVID-19 lockdowns, that he’d taken off in the show’s 22-year history.
Katie and Kevin Kimmel, 33 and 31, are Jimmy’s kids from his 14-year marriage to Gina Kimmel, which ended in 2002.
Kimmel’s kids from his marriage to writer Molly McNearney, whom he married in 2013, are Jane, 10, and Billy, 8. Billy was born with a heart condition that has been discussed regularly on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Katie wed Will Logsdon in 2021.
As for Katie Kimmel’s new baby, proud grandpa Jimmy said she’s “very healthy.” Then he went on to joke about her name, which he stated was Melania, then Melania Thee Stallion, then — in a phone call with his Aunt Chippy — Jo Mama, then Jo Mama Kevin Logsdon.
It was after that last one that Aunt Chippy said, “She didn’t name the baby that! You know, if you don’t stop busting my b—, I swear to God when I die I’m going to come back and haunt you!”
Kimmel then said the name was actually Brangelina, prompting Chippy to order him to hand the phone to his mother.
The baby’s actual name, though, is Patti Joan. “Joan” is in honor of Jimmy Kimmel’s mom, Katie’s paternal grandma.
The talk-show host also started riffing on things he’d learned from his grandfathers and brainstorming things he would have to teach little Patti Joan. Things like shoplifting, skipping traffic by impersonating law enforcement and shooting out one’s bottom dentures like a cash-register drawer.
“You know WD-40?” Kimmel asked the studio audience. “You have to teach them about that.”
Former President Biden’s office said Sunday that he has been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer and is reviewing treatment options with his doctors.
Biden was having increasing urinary symptoms and was seen last week by doctors who found a prostate nodule. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and the cancer cells have spread to the bone, his office said in a statement.
When caught early, prostate cancer is highly survivable, but it is also the second-leading cause of cancer death in men. About 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed over their lifetime with prostate cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Here are some things to know about prostate cancer that has spread.
What is the prostate gland?
The prostate is part of the reproductive system in men. It makes fluid for semen. It’s located below the bladder and it wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine and semen out through the penis.
How serious is Biden’s cancer?
Biden’s cancer has spread to the bone, his office said. That makes it more serious than localized or early-stage prostate cancer.
Outcomes have improved in recent decades, and patients can expect to live with metastatic prostate cancer for four or five years, said Dr. Matthew Smith of Massachusetts General Brigham Cancer Center.
“It’s very treatable, but not curable,” Smith said.
What are the treatment options?
Prostate cancer can be treated with drugs that lower levels of hormones in the body or stop them from getting into prostate cancer cells. The drugs can slow down the growth of cancer cells.
“Most men in this situation would be treated with drugs and would not be advised to have either surgery or radiation therapy,” Smith said.
What is a Gleason score?
Prostate cancers are graded for aggressiveness using what’s known as a Gleason score. The scores range from 6 to 10, with 8, 9 and 10 prostate cancers behaving more aggressively. Biden’s office said his score was 9, suggesting his cancer is among the most aggressive.
Andrew Friedman gave a longer answer Sunday morning when asked about the Dodgers’ recent — and, by the feel of it, familiar — pitching woes so far this year, the club’s president of baseball operations bemoaning another wave of injuries that has left the pitching staff shorthanded.
But the gist of his answer was in the two words he uttered at the start of it.
“Not fun,” he said.
In the Dodgers’ 6-4 loss to the Angels later in the day, it became even less so.
As things currently stand, Tony Gonsolin is effectively the No. 2 pitcher in the Dodgers’ rotation, thrust into such a prominent role with Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki injured. But in a four-run, four-inning start, Gonsolin was derailed by his own physical issue, battling a bloody hand in a three-run first inning that put the Dodgers behind the eight ball.
The Dodgers rallied, erasing what grew to a 4-0 deficit on Shohei Ohtani’s RBI single in the fifth and Will Smith’s tying three-run home run in the seventh. But then a banged-up bullpen gave the Angels the lead right back, with Travis d’Arnaud going deep in the eighth against Anthony Banda — himself forced into a high-leverage role lately, despite a disappointing start to the year, because of injuries to Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips and Kirby Yates (who became the latest pitcher to hit the injured list on Sunday with a hamstring strain he suffered the night before).
Angels center fielder Kyren Paris, right, narrowly avoids colliding with left fielder Taylor Ward after making a catch on a fly ball in the seventh inning Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Friedman argued the Dodgers’ injury problems this year don’t compare to the dire straits they navigated en route to last year’s World Series title. Unlike then, the team hasn’t suffered any season-ending losses. In the big picture, they remain confident they’ll have enough depth to mount a title defense.
And yet, the team hasn’t discovered the secret to better health. Their rotation problems are giving the bullpen an unsustainably grueling workload. And figuring out how to better protect the club’s expensive stable of arms is “by far the No. 1 thing that keeps me up at night,” Friedman said.
“I mean, everything from my brain is about what we can do, like, how we can solve this,” Friedman added, the self-described “deep dive” the organization took into pitching injuries this offseason having yet to yield better results. “It’s like a game of Whack-a-Mole, and things keep popping up. … The definition of enough depth, I think is a fool’s errand. I don’t know what enough depth means. I think more is always better with pitching depth.”
But, with the team now ranking 21st in the majors with a 4.22 team ERA, what they have currently certainly isn’t enough.
Dodgers pitcher Tony Gonsolin can’t field a ball hit by the Angels’ Luis Rengifo in the second inning Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
After Gonsolin gave up a leadoff home run to Zach Neto on a sunny afternoon at Dodger Stadium, trainers came to the mound to check on the right-hander. As they examined his throwing hand, the television broadcast zoomed in on streaks of blood covering the backside of his pants.
While Gonsolin’s exact problem wasn’t immediately clear, the right-hander’s struggle to command the baseball quickly became obvious. With one out, he walked Yoán Moncada, looking visibly uncomfortable as he sprayed the ball wide of the zone. In a 2-and-0 count to his next batter, Taylor Ward, Gonsolin threw a fastball over the heart of the plate. Ward crushed it for a two-run homer.
Gonsolin settled down from there, giving up just one more run the rest of the way. But his pitch count never got back under control, requiring 97 total throws to complete the fourth.
It was already the 14th time in 47 games this season that a Dodgers starter failed to work into the fifth.
All those short starts have had a cascading effect on the bullpen. And pitchers such as Banda have had to compensate as a result.
Sunday’s outing marked Banda’s 21st appearance this year, becoming the fifth Dodgers reliever to reach that mark. Entering the day, no other team had more than three.
After pitching a clean seventh inning, Banda returned for the eighth and was bitten again by a common problem. In a 3-and-1 count against d’Arnaud, he threw a center-cut sinker that d’Arnaud crushed to left. It was Banda’s fifth home run yielded this year, tying the total he gave up in 48 appearances over all of last year. And this time, the Dodgers couldn’t answer back, getting tripped up by pitching problems again en route to the Angels’ first three-game Freeway Series sweep since 2010.
Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas shouts in frustration after striking out against the Angels in the seventh inning Sunday.
“We’re definitely close,” the LAFC midfielder said of the coach he played for in three MLS Cup finals.
So it’s been difficult for Delgado to watch from afar as Vanney’s Galaxy team, the one Delgado played for last season, has struggled through the worst start in franchise history.
“I definitely hope, personally, things go better for him,” Delgado said of Vanney, who got a multiyear contract extension Friday, one that reportedly makes him the best-paid manager in MLS. “I hope Greg can get things turned around.”
As long as that turnaround starts next weekend since Delgado returns Sunday to Dignity Health Sports Park for the first time since December’s MLS Cup final. Only this time he’ll be wearing the black and gold of LAFC, the Galaxy’s bitter rival.
“Yeah, definitely. I want to come out on top,” he said. “It’s kind of a weird situation. You don’t wish them too well because you want to do well yourself.”
A weird situation is also an apt description of Delgado’s last five months. Six weeks after capping a career-best season by assisting on the winning goal in the Cup final, Delgado was traded 12 miles up the Harbor Freeway to LAFC, a sacrifice to the league’s paltry salary cap.
The Galaxy (0-10-3) haven’t won since but Delgado has thrived. Not only did LAFC (6-4-3) give him a multiyear contract with a raise from the $876,250 he made last season, but he’s tied for the team lead with three assists and is one of just three players to appear in all 13 MLS games for a team that hasn’t lost a league game in six weeks and is fifth in the Western Conference table.
And he’s done that despite playing under a coach not named Greg Vanney for just the second time in 11 seasons.
Galaxy coach Greg Vanney celebrates after a win over Seattle in the Western Conference final on Nov. 30. The defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy is winless through its first 13 games of the season.
(Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)
“Coming to a new team, a different view of things, may take a little time,” said Delgado, who played under Vanney in Toronto and with the Galaxy after breaking in as a teenager with Chivas USA, where Vanney was an assistant coach. “I’m a guy who can take in information and change on the fly as well. I think my ability to do things passing and how I see the field, [my] work rate covering ground, helps.”
His leadership and experience is also important. Although he just turned 30 on May 9, Delgado is in his 14th MLS season and his 340 appearances, including playoffs, ranks ninth among active players, according to Transfermarkt. No other LAFC player is close.
He’s also the only man to have played for all three of Southern California’s MLS teams, Chivas USA, the Galaxy and LAFC. Yet none of that, he said, has prepared him for changing sides in El Tráfico.
“It is definitely a different look,” he said. “But at the end of the day it’s a Derby. Once that whistle blows and we’re on the field, I’m locked in.”
The crosstown rivalry has grown into the most passionate in MLS but most of that bad blood is felt in the stands. On the field, Delgado said, the feeling is more one of mutual admiration regardless of the colors you’re wearing.
“I don’t know what goes on between the two fans bases, but I know as players there’s a level of respect. Everyone has their own journey of getting here. Everyone has their own battles,” he said.
And his fight Sunday will be for LAFC. So while he feels for his former teammates, he’d like nothing better than to see them suffer for at least one more week.
“I have an emotional attachment with the club over there. But I’m over here, right?” he said. “I have duties over here and I’m working on doing my part and finding success for this club.”
Some advice: If you love something, set it free — even the Miu Miu heels.
This was the notion that two friends, Quinn Shephard and Francesca Goncalves, were discussing in a sun-kissed setting (a “pool somewhere,” Shephard recalls). They wanted to barter their old clothing, but that was a sticky prospect in Los Angeles — the scene is riddled with suspicious stares from thrift store employees and digital cold wars with teenagers on Depop. There’s pomp and circumstance at every turn.
Kristen Vaganos and Kate Mansi help a shopper try on some shoes.
(Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
“So many people are like: I go to Wasteland or Crossroads and I get $3,” Shephard explains. “They’re not nice to me.”
Shephard and Goncalves wanted to start a closet sale that felt more like a fun hangout with friends. So one day last summer, Shephard and Goncalves hit the streets of Silver Lake, asking small businesses if they’d host an event that they were calling Outfit Repeater L.A. Shephard jokes that Goncalves is the “mayor of Silver Lake” — the kind of Gatsby-like woman who makes Los Angeles feel like a small town, chatting with strangers with an endearing openness. Finally, they arrived at Constellation Coffee, a contemporary, sleek coffee shop. To their surprise, the manager agreed to host Outfit Repeater L.A. that upcoming Sunday.
“She’s used to indie filmmaking, where you have to go up and ask people for things, and there’s power in that,” Goncalves says of Shephard, the director of TV shows including the Hulu drama “Under the Bridge.” Goncalves works in Stanford Medicine’s genetics department.
With their event fast approaching, Shephard and Goncalves created a blitzkrieg of advertisements across social media and posted fliers on lampposts throughout the neighborhood to drum up excitement. “We literally put up fliers until 2 am. It’s so funny because Quinn doesn’t do anything unless it’s 100%, and I’m like that too,” says Goncalves.
Clockwise from left: A shopper looks at a skirt.Seller Samantha Rose and Liv Hoffner.Outfit Repeater L.A. co-founder Francesca Goncalves talks with seller Mitch deQuilettes.(Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
The first Outfit Repeater L.A. event was a success, drawing a crowd of fashion enthusiasts and women who wanted to sell their beloved wardrobes directly to buyers, bypassing the intermediary of a thrift store. Women attendees eagerly inquired about selling their own clothes at the next event, offering up locations and contacts. “New coffee shops wanted to host us, and new girls wanted to sell,” Goncalves says. “It snowballed into this thing where it’s just getting bigger and bigger, completely by accident.”
Since then, Outfit Repeater L.A. has garnered a reputation as the Eastside’s hippest trading post for “it” girls, creatives and fashion trendsetters. Sellers have included independent film darlings like Geraldine Viswanathan and Francesca Reale, as well as fashion influencers with enviable style, such as Macy Eleni.
Despite its newfound fame, at its core, the closet sale is inclusive and accessible to people of all income levels. “I wanted to keep it very accessible. I charge a seller fee that’s so low, just to cover expenses. It’s not just vintage resellers or influencers that can afford to sell,” says Goncalves.
Goncalves attributes the success of the event to a hunger for social events that offer an alternative to the monotony of bar hangs. “People are tired of the bar scene,” she says.
Shephard explains that the appeal is simple: “It’s like going to a party with your friends for the day, plus you make money.”
At a recent Outfit Repeater L.A. event at Lamill Coffee in Silver Lake, actor Kate Mansi was selling her wardrobe after discovering the event through a friend’s recommendation. “I’m always selling stuff on Instagram,” Mansi says. “It’s nice to do it face to face. Clothes have a story. It’s nice to hear the story of the piece you’re inheriting.”
Kate Mansi in front of her closet rack.
(Yasara Gunawardena / For The Times)
Mansi adds, “I have a very Virgo system with my closet where I turn the hanger backwards if it’s something I haven’t worn, and if in a year, I still haven’t worn it, it must go.” On this Sunday, one of those items was a well-loved blue polka-dot romper with puff sleeves, which Mansi found at a vintage store years earlier, and she sold it for $20. Another was an All Saints trenchcoat, priced at $40, and a gray A.L.C. blouse, for $30. A classic denim Levi’s jacket found a new home for $30.
Mansi parted ways with a black dress by Jonathan Simkhai, one of her favorite designers. To the woman who bought it, Mansi wisely prescribed that she wear the dress casually with flats or boots.
At a time when fashion retail has shifted online due to the pandemic, an in-person thrifting event has been warmly received by the community. “I’m focused on each sale being a unique thing that people walk away from, having gotten a cool piece and making a few new friends and maybe a lover or boyfriend,” says Goncalves.
Alena Nemitz, who has been creating social media content for Outfit Repeater L.A., met her partner of five months at one of the events. “I was selling, and they were walking through and introduced themselves to me,” she says. “Now we’re dating, which is so cute.”
Eleni, who wrote a book on thrifting called “Second Chances,” was one of Outfit Repeater’s earliest sellers and champions. Growing up with a single mother in Dayton, Ohio, Eleni explains that she was bullied for thrifting during her childhood and is overjoyed to see a new generation embrace it. She believes some of the newfound eagerness for thrifting comes from an increased awareness of the devastating impact of fast fashion. “When I was a teenager, I wasn’t seeing videos on my phone of the inside of a Shein factory,” she says. “The curtains have been lifted, and there’s no way to claim ignorance as to where things are coming from anymore.”
Outfit Repeater L.A. has built a community of shoppers excited about clothing, Eleni explains. “Everyone is gassing each other up about how fabulous they look,” she says. “I love seeing people’s faces light up over other people’s things that they’re ready to be done with. It’s less [about] people trying to flip a profit and more people just trying to swap their clothes, share their clothes with each other.”
Goncalves describes the endearing experience of spotting items she sold from her closet on other women around Silver Lake. The world suddenly feels smaller and warmer. “I think clothes are so personal, but they are fleeting in a way,” she says. You love something and you want to pass it on, but it’s still your life and your ecosystem, even if it’s not right for you anymore.”
