BY DANA JACKSON
Q:How is Bruce Willis doing since he was diagnosed with a neurological disorder? I’ve enjoyed his work ever since seeing him in “Moonlighting,” with Cybill Shepherd. -- P.I.
A:It’s hard to believe it’s been 38 years since Bruce Willis debuted as charming P.I. David Addison Jr., opposite his boss, former model Maddie Hayes, played by Cybill Shepherd. The two quarreled both on screen and off, but their chemistry was a hit with viewers, making the show last five seasons. Willis went on to be a mega movie star in the “Die Hard” franchise, among other films, but last March, it was announced that he was retiring from acting at age 67 after being diagnosed with a cognitive disorder called aphasia.
Sadly, in February of this year, his wife, Emma Heming Willis, announced that his condition has progressed and that they now have a more specific diagnosis: frontotemporal dementia. Fortunately, he has a wonderful support system that includes his ex-wife, actress Demi Moore, and their children, along with his two daughters with Emma.
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I only recently started watching the family saga “Succession” on HBO. What drew me in was the opening theme music. Is it an original piece for the show? -- A.K.
Q:A: When composer Nicholas Britell was interviewed on the “CBS News Sunday Morning” show, he said that when he was a young boy, he asked his mother for piano lessons after hearing the theme to the movie “Chariots of Fire.” This didn’t lead him down a straight path to Hollywood, however. He worked on Wall
Street for a while before quitting, to chase his dream.
He told CBS he wanted the theme about a dysfunctional wealthy family to sound a little off: “The pianos are out of tune with each other. The strings are a little bit off. This should feel kind of like something’s a little wrong here.”
His instincts were right, and it led to him winning an Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.
Before being hired for “Succession,” he already had an excellent reputation in the industry, having earned Oscar nominations for three different movie scores: “Moonlight,” “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Don’t Look Up.”
The fourth and final season of “Succession” returns to HBO on March 26. In the meantime, you can hear more of Britell’s creations with the Disney+ series “Andor” and in the upcoming live-action film “Mufasa: The Lion King.”
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@ gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc. “The 95th Academy
Awards” (NR) -- Almost one year after that unforgettable slap heard ‘round the world, the Oscars are back to honor this year’s greatest film moments (this time with a crisis team in place, just in case anyone gets a bit too handsy). “Everything Everywhere
All at Once” leads with 11 nominations, including the
Best Picture category, followed by the films “All Quiet on the Western Front,” “The Banshees of Inisherin” and “Elvis.” Austin Butler, Colin Farrell and Brendan Fraser are in the running to bring home Best Actor, while Cate Blanchett, Ana de Armas and Michelle Yeoh are in the running for Best Actress. The award ceremony, hosted by Jimmy Kimmell, is available to stream now.
“Extrapolations” (TV-MA) -- This new drama series tells the stories of several individuals over the span of 33 years, as they experience the life-altering effects of climate change on Earth from the years 2037 to 2070. As an anthology series, each episode will focus on different characters, but there will be the occasional interconnection between storylines, since each major event bounces off the previous one. The cast of “Extrapolations” is star-studded to say the least, with Kit Harington, Meryl Streep, Sienna Miller, Edward Norton, Diane Lane, David Schwimmer, Forest Whitaker, Marion Cotillard, Tobey Maguire and Yara Shahidi starring, among many others. The first three episodes release March 17. You don’t want to miss it. (AppleTV+)
“Swarm” (NR) -- The latest creation by Donald Glover (“Atlanta”) is a new horror thriller series starring Dominique Fishback (“Judas and the Black Messiah”), Chloe Bailey from the musical duo Chloe x Halle, and internet personality Ricky Thompson. Fishback portrays a young woman named Dre, who has a dangerous obsession with a fictional pop star named Ni’jah. Dre’s obsession with Ni’jah rules over her entire life, affecting her relationships and mental health, even how she speaks to others. Since she refuses to accept any slander against her beloved idol, Dre inches further and further down a rabbit hole, until it ultimately drives her to make insane and fatal choices. A bold critique on fan/stan culture, all seven episodes of “Swarm” premiere March 17. (Prime Video)
(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.