Hollywood Q&A

Q: I know that Snooki’s back on “Jersey Shore Family Vacation,” but why did she leave in the first place?

A: “I just can’t do it anymore,” Nicole Polizzi (better known as Snooki) said, explaining her decision on her podcast “It’s Happening With Snooki & Joey.” “Leaving my kids to film it is really, really hard on me.”

She spoke at length about her decision, and while most of it was parent-related, she also talked about not liking “the person I’m being portrayed as.”

“At 32 years old and with three kids, if I’m doing a reality show I just want it to be fun and lighthearted, and lately it’s not like that and the show is getting so dramatic.”

She sat out the first half of Season 4 (which aired last November to February) but came back for the second half, which debuted in early June on MTV.

The bad news is they might be short another cast member for the next season, if and when it happens.

Shortly before these latest episodes started airing, Ronnie OrtizMagro announced that he would “step away” from the show to “seek medical treatment for mental health issues that I’ve ignored for too long.”

Q: I’ve watched the various incarnations of “Pyramid,” from the 1970s to the current Michael Strahan-hosted version. In past versions, contestants had the option of giving or receiving the clues in the Winner’s Circle, and they almost always chose to receive clues from the celebrities. Now, the contestants always give them. Is this a new rule, or do they still have the option?

A: It’s never been stated outright, but it seems that this was a subtle change that came with Strahan as the new host — it’s always the contestant giving the clues in the Winner’s Circle.

I say “seems” because neither ABC (the broadcaster) nor SMAC Entertainment (the producer) have published an official set of rules. All we have is the evidence of what has aired, and this is how it’s been so far on the latest reboot.

Notably, Strahan doesn’t even mention it, unlike in the regular rounds, when he announces who will be giving the clues. In the Winner’s Circle rounds, after a bit of small talk, play commences immediately with the contestant giving clues.

It’s hard to say why this might be. It’s possible that it seemed more fair — giving clues seems to be the harder job, but it also gives you more control. Since the contestant is the one taking home the money, it makes sense to put their financial fate in their hands.

Q: Do any of the stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe do their own stunts?

A: More than you might think, though not the ones you might expect.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth, “Extraction,” 2020) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo, “Now You See Me,” 2013) are the biggest and (arguably) brawniest members of the extended big-screen Avengers team, but neither of the actors who play them does his own stunts. On the other hand, Scarlett Johansson (“Black Widow,” 2021), Brie Larson (“Captain Marvel,” 2019), Tom Holland (“Spider-Man: Far from Home,” 2019) and Chris Evans (“Captain America: The First Avenger,” 2011) are more than happy to throw their bodies into the work.

Johansson said that the biggest part of preparing for her Marvel role was the stunt training, while Evans just seems to enjoy it: “Any time I can get the gloves on and get in the ring, and they’ll let me, I’ll do it,” Evans said in an interview on MTV.

The “let me” there is key. There are union rules and insurance issues that prevent even the boldest stars from doing all the stunts. Look no further than Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man,” 2008), for example.

Despite being the oldest of the original six Avengers, he insisted on doing his own stunts, but when he broke his ankle on the set of “Iron Man 3” (2013), production shut down for weeks. On a multimillion-dollar movie like that, a weeks-long shutdown is detrimental.