Video of Williams prompts outrage
Video of a naked Jesse Williams captured onstage in a shower scene from a Broadway play has been posted online, prompting an outcry from the producers and the union that represents actors and stage managers.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the creation and distribution of photographs and videos of our members during a nude scene,” said Kate Shindle, president of Actors’ Equity Association. “Whoever did this knew not only that they were filming actors without their consent, but also that they were explicitly violating the theater’s prohibition on recording and distribution.”
Williams is starring in a revival of “Take Me Out,” Richard Greenberg’s exploration of what happens when a Major League Baseball superstar comes out as gay, tracing the way it unsettles the team and unleashes toxic prejudices. Williams earned a Tony Award nomination Monday for playing the superstar.
Second Stage Theater has been using Yondr pouches to protect the actors. Audience members arriving at the theater surrender their phones, which are then put in the locked pouches until the end of the show.
“Taking naked pictures of anyone without their consent is highly objectionable and can have severe legal consequences,” Second Stage said. “… We are actively pursuing takedown requests and ask that no one participates in the distribution of these images.”
Winkler memoir due in 2024:
Henry Winkler is writing a memoir. Celadon Books announced Wednesday that it has a
deal with the actor to tell his life story. The memoir, currently untitled, is scheduled for 2024.
Winkler, 76, became famous in the 1970s as “The Fonz” on the sitcom “Happy Days” and has worked steadily ever since, with hundreds of TV and movie credits.
“I am both excited and nervous to contemplate writing a memoir, because it’s hard to remember what happened the day before yesterday. But here I go!” Winkler said in a statement.
Cromwell glues hand to Starbucks counter in protest:
Actor James Cromwell pasted his hand to a Manhattan Starbucks counter in New York City on Tuesday to protest the chain’s extra charge for plant-based milk.
The Oscar nominee, 82, who also portrays Uncle Ewan on “Succession,” took part in the protest
organized by the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Cromwell sat on the Starbucks counter wearing a “Free the Animals” T-shirt and read a statement denouncing the surcharge for vegan milk alternatives. He glued his hand to the counter, then later used a knife to scrape it off. Police said there were no arrests.
Starbucks outlets in the United States charge 50 cents to a dollar more for drinks made with plantbased milks.
May 12 birthdays:
Composer Burt Bacharach is 94. Musician Guy Davis is 70. Singer Kix Brooks is
67. Drummer Eric Singer is 64. Actor Emilio Estevez is 60. Actor April Grace is
60. Actor Stephen Baldwin is 56. Actor Kim Fields is 53. Actor Jason Biggs is
44. Actor Rami Malik is
41. Actor Emily VanCamp is 36.