Stars highlight their philanthropy
The absence of Oscar-season fanfare amid the pandemic has had an upside: Awards hopefuls, usually swept up in press junkets and formal wear fittings, have more time to undertake philanthropic pursuits and parlay their celebrity status to create positive change.
Sean Penn was mocked on social media for his unruly hair during the Golden Globes. But that shaggy coif indicated a person who has forsaken vanity in order to focus on his work with CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), the nonprofit he co-founded in 2010 following the earthquake that ravaged Haiti. CORE has expanded its reach around the globe, and as COVID-19 numbers spiked, CORE stepped in.
Even small contributions pave the way for beneficent change, says actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who has teamed up with Kidizenship, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media platform promoting civics education and creative expression. Kidizenship, in partnership with YMCA Youth and Government Programs, has launched a contest for students to write and perform a presidential speech. The “Veep” star is one of the contest’s judges.
While you don’t need to be a movie star to make a difference, Penn says, “if you’re lucky enough to make a living being creative, and particularly in Hollywood, then it’s incumbent upon you to use that platform to pay it forward.”
Globes group ousts member:
A former president of the organization that hosts the Golden Globes has been dropped from the group’s board after sending an email that called Black Lives Matter a “hate movement.”
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association board said in an email Tuesday that Phil Berk, an eight-term association president, is no longer a member of the organization. The decision came hours after NBC — which telecasts the Globes — condemned Berk’s actions and called for his “immediate expulsion.” The show’s producer, dick clark productions, also demanded the removal of Berk, who had been a member for over 40 years.
Hitmaker Steinman dies:
Jim Steinman, 73, the Grammy-winning composer who wrote Meat Loaf ’s bestselling “Bat Out of Hell” debut album as well as hits for Celine Dion, Air Supply and Bonnie Tyler, has died, his brother said. Bill Steinman said his brother died Monday of kidney failure and was ill for some time. Jim Steinman was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012 and won album of the year at the 1997 Grammy Awards for producing songs on Celine Dion’s “Falling Into You.”
‘HIMYM’ sequel ordered:
A “How I Met Your Mother” sequel series titled “How I Met Your Father” has been ordered at Hulu with Hilary Duff attached to star. Duff will also produce. According to an individual with knowledge of the project, it remains unclear how or if the new show will tie into the original.
April 22 birthdays:
Actor Jack Nicholson is 84. Singer Mel Carter is 82. Singer Cleve Francis is 76. Director John Waters is 75. Singer Peter Frampton is 71. Actor Ryan Stiles is 62. Actor Sheryl Lee is 54. TV personality Sherri Shepherd is 54. Actor Malcolm Barrett is 41. Actor Zack Gottsagen is 36. Rapper Machine Gun Kelly is 31.