Henry Willson’s behavior was protected by other powerful players in the entertainment industry who depended on him for a steady stream of fresh, young talent.
In episode 3 of “Variety Confidential,” host Tracy Pattin and co-host Matt Donnelly, Variety’s senior entertainment and media writer, unearth the story of Willson, an aggressive, midcentury Hollywood talent agent and manager who succeeded in both spotting and taking advantage of young actors within whom he saw potential for fame.
Willson, a closeted gay man, would lure dozens of handsome young men, or “beefcakes” as they would come to be known, to his Los Angeles home after wining and dining them and promising fame. “He seems to have insinuated himself into their lives,” Pattin explains. “He became their friend, the parent, the protector, and in many cases, their lover.”
Willson prioritized on-screen sex appeal over acting ability, which was key to landing roles for...
In episode 3 of “Variety Confidential,” host Tracy Pattin and co-host Matt Donnelly, Variety’s senior entertainment and media writer, unearth the story of Willson, an aggressive, midcentury Hollywood talent agent and manager who succeeded in both spotting and taking advantage of young actors within whom he saw potential for fame.
Willson, a closeted gay man, would lure dozens of handsome young men, or “beefcakes” as they would come to be known, to his Los Angeles home after wining and dining them and promising fame. “He seems to have insinuated himself into their lives,” Pattin explains. “He became their friend, the parent, the protector, and in many cases, their lover.”
Willson prioritized on-screen sex appeal over acting ability, which was key to landing roles for...
- 1/3/2024
- by Lauren Ames
- Variety Film + TV
Movie stars no longer “own” Hollywood, we are told, but two hallowed brand names owned much of the media space this week.
At age 80, Harrison Ford is soldiering through the interview circuit to energize his balky Indy numbers. And an HBO doc about Rock Hudson this week reminded viewers of an era when stardom was as much manufactured as earned.
Both Ford and Hudson coveted their celebrity, which now borders on the mythic. But early in their careers, both struggled through identity crises, trying to define a persona they could comfortably live with.
The young Hudson was so gawky and naïve that he required emergency coaching on both his speech and sexuality from his ambitious manager, Henry Willson. Neither Willson nor his protégé imagined that Hudson would become a superstar both in cult movies, like Pillow Talk, and in classics, like Giant. Who else could hold his own opposite both Doris Day and Elizabeth Taylor?...
At age 80, Harrison Ford is soldiering through the interview circuit to energize his balky Indy numbers. And an HBO doc about Rock Hudson this week reminded viewers of an era when stardom was as much manufactured as earned.
Both Ford and Hudson coveted their celebrity, which now borders on the mythic. But early in their careers, both struggled through identity crises, trying to define a persona they could comfortably live with.
The young Hudson was so gawky and naïve that he required emergency coaching on both his speech and sexuality from his ambitious manager, Henry Willson. Neither Willson nor his protégé imagined that Hudson would become a superstar both in cult movies, like Pillow Talk, and in classics, like Giant. Who else could hold his own opposite both Doris Day and Elizabeth Taylor?...
- 7/6/2023
- by Peter Bart
- Deadline Film + TV
Rock Hudson was one of the biggest stars of the 1950’s and 60s: the most handsome leading man who romanced the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Day, Jane Wyman, Barbara Rush, Julie Andrews and Gina Lollobrigida on the silver screen. But he was living a secret life off-screen — he was gay.
The new Max/HBO documentary “Rock Hudson All That Heaven Allowed” examines his double life and the lengths that were taken to ensure his LGBTQ+ identity wasn’t revealed It wasn’t until 1985 did the truth make the headlines when he became the first famous Hollywood star to die of AIDs.
Barbara Rush, who appeared in three films with Hudson including 1954’s “Magnificent Obsession,” told me in a 2019 L.A. Times interview that it was no secret in Tinseltown that he was gay. “His agent [Henry Willson] decided that there had been enough about the rumors about Rock being gay.
The new Max/HBO documentary “Rock Hudson All That Heaven Allowed” examines his double life and the lengths that were taken to ensure his LGBTQ+ identity wasn’t revealed It wasn’t until 1985 did the truth make the headlines when he became the first famous Hollywood star to die of AIDs.
Barbara Rush, who appeared in three films with Hudson including 1954’s “Magnificent Obsession,” told me in a 2019 L.A. Times interview that it was no secret in Tinseltown that he was gay. “His agent [Henry Willson] decided that there had been enough about the rumors about Rock being gay.
- 6/30/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
To those who don’t obsessively watch TCM, or generally eschew movies made before 1980, Rock Hudson is little more than a factoid, best remembered for his sexuality than for the movies he made. And yet, while Hudson today is known as a gay man, it was something that he did his best to keep hidden and, as Stephen Kijak lays out towards the end of his HBO documentary, would have taken to the grave if he could have.
“Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed” is in the vein of other prominent documentaries aimed at telling the real story behind the Old Hollywood façade, including HBO’s most recent “The Last Movie Stars.” The revelations within the documentary’s 104-minute runtime aren’t revolutionary, but seek to give viewers an authentic look at a man whose life so often was swathed in artifice.
It’s impossible to underscore Hudson’s appeal...
“Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed” is in the vein of other prominent documentaries aimed at telling the real story behind the Old Hollywood façade, including HBO’s most recent “The Last Movie Stars.” The revelations within the documentary’s 104-minute runtime aren’t revolutionary, but seek to give viewers an authentic look at a man whose life so often was swathed in artifice.
It’s impossible to underscore Hudson’s appeal...
- 6/11/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
Jim Parsons cried a lot while reading “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Other Four-Letter Words,” entertainment journalist Michael Ausiello’s 2017 book about his late husband Kit Cowan’s battle with cancer.
“My husband watched me read it, which means he watched me sob through it. And he said, ‘Do you think it would make a good movie?’ I said, ‘I don’t know,’” Parsons tells me on this week’s “Just for Variety” podcast. “And he read it, and he said, ‘I think it would.’”
Fast forward to today: Focus Features’ “Spoiler Alert,” directed by Michael Showalter and in theaters on Dec. 2, stars Parsons as Ausiello (whom I’ve known for a couple of decades and is editor-in-chief of Variety’s sibling outlet TVLine) and fellow queer actor Ben Aldridge (“Fleabag”) as Kit. Rounding out the cast are Sally Field and Bill Irwin as Cowan’s parents.
“My husband watched me read it, which means he watched me sob through it. And he said, ‘Do you think it would make a good movie?’ I said, ‘I don’t know,’” Parsons tells me on this week’s “Just for Variety” podcast. “And he read it, and he said, ‘I think it would.’”
Fast forward to today: Focus Features’ “Spoiler Alert,” directed by Michael Showalter and in theaters on Dec. 2, stars Parsons as Ausiello (whom I’ve known for a couple of decades and is editor-in-chief of Variety’s sibling outlet TVLine) and fellow queer actor Ben Aldridge (“Fleabag”) as Kit. Rounding out the cast are Sally Field and Bill Irwin as Cowan’s parents.
- 11/30/2022
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.”
After the success of “Uncut Gems,” filmmaker brothers Josh and Benny Safdie and their star Adam Sandler have a lot to live up to with their next collaboration. The trio announced in October they were reuniting for an untitled film for Netflix.
While details about the project are under wraps, Sandler did tell me Monday at the Gotham Awards that he’s going to have a much “different look” than he’s ever had. “I can’t say that I’m gonna look that handsome in it,” Sandler said. “It’s not a handsome moment…It’s gonna be tough.”
As for the storyline, Sandler would only say, “They’re working hard. Every time I talk to them they say they are working hand.”
Sandler starred in “Uncut Gems” as a Howard Ratner, a shady New York City jeweler with a gambling addiction.
After the success of “Uncut Gems,” filmmaker brothers Josh and Benny Safdie and their star Adam Sandler have a lot to live up to with their next collaboration. The trio announced in October they were reuniting for an untitled film for Netflix.
While details about the project are under wraps, Sandler did tell me Monday at the Gotham Awards that he’s going to have a much “different look” than he’s ever had. “I can’t say that I’m gonna look that handsome in it,” Sandler said. “It’s not a handsome moment…It’s gonna be tough.”
As for the storyline, Sandler would only say, “They’re working hard. Every time I talk to them they say they are working hand.”
Sandler starred in “Uncut Gems” as a Howard Ratner, a shady New York City jeweler with a gambling addiction.
- 11/29/2022
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
What is it that draws Ryan Murphy to monsters? Or, if not monsters, then at least incredibly flawed people. Brooke McQueen, Andrew Cunanan, Rachel Berry, Nurse Ratched, Payton Hobart, Oj Simpson, Henry Willson, and now Jeffrey Dahmer. Part of this is a rhetorical question, to be sure: us queers love to find solace in the outcasts, alienated, and unwanted. But fewer of us construct, with 100 million development deals, the scaffolding around some of the most diabolical to make them sympathetic.
Continue reading ‘Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ Review: Ryan Murphy’s Obsession With Monsters Yields A Middling Morbid Spectacle at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ Review: Ryan Murphy’s Obsession With Monsters Yields A Middling Morbid Spectacle at The Playlist.
- 9/22/2022
- by Kyle Turner
- The Playlist
“The Big Bang Theory” came to an end in 2019, and Jim Parsons has taken this opportunity to branch out into darker and more dramatic roles. 2020 saw the sitcom star appear in “The Boys in the Band” and “Hollywood,” both of which explored the experiences of gay men in America. With “Hollywood,” Parsons nabbed his eighth acting Emmy nomination (he lost to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for “Watchmen”), and now fourth Golden Globe nomination as well. If he comes out on top, it would be his second victory after his win in 2011 for “The Big Bang Theory.”
See 2021 Golden Globes nominations list: Nominees for 78th annual ceremony
In the Best TV Supporting Actor category at this year’s Globes Parsons competes with John Boyega (“Small Axe”), Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”), Brendan Gleeson (“The Comey Rule”) and Donald Sutherland (“The Undoing”). Boyega and Levy are both first time nominees, and look like the front-runners.
See 2021 Golden Globes nominations list: Nominees for 78th annual ceremony
In the Best TV Supporting Actor category at this year’s Globes Parsons competes with John Boyega (“Small Axe”), Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”), Brendan Gleeson (“The Comey Rule”) and Donald Sutherland (“The Undoing”). Boyega and Levy are both first time nominees, and look like the front-runners.
- 2/26/2021
- by Zach Moore
- Gold Derby
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for upcoming awards. To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective
2021 Golden Globe Final Predictions:
Best TV Supporting Actor
Updated: Feb. 24, 2021
Awards Commentary:
Dan Levy could become the first comedy performer to win the Golden Globes supporting actor category since “Glee” star Chris Colfer did it back in 2010. Now, with the ongoing power of “Schitt’s Creek,” co-creator Levy is a front runner — although he has intense competition from John Boyega of “Small Axe.” Also in the mix are “The Undoing’s” Donald Sutherland and “Hollywood’s” Jim Parsons. Will the HFPA feel like honoring Brendan Gleeson for playing Donald Trump in “The Comey Rule”? That seems tougher to imagine.
And The Predicted Winner Is: Dan Levy
"Schitt's Creek" (Pop TV)
Globes History: 1 nomination
Role: David Rose
Runners Up: John Boyega
"Small Axe" (Amazon...
2021 Golden Globe Final Predictions:
Best TV Supporting Actor
Updated: Feb. 24, 2021
Awards Commentary:
Dan Levy could become the first comedy performer to win the Golden Globes supporting actor category since “Glee” star Chris Colfer did it back in 2010. Now, with the ongoing power of “Schitt’s Creek,” co-creator Levy is a front runner — although he has intense competition from John Boyega of “Small Axe.” Also in the mix are “The Undoing’s” Donald Sutherland and “Hollywood’s” Jim Parsons. Will the HFPA feel like honoring Brendan Gleeson for playing Donald Trump in “The Comey Rule”? That seems tougher to imagine.
And The Predicted Winner Is: Dan Levy
"Schitt's Creek" (Pop TV)
Globes History: 1 nomination
Role: David Rose
Runners Up: John Boyega
"Small Axe" (Amazon...
- 2/24/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for upcoming awards. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective
Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season
2021 Golden Globe Predictions:
Best TV Supporting Actor
Updated: Jan. 14, 2021
Awards Commentary:
The Golden Globes supporting categories are always a hodgepodge of contenders from drama, comedy, limited series and TV movies. “Glee” star Chris Colfer is the last supporting actor from a comedy/musical to win the award, way back in 2010. And the last supporting actor from a half-hour was Jeremy Piven (“Entourage”) in 2007. Now, “Schitt’s Creek” co-creator Dan Levy has a chance to bring...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Collective
Draft>>>Pre Season>>>Regular Season>>>Post Season
2021 Golden Globe Predictions:
Best TV Supporting Actor
Updated: Jan. 14, 2021
Awards Commentary:
The Golden Globes supporting categories are always a hodgepodge of contenders from drama, comedy, limited series and TV movies. “Glee” star Chris Colfer is the last supporting actor from a comedy/musical to win the award, way back in 2010. And the last supporting actor from a half-hour was Jeremy Piven (“Entourage”) in 2007. Now, “Schitt’s Creek” co-creator Dan Levy has a chance to bring...
- 1/15/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Rhonda Fleming, the actress who starred in films like Alfred Hitchcock’s “Spellbound” and Jacques Tourneur’s “Out of the Past,” has died. She was 97.
Fleming’s secretary Carla Sapon confirmed the news to TheWrap, stating that she passed away on Wednesday in Santa Monica, California.
Fleming appeared in more than 40 films, which included Robert Siodmak’s “The Spiral Staircase,” the 1948 musical fantasy “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” the 1957 Western “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and the noir “Slightly Scarlet.”
Over the years, she worked with people like Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Rock Hudson, Bob Hope and Ronald Reagan, with whom she made four films. Her other credits include “Pony Express,” “The Big Circus” and most recently, “The Nude Bomb” in 1980.
Fleming was born as Marilyn Louis in Hollywood, California, in 1923. She began working as a film actress while attending Beverly Hills High School, and was discovered by...
Fleming’s secretary Carla Sapon confirmed the news to TheWrap, stating that she passed away on Wednesday in Santa Monica, California.
Fleming appeared in more than 40 films, which included Robert Siodmak’s “The Spiral Staircase,” the 1948 musical fantasy “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court,” the 1957 Western “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” and the noir “Slightly Scarlet.”
Over the years, she worked with people like Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Rock Hudson, Bob Hope and Ronald Reagan, with whom she made four films. Her other credits include “Pony Express,” “The Big Circus” and most recently, “The Nude Bomb” in 1980.
Fleming was born as Marilyn Louis in Hollywood, California, in 1923. She began working as a film actress while attending Beverly Hills High School, and was discovered by...
- 10/17/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Among the Emmy nominees this year are many actors playing real people — from Uzo Aduba’s portrayal of feminist icon Betty Friedan in FX drama series Mrs. America to Hugh Jackman tackling the disgraced school superintendent Frank Tassone in the HBO movie Bad Education.
And then there’s Jim Parsons, who became the powerful and controversial talent agent Henry Willson — known for being influential in Rock Hudson’s career — in Ryan Murphy’s limited series on Netflix, Hollywood.
While each actor listed portrayed a real person, Dylan McDermott’s performance in Hollywood must also be mentioned as the actor played Ernie West,...
And then there’s Jim Parsons, who became the powerful and controversial talent agent Henry Willson — known for being influential in Rock Hudson’s career — in Ryan Murphy’s limited series on Netflix, Hollywood.
While each actor listed portrayed a real person, Dylan McDermott’s performance in Hollywood must also be mentioned as the actor played Ernie West,...
Among the Emmy nominees this year are many actors playing real people — from Uzo Aduba’s portrayal of feminist icon Betty Friedan in FX drama series Mrs. America to Hugh Jackman tackling the disgraced school superintendent Frank Tassone in the HBO movie Bad Education.
And then there’s Jim Parsons, who became the powerful and controversial talent agent Henry Willson — known for being influential in Rock Hudson’s career — in Ryan Murphy’s limited series on Netflix, Hollywood.
While each actor listed portrayed a real person, Dylan McDermott’s performance in Hollywood must also be mentioned as the actor played Ernie West,...
And then there’s Jim Parsons, who became the powerful and controversial talent agent Henry Willson — known for being influential in Rock Hudson’s career — in Ryan Murphy’s limited series on Netflix, Hollywood.
While each actor listed portrayed a real person, Dylan McDermott’s performance in Hollywood must also be mentioned as the actor played Ernie West,...
This year’s Emmy race for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie is a battle of Watchmen vs. Hollywood… with a little bit of Tituss sprinkled in for good measure.
Watchmen has staked a claim to half of the category, with three of this year’s six nominees hailing from HBO’s acclaimed comic book adaptation. In fact, two actors are even nominated for playing the same role: Louis Gossett Jr. — who won an Emmy for Roots back in 1977 — as Angela’s grandfather, Will Reeves, and Jovan Adepo as a younger version of Will, back when he...
Watchmen has staked a claim to half of the category, with three of this year’s six nominees hailing from HBO’s acclaimed comic book adaptation. In fact, two actors are even nominated for playing the same role: Louis Gossett Jr. — who won an Emmy for Roots back in 1977 — as Angela’s grandfather, Will Reeves, and Jovan Adepo as a younger version of Will, back when he...
- 8/28/2020
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
When Jim Parsons was cast in Netflix’s limited series “Hollywood” as Henry Willson, the real-life agent best known for shepherding Rock Hudson to mega-stardom, the multiple Emmy-winning actor immediately turned to Google. While he couldn’t find any contemporaneous video of Willson, there were at least plenty of photographs. Looking at them, Parsons was struck with an immediate concern.
“My first thing was, could I look different at all?” he says.
Similar to several other supporting performers now nominated for taking on roles based on real people, however, Parsons’ transformation into Willson was ultimately a subtle one. He utilized understated false teeth, wore color contacts to change his eyes from blue to brown, and changed his hair just slightly to suggest that Willson was wearing a toupee.
“In several different shots, you can see his scalp from the back,” says Parsons. “That being said, a lot of it was...
“My first thing was, could I look different at all?” he says.
Similar to several other supporting performers now nominated for taking on roles based on real people, however, Parsons’ transformation into Willson was ultimately a subtle one. He utilized understated false teeth, wore color contacts to change his eyes from blue to brown, and changed his hair just slightly to suggest that Willson was wearing a toupee.
“In several different shots, you can see his scalp from the back,” says Parsons. “That being said, a lot of it was...
- 8/25/2020
- by Adam B. Vary
- Variety Film + TV
A version of this story about Jim Parsons and “Hollywood” first appeared in the Emmy Hot List issue of TheWrap’s Emmy magazine.
When Jim Parsons was first offered the role of talent agent Henry Willson in Ryan Murphy’s limited series “Hollywood,” he was in what he figured would be a slow, contemplative stretch in his career. “I kind of had been preparing myself for the vast desert of ‘What’s next?’ that I knew was going to come after ‘The Big Bang Theory’ ended,” he said. “And I kind of looked forward to wandering around and figuring out more precisely, ‘What do you want?'”
But during the shooting of the upcoming, Murphy-produced and Joe Mantello-directed Netflix adaptation of the Broadway play “The Boys in the Band,” Murphy derailed Parsons’ plans for some time off by pitching him on “Hollywood.” The miniseries, which was nominated for a dozen Emmys,...
When Jim Parsons was first offered the role of talent agent Henry Willson in Ryan Murphy’s limited series “Hollywood,” he was in what he figured would be a slow, contemplative stretch in his career. “I kind of had been preparing myself for the vast desert of ‘What’s next?’ that I knew was going to come after ‘The Big Bang Theory’ ended,” he said. “And I kind of looked forward to wandering around and figuring out more precisely, ‘What do you want?'”
But during the shooting of the upcoming, Murphy-produced and Joe Mantello-directed Netflix adaptation of the Broadway play “The Boys in the Band,” Murphy derailed Parsons’ plans for some time off by pitching him on “Hollywood.” The miniseries, which was nominated for a dozen Emmys,...
- 8/20/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
“I will say when I first read it, I think I was scared of it,” reveals Jim Parsons about his role as real-life talent agent Henry Willson in the Netflix series “Hollywood.” The actor’s performance has earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor, his ninth career bid. Parsons previously took home four Best Comedy Actor Emmys for his role as Sheldon Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory.” But as Parsons told us in an interview prior to the Emmy Nominations (watch above), playing Willson was a new and ultimately rewarding experience.
The role of Willson marked a dramatic departure for Parsons, both physically and emotionally. The actor spent hours in the makeup chair everyday, something that he says enhanced his ability to get into the character’s mind. “I just felt different after I came out of there,” he says. “I’d never been through...
The role of Willson marked a dramatic departure for Parsons, both physically and emotionally. The actor spent hours in the makeup chair everyday, something that he says enhanced his ability to get into the character’s mind. “I just felt different after I came out of there,” he says. “I’d never been through...
- 8/16/2020
- by Gold Derby News Desk
- Gold Derby
Actor John Saxon, who starred in three “Nightmare on Elm Street” movies for the late Wes Craven, died Saturday of pneumonia in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, his wife, Gloria, told The Hollywood Reporter. Saxon was 83.
Saxon is also known for play the role of the degenerate gambler, Roper, in the 1973 Bruce Lee classic “Enter the Dragon” for Warner Bros. The film centered on a martial arts tournament that took place on an island owned by the villainous Mr. Han.
Saxon was discovered by talent agent Henry Willson, who also discovered and launched the careers of Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, and was portrayed by Jim Parsons in the Netflix miniseries “Hollywood.” Saxon’s breakout performance was as a disturbed high school football star in 1956’s “The Unguarded Moment” and is billed in the film’s credits as “the exciting new personality John Saxon.”
Also Read: Bruce Lee 2020? 'Be Water' Doc Director Imagines...
Saxon is also known for play the role of the degenerate gambler, Roper, in the 1973 Bruce Lee classic “Enter the Dragon” for Warner Bros. The film centered on a martial arts tournament that took place on an island owned by the villainous Mr. Han.
Saxon was discovered by talent agent Henry Willson, who also discovered and launched the careers of Rock Hudson and Tab Hunter, and was portrayed by Jim Parsons in the Netflix miniseries “Hollywood.” Saxon’s breakout performance was as a disturbed high school football star in 1956’s “The Unguarded Moment” and is billed in the film’s credits as “the exciting new personality John Saxon.”
Also Read: Bruce Lee 2020? 'Be Water' Doc Director Imagines...
- 7/26/2020
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Jim Parsons plays Henry Willson, the infamous real-life agent of Rock Hudson, in the Netflix limited series “Hollywood.” The actor has four Emmys for his work on “The Big Bang Theory.”
Parsons recently spoke with Gold Derby contributing writer Tony Ruiz about what he knew about Willson, working alongside Jake Picking as Hudson and whether his character is truly redeemed in the end. Watch the exclusive interview above and read the complete transcript below.
SEEHolland Taylor Interview: ‘Hollywood’
Gold Derby: Jim, the real Henry Willson is is such a controversial figure. And so, I guess where I want to start is how much of the controversy of Henry Willson did you know in advance? And how did you go about learning about him?
Jim Parsons: Well, when we started, I knew nothing about Henry Willson. I had not even heard of him. Just one of those things that I had missed.
Parsons recently spoke with Gold Derby contributing writer Tony Ruiz about what he knew about Willson, working alongside Jake Picking as Hudson and whether his character is truly redeemed in the end. Watch the exclusive interview above and read the complete transcript below.
SEEHolland Taylor Interview: ‘Hollywood’
Gold Derby: Jim, the real Henry Willson is is such a controversial figure. And so, I guess where I want to start is how much of the controversy of Henry Willson did you know in advance? And how did you go about learning about him?
Jim Parsons: Well, when we started, I knew nothing about Henry Willson. I had not even heard of him. Just one of those things that I had missed.
- 7/10/2020
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
“He was obviously a little broken in some way,” declares Jim Parsons about his role of Henry Willson, the foul-mouthed and abusive agent on Netflix’s “Hollywood.” The series, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, reimagines the film industry of the 1940s and depicts Willson as a sexually abusive and manipulative puppet master to the young Rock Hudson (Jake Picking). The role is a radical departure for Parsons, who won four Best Comedy Actor Emmys for playing Sheldon Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Parsons above.
See‘Hollywood’ Emmy interviews: Jeremy Pope, David Corenswet, Patti LuPone, Mira Sorvino and more [Watch]
The actor, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, admits to knowing almost nothing about the real life Willson. Parsons relied heavily on Robert Hofler‘s book “The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson” to learn about Willson’s past, and...
See‘Hollywood’ Emmy interviews: Jeremy Pope, David Corenswet, Patti LuPone, Mira Sorvino and more [Watch]
The actor, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, admits to knowing almost nothing about the real life Willson. Parsons relied heavily on Robert Hofler‘s book “The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson” to learn about Willson’s past, and...
- 6/12/2020
- by Tony Ruiz
- Gold Derby
Emmy-winning makeup artist and producer Eryn Krueger Mekash had her work cut out for her on the Netflix limited series “Hollywood.” With the task of designing makeup for not only the fictional characters but some well known real Hollywood figures, and coordinating all of that with the various department heads. “Actors have to be comfortable in what they’re wearing as well and I think that a lot of it happens when you finally get the whole look on, you get the hair done, the makeup done, the costumes together and then you say, ‘Oh, we’re in that time period,'” Mekash says in an exclusive new interview with Gold Derby. Watch the full video interview above.
SEEPatti LuPone Interview: ‘Hollywood’
Designing makeup for the women of “Hollywood” meant a lot of bold red lipstick, especially for characters like Avis (Patti LuPone), Camille (Laura Harrier) and Claire (Samara Weaving). For Avis,...
SEEPatti LuPone Interview: ‘Hollywood’
Designing makeup for the women of “Hollywood” meant a lot of bold red lipstick, especially for characters like Avis (Patti LuPone), Camille (Laura Harrier) and Claire (Samara Weaving). For Avis,...
- 6/4/2020
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Jim Parsons really knows how to play lecherous and repugnant.
Just take a look at his work as Henry Willson in “Hollywood,” a new Netflix drama from Ryan Murphy. Wilson, a ruthless powerbroker whose clients included Rock Hudson, Lana Turner, Robert Wagner and Tab Hunter, was a sexual predator who preyed on young men trying to make it in show business.
Despite the makeup and fake teeth, hair and eyes, Parsons is far from physically unrecognizable in the role. Still, the actor says he had never felt such “freedom” in front of the camera while portraying Wilson.
“I had a friend watch it. She wrote me and said — and I thought this was very well put — ‘It’s not that it doesn’t look like you. It’s not like anybody would notice that and say, ‘Who the hell is that?’ It’s like you were shot through a spider web covered creepy filter,...
Just take a look at his work as Henry Willson in “Hollywood,” a new Netflix drama from Ryan Murphy. Wilson, a ruthless powerbroker whose clients included Rock Hudson, Lana Turner, Robert Wagner and Tab Hunter, was a sexual predator who preyed on young men trying to make it in show business.
Despite the makeup and fake teeth, hair and eyes, Parsons is far from physically unrecognizable in the role. Still, the actor says he had never felt such “freedom” in front of the camera while portraying Wilson.
“I had a friend watch it. She wrote me and said — and I thought this was very well put — ‘It’s not that it doesn’t look like you. It’s not like anybody would notice that and say, ‘Who the hell is that?’ It’s like you were shot through a spider web covered creepy filter,...
- 5/28/2020
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
“Hollywood” is likely to be nominated for Best Limited Series at the Emmys, according to the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users, but we think the prize it’s most likely to win is Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor for Jim Parsons as lecherous talent agent Henry Willson. It’s the polar opposite of the role that won him four Emmys on “The Big Bang Theory,” lovably awkward scientist Sheldon Cooper, but that could actually help him win Emmy number-five.
Playing an unlikable character can be a double-edged sword at the Emmys. It gives you the opportunity to play juicy, diabolical, scenery-chewing scenes, but it also runs the risk of putting voters off. Consider Hugh Laurie (“House”) and Steve Carell (“The Office”), who never won despite playing two of the most iconic characters of the last 20 years, irascible doctor Gregory House and bumbling paper company manager Michael Scott,...
Playing an unlikable character can be a double-edged sword at the Emmys. It gives you the opportunity to play juicy, diabolical, scenery-chewing scenes, but it also runs the risk of putting voters off. Consider Hugh Laurie (“House”) and Steve Carell (“The Office”), who never won despite playing two of the most iconic characters of the last 20 years, irascible doctor Gregory House and bumbling paper company manager Michael Scott,...
- 5/15/2020
- by Daniel Montgomery
- Gold Derby
Warning: This story contains spoilers from the second and third episodes of the Netflix miniseries “Hollywood.”
Most of the lead characters in Ryan Murphy’s limited series “Hollywood” are fictional, and most of the ones who were real people are movie stars from the 1940s: Rock Hudson, Anna May Wong, Hattie McDaniel, Vivien Leigh …
But there’s one character in the miniseries, Henry Willson, who was a real-life star-maker, not a star, and who dominates nearly every scene in which he appears.
Because “Hollywood” is a fantasy that very deliberately rewrites Hollywood history to give women, minorities and the Lgbt community more agency and acceptance than they had at the time, fact-checking its storylines is to some degree beside the point. But when an actual person whose real story isn’t well known is dropped into the narrative, it’s inevitable that viewers will wonder how close the character is to the real person.
Most of the lead characters in Ryan Murphy’s limited series “Hollywood” are fictional, and most of the ones who were real people are movie stars from the 1940s: Rock Hudson, Anna May Wong, Hattie McDaniel, Vivien Leigh …
But there’s one character in the miniseries, Henry Willson, who was a real-life star-maker, not a star, and who dominates nearly every scene in which he appears.
Because “Hollywood” is a fantasy that very deliberately rewrites Hollywood history to give women, minorities and the Lgbt community more agency and acceptance than they had at the time, fact-checking its storylines is to some degree beside the point. But when an actual person whose real story isn’t well known is dropped into the narrative, it’s inevitable that viewers will wonder how close the character is to the real person.
- 5/13/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Movies have always blended fact with fiction. To watch a Hollywood biopic from the 1940s is to realize you’re getting a real-life figure mixed with a heavy dose of romanticism and erasure. It’s the route taken with Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix limited series “Hollywood,” and as actor Darren Criss says, it’s appropriate. “[Hollywood] is the godfather of revision…we’re literally giving Hollywood the Hollywood treatment.”
To Criss’ point, the Hollywood treatment has always been a double-edged sword, one filled with as many fairy tales and happy endings as there are outright omissions and fabrications. But when it comes to the real-life figures Murphy portrays in the series there’s an interesting dichotomy presented, one that’s at times painfully bittersweet as it is completely invented.
For Michelle Krusiec, who portrays Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong, and Jake Picking, who plays Rock Hudson, it was an opportunity...
To Criss’ point, the Hollywood treatment has always been a double-edged sword, one filled with as many fairy tales and happy endings as there are outright omissions and fabrications. But when it comes to the real-life figures Murphy portrays in the series there’s an interesting dichotomy presented, one that’s at times painfully bittersweet as it is completely invented.
For Michelle Krusiec, who portrays Chinese-American actress Anna May Wong, and Jake Picking, who plays Rock Hudson, it was an opportunity...
- 5/7/2020
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
Sneak Peek more new footage from the 7-episode, 1940's-era dramatic TV series "Hollywood", created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, now streaming on Netflix:
"...in this sleezy love letter to the 'Golden Age of Tinseltown', 'Hollywood' will look at the sex industry, and how absolutely everything has changed and nothing has changed, following a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.
"Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day..."
Cast includes Darren Criss as 'Raymond', David Corenswet as 'Jack', Jeremy Pope as 'Archie Coleman', Patti LuPone as 'Avis', Holland Taylor as 'Ellen Kincard', Dylan McDermott as 'Ernie', Jim Parsons as 'Henry Willson' and Joe Mantello as 'Dick'.
Click the images to enlarge.
"...in this sleezy love letter to the 'Golden Age of Tinseltown', 'Hollywood' will look at the sex industry, and how absolutely everything has changed and nothing has changed, following a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.
"Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day..."
Cast includes Darren Criss as 'Raymond', David Corenswet as 'Jack', Jeremy Pope as 'Archie Coleman', Patti LuPone as 'Avis', Holland Taylor as 'Ellen Kincard', Dylan McDermott as 'Ernie', Jim Parsons as 'Henry Willson' and Joe Mantello as 'Dick'.
Click the images to enlarge.
- 5/7/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Hollywood icon Rock Hudson gets a new twist on his history in Netflix's Hollywood. If you're wondering whether the real Rock Hudson ever got married, you're in for a sad answer. Despite being gay, Hudson did get married in the 1950s. Although Hollywood gives him a much happier romance, the real Hudson's marriage was disastrous on all fronts.
In 1955, Hudson married Phyllis Gates, the secretary of his agent, Henry Willson. Gates actually does appear in a few scenes in Hollywood, though only in her capacity as Willson's secretary, not as Hudson's love interest; the show's alternate history has Hudson (played by Jake Picking) falling in love with a (wholly fictional) screenwriter, Archie Coleman (played by Jeremy Pope). In her 1987 book, My Husband, Rock Hudson, Gates said she had lived with and dated Hudson before he proposed and she had believed their marriage to be a love match at the time.
In 1955, Hudson married Phyllis Gates, the secretary of his agent, Henry Willson. Gates actually does appear in a few scenes in Hollywood, though only in her capacity as Willson's secretary, not as Hudson's love interest; the show's alternate history has Hudson (played by Jake Picking) falling in love with a (wholly fictional) screenwriter, Archie Coleman (played by Jeremy Pope). In her 1987 book, My Husband, Rock Hudson, Gates said she had lived with and dated Hudson before he proposed and she had believed their marriage to be a love match at the time.
- 5/5/2020
- by Amanda Prahl
- Popsugar.com
This article contains Hollywood spoilers. You can find our spoiler-free review here.
It’s a beautiful fantasy. On Oscar night 1948, the same evening that in real-life Walt Disney’s troubling Song of the South received an honorary Oscar for James Baskett’s performance, Rock Hudson came out of the closet in front of the entire world. Standing on the red carpet with his hand in Archie Coleman’s, a black man who was nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, Rock announces his love to the world and says he is not afraid. But like many sparkling things in Ryan Murphy shows, it’s still only a fantasy. In real life, there was no Archie Coleman, no Meg to catapult Rock Hudson’s career into liberal advocacy, and no coming out of the closet.
In recent years, Rock Hudson is likely most remembered, whether he would’ve liked it or not,...
It’s a beautiful fantasy. On Oscar night 1948, the same evening that in real-life Walt Disney’s troubling Song of the South received an honorary Oscar for James Baskett’s performance, Rock Hudson came out of the closet in front of the entire world. Standing on the red carpet with his hand in Archie Coleman’s, a black man who was nominated for the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, Rock announces his love to the world and says he is not afraid. But like many sparkling things in Ryan Murphy shows, it’s still only a fantasy. In real life, there was no Archie Coleman, no Meg to catapult Rock Hudson’s career into liberal advocacy, and no coming out of the closet.
In recent years, Rock Hudson is likely most remembered, whether he would’ve liked it or not,...
- 5/5/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
“It was extremely daunting to play someone who’s such an icon and such a hero,” admits Jake Picking about taking on the role of Rock Hudson in the Netflix limited series, “Hollywood.” The period drama from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan takes a revisionist look at Hollywood in the 1940s and features an all star cast including Emmy-winners Darren Criss, Jim Parsons, Holland Taylor, Dylan McDermott and Patti Lupone. In our exclusive video interview (watch above), Picking discusses the tragedy of Hudson and the show’s hopeful outlook.
SEEEmmys flashback: 21 years after winning for ‘The Practice,’ Holland Taylor could earn bookend trophy for ‘Hollywood’ [Watch]
Picking began his research with watching many of Hudson’s films such as “Pillow Talk” and “Magnificent Obsession.” As he began reading about Hudson, Picking tried to “delve into the personal relationships with his family,” something that surprised the actor. “I was just trying to...
SEEEmmys flashback: 21 years after winning for ‘The Practice,’ Holland Taylor could earn bookend trophy for ‘Hollywood’ [Watch]
Picking began his research with watching many of Hudson’s films such as “Pillow Talk” and “Magnificent Obsession.” As he began reading about Hudson, Picking tried to “delve into the personal relationships with his family,” something that surprised the actor. “I was just trying to...
- 5/4/2020
- by Tony Ruiz
- Gold Derby
This article contains major Hollywood spoilers. You can find our easter egg guide for the previous episode here.
Don’t you just love a happy ending? Ryan Murphy clearly did with regards to Hollywood, and while we had mixed ideas of our own about that conclusion, there is no denying how gratifying it is to see representation shared with those whom society marginalized for years and centuries. There is a real sugar rush of “what if” good cheer about the series’ version of Oscar night 1948. Here are some of the facts the series changed, and some other shout-outs it enjoyed in its closing moments.
Hollywood Episode 7
-The Meg editor admits he didn’t shtup Gloria Swanson. He only got to third base while she was on the rebound after Joe Kennedy dumped her. This would’ve placed the screening room action around 1928 or ’29—an affair Swanson denied until she finally admitted it in her 1980 autobiography.
Don’t you just love a happy ending? Ryan Murphy clearly did with regards to Hollywood, and while we had mixed ideas of our own about that conclusion, there is no denying how gratifying it is to see representation shared with those whom society marginalized for years and centuries. There is a real sugar rush of “what if” good cheer about the series’ version of Oscar night 1948. Here are some of the facts the series changed, and some other shout-outs it enjoyed in its closing moments.
Hollywood Episode 7
-The Meg editor admits he didn’t shtup Gloria Swanson. He only got to third base while she was on the rebound after Joe Kennedy dumped her. This would’ve placed the screening room action around 1928 or ’29—an affair Swanson denied until she finally admitted it in her 1980 autobiography.
- 5/3/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
In Ryan Murphy's Hollywood, Jim Parsons brings the character of prominent agent Henry Willson to life, but how much of Hollywood's depiction is actually true? A good amount of it, actually, if we take a look back at the real Willson's life as an agent to the stars - namely Rock Hudson.
The fictionalized Willson is a brash, closeted gay man who seemingly preys on inexperienced actors. He discovers Hudson - when he's still Roy Fitzgerald - and changes his name, his teeth, and his appearance to groom him to be a mainstay in Hollywood. He also sleeps with him, knowing Hudson is also in the closet. In the show, though, Willson loses control of Hudson when the actor decides to go public with his screenwriter boyfriend. After treating his client like trash and pushing him away, he comes groveling back a year later saying he's a changed man...
The fictionalized Willson is a brash, closeted gay man who seemingly preys on inexperienced actors. He discovers Hudson - when he's still Roy Fitzgerald - and changes his name, his teeth, and his appearance to groom him to be a mainstay in Hollywood. He also sleeps with him, knowing Hudson is also in the closet. In the show, though, Willson loses control of Hudson when the actor decides to go public with his screenwriter boyfriend. After treating his client like trash and pushing him away, he comes groveling back a year later saying he's a changed man...
- 5/3/2020
- by Hedy Phillips
- Popsugar.com
Rock Hudson is a prominent character in Ryan Murphy's latest show Hollywood, now streaming on Netflix. Though Hudson is a very real actor who led a high-profile life in Hollywood, the characteristics between Murphy's iteration of him and the real man are vastly different. In Hollywood, Hudson shows up in the City of Angels with his real name, Roy Fitzgerald, looking to become a star. The handsome and very green actor is terrified to be gay but ends up accepting that he is. This is basically where Murphy deviates from Hudson's real story and into a fictional character.
Hudson, whose birth name was Roy Scherer but became Roy Fitzgerald when his stepdad adopted him, did grow up in Winnetka, Il, before coming to Hollywood to become a star. After sending his headshots all over town, he met an agent named Henry Willson. Like in Hollywood, Willson took a liking...
Hudson, whose birth name was Roy Scherer but became Roy Fitzgerald when his stepdad adopted him, did grow up in Winnetka, Il, before coming to Hollywood to become a star. After sending his headshots all over town, he met an agent named Henry Willson. Like in Hollywood, Willson took a liking...
- 5/3/2020
- by Hedy Phillips
- Popsugar.com
This article contains Hollywood spoilers. You can find the easter egg guide for the previous episode here.
In what might be the most glamorous episode of Hollywood yet, George Hurrell’s decadent photo sessions get name checked, and (probably) Mickey Cohen’s mob gets involved. Let’s get cracking at those eggs!
Hollywood Episode 5
-The episode begins with Avis and company lamenting how terrible Walt Disney’s Song of the South is. And they’re not wrong, although one of its stars, Hattie McDaniel, is about to get a pretty glamorous treatment beginning in this episode…
-As production of Meg gets underway, we hear Ethel Merman’s iconic “There’s No Business Like Show Business” playing.
-We are also introduced to Queen Latifah as Hattie McDaniel… and she’s in a three way with a man and woman?! This is based on speculation and rumors that she was part of...
In what might be the most glamorous episode of Hollywood yet, George Hurrell’s decadent photo sessions get name checked, and (probably) Mickey Cohen’s mob gets involved. Let’s get cracking at those eggs!
Hollywood Episode 5
-The episode begins with Avis and company lamenting how terrible Walt Disney’s Song of the South is. And they’re not wrong, although one of its stars, Hattie McDaniel, is about to get a pretty glamorous treatment beginning in this episode…
-As production of Meg gets underway, we hear Ethel Merman’s iconic “There’s No Business Like Show Business” playing.
-We are also introduced to Queen Latifah as Hattie McDaniel… and she’s in a three way with a man and woman?! This is based on speculation and rumors that she was part of...
- 5/2/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
This article contains Hollywood spoilers. You can find our easter egg guide for the previous episode here.
If you wanted a star-gazing episode from Ryan Murphy (or perhaps a different four-letter word to do with stars), then this is it. In one episode we get Vivien Leigh, Tallulah Bankhead, Alfred Hitchcock, Noel Coward, and some juicy gossip about Errol Flynn. So get ready to go to a George Cukor party!
Hollywood Episode 3
-The third episode begins to the sound of Ella Fitzgerald’s “I’m Beginning to See the Light.”
-Ernie reveals to the boys that they’re going to a George Cukor party. While I was aware that Cole Porter and, at this point, retired director James Whale enjoyed scandalous pool parties, I’d been under the impression that Cukor was more deeply in the closet, preferring urbane Saturday night parties with celebrities. Which is still true, but according to Scotty Bowers,...
If you wanted a star-gazing episode from Ryan Murphy (or perhaps a different four-letter word to do with stars), then this is it. In one episode we get Vivien Leigh, Tallulah Bankhead, Alfred Hitchcock, Noel Coward, and some juicy gossip about Errol Flynn. So get ready to go to a George Cukor party!
Hollywood Episode 3
-The third episode begins to the sound of Ella Fitzgerald’s “I’m Beginning to See the Light.”
-Ernie reveals to the boys that they’re going to a George Cukor party. While I was aware that Cole Porter and, at this point, retired director James Whale enjoyed scandalous pool parties, I’d been under the impression that Cukor was more deeply in the closet, preferring urbane Saturday night parties with celebrities. Which is still true, but according to Scotty Bowers,...
- 5/2/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
This episode includes Hollywood spoilers. You can find our easter egg guide for the first episode here.
Ah, the episode of Hollywood introduces us to Anna May Wong and the 1940s studio caste system. There’s a lot to unpack in this hour, which may give you nightmares about how a studio cafeteria is apparently not that different from a high school… except, you know, with racism.
Hollywood Episode 2
-When Ernie bails Jack out of prison, Jack laments he cannot have a record. “Yeah you can,” Ernie answers, “Ever heard of Frank Sinatra?” Ol’ Blue Eyes was arrested in 1938 in New Jersey after being charged by an ex-girlfriend with “adultery and seduction.” That is to say, he could be and was charged back then with promising marriage and then ghosting her the morning after.
-We then hear Johnny Mercer and Paul Eston’s rendition of “Button Up Your Overcoat.”
-Avis...
Ah, the episode of Hollywood introduces us to Anna May Wong and the 1940s studio caste system. There’s a lot to unpack in this hour, which may give you nightmares about how a studio cafeteria is apparently not that different from a high school… except, you know, with racism.
Hollywood Episode 2
-When Ernie bails Jack out of prison, Jack laments he cannot have a record. “Yeah you can,” Ernie answers, “Ever heard of Frank Sinatra?” Ol’ Blue Eyes was arrested in 1938 in New Jersey after being charged by an ex-girlfriend with “adultery and seduction.” That is to say, he could be and was charged back then with promising marriage and then ghosting her the morning after.
-We then hear Johnny Mercer and Paul Eston’s rendition of “Button Up Your Overcoat.”
-Avis...
- 5/2/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
This article contains spoilers for all seven episodes of Hollywood.
“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” That line from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, the last masterpiece from one of Golden Age Hollywood’s most revered directors, John Ford has become pretty legendary itself. Yet it seems Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan decided to do Ford one better in their version of Hollywood: write the fantasy.
Running across seven episodes on Netflix, Hollywood is far more a golden hued fairy tale than even Quentin Tarantino’s vision of 1969 Tinseltown in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and yet the Murphy series is both inspired by and written around some very real people. A few of them were the biggest movie stars of their eras, and others were dreamers denied or discarded from the promise of a life in the spotlight. Here are some of their stories.
Rock Hudson...
“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” That line from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, the last masterpiece from one of Golden Age Hollywood’s most revered directors, John Ford has become pretty legendary itself. Yet it seems Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan decided to do Ford one better in their version of Hollywood: write the fantasy.
Running across seven episodes on Netflix, Hollywood is far more a golden hued fairy tale than even Quentin Tarantino’s vision of 1969 Tinseltown in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, and yet the Murphy series is both inspired by and written around some very real people. A few of them were the biggest movie stars of their eras, and others were dreamers denied or discarded from the promise of a life in the spotlight. Here are some of their stories.
Rock Hudson...
- 5/1/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
As you might expect, Netflix’s new “Hollywood,” which debuts on the streamer May 1, didn’t have to travel far for production. However, the eight-episode series, from Ryan Murphy and his “Glee” collaborator Ian Brennan, doesn’t take place in contemporary Hollywood but rather in Los Angeles, just after World War II.
Production designer Matthew Flood Ferguson captures the 1940s beautifully. Not only did filming take place at many Los Angeles landmarks, but Ferguson also re-created long-gone institutions like Schwab’s Pharmacy.
David Corenswet stars in the ensemble as Jack Costello, a G.I. from the Midwest who comes to Hollywood to be a movie star but finds himself turning tricks with well-to-do Beverly Hills housewives in order to make ends meet for him and his wife (Maude Apatow).
Darren Criss plays an aspiring director in a secret relationship with a black actor (Laura Harrier). Archie Coleman (two-time Tony nominee...
Production designer Matthew Flood Ferguson captures the 1940s beautifully. Not only did filming take place at many Los Angeles landmarks, but Ferguson also re-created long-gone institutions like Schwab’s Pharmacy.
David Corenswet stars in the ensemble as Jack Costello, a G.I. from the Midwest who comes to Hollywood to be a movie star but finds himself turning tricks with well-to-do Beverly Hills housewives in order to make ends meet for him and his wife (Maude Apatow).
Darren Criss plays an aspiring director in a secret relationship with a black actor (Laura Harrier). Archie Coleman (two-time Tony nominee...
- 4/30/2020
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
To love classic Hollywood and live in the world at the same time is hardly the greatest of conundrums, but a conundrum it is. It means being transported by the craft and the art of films made under political conditions one may find entirely unacceptable, or engaging deeply with characters who all look a certain way at the exclusion of so many others, or finding subtleties in the shadows left by the things the movies dared not allow themselves say. To name a single example: “Gone With the Wind,” shockingly ahead of its time as a piece of spectacle and utterly contemporary in its antiheroine lead, also reflected on the glories of the antebellum South. Its supporting turn by Hattie McDaniel, one that won a pathbreaking Oscar and has been remembered for generations, represents, too, a gifted actor being told that all she can do in a too-short career is play a maid.
- 4/29/2020
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
This Hollywood review contains no spoilers is based on all seven episodes.
There are two ideas that sum up what Hollywood means to Ryan Murphy, both the place and the new television series he named after it. The first is stated with cynicism by Dylan McDermott, who previously starred in Murphy’s American Horror Story: “The movies hawk an image of wholesome American virtue, right? But the folks making those movies [are] rotten to the core.â€. And yet, in the same episode, Darren Criss (who starred in Murphy’s Glee) dreams aloud, “Movies just don’t show us how the world is; they show us how the world can be.â€.
On the surface, these two ideas appear diametrically opposed, but that’s Hollywood. And it probably should’ve been Hollywood too, considering the new Netflix series from Murphy and Ian Brennan happily attempts to recontextualize, and literally revise, the “Golden Age...
There are two ideas that sum up what Hollywood means to Ryan Murphy, both the place and the new television series he named after it. The first is stated with cynicism by Dylan McDermott, who previously starred in Murphy’s American Horror Story: “The movies hawk an image of wholesome American virtue, right? But the folks making those movies [are] rotten to the core.â€. And yet, in the same episode, Darren Criss (who starred in Murphy’s Glee) dreams aloud, “Movies just don’t show us how the world is; they show us how the world can be.â€.
On the surface, these two ideas appear diametrically opposed, but that’s Hollywood. And it probably should’ve been Hollywood too, considering the new Netflix series from Murphy and Ian Brennan happily attempts to recontextualize, and literally revise, the “Golden Age...
- 4/29/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Ryan Murphy's latest project is the Netflix limited series Hollywood, and after seeing the first trailer, it's easy to wonder if it's based on a true story. The answer to that question is actually a little bit complicated. We're breaking down what's pure fiction and what's based on reality - or, at the very least, real gossip.
What Is Hollywood on Netflix About?
At first glance, it looks like Hollywood is just your typical showbiz drama, set in the glamorous and dangerous world of post-World War II Hollywood. But there's a twist: it's set in a "what if?" sort of alternate timeline where many of the prejudices of the real world don't exist, exploring instead all the creativity that could have come from the kinds of people that the real Hollywood of the 1940s overlooked.
"With the present so fraught and the future uncertain, we turned to the past for direction,...
What Is Hollywood on Netflix About?
At first glance, it looks like Hollywood is just your typical showbiz drama, set in the glamorous and dangerous world of post-World War II Hollywood. But there's a twist: it's set in a "what if?" sort of alternate timeline where many of the prejudices of the real world don't exist, exploring instead all the creativity that could have come from the kinds of people that the real Hollywood of the 1940s overlooked.
"With the present so fraught and the future uncertain, we turned to the past for direction,...
- 4/27/2020
- by Amanda Prahl
- Popsugar.com
Take a look at new footage from the upcoming 7-episode, 1940's-era dramatic TV series "Hollywood", created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, streaming May 1, 2020 on Netflix:
"...in this sleezy love letter to the 'Golden Age of Tinseltown', 'Hollywood' will look at the sex industry, and how absolutely everything has changed and nothing has changed, following a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.
"Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day..."
Cast includes Darren Criss as 'Raymond', David Corenswet as 'Jack', Jeremy Pope as 'Archie Coleman', Patti LuPone as 'Avis', Holland Taylor as 'Ellen Kincard', Dylan McDermott as 'Ernie', Jim Parsons as 'Henry Willson' and Joe Mantello as 'Dick'.
Click the images to enlarge.
"...in this sleezy love letter to the 'Golden Age of Tinseltown', 'Hollywood' will look at the sex industry, and how absolutely everything has changed and nothing has changed, following a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.
"Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day..."
Cast includes Darren Criss as 'Raymond', David Corenswet as 'Jack', Jeremy Pope as 'Archie Coleman', Patti LuPone as 'Avis', Holland Taylor as 'Ellen Kincard', Dylan McDermott as 'Ernie', Jim Parsons as 'Henry Willson' and Joe Mantello as 'Dick'.
Click the images to enlarge.
- 4/21/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
The partnership between Ryan Murphy and Netflix continues to bear weird, wonderful fruit.
Netflix has announced that it has ordered another Ryan Murphy-created series to bring to its stream alongside The Politician several other projects in development. This one is called Hollywood and is created by Murphy and Ian Brennen. Hollywood is a seven-episode limited series set in post-World War II Los Angeles. It follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers as they try to make it big during a very strange time in the world’s history.
Murphy and Brennan will executive produce alongside Alexis Martin Woodall, Janet Mock. Murphy, Brennan, and Mock will all write for the series.
This is the latest in a long line of big projects for Murphy, who became one of television’s major power players through creating shows like Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story. In 2018, Murphy signed a first-look deal with Netflix for a purported $300 million.
Netflix has announced that it has ordered another Ryan Murphy-created series to bring to its stream alongside The Politician several other projects in development. This one is called Hollywood and is created by Murphy and Ian Brennen. Hollywood is a seven-episode limited series set in post-World War II Los Angeles. It follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers as they try to make it big during a very strange time in the world’s history.
Murphy and Brennan will executive produce alongside Alexis Martin Woodall, Janet Mock. Murphy, Brennan, and Mock will all write for the series.
This is the latest in a long line of big projects for Murphy, who became one of television’s major power players through creating shows like Nip/Tuck, Glee, and American Horror Story. In 2018, Murphy signed a first-look deal with Netflix for a purported $300 million.
- 4/20/2020
- by jbindeck2015
- Den of Geek
Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan are pulling back the curtain on Hollywood.
Netflix on Monday dropped the first trailer for Hollywood, a new limited series that aims to show viewers that there are some significant caveats to living a life in the lights.
The series follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost. Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood's Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day.
Provocative and incisive, Hollywood exposes and examines decades-old power dynamics, and what the entertainment landscape might look like if they had been dismantled.
Hollywood stars David Corenswet as Jack, Darren Criss as Raymond, Jeremy Pope as Archie, Laura Harrier as Camille, Samara Weaving as Claire, Dylan McDermott as Ernie, Holland Taylor as Ellen Kincaid,...
Netflix on Monday dropped the first trailer for Hollywood, a new limited series that aims to show viewers that there are some significant caveats to living a life in the lights.
The series follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost. Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood's Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day.
Provocative and incisive, Hollywood exposes and examines decades-old power dynamics, and what the entertainment landscape might look like if they had been dismantled.
Hollywood stars David Corenswet as Jack, Darren Criss as Raymond, Jeremy Pope as Archie, Laura Harrier as Camille, Samara Weaving as Claire, Dylan McDermott as Ernie, Holland Taylor as Ellen Kincaid,...
- 4/20/2020
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
The Golden Age of Hollywood is getting a makeover in Ryan Murphy’s new Netflix limited series, and the trailer released Monday promises all the glitz and glamour you’d expect.
Led by Murphy go-to Darren Criss, “The Politician’s” David Corenswet and Broadway star Jeremy Pope, “Hollywood” centers on “a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.”
In the trailer above, Pope’s character — who can later be seen holding hands with another man on the red carpet — boldly states a desire to give the story of Hollywood a “rewrite.” His tone gets noticeably less optimistic after a molotov cocktail comes crashing through his window.
Also Read: 'Hollywood': Netflix Shares First Look at Ryan Murphy Limited Series (Photos)
Per Netflix, “Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood’s Golden Age,...
Led by Murphy go-to Darren Criss, “The Politician’s” David Corenswet and Broadway star Jeremy Pope, “Hollywood” centers on “a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.”
In the trailer above, Pope’s character — who can later be seen holding hands with another man on the red carpet — boldly states a desire to give the story of Hollywood a “rewrite.” His tone gets noticeably less optimistic after a molotov cocktail comes crashing through his window.
Also Read: 'Hollywood': Netflix Shares First Look at Ryan Murphy Limited Series (Photos)
Per Netflix, “Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood’s Golden Age,...
- 4/20/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
The new 7-episode, 1940's-set dramatic TV series "Hollywood", created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, streams May 1, 2020 on Netflix:
"...in this sleezy love letter to the 'Golden Age of Tinseltown', 'Hollywood' will look at the sex industry, and how absolutely everything has changed and nothing has changed, following a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.
"Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day..."
Cast includes Darren Criss as 'Raymond', David Corenswet as 'Jack', Jeremy Pope as 'Archie Coleman', Patti LuPone as 'Avis', Holland Taylor as 'Ellen Kincard', Dylan McDermott as 'Ernie', Jim Parsons as 'Henry Willson' and Joe Mantello as 'Dick'.
Click the images to enlarge...
"...in this sleezy love letter to the 'Golden Age of Tinseltown', 'Hollywood' will look at the sex industry, and how absolutely everything has changed and nothing has changed, following a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.
"Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day..."
Cast includes Darren Criss as 'Raymond', David Corenswet as 'Jack', Jeremy Pope as 'Archie Coleman', Patti LuPone as 'Avis', Holland Taylor as 'Ellen Kincard', Dylan McDermott as 'Ernie', Jim Parsons as 'Henry Willson' and Joe Mantello as 'Dick'.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 4/7/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Netflix released a new batch of first look photos for Ryan Murphy’s upcoming limited series “Hollywood” on Thursday, featuring series stars Darren Criss, David Corenswet, Jeremy Pope and more.
The period drama, set to debut on May 1, follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost. According to Netflix, “Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood’s Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day. Provocative and incisive, ‘Hollywood’ exposes and examines decades-old power dynamics, and what the entertainment landscape might look like if they had been dismantled.”
In a statement accompanying the image, executive producer Janet Mock explained that the show looks to the past in an attempt to clarify the current moment.
Also Read: Ryan Murphy...
The period drama, set to debut on May 1, follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost. According to Netflix, “Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood’s Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day. Provocative and incisive, ‘Hollywood’ exposes and examines decades-old power dynamics, and what the entertainment landscape might look like if they had been dismantled.”
In a statement accompanying the image, executive producer Janet Mock explained that the show looks to the past in an attempt to clarify the current moment.
Also Read: Ryan Murphy...
- 4/2/2020
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
Alec Bojalad Feb 20, 2020
Netflix has ordered Hollywood, a series from Ryan Murphy set in post-World War II Los Angeles.
The partnership between Ryan Murphy and Netflix continues to bear weird, wonderful fruit.
Netflix has announced that it has ordered another Ryan Murphy-created series to bring to its stream alongside The Politician several other projects in development. This one is called Hollywood and is created by Murphy and Ian Brennen. Hollywood is a seven-episode limited series set in post-World War II Los Angeles. It follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers as they try to make it big during a very strange time in the world's history.
Murphy and Brennan will executive produce alongside Alexis Martin Woodall, Janet Mock. Murphy, Brennan, and Mock will all write for the series.
This is the latest in a long line of big projects for Murphy, who became one of television's major power players through creating shows like Nip/Tuck,...
Netflix has ordered Hollywood, a series from Ryan Murphy set in post-World War II Los Angeles.
The partnership between Ryan Murphy and Netflix continues to bear weird, wonderful fruit.
Netflix has announced that it has ordered another Ryan Murphy-created series to bring to its stream alongside The Politician several other projects in development. This one is called Hollywood and is created by Murphy and Ian Brennen. Hollywood is a seven-episode limited series set in post-World War II Los Angeles. It follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers as they try to make it big during a very strange time in the world's history.
Murphy and Brennan will executive produce alongside Alexis Martin Woodall, Janet Mock. Murphy, Brennan, and Mock will all write for the series.
This is the latest in a long line of big projects for Murphy, who became one of television's major power players through creating shows like Nip/Tuck,...
- 2/20/2020
- Den of Geek
"Hollywood" is the new 1940's-set dramatic TV series, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, streaming May 1, 2020 on Netflix:
"...in this love letter to the 'Golden Age of Tinseltown', 'Hollywood' will look at the sex industry, and how absolutely everything has changed and nothing has changed, following a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.
"Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day..."
Cast includes Darren Criss as 'Raymond', David Corenswet as 'Jack', Jeremy Pope as 'Archie Coleman', Patti LuPone as 'Avis', Holland Taylor as 'Ellen Kincard', Dylan McDermott as 'Ernie', Jim Parsons as 'Henry Willson' and Joe Mantello as 'Dick'.
Click the images to enlarge...
"...in this love letter to the 'Golden Age of Tinseltown', 'Hollywood' will look at the sex industry, and how absolutely everything has changed and nothing has changed, following a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown — no matter the cost.
"Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that continue to this day..."
Cast includes Darren Criss as 'Raymond', David Corenswet as 'Jack', Jeremy Pope as 'Archie Coleman', Patti LuPone as 'Avis', Holland Taylor as 'Ellen Kincard', Dylan McDermott as 'Ernie', Jim Parsons as 'Henry Willson' and Joe Mantello as 'Dick'.
Click the images to enlarge...
- 2/20/2020
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Netflix has set the premiere date for Ryan Murphy’s “Hollywood,” the first series the streaming service ordered from the prolific producer after signing him to a mega overall deal in February 2018.
The seven-episode limited series starring Darren Criss, “Politician” breakout David Corenswet and Jeremy Pope will debut on May 1, Netflix revealed Wednesday.
The streaming service also unveiled the key art for the show — which you can view below — and provided us with the official synopsis for “Hollywood,” a project with a plot that has very much been kept under wraps until now.
Also Read: 'Halston': See Ewan McGregor Transform Into a Fashion Legend in First Look at Ryan Murphy Netflix Series (Video)
Here’s the logline, courtesy of Netflix:
A new limited series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, “Hollywood” follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it...
The seven-episode limited series starring Darren Criss, “Politician” breakout David Corenswet and Jeremy Pope will debut on May 1, Netflix revealed Wednesday.
The streaming service also unveiled the key art for the show — which you can view below — and provided us with the official synopsis for “Hollywood,” a project with a plot that has very much been kept under wraps until now.
Also Read: 'Halston': See Ewan McGregor Transform Into a Fashion Legend in First Look at Ryan Murphy Netflix Series (Video)
Here’s the logline, courtesy of Netflix:
A new limited series from Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, “Hollywood” follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it...
- 2/20/2020
- by Jennifer Maas
- The Wrap
Ryan Murphy has amassed a roster of names befitting the title of his latest Netflix project, Hollywood.
In addition to those cast members previously announced — Darren Criss (American Crime Story) as Raymond, David Corenswet (The Politician) as Jack, Jeremy Pope as Archie and Patti LuPone (Pose) as Avis — the following have also been confirmed as series regulars: Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) as talent agent Henry Willson, Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story) as Ernie, Joe Mantello (The Normal Heart) as Dick, Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men) as Ellen Kincaid, Samara Weaving (Smilf) as Claire, Maude Apatow (Euphoria) as Henrietta,...
In addition to those cast members previously announced — Darren Criss (American Crime Story) as Raymond, David Corenswet (The Politician) as Jack, Jeremy Pope as Archie and Patti LuPone (Pose) as Avis — the following have also been confirmed as series regulars: Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) as talent agent Henry Willson, Dylan McDermott (American Horror Story) as Ernie, Joe Mantello (The Normal Heart) as Dick, Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men) as Ellen Kincaid, Samara Weaving (Smilf) as Claire, Maude Apatow (Euphoria) as Henrietta,...
- 9/27/2019
- TVLine.com
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