Month: March 2022

Irish soda bread is a classic dish that’s far easier to make than the taste might lead you to believe. Adding in Guinness Extra Stout (the bottle not the can) brings a wonderful sweetness and depth that carries this simple bread recipe from good to great. That’s what we’re going to do today.

The recipe below is, as we said, super easy. You can it while doing something else. The dough doesn’t need to kneaded. You don’t need to wait for the yeast to activate. It’s a quick bread — like Southern biscuits, scones, or frybread — and all you really need to do is fold some dry and wet ingredients into loose dough and bake it. Happy St. Paddy’s!

We’re adding some Guinness into the mix because we’re looking for a little more flavor and the iconic stout brings that. There’s a nice rich, malty, and even nutty energy to the Guinness. Plus, it doubles up on the Irish-ness of it all. Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Recipe Posts of 2021

• This Is The Perfect Weekend To Make Shepherd’s Pie — Here’s Our Recipe
• We Made The Delightful Pesto Pasta From ‘Luca’ — Here’s The Recipe
• We Made The Famous OG McDonald’s French Fries — Here’s Our Recipe
• How To Make Brisket Without A Smoker This Fourth Of July Weekend
• We Made The Cheesesteak From ‘Mare Of Easttown’ — Here’s Our Recipe

Guinness Soda Bread

Ingredients:

• 9 oz. flour
• 7 oz. wholewheat flour
• 5 oz. oats
• 0.5 oz. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup Guinness Extra Stout
• Extra oats

These are all pretty straightforward ingredients you can buy at any grocery store. The Guinness needs to specifically be the “Extra Stout” version that comes in regular beer bottles. You don’t want to use the bottles or cans of Guinness Draught that have the widget that makes it creamy. This calls for old-school Guinness. It’s slightly more bitter, malty, and hoppy. It’s a lot fizzier too, which adds some air to the soda bread.

What You’ll Need:

• Small loaf pan
• Baking paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Wooden spoon
• Scale
• Measuring cup and spoons
• Oven mitts
• Cooling rack
• Bread knife

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon to integrate.
• Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix with a wooden spoon just until the dough comes together (pictured above). You don’t need to need or over mix the dough.
• Line the loaf pan with the baking paper, making sure the paper comes up over the edge of the pan on all sides.
• Spoon the dough into the pan and use the spoon to even it out.
• Sprinkle with more oats.
• Place the loaf pan into the preheated oven, right in the middle. Bake for five minutes and then lower the temperature to 350F and bake for another 30 minutes.
• Remove the loaf pan from the oven. Gently remove the loaf from the pan by using the edges of the baking paper. Peel the paper from the loaf, it should come off easily.
• Let the loaf rest for ten minutes on the cooling rack before slicing.

Bottom Line:

One bite of this and all that I can think is “I miss Ireland.” There’s a lovely sweetness from the Guinness and honey that’s very subtle. It draws on the softness of the oats and robustness of the whole wheat.

I 100 percent ate the first slice of this with some nice Irish butter, which melted right into the crumb of the soda bread and got into all the nooks and crannies. It was fantastic. Next, I busted out some cold-smoked salmon and had a great lunch.

Not to belabor the point, but this took all of five minutes to get into the oven from start to finish. Then it’s just waiting for it to bake and slightly cool. It’s an easy bread to make as you work or do some house chores or stare at your phone. Plus, it’s really goddamn delicious still warm from the oven.

No cap: the whole loaf was gone within an hour.

A quick Google search informs me that Stephen Miller, the far-right former-Trump adviser who appears on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s list of extremists, made $179,700 a year during his time working in the White House. That’s a decent chunk of change (enough to buy and throw way 80 dollars worth of sushi, at least) — but apparently not enough for him to get off his mom and dad’s family plan.

The Hill reports that on Wednesday, Miller “sued to block a subpoena for his phone records from the House Jan. 6 committee, arguing the panel’s request was overly broad in part because Miller’s account is linked to a family phone plan shared with his parents.” (Miller is on the committee’s radar for spreading misinformation about the 2020 election.)

Miller’s court filing lists a California real estate company, Carron Drive Apartments, as his co-plaintiff, and states that the firm is the subscriber of a T-Mobile “family plan” account used by Miller’s parents and their children, including him.

The 15-page complaint reads, “Because Mr. Miller’s phone number is included with other numbers assigned by T-Mobile to the Family Plan Account, in the absence of explicit instructions from the Committee, it is possible that T-Mobile may respond to the Subpoena by producing data for other numbers assigned to the Family Plan Account.”

With all that money he’s saving, you’d think Miller could afford a better hair spray.

Rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert let the world know that she isn’t really keeping track of what’s happening in Russia these days. She does, however, remain dedicated to heckling President Biden while he discusses his late son, Beau, in the most public of forums. And now she’s combined these twin interests (showing off her utter confusion about congressionally-required knowledge and randomly bashing the president) and made everyone wonder what she meant when she compared Biden to “Prince John.”

This went down on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime, where Boebert was on hand to discuss gas prices (she’s in favor of the “Drill Baby Drill” tactic) and how Biden was reportedly struggling to immediately replace the 3% of U.S. oil imports that come from Russia. Boebert expressed concern about how this oil might come from Alaska, and she thought Biden would sell it to another country. None of this train of thought made sense, and then she called him “Prince John,” and said, “[T]hey are taxing us into poverty.”

One of many possible interpretations for “Prince John” would have been the antagonist of Disney’s 1973 version of Robin Hood, but surely, this wasn’t what Boebert was actually referencing, right? Well, Boebert clarified in the harsh light of day, and yup. Also, she believes that “Prince John > Joe Biden.”

Alright. Boebert wants everyone to know that the crying and thumb-sucking Robin Hood nemesis is preferable to Biden. She did make part of her reference relevant (to the claim that she’s attempting to make), since John’s brief tenure only spread poverty, but as for what this has to do with gas prices and Russia invading Ukraine, well, someone will have to ask for further explanation (if there is one).

The rise of craft brewing over the past few decades has led to an increase in unique, innovative, and exciting beer styles. We’re talking about the New England IPA, various experimental fruited sours, barrel-aged stouts and porters, milkshake IPAs, and countless other popular takes on old standards. This constant push for innovation means we’re never surprised to hear about a new beer style catching on.

Today, we’re turning our attention to the newest “it beer.” The very trendy, very tasty Cold IPA.

Back in 2018, Portland, Oregon’s Wayfinder Brewing created this style when it released Relapse IPA. The brew was made to pay tribute to Relapse Records and the goal was to craft an over-the-top version of a West Coast IPA. They wanted a beer that was dry, hoppy, and clean but with a finish that was crisp and refreshing, not an oily dank bomb. To do this, they used pilsner malts, adjunct lager malts (like rice and corn), and lager yeast.

In essence, they melded lager tactics with an India pale ale’s vibe. Taken all together, they’ve made something wholly unique.

Weirdly, the Cold IPAs name has nothing to do with temperature. Cold IPAs are simply crisper and closer to India pale lagers than your average West Coast IPA, while also having some fruity characteristics like your favorite New England IPA but without the haziness. Overall, they’re exciting, thirst-quenching, and growing in popularity every day.

It’s time to get on the bandwagon — so we’re calling out some examples for you to try below. Naturally, I ranked them based on my own palate, but trust me this list is Kendall Roy approved (ABATT).

8) Bell’s Cold Hearted

ABV: 7%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

Like all Cold IPAs, Bell’s doesn’t want drinkers to mistake this beer for an India pale lager. It’s dry-hopped with Centennial hops during fermentation. It also contains specialty malts, lager yeast, and cane sugar. This creates its signature crisp, piney, and citrus flavor.

Tasting Notes:

This beer’s nose is bready, piney, and yeasty with some resinous pine and slight citrus. The palate continues this trend with bread-like malts, some citrus, and a slight fruity flavor, but… not much else. There’s little to no piney hop flavor.

Overall, a decent example of the style, but not overly thrilling.

Bottom Line:

Cold Hearted is a good take on the style. Like we mentioned above, it’s not the most exciting example of a Cold IPA, but it gets the job done.

7) Rogue Ales Knuckle Buster

ABV: 6.1%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This 6.1 percent ABV Cold IPA was created to pay tribute to hard-working people everywhere. Brewed with pilsner malts, flaked rice, and Belma, Nelson Sauvin, Hallertau Blanc, Motueka, Comet, and Cascade hops, it’s known for its balance between malts, hop bitterness, and pine.

Tasting Notes:

This beer has a really fruity nose highlighted by aromas of ripe berries, guava, mango, and tangerines, as well as sweet malts and pine needles. On the palate, you’ll find flavors of resinous, dank pine, bread-like malts, tropical fruits, and piney hop bitterness at the finish.

Bottom Line:

Knuckle Buster is definitely not a bad beer but leans a little too far in the fruity flavor and not enough in the malts for my liking.

6) Hopworks Winter Ritual

ABV: 6.7%

Average Price: $12 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

The Beer:

Released back in November, this Cold IPA is brewed with El Dorado, Citra, and Azacca hops as well as 2-Row and DextraPils malts and Flaked Rice. The result is a crisp, light, and highly drinkable. This is a well-balanced IPA that stays true to the style.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of orange peels, lemon curd, tropical fruits, grapefruit, and slightly sweet malts. The palate reveals notes of pine, apricot, tangerine, grapefruit, mango, honey, and bready malts. The finish is slightly piney with a gentle, dry ending.

Bottom Line:

Hopworks Winter Ritual is a great example of brewers taking the Cold IPA style and running with it. It’s fruity, piney, dry, and crisp, making it a great beer any time of year.

5) Reuben’s Brews Stay Frosty

ABV: 6.9%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

The Beer:

This Cold IPA was brewed with ale yeast, Weyermann Pils and Gambrinus Pils malts, as well as flaked rice and Simcoe, Centennial, Columbus, and Cascade hops. It’s known for its clean sweet flavor, piney hops, and crisp finish.

Tasting Notes:

The nose features grassy notes, pine needles, floral hops, and nice, tangy citrus notes. Drinking it surfaces flavors of clover honey, bready, sweet malts, spruce tips, tangerines, lime zest, all with a crisp, bitter, memorable finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a complex, well-rounded example of the style. It’s also a great gateway into the style for West Coast IPA fans with the myriad Pacific Northwest hops that are featured.

4) pFriem Cold IPA

ABV: 6.2%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

pFriem is a big name in the craft beer world. It’s no surprise the Hood River, Oregon-based brewery tried its hand at the Cold IPA craze. This version is brewed with Gambrinus Pilsner and Rahr Old World pilsner malts as well as lager yeast, rice, and Mosaic and Strata hops.

Tasting Notes:

At first sniff, it’s obvious this is a very fruity beer. There are notes of grapefruit, pineapple, honeydew melon, and tons of bright citrus that moves into pine and slightly sweet, bready malts. On the palate, you’ll find hints of lemon curd, honey, sweet malts, more tropical notes, and a crisp, dry finish.

Bottom Line:

This is an interesting beer. It smells like an explosion of fruit, but while there is a ton of fruit in the taste, it’s not overwhelming and allows the malts and hops to shine through with a real balance to everything.

3) Wayfinder Cold IPA

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $6 for a 16-ounce can

The Beer:

The originator of the Cold IPA still makes one (Relapse IPA was a limited-edition beer). This iteration is made with an adjunct lager malt bill, two-row American pilsner malt, lager yeast fermentation, and dry-hopped.

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of orange zest, ripe berries, tropical fruits, and a light malty flavor fill your nostrils. The palate follows suit with more ripe berries, tangerines, grapefruit, fruit esters, dried hay, bready, sweet malts, and gentle, dry bitterness that leaves you wanting more.

Bottom Line:

If you’re only going to try one Cold IPA, make it Wayfinder. They invented the style and it’s always a great idea to start your journey at the beginning.

2) Fremont Brewing Baxter

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $5 for a 16-ounce can

The Beer:

Fremont’s Cold IPA is named for a pet, lovingly named Baxter. It’s brewed with Pilsner and 2-row pale malts, flaked corn, as well as Citra, Cryo, Centennial, Citra, and Strata hops. The result is a blast of tropical fruit that’s a perfect for spring.

Tasting Notes:

Ripe pineapple, mango, guava, and grapefruit dominate the nose with ripe berries, wet grass, and dank pine. The palate follows along with more grapefruit, juicy pineapple, citrus zest, sweet malts, and more resinous floral pine. It all ends with a slightly bitter, sweet, and fruity finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a Cold IPA for fans of fruity IPAs. It has the notable IPA bitterness and dank pine, but it’s the tropical fruit flavor that takes center stage, which makes it really shine and nearly top this list.

1) Ecliptic Cold IPA

ABV: 8%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Beer:

This limited-edition beer was a collaboration between Wayfinder and Ecliptic. This Cold IPA was brewed using lager yeast and pilsner malts as well as Talus and Pacific Sunrise hops. The result is one of the best examples of the style you can find (if you can actually find it).

Tasting Notes:

Aromas of ripe pineapple, grapefruit, sweet malts, berries, and bright pine meet your nose before your first sip. Drinking it highlights flavors like cantaloupe, caramelized pineapple, bready malts, passionfruit, citrus zest, and just a hint of dank pine needles. The finish is clean, bittersweet, and dry.

Bottom Line:

Even though this wasn’t the original Cold IPA, we believe this is the best example of the style. It’s sweet, clean, crisp, and dry. It’s also tasty as all get out — everything you could want in a Cold IPA.

My Chemical Romance has added a slew of new dates to one of the most anticipated tours of the year. The new shows will take place across ten new cities across the US, as well as additional evenings in Brooklyn, Toronto, and Boston.

On top of 14 new arena shows, the Gerard Way-fronted band has added additional tickets to some of their already sold-out shows. Joining MCR on their extensive North American tour on select dates are Badflower, Devil Master, Dilly Dally, Ghosh, Kimya Dawson, Meg Myers, Midtown, Nothing, Shannon And The Clams, Soul Glo, Surfbort, Taking Back Sunday, The Bouncing Souls, The Homeless Gospel Choir, The Lemon Twigs, Thursday, Turnstile, Waterparks, and Youth Code.

General on-sale begins Friday, March 11. Check out the full tour schedule below.

08/20 — Oklahoma City, OK @ Paycom Center
08/21 — San Antonio, TX @ AT&T Center
08/23 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
08/24 — Cincinnati, OH @ Heritage Bank Center
08/26 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
08/27 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena
08/29 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
08/30 — Albany, NY @ MVP Arena
09/01 — Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
09/02 — Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell
09/04 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
09/05 — Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
09/07 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
09/08 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden
09/10 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
09/11 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center
09/13 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
09/15 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
09/16 — Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
09/20 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
09/21 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
09/23 — Dover, DE @ Firefly Music Festival
09/24 –Sunrise, FL @ FLA Live Arena
09/27 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
09/28 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
09/30 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
10/02 — Portland, OR @ MODA Center
10/03 — Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
10/05 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena
10/07 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
10/08 — Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock Festival
10/11 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
10/12 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
10/14 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
10/15 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
10/17 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
10/22-23 — Las Vegas, NV @ When We Were Young
10/29 — Las Vegas, NV @ When We Were Young

Some of the artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Sad news for the large swaths of “single-and-ready-to-mingles” across Russia: there’s now one less dating app willing to foster romance while Vladimir Putin continues to go method with his Joseph Stalin impersonation.

Bumble, the female-first dating service launched by Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014, announced this week that the company would be “discontinuing its operations in Russia, as well as removing all of its apps from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store in Russia and Belarus” in response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The popular dating app had previously tweeted in support of the Internation Rescue Committee currently helping women and children flee Ukraine amidst the fighting.

According to a press release and The Washington Post, the company stands to lose $2 million of revenue due to the decision, with most of those losses coming after it removes its Badoo App from stores. What makes this story even more interesting is that Russian billionaire Andrey Andreev is credited with helping launch Bumble, as well as with creating Badoo. In 2019, after a Forbes investigation singled him out as one of the primary reasons for the reportedly toxic work environment at the company’s headquarters in London, Andreev sold his stake.

Bumble now joins a growing list of companies refusing to do business in Russia, a list that includes Starbucks, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Pizza Hut, and more.

(Via The Washington Post)

Taylor Swift has a whopping four nominations at the most prestigious awards show of the year: Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards, which airs next month. The singer snagged not one but two nominations for album of the year, both for her re-recorded albums Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version). She’s also nominated for Favorite Female Artist and Favorite Song for “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version).” This is noticeably not the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” but, since there are nearly a dozen versions of this song, the confusion is acceptable.

Along with Swift’s four nominates, Adele also managed to secure Favorite Global Superstar, Favorite Song for “Easy On Me,” Favorite Female Artist, and Favorite Album for 30. Also among the nominees is pop breakout star Olivia Rodrigo with three nominations — two for her music, one for her role on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Billie Eilish also has three noms: Favorite Album, Favorite Song, and Favorite Female Artist.

As for TV and movie categories, Marvel shows have also come out on top, with Loki and WandaVision receiving numerous nominations, along with movies Black Widow and Eternals. Favorite movie actress includes Angelina Jolie, Camila Cabello, Emily Blunt, Emma Stone, Scarlett Johansson, and Zendaya. For Favorite Movie Actor, the nominees include Tom Holland for his portrayal of Peter Parker, Dwayne Johnson for both Jungle Cruise and Red Notice (was that a kids movie?), John Cena, LeBron James, Ryan Reynolds and Vin Diesel. As always, the Favorite Movie category includes a lot of CGI animals: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Disney’s Jungle Cruise, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom & Jerry: The Movie, and Cinderella.

The awards will be hosted by iCarly star Miranda Cosgrove and Rob Gronkowski, and will probably feature a lot of slime. You can catch The Kid’s Choice Award’s April 9th at 7:30 pm on Nickelodeon. Check out the full list of nominees here.

It’s time to put Horsegirl firmly on your radar. Meeting at the intersection of shoegaze and post-punk, the young Chicago trio is signed to Matador Records and has announced their debut album, Versions Of Modern Performance, out June 3rd.

There’s something that grabs you instantly with their music and the album’s lead single is a prime example of this. Dead-panned drums, gazy guitars, and driving bass prop up the audacity of a song called “Anti-Glory” with a hook that asks you to “dance, dance, dance with me.” It’s the spirit of ’90s grunge and early indie living on in multi-talented band members Penelope Lowenstein, Nora Cheng, and Gigi Reece, who are fiercely Chicagoan. “As always, this song and album are for Chicago, our friends, our friend’s bands, everyone who can play the guitar, and everyone who can’t play the guitar,” they said in a statement.

Watch the video for “Anti-Glory” above and check out the Versions Of Modern Performance album artwork, tracklist below, as well as the band’s summer tour dates.

1. “Anti-Glory”
2. “Beautiful Song”
3. “Live And Ski”
4. “Bog Bog 1”
5. “Dirtbag Transformation (Still Dirty)”
6. “The Fall Of Horsegirl”
7. “Electrolocation 2”
8. “Option 8”
9. “World Of Pots And Pans”
10. “The Guitar Is Dead 3”
11. “Homage To Birdnoculars”
12. “Billy”

03/16 — Austin, TX @ SXSW — FLOODfest @ Mohawk @ 2:00pm
03/16 — Austin, TX @ SXSW — Roskilde Festival @ Cheer Up Charlie’s @ 10:00pm
03/17 — Austin, TX @ SXSW — SX San Jose @ Hotel San Jose
03/17 — Austin, TX @ SXSW — Gorilla vs. Bear x Luminelle @ Seven Grand @ 11:15pm
03/19 — Philadelphia, PA @ PhilaMOCA
03/20 — Washington, DC @ DC9
03/22 — Brooklyn, NY @ Market Hotel
03/29 — Allston, MA @ Boston Calling Festival
06/05 — Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall (record release show) ^
06/10 — Giessen, DE @ Stadt ohne Meer
06/2 — Mannheim, DE @ Maifield Derby
06/16 — Antwerp, BE @ Trix Bar
06/17 — Paris, FR @ Pop Up Du Label
06/19 — London, UK @ Paper Dress Vintage (early show)
06/19 — London, UK @ Paper Dress Vintage (late show)
06/21 — Manchester, UK @ YES (Basement)
06/22 — London, UK @ Bermondsey Social Club
06/26 — Bristol, UK @ Rough Trade Bristol
06/28 — Cologne, DE @ Bumann & Sohn
06/29 — Berlin, DE @ Monarch
07/01 — Denmark, DE @ Roskilde Festival 2022
07/02 — Hamburg, DE @ Molotow Upstairs
07/15 — Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall *
07/16 — Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
07/17 — Portland, OR @ Polaris Hall *
07/19 — San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
07/21 — Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon *
07/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo *
07/23 — Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room *
07/26 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line *
07/27 — Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *
07/30 — Sat. Jul. 31 — Detroit, MI @ Mo Pop Festival
08/02 — Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe *
08/03 — Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop *
08/05 — Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground *
08/06 — Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus *

^ with Lifeguard, Friko, Post Office Winter
* with Dummy

Versions Of Modern Performance is out 6/3 via Matador Records. Pre-order it here.

Thanks to the pandemic, we learned about several celebrities who apparently hate bathing themselves and/or their own children, and now, Cameron Diaz is getting in on the action. In Diaz’s defense, her admission comes from a place of rejecting societal pressure for women to look a certain way, which she’s abandoned since retiring from acting.

“I am absolutely a victim to all of the societal objectifications and exploitations that women are subjected to,” Diaz told Michelle Visage’s Rule Breaker podcast. “I have bought into all of them myself at certain times.”

However, in Diaz’s zeal to emphasize her new lack of concern for her looks, she also admitted to never washing her face. Via Page Six:

“Literally the last thing I think about on a daily basis … like maybe not at all during the day, is what I look like,” she said. “I literally do nothing. I, like, never wash my face.”

Despite embracing her natural beauty, she did say that “twice a month,” she’ll put one of her “billion products” on her face. “One time works, right?’ Like, is that all I have to do?” she joked.

Again, even though it’s probably a good idea to wash your face regularly, Diaz spent years being subjected to Hollywood beauty standards after making her debut in the ’90s, so it’s understandable that she’s living her best life with minimal concerns about her appearance. Since retiring from acting, she’s had nothing but positive things to say about finally being out of the industry. “I feel whole,” she told Kevin Hart last year.

(Via Page Six)

Obi-Wan Kenobi, now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time. A long time. Not since 2005’s Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (no, I do not count The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker, and neither should you), when the character originated by Alec Guinness was played for the third and final time by Ewan McGregor. At least we thought it was the final time — until Obi-Wan Kenobi was announced.

The Disney+ series takes place 10 years after the events of Sith, “where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader,” according to the official plot description.

Darth Vader is, of course, played by Hayden Christensen, a reunion that McGregor called a “great experience. We just had a great time… We got to play scenes together again as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker and it was just fantastic to work with him again.” The Emmy-winning actor also praised Deborah Chow, who has directed episodes of Better Call Saul and The Mandalorian, for “really knowing the Star Wars world, inside out, far more than I do.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi, which also stars Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, and Benny Safdie, premieres on May 25.