Olivia Rodrigo is back in the studio with her producer Dan Nigro. On Tuesday evening, August 16, an Instagram story was posted on his account that’s a selfie taken by none other than the Sour star. She looks both silly and excited — excited to be working on stuff and excited to leak this information to her fans who she know will freak out.
It’s likely, though, that new material from the “Brutal” performer won’t arrive for a while considering last year was absolutely massive for her, and she continues to rise in status by bringing her hits on big tours.
The one-year anniversary of Sour was in May; the singer celebrated her colossal debut with a heartfelt Instagram post: “my first album SOUR came out a year ago today,” she wrote. “it is impossible for me to sum up in words how much this album means to me and how grateful I am to have gotten the privilege to make it and watch it exist in the world. thank u @dan_nigro for making it with me and believing in me more than anyone. and thank u to everyone who has embraced my 17 year old lamentations and forever changed my life in the process. [purple heart emojis].”
Will Smith slapping Chris Rock sort of upstaged everything else that happened at this year’s Oscars. It might even be easy to forget that the whole thing was a hot mess. There was the awkwardness of the three (game) hosts. There was the attempt to get Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to give a speech (and Sean Penn’s apparently empty promise to “smelt” his Oscars if he doesn’t). But there was another controversy this year, one that might be rectified for the one in 2023.
Shortly before the ceremony, highers-up announced they were cutting eight categories from the live broadcast. The winners for Editing, Score, Production Design, Sound, and more still got their trophies during the ceremony; viewers at home simply didn’t get to see them (beyond quickie samples of their speeches). The move prompted subtle protest from those in attendance. Well, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences now has itself a new CEO, one Bill Kramer, and he strongly hinted that he was righting that wrong.
In an interview with the Academy’s digital magazine a.Frame (as per The Hollywood Reporter), Kramer didn’t outright state that he was bringing those jettisoned categories back. But he did nudge-nudge pretty aggressively. He said “all artistic and scientific disciplines honored on the show,” adding that “we need to produce an Oscars show that celebrates the collaborative work of the industry.”
The Oscars telecast has long come under fire from two sides: from ABC brass, who have breathed down producers’ necks to get ratings back up to where they once were; and from filmmakers/talent and the general public, who have criticized (or at least relentlessly dragged) attempts to dumb the show down. But if there’s a bright side to a famous celebrity about to win an Oscar striking an also popular presenter in the face on live television, it’s that it may compel viewers to tune in next year. And that means they might be able to do things like not snub a large contingent of the night’s nominees and maybe winners.
The Kevin Durant trade saga has reached a standstill, but there are still more questions than answers. Durant wants out of Brooklyn and has reportedly delivered an ultimatum to Joe Tsai to chose between him or Sean Marks and Steve Nash. But exactly how do you trade Kevin Durant? Nevermind the unprecedented draft capital that was delivered in the Rudy Gobert deal that completely disrupted the NBA trade market, what is a two-time Finals MVP, four-time scoring champion, and 12-time All Star entering year one of a four-year extension worth on the open market?
Well, if you ask former NBA big man Scot Pollard, not as much as you think. Pollard went on SiriusXM to discuss Durant’s trade demand and made clear that he doesn’t think particularly highly of the Nets star.
Durant has received (and embraced) plenty of criticism for his decision to join the 73-win Warriors and even his decision to team up with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn. But the team context around Durant does not diminish his stature as one of the game’s all-time greats and one of the best scorers in league history. Durant has had an atypical career for an NBA superstar and his Twitter presence rubs some folks the wrong way, but he’s certainly one of the guys that can lead a team to a championship — just ask Draymond Green.
As someone who’d rather spend my free time exploring outdoors than hanging out at home, Banff, Canada has been at the top of my bucket list for years. Immersed within the Rocky Mountains, Banff National Park is a massive playground for nature lovers and adventurers of all experience levels. And while Banff is famous for its winter ski season, summer is an equally as worthy (if not even better, IMO) time to visit.
I recently crossed over the Canadian border for the first time to spend a few days exploring everything Banff has to offer. But the truth is that I only scratched the surface of what you can see and do there. I could have easily spent two full weeks in town without running out of activities (mountain towns are maximalists when it comes to stuff to do). Between the stunning views, incredible wildlife sightings, and endless hiking opportunities, nearby lakes for boating and water sports, and the main stretch of Downtown Banff — full of local businesses and restaurants — the small but mighty mountain town is the ultimate hub for adventure.
If you’re ready to make the most of the season with a visit to one of Canada’s most beautiful destinations, follow my complete adventure guide below. I’m sharing where to play, stay, eat, and drink in Banff this summer.
As I said, I only had a few short days to spend in Banff, so I wanted to soak in as much as I could in a short amount of time. The Banff Gondola is an excellent way to do just that. It’s a tram ride that takes you to the top of Sulphur Mountain where you’ll get sweeping views of the Bow Valley and six different mountain ranges. You’ll even get a birdseye view of the famous Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course, where old-time celebs like Marilyn Monroe were often spotted back in the day.
There’s an accessible walkway with informational signage that leads you around the Sulphur Mountain summit, so you can take in the stunning 360-degree views and wildlife from above while learning more about Banff — did you know it’s Canada’s first national park? Once you’ve explored outside and taken (way too many) pictures of the postcard-like landscape, head inside to browse through the gondola’s indoor facility, which houses a gift shop, two restaurants, and interactive educational exhibits.
There’s a hike up Sulphur Moutain you can do as well, but if you’re short on time or you just would rather not hike up the mountain when you can take a fun little tram ride instead (I don’t blame you), then the Banff Gondola is certainly worth it. Besides, the ride to the top is a unique experience in itself…just try not to look down if you’re not good with heights!
The tram fits four people to a ride, but I rode alone on the way back down, apparently making for an opportune time to have a full-on solo photo shoot while suspended hundreds of feet in the air (America’s Next Top Model could never). As you can see above, I got some epic pics thanks to the awe-inspiring backdrop.
For a full afternoon spent outdoors and a chance to see Banff’s diverse flora and fauna up close, take a guided electric biking tour with Banff Cycle. Your experienced guide will take you on a ride up a scenic nearby highway, stopping along the way to check out various views that seem almost too incredible to be real. You’ll be biking for about an hour and a half before making it to your final stop, but the E-bike assistance makes it doable for most fitness levels. Plus, that last stop, Johnston Canyon, is 100 percent worth the push.
At Johnston Canyon, you’ll find a hiking trail that leads you through a riverside canyon to two different waterfalls (if you make it up to the upper falls, be prepared to get wet!). After you make your way back down the path, your guide will treat you to lunch at the local cafe — which serves your favorite comfort food classics like club sandwiches and fish & chips. Trust me, you’ll want the fuel for the hour and a half ride back to Banff.
Be sure to stay on the lookout while riding down the highway, as you’ll likely get a glimpse at the many animals that roam the national park. Throughout my tour, we saw ground squirrels, dear, a bighorn sheep, and…wait for it…a F*CKING BEAR. Fortunately, it wasn’t a grizzly bear — from which I would have run screaming. It was a small black bear munching on dandelions on the side of the road. It was adorable, beautiful, and… still slightly terrifying considering it was my first bear sighting ever (which you’d know had you been able to hear the audible gasp I let out as we rode by).
Tip:
The weather during summer in Banff can be very unpredictable. Throughout my four-hour biking tour, it went back and forth between rain and sunshine repeatedly. It’s a good idea to bring a light backpack with a rain jacket, layers, sunscreen, and a water bottle in tow.
Book a Banff Cycle tour here or explore on your own with a non-guided bike rental here.
Lake Minnewanka
Chloe Caldwell
Not only are there majestic mountain ranges encompassing the entire town of Banff, but there are several nearby lakes to explore. I visited Lake Minnewanka, Banff’s largest lake, for an afternoon by the water. It was the perfect medium of serene and stimulating. I started by grabbing ice cream at the lake’s snack shop, then enjoyed it by the side of the lake while taking in the scene — the calm navy blue water against rocky and evergreen-lined mountains, brave teenagers who took a plunge into the icy temperatures, families exploring the surrounding walking trails. It’s the perfect spot to relax and people watch.
Then, it was time for my tour on the Lake Minnewanka Cruise, an indoor boating experience that gets you a first-hand look at the lake’s natural beauty. It’s a great way to get out on the water while learning about the area’s legendary history, geology, wildlife information, and other fascinating stories like how the lake got its name (derived from a local Native word meaning “spirit lake”).
Even if you’ve never heard of Lake Louise, you’ve definitely seen it on Instagram. Widely recognized for its crystalline turquoise water tucked within glacial mountains, the lake makes for the ultimate “the camera doesn’t do it justice” moment (but you have to go during summer to see it before the water freezes over).
Adventurers and nature-lovers will truly get a kick out of Lake Louise. First of all, the surrounding area offers ample hiking opportunities with trails ranging from easy hikes to multi-day backpacking expeditions. If you’re looking to get out on the water, you can rent a canoe from the Fairmont Hotel. Rentals are first come first serve, so your best bet is to head to the lake early on a weekday if you’re not down to wait.
You can also tour the Lake Louise area by horseback (horse girls, this one’s for you) by taking a guided equestrian tour with Brewster Trail Rides. You can choose from five different options that will take you around to the local hotspots. AKA, plenty more photo ops — and I guess you can, like, appreciate the nature and stuff too?
Jokes aside, Lake Louise is an influencer magnet for a reason. It’s incredibly beautiful and serene. So if you’re spending time in Banf, making the trek out is a must on your itinerary.
PART II — WHERE TO EAT & DRINK
Park Distillery
Chloe Caldwell
There’s nothing like a cold beverage after a long day of exploring. If you want a taste of the local spirits, there’s no better place to visit than Park Distillery. In fact, it’s the only distillery located in a Canadian national park. Park Distillery’s water originates from glaciers in the surrounding Rocky Mountains, and it sources grain from high-altitude family farms in the Alberta foothills.
You can stop in for a few of Park’s specialty cocktails made with their own locally distilled spirits. Or you can take a guided tour through the property to get a first-hand look at the entire process. You’ll get an inside look at the facilities, learn about how the spirits are made, then get a guided tasting of their six most popular spirits (the gin was my personal favorite). But be wary of the altitude in Banff and stay hydrated, especially if you’re coming from a coastal location. I may or may not have needed a post-tasting nap after getting tipsy off two shots.
Learn more and book a tour at Park Distillery here.
Hello Sunshine
Hello Sunshine
Hello Sunshine is where delicious food and good vibes collide. The groovy, retro-inspired restaurant and karaoke bar hybrid is ideal for lively group dinners or a night out with your travel crew. With a sushi bar, fire tables, two karaoke rooms, and even a “tiny bar” which is like a miniature speakeasy, this spot offers one of the most eccentric dining experiences in Banff.
Not only is the ambiance on point, but the food and drinks menus are equally satisfying. You’ll find sharable sushi bites, hand rolls, seafood skewers, and more. You have to try the Hello Lobster roll (tempura lobster tail, tarragon mayo, tobiko) and the grilled miso eggplant. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
As for drinks, you of course can’t go wrong with one of the many sake options. But I’m a sucker for a specialty cocktail, so I first tried the Lycee Cucumber Sour, made with local Park Gin, lychee liqueur, apple, lemon, egg white, and cucumber bitters. It was the tantalizing and tart libation I needed to kickstart my meal. I also sipped on the Smoked Peach Margarita, which was infused with Blanco tequila, mezcal, peach liqueur, and white peach.
Reading this back, it seems like I was buzzed for 90% of my time in Banff — no wonder I loved it!
View the full Hello Sunshine menu here and book a private room here.
For a laidback yet elevated sports bar environment, head to Three Bears Brewery and Restaurant. It offers outdoorsy mountain vibes, classic bar food favorites, and small-batch brews made with pure glacier water. Three Bears Brewery is an outdoor-indoor experience during summer with an open rooftop and plenty of hanging greenery to make you feel like you’re chilling in the wilderness. And the great thing about visiting Banff during summer is that it stays light out until about 10 p.m.
The drinks menu offers a selection of six beers (you might as well get the flight to try them all), various on-tap and signature cocktails, as well as wine. The food menu puts comfort food at the forefront with options like cheesy waffle fries, burgers, pizza, and beer-battered fish and chips.
View the full Three Bears Brewery and Restaurant menu here.
Banff Ave Brewing Co.
Chloe Caldwell
Right in the heart of Downtown Banff, the Banff Ave Brewing Co. serves up a casual and cool restaurant and bar experience. Head upstairs from the tap room entrance for a lively ambiance inside the main restaurant, or snag a spot on the upstairs patio to sip on a brew while you take in the mountain views and scenes of the downtown streets bustling with tourists.
(Drinking game idea: Take a sip every time someone stops in the middle of the street for a classic Banff Instagram moment. Warning: You might leave stumbling out of the bar.)
The menu offers a selection of craft beers, cocktails, wine, and spirits, so there’s plenty to choose from for everyone. I went with the Strawberry Basil Sour, a refreshing and fruity beer that’s perfect for the summer season. What I liked about the food menu is that it goes beyond your average bar food. You’ll find a few slightly avant-garde options like mushroom & ricotta toast, a falafel burger (this is what I ordered), and housemade smoked olives. But don’t worry, you’ll still find classic bar food options like wings, mac ‘n’ cheese, and nachos if that’s what you’re in the mood for.
If you want to be in the heart of the action, book a room at Peaks Hotel & Suites. Just a few steps from the many restaurants, boutiques, galleries, and bars of Downtown Banff, Peaks is one of the area’s newest accommodation options (opened in 2020). Along with its insanely convenient location, it offers a homey yet modern aesthetic. Think, “cabin chic.”
With a pool, gym, and restaurant available to guests at Peaks’ sister hotel across the street, you’ll have everything you need less than a minute away. There are four different lodging options to choose from, all of which make for a comfortable mountain escape. There was nothing like coming back to my cozy hotel bed for a much-needed nap after a long afternoon of exploring.
If you’re looking for more of a rustic mountain experience with the comfort of a hotel, check out the Banff Bear Bed & Breakfast. When you book a stay, you’ll get this cozy cabin all to yourself — including two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and self-contained apartment-style space.
Due to Banff’s strict zoning laws, Airbnbs are extremely hard to come by. So if you typically prefer a private vacation rental, this spot makes for a great alternative. It’s located at the foot of Tunnel Mountain in Banff and is only a five-minute walk from downtown, so you have privacy while still being close to the action. Plus, Banff Bear Bed & Breakfast offers your choice of continental breakfast items (I mean, it is a bed and breakfast, after all).
Book your stay at the Banff Bear Bed & Breakfast here.
PART IV — GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
Banff Airporter
Chloe Caldwell
To get to Banff, you’ll first fly into the Calgary airport. From there, it’s about a two-hour drive to the national park. If you plan on venturing far into the wilderness, then you may want to get a rental car. But otherwise, you really don’t need one. Instead, you can save money and get to Banff using the Banff Airporter. It’s a shuttle bus that takes you from the airport straight to your hotel, which to me seems way more convenient than dealing with rental cars and parking. Besides, the drive to Banff is gorgeous, so you can take in the views without worrying about keeping your eyes on the road.
Tip:
Schedule your flight times to coordinate with the shuttle so you’re not stuck waiting around at the airport for the next available time slot.
The public transportation in Banff is convenient, affordable, and easy to use thanks to the Roam Transit. The busses run regularly, making stops along Banff Avenue and to the many tourist spots mentioned above like the gondola and Lake Minnewanka. It’s only $2 per one-way ride (or less if you get a day pass), and the accompanying transit app makes getting around simple and straightforward, even for the directionally challenged like me.
Download the transit app and check the ride schedule here.
Uproxx was hosted for this story by Banff and Lake Louise Tourism. However, they did not review this story. You can learn more about the Uproxx Press Trip policy here.
It’s back-to-school time for a lot of folks in America and that means getting the kids ready for another year in the classroom. For teachers, it often means forking out a lot of their own money to give the kids in their class the tools necessary to learn.
A 2018 study found that 94% of teachers spend their own money to stock their classrooms. The average teacher spends $479 and 7% of teachers spend more than $1,000. This comes at a time when, in inflation-adjusted terms, teacher salaries have declined by almost 4% over the past decade.
According to Newsweek, this unnecessary burden placed on teachers inspired entrepreneur Erin Foster, who has more than 600,000 followers on Instagram, to put out a story linking to teachers’ Amazon wishlists.
Erin Fuller-Wellman, a first grade teacher at Buffalo Elementary School in Wayne County, West Virginia, needed books for her classroom so she posted her wishlist on Foster’s “Clear the Lists” and Facebook, but she never believed the response she’d receive.
“The CRAZIEST thing just happened to me,” Erin Fuller-Wellman posted on Facebook. “I go outside to see literally 10 boxes laying on my porch. I open the first box and it’s full of books. I think, ‘I wonder who sent these?’ At the bottom, there’s a note, ‘Here is to your best year, yet! Thank you for choosing to teach, you have the most important job in the world from @jennifer.garner.’ My jaw literally dropped. Every box after was from her.”
Fuller-Wellman believes that Garner saw her list on Foster’s post and sent her some books because the actress knows how difficult life can be in West Virginia. Garner was born in Houston, Texas, but moved to Charleston, West Virginia, at the age of 3.
“When I saw the first note, saying it was from her, my jaw dropped and I thought I was imagining it,” she told Newsweek.
Garner has in the past spoken out about the importance of teachers. Last year, at the start of the school year, she shared her support for teachers at a time when COVID-19 was making their profession even more challenging.
“Thank you teachers, thank you administrators, thank you school staff — for being on the receiving end of a year and a half of feelings (kids’ and parents’) — big and loud, quiet and deep,” she wrote.
Garner’s donation to the teacher was a fantastic show of support for the people with the most important job in the world. It was also a savvy move in the social media age. She has to know that word would get out (we’re writing about it!) and it would inspire others to help teachers as well.
The actress has spoken out about the challenges that rural kids in West Virginia face so that’s probably a big reason why she chose to help Fuller-Wellman. Garner didn’t grow up impoverished, but she saw it all around growing up in West Virginia.
“We were surrounded by generational world poverty, so when I suddenly found myself with a little bit of a voice, I just said ‘who was helping kids in rural America?’” she said on Kerry Washington’s “Street You Grew Up On” show. “Who’s giving them a leg up in West Virginia or Mississippi or South Carolina?”
Meet Sunny, the lucky duck with an adorable afro and heartwarming story.
Sunny, named after his shining personality, has a genetic mutation that gives him a glorious feather poof on his head. However, it has also caused him some significant health issues, including being blind in one eye.
In a video shared by GeoBeats Animals, Sunny’s owner (Sarah) recalled seeing the wee duckling all by his lonesome while at a tractor supply. She was instantly smitten with his quirky look. Though none of the other ducks would embrace Sunny, being partially blind made him less skittish and more approachable to the other animals. And, of course, people—especially kids. Sunny was always up to sit on a lap and share a nap.
Sarah wouldn’t become aware of Sunny’s condition until she noticed he wasn’t growing and he began wheezing due to an upper respiratory infection. When she realized her little afro’d duckling had some disabilities and might need some special care, she willingly obliged.
The result? Sunny is now a happy, healthy and undeniably dashing adult duck … and an influencer, at that. His Instagram is dedicated to brightening people’s days with adorable pics, which his 12,000 followers flock to.
The other ducks still aren’t all that nice to our beloved outlier, sadly. However, Sunny now has his own duck buddy, one who is also blind in one eye and has a mini pompadour, and they regularly enjoy “blind” dates together. You know what they say, birds of a feather…
Plus, less of a duck-tourage means more watermelon cake for Sunny! Win-win!
Caring for a disabled pet can be challenging, but it can also yield great rewards, like inspiring empathy and acceptance. As Sarah told GeoBeats Animals, “What makes [Sunny] different makes him special. He’s taught us so much just by being who he is.”
Thank you Sunny, for reminding us that even if we’re built a bit differently, we can always find our flock.
A new invention looks like it may completely change how hearing-impaired people communicate with the rest of the world. According to EuroNews, XRAI Glass has developed augmented reality glasses that allow people who have difficulty hearing to read real-time conversations in their glasses through closed-captioning.
It’s like watching a TV show with subtitles, but in real life.
The idea came from Dan Scarfe in January while he was spending time with his 97-year-old grandfather. His grandfather wasn’t participating with the rest of the family because he couldn’t hear their conversations.
“It’s just so difficult when there are so many people around you and you’re trying to keep track of the different conversations which are going on,” Scarfe told Euronews. “It’s got to the point now where he literally just sits in silence. And I thought, well, hang on a second. He watches TV all the time with subtitles. Why can’t we subtitle the world?”
Now, just seven months later, his new company XRAI Glass is already testing its closed-captioning glasses on 100 people before they’re released to the public.
To make the glasses a reality, Scarfe and his team used software based on Amazon’s Alexa transcription service and combined it with glasses made by augmented reality manufacturer Nreal. The result is comfortable glasses that look natural while allowing the wearer to read the text of the person with whom they are speaking.
Josh Feldman, who was born with profound hearing loss, says that the glasses are “quite extraordinary,” he told The Daily Mail. “The impact of being able to not rely on looking at someone’s lips and being able to talk to them is clearly something which could be life-changing.”
Hannah Brady, 60, who has 60% hearing loss in both ears agrees.
“Gosh that’s really accurate,” she said according to The Daily Mail. “What’s brilliant about it is it’s not getting in the way of what I’m trying to see either.”
The glasses also have the support of the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID). “This is a great example of the positive difference innovative technology can make for people who are deaf or have hearing loss,” RNID CEO, Mark Atkinson, said in a statement. “XRAI glass is intuitive and simple to use and could be a powerful tool in ensuring people with hearing loss don’t feel excluded in social settings.”
The technology is similar to a prototype that Meta revealed earlier this year that was highlighted by Upworthy. The software connects to existing hands-free wearable devices such as Microsoft’s HoloLens and provides subtitles for conversations.
u201cThese augmented reality glasses help deaf people see live captions of people’s speech nnBy @paul_mealynn#techforgood #innovation #technology #AR #VR #augmentedrealitynn@TechAmazing @sebbourguignon @Nicochan33 @KirkDBorne @mvollmer1 @pierrecappelliu201d
However, it’s uncertain when this technology will be available to the general public.
The good news for those who are interested in trying XRAI glass is that if all goes well, they could be available to consumers in the near future.
“We’re going with a small number to begin with to prove it out, to get the feedback, to understand what people like, what they don’t like, [and] rapidly innovate on that,” Scarfe told EuroNews.
“And then we’re hoping if the winds are behind us, then we will reach general availability by September,” he added.
After releasing Who Is Nardo Wick?? (Deluxe) and unveiling the music video for his collaboration with The Kid Laroi on “Burning Up,” Nardo Wick is back with another video, this time for “Dah Dah Dahdah.”
The last video was directed by Cole Bennett, and this time it was by Dell Nie and even Nardo himself. It begins with a stunning shot of three pianos set up in a triangular form while bloody hands play the haunting rhythm on the keys, whose melody can be recognized from Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner” or, more recently, Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries” which also samples it. Guns are laid out on the pianos and Nardo dances in the middle in between them all. Interspersed are scenes with an intense downpour and some security footage.
The Jacksonville rapper concluded his 2021 year with the release of his Who Is Nardo Wick? project, which consisted of 18 songs and features from Future, Lil Baby, Hit-Boy, G Herbo, Lil Durk, 21 Savage, Lakeyah, and Big30. The deluxe of Who Is Nardo Wick? added onto the amount of features, pulling in artists like Latto and The Kid Laroi for special guest appearances that excited fans.
Warning: This post contains vague-ish spoilers for the last final episodes of Better Call Saul.
Better Call Saulcame to an end on Monday, and even for a Breaking Bad spin-off, it went to some pretty dark places. One of the most gutting scenes happened in the penultimate episode, entitled “Waterworks.” It found Rhea Seehorn’s Kim Wexler having a breakdown on a bus. Crying onscreen ain’t easy, and Seehorn, a professional thespian, knows it. Luckily, they only wound up doing two takes, but Seehorn was ready to do far more.
“I didn’t know we’d only do two takes until I arrived,” Seehorn told Vulture in a kind of exit interview for the show. “I prepared as best I could to have to do many, many, many, many takes. That is not because any of our directors are sadistic, but it’s because the visual vocabulary of the show is many angles on the same thing. So, just technically, that requires you doing it over and over and over and over.”
Still, she was hoping for fewer takes. She was already anxious about having to “go over to a corner and drum up some painful memory of my real life.” But she also knew she “can’t do that for 36 takes.” One way she steeled herself for possibly doing several crying jags was to “think about the different pieces that she’s crying about here, because it is not just about one moment. She’s crying for the entire Shakespearean tragedy of Jimmy McGill and of Kim Wexler and of their relationship and of Chuck and of Howard and of people that try to be a good person and how hard that fight could be in day-to-day real life.”
And so Seehorn decided to think about the many heartbreaking aspects of the show’s storyline:
I just tried to pull all of those things, get on a bus with strangers, which made me feel so alone even though my crew was there, and now try really hard not to cry. Literally that was my plan because if you go in there and say, “I hope I can make myself cry for 30 takes,” you’ll fail. That’s too scary. I literally just put the things physically that we have all felt in extreme shame in our lives or extreme pain in our lives and then try to not let them come all the way out. As soon as you get fissures and it cracks a little bit and you fight to squash it down harder, it’ll come back at you harder. Those are the takes you ended up witnessing and then Vince [Gilligan, the show’s creator and the episode’s writer/director] said, “I think we’re good. We’re just going to do two.” And I was like, “Oh.”
Seehorn says she even offered to do more, but Gilligan told her, “No, we have it exactly. We have it exactly.”
The scene not only shows a side of Kim we’ve never seen before, but also one, Seehorn argues, that she’s never seen of herself. “Someone asked me the other day in an interview, ‘Do you think Kim, over the last five, six years, has been privately crying in a closet like this away from people?’ I said, “No,’” Seehorn explained:
“The decision I made is that this is the first time she’s let any of this out. She would not let herself feel it. One, for fear that the dam would never be able to be closed up again and two, because of the compartmentalizing. You can’t rehearse it in a traditional way, but I did a lot of thinking about it and then gave myself some tactile markers that I knew that I could have as a reminder of my starting point each time when I get on the bus.”
You can watch Seehorn cry her eyes out in the video above. Hope you liked it because you might not be seeing the Breaking Bad-verse any time soon, though Seehorn told Vulture if Gilligan and team ever change their minds, she’s return to the role “in a heartbeat.”
Russell Peters jumped on People’s Party with Talib Kwelithis week, primed to tell amazing stories about his life on and off the stage. For years, Peters has made millions laugh while learning a bit about themselves with his unique brand of comedy. Beyond the celebrity though, he’s a man who has a deep reverence for art, culture, and music (especially hip-hop!) — making an interview with Kweli and co-host Jasmin Leigh a natural fit.
Being a top tier comedian often means you move between elite and very thugged out circles. Here Russell tells a truly bonkers story about how he lent his Bentley to legendary hip-hop icon Eric B. When Eric B brought the car back, it arrived with none other than boxing legend Iron Mike Tyson. The exchange they had was a historic exchange about a very hood-affiliated friend they had in common from Tyson’s pre boxing fame. Several years later, they met again. Upon seeing Peters, Tyson immediately recounted their first conversation to Chuck Zito, former President of the notorious Hells Angels motorcycle club.
Peters was blown away by Tyson’s clarity in what he recalled from their first meeting. In the years since, they’ve become close friends.
Chuckling in amazement he says to Kweli “He meets one hundred and fifty people a day — of note! To remember that detail…” Peters pauses in awe reflecting on the moment, then adds. “Don’t think people aren’t paying attention. The people [at the top of the game] are retaining everything. It’s what they choose to react to [that matters].”
Check out more insane and informative stories from comedian Russell Peters onPeople’s Party with Talib Kweli with co-host Jasmin Leigh below.
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This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Olivia Rodrigo and Dan Nigro are back in the studio together. pic.twitter.com/zPkbxl2vEs
