FREE SOLO WINS OSCAR FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY

Free Solo took home an Oscar for Best Documentary at the 91st Annual Academy Awards this past Sunday, February 24, 2019. Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the husband and wife team who directed the film, clearly looked shocked as they accepted the award.  

During their acceptance speech, Chai Vasarhelyi said, “this film is for everyone who believes in the impossible.”

Free Solo follows rock climber Alex Honnold’s attempt to climb Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan without the use of ropes.

DOMEE SHI AND BECKY NEIMAN COBB RECEIVE AN ACADEMY AWARD FOR BAO

First time Academy Award nominees Domee Shi and Becky Neiman-Cobb won an Oscar for Best Animated Short for their film, Bao. The short was inspired by Shi’s relationship with her own mother. During her acceptance speech, she Shi inspired others by saying,

“To all the nerdy girls out there who hide behind their sketch book, don’t be afraid to tell your stories to the world. You’re going to freak people out, but you’ll probably connect with them too, and that’s an amazing feeling to have.”

KELSEY MERRITT MAKES SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT 2019 ROOKIE CLASS

Supermodel Kelsey Merritt can add Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model to her rapidly increasing list of credits. Merritt is one of several beauties who have made the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2019 rookie class. She joins New England Patriots cheerleader Camille Kostek, plus size model Hunter McGrady and Bret Michaels’ daughter Raine Michael. Kelsey auditioned for the magazine this past October saying,

“I really want to be a Sports Illustrated model because I love how confident the models are and I want to show everyone who is looking at these pictures and reading the magazine that they can also be confident in their own skin.”

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue is scheduled to come out in May.

Merritt also shared several behind the scenes videos of her photoshoot for Sports Illustrated on her Instagram Account.

A little #bts from the photo I posted earlier 💞 #SISwim @si_swimsuit 💋

213.2k Likes, 2,599 Comments - Kelsey Merritt (@kelseymerritt) on Instagram: "A little #bts from the photo I posted earlier 💞 #SISwim @si_swimsuit 💋"

MARVEL COMICS INTRODUCES A FILIPINA HEROINE IN "THE WAR OF THE REALMS"

Marvel Comics’ upcoming comic book, The War of the Realms will introduce a new team of heroes including “Wave” a Filipina heroine, Aero and Sword Master from China who will be part of the Agents of Atlas. The War of the Realms universe will be set in Asia where the Agents of Atlas will be tasked to save the world.

According to Marvel editor Will Moss, “War of the Realms is this big, big Marvel universe story involving all the heroes from the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Wolverine, the whole line.”

The comic books are set to be debut in May 2019.

H.E.R. wins two Grammys

H.E.R. who received 5 Grammy nominations, took home 2 Grammy awards this past weekend for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Performance for her song Best Part featuring Daniel Caesar.

21 year old H.E.R., whose mom is half Filipino and dad is African American has credited her parents for her musicality, stating that she has always been around music her entire life and just gravitated towards instruments. When she accepted her Grammy for Best R&B Album Award, she thanked her family by saying,

“I want to thank first and foremost God, and my parents who are in the building and my wonderful sister. Mom, Dad, this is for all the wonderful sacrifices that you made for me. Thank you for embracing my talents and who I am.”

H.E.R. was born Gabi Wilson but in 2016, changed her stage name to H.E.R. which stands for Have Everything Revealed.

JAMIE CHUNG'S NEW FOOTWEAR COLLABORATION 42GOLD

Jamie Chung’s 2019 is off to a great start. Last month, the luxury handbag company Hammit, announced that she is the Brand Ambassador and face of their Spring line.

This month, Jamie Chung is celebrating the launch of her footwear collaboration with Chinese Laundry founder Bob Goldman, titled 42Gold. 42Gold is a new venture for Goldman, the CEO of Cels Enterprises, the parent company to Chinese Laundry. The line is a response to the constantly changing market and how consumers are now making purchases. The brand will work with Influencers to capture the attention of shopper’s in a new way. Chung is one of the 42 Influencers who are part of the 42Gold label.   

In an interview with Footwear News, Chung expressed her love for fashion stating,

“Fashion is always something I gravitated toward and I had so much fun with, so being able to turn that into a business is great.” Chung added, “Footwear is a really personal thing. 42 Gold is elevated. It’s for the working woman, the woman who does it all, the multitask-er, the mom, the business owner. It fits with the modern-day woman. It felt right.”

Jamie Chung had a lot of input in regards to the shoe styles and was inspired by footwear that are fashion forward, timeless and you can wear throughout the year. The 42Gold collection is available now at Nordstrom and features an array of heels, flats and sandals.  

BRUNO MARS HEADS TO SIN CITY

11 time Grammy winner Bruno Mars will be heading to Las Vegas’ Park MGM for an 11 show residency which is scheduled from April 29th to September 14th.

Tickets will go on sale at 10am on February 8th (Live Nation and M Life Rewards member presales will take place on February 6th)

For more information, you can head to the MGM website here.

LEVY TRAN JOINS MACGYVER

Actress and model Levy Tran will join the cast of CBS’ MacGyver this month. In the recurring role, Tran will play Denise Nguyen, “who joins the Phoenix Foundation to protect MacGyver (Lucas Till) and his team on their global missions” according to Deadline.

Late last year, George Eads who plays Jack Dalton on MacGyver, reportedly asked to be released from his contract to return to Los Angeles to be closer to his daughter. However, his resignation also came after reports of an altercation during the production of an episode of MacGyver. Tran’s role will fill the void of Eads’ character.

If Levy Tran’s character is successful and MacGyver is renewed for a fourth season, CBS will have the option of making her role a series regular.  Tran’s debut on MacGyver will be on the February 15th episode.

Levy Tran shared the news on her Instagram account below:

KAREN GALLMAN IS FIRST FILIPINA MISS INTERCONTINENTAL PAGEANT WINNER

47 years after its inception, a Filipina contestant was crowned Miss Intercontinental.  Filipina Australian beauty Karen Gallman became the first Filipina to win the competition which was held at the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines this past weekend.

“It means a lot to me. This is the first time the Philippines has won Miss Intercontinental so I am very happy I could do this for the Philippines. I am speechless. I can’t stop smiling. I am just so grateful,” she said in an interview after her coronation at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Gallman thanked her supporters via her Instagram account and also dedicated her crown to the Philippines.

With her Miss Intercontinental win, Gallman hopes to be a great role model for young women. She added that she wants to be voice for those that cannot be heard and would like to be an inspiration to others. Like current Miss Universe winner, Catriona Gray, one of Karen Gallman’s main goals is to fight for better education for children living in poverty and are from the rural areas of the Philippines.

MARC DELA CRUZ MAKES HISTORY ON BROADWAY WITH HAMILTON

Filipino singer and actor Marc Dela Cruz makes history by becoming the first Filipino to play Hamilton on Broadway. Born in Hawaii, the Filipino Japanese star made his Broadway debut in 2014 playing Swing in “If/Then” and joined the cast of Hamilton in 2018 playing various roles which included King George, General Philip Hamilton, Tennessee Congressman James Reynolds and more.

Marc delaCruz on Instagram: "Sometimes amazement lies right around the corner. Thank you for all the messages of support and encouragement I've received over the last..."

2,341 Likes, 92 Comments - Marc delaCruz (@marc_delacruz) on Instagram: "Sometimes amazement lies right around the corner. Thank you for all the messages of support and..."

FIL-AM BOBBY RUBIO AMONG FILMMAKERS WHO ARE PART OF PIXAR'S SPARKSSHORTS PROGRAM

Filipino American filmmaker Bobby Rubio confirmed on his social media accounts that he will be writing and directing a short film titled “Float” as part of Disney-Pixar’s Sparksshorts program which is described as “an experimental storytelling initiative that welcomes new creative voices at Pixar Animation Studios to share their stories.”

“Float” follows the story of a father, who upon discovering that his son floats, decides to hide him from the outside world to keep him safe from the judgement. But when the public learns of his son’s ability, the father must decide to either run, hide, or accept his son as he is.

In response to a tweet, Rubio acknowledged that the characters in his film are indeed Filipino.

He also stated “I am proud to tell our stories. I know what it means to see our culture represented on screen! #RepresentationMatters.”

“Wind” by Edwin Chang (Pixar)

Joining Rubio in the Sparkshorts program is Edwin Chang and his short “Wind” which is described as a “magical realism story about a Grandma and a Grandson trapped in a massive, never ending sinkhole, living on a large boulder suspended by strong winds. Together they scavenge falling debris to build an escape, hoping to find a better life in the outside world.”

“Kitbull” by Rosana Sullivan (Pixar)

Filmmaker Rosana Sullivan whose maternal family is from Malaysia where several of her stories are inspired from, will also join Chang and Rubio with her short “Kitbull” which tells the story of an unlikely relationship between a stray kitten and pitbull.    

Other shorts joining the program include “Purl” written/directed by Kristen Lester, “Loop”, written/directed by Erica Milsom, and “Smash and Grab” written/directed by BrianLarsen.

Jim Morris, the President of Pixar Animation Studios said in a statement,

“The Sparkshorts program is designed to discover new storytellers, explore new storytelling techniques, and experiment with new production workflows. These films are unlike anything we’ve ever done at Pixar, providing an opportunity to unlock the potential of individual artists and their inventive filmmaking approaches on a smaller scale than our normal fare.”

“Kibtull,””Smash and Grab” and “Purl” will premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood starting on January 18th for an exclusive one-week run. They will then be available on YouTube next month – “Purl” (Feb 4th), “Smash and Grab” (Feb 11), and “Kitbull” (Feb 18).

The rest of the films have no release dates yet.

All of the Sparkshorts selected shorts will be available on Disney+, the upcoming Disney streaming service which is scheduled to launch later this year.

TRAILER FOR JORDAN PEELE'S WEIRD CITY - AWKWAFINA, STEVE YUEN & HANNAH SIMONE

A trailer for Jordan Peele’s upcoming web series, Weird City, has just been released. The sci-fi anthology takes place in the city of Weird, where there are only two classes that exist – Above the Line where the wealthy reside and Below the Line, for the less fortunate. The series seems to poke fun at our present-day life which covers issues such as social media addiction, online dating, and our need for instant gratification.

The six episode anthology series is written by Jordan Peele and former Key & Peele writer Charlie Sanders and features a star studded cast that includes Awkwafina, Steve Yuen, Eugene Cordero, Hannah Simone, Cynthy Wu, and Auli’i Cravalho.

Weird City is scheduled to premiere February 13th on Youtube Premium.

DANIEL DAE KIM'S RECURRING ROLE ON THE GOOD DOCTOR

Daniel Dae Kim will take his talents in front of the camera for his ABC show, The Good Doctor. Aside from being the Executive Producer of the successful drama series, Kim has signed on to play a recurring role, as Dr Jackson Han, the new chief of surgery who will “shake things up at St. Bonaventure and specifically put Dr. Shaun Murphy’s career in jeopardy,” according to ABC.

“As a fan of our show, I’m thrilled to be doing a guest arc with such a talented, kind and hard-working cast,” Kim said in a statement. “[Executive producer] David [Shore] and I have been looking for the right opportunity, and we’ve found a character that’s both dynamic and surprising. It’s an added bonus for my character to be directed by our own Freddie Highmore, who’s proving to be as talented behind the camera as in front of it. It’s been a lot of fun already, and I’m excited for the episodes to air.”

Kim will appear in the last four episodes of Season 2. Season 2 of The Good Doctor will premiere on January 14th.

DWAYNE JOHNSON WELCOMES AWKWAFINA TO JUMANJI SEQUEL

For the past several days, reports have surfaced that Awkwafina was in negotiations to star alongside Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart in the sequel to the 2017 hit film, Jumanji. The 2017 remake which grossed over $900 million worldwide will reunite Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and director Jake Kasdan. Although the studio has not confirmed the news, Johnson did tweet the message below, which pretty much solidifies the rumors.

CATRIONA GRAY'S MISS UNIVERSE MEDIA TOUR COMMENCES

Filipino Australian Catriona Gray started her 2019 Miss Universe media tour in New York yesterday making numerous television appearances including Good Morning America and Live with Kelly and Ryan. Appearing nothing short of beautiful inside and out, Gray spoke to host Ginger Zee about her mother’s premonition that she would win Miss Universe in a red gown, her talents as a singer and of course, her advocacy in helping children from impoverished areas, including working with an organization in the Philippines called, Young Focus Philippines. At the end of the interview Zee was definitely impressed, saying “Well, obviously you’re perfect, and that’s why you won Miss Universe!”

Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest welcomed Catriona Gray with open arms and also took the time to greet Gray a happy birthday, asking what she did to celebrate, as well as talk about her upbringing in the Philippines and moving to New York only 4 days ago which prompted Kelly Ripa to ask Gray what she thought about winter, and if she has a coat.

Gray confessed to going out with at least a minimum of 3 layers and jokingly said she sometimes looks like a siopao when she goes out. See Catriona Gray’s interview on Live with Kelly and Ryan below.

SANDRA OH AND DARREN CRISS ARE DOUBLE WINNERS AT GOLDEN GLOBES

It was a night of firsts for Sanda Oh who became the first person of Asian descent to host (alongside Andy Samberg) the Golden Globes and also became the first Asian performer to win multiple Golden Globes. Oh took home the Golden Globe last night for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama for her work in BBC America’s Killing Eve. In 2006, she was awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for playing Cristina Yang on Greys Anatomy. Oh is the first Asian woman to take home the Best Leading Actress award in over 35 years when Yoko Shimada won in 1981 for her role as Mariko in Shogun.

During Oh’s acceptance speech, she acknowledged her parents in Korean, bowing and saying “Mom, Dad, I Love You.”  

It was also an unforgettable night for Filipino American Darren Criss who won Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie for his portrayal of Andrew Cunanan in the FX special series, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Criss’ award makes him the first Filipino American Golden Globe Winner. During his acceptance speech, he recognized his Filipino mom.

“This has been a marvelous year for representation in Hollywood, and I am so enormously proud to be a teeny tiny part of that as the son of a firecracker Filipino woman from Cebu that dreamed of coming into this country and getting to be invited to cool parties like this. Mom, I know you're watching this.”

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story also won a Golden Globe for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

1ST GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR LEA SALONGA

Lea Salonga, along with her Once on This Island cast received a Grammy nomination (Best Musical Theater Album category) for their cast album. This is the first Grammy nomination for Salonga who was in disbelief. She admitted in a tweet that she had to visit grammy.com to verify the news.

@MSLEASALONGA TWITTER

In the Broadway musical Once on This Island, Salonga plays Erzulie, the goddess of love. The musical follows the story of a peasant girl and a French descended nobleman and the gods that watch over them.  

Joining the Once on This Island cast under the Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album category include albums of The Band’s Visit, Carousel, My Fair Lady and Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.

The 61st Annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 10th 2019 at the Staples Center.

Asian Representation - 2019 Golden Globe Nominations

The 2019 Golden Globe nominations were announced live this morning from the Beverly Hilton Hotel. As expected, Sandra Oh received a Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama nomination for her role in Killing Eve.  It’s been a wonderful 2018 for the actress who made history this year as the “first woman of Asian descent to be nominated for best lead actress in a drama series” for her work on the BBC America show Killing Eve. Previously, Oh received 5 Emmy nominations for best supporting actress in a drama series while playing Dr. Cristina Yang on ABC’s hit drama Grey’s Anatomy. She will also co-host the 2019 Golden Globes with comedian and Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg.

Filipino American Singer and Emmy winning actor Darren Criss also received a (Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television) nomination for his role as Andrew Cunanan in The Assasination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. The FX Show also received a nomination for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and will be going up against TNT’s The Alienist, Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora, HBO’s Sharp Objects and Amazon’s A Very English Scandal. Criss’ costars Penelope Cruz and Edgar Ramirez were also recognized for their work.

NBC’s The Good Place which stars Kristin Bell, Ted Danson, Jameela Jamil and Filipino born Canadian actor Manny Jacinto also received a nomination for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy.

On the big screen, the blockbuster hit Crazy Rich Asians received a Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy nod with Constance Wu also being recognized with a Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy nomination for her lead role in the film.

The animated movie Mirai was honored with a Best Motion Picture - Animated nomination. Mirai tells the story of a boy who runs away from home because he feels forgotten when his little sister Mirai joins his family. He encounters an enchanted garden where he meets a teenage Mirai and they enter a world of wonder, meeting characters from their past and future as they uncover their beautiful family’s story. Featuring the voices of John Cho and Daniel Dae Kim, Mirai is the 10th highest grossing Japanese film in 2018 (according to Wikipedia).

Another Japanese film, Shoplifters also received a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language. According to Wikipedia, Shoplifters is the 4th highest grossing Japanese film of 2018. Upon receiving the Golden Globe nomination, Director Hirokazu Kore-eda said, “Thanks to many people’s help, Shoplifters has spread its wings farther and farther since the Cannes Film Festival in May. As it is my first nomination for Golden Globe Awards, I am looking forward to being a part of this new experience. My thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press.”

Shoplifters won the Palm d’Or at the 2018 Cannes International Film Festival.

Filipino American Cinematographer and Academy Award nominee Matthew Libatique was the man behind the camera lens for A Star Is Born which received a nomination for Best Motion Picture – Drama. Libatique also made a couple of cameos in the film. In addition, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper received nominations for Best Actress and Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Cooper also received a Best Director – Motion Picture for the project.  

The 2019 Golden Globes will air live on NBC Sunday, January 6th.

For a complete list of the nominees, you can click here

Sandra Oh to Co-Host 2019 Golden Globe Awards

Killing Eve actress and Co-Executive Producer Sandra Oh and Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Andy Samberg will cohost the upcoming 76th Annual Golden Globes.

“Sandra and Andy are the perfect choices to host this world-class event,” said Paul Telegdy and George Cheeks, the co-chairmen of NBC Entertainment. “They bring wit, charm, and style to a room filled with the very best of film and television. It’s sure to be another unforgettable, fun-filled night.”

Although this will be the first time Oh and Samburg are hosting the awards show. They have taken home their own Globes. Samberg won twice for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Oh snagged a Globe as Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2006 for her character in Grey’s Anatomy.

This isn’t the first time Samburg and Oh hit the stage at an awards show together. Here is a clip of them presenting an award for the 2018 Emmy Awards.

Oh is the first person of color to emcee the show. And If all goes in Oh’s favor, she may also receive a nomination for her work in BBC America’s Killing Eve.

The Golden Globes will air live Sunday, January 6th on NBC.  

The nominations for the Golden Globes will be announced tomorrow morning.

Awkwafina to star in her own series for Comedy Central

Awkwafina is having a stellar year which includes a standout role in Crazy Rich Asians and costarring in Oceans 8 and hosting SNL. Now, Comedy Central has ordered 10 episodes of a half hour series by the star, fittingly titled, “Awkwafina”.  

The comedy will follow her character, “a twenty-something living in Queens, striving for a larger than life existence while living with her father and grandmother.” BD Wong will play her father, and Lori Tan Chinn will play her grandmother. In a statement, Awkwafina said, “I’ve been watching Comedy Central since I was old enough to hold a remote, and so many of their shows have defined who I am today…I am so honored to be given their platform to tell the story of an Asian-American girl against the backdrop of the city [in which] I was raised.”

Awkwafina wrote the pilot along with Kary Dornetto (Portlandia, SMILF) and Teresa Hsiao (Family Guy).

Awkwafina currently graces the cover of Entertainment Weekly alongside her Crazy Rich Asians costars, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan and Constance Wu. She will also be seen on the big screen in two films at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.