Entertainment

Cumberbatch stars in Jane Campion's Western The Power of the Dog as Phil Burbank, a hyper-masculine cattle rancher living on the plains of Montana in the 1920s. We talk about how body odor helped him channel the character, toxic masculinity, and filming on location in breathtaking landscapes of New Zealand. Cumberbatch also shares stories from his past — like his experiences teaching English at a Tibetan monastery and getting kidnapped in South Africa in 2005.

Cox says ruthless business tycoon Logan Roy is one of the most extraordinary roles he's ever played: "He is a misanthrope [who] is very disappointed with the human experiment." We talk with the Scottish actor about the musicality of his voice, why he doesn't practice method acting, and growing up in poverty.

While her friends and family went to the Australian beaches, Kidman stayed indoors reading — and imaged herself as a character in the books. She says reading is what led her to acting. We talk with the Oscar-winning actor about ageism in Hollywood, singing in a cover band as a teenager, and playing Lucille Ball in Being the Ricardos.

The Oscar-winning actor starred in films like In the Heat of the Night and To Sir, With Love, and helped pave way for other Black actors in Hollywood. He died Jan. 6. Originally broadcast in 2000.

The actor spoke with contributor Ann Marie Baldonado about navigating Hollywood as a young actor of color at a time when there were only stereotypical roles available — and why he took a break from acting to work in the Obama administration. He's best known for his roles in the Harold and Kumar franchise, The Namesake, and on the TV series House. His new memoir is You Can't Be Serious.

Dunst says acting opposite her husband, Jesse Plemons, in Jane Campion's new Western is an experience she'll never forget: "It was very special. ... He's my favorite actor to work with."

Culkin plays one of three siblings vying for control of a media empire. The character, he says, "doesn't really know what [it] means to suffer consequences." Originally broadcast Dec. 6, 2021.

In her latest film, Cruz plays a 40-something single woman who becomes pregnant unintentionally. While at the hospital, her character meets a pregnant teen who is very unhappy about having a baby.

The Tony Award-winning actor previously wrote about his childhood in Scotland and his abusive father. Cumming's new memoir centers on love, sexuality, career and mental health.

In Bruised, which is now available on Netflix, Berry plays a disgraced mixed martial arts fighter named Jackie Justice, who takes on MMA's newest star. She does this to win back her name while figuring out how to be a mother to her estranged child. It's a role that Berry identifies with fundamentally.

Kieran plays, Roman Roy, one of three self-involved adult siblings vying to take over Waystar Royco, the family-run media conglomerate, after their elderly father retires or dies. Roman, the youngest brother, is known for his slimy sense of humor and casual zingers.

MacDowell plays a woman who appears to have an undiagnosed mental health disorder that leaves her in a near constant state of mania. MacDowell says she feels particularly attuned to her 'Maid' character, because her own mother also struggled with mental illness and alcoholism.

The noted sleight-of-hand artist, who died in 2018, was also a scholar of con games and oddities. This week, Sotheby's auctioned off part of Jay's 10,000-item collection. Originally broadcast in 1998.

Scolari, who died Oct. 22, played opposite Tom Hanks in the ABC sitcom Bosom Buddies, and later co-starred in Newhart. He won an Emmy for his role on Girls. Originally broadcast in 1988.

Majors was nominated for an Emmy for his role in the HBO series Lovecraft Country. Now he stars as an outlaw seeking revenge in The Harder They Fall, a western featuring an all-Black cast.

Oscar Isaac plays a disgraced military man dealing with trauma from the Iraq war in the film, The Card Counter. He co-stars with Jessica Chastain in the HBO limited series Scenes from a Marriage, and he's one of stars of the new film Dune.

Billy Porter won an Emmy for his starring role on Pose, an FX series set in the underground gay and trans ball culture of the late '80s and '90s. Porter grew up in the Pentecostal church convinced that he would be damned for being gay. It wasn't until he was introduced to the world of theater in sixth grade that he began to imagine a different future.

The British actor and singer played abolitionist Harriet Tubman in Harriet, and Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha. Now Erivo has a debut album. "I sing often with a bit of a smile," she says.

Dear Evan Hansen star Ben Platt suffers from anxiety, but not when he's on stage. Platt drew on his own anxiety to play Evan Hansen, a socially insecure high-school senior who lies about having been close friends with a classmate who dies by suicide. Platt originated the role and went on to win a Tony for his performance in the original Broadway production. Now, he's starring in a new film adaptation of the musical.

B.J. Novak served as a writer and an executive producer of The Office, and played Ryan, one of the stars of the series. Novak created the new topical anthology series The Premise. Each episode deals with an important cultural issue, like social justice, sex tapes, guns, and how we’re shaped by social media. Novak talks about both shows, his early days doing standup, and how his idea of comedy and good writing was affected by his father, writer William Novak.