Kate Middleton is holding down the fort within the Royal Family, at least that is what royal commentators believe.

The Princess of Wales, officially known as Catherine, has become the new face of the British monarchy amid a series of controversies.

Now, a royal commentator is shedding light on Kate Middleton’s role in ensuring the public continues to see the Royal Family in a positive light.

Royals author Catherine Mayer sang Kate’s praises in a new cover story, crediting her for the wave of momentum the Royal Family is currently riding. She explained that the public’s positive view of the monarchy mostly stemmed from the Princess’s efforts, saying:

“Kate is the closest they have to a rockstar member these days, and she’s the one everyone wants to see. That’s a huge burden for anyone to carry.”

Mayer hailed the Princess of Wales’ resilience, telling PEOPLE that it couldn’t be easy for her to carry the weight of the monarchy’s spotlight on her shoulders while having “existential battles with her health.” Kate gradually returned to the spotlight after her cancer remission announcement in early 2025.

Mayer wasn’t the first to address the importance of Kate’s presence in the monarchy, as other royal commentators echoed similar sentiments in May. At the time, Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary, Ailsa Anderson, told the outlet about the Princess’s successful trip to Italy.

Thousands reportedly gathered below City Hall to welcome the future Queen, screaming “Kate!” and “Bellissima!” with children rushing forward to greet her. Anderson praised Kate for handling the situation with grace, noting she understood the weight of the spotlight on her.

Russell Myers, author of “William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story,” shared the same view, claiming the public had missed Kate’s “star quality.” He hailed her for having the ability to draw people in wherever she went, adding, “Catherine is undoubtedly a central force in the monarchy’s popularity.”

Not Everyone Warmly Welcomed The Future Queen’s Comeback

It seemed royal commentators weren’t the only ones who understood the importance of Kate’s comeback, as anti-monarchists were wary of her return to the spotlight. The Blast covered the story, reporting that these critics did not welcome the Princess at the Trooping the Color event.

While she was traveling in a carriage from the event to Buckingham Palace with her three children, George, Charlotte, and Louis, anti-monarchists could be heard booing and shouting at the family. The incident left a sour taste in Kate’s mouth, as her expression turned stern at her children’s discomfort.

Videos of the disrespectful moment went viral on social media platforms like X, incurring the wrath of fans. Many slammed critics for their uncouth behavior, arguing that they should not have insulted young children. Others defended the Princess of Wales, declaring she did not deserve such treatment.

The Senior Royal’s Health May Influence Her Official Duties

The anti-monarchists’ protest at Trooping the Color wasn’t aimed at Kate alone, as critics were against the monarchy as a whole. However, the chants aimed at the mother of three and her children, including statements such as “Not my King” and “Not my Queen.”

There were also protesters carrying signs about the former Prince Andrew. The latter’s February arrest amid his controversial ties to the late Jeffrey Epstein has cast a shadow over the monarchy in recent months, which Kate’s comeback tried to dispel.

However, her health may impact her future duties. The Blast shared that royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams suspected Kate might prioritize her family more and focus on “less stressful” engagements. Her recent visit to a cancer center in Manchester seemingly matched Fitzwilliams’ words.

Kate Middleton Dragged Into Another Drama With Her Estranged Sister-In-Law

Besides the disgraced Prince Andrew, another controversy plaguing the Royal Family was related to its estranged members, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle. Earlier this month, The Blast reported that the latter had stirred up another drama with Kate.

The issue began when a well-known critic of the Prince and Princess of Wales, The Notorious JTB, received a box of As Ever products from Meghan. The median personality documented the moment on social media, singing Meghan’s praises.

However, fans immediately called out the Duchess of Sussex for her petty behavior. They argued that her actions showed she was aware of those bashing her estranged in-laws on her behalf, with someone bashing her decision to reward one of those critics as “disgusting.”

Can Kate Middleton’s star power protect the monarchy from negative media?

An eyebrow-raising photo of Jaden Smith has internet users turnin’ their heads.

RELATED: In Tears! Clip Posted By Yandy Smith Has Internet Users Calling Her “YANDEECEES” (WATCH)

More On The Eyebrow-Raising Photo Of Jaden Smith

On Wednesday, June 17, The Shade Room obtained a photo of Jaden Smith. In the picture, he appeared to be naked but donning red paint on his body. Specifically, the photo showed him flashing his open palms at the camera as he covered his groin area.

Jaden Smith Had Internet Users TURNIN’ Their Heads

The photo of Jaden Smith appears to be connected to an apparent campaign he shot for Christian Louboutin. In September 2025, the brand announced Smith as its “first Men’s Creative Director.” Nonetheless, social media users gathered in TSR’s comment section, voicing their confusion.

He Previously Raised Eyebrows When He Made Headlines With Justin Bieber

This isn’t the first time Jaden Smith has raised eyebrows. As The Shade Room previously reported, in April 2024, Smith turned heads when he popped out at Coachella, and footage captured him walking up behind Justin Bieber, embracing him with a hug, and kissing him on the cheek. The footage left one social media user in The Shade Room’s comment section, writing, “A Bieber back hug followed by a Smith Smooch is freaky work 🤦🏾‍♂️”

RELATED: Justin Bieber & Jaden Smith Go Viral After Sharing A Kiss On The Cheek & Embrace At Coachella (Video)

By Henry Hards
| Published 12 seconds ago

Sylvester Stallone is an action god. Rambo, Cobra, Cliffhanger, he basically invented the modern muscle-bound hero who punches first and thinks later. What people don’t know is that Sly’s also the unsung hero behind Predator, one of the greatest sci-fi action franchises ever. No, he didn’t star in it (yet, don’t tempt Hollywood).

Stallone’s relentless sequel-churning career lit the fuse for Predator to become an alien-hunting masterpiece. This is how it happened.

Rocky vs. Aliens? Yeah, It’s a Thing

Back in the ‘80s, Stallone was pumping out Rocky and Rambo sequels like a machine. By Rocky IV (1985), he’s duking it out with communism in the form of Dolph Lundgren’s Ivan Drago. Hollywood insiders started cracking jokes like: “What’s next, Rocky fighting aliens?”

It was a sarcastic jab at Sly’s knack for beating up every human opponent on Earth. But that throwaway gag stuck with newbie screenwriters Jim and John Thomas. They didn’t laugh it off; they ran with it.

From Joke to Jungle Bloodbath

The Thomas brothers cooked up a script called Hunter, riffing on that Rocky vs. aliens idea. A gang of intergalactic weirdos (think Star Wars cantina rejects) hunting humans for sport, like a cosmic Most Dangerous Game.

They dialed it back to one badass alien stalking a commando team in a Central American jungle, a nod to the real-world violence tearing up the region. The script became Predator, and boom, a franchise was born. All because Sly couldn’t stop making sequels.

Writing Like Stallone

The Thomas brothers didn’t just stumble into this. They heard Stallone wrote Rocky in a feverish weekend, a rags-to-riches tale that screamed Hollywood dream. True or not (and let’s be real, Sly’s early days had some shady roles), that legend pushed them to bang out Hunter in a single weekend, chasing the same overnight glory. Without Stallone’s mythos, we might not have that cloaked, spine-ripping alien terrorizing Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Arnold vs. Sly: The ‘80s Action Showdown

Speaking of Arnold, Predator (1987) was his gig, not Sly’s. Ironic, right? Stallone’s rival got to flex as Dutch, mowing down jungle and alien alike, while Sly was busy with Rocky IV and Rambo II. By ‘87, Stallone had Oscar nods and was dabbling in comedies like Tango & Cash (a mess, but we love it).

Arnold? Still grinding in schlock like Commando. Predator was his glow-up, paving the way for Total Recall. And Sly’s shadow made it happen.

Sly’s Predator Legacy

Predator didn’t just launch a franchise; it birthed a legacy. It turned director John McTiernan into an action king and gave us comics, games, and that killer 2022 prequel Prey, which proved the series still has teeth. All this from a dumb joke about Stallone punching E.T. in the face.

So next time you’re watching a Predator rip spines for fun, tip your cap to Sylvester Stallone. He didn’t just shape action flicks; he accidentally sparked a sci-fi legend.

Bravo superfan Rihanna is firmly on Team Ciara Miller.

The “Diamonds” singer, 38, shared a message of support for the Summer House star recently, encouraging Ciara to keep shining amid ex West Wilson’s controversial relationship with her former BFF, Amanda Batula.

Ciara, 30, was interviewed on the red carpet at the 2026 Las Culturistas Culture Awards in May by Bravo’s roving reporter, Chanel Ayan of The Real Housewives of Dubai fame, and Chanel, 48, surprised her by reading out a text message she received from Rihanna.

“She said, ‘Just let her know, stay vibrating in her beautiful frequency,’” Chanel read from her phone in a video shared by Bravo on Wednesday, June 17. “She said, ‘And give god thanks that he’s relieved her of people who don’t deserve an inch of her now chapter. It’s a reward season, baby girl.’”

Related: Emma Stone Proves She Loves ‘RHOSLC’ With Jen Shah Confession

Nicki Minaj and Rihanna are self-proclaimed Real Housewives superfans — and they’re not alone. In July 2021, Minaj revealed via social media that she would love to host The Real Housewives of Potomac reunion, which host Andy Cohen supported. “I want to see this!” he wrote in the comments section of Minaj’s post. Several cast […]

“Oh, my god. I’m dead!” Ciara reacted to seeing Rihanna’s text message.

Ciara then continued to read out Rihanna’s inspiring words to her.

“Up and on. Now the petty bitch in me wants to say way more, but we’ll do that when I see her,” Rihanna said in the text message.

An excited Ciara told Chanel, “I’m obsessed with her. I listen to her. I mean, I was listening to her before I got ready for this.”

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Related: Ciara Miller Breaks Silence on Amanda Batula and West Wilson Romance

Ciara Miller has broken her silence on Amanda Batula and West Wilson‘s relationship. “It’s one thing to experience hurt behind closed doors,” Ciara, 30 said in an interview with Glamour published on Friday, April 17. “To experience it so publicly is like another layer, and then to have to see what you thought was your […]

“I feel like we have so much to talk about, and I can’t wait to catch up with her,” Ciara continued, noting that she was hoping to “kiki” and “throw shots back” with Rihanna, Chanel and Summer House costar Mia Calabrese in the near future.

The Las Culturistas Culture Awards took place on May 30 in Los Angeles and aired on Bravo on Wednesday.

Ciara picked up the Allison Williams Cool Girl Award at the awards ceremony and alluded to the drama with West and Amanda in her acceptance speech.

“Thank you so much. If by ‘cool,’ you mean utterly disappointed in everyone around me, yes, I am so f***ing cool,” the former nurse said.

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She added, “Obviously, this year has been a little rough, but you know what they say: the best revenge is winning the Allison Williams Cool Girl Award. And booking Love Island USA. And being in Shaboozey’s music video. And also being a registered nurse. And a model. So I’m gonna put this in the bathroom at my new house.”

In April, Ciara’s friend, Mia, 34, revealed on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen that Rihanna quizzed her about the Summer House scandal during a night out in New York City.

“I love her. I love RiRi. And she loves me. I think she loves Ciara as well,” Mia said at the time. “Rihanna wanted all the tea. As soon as she saw me, she beelined for me, took her glasses off, and said, ‘We need to talk.’ I said, ‘Anything for you.’”

Hallway chatter breaks the stillness, with an undeniable Scouse accent and laughter filling the air, ushering in a new energy to the sleek Manhattan lobby. “Hi, I’m Jodie!” the star beams as she puts her hand out for a shake. Though she has the unmistakable glow of an A-lister, the Emmy, Tony, and BAFTA winner is as genuine and down-to-earth as they come. She’s dialed into her environment, and she exudes gratitude for all the many moving parts and people that go into making her press day run as smoothly as possible. Her smile, authenticity, and calm confidence are contagious. Comer is the definition of class, and everyone should take notes.

‘The Death of Robin Hood’ Sparked Jodie Comer’s Contagious Curiosity

Comer and I sit at the end of a long table in the A24 library, where she excitedly offers me some of the muffin she was given at Live with Kelly and Mark, her first bit of press for The Death of Robin Hood. Her playful energy makes the conversation feel like we are two school friends picking up where we left off rather than meeting for the first time. “I got here yesterday, and it’s my first on-camera interview for the film, so it always feels like the first one is [where] you’re trying to figure out what your words are. They’re like, ‘Sum up the film,’ and you have two sentences to do so. How do you do that?”

The actress, who’s best known and beloved for her exceptional work as the charming assassin Villanelle in the critically-acclaimed series Killing Eve, is excited to talk about the film and her career. Written and directed by Michael Sarnoski, the movie is the definition of bleak, brutal, and bloody. The film, also starring Murray Bartlett, Noah Jupe, and Bill Skarsgård, more than earns its R rating, as it’s unafraid to lean into the literal and metaphorical darkness of Robin Hood’s world, and all the brutality that comes with it. With all of this in mind, it makes Comer’s response to my first question about her references for the film that much more unexpected. “I love Shrek, so my reference to Robin Hood is the Robin Hood song in there,” she says with a laugh, before adding, “Of course, growing up, there’s the ‘steals from the rich, gives to the needy’ loose framework or idea that you have of him. And I didn’t know much more, to be honest. So when I got Michael’s script, I just delved into that. I loved it because it felt like a much more human and tangible exploration.”

Comer perfectly captures the essence of the story with that brief description. Jackman’s take on the outlaw is not what you’d expect; his long-flowing white hair and eerily calm, Dirty Harry-like disposition put the audience both at ease and on the edge of their seat. “He was a man who’s lived and has lived in a very particular way and is having to reconcile with that life, which feels like you may not be able to relate to him on many, many levels, but also on a very base level. I think that’s something we all experience within our lives. So for me, I felt like I was really able to connect to him and the story.”

As the title implies, Robin Hood is at the end of his life, and that’s where Come comes in. The folkloric figureheads to a remote island — rather reluctantly — where he is to meet with Comer’s Sister Brigid, a woman with a mysterious and complicated backstory, as well as alleged “healing powers” that could aid the ailing outlaw. Comer’s a master of restraint and subtlety in her performances, which makes her the perfect choice for the part. “I loved her poise. She was an incredible observer and listener. I felt there’s a lot that she’s having to withhold. She’s holding a lot for everybody else, so she’s not always able to express her true feelings. I was fascinated… she references a lot of philosophy and mythology, and I was like, ‘Where does that come from?’”

There’s a beautiful, childlike wonder to nearly every word that falls from Comer’s mouth. She gets lost — in the best way — in her answers, as if she’s processing her experiences and relationship to her character and the film in real time, for the first time. As Comer’s gears continue to turn in her head, she explains why she was so drawn to this character. “What I loved about it was that everyone on the island is presenting as something else, or they’re hiding something,” adding, “[Brigid] was taken in by a prioress. She couldn’t read or write. These are things that she’s learned through story, and then this role is bestowed upon her. So even that is her own contradiction, and there’s little glimpses where you’re able to see that within the film.”

So many of Comer’s characters across stage and screen tell stories that are deeply rooted in perspective, which she agrees is “so true,” and her work in The Death of Robin Hood is no exception. Right when you think you know the extent of Sister Brigid and Robin Hood’s relationship, the rug is pulled out, and the entire movie feels different. “I also love that there’s quite a big revelation in the film of who Robin is and actually the connection that he has to her own past, and how she’s able to transmute her own pain. She doesn’t meet violence with violence. She’s also at a point where she’s connected with this man on a different level. Then she finds out that news. So there’s just a lot that she has to deal with in that moment, and I feel like she had a tremendous amount of grace. Which made me question, ‘God, would I be able to find that within myself?’”

Given our relaxed vibe, I joke that her character also has a “great haircut,” something that is… not true. Brigid has a choppy, temple-length bowl cut. Comer, without hesitating, leans in to the bit. “I mean, that’s the real reason,” she laughs, as we continue to dissect the character. “I think Michael was like, ‘Should we shave your hair?’ And I was like, ‘Absolutely not, Michael!’ she says with a massive laugh. “We wanted it to feel like she’d [cut her hair] herself. There was something very unself-aware, and a real lack of vanity and a bluntness and a weirdness. There’s something childlike but also quite masculine, as opposed to a lot of depictions of that time. So it just felt off. There’s a lot about that island and the energy of it that is mysterious and weird.”

Comer’s fascination with this character didn’t end with the film, as she just recently took an herbalism course, something Brigid would certainly approve of. But when preparing for the role — which doubled as a way to connect with nature, something she was trying to do more of anyway — Comer did what she does with every project: walked into a bookstore. “When I start a job, I like to go into a bookstore and see what jumps out at me.” One of these books was Why Women Grow: Stories of Soil, Sisterhood and Survival by Alice Vincent, as well as Melissa Febos‘ The Dry Season: A Memoir of Pleasure in a Year Without Sex. “I thought, well, that’s quite interesting because that’ll definitely be something that [Brigid] is practicing. What does that activate within your life? When you’re not having that connection to sex or a distraction per se, what else in your life becomes more vivid and apparent?”

For Comer, reading about medieval healthcare was the anchor of her preparation. “At that time, the mind, body, and soul were still very much connected, and each of those components was just as integral as the next, and that made a lot of sense to me. She’s always telling him stories. She’s actually never really telling him what to do. She’s encouraging him through her sharing of what she knows. It’s like breadcrumbs, trying to bring Robin back to himself.”

Stephen Graham Saw Something in Jodie Comer Many Years Ago

Photography by Celeste Sloman for Collider

Comer doesn’t come from a Hollywood family. Her mother worked for Merseyrail, and her father is a sports physiotherapist. “I was pretty fearless,” she says, thinking back on her childhood. “I was very vivacious. Always playing in the garden, picking up the frogs and the slugs,” the actress remembers fondly. “All my baby videos are me just constantly trying to be front and center. I watch them back, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this makes sense that I would want to do acting.’” Comer knows that she’s always been very sensitive, something that she now views as a “superpower” given her profession. “You’re constantly trying to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. You’re often reflecting on your own experiences and how they may mirror or how they differ.”

It was one of the earliest experiences on her acting journey that proved to be the most meaningful, even today. Back in 2012, Comer had a small role in the BBC One police procedural Good Cop. She didn’t necessarily think much of it, but her scene partner Stephen Graham — who’s most recently known for co-creating, writing, and starring in the Netflix phenomenon Adolescence — certainly did. Her few scenes in the episode were with him, and he was so taken by the innate talent that he gave her his contact info and encouraged her to reach out to him. Despite being a child who loved attention, Comer was quite hesitant to take him up on his offer. Thankfully, her father nudged her to reach out, and the young performer mustered up the courage to send him a text.

Her fears came true, albeit very briefly, when she didn’t hear back. “I just thought, ‘Okay, that was that,’” until everything changed in the blink of an eye, weeks later, when she needed it most. “I was on a train to London doing an audition for a pilot where I had to sing, I’d chosen an Adele song. Jesus Christ, talk about setting yourself up for a fail. I really didn’t want to go. I just was quite disheartened.” Then, as cliché as it sounds, one phone call changed everything. “I got a call from the Good Cop production company.” Graham, a man of his word, reached out and asked them if he could have her number. “He called me straight away, and he was like, ‘Where are ya?’ ‘I’m on the train to Liverpool, got this audition, don’t want to go.’” His exact words? “‘Fuck your audition off.’” Comer, who’s undoubtedly retold this story dozens of times by now, tells it with as much passion and thrill as though it were a secret she has been dying to tell someone. “‘Don’t go to your audition. You want to go meet my agent?’” It all feels almost too good to be true. “Divine intervention,” I say. Her eyes widen as she leans forward, agreeing. “Literally.”

Graham and Comer’s bond has only strengthened since then, with the pair teaming up for the 2021 film Help about the COVID pandemic and its impact on Sarah (Comer), a healthcare worker in Liverpool caring for Tony (Graham), who has early-onset Alzheimer’s. As if winning a BAFTA for her performance wasn’t enough, it was also the first project Comer executive-produced. “It was amazing to be a part of adapting the script and thinking about the cast, and just seeing how a piece like that forms and what goes into it.”

Comer’s been the star of several big-budget, high-profile films in the last few years, including a small role playing Rey’s mother in Star Wars: Episode I – The Rise of Skywalker. She then followed that up with Ridley Scott‘s The Last Duel with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, in which she played 14th-century woman Marguerite, who accuses her husband’s friend of raping her. In the crime drama The Bikeriders, she transforms into Kathy, the uninhibited wife of brooding biker Benny (Austin Butler), and effortlessly pulls off a thick Chicago accent. Add to that the survival thriller The End We Start From and the post-apocalyptic horror 28 Years Later to the list, and her movie career has mostly featured emotionally heavy, extremely serious subject matter (except for the Ryan Reynolds sci-fi comedy Free Guy).

But this is all a sharp contrast to how Comer carries herself. Comer is thoughtful, introspective, and inquisitive, and that is rounded off by a relaxed, up-for-anything attitude. She’ll gleefully get into the minutia of a performance and the dedication of her craft, but she just as easily comes across as severely unfussy, someone you’d be happy to get a pint with at the pub while you spend the afternoon talking about astrology.

‘Prima Facie’ and the Power of Perspective

Photography by Celeste Sloman for Collider

Every facet of Comer’s career is rather impressive and fearless, with her immense range evident in shows such as the E4 teen dramedy My Mad Fat Diary, where she plays Chloe, the pretty, popular best friend of main character with exceptional line delivery, Thirteen, a dark drama about a kidnap victim that proved Comer can easily lead a project, and Doctor Foster, the psychological thriller that sees her as “the other woman” in Gemma’s (Suranne Jones) marriage. But it’s her exceptional work in the play Prima Facie that is unsurpassed. Directed by Justin Martin (who most recently co-directed Stranger Things: The First Shadow) and written by Suzie Miller, the one-woman play follows Tessa (Comer), a bold barrister who defends men accused of sexual assault, only to have her entire perspective shift when she, herself, is sexually assaulted. Prima Facie, which was Comer’s explosive West End debut in 2022, was a critical success, earning Comer an Olivier Award and brightening the light on her extraordinary talents.

When it was announced that Prima Facie — which means “at first sight” in Latin — would be heading to Broadway, I was determined to secure tickets. At that time, Comer was riding the wave of the Killing Eve series finale (more on that later), and for many, it was hard to imagine her as anyone but Villanelle. It’s easy for actors to get typecast in a role, especially one tied to such a devoted fanbase, but when I saw Comer take the Golden Theatre stage, the assassin that a massive fandom had fallen in love with for four years was nowhere to be found. As Tessa, Comer speaks nonstop for an hour and 40 minutes with no intermission, and goes through a searing set of emotions, from unbridled confidence and dancing on a table to utter fear and hopelessness as her tears flow on the stage.

After such a successful period on the West End, Comer could have easily ended her run on that high note, but when I ask her if she had any hesitations about going to Broadway, her pure love of the craft shines through. “Weirdly, no, because it was so personally rewarding. It’s exhausting, but it’s also invigorating, and you learn so much doing theatre. It demands a lot of you. You really need your full commitment, as does every job, but there is a complacency that can happen within TV and film because you know you’ve got another chance. It’s very sporadic; you’re jumping from the end of a story to the beginning to the middle, it’s very quick. With theatre, you get the luxury to live out a whole story every night, and you get the opportunity to do it again the next day. I just loved it.”

As a dauntless and intrepidly daring performer, Prima Facie was the perfect project for her. “I think there’s also part of me that chases that feeling of exhaustion. I do want to feel like I’ve explored something deeply or that I’ve had to work hard and challenge myself, and there’s also just the beauty of the immediacy of being in a theatre and feeling that connection with people and holding that space.”

Earlier in our conversation, when Comer mentioned executive-producing Help, we discussed how, as an actor, you can feel almost helpless — to an extent, depending on the project — when it comes to the final product. “You might play a scene that’s at the end of the film that emotionally is right for that moment, and then you can see something screened and they put it at the start. It can be jigsawed, it can change so drastically that you’re absolutely at the mercy of.”

This makes her time as Tessa that much more precious. “Justin Martin, my director on the play, said that film is a director’s medium, TV is a writer’s medium, and theatre is an actor’s medium. You can rehearse, come up with all the ways you feel like it’s right. The director also leaves after opening night, it’s crazy. At first, I was like, ‘What?!’ but then you get used to it. But once you go out on stage, it’s yours, and things happen that aren’t meant to happen, or you find something new that invigorates the latter part of the play, and you’re like, ‘Wow, that’s never happened before,’ but you’re more in control of that.” Comer, unsurprisingly, won the Tony for Prima Facie, before taking the production to Ireland and back to the UK, where she, in a very full-circle moment, ended her run in Liverpool, where she was born and raised, this past March.

Comer Says ‘Killing Eve’ Was a “Brilliant” Experience Built on Teamwork

The project Comer is perhaps best known for is Killing Eve, the BBC America spy thriller that follows Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh), an MI5 agent stuck in a bit of a rut, who becomes fixated on the assassin Villanelle (Comer) and is quickly consumed by her. No one knows much of anything about the elusive killer, but Eve is determined to learn everything, even risking her life and the lives of the ones she loves to do so. The fanbase for the series, which is based on Luke Jennings‘ Codename Villanelle novellas, grew (and grew intensely) following its premiere in 2018, with fan accounts featuring edits of Villanelle’s best outfits, guises, kills, witty quips, and, of course, flawless accent gymnastics.

Killing Eve‘s entire cast is sharp. Oh nails Eve’s unpredictability, dedication, and snarky attitude with ease, Fiona Shaw embodies the pretension, smarts, and mystery of Carolyn, and Kim Bodnia, who plays Villanelle’s handler (though such a position is quite impossible), might have a tough exterior. Still, he cares deeply for his wildly unpredictable work companion. However, the series would not have worked had it not found its Villanelle. From the very first moment we lay eyes on the mischievous assassin — who sets the tone for her character when she purposely knocks ice cream onto a child’s lap and smirks — it is crystal clear that Comer is the only one who could pull off this juicy role. Comer won an Emmy and BAFTA in 2019 for Season 1, the same year Oh won a Golden Globe.

Tension mounts in every episode of the stylish series, not just because of the inherent white-knuckle-grip energy that comes with an espionage thriller and high-stakes government missions, but because of the growing sexual tension between Eve and Villanelle. Killing Eve is billed as a cat-and-mouse game between the two complex women, with Eve erring on the side of caution — initially. But Episode 5 of Season 1, “I Have a Thing About Bathrooms,” is where we get the first real taste of the intense sexual chemistry between the two leads, with Villanelle breaking into Eve’s home, much to Eve’s terror, with the sole objective of sharing a meal. Villanelle shouting, “I just want to have dinner with you!” to a petrified Eve is one of the many quotable lines uttered by the assassin, and unofficially kicks off their will-they-won’t-they dynamic for four seasons.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, of Fleabag fame, is credited with bringing Killing Eve to life, serving as showrunner and head writer for Season 1. Though the love for and dedication to these characters would only build, the series as a whole didn’t have a flawless reception, with some arguing that the tone and overarching narrative felt fractured in the latter half of the series. One of the possible explanations for this could be that each season had a new showrunner, meaning a new captain steering the ship. Season 2 was run by Emerald Fennell, Season 3 by Suzanne Heathcote, and Laura Neal for its final — and most divided — season. “I think it can innately be tricky,” Comer says when I ask her about the frequent changes in showrunner. “Each person has their own impression, their own viewpoint of the characters, and so it’s always going to be flowing, and it’s always going to have a different imprint on it, you know? You want to make sure that that is grounded by an innate sense of truth and loyalty to the characters, but it’s inevitable that it’s going to shift because we’re all so different and we all have different experiences to different things, depending on our own life experiences.”

I always wonder, when a series wraps, if the cast and crew keep in touch. “Not for a while, actually,” Comer says with an air of melancholy. It’s hard to imagine these people, who seem joined at the hip for such a long time, suddenly not speaking anymore. But the reality is that, well, it’s a job. “But I’ve just seen that Sandra is doing a play in London, I think! I have to go see her,” she says excitedly. “You’re thrust into these very intense situations for, like, eight weeks, and then you feel like, ‘This is my life!’ and then you’re gone. You have to be adaptable, and that doesn’t take away from anything that you have experienced with someone,” continuing, “You can support someone, but it doesn’t mean that you’re in each other’s pockets.”

When I suggest that it must be like an intense summer camp, Comer added, “It really, really is. It’s kind of crazy, but it’s brilliant. It’s brilliant because everyone is so open, which you have to be. We’ve got this amount of time, we’ve got this much to achieve, we’ve got to go, the only way you can do it is with teamwork.”

Comer Was Prepared for the Backlash to ‘Killing Eve’s Ending

Photography by Celeste Sloman for Collider

When talking about Killing Eve, there’s an obvious elephant in the room: the series finale. For most fans, the obvious preferred ending was to have Eve and Villanelle run off, hand in hand, happily ever after, having declared their love for each other. The series finale — spoiler alert — does feature Villanelle and Eve finally giving in to their temptations, sharing a passionate kiss, and even going on a cute date that feels like a scene pulled directly from an ’80s John Hughes movie. However, in the literal last few seconds of the episode, Villanelle is shockingly shot dead after having saved the day and jumping to safety in the water with Eve. The last thing you hear before the credits roll is a piercing shriek of anguish from Eve, which, for many fans, left a toxic taste in their mouth. When I mentioned the series earlier in the conversation, she lit up when I noted how passionate the Killing Eve fanbase remains to this day. I delicately ask Comer if she anticipated the reaction to be that intense, and she didn’t miss a beat, “I think so. Yeah. On some level, absolutely.”

People immediately pointed to the unfortunate “bury your gays” trope seen in media, which is when queer characters’ storylines ends in death disproportionally compared to straight characters. Perhaps there was a feeling that, if the show stayed under the tutelage of Waller-Bridge, Villanelle’s arc wouldn’t have ended the way it did. Even Jennings, the author of books for which the series is based, refused to be silent, penning a detailed, scathing critique of how the series wraps up for The Guardian. “The Season 4 ending was a bowing to convention,” he stated, “A truly subversive storyline would have defied the trope.” Jennings elaborated further, arguing, “How much more darkly satisfying, and true to Killing Eve’s original spirit, for the couple to walk off into the sunset together? Spoiler alert, but that’s how it seemed to me when writing the books.”

If you’ve studied the show since day one, Villanelle’s arc and growth as a person is immeasurable, especially evident in the Season 3 bottle episode, “Are You From Pinner?” — which Comer hilariously recounts to me as being “mental” — in which she goes home to Russia, and we pull back the layers to her wounded upbringing. “I remember when Shannon Murphy came through as a director [for that episode]. It was just this injection of life and clarity. She was like a cannonball. I felt like, ‘Oh, yes, I needed this.’” By the final season, Villanelle’s objectives and priorities have shifted, which makes the final scene all the more devastating. So devastating, in fact, that Jennings was compelled to erase it from everyone’s memory, writing another novel, Killing Eve: Resurrection, which picks up where the finale left off, revealing that Villanelle faked her death and that Eve and Villanelle’s relationship continues.

“When people are spending so much time with these characters, you know there is going to be an expectation. Each individual person will have their own relationship to what they see is right or just, so that is always going to be out of your control,” adding, “It’s hard though, because, once you’re in it, you have to focus on what you’re doing and the material that you have. I will say that everyone who worked on it wanted it to be the best that it could be in that moment. It’s hard if you feel like people feel disappointed by something. I had the most amazing time on that show. I learned so much. I had so much fun.”

Jodie Comer Is Ready To Return to Television

Photography by Celeste Sloman for Collider

As the conversation winds down, Comer unintentionally brings it back to the beginning, as she mentions reuniting with The Death of Robin Hood‘s Sarnoski for The Chain. The show is based on the novel of the same name by Adrian McKinty, which follows a suburban mom who will go to unspeakable lengths to get her daughter back when she is kidnapped. Comer begins filming on the 8-episode HBO limited series thriller later this year with Damon Lindelof at the helm and Sarnoski directing the pilot and executive-producing the series.

“You spend a couple of episodes with a director, and someone else will come in, and the energy shifts because they work in a different way, and you have to move with it,” she notes when describing the chaotic, yet rewarding process of making television. “I haven’t done TV for a while, and I was like, ‘Oh boy, I forgot about this.’”

Our conversation ends, and Comer continues with her packed press schedule. She admits that she’s a bit relieved to be doing press in the coming days with her castmates. Comer easily has enough star power to promote the film on her own, but is humble enough not to want to take up all the spotlight. We return to where our day started — the A24 lobby — which is now filled with people preparing for her photoshoot. Comer’s enthusiasm for the day hasn’t waned at all, as she chats with her team, takes the Polaroid photo that all celebrities take when it’s their first time at the office, and gets her makeup touched up ahead of the shoot.

“It’s so quiet,” she says with a smile, breaking up the nonexistent tension and allowing everyone to veer, ever so slightly, from their focus on their individual tasks. “Now’s your chance to sing Adele,” I cheekily suggest, to which Comer responds with a that’ll-be-the-day laugh. If our conversation proved anything, though, it’s that Comer is unafraid to face any obstacle that comes her way, and if anyone is going to pull off the impossible, it’s her.

Photography: Celeste Sloman | Hair: Christian Wood | Makeup: Emily Cheng | Styling: Emma Jade Morrison | Dress: The Row

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The Death of Robin Hood

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Release Date

June 19, 2026

Runtime

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123 Minutes

Director

Michael Sarnoski

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Writers

Michael Sarnoski

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Before Disney+ transformed Star Wars into a television powerhouse, George Lucas had plans for an ambitious live-action series that would have explored one of the franchise’s darkest stories: the rise of Emperor Palpatine.

During a recent appearance at Spacecon 2026, Ian McDiarmid, who portrayed Palpatine throughout the saga, revealed surprising new details about the long-canceled project. According to the actor, Lucas envisioned a series centered on the Emperor’s political ascent and the methods he used to seize control of the galaxy.

“[George Lucas] was talking about, I think I can tell you now, a television series,” McDiarmid said. “At the time we didn’t think about Star Wars in terms of television series. Very speculative. We had lunch one day, and he said I’ve got this idea, and I hope you might want to be involved. We could sort of follow the Emperor’s progress, like Hitler’s, some of that. There might be an assassination attempt, and of course it wouldn’t succeed. It sounded really exciting. And he also said that maybe you could direct one, and then I fainted. But sadly, that didn’t come to pass.”

While McDiarmid did not specifically name the series, many fans believe he was referring to Star Wars: Underworld, Lucas’ long-gestating live-action project that was set between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The series reportedly spent years in development, with more than 50 scripts written before its enormous production costs ultimately led to its cancellation.

Ian McDiarmid, Sheev Palpatine

Star Wars: Underworld was intended to explore the criminal and political underworld of Coruscant during the early days of the Empire. Producer Rick McCallum previously described the show as a darker, grittier take on the franchise, focusing on the power struggles occurring as the Empire tightened its grip on the galaxy.

What’s especially intriguing about McDiarmid’s comments is the suggestion that Palpatine would have played a much larger role than fans previously believed. Earlier reports indicated the Emperor would remain mostly in the background, but Lucas apparently envisioned a deeper examination of his rise to power and the political maneuvering that allowed him to transform the Galactic Republic into an authoritarian regime.

The comparison to historical dictators isn’t entirely new. Lucas has previously spoken about Palpatine’s rise as a cautionary tale about how democracies can slowly become dictatorships, drawing inspiration from several real-world historical figures and political movements.

Although Star Wars: Underworld never made it to screens, its influence can still be felt throughout modern Star Warsprojects. Many of the ideas and technologies developed for the series eventually helped pave the way for shows like The Mandalorian, ensuring that Lucas’ ambitious vision wasn’t entirely lost to history.

Amanda Seyfried has opened up about the special relationship she shares with her pets, calling her longtime dog, Finn, her “soulmate.”

In a previous remark about Finn, the “Mean Girls” actress explained that he changed her life in a major way, making her realize that a part of her needed him and the joy he brought.

Seyfried also recently reflected on the backlash she faced over a controversial comment about Charlie Kirk, admitting that she feared for her safety and ended up with a bodyguard.

Amanda Seyfried has doubled down on how deeply connected she feels to her pet dog, Finn.

In an interview with British GQ that has been making the rounds online, the “Mamma Mia!” actress revealed that her beloved Australian Shepherd is undeniably her “soulmate” and opened up about her love for animals.

“I think I have about 50 animals at this point,” she began, adding that she recently lost an old horse but was not sad because the animal lived a “good, grateful life.”

“My soulmate is my dog, Finn,” she continued. “He’s 16½ years old. He was my first dog. I fell so hard in love with life when I met him.”

Seyfried went on to say that aside from Finn, her “favorite animal” is her horse, Herman, whom she noted used to be “an NYPD officer.”

She added that they have a “connection” and that she cannot imagine “not being able to have access to all kinds of animals.”

Social Media Weighs In On Seyfried’s ‘Soulmate’ Comment

Several social media users extended grace to “The Dropout” actress and shared encouraging words following the loss of her pet. Others took to the comment section to gush about her years-long relationship with Finn.

A Reddit user said, “Her relationship with Finn is iconic. Their photos are always so cute. I feel the same way about my dog. My partner and family basically accepts my true soulmate is my dog. We get each other.”

“I’m so glad Finn is still around. I think he’s the celeb pet I’d legit be sad about passing lol,” another user wrote.

Others were puzzled that Seyfried would refer to the animal as her “soulmate,” even though she is married.

“As I was watching it, I wondered what her husband thinks about her dog being her soul mate LOL, hopefully he’s accepting, too,” one user joked.

How Finn Helped Amanda Seyfried Through Anxiety

For fans who follow Seyfried closely, her declaration of love for Finn comes as no surprise.

The furry pet has been a constant fixture by her side for well over a decade and has also appeared with her on late-night talk shows, in magazine shoots, and across her social media account.

In a previous chat with PEOPLE, she disclosed that she used to battle panic attacks and anxiety until she met “the one” on the set of the HBO show “Big Love,” which ran from 2006 to 2011.

“As soon as he was mine, like 24 hours after I got him, I realized something about me needed him,” Seyfried said. “He completely changed my life and helped me find my solitude and my independence. When you have a lifestyle like I did when I was in my early twenties, there were no constants.”

“It was just hard to know where I was going to be the next month because of my career,” she continued. “That’s why I got him.”

Seyfried Tries To Bring Finn To Set

Seyfried added that Finn was instrumental in helping her get her anxiety under control. Since then, she has made sure to negotiate it into her film contracts so Finn can be by her side on set as much as possible.

“My anti-depressant has been a lifesaver,” she said.

“I just can’t picture being anywhere without him,” she says. “Except England. Every time I do a movie over there, I have to leave him. I wouldn’t put him through that plane ride unless I was there for long enough to make sense because he has such a good life when he’s being babysat by my agent.”

Amanda Seyfried Feared For Her Safety After Charlie Kirk Backlash

Seyfried caught some flak last year when she replied to an Instagram Reel compilation of Charlie Kirk, calling him “hateful.”

The comment triggered backlash from Kirk’s supporters, who accused her of implying that his shooting death was justified.

She later shared an Instagram statement saying, “I can get angry about misogyny and racist rhetoric and ALSO very much agree that Charlie Kirk’s murder was absolutely disturbing and deplorable in every way imaginable.”

During her recent interview with British GQ, she admitted that she feared for her own safety after the barrage of backlash, revealing that she even had to hire a bodyguard.

“A, I’m allowed to f-cking voice my feelings, and B, do it in a way that’s not unkind necessarily,” she noted, adding that there is “an outsized fear and hatred and impulse to bash and to tear down,” and she did experience it a little.

“I want my kids to be able to feel safe to voice their opinions as long as they’re not harmful,” Seyfried continued. “So, I’m like, ‘What do I do? What do I say?’ And then all of a sudden I find myself with a f-cking bodyguard at the airport, and I’m like, ‘This is crazy.’”

Harlan Coben‘s stories are unmistakable: they’re emotional, fast-paced, and twisty. The mystery author has produced over a dozen stories for various streaming platforms, most of which are available on Netflix. Over ten of his shows are available to stream right now. The latest entrant is another crime thriller that follows a father on a mission to uncover the truth about his son’s disappearance. Many of Coben’s shows are hits with viewers, consistently appearing in the top ten in the period after their release. But the shows tend to divide critics, and this latest one has proven so.

Titled I Will Find You, the series follows David, played by Avatar‘s Sam Worthington. David has been serving a prison sentence after being convicted of the murder of his son. However, he has someone in his corner in the form of his sister-in-law Rachel (Britt Lower), who never believed David was guilty of the crime. While David has been imprisoned, Rachel, an investigative journalist, has unearthed evidence that her nephew Matthew is still alive. She brings the evidence to David, who decides to break out of prison and find his son. He must outsmart shadowy organizations and law enforcement in his quest to bring Matthew home.

Is ‘I Will Find You’ Worth Watching?

After ten or so shows, the story sounds like typical Harlan Coben, and that’s the exact problem critics found with the show. I Will Find You has debuted with a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes, signaling a divisive story. This is not Coben’s worst-rated show, but with hits like Run Away, it’s his lowest-rated show this year. Most critics weren’t impressed, and others were downright disappointed by the story’s mediocrity. Collider’s Taylor Gates noted that a missing-person story is not new on TV, but I Will Find You‘s biggest problem is its characters, who make viewers feel like they’ve seen them before in a dozen other shows. “There is ultimately a genericness [in the characters] that permeates, leaning into tropes and archetypes — the persistent reporter, the shady benefactor, the rogue cop, etc. — instead of creating more well-rounded, fleshed-out individuals,” she wrote in her review of I Will Find You Season 1.

Other critics shared similar sentiments, noting that even with flaws such as weak characters and pacing issues, I Will Find You delivers an engaging story. ScreenRant‘s Cher Thompson said the show “makes a concerted effort to ensure that its mystery makes sense and comes to a satisfying conclusion.” Meanwhile, Nick Schager of The Daily Beast compared the show to junk food that “makes viewers crave additional servings (no matter how bad they feel afterward).”

All episodes of I Will Find You are available to stream on Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

June 18, 2026

Network

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Netflix

Showrunner

Robert Hull

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Directors

Adam Davidson, Maggie Kiley, Maja Vrvilo, Brad Anderson

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Writers

Robert Hull, Harlan Coben

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