Jon Bernthal has a type, at least in the characters he plays. Whether portraying a corrupt cop, mobster, vigilante, or con man, the actor often brings his signature brash sensibility to these men who straddle the line between good and evil. And The Punisher star will be the first to admit he has struggled with the same angry tendencies as his on-screen counterparts.

At nearly 50 years old, he has hit a professional peak — starring in Hulu, Netflix, and Disney+ originals, making his Broadway debut, and joining Tom Holland in the summer blockbusters The Odyssey and Spider-man: Brand New Day. But many fans would be shocked to know Bernthal got his start in comedy. His first starring role was as a series regular in The Class, a short-lived sitcom from Friends co-creator David Crane and his partner Jeffrey Klarik.

Jon Bernthal’s Surprising Start Was on ‘The Class’

Image via CBS

While the largely forgotten CBS sitcom premiered in 2006 and went off the air after just one season, the role provides viewers with the chance to see Bernthal in a different light. The series followed a group of former third grade classmates who reunite as adults. Bernthal played Duncan Carmello, a contractor who lives with his mom while pining for his high school girlfriend, Nicole Allen (Andrea Anders). The Class also featured future stars Lizzy Caplan, Jason Ritter, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, actors who have continued pursuing comedy with the Now You See Me franchise, Kevin (Probably) Saves the World, and the long-running Modern Family among their later projects.

While reminiscing about the “formative” experience during a May 2026 episode of Dinner’s On Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Bernthal told his former co-star that getting the job felt like a “fluke.” Still, his character had an ease on the show flirting with Anders and serving as a foil for Ferguson’s Richie Velch, a man on the brink of suicide and fresh out of an unhappy marriage. Looking back, even Duncan showed glimpses of the Bernthal modern fans have come to expect. While he is not necessarily aggressive, Duncan is a masculine, confident, and romantically-experienced man working a blue-collar job.

The half-hour comedy was filmed as a multi-camera in front of a live studio audience. But the experience set Bernthal on a different path, explaining to Ferguson on his podcast that while the production was “magical,” he felt like an outsider ill-equipped for the format. And with a few exceptions, like guest appearances on How I Met Your Mother, Robot Chicken, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Bernthal has avoided not only the medium but the genre. Instead, he referenced other auditions from that time that aligned more with his future roles, including the World War II miniseries, The Pacific.

Despite his reservations and its eventual cancellation, The Class won “Best New Comedy” at the 2007 People’s Choice Awards. Some dedicated fans even launched an ill-fated petition to reverse The Class’ cancellation. But in today’s light, The Class has been scored somewhat harshly, only earning a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes and unable to be streamed on any service without purchasing the season outright.

Lizzy Caplan Offered Support After Jon Bernthal’s Arrest

Image via Warren Feldman/©Showtime/courtesy Everett Collection

Bernthal’s characters often share this violent streak that he had to work through himself. As if a storyline ripped from one of his movies, Bernthal faced a personal crisis a couple of years after The Class ended. During an appearance on the Howard Stern Show, the actor explained that his July 2009 arrest was the “single most important event” in his life. Bernthal recounted to the radio host that a drunk man called over Bernthal’s dog during a walk and wouldn’t initially release him. He retrieved his dog, but explained the man started following him despite protests to stop. Bernthal was arrested after knocking the man unconscious, revealing to Stern, “You know these cops are telling me, ‘If this guy doesn’t wake up, that’s it for you.’ I remember sitting there on that bench just so disgusted with myself and utterly disappointed with myself.”

Vowing to make a change, Bernthal actually found help in his former The Class co-star, Lizzy Caplan. During an appearance on Dinner’s On Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, he revealed the Mean Girls actress reached out after the incident. She set up Bernthal with someone to talk to, who he told Ferguson was “instrumental” in helping him finally work through his anger issues. Bernthal added, “I’m forever indebted to her.”

Jon Bernthal Pursued Drama After ‘The Class’

Bernthal is hardly the first sitcom star to pursue dramatic roles. He joins the likes of Steve Carrell who dropped his Michael Scott persona in Foxcatcher, Bryan Cranston who transitioned from Malcolm in the Middle to Breaking Bad, Melissa McCarthy who earned an Oscar nomination for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and Katey Sagal who went from nagging housewife to motorcycle matriarch. But while they all oscillate between the two genres, Bernthal has spent the years since The Class playing gun-toting, foul-mouthed men in a series of gritty dramas and action films.

The Bernthal typecast first really emerged when he took on the role of Shane Walsh in AMC’s The Walking Dead, following it up with roles like The Wolf of Wall Street, The Accountant duology, and We Own This City. But as he admitted during an appearance on Dinner’s On Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson, there has been no great strategy to his career. Not worrying about being stereotyped, Bernthal told Insider in 2017 that he tries “to make these characters as specific as possible and as unique as possible.”

Looking back on Bernthal’s turn on The Class, it would be easy to write off the experience as fairly inconsequential in becoming one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. How could a fairly affable character on a long-forgotten sitcom be relevant when discussing a man known for playing hyper-masculine, morally gray roles? In reality, the short-lived CBS series was just the first domino to fall. Had he not had that experience, and had it not been canceled, he may not have clarified the roles he’d be drawn to. But more than that, in that brief time he built lifelong relationships that ended up resetting the trajectory of his life. As Bernthal said, he is indebted to Caplan for helping him get the resources to overcome his anger issues, issues he can tap into for the type of men he plays. In the grand scheme of lost one-season series, The Class’ lasting legacy may just be that of Bernthal’s impressive career.

Sam Asghari is an actor, model, reality star, and former personal trainer who was married to pop star Britney Spears. The two met on the set of her “Slumber Party” music video in 2016 and started dating shortly thereafter. Before they tied the knot in June 2022, Asghari signed an ironclad prenup protecting the “Toxic” singer’s pre-marital assets and ensuring that he received no payout, spousal support, or rights to her music catalog.

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Britney Spears has been in the industry since she was a child, so it’s no surprise that Celebrity Net Worth has her listed at $130 million. Although Britney’s ex-husband Kevin Federline’s net worth is listed at $700,000, the website only lists Sam Asghari’s net worth as $250,000.

The actor was born Hesam Asghari in Iran and moved to the U.S. with his family when he was 13. He became an American citizen in 2012, at the age of 18. A few years later, he launched a modeling career with his sister’s support and appeared in magazines such as Men’s Health and GQ.

In 2018, he had a small role in a “Star Trek” spoof movie and appeared in a few episodes of the Showtime series “Black Monday” in 2021. That same year, he also had a small part in Mel Gibson’s “Hot Seat.” However, he is best known for his relationship with Britney Spears.

Sam Asghari Met Britney Spears In 2016

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Although Britney Spears was entered into a court-ordered conservatorship in February 2008, she managed to strike up a relationship with the former personal trainer after he appeared in the music video for her hit song “Slumber Party.”

Even though Britney is 12 years older than the actor, they stuck together through the pandemic and became engaged in September 2021. The controversial conservatorship was struck down by a judge two months later, and they tied the knot at her estate in Thousand Oaks, California, in June 2022.

After 14 months of marriage, Asghari filed for divorce in August 2023, citing “irreconcilable differences” according to court documents obtained by The Blast. In a brief statement, he asked fans to be “kind and thoughtful” amid their divorce, noting “asking for privacy seems ridiculous.”

Celebrity Net Worth noted that Spears’ net worth was only $60 million when they married; however, her lucrative book deal for her memoir, “The Woman In Me,” contributed significantly to her net worth.

Sam Asghari Might Have Lost Millions In The Divorce

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As The Blast previously reported, the former couple signed an agreement stating that Asghari would receive “$1 million per every two years” of their marriage. According to the documents, the amount was capped at $10 million after fifteen years. However, Asghari called it quits after just fourteen months, and reports have since indicated that he received “no payout” from the divorce.

However, he was allowed to keep any gifts Britney gave him during the marriage, as well as his impressive car collection. The prenup that he signed also reportedly included an “extensive confidentiality clause” that prevented him from discussing her relationship.

Sam Asghari Reflects On His Marriage To Britney Spears

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Even though he has not publicly discussed the downfall of their relationship, he has come to accept that most people know him as the pop star’s ex. As The Blast previously reported, Asghari admitted that he will forever be known as “Mr. Britney Spears” while promoting his new movie “The Gentleman Thief” with John Travolta.

When asked if there would be a time when people didn’t ask him about the pop star, he told Page Six that it’s “never going to happen” but admitted that he is “fully ready to answer those questions.”

Since breaking things off with the pop star, Asghari has begun dating Brooke Irvine. They have been together for two years and live in Los Angeles with their dog Porcha. He told the outlet that his new girlfriend is “amazing” and “super supportive,” even with his hectic filming schedule.

Looking ahead, Asghari admitted he is open to starting a family with Irvine. “I’m focused on my career now, but what I’ve learned is if I’m going to create a future in Hollywood, I’m going to have to put myself at risk and not my family and the people that are next to me,” Asghari said. “But, yeah, at some point, who doesn’t want to have a family? I mean, everybody wants to have a family.”

Las Vegas is built for unforgettable nights, and “The Hangover” gave us one nobody in the movie could remember (and many Vegas visitors want to reproduce). 

From Caesars Palace to the middle of the desert, Las Vegas provided the perfect backdrop for some unforgettable misadventures in the wildly popular 2009 film “The Hangover” and parts of “The Hangover III.” The Blast rounded up some of the real Vegas spots featured in the hit comedy, including the spots you can still visit today for some great photo recreations and the iconic locations that have since disappeared. 

This story is accompanied by a reel of the popular movie locations on The Blast’s social media pages, and is part of a weekly Vegas TV, movie, and celebrity series called “The Vegas Files.”  

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One of the most iconic lines in “The Hangover” has to be when Alan is standing inside Caesars Palace and asks, “You probably get this a lot. This isn’t the real Caesars Palace, is it? Did Caesar live here?”

Caesars Palace practically became a character in “The Hangover,” with the Wolf Pack checking in, stumbling through the lobby and elevators, and making plenty of questionable decisions along the way.

From the valet entrance and front desk to the hallways, pools, and rooftop, the movie used Caesars Palace as its backdrop often. According to Casino.org, the hallway and elevator scenes were shot on the 24th floor of the Augustus Tower. One thing many might not realize is the trashed hotel suite was one of Hollywood magic, as it was a Burbank soundstage set. But the rest of the guys’ Caesars adventure was filmed on property on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip. 

According to Casino.org, many people still call Caesars Palace in the hopes of renting “The Hangover Suite,” but sadly for them, it doesn’t exist. While you can’t visit a suite named “The Hangover Suite,” there are plenty of well-known “Hangover” locations in and around Caesars that you can visit.

Atomic Liquors Downtown Las Vegas

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One of Downtown Las Vegas’ oldest bars got a brief but memorable cameo in “The Hangover.” 

Atomic Liquors makes an appearance during the chaotic car-crash sequence, when Mr. Chow’s Cadillac Escalade comes barreling into the Wolf Pack’s Mercedes.

The bar’s iconic exterior and sign can be spotted in the scene, giving this historic Fremont Street watering hole a fun connection to one of Vegas’ most famous comedy films. 

You can visit this iconic Downtown Las Vegas spot! Check out their website for more information.

Jean Dry Lake Just Outside Of Las Vegas

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The Wolf Pack’s Vegas adventure eventually takes them far beyond the Strip and into the middle of the desert. (It’s really not that far away — about 30 minutes by car, depending on what part of the Strip you are coming from.)

Jean Dry Lake, just outside of the tiny town Jean, Nevada, provided the perfect backdrop for the scene where Phil, Stu, and Alan meet Mr. Chow to swap money for their friend Doug, only to find out he has the wrong Doug. The barren landscape makes the scene feel like it could be literally anywhere in the middle of nowhere, but this filming location is actually just a short drive south of Vegas.

Jean Dry Lake remains a popular location for filming and photo shoots, and has been seen in other movies, such as “Casino.” 

Gone But Not Forgotten

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Not every iconic Vegas spot in “The Hangover” is still around. Some didn’t survive Sin City’s glow-up over the years.

A few of the most notable spots in the movie that no longer exist include the Riviera, where Alan counts cards, the Wild Wild West, which doubled as Jade’s apartment, and Hostel Cat, former Bungalows Hostel facade, which was the fictional Best Little Chapel for the film. Another spot that no longer exists is outside of Vegas – the Chevron gas station in Jean.

Vegas Spots In ‘Hangover III’

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The Wolf Pack returned to Vegas in “The Hangover Part III” and of course, there were plenty of familiar spots featured in the movie. They returned to Caesars Palace, where Phil and Alan sneak into Mr. Chow’s penthouse, as well as visited Planet Hollywood, Paris Las Vegas, and Bally’s, which is now Horseshoe Las Vegas. 

Another well-known spot in the third movie was Main Street Peddlers Antique Mall in the Arts District. This is where Alan meets Cassie, the pawn shop clerk who ends up being his love interest.

FYI…Main Street Peddlers Antique Mall is open, so if you want to check out where scenes from “The Hangover III” were filmed, this is a great spot to visit.

The Hangover Movie Bar Inside Madame Tussauds

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If you’re looking for more Wolf Pack fun, head on over to Madame Tussauds at The Venetian and step into some scenes from the movie for photo ops and laughs.

Explore immersive sets including the wedding chapel, the guys’ trashed suite, and don’t forget to take a peek in the bathroom behind Mike Tyson! This area of the famed wax museum also has a functioning bar offering cocktails with interesting “Hangover” themed names such as “What Happened Last Night,” “Mr. Chow’s Mai Tai,” “Baby Carlos Margarita,” “Royal Flush,” and of course, “Wolf Pack.”

For more information about The Hangover Movie Bar at Madame Tussauds, visit the website.

There are so very few video game worlds that have a visual identity as instantly recognizable as Cyberpunk 2077. The world of Night City is just drenched in neon, there are enormous corporations everywhere you turn, and you have to look cool if you want to get ahead — that’s how to survive there. The game has also evolved well beyond video games by this point, with projects like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, not to mention merchandise and numerous collaborations, too. But now, you can look like you’re part of the solution in Night City.

Cyberpunk 2077 has officially teamed with GUNNAR for a collection of glasses inspired by the game, including designs based on Dexter DeShawn and Militech. The officially licensed collaboration features GUNNAR’s lens technology designed to reduce digital eye strain while incorporating aesthetics directly inspired by characters and corporations from CD Projekt Red’s universe.

The Dex glasses are inspired by Dexter DeShawn, the larger-than-life Night City fixer who plays a major role during the opening stretch of Cyberpunk 2077. The wide frames feature an oversized angular shield-lens design constructed from magnesium aluminum alloy, with Amber, Sun and Amber Max lens options. They’re priced at $125 and come with a collector’s map-print microfiber cleaning cloth and padded sleeve.

The Militech Glasses Bring One of Night City’s Biggest Corporations to Life

Then there’s Militech. The second design takes its cues from the heavily armed megacorporation, adopting their black-and-yellow color scheme alongside a tactical shield design. The frames use engineered polymer and are available with Amber or Sun lenses, with GUNNAR saying the design is intended to improve peripheral clarity while reducing digital eye strain and sharpening contrast.

The Militech glasses are priced slightly lower at $99 and include a branded microfiber pouch, cleaning cloth and matte metal case, alongside a 12-month warranty. The frames also block 100% of UV light and feature a G-Shield Plus coating designed to be anti-reflective and smudge resistant. Both designs are already available to order now.

Cyberpunk 2077 is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. The Cyberpunk 2077 collection is available now via GUNNAR.

The best thing about streaming is, while you’re often waiting for big movies to come onto platforms so you can watch them again, they’re also like a digital Blockbuster Video. You can just browse and find yourself a little gem, something that lets that unpleasant feeling slowly crawl beneath your skin, and that’s exactly what this movie does. It took the rhythms of an old-school Western and dropped them into a bleak modern American town where almost everyone seems to be carrying something they would rather keep buried.

Sweet Virginia largely flew under the radar when it came out back in 2017, but it has all the ingredients of the kind of movie you’re delighted you stumble across on a Saturday night, which explains its re-emergence on streaming. It’s got a tight 95-minute runtime, an outstanding cast, and the sort of slow-burning tension that gets increasingly difficult to shake. Better still, Sweet Virginia is currently available to stream on Paramount+ in the United States.

Directed by Jamie M. Dagg, Sweet Virginia follows former rodeo champion Sam Rossi, whose injuries have left him managing a small-town motel and trying to live a quiet existence. His life changes when he befriends Elwood, a mysterious motel guest whose arrival coincides with a brutal outbreak of violence in the community. The less you know beyond that, the better. The film gradually transforms into a grim collision between two damaged men, with Jon Bernthal stripping away the aggression associated with many of his better-known characters to deliver an unusually restrained performance.

The film stars Bernthal as Sam Rossi, Christopher Abbott (Wolf Man) as Elwood, Imogen Poots (Outer Range) as Lila McCabe, Rosemarie DeWitt (La La Land) as Bernadette Barrett, Odessa Young (Shirley) as Maggie Russell, and Jared Abrahamson (Travelers) as Paul.

Was ‘Sweet Virginia’ Successful?

The film was never really intended to be a mega hit at the box office, because it was only released on a limited basis back in November 2017. Its gross is just $8,400, which tells you this is a movie that was built purely for home viewing. However, the critical response to the movie was a lot more enthusiastic, with 79% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes enjoying the movie and praising both the performances and the atmospheric tension it brought.

Sweet Virginia is currently streaming on Paramount+ in the United States and is also available to rent or purchase digitally.

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Release Date

November 30, 2017

Director

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Jamie M. Dagg

Writers

Paul China, Benjamin China

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The name’s Cavill. Henry Cavill. Yes, many thousands of people across the world have felt for a very long time that Henry Cavill was destined to don a tuxedo and play the most famous spy in the world. But, Cavill botched his audition for the role due to being, well, far too young and, as a result, the window passed. That doesn’t mean he couldn’t show audiences what they missed out on, and that’s exactly what he did in 2015.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. has recently been charting globally, and Guy Ritchie’s slick adaptation of the classic television series had all the ingredients of a long-running franchise. It had a pair of charismatic leads, globe-trotting espionage, witty banter, and utterly immaculate tailoring. Seriously, it’s quite beautiful. But sadly, as is ever the case, audiences didn’t turn up when they should have. Nearly a decade later, however, the film has become something of a cult favorite, and with its recent return to streaming, there’s never been a better excuse to revisit one of Cavill’s coolest performances.

The movie is set in the 1960s at the height of the Cold War, and follows CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin. Forced to put aside longstanding hostilities, the two join forces on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo’s only lead is the daughter of a missing German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time to find him and prevent a worldwide catastrophe.

The film stars Cavill as Napoleon Solo, Armie Hammer (The Social Network) as Illya Kuryakin, Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) as Gaby Teller, Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown) as Victoria Vinciguerra, Jared Harris (Foundation) as Sanders, Hugh Grant (Heretic) as Alexander Waverly, and Luca Calvani (The Beautiful Life) as Alexander.

Was ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ a Success?

Produced for around $75 million, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. earned approximately $110 million worldwide, falling well short of the numbers required to justify the franchise Warner Bros. had clearly hoped to launch. But critics responded much better than the paying customers, and it currently holds a 68% Rotten Tomatoes score, while audiences have increasingly embraced it over the years thanks to its chemistry between Cavill and Hammer, the action and the banter.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is currently streaming on Netflix in the United States. It is also available to rent or purchase digitally through Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

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Release Date

August 14, 2015

Runtime

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116 minutes

Producers

Guy Ritchie, John Davis, Lionel Wigram, Steve Clark-Hall

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