By Joshua Tyler
| Published 19 seconds ago

Robert A. Heinlein is, without question, one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. That’s especially evident when you look at his earlier work.

Heinlein changed as he aged. His work became more pointed, more bitter, and the sexual freedom he espoused in his work turned into something more libidinous. He never stopped creating great works, though, and he never stopped coming up with innovative ideas.

Heinlein’s early and mid-career work is regarded as genius, and he’s one of the original fathers of meaningful, modern science fiction. Robert A. Heinlein was called the “Dean of Science Fiction” and he’s also written a lot of books, forty-plus years of material.

Not all of his books have aged well, though. In particular, activists have a problem with Farnham’s Freehold.

The Controversy Around Farnham’s Freehold

So what is all the controversy about? The book takes place in a dystopian world where people with dark skin are the most technologically advanced and powerful on the planet. In a sense, it’s even a little like Wakanda. Or, Wakanda if the Wakandans were evil slave owners.

Critics argue that Heinlein’s portrayal of the dominant black culture in the novel reinforces negative stereotypes about African-descended people, depicting them as cruel and barbaric. Was that his intention? Or was it his intention to portray African-descended people as super smart, advanced, and the most successful? That’s where the questions start.

Heinlein Had Africans Enslaving Whites

In the future of Farnham’s Freehold, technologically advanced African-descended people have enslaved whites. This has been interpreted by some as a reactionary fantasy, reinforcing the fear of a reversal of racial power structures. This aspect of the novel has been criticized for its potential to perpetuate white supremacist fears.

It seems somewhat unlikely that this was Heinlein’s intention. Supporters of his writing argue that he was attempting a satirical critique of people’s views of racial power dynamics. Heinlein himself never spoke on the controversy. He died in 1988, and back then, no one interpreted the book as it is today, in modern cancel culture. For years after Heinlein’s death, Farnham’s Freehold was viewed as a satirical critique of racism, intended to challenge readers’ assumptions about race and power.

Robert A. Heinlein’s First Allegiance Was To Freedom

Given the nature of his other work, it’s hard to imagine Heinlein actually set out to write some sort of crazy racist narrative. His other books were symbols of the free-love hippie movement, which challenged cultural norms back when it wasn’t acceptable to do so.

Heinlein’s entire ethos, in everything else he wrote, is built around total personal freedom and total equality for everyone. Those ideas were pretty radical at the time. Some of them still are.

The Story Of Farnham’s Freehold

On the level of the quality of Heinlein’s writing, Farnham’s Freehold was one of his better efforts. The book begins with a Cold War-era tale of a family hiding inside a home-constructed bomb shelter when the doomsday clock strikes midnight and nuclear war lands right on top of them.

The interesting thing about Heinlein’s writing, perhaps here more than in anything else he’s ever done, is how he manages to convey a vivid picture of what’s happening without bothering with actual visual descriptions of the environment in which he thrusts his characters. Rather than describing the way his world looks, Heinlein chooses to describe how his characters react to it, and through them, his readers not only get the picture, but sometimes a deeper understanding than they’d get had he simply described surface knowledge.

Emotions Come Alive In The Destruction Of Everything

In Farnham’s Freehold, the book’s most mind-blowing moment happens early on, as Heinlein’s male and female leads huddle inside their homemade bomb shelter, the floor shaking and the world above them exploding, and with nothing but death awaiting them, they engage in a kiss, which leads to hinted at sex. Heinlein is often sexual in his later writing, but this specific book was written in 1964, and anything more than a makeout session in mid-explosion probably would have been deemed pornography by that era’s censors.

What’s amazing about it is the way he threads their fear, terror, passion, lust, and all of their emotions at that moment into the fabric of his story to make their horrible, terrifying situation come vibrantly alive. For that moment, you’re there in that bunker with them, with the world ending all around you, in a place where none of the things you used to care about matter since, at best, you’ll be dead in a few hours.

Time Traveling To A Future Run By Wakanda

Of course, the entire book doesn’t take place in a bomb shelter, and if you’ve read the dust jacket on it, then you know that the nuclear explosions above somehow slam their little shelter forward in time to a future where white people live in slavery, and everything we’ve ever known is buried under thousands of years of dust. The book never works quite as well once Farnham and his little group are forced to interact with that future, but for the controversy-free first half, when they’re alone and trying to eke out an existence, the novel soars.

Farnham’s Freehold is worth reading for that first half alone. The rest is, perhaps, worth reading too, if only to decide for yourself that controversial, modern-biased interpretation of his work is what Robert A. Heinlein actually intended. If you’re asking me, I doubt it.

FARNHAM’S FREEHOLD BOOK SCORE

Beyond the Gates explores what really happened to Lynette Wise (Dominique Madison) and whether Dr. Lia Whitmore (Cecelia Specht) got revenge on the conwoman who bilked her. Is Lynette dead and her only remains are in plasma bags up for sale by the red market ring?

I want to talk about some bigger reveals that may come soon about this criminal enterprise. Dr. Lia may not be the only major player in the plasma ring. The big boss may surprise us and maybe somebody that we already know.

Is Dr. Lia The Big Boss Of The Plasma Ring on Beyond the Gates?

So, this red market plasma ring has been on my mind for a while. I’ve been trying to kind of mentally map out the web. I don’t think Dr. Lia is the big boss. Maybe she’s the co-boss. Or maybe there’s one person above her. She is a physician and a chief of staff at Garland Memorial.

Not exactly somebody you think of as a criminal. But this enterprise needs that element. So, I think the not so good doctor is working with somebody who is a much worse criminal. And I have suspected for quite a while that Joey Armstrong (Jon Lindstrom) is her secret partner who handles the underworld angle of it all while Dr. Lia handles the medical side of things.

Lia & Joey partners on BTG?

So, Joey and Dr. Lia may be the partners operating this ring. There have been some red flags where Joey’s been on phone calls that seemed related to the plasma ring activities and Joey’s also given Randy Parker (Maurice P. Kerry) orders that sound like they might relate to Dr. Lia’s red market stuff.

If you remember, Joey has given Randy orders about overseeing shipments and made some cryptic remarks that feel like Easter eggs pointing to Joey being the criminal counterpart to the medical side of the ring because those orders came on the backside of us seeing some conversations about the plasma ring.

How Do Dr. Lia And Joey Know Each Other on Beyond the Gates?

So, that has me wondering something else. How do Dr. Lia and Joey know each other? It’s a small town up there. I mean, Dr. Lia knows Marcel Malone (Darryl W. Handy) very well, who is the dirty cop on Joey’s payroll. That’s a lot of overlap So, maybe Dr. Lia and Joey are secret siblings. That would be kind of interesting.

They’re of an age, you know, but also he told Vanessa McBride (Lauren Buglioli) about his cheating ex-wife that broke his heart. So, I wonder if Dr. Lia was the ex. Either way, whether they’re cousins, siblings, possibly exes, I think whatever relationship that Joey and Dr. Lia have, they might have kept it on the down low because of her standing as a well-respected physician.

However, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a tie of some sort, whether it’s blood, whether it’s marriage, between Joey and Dr. Lia. We all know that she is as ruthless and cutthroat as Joey any day of the week. Dr. Lia targeted Grayson Perez (Jordie Vilasuso) because she knew he was desperate for money to help take care of his sick mom.

Beyond the Gates: Lia is Ruthless on BTG

Dr. Lia is cutthroat, much more like a gangster than somebody that you would expect to have the compassion of a physician who takes care of people and saves lives. She was only slightly annoyed when the bad guy stabbed Grayson, but mostly because Dr. Lia wanted to make sure that Grayson kept working. And now it seems like the threat to Ashley Morgan (Jen Jacob) is coming from Dr. Lia on Beyond the Gates.

More specifically, I think a minion that she ordered to snap the photo and send that threat to Grayson because Dr. Lia was up at the hospital at the time. That was around the time where she was snapping at Kat Richardson (Colby Muhammad). So, I’m sure it was some henchman that took the photo of Ashley and sent the text to Grayson.

Lynette Conned Dr. Lia Too

And now we find out that Lynette is a problem not just for Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings) and Randy, but also for Dr. Lia. When Tomas Navarro (AlexAlegria) was researching the list of people that Lynette had conned, he came across Dr. Lia’s name, but didn’t recognize it. But Kat did instantly. So, she was the one who hustled over to Garland Memorial to ask Dr. Lia some questions about Lynette.

And it turns out the cute con had drained Dr. Lia’s investment accounts and told Kat that she only recently found out that the charges against Lynette were dropped. Dr. Lia kind of played it off when Kat mentioned Lynette up and disappearing. And then Dr. Lia walked away from the conversation, kind of making it clear it’s a waste of time. You know how she does people.

Lynette though was clearly a problem for Dr. Lia. And Lynette was a problem that Randy needed to take care of because Lynette was out of control with her blackmail demands on Hayley and was threatening to out her to Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) and ruin her life.

And Hayley had already promised that she would take Randy down with her. So even though he’s been sleeping with Lynette and enjoying the horizontal mambo, Randy’s not going to go down like that for just some booty call, especially from a con woman. So, I do agree that Lynette and Hayley are on the crazy hot spectrum. You know, the crazier the girl, the hotter she is in the sack. But all that being said, Lynette’s not steamy enough for Randy to let her wreck his life.

Lynette Had It Coming on

And let’s be clear, whatever happened to Lynette, girl had it coming. She was a lost cause. She was horrible. Hayley is too, if I’m being honest, and I cannot wait for her life to explode and Bill to find out he’s been played on a long con. But to be fair, he had already been ruining his marriage to Dani for years before Hayley came on the scene. You know, Bill was a repeat cheater who was throwing his life with Dani away. And she just kept turning a blind eye to what Bill was doing, but it was eroding her and ruining their marriage. And then Hayley was just the final straw that finally blew them up apart.

So, no, I don’t feel sorry for Bill and I hope that Dani laughs right in his face when Bill finds out that everybody was right about Hayley and he was wrong. And Bill might find out about it because of her association with Lynette, who Tomas is hard at work digging into.

So, I suspect that he’s going to find lots of dirty stuff about Lynette, including her ties to Hayley, aka Val. I assume that’s short for Valerie, which is her real name, which her husband doesn’t even know. Hayley’s just the name she used for this scam on Bill. So, it’ll all come crashing down. And even if Lynette is dead, which I do suspect she is, she may be the catalyst for Hayley losing everything anyway.

What Did Randy Do To Lynette on BTG?

So, my theory is that Randy is Joey’s contact with the red market ring and he manages deliveries and oversees things while Joey sticks closer to the casino. And when Hayley told him, told Randy that Lynette was about to out them, you know, Randy might have handed Lynette over to the red market plasma people to drain dry. Or Randy might have called Dr. Lia and said, “Look, I know that this Lynette girl did this. Do you want her?” You know, he might have handed her over.

Beyond the Gates: Lynette still Alive?

Now, there’s always a chance that Lynette is alive but just locked away somewhere. You know, Randy might have stuck Lynette in a storage closet somewhere with a bucket and box of granola bars, you know, until he decides what to do. Randy did like getting sexy with Lynette. But he also knows she is out of control and is a huge risk.

Or Randy might have convinced Lynette to lie low before she gets them all killed. You know, there’s a chance Randy got through to her, but to me, that seems the least likely outcome because Lynette is unhinged, greedy, and has zero self-control. And she thinks she can get away with threatening anybody she wants.

So, I’ll admit I’m 100% fine if Lynette is dead, gone, dusted, and she is in a pile of red bags, you know, with her plasma drained out, and all that’s left is a husk of her that was just tossed into the Potomac River. So, we’ll see.

By Zack Zagranis
| Published 1 hour ago

Everyone knows by now that Liam Neeson has a particular set of skills that he’s acquired over a long career in Hollywood. Skills that make him a dream come true for action movie fans. Those skills are on full display in the 2015 underrated action gem Run All Night.

In Run All Night, Liam Neeson plays a perpetually drunk former hitman, Jimmy “The Gravedigger” Conlon, forced to go against his best friend and former boss Shawn Maguire, played by Ed Harris, in order to save his son, Mike Conlon, played by Joel Kinnaman. Along with Neeson and Harris, the film also stars Daredevil‘s Vincent D’Onofrio as Detective John Harding and Genesis Rodriguez of Tusk fame.

Run All Night was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra from a screenplay written by Brad Ingelsby, creator of the popular HBO Max mini-series Mare of Easttown. The film marked the 3rd collaboration between Liam Neeson and Collet-Serra. The duo previously worked together on the movies Unknown and Non-Stop.

In 2012, Warner Bros. purchased Ingelsby’s script, then titled The All-Nighter, for six figures. The following year, Liam Neeson joined the cast right around the time Jaume Collet-Serra came aboard the project. The movie was scored by frequent Zack Snyder collaborator Junkie XL, who thought it would be more interesting to base the score on emotional beats rather than let the action dictate the musical direction.

Run All Night was a minor Box-Office success, grossing $26.5 million domestically and another $45.1 million overseas, for a grand total of $71.56 million, against a production budget of $50 million. Interestingly, the audience for the Liam Neeson action-thriller was 52% female on its opening weekend, a number considered high for an all-male action movie. The figure just helps to further dispel the stereotype that only guys like to see people crashing cars and beating the crap out of each other.

Run All Night is just one of several action movies starring late-career Liam Neeson. Ever since 2008’s Taken, Neeson has focused almost exclusively on action/crime movies. In addition to Taken 2 and 3, Neeson has appeared in at least 20 other movies that IMDb considers either action, crime, or both.

To say the man is being typecast is an understatement. To put it another way, when a trailer for a Liam Neeson movie comes on, most fans assume it’s a Taken sequel until told otherwise.

That’s not to say that the Northern Ireland-born actor hasn’t dabbled in other genres in the last 15 years. In the last decade and a half, Liam Neeson has managed to squeeze in a few romantic dramas, such as Made in Italy and Ordinary Love, along with a handful of cameos here and there. Perhaps Neeson’s oddest collaborations have been with American Dad creator Seth MacFarlane, who cast him as the lead in 2025’s The Naked Gun reboot.

MacFarlane lso put Liam Neeson in his other live-action endeavors like A Million Ways to Die in the West, Ted 2, and The Orville, as well as using the actor for a few bits on Family Guy. Neeson is known primarily for serious roles, making it even weirder that Seth casts him exclusively as comedy relief. For whatever reason, it works.

Neeson’s cameo in Ted 2 as a grocery store customer buying Trix is easily the funniest gag in the movie.

Cameos aside, action movies really have become Liam Neeson’s bread and butter lately. Not just any action movies, either, but the kind where an old, grizzled ex-CIA agent/mob hitman/bank robber comes back and grimaces his way through one last job. His characters are the grimdark versions of the wisecracking, one-liner-spouting action heroes of the ’80s played by actors like Schwarzenegger and Stallone.

Where Arnold’s characters would snap a foe’s neck on an airplane and then tell the flight attendant, “Don’t disturb my friend. He’s dead tired.” Liam Neeson’s character gives the bad guys a speech that basically amounts to “I’m a highly trained killer, and I’m gonna hunt you down and murder you.”

But that’s ok. Liam Neeson, after all, has a particular set of skills that includes playing badasses over 60. Why not stick to what you’re good at? If Neeson’s particular kind of bleak, gritty action movie is your thing, you could do a lot worse than Run All Night.

History might seem unshakable after so long, but change is inevitable, and the Met Gala is proof!

Historically, the visibility of disabled people on the red carpet has been very limited, but a notable step to rewrite the books for accessibility was made at the 2026 Met Gala. While many stars walked in, Aariana Rose Philip rolled with poise as the first wheelchair user to attend the star-studded fashion night.

This year’s Met Gala was well thought out, with a nod at inclusion for people with disabilities. The Metropolitan Museum of Art included a dedicated section on “The Disabled Body” at the exhibition, marking a shift in the representation of disabled persons in both fashion and at the event.

Philip is an Antiguian American model who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Although she is a runway regular at Collina Strada in NewYork, she is the first wheelchair user to ever attend the Met Gala, breaking a 78-year-long cycle.

Not only did she make her appearance on the red carpet at the Monday night event, but she also modeled as one of the mannequins for this year’s exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.

Speaking to Vogue about the experience, she described it as “wild,” noting that the event is a major spectacle for everyone, including those who are not active in the fashion world. 

She said that she feels “blessed and honored” to have a place at such a major fashion event, stressing that over the years, disabled people were not represented anywhere, including the world of fashion.

“However, it’s also so important that we’re showing disabled people as a part of the fashion industry; as models, as talent, as photographers,” Philip shared before remarking on the extent to which representation goes to impact the hearts of many.

The model noted that disabled people are just like everyone else who feels passionate about something and longs to contribute.

People With Disability Are ‘Challenging A Social System’

After commenting on the surreal experience, Philip took time to address the challenges of living as a person with disability in an able-bodied world. She pointed out that many disabled people are automatically labeled as activists for merely speaking up for themselves, but they use their voice because they “have no other choice.”

The model highlighted that other people who inhabit the same spaces are either not familiar with the bodies of disabled people or with how to accommodate them.

“We’re given the title of activist because we are challenging a social system,” she noted before adding that they have to be their own advocates, “because we have been so historically marginalized and pushed aside.”

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Philip remarked later in the chat with the magazine, sharing that she has gotten so many positive reactions from her Met Gala debut. After fighting for almost a decade to be seen in the industry, Philip wants her action to pave the way for other disabled models like Lauren Wasser and Jillian Mercardo.

“When people see my mannequin, I want them to see a beautiful, sexy lady. I want them to see a supermodel and a legend,” the model said after recalling how nervous she was to step out of her comfort zone.

The Met Gala Had A Step-Free Entrance For The First Time

Not only were disabled people represented via fashion, but the event was made accessible for the first time in nearly eighty years, thanks to Sinéad Burke, who is a little person. Burke, the CEO and founder of strategic accessibility consultancy firm Tilting the Lens, played a vital role in advising the Met Costume Institute to ensure the entrance was step-free. 

This was a pivot from The Met’s historic stairs but was still aesthetically pleasing. She noted that to many people living with disabilities, the steps were a “symbol of inaccessibility,” so for the first time, those with physical disabilities are able to have fair access to the Met Gala.

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RTE reported that the CEO had been working with the Costume Institute on a number of initiatives for the past eighteen months, including consulting on including “The Disabled Body” section in this year’s exhibition.

“We have suggested incredible disabled designers like Sugundha Gupta and Helen Cookman. We also have an amazing array of mannequins based on disabled bodies, from Aimee Mullins to myself,” Burke revealed while speaking to outlets as she stepped out on the red carpet. This marks the first of many milestones for disabled people in the world of fashion.

Other First-Time Appearances That Shook Met Gala History

The 2026 Met Gala saw many new faces, including Nicole Kidman’s 17-year-old daughter, Sunday Rose, whom she shares with ex-husband Keith Urban, and iconic singer Beyoncé’s daughter, Blue Ivy. Blue made her appearance as one of the youngest people to attend the event, making her debut at just 14 years old.

The young stars’ appearance sparked controversy as they are below the age limit, which states that invitees must be 18 years old or older to attend the Met Gala. This rule became widespread knowledge in 2018 after “Dance Moms” alum Maddie Ziegler said she could not attend the event at the time because she was not old enough.

The Blast shared that Kidman and Beyoncé, who co-chaired this year’s event, have bent the rules by bringing their young children as their dates for the night, years after the Met Gala organizers made an executive decision that “it’s not an appropriate event for people under 18.” 

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Blue Ivy’s presence has raised questions as to why the organizers did not upload the age restriction rules, while other netizens called the teenager out for often being dressed and acting well above her years.

Eileen Gu Made A Tech Fashion Statement On The Met Gala Red Carpet

Although not in the disability section, Eileen Gu donned a stunning yet unique look on the red carpet as she posed in her bubble dress. The 22-year-old Olympic freestyle skier who came home with two silvers and one gold from the 2026 Winter Olympics in February made heads turn as bubbles floated out of her dress.

The outfit, which rhymed perfectly with the Fashion is Art theme, was designed by Iris van Herpen, a Dutch designer known for unique “tech-couture” looks that blend high fashion with innovative technology. The Olympian spoke to reporters on the carpet, telling them that the dress had 15,000 glass bubbles.

“It took 2,550 hours to make. There’s technology under the dress that enables reality to kind of come together with art. It’s a play on surrealism, it’s a play on movement, it’s a play on nature, on fun, on whimsy,” she explained. She wore a pair of see-through heels, a pair of small earrings, and completed the look with a messy updo.

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Page Six reports that as she walked the carpet, there were dozens of bubbles floating up in the air and around her. Gu, who is the most decorated free skier of all time, made her debut at the Met Gala in 2021 with a short black-and-white Carolina Herrera bubble dress with black heels.

Congratulations to the Met Gala on this history-making move!

Venus Williams wasn’t ready to call it a night after co-chairing the 2026 Met Gala, and honestly, why should she? Fresh off fashion’s biggest stage, the tennis icon kept the celebration going with a post-gala stop at Raising Cane’s Harlem location, proving even the most glamorous nights deserve a crave-worthy finish.

Still dressed in her custom Swarovski gown, Venus brought full Met Gala energy straight to the fast-casual spot. The curve-hugging black dress shimmered under the lights, crafted with light-reflecting crystals and paired with a striking pearl-adorned neck plate.

The look, titled “Venus Williams, Double Portrait,” was created by visual artist Robert Pruitt and served as a powerful homage to family, legacy, and her dominance on the tennis court. Inspired by Pruitt’s work, featured by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the design echoed themes of Afrocentric, fantastical imagery, blending portraiture with symbolism tied to Venus’ journey.

Williams Keeps Party Going At Raising Cane’s After The Met

As described, the artwork depicts a young Williams framed by a “swirl of beads,” while an “older version” of the athlete wears a Wimbledon plate as a bodice, representing what Venus herself described as the “super, extra-human possibility” she’s embodied both on and off the court.

Inside Cane’s, the vibe was all celebration. With Box Combos in hand, buttery Cane’s Toast, and that signature Cane’s Sauce front and center, Venus kept things chill, smiling as she dipped hand-battered Chicken Fingers, grabbed crinkle-cut fries, and toasted the moment with lemonade and sweet tea. Because after a night that iconic, even a Met Gala co-chair knows that sometimes the perfect ending is a late-night chicken run.

Venus Williams Reflects On ‘Full Circle’ Met Gala Honor

Venus Williams wasn’t just serving looks at the 2026 Met Gala; she was stepping into a moment years in the making. As co-chair of fashion’s biggest night, the tennis icon opened up about what the milestone truly meant to her, both personally and professionally.

“Co-chairing the Met Gala has been such an incredible honor, and honestly, a moment I’m still trying to fully take in,” Williams told Vogue on the morning of the event. “When I got the call, I could hardly believe it. Fashion has always been a huge part of how I express myself, both on and off the court, so being part of an event that celebrates the intersection of art, culture, and identity feels really full circle for me.”

For Williams, the night wasn’t just about the red carpet; it was a celebration of everything she’s built, blending her legacy in sports with her long-standing impact in fashion.

Williams Honors Legacy Through Meaningful Met Gala Look

Venus Williams made sure her Met Gala look wasn’t just visually striking; it told a deeper story rooted in history and impact. Speaking about the inspiration behind her custom gown, Williams revealed how the design paid tribute to the trailblazers who paved the way for her success.

“It reflects not just my journey but the legacy of those who came before me, especially pioneers like Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe, who paved the way,” she told Vogue. “It felt like a personal way to connect with ‘Costume Art,’ using fashion to tell a story about legacy and progress and honoring those who made it possible.”

Venus Williams Looks Back On Her First Met Gala Moment

Long before co-chairing the event, Williams was once a first-time attendee taking it all in, and the memory still sticks with her nearly two decades later. Reflecting on that experience, she shared just how impactful that first walk up the iconic steps truly was.

“Walking up the steps for my first Met Gala was all so exciting and overwhelming in the best way. I was in my early 20s, and I remember being struck by the scale of The Met,” she said. “And attending alongside André Leon Talley, there was no better partner.”

The tennis star added, “I’ve always loved art, and I’ve been fortunate enough to build my own collection over the years, so The Met, and especially the Met Gala, is a really special place where I get to see my love for both fashion and art come together in such a celebratory and special way.”

By Henry Hards
| Published 43 seconds ago

Over the course of three movies, the Back to the Future movies played around with lots of variables – parallel timelines created by the smallest change in the past, characters whose entire nature flipped to their polar opposite, and sometimes back again. While the films explored multiple Biffs and the perils of Marty McFly almost hooking up with his own mother, the character of Marty underwent some equally dramatic changes in the real world.

By now, most fans have heard the stories (and seen the footage) about how Eric Stoltz was hired to play Marty and was then replaced by Michael J. Fox after five weeks of filming. What you might not have heard is that the Marty-That-Wasn’t also had a Jen-That-Wasn’t. Actress Melora Hardin (The Office, Monk) was originally cast as Marty’s girlfriend, Jennifer Parker.

These days, Melora Hardin is best known for playing Michael Scott’s crazy boss-turned-girlfriend, Jan, on The Office. In the 1980s, she was a struggling young actress who’d done guest spots on shows like Quincy or Magnum, P.I., and thought she’d landed the part of a lifetime.

When Stoltz was replaced, they decided to pair Fox with a different gal pal as well, and Melora Hardin was let go, without ever having filmed a single scene. The role of Jennifer was eventually played by Claudia Wells in the first film and by Elisabeth Shue in Parts II and III.

Melora Hardin’s brush with the trilogy may have become just another interesting cinematic footnote, but the actress provides a few insights into the experience in an interview with Wired.

Melora Hardin said of her close call with Back to the Future, “When [Eric Stoltz and I] read together, we had great chemistry. I got the part and was so happy, it would have really been my first big movie. It was supposed to be a two-picture deal – they already had the future idea for Back to the Future Part II and knew this character was going to be in it. Even though the script was completely secret, you had to sign a deal for both.”

So what ultimately kept Melora Hardin from keeping a part in what would become one of the most beloved movie trilogies of all time? Maybe they didn’t think she had the right chemistry to match up with McFly? Or perhaps Fox had somebody in mind and called in a favor? None of the above. She was just too tall for Back to the Future.

Melora Hardin told Wired about that Back to the Future casting that wasn’t, “I just remember getting a phone call in my parents’ kitchen, Bob Gale and Zemeckis both called me. They said, ‘Unfortunately we had to let Eric go and we think you’re too tall for the new guy we cast. His name is Michael J. Fox, but you’ll be towering over him. This has nothing to do with you, we think you’re lovely.’ I burst into tears.”

There you have it. A budding young actress was stripped of the role of a lifetime simply because Michael J. Fox is a little man. If it’s any consolation, at least she can remember that she’s probably a huge star in Fringe’s alternate universe. And, of course, she had the epic run as Jan Levinson (don’t call me Gould) on The Office.

A cause of death for Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum Nicholas Brendon has been revealed.

The actor died of atherosclerotic and hypertensive cardiovascular disease, with acute pneumonia and previous myocardial infarction (heart attack) as contributing factors, according to an autopsy report obtained by Us Weekly. Arteriosclerosis occurs when the arteries become thick and stiff while acute pneumonia is an intense, sudden-onset infection that causes inflammation in the lungs.

The report noted that the mechanism of Brendon’s death — which was determined to be natural — was 90 percent blockage of his right coronary artery.

According to People, the Putnam County Coroner’s office is still awaiting the results of a toxicology report. Coroner Todd Zeiner noted in a statement that there “were no signs of foul play, and nothing at the scene indicated the death was anything other than natural,” adding that “family members reported a history of cardiac issues.”

Us previously confirmed on March 20 that Brendon died at the age of 54.

“We are heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon,” the actor’s family told Us in a statement, noting that Brendon died in his sleep of “natural causes.”

“Most people know Nicky for his work as an actor and for the characters he brought to life over the years. In recent years, Nicky has found his passion in painting and art,” the statement continued. “Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans. He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was.”

His family concluded, “Our family asks for privacy during this time as we grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart. Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support.”

Brendon was best known for playing Xander Harris on all seven seasons of Buffy alongside the likes of Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan and David Boreanaz, all of whom offered their condolences following Brendon’s death.

“I saw you Nicky. I know you are at peace, in that big rocking chair in the sky,” Gellar, 48, wrote via Instagram on March 21, also quoting one of Xander’s famous lines, “They’ll never know how tough it is to be the one who isn’t chosen. To live so near to the spotlight, and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes, because nobody’s watching me.”

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Buffy aired from 1997 to 2003, following a teenage vampire slayer named Buffy Summers (Gellar) as she navigated the ups and downs of high school life and monster-slaying.

“There are people you work with and then there are people you share time with, Nick was the latter,” Boreanaz, 56, who played Angel, recalled of working with Brendon in a social media tribute. “Some moments stay small on paper, a laugh between takes, a look that says we got this, the quiet understanding of showing up and doing the work together. But those are the things that last. He carried something real, not perfect, not polished, just real.”

He continued, “In this business that matters more than most things. We don’t always get to choose how long someone stays in the story, only that they were here. And he was … Rest easy, Brother. Some people leave a mark without trying.”