Sean Penn was noticeably absent at the 98th Academy Awards held in March, where he won his third Oscar. In a recent conversation at the Tribeca Festival, the actor opened up about why he was absent from the prestigious ceremony and why he most likely won’t be attending one in the future.

During the candid discussion, the actor also touched on his well-known dislike of taking selfies, a stance he has maintained for years. His comments provide a glimpse into his low-key approach to fame and public appearances.

At the 2026 Tribeca Festival’s “Storytellers” series, Sean Penn talked to moderator Kaitlan Collins about his decades-long career. At one point, Penn addressed his absence from the 2026 Oscars, telling Collins and the audience that he deliberately missed the ceremony because it “always represented social discomfort to me.”

Penn spoke with his “One Battle After Another” co-stars prior to the Oscars and told them he wouldn’t be attending. They understood his refusal, citing it was best for his mental health. The actor flew to Ukraine instead to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and support the country’s war efforts.

Penn further explained that he missed the Oscars not just because it was an awards show. He would also feel the same in any setting with large crowds. “Too many people. I’m now down, committed for life, that I won’t go anywhere to be in a designated group beyond eight people,” he said, adding that large gatherings were “dread-provoking” and gave him “anxiety.”

The Actor Attended The Golden Globes

Penn said attending the Golden Globes in January 2026 cemented his decision to no longer attend those types of affairs. “I went to the Golden Globes. I’d never been to that before. And that’s where I decided, ‘I can’t do this,’” he said, saying that he felt relieved when he decided not to go to the Oscars.

The actor made headlines at the Golden Globes after he was reportedly warned to stop smoking at the event. As The Blast previously reported, Penn was repeatedly approached by event staff to put out his cigarette, but he refused to comply.

Sean Penn Reaffirms His Hatred Of Selfies

Apart from large crowds, Penn also discussed his aversion toward selfies, telling Collings he refused to do it, no matter who the fan is.

“People should not do selfies ever with anyone. It’s bad for you. It’s bad for everyone. It’s a soul-sucker. It’s the Holocaust grandmother and her 6-year-old paraplegic wheeling over? It’s a hard no,” Penn firmly said.

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His stance goes way back, and also extends to fans and paparazzi taking photos of him in public. In 2009, he kicked a paparazzo and damaged his camera equipment, which resulted in a misdemeanor charge. He pleaded no contest to the charges and was ordered to attend anger management classes and do community service. In 2013, he had an outburst over a fan taking his photo, and he was caught on video screaming, “Do we look like f-cking zoo animals? I’ll make you eat your phone!”

The Actor Has Mellowed Over The Years

Penn has had a long-standing reputation as a hothead. In June 1987, the actor was sentenced to 60 days in jail and ordered to pay a fine of $240. On the set of the movie “Colors,” Penn repeatedly punched an extra who was taking photographs of him. He also had a reckless driving charge. The actor ended up spending 33 days in jail.

In February that same year, Penn was given a one-year probation and fined $1,700 for assaulting songwriter David Wolinski, whom he assumed was attempting to kiss his then-wife, Madonna.

During his conversation with Collins, Penn shared that he has learned to walk away from confrontations. “I haven’t had a yelling match with anyone in four years. I have not listened to anyone yell for more than two seconds before I walk away,” he shared.

Sean Penn Enjoyed The Oscars From Far Away

While he didn’t attend the Oscars in March, Penn said he still made time to watch it despite its 2 a.m. airing in Ukraine.

Penn won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw in “One Battle After Another,” and his award was accepted by Kieran Culkin on his behalf. His recent win marks his third Oscar, following his previous Best Actor victories for “Mystic River” in 2004 and “Milk” in 2009.

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“I really got to enjoy the Academy Awards for the first time. It was great,” Penn said of his decision to watch from afar.

Keke Palmer is giving credit where she believes it is due.

While reflecting on her upbringing and family life, the actress and television personality opened up about the important role her father played during her childhood, praising him for taking on responsibilities often associated with mothers.

Palmer shared the heartfelt detail during a conversation with “Euphoria” star Sharon Stone for Variety’s Actors on Actors.

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Reflecting on her earliest years, the former child star described her father as highly disciplined and hardworking, though she said he often preferred to let her mother take the lead.

The actress also praised her father for taking on responsibilities that society has traditionally associated with women, something she believes remains uncommon among many men today.

“He did a lot of things that people would assume are mom things. My dad cooked and helped us with our laundry. If we had a problem with something tearing, he would sew it up. As I got older, I expected men to be like my dad,” Palmer said of her father, Larry.

The Actress Shares Funny Detail About Her Mother

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Elsewhere in the conversation with Stone, Palmer also spoke about her mother, Sharon, who married her father in the 1980s.

She revealed that her mother loved swearing, a comment she made in response to Stone’s discussion of her own mom’s tendency to use colorful language.

Palmer further noted that her household was more matriarchal than patriarchal, echoing her earlier remarks that her father often stepped back, allowing her mother to take the lead in family affairs.

Sharon welcomed Palmer in 1993, nearly a decade after giving birth to her first child, Loreal, in 1989. She also shares twins, Lawrence and Lawrencia, with her husband, Larry, whom they welcomed in 2000.

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Keke Palmer Reveals Parents’ Huge Sacrifice

During Palmer’s childhood, Sharon worked as a teacher while Larry was employed by a polyurethane company. When Palmer began finding success as a child actor, the family made significant sacrifices to support her career ambitions.

Among those sacrifices was her father giving up his pension, while the family also relocated to California so Palmer could be closer to acting opportunities and auditions as her career continued to grow.

“My dad gave up his pension. He had worked at the company he worked at for over 15 years and gave up his pension for me to have an opportunity for my dreams,” Palmer said during an appearance on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast, per Afrotech.

She added, “My mother, they gave up everything. She gave up everything so she could travel with me and do what she needed to do with me. So, how I feel about it is, what’s mine is theirs. What’s theirs is mine, and I would do it again. I would give up and sacrifice 20 more years of my life.”

Palmer’s Parents Took Steps To Protect Her Money

Though Palmer has said she has no regrets about becoming the primary breadwinner for her family at a young age, her parents were careful to ensure there was no confusion about how her earnings were managed.

As her income grew, they hired a manager to oversee her finances, ensuring they were properly handled and protected from misuse.

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“They wanted me to know that they weren’t the ones controlling my money. They had heard these stories, and my mom said, ‘I don’t want money to come in between me and my child,’” Palmer told the podcast host.

Keke Palmer On How She Learned Early To Give Back

A value Palmer’s parents worked hard to instill in her as her career flourished was the importance of giving back to the community.

From a young age, they involved her in community service efforts to ensure she remained grounded, remembered what truly mattered, and understood the importance of helping others during times of need.

“So, from the beginning, we would take her to do events with the NAACP, the MLK Foundation, and the Boys and Girls Club,” Sharon told Essence in an interview. “The goal was to keep her rooted in the community, to make sure she learned that a good life is a life of service and when much is given, there is a responsibility to give back in return.”

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The jokes about Love Island USA‘s Gabriel Vasconcelos having sex with a woman nearly 30 years older than him kept on coming — and the Peacock show even got Leonardo DiCaprio involved.

During the Friday, June 5, episode, narrator Iain Stirling poked fun at Gabriel’s revelation by comparing him to a “reverse Leonardo DiCaprio” in reference to the actor’s dating history. The joke came after the Islanders had to read out sex facts and figure out which of them it was about.

One of the revelations was that an Islander slept with someone in their 50s.

“I was out and I was having a good time with my friends. She started talking to me and she was hot as f*** for her age,” Gabriel, who is 26 years old, said about his encounter with the 52-year-old. “We had a good night together. She had a lot of experience.”

Love Island USA follows a group of singles who have to pair off in order to stay in the show’s luxury villa in Fiji. The contestants — who are referred to as Islanders — live in isolation in a villa and are under constant video surveillance. They must be coupled up to remain on the show and to stand a chance to receive the prize of $100,000.

While the islanders are filming nonstop for weeks, viewers are watching daily episodes and even get to cast votes that affect couples and the fate of the contestants.

Before season 8 premiered, Love Island USA released a statement directed at the audience, which read, “The Villa runs on good vibes, and so does this community. We love seeing your reactions, opinions, and debates, but everyone deserves to feel safe and respected.”

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The statement continued: “This is a space for fun, not negativity – so keep it kind, keep it positive, and remember: this is LOVE Island!”

Related: ‘Love Island USA‘ Season 8 Couples: Who Is Still Together? Who Broke Up?

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Love Island USA is all about coupling up — so which Islanders are currently together and which have already called it quits in the villa? Peacock’s popular dating show returned in June 2026 with contestants Aniya Harvey, Beatriz Hatz, Bryce Alakai Dettloff, KC Chandler, Mackenzie “Kenzie” Annis, Melanie Moreno, Sincere Rhea, Sean Reifel, Trinity Tatum […]

In addition to Gabriel, season 8 of Love Island USA features Aniya Harvey, Beatriz Hatz, Bryce Alakai Dettloff, KC Chandler, Mackenzie “Kenzie” Annis, Melanie Moreno, Sincere Rhea, Sean Reifel, Trinity Tatum, Kayda Bosse and Zach Georgiou.

New episodes of Love Island USA are released six days a week — except for Wednesdays — on Peacock.

Michael Gledhill, the son of James Handy’s girlfriend Wendy Gledhill, has been charged over the actor’s death.

According to a press release from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office on Friday, June 4, Gledhill, 44, was charged after the Top Gun: Maverick actor was fatally stabbed outside a Tarzana home earlier this week.

“This is not how anyone’s life should end, stabbed in the chest and left dying in the front yard of a home,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman via the press release. “The victim, James Handy, deserved to live out his later years enjoying what he had worked so hard for and enjoying it with those he loved and cared about. Like all murder victims, his life mattered and the person who inexplicably and violently took it must be held accountable for his actions.”

Los Angeles Police confirmed on Thursday, June 4, that they are investigating a stabbing that resulted in the death of Handy.

According to police, the suspect called 911 and stated, “I am the son of man, I just killed the man of sin.” Upon their arrival, officers discovered Handy in the front yard of the residence, unconscious and suffering from a stab wound to his chest. He was transported to an area hospital and pronounced dead.

“The suspect was identified as 44-year-old Michael Gledhill, a resident of Tarzana,” officials stated in a press release. “He was arrested and transported to Van Nuys Jail where he was booked for one count of murder.”

Police said that the suspect flagged down nearby responding officers, telling them he was the one they were looking for. He was arrested and held on $2 million bail. Information about Gledhill’s legal representation was not immediately available.

“The suspect resides at the location with his mother, who is the victim’s girlfriend,” officials said. “Detectives believe this is an isolated incident and there appears to be no danger to the public at this time.”

On Friday, Wendy broke her silence on the incident.

“I’m just trying to make it through one day at a time, a minute at a time,” Wendy, 76, told The California Post. “I loved James and my son.”

Related: James Handy’s Suspected Killer Confesses in Chilling 911 Call

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Top Gun: Maverick actor James Handy’s suspected killer was reportedly seen on security footage after the alleged murder. After Handy was killed on Wednesday, June 3, at the age of 81, local California police identified Michael Gledhill as a suspect after he was seen on Ring footage outside the actor’s house, according to footage obtained […]

“I can’t believe my son did it. I’m just trying to … ” she continued before stepping inside her Tarzana, California, home.

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Speaking to TMZ, Wendy claimed her son was diagnosed with schizophrenia but had stopped taking his medication amid his mental health struggles.

Handy, who had 150 acting credits to his name, was known for his roles in Jumanji, NYPD Blue, Beverly Hills, 90210, Law & Order; Profiler, The Young and the Restless, 9-1-1 and more.

“With great sadness I can confirm that the gentleman who was attacked and killed on Wednesday in Tarzana was the actor James Handy,” Handy’s spokesperson told Us in a statement on Thursday.

All in all, the 2020s have been an excellent time for action movies. These are films all about constant movement, exciting combat sequences, and adrenaline-pumping explosions. From suspenseful thrillers to terrifying horror films to unexpectedly hilarious comedies, the action genre lends itself perfectly to being combined with other genres—and these combinations have resulted in some truly exceptional films over the course of the last six years. From 2021 to the present, audiences around the world have been treated both to huge action blockbusters and surprising action indie spectacles. By the time the 2030s roll in, these are bound to be remembered as some of the genre’s best recent outings.

Whether it’s a pure action flick like Nobody, an Oscar-winning masterpiece like Everything Everywhere All At Once, or an animated gem like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, these are some of the greatest action films of modern times that we’re talking about. The wonderful thing about this genre is just how incredibly versatile it is, and as a result, it shouldn’t be the least bit surprising to see how vastly different yet equally entertaining these genre-defining gems are.

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2021: ‘Nobody’

Image via Universal Pictures

In 2021, both the world in general, and the film industry more specifically, were still right in the middle of a global pandemic. As such, this year’s output of action films wasn’t the highest purely in terms of quantity, but as soon as the conversation veers toward quality, some excellent films emerge. Dune was an incredible sci-fi epic, The Suicide Squad was a surprise hit for the superhero genre, and No Time to Die brought Daniel Craig‘s tenure as Bond to an exceptional (and at times considerably overhated) conclusion. But as the years have passed, the 2021 action spectacle that has aged the best is Ilya Naishuller‘s Nobody.

Only a handful of 2020s action movies are perfect. Nobody may not be one of them, but it sure is one of the most entertaining popcorn flicks that the 2020s have had to offer thus far. Led by an incredible Bob Odenkirk, the film introduced the world to Hutch Mansell, a refreshing action hero who knows how to take a hit just as well as he knows how to be a badass. John Wick copycats have been aplenty since the film’s release in 2014, but Nobody elevates the formula to the stratosphere with its compelling story, the powerhouse performance of its lead, and its commitment to some of the most entertainingly brutal and visceral action of any 2021 film.

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2022: ‘Everything Everywhere All At Once’

Image via A24

Back when it originally came out, the Daniels‘ Everything Everywhere All At Once began to take the world by storm—somewhat quietly at first, and then, all at once. It became A24’s highest-grossing film at the time four months into its theatrical run, but that wasn’t the last surprise it had stored up its sleeve. At the 95th Academy Awards, the film achieved the tremendous feat of earning seven Oscar victories, and it probably deserved to win even more. Though blockbusters like The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick are also guaranteed to go down in history as some of the 2020s’ best action films, it just doesn’t get better than this.

It’s one of the best martial arts movies of the 2020s, but it isn’t the kind of film that’s content with operating within a single genre. It’s an existentialist dramedy, a family drama, a sci-fi epic, and a surreal comedy. Dealing with themes of nihilism, absurdism, generational trauma, and immigration, it truly is one of the most complex and ambitious films that have been made at any point during this decade. It runs for just a little under two and a half hours, and every minute of that runtime is easily spent with a massive smile on one’s face—except for when the tears inevitably start coming.

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2023: ‘Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse’

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

After Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse took Marvel fans, animation lovers, and the world in general by storm in 2018, the standard for its sequel was set sky-high. Somehow, not only did Across the Spider-Verse meet that bar, it even surpassed it by quite a bit. It remains the highest-rated film of the 2020s so far on both Letterboxd and IMDb, and for good reason. Though it’s logically best enjoyed by those who already love the Web-Slinger, it’s a film so fun that it should be more than enough to entertain even the most ardent superhero genre hater. As good as 2023 action flicks like Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One and John Wick: Chapter 4 were, none of them were even remotely as perfect as this.

As one of the most ambitious superhero movies of all time, there’s no shortage of areas where Across the Spider-Verse excels. For one, it’s perhaps the single most visually stunning animated movie in history, full of eye-popping colors, adrenaline-pumping action sequences, and visual details that keep coming up in every rewatch. But what really makes this a masterpiece is that, aside from working flawlessly as a sci-fi action epic, it also works flawlessly as a deconstruction of both the Spider-Man mythos and the figure of the superhero. In a blockbuster scene that’s perhaps more full of superhero movies than it should be, masterpieces like this one are all the more appreciated.

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2024: ‘Dune: Part Two’

Before the 2020s, fans of Frank Herbert‘s Dune—easily one of the most groundbreaking and important works of science fiction literature of the entire 20th century—likely believed that no film could possibly live up to the legacy of Herbert’s work. That was before Denis Villeneuve came into the scene. The imagination of the Canadian auteur seemed to match Herbert’s vision like two pieces of the same puzzle, and though 2021’s Dune was as solid as any fan of the source material could have asked for, it’s Dune: Part Two that really blew everyone away. 2024 had other great action spectacles, from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga to Monkey Man, but Dune: Part Two is on a tier all of its own.

As far as sci-fi action blockbusters go, this is arguably this generation’s The Empire Strikes Back. At the very least, it’s one of the best sci-fi blockbusters of all time, packed with awe-inspiring sequences bolstered by stunning visuals, Hans Zimmer‘s best score of the decade so far, and adrenaline-pumping action scenes. The way that Villeneuve understands the tonal essence and thematic core of Herbert’s source material is worthy of the utmost admiration, and the way he elevates the material through some of the most perfect technical qualities of any action film of the 2020s is no less than what this legendary story deserved.

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2025: ‘Sinners’

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

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Ryan Coogler has been delivering some of the greatest action movies of the 21st century over the course of his career, but he really outdid himself in virtually every sense imaginable with Sinners. Only a handful of 2020s horror movies are true masterpieces, and this one’s right up there, a complete revolution of the vampire genre that will likely only get better with age. Winner of four Academy Awards and anchored by its standout ensemble cast and Ludwig Göransson‘s legendary tunes, it’s one of the most near-perfect blockbusters of the decade so far. Films like Predator: Badlands and Superman are also worthy of praise, and One Battle After Another may even be a superior film overall, but purely in terms of what the action genre can achieve, there are few examples from this decade more notorious than this.

The wonderful part about Sinners is just how well it works on multiple different levels. It’s an incredibly entertaining and suspenseful action film, yes; but it’s also a very effectively scary horror film, a complete recontextualization of the vampire genre, and even a remarkably fun and catchy musical at times. This sort of genre juggling is something you don’t often see in modern action films, which only makes the achievements of Coogler and his team all the more worthy of admiration. All those who love horror action movies will find virtually nothing significant to complain about when they watch Sinners, which can already be counted among the best examples of its genres from the 21st century.

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2026: ‘Masters of the Universe’

Image via Amazon MGM Studios

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All in all, 2026 hasn’t really been a particularly prolific year for action cinema so far. Movies like The Rip and Mortal Kombat II have kept fans of the genre perfectly entertained so far, but it’s easy to tell that the action films that’ll end up being remembered as the best of the year still lie on the horizon, from The Odyssey to Dune: Part Three. But so far, the best action film of 2026 is one that probably not many people had on their bingo card as being even remotely as fun as it was: Travis Knight‘s Masters of the Universe, a nostalgia-fueled reimagining of Mattel’s media franchise.

This visually delightful sword-and-sorcery gem may be full of nostalgia aimed at those who grew up loving the adventures of He-Man, but it also sprinkles in plenty of its own modern magic and charm, perfect for young newcomers to fall in love with the franchise in the same way that the grown-ups did decades ago. It’s not particularly well-written and it relies a bit too much on CGI, so it very likely won’t end up being the year’s best action blockbuster by the time 2027 comes around; but as the first half of the year comes to a close, it’s a real treat that the best action flick we’ve had thus far is such an entertaining and energetic reinvention of such a beloved ’80s icon.

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Masters of the Universe

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Release Date

June 5, 2026

Director

Travis Knight

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Writers

Chris Butler

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Producers

Jason Blumenthal, Robbie Brenner, Steve Tisch, Todd Black

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Kyle Richards is throwing her support behind her sister, Kathy Hilton.

Posting via her Instagram Story on Friday, June 5, Richards, 57, defended HIlton, 67, after she stepped down as the grand marshal of the West Hollywood Pride Parade due to backlash from the LGBTQIA+ community.

“My sister Kathy has always been a supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community and will continue to be,” Richards wrote in the post. “As far as ‘MAGA ties’, just because you are acquainted with or associated with or associated with someone in the past or present, does not mean you share their political views.”

Richards continued, “The WeHo Pride Parade is a happy celebratory day. I respect my sister’s decision for not wanting to be a distraction on a day that belongs to the LGBTQIA+ community. Happy Pride!”

Much of the criticism of Hilton’s was around her past association with President Donald Trump. Although she has never shared whether she has voted for Trump, 79, Kathy and her husband, Rick Hilton, socialized with the Trumps in the past.

Hilton announced on Wednesday, June 3, that she would relinquish her role in the annual pride parade.

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“I am honored to have been considered for this recognition and appreciative of the support I have received from members of the community throughout the years,” Hilton said. “My reason for wanting to be involved in this year’s WeHo Pride weekend was simple: to celebrate, support, and share in the joy of a community that means a great deal to so many people. Pride is, and always will be, about celebrating and uplifting LGBTQ+ voices, experiences, and achievements.”

Related: Reunion! Kyle Richards Attends Bridal Shower With Sisters Kathy and Kim

Family first. Kyle Richards put her drama with sisters Kathy Hilton and Kim Richards aside to celebrate her niece Whitney Davis’ upcoming nuptials. “My beautiful niece @whittlesdavis is getting married 💍💞,” the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 54, captioned an Instagram pic of herself posing with her sisters and nieces at Davis’ bridal shower […]

Her statement went on, “I respect the thoughtful conversations that have taken place and remain deeply committed to supporting LGBTQ+ causes and visibility, including through my participation in GLAAD initiatives and events, and longstanding support of organizations such as the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation since its inception, Dr. Mathilde Krim, God’s Love We Deliver, and Project Angel Food.”

“My support for the community and WeHo Pride is unwavering. This monumentally important event has always had a special place in my heart, and I will always cherish the experience I had acting as Grand Marshal of the LA Pride parade with my daughter in 2005,” she continued. “Thank you to everyone who works so hard to make it happen, and I wish the community nothing but love, joy, and a fantastic WeHo Pride weekend.”

By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated 44 seconds ago

When Buffy the Vampire Slayer became the hottest show of the ‘90s, it transformed many of its young cast members (including Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alyson Hannigan) into household names. Their performances were always strong, but it turns out they had a secret weapon: Anthony Stewart Head, the veteran British actor who played Buffy’s onscreen mentor, Giles. Offscreen, he still played mentor to his fellow actors, like when he helped the very American James Marsters master Spike’s trademark British accent. While Head had many great roles before and after this iconic show, countless fans will always remember him as Giles, the man who always helped the Slayer to save the world.

Sadly, Anthony Stewart Head has died at the age of 72. This is only six months after the death of his partner, Sarah Fisher, whom he had been with for over four decades. Head is survived by his daughters, Emily and Daisy Head. They released a statement to The Independent verifying that their acclaimed actor father had died from complications due to pneumonia. As the Buffy fandom grieves, they may take comfort in one thing: according to his daughters, “he passed away peacefully … surrounded by his family.”

Slay, King

Anthony Stewart Head was someone who was always reinventing his career in new and exciting ways. Like many great performers, he got his start in theatre, and he dazzled in plays like Godspell in the late ‘70s and The Rocky Horror Show in the early ‘90s, where he played Frank N. Furter. Musicals were a strength for Head because he had a beautiful voice and had trained himself to use it. In fact, when he wasn’t impressing everybody on the stage or screen in the ‘80s, he was providing the backing vocals for the band Red Box. In short, this is why Head was so good whenever Giles got to sing in Buffy!

His television career was especially quirky. While he had previously appeared in obscure British shows like Enemy at the Door, he didn’t become a very familiar face until he started selling coffee, of all things. Head starred in a series of memorable television ads for Nescafé’s Gold Blend; the coffee was renamed Taster’s Choice for America, where we continued to receive commercials featuring him until 1997. That was the same year that Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered, and the success of this hit genre show helped supercharge Giles actor Anthony Stewart Head’s career.

From Tweed To Leather

For seven years, Anthony Stewart Head was a stalwart presence on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The presence of an older, highly skilled actor helped all of the young performers effectively step up their game. Head’s presence arguably contributed to this TV show’s multi-generational appeal. Buffy appealed to younger audiences because of its younger cast, but older fans could see themselves in Giles, a wise, careworn mentor forced to save the world alongside a bunch of hormonal teens. While Head had a more limited presence in the last two seasons of Buffy (owing to his wanting to spend more time with his family in England), he continued making appearances through the series finale.

There were plans for a Buffy spinoff named Ripper, which would have focused on Giles, and Anthony Stewart Head would have been its leading man. Those plans ultimately fell through, but the actor continued enjoying an eclectic career doing things like narrating Doctor Who audiobooks. His musical chops in the Buffy episode “Once More With Feeling” helped him land a leading role in the bonkers film adaptation of Repo! The Genetic Opera. While he returned to the Slayer’s universe one more time to lend his voice to the Audible exclusive Slayers: A Buffyverse Story, his last major onscreen role was playing Rupert Mannion on the hit comedy Ted Lasso.

Remembering The Father Of Fandom’s Found Family

Anthony Stewart Head leaves behind a rich creative legacy. A master of multiple trades, he has won fans over with his skills as a theatrical performer, an accomplished singer, and as one of television’s biggest icons. While nobody will miss him more than his loving daughters, the entire Buffy fandom mourns the loss of one of the show’s greatest actors. Sadly, he is the third shocking Buffy death in the last year and a half: Dawn actor Michelle Trachtenberg shockingly passed away last year, and Xander actor Nicholas Brendan passed away earlier this year.

In my own grief at Anthony Stewart Head’s passing, I can’t help but think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s most sobering advice: “the hardest thing in this world is to live in it.” It’s certainly harder to live in this world knowing that we have lost such a talented performer, one who has inspired many of us to push ourselves further than we ever thought possible, just as his onscreen Watcher inspired Buffy to become stronger by the day. Fortunately, we can revisit his most inspirational performances whenever we need more of Giles’ wisdom. In this way, the father of the biggest found family in all of fandom will always be a part of our lives.

The war movie genre has boasted some impressive, memorable, and complicated films over the years, going as far back as 1898 with the controversial propaganda picture Tearing Down the Spanish Flag. Genre classics such as Apocalypse Now, Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, and All Quiet on the Western Front tend to dominate war movie conversation, and oftentimes, newer installments to the genre rarely add something new and wind up feeling repetitive.

The moving 2023 WWII movie One Life, which has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, not only managed to inject an incredible amount of heartfelt emotion into the genre, but did so with minimal action. Through the fantastic performances of Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, who effortlessly convey their characters’ complicated pasts, the movie provides a relevant message about the power of human decency that feels incredibly necessary in today’s world.

What Is the War Drama ‘One Life’ About?

With how expansive and destructive World War II was, there are likely hundreds of tales of bravery and extraordinary moments that have flown under the radar. One Life‘s narrative is one of those moments that is truly hard to believe. It explores the true story of Anthony Hopkins’ Nicholas Winton who, in his old age, looks back at when he arranged the evacuation of over 600 children from Czechoslovakia during Nazi occupation — almost single-handedly — while trying to find a home for his scrapbook that details his heroism. The way One Life focuses on Winton’s humility — as he has never been truly recognized for his achievements yet never wishes for them — makes Winton an instantly lovable hero, and Hopkins plays it perfectly. His soft demeanor, with a quiet, shuffling body language, conveys a sincerity that reflects his younger self.

The film switches between a young Winton (Johnny Flynn) and him in the present day, just as it does Ziggy Heath and Jonathan Pryce, who play Winton’s friend Martin Blake, the one who initially invites Winton to Prague to assist with humanitarian efforts. Whereas Flynn and Ziggy Heath play their younger versions with more urgency, due to the stakes, Pryce and Hopkins give their characters slower, more thoughtful deliveries, conveying the weight of their past and how they must have thought about this a thousand times.

‘One Life’ Challenges the Audience and Proves How Powerful Human Decency Can Be

Other war films, such as Hacksaw Ridge, explore how much difference one person can make. In the case of that movie, Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) is committed from the start to simply save whoever he can, and the high-intensity action almost makes the decision for him on how he must act. Instead, One Life is a snowball effect, as Winton only slowly begins to put the pieces together of how difficult saving these children actually will be, and yet his drive to do the right thing shows how anything can be overcome or made possible. Whether it is the British government being incredibly unhelpful in providing visas for children to use to escape, or the Nazis providing a more sinister and urgent threat, Nicholas Winton is constantly told there is no hope, and he must rely on sheer relentless effort to save lives. In today’s world, where institutions fail people consistently, One Life shows how we should believe in making the world a better place one step at a time with our own actions, whether the systems in place are there to help us or not.

Nicholas Winton almost refuses to take credit for his heroism, insisting that he was only doing the right thing and that anyone would have done the same in his shoes. Even when faced with one of the most hateful, destructive threats the world has ever experienced, Nicholas Winton never backed down. He didn’t want money or fame, and he didn’t necessarily think his efforts would win the war and stop evil for good. He just believed it was simply the right thing to do, and there are very few war movies that truly embody this message as well as this one does. One Life is a war movie you don’t want to miss out on.

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One Life

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Release Date

September 9, 2023

Runtime

109 minutes

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Director

James Hawes

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By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated 29 seconds ago

Nearly 40 years after it debuted, The Brave Little Toaster is available to stream on Disney+. For generations, the animated classic was lost media. The last time it was released for home media was in 2003, with a bare-bones DVD release, but before you congratulate Disney on restoring a lost classic, you should know, it’s their fault that it was locked away for decades. In 1987, most kids first came across the film on Disney VHS or on the Disney channel, but it’s not actually a Disney movie. Well it is, but … it gets complicated.

Millennials Can Rejoice: The Brave Little Toaster Is On Streaming

The Brave Little Toaster follows a group of appliances, a toaster, a blanket, a radio, a lamp, and a vacuum cleaner, as they leave a summer cabin to find their young master, Rob, who hasn’t come by in years. Going through forests, down a waterfall, and since it was the 80s, into swampy quicksand, they risk life, limb, and low battery to reach their master. What they don’t know is that it’s been so long that the now college-bound Rob and his girlfriend are trying to find them. 

If it had been made 10 years later, The Brave Little Toaster wouldn’t be as traumatic a story as it is. Other appliances come across as deranged, starting with the air conditioner, voiced by Phil Hartman, that sets itself on fire, and culminating with a repair shop of old, busted appliances. A literal nightmare sequence of the Toaster includes insane clown firefighters and a giant tub of water. Not even the catchy musical numbers can fully offset the deranged nightmare visuals. Even then, it’s a favorite of Millennials for a reason, and you will have to wipe off a tear at the ending. 

Disney Kept The Toaster In The Vault For Decades

Which raises the question, if The Brave Little Toaster is such a great, beloved film, why has Disney kept it trapped in the vault for decades? John Lasseter, the man who helped create Toy Story, wanted to turn the film into the first fully 3D CGI animated feature, over a decade before Buzz and Woody. The pitch was received so well by Disney executives that they fired Lasseter. 

That gave an opening for two Disney employees, Tom Wilhite and Willard Carroll, to take over the film at their new company, Hyperion Pictures. Disney owned the rights to the film, and co-financed it alongside CBS and TDK (an electronics company), with a total budget of only $5.6 million, which was very, very low for a full animated feature. 

Traumatize A New Generation

Disney had the home video and television rights, which is why they purposely moved the Disney Channel debut of the Brave Little Toaster to before its opening weekend in theaters. You think the movie release window is small now in the age of streaming, this was simply unheard of. If Disney wasn’t going to see any money from theaters, it wasn’t going to let anyone get money from a wide release. 

On May 26, 2026, Disney finally released The Brave Little Toaster onto Disney+, and immediately, it landed in the top ten on the service. Those who were raised on Toaster and friends can now share the adventure with their own kids, or, and this is truly painful to type, grandkids. It’s one of the best animated films of the 80s and once you see it, you’ll know exactly where John Lasseter got the idea for Toy Story. 

The Brave Little Toaster is finally streaming on Disney+.

The sequels have been streaming for years, but we don’t talk about those.