Entertainment
Reese Witherspoon Poses With Mom, Lookalike Kids on Red Carpet
Reese Witherspoon turned the Nashville Film Festival red carpet into a family affair.
Witherspoon, 50, stepped out with her mother, Betty Reese, and lookalike kids Ava and Deacon Phillippe on Saturday, September 26, for the world premiere of Brother Save Us at the 57th Nashville Film Festival. (Witherspoon is also the mother of son Tennessee, 14, whom she shares with ex Jim Toth.)
The family was attending in celebration of the film, which stars Deacon, 22, as a farmer in a dystopian Midwest. In one image from Saturday, the mother-son duo placed their arms around each other while smiling for the camera.
Witherspoon opted for a strapless white corset top and black pants with black heels for the occasion, while Deacon donned a brown suit with a brown T-shirt. Ava, 27, selected a mini slip dress with diagonal stripes and Betty wore a black suit with a silk scarf around her neck.
While Reese Witherspoon has an expansive résumé, she touts parenthood as one of her greatest achievements. The Legally Blonde star first became a mother in September 1999, welcoming daughter Ava with then-husband Ryan Phillippe. The duo — who were married between 1999 and 2006 — then welcomed son Deacon in October 2003. Thank You! You […]
“So proud of you @deaconphillippee!!” Witherspoon wrote via her Instagram Story on Saturday, reposting images of the mother-son duo from the event.
Days before the occasion, Deacon opened up about feeling a connection to the project due to his relationship with brother Tennessee.
“I just remember feeling surprised that someone could write exactly how I feel about my little brother,” Deacon told Variety earlier this month. “That depth of love in a script is just something you rarely get to see.”
He also got candid about following in the acting footsteps of Witherspoon and his father, Ryan Phillippe, who were married from 1999 to 2007.
Reese Witherspoon became a mom at age 23 and has been making candid motherhood confessions ever since. The actress welcomed daughter Ava with her ex-husband, Ryan Phillippe, in 1999, and the little one became a big sister four years later when son Deacon arrived. Following the Cruel Intentions costars’ 2006 split, Witherspoon wed Jim Toth […]
“I acknowledge that I’m extremely lucky, but you know, at the same time, I hold myself to a standard,” Deacon said. “I’m not really looking to prove anything to anyone but myself to try to be the best version I can be, the best person I can be and work as hard as I can. A lot of people are going to assume things … All I can do is do my thing, and show that I want to work extremely, extremely hard.”
Deacon, who is set to star in the upcoming rom-com Better Than the Movies, went on to reflect on his favorite movie in the genre involving his mother.
“I would say, Sweet Home Alabama,” he said. “It’s very weird to watch your parents act. It’s hard. I remember when I was a kid, I watched one of my dad’s first movies, White Squall, and I was crying because they were bullying him in the movie.”
He continued, “But as you get older, there’s something magical about watching your parents young and at your age. I’m always in awe of their careers and all that they’ve done. That’s why I’m always leaning on them for advice, which is another thing I’m blessed to have.”
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The showgirl herself — a.k.a. Taylor Swift — has made her grand return to the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
Swift, 36, strutted down the Saturday, September 27, red carpet at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater dressed in a Tamara Ralph halter gown featuring a black corset and silver skirt. She completed her ensemble with diamond earrings from Leviev and Anito Ko, Le Silla pumps, and Forever Diamonds and Etho Maria rings and a rosy lip.
For glam, the pop star showed off her newly cut bob and blunt bangs.
Swift, however, didn’t have husband Travis Kelce on her arm, as the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, 36, was in Miami for a football game against the Miami Dolphins earlier on Sunday. (The Chiefs beat the Dolphins 24-10.)
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Swift, who last attended the VMAs in 2024, is up for 11 trophies, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Best Pop, Best Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Choreography, Best Visual Effects, Best Album and Song of the Summer. Swift will also receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors.
“The MTV VMA Artist Director Honors celebrates a sustained and influential body of work from artists who have pushed creative boundaries and developed a clear directorial voice,” a press release read. “A seven-time VMAs Best Director nominee and four-time winner, Swift has emerged as one of the most distinctive directors of her generation, using music video as an extension of her songwriting and developing a visual language that blends narrative, symbolism, humor and autobiographical themes.”
The statement adds, “Across her work, Swift has brought an increasingly expansive approach to storytelling, creating interconnected narratives, cinematic worlds and recurring details that invite audiences deeper into each project. The inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors recognizes that body of work, while also underscoring the growing role artists play in shaping how their music is brought to life on screen.”
Swift directed videos for “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite” from her 2025 studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, both of which were recognized at the VMAs. Days before the ceremony, Swift dropped an extended version of the record with four new songs.
The wildest night in music is finally here. The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards kicked off at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27, with Snoop Dogg serving as the evening’s host. The network tapped this year’s most-nominated (and most-awarded) artist, Madonna, to open the show, marking the first time the Queen […]
“About a year ago, you guys did a truly unfathomable thing. Something that completely blew my mind. You gave The Life of a Showgirl the biggest first week for an album in history,” Swift wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, September 23. “I took a trip to Sweden to celebrate with Max [Martin] and Shellback, my two collaborators on this album. Really we just wanted to reflect and take in how grateful we were for the moment we were in, but there was a studio there and we did what we do when we feel anything at all: We wrote more songs.”
She continued, “I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made.”
The new songs are “Patient Zero,” “Cleveland!,” “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon.”
The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet was sizzling from start to finish, highlighting the hottest couples in the music industry and beyond.
Dave Grohl and wife Jordyn Blum were among the first stars to arrive at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, on Sunday, September 27, setting the tone for the celebratory evening. (Grohl also posed for photos with his former bandmates Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear ahead of their iconic band, Nirvana, receiving the Video Vanguard Award.)
All eyes were on “Ordinary” singer Alex Warren and his wife, Kouvr Annon, meanwhile, as they posed for pictures together before heading inside the venue.
Prior to the Moon Person statues being handed out, Chanel West Coast and her fiancé, Dom Fenison, turned heads in their coordinated ensembles — and they weren’t the only dynamic duo fans couldn’t stop talking about.
Scroll down to which of your favorite couples walked the 2026 VMAs red carpet:
The Housemaid star Brandon Sklenar had Us doing a complete double take at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards thanks to his new ‘do.
Sklenar, 36, stepped out on Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater red carpet on Sunday, September 27, looking casually cool in a black leather bomber jacket over a white T-shirt and coordinating black trousers. The actor accessorized his ensemble with a pair of dark aviator shades and Also snake-printed boots.
Completing his styling, Sklenar traded his signature dark locks for a platinum, cropped hair makeover.
Sklenar stepped out on Sunday alongside his The Rescue costar Hassie Harrison, who looked lovely in a black sheath dress with her own blonde tresses piled into an elegant updo.
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Sklenar and Harrison, 36, play a former couple who unite to rescue their daughter after she is kidnapped in the 2027 thriller.
“Ninety percent of this film is outside in nature, and I spent most of the time working with a dog and a horse,” Sklenar told People in an interview published Wednesday, September 23, teasing his new role as an ex-rodeo cowboy. “Seeing how that affects the crew and just the overall vibe on set, it’s a different tone when you’re in nature on a horse with a dog for a majority of scenes and filming.”
He continued, “It’s a different feeling, and it can be very meditative and healing spending that much time with a dog and a horse in nature all at once.”
In preparing for the Western film, Sklenar relied on his Yellowstone universe training.
“I just kind of took to it pretty well and then competed in a cattle cutting competition with Taylor [Sheridan] and some other people from some of his shows, and I did all right at that,” the 1923 alum quipped. “I was very comfortable on a horse. Love being on a horse, love riding fast on a horse. I feel like I understand them and I have a good way with them.”
Travis Kelce had a very good reason for not attending the MTV Video Music Awards 2026 with his wife, Taylor Swift.
The “Patient Zero” singer-songwriter, 36, is expected to arrive solo at MTV’s annual music gala at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 27, to accept the first-ever MTV VMA Artist Director Honors.
Her husband Kelce, 36, is unable to join her during the celebratory evening due to his own busy schedule — his Kansas City Chiefs were busy taking on the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Sunday. (The Chiefs emerged victorious in a 24-10 win.)
Kelce has previously supported Swift when she received industry honors, including flying from the Chiefs minicamp to attend her induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York City in June. (Swift and Kelce tied the knot in a star-studded ceremony at Madison Square Garden in New York City on July 3.)
Celebrities delivered all the drama for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter a valid email. Subscribe By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Deal of the Day Why Wait for Prime […]
Meanwhile, MTV and CBS announced on Monday, September 21, that Swift would be given the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honor at this year’s ceremony.
The brand new VMAs category celebrates “a sustained and influential body of work from artists who have pushed creative boundaries and developed a clear directorial voice.”
Swift is certainly worthy of being the first recipient of the award as she has received seven Best Director nominations and four wins throughout her career. She also holds the record for most VMA wins of all time with 31, putting her ahead of Beyoncé’s 30 total wins.
“Across her work, Swift has brought an increasingly expansive approach to storytelling, creating interconnected narratives, cinematic worlds and recurring details that invite audiences deeper into each project,” MTV and CBS said in a statement. “The inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honor recognizes that body of work, while also underscoring the growing role artists play in shaping how their music is brought to life on screen.”
Taylor Swift accepts the Video of the Year Award during the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards. Noam Galai/Getty Images for MTV
Swift was once again up for Best Director this year, as her “Opalite” clip was pitted against Christian Breslauer’s direction of Ariana Grande’s “Hate That I Made You Love Me”, Bruno Mars and Daniel Ramos’ collaboration on Mars’ “I Just Might,” Romain Gavras’ visualization for Gener8ion and Yung Lean’s “Storm,” TORSO’s work on Madonna’s “Confessions II – The Film” and Sabrina Carpenter and Margaret Qualley’s adaptation of Carpenter’s “House Tour.”
Swift came into this year’s VMAs with 11 total nominations for her Life of a Showgirl album, second only to Madonna’s 12 total nods for Confessions II. Among Swift’s nominations this year were Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Artist of the Year.
Aside from winning the MTV VMA Artist Director Honor, Swift also premiered the music video for new single “Patient Zero” during the gala. (“Patient Zero” is one of four new tracks featured on an expanded edition of her 2025 album, now retitled The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore.)
The MTV Video Music Awards 2026 aired live on MTV, CBS and Paramount+ from the Peacock Theater on Sunday. A replay of the ceremony will be available on Monday, September 28, on Paramount+.
Entertainment
Jason Statham’s $530M Sci-Fi Franchise-Starter Is Officially Ready to Devour Streaming
Jason Statham has faced plenty of foes: hackers, mutineers, traffickers, mafia bosses, and more. But his biggest foe to date has been, well, quite literally enormous. And when you discover that there’s a 75-foot enemy hunting you from the deep, what’s the best ploy? Closing the beach seems sensible. You’ve seen Jaws, you know how it works. Staying on dry land feels even better. Not for the Stath.
Statham (The Beekeeper) stars in The Meg, which officially found a new streaming home last week when the sci-fi monster movie landed on HBO Max in the United States. Jon Turteltaub’s (National Treasure) gloriously silly 2018 blockbuster became a much bigger hit than anyone expected, eventually earning more than $530 million worldwide and spawning a sequel.
In The Meg, a massive creature attacks a deep-sea submersible, leaving it disabled and trapping the crew at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. With time running out, rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Statham) must save the crew and the ocean itself from an unimaginable threat: a 75-foot-long prehistoric shark known as the megalodon.
The cast also features Li Bingbing (Transformers: Age of Extinction) as Suyin Zhang, Rainn Wilson (The Office) as Jack Morris, Ruby Rose (Orange Is the New Black) as Jaxx Herd, Cliff Curtis (Avatar: The Way of Water) as James “Mac” Mackreides, Winston Chao (The Wedding Banquet) as Dr. Minway Zhang, Page Kennedy (Rush Hour) as DJ, and Jessica McNamee (Mortal Kombat) as Lori.
How Good Is ‘The Meg’?
Okay, so nobody was expecting “Jason Statham, Shark Puncher” to be a critical hit, let’s be honest. And the reaction from critics reflects this, with the movie currently sitting at 46% on Rotten Tomatoes. But judging it on a scale of anything other than, well, Statham punching a shark seems silly, and audiences certainly understood the assignment. The Meg opened at No. 1 domestically before swimming all the way to approximately $530 million worldwide, including roughly $155 million in North America and another $155 million from China. It became the highest-grossing Chinese-American co-production at the time and comfortably earned itself another encounter with prehistoric sea life.
That sequel, Meg 2: The Trench, followed in 2023 with Statham returning as Jonas. It added more giant sharks and even more prehistoric monsters because, apparently, the lesson from the first movie was that one megalodon simply isn’t enough. The Meg is streaming now on HBO Max in the United States.
- Release Date
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August 10, 2018
- Runtime
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113 minutes
- Director
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Jon Turteltaub
- Writers
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Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber, Dean Georgaris, Steve Alten
- Producers
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Belle Avery, Colin Wilson, Lorenzo di Bonaventura
Tia Kemp is weighing in after Jazzma Kendrick, the girlfriend of Rick Ross, accused him of physically assaulting her. Kendrick shared a series of social media posts of the allegations, including a photo of her bruised lip. She was his “punching bag,” she alleged. Kemp, meanwhile, had a message for the girls: leave the mansion and keep a job while suggesting that Rick wouldn’t hit anyone.
RELATED: We See You! Tia Kemp Reacts Alongside Internet Users As Victoria Woods Shows Off Her New Smile (VIDEO + PHOTOS)
Jazzma Kendrick Accuses Rick Ross Of Hitting Her
Rick Ross’ girlfriend has told the world that the rapper put his hands on her, leading her to end the relationship. As said, she shared these details in a series of Instagram Stories’ posts on Saturday (Sept. 26). A fan had appeared to reply to her selfie post, writing, “I’m seeing what Rick is seeing your so gorgeous.” Sharing a screenshot of that, she added the text, “He saw a punching bag.” In another post, she shared a close-up photo of her lip and cheek, writing, “The day Rick busted my lip and the day I left.” A third post was a selfie of Jazzma Kendrick pulling up top lip upwards to reveal a deep purple bump and bruise. She added the text:
“I don’t know a lot of things, but I do know that a man put his hands on me, is a man that never loved me and never will.”
Lastly, a fourth post by Jazzma, as screenshotted by The Shade Room, included some advice. “It’s always good until it isn’t. If a man hits you one time, he will do it again. Don’t give him the opportunity. Value your life and leave,” Kendrick wrote.
Tia Kemp Sends A Message To The Girls & Her Ex-Boyfriend
After The Shade Room shared Jazzma Kendrick’s assault allegations, Tia Kemp dropped by the comment section with a few words. Kemp and Rick share a 21-year-old son, Williams Robert III, the rapper’s eldest and previously dated between 2003 and 2007. Tia spoke of knowing when to leave.
“Ladies when that man say go home…lawdddd…That ride home with garbage bags of your clothes n that backseat hurts trust me…it hurts! That’s all. They want to b n the mansion 4ever…..go home baby….and keep a job,” Tia Kemp commented, adding exclamation point, 100% and prayer hand emojis.
Kemp also hopped on live on one of her social profiles and doubled down on her message about leaving when it’s time. She also seemed suggest that Rick Ross wouldn’t hit anyone and that she warned him about messing with “prostitutes.”
“…You can’t stay in the mansion forever, it’s temporary, it’s called fun times. I ain’t feeling sorry for no h*e. I ain’t cause one thing that fat b*tch ain’t finna do is hit nobody. You [inaudible] yourself girl. I don’t believe sh*t, it’s cameras all around that new state of the art house. Will pull up the cameras, they can’t get none of that money now. Ain’t nobody getting none of that motherf**king money n*gga.”
Tia Kemp said that she has a week off and is on her way to check Rick Ross. She also warned Jazzma that she won’t be getting a penny of Ross’ estate, seemingly suggesting her abuse story is false.
“I told your fat a** stop playing with these prostituting, ex-prostitutes, tricking ass…didn’t I Willy? Didn’t I? Girl, if you think you finna get ay of that estate. B*tch we gon settle out with you for some Wingstop wings or something. We ain’t got no money for you girl.”
RELATED: Aww! Fans Take Notes As Rick Ross’ Girlfriend Has Him Cheesin’ And Glowing Up (VIDEO)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Former Scream star Melissa Barrera is opening up about a possible return to the beloved horror movie franchise after she was fired for publicly supporting the Palestinian people amid the war in Gaza.
“Would you, if the Scream folks were to call back, do you think you would ever return to that world?” reporter Kate Schroeder asked the actress, 36, in a podcast interview shared on Friday, September 25.
“Not with the company that currently holds the rights,” Barrera, who starred as Sam Carpenter in 2022’s Scream and 2023’s Scream VI before she was let go ahead of the seventh installment. “I love the franchise. I had an amazing time making those movies but a lot of the hate and the difficulty that I’ve faced in the last years is because the leadership of that company made it a point to label me something that I’m not. And they never apologized, even when I was proven right.’
She continued, “Even with an apology I wouldn’t go back to work with them, so… not that I’m holding my breath. I don’t think they have that ability. But if the franchise were to ever leave those hands and go into hands that I think would honor Wes Craven’s legacy more, I think… yeah.”
When Melissa Barrera was fired from the Scream franchise after making comments about the Israel-Hamas war, her overriding emotion was pure shock. “I’m not the first person that’s happened to, but it was shocking,” Barrera, 33, recalled to Rolling Stone on Wednesday, January 24. “I don’t even know what to say. I think everything that […]
Spyglass Media Group, which produces the Scream films, fired the actress in November 2023, citing her social media posts opposing Israel and the United States’ ongoing war in Gaza after the deadly October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas. To date, more than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli attacks, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry as reported by the Associated Press, including more than 20,000 Palestinian children, per the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry.
“Spyglass’ stance is unequivocally clear: We have zero tolerance for antisemitism or the incitement of hate in any form, including false references to genocide, ethnic cleansing, Holocaust distortion or anything that flagrantly crosses the line into hate speech,” the company claimed in a statement released at the time, addressing Barrera’s unceremonious exit.
Barrera’s advocacy has once again made headlines in the wake of the ongoing controversy surrounding singer Ed Sheeran and Seattle rapper Macklemore, who was let go from the former’s Loop Tour after voicing his own support of the Palestinian people in opposition of genocide and human rights violations in every form.
“It made me emotional, you know,” Barrera told the Associated Press in a September 16 interview of Mackelmore’s steadfast advocacy and the subsequent response, which ultimately included the remaining acts in Sheeran’s tour dropping out in solidarity with Macklemore and the Palestinian people.
“I didn’t get that when it happened to me,” she continued at the time. “I didn’t have any of that happen. It was too soon. People were too scared. But it’s good to see that almost three years later, at least things have changed.”
Melissa Barrera didn’t hold back while addressing how several Scream stars returned to film the most recent installment in the wake of her controversial firing. During an interview with Variety, which was published on Wednesday, May 7, Barrera, 35, was asked whether she thought her former costars were “crossing the picket line” by returning to […]
Matthew Lillard, Barrera’s former costar and one of the original 1996 Scream stars, also expressed his regret for not supporting Barrera after she was fired.
“When that happened to Melissa, the whole world didn’t pipe up,” Lillard said during a Q&A session held during a 30th anniversary screening of the original film earlier this month. “But she was a year early on what the f***’s going on. But the whole world should have popped up and said, ‘She’s right.’ And they didn’t. And that’s brutal.”
He added at the time, “I went back to do Scream, and I got called out. And I’m like, ‘Oh, f***. That’s brutal.’ I feel bad about that. I feel ashamed about that. Because in that moment I was so excited to go back, I didn’t really think about Melissa and that journey I didn’t say no. I blew that. I’m on the wrong side of history for that. I still like being in the movie [but] it may not have been the best idea.”
Celebrities delivered all the drama for the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
Stars including Taylor Swift, Chloe Bailey, Lisa Rinna and more proved to be on their A-game with their fabulous ensembles at the awards show, which took place on Sunday, September 27, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. This year, Madonna, led the list with 13 nominations.
Swift, 36, is also up for 11 awards including Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia” and Artist of the Year. With her career total of 30 Moon Persons, Swift only needs one more to become the most awarded artist in the show’s history. She’s also receiving the inaugural MTV VMA Artist Director Honors, which recognizes groundbreaking artists whose work being the camera as a director has pushed creative boundaries.
Keep scrolling to see the hottest red carpet looks:
Actor Guillermo Diaz has been acting since the ’90s, and early in his career, he said he was often typecast as the opposite of who he actually is. Speaking on the “McBride Rewind” podcast, Diaz, known for his role as Huck in “Scandal,” said things began to change after he had an honest conversation with his management team.
Guillermo Diaz Opens Up About Being ‘Typecast’ Early In His Career
Diaz, who was cast in shows like “Law & Order,” “ER,” and “The Sopranos,” said he was typecast early in his career, which led him to begin searching for other roles.
“I had already done so many, like, thug roles, like on Law & Order and on all these shows — I was super typecast for a long time,” he said while reflecting on his audition for “Weeds.” “It was just another job.”
However, after appearing in more and more productions as the same character, Diaz said he took it upon himself to force a change.
Guillermo Diaz Recalls Receiving ‘Pushback’ For Wanting To Diversify His Portfolio
After speaking with his management team about auditioning for more complex roles that broke the routine, he received “pushback,” as they thought it could negatively impact his career.
“I think they were more comfortable with me playing like bad guys and gun-toting drug dealers than I was playing like gay characters or a drag queen,” he said. “My team and people in my life were more nervous about that.”
Firing back, Diaz questioned why those closest to him would consider him playing a queer character to be a “bad thing” but not when he’s portraying aggressive criminals.
Guillermo Diaz Used This Film To Publicly Come Out As Gay
Diaz, who is openly gay, snagged roles in different films in 1995, including “Party” and “Stonewall.” Diaz plays the lead role of La Miranda in the latter, which is a fictionalized account of the weeks leading up to the Stonewall riots.
During the promotional tour for the film, Diaz said he used that opportunity to publicly come out as gay, adding that he never wanted to be an actor who avoided questions about his sexuality. “I was honest about being gay from the get-go,” he said. ” So, there was no mystery there.”
And according to Diaz, trusting his gut was the right move, as it showed him “in a different light,” and provided him the chance to take on new work.
Diaz ‘Fell In Love’ With His Character In Another ABC Production
After he finished his run on “Scandal” in 2018, Diaz returned to ABC to appear in the half-hour comedy “United We Fall.” Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Diaz said the thought of switching gears and jumping back into comedy appealed to him.
“Honestly, I wish I had the luxury and the power to pick and choose what roles I play. The role in United We Fall just another audition that came my way. And of course, the fact that it was a half-hour sitcom was so different from Scandal, and Chuy from the Huck character. That was definitely something that excited me,” he said.
He went on to say he initially turned down the role because of a misunderstanding, but after being asked to reconsider, he changed his mind. “I’m so glad it came back around and that I took it,” he said.
Why ‘United We Fall’ Was A Big Deal For Diaz
“United We Fall” aired for one season on ABC in 2020 and featured a mixed-race, Latix household.
It follows a couple with young children and an over-the-top extended family when the husband’s “judgmental mother” moves in with them.
Aside from the show’s premise, Diaz said the diversity and wide range of identities were major reasons he said yes.
“I want to say how proud I am at the diversity of this show and its strong Latino presence. This should be the norm and something that we don’t have to think about anymore,” he said. “I feel that it’s so important for you to see yourself represented on television and in movies, contributing to society and a good and positive way like we do on this show. We’re successful Latinos who are family-oriented. Just seeing this show will help Latino kids feel not only represented and relevant but also that they could be on TV.”
When it comes to prestige television, nothing comes close to HBO. With a total of 1,500 Primetime Emmy nominations and more than 220 wins, HBO has built its reputation on taking creative risks and putting fresh twists on any genre, be it drama, comedy, or even sci-fi.
While sci-fi is often known for pushing the boundaries of science, these HBO sci-fi shows put humanity first, giving even non-sci-fi watchers a chance to connect with the characters and stories without having to get caught up in all the hard science. From androids raising human children to a bunch of wealthy passengers getting trapped on a space vacation, here are HBO sci-fi shows where every episode is a masterpiece.
‘Peacemaker’ (2022–2025)
Taking place five months after The Suicide Squad, the sci-fi-adjacent superhero series Peacemaker follows Christopher Smith (John Cena) as he recovers from his near-fatal injuries sustained during the mission. Struggling with his identity as an anti-hero and his belief that “the ends justify the means,” Peacemaker is approached by A.R.G.U.S. to join a covert operation that forces him to work alongside a bunch of dysfunctional misfits.
While the superhero premise is obviously front and center, Peacemaker also has an overlooked sci-fi element that’s often overshadowed by its superhero premise. Think mind-controlling Butterflies that invade human bodies and consume their brains from the inside, turning their hosts into obedient vessels. The show also introduces alternate realities, including a parallel universe with a radically different version of Earth and its history. These bizarre concepts make Peacemaker feel much stranger than a typical superhero series, especially when its absurd sci-fi ideas are thrown into the middle of an otherwise grounded team mission.
‘Westworld’ (2016–2022)
Westworld is set in a futuristic theme park where lifelike robotic Hosts cater to wealthy guests’ every desire, including violence and sex. But when several Hosts begin recovering memories of their brutal pasts, they develop a sense of consciousness and turn against their creators. As Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) and Maeve (Thandiwe Newton) awaken to their reality, a rebellion threatens to expose Delos’ darkest secrets.
While the Hosts are intriguing as they push beyond their cognitive limitations, the park itself is practically its own character in Westworld. Its Western aesthetic isn’t purely for show, as it brings familiar elements like gunslingers, outlaws, saloons, and frontier towns into a futuristic setting, while wealthy human guests treat those stories as their personal playground. The introduction of other parks, including the Japanese-inspired Shōgunworld, expands this idea even further, showing Hosts being forced to perform predetermined identities within carefully constructed worlds. As the Hosts awaken, these artificial worlds become a fascinating reflection of the roles humans force them to play.
‘Watchmen’ (2019)
With one of America’s most devastating tragedies serving as the launching pad for the show, Watchmen follows Angela Abar (Regina King), a detective who operates under the masked identity of Sister Night in an alternate 2019 where masked vigilantes are outlawed. As Angela investigates a murder tied to the past, she uncovers conspiracies involving certain controversial groups.
Audiences don’t have to read the original Watchmen graphic novel to understand the show, especially since it expands the original story by introducing new characters and ideas. Even more impressive is its ability to tie the fictional world to real U.S. history, giving the show even more weight as the story gets increasingly graphic. The Tulsa Massacre, a real event in which a thriving Black community was attacked and destroyed, becomes central to Angela’s story and the show’s exploration of racism, generational trauma, and how Black history can be erased or forgotten.
‘The Leftovers’ (2014–2017)
The Leftovers takes place three years after the inexplicable “Sudden Departure,” when 2% of the world’s population mysteriously disappears. The series follows police chief Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux) as he struggles to hold his family and community together amid the aftermath, while cults like the Guilty Remnant emerge and survivors like Nora Durst (Carrie Coon) grapple with unimaginable loss in a world searching for answers.
Instead of treating the “Sudden Departure” as a mystery that requires solving, The Leftovers exists as this earthly purgatory, where people try to live through the uncertainty and process their grief. That’s something viewers have in common with these characters, as we watch them process grief in completely different ways, making it both a collective and individual experience simultaneously. While the first season can be overwhelmingly bleak, the following seasons inject more humor, hope, and surrealism, perfectly illustrating the absurdity of living in a reality where nobody knows why 2% of humanity disappeared.
‘Raised by Wolves’ (2020–2022)
Raised by Wolves follows two androids, Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim), tasked with raising human children on Kepler-22b after Earth is devastated by bloody war. As the small colony grows, religious differences threaten to tear the survivors apart, forcing the androids to confront the consequences of raising humanity while attempting to control the beliefs shaping their society.
Unlike your typical emotionless androids, Mother and Father develop their own personalities and attachments. Mother, in particular, begins to question the limits of her programming as she forms a bond with the children. It’s also a show that bravely tackles heavier subjects like religion and how belief can sometimes manifest as overzealousness when things are taken too far. Marcus’ visions of Sol further complicate the conflict, showing how quickly faith can influence people’s actions. In the end, though, Raised by Wolves emphasizes that belief is more complex than we realize.
‘Station Eleven’ (2021–2022)
In the aftermath of a civilization-wiping flu pandemic, Station Eleven follows the effects of the incident, switching between the outbreak’s early days and 20 years later. Among them is Kirsten Raymonde (Mackenzie Davis), who grows from a traumatized child into a resilient woman traveling with the Traveling Symphony, a troupe of performers preserving art in the post-apocalyptic world.
Post-apocalyptic shows tend to be bleak and despondent. That’s not the case for Station Eleven. Basic needs like food and water are crucial, but so is nourishment for the soul. Through the Traveling Symphony, Kirsten and her crew bring life to communities with Shakespeare, music, and a sense of connection that reminds survivors of what makes life worth living. Rather than simply showing people struggling to survive, the series asks what they should live for after everything familiar has disappeared. The Traveling Symphony’s performances become a way for survivors to reconnect with their humanity, proving that art can endure even when civilization does not.
‘Avenue 5’ (2020–2022)
Space flights are a huge risk, but space tourism is a different kind of danger. Avenue 5 follows the wealthy passengers and inept crew of a luxury interplanetary cruise ship after a maintenance accident sends the vessel 0.21 degrees off course. Instead of the eight-week outer-space trip they signed up for, it becomes a three-year journey home.
Considering the nature of space tourism today, Avenue 5 is the perfect satire of how the wealthy think they’re completely invincible. Just because they can afford a ticket doesn’t make them immune to disaster. And when they inevitably find themselves in trouble, their lack of preparation becomes the perfect source of workplace-ish mishaps. The passengers expect the crew to solve every problem because they’ve paid for a luxury experience, while the crew itself is barely equipped to handle the crisis. This makes the show’s central joke especially effective: money can buy you a ticket to space, but it can’t buy you immunity from disaster.
Avenue 5
- Release Date
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2020 – 2022-00-00
- Network
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HBO
- Directors
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Natalie Bailey, Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Annie Griffin, William Stefan Smith
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