Celebrity

Jeff Probst A Constant For ‘Survivor’ As It Nears 44th Game

Published

1 year ago

2023-02-27

NEW YORK — There was a time when Jeff Probst couldn’t imagine doing what he’ll do on Wednesday as host of the 44th season of “Survivor.”

That is due to more than just the transient nature of television, where a 44th season of anything, even a show that created a sensation when it first aired on CBS in the summer of 2000, is rare.

Probst had a restlessness about him in those early days. In 2001, he studied screenwriting, acted, and wrote and directed a well-received indie film. He experimented with a short-lived talk show. “I had a chip on my shoulder about being called a ‘host,'” he admits.

However, as series creator Mark Burnett began to step down, Probst added “producer” to his title and has since ascended to the level of “showrunner,” which means he’s in charge of everything.

He’s all in as a “Survivor” evangelist at 61.

“I have never been more excited to be a part of the show,” he recently told The Associated Press. “I hope it’s clear. “I hope it’s clear that I’m a big ‘Survivor’ fan.”

It is still a marvelously designed game that tests survival skills in a forbidding — if lovely — environment and social and scheming abilities to remain standing at the end and collect the $1 million prize. Even if one of the cast members is a stumbling block, “one of the show’s greatest strengths is that every season hits a reset button,” according to Dalton Ross, executive editor at large at Entertainment Weekly and a longtime fan of the show.

So it can handle a scandal, like a player being kicked off in 2019 after being accused of touching young women in an inappropriate way, or changes that don’t work, like the “fire tokens” that were tried for one season but didn’t work.

Other new ideas, such as a hidden immunity idol or the “David vs. Goliath” season that Probst adored, keep the show fresh while adhering to a basic structure.

CBS also directed producers to increase diversity, which Probst claims have added to the show’s richness. The new season’s 18 castaways include five Black contestants, three Latinos, and an Asian American.

“I think people who don’t watch ‘Survivor’ may mistake it for some sort of survivalist’s show or label it as just a reality show,” Probst said. “When, in reality, ‘Survivor’ is one of the most epic adventures you can ever embark on, as a player or a viewer.”

According to Ross, there was a clear difference in how Probst did his job onscreen as he became more involved in how the show was put together.

“Jeff began to inject more opinion and personality into his hosting,” he explained. “Until that point, it was more of a master of ceremonies role. You realized he could be the audience’s eyes and ears and speak for them. It was one of the most significant changes he implemented as a host. It made him a player the other players had to deal with.”

When asked who he thinks is the best player ever, Probst shrugs and admits that some seasons start to blur together.

After bouncing around for several years to different locations, “Survivor” has settled on Fiji as a permanent set. The jungle is a character in its own right. According to Ross, high-definition photography and drones make things more visually appealing than ever.

When asked who he thinks is the best player ever, Probst shrugs and admits that some seasons start to blur together. He claimed he’d lose a “Survivor” trivia contest.

“I’ll see an early cut of an episode and have no idea who was voted out, even though I was the one at Tribal Council who extinguished their torch,” he explained.

And, yes, he’s excited about the new season, calling it one of the most entertaining casts the show has assembled in a long time.

“It’s enthralling,” he said. “I believe that it’s one of the reasons we’re still on the air. If you watch the first episode of ‘Survivor 44,’ I don’t understand how you won’t watch the second. You’ll become addicted.”

Beginning Wednesday, Survivor Probst will co-host a podcast with show

Beginning Wednesday, Probst will co-host a podcast with show producer Brittany Crapper and fan Jay Wolff, which will air after each episode’s conclusion. According to him, “On Fire with Jeff Probst” will provide an inside look at how the show is put together.

He said that CBS wants to maintain the magic and strengthen its relationship with fans.

With broadcast television struggling to attract viewers, CBS’s “Survivor” is a consistent performer and one of the few families shows that people of all ages can enjoy. The show appears to be here to stay, and it’s difficult to imagine it without the man who is “not just the face of ‘Survivor,’ but the pulse of ‘Survivor,'” according to Ross.

When asked if he wants to stay with the show for as long as it is on the air, Probst initially dismisses the question as impossible.

Then he responds quickly.

“At this point,” he admitted. “Indeed, yes. Because I’ve built my life around Survivor and channeled all of my creative ideas through it. Every conversation, every book I read, every podcast I listen to, everything… will be filtered through my Survivor filter.”

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

Kevin Spacey Denies “New Allegations” of Inappropriate Behavior

Published

10 hours ago

2024-05-04

Geoff Thomas

Kevin Spacey said he has struggled to get back to work: Getty Images

Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey has denied new allegations of inappropriate behavior from men in a British television documentary airing next week. After his acquittal last year in a London court, Spacey told journalist Dan Wootton online that he had hard to return to work.

in the interview “Kevin Spacey: Right Of Reply” that aired late Friday on Wootton’s YouTube channel.

Four men accused Spacey of sexual assault 20 years ago, but a London jury acquitted him in July. The court victory was his second since defeating “Star Trek: Discovery” actor Anthony Rapp’s $40 million New York case in 2022.

Channel 4 in Britain and Max in the U.S. will carry the documentary “Spacey Unmasked” on May 6 and 7.

The actor indicated in an interview that the documentary will contain men’s 1976–2013 testimony.

Spacey, who won Oscars for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty,” stated, “I take full responsibility for my past behaviour and my actions, but I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone who’s made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about

“Never have I said that if someone gives me sexual favors, I will help them with their career,” he told AP.

Old Vic Theatre in London: Getty Images

Kevin Spacey, who was creative director of the Old Vic Theatre in London from 2004 to 2015, said that he was a “flirt” with 20-something males and made “clumsy” approaches.

“I’ve clearly hooked up with some men, who thought a relationship with me might help them advance in their careers,” he stated. “But there was no conversation with me, it was all part of their plan, a plan that was only going to fail because I wasn’t involved.”

Kevin Spacey said on X, formerly Twitter, that he had “repeatedly requested” that Channel 4 give him more than seven days to react to their documentary charges.

Spacey said the channel declined “on the basis that they feel that asking for a response in 7 days to new, anonymized and non-specific allegations is a ‘fair opportunity’ for me to refute any allegations made against me.”

“Each time I have been given time and a proper forum to defend myself, the allegations have failed under scrutiny and I have been exonerated,” he said. Spacey called his acquittal a “life sentence” and said he struggled to return to work.

Since the #MeToo movement began in 2017, his acting career has suffered. He lost his Netflix leadership role as Frank Underwood in “House of Cards”.

Kevin Spacey Found Not Guilty on 9 Sexual Misconduct Charges

Kevin Spacey Found Not Guilty on 9 Sexual Misconduct Charges

Celebrity

‘Star Wars’ Actor Mark Hamill Drops By White House For A Visit With ‘Joe-Bi-Wan Kenobi’

Published

15 hours ago

2024-05-04

Kiara Grace

AP - VOR News Image

Washington — On Friday, “Star Wars” actor Mark Hamill visited the White House with President Joe Biden, leaving with a pair of the president’s aviator sunglasses and a newfound respect for the job.

“I love the merch,” he added, removing his glasses briefly at the White House daily press briefing following his meeting with Biden. Hamill, 72, famous for playing Luke Skywalker, joked with reporters that he’d answer a few questions as long as they weren’t about “Star Wars.”

AP – VOR News Image

‘Star Wars’ Actor Mark Hamill Drops By White House For A Visit With ‘Joe-Bi-Wan Kenobi’

“I was honored to be asked to come to the White House to meet the president,” he told reporters. He’d been to the White House previously, during the Carter and Obama administrations, but he’d never seen the Oval Office, which he described as impressive. According to Hamill, Biden displayed photographs and other memorabilia from the Oval Office.

Hamill claimed Biden told him to call him “Joe,” to which Hamill responded with an alternative suggestion: “Can I call you Joe-bi-Wan Kenobi?”

“He liked that,” said Hamill, who also portrayed the Joker in “Batman: The Animated Series.”

AP – VOR News Image

‘Star Wars’ Actor Mark Hamill Drops By White House For A Visit With ‘Joe-Bi-Wan Kenobi’

Both Mark and the White House were hazy about the cause for his visit. But Mark, a Democrat and Biden supporter with a sizable social media following, has been posting about the president’s reelection campaign this week.

“May 1 Not Quench Your Thirst For Biden’s Re-election!” he tweeted on May 1.

On Friday, he wrote, “May 3 be absurd that the guy who tried to steal a fair election is allowed to run again,” referring to Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

May 4 is unofficially known as “Star Wars” Day, partly due to the famous Jedi line “May the Force Be With You.” The pun is “May 4 be with you.”

AP – VOR News Image

‘Star Wars’ Actor Mark Hamill Drops By White House For A Visit With ‘Joe-Bi-Wan Kenobi’

Mark also provided his voice for “Air Alert,” a downloadable program linked to Ukraine’s air defense system. His voice warns citizens to take cover if Russia launches another aerial strike on Ukraine.

SOURCE – (AP)

Celebrity

Kevin Spacey Denies New Allegations Of Inappropriate Behavior To Be Aired On UK Television Next Week

Published

15 hours ago

2024-05-04

Kiara Grace

AP - VOR News Image

LONDON — Kevin Spacey, the Oscar-winning actor, has denied new charges of inappropriate behavior by men who will appear in a British television documentary airing next week.

In an online interview with journalist Dan Wootton, Spacey stated that he has never done anything unlawful and has struggled to return to work since being convicted of criminal charges in a London court last year.

“I can’t go through this again, allowing myself to be baselessly attacked without defending myself,” he said in the “Kevin Spacey: Right Of Reply” interview, which aired late Friday on Wootton’s YouTube channel.

AP – VOR News Image

Kevin Spacey Denies New Allegations Of Inappropriate Behavior To Be Aired On UK Television Next Week

Last July, a London jury cleared Spacey of sexual assault charges stemming from 20-year-old allegations made by four men. The court triumph was his second since defending himself against a $40 million lawsuit filed in New York in 2022 by “Star Trek: Discovery” actor Anthony Rapp.

The documentary “Spacey Unmasked” will be shown on Channel 4 in Britain on May 6 and 7 and on Max in the United States.

The actor mentioned during the interview that the program will feature men’s evidence about events between 1976 and 2013.

“I take full responsibility for my past behaviour and my actions, but I cannot and will not take responsibility or apologize to anyone who’s made up stuff about me or exaggerated stories about me,” said Spacey, who received Academy Award nominations for “The Usual Suspects” and “American Beauty.”

“I’ve never told someone that if they give me sexual favors, then I will help them out with their career, never,” he said.

Rolling Stone – VOR News Image

Kevin Spacey Denies New Allegations Of Inappropriate Behavior To Be Aired On UK Television Next Week

Spacey, the creative director of the Old Vic Theatre in London from 2004 to 2015, said that he was a “flirt” with men in their twenties and occasionally made “clumsy” advances.

“I’ve clearly hooked up with some men who thought they might get ahead in their careers by having a relationship with me,” he went on to say. But there was no conversation with me. It was all part of their plan, a plan that was always destined to fail because I wasn’t in on the deal.”

The actor also stated on X, formerly Twitter, that he had “repeatedly requested” that Channel 4 give him more than seven days to reply to the claims brought against him in their program.

Spacey said that the network turned down his request “on the basis that they feel that asking for a response in 7 days to new, anonymized and non-specific allegations is a ‘fair opportunity’ for me to refute any allegations made against me.”

“Each time I have been given the time and a proper forum to defend myself, the allegations have failed under scrutiny and I have been exonerated,” he said.

ABC – VOR News Image

Kevin Spacey Denies New Allegations Of Inappropriate Behavior To Be Aired On UK Television Next Week

Spacey said he had struggled to return to work since being acquitted of all criminal charges, characterizing the experience as a “life sentence.”

His acting career had suffered since 2017 when he was publicly accused of inappropriate behavior at the start of the #MeToo movement. He then lost his starring role as Frank Underwood in the Netflix thriller “House of Cards”.

SOURCE – (AP)