All posts tagged: Rob

Leading movie stars from the 1980s whose careers changed overnight — from Rob Lowe to Winona Ryder

Leading movie stars from the 1980s whose careers changed overnight — from Rob Lowe to Winona Ryder

Published by Daniella Wilson

Whether it’s a cosmetic surgery change or speaking up against industry powers, plenty of ’80s stars have found their career success suddenly stall – including the likes of Rob Lowe, Winona Ryder and Matthew Broderick. But how did these Hollywood heavyweights go from industry darlings to the bottom of the casting list? Read on to see how public scandals, private loss and personal wellbeing put these celebs’ careers on pause at the height of their ’80s fame… © Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Jennifer Grey became unrecognizable on the red carpet Jennifer Grey Treatments and tweakments are a common enough sight on the red carpet, but for Jennifer Grey a nose job ended up changing the path of her career entirely. In her 2022 memoir Out of the Corner, Jennifer recalled via Vanity Fair: “After Dirty Dancing, I was America’s sweetheart, which you would think would be the key to unlocking all my hopes and dreams. But it didn’t go down that way.” After her star role opposite Patrick Swayze, the actress was told …

Billy Crystal reveals he wasn’t Rob Reiner’s first choice for When Harry Met Sally

Billy Crystal reveals he wasn’t Rob Reiner’s first choice for When Harry Met Sally

Published by Daniella Wilson

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in When Harry Met Sally… is one of Billy Crystal’s most iconic roles, but he almost didn’t get the part. The 78-year-old acting legend recently revealed that late filmmaker Rob Reiner initially hesitated to cast Crystal, his close friend, as Harry Burns opposite Meg Ryan’s Sally Albright in the beloved 1989 romantic comedy. “I was not Rob’s first choice for Harry,” Crystal admitted in an interview with People published Wednesday. “I said, if he wants me, then he wants me, but I know he’s seeing other people.” He continued, “Then the call came: ‘I always knew it was you.’ He said, ‘Please read it.’ I said, ‘Someone snuck it to me. Guess what? I don’t like it.’ We laughed and laughed. He said, ‘We’ll start tomorrow.’” When asked who Reiner had first chose for the part, Crystal recalled Albert Brooks, Tom Hanks and Michael Keaton being considered. However, he added with …

Rob Reiner’s death changed Billy Crystal’s relationship with God

Rob Reiner’s death changed Billy Crystal’s relationship with God

Published by Daniella Wilson

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join today Already a member? Log in Billy Crystal is sharing how his faith has been changed after a series of tragedies, including the loss of his Palisades home in the Los Angeles wildfires and the December 2025 death of his close friend Rob Reiner. During an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, the 78-year-old actor admitted to correspondent Tracy Smith that he no longer has conversations with God, which he had previously chronicled in his 2004 Tony-winning one man show 700 Sundays. “No, because I — I don’t trust him,” Crystal told Smith when asked if he still talks to God. Smith asked if he was being serious, to which Crystal responded: “Yeah. Too many bad things have happened.” “The Earth is in bad shape, this is a weird, scary time,” he said. “So no, not anymore.” Billy Crystal (left) and Rob Reiner were longtime collaborators and worked together on the classic film ‘When Harry Met Sally’ …

Jamie Lee Curtis to Receive Award Inspired by Rob and Michele Reiner

Jamie Lee Curtis to Receive Award Inspired by Rob and Michele Reiner

Published by Daniella Wilson

The late Rob and Michele Reiner dedicated countless hours to advocating on behalf many causes and organizations, and one remained close to their hearts for years: Children’s Institute in Los Angeles. Founded in 1906, the org now serves upwards of 30,000 children and families across the city in underserved neighborhoods by providing education, counseling, parenting support, meeting spots and enrichment programs all under a mission of helping build pathways to success, economic mobility and good health. Not only did the cause align with the Reiners’ broader work with children and families but Michele’s sister, Martine Singer, has served as president and CEO for nearly a decade. Together with Reiner children, Jake and Romy, Children’s Institute has created the Michele and Rob Reiner Champion for Change Award, an honor designed to recognize the late couple’s “lifelong commitment to improving the lives of children and families and strengthening communities across Los Angeles, throughout California, and beyond.” The inaugural award will be presented at the org’s Cape & Gown Gala at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, California, …

the psychology works differently for celebrity players like Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan

the psychology works differently for celebrity players like Rob Beckett and Romesh Ranganathan

Published by skeptic

Twenty-two people enter a castle with the intention of lying, trusting, murdering and banishing each other. The format of the Traitors is now well established, but the celebrity version of the show highlights some interesting psychological biases. In the standard version of the show (secret relationships aside) the contestants are all strangers. With no previous interaction, first impressions are even more important than usual, and will shape the game over the series. However, in the celebrity version, players will probably know others professionally, personally, or perhaps be fans of each other’s work before the game begins. All of this will affect their perception of others, influencing who they will trust and why. We are all prone to a cognitive bias known as the halo and the horn effect. The halo effect occurs when we observe a positive trait in someone (like humour) and use it to assume that they have other positive traits in unrelated areas. The comedians in the group have an advantage here. The opposite is also true. The horn effect makes it …

Celebrity Traitors Cast Portraits Leave Contestant Rob Beckett Asking 'What The F**k?'

Celebrity Traitors Cast Portraits Leave Contestant Rob Beckett Asking 'What The F**k?'

Published by Sam Flores

The castle portraits that will be showcased in the long-awaited second season of The Celebrity Traitors have been unveiled – and let’s just say not everyone is happy with theirs. As is always the case, the 21 famous faces taking part in the next run of the Bafta-winning reality show have all been recreated in portrait form, which will be hung up in the castle’s breakfast room, and taken down one by one as contestants are “banished” and “murdered”. With just over a week to go until The Celebrity Traitors kicks off again, the new artwork was unveiled on Tuesday – and it garnered a mixed response from the star-studded cast. “I think there’s a traitor in the Photoshop department,” comedian Rob Beckett joked on Instagram, commenting: “What the fuck has happened to my face?” View this post on Instagram Fellow comic Joe Lycett, meanwhile, couldn’t help noticing a resemblance between his own portrait and a piece of cinema history. “A Clockwork Celebrity Orange Traitors starts 1 October on BBC One,” he quipped alongside pictures …

Rob Brydon: ‘I was up on stage, with everyone going, you’re fantastic! But I was very unhappy’

Rob Brydon: ‘I was up on stage, with everyone going, you’re fantastic! But I was very unhappy’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture email Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter At the turn of the century, the trajectory of Rob Brydon’s life changed. After years of toiling away on Radio Wales and flogging lawnmowers on a TV shopping channel, he finally had the breakthrough in TV comedy that he’d yearned for. Human Remains and Marion and Geoff, launched on the BBC in 2000, were both award-winning shows and remain cult favourites to this day. To any onlooker, he had made it. But at home, things were falling apart. “I suddenly had the success that I’d wanted for so long,” he says. “I was being interviewed in The Sunday Times and I won Best Newcomer at the Comedy Awards. But I was also in the process of separating from my wife and it was very upsetting, certainly in relation to the children. I learnt that professional success does not necessarily mean peace …

Mark Ruffalo Tells Rob Bonta ‘Do Not Cave’ Settle Paramount Lawsuit

Mark Ruffalo Tells Rob Bonta ‘Do Not Cave’ Settle Paramount Lawsuit

Published by Daniella Wilson

Amid reports that Paramount is in “advanced talks” to settle the antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 state attorneys general led by California against the company’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, Mark Ruffalo is urging Rob Bonta to “not cave.” “Don’t you dare @AGRobBonta, do not cave. 5,670 film makers put their necks on the line for you to fight this merger. Another 75,000+ and counting have signed to tell you not to concede in just 3 weeks,” the actor wrote on X. “You work for the people — the very people who will be hurt if you let this lousy deal filled with empty promises go forward.” The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Paramount and the states are closing in on a deal to settle the lawsuit. Ruffalo included a link to sign a petition in support of the merger being blocked. “Please sign to send a message to the AG’s and Paramount. Reject the deal. The people don’t want it!” he added. The Task star has been very candid about his opposition to …

Rob Lowe’s loved-up date night with wife Sheryl leaves fans saying the same thing

Rob Lowe’s loved-up date night with wife Sheryl leaves fans saying the same thing

Published by Daniella Wilson

Rob Lowe shared a close-up selfie with wife Sheryl during a date night, prompting fans to ask how the couple appeared to be getting younger after 35 years of marriage. The actor, 62, leaned his head against his wife’s as they posed together, wearing a dark blue patterned shirt with an open collar and a gold chain. Sheryl wore a pale blue blouse with gathered sleeves, accessorising with layered necklaces and small gold hoop earrings. Her blonde hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders, while coral lipstick completed her look. The couple smiled softly at the camera, with warm lighting and wood panelling behind them. “Date night with Love Bug!” Rob captioned the photograph, which was shared in a joint Instagram post with Sheryl’s jewellery account. Followers quickly filled the comments with compliments, with several focusing on their youthful appearance. © InstagramRob and his wife Sheryl seem to be aging backwards! “You’re both getting younger each year!” one wrote, before tagging their son John Owen and joking: “I’m giving you ammo but damn if your parents …

Rob Bonta Responds to Paramount Threat to Leave California

Rob Bonta Responds to Paramount Threat to Leave California

Published by Daniella Wilson

Paramount‘s threat to leave California if the group of state attorneys general don’t come to terms on a settlement does not seem to be budging AG Rob Bonta’s point-of-view on the antitrust suit, which seeks to block Paramount’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Bonta was asked about the threat and the status of the suit during a panel at The Atlantic Festival Thursday afternoon at the Perelman Performing Arts Center in lower Manhattan. Bonta, who was on a panel with two Republican AGs, Pennsylvania’s Dave Sunday and New Hampshire’s John Formella, reminded the audience that Paramount’s threat to leave isn’t new, but that it is ultimately up to them. “I can’t comment on what a company decides to do, especially a company that has professed a commitment to Hollywood and to California,” Bonta said. “If they make that choice to leave, that is their choice and their choice alone. They own it. It lies at their feet.” Multiple states, including Texas and Tennessee, have courted Paramount as it weighs its options. Similarly, Bonta …