Adorable alert! Zoe Saldana brings her three toddlers to Walk of Fame

Zoe Saldana rarely brings her children out in public, but Thursday was a special occasion.

Surrounded by famous friends including James Cameron and Mila Kunis, the actress grinned while receiving her star on the Walk of Fame. But it was her three adorable sons, twins Bowie and Cy, 3, and Zen, 1, with husband Marco Perego who stole the spotlight.

And yes, even Hollywood stars have trouble wrangling three little ones.

But they finally got the shot!

“You are my everything," the Avengers: Infinity War star told her family during the ceremony. "Every day you remind me to appreciate life’s journey. You keep me grounded. And you help me slow down when I need to take in a moment."

More:Zoe Saldana on meeting 'Avengers,' her 'Avatar' return and being inspired by Millennials

She continued: "I’m taking this moment in. But you know what makes me most excited when I wake up? The three masterpieces that we have created: Zen, Cy, and Bowie. Mama te quiere, I love you.”

Christina Applegate suggests 'Dead to Me' is final acting role amid MS

"Dead to Me" character Jen Harding might be Christina Applegate's most trying acting role to date and her last.

The actress, 50, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while filming the third and final season of the comedy (streaming Thursday on Netflix). It was as "hard as you would possibly think it would be," she told Variety in an interview published last Wednesday.

"I got diagnosed while we were working," Applegate recalled. "I had to call everybody and be like, ‘I have multiple sclerosis, guys.’ ... And then it was about kind of learning – all of us learning – what I was going to be capable of doing."

In a revealing New York Times profile published Nov. 1, the actress shared that she "put on 40 pounds" and couldn't "walk without a cane" as a result of the pain from MS.

With MS, the body's immune system begins attacking the central nervous system, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, triggering various neurological symptoms.

Christina Applegate talks struggle to film 'Dead to Me' with MS: 'I can't walk without a cane'

Applegate rehashed the difficulty she had filming "Dead to Me" to Variety. When asked if the show would be her last major role, she said, "I’m pretty convinced that this was it."

The actress hasn't made any final decision on her acting career yet, telling Variety, "I’m just a newbie to all of this. I’m trying to figure it out – and I’m also in mourning for the person that I was."

"I have to find a place that’s as loving as my set was, where they won’t think I’m a diva by saying, 'Hey, I can only work five hours,' " she added.

My dad has MS:Why watching 'Wheel of Fortune' together means so much to me

Applegate still has plans in the entertainment industry with an animated reboot of "Married …With Children," where she'd reprise her role as Kelly Bundy. The actress also hopes to continue producing. "I’ve got a lot of ideas in my mind, and I just need to get them executed," she said.

Christina Applegate gives emotional speech at Walk of Fame ceremony

"Dead to Me" Season 3 is the first time people have seen Applegate onscreen since her MS diagnosis. To cap it off, her pandemic-delayed Hollywood Walk of Fame star unveiling on Mondaywas the "first time as a disabled person" people saw her. "It's very difficult," she told Variety.

"For me, two years ago would have been so much better!" she said. "But maybe this time it’s more poignant. I don’t know."

Barefoot and using a cane to support herself, Applegate became emotional while delivering a speech at her Walk of Fame ceremony. Her "Married with Children" co-stars Katey Sagal and David Faustino and "Dead to Me" co-stars Linda Cardellini and Liz Feldman also gave speeches.

A photo of Applegate at the event published by People shows the actress flashing her manicure, which reads "f u MS." at the event.

"I can't stand for too long, so I'm going to thank the people that I really need to thank," Applegate said, before referencing her past and present co-stars. "First of all, to my family who have spoken here today. You are my everything. ... You are my people. You are my loves."

She continued: "I don't say that I have friends. I have family. These people take care of me. They take care of me every day of my life and without them I don't know what I would do."

The actress also honored her real family, holding back tears as she thanked "the most important person in this world": Sadie Grace LeNoble, her daughter with husband Martyn LeNoble.

"You are so much more than even you know," she said. "You are so beautiful and kind and loving and smart and interesting, and I am blessed every day that I get to wake up and take you to your school. You are my everything."

Applegate ended her speech with a brief reference to her health condition.

"Thank you for standing beside me through all of this," she added. "Oh, by the way, I have a disease. Did you not notice? I'm not even wearing shoes. Anywho, you're supposed to laugh at that."

Applegate went public with her MS diagnosis in August 2021, which she told her Twitter followers she'd received "a few months" earlier. "It’s been a strange journey," Applegate wrote at the time. "But I have been so supported by people that I know who also have this condition."

Contributing: Erin Jensen and Hannah Yasharoff

I got dumped because I have MS:Should I disclose my diagnosis on dates?

Judy Greer adds directing to her resume with 'Monumental' debut

You might have seen Judy Greer in the news a lot lately. Her new show "Kidding," alongside Jim Carrey, has hit TV screens. She was at Jennifer Garner's Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony. Now she's making her directorial debut with "A Happening of Monumental Proportions," a charming comedy about the intersecting lives of adults and kids at an elementary school.

Greer, a winning comedic presence, said that directing was a lot different from what she experienced as an actor in such projects as "13 Going on 30" or "Two and a Half Men."

"Sometimes when I'm acting, you have so much down time that you lose your momentum," she says. "So it's that's always a trick of how to keep your energy up all day long. But with directing, it felt like I was never not using my brain."

Greer made sure that everyone was on the same page while on set. As an actor, she doesn't like walking on set and not knowing what she's doing.

"I know that seems unusual or it would be a given but it's really not."

The 'Happening' cast

Greer always has been part of comedies, but she wanted to make her own. And with a naturally funny cast, her goal was to make the heartfelt emotional moments hit just right.

The star-studded cast included Allison Janney, Rob Riggle, Jennifer Garner, Kumail Nanjiani, Common, John Cho, Jennifer Garner and Bradley Whitford.

In particular, Greer recalled all the times she laughed with Riggle and Janney, who were friends of hers that never met but clicked immediately.

"I'm friends with all of them separately, so ... watching them work together just made me so tickled," she says. "It was so cool because when I'm acting, I can't laugh out loud at anything because I'm in the scene. But when I get to direct, I can just sit behind a monitor and laugh. It was so freeing and wonderful."

Young cast members Storm Reid and Marcus Eckert were scene-stealers.

"I was fascinated, too, with the theme of the kids acting like the adults and the adults acting like kids and that was something that I kind of noticed (with) my stepkids," she says. "Just how together and grown up they had to be ... I would say I took that away from them."

Is she really the 'best friend?'

She's known for playing the "best friend," but she would like to make something clear.

"Well, I haven't played the best friend in anything in a really long time," she says. "But I don't mind it ... I had a really good time doing those roles."

In fact, she didn't think much of it until people started pointing it out to her at press conferences. And she finds it interesting that everyone knows her for different things; sometimes, it would be that one thing alone.

"Like I get people who just really love 'Two and a Half Men' and that's how they think of me," she says.

"They think that's all I've done. And it's funny. They're like 'So what's it like to be on a hit sitcom?' And I'm like 'Well, I did a few episodes of it. That's not my whole career.' "

People could know her from a number of things, but most of those projects have comedy in common. What is Greer's secret to being funny?

"Hopefully it's the script ... but sometimes it's just the vibe on set," she says. "It's light and funny and ... comedy is a lot about timing, but when you're in movies and they have at you in the editing room, it's not always up to you. So if I know that I'm doing something that's a comedy ... I just try to have as much fun with it as I can."

'It's like dating'

Directing projects take Greer about a year to finish, which is taxing on her physical and emotional time. So she's rightfully choosy when it comes to which scripts she'll accept.

"It's kind of like dating," she says. "You have chemistry with something, someone. You read something and maybe you can't shake it and you read it again. And it starts to seem visually possible."

"A Happening of Monumental Proportions" will not be her last directing project. She has another script that she's trying to find financing for, and she's always reading looking for the next project.

'Kidding,' 'Halloween' and more from Judy

She's excited about her latest TV show. "Kidding," about a famous children's television icon who struggles to retain sanity as his family is in ruins, airs Sundays on Showtime. When she was filming, she says, every episode was better than the one before.

"It was really fun to see how the character unfolded as opposed to a movie where you read it from beginning, middle and end, and you kind of know what's going to happen," she says.

In the upcoming "Halloween," Jamie Lee Curtis reprises her role as Laurie Strode whileGreer plays her daughter. Was Greer able to reveal anything?

"No way, man! I can't say a thing about that. I'd get in trouble," she said. "But I can say ... a lot of times with movies like this, when you bring someone back to the franchise like Jamie Lee and they may be have a cameo or small role, but the fact that she was the 'star' star was really, I thought, so cool that they did that."

MORE NEWS:

COVID origin, student loan forgiveness, train derailment, Courteney ...

The origins of COVID-19 still aren't known for certain, the White House says. SCOTUS will debate President Joe Biden's plan for student loan forgiveness. Courteney Cox was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – and her "Friends" co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow came along for the ride.

👋 It's Jane Onyanga-Omara and Steve Coogan, Daily Briefing authors. What's America's most visited national park? It's this one, by a long shot.

Now, here's Tuesday's news.

U.S. agencies haven't agreed on the origins of COVID-19

The White House said there isn't a consensus across the government on the origins of COVID-19. The announcement comes after reporting that the U.S. Department of Energy concluded the pandemic most likely began after an unintentional laboratory leak in China. According to the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, the department's conclusion was made with "low confidence," meaning there was a level of certainty that was not high. There have been two top theories on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic in China: the virus jumped from animals to humans at a market or that it was accidentally leaked from a lab. However, neither theory has enough evidence to be labeled as conclusive. Kirby said that President Joe Biden asked the government to investigate how the pandemic started "so that we can better prevent a future pandemic." Read more

Opinion: We'll never know the full truth about COVID-19 origins. Political infighting won't help.

Supreme Court to debate Biden's student loan forgiveness plan

For more than four months, tens of millions of Americans have waited for a sign about whether President Joe Biden's $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan is legal or whether it would be struck down by federal courts. The Supreme Court may finally provide some answers Tuesday, though a decision is not expected until later this year. Over the course of several hours, the nine justices will hear oral arguments in two cases challenging Biden's plan. The plaintiffs in both assert that the administration exceeded its authority by attempting to grant debt relief to an estimated 40 million people. Read more

Biden will be playing defense on student loans this week at the Supreme Court. Here's why.

More news to know now

'More and more prevalent': Experts say trains are becoming less safe

The Feb. 3 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that resulted in the release of contaminated waste spurred calls for action to hold the freight rail industry accountable and steps to prevent such a disaster from happening again. In response to the National Transportation Safety Board’s initial report, president and CEO of the Association of American Railroads, Ian Jefferies, promised that the rail industry would use the report to prevent similar accidents. Still, the incident raises concerns about the safety of trains amid changes in how rail companies operate. "It’s profits over people," said Kenny Edwards, Indiana state legislative director for SMART Transportation Division, an industry workers union. "As they make cutbacks and changes, disasters like East Palestine will be more and more prevalent." Read more

Winter weather: Storms slam Midwest as California, Northeast brace for snow

Parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas were blasted by storms and tornadoes while heavy rain and snow blanketed much of California and parts of the West on Monday as belligerent weather marched across the U.S. In Michigan, about 150,000 homes and businesses remained in the dark Monday night, according to PowerOutage.us, after five days of high winds, snow and ice that wreaked havoc on power lines. Read more

What's next? Winter weather remains in the forecast in parts of California and the Northeast Tuesday. In Northern California, an avalanche warning was issued for the backcountry around Lake Tahoe. Los Angeles County declared a cold weather alert for valley and mountain areas north of Los Angeles as well. In the east, New York City could get the most snow it has received all winter and a winter storm warning also covered parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island, with heavy snow forecast through Tuesday afternoon. Read more

From The Oklahoman: Injury totals increase, one fatality reported after tornadoes strike Oklahoma.

Injury totals increase, one fatality reported after tornadoes strike Oklahoma. A blizzard in Southern California? What to know about weird weekend weather.

🌤 What's the weather up to in your neck of the woods? Check your local forecast here.

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Tom Sizemore's family told 'there is no further hope' after his brain aneurysm

The condition of actor Tom Sizemore, whose health declined earlier this month following a brain aneurysm, shows no signs of improvement as he remains in a coma. "Today, doctors informed (Sizemore's) family that there is no further hope and have recommended (an) end of life decision," Sizemore's manager Charles Lago said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Monday, adding that Sizemore, 61, remains in critical condition. Sizemore, probably best known for his role in the 1998 Steven Spielberg film "Saving Private Ryan," collapsed at his Los Angeles home Feb. 19. Read more

Previous coverage: Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' is in critical condition after brain aneurysm.

Tom Sizemore, star of 'Saving Private Ryan,' is in critical condition after brain aneurysm. Photo gallery: The life and career of Tom Sizemore.

📷 Photo of the day: Courteney Cox's Walk of Fame star ceremony 📷

Courteney Cox celebrated a major career milestone with the support of pals Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow. Cox, who starred with the two on the ‘90s sitcom "Friends," was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday. It wasn't a complete "Friends" reunion, however, as Cox’s other co-stars – including David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry and Matt LeBlanc – were not in attendance. Read more

Go to our gallery to see more photos from Cox’s big day, and other stars with their stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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Benedict Cumberbatch eloquently explains how 'Power of the Dog ...

CNN —

When in doubt, for more information, call Benedict Cumberbatch.

Without directly addressing comments made last week by actor Sam Elliot, who on a podcast criticized Netflix’s “Power of the Dog” for its “allusions of homosexuality,” Cumberbatch explained in a panel this weekend that his portrayal of closeted rancher Phil Burbank has power beyond the screen.

“I think if we are to teach our sons to be feminists, if we’re to teach equality, if we’re to understand what poisons the well in men, [and] what creates toxic masculinity, we need to understand and look under the hood of characters like Phil Burbnk to see what their struggle is and why that’s there in the first place because otherwise it will just keep repeating itself,” he said in a conversation with Mariayah Kaderbhai, head of programs at BAFTA.

Cumberbatch’s response was to a question about why he thought the period film was an important tale to tell now and came days after Elliot, a long time staple in Western films, said in an interview on “WTF With Marc Maron” that the film was not a true Western.

“You want to talk about that piece of s—?” Elliott said. “That’s what all these f—ing cowboys in that movie looked like. They’re all running around in chaps and no shirts, there’s all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the f—ing movie.”

Elliot received backlash for his comments but has not responded since the interview.

CNN previously reached out to “Power of the Dog” director Jane Campion, Netflix and GLAAD for comment.

Cumberbatch, who did not refer to Elliot by name and said he had not heard the comments for himself, called the remarks “very odd.” The actor seemed to take issue with the notion “that anybody could have anything other than a heteronormative existence because of what they do for a living or where they’re born.”

“I think the more we look under the hood of toxic masculinity and try to discover the root causes of it, the bigger the chance we have of dealing with it when it arises with our children in playgrounds at school, with their friends, in the behavioral patterns we might see in innocent play and just understand how to police that,” he said.

“Power of the Dog” stars Kirsten Dunst, Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee. It was nominated for 12 Oscars this year including best picture and best director for Campion, who Elliot also had sharp words for.

“She’s a brilliant director, I love her previous work, but what the f— does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American West?” he said. “And why the f— did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say ‘this is the way it was?’ That rubbed me the wrong way, pal.”

Elliott made his film debut in 1967’s “The Way West” and went on to other Westerns such as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” His breakout role came in 1985’s “Mask,” alongside Cher. He’s starred in more than 30 films, appeared in over 40 television shows and has lent his voice to countless projects.

Celebs moving to Nashville include Kathie Lee Gifford, Maneet ...

Nationally-known celebrities — who aren't even country singers — are part of recent waves of people flocking to Music City and the region. Here are some of the most famous new residents from the last 20 years.

Kathie Lee Gifford

Longtime television talk show host; actress; singer; songwriter; former "Hee-Haw" Honey; 68 years old

Moved to Franklin: 2018

Why Middle Tennessee? "It's a culture of kindness in Nashville," she told the Today show in 2019. "They're authentically kind... and joyful!"

Look out Nashville:More people from Chicago, New York and Los Angeles are coming

What she loves to do here: Make lunch for and write with some of Nashville’s biggest songwriters, including Brett James, Kelley Lovelace and Stephanie Bentley, she told the Tennessean.

Where you might spot Gifford: Gray's on Main in Franklin or the Franklin Farmers Market

Mike Wolfe

Creator and star of the History Channel show "American Pickers"; antiques stores owner; 57 years old

Moved to Leiper's Fork: 2011

Why Middle Tennessee? "I'm a huge fan of country music," he told the Tennessean. "And I love the collaborative atmosphere that's here."

What he loves about it: "I love the way people hold onto history here more than anywhere else in this country that I've ever been."

Where you might spot Wolfe: The Country Boy Restaurant in Leiper's Fork or his Antique Archaeology store in Marathon Village in Nashville

Maneet Chauhan

Food Network celebrity chef; restaurant owner; 45 years old

Moved to Franklin: 2014

Why Middle Tennessee? Business partners suggested Music City as a place to launch restaurants, and Chauhan visited and loved it.

All in on Nashville from the jump: "It was love at first landing," Chauhan said during a 2016 Tennessean Nashville Storytellers event. "That's how my love story with Nashville started."

Where you might spot Chauhan: Loveless Cafe, King's Market Cafe or at one of her Nashville restaurants, Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Chaatable, Tansuo or Mockingbird Nashville

Barry Zito

2002 Cy Young-award winning pitcher; book author; 43 years old

Moved to Nashville: 2015

Why? Zito finished his career pitching for the AAA Nashville Sounds and decided to stay here when he retired

On moving to Nashville from California: “It felt like a reset here. No one knows me, in the malls or whatever. I feel like I can truly be myself," he told the Tennessean. "I always felt I was on guard in the Bay area or Los Angeles. I don’t get any of that here, so it’s a liberation.”

Elisabeth Hasselbeck

Former conservative voice on national TV talk shows "The View" and "Fox & Friends"; one-time "Survivor" contestant, 44 years old

Moved to Belle Meade: 2016

Why Nashville? Hasselbeck told the Tennessean she fell in love with the city after hosting the K-LOVE Christian music awards show here in 2015

She loves it here because: "Nashville is a city that has eyes that see other people, the space for kindness and the hands to lift someone up when they need it."

Where you might spot Hasselbeck: A Titans game, a Predators game, or a fundraiser for Mending Hearts, The Next Door or other programs that serve drug-addicted women

Justin Timberlake (sort of)

International pop star; actor; founding member of 'N Sync; record producer; restaurateur; 40 years old

Bought a place in Leiper's Fork: 2015

Why Middle Tennessee? A Memphis native, Timberlake obtained land in Williamson County and opened a restaurant in downtown Nashville to get a feeling of "community" and to return to the South, his business partner, Trace Ayala, told the Tennessean.

Ready for a change: "We were touring everywhere, and lived in L.A., and it was so far from where we'd come from,” Ayala said. “I think now that we've found this place and landed here, we've kind of settled things back down.”

Where you might spot Timberlake: The Twelve Thirty Club in downtown's 5th + Broadway entertainment/restaurant complex.

Scott Hamilton

Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater; TV commentator; actor; philanthropist; cancer survivor, 63 years old

Moved to Franklin: 2005

Why Middle Tennessee: Hamilton's wife, Tracie, is a Tennessee native, and the Los Angeles-based couple was looking for a different place to raise their children.

Quotable: "I love Nashville — the most giving city I've ever been in, period," he told the Tennessean.

Where you might spot Hamilton: Scott Hamilton Skating Club at Ford Ice Centers in Antioch and Bellevue or most any charity fundraiser event in Nashville

Keb' Mo'

Grammy award-winning bluesman; guitarist; singer; songwriter; actor; political activist; 70 years old

Moved to Franklin: 2010

Why? Keb' Mo' found a house here while playing a show at the Ryman Auditorium, and his wife encouraged him to go for it.

First impressions: "I stood on the deck right there and I looked around and said, 'This ain't so bad. This'll be all right,'" he told the Tennessean.

Walk of Fame: Mo' will be inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame in April alongside country artists Deirks Bentley, Connie Smith and Bobby Bare.

Ben 'Zorilla' Zobrist

2016 Chicago Cubs World Series hero; longtime Major League Baseball player; 40 years old

Moved to Franklin: 2005

Why Middle Tennessee? His then wife, Julianna was an aspiring Christian music star, and the contemporary Christian music industry is based in Franklin and Nashville.

A rocky road here: Zobrist and his ex-wife got involved in a sloppy divorce, with accusations filed in court that Julianna Zobrist an affair.

Kristin Cavallari

"Very Cavallari" reality TV star; jewelry designer and store owner; ex-wife of former NFL and Vanderbilt football QB Jay Cutler; 35 years old

Moved to Nashville: 2017

Why Middle Tennessee? She and Cutler spent several of their first weeks dating in Nashville. The two bought a house eight months later, hoping to move here when Cutler's football career ended.

What she loves about Nashville: The mother of three told the Tennessean that Music City "is a great place to raise a family."

Where you might spot Cavallari: Her store, Uncommon James, in the Gulch or Nashville Farmers Market or restaurant 5th & Taylor

Jack White

Rocker; producer; singer/songwriter; record label owner; 46 years old

Moved to Nashville: 2005

Why the move: After exploding into rock 'n' roll fame with the White Stripes in his native Detroit, White started looking for a change. "This was a music business town where I could do my thing on the side and sneak through the cracks," he told the Tennessean in 2018.

The result? "I guess I'm a Detroiter for life, but I feel like I'm a Nashvillian now.”

Where you might spot White: Third Man Records, his record label/concert venue/record store/bar/photo studio near the Music City Center

Todd and Julie Chrisley

Reality TV stars from USA Network's "Chrisley Knows Best," real estate tycoons, restaurateurs, 52 and 49 year old

Moved to Nashville: 2016

Big plans for Music City: Last year, the Chrisleys told the Tennessean they planned to open a Southern home-cooking restaurant and a "classy" champagne bar here soon. "If we’re going to participate in something, I want to participate in something classy, and you’re not out here bar fighting," Todd Chrisley said.

Where you might spot the Chrisleys: Moto, Hattie B's, Green Hills Grille, Arnold's Country Kitchen

Sean Brock

James Beard award-winning chef; restaurateur; founding chef of lauded Husk chain; cookbook author; New York Times bestseller

Moved to Nashville: 2013

Why? To open Nashville's version of Husk, an award-winning Southern restaurant he launched in Charleston, S.C.

Quotable: "Here in Nashville, the energy is amazing right now," he told the Tennessean in 2016. "What you're seeing now is a bunch of young, enthusiastic, creative people."

Where you might spot Brock: His flagship rustic restaurant, Audrey, in East Nashville, or his fine-dining restaurant, The Continental, in the Grand Hyatt — or his East Nashville burger joint Joyland

Tomi Lahren

Fox News personality; Fox Nation commentator; influencer; author; 29 years old

Moved to Nashville: 2020

Quotable: "Nashville, Tennessee, my new and current hometown. A vibrant, tight-knit and usually safe Southern town...," she said in a commentary following the Christmas 2020 downtown bombing. "I know our city is resilient, proud and strong."

Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or 615-259-8384 or Twitter @bradschmitt.

Photos: Legendary actress Julie Andrews | CNN

A gala tribute that aired Thursday celebrated Julie Andrews, the British actress and singer known for her iconic roles in "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music."

The event was hosted by the American Film Institute, which honored Andrews with its Life Achievement Award.

Andrews, 86, won the best actress Oscar in 1965 for her starring role in the musical "Mary Poppins." She was also nominated for the award in 1966 ("The Sound of Music") and 1983 ("Victor/Victoria").

Over a career that has spanned seven decades, Andrews has also won Golden Globe Awards, Grammy Awards and Emmy Awards.

'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' takes off to $29 million after ...

Free Press News Services

The boom has begun. "Rogue One: A Star Wars," starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker and more, and directed by Gareth Edwards, took off in theaters for Thursday night preview screenings, taking $29 million in box office, according to studio estimates.

The tally places "Rogue One" as the biggest preview of the year, ahead of "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" ($27.7 million) and "Captain America: Civil War" ($25 million).

The standalone story in the "Star Wars" saga, with predominately new characters, opened behind preview screenings for last year's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," which took $57 million in Dec. 2015 on its way to an all-time record opening weekend.

But the strong "Rogue One" opening shows the Gareth Edwards-directed film is on its way to its own huge weekend as it officially opens Friday in 4,100 theaters.

Hollywood daughters shine at ceremony

It's the moment fans have been waiting for.

On Thursday, genetically blessed actors Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively graced the world with a glimpse of their adorable daughters — James, almost 2, and her newborn sister, whose name the pair has yet to reveal — as part of Reynolds' Hollywood Walk of Fame Star ceremony. The family affair marked the children's first public appearance and represented a break from the couple's traditional policy of safeguarding that outlets have come to expect from the A-listers.

During the ceremony, Reynolds paid homage to his family, acknowledging Lively in particular. "I want to thank my wife, Blake, who is sitting right there, who is everything to me," the honoree said, via People.

"You are the best thing, the best thing that has ever happened to me — second only to this star," he joked. "You make everything better, absolutely everything in my life better. You've made me the father of my dreams when I thought I only had fun uncle potential."

Reynolds later thanked the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and 20th Century Fox on Instagram. "This is one of those 'pinch me' moments. But not in the creepy way my Aunt used to do it," he captioned an image that showed him kneeling by his star.

Roberts to take on first starring TV series role

Julia Roberts is set to star in her first-ever TV series.

The Hollywood Reporter says Roberts will star in a limited series based on Maria Semple's novel, "Today Will Be Different." Roberts will star as the book's main character, Eleanor Flood.

Semple tells the magazine she's giddy "Eleanor Flood will be brought to life by Julia Roberts."

Roberts also is set to produce the series. No network for the project has been announced.

Roberts has done numerous guest appearances on various TV series over the years, but this project would be her first in a regular role.

Turner's life and songs inspire stage musical

Simply the best news for Tina Turner fans: The music legend's life and songs are headed for the stage.

Production company Stage Entertainment says it is developing a musical based on Turner's story and written by Katori Hall, the playwright behind civil rights-era drama "The Mountaintop."

Also involved are director Phyllida Lloyd, choreographer Anthony van Laast and designer Mark Thompson, who all worked on hit ABBA musical "Mamma Mia."

On Friday Turner attended a workshop in London for the show, which has been in the works for a year. The 77-year-old entertainer said in a statement that "it has been wonderful to collaborate with Katori and Phyllida and to have my story nurtured by such an amazing creative team is thrilling."

No venue or dates have been announced.

Branigan was 52 at time of death

When Laura Branigan, the Grammy-nominated pop singer best known for her 1982 platinum hit "Gloria," died, the Associated Press, relying on information from her management company, reported in an obituary Aug. 28, 2004, that she was 47 and had been born July 3, 1957.

After being contacted recently by one of Branigan's fans, however, the AP conducted a thorough review and established that she had actually been 52 when she died of a brain aneurysm in her sleep at her home in East Quogue, N.Y.

School records, newspaper articles written about her in the 1950s and 1960s, and testimonials from childhood friends all indicate she was born in 1952. She is also best described as hav

ing grown up in Armonk, not Brewster, as the AP's original obituary said.

Kirstie Alley, 'Cheers' and 'Veronica's Closet' star, dead at 71

CNN —

Actress Kirstie Alley, star of the big and small screens known for her Emmy-winning role on “Cheers” and films like “Look Who’s Talking,” has died after a brief battle with cancer, her children True and Lillie Parker announced on her social media.

She was 71.

“We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered,” the statement read.

“She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead,” the family’s statement continued. “As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”

Ted Danson and Kirstie Alley in 'Cheers.' NBC/Getty Images

“Our mother’s zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and leave us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did,” the statement said.

Video Ad Feedback Kirstie Alley's sexy spin on 'DWTS' 02:14 - Source: HLN

A representative for Alley confirmed to CNN via email on Tuesday that she had been diagnosed with colon cancer prior to her death.

Career beginnings

A two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner, Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1951.

After a standout role in 1982’s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” she played roles in movies like 1984’s “Blind Date” and 1987’s “Summer School” opposite Mark Harmon.

That same year, Alley would follow Shelley Long to play the lead opposite Ted Danson in the latter part of TV classic sitcom “Cheers,” which premiered in 1982. Alley first appeared in 1987, playing strong and independent bar manager Rebecca Howe, staying on the acclaimed show until it ended in 1993.

After winning the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series in 1991 for “Cheers” and another for lead actress in a miniseries or special for 1994’s “David’s Mother,” she again found TV success in the late ’90s with series “Veronica’s Closet,” which scored her another Emmy nod.

Kirstie Alley in Van Nuys, California, in 1991. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Kirstie Louise Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1951. Mondadori Portfolio/Everett Collection Alley with her future second husband Parker Stevenson in Aspen, Colorado, in 1979. The couple was married from 1983 to 1997 and share two children. Paul Harris/Getty Images From right, Alley appears alongside Leonard Nemoy, DeForest Kelley and William Shatner in the movie "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." The role marked Alley's feature film debut. CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images Alley poses with Gloria Steinem during the filming of the ABC TV movie "A Bunny's Tale," in 1985. Donna Svennevik/Walt Disney Television Photo Archive/Getty Images George Wendt, Alley, and Ted Danson in a scene in the hit NBC TV show "Cheers." Alley, who joined the cast in 1987, played the role of Rebecca Howe, which catapulted her to stardom. Ron Tom/NBCUniversal Photo Bank/Getty Images John Travolta, director Amy Heckerling, and Alley on set of the hit film "Look Who's Talking," which was released in 1989. TriStar Pictures/Everett Collection John Larroquette and Alley in a scene from the 1990 film "Madhouse." Orion Pictures/Everett Collection Alley and Burt Reynolds share a laugh backstage at the Emmy Awards in Pasadena, California in 1991. Both won awards for best acting in a comedy series, Alley for "Cheers" and Reynolds for "Evening Shade." Reed Saxon/AP Alley is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991. Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen star in the 1995 film "It Takes Two" with Steve Guttenberg and Alley. Moviestore/Shutterstock Alley in a scene of the TV show "Veronica's Closet." Alley played the title character in her second hit television show, which debuted in 1997. Everett Collection In 1998, Alley won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Female in a New Television Series for her role in "Veronica's Closet." Fred Prouser/Reuters Alley, right, joins her fellow "Cheers" cast mates John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammer, Ted Danson, George Wendt and Rhea Perlman to celebrate Danson's induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images Alley appeared in the 1999 cult classic "Drop Dead Gorgeous" with Denise Richards. K Wright/New Line/Kobal/Shutterstock Alley and actress Kelly Preston, second from right, march against the American Psychiatric Association in San Francisco in 2003. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images John Travolta reunites with Alley in an episode of her critically acclaimed Showtime series "Fat Actress" in 2005. Kobal/Shutterstock Alley poses with her children Lillie and True at a press event in California in 2005. London Entertainment/Shutterstock Alley onstage to present at the 2007 TV Land Awards. Fred Prouser/Reuters Alley embraces fashion designer Zang Toi after walking the runway at the Zang Toi show during New York Fashion Week in 2011. Allison Joyce/Reuters Maksim Chmerkovskiy dances with Alley during her appearance as a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars" in 2011. Alley came in second place and competed on a second season of the show in 2015. Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images Alley attends a signing for her book "The Art of Men" in Los Angeles in 2012. Araya Doheny/FilmMagic/Getty Images Alley sings with Patricia Heaton in an episode of the ABC series "The Middle." Michael Ansell/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images Nick Cannon and Alley react during Alley's unmasking on "The Masked Singer" earlier this year. FOX/Getty Images Kirstie Alley's life in pictures Prev Next

Additionally, Alley starred in a number of memorable films, like the “Look Who’s Talking” movies, 1990’s “Madhouse” and 1999’s “Drop Dead Gorgeous” with Ellen Barkin.

In 2005, Alley co-wrote and starred in the Showtime comedy “Fat Actress” before making a foray into reality TV.

She appeared in “Kirstie Alley’s Big Life” in 2010, was a contestant on Season 12 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” the next year and placed second on Season 22 of the British version of “Celebrity Big Brother” in 2018. In 2022, she competed in Season 7 of Fox’s “The Masked Singer.”

Though she had an impressive body of work, the later part of her career was marked by Alley’s penchant for stirring controversy, especially through social media.

In a 2007 interview, Alley said she was proud of her no holds barred ways.

“I’ve always felt like if someone asks me something, they want the real answer,” Alley told Good Housekeeping. “I think there’s also something about being from Kansas. Usually people think I’m from New York. The only similarity between New Yorkers and Midwesterners is that what you see is what you get.”

Video Ad Feedback Kirstie Alley looks back on her 'Cheers' years (2005) 01:44 - Source: CNN

‘Her charisma was always iconic’

John Travolta, who costarred with Alley in 1989’s hit “Look Who’s Talking” as well as two sequels, wrote on Instagram on Monday, “Kirstie was one of the most special relationships I’ve ever had. I love you Kirstie. I know we will see each other again.”

Jamie Lee Curtis – who worked with Alley in 2016 on episodes of TV’s “Scream Queens” – shared a statement on Facebook to pay tribute to the late actress, writing, “She was a great comic foil in @tvscreamqueens and a beautiful mama bear in her very real life. She helped me buy onesies for my family that year for Christmas. We agreed to disagree about some things but had a mutual respect and connection. Sad news.”

Josh Gad tweeted, “My heart breaks for Kirstie and her family. Whether it was her brilliance in ‘Cheers; or her magnetic performance in the ‘Look Who’s Talking’ franchise, her smile was always infectious, her laugh was always contagious and her charisma was always iconic. RIP.”

Alley’s “Cheers” co-star Ted Danson told Deadline he had just watched Alley in an episode of the show while on a plane before learning of her death.

“I was on a plane today and did something I rarely do. I watched an old episode of ‘Cheers,’” Danson told the outlet. “It was the episode where Tom Berenger proposes to Kirstie, who keeps saying no, even though she desperately wants to say yes. Kirstie was truly brilliant in it. Her ability to play a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown was both moving and hysterically funny.”

“She made me laugh 30 years ago when she shot that scene, and she made me laugh today just as hard. As I got off the plane, I heard that Kirstie had died. I am so sad and so grateful for all the times she made me laugh,” Danson added. “I send my love to her children. As they well know, their mother had a heart of gold. I will miss her.”

Another “Cheers” star, Rhea Perlman, told CNN in a statement that she and Alley became friends instantly on the set of “Cheers.”

“Kirstie was a unique and wonderful person and friend. Her joy of being was boundless,” Perlman said. “We became friends almost instantly when she joined the cast of Cheers. She loved kids and my kids loved her too. We had sleepovers at her house, with treasure hunts that she created. She had massive Halloween and Easter parties and invited the entire crew of the show and their families. She wanted everyone to feel included. She loved her children deeply. I’ve never met anyone remotely like her. I feel so thankful to have known her. I’m going to miss her very, very much.”

“Baywatch” actor Parker Stevenson, who was married to Alley from 1983 to 1997 and is the father of her two children, also paid tribute to her on social media. In an Instagram post, confirmed to be Stevenson’s by a representative for the actor, he wrote: “Kirstie, I am so grateful for our years together, and for the two incredibly beautiful children and now grandchildren that we have. You will be missed.”

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John Stamos on grieving Bob Saget and how an impromptu tribute ...

CNN —

John Stamos and Bob Saget were an unlikely duo.

When they worked together on the beloved family sitcom “Full House” from 1987 to 1995, they had different working styles – a disparity that could cause tension at times. Saget could be, according to Stamos, “annoying” and “goof off.”

“The truth is – and, you know, I have to say it’s so funny – that we weren’t the best friends (when we were) on that show,” Stamos tells CNN. “I came in wanting to approach the sitcom with structure, whereas Bob and Dave (Coulier) just wanted to make everyone laugh all the time.”

He recalls this during a Zoom call about a new special and ode to Saget called “Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute,” which premieres Friday on Netflix, roughly six months after the beloved TV dad died at age 65.

“No one would’ve guessed that the two of us would end up being best friends,” he says.

So close, in fact, that Stamos acted as a pallbearer at Saget’s funeral – a day, he confessed on Twitter, that was “the hardest day of my life.”

At the funeral, Saget’s first wife, Sherri Kramer, gifted Stamos exactly what he needed to hear – a tribute to their unique friendship that makes Stamos laugh as he recalls her words: “Bob loved you so much,” she told him, according to Stamos, “but he also hated you for a long time.”

Best friends, then brothers

After the show ended, Saget and Stamos bonded over trying to shake their wholesome “Full House” characters, Danny Tanner and Jesse Katsopolis, respectively.

“We both knew his true ‘dirty daddy’ self,” Stamos says, as did anyone who was around when the cameras would stop rolling and the jokes would begin.

The cast of "Full House." Bob D'Amico/Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images

The more they spent time together – including, eventually, on a reboot called “Fuller House” – the more they grew to love one another. Stamos says the two even began seeing the same therapist.

“He started popping into my life when I needed him the most, when I needed somebody. And then vice versa,” Stamos says. “And then we just got closer and closer and closer, and we ended up just being there for each other during the happiest and the saddest moments of our lives.”

He shares this while playing snippets of the Netflix special, growing emotional as he watches his best friend appear on screen, vacillating between crying and laughing.

He is still so sad, he says.

He plays a clip of comedian Jeff Ross, Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, John Mayer and himself riffing on stage about their mutual pal. The stage is scattered with plush chairs and Ross is hosting. Ross makes a joke: “John Mayer is here, and John very, very, very generously hired a private jet to fly Bob’s body home. He also hired a Goodyear Blimp to fly in Louis Anderson’s body.”

Stamos laughs, saying, “it was a light roast Bob would have loved.”

‘It was such a gut punch’

Saget was found dead in a hotel room on Jan. 9 at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes, Florida. An autopsy report released by the Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office later disclosed that the comedian died as a result of “head trauma.”

Stamos had been driving around with his 4-year-old son, Billy, trying to get him to nap, shortly before he found out the news. He was in a parking lot not far from his home when his publicist called.

“He asked if I had spoken to Bob yet that day … that people are saying he’s dead,” he recalls. “I go, ‘What? He’s in Florida to do a show.’”

He hung up and called and texted Saget multiple times, then started calling Saget’s wife, Kelly Rizzo. When he reached her; she was screaming and crying. The news was true.

Dave Coulier, John Mayer, John Stamos and Jeff Ross were among the pallbearers at the funeral for Bob Saget, who was laid to rest at Mt. Sinai Cemetary in Los Angeles on Friday, January 14. London Entertainment/Shutterstock

“I hit the ground in the parking lot. And it was downhill from there,” he says. “It was just ‘I’m so sorry.’ It was such a gut punch.”

He returned home with Billy still asleep and went out on a balcony in his house, where he saw a hummingbird hovering nearby. In the Stamos family tradition, this means a person who has died is visiting.

“I don’t know why I did it, but I videotaped it,” Stamos says. “And I got video of the little hummingbird that I think was Bob.”

Rock ‘n’ roll shiva

Since in the Jewish tradition the funeral should occur within 24 hours of the time of death, Stamos says he and friends “whipped a funeral together,” got Saget’s body home and had a ceremony less than a week after his death.

Stamos was there alongside “Full House” co-stars Dave Coulier, Candace Cameron Bure, Jodie Sweetin, Lori Loughlin and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

Then on Jan. 30, friends and family threw a touching and sad “impromptu rock ‘n’ roll shiva” for Saget in a small room above The Comedy Store in Hollywood, where he had started his career as a standup.

Stamos plays footage of himself giving an emotional speech about Saget, where he tells the audience about the “honor of being his best friend … one of his best friends, for 35 years.” The audience was filled with a mixture of friends, family and fans. Stamos played them a tribute video he made of Saget, but revisiting it was difficult.

“This is hard to watch,” he says, tearing up.

John Stamos in "Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute." Mathieu Bitton/Netflix

Producer Mike Binder, a friend of Saget and Coulier, came up with the idea for the tribute, with Ross and Stamos set to host. They didn’t have much prepared, but Stamos and Mayer were able to get a band together. Binder set up cameras “just in case” and famous faces started rolling in, Stamos recalled.

“I hear these two voices that sound so familiar by the door, I think, ‘That sounds like Chris Rock. That sounds like Jim Carrey.’ I had no idea they were gonna be there,” he says. “And everybody just walked on stage, and it just took off from there.”

The result is raw and intimate, and Stamos would not have a celebration of Saget’s life presented in any other way.

All proceeds from the live show went to the Scleroderma Research Foundation.

He hopes everyone sees how loved – and loving – his friend was.

“He would always tell you how much he loved you, why he loved you. He never got off the phone,” Stamos says. “I could show you; it’s ‘I love you. I love you.’ Fifty times, a million times.”

He says that because Saget suffered a lot of loss in his life, he was acutely aware of getting his message of love across.

“That’s our lesson and that’s for sure. I mean, a lot of people that were around him, they sure do say, ‘I love you’ a lot,” he says, laughing.

Stamos, picking up and strumming a guitar of Saget’s, recalls the last time he saw his friend in person.

It was a double date at Nobu in Malibu, where he left with a full heart thinking about their friendship.

“That night Bob was everything that I wanted him to be,” he says. “All the best parts of him were at that dinner… I swear to God, he was just, like, at peace somehow.”

He listened, intently interested in what was going on in other people’s lives, Stamos says.

“You know, sometimes you could tell, ‘He’s just asking questions because he’s supposed to because our shrink told him to,’” he laughs, “But that night was different.”

He says his favorite lines from the special come from Jim Carrey.

In the moment, which he plays over Zoom, Carrey addresses the crowd as a blues song plays in the background.

“Bob wasn’t someone who was taken away from us; he was something that was given to us,” Carrey says. “And one day, when the laughs had hit a certain amount, he just unzipped his human suit and went for a ride.”

He’s probably “floating above us” at this very moment, Carrey adds, “flanked by angels.”

“And they’re sayin’, ‘You made people laugh,’ ‘You made people feel loved,’ ‘You made people money,’ ‘You created a cathedral of f***ing love in this world.’ And that was your life, Bob Saget, a cathedral of love, a cathedral of laughter.”

“Dirty Daddy: The Bob Saget Tribute” premieres June 10 on Netflix.