A blog of recent clips, reporting and notions on what's happening in pop culture of interest to me. Written by Cynthia Wang.
My page for current articles and reporting, random thoughts on TV, music, movies, etc.
While Constance Wu receives praise and award-show nods in the US for Fresh Off the Boat, Fiona Choi, who plays matriarch Jenny Law in Australian comedy The Family Law, has gotten nominated for an AACTA Award here. What a pleasure to get to know her.
In a first, I spoke with Bruce Campbell in a cramped hotel room set up for video. As a print person, this was an odd arrangement, but Bruce was affable and everything you would think he'd be. Thanks to the folks at Australian streaming service Stan for the opportunity (so the person he is looking at in the still below is me!) I got to confess my love for The Adventures of Brisco County Jr, which made it worth it! Also, please note — I know he carries a boomstick, but the word was copy edited to 'broomstick.' For fans of Ash v Evil Dead, here's Bruce!
I already adore Please Like Me's Josh Thomas, so any chance I get to interview him is a bonus. For the Sexiest People 2016 issue, Josh was part of the "Funny Is Sexy" act, which also included James Corden, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and featured stars Dave Hughes and Kate Langbroek. Josh's answers are fantastic. I added more online here.
I spoke with actors Richard Roxburgh about his children's book Artie and the Grime Wave and Celia Pacquola about her TV series Rosehaven. If you click on their names, you get to some added material from their online interviews. Also on these pages, I wrote the listings for Black Mirror and Ice Age.
I was absolutely thrilled to be connected on a call to Tyler Henry by David Gardner, a publicist I have known for most of my career. I think Tyler sensed the joy, too — it carried through our interview. I have placed other parts of our chat online, which you can read here.
Here is the official Jonathan LaPaglia interview to start the revival of a local edition of Survivor in Australia. I did most of the contestant chats in the form of exit interviews that posted on Who.com, so you can check them out there. I definitely got flashbacks to the US series, especially when I did a finale preview with the host (read here), the winner interview with Kristie Bennett, and the love story between contestants Lee Carseldine and Elena Rowland.
It was a complete pleasure to meet Liane Moriarty, whose novel Big Little Lies has become a huge sensation in the US thanks to the HBO series produced by Reese Witherspoon and co-starring Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley and more. Thumbnail photo courtesy of Uber Photography.
Another continent, another Survivor. Lucky me! I spoke with actor Jonathan LaPaglia before he took off for Samoa to shoot the newest season of Australian Survivor for Ten.
Voice Australia contestant Crissy Ashcroft is a combat veteran with PTSD. I thought it was important to tell her story and am grateful she let us into her home to share it.
The Australian edition of The Voice, back for its fifth season, is the first of the international series to feature two women as coaches. Last year saw sparks fly between newbie Jessie J and series vet Delta Goodrem but the pair have patched things up. Replacing Ricky Martin is X Factor Australia's Ronan Keating. They join Joel and Benji Madden from Good Charlotte. Here is a preview of the coming season.
U.S. audiences have seen her in various shows such as Elementary and Blue Bloods, but Australian audiences are welcoming back theatre veteran Penny McNamee, this time to homegrown mainstay Home and Away.
I had the good fortune of speaking to "The Spice Girls," Tasia and Gracia Seger, for a small feature prior to their win on My Kitchen Rules. To read more from my initial chat with them, click here, and to read my 'winner' interview with them, click here. If you are not familiar with the show, get familiar with these remarkable sisters below.
Alfie Allen swung through Australia and New Zealand to promote season 6 of Game of Thrones as well as the season 5 DVD release. More of my chat with Alfie can be found here.
Taking a deep dive into Game of Thrones for Empire Australia was a real treat. I researched locations in Spain for season 6 to produce a traveller's guide and I spoke with language creator David J. Peterson for a preview of Dothraki usage in the latest series.
The original story written and reported by Patrick Gomez for People proved too short for the Who layout. I added paragraphs to the text, a box and new captions.
I got to speak with one of my favourite chefs, Adam Liaw, to talk about his latest TV series, Destination Flavour Scandinavia.
