CHRIS GAUTHIER DIES AT 48: Variety reports that Chris Gauthier, the character actor most known for his role as William Smee on Once Upon a Time, has passed away at the age of 48. His manager told the outlet that he died following a brief illness. Gauthier appeared on television shows such as Smallville, Charmed, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Legends of Tomorrow. He also held roles in films such as 40 Days and 40 Nights, Freddy vs. Jason, and Watchmen.
KEVIN COSTNER RELEASES FIRST TRAILER FOR ‘HORIZON:’ According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kevin Costner released the first official trailer for his new western film series titled Horizon. The Yellowstone actor not only co-wrote, directed, and stars in the project—but he also financed it himself. “When no one wanted to make the first one, I got the bright idea to make four,” he told the outlet. “It grew and it grew and it grew until suddenly I realized that I just had to make it, and I had to look to myself financially to do it — which is not the smartest thing. But I count on the movie speaking louder than anything I can say.” The first film is set to reach theaters on June 28th.
RYAN GOSLING TO PERFORM ‘I’M JUST KEN’ AT THE OSCARS: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Barbie fans can look forward to Ryan Gosling performing “I’m Just Ken” at the Oscars next month. The song made it to number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart just weeks after the film premiered. The Notebook actor later released an EP featuring three new versions of the song.
FRAN DRESCHER REFLECTS ON SAG-AFTRA STRIKE: In an interview with Vanity Fair published Monday (February 26th), SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher reflected on last year’s strikes and shared her opinion on the state of the industry. “Well, the world loves entertainment, but entertainment has to be for the viewers and not the shareholders—and therein lies the rub. Once it becomes more about Wall Street than the people that are making it—and the collaborative art form that it must always remain—it becomes problematic and really, in my opinion, unsustainable,” she told the outlet. “The pressure that these companies are put under to continually perform for the shareholders is completely unrealistic. And as a result of that, you end up finding ways to show profit that ultimately compromise the very people that are foundational to making the product.”