#Middlebury
Q: I’m really enjoying the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but I feel bad that the athletes’ families can’t be there in person to cheer them on. My favorite is gymnast Simone Biles. Who are her parents, and has she always lived in Texas? – H.P.
A: According to Heavy.com, decorated Olympic gymnast Simone Biles’ biological mother is Shanon Biles, but she wasn’t actively involved in raising her and is currently on probation in Ohio for assault. Biles and her siblings were put in foster care in Ohio before being adopted by her grandparents, Ron and Nellie Biles. Simone’s biological father, Kelvin Clemons, “was never truly in the picture,” according to NBC News.
Simone Biles (Derek Storm/Everett Collection photo)
Simone grew up in Spring, Texas, near Houston. She’s been dating Houston Texans safety Jonathan Owens for more than a year after meeting on the celebrity dating app Raya. As a big fan of Simone’s, you’d probably enjoy her inspiring autobiography, “Courage to Soar.”
Q: What has Chris Parnell been doing since “30 Rock”? I loved his hilarious character, Dr. Spaceman, but I haven’t seen him in anything since. – P.E.
A: Dr. Leo Spaceman (pronounced Spuh-CHEN-mun) was a recurring character created by Tina Fey with “Saturday Night Live” star Parnell specifically in mind. After “30 Rock” ended in 2013, Parnell had a regular role on another TV comedy series, “Suburgatory,” appeared periodically on “Drunk History” and has done quite a bit of voice work for animated series, including “Archer.”
Parnell has expressed in interviews that his career goal is to land a regular role on a sitcom. With two young children at home, the schedule and lucrative paycheck of a steady sitcom gig would be ideal. He’s currently filming the upcoming Netflix movie “Senior Year,” with Rebel Wilson and Alicia Silverstone. It’s about a 37-year-old woman who wakes from a 20-year-long coma and returns to high school to pick up where she left off – as a cheerleader.
Q: What happened to the TV drama “Manifest”? I can’t tell which shows have been delayed due to the pandemic or which ones have been canceled outright. I hope this is one that will be back. – E.M.
A: If you had asked this question a month ago, I would have said, unfortunately, NBC has canceled “Manifest” after three seasons. Recently, however, there’s been a glimmer of hope. Its numbers have gone way up since Netflix started airing the first two seasons. According to EW.com, the show’s creator, Jeff Rake, said that “Manifest” has an “entirely new legion of fans developing as we speak,” as it went from being canceled by NBC to becoming the No. 1 show on Netflix for at least “20 days in a row.”
Rake says that he needed six seasons in order to fulfill the whole vision of his show, but since its cancellation, a feature film might be his only option. He cites shows like “Deadwood” and “Firefly” as inspiration and that he just needs “a modest budget to tell the story.”
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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