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Q: Who is the actress who plays Maddie in the “Sonic” movies? I swear she used to be on a soap opera when she was younger, but I can’t remember her character’s name. – K.I.
A: She’s Tika Sumpter, and she honed her acting skills playing Layla Williamson on the ABC soap “One Life to Live” from 2006-2011. She went on to land regular roles on “Gossip Girl,” “Mixed-ish,” and “The Haves and the Have Nots” before being cast in the hit franchise “Sonic.”
Tika Sumpter in “Sonic the Hedgehog 2”. (Paramount Pictures photo)
Sumpter isn’t the only former soap star in “Sonic 3.” Shemar Moore and Sofia Pernas both got their starts on CBS’s “The Young and the Restless.”
Q: What ever happened to Rob Lowe’s show “9-1-1 Lone Star”? I thought it got really high ratings. – L.L.
A: Despite being Fox’s second highest-rated series during the first half of 2023, the Ryan-Murphy-produced series “9-1-1: Lone Star” was given the axe. Its fifth and final season began airing this past September. The show will return on Jan. 20 for three more weeks before bidding a final farewell. According to an article in Variety, the decision to cancel the series “wasn’t due to lack of enthusiasm for the show. Instead, it was a matter of business logistics.”
According to Murphy, he loved the show, but “the financials just didn’t work. It’s a Disney company that was on a Fox network, and it just was never going to work.” This mismatch was the result of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, which included the 20th Century Fox film and TV studios but excluded the Fox network. “The arrangement was less than ideal,” according to Variety.
The announcement was another blow for Lowe in 2024, whose other series “Unstable,” a comedy on Netflix co-starring his son, John Owen Lowe, was also canceled.
Fortunately, he has a new pet project to focus on, a possible sequel to the ’80s classic “St. Elmo’s Fire.” Interest began stirring among its cast members, including Demi Moore, after the airing of the Hulu documentary “Brats.” The process has been slow so far, but Lowe says it’s because they’re searching for the right script. The film’s director, Joel Schumacher, passed away in 2020.
Q: When is the “Georgie & Mandy” sitcom coming back? I know that like most shows, it’s taking a break during the holidays, but I hope it’s not a long one. – J.W.
A: The “Young Sheldon” spin-off sitcom “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” will return to CBS with new episodes beginning Jan. 30. With February being a big ratings “sweeps” month, look for some of your favorite “Sheldon” cast members to appear, including Georgie’s mom, Mary, played by Zoe Perry, and Pastor Jeff, played by Matt Hobby.
So far, Sheldon himself (Iain Armitage) hasn’t returned, but perhaps they could be saving it for the season finale. The show is a hit, so there will be plenty of opportunities in future seasons for some of the core “Sheldon” cast to pop up as guest stars or recurring characters.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
© 2025 King Features Synd., Inc.
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