#Middlebury
Q: Hannah Brown was my favorite of all the Bachelorettes, and I was so happy to see her win “Dancing with the Stars.” Do you think she’ll end up doing something else in television, or will she go back to Alabama and lead a private life? – B.B.
A: Brown was kind of an underdog when she was chosen to lead “The Bachelorette” on ABC last season. She didn’t even make it to the hometown dates when she was competing for Colton Underwood’s affections on his season of “The Bachelor,” but the producers saw something in her and selected her. They were right, because she’s become one of the most popular leads that franchise has had in a long time, and then she went on to further fame by winning the mirror ball trophy on “Dancing with the Stars.”
Hannah Brown (ABC/Justin Stephens photo)
Brown recently told E! News that while she admired her “Bachelorette” predecessors for capitalizing on their fame, she wasn’t going to become just an Instagram influencer.
“I have definitely looked up to all the women before me, but I think there’ll be a different story for Hannah B., and I’m excited for that,” she said. Her aspirations reportedly include having her own talk show and writing books, both fiction and nonfiction.
Q: I’m behind on the “Star Wars” movies, having finally watched “The Force Awakens,” the first of the final trilogy. I was really amazed at how talented the actors who play Rey and Finn are, and I’d never seen them in anything before this. What was their prior acting experience? – D.P.
A: Daisy Ridley, who plays Rey, is a multitalented actress from England who is a classically trained in dance and also sings jazz. She had a few small roles in British television before joining the “Star Wars” franchise. According to “The Guardian,” when Ridley heard that the filmmakers of “The Force Awakens” were auditioning unknowns in addition to name actors, she asked her agent to get her a meeting. She ended up auditioning for producer JJ Abrams five times and got the part.
John Boyega was the newcomer who made quite the impression as Finn, a former Stormtrooper who developed a conscience. He’s also British, and had some success in his native country before becoming internationally known. Reportedly, Abrams was a fan of the 2011 film “Attack the Block,” a sci-fi comedy in which Boyega co-starred.
Q: Is it true that Maggie Smith regrets working on “Downton Abbey” and the “Harry Potter” films? I can’t imagine that when they are such successful projects. – C.T.
A: Smith, a highly respected Academy Award-winning actress, recently told the U.K.’s “Evening Standard” that she found her roles in “Downton Abbey” and “Harry Potter” to be “unsatisfying.” Upon further reading, though, I found that she was “deeply grateful” for the work, but that she didn’t really feel she was “acting.” Her role in the latter did help her bond with her five grandchildren, though, but her first love will always be theater.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
You must be logged in to post a comment.