Leslie Jordan (1955-2022)

Finally, in terrible terrible news beloved and hilarious Leslie Jordan has passed away. He was 67 years old. He had a medical emergency and crashed his car on the way to the hospital. The joy he brought so regularly on Instagram during the Pandemic with his gleefully Southern Gay Mischief energy will not soon be forgotten. He even managed to write a bestselling memoir during that late career rise to all new levels of popularity.

The 4'11" comic actor was best known for his memorably named characters like "Beverley Leslie" on Will & Grace and "Brother Boy" in the stage play turned movie turned TV series Sordid Lives. Other credits include The Help, The United States vs Billie Holiday, Love Ranch, and multiple seasons of American Horror Story. His last television role was "Phil" on three seasons of Call Me Kat. Have any favourite Leslie Jordan memories to share? 

I'll Link To That

• Vox wonderful must-read piece by Alissa Wilkinson on the new fad of intertitles in movies and why and how they're deployed artistically.
• GQ Euphoria's Jacob Elordi profiled. Stunning photos with buzzy interview
• Pajiba Very interesting take on what "Jean Jacket" symbolizes in Jordan Peele's Nope (tons of spoilers)

More Anne Heche, Brad Pitt, Eminem/Hitchcock, Only Murders costumes, and Broadway stuff  after the jump...

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Olivia Newton John (1948-2022)

by Nathaniel R

Olivia receiving an award in 2019 for her philanthropy. [image via.]

Heaven is one angel stronger today. The iconic 1970s superstar Olivia Newton-John passed away earlier today at age 73 after her fourth bout with cancer. Our thoughts here at The Film Experience go out to her surviving loved ones, husband, siblings, and daughter. More pointedly they go out to her legion of fans since yours truly counts myself among them. If you're in that group, you're surely hurting, too. You see, dear reader, Olivia was my first love. Like everyone who came of age in the 80s, the trio of Grease and Xanadu and "Physical" were impossible to escape. Nor did young Nathaniel want to! I can't remember where I even first learned her name or heard her sing. She was just always part of the world...

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RIP 'Uhura' and 'Ursula' actresses, Nichelle Nichols and Pat Carroll

by Nathaniel R

Normally we wouldn't pair an obituary but within 24 hours we lost two actresses of the same generation who both helped create an inarguably iconic character with a three syllable name starting with U. What were the chances? After the jump, tributes to Nichelle Nichols and Pat Carroll...

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Links: Sadie Sink, Kurt Russell, Jean Smart, and "Giant"

• Advocate If you're in LA this weekend note that the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills is showing a restoration of Giant (1956) -- excellent epic with three ridiculously iconic stars (Rock Hudson, Liz Taylor, and James Dean) and meant to be seen on the big screen
• Antidote Director Bruce LaBruce interviews Betty Blue herself Béatrice Dalle. Great photoshoot
• PrimeTimer all of Jean Smart's Emmy nods, ranked: Hacks, Fargo, Frasier, Watchmen, etc

More after the jump including Kurt Russell's Elvis movie, Sadie Sink on Broadway, and, sadly, more actor deaths to report...

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