One of Don Cheadle’s Early Acting Roles Was on the Sequel to ‘The Golden Girls’
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Before his password was “WARMACHINEROX,” Don Cheadle had his own humble beginnings. After some small roles in films like 1987’s Hamburger Hill and 1988’s Colors, the award-winning actor’s career began to flourish in the 1990s. While he’s best known for his work in film, one of his earliest starring roles was in The Golden Palace, a short-lived sequel to one of the most celebrated American sitcoms in television history. And you can now watch it on Hulu.
Five ways to celebrate Betty White’s 100th birthday, from catching a new film to eating cheesecake
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Whether she was on the big screen or our home televisions, Betty White captivated us with memorable performances on “The Golden Girls,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Proposal” and many more.
The beloved comedian and actress was hailed as a television legend but also made her mark in other pursuits. In 2010, she appeared in the famous Super Bowl commercial for Snickers. That same year, she hosted an episode of “Saturday Night Live” at the age of 88. And throughout her career, she was at the forefront of combatting racial injustice within the entertainment industry in addition to giving voice to the voiceless in her advocacy for animals.
RELATED: Betty White on “The Golden Girls” taught me queer self-acceptance
White, who died on New Year’s Eve at the age of 99, was just a few weeks shy of celebrating her 100th birthday on Jan. 17. Numerous media pieces and events were planned in anticipation of her centennial, but were abruptly canceled or transformed into tributes with her unexpected passing.
Now that her 100th birthday has arrived, it’s the perfect opportunity for fans to do more than just mourn but to celebrate a long life well and truly lived. Salon has compiled some of the best ways to thank the Golden Girl for being a friend.
Watch the film that Betty White helped make for her 100th birthday
A documentary film — previously titled “Betty White: 100 Years Young” and renamed “Betty White: A Celebration” — was originally produced in anticipation of her birthday. Now, the film be released as a remembrance of White’s life and long television career.
The documentary features behind-the-scenes footage of White’s life, including her entertaining at home, working on set and advocating for animals. There’s clips from White’s most famous television roles along with a lost episode from White’s early 1950s sitcom. A slew of guest stars appear, ranging from Carol Burnett and Valerie Bertinelli to Ryan Reynolds and even the late Alex Trebek.
If you feel safe enough to sit in a public auditorium, nearly 900 theaters will play the documentary at 1, 4 and 7 p.m. local time on Monday, Jan. 17. Buy tickets online at FathomEvents or at participating theater box offices. Watch a trailer for the film below, via YouTube.
Binge Betty White’s most iconic TV shows and movies
Hulu has been Betty White Central for a while, and the streaming service had already added new content in anticipation of her 100th celebration. All seasons of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Golden Girls” and its newly added spinoff, “The Golden Palace,” are available, along with the 2009 rom-com “The Proposal,” in which White stars as Ryan Reynolds’ Grandma Annie.
You might know “The Proposal” better as the movie that inspired the iconic “behind-the-scenes” footage that reveals White’s less than golden behavior. Watch the spoof, via Touchstone Pictures:
Meanwhile, “Hot in Cleveland,” which follows three 40-something best friends and their newfound lives in Cleveland, Ohio, can be streamed on Paramount+. And the crime drama, “Boston Legal,” where White appeared in 16 episodes, is available on Prime Video.
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If you’d rather let someone else do the curating for you, Hallmark Channel is running a day’s worth of the most popular episodes of “The Golden Girls” in White’s honor. According to Southern Living, the selected episodes will “highlight Rose’s surprising competitive streak; visits by her St. Olaf relatives; funny career moments from the grief center and assisting consumer reporter Enrique Mas; along with plenty of romance, including boyfriends Dr. Jonathan Newman, Mister Terrific and of course, Miles Webber.”
The channel will also air the 2011 romance film “The Lost Valentine,” in which Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sean Faris star alongside White’s Caroline Thomas, an elderly widow whose husband was declared missing during World War II.
Indulge in a homemade rendition of the “Golden Girls” cheesecake
Katherine Grandstand’s recipe for the show’s staple dessert touts golden Oreos and a signature touch of orange flavors from the zest and juice of Florida’s signature fruit. You can make a different type of cheesecake or just buy one ready-made. What’s important is what the confection symbolizes.
After its introduction at the end of the first season, cheesecake became the show’s signature late-night comfort food and way to bond with your besties. Be sure to indulge in a generous slice of your own alongside Dorothy, Rose, Blanche and Sophia while they tackle their own problems.
Take the #BettyWhiteChallenge and help a cause dear to her heart
The online movement encourages people to donate to their local animal shelters, welfare organizations and rescue centers to carry on White’s lifelong animal advocacy. (You can even see the evidence of her love for animals in numerous “Golden Girls” episodes.)
Posts read, “On Betty White’s 100th birthday, January 17th, everyone should pick a local rescue or animal shelter in your area and donate just $5 in Betty White’s name. Make her 100th birthday the movement she deserves.”
Some fans have already given to their rescue of choice. But many have targeted White’s birthday to make a clear and concerted impact. Celebrities like Trisha Yearwood are even getting in on the action to match some donations.
See the sights and eat lunch in LA
While these final two activities can only be done in Los Angeles, they’re representative how fans are finding many other ways to celebrate the actor locally. Artist Corie Mattie’s new mural in Los Angeles on Melrose Ave. honors White and her work as an animal advocate. Along with the mural’s simple message — “Be More Like Betty” — is a QR code that allows visitors to donate directly to Wagmor Pets, an organization that rescues and rehabilitates dogs in need. According to TMZ, Mattie’s artwork reinforces the aforementioned #BettyWhiteChallenge.
Not too far away one can also indulge in one of White’s favorite indulgences: a plain hotdog with nothing but the meat and the bun at Pink’s Hot Dogs. The Los Angeles hot dog stand, located near the corner of Melrose Avenue and La Brea Avenue, will honor their famed customer with a new, toppings-free special called the “Betty White Naked Hot Dog.” During White’s birthday week and in memoriam of her love for animals, all proceeds from the sale will go to the Los Angeles Zoo.
More stories celebrating Betty White:
NBC to air ‘Celebrating Betty White: America’s Golden Girl’ special on Jan. 31
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Also starring Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, the Miami-set series revolutionized the landscape with its focus on four older women using humor to tackle a wide range of issues such as elder care, ageism, homelessness, dating and sexism.
Everything to Watch This Week, From Ozark to Yellowjackets
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And we’re back! This week is full of highs and lows, endings and beginnings, from the conclusion (for now) of one of the most talked-about shows in recent memory to a return of a streaming favorite that embarks on the first part of its final season. Truly time to make peace with your favorites and maybe find a new one too.
But enough yakking, on with the television!
Netflix
“Ozark”
Friday, January 21 on Netflix
ThThe final season of “Ozark” begins on Jan. 21, and these first episodes are a doozy. The fourth season of the Netflix hit has been split up into two parts of seven episodes each, and this first batch picks up in the immediate (and bloody) aftermath of the Season 3 finale. The Byrdes are in over their heads once again, but their freedom is finally within reach – maybe. Further complicating matters is the addition of a new cast member in Alfonso Herrera, who plays the charismatic but deadly nephew of Omar Navarro (Felix Solis), and who could portend doom for Marty (Jason Bateman) and Wendy (Laura Linney) once and for all. Who will make it out alive, and will the intensity be too much to handle? Tune in when all seven episodes of “Ozark” Season 4 – Part 1 drop this Friday. Or spread them out to make the wait for Part 2 less excruciating. [INTERVIEW]
Showtime
“Yellowjackets”
Sunday, January 16 at 10 p.m. on Showtime
The buzziest (pun very much intended) series of the past few months is coming to a close and we’re already going through withdrawals. If you are late to the “Yellowjackets” party, it follows a female soccer team whose airplane flight goes down on the way to a big game 25 years ago. The show toggles back and forth between the immediate aftermath of the crash, as teammates struggle with some pretty dark urges while being marooned in the wilderness, and present day, when some of the survivors find themselves in over their heads with an extortion plot, potential murder and maybe some supernatural weirdness (origin of weirdness TBD). With a terrific roster of young stars (including Sophie Thatcher, who popped up on “The Book of Boba Fett”) and more mature talent (like Melanie Lynskey, Juliette Lewis and Christina Ricci) and more mysteries than you can count, “Yellowjackets” was utterly addictive. And now it’s done! [FINALE PREVIEW]
Amazon
“A Hero”
Friday, January 21 on Amazon Prime Video
TThe latest film from Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, one of the world’s premiere miniaturists, who can create a vast epic out of the simplest conflict, is also Iran’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the upcoming Academy Awards. (It was also in competition for the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix.) Amir Jadidi stars as Rahim, a man who is in prison for being unable to pay a debt. (Side note: This offense would put almost every American with a liberal arts degree in the slammer.) Rahim is given 48 hours to convince his creditor to drop the charges. But things don’t go as they are supposed to. If you’ve seen one of Farhadi’s films, you know to expect great humanity and depth. [INTERVIEW]
Marvel Studios/Disney+
“Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye”
Wednesday, January 19 on Disney+
“Hawkeye,” the Christmas-set Marvel Studios series that just ended its yule tide run, was a ridiculous amount of fun. “Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye” will let us all know if it was as much fun to make. Part of a surprisingly r“Hawkeye,” the Christmas-set Marvel Studios series that just ended its yuletide run, was a ridiculous amount of fun. “Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye” will let us all know if it was as much fun to make. Part of a surprisingly revealing series of Marvel Studios documentaries, this installment promises to go behind the scenes of the series starring Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld as archery enthusiasts who go up against a thuggish mob during the holidays. Hopefully, it will go into the creation of those eye-popping effects (aided by visual effects house Industrial Light & Magic) and the maneuvering that allowed for the return of Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin (of the late, great Netflix “Daredevil” series). With any luck, this doc will hit the bullseye. [INTERVIEW]
Disney
“The Golden Palace”
Hulu
If you’re searching for more Betty White fun following her death a few weeks ago (just shy of her 100th birthday), look no further. When Bea Arthur refused to return for the eighth season of “The Golden Girls,” instead of closing up shop the show transformed into “The Golden Palace.” It followed White, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty, who decide to buy a somewhat dilapidated Miami hotel and take over its management. The show doesn’t totally work, but it does serve to extend the “Golden Girls” legacy a little while longer, while giving a glimpse of an alternate reality where “Golden Palace” became a sensation. Instead, it only lasted a single season. You can also see a young Don Cheadle as the hotel’s old manager, and Cheech Marin as its salty chef. (There’s also an obnoxious orphan kid who lives in the hotel for some reason.) Now if only they’d put “Empty Nest” and “Nurses” on Hulu, two extensions of the “Golden Girls” television universe. [WATCH]
“Somebody Somewhere”
Sunday, January 16 at 9:30 p.m. on HBO
The original logline for this new half hour HBO series is tantalizingly vague. “As Sam grapples with loss and Sunday, January 16 at 9:30 p.m. on HBO
The original logline for this new half hour HBO series is tantalizingly vague: “As Sam grapples with loss and acceptance, singing is her saving grace and her comfort.” The series was created by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen and stars Bridget Everett, Jeff Hiller, Mary Catherine Garrison, Danny McCarthy and Mike Hagerty. And several episodes of the first season (including the inaugural episode) were directed by American indie filmmaker Jay Duplass. [REVIEW]
“How I Met Your Father”
Tuesday, January 18 on Hulu
After the infamous collapse of the “Lizzie McGuire” reboot at Disney+, Hillary Duff is back in the Disney fold thanks After the infamous collapse of the “Lizzie McGuire” reboot at Disney+, Hilary Duff is back in the Disney fold thanks to “How I Met Your Father,” premiering on sister streaming service Hulu. Creators Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger promise a “standalone sequel series” to “How I Met Your Mother,” which ran for more than 200 episodes from 2005 to 2014. The new show features Chris Lowell, Francia Raisa, Suraj Sharma, Josh Peck and Tien Tran — and the voice of Kim Cattrall as the future version of Hilary Duff’s Sophie (as the original series was narrated by the late, great Bob Saget). [REVIEW]
“La Fortuna”
Thursday, January 20 on AMC+
This new series is flying under the radar but it could be worth seeking out. It’s the first television project by the great Spanish-Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar, whose film “Open Your Eyes” was remade as the Tom Cruise vehicle “Vanilla Sky.” (Amenábar directed all six episodes.) The series, based on the graphic novel “El tesoro del Cisne Negro” by Paco Roca and Guillermo Corral, has an intriguing premise (a group attempts to recover a shipwreck from a treasure hunter), a stellar cast (including Stanley Tucci and “The Hunting of Bly Manor” breakout T’Nia Miller) and it’s only six episodes. What could be better?[TRAILER]
“Single Drunk Female”
Thursday, January 20 at 10 p.m. on Freeform
Freeform occasionally launches a fun show that feels more sophisticated and funnier than what you’d expect out of Freeform occasionally launches a fun show that feels more sophisticated and funnier than what you’d expect out of the former ABC Family Channel. (Remember the sorely missed “Alone Together” a few years ago?) “Single Drunk Female” is the Disney-owned channel’s latest stab at a watercooler series, this one starring Sofia Black-D’Elia as an alcoholic who moves back in with her mother (played by the always-great Ally Sheedy) after a very dramatic breakdown. So far, the new dramedy has gotten some strong reviews and that cast alone makes it appointment television. Hopefully it doesn’t become too addictive. [REVIEW]
“Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock”
Friday, January 21 on Apple TV+
The seminal Jim Henson series, which ran on a prototypical HBO from 1983 to 1987, returns with a splashy reboot on Apple TV+. The Fraggles (and Dozers and Gorgs and even Uncle Travelling Matt) are back, and Dave Goelz, one of the original Muppet performers, provides a voice for his characters in this new iteration. Will the new show retain the original series’ themes of biodiversity and harmony with nature (among other favorites of the hippie-ish Henson)? Unlike the original, this one features starry cameo voices, including Patti LaBelle, Cynthia Erivo, Daveed Diggs, Ed Helms, Kenan Thompson and the Foo Fighters. It’ll be interesting to see if either of the late Henson’s own characters (Cantus and Convincing John) will be reintroduced without the genius behind them. [TRAILER]
#BettyWhiteChallenge raising money and awareness for animals
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The late Betty White was a tireless lifetime advocate for animals, from caring for those without homes to launching her own weekly TV show, “The Pet Set,” dedicated to her celebrity friends and their pets.
Her most far-reaching contribution, though, may be yet to come: On Monday, fans of White will be poised to donate to animal welfare charities and shelters as part of what’s been dubbed the #BettyWhiteChallenge. And animal welfare nonprofits are gearing up to capitalize on the viral tribute to the star of “The Golden Girls” and “Hot in Cleveland” on what would have been her 100th birthday.
“I’ve had many conversations with Betty about animal welfare, and I know she’s looking down from heaven and really smiling,” said Robin Ganzert, who leads American Humane, an animal welfare organization that White was involved with for more than 60 years.
“She’ll be smiling on her birthday,” she said. “And she’ll be smiling about the lives she’s changed.”
It isn’t exactly clear who started the #BettyWhiteChallenge on social media shortly after White’s death on Dec. 31. However it began, the idea — to donate $5 to a local animal rescue organization in White’s name on her birthday — quickly took off and drew support from celebrities like actors Mark Hamill and George Takei on Twitter.
Traffic to American Humane’s website spiked after White’s passing. Ganzert said donations, too, have increased. The nonprofit is waiting to reveal by how much until more gifts flood in, including sizable donations it’s expecting from some donors.
During the decades in which White was involved with the organization, she made fundraising appeals and served on its board and as a presenter and judge on its televised show featuring “hero” dogs. During tapings of “The Pet Set” in the early 1970s, Ganzert said, White would have American Humane representatives on set to ensure that animals were safe. In 2012, the nonprofit honored her with its highest award, the National Humanitarian Medal.
Ganzert would also give White a photo book each year of the animals the organization helped.
“She kept those out on her coffee table,” Ganzert said. “And (it) always touched me whenever we would visit.”
Best Friends Animal Society, a Utah-based animal welfare organization, has raised $25,000 in donations made in White’s name, according to the group’s chief mission officer Holly Sizemore. The group has promoted the #BettyWhiteChallenge broadly across its social media channels to drum up support both for its work and other organizations.
“That’s the beauty of animal welfare,” Sizemore said. “There’s something for everyone to support. There’s so much good work happening and so much opportunity, particularly right now, to make the world a better place for people and animals.”
Sizemore hopes that Monday will bring plenty of donations and attention for animal welfare.
“What an incredible opportunity to honor Betty White’s legacy — to come together as a nation and celebrate something that she was so passionate about, her love for animals,” she said.
Maintaining that connection with #BettyWhiteChallenge donors is the main test for animal welfare nonprofits after Monday. Viral fundraising efforts can bring in a stream of money, but experts say donations tend to drop off quickly.
Sarah Newhall, the chief strategy officer of the fundraising firm MissionWired, says charities can best capitalize on these moments if they already have a strong foundation in place to engage new donors — whether through emails, a website, social media or other methods.
“What it allows them to do is really use that tent-pole moment to get in front of an audience they might not otherwise have gotten,” Newhall said. But, she added, retaining these donors can be an uphill battle because the push to give is tied to one day, and the motivation to one person. Animal groups might also become overshadowed by other organizations soliciting donations during Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which also falls on Monday.
North Shore Animal League America, a no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization, plans to engage new #BettyWhiteChallenge donors through a mix of social media appeals and invitations to visit its adoption center in Port Washington, New York, said Joanne Yohannan, the organization’s senior vice president of operations. It is also dedicating its next 100 animal rescues to White in honor of her 100th birthday.
The organization has received a donation from the Hallmark Channel in honor of White, part of a tribute that also includes a “Golden Girls” marathon and her Hallmark movie “The Lost Valentine” on Jan. 17.
“It’s about raising awareness for the plight of homeless animals and what can be done to help them, including volunteering and adopting,” Yohannan said.
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