<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DREW%20COSTLEY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">BY DREW COSTLEY </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DREW%20COSTLEY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">AP Science Writer</a>

Edward Buckles, Jr. was 13 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and completely upended his life. Buckles and his family moved from New Orleans to Lafayette, Louisiana for several months while their hometown began to recover from the catastrophic storm.

He told The Associated Press he doesn’t remember much from those months living in Lafayette, grasping for a sense of normalcy in the aftermath of one of the most destructive hurricanes in American history.

His community was experiencing so much destruction. Now as an adult, he views that blank spot in his memory as a response to the trauma of what he witnessed.

Buckles' parents asked him at the time if he was okay, but he wasn't quite able to figure that out for himself in the moment. Later the trauma resurfaced. With kids, he said, “what’s responsible and what’s important is that you set them up to deal with that trauma once it surfaces."

But the filmmaker said in his new documentary “Katrina Babies” that not all the children who were traumatized by living through the hurricane and its aftermath had adults checking in on them. So that’s what he set out to do, capturing several New Orleans residents as they reconcile with a childhood marred by Hurricane Katrina.

The documentary, which has garnered critical praise, will be available for streaming on HBO Max on August 24 and debuts on HBO the same day at 9 pm ET, 17 years and a day after the hurricane formed in the Atlantic Ocean.

It shows how New Orleans and its people were changed by the storm. It depicts the childhood trauma it caused for a generation coming of age after one of the United States’ first major climate-related disasters. New Orleanians featured in the documentary share stories of seeing dead people and pets, of leaving home and returning to communities destroyed, while they were still children.

The film looks at climate past and present and, the filmmakers hope, sounds alarm bells for the climate future.

“I hope this is a local and American story that will motivate people to want to do better and care about human beings, and about how intrinsically linked we are with nature and that the future is clear: There is going to be more of this,” said Audrey Rosenberg, lead producer of the film.

Buckles said that while Hurricane Katrina might has been a formative experience for him and the youth of New Orleans at the time, more waters have come through since. Though he isn’t a climate scientist, he knows firsthand the repeated damage wrought on his hometown by hurricanes and tropical storms made more intense by climate change.

“My grandmother lost her home due to flooding from Hurricane Katrina,” he said. “She has been flooded seven more times just from tropical storms.”

Cierra Chenier, 26, was featured in the documentary and also knows people who have had to rebuild multiple times since Hurricane Katrina due to subsequent hurricanes and storms.

She said the loss of culture and history in New Orleans due to repeated climate-related disasters like Hurricane Katrina shaped her decision to become a local historian and writer.

“I got into wanting to preserve our history because of how quickly I felt my childhood became history,” she said. Even though the storm was 17 years ago, she said, it continues to shape the present.

“In preserving our stories, writing about those stories and narrating those stories, it’s always connected to the present and we can form better solutions for the future,” she said.

Chenier, Buckles and the other youth affected by Hurricane Katrina have a lot to say about the future, having experienced years of government inaction to limit climate change or prepare and recover from climate disasters. Year after year, New Orleanians and the state and federal government know that hurricane season is going to come and be potentially catastrophic because of climate change, Buckles said.

And still, he said, Hurricane Ida, which hit New Orleans 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina, affected people in his community in eerily similar ways to the 2005 storm. The relief measures, he said, were nearly as slow.

As a result, people in his community have become more resilient. But he said he wonders whether government agencies are relying on those harmed by climate-related disasters to help themselves when what they really need is public planning and preparation.

“The youth are tired of dealing with this, myself included,” he said. “And we cannot forget to hold accountable those who need to be held accountable.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DREW%20COSTLEY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">BY DREW COSTLEY </a> <a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22DREW%20COSTLEY%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">AP Science Writer</a>Edward Buckles, Jr. was 13 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and completely upended his life. Buckles and his family moved from New Orleans to Lafayette, Louisiana for several months while their hometown began to recover from the catastrophic storm.He told The Associated Press he doesn’t remember much from those months living in Lafayette, grasping for a sense of normalcy in the aftermath of one of the most destructive hurricanes in American history.His community was experiencing so much destruction. Now as an adult, he views that blank spot in his memory as a response to the trauma of what he witnessed.Buckles' parents asked him at the time if he was okay, but he wasn't quite able to figure that out for himself in the moment. Later the trauma resurfaced. With kids, he said, “what’s responsible and what’s important is that you set them up to deal with that trauma once it surfaces."But the filmmaker said in his new documentary “Katrina Babies” that not all the children who were traumatized by living through the hurricane and its aftermath had adults checking in on them. So that’s what he set out to do, capturing several New Orleans residents as they reconcile with a childhood marred by Hurricane Katrina.The documentary, which has garnered critical praise, will be available for streaming on HBO Max on August 24 and debuts on HBO the same day at 9 pm ET, 17 years and a day after the hurricane formed in the Atlantic Ocean.It shows how New Orleans and its people were changed by the storm. It depicts the childhood trauma it caused for a generation coming of age after one of the United States’ first major climate-related disasters. New Orleanians featured in the documentary share stories of seeing dead people and pets, of leaving home and returning to communities destroyed, while they were still children.The film looks at climate past and present and, the filmmakers hope, sounds alarm bells for the climate future.“I hope this is a local and American story that will motivate people to want to do better and care about human beings, and about how intrinsically linked we are with nature and that the future is clear: There is going to be more of this,” said Audrey Rosenberg, lead producer of the film.Buckles said that while Hurricane Katrina might has been a formative experience for him and the youth of New Orleans at the time, more waters have come through since. Though he isn’t a climate scientist, he knows firsthand the repeated damage wrought on his hometown by hurricanes and tropical storms made more intense by climate change.“My grandmother lost her home due to flooding from Hurricane Katrina,” he said. “She has been flooded seven more times just from tropical storms.”Cierra Chenier, 26, was featured in the documentary and also knows people who have had to rebuild multiple times since Hurricane Katrina due to subsequent hurricanes and storms.She said the loss of culture and history in New Orleans due to repeated climate-related disasters like Hurricane Katrina shaped her decision to become a local historian and writer.“I got into wanting to preserve our history because of how quickly I felt my childhood became history,” she said. Even though the storm was 17 years ago, she said, it continues to shape the present.“In preserving our stories, writing about those stories and narrating those stories, it’s always connected to the present and we can form better solutions for the future,” she said.Chenier, Buckles and the other youth affected by Hurricane Katrina have a lot to say about the future, having experienced years of government inaction to limit climate change or prepare and recover from climate disasters. Year after year, New Orleanians and the state and federal government know that hurricane season is going to come and be potentially catastrophic because of climate change, Buckles said.And still, he said, Hurricane Ida, which hit New Orleans 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina, affected people in his community in eerily similar ways to the 2005 storm. The relief measures, he said, were nearly as slow.As a result, people in his community have become more resilient. But he said he wonders whether government agencies are relying on those harmed by climate-related disasters to help themselves when what they really need is public planning and preparation.“The youth are tired of dealing with this, myself included,” he said. “And we cannot forget to hold accountable those who need to be held accountable.”

Children of climate change come of age in 'Katrina Babies'

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LYNN%20ELBER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer</a>

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Are you ready for some football? Fine, but the return of the NFL is why the 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/emmy-awards">Emmy Awards</a>&nbsp;have been drop-kicked from their usual Sunday berth to Monday.

Television's top awards rotate among the top four networks, and this year's broadcast home, NBC, has reserved the second Sunday night in September for Tampa Bay vs. Dallas. After the Emmys&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-2021-moments-61c416023db184018d4f48698d739338">slogged through two years of pandemic-restricted ceremonies</a>, a day's delay seems a minor annoyance.

The industry is expected to put on its Monday best, swan down the red carpet and celebrate itself and the wealth of shows across streaming services, cable and, to a degree that pales compared to years' past, old-school network fare.

But what's a Hollywood awards show without a TV audience? A low-rated disappointment, and that's where you come in. If you decide to do your bit and tune in, here's a roadmap to everything you need to know about the 2022 Emmys.

The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards are set for Monday, Sept. 12, at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. The roughly three-hour ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. EDT and air live on NBC and, for free, on the streaming service Peacock.

But the Emmys, with 118 total awards, aren’t a one-day affair. Winners in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-emmy-nominations-television-386cfb3a085d2dc022499ec327e9fb41">25 key categories including best drama and comedy series</a>&nbsp;will be announced during the broadcast ceremony, with the rest divvied up between the Sept. 3 and 4 creative arts awards. An edited version of the weekend ceremonies, with categories including sound editing and cinematography, will air at 8 p.m. EDT Sept. 10 on FXX.

The honor usually goes to a comedian with a link to the network airing the event, and NBC stayed the course: It chose “Saturday Night Live”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-entertainment-kenan-thompson-kel-mitchell-6f63b41b7326b53d4d7b41e861fb2a36">veteran Kenan Thompson</a>, a first-time Emmy host who’s been preceded in the emcee job by a number of “SNL” stars. The ceremony has tried going without a host, most recently in 2019, but the results weren’t always pretty. Or entertaining.

WHICH SHOWS ARE NOMINATED FOR THE TOP AWARDS AT THE EMMYS?

Some previous winners are vying again for best series honors, including “Ted Lasso,” a freshman when it won 2021’s best comedy series, and “Succession,” which claimed the 2020 best drama award. (The series didn’t air during the eligibility window for 2021, when “The Crown” won.)

There are also formidable newcomers, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/squid-game-strikes-nerve-south-korea-943ff3fd7269631aca6ee75da05c3757">dystopian drama “Squid Game”</a>&nbsp;and comedy crime romp “Only Murders in the Building.”

Among the nominated actors, those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-2021-092ec6246360cb1e8d0746ad70162213">hoping to be repeat victors</a>&nbsp;include Jason Sudeikis of “Ted Lasso,” Jean Smart of “Hacks” and Zendaya of “Euphoria.” Check out the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/list-of-2022-emmy-nominees-f920c0a0041f4e8b40c95e24b3a8d350">full list of Emmy nominees</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-entertainment-music-nathan-lane-f8e5846d6a2fd6de90e20b9ca5f6e857">So many,</a>&nbsp;where to begin? The farewell season of “This Is Us” got a single nomination, for original music and lyrics, after reaping Emmys for several cast members in years past. It was a similar case for the last year of “black-ish,” which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-ish-finale-d4f3eb234ec96d59d65355d4c725957c">ended its groundbreaking run</a>&nbsp;with just two creative arts nominations. On the flip side, it was far from a slam dunk that Dave Chappelle's “The Closer,” with its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-dave-chappelle-ted-sarandos-arts-and-entertainment-d3b5a4329479757e8675d1caa9ab0554">controversial anti-transgender comments,</a>&nbsp;would earn a best variety special nomination. It did.

The more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.emmys.com/sites/default/files/Downloads/74th-emmy-infographic-2022-v4.pdf?q=1&amp;q1=">17,000 voting members</a>&nbsp;of the TV academy are eligible to decide nominees and winners in 14 categories, including drama, comedy and limited series. The acting awards, including lead, supporting and guest actors, are determined by peer groups, as are directing, writing and other individual areas of achievement. The number of nominees in most categories generally is tied to the number of submissions, with exceptions including best comedy and dramas series: They get eight nominees each.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LYNN%20ELBER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer</a>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Are you ready for some football? Fine, but the return of the NFL is why the 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/emmy-awards">Emmy Awards</a>&nbsp;have been drop-kicked from their usual Sunday berth to Monday.Television's top awards rotate among the top four networks, and this year's broadcast home, NBC, has reserved the second Sunday night in September for Tampa Bay vs. Dallas. After the Emmys&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-2021-moments-61c416023db184018d4f48698d739338">slogged through two years of pandemic-restricted ceremonies</a>, a day's delay seems a minor annoyance.The industry is expected to put on its Monday best, swan down the red carpet and celebrate itself and the wealth of shows across streaming services, cable and, to a degree that pales compared to years' past, old-school network fare.But what's a Hollywood awards show without a TV audience? A low-rated disappointment, and that's where you come in. If you decide to do your bit and tune in, here's a roadmap to everything you need to know about the 2022 Emmys.WHEN ARE THE 2022 EMMMYS?The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards are set for Monday, Sept. 12, at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. The roughly three-hour ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. EDT and air live on NBC and, for free, on the streaming service Peacock.But the Emmys, with 118 total awards, aren’t a one-day affair. Winners in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-emmy-nominations-television-386cfb3a085d2dc022499ec327e9fb41">25 key categories including best drama and comedy series</a>&nbsp;will be announced during the broadcast ceremony, with the rest divvied up between the Sept. 3 and 4 creative arts awards. An edited version of the weekend ceremonies, with categories including sound editing and cinematography, will air at 8 p.m. EDT Sept. 10 on FXX.WHO IS HOSTING THE EMMYS CEREMONY?The honor usually goes to a comedian with a link to the network airing the event, and NBC stayed the course: It chose “Saturday Night Live”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-entertainment-kenan-thompson-kel-mitchell-6f63b41b7326b53d4d7b41e861fb2a36">veteran Kenan Thompson</a>, a first-time Emmy host who’s been preceded in the emcee job by a number of “SNL” stars. The ceremony has tried going without a host, most recently in 2019, but the results weren’t always pretty. Or entertaining.WHICH SHOWS ARE NOMINATED FOR THE TOP AWARDS AT THE EMMYS?Some previous winners are vying again for best series honors, including “Ted Lasso,” a freshman when it won 2021’s best comedy series, and “Succession,” which claimed the 2020 best drama award. (The series didn’t air during the eligibility window for 2021, when “The Crown” won.)There are also formidable newcomers, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/squid-game-strikes-nerve-south-korea-943ff3fd7269631aca6ee75da05c3757">dystopian drama “Squid Game”</a>&nbsp;and comedy crime romp “Only Murders in the Building.”Among the nominated actors, those&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-2021-092ec6246360cb1e8d0746ad70162213">hoping to be repeat victors</a>&nbsp;include Jason Sudeikis of “Ted Lasso,” Jean Smart of “Hacks” and Zendaya of “Euphoria.” Check out the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/list-of-2022-emmy-nominees-f920c0a0041f4e8b40c95e24b3a8d350">full list of Emmy nominees</a>.WHAT WERE THE MOST SURPISING EMMY NODS?<a href="https://apnews.com/article/emmy-awards-entertainment-music-nathan-lane-f8e5846d6a2fd6de90e20b9ca5f6e857">So many,</a>&nbsp;where to begin? The farewell season of “This Is Us” got a single nomination, for original music and lyrics, after reaping Emmys for several cast members in years past. It was a similar case for the last year of “black-ish,” which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/black-ish-finale-d4f3eb234ec96d59d65355d4c725957c">ended its groundbreaking run</a>&nbsp;with just two creative arts nominations. On the flip side, it was far from a slam dunk that Dave Chappelle's “The Closer,” with its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-dave-chappelle-ted-sarandos-arts-and-entertainment-d3b5a4329479757e8675d1caa9ab0554">controversial anti-transgender comments,</a>&nbsp;would earn a best variety special nomination. It did.WHO DECIDES THE EMMY WINNERS?The more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.emmys.com/sites/default/files/Downloads/74th-emmy-infographic-2022-v4.pdf?q=1&amp;q1=">17,000 voting members</a>&nbsp;of the TV academy are eligible to decide nominees and winners in 14 categories, including drama, comedy and limited series. The acting awards, including lead, supporting and guest actors, are determined by peer groups, as are directing, writing and other individual areas of achievement. The number of nominees in most categories generally is tied to the number of submissions, with exceptions including best comedy and dramas series: They get eight nominees each.

Everything you need to know about the 2022 Emmys

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LINDSEY%20BAHR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer</a>

Leon Vitali, the “Barry Lyndon” actor who became one of Stanley Kubrick’s closest associates, has died. He was 74.

Vitali died Friday in Los Angeles, his family told The Associated Press Sunday. He passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones including his three children, Masha, Max and Vera.

“Leon was a special and lovely man driven by his curiosity, who spread love and warmth wherever he went,” his children said in a statement provided by Masha Vitali. “He will be remembered with love and be hugely missed by the many people he touched.”

Though Vitali was often described as Kubrick’s assistant, Tony Zierra’s 2017 documentary “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ee55356bd42b4e909d958c7a2b38cc5a">Filmworker</a>&nbsp;” shed light on Vitali’s enormous and largely unsung contributions to the work of one of cinema’s greatest figures from “The Shining” through “Eyes Wide Shut.” He did everything from casting and coaching actors to overseeing restorations. Vitali even once set up a video monitor so that Kubrick could keep an eye on his dying cat.

Matthew Modine, who starred in Kubrick's “Full Metal Jacket,” tweeted his condolences Sunday.

“There are people we meet who have a profound impact upon our lives. Leon Vitali was one such person in mine,” Modine wrote. “An artist in every aspect of his life. A loving father &amp; friend to so many. A kind, generous &amp; forgiving nature. He exemplified &amp; personified grace.”

Filmmaker Lee Unkrich also tweeted that he was, "Completely heartbroken to hear about the passing of Leon Vitali. He helped me (asterisk)enormously(asterisk) with my Shining book and I’m gutted that he won’t see it. He was a sweet, kind, humble, generous man and a vital part of Stanley Kubrick’s team.”

Before meeting Kubrick, Vitali was a rising actor in England, appearing in several British television shows including “Softly, Softly,” “Follyfoot,” “Z Cars” and “Notorious Woman.” Then in 1974 he got his biggest break yet, when he was cast in “Barry Lyndon” as Lord Bullingdon, the son-in-law of Ryan O’Neal’s title character.

Vitali was so fascinated by Kubrick and his processes that he made an unusual decision: He gave up on acting and devoted himself entirely to the famously demanding director for over two decades. His next Kubrick credit was as “personal assistant to the director” on “The Shining,” though that’s only part of the story — Vitali famously helped cast 4-year-old Danny Lloyd to play Danny Torrance and Louise and Lisa Burns as the creepy Grady twins (citing Diane Arbus as inspiration).

“I made one truly, truly radical change in my life and that was when I said, ‘I’m more interested in that’ than I was in the acting,” Vitali told the Associated Press in 2017. “That’s the biggest conscious decision I’ve ever made. There were some sacrifices, but there were gains too.”

After Kubrick’s death in 1999, Vitali oversaw restorations for many of Kubrick’s films. He received a Cinema Audio Society award for his work. Vitali later worked with director Todd Field on his films “Little Children” and “In the Bedroom.”

Before making the documentary, Zierra said that he and many Kubrick-obsessed fans knew Vitali for his performances in “Barry Lyndon” and “Eyes Wide Shut,” in which he played Red Cloak, and as a key member of Kubrick’s inner circle. But when they finally met Vitali to make the film, they were struck by “his kindness, humility and the fascinating scope of his story.”

Zierra is working on a director’s cut of “Filmworker” that will include new footage that he and Vitali wanted in the film, but couldn’t get done in time for its Cannes debut in 2017.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LINDSEY%20BAHR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer</a>Leon Vitali, the “Barry Lyndon” actor who became one of Stanley Kubrick’s closest associates, has died. He was 74.Vitali died Friday in Los Angeles, his family told The Associated Press Sunday. He passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones including his three children, Masha, Max and Vera.“Leon was a special and lovely man driven by his curiosity, who spread love and warmth wherever he went,” his children said in a statement provided by Masha Vitali. “He will be remembered with love and be hugely missed by the many people he touched.”Though Vitali was often described as Kubrick’s assistant, Tony Zierra’s 2017 documentary “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ee55356bd42b4e909d958c7a2b38cc5a">Filmworker</a>&nbsp;” shed light on Vitali’s enormous and largely unsung contributions to the work of one of cinema’s greatest figures from “The Shining” through “Eyes Wide Shut.” He did everything from casting and coaching actors to overseeing restorations. Vitali even once set up a video monitor so that Kubrick could keep an eye on his dying cat.Matthew Modine, who starred in Kubrick's “Full Metal Jacket,” tweeted his condolences Sunday.“There are people we meet who have a profound impact upon our lives. Leon Vitali was one such person in mine,” Modine wrote. “An artist in every aspect of his life. A loving father &amp; friend to so many. A kind, generous &amp; forgiving nature. He exemplified &amp; personified grace.”Filmmaker Lee Unkrich also tweeted that he was, "Completely heartbroken to hear about the passing of Leon Vitali. He helped me (asterisk)enormously(asterisk) with my Shining book and I’m gutted that he won’t see it. He was a sweet, kind, humble, generous man and a vital part of Stanley Kubrick’s team.”Before meeting Kubrick, Vitali was a rising actor in England, appearing in several British television shows including “Softly, Softly,” “Follyfoot,” “Z Cars” and “Notorious Woman.” Then in 1974 he got his biggest break yet, when he was cast in “Barry Lyndon” as Lord Bullingdon, the son-in-law of Ryan O’Neal’s title character.Vitali was so fascinated by Kubrick and his processes that he made an unusual decision: He gave up on acting and devoted himself entirely to the famously demanding director for over two decades. His next Kubrick credit was as “personal assistant to the director” on “The Shining,” though that’s only part of the story — Vitali famously helped cast 4-year-old Danny Lloyd to play Danny Torrance and Louise and Lisa Burns as the creepy Grady twins (citing Diane Arbus as inspiration).“I made one truly, truly radical change in my life and that was when I said, ‘I’m more interested in that’ than I was in the acting,” Vitali told the Associated Press in 2017. “That’s the biggest conscious decision I’ve ever made. There were some sacrifices, but there were gains too.”After Kubrick’s death in 1999, Vitali oversaw restorations for many of Kubrick’s films. He received a Cinema Audio Society award for his work. Vitali later worked with director Todd Field on his films “Little Children” and “In the Bedroom.”Before making the documentary, Zierra said that he and many Kubrick-obsessed fans knew Vitali for his performances in “Barry Lyndon” and “Eyes Wide Shut,” in which he played Red Cloak, and as a key member of Kubrick’s inner circle. But when they finally met Vitali to make the film, they were struck by “his kindness, humility and the fascinating scope of his story.”Zierra is working on a director’s cut of “Filmworker” that will include new footage that he and Vitali wanted in the film, but couldn’t get done in time for its Cannes debut in 2017.

Leon Vitali, Stanley Kubrick's right-hand man, dies at 74

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LINDSEY%20BAHR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer</a>

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck said “I do" again this weekend.

But instead of in a late night Las Vegas drive through chapel, this time it was in front of friends and family in Georgia, a person close to the couple who was not authorized to speak publicly said Sunday.

According to People Magazine, the wedding was held at Affleck’s home outside of Savannah, Georgia, with all of their kids present for the proceedings on Saturday.

The celebrity couple&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-get-marriage-license-nevada-724bb19ab5273d87410f107b1b88cdcd">were officially married last month in Las Vegas</a>, which Lopez shared with fans in her “On the J Lo” newsletter.

“Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient,” Lopez wrote last month, signing off as Jennifer Lynn Affleck.

Lopez, 53, and Affleck, 50, famously dated in the early 2000s. They starred together in 2003′s “Gigli” and 2004′s “Jersey Girl” and became engaged but didn’t wed at the time.

Paparazzi has feverishly trailed the couple since they rekindled their romance last year, from the earliest stages of the courtship, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-venice-film-festival-6cf6a88fe3fc4f1099abc9e6b0bb4e4d">their red carpet debut</a>&nbsp;at last year’s Venice International Film Festival and their recent honeymoon in Paris.

Representatives for the couple did not immediately respond to request for comment Sunday.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LINDSEY%20BAHR%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer</a>Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck said “I do" again this weekend.But instead of in a late night Las Vegas drive through chapel, this time it was in front of friends and family in Georgia, a person close to the couple who was not authorized to speak publicly said Sunday.According to People Magazine, the wedding was held at Affleck’s home outside of Savannah, Georgia, with all of their kids present for the proceedings on Saturday.The celebrity couple&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-get-marriage-license-nevada-724bb19ab5273d87410f107b1b88cdcd">were officially married last month in Las Vegas</a>, which Lopez shared with fans in her “On the J Lo” newsletter.“Love is beautiful. Love is kind. And it turns out love is patient. Twenty years patient,” Lopez wrote last month, signing off as Jennifer Lynn Affleck.Lopez, 53, and Affleck, 50, famously dated in the early 2000s. They starred together in 2003′s “Gigli” and 2004′s “Jersey Girl” and became engaged but didn’t wed at the time.Paparazzi has feverishly trailed the couple since they rekindled their romance last year, from the earliest stages of the courtship, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jennifer-lopez-ben-affleck-venice-film-festival-6cf6a88fe3fc4f1099abc9e6b0bb4e4d">their red carpet debut</a>&nbsp;at last year’s Venice International Film Festival and their recent honeymoon in Paris.Representatives for the couple did not immediately respond to request for comment Sunday.

Lopez and Affleck celebrate marriage with friends, family

On this episode of the Post Podcast&nbsp;&nbsp;Fort Hays State University's Glen McNeil share some tasty facts about some of these favorite menu items.

<a href="https://postpodcast.podbean.com/">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

On this episode of the Post Podcast&nbsp;&nbsp;Fort Hays State University's Glen McNeil share some tasty facts about some of these favorite menu items. <div><iframe title="Fajitas, red wine and ice cream pie combine into one tasty day" allowtransparency="true" height="300" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=94jdn-12a22e9-pb&from=pb6admin&square=1&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=3267a3&font-color=auto&logo_link=podcast_page&btn-skin=3267a3&size=300" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><a href="https://postpodcast.podbean.com/">For more about the Post Podcast, including a full list of episodes and episode transcripts click here.</a>

🎙Post Podcast: Fajitas, red wine and ice cream pie combine into one tasty day

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22BROOKE%20LEFFERTS%20and%20MIKE%20CIDONI%20LENNOX%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By BROOKE LEFFERTS and MIKE CIDONI LENNOX Associated Press</a>

The prequel to “Game of Thrones’’ is set to forge its own storytelling path, with a new set of characters and a more diverse team behind the scenes.

<a href="https://www.hbo.com/house-of-the-dragon">“House of the Dragon”</a>&nbsp;takes place two centuries before the events of the original series, which ended its hit eight-season run in May 2019. The 10-episode prequel begins Sunday on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

The story focuses on House Targaryen, made famous in “Game of Thrones” by Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys and her fearsome dragons. But don’t expect “House of the Dragon’’ to be a remake of “Game of Thrones,’’ cast member Steve Toussaint said.

“It’s been done and they did it exceedingly well,” said Toussaint, who plays the very rich Lord Corlys Velaryon. “You know you’re in that world, but you’re seeing a different story, different characters, different motivations.”

Among the new faces in the clan is Prince Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith. His villainous character is a lot more complex than he appears to be on first viewing, the actor said.

“I think the reason I’ve had fun is because he’s maybe not just a villain,” he said. “I think there’s actually a huge amount of fragility and depth and inner madness there. ... It's not black and white. It can go either way with Daemon at any point.”

Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire and Blood,” the drama was co-created by Martin and Ryan Condal, whose credits include the 2016-19 sci-fi drama “Colony.” Condal is an executive producer and co-showrunner with director Miguel Sapochnik, who brings his experience on “Game of Thrones” to the prequel.

“House of the Dragon,” much like its predecessor, focuses on familial succession with a female heir being overlooked. But Sapochnik notes a key difference between the two series: The team making the prequel is more diverse, including a 50-50 split between male and female directors, including Sapochnik, Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel and Greg Yaitanes.

There was a conscious push to be inclusive behind the scenes, Sapochnik says.

“We really tried to, as much as possible, hire as many female crew as we could, because we think that’s a really important shift that needs to be both recognized, acknowledged, acted upon, maybe give opportunities to people who don’t get opportunities,” he explained.

The team making “Dragon” is equally as diverse, and — for the fantasy genre — boasts a relative bounty of women in the writers’ room. The gender balance affects the show's story and tone, according to some of its female cast members.

The series opens with an aristocratic council naming Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) as heir to the Iron Throne, bypassing his older cousin Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best). But Viserys must have his own heir, with dreams of power held by Daemon, his younger brother, and Viserys’ daughter Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy plays the adult version, Milly Alcock the youth).

“You definitely don’t feel like a device or a prop and you don’t feel like the the sexy wench or the mother,” said Olivia Cooke, who plays the adult Alicent Hightower, longtime friend to Rhaenyra. “You feel that you’ve got a fully fledged character which is really nourishing to play.”

The ensemble cast also includes Emily Carey, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, Rhys Ifans and Sonoya Mizuno.

Carey, who plays the younger Alicent, calls the inclusion of women in all aspects of production a step “in the right direction" for the fantasy genre.

Although virtually every female character faces misogyny, each is “still a fully fledged, three-dimensional female character,” Carey said. “They still have multiple other story lines and a whole life away from that misogynistic story line. They’re not just put in the show to serve a purpose. And I think that’s what makes it so special.”

“House of the Dragon” screenwriter Charmaine DeGraté said "it was important for George (R.R. Martin, a prequel executive producer) for it to be this way. Female-driven characters, female-driven shows and female-driven writers rooms just sort of elevates the story. That's a wonderful way to expand the universe.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22BROOKE%20LEFFERTS%20and%20MIKE%20CIDONI%20LENNOX%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By BROOKE LEFFERTS and MIKE CIDONI LENNOX Associated Press</a>The prequel to “Game of Thrones’’ is set to forge its own storytelling path, with a new set of characters and a more diverse team behind the scenes.<a href="https://www.hbo.com/house-of-the-dragon">“House of the Dragon”</a>&nbsp;takes place two centuries before the events of the original series, which ended its hit eight-season run in May 2019. The 10-episode prequel begins Sunday on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.The story focuses on House Targaryen, made famous in “Game of Thrones” by Emilia Clarke’s Daenerys and her fearsome dragons. But don’t expect “House of the Dragon’’ to be a remake of “Game of Thrones,’’ cast member Steve Toussaint said.“It’s been done and they did it exceedingly well,” said Toussaint, who plays the very rich Lord Corlys Velaryon. “You know you’re in that world, but you’re seeing a different story, different characters, different motivations.”Among the new faces in the clan is Prince Daemon Targaryen, played by Matt Smith. His villainous character is a lot more complex than he appears to be on first viewing, the actor said.“I think the reason I’ve had fun is because he’s maybe not just a villain,” he said. “I think there’s actually a huge amount of fragility and depth and inner madness there. ... It's not black and white. It can go either way with Daemon at any point.”Based on George R.R. Martin’s “Fire and Blood,” the drama was co-created by Martin and Ryan Condal, whose credits include the 2016-19 sci-fi drama “Colony.” Condal is an executive producer and co-showrunner with director Miguel Sapochnik, who brings his experience on “Game of Thrones” to the prequel.“House of the Dragon,” much like its predecessor, focuses on familial succession with a female heir being overlooked. But Sapochnik notes a key difference between the two series: The team making the prequel is more diverse, including a 50-50 split between male and female directors, including Sapochnik, Clare Kilner, Geeta Vasant Patel and Greg Yaitanes.There was a conscious push to be inclusive behind the scenes, Sapochnik says.“We really tried to, as much as possible, hire as many female crew as we could, because we think that’s a really important shift that needs to be both recognized, acknowledged, acted upon, maybe give opportunities to people who don’t get opportunities,” he explained.The team making “Dragon” is equally as diverse, and — for the fantasy genre — boasts a relative bounty of women in the writers’ room. The gender balance affects the show's story and tone, according to some of its female cast members.The series opens with an aristocratic council naming Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) as heir to the Iron Throne, bypassing his older cousin Princess Rhaenys Velaryon (Eve Best). But Viserys must have his own heir, with dreams of power held by Daemon, his younger brother, and Viserys’ daughter Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy plays the adult version, Milly Alcock the youth).“You definitely don’t feel like a device or a prop and you don’t feel like the the sexy wench or the mother,” said Olivia Cooke, who plays the adult Alicent Hightower, longtime friend to Rhaenyra. “You feel that you’ve got a fully fledged character which is really nourishing to play.”The ensemble cast also includes Emily Carey, Graham McTavish, Fabien Frankel, Rhys Ifans and Sonoya Mizuno.Carey, who plays the younger Alicent, calls the inclusion of women in all aspects of production a step “in the right direction" for the fantasy genre.Although virtually every female character faces misogyny, each is “still a fully fledged, three-dimensional female character,” Carey said. “They still have multiple other story lines and a whole life away from that misogynistic story line. They’re not just put in the show to serve a purpose. And I think that’s what makes it so special.”“House of the Dragon” screenwriter Charmaine DeGraté said "it was important for George (R.R. Martin, a prequel executive producer) for it to be this way. Female-driven characters, female-driven shows and female-driven writers rooms just sort of elevates the story. That's a wonderful way to expand the universe.”

'Game of Thrones' prequel keeps dragons, adds diversity

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JAKE%20COYLE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Wolfgang Petersen, the German filmmaker whose World War II submarine epic “Das Boot” propelled him into a blockbuster Hollywood career that included the films “In the Line of Fire,” “Air Force One” and “The Perfect Storm,” has died. He was 81.

Petersen died Friday at his home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood after a battle with pancreatic cancer, said representative Michelle Bega.

Petersen, born in the north German port city of Emden, made two features before his 1982 breakthrough, “Das Boot," then the most expensive movie in German film history. The 149-minute film (the original cut ran 210 minutes) chronicled the intense claustrophobia of life aboard a doomed German U-boat during the Battle of the Atlantic, with Jürgen Prochnow as the submarine’s commander.

Heralded as an antiwar masterpiece, “Das Boot” was nominated for six Oscars, including for Petersen's direction and his adaptation of Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s best-selling 1973 novel.

Petersen, born in 1941, recalled as a child running alongside American ships as they threw down food. In the confusion of postwar Germany, Petersen — who started out in theater before attending Berlin’s Film and Television Academy in the late 1960s — gravitated toward Hollywood films with clear clashes of good and evil. John Ford was a major influence.

“In school they never talked about the time of Hitler -- they just blocked it out of their minds and concentrated on rebuilding Germany,” Petersen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-04-ca-10147-story.html">told The Los Angeles Times in 1993</a>. “We kids were looking for more glamorous dreams than rebuilding a destroyed country though, so we were really ready for it when American pop culture came to Germany. We all lived for American movies, and by the time I was 11 I’d decided I wanted to be a filmmaker."

“Das Boot” launched Petersen as a filmmaker in Hollywood, where he became one of the top makers of cataclysmic action adventures in films spanning war (2004's "Troy," with Brad Pitt), pandemic (the 1995 ebolavirus-inspired "Outbreak") and other ocean-set disasters (2000's “The Perfect Storm" and 2006's “Poseidon," a remake of “The Poseidon Adventure,” about the capsizing of an ocean liner).

But Petersen’s first foray in American moviemaking was child fantasy: the enchanting 1984 film “The NeverEnding Story.” Adapted from Michael Ende’s novel, “The NeverEnding Story” was about a magical book that transports its young reader into the world of Fantasia, where a dark force known as the Nothing rampages.

Arguably Petersen’s finest Hollywood film came almost a decade later in 1993’s “In the Line of Fire,” starring Clint Eastwood as a Secret Service agent protecting the president of the United States from John Malkovich’s assassin. In it, Petersen marshalled his substantial skill in building suspense for a more open-air but just as taut thriller that careened across rooftops and past Washington D.C. monuments.

Seeking a director for the film, Eastwood thought of Petersen, with whom he had chatted a few years earlier at a dinner party given by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Eastwood met with Petersen, checked out his work and gave him the job. “In the Line of Fire” was a major hit, grossing $177 million worldwide and landing three Oscar nominations.

“You sometimes have seven-year cycles. You look at other directors; they don’t have the big successes all the time. Up to ‘NeverEnding Story,’ my career was one success after another,” Petersen told The Associated Press in 1993. “Then I came into the stormy international scene. I needed time to get a feeling for this work -- it’s not Germany anymore.”

Petersen considered the political thriller — which cast the heroic Eastwood as the tired but devoted defender of a less honorable president — an indictment of Washington.

"When John’s character says, ‘Nothing they told me was true and there’s nothing left worth fighting for,’ I think his words will resonate for many people,” Petersen told The Los Angeles Times. “The film is rooted in a profound pessimism about what’s unfortunately happened to this country in the last 30 years. Look around — the corruption is everywhere, and there’s not much to celebrate."

After “Outbreak,” with Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo and Morgan Freeman, Petersen returned to the presidency in 1997's “Air Force One." Harrison Ford starred as a president forced into a fight with terrorists who hijack Air Force One.

“Air Force One,” with $315 million in global box office, was a hit, too, but Petersen went for something even bigger in 2000's “The Perfect Storm,” the true-life tale of a Massachusetts fishing boat lost at sea. The cast included George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg but its main attraction was a 100-foot computer-generated wave. With a budget of $120 million, “The Perfect Storm” made $328.7 million.

For Peterson, who grew up on the northern coast of Germany, the sea long held his fascination.

“The power of water is unbelievable,” Petersen said in a 2009 interview. “I was always impressed as a kid how strong it is, all the damage the water could do when it just turned within a couple of hours, and smashed against the shore.”

Petersen's followed “The Perfect Storm” with “Troy,” a sprawling epic based on Homer's Iliad that found less favor among critics but still made nearly $500 million worldwide. The big-budget “Poseidon," a high-priced flop for Warner Bros., was Petersen's last Hollywood film. His final film was 2016's “Four Against the Bank” a German film that remade Petersen's own 1976 German TV movie.

Petersen was first married to German actress Ursula Sieg. When they divorced in 1978, he married Maria-Antoinette Borgel, a German script supervisor and assistant director. He's survived by Borgel, son Daniel Petersen and two grandchildren.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22JAKE%20COYLE%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Wolfgang Petersen, the German filmmaker whose World War II submarine epic “Das Boot” propelled him into a blockbuster Hollywood career that included the films “In the Line of Fire,” “Air Force One” and “The Perfect Storm,” has died. He was 81.Petersen died Friday at his home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood after a battle with pancreatic cancer, said representative Michelle Bega.Petersen, born in the north German port city of Emden, made two features before his 1982 breakthrough, “Das Boot," then the most expensive movie in German film history. The 149-minute film (the original cut ran 210 minutes) chronicled the intense claustrophobia of life aboard a doomed German U-boat during the Battle of the Atlantic, with Jürgen Prochnow as the submarine’s commander.Heralded as an antiwar masterpiece, “Das Boot” was nominated for six Oscars, including for Petersen's direction and his adaptation of Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s best-selling 1973 novel.Petersen, born in 1941, recalled as a child running alongside American ships as they threw down food. In the confusion of postwar Germany, Petersen — who started out in theater before attending Berlin’s Film and Television Academy in the late 1960s — gravitated toward Hollywood films with clear clashes of good and evil. John Ford was a major influence.“In school they never talked about the time of Hitler -- they just blocked it out of their minds and concentrated on rebuilding Germany,” Petersen&nbsp;<a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-07-04-ca-10147-story.html">told The Los Angeles Times in 1993</a>. “We kids were looking for more glamorous dreams than rebuilding a destroyed country though, so we were really ready for it when American pop culture came to Germany. We all lived for American movies, and by the time I was 11 I’d decided I wanted to be a filmmaker."“Das Boot” launched Petersen as a filmmaker in Hollywood, where he became one of the top makers of cataclysmic action adventures in films spanning war (2004's "Troy," with Brad Pitt), pandemic (the 1995 ebolavirus-inspired "Outbreak") and other ocean-set disasters (2000's “The Perfect Storm" and 2006's “Poseidon," a remake of “The Poseidon Adventure,” about the capsizing of an ocean liner).But Petersen’s first foray in American moviemaking was child fantasy: the enchanting 1984 film “The NeverEnding Story.” Adapted from Michael Ende’s novel, “The NeverEnding Story” was about a magical book that transports its young reader into the world of Fantasia, where a dark force known as the Nothing rampages.Arguably Petersen’s finest Hollywood film came almost a decade later in 1993’s “In the Line of Fire,” starring Clint Eastwood as a Secret Service agent protecting the president of the United States from John Malkovich’s assassin. In it, Petersen marshalled his substantial skill in building suspense for a more open-air but just as taut thriller that careened across rooftops and past Washington D.C. monuments.Seeking a director for the film, Eastwood thought of Petersen, with whom he had chatted a few years earlier at a dinner party given by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Eastwood met with Petersen, checked out his work and gave him the job. “In the Line of Fire” was a major hit, grossing $177 million worldwide and landing three Oscar nominations.“You sometimes have seven-year cycles. You look at other directors; they don’t have the big successes all the time. Up to ‘NeverEnding Story,’ my career was one success after another,” Petersen told The Associated Press in 1993. “Then I came into the stormy international scene. I needed time to get a feeling for this work -- it’s not Germany anymore.”Petersen considered the political thriller — which cast the heroic Eastwood as the tired but devoted defender of a less honorable president — an indictment of Washington."When John’s character says, ‘Nothing they told me was true and there’s nothing left worth fighting for,’ I think his words will resonate for many people,” Petersen told The Los Angeles Times. “The film is rooted in a profound pessimism about what’s unfortunately happened to this country in the last 30 years. Look around — the corruption is everywhere, and there’s not much to celebrate."After “Outbreak,” with Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo and Morgan Freeman, Petersen returned to the presidency in 1997's “Air Force One." Harrison Ford starred as a president forced into a fight with terrorists who hijack Air Force One.“Air Force One,” with $315 million in global box office, was a hit, too, but Petersen went for something even bigger in 2000's “The Perfect Storm,” the true-life tale of a Massachusetts fishing boat lost at sea. The cast included George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg but its main attraction was a 100-foot computer-generated wave. With a budget of $120 million, “The Perfect Storm” made $328.7 million.For Peterson, who grew up on the northern coast of Germany, the sea long held his fascination.“The power of water is unbelievable,” Petersen said in a 2009 interview. “I was always impressed as a kid how strong it is, all the damage the water could do when it just turned within a couple of hours, and smashed against the shore.”Petersen's followed “The Perfect Storm” with “Troy,” a sprawling epic based on Homer's Iliad that found less favor among critics but still made nearly $500 million worldwide. The big-budget “Poseidon," a high-priced flop for Warner Bros., was Petersen's last Hollywood film. His final film was 2016's “Four Against the Bank” a German film that remade Petersen's own 1976 German TV movie.Petersen was first married to German actress Ursula Sieg. When they divorced in 1978, he married Maria-Antoinette Borgel, a German script supervisor and assistant director. He's survived by Borgel, son Daniel Petersen and two grandchildren.

Wolfgang Petersen, blockbuster filmmaker of 'Das Boot,' dies

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Veteran “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kenan Thompson will host next month's Emmy Awards.

“Being a part of this incredible evening where we honor the best of the television community is ridiculously exciting, and to do it on NBC – my longtime network family – makes it even more special,” Thompson said in a statement Tuesday.

Thompson has been with NBC's late-night sketch show since 2003 and returns for his 20th season this fall. His work on “SNL” has earned him a trio of Emmy supporting acting nominations, and he won a trophy in 2018 as lyrics co-writer of the song “Come Back, Barack,” which was featured on the show.

He earned a lead acting nomination last year for his sitcom “Kenan," which NBC canceled in May after two seasons.

Thompson was an original cast member of Nickelodeon's children's sketch comedy series “All That” and starred with Kel Mitchell on the spinoff “Kenan and Kel." His film credits include “Clifford the Big Red Dog” and “Barbershop 2: Back in Business.”

The Sept. 12 Emmy ceremony will air live on NBC and be carried on its streaming sibling Peacock. Top nominees include the dramas “Succession” and “Squid Game” and comedies “Ted Lasso," “Hacks” and “Only Murders in the Building.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Veteran “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kenan Thompson will host next month's Emmy Awards.“Being a part of this incredible evening where we honor the best of the television community is ridiculously exciting, and to do it on NBC – my longtime network family – makes it even more special,” Thompson said in a statement Tuesday.Thompson has been with NBC's late-night sketch show since 2003 and returns for his 20th season this fall. His work on “SNL” has earned him a trio of Emmy supporting acting nominations, and he won a trophy in 2018 as lyrics co-writer of the song “Come Back, Barack,” which was featured on the show.He earned a lead acting nomination last year for his sitcom “Kenan," which NBC canceled in May after two seasons.Thompson was an original cast member of Nickelodeon's children's sketch comedy series “All That” and starred with Kel Mitchell on the spinoff “Kenan and Kel." His film credits include “Clifford the Big Red Dog” and “Barbershop 2: Back in Business.”The Sept. 12 Emmy ceremony will air live on NBC and be carried on its streaming sibling Peacock. Top nominees include the dramas “Succession” and “Squid Game” and comedies “Ted Lasso," “Hacks” and “Only Murders in the Building.”

Kenan Thompson of 'SNL' to host Sept. 12 Emmy Awards

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22AARON%20MORRISON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By AARON MORRISON Associated Press</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Spider-Man fandom is in Tyler Scott Hoover's blood — but not because he was bitten by an irradiated arachnid. His father had collected Marvel comic books featuring the character since the 1970s.

“He passed down a ton of comics to me,” says Hoover, 32, of Glen Burnie, Maryland. “It kind of makes it almost like a religion. It would have been hard for me not to become a fan of Spider-Man.”

There are legions of fans of Spider-Man, who this month marks 60 years in the vast, imaginative world of comic books, movies and merch. Among those fans are devotees like Hoover, a professional Spider-Man cosplayer and model who doesn’t resemble the longtime “canon” presentation of the character. However, in the cinematic and comics universes,&nbsp;<a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Miles_Morales_(Earth-1610)">a Black Spider-Man</a>&nbsp;is now reality.

Hoover is biracial — of Black and white ancestry — and stands at 6 feet 2 inches. And the story of his fandom illustrates an important point about New York City's favorite super-powered wall-crawler: The appeal of the character long ago transcended its original iteration as a white, unimposing, orphaned teenager.

The Spider-Man character’s classic costume, complete with wide-eyed and web-patterned mask, is a key ingredient to the character’s appeal across race, gender and nationality. Almost anyone can imagine themselves behind it as this everyman — an underestimated smartypants who, after a quick change into head-to-toe spandex, becomes a force for good.

“The older I got, slowly but surely, I saw how relatable the character was,” Hoover says. “He had to work through his struggles while still maintaining a secret identity and doing good for the people. That kind of moral compass is powerful, especially for an impressionable mind.”

More importantly, Hoover says, it’s Spider-Man’s struggle to protect his hometown that makes the character more believable than superheroes whose origin stories include wealth and influence. No coincidence, surely, that he refers to himself as “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”

Created by the late Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spider-Man appeared in comics as early as June 1962, although the canon date of his debut is Aug. 10, 1962, in Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy #15. Peter Parker, a high schooler bitten by a spider from a science experiment, developed superhuman strength, the ability to cling to solid surfaces and fast reflexes aided by the ability to sense and anticipate danger.

But on his journey to becoming a superhero, Parker fails to stop a burglar who kills his Uncle Ben, leaving his adoptive aunt widowed. The character then strives to honor the words etched at the end of that debut issue, later attributed to his uncle: “With great power, there must also come great responsibility.”

Racially and culturally diverse superheroes, generally absent from the mainstream comics scene during its first decades, began to emerge in the years after Spider-Man's debut, particularly at Marvel.

In 1966, Black Panther, also known as Prince T’Challa of the fictional and reclusive African nation of Wakanda, became the first Black Marvel comic superhero. Debuting in the 1970s were characters such as Storm, the mutant goddess most known as a member of Marvel’s X-Men; Luke Cage, Marvel's formerly imprisoned Black Harlemite with superhuman strength and nearly impenetrable skin; Shang-Chi, the master martial artist who is among the first Asian Marvel superheroes; and Red Wolf, the expert archer and first Native American Marvel superhero.

“Sometimes when we think of superheroes, we think of billionaires in suits, brilliant scientists or Norse gods,” says Angélique Roché, host of the podcast “Marvel’s Voices” and co-author of the upcoming book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Super-Hero-Black-John-Jennings/dp/1982134666/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1J6GMHKA44986&amp;keywords=my+super+hero+is+black&amp;qid=1660009699&amp;sprefix=my+super+hero+is+black%2Caps%2C73&amp;sr=8-1">“My Super Hero Is Black.”</a>

Spider-Man turned the idea of mostly privileged humans using their wealth and power to become heroes on its head, she says. Spider-Man iterations, in the comics and in film, have appeared across multiple universes, or the so-called “spiderverse.” Miles Morales, a teenage, Afro Latino Spider-Man, has become wildly popular and starred in his own animated feature film. Cindy Moon, a Korean-American known as Silk, was bitten by the same spider as Peter Parker.

“Because Spider Man means so much to us, we should always be open to the possibilities,” Roché says. “We should always hope and believe that there’s never going to be a dearth of people who want to fight for what’s right.”

In July, Spider-Man was inducted into the Comic-Con Hall of Fame during the annual convention in San Diego. Fans flooded the convention hall in costumes that spanned various iterations of the character.

Because of the mask, Spider-Man has been a safer choice for cosplayers hoping to avoid the staunch purists, or those who criticize others for deviating from canonized representations of superheroes. But cosplay doesn’t have to be canon, says Andrew Liptak, a historian and author of the book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cosplay-History-Builders-Favorite-Stories/dp/1534455825/ref=asc_df_1534455825/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=533457977758&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=3917710882759574019&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9052092&amp;hvtargid=pla-1458376451675&amp;psc=1">“Cosplay, a History: The Builders, Fans, and Makers Who Bring Your Favorite Stories to Life.”</a>

“Ultimately, it’s about your relationship to the character,” he says. “You’re literally wearing your fandom on your sleeves.”

Liptak also says it’s unfair to expect fans of color to dress up only as superheroes whose appearance or skin color matches their own.

In the recent film “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Electro, the villain played by Academy Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx, joked to Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man that he was surprised Spider-Man wasn’t Black. Whether or not that opens the door to a live-action Black Spider-Man in future films, Hoover says Spider-Man should never be boxed into just one look.

“You will get those who argue, if you turn Spider-Man Black then you can turn T’Challa white,” Hoover says. “Spider-Man was never really defined by his ethnicity, but more so his social status and the struggles he went through. That’s even more relatable for people of color and different ethnicities, because there’s a lot of struggle involved in life that you have to persevere through.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22AARON%20MORRISON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By AARON MORRISON Associated Press</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Spider-Man fandom is in Tyler Scott Hoover's blood — but not because he was bitten by an irradiated arachnid. His father had collected Marvel comic books featuring the character since the 1970s.“He passed down a ton of comics to me,” says Hoover, 32, of Glen Burnie, Maryland. “It kind of makes it almost like a religion. It would have been hard for me not to become a fan of Spider-Man.”There are legions of fans of Spider-Man, who this month marks 60 years in the vast, imaginative world of comic books, movies and merch. Among those fans are devotees like Hoover, a professional Spider-Man cosplayer and model who doesn’t resemble the longtime “canon” presentation of the character. However, in the cinematic and comics universes,&nbsp;<a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Miles_Morales_(Earth-1610)">a Black Spider-Man</a>&nbsp;is now reality.Hoover is biracial — of Black and white ancestry — and stands at 6 feet 2 inches. And the story of his fandom illustrates an important point about New York City's favorite super-powered wall-crawler: The appeal of the character long ago transcended its original iteration as a white, unimposing, orphaned teenager.The Spider-Man character’s classic costume, complete with wide-eyed and web-patterned mask, is a key ingredient to the character’s appeal across race, gender and nationality. Almost anyone can imagine themselves behind it as this everyman — an underestimated smartypants who, after a quick change into head-to-toe spandex, becomes a force for good.“The older I got, slowly but surely, I saw how relatable the character was,” Hoover says. “He had to work through his struggles while still maintaining a secret identity and doing good for the people. That kind of moral compass is powerful, especially for an impressionable mind.”More importantly, Hoover says, it’s Spider-Man’s struggle to protect his hometown that makes the character more believable than superheroes whose origin stories include wealth and influence. No coincidence, surely, that he refers to himself as “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.”Created by the late Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spider-Man appeared in comics as early as June 1962, although the canon date of his debut is Aug. 10, 1962, in Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy #15. Peter Parker, a high schooler bitten by a spider from a science experiment, developed superhuman strength, the ability to cling to solid surfaces and fast reflexes aided by the ability to sense and anticipate danger.But on his journey to becoming a superhero, Parker fails to stop a burglar who kills his Uncle Ben, leaving his adoptive aunt widowed. The character then strives to honor the words etched at the end of that debut issue, later attributed to his uncle: “With great power, there must also come great responsibility.”Racially and culturally diverse superheroes, generally absent from the mainstream comics scene during its first decades, began to emerge in the years after Spider-Man's debut, particularly at Marvel.In 1966, Black Panther, also known as Prince T’Challa of the fictional and reclusive African nation of Wakanda, became the first Black Marvel comic superhero. Debuting in the 1970s were characters such as Storm, the mutant goddess most known as a member of Marvel’s X-Men; Luke Cage, Marvel's formerly imprisoned Black Harlemite with superhuman strength and nearly impenetrable skin; Shang-Chi, the master martial artist who is among the first Asian Marvel superheroes; and Red Wolf, the expert archer and first Native American Marvel superhero.“Sometimes when we think of superheroes, we think of billionaires in suits, brilliant scientists or Norse gods,” says Angélique Roché, host of the podcast “Marvel’s Voices” and co-author of the upcoming book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Super-Hero-Black-John-Jennings/dp/1982134666/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1J6GMHKA44986&amp;keywords=my+super+hero+is+black&amp;qid=1660009699&amp;sprefix=my+super+hero+is+black%2Caps%2C73&amp;sr=8-1">“My Super Hero Is Black.”</a>Spider-Man turned the idea of mostly privileged humans using their wealth and power to become heroes on its head, she says. Spider-Man iterations, in the comics and in film, have appeared across multiple universes, or the so-called “spiderverse.” Miles Morales, a teenage, Afro Latino Spider-Man, has become wildly popular and starred in his own animated feature film. Cindy Moon, a Korean-American known as Silk, was bitten by the same spider as Peter Parker.“Because Spider Man means so much to us, we should always be open to the possibilities,” Roché says. “We should always hope and believe that there’s never going to be a dearth of people who want to fight for what’s right.”In July, Spider-Man was inducted into the Comic-Con Hall of Fame during the annual convention in San Diego. Fans flooded the convention hall in costumes that spanned various iterations of the character.Because of the mask, Spider-Man has been a safer choice for cosplayers hoping to avoid the staunch purists, or those who criticize others for deviating from canonized representations of superheroes. But cosplay doesn’t have to be canon, says Andrew Liptak, a historian and author of the book&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cosplay-History-Builders-Favorite-Stories/dp/1534455825/ref=asc_df_1534455825/?tag=hyprod-20&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=533457977758&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=3917710882759574019&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9052092&amp;hvtargid=pla-1458376451675&amp;psc=1">“Cosplay, a History: The Builders, Fans, and Makers Who Bring Your Favorite Stories to Life.”</a>“Ultimately, it’s about your relationship to the character,” he says. “You’re literally wearing your fandom on your sleeves.”Liptak also says it’s unfair to expect fans of color to dress up only as superheroes whose appearance or skin color matches their own.In the recent film “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Electro, the villain played by Academy Award-winning actor Jamie Foxx, joked to Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man that he was surprised Spider-Man wasn’t Black. Whether or not that opens the door to a live-action Black Spider-Man in future films, Hoover says Spider-Man should never be boxed into just one look.“You will get those who argue, if you turn Spider-Man Black then you can turn T’Challa white,” Hoover says. “Spider-Man was never really defined by his ethnicity, but more so his social status and the struggles he went through. That’s even more relatable for people of color and different ethnicities, because there’s a lot of struggle involved in life that you have to persevere through.”

As Spider-Man turns 60, fans reflect on diverse appeal

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LYNN%20ELBER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer</a>

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Jeopardy!” is giving itself two answers to the question of who gets to host the quiz show — Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings.

Bialik and Jennings have been serving as rotating hosts since Mike Richards exited the show amid controversy after a short tenure as the late Alex Trebek's replacement.

Executive producer Michael Davies said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/news-events/note-jeopardy-ep-michael-davies-new-hosts-and-new-initiatives">announcement posted online</a>&nbsp;Wednesday that deals were signed with Bialik and Jennings “to be the hosts of Jeopardy! moving forward.”

“In Mayim and Ken, we have two outstanding hosts at the beginning of their Jeopardy! hosting careers who connect with their own unique fanbases, new fans, and the traditional Jeopardy! viewer,” Davies said in the statement.

Jennings, an all-time “Jeopardy!” champion, and actor Bialik (“Call Me Kat,” “The Big Bang Theory”) were among the guest hosts who filled in after Trebek’s death from cancer in 2020. While the stints were seen as tryouts, the job unexpectedly went to then-executive producer Richards last summer.

At the same time, Bialik was given a role by “Jeopardy!” studio Sony as emcee for the show's prime-time and spinoff series, including a new college championship. It was viewed in part as an effort to placate fans who complained that the succession of guest hosts seemed like a publicity stunt and that the job was Richards’ all along.

But Richards was quickly gone from the show following a report of his past unguarded and offensive comments on a podcast. Jennings and Bialik stepped in to share hosting duties as their schedules allowed.

Davies laid out details of how the job-sharing plan would work when the show begins its new season in September.

Jennings, who is also a “Jeopardy!” consulting producer, will kick off the season and host the Tournament of Champions with past winners including Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach and Ryan Long. During that period, Bialik will host “Celebrity Jeopardy!” on ABC in prime time.

“When she takes over from Ken in January, the current plan is to have her host a couple of new tournaments as well as the Jeopardy! National College Championship" and whatever else her commitment to “Call Me Kat” will allow for with “Jeopardy!” Davies said.

“We know you value consistency, so we will not flip flop the hosts constantly and will keep you informed about the hosting schedule,” he said.

“Jeopardy!” had enjoyed remarkable stability under Trebek, who hosted the show for 37 seasons. Davies said that Bialik and Jennings “love and and respect this institution of a television program.”

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22LYNN%20ELBER%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer</a>LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Jeopardy!” is giving itself two answers to the question of who gets to host the quiz show — Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings.Bialik and Jennings have been serving as rotating hosts since Mike Richards exited the show amid controversy after a short tenure as the late Alex Trebek's replacement.Executive producer Michael Davies said in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/news-events/note-jeopardy-ep-michael-davies-new-hosts-and-new-initiatives">announcement posted online</a>&nbsp;Wednesday that deals were signed with Bialik and Jennings “to be the hosts of Jeopardy! moving forward.”“In Mayim and Ken, we have two outstanding hosts at the beginning of their Jeopardy! hosting careers who connect with their own unique fanbases, new fans, and the traditional Jeopardy! viewer,” Davies said in the statement.Jennings, an all-time “Jeopardy!” champion, and actor Bialik (“Call Me Kat,” “The Big Bang Theory”) were among the guest hosts who filled in after Trebek’s death from cancer in 2020. While the stints were seen as tryouts, the job unexpectedly went to then-executive producer Richards last summer.At the same time, Bialik was given a role by “Jeopardy!” studio Sony as emcee for the show's prime-time and spinoff series, including a new college championship. It was viewed in part as an effort to placate fans who complained that the succession of guest hosts seemed like a publicity stunt and that the job was Richards’ all along.But Richards was quickly gone from the show following a report of his past unguarded and offensive comments on a podcast. Jennings and Bialik stepped in to share hosting duties as their schedules allowed.Davies laid out details of how the job-sharing plan would work when the show begins its new season in September.Jennings, who is also a “Jeopardy!” consulting producer, will kick off the season and host the Tournament of Champions with past winners including Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, Mattea Roach and Ryan Long. During that period, Bialik will host “Celebrity Jeopardy!” on ABC in prime time.“When she takes over from Ken in January, the current plan is to have her host a couple of new tournaments as well as the Jeopardy! National College Championship" and whatever else her commitment to “Call Me Kat” will allow for with “Jeopardy!” Davies said.“We know you value consistency, so we will not flip flop the hosts constantly and will keep you informed about the hosting schedule,” he said.“Jeopardy!” had enjoyed remarkable stability under Trebek, who hosted the show for 37 seasons. Davies said that Bialik and Jennings “love and and respect this institution of a television program.”

Mayim Bialik, Ken Jennings to split 'Jeopardy!' host job

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22ANDREW%20DALTON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer</a>

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Dow, who as Wally Cleaver on the sitcom “Leave It to Beaver” helped create the popular and lasting image of the American teenager of the 1950s and 60s, died Wednesday. He was 77.

Frank Bilotta, who represented Dow in his work as a sculptor, confirmed his death in an email to The Associated Press.

No cause was given, but Dow had been in hospice care and announced in May that he had been diagnosed with prostate and gall bladder cancer.

A post on Dow's Facebook page on Tuesday prematurely reported that he had died, but his wife and management team later took down the post and explained that it was announced in error.

Dow's Wally was an often annoyed but essentially loving big brother who was constantly bailing out the title character, Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver, played by Jerry Mathers, on the show that was synonymous with the sometimes hokey, wholesome image of the 1950s American family.

Dow was born and raised in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles — his mother was a stuntwoman who acted as a double for silent film star Clara Bow — but his parents did not push him into show business.

He had done just a little stage acting and appeared in a pair of pilots. After attending an open casting call, he landed his career-defining role as Wally.

Dow would play the part for six seasons and more than 200 episodes from 1957 to 1963 on primetime on CBS and ABC, then for more than 100 episodes in the 1980s on a syndicated sequel series.

“Tony was not only my brother on TV, but in many ways in life as well. He leaves an empty place in my heart that won’t be filled,” Mathers said in a Facebook post Wednesday. “Tony was always the kindest, most generous, gentle, loving, sincere, and humble man, and it was my honor and privilege to be able to share memories together with him for 65 years.”

On the show, Wally, sometimes the center of the plot himself, navigated the worlds of junior high and high school — his two-faced best friend Eddie Haskell at his side — with just a little more wisdom than his little brother. The show’s plotlines suggested Wally was bound for great things — he mentions wanting to become an aerospace engineer — and he tended to find himself in moral dilemmas that stemmed from his essential goodness.

Dow’s favorite episode was one in which the always-ready-to-teach father, Ward Cleaver, played by Hugh Beaumont, wants his boys to know what his childhood was like. He takes them into the wilderness, despite their having what they felt was pressing business at home.

“The boys didn’t want to go because ‘Zombies From Outer Space’ was playing in the theater,” Dow said in a 2018 interview with Sidewalks Entertainment at Silicon Valley Comic-Con.

After the trip, at the end of the episode, Ward discovers the boys on a hilltop with binoculars, thinking they’re taking in some nature.

“They were watching Zombies from Outer Space at the drive-in,” Dow said with a laugh.

The show was still popular when it went off the air, but it had naturally run its course with Wally about to go to college and Beaver bound for high school.

Dow’s death leaves Mathers and Rusty Stevens, who played Beaver’s friend Larry Mondello, as the only surviving members of the show’s core cast. Beaumont died in 1982. Barbara Billingsley, who played mother June Cleaver, died in 2010.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-obituaries-entertainment-54b4bea0e3684006caeb89e05e400dea">Ken Osmond, who played Haskell</a>, died in 2020.

Dow would appear as a guest star on other TV series throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s, including “My Three Sons,” “Dr. Kildare,” “Adam-12,” “Emergency,” “Square Pegs” and “Knight Rider.”

He took a break from acting to serve three years in the U.S. National Guard in the late 1960s.

From 1983 to 1989, amid a cultural craze for nostalgia television, Dow reprised the role of Wally in “The New Leave it to Beaver.”

He began writing and directing episodes of that series, and would work as a director in television throughout the 1990s on shows including “The New Lassie,” “Babylon 5,” “Harry and the Hendersons” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”

At a time when such disclosures were rare, Dow went public with his clinical depression in the 1980s and made self-help videos on accepting and dealing with the illness.

Along with appearances in later years at pop culture conventions, often alongside Mather, Dow worked as an artist, gaining a sterling reputation as a sculptor.

One of his bronze pieces was accepted at 2008′s Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, a 150-year-old art show staged annually at the Louvre.

<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/tony-dow-former-child-tv-actor-carves-career-203012659.html">Dow told The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;in 2012 that his openings brought out as many people anxious to rub shoulders with the Beaver’s big brother as to see his art.

“I think it’s hard, especially with the Wally image, to be taken seriously at pretty much anything other than that,” he said with a chuckle and a shake of his head.

Dow is survived by his wife of 42 years, Lauren, son Christopher, daughter-in-law Melissa, and brother Dion.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22ANDREW%20DALTON%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer</a>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tony Dow, who as Wally Cleaver on the sitcom “Leave It to Beaver” helped create the popular and lasting image of the American teenager of the 1950s and 60s, died Wednesday. He was 77.Frank Bilotta, who represented Dow in his work as a sculptor, confirmed his death in an email to The Associated Press.No cause was given, but Dow had been in hospice care and announced in May that he had been diagnosed with prostate and gall bladder cancer.A post on Dow's Facebook page on Tuesday prematurely reported that he had died, but his wife and management team later took down the post and explained that it was announced in error.Dow's Wally was an often annoyed but essentially loving big brother who was constantly bailing out the title character, Theodore “Beaver” Cleaver, played by Jerry Mathers, on the show that was synonymous with the sometimes hokey, wholesome image of the 1950s American family.Dow was born and raised in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles — his mother was a stuntwoman who acted as a double for silent film star Clara Bow — but his parents did not push him into show business.He had done just a little stage acting and appeared in a pair of pilots. After attending an open casting call, he landed his career-defining role as Wally.Dow would play the part for six seasons and more than 200 episodes from 1957 to 1963 on primetime on CBS and ABC, then for more than 100 episodes in the 1980s on a syndicated sequel series.“Tony was not only my brother on TV, but in many ways in life as well. He leaves an empty place in my heart that won’t be filled,” Mathers said in a Facebook post Wednesday. “Tony was always the kindest, most generous, gentle, loving, sincere, and humble man, and it was my honor and privilege to be able to share memories together with him for 65 years.”On the show, Wally, sometimes the center of the plot himself, navigated the worlds of junior high and high school — his two-faced best friend Eddie Haskell at his side — with just a little more wisdom than his little brother. The show’s plotlines suggested Wally was bound for great things — he mentions wanting to become an aerospace engineer — and he tended to find himself in moral dilemmas that stemmed from his essential goodness.Dow’s favorite episode was one in which the always-ready-to-teach father, Ward Cleaver, played by Hugh Beaumont, wants his boys to know what his childhood was like. He takes them into the wilderness, despite their having what they felt was pressing business at home.“The boys didn’t want to go because ‘Zombies From Outer Space’ was playing in the theater,” Dow said in a 2018 interview with Sidewalks Entertainment at Silicon Valley Comic-Con.After the trip, at the end of the episode, Ward discovers the boys on a hilltop with binoculars, thinking they’re taking in some nature.“They were watching Zombies from Outer Space at the drive-in,” Dow said with a laugh.The show was still popular when it went off the air, but it had naturally run its course with Wally about to go to college and Beaver bound for high school.Dow’s death leaves Mathers and Rusty Stevens, who played Beaver’s friend Larry Mondello, as the only surviving members of the show’s core cast. Beaumont died in 1982. Barbara Billingsley, who played mother June Cleaver, died in 2010.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-news-ap-top-news-ca-state-wire-obituaries-entertainment-54b4bea0e3684006caeb89e05e400dea">Ken Osmond, who played Haskell</a>, died in 2020.Dow would appear as a guest star on other TV series throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s, including “My Three Sons,” “Dr. Kildare,” “Adam-12,” “Emergency,” “Square Pegs” and “Knight Rider.”He took a break from acting to serve three years in the U.S. National Guard in the late 1960s.From 1983 to 1989, amid a cultural craze for nostalgia television, Dow reprised the role of Wally in “The New Leave it to Beaver.”He began writing and directing episodes of that series, and would work as a director in television throughout the 1990s on shows including “The New Lassie,” “Babylon 5,” “Harry and the Hendersons” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.”At a time when such disclosures were rare, Dow went public with his clinical depression in the 1980s and made self-help videos on accepting and dealing with the illness.Along with appearances in later years at pop culture conventions, often alongside Mather, Dow worked as an artist, gaining a sterling reputation as a sculptor.One of his bronze pieces was accepted at 2008′s Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts, a 150-year-old art show staged annually at the Louvre.<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/tony-dow-former-child-tv-actor-carves-career-203012659.html">Dow told The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;in 2012 that his openings brought out as many people anxious to rub shoulders with the Beaver’s big brother as to see his art.“I think it’s hard, especially with the Wally image, to be taken seriously at pretty much anything other than that,” he said with a chuckle and a shake of his head.Dow is survived by his wife of 42 years, Lauren, son Christopher, daughter-in-law Melissa, and brother Dion.

Tony Dow, big brother Wally on 'Leave it to Beaver,' dies

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22RONALD%20BLUM%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer</a>

NEW YORK (AP) — Long dreamed about and in development for longer than the big league career of the man it honors, the Jackie Robinson Museum opened Tuesday in Manhattan with a gala ceremony attended by the widow of the barrier-breaking ballplayer and two of his children.

Rachel Robinson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-los-angeles-mookie-betts-dodgers-34201ef147e1dabdaf358e040a3ad162">turned 100 on July 19</a>, watched the half-hour outdoor celebration from a wheelchair in the 80-degree Fahrenheit (27-degree Celsius) heat, then cut a ribbon to cap a project launched in 2008.

Her 72-year-old daughter, Sharon, also looked on from a wheelchair and 70-year-old son David spoke to the crowd of about 200 sitting on folding chairs arrayed in a closed-off section of Varick Street, a major thoroughfare where the 19,380-square-foot museum is located. It opens to the public on Sept. 5

“The issues in baseball, the issues that Jackie Robinson challenged in 1947, they’re still with us,” David Robinson said. “The signs of white only have been taken down, but the complexity of equal opportunity still exists."

Rachel Robinson announced the museum on April 15, 2008, the 61st anniversary of Jackie breaking the big league color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Robinson became NL Rookie of the Year, the 1949 NL batting champion and MVP, a seven-time All-Star and a World Series champion in 1955. He hit .313 with 141 homers and 200 stolen bases in 11 seasons and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962.

Robinson, who died in 1972,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-entertainment-sports-los-angeles-baseball-d73b75a6965310bfd087c165e93dc0c6">had an impact beyond baseball</a>, galvanizing a significant slice of American public opinion and boosting the civil rights movement.

“There’s nowhere on the globe where dream is attached to our name — or our country’s name,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. “There’s not a German dream. There’s not a French dream. There’s not a Polish dream. Darn it, there’s an American dream. And this man and wife took that dream and forced America and baseball to say you’re not going to be a dream on a piece of paper, you’re going to be a dream in life. We are greater because of No. 42 and because he had amazing wife that understood that dream and vision.”

A gala dinner was held Monday night to preview the museum, which contains 4,500 artifacts, including playing equipment and items such as Robinson's 1946 minor league contract for $600 a month and his 1947 rookie contract for a $5,000 salary. The museum also holds a collection of 40,000 images and 450 hours of footage.

A 15-piece band played at the ceremony, attended by former pitcher CC Sabathia, former NL president Len Coleman and former Mets owner Fred Wilpon, along with players’ association head Tony Clark and Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch.

“Without him, there would be no me,” Sabathia said. “I wouldn't have been able to live out my dream of playing Major League Baseball.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, director Spike Lee (wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers cap) and former tennis star Billie Jean King also were on hand.

"It seems like we're more divided than ever," King said. “People like Jackie Robinson was a great reminder every single morning, every single evening that we have to do the right thing every day.”

Original projections had a 2010 opening and $25 million cost. The Great Recession caused a delay.

Ground finally was broken on April 27, 2017, when the Jackie Robinson Foundation said it had raised $23.5 million of a planned $42 million and the museum was intended to open in 2019. The pandemic caused more delays, and the total raised has risen to $38 million, of which $2.6 million was contributed by New York City.

<a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search/?query=byline:%22RONALD%20BLUM%22&amp;mediaType=text&amp;st=keyword&amp;sortOrder=newest">By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer</a>NEW YORK (AP) — Long dreamed about and in development for longer than the big league career of the man it honors, the Jackie Robinson Museum opened Tuesday in Manhattan with a gala ceremony attended by the widow of the barrier-breaking ballplayer and two of his children.Rachel Robinson, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-sports-los-angeles-mookie-betts-dodgers-34201ef147e1dabdaf358e040a3ad162">turned 100 on July 19</a>, watched the half-hour outdoor celebration from a wheelchair in the 80-degree Fahrenheit (27-degree Celsius) heat, then cut a ribbon to cap a project launched in 2008.Her 72-year-old daughter, Sharon, also looked on from a wheelchair and 70-year-old son David spoke to the crowd of about 200 sitting on folding chairs arrayed in a closed-off section of Varick Street, a major thoroughfare where the 19,380-square-foot museum is located. It opens to the public on Sept. 5“The issues in baseball, the issues that Jackie Robinson challenged in 1947, they’re still with us,” David Robinson said. “The signs of white only have been taken down, but the complexity of equal opportunity still exists."Rachel Robinson announced the museum on April 15, 2008, the 61st anniversary of Jackie breaking the big league color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. Robinson became NL Rookie of the Year, the 1949 NL batting champion and MVP, a seven-time All-Star and a World Series champion in 1955. He hit .313 with 141 homers and 200 stolen bases in 11 seasons and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1962.Robinson, who died in 1972,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-entertainment-sports-los-angeles-baseball-d73b75a6965310bfd087c165e93dc0c6">had an impact beyond baseball</a>, galvanizing a significant slice of American public opinion and boosting the civil rights movement.“There’s nowhere on the globe where dream is attached to our name — or our country’s name,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said. “There’s not a German dream. There’s not a French dream. There’s not a Polish dream. Darn it, there’s an American dream. And this man and wife took that dream and forced America and baseball to say you’re not going to be a dream on a piece of paper, you’re going to be a dream in life. We are greater because of No. 42 and because he had amazing wife that understood that dream and vision.”A gala dinner was held Monday night to preview the museum, which contains 4,500 artifacts, including playing equipment and items such as Robinson's 1946 minor league contract for $600 a month and his 1947 rookie contract for a $5,000 salary. The museum also holds a collection of 40,000 images and 450 hours of footage.A 15-piece band played at the ceremony, attended by former pitcher CC Sabathia, former NL president Len Coleman and former Mets owner Fred Wilpon, along with players’ association head Tony Clark and Hall of Fame president Josh Rawitch.“Without him, there would be no me,” Sabathia said. “I wouldn't have been able to live out my dream of playing Major League Baseball.”Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, director Spike Lee (wearing a Brooklyn Dodgers cap) and former tennis star Billie Jean King also were on hand."It seems like we're more divided than ever," King said. “People like Jackie Robinson was a great reminder every single morning, every single evening that we have to do the right thing every day.”Original projections had a 2010 opening and $25 million cost. The Great Recession caused a delay.Ground finally was broken on April 27, 2017, when the Jackie Robinson Foundation said it had raised $23.5 million of a planned $42 million and the museum was intended to open in 2019. The pandemic caused more delays, and the total raised has risen to $38 million, of which $2.6 million was contributed by New York City.Tickets will cost $18 for adults and $15 for students, seniors and children. The second floor includes an education center, part of a plan envisioned by Rachel Robinson.“She wanted a fixed tribute to her husband, where people could come and learn about him, but also be inspired,” said foundation president Della Britton, who headed the project. “We want to be that place, as young people now say, a safe space, where people will talk about race and not worry about the initial backlash that happens when you say something on social media.”David Robinson said his father would have been proud.“He was a man who used the word ‘we,’” David said. “I think today Jackie Robinson would say I accept this honor, but I accept this honor on behalf of something far beyond my individual self, far beyond my family, far beyond even my race. Jackie Robinson would say don’t think of you standing on my shoulders, I think of myself as standing on the shoulders of my mother, who was a sharecropper in Georgia, my grandmother, who was born a slave."