COSMO MAG

Lisa Kudrowstill thinks about the way thatFriendsaffected its viewers after 9/11.

TheComebackstar reflected on the legacy of the legendary NBC sitcom in a newvideo interviewwithVanity Fair, noting how fans of the show expressed their appreciation toward her after acts of terrorism shocked the nation.

"After 9/11, I understood how important entertainment really is, and how important comedies are, and how importantFriendswas to people," Kudrow said. "Because we do need that escape."

The actress, who portrayed Phoebe Buffay on all 10 seasons of the sitcom, said that she remembers poignant interactions with grateful fans after the fall of the Twin Towers.

"I would drive home from the set, fromFriends, and people, you're at a stoplight and the car next to you, someone would look over and go, 'Ahh!'" she recalled. "After 9/11, it still gets me a little emotional, I have to say. Someone would look over and just go, 'Thank you,' like, about to cry, and just say, 'Thank you.' And I fully understood what they meant."

Kudrow said that those moments marked a turning point in her understanding of her work's impact. "That's when I think I really took it in, you know, what these shows do mean to us," she said. "And [I] felt very proud to be contributing to a break for people."

Advertisement

TheRomy and Michele's High School Reunionactress previously expressed similar sentiments in a2013 interview with the Television Academy. "I think it was a relief that these were New Yorks that didn't have 9/11," Kudrow said ofFriendsand fellow NBC seriesWill & Grace.

The actress remembered that after the attacks, "All you did was watch the news" every day. "And it was just so many horrifying stories," she said. "It was family members talking about who was still missing, and would they ever find them, and who didn't make it. It was just non-stopthat."

Kudrow remembered wondering how the attacks would impact a new episode ofWill & Grace. "I put on the TV and it wasWill & Grace, and I thought, 'Okay, ugh, I wonder who they knew in the Towers,' as if that was gonna come up in the show," she recalled. "AndthenI realized, 'Oh, wait! This is a world where it's not ever going to happen.' And I almost started crying from relief."

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

Friendsran from 1994 to 2004, which meant that its last three seasons aired after 9/11.

Kudrow said that she has beenrewatching the showafter the death of her costar Matthew Perry. "It's just celebrating how hilarious he was," she said. "And that is what I want to remember [about him]."

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Sepideh Moafi was preparing to attend a weeklong personal-growth retreat when she landed her role in the second season of HBO Max's The Pitt

NEED TO KNOW

• Speaking of her character, Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, she tells PEOPLE, "She leads with pure intentions, and she's able to empathize with patients in a very personal way, and yet diagnose and see beyond what's in front of her"

• Moafi was a baby when her parents came to the United States after fleeing Iran following the Islamic Revolution

Sepideh Moafiremembers the exact moment she landed her role in the second season of HBO Max'sThe Pitt.

The actress, 40, was preparing to travel from New York to California to partake in a weeklong personal-growth retreat that required participants to give up their electronic devices, and she had yet to hear back from her big audition.

"I was resigned to the fact that maybe I didn't have the role," she tells PEOPLE in this week's issue. But at 7 p.m. the night before her flight, she got the call. "I was elated, and I frantically packed even more, because I was going to be in California for not one week, but eight months."

Moafi finished her retreat on a Saturday and began "medical boot camp" for the Emmy-winning drama two days later. "It was crazy but also just perfect," she recalls.

Moafi has found inspiration in her character Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi, a strong-willed physician who's poised to replace Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) during his planned three-month sabbatical.

"She leads with pure intentions and she's able to empathize with patients in a very personal way, and yet diagnose and see beyond what's in front of her," the actress says. "She can zoom out and zoom in quite beautifully—and sometimes I get stuck in the zoomed-in part."

But that focus and persistence has also served Moafi, whose acting career began with an interest in opera when she was a teenager. "It grabbed my heart and pulled me forward," she recalls. As she faced doubt from people in the industry — including her first agent — Moafi wouldn't allow it to hold her back, and her "natural curiosity" drives her still.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Moafi was a baby when her parents came to the United States after fleeing Iran following the Islamic Revolution in the early 1980s. "For any refugee family, it's rarely a choice. The circumstances were so dire that they were forced to leave," she says of her parents' journey, noting that they first went to Turkey and then refugee camps in Germany, where she was born in 1985.

"We were very lucky to have a community when we came here, but it's a loss of identity in so many ways," says Moafi, who considers English as her first language but also speaks Farsi.

Motivated by her early interest in opera, Moafi attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music but admits she grew "frustrated with the lack of priority given to acting." After a teacher commented on her talent in that area, she became intrigued by the potential in performing "without the responsibility of singing."

Advertisement

Roles in regional productions of Shakespeare — "my gateway drug into theater," she says — and an MFA program at University of California Irvine followed.

After graduating in 2013, Moafi landed a guest spot on the CBS hitBlue Bloods, the first in a string of TV and movie gigs. "I couldn't believe that I was living this life. And then I booked The Deuce," she says.

The actress starred on the HBO drama for three seasons, and soon after its conclusion, she landed a part in 2019'sThe L Word: Generation Q– the sequel to the groundbreaking Showtime hit from the aughts.

"I loved the freedom Gigi unleashed in me," she says of her character.

Take PEOPLE with you!Subscribe to PEOPLE magazineto get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more — right to your mailbox.

Still, Moafi faced detractors. "My first agent wanted me to change my name," she recalls. "It felt like they needed me to be someone different in order to work or to sell something. But I continued, and I ended up booking my first job and then my second and third and having a beautiful and varied career as a result."

Next up, Moafi stars in Off-Broadway'sNew BornwithHugh Jackmanbeginning May 8.

With success comes a platform Moafiutilizes to advocate for refugeesand immigrants.

"People want dignity and a free future," she says. "The emotional anchor in my life is my background, my parents and our history. It is a privilege to be of service."

The Pittairs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.

Read the original article onPeople

John Cena wasn't in the mood to be serenaded by Harry Daniels in a café.

Key Points

• "Well I'm not buying what you're selling," Cena quipped after learning what Daniels' singing bit involved.

• The social media star, known for singing to celebrities, admitted he "had no decorum" when approaching the wrestler.

John Cenawas uninterested inHarry Daniels' serenade.

In a TikTok videoshared by Daniels, the social media star known for singing to celebrities, approaches the WWE icon in a café. Daniels attempts to sings the chorus of "Invisible String" byTaylor Swiftbut only gets a couple of lines in. "Isn't it just so pretty to think, that all along there was some invisible string," Daniels crooned.

Cena then stands up to introduce himself as, well, John Cena. "Let's start with hello," he said. "Nice to meet you, I'm John. Would you like to sing now?" Daniels said yes, to which the wrestler-turned-actor asked, "For what purpose?"

Daniels responded, "because I sing to everyone." Cena bluntly told the social media star, "Well I'm not buying what you're selling." Daniels thanked him for his time and walked away.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

"Ok this ones on me cuz i had no decorum my bad sorry john cena," Daniels captioned the video. The text over the TikTok read, "my approach was so bad that the whole thing went haywire."

Advertisement

Fans had thoughts about their interaction. Some agreed with Daniels that his approach wasn't apt. "That's literally on you. Everyone knows John Cena is all about the manners. 😂," one said. "john cena is not rude nor mean, this is a very normal reaction," another wrote, referring to the WWE star's politeness.

"'Let's start with hello' LMAOOO he was not playing omg," a third chimed in. "Didn't you know that John Cena runs a strict program 🤭😭😂😂😂," someone else joked. "He's cena nough of your singing," another chided.

Cena, who retired from wrestling last December, has spoken about what his future looked like, which still involves WWE even if not competing himself.

"I am working diligently to try to figure out my next path as a contributing, useful member of WWE I think I might crack the code, and I think we have something, and if the stars align and everybody signs off, I will be a whole lot more integrated in the system, and I'm very excited about the road ahead, and I'll just cross my fingers that it works," he said during MEGACon in Orlando in March, perClutch Points.

In the meantime, however, it might not include any singing.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

Wu-Tang Clan is returning to North America this summer for encore dates of "Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber" tour. The 26-city tour begins August 27 in Darien Center, N.Y., with stops across the U.S. and Canada, including Atlantic City, Toronto, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix and more. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will open on most dates. Tickets for the iconic hip-hop group go on general sale on Friday, March 27, at 10 a.m. local venue time. Here's everything you need to know to grab tickets to the Wu-Tang Clan tour.

When do Wu-Tang Clan tickets go on sale?

Presales for theWu-Tang Clan's upcoming tourran all this week and conclude today. General sale begins March 27 at 10 a.m. local venue time.

Find tickets

Wu-Tang Clan ticket prices

While official general sale tickets aren't available yet, third-party resellers like StubHub have Wu-Tang Clan tour ticketsstarting around $100(varying by date and venue).

Advertisement

Get tickets on StubHub

'Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber' tour openers

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony will support Wu-Tang Clan on its upcoming North American tour.

'Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber' tourdates

• Thursday, Aug. 27 – Darien Center, N.Y., Darien Lake Amphitheater

• Friday, Aug. 28 – Atlantic City, N.J., Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena ^

• Saturday, Aug. 29 – Hartford, Conn., The Meadows Music Theatre

• Tuesday, Sep. 1 – Shakopee, Minn., Mystic Lake Amphitheater ^

• Wednesday, Sep. 2 – Kansas City, Mo., Morton Amphitheater

• Friday, Sep. 4 – Tinley Park, Ill., Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre

• Saturday, Sep. 5 – Cincinnati, Riverbend Music Center

• Sunday, Sep. 6 – Clarkston, Mich., Pine Knob Music Theatre

• Tuesday, Sep. 8 – Toronto, Ontario, RBC Amphitheatre

• Wednesday, Sep. 9 – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Blossom Music Center

• Friday, Sep. 11 – Holmdel, N.J., PNC Bank Arts Center

• Saturday, Sep. 12 – Mansfield, Mass., Xfinity Center

• Sunday, Sep. 13 – Wantagh, N.Y., Northwell at Jones Beach Theater

• Tuesday, Sep. 15 – Bristow, Va., Jiffy Lube Live

• Wednesday, Sep. 16 – Virginia Beach, Va., Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach

• Friday, Sep. 18 – Charlotte, N.C., Truliant Amphitheater

• Saturday, Sep. 19 – Birmingham, Ala., Coca-Cola Amphitheater

• Sunday, Sep. 20 – Atlanta, Shaky Knees Festival – Piedmont Park *^

• Tuesday, Sep. 22 – Orlando, Kia Center

• Wednesday, Sep. 23 – West Palm Beach, Fla., iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre

• Thursday, Sep. 24 – Tampa, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre

• Saturday, Sep. 26 – Thackerville, Okla., Winstar Casino ^

• Monday, Sep. 28 – Albuquerque, First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater

• Tuesday, Sep. 29 – Salt Lake City, Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre

• Thursday, Oct. 1 – Highland, Calif., Yaamava' Theater

• Friday, Oct. 2 – Sacramento, Calif., Aftershock Festival–Discovery Park *^

• Saturday, Oct. 3 – Las Vegas, T-Mobile Arena ^

• Sunday, Oct. 4 – Phoenix, Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre

* Festival appearance

^ Without Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Don't come for theReal Housewivesfranchise, especially when you're a guest atAndy Cohen's studio.

The Radio Andy host and executive producer of the Bravo franchise shared his reaction toSarah Michelle Gellarcalling out season 15 ofThe Real Housewives of Beverly Hillson thePage Six Radiopodcast, which tapes in his studio at NYC's SiriusXM headquarters.

"It was in our studio and then they post it, and it's, like, 'Sarah Michelle Gellar hates theHousewives of Beverly Hills,' with all this Radio Andy signage everywhere, and I go, 'You know what? Don't bring someone intomystudio to trashmyshow. How about the door is locked when I leave? How's that?" Cohensaid on his showWednesday. "Or maybe think twice about posting that all over social media where it says, like, 'Andy' everywhere behind SMG."

"She wrong, by the way," he concluded.

Gellarshared her hot takeonRHOBHwithPage Six Radiolast week, admitting she wasn't taken by the latest season so far.

"I think it's boring," she said in a clip posted onYouTubeon March 18. I mean, I like the cast. I love Rachel [Zoe], I think Rachel's a great addition. I love Boz [Saint John]. I think it's a great — I mean, I live for Kathy and Jen. I want a spinoff. I want a Jen Tilly-Kathy Hilton spinoff. But it's slow. It's just picking up now."

Advertisement

She also noted that newcomer Amanda Frances is a lackluster addition whom no one "enjoys."

Meanwhile, during her appearance on Cohen's radio show right beforeher tapingwithPage Six Radio,Gellar apparently sang the reality series' praises.

"It was right after she was on our show and was like, 'Yeah, I like [RHOBH].' And then she went on their show and was like, 'No,'" Cohen's cohost John Hill claimed.

Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with ourEW Dispatch newsletter.

Gellar has been making the promotional rounds forReady or Not 2: Here I Come.She was evacuatedduring a press junket at Le Bristol Hotel in Paris on Wednesday amid a kitchen fire on the property.

Following the event, a source toldEntertainment Weeklythat"everyone is safe and back in the hotel."

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

The first half of Savannah Guthrie's sit down with Hoda Kotb aired on Today on Thursday, March 26

NEED TO KNOW

• "We don't know anything... [but] to think that I brought this to her bedside, that it's because of me?" Guthrie wondered in her first interview since her mother's disappearance

• The second half of Guthrie's conversation with Kotb will air on Friday, March 27

Savannah Guthrieis opening up about her family's ordeal in the wake of her mother Nancy's disappearance.

In her first interview since her mom went missing on Feb. 1, theTodayhost, 54, sat down withHoda Kotbfor a two-part conversation, the first half of which aired on Thursday, March 26.

"What Savannah has shown in these past 54 days is the most remarkable grace I have ever witnessed," Kotb said as she introduced the interview. Their conversation began with Guthrie detailing how she first found out the news that her mother disappeared. As she and her siblings pieced together what might have happened, she admitted she questioned whether her fame led to her mother being targeted.

"I think my brother, my siblings are so amazing, my brother, he spent his career in the military and worked in intelligence and is a fighter pilot and just brilliant and he saw very clearly right away what this was. And even on the phone when I called him, he knew. He said, 'I think she's been kidnapped for ransom.' And I said, 'What?!'" Guthrie told Kotb.

"It sounds so — how dumb could I be — but I said, 'Do you think because of me?' He said, 'I'm sorry, sweetie, but yeah, maybe,'" Savannah recalled of the conversation she had with her brother, Camron.

"I hope not. I mean, we still don't know. Honestly, we don't know anything. We don't know anything. So I don't know that it's because she's my mom and somebody thought, 'Oh, that lady has money we could make a quick buck,'" Guthrie said. "That would make sense, but that's probably… which is too much to bear. To think that I brought this to her bedside, that it's because of me? Can I just say, I'm so sorry, Mommy. I'm sorry to my sister and my brother and my kids and my nephew and Tommy, my brother-in-law. I'm just so sorry. I'm so sorry. If it is me, I'm so sorry."

Guthrie'sTodaycolleagues rallied around her after the interview aired. "The fact that our dear friend would blame herself..." said Craig Melvin, sitting at the desk.

"Oh, that was the hardest part," Carson Daly said in agreement.

"That was the hardest part. That she would blame herself for any of this when it was some sicko or sickos out there who would kidnap a woman in the middle of the night," added Melvin.

When Kotb initially announced the interview on air on Wednesday, March 25, she described the conversation to her colleagues as "really emotional."

Advertisement

"We're gonna have the whole thing for you [Thursday] and Friday, but first, we did want to bring you one of the moments from the interview where Savannah shared a message to anybody who may have information about Nancy," Kotb added.

In a preview clip from the conversation, Guthrie said to Kotb through tears: "Someone needs to do the right thing. We are in agony. We are in agony. It is unbearable."

On March 5, PEOPLE reported thatGuthrie plans to return toTodayin an official capacity. While no date was set at that time, PEOPLE can confirm that information will be coming soon.

Three weeks ago, on March 5,Guthrie visited theTodayshow set in New York Cityfor the first time since returning from Arizona. PEOPLE confirmed that she shared an emotional reunion with the entire staff and crew. She thanked them all for their prayers and support and for "caring about my mom as much as I do."

The search for Nancy is now in its eighth week. The 84-year-old was last seen on Jan. 31, after her family dropped her off at her home in Tucson. When she failed to show up for a virtual church service the next day, the Pima County Sheriff's Department (PCSD) launched an urgent search for Nancy.

Investigators believe that Nancy was kidnapped overnight, citingsurveillance footageof a masked man at her front door.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Guthrie and her family continue to plead with the public for their help bringing their mom home.

Anyone with information about Nancy's disappearance is asked to please contact 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or the Pima County Sheriff's Department 520-351-4900.

Read the original article onPeople

Bruce Willis' 90-year-old mother, Marlene Willis, spends her Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays volunteering for the LAPD

NEED TO KNOW

• Marlene, known as Mrs. Willis around the station, has been volunteering with the West Los Angeles station for 22 years

• She has previously been recognized as the volunteer of the year

Bruce Willis' 90-year-old mother, Marlene Willis, spends her weekday afternoons with a special hobby.

Marlene is receiving recognition after volunteering with the Los Angeles Police Department for 22 years. Marlene, who is known as "Mrs. Willis" to those working at the West Los Angeles station, spends her Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays checking grammar and adding notes to police reports, perNBC Los Angeles.

"I want to help so much, so much," Marlene told the outlet. "You have no idea. You cannot imagine how much I want to help."

While she is close with her own big family, Marlene also finds close friendships within the LAPD.

"This is my family," Marlene told the outlet of the LAPD. "I mean that 100%."

"Mrs. Willis is a very integral part of West Los Angeles and the LAPD," Cpt. Rich Gabaldon, the West LA station's commanding officer, said. "She is an icon here."

Police officers working at the station told NBC Los Angeles that Marlene's "presence alone" could bring a smile to their faces on hard days.

Advertisement

"I think she means the very best of people that are individuals who believe in the work that our men and women do," former LAPD Chief Michel Moore told NBC Los Angeles.

Moore previously presented the LAPD volunteer of the year award to Marlene, along with another unique honor.

"While I can't make her a cop, I can at least give her the greatest symbol of what it means to be a cop," Moore told NBC Los Angeles. "And that is a badge of the law center police department.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"Marlene, there are people in our lives that when you cross their path; they leave a lasting impression," Moore, now retired and living in Tennessee, told the news station in a message to Marlene. "You are one that has risen to the top of one of the best impressions. To you and the work you do, we will be forever grateful."

Marlene does not discuss her famous son or her manygrandchildrenand great-grandchildren around the station, but her screensaver is a photo of herself giving Bruce, 71, a hug.

"She was never one to wear her identity as his mother on her sleeve or even involve him in even passing references of her life, which impressed me," Moore told NBC Los Angeles.

Read the original article onPeople