#Middlebury
Q: I heard that actor Jeff Bridges was diagnosed with cancer. How is he doing? Is he done acting or will he continue while he fights the disease? – H.B.
A: Jeff Bridges and his longtime wife, Susan, posted a very cute photo of themselves with their dog on Twitter, wishing everyone a Happy New Year. He had recently shaved his head and sported a red beret while wearing matching pajamas with Susan.
Jeff Bridges (Gage Skidmore photo)
In October, the 71-year-old actor was diagnosed with lymphoma and began treatment. He’s still working, at least as much as is permitted during the pandemic. His new project is the upcoming Hulu TV series “The Old Man,” which is based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Perry. According to TV Guide, Bridges plays a “retired intelligence officer who becomes marked for death and is pulled into the world he left behind.” It also stars John Lithgow (“The Crown”) and Amy Brenneman (“Judging Amy”). With a cast like that, it’s bound to be a hit, but no specific premiere date has been set.
Q: I saw a commercial for a new show that’s similar to “America’s Got Talent.” I forget the name, but it had WWE star Cody Rhodes as one of the judges. Does this mean he’s done wrestling? – C.P.
A: Cody Rhodes, a son of the legendary Dusty Rhodes, left the WWE in 2016 and later helped start the All Elite Wrestling league. He was still wrestling in the AEW in 2020, but now, at age 35, Cody’s body might be telling him to slow down.
The new “Go-Big Show” is part of TBS’ Thursday night lineup, and while it appears similar to NBC’s “America’s Got Talent,” it’s more extreme and, as its name implies, big, with acts that involve monster trucks, alligator wrestlers, tightrope walkers and fire breathers.
Joining Rhodes at the judges’ table are rapper Snoop Dogg, actress Rosario Dawson (“The Mandalorian”) and singer Jennifer Nettles. It features a socially distant, drive-through audience cheering on the competitors as they vie for a $100,000 prize.
Q: Where have I seen the actor who plays the male lead in the new sitcom “Bob Hearts Abishola”? Was he a stand-up comedian? He looks very familiar. – Y.A.
A: Billy Gardell plays Bob in “Bob Hearts Abishola,” the CBS sitcom produced by the very successful Chuck Lorre (“Two and a Half Men,” etc.), and he’s probably triggering some deja-vu because he starred for six seasons in another CBS sitcom, “Mike & Molly.” Before his successful television career, he was a stand-up comedian from Pennsylvania.
“Bob Hearts Abishola” actually is not new. It’s in its second season, but has been heavily promoted in recent months. Gardell plays a successful business owner who falls in love with his nurse, Abishola, played by Nigerian-born Folake Olowofoyeku, who pursued her dream of being an actress after enrolling in the City College of New York.
Send me your questions at NewCelebrityExtra@gmail.com, or write me at KFWS, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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